Several Discourses Considering the Providence of God

SERMON XLIX.

I Am (as you know) attempting to expound the hard Chapters of Divine providence, giving you some account of those Motions of it, which to us appear most difficult; I have brought these under some heads propounding to speak,

1. First, To such as concerned the exhibition of the Covenant of works, after the establishment of the Eternal Covenant of Redemption and Grace. And 2. The Exhibition, or tender of grace to all indefinitely, after the Decree of Election, and the fall of Man.

2. The permission of sin, and so much sin; sinners, and so many sinners in the world.

3. To such as related to the Remunerative, and punitive Providence of God.

4. Lastly, To such as concern the dispensation, both of the more external, and the more internal and effectual means of grace. I have spoken to divers Questions, that have fallen under the Three first of these heads; such as fall under the last, remain yet to be spoken to: but before I come to speak directly to such Questions, I shall lay down Two preliminary Propositions, to which I shall speak something.

1. Prop. That God in his Providential dispensations of grace, and the means of application of it; whether more external, or more internal; acteth freely and unaccountably, yet is in it both holy and just and good.

2. Prop. That God in the dispensations of his paenal Providence, in the withholding, or withdrawing of the means of grace; whether more external, or more internal; never acteth upon mere Prerogative, but upon the demerit of the sins of people; and in this he acteth justly, and holily. I will begin with the first of these, and for that purpose I have made choice of this Text; which is a Quotation which our Apostle bringeth out of the Books of Moses: you shall find it, Exod. 33.19. Moses said unto God, verse. 18. I beseech thee show me thy glory: And he said, I will make all my goodness to pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. This is the Text which the Apostle quoteth here: The Argument which the Apostle is upon in this Chapter, is the rejection of the Jews; as to which he vindicateth God in Two things. 1. As to the promise made to Abraham, a thing which the Jews bare up themselves much upon; that they were the seed of Abraham, and so in Covenant with God; and if God should cast them off, what could be said to justify the truth and faithfulness of God? What should become of the promise, the Covenant made with Abraham and his seed forever? The word of God would have no effect. This the Apostle answereth, verse. 6. and so to verse. 13. He telleth them in the first place: They were not all Israel which were of Israel. And verse. 7. That all who were the seed of Abraham, were not all children: and this he proveth, verse. 7. Because God said, In Isaac shall thy seed be called; and that the promise was given to Sarah, that is, (saith the Apostle) they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. And he tells them, that it was the same case as to Rebecca. Esau and Jacob were both the children of Rebecca, but yet God loved Jacob, and hated Esau, verse. 13. But some may possibly think, this did not answer the Objection of the Jews: for admitting that the promise was made to the children of Isaac, the Jews were such. Abraham indeed had a child by Hagar, that was Esau, and he had Sons by Keturah; but all the Nation of the Jews were descended from Isaac, who was the Son of Sarah, to whom the promise confessedly was made. To which I answer, The Apostle had yet gained One main point, viz. That the Jews could lay claim to nothing upon this account, that they were the seed of Abraham; for the promise was not made to the whole seed of Abraham, but to a peculiar seed: Now this peculiar seed was not all the children of Isaac; this he proveth by the instance of Jacob and Esau, who were both the children of Isaac; for saith he, verse. 11. The children being not yet born, neither having done good or evil; that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. This now proveth, that God was not by his promise tied to all the children of Abraham by Isaac, but was yet at liberty, to what part of his seed he would fulfil his promise. Well, but might some say, being they were both the children of Abraham; how could God in righteousness show mercy and compassion to one of them, and not to another? verse. 14. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? This the Apostle denieth, and that with his ordinary aversation, and detestation, God forbid. Now he proveth that there is no unrighteousness in this dispensation of God: Because God had said to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then, (saith the Apostle,) It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. If there could be unrighteousness with God, it must be because God hath somewhere by promise obliged himself to show mercy to all the Jewish Nation: but, saith he, the promise made to Abraham and to his seed, will not reach so far: that was not made to the whole seed of Abraham, no, not to all that descended from Abraham, through the loins of his Son Isaac, as appears by God's hating Esau, who was the Son of Isaac, and his eldest Son too: But more than this, saith the Apostle, God when he declared his glory to Moses, Exod. 33. sufficiently expounded himself: That his promise to Abraham 's seed, did not determine his grace to any parts, or Nation; but that he had a liberty left to him to show, or not to show mercy to whom he pleased; for he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. So that the Proposition from this Text is of easy deduction.

Proposi. That God in his Providential dispensations of grace, and the means of its application, acteth freely, and unaccountably; and in doing so, there is no unrighteousness with God. In this Proposition there are Two branches, 1. That God in the dispensations of his grace acteth freely and unaccountably. 2. That in his doing so, there is no unrighteousness with him. I say first, God in these dispensations acteth freely and unaccountably: the one of these necessarily followeth upon the other; if he acteth freely, he must needs act unaccountably: for who can give an account of what man doth, ex mero motu, out of his own free inclination, without any motive out of himself; (for that is meant by freely) nothing compelling, nothing moving, or alluring him, merely from the good pleasure of his own will. The reason of his having and showing mercy, is, because he will thew mercy. The Scripture giveth so plentiful a testimony to this, as one would wonder that any owning the Scripture, should deny it: for whereas all grace, or mercy is to be considered; either in the first willing and purpose, or in the actual exercise of it; whether we consider, the one way, or the other; we shall find, that both flow from the free-will, and goodness of God, and have no other cause; but because God will show mercy to whom he will show it.

1. Let us consider it first in the purpose. God's purpose of grace was nothing else but his Eternal willing of some persons, to obtain everlasting life and salvation, in, and through Christ; and in the use of that means which he appointed thereunto; for the counsels of God, ordered the means, as well as the end: we do therefore suppose that God from all eternity knew who should be saved; and that he therefore must needs know it, because he willed it: for whereas all mankind from eternity are to be considered alike, nothing but the Will of God could bring any part of them more than another, into a salvable estate; especially into a certain state of Salvation. God therefore decreed, or willed some persons to so glorious an end. Now the question is, what made God to will these, not others? what can be imagined but his will, of which we are able to give no account. Eph. 1.5. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will: hence, it is called the election of grace, Rom. 11.5. and 2 Tim. 1.8. Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ, before the world began. Arminians and Papists tell us of God's electing men out of a foresight that they would believe and obey. If indeed men were to have risen out of the Earth like Mushromes, and to have given a being to themselves, and to have created their own Souls, they might have quarrelled the Scripture a little upon this point; but when the bodies of all men were to be of the same clay, and all souls were God's, which were to inform those bodies, how they should any of them have a disposition to believe, or obey more than others; unless God had created it in them, or willed that in time they should have it, I cannot understand: and if they say, that they had it from the will of God, the matter (as to our point) cometh much to the same issue. God purposed them grace from his own mere good-will and pleasure; he willed them, in time to have a disposition to believe and obey; and upon their Faith and Obedience, to have everlasting life.

2. If we consider God's acts of grace in time, they are distinguished, either into the more external means: Or secondly, those gracious habits which accompany salvation, and make a soul meet for the inheritance of the Saints in Light. The means of Salvation are either the means of Purchase, and Redemption; such was the giving of Christ, of which Saint John, (Joh. 3.16.) could give us no other account, but God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son. For the means of application, they are either more external, or internal. The more external, is the promulgation, or publication of the Gospel: See what our Savior saith as to this, Mat. 11.25, 26. I thank thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, who hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes: Even so, O Father, because it pleased thee. 2. For these acts of grace by which the Soul is prepared, and made fit for the inheritance of the Saints in Light: they are Effectual Calling, Justification, and Sanctification, or Regeneration.

1. For Effectual Calling, we are said to be called with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose, and grace. Not according to our works: so that anything in ourselves is denied, but according to his purpose: Now what is the purpose of God? but the will of God determining this, or that; and it is further added, And grace; which speaketh the free love and good-will of God in the case; for grace is nothing else but free love. So 1 Pet. 5.10. The God of all grace, who hath called you: so that God in the calling of Souls acteth as a God of 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 grace, yea, of all Grace. Who can give a reason why God by the Preaching of the Gospel effectually calleth one, and not another, out of darkness into marvelous light? but merely because he willeth. The Evangelist, 1 John 13. telleth us, that we are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

2. Justification is another act of grace, whereby God pardoneth our sin, looketh upon us, and accepteth us as righteous, only for the righteousness of Christ reckoned unto us for righteousness. Herein also God acteth freely: being justified freely by his grace; he giveth of the fountain of life freely. To this purpose is that, I will heal your backsliding, and love you freely.

3. For Regeneration, or Sanctification, which is that act of grace by which we are renewed in the inward-man, and made conformable to the image of God: This is our being born of the Spirit; and our Savior compareth the motion of the Spirit to the wind, which bloweth where it listeth.

2. But further yet, the dispensations of grace by the hand of Providence, must necessarily bear proportion to the purpose of grace. We are blessed in Christ with all spiritual blessings, according as he hath chosen us in him, saith the Apostle, Eph. 1.4, 5. Nothing cometh to pass in the world, either as an act of grace, or a paenal dispensation; but it is in pursuance of some purpose of God. Now it was impossible that the purpose of God should have any other foundation than his Will; for the eternal purpose must be antecedent to any good, or evil done by us; we are but of yesterday. That man, or woman knoweth nothing of God, and hath very false conceptions, and apprehensions of the Divine Being, that doth not conceive of him as a God from all eternity; knowing whatsoever should come to pass in the world; nor is it possible for us to apprehend how God should know any future thing, but because he willed it; for what but the will of God should bring it out of a not being, into a being; out of the order of a contingency, into a certainty; which it must have, or God could have no certain knowledge of it. Now it was not possible that anything in the creature should move God from eternity to will any one grace, because there was no creature pre-existent to this eternal act of God; nor yet co-existent with it. It is true, say some, but yet God did foresee, that such, or such, would believe, repent, obey, &c. using the liberty of their wills better than others; and to such God willed eternal life. But I cannot understand anything in this more than trifling. For I demand, from whence is that better inclination and disposition of one man's will, than another? Where was the principle of this good, was it to proceed from God? then it little differeth from what we say, at least in this case it doth not; for still in the dispensations of his grace he moveth freely, and from his own mere will; only he willeth, first to give grace, then glory. Will they say, this foreseen good disposition (as is pretended) is from a man's self, then there must be another fountain of good besides God, all good acts proceed from some habits, and powers as their principles. I demand whence is that principle, that power, and habit in us, which God should foresee, and therefore will a Soul to life? Will they say it is from man? then say I, every good gift cometh not from God; man is thus made a fountain of good, indeed of all good; for he is thus made the fountain of that good, upon the foresight of which, it is according to this Doctrine; that God willeth all his providential dispensations of grace and mercy; and if this be not to set up man in the Throne of God, and to take away from God the glory of that Attribute, in which, above all he delighteth, I understand nothing.

3. Again, If acts of grace and mercy were not free and unaccountable, only fountain'd in the good-will and pleasure of God; grace could not be grace: for what is grace, but free love? To him that worketh the reward, (saith the Apostle) is reckoned not of grace, but of debt, Rom. 4.4. If by grace, then it is no more of works, otherwise works would be no more works, Rom. 11.6. The very notion of grace importeth freeness: grace not free, is no grace; if you take away liberty, you take away grace; I mean Original liberty. I know when God hath promised, he is just and righteous to forgive, as the Apostle saith, But God had an Original liberty to promise, or not to promise: In short, they are no better than enemies to the grace of God, who go about to found the reason of its acts any-where else than in the Divine Will: God will have mercy, because he will have mercy; that's all the account which we can give, either of God's purpose of grace, or of any acts of grace pursuant to that purpose: And so I pass to the Second part of the Proposition.

2. Memb. That supposing this, There is no unrighteousness with God. This is consistent with the holiness, justice, and goodness of God; and consonant to the Divine being and Nature. It is exceedingly agreeing to the Nature of the Divine being, to be the first cause of all that is upon any account good; and in this sense it is true, eminently true, which our Lord telleth the Pharisee, There is none good but one, and that is God; other things are derivatively good, he is Originally good: now I say it is but reasonable, that he who is the first being, should be owned the first cause of any good that is in the World; all dispensations of Grace, being effluxes of goodness: he also must be the first cause of them; and they could be originated in nothing but the Divine Will. 2. Besides, there is nothing more consonant to the Divine being, than to be the Sovereign Lord, and the sole cause of his own actions. God everywhere in holy writ, makes himself known to us under the notion of the Lord; it is an impeachment of the Divine Sovereignty, to assert God originally not at perfect liberty, as to his own Acts, to have mercy upon whom he will have mercy; and extend compassion, to whom he will extend compassion. God in Scripture is set out under the notion of a Potter, the Creature, under the notion of Clay: God shown Jeremiah this, when he carried him down to the Potters house, Jer. 18. and shown him the Potter at work; making a Vessel of Clay, and when it was marred in his hand, making another Vessel as it seemed good unto him; then telling him, Ver. 6. O house of Israel! Cannot I do with you, as this Potter? Behold, as the Clay is in the Potters hand, so are you in my hand, O you house of Israel; which also (alluding to that Text) confirmeth, Rom. 9.21. Hath not the Potter power over the Clay of the same lump, to make one Vessel of honor, another of dishonor.

2. Nor can this possibly be judged unrighteousness with God, for for then would God be in a lower capacity than his Creature; what man of us is there, who doth not think he hath a free, and absolute power, over his own acts of goodness, and mercy? To show them to whom he pleaseth, and to withhold them from whom he pleaseth; yet is there a vast difference betwixt the Creature, and the Creator in this point; for all Creatures are under the Law of their Creator; they are things and persons under authority, and are not sovereign Lord's of their own actions; yet which of us doth judge ourselves accountable to our Neighbor, for an act of mercy; now if there be no unrighteousness with man, in this case, if a man doth not think himself bound to give any account to his Neighbor, why he is more kind to one than to another? Why gives he a gift to one, which he giveth not to another? How is God unrighteous in such a discrimination? What if God willeth to show mercy, and the riches of Divine Grace to one, & not to another? Though God in these motions, be free and unaccountable, yet he is also just and righteous; and the reason is, because he is neither bound, nor a debtor unto any. But this is enough, to have spoken to the Explication, and Confirmation of this Proposition. For Application,

Use 1. In the first place: We may learn from hence, what vain dreamers those are, that go about to find out another Fountain, for acts of Divine Grace; and seek a cause in man, for the Grace bestowed upon him. They say, the head of the great River Nile, could never yet be found; It hath been sought for, and many have travelled possibly some thousands of miles, but yet it cannot be found. But the head of Nile will be found, before men will find any cause of Divine Love out of the Divine Will. It speaketh a wonderful arrogance in men, to make God accountable for his acts of Divine Grace; what greater arrogance, and vanity can be imagined than this? When a poor Creature, will not himself be brought to an account, why he gives one Beggar money, and not another; or why he giveth to one Child a greater Portion, than another (though they both be the acknowledged fruit of his Body) that yet this Worm should dream, that God must be accountable to his reason, why he showeth mercy to this man, and not to another; when they are both the work of his hands. It is certainly enough to say, He will have mercy, on whom he will have mercy; and extend compassion, to whom he will extend compassion. What Pride, what Arrogance is this, not to allow to God whom we confess to be the supreme, and most free agent; the liberty which we will yet claim, and challenge for ourselves? Nor is this more unreasonable pride, and arrogance, than it is folly and Vanity: It is searching for a bottom in an Abyss; searching for a cause Antecedent to the first cause. God, they say, from all Eternity, foresaw that such, and such would believe, would obey, would incline their hearts to his Testimonies; it must be then certain, that that they would do so; God could have no certain knowledge of that of which there was no certainty. Now I would fain understand, whence this certainty should be, otherwise than from the will of God, determining their wills to these certain good inclinations, more than the wills of others; all others have Souls, reasonable Souls as well as they; whence is it, that their Souls incline to that which is good, and the wills of others to that which is evil? Surely, to will, and to do, are both from God. Thus vain Man would be wise: when as he indeed is but like a wild Asses Colt: Proud men torture themselves in vain, to find out a principle of good, and of life in themselves; And how unreasonable a thing is it, to charge God with unrighteousness, upon this hypothesis? Shall a man be master of his own favors, who is yet a debtor to the Law of God, and under an obligation to do good to all, because God hath so commanded him; and shall not God, who cannot in any wise become a debtor to his Creature, farther than he is so made by his own Covenant and promise? Shall it be a reasonable thing for a Man to say, I will be kind to such a one, because I will; and doth he think he is not further to be accountable to his fellow Creature? And shall not the Sovereign Lord of Heaven and Earth say, I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy, and because I will have mercy; but Man shall for it call him before the Tribunal of his own Reason.

Use 2. In the second place, what reason have we who are made partakers of this mercy of God which bringeth salvation, to adore, admire, and be thankful to him for it? Now this concerneth either all of us in general, or else some particular Souls. 1. Let us first consider this so far as it respecteth all of us: whosoever liveth within the pale of the Church, under the preaching of the Gospel, may see reason, 1. To adore and admire the goodness of God towards them. 2. To tremble and fear, lest we be found unprofitable under the means of grace. The Apostle propoundeth the question concerning the Jews, Rom. 3.1, 2. What advantage then hath the Jew above the Gentiles? Or what profit is there of Circumcision? He answereth, Much every way, because unto them are committed the Oracles of God. Whether the Gospel in the preaching of it be a sufficient means of Salvation, having such a constant operation of the Spirit attending it; that if men will they may believe and be saved: and the ministration of the Spirit be little differing from the ministration of the Gospel, and inseparable, or at least never separated from it, though affirmed by some, may be justly doubted. But that it is a great and high means of Salvation, and there is no man living under the faithful and powerful preaching of it, but if he misseth of Life and eternal happiness it will be his own fault; and the proximate cause of damnation will be in himself I do not doubt. Now God hath not dealt thus with every Nation, O consider how many Nations, and People there are in the World, who never heard of Christ; amongst whom, the joyful sound of the Gospel did never come; People that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, whom the day-star from on high did never yet rise upon? Doth any say? But what good doth the Gospel, or how is the preaching of the Gospel such a mercy, if God doth not give unto them that are under the sound of it, effectual Grace; so as their hearts are changed upon the preaching of it, and they converted and eternally saved? I answer, The Apostle thought it a mercy, and no small mercy, that the Jews had, the Oraeles of God committed to them, to them and not to other People; yet for all this it is most certain, That there were many amongst the Jews, who kept not the Laws, Statutes, and Ordinances of God; the Jews might have said the same thing, yet Moses crieth out, Deut. 4.8. What Nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord your God is to you in all things? That hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous? Again (as I have oft told you) though I dare not say with some, That all men sitting under the sound of the Gospel, have a sufficiency of grace given them, that if they will, they may turn unto God and live; yet I do think that there is such a sufficiency of Light, and means, that if men will do what in them lies, God will not be wanting to them in his effectual Grace; Men shall never have this to say: Lord, I did what was in my power to do, I would have repented, believed, but thou deniedst me that Grace which was necessary to it. Now herein appeareth the greatness of the Grace of the Gospel. The Heathen walk in darkness, and in the shadow of Death; they have not a sufficient Light to guide their feet into the way of Peace. But where the Gospel is Preached, there a great Light shineth, a Light sufficient to direct men into the way of Life. But,

2. This looketh dreadfully upon all those who willfully shut their eyes against Gospel-light, and stop their Ears against this joyful sound. This (saith our Savior) is the condemnation, that when Light is come into the World, men love Darkness more than Light, because their deeds are evil. Matth. 11. Our Savior upbraideth the Cities where his mighty works had been done, and his Gospel preached. Capernaum and Bethsaida, he saith, they had been lifted up to Heaven, but they should be thrown down into Hell: that it should be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah, yea for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for them; when the Gospel hath been long in a place, faithfully preached, it is much to be feared, that God hath had mercy in that place, upon as many Souls of that Age, as he will have mercy. But this is but a Digression, we have reason to adore God for his free mercy to us in giving us the Gospel, the faithful and powerful preaching under the Gospel, many may and do perish, but where the Gospel comes not, there is no hope. Now whence is it, that the rain of the Gospel falleth upon one City, not upon another? Upon one Country, not upon another? That some Nations have not so much as the sound of it, the feet of them which bring the glad tidings of Peace, come not amongst them: and in the same Nation where the Gospel is preached, some have a sound, and little more: Preachers in some places, instead of preaching the Gospel, Preach human Philosophy; or the lusts of their own hearts. In other places the Word of God is preached faithfully, and powerfully; so that the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force; Men are compelled to come in. This difference, in the external ministration (which let me tell you, hath no small influence upon the eternal concern, and interest of men; for God doth not ordinarily work by way of miracle, and heal the eyes of the blind, with Clay, and Spittle ) is fountain'd only in the free-will, and Grace of God.

Use 2. But I trust I speak to some, who have tasted further of the mercy and Grace of God, than receiving the general Dispensation of the Gospel with their outward ears. God hath by his holy Spirit, upon the preaching of the Gospel, effectually moved their hearts, and conquered their Souls into a subjection to Christ. They have embraced the Lord Jesus Christ, by a Gospel-faith; they are brought by a mighty hand out of darkness, into marvelous Light; and translated out of this Kingdom of Sin, and Satan, into the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus. I have this day been discovering to you, the Fountain of this Grace; of which God hath made you partakers: you have heard that it is the will of God only, which hath distinguished betwixt you and others; It is not because you were more nobly born than others: nor because you were more rich, more honorable, or by nature better complexioned than others; God saw no more goodness in your natures, than in the natures of others, you were all the same flesh; he infused into all Souls of the same nature, and species; only he hath willed rather to show mercy unto your Souls, than to the Souls of others, because he hath set his love upon you. There are three duties that hence lie very obvious.

1. The First is, Praise, Thankfulness and Admiration. Certainly, every such Soul, stands highly obliged with the Psalmist to cry out: Bless the Lord, O my Soul, and all that is within me, bless his Holy Name. Bless the Lord, O my Soul, and forget not all his benefits. If free Grace will not affect our hearts, and fill our mouths with a new Song, nothing will. It must certainly be an amazing consideration, for a Soul to sit down and think; I was in the same mass, and lump of lost man-kind, that others are; I was by Nature a Child of wrath, as much as any; my Childhood and Youth were Vanity, as much as any others; I was grinding at the same Mill, it may be in actual sins, I outstripped many others: Now that the Lord should look upon me, and pluck me as a brand out of the Fire; that God should open my eyes, and change my heart: What did God see in me? Possibly, my more external circumstances, were far less, and more invaluable, than those of thousands of others; my House was of small account, and little esteem; there are many more great, and noble, more wise, and prudent than I am; many, who in all appearance, so far as man can judge, might have been more serviceable to God than I am, or am ever like to be: now that the Lord should pass them over, and show mercy to me; certainly, no Soul can seriously think of these things, but must be ravished with the apprehensions of the inaccountable love of God in these things; and say, What shall I render unto thee, O Lard, what shall I render unto thee?

2. This notion of God's Sovereignty, freedom, and inaccountbleness in the dispensations of his Grace, should teach every Soul that hath been, or shall be made a partaker of it, the great lesson of humility. The Apostle, Rom. 3.27. giveth this as the reason, why God hath settled the justification of a Sinner, upon a bottom of free Grace; and hath excluded works, that he might also exclude boasting; and teach those who glory, to glory in the Lord; upon this Argument, the Apostle exhorteth the Gentiles, not to boast against the Jews, Rom. 11.22. Behold the goodness, and the severity of God (saith he) to those who abide in their unbelief, severity; to thee, goodness. Pride is a sinful habit, disposing the Soul to swell in the opinion of some excellency in itself; and a little thing will swell our corrupt hearts. The Apostle propoundeth this very consideration, as a cure for that tumour in the Souls of Christians, 1 Cor. 4.7. For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou which thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? It is nothing but the will of God, that hath made a difference betwixt thee, and the vilest Sinner breathing; betwixt thee and the most filthy Drunkard, the most furious Persecutor, &c. It was not for any worth, any goodness, or holiness which the Lord saw in thee; but of his mere free will, and Grace; God hath shown mercy to thy Soul, what hast thou now of thy own to boast, or glory in? Thou hast indeed reason to glory, and to make thy boast in the Lord; and to bless God for what he hath done for thy Soul, more than for a thousand others; but there is no thanks to thee, his will, his own will, was the fountain of his Grace extended to thee. God hath had mercy upon thy Soul, only because he would have mercy. O therefore be not high-minded, but fear, and walk humbly before God.

3. Lastly, this calleth upon all of you who have tasted of this free and unaccountable Grace, to live a distinguishing life and conversation. There is a Generation that fancyeth that the Doctrine of Free-Grace, opens a door to Liberty. It is but the old Cavil, in Saint Paul's time, there were those that thus accused the Doctrine of Free-Grace, as if it gave men a liberty to go on in sin; as appeareth by the Apostles anticipation of that Cavil, Rom. 6.1. What, saith he, shall we then continue in sin, that Grace may abound? God forbid: and so he goeth on, showing that any such conclusion from his principles was unreasonable. How shall we (saith the Apostle) who are dead unto sin, live any longer therein? Special distinguishing, Free-Grace both deadneth the Soul to Sin, and inflameth the Soul with a love to God, who hath made the Soul to differ; so as that Soul cannot live as other men, the love of God constraineth him, he must apprehend himself obliged to do more for God than others, because God hath shown more mercy to him than unto others; and that merely because he would show mercy. What can possibly be imagined to have a greater, and lay an higher obligation upon the Soul, to all manner of holiness in conversation, to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord, as the Apostle speaketh.

SERMON L.

I Am now come to the second general Proposition, which I promised you to discourse upon a little. In my last exercise, I discoursed to you of the Fountain of Life and Grace, which we found to be the free-will of God: There is no other account to be given of God's showing mercy, but because he will show mercy, which is most certainly true, as of God's eternal acts of Grace, so of his Acts of Providence, as to the dispensation of his first Grace. The next Proposition I mentioned was this,

2. Prop. That God in his providential Dispensations of punishment never acteth by mere Prerogative, but according to the demerit of his Creatures. In his Dispensations of Grace, and the means of it, he acteth merely from his own Will: he will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy; and there is no other account to be given of those Dispensations, he sendeth the Gospel to this place, rather than another, because he will send it; he changeth this Man or Woman's heart, and turneth it to himself, because he will show mercy: But the case is otherwise in his penal Dispensations; there God acteth not upon Prerogative. God there hath a Prerogative; for may not the Potter do what he will with his Clay? But it is one thing to have Jus absolutum, an absolute right, and power which we must claim for God, so long as we know him to have an absolute right, and Sovereignty over the works of his hands; 'tis another thing for God agere secundum jus absolutum, to act according to his Sovereignty, and absolute power: this we say God doth not. I pray observe: I restrain my Discourse, to God's Dispensations of actual Providence: I shall not meddle with the eternal Councils of God in this case, that is quite beyond my Subject propounded. It is unquestionable, that the punishments of Sinners, both in this Life, and that which is to come, as well as the other great issues of his Providence, concerning the rewards of righteous men, were set in order by an Eternal deliberation; but whether by a mere negative, or positive Decree; whether upon consideration of sin, or no, are points I am not at all concerned to interest myself in; having all along restrained my discourse to the motions of Actual Providence: and certain it is, that God in those Dispensations, doth punish none either here, or hereafter, merely because he will, but upon consideration of Sinners demerits. Showing mercy, is an Act of Grace; punishments, are Acts of Justice. The gift of God, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , is Eternal Life, that is a gift; and what is freer than gift? But the Wages of Sin, is Death; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a Man must earn Death, before he hath it from the hand of a merciful God: but Eternal Life must be given him, if ever it be his Portion; so saith my Text. O Israel thou hast destroyed thyself: I will open this in two or three conclusions.

1. I understand it of all kind of destructions: possibly, the Text may chiefly relate to temporal destructions, 'tis Ephraim to whom the Prophet is speaking; and it is about a bodily destruction: but the Conclusion is general, and the Text is well enough applied by Divines, to Eternal destruction; all destructions, whether of Body, or Soul, are of ourselves; yea, I take the Aphonimy of the Text, to be more eminently true, of the destruction of the Soul, than of the destruction of the Body. A Child may die for the sins of the Parents, Subjects may die for the sin of their Prince; as in the case of Saul 's Children, that were hanged in David 's time, and in the case of those many thousands, which in David 's time were cut off for his sin in numbering of the People. The Children of God may be involved in a common destruction, and suffer as they are a part of a sinful Nation; God may take them off, to deliver them from an evil to come, as in the case of Abijam the Son of Jeroboam. God may punish his people with afflictions of this Life, for the trial, and exercise of their graces; but in Eternal destructions, God can have no other end, than the punishment of the person, and all such destruction, is for a man's sin; his personal sin.

3. When we say, that Men's destruction is of themselves, you must understand, of themselves as the meritorious cause; not of themselves, as the principal efficient cause. God is rightly enough entitled, to all the Evil of punishment in the City. It is no dishonor to his Majesty, to be the Author of his own Judgments; which is all, that Mr. Calvin, or any of the same mind with him, have said; which hath made some so clamour against them, as having asserted God to be the Author of Sin. For God to be the Author of punishments, is no stain to his Glory; but a Declaration of his Justice, and of his Righteousness. Christ himself shall come (as the Apostle telleth us) in flaming fire, to take Vengeance upon them who know not God; and obey not his glorious Gospel. God shall say to those on his left hand, depart from me you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels. But our destruction is from ourselves, as the proximate, and meritorious cause; though from God as the efficient cause. It is not from the Sovereign will of God merely, but from the stubborn and rebellious will of Man, that any Soul perisheth. Divines do say, that though God cannot will the doing of any Sin, yet he may will that it should be done. The Holy Ghost telleth us, that Herod, and Pilate, and the Jews, employed in accusing, condemning, crucifying of Christ; did no more, than what the Council of God had determined should be done. But I say, notwithstanding this, the proximate cause of man's Damnation is not, because God hath willed their Damnation; it is the guilt of their own Sins, the demerit of their own Transgressions, which bringeth them to the Pit of Destruction. The Gracious God showeth mercy, and saveth all who are saved by Prerogative; by Grace you are saved, saith the Apostle: he hath the same Prerogative in matters of Death, that he hath in matters of Life; but he useth it not, but there acteth according to his Statute-Law, The Soul that sinneth shall die. He who saveth men without themselves, damneth none without themselves. Men are saved by Grace, but they are damned by Sin. The wages of Sin is Death. Omne peccatum est voluntarium, all Sin is of ourselves, it must have something of our own will, and consent to, and in it.

3. Thirdly. Although this be certain, that all destruction, all punishment is for Sin, yet the particular proximate cause of some punishments is unknown to us. I will instance in one particular, a punishment, undoubtedly, a most severe punishment; The withholding the Gospel, and so the ordinary means of Grace and Salvation, from the far greatest part of the world. They hear nothing of the Lord Jesus; they have not the Oracles of God, the ordinary means of Grace are hidden from them; There is no doubt, but their own willful sinning is the cause of it. But whether the Sin of their Progenitors who had the Gospel, and sinned it away, which to me seemeth a little hard; (for I can hardly be brought to agree, that God for the sins of Relations punisheth their Correlates in Spiritual things.) Or that prodigious sinning, which they are guilty of; not living up to what may by them, by their natural Light be seen of God; (for the Apostle, Rom. 1. gives you a true Copy of the lives of all Heathens) is not so easy to determine. I should incline much to fix the cause here, they have (though not the Book of Scripture) yet the Book of God's Works, and Nature; (though not Men Ministers of the Gospel to them) yet the Heavens declaring the Glory of God, and the Earth showing his handiwork; those standing Preachers, of the Power, Glory, and Greatness of God; whose sound is gone out, and going daily out, over all the world: they have the Sun, and Moon; they see much of God, in and by them, and may learn much of God from them: but knowing God, and not glorifying him as God, but becoming vain in their imaginations; they worship Devils, and Stocks, and Stones, the work of their own hands; and shutting their eyes against the Light of those common notions, which are engraven in all reasonable Natures; they give up themselves to commit all filthiness, and unrighteousness. So not using the Light of Nature and Reason, which God hath given them, God justly with-holdeth from them the Talent of the Gospel. If God doth grant it to others, which yet it may be are guilty of the same sottish abuse of their natural Light, and Reason, therein he is good and gracious; but if he denieth it unto them, therein he is not unjust or unrighteous. But I say, there may be some particular instances, as to which it may be hard for us to assign what particular sins God so securely proceedeth against the Nations, Families, or Persons for: but this is certain, Sin is certainly the next cause of all severe dispensations of punishment. Now this will appear to us. 1. From the evidence of Scripture. 2. From the evidence of Reason, concluding from Scripture-Principles.

1. First, from the plain evidence of Scripture. In the case of the Heathen, amongst whom the Devil hath the greatest harvest of perishing Souls: of these the Apostle speaketh, Rom. 1.18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men: Observe the words, God doth not reveal his wrath against the Heathen, merely upon the account of his Sovereign Power, because he will do it; but against the ungodliness and unrighterusness of men: he goeth on declaring their ungodliness, and their unrighteousness. Vers. 21. Because when they knew God, they glorified him not as God. They had light enough from the Works of God in Nature, to show them other kind of Ideas of the Divine Being, than it was possible for them to find amongst created beings; but they turned the Incorruptible God into the image of a corruptible man, yea, of creeping things, and four-footed beasts. The Apostle telleth them also of their unrighteousness, Vers. 29. Fornication, wickedness, covetousness, malitiousness; they were full of envy, murders, debates, deceits, &c. Now for these things the wrath of God was revealed against them. The Apostle telleth us, Rom. 2.14, That when the Gentiles, which have not the Law, do by nature the things which are contained in the Law, they are a Law to themselves. And Vers. 26. If the uncircumcision keep the Law, their uncircumcision shall be accounted to them for circumcision. I am not of their mind, who think that the Heathen have light enough to show them the way to Heaven. I know not, if that were true, why the Scripture should set them out under the notion of persons, or people that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death; until Christ, as the day-spring from on high, hath visited them: But I am sure they have sin enough to justify God in damning them; and permitting them to walk in their own ways, until they have filled up the measure of their iniquities, and brought judgment upon themselves. I also believe, that if there be found a Job in the Land of Uz; If there be one found amongst the Heathen, who feareth God, and escheweth evil; who walketh up to his natural light; God hath his secret way to reveal, and apply Christ to them, so as he shall not perish. But yet I cannot believe that his natural light shall save him, because the Scripture telleth us, That there is no other name under heaven, than the name of Jesus Christ, by which any can be saved; neither is there Salvation in any other. There are several things in nature that we know are so, but we do not know the way of them. In the matters of grace there are several things also which we understand not the way of God in: Three come into my mind at present. The way of God with an infant, we are not sure that all infants, no, not that all Baptized infants shall be saved; but we doubt not, but of many such is the Kingdom of God: but for the way of God with the Soul of one that liveth not up to the exercises of reason, and the intelligentness of the ordinary means of Faith, and Regeneration; this we do not understand. 2. The way of God with a thief upon the Cross, I mean with a sinner forgetting, or neglecting to turn unto God until his last hour; we do believe that God hath mercy upon some such Souls, but how God worketh in them these habits of grace, which are necessary according to the ordinary rule; how they are born again of the Spirit, and Baptized, not with water only, but with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: this we do not understand. And so Thirdly, The way of God with an Heathen, that never cometh to the light of the Gospel, nor hath any external Revelation of Christ: I say, how the Spirit of God moveth, and which way it cometh into such a Soul; this we do not understand, but leave it amongst the unsearchable things of Divine Providence, which we believe and revere: If there be (as I said before) a Job in the Land of Uz, he shall know that his Redeemer lives, and that he shall stand at the last day upon the earth, and he shall see him with his eyes: But which way God revealeth this to him, we understand not. In the mean time these hidden things being left to God, revealed things belong to us and to our children; and this is revealed: That the wrath of God, as to the Heathen, is revealed against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.

2. But this is much more evident concerning such as live under the means of grace, and offers of salvation: Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem! (saith our Savior) how often would I have gathered thee as an Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but thou wouldest not? I would, what hindered then? thou wouldest not. Thus God of old spake to the Jews, Jer. 23.24. This thing I commanded you, saying, obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people, and walk you in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you: But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and imaginations of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. So Jer. 16.13. and in a multitude of places in Scripture: Indeed this is the Language of God quite throughout Scripture. So in the New Testament, You would not come to me that you might have life, Joh. 5.40. I hear some bold Disputer against God, saying, How is this possible, if it lieth not in the power of a man to believe, and to turn unto God? I have fully answered this before. All mankind in Adam certainly had a power to do so much as God required of man in order to his Salvation; but certain it is, that every man hath a power to do something; to do much more than he doth in order to his repenting, and believing: God will find at the day of Judgment, matter enough to condemn sinners for what was their duty to have done, and in their power to have done; and an instance will be wanting at that great day of one Soul, who did what was in his power; both as to the doing of Good, and the avoiding of sin; to whom God denied his special, and effectual grace: Christ Mat. 21.32. Layeth this to the Jews charge, That when they had heard John, they repented not afterward, that they might believe: But this is a theam I have before enlarged upon, and shall now add nothing to that Discourse. Having thus far opened the Proposition, I shall only give you Two Reasons of it.

1. First, That no imputation might be laid upon an holy, a most holy God: Though the Scripture doth justly assert a Sovereignty to God concerning the work of his hands, and the same power over his creature, which the Potter hath over the clay; yet it everywhere avoideth all imputations of rigor, injustice, cruelty; God will not be accounted an hard Master: what if this man hath but one Talent, another hath five, and a third hath ten; yet I hope he that hath but one, may trade proportionably to that one, as far as that will go; and if he doth not, and he be punished, his Master is not to be condemned for an hard Master, in taking that one Talent from him; or otherwise punishing him for the non-improvement of the stock betrusted to him: Suppose men to have but the one Talent, of the light of Nature, which is the case of the poor Heathens; another to have five Talents, the advantage of Gospel-light, and the ordinary means of grace; a third to have ten Talents, effectual grace superadded to both these: If he who hath but one Talent, or that hath had the five Talents, have not done with them what he might have done; and God condemn him for such omissions, or actions contrary to his duty; here can be no imputation upon God, he cannot be said to have done cruelly, severely, or injustly. God was under no obligation to trust him with five Talents, that abused, or would make no good use of one; nor to trust him with ten Talents, who would not use, or did abuse his sive; but now should God have punished, or condemned any without their sins as the meritorious cause, there might have been some imputation upon God.

2. Secondly, God hath so ordered it, That the sinner shall be inexcusable: It is but reasonable, that the holy God should so dispense out his punishments by the hand of Providence, that a sinner should be without excuse; this the Scripture lets us know once and again. In the Parable it is said, That he who was turned out from the Wedding-feast for want of the Wedding-garment, was speechless; he was without an Apology, he had nothing to say for himself. So Rom. 1.20. Then they are without excuse. So Rom. 2.1. Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man: This is one design that God drives, so to manage and govern by the motions of his Providence. Now supposing this, that all destruction is of a man's self: That God doth not condemn any out of mere Prerogative, or because he will, (whatever he might do, vi absoluti juris ) every sinner must stop his mouth, and be speechless in that day, when God shall say, Take them, bind them hand and foot, and cast them into utter darkness, where is weeping and wailing, and guashing of teeth. What hath any sinner to say for himself, if his destruction be of himself? I have done with the doctrinal part of this Discourse, I come to apply it.

1. Use. In the first place, observe the great difference between God's proceedings in the methods of his grace, and of his paenal dispensations; dispensations of mercy and judgment, are both God's work: But the one is his Natural work, the other is his strange work, Isa. 28.21. God's workings in the methods of his grace, are, ex mero suo motu & beneplacito, they merely flow from the nature of God, without any meritorious cause in the creature; he showeth mercy because he will show mercy, and extendeth compassion to whom he will, and because he will extend compassion; he giveth grace because he will give grace: here God acteth from mere Sovereignty and Prerogative; but he never dealeth out punishments, but there is some cause in the creature, something which moveth him to proceed and deal in such a manner, and meriteth such a punishment: He saveth Souls because he is gracious, he condemneth sinners because he is righteous, cum largitur gratiam per misericordiam hoc fit, cum negat, per judicium, saith Nieremberg, wrath is not declared, saith he, unless when it is due, lest there should be unrighteousness with God; mercy is shown, when and where it is not due; this maketh no unrighteousness with him: So that I say, there is a vast difference to be observed betwixt God's dispensations of mercy and goodness, and his dispensations of wrath and severity.

2. Use. In the second place, you may from hence conclude; How little reason there is for that clamour, which some make against such as are called Calvinists; under which nick-name, they indeed wound, not only Augustine and Prosper, and others of the ancients; but many Divines in England, especially that lived three, or fourscore years a go. Two great Accusations they bring:

1. That they affirm God to be the Author of sin; yet neither Mr. Calvin, nor any of his Followers ever said so, nor dare any now say so: What's the matter then? because they say, That God hath willed, that sin should be committed, though he hath neither commanded, nor approved the action, nor any way influenced it by the way of efficiency: Therefore God must be the Author, or these Divines make him the Author: Or because God is the Author of his own judgments, and paenal dispensations; and God sometimes punisheth sin with sin; therefore God must be the Author of sin: taken properly as it is an oblique action, contrary to his Law. This is (forsooth) their proof of that crimination; when-as there are no Divines in the world, but think it, not only blasphemy, but nonsense, to talk of God as the Author of sin; which must be an action contrary to the will, liking, and approbation of God, as the very nature of sin doth import.

2. Their second Crimination, is, That God hath damned his creatures, out of his mere Prerogative and Sovereignty. We do indeed think, and must so think, till our Adversaries can possess us with other Idea's and notions of God, than either Scripture, or reason will help us with; That there is nothing which either hath, or shall come to pass in the world, but God did know from all eternity; neither can we conceive how God should know anything, but because he willed it; either in a way of efficiency, or to permit it. We do say, that God had a jus absolutum, from eternity; an absolute right over his creatures, to determine how he pleased concerning them: But we also say, That in his paenal dispensations he acteth not according to his Sovereignty and absolute right; and that every man's destruction is of himself; and the proximate, and meritorious cause of the punishment, and eternal ruin of any Soul, is his own sin: God doth not condemn any Soul, but for sin, recompensing their own iniquities upon their heads; and whatsoever is absolute and Sovereign right, his Law, from which he never varieth, in the motions of his Providence, is, The soul that sinneth shall die. Where is the difference then? What maketh this great clamour, and odious representation of eminent Divines, as to the method of God's proceedings in his actual Providence? Papists, Arminians, Calvinists, all are agreed, That the wages of sin is death, The soul that sinneth shall die: God will condemn none but for sin. Only it seems they are not agreed, as to the Nature, and Attributes, and Prerogatives of God. Those Divines whom they call Calvinists, must assert God to have the same Power over his creatures, which a Potter hath over the clay: This the other will not understand, though God expressly told it the Prophet Jeremy; and the Apostle from him hath expressly told it us: and this is all the difference that I can understand.

3. Use. Thirdly, you may from hence learn, How the Righteousness of God shall be cleared in the last day, in the condemnation of sinners, although it hath not pleased him to give to all a power to that which is truly, and Spiritually good. This is a point which very many in this Generation also will not understand, but the fault is in themselves. If God (say they) hath not given to all men a power to repent, and to believe, how shall he be righteous in the condemning of Sinners? There is no consequence at all in this, but upon this Hypothesis: That except men have a power to do that which is Spiritually good, they are in no capacity to do that which is morally evil. Whether they have a power to repent, or to believe, without the effectual Grace of God, yea, or no; Certainly, they have a power in a thousand things, to break the Law of God; yea, and to do also many things which are contained in the Law of God: and although the doing of these things would not save them, yet certainly, the omiting of them, or doing contrary to them, may give God a righteous cause to condemn them. Suppose one of you who are Fathers, to have two Sons, both of them wild, and fond of their play, and eager at it; you call them both to come to you, and tell them, that if they will come, you will give them both money to go and buy such things; but if by such a time, they have not those things, and appear to you in, and with them, you will certainly whip them. One of these Children hearkens to you, leaves his play, comes running to you, and begs the money you promised him; then procures the things, and appeareth to you in the habit you desired, and you are well pleased with him. The other Child, is mad of his play (which if he would he might leave) he could not have the things without money out of his Fathers Purse; but he will not leave his play, nor stir a foot towards his Father, nor so much as ask his Father for money; his Father indeed, sends him no money, but shuts him out of his sight; and ordereth him to be severely whipt, because that he would not leave his idle game, and come to him, and ask the money of him which he promised; and because he had not bought the things, and appeared before him, in that habit, and dress, which he had commanded: will not one say, this foolish Child, is right served? shall his Father be judged unrighteous or severe, because he gave the Child no money (as he did the other) and the Child could come by the things without money, and if it had them not, could not appear in, or with them, before his Father? The case is much the same, betwixt God and us. God seeth two Men, or Women, both his Creatures, alike in Adam, both born in Trespasses and Sins; wildly playing over the hole of the Asp, and the den of the Cockatrice; sporting themselves in Sin, and in an hourly danger of Hell-fire: God calleth them by his Ministers, to leave their Sins, and to turn unto him; he saith, let him that hath been drunk, be drunk no more; let him that hath been unclean, be unclean no more; let him that hath told a lie, that hath broke my Sabbaths, lie, and break my Sabbaths no more; let him read my Word, and hear my Word; and let him come, and pray unto me, and beg of me, an heart to believe and to repent, and I will give it him; and he that believeth shall be saved; but in the great day, it shall be found, That he who hath not repented, and hath not believed, shall be damned. One of these sinners, leaveth off his lewd courses, falls to an external Discipline, readeth the Word, heareth the Word of God, applieth himself to God by Prayer, beggeth of God an heart to repent, and to believe his Gospel: God hears him, gives him a power, gives him repentance unto Life, and a saving Faith in Christ; and he obtaineth everlasting Salvation. The other is mad of his Lusts, and after them he will go, let what will be the issue of it; he will not read the Word, not hear that his Soul may live; nor so much as ask special Grace of God, not to plead with God for Faith, or Repentance; God giveth them not to him, he dieth in his impenitency and unbelief: God throweth him into Hell, for his not repenting, not believing, according to his Word. Is there any unrighteousness with God in this case, more than in the Fathers dealing with the Child, upon the former Supposition? What pretence is there for it? The Sinner, you will say, could not repent, could not believe, without the special Grace of God, which was never given him. No more could the Child buy those things the Father willed it to have, and come before him with, unless the Father first gave it money; the Child had no money of its own: But the Child might have left its play, it might have read, and heard the Word, he might have come to God by Prayer; and beg'd of him a soft, and contrite heart, and a believing heart, he had power to do all this; and had he done this, God had not been wanting to him in his further Grace. To him that hath shall be given ((saith our Savior) that is, to him that hath, and useth, and proveth what Gifts and Graces he hath as he ought to do, shall be given more Grace. But this the poor wretch hath not done, but dieth an hard-hearted, an impenitent and unbelieving wretch; what unrighteousness is there with God in his condemnation? he perisheth in his own iniquity; his blood is upon his own head, his damnation lieth at his own door, his destruction is of himself, his help might have been from God, if he had not been wanting to himself. O sinful men, are not the Lord's ways equal? Yes, yes, they are our own ways that are unequal; the straight ways of the Lord, are only made crooked, by our idle fancies, our proud hearts, and corrupt reasons, and foolish misprisions.

Use 4. In the last place, let me apply this discourse, by way of Exhortation, it will afford matter of Exhortation. 1. To the people of God. 2. To the men of the World, those I mean that are not yet converted unto God. 1. To God's People.

1. To you it speaketh, to make you more afraid of sin for the time to come. Sin in Scripture is ordinarily resembled by sickness, and a disease. Now what is true of sickness is true of Sin, every sickness is not unto death; but every sickness hath something of death in it; it leadeth to the Grave: it is not the last stroke, at the giving of which, the Tree falleth; but it is a blow, in order to the fall of it. Every sin doth not bring forth death; yea as to you, No sin shall bring forth death; because Rom. 8.1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Jesus Christ; but every sin hath something of the nature of a self-ruining, and destruction in it. The wages of every sin is death; the natural tendency of every sin is unto death. It is the Gift and Free-Grace of God that as to you prevents it; and although your sins do not bring forth an Eternal ruin and destruction to you, because the Blood of Christ, and the Intercession of Christ hath prevented, and will prevent that; yet your sins may bring forth many lesser deaths to you: for them, you may be in deaths often; for them there may be a death of your peace, and comforts: as there are no temporal Evils, which sin may not bring upon the people of God; so there are few spiritual Evils on this side of Hell, to which it doth not subject them: So that although you be not under the danger of an Eternal ruin, yet you are under the danger of so many deaths, so many destructions, as may justly lay a Law upon you, and make you afraid of sinning against God.

2. But Secondly, This calleth to all of you, to admire the Divine Grace by which you are saved. I hope it is the portion of many of you to whom I am speaking, you are not yet got up to the new Jerusalem, but you are in the right way that leadeth thereunto. O cry, Grace, Grace, unto the hand which set you upon that Shore. It is true of you, you also by sin had destroyed yourselves, by Grace you are saved; you were once Fire-brands, as well as any others; are you now brands plucked out of the Fire? It was the hand of Grace, that plucked you out. You hath he quickened (saith the Apostle, Ephes. 2.1.) who were dead in Trespasses and sins. Amongst whom also we had our conversation of old according to the Lusts of the Flesh; you also were once acted by the Prince of the Air, who yet worketh in the Children of Disobedience; and were by Nature, the Children of Wrath, as much as others. It is a sweet, though in some sense, a bitter meditation to cast a thought back, and think, Lord! How had I also destroyed myself? How near was I going to the Pit of Eternal ruin and destruction? Nay, how often yet is our Salvation from God? We are every day destroying ourselves, we lie down with sin enough to justify God in destroying us before the Morning; and rise up every day with sin enough to justify God in destroying us before the Evening. By Grace we are saved.

2. But Secondly, let me speak to those which can have no such good hope through Grace. They yet are in their natural State and condition, in the Gall of bitterness, and in the very bands of iniquity. Sirs, it is that which I have often told you, and I wish the sound of it may never be out of your Ears; you are Creatures ordained to Eternity, when you die, you die not like brute-Beasts; Death will not determine your beings, you shall be either Eternally happy, or Eternally miserable: All that I have to say to you, is to plead with you, that you would not ruin yourselves; and let me tell you, that if ever you perish, it must be because you have destroyed yourselves. Do not fright yourselves with thoughts of God's eternal decrees: secret things belong to God, revealed things to us. Whatever God's secret counsels and purposes be, this is his revealed will; The Soul that sinneth, and that alone shall die. Trouble not yourselves with any such thoughts as these, If I be not elected, do what I will, I shall be damned; If God hath cast me off, I shall labor in vain; It is the Sluggard (saith Solomon ) which saith, There is a Lion in the way. We cannot ascend up into Heaven, to search God's Books, there is no need of it. The Word is near us, even in our mouths; that telleth us, that God never destroyeth any Soul, but the meritorious cause of it is in himself: and this we know, that all sin is voluntary; O then, take heed of destroying yourselves, by willful, and presumptuous sinning against God. Nature teacheth every Man, to look to himself, as to his Life, Health, Estate; and shall not our reasonable Nature, instructed by the Word of God, prompt us to take care of ourselves, as to our Eternal Interest? You will say unto me, what shall we do, that we may not de destroyed; for who liveth, and sinneth not against God? I have before told you, that in Scripture I find three Answers to this Question. The one is that of St. Peters, Acts 2.31. Repent and be Baptized; another is that of St. Paul, Acts 16.31. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. The other, is that of our Savior, to the young Man, asking him, What good thing he should do, that he might inherit Everlasting Life. Saith our Savior, Keep the Commandments. Those three Texts will give you complete directions.

1. Keep the Commandments. You will reply, but you tell us, that no Man is able to keep the Commandments; but because you cannot do all which God doth require, can you do nothing? Well, but you will say, Shall we be saved if we do all that we can to keep the Moral Law? I Answer, No, What then?

2. St. Peter tells you, Acts 2.38. Repent, and be Baptized: you will reply, but it is God who must give repentance unto life. True, we say, God must change the heart; the Blackamore cannot change his skin, nor the Leopard his spots: But cannot you consider your sins? Cannot you turn from open sins? Do what in you lieth in order to your Repentance: Well, but you will say, If we do this, Is this enough? I Answer, No, What then?

3. St. Paul telleth you, Act. 16. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved: Still, you will say, But is not Faith the gift of God? Have we a power to believe? We Answer, No, It must be given to men on the behalf of Christ to believe; But cannot you read the Word of God? Cannot you come and hear the Word preached? When you have heard it, Cannot you meditate therein? Cannot you apply your souls to the Word, though it be God's work to apply the Word to your souls, and make it to dwell in you? Cannot you beg of God a power to believe? God will not be wanting to that soul, that is not first wanting to itself. The difference betwixt us, and the bold Patrons of free-will, lies here: They hold, that a man hath a natural power and ability to actions formally, and spiritually good: This we deny, but yet say, That man hath a power to actions that are morally, and materially good: and if he would go about as far as his Natural power would help him, though indeed he could merit nothing at the hand of God; We do not believe, that God would be wanting to him, as to habits of spiritual and effectual grace. Now this is that which I am pleading with you for, that you might not destroy you selves.

1. That you would not give yourself a liberty, and let yourselves loose to do things contrary to the Law of God, wherein you might restrain yourselves.

2. That you would not neglect to do those things which God requireth of you, and which are in your power to do. I shall conclude this, but with Two very weighty considerations.

1. No punishment is more justly and smartly inflicted, than that which a man hath chosen, and willfully brought upon himself; when a man hath chosen death rather than life, and judged himself unworthy of everlasting life, and despised his own mercy; certainly every man must say, he is justly punished, and adjudged to that portion which he hath chosen to himself.

2. Secondly, As no punishment is so justly and smartly inflicted, so none is more intolerable to be born. There will be in Hell another fire which shall never go out; but this will be the worm that shall never die: I have done, and shall shut up my Discourse with the words of Moses: I have this day set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. I have told you which way you must go down into the pit of destruction, if ever you come there; you must of yourselves go into it: O let not your destruction be of yourselves, especially considering what God hath done, and what he is daily doing; to evidence that in him is your help, if you will apply yourselves unto him.

SERMON LI.

THE business I am upon (as you know) is the expounding some hard Chapters in the Book of Divine Providence; I am upon the last head, upon which I propounded to speak to some appearing difficulties, viz. God's unequal dispensations of Grace, whether such as are more common, or such as are more special and saving, as a basis to this Discourse: I have premised, and handled Two preliminary Propositions.

1. Prop. That God in the dispensations of his grace, acteth by Prerogative in a way of Sovereignty, freely, and unaccountably.

2. Prop. That in his paenal dispensations of this nature, he never proceedeth but justly upon the previous demerits of sinners.

I now come to speak to some Questions relating to these dispensations of Divine Providence. The Two first of this nature, which I shall speak to, relate to God's unequal distributions of common grace, but such as are spiritual means, in order to the obtaining of special and effectual grace; and his unequal distributions of special and effectual grace, without which none can be saved: I shall put both these together, and for a short Discourse upon these, I have made choice of this Text.

The business of the Apostle in this excellent Epistle, is to establish the great Doctrine of the Gospel, concerning the Justification of the soul before God by the righteousness of Christ, on God's part imputed, and reckoned to sinners; and on man's part, apprehended, and applied by Faith; in opposition to the Doctrine of the Doctors of the Jews, who held the Justification of the Soul by the works of the Law: In opposition to whom he had laid down his grand Proposition, Rom. 1.17. That the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith: That is, That righteousness wherein a Soul another day, must stand just and righteous before God, is not a righteousness of our own, arising from our performance of the Law; but the righteousness of Christ revealed in the Gospel, which is apprehended, and made ours by Faith. His first Argument by which he proveth this, is, obvious to any considerate Reader: If any be justified by works, they must either be the Gentiles, or the Jews; but neither are the works of the Gentiles, such, as will justify them: Nor are the works of the Jews, such, as will justify them. As to the Gentiles, he proveth at large, Chap. 1. That their works were such, as were so far from Justifying them, That the wrath of God was revealed against them; for the wrath of God is revealed against all the ungodliness, and unrighteousness of men; and, as he at large showeth, the works of the Heathen were works of most notorious ungodliness, and unrighteousness; and therefore could not possibly justify them. So in this Chapter he proveth that the works of the Jews were not such, as could justify them before God; for though they condemned others for sins, yet they did as bad themselves. From Vers. 11. He taketh away all pretence of Justification by works, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles: For the Gentiles, he saith, they had not the Law; For the Jews they indeed had the Law, but they broke it: Now, saith he, There is no respect of persons with God, those that sin shall perish; let them sin with the Law, or without the Law: For (saith he in my Text) as many as have sinned without Law, shall also perish without Law, and as many as have sinned in the Law, shall be judged by the Law. By the Law is here plainly understood the Word of God, which God hath given us to be a light unto our feet, and a lanthern to our paths; a light to show us the way to Heaven: Here is plainly implied, That as some sinners perish having the Word of God, and the external means of Salvation; so others perish having not the Law and Word of God, nor the outward and ordinary means which God hath appointed in order to the obtaining of eternal life and salvation. 2. In both these dispensations God is just, for there is no respect of persons with God. Now hence arise Two Questions,

1. Quest. Whether God granteth to all men sufficient aids and assistances, or means of Grace in order to their Salvation.

2. Quest. If God doth not grant unto all men sufficient means, aids, and assistances of Grace, in order to their Salvation: how he can be just in the condemnation of any, to whom he hath not given, such a sufficiency of means.

1. Quest. Whether God granteth unto all men sufficient means of Grace, in order to their Salvation?

We affirm that he hath not. But here we have many Adversaries, to encounter. There are some that affirm that there is a sufficiency of the means, aids, and assistances of Grace afforded to all men in order to their Salvation. Some of the Arminians will not go thus far, but they affirm, That to all those to whom the Gospel is preached, and who are by the preaching of it called to Faith and Repentance, there is a sufficient grace given. Thus far we do agree as to this point of sufficient grace.

1. That in our first Parent Adam, all mankind had sufficient grace, whether we respect external, or internal means; he had a sufficient Revelation of the Will of God, and a sufficient power in himself, in his own will; in the rectitude of his own nature, to have made use of, and applied the Revelation he had of the Divine Will, in order to his Salvation; and so all mankind had in him: For as in Adam all died, so in Adam all men were at first a live, or they could not in the fall have died in him: The Question is not therefore of man, as he at first came out of the hand of God, but of mankind in their lapsed estate, whether they have all such a sufficiency.

2. Secondly, Neither is the Question about the sufficiency of external means as to all those to whom the Gospel is preached, and who have the Scriptures; we grant a perfection in them, and that they are able to make men wise unto Salvation: the word of Faith, is a sufficient external means; this is again on all hands agreed betwixt us.

3. Thirdly, It is out of doubt, that there is such a Revelation of the means of grace, as is sufficient for the manifestation of the Glory and Justice of God, which is the great end which God aimeth at in all his dispensations of Providence.

4. Yea, and Fourthly, There is such a sufficiency of outward means, as is enough to keep up external order, and discipline in the world, in human Societies; and as will render men inexcusable before God, Rom. 2.1.

5. Lastly, We do grant that there is a sufficiency of grace given to many that live in the world, even to as many as God hath fore-ordained to eternal life: But still there are Two Questions behind.

1. Whether those who never heard of Christ, to whom the Gospel was never preached, have a sufficient external means in order to their Salvation?

2. Whether either those, or any of those to whom the Gospel is preached, have a sufficiency of means in order to their Salvation, unless God be pleased to influence their souls by the powerful operation of his Spirit upon their hearts, overpowering their wills, and in the day of his power making them willing to receive the Lord Jesus Christ freely tendered in the Gospel. We do judge, that as the Heathens, who have not heard of Christ, nor had the Gospel preached unto them, have not a sufficiency in respect of outward, ordinary means; so neither those who have the Scriptures, and Ordinances of God, have a sufficiency of grace while they want the internal effectual operation of the Spirit of God. So that indeed no Reprobates, only the Elect of God, have a sufficient aid and assistance of grace given them for their Salvation, though in the way of outward means; those indeed who have the Gospel published to them, may be said to have a sufficiency in respect of external means. This we affirm, upon these grounds.

1. This pretended sufficiency must be either of External means, or of Internal means, or of both: indeed it must be of both, or it is not a sufficiency. The External means is the holy Scriptures, and the preaching of them; they are those which are able to to make the man of God, (as Apostle tells us) wise unto Salvation: And how shall they believe, (saith the Apostle, Rom. 10.) on him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a Preacher? And how shall they Preach except they be sent? The Apostle is there, discoursing of the ordinary means of Salvation: you see, that is fixed in the word, for that is, that which is to be heard, and the Preaching of the word. So that what secret way soever, God may have to reveal himself, and the knowledge of Christ, unto some particular persons, in places where the Scriptures are not found, nor the name of Christ heard of, nor his Gospel Preached; yet, certain it is, the outward and ordinary means of Salvation is the Preaching, hearing, and reading of the word, and the Ministry of the Gospel. Now we know, that in the far greatest part of the World, the Scriptures are not found, read, preached, they have no Ministry; and therefore it is very absurd to say, That as to the External ordinary means of Salvation, there is a sufficiency afforded all; for if the word, and the Ministry of it be the outward and ordinary, means; it is matter of demonstration, that a very great part of the World hath nothing of it: those therefore that will maintain a sufficiency of means, must make the works of God, and the view of them, and conclusions, which men may make by their Natural light and reason from them, a sufficient means, to give a man the knowledge of God, and such a knowledge as is sufficient. And this indeed some do seem to say, When they find out for us another object for saving Faith than Christ and his Gospel; and tell us, that Abel and Enoch excercised their Faith, and such a Faith as pleased God; whose object was not Christ, but only such Propositions as these, That God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him. This is indeed a new Doctrine in our Nation, but it is but a Transcript, of what the Socinians, and Arminians, have long since said, That the Gentiles were saved by a Faith in God, believing, That God is, and that he is a rewarder of those that seek him: By a Faith only apprehending things remote from human sense (as some amongst us Phrase it now, but translating Bertius ) and after the same rate speak the Socinians, generally denying Faith in Christ necessary to Salvation, and making only a Faith in God necessary; but the Scripture telleth us, That there is no other name under Heaven, by which a man can be saved, besides that of Jesus Christ; neither is there Salvation in any other. But upon that Hypothesis, That the Preaching of the Gospel is the ordinary External means, it cannot be said, That God hath given to all means sufficient. 2. But Secondly, For the more Spiritual Internal means, which is the effectual grace of God, it is certain; that is not given to all, for then all would be saved, (but of that more, by and by.) There are those that think every man hath a sufficiency of inward Spiritual means, who liveth under the preaching of the Gospel. The Socinians, in their known Catechism, propound this Question. Whether there be not a need of an inward gift of the Spirit, to enable us to believe the Gospel? They Answer; No. The same Song is sung by Smalcius, Socinus, Ostorodius, and the Arminians, generally say the same thing, the business is they make no more necessary, than a moral Suasion; which all have to whom the Gospel is preached; that supposed, they say, Man hath in his own will, a power to believe, repent, &c. But the Scripture tells us, It is given to us on the behalf of Christ to believe; That Faith is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God; with a multitude of Texts more of the like import: now most certain it is, that if there be any such operation of the Spirit necessary, all men have not a sufficiency of means: If we be not sufficient of ourselves, to think one good thought, as the Apostle tells us: If without Christ, we can do nothing: If God must give to will and to do, what power hath man to anything which is truly, and Spiritually good? For those that sit under the preaching of the Gospel, they have all the same moral Suasion; they have all the same rational powers, and faculties; how cometh it, I would fain know, to pass, that one of them repents, and believeth, when others are hardened and continue lockit up in unbelief? Is it from themselves, that one man's will inclineth well, and not another's? then surely there is another Principle of Spiritual life; another Fountain of good besides God, which is plainly to contradict the Scripture, which everywhere maketh God the Fountain of life, and of all good. But this is the first thing only which I offer to you, in this cause.

2. Secondly, How is it possible, that all should have sufficient grace, but that all must be saved? God telleth St. Paul, 2 Cor. 12.9. My grace shall be sufficient for thee; was it possible, after that promise, he should have been overborne, or overcome with his temptation? I would ask for what this pretended grace, given to all should be sufficient? Will they say for Salvation? How can any be said, to have a sufficiency of grace to save them, who yet are not saved, nor ever shall be saved? All that can be pretended, is, That every man, and woman, hath a reasonable Soul; (that is not denied) and that is naturally endued, with power enough, to do whatsoever Spiritual action God hath required of man, in order to his obtaining Salvation; having either the works of God, to represent God unto him; (which is all that the Heathen have) or the word of God, the holy Scriptures, which they may read, and hear preached. So that this same sufficient grace, which they contend for, is nothing else but a reasonable Soul: The works of God in Nature, and the word of God in the Scriptures; or, at most preached to them. Those who restrain sufficiency of grace, to those who have the Gospel preached to them, tell us plainly, That the word preached, is the instrument, the consummatory instrument of God for our Faith, conversion, &c. And deny that in the business of conversion, the holy Spirit putteth forth any other power; and they say, There is more force in the word of Reconciliation, than in a Lazare prodi, Lazarus come forth: Well, but what shall become of the Heathen, who have not this word of Reconciliation? how have they a grace sufficient? It cannot be denied, but they have the works of God, sufficient to convince them, That God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him; and they have reasonable Souls, to make such conclusions upon the prospect of the works of God; and a Faith in Christ as Mediator, is not, they say, necessary to Salvation; for thus none could believe in Christ, before he came (if you will believe them.) A Faith in God as a supreme being, and as a rewarder of them that seek him, being sufficient; especially, considering that Faith is nothing else, but an obedience to the commands of Christ; and this is the very form and essence of Faith, Socin. fragm. de Just. P. 51. Now this must be understood, so far as we know them, and they are revealed to us. This was the old Doctrine of Socinus, and his followers; and in this sense they say, Sufficient grace is given to all, in order to their Salvation, because they believe nothing of what we call grace, viz. A particular internal influence and operation of the holy Spirit, begetting in us a lively Faith in Jesus Christ necessary to any; but that every man hath a natural power to do all that God required of him, and may be saved if he will but use that power, to the use of which there needeth not any special influence of God: But man may be a God to himself, a principle of the greatest good inclining his own heart, to that which is Spiritually good. For that God should give unto any grace, sufficient for his Salvation, and yet it should not be effectual, is indeed a contradiction; for it must be sufficient, and insufficient.

3. Again, If there be such a sufficient grace granted to all; It must be sufficient, either as a Physical, or Natural cause, or as a Moral cause. Physical causes, we know act necessarily. All that can be pretended, is, a sufficiency as a Moral cause. Now certainly in the Gospel, and the preaching of it, there is only a proposition of things to be believed, and done, and arguments used to persuade the belief or doing of them; the Question still is, by what: power it is, that a man doth believe, and do? What is in the word written, propounded, in the word preached, so persuaded, and argued? We say it is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God; and it is given to them, who believe, on the behalf of Christ to believe, Phil. 1.29. Now this means is not given unto all, the Habits are not infused from whence, as from their Roots, and Principles, these actions must proceed. To this they have nothing to say, but that these actings flow from a Principle in man's will; yet all men have the same reasonable Souls: thus God giveth Faith and Holiness, no more to Paul, than to Judas. The upshot is therefore: That there is in man a self sufficiency to his own Salvation, and need not to be beholden to Father, Son, or Holy Ghost for it; being once brought forth into the World, and possessed of a reasonable Soul, he hath a sufficiency to his own Slavation, and may be a God unto himself: but it is not proper to call this means; we are otherwise taught from the Holy Scriptures, and therefore cannot agree it, That all men have an auxilium sufficiens; a sufficiency of grace, and gracious assistances in order to their obtaining Eternal life, and Salvation.

2. Quest. But the Second Question still remains, viz. How can God be just in the condemnation of any Sinner, to whom he hath not given a sufficient aid, and assistance of grace, in order to his Salvation. To this in my former discourses, I have spoken sufficiently. But yet I will speak something to it, here falling so fully in my way.

Answ. 1. I answer first. God did give unto Adam, sufficient aids and assistances of Divine grace to have carried him, and all his posterity to Heaven. What was given unto him, was given to him, and his; to him as a public Person, in whom we all were, and fell. Arminians stiffly deny, That Adam, in his state of innocence had a power to believe in Christ, because (say they) there was need of any Faith in Christ, in that estate, no: Episcopius saith it is a silly Question, considering we make Faith a Supernatural habit; and such a one as in that state there was no need of. This is no better then trifling, and equivocating; surely all habits of grace since the fall, are Supernatural habits, we must be taught of God, to love God, and to love one another; to fear God, to delight, or to hope in him; had Adam therefore no such powers in his state of innocence think we? Further I would gladly know, whether Adam had not a power in innocence to do whatsoever was necessary, in order to the obtaining of everlasting Salvation? If God doth not give now to every man such a sufficiency of power, and Spiritual assistance; yet, he is just in the condemnation of Sinners: Man had such a sufficiency of power, and lost it; but God hath not lost his right to require the exercise of it, and to condemn Sinners for sin, though they now want it.

2. Especially considering, that God hath given unto all such a sufficiency of external means, as is sufficient to render them without excuse. This the Apostle expressly saith, Rom. 2.1. But you will say, If God hath not given to all a sufficiency of means, how shall man be without excuse: shall not one say, Lord! I never heard of Christ, I never saw thy Law, how should I believe on him of whom I never heard, how should I obey that Law which I never saw, nor heard of? Again, shall not another say? Lord, I did indeed hear of a Savior, the Scripture I read, I beard, but I had no power to believe, I could not chonge my own heart, thou wouldst not change it; thou indeed, Lord, didst stand at the door of my heart, and knock, but thou didst never put in thy hand at the hole of the door. I answer, these Sinners yet shall be inexcusable, because they walked not up to that light, and mercy, which God gave them. This is what the Apostle giveth in plea for God, concerning the Heathen, Rom. 1.18, 21. The wrath of God, saith he, is revealed against the ungodliness, and unrighteousness of men; for saith he, That which may be known of God, is manifested in them, for God hath shown it to them, v. 21. Because when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. It is true we say, the Heathens have not a light, shining amongst them, they have nothing, but the light of Nature to guide them, and this light maketh no discovery of Christ: but yet, the light shineth with them; a light which will show them there is a God, and discover to them, that this God is Eternal and powerful. So that (saith the Apostle) they are without excuse, because, that when they knew God, they glorified, him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations; they improved not what light they had, nor became thankful for it, nor obedient to it. Christians are much more inexcusable, for besides that they have an equal share in Natural light, and have the same dictates of Natural conscience with others, there is much more of Christ, and his Gospel manifested to them. Christ telleth the Jews, Mat. 21.32. That John came unto them in a way of righteousness, and they believed not, but Publicans and Harlots believed in him, and you (saith he) when you had seen it repented not afterwards, that you might believe. Christians have the preaching of the Gospel, the preaching of Faith, and of repentance, and they repent not that they might believe; you will say, but it is God that must give a power to repent, he gave unto Gentiles, repentance unto life. I answer, repentance is taken either more largely, or more strictly. More stricty it signifieth, the turning of the heart from all Sin unto God; this indeed is the work of God, he alone hath an hand upon the heart of man: but more largely it is taken for the turning from some sin, and the performance of external discipline: now as to this, the Lord denieth unto none a sufficiency of grace, and if men do not what in them lieth, they are without excuse.

3. Finally, It is most certain, that God (whether he giveth sufficient grace to all, or no, condemneth none but for sin. I have shown you at large, that a sinners destruction is of, and from himself as the meritorious cause. If indeed, God did either condemn any righteous person, or were any way obliged to give out effectual grace to all, and did not, this indeed would argue unrighteousness with God; but he doth neither of these, his wrath will indeed one day be revealed against them, to whom Christ and his Gospel were never revealed, to whom grace sufficient to bring them to Heaven, and Eternal life was never given; but it shall never be revealed, but (as the Apostle saith) against the ungodliness, and unrighteousness of men: now certainly, God cannot be unrighteous in punishing unrighteousness or ungodliness. If God indeed were a debtor for his grace to his creature, he might be charged with unrighteousness, if he did not give it out; but he doth not deal out death and destruction, but as a wages, nor Salvation, and Eternal life, but as free gift? Who asketh a reason, why August Caesar, did not bestow gifts upon all his Courtiers in proportion with those bestowed on Maecenas? We may say of God as to all his dispensations of grace, Placuit, hoc satis est; ubi non aliud jus aut ratio, ipsa voluntas jus & ratio est; that is, It so pleased God, that is enough; where there is no other right or reason, the very will of God is Law, and reason enough: Besides, if the distributions of Divine grace were equal, how should God to any show forth the riches of his Grace? Let me but acquaint you with a passage of Augustine, upon this Argument.

I wish all those, who so talk of Fathers, would show us, that they were the Children of this ancient Father, to whom that name is usefully given. But I come to the Application of this discourse.

1. Use. In the first place, let this Caution you, against an hasty listing yourselves in the Number of those, who so cry up Universal grace, and a sufficiency of the means of grace for all, both the means of purchase, and of Application; I must confess it is a plausible point, and appears to us very pleasing, as well as reasonable, that God should not punish any, nor condemn any to whom he hath not given a sufficiency of grace, and assistances in order to their Salvation: but as smooth and plausible as it appeareth, take heed of too hasty embracing it: it leadeth to strange notions in Divinity, as you may partly learn from this discourse; the maintaining, ordinatam sufficientiam, an ordained sufficiency (for we are not now speaking of the value of the merits of the blood of Christ in itself) in the Death of Christ, for all those who shall perish, as well as for those who shall be saved: it will lead you either to deny that Christ's death was any purchase at all, or to affirm, that Christ purchased a possibility for some to be saved, but under an impossible condition, (let it be Natural, or Moral, the absurdity is the same;) for so it must be, if there were an Eternal Election, or except man hath a power of himself to repent, and believe, &c. And the maintaining of a sufficiency of grace, given to all for the Application of Salvation, will lead you to maintain; That there is a Salvation, may be had without a Christ; That the Heathens may be saved, by the light of Nature; And that any Christians may be saved without 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 any special operation of the Spirit of grace, indeed without any grace at all, taken in a strict, and proper sense: Doctrines of that consequence, that although it may be possible that those who hold such things may be saved, as having some further work of God upon their hearts, than they understand, and will own; yet, I fear it will be found impossible, that any who have tasted the grace of God no further, should ever come in the Kingdom of God. Let not therefore the smoothness and plausibility of such notions in the sound of them, deceive any of you; for it is but a sound, and no more: And if the consequences of those notions be thoroughly considered, and examined, they will be found at last to bottom in such strange notions, and apprehensions of the Nature of God, as do no way suit the perfect nature of the Divine, and Supreme being, and what the Scripture revealeth concerning God; yea, and the very light of Nature, and natural reason will evince it to us, upon the Hypothesis of God's being the first and Supreme being, and the Fountain of all good; and the Lord Jesus Christ's being Eternal God, and equal with the Father.

2. Use. This discourse calleth once more aloud unto all, To walk up to the light which they have. Though we deny, that God giveth unto all, yea, that he giveth to any (unless such as are ordained unto life) a sufficiency of grace, and gracious assistances in order to their eternal Salvation; yet we say, God granteth to all, though in very different degrees, some means. The very Heathens have something of God manifested to them, and manifested in them: For the invisible things of God, (saith the Apostle) are manifested by the things that are made, even his eternal power, and Godhead: they have natural light, and a natural reason, and something of a natural conscience too. The works of Creation they have, and the works of Providence, showing them a great deal of the eternal power and God-head of God; sufficient to convince them that there is a God, a Great, Infinite, Powerful God; for he leaveth not men without witness, giving the very Heathens fruitful times and seasons. But I am not speaking unto Heathens, you that are Christians have yet further means, though in different degrees too. All have the Scriptures, Protestants have them in their own Language, so as they may read, and in a great measure understand what they read; all have the Ministry of the Word, they have the Gospel preached to them; though it is true, that also is in very different degrees; yet all have something of what they call a moral Season, and are persuaded, and entreated to turn unto God. This we say, is not a sufficient means to bring a Soul unto Heaven: if God doth not more for Souls, than let them have the benefit of the works of Creation, showing them his glory, and the benefit of the light of Nature and Reason, and the works of his common Providence; yea, and of the Scriptures, and the preaching of them; and that not only in a cold, flat, and dead, and dull manner, but in the most lively, powerful manner; they will never repent, never believe, and turn unto God: Paul may plant, and Apollo may water long enough, if God doth not give the increase. It is not in him that Preacheth, and persuadeth, nor in him that Prayeth, and heareth, but in God that showeth mercy; he must give both to will, and to do; he must give repentance unto life, and be both the Author, and the finisher of our Faith. But yet I say, all these are means, some of them very great and excellent means; and the highest in the order of external means: And though they be not sufficient, though used with the best natural improvements of our own will, and power, to bring us to Heaven; yet sufficient to render us without excuse unto God, if we do not make a due, and just improvement of them. Let me therefore plead with you, that you would live up to the means of grace which God giveth you. That sort of people amongst us, whom we call Quakers, call to men to Hearken to the light within them: I do not well understand what they mean by the light within us; but thus much is certain, that all men have a light within them, and they have a light without them. The light without them is the light of the works of God in Nature, and of his works of Providence; The Scriptures, and the Ministry of the Word: all men have some, or other, or all of these. All men have also a light within them, the light of Nature, and of Reason: This light (as I have shown you) is not sufficient to show a man the way to Heaven, but it is enough to show a man much of God, and much of his duty; and the way to obtain a full and sufficient light, to bring him to glory, is for him to walk up to the light which he hath: This will be the condemnation, that when light is come into the world, men love darkness more than light, because their hearts, because their deeds are evil. But to shut up this Discourse.

3. Use. In the last place, What an obligation doth this lay upon the children of God, to cry out with holy David, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and sing of all his benefits, who forgiveth all thine iniquity, and healeth all thy diseases. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction, and crowneth thee with lovingkindness, and tender mercy. To heighten your souls apprehensions of the Divine goodness extended to you, and raise up your hearts in the high praises of God, I shall but offer Two things to your Meditation, with which I shall shut up this Discourse.

1. Consider, What is done unto you. God hath undoubtedly given unto you a sufficient grace: The sufficiency lost in Adam, is restored to you by the Lord's giving Christ to you; I can do all things, (saith the Apostle) through Christ that strengtheneth me. So that God may say to you, (as to his Vineyard, Isa. 5. What could I have done more for my Vineyard, than I have done?) What could I have done more for such a soul, than I have done? God hath displayed the riches of his grace upon your souls. God could do no more for you than he hath done. God hath nothing more to give, than grace and glory; he hath given you grace, special, distinguishing grace: Glory is hereafter to be revealed, in the mean time special effectual grace is glory begun.

2. Consider, Secondly, Why to you? to you rather than unto others; others may easily understand, Why not to them? because they despised the riches of his Grace, they sinned against their natural light, they lived not up to their light of Revelation. But Why to you? Did not you also sin against your light? Did you make that improvement of the works of God, the light of your natural Reason, or Conscience that you ought to have done? If not, Why hath God done more for you, than for them; discovered more of Christ unto you, than unto them? Here you will be lost, and at last be forced to resolve it into this; God hath shown me mercy, because he would show me mercy, and hath extended compassion to me, only because he would extend compassion. Oh sit down alone sometimes, and say, My soul, Why should the God of grace show mercy unto thee? Hast thou not sinned often against the very light of Nature, and Reason? Hast thou not despised the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and trampled underfoot the blood of the Son of God? What high praises of God, are high enough for every true believers heart? How precious should Christ be unto his soul? How can he ever have thoughts of God high enough, or with his tongue sing the praises of God loud enough? How doth he stand concerned to cry out with David, Awake my glory? Oh! What manner of person should a believer be in all boliness of conversation? He can certainly never do enough for that God, who hath done so much for him, and hath made such a difference betwixt him, and others: This is praising of God, not in word and in tongue only, but indeed, and in truth: Oh this is to perfect holiness! It is for that God who hath from eternity chosen you to obtain everlasting life, and hath left others to perish in their iniquity; for that God who in the dispensations of his gracious Providence, in the execution of that purpose, hath given his Son for you, to purchase a certainty of Salvation for your Souls: who hath sent the Ministers of his Gospel to you, publishing this Salvation by Christ, when others never heard of the Gospel; nay, who hath done much more than this, when others sat under the Gospel, and their hearts were never wrought upon by the preaching of it; God hath especially changed, and wrought upon your hearts, and conquered your souls into the obedience of his Gospel. I shall conclude with that of the Psalmist, Psal. 107.1, 2. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.

SERMON LII.

I Have (as you know) in this Discourse, formerly made use of this Text to found a Proposition upon, concerning the unsearchableness of the ways of Divine Providence, (for of those ways it is, that this Text speaketh) I beheld, (saith Solomon Eccl. 8.17.) all the words of God, that a man cannot find out the ways of God which are done under the Sun, yea, though a man labor to find it out, yet be shall not find it, yea, though a wise man think to know it, yet he shall not find it. I have shown you that the ways of Divine Providence cannot be found out, 1. As to the Compass and Latitude of them. 2. As to the Tendencies of them. 3. As to the Method and Tract of them. 4. As to the Indication of them. 5. Lastly, As to the Reason of them. This is as true, with reference to the motions of special and effectual grace, as to the workings of Providence, in its more ordinary and common motions, relating to the affairs of the World. Now one of the Reasons why the ways of the Lord cannot be found out, is because he doth not always tread the same steps. God doth not always do the same work in the same method: and this is true as to the motions of Providence, in the distribution of special grace, as well as with reference to its motions, respecting the affairs of this life. I shall not pretend to find out these depths, I shall only Discourse some of these distributions, so far as to show you, that they are reasonable motions. I shall first Discourse shortly concerning the works of Divine Providence, in the bringing home of Souls unto himself, in the work of Conversion and Regeneration.

2. Secondly, In God's carrying on of his work in the souls of his Saints, thereby preparing, and making them meet for the Inheritance of light.

That which I intend at this time to speak to, is the variety of God's ways in bringing home souls to himself: Even there the way of God is like the way of an Eagle in the Air, a Serpent on a Rock, and a Ship on the Sea, which can none of them be trackt, nor found out in the methods of their motions. God in the Converting of souls unto himself, doth not keep an uniform motion, nor tread certain steps; but sometimes he worketh one way, sometimes another; sometimes by one means, sometimes by another. For some order in this Discourse, I shall Discourse,

1. Concerning the varieties of Divine Providence in the Conversion of souls.

2. What reasonable account may be given of that variety of God's motions in this thing.

3. What practical conclusions may be drawn from hence, or inferred upon this Discourse. I begin with the first of these.

Quest. 1. What varieties of Divine Providence are observable in this great work of changing hearts, and the Conversion of souls unto God?

The truth is, there are some that will understand none at all; poor souls, they will understand no other Conversion, nor Regeneration, but in Baptism; everyone that is Baptized, is Regenerated. There was indeed such a thing as Conversion, when the world was all Jews and Heathens; and to be brought to embrace the Doctrine of the Gospel: But for any such thing, as the turning the heart from sin unto God, this they understood not; and indeed by their lives, one would judge they did not. But I am speaking to those, whom I believe taught better things, and who believe other things; surely conversion, or turning from Idols, and erroneous Opinions, is not all that we read in Scripture of the change of the heart, and turning unto God: But in the Converting of sinners, you shall observe a great variety, chiefly remarkable in Three things.

1. As to the time, the particular time of man's life, when God is pleased to call home souls unto himself; some in their youth, some in their age, &c.

2. As to the External means, which God maketh use of in this work.

3. As to the manner of God's dealing with souls, in the Converting, Regenerating, and bringing home souls unto himself.

1. First, As to the time. This our blessed Lord excellently setteth out to us in that Parable, Mat. 20. Where he telleth us: That the Kingdom of heaven is like unto an householder, who went out early to find out laborers, whom he might send into his Vineyard; some he called early in the morning, some about the sixth hour, some about the ninth hour, some at the eleventh hour; he called them in at several hours. The Kingdom of God is the Church of God, which properly consisteth only of such as are Saints by effectual-calling; though others that are visibly and professionally such, have that denomination, being mixed with others, who are the true members of the Lord Jesus Christ. God's calling men into his Vineyard, is his adding to the number of such as shall be saved. Now God calleth some early in their youth, some in their middle-age, some (but very few) in their old age; some even at their dying hour, though of them there be, of all, the rarest examples. As God had Nazarites from the womb, so he sanctifieth some from the womb; Samuel was from the very womb Dedicated to God, and accepted of God. God telleth Jeremiah, Jer. 1.5. That before he came out of the womb, he sanctified him. I am a-ware, that Sanctifying in that Text may be taken in another sense, as it signifieth a Separation to the Office of a Prophet; and so it may be understood, to be interpreted by the following words; and ordained thee to be a Prophet: but why it should be limited to that sense, I do not understand. St. Paul saith, He was separated from his Mothers womb, and called by his grace: but there separating must be understood of God's design and purpose, for we know Paul was a blasphemer, a persecutor. But certain it is, that God calleth some very young; Timothy, from a child, was acquainted with the Scriptures. Josiah, 2 Chron. 34.1, 2. at eight years old began to reign, and ver. 2. did that which was right in the sight of the Lord; and ver. 3. at sixteen years of age he set upon his famous reformation. It is said of Abijam, the young Son of Jeroboam, that he only of the house of Jeroboam, went to his grave in peace, because there was some good thing found in him. Sometimes, and most ordinarily, God worketh upon people's hearts in their riper state, of which are the most plentiful instances in Scripture. You read of the thief upon the Cross, converted in the last day of his life: and what we find in Scripture, we find God still doing in the dispensations of his Providence. The age in which we have lived, hath afforded many instances of children, whose hearts we may charitably judge, from the accounts we have had of them, God had in their very childhood Regenerated, and Sanctified them. Blessed be God, we are not without some instances of persons, and those not a few, whom God hath wrought upon in their more adult estate, and some also in their old age; though Examples of that still are, and ever were very rare. This is the first variety, obvious to every Eye.

2. A second variety observable, is in the means which God is pleased to make use of: For these God never tied himself to the same means. The preaching of the Gospel, was always made use of by God, as the most ordinary means: It was, at the preaching of Peter, that Three Thousand Souls were in one day converted; and the Apostle telleth us, that it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believed, 1 Cor. 1.21. And the Apostle tells us, that faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But yet, God hath made use (though more rarely) of other means: the means which God first used to the Eunuch, seems to be his reading in the Prophet Isaiah. Sometimes God made use of Providences: you read of many converted, and induced to believe in Christ, upon the account of his Miracles; and still God is pleased to use the same variety of means. Generally indeed, God maketh use of the preaching of the Gospel; sometimes he sanctifieth the reading of the word; sometimes he maketh use of Providences. I think, I have sometimes read concerning Waldus, the Father of those ancient Protestants, called the Waldenses, that the seeing of one of his companions suddenly drop down dead, was the first means of his conversion; we read of a great dread that fell upon People, upon the sudden death of Ananias, and Saphirah. My self have known one that would acknowledge, that his hearing of Bells Ring for persons dead, was a great means to beget serious thoughts in him, First, of turning unto God. It pleased God to make use of Manasseh his Chains, to turn his heart; and the imprisonment of Paul, Acts 16. to convert the Goaler, and his whole Family. Sometimes God useth the instructions of Parents; sometimes one means, sometimes another, as it pleaseth him.

3. A third observable variety, respecteth, The manner of God's working upon Souls. It is true, in some (especially two) respects God dealeth a-like withal.

1. He forceth no Soul, he indeed maketh it willing, and giveth to will; but the Soul in its conversion to God, moveth willingly, and freely.

2. Secondly, He putteth forth an Almighty power, as to every Soul that is converted. The Soul is made willing, but it is in the day of the Lord's power, Psal. 110.3. But yet the effects of this power are not always the same; all are not drawn in the like manner, some are drawn by a Silken Thred; others by Iron-Fetters: some God works upon in a more rough way, some in a more soft, and gentle way. Some are a little, or not at all under the Spirit of bondage: others are Months, and Years under it; they are filled with the Lord's terrors, and cry unto him out of the belly of Hell, before he heareth them: some are drawn with the Cords of love only, others with the Chains of fears. Some are as it were insensibly drawn, and the Spirit of God as it were, slippeth into their Souls without any noise; they become Temples of the Holy Ghost, and there is neither the noise of Ax, nor Hammer heard about the Spiritual building; others are terrified like the Jailor, Acts 16. cast down to the Earth like Paul, both in order to conversion, and their reception of converting Grace.

2. Secondly, You shall observe, That God sometimes makes his way to the heart by the head, sometimes, he begins at the heart, and by that maketh his way to the head: my meaning is, sometimes God begins his work upon knowing persons, who have been Catechised out of the Law, and from Children have had a knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, sanctifying their first Principles to them, and reflecting upon their Hearts and Consciences, the notions of truth, which they have been bred up in, the Holy Spirit bringing to their remembrance, what of God they have formerly heard from Ministers, Parents, or Goverours. As to others, God maketh his way from the heart, to the head. They have great degrees of ignorance, as to the truths of God; but God blesseth his word so far, as that they can apprehend, they are in a lost condition, and must look for another righteousness besides their own, and take up a new course of life; they hear of a Savior come into the World, of a fullness in him, and a readiness to save unto the utmost, those who by faith come unto him: this makes them to inquire, return and come, to seek for Spiritual knowledge as for Silver, and to dig for it, as for hidden treasure, and by following on to know the Lord, they came to know him. But this is enough to have hinted you, as to the varieties to be observed in God's methods, of working in the conversion of Souls. Let me in the next place show the reasonableness of the Divine workings in this great work.

1. And first as to the variety observed in point of time.

1. Some are converted young. Possibly God may do it, that he may Crown the endeavors of Parents, & Governors, and thereby engage others to take care of the Souls of their Correlations committed to their charge. Some Parents are very solicitous for the Spiritual good of their children, whetting upon them their lost condition by Nature, often minding them of Eternity, and calling upon them, to remember their Creator in the days of their youth; now where any will do this, God takes notice of it, and will often Crown those Domestic labors with a desired success; for the encouragement of others, God gives in to their prayers, the Souls of their Children ofttimes, while yet they are Children. It is said of Monica, the Mother of Augustine, that she was a woman of many tears, and prayers for her Son; and Ambrose was wont to comfort her, telling her that it was impossible, that a Child of so many tears should perish. It is not impossible indeed that some should perish, who have been Children of many tears, and prayers, for whom godly Mothers have travailed in pain again, till Christ should be formed in them: there is no merit in our prayers, and tears, neither hath God made us any promise, that he will convert, and Eternally save all our Children, on whose behalf we labor and wrestle with God; but as Hannah obtained her Child by Prayer, upon which account it was, that she named him Samuel, Beg'd of God; so I doubt not but that there are many good Parents, that by Prayer have from God obtained the Conversion, and Regeneration of their Children; and that early, that the Lord might as it were show them, that he gave in the Souls of their Children to their prayers, and their godly instructions, exhortations, reproofs, catechizing, &c. If we should never see grace appearing in tender years, we should conclude it in vain, during those years, to use any means with them, tending to such an end. The Apostle telleth Timothy, 2 Tim. 3.15. That from a Child he had known the Scriptures; and 2 Tim. 1.5. He mentioneth an unfeigned faith that was both in his Grandmother Lois, and in his Mother Eunice, and he was persuaded in him also, in him (doubtless in great measure by their means.) God honoring their labors with the conversion of Timothy.

2. Secondly, Possibly God doth intend some elect vessels of his no long time in the World. God intended Abijam the Son Jeroboam, but a short time in the World, and therefore there was early found in him some good thing. I observed that amongst all the Patriarchs, which are reckoned up, Gen. 5. He of them who (before Enos ) lived the shortest time, lived 895 years, the rest lived longer, only Enoch lived but 365, about a third part of the time of the other. It is said, He walked with God, and was not, for God took-him; and we see this of times in our experience, God taketh away those in their youth, whom he calleth in their Childhood and youth. You have an observation, that beautiful Children, or Children of composed serious countenances, (when very young) or such as being very young are very toward, and fond of their Books, seldom live long; how true that is I cannot say, but you shall (I believe) more certainly observe it of such who earlily have their hearts changed, and are converted unto God. God setteth those to work young, to whom he hath not appointed long time to work; of all whom God hath given unto Christ, he must lose none; and though Infants elect, are saved upon the Covenant of grace, before it appeareth to the World, that they have laid hold upon it, or are in a capacity in order to it, to exercise their reason; yet, that is not God's usual way: where he alloweth to any a longer life, till they come to exercise their reason, he expecteth they should keep the ordinary road to Heaven, by repentance and faith, and in order to this he worketh upon their hearts betimes, giving them repentance unto life, and faith to lay hold upon the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. Thirdly, Possibly God doth intend some a longer time in the World, but hath designed them for some great and eminent service in it; such the Lord useth to call betimes. I will show it you in two or three eminent instances. The first is that of Samuel. Samuel was to be a great Prophet, yea, and a Judge in Israel; God accordingly betimes took him unto his more special tutorage: he was designed by his Mother, and from the very time of his weaning, by her dedicated unto the Lord; and the Lord while he was yet a Child, eminently communicated his mind to him; as you read in the story, 1 Sam. 2.3. chap. Josiah was a Second. God had designed him for a great and eminent service, he was Prophesied of many years before he was born, and that by name, as who should work a great and eminent Reformation, and he did do that. God earlily prepares him for it, he was but 8 years old when he began to reign, and he began to seek the Lord God of his Fathers; and when was but 16 years of age, he began a work of Reformation, of a long and most grossly corrupted state. Timothy is a third. God had designed him for an Evangelist, to have a great hand in settling the Gospel-Church. God called him very young, from a Child he knew the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make the man of God wise unto Salvation. To these I may add an instance of an eminent Prince in our own Nation. King Edward the Sixth, who laid the first Principles of our reformation; (King Henry the 8th. did little, and what he did seemed rather to be out of interest so biassing him, than otherwise) God was pleased in his very young and tender years, to seize upon his heart. He had intended him (as the event proved) but a short life, and he had laid out for him a very great work, to purge such an Augean Stable, as the Popish rabble had left. Two observations I have made upon reading the Scripture. 1. That when God had long kept some women his servants barren, they ordinarily proved the Mothers of very eminent Children. Rachel, Manoah's wife, Hanna, and Elizabeth, are instances of that. 2. That God very often when he designed Persons for some eminent work, prepared them for it, by an early seizing upon their hearts, and sanctifying them from the Womb unto himself. And this will appear to you very reasonable upon a double account.

1. Those which do a great deal of work for God, must have a great deal of time to do it in. All human actions you know require time, and a proportion of time according to the work.

2. Those who are to excel in work must not be much blotted in their previous conversation. Jacob in his blessing of Reuben, Gen. 49. v. 4. hath this expression, Reuben shall not excel, because he went up unto his Fathers bed, he went up unto my Couch. God seldom alloweth any one eminently to excel, whose youth hath been stained with many eminent and notorious blots; they may come to Heaven upon their conversion, but they shall not excel in the world. I can think but of one instance in Scripture to the contrary, which is that of Saul, he was a persecutor (himself telleth us) and a blasphemer, yet received to mercy; but he saith, it was because he did it ignorantly. St. Paul 's persecution was not rooted in a malice against godliness, and holiness, but in an error of judgment: he saith of himself, that he verily thought, that he ought to do many things against Jesus of Nazareth. There is a great deal of difference betwixt scandalous sinners: one man is profane, and a persecutor only by a mistake, another man is so by principle. St. Paul was of the former sort: 'tis true, he was a profane, and mischievous persecutor, a profane blasphemer; but it was by a mistake, not that he had any prejudice, or ill Opinion of the ways of holiness, which Christ's Doctrine led to; for he was never, that we read of, scandalous in those things which the light of Nature, Reason, or the Law of Moses required, or forbad; but only as to the matters of the Gospel, which his Country-men did not own, especially those who had Educated him; for after the strictest Sect of Religion amongst the Jews, he lived a Pharisee; so that his scandalous actions were bottomed only upon a mistake. But others now are profane by a principle: What principle? not a principle of error in the understanding, not rightly conceiving of the truths of God: But a principle of malice and hatred in the will and affections, to anything which crosseth their lusts; they hate the image of God where-ever they see it; they would have the strait-gate wide enough for Drunkards, Adulterers, Sabbath-breakers, Liars, all sorts of sinners against the very light of Nature and Reason, and the most indisputed Texts of Scriptures, to enter in, and persecute all those who oppose them in this thing; (a sin under the Gospel very near to, if not the sin against the Holy Ghost) you never read of one of these converted. Now these and such-like other profane persons, are not only scandalous in the Eyes of God's people, but in the Eyes of the men of the world: and although God sometimes changeth the hearts of debauched, and profane persons, (though seldom the hearts of persecutors from this principle) yet he rarely suffers them to excel, or to be in any eminent station, or of any remarkable note in his Church: when-as therefore he designeth any soul to any eminent station, or place in his Church, or to do him any eminent service in any civil state, the Providence of God ordinarily seizeth upon their hearts in their youth, and keepeth them from those debaucheries in their life, as may expose them to the obloquy of the world; and make them say, Is Saul also amongst the Prophets? For a former profane, and notoriously scandalous life, would much hinder that reputation of theirs in the eye of the world; which is necessary in a rational way, to make what they shall afterwards say, and do for God, acceptable unto the world. Hence it is that you shall observe, that Ministers, if they be lewd in their lives, seldom or never do any good in their places, Ducimur praeceptis, trahimur exemplis; they are reasonably judged but to act a part, who call men to holiness, and live unholily themselves: everyone is ready to say to them, Physician, heal thyself, and to say within themselves, If these men did in very deed believe what they talk to us, they would not themselves live contrary to what they teach: And although a converted soul (who hath formerly been profane) doth not so, yet his former life is a wound upon his honor and reputation, which is of great concern to those, to whom he preacheth. God therefore ordinarily where he designeth a person for an eminent station, or work, doth prepare him for it, seizing him when young for himself.

4. Fourthly, God calleth some in their old age, at their very last hour; That there may be no room left for any soul to despair of Divine grace. It was Augustine's Observation of old, He called one, that none might despair, and but one, that none might presume. God calleth men into his Vineyard, some of them at the eleventh hour, that the oldest sinners might have hope; that the most decrepit sinner might not say, I am a dry tree, it is too late for me to think of repenting, and turning unto God: yea, indeed God may be conceived for this reason, to call some at all hours; some at the sixth, some at the ninth, some at the eleventh hour; that sinners in all the periods of their lives might have hope, and some grounds of encouragement to turn unto God, when they see, that at all hours, some have been converted, and turned unto God, and have found favor with him. But this is enough to have spoken, to have shewn you the reason of the variety which the Providence of God shows us, as to this his first work, of conversion and bringing home souls with respect to time. Let us now a little consider the reasonableness of the Providence of God, making use of a variety of External means; most ordinarily (I told you) he maketh use of the public preaching of the Gospel. Thus you read of most in Scripture converted, sometimes of the private instruction of friends: Thus when John the Baptist 's preaching, had been blessed to send Two of his Disciples unto Christ; Andrew being one, he brings Peter his Brother; and when Christ had found Philip, Philip was an instrument to bring Nathaniel; and the woman of Samaria, Joh. 5. was an instrument to commend Christ to those of her City, though indeed, when they came to hear and see Christ, they told her, That now they believed, not so much for what she had told them, as for what themselves had heard, and seen; and sometimes God maketh use of other Providences, as I have more largely shown you in my former Discourse. Now this is very reasonable,

1. That God may honor his own Ordinances. He hath appointed the foolishness of preaching for the salvation of the Elect. He hath said, Hear, and your souls shall live. He hath told us, that Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God: and hath told us, How shall they believe, on him of whom they have not heard, and how shall they hear, without a preacher, or preach except they be sent? It is but reasonable therefore, that God having set up such an Ordinance as Preaching, and established such an order of Officers in his Church, as that of Pastors and Teachers, should in the ordinary, and most usual course of his Providence, concur with it, and bless it, and the labors of those, who are employed in it, to the conversion and bringing home of souls: He hath said of old, Wheresoever I record my name to dwell, there I will meet my people and bless them. God's name is stamped upon the Ordinance of Preaching; he hath Commissionated his Ministers, to go, Preach, and Baptize; he hath told them, that he will be with them to the end of the world. God must honor his own Institution, and give a being to his own word.

2. Yet secondly, It is also reasonable that we should understand, That God is not tied up to any means, and know, that Conversion is God's work, not a Ministers; Paul may plant, and Apollos may water, but God must give the increase: now this would not be understood, if God never used any other means than the preaching of Ministers to convert souls. God will therefore sometimes work immediately, sometimes by different means; Reading the word; (as in the case of the Eunuch ) the counsels, reproofs, and exhortations of others, as in the case of Peter, and Nathaniel: Afflictions, as in the case of Manasseh: Miracles, as in the case of many, of whom you read in the Gospel, that they were converted; to let us see, that God, although he useth means, yet is not limited to them.

3. Thirdly, God may be conceived to use the means of private instructions, and counsels for the encouragement of all persons, set in relation to others, to a faithful performance of their duties, and a watching over, and for souls committed to their trusts. It discourageth all sorts of labors, when we see nothing of that fruit from it, which we expected, or intended. But of this, I have spoke before.

Further yet, to show you the reasonableness of the variety of Providence in the manner of converting, and bringing home of souls unto himself, I noted it to you in Two things.

1. God sometimes makes his way by the head, to the heart; sometimes by the heart, to the head. This appears exceeding reasonable.

1. That God may commend knowledge of spiritual things to us, and (as I said before) encourage duty. We are persons whose understandings are pitifully imperfect in the things of God, and are very prone to take up false notions and measures; and because the influx and operation of the Spirit of God, is by all men (of sound judgment in the things of God) determined necessary to conversion, we are apt to think that we have nothing to do with our children, and servants, but only to wait until God shall move the waters, (I mean change their hearts) and all Instruction and Catechising is needless; and that bringing up youth to a knowledge of the form of sound words, is only to learn them to be Hypocrites, &c. God therefore to show us the advantage of spiritual knowledge, and to mind us of, and encourage us to our spiritual duty, is pleased sometimes to make his way to the head, by the heart; reflecting the notions of truth, which have been instilled into us while we are young upon our consciences, making that knowledge instrumental to our conversion, and eternal Salvation; and so letting the governors of others know, that they have not labored in vain with the souls committed to their charge.

2. On the other side, God sometimes making his way by the heart to the head, making impressions upon the hearts of some poor blind ignorant Souls, and setting them on work to inquire after Salvation; lets us know that the conversion of a Sinner is a work of grace, and divine power, not a mere rational effect of notions imprinted upon the understanding, nor of moral Suasion, (alas these poor creatures possibly are not fit objects for such a thing;) but the finger of God is in it, who hath the hearts of all men in his hand, and turneth them as it pleaseth him: thus by this variety of his Providence, he doth both honor his own ordinance, and show the profit, and usefulness of means, and also the mighty power that is put forth, in the changing of the heart by effectual grace, both which it is necessary the World should be convinced of. And this is enough for a reasonable account of the second variety.

The last variety which I observed, was God's keeping some Souls a longer time under the Spirit of bondage than others. Some he is pleased to draw to himself more sweetly, rather by arguments of love, than terrors and arguments of wrath; others he is pleased more to fill with terrors, yea, and to keep their Souls a long time under them: and this we find by experience, is ofttimes matter of some trouble to others, whom God hath dealt more gently with; they begin to doubt and suspect whether God hath wrought any real change in them, because they have not been in the belly of Hell, as others have been: now there may be a reasonable account also given of this difference, though we must not pretend to find out the bottom of the Divine counsels in this dispensation of his Providence.

I shall say little of the difference of Natural complexions and constitutions, which is not inconsiderable in this case. He is little read in men and women in the World, who doth not observe, that as in the earth, (of which man is made) there is a great difference of Soil, that one Soil doth more easily suck up a shower of Rain, and digest it, than others. So in man there are some complexions that are far more tenacious of grief, and impressive by fear, than others are; (such are chiefly Melancholick, and some Flegmatick complextons. ) Now it is true, God in his work of conversion, could cure this, but he ordinarily doth not work miraculously; and where God begins a work upon the Souls of any who have bodies, which they inform of these sad, and dark constitutions, it is not at all to be wondered, (they being Naturally more prone to fears, and jealousies, to doubts and suspicions, and more tenacious of grief, and sorrow,) if by the working, the Natural working of these passions, to which their Natural complexion, and constitution, more fully subjecteth them, if they be longer under the Spirit of bondage, than others. You will see at the same case with them in other things exciting those passions, and unless you would suppose, that God in the conversion of such, should work miraculously, and alter their natural complexion, and constitution, it is not reasonable to suppose that it should be otherwise, it is but according to the natural workings of their Spirits, who can get off no occasions of sorrow and trouble, so soon as others can, who are of more airy, & cheerily constitutions.

2. But a Second reason of this variety, may reasonably be conceived to arise from a difference of guilt. It is true, every sin deserved the Eternal, and utmost wrath of God. Every sin is against an infinite God, and hath a kind of infinity, and unmeasurableness of guilt in it; but it is as true that every sin doth not lay a like load, and burden upon the conscience, nor is every sin equally heinous in the sight of God; but is very much varied by the circumstances of it, both by the circumstances of the fact, and of the persons that commit it. Some sins do more Uastare & onerare conscientiam, and consequently a Christian finds it an harder matter to persuade himself that God will forgive him, than others: and hence it is not at all to be wondered, that when God cometh to call home such a Soul, a Manasseh, a Saul, a Mary Magdalene, &c. He makes them to feel more of his power, and terrors, and keeps them at a longer distance, from any apprehensions of his love; they have more highly provoked him, and possibly been a more eminent scandal; and it is but a righteous thing with God to make them feel the smart of it.

3. A third thing, which may make this variety of God Providential dealings appear unto us, not unreasonable, may be, The design which God hath upon such a converted Soul; and that either with respect unto others, or, with respect to the carrying on of his work in his own Soul. 1. With respect unto others; when God hath a design to make some Soul eminently useful to the Souls of others. The Apostle tells us, Heb. 2.18. That Christ was himself tempted, that he might be able to succor those that are tempted; and blesseth God, 2 Cor. 11.4. Who (saith he) comforteth us in all tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. It is said of Luther, that he was wont to say, that Three things make a Divine, Temptations, Meditation and Prayers. Luther was himself a man of great temptations, and by them became able to succor those that were tempted. No knowledge is like experimental knowledge, none knoweth either how to sympathize with, or how to succor those that are under temptations, desertions, or any Soul-troubles, so well as those who themselves have been under them; experience is a great Mistress: when therefore God hath a design upon some Souls, to make use of them for succor, and relief of others under Soul-troubles and afflictions, he often first brings themselves under them, and supports and comforts them, then they know how to speak a word in season, how to comfort and relieve. 2. Again, God may be conceived reasonably to do it, upon a gracious design, in order to carrying on of his work in their own Souls: we know not what manner of Spirit we are of, God knoweth all our tempers, seeth all our inclinations and dispositions. 1. I have told you that some persons are more complexioned to some sins than others. Every man hath his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , his proper lust and corruption, by which he more ordinarily offendeth, than other ways; God to prevent the breaking out of this corruption afterwards, layeth the Soul under the load, and burden of it, and maketh his former miscarriages of that Nature, more exceedingly bitter unto him, that so he may see, how little fruit he may afterwards expect of those things of which he hath been to that degree ashamed, and which he hath tasted to that degree bitter unto his Soul. 2. He may possibly see some of more brisk, and airy tempers, more inclined to pride, and being lifted up above measure, and therefore thinks fit to keep them longer under the Spirit of bondage; as he did with Paul, after he had been wrapped up into the third Heaven, and heard unutterterable words, lest (as he saith) he should be exalted above measure, God gave him a thorn in the flesh. Thus now I have given you some little account of the variety of God's Providential dispensations toward Souls, in the collation of the first grace; but now I have done, I can only say with Job, Chap. 26.14. Lo these are parts of his ways, but how little a portion is heard of him! The end of all this discourse is not to pretend to give you all the reason of God in these his dispensations, for who can by searching find out God, who can find out the Almighty unto perfection? we must say such knowledge is too wonderful for us, but only to show you, that this various way of God's dealing with Souls, whom he intendeth to bring to Heaven, is not such, but it will approve itself to the reason of every reasonable Creature, and such as is very equitable, and proper for the wise God, in order to the compassing of his most wise and glorious ends. Let me now show you what use is proper for us to make of these meditations and observations.

Use 1. In the first place this may mind us to take heed of a rash judgment, either in our own case or in the cases of others; we are very prone to give ourselves needless trouble, and to pass unrighteous Judgments concerning the work of God upon our own, and others Souls. One concludeth he hath as yet no work of God upon his heart, he was never humbled, never so broken upon the Wheel, never under such legal terrors, nor so long under the Spirit of bondage as some others; he cannot give an account to himself of any certain time, nor of any certain Sermon, when, or whereby God wrought upon, and changed his heart; and we are too too ready, to sit in Judgment upon the work of God, also on the Souls of others. You have heard that the ways of God are past finding out. God doth not always tread the same path, and the variety which God useth towards Souls under different circumstances, and for different ends, is very reasonable: we have all of us reason enough to be troubled if we do not find this great work wrought in our Souls; but if we do find, that our hearts are changed, that the work is done for the way or means, or time, which God hath taken or used to do it in, or by, we have no such reason to be solicitous; those who are come to work in the Vineyard at the Ninth, or Eleventh, hour shall have their Penny, as well as those who were called, and came in at the Sixth hour: God doth not always work in the same order, and method, he is not to be tracked in his ways. The conversion of the Soul lieth in the change of the heart; (I would not with any trust to Baptismal conversion, or regeneration ) If the heart be changed, if the Soul be renewed, according to the Image of God; if old things be passed away in it, and all things become new, whether it was done, this, or that way, by this, or that means, in this, or that manner, is no just cause at all of trouble to us: God hath several ways to do his work by; we must pass a judgment upon ourselves, from what we find within ourselves, the frames, and tempers of our Spirits; for what man knoweth the things of a man, but the Spirit of a man, which is within him. But we must judge of others from the change we see in their lives and conversations. Man looketh upon the outward appearance, but God looketh upon the heart, 1 Sam. 16.7. If we look upon our Neighbor, and there appear no spots upon him, but what may be the spot of God's people; no marks of profaneness, or impiety towards God, nor of unrighteousness toward man, but he appeareth to us one, who herein exercised himself, to keep a good conscience both toward God, and towards men, we ought to judge this person, one whose heart God hath changed. If we look into our own hearts, and can find that we truly love God, and hate evil, that we are afraid to sin against God, and are desirous in all things to please him, though we cannot find, that the ways of God with our Souls in our conversion, have been like the ways of God with the Souls of other men; yet we ought not in this case to judge, or to condemn ourselves, God's ways are not alike with every Soul. Its work in the effect (as to the main) is alike, for it is true, as to every man, that except he be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God; but his way of working is not the same.

Use 2. In the Second place, what you have heard affordeth great encouragement to every Soul under any circumstance to turn unto God, that it may live, and not die. God calleth into his Vineyard, at several hours; some he calleth at the Sixth, some at the Nineth, some at the Eleventh hour. Happy, thrice happy are they, whom God findeth at the Sixth hour, in their youth, and persuadeth to go into his Vineyard; they ordinarily find not so hard a labor of the new-birth, they have the privilege of a longer familiarity, and acquaintance with God, they have more opportunities of doing God service; God often honoreth them to do him some more eminent service: but if you have slipped that hour, if it be the Ninth hour; nay, if it be in the wane of your life; if it be towards Evening with you, that you have nothing to do, but to repent and die, singing the Song of old Simeon. Now Lord, let thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation; yet, thou hast no cause to discourage thyself. God doth not work upon all Souls at one and the same period of time. Great sinners have no reason to discourage themselves; the gate to Heaven may appear something straiter to you, than unto others; you may have an harder work of it: it is an hard thing for those that are accustomed to do evil, to do well: but yet, if God will give you an heart to repent, if the Lord shall change your hearts, and incline you to turn unto him, there is mercy with God even for you, God can men make to bring forth fruit in their old age.

Use 3. Lastly (and with that I shall shut up this discourse.) This speaketh aloud unto all such as have the charge of others, as Parents, Masters, Tutors, and Governors, to be daily laboring with them, for the good of their Souls, using all possible means to bring them unto God. It is Solomon's advice, Ecc. 11.6. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening let not thy hand be slack; for thou knowest not, which shall prosper, this, or that, or whether both shall be alike good: you that are Parents of Children, Masters of Servants, in any relation Governors of youth; see what an engagement lieth upon you to bring up your Children, to Reading the word, Catechizing, to bring them to hear faithful Preachers, sow the seeds of Spiritual learning, and instruction in them, in the Morning of their lives: hearken not to those, who would persuade you that Catechizing in your families is useless, and that a Notional knowledge signifieth nothing until God come to work in their hearts: that is true, but ill applied, when used as a discouragement to the use of the means of knowledge; God doth his work by the use of means on our parts, and Preaching is not the only means. God sometimes in the conversion of sinners maketh his way to their hearts by their heads, sanctifying notions of truth dropt into Souls of persons in their tender years, and reflecting them many years after upon the conscience; you know not which shall prosper, this or that: use them to read the Scriptures, to be examined, questioned, and catechised out of the Scriptures, to hear lively and powerful preaching; you know not which shall prosper in order to the conversion of their Souls, and turning them to God, this, or that, whether reading, or preaching, or Family-instruction: God that can work without means, useth as you have heard a variety of means, and doth not limit himself to this, or that. Or whether both may not prove alike good, God may use one means to begin, another to perfect; one to plant, another to water; one for laying the foundation, another for building thereon, and laying the corner-stone; and yet when the building is finished, you shall see reason enough to cry, Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy name be given the glory, to cry Grace, Grace unto it. The Knowing person, when converted hath usually (if not guilty of notorious sins against his light) the easiest new-birth, and the most quiet and peaceable life. Many more doubts and fears, trouble those that are more imperfect in their knowledge of the things of God, than trouble others. O let it not be said of you as it was said of Herod, (upon occasion of the killing of his own Child amongst the rest of the Infants) That it was better to be Herod's Hog, than his Child. Let it not be said of any of you, that it is better to be your Horse, or Swine, or other Beast, than your Child, or Servant, or Scholar. For your Beasts, you provide all things suitable to their Natures, and capacities. O remember your Children have Spiritual beings, and are born into the World with a capacity of Eternity, nay under a certain ordination to a miserable or blessed Eternity.

SERMON LIII.

THE Particle This, in the front of my Text, is relative to what went before, where the Prophet had been speaking of some works of Divine Providence, and those but of an inferior Nature, if compared with others; the discretion by which men having divers sorts of Grain, and Seeds, are taught to get them out of their husks, and ears, by instruments not always the same, but suited to the respective Grain, or Seed, they intend to get out. Of this it is, that the Text speaks, This discretion, and saith, it cometh from the Lord, who is wonderful in Counsel: So that I desire you to observe, that my following discourses which I shall bottom on this Text, are not founded on the first words, and the relative Particle This; but upon the latter, where God's wonderfulness in Counsel, and excellency in working are joined together. God's excellency in the workings of Providence floweth from his wonderful Counsel; and if such little instincts as the foregoing verses speak of, be from the Lord, the Lord's workings, and from a wonderful Counsel, an easy argumentation will conclude, that God's dispensations of special grace by the hand of his Providence, must needs be the effects of infinite wisdom, and proceed from the Lord, who is wonderful in Council; which is the point I have in hand, and to vindicate Divine wisdom from our exceptions against it, because of the variety which God useth in his dispensations of it, and the inequal distributions of it to the Children of men. I have spoken already to the varieties of Providence, in the dispensations of the first grace, by which a Soul is converted, and turned from sin unto God, in which work the Soul is merely passive. I come now to speak to those dispensations of Spiritual grace, wherein the Soul is not merely passive, but active; as to these, also we shall observe a great variety in the motions of Divine Providence, and a great inequality in the distributions of it, of which I shall give you some account, and then shut up the discourse. To this inequality of distribution, good Christians often find it an hard thing to reconcile their thoughts: and although God must be allowed to have a power, to do with his own what he pleaseth, and if Grace were not for God's own, it would be no Grace; yet, we are too too much like Children, who considering not their Fathers power, and Prerogative, nor it may be their own demerits, and their own unworthiness to receive such a favor, nor possibly their incapacity, to receive, enjoy, or use it: Yet because they are Children, as well as their Brethren and Sisters, know not how to brook it, that their Father should appear more kind to any of them, than he is to them. Let me therefore attempt the vindication of God in the inequality of these dispensations; and that you may know in what order to follow me, I shall lay down this method.

1. First, I will show you wherein this inequality lieth.

2. Secondly, I will endeavor to show you the reasonableness of the motions of Divine Providence, in making this unequal distribution.

3. Lastly, I shall make some Application of it practically.

1. Let us first inquire wherein this inequality lieth. In the general, It lieth not in any influxes, and dispensations of grace necessary in order to the Salvation of their souls. There is an union betwixt Christ and every believer; in this union lieth the spiritual life of a Christian: as the natural life lieth in the union which is betwixt the soul and the body, so the spiritual life lieth in the union betwixt the soul and Christ; and as the union betwixt the soul and body is preserved, and maintained by bodily nourishment; blessed be God, in order to that end: so the spiritual union betwixt the soul and Christ must also be maintained by a spiritual aliment: this aliment, or nourishment is the influx of the spirit of grace; for though Ordinances be external means, yet Ordinances signify nothing without the influx of the spirit upon them, and in them. Now for such an influence of grace, as is necessary to uphold the spiritual life of the believers, to keep the soul, and its beloved together, God giveth it to every believer; Whom he loveth, he loveth to the end: for if this were not so, there were a possibility of a total Apostasy, and of the intercision of a state of Justification. This would infer a mutability in the counsels and purposes of God, and subject the gifts and calling of God to repentance: For let Jesuits and Arminians say what they will, their fictitious purpose and council of God, to love those that are believers, will not salve this sore; for according to this Doctrine, a man may be a believer, and in favor with God this month, and an unbeliever and out of favor with God the next month; and so God may love and hate the same person a thousand times in his life-time: and whether this be consistent with the unchangeableness of God, let any one judge, who understandeth anything of common sense. We therefore stand fixed in this, that God neither is, nor ever will be wanting to any soul, as to those influxes of Divine grace, which are necessary to maintain the union, and spiritual life of the soul: and (by the way) this well considered, might much tend to satisfy a soul dissatisfied at God's unequal distributions of special grace; which although they are exceedingly sweet, and of high advantage to gracious souls; yet are such, as are not of the necessaries of Salvation, but only gradual manifestations, and such as are spiritual accommodations, and advantages to it in its way to Heaven: but this is enough to have spoken to this question Negatively. I come now to speak nore Positively: In the general, they are such only as respect the porro esse, or the advantages of spiritual life. Now what they are, comes next into our enquiry: They are I think reducible to Three heads; the influences of 1. Strengthening. 2. Quickening. 3. Consolatory grace. That there are such influences, and that all have not a like measures of them, no, nor the same soul at all times; is so obvious to the experience of all Christians, that little need be said of it.

1. For strengthening grace, I can do all things, (saith the Apostle) through Christ that strengtheneth me. It is that which the Apostle prayeth for, in the behalf of the Ephesians, Eph. 3.16. That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inward-man. And thus Christ telleth us, John 15. Without me you can do nothing. Now the Object of this influx of grace, is duty, or sin and temptation to it.

1. Duty; I can do all things (saith Paul ) through Christ that strengtheneth me: Christians duty is various, and lieth in such motions of the inward, and of the outward man; both in doing, and suffering, as God hath any-where in his Word required of us. Strengthening grace, with respect unto duty, is nothing else but the graeious influence of Christ, and the Spirit of Christ upon the soul, by which the Soul is made more able both to do, and suffer the will of God. Now, that there is a great variety, and unequal dispensation of this influence of Divine grace, both to different souls, and to the same soul at different times, is so obvious, as would be perfectly needless to spend any time in the proof of it; neither do all souls find the same degrees of spiritual strength, nor do the same souls find it at all times.

2. Another Object, about which strengthening grace is exercised, is sin, and motions and temptations to sin. That which we call strengthening grace, with reference to sin, is a secret influx of the spirit of holiness, by which the soul of a Christian findeth itself enabled to resist its inward motions to sin, and to repel temptations from the World, and the Devil. St. James telleth us, That everyone is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. This is that which Divines call, tentationem à carne, a temptation from the flesh: besides, we know that the evil spirit hath a power to make impressions, and to offer suggessions to us; and that either immediately, or by wicked men, and sinful instruments: this is that which they call, tentationem ab host, a temptation from our grand Adversary: and there is a temptation wherein both these concur; this is that which they call, a mixed temptation: Now as to all, It is our duty to resist, and this is the fighting the good fight, the maintaining that spiritual combat, which the Scripture speaks of. Now there is nothing more evident in matter of Fact amongst Christians, than that some Christians are more strong, and able to resist motions to sin, of any nature, than others; they are more able to mortify their members, and the deeds of the body (as the Apostle calls them, Rom. 8.) through the spirit. Yea, one and the same Christian doth not find the like degrees of this spiritual strength and ability at all times. There was a time when David complained, that iniquities prevailed against him, Psal. 65.3. When St. Paul cried out, Who shall deliver me from this body of death: And another time when he could say, I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me.

2. A second dispensation of Grace, is that which I called quickening grace: An influx of the spirit of grace upon the soul, by which the soul in all its spiritual conversation, is made more free and lively; that it maketh haste, and delayeth not, to keep the Lord's Commandments. It findeth an enlarged heart, and runneth the way of the Lord's Commandments: that this proceedeth from an influx of grace, is plain: David prayeth unto the Lord, that he would quicken him in the way of his Commandments. Quicken me in thy way, Psal. 119.37. It is as manifest upon the experience of all Christians, that God distributeth this influence of this grace unequally, neither the like measures unto all Christians, nor to the same Christians at all times: Hence are the complaints of Christians, of the dullness, and deadness, and straitness of their hearts: they indeed, through grace, keep on in the Lord's ways, and are kept from Apostasy, they return not with the Dog to the vomit; but they move heavily, the wheels of their Charots are taken off, they almost force themselves to duties of Communion with God, and do not find a freedom to them, and a delight and sweetness in them; but are secretly saying within themselves, When will the Sabbath be done? When will the duty be over? it is no pleasure to them to serve the Lord; when-as at other times, their souls are full of spiritual life, they are longing for Sabbaths, and for times of prayer.

3. Lastly, There are also dispensations of consolatory grace: these are the influences of the Spirit of God upon the soul, by which the soul is refreshed and comforted in the apprehensions of the love of God. These admit of a variety of degrees, as they arise in the soul, either, 1. From the view of the souls own sincerity, and its ability to apprehend its interest in the promises, and to apply the Scripture unto itself. Or 2. From some more extraordinary witnessings, and sealings of the holy Spirit, who, you know, is called the Comforter, and who, as the Apostle speaketh, witnesseth together with our spirits, that we are the children of God. Now the sadness, and dejections of some Christians spirits over others, and of the same Christians Spirits, at sometimes more than others, is a sufficient evidence of the inequality of these distributions. There was a time, when David himself cried out, When wilt thou comfort me? Psal. 119.82. as much as at other times, he triumphed, and made his boast in God: and from hence now you may understand the nature of what we call Desertions. God never leaves nor forsakes his people, so as he doth not supply them with influences of Grace sufficient to uphold the Union betwixt Christ and their souls, nor doth he deny such influences to any soul that believeth in Christ: But God may and doth often withdraw himself, as to the gradual manifestations of himself to them, in such dispensations of grace whereby he