whereby it commeth to passe that by how much wee ouer-valued it in the pursuite by so much we vnder-value it in the possession And so in stead of giuing Thankes to God for the good wee haue receiued wee complaine of the inconueniences that adhere thereunto and so much vnderprise it as it falleth short of our expectation and looke how farre wee doe vnderprise it so farre are we vnthankfull for it To remoue this Impediment who euer would bee thankfull let him moderate his desires after these outward things fore-cast as well the inconueniencies that follow them as the commodities they bring with them lay the one against the other and prepare as well to disgest the one as to enjoy the other The last Impediment of Thankfulnesse is Carnall securitie joyned euer with Delayes and Procrastinations §. 64.5 Delay When we receiue any thing from God wee know we should giue him thankes for it and it may be we thinke of doing such a thing but wee thinke withall another day will serue the turne and so we put it of for the present and so forwards from time to time till in the end we haue quite forgotten both his Benefite and our owne Duty and neuer performe any thing at all My Text doth after a sort meete with this corruption for heere the Apostle saith the Creature should be receiued with Thankeâ—giuing as if the thankes should goe with the receipt the * Qui gratus futurus est statum dum accepit de reddendo cogitat Senec. 2. de benef 25. receipt and the thankes both together To remoue this Impediment consider how in euery thing delayes are hurtfull and dangerous how our affections are best and hottest at the first and doe in processe of time insensibly deaden and at last dye if we doe not take the opportunity and strike as wee say whilest the jron is hot how that if pretensions of other businesses or occasions may serue the turne to put off the tendering of our deuotions and rendering of our thankes to God the Diuell will bee sure to suggest â—now of these pretensions into our heads and to prompt vs continually with such allegations that wee shall neuer be at leasure to serue God and to giue him thankes §. 65. The fourth Inference and the Conclusion of all Let vs remember these fiue Impediments and beware of them Pride Enuy Epicurisme Worldly Carefulnesse and Delay All which are best remedyed by their contraries Good helpes therefore vnto thankfulnesse are 1. Humilitie and Self-deniall 2. Contentednesse and Selfe-suffiâ—ency 3. Painfulnesse and Sobrietie 4. The Moderation of our desires after earthly things 5. Speed and Maturitie And so much for this third Inference of Direction I should also haue desired if the time would haue permitted although my Text speaketh of our Thankesgiuing vnto God precisely as it respecteth the Creature yet to haue improued it a little farther by a fourth Inference that if wee be thus bound to giue God thankes for these outward blessings how much more ought wee then to abound in all thankfulnesse vnto him for his manifold a Ephes. 1.3 Spirituall blessings in heauenly things in Christ for Grace and Election for Mercy and Redemption for Faith and Iustification for Obedience and Sanctification for Hope and Glorification If wee ought to pray for and to giue thankes for our b Math. 6.11 daily bread which nourisheth but our bodyes and then is c Math. 15.17 cast into the draught and both it and our bodyes perish how much more for that d Ioh. 6.51 Bread of life which came downe from Heauen and feedeth our Soules vnto eternall life and neither they nor it can perish If wee must say for that Giue vs this day our daily bread shall we not much more say for this e Ioh. 6.34 Lord euermore giue vs this bread But I haue done Beseech we now Almighty God to guide vs all with such holy discretion and wisedome in the free vse of his good Creatures that keeping our selues within the due bounds of Sobriety Charity and ciuill Duty wee may in all things glorifie God and aboue all things and f Ephes. 5.20 for all things giue thankes alwayes vnto God and the Father in the name of our Lord IESVS CHRIST To which our Lord Iesus Christ the blessed Sonne of God together with the Father the Holy Spirit three Persons and one only wise gracious and euerliuing God bee ascribed as is most due by vs and his whole Church all the Kingdome the Power and the glory both now and for euermore Amen Amen Here endeth the first Sermon A SERMON PREACHED AT St. PAVLES Crosse Aprill 15. GEN. 20.6 And God said vnto him in a dreame Yea I know that thou diddest this in the integritie of thine heart For I also with-held thee from sinning against mee therefore suffered I thee not to touch her FOr our more profitable vnderstanding of which words §. 1. The Occasion it is needfull we should haue in remembrance the whole storie of this present Chapter of which storie these words are a part And thus it was Abraham commeth with Sarah his wife and their family as a Stranger to sojourne among the Philistims in Gerar couenanteth with her before-hand thinking thereby to prouide for his owne safetie because she was beautifull that they should not bee to know that they were any more then Brother and Sister Abimilech King of the place heareth of their comming and of her beauty sendeth for them both enquireth whence and who they were heareth no more from them but that shee was his Sister dismisseth him taketh her into his house Hereupon God plagueth him and his house with a strange Visitation threatneth him also with Death giueth him to vnderstand that all this was for taking another mans wife Hee answereth for himselfe God replyeth The Answere is in the two next former Verses the Reply in this and the next following verse §. 2. Scope His answere is by way of Apologie hee pleadeth first his Ignorance and then and thence his Innocence a Vers. 4 5. And hee said Lord wilt thou slay also a righteous Nation Said not hee vnto me shee is my Sister and shee euen shee her selfe said He is my Brother in the integrity of my â—eart and innocency of my hands haue I done this That is his Plea Now God replyeth of which reply letting pafse the remainder in the next verse which concerneth the time to come so much of it as is contained in this verse hath reference to what was already done and past and it meeteth right with Abimelechs answere Something he had done and something he had not done he had indeed b Vers. 2. taken Sarah into his house but he had c Vers. 4. not yet come neere her For that which he had done in taking her he thought he had a just excuse and he pleadeth it hee did not know her to bee another mans wife and
conditions nothing is to bee refused By which Refusall the Apostle meaneth not a bare forbearance of the things for that we both may and in many cases ought so to reâ—use some of the Creatures shall anone appeare but the thing he forbiddeth is the forbearance of the Creature as vpon immediate tye of Conscience viz. eyther out of a superstitious opinion of the vnlawfulnesse of any creature for some supposed naturall or legall vncleannesse in it or out of a like superstitious opinion of some extraordinary perfection or operatiue and effectuall holinesse in such refusall The Point is this All the Creatures of God are lawfull for vs to vse so as it is against Christian liberty eyther to charge the vse of them with sinne or to place holinesse in the abstaining from them §. 12. Without eyther sinne in the vse Our Apostle often teacheth this Point In Rom. 14. at Psal. 20. d Rom. 14.20 All things are pure and at Psa. 14 there he deliuereth it as a certaine truth and vpon knowledge e Ibid. 14. I know and am perswaded by the Lord Iesus that there is nothing vncleane of it selfe and therefore he imputeth it as an errour and weakenes in judgement to them that refused some kind of meates out of a superstitious opinion or but timorous feare of their vnlawfulnes at Psal. 2. f Ibid 2. One beleeueth hee may eate all things another who is weake eateth hearbes And in 1. Cor. 10. g 1. Cor. 10.25 Whatsoeuer is sold in the shambles that eate asking no question for Conscience sake and anon Psal. 27 h Ibid 27. if an vnbelieuer bid you to a feast and you be disposed to goe Whatsoeuer is set before you eate asking no question for conscience sake And to the end we might know the libertie he there giueth to extend to all other Creatures as well as meates he pronounceth of them all vniuersally at Psal. 23 i Ibid. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things are lawfull for me And so he doth in Tit. 1.15 vniuersally too k Tit. 1.15 Omnia munda mundis To the pure all things are pure From all which Testimonies wee may conclude there is no vnlawfulnesse or impurity in any of the Creatures but that wee may with security of conscience freely vse them without sinne If wee vse them doubtingly against Conscience or indiscreetly against Charity or otherwise inordinately against Sobrietie they become indeed in such cases sinfull vnto vs But that is through our default not theirs who sinfully abuse that which wee might lawfully vse And that abuse of ours neither l Rom. 14.14 defileth the things themselues nor ought to m 1. Cor. 10.29 30. preiudice the liberty of another that may vse them well And as there is no sinne in the vse §. 13. Or merit in the forbearance so neither is there any religion or perfection to be placed in the refusall of any of Gods Creatures Rather on the contrary to abstaine from any of them out of a conceit of any such perfection or holinesse is it selfe a sinfull superstition Our Apostle ranketh it with Idolatrous n Col. 2.16 c. Angel-worship and condemneth it as a Will-worship Colos. 2. from â—s 16. to the end of the Chapter The subiecting of our selues to those and such like ordinances Touch not tast not handle not though it may haue a shew of wisedome in will-worship and in a voluntary humility and neglecting of the body yet it is derogatory to that liberty wherein Christ hath set vs free and a reuiuing of those rudiments of the world from which we are dead with Christ. Euery Creature of God is good and nothing to be refused out of a superstitious either feare of vnlawfulnesse or opinion of holines Now the Ground of this our Right or Liberty vnto the Creatures is double the one §. 14. Our right by Creation Gods ordinance at the first Creation the other Christs purchase in the worke of Redemption At the Creation God made all thinges for mans vse as hee did man for his owne seruice and as he reserued to himselfe his absolute Soueraignty ouer Man so he gaue vnto man a kind of limited o Gen. 1.26 Soueraignty ouer the Creatures in Gen. 1. p Psal. 8.6 quod nos in hoc pulcher rimo domicitio vuluerunt Dij secundas fortiri quod terenis prafecerunt Sen. 2. de benef 29. He hath put all things in subiection vnder our feete saith Dauid Psal. 8. Which dominion ouer the Creatures was one speciall branch of that glorious q Gen. 1 27. Image of God in vs after which wee were created and therefore was not nor could be absolutely r Bonis naturae maâ—a aduentitia dam non succedunt se. laccedunt tuâ—pant vtique ea non exterminant â—oÌ„turbant non deturbant Bern. in Cant. Ser. 82. lost by sinne but onely decayed and defaced and empaired as the other branches of that Image were So that albeit man by sinne lost a great part of his Soueraignty s Chrysâ—st in Gen hom 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as speaketh St. Chrisostome especially so farre as concerneth the execution of it many of the Creatures being now rebellious noysome vnto Man and vnanswering his commands and expectations yet the Right still remaineth euen in corrupt nature there are still to be found some tracings and Characters as in Man of superioritie so in them of subiection But those t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc. 4. de fid Orthod 4. dimme and confused and scarce legible as in old Marbles and Coines and out-worne Inscriptions we haue much a doe to find out what some of the letters were §. 15. And Redemption But if by sinne we had lost all that first title we had to the Creature wholly and vtterly yet God hath been pleased graciously to deale with vs we are fully as well as before God the Father hath graunted vs and God the Sonne hath acquired vs and God the Holy Ghost hath sealed vs a new Patent By it whatsoeuer Defect is or can be supposed to be in our old Evidence is supplyed and by vertue of it we may make fresh challenge and renue our claime vnto the Creatures The blessed Sonne of God u Col. 1.20 hauing made peace through the blood of his Crosse hath reconciled vs to his Father and therein also reconciled the Creatures both to vs and him reconciling by him saith our Apostle Col. 1.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things not men onely vnto himselfe For God hauing giuen vs his Sonne x Heb. 1.2 the heyre of all things hath he not y Rom. 8.32 with him giuen vs all things else hath he not permitted vs the free vse of his Creatures in as ample Right as euer z Ioh. 8.36 If the Sonne haue made vs free we are free indeede And as verily as Christ is Gods so verily if we be Christs all
ill-ayred a fourth ill-neighboured This z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iude 16. grudging and repining at our portions and faulting of Gods guifts so frequent among vs argueth but too much the vnthankfulnes of our hearts §. 49. III. Retribution the Fifth The last thing required vnto Thankefulnesse after a faithfull Acknowledgement of the receipt and a just Valuation of the thing receiued is Retribution and Requitall And that must be reall if it be possible but at the least it must be votall in the Desire and Endeauour And herein also as in both the former there may be a double faile if hauing receiued a benefit we requite it either not at all or ill Not to haue any care at all of Requitall is the fifth degree of Vnthankfulnes To a Requitall as you a See before §. 38. heard Iustice bindeth vs either to the party himselfe that did vs the good turne if it may be and bee either expedient or needfull or at the least to his Dauid retained such a gratefull memory of Ionathans true friendship and constant affection to him that after he was dead and gone he hearkned after some of his good friends that he might requite Ionathans loue by some kindnesse to them b 2. Sam. 9.1 Is there yet any left of the house of Saul that I may shew him kindnesse for Ionathans sake And surely hee were a very vnthankfull wretch that hauing bin beholden to the Father as much as his life and liuely-hood is worth would suffer the Son of so well deseruing a father to perish for want of his helpe and would not straine himselfe a little euen beyond his power if need were to succour him Indeed to God as we heard we can render nothing that is worthy the name of Requitall wee must not so much as thinke of that But yet somewhat we must doe to expresse the true and vnfained thankfulnesse of our hearts which though it bee nothing lesse yet it pleaseth him for Christs sake to interpret as a Requitall And that to Him and His To Him by seeking his glory to His by the fruites of our Christian Charity We aduenture our states and liues to maintaine the honour and safety of our Kings in their just warres from whom perhaps we neuer receiued particuler fauour or benefit other then the common benefit and protection of subiects And are we not then foulely ingratefull to God to whose goodnesse we owe all that wee haue or are if for the aduancement of his glory and the maintenance of his truth we make dainty to spend the best and most precious things we haue yea though it be the dearest hart-bloud in our bodies But how much more vngratefull if we thinke much for his sake to forgoe liberty lands liuings houses goods offices honours or any of these smaller and inferiour things Can there be greater vnthankfulnesse then to grudge him a small who hath giuen vs all In these yet peaceable times of our Church and state God be thanked we are not much put to it but who knoweth how soone a heauy day of tryall may come we all know it cannot come sooner or heauier then our sinnes haue deserued wherein woe woe to our vnthankfulnesse if wee doe not freely and cheerefully render vnto God of those things he hath giuen vs whatsoeuer he shall require of vs. But yet euen in those peaceable times there want not opportunities whereon to exercise our thankefulnesse and to manifest our desires of requitall though not to him yet to his To his seruants and children in their afflictions to his poore distressed members in their manifold necessities These opportunities we neuer did we neuer shall want according to our Sauiours prediction or rather promise c Math. â— 6.11 Pauperes semper habâ—bitis The poore you shall alwaies haue with you as my deputy-receiuers but mee in person ye shall not haue alwaies And what we doe or not doe to d Math. 25.40 45. these whom he thus constituted his deputies he taketh it as done or not done vnto himselfe If when God hath giuen vs prosperity we suffer these to be distressed and comfort them not or victuals to perish and feede them not or cloathing to sterue and couer them not or power to be oppressed and rescue them not or ability in any kind to want it and releiue them not Let vs make what shewes we will let vs make what profession we will of our thankefulnesse to God what we deny to these we deny to him and as we deale with these if his case were theirs as hee is pleased to make their case his wee would so deale with him And what is to bee vnthankfull if this bee not And yet behold vnthankefulnesse more and greater then this vnthankfulnes in the sixth and last and highest and worst degree §. 50. and Sixth degree We requite him euill for good In that other we were vniust not to requite him all but iniurious also in this to requite him with ill It sticketh vpon King Ioâ—sh as a brand of infamy for euer that he slew e 2. Chron. 24.22 23. Zachary the sonne of Iehoiada the high Priest who had bin true and faithfull to him both in the getting of the Kingdome and in the administration of it recorded to all posterity 2. Chron. 24. Thus Ioash the King remembred not the kindnesse which Iehoiada the father had done him but slew his sonne and when he dyed he said The Lord looke vpon it and require it And it was not long before the Lord did indeed looke vpon it and require it the very next verse beginneth to lay downe the vengeance that God brought vpon him for it And yet compared with ours Ioash his ingratitude was nothing Iehoiada was bound as a subiect to assist the right heyre God is not bound to vs he is a debter to none Ioash had right to the Crowne before Iehoiada set it on his head we haue no right at all to the Creature but by Gods guift Ioash though he dealt not well with the sonne yet he euer more esteemed the father so long as he liued and was aduised by him in the affaires of his kingdome we rebell euen against God himselfe and cast all his counsels behind our backs Ioash slew the sonne but he was a mortall man and his subiect and he had giuen him at least as he apprehended it some affront and prouocation we by our sinnes and disobedience crucifie the sonne of God f Symb. Nicen. the Lord and giuer of life by whom and in whom and from whom we enioy all good blessings and of whom we are not able to say that euer hee dealt vnkindly with vs or gaue vs the least prouocation But as Israel whom God calleth g Deut. 32.15 Ieshurun compareth to an heyfer fed in large and fruitful pastures going alwayes at full bit grew fat wanton and kicked with the heele so we the more plentifully God hath heaped his blessings vpon
perdition in such powerfull sort that it is seldome seene a man once brought vnder by this sinne to recouer himselfe againe and to get the victory ouer it Fourthly putting ouer the guilty to the seuere g Heb. 13.14 immediate judgement of God himselfe who for this sinne â—lew of the Israelites in one day h 1. Cor. 10.8 23. or i Numb 25.9 24. thousand And hauing Fifthly one singular deformity aboue all other sinnes in all other kinds that it is a direct sinne k 1. Cor. 6.18 against a mans owne body in depriuing it by making it the instrument of filthines and the l 1. Cor. 6.15 member of an harlot of that honour whereunto God had ordained it to be a m 1. Cor. 6.15 member of Christ and n 1. Cor. 6.19 the Temple of the holy Ghost §. 9. yet excused by some But yet of this foule sinne the Gentiles made no reckoning So long as they abstained from a Viri licitose errare credunt si solo abstineant adulterio meretricios autem vsus tanquam leginaturae suppetere putant Ambros. 2 de Abrah 11. Solo stupro atque adulteriâ— condemnate passim per lupanaria ancillul as libido permittitur Hieronym Epist. 30. Vsum scortorum serrena civitas licitam turpitudium fecit Augustin 14. de Civit. 18. married persons it neuer troubled their consciences to defile themselues with those that were single by fornication because they esteemed it either as no sinne or as one of the least It was not onely the fond speech of an indulgent and doating old Father in the excuse of his licentious sonne in the Comedy b Mitio apud Terent. in Adelph 1.2 Non est flagitium mihi crede adolescentulum scortari and yet hee spake but as the generality of them then thought but it was the setious plea also of the graue Romane Oratour in the behalfe of his client c Cic pro Coelie in open court before the seuerity of the sage and Reuerend bench of Iudges Quando hoc non factum est quando reprehensum quando non permissum and Datur omniuÌ„ concessu c. d 1. Thes. 4.5 Not in the lust of concupiscence saith S. Paul as the Gentiles which know not God An Errour so vniuersally spread so deepely rooted in the mindes and in the liues of the Gentiles who e Eph. 418.19 hauing their vnderstanding darkened through the ignorance that was in them because of the blindnesse of their hearts wrought such vncleannesse not onely without remorse but even with greedinesse that the Apostles had much a doe with those men whom by the Preaching of the Gospell they had conuerted from Gentilisme to Christianitie before they could reclaime them from an Errour so inueterate both in the judgement and practise St. Paul therefore as it both became and concerned him being f Rom. 11.13 Gal. 2.7 1. Tim. 2.7 2. Tim. 1.11 the Apostle and Doctour of the Gentiles often toucheth vpon this string in his g As Rom. 1.29 13.13 2. Cor. 12.31 Gal. 5.19 Ephes 4.19 5.3 c. Col. 3.5 1. Thes. 4.3 c. Epistles written vnto the Churches of the Gentiles But no where doth he set himselfe more fully and directly with much euidence of reason and strength of argument against this Sinne and errour then in the h 1. Cor. 5 1.9-11 6 9-18.7.1 c. 10.8 first Epistle he wrote to the Corinthians because among them this sinne was both it selfe moâ—t rife in the practise the i Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro scortari Hadr. lun in Adag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 habet Aristoph in Pluto Act. 1. Sc. 2. Quas â—upra mille prostare ad fanum Veneris quod est in Corintho seribit Strab. 8. Geograph Atque hint natam paraemiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bourdin in Comment ad Aristopo Thesmophor Corinthians being notedly infamous for lust and wantonnes and it was also as much k Libidâ—nis qua nusquam gentium regnabat impunitius quam Corinthi Erasm. paraphr in 1. Cor. in Argum. sleighted there as any where many of them thinking that the l body was made â—or fornication as the belly for meates and that fornication was as fit and conuenient for the body as meates for the belly Out of which consideration the Apostles in that first Generall Councell holden at Ierusalem Act. 15. thought it needfull by Ecclesiasticall Canon among some other indifferent things for the Churches peace to lay this restraint vpon the converted Gentiles that they should m Act 15.28.29 abstaine from Fornication Not as if Fornication were in it selfe an indifferent thing as those other things were nor as if those other things were in themselues and simply vnlawfull as Fornication was but the Apostles did therefore joyne Fornication and those other indifferent things together in the same Canon because the Gentiles accounted fornication a thing as indifferent as what was most indifferent Some remainders of the common errour there were it seemeth among some Christians in St. Augustines dayes who both n Quod aliquando qui committunt nescio qua peruersitati contemnunt nescio vude sibi testimonia nulla vana conquirunt diceÌ„tes Peccata carnis Deus non curat Augustin serm 16. de verb. Dom. cap. 1. Ista pumindâ— nimium grauia mala ideo a multis viris siâ—e vilo timore Domini committuntur quia ita a pluribas In consuitudinem missa sunt ita viliae vel leuia duâ—untur vt nec iam inter grauia crimina putentur Serm. de Temp. 143. relateth the opinion and confuteth it And some in the Popish Church haue not come farre behind herein so many of them I meane as hold that o Durand 4. distinct 33. qu. â— alij simple fornication is not intrinsecally and in the proper nature of it a sinne against the law of Nature but onely made such by diuine positiue Lawe A strange thing it is and to my seeming not lesse then a p Mysterium iniquitatis 2. Thes. 2 7. mystery that those men that speake so harshly of Marriage which God hath ordained should withall speake so fauourably of fornication which God hath forbidden preposterously preferring the disease which springeth from our corruption before the q 1. Cor. 7.2 remedy which God himselfe hath prescribed in his word But howsoeuer if some Christians haue spoken and written and thought so fauourably of fornication as to their shame it appeareth they haue done the lesse may we maruell to see Abimelech a King and an Infidel allow himselfe the libertie to continue in the sinne of r Vnderstand that in this passage concerning Abimelech I vse the word Fornication as it doth include Concubinatum also Fornication and yet notwithstanding such allowance stand so much vpon his owne innocency and integrity as he doth §. 10. but not Adultery by any God forbid any man that
neuer so great that he shal be able to auoyd any sin though it be neuer so foule When a heathen man prayed vnto Iupiter to saue him from his Enemies one that ouerheard him would needes mend it with a more needfull prayer that Iupiter would saue him from his Friends he thought they might doe him more hurt because he trusted them but as for his Enemies he could looke to himselfe well enough for receiuing harme from them We that are Christians had need pray vnto the God of heauen that he would not giue vs vp into the haÌ„ds of our professed Enemies to pray vnto God that he would not deliuer vs ouer into the hands of our false-hearted Friends but there is another prayer yet more needfull and to be pressed with greater importunity then eyther of both that God would saue vs from our selues and not giue vs vp into our owne hands for then we are vtterly cast away There is a wayward old-man that lurketh in euery of our bosomes and we make but too much of him then whom we haue not a more spightfull Enemy nor a more false friend Alas we do not thinke what a man is giuen ouer to that is giuen ouer to himselfe he is giuen ouer to b Rom. 1.26 vile affections he is giuen ouer to a c Ibid. vers 28. reprobate sense he is giuen ouer to d Eph. 4.19 commit all manner of wickednes with greedinesse It is the last and fearfullest of all other judgements and is not vsually brought vpon men but where they haue obstinately refused to heare the voice of God in whatsoeuer other tone he had spoken vnto them then to leaue them to themselues and to their owne counsells e Psal. 81.11.12 My people would not heare my voice and Israel would none of me so I gaue them vp vnto their owne hearts lust and let them follow their owne imaginations As we conceiue the state of the Patient to bee desperate when the Phisician giueth him ouer and letteth him eate and drinke and haue and doe what and when and as much as he will without prescribing him any dyet or keeping backe any thing from him he hath a mind vnto Let vs therefore pray faithfully and feruently vnto God as Christ himselfe hath taught vs that he would not by leauing vs vnto our selues f Math. 6.13 lead vs into temptation but by his gracious and powerfull support deliuer vs from all those euils from which we haue no power at all to deliuer our selues §. 44.4 To labour for the grace of Sanctification Lastly since this Restraint wherof we haue spoken may be but a common Grace and can giue vs no found nor solid comfort if it be but a bare restraint and no more though we ought to be thankefull for it though we haue not deserued it yet we should not rest nor thinke our selues safe enough till we haue a well grounded assurance that we are possessed of an higher and a better grace euen the Grace of sanctification For that will hold out against temptations where this may faile Wee may deceiue our selues then and thousands in the world doe so deceiue themselues if vpon our abstaining from sinnes from which God withholdeth vs we presently conclude our selues to be in the state of Grace and to haue the power of godlines and the spirit of Sanctification For betweene this restraining Grace whereof we haue now spoken and that renewing Grace wherof we now speak there are sundry wide differences They differ first in their fountaine Renewing grace springeth from the special loue of God towards those that are his in Christ restraining grace is a fruite of that generall mercy of God whereof it is said in the Psalme that a Psal. 145.2 his mercy is ouer all his workes They differ secondly in their extent both of Person Subiect Obiect and Time For the Person Restraining Grace is common to good and bad Renewing Grace proper and peculiar to the Elect. For the Subiect Restraining Grace may bind one part or facultie of a man as the hand or tongue and leaue another fâ—ee as the heart or eare Reâ—ewing Grace worketh vpon all in some measure sanctifieth the whole man b 1. Thes. 6.23 Body and soule and spirit with the parts and faculties of each For the Obiect Restraining Grace may withhold a man from one sinne and giue him scope to another Renewing Grace carryeth an equall and iust respect to all Gods commandements For the Time Restraining Grace may tye vs now and by and by vnloose vs Renewing Grace holdeth out vnto the end more or lesse and neuer leaueth vs wholy destitute Thirdly they did differ in their ends Restraining Grace is so intended chiefly for the good of humane society especially of the Church of God and of the members thereof as that indifferently it may or may not doe good to the Receiuer but Renewing Grace is especially intended for the Saluation of the Receiuer though Ex consequenti it doe good also vnto others They differ fourthly and lastly in their effects Renewing Grace mortifieth the corruption and subdueth it and diminisheth it as water quencheth fire by abating the heate but Restraining Grace only inhibiteth the exercise of the corruption for the time without any reall admonition of it either in substance or quality as the c Dan. 3.25 fire wherin the three Children walked had as much heate in it at that very instant as it had before and after although by the greater power of God the naturall power of it was then suspended from working vpon them The Lions that spared Daniel were Lyons still and had their rauenous disposition still albeit God d Dan. 6.22 stopped their mouthes for that time that they should not hurt him but that there was no change made in their naturall disposition appeareth by their entertainement of their next guests whom they deuoured with all greedinesse e Ibid. vers 24. breaking their bones before they came to the ground By these two instances and examples we may in some measure conceiue of the nature and power of the restraining Grace of God in wicked men It bridleth the corruption that is in them for the time that it cannot breake out and manacleth them in such sort that they doe not shew forth the vngodly disposition of their heart but there is no reall change wrought in them all the while their heart still remaining vnsanctified and their naturall corruption vndiminished Whereas the renewing and sanctifying Grace of God by a real change of a Lyon maketh a Lambe altereth the naturall disposition of the soule by draining out some of the corruption begetteth a new heart a new spirit new habits new qualities new dispositions new thoughts new desires maketh a f Eph 4 â—4 new man in euery part and faculty compleatly New Content not thy selfe then with a bare forbearance of sinne so long as thy heart is not changed nor thy will changed nor thy affections changed but striue to become a new man to bee g Rom. 12.2 transformed by the renewing of thy mind to hate sinne to loue God to wrestle against thy secret corruptions to take delight in holy duties to subdue thine vnderstanding and will and affections to the obedience of Faith and Godlinesse So shalt thou not onely be restrained from sinning against God as Abimelech here was but also be enabled as faithfull Abraham was to please God and consequently assured with all the faithfull children of Abraham to bee h 1. Pet. 1.5 preserued by the almighty power of God through faith vnto saluation Which Grace and Faith and saluation the same Almighty God the God of power and of Peace bestow vpon vs all heere assembled i 1. Cor. 1.2 With all that in euery place call vpon the name of IESVS CHRIST our Lord both theirs and ours euen for the same our Lord Iesus Christs sake his most deare Sonne and our most blessed Sauiour and Redeemer to which blessed Father and blessed Sonne with the blessed Spirit most holy blessed and glorious Trinitie be ascribed by vs and the whole Church all the kingdome the power and the glory from this time forth and for euer Amen FINIS