The Door of Salvation Opened by the Key of Regeneration, Treatise · Answer 3 – Conclusion
The third and laſt Objection anſwered: If I be elected I ſhall be ſaved, let me live never ſo wickedly, and neglect the means preſcribed for my recovery.
THirdly, It is poſſible thou mayſt object, That if thou art predeſtinated to life, thou ſhalt be ſaved, though thou neglecteſt all theſe means of ſalvation; and if thou art not elected, theſe will do thee no good.
I anſwer firſt, that this looks like the language of one already in Hell, though it be found too too often in the mouths of ſwaggerers upon earth; in evil things the Devil would make thee ſeparate the end from the means; Think not of Hell, but go on in ſin, ſaith he; in good things the means from the end; never trouble thy ſelf with holineſs, yet doubt not of Heaven.
Secondly, ſuppoſe that thou ſhouldſt live and die in this deſperate concluſion, wouldſt not thou certainly be damned? without all controverſie, in the other world thou wouldſt finde what a fine cheat the Devil had put upon thee, by bringing thee into an opinion, which will bring thee inevitably into deſtruction. Believe it, thou ſhalt know in the other world who ſhall have the worſt of ſuch curſed concluſions, God or thy ſelf.
Thirdly, The Decree of God is a ſealed book, and the names in it are ſecret; therefore thy part is to look to Gods revealed will; namely, to make thine Election ſure, by making thy Regeneration ſure: Doſt thou not know that ſecret things belong to God, but revealed things to us and our children? O 'tis dangerous to meddle with the ſecrets of Princes.
Fourthly, This opinion is not believed by thee, but is onelyonly pretended as a cloak for thy wickedneſs and idleneſs; for if thou doſt believe that if God hath elected, he will ſave thee however thou liveſt; why are not thy practices anſwerable to ſuch principles? why doſt thou not leave thy ground unſowed, and thy calling unfollowed, and ſay, If God hath decreed me a crop of corn I ſhall have it, whether I ſow my ground or no; and if God hath decreed me an eſtate I ſhall have it, though I never minde my calling? why doſt thou not neglect and refuſe eating and drinking, and ſleeping, and ſay, If God have decreed that I ſhall live longer, I ſhall do it, though I never eat, or drink, or ſleep? for God hath decreed theſe things concerning thy ground, eſtate, and natural life, as well as concerning thine eternal condition in the other world. When I ſee that thou throweſt off all care and means of preſerving thy life on earth, & expecteſt notwithſtanding to continue alive, then I may believe that thy forementioned thoughts are really ſuch in regard of eternal life; but till then I ſhall be confident that this concluſion is onelyonly a feigned plea in the behalf of the Devil and thy carnal corruptions.
Fifthly, The word of God, which muſt ſhortly try thee for thine everlaſting life or death, doth declare to thee fully and clearly, that God predeſtinateth to the means as well as the end; where then wilt thou appear that neglecteſt the means? that the means and end are joyned together in Gods decree, is fully proved to thee in the 53 and 331 pages of this book; therefore let not Satan ſo far delude thee, as to make thee part them. I ſhall conclude my anſwer to this objection (for truly 'tis ſo irrational, that I do not think it worthy of ſix lines) with a ſtory which I have ſometime read; Ludovicus a learned man of Italy, by ſinful beginnings came at laſt to this concluſion, It matters not what I do, or how I live; if I be predeſtinated to life, I am ſure to be ſaved; if otherwiſe, I cannot help it. Thus with this deſperate opinion he lived a long time, till at laſt he fell dangerouſly ſick, and ſent for a skilful Phyſitian, earneſtly deſiring his advice; the Phyſitian beforehand acquainted with his opinion, told him, Surely it will be needleſs to uſe any means for your recovery; for if the time of your death be come, it will be impoſſible to avoid it: Ludovicus upon this began to conſider of his own madneſs and folly in neglecting the means for his ſoul, bemoaned his ſin ſincerely, took phyſick, and was through the bleſſing of God recovered both in ſoul and body. O that what I have written might work ſuch an effect upon thy ſpirit! Conſider, Friend, if notwithſtanding Gods Decree, means muſt be uſed for thy temporal eſtate, ſhould they not alſo for thine eternal eſtate? Be not wiſe in thine own eyes, but fear the Lord and depart from evil; Labour to cleanſe thy ways by taking heed thereto according to his word, Prov. 3.7. Pſal. 119.9.
REader I have now finiſhed this weighty exhortation which doth ſo nearly concern thy precious ſoul, and unchangeable condition in the other world. Thou ſeeſt how large an epiſtle I have written to thee with mine own hand; many an hours ſleep have I loſt, to awaken thee out of thy carnal ſecurity; but I am ignorant whether the work be done or no, which is of ſuch unſpeakable waight; or whether thou art reſolved to ſet upon it, through the ſtrength of Chriſt in good earneſt. I preach to thee, I pray for thee, I deſire and endeavour ſo to live as to ſet thee a pattern; O that I knew what to do, that might be more effectual for thy recovery. Friend, ponder ſeriouſly the truth and concernment of the particulars delivered. Is there not infinite reaſon why thou ſhouldſt ſpeedily and heartily ſubmit to the counſel of the Almighty God for the enlivening of thy dying ſoul! What more weighty buſines haſt thou to do then to ſet upon thoſe things whereby thou mayſt avoid unquenchable burnings, and arive at fulneſs of joy and pleaſures for evermore? Is thy ploughing or ſowing, thy buying or ſelling, nay thine eating and drinking, half ſo neceſſary as the Regeneration of thy ſoul, without which the everliving God hath told thee over and over, that thou ſhalt not be ſaved! O that thou didſt but believe what it is to be in heaven or hell, for ever, ever, ever.
I have read of a woman, that when her houſe was on fire, ſhe was very buſie, and wrought hard in carrying out her goods; but at laſt bethought her ſelf of her onelyonly child which ſhe never minded before, (for eagerneſs about her goods) but had left it burning in the flames, and then when it was too late, ſhe cryeth, and roareth out ſadly, O my child, Ah my poor child! Truly thou art in danger, thine everlaſting eſtate is every moment in jeopardy, if thou now buſieſt thy ſelf wholly in ſcraping and carking and caring for thy body, forgetting thy poor ſoul, leaving that to the fire, that ſhall never go out; conſider there is a time (I would ſay an eternity) coming when thou wilt think of it, though then twill be too late, and then, O then, how ſadly, how ſorrowfully wilt thou ſigh and ſob, howl and roare, and ſcreech out, O my ſoul, Ah my poor ſoul, how wretchedly have I forgot my precious ſoul! It is an unconceivable mercy, that yet thou haſt a day of grace, wherein thou mayſt think of, and indeavour the good of thy ſoul. For thy ſouls ſake, for the Lords ſake, O dear friend, mind it ſpeedily; hear God now he calleth, or then (though thou calleſt loud and long) he will never, never, hear thee. When the mother of Thales urged him to marry, Diog. Laert.he told her that twas too ſoon; ſhe continuing ſtill importuning him, he told her afterwards, that twas too late. Regeneration is thine eſpouſal unto Jeſus Chriſt; the father of eternity calleth upon thee, wooeth, beſeecheth, commandeth thee, now while it is called to day, to accept of his own Son for thy Lord and husband; do not, O do not ſay, Tis too ſoon, I will do it hereafter. I aſſure thee before to morrow night, God may ſay Tis too late, and then thou art loſt for ever. Hear counſel and receive inſtruction, that thou mayſt be wiſe in thy latter end: leſt thou mourn at laſt, when thy fleſh and thy body are conſumed, (when thy ſoul is in hell tormented) and ſay, How have I hated inſtruction, and my heart deſpiſed reproof? And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine care to them that inſtructed me! Pro. 19, 20. Pro. 5.11, 12, 13.