promised Isa. 59.21 If any object That that promise is made only to the Church I may grant it and yet answer well enough thus That the Word and Spirit promised to the Church proclaim and offer Christ to the world and they that arâ— without are bound to receive what is offer'd and to joyn themselves to the Church For whaâ— is it that makes and constitutes the Church Iâ— it not hearkning to and obeying the voice oâ— God in his Word There is the sound of thâ— Gospels voice which the world is bound tâ— hearken to as I hope to shew hereafter Anâ— if the wicked world refuse and will not enâ—quire after it that is their own fault and Goâ— is not wanting as shall be more fully clear'd iâ— its due place For present it may suffice that there is aâ— abundance of the Spirit and of the Word eâ—nough to enlighten and enliven all the world if they would heed and attend them Whâ— dare say that Gods Word and Spirit are noâ— sufficient to instruct us in all things necessary and to lead us into all truth For Papists quarrelling the sufficiency of Scripture-revelation I have nothing to do with it now it serves my turn if it be acknowledged that God hath made a sufficient revelation of his will and the way of our Salvation 3. That God might not leave himself without many witnesses we have also the work of Creation that shews us the way of glorifying him else how could the Apostle upon this one ground prove the Gentiles to be inexcusable in their Idolatries Rom. 1.19 20. And is there not also a goodness of God in his providential dispensations that leads men to repentance Rom. 2.4 Yes the Psalmist shews it at large Psal. 107. And this amongst others seems to be one thing that 's very observable in that Psalm viz. That men otherwise void of all piety and such as care little for Gods company at other times when distresses and dangers assault them even by nature and natural conscience are led to call upon God This shews sufficiently that their neglect of God in times of prosperity is a stifling the natural principles of Religion implanted in all men for the improvement of divine providences 4. To say no more God hath made us reasonable creatures and given us a minde to understand so as to chuse the good and refuse the evil And have we not all of us a conscience to accuse and excuse to encourage us in that which is good and affright us from all that is evil In one word The way of Life is laid before us and we have eyes to see it if we had a minde to walk in it Men do not go to Hell as a beast goeth to the slaughter-house or as one led blindfolded not knowing whither he goeth but they refuse the way of Life and chuse the ways of Death as I hope to shew hereafter more at large Now let me summe up all that hath been said and thus argue If God hath prepared an all-sufficient salvation and provided all means necessary for the applying of it what have we to complain of more than what we finde in our selves May not the Lord say as he did Isa. 5.4 What could have been done more that I have not done or as Ier. 2.5 What iniquity have you found in me Have I been wanting to you Rather have not you wronged your selves and been sinners against your own Souls And will not the Lord say thus one day Questionless he will else how shall he clear himself in condemning the wicked world For suppose God to be wanting in any thing necessary on his part for our salvation may not a condemned sinner justly reply thus Lord thou hast now pass'd the sentence of death upon me and thou art now sending me to dwell with everlasting burnings which I should never have run my self into if thou hadst done that which lay upon thee to do May not such a soul say alas I knew nothing of what I should have known in order to my salvation but was left in the dark without any light to shew me the way of Life Had God done his part I might have done mine and so it had never been with me as now it is Shall any of the damned think you ever have cause or just occasion to quarrel God in this manner Or if any should I must confess I know not how to clear God in his condemning the world of the ungodly But God will certainly clear himself one day and convince all the ungodly that their damnation is just Else why is God so often clearing himself upon all occasions from having any hand in the destruction of those that perish For certain God would never clear himself as often he doth if he knew not himself to be clear and he must have most unworthy thoughts of God that thinks otherwise God is not as man to justifie himself in any thing but what is right and true Now how often doth God clear himself and cast all the blame of mens destruction upon themselves Ezech. 18.31 32. Cast away all your transgressions c. for why will you die I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth Hos. 13.8 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self To this purpose also read Esay 5. v. 1 4. Obj. But some will reply and say Who denies or questions this you labour to little purpose and might well have spared this pains Sol. To clear my self give me leave to say 1. That many are charg'd with making God the author of sin and the contriver in a sort of mans damnation I do not say they are justly charg'd but that some are so charg'd by others is most true 2. There are but too many in the world who charge God foolishly as faulty and guilty of mens destruction I say not they do it expresly and in terminis but interpretatively and by consequence they say that the fault is on Gods part and not on theirs if they die and are damn'd What else is their meaning when they pretend as they do so much love and good liking to God and the wayes of his Commandments Are there not many that say in their hearts and some upon occasion with their mouths also Far be it from us to hate God or any of his wayes God forbid that we should procure to our selves the damnation of our own souls Nay they will not be well pleas'd with any other that shall charge them for so doing If others will believe them they are as willing to be sav'd and as willing to walk in the way of Life and Salvation as any man can wish them to be But alas what would you have of them If they knew better they should do better and for their part they do the best they can and as far as God gives them grace Now is not this in effect all one as to say if we are cast away and die in our sins it is no fault of
he drives them against their wills or without their privity Hos. 2.14 I will allure her c. Though Conversion be not altogether suspended on the liberty of mans will but God undertakes for it yet his way is sweet and taking with Sinners who are allured as one observes on the place God by Grace destroyes not Nature but rectifies and perfects it whiles as Austin saith Omnipotenti facilitate ex nolentibus facit volentes He bends and enclines mens hearts as the Rivers of Waâ—eâ— Pro. 21.1 Now Water that runs one way may be turned and made to run another way But the Water in its course alwayes runs according to its natural inclination Certainly the worst these men can say of God is That he would have turned them and they would not be turned but they resisted him in all his strivings with them And then where lyes the fault Let any reasonable man judge 3. This Argument as I said before aimes at making God to be not only such a one as our selves but much lower 4. God is just as well as mercifull and his Justice is as natural and as essential to him as his mercy And if so Why I pray may not God glorifie himself in the one as well as in the other If he may not give some reason Why. But if God may glorifie his Justice as well as his Grace I ask How God can glorifie it more beyond all exception otherwise than thus viz. In destroying those who have had all means sufficient to save them and willingly rejected all because they did not like them 5. I have yet somewhat more to say in answer to this Objection and it is so much as I hope may satisfie any that are soberly minded They who thus argue might do well to consider What that Grace is which they say is not given them For that Grace where-ever it comes in its full power and efficacy sets men at the greatest distance yea and defiance with all their wonted sinful wayes Now here may be a great mistake and these men may seem to desire they themselves know not what I believe they would fain have the Grace of God to preserve them from suffering Hell-torments when they are going out of the World never again to serve the desires of their flesh But do they desire indeed to shake hands with and to bid an everlasting Farewell to their filthy Lusts so long as they have any ability or opportunity to serve them For to this the Grace of God calls them and for this they have had many gracious earnest invitations which they have sufficiently slighted and cast off with as much scorn and contempt as could be They have never heeded what they have heard from God himself speaking and calling to them by the Commands Promises and Threatnings of his written Word or by the motions of his Spirit or the checks of their own Consciences or any Dispensations of his in any Providences Now what do these men mean in saying God hath not given them grace when they slight and set at naught all the saving Methods which he makes use of to affect their hearts and work them over to â— thorough-compliance with himself Why do not they attend their own work which is to heed what God commands promises and threatens in his Word and to reform their hearts and lives accordingly Why do they not lament and bewail the baseness of their own sinfull hearts and natures humbly acknowledging all their iniquities and loathing themselves because they are loathsome in the sight of the Lord Why do they not confess and forsake their sins that so they may find mercy as Solomon assures them Pro. 28.13 Why do they not begg of God strength to resist Sin and use the means which God hath ordered for that end viz. Fasting and beating down their bodies Why do not they avoid the occasions of Sin and keep themselves farr from those places and companies where they are sure to meet with many temptations Why do they not frequent the company of those who will admonish them upon all occasions and advise them about ordering all their wayes No They 'l do nothing of what is their duty nor what I am sure they have power to do but only sin and seek all occasions to sin and then quarrel God and say He hath not given them grace This is in effect to say They would have God to save them against their wills Obj. But God can make me willing if he please Sol. I know God hath a Soveraign power over the hearts of all men but what then Would they have God to alter all the saving Methods of his grace and force upon them what they have refus'd so often with all disdain and indignation imaginable They desire no grace but what may keep them out of Hell And scorn all grace that 's offered them for reforming their hearts and lives They are like those froward Patients that would have their Physicians cure them without any applications made to them as our Saviour heal'd the lame and the blind by a word of his mouth working wonders such as had not been heard or known Not to say that such arguings are absurd and unreasonable These men must have low thoughts of God and his infinite Excellencies who would have him shape the whole course and method of his Grace and Providence according to their sinfull Interests and Humours To say no more make it our own case When once we have done our endeavours us'd all intreaties yea and it may be added due corrections to our instructions and admonitions and waited long for a desirable issue knowing the Party we have to deal with might if he had a mind change his course we think we can acquit and clear our selves as indeed we may before all the World from having any hand in his undoing himself And will not the righteous Judge think we acquit himself at the last day in condemning all the ungodly refusers and despisers of his Grace and Mercy I shall say no more but as God said to Iob He that reproveth God let him answer it As if he should say He that reasons the case so the word may well be rendred or argues against me Let him answer if he can what I have said and have yet to say Thou Job hast been very bold and forward to question and quarrel my wayes of Providence as if they were not such as they should be But I would have thee know I am able to guide and govern the World without any assistance or advice of thine Hast thou so mean low and unworthy thoughts of me and mine infinite Excellencies as to imagine I am to learn of thee or any other how to order and dispose the works of my hands I think I have said enough to convince thee But if this do not satisfie thee I have yet more to say and beware in time to provoke me no further for if thou do thou shalt be sure to
raise the mist that clouds and darkens him so as to wander after vanities and lyeâ— and forsake his own mercies And all serves as I suppose to our present purpose Men are commonly worse in their practices than in their principles as I said before and yet I deny not that they are corrupted in both For it is not to me imaginable how a man should be corrupted in one and not in the other But this we find by experience which is all I mean That men commonly have better principles than practices Hence so many that are sound in the Faith as to their perswasions of the truth of Religion in their lives are most abominable And what need we any more witnesses to convince and condemn these men Their own opinions are enough to confute their practices and prove â—hem rebels against the light And can they complain they have not light to see their way â—o Heaven They have enough and too much unless they could use it better How usual is it for notorious Sinners and most abominable vicious persons to plead for the Ten Commandments when I know no body against them but such as they and their fellows They know and can repeat the Ten Commandments and say they are Gods Commandments And yet a civil man cannot abide within the breath of these men because every other word almost is an Oath with them A man would hardly believe that men should lead their lives all the week in such excess and all manner of uncleanness and yet on Sundayes cry out so devoutly as they seem to do at the reading of every Commandment Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law Do not these men proclaim Gods commands to be their principles and yet contradict them in all their practices They dare not they cannot for their hearts say with their mouths that Swearing and Drunkenness and Adultery c. are not Sins and transgressions of Gods Laws and yet they live in a constant practice of all such abominations Now what shall we think of these men They have a Light sufficient to shew them the errour of their way They do not indeed set it on a candlestick but rather under a bushel Though it be not quite put out yet it shines not so as they can see any thing by it as they ought And I can conceive no other reason Why the light in these men is so useless but only that it was never strong enough to work an absolute thorow conviction as when Gods Spirit convinceth of Sin c. Ioan. 16.8 The lusts of these men were never subdued to the power of their principles Thâ—y could perhaps some of them discourse the vanity of the creature and the emptiness of all worldly things even to admiration and yeâ— all the while love the World and the things of the World no men more Grant that there is in such men sometimes a reluctancy it cannot but be faint and feeble and in effect as good as none at all Nay what if I say it serves only to enhance their lusts the more as weak opposition gives an enemy the greater advantage 〈◊〉 let out more of his rage and strength than otherwise perhaps he would Certainly men â—o made up of a mixture of passion and some reason are as much plung'd into all sensual and beastly pleasures as any becauâ—e the stream of their lusts is stronger than to be stopt by any principles they have Yea they are in a more ready way to put darkness for light and to call evil good than any men alive so as at last the light that is in them is no better than the blackness of darkness It was even so with the Pharisees Luc. 16.14 When our Saviour had most excellently discours'd the right use of all earthly riches and shew'd that men cannot serve God and Mammon They heard these things and derided him A practice too common amongst others when a savory Doctrine about some duty press'd home upon Conscience hath found no better entertainment with many of the Auditors than a dry scoff or some bitter reproachful language against the Preacher But why did the Pharisees deride our Saviour There was a reason and it is express'd in the same place They were covetous The love of money is the root of all evil 1 Tim. 6.10 There never was an Heretique or Apostate or any man reprobate to every good work that had not this or some other root of bitterness springing up and turning him aside to be hardned past all hope in his ungodly way Demas hath forsaken me 2 Tim. 4.10 And if you read on it is to be seen in the next words Why He had embraced this present World All ages afford great store of such sâ—d Instances Many like Ionathan as one saith follow the chase with a greedy pursuit till they light on the honey Demas had no sooner left Paul but he went to Thessalonica where he became an Idol-Priest as some report When such men have been provoked by missing of expected preferments or have had the lure of promotion flung out to them the next news you hear of them is that they are not where you left them but are gone some-where and if you desire to know look in Iud. v. 11. and you shâ—ll find what way they are gone and upon what account and what will be the issue of all at last if you please to observe that also by the way They you must know hoyse up and strike sayl again as the wind serves and sometimes tack about only to steer a course that will serve for present security or future further advantages When Religion is in fashion they presently fall in with a goodly out-side profession so as few can keep pace with them But when once the wind that was on their backs begins to turn and blow in their teeth then as we say faces about and who more zealous Persecutors than such hot-spur Professors Now may I not say of these Have they not heard and known Doubtless they cannot be ignorant Balaam knew well enough that he ought not to curse Israel and yet the wretched Wizard attempted it again and again because he loved the wages of unrighteousness and Balack's proffer'd rewards blear'd his eyes as he saw not what he did see So is it with every man that hath no more grace than he 'T is no hard task for any man of ordinary understanding to conclude That the way of Uncleanness Drunkenness Swearing c. is not for professed Christians or civil rational men to walk in Yea many have sometimes resolv'd against them with vows and imprecations and yet the next opportunity of a temptation breaks all these bonds and the Doggs are turned to their vomit again The reason of all is clearly to be seen and it is this They have their lucid intervals as other madd men have and then they can see a little the baseness of their own wayes But as soon as Lust
be satisfied without some extraordinary appearances of God that may be an infallible Demonstration of the Doctrines so much commended to them for their instruction in righteousness No question they that have fill'd the World with stories of strange Miracles pretended to be done by their Party in all ages for confirmation of their way were sufficiently aware of this humour in men and the Apostle hath given all the World a fair warning of it 2 Thess. 2.9 10. The rich man in Hâ—â— was of the mind That if one went from the Dead unto his Brethren they would repent But we have no great cause to be much taken with his opinion when we consider in what place he was specially when we have the opinion of Abrahaâ— in Heaven to the contrary He was indeed in a great mistake as well as many others on Earth An uncircumcised heart will not regard the commands of God though they be sent by the hand of an Angel Israel had the Law from the mouth of God himself and yet they continued not in his Covenant Many instances there have been of men that in the midst of Gods most terrible and miraculous appearances have taken occasion of letting out their malice the more Israel provoked God at the Sea even at the Red Sea Psa. 106.7 Psa. 78.32 For all this they sinned still and believed not for his wondrous works I will not say that all wicked men have been alwayes alike affected as they were then and there For Gods Judgements in the Earth have sometimes cool'd the courage of his stoutest enemies so as they have not dared to go forward as otherwise they would have done The Plagues upon Egypt put Pharaoh sometimes into a good mood and made him to relent a little for the present But he was never the better though awed a while by the hand of God against him We read indeed Act. 9.6 that the Lord Jesus appeared to Saul afterwards call'd Paul in a dreadful manner and struck him down to the ground in order to his conversion But that was only to tame him that so he might be talk'd withall If the Lord had then left him and taken no more thought and care of him I may well question whether Saul would have ever been the better man for that terrible appearance of God to him Sure I am that God instructed him by his own immediate voice from Heaven and then afterwards sent him to Aâ—anias by whom as a Minister of God he was taught what he must do And if it had not been thus we may justly doubt whether Paul had ever been setled in a sound belief or encouraged to a zealous profession and preaching of the Gospel I am willing to grant That the Lord hath taken some such course with some others for their conversion I mean He hath by his hand brought them down to the earth and made afflictions to tame their proud and haughty Spirits so as they have said It was good for them that they were so handled and humbled But afflictions do but tame men Gods Word and Spirit alone teach them and bring the heart to a due acknowledgement of Gods authority And this is certain because though some have been wrought upon by Gods more than ordinary appearances to them in his providential dispensations yet others have remain'd as Pharaoh did and never were humbled so as to make their peace with God Men may think if an Angel from Heaven did preach to them oâ— a damned Soul from Hell appear to them to confirm by their testimony the truths that are often tendred them by men like themselves they should certainly believe and obey and make no further question But they know not of what Spirit they are Never was there such a sign from Heaven as the Son of God dwelling in our flesh and yet how little were the Iews satisfied with it No not in the least but they must have some other sign to demonstrate him to be what he was or else they could not believe on him Yea and though they had their desire in this also yet all was to as little purpose For though he had done so many miracles before them yet they believed not on him Joan. 12.37 If any suppose they could not see the Sun of Righteousness because he was clouded over with our flesh I say That that veil served only to allay the exceeding brightness of his glory which otherwise no mortal eye could have been able to approach or behold It did not hide him so as they could not possibly see him but it shewed him so as they might be able to look on him as we can abide to look on the Sun shining through a bright cloud which would dazle and almost put out our eyes if it shin'd out in his full strength And therefore our Saviour appeals to his works and doings which were abundantly enough to shew what he was though covered under a cloud If I had not done among them the works that no other man did saith he they had not had sin But now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father Joan. 15.24 Where by WORKS he means all the evidences and demonstrations of his Divine power given by him for their conviction And to instance only in one Did ever man command and controll the Devil as he did and that only in his own name and power This work of his was such a clear and undeniable proof as he thereupon charged some of them with the unpardonable sin Because they said he had an unclean Spirit Marc. 3.30 They said that what he did was no more than what Witches and Conjurers can do by virtue of a compact when they could not but see it was by the finger and power of God This was blasphemy not of ignorance as Pauls was 1 Tim. 1.13 but of voluntary contumacy For as Calvin They sin against the Holy Ghost who maliciously pervert to Gods dishonour and reproach the mighty works of God manifested to them by his Spirit for this end that they might thereupon shew forth his glory and so profess themselves enemies of God such as the Devil is Hence our Saviour chargeth them with malice Ioan. 15.24 Ye have seen and hated both me and my Father because they so basely undervalued and blasphemed that power which shewed it self in him to be altogether Divine For he was not wanting to the work which his Father had given him to do and that work was to shew himself to the World to be as he was the Son of God For this end and purpose he did what no other had done or could do But all could not satisfie an evil and adulterous Generation as he calls them Mat. 12.39 They were still calling upon him for a sign from Heaven He had done indeed some miracles they could not deny it in curing some poor sick and leprous persons But what were these Not enough nor great enough to convince them that he was the very
men about the matters of Gods Kingdom and the methods of Salvation are chiefly occasioned because there is so much of the Devil and so little of God in us Were there in us a due acknowledgement of Gods Infinite Excellency and Soveraign Authority we should never question in the least whatever he doth to be holy just and good Yea we should confess roundly That whatever befalls us or however it be with us we our selves have procur'd and caus'd it by our own wayes and doings We should say as Gods Servants did of old We have trespassed and done foolishly and wickedly unto us belongs shame and confusion of face for ever And blessed be the Lord for evermore If any desire further Advice in this case I say Whoever thinks there is a God must think of him so as may become his infinite Excellency and Glory Psal. 10.4 We have this property of an ungodly man God is not in all his thoughts Not that he thinks there is no God but that he thinks not there is a God i. e. He never minds or heeds him in the whole course of his life and actions So many never eye or heed God in his Excellencies to stand in awe of him and tremble before him They are too bold with him upon any occasion and their words and deeds shew they are not seasoned inwardly with an holy humble reverence of his infinite Majesty They speak not it may be at the same rate as Pharaoh Ex. 5.2 Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice c. I know not the Lord c. As if he should have said You Moses and Aaron come and command me in the Name of Jehovah who is Israels God as you say Who is this Jehovah I pray that I must be commanded by him I tell you I know him not nor do I care for him I 'le do what I have a mind to let him command what he will Though few act to such an height of insolency as appear'd in him yet there is the same haughty Spirit of disdain in all men by nature against the heavenly Majesty They think much to be order'd and over-rul'd by one of whom they know so little And whoever observes may easily see that God hath little regard amongst worldly men who will talk indeed a little sometimes as if there were somewhat call'd a God and yet in all their words and deeds shew no apprehensions of his Excellencies such as do awe them to reverence and obedience becoming his absolute Soveraign Majesty Now as to believe there is a God and yet live as if there were none is practical Atheism so to speak and think of him otherwise than he is is little better than Blasphemy And of such Atheism and blasphemy the World is full and it is evident by this that most have so little respect for God and shew it in all they say and do Respect I say for God such as should be and such as becomes his infinite Glory And how unreasonable are men in this Hear and consider what God himself saith Malac. 1.6 A Son honoureth his Father and a Servant his Master If then I be a Father where is mine honour If I be a Master where is my fear saith the Lord of Hosts unto you O Priests that despise my Name Here the Lord complains of their slighting him more than any Creature calling for such respect as was by any man commonly given to his betters A Master or Father could get more respect than he who was both in an eminent way to that people And here one observes it As the grand delusion that blinds the visible Church to give good words and fair titles to God when no care is had of answerable walking And the Lord makes use of that which every one acknowledges to be a witness in the case and so proves That men in their duties to God come farr short of that which very Nature will teach them is due to Creatures standing in 〈◊〉 same relation And this also That want of reverence to and an high estimation of God is the root and rise of all our miscarriages and an evidence that we behave our selves neither as Sons nor Servants Not to esteem of God as he deserves is to dishonour him as not to bless him is in a sort to blaspheme him God hates and abhorrs base and unworthy conceits of him and his Majestick Name when men take him not into their hearts under the notion of an infinite HIGHNESSE It shews there is no awe of God upon them and that they count of him as one like themselves yea and much below them And here I could easily enlarge in many Instances of a prophane and proud Spirit in ungodly men not only in speaking and acting as if there were no God above them but speaking and acting many times in such a way as if they studied to make God as vile as might be In one word shewing no reverent esteem but rather a base undervaluing and contempt of him They do not only act as if there were no God that would call them to an account but in a way of opposition and scorn as to shew how little account they make of him And for instance Let one that fears before the Lord be so bold as to check a rude and ungodly company met about some lewd and vile pranks and practices such as are too frequent and familiar by minding them of God and his commands how ordinary is it for such a knot of Companions to vent themselves the more in scorn and indignation as if they were affronted by one that hath nothing to do with them He that comes among them with no better authority to awe them had need look to himself that they fall not down right upon him When righteous Lot said no worse to the Sodomites than I pray you Brethren do not so wickedly Gen. 19.7 They said Stand back and they said again This one fellow came in to sojourn and he will needs be a Iudge Now will we deal worse with thee than with them A command or intreaty in the name of God though the highest Majesty commonly proves an occasion through mens devilish pride and disdain of more and greater impieties and indignities And if any should question this let them but open their ears and eyes and there need be no great dispute about it now adayes Oh! Look round about and see how little regard there is of God and his commands in the World and whether there be any account had or made whether God be pleas'd or no with that which is commonly done among men This this is enough to sadden any gracious Soul in the expectation of Gods appearances to vindicate the honour of his great Name by some remarkable judgements on the World And therefore I advise once more and intreat That there may be some regard had of God and that it may be shewed so as it may be seen that God is in mens
can I do Sol. This I think hath been sufficiently answer'd already yet I shall add a word or two more God requires no more than he gives so say I but I say also he will require so much as he gives Now canst thou or dar'st thou say that God hath not given thee time and space to Repent yea hath he not waited long for thee yea dar'st thou say he hath not given thee to Repent c. when he hath given thee light to see the errour and the evil of thy wayes what would'st thou have God hath commanded thee and intreated thee and by many and sundry motions made to thee sometimes allured thee and at other times affrighted thee His Word his Spirit his Works of Mercy and Judgement have bespoken thee again and again to cast away thy Transgressions but thou would'st not and only because thou loved'st thy ungodly wayes and found'st pleasure in them thou would'st not be perswaded to leave them And wilt thou say yet that God hath not given it thee to return to him I hope thou wilt not blaspheme God openly in saying that he hath tempted thee to thy evil wayes Neither did he or any other force thee for thou wast wholly inclin'd and addicted to them and angry at all that would put thee out of them I shall say no more but only desire thee to answer thy self and thine own Conscience in this one Question viz. why thou dost not forsake thy wicked ways I say again ask and answer that Question sincerely and as in the sight of God and thou shalt finde thine own Heart will tell thee that thou lik'st and lov'st the profits and the pleasures of thy sinfull wayes so as thou hast no minde to leave them And if thou finde it not so call me lyar upon this account Now whose fault is it that thou lovest thy sins But I must go on to finish this Discourse And for a conclusion I shall very plainly and briefly shew the mistakes of men about the only way of life with the best advice I can give about it The only way of Life that I know of is believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. For this we have a command and a promise as is to be seen in very many Texts which I need not mention because they are obvious to the meanest understanding This is the tenour of the only Covenant of Peace and Life If thou believest with all thine heart thou shalt be saved Ro. 10.9 10 11. Joan. 3.16 36 c. Yea this is receiv'd among all professed Christians that believing on the son of God is the way of Life and Salvation But the most of those who profess the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ are much to seek and at a great loss about the way of believing to the saving of their Souls For their sakes therefore I shall lay before them the good and the right way of Salvation by Faith in the Son of God and assure them in the name of God that whoever is resolv'd to walk in that way shall as certainly be saved as those who are already in Heaven And this I shall do that if it be possible they may be perswaded no more to dispute or quarrel Gods Decrees or Christs dying for all Sinners or the inability that is in all men by nature to all that 's spiritually good or any thing else besides the frowardness of their own corrupt and perverse hearts For the way of Salvation by Faith only it is this The Gospel which only reveals the way of living by Faith makes an offer of Christ to all without exception in case they Believe Ioan. 3.16 and many other places And when any man is effectually perswaded to receive Christ as he is offer'd then he Believes to the saving of his Soul If any desire to know further what it is to receive Christ I answer that it is the Souls hearty consenting to have him upon the same terms on which he is offer'd This is that which as I may say makes up the match between Christ and any Soul so as thence forward it stands in relation to Christ as a Woman to her Husband after her consent obtain'd and declar'd and so hath an interest in him and all his Estate This is the eminency and precedency of Faith to all other Graces that it is the Souls consenting to have Christ as her all in all For when the Soul so consents a man is thereupon justified and accepted with God This consent indeed doth imply love and obedience and faithfulness to Christ all our dayes and if there be not afterwards a performance of all accordingly for certain the consent at first was not sincere and hearty For we are delivered from the hands of our enemies that we may serve him c. Luc. 1.74 We are redeem'd from all iniquity to be a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 But yet the consent which is first given sets a man in the state and relation of a justified person which afterwards he proves himself to be by yielding willing obedience to all the Commands of Christ. For Love and all the fruits of it in a Christians whole course are but the performance of what was promis'd when he first consented to have Christ for his only Lord and Saviour and where these do not attend there never was any hearty consent But Faith I say again hath the precedency in that it is the Souls consenting to take Christ upon his own terms and so Faith alone justifies us Now if what hath been sâ—id of our being justified by Faith alone be rightly apprehended there will need no dispute about the concurrence of works in our justification But leaving all such disputes as no way concerning my present purpose I shall only take notice of such mistakes as are ordinary and do offer themselves as it were to us upon this occasion to be considered of For certain the way of believing is the only way of living with God for ever But the mistakes of men about this way are the great occasion of their miscarriage I mean it of such as hear the Gospel have Christ offered to them and do profess to believe on him as all or most do with us There are only two that deserve our notice and if there be any other they may be reduc'd to these And these two are extremes not so farr from one another as both are from the right way of living by Faith First Some though they pretend not to merit do almost turn the Covenant of grace into a Covenant of works and so pervert the Gospel of Christ to their own destruction I do not mean That they make account to be saved by vertue of the first Covenant made with Adam in innocency For never was there a man Iew or Gentile that did not acknowledge himself a sinner And this appears in that all of them have used means true or false right or wrong to make an attonement for
is not equall These men are indeed far from righteousness and wholly indispos'd to learn it Their Souls are as some old Sores so nasty and filthy as they must be wash'd and wip'd before any healing Plaisters can be laid on them Or as some mens Bodies so foul and full of bad humours as they must have Preparatives to make way for the intended Medicines which otherwise will have no efficacy or operation Now this Discourse is intended only as a Preparative to make way for other Physick by rowsing men up to consider in what a condition they are and that there is an enmity in them against God and his Laws and that this enmity is it which causes so many disputes and exceptions about Gods Dispensations of Grace and Providence and that they do but flatter and deceive their own Souls in thinking themselves so well inclin'd to God and goodness and should do well enough if they had some-what which they want as they think without any fault of their own For what hope is there to perswade men out of their ungodly wayes so long as they conceit themselves to lye under a fatal necessity of being as they are and so it is no fault of theirs that they are no better Or how shall men be prevail'd with to change their course so long as they lye under such gross mistakes of God and his wayes as to think he is wanting to them and they are not wanting to themselves Such mistakes do a great deal of mischief in the World and keep up cursed prejudices in the hearts of men against the wayes of Gods Commandments and make them to cry Peace to their Souls even whiles they are walking after their own imaginations and running head-long to the pit of destruction Now this Discourse be-speaks men to consider Whether Gods wayes or their own are unequal and whether God or they shall be justified in the last and great day of account There needs no more to be said in way of Preface That the God of all Grace will vouchsafe to give his Spirit for convincing men of all their Mistakes and Prejudices so as they may learn to judge themselves and justifie him which is the work theâ— have to do in order to their Salâ—vation is the hearty Desire anâ— Prayer of him that penn'd anâ— them that publish'd this ensuinâ— Treatise T. F. ΑΥΤΟΚΑΤΑΚΡΙΤΟΣ OR The Sinner Condemned of Himself WHat the Apostle saith of an Heretick after the first and second Admonition may truly be said of every one that goeth on in his wickedness He Sinneth being condemned of himself He sinneth wilfully and without excuse he hath no cloak for his sin for he condemns himself in what he doth in that his practise is contrary to his principle That this is the case of all or most ungodly Sinners I shall endeavour to make good in the ensuing Treatise And in order thereunto I shall lay down the summe and substance of all in one general Proposition which I offer as the conclusion to be proved viz. That whatever excuses or pretences are or may be made by any all the mistakes and miscarriages of men about the matters of Gods Kingdome and their own Salvation are only and altogether from their not improving the means and helps which are allowed them and that this also is only from the sinful corruption and cursed inbred enmity of their own hearts and nature To prove this I argue first from somewhat implyed in the Proposition it self viz. The sufficiency of helps and means on Gods part allow'd to men And The Argument may be formed thus If God have sufficiently provided for mens Salvation so as he is not wanting in what lay on him to do then mens neglect is the only cause of their destruction But God hath sufficiently provided c. Ergo c. Here I shall not stand to prove the consequence of the first Proposition because if God be not of necessity man only must be wanting to himself If any shall alledge that the world the flesh and the Devil are great enemies and hinderances to mens Salvation I grant it but deny withall that therefore God is to be charg'd with mens destruction or that any man who dieth in his sins is the more excusable For the fault is in men only that they willingly give themselves up to be led aside by those enemies of their Souls and so neglect their own Salvation Sure I am nor one nor all of those enemies could prejudice our everlasting estate if we did not freely and willingly give our selves over to their power And this will appear in my proving the second Proposition viz. That God hath sufficiently provided for mens Salvation c. Here I shall first instance in particulars and therein shew what provision God hath made 1. To rise no higher than Adams fall when man stood in most need of Gods help was there not a speedy provision made of an all sufficient Saviour and help laid upon one that was mighty and able to save to the utmost all that come unto God by him Heb. 7.25 No sooner had God convinced our first Parents of their sin and misery but he presently revealed his Son to be made the seed of the woman and in mans nature to fulfill whatever was needfull to the reconciling of the world In this Salvation so prepar'd and promis'd there was no defect as appears by the Apostles testimony Heb. 7.25 The only defect is on mans part in not coming to God through Christ that he may be saved Who dare say that God hath made but a scanty provision for our salvation Surely it cannot stand with his faithfulness and goodness who commands all men every where to repent Would he think you invite so many guests if he knew not before hand that there is entertainment enough for them all No man for ought I have heard ever made question of this That if all would come to Christ all should be saved by him And this is the tenour of the Gospel-Covenant which alone reveals the way of Salvation He that beleiveth shall be saved c. Mar. 16.16 For any Objection that may be made I shall answer it in its due place 2. As God hath provided an all sufficient salvation so hath he also allowed sufficient means for the applying of it so as it may be effectual 1. There is the word of Grace or the Gospel full and clear in all particulars so as there is nothing necessary to be known concerning this salvation but a man may run and read it What was sufficiently discovered in the Old Testament according to the dispensation of God for those times is more clearly revealed in the New so as we may well say with the Apostle 2 Tim. 3.25 The Scriptures are able to make us wise unto Salvation 2. There is the Spirit to teach us inwardly and in the heart what is laid before our eyes in the word And both these are