within ye are full of hypocrisie and iniquity and except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye cannot be saved Matth. 5.20 This Pharisaical righteousness was not really such but hypocritical only in shew and for ostentation men do sometimes fansie themselves to be righteous when they are not Thus Solomon adviseth be not righteous over much that is in thine own conceit such was the Angel of the Church of Laodicea Eccles 7.16 Rev. 3.17 who said I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing when he was wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Now to come just to the point God having declared unto the people their transgressions as the Cause of his Judgments he commandeth them to repent and turn from all their sins having shewed the distemper doth propose the remedy and presses the use of it herein God revealeth to them their duty what they ought but not what they can do they may not pretend ignorance for here is a warning and thereby they are acquainted with the Masters will and if they do not what they are commanded Death lies at their door and they are without excuse Here as Moses had done before are set before them life and death Deut. 30. â—â— but being like not to chuse well God expostulates with them why will ye die O house of Israel No Man but very few wretches whom God leaves under a fit of despair is willing to die of a natural death but would gladly live a day longer even those that are most submissive to God's Providence much less is any willing to die of eternal death wherefore we must observe that the question doth not directly tend to shew the house of Israel is willing to die but rather that the ways of the house of Israel tend to death Death it self is no good nor desirable thing 't is a deprivation of life the best thing in nature and destruction for a time of a strict union and of a noble Being but often that which men desire not befalls them because they fall into a way conducing to it 't is not the end they propose to themselves but 't is the event that happens unto them A man who is very prodigal of his Estate fallen into great excess of intemperance and debauchery may very well be asked Why will you ruin and kill your self though he intends no such thing but is engaged in a course of life that will lead him to it Thus upon such a bottom is grounded this expostulation of God with the house of Israel as if he had said the way ye are in shall bring you to death and destruction therefore turn from it if you will live and avoid judgments temporal as spiritual for we see the former are meant as out of Ezech. 33.21 A thing here chiefly to be taken notice of is that all this doth wholly run upon the Covenant of works the Law of Moses for 't is said Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness Ezech. 20. â—0 11. and gave them my statutes and shewed them my judgments which if a man do he shall live in them And consequently doth not reach our question about the Covenant of Grace and receiving of Christ when offered upon his own terms Now Christians do not or must not stand upon that old Covenant which was not faultless Heb. 8.6 7. or else no place should have been found out for the second which is a better covenant established upon better promises Now as Perfect Obedience the condition of the old Covenant was impossible for Men to perform so is Faith under the new Covenant a condition impossible for Men of themselves to attain unto 't is not found in Nature nor amongst Works but 't is a gift of God and none have it but those whom he is pleased to bestow it upon The house of Israel is willing to die and the reason is because naturally they are so inclined darkness ignorance and blindness are the natural portion of humane nature John 14 10.11 When he that was and is the life and light of men came into the world and that the light shined in dark ness yet darkness comprehended him not The world was made by him and the world knew him not He came to his own and his own received him not because Men loved darkness more than light This is the reason why people will die because they love not life there is a natural impossiblity 1 Cor. 2.14 How can Men naturally dead in trespasses and sins be willing to live What will is left in them tends not to spiritual life but for death if there be such strong inclinations in a good Man what must it be in the wicked Though the Angels had assured Lot they were come to destroy Sodom and hastned him out of it yet he lingered had no mind to come out till they to save him were forced to lay hold upon his hand and as it were force him out of it they certainly might have put to him the question why wilt thou die Seeing he staied as it were to be involved in the destruction of the place and his Wife how unwilling was she to leave it and contrary to the Angels order she must needs look behind either out of curiosity or a desire to go back So the Children of Israel had preferred to have continued under bondage in Egypt Genes 19. Numb 11.5 if they might but eat their Leeks Onions and Garlick than being in the Wilderness free from Slavery 'T is an amazement to think and see how averse Men are from their good and prone to their own mischief we must conclude those Men to be willing to die that are unwilling to live which will not turn from the paths of death There are in the world those that cannot cease from sin 2 Pet. 2.14 There are those that cannot recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 And who are bent upon and willing to die in whom is a repugnancy to their good and reluctancy to their happiness because born and bred under slavery I say a thing which to some will seem strange yet to my certain knowledge 't is very true how in some parts of Italy chiefly in the State of Venice there are those men who sell themselves to be Slaves in the Galleys some for a shorter some for a longer time and some for life and undergo the same Drudgery as do those who are put in there for great crimes Nay there be those who having as Malefactors continued there for a long time after their time was expired of their own accord returned thither This Paw I produce only thereby to judge of the Lyon how corrupt is man's nature and how willing and naturally inclined they are to ruine and destroy themselves
the ordinary means by him appointed These Instruments which God maketh use of are either good or bad ordinary or extraordinary Good Instruments he maketh use of when by the means of good and pious Ministers he calleth Men to Salvation when he ruleth People by good Kings and preserveth Believers by good Angels God also maketh use of bad Instruments First to punish the wicked when by the means of the Devil or wicked Men he destroyeth Tyrants Witches c Secondly He chastises his Children when he sometimes delivereth them into the hands of Cruel Tyrants to the end that being thus afflicted they may know their sins repent and draw near to God Thirdly To try the Faith and Patience of his Children thus he makes Job's Patience known all the world over he made use of the Devil and of the Chaldeans and Sabeans And although those evil Instruments which God maketh useth of do sin yet God doth nothing amiss he doth not infuse any malice into them but maketh a good use of that which in them is inherent to execute his just Judgments In the same work saith Austin God is just and Man guilty because in the same thing they have done they had different ends The ordinary Instruments which God maketh use of are Second Causes appointed to produce certain ends thus the Sun is the usual means whereby God doth give light to the World heat and warm the Earth for to that same end it is appointed and always made use of the word of God is the usual means to convert Men to God The extraordinary means are those which are not appointed always or for the most part to cause such effects but according to God's Will they variously produce sometimes one thing sometimes another thus God to kill a Man doth sometimes make use of a Thunder-bolt another of the fall of a House of a Wild Beast of Highway-men Hence one may see there are an ordinary and an extraordinary Providence The first is when he observeth the order he at first settled in Nature namely that certain Causes acting according to the perpetual Law of Nature shall produce some effects which hold a proportion with the strength of the Cause Hence are the several seasons of the year succeeding one to another rising and setting of the Planets motion of the Stars and the generation and corruption of worldly things The extraordinary is when God without or besides the way and order settled in Nature above the strength of Second Causes doth through his Omnipotency provide for things Hence are Miracles which are Works of Divine Almightiness exceeding the power of Second Causes Hence it is that those Second Causes sometimes employed by God in working Miracles in relation to the miraculous effects are signs and Evidences rather than Causes When God hath a work to do and hath a mind to make use of Instruments he doth fit them for his purpose (a) 2 Chron. 20.6 For in his hand there is such a power and might so that none or nothing is able to withstand him Because (b) Prov. 21.30 there is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. In point of these acts of God's Providence let it be farther observed how though God hath appointed certain Causes to produce some effects yet as he is not tyed to them so he is sometimes and often seen to work such events as do not answer those Second Causes One would think that swiftness in running of a Race should carry the Victory that the strongest should in a Battle have the better and that the Wisest should heap up Riches yet these Successes are by Solomon ascribed to God's Providence more than to such Second Causes for he saith (c) Eccles 9.11 the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong neither yet bread to the wise nor yet riches to men of understanding nor yet favour to men of skill Now we are come to the most controverted part of God's Providence namely Permission which is a governing whereby God doth not restrain or bring off Devils and wicked men so prone and inclined to sin but withdrawing or denying his Grace suffereth them to fall into sin yet so that he turneth their bad and violent inclinations to the execution of his just Judgments and directeth to very good ends their wicked Designs and Purposes In the permission of sin God is not an idle Spectator but a mighty just and wise Judge God's method herein is this First To men dead in trespasses and sins he denyeth and withdraweth the effectual helps of his Grace without which they cannot but sin Secondly Very often he keeps not form sinning Devils and Men of their nature and out of custom so prone to sin when he could do 't but suffereth them to fall into 't Thirdly That sin conceived in their mind he so restraineth and ruleth that he suffers it not to break out upon every Object but he inclineth and directeth it to such Objects or Men whom he is willing to Punish Chastise or Try. Fourthly He directeth to a good end those designs which they intend for evil ends as for instance if a Traveller on his way be killed by a Highway-man God is said to have permitted the Murther First Because he hath withdrawn and denyed him his effectual Grace without which he infallibly was to commit a Murther Secondly Because he hath not kept from Murther the mind of that Highway-man by nature and custom inclined to it when he could easily have done it but hath suffered him to commit it Thirdly because he so inclined and ruled the Highway-man's violence and design of committing a Murther that he neither would or could indifferently kill any Man but this Man rather than another hence by a just Judgment which for the most part Men know not the cause of he hath exposed to the Highway-man's fury this Traveller rather than another Fourthly Because that which by the Highway-man was committed for a bad end as may be to get money to bestow upon his own lust God directed it for a good end as may be the Robber's punishment or of him that was killed or to hinder him from executing some evil design he was going upon or some other end unknown to us In the Sins of Men about which Divine Permission is exercised four things are to be observed First The act it self as 't is a natural act physically taken Secondly The vice inherent to the fact or the morality of it Thirdly The directing of the bad Instrument and evil Act to a certain Object Fourthly The end of this direction is that God executeth his just Judgments by the sins of Men. The first third and fourth of these are of God and he is the Author of them for every act as such is good the motion of the hand stirring of the body are good the direction of the feet is good and the execution of God's judgments is very good But the second wherein properly sin
we say the Will is free only to do Evil most willing with greediness In this case with Scripture we call it a Slave a Drudge and a Servant to Sin for it cannot cease from Sin wise and willing enough to Sin but without knowledge and willingness to do good (a) Rom. 6.16 Whom man doth obey his servant he is to whom he doth obey That Will that obeys Sin in the lusts thereof as every Will in its state of Nature doth Sin saith the Apostle reigneth in it as in the Mortal body such Will is in the snare of the Devil and (b) 2 Tim. 2.26 taken Captive by him at his Will saith the same Apostle In this unregenerate state the Soul and consequently the Will is dead in trespasses and sins the natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 And the carnal Mind and Will too is enmity against God before our reconciliation to God we are his enemies Rom. 5.10 both in Soul and Body in every faculty of the one and in every member of the other In short the whole stream of Scripture runs strong that way to shew how in the state of Nature there is no more possibility for our Will of it self to be carried to good Spiritual objects Jerem. 13.23 than there is in the Aethiopian to change his skin or in the Leopard to change his spots Now in the state of Grace as to Free-will in relation to spiritual things for those of another nature come not within the question though the Will remaineth free from compulsion yet we ought to consider it in a twofold respect according to the two different Principles that are in us the Flesh and the Spirit the Old and the New Man of a quite different and contrary nature one to another the Flesh hath her Lusts which must be Crucified the Old Man hath his Deeds which ought to be Mortified all by degrees and after a fight wherein the Spirit of God thorough Christ's Blood giveth a regenerate Man the Victory not the Israel after the flesh 1 Cor. 10.18 but to that after the spirit and the promise What this New Man is St. Paul mentions to the Galatians 4.19 My little Children of whom I travail in birth until Christ be formed in you that is the Image and likeness of Christ in Righteousness Holiness and every Christian Virtue of this formation the Apostle by the means of the Ministery of the Word was the Instrument but the Holy Ghost not the Will of Man the Efficient Cause it is that Wind that bloweth where it listeth and though one heareth the sound thereof one cannot tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth Joh. 3.8 In some kind we may say of it what David speaks of his Body made in secret at first imperfect but in continuance fashioned Psal 139.15 16. This puts a new or spiritual Life in us so that every one in that blessed condition may with St. Paul say I live yet not I but Christ lives in me Gal. 2.20 I know I will I love and I do yet not I but Christ by his holy Spirit knoweth willeth loveth and doth in me and even as after the birth of our Body to preserve and strengthen it food must be given it and Milk is the first so must the New Man be fed with Milk till it be able to bear Meat 1 Cor. 3.2 but this forming feeding and digesting is the Work of God and not an effect of the choice of our Will Thus much I could not forbear taking notice of as to that Spiritual Principle within us Well both these Principles retain the Nature whence they come The first of the earth earthy the second is the Lord from heaven heavenly 1 Cor. 15.47 Now that first and Old Man answereth The Jerusalem that now is and is in bondage with her Children but Jerusalem which is above is free Gal. 4.25 26. We then must say that where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 where that Spirit is not there is nothing but bondage so then in the twain Man are both liberty and bondage upon different accounts What Paul doth he alloweth not for what I would that I do not but what I hate that do I. He delighteth in the Law of God after the inward Man but the Law of the Members bringeth him into Captivity to the Law of Sin which he desired to be delivered from and obtained it through Jesus Christ Rom. 7. Wherefore in that state though the corrupt principle would pull back and mislead our Will yet by the guidance and direction of the Holy Ghost our Will is made tractable inclined and without any violence turned willingly to Spiritual things Thus we are made a free willing People in the day of God's Power to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing every thought and every desire too into Captivity to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.4 5. As to our Free-will in the State of Glory I pass it by there being no question made about it The Controversie about Free-will is a large Subject yet I think we said enough to our present purpose what remains to be spoken about it shall be under another head which that we now leave doth directly lead us to Arminians are stiff sticklers for a Free-will in Man to receive or reject Grace when offered by the Preaching of the Gospel as the outward means appointed for that end Now we proceed CHAP. VII About Resistibility of GRACE TO understand this well it must be well stated the Question is not whether Man can and doth resist Grace when offered in the Preaching of the Word or even some good motions of the spirit of God we are all agreed it can and doth But the true state of the Question between Papists with Arminians and us is this Whether when God doth offer men Grace with a design to have them thereby converted Whether or not I say those Men shall actually be converted Or Whether the Free-will and Corruption of Man shall overcome the motions of the spirit of God when he purposeth actually to convert We say at that time God works irresistibly and invincibly that is they shall be converted they say no. To prove this we have many Texts of Scripture There is in God (e) Philip. 3.21 a power whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself so that when he is willing he cannot miss of his aim If the difficulty lies in the Understanding he can bring light out of darkness and enlighten the eyes of our Vnderstanding if in the Will (g) 2 Cor. 4.6 Ephes 1.18 he can make us willing in the day of his power if we be unwilling he maketh us willing and able to do too (h)
to move the Lord God to do them good Hence it is that Samuel saith to Israel (r) 1 Sam. 12.22 the Lord will not forsake his people and the reason he gives is this because it hath pleased him to make you his people Thus it is with God upon the account of any mercy he bestoweth upon the Creature of any nature whatsoever David declareth the same (i) Psal 44.3 for they got not the land in possession by their own sword neither did their own arm save them but thy right hand and thine arm and the light of thy countenance because thou hadst a favour unto them Thus we read in the Gospel when the Lord Jesus worked a Cure of any bodily or spiritual Disease he made it wholly depend upon his will as in the Miracle upon the Leper he said (k) Matth. 8.3 I will be thou clean and in the case of working Faith (l) chap 11.27 neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him So (m) Joh 5.21 the Son quickneth whom he will Thus as of our Election so of our Regeneration and Conversion there is no other cause but the will of God for (n) Jam. 1.18 of his own will begat he us with the word of truth In few words the whole work of Salvation is an effect of his free-grace (o) Ephes 2 â— ad vers 8. When we were dead in sin he hath quickned us the reason he giveth there is this by grace ye are saved in both verses for he repeats it three verses lower by grace ye are saved through faith and that not of our selves it is the gift of God We further say there was no foresight or consideration of any work faith or merit in us why God should Elect us (p) Ezck. 16.6 And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live What sign of Faith or comeliness in that condition was there in us what ornaments in us there have been since they are the work of God in us whether repentance faith holiness or any other grace For after God said to us live he washed and anointed us clothed and decked us c. as may be seen in the following verses vers 8 9 10 11 12 13. We add that sin is the only cause of damnation as in St. Matthews (q) Matth 25.42 43. Gospel by me quoted already (r) Rom. 2.9 Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil In another place of Scripture he says positively (s) Rom. 6.23 the wages of sin is death But here by the by this I must take notice of how though Damnation be the reward for Sin it doth not follow that Salvation should be the reward of Faith or good Works the just reward of Sin is Death it is its due but the Apostle doth not say that Eternal Life is the wages of Faith or Righteousness as Death is of Sin (a) Ver. 23. but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. There is a great disparity between the rules and means of Justice and of Mercy as hereafter we shall have occasion to shew as also why God leaves and Elects one and not the other as in the ease of Esau and Jacob. (b) Malach. 1.2 3. I have loved you saith the Lord yet ye say wherein hast thou loved us Was not Esau Jacob's Brother yet I loved Jacob and I hated Esau of which no account but God's pleasure for St. Paul makes to the same purpose use of the place in Rom. 9. as already quoted But now we must come to the proof of our 3d. Article namely that the Elect do constantly obey God's call when the time is come when (c) Cant. 1.4 God draweth they follow nay they run draw me we will run after thee and (d) Lament 5.21 turn thou us unto thee and we shall be turned The Elect obey the call When St. Paul heard the voice from Heaven he said (e) Acts 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to do This inward call for St. Paul's was such as well as outward makes a great change in Man how willing how ready to obey (f) Gal. 1.16 he confered not with flesh and blood but submitted So did the Jailour he said to Paul and Silas (g) Act. 16 30. Sirs what must I do to be saved The new Converts willing to be directed said unto Peter and other Apostles * Acts. 2.37 men and brethren wha shall we do though at first all know not what to do ye are prepared to obey and desirous to be instructed when the Lord said unto Paul arise and go into the City and it shall be told thee what thou must do he complied and went So Samuel assoon as (h) 1 Sam. 3.4 6 8 10. the Lord called Samuel he answered Here I am and though he at first did not well know the nature of the voice nor whose it was yet he ran to the place whence he thought the voice came disposed to obey and when heat last was better informed then he said Speak Lord for thy servant heareth For though may be at first God's people do not distinctly understand the call yet God never gives over calling till we are come to him God makes known unto us the mystery of his will to this end saith St. Paul (i) Ephes 1.10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are on earth even in him But God is never disappointed of his ends he worketh effectually and unresistibly Ver. 19. wherefore this is called the exceeding greatness of his power to us ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power Observe the Emphasis This dealing of God in and towards Believers is in one and the same verse called the working of Gods power yea his Mighty Power and in the beginning of the verse not only his Power but the greatness and the exceeding greatness of his Power The effectual preaching of the Gospel to People or Persons is an effect of their Election as the Cause is known by the effect so a posteriori Election is by a powerful preaching of the Gospel (k) 1 Thes 1.4 5. Knowing beloved your election of God saith St. Paul for our Gospel came not you unto in word only but also in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance c. to the Elect ever it comes so in the due time and by its coming so they may judge themselves to be Elect for he saith also in much assurance We add further that the Elect neither do nor can finally and totally resist the inward powerful and effectually calling of God's spirit in the very
Scripture in matter of Predestination speaks only of men we shall consider it only as men are the object thereof but before I must shew what a Decree is because it entereth within our definition now God's Decrees are the eternal and unchangeable counsels and resolutions he hath taken from all Eternity about what he purposed to do in time according to the first rule we have laid down These Decrees are called God's essential works ad intra inward according to our capacity and manner of conceiving which himself in his word is pleased to condescend to We then call them Decrees after the manner of Men for Decrees and Resolutions of Men are works or acts really distinct from Man from his Understanding and his Will By this way we do conceive God's Decrees or rather God Decreeing though properly they may not be called his Works for every act so properly called is an effect really distinct from the Agent But in God 't is not so or else his supream Simplicity would come to nothing when 't is said of God are known all his works that knowledge is nothing else but his Decree of doing all things to be done in time Of ELECTION PRedestination hath two parts Election and Reprobation the word is not restrained only to Election as Papists and some others would have it It is in vain amongst Hebrews or Greeks to search the Original of the word which is Latin The ancient Latin Authors used the word destinare to destinate or appoint for Pains as well as Rewards so did the ancient Doctors of the Church as (a) Enchirid. cap. 100. de Civit. Dei lib. 12. cap. 24. Austin (b) Ad. capital Gallor Prosper (c) Lib. 1. ad Monim Fulgentius Now the Election we here speak of is not to an Office in which (d) 1 Sam. 10 24. Saul and David were chosen Kings over Israel So Matthias (e) Acts 1.24 26. was by lot chosen one of the twelve But 't is Election to Eternal Life and Salvation Now Election is a Predestination of some Men to Eternal Life to be obtained by Faith in Christ only out of God's pleasure in them to declare his Divine Mercy Every part of which definition we by the grace of God shall speak of This point most of any is to be taken notice of because it is the ground of our Hope Faith Holiness in a word of the whole mystery of our Salvation which doth wholly run and depend upon the decree of our Election therefore to darken it the Devil hath stired up so many instruments to oppose it In Scripture among many Texts we have one specially lays open the whole matter before us which here I quote to be read with great application (a) Ephes 1.3 4 5 6 7. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved in whom we have redemption through his blood c. The eternity of God's decree of Election is here asserted he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World this Election is affirmed to be the cause of all spiritual blessings which God hath blessed us with some of those blessings are named as Holiness Blamelessness and Adoption Now Faith Repentance Charity and such graces are parts of Holiness and the fruits of the Spirit Holiness is posteriour to our Election All those blessings are in and by Jesus Christ Out of this Text it also appeareth that the good pleasure of God is the only impulsive or moving cause if we may use such a word which is improper here to Elect us nothing from without all from within according to the good pleasure of his will Hence between Papists Arminians and Us for I must say in matters of grace they both joyn against us ariseth the question What it is that moved God to appoint some Men to Eternal Life We say nothing but God's good will and pleasure moved him to it Amongst several reasons we have to prove it I will only bring two of the chief The first because Scripture assigneth no other cause but that as the only and when the word is silent we ought not to speak The whole 9th Chapter to the Romans is a sentence of condemnation against the Adversaries there St. Paul saith of Election (†) Rom. 9.16 15. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Which is but a conclusion out of what God said to Moses in the foregoing verse verse 18. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion whence he thus concludes so then it is not of him c. 't is only of free grace Why three verses after the Apostle gives the reason He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth This is very plain if any one is willing to dispute God's right herein let him do 't but he shall find God is a strong party (a) 2 Tim. 1.9 God hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us before the world began Here the Decree of Election is made the cause of calling and other graces we receive in time The other reason is because in those that were elected was nothing at all that could move him to love them (b) Ephes 2.1 We were men dead in trespasses and sins unfit for any good thing and guilty of eternal death They say God hath chosen some because from Eternity he foresaw they would believe in Christ and continue in the Faith to which some add the foresight of some good works with Faith but against this I say God could foresee in sinful Man no spiritual good but what out of his mercy he was to give him this none but Pelagians can deny consequently God could not foresee Faith or Good Works as a motive to his Decree God elected us to be holy and without blame before him That is to the end we should be and not because we were such Holiness is an effect and not a cause of Election Faith also is an effect of Election as clearly expressed in Scripture (c) Acts 13.48 And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed If so then Faith is not the cause that moved God to elect us we were elected to believe not because we believed before for then we had chosen Christ and not he us contrary to what he positively saith
of Jews and Gentiles indefinitely to whom he gives hopes of Salvation through Faith in Christ for that is the scope of that whole Chapter so the sence is this God hath concluded under sin Jews and Gentiles to have mercy on both in Christ apprehended with Faith so that Jews and Gentiles may ascribe their Salvation only to God's mercy This Text compared with another (f) Gal 3.22 Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe doth clear the point this last interpreting the other for as it appeareth that all are concluded under sin so it sheweth how special mercy reacheth only those who through the grace of God do believe and through Faith are elected to everlasting life To say that God hath from Eternity decreed to save all and every Man under this condition if they believe in Christ not only they find in Scripture nothing to ground it upon but withall intangle themselves in two very great difficulties First to God they attribute a vain and imprudent Decree for if from Eternity God hath foreseen that the condition of Faith in Christ shall not be performed by many to what purpose to make such a Decree of Salvation to depend upon such a condition Such a Decree doth not become the wisdom of any Man much less of God The Second inconveniency is this they submit and make faith a free gift of God to depend upon the free-will of man dead in trespasses and sins that it is in the power of Man to believe or not believe which is meer Pelagianism and wholly contrary to Scripture These considerations have so wrought upon some that they wave off the fore-sight of Faith but betake themselves to the fore-sight of the right use which Men would make of outward means of Conversion and Salvation as the serious saving hearing reading and meditation of the word of God receiving of the Sacrament frequenting of Churches c. But alas the first of these is the fruit of the Spirit not of corrupt Nature the saving hearing of the Word as well as Faith proceedeth from our Election For (a) 2 Cor. 2.15 16. the word is a Saviour of life unto life to none but the Elect but to others that perish it is the Saviour of death unto death And if going to Church and every hearing of the word of God could make a difference between chosen and reprobates and was necessarily joyned with Election all those that perform those duties would be Elect which we know to be false Experience teacheth us how sometimes the worst of Men most averse from hearing of the Word or walking in the way of Salvation are converted to God others who seemed better and fitter for the Kingdom of God being passed by and left so calling is sometimes for those who seemed the worst not for those who appeared the best Farther this opinion makes the rejecting of the grace of the Gospel outwardly offered the only cause of reprobation What then shall we say of those who from the beginning of the world to the birth of our Saviour were damned whereof the thousandth part never heard a word of Christ Now we proceed and say in the third place the lesser part òf sinners is elected and the greatest part left in their state of Damnation which Scripture clearly affirmeth (a) Rom. 9.29 Chap. 11.5 4. Except the Lord of Sabbath had lest us a seed 't is but a Seed a remnant a little one seven thousand amongst all the people of Israel our Blessed Saviour who knew it very well saith though (b) Matth. 20.16 Chap. 7.13.14 many are called yet few are chosen and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat But strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it They are called the little Flock whereof the Members at certain times are so few as thereby invisible to man's eye some times in God's not one Fourthly Kings 19.14 Ezek. 22.30 We say that these few ones are chiefly chosen out of those that are low and contemptible in the world for which we have that famous Text (c) 1 Cor. 1.26 27 28. For ye see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and the weak to confound the mighty and base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen c. Hence we learn two considerable things First Not to judge of the love of God or his special grace out of humane Wisdom Power or Nobleness The Second patiently to bear the lowness meanness weakness and despicableness before the world for they are signs rather of Grace than of Wrath. To that purpose also is that passage in the Gospel (d) John 7.48 49. Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed These learned and wise High-priests and Pharisees in their own conceit would not go into Heaven nor suffer others to enter into it Ver. 47 not only they called the people cursed but also the Officers they had sent deceived are ye also deceived But upon occasion our Saviour plainly tells them the truth ye who think your selves so wise and righteous are fools in comparison of those whom you despise For (e) Matth. 21.31 Publicans and Harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you As every wise Agent proposeth an end to himself in every thing he doth so likewise the only wise God in our Election purposed the manifestation of his mercy in his gracious Salvation of some sinners this St. Paul speaks of when after having said (a) Ephes 1.4.6 We are elected in Christ he addeth to the praise of the glory of his Grace Hence it is that the Elect be called (b) Rom. 9.23 Vessels of mercy Which mercy when God gives us grace to depend upon then we are grounded on the rock of Eternity but Man's Pride makes him desire to be loose from the Rock and stand on his own bottom which is meer quick Sand and Mud. So at last he must needs sink into it if God leaves him Now two things belong to the Decree of Election and are inseparable from it which do afford us matter of unspeakable comfort they are Eternity and Immutability for our Election is eternal and unchangeable First Eternal (c) Ephes 1.4 chap. 3.9 God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world which in the same Epistle is called the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God And in another place (d) 2 Tim. 1.9 Grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began And in another the same Epistle calls it (e) Rom. 16.25
and eternal life are called the Kingdom by way of Excellency which Kingdom is not any purchase of ours but the gift of God to give you to the Elect to the little Flock and to no others upon no other motive than God's Will and meer Good-pleasure for it is your fathers good-pleasure 't is not said your God which is also true but your Father is a more tender word to express love for in a special manner he is Father to the Elect whom God hath chosen and adopted in Christ Jesus our Lord who himself is the Author of these words and did speak them upon sure grounds and out of his certain knowledge thus he saith elsewhere I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me Luke 22 29. All done by way of preordination and fore-appointment But before I conclude this matter of our Election I must speak of the Effects and Consequences thereof which are the means whereby to attain unto the end for as we said before the most wise God hath not ordained us to Glory and everlasting Happiness and left us to seek how to come there but also he hath appointed the way that every thing belonging to Salvation the grounds and beginning the progress and end may all be of his own so that we may be sure of it to the praise of the riches of his Grace Hence it is that our Blessed Saviour is called not only (a) Heb. 2.10 Chap. 5.9 the captain of our Salvation and the author of eternal Salvation unto all that obey him but also the author and finisher of our Faith which is the way and means conducing to it The most Holy and Blessed Trinity did purpose and resolve it In the execution Christ is the Captain and Leader and he will finish it for he will never give over till (b) Joh. 17.24.11 those whom the Father hath given him his elect be with him where he is that they may behold his glory and that they may be one as the Father and he are Now the means appointed for the execution in time of the Decree of Election are our Vocation to and in the Church thorough the ministry of the Word our Conversion Regeneration Faith in Christ Justification Sanctification which are all grounded upon our Lord and Mediator Jesus Christ These means that are between our Election and Glorification are as the Chain that links it together and spoken of by St. Paul in the place already quoted (c) Rom. 8.30 Whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified No danger of breaking or miscarrying it is so sure that he speaketh of it not as a thing to come but as passed and already done The Consideration of these means is part of the Decree of Election as well as Glory and Salvation for 't is but one single and individual act of Election to Glory by the means of Grace for neither Glory was decreed without relation to Grace nor Grace without relation to Glory Another fruit and effect of our Election is the certainty we have of it within us whereby (a) This affirmed in Rogers Analysis Pag. 76. we know and are sure we are elected to everlasting life This certitude ariseth out of the sence and feeling we have of the means appointed to execute Election every Elect after his Conversion having faith in Christ may certainly know whether he be elected If upon examination of himself he may say I by the word of God am called to the Church and to eternal life I have the gift of Faith in Jesus Christ that is I believe my sins are forgiven me for the merits of Christ the Mediator God and Man Furthermore with a real and sincere desire and endeavour I worship God according to the rule of his word and I love my Neighbour out of this he may conclude I am elected to life everlasting All this depends upon a true examination and the Consequence is drawn à posteriori where are fruits there is a Tree when we find heat and motion in a Man we safely conclude there is Life Now all this examination is grounded upon that Text of Rom. 8.30 which I quoted but a little before but the calling is inward proper to Believers that answer and obey the call which our Saviour speaks of (b) John 5.25 the hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live for they were dead in their sins the call is inward and spiritual whereby the blind mind is enlightened by the Word applyed by the Spirit and the obstinate and perverse will is brought under to obedience they who make Faith and Justification common to Believers and Reprobates cannot have this certitude of Election but others can according to St. Paul (c) 1 Thes 1.4 Knowing brethren beloved your election of God Hence we conclude it may be known This certitude and assurance of Election and so of Salvation for if I can but make my Election sure then I am sure of my Salvation is no motive to softness neglect and carelessness he who is sure of Salvation is sure to perform the Condition Salvation is the end of Election and Repentance Faith Holiness perseverance are the effects thereof Grace is the way to Glory God promising to save the Elect promised also to preserve them in that without which is no Salvation and when sometimes Believers do so much forget and are so senseless to themselves as to sin offend and leave Gods ways God wants no Scourges or other means to bring them in again This certitude of our unchangeable Election doth not as our Adversaries would have it breed in us Prophaneness and carnal Security on the contrary as we already said 't is the greatest motive and incentive we have to Piety for which St. Peter is my Witness (a) 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure For if ye do these things ye shall never fall If it were not possible to attain unto it it were in vain for the Apostle to exhort us thereunto When once Men have that assurance they will endeavour to answer it in the study and practice of holiness and become worthy of it with their upright walking knowing they are elected and called thereunto For (b) Tit. 3.8 they which have believed in God must be careful to maintain good works And they will take care of their ways so that they can never fall finally For (c) Psal 37.24 God upholdeth them with his hand St. Paul saith the same with St. Peter For (d) Rom. 8.14 15 16 17. as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the Sons of God For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father
Man shot at a venture the Arrow was guided to the place where it did wound him The Blood ran out of the Wound into the Chariot wherein he was carried dead to Samaria The Chariot is washed in the Pool of Samaria and whilst it was a washing and his Armour the Dogs licked up his Blood according to God's Word by Elisha in the same place where they had licked up the Blood of Naboth How what remained of God's Judgments was afterward executed upon Jezabel and the rest of Ahab's whole Family Scripture makes a large mention of and therein God's Providence is visible and wonderful One thing more to be observed is that there is no other account given of the success of the Fight as if that part of the Chapter had been written only to relate Ahab's Death the manner of it and nothing else Because at that time the chief work upon the Wheel of Providence was the beginning of execution of God's Judgments upon Ahab's person which were next to follow upon his Son Ahaziah who died of a fall Jehoram was killed by Jehu who destroyed the whole Family All Dispensations of God's Providence are attended with Wisdom Power Holiness and Immutability Every thing that happeneth doth so according to the same wonderful Providence God from eternity having unchangeably decreed to do or to permit every thing that happeneth in time and whatsoever he hath decreed and appointed shall infallibly be For if it were not so God would be mistaken in his Prescience Divine Providence cannot be hindered seeing there is nothing more potent than God for who hath resisted his will or who can resist it he being Almighty Rom. 9.19 That makes him put a Question with Defiance Is there any thing too hard for me Jer. 32 27. which in that same Chapter 10. verse before the Prophet answers in the negative there is nothing too hard for thee ver 17 God for the things he purposeth to himself hath appointed fit sufficient and effectual means to obtain the same or else he could be frustrated of his ends which is contrary to his wisdom and power Some deny this immutability of providence under pretence that it takes away Contingency and Liberty but it doth not for in the disposition of providence many things are done by Causes which God would have in themselves to be Contingent and Free for such he made and preserveth them whence their effects are well called Contingent that is happened by Chance and Accident as to Second Causes though in relation to Divine Providence they be unchangeably done And 't is much to be observed how this Contingency is wholly and only on the side of near Second and particular Causes for in relation to the first and Universal nothing is Contingent but all necessary not of a necessity of the Cause but of the immutability Against this 't is objected if all things be out of an unavoidable necessity of God's Providence then Counsels Precepts and Prayers of godly Men are of no use for Counsels are taken to obtain a good success of our undertakings and avoid bad ones prayers are made to get good things and avoid evil ones but if all things be done by an unchangeable Providence these are in vain which we deny for this reason that Counsels and Prayers are means subordinate to God's Providence whence God granteth prosperous success to prudent Counsels and pious prayers God in his word bindeth us to these means thus the forgiveness of sins is an Article of our Creed 't is matter of Faith for we believe it yet in the Lord's Prayer we are commanded to pray God to forgive our trespasses And if sometimes he doth not hear us yet our Counsels and Prayers are not altogether in vain for they who use the means which God hath prescribed do perform their duty and serve God not without benefit one way or other and the same thing we pray for though not granted for the present yet often 't is so in God's due time (a) Dan. 9.2 3 and Rev. 22.17 20. Saints pray for those things which they know will be infallibly They which use this argument against prayers dispute like those who deny the world shall be consumed with Fire because by an unchangeable Decree it is to be consumed Now these Counsels and Prayers are not made use of as lets thereby to change the Decrees and stop the course of Providence but to the end that yielding obedience to God's law and following the usual course of providence we may obtain a good Conscience and be filled with good hope leaving the success of what we pray for to the most wise God A last Objection is this if God's actual Providence be immutable then none of God's precepts or promises are conditional for a condition doth imply a possibility of change to the contrary according to the performance or no performance of the condition but it doth not follow neither is the proof universally true but false in particular as to the condition of God's precepts or promises it is uncertain only on Man's side for on God's side it is most certainly decreed and determined Though already we sufficiently declared we ought not to separate the means from the end yet because about these disputes it is a fundamental truth I cannot forbear for confirmation of it here to insert two Instances one out of the Old Testament the other out of the New The first is concerning King (b) 2 Kings 20. Hezekiah after God had sent him word by the Prophet Isaiah to prepare for Death and here by the by take notice how the last message differed from the first given him a Reprieve for fifteen years though without any means God might have cured him yet he is pleased to make use of some and the remedy prescribed was proper for the Disease for a lump of Figs which are a great drawer is laid upon the Boile which thereupon broke and so the malignant humour came out The other instance out of the New Testament is very remarkable (c) Acts 27. Amidst the great danger of Shipwrack which Paul and other Men in the Ship were under God promised him not only his life but also of all them that were with him in the Ship which made him assure them there should be no loss of any Man's life though 276 were in it Yet after so positive a promise though God could have saved them all to shew how means must be used when he saw the Seamen under a pretence of casting Anchors were about to flee out of the Ship Paul said to the Centurion and to the Souldiers Except these abide in the Ship Vers 31 ye cannot be saved Now all that remaineth for me to say upon this whole matter is to observe how many a good use may be made of the Doctrine of Divine Providence and so conclude with it And first out of the administration of all things we must own the infinite Power Wisdom and goodness
of God Secondly We ought to put our trust and confidence in God as a Father who takes a special care of all his Thirdly In adversity we must not look so much upon Second Causes as upon the first and whatsoever we suffer we must own it to come from the hand of God and in prosperity we must acknowledge and praise God as the Author of every good thing we enjoy (a) Job 2.10 For at the hand of God we receive both good and evil Then we ought to fear and reverence so potent a God in whose hands is every Creature which he can arm all against us David saith Fire and hail snow and vapour stormy winde fullfilling his word Psal 148.8 So we may say of every other Creature they all are his Servants Psal 119.91 Further more we must love God who out of his Fatherly care watcheth for and promoteth our good and hereby ought to be excited a mutal love amongst us who are Children of the same Father This also layes an obligation upon us when there is occasion to make use of the means God hath prescribed yet not so as to put our trust in them neither are we to despair in case they fail us knowing how God is not so tyed to them but that he may help us without so that upon all occasions of whatsoever nature they be we ought to submit to trust and depend upon God's providence and in conformity to God we ought to follow our Work and Duty The Psalmist in the whole 107. Psalm having exhorted the redeemed of the Lord to praise God for his manifold providence as over Travellers Captives Sick-men Seamen and several other varieties of life in the last verse of all to bring them into a serious consideration of the right use they ought to make of it saith Who so is wise and will observe those things even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. We must not be as idle and unconcerned Spectators for such are not wise But it is a part of wisdom in us to take a special notice of all effects of God's wise mighty and gracious Providence CHAP. V. Of GRACE WIth corrupt Men 't is natural to have too good an opinion of themselves and too mean of God therefore they are pleased with what exalteth humane strength and Free-will though Free-grace be thereby abased the more a Doctrine is suitable with Holy Scripture the less 't is acceptable to humane affections People must not dispute about these matters as some do to try their Wits and make a shew of their Parts but to find out the truth as revealed in God's word and then receive adhere to and profess it About this important matter of grace several parts are controverted between Arminians and us As first About Resistiblity of it Secondly About the Amissibility Thirdly About universal grace Fourthly About Faith the chief Gospel Grace which hath several branches By the grace of God we intend of every one of these to speak in its due place but in order thereunto we must endeavour first to beat down Free-will opposite to grace Here I put them together not by reason of their affinity but of their contrariety about this matter though in some different degrees we have for Adversaries Pelagians Papists and Arminians CHAP. VI. Of FREE-WILL THE Word Free-will doth properly denote the faculty of the Soul called the Will but in the present Question the Understanding and other faculties of the Soul are also understood thereby in as much as the Will is enlightned by the Intellect and followeth the last Dictates of it so that it is the guide of Will and Affections Now the Question is about the power of all Natural faculties of Man how far they may go in promoting of his own Salvation This is called Free-will and we are to see how much Nature which here is opposed to Grace can promote or hinder our Salvation Pelagians do say that by Obedience to the Law of Nature through the direction of right Reason Men may be saved that is by Nature without Grace So that the right use of Nature by infallible dependence draws the Grace of Regeneration which is to settle a soundness of Nature so contrary to what is expressed in the whole course of Scripture But these I pass by to come to others Papists who go not so far yet in matter of Salvation give Nature too much for in part they attribute it to Nature and in part to Grace Sin say they hath not taken away the Power of the Understanding and of the Will of Man to obey God and to believe but only the exercise of that Power that the power of Man's Soul to all good Works is not dead but only chained up and bound and in the act of Conversion the effect of it doth depend part upon Grace and part upon Man's own Strength About this part of farthering our Salvation Arminians do mince the matter and are sometimes on and off if not wholly yet in part but as to the other point of Man's natural power to hinder Grace and Salvation they highly and altogether are for it as it will appear when we speak about resistibility of Grace But as neither Free-will nor any natural faculty hath any power to purchase the beginning or progress of our Salvation for both Grace and Glory as after David I said before Psal 84.11 come from God who alone quickeneth Nature dead in Sin so Nature cannot hinder the Almighty power of God in the Conversion of Sinners except one will affirm the power of Men to be greater than that of God which is downright Blasphemy We say First That Man through his Fall is so corrupt that by Nature there is not in him any power at all to any Spiritual good rather a propensity and inclination to all kind of Spiritual evil so that our Will instead of being free is a Servant and a Slave to sin The consideration whereof made Luther give a Book he did write upon this Subject the Title de Servo Arbitrio the Will Slave or Servant The first Part that is our unableness is clear (a) Joh. 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father draw him (b) Jer 13.23 Can the Aethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are used to do evil St. Peter speaks of those who (c) 2 Pet. 2 19. promise others liberty whilest they themselves are the servants of corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same he is brought in bondage How far this Text is appliable to those who boast of a Power of Free-will in themselves and promise it to others I leave it to God and their Consciences sure I am the best of us (d) Eph. 2.3 5. are by nature Children of wrath even as others and dead in Sins This Natural and Moral impotency is by St. Paul clearly set down (e) 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural Man receiveth
The temporal Faith spoken of here is only an outward profession and not the power of true Religion in this same sence is to be taken what St. Paul saith (d) 1 Tim. 1.19 of some who concerning faith have made shipwrack They made an outward profession of the Gospel which at last they fell from so that whensoever mention is made of falling from Grace from Faith from the Truth 't is only mentioned of the outward profession of it or of a temporal Faith but not of true saving Grace when 't is said (e) 1 Cor. 10.12 Rom. 11.20 Let him that thinks he standeth take heed lest he fall The Apostle doth not say that any fall from the Faith but he teacheth them how they ought and can prevent falling from it namely to have a care not to run into Carnal security such warning are effectual means whereby the Holy Ghost keepeth Believers upon Duty and doth preserve them from falls Though our first Parents fell it doth not follow the Saints should do so too the reason is God gave them only the Grace whereby they might continue in Innocency if they would but the Will he gave them not but to Elect and Believers is given Grace whereby not only they can but also they are (f) Philip. 2.12 willing to persevere But St. Peter speaks of some (g) 2 Pet. 2.21 who have known the way of righteousness and depart from it but there is a great difference between turning from saving Faith and Grace and turning from the way of righteousness which the Apostle in the same verse calleth the holy commandment that is the Doctrine of the Gospel CHAP. IX About Vniversal Sufficient GRACE NOW we must proceed to another Head wherein also Arminians joyn with Papists against us this Vniversal Sufficient Grace the whole Fabrick of Arminianism doth center upon Though several Sects are combined to assert such a thing yet they somewhat differ when they come to say what it is to Pelagians it is Nature to Papists Free-will to Quakers the light within to Arminians 't is a general influence superadded to the Natural faculties of every Man whatsoever whereby without any particular concurrence of God's Spirit and without any special Grace they are sufficiently enabled to embrace Jesus Christ and apply his Death and Merits to themselves in a saving manner which are offered alike indifferently to all Men to convert regenerate and to save their Souls if they will themselves which is meerly Free-will baptized with the Name of Grace a thing unknown to Scripture but if it be Grace in Truth as in Name how is it equally derived unto all Men and in the same measure When Grace is that which maketh one Man to differ from another Mercy distinguisheth one from another for (h) 1 Cor. 4.7 What hath a man more than another but what he received There is much to be said upon this matter but I will endeavour to restrain it within as narrow bounds as I can and I state the question thus Whether there be any such Universal Grace indifferently given to all Men at all times and in all places sufficient to convert to regenerate and to save We say no they say yea Let us examine who is in the right and let Scripture be the Judge The Word of God not in one but in many places taketh away from an unregenerate Man the power of doing good and of being converted (a) Jer. 13.23 Can the Aethiopian change his skin and the leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil (b) Mat. 7.18 Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit (c) ch 12.34 O generation of vipers how can ye being evil speak good things (d) Joh 3.5 Except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (e) Joh. 6.44 No man can come unto me except the father which hath sent me draw him (f) Joh. 15.5 And without me ye can do nothing (g) Rom. 8.7 The carnal mind is enmity against God it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Farther (h) 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned (i) 1 Cor. 12.3 No man saith the same Apostle can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost (k) 2 Cor. 3.5 We are not sufficient of our selves to think much less to do any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God All these places are so clear and positive to shew there is no such a power in Man as to convert himself that it were needless to make any enlargement upon them therefore we proceed and say how can there be such a power in men dead in trespasses and sins for such were the Gentiles before God had quickened us together with Christ Nay (l) Ephess 2. â— 5 12. we were strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world (m) Ephes 2.3 And we are by nature children of wrath even as others Therefore what Will and Power to do good is in us it comes from God and those whom he is not pleased to bestow it upon they never have it this is the reason assigned why the People of Israel had not well seen and perceived the great things God had done for them (a) Deut. 29.4 Yet saith Moses the lord hath not given you an heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear unto this day If without the gift of God they could not well know and perceive things obvious to their sences so palpable and visible to them how could they or any other see and understand things of a Spiritual Nature of an eternal concernment to be seen only with the eye of Faith (b) Joh. 3.12 If I have told you earthly things and you understand and believe not how shall ye believe and understand if I tell you of heavenly things This they must own Men cannot be saved without a Saviour then they also must grant there is no other Saviour but Christ no means to come to him but by Faith what then will become of those who never heard of Christ as the wild and ignorant Americans before the discovery of that Country and of so many Millions both before and after but chiefly before his coming who never heard one word of a Saviour and so could not believe in him for (c) Rom. 10.14 15. how shall they believe in him of whom they never heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher and how shall they Preach except they be sent Before Christ's time we do not hear of any general Mission indeed after his Resurrection he gave his Disciples Commission but their number was but small they could not at once Preach all the
arising out of their Doctrines AFter they have done their worst against us they must now give us leave to retort upon them but on much better and truer grounds First Their Doctrine of Predestination doth quite overturn the Eternal and Unchangeable decree of God about Election and Reprobation for if every man may believe repent and be saved if he will himself then it unavoidably followeth that every man is left unto himself without the bounds of any decree set unto him then there can be no eternal immutable positive decree binding either way Election or Reprobation Secondly It makes the unconstant will of man the ground of all God's Eternal and Unchangeable Decrees concerning man Whereas God only (a) Ephes 1.11 works all things after the counsel of his own will not according to the natural inclination of our will whereby God is subordinated to man and his will made to depend upon the will of man Thirdly This makes the Creature Absolute Independent from the Soveraign disposing and over-ruling Providence of the Maker and makes God a bare Spectator not an orderer of humane Actions Hereupon God must wait upon Men and not Men upon God so God is deprived of all disposing Power and over-ruling the wills and works of men His absolute Supremacy over them to save or not will be abolished thus men may save themselves when God will damn and damn themselves when God would save This is to constitute an absolute independent eternal Being in the wills of men pre-existent to the eternal will of God both in Nature and Time for if the fore-knowledge and Decrees do result from the will and inclinations of men then man's inclination and will doth necessitate and predetermine the most absolute and most free Decrees of God and raiseth a self dependence which is to make a god of the will of man Fourthly It takes away from God the Praise and freedom of his grace for if every man may thus convert and save himself because according to them those only are saved who take care to improve the general common grace derived equally upon all men what thanks to God then for any special favour man may thank himself not God who doth no farther save him than he saveth himself This indeed destroyeth the nature of the grace of God in that it doth indifferently communicate it to all Hence Election Vocation Adoption Justification Sanctification Faith Conversion Repentance Charity are called graces because bestowed upon few and that without any merit of the person Thus when a Prince bestoweth freely a Place an Office a Pension upon a man it is grace and favour because not bestowed upon all or upon some other man farther this maketh Grace and Heaven a purchase of our own and not a free gift of God and makes it subordinate unto our will confining the receiving or rejecting of it to times and seasons of our own When alas (a) John 3.8 the spirit doth breath when and where it listeth and subjecting it to several alterations at our pleasure whereas it is perpetual and unchangeable in it self Fifthly It suspendeth the fruit and application of Christ's death the effectual working of the spirit the saving power of God's Ordinances with the beginning and progress of Grace so by these means our whole Salvation is in our hands It gives man liberty to make all inward and outward means of grace either void or effectual at his pleasure which overthroweth the whole foundation of Scriptures which attribute our whole Salvation to God alone and giveth the lye to God's word which saith (a) Ephes 2.1 5. we are dead in trespasses and sins and so cannot exercise any functions of life (b) Joh. 15.5 That God hath quickned us and not we our selves That without Christ we can do nothing that is without his special grace And (c) Philip. 2 1â— God worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure and not according to our will and inclination That it is (d) 1 Cor. 4.7 God that makes us to differ one from another And that we have nothing but what we did receive That (e) 1 Cor. 15.10 by the grace of God only we are what we are and so many more places to the same purpose which wholly overthrow universal sufficient grace Sixthly This puts mankind in as good if no better condition after fall than before Adam had only a possibility not to fall but not to rise after the fall but we though naturally born in sin may after this rate rise if and when we please he had a free will not to sin yet he did sin and was not born in sin but we who are sinners from the Womb can save our selves if we have a mind to it if so no hurt is happened to us by his fall On the contrary we are put in a better condition than before for thereby Election Vocation Conversion Faith Repentance and every other saving grace are put in our power that all these divine soul-saving graces do depend upon our corrupt wills and contrary to Scripture are not the (f) Matth. 13.11 Rom. 5.15 16 17. chap. 11.29 gifts of God and doth not this give men just occasion to boast and glory in themselves whereby the chief end of grace is destroyed which is to (g) Rom. 3.27 take away boasting from men and have (h) Ephes 1.12 14. Philip. 1.11 all things to the praise of the glory of God Another evil effect of these errors of theirs is that they frustrate our Prayers and Thanks-givings and make trifles of them for in vain we beg of another that which comes from us and is in our own power in vain we give thanks to another for that which we have without him so we need not thank God for any of his graces seeing it is in our power to receive or reject them In the next place this unavoidably draws many inconveniencies with it First of all it brings in all manner of prophaneness and licentiousness for what needs a man to care how wickedly he liveth for the present if it be in his power to believe and repent when he will is not this an encouragement for prophane men to continue longer in sin Secondly These opinions are able to engage a man that hath no truth of grace in him in any villany and desperate attempt he that wants true grace within to restrain him will quickly run upon any evil act or course upon this false presumption that he may presently of himself repent and be saved after all his sins Thirdly This encourageth men to delay and put off repentance and for the present to neglect the means of grace and all Christian duties for what is the chief ground of the common neglect both of means and works of grace But this unhappy delusion that they may undoubtedly be converted repent and be saved when they have amind to it thus this doctrine of free-will universal sufficient grace openeth the
as for the blind Not only so but he will be a Guide to the Blind Chap. 42.16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not I will lead them in the Paths that they have not known I will make darkness light before them and crooked things straight these things will I do unto them I know this may also be understood of Miracles by our Saviour wrought on the Bodies but it is chiefly meant of the spiritual Cures upon the Souls of Men 'T is not so much of the Eyes of the Body but as St. Paul explains it (m) Ephes 1.18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened To this relateth the Eye-Salve by the Lord Jesus mentioned in Scripture who in the same place offereth poor Sinners Riches Raiment and Eye-Salve (n) Rev. 3.18 I counsel thee to beg of me gold tryed in the fire that thou mayest be rich and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear and anoint thine Eyes with Eye-Salve that thou mayest see So then no Remedy but in God for the blindness of our Understanding 2 Tim. 1.7 for God alone can give the Spirit of Power and of true Chap. 2.7 and of a sound Mind and understanding in all things As for the Heart God is also the sole Physician thereof (o) Psal 10.17 and 86.11 God doth prepare it and causeth it to fear his Name Take notice of God's working upon the Heart (p) Jer. 32.39.40 and chap. 24.7 chap. 31.33 I will put my Fear in their Hearts that they shall not depart from me and I will give them one heart and one way that they shall fear me for ever Moreover I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their Hearts And by the Mouth of Moses God promiseth (q) Deut. 30.6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine Heart and the Heart of thy Seed But God goeth beyond for he gives a new Heart and a new Spirit (a) Ezec. 11.19 20. and I will give them one Heart and I will put a new spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an Heart of flesh that they may walk in my Statutes and keep mine Ordinances and do them God and none else must give or else we cannot have it See how positive and full Moses is upon this (b) Deut. 29.4 Yet the Lord hath not given you an Heart to perceive and Eyes to see and Ears to hear unto this day They had it not because God had not given it it did not depend upon their free Will to have it for then they had not wanted it God reneweth changeth and restraineth the Heart (c) Ezec. 39.7 I will not let them pollute my holy name any more And when it is wounded and (d) Psal 147.3 broken he healeth it and bindeth up the wound And when 't is in a good Frame he doth (e) 1 Thes 3.13 Psal 27.14 and Psal 31.24 stablish it unblameable in holiness before God he strengtheneth it Out of these and many more Texts which we omit appeareth the absolute power disposal of and ruling which God hath over the Heart How can after this Arminians deny it when they say 't is free to obey or disobey to reject or receive that which God offereth in few Words to disappoint God and do what it will in spite of God Is not this to make a God of it To this I add we cannot so much as mind or attend unto the Word of God preached except he be pleased to open our Hearts as he did that of (f) Acts 16.14 Lydia As to our Lameness and Impotency to walk in God's ways we must depend only upon God to be cured of it Wherefore David doth beseech him to order his steps (g) Psal 25.4 5. to shew him his ways to teach him his paths to lead him in his truth and to to teach him And God saith (h) Hos 11.3 I taught Ephraim also to go taking them by their Arms For they could not go of themselves they wanted a Guide and a Helper (i) Jer. 10.23 For the way of man is not in himself he cannot direct his steps (k) Psal 63.8 'T is God's right hand that upholdeth us Than every thing else conducing to our Salvation God doth it for us (l) Psal 143.10 he teaches us to do his will he draws and turns us when we go astray when we are dull slow and weak he quickeneth us How many times doth David in that 119th Psalm pray God to quicken him in his ways in his Righteousness c. but the great Work is to (*) Ephes 2. quicken us when we were dead in trespasses and sins Let us in very few words with admiration and thankfulness take notice of God's way and method in his gracious actings for us First He begins and prepares (a) Isai 57.14 Prepare the way take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people then (b) Chap. 26.12 he works in and for us afterwards he (c) Psal 68.28 strengthneth that which he hath wrought for us (d) Psal 3.5 he (e) 145.14 sustaineth and (f) Psal 57.2 upholdeth (g) Psal 138.8 he performeth all things for us But God is not content to do so he also (h) Heb. 13.21 doth perfect that which concerns us and as the Apostle saith he (i) 1 Pet. 5.10 makes us perfect in every good work to do his will working in us that which is well pleasing in his sight St. Peter is full upon the matter he prayes God to perfect stablish strengten and to settle believers In a word God saith David is the God of our salvation from whom we receive blessing and righteousness (k) Psal 24.5 I must not omit that admirable Text wherein God promiseth to plant the Gospel which is concluded thus (l) Ezech. 17.24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree have exalted the low tree have dryed up the green tree and have made the dry tree to flourish I the Lord have spoken and have done it God alone hath done it all To conclude these Evidences it must be granted how without faith and repentance we cannot be saved but with them we shall surely be For the substance and declaration of the Gospel is repent and believe Now 't is easie out of Scripture to shew how both repentance and saith do not depend upon the will and power of man but they are the gift of God As for repentance 't is clear Acts 5.31 Jesus hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins Repentance and forgiveness of sins which go together are not in the power of any man but God
alone can give it which in another place is confirmed (m) 2 Tim. 2.25 If God peradventure will give them that is men repentance And as repentance is meerly a gift of God so is saith if we must believe St. Paul (n) Ephes 2.8 For by grace ye are saved thorough saith and that not of our selves it is the gift of God Our salvation here is not attributed to free-will or any thing of our own The Apostle is not satisfied to say by grace ye are saved through Faith but he excludes himself and all and that not of our selves but that Faith which is the Instrument whereby Christ is received and applyed is a gift of God not of Nature or any Parts Abilities or Free-will in us And another Apostle comfirms it very much with a general rule he gives how not only the gift of Faith but (a) Jam. 1.17 every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights We must not look for any grace to grow here below no such thing to be found upon Earth but what doth originally come from Heaven We must not seek for any in Man in any faculty of his Soul which is a bondslave of sin and naturally dead in sin till God hath been pleased to quicken it (b) 1 Pet. 1.9 The end of our faith saith an Apostle is our salvation And Jesus (c) Heb. 12.2 saith another is the Author and finisher of our faith Thus our whole Salvation comes from Christ alone exclusively to any man This work I thought fit to conclude with the several Proofs drawn out of Scripture to shew how our Salvation not only as to the general but also as to particulars in every part and degree thereof doth wholly and only depend upon God and in case there be any good in or done by us we must own God to be the Author of it through the immediate and effectual working of his holy Spirit to trust upon himself or in any thing in himself (d) 2 Kings 18 21. 'T is to trust upon the staff of a bruised reed on which if a man lean it will go into his hand and pierce it To seek for salvation and power to repent and believe within himself in his Mind in his Will in his Heart it is (e) Luk. 24.5 to seek the living amongst the dead By God's command we are (f) Rev. 18.4 come out of the Roman Babylon if we are God's people so that except we have a mind again to be partakers of her sins and so to receive of her Plagues we must return thither no more When God had brought his people out of Egypt by the mouth of Moses he gave this command (g) Deut. 17.16 Ye shall hence forth return no more that way This command is addressed to and concerns us for we know Rome is the great City (h) Rev. 17.8 which spiritually is called Egypt and Sodom too 'T is called Babylon by reason of her Idolatry Egypt upon the account of slavery and Sodom for her abominable wickedness thence God hath graciously brought us out why should we like some of the Children of Israel or Lot's Wife incline and desire to return thither we read as of the sin of the punishment of those that did so for their carcases fell in the wilderness and the Woman became a Pillar of Salt which we are commanded to remember Luk. 17.32 Now I say that the Arminian Errors do lead men back into the Church of Rome I hope I sufficiently demonstrated how in these matters of grace they joyn hands and agree together against us that when Arminianism began to settle here a design was carried on to meet with and be reconciled to that See If then we be not willing to return to it again we must avoid falling into the way that leadeth to it to escape the danger These points about grace are not indifferent and inconsiderable but of the highest nature and concernment that can be for our eternal Salvation doth wholly depend upon God's free-grace I mean our Election Vocation Faith Repentance Conversion Justification Sanctification and at last Glorification These are such fundamental truths as no Martyr can lay down his life upon a better account wherefore no man ought to be ashamed or afraid to own and suffer for if called to it But self-denyal is a hard thing to be obtained and self-love so deeply rooted in man's corrupt heart that they will not part with boastings they are pleased with the thoughts of their own worthiness and are fond of an imaginary power and abilities which they fansie to be in themselves instead of giving God the glory Yet O Lord to thee belong honour and righteousness Dan. 9.7 but to man nothing but shame and confusion of face FINIS