thy worke is not in vaine in the LORD, it is that which makes thee conftant, and immoveable in well-doing. And therefore the use is, to make us have Arong confolation in the Lo & D, and to doe his worke abundantly, to doe that which wee are exhorted to doe; to cleave to the LORD without fe- 1 Cor.15.58, paration. And this wee cannot doe, except wee were fure of him: Which you may attaine unto, by knowing this, that hee is an unchangeable Go D, and the gifts. of his calling are without repentance. THE THE FOVRTEENTH SERMON. EXODVS 3. 13, 14. 13. And Mofes faid unto GOD; Behold, when I come unto the Children of Ifrael, and fhall fay unto them; The GOD of your Fathers bath fent mee unto you, and they shall (ay unto me, What is bis Name? what shall I Jay unto them? 1-4 And GOD faid unto Mofes, I AM THAT I AM, UC. MONG HIN men heare,that God is thus unchangeable, that when hee hath Object. decree, this objection may bee to pray to endeavour a change of life, or to re pent? That the un of Gods De crees takes not away endeavours. Simile. pent? For if there be fuch an unrefiftable decree paft against me,what hope is there? Before I come to a particular answere to this, I will premise these two things in ge nerall. First, you know, that in other things there is an unchangeable Decree; as there is an unaltechangablenes rable Decree concerning the time of mens death,and yet no man for this doth ceafe to cate, or to take Phyficke: So there is an unchangeable Decree concerning the fucceffe of every bufineffe under the Sunne, yet wee doe not forbeare to take counsell, and to use the best meanes wee can, to bring our enterprises to paffe. In like there is an unchangeable Decree concerning the falvation of men, concerning giving grace, or denying grace to them; and you can no more take an argument from hence, to give over endeavours, than you can in the former. No man knowes this Decree. manner, 2 Though there be an unchangeable Decree past upon men, when God hath rejected them, and GoD will not alter it; yet this Decree is kept secret, and no man knowes it: therefore there is a doore of hope opened to all, to stirre them up to endeavour. Indeed, if the Decree were made knowne, and revealed to us, then it were in vaine, then there were no place for endeavours: but feeing it is not fo, therefore there is place for hope, and for endeavours, which arife from hope. These things being premifed, wee will now '." come If a man beutterly rejected, hee cannot pray. Rom. I. come to a particular answer of this objection. Firft,that if thou doeft pray,thou shalt change Anfw. GOD and his carriage toward thee, though hee be unchangeable. For if a man be rejected, as Saul was, and as the Lewes were, and as thofe in Rom. 1. who were given up to a reprobate minde; if hee be so rejected, hee is not able to pray, or repent, or to feeke to Gop, or to defire to goe about, in good earneft, any change of life: for if hee were able to doe it, hee was fure to speed. Therefore if thou doeft pray in truth, thou shalt prevaile,thou art fure to have mercy at his hand; for it is a great figne that hee hath not given thee over, that no fuch unchangeable Decree is paft against thee: therefore it is no Doctrine of difcouragement. Indeed, it is a Doctrine of great terrour to thofe,whofe hearts doe not tremble at it; that let fuch a Doctrine flide away, as water doth off a stone,and suffer it not to fink into their hearts at all: but to a man that faith, I would repent, and pray, and change the courfe of my life, if there were any hope; I can fay this to thee, that if thou doeft pray, thou shalt be accepted; for GOD hath ftiled himselfe, that he is a Gos hearing prayers; and except he were changeable, he muft needs be ready to heare thee, if thou feekeft to him: For the LORD is unchangeable in his promifes, and thou fhalt finde him unchangeable towards thee:but to a man that will not pray, that is fet upon evill, and will not bee wrought upon, to fuch a man this is a fearefull and terri ble Do&trine. Secondly, |