Scriptures for they beare witnesse of Christ and in them we thinke to haue euerlasting life Ioh. 5. 39. This point is fully handled by a Lib. 2. de Gratia de ciuitate Dei lib. 18. cap. 47. c. S. Austen and the sounder b Aquinas in 3. Lectura ad caput decimum Epist ad Rom. Schoolemen Thirdly here is confuted the opinion of humane merits If any suppose to make a step to heauen by them we may answere as Constantine c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socrates lib. hist Ecclesiast 1. cap. 10. did to Acesius a Bishop of the Nouatians Set to the ladder and climbe vp alone For woe to the best life if it be censured in iustice Therefore the Saints pray Enter not into Iudgement with thy seruants O Lord and confesse for no flesh is righteous in thy sight Psal 143. 2 for our workes be prebrum and pudor shame and reproch and our righteousnesse consisteth not in perfection of holynesse but pardon of sinnes therefore blessed is the man whose wickednesse is forgiuen c. Rom. 4. 6. For when we were dead in our sinnes and trespasses and by nature the children of wrath God rich in mercy according to his great loue wherewith he loued vs euen when we were dead by sinnes hath he quickned vs and raysed vs vp together and made vs to sit together in the heauenly places with Christ Iesus that he might shew in the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace through his kindnesse toward vs in Christ for by grace are yee saued through faith not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes least any man should boast d Aliâs non esset salus munus largientis sed merces operantis Ambrosius de vocat Gent. lib. 1. cap. 5. himselfe Ephes 2. 1. 2. 3. c. Nostra merita Christi misericordiae we must make as Bernard e Sermone 43. super Cantica saith was his vse pro aceruo meritorum fasciculum ex amaritudinibus Christi for a heape of our merits a bundle of Christs sufferings and lay them betweene our breasts for by his bloud he hath purchased vs to be a people peculiar to himselfe Tit. 2. 14. Wherefore blessed be God euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed vs in all spirituall blessings in heauenly thinges in him c. by whom we haue redemption through his blood euen the forgiuenesse of sinnes according to his rich grace Ephes 1. 3. 7. 8. And he shall redeeme Israel from all his iniquities Of the Authour of this redemption we haue heard Now the subiect redeemed is Israel that is the number of the faithfull to whom this benefit doth belong Hereof it necessarily followeth that Christ hath payed vnto Doctrine his Father the price for the sinnes of man The vertue whereof albeit in respect of the merit and power be infinite and so sufficient for the redeeming of ten thousand worlds if there were so many yet in respect of the counsaile of God and the euent is effectuall only vnto Israel to the Elect. And in appeareth thus First for whom the sonne of God did not pray for them he did not offer himselfe These two can not be seuered parts of his Sacerdotall office but he prayed only for the Elect and for them offered him selfe and reconciled them to the father Iohn 17. 9. 19. Ephes 5. 25. Therefore to them alone not to others doth saluation appertayne which hee hath purchased Secondly if it be true that he payed the ransome and dyed for all indifferently and effectually then should not his death be beneficiall to them for whom he dyed For it doth not profit the reprobate who shall be punished with eternall perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2. Thes 1. 9. whose doome is pronounced by Christ Depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his Angels Math. 25. 41. Thirdly put this as graunted that all men none excepted before and after that Christ dyed be through his bloud truly and vndoubtedly receiued into the fauour of God Then hereof wil follow many dangerous consequents which doe ouerthrow the groundes of Christian religion For then no originall sinne nor guilt thereof the whole off-spring of Turks Infidels and Pagans should be borne in fauour and acceptance with God and those saued who are not in the couenant of grace But the Scripture teacheth vs that by the offence of one the fault came vpon all to condemnation Rom. 5. 18. and are by nature the children of wrath Ephes 2. 3. taken aliue of the Diuell to doe his will 2. Tim. 2. 26. already condemned because they beleeue not in the name of the only begotten sonne of God Ioh. 3. 18. Aliants from the common wealth of Israel strangers from the couenants of promise and haue no hope c. Ephes 2. 12. Therefore all and only the faithfull are partakers of the fruits and benefits of Christs death and resurrection of free iustification with God of quickning from the death of sinne and the body and at the last of immortall life and endlesse glory For these alone heare the word of Christ and beleeue Ioh. 10. 28. are iustified by faith are reconciled to God and haue peace through our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 5. 1. are regenerate by the holy Ghost are raysed vp to a new life in Chist and haue their hearts purified by faith Rom. 6. 4. Acts 15. 9. And lastly these be they who sleeping in the Lord Iesus God shall rayse from death and bring with him that they may enioy life and glory eternally in heauen 1. Thes 4. 14. Math. 25. 31. Ioh. 3. 16. Secondly this is that truth which the Ancient Fathers haue taught and constantly professed So Chrysostome f In 9. caput Epist ad Hebraeos homilia 17. expounding that of the Apostle Hebr. 9. 28. Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many propoundeth the question Why of many not of all and answereth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because all beleeued not If thou doest not beleeue Christ did not descend Christ did not suffer for thee As Ambrose g Lib. 4. de fide ad Gratianum cap. 1. instructeth the Emperour Gratian. The authour of life gaue himselfe to death for the life of the Elect. Gregory h Pro electorum vila vsque ad mortem tradidit se author vitae Homil 2. in Ezechielem so teacheth the people Infinite are the authorities of Augustine but that of all other is most pregnant where handling that demonstratiue proofe of the free and inestimable mercy of God i Tractatu 45. in Euangelium Iohannis towards vs. Rom. 8. 32. in that he spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all demaundeth which all and satisfieth his owne doubt Euen for vs whom he hath soreknowne whom he hath predestinate whom he hath iustified whom he hath
and vnworthinesse as Iacob Gen. 32. 11. I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies and all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant c. then I pray thee deliuer me from the hand of my brother from the hand of Esau for I feare him And Daniel the 9. 5. we haue sinned we haue committed iniquitie and haue done wickedly yea we haue rebelled and departed from thy precepts and from thy iudgements And Vers 8. O Lord vnto vs appertaineth open shame to our Kings to our Princes and to our Fathers because we haue sinned against thee Then afterward Ver. 16. 17. the request O Lord according to all thy righteousnesse I beseech thee let thine anger and thy wrath be turned away and now heare the prayer of thy seruant and his supplication and cause thy face to shine vpon the sanctuarie that lyeth waste for the Lordes sake c. And Ezra in most passionate manner expressed in action and speech rent his garments fell vpon his knees and spred his hands vnto the Lord and said O my God I am confounded and ashamed to lift vp mine eyes to thee for our iniquities are increased on our head and our trespasse is growen vp vnto the heauens Ezra 9. 5. 6. Therefore let vs draw neare vnto God with true hearts Vse in assurance of faith sprinckled in our hearts from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water Hebr. 10. 22. Now there be as we heard two hinderances of our prayers no light no feeling hardnesse and to 〈◊〉 light ouer great tendernesse both dangerous therefore the best application of this doctrine is to know the remedie of them Wherefore against hardnesse and insensiblenesse as most r Bernardus de 〈◊〉 duobus Discipulis euntibus in Emaus effectuall First instance and earnestnesse in prayer so the Disciples constrained Christ Abide with vs for it is towardes night and the day is farre spent and he went in to tarrie with them Luc. 24. 29. Thus Dauid after Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dydimus his fall Create in me a cleane hart renew a right spirit restore to me the ioy of thy saluation Psal 51. 10. 11. 12. Secondly readie obedience to the first motions of God in thee of which the Apostle Quench not the spirit 1. Thes 5. 19. Thirdly the reading of the Scriptures and in this exercise adde an often lifting vp of the eyes of thy bodie and minde with a humble sight vnto God desiring his inlightning grace which kind of praiers the fathers t Eiaculationes de his Augustinê° in Epistola 121. ad Probam called dartings for being sent from a religious soule they flie swiftly and pierce Gods heart that he may shew mercie as in Iostah 2. Chron. 34. 27. Fourthly the reuerent attendance to the publike ministerie for this is Gods ordinance to bring men from darkenesse to light and from the power of Sathan vnto himselfe Acts 26. 18. and his power to saluation Rom. 1. 16. So at Iohns sermons the Publicans the People the Souldiers three sorts at once hardest to be conuerted when they heard of the Axe laid to the roote of the trees and of hewing downe and casting into the fire they cryed out What shall we doe then Luc. 3. 10. and while Peter preached the hearts of those Iewes were wounded who before were so hard that they crucified the Lord of life and three thousand of them were added u Nunquam caret suo fructu verbi predicatio vis coÌ„punctionis poros cordis aperit peÌ„nas virtutuÌ„ fundit cumque se studiosa meus de pigra vetustate redarguit alacri mouitate iuuenescit Gregor Mor. l. 31. c. 18. to the Church Acts 2. 37. 41. Fiftly the meditation of the sweetnesse of Gods mercies and the sharpenesse of his iudgements for as the yellowest waxe by lying long in the Sunne and the Aire is turned white so that soule which is euer set as in the sight of God can not but be altered This effect had it in Dauid 1. Chron. 17. 16. and with Ezra 9. 2. And Nazianzene x Orat. de Pace reporteth that when he found himselfe carryed away with the delight of the world then he tooke into his hands and red the dolefull and heauie mournings of Ieremie and protesteth that his eyes did gush out with teares his tongue was staied from speech he lamented with the distressed Iewes and beheld their calamities as present before his eyes and so became setled to his former estate againe Sixtly adde to all these repentant teares let thy eyes be as the fish ponds of Hesbon euer full with water this inforceth God to mercie and it is that violence which he wel liketh So the Father in the Gospell weeping obtayned Mar. 9. 24. 25. 27. And at Ezechias teares when the sobs of his heart brake off the words of his mouth and left his prayers vnperfect the sentence of death was reuersed certaine life and number of yeares graunted and more bestowed then was demanded Esay 58. 5. For our God is faithfull and will neuer suffer vs to be tempted aboue that it will please him to make vs able to beare and with the temptation graunt a comfortable issue 1. Cor. 10. 13. Against the second nimia lux which is discouragement and despaire if the greatnesse of thy sinnes doe affright thee know where sinne aboundeth grace superaboundeth Rom. 5. 20. If they be as red as crimson and like vnto bloud they shall be made as white as wooll and snow Esay 1. 18. If thou fearest the multitude thereof oppose the number of Gods mercies to the number of thy transgressions hast you wickednesse sinnes and iniquities he hath forgiuenesse couering and not imputing Psal 32. 1. 2. And the bloud of Christ his Sonne doth purge vs from all sinne 1. Iohn 1. 7. And therefore it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell to reconcile to himselfe and set at peace by the bloud of his Crosse the things in heauen and the things in earth Coloss 1. 19. What wound is there that the Almightie cannot heale Sic misericors est bonus Deus vt omnipotens infinitus God is y Fulgentius Epist 7. ad Venantiam so good and mercifull as he is Almightie and infinite but the mercie of the Almighty cannot be ouercome and the goodnesse of the infinite hath no end Doest thou stand in doubt of his gracious will towards thee why his wil is that all men might come to the knowledge of the truth that so they might be saued 1. Tim. 2. 4. neither will he the death of a sinner but rather that they should returne and so liue and this hath he assured by his oath Ezech. 33. 11. And when he is inforced and striketh yet doth hee not deale with vs according to our sinnes neither reward vs according to our offences but as a father doth pittie his children so doth he vs. Psal 103. 10.
pleasure Philip. 2. 13. First therefore no man is to be taken for an absolute patterne Vse of life for there is none iust in the earth that doth good and sinneth not Eccles 7. 21. That Zacharie who is said to walke in all the commandements of God distrusteth the promise and hat his f In ipso tempore placationis offendit VoceÌ„ cum vocem percipit amittit Tacult pater vocis Chrysologus serm 86. 88. mouth closed vp vntill the time of performance Luke 1. 20. None is wise without errour Eliah is deceiued and reproued he was not alone there was seauen thousand in Israel who had not bowed their knees to Baal 1. Kings 19. 10. Therefore in the case of imitation the great Apostle speaketh of himselfe conditionallie with an exception be yee followers of me as I am of Christ 1. Cor. 11. 2. of Christ absolutely be yee followers of Christ as beloued children Ephes 5. 1. for as he was the perfect price of our redemption so is he the vnspotted example of our life therefore we must listen to that his speech Discite à me learne of mee Math. 11. 29. Secondly Quia patres instruunt non modo cum docent sed cum errant as Ambrose speaketh lib. 1. de Abrahamo c. 6. The Fathers are our instructors not only by their doctrines but also by their errors and g Justi supplantatio mihi cautela Iusti naufragium sit peccatori stabilior portus Chrysost in Psalm 51. the fall of the great ones is the feare of the lesser Let vs learne hereby humility and warinesse to keepe our hearts diligently Prouer. 4. 23. that an euill thought lodge not with vs all night Ieremie 4. 14. And set a watch before our lips Psal 41. 3. That no corrupt speech come from our mouthes Coloss 3. 8. And in the whole course of our liues walke warilie redeeming the time Ephes 5. 15. and so worke forth our saluation in feare and trembling Philip. 2. 12. For as Austen h Homilia 23. trulie speaketh there is no sinne that any man hath committed which euerie man may not fall into if he doe not direct and gouerne of whom man was first made therefore we haue euer neede of that prayer Teach me thy waies O Lord and I will walke in thy truth knit my hart vnto thee that I may feare thy name Psal 86. 11. Thirdly let vs not murmur or be impatient vnder the rod of afflictions but acknowledge that our crooked nature requireth such corrections This Daniel confessed we haue sinned we haue transgressed and to vs belongeth nothing but shame and confusion of face Dan. 9. 8. I will beare saith Micah cap. 7. 9. the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him And this made Eli so patient at the dreadfull newes concerning his house and posterity when he said it is the Lord let him doe what pleaseth him 1. Sam. 3. 18. And that of Mauritius the Emperour i Zonaras Annalium tom 3. Cedrenê° Glycas Annalium lib. 4. is memorable who when he was dispossessed of his Throne by his seruant Phocas at the death of his fiue Sonnes who might haue succeeded and his selfe readie to follow in the same way in humble submission to the diuine prouidence vttered that of the Prophet Psal 119. 37. Iust art thou O Lord and righteous are all thy iudgements and thus ought we to learne to submit our selues vnder Gods hand 1. Pet. 5. 6. for we haue had the fathers of our bodies which corrected vs and we gaue them reuerence should we not much rather be in subiection vnto the Father of spirits that we might liue Hebr. 12. 9. Therefore let vs apply that to our selues that Eliphas doth aduise Iob in all his extremities Blessed is the man whom God correcteth therefore refuse not thou the chastising of the Almightie Iob 5. 17. Who shall stand This interrogation is equiualent to a negation that none can stand but this manner of speech is more forceable it is a kinde of arraignement it worketh vehement passions in the minde therefore so often vsed in Scripture As God vnto Adam vbi es where art thou what hast thou done hast thou eaten of the forbidden fruit Genes 3. 9. 10. 11. And to the wicked one Why takest thou my words in thy mouth whereas thou hatest to be reformed Psal 50. 16. And it is noted by Plutarch that k In Ciceronem when Tullie made his Oration for Ligarius who had taken armes against Caesar and vrged the matter with his often and continuall interrogations that he changed his colour as often as the other his speech and was so affected that the supplications which hee held sell out of his hand and he pardoned his enimie though before he was otherwise resolued But what should I seeke proofes It is most excellent of Paul that when he pleaded for himselfe and challenged King Agrippa with this question Beleeuest thou the Prophets he so wrought vpon his affections that he could not contayne but acknowledged that he was almost perswaded to l TaÌ„tam ex Spirit Sanct. victriceÌ„ sapientiae gratiam habeâ—at vt ipse iam Iudaeorum Rex Agrippa diceret parum ab est quin me fecetis Christianum Cyrillus Cateches 17. be a Christian Acts 26. 27. 28. And so in this place it is more to say Who can stand then none can stand though all one in sense and meaning for it is a challenge to all men generally and to euerie one in particular if any dare stand forth and pleade not guiltie Wherefore it is thus much as if he should haue said O Lord I haue sued vnto thee for mercie and pardon for all men are defiled with sinne and can bring nothing into thy sight but their vncleanenesse and therefore if thou shouldest execute thy wrath in iustice as thou mightest none could vndergoe the same but must needes be consumed And indeede it is one thing to please our selues either in our owne conceit or through the bewitching flatteries of other men and another to stand at Gods iudgement seate So it is reported of Arsenius that lying vpon his death-bed three dayes together much cast downe and affrighted he answered his friends who loued him for his comfort that he needs not to feare since he had led such a holie and vnspotted life In truth I feare for m Lutherus in hunc Psalmum Gods iudgements are not as mens Then let vs learne from hence That all are sinners and doe Doctrine stand in state of condemnation if God should deale with vs according to his iustice it is the acknowledgment of the great King there is no man that sinneth not 1. Kings 8. 46. And of the great Apostle concerning himselfe as well as others And we also were children of wrath by nature Ephe. 2. 1. 2. 3. And the great Prophet To vs belongeth nothing but shame and confusion of face Dan. 9. 8. Therefore Enoch taken vp