The Intercourses of Divine Love Betwixt Christ and His Church, Sermon 18
Sermon XVIII.
Canticles 1. 4.
Draw me, and We will run after thee.
I Proceed to the Application of the Propoſition, which I largely opened, and confirm'd in my laſt exerciſe, viz. That no Soul cometh to, or runneth after Chriſt, till it be firſt drawn; not only ſweetly allured, but powerfully by God inclined; I come now to apply it.
Uſe 1.This in the firſt place may inform you of the Vanity both of the Arminian, and Popiſh Tenets as to this great point. Arminians think it hard to be accounted Enemies to the Grace of God, yea they will profeſs themſelves to own ſpecial Grace, but by the Grace of God, they underſtand no more than exciting Grace, the Grace of God in the Goſpel, which hath appeared to all men, and by ſpecial Grace they only mean that further Grace which is given to them, who have firſt made a good uſe of the power, God hath created in their wills. They ſay that wherever the Goſpel is preached, there goes alongwith it ſuch a preſence of the Spirit, that if men will, they may without any further influence of Divine Grace upon one more than another, repent and believe, &c.
That God when he calleth them by his Goſpel, giveth to ſinners, not only neceſſary, but ſufficient Grace, for faith and obedience, and ſeriouſly commandeth them to believe and obey, under the promiſe of eternal life if they do theſe things, and the contrary threatning of eternal death if they do not. This calling they ſay is in Scripture called an Election unto Grace differing from that unto gloty and Eternal Salvation. This calling is effected, and perfected, by the Preaching of the Goſpel, and the vertue of the Spirit conjoined with it, and that with a gracious, and ſerious intention (on Gods part) ofConfeſſ. Rem. cap. 17. working faith in all thoſe who are ſo called, whether they believe, and be ſaved in the iſſue, or pertinaciouſly refuſe faith, and eternal Salvation; for they tell us there is an effectual calling ſo called, rather from the event, than from the intention of God, properly ſo called, which calling obtaineth its ſaving effect, not from any preciſe intention of God to ſave men, or becauſe it is ſo made by the ſecret and ſingular wiſdom of God, that it effectually agreeth with the will of him that is called, or becauſe in, and by it the will of him who is called, is ſo determined to faith, by an irreſiſtible, and an almighty power (not leſs than that of Creation, or raiſing the dead) that it cannot but believe, and obey, but becauſe man doth not put in a bar (which he might do) to the call of God, nor reſiſt Divine Grace. They tell us there is another ſufficient grace which is ineffectual, which through a failure on mans part, hath not a ſaving effect, but is unfruitful, and obtaineth not its due, and deſired effect, only through mans voluntary and vincible fault; Hence they will tell you, that they attribute all to Grace, they make that the beginning, the reaſon of the progreſs, and perfection of all good, ſo that without preventing, exciting, following, and co-operating grace, the regenerate man himſelf, can neither will, nor do any good, nor reſiſt any temptation.
But they mean by Grace, nothing but the means of grace, and ſuch an aſſiſtance of the holy Spirit, as alwaies attends it, and one as well as another hath, that ſits under the Goſpel; for that which we call ſpecial grace or diſtinguiſhing grace (the drawing of the text) by which God powerfully influenceth the Souls of ſome, not of others, and worketh faith and diſpoſitions to new obedience in them, they deny any ſuch thing, and ſo attribute to the will of man, all the change of the heart which we call converſion or regeneration; hence they will tell you, that God never ſo worketh in any Soul, but man may hinder, and finally reſiſt his operations. This is their opinion, which how contrary it is to truth, and how abſurd it is, I have ſhewed you in my former diſcourſe; what Bradwardin ſaith of the Pelagians, may be appliedBradwardin de cauſa Dei l. 1. cap. 38. to theſe Teachers. They make God pauperculum Mercatorem, like a poor Pedlar, that indeed carries about his Grace, and perſuades men to receive it: But man is made the buyer. Thus (ſaith that grave Author) God ſhould rather, gratiam ſuam commutare ac vendere, quam dare; commute and ſell his grace rather than beſtow, and give it. Doubtleſs the will of▪ God is the efficient cauſe of every good thing that is done, the firſt mover in every good motion, the begetter and preſerver of it. Amantiſſima genitrix, & vivifica conſervatrix (as Bradwardin expreſſeth it, l. 1. cap. 9. and maintaineth it from reaſon, and the conceſſions even of Philoſophers.) They will tell us they will grant this; That God is the firſt cauſe, and mover as to all good, and that all this is of his grace, but he moves us only, by external calling, and the common aſſiſtance of his Spirit. They much delight in thoſe terms, [aids, and aſſiſtances of his Spirit] by which they plainly grant the will of man, the firſt cauſe, and make the Spirit but an aiding aſſiſting cauſe. Again how is the converſion of a ſinner from the Grace of God, whoſe Grace it ſeems extends no further before converſion, to the perſon to be converted, than to the perſon that ſtill continues in its hardneſs, and inconverted ſtate, ſo as it is not the Grace of God that cauſeth the Soul to differ, for as to that, there is no difference, the ſame adminiſtration of grace, both to thoſe whoſe hearts are changed, and to thoſe whoſe hearts are not changed. They tell us grace, and in the ſame degree of adminiſtration, may be, yea is reſiſted, by many of thoſe to whom it is adminiſtred. This opinion muſt be faulty either,
1. By maintaining that God doth not ſeriouſly, and efficaciouſly will the ſalvation of any Soul, the contrary to which in words they affirm, and inſtead of it ſay he ſeriouſly willeth, the ſalvation of all Souls, to whom the Goſpel is Preached, which is very ſtrange; for which of us ſeriouſly willeth any effect, and want no power to effect it, and the thing is not effected? that an Almighty God ſhould ſeriouſly will, what he from all eternity knew ſhould never be effected, and will that which he hath a power to effect, yet never is, never ſhall be effected, is a ſtrange piece of Divinity, or ſenſe: Or elſe it is faulty,
2. By maintaining a greater power in the will of man in its lapſ…d ſtate, than in the will of God, which is againſt all reaſon, and can be owned by none but ſuch as deny God to be omnipotent; I have in opening and proving the Doctrine, ſaid enough to ſhew you the vanity of this dream, I ſhall only add a word or two 1. That this pretended willing of God, which they affirm to be. real, and ſerious, and yet inefficacious, not producing the effect, is incomp…tent with that infinite wiſdom and knowledge which muſt be in him, who is the fountain of all knowledge, and wiſdom▪ Indeed man who hath no knowledge of future contingencies, may ſ…riouſly will, that ſuch a perſon ſhould be moved, exhorted, and call'd upon to do ſuch or ſuch a thing, upon the doing of which he ſhould have an eſtate, and yet he may be left at perfect liberty, whether he will do it or no, and ſo the reward may not be certain, but contingent to him. But that God who from all Eternity, had a certain perfect knowledge who would, and who would not believe, and could not know it, but becauſe he had willed it, (for the will of God only from Eternity could make that certain, which it itſelf was but cont…ngent) I ſay that this God, ſhould ſeriouſly will the ſalvation of all thoſe to whom the Goſpel ſhould be Preached, and their faith, and holineſs as a means in order unto it; when he from all eternity knew, that only ſome of thoſe to whom the Goſpel ſhould be Preached, would believe and obey, and therefore knew it becauſe he had eternally willed their faith, and holineſs, and ſalvation. I ſay this is a ſtrange myſtery, which it will be hard for any thinking men of any degrees of ſenſe or reaſon to underſtand.
2. Indeed if this Doctrine were true, no Soul could be ſaved, at leaſt it were poſſible that no Soul ſhould be ſaved. Our Lord tells us, Joh 6. 44. That no man cometh unto him, but he whom the Father draweth, and every one as he is learned and taught of the Father, cometh unto him. So then it is not of him that willeth, no… of him that runneth, but of the Lord who ſheweth mercy, and man that is born again, is not born again, of the will of the Fleſh, nor of the will of Man, of God. And it muſt be ſaid of God, He hath begotten us; not only he hath treated, and intreated us, and propoſed ſalvation to us, but he hath begotten us, influencing, renewing, changing the heart of the Creature by his power; not leaving us to the power of our wills, upon his word being p…eached unto us, and the arguments of the Goſpel uſed to us.
I appeal to any whoſe heart God hath changed, whether they think their hearts, had ever been turned to God if this had been all God had done for them, that is, given them his Goſpel, and by that invited them to turn unto him, nor can it be ſuppoſed, that when an all-knowing, all wiſe God, from all Eternity, had a certain infallible knowledge, who ſhould be eternally ſaved, and of the powers, and inclinations of all mens hearts, that he ſhould leave the means in order to this ſalvation ſo imperfectly willed, that it was left poſſible, that by thoſe means, none ſhould ever be ſaved, and obtain what he certainly fore knew, and therefore fore-know becauſe he had willed it. But I have already abundantly ſhewed you the oppoſition of theſe notions to the plain revelations, and reaſon of Scripture; It is ſaid that God opened the heart of Lydia, Acts 16. 14. And certainly if man had ſuch a power, being unregenerate, to repent and believe, upon the propoſal of the Goſpel, and preſſing the arguments of it, ſuppoſing the common work of the Spirit always attending the Goſpel, he would much more have a power, being converted, to walk with God, to run after him, for the Soul not changed, is not only impotent, but unwilling, and ſtubborn, when converted it is willing, though …e…k, yet not ſo weak as before converſion; and according to all reaſon, the Soul, which is both ſtubborn, and wholly weak, hath more need of a power (foreign to its own power) which can be no other than the power of God, then that Soul which is now made willing, and only weak, and not ſo weak, as the inconverted Soul is, but this is enough to ſhew you the vanity of theſe principles, which yet obtain ſo much in the world.
2. The Papiſts ſay the ſame thing that the others ſpeak, they will grant, That man hath no power to ſpiritual things without the aſſiſtance of Divine Grace, he cannot believe (ſay they) the myſteries of Divine Salvation, this Bellarmine proves from Joh. Bellarm. de gratia & lib. arbit. l. 6. cap. 2. Ibid c. 4. 5. 7.6. 4. where he deſires his Reader to obſerve, that it is not, no man doth, but no man can come to the Son, except the Father draweth him. Nay he tells us; that without the ſpecial grace of God to help him, man cannot love God, nor prepare himſelf for Grace; nor will any thing which tends to Salvation, o… Godlineſs. But then they tell us;
Ibid c. 9.1. That this Grace of God, is not the ſole agent. That the Soul of man (as to the firſt grace) is no▪ meerly p…ſſive, but alſo active. God indeed calleth, and by ſpecial grace excites, and his grace aideth the will of man in believing. He falls heavily upon Luther, Calvin, and Chemnitius, for ſaying that the Soul in the reception of the firſt grace is meerly paſſive. Pelagians, and Arminians, aſcribe to the will of Man, the whole power of cloſing with the promiſe by faith, being once offered in the preaching of the Goſpel; Papiſts ſeem to divide Gods glory, betwixt him, and the will of man. God ſay they, muſt ſend his Grace, but his Grace is not that alone which produceth the effect for the power of mans will (though infeebled by the Fall) is yet alive, and God accommodating the Soul with the aid, and aſſiſtance of his Grace, the Soul joins with it, and this they aſſign for the reaſon, why one heart is changed, and not another (for God propoſeth his ſpecial grace to all; where by the way you may take notice that they call ſpecial Grace, what we call common, becauſe adminiſtred to all) becauſe free will works better in him that is converted, than in the other; thus ſtill Arminians, and they are agreed, that the fountain of all Spiritual and EternalBellarm. ibid l. 6. c. 15. 3. good is in mans ſelf, that man makes himſelf to differ, and ſo hath wherein to glory, and that man is the firſt cauſe of any true Spiritual ſaving motion, and ſo inequal vertues, are, as I ſaid before, aſcribed to Souls of the ſame kind, under the ſame circumſtances, and endowed with the ſame rational faculties.
Secondly, They alſo agree, That the operations of Divine Grace are no other, than what may by the power of mans will be not only oppoſed, but finally reſiſted, ſo as they ſhall produce no effect, and that drawing grace, is no more then an intreating, and moral ſuaſion, no ſuch act of power as we would have it to be; man comes to Chriſt alone, he is not drawn. Therein they agree with the other.
3. Finally they ſay, the converted Soul, can of itſelf, do acts of righteouſneſs, obey the Commandments of God, and ordinarily needs, no quickning, only aſſiſting Grace. This is not to be allowed in the Latitude, though there be ſomething of truth in it, there is certainly a greater power, and ability to ſpiritual good in the converted, then in the unregenerate, and unconverted Soul, we dare not ſay the Soul converted moves not, acts not, but as acted, and is alſo in that ſtate meerly paſſive, God hath now infuſed a principle of life into it, his Spirit dwelleth in it. But we ſay that even the juſtified Soul ſtill ſtands in need of a conſtant divine influx, and that in a powerful degree; and Bellarmine himſelf grants that as the Soul hath at all times need of Gods aſſiſting, exciting and protecting grace (for Chriſt ſaith, without me you can do nothing) ſo in ſome hard caſes, and in the performance of ſome hard & difficult duties, he hath need of powerful influences of Grace. So as the Jeſuite himſelfdurſt not aſcribe ſo much to the power of mans will, though altered by grace, as thoſe bold men amongſt our ſelves, who will have man have a power not only in ordinary caſes, but to reſiſt the ſtrongeſt temptations. It is a ſign they neither ever knew what a ſtrong temptation meant: Nor what it is to reſiſt and evercome them. But this is enough to ſhew you the vanity of theſe Doctrines.
Uſe 2.Secondly, My diſcourſe on this propoſition will let all of us ſee the exceeding ſolly, of reſiſting and vexing, or grieving, or quenching the holy Spirit of God at any time in its operations or motions. you meet in Scripture with all theſe terms expreſſing the oppoſition which vain man maketh to the holy Spirit of God, two of them, reſiſting, and vexing are applied to men wicked and unregenerate, Acts 7. 51. You do always reſiſt the Holy Ghoſt, and thus you read of vexing the Spirit. The Apoſtle writes to the Theſſalonians, not to quench the Spirit, 1 Theſ. 5. 19. and to the Epheſians, Eph. 4. 30. not to grieve it. As the man that is unregenerate may reſiſt and vex; ſo thoſe that are renewed, may quench, and grieve the Holy Spirit. The Propoſition which I have opened to you, ſhewing you the neceſſity, of our being drawn by this Holy Spirit, if we ever come to Chriſt, or being come, if we hold on in our way, and run after him, and walk with him, juſtifies thoſe reproofs, and exhortations of the Apoſtles evincing it to be the greateſt folly imaginable, voluntarily to do any ſuch acts, by which this bleſſed Spirit ſhould be reſiſted, vexed, quenched, or grieved.
1. This may be done by perſons whoſe hearts are not yet changed, they ſit under the miniſtration of the Goſpel (which is the miniſtration of the Spirit, and a glorious miniſtration) and beſides the ſuaſion of the potent arguments contained in it, ſet on by all the art of the Miniſters of Chriſt, gifted by God for this end, and authorized by God to this work, there is hardly any of them but find ſome inward impreſſions of the Holy Spirit, ſhewing them a neceſſity of believing and obeying the Goſpel if they would ever obtain Eternal life, this they cannot deny, but cannot (through the prevalency of their paſſions above their reaſon) obtain of themſelves, to hearken to theſe admonitions, and yield obedience to theſe impreſſions, but after the prickings of their luſts they muſt go, they cannot deny themſelves in their pleaſures, or profits, (be they never ſuch forbidden fruit;) yet on the other ſide poſſibly their conſciences bear ſo hard upon them, that they cannot quiet them, without promiſing, that they will amend their ways, they will turn to God, they only beg a little time, and cry out with the Sluggard, yet a little ſleep, yet a little ſlnmber, a little folding of the hands to ſleep; like Trades-men, that know they muſt not ſpend all their time in their Beds, if they do, their Families muſt ſtarve, yet their Eyes are heavy, and they cry to thoſe that call them. It is not time to riſe yet, an hour or two hence is time enough. So theſe men ſitting under the ſound of the Goſpel, will grant you, that if they live, and die in ſuch courſes as at preſent they walk in, their Souls muſt periſh to all Eternity. But this they intend not, only it is not time yet to awake ou… of ſle p, a year or two hence is time enough, let them have ſome l…t…s…ction in the pleaſures of youth, they will repeat and believe before they die, and upon this preſumption, they at preſent … the holv Spirit of God from time to time, and v…x i… no… only appearing in the Miniſtration of the Goſpel, but in its more common motions and impreſſions.
This is what I would ſhortly ſhew you, the vanity of from the aſſerted truth of this propoſition. Two things I would ſay to theſe Souls. That whatſoever humane action is to be done, naturally requireth time and place, and that the Earth is the place, and this life is the time for ſuch actions, for (ſaith Solomon, E…l. 9. 10. There is no work, no device, nor knowledge, nor wiſdom in the Grave whither thou go…ſt, upon which he exhorts us: Whatſoever thy hand f…d…h to do, do it with all thy might. It is only while we are upon the Earth, that we are in the way with God whom we have made our adverſary, and whom we are concerned quickly to agree with, when we die we are delivered to the Judge, the Spirit returneth to God that gave it. When our Duſt returns to its Duſt, Our comp ſ…um is then diſſolved, and no action can be the action of the whole man. When our bodies come to be covered with Earth, our bodies move, and act no more. In the Grave, none repents, believeth, prayeth, or praiſeth, or any way remembreth God. Thou ſayeſt, to morrow, or within a few years I will amend, I will repent; how knoweſt thou in what capacity thou ſhalt then be, what a day, or a month, or a year will as to thee bring forth? The preſent time alone is thine, and but a little of that neither, that which (as Gerard ſpeaks) dicendo praeterit, currendo praeterlabitur, is gone while thou ſpeakeſt of it, ſlipt away while thou thinkeſt of it. What talkeſt thou of to morrow, of the next week, month, year, who haſt not an inch of time at thy command, nor canſt command thy Sun to go back, or to ſtand ſtill for an hour? If James inſtruct us not to ſay, To morrow we will go to ſuch a Fair or Market, without adding, If God will; ſurely vain man ſhould not ſay at ſuch a time, I will repent, I will believe, I will turn to God, without ſaying, If God will let me live to ſuch a time; and poor creature, what if God will not! What if he will ſay unto thee, Thou dilatory fool! This night thy Soul ſhall be taken from thee, this year, this month thou ſhalt die. O the moſt unrea ſonable vanity of men in venturing Eternity upon ſuch incertain contingencies! yet this is the uſual deluſion. Auguſtine confeſſeth, that his foot was once in this ſnare; he reſiſted motions for his turning to God, with cras, cras, to morrow, to morrow, I will do it, till at length through the power of grace he brake the ſnare, crying out, Cras Domine! cur non hodie? to morrow Lord, and why to morrow? why not to day? This is but the firſt thing I would ſay to theſe procraſtinating Souls, and not that which properly reſulteth from my former Diſcourſe.
2. But though there be an obvious contingency in that, yet we may admit that thou ſhalt live unto the time thou haſt prefixed to thy ſelf for thy coming, and returning unto God, ſuppoſing yet that no man cometh to the Son, unleſs the Father draweth, how vain are the promiſes that thou makeſt to thy ſelf? Admit thou doſt live to that time, and that before that time thy heart ſhall not be more inamoured upon thy luſts, and hardened in thy ſinful courſes, but that then thou ſhalt have as good and fair convictions as now thou haſt: Yet art thou ſure that God will then draw thee? Art thou ſure thou ſhalt then be drawn by the Preaching of the Goſpel? Admit that, Art thou ſure of the motions, impreſſions, and breathings of the holy Spirit of God? The Preaching of the Goſpel beareth the ſame proportion to the healing of the Soul, that the Pool of Betheſda bare to the healing of bodily infirmities. Men might lie there many years; the Goſpel tells you of one that lay 36 years, yet was not healed; the Angel indeed came often down and ſtirred the waters, but none thruſt him in. There is an healing virtue in the Goſpel; it is the word of Reconciliation, the word of the Kingdom. The Spirit of the Lord attends the miniſtration of it, it ſtirreth the Pool; but admit this, if there be none to help the poor Soul that is impotent into it, it is not healed. What knoweſt thou whether the holy Spirit which breatheth where it liſteth, will breathe upon thee at thy leiſure? God ſaid of the Old World, My Spirit ſhall not alwaies ſtrive with man. If it be not perfectly in thy own power to turn to God when thou pleaſeſt, it is the moſt unaccountable folly imaginable, for any to reſiſt the holy Spirit, and to vex it; yet promiſing himſelf the operations and effects of it, when he will be pleaſed to call for, and to admit them.
But I hear ſome ſaying, Do not you determine that the grace of God cannot be reſiſted, what need your exhortations then not to reſiſt it?
1. I have told you that the grace of God may be oppoſed and reſiſted, but that Grace by which the heart is changed, is powerful, and finally cannot be reſiſted; but certainly the common grace of God (which the Apoſtle ſaith hath appeared to all men) may be oppoſed and reſiſted, and finally rejected, and is ſo by the moſt of thoſe that ſit under it; and certain it is, that mens oppoſing and reſiſting of that common grace, may provoke him to deny ſpecial grace to the Soul that doth it, and will juſtifie God in the denial of it. For we have no reaſon to complain of God's not doing what was truly and purely his part, whiles we have not done what is our part, and in our power. Now, though the change of the heart be an act of Divine Power, yet acts of moral Diſcipline, and the avoiding groſs and ſcandalous ſins, and the performance of ſome religious Duties, which God hath preſcribed as means (though not in themſelves ſufficient and effectual) are things within our power, with the aſſiſtance only of that common grace, which God denieth to none to whom he doth not deny the Goſpel: And in theſe the holy Spirit may be oppoſed, and finally reſiſted, though he ſhall not be finally reſiſted by any Soul that is ordained to life and eternal Salvation; and it is certainly the duty, and wiſdom of every Soul, to take heed of this Reſiſting, this Vexing the holy Spirit, becauſe, as I ſaid before, God ſhall for ever be juſtified in the with-holding his gracious acts of power, until man hath done what is in his power. To which I think I may add, that in the day of Judgment, there will be wanting a Preſident ſo much as of one Soul, who hath followed the drawings of his Goſpel, ſo far as he had power; to whom God hath denied the more powerful drawings of his Spirit, making a change in the Soul, and ſubduing it to the obedience of Faith; and alſo becauſe God will not have his Spirit alwaies ſtrive with man, becauſe he is but fleſh.
2. But ſecondly, Even the People of God alſo fall under this reproof, though not for ſuch vexings, and reſiſtings of the Spirit, as natural, and unregenerate men are guilty of, yet for Quenching the Spirit in its motions, and reſiſtances of it in his operations, whence the Apoſtle ſaw need of thoſe Precepts, 1 Theſ. 5. 19. & Epheſ. 5. 30. We are prone, 1. To Quench the Spirit in its motions to duty, and to put them off. 2. And to promiſe our ſelves, if we fall, we ſhall riſe again.
When we find ſome motions to duty, which we have reaſon to conclude to be from the holy Spirit dwelling in us, and ſometimes from ſome more than ordinary ſuggeſtions to, and impreſſions made upon us, we are too ready to put them off to ſome other time, promiſing to our ſelves that we then will obey them, and hearken to them, not conſidering, that as our firſt coming to Chriſt dependeth upon the Father's drawing; ſo our running after him depends upon Chriſt's, and his Spirit's drawing. Now, though the Lord never forſaketh the Soul that is his, as to neceſſary grace; yet he often deſerts it as to gradual manifeſtations, in ſtrengthening, and quickening influences. See that famous inſtance, Cant. 2. The Lord called at the door of his Spouſe, ſaying, Open my Love, my Dove, my Undefiled. The Spouſe grieveth her Beloved's Spirit; ſhe would open in the morning, when ſhe ſhould have had her fill of ſleep; when ſhe ſhould be up and dreſt, ſhe had put off her Coat, and how ſhould ſhe put it on? ſhe had waſhed her feet, and how ſhould ſhe defile them? At length v. 5. She roſe to open to her Beloved, but he had withdrawn himſelf, and was gone,—She ſought him, but ſhe could not find him; ſhe called him, but he gave her no anſwer. It is the caſe of many good and pious Soul. The holy Spirit moves it to ſome evident piece of ſpiritual duty; (for I am not ſpeaking for extravagant impulſes to things no where preſcribed, or directed in the Word of God) the Soul is under ſome ſpiritual Torpor, and liſtleſneſs; it agrees the thing ought to be done, and diſputes nothing but the neceſſity of doing it preſently, it neglecteth it; it may be when it would open to its Beloved, it finds that he hath withdrawn himſelf, and is gone. It ſeeketh him, but it cannot find him.
2. Secondly, We are as prone alſo vainly to think within our ſelves, If we ſin, we will repent, if we fall, we will riſe. Or, though we run into temptation, yet we will not fall by it. All this while forgetting, that although we live, yet it is not we, but Chriſt lives in us, and we ſhall ſtand in need of drawing grace to run after God. It is true, that if the Believer ſinneth, he hath an Advocate with the Father, even Jeſus Chriſt the Righteous. If he falls, he ſhall riſe. God will ſuccour him when he is tempted; but all this proceeds from an influence forreign to him. God is able to make him to ſtand, and faithful, ſo as he ſhall ſtand. But yet his own endeavours are neceſſary to his ſtanding, and Divine Grace is neceſſary (if he be lapſed) to his recovery; and though he may know, if he knows that he is Elected, and effectually called, and juſtified, that he ſhall not periſh for ever; yet this can by no means encourage his preſumptuous ſinning; for theſe two Reaſons: 1. Becauſe while he lies under the guilt of ſin not repented of, he can have no knowledge of his Election, or Effectual Calling, but hath reaſon to ſuſpect he hath all this while miſtaken the caſe and ſtate of his own Soul. 2. Becauſe he may be ſaved as through fire, and go with an aking conſcience even to the gate of the City of God. Now it is impoſſible, that in the Judgment of any Soul under the conduct and command of reaſon, the pleaſure of ſin ſhould appear compenſative of the rack of Conſcience, and the feeling the terrours of God upon the Soul but for a few days. If indeed man having fallen from his integrity, had a power to riſe again at pleaſure by the help alone of his own hands, he might have from hence a motive to indulge his corruptions; but if he hath no ſuch power, but what he derives from drawing grace, certainly it is the vaineſt thing imaginable for man to ſin upon a preſumption, of what is not in his power; and though he be certain of it in the iſſue, yet he may want it ſo long, as may leave him little pleaſure of his ſinning, little fruit of thoſe things for which he hath been ſo long aſhamed.
Uſe 3.Thirdly, From this repreſentation of the ſtate, the preſent ſtate of Man; We may obſerve the difference betwixt our preſent ſtate, and the ſtate of our Pro-parent Adam in the ſtate of Innocency. It is a point not half enough thought of, and the want of a due conſideration of it, cauſeth ſo many ſwellings againſt, and blaſphemings of the Truth of God in this point. They will not underſtand, that although God made Man upright, and in Honour, yet he abode not in Honour, but by ſeeking out inventions, became like unto the Beaſt that periſheth. The ſtate of Man at firſt was ſuch,
1. That he needed not have come to Chriſt for life; he had his li…e in his hands. There needed no Saviour before we were loſt, no Mediator or Interceſſor, before man had offended, and conſequently, no applications of our Souls unto him for life and Salvation, and this by the way may ſhew you the weakneſs of their reply, who when they are told, that it is no more injuſtice with God to call to us for thoſe exerciſes of Grace in order to our ſalvation, which in our lapſed ſtate we have no power to perform, than it is in man to call to him, to whom he hath lent a great ſum, which he by his debauchery hath ſpent, to pay him what he oweth him, and to lay him in Priſon (though he hath nothing to pay) for God in creation gave unto man a power to do whatſoever in that ſtate was neceſſary to his Salvation. I ſay when they are told this, they uſually tell us, That Adam never had a power to repent and believe in Chriſt; Nor was repentance or faith in Chriſt neceſſary in that ſtate wherein Adam was created, nor would it ever have been neceſſary either to him, or us, had he ſtood in that eſtate, God gave unto Adam and to us in him, whatſoever was neceſſary in that ſtate, and if our Fore-fafather, and we (who dyed in him, and fell with him) have made a Mediator neceſſary, and repentance, and faith in the Mediator neceſſary, and we have no power to theſe acts, nor ever had, no not in Adam, how yet is God unrighteous in requiring thoſe acts of us, though we have no power to perform them?
Secondly, As in that ſtate, there was no need of a Chriſt, of a Saviour, a Redeemer, nor conſequently of a being drawn, or a coming to him: So neither was there need of any ſuch potent drawing in order to our running after him. Adam had a perfect power connatural to him, to walk with God in the obedience of his will. It was the fall that lamed us in our feet, and introduced this neceſſity of Chriſts drawings in order to our running. Let us in a word or two take a view of man now in this, that he ſtands in need of theſe divine drawings.
1. He now ſtands in need of a Mediator, and there is no name given under Heaven by which any Soul can be ſaved, but only the name of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, no Salvation by any other.
2. He ſtands in need of drawing to this Mediator, not only of a Child to be born a Son again, a Saviour prepared, but of the work of the Father, and the holy Spirit to draw us to, and after this Mediator.
1. Drawing (as I have ſhewed you) imports a fair treating, & intreating, & alluring Souls to what is their great and only happineſs, this ſpeaks man, 1. In a ſtate of averſion from God and his only felicity. Mans ſupreme happineſs lies in his union, and communion with God, as the ſupreme and greateſt good; yet he muſt be drawn to it, drawn with the cords of a man, allured by mans Rhetorick, perſuaded to it by mans Logick, and ratiocination; we as the Embaſſadours of Chriſt, muſt beſeech and intreat men to be happy in being reconciled to God, and thus much is granted to us by thoſe who make themeaneſt, and moſt jejune interpretation of this drawing.
2. Drawing (ſecondly) ſignifieth an act of power. This ſpeaketh us not only averſe, but impotent and weak without ſtrength. We are like Lot in Sodom; though we daily hear that the wicked ſhall be turned into Hell, with all thoſe that forget God, though the Lord uſeth all intreaties with his poor Creatures, and the love of God be diſplayed before us in the fulleſt meaſure, yet till the Lord doth by us (as the Angel did by Lot) lay hold upon us, and pull us out of our ſinful ſtate, we move not a jot. Yea verily man in his beſt eſtate, man regenerate, and brought home to God, muſt alſo be drawn, or he will not run, he muſt be kept by the power of God through faith to Salvation, or he will never come into Heaven; when to will is preſent with us, we have no ſtrength to perform. The Spirit is willing, but the fleſh is weak. O miſerable men that we are; who ſhall deliver us from our bodies of death. I need ſay no more, it being what is juſtified by the experience of the beſt of men, and their prayers directed to God accordingly.