requisite for us to understand and believe, concerning this | his purpose as to permissa, things that are permitted by matter, of God's purpose, by his counsel, in reference to the him, and the things permitted, as there is with reference to things which he works among his creatures, and some of effecta; between his purpose, and the thing that he effects. these propositions will be more general, and fundamental | Again, further, unto some others, which shall be (God willing) more particular. But for the more general propositions you may take such as these: 6. Whatsoever God might, righteously and consistently with all the other attributes and perfections of his being, effect and do, or permit and suffer, that he might right1. That all the purposes of the divine will are co-eter-eously resolve and purpose to do, and resolve and purpose nal. There can be no such thing as a new will in God; for there is nothing in God, that is not God; and nothing of God can begin de novo: for that were to suppose a new Deity. And hereupon, there can be no place for dispute about the priority or posteriority of this or that purpose of God; they must be all simultaneous, all at once, in one and the same eternal view, according to that clear, and distinct, and all-comprehending prospect that he hath of all things, eternally before his eyes. And though it be true, indeed, that we are constrained to conceive of things, (because we cannot conceive them all at once as he doth,) by first and second, former and latter, and to consider of a natural priority and posteriority, where there is no such thing in real existence; I say, though we are constrained so to do, (which is a thing owing to the imperfection of our minds,) yet, we must take heed of building upon our own foundation schemes and models of the divine decrees, as a great many have perplexed themselves in doing; and wherein we can determine nothing, but with the greatest uncertainty imaginable, nor, indeed, without too great presumption, bringing down the Deity to our human measures and models, and forms of conception. Again, to permit and not to hinder. Whatsoever it is that is con- 2. We must take this proposition concerning the will and purposes of God, that they do always connect together means and ends: that is, supposing he hath willed and determined such an end, we must, accordingly, sup- These are general propositions that do lay some founpose he hath determined with himself the way or means, dation for more particular ones, which are to follow. And by which he will bring that end about; supposing it to be herein, though it is very true that God hath his purposes a thing to be done immediately: as those things are to be and decrees concerning all things: "He worketh all things done, and in the same way wherein they are to be brought according to the counsel of his own will," yet, we shall about, in the same way we must understand he hath deter- more especially consider his purposes concerning men. mined to bring them about. As when he did intend to You know that must be our business: and therein too, preserve David at Keilah, he did also determine he should though he hath purposes and decrees concerning all the not stay there, knowing that if he did, the inhabitants actions of men, whether personally considered, or considerwould have given him up to Saul, as you may read it wased as members of a community, lesser or larger, civil or determined, upon David's inquiry, 1 Sam. xxiii. So when ecclesiastical, concerning churches, concerning states and he determined to save the life of Paul, and all his com- kingdoms, their successions, their rises, their continuance, panions and fellow-passengers in the ship, where they their periods; though he have, I say, purposes concerning were in so much jeopardy and danger, he did also deter- all these, and all within the compass of the text, "He mine that the mariners should not go away; for the apos- worketh all things after the counsel of his own will," yet, tle saith expressly, "If these go away we cannot be saved," I shall chiefly keep my discourse to those purposes that after he had expressly, from God, told them, that not a concern our spiritual and eternal state. And so shall lay hair of any of their heads should fall to the ground. And down briefly the other and particular propositions. As, therefore, we are not to suppose that he doth determine an end to be brought about by means, but he doth also determine and ascertain the means by which it shall be brought about: so that if he intend any of us to live to such a term of time, he never intends that, and intends at the same time to let us, several years before, starve ourselves, poison or stab ourselves. But determining the end, he also determines those means by which he intends to bring about that end: he intends to bring it about in such a way; that is, in a mediate way. 3. The purposes of God and his foreknowledge are in some sort commensurate: taking foreknowledge in the proper sense, foreknowledge doth refer to futurity, as knowledge, more abstractly taken, doth to all beings actual and possible: all possibilities come within the compass of divine knowledge; but of his foreknowledge, only futurities, or what shall be. And as to these, his purpose and foreknowledge are some way commensurate, that is, whatsoever he foreknows shall be, he either purposeth to effect, or he purposeth not to hinder it. And again, 4. Whatsoever God doth actually bring to pass, that we may conclude he did purpose to bring to pass. Whatsoever he doth, he did purpose to do; for he doth nothing against his will, or without his will: and he can have no new will, as was told you before, and as it is plain in itself. Therefore, whatsoever he actually doth, he did always eternally purpose to do. 5. Whatsoever he actually permits, he did never purpose to hinder. There must be a correspondency between 1. That God did, undoubtedly, purpose to make such a world as this, for we find he hath made it; and he doth nothing that he did not purpose to do. 2. He did purpose to make such a creature as man, and place him here; for we also find, so he hath done. 3. He did purpose to create man in an innocent state, and proportionably good and happy unto the innocency and purity in which he did create him. For his word tells us, that he did create him so. He "made man upright." And it gives us an account of the circumstances of his condition when he made him, though briefly, yet as far as was necessary. And, 4. He did not purpose to confirm him at first in that good state wherein he made him, so as to make it impossible for him to fall; for we find he did fall, and is in a lapsed state: therefore, it was purposed that his fall should not be prevented, that it should not be hindered; though none doubt, but that he that made man could have made him as well impeccable, without any possibility of sinning, as he did make him sinless at present, without any thing of depravedness by sin. 5. It is evident, God did not purpose to leave fallen man to perish universally in his apostate, fallen state: for we hear of, and know, the methods and appointed means for the recovery and salvation of fallen creatures, of fallen men, which are offered to our view in the word of God. 6. He did decree or purpose to send his own Son to be a Redeemer and Saviour unto lost and perishing creatures, to be born, to live in this world, to die in pursuance of that reconciling design, and to overcome death; and in his resurrection and conquest over death, to erect a kingdom by the Son and eternal God, who was made, in pursuance into which he would collect, as the voluntary subjects of of this design, the universal Head, also Head over all it, all those that should resign and yield themselves to him, things, but with special reference to his church. And so put themselves under his governing power, and submit was this the matter of divine pleasure; to do this thing themselves to his saving mercy, at once. And the sub- in the fulness of time, according as we find in Gal. iv. 4. stance of this we have given us as the matter of a divine "In the fulness of time, God sent his Son, born of a decree, in that Psalm ii. 7. "I will declare the decree. woman, made under the law, to redeem them that are The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son, this day under the law: that we might receive the adoption of sons." have I begotten thee." Very true it is, that that is not di- And as this is the most undoubted matter of divine pur rectly meant of the nativity of our Lord: we find the pose and decree, so it ought to be the matter of the highest apostle expounds it otherwise, (Acts xiii. 33.) "We declare joy and rejoicing; greater than can be expressed by an to you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made annual solemnity; such as should run through our lives, to our fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their and be the matter of every day's rejoicing with us, acchildren, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is cording to what the first report of this glorious work was, also written in the 2d Psalm," (the most express quotation when the womb of divine counsel did teem, and bring in the New Testament out of the Old,) "Thou art my Son, forth this glorious birth; when he brought forth the firstthis day have I begotten thee: and as concerning that he begotten into the world, he saith, "Let all the angels of raised him from the dead now no more to return to corrup- God worship him :" and they did publish the joyful protion, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies clamation of it from heaven, "Glory to God in the highest, of David." It was in pursuance of a divine, eternal pur- and on earth peace good will towards men:" the greatest pose and decree, that this was said, "Thou art my Son, indication of divine good will, and the most significant this day have I begotten thee:" that is, when he raised that ever was known, or ever could be thought, that is, him from the dead, when he begot him again out of the that when men had severed themselves from God, cut grave, and by that glorious regeneration, he did then put themselves off from him; and the world was sunk into a upon him that high and excellent title, (that was funda- universal oblivion of him, destitute of all inclination tomental to the other glorious one that did ensue thereupon,) wards him, and all interest in him, unapt to make any in"The first-begotten from the dead: the Prince of the kings quiries after him, or to say, "Where is our God, our of the earth," Rev. i. 5. But yet, though that be not the Maker?" that they should be so surprisingly told of Emthing directly there spoken of, as the matter of the divine manual, God with us: that God should so strangely dedecree, God's first bringing him into this world, yet, that scend, put on man, be manifested in the flesh, there was being the matter of a divine decree, (to wit,) his dying, and the greatest mystery of godliness, that ought to fill heaven his conquering death, and being begotten (as it were) a and earth with joy and with wonder. For when something second time, or I may say a third time, out of the grave, like this was apprehended, but upon mistake, in what out of the womb, as his goings forth from eternity in re- transports were these pagans! "The gods are come down spect of his Deity, and as he was, as man, at first brought to us in the likeness of men," Acts xiv. 11. And presently out of the womb of the virgin, yet, even that earlier partu- they offer at sacrificing. What matter of joy and wonder rition must be supposed here to have been the matter of then, that the glorious, eternal Son of God, should make a divine purpose and decree too. And so other scriptures that descent, that kind descent, into this world of ours! do speak of the whole complex of this matter, as falling Because we were partakers of flesh and blood, he himself under a divine purpose. "That he verily was foreordain-likewise takes part with us of the same: (Heb. ii. 14.) ed," (as Acts ii. 23.-1 Pet. i. 20. and onwards,) foreordain- and because we dwelt in fleshly tabernacles, he himself ed to every thing he did, and foreordained to every thing resolved to erect a tabernacle like one of ours: "The he suffered, in pursuance of that great saving design and Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us;” (John i. 14.) errand upon which it was determined he should come into did tabernacle among us in the expression: this being, as this world. And this is that which the context here doth it were, his very sense in this vouchsafement and undermore specially lead us to insist upon. For when the taking: "There is a company of poor creatures that dwell apostle speaks of God doing all things according to the in flesh, or buried in it, rather than do dwell in it, and counsel of his own will, he tells us more distinctly what their flesh is more their grave than their mansion; well! that counsel of his will did concern, and that is in the because they are partakers of flesh and blood, and have foregoing verse: "That, in the dispensation of the fulness tabernacles made of flesh, "I will go and set my tabernacle of time, he might gather together in one all things in by theirs: they dwell in fleshly tents, and I will go and Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are in earth, dwell in such a tent among them." The Son of God was even in him." This was the great thing that lay, as the made flesh, did dwell and tabernacle among us in such substratum in the divine counsel, to collect and gather all flesh as we inhabit, excepting the impurity and sinfulness things in Christ, to constitute him as supreme and univer- of it. O! what matter of glory and exultation is this! sal Head to this creation. And whereas, all things were How full of triumph should it fill the souls of men, that shattered and broken in the apostacy, there was now to be such a hope should arise to them, even as a resurrection a recapitulation, and gathering all things under one head from the dead! Now we see that God's kindness towards again, as you see in the close of the chapter. "And hath the children of men, is not shut up in everlasting oblivion; put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head it is not suspended from any further exercise for ever; over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness what a glorious instance of it is here! of him that filleth all in all." And this, that was primarily here designed in this context, is that which God hath done according to the counsel of his will. "He doth all things after the counsel of his own will;" but this peculiarly, the sending of his Son into this world, and the establishing of him as the Prince of those reduced from the state of apostacy. As the great destroyer of souls was the prince of the apostacy, the head of the apostate world, upon which account he is called "the god of this world," (2 Cor. iv. 4.) and "the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience," so was our blessed Lord to be the head of that community that should be collected and gathered out of this world. And this was the great mystery of his will, which he purposed in himself, as the foregoing context is, "In the dispensation of the fulness of time" (by the Christian economy, that is the word there used for dispensation) to collect and gather all under this one glorious head, to recover a people, and raise up a glorious structure, a church, out of a ruining and perishing world, | But as this is matter of highest joy, it ought to be matter of purest joy too. And there is not a little caution requisite in this case. The numerous appearance here this day signifies to me, that there is a great propension to keep on foot an annual solemnity upon this account: and as this is expressive of a disposition to rejoice, or to somewhat of rejoicing, I pray take these cautions in reference to it,— that it be not ignorant rejoicing, that it be not carnal rejoicing, and above all, that it be not wicked rejoicing, more grossly and more sensually wicked. (1.) Let it not be ignorant rejoicing. Rejoice we may, and must, in such a thing, that according to divine purpose and decree, Christ came into the world, and the Son of God became man, that he might become a sacrifice, and that thereupon he might become a glorious King. To rejoice in this abstractly, that Christ was once born into this world, without understanding or ever desiring to understand what he was thus born for, what was the end of this manifestation and appearance of him in human flesh; this ing recovered and brought back to God by this Christ, of having my soul refined, and body and soul made meet to glorify the great God whose they both are; to joy without any thought of this, (I say,) looks more like a pagan than a Christian; and is much more suitable to the paganish than the Christian state. It ought to be considered, Christ took our flesh to make us partakers of his Spirit; he took our nature to make us partakers of his divine nature, escaping the corruptions that are in this world through lust; and to please ourselves in the thoughts of Christ having been born, without any thought of this, is such a carnality as affronts the very pretence that we make of rejoicing in the thoughts of it, that the Son of God did descend and come down to associate himself, and dwell among the sons of men in this world, and to suffer for them, and so to prepare them to dwell with God in the other world. doth unbecome men, and much more doth it unbecome | carnal and fleshly inclination, without any thought of beChristians, it being to rejoice for they know not what. For what is it to us, if we abstract from the ends of the incarnation of the Son of God? if we subject not to the proper ends of it? What is it to us that Christ lived here on earth, somewhat above sixteen hundred years ago, and to rejoice | in that he did so, without considering and understanding what it was for, upon what account it was, and with what design? This, I say, is but the joy of a fool: to rejoice in that, the true reason whereof our own gross and voluntary ignorance hides from us; to rejoice when we hear that he came as a Saviour, without considering what he was to save us from, (though we are told at the same time,) when we hear of his being called Emmanuel, God with us, of his being called Jesus, (Matt. i. latter end,) because he should save his people from their sins; to rejoice in Christ, even as an incarnate Saviour, without any thoughts of this, that I am to be saved by him, from that which made the distance, and continues the distance, between God and me; I am to be saved by him from the impurities of my own heart and nature; I am to be saved by him from the vile carnality that hath depressed and sunk my soul, so as never to mind God, never to desire after him, never to delight in him, to have inclinations to pray to him: I say, to rejoice ignorantly in these respects, is to rejoice presumptuously, for we know not what, and over-confidently, against the direction and instruction given to us in that second Psalm. Because God hath declared the decree concerning him, "Thou art my Son," and hath set him as his King upon his holy hill of Zion; and hath resolved to subdue the nations under him, and give him the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the carth for his possession, therefore to serve this mighty King with fear, and rejoice before him with trembling, that is the instruction that is given us. There is a pure and holy Deity hath become incarnate, the Son of God became, here, a God among us, with that resolution, not to bear with the wickedness of the world, and let men run on in their old and wonted course; but to revive God's memorial and the awe and fear of him in the hearts of men; and not to let men live prayerless lives, as they did, and without God in the world, as they did; here was his great design. But now to rejoice in Christ's having been born into the world, without ever considering the design of it; this is not only mean and brutish, but insolent and presumptuous, to rejoice in the thoughts of so sacred and great a thing as this, without having hearts touched and impressed with the apprehension of the pure and holy end of it. And, " (2.) Take heed of rejoicing carnally, with such a kind of joy as shall be exclusive of, or that shall exclude, that spiritual sense we ought to have of so high and mighty an undertaking and intendment as this. How vain and how grossly incongruous and absurd is it to say, that because the Son of God came into this world upon such a design as you have heard, "Therefore, let us eat and drink and be merry; therefore, let us pamper and adorn this flesh;" forgetting that it is inhabited (even this mortal flesh) by an immortal spirit; and forgetting that even this flesh of ours is claimed and challenged to be a temple for the Holy Ghost, and therein made conformed to the flesh of Christ, which is itself such a Temple, and the model according to which all Christian temples, that is, a temple in a temple, in every Christian, ought to be formed. Know ye not, saith the apostle, "that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost?" (1 Cor. vi. 19.) and they are to be indulged and cared for accordingly. Christ speaks it of his own body, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days!" As he was, even in his human nature, and in his body, a Temple of the living God, so is every Christian to be; and therefore are these bodies of ours to be cared for in subserviency to this design. This body of mine, it is to be the living, animated temple of the Divine, Living Spirit. And what is it then to be indulged, to be pampered, to be adorned with a fine dress, and is this all that I am to design concerning it? I am to design in it conformity to the great Original Temple, the Son of God. But to rejoice with such a sort of festivity as is only grateful to (3.) But lastly, Take heed of such a kind of rejoicing as is more grossly and sensually wicked, even in itself and in its own nature: that is, to make the season when we, uncertainly, apprehend Christ to have been born into this world, the season of letting loose to all manner of looseness and debauchery, in direct contradiction to, and defiance of, the design of his coming: that is, when we know the Son of God was manifest to take away sin, and to destroy the works of the devil, as the expressions are, (1 John iii. 5, 8.) that we should make it our business to indulge and fulfil those very lusts which he came to destroy and dissolve, and make cease out of the world: what an affront is this to him whose memorial we pretend to celebrate! That is to make that which we imagine to be the day of his birth, to be the day of his most ignominious death, by crucifying afresh to ourselves the Son of God, and putting him to open shame; as if we would proclaim to the world that the design of the Son of God's descent into it, was to give men the liberty of being safely wicked, that they might throw off all restraint, and without any fear or dread of what should follow, abandon themselves to all manner of wickedness, to fulfil the impure lusts of a corrupt, depraved nature, till sin, being finished, should end in eternal death and so make the Christian religion an inconsistency with itself, and to represent the matter, as if Christ came into the world, not to make men Christians, but to exempt them from being so; and not to destroy sin out of the world, but to exclude and shut out Christianity. As if he came into the world that there might never be any such thing as Christianity in it, that he might bring it about, that men might, with safety and impunity, live in the highest rebellion against the very laws of that Christ by whom they pretend to expect salvation. But this is one great thing which we see lies under divine purpose and decree, according to the counsel of his will, the sending of his Son into the world to be a Redeemer and Saviour of sinners, by living among them, dying for them, conquering death, ascending to heaven, and erecting that kingdom by which he is to govern the redeemed community unto everlasting life. And by how much the more apparently this was matter of divine purpose according to eternal counsel, so much the higher and more dreadful wickedness must it needs be, to indulge in ourselves such a disposition of spirit, or so to shape our course, that both shall lie counter to the divine counsels in all this. That is, when Christ did not come into the world by accident, but by design and by purpose, according to the wisest counsel, and eternal and most stable counsel, we should set ourselves, as much as in us is, to overturn the whole frame of that divine and eternal counsel of heaven; that is, that it shall never take place with me, "I will never be subject to him, I will never know him, never come into union with him, never resign up myself unto him; I will be mine own still, and live still at the utmost distance from God and defiance of him." By how much the more apparent this was the product of the divine will according to counsel, so more fearful and horrid must be the wickedness that stands in direct opposition thereto. LECTURE II.* BUT now to go on with other particular propositions about the decrees of God. who believe shall be saved, and they that believe not, shall perish. But I further add, 8. God hath not purposed this in the general, that he will save such as are wrought up to a compliance with his declared known terms of salvation; but whensoever he doth actually enable any to believe and repent, we may conclude that he did eternally intend so to do. And whosoever he doth actually conserve in a safe state, that is, enables them continually to believe, (it is enough to instance in this one thing, with which the rest are so essentially connected, that they are all implied, if this one be actually to be found, and even in the very mention of this one,) if he actually enable any to believe to the saving of their souls unto their final salvation, he did always from eternity intend so to enable them. And so, he hath not only decreed, or intended certain indefinite and undeterminate species to life and salvation, but particular persons, as is most evident many ways. (1.) Scripture is most express in it; if you look to the foregoing verses, divers of them in this same chapter, you will find it. In what a transport, towards the beginning, do you find the apostle blessing God. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings, in heavenly places, (or things,) in Christ. According as he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and unblamable before him in love; having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto himself; according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." And in this same 11th verse, where the text lies, "in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated, according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." And nothing, again, can be plainer, than that known and famous text, Rom. viii. 30. "Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified." This is a chain that can never be broken; and equally expresseth that in the 2 Thess. ii. 13. where the apostle gives solemn thanks, even for them, that God had chosen them unto salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. And in that, 1 Pet. i. 2. "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God, through sanctification of the Spirit, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus." These (as it is observable, and was told you be fore, in those more general propositions) do manifestly connect means and end together. But they do ascertain both, concerning some, and not leave the matter indefinite and undetermined, as if he did in the dark make and form purposes with himself, without discerning, at the same time, who should comply with his pleasure, as to such terms of life, and who should not. And besides so express scriptures, the matter is, 7. That those terms of life and death for sinners, which God hath actually settled and published in his Gospel, those we may be sure he did intend and purpose should be the terms of life and death unto us. Whatsoever (as you have heard in the general propositions) God actually doth, we may be sure he intended and purposed to do. What he doth, he doth willingly when he doth it. No force can be put upon him; he never doth any thing against his will, and what he once willed he doth always will, for there can be with him no new will. Therefore, whereas he hath enacted and published such things as these to the world, as the terms of life and death to sinners; that whosoever believes shall be saved, but whosoever believeth not shall be damned; that he gave his only-begotten Son with that design, that they who believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life; that they that believed not, are condemned already: they that believe, have everlasting life; they that believe not, shall not see life; but | the wrath of God abideth on them: that sinners are to repent, that their sins may be blotted out; that they that repent shall not all alike perish; (Luke xiii. 3.) that the things that eye hath not seen, that the ear hath not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man to conceive, are all prepared for them that love God: (1 Cor. ii. 9.) but, they that love him not, that love not the Lord Jesus, are so many anathema, accursed, till he come; (1 Cor. xvi. 22.) that Christ shall be the Author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him; (Heb. v. 9.) but, that he shall come in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the Gospel of his Son; (2 Thess. i. 8.) these, I say, being the declared terms of life and death to sinners, enacted and actually published to the world as such, these you may be sure God did intend and purpose should be such. His purpose was eternal, and a decree, as that word was explained. This is out of all question, that such terms of life or death to sinners as have been mentioned, are the matter of divine, eternal decree; he did always intend they should be so. Whence it is obvious to collect, that he can have no contrary decree, no contrary purpose. That is, wheresoever his pleasure is published and made known, so as to be capable to be understood about these matters, God will never deal with men upon other terms. There can be no repugnant purpose to any such purpose as this; that is to say, that he will save any whether they believe or no, or though they finally persist in obstinate infidelity and impenitency and rebellion against him to the last. It is never to be supposed, that he will do such a thing without decreeing it, so that he should have ever decreed it against such (2.) Evident in itself, that whomsoever he doth actually a decree as this. And so, on the other hand, that he will enable to comply with such terms of life and salvation, he ever finally condemn, or hath ever decreed or purposed did purpose and decree to enable. For when he doth so, finally to condemn, any that shall believe, that shall re- when he gives a man faith, when he gives him repentance, pent, that shall love him above all, and finally subject them- which are most expressly said to be the gift of God: to selves to his government, whensoever they are brought to you it is given to believe and suffer; (Phil. i. 29.) and do so in Christ: therefore, it is vain and unscriptural, Christ is exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give rewithout foundation any way, for men to embolden them-pentance and remission of sins, Acts v. 31. I say, when selves on the one hand, "Let me be never so wicked, or he doth actually give these gifts, doth he give them with never so careless, I may be saved at last for all that; I do his will, or against his will? Is it to be supposed, that he not know but God hath decreed to save me." Or, that any should give them, and not will to give them? What could should torment themselves on the other hand with afflict- so impose upon him that he should give what he was ing thoughts, "Let me do what I will, if I never so ear- not willing to give? But, if once he was willing, and if nestly set myself, and seek help from heaven, that I may then he was willing to give such a gift, he was always believe, that I may repent, that I may have my heart willing; for there cannot be with him a new will, and changed, renewed, and brought to love God, and subject therefore he was from eternity willing. And again, myself to him in Christ, yet, there may be a decree against me, and I may perish for all this." There is no reason, no foundation on the one hand or on the other, for any such imagined decree of God, against these plain declared decrees of his; they are (as to what is compendious and comprehensive of all) final believers who lie under the decree or purpose of salvation; and final infidels who lie under the decree or purpose of condemnation. So much, in general, is most certainly decreed, that they * Preached January 8th, 1692 (3.) That matter might be further argued, from what Scripture speaketh most expressly too, that as to that great and most comprehensive instance of faith in the Son of God; whosoever do receive Christ and believe in his name, when God enables them so to do, he regenerates them; "To as many as received him, to them gave ne power to become the sons of God, even to as many as believed on his name," John i. 12. And then, it is immediately subjoined in the 13th verse, "Who were born not of flesh nor of blood, nor of the will of man, but of God." | he pleaseth, wherein he hath not particularly obliged himBut if he do regenerate any, he doth it most willingly: self. But further, "Of his own will begat he us, by the word of truth," James i. 18. Agreeable to the expression in the text, "He doth all things according to the counsel of his own will." He did with counsel will to regenerate whomsoever he regenerates. And, (4.) It is altogether unimaginable, that God should do a thing so far exceeding all expectation, and even all wonder, as the sending of his own Son; he that was the brightness of his own glory, and the express image of his person, the Heir of all things, by whom he made the worlds; to be incarnate, to put on man, and to die upon a tree, so ignominiously, a spectacle to angels and men; and to leave it an undetermined thing whether any should be the better for it, yea, or no; or rather, to leave it certain that none ever should be the better for it. For most certain it is, that as to those great terms of life and salvation, none can ever be the better, if he do not, by his overpowering grace, influence minds and hearts, and work them up to a compliance with those terms, and work and effect them in them. The case is vastly different in respect to spiritual good, and in reference to the opposite evil; where, as to wicked actions, and a continued course of them, or any particular act in such and such circumstances, men will always determine themselves; they are apt and prone enough to do so. If they can, in such circumstances, they will do wickedly; but in reference to any spiritual action that is good and holy, and of a saving tendency, there is not so much of an indifferency, but a most fixed aversion, which nothing but the power of divine grace can conquer and overcome. Nothing but the almighty power of grace can make an enemy-heart become friendly towards God and towards his Christ, can vanquish the malignity of an obstinate infidelity, can mollify an obdurate, hard heart, and make it dissolve and melt as in repentance it must. This is, therefore, altogether an unimaginable thing, that God should do what did so far exceed all expectation, and even all wonder, as to send his own eternal Son, to die upon a cross, and leave it uncertain whether any should ever be the better for it, or rather, certain that none ever should. And it is again, 9. If yet he do actually, in a way of common grace, superadd more, wheresoever he hath given any thing of it, upon the due improvement of that, then we may conclude he hath always intended so to do; this was his pleasure, and his eternal purpose. If that be actually his rule, "to him that hath shall be given," (you know how hath is to be taken here, that hath so as to improve what he hath,) he shall still have more; if this be actually the rule and measure of his proceedings, it was always his purpose it should be so. And so it must be understood to have been his purpose, even in them that do finally perish, yet still to give them more of gracious communications in the way of common grace, upon the improvement of what they had; and they perish as not improving what was vouchsafed and afforded them, according to the tenor of that rule. They do not finally perish, as never having received any thing from the hands of God, in a way of grace, that had a tendency and leadingness in it to their better state, but they finally perish as neglecting and resisting such overtures as have been made to them. What the case was with the old world, before the flood, we must still suppose to be the common case among men. "My Spirit shall not always strive with man," Gen. vi. 3. It had been striving, and it is generally striving more or less; and especially where God doth afford the more peculiar manifestations of himself, as he did to that people whom he severed from the rest of the world, to be more appropriate to him. We have many passages that speak of the presence and of the operations of the Divine Spirit, among that people. The Spirit of the Lord caused them to rest: He gave his Spirit to instruct them, Isaiah lxiii. 14. They rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit: therefore, he turned to be their enemy, and fought against them: ver. 10. and that of dying Stephen, "Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and life, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do ye," Acts vii. 51. Now, there cannot be a resistance where there is no striving, and there can be no striving where there is not a counter-striving. When the Spirit, in its more common operation, is resisted, it retires in displeasure, often and most righteously, and gives to (5.) Very unreasonable to think that the great God men, yields to them, that victory that shall be in the end should have among men no objects of special favour; and fatal to them, undoing to them; many such victories undo it were foolish to suppose that it should be a reflection them at last, and they perish by them. If he be actually upon him to have it so. As it was formerly told you, it working in men to will and to do of his own good pleasure, belongs only to a good governor, and even to the best that when he is ever so at work in any, he injects thoughts into can be supposed, to deal equally with all, and kindly and their hearts, smites their minds with convictions, and their favourably where he pleaseth. We are to distinguish hearts many times with terrors; or if there be any more matters of right, and matters of peculiar favour. Matters placid affections raised in them in any degree towards himof right will be dispensed and administered with an equal self, or towards any divine thing, and the matter go no hand, matters of special favour according to good pleasure, further than a loseable taste, that may vanish and pass as it is expressed again and again, in the context. And away, it is plain he so far went of good pleasure; and if plain it is, that there can be no natural right, which any he did that which he did of good pleasure, then it was becreature can claim at the hand of God. Whatsoever before his good pleasure, and always his good pleasure, and comes matter of right, from him to them, must only be eternally his good pleasure, to proceed so far with such and by grace, by promise. He cannot be a debtor to his crea- such; so as in this case there can be no pretence to say, ture, till he makes himself so: and the promises by which if he go no higher, that wrong is done to them with whom he makes himself so, they "are all yea and amen in he went no higher. It must be justly' said, "Friend, I do Christ;" (2 Cor. i. 20.) only upon his account, only for thee no wrong," even to the most careless neglecter and his sake. Whatsoever there is that comes within the com- the most contemptuous abuser of the grace of God, pass of a promise, for the encouragement of sinners to re- "Friend, I do thee no wrong." If he do proceed higher, turn and come to God, it will all be made good to a tittle and to less vincible workings with some, there is no cause upon his account that is worthy, all promises being " yea any man's eye should be evil, because his eye is good. He and amen" in him. But whatsoever is above promise, is Lord of his own grace, he may do what he will with his more than promise, is all from mere rodokia, the good plea own. What he hath to dispense and dispose of, is his, sure of his goodness. It can be resolved into nothing else, and they to whom he is to dispose so and so are his, and turn we the matter in our thoughts never so long. He there is no pretence of wrong to any, that more is not done will make good all that was promised to every one to a for them, for whom more was done than they could lay any tittle; all unpromised, peculiar favour, that is dispensed original claim to; for it was all of mercy that there was according to the good pleasure of his goodness; even as any offer or overture made at all, or that the case was so his promises themselves at first were. And, stated before, as that it might have been possible, if it had not been through their own wicked neglect, that they that perish might have advanced in the way of salvation, according to his method, still further and further, so as not to make their own final salvation a thing impossible upon any other terms, than their own wilful neglect and final refusal. But I again further add, (6.) Lastly, It is very evident, that as to communications of grace and favour, God doth dispense very differently; and therefore, must be understood to intend so to do, and to have always intended it. As in the parable of the talents, (though parabolical scriptures do not give ground of argument as to every thing in them, yet they do as to their main scope,) he gives to one ten talents, to another five, to another one, as he pleaseth; he dispenseth as 10. That such as live quite without the sound of the Gospel, and to whom every thing of supernatural revela |