behold gaue precepts touching Sampson and assended in the flame of the burnt sacrafice * King Dauid 2 Sam. 24. 17. 1 Kinges 14 5. 7. 43. Luk. 1. 11. 26. saw the angell of the Lord smyte the people and there died â—xx in three dayes at the pestilence * The angell touched Elias and a voyce spake twise vnto him * The angell foretelleth â—achary of his sonne Ihon the foregoer of Christ Iesus The angell Gabrell was sent from God to the Virgin Mary to forewarne her of her conception of Christ Iesus * An angell of God warned Ioseph not to go from his Matt. 1. 20 2. 13. wyfe commaunded him to take the childe and his mother and goe into Egipt called him home agayne when Herod was dead * An Angel of God appeared vnto the sheperdes with Luk. 2. 9. Of Angels and men him a multitude of angels singing praises at yâ— birth of Gods anoyâ—ted and our sauiour the tydings whereof was great * After Satan had tempted our Lorde Iesus the holy Mat. 4. 10. 11 Iohn 5. 4. Luk. 22. 42 c. Act 1. 10. angels came and ministred vnto him * At a certayne season an angell went downe and moued the water of the poole Bethesday alias Siloe and whosoeuer went next into the water was healed of whatsoeuer disease an Angel from heauen appeared to comfort Christ in his agony feare of death * Two angels stood in mens lykenes by the Apostles while they looked stedfastly after Christ Iesus when hee was taken vp into heauen told them that he should come agayne in like manner as he ascended * And against his comming to geue iudgement Mat. 24. 30 c. hee shall send his angels with sounding the trompet togather togeather his chosen people from the fower wyndes that is to say the whole worlde For of all the nations of the worlde some must bee blessed according to the * promise made Gen. 22 18 to the most honorable mere man that euer was Abraham the father of all the faythfull * The law was geuen by the ministery of angels but grace Act. 1. 53. and truth came by Christ Iesus which to that Michaell which with his Angels fighteth full agaynst the dragon Satan and his angels for whom and for the damned seed of Adam * hell tyre was prepared in which they shal be euer tormented Ecul 23. 10. Amos 3. 6. Esai 4 5 6. 7 and neuer rest But * an angels voyce was hard from Heauen saying write Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lorde for they rest from theyr labours so shall not the highe minded bent to wickednes that dye without repentaunce I haue omitted many and many places of holy scriptures concerning the ministry of Angels to auoyde tediosnes But these I haue recited to the end that no man may doubt but euery man assure himselfe that God worketh some time in this worlde by Angels both good and badde For thus it is writen of the holy angels * Are they not all ministering Hebr. 1. 14. spirites sent foorth to minister for theyr sakes which shal bee heyres of saluation Yes doubtlesse and to that end they cocker and flatter the wicked reprobate and preferre them in this world For albeit that God loued and choose Iacob and â—ated and refused Esau yet Esau by following the suggestions of Satan and his angels became of greater power and auctoryty then Iacob during theire lyues in this world * Therfore God is called the father of spirites which were Hebr. 12. 9. created and some of them fallen from blessed state before he created man for neyther angels nor men can keepe themselues from falling if God keepe them not And as the same God is almighty eternall and without beginning or ending so hath he purposed in himselfe before the world was that he would make both angels and men * some to honour and some Rom. 11. 21 to dishonour to shewe himselfe to bee the glorious God of mercy and Iustice The Lord hath made all things for his Prou. 16. 4. owne cause yea euen the wicked for the day of distruction For his election and reiection his choosing and refusing both of angels and men are most euedently proued in holy scriptures For angels thus Saynt Paule prescribing orders in the Election and reiection of Angels Church hath these wordes to Tymothy * I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and his elect angels that thou obserue these thinges without partialityeâ— Now it followeth of necessity that where when Angels were elected there also theÌ„ angels were reiected For of contraries there is euer a contrary reason and therfore where chosing is there is also refusing of them that bee not chosen But God elected some angels the consequent is hee reiected other some angels for if hee had preserued all and let none fall from him then had there bene no election at all neyther any deuill but some hee chose and some hee refused And iniquity whereof Iob * Iob speaketh was found in those which he had refused by which fall of angels it is manifest that they had a lawe or precept which they transgressed otherwise they coulde not haue committed iniquitie It is Saynt Paule his argumeÌ„t Ro. 14. 15. 2 Pet. 2. 4. * where no lawe is there is no transgression But Saynt Peter sayth * God spared not the angels that sinned Ergo they had a lawe or precept which they brake otherwise they could not haue sinned Thus it appeareth that God hath delt with angels as with men concerning creation election and reiection sauing that all angels sinned not as all mankinde sinned in Adam for wee reade not of the redemption of angels as of the redemption of mankind so many as it pleased God to choose were redeemed So then hee created both angels and men as the cheefe parte of his works purposed in him selfe to set forth his eternal power honor and glory Heâ— made the angels of inuisible substance and man of both inuisible and visible and all both kindes in perfect purity in holines and fredome of will it pleased God to make them in such sorte as he put it in theyr owne choyce to obay or disobay they had power in themselues to keep or change theyr blessed state wheriâ— they were created For if they had not had that choyce in themselues with reuerence be it sayde God could not with iustice haue punished theyr disobedience But God can do nothing vniustly therefore he had most iustly punisht theÌ„ hauing fore poynted which and how many should by his grace stand to serue him in theyr first purity the rest he left to them selues which through infidelity pryde and disobedience fell from theyr blessed state and became his euerlasting enimies Thus it pleased God to make iust matter vnto himselfe to exercise both mercy and iustice which two most excellent vertues do chiefly magnifie and extol his eternall
had he hidden in himselfe halfe his glory for euery thing is best discerned by his contrary Therefore the eternall vertue the infinite comfort and the most pleasaunt fruicte of Gods mercy could neuer haue beene so precious and comfortable to Gods elect except it had beene matched with a contrary vertue as infinite great as excellent and as much to be praysed as it selfe euen Gods iustice in generall but especially on the wicked reprobate Thus it appeareth how it pleased God to make for his owne purpose to shew foorth his wonderfull power a Theater or stage for the inhabitaunts of Heauen Earth and Hell to behold his vnspeakable woorkes and ordained the meanes and matter to work on how euery thing should come to his forepointed ende And that was and is some to saluation and some to damnation and all both for to shew foorth his own glory purposed in himselfe before the world was and to shew himselfe vnto all three regiments Heauen Earth Hell to Angels Deuils and mankind to bee the almighty eternall and most glorious God of mercy and iustice Oh that men would therefore feare him and submit their willes to his will because he is the chiefe Monarch of all in all will they nill they This is that very true God whom all the holy and noble Patriarches from the beginning did serue and honor before the general flood with such sacrifices as were then allowed of vntill wickednes did so abound as in these our dayes that God was as it were compelled to destroy by water and seemed to begin the world anew This is that most leuing God that cannot forget such as loue feare him * For when he was to execute iustice vpon Genes 6. the vniuersall world hee prouided for his seruant Noah commaunding him 120. yeares before to make the Arke in readines for safegard of him and his whereas all others for infidelitie pride and disobedience with other horrible and filthy sinnes perished by water The like kindnes he shewed vnto his seruant Lot when he by fire and brimstone from Heauen destroyed Sodome and Gomorah with other Cities And to all the Godly from age to age hee hath shewed like grace and mercy and greater to some by so much as the Gospell surmounteth the law in goodnes towards Gods elect This is that God * that those Abraham for a cheefe seruant Genes 12. made him of counsell what hee would doe to Sodome and Gomorah hee made him also his friend chiefe member of his visible Church on Earth and gaue him this honorable title the father of beleeuers of whose seed the promised Messias by a lineall discent came into the world in his appointed time to saue so many of the damned seed of Adam as God before the world was had elected to bee saued by the death and rising againe * of that vnspotted Lambe Christ Iesus stain from the beginning in his own person by Gods Reuel 13. 8. eternal decree forepointment also * in his elect members This is the same glorious maiestie that hath created the Heauen and the Heauen of Heauens with all the heauenly bodies And also hell with fiery tormentes the Sky the Sun the Mone the Starres the Sea and the Earth with al their contentes last of all man according to his owne ymage and for his owne purpose and eternall glory Euerlasting praises be vnto this most holy and glorious Psal 1â—5 16 God * that possesseth the Heauens and hath giuen the Earth to the children of men therein to stay and breath a whyle and so to passe away some to Heauen and some to Hel. Therefore wee ought to learne of Dauid to answere the wicked when in skorne they aske where is God wee may say our God is in Heauen and doth euery where what pleaseth him Hee is there accompanied with his holy Angels and soules of his elect in such pleasant rest quiet felicitie as no fleshly eie hath or can see no eare hath hard it told because no tongue is sufficient to expresse it nor learning disribe it no cunning with pen or pensel able to paint it out no thought strong ynough to imagine nor fleshly hart woorthy to conceaue it Saint Iohn in his reuelation hath said so much to blaze and declare the glorious ioy of this almightie and eternall God which hee will giue to his elect in the world to come as is possible for man to speake write or vnderstand and yet farre of from that it is indeede * For we 1 Cor. 13 12. see in this world as it were but through a glasse nothing perfectly but the time will come when wee shall see God face to face This euerlasting Monarch and almighty Iehoua is all in al and onely may bee said to bee For none but hee can iustly say without addition I am and why Euen because hee onely I meane God hath his being in of and by himselfe and all other creatures in of for from and by him alone There was neuer none of Adams lyne except the holy Ghost wrought in him to that end that could attaine to the true knowledge of this almighty and onely Monarch The heathen Philosophers saw a far of an vnknown thing which they very well perceiued to bee the cause of all other causes first moouer of all that moueth further knowledge they could not get by al the wisedome and cunning of men Therfore it is most true * that the wisedome of this world 1 Cor. 1 20. is foolishnes with God And contrarywise worldly wise men not yet new borne by the holy Ghost esteeme the simplicitie of the Gospel very foolishnes in comparison of their owne wisedome Therefore they cannot attaine to the true knowledge and wisedome of God And why Euen because * no man can Iohn 6. 44. 14. 6. come to the Father but by the Sonne And again * no man can come to the Sonne except the Father draw him Therefore those Philosophers and mighty wise men could not attaine to the true knowledge and wisedome of God neither can the mighty and wise men in these daies reach vnto it because they are not drawen thereunto by the holy Ghost proceding both from the Father and the Sonne and the meanes to bee drawne is to submitte our selues to the gouernment of Gods woord wherein by seeking wee shal find the supply of al our want And set vs * exalt and praise the name of the Lord that only woorketh woonders * for who so taketh on Esai 25. 1. Eccle. 18. him to tell out his woonderful woorks when he hath done al that hee can hee is new to beginne againe for it is an vnpossible enterprise A DESCRIPTION OF THE NAME and nature of Satan and what power it hath pleased God to giue him ouer mankind as well the Godly as godlesse viz. the elect and the reprobate CAP. 2. NOw that which hath bene said of God cannot bee sufficient except mention likewise bee
Lyon 1 Pet. 5. 8. But our good God for his sonnes sake doth lymit Satan his bounds which he cannot passe hee is forepointed how where when and vpon whom hee shall extend his horrible crueltie For God being Monarch of Heauen Earth and Hell doth gouerne all creatures euen Satan and his trayne with a thought Therfore some he tempteth only and can do no more because God co 〈…〉 ermaundeth him by his grace of resistance in some of those â—y him tempted Some he ouer cometh in tempting to the committing of vile filthy horrible meâ—stious and most vnnatural factes as are recited in Ro. as murdring of parentes blaspheming and vtter forsaking of God worshipping vile creatures insteede of the only creator which aboue all things is blessed for euer Of all which abhominations Satan is the only auctor the enticer prouoker mayntayner and supporter And also by Gods holy ordinaunce and forepoyntment hee is by himselfe his Angels and worldly adherentes the executioner of Gods sacred iustiâ—e or punishment of all synne whereof hee is the prouoker Satan meaning no more to execute Gods iustice then a dogge in biting the swine meaneth to â—eare them from the corne For Satans greedy and vnlatiable malice is to distroy deuour and confoundâ— all by all meanes And to that end saith S. Peter he goeth about lyke a roring Lyon seeking whom he may deuour hath his greatest spite at Gods elect against whoÌ„ he exerciseth his subtility cruelty in this world by him his adherents both bodily Ghostly by such intricate iuglings as passeth mans skil working such wonders as should deceaue if it were possible yâ— very elect of their saluation for by his pestiferous enticementes hee hath and doth lead many of the very elect blindsom to the committing of most filthy horrible factes as among the auncient fathers Aron Dauid c. And the lyke is done now c. And yet because they are Gods elect hee calleth them agayne by true repentance through his mercy in Christ Iesus otherwise they could neuer returne Thus God vseth his owne power by the ministerâ— of Satan woorking for his owne purpose aswell vpon the elect as the reprobate to punish sinne vpon both and sometyme on the elect very seuerely for tryal of their faith as Abraham Isaack Ioseph Sidrack Misaak and Abednego Daniel Iob and many others And sometymes God sendeth lying spirites into men to dreame dreames and prophesie lies instead of Gods truth of purpose to deceaue such as wilfully neglect Gods woord and as Beastes voyde of reason fulfill their filthy lustes Of such it is writen the tyme wil come 2 Tim. 4. 3. when men for their lustes wil get preachers to their fancies and not suffer true doctrine but delyte in fables It is God that sendeth the false Prophets and Moses telleth the cause why For by such meanes * The Lord your Deut. 13. 7. God doth proue you whether you loue him with all your hartes and with all your fowles For you shall walke after the Lord your God feare him do his commaundements harken to his voyce serue him and cleeue vnto him but the false Prophets shal be slayne Thus by the ministery of Satan God correcteth all but yet diuersly an 〈◊〉 sundery sortes in this lyfe For Satan is Gods executioner to whippe to scourge and torment all such as regarde not his holy worde in such ordinary or extraordinary manner as he hath forepoynted For by his almightye power and inuisible woorking Satan and his trayne visible and inuisible haue their being mouing disposition woorking for otherwise they could either bee moue dispose nor woorke any thing For â—â— the vnspeakable power of the almighty Monarch Satan and his angell are prickt and push forwarde to fulfill Gods secret determinations in the World much like as meÌ„ with Bridles spurs make brutish horses gallop turning tossing too and froe almost at theyr owne pleasure but God altogeâ—ther at his owne pleasure Moreouer Satan hath power at God his appoyntmentes send his messengers into all men so that no man euer was is or euer shal bee exempted from his a 〈…〉 es and deceitful allurementes Christ Iesus himself was assaulted by him Saint Paul coÌ„fesseth that he was buffered by the messenger of satan 2 Cor. 11. 7 that God did it to the end that he should 〈◊〉 glory in himself We reade that the Apostles were â—â—â—ers wayes tempted some with vayne glory some with dâ—strâ— of reuengement * euer with fire and brimstone from heauen Sometymes with ambition to sitte in the highest seates * Sometymes Luk. 9. 54. Mat. 20. 21. 26. 34 to deny Christ Iesus Thus wee see God giueth his electe grace sometyme to resist satan sometyme hee maketh satan giue them the foyle that they aâ—â—ay knowne they stand hâ—t of themselues but by his grace only Wee reade of Abraham and other ancient Fathers howe they haue erred by the subtil deceiptes of Satan whom God doth send of purpose both for royall of fayth and punishment of sinne Present sat 〈…〉 Iob for tryall of his fayth and constancie hee sent an euill spirit to vexe king Saul for his former wickednes Hee sent lying spirites into the mouthes of foure hundreth of Kinges Ahabs prophets to the 〈◊〉 Para. 18. 21. 1 Re. 22. 22. that through their lying prophesies hee should greedely goe to warre agaynst R 〈…〉 in 〈◊〉 A thinge forepoynted of God for his destruction in reuenge of his former sinnes and all by Satans ministery and his hellish adherentes visible and inuisible to execute his iust vengeance vpon all in generall namely on such as known the wil of God by hearing and reading his holy woord and yeâ— regard it not such lazy lobbers * shall be beaten with many stripes And at Luke 12. 4 such lawes swine God lecteth slip his Satanicall â—andâ—â—s Oh it is a most fearefull thing to fall into the handes of the euerliuing Hebr. 10. 31 God And yet as often as wee breake any of the ten commaundements we fall into the handes of the almighty God who for our former sinnes geueth vs ouer into the handes of Satan who maketh vs to heape synne vppon synne so punishing syn by syn and yet it is sayd we fall into the handes of God which is most true for as much as Saâ—aÌ„ doth nothing besides Gods forepoyntment as when he was to execute his malice vppon Iob he saide to God lay thyne hand vppon him that is â—end me to do myne office on him so that Satan is the hand the scourge of God to punish whom it pleaseth him eyther for sinne or triall of fayth So their if we had the true feare of God setled in our mindes and our fayth hope and loue fixed in Christ Iesus as hee willeth we should not need to feare Cerberus nor any other Bug fayned by false dreâ—â—nes nor any of the furyes of Hell nor any worldly power how mighty or tyrannâ—call soeuer
God And those whom God hath forechosen and forepoynted to bee saued can not perish by any meanes neither shall they liue caresse in the world for they shall feare to do euill secretly they shall not dare in hope of forgiuenes so to tempt God as doe the reprobate for the holy Spirite which is appointed to guyde them * shall checke their consciences continually by Psal 18. 16. 9. 1. 1. 11. Mat. 1. 21 secrete thoughtes to restrayne their wickednes * And Christ Iesus came to saue his people from their sinnes woorking in the mindes of his elect by his holy spirite and power wherwith hee hath promised to bee with his vnto the ende of the World * And all the promises of God are in him yea and amen for 2 Cor. 1. 20. Psal 146. 6. Iames 1. 17. euer * For hee that made all thinges of nothing keepeth his promise for euer * For with God is no variablenes nor shadow by turning he chaungeth not purpose as man doth he doth not build and pull downe to mende the fashion as men doe * And although it is written that God repented that hee Gen. 6. 6. 7 had made man because wickednes did so abound in men in in all such phrases of holy Scriptures God abaseth conformeth his woordes to mans capacity and conceipte as nurses doe with yong children who some tyme with cheerfull countinance and lisping voice some tyme with frowning lookes and boysterous voice geue the auncient children to vnderstand when they please or displease euen so dealeth God with mankinde for otherwise they are not to vnderstand his will Not that God can repent or bee sorie as men are when thinges come contrary to their willes For what soeuer is done by Satan and by him in mankinde God might let if it were his wil to mankind happeneth many thinges vnaware it is not so to God For hee doth not onely foreknowe and foresee all whatsoeuer but also all thinges haue euer bene are now and euer shall bee ruled and gouerned by his euerlasting forepoyntment Neither doth hee at any tyme that which he remembred not before hee vseth no after wittes there is not in him any imperfections hee hath no defectes no passions no forgetfulnes no chaunge of diuise no intention of alteration For albeit that by the generall flood hee destroyed all thinges except the arke and all that was in it yet hee made not any thing new in the World which was not made before For hee excelleth man in wisedome goodnes and power further then Man being a Potter can exceede his Earthen Pottes who as a Creator of such Pottes may breake and destroy a nomber and make as many new of another fashion Euen so is God to man if it please him OF THE FLOCKE WHICH GOD hath chosen CAP. 11. WE are taught * to loue our enemies Matt. 5. 44. c. to blesse them that curse vs to doe good to them that hate vs and pray for those that persecute and hurt vs. Such is the goodnes of God in norishing all thinges who maketh his Sun to shyne and his rayne to fal on the good and badde * And as hee Sapien. 6. 7 hath made the great and the small euen so concerning this world he careth for all alyke But for the world to come hee hath a more special care for those whom hee hath chosen to saluation whom our Sauiour Christ calleth his little flock and sayth vnto them * feare Luc. 12. 32. not little flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to geue you a kingdome Those are they for whose sakes * the seede of the Gen. 3. 15. woman was promised to breake the head of the serpent This litle flocke of the seede of Abraham * the Father of all true Gen. 12. 3. 18. 18. 22. 18 26. 4. Gal. 3. 8. Heb. 6. 13. Mar. 13. 20. beleeuers to and to whom the promises were made when God sayd vnto him in thy seede which is Christ Iesus al the Nations of the earth shal bee blessed * For the fauour that God beareth to this litle flocke the euill dayes shal be shortned without altering his eternal purpose This litle flocke are those whom Christ Iesus calleth saying * Come vnto mee all yee that labor and are heauy loden Mat. 11. 28 Lut. 17. 34. Mat. 24. 40 and I will refresh you Of this litle flocke are those that at the sodayne comming of the Lord in the cloudes of two in a bedde two in the field two at a Mill wherof one shal be taken that is chosen and the other forsaken that is refused * Of Reuel this litle flocke are those that haue the marke of God in their foreheads whom Satan and his angels cannot hurt for they are commaunded to the contrary * This litle flocke is Matt. 13. 3. 10. 9. noted to be the good ground that receaueth the precious seed the word of God into their soules and brings foorth fruite 30. 60. 100. folde that is to say the fruite of true beleefe in Christ Iesus the fruite of humble obedience to God and his most holy Lawe the fruite of holy fasting praying almes deedes and godly lyfe the fruite of louing God aboue all thinges and our neighbour as our selues The precious fruite of sure hope in the mere mercy of God to receaue our saluation through the merits of Iesus Christ onely and nothing for our owne desertes nor for popish good intentes such fruits shew this litle flock to bee good ground Whereas all other people of the world in generall are noted to bee stonie thorny barrany and euill ground ouer whose soules Satan hath full power eyther to take from thē Gods word that was sowne in their myndes or els to choke it in them by vnlawfull couetousnes cares of this lyfe and filthy lustes of the flesh whatsoeuer And therefore can bring out no godly frute to saluation This litle flock are the sheepe of whom Christ Iesus is the true and good Shepeheard who gaue his life for the sheepe Iohn 10. ◠Mat. 25. 34. * This litle flocke are the sheep which Christ Iesus shall deuide from the Goats * And which the Angels shal gather together from the fowr windes to meet the Lord in the clowds Lec 14. 37. at his comming to iudge the quicke and the dead to whom hee shall say come yee blessed of my Father possesse my kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world The contrary shal bee sayd to the Goats all wicked people whom God hath not chosen to saluation goe away from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his angels This litle chosen flocke onely * haue eares to heare the Matt. 13. 9. woord of God to their comfort in this lyfe and to their saluation in the life to come Wheras al other people of the world no state or degree excepted haue no eares to heare * because Marc. 4.