Willful Impenitency, Sermon · Part 1
Preſuppoſitions not to be miſtaken.
1 Preſuppoſition not to be m…ſtaken.1. Its true that a wicked man cannot repent nor be converted of himſelfe; but this cannot only do's not hinder him, if a wicked mans cannot only did hinder him, he might excuſe himſelf before the tribunall of Chriſt, Lord thou knoweſt I did my beſt. I would have bin ruled by thy word, but I could not;Lice… aliquis cum poſſit gratiā a… piſci qui reprobatur à deo; tamen quod in hoc vel illud peccatum labatur ex ejus libero arbitrio cō tingit, unde et merito ſibi in culpā imputatur. Aq. par 1. qu. 23. Atr. 3. reſp ad. Arg. tertium. I would have bin bumbled and reformed better then I was, but J could not; If a wicked mans cannot did hinder him he might excuſe himſelfe thus. But alas he is not able to ſay thus without peremptory lying. Lord, I could not chuſe but do wickedly, I acted moſt wretchedly, but I could not otherwiſe chuſe (though it was not in thy power not to be born in originall ſinne) yet who neceſſitated thee to commit ſuch groſſe actuall ſins.) In Prov. 1.29. they hated knowledge, they did not chuſe the feare of the Lord. They did not uſe any liberty of will to chooſe that which was good. What was it becauſe they could not? no, for albeit they could not, yet that was not the cauſe. No they would none of my counſell, they deſpiſed all my reproofe, v. 30. Marke, the reaſon, why they did not chooſe, was not becauſe they could not chooſe, but becauſe they would not.
Its true God doth not give them power to believe, and to be renewed; but can they ſay though I wouldſe riouſly, 2 Preſup.God would not? were they able to ſay thus? though I deſired it heartily, God would not give me grace, then they had ſome colour to caſt it upon God, I would, but God would not. But they cannot caſt it upon him. How often would I have gathered thee together even as the Hen gathereth her chickens but thou wouldeſt not? I would ſayd God, but you would not;Ma…. 23.37 nay how often would I but you would not? Mat. 23.37. Though God be not ſo willing as to give them all power to believe, and be ſaved, yet he is aforehand with them.
Its true, if the wicked ſhould will as far as they are able to will,3 Preſup. yet their will were not able full out; but this doth not excuſe them, becauſe God alwayes reſolved to be aforehand with them. Indeed as in Mat. 25.29. God gives his ſervants this rule by which he ever goes towards them;Mat. 25.29 unto every one that hath ſhall be given, and he ſhall have abundance; ſpeaking of things in eodem genere. But to apply it to a man in the ſtate of nature, is to ſay grace is given according to workes, which is the very dreggs of Pelagianiſme. Yet how ever all, this is a moſt encouraging intimation. Facienti quod in ſe eſt, deus faciet quod in ſe Pelagia. Er.Let any man uſe the power that God gives him and he ſhall have more: As he that takes paines for learning: As he that uſeth meanes to increaſe his eſtate, may find in ordinary providence the hand of the diligent makes rich. Prov. 10.4 & 10.22.He that uſeth a penny well makes it two-pence; hee that uſeth two pennies very well, makes it a groat.
So that though there be not ſuch an Infallibilis nexus, that God hath bound himſelfe in the uſe of our naturall abilities to adde ſupernatural graces, yet undoubtedly he will never be wanting to promote any good worke, till men neglect or contemne. And this leaves men wholly without excuſe, and ſhewes it is not their cannot, but their will not, which betrayes them to their ſpirituall loſſes; namely their wilfull rejecting of Gods gracious offers.
4 Preſup.Its true God gives the wicked but one Talent, when he giveth his children foure, two at the leaſt, but they cannot ſay he is auſtere, reaping where he ſowed not, gathering where he ſtrewed not. No, There's the ſame proportion between one Talent, and gathering one more, as there is betweene two, and the gathering of two others, &c.
You know that they are ready to complain, as Chriſt ſhewes it in the Parable. Lord, I know that thou waſt a bard man, reaping where thou haſt not ſowen, and gathering where thou haſt not ſtrowed; But ye remember alſo the Lords anſwer. Thou wicked and ſloathfull ſervant, &c. Mat. 25.26. Marke, he caſts the blame upon his wilfulneſſe, that he would not take paines for to trade. So the wicked complain, alas God hath not ſowen any power of converſion in my heart, and will hee looke for to reape it? This is auſtereneſſe and hardneſſe of dealing. Oh thou wicked and ſloathfull ſervant, &c. Why didſt thou not trade with the Talent that J gave thee? One Talent ſhould beget one, as well as two beget two, &c. But I gave thee wit, and thou buriedſt it in the earth, and haſt bin earthly with it. I gave thee knowledge, and thou haſt hid it in the earth, and not traded for reformation according to it, &c. Alas thou canſt not pleade a cannot, but only a will not.
Its true,5 Preſup. that if one wicked mans will be more willing then another, it is not from himſelfe, but from God. For what haſt thou that thou haſt not received? 1 Cor. 4.7.1 Cor. 4.7 Its God that maketh one wicked man to differ from another in goodneſſe, and to be better then another. One wicked man is a drunkard, and another is better, &c. One wicked man is more wilfull, another is leſſe. Its God that makes this difference; yet notwithſtanding its his own fault, that he is not ſo good as his neighbour, eſpecicially when he ſits under better helpes then his neighbour. The men of Nineveh ſhall riſe up againſt this generation, and ſhall condemne it,Mat. 14.41 becauſe they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold a greater then Jonah is here. See, this generation was worſe then Nineveh. Nineveh repented a great way, even in ſackeloth and aſhes, but this generation doth not I grant it was God that did make them do more then this generation doth do. For all would be alike wilfull if it were not for him. But yet this generation cannot plead in judgement, Lord thou waſt not ſo gratious unto us, as to Nineveh, No. Jeſus Chriſt expreſly telleth them. Nineveh ſhall riſe up in judgement againſt them q. d. Nineveh was not ſo wilfull as you. Nineveh would, but you would not. Our Saviour Chriſt aſcribes it to their wilfullneſse, that they were not ſo willing as Nineveh. Nineveh would, but you would not. Thus you ſee the ſuppoſitions, which I beſeech you remember as we go, leaſt perhaps you miſtake us.
Doct.The reaſon why the wicked do not repent nor come out of their ſinnes, is not becauſe they cannot, (though they cannot) but becauſe they will not.
Peter ſaith to Ananias why hath Satan filled thy heart to ly to the holy Ghoſt, to keepe back part of the price of the Land? Acts 5.3.was it not once in thy power? Before thou didſt promiſe, 'twas in thy power whether thou wouldſt promiſe or no; did any force thee to promiſe? and when thou hadſt promiſed, did any ſqueeze the lie out of thy tongue that thou ſhouldeſt tell a lie to the Holy Ghoſt? did any drag thy fingers to the money and force thee to handle it? no, thou wouldſt lie, and thou wouldſt finger it.