Sect. 3. Answer to three Objections more.

Object. 3. BUt if the actual enjoyment of this benefit be limited to the Elect, then I am still where I was; for I know not any thing concerning mine election. If you can make it sure to me, that God hath not cast me out by an eternal Decree, but hath appointed me to salvation, then I shall have some courage in the using of any means, and taking any pains for attaining that end: But if I be none of that number, then I have nothing to do with Redemption, and all my labour of beleeving and repenting, and doing good will be lost, and I shall runne in vain.

Answ. 1. I grant it to be an undeniable truth, that whatsoever we do, whether we run, or sit still, we shall all in conclusion bee found such (as to our everlasting estates) as God hath decreed we shall be.

But then 2. Hence to infer, that it is no matter what a man doth, or how he walks, is a wicked and dangerous conclusion; for the Decreee of Predestination, hath made a ne∣cessary connexion, betwixt the means, and the end; but that godless inference, breaks this golden chain all to peeces. To live in ignorance, security, unbeleef, disobedience is the ready way to hell, and consequently a fearful mark of Reprobation. To neglect Page  265 means of saving knowledge, faith, repen∣tance, and new obedience, is to forfeit sal∣vation, and to declare thy self to be none of Gods Elect.

A learned Divine illustrates this by a simi∣litude thus,* Put case (saith he) a battel were to be waged betwixt two Armies, and God should reveal some way or other that the greater part of the souldiers sho••d perish in the fight, and some few escape, not mention∣ing the particular persons which should be slain or preserved; if any souldier should now either pass sentence upon himself before-hand, or suffer his heart to be fore-stalled with a strong conceit, that he is one of them that shall be slain, and shall thereupon des∣pairingly run upon his enemies swords, or throw down his weapons, and neglect him∣self, and so perish; I demand, whether this despair, and the effects thereof, are not ra∣ther to be imputed to his own indiscretion than to the divine revelation? without doubt he may justly blame himself, for taking oc∣casion, where none was given.

The application is easie. To walk in the state and wayes of sin, or to avoid the way of faith and holiness, out of a conceit or fear that thou art not in the number of the Elect, is damnable madness.

3. It is a groundless supposition, to say, If I be not elected, all my labour of beleeving, repenting, and holy walking will be lost; for it implies, that a man may do all these, and yet be damned. But this is altogether in∣consistent Page  266 with the frame of the Gospel, which holds forth the quite contrary, that he that doth these things, shall bee saved, 2 Pet. 1.10, 11. Rom. 2.7, 8, &c.

4. No man in the world can give thee an infallible assurance of thy election immedi∣ately, neither oughtest thou to seek for such assurance. Scripture and reason both will tell thee, that •ods eternall counsels are so deep, as they cannot possibly be found out, no man ought to conclude peremptorily of him∣self, that he is a Reprobate, rather let every one that lives in the Church, and under the sound of Gods Ordinances, conceive, hope, that he is one of the elect number, provided that he improve this hope, to be a spur to diligence in the use of means towards salva∣tion. But then take heed, that thou suspend not this upon the certain knowledge of thine election; say not, I will first know that I am elected, before I take pains in the way to sal∣vation; If the King should grant a pardon to a hundred Traytors, whose names are in∣rolled in the Exchequer, upon certain con∣ditions to be performed by them, expressed in a Proclamation, it would be a foolish pre∣posterous course, first to search the Rolls, be∣fore they look after the performance of the conditions; no, they must first do this, and then sue out their pardon: Even so, thy way to heaven, is not first to climbe up thi∣ther, to search the Records, whether thy name be there, the word is near thee even in thine heart; Say not, who shall go up to Page  267 heaven for me? Rom. 10.6, 8. Think not of jumping into heaven at once: Begin at the bottome of the ladder, and go up by steps. He that will not set himself o• the way to salvation, unless God will first make him of his Cabinet-councel, is sure to meet with damnation, as the deserved reward of his desperate folly. Therefore, poor soul, if thou hast begun, go on by the exercise of Faith, Repentance, and all other graces, to make thy calling sure; this will make thine Election sure, 2 Pet. 1.10. and then thou needest not fear thy Redemption.

Obj. 4. But I have so long neglected to hearken to the counsel of the word, calling me to believe, that it may be, the day of grace is past to me; If the Lord had any thoughts of good towards me, he would have perswaded my heart before this time: but now I am grown into such a setled habit of unbelief, that I may fear, the Lord hath even determined to leave me under the power of it for ever.

Ans. 1. God is the Soveraigne Lord of time, he workes at all houre• of the day, he calles at the Eleventh, as well as the sixth, or nineth houres;* he hath his several seasons of offering grace, bringing Christ home to the soul, and satisfying the soul with the comfort of enjoying him, according to his good pleasure.

2. I confess it is a very dangerous thing for a sinner to resist the motions of the Spirit, till he be even wearied out, till the Lord say Page  268 peremptorily, my Spirit shall no longer strive with this man, I will leave him to his own counsels. And it is to be feared, that this is the case of very many, who living under quickening means, yet grow old in a secure sensless state and course, and it is ten to one, that these persons have sitten out their day of grace: Yet let no sinner (no, not he that is of the blackest grime, or longest standing) set down this absolutely against himself, [that this day of Grace is quite past,] Say not, it's now too late to Repent, and believe, or if I do, God will not regard me. This were to denie the grace of the new Covenant. If now at length thou wilt open thine eares to the counsel of the Gospel, and laying aside thine enmitie, wilt heartily come in, thou shalt finde by good experience, that there is abun∣dant grace in the Lord Jesus for thy reco∣verie, and salvation. See the example of Paul, 1 Tim. 1.13, 14.

3. But as for the poor afflicted soul, al∣though thou hast turned a deaf ear to the encouragements of the Spirit of God, and hearkened to thine own heart too long, yet thou hast no such cause of fear. For thy pra∣ctise doth constantly proclaim, that thou fearest the Lord, and obeyest the voice of his servant,* in departing from all known ini∣quity, and endeavouring to walk worthy of the Lord, unto all pleasing; Onely thou art in darkness, as to thy right unto Jesus Christ, and the grace of Redemption, and although thou breathest after him in the desires of thy Page  269 soul, yet thou canst not reach up sensibly to close with him by faith. In this condition, as sad as it is to thee, the Lord looks upon thee, as a tender mother lookes upon her childe, that will not take the breast, he pities thy waywardness, and will not make it an advantage against thee, but still invites thee to stay thy self on his Name. He can easily change thy heart of stone into an heart of flesh, and pluck up that bitter root of unbe∣lief, though by long custome deeply rooted in thy spirit, and plant in stead of it, the contrary habit of faith. Nothing is too hard for him, yea, he will certainly do it, and never lay to thy charge thy former unbelief, if thou wilt now cease to lean to thine own understanding, and humbly thrust thy self into his bosome, and make thy refuge in the shadowes of his wings, whether thou must come after all thy contrary strugglings, and where onely thou mayest be safe.

Obj. 5. Although I cannot gainsay these things, yet still my heart misgives me, I can∣not see it to be my way, thus to believe, and if I should, I much fear, that it would not proove well. To be short, I do not, I cannot believe.

Ans. 1. This is a maladie incident to sen∣sible doubting souls, to be obstinate in that which they have fixed upon, to hold fast the Conclusion, when they cannot prove the premises, and rather to study out Arguments, to strengthen themselves in their unbelief, than to yield to the truth laid before them. Page  270 But I beseech thee, in the bowels of our Re∣deemer, look upon this as a piece of Sathan's policie, that he may undoe thee. He would lock upon thine eares, and heart from all those truths, which are most usual for thee. Oh! do not hearken to him, but yield thy self to be overcome by the strength of Scri∣pture reason for thy good.

2. These groundless misgivings of heart, are not the perswasions of him that hath cal∣led thee, but the buddings of thine own wis∣dome at the best, and therefore they are wisely to be resisted. Call them to the barre of Gods testimony, and examine them nar∣rowly, what they are, whence they come, and whither they go, and if thou findest them Vagrants, whip them out, and send them away.

3. If thou seest not this to be thy way, the fault is not in the way, but in thy eye: It hath been told thee again, and again, that this is thy way; If thine eye can∣not discerne it clearly, or thou fearest, that it is not, yet do as a wise traveller would do, when he is at a loss. He seeth several wayes before him, but the way, which he must take, hath a pillar set up at the en∣trance of it, with this inscription. This is the way to — for there comes to him an Inhabitant of those parts, and assures him, that's the way: yet to him it seems very un∣likely, and he still suspects, that it will never bring him to the place, where he would be. In this case, what doth he? Why? He re∣solves Page  271 to lay aside his own judgement, and to adventure on the way, which he is directed; He doth so, and holding on in it, at length he obtains his desire. This is thy case, poor soul, thou art travailing heaven-ward, the Gospel, as a standing pillar, points thee out the way, and directs thee to Jesus Christ the Redeemer, and tell's thee, that if thou wilt heartily accept of him, lay the stress of thy soul upon him alone, and abide in him, not turning to the right hand, or the left, thou shalt undoubtedly be happy;* The Mi∣nister of the Gospel assures thee of the same by the warrant of the word. But thy unbe∣lieving heart boggles at this, and thou sayest, surely this is not my way: What? such a wretch as I go to Christ, and exspect any good from him? I dare not, I may not be so bold. Say not so, rather play the Wiseman's part, and adventure on this way, contrary to thine own reason, and thou shalt see, the issue will be good. Bear down thy feares con∣cerning a good success, with the stream of God's command; up, and do as thou art bidden, and proove him herewith, whether he will not pour thee out a blessing.* Observe the practise of the four Lepers in the gate of Samaria; apply their arguments to thy case, and make an adventure as they did. Say, if I go back into the world, I shall die, and if I sit here without Christ, I shall die; I will therefore betake my self to Christ, and th••st my self into his bosome, let him do with me what he pleaseth. Thus doing, thou ma• ••t Page  272 hope to speed as well as they. Why? what got they? Not onely the saving of their lives, but good chear for their hungrie bellies, and rayment for their naked backs, and gold and silver for their empty purses: Even so, if thou wilt fall in unto Jesus Christ, thou shalt not onely be saved from the curse of the Law, but the flesh of Christ shall be thy meat, and his blood thy drink, his righteousness thy clothing, thou shalt be enriched with all spiritual blessings in him. Follow the example of Queen Esther: When the necks of all the Jews, her dear countrie-men were almost on the block, and their was a present necessity of her interceding with the King, which (if he had not taken it well) might have cost her life, yet she resolves, to put it to the uttermost; I will go in to the King (saith she) and if I perish, I perish. The issue was sweet, and comfortable; she was not onely saved from the danger of the Law, but the King held forth the golden Scepter to her, and granted her Petition for the lives of her people; And if thou wilt make the like ad∣venture for thy soul upon the King of Saints, thou shalt both be freed from the danger of a more rigorous Law,* and be invested in his favour, and he will accept thy services, and fulfill all thy lawfull desires. Thou hast better ground of hope, then either this Queen or those lepers; for they both went meerly upon hazzards, but God would have thee to overleap all difficulties, and trust upon Page  273 the account of certain profit, coming in to thee hereby, Isa. 55.3.