moued the righteous Iudge to pittie vs and so the Psalmist saith recordatus God pittieth our infirmities est quia caro he remembreth that we are but dust and therefore pittieth vs and sendeth his grace into our hearts that so by the assistance of that grace we may doe all things as the Apostle speaketh we may rise from sinne we may doe good and perseuere in good vnto our end By this therefore we may perceiue from whence all things doe proceede 1. All good from grace 2. All euill for want of grace And therefore if there be any goodnesse All good proceeds froÌ„ grace any vertue in any of vs hoc totum gratiae semper reputa we must ascribe all to grace and say with the Apostle by the grace of God I am that I am for without his grace I was a persecuter and that I now preach and labour more abundantly then the rest it is not I that doe it i. of my selfe alone that doe it but the grace of God that is in me So should euery one of vs confesse the like that euery one which reioiceth may reioice in the Lord for whatsoeuer good is in vs the same is only from God and the grace of God a good thought is gratia infusa a good word is gratia effusa and a good act is gratia diffusa On the other side if any man committeth The want of grace is the cause of all euill sinne if he comes to an vnhappy end it is because he wanted grace and therefore beloued brethren as the Apostle in the beginning of euery Epistle wisheth grace vnto the parties to whom he writeth and concludeth euery Epistle with the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all and so make grace the α and the ο the first thing the last thing and the chiefest thing he desireth so should we before all things and aboue all things desire grace vnto our selues and to our children for quando ignorabam gratia me instruxit Bernard quando steti me tenuit quando cecidi me erexit quando veni me suscepit If we be ignorant grace will instruct vs if we stand grace will hold vs if we fall grace will raise vs if we come vnto God grace will receiue vs and if we want any thing grace will supply it O therefore sweet Iesu grant vs all thy grace De 4. Touching the certaintie or assurance of grace we must consider these two points 1. Of the being or hauing of it 2. Of the continuing or not leesing of it De 1. If want of grace be so lamentable Many thinke theÌ„selues too sure of grace wheÌ„ as indeed they haue no grace as I shewed you before it is a point most requisite to examine whether we haue sauing grace or not Many indeed are so sure of grace that they grow carelesse to seeke for grace for as multi ad veritatis cognitionem peruenissent nisi se iamdudum peruenisse putassent many might haue attained to learning but that they thought themselues learned enough so it may be these men would seeke for grace but that they thinke they haue grace enough but I feare me many of these will proue themselues like those that dreame they are at a pleasant banquet and when they awake their soules are fainting for hauing slept their sleepe they finde nothing in their hands And therefore they should take heed vnto themselues lest they deceiue themselues sub specie recti fallit enim vitium specie virtutis vmbra for nature many times will counterfet grace as the Magitians of Egypt counterfeited Moses and it is the policie of Satan to make nature play the part of an Ape to imitate grace in good things as Pharaoh Saul Ahab and such like to faine repentance when as they were hypocrites to make them carelesse in seeking for grace by perswading them through these fained shewes that they are sure enough of grace It is a strange thing to consider the Lucan l. 1. deceitfulnesse of mans heart nondum tibi defuit hostis man neuer wanted enemies yet none greater enemie to man In some things man is the greatest enemy to himselfe then himselfe in te verte manus he deceiues his owne selfe yea many times in matters of greatest waight in the chiefest points of his owne saluation And therefore that wee may not wholly deceiue our selues herein but somewhat vnderstand our owne estate we must consider that a thing is known three waies 1. Certainly 2. Reuealedly 3. Experimentally De 1. To know a thing infallibly is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to know the first Arles 1. Mâ—â—aph cause but the first cause of grace is God himselfe and his only will is the cause why he giueth it to one and denieth it to another and therefore because God is great exceeding our capacities and Iob 36. his councels are vnsearchable for who hath knowne the minde of the Lord the Schoolemen doe most constantly auerre that à priori from the first cause we cannot possibly know the certaintie of the presence or of the absence of Gods Thom. 1. 2 ae q. 112. ar 5. Iob 9. grace in vs according to that of Iob Si venerit ad me non videbo eum si abierit non intelligam and they render three reasons to proue it expedient that we should not know it 1. That the feare of Gods iudgements might humble vs. 2. That presumptuous securitie should not ouerthrow vs. 3. That we should watchfully and earnestly desire and expect grace and seeke for the same as for siluer De 2. A man may know his estate the certainty of hauing grace by reuelation as S. Paul did when the Lord told him sufficit tibi gratia mea my grace shail be sufficient for thee De 3. A man may know the certaintie of hauing grace by experience i. by the effects and fruits of grace that he perceiueth in himselfe and this is the only way that we doe or may know that we haue any grace Now the fruits of grace are many S. Bernard reckoneth three 1. The hatred of sinnes past Bern. in l. de lib. arbit 2. The contempt of present vanities 3. The desire of future felicitie Whosoeuer findeth these things in How we may know whether we haue grace or not himselfe may assure himselfe they proceed from grace And Aquinas saith that whosoeuer doth beleeue in God delight in Christ despise the world and hate his sinnes he may assure himselfe he hath the grace of God and what can we say more then this or what can any man say lesse then this for the tree must be knowne by the fruit saith our Sauiour and therefore the knowledge of hauing grace is not by any presumptuous supposition but by a diligent examination of hauing the same by the fruits of the same and thus we say that a man may know the certaintie of his estate by the fruits of grace 1. By the
our hearts condemne vs not of sinne as the Apostle sheweth 1 Iohn 2. A good name and report ariseth hence when we giue none occasion vnto men to suspect ill of vs. And therefore as he that committeth sinne and therefore can haue no good conscience towards God may notwithstanding through the concealing and close cariage of the same retaine a good report with men and continue in the good opinion of the world so he that committeth not sinne and therefore hath a good conscience towards God may notwithstanding by his indiscretion and want of circumspection giue many causes of iust suspitions of guiltinesse and so lose his reputation and good esteeme in the world And therefore that we may haue a good conscience towards God we must abstaine from all euill and that wee may Hee that would haue a good name must auoid all appearaÌ„ce of euill 1 Thes 5. 22. haue a good report in the world wee must abstaine from all appearance of euill and giue no cause to any man to suspect ill of vs for as the prouerbe is He that will auoid an ill name Must auoid all that cause the same And He that will no euill doe Pro. 15. 15. Must doe nothing that belongs thereto And so when our hearts and consciences tell vs that wee neither did the euill nor gaue any cause in the world for any man to suspect vs of euill then shall we be happie indeed our hearts will be at peace and our consciences better then a continuall feast And thus you see the kindes of peace and you see the goodnesse of each kinde of peace that nothing can be more excellent then this blessed peace nor any thing in the world more miserable then to want the same And therefore nec vidisse satis est iuuat vsque morari I am loth to part yet from this point of The meanes to procure each kinde of peace peace and I hope we shall not lose our labour if we stay a little longer to consider how we may obtaine each kinde of peace that makes the obtainer happie and therefore I say 1. That we may finde peace with God 1. How to finde peace with God we must doe three especiall things 1. To beleeue in Christ 2. To auoid sinne 3. To doe good 1. We must beleeue in Christ for he is the Prince of peace and the only Esay 9. 6. Peace-maker betweene the mortall sinner and the immortall God but Christ dwelleth Eph. 3. 17. Aug. de Agon Christ ca. 12. in our hearts by faith saith the Apostle Et fides est prima quae subiugat animam Deo And our faith in Christ is the first thing that subiecteth our soule to God saith S. Augustine and so by faith in Christ we liue by faith in him Rom. 1. 17. we are reconciled to God we are iustified Rom. 3. 25. 28. sanctified saued And therefore without faith it is vnpossible to please God it is vnpossible to Act 15. 9. be at peace with God for as he that beleeueth Ephes 2. 8. on him is not condemned so he that beleeueth not on him is condemned already because hee hath not beleeued in the Iohn 3. 18. name of the only begotten Sonne of God and because in not beleeuing on him he maketh God alier and beleeueth not the record that God gaue of his Sonne 1 Ioh. 5. 10. 11. 12. which is that God hath giuen vs eternall life and that this life is in his Sonne and that whosoeuer hath the Sonne hath life and whosoeuer hath not the Sonne hath not life And therefore this should teach vs Faith is obtained increased by 3. especiall meanes all carefull diligence to get to preserue and to increase this precious gift of faith and that by three speciall means 1. By the hearing of the word 2. By the recouring of the Sacraments 3. By the feruencie of our prayers For 1. Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10. 17. and hearing by the word of God saith the Apostle Et accenditur fidei lampaâ—igne diuini verbi And the lampe of faith is kindled by the fire of the heauenly word saith S. Chrysostome And so the Chrys in Matth. 25. Eph. 1. 13. Ephesians are said to haue beleeued in Christ after they had heard the word of Christ And therefore wee should bee euer willing and alwayes readie to heare the preaching of the word of God for the more we heare the more we shall increase our faith and the lesse we heare the lesse faith we shall be sure to haue 2. The Sacraments are Sigilla Dei the great seales of God that ratifie vnto vs the word of God that by two immutable Heb. 6. 18. things viz. Gods writing and Gods seale we might haue a strong consolation And they bee verba visibilia Euangelij the visible words of the Gospell that doe set before our eyes the sacrifice of Christ and shew in a visible manner how Christ was crucified for vs and shed his bloud for the remission of our sinnes And therefore wee should not neglect the frequent vse of these blessed meanes that God hath giuen vs to increase our faith 3. The prayer of a faithfull man auaileth James 5. 16. much to procure any thing at the hands of God if it be feruent saith the Apostle And therefore as Christ prayed Luke 22. 32. for S. Peter that his faith should not faile so should wee pray to God that hee would preserue and increase our faith and because the preaching of the word is but the demonstration of the Spirit and 1 Cor. 2. 4 5. faith is in the power of God therefore we should the rather pray that when Act. 16. 14. Christ is preached the Lord would sanctifie our hearts and open them as he did the heart of Lidia that we might beleeue in Christ 2. We must auoid sinne for sinne is the continuall make-bate betweene the righteous God and the vnrighteous man sinne writeth bitter things against Iob 13. 26. vs sinne layeth vs open before the face of God and sinne moueth his iealousie to burne like fire against vs for Psal 4. hee hateth all those that worke wickednesse And therefore if we would be at peace with God wee must be at warre with sinne as I said before and we must not only repent vs of the old sinnes that we haue committed but we must also resist all those new sinnes whereunto we shall be enticed for sinne is like Antaeus the gyant as oft as it is throwne downe viresque animumque resumit It will presently set a fresh vpon vs and the more eagerly seeke our ouerthrow and therefore we must manfully resist all the inticements of sinne or else our sinnes like those wilde horses Qui circum illiacos raptarunt hectora Virgilius muros will teare vs in peeces while there is none to helpe vs. 3. We must doe good for righteousnesse and peace haue kissed
motion and euery action is from God and therefore euery sinne To this it is briefly answered that in euery sinne there are three things to be considered 1. The act 2. The obliquity 3. Obligation to punishment 1. For the act we say it is from God Rom. 11. 36. for of him and in him and for him are all things i. aswell actions as substances as Augustine saith 2. The obliquitie or corruption of Aug. to 7. de grat lib. arb c. 20. the action is only from man and no waies from God as from an efficient cause thereof Neither should this seeme strange to any man that in the selfe same sinnefull The action and the obliquitie of the act two different things act we consider the act and the obliquitie of the act and doe affirme the one to be from God and therefore good and the other from our selues and therefore euill for howsoeuer the obliquitie doth alwaies reside in the act as priuation in a subiect yet they be two distinct things and may in our vnderstandings admit a seperation of the one from the other And the action must needs be good or else the obliquity could not subsist for sinne hath not any being in rerum natura if we consider it simply in it selfe but as it is subsistent in some subiect that is good as the Philosophers doe most truly affirme And therefore we say that there is no being nothing that doth subsist in rerum natura whether it be a substance or an action that can be so euill but it is also good but in diuers respects as euill in regard of the priuation of good and good in regard of the subiect wherein this priuation of good doth inhere And so you see that although euerie action is from God yet the sinne and the obliquitie of the action is from man But then againe it is obiected that God knoweth we will commit the sinne when we doe commit the act and he knew Adam would sinne when he created Adam and therefore he should either hinder vs to sinne or not complaine that we doe sinne I answer that knowledge being a The knowledge of God that man will sinne is not the cause that he doth sinne meere conceining of a thing which is a thing proper to the vnderstanding and not to the will cannot worke any thing outwardly and therefore cannot be the cause of any thing for I know that an old man must needs die and that a rotten house will soone fall if it be not re-edified and yet I am the cause of neither euen so Deus nos peccatores noscit sed non facit God knoweth that we will sinne but he doth not cause vs to sinne saith Saint Augustine Aug. l. 7. d◠anima And I confesse that God can as easily hinder sinne as to suffer sinne to be committed and could as easily haue hindered Adam to haue sinned as to forgiue him when he had sinned for we must not thinke that God suffereth sinne against his will because he cannot hinder it for that doth derogate from the power of God but vpon iust reasons and for many excellent causes he made man so that he might either stand or fall 1. To shew a difference betwixt the Why God made man mutable Creator and the creature for immutability is proper only vnto God and therefore he made all intelligible creatures both men and Angels so that they might either stand or fall 2. That they might be the more praise-worthy if they did stand or most iustly condēned if they did fall Nam si diabolus seductionis potestatem Chrys oper imperfect ho. 55. non accepisset homo probationis mercedem non recipisset for if the deuill had not receiued power to tempt vs and man that libertie of will either to haue yeelded or resisted then man could not haue had the reward of his resistance or the reproofe of his deficiencie saith Saint Chrysostome And so you see the reasons why God made man so that hee might stand or fall And there bee many reasons why hee suffered him and doth suffer all others to fall into sins Among which I finde these three reasons chiefly alledged 1. For the declaration of his iustice Why God suffered Adam and all the sonnes of Adam to fall in the punishing of all sinnes 2. For the manifestation of his mercies in the pardoning of many sinnes 3. For the suppression of our pride and the declaration of our weake and miserable estate that without his especiall grace wee cannot keepe and preserue our selues from any sinne But yet further it will bee obiected Ob. that the Scripture seemes plainely to attribute the verie sinne vnto God as the Lord turned the hearts of the Aegyptians Psal 105. that they should hate his people and deale vntruly with his seruants that hee hardned the heart of Pharaoh and the heart of Eglon and such like Iudg. 3. I answer that in euerie sinne there are three concurring agents to be considered And the sinne is ascribed sometimes to the one and sometimes to the other but euer in a different respect As 1. It is ascribed to God as the author How sinne is ascribed to God to the deuill to man by whom we receiue power to doe euerie action and motion And as the voluntarie sufferer of the obliquitie or prauitie of the action for the reasons aboue shewed and thus God is said to harden the hearts of the wicked or to deliuer Psal 81. 13. Rom. 1. Aug. tom 7. de gratia lib. arbit cap. 20. them to vile affections Non malum efficiendo sed gratiam denegando Not by effecting the euill but by suffering man to haue that power to doe the euill and by denying his grace to hinder and preuent that euill 2. It is ascribed to Satan as the inticer and suggester of man to the prauitie of each action motion and so Satan is said to haue moued Dauid to number 1 Chron. 21. 1. 2 Cor. 4. Israel to haue filled the heart of Ananias and to haue blinded the eyes of the wicked not by giuing any power to doe any action or motion for that is only from God but by enticing man à directo Tullius in parad scopo aberrare to passe the prescribed bounds and so to peruert to corrupt euerie action 3. It is ascribed to man as the next author of the action and the sole doer of the sinne by auerting from the right scope and yeelding to the enticement of Satan to depraue and corrupt the action And so Pharaoh is said to haue Exod. 7. 22. c. 8. 16. hardened his owne heart and all the wicked are said to walke in their owne Gen. 6. 5. wayes and according to the lusts of their owne hearts And therefore all sinnes Psal 8 1. are properly the works of men because they are the next and immediate authors of the same Lastly it is obiected
of his loue to vs. And therefore the Apostle heere maketh the loue of God to be the maine ground and cause of our vocation and sanctification and S. Iohn putteth it as the only cause of our redemption saying Christ hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes 2. Here is sufficient consolation that God loueth vs and therefore if any man would reioice let him reioice in this that he is beloued of God for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer Iliad 9. 2. That God loueth vs is the greatest comfort we can imagine Ambros li. 1. c. 6. de vita beata 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that man is in stead of many people whom God shall loue I care not then for the loue of the world so I may haue the loue of God I feare not my sinnes so I may haue the loue of my Sauiour for I doe not reioice quia iustus sum sed quia redemptus sum non quia vacuus sum peccato sed quia remissa sunt peccata that I am iust but that I am iustified not that I haue no sinnes but because my sinnes are forgiuen not because I am beloued of the world but because I hope I am beloued of God 3. From this doctrine of the loue of God we may learne many lessons of instructions 1. Seeing God loueth all his creatures we should neither wastfully abuse them with that prophane glutton but gather vp the very crummes that nothing be lost lest God should call vs to an account for wasting his goods nor yet shew our selues cruell towards the basest creatures for the Lord loueth them and therefore commandeth that they should take their rest vpon the Sabboth that we should not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne that we should not take the damme that sitteth and cherisheth her young brood c. to teach vs that we should not vse any crueltie or vnmercifulnesse towards these filly creatures for a mercifull and a tender hearted man will be pittifull vnto his beasts as knowing these creatures were made for the vse of man and not that any man should abuse these creatures 2. Seeing the Lord loueth the reasonable creatures better then the bruit beasts it teacheth vs to loue men better then our dogges and Christians better then worldly trash 3. Seeing of all men God loueth the Saints best it teacheth vs to follow the counsell of S. Paul To doe good vnto all men but especially to those that are of the houshold of faith 4. Seeing we our selues as we hope are beloued of God it teacheth vs two especiall things 1. To studie how to retaine and to increase Gods loue 2. To learne what we shall render vnto God for his loue De 1. I confesse that at the beginning there is nothing in vs or that can be done by vs which can moue God to loue vs yet I say that after God hath giuen vs his Spirit bettered vs by his grace then may we doe those things that Anton. p. 4. t. 6. §. 10. may retaine and increase his loue towards vs for quamuis Deus prior dilexit nos tamen exercendo nos in actu dilectionis augetur dilectio eius though God loueth vs first yet by exercising ourselues in louing God we shall increase his loue towards vs saith Antoninus To the end therefore that we may How we may retaine and increase Gods loue towards vs. retaine and increase Gods loue vnto vs there are many things to be done whereof I will only name these three 1. Contempt of vanitie 2. True humilitie 3. Perfect obedience 1. Seneca saith that nemo dignus est Deo nisi qui opes contempserit no man is worthy of Gods loue but he that hath cast away the loue of worldly wealth and S. Gregory saith that tanto à diuino Greg. distinct 47. bonorum amore disiungimur quanto infernis delectamur so much the further we are from Gods loue by how much the neerer we are to the worlds loue And S. Iohn saith that the loue of the world is enmitie with God and therefore whosoeuer would retaine the loue of God must abstaine from the loue of the world 2. Humilitie is the only vertue that God loueth melius est vitium cum humilitate quà m virtus cum superbia God loueth an humble Publican better then a proud Pharisie superbos sequitur vltor à tergo Deus for He beholdeth the proud afarre off but he giueth grace vnto the lowly 3. Whosoeuer will keepe my Commandements Ioh◠14. 21. my Father will loue him and we will come vnto him and make our abode with him saith Christ himselfe and so you see things that both retaine and increase the loue of God towards vs. De 2. What shall we render vnto God for this his great loue vnto vs I answer that dilectionis nulla maior Leo ser 7. deiciunio expetenda est remuneratio quam ipsa dilectio nothing is so acceptable in the The loue of God is to be requited only with loue actions of loue as loue againe and that loue is deemed to be lost which is not requited with loue And therefore as the Magi when they came to Christ opened their treasures and offered their gifts vnto him gold frankincense and mirrhe whereof Matth. 3. the first is said to be the gold whereby loue is signified for as gold is better then all other mettals so loue is the chiefe of all vertues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 13. Faith Hope and Charitie yet the greatest of these is Charitie and as gold maketh the owner rich so is he truly rich which is in loue with God and as the gold is made purer in the fire so is our loue made brighter in the fire of temptations And therefore Victorinus vpon the words of the Apoc. I counsell thee to buy of me gold doth expound the same to signifie loue and charitie lucem intimi Richard Victor in Apoc. splendoris fulgidam feruore dilectionis ignitam per fornacem tribulationis probatam shining through the light of its inward brightnesse fierie through the feruencie of affection and tried in the furnace of tribulation and therefore Thomas saith that the first gift of the Thomas 1. p. q. 38. ar 2. Holy Ghost which we receiue from God is loue and therefore seeing this is the first gift of God to vs whereby he is moued to doe all other good things for vs let vs with the Wise men offer our loue in the first place to God againe for this is the first and great Commandement to loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart this is the first and chiefest oblation and this is that which God chiefly accepteth Now touching the louing of God Thom. in l. de perfect spirit vitae ca. 3. the Schole-men doe assigne 3. degrees 1. Quantum diligibilis est as much as he is worthy of loue and so he is only
no better meanes then 1. To expect them before they come that we may be prepared for their comming For tela praeuisa minus nocent they will die with the Cocatrice if we see them first but if they come like a shower vnexpected they will proue the more violent and be like an armed man against whom their is no resistance And therefore we should euer remember that 1. As men we are to looke for our We are to looke for afflictions as men part of afflictions for what is the life of man but interminabilis labor like the continuall tumbling of Sisiphus stone or like king Danaus daughters that were enioyned to fill the fatall tunne whereout the waters still did run and therfore Iob indefinitly saith man that is borne of a woman hath but a short time to liue and is full of miseries 2. As Christian men we are to expect more then any other for so our Sauiour told vs that we should be sent as sheepe into the midst of wolues and should be hated of all men for his names sake and Saint Paul tels vs that we must through many tribulations Christians more subiect to affliction then any other men and afflictions enter into the kingdome of heauen And Saint Augustine saith cum caeperis in Christo pie viuere ingressis torcular praeparato ad pressuram when thou beginnest to liue godly in Christ Iesus thou entrest into a wine-presse prepare thy selfe to be pressed yea and to be oppressed too by this wicked world all this is told vs that we should not thinke it strange when afflictions come vpon vs but should rather with Saint Paul expect them to waite for vs in euery place 2. When they come to consider from whence they come euen from the hand of God as Iob sheweth for when he had lost all that he had he said the Lord hath giuen it and the Lord Iob 1. hath taken it blessed be the name of the Lord. 3. To vnderstand to what end they are sent namely to make vs hate our sinnes which are the cause hereof as the Prophet sheweth surely man suffereth for his sinne to weane vs from the world and to make vs long for heauen and to know that nullus alius noster est finis nisi peruenire ad regnum cuius nullus est finis this is our only end to attaine vnto that kingdome which is without end These considerations and the like will certainly make vs to beare all our crosses patiently and in all afflictions to rest our selues most contentedly yea and to count it all ioy when we fall into diuers temptations i. probationis non seductionis into those temptations that are from God for our triall as was that of Abraham but not into those that are from Satan for our destruction as are all wicked suggestions 3. The vanities of this world doe That we should not too egerly hunt after worldly vanities so bewitch the minds of many men that they can haue no peace nor quietnesse in the world but doe rise vp early and goe late to bed and eat the bread of carefulnesse and all to hunt after the wealth the dignities and the vanities of this world And so man disquieteth himselfe in vaine heaping vp riches and cannot tell who shall gather them for these two i. vanities and vexations must needs goe together as Salomon by his owne experience hath obserued And therefore if wee would auoid vexations and enioy peace of minde we must not hunt too greedily after the wealth and vanities of this world but we must rather rest our selues contented with that little portion that God hath giuen vs. And wee know that a verie little will serue our turne food and rayment What a little thing will content nature saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to thrist not to starue saith Gregory Nazianzene Nam cibus potus sunt diuitiae Christianorum For meat and drinke should bee all the riches that Christians should care for saith S. Ierome Ieron in Epist and hauing this we should be contented saith the Apostle And indeed wee finde that many of the very Heathens thought that enough and sought no more For contentus honesto Claud. lib. 1. in Russin Fabritius paruo spernebat munera regum Sudabatque graui Consul Serranus aratro Et casa pugnaces curios angusta tenebat Fabritius Serranus and the most valiant Curio's despised all the wealth and riches of this world and were very well contented with that little meanes which they had honestly gotten and the Poet saith of this contemning of vanities and satisfying our selues with a little ô muner a nondum Idem Claud. Intellecta Deum They are such gifts of the Gods as that no man could yet well vnderstand the sweetnesse and the excellencies thereof And therefore wee should despise these worldly vanities and neuer place our felicities therein and to the end we may be weaned from them wee should delight our selues in the Lord and taste and see how sweet he is as the Prophet Dauid speaketh and then no doubt but the soule would bee so delighted with that vnspeakable sweetnesse Vt Aug. in Soliloq supra se elata ad seipsam relabi de dignatur that it neuer more delight it selfe in any thing no nor in it selfe but only in God himselfe where it should haue the fulnesse of all peace and happinesse And so you see the meanes to attaine vnto perfect peace And thus I haue shewed thee ô man quid sit bonum the goodnesse both of grace and peace the two chiefest things that can bee named It resteth that I should speake of that which is maius magis bonum farre more excellently good euerie way i. of the author and giuer both of grace and peace For Quic quid efficit tale illud ipsum est magis tale if grace and peace be so good ô then how good and how vnspeakably excellent is that tree from whence these fruits doe grow and that fountaine of liuing waters from whence those blessings doe flow i. God our Father and our Lord Iesus Christ grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ In these words the blessed Apostle setteth downe two especiall things to be obserued 1. The author of these bessings is expressed 2. The same author is more fully described De 1. The ancient learned Heathens did so much vrge that elegant apothegme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Know thy selfe Grynaeus in praefatione in Irenaeum All wisdome consisteth in the knowledte of God and of our selues and receiued the same with so great applause and consent that Amphictiones caused the same to be ingrauen vpon the doore-posts of the Temple of Delphos because it seemed to warne euery mortall man both of his good and euill But nature is so farre vnable to teach vs to know our selues that indeed it teacheth vs altogether to forget our selues For the
suae and to be alwaies contemplating of her chiefest blisse and to enioy the fruition of the chiefest good This verie point if there were no more should moue all men to be How negligent we are for our soules more carefull of this heauenly soule then of our earthly bodies And yet we see all our care is to pamper the body and come what will of the soule And therefore a merrie fellow meeting with a friend that protested he loued him as deerely as his owne soule answered I would thou louest me as well as thou louest thy body For I see thou art fat and well liking thou feedest thy body daintily and clothest it gorgeously but how thou louest thy soule I know not And so we doe all we care not what expence we bestow vpon our rotten bodies but we thinke all to much that we doe to adorne and beautifie this diuine soule We are like that fellow that was wonderfull fat himselfe and rode vpon a leane horse and being demanded why himselfe was so fat and his horse so leane he answered he fed himselfe with his owne hands but he committed the care of his horse to his man Dicke So doe we feed our bodies our selues but we commit the care of our soules to others let them looke to our soules or let them perish But indeed the excellencie of the soule should make vs all more diligent for the soule for this is it that maketh man more excellent then all other creatures And more properly the sonne of God then all other sonnes of God And therefore the Heathen man could say Qui animum curat seipsum curat qui corpus non se sed sua curat Demosten apud Volat. qui pecuniam non se nec sua sed valde aliena curat 2. God is said to be the Father of man not only in regard of generation because he thus created him in his owne similitude and likenesse but also in respect of regeneration because he redeemed and deliuered vs from our father the deuill and restored vs againe to the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God For when man had sinned and so from the sonne of God had made himselfe the sonne of satan there were foure things saith venerable Bede imposed vpon man for his transgression 1. Ignorance Venerab Beda 2. Impotence 3. Concupiscence 4. Malice For 1. Sinne hath so filled vs with blindnesse as the Apostle sheweth Ephes 4. 18. that it is naturall for euerie man to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so darkned in the ir vnderstandings Tit. 3. 3. that we neither know God nor yet our selues 2. Sinne hath made vs so fraile Foure things inflicted on man for sinne and so miserable as that we haue no ability in the world either to doe or say or wish or thinke any thing that is good as I haue sufficiently shewed already 3. Sinne maketh vs to long and lust with all greedinesse for that which is euill Nitimur inuetitum semper cupimusque negata Stolne waters are sweet vnto vs. And our nature is such as that we doe not only quod vetitur the thing that is forbidden but we doe it quia vetitur because it is forbidden so farre doth our concupiscence lead vs. 4. Sinne makes vs so malicious to all goodnesse that although our iudgement should tell vs that such a thing is good yet are we so auerse to goodnesse that we will forsake it to follow euill as the Poet in Medea speaketh Video proboque meliora deteriora sequor Seneca Medea I see what is good I allow it yet nature makes me follow that which is euill And so these things made man now like vnto satan that was made before in the likenesse of God Therefore God respecting and pittying our most lamentable and miserable estate he sent his only Sonne Christ Iesus to be made vnto vs 1. Wisdome 2. Iustification 3. Sanctification 4. Redemption Foure soueraigne salues for our foure dangerous maladies 1. He was made vnto vs wisdome How Christ was made vnto vs a fourefold salue to cure fourefold maladies For that all our knowledge without the knowledge of Christ is but prudentia carnis foolishnesse vnto God but in Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge 2. He was made vnto vs righteousnes for that all our righteousnes in respect of nature is but pollutio panniâ— like the righteousnes of the Gentiles staines filthinesse in respect of the law but storia abducta like the righteousnesse of the Pharises sin guilded vnprofitable because vnpossible to be performed but my righteous seruant shall iustifie many saith the Lord and therefore beleeue in him which iustifieth the vngodly 3. He was made our Sanctification For that in all men there is defection and in the Angels vnfaithfulnesse hath beene found and how can we be cleane that were borne in sinne and conceiued in iniquity but in Christ there was no sinne and in his mouth was found no guile 4. He was made vnto vs redemption for that all the former things had beene vnauailable for vs nisi etiam sanguis interpellitâ—â— pro me vt saluus sim vnlesse his bloud doth intercede for me that I may be saued and therefore Christ gaue himselfe to be the price of our redemption so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to suffer for vs to shed his bloud for vs and to die for vs and for our sinnes to saue vs from hell and to rise againe for our iustification to bring vs vnto heauen in illa instituit in ista restituit saith Saint Bernard by the former parauit nos mansioni he made vs fit for heauen and by the latter parauit mansionem nobis he prepared heauen for vs by the first we haue remission of our sins and by the second we haue hope of euerlasting life But if any man will say the righteousnesse is Christs and the sufferings were Christs and what is that to me I answer that the fault was Adams fault and is that nothing to thee And therefore vt peccatum in semine it a iustitia in sanguine as sinne is iustly mine by propagation so it is not incongruous that righteousnesse should be mine by imputation for Christ saith Saint Ambrose mihi natus mihi passus mihi doluit quia sibi non habuit quod deleret did all whatsoeuer he did for me for that there was no cause why he should doe any thing for himselfe And therefore seeing Christ died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification and now sitteth at the right hand of God to make intercession for vs though our bodies be but semen terrae esca verminum dust and ashes and the foode of vermins yet our hope is that they shall be â—hanged and be made like vnto the glorious bodie of Christ And thus are we made againe the sonnes of God by regeneration because we are borne of God i. of water and of the spirit which spirit
spittles 4. In his taste the bitternesse of gall 5. In his sight the effusion of teares his friends bewayling his foes exulting and all forsaking him 2. In his minde such thoughts and sorrowes as cannot bee conceiued much lesse by men any waies expressed and all this was done for vs and for our sake vt iniusta mors iustam vinceret mortem that hee being vniustly put to death as iniustus cum iniustis ex iniustis causis by the vniust with the vniust and for vniust causes hee might iustly deliuer vs from that iust death which wee deserued And therefore if wee behold this man of sorrow and say Quae sunt hae plagae quae sunt haec vulnera Christe What stripes or wounds bee these O blessed Christ hee will answer Et plagae sunt haec vulnera quaeque tua All these are onely thine tibi natus tibi passus tibi mortuus for I was borne for thee to suffer for thee and to dye for thee and if thou wouldst know the impulsiue cause heereof and say Si mea cur tua diripiunt tua viscera Christ◠Hee will answer Loue is the onely cause heereof O amor his plagis membra cruent at amor his loue to man is the cause of all these things And all these things are sufficient arguments to shew the superabundancie of his loue to man aboue all other creatures whatsoeuer and therefore in many places this great loue of God is shewed with notes of incomprehensiblenesse as so God loued the world so as it cannot be expressed and againe behold what manner of loue the father hath shewed vnto vs that we should be called the sonnes of God And yet heere we must vnderstand that this loue of God to mankinde is twofold 1. common to the iust and vniust Bern. Serm. 14. de coena domini 2. speciall to the Elect onely in whom the loue of God doth more manifestly appeare and vpon whom hee bestoweth all the benefits of his loue And of these also hee loueth some The holier we are the dearer God loues vs. better then others for there bee three sorts of Elects 1. Some whom God hath decreed to iustifie but as yet are not regenerate as Paul while he was a Persecutor 2. Others in whom regeneration is inchoated and the reliques of sinne remaining as the Saints in earth 3. Others in whom perfect obedience is effected and their sanctification fully accomplished as the Saints in heauen He loueth the first wel the second better but the third best of al for the holier we be the neerer vnto his image the dearer wee are beloued of him and therefore hee saith diligentes me diligo I loue them that loue me and I will shew mercie on them that keepe my commandements as if hee should say I loue all men well but I loue them especially aboue all men that loue me and keepe my commandements And this S. Augustine sheweth most excellently Aug. tom 9. in Ioh. saying Omnia diligit Deus quae fecit inter ea magis diligit creaturas rationabiles de illis eas amplius quae sunt membra vnigeniti sui multo magis vnigenitum God loueth all that hee made and among them hee chiefly loueth his reasonable creatures that is men and of all men the members of his sonne and his sonne himselfe aboue them all Now these things being thus made manifest what the loue of God is how farre it extendeth and how hee loueth all creatures it is easie enough to know whom the Apostle meaneth by the beloued of God not those that he loued best for they were in heauen and not in Rome nor those that he loued least because they liued in their sinnes but those that were regenerated and sanctified in some measure as the next words doe declare called to be Saints De 2. The Apostle in these few What lessons wee may learne from this doctrine of the loue of God words doth giue vs to learne many things but especially 1. A confutation of heretiques 2. A consolation for Christians 3. A manifold instruction for all men in their liues and conuersations 1. Seeing the Apostle doth not call them diligentes Deum the Louers of God or those that loue God though they did so too but dilectos Dei beloued of God or those whom God did loue hee sheweth hereby that the loue The loue of God to vs is the cause of all our goodnesse of God is the primary and efficient cause of our sanctitie and goodnesse and not our goodnes the cause of his loue and therefore this confuteth the Doctrine of humane merit and the foggie mist of the Pelagian heresie fayning fancying certaine causes without God as the Schoole-men speake that is not subsisting in God himselfe but externally mouing the will of God to determine and dispose of sundry things As if the workes of men foreseene of God and not the loue of God to men were the cause why hee elected and called them vnto sanctity that not his loue and grace to vs but our good vsing of his grace should bee the cause why he bestoweth his grace vpon vs. A doctrine cleane contrary to the order of this Scripture and indeede contrary to all truth for our Sauiour telleth his disciples you haue not chosen Ioh. 15. mee but I haue chosen you and ordained that you should bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remaine Whereupon S. Augustine most excellently hic vacat vana illorum ratiocinatio S. Aug. Tract 86. in Iohan. qui praescientiam Dei defendunt contra gratiam Dei this confuteth their vaine babling which defend the prescience of God to the derogation and preiudice of the grace of God For if God did therefore chuse vs because he did foresee know we would be good then he did not choose vs to make vs good but rather we choose him in purposing to be good but our Sauiour saith you haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you and the Apostle sheweth that Eph. 1. 4. God did not choose vs because hee foresaw wee would bee holy but hee chose vs to the end we might be holy and that he did not predestinate vs vpon the fore-sight of the good vse of our free will but according to the good pleasure of his owne will quae omnium quae sunt ipsa est causa And therefore nullum eligit dignum S. Aug. contra Iul. pelag li. 5. c. 3. sed aligendo efficit dignū God did chuse none because he was worthie but God maketh him worthy because he chuseth him neither doth he loue any of vs because we loue him first but therefore 1 Iohn 4. 19. we loue him because he loued vs first for if he had neuer loued vs we could neuer haue loued him his loue therefore to vs is the cause of our loue to him and of all other our goodnesse and not our loue and goodnesse the cause
house are diuided and where a mans enemies shall be those of his owne house for certainly that house cannot stand it cannot continue but most blessed is that house where the hearts of the fathers Luke 1. 17. are turned to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers and where all brethren and fellow seruants doe liue in peace and loue one another Rō 12. 10. with brotherly loue as the Apostle speaketh 2. That this peace may be procured and continued among them all all of them and cach one of them should studie and labour to discharge his dutie and to behaue himselfe as he ought to doe and especially the chiefe man the good man of the house who is the pillar of the house to vphold it the band of the house to tye and knit the same together in peace and vnitie and vpon whom the greatest care and chiefest charge is laid should aboue all things haue a speciall care to looke vnto these two principall points 1. The choosing of his seruants 2. The teaching of his children 1. Touching the first point the How carefull a man should be in the choice of his seruants Psal 101. 4 5 6 7. Prophet Dauid saith a froward heart shall depart from me I will not know a wicked person who so priuily slandereth his neighbour him will I cut off him that hath an high looke and a proud heart will not I suffer mine eies shall be vpon the faithfull of the land that they may dwell with me he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serue me he that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house he that telleth lies he shall not tarry in my sight In these words he sheweth what he will doe concerning his seruants 1. To cleanse his house from all wickednesse and to root out all lewd fellowes from his seruice 2. To choose them for his seruants that are iust honest and religious And I would to God all the masters in the world would follow this worthy precedent which is thus amply set downe not only to be read ouer once a month but also to be followed and practised by all masters euery day for as a garden must be continually weeded or else the euill weeds will soone ouertop all the sweetest flowers so all ruffians swaggerers swearers all the rable rout of such deboist desperate and dissolute companions must be carely destroied Psal 101. vlt. as the Prophet speaketh i◠soone rooted out of thy house or else they willd stroy thy house And therefore if a man would haue peace and happinesse to remaine within his house he must with Dauid discarde all dissolute fellowes which are the causes of all discords and the bringers of all mischiefes vpon a house He must I say either roct out all their vices from them or root them from his house And he must take such for his seruants that will first serue their God and then himselfe for such will liue in peace among themselues and doe seruice vnto their masters not with eie-seruice as men-pleasers but in singlenesse Colloss 3. 22. of heart as vnto Christ 2. Touching the teaching of our children Saint Paul biddeth vs to Ephes 6. 4. bring them vp in the nurture and admonition of the Lord for that would make them feare God glad their parents and like Scilurus children liue Plutar. in Apoth in peace and loue one another with brotherly loue And so much for the meanes to procure domesticall peace 2. That euery common-wealth may haue peace and euery city be like Ierusalem that was at vnitie within it Psal 122. 3. selfe I can prescribe no better meanes then for all kindes of men and for all men of euery kinde to performe his owne dutie and to discharge his owne conscience for the obtayning of this peace And because all sorts of men are either 1. Superiours 2. Inferiours 3. Equals Therefore that peace might remaine How peace may be preserued in euerie commonwealth Esay 49. 23 among these all it behoueth all of these to discharge their duties for the preseruation of peace And 1. Superiours must be nursing fathers vnto the people most carefully desirous to procure their peace and most painfully studious to preserue them from dissentions euer hazarding their owne happinesse for the happinesse of their people and procuring sleepe vnto their subiects by their owne watchfulnesse and ease vnto them by the industrie of themselues sic viuentes Seneca de Clem. Plinius de Traiano The dutics of superiours for the procuring of peace cum ciuibus quasi parentes cum liberis and so liuing among their people as the parents doe among their children And to the end that all superiours may the better know what should be done herein and be the more readily induced to performe the same I will only desire them to consider of those golden sentences and protestations that Marcus Aurelius found at Thebes ingrauen vpon a golden plate in the person of Ptolomeus Aracides and are set downe in verse in the 542. page of Marcus Aurelius his worke and which I found thus in another author set downe in prose viz. I neuer exalted the proud rich man nor hated the poore iust man I neuer denied iustice to the poore for his pouerty nor pardoned the wealthy for his riches I neuer gaue reward for affection nor punishment vpon passion I neuer suffered euill to escape vnpunished nor goodnesse vnrewarded I neuer denied iustice to him asked it neither mercie to him that deserued it I neuer punished in anger nor promised in mirth I neuer did euill vpon malice nor good for couetousnesse I neuer opened my gate to the flatterer nor mine eare to the backebiter I alwaies sought to be beloued of the good and to be feared of the euill I alwaies fauoured the poore that was able to doe little and therefore God who was able to doe much did alwaies fauour me O most sweet and pious practise a practise fit for the procurement of peace and therefore I would to God that all this were not only written in the hearts but also practised in the liues of all superiours 2. Inferiours must be subiect to the The duties of inferiours for the procuring of peace Titus 3. 1. 2. 1 Tet. 2. 17. Aug. in Psal 82. 6. higher powers and must be ready to obey their magistrates in all humility and meekenesse as the Apostle sheweth They must honour them as Saint Peter saith and that because they beare the image of God saith Saint Augustine and we must assist them both by our goods and by our blouds if need require and aboue all things we must pray for them that we may 1 Tim. 2. 1. liue a peaceable and a quiet life vnder them saith the Apostle 3. Equals neighbours and all men that would desire to liue in peace must looke vnto these two especiall things 1. To auoid those sinnes and vices that are the causes of
discords and dissentions 2. To imbrace those vertues and graces that doe procure peace and quietnesse De 1. I say there be many sinnes The chiefest causes of contentions among neighbours that are the causes of contentions but especially these foure capitall crimes viz. 1. Pride 2. Enuie 3. Curiosity 4. Couetousnesse 1. Pride breaketh all peace for he that is of a proud spirit stirreth vp Pro. 28. 25. strife and therefore Saint Paul ioyneth Philip. 2. 3. pride and contention together as if they were like Hypocrates twins both borne at a birth both liue and die together And so experience sheweth how pride hath caused much diuision and contention in the Church of God as I shewed at large in my Treatise of The resolution of Pilat and so likewise much dissentions and distractions in the commonwealth For proud men can neuer agree together Nec quemquam iam ferre potest Caesarue Lucan l. 1. Pharsal priorem Pompeiusue parem they cannot endure any man to be better then themselues for indeed they thinke none so good as themselues Riualem possum non ego ferre Iouem Ouidius As the Poet speaketh in another kinde so saith euery proud man in this kinde he alone must be the best and none must be his corriuall And therefore if you would haue peace you must haue no pride you must not lift vp your horne on high and speake Psal 75. 4 5. with a stiffe necke 2. Enuie stirreth vp all striffe for the Patriarchs moued with enuy despised Act. 7. 9. Ioseph and sold him into Egypt and the Apostle saith that where enuying Iam. 3. 14. is there is strife and sedition and all manner of euill workes And so we finde that this vitium diabolicum this deuillish vice of enuie as Saint Augustine Aug. to 10. in Psal 139. calleth it wrought much trouble vnto Dauid among the Iewes brought many dangers vnto Daniel among the Medes and Persians and made the Plebeian faction continually among the Romans and doth the same many times among our selues For the vulgar cannot endure the dignitie of their superiours nor the felicitie of their equals Fertilior seges alienis semper in agris Ouidius Alterius messis grandius vber habet Euery one enuieth his neighbours good and thinkes his haruest better then his owne And therefore rather enuieth him then thanketh God for himselfe But for the saluing of this sinne I will only set downe that wittie parable Titus Liuius decad 1. l. 2. of Menenius Agrippa that was sent by the nobles of Rome to appease the rage of those enuious people that had made so many factious combinations against the state For He told them that on a time all the members of the bodie did enuy the stomach and said she did nothing else but eat and deuoure with ease and pleasure what they had purchased with great labour and paine And therefore the feet would walke no more for it the hands would worke no more for it the tongue would plead no more for it and so said all the rest of the members of the body but within a while the long fast of the stomach made weake knees faint hands dim eies pale visage faultering tongue and a heauy heart and then they were glad to be reconciled vnto the stomach againe and to worke incessantly for the same And so by this meanes Menenius appeased the people And by this we should all learne neuer to enuie the good of those men by whose happinesse we our selues are happie nor yet indeed the good of any man for we are all members of the same body if one suffer all suffer and if one be honoured all should reioyce And therefore if we would haue peace among our neighbours we must not enuy the good of our neighbours 3. Curiositie and busie medling in other mens matters is a maine breach of peace for the foole that is Pro. 17. 27. peeping in at euery window i. looking to euery other mans worke shall neuer want sorrow saith the Wiseman and they that are curiosi ad cognâ—s endâ—m vitam alienam desidiosi ad corrigendam suam i. curious to know other mens liues and carelesse to amend their owne liues as S. Augustine speaketh they doe nothing else but stir vp the coales of strife and dissentions And therefore if we desire to liue in 1 Thes 4. 11. Plut. de curiositate c. 1. peace we must not be like vnto those Lamian Witches that when they were at home did put vp there eies in a box but when they went abroad they set them into their heads againe we must not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 busie bodies imittentes falcem in alienam messem thrusting our oare into another mans boat but we must looke vnto our selues 1 Cor. 11. 28. 1 Thes 4. 11. examine our selues and meddle with our owne businesse alwaies remembring what our Sauiour said vnto S. Peter when he would needs know what Iohn must doe What is that to thee tusequere me doe thou follow me else shalt thou be sure that if thy hand like Ismael be against euery man euery mans hand will be against thee And if thou prate of euery man euery man will prate of thee and so thou canst neuer haue any peace 4. Couetousnesse is as bad an enemie to this peace as any other of the former for conetous men couet fields and Mich. 2. 2. take them by violence they oppresse a man and his house euen a man and his heritage yea they that are greedy of gaine would euen take away the life of the owners thereof that they might fill their Prou. 1. 12. 19. owne house with the spoile as Salomon speaketh and so we see that the greedie desire of lands goods and worldly wealth is the cause of many suites and much hatred among neighbours and therefore if we would liue at peace we must take heede and beware of couetousnesse Luk. 12. 15. De. 2. I say wee must doe many things to procure our peace but especially these fiue things which I collect out of S. Bernard 1. Pie viuere to liue vprightly The chiefest things that procure peace among neighbors 2. Humiliter satisfacere to submit our selues humbly 3. Facile remittere to forgiue easily 4. Diligenter quaerere to seeke peace earnestly 5. Volenter recipere to imbrace peace willingly 1. We must deale vprightly with all men for this is the only thing to procure peace with all men and therefore Marcus Aurelius vpon his death-bed counselled his sonne Commodus that if he would liue peaceably and quietly he should liue instly and vprightly for righteousnesse and peace haue kissed each other and therefore Plato saith that Plato de repub l. 4. publica priuata concordia publica priuata iustitia praeseruatur the publike and priuate peace is preserued chiefly by publique and priuate equity When men doe obserue the ancient rule both of Moralitie and
arca abscondis for it is the bread of the hungry which mouldeth in thy cupbords it is the garmēt of the naked which is moth-eaten in thy presses and it is the money of the distressed which is rusting in thy coffers saith S. Ambrose 3. As these naturall and temporall things are giuen vs of God euen so are all spirituall graces as the Apostle sheweth 1 Cor. 12. And therfore we exhort you that ye receiue not the grace of God in vaine but that euery man as he hath receiued the gift should minister the same vnto another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as good disposers of the manifold grace of God and let no man bragge saith S. Augustine that he hath receiued the good gifts and graces of God but let him looke how he shall make his account with God whether he be not found like them qui sanctis non sancte vtuntur which doe vse holy things vnholily as wicked Saul and couetous Balaam and such like Wherefore seeing all that we haue be gifts giuen of God and for which we must one day render an account to God we should be carefull to vse them to the glory of God 3. Seeing God is the sole autor and That we should seeke for all things from God giuer of euery good gift it teacheth vs to call and sue to him by prayer for euery thing we want 1. To seeke for grace where it may be found i. from God for if any man lacke wisdome let him aske of God saith the Apostle If any man want grace and ability to doe the will of God let him pray to God with S. Paul when he was buffeted by the messenger of Satan that be would giue him grace and strength to doe it or else he shall neuer be able to doe it And therefore when he biddeth vs doe any thing we should pray to him for grace to doe it As when he saith turne to me and I will turne to you then Lam. 4. Esay 1. should we presently say conuert thou vs ô Lord and we shall be conuerted or when he saith wash you and make you cleane then should we pray vnto him that he would purge vs with hysope and Psal 51. 10. clense vs throughly from our sinnes and so of all other graces and blessings that we doe want seeke all from God for he is the giuer of all 2. To seeke for peace and all the fruits of peace from him which is the God of peace if we want our health meanes or maintenance or any other temporall blessing we should pray to God for the same for he is the sole giuer of the things of this life as well as the things that concerne eternall life For the earth is the Lords and all that therein is and therefore he disposeth the same as pleaseth him he filleth the hungrie with good things and the rich he sends empty away he lifteth vp the poore out of the mire and casteth downe the high lookes of the proud Neither doth he only take care to bestow kingdomes or the greater matters of this life as he pleaseth and vpon whom he pleaseth and leaue small matters to others to be disposed of or to happen as they list but it is he euen he himselfe and none other that giueth and disposeth the smallest things as well as the greatest as I haue sufficiently proued before And therefore if we should want Praier is the only thing to procure grace and peace the least thing euen a crum of bread or a cup of cold water we must haue it from God or goe without it Now the only way to obtaine whatsoeuer we want whether grace or peace whether spirituall or temporall blessing is praier for this is situla gratia the bucket that draweth grace from God the fountaine of all grace This will ascend to heauen and their mandatum nostrum peraget quo caro nostra peruenire nequit it will plead for our necessities and neuer depart vntill the most highest hath granted our requests Therefore our Sauiour saith aske and you shall haue seeke and you shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you yea whatsoeuer yee aske the Father in my name it shall be giuen you And so you see not only where all good things are to be had but also That we should be thankefull to God for all his blessings how they may be obtained euen by praier 4. This should mooue vs to thankfulnesse for all the benefits that God hath and doth daily bestow vpon vs aske of the daies of old if any nation if the Iewes or any other chosen and peculiar people of God can paralel vs in the gifts of grace and peace in pure preaching and peaceable gouernment for so long a time and so happy a manner I say not this to make vs proud of Gods graces but to teach vs to crie out with the Psalmist Quid retribuam what shall we render vnto the Lord for all the benefits that he hath done vnto vs For they that Bernard by receiuing grace doe seeme to be in most fauour with God if they be vnthankefull they become of least reckoning with God saith Saint Bernard O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and shew the blessings that he bestoweth vpon the children of men And so you see that God is Author of all goodnesse and the sole giuer of all grace and peace i. of all good things both spirituall and temporall And therefore from this point we must conclude a corollarie most necessarie to be defended That God cannot be the author of any euill because he is the author of all good For Saint Iames tels vs that the same fountaine cannot send forth sweet and bitter That God cannot be the Author of any euill waters and our Sauiour tels vs that a good tree cannot bring forth bad fruits and therefore God which is summum bonum the chiefest good and the fountaine of all goodnesse cannot be author of any euill Now euill is taken two waies 1. Euill of sinne 2. Euill of punishment And I say God simply and in all respects can be said to be the author of neither 1. Not of sinne For thou art a God that hatest wickednesse neither Psal 5. 4. shall any euill dwell with thee saith Dauid and Habacucke saith thou Hab. 1. 15. art of pure eies and canst not see euill thou canst not behold wickednesse And reason it selfe doth confirme the same For 1. That which is simply and absolutely That God is no Author of sinne good cannot be the cause of any euill for how can it be simply good if euill doth any waies proceed from it But God is simply and absolutely Obiect good and the earth is full of his goodnesse Act. 17. saith the Prophet Dauid therefore he cannot be the cause of any euill But against this it is obiected 1. That in God we liue and moue and haue our being i. euery