Effectual Calling and Election 2, Sermon 11
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 effectually called by Jeſus Chriſt. In the managing of which I came to an uſe of direction, to thoſe who are aſſured of their effectual calling, and to them I gave three directions. Firſt, That you would rightly manage your aſſurance. Secondly, Carefully preſerve your aſſurance. Thirdly, Daily improve your aſſurance; the laſt of which I have yet to handle And touching this third direction, daily to improve your aſſurance, I ſhall give you but three heads; which if you make uſe of, you may every day improve your aſſurance, and bring it from a little to a great meaſure. As
Firſt, In caſe you would do this, improve your graces. The more you increaſe in grace, the more you will grow in comfort. Grace and comfort, they are two Twinnes, that the more one growes, the better the other thrives. Hence you read, that in the ſaluation of every Epiſtle, the Apoſtle puts both together, Grace, mercy, and peace be multiplied to you in Chriſt Jeſus, 1 Cor. 1.3. There the Apoſtle makes the multiplying of grace, to be the multiplying of peace. The more you multiply and grow in grace, the more you will increaſe peace, inward peace of conſcience: they are both joyned together. You have a paſſage, 2 Peter 1.5, 11. compared together, Adde to your Faith vertue, &c. The Apoſtle there urgeth our diligence to adde grace to grace; that is, to live in the improvement of grace. And what will follow? verſe 11. If you doe theſe things, you ſhall never fall; for ſo an entrance ſhall be miniſtred unto you abundantly into the everlaſting Kingdome of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. You ſhall not onelyonly go to heaven, but you ſhall have an abundant entrance miniſtred before you come there; you ſhall have abundance of aſſurance and inward peace before you come there. And here to give you a more particular direction, there are theſe foure graces chiefly you are to improve.
Firſt, Improve the grace of humility. Eſa. 57.15. the Lord doth promiſe there to revive the ſpirit of the humble. It is a particular promiſe to that grace, that God will revive you, and give you a new life if you have it. And reviving there is not meant of the firſt life of grace, but of a life of comfort. They had grace before, but God would give them a life of comfort, he will reſtore your conſolation to you in caſe you are a humble people. Hence it is, James 4.6. The Lord gives grace to the humble. Yea, he gives more grace. The Lord gives more grace to the humble perſon then to any man in the world. Now the more grace you have, the more comfort you muſt needs have. Humility is a foundation of more grace, therefore needs muſt be a foundation of more comfort.
That building, whoſe foundation is laid loweſt, is of all the moſt beautiful and comely Fabrick above ground: So thoſe Chriſtians that lay a foundation low in humility, they are likely to rear up a moſt beautiful Building in way of comfort.
Secondly, Improve the grace of faith in believing, and that is the way to increaſe comfort. 1 Peter 1.8. Whom though you have not ſeen, yet believing, you rejoyce with joy unſpeakable and full of glory. Though they did never ſee Chriſt, yet believing in Chriſt, and improving their faith, they had not only an ordinary meaſure of comfort, but they had more comfort in their hearts, then they could utter with their Tongue; They rejoyce with joy unſpeakable and full of glory. So Rom. 15.13. The God of peace fill you with all joy and peace in Believing, that you may abound in hope through the holy Ghoſt. Believing makes you full of all joy, and makes you abound in it. The more you are in Believing, the more you will be in aſſurance.
Thirdly, Improve the grace of love to Jeſus Chriſt. John 14.23. If any man love me, my Father ſhall love him, and we will come in unto him, and make our abode with him. That is, If you improve in your love to Jeſus Chriſt, God the Father and God the Son will make their dwelling in your hearts. Now he muſt needs be a comfortable Chriſtian, that hath ſo good a gueſt as God the Father and Jeſus Chriſt to come in, and make their abode with him. As you know, to your boſome-friend whom you love, and you know loves you, you will communicate all your ſecrets: Thus will God the Father, if hee knowes you are his boſome-friends, and ſeeth you love him, he will communicate all his comforts to you; you ſhall never want comforts, if you increaſe in love to Jeſus Chriſt.
Fourthly, Improve the grace of godly ſorrow; you will never finde ſweeter muſick in comfort, then when you are laid down in teares. As the ſound of the Trumpet is never more pleaſant then when they are upon the water; ſo when God ſeeth you flow with the water of repentance and godly ſorrow, then you are likely to hear the moſt melodious harmony in the apprehenſion of Gods love; Pſal. 126. They that ſowe in tears, ſhall reap in joy. You ſhall not onelyonly have a dram, but a handfull of joy; as Reapers they cut down handfuls of corne at once. And as you know in ſeed, though you ſowe but one grain of corne, there may a dozen eares come from that one ſeed: ſo if you ſowe but a little godly ſorrow, a grain of godly ſorrow may be a root to a great deal of ſpiritual joy.
Secondly, If you would improve your aſſurance, preſerve a clear conſcience, both towards God and man. A good conſcience is a continual feaſt, Prov. 15.15. Aſſurance, I may ſay of it as a Father ſpeaks of the Holy Ghoſt, Res delicata eſt Spiritus Dei.and the comforts thereof, The Spirit of God is a very nice thing, every thing will give the comforts of Gods Spirit a check and diſtaſte; now if you harbour ſinne upon conſcience, you will never thrive in comfort; every thing will give comfortable motions a check. And as Philoſophers ſay when the Aire is foggy, it ariſeth from vapours that are exhaled from the earth, which makes the aire ſo cloudy as it is; So it is filth drawn from our earthly hearts, that makes ſuch foggy miſts to ariſe between our comforts and us, and between God and us. You muſt keep conſcience clear, elſe you will never keep heaven clear. Heaven will be clouded, if the heart be filthy. Job 11.14, 15. If iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away; If ſinne be upon the conſcience, harbour it not, for then thou ſhalt lift up thy face before God, thou ſhalt be ſtedfast, and not fear. You ſhall not only not fear, but you ſhall have a degree of aſſurance. You ſhall be ſtedfaſt, if you put ſinne far away from you. A ſullied and a polluted conſcience ſhall never be in a Chriſtian ſtrong in aſſurance. You will not grow in aſſurance, if your conſcience harbour guilt.
Thirdly, If you would improve your aſſurance, keep cloſe in communion with God. Nothing that feeds comforts ſo much as a Chriſtians holy walking, Eſa. 32.17. The work of righteouſneſſe ſhall be peace, and the effect thereof quietneſſe and aſſurance for ever. If you walk in works of righteouſneſſe, and in a way of keeping cloſe communion with God; this ſhall be peace, and this ſhall be quietneſſe, and great aſſurance. Mark how the Holy Ghoſt makes a gradation; not onelyonly peace and quietneſſe, but aſſurance alſo: you ſhall have the higheſt degree of peace, and the higheſt ſtep of comfort, if you walk diligently in a way of holineſſe with your God. And thus much be ſpoken to the firſt ſort of men, thoſe that live in the enjoyment of the aſſurance of their effectual calling.
Ʋſe. 2 I have now a word to thoſe men that live in the want of this aſſurance, who happily have in times paſt had ſome glimmering, and ſome dimme ſight of comfort, touching their everlaſting eſtate, and yet are now much clouded and eclipſed in their comforts, or have loſt the comforts they once had, what they ſhould do to recover it. And to theſe I ſhall by way of direction ſpeak only four things.
Firſt, That you would ſet upon ſearching work. Secondly, Upon humbling work. Thirdly, Upon praying work. And fourthly, that you would ſet upon meditating work: Theſe four helpes will through Gods Bleſſing be very conducible to reſtore your wonted comforts to you.
Firſt, My counſel ſhall be to you, that you would ſet upon ſearching and examining work. When you have loſt any thing, the firſt thing you do is to look after it, where you have loſt it, that you may finde it again. If you have loſt this precious jewel of aſſurance, be thus wiſe for your ſelves; O ſet upon ſeeking and ſearching work. The Scripture gives you this hint, Gal. 6.4. Let every man ſearch his own work, and then he ſhall have rejoycing in himſelfe. This is the way to bring in ſpiritual joy and ſpiritual comfort, to be often dealing with your own hearts. David when he lay under ſome foule diſtemper, mark how he deales with his own ſoule: Why art thou troubled, O my ſoule, and why art thou diſquieted within me? he puts his heart upon the Trial. And here in your ſearching work, I would commend five things to your examination.
Firſt, Search how you got your aſſurance.
Secondly, Search how you grounded your aſſurance.
Thirdly, Search how you managed your aſſurance.
Fourthly, Search what ſhould provoke God to take away your aſſurance.
Fifthly, and laſtly, Search what you would give to God, ſo you might regain your former and wonted aſſurance. Put theſe queſtions to your hearts; As
Firſt, Put upon the ſearch, how you got your aſſurance. It may be it was ſuch an aſſurance as you have had ever ſince you were borne from your mothers womb: that you got without care, and without pain; and if ſo, this is preſumption, not aſſurance; and if you have loſt this, it is well. It is better to be in a ſtate of diſcouragement, then in a ſtate of preſumption.
Secondly, Examine how you grounded your aſſurance. It may be you bottomed it but upon ſelfe, not upon Chriſt. It may be, you bottomed it but upon the fantaſtical deluſions of your own hearts, and not upon the grounded evidence of Gods Word; if ſo, that your aſſurance have had an ill bottome, it is no wonder if God turne it upſide-down. If it bee not rightly grounded, it will never long bee continued. Examine therefore upon what grounds you have bottomed your aſſurance, and if you finde the foundation of your comforts to be ill laid, you muſt pluck up all again.
Thirdly, Search how you managed your aſſurance. It may be you managed your aſſurance with pride, not humility; it may be with unwatchfulneſſe, and careleſneſſe of ſpirit, and did not take notice of thoſe temptations and ſuggeſtions that might impaire your comforts; and if ſo, it is no wonder if the devil ſowes tares amongſt your wheat; it is no wonder if the devil have ſtollen away your comforts, if you have laid down your watch.
Fourthly, Examine what ſpecial cauſe there was in your hearts, that might provoke God to cloud you in your comforts, and to take away your aſſurance from you. And here that you might a little bee directed in this ſearch, you may reduce the cauſe of your eclipſe, and of the removal of your aſſurance, unto this twofold head. Either it hath been the commiſſion of ſome great tranſgreſſion, or elſe the omiſſion of ſome weighty duty, that may provoke God to darken your comforts. As,
Firſt, the Commiſſion of ſome great tranſgreſſion. Great ſins they lay a foundation for great diſcomforts in tender conſciences. Vaſtare conſcientiam.Great ſins they lay the conſcience waſte; to make it that was as a well-trimmed and impaled garden, to be as a ruinous wilderneſſe. Great relapſes they bring ordinarily dark eclipſes upon the ſoule. And here that I might put you on this ſearch, I would adviſe you to ſearch what particular ſinne it was, and how you might know the tranſgreſſion that might provoke God, to take away your comforts from you. As,
Firſt, if ſo be God did take away your comforts immediately after the committing of any groſſe ſin, then you may be ſure that ſinne was the occaſion. Or,
Secondly, If the commiſſion of any ſin, doth bring upon you more then an ordinary meaſure of hardneſſe of heart, then you may be ſure that was the ſin. Or,
Thirdly, If any ſinne makes you remiſſe in ſpiritual duties, that was the ſinne provoked God to take away your comforts from you. And by ſuch a ſearch as this, you might finde out, and give a ſhrewd gueſſe at the particular provocation.
And here the particular tranſgreſſions I would have you ſearch about, they are ordinarily theſe four, that ingages God to take away comforts from a people. As
Firſt, the ſinne of ſuperciliouſneſſe, and uncompaſſionateneſſe of ſpirit towards doubting Chriſtians. If a ſoul carries a proud and ſupercilious eye over poor Chriſtians, and carries no compaſſion towards doubting ſouls. God for that ſinne of wanting bowels of compaſſion, may bring him to the ſame eſtate, which he could not compaſſionate in other men.
Secondly, the ſinne of grieving the Spirit; if you grieve Gods Spirit, God will grieve yours, Eſa. 63.10. Or,
Thirdly, The ſinne of ſpiritual pride; ordinarily this may be the ſinne. Or,
Fourthly, The ſinne of worldly-mindedneſſe, or eager purſuit after the things of this world. As digging in the earth doth endanger a man to bee ſtifled with damps; ſo digging and poring in the world brings but a damp upon a Chriſtians comforts, and many times ſtifles their aſſurance. As the Sun is eclipſed by the interpoſition of the Moone between it and our ſight; ſo if the world once get between the Sunne of righteouſneſſe and you, it will eclipſe the Sunne that you ſhall not ſee the glory of Jeſus Chriſt, and ſhall not perceive nor gain that intereſt in Jeſus Chriſt you had in former time.
Secondly, Another cauſe you are to ſearch; If it be not the commiſſion of ſome great tranſgreſſion, yet it may be the omiſſion of ſome neceſſary and weighty duty, and the Lord may bring you upon the ſtage of diſcomfort for omiſſion as well as commiſſion. If a man doth let but a wound go undreſſed, he may as well die, as if you knockt him with a Beetle upon the head: Beloved, if you let your wounds be undreſſed, and let your diſcomforts be unlooked after, and let all run at ſixes and ſevens; if you interrupt in your duties, it is juſt with God to interrupt you in your comforts. If you keep not your watch, 'tis no wonder if you are ſurprized. There are many Chriſtians that grow careleſſe in keeping communion with God, that love ſeldome reading, and ſeldome praying, and ſeldome examining their owne hearts; (alas) men caſting away their duties, it makes God in judgement make ſtoppage in a way of comfort.
Fifthly, In your ſearching work examine your ſelves, what you would do in caſe God ſhould reſtore to you your former evidences; could you bring your hearts to this temper, that you would think no pains too much to take, no coſt too much to give, nothing ſhould be irkſom to you that God would have you perform, in caſe he would give you your wonted comforts? If you finde this temper of ſpirit in you, this is a very ready way to bring on your comforts, and reſtore the joyes of your ſalvation to you.
Secondly, Set upon humbling work: the onelyonly way to gain what you have loſt, is to mourn over your loſſes. Jer. 31.18, 19, 20. See how Ephraim comes to have his comforts reſtored, when he wept over his own diſcomforts: I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himſelfe, ſaith God, and I ſaid, Is Ephraim my dear ſonne, I ſaw him ſmiting upon his thigh, humbling his ſoul for his ſinnes; and ſince I ſaw him, I do earneſtly remember him, and I will ſhew mercy to him. Here you ſee lamenting Ephraim; God in the very time of his bemoaning himſelf, reſtored his comforts to him: we hear many lament for their outward loſſes, but who laments for the loſſe of inward comforts? And David after he had loſt his comforts by that great ſinne of adultery, makes ſeven penitential Pſalmes, Pſalmes of lamentation or repentance; and he calls one of them, A Pſalm to call to remembrance. And as an Authour well notes, when David came to renew his comforts, he makes a Pſalm to call to remembrance thoſe ſinnes that might provoke God to take away his comforts from him: So Beloved, let it be your work to make ſuch Pſalms in your Cloſets, and make it your practice to call to remembrance thoſe evils that provoke God to eclipſe your comforts to you, and let that humble you. If you cannot find out the Particular ſin, labour to humble your ſoules for every ſinne, and then to be ſure you cannot miſſe that.
Thirdly, Would you reſtore your wonted comforts? then ſet upon praying work. This courſe you finde David took; Pſal. 51.8. Make me, O Lord, to hear the voice of joy and gladneſſe, that the bones which thou hast broken might rejoyce. Create in me a new heart, and eſtableſh me with thy free Spirit, verſe 12. Here you read of Davids praying work, how he poured forth his ſoule in prayer, that God would reſtore to him the joyes of his ſalvation. And here in your praying work I would only caſt in three directions.
Firſt, Pray for a diſtinct ſight of thoſe evils that provoked God to take your comforts from you.
Secondly, After you have got a ſight, bend the ſtrength of your prayers moſt againſt thoſe evils that did ſo provoke God to cloud your comforts. Pray againſt them, as againſt the deadlieſt enemy you have in the world.
Thirdly, Pray for attaining thoſe graces that may be inlets to ſpiritual comfort, as the graces before named: the grace of godlie ſorrow, the grace of humiliation, the grace of faith, and of love to Jeſus Chriſt. Thus if you ſet upon ſearching, upon humbling, and upon praying work, you are in a likely way to have your comforts reſtored.
Fourthly, Set upon the work of meditation; and in this work, I ſhall commend four meditations you are to take into your thoughs, which may be very helpful and uſeful to you in reſtoring your comforts. As,
Firſt, Let your meditations run upon this, that ſometimes you are not ſo competent Judges of your own ſpiritual eſtate, as others may be; As,
Firſt, In a time of deſertion, when God hath left you and frownes upon you.
Secondly, In times of temptation, when the devils temptations are violent againſt you.
Thirdly, In times of Relapſe, when you are fallen into ſome great ſinne; at this time you are not ſo competent Judges of your own eſtate, but ſtanders by may ſee more of your own good, and your own ſincerity, then your ſelves may do; as the Proverb is: Many times Lookers on ſee more then he that playes the game; it is true in this. A Looker on may ſee ſincerity ſparkle in thy practice, and thy graces ſhine in thy converſation, when thou canſt not do it thy ſelfe. A childe when it blubbers and cries, can ſee nothing of his book. So when Chriſtians are ſad, and ſullen, and lumpiſh, they can hardly read any thing of their evidence. Mr. Throgmorton got his aſſurance this way, by the Teſtimony of a company of godly Miniſters that they could lay their ſoules in his ſoules ſtead. Let this therefore run in your Meditations, that many times ſtanders by and Chriſtians that behold your walkings, and ſee your Actions, they may ſee more ground of comfort in you then your ſelves can do.
Secondly, Meditate and think upon the comforts God gave you in wonted time, and call them to minde. Do as David did, Pſal. 77. I called to minde the dayes of old, and the yeers of many generations. Call to minde ancient dayes, did not God ſhew thee his face? did not God bear thee in the palmes of his hands? did not God give thee many a ſmile of his countenance, and many a pledge of his love, even by affliction it ſelfe? did not God ſet many a ſeal upon thy heart, that thy comforts were true, thy evidence clear, and thy ends ſincere towards God? Beloved, call to minde the former frame of thy ſpirit, how thou waſt in wonted times, and this Meditation being backed by Gods Spirit, may bee a great means to reſtore thy comforts to thee; paſt goodneſſe ſhould be preſent encouragement.
Thirdly, Meditate what way it was that you got your former comforts and aſſurance; Ex quo gignimur eo dem nutrimur.and the ſame way God will ſanctifie to reſtore you your comforts again. What Phyſicians ſay of the body, We are nouriſhed of thoſe things, of which wee are begotten and generated. So I ſay of comforts: The very ſame thing that begot comforts, the ſame will reſtore your comforts againe. Now think upon this in your practice, and conſider, What way did I gaine my comforts in yeeres paſt? did I gaine my comforts by godly ſorrow, and by lamenting after God, and by mourning over thoſe abominable failings in my practice? now take the ſame courſe to reſtore thy evidences. Go and mourn in thy Cloſet over thy uneven walking before God. Go lament for thy ſinnes, mourne after thy Father; and tell him thou art grieved at the heart that he is ſo great a ſtranger to thy ſoule. Didſt thou gain thy aſſurance in dayes paſt by humbling thy ſoule often before God? Set upon humbling work again. Didſt thou gain thy comforts in dayes paſt by walking cloſely with thy God? Amend thy paths, and direct thy wayes unto thy Maker for dayes to come. There is the very ſame way to reſtore your comforts, that was at firſt to gain your comforts.
Fourthly, Let your Meditations work upon thoſe comforting Promiſes in the Goſpel, that hold forth moſt comfort to a dejected ſoule. And truly I am perſwaded, Chriſtians Meditations running more upon their own failings, and their own jealouſies, and their own miſtakes, then upon Goſpel-Promiſes, hath been the great occaſion they have layen ſo long under a ſpirit of bondage, and under a dark eclipſe in the want of the comforts of Gods Spirit. Therefore now let your Meditations work upon thoſe Promiſes that hold forth moſt comfort to a dejected and deſerted ſoule. And here. I ſhall name five or ſixe moſt comfortable Promiſes in the Word; As Eſa. 57.15. The Lord that dwells in the high and holy places, he doth revive the ſpirit of the humble, and of the contrite one. So Eſa. 66.2. The Lord dwels in the heavens, and yet with him alſo that is of an humble and contrite ſpirit, that trembles at his Word; with him will God dwell. So Pſal. 34.18. The Lord is nigh them that are of a broken heart, even them that are contrite in ſpirit. So Luke 4.18. Jeſus Chriſt was anointed, that is, appointed by God the Father, to preach the Goſpel to the poor, to binde up the broken in heart, and to comfort them that mourn. So Eſa. 66.10. The Lord will reſtore comfort to thee, and to thy Mourners. And Heb. 12.12. The Lord will ſtrengthen the weak hands, and feeble knees. And with that remarkable and moſt glorious Goſpel-promiſe I ſhall end, Eſa. 35.3, 4, 5, 6. Strengthen the weak hands, and confirme the feeble knees. This, ſaith God, to weak Chriſtians, whoſe legs can hardly carry their bodies, and their hands hardly reach to their mouthes. Say unto the weak Chriſtian in grace, comfort, and confirm and ſtrengthen them: And ſay unto them that are of a fearfull heart, Be ſtrong; Poor fearful doubting ſoules, that fear every Temptation, and fear every corruption, and fear they ſhall loſe the recompence of their reward: Say unto that fearful heart, Be ſtrong and fear not. For your God will come with vengeance, even God will come with recompence, and ſave you. And then the eyes of the blinde ſhall bee open, and the eares of the deafe ſhall bee unſtopped; it is not meant of the bodily eye but thoſe that were blinde, and could not ſee the myſteries of Chriſt, and could not read their own comforts; then their eyes ſhall be open. And the deaf that, as Eſaiah ſaith, refuſed to be comforted, that would not hearken to comfort, but would ſtop their eares againſt all comfortable doctrines, and onelyonly give way to ſorrow, their eares ſhall be unſtopped. And the lame man ſhall leap like a Hart; the poore halting Chriſtian, that halts in his comforts, that is now believing, anon ſtaggering; now rejoycing, anon deſpairing; the poor lame man ſhall leap like a Hart. And the Tongue of the dumb ſhall ſing: the poor man that could not ſpeak one word of his owne graces, and of his own comforts, and touching his own evidence, the Tongue of the dumb ſhall ſing. O Beloved, here is your work, in caſe you would bee Chriſtians to reſtore your comforts againe; ſet upon the work of Meditation, to think upon theſe precious promiſes of the Goſpell, that hold forth moſt comfort to a drooping and dejected ſinner.