Effectual Calling and Election, Sermon 16
SERMON. XVI.
2. Pet. 1.10.
Wherefore the rather, Brethren, give all diligence to make your Calling and Election ſure.
THE Doctrine I am yet upon is this, That Chriſtians ought to put forth a great deal of diligence to make this ſure to their ſoules, that they are eternally called by God to life and ſalvation. In the proſecution of which Doctrine, I have gone over ſeveral particulars; and have now onelyonly one Query more to ſatisfie about Election, and then to winde up this Doctrine, in laying down ſome explicatory propoſitions, very conducible to illuſtrate this Doctrine of Election. And the Quere to be reſolved is this.
What are thoſe deluſions of the Devil whereby he nouriſheth preſumptuous perſwaſions in the minds of men, that they are elected by God, when they are not? And to anſwer this, I ſhall reduce all I have to ſay under theſe three heads.
Firſt, The Devil perſwades wicked men that they are elected upon this ground: Becauſe they doe not break forth into ſuch groſſe and ſcandalous enormities in their lives, as many men that live about them doe: and therefore the Devil boulſters them up in this, Surely if you were not elected, you would be as bad as any, and as vile and exorbitant as any. Now ſeeing God keeps you in, that you act not ſuch things in your lives, as other men doe; this may be a comfortable evidence to you, that you are in the number of Gods elect ones. And this deluſion deceives thouſands of people, eſpecially morallized and civillized men; they run hoodwinkt to hell, nouriſhing hopes of life and ſalvation, and never feel the con…rary, till they come to death and hell. I ſhall declare this to be a deluſion, in laying down four or five particulars. As
Firſt, That there are many men, that are mentioned in Scripture, not to have been within the compaſſe of Gods election, who yet were men of very bl…leſſe and honeſt lives, not bl…miſhed with any groſſe and ſcandalous evils. Read Luke 18.11, 14. of the Phariſee. He tels you, he thanks God he was no extortioner, no adulterer, no covetous perſ…n, no d…unkard, nor was he as wicked as the Publican was. Her… you ſee a man that ſpake vauntingly and truly, that he w…s not a man that broke out into thoſe miſcarriages other men did; yet what was this man? An elect veſſel? No. Read ver. 14. and the Text tels you, the Publican went away juſtified rather the other; the Phaſee, though he was free from ſcandalous and groſſe enormities in his life, yet he was not a juſtified man, and ſo by conſequence not an elect man. You read of hypocrites, Mat. 23. that cleanſed the outſide of the cup, and of the platter, that is, cleanſed their converſations, and cleanſed the outward man of groſſe ſcandals, and yet within were full of filth; and Chriſt tels us, they were hypocrites, that ſhould have their portion in hell. And ſhould you view over Hiſtorians that write of the Scribes and Phariſees, and ſtrict men among the Jewes, they will tell you what wonderful holy-lived men they were; they were often in duties, faſted twice a week, prayed every day in the corners of the ſtreets; none ſo ſtrict as they in obſerving the Sabbath; would goe vailed, left they ſhould be enſnared by laſcivions objects; and yet theſe very men ſo wonderful ſtrict and cautious, were men that had no dram of grace in them at all. Though they were a people thus well dreſſed in their lives, yet the Scripture tels us of them, that Whores and Harlots ſhould goe to Heaven before them. This therefore is the firſt, that many men have had their lives free from groſſe ſcandals, and yet were men that were not elected by God to life and ſalvation.
Secondly, That a mans converſation may be free from ſcandalous ſinnes, yet if this freedome from ſcandals proceed from a wrong principle, it may be in a perſon not elected. As I will make it appeare. There may be a freedome from groſſe ſins proceeding from a threefold principle, and yet a man be in a ſtate of da…nation and of reprobation. As firſt, There may be a freedome from ſcandals, proceeding from religious education; ſecondly, from a natural diſpoſition; and thirdly, from the power of reſtraining grace. Firſt, there may be a freedome from groſſe ſinnes, proceeding from the power of education. So the young man in the Goſpel, Matth. 19.18, 19, 20. when Chriſt told him what the Law was. Thou ſhalt not commit adultery, thou ſhalt not ſteal, thou ſhalt love thy neighbour as thy ſelfe, thou ſhalt doe no murder, thou ſhalt not beare falſe witnesse, &c. Saith the young man, All theſe have I kept from my youth. He was a Phariſee, and his parents ſtrict in their courſe of living, and brought him up ſo from his youth; and yet this man no elect man, ver. 22. Secondly, a man may be free from ſcandalous ſins, ariſing from an ingenious natural diſpoſition. A mans diſpoſition may ſometimes be utterly averſe to ſome ſinnes. Plu…arch a heathen could ſay this, I had rather it were ſaid, there were no ſuch man as Plutarch in the world, then to ſay that Plutarch was unchaſte, Plutarch was a drunkard, or Plutarch was a ſwearer. Mans natural temper may ſometimes be free from groſſe ſinnes, and yet he not an elect perſon for all this. And then thirdly, a man may be free from groſſe ſinnes, as proceeding from the power of reſtraining grace, Gen. 20.6. I alſo withheld Abimelech from ſinning againſt me. He was a Heathen, and a wicked man, and yet God, by the power of reſtraining grace, did keep Abimelech from running into that exorbitant courſe of ſinning againſt him. So that if a man be free from groſſe ſinnes, and yet proceeding from falſe principles, a man may not be an elect man for all this. Unleſſe your freedome from ſinne proceed from a renewed nature, from a ſanctified heart, and from the ſaving operation of the holy Ghoſt; unleſs it comes from theſe principl…, your freedome from groſſe ſinnes can be no pledge to your ſoules, that you are elected by God to life.
Thirdly, that a man having a good life, free from ſcandalous ſinnes, if he have not a good heart, that is no argument of a man that is within the compaſſe of Gods election, Rom. 2.28, 29. He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; nor is that circumciſion, which is outward in the fleſh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly, and circumciſion is of the heart, whoſe praiſe is not of men, but of God. Intimating, that he is not a Chriſtian; he is not an elect Jew, that was one outwardly; that is, that was conformable to the rites and cuſtomes of the Jewes; but he was one that was one inwardly, that had his ſins mortified his nature changed, and his heart cleanſed, he was an elect Jew. So that to have a holy life, if a man have not an holy heart, is no ſign that a man is within the compaſſe of Gods election.
Fourthly, God in electing men to life, doth paſs by moral and civil honeſt men, that truſt and depend upon their own righteouſneſſe and ſtrict living, rather then any ſort of men in the world. Matth. 21:31, 33. ſaith Chriſt, John Baptiſt preached the Goſpel of repentance, but you believed not, but Publicans and …arlots believed. Thoſe Phariſees that did depend upon their own righteouſneſs, and their own goodneſs, Chriſt did not call them, Chriſt did not own them, God made them not the objects of his election. Hence it is ſaid, Matth. 9.13. Chriſt came not to call the righteous, but ſinn…rs to repentance: that is, men depending upon their own righteouſneſſe, and their own parts, they are left out by Chriſt, as if he came not for them; but Chriſt came to call ſinners, that ſee their ſinne, and were vile in their own eyes, Chriſt came to call ſuch. Again,
2. The ſecond deluſion, whereby the devil makes men think they are elected by God, is drawn from their external vocation; that they are not onelyonly civilized and moralized ones, but they finde the power of the word to call them; and upon this vocation they bottome the hopes of their election. And they have Scripture for it, Rom. 8.30. Whom God predeſtinates he calls. Now God hath called them by the word, and they have found the word come with power upon t…eir conſcience, to reforme the evils of their life. (And the power of vocation they deem higher (as indeed it is) then the power of education, or natural temper;) and therefore, think they, I having vocation, this is an evidence to me of my election. To this deluſion I ſhal only ſay two things, by way of anſwer.
Firſt, it is true indeed, the Scripture ſaith, all whom God predeſtinates, he calls; but the Scripture doth not ſay, that all whom he calls, he predeſtinates. No man that God appoints to life, but before he dies, God will call him by the word; but God doth not ſay any where, that thoſe whom he calls, them he did predeſtinate to life.
Secondly, many men are outwardly called by the word into a profeſſion of Chriſt, when they are not eternally elected by God to ſalvation. Mat. 22.14. Many are called, but few are choſen. Many are called, but all thoſe that are externally called by the word, are not choſen, nor all ordained to life. A man may be called from ignorance to knowledge, yet not elected Heb. 6.4. After they were enlightned, and had taſted the word of God, and the power of the world to come, yet they fell away. A man may be called from profaneſſe to profeſſion, from the world into the Church, as Simon Magus was, yet not elected, but remain in the gall of bitterneſſe, and bond of iniquity.
Thirdly, A third deluſion whereby men are deceived by the Devil, to think they are elected, when they are not, is this. If they cannot plead their education, and moral manner of living, or if they cannot plead their vocation, their laſt plea is, the mercy of God, they hope God is a merciful God, and God made them not all to damn them; they are Gods creatures, made by him, and God that made them, will ſave them; and hereupon they faſten their hopes, that they are in the number of Gods elect ones. This is a ſtrong deluſion, eſpecially amongſt ignorant people. And to this I anſwer in two particulars.
Firſt, when as men ſay, God is a merciful God, therefore they hope they are elected, I anſwer: It is true, God is a merciful God, yet God is as juſt as merciful; he is mercifully juſt, and juſtly merciful; his mercy cannot intench upon his Juſtice, nor ſh…ll his Juſtice intrench upon his mercy; one Attribute ſhall not claſh with another; he is no more merciful then he is juſt, nor is he more juſt then he is merciful.
Secondly, though God be a merciful God, yet Gods ſaving mercy is not ſo large as to extend to all creatures that live, that he hath made. You read Iſay 27.11. This is a people of no underſtanding, therefore he that made them will not have mercy upon them, and be that formed them will ſhew them no favour. Here you ſee the Prophet tels them, that that God that made them, will damn them, and that God that formed them, that God will ſhew them no favour. So that Gods mercy extends not ſo far, as to reach to all the works of his hands; for if ſo, the devils might claim ſalvation as well as man; for God made them when they were glorious Angels, as well as man: and therefore, if all the works of Gods hands ſhould plead for ſalvation, they might as well come within the compaſſe of Gods election as wicked men doe.
And thus you ſee in theſe ſeveral Sermons, I have finiſhed the Doctrines of Effectual Vocation, and Eternal Election. I will now a little illuſtrate the point, by laying down …en Propoſitions, which will ſerve to clear the Doctrine of Election in many points about it, and ſo conclude.
Firſt, That all men are not the objects of Gods election, or of Gods choice. And this propoſition doth confute the opinion of Origen. Origen was of this minde, that all mankind ſhould be ſaved, nay, the very devils themſelves, they ſhould all be ſaved by Chriſt. A moſt groundleſſe and unheard of opinion; for all men are not elected to ſalvation. Jude tels us in his Epiſtle, there were ſome of old ordained to condemnation; and if ſo, ſurely they could not fall within the compaſs of Gods election, 1 Theſ. 5.9. There are ſome ordained to wrath; but we are not amongſt them, ſaith the Apoſtle, but we are ordained to obain ſalvation by Jeſus Chriſt. All are not objects of Gods election to life.
Secondly, that the feweſt ſort of men and women that God hath made are the objects of his election. God in his owne councel hath elected to life and ſalvation the feweſt ſort of m…n and women in the world. And this is a very dreadful point. Many are called, but few are choſen. Matth. 22.14. Rom. 11.5. A remnant, according to the election of grace. And here in purſuing this head, I ſhall lay down two things under this propoſition: Firſt, that there are but few rich men choſen by God to life and ſalvation. Secondly, there are but few civil honeſt men choſen by God to life and ſalvation. There are but few rich men that fall within the compaſſe of Gods purpoſe to ſave, 1 Cor. 1.26. Not many mighty, (h… doth not ſay, not any; but not many mighty) not many noble, not many great ones of the world are choſen. You read Matth. 19.24. That it is as eaſie for a Camel to go thorou…h … N…edles eye, a… for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of God. As eaſie for a Camel. It is not meant in this ſenſe, as ſome expound it. That there was a gate in Hieruſalem called the Needles eye; a little and low gate, which their Camels being lad… could not go through and therefore they muſt unload the burden, and the Camel ſtoop before they could enter. Some …hink Chriſts ſpeech had relation to that Beza ſaith, that inſtead of foreign a Camel, they read foreign a Cable, which, if untwiſted may be put through the eye of a Needle, but the knot is not untied, but cut by this Expoſition. But the words were a proverbial ſpeech among the Jewes, who had this proverb amongſt them, that when any one ſpake things either unlikely or unprobable, they would ſay, This can be as eaſily done, as a Camel can goe through a Needles eye. And Chriſt, alluding to this Proverb, ſaith, that rich men, that do…e upon their riches, and cleave to their wealth, and rather part with heaven and Chriſt, and ſoule and all, then part with their riches, Chriſt makes it an unpoſſible thing for ſuch rich men to come into heaven. As I once told what Buchanan ſaid, lying upon his death-bed in a meſſage to King James, I am going to that place, where few Kings come. And Beloved, the ſpeech is true, for not many wiſe, not many mighty, not many noble hath the Lord choſen. Secondly, few civil hon…ſt men doe fall within the compaſſe of Gods choice to ſave. Moral men, that truſt upon their civility and moral honeſty, and plain dealing; few or none of theſe come to heaven. Publicans and Harlots ſhall come to Heaven before you. Matth. 21.32. Whores and Harlots believe in me, when you do not, ſaith Chriſt.
Thirdly, That though God in his own counced hath determined, or made choice but of the feweſt number of men & women men to life and ſalvation, yet this doth no way intrench upon the mercy of God, this doth no way leſſen or impeach the mercy of God. Men may think, as if ſurely God had caſt off all bowels, and caſt off all mercy. What? God make ſuch a world of men as he hath done, and ſave but a few of theſe? Man might think, as if God were a hard Maſter, that delighted in the deſtruction of man, that had forgotten to be gracious; ſuch a hard charge will they be apt to lay upon God. But now, Beloved, that God hath elected ſo few a number to life, this doth no way impeach the mercy of God. And this I make appear thus: becauſe God was bound to ſave none at all; therefore you cannot challenge God either with unmercifulneſſe, or unfaithfulneſſe, if he ſhould ſave none. It was a meer act of his bounty and good will, that he would ſave any. Nay, ſecondly, there is that in man, in the beſt of men, that might juſtly provoke God not to ſave any: And therefore, if God ſave any, it is of grace. And this is a certain rule, that God doth ſhew more mercy in ſaving of one, then he would have done rigour of Juſtice, had he damned all. As may be made plaine by this compariſon. Suppoſe forty men guilty of Rebellion were arraigned for their lives, and were condemned to die by the Law; if the Prince pardon foure of theſe forty he ſhewes more mercy in pardoning the foure, then he doth rigour of Juſtice in condemning the forty. Why? becauſe the Fact deſerved death in all alike. So it is with God: Every man upon earth deſerves death and damnation; and if God cull out any of the maſs of mankind, to ſave them, he ſhewes more mercy, then he had done rigorous Juſtice, ſhould he have deſtroyed all, becauſe he is bound to ſave none at all.
Fourthly, God in electing a certain number to life, doth it without foreſight of any good works which he ſaw would be in them. Indeed the Papiſts and Arminians joyn their ſtrength, to maintain this; God, ſay they, foreſaw men would believe in Chriſt, and would be holy in their lives, and therefore God did chuſe them to life. This you may remember I ſpent ſome time in overthowing formerly, and therefore paſs it over now. viz. That God did not chuſe men to life, with reference to any good works he foreſaw in them. This indead is an undoubted truth; All men whom God did elect to life, he foreſaw they would have good works in them; but Gods foreſeeing of this, was no: the cauſe for which he did elect them. No, the motive was his own will, according to the pleaſure of his own grace, Rom. 9.11. and Rom. 11.5. A remnant are ſaved according to the election of grace, for if it were of works, grace is no more grace. Were election upon foreſight of good works, then it would follow, that infants dying in infancy were not within the compaſſe of Gods election, becauſe an infant ſo dying, could not perform any good works; and ſo their caſe would be moſt miſerable. Beſides, we are not juſtified by actual works, therefore not elected upon works foreſeen. Rom. 3.24. for there is the like reaſon of theſe two.
Fifthly, That Gods election is ſo free, that in chuſing and electing men to life and ſalvation, he doth not do it for the ſake of Jeſus Chriſt himſelf. Underſtand this well, that therein you might both give Chriſt his due, and God the father his due: for miſtake me not. God doth ſave none but by Chriſt, but God did elect men without reference to Jeſus Chriſt as the motive of election, meerly according to the purpoſe of his own will. All modern and latter Divines lay down this for a truth, that it was the meer pleaſure, and good will of God to man, that was the motive of Gods electing us, and not Chriſt. Chriſt could not be the cauſe, becauſe he was the effect. Now what is the effect, cannot be the cauſe. Gods love in electing mankind, did produce Jeſus Chriſt to be the means of our ſalvation, and of bringing about Gods election, therefore he being the effect of election cannot be the cauſe. The cauſe of election was eternal, but the merits of Chriſt were not ſo. Again, Chriſt was elected himſelf. 1 Pet. 1.20. He was preordained of God before the world was. Now he that was elected himſelf, could not be the cauſe of our election. Beſides the elect are ſaid to be given to Chriſt to be ſaved, John 17.2. therefore he was not the cauſe of our election. It is true, the Scripture tells us, Eph. 1.4 We are elected in Chriſt, i. we are elected in Chriſt as a common perſon. God firſt choſe Chriſt, and then believers in Chriſt, as members of his body. But God elects no man for Chriſts ſake, but man is choſen meerly of Gods bounty, without reference to Jeſus Chriſt. And here Divines ſay, Gods love in electing man to life was as free, as if Chriſt had never died; and it was ſo free, that man was not beholding to Chriſt for his election; and yet Chriſts ſufferings were ſo full, as if men were not bound to God for their election. Thus they are pleaſed to expreſſe it. And the reaſon why the Scripture ſpeaks thus, that we are onelyonly choſen in Chriſt, not for Chriſt, is to give God the Father his due in electing men to life: that God did it meerly of his own grace, and therei… Gods love and favour is apparent to all the world, that he did elect man without Chriſt, as the motive of his election: and yet Jeſus Chriſt being come into the world, he carries on our ſalvation, and he is the cauſe of it; though he was not the cauſe of Gods firſt thoughts, in electing man to life.
Sixthly, All men that are elected by God to life and ſalvation ſhall ſooner or later before they die be called into a ſtate of converſion, and believing, Rom. 8.30. whom he did predeſtinate, them be alſo called: and Acts 13.48. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed. So that God the father, in ordaining man to life, hath ordained this alſo, that before they die, they ſhall be a converted and believing people, and therefore men remaining unconverted, uncalled, unbelieving, they are not the obiects of Gods election.
Seventhly, that God in chuſing or electing men to life, doth let his election runne ordinarily unto the meaneſt, and unto the worſt ſort of men in the world, …en that have leaſt natural endowments, leaſt moral excellencies, leaſt worldly gallantry; ordinarily election runs that way. God hath choſen the poor things of this world, and things diſpiſed, and things that are not hath be choſen. 1 Cor. 1.27. Jam. 2.5. Hath not God choſen the poor of this world to be rich in faith. Ordinarily the Lord chuſe…h poor and mean men, that have no natural or moral excellencies. Hence it was that when Chriſt left the learned Phariſees, and Doctors among the Jewes, the ignorant and poor people, they flocked after Jeſus Chriſt; they looked after Jeſus Chriſt, when the rich and great men of the world had no ſh…re in him.
Eightly, that a man may be an elect childe of God, and yet not expreſſe the fruit of his election in many years here in the world, and this is a very comfortable point. An inſtance you have of this in Paul. It is obſervable of Paul, the Scripture tells us he was a choſen veſſel, Acts 9.15. and yet Paul lived many years, before the fruit of his election appeared in him. Some Hiſtorians ſay, Paul lived 37. the leaſt ſay 30 years, before the fruit of election appeared in him, for he was converted the very year after Chriſts death; and all the while before, he did expreſſe fruit that was ſeemingly repugnant to an elect eſtate, as if a man could not be an elect veſſel, that was ſo vile as he: he was a blaſphemer, a perſecuter, injurious to the Church, …aled men to priſon, mad with rage againſt the profeſſors of Jeſus Chriſt. Nay, he was a man that had a hand in putting Steven the firſt Martyr to death. So long he lived in a courſe of iniquity, for 30. years together, and yet this man was an elect veſſel then. So the Thiefe upon th… Croſſe, an elect childe of God, yet did not expreſſe the fruit of his election in repentance and converſion, until the laſt hour of his life. So that I ſay a man may be an elect childe of God, and yet not expreſſe the fruit of his election in his life for many years.
Ninthly, that God for the great love he beares to his elect that are in the world, lets Reprobates and wicked men enjoy many mercies and outward deliverances, for their ſakes▪ Mark 13.19, 20. There ſhall be tribulation, ſaith Chriſt, ſuch as was not from the beginning of the world, nor ſhall be the end thereof: but for the elect ſake thoſe daies ſhall be ſhortned. For his elect ſake, God did mitigate, did ſhorten, God did take away that trouble from them. So Eſa. 1.9. Had not God left us a ſmall remnant, we had been like Sodome, yea like unto Gomorrah. Had not God left a handful of his elect and godly men amongſt them, all the reſt had been deſtroyed. So Eſa. 65.8. And the Lord ſaid, deſtroy not the people, for a bleſſing is among them. That is, my people is among them, and my elect is among them, therefore deſtroy them not. God did not deſtroy the Nation of the Jewes, becauſe God had his own people mixed among them. Lo Job. 22.30. And this concluſion adminiſters matter of thankfulneſſe, to all men upon earth, to make you bleſſe God, that he keeps his people alive among you, for it is for the elects ſake you have all the outward bleſſings and mercies you do enjoy.
Tenthly and laſtly, take in this concluſion: That this world ſhall continue no longer, then till the number of Gods elect be accompliſhed; when God hath accompliſhed, and brought in to Chriſt the number of his elect; the world ſhall not ſtand one minute longer after this work is done. God doth but uphold the world, till the full numbers of Jewes and Gentiles be come in. If the number were filled, Jeſus Chriſt would ſurrender up the Kingdome to his Father. The Heavens ſhould gather together like a ſcrowle, and the Elements ſhould melt with fervent heat, and this world ſhould come to a diſſolution. It is the elect in the world, that keep up the world, that it doth not fall about our ears. And thus having ſpent theſe 16 Sermons touching mans Effectual calling, and eternal Election, I have now brought all unto a concluſion. And I earneſtly intreat you, let it be your work, to put forth your diligence to make this ſure to your own ſoules, that you are effectually called, and that you are eternally elected to obtain life and ſalvation by Jeſus Chriſt.
FINIS.