Sermon 15

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

The last conclusion of doctrine drawn from these words was this: that Christians should put forth a great deal of diligence to make this sure to their souls, that they are eternally elected by God to life and glory. In the prosecution of which, I have dispatched several queries. I am now to proceed further in the dispatch of what yet remains to be spoken concerning this subject. A fourth query follows.

Fourthly, whether the decree of election, or God's purpose to save a company of men, being from eternity and being immutable, whether does not this give way to man to be secure and careless in the use of the means of grace — that they take no care to get grace, and to get heaven, while they are in the world? This is a very useful point to insist upon, seeing the Arminians charge us with this: that if we hold election without respect to God's foresight of works in men, then this lays open a gap for men to live as they please. They say, if God has determined they shall be saved, they shall be saved; if that they shall be damned, they shall be damned, whether they are holy or profane. If God has elected them to life, they shall be saved, let them live as they like. Thus the Arminians plead. This therefore is the query: whether this doctrine of election does administer any ground for such a cavil as this to be in the minds of men?

To answer which, I shall first lay down this general conclusion: that the decree, or the purpose of God about the election of man to life and salvation, does no way administer any just ground to men to make them live as they please, and to make them neglect the means of grace and salvation. In the clearing of which, I shall lay down three particulars to satisfy you about this matter.

First, that God's decree about civil and temporal matters does no way give encouragement to men to neglect the use of means and live careless of the accomplishment of his decree; and therefore not so in spiritual matters. As now for instance: God has determined from all eternity how long every one of us shall live in the world; our days are numbered in his counsel. Now, though God has determined how long we shall live, this no way gives us encouragement to say, therefore I will never put on a rag of clothes to cover me in winter, and I will never put a morsel of meat in my mouth; for God has determined how long I shall live, and therefore whether I eat or no, till then I shall not die. Again, God has determined from all eternity, touching every one of us, whether we shall be poor or rich in this world, and therefore to draw this conclusion — that it is no matter whether I be industrious in following my calling and looking after my trade, or whether I spend my estate in rioting and drunkenness; God has determined whether I shall be rich or poor; if he has decreed I shall be poor, I shall be poor; or that I shall be rich, I shall be rich, let me live as I please — this reasoning is very fond and foolish in temporal things, therefore much more in spiritual. God has determined from all eternity you shall be saved or damned, and the decree of God cannot be changed. But now to draw from this that it is no matter how I live, whether in ways of holiness or in ways of sin — this is an abusive collection from God's decree. Because, as Doctor Preston says, if a man does not use those means that may evidence to his soul that he is elected, it is an argument he is not elected. If you say, if God has determined it, he will save me whether I am holy or profane, and therefore I will never hear a sermon, never pray in my family, never use holy duties — Doctor Preston says, if you neglect these means, it is an argument you are not elected; because, as God has elected you to the end, he has also ordained you to use the means. I have read a story of an Italian, who lying upon his deathbed, sent for a physician, the most exquisite and exact artist in all Italy; and this man held this opinion I am now speaking of — that seeing God's decrees were unalterable, a man might live as he pleased and yet be saved; that let a man be as holy as he could be, if God had decreed his damnation, he should be damned; and let a man be never so wicked, if God have decreed his salvation, he should be saved; and that the decree of God took off the use of all means, that a man need not use any means, but only trust in God. The physician being a man acquainted in the mysteries of religion, after he had asked him the state of his body and where the disease lay, the party desiring him to prescribe some medicine — the physician gave him this answer: says he, God has determined how long you shall live; therefore, if I give you medicine, if God has determined you shall die, you shall die for all that; and if he has decreed you shall live, though I give you no medicine, yet you shall live. And this answer, says the historian, took such place with the Italian, that it converted him in this very principle, and he became a man very diligent in following the means of grace, upon this very saying. And indeed, a just and grounded speech it is. Therefore this is my answer: that if such reasonings as these in temporal things are unreasonable, they are much more so in spiritual matters.

Secondly, to you that make this plea, I would say this: That at that very instant wherein God did decree or determine to bring a man to life, at that very instant God did decree that that man would be holy before he died; he shall use all holy and sanctified means conducive to his salvation. Romans 8:29: Whom he did predestinate, them he did predestinate to be conformable to the image of his Son. God the Father, in that very decree wherein he does ordain man to life, did ordain, that those men elected should live conformable to Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:4: He has chosen us in Christ, before the foundation of the world was laid, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. God did decree, that our lives should be holy; he ordains holiness as the means, as well as heaven as the end. So Ephesians 2:10: God has created us in Christ Jesus to good works, which he has before ordained, that we should walk in them. 2 Thessalonians 2:13: God, before the world was, at that very instant wherein he ordained, and chose men to life, did also ordain, that men should live a holy and blameless life here upon earth. Now then, for men to make this objection, that seeing God has decreed men to life, therefore men may live as they wish, is absurd: for if men do live as they wish, it is an argument God did not decree them to life, because God in decreeing men to life and salvation, did decree they should walk in a course of sanctification, and holy living in this world.

Thirdly, suppose this should be taken for granted, that God had decreed to damn you for me; that God in his purpose had appointed he would not save us; yet God, as a Creator, deserves your service. God, as a Creator, may lay claim to your duties. Though God should condemn us, yet he making us, deserves obedience, and deserves duties of thankfulness from us. Therefore, under this notion only, though no other consideration be looked after, this should engage you to righteous living; and this should engage you in a way of duties, though he never save you. Adam, though he never should come to heaven, being in innocency, yet being made and created by God, was engaged to live a holy life. And so it is with every man alive, as we are creatures, and have a being from God, and the comforts of this life from God, all this does oblige us to a course of obedience, and righteous living toward God, though he should throw us into hell, when we have done. And thus much for resolving the fourth question, that the decree of God touching man's election to life, does no way give encouragement to men to live as they wish, upon the aforementioned grounds. I now pass to the fifth question.

Fifthly, what temptations does the devil suggest into the minds of godly men, to make them doubt within themselves, that they are not elected by God, when indeed they are, to make them think they are reprobate silver, when they are vessels of honor, meet for their Master's use? Happily I may speak to some, whose spirits are perplexed in this case. And the answer to this, I shall reduce to three heads, and as I lay them down, labor to take them off, that they may be no just ground or reason to make you doubt of your election.

First, the devil tempts a godly man with this, that surely you cannot be elected, because that before your calling you were so exceeding sinful and profane in your lives; so exceedingly profane, vile, wicked livers, that certainly (the devil will say) such as you could not fall within the compass of God's purpose to save.

Secondly, the devil will tell you, that certainly you cannot be elected to life, because that after your calling into Jesus Christ, you have fallen so foully into capital, and scandalous crimes and sins.

And thirdly, because that God does continually pursue his people with outward and great afflictions; from there the devil will gather, you are not the chosen and beloved of God. These three grand temptations he does many times fasten upon tender consciences, merely to create a world of doubts and perplexities in the chosen vessels of mercy. I begin with the first.

First, the devil tempts you, that surely you are not elected, because your lives were so exceedingly profane, and you were such abominable ill livers, before you took upon you the profession of Jesus Christ; this the devil lays before many a poor soul to stumble at.

To satisfy you in this therefore, I shall lay down four particulars by way of answer.

First, many of the servants of God before their calling, have been very lewd, wicked, notorious, profane livers, and yet have been within the compass of God's election to life and glory. Cast your eyes upon Paul, and there you shall find what he was before his call. He tells you himself, I was a blasphemer, (a horrible sin) I was a persecutor, I was injurious to God's Church. I haled men to prison for professing the name of Jesus. These are great sins. Nay further, says he, I was exceeding mad against the Church of God. A man enraged with malice against the people of God. Now what could be more vile than these? And yet you will find this man, a chosen vessel of mercy. Nay, you shall find, God to strengthen the confidence of men upon their election, puts a scandalous liver and election together, to make men see, that a scandalous life before conversion, is no prejudice to a man's election. Acts 9:13-14: And Ananias said, Lord, we have heard of this man by many (speaking of Paul) how much evil he has done to the saints at Jerusalem. We have heard by many what an evil man this is, and that he has authority from the chief Priests to bind all that call upon your Name; and that this man did do it, did execute his commission; here was a wicked liver. But now mark what the Lord says, Go your way, for he is a chosen vessel to me. Here you see Ananias lays his offense, and his wickedness before him; and yet, Go your way, says God: Go your way, for he is a chosen vessel to me. The like instances we have in Manasseh and Mary Magdalen. This therefore is my first answer, that many of the servants of God have been men of very ill and notorious lives, before conversion, and yet they have been within the compass of God's election to salvation.

Secondly, though men have been notoriously wicked in their lives before calling, yet if this notorious wickedness does lay any engagement upon them, to make them labor to be more eminent in grace after calling, this is rather a sign of election than reprobation. It is observable in Paul: he was a notorious wicked man before his call, but now this exceeding wickedness of his before his call did engage him to labor to exceed all others in goodness after he was converted. The more evil he was before, the more holy he labors to be after. As he labored before to haul men to prison for professing Jesus Christ, he is now as zealous to draw men to Jesus Christ after his call. He was very industrious to do evil before his call, and this made him after his call, as he says himself, I was in labors more abundant than they all. And so Mary Magdalen, who before her calling was a vile woman, one that was a common harlot — a woman out of whom Jesus Christ cast seven devils — and yet this woman, after her calling, she labored to be more eminent in godly sorrow than any woman before or since. She washed Christ's feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. The like of which you do not read of any woman in Scripture. And this was a very good sign: when your notoriousness in [reconstructed: ways] of sin before calling shall lay such an engagement upon you to become more eminent in grace after calling, this is a very good encouragement or evidence that you are within the compass of God's election, and therefore you have no cause to be discouraged. Suppose before the word laid hold upon your conscience, you were guilty of filthy sins, not fit to be named in the congregation; if you will the more honor God, and praise God now, and walk more humbly, and labor to excel each other in grace now, as you did in sin in times past, this is a great sign that you are in the compass of God's elect ones.

Thirdly, you that have been scandalous in your lives before calling, for your comfort know that God in his eternal counsel does commonly make the profane and wicked and the worst of men the objects of his election, rather than civil honest men, rather than men that are of an honest and civil and moral conversation here in this world. And the Lord does it upon this ground: the more to magnify the freeness and the riches of his own grace in electing men to life. For should God only choose moderate and civil honest men in the world, men would be apt to think it is that man's morality, and that man's civility, that was the motive which provoked God to elect them. Therefore God, to overthrow these thoughts, lets election run rather to men that have been notoriously gross and sinful in their lives than other men. Manasseh, a notorious bloody man, yet falls within the compass of God's election, when many a civil man is left out. Mary, a common harlot, yet chosen, when many a modest chaste woman was cast into hell. In Matthew 21:31-32, Christ urges a parable of two men: one that said he would go and follow Christ, but did not, and the other said he would not go, but did. Now which of these two did the will of Christ? And they said, the first. And Jesus said to them, Verily I say to you, that publicans and harlots shall go into heaven before you. But you will say, was this common? This was only one single time: therefore mark the next words. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you believed not, but the publicans and harlots believed in Christ. John came preaching, and you would not believe — you Pharisees, strict moral men, that did not fly out into such scandals as other men did — you would not believe, says Christ, but publicans, men that were most addicted to extortion and unconscionable gain, they embraced Jesus Christ, when moral men would not. This therefore should be another comfort for you, that many times election runs rather to the profaner sort of men than to men that are civil and righteous-dealing men here in the world, and this God does to magnify the riches of his own grace.

Fourthly, it is no matter what you were before your calling, if you are a repentant and holy people after. Your former miscarriages shall no way prejudice your future blessedness. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: Neither fornicator, nor idolater, nor adulterer, nor envious, nor thief, nor covetous, nor reviler shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven — and such were some of you, etc. Here you see a catalogue of vile evils heaped together, and such were some of you. But now you are washed, now you are sanctified, etc. So that no matter what you were before conversion, though guilty of great sins, so you are now a reformed people, now a sanctified people. In Titus 3:3: We ourselves were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, and living in malice and envy, etc. You were so, but after the kindness and love of God appeared to you, after they were converted they were not so. So that these four particulars will clearly take off this objection: no matter what you were before conversion, if you are now a repentant people, and bewail your evils, and reform your ways, your former ill-led life will be no hindrance at all to your election. Indeed, this I must needs say: you that have been most notorious in sin, God expects this at your hands, that you be most eminent in grace, most deep in humiliation, most eminent in godly sorrow, though your former evils do no way prejudice your election.

Secondly, if the devil cannot fasten this upon you, he will come upon you with this assault, namely, your frequent falling into scandalous and foul and gross enormities after you took upon you a profession of Jesus Christ. And this the devil will lay close: perhaps sin before conversion was not so great, but now since you have followed sermons, and since you have professed Jesus Christ, since that time you have fallen foully into gross and scandalous sins, and surely this is inconsistent with grace, and cannot befall persons within the compass of God's election.

And I confess this is both sad and hazardous. Yet I shall lay down three things to uphold you, that yet for all this you may be within the compass of God's election. As follows:

First, that diverse persons that were within the compass of God's election, have fallen foully into gross sins after their call. Lot, after he was called, fell to be incestuous, and fell to drunkenness; David, after he was called, fell into adultery; Peter, after he was called, fell to a denial of Jesus Christ. Indeed, you read of Solomon (1 Kings 11:9) that his heart was turned from the Lord, after the Lord had revealed himself to him twice. After God had revealed himself to Solomon, and converted him, after that time he did evil against his God. In fact, you read further (Nehemiah 13:26-27) that Solomon's wives turned away his heart from the Lord, though he was the beloved of his God. Though he were beloved by God, and were elected by him, yet his wives turned away his heart from the Lord. The like phrase you have (Numbers 14:23): After all these works I have done among them, and the miracles I have shown them in Egypt, and in the Wilderness, they have provoked me, says the Lord, these ten times. After they were the Lord's by covenant, and after they were a delivered people, after this they provoked him many a time, by sinning against him, and yet diverse of them were elect vessels of mercy. So that, I say, many of God's servants after their calling, are fallen foully into scandalous sins, and yet have been within the compass of God's election.

Secondly, if you fall into gross and scandalous sins, and do not have these four sinful ingredients, your falling into sin after calling may be consistent with election. First, if you fall not into sin voluntarily. Secondly, if you fall not into the same sin frequently. Thirdly, if you fall not into sin with complacency. And fourthly, if you lie not under your fall impenitently. If these ingredients be mixed with your sinning after your call, they are inconsistent with election. First, if you fall into sin voluntarily, that you rush into sin as a horse into the battle. Secondly, if you fall into the same sin frequently, then it is hazardous and dangerous. It is true Peter denied Christ, but it was but in one fit of a temptation. David fell into adultery, but it was never but once; Lot was guilty of drunkenness, but only in one fit. For the servants of God, though they fall, yet they fall not frequently into the same sin, if gross and scandalous. Thirdly, if you fall into sin with complacency, that you take pleasure in the evils you fall into — if you do as Job says, wallow in sin under your tongue, counting it sweet and delightsome to you. And lastly, if all this be joined with impenitency, that you have not a heart to repent of the evils you fall into, the Lord have mercy upon you; for certainly, if you fall into sin with these ingredients, you are not within the compass of God's mercy to save. But now, though you do fall into sin, if it be not voluntary but through the force of temptation, if it be not with complacency but a dislike of the sins you fall into, and as soon as you do fall and see your sins you repent and rise again, though you do fall in this way, it will be no prejudice to your election.

Thirdly, falling into sin after calling and profession made of Jesus Christ may be consistent with election in these four cases. First, if the sins you fall into be clearly discerned. Secondly, if they are sensibly bewailed. Thirdly, if they are strongly resisted; and lastly, if they are daily labored and prayed against. Though you do fall into sin, yet in these cases sin will not be damning to you, or be an impediment to your election. And thus I have done with the second case of conscience. Only let me urge this one thing before I leave it — for I would not have you make this doctrine a doctrine of liberty, but I would have you lay this to heart — that if any of you fall foully after conversion, believe it, God will make you smart for this. Though not in hell, yet you shall have a hell in your conscience; you shall have the very foretastes of hell, a wounded conscience, and God will expect deep humiliation and great repentance, if you sin after profession made of Jesus Christ. It may have that influence upon you, as upon David, who cried out, I have no quietness in my bones, by reason of my sin. God will give you no rest night nor day by reason of sin, if you run into it after profession made of Jesus Christ.

Thirdly, men do doubt of their election, because God pursues them with continual afflictions, and lays the continued strokes of his heavy wrath upon them; and this makes many a godly man think that he is not in the number of God's elect ones. To which I shall briefly answer.

That this is nothing else but a temptation, and not a truth; and it was the very controversy that Job's friends had with him. They would fasten this upon Job, that he was a reprobate and a hypocrite, because God did so afflict him; yet Job maintained his sincerity, and shows his grounds, that God was his friend, and that he did not reject him, though he did afflict him. But to speak more particularly.

First, no man can infallibly and certainly judge of God's purposes about man's election, or reprobation, by any of the dispensations of God toward their bodies in the things of this life. Ecclesiastes 9:1-2: No man knows either love or hatred by anything that is before him. All things fall alike to all. The same event to him that fears God, and to him that fears him not, to him that swears, and to him that fears an oath.

Secondly, afflictions from God are so far from being grounds, or evidences that a man is not elected, that in some cases they may prove evidences that they are the very elect of God. Hebrews 12:6-7: He chastens every son whom he receives; they are bastards, and not sons, whom he does not chastise. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore and repent (Revelation 3:19). In some cases afflictions from God are rather tokens of love from God, than the contrary. As now: in case afflictions be as a spur to you, to make you quicken your pace in heavenway. Second, in case your afflictions be as pruning-hooks to you, to cut and lop off the luxuriant buddings and workings of sin in the heart. Third, in case affliction be as a hedge to you to keep you in, and to make you walk in a close communion with God, and not to wander or go astray from him. Fourth, in case affliction be as a file to you, to file off that rust that cleaves to your nature. Fifth, in case affliction proves a furnace to refine you from that dross of corruption that is mixed with your services. In these cases afflictions are so far from being grounds to doubt of your election, that they may rather give you evidence you are the very elect of God.

Thirdly, that God in his wisdom does many times expose his own people to greater troubles in this life, than he lets wicked and reprobate men undergo. God will not give reprobates their hell here, that so he might give them hell hereafter. God will not give the elect heaven here, to make heaven more desirable to them while they live here, and more welcome when they come there. It is God's pleasure in the dispensations of his providence among men, to let his own people lie under more outward sorrows than wicked men shall do (Psalm 73:5). Their eyes burst out with fatness, they are not in trouble, as other men, neither are they plagued as other men are. The Lord in his dispensations does so deal with wicked men, that they are not plagued, they are not troubled as godly men are in this world. And therefore surely affliction is no argument of God's displeasure, or of their not being within the compass of God's purpose to do them good.