The Abuse of Gods Grace, Chapter 3 · Section 1 – Section 2
1. PREDESTINATING grace is Turned 1. Predeſtinating grace is turned into wantonneſſe.into Wantonneſs. It is a wreſted Concluſion from this glorious principle: God hath choſen me to life; therefore, though I live as I liſt, I ſhall be ſaved: A baſtard inference and practiſe, that this chaſt truth never begat. The Contrary deduction flowes from the grace of Election. As the Elect of God, holy, not looſe, Col. 3. 12. He hath choſen us to ſalvation through ſanctification of the ſpirit, 2. Theſ. 2. 13. through it as a part of our ſalvation, execution of Gods decree, ornament of the ſaving Goſpell, fitnes for eternall life; not through the filthines of fleſh and ſpirit, as if wickedneſs were the way to happines, and God had from Eternity deſigned an everlaſting reſt to the induſtrious ſervices of the Devill. He hath choſen us in him that we ſhould be holy, Epheſ. 1. 4. That Holyneſſe which lay hid in the womb of Gods eternal purpoſe is infallibly brought forth in time, in all veſſels of honour. The Apoſtle inferred Sobriety, Faith, and Hope in the children of Goſpel light, from Gods appointments, not a looſe ſleeping in ſinne: Let us be ſober, &c. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain ſalvation by our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Theſ. 5. 9. God hath not appointed us the Word, nor put us, or ſet or placed us in a ſtate of avenging foreign.wrath, but gracious ſalvation. He puts us in this bleſſed eſtate by predeſtinating, calling, drawing, regenerating, and juſtifying; not by a fearleſſe, careleſſe living, and dying in reigning ſin. Muſculus well taxeth this abuſe: The contempt of Gods Non dicas nihil peri…uli quomodocunque vivam, contemptus gratiae Dei, iram illius graviſſimam reddit. Muſcul. Abſit ut peccem in gratiam et voluntatem dei ac peream, potius accommodabo me gratiae illius, ut ſalver. Geram me ſicut homini convenit non ethnico ſed chriſtiano. Muſcul. Annon ejuſmodi verba dementis. Muſcul.grace incurrs his heaviest wrath. Wherefore ſay not, There is no danger however I live; God hath put me into a ſtate of ſalvation, his poſitive decree is firme, I cannot be damned, I ſhall be ſaved. Rather ſay, Farre be it that I ſhould ſinne againſt Gods gracious purpoſes and periſh; rather I will a commodate my ſelf unto his gracious will, and be ſaved. He hath deſigned me for this, would have me be a Chriſtian: therefore I muſt live the gracious life of a Chriſtian, not the infamous of an Heathen. Ho… irrationall and ungodly is the inference of wickedneſſe from Gods pure purpoſes. If a ſick patient ſhould ſay, under mortall diſeaſes, It matters not what I doe, I will eat, and drink, and doe what I liſt, my Phyſician hath not appointed me to death, but recovery: Would you not think him a mad man, and ſelf-deſtroyer? O impure diſputer againſt the holy purpoſes of God, it will appeare to be thy folly and madneſſe, becauſe God (thou thinkeſt) hath not appointed thee to Hell, but Heaven, to live as a veſſel of wrath, and yet hope to be ſaved, when the direct way to the North leads to the South, ſhalt thou goe to glory in the way of Gods reproach, the contempt of Chriſt, and thine own damnation? Gods gracious promiſes and decrees tune with each other. As he never promiſed, ſo he never purpoſed eternall ſalvation to an unregenerate heart, and a looſe life. His Predeterminations to a bleſſed end, involve ſuitable meanes. As he never intended man ſhould live by poyſon, but by bread, ſo it is abſolutely diſtant from the thoughts of his heart, that a man ſhould live to God and with God for ever, by an indulgence to the fleſh in its luſts and affections, ſenſualities, and Vides nautarū miniſteri is opus fuiſſe, ut divina promiſſio adimpleretur. Granaten.delights. God appointed Paul and his company to eſcape ſhipwracke, but it was by ſwimming on boards and broken peeces of the ſhip. Act. 27. 24. Thus God hath appointed ſome to eſcape the wrath to come, but it is by faith and mortification, getting on the planck of repentance, ſwimming through by the ſtrength of Chriſt, not drowning in the ſea of the world. God appointed Noah to ſalvation from the worlds deluge, but it was by getting into the Arke. A Looſe heart and life is no accommodation to execution of predeſtinating grace, but oppoſition. The eternall, Predeſtinatio Dei multis eſt Cauta ſtandi, nemini cauſa labendi. Aug. de Predeſtinatione Sanctorum.ſaving, diſcriminating Counſels of God, are to many the cauſe of their ſtanding, to no… choſen veſſell the cauſe of their falling. The doctrine of abſolute and free election rightly underſtood, powerfully revealed in the evidences of grace, well uſed, hinders no veſſell of glory but helps him to heaven. They that can without any Scripture warrant, any choiſe worke of the ſpirit, eaſily and preſumptuouſly write their names in the book of life, and as the Iſraelites wantonly played about their golden Idol, ſo in a laſcivious mirth are looſe fleſh-pleaſers, and feaſt their Corruptions, will have a dreadfull demonſtration after death in judgment, and to eternitie, that their names were written in the black book of death, not the white of life. The moſt holy and righteous Judge of the world will never ſay, Come yee bleſſed eternally prepared by a free choiſe to an heavenly kingdome, to thoſe that lived and died in their indulged curſed natures and lives, but to thoſe ſelect happy ones, whoſe hearts were gloriouſly transformed, and converſation really faſhioned after the Goſpell pattern. O the ſad confutation of them that build prophane libertiniſme on this firme and pure foundation, Predeſtinating grace, their pretended intereſt in it and pleaſing conceits of it will vaniſh like a golden dreame: They will not riſe as Elect but reprobate; The Lord will ſay with hotteſt indignation againſt unreformed Carnall Goſpellers, Goe yee curſed workers of iniquitie.
Sect. 2.
2. SParing Grace is turned into Wantonneſſe. It was Gods 2 Sparing grace is turned into wantonneſſe.complaint of the houſe of Iſrael; They deſpiſed my judgements, and walked not in my ſtatutes: nevertheleſſe mine eyes ſpared them from destroying them, notwithſtanding they rebelled againſt me, and walked not in my ſtatutes. Ezek. 20. 16, 17, 21. I have ſpread out my hands all the day long unto a rebellious people. Iſa. 65. 2. God is angry with the wicked every day. Pſal. 7. 11. Sin is an abomination to him. Pſal. 53. 1. He can in Martial Law ſoon arraign, condemne, and execute the ſinner. The ſword is whet, it is drawn, is near the bold Tranſgreſſour, yet it ſtrikes not. Pſal. 7. 12. The how is bent, made ready, Pſal. 7. 13. The arrow is on the ſtring: The divine ſtrong hand of vengeance could every minute draw it up to the head, let fly, pierce ungodly men through and through, ſhoot them into hell, yee God ſpares the ſinner, and this is the unworthy and ungratefull return, he ſpares his ſinne, but forſakes it not. Job 20. 13. Is like the Felon that is ſpared burning and hanging and he grows more inſolent and violent in his old wickedneſſe, like the truantly boy, that is ſpared whipping and he grows malepart, ſaucy, lazy, ſtubborn in his Maſters preſence. The Lord ſpares the Lyar, Swearer, Tipler, Whoremonger, Adulterer, Defrauder, Oppreſſour, that Riots with the bread of deceit. Prov. 20. 17. and the wine of violence. Prov. 4. 17. The ſubtle, yet fooliſh Hypocrite, whoſe craft and wiſdome of the fleſh is to undoe his ſoul; and yet theſe in a frolick dalliance and looſeneſſe of ſpirit, wallow in their old wickedneſſe, and pleaſingly dance over Non dubitamus eſse donum dei, ut quis in ſee ere, aliquandiu toleretur. Pet. Matt.the mouth of Hell. They abuſe that Grace which was never offered to the faln Angels. God ſpared them not (no not a moment) but caſt them down to hell. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Juſtice would ſpare the ſinner not a moment, its free Grace that ſpares. It is an undoubted gift of God that any man in his wickedneſſe is ſpared a minute. How full is the world of daring wantons, that ſinne ſecurely before, and againſt ſparing Grace? The interceeding kindneſſe of the Lord Jeſus is abuſed: Such as are Gods provoking Rebels, who are ſpared under the time and means of Goſpel grace, are beholding to the prevalent pleadings of Jeſus Chriſt, who hath dayly grants of his Father to ſpare carnall Goſpellers, ad put them to the triall, whether they will repent and be fruitfull in obedience. The vine dreſſer pleaded for the unfruitfull vineyard, Let it alone this yeare till I ſhall digg about it and dung it, and if it hear fruit well, and if not then after that thou ſhalt cut it downe, Luke 13. 8, 9. This Vinedreſſer (ſays one) is Ieſus Chriſt the Colonus hic eſt filius Dei Ieſus Chriſtus, quem ſuae vineae ſacerdotem Deus Conſtituit. Fit Chriſti interceſſione quod non ſemper illico excidunt, qui hoc jampeidem ſuis ſceleribus meruerunt. Gualterus in Loc.Son of God, whom he hath Conſtituted the Prieſt of his Vineyard: Were it not for the interceſſion of Chriſt, barren Vineyards, fruiteleſs Churches would ſoon be deſtroyed. Profeſſed Chriſtian Congregations, Private families, would by the axe of death be cut downe as fit fewell for hell fire.