Chapter IV (continued, part 2)
for kind ; for, 10, the operations and issues of it are such.
2. The very word works patience, in the Greek, signifies a thorough and
a perfect working,* and not by halves ; if you will English it, say perfecteth
patience, that is, begets such a patience as is true, perfect, genuine. This
true faith doth. Then again, 3. Let that patience have but its perfect work, as when patience is of the
right breed it will have, either in a lesser or greater degree. And then,
4. The effect of all these will be to make you (the persons in whom these
things are) perfect, that is, will bring you to that perfection of thirty, sixty, or an hundredfold, which God hath appointed to bring you to heaven withal. Here is perfect upon perfect, and perfect and perfect again ; and faith it is
that is the great-grandmother of all these, and therefore it is a perfect or sound faith only he aims to speak of, which begets in its kind still what are
perfect, even as itself is. And what doth this other, then, point us to ? and indeed withal interpret that very point of difference which he centres in
* every good and perfect gift, viz., in
ver. 17. Even as this thus begins it,
true believers, as in distinction from what are counterfeit and imperfect, as which will never make him that hath them perfect, as the law s weakness and imperfection the apostle speaks, which true faith, you see, he says, doth. And is not this the very point of difference, also, which Christ in
the parable gives between the thorny and good ground ; the one brings not
forth fruit to perfection, Luke viii. 14, but the good with patience, ver. 15 ; of which afterwards.
Thirdly. The third head or rivulet is, that in a special manner those words of this first chapter, ver. 11, For the sun is no sooner risen with a
burning heat, but it withereth the grass ; and the flower thereof falleth, and
: so also shall the rich man fade
the grace of the fashion of it perisheth
away in his ways. These words, I say, are in this coherence intended as an admonition unto a rich professor, who being unsound, would certainly wither and fall away if he repented not. And although the former general scheme might sufficiently evince James his scope to have been to set out
* Ideo per patientiam excercetur fides, ut per hanc, quam sit perfecta probetur. Beza in verba. Kartoyd^tTai, peroperatur, i. e. plene et perfecte operatur. A
Lapide in verba.
CHAP. IV.] OF ELECTION.
these two sorts of professors, yet I do further single out this verse more
largely to insist upon, because the opening of it will both give further light to
this epistle, and also because that the words, taken with the words afore in
ver. 9, 10, contain in them a foundation of difference, in this sort of pro
fessors, of the imperfect work wrought on them from that good and perfect work of regeneration, ver. 17, 18, and God s different respect had thereto, which is the main point in hand ; and so I set this ver. 11 and ver. 17, 18, in a comparative opposition one to the other.
I shall expedite the opening of this ver. 11 by three heads.
1. Why, under the instance of rich professors, he should express the state of temporary believers, rather than under that of the poor, of whom he had
spoken, ver. 10, as well as of the rich ? Or why not under the persons of both ? Why should he take the advantage to bring in this admonition con
cerning the temporaries upon the score rather of the rich ?
I shall give an answer to this, to prevent an objection that had been obvious to be made upon the sequel of my discourse.
The account I give of the reason hereof is, The case stood thus : He writes to the Jews, to the twelve tribes scat tered abroad, ver. 1 ; the Jews were then scattered over all countries, and among all the nations.
And observe, 1. That the apostles, in those few epistles which they write
to the Jews, give more frequent and sharp admonitions and characters about
temporary believers, than all else that were written to the Gentiles. There
are three epistles written to the Jews, Peter s, Paul s to the Hebrews, and James s. Peter, you see how he dealt with them in his second epistle, chap, ii., towards the latter end. Paul wrote to the Hebrews, and no
epistle speaks so much, so oft, so home, to temporary believers, and of
falling short of the grace of God ; of men s being enlightened, and tasting of the powers of the world to come, &c. ; and of being sanctified by Christ s
blood, and yet falling away, from ordinances first, and then proceeding to do
despite to the Spirit of grace, chap. x. ; and the like admonitions to take heed of such a state, chap. iii. and iv., not all the epistles so much. And
3dly, James, he in a manner chiefly pursues this argument. Whatever
might be the reason of it, I know not ; yet this argues there were amongst the professors of Christianity of the Jewish nation there, de facto, extant, more temporary believers, comparatively, than in other nations of the Gentiles.
Again, 2. That nation of the Jews were generally rich, and more given to
seek riches than any other nation, and to that end they were merchants, or
following merchandise, as they are to this day, full of griping, greedy of gain. And this James, in this very epistle, insinuates, chap. iv. 13, Go to now, you that say, we will go to this city, and continue there a year, and buy and
sell, and get gain ; epKogwgo jLeQa, that is, we will merchandise, trade, and
traffic ; insomuch that Dr Hammond thinks that this their course of mer
chandise was intended here in this llth verse, So shall the rich man fade
away in his ways, sv KOPSIUK; here may possibly be (says he) a change of the
transcriber for t/Avogsiaic, tradings, or merchandisings, as chap. iv. 13. It
is the rich man s speech, e^ogsveo^t^a, we will traffic, &c. The Vulgate hath it, in itineribus ; Piscator," in profectlonibus. They lost religion, and
withered, whilst they tumbled up and down for gain from city to city. He
here speaks their hearts and their course ; and this was their sin, and this
their sin to this very day, and they are apt to hoard up riches. There is
no people in the world, where they are not kept down, that do so strangely grow rich as they do. And they tumble up and down the world, as these
did. Now, it fell out in providence, that in these churches James writes to
294 OF ELECTION. [BOOK IV.
there were many of such rich professors that were but temporaries, that
despised the poor saints, chap. ii. 6, that were masterly men, as James
speaks of them, chap. iii. 1, who bustled in their congregations, thinking with their greatness to carry all afore them ; men of unruly tongues, that did set on fire their churches; and of which, in relation to disturbances in their churches, Grotius interprets those passages in chap. iii. 4-8. These had religion in respect of persons, chap. ii. 1, My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons, and sought themselves for all the respect in the congregation, because they were rich and great; and it was the measure they went by in giving of
* If there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment ; and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him,
respect, as ver. 2, 3,
Sit thou here in a good place ; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or
sit here under my footstool, &c. To confound them, Hearken, my beloved
brethren, let me speak a word in your ear, says James, I will give you a memento, and mind it well, ver. 5, Hath not God chosen the poor in this
world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom ? This is full James. The collection from hence is, that though, as the apostle elsewhere says, Not many rich, yet some, there are some of them that are called. Yet there were many of rich people among these temporaries, for the reason I have told you ; and the temporary believers lay most among that heap. There were fewer of the poorer sort that were temporaries. The Holy Ghost knew
this, and therefore directs the point and dint of his two-edged sword against the rich, and speaks more comfortable things of the generality of the poorer sort, as of those in which heap election lay. And therefore, above all others, do you examine the work of your calling wrought in you, and the sincerity of your profession ; do you take heed you do not err and deceive yourselves, as ver. 16 and 22. Take heed, therefore, says he, you rich men, you are in most danger, and your rank consists more of such as are unsound.
And, 3, you find in the parable of the sower in all the three evangel
ists, where these different works on professors are spoken of, you will find in all the three our Saviour Christ to indigitate that it is riches chokes the seed ; and though he mentions other things, yet all mention riches : The deceitfulness of riches choke the word, Mat. xiii. ; himself foretold hereby, that it would prove the fate of rich men in a special manner. So that truly James had reason to speak to rich professors among them as such, to warn them of this above all other sorts of men, as being those among whom the most of temporaries usually lay.
2. The second thing for the understanding of this llth verse, is the manifest allusion and exact parallel that is between Christ s words in that parable of the sower and James s here. This James, whether he were James the son of Zebedee, an apostle, or James surnamed the Just, the brother of our Lord, was one that followed Christ up and down, and heard his sermons, and so was well acquainted with Christ s parables.
(1.) Our saviour utters his parable of the difference of professors under this common style, hearers of the word, as in all the evangelists; the close of them all is,
* Take heed how ye hear, and to this day you call professors hearers. James doth the like, ver. 19, 20, he describeth professors by this
title, he is one that hears the word. Thus also in Mat. vii. 26, Every man that heareth these sayings of mine, and doth them not, &c. ; and here in James i. 22, Be not hearers only, deceiving your own souls.
(2.) James expresses falling away by withering ; so you have it in verse 11, * The sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it mlhereth the grass..
CHAP. IV.] OF ELECTION. 295
Look the parable, Mat. xiii. 6 and Mark iv. 6, Christ useth just the same
expressions.
(3.) The parable expresses their withering to be caused by the sun s rising and heat : When the sun was up, Mat. xiii. 6, they were scorched ; and because they had no root, they withered away. How doth James express
it concerning those rich temporaries ? Says he, The sun is no sooner
risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass. It is expressed the same in terms.
(4.) What doth James interpret this sun s rising but of temptation ? So
in the following, ver. 12, Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, which is his inference brought down through this llth verse. The parable in like manner thus expresses it, When tribulation or persecution ariseth
for the word, Mat. xiii. 21 ; and in Luke viii. 13 more expressly, And in time of temptation fall away. The other call it persecution and afflic
tion, but Luke plainly useth James his word, temptation.
(5.) James instanceth in the rich, so all the three evangelists instance in
that above all other : Riches choke the word, Mark iv., Luke viii. 14, Mat.
xiii. 22.
(6.) How cloth James express the opposite saving work ? 1, By a good work ; 2, by a perfect work, ver. 17. He had said, ver. 4, Let patience have her perfect work. In what language doth the parable speak ? They are the good ground, says he, that (1) having good and honest hearts,
they do (2) bring forth fruit with patience ; and (3) do bring forth fruit to
perfection. For that is one difference whereby the thorny ground is diver
sified from the good ground, They bring not fruit to perfection, Luke
viii. 14. Oppositely says James, Let patience have her perfect work, and
it will make you perfect. That which is perfect faith, and of the right kind,
will, when tried, bring forth patience ; and let patience have its perfect work,
it will make you perfect.
(7.) And lastly, whereas in the close of the parable Christ says, Take heed how you hear ; for whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that
which he seems to have ; thereby meaning those imperfect gifts and impres
sions, and profession thence arising. Now come to James, If any man
among you seem to be religious, &c. This for the second head, the parallel
of the parable.
3. You have the elegant similitudes whereby he expresseth the unchange-
ableness of God s love and dealings with and towards this work. The com
parison is made between God and this sun which you see ; he calls both the
Father of lights ; therein they agree, but with a dissimilitude ; it is a com
parison from an unlikeness, as the word without variableness, &c., shews;
as if he had said, God the Father of lights is not in these respects as this
sun ; also this comparison, with an answerable difference, may be extended
unto those grassy fruits, ver. 10, which the sun brings forth out of the earth,
as bearing in this comparison the resemblance of that work on temporary
believers, as will appear. And on the other hand, he opposeth to them, and
sets in comparison with them, those super-excelling good and perfect fruits
which God the Father of lights brings forth in the hearts of sound Christians,
which he likens not only unto the best first-fruits of the earth, but of the whole
creation.
(1.) In general, that his scope is to institute a comparison between God
and this sun ; that the phrase Father of lights manifests, which yet some*
do understand simply and singly spoken of God, without any allusion unto
the sun at all, and interpret it by the like titles given to God in other places,
* Erasmus, Vatablus, Dr Hammond.
296 OF ELECTION. [BOOK IV.
as Father of glory, Eph. i. 17, and so to be all one as to say, a Father
full of lights, Pater luminosissimus, and so to import only what elsewhere is
* who dwells in
said, God is light, and in him is no darkness at all, and
light inaccessible, &c. But that this title of Father of lights is,
[l.J Not spoken only of what he is in himself, but in respect to his eifects, that come down from him (though what he is in himself must be understood
to be the foundation of it), is plain ; for he is termed Father in respect of
his gifts, as these words shew, Every good and perfect gift cometh down from the Father of lights, James i. 17. And Father, we know, is all one as the Author or Creator ; as Father of spirits, Heb. xii. 9, and elsewhere
often ; and here in respect of begetting us, not out of his nature, but his will, ver. 18.
[2.] And, secondly, that it is spoken in allusion to the sun, appears, 1, not only by this, that this sun is known to be the principle and fountain of
light, both in the moon, and in the stars, and in the air ; and so God is of
all lights in angels, who are called angels of light, 2 Cor. xi. 14, and his
saints children of light. He is also the author of that light which is in the
universality of mankind : who enlighteneth every man that cometh into the
world, John i. 9. Now, then, the meaning is this, that God, he who is the Father of all lights, in all these owns himself to be, in a special manner, Father of such spiritual lights as are a good and perfect gift,* which regene rates and makes men children to him, as in verse 18, and enlighteneth them with the light of life, as Christ by way of distinction speaks, John viii. 12.
2. This allusion also that of first-fruits confirms ; and, 3, many of those in
terpreters that would have him styled thus, in respect of him being light in
himself, and so quasi Pater luminosissimus, as Father of glory, &c., yet are
fain to acknowledge the next words, no shadow of turning, to bear a com
parison with the sun in a way of dissimilitude. This as to the general import of the similitude ; it is a comparison with the sun, which the ensuing
particulars will more fully clear.
1. The particulars of the comparison. He expresseth the difference of the two works, perfect and imperfect, under the similitudes of the fruits which God and this sun produce. This the similitude of the first-fruits of the whole creation, ver. 18, on the one part, to which he compares regeneration and all perfect gifts accompanying, doth shew ; being set in comparison with those imperfect grass fruits spoken of in verse 11, on the other part, which he styles but grass, and the
* flower of grass, which, though they have an outward grace in the fashion of them, yet are but grass, as his words there
are ; and by such he sets out the most glorious gifts that are in temporaries. And the comparison of those two words is exceeding elegant. First. These common imperfect gifts had been most aptly compared to those grassy earthly fruits which the sun brings forth in the stony and thorny ground. For, indeed, how is it that the sun doth bring forth these, or indeed
any other ? Not immediately, but out of the principles which are in the womb of the earth, only the sun quickens and enlivens them, and draws them forth by the influence of his being, light, and heat; but creates them, not immediately, but educeth them as forms are out of the principles in the
matter, as vapours that it draws up out of the earth. And although Christ in the parable instituted his comparison only between these fruits that are but grass and those other good fruits of the earth that
are grain and corn rising up to perfection, yet James his new comparison, * Pater luminum (says Beza), qui est fons et author istius lueis sen notitise, that Light which is perfect and spiritual, which he had afore discoursed of. Piscator, Beza, Grotius.
CHAP. IV.] OF ELECTION. 297
ver. 17, riseth far higher, as in the sequel will appear, and further sets out these first fruits by their high descent (as I may term it, in allusion to James his phrase of them), as being in their original merely celestial, and in that
respect no fruits on earth to be compared with them. And this heavenly original of them the parable took no notice of, but compared them only to those precious fruits of the earth, of corn, &c. ; so as the comparison here, as James advanceth it, runs between such fruits as are but mere grass, and such as are supposed heavenly and celestial. And this their original is here emblazoned in three several phrases.
That they are from above, which is all one as to say from God ; yea, and from God wholly, as of Christ it is said, in John iii. 31, He that cometh from above is above all : he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth ; he that cometh from heaven is above all. And such, in respect of their origin, are these first fruits in comparison to those others. And to this very purpose doth James himself use the phrase in this epistle, when
speaking of the difference of true zeal and counterfeit zeal about matters of
religion, he sets that difference forth by their different original, as well as by their effects ; that true zeal is a wisdom (or grace) from above, &c. : chap.
iii. 17, The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy ; but bitter zeal, mxgbv tyXov, which we translate bitter envying, ver. 14, and strife in your hearts, though about matters of religion, this wisdom, ver. 15,
* descendeth not from above, but is
earthly, sensual, devilish. It is but the acting the corrupt principles that are in the heart already, principles of flesh, &c., which the devil also will strike in withal to make divisions ; and therefore, says he, glory not in such a zeal (as Jehu did), and
* lie not against the truth, in judging that to be true grace. No ; the like may be said of other graces, and of their coun
terfeit, for all have their counterfeit. These differ thus in their original, and therefore in their kind and in their effects.
Secondly. These perfect gifts are said to descend, xoarctffainn, as the Holy Ghost himself is said to do, John i. 33 ; that is, wholly and purely comes down from God, and nothing of it is from what is beneath.
Thirdly. These first fruits are wholly by creation, yea, and by a second
creation, being the first fruits of the whole creation, and so excelling tho
first ; and yet the first creation was totius entis, of the whole being of what was then created ; and therefore hereby these are imported to be wholly from him in the whole being or entity of them. It is the seed of God which
is let fall into the heart from above, and so wholly heaven-born for kind, though in degrees imperfect, and though accompanied, in the heart where it
is, with innumerable mixtures of self and corruptions. Now as to those other imperfect gifts, this visible sun brings forth common
herbs, as daisies, primroses, and such as grow alone in the wilderness ; and
such, and no better, are moral virtues which are produced in heathens, and without the word, and are but grass, as all will acknowledge. And the same
spirit produceth, with and by the means of the word, enlightenings, and affec
tions stirred by these enlightenings towards these objects or things held forth
in the word; yet still the work itself, if it be examined to the bottom, springs and arises but from the principles that were in the heart before, only are now
elevated, lifted up, and raised and taken up about new divine objects by a new light presented to them.
If you object, are they not said to be partakers of the heavenly gift ? Heb. vi. 4. The answer is, there is indeed a participation of a gift from heaven, but
298 OF ELECTION. [BOOK IV.
it is but in respect of an influence from heaven, without which they would never be drawn forth ; and in that there is a word that comes from heaven, which moveth and aifecteth them, by the instrumentality of which, there
being a light to direct them to new divine objects, above what nature or
reason, &c., would anyway reveal, or so far enlighten them in, these new
objects are set on with power, yet so as the principles in the heart are not
radically or intrinsecally changed.
(1.) The understanding hath not a new principle, a spiritual faculty to
capacitate it to take in those spiritual things spiritually, and as they are in their own nature. And so, though there seems to be a great change, because both a new light is let in and new objects presented that never were afore, yet as a piece of glass remaining red or green gives every beam of light let in a tincture of that colour that is in itself, so that the objects that come to the eye through it are dyed and tinted also, and so discoloured, whereas
through a pure crystal glass they appear in their own native hue and excel
lency ; thus is it here, a new crystalline is put in to take in all spiritual things in their own true native hue and glory.
(2.) Self-love, which in corrupt nature that is not truly regenerated is the
spring of motion unto all the wheels, the affections, which rise and fall no farther than as self, that possesseth, informs, and spirits all these, doth find
itself concerned ; that principle in the heart meeting with such things in the word as do so deeply and nearly concern a man s self, and such things in the word are now set upon the soul with power (which are therefore st}
rled the powers of the world to come ) ; hence the will, and all the affections that are seated and rooted in self are awakened, stirred, acted, and they receive the word with joy, and so other things in the word, with other
affections, according as the things revealed do concern self, but no farther than as that is the spring and mover.
And (3.) From these the counterfeit of all graces will soon arise and
spring up, and a zealous profession for a time.
2. And yet, secondly, all these are (as you may easily discern) in their root and principle but flesh, though produced by an assistance from above, and so are accordingly to be reckoned but amongst fruits of flesh ; and that the best, if you compare them with the fruits of the earth, as Christ doth, but as the
* flower of the grass, as both James, verse 10, terms them, and Isaiah also, chap. xl. 6, 7, and Peter likewise, 1st Epist., chap. i. 28, 24, Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever : for all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass ; the grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away. And what is there termed flesh and grass, &c., by Peter, is not meant only of worldly glory, as of riches, honours, &c. (as nor that of Isaiah), nor chiefly so, but also and more principally of all excel
lencies and gifts that are short of true regeneration, which he opposeth to them, and which is wholly a right seed, and incorruptible ; but all other are of a corruptible seed or principle, as hath been now explained, and as the apostle styles them there, in distinction from that incorruptible principle and original let down into the heart. And the knowledge of this distinction answers a great objection I shall afterward have occasion to mention. This the comparing of verse 23 shews, Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but, &c. And indeed Christ himself in the parable speaks at such a kind of rate of these bringings forth on the thorny and stony ground, of which James, verses
11 and 13, speaks, and how that indeed, and in reality, all their gifts and
graces were not fruit, they deserved not so much as the name of fruit, nor
CHAP. IV.] OF ELECTION. 299
doth he thus vouchsafe so to style them of the thorny ground (who were the
highest sort of those professors), and intended in Heb. vi., ver. 4, 5, as appears by comparing ver. 7, 8, as I have elsewhere shewn : For it is im
possible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the hea
venly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance. For the earth, which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God : but that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing ; whose end is to be burned. Of the thorny ground, I say it is expressly said in the parable not only that they bring not forth fruit to perfection, Luke viii. 14, the root and principles not being perfect, nor are the fruits such. They have neither perfect gifts, nor bring forth perfect fruits. But more expressly both in Mark and Matthew it is said that they became unfruitful ; but yet more
expressly in the wgorao /s, or fore-part of that of the thorny ground, as by Mark it is recorded : Mark iv. 7, it is said, It yielded no fruit. Now then, if all the gifts and profession in such professors be not fruits, though never so goodly, and deserve not so much as the name, what must
they be accounted then ? Why, truly, no other than grass, as those deaf
ears, as you call them, that grow upon house tops, although they have the same shape that stalks and ears of corn have, as growing out of chaff left in the straw, yet they have the name of grass
* Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom. Neither do they which go by, say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you
: Ps. cxxix. 7, 8,
: we bless you in the name of the Lord. So these here, only they are the
flower of the grass indeed ; the highest and greatest excellencies and endow ments that this earth affords, yet but grass. And the reason is, God
loved, &c., and his glory aimed at the heart, as the pith and substance of
all godliness, Take these out of all duties performed by us, or out of gifts wrought in us, and they are but flesh as well as any other excellencies of
honours, learning, wisdom, virtues, &c. For why ? If the kernel, the
grain, the corn be wanting, the stalk and the ear are no other than grass and chaff. The most goodly flowers that the earth affords, as lilies, (which indeed are our tulips, and brought from those countries), so glorious, as
Christ says, Solomon in all his glory was not clothed as one of them, Mat. vi. 29 ; yet, ver. 30, he styles them but grass, which to-day is
flourishing, but cast into the oven the next day. And thus all such pro
fession, it is but grass, and will wither here, and be burned hereafter, as John xv. 6, If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is
withered, and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are
burned. This for the first part of the comparison ; gifts in unsound pro
fessors are not fruits, but grass.
But opposite hereunto, he sets true regeneration, ver. 18, and those
graces flowing from it, specified by him, of faith, ver. 3 ; patience, ver. 4 ;
prayer, ver 5, 6 ; humiliation, and the blasting of all outward glories, a
valuation of things at their own rate, ver. 12 ; and then love, ver. 12.
These, and such like, he compares to the first-fruits of the whole creation,
by the extent of which similitude he prefers them, not only unto the best
fruits, as of grain and corn arrived unto full perfection, unto which Christ in
his parable had only compared them. And so that, look what difference of
worth or valuation corn or grain do bear amongst the sons of men, in
comparison of what is but grass, and the flower of the grass, such a differ
ence do these sustain in God s esteem. And what an high rate such fruits
800 OF ELECTION. [BOOK IV.
of the earth have, or ought to have, and would have in times of want amongst men, our James also hath prompted us to consider, honouring these with the epithet of the precious fruits of the earth, chap. v. 7 ; as the Psalmist had afore him compared the tears and prayers of the saints unto precious seed: Ps. cxxvi. 6, He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, &c. ; and compare with it the other, Ps. cxxix. 6, Let them be as the grass upon the house tops, which withereth afore it groweth up.
But observe, that here he doth not compare them simply to the best or first-fruits of the earth, as our Saviour afore him had done, which are yet more precious than gold or diamonds, which the earth also affords, for they preserve man s life, but you cannot eat gold or jewels ; but unto the firstfruits of the whole creation, which is a far wider territory than the earth, and so takes in angels and all, as Austin * hath extended the comparison ; Gratia Dei non solum omnia sidera, verum etiam omnes angelos supergreditur
. The grace of God surpasses not only all the stars, but also all the angels
: and Aquinas his reason is evictive of it, Majus opus est quod terminatur ad bonum (sternum divina participationis, that is a great work which is ordained for, and terminates in such a good eternal in the participation of the divine nature ; quam quod terminatur ad bonum natures mutabilis, than that which is terminated in the good of a changeable nature.
Now take that grace of the angels which they had by their creation, and
it was in the termination and tendency of it (take it as it was by creation
only) but a mutable and changeable good, as was sufficiently seen in those that fell ; and the same might have fallen out, and would yet fall out, in them that stood, had they not more than their creation grace.
If, therefore, these gifts be for their perfection the first fruits of the whole creation, then more excelling in their kind than the whole creation, even as when our Lord is said to be the first fruits of them that sleep, 1 Cor. xv. 20 ; and again, ver. 23, Christ the first fruits, and afterwards them that are Christ s ; as Christ is there so styled, in respect of his trans cendent excellency, in comparison of them that are his ; so, likewise, are these the first fruits, so styled for the like reason of eminency unto the rest of the whole creation. Perfect gifts, then, these are, and the most perfect God can produce, and therefore perfect, because they make us the chief and top of the creation. Deus suis donis facto illos petfectissimos* and at last they do make us most perfect.
There is this further in this similitude which James useth above that which Christ had imported, that he likens the producing of these his first fruits to a father his begetting his children : for as, ver. 17, he styles God the Father of lights, that is, of these lights of grace, so, ver. 18, he says, he begets us, that we might be the first fruits of the creation. Now mark
this._ These precious fruits of the earth, which the earth brings forth, the sun is never styled the father of them : they are but the effects of his benign heat, which accompany his light. He is termed indeed the father of all those lights that are in the heavens, as the stars, the moon, &c., but not the father of the fruits of the earth, for they no way wear his image, his beams, as we see the stars, &c., do those of the sun.* But God, the^ather of lights, begets these graces in us, as a father that conveys his image, so that look as himself is the Father of lights, so those that are born of him are light in the Lord, and children of light, as many scriptures in the New Testament speak. And their graces have the perfection and glory to be the image of that light and holiness that is in himself. So that if you * Lib. 2. ad Bonifacium, Fp. 8. f De Quiros in verba.
CHAP. IV.] OF ELECTION. 301
would fill up this new comparison of James to the full of it, you must first fancy this visible sun to bring forth not earthly fruits only, as in the earth we see it doth, but that every one of those fruits bore and had the image of the sun itself shining and sparkling with light, in their proportion, as itself doth, as if he caused new stars to rise out of the earth instead of stalks, as well as in the heavens we see stars are enlightened by him. And this is the very case here: Philip, ii. 15, That ye may be blameless, and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the minds of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.
< Let there be lights in the firmament, said God, Gen. i. 14 ; (pusrvps, says the Septuagint, the same word that is used here. Our graces are such in their original, and ought to shine as such in this world ; and it is as if Paul had said, Look what the stars and those lights are in the superior world ; that you are, and ought to be, in this lower world, and as far exceeding of them stars, as your heavenly Father, the Father of these lights, doth exceed the sun that is the father of those other. And observe, farther, in that Philip, ii., how they are termed at once both
< sons of God, and lights, even as here likewise they are said to be begotten of God as the Father of lights ; both places agreeing in this import, that such sons doth God beget, even children of light, and such products as their graces are. And thus much for the first comparison between the works of themselves, with the difference of them, as in our James it is held out in temporary professors, and those that are truly regenerate.
The second comparison holds forth the respect or regard God hath for and towards his first fruits for ever after they are brought forth by him, different from what he beareth unto the other, the work on temporaries : which different respect he elegantly sets out, and amplifies from and by what this visible sun bears, and holds towards the fruits fore-mentioned, which are but grass which it brings forth.
1. This visible sun, James tells us, ver. 11, and Christ also, no sooner
ariseth, but with a scorching heat it withers such grass, &c. But not so God s first fruits; he permitteth not temptation to seize on them unless need
be, as Peter tells us, and but so far as need is : he restrains the roughness of the east wind that would hurt them, Isa. xxvii. 8, takes care the sun shall not burn them by day, nor the moon by night, Ps. cxxi. 6. This in the eleventh verse.
2. In respect of its courses, motions, and influences towards them, in ver. 17, clearly different from what God the Father of lights holdeth towards
his, of which by and by. For, as I said, it is a comparison of God unto the sun, with difference.
And, my brethren, be aware of this once for all, and take it along with you, as the measure and true rule of interpretation to these words, that his chief end here is not to compare God to the sun, in respect of the purity and un-
changeableness of his nature or essence, as if it run thus : that though the sun should be subject to a variableness, and to a shadow, and darkness in
itself (which to our view it is not, as we daily may observe) yet that God
is not. And yet unto this do commentators* ordinarily carry the scope of James in this passage, and in the very reading you ordinarily apprehend this meaning of it. But the apostle s scope is to compare the sun in the variation of his courses and motions to and fro up and down towards the
earth, and towards the fruits it hath begotten thereon, and thereby, as by the contrary, to set out what an unchangeable posture, and carriage, and
* Solem ilium immutabilem a solo illo volubili seceinit. De Quiros on ver. 17, 100, and many others.
302 OF ELECTION. [BOOK IV.
dealings God holds towards these his first fruits, that it is without variable ness or shadow of turning, namely, of turning off from them ; no, never in
the least.
(1.) That it is not so much to set out the unchangeableness that is in
himself, as the unchangeableness of his love towards these his perfect gifts, which, having once come down from this Father of lights, he never turns
off from them, however, but carries himself without variation towards them
everlastingly.
That this is his meaning, 1, not only the very terms of the similitude here used do shew, for they signify the various courses and motions of the sun (of which by and by), of which he says God is without them, and there
fore it must be understood he intends to signify that God is without such a
variation of motion, posture, or the like towards his children, but, 2, the next words do expressly explain them of his will, and so of the motions thereof : Of his own will he begat us at the first, and accordingly, in like manner, continues the same his good will after the production. This is it
* without variableness and shadow of turning, princi
that these words,
pally point us to.
Though indeed it must be added that this unchangeableness of his will to wards them proceedeth from the unchaugeableness of his nature, according to that of the prophet, Mai. iii. 6,
* I am the Lord, I change not. This
is the foundation of all ; and therefore it is that you the sons of Jacob are not consumed. Yet still so as it is his free will that, flowing from his
nature, coineth between us and that his unchangeable nature which is the immediate cause of it ; for that is also one of the differences here made of God from this sun. That the sun begets its fruits necessitate natura,* out of a necessity of nature, but God, this Father of lights, out of his will, in whom and as he pleaseth.
Also this is to be taken in, that though it be his mere good will moves him to beget us at first, yet that, after he hath begotten it, that then ever
after his will bears a respect unto his own gift, as it is a perfect gift ; for those words,
* with whom there is no variableness, &c., are spoken as in
respect unto those perfect gifts that came down from him as Father of
lights, and so do import a respect unto the perfection of them. These
things premised,
To come to the comparison itself. The terms here used, without variable
ness and shadow of turning, are perfectly astronomical, and express the vari ous motions of this sun toward this earth, and the fruits of it. Jerome was the first that discerned this, and Erasmus after followed him, and some other late interpreters, having the scent of it, have acknowledged it, and
pursued it ; and yet, which is strange, though they agree that the various courses and motions of the sun are meant, yet they fall cross under which of these words the one or the other should be meant : that whereas to all men s knowledge and observation the sun varies in respect of two sorts of courses and motions, the first rising and setting every day, which we call
his diurnal or daily motion ; the other from the northern tropic to the southern ; the first in winter, the second in summer ; in the one descending lower to the earth, which makes winter, whereby he hath less influence of
light and heat ; the other in ascending so high again in the heavens, which makes spring and summer ; and this course of his, in the whole reciproca tion of it, is performed in a year s space, and we call it his annual or yearly motion.
* Prseterea sol ille naturae necessitate, at Pater luminum amore et benignitate ira-
pulsus. De Quiros on the ISth verse.
CHAP. IV.] OF ELECTION. 803
These are the various courses of the sun. You see accordingly here are two different words to set these out by.
1. Variableness, o-agaXXay^; 2, shadow of turning, rgorSfc aaotx/aapa ; and
yet interpreters that assent to this, that both are intended, differ about it which of the words should import the one, which the other.
I will not much trouble you about it. De Quiros he peremptorily says the first word, iragaMwyri, imports the yearly motion of the sun, that recessus hyemails, that departure of the sun that makes winter, and quotes Proclus* for the import of the Greek word ; and that other word, shadow of turning, he interprets of his setting and turning into the other part of the earth every night, by which he casts a shadow, which causeth night.
Doctor Hammond is for the clean contrary signification of the words, yet agrees that both these motions are meant : to him I refer any that will read him, for he is largest upon it. However, between both I have what I aim
at, that both these motions of the sun are intended, though I for my part incline to think with Piscatorf and others, that by shadow of turning, or the shadow caused by his turning, is meant, that his nightly turning off from
this or that part of the world, by setting into the other, and so leaving cold
night and a shadow behind him.
But the application of this gallant similitude unto the unchangeableness of God s love and motions towards us, is that I aim at, and which this hitherto hath made way for.
1. This visible sun, by reason of these its motions and turning, leaves a damp upon the fruits fore-mentioned, and indeed all other which it brings forth ; in winter these fruits die, and shrink into the root; every night casts a shadow on them, and a coldness which is prejudicial to them, the sun thus
as it were carelessly leaving them.
But, 2, not so God in his courses towards those his first fruits.
(1.) He never alters in the least degree his good will towards them (and in respect of the unchangeableness of his will it is that this comparison
is made). We ourselves may change, as poor creatures we do ; but God
changeth never towards thee ; his heart towards thee is what it was. Thou indeed mayest have clouds come between thee and sin,!, a dark and cloudy
day, as the prophet Ezek. xxxiv. 12, but it is day still ; yea, there may be
tempests and storms upon thy soul, but it is day still ; as in countries where the sun is at the highest there are, and most there of all other coun
tries ; but his love is in its zenith, stands as Joshua s sun at the top over
thee, fixed and perpetually. It alters not, removes not a degree, the fixed
ness of its station is pitched and taken up towards thee in respect of ever
lasting kindness. He may let thee feel the effects of his love less one day than another, in comforts quickenings (for he works the will and the deed
of his own good pleasure), but his love substantially and solidly is one and
the same, and varies not, whatever you may think : I know, says God,
* the thoughts I think towards you, thoughts of peace, and
Jer. xxix. 11,
not of evil, in all trials. Nor (2.) art thou to reckon of this love either by the yearly course or long
run, as if thou having been in the state of grace for so or so long a time,
yet then for the other half-year, or more perhaps, thou shouldst be out of
it again (I mention that space of half a-year because it was about that space
* Vox enim Grseca cragaXXa^, apud Proclum in sphsera soils reciprocationem
significat. De Quiros on ver. 17, num. 100
f Videtur esse metaphora ab occasu solis ; tune enim sol ad oppositum hemis-
phfErium se convertens obumbrat hemisphserium quod relinquit. L iscator in verba.
J Qu. him ? ED.
804 OF ELECTION. [BOOK IV.
some would have David to have had a total intercision of God s love, until Nathan came to him), and then the other half-year this sun should come back again unto thee in his love and good will ; but take the whole course
of God from first to last, and he is thine. Make not thy almanack by such uncertain rules ; God s calendar is otherwise. Remember that God is here
said not to be like the sun, neither in respect of its yearly motion, and the
alternation and variableness thereof, nor yet his daily ; God s almanack, calculated for eternity, varies not his love in either respects. Count up then with thyself that God loves thee not by the year only ; that is, as if thou take the whole of thy life in gross by the great. No ; but God loves thee by the
day ; he varies not in his love ; it is unchangeable in respect of any daily recess of leaving of thee, I say his love is. Jesus Christ, this Sun of righteous ness, his love never sets when once it is risen, but as, Heb. xiii. 8, Jesus
Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever. I confess that place is mainly to be taken of his being the same in his virtue and efficacy in the
yesterday of the Old Testament, and the present day of the gospel, and for the for ever in the other world ; but withal when I cast my eye upon the 5th verse, where he had newly said to every particular soul,
* I will never
leave thee, nor forsake thee (the fivefold force in that speech you have often heard of), you shall give me leave withal to take in this high consolatory, that Jesus Christ is to every particular soul, in respect of his love, in nowise nor in no degree leaving or forsaking them ; the same to-day that yesterday he was, or at any time of thy life, and will continue the same for ever. And therefore go and carry home this for thy comfort, every one of your souls that have been savingly called for your particular, first cast but your eye on the words, ver. 5, I will never, &c., and then on the 8th, Jesus the same, &c., and see if they do not directly look one upon the other.
Again, when Paul says, My inward man is renewed day by day, 2 Cor.
iv. 16, our spirits would be in a miserable plight, if in any day, even of sin
ning most, we should not be renewed, for then we should fall back instantly into unregeneracy, but in the worst day of greatest sinnings we do not ; he
upholds by renewing something of his grace, and gracious conflicts against sin in us. And though we feel not these renewings, yet I promise you, said old Mr Dod, in my hearing once, I believe I am thus renewed every day, though I discern it not. Yea, God loves thee not by the day only, but by the moment : Isa. xxvii. 2, 3,
< In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine. I the Lord do keep it ; I will water it every moment : lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. Remember but out of the text, how
that God s good will varies not as the sun doth, neither in respect of a
yearly motion, nor a daily motion off" from these ; but not so to a tem
porary work, with which he deals providentially, and as this visible sun doth towards the fruits which it brings forth. -
Use 1. Hast thou had such a work upon thee as even here out of James hath been scatteredly set out ? (1.) That of humiliation, ver. 7, 10, through which by the power of the Spirit this world hath been blasted to thee ; the
Spirit of the Lord having blown upon it for ever, that thy valuation of things hath been for ever changed, and withal thine interest changed from things of
this world, that thou makest thy height; "TX|/o&, the height, the top of thy desires, esteem, pursuance, the things of the other world, so as thou gloriest not in any excellency ; as Jer. ix. 23, 24,
* Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man
glory in his riches ; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord, &c., which words do parti
cularly speak the very sum of James his aim in these 9th and 10th verses.
CHAP. IV.J OF ELECTION. 305
(2.) And then hast thou had faith wrought in thee, laying hold on the love of God in Christ Jesus, as verse 3 ?
(8.) And that faith when tried thou hast found to work patience in thee, submission to God, quietness of heart, upon this ground, that thou waitest upon God, and leavest the issue of all unto him, as verse 4, though perhaps patience hath not yet had its full, perfect work which it shall have in thee. And (4.) in all distresses thy heart cleaves unto God, which it shews in earnest addresses unto him for grace and wisdom to carry thee through, and seekest that wisdom more than deliverance, especially when thou fearest to be called to suffer for Christ, which whensoever it falls out thou still resolvest
to cleave to him, and adhere to thy profession in all truths and duties revealed to thee, which thou shalt come to be tried in, as those which thou
* confess and not deny, as it is said of
art to hold fast in such a day ; to
* Shadrach, Meshach, and
John, and as the three children, Dan. iii. 16, 17,
Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, Nebuchadnezzar, we are not
careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve
is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us
out of thine hand, king. And so thou waverest not, hast not so much as
wavering thoughts whether to cleave to God and the times :* And though all
this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt
falsely in thy covenant. Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way ; though thou hast sore broken us in the place of
dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death. If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god ; shall not God search this out ? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart. Yea, for
thy sake we are killed all the day long ; we are counted as sheep for the
slaughter, Ps. xliv. 17-23 ; for this is that not-wavering which James
intends in those times of distress, and temptation, and not only or mainly a
doubting in respect of an assurance that God will hear my prayers in this
or that particular.
(5.) And then, lastly, hast thou love to God, which James inserts in ver.
12, When he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord
hath promised to them that love him ? Of this I spake something when I
spake to that of calling.
And is this the frame and pulse of thy heart ? Let me tell thee from
James, or God rather, these gifts a-re of the sort of perfect and good gifts
for kind as will in the end make thee perfect ; continue but in the exercise
of them, and let them but have more time and scope in thy heart, let them
have their perfect work. Yea, and they are such gifts as God out of his
eternal good will hath begotten in thee, and which in the end will rise up to
be, and cause thee to be, the first fruits and perfection of the whole creation, and for which God hath an unchangeable respect, and will follow and pro secute without variableness or shadow of turning off from thee ; and having
wrought these good gifts in thee, he hath an everlasting regard unto them, and out of his faithfulness will continue to preserve them.
For the close, and for your further consolation and confirmation, I shall
here cast in this further consolatory. You may observe in several scrip
tures, where this good and saving work of calling is spoken of, that there God s faithfulness is brought in, and laid afore you, as the pawn and gage
to perform it, that attribute of all other is staked thereat, as that by virtue of
which God hath called us, and is obliged to preserve that work of calling by a more special kind of obligation. And there must be some special thing in
* Qu. truth ? ED.
VOL. IX. U
306 OF ELECTION. [BOOK IV.
it, and reason for this their connection, but thus you do find them joined
* Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Then again, 1 Thes. v. 23, 24, And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly : and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he who hath called you, who also will do it.
: 1 Cor. i. 8, 9,
together
1. By. faithfulness in these places is understood, first, that God is constant to
* whom he predestinateth, he
himself, and to his own purposes of grace, in that
calleth ; and whom he calieth, he glorifieth. And he having in calling given a most full demonstration of the constancy of his everlasting good will towards
us, this may fully assure us of the continuance of it ; for the case stood thus, that he had close kept those purposes in his own breast from everlasting, and the persons now called could never have known of them, nor inquired after them, had he not in mere constancy to those purposes called them at
first, and thereby discovered himself in his intention to them, which there
* the foundation of the Lord is sure, &c.
fore afterwards he will bide by; for
2. Or, secondly, you may refer this faithfulness unto those promises which had gone before in the Old Testament, whereof you read, Jer. xxxi. 33, and
xxxii. 40, I will write my law in their hearts (there is calling) ; and then
follows, I will put my fear in their hearts, and they shall not depart from me. And so in respect to those promises gone out of his mouth, wherein
the promises of calling have annexed promises of preservation, in that respect also he is said to be faithful who hath called, &c.
3. But this is yet further improveable for our comfort, and stedfastness of our faith. Faithfulness, you know, is the performance of a trust committed
to one by some other that relies upon him, or the discharge of some obliga tion that ariseth thence.
Now upon calling there is a twofold trust committed unto God : one by Jesus Christ, and another by the persons themselves that are called; and so an obligation ariseth upon God thereupon.
(1.) Between God and Jesus Christ, whose interest in the promise I have
good reason to draw in ; for the text hath it, called by Jesus Christ.
Christ is our covenant between God and us, and unto whom the covenant was indeed first made, and given by God as for us, and on our behalf, and so
the performance of it by God is justly termed faithfulness on his part. God
trusted Christ to die for us, promising him that he should see his seed, the
travail of his soul, and be satisfied, Isa. liii. 10, 11, which comes to pass by God s calling them and making them his children, as the phrase is, Jer. iii. ; you have the same likewise in Isa. xlix. throughout; Christ died upon this bare promise of God s, having millions of souls that he bare in his womb upon the cross, that were yet unborn, much more that were uncalled and unsaved. Now hence therefore, whensoever God calls any of these to
himself, and begins to work savingly upon them, this being the first and fundamental performance of hjs promise to Christ, henoe therefore in a
singular respect God is said to be faithful, and shews by this his good beginning he intends as faithfully to carry and bring them throughout unto
salvation.
You may find, 1 Cor. i. 9, when this "faithfulness of God is spoken of, the
* "Who shall confirm you to the end. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. I understand part of its meaning to be this, that Jesus Christ was, by covenant made to him by his Father, to have fellows or companions,
expression runs thus,
j OF ELECTION. 307
CHAP. IV.
partakers of the same grace and glory with himself. The man God s fel low was not to be in heaven alone, John xii., but to have fellow-copartners, Ps. xlv. 14, and to mediate and procure this was the end of his dying, as in John xii. 23, 24, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glori fied. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat full into the
ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit; and unto that end it was he died. Now calliog is the first foundation act
of performance of this by God, and then first we are actually admitted into communion with Jesus, and into the right of copartnership with him of all
his privileges ; we are then drawn by the Father unto Jesus Christ ; we are then co-apprehended by Jesus Christ, Philip, iii. 12, and have all blessings in Christ estated upon us for ever, to be given forth as need is, and as the time appointed by the Father comes to give them forth unto eternity ; and
therefore God, that hath done this in faithfulness, after so long a time since
* faithful is he,
his covenant with Christ, will perform it to the end. For
&c., and Christ lives and sees to it to see this done, and calls upon him
for it.
You may find all this most lively set forth by Christ himself, in John
xvii., at a time when he was within less than a day s space to offer up him
self by dying, when it is he leaves behind him (and it is now upon record) with his Father, what he expected to be performed by him in answer unto
his end and covenant in dying. There you find Christ telling his Father,
first, that those his disciples, whom he had^from everlasting given him, had been converted and effectually called, ver. 6-8, I have manifested thy name unto the men thou gavest me out of the world : thine they were, and thou
gavest them me. Now they have known that all things, whatsoever thou
hast given me, are of thee : for I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me ; and they have received them, and have known surely that
I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou hast sent me. And
then he commits them to him at his farewell, and as his farewell, ver. 11,
I am no more in this world, but these are in the world, and now I commit them unto thee. Holy Father, keep them through thy name. Whilst I was in the world, I kept them in thy name : those whom thou gavest me I
have kept, and none is lost. And ver. 20, Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their words. This is
Christ s last prayer at his death, it was the terms upon which he offered up
himself, and it is made for all who should believe and be called, and it is,
you see, that they should be kept. He trusts his Father with them, and
those thereafter to come in, to call and preserve them, and he prayeth these things in the pre-intuition of, and as fore-seeing, their temptations
ver. 15, I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but from
the evil ; as if he had said, they are to live to serve thee yet in the
world, only preserve them from whatever evil it is their lot to conflict withal,
arid rather than they should not be kept from the evil, even take them out
of the world. These things having been thus transacted between God and
Christ, therefore God, the God of all grace, now when Christ is gone to
heaven, both did then, and will be sure to perform all this exactly, accord
ing to Christ s word and the full tenure of this his prayer ; and as he did
keep those disciples he before had called, and then commended to his Father s
care, and made holy apostles of them, whose fruit remains to this day, and
themselves are now in glory, so he hath performed the rest of Christ s words, both in effectually calling the rest of those souls Christ died for, and were
to believe, through their word, to the end of the world, whom also he keeps and preserves, as we know God did these disciples unto the end of their
808 OF ELECTION. [BOOK IV.
days ; and all this God hath, and will be sure to perform in very faithful
ness unto Jesus Christ. And this is the discharge of the first trust made
by Christ.
(2.) God is engaged in very faithfulness unto the very souls whom he
calls. For not only their conversion it is an espousal of them unto God,
* I have espoused you to one husband. And this God doth in
2 Cor. xi. 2,
very faithfulness, Hos. ii. 19, 20, I will betroth thee unto me in righteous
ness, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness, and thou shalt know the Lord.
But truly, besides that God is pleased thus to engage himself of himself,
it is further considered by God how great a trust the soul of every poor
creature, when God called it and it effectually answered to his call, did then
commit unto God. And consider well the terms of your calling (brethren), even on your part. A poor soul at its first coming to God gave up all to
him, not yet knowing whether God would save it or no, even upon bare
< It may be God may be merciful, casting itself upon him, if there
hopes
might be hope. And it did this really and in earnest : We have forsaken
< and whither shall we go ? And thereupon the world began
all, says Peter,
to hate them, because they began to profess, and it will never heartily love
them again (as it doth not, no, not an apostate, because once a professor of
Christ). Yea, they adventured upon, and did take on them this profession
of his name, seeing their own inability to think so much as one good thought,
knowing that all their sufficiency is of God, and that he it is that must
work in them to will and to do according to his good pleasure ; and they knew and considered that the world would be sure to scandal and reproach them for any evil they shall run into, and expect and exact great strictness
and exactness from them, or take advantage against them to speak all
manner of evil of them, for they did it even for what is good in them. Now if this be the case (as it is), for a soul to give itself up unto the
Lord and his ways for ever, this is the greatest, the purest, trust that you have ever heard or read of. And can you think that God will not be faith
ful ? Faithful is he that hath called you, and drawn this self-forsaking and so high an undertaking from you. Trust on your part draws out faith
fulness on his. One scripture, and no more, for this, 2 Tim. i. 12, I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep what I
have committed unto him against that day. All that could fall out between
his first believing and that day he committed to God ; because that he was
able was one ground, and that he WB.S faithful was the other. 1 know whom
I have believed, this referreth to faithfulness ; and that other, I am persuaded,