〈◊〉 with fleshly hartes nor with tong o◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus saith the Lord * Heauen Esai 66. 1. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what house will yee build for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherewil yee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the place to rest in 2. Chron. 6. 18. ha 〈…〉 I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things Behold 〈◊〉 Heauen and the Heauen of Heaâ—â—ns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 him how 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therfore no Iohn 1. 18. ma◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sonne which is in the bosome of 〈◊〉 that hee hath declared vnto vs what God â—ayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to men in this life For * while we 〈…〉 this world wet 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 13. 12. but as it were through a glasse and not perfectly The Apostles were as desirousto haue seene and knowen it as some are now For * Philip said Lord shew vs the Father and Iohn 14. 8. it suffiseth but our Sauioure Christ answered Hee that hath seene mee hath seene the Father For I am in the Father and the Father in mee Therefore who so is desirous to know the maiestie of the Godhead in three distinct persons let him first learne perfectly to know Christ Iesus and then shall the holy Ghost inspire him with sufficient knowledge c. For seeing the Apostles that waited on Christ Iesus and had familiar conuersation with him could not attaine the knowledge of the maiestie of the Godhead while they were in this transitory life what maruaile is it if all other remaine ignorant thereof And yet let none dreame or imagine that the Godhead hath mans likenes in bodily shape because Christ Iesus was very man euery way sinne except But let him learne euery day more and more to know to feare to beleeue to loue and obey this almighty eternall most louing most patient most merciful and iust God who for very loue to mankind hath as it were clothed or couered himselfe with manhed in Christ Iesus * in whom dwelleth al Iohn 1. 14. Colos 2 9. the fulnes of the Godhed bodily that is to say in Christ Iesus dwelleth all the vnspeakable power the euerlastingnes the almightines the iustice the mercy the infinite goodnes of the glorious God the only Monarch of heauen and earth * as king Dauid Athanasius haue most excelâ—eÌ„tly discribed Psal 139. And it is no wonder at all though man cannot attayne to know the forme and shape of God so farre aboue his reach inuisible to flesh eyes and hidden from the eyes of the soule of man seing it passeth mans conceipt to Imagin the shape of his owne soule enclosed in his own body was created to the Image of God which so remayned vntill Adam by his offence defaced it so vgly as if some traytor in dispite might deface the goodly picture of her Maiesty with a spunge dipt in inke so ill fauoredly that God could not suffer him to dwel in Paradise And hee so affrayde to heare the voyce of God that he fled from him and would neuer haue returned if God had not drawne him agayne by his holy spirit through Christ Iesus the Lambe of God ordeyned to take away the sinnes of the world that is of those in the world which the father had giuen him whom hee so loued * that hee washed away theire Reuel 1. 5. 7. 14. sinnes by sheeding his owne blood and so reformed agayne in them the true Image of God in such sort as when they shall appeare in iudgement at the generall resurrection they shal be more glorious then the soule was in the creation For Gods elect haue gotten more by the death of Christ Iesus then they lost by the fall of Adam For by Christ Iesus they are suerly setled from falling away agayne For it is impossible that Gods election should fayle because theyr * names are Luk. 10. 21. Phil. 1. 3. written in heauen in the booke of lyfe whereof Christ Iesus biddes them reioyce aboue al things with promise that theyr ioy shall not bee taken from them Now if Gods terrible threatnings moue not the wicked to feare him nor his infalâ—ible and most comfortable promisses allure them to loue what is more to bee sayde then theire blood on theire owne heades for they are wilfully guilty of theire owne iust damnation And to that ende was the law ordeyned euen to condenme the wicked and not to Heb. 7. 19. Rom. 3. 20. Iohn 1. 17. make them good * For the lawe made nothing perfect And by the workes of the lawe no fleshe shal be iustified For the lawe was giuen by Moses but grace and truth came by Christ Iesus OF ANGELS TOGETHER WITH Chap. 4. their seruice which they doe vnto mankind as messengers from God CAP. 4. THis almighty Monarch creator of all thinges visible and inuisible created the spirits called Angels perfectly good in their kind of another substance then of the four elementes such substance as of mankind can neither bee seene nor imagined and therefore are called spirites I speake of angels both good and euill that moue and worke inuisibly not what they list but as the almighty hath forepointed them working alwayes inuisibly except when it pleaseth God hee can make them appeare to men in mens likenes and vse mens speach * Three angels came to Abraham did rate and drinke in his tent one of them had much speach with Abraham about Sodome and Gomorrah and promised him his sonne Isaake The other two went to Sodome and vsed spâ—ach vnto Lot and saued him from the violence of the filthy Genes 18. Sodomites And when Abraham cast out * the bonde woman and her 21. 17. sonne the child being in perill of death an angell spake from heauen in mans voyce * Lykewise when Abrahams hand was 22 lifted vp to kill for sacrifice his sonne Isaack an angell spake from heauen to stay him * An angel inuisible without speach Gen. 24. 7. assisted Abrahams seruaÌ„t in his iorney from Canaan to Mesopetamia * The Angell of the Lorde went before and behinde the Israelites Exo. 14. 19. through the red Sea in a most miraculous cloude which gaue light to the Israelites in the night season and amazed the Egyptians with darknes in the day tyme. * The Angel of the Lord was sent before the Israelites to 23. 20. 23. 2. c. Num. 22. 23 driue out the seuen nations Cananites c. but no mention of likenes nor speach * An Angell of the Lorde stood in Balaams way with a â—aked sword in his haÌ„d to stay Balaam from going to get his gâ—ayne of the King of the Moabites * â—n angel Iudges 2. 1. of the lord came vp froÌ„ Gilgal to Bochun speaking in the person of man as did hee that spake to Abraham * an angel of 13. 3. the Lord appeared vnto Sampsons mother as a man from God fearefull to
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
Anwick his MEDITATIONS vpon Gods Monarchie and the Deuill his Kingdome AND Of the knowledge that Man in this life may obtaine of the almightie eternal and most glorious Godhed WITH other thinges not only worth the reading but also the marking and the retayning Wherein If Patience knovvledge reade And Charity giue eare Then slaunder nor enuye I shall not need to feare But if furious ignorance ioine with auctority Then truth must be silent and suffer the iniurie IMPRINTED AT LONDON BY Gerred Dewes dwelling in Powles Churchard at the signe of the Swan 1587. TO THE RIGHT HOnorable Sir Fraunces Walsingham Knight one of her Maiesties principall Secretaries and of her Highnes most Honorable priuie counsell I. A. wisheth the euerlasting blessing of God through Iesus Christ MOST HVMBLIE BEseeching your Honor that you take it hot for presumption that I haue dedicated vnto your Honor these my studious meditations vppon Gods Monarchie and the Deuilles Kingdome for it is holy and true doctrine grounded on the word of God which you haue loued and exercised euen from your youth especially sythens your Honors being in that honorable estate and office it is manifest and famously spred abroade that you haue bene not only aâ—e bolds fauourer but also an earnest furderer both of holy religion and of al other good actions for profit of the common weale Moreouer considering your fauorable curtesie towards me of so many yeares continuance I could not finde so fitte a Patrone as your honor vnder whose shade I might shield my selfe and my litle Booke from commune cauillers and such dayntie readers as looke more for Method and ornamentes of arte then for the goodnes in substaunce whereas the truth and goodnes of the matter haue no neede of such curiosities For truth deliteth to bee clothed with pure simplicitie and sincere playnnes to please God and not mans vanity Humblie desiring your Honor to accept them in good part for the debt which I owe vnto your Honor for your accustomed goodnes and curteous fauour alwayes towardes mee Thus wishing your Honors health and happines in the Lord Iesus and long continuance of lyfe amongst vs to the commodity of the Church and Common Weal I rest humblie at your Honors good pleasure and diuotion And with my continuall prayer I committe your Honor and all yours to the mercie and tuition of the Almighty Monarch through Christ Iesus our Lord who euer keepe your Honor from euill and with his holy Spirite gouerne your life and doings encrease and establish your fayth that your soule may cheerfully depart in his peace and bee receaued into his Heauenly ioy when your naturall dayes shall ende The often chaunging of the tyme Is a sure witnessing That of Earthly matter Age altereth all thing I. Anwick THE PREFACE TO the Reader FOr a while after the Gospell was freely preached in England there were but two sortes of people not 〈◊〉 knowen those were Papistes and Protestantes which diuersitie of names were deuised to put different 〈◊〉 true Christians and false Because all that were once vnder the Popes vsurped auctoririe were called Christians without distinction althouâ—h neither in the manners of their life nor in the matter of their beleefe they deserued so honorable a title But the loosenes of the times sithence hath bene such for want of correction of manners that there are now diuerse sectes wherof I wil touch one especially a third sort which are of no religion named Atheistes A people without God hauing no feeling of God nor knowledge of their owne horrible state * Neither here nor cold neither feeling their Reuel 3. 15 owne misery nor regarding their owne shame Of which wicked sort the nomber is now greatter in diuers landes then both of Papistes and Protestantes And they are so much worse and more pestiferous then the Papistes as they faine to bee of all religions as occasion and company may serue their turne And yet indeede are of no religion at all But because the Papistes religion is more pleasing vnto the carnall sences of man then the strait rules of the Gospell There is no doubt but they will ioyne with the Papistes against the Protestantes when any stirre happeneth for religion Which God forbid if it bee his holv will Therefore if such monsterous cloudes of Satans sleightes did not presently hang ouer our heads and therewithall such stinking mistes of horrible iniquity enclose vs round aboute euen readie to choake all our sences Satan therby endeuouring to seperate vs from God and his holy woord it might seeme too too curious a question to aske is there a God or no Seing that ther hath not bin nether yet is heard of so tude a Nation vnder the Sun that hath not â—n euery age imagined to themselues one thing or other of whom to craue helpe and woorship for a God Sauing this pestiferous kind of Deuils incarnat these Atheistes * who are the fooles that Dauid speaketh of that say Psal 14. â— Ephes 2 in their hartes there is no God * They are without Christ they are aliantes from the common weal of Israel they are straungers from the couenant they haue no hope because they think there is no God and vnlesse order were taken put in vre for correction of manners they would shortly become so brutish as to vtter it in speech Therfore seing this generation of viperoâ— Atheistes that say in their hartes there is no God do daily increase by the pestileut pollicy of Satan their father it is now most necessary in this daungerous time to declare vnto theÌ„ that they shall finde at last an almightie and euerlasting God euen he that is the onely Monarch of Heauen earth and Hel as holie Reuel 1. 1â— Scriptures teach which if they beleeue not the labor is lost on them For without fayth it is impossible to please God Therefore they that will come to God must first beleeue that God is and that hee is a most bountifull rewarder of them that seeke him and to all others a consuming fire It is the want of correction of manners that encourageth the wicked to do almost what they list The Papistes hope Papistes that they shal yet haue a day for their purpose And to that ende there haue bin great nombers of papisticall bokes froÌ„ beyond the Sea brought into the Realme whereof though a few were taken no doubt very many haue bin distributed among their sect Their confederacie must needes bee great for they haue had a long and a quiet time to consult and lay their plot togither with manie and sondry mighty fâ—endes c. The Atheistes and all other erronious sectes are careles setting their part at hazarde for it is all one to them concerning Religion which end goe forward so they may bee quiet by dissimulation But the Protestantes of this realm Protestants of all degrees I meane such as are true Christians indeede which are percel of Christ his litle flocke dispersed
did the office of an Apostle and seemed as honest and holy as the rest Euen so are all the wicked reprobate Gods enemies as deuils incarnate being lead with vncleane spirites subtle spirites dissembling spirites that can make them feem honest and godly and vse as great ciuilitie as they that are most Godly but God onely knoweth their secrets Thus by circumstances we may vnderstaÌ„d wherfore God ordained satan for his euerlasting enemy euery way to resist God al his goodnes euen to the same ende yâ— he raised vp hardned Pharoes hart against the Israelites to set out his owne glorie which is his chiefe scope in all his woords and deedes And yet is it not lawful for any man to seeke his own glorie for mankind onely was made to seeke and set forth the glory of God by words and writing which onely appertaine to men but God hymselfe is vnder no law therefore hee alone and none but hee may lawfully seeke his owne glory he being the Lord of all lawes and subiect to none And Satan is ignorant that God hath ordained him to the offâ—ce to resist him yea hee is so farre from seeking the glory of God that by his will hee would haue all the glory himselfe as when hee would haue had the sonne of God fal down and woorship him For God hath made Satan in comparison of his owne godly knowledge wisedome and power more inferiour then a dog to a godly wise man And in effect he is indeed but Gods bandogge which hee vseth to let flip to punish and torment his lawles swine which are godles and disordred people Diaboli semper est iniqua voluntas nunquam Grego est iniusta potestas quia voluntatem habet a se potestatem autem a Domino For Satans chiefe-industrie and naturall inclination is to seeke mans confusion so saieth saint Peter hee goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom hee may be 〈◊〉 euen forepointed of God to the same purpose That he should not only tempt and â—ntice the reiected of God to their utter damnation but also trouble â—â—xt and torment the â—ery elect of God 〈◊〉 and out 〈…〉 part of them to the committing of shamefull and most horrible thinges 〈◊〉 blasphemie murther adulterie fornication c. And by those meanes maketh some of them in a maner to dispaire of their saluation which thing king Dauid had felt when hee Psal 86. 13. said * great is thy mercy towardes me o Lord for thou hast deliuered my soule from the nethermost bell that is to say from damnatioÌ„ into the which mankind fell by Adams rebellion or disobedience Yf any man deny God to haue created all those spirites good which afterward of them selues became euill Yf any man deny God to haue forepoynted Satan and his Angels to be his aduersaries and consequently enemies to him and his electe Let him or them first graunt and confesse all the artiles of the true catholicke fayth and ground his or theire argumentes on the holy scriptures and say what they can to the contrary For I beleue in the father the sonne and the holy ghoste three persons but one God creator of heauen and earth and of all thinges visible and inuisible conteyned in them For hee is the only Monarch of all himselfe is all in all hee worketh all in all and yet can do no euill at all for he is the soueraigne goodnes it selfe and no poynt of euill in him therfore no euill can proceede from him All things without exception are his owne in eternall posession Therfore hee only and none but hee can or may iustly without addition of other words say thus I will do with myne owne as I liste Let such as deny those things answere to these questions 1 Fyrst how had those spirites theire lyfe and being if they were not fyrst the good creatures of God as man was at the fyrst and of himselfe became euill Neyther could the electe Angels nor mankind yet rest of them selues in the fauoure of God except they were sustayned in the same by his almighty power loue and infinite mercy 2 How became Satan and his trayne euerlasting enemies to God and his elect without Gods forepoyntment doth any thing happen vnwares to God so to say were blasphemie 3 How came Satan his angels by yâ— naturall disposition to go about lyke roring Lyons seking whoÌ„ they may deâ—our 4 How could Gods angels fall from heauen without Gods wil and forepointment seing * a sparrow falleth not to the Matth. 6. ground nor a hayre from ones head without the fathers will 5 Whether or no hath Satan power of him selfe or doth hee receaue it from God or is hee so stâ—â—â—g that God can not rule him or is God â—â—oubles with Satans pestiferouse stuâ—bernes and most cruell rages or doth hee suffer him or any of his adherents eyther bodely or ghostly to worke any thing agaynst his almighty power and vnresistable will Let these bee answered yea or nay For I hold the Lords will to bee an euerlasting lawe passing the * lawe of the Medes Dan. 6. 12. 15. and Persians which might not bee altered For if any of those foresayde things haue bene be nowe or shal be hereafter then where is our fayth of Gods almightines for if there be eyther fortune misfortune chaunce mischaunce soden fall or working of any thing whereby good or bad might or can bee done vnwares of God or agaynst his will then were hee not almighty as all true Christians doth know and beleue him to bee It is a knowne thing to euery one that in a great house there must bee officers for euery office and seruantes of each 2. Tim. 2. â—0 degree and vessels for all purposes Heauen Earth and Hell haue many mansions and yet but one great house for Gods vse and purpose Therefore I conclude as before mentioned God hath ordeined officers and ministers throughout all his dominions And Satan among the rest to be his eternall hangman namely in this world by him and his adherents Gods executioners to punish veâ—e and torment as wel the elect as the reprobate as pleaseth God to appoint both by the ministery of Satan and yet the one in mercy the other in iustice For Satan can not doe what he desireth nor so much as he willeth For then he would confound al But God hath appointed his limits which hee cannot passe nor doe one lot more or lesse then hee is forepointed â—or so much as touch any creatures except God commaund For * hee and his traine Mar. 5. 9. Luk. 8. 20. could not enter in the Swine but by li 〈…〉 and commaundement Neither could hee haue asked leaue except the secret power of God had constrained him so to doe thereby to confesse himselfe subiect to the power of God in such sort as it is not in himselfe to moue â—â—ther â—◠〈◊〉 but by Gods appointment For â— God sent or euil spirit to vexe king
him appoynted in his holy worde by which wee are to receaue his giftes and spirituall graces which lye hidden in many people for want of Godly exercises wherin wee ought to bee occupied Therfore * wee must stirre vp the giftes of God that are in vs as Paule admonished Timothy the meanes are hearing 2 Tim. 1. 6. reading and folloing the holy scriptures and holy wrytings and preachings grounded thereon For as God is the soueraigne goodnes it selfe euen so all goodnes cometh from him * euery good gifte and euery perfect gift cometh downe Iam. 1. from the father of light and his holy spirit mouing vs wee thinke good thoughts speake good words and do good dedes and not otherwise For when soeuer we thinke speake or do if it bee good * it is God that worketh in vs both the will and Phil. 2. 13. 1 Cor. 3. 6. the deede * For of our selues wee cannot thinke a good thought And contrarywise Satan is the capitall euil and the extreme euill it selfe * for hee is the tempter which by his Angels and worldly adherents puts all euill thoughts into meÌ„s Matt. 4. 3. Gen. 3. 1. 2. Iohn 13. 2. hartes * Thus hee delte with Eue and so disceaued Adam * hee put in the harte of Iudas Iscariote to betray his maister Therefore all wicked motions and filthy thoughts are stirred vp by the Deuill in our corrupt nature wee being his subiects For by Adams fall wee are all in Satans possession And it is the batayle of mans lyfe to striue agaynst his temptations agaynst infidelity pryde of the minde and lustes of the flesh Therfore our sauiour hath taught vs to pray to bee deliuered from euill from which wee cannot kepe our selues without God his especiall grace gouerning vs by his Spirit OF GODS ETERNALL PVRPOSE of chosing and refusing of mankind of the anoiance that it receiueth by Satan and his angels CAP. 6. NOw to proue Gods eternal purpose of election and reiection of man Male and Female * wee know that all thinges worke for the Rom. 8. 28. 9 11. Gen. 25. 23. Exo. 33. 19. Malac. 1. 2. best to them that loue God euen to them that are called of purpose * And of the children not yet borne hauing done neither good nor euil it is written I haue loued Iacob and haue hated Esaw that the promise of God might stande according to the election and not by woorkes but by him that calleth what shall wee say then is there vnrighteousnes with God God forbid For hee sayth to Moses I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy and haue compassion on whom I wil haue compassion So then election is not in him that willeth nor in him that ronneth But in God that sheweth mercy on whom it pleaseth him Psalm 107 8. 15. Rom 9 16. Exo. 9. 16. * Oh that men would therefore feare the Lord and declare the woonders that hee doth amongest men * For hee sayeth vnto Pharao for this purpose haue I raysed thee vp that I might shew my power in thee that my name might bee declared through al the Earth Behold to what end God hardned Pharaos heart euen to the same ende as hee before the world was had ordeined the fall of Angels and of men to shewefoorth his glorye and himselfe to bee the wonderfull God of mercy and iustice Then thou wilt say why doth hee yet complayne who can resist his will Saynt Paul correcteth that question saying Rom. 9. 20. * Oh man what art thou that disputest agaynst God Shall the thing formed say vnto him that formed it why hast thou made mee thus hath not the potter power ouer the clay euen of one and the same lumpe to make one vessel to honor and another to dishonor What if it please God to shew his wrath to make his power knowen in suffering with long patience the vessels of wrath ordayned and prepared to destruction and damnation and that hee might declare the ritches of his mercy vpon the vessels of mercy prepared vnto glory The text is playne inough that some are ordayned and prepared to saluation and other some to damnation And our Sauiour Christ sayth of the reprobate whom God hath refused * that God hath blinded their eies and hardned their Iohn 12. 40 hartes least they should see vnderstand and beleue and be conuerted that hee might heale them Moreouer * God did Ephe. 1. 4. elect whom pleased him euen before the foundation of the World was layed and those hee did forepoint to be adopted in Christ Iesus vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will that they might loue him For * all things work for the best to them that loue God euen to them that are called Behold the purpose of God Rom. 8. 33. of purpose And those whom hee knew before hee did forepoint and called them effectually and those he iustified those he also glorifyed * Who shal then lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen whoÌ„he doth iustify And that which the Lord hath decreed who shal make it void Thus it is manifest Esai 14. 27 46. 10. by the holy Scriptures that God did elect and reiecte whom it pleased him aswel of Angels as of men euen before the world was And al for his own purpose to shew forth his own glory himself to be the glorious God of mercy and iustice For God is glorifyed and magnifyed as much in his iustice as in his mercy for if both Angels and men had not sinned and by sinne fallen from theyr blessed state the mercy and iustice of God had neuer bene fâ—lonor spoken of amongst men But so it pleased God to deale with his own And what shal any man get to reason why or wherefore hee hath done this or that It behoueth men rather to feare him and prayse his holy name in beholding his wonderfull and passing terrible workes For hee being Monarch of all power and dominion hath all thinges in euerlasting possession therefore hee only and none but hee may doe with his owne what hee list No man can iustly say that any thing which hee possesseth is properly his owne because God hath but lent it him for a tyme. And yet there are few so ill mannered as to control any man for vsing that which God hath lent him because it is called his owne and shal wee vse lesse reuerence to God theÌ„ we do to men God sayth by his prophet * the sonne doth honor his father Malac. 1. 6. the seruant doth feare his Lord If I bee then your father where is then myne honor If I be your Lord where is the feare yee ought to haue of mee our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs by the example of the * murmuring labourers who were Mat. 20. 11 sharply rebuked for grudging agaynst the liberality of the Lord of the vineyard which is this almighty Monarch and bountifull God that dealeth so frankly and
the glory of God but how they doe hee best knoweth that is forepoynted to audice their accomptes And although Satan and his trayne both bodily ghostly do euermore deuise mischiefe as is their nature for they can not doe otherwise yet God as often as pleaseth him turneth their wicked purposes the contrary way As when Ioseph his brethren by Satans working in some of them did seeke to kill the poore Innocent the holy ghost wrought in other some of them to withstand that wicked purpose and when some of them had executed their malice by selling him into Egypt for a slaue because hee was so dearly beloued of his father they hated him their malicious entent was neuer to haue seene him agayne And yet it pleased God to turne their mallice and spitefull wicked entent to goodnes vppon themselues Gen. 45. 5. 8 * as Ioseph told them when he made himselfe knowne vnto them yea Ioseph denied it to bee their deede and sayde playnly it was the woorke of God and not theirs And yet it is most true they did it in hatred by Satans working in theÌ„ If wee marke the course of holy Scriptures deuour mens writinges on the same wee shall finde it manifest that euen froÌ„ the beginning the holy ghost hath euer wrought in those whom God hath chosen to their saluation And Satan and his Angels in those whom God hath left vnchosen euer worketh to their damnation And the same seueral working shall continue vnto the ende of this world for as in euery kingdome vertuous or vitious folks are in auctority the common weale for religion frameth accordingly If wee note well the succession of the kinges of Iehudah among two or three and twenty kinges euen from the first king vnto the captiuity of Babilon there are scant fyue praysed for truth honesty and zeale in holy religion Gods true seruice And likewise of the nobility counsellers and maiestrates not one among twenty yâ— rightly and zelously fauoured holy religion which notwithstanding was their profession as now it is ours they bragging stil of the temple of the Lord and wee of the Gospel And yet indeede they did neyther rightly esteeme of Gods holy Law nor yet of his holy seruice in his temple The Princes and states of Israell were reproued for their Ier. 7. 1. 10. 5. 1 Cor. 1. â— 6 Mat. 20. â—6 negligence in Gods seruice * And Saynt Paul telleth vs that not many ritch not many noble not many of high degree are called to saluation much lesse chosen For * many are called but few are chosen of mankinde in generall And this I say that the greatest punishment that God casteth on mankind in this lyfe is to withdraw his holy spirite from him and turne him loose to follow his owne lustes wherein Satan dandles him like a poppit and none are sooner trapt in Satans snaâ—e then some mighty by reason of nobility and wealth being often so affected that none may admonish them without their displeasure But such as can flatter lye and vse pleasant speach suffering them to follow their lustes and desyres such they haue in great estimation Example When the forepoynted tyme of Ahabs confusion drew neare Satan put an ambitious toy in his head to conquer Ramoth in Gilead and when hee sought counsell concerning his enterprise * God sent lying 1 Reg. 22. 20. spirites into the mouthes of foure himdreth of his Prophets to encourage him in his purpose whose counsell hee followed to his destruction hee went on greedily thinking to haue returned a conquerour and was brought home a dead carcas Micheas the prophet of God told him the truth onely hee was beaten for his labour and put in prison Thus as * all thinges worke for the best to them that loue Rom. 8. 28. God euen so to them that loue him not all thinges woorke to the contrary Experience teacheth that the Eliments water ayre earth fyre al the planets signes as Sunne Mone and Stars blustring winds tempests venemous wormes wilde and cruell beastes are Gods instrumentes which he giueth in to satans power sometimes to execute Gods forepointmeÌ„t vpon the reprobate alwayes to theyr confusion sometime vpon the elect for punishment of their sins God thereby calling theÌ„ to repentaÌ„ce as he did Dauid c. The text is plain sataÌ„ was yâ— executioner of gods holy work vpoÌ„ Iob other his seruaÌ„ts Therefore let vs note the discourse by what meanes Satan The meanes and instrumentes by which God worketh Ephes 22. wrought and what instrumentes hee vsed to afflict Iob. * First he stirred vp the ShebaÌ„s on the one side which slue his seruants draue away his Oxen. Secondly Satan brought fire from Heauen * hee being the Prince that ruleth in the ayre and burnt vp his Sheepe and seruantes Thirdly hee stirred vp the Caldeans who came with violence on the other part and both slew his seruantes and draue away his camels Fourthly with a mighty blast of wynde he threw downe the house vppon his Sonnes and Daughters and kild them all so much as God gaue into his power so much hee vtterly deuoured according to his tyrannous nature And yet very ill content that hee could not touch Iobs person which at length hee gaue into his power sauing his life And what sayeth the Text Satan went foorth from the presence of the Lord and smote Iob with sore byles from the soale of the foote vnto the crowne of the head Note it wel he went foorth from the presence of the Lord to doe those things For by this history of Iob it appeareth that deadly enemies Theeues the fyer and the tempestious windes were Satans instrumentes by God his sufferance to afflict Iob and to try his fayth whom neuerthelesse God himselfe commendeth for an vpright iust man fearing God eschewing euil whose witnes is very sufficient to approue the honesty of man Now if the opinions of Heathen Philosophers and some called Christians bee true that the corruption of the ayre commes by concurrences and influences of the planets and signes and of their distemperature commes murrians pestilences botches blaynes burning feuers and other diseases then it should seeme by their opinion that those insencible creatures worke of themselues and cast foorth their effectes at a venture here and there without Gods forepointment which to graunt is a great absurdity and derogation of Gods almightines Yea there are verie many men that haue their wittes so entangled with fancies of Astrologie and Astronomie that they wil take on them to giue a naturall reason for the secret workes of God as though they were subiect to mans corrupt sences Or as though the Elementes planets and signes could breake their naturall courses without Gods forepointment But in this matter of Iob there is no mention of planets nor signes albeit I confesse them to be Gods creatures made to his glory and vse of mankinde and instrumentes by whom hee woorketh his good pleasure for the
cause of death and not lyfe and yet it is ordayned of God purposely for maÌ„kind to fight vnder during this transitory life especially such as wil liue godly honestly must fight mightely For who so leaues this lawe and yeelds to his lust standes for the present in state of damnation from the which by grace and repentance in this life he may bee recouered but not after this corporall death for in Hell is no redemption Therefore let all that beleeue the woord of God know by 1 Thes 4. 7 the same * That God hath not called vs that be true Christians to vncleannes but vnto holinesse That is not onely to beleeue in Christ Iesus but also to walke in Gods holy law * whereof hee came not to breake one iott Matt. 5. 17. 18. But wee must not trust to bee saued by the obseruation thereof nor by our good woorkes For in that behalfe we shall finde the same holy law no better or surer vnto vs then a broken staffe wherewith a man thinkes to leape ouer a brook and it lettes him fall in the middest For the law was not giuen to iustifye but to condempne * For if there had Gal. 3. 21. bene a law giuen which could haue giuen life then righteousnes had come by the Law But seeyng it is not so * as many as seeke iustification by the deedes of the Law are cursed because they continue not in all the thinges written in the Booke of the Law * Therefore by the dredes of the Law no flesh shall be iustifyed Rom. 3. 20. This seemeth a very hard matter and to meare naturall wisedome more then strange that men are bound to keepe a Law that is not in theyr power to keepe damned for breaking it And yet it helpeth not to saluation if they could keepe it * Few Maysters thanke their seruants for doing their bouÌ„den Luk. 17. 9. 10. seruice yea though wee could doe all that is commaunded yet we must say wee are vnprofitable seruauntes To what end then should wee stryue to keepe the Law by which wee are damned for breaking it and nothing helped towarde saluation for keeping it if it were in our power to fulfill it If there were none other reason but that God for his pleasure hath commaunded it euen that to al people fearing God is a sufficient reason But yet this is more by endeuoring of our selues to the vttermost of our power to keepe the Law and being sory for breaking it wee shew our selues willing in all that wee may wee shew our loue and obedience towardes our heauenly father Who although it were his pleasure to commaund vs more then now we are able to fulfill yet wee cease not with care study prayer fasting almes deedes of charity and all that wee can to come as neere the marke as is possible And so doing wee shew our selues thankful to God for sending his onely Sonne Christ Iesus noâ— onely to obserue and fulfill the straytnes of the sayd Law for vs to the vttermost iotte that could be layde to our charge But also he payed the penalty for vs which wee could neuer haue satisfyed For hee suffered the very extremity of Gods iustice in his agony being nayled on the Crosse which the damned soules haue suffered sithens they left theyr bodies in earth and after the resurrection shall take theyr bodies agayne and suffer euerlasting torment Thus though we walke neuer so carefull 〈◊〉 â—â—igently in keeping the Law yet let vs rest vpon 〈◊〉 offering of the body of Christ Iesus which in the 〈…〉 all counsel was â—â—â—yned and forepoynted for the samâ— purpose to bee a lyuely sacrifyce once for all by the which hee deserued saluation not for him selfe but for all that should truely beleeue and trust in him Therefore of right saluation appertayneth vnto vs that so beleeue as duly and iustly as though we could or had deserued it our selues These great benefytes considered it is both good reason and right that we should not onely offer but also endeuour our selues with al reuerence of hart hand body soule and all that is within vs to doe whatsoeuer hee commaundeth without grudging or vaine disputation namely to endeuour and payne our selues to keepe his holy law onely because he doth commaund the same So shall all those with whom wee are conuersant bee witnesse of the loue wee beare to God in Christ Iesus who sayth * if yee loue me Iohn 14. 15 Iohn 13. 34 Mat. 22. 37 10. 40. Rom. 13. 10 1 Iohn 4. 8. 16. keepe my commaundementes * For when he gaue that new commaundement hee brake no iott of the old But gaue the summe of all saying * to loue God aboue all things and thy neighbour as thy selfe * is the fulfilling of the Law For God is loue therefore hee that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him OF THE BRODE AND NARROW wayes of the wide and the strait gates and of the litle infinite flocke which God hath chosen to saluation litle infinite in comparison of the great infinite multitudes which God hath left vnchosen which are his refused people reprobate CAP. 10. IT is no meruayle though there be an infinite nomber of sects of heresies fonde religions and false opinions touching God and godlines among so innumerable and passing infinite nombers of multitudes of people which by multiplication of generation from Adam and Eue haue encreased liued a 〈…〉 died froÌ„ age to age and yet are liuing vppon the sundry soyles of the Earth For God hath made them all and ordayned some to saluation and some to damnation And therefore there are also two wayes appoynted a brode and euill way lykewyse a narrow and good way The brode and euill way is so playne and easy to keepe that who soeuer is in it cannot of himselfe go out of the way though he would which poynt of the compasse soeuer hee turne himselfe vnto vnlesse God by his holy Spirite leade him out Contrariwise the narrow and good way is so streyte and difficult to keepe that man of him selfe cannot walke vprightly in it without swaruing and stackering lyke a dronkard euery minute vnlesse God by his holy spirit sustayne him Lykewyse of the strayte and wyde gates The strayt gate is ordayned for the * litle flock to enter in which God hath chosen Luc. 12. 32. Mat. 5. 3. 10 to himself * such as are pore in spirit such as mourn wanting comfort such as are humble and meeke in hart such as hunger and thirst for righteousnes such as are mercifull and haue good conscience peace makers such as suffer persecution for Gods holy religion finally in such as beleeue truly in God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost the wide gate is for the high and proude minded Idolaters blaspheâ—mers extortioners doers of wrong murtherers adulterers fornicators such as are worldly wise and think the preaching of the Gospel foolishnes For thus it is written by way of
exhortation * Stryue to Mat. 7. 13. Luc. 13. 24. enter in at the strayt gate For wyde is the gate and brode is the way that leadeth to destruction and many goe in thereat but strayte is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth vnto lyfe and few there bee that finde it Few in comparison of all the world * For many are called few are chosen And as Mat. 20. 16. of the brode and narrow wayes and of the wyde and strayte gates euen so of the opinions and conceiptes of mens minds in general which are more then infinite And yet al erronious and false concerning God and godlines whatsoeuer is conceaued and vttered by any of mankind except such as are guided by the spirit of God For if a good thought come to mynd wee fetch it not of our owne power for there is no ability in vs * to thinke a good thought For when any man thinketh 2 Cor. 3. â— doth any thing well in godlines it is God that woorketh in him both the will and the deede Now is there none righteous but those whom God hath elected to saluation in Christ Iesus by whom they are made righteous And yet those righteous fall so often into the daunger of Satan by sinne that they haue greate cause to feare and tremble at the fierce assaults of the enemies of their soules Satan and his adherentes both bodily and ghostly who doe woorke by such intricate flattering allurementes and perilous pleasaunt enti ementes or else by such furious and fumes of anger malice hatred and reuengement as should deceaue if it were possible the very elect of their saluation But holy Scriptures doe affirme auouch and confirme that Gods election cannot fayle What though many doubt of the stability thereof and would if they might for shame say there were no such thing But because it is so playnly set downe in holy Scriptures and in so many places that it cannot bee denied The Papistes are constrayned to gloze vpon the text and wrest it as followeth God doth choose daily such Papistes glose vpon the text as hee knoweth wil bee faythful and doe good woorkes Lo they imagin God to know by calculation at their birth as Astronomers take on them to doe As though man could become good of him selfe or any goodnes fall into him by any other meane then from God onely which to think is a shamefull grosse error Others obiect that if his election fayle not and that his choice was before the world began then say they how could Gods elect in Adam be subiect to his offence and change their blessed estate before their being in the world This may seeme a curious question * which S. Paul did Titus 3. 9. wil to bee stayed for that the impaciency of men is such as not to reason thereof without being angry and thinking euil one of another And yet the matter easy to bee decided being handled with reuerence in the feare of God True it is that Gods elect did offend in Adam before their being in the World For Adam purchased to himselfe and to his posterity by his infidelity pride and disobedience damnation both of soule and body therefore all his corrupt posterity by nature of neceâ—â—ity must be pertakers of yâ— cursed purchase and damnable inheritance And albeit Gods elect in Adam did chaunge their blessed state and were vtterly damned Yet for all that Gods election fayled not For by that offence of Adam it was forepointed * that all should be Gal. 3. 22. Exo. 33. 19 Rom. 9. 13. shut vp vnder sinne to the ende that God might shew mercy on all whom it pleased him It is most true that all mankinde both elected and reiected chosen and refused were damned in Adam by his disobedience And yet the forepointed by election which hee had forechosen in Christ Iesus were euen then by his death redeemed agayne the promise being made * that the seed of the woman Gen. 3. 15. should breake the head of the serpent and pull out of satans power and possession such as pleased him So that the elect the redeemed and sanctifyed in Christ Iesus by his merits and righteousnes onely are made righteous and therefore though * they fal they shall not be cast away For God Psal 38. 24. shall geue them grace and power to ryse agayne by repentance and so cannot the reiected doe because it pleased not God to geue them that grace and power * For none can come Iohn 6. 44. 14. 6. to the Sonne except the Father draw him * none can come to the Father but by the Sonne Thus it is euident that the fall of mankynde into condemnation 2 Tim 2. 19 was no hindrance to Gods election * For the fouâ—dation of God remayneth and hath these wordes for a seale The Lord knoweth who are his Therefore let euery one that calleth on the name of the Lord Iesus depart from iniquitie and not follow their sinfull lustes and flatter themselues with fayth onely iustifyeth For albeit I confesse the sentence to bee most true yet I wish none to stande in their own conceiptes to thinke they haue that they haue not For there is great difference betweene the shadow and the body false and true faith For true fayth can bee no more without good workes then the Sunne without light or the fyre without heate Thus wee see that mankinde is deuided in two sorts some to saluation some to damnation the reprobate are damned through their owne default for their iust desertes the elect are saued through Gods mere mercy in Christ Iesus not for their owne desertes So was his good pleasure to doe with his owne And it is more then mere madnes to argue why he hath done this or that * There is written sufficiently to answere Exo. 33. 19. Rom. 9. 10. c. all curious questions whatsoeuer Now if these thinges seeme strange hard rigorous cruel and agaynst reason in some mens iudgementes let them neuer trouble their heads with musing on the matter for it wil not helpe but rather with all humility let them returne vnto the true obedience of this incomprehensible this euerlasting this almighty and passing woonderfull Godhed And although men cannot obserue the Law yet let them confesse it to bee most righteous let them loue it let them put all their care and desire to obserue and keepe it let them bee sory when they breake it thereunto let them adde true holy obedience to God the Father stedfast and true fayth feare and loue in Christ Iesus crauing alwayes the gouernance of the holy ghost not trusting any thing in their owne strength or good woorkes And they that are thus affected may certainly and without doubt assure themselues that God hath chosen them to saluation and made them ioynt heires of his kingdome in and with his Sonne Christ Iesus the right heire thereof and elder Brother of all the children of