be in the matter of justification and sanctification but to answer more fully I hope the Papists will not deny but that Abraham and David had as well Moral works as Ceremonial works if they do they deny the plain truth of God and yet the Apostle saith Rom. 4.4 5 6. These two holy men they were not justified or saved by any thing done by themselves but even by the faith of Jesus Christ being imputed unto them for righteousnesse Object 2 Again say the Papists we grant they were justified by faith why then Faith is a work and therefore works have some stroke in the Justification of a sinner I answer Answ It is true faith is a work it is a work of God Christ calleth it so Joh. 6.29 when the Scribes and Pharisees say what shall we do that we may do the works of God Christ saith believe in God that is a work of all works the best work but we must know that faith doth not justifie as it is a work no not by the worth and goodnesse of faith the very act of believing justifieth not for the vertue and goodnesse of it but it justifieth relativè as an instrument or hand applying and taking hold of the Lord Jesus Christ and so doth faith justifie apprehending Christ as the matter of Justification Yet further they object say the Papists in the places alledged where Object 3 there is an opposition between grace and works the Holy Ghost meaneth works of nature such as are done by the strength of nature and not of the works of grace no these two may well stand together works that come from the grace and Spirit of God and grace these two may well stand together in the matter of salvation To this I answer Answ I beseech you consider with me that place in Ephes 2.8 9. where the Apostle saith by grace you are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God then he subjoyneth not of works lest any man should boast of what works doth the Apostle speak of works of nature no such matter but works done by the power of grace how may that appear in the tenth verse he saith we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus to good works plainly teaching us that the works he speaketh of are works done by us framed anew in Christ Jesus by the power of his Spirit and grace we being in Christ made new creatures so to leave the Papists Is it so That Gods eternal election of his chosen before all time and Vse 2 effectual calling in time is merely and onely of Gods free grace and favour and not of the works of men upon this ground we must learn our Lesson and duty howsoever we are bound to the doing of good works of all sorts and kinds within the compasse of our place and callings both duties of piety to God duties of love equity mercy and justice to men and are bound to be rich and plentiful in all good works for necessary uses that they may be fruits of faith evidences of Gods love and favour unto us in Christ testimonies of our thankfulnesse unto God for his mercy and necessary antecedents to God before the reward of life and glory in heaven so that good works are necessary yet mark the Lesson howsoever we are thus bound to good works yet we must renounce the merit of them take heed that we rest not upon the merit of good works we must renounce all trust and confidence in them and stick onely and wholly to the free grace of God for our justification our comfort here and happinesse hereafter all from the beginning to the consummation from predestination to glorification is all of the free grace and favour of God Many silly ignorant people there be that say they hope to be saved but ask them the question how you shall have a blind answer by their good dealing by their good serving of God and by their good prayers they are just and true and by this means they hope to be saved they have no other ground but that which is merely natural Popish and carnal and doth shoulder and thrust out the free grace and favour of God alas if there were no other way to come to heaven but by our good dealing and good serving of God woe be unto us for then no flesh shall ever be saved no mere man shall ever come to heaven if all our happinesse depend upon our own goodnesse all our comfort were at an end For the best of our works are stained like menstruous clouts your hearing the Word our preaching and prayer they are but as menstruous and filthy clouts and have many imperfections cleaving unto them and herein learn a trick and subtilty of Satan if Satan cannot prevail with a man to be abominable and vile in his life to be a debauched creature but that he will live civilly and orderly and will be doing good things then he will temper with him and stirre him up to be conceited of his goodnesse and to rest upon it as the ground of comfort when a man doth avoid the bloody-faced sins of the world then the devil maketh him to think he is a right honest man and make that the ground of salvation but this is as pleasing to the devil as a lewd and a wicked course of life for assuredly the trust and ground of comfort in any thing done by us shall assoon bring a man to hell as the most vile and debauched course of life Oh then trust perfectly to the grace of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1.13 the word is very significant and signifieth soundly holily and solidly trust to the free grace of God for if thou trust upon any thing else it will plunge thy soul into the bottomlesse pit of hell yea if we rest upon the grace of God though the Lord do afflict and bring us under in grievous afflictions yet happy are we we are built upon the free grace of God and he will never take his grace and mercy from us as he saith to David 2 Sam. 7.14 15. if thy son sin against me I will correct him with the rods of men but my mercy will I never take from thee thou art in a blessed estate that resteth upon the mercy of God VERSE 12. It was said unto her The elder shall serve the younger IN this Verse our Apostle putteth down the speech of God unto Rebekah which we read of in Gen. 25.23 the Holy Ghost in that Chapter telleth us that Rebekah having conceived twins two children in her womb and feeling the children to strive in her womb she went to ask counsel of the Oracle of God touching that matter and the text saith God gave her this Answer two Nations are in thy womb Rebekah two manner of people shall be divided out of thy bowels and the one people shall be mightier then the other the elder shall serve the younger these were the very words of
of Justice and of mercy it is as possible that God should be merciful to a man that he sendeth to hell as to be just to a man that he giveth salvation unto these two can never stand together revenging Justice and saving mercy for the Lord vouchsafeth salvation that his mercy may be glorified and not his justice so that mercy cometh not from the hand of Justice but of mercy Again in that the Apostle saith that God declareth the riches of his mercy to the Elect hence I might note That Gods grace and mercy vouchsafed unto his chosen it is full and perfect fulnesse of mercy and perfect mercy when God forgiveth the sins of his chosen he forgiveth them not in part or by the halves as the Papists teach that God forgiveth the sinnes of his chosen in respect of the eternal punishment but he leaveth the Temporal punishment for them to do penance for in the time of Lent whereas God doth give unto his children full and perfect remission full and perfect Justification full and perfect glorification Heb. 7.25 He is able perfectly to save all that come unto him saith the Author to the Hebrewes not to give a half salvation but a full salvation but to passe from that And in the last place observe we that the Apostle affirmeth it of Gods chosen that they are vessels of mercy prepared unto glory that is God in his eternal decree hath ordained them to everlasting glory so that hence I might shew that some particular persons amongst men are appointed of God to salvation in heaven but that I have often met withal and therefore passe by it but hence we may truly take up this Observation That life and glory and happinesse in heaven it cometh unto Gods chosen in time Doctrine most freely from the free grace and mercy of God without any merit or desert of theirs at all it was prepared for them and they for it before they had a being and before the world was Matth. 25.34 Come you blessed inherit a Kingdome prepared for you before the world was or from the beginning of the world saith our Saviour and this truth the Scripture saith in Ephes 2.8 by grace yau are saved and that not of your selves it is the gift of God and in Titus 3.5 Not according to the works of righteousnesse that we have done but according to his mercy he hath saved us still running upon the free grace and mercy of God in Luke 12.32 Fear not little flock saith Christ it is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome it is the free gift of your Father without any of your deserts And also in Rom. 6.23 the Apostle having said the wages of sin is death then presently he subjoyneth unto it not as the sequel of the Text doth require as the Remists themselves do confesse in their Annotations he saith not the wages of sin is death and the wages of holinesse is salvation but he changeth the term saith he the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life thereby evidencing that the eternal life and salvation of the godly in heaven it cometh freely without any merit or deserts of theirs at all and hence it is that eternal life in heaven it is called in Scripture an inheritance in Coloss 1.12 giving thanks that he hath provided for us an inheritance 1 Pet. 1.4 an inheritance immortal and undefiled Now who knoweth not this that an inheritance cometh to a child from the father out of the mere love of the father when the child it may be is not born and cannot do any thing to merit it so the inheritance of heaven being prepared for the godly and they for it it must needs come from the grace of God And the Reason Reason and ground of this is because that the whole glory of this may be unto the Lord the Lord will have the glory in the salvation of his chosen in Ephes 2.9 you are saved by grace through faith not of works lest any man should boast and brag of it that he brought something to his salvation Now this being so it meeteth directly with the opinion of our adversaries the Papists Vse those of the Antichristian Synagogue of Rome it quite over turneth their opinion in that they hold teach that life and glory in heaven belong to such as are first of all justified by Christ as admitted for the merit and desert of their own good works and it belongeth to them for the merit of their own good workes Now this errour besides the errour in the ground of it supposing a two-fold Justification in the sight of God which can never be proved in the Book of God when God justifieth he justifieth once for all besides this errour in the ground it cannot stand with the truth of God now delivered for if so be life and glory come unto Gods chosen in time most freely then not for their deserts for free gift and due debt cannot stand together with relation to the same subject But say the Papists life and glory in heaven it is called a reward therefore merited To this I answer The Holy Ghost hath taught us to distinguish of reward as two-fold in Rom. 4.4 and that is either of favour or of debt now eternal life is a reward indeed not of debt but of favour But whereas the Papists further reply Christ hath merited that the good works of his Chosen should be meritorious to life and salvation A mere idle shift we find in the Book of God that Christ hath merited for his chosen and died for their sins but we never find he died for their good works to make them meritorious no it is a thing altogether impossible that the best works of Gods chosen should have in them the true and whole nature of merit because they be imperfect and they are stained with sin the best work that a man can do when he hath striven to do his best he must go to God to crave pardon for his imbecility now these two cannot possibly stand together to stand in need of mercy and yet be meritorious Yea let me tell you we must take heed we do not abuse this Doctrine of Vse 2 God and savour it to our destruction and hereupon do as many do cast off all care of good works because they do not merit yet it is our duty to shew unto God our thankfulnesse for his mercy unto us in giving us right and title to heaven and to expresse our thankfulnesse unto him in all holy obedience yea without question we are bound to thankfulnesse for external and temporal good things because we find that the use and comfort of it cometh from God Oh much more are we then to be thankful unto God for heaven and in giving us hope of inheritance in heaven And now because every one will be ready to sooth up himself and to say I hope I shall come to heaven and I am thankful for it
I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day I have laid up my reward in the hands of him that will never fail me but surely preserve and keep it for me Who is God over all blessed for ever Amen HEre you see and it is clear that Jesus Christ is both true man and true God Now then from hence we are to take notice of the personal union of the two Natures of Christ into one person and the observation arising hence is this That Christ Jesus is God-man or Man-God Doctrine Christ Jesus is both God and man in one person the Godhead of Christ is truly and personally united to his Manhood so that in Christ God and Man make but one Person and that we do not misconceive this truth touching the combination and conjunction of the two Natures of Christ we must know that the Godhead and Manhood of Christ are not united with any composition or commixture as in mixing water and wine no nor it by conversion and turning the one into the other the Godhead is not turned into the Manhood nor the Manhood into the Godhead the Godhead in Christ is distinct in essence from the Manhood and the Manhood in Christ distinct in substance from the Godhead and the properties of both natures remain incommunicable the properties of the one is not given to the other as to be omnipresent and omnipotent is not communicated to the Manhood of Christ to be every where at one time nor the properties of the Manhood to the Godhead as to be circumscribed locally present in one place which is the nature of a true body but the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth in the Manhood personally and bodily Col. 2.9 by personal union is the Manhood united to the Godhead and doth solely and onely consist and subsist in one person in Christ Joh. 1.14 the VVord was made flesh it became flesh and in 1 Tim. 3.16 the Apostle saith without question or controversie great is the Mystery of godlinesse and therein is God manifested in the flesh God and flesh a wonderful mystery indeed thus it is in the eternal Son of God who took flesh upon him so that the Manhood of Christ is not a Person but a Nature and received with the Godhead of Christ which we all confesse he is God and Man in one Person Come we to the Application First this serveth to inform our Judgments Vse in a particular point needful to be known and that is this That the fulnesse of merit is found only in Christ and in him alone and no other the merit of life and of salvation is properly in Christ he is the proper subject of all merit of life and salvation onely the works of Christ are meritorious his holy sufferings and his holy actions these are meritorious and none else the work of no man or woman upon the face of the earth though the members of Christ are not meritorious none but Christs and why because he is God and Man only and alone in one person The Papists the enemies of Gods truth think they have sufficient ground for the merit of true believers from the union between Christ and true Believers because true believers are one with Christ by faith and make one mystical body as they do indeed and are knit by faith and the Spirit and because they are thus combined to Christ by a mystical union therefore the Papists think they have sufficient ground to prove the merit of the good works of true believers that because of this union they are meritorious But their ground faileth them it followeth not that because true believers are one with Christ that therefore their good works do merit for true believers are knit to Christ mystically not personally for Christ and a believer are two distinct persons though they be joyned to Christ by faith and the Spirit it is not personally now personal union is the ground of merit in Christ himself and the person that must merit and deserve life and salvation must be more then a mere man the Manhood of Christ apart and by it self considered meriteth nothing but as it is received into unity of person with the Son of God so that the personal union of Christ is a ground of merit for if Adam had stood in his innocency he could not have merited a better estate to himself because he was but mere man so then these enemies of the truth they must prove which they can never do that true believers are one with Christ by personal union before they can conclude the merit of good works and that because of that mystical union they are meritorious but to make application to our selves Vse This truth That Christ Jesus is God and Man Man-God being duly considered and thought upon may yeeld unto us excellent and sweet comfort to as many as believe in Christ for by vertue of the two Natures of the Godhead and Manhood in Christ by believing in Christ Jesus we come to be partakers of all the merits of Christ Jesus whatsoever he hath done or suffered because we being one with him by faith by vertue of the union we come to be partakers of him and to have Fellowship and Communion with God wherein standeth the true communion and there is no coming unto God with comfort though we cry loud and fill heaven and earth with our cries but by a Mediatour if we come unto him out of a Mediatour they come unto God angry with them ready to pour out his vengeance upon them Now the Divine and humane nature of Christ being knit together into one person they make a perfect Mediatour by whom we have accesse to the throne of grace with comfort he is God and Man in one person and so we may approach with comfort yea by this means we believing in Christ we come to be partakers of the sufficiency and grace of the merit of Christ and they appertain unto us yea we being one by faith with the Manhood of Christ we come to be made one with the Godhead and so to have access unto God who is the fountain of all goodnesse this is a matter of excellent comfort Again it is further to be observed that the Apostle doth not rest in describing of Christ to be God over all but addeth further blessed for ever he breaketh out into an addition of praise and giving glory to the name of Christ and magnifying of him that he is for ever in all ages and in all times to be blessed praised magnified and glorified and he subjoyneth to this the word Amen thereby signifying the inward assent of his heart Amen for the word Amen is not here vox optantis a word of wishing but vox approbantis et vox affirmantis a word of approving and a word of affirming certainly he is so Amen The Observation is this Doctrine That Jesus Christ ought to be spoken of and thought upon with reverence
Patriarks Abraham and Isaac we see Isaac had two sons Jacob and Esau the one good and the other gracelesse and though parents desire to do good to all their children that they have begotten and are of their flesh and blood and indeavour alike to do them good yet if they find not the same answerable successe and answerable fruit of their pains they must do as Christ saith Consider the wind bloweth where it listeth as in Joh. 3.8 the Lord worketh by his Spirit where it pleaseth him all the pains we can take notwithstanding the wind bloweth where it listeth and so they may rest in Gods counsel which may be hidden and secret but assuredly never unjust God is just in all his providences and administrations all men may take notice of it and though it be harsh and hard yet it is never unjust and so rest contented in the good will and pleasure of God VERSE 11 12. For the children being not yet born and when they had neither done good nor evil that the purpose of God might remain according to election not by works but by him that calleth It was said unto her The elder shall serve the younger IN these two Verses our Apostle bringeth proof to that point and position put down in the verses foregoing and the thing delivered was that it appeared plainly in the two children of Isaac and Rebekah That the Promise of God touching mercy grace righteousness life and salvation did not belong to all that came of Abraham and Isaac by the course of Nature this was the Conclusion which the Apostle proveth in these two verses and he proveth it from the voyce of God himself In that God saith to Rebekah that the Elder of her children should serve the Younger Gen. 25.23 she coming to consult with the Oracle It was told her that two Nations strove in her womb and the elder should serve the younger And this the Apostle amplifieth by the circumstance of the time before the children were born when they had neither done good nor evil And this is further enlarged by the end of it to what end namely that the purpose of God might remain and abide firm and stable and unmoveable according to election and that not by works but by him that called Now this being the general drift of these two Verses Come we to the sense and meaning of them which are full of difficulty For before the children were born It is most plain by the context that the Apostle meaneth Jacob and Esau for they are specified in the context were born that is while these two children were in the womb of Rebekah their Mother and not yet brought forth and had done neither good nor evil That is actually sinned for here Original corruption is not specified for originally they were guilty before the Lord and in their typical consideration Original corruption is excluded they being considered as types of the Elect and of the Reprobate and in that consideration they are laid before us as having done neither good nor evil That the purpose of God might remain according to election Or rather thus That the purpose of God according to election might remain So that by the purpose of God in this place we are to understand Gods eternal decree that which he purposed from everlasting within his own blessed Majestie out of the good pleasure of his Will or according to the counsel of his Will Ephes 1.11 that which God in himself from everlasting purposed freely according to election Or concerning election that is touching his free choice of some to grace and glory and his rejecting of others for under election is included the contrary namely reprobation that purpose which was touching free grace and glory according to election according to the act of election and reprobation that it might remain Or rather might be firm and stable and might abide unshaken not by works but by him that calleth That is say the Arminians and the Anabaptists if you will believe them not by the works of the Law but by faith obeying him that calleth not by seeking righteousnesse and salvation by the works of the Law but by faith obeying him that calleth And upon this they would ground their grosse errour and false conclusion that Esau was a type of those that are rejected of God because they seek righteousnesse and salvation by the works of the Law and Jacob was a type of such that are then chosen of God when God doth see faith in them with perseverance and are then chosen of God actually God purposeth to choose them upon foreseen faith and doth actually choose them upon the faith that he seeth in them with perseverance But this is a misconstruction for consider how could Esau be a type of such as are rejected of God Esau considered without works either good or evil as he was being in the womb how could he be a type of such that seek righteousness by the works of the Law Again how could Jacob being considered without faith as he was when he was chosen before he was born how could he be a type of those that are then chosen of God when God seeth faith in them with perseverance Can these things possibly agree and jump together that are contraries unlesse they will have that there is no analogy no resemblance or proportion between types and the things typified how could Jacob be a type of those that are chosen upon their faith with perseverance he then having no faith or how could Esau be a type of those that seek salvation by the works of the Law he having no works neither done good nor evil this cannot be there must be an analogy between types and the thing typified But the meaning of the word is not by works that is not any thing depending upon the works of these two brethren but upon him that calleth That is upon the free grace of God calling his elect in time effectually It was said unto her That is it was said unto her by God himself Gen. 25.23 The elder shall serve the younger That is the Elder shall be under the Younger shall be in subjection to the younger and the younger shall rule over the elder Now this being the meaning of the words we must consider that this is to be understood of Esau and Jacob first personally that this oracle of God should be fulfilled in Jacob and Esau's persons that Esau should be subject to the person of Jacob. And also it is to be understood Historically in their posterity the Edomites and Israelites which were indeed the children and off-spring of Jacob and Esau so that it is to be understood both personally and historically Object Now if any say unto me in the speech of God to Rebekah Gen. 25.23 two Nations are in thy womb and two manner of people shall be divided out of thy bowels the one shall be mightier then the other and the elder shall serve the younger therefore these words are
whatsoever they be Doctrine no not the good works of men have any hand or stroke in Gods election of some to life and glory in heaven and his effectual calling of some in time these two things they are merely and onely of the free grace of God and not of the works of man whatsoever their works be be they never so good or excellent works in themselves And this being the proposition that it may rightly be conceived and that we erre not in the beginning we must know that Gods grace in Scripture hath a threefold acception First it is taken for Gods free favour which is of the nature of God and essential unto him the places of Scripture are obvious and plain unto us Secondly The grace of God in Scripture it is taken for the working of grace so some Divines take it for the operation extending and reaching out that free favour unto others Thirdly it is taken for the gifts of grace whether those gifts be habitual or actual as faith love joy hope peace patience and the like these are stiled by the name of grace now the proposition that we deliver is That Gods election is of his free grace my meaning is it is not the gifts of grace but by grace we are to understand the free grace and favour of God and the reaching and extending of that grace in time so that this being premised the point is to be thus conceived That Gods eternal election of some to life and glory in heaven it is of the free grace and favour of God being extended and reached out to his chosen and not of the works of man be they never so good or excellent though they be the works of grace and for the proof of this it is manifest in Rom. 11.5 The Apostle saith that at this very day there is a certain remnant of the Jews under the election of grace then he subjoyneth in the sixth verse Now if it be of grace then not of works for then were grace no grace and if of works then not of grace for then were works no more works so that the Apostle maketh a flat opposition and a contrariety between works and grace that the one of these being admitted and granted the other cannot stand but must fall grace and works cannot stand together in the same case Ephes 2.8 9. saith the Apostle by grace you are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God and then he subjoyneth not of works lest any man should boast 2 Tim. 1.9 The Apostle speaking of God saith he hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own eternal purpose and grace and Titus 3.4 5. VVhen the bountifulnesse and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared not by the righteousnesse that we had done but of his own mere mercy he saved us These and many others do sufficiently evidence unto us the truth of the point That Gods free grace and favour is the cause of eternal election and not the works of men which are but splendida peccatam glittering sins Because God will have all the glory of all the good that cometh to his Reason 1 chosen or is done to them he will not impart his glory unto any other he will have the beginning the increase and consummation of it to come of his free grace and not of the works of man lest any man should take any part of the glory to himself Ephes 2.9 no not of the best works lest they should pride presume and magnifie themselves in their own good works and so detract from the glory of God and so mans mouth might be stopped Reason 2 The Lord will have his chosen to have sound and solid comfort in the certainty of their election and of their effectual calling not a comfort upon a rotten ground but sound comfort when Gods chosen come to be assured of it that they are in the number of Gods elect and have evidence that they are effectually called God will have that evidence and assurance of theirs to be built upon a sure ground namely upon his own free grace which is indeed unchangeable as his own blessed Majestie and essential in him and so a ground immoveable not built upon any works of theirs because they are variable and changeable in their own Nature it is true indeed Faith shall never fall away not by any immutability in faith it self but because grace doth continually support and uphold it but faith and good works of men in their own nature are variable and changeable weak and imperfect corruption cleaving unto them and unchangeablenesse belongeth neither to Saint nor Angel nor any thing but God himself it is his Attribute so that upon these two grounds we may resolve that Gods election and effectual calling is onely of his free grace and not of mans works Vse 1 First of all this truth is of great force and beareth strongly against the merit of good works which is held and taught by the enemies of Gods grace those of the Antichristian Synagogue of Rome whether it be merits of congruity or merits of condignity for this is their tenent the good things done by men before their conversion those do merit ex congruo but such as are done after calling those they magnifie and say they merit ex condigno by a kind of dignity equal to the works of glory that it is just with the Lord to give them salvation for it yea the point now delivered meeteth directly with that Popish conceit that grace and works do concur say they and so make a mingle mangle and hotch-potch grace and works do concur and meet together in the justification and salvation of a sinner they are good friends and at amity in flat opposition to the words of God which do teach that in the matter of justification and salvation these two are at odds in matter of good life faith and good works must be but not in matter of justification or salvation as they teach Again we find that justification and salvation they are by the Apostle derived and fetched from the very same beginning and cause namely the free grace and eternal love of God as well as election and vocation Rom. 8.30 Whom he predestinated them he called whom he called them he justified whom he justified them he also glorified so that election vocation justification and glorification come all from the same grounds Object 1 But yet further the Papists do seek to elude and to put out the clear light by many shifts as first of all say they the places alledged in Rom. 11. Ephes 2. and others where the Scripture maketh an Antithesis and opposition between grace and works you must know the meaning of the Holy Ghost his meaning is Ceremonial works not Moral works Ceremonial works have no hand in Justification Answ To this I answer The Apostle speaketh indefinitely shutting out all works whatsoever they
Objection in the beginning For the Papists they say eluding the evidence of this text in this manner It is not in him that willeth or runneth after the flesh and according to Nature but by your leave say they it is in him that willeth and runneth by Faith which is grounded upon Gods mercy may agree with Gods mercy A poor shift and thus they seek to shift off the Evidence of this text directly contrary to the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this place For the opposition here is not between man willing and running after the flesh and mans willing and running by faith they are not here opposed But mark the opposition it standeth thus Between mans willing and running and Gods shewing mercy these are the things that be here opposed and set in Contradiction one to the other mans willing and running in a good way and in the way of sanctification and salvation and the Lords shewing of mercy so that neither the willing of good nor the working of good by any though a regenerate person is the thing that is available to election or salvation As in 2 Tim. 1.9 The Apostle there denyeth that either himself or any other true believer and regenerate person that they were either called or saved by their own works for saith he He hath called and saved us Not according to our own works but according to his own grace whether they were works natural or supernatural so also in Titus 3.4 5. verses he saith in the fourth verse when the bountifulnesse and love of God appeareth then in the fifth verse he subjoyneth not according to the works of righteousnesse which we have done but of his own mere mercy he saved us so that the willing or working of good is not the cause of any mans election or salvation The Reason is Because the goodnesse which is in the will of man Reason and the goodnesse which is in the works of man it proceedeth from Gods election it is an effect and a fruit of it It proceedeth from that root and so is the fruit of holinesse and righteousnesse as the Apostle saith expresly in Ephes 1.4 God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world was laid that we should be holy so that holinesse followeth Gods eternal election And therefore the willing or working of good by regenerate persons cannot possibly be the cause of Gods eternal election it being the effect for it is not possible that the same thing can be the cause of the same thing and the effect in one and the self-same thing For Application First of all this meeteth with that opinion which Vse 1 some do hold That it is of God a man may be saved But that men are saved That particular persons amongst men come to be saved that is of themselves This do some hold and affirm And it is their tenent That the possibility of the salvation of man that it is possible for men to be saved that is of God But that this possibility becometh profitable and effectual to some men that is of their own free will A foul and a grosse errour directly contrary to the truth now handled and delivered unto us if it be so that the possibility of the salvation of man becometh profitable to some particular persons amongst men from the freedom of their own will surely then it must needs be from the goodnesse of their own will and from their well-willing And then a believing soul a soul that shall be saved and now is in the state of grace and of salvation hath ground to boast of in himself And may lift up himself even against God himself in ostentation and may thus magnifie himself say unto God Lord that there was any possibility for me to be saved it was of thee I freely confess it but that this possibility proveth not an impossibility to me as it doth to many thousands in the world that was my own doing I did that of my self That I could be saved the thanks of that belongeth to thee Lord but that I am now in the state of grace and salvation And that I am sure to be saved the thanks of that belongeth to me my self For thy love to me was no more then to them that are damned till my willingnesse to receive grace and faith put a difference between me and them till the inclination of my soul made me thine I might for all thy love have been damned eternally as well as Cain Judas Saul or any other Reprobate had not I out of the righteousnesse and freenesse of the freedom of my own will chosen grace it was not of thee Lord but of my self that I chose grace And damnation had been mine had I not of my own free and voluntary will chosen and used grace Oh beloved is not this intolerable and monstrous pride and ambition thus in ostentation for a man to lift up himself against God Is this a thought to come into any Christians heart no it is to be renounced For this boasting and ostentation doth naturally follow upon this their tenent that they teach the possibility of salvation cometh from God but that that possibility cometh into Act is of mans free will And this ought by every Christian to be abjured renounced and cast away as blasphemous erroneous and false Vse 2 Again This being a truth that no mans willing or doing of good is the cause of election or salvation Then let this teach us to take heed that we ground not our salvation upon any thing willed or done by us be it never so good yea though it proceed from the root and radix of true sanctifying grace It is mere madnesse in the Papists enemies to Gods grace to ground their hope of salvation as they do upon the performance of those good things that God requireth of them so far forth as they are able to perform them thus they ground their hope of salvation Now they so grounding their hopes they have no reason in the world to hope for any good at the hands of God for who seeth not unlesse he be wilfully blinded and blindfolded by his own self-love self-will and self-conceit who seeth not I say how far short we come of doing those good things we ought to do either in the state of nature or in the state of grace And the Papists themselves to joyn with them when they deal against that comfortable and holy truth of God that is held and taught in our Church That a Child of God may in time of this life be infallibly assured of our own salvation the Papists when they deal against this holy and comfortable truth then they plead and say alas we are frail and we are weak creatures and we fail in the manner of doing good duties and therefore we cannot assure our selves of salvation What say they do you say we may be assured of our salvation upon our faith and doing good duties Alas we are full of imbecillity
throughout all the earth That is the praise and glory of my power and my Justice appearing in the destruction of thee so mighty a King might be published and might be spread abroad in every part and corner of the world and might be every where spoken of in every part and corner of the world So then thus conceive the meaning of the Apostle in these words as if he had said For God said in his written Word in his holy Scripture unto Pharaoh Exodus 9.16 For this very cause for this very purpose have I with-held my grace and hardned thy heart a fruit following the rejection of thee and I have stirred up my messengers to come to deliver my judgements unto thee and have caused thee not to profit by my judgements and my messengers and I have caused thee to harden thy heart and to exalt thy selfe against me that I might make thee to see and feel the force of my hand and of all my power in the bottome of the Sea and that all other my people and all in the world may see and take notice of thy destruction and my power in destroying so mighty a king Come we now to matter of Observation and Doctrine and first of all observe the Apostle here he speaketh and alledgeth Scripture as he had done heretofore and as he doth frequently and often in this Chapter to ground the matter that he hath in hand upon the Scriptures hence followeth this conclusion Doctrine That the Scriptures the written Word of God hath sufficient ground touching all fundamental Truths of God It is a sufficient rule and ground to guide us in all things and all matters both of Faith and of good life the holy Scriptures they doe contain in them all things needful to be known to be believed and to be practised of us to life and salvation to this purpose is that in 2 Tim. 3.16 17. where the Apostle Paul saith to Timothy Thou hast known the holy Scriptures of a childe which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through the faith of Iesus Christ For the whole Scripture is given by inspiration and is profitable to teach to improve to correct in righteousness and to make the man of God absolute and perfect in every good work it is able to make a man intire in godliness I know the Cavil of the Papists against this clear evidence of Scripture for they seek to illude the evidence of this Text in this maner It is true indeed say they the Apostle saith the Scripture is profitable but where doe you finde he saith it is sufficient A meer shift and easily answered for the Apostle saith not barely that the Scripture is profitable and there stay himself and goe no further but he doth point out unto us to what use it serveth it is profitable and it is profitable to to teach to instruct and to improve and to make a man absolute and intire in every good work Is it not then sufficient a foolish cavill so in the 15 verse of the same Chapter saith the Apostle the Scripture is able to make a man wise unto salvation Is not the Scripture then sufficient it is able to bring a man unto Heaven and yet say the Papists it is not sufficient certainly it cannot be denied but that the whole Scripture containeth all things needful to life and salvation and to make a man to come to Heaven would any man desire more sufficiencie then this the reason is Reason Because the written Word of God it is the breath of the holy spirit of God so saith the Apostle it is given by inspiration from whom from the Devil No from the holy Spirit of God the holy Ghost And in the Scripture Gods will is made known unto his chosen and as I have often said Gods Word is his Epistle and love-letter sent unto his children to guide them in the way of life and salvation Psalm 119.105 It is a lanthorn to their feet and a light unto their paths to guide them in every step they tread as a lanthorn and light doth guide a man in dark and obscure places so doth Gods Word guide them in the way of life and salvation And hath God bestowed upon his Church and chosen a guide insufficient that is not able to lead them to Life and salvation but to suffer them to wander into by paths of errors and sinnes no it is blasphemous so to think for the holy Scripture doth contain all things needful to be known and practised both for life and manners Wickedly then deal the Papists in this in that they joyne to the written Applicat 1 Word of God their own unwritten traditions their unwritten verities to make up and supplies as they imagine the imperfection in the holy Word of God the Word is not a sufficient rule unless the unwritten verities of the Church be joyned to it what is this but to offer injurious dealing to the great Lord of Heaven and earth and to his Word that we must supply his wisedome as insufficient with something of mans foolish brain Is the Scripture the written Word of God sufficient to guide us in all Vse 2 matters of Faith and good Life and in all things necessarie to be known to salvation learn we then to acknowledge it so to be and learn we to cleave fast unto it as the onely sufficient rule to guide us in the way that leadeth unto Life and salvation in all matters of Faith and good manners and take heed we be not carried away from the Truth of God 2 Thess 2.2.1 either by spirit by letter or by word or to speak plainly take heed we be not deluded neither by vision nor revelation besides the Word of God as the Anabaptists and Familists teach nor by the traditions of Rabbins and great learned men neither by the writings of those that are ancient Fathers and Doctours For this is an ancient device of the Papists to wrest into the Church such and such speeches tenents and bastardly writings and father them upon the ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church thereby to draw men to errour and sinne Now we know not how soon we may be tried in this very kind and therefore it concerneth us we had need to look unto it and to hold fast to the written Word of God And take heed we admit not of everie thing whatsoever or whosoever bringeth it under what counterfeit soever they offer it Though a great Rabbine or a great Doctor bringeth it yet if we find him to swerve and dissent from the written Word of God and have no ground nor footing there disclaim it For this is that they triumph in they have they think the great Rabbins and learned men of the world and above all take heed of practising what they teach contrarie to the written Word of God Object I but some will say how shall I be certain that the Scripture is Scripture you tell me that I must
sticketh in the rine barke and outside of Spiritual and divine Truths it cannot find out the pith and marrow of it carnal reason sticketh in the very letter of the truth and never looketh to the Divine mysterie of it so that it is no marvel that carnal reason is sticking in the rine and outside of truths because it is blind Hence then take we notice of it whence it is that erring spirits do commonly Vse 1 fasten foul and false conclusions upon the Holy and Divine truths of God because they look upon them with a carnal eye As from that sound and Holy Doctrine of God touching his absolute Decree to life and salvation of some and his rejection to damnation of others hereupon some erring spirits do conclude and they think it followeth necessarily that therefoe God is a Tirant and dealeth tirannically with his people So again some hearing this Holy Truth of God that God hath a hand in every act of man that cometh to passe and in the act of every creature that Gods providence is in every thing that cometh to passe in the world then the carnal reasoner bringeth in this false conclusion that then God is the authour of sinne and he thinketh in his judgement it followeth necessarily that God is the authour of sinne because sin is an act And beloved do not the Papists deal thus in the matter of Justification of a sinner in the sight of God They hearing that a sinner is justified in the sight of God onely by faith then say the Papists this Doctrine hath a foule taile coming after it for it doth dispossesse mans heart from all care and indevour of good works and hereupon slanderously they give out this false report of us that in this Doctrine that men are justified onely by Faith they say we are utter enemies to God utter enemies to Gods Law and utter enemies to all good works this they think they may lawfully charge upon us Thus these and many others doe wrest false conclusions from the Holy Truth of God and why Because they look upon them by the rule of natural reason which is the ground of all Atheistical conclusions there catching and snatching and carping against the Divine Truths and mysteries of God because they stick in the rinde and dive not into the depth of them Again beloved is this so that carnal reason doth wrest false conclusions Vse 2 from the holy and Divine truths of God Then this must teach every one of us our dutie to take heed that we measure not divine Truths by the meatyard and rule of our own carnal reason especially such holy Truths of God as are of a high nature and strain such as are transcendent such as goe beyond and extend the compasse of natural reason such truths as are matters of Faith and above reason Oh take heed of measuring these by the rule of natural reason For if we seek to bring these Truths within the model scantling and rule of our natural reason we shall run into many by-paths and erroneous conceits and opinions as he must needs lose his way that knoweth not the way and followeth blinde guides So Fides est oculus animi Faith is the eye of the soul and if we in matters of Divinitie and high points of God follow your own blind reason we shall assuredly run into many gross errours yea beloved let me tell you it is a dangerous thing to hear or read the Word of God with a carnal understanding and an unsanctified wit for if we so doe we shall abuse the holy word of God and wrest from it such conclusions as are not there to be found doth yet experience shew it to be true Are there not some who looking upon that place of the Apostle in 1 Timothy 5.8 where he saith He that provideth not for his own and namely for them of his Family is worse then an Infidel doe not some I say looking upon this with a shut eye and carnal understanding gather and conclude that therefore they may pinch and spare and scrape together by all means and live a base and sordid life and not part with a farthing token to the poore or to any good use but niggardly utter these words they must provide for themselves and they may come to live by the almes of the Parish themselves and will not spare a pennie more then by the Law they are enforced and compelled and so pervert the Scripture Again some others looking upon that place in Ezekiel 16.11 12 13. verses where the Lord saith He decked Hierusalem with Ornaments with Bracelets with goodly Jewels with golden Crowns and with Gold and silver and Imbroydered works Doe not some hereupon gather that therefore they may be vain in their Apparel and may follow every new fashion and may goe like ruffians in their long haire and foretop and think this is their warrant whereas they are deceived for the Lord there speaketh by way of similitude tropically that the Lord had blessed them with all good things and so expresseth it after that manner figuratively and they would have him speak properly and so they draw a false conclusion from the holy word of God Thus I might instance in many particulars that it is a dangerous thing to hear or read the Word of God with a carnal eye yea I dare boldly affirm that we shall never rightly conclude from any part of the Word of God whether touching manners or touching heavenly things if we consult with flesh and bloud unlesse our eyes be annointed with the eye salve of the spirit of God Therefore to conclude learn we in reading the word of God to lay aside our own reasons to come with the eyes of the minde shut and to look with the eye of Faith and of the Spirit of God lay aside thy owne reason yea thy owne wisedome for the wisedome of man is enmitie to God Romans 8.7 Yea the best act and exercise of the mind of man not sanctified it is enmitie to the will of God therefore let us yeeld our selves to be guided onely by the will of God and then we shall certainly tread the paths that lead to true happinesse and salvation Thou wilt say then unto me Why doth he yet complain Who hath resisted his Will IN these words Why doth he yet complain is something to be observed generally For they being considered as an Objection of carnal persons they make directly against that opinion of the Arminians who hold that God did decree to reject some amongst men upon a foresight of their wilful obstinacy in sin and their wilful rebellion against him Now beloved if this were a true Position and a truth of God then God justly complaineth of such as were hardened and that in the Reason of man for though God did decree their rejection and consequently their hardening yet the reason and the cause of Gods decree was his foresight of their wilful obstinacy and rebellion in a course of evil
his mercy and Justice In massa pura non corrupta we are then to be thankful unto God even when we are plunged into the deepest Afflictions we can think of we are though it seem harsh and hard to blesse God and to consider in the time of our afflictions O Lord if thou shouldest deal with us as we have deserved we had been long since in hell now if the Lord do mitigate our Judgments and hath appointed us to salvation we are to magnifie his mercy considering his lawful authority over us to do what he will with us Again we considering that the lump of clay is here to be considered untainted free from tincture and pollution so we are to conceive of mankind in the making of him free from corruption That Gods will in appointing men to their several and final ends is absolute Gods will is dependent on nothing out of God Doct. 3 and independent it dependeth upon nothing in man good or evil God had not respect to man at all either to sin original or actual neither to his fall nor to his works good or evil but as the Potter maketh of the same lump being not tainted with any tincture so the Lord in appointing men to their final ends and everlasting estate did it out of his free will depending upon nothing in man it was absolute And hence it is that the Apostle determineth Gods predestination his choosing of some to life and reprobating of others in the good will and pleasure of God in Ephes 1.5 and in the 11. verse he saith God worketh all things after the counsel of his own will not unadvisedly but with counsel Because the Will of the Lord is the highest cause of all things and when we are come to that we are not to search any further nor to reason Reason about it but to rest in the will of God Gods will being the Supream cause of all things This being a truth Vse it beareth strongly against the opinion of some erring spirits as namely those that say that God in appointing men to their final ends had respect to something in man as either to their faith and good works or to their unbelief and obstinacy in sin Now this doth not onely make the will of the Lord dependent upon mans will that if men will be saved they shall if not damned but this opinion of theirs if we mark and observe it it maketh a dissimilitude between God and the Potter which are here put together in affinity and agreement But this doth overturn and contradict it And if this be true then this text is not true for if God had respect to something in man surely then God need not appoint any person definitively nor certainly to be a vessel of honour but conditionally if they did believe And so they make God to frame divers persons diversly qualified to divers ends and that with respect had to their qualification all men if they believe shall be saved if not none And so this disannulleth and overthroweth this similitude of the Apostle of the Potter who maketh of the same lump vessels to honour and vessels to dishonour so God out of the general lump of mankind not corrupted maketh some men to honour and some to dishonour I but may some say the Apostle saith Object in 2 Tim. 2.21 if any man purge himself from evil he shall be made a vessel of honour so that it dependeth not upon Gods will but upon our purging of our selves and our purifying of our hearts and lives To this I answer The Apostle in that place alledged Answ he speaketh not either of the decree of election and fore-appointing of some men to life and salvation nor yet of his effectual vocation and effectual calling But in this place the Apostle speaketh of the office and duty of Christians and he sheweth how a Christian must carry himself different from a Reprobate and answerable that he may be a vessel of honour sanctified and purged from the drosse of Corruption and from the sin and sinful courses of the world And this is the duty of every believing and elect Child of God thus they ought to demean and purge themselves and to carry themselves even as sanctified vessels fitted and prepared for glory so that this still remaineth a truth that Gods will in appointing men to their final ends it is absolute And we are to hold this as a certain truth for if we be in the number of Gods chosen we are built upon a sure foundation namely the absolute will of the Lord and that standeth more firm and stable and immoveable then the frame of heaven and earth the very frame of heaven and earth shall be turned upside down before this shall be shaken Oh what an excellent ground of comfort is this to as many as know themselves to be in the number of Gods chosen that they shall never lose it it being built upon so sure a foundation as Gods most absolute will which can never be moved VERSE 22. What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction IN these two Verses our Apostle he maketh a real Answer to the Caviller and Carnal Reasoner the Caviller reasoneth thus from the words of the Apostle that some men are hardened it is the will of God so saith the Apostle he hardeneth whom he will what reason is there then that God should complain of such men that are hatdened the will of God is irresistible it cannot be withstood and you teach us God hardeneth whom he will what then saith the Caviller hath God to complain of Now herein first our Apostle doth check the Cavillers saucinesse and malapertnesse in the 20. verse Who art thou O man shewing the absurdity of the reasoning against God and it is as if the formed thing should say to the former why hast thou made me thus amplifying that by a similitude of the Potter whereby the Apostle implyeth that as the Potter may lawfully do with his clay what he will and frame out of it several vessels to several uses so may the Lord ordain some men to life and glory and some to shame and confusion Now the Apostle having thus made way to the Real Answer now he cometh to it and sheweth that God may lawfully punish Reprobates for their hardnesse And that God is just in threatening and punishing men for their hardnesse of heart this he proveth by the Lords manner of dealing with Reprobates because saith he the Lord suffereth them with long patience as if he had said though the Lord had decreed their rejection and casting off for ever yet before the Lord hath executed any degree of his punishment he suffereth them with long patience to continue that he may the better declare his just wrath and Judgment upon them and his power in them and may make known the riches of his mercy toward his chosen
the force and strength and vertue of it concerning mercy grace righteousnesse life and salvation to all that believe in Christ and repent of their sins In a word the efficacy and force of the Word of the Gospel which indeed is a word of promise it propoundeth to all true believers that are repentant for their sins mercy grace righteousnesse life and salvation the observation is this That the Word of Gods saving promise the Word of the Gospel is a most powerful and a most effectual Word it is of a begetting nature it is able as an Instrument to beget children unto God and it doth in Gods appointed time effectually work upon Gods chosen and make them actually the Children of God so that they may be truly called the children of the promise as that special promise in Gen. 18. Sarah thy wife shall have a son as that gave birth and being to Isaac when there was no likelihood or possibility of his being and birth from his parents Abraham and Sarah so the Word of Gods saving promise the words of the Gospel giveth a spiritual being and birth to Gods chosen and make them actually the children of God in his appointed time when there is no likelihood nor possibility in nature Yea when their Nature is in flat opposition and contrariety unto it then doth the Word of the Gospel make them actually the children of God And to this purpose speaketh that holy and Evangelical Prophet the Prophet Esay Esay 11.6 7 8.9 the holy Prophet sheweth that in the dayes of Christ such should be the force and powerful working of the Gospel that it should make men of Wolves to become lambs and of Leopards as meek as kids and men that were as Lions of a Lionish nature to be as meek as a fat beast and as gentle that children should lead them such as were of a wolvish and lionish Nature for so we are by nature fierce and cruel and savage to become meek and gentle and so he goeth on in setting forth the powerful working of the Gospel so in Joh. 5.25 saith the Lord Jesus Verily verily I say unto you the hour cometh and now is when the dead shall hear the Word of God and they that hear it shall live where by dead ' we shall understand those that are spiritually dead and not corporally dead for of those he speaketh in the 28 verse he saith that the voyce of the Spirit of God shall come to those that are in the graves and they shall arise but hereby those that are dead in sins and trespasses Ephes 2.1 and such as are spiritually dead to put the life of grace and of faith and of holinesse into their hearts and soules in the 1. of James 18. saith the Apostle speaking of God of his own will begat he us with the Word of truth by an emphasis or excellency a begetting word the word of the Gospel and not to adde more places this doth sufficiently prove that the Gospel of God is an effectual Word and doth work upon Gods chosen in time and make them to become Gods children actually whereas before they were potentially and may be called the children of the Promise The Reasons and grounds are these First of all the Gospel it is the arm of the Lord so saith the Prophet Reason 1 Esay 53.1 to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed that is the word of the Gospel yea it is the power of God so the Apostle saith Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.18 it is the arm of the Lord and the power of God it is a power far passing the power of man or of hell it self and of all the devils it is strong powerful and prevailing there is no opposition whatsoever is able to gainsay it or withstand it but it is able to bear it down to the ground The word of the Gospel it administreth to Gods chosen Gods Spirit Reason 2 whence it is that the Apostle in Gal. 3.2 demandeth of the Galathians What saith he Received ye the Spirit by the preaching of the Law or rather by the preaching of the doctrine of Faith the doctrine of the Gospel that is the means of conveying unto you the Spirit namely the Gospel of God which conveyeth it Now the Spirit of God stirreth up the unbelieving that are Gods chosen and inableth them to believe yea it doth beget faith in their hearts and doth certainly and infallibly and that without resistance actually incline their hearts to believe in Christ and so to become actually Gods children thus doth the holy Spirit of God given to Gods chosen bend and bowe their hearts inabling them to believe and make them certainly and infallibly Gods Children such is the power of the Gospel This Doctrine in the first place doth point out unto us one main difference Vse 1 that is between the Law and the Gospel the law doth onely discover sin unto man and what the least sin of man deserveth and is able to go no further it cannot deliver unto a man any means of comfort but seaveth a man liable to the curse of the Law it sheweth them not the means to escape the curse onely as a Schoolmaster it sendeth men to Christ not by teaching and instructing but by whipping and scourging by terrifying upon the sight of sin it sheweth them no pity nor no compassion it driveth them from it self to seek unto a better Schoolmaster and better Physitian to go unto Christ Gal. 3.14 the Law is our Schoolmaster to drive us to Christ But now the Gospel is of force to work upon Gods chosen effectually it is able to confer and to administer unto Gods chosen the Spirit of God which Spirit doth beget faith in their hearts and so they become actually the Children of God this is the efficacy and power of the Gospel Is this so that the Word of Gods promise the Gospel is so powerful Vse 2 and so effectual and able as an Instrument to beget children to God Oh then I beseech you in the fear of God look unto it learn we upon this ground that the Word of the Gospel we living under the preaching of it be thus powerful in our hearts and soules in particular let us never rest untill we find that the preaching of the Gospel hath so wrought upon our hearts and soules that it be so effectual in us to bear down the strength of nature and whatsoever standeth in opposition against it and to cast down the strongest hold of sin and Satan in our hearts and that it hath conferred and conveyed the holy Spirit of God and thereby wrought faith in our hearts Oh let us never rest untill we find this working And consider the Gospel it is the arm of God it hath made some men of wolves to become as lambs of Lions fat beast it hath beaten down the pride of their hearts it hath hammered their hard hearts it hath quelled and overmastered their over-ruling and predominant corruptions take onely the
cannot be that they should be drawn aside finally into any fundamental errour or wicked life and so go on and perish everlastingly and come short of life and salvation though they come with great force as the Imps of Satan and followers of Antichrist do bear down weak ones yea if it were possible to deceive the very elect yet they cannot in the 2 Tim. 2.19 The Apostle speaketh expresly that the foundation of God standeth sure and hath this seal the Lord knoweth who are his that is Gods eternal decree in saving his chosen upon which their election is built as upon a foundation remaineth sure and certain and unchangeable for ever And there is good Reason for it Because God is almighty he is of infinite power and he having from Reason 1 everlasting willed and decreed the salvation of some he is able to bring them into the possession of it in despight of Satan and all the power of hell opposite unto it for he is a God of infinite power and can bring them into possession none can frustrate and make void and disappoint what God hath decreed Again God is in his own nature unchangeable yea and in his love which is essential unchangeable and therefore that purpose and decree in saving some must needs be suitable to his nature and answerable to his love which are essential in his holy Majestie and therefore his decree is immutable and unchangeable Reason 2 Take the sufferings of Jesus Christ the bitter passion of the Lord Jesus and they are a sufficient evidence and proof that God is unchangeable in his decree touching the salvation of some did the Lord Jesus descend down from the highest glory in heaven it self so low as to take upon himself the form of a servant and humble himself to the cursed and shameful death of the Crosse and felt such agony and pains as his sweat was drops of blood Luke 22.44 did he in his very soul indure the wrath of his Father that made him cry out under the weight and burden of it My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 27.46 Did he thus suffer the wrath of his Father for the sins of Gods chosen And yet did not the Lord for all this determine that any should be saved infallibly but left that at randome to depend upon the will of man that if man would imbrace Christ and believe in him thus suffering he should be saved if not be damned Can we with reason judge this or imagine this that Christ should thus shed his blood upon such uncertainty that the whole fruit and benefit of his suffering should depend upon the frail will of man that if man would imbrace it he should be saved if not he should be damned no the bitter sufferings of Christ do strongly evince this and do clearly manifest that God hath certainly concluded the salvation of some and the damnation of others so that we may conclude upon this as a certain truth that God having fore-appointed some particular persons among men to life and salvation they cannot misse of it but God will certainly and infallibly bring them to the possession of it Object But it may be some will object and say unto me If Gods decree and his eternal purpose be as you say thus certain and unchangeable and cannot be disanulled then you bind God by his decree to do that which he hath decreed of necessity yea so as that God cannot do otherwise whereas God is a free worker will you bind the hands of God that he cannot chuse but do it and not do otherwise To this I answer Answ If so be God be bound by his decree who bound him but his own blessed Majestie Again more fully what absurdity is there in it to say that God cannot deny himself and that he cannot lye they are the words of the Apostle Titus 1.2 That which God hath purposed and decreed to be done he doth it of necessity of infallibility not of constraint or compulsion but of necessity of certainty why God is good he is onely good and cannot be evil he is good of necessity necessarily good he cannot be evil yet he is not constrained to be good no he is a voluntary and a free worker and no inconveniency or absurdity will follow upon this to say that God doth that upon necessity of infallibility which he hath decreed and purposed to be done Nay rather if we should say as some do that the purpose of God were alterable and changeable we should derogate from the wisdom of God and impeach it as if so be God by some after wisdom did see something whereof he before was ignorant which caused him to alter his mind and change his purpose and decree this were monstrous horrible and fearful blasphemy Object Again some will say If so be this be true that Gods eternal purpose and decree be thus unchangeable then those that God hath appointed to life and salvation must needs be saved this will follow then they must needs believe and if they must needs be saved they must needs believe and so they are forced to believe they believe of necessity they cannot otherwise choose and faith is forced upon them Answ I answer Gods elect they shall believe in time and that certainly and infallibly but not whether they will or no not by any inforcing of their wills not by any violence offered unto them the will of man is free no violence can force it but the Lord by the secret working of his holy Spirit doth cause it to be willing Ex nolentibus facit Deus volentes and doth alter and change the course and motion and work of the wills of men and makes them fit to receive grace and this is that Christ speaketh of Joh. 6.44 None can come to me except God the Father draw him what drawn by force no there is an alteration wrought by the inward work of the Spirit of God altering the motions of the will making the will willing to receive grace and faith and so when Gods elect do receive faith they receive it willingly when they come actually to believe the motion of their will is turned another way by nature they cannot but will and choose evil but the motions of their will is turned another way by the secret working of the holy Spirit of God and made willing so that we may resolve upon this that God hath from everlasting foreappointed some particular persons amongst men certainly and infallibly and so as that they cannot misse of coming to life and glory in heaven First of all let this teach us to savour this truth aright and to receive Vse 1 it into honest and good hearts take heed of abusing of it that we rightly conceive it and rightly apply it for many there be that do pervert and wrong this holy truth of God and grosly abuse it and like the spider suck poyson from sweet flowers many in the world do thus
matter of comfort to believing soules and particularly comfort those that are capable of comfort He telleth him that he believing in these promises shall certainly be saved For thus runneth the tenour of the Word and the Gospel Whosoever truly believeth in Christ Jesus shall certainly be saved hereupon the Minister standing in the room and place of Christ being his Ambassadour doth make this particular application and draw out this conclusion The text saith he that believeth shall be saved The Minister saith Believe thou Richard Thomas William or whatsoever thou art and thou shalt surely be saved And this is as much as if Christ himself did preach by his immediate voyce from heaven For why Christ hath committed to us Preachers the delivery of his Word as appeareth 2 Cor. 5.19 20. And therefore upon the ground of believing the general promises of the Gospel that such shall be saved they may assure themselves they shall be saved And a man finding faith in his heart and soul which he may prove by the fruits and works of faith may thereupon assure himself that he is in the number of Gods chosen and shall certainly be saved And thereupon we may see it is but a cavil that these enemies of God affirm That the Minister knoweth not whether a man belong to Gods election or no when the Minister assureth him not upon that ground but upon the ground of believing Is this so that the Minister of the Word must not onely make known Vse 2 general Doctrines but particularly apply them Surely then the hearers of the VVord must not onely hear the general truth of the VVord made known unto them but they must also be content to have those truths applied unto them particularly by way of instruction by way of exhortation and by way of just reproof as occasion is offered And beloved men must not start aside and fret and chafe and take on when that the truth of the word is brought home unto them and applied particularly unto their souls for the discovery of their particular sins as their pride and vanity of apparel or whatsoever it is no they must willingly chearfully and readily yield and submit themselves unto it and not begin to quarrel with the affection of the Preacher and say now he speaketh out of malice and spleen and distemper and now he speaketh against such a man as if the man and the sin were one substance the Minister cannot speak against pride garishness of apparel long shagged hair but he speaketh against the man as if the sin were the man and the man and the sin all one therefore take heed of being in a chafe when thy sins are reproved And know that if thou thus do fret and chafe it is not onely an Argument that thou art possessed with a spiritual pride and a spiritual frenzy and madness but it is a sign of Gods heavy wrath and judgment ready to break out upon the souls of those men that so fret and chafe and take on in impatiency It is an immediate fore-runner of Gods heavy wrath when men cannot abide to be touched or to have the word of God applied particularly they are impatient of reproof and must have the Preacher to speak pleasing things and to daube them up with untempered morter this bringeth upon them the hand of God unto remediless and easless Destruction Esay 30.13 14. of saith the Prophet this is a foul sin when men teach their Preachers what to say it is like the breaking of a high wall that is sodain or like a bump in a wall a swelling knob that upon a sodain falleth down to the ground and is broken all to pieces like a Potters Vessel that is broken in shivers and there is not so much left as to hold fire or water so it is with those that repine at the particular application of the word their destruction is sudden Again further consider we if so be we be willing and ready to hear the word of comfort applied unto us though it belongeth not unto us and we can accumulate the preaching of the Gospel and yet put away from us the word of reproof we cannot endure that surely the Lord will then punish us in the same kinde he will deal with us proportionably and accordingly he will make his word of comfort that we so eagerly take hold on an unprofitable word and a word that shall yield no comfort unto us when we lie on our sick beds and in the hour of death because we receive the word of comfort that appertaineth not unto us and put away the word of reproof therefore he will make the word of comfort comfortless Consider to this purpose the example of Herod Mark 6.20 Herod heard and did many things gladly that John Baptist taught and found much comfort in hearing of him but when John came to touch him and to hit him on the bare his beloved sore and pleasing Dalilah that it was unlawfull for him to have his Brothers Wife then Herod shewed what he was he carried then a splenative minde and a grudge in his heart and never left till he had his head what touch my beloved Sin And the Lord dealt with Herod accordingly for those comforts that he appropriated to himself from Johns preaching were fruitless he went on in his sin and perished fearfully in his folly Then learn we to hear the word not cunningly for our instruction and comfort but in matter of exhortation and just reproof to be taxed for our sins And when the Lord meeteth with us in his word for our particular sins to say it is his Mercy and his blessing and to thank God that we have Ministers which do not daube us with untempered morter and to say as David saith in Psal 141.5 let the righteous smite me it is a pretious balm this is the affection of the godly but if we do accumulate to our selves the comforts that are promulgated in the Gospel and cast away the reproofs denounced against our sins God will then make his comforts comfortless and they shall do us no good So then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy HAving formerly handled the reference this verse hath with precedent matter I now come to handle the matter of the verse it self And first of all we see the Apostle in the first place doth deny Gods eternal election of some to life and salvation to be in him that willeth good or worketh good And so the observation is briefly this That nothing in man or done by man coming from him Doctrine is the cause and ground of mans election or salvation Neither any mans willing of good or working of good no not the willing or working of good by a regenerate person by a person truly sanctified and in the estate of grace not his willing or working of good that is the cause and ground of his election or salvation And so to prevent an
and weaknesse and cannot have any assurance It is true indeed if so be that our hope of salvation stood built upon the weak ground of our own good works But mark their subtilty when they speak against the Doctrine of our Church they plead imbecillity and weaknesse But when they plead for their own Doctrine then they say they ground their hope of salvation upon the performance of the good things God requireth of them so far forth as they are able to perform them what a madnesse is this in them thus to contradict themselves And beloved to apply it to our selves are there not many amongst us as mad as the Papists foolish ignorant sots That thus reason I know I must love God above all and my neighbour as my self And if I do my best endeavour to do these things I hope God will be merciful unto me and I shall go to heaven what is this but to make our own working of good the ground of our salvation and to ground the hope and certainty of heaven upon their own well doing Their conclusion is so simple and so foolish that upon loving God and their Neighbour they shall come to heaven maketh that the ground of their salvation It is true indeed that the willing and working of good coming from a right radix they be the fruits and assurances of our salvation but if we build our salvation upon our best good works yea upon saving and justifying faith or the best good thing we can perform we delude and deceive our selves neither our well willing nor well working is not the cause or ground of our salvation It is the rule of Christ himself Luk. 17.10 when we have done all that we can do and all that the Lord hath commanded us to do if it were possible yet we must say we are unprofitable servants And we must say so not onely for modesty sake as the Papists do absurdly glosse upon that text for modesty and humilities sake say they we must say so why beloved the Lord Jesus doth not teach us to lye And to say that which is not true for modesty sake no but he teacheth us to speak the truth for indeed it is so that for all our well willing and well doing we are unprofitable servants yet we must take heed that we do not hereupon cast off all care and endeavour of well doing no we are carefully and conscionably to do all that we can do that is good And know that working of good coming from the root of saving and sanctifying faith it is profitable and necessary to heaven for it is the beaten high way to eternal life and salvation it is a testimony of our obedience and thankfulnesse to God for his mercy And it is a means to set forth the glory of God and maketh much for the illustration of it And it is a proper mark of a true Christian it is a fruit ever flowing from saving and justifying faith and it is a necessary antecedent of the promises of eternal glory in heaven yet if we do advance this doing of good beyond this strain to merit salvation we do built it upon a rotten and unsound foundation Now further observe we the Apostle maketh an opposition between mans willing and running and Gods shewing mercy Hence I might note these particulars First of all that Gods mercy is the sole and whole and al-sufficient cause of mans election and not mans well willing or working good either foreseen as the Arminians teach or the present act and being And secondly that Gods free grace and the merit or works of men do not concur and meet together in mans salvation as the Papists teach But these things I have handled before And hence note we in a word thus much In that the Apostle saith that the eternal election and salvation of some amongst men is not in men themselves but in God that sheweth mercy Hence observe That the eternal salvation of men is laid up in the merciful powerful Doctrine and gracious hand of God It is laid up in the power of God which is essential with God himself Col. 3.3 the Apostle telleth the Colossians that their life is bid with Christ in God And hence God is said to be the Father of glory Ephes 1.17 because glory is as it were begotten of him And in 1 Tim. 6.5 the Apostle saith he onely dwelleth in immortality The Lord which hath eternal life and glory he doth give it to whom he will and he will give it in his due time and therefore he will certainly give it to his chosen Vse Then what a ground of sweet and excellent comfort is this to every one that findeth himself to be in the number of Gods chosen Hast thou good evidence of it that thou belongest to Gods election Oh then consider thy eternal happinesse which is laid up not in the hands of any creature no it is laid up in the hands of a gracious and powerful God and no enemy whatsoever can wrest it out of his hands if it were committed to thy own trust then thou hast just cause to doubt whether thou couldest keep it or no nay a thousand to one thou wouldest lose it Adam in his state of innocency being trusted with it wittingly and willingly lost it but thy salvation is kept by him who is able to keep it 2 Tim. 1.12 And not the force fraud or subtilty of the Devil or world without can fetch it from God who is the Author of it and keeper of it no nor our own flesh can prevail to the overcoming of him Oh then if thou hast evidence of thy salvation comfort up thy self let the Devil and the world spit their malice and use all the means they can they cannot possibly deprive thee or dispossesse thee of it for it is in the keeping of a powerful Creator and they cannot take it out of his hand How then may a child of God cheer up himself upon this consideration VERSE 17. For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee And that my name might be declared through all the earth Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy And whom he will he hardeneth IN these two Verses the Lord sheweth by the Apostle that he is just in casting off some men and rejecting of them The Apostle having cleared God from the imputation of injustice in choosing some to life and salvation and passing over others out of his own free will though they were all one in regard of nature because the Lord hath absolute power and free liberty to shew compassion to whom he will Now the Apostle cleareth God from being unjust in rejecting of some particular persons of equal estate and condition with the elect in regard of nature every way equal unto them in themselves And the Apostle proveth the Lord not to be unjust in so doing by a testimony of
16 Love whether due to the none Elected page 21 Love wisheth well to the souls of the beloved page 21 22 Love of the father in sending of Christ page 38 How God loved Jacob expounded page 105 Love of God eternal cause of all good to his page 106 Love of God to us how it differeth from our love unto others page 107 He should endeavour to see the love of God in all that we enjoy ibid. Love of God to his Eternal 1â—8 and how page 109 how God loveth his Elect when enemies ibid. Lump expounded page 176 M O MAn what is meant by it page 166 Mary the blessed Virgin saved not by bearing Christ in her womb but in heart by faith page 28 Merit of works the doctrine of it confuted page 94 see more 201 2. use 202 1. use Mercy of God towards his chosen dependeth onely on the good pleasure of his will page 124 125 Mercy of God to his then sweeeest when compared with his wrath on thewicked page 196 Mercy of God to his Elect and Chosen shall be one day manifested page 198 the special uses of that point page 199 Mercy of God to his Elect and Chosen is directed to his own glory page 200 Mercy of God is to be magnified page 201 Mercy of God the ground of our happinesse in heaven page 202 Ministers of God are to manifest both love and wisdom when they deliver harsh things to the hearers p. 3. Ministers must yet take heed of daubing or man pleasing ibid. Ministers must take care to apply the word of God to the hearers aright page 51 128 How they assure men of salvation page 129 use 1. Ministers of the word must use to deal plainly with the hearers page 228 N NAtural estate a miserable condition page 220 Natural estate of the Elect considered ibid. Necessity is twofold shewed page 110 Nicodemus his carnal reasoning page 158 O OBservation of times lawful and unlawful page 79 superstitious Observation of dayes reproved page 122 Opinions false and erroneous drawn from misconceit are very hardly left page 71 Opinions false and Erroneous to be disclaimed and utterly abhorred page 118 Opinions Erroneous arise chiefly from fleshly and carnal Reasoning page 158 P Painting of faces abominable and why page 174 Patinece of God towards the wicked and Reprobate shewed and the reason of it page 185 186 the end and use of Gods patience therein page 187 18 Patience of God abused very offensive to him page 188 Motives not to abuse the patience of God page 190 Papists can be no true friends to Protestant States page 32 use Papists overthrow the truth of Christs humane natures page 37 Popish slander answered and confuted page 41 78 Popish doctrine confuted page 94 132 133 Popish practise observed and reproved page 103 Papists abuse the written word and how page 121 137 Papists impudent cavil answered page 172 Popish Pilgrimages censured and reproved page 224 Peter whether ever Bishop of Rome questionable page 35 Piety the great force and power of it noted page 34 of Parents beneficial to children page 35 Places distinction taken away under the new Testament page 223 Pharaoh King of Egypt why raised up of God page 135 How God is said to harden his heart page 136 Preachers in applying the word may fitly and lawfully say this is a word of comfort c. page 71 Preachers must apply general truthes of God to particular cases and concernments page 128 Presumption how best beaten down in us page 167 Pride one special ground of it discovered Priviledge none whatsoever outward can make graceless persons accepted of God page 28 No outward Priviledge to be rested in no not outward profession of Religion ibid. Promises misapplyed are not comfortable page 50 Promises Rom. 9. what meant by them page 27 Promises of God firm and stable page 48 49 comfort to such as are interested in them ibid. Promises of two sorts page 71 Promises made good all the sorts of them page 72 Profane Proverb reproved page 35 Man fitly compared to Potters vessel with the use of it page 177 178 Q Quarrelling with Gods will very abominable page 173. Questioning the will of God great impudency page 169 not tolerable to do it page 171 Questioning of God a weaknesse in the Saints ibid. R REason carnal apt to gather false conclusions from true principles page 157 the ground of Erroneous Opinions page 158 Carnal Reason apt to abuse Scripture page 159 Religion the glory of a Nation page 32 Reprobation the decree of it from Eternity page 109 c. Reprobates how they sin of necessity page 110 what things cannot be found in them page 111 Reprobation the doctrine of it revealed in Scripture page 139 Reprobates hardened by God and how page 140 Gods highest end in their destruction page 194 Revelation besides or against Scripture to be rejected page 137 Revenge not to be sought by Christians and why page 193 S SAdnesse of Gods children reproved page 49 use Salvation of man wholly in Gods hand page 133 Stars their position not to be observed page 78 79 Separatists reproved and confuted page 52 53 Similitudes in Preaching must be of things known page 177 Scripture if obscure in one place is usually explained and made plain in another page 63 Scripture best expounder of it self page 65 Scripture sufficient to resolve all doubts page 77 136 used by the Apostles to prove doctrines page 103 Scripture sufficient in fundamentals and why page 137 how known to be the word of God page 138 Scripture expresse words not alwaies necessary to be used in preaching proved page 215 Scripture apt to be perverted by wicked men page 65 but ought not to be abused page 215 Successions of persons without truth and piety nothing page 35 Swearing lawful p. 5. but vain reproved ibid. Swearing must be by the true God onely p. 6 7 T TRuths of God how to be delivered page 113 subject to be perverted page 114 Truth in word and heart go together p. 7 V VIrginity whether justly to be preferred before Marriage yea or no page 28 Vessel of clay is man even the strongest page 177 178 Vessel of wrath explained page 183 Vessel of wrath and child of wrath differ page 183 Elect and Reprobate both Vessels page 184 Vessels of mercy how known ibid. W VVEaknesse of Saints discovered page 171 Wilful sinners dangerous condition page 193 Will of God in Predestination Independent page 180 Will of God irresistible page 163 Will of God ever backed by his power page 164 the right use of it ibid. Will of God in all things just and holy page 122 not to be opposed by carnal reason page 123 Will of God overthroweth not the freedom of mans will page 164 Will of God not to be questioned page 169 not to be quarrelled against page 172 Quarrellers against Gods will noted page 174 Wish of the Apostle Rom. 9.3 lawful page 19 the extent of that wish weighed page 20