Sermon 12

2 Peter 1:10. Therefore the rather, brethren, give all diligence to make your calling and election sure.

The doctrine I am yet upon is this: that Christians ought to put forth a great deal of diligence to make this sure to their souls, that they are effectually called by Jesus Christ to grace and glory. In the prosecution of which I have gone over many particulars.

There remains now only one use more to dispatch about this subject, and then I pass to the third point drawn from these words. And the use shall be of consolation; from all that has been said touching the assurance of our effectual calling, I shall only direct my discourse to lay down six or seven consolatory conclusions to those Christians who are effectually called, yet happily have not a sensible assurance of their own calling.

First, take this for a truth, that assurance is necessary, not for the being but for the well-being of a Christian. It is not necessary to his estate, but to his comfort. It is not necessary as food is to the life, but only as physic is to the body. A man cannot live without food; a man may live without physic. Assurance is but as a comfortable cordial to the soul; grace is as food to keep the soul alive; though you do want assurance, this cordial bears you up.

Secondly, that many of God's dear children may lie a very long time in the want of this assurance, touching their effectual calling. Psalm 88 — it is said of Heman, verses 14, 15, 16 — Lord, why have you cast off my soul? And why have you hid your face from me? Mark his complaint: I am ready to die. And was this only a fit of desertion, or was it a continued act? Yes; verse 16: From my youth up I suffer your terrors, I am distracted, and your fierce wrath goes over me. Heman lay under the state of desertion from his childhood; for here he tells you his estate, that he was not troubled for a day, or two, or three, and then his troubles were over; but from his youth up he lay under this perplexity, that he thought God had cast off his soul, and the terrors of God lay upon him. And yet this man — none questions his goodness. For he was the man, as Ainsworth thinks, that made this Psalm; and sure God would never honor a wicked man to be a penman of the Scripture. The Psalm is called a golden Psalm; and it is so called, because hereby he would teach afflicted consciences, that they may from their youth up lie under great horror, and lie under sad suspense concerning their everlasting estate, and yet they may have grace at the root for all this. And Heman does not only express it, as if he had an ordinary trouble of mind; but he expresses it, that he lay under an extraordinary weight of God's wrath, verse 7: You have laid me in the lowest pit of darkness, and in the deep, and your wrath lies heavy upon me. He did even lie, and sink, in his own thoughts under the sense of God's wrath upon him. This therefore is another comfortable conclusion: that godly men may not only by fits and starts, but for a long time, for many years together, lie under a state of spiritual desertion. For some men think of Heman, that he was above threescore years of age when he wrote this Psalm; yet from his youth up till that age, he lay under this horror and perplexity.

Thirdly, that many of God's dear children may be so long plunged under desertion, and under the want of assurance, that they may refuse and withstand comforts when God offers them in the gospel, and yet may have grace still. As a man in a fever, or distracted by some violent disease, though you bring him a cordial that may abate his disease, the man in a fit will throw the glass against the wall, though it be the only means of his remedy. It is so with godly men; many times they are so accustomed to sadness in the want of assurance, that they may refuse comforts when God offers them. Psalm 77:2 — it is the speech of Asaph: my soul refuses to be comforted; a strange speech. Though he was offered comfort, yet his soul refused it. Here then, beloved, this may be a very great prop to you, that you may so long be accustomed to a course of doubting, that you may refuse comfort when God tenders it, and yet be a gracious heart still.

Fourthly, and this is more comfortable yet: that rather than God will let his people live and die without assurance, he will work assurance in you by a miracle, or by some unusual or extraordinary way. A famous instance you have for this, of a gentlewoman that once lived in this city (it's Mister Bolton that relates the story), one Mistress Honywood, who was a famous professor of religion, and a woman that for many years was much troubled in mind for the want of her assurance. At length there came a minister to her, who endeavored to settle her hopes and comforts in Jesus Christ; and he urging promises to her, she took it with a kind of indignation and anger, that he should offer to present any promise to her, to whom she thought it did not belong. Having a Venice glass in her hand, she holds up the glass and said, Speak no more to me of salvation, for I shall as surely be damned as this poor Venice glass shall be broken against the wall, throwing it with all her force to break it. But it pleased God, by a miraculous providence, to preserve the glass whole. The minister seeing this, took up the glass, and said, Behold, God must by a miracle work faith in you, before you will believe. And from that day, the story says, she was a woman very strong in the assurance of God's love. Here you see how God did indulge the infirmity of his poor servant. Rather than you shall live and die without assurance, God will bring it about even by a miracle; this woman, it may be, had died unassured, if God had not confirmed her by some unusual way. I have read likewise in the Book of Martyrs, of Mister [reconstructed: Glover], that all the while he was in prison, he was under a state of desertion, and very much clouded in his comforts, and could not have any apprehension of God's love to his soul. Yet when he came to Smithfield, and saw the stake, and the fire in which he was to be burnt, he cried out, I have found him, I have found him; and professed of himself, he was as full of joy as his heart could hold. The Lord made the very sight of the stake to be an inlet to present joy. One would have thought that the sight of the stake should have daunted him; whereas he then grew most confident.

Fifthly, that though grace in your heart be unchangeable, yet the sense and feeling of your own graces is subject to great variation and change. Grace in itself is unchangeable. All the devils in hell cannot pluck the meanest believer out of Christ's hand. Those whom you have given me, I will keep, says Christ, and none shall take them from me. The foundation of God stands sure, though your knowledge that you build upon that foundation may not be sure to you. The Lord knows who are his, though you may not. Grace itself is not changeable, though your feeling of grace is subject to many alterations and changes. Though grace itself be an unshaken foundation, yet our feeling of grace is not so. In our feeling of grace, we are like the air, sometimes clear, sometimes cloudy; we are like the sea, sometimes ebbing, sometimes flowing; ebbing in your comforts, as well as flowing in your graces. Believers in their feeling of grace, are like the trees of the field, sometimes flourishing green and growing; another time at the fall of the leaf, like a withered stump. So are Christians touching their own feeling: their apprehension of their graces is subject to much change, though their graces be not so.

Sixthly, that the want of assurance is not simply prejudicial to the salvation of a Christian, though it be prejudicial to the consolation of a Christian. It is no way prejudicial to your salvation, but you may be saved, though you are not assured. For first, this want of assurance is no prejudice to your free access to the throne of grace: you may come freely to present your requests to God, though you are not assured of acceptance. As it is the saying of an author: Though God shows you not his face, yet he may lend you his ear, when you come to him in prayer; God lends many a Christian an ear in prayer, though they see not his face, nor the glimpse of his favor. Secondly, your want of assurance shall not hinder your success in prayer, but you may go away with an ample return, though you do not go away with fullness of comfort. Benjamin when he was with Joseph in Egypt, he had a token of love from Joseph, a golden cup in his sack, though he knew it not. This is a lively emblem of the carriage of our Joseph, Jesus Christ, to his young Benjamins, who may put a love token in your hearts, and may give you a golden cup, and give you grace, and you not know that grace is there. And lastly, it does not hinder your reconciliation, but you may be at peace with God, though you know not that the agreement is made up; there may be real friendship between God and a believer, though there may be some seeming enmity. You hold me for your enemy, says Job, yet God did not, though he thought so. Zion said, the Lord has forsaken me, and my God has forgotten me (Isaiah 49:14). But God had not done so, for he tells them a little before, almost in one breath, Though a mother may forget her sucking child, yet will I not forget you: so that there may be some seeming jars when there is no enmity at all between God and you.

Seventhly, that Christians who have attained the strongest and highest degree of faith have yet had many defects and doubts mingled with their faith. Lord, I believe (Mark 9), yet help my unbelief — yet that man attained to a high pitch of faith (1 Thessalonians 3:10). Night and day we pray exceedingly for you, that we may see your face, and perfect that which is wanting in your faith. Now you must not take these Thessalonians as if they were new converts, or a people weak in the faith; but here lies the emphasis, that though these Thessalonians were the most eminent Christians of all the world, yet they had a great defect in their faith. Therefore compare this with 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8: You were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia, for from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God is spread abroad. The people in every place spoke of the great measure of faith that was in the godly people of this church, and yet though their faith was so eminent, and they Christians so eminent as they were, yet they had some defects, and they had somewhat lacking in their faith for all this. See also Psalm 55:5 and Psalm 77. So that here is very great comfort for believers, that the strongest Christians in the faith have had great defects that have attended their graces.

Thus having finished these seven comfortable conclusions, because I would have no deluded sinner nursed up in presumptuous persuasions of his own blessedness, when he is a cursed man and designed for hell, I have two or three sad conclusions to lay down for all you that harbor groundless and presumptuous persuasions of your effectual calling, when you are not. As follows.

First, you that nourish presumptuous persuasions of your effectual calling when you are not — take this conclusion to dread your hearts: that it is likely you shall never be effectually called by Jesus Christ. There is no man so unlikely to be truly called by Christ as that man who thinks he is called when he is not. Matthew 9: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Righteous men — that is, those who thought they were righteous, and in their own eyes thought they had grace and were as good as the best — I came not, says Christ, to call them, but sinners, that is, sinners that see their sin and see their need of a Savior, and are sensible of their lost and undone condition without Christ. Christ came to save them and to call them to repentance. Of all men in the world, you are most unlikely to be called, you who nourish ungrounded persuasions of your effectual calling.

Secondly, while you live in this world, you are mere strangers to that inward and spiritual joy which every true believer feels and finds by Jesus Christ. You do not intermeddle with those inward solaces and sweet enjoyments of heart which every sincere believer has in Jesus Christ. A man that has assurance upon good ground is so filled with joy that it will bear him up against all the sufferings and sorrows he may meet with here in the world. He that has assurance — no suffering can daunt him. As Adolphus Clarebachius, when he was burning at the stake, was so filled with the assurance of God's love that he says of himself, I think in my heart there is not a merrier heart in the world than mine is. And so another martyr burning at the stake says, I taste as much sweetness, and find as much ease now I am in the flames, as if I lay upon a bed of roses. The fullness of his joy in the assurance of God's love made him willingly undergo any torment. Mr. Sanders was in prison; Bainam said when he was in the fire, I feel no more than if I were in a bed of down. Whereas you who harbor false persuasions — your hopes will shrink when you come to suffer, like cloth not well woven on a rainy day. Your delusions will never bear up your spirit to so high a pitch as these examples show. This is your misery: you will never have that sweet peace and rejoicing in your heart that believers have who are assured upon Scripture grounds.

Thirdly, take this for your dread: that you will be thrown into hell before you are aware. It is the speech of Mr. Bolton. That man who takes up a false persuasion of his effectual calling when he is not is like a man who is in a pleasant dream — he dreams he is a king and has a kingdom and has treasuries full of silver and gold; yet when he wakes, behold, the man has nothing. He compares him likewise to a man who is asleep upon the mast of a ship: he is in a golden dream and dreams of kingdoms and of thousands which he has, and perhaps in a moment the wind arises, the ship is tossed upon the waves, and the man is tumbled into the ocean and drowned. It is so with many men who nourish golden dreams and hopes that heaven is theirs and Christ is theirs, when — alas — they are tumbled and thrown into hell before they are aware. And this should be a dreadful meditation to your heart, you who harbor presumptuous persuasions of your effectual calling when you are not.

Thus I have finished in eleven sermons this doctrine touching effectual calling. I pass now to the third and last point drawn from these words, and that is:

That Christians ought to put forth a great deal of diligence to make this sure to their souls, that they are eternally elected by God to life and salvation. Give diligence to make your calling and election sure.

There are many profitable points to be handled in the dispatch of this doctrine. I shall only in this remaining time pursue a few. And first I shall show you what [reconstructed: election] is.

Secondly, whether a man may be sure of his own election, seeing election is an act from eternity. How can a man be sure of that which was done in God's counsel before we had a being? Thirdly, by what discoveries may a man infallibly judge that he is elected.

In the discussion of this doctrine, I begin with the first: what election is.

Which that you may know, I shall lay down this brief description of it.

Election is an eternal decree or purpose of God, whereby he has freely chosen out of the mass of mankind a small company of men and women that shall come to everlasting life and salvation by Jesus Christ. This is election.

And here in this description there are these things to be taken notice of. First, I call it an eternal purpose; because, though a man be not justified from eternity, yet he is elected from eternity. God from eternity had a purpose that man should be justified, and should be called, and should be saved. Election is from eternity, though vocation, justification, and glorification be not so. Hence you read in Scripture, when it speaks of election (Ephesians 1:4): He has elected us in Christ, before the foundation of the world. But it is never said so of Justification. God had a purpose to make us happy, and a purpose to call us in time, and a purpose to justify us from eternity, though the acting of this purpose is in due time fulfilled. Secondly, I call it a purpose, whereby he does freely choose. And this I do in opposition to that Papistical tenet, that God does predestinate or elect men to salvation upon the foresight of good works. A most abominable opinion, and takes off the freeness of this act of God's election (2 Timothy 1:9): Not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace. So I say thirdly, whereby God does freely choose out of the mass of mankind a few to obtain life and salvation. In opposition to those that hold for universal redemption and universal grace — as Origen, and from him many more have been tainted with this error, to hold election universal. And so many of the Papists. Now the Scripture tells us, that many are called, but few are chosen. Election signifies a choice; now a choice — the very word imports a rejecting of some, and a culling out of others. The word election imports that all shall not be saved. Origen held this, that all men should be saved; that election shall extend to every man. Indeed, the very devils at the day of judgment shall be saved — which is an opinion among Christians not to be named; for election belongs but to a few. Fourthly, I say that it is to bring them to eternal life and salvation; therefore called ordination to eternal life (Acts 13:48).

Secondly, whether may a Christian in this life be assured of his eternal election, forasmuch as election was done in the decree of God, before ever he had a being, or the world was? Therefore, seeing we are not privy to God's decree and counsel, how can it be said that we may know and be assured of our eternal election? Indeed the Papists beat down this doctrine. And hence it is that in the Council of Trent there was this canon made, that if any man should say he was bound to believe that he was of the number of them that God has predestinated, or elected to life, let him be an accursed man. They did endeavor to beat down assurance, and held that all that a man could have must be only a conjectural assurance, or some kind of hopes of salvation, and no other. Now that you might not err in this point, see what the Scripture speaks in this case. That though election be an act of God from eternity, yet a believer may firmly and fully know his own election — and this I shall make good by several places of Scripture. Read Luke 10:20: Rejoice not, says Christ to his disciples, that you have power to cast out devils, that they are subject to you, but rather rejoice in this, that your names are written in the book of life. That is, rejoice not that you can work miracles — that wicked men can do that are not elected — but rather rejoice that your names are written in the book of life; that is, that in God's decree you are elected to salvation. Now, how could they rejoice, unless they knew this? So, 1 Thessalonians 1:4: Knowing brethren, beloved, your election of God. The Apostle takes it for granted that believers did know they were elected. So Ephesians 1:3-5: The Lord has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ, according as he has chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world was, having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ. Many more Scriptures I might urge, but in the mouth of two or three witnesses, it is enough to confirm every truth.

But now, though the Scripture be thus clear, yet there are some objections that seemingly oppose this truth, which I must satisfy. The Papists, as far as I have read in their writings, I find five objections they draw from Scripture against this truth, that a man may be assured of his election — for, say they, it was an act of God's, done before we had a being, and how can we be assured of that? I will therefore, beloved, first produce those Scriptures that they pretend will overthrow this point, and then take off what seems to make against it. The first text they urge is 1 Peter 1:17: Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear. This Scripture, say they, bids us pass our time in fear; and if so, then we cannot be assured of our election, but we must fear all the days of our life, whether we are elected or no.

To this I shall answer briefly. You must know the fear that the Holy Ghost here presses, that men should pass their time in fear, is not meant of a fear about our election; but it is meant of a fear of sin; that we must not sin against God, but fear God, and fear to provoke God by our sin. And if you ask how this appears, I make it appear plainly thus: for verse 18 it is said, Knowing beloved, that you are not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, etc. Now this verse proves clearly that they knew they were redeemed by Christ's blood, and so by consequence knew their election. Therefore the Apostle did not press a fear to beat down the knowledge of their election; but, pass your time in fear — that is, fear to offend God, and fear to sin against him.

Another objection they urge is this: the Scripture, say they, does often commend fear to us; and surely fear and assurance cannot stand together. Proverbs 28:14: Blessed is the man that fears always. Now, if a man must always fear, then the most a man can have is hope; and so hang between hope and fear all our days. To which I answer.

That the fearing always, which Solomon annexed blessedness to, is not meant of the fear about a man's election, but only a fear to sin against God. And if you ask me how that appears, read the whole verse, Blessed is the man that fears always, but he that hardens his heart shall run into mischief. Now mark, by the antithesis it is apparent, that fear there, is not a fear of our everlasting estate, but only a fear in opposition to hardness of heart in wicked men, that go on in a course of sin.

Another place they urge is (1 Corinthians 10:12) Therefore let him that thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall. Now, say they, the Scripture tells us, that every man, though never so firm, as he thinks, about his election; yet he must take heed, he may fall from grace, and be damned for all this. Now by way of answer to this, I would lay down two things.

First, the Apostle does not speak of men that have a grounded assurance of their election; but to men that lie in carnal security, and have deluded persuasions of their good estate, and this appears by the text. For he says, let him that thinks he stands. He does not say, let him that stands; for he cannot fall, but he that thinks he stands. Those men that nourish presumptuous and ungrounded persuasions, that they are in a good estate, and in a happy condition, let them take heed; lest they fall.

Secondly, the falling here is not meant a falling away from grace, or a falling away finally after election, for that is impossible; but it is only meant of a falling into sin. And so the meaning is this: Let him that thinks he stands, that is, that thinks he is strong in grace, and stands upon his own legs, let that man take heed lest he fall into sin. Now a man may take heed of falling into sin, yet no way question his assurance. And if you ask how I make it appear that this is the intent and scope of the place; I answer, by the context. Read the foregoing verse: Let us not tempt Christ, as they tempted him; let us not murmur, as some of them murmured, for these things happened to them for examples, and are written for our admonition. Therefore let him that thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall. As much as if he should say, you have here seen some men fall into sin, you have heard some men murmur, some men tempt Christ; this should make you afraid, lest you fall into sin, and suffer the punishment they did. But what is this to the denying of assurance, that men cannot be assured of their election?

Another place they urge also, is (Philippians 2:12) Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Now say they, if a man must work out, and carry on the business of his salvation with fear and trembling, then surely a man can never be assured in this life of his election. To which I answer.

That fear and trembling there spoken of, is not a fear and trembling in opposition to the assurance of our election; but in opposition to that carnal security, and sinful dependence upon our own strength. This is apparent in the next words, For it is God that works in you the will and the deed: And therefore, because you have no strength of your own, and no power of your own to do anything, therefore fear and tremble in that regard.

Secondly, fear and trembling may very well be consistent with this grace of assurance. For we read, (Psalm 2:11) Rejoice in the Lord with trembling. You may fear, and yet rejoice also. So (Psalm 5:7) As for me, I will come into your house in the multitude of your mercies, and in your fear I will worship towards your holy Temple. Here is fear, and confidence in the mercies of God joined together; to show, that fear and assurance may very well be consistent each with other. But then they object, how can this be? For John says, perfect love casts out fear. I answer, that though John says, perfect love casts out fear: yet John does not say, that imperfect love casts out fear. Now in this life our love is imperfect, and therefore mixed with fear; but in Heaven our love is perfect, and so casts out all fear. So that still this makes nothing against us, but that a man may have a grounded assurance of his eternal election.

Another place they object is (Romans 11:20) Be not high minded, but fear. To this I answer: These words are not spoken of fearing our election, that we should fear whether we are elected or no. But it serves to beat down any opinion of our own righteousness, as if we were therefore accepted of God; and to keep us from insulting over the rejected Jews; now that we are taken in, in their room.

One Scripture more (which indeed is the main pillar they rest upon) is (Romans 11:34) Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Here, say the Papists, the Scripture challenges any man in the world to come forth, and say that he knows God's mind; by God's mind is meant God's decree. And here Paul challenges all, that no man knows the decree of God from eternity. Therefore, if no man knows the mind of God, then certainly none know their own election, for that is God's mind, and God's decree: this they hold an undeniable argument.

And here to satisfy you in this Scripture, I shall lay down three things.

First, when it is said, No man knows the mind of God; nor no man is his counselor: this does hold true, that no man knows the mind or decree of the Lord, touching other men's election. The Apostle does not speak this, as if no man knew God's mind about his own, but about other men's election, who are elected, and who are not; for that is the scope of the place. The Gentiles, they thought all the Jews were damned men; and they censured and vaunted over them. Now, says Paul, None knows God's mind concerning others, whether they shall be saved or damned, while they are in this world.

Secondly, no man knows the mind of the Lord in this sense, that is, so as to give a reason of God's decree; why God did decree this, and decree that; why God did choose Peter, and not elect Judas; no man knows the reason of God's decree, and of his ways.

Thirdly, no man knows the mind of the Lord, that is, no man knows God's decree, by looking upon it alone; but by bringing down God's secret will to his revealed will; and so we may know his decree. I may make use of that place (Romans 10:8). Let no man say, I will ascend up to heaven to fetch Christ from there, but what says the word? The word is nigh you, even in your mouth. Trust to that. As if he should say, let no man think to know God's decrees by going into heaven, and there searching into God's decrees, for that he cannot do; but look upon the word, and there he shall find whom God has elected, and decreed to save (1 Corinthians 2:16). No man can know by looking barely upon the decree; but if we compare God's decree with his word, and from the word look upon them that are elected, we may easily know whether we are elected or no. Which puts me upon the third head premised, how a man may be assured in his own soul, that he is elected to life and salvation by God the Father.