Effectual Calling and Election, Sermon 15
SERMON. XV.
2 Pet. 1.10.
Wherefore the rather, Brethren, Give all diligence to make your Calling and Election ſure.
THE laſt Concluſion o… Doctrine drawn from theſe words was this, That Chriſtians ſhould put forth a great …eal of diligence to make this ſure to their ſoules, that th…y are eternally elec…ed by God to life and glory. In the proſecution of which, I have diſpatched ſeveral queries. I am now to proceed further in the diſpatch of what yet remains to be ſpoken concerning this ſubject. A fourth query follows.
Fourt…ly, Whether the decree of El…ct…on,Q. or Gods purpoſe to …ave a company of men, being from eternity, and being immutable, whether doth not this give way to man to be ſecure, and careleſſe in the uſe of the means of grace, that they take no care to get grace, and to get heaven, while they are in the world? This is a very uſeful point to inſiſt upon, ſeeing the Arminians charge us with this, that if we hold election without reſpect to Gods foreſight of works in men, then this laies open a gap for men to live as they liſt; that they ſay, If God hath determined they ſhall be ſaved, they ſhall be ſaved; if that they ſhall be damned, they ſhall be damned, whether they are holy, or profane; if God hath elected them to life, they ſhall be ſaved, let them live as they lift. Thus the Arminians plead. This therefore is the quere, whether this doctrine of election doth adminiſter any ground for ſuch a cavil as this to be in the minds of men?
To anſwer which, I ſhall firſt lay down this general Concluſion, That the decree, or the purpoſe of God about the election of man to life and ſalvation, doth no way adminiſter any iuſt ground to men, to make them live as they liſt, and to make them neglect the means of grace and ſalvation. In the cl…aring of which, I ſhall lay down three particulars, to ſatisfie you about this matter. As,
Firſt, that Gods decree about Civil and Temporal matters, doth no way give encouragement to men to neglect the uſe of means, & live careleſſe of the accompliſhment of his decree; and therefore not ſo in ſpiritual. As now for inſtance: God hath determined from all eternity, how long every one of us ſhall live in the world; our daies are numbred in his counſel. Now, though God hath determined how long we ſhall live, this no way gives us encouragement to ſay therefore I will never put on a rag of cloathes to cover me in Winter, and I will never put a morſel of meat in my mouth; for God hath determined how long I ſhall live, and therefore whether I eat or no, till then I ſhall not die. Again, God hath determined from all eternity, touching every one of us, whether we ſhall be poor or rich in this world, and therefore to draw this concluſion, that it is no matter whether I be induſtrious in following my calling, and looking after my trade, or whether I ſpend my eſtate in rioting and drunkeneſſe; God hath determined whet… I ſh… be rich or poor; if he hath decreed I ſhall be poor, I ſhall be poor; or that I ſhall be rich, I ſhall be rich, let me live as I pleaſe: this reaſoning is very fond and fooliſh in Temporal things, therefore much more in Spiritual. God hath determined from all eternity thou ſhalt be ſaved or damned, and the decree of God cannot be changed; but now to draw hence, that it is no matter how I live, whether in waies of holineſſe, or in waies of ſin, this is an abuſive collection from Gods decree. Becauſe, as Dr. Preſton ſaith, if a man doth not uſe thoſe means that may evidence to his ſoul that he is elected, it is an argument he is not elected. If thou ſay, if God hath determined it, he will ſave me, whether I am holy or prophane, and therefore I will never hear Sermon, never pray in my family, never uſe holy duties; Saith Preſton, if thou neglect theſe means, it is an argument thou art not elected; becauſe, as God hath elected thee to the end, he hath alſo ordained thee to uſe the means. I have read a ſtory of an Italian, who lying upon his death-bed, fent for a Phyſician, the moſt exquiſit and exact Artiſt in all Italy; and this man held this opinion I am now ſpeaking of, that ſeeing Gods decrees were unal…erable, a man might live as he lift, and yet be ſaved; that let a man be as holy as he could be, if God had decreed his damnation, he ſhould be damned; and let a man be never ſo wicked, if God have decreed his ſalvation, he ſhould be ſaved; and that the decree of God took off the uſe of all means, that a man need not uſe any meanes, but onelyonly truſt in God. The Phyſician being a man acquainted in the myſteries of Religion, after he had asked him the ſtate of his body, and where the diſeaſe lay, the party deſiring him to preſcribed ſome phyſick; the Phyſician gave him this anſwer: ſaith he, God hath determined how long you ſhall live; therefore, if I give you phyſick, if God hath determined you ſhall die, you ſhall die for all that; and if he hath decreed you ſhall live, though I give you no phyſick, yet you ſhall live. And this anſwer (ſaith the Hiſtorian) took ſuch place with the Italian, that it converted him in this very principle, and he became a man very diligent in following the means of grace, upon this very ſaying. And indeed, a juſt and ground…d ſpeech it is. This …erefore is my anſwer, that if …uch r…aſonings as theſe in temporal things are unreaſonable, they are much more in ſpiri…ual.
Secondly, to you that make this plea, I would ſay this: That at that very inſtant wherein God did decree or determine to bring a man to life, at that very inſtant God did decree that that man would b… holy before he died; he ſhall uſe all holy and ſanctified means conducible to his ſalvation. Rom. 8.29. Whom he did pred…ſtin…te, them he …id predeſ…in…te to be conformable to the Image of his ſon. God the Father, in that very decree wherein he doth ordain man to life, did ordain, that thoſe men elected ſhould live confo…mable to J…ſus Chriſt. Epheſ. 1.4. He hath choſen us in Chriſ…, …efore the foundation of the world was laid, that we ſhould be holy and blameleſſe before him in love. God did decree, that our lives ſhould be holy; he ordains holineſs as the means, as well as heaven as the end. So Epheſ. 2.10. God hath created us in Chriſt Jeſus unto good works, which he hath before ordained, that we ſhould walk in them. 2 Theſ. 2.13. God, before the world was, at that very inſtant wherein he ordained, and choſe men to life, did alſo ordain, that men ſhould live a holy and blamel…ſſe life here upon earth. Now then, for men to make this objection, that ſeeing God hath decreed men to life, therefore men may live as they liſt, is abſurd: for if men do live as they liſt, it is an argument God did not decree them to life, becauſe God in decreeing men to life and ſalvation, did decree they ſhould walk in a courſe of ſanctification, and holy living in this world.
Thirdly, ſuppoſe this ſhould be taken for granted, that God had decreed to damn thee for me; that God in his purpoſe had appointed he would not ſave us; yet God, as a Creator, deſerves thy ſervice. God, as a Creator, may lay claim to thy duties. Though God ſhould condemn us, yet he making us, deſerves obedience, and deſerves duties of thankfulneſſe from us. And therefore, under this notion onelyonly, though no other conſideration be looked after, this ſhould engage you to righteous living; and this ſhould engage you in a way of duties, though he never ſave you. Adam, though he never ſhould come to heaven, being in innocency, yet being made and created by God, was engaged to live a holy life. And ſo it is with every man alive, as we are creatures, and have a being from God, and the comfo…ts of this life from God, all this doth oblige us to a courſe of obedience, and righteous liv…ng toward God, though he ſhould throw us into hell, when we have done. And thus much for reſolving the fourth Quere, that the decree of God touching mans election to life, doth no way give encouragement to men to live as they liſt, upon the forementioned grounds. I now paſſe to the fifth Quere.
Fifthly, what temptations doth the devil ſuggeſt into the mindes of godly men, to make them doubt within themſelves, that they are not elected by God, when indeed they are, to make them think they are reprobate ſilver, when they are veſſels of honour, meet for their Maſters uſe? Happily I may ſpeak to ſome, whoſe ſpirits are perplexed in this caſe. And the anſwer hereunto, I ſhall reduce to three heads, and as I lay them down, labour to take them off, that they may be no juſt ground or reaſon to make you doubt of your election.
Firſt, the devil tempts a godly man with this, that ſure you cannot be elected, Becauſe that before your calling you were ſo exceeding ſinful and prophane in your lives; ſo exceedingly profane, vile, wicked liver…, that certainly (the devil will ſay) ſuch as you could not fall with in the compaſſ… of Gods purpoſe to ſave.
Secondly, the devil will tell you, that certainly you cannot be elected to life, becauſe that after your calling into Jeſus Chriſt, you have fallen ſo fouly into capital, and ſcandalous crimes and ſins.
And thirdly, becauſe that God doth continually purſue his people with outward and great afflctions; thence the devil will gather, you are not the choſen and beloved of God. Theſe three grand temptations he doth many times faſten upon tender conſciences, meerly to create a world of doubts and perplexities in the choſen veſſels of mercy. I begin with the firſt.
Firſt, the devil tempts you, that ſure you are not elected, becauſe your lives were ſo exceedingly profane, and you were ſuch abominable ill livers, before you took upon you the profeſſion of Jeſus Chriſt, this the devil laies before many a poor ſoul to ſtumble at.
To ſatisfie you in this therefore, I ſhall lay down four particulars by way of anſwer.
Firſt, Many of the ſervants of God before their calling, have been very lewd, wicked, notorious, profane livers, and yet have been within the compaſſe of Gods election to life and glory. Caſt your eyes upon Paul, and there you ſhall finde what he was before his call. He tells you himſelf, I was a blaſphemer, (a horrible ſin) I was a perſecuter, I was injurious to Gods Church. I haled men to priſon for profeſſing the name of Jeſus. (Theſe are great ſins) Nay further, ſaith he, I was exceeding mad againſt the Church of God. A man enraged with malice againſt the people of God. Now what could be more vile then theſe? And yet you will finde this man, a chooſen veſſel of mercy. Nay, you ſhall finde, God to ſtrengthen the confidence of men upon their election, puts a ſcandalous liver and election together, to make men ſee, that a ſcandalous life before converſion, is no prejudice to a mans election. Acts 9.13, 14. And Ananias ſaid, Lord, we have heard of this man by many (ſpeaking of Paul) how much evil he hath done to the Saints at Jeruſalem. We have heard by many what an evil man this is, and that he hath …uthority from the cheif Prieſts to binde all that call upon thy Name; and that this man did do it, did execute his commiſſion; here was a wicked liver: but now mark what the Lord ſaith, Goe thy way, for he is a choſen veſſel to me. Here you ſee Ananias laies his offence, and his wickedneſſe before him; and yet, Goe thy way, ſaith God: Goe thy way, for he is a choſen veſſel to me. The like inſtances we have in Manasseth and Mary Magdalen. This therefore is my firſt anſwer, that many of the ſervants of God have been men of very ill and notorious lives, before converſion, and yet they have been within the compaſſe of Gods election to ſalvation:
Secondly, though men have been notoriouſly wicked, in their lives before calling, yet if this notorious wickedneſs doth lay any engagement upon them, to make them labour to be more eminent in grace after calling; this is rather a ſign of election, then reprobation. It is obſervable in Paul, he was a notorious wicked man before his call; but now this exceeding wickedneſſe of his before call, did engage him to labour to exceed all others in goodneſſe after he was converted; and the more evil he was before, the more holy he labours to be after. As he laboured before to hale men to priſon for profeſſing Jeſus Chriſt, he is now as zealous to draw men to Jeſus Chriſt after his call; he was very induſtrious to do evil before his call, and this made him after his call, as he ſaith himſelf, I was in labours more aboundant then they all. And ſo Mary Magdalen, who before her calling was a vile woman, one that was a common harlot; a woman out of whom Jeſus Chriſt caſt ſeven devils; and yet this woman, after her calling, ſhe laboured to be more eminent in godly ſorrow, then any woman before or ſince; ſhe waſhed Chriſts feet with her teares, and wiped them with the haires of her head. The like of which you do not read of any woman in Scripture. And this was a very good ſign; when your notoriouſneſs in waias of ſin before calling, ſhall lay ſuch an engagement upon you to become more eminent in grace after calling; this is a very good encouragement or evidence that you are within the compaſſe of Gods election; and therefore you have no cauſe to be diſcouraged. Suppoſe before the word laid hold upon your conſcience, you were guilty of filthy ſins, not fit to be named in the congregation; if you will the more honour God, and praiſe God now, and walk more humbly, and labour to excell each other in grace now, as you did in ſin in times paſt. This is a great ſign that you are in the compaſſe of Gods Elect ones.
Thirdly, you that have been ſcandalous in your lives before calling, for your comfort know, that God in his eternal counſel doth commonly make the profane and wicked and the worſt of men, the objects of his election, rather then civil honeſt men, rather then men that are of an honeſt and civil, and moral converſation here in this world. And the Lord doth it upon this ground, the more to magnifie the freeneſſe, and the riches of his own grace in electing men to life. For ſhould God only chuſe moderate and civil honeſt men in the world, men would be apt to think it is that mans morality, and that mas civility, that was the motice which provoked God to elect them; and therefore God, to overthrow theſe thoughts, he lets electfon runne rather unto men that have been notoriouſly groſſe and ſinful in …heir lives, then other men; Manaſſeh a notorious bloody man, yet falls within the compaſſ… of Gods election, when many a civil man is left out. Ma…y, a common harlot, yet choſen, when many a modeſt chaſte woman was caſt into hell. Matth. 21.31, 32. That Chriſt urgeth a parable of two men. One that ſaid he would go and follow Chriſt, but did not; and the other ſaid he would not go, but did; now which of theſe twain did the will of Chriſt? and they ſaid, the firſt. And Jeſus ſaid unto them, Verily I ſay unto you, that publicans and harlots ſhall go into heaven before you. But you will ſay, was this common? this was onelyonly one ſingle time: therefore mark the next words, For Joh… came to you in the way of righteouſness, and you believed not; but the publicans and harlots believed in Chriſt. John came preaching, and you would not believe, you Phriſees, ſtrict moral men, that did not flie out into ſuch ſcandals as other men did, you would not believe, ſaith Chriſt, but Publicans, men that were moſt addicted to extortion, and unconſcionable gain, they imbraced Jeſus Chriſt, when moral men would not. This therefore ſhould be another comfort for you, that many times election runns rather to the profaner ſort of men, then to men that are civil and righteous dealing men here in the world; and this God hoth to magnifie the riches of his own grace.
Fourthly, that it is no matter what you were before your call…ng, if you are a repentant and holy people after; your former miſcarriages ſhall no way prejudice your future bleſſedneſſe, 1 Cor. 6.9, 10, 11. Neither Fornicator, nor Idolater, nor Adul…erer, nor envious, nor thiefe, nor covet…us, nor reviler ſhall enter …nto the Kingdome of Heaven: and ſuch were ſome of you &c. Here you ſee a Catalogue of vile evils heaped together, and ſuch w…re ſome of you; but now you are waſhed, now you are ſanctified, &…. So that no matter what you were before converſion, though guilty of great ſins, ſo you are now a reformed people, now a ſanctified people, Titus 3.3. We our ſelves were ſometime… fooliſh, diſ…bedient, decieved, ſerving divers luſts and pleaſures, and living in malice and envy, &c. You were ſo, but after the kindness & love of God appeared to you, after they were converted they were not ſo. So that theſe four particulars wil clearly take off this objection, that no matter what you were before converſion, if you are now a repentant people, and bewail your evils, and reform your waies, your former ill led life will be no hindrance at all to your election. Indeed this I muſt needs ſay, that you that have been moſt notorious in ſin, God expects this at your hands, that you be moſt eminent in grace, moſt deep in humiliation, moſt eminent in godly ſorrow, though your former evils do no way prejudice your election.
Secondly, if the devil cannot faſten this upon you, he will come upon you with this aſſ…ult, viz. your frequent falling into ſcandalous and foul, and groſſe enormities, after you took upon you a profeſſion of Jeſus Chriſt. And this the devil will lay cloſe: happily ſin before converſion was not ſo great; but now ſince you have followed Sermons, and ſince you have profeſſed Jeſus Chriſt, ſince that time you have fallen foulely into groſſe and ſcandalous ſins, and ſurely this is inconſiſtent with grace, and cannot befal perſons within the compaſſe of Gods election.
And I confeſſe this is both ſad and hazardous; yet I ſhall lay down three things to uphold thee, that yet for all this thou maieſt be within the compaſſe of Gods election. As,
Firſt, that divers perſons that were within the compaſſe of Gods election, have fallen foulely into groſſe ſins after their call. Lot, after he was called, fell to be inceſtuous, and fell to drunkeneſſe; David, after he was called, fell into Adultery; Peter, after he was called, fell to a denial of Jeſus Chriſt. Yea, you read of Solomon, 1 Kings 11.9. That his heart was tu…ned from the Lord, after the Lord had revealed himſelf unto him twice. After God had revealed himſelf to Solomon, and converted him; after that time he did evil againſt his God. Nay, you read further, Nebem. 13.26 27. That Solomons wives turned away his heart from the Lord, though he was the beloved of his God. Though he were beloved by God, and were elected by him, yet his wives turned away his heart from the Lord. The like phraſ… you have Numb. 14.23. After all theſe works, I have done among them, and the miracles I have ſhewn them in Aegypt, and in the Wilderness, they have provoked me, ſaith the Lord, theſe ten times. After they were the Lords by covenant, and after they were a delivered people; after this they provoked him many a time, by ſinning againſt him, and yet divers of them were elect veſſels of mercy. So that, I ſay, many of Gods ſervants after their calling, are fallen foulely into ſcandalous ſins, and yet have been within the compaſſe of Gods election.
Secondly, if you falling into groſſe and ſcandalous ſins, have not theſe four ſinful ingredients, your falling into ſin after calling, may be conſiſtent with election. Firſt, if you fall not into ſin voluntarily. Secondly, if you fall not into the ſame ſin frequently. Thirdly, if you fall not into ſin with complacency. And fourthly, if you lie not under your fall impenitently. If theſe ingredients be mixed with your ſinning after your call, they are inconſiſtent with election. Firſt, if you fall into ſin voluntarily, that you ruſh into ſin, as a horſe into the battel. Secondly, if you fall into the ſame ſin frequently, then it is hazardous and dangerous. It is true Peter denied Chriſt, but it was but in one fit of a temptation. D…vid fell into Adultery, but it was never but once; Lot was guilty of drunkenneſſe, but onelyonly in one fit: For the Servants of God, though they fall, yet they fall not frequently into the ſame ſin, if groſſe and ſcandalous. Thirdly, if you fall into ſin with complacency, that you take pleaſure in the evils you fall into; if you do as Job ſaith, wallow ſin under your tongue, counting it ſweet and delightſome to you. And laſtly, if all this be joyned with impenitency, that you have not a heart to repent of the evils you fall into, the Lord have mercy upon you; for certainly, if you fall into ſin with theſe ingredients, you are not within the compaſſe of Gods mercy to ſave. But now, though you do fall into ſin, if it be not voluntary, but through the force of temptation: if it be not with complacency, but a diſlike of the ſins you fall into; and as ſoon as you do fall, and ſee your ſins you repent and riſe again, though you doe fall in this way, it will be no prejudice to your election.
Thirdly, falling into ſinne after calling and profeſſion made of Jeſus Chriſt, may be conſiſtent with Election in theſe foure caſes. Firſt, if the ſins you fall into be clearly diſcerned. Secondly, if they are ſenſibly bewailed. Thirdly, if they are ſtrongly reſiſted; and laſtly, if they are dayly laboured, and prayed againſt. Though you doe fall into ſinne, yet in theſe caſes ſin will not be damning to you, or be an impediment to your election. And thus I have done with the ſecond caſe of conſcience. Only let me urge this one thing before I leave it, (for I would not have you make this Doctrine a Doctrine of liberty; but I would have you lay this to heart) that if any of you fall foulely after converſion, believe it, God will make you ſmart for this, though not in hell, yet you ſhall have a hell in your conſcience, you ſhall have the very preguſtations of hell, a wounded conſcience, and God will expect deep humiliation, and great repentance, if you ſin after profeſſion made of Jeſus Chriſt. It may have that influence upon you, as upon David, who cried out, I have no quietnesse in my bones, by reaſon of my ſin. God will give you no reſt night nor day by reaſon of ſin, if you run into it after profeſſion made of Jeſus Chriſt.
Thirdly, men do doubt of their election, becauſe God purſues them with continual afflictions, and layes the continued ſtrokes of his heavy wrath upon them; and this makes many a godly man think that he is not in the number of Gods elect ones. To which I ſhall briefly anſwer.
That this is nothing elſe but a temptation, and not a truth; and it was the very controverſie that Jobs friends had with him; they would faſten this upon Job, that he was a Reprobate, and an Hypocrite, becauſe God did ſo afflict him: yet Job maintained his ſincerity, and ſhews his grounds, that God was his friend, and that he did not reject him, though he did afflict him. But to ſpeak more particularly.
Firſt, no man can infallibly and certainly judge of Gods purpoſes about mans election, or reprobation, by any of the diſpenſations of God toward their bodies in the things of this life. Eccl. 9.1, 2. No man knows either love or hatred by any thing that is before him. All things fall alike to all. The ſame event to him that feareth God, and to him that feareth him not, to him that ſweareth, and to him that feareth an oath.
Secondly, Afflictions from God are ſo far from being grounds, or evidences that a man is not elected, that in ſome caſes they may prove evidences that they are the very elect of God. Heb. 12.6, 7. He chaſteneth every ſon whom he receiveth; they are baſtards, and not ſons, whom he chaſtiſeth not. As …any as I love, I rebuke and chaſten, be zealous therefore and repent. Rev. 3.19. In ſome caſes afflictions from God are rather tokens of love from God, then the contrary. As now, in caſe afflictions be as a ſpur to you, to make you quicken your pace in heavenway. 2. In caſe your afflictions be as pruning-hooks to you, to cut and lop off the luxuriant buddings and workings of ſinne in the heart. 3. In caſe affliction be as a hedge to you to keep you in, and to make you walk in a cloſe communion with God, and not to wander or goe aſtray from him: 4. In caſe affliction be as a file to you, to file off that ruſt that cleaves to your nature. 5. In caſe affliction proves a furnace to refine you from that droſſe of corruption that is mixt with your ſervices. In theſe caſes afflictions are ſo farre from being grounds to doubt of your Election, that they may rather give you evidence, you are the very elect of God,
Thirdly, That God in his wiſedome doth many times expoſe his own people to greater troubles in this life, then he lets wicked and reprobate men undergoe. God will not give reprobates their hell here, that ſo he might give them hell hereafter. God will not give the elect heaven here, to make heaven more deſirable to them while they live here; and more welcome when they come there. It is Gods pleaſure in the diſpenſations of his providence amongſt men, to let his own people lie under more outward ſorrows, then wicked men ſhall do, Pſal. 73.5. Their eyes burſt out with fatness, they are not in trouble, as other men, neither are they plagued as other men are. The Lord in his diſpenſations doth ſo deal with wicked men, that they are not plagued, they are not troubled as godly men are in this world. And therefore ſurely affliction is no argument of Gods diſpleaſure, or of their not being within the compaſs of Gods purpoſe to do them good.