VI. men to love God; to praise him, to ferve him in SERM. fenfe of his goodness, in regard to his beneficence, out of gratitude toward him. If God hath been fo kindly affected toward men, and fo careful of their welfare, as for procuring and promoting their falvation to provide a Saviour for them, to defign his own beloved Son to that performance, in profecution thereof depreffing him into fo low a ftate, expofing him to fuch inconveniences and indignities, fuch croffes and afflictions, how much then are all men obliged to love him, as their gracious friend and benefactor; to praise and celebrate him for his favour and mercy, to render all bleffings and thanks unto him? This certainly is the duty of all, if the re- Apoc. v. 9. demption in God's defign reach to all; otherwife in Col. i. 12. reality it lieth on few, in practice it could scarce touch any. They cannot be obliged to thank God for their redemption, who are not obliged to him for the thing itself; they cannot heartily refent the kindnefs, who are not affured that it extends to them: and to fuch affurance (according to the doctrine of particular redemption) it is certain that very few men, especially of the beft men, can arrive; it is a queftion whether any men arrive thereto. According to the sense of all men, it is also no easy thing to know certainly, whether a man at prefent be in the ftate of grace: and he that doth not know that, cannot (except upon the fcore of general redemption) be affured that he is redeemed; therefore cannot thank God. and It hath been the common doctrine of Christendom for fifteen hundred years together, that no man (without a special revelation) can in this life be affured of his perfeverance, and confequently not of his falvation; and confequently not of his election or redemption, in cafe only they who are faved are in the defign of God redeemed: no man therefore, without that special revelation, can thank God heartily for his redemption, as being uncertain thereof, it being a secret referved in God's breast. Eph. i. 6. SERM. It is yet a farther difficulty, fuppofing a man to VI. have a good affurance of his prefent ftate, to be affured of his final perfeverance in it: which he that hath not, cannot (except upon the said score) thank God for it. The beft men especially, who, out of modesty and humility, are apt to doubt of their present state; who studying their hearts, and difcovering many imperfections in themselves; who reflecting on their lives, and obferving in them many defects, are apt to queftion whether they are qualified for God's favour, or fitted for the future account and enjoyment of heaven; who confidering the treachery of their hearts, the feebleness of their reason, that unsteadiness of their refolution, will be apt to fear they may fall away, will be rendered hence uncapable to give God thanks for their redemption: only the bold and blind bayards (who ufually out of felf-conceit are so exceedingly confident of their election and falvation) will be able to praise God for it. Hence the affurance of falvation happening to few, and of them to much fewer upon good grounds; it being neceffary to none, it being perhaps (yet far more probably, according to the general fenfe of Christendom) groundless to any; few or none are capable to render God praise and thanks for it: fo fhall he lofe in effect all thanks for the greatest benefit he did ever confer on mankind. It is therefore a dangerous opinion, which checketh their gratitude, which stoppeth their mouths from praifing God, which fo depriveth God of his due praife. It is much more fafe to praise God for the benefits we conceive we have, but have not, than to neglect to praise him for that we have. 3. This doctrine doth afford great matter of comfort: If a man reflecting on his own heart and ways (observing in them many blemishes and defects) is apt to be difcouraged, yet it will raife him to confider, that he is not thereby excluded from a poffibility of falvation, feeing he is affured of God's favour able able inclination, and who hath expreffed fo much SER M. good-will and favour toward him in his redemption; VI. feeing he is perfuaded, that he hath a Saviour fo kindly and pitifully affected toward him; who wifheth him well; who is concerned in his falvation, that he might not be croffed or defeated in his defigns, that he might not lose the effects of his endeavours, the price of his blood. But he that feeth himfelf in fo doubtful a condition, as to his own qualifications, and withal hath no affurance that God was ever graciously disposed toward him, cannot but thereby be much difcouraged. This doctrine therefore is fafe and useful; it can do no man harm; it may do him great good, by giving him hopes of being affifted and accepted of his Redeemer. But the other is dangerous, as tending to difcourage and deject men. 4. This doctrine is a great incitement to the performance of duty; both as working upon men's ingenuity, and difpofing them in gratitude to serve God, from the resentment of their obligation for so great a favour; and as affuring them of acceptance in cafe of endeavour to obey. How can he but be moved willingly to ferve God, who hath an apprehenfion of God's fuch merciful defign to fave him; of his having done fo much in order thereto? But how can he be moved to ferve God in confideration of fuch a benefit, who is ignorant of its being intended him? How can any man apply himself cheerfully to serve that mafter, whofe favourable inclination toward him, whofe readiness to accept his service, he doubteth of? The Apoftles propound it as a ground of grati-1 Cor. vi. tude, and an obligation to the performance of duty, 1Pet. i. 17. that they are redeemed by Chrift; which fuppofeth they do all know and believe it. Suppofing Chrift is not the Redeemer of all, but of thofe only who shall be finally faved, these grounds of thankfulness and enforcements of duty cannot properly VOL. I. I SER M. properly or pertinently respect all Chriftians, and indeed only those who are fure of their falvation. VI. Luke vii.* 30. Heb. ii. 3. Afts xii. 26, 45. 2 Pet. iii. 9. My thanking Chrift for his redeeming me, my diligently ferving him as my Redeemer, fuppofeth my opinion, and is grounded upon the truth of his being really fo-I cannot heartily, confidently, or comfortably do it, except I know it, and am affured thereof; which I cannot do, except Chrift died for all men, or that I am affured of my particular election. So that either Chrift is an univerfal Saviour, or the greatest part of Chriftians are difobliged and incapacitated reasonably to thank him, to praise him, to serve him, as they are enjoined to do. 5. It is a great aggravation of infidelity, of apoftafy, of all difobedience, that they who are guilty of them, do fruftrate the defigns and undertakings of Chrift, do reject the overtures of his grace, do abuse the goodness and mercy of their Redeemer; it confequently deterreth from those things. The Pharifees and Lawyers rejected the counfel of God toward them; (God therefore defigned their good.) How shall we escape that neglect fo great falvation? A falvation which they were capable of, which was defigned for them, which was offered to them; otherwife there would have been no danger in neglecting it, no fault in doing it. It is faid of the Jews at Antioch in Pifidia, that they did anobas, thrust away the Gospel, (the word of falvation, that was fent them,) judging themselves unworthy of eternal life: God did think fit out of goodnefs feriously to offer it to them, but they did not think fit to embrace it. Defpifeft thou the riches of God's goodness? How Rom. ii. 4 can any man despise that which doth not concern him, which never was offered him, which at least he hath no ground of confidence, that it extendeth to him? John v. 34, 38. Thefe things I fpeak that ye may be faved: fo our Lord faith to those -who did not believe in him. How How often have I willed, &c. Denying the Lord that bought them. SERM. VI. 6. It is a great encouragement and excitement to Matt. xxiii. devotion. Who can be backward of having recourse 37. to his Redeemer; or of ufing his mediation? Whom 2 Pet. ii. 1. will not fuch an experiment of goodness invite and encourage? But the contrary apprehenfion must needs damp devotion, and difcourage from it. He can apply himself to God but faintly, and diftruftfully, who distrusteth whether he hath any Redeemer or Mediator or no; who muft thus conceive and fay to himfelf: Perhaps God hath loved me, and perhaps he never had nor will have any regard to my welfare. Perhaps Chrift died with intention to do me good; perhaps he never did mean any fuch thing: perhaps thofe expreffions of kindness founding fo generally do not include me; perhaps I am excluded, and only deluded by them. When a man cannot fay to Chrift, O my Saviour!-O my Mediator! &c. nor ufe his interceffion with God for the procurement of faith, of grace, of any good thing. 7. It is a ground and motive of charity; there arifing thence a more confiderable relation between all men; being all the objects of Chrift's love and mercy fhould endear men to one another; it rendereth every man valuable in our eyes, as dear and precious in God's fight. It should make his falvation defirable to us. Pray for all men, faith St. Paul. The contrary opinion removeth this ground of charity; and fo cooleth it. 8. It fhould confequently render us careful to promote the falvation of others, and fearful to hinder it by ill example, by ill doctrine, by any misbehaviour. So doth St. Paul argue, when he faith, Destroyeft thou him for whom Chrift died? 9. It is a piece of justice to acknowledge the right and intereft of every man in his Saviour. I 2 A wrong |