Fifthly, The more God doth cross hands in the matter of our Salvation, the more free is his grace, in his bestowing of it upon us: for as I showed you before, that God doth cross hands in the matter of our comforts, so I say now, that God doth cross hands in the matter of our Salvation also; For he doth often save them that are most unlikely to be saved, as Paul, and Matthew the Publican, and who more unlikely than Zacheus or the Thief on the ⟨p. 69⟩cross, or the Jailer? yet were these saved, though very unlikely to be saved. And so on the contrary, who more likely to be saved, than the young man in the Gospel, that came to Christ, yet you know he was rejected: the young man he comes unto Christ, and says, Matt. 19.16. Good Master what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life, says Christ, keep the commandments, all these things have I kept, saith he, from my youth upward; then saith Christ, Go sell all that thou hast, and then thou shall have treasures in heaven, and it is said he went away sorrowful. Mark now, was not this a forward young man, a very forward man, all these saith he have I kept from my youth upward, and Christ doth not contradict him, and yet notwithstanding, this man could not do what Christ commanded him, he could not sell all he had, it was too hard for him to learn that lesson which Christ set him, for it is said he went away sorrowful; and and therefore saith Christ, a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: And what is this but only to show, that God doth often cross hands in the matter of our Salvation, ⟨p. 70⟩to show that the first shall be last, and the last first, for God loves to cross hands in the matter of our Salvation; and therefore we find in Scripture, that there are some that come to Christ and say as the Scribe in Matt. 8.19. Master I will follow thee wheresoever thou goest, and Christ seems to put him off, and yet in the next verse almost he puts one forward, and he excuses himself, and says, suffer me to bury my Father, but Christ saith follow me &c. Thus you see what crossing of hands there is in matter of our Salvation, to show the first shall be last I say, and the last first:
Fifthly, The more God doth cross hands in the matter of our Salvation, the more free is his grace, in his bestowing of it upon us: for as I shewed you before, that God doth cross hands in the matter of our comforts, so I say now, that God doth cross hands in the matter of our Salvation also; For he doth often save them that are most unlikely to be saved, as Paul, and Matthew the Publican, and who more unlikely than Zacheus or the Thiefe on the ⟨p. 69⟩cross, or the Jaylor? yet were these saved, though very unlikely to be saved. And so on the contrary, who more likely to be saved, than the young man in the Gospel, that came to Christ, yet you know he was rejected: the young man he comes unto Christ, and says, Matt. 19.16. Good Master what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life, says Christ, keep the commandments, all these things have I kept, saith he, from my youth upward; then saith Christ, Go sell all that thou hast, and then thou shall have treasures in heaven, and it is said he went away sorrowful. Mark now, was not this a forward young man, a very forward man, all these saith he have I kept from my youth upward, and Christ doth not contradict him, and yet notwithstanding, this man could not do what Christ commanded him, he could not sell all he had, it was too hard for him to learn that lesson which Christ set him, for it is said he went away sorrowful; and and therefore saith Christ, a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: And what is this but only to shew, that God doth often cross hands in the matter of our Salvation, ⟨p. 70⟩to shew that the first shall be last, and the last first, for God loves to cross hands in the matter of our Salvation; and therefore we find in Scripture, that there are some that come to Christ and say as the Scribe in Matt. 8.19. Master I will follow thee wheresoever thou goest, and Christ seems to put him off, and yet in the next verse almost he puts one forward, and he excuses himself, and sayes, suffer me to bury my Father, but Christ saith follow me &c. Thus you see what crossing of hands there is in matter of our Salvation, to shew the first shall be last I say, and the last first:
