euill company alone but whatsoeuer occasions of sinne by place persons times or things must be taken heed of for occasions being taken hold of giue great strength to our sinfull nature but being taken heed of doe much pull it in I would also counsell men sometime to faste and refraine from meate and all pleasures of life for at certaine fit times they can beare it and alwayes to vse great temperance in meates and drinkes and other lawfull delights but aboue all thought and study must be had that these priuate meanes be holpen by the publike That men put themselues vnder a good Ministerie it being the principall instrument of our calling for howsoeuer the word of God read or preached if we respect the letters sillables hath not any strength at all nor the action of reading or preaching as it is performed by man how well soeuer they be as weake as water to this purpose of conuersion and calling yet being both the good and holy ordinances of God they become strong because the God of strength and might worketh by them yet in a seueral degree For the Scripture teacheth vs that ordinarily it pleaseth God by preaching Christ to saue such as beleeue 1 Cor. 1. 21. That is to say both to begin their saluation by it drawing them effectually out of their infidelity making them to beleeue Also to build them vp further in their holy faith and godlinesse of life vntill they come to possesse fully saluation in Heauen Hence it is that the preaching of Christ crucified is there verse 18. termed the power of God to saue that is the powerfull instrument by which it pleaseth God mightily to worke for the sauing of the Elect. Moreouer we are taught in Rom. 10. 14 15. that ordinarily we are not otherwise being of yeeres brought to haue faith to beleeue in God then by hearing such Preachers as be sent and furnished from God with authority and gifts for that ende as it is written How shall they beleeue in him except they doe heare and how shall they heare except they preach and how shall they preach except they be sent In the Acts of Apostles Chap. 26. 18. Saint Paul reporteth that hee was called to this very ende that by his preaching the Gospell hee might open the eyes of the blinde turne men from Satan to God from darkenesse to light Finally to omit infinite authorities of Scripture as Ephe. 4. 11 12. 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. and such like places which oftentimes yoake or ioyne preaching and beleeuing as cause and effect Acts 11. 20 21. and 14. 1. c. I doe beside reade of innumerable soules euen by thousands at once called to Christ by the opening and application of the word Albeit then we are to leaue to Christ to engender encrease faith and sanctification by what meane he himselfe will yet for our selues we are to depend vpon such meanes as wee find in the word to be ordained for such workes and this is principally by preaching the word that is by a faithfull deliuery of the sense of Scripture by the Scripture with wise and fit application of doctrines to exhortation confutation rebukes comforts threatnings as it is written He that prophecyeth speaketh to men to edification to exhortation to consolation 1 Cor. 14. 3. In the 24 25. verses of this Chapter we may reade the mighty operation of this Ordinance of Christ for begetting and confirmation of a liuely faith most notably to be commended If saith Paul all prophecie and there commeth in one that beleeueth not or is vnlearned he is rebuked of all and so are the secrets of his heart laide open and so he will fall downe on his face and worship God and say plainely that God is in you indeede By this it is cleere that together with preaching God coupleth his owne arme and power both to enlighten the minde to see inward and secret corruption hid from vs before and to bow the heart to reuerence and obey God As men therefore for the health of their bodies doe chuse places conuenient to dwell in where there is wholsome ayre sweete water and other commodities so they wil much more doe this duty to their soules for the health and safety thereof as to prouide for it good diet by the wholsome preaching of the word ordinarily on the Saboath which together with Catechizing and the benefit of publike prayer and Sacraments shall in Gods appointed houre effect this blessed worke of a true calling to their present comfort and euerlasting saluation of their soules Where these meanes be not at all vsed if so be they may be had or some and not all or vsed negligently or by fits and starts onely there the case will goe hard For howsoeuer our calling hath God alone for the Authour and beginner the finisher also and perfiter of it yet there is a necessity laide vpon vs to serue the gracious prouidence of Almighty God as instruments therein by attending and exercising the meanes appointed Therefore as Paul Acts 27. hauing a warrant from God of good security yet saide If these Mariners doe not tarry in the Ship we cannot be safe so I may say Gods ordinary dispensation considered that if these meanes be cast off and not cared for we cannot be called Now for such as be already called and can finde in themselues the true markes thereof as this is the greatest comfort in the World so if they will preserue this comfort then they must see to it that such meanes as it pleased God to blesse vnto them at first for the obtaining of an effectuall vocation and conuersion these very meanes they addict themselues vnto vsing them still and them all if there be no necessary let and being constant without being weary in a right manner also sincerely and humbly with a feruent desire of Gods glory aboue all things being much in prayer and godly meditations and as euer they will be thankefull for such a grace as their effectuall calling is let them striue to walke worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called in all lowlinesse and meekenesse long suffering and loue Ephe. 4. 1 2. Apol. Friend Aquila ye haue reported vnto me verie much of that which ye learned touching effectuall calling now if ye will let vs passe on to the other point namely the graces which doe necessarily goe with this calling except ye haue somewhat further to speake of this matter which if ye haue I will gladly giue you the hearing Aquila Yes Sir I will craue your patience alittle for I forslowed to tell you when ye asked me of the meanes of calling that it hath seemed good in the eyes of God to call some immediately without any ministry of Angels or Men as Adam in Paradise Abraham in Charran Paul in his iourney to Damascus to declare himselfe to be most free not bound to the meanes which are rather
first and second one before another after for it is not in this new creation when this our little World of our selues is brought out of the world of sinne and vnbeliefe vnto the Christian World of grace as it was in the creation of the great World of Heauen and Earth when the parts of that world were made one after another in order of time the worke being distinguished according to the number of dayes in the weeke but here in this new creation we haue the blessed sauing workes and graces of the holy Spirit powred into vs all at one instant We are not at one time called and at another time iustified and at another time sanctified and then receiue graces of hope and loue and wisedome c. but these come as Iosephs brethren came into AEgypt for Corne all together As the prodigall childe returning to his Father did at once receiue all those fauours from his kinde Father of kisse embracing ring robe and charge to kill the fat Calfe Indeede the sauing graces for their encrease and growth to perfection require succession of time euen as Infants become not tall men till after many yeeres but these graces at the beginning and first begetting like grapes in a cluster doe all come together Euen as it standeth with the naturall body in the quickning of it the soule comming into it giueth power of motion and sense to euery member at one instant not to one sooner to another later so in our new birth all the faculties of the minde and body being before dead in trespasses and sinnes are by grace the soule of the soule spiritually at once reuiued and enabled to all functions duties of godlinesse The truth whereof appeareth in that Paul reports of the Romans that being made beleeuers they were iustified and being iustified by faith they had withall other graces as peace with God hope of glory ioy in that hope sense of Gods loue And of the Ephesians he saith that when they were called and heard the Gospell with an obedient care they also beleeued and had the seale earnest of the Spirit In a word the Elect comming to Christ at the time of their calling and Christ with his merits graces being so ioyned as one cannot haue himselfe but withall he hath all his It is therfore an vndoubted truth that howsoeuer some sauing graces may appeare before others or be felt sooner then others yet they are put vpon into the Elect at one and the same time but in order of causes one grace doth precede afore another and they are to be handled of vs one after another according to that order as neere as we can hit vpon Aq. Wel then I yeeld willingly vnto this truth acknowledge that that most mighty God that at one moment could deck adorn the firmament of heauen with so many glorious stars he also is able to fixe so many sundry glorious graces at once in the firmamet of mans heart But seeing the God of order in this supernaturall work doth obserue a natural order according to which some graces must be first as causes others must follow as effects of those causes would it please you then to declare vnto me which grace is first in the order of causes Apol. As I conceiue of it I will declare vnto you and I verily trust that I conceiue aright thus the case stands Before our effectuall calling our mindes are couered with darknesse of ignorance vnbeliefe our hearts being ful of obstinacy by reason therof so as we are wholy estranged from God Now in the worke of God in our calling the Spirit of Christ by the Gospell hauing mightily cast downe these strong holds and scattered these foggy mists doth illuminate effectually the mind and vnderstanding distinctly soundly to know beleeue the promises of forgiuenesse reconciliation by Christ made 〈◊〉 the word withal 〈◊〉 opening the heart obediently to assent to it and embrace it with a faith affiance in the mercy of God the promiser the by this faith of the promise the elect is brought euen to Christ to be neerely vnited 〈◊〉 to him who being a stranger before now by faith dwels in the heart as a familiar guest rather as the master of the Family to guide rule keepe in order all Now being made one with Christ they straight way haue comunion first with his righteousnesse actiue passiue for iustifying them to the great tranquility ioy of the conscience and also to the raysing vp of their hearts to a sure certain hope expectation of heauenly glory Then afterwards they haue fellowship with his Spirit for sanctifying in which work of their sanctification is giuen that excellent grace of repentance or turning to God also of hearty loue toward God their father now reconciled appearing so to the cōscience quieted 〈◊〉 through the atonement felt perceiued this begetteth loue to all men especially to the Saints carieth with it all the traine of Christian vertues It coming hereof that the Elect are patient temperate peaceable meeke good long suffering modest humble c. because through that faith hope which they haue in God by Christ they are moued so to loue him to be affected to seek his honor to doe his will as withall their heart is affectioned in all things which concerne him themselues or others to please him by obedience and practise of his Word in sincerity and truth Aquila By that which hath beene spoken I perceiue what order ye thinke to be kept of God in the working the workes proper to the Elect. First there is calling in which there is 2 illumination or opening of the eye Thirdly opening of the heart Fourthly liuely faith Fiftly vnion with Christ or our incorporation into him Sixtly Iustification or imputation of Christs righteousnesse Seuenthly peace of conscience Eightly Ioy in the holy Ghost Ninthly hope of glory Tenthly Sanctification 11. Repentance called our turning from sinne 12. Loue of God 13. Charity to our neighbour 14. Patience in affliction 15. Obedience to the will of God Let me aske of these in order what I am desirous to know for my further instruction and first touching illumination where doe yee finde ground in Scripture for it Then describe it and shew what it is and what kindes there be of it and how the illumination of the Elect doth differ from the worke of the Spirit in illuminating some of the reprobate Apollos In the calling of a sinner to faith there are two workes of the Spirit The one opening of their eyes Acts 26. 18. The other the opening of their hearts Acts 16. 14. The Lord opened the heart of Lydea the former is Illumination or enlightning whereof the holy Ghost speaketh in Heb. 6. 4. They which were once enlightened And Luke 1. 79. To giue great
mercies and goodnesse and in Christs death and passion they doe but abuse the mercies of God and the merits of Christ which are offered and preached vnto men to keepe them from sinning and to call them to amendment of life as it is written There is mercy with God that he may be feared Psal. 142. 4. And that the kindnesse of God leadeth to repentance Rom. 2. 4. For which purpose reade also Rom. 12. 1. Tit. 2. 12 1 Iohn 2. 1. Now the hope of the godly it is so far off that thereby they doe waxe bold to offend because they hope in Gods grace for pardon as contrariwise they are much moued to all good care of pleasing God in a new course of life to the end And as it is farre from them to grow secure in the carriage of their life vpon the hope they haue of Gods fauour and his glory so they doe not take heart to sinne as the wicked doe vpon opinion to repent at last for they know and consider that men may die suddenly And that as late repentance is suspitious not to be true so it is iust with God to forsake them in their death who haue forsaken his commandements in their life as also the longer it is ere one repent the harder it is sinne by custome hauing gotten strength as the further that one goeth out of his way the longer it is ere he can returne Howbeit it is certain that Gods faithful Children are subiect vnto sinnes of presumption else would not the holy Prophet haue prayed against them Psalm 19. 119. Yea and sundry times what for the better humbling of them what for the example of others to teach all men to feare themselues and to liue in awe continually of God and for the more full manifestation of this mercy toward the godly in pardoning euen their presumptuous sinnes for these and such like respects they are left of God to themselues to presume and be too confident not in Gods goodnesse and truth for that is the office of their hope but vpon their owne strength and outward prosperity forgetting the Lords goodnesse towards them and their owne great frailty as may be seene in example of Dauid Psalme 30. 6. In my prosperity I saide I shall neuer be moued And of Peter Mathew 26. I will neuer denie thee I will die rather whose presumption cost them much sorrow and many a salt teare therefore let all men be warned by their harmes But friend Aquila ye haue almost made me goe out of our way and kept me but too long in these fruits of iustifying faith of which there be yet two vnhandled which I will very quickly goe through that we may come to that other worthy benefit of our sanctification Sister or Daughter rather vnto iustification Aquila We haue indeede insisted in these matters through my fault but say then the next point is the shedding abroade of Gods loue in our hearts and our glorying in God through Christ the two last of the nine effects of iustification what doe ye vnderstand by them Apollos The loue of God that is not the actiue loue wherewith we loue him but the passiue loue where with we are beloued of him which giueth both strength to our hope and matter of our ioy is then saide to be shed abroade in our hearts when the sence and feeling of it is shed powred into the hearts of the faithfull whom God loueth in his purpose and decree from before the World was made and actually loued them at the time of their calling to faith in his Sonne the manifestation whereof vnto them when it is so expressed to them in the fruits of it as their hearts be affected with a ioyous feeling of it this is the shedding of it abroade which is the eighth fruite of Iustification It may be somewhat declared by this comparison of the boxe of precious ointment mentioned Mathew 26. which while the woman that had it kept shut gaue no sauour but hauing powred it out and shed it on Christs head it did yeeld a sweete and pleasant sent and smell to all which were in the house Euen so the loue of God is shut and pent vp in Gods purpose as it were till it be felt of the Elect but after they haue faith to beleeue the promise of saluation by Christ vnto their fellowship with Christ himselfe and all his benefits then his loue as an oyntment powred out doth plentifully refresh their hearts with the comfortable sence and feeling of it as the Apostle Rom. 8. 38 39. and the faithfull to whom Peter wrote 1 Peter 1. had good experience Wherein the wonderfull goodnesse of God doth vtter it selfe toward his chosen in this that hee doth not onely loue them in purpose but by speciall and singular fruites as pawnes and pledges and namely by giuing his onely begotten Sonne to suffer such a reprochfull and bitter death for them being sinners and his enemies doth assure them so of his loue as they know and beleeue they are beloued and are exceedingly cheered in their hearts with a certaine perswasion of his loue which verily is a great matter and serues them to great good purposes For as it is nothing to a blinde man to know there is a Sunne a glorious and bright creature when himselfe cannot enioy the sight of it or to a very poore man to know where much treasure is while himselfe cannot come at it to haue any part of it so it is nothing to heare and know that there is much loue hid in God except our selues feele it and become partakers of it but when the sence of this infinite loue of God is by a speciall worke of the Spirit giuen vnto the faithfull loe then there ariseth ioy and gladnesse in the soule euen vnspeakable and glorious ioy 1 Peter 1. 8. Also a great encrease of their hope in a more full assurance of enioying the blessing hoped for in as much as that God who hath so loued and so testified his loue cannot change and deceiue vs. And there is moreouer by the sence of Gods loue toward vs another loue in vs kindled toward him and toward all whom hee would haue vs loue as shall hereafter more largely be shewed But now I hasten to the ninth and last fruite which I called with the Apostle Aglorying concerning God Romans 5. 11. Which commeth herehence that beleeuers finding Gods loue so farre forth declared to them for his Sonnes sake as not onely to acquit them of all guilt and condemnation of sinne by his sufferings and death whereby of enemies they were reconciled to God But furthermore to allow them his perfect obedience and holinesse to be their owne by imputation euen to the interessing of them into the glorious inheritance of Heauen they doe thereupon greatly glorie and in a holy manner boast-and insult in their spirits ouer all the Enemies of their saluation that God is become so exceeding
fauourable vnto them as being well and throughly resolued that howsoeuer the force of Adams disobedience ioyned to their owne sinnes was very great for the spoiling of them of perfect integrity and filling them full of the infection of sinne to the casting them downe from an happy estate to infinite misery yet the grace of Christ in the merit of his passiue and actiue righteousnesse to wit of his sufferings and doings is of far more exceeding might and vertue for the ouercomming of their sinnes and the restoring of them to a farre more surpassing blessednesse then that they lost grace superabounding aboue sinne So as their hearts be replenished with ioy and glorying not onely because of the glory they looke for in Heauen but also in the vnderstanding and beleefe of that wonderous fauour which God the Father in his Sonne Christ and for his sake beareth to them here in their pilgrimage Aquila Ye are at the length come through this large Sea of doctrine touching Iustification and the nine neerest Effects thereof and are arriued safe at the doctrine of sanctification which followeth next in order to be spoken of but that we haue already by our former discourse exceeded the bounds of our appointed time Therefore it were meete we did now after this recreation of minde repaire thither where we may haue some refreshing to our bodies and if it please you Sir to goe with me wee shall finde little fare and great welcome Apollos Agreed friend Aquila so ye will passe your word to me that at our next conference ye will doe as much for my sake I had rather feede with you of your little with such great loue as you will sawce it with all then to haue great aboundance of good cheere with little sound good-will The eighth Dialogue Entreating of Sanctification the third maine fruite of Faith Aquila SIR I am glad ye are come I had so long waited for you that I began to doubt lest you had been someway letted that you could not haue kept appointment which I would haue beene sorry for Apollos No good friend not so I would haue sent you word of it if there had beene any such matter my late comming was occasioned by some vnlooked for affaires It is not with men of my function as it is with you and men of your condition who hauing lookt to your selues and some few which depend on you or haue to deale with you there is an end of your care but our care stretcheth further and is publike not priuate onely Wee know not when wee haue done so many sundry occasions of employment offer themselues so many soule cases so many soule necessities there be Sathan will find vs worke enough wee must be faine to wake when others sleepe and though I will not mention any party to you yet the matter about which I haue been stayed from you I will impart vnto you It was of one that did acknowledge himselfe to beleeue truly vnfainedly in Christ for the remission of his sinnes and yet doubted of his sanctification he found his heart so encombred and toyled with the vile corrupt motions of finne which arise vp in him as hee saide euen like sparkes out of a burning Furnace or as vapours out of a low moist and waterish ground Aquila See the notable malice and subtilty of that old Serpent when hee cannot preuaile against Gods Children in the maine to make them doubt of their faith and whether they haue their sinnes forgiuen them he troubles them about the bye and wil stirre vp doubting about their sanctification whether they be renewed If hee cannot come directly to strike at the heart yet he will haue a blow at the thigh or the leg so as hee may wound any where it is enough to him but with his malice he couples vnmatchable policy for by breeding scruple about our renewing by the Spirit of sanctification his purpose is to draw the temptation vnto this That therefore they haue no faith they are not forgiuen their sinnes they are none of Gods Children Apollos Ye say right and very truly touching Sathans drift in this temptation but herein Sathan declareth himselfe a sot to seeke to perswade one that hath his faith whole and vncrackt and doth beleeue himselfe iustified and pardoned that hee is not sanctified For whomsoeuer Christ iustifieth them at the same time he doth sanctifie These two workes in the soule of a Christian can no more be diuided then the two natures of God and man can be diuided in Christ for that death of Christ which hath merited remission of sinnes to the beleeuer the same hath merited the holy Ghost to be giuen him for the creating of holinesse in his heart And that faith which apprehends the merit of Christs death and obedience for iustification doth also lay hold vpon the vertue and power of his death and resurrection for the renewing of the minde and will vnto Gods Image of holinesse and righteousnesse Faith doth as well purifie the heart from filthinesse as deliuer it from guiltinesse of sinne Acts 15. And God the Father which gaue his Sonne to be righteousnesse made him also to be sanctification to vs not onely in that his holinesse imputed couereth all our prophanenesse of nature and life but for that the effects of his most holy Nature powred into our corrupt nature changeth both minde and will from darknesse of ignorance and sinne to the light of knowledge and holinesse Therefore Iustification and Sanctification be ioyned in Scripture as Chickens of one broode 1 Cor. 6. And Paul when hee had named the Ephesians Saints by calling and presently addeth the faithfull in Christ Iesus he would teach not onely who be worthy to be entitled Saints but also how the Elect come by this grace euen through faith in Christ Iesus faith as an Instrument receiuing as well the Spirit of Christ vnto sanctification or making vs Saints as his righteousnesse vnto iustification that wee may stand iust And thus faith of the truth and sanctification of the Spirit are put both together 2 Thes. 2. because they cannot be seuered but it is of necessity that he that beleeueth the truth of the promise for forgiuenesse of sin hath a power from the Spirit applying the vertue of Christ dead and raised for the destruction of sinne that he may walke holily And now we are thus put vpon this argument of sanctification if it please you wee will consider of it more distinctly and throughly Let me heare of you by what names this gift vseth to be called in Scripture and amongst Diuines and then how ye doe describe sanctification what be the causes and parts of this benefit in what measure we hold it how it is to be discerned in a mans selfe by what markes and such other things as doe concerne this doctrine Aquila As vnion with Christ incorporation into him engrafting or coniunction or communion with Christ doe all import
vs to discerne it for the loue of others especially of our enemies which proceeds from the loue of God it is the true touchstone and triall of it yet may it please you to deliuer some more and more plaine notes and tokens of our loue to God as euery one who will not bee deceiued may haue wherewith to proue to himselfe the soundnesse of his affection this way and in declaring of this ye shall make knowne what workes and duties are fitting for them to doe who haue and professe to haue the loue of God and so by one bush stop two gappes and plaster two walles with one trowell Apollos It is true which you say the proper effects are best meanes to iudge of the cause and the selfe-same effects which be markes of our loue be also duties and workes which such as loue God are bound to doe which if they be not done will testifie that all profession of the loue of God is but dissimulation Such persons as doe in truth beare a louing heart to God it will leade them to an hearty loue of his Word which is to be seene in Dauid a man if any other very full of loue towards God the zeale of whose name had euen eaten him vp Psalme 119. 139. And this hee witnesseth herein that his Word was his delight Oh saith he how doe I loue thy Law Psalme 119. 79. My delight is in thy Commandements verse 47. Thy Testimonies are better to mee then thousands of gold or siluer verse 72. They were as sweete to his soule as hony is to his mouth verse 103. Now whereas hypocrites seeme to haue the loue of the Word it is but in seeming for they loue it onely for knowledge sake the desire whereof is a thing agreeable to Nature but Gods Children loue it because it is the trueth of God and their appointed food and nourishment whereby they are to be fed to life eternall And further their loue to it doth breed which is not to be found in any hypocrite an earnest and vnfeined desire care and endeauour to doe it and practise it wherein they well declare how well they loue God As it is written If ye loue me keepe my Commandements Iohn 14. 15. And yet more plainely afterwards verse 21. Hee that hath my Commandements and keepeth them that is to say striueth what he may to keepe them this is he which loueth me see verse 23. to the same purpose All which signifying thus much that Christ Iesus taketh triall of our loue towards himselfe by our louing and out of loue labouring to doe his will reuealed in his Word As on the one side our loue to him is manifested by hating and flying such euils as he hath forbid according to that is saide in the Psalme Ye that loue the Lord hate the thing that is euill Psalme 97. 10. And Psalme 119. 128. I esteeme all thy Precepts most iust therefore I hate euery euill way So on the other side the delight we haue in seeking to know the Word for this end that wee may be the doers of the good things commanded therein it is a good and sound proofe of our loue to God the Authour of the Word who will be loued in his Word and trusted in his word and feared according to his word whereof wee conclude That loue of God which is seuered from loue and obedience of his Word to be hypocriticall It is also an infallible marke and duty of sound loue towards God to loue him in his Children and his children in him as was touched before when not for pleasure we haue in them or profit by them or for alliance or acquaintance sake or any morall perswasion but principally for their adoption sake and for the likenesse which they haue with God by their grace of sanctification wee haue our affections more set towards them then towards any other which are not such yea though they be our naturall brethren and sisters Moreouer all loue hath a simpathy or fellow-feeling causing mutual ioy or griefe according to the nature of the things which happen so it is here Gods Children as they greeue to see God disobeyed and dishonoured his Word hindered or abused so they reioyce to haue him pleased and honoured or his Word and kingdome aduanced Example whereof we haue in Dauid Psal. 69. 9. also in Iohn 2 in Paul and Barnabas and others who haue beene moued in Gods cause as in their owne and more taking to heart things which hapned either with or against Gods name then their owne a true note of true loue This is also a property of loue willingly to praise whom wee heartily loue as hatred appeares by discouering faults and fraileties and vpbraiding in reprochfull sort such as offend with their infirmities so loue delights to lay open and commend the perfection of that which is loued This is to be seene in mariage loue and in the loue of friends so it is also in Christian loue it stirreth vp to the searching out and commending of the excellencies of God I will loue thee dearely O Lord my strength saith Dauid the Lord is my rocke my fortresse and he that deliuereth me Psal. 18 1. Dauids loue which he bare to God in his heart filled his mouth and his Pen too with the praises of his God Whereof also there is an example in the Spouse of Christ in Canticles 5. 10. My beloued saith he is white and ruddy the fairest of ten thousand shee loued much and therefore shee praised much Adde vnto all this that loue doth not onely mention with ioy gladnesse the praises of God but as we vse to say shew me your loue by your gifts it is content to be at cost with God and to bestow gifts for his sake for Gods Children out of their loue vnto God they doe first giue themselues vnto God euen their soules and bodies to doe him seruice in practise of all duties commanded Euen as the Israelites brought their sacrifices freely to offer them vnto God vnder the Law so the faithfull willingly offer themselues a liuing sacrifice vnder the Gospel Rom. 12. 1 2. They giue also their graces and set them on worke towards him and their brethren as they receiue of God whatsoeuer graces they haue so they doe returne them vnto him to honour him and serue their brethren with them The hypocrite as he loues God for his benefits and so long as hee doth bestow good things on him but let God once take away his blessings the cause of his loue and then his loue faileth him his blessings and the hypocrites loue liue and die together so the gifts and graces which the hypocrite hath are referred not vnto God to glorifie him therewith but to the pleasing profiting and praysing of themselues as their owne conscience will tell them if they will hearken vnto it and beleeue the testimony thereof It is otherwise with the godly who in the
all duties of loue towards the brethren in all chearefulnesse vp rightnesse and constancy and to striue mightily against all the lets and obstacles of loue both within vs and without vs whatsoeuer they be they are all by these cōsiderations to be vanquished Apollos Your reasons be of good weight There remaineth that you shew vs the properties and actions of loue and withall wherein faith and loue doe differ one from the other Aquila The properties of loue were touched before when wee heard that we must loue as Christ loued but he that will be further instructed in the properties and effects of loue let him thinke vpon the first to the Corinthians 13. 5 6 7 8. where the Apostle affirmeth of Christian charity that it is kind and not enuious neither boasting nor proud doing no vncomely thing seeking not her owne things not suddenly angry nor thinking euill reioycing in the truth not in iniquity suffering all things beleeuing all things hoping all things enduring all things the neerer that our loue is to these qualities the holier it is the further off the worse and none at all it is if it be voide of them Touching the workes and actions of loue I find they be either inward which wee conceiue in our hearts or outward which we expresse in our liues words and deeds either towards the soules or bodies of our Neighbour The inward workes of loue be these to thinke no euill but good of others for loue thinketh no euill to wish them well and desire their good euery way to reioyce with them for their welfare being so cheared with their good things as with our owne to mourne with them for the aduersities and euils which befall them according to the counsell of Paul Reioyce with them that reioyce and mourne with them that mourne This fellow feeling when we pity others infirmities and miseries and be glad for their prosperity and well doing it is the maine mentall duty of loue Now for outward actions of loue they concerne others in their person substance or name they be all the workes commanded in the second Table of the Law which be innumerable but briefly to giue you a short sum of them to the substance of our neighbour we owe this duty to encrease and maintaine it by all good meanes giuing lending to such as need and that freely without any compact or bargaine to haue the principall with increase yea euen where there is no hope to haue the principal restored prouided that need not riot do driue them to borrow and that their want of ability and not of good will doe hinder them from payment Also if we haue found ought which is others or if any thing be of trust committed to vs or that wee haue wrongfully got into our hands any portion of our Neighbours substance that we carefully restore if we be able Eze. 18. in all bargaines and contracts dealing iustly and plainely without fraude or oppression Ephe. 5. Finally practising the workes of our particular callings with faithfulnesse and diligence that we may be profitable to all with whom we liue seruing others through loue and affoording our counsell and paines and whatsoeuer else we can do to further others welfare in their estate both of goods and body if it be in our power not onely to feede him when hee is hungry refresh him with drinke being thirsty harbouring the harbourlesse visiting him in prison but ministring to him being sicke not onely out of our purse but also of our skill if we know any thing that may ease or cure his paine Acts 24. 4 5. As concerning his name neuer speaking of our Neighbour but in loue not for the empairing but for the maintaining of his name when with reason and truth we may alwayes vttering an vpright sentence of all men auoyding slanders lies false reports in our selues and beating them downe in others especially as concerning his soule neuer to be wanting to the good thereof but aboue and before all other duties to preferre such as wee are to doe to his saluation endeauouring vpon all occasions offered to admonish our brother with wisedome loue exhorting his slownesse and quickening his dulnesse to good things comforting the feeble minded strengthening the weake in an hearty compassion of their infirmities instructing the ignorant rebuking the froward with all patience and long suffering bearing for bearing giuing forgiuing wrongs in our prayers remembring the wants of the Saints continuing thus to doe in all humblenesse and meekenesse knowing that Christian loue most of all consists in these duties because they concerne the better part of man which is his soule tend to the chiefest good that is the attainement of euerlasting life To be 〈◊〉 in this point of Loue to answer your last demand as in many other things this Christian charity differeth from faith it being the fruite faith being the roote faith beleeuing the promise loue fulfilling the commandement Ro. 13. Faith iustifying vs before God Loue declating vs before men to bee iust persons So in other things also as namely faith receiueth something to it selfe to wit Christ and his benefits whereas Loue giueth out it selfe in all the former duties we haue spoken of and many more whereof we shall speake hereafter Faith looketh properly to Christ and profiteth our selues Loue looketh to God and Angels and men both good and bad and endeuoureth to profit many Hence it is that the Apostle preferreth loue before faith 1 Corinthians 13. as also for that faith ceaseth at the end of this life whereas loue endureth after this life 1 Cor. 13. verse last Apollos I perceiue by your discourse of Loue that you confound loue and brotherly kindnesse as if they were but one grace whereas the Apostle Peter doth distinguish them and make them twaine 2 Pet. 1. 7. Aquila I doe handle them together for that I find the Scripture doth often comprehend brotherly kindnesse vnder loue when loue is taken in the largest sense as it reacheth to all men whatsoeuer howbeit I doe not denie but the Apostle doth seuer them 2 Peter 1. In which place he considers loue as it doth embrace men as men because they are our Neighbours and of our kind and brotherly kindnesse as it is a more neere and inward affection such as is expressed to men as they be our brethren Christians and fellow Citizens This difference I may thus set it downe I may compare our hearts to a great large house whose hall is loue and the parlour brotherly kindnesse as then a great man admits all friends strangers one and other into his hall so our loue is to lie open vnto all men without respect or difference but our brotherly kindnesse we communicate onely to such as are our euen Christians as we doe allow our nearest acquaintance onely to haue accesse into our parlour Thus I conceiue the meaning of the Apostle Peter when he doth seuer these two graces But now
reason why the more simple and needy are more commonly drawne to Christ because such being void of those goodly things wherein men vse to place their felicity hauing the lesse to set their hearts vpon they are the sooner and more easily brought to see their spirituall pouerty and want and to seeke for the fulnesse of all good things out of themselues in Christ Iesus In whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Col. 2. 3. Of whose fulnesse we receiue grace for grace Ioh. 1. 16 As being the most rich store-house of all heauenly goods without whom whosoeuer are rich they are but poore and very fooles whosoeuer are wise without him Apollos Ye haue spoken of the quality and condition of such persons as are made partakers of a true calling Now let mee heare you deliuer the signes whereby one that is called may know his calling for I thinke you are of this minde that one which is truly called may know he is so and that the Word hath taught markes to discerne of their calling Aquila It is right Whosoeuer be called if they be of yeeres know that they be so for so saith the Apostle We know by the Spirit the things which are giuen vs of God 1 Cor. 2. 12. Now amongst other things giuen vs of God our calling is one and the first Againe our calling as the word of God teacheth It is an opening of the eyes of the blind Acts 26. 18. A setting at liberty such as were in prison Luk. 4. 18. A quickning of the dead a translating from darkenesse to light from Sathan to God Ephe. 5. 8. A separation of the wheate from the chaffe Mat. 3. 12. Now all these comparisons may teach that calling is such an action of God as is discernable to them in whom it is wrought for can they be enlightened being blind before Can they come out of a darke dungeon of ignorance vnbeliefe and sinne wherein they were detained as prisoners in snares and be restored to liberty in freedome of minde and heart to serue God and not perceiue it Is it possible that they that were dead before should liue and doe the actions of a spirituall life to mooue and walke towards Heauen but that this worke of the Spirit should be somewhat felt Againe such as truly beleeue may know their owne faith as the man in the Gospell I beleeue Lord and faith euer goeth with an inward calling therefore our calling may be knowne to vs. Moreouer we haue examples of such as did know themselues to be called and haue ioyed vpon the certainty thereof as Abraham Zacheus the beleeuers at Samaria the Eunuch Yet further what Christian comfort or true inward reioycing can there be in any persons touching good things promised and to come if they had not a certainty and sure vnderstanding of their present good estate by their heauenly vocation For ioy is not of vncertaine doubtfull and vnknown things but of things surely comprehended Adde hereunto that no Christian could with any courage or heart set himselfe presently to doe the worke of Christianity if his calling and conuersion to God were not reuealed to him to certifie him of Gods good acceptance of himselfe and shew it through Christ. Finally our Iustification and Sanctification which are the nearest effects of calling and euer goe together with it may these I say bee knowne as it is written Being iustified by faith we haue peace with God Rom. 5. 1. And we know that our old man is crucified with Christ Rom. 6. 6 and shall not calling the roote of these graces be discerned Yea by the knowledge of these graces it is traced found out and descried Therefore howsoeuer at the instant of ones calling haply a Christian may be so weake such a babe in Christ or in a strange or strong fit or pang of temptation when a quaume of soule affliction and trouble comes ouer the heart or after some grosse and greeuous fall a man being as it were for a certaine time in a trance or extasie 〈◊〉 and fencelesse one may in such cases doubt of their calling yet assuredly at other times it doth so euidence it selfe as the parties called can with gladnesse of heart glory in their caller and heartily thanke him Which if others vpon the demonstration of it by the fruites can doe and often doe it in their behalfe as Rom. 6. 17. Paul for the Romans and elsewhere for other Professors of Christ then much more the called themselues vnderstand it and breake forth into cheerefull mention of it True it is and cannot be gaine-saide that many presume of a true effectuall calling who indeede were neuer so called and thus are deceiued by imagining to haue that which they alwayes lacked as they Iohn 8. 41. Which say God is our Father As men that dreame doe fancy bagges of gold and fulnesse of meate being empty poore and hungry when they awake yet they who are in truth made partakers of this holy calling in iudging themselues to be called are therein no whit deceiued For they haue a sure witnesse in themselues Rom. 8. Yea sundry witnesses 1 Iohn 5. 8. Whereas ye desire to heare the markes and meanes whereby Gods children are brought to the knowledge of their owne calling beside that which in my former speech I haue let fall to that purpose there be some other tokens which I will now rehearse The first is a spirit of discretion enabling them to discerne the voice of him who hath called them out of darkenesse into his maruellous light according to that which is written I am the good Shepheard my Sheepe heare my voyce the voyce of a stranger they wil not heare but flie from him Iohn 10. 5 6. And a little after I know mine and am knowne of mine Also Ye haue an annointment from that Holy one and know all things yee know that no lie is of the truth 1 Ioh. 2. 20 21. Meaning hereby that the truth of heauenly doctrine by the illumination of the spirit was in such cleere wise knowne vnto them as they could distinguish it from a lie putting a difference betweene erroneous and sound teaching euen as sheepe by naturall instinct and partly by custome can skill the whistle and call of their own Shepheard euen so Christians after the grace of their calling doe very well discouer the wholsome call and voyce of Christ their heauenly and spirituall Shepheard from the howling of Wolues and call of Theeues and hirelings which speake not but to deceiue and destroy You will say peraduenture that this token is common to the true Christian with other who haue but an outward calling yet by the light of their knowledge which they haue attained can both bewray and conuince errour euen whatsoeuer is contrary to the voyce of Christ. Yea some of these are able very learnedly and iudiciously to doe it Therefore we are to know that the
spirit of discretion in such as be inwardly called aswell as outwardly is attended vpon by sundry other graces as namely with an hearty and vnsained loue of that doctrine which they certainely know and by power where of they were mightily called and changed so as they willingly heare it with a true constant delight in the vnderstanding of it as it is written My sheep heare my voyce and they which are of God beare Gods word That is with much readinesse they heare it and with great and sound pleasure in it as Dauid did I loue thy Law therein is my whole delight Yea they heare it with an obedient eare and dutifull so as they can and doe so distinctly apply that which they heare know and loue to their particular vses for humbling comfort for strengthening and reformation of themselues as they submit gladly both iudgement and will reason and affections to the rule of this truth Therefore it is further written that Christs sheepe by calling doe heare his voyce and follow him Thus they haue their care-marke they heare and the wooll-marke too they follow and obey the doctrine of Christ according to the measure of grace receiued Lastly the graces of sanctification which are giuen them together with their calling and by which they are enabled to beleeue and fruitfully practise the doctrine and to continue encrease inso doing doe testifie for them to themselues and others their vndoubted calling in the Gospell Apollos Forbeare I pray a while further speech of this last marke because of those graces I will hereafter know your minde when ye first haue tolde me what men are to doe which yet haue not these tokens of calling what course such be to take to bring on their calling and how others are to behaue themselues which haue good proofe and experience of their vocation to God Aquila I wil doe my best to satisfie you herein Such as by want of the former markes and other wayes doe but make doubt that as yet they haue not this mercifull blessing of a peculiar calling let them vnder good hope of themselues that they are of the Elect because that to them God hath affoorded an outward calling offering vnto them therein Christ with all heauenly treasures neuer giue any rest to themselues vntill to their outward bee ioyned an inward calling which is so needfull as till then men are in a very bad case applying themselues to the diligent and constant vse of all such helpes and meanes as be profitable thervnto Of these meanes some be priuate some be publike the priuate meanes auaileable to an inward calling be the often humbling of our lofty stubborne hearts by a search into and a confession of particular sinnes against the Law vpon due and serious consideration of them both for the huge number being as the starres of Heauen and for the fearefull filthinesse of them being against such an infinite diuine Iustice an holy law and lastly for their deep dreadful danger being the causes of al Christs passiōs of eternal pains in hell fire to such as they are not forgiuen vnto besides innumerable iudgements and wofull plagues within which they wrap vs euen in this life By the often and carefull viewing our selues in the looking glasse of the Law beholding there our most sinfull and most wofull estate and labouring our selues to haue knowledge with some feeling experience of it enforcing what we may to apprehend with feare and griese the threatning of the Law against all and euery one of our sinnes by this meanes our dolefull condition wil come before our eyes for meekening and taking downe in some measure the hauty pride and obstinacy of our nature and will cast and strike vs into some dread of our selues and be some bridle to keepe backe the headlongnesse of our secure sinfull hearts For it cannot but that it will make a man affraide to run vpon such sinnes as he seeth and confesseth against himselfe and with his owne mouth pronounceth worthy of eternall wretchednesse And hauing once taken vp such a course of particular acknowledgement of our offences after an earnest and diligent examination of our hearts and wayes let it not be left againe but continued with such care as men can not to doe it of custome but earnestly for humiliation Next thing is there would be a good endeauour vsed to auoide the outward act of all sinne as to refraine from lewd and lasciuious talke from lying swearing and from the deede of drunkennesse adultery theft contention fighting and all such like which is in a mans power to doe if we will doe but so much as lyeth in vs to doe The Heathens hauing attained thus much as to liue ciuilly and vnblamably for their externall behauiour Yea further euen before their calling men ought by their endeauour watchfulnesse ouer themselues not onely to forbeare the committing of any outward euill in word or deede but further to snib and keepe downe the rebelling motions and desires of the soule True it is that they cannot so doe it as after they are called when the Spirit of Christ hath put a power into them for mortifying their lusts in a true hatred and abhorring of them as euils contrary to God and their owne good yet by the generall light of conscience and helpe of restraining grace they may sore checke and curbe them And in this worke and exercise of suppressing sinne both in the outward fruit and inward roote they shall not a little be furthered by embracing the company of good men from whom they shall haue many aduertisements by words or good examples in their deedes which they may imitate and follow Also by eschewing the familiarity of vaine and euill men whose words and actions are as pitch to defile as poyson to infect and as strong pul backes to hold vs from comming neere to God and finally as mighty prouocations to further vnto all hellish life Therefore of this in any wise men that will come to an happy calling must take heede what manner of men they make the companions of their life for such is the force of company either good or euill as one shall quickly become such as they be with whom hee doth associate himselfe be then curteous to all yet acquainted but with a few and they of the best It must not be forgotten that attentiue reading the Bible and other good Books which are wrote of diuine matters especially of the nature and defect of sinne of the Maiesty power of God of his seuere iudgements against offenders of his Law will doe great stead in this businesse The Gospell and promises would be so farre tasted of as may keepe vp the heart from sinking for this grace of vocation is not giuen but to such as the Law hath brought low by the sight of their sinnes and wrath due vnto them Adde vnto all the former that not
light to them that sit in darknesse And againe The people which sate in darknesse saw great light Mat. 4. 16. In respect of this worke of the Spirit Christ is said to be the light of the Gentiles Luke 2. 32. And the Ministers who are but Instruments of this worke are called Lights of this Word and Lights of the blinde Mat. 5. 14. Rom. 2. 19. This worke of illumination or enlightning it is that whereby the Spirit first purgeth the mind vnderstanding from darkenesse and vanity which was in it through ignorance of God also the iudgement from that peruerse corruption of it in things belonging to God whereby it could not put a difference betweene good and euill and secondly putteth into the vnderstanding and iudgement a new light of knowledge and discretion whereby the soule knoweth and discerneth aright the truth of saluation by Christ euen particularly in the seuerall doctrines This enlightning is twofold The first is generall and slight whereby the minde is enlightened vnto an idle and vnfruitfull knowledge of God The latter is a speciall and through-enlightening vnto a diligent and profitable vnderstanding of Christ. These two kindes of knowledge whereof the one a wicked man may haue the other is giuen to none but to the Elect though they both be the gifts of the Spirit and also be of the same things yet they differ very much For first the knowledge which a godly man receiueth in his illumination it is certaine and distinct so as hee is able to applie the threatnings of Gods iudgements to the humbling of himselfe and the promises of God to raise and comfort himselfe the wicked by their knowledge cannot doe so hauing but a naked and bare speculation without any particular application of the same for humbling or comfort Againe the knowledge of the godly is sufficient to direct them generally and in euery particular duty whether it be for auoyding euil or for doing any good but the insight and knowledge of the wicked is vnsufficient and vnable to direct them in their singular and particular actions either for omission of euill or practise of good The former knowledge is full of good workes and directs them in whom it is to doe good things constantly but the latter is barren and fadeth before the end or leaues them in the end In respect of these differences the knowledge of the Elect for the cleerenesse sufficiency and certainty of it is likened to the light of the Sunne and the knowledge of the reprobates for the confusednesse vnsufficiency vnstablenesse is compared to the Lightening which doth not giue any certaine light it doth not continue any certaine time and when it is gone men see worse then before So doth it fall out with the wicked for their knowledge doth soone vanish and while it lasteth it is very vncertaine and there is in them afterwards greater and more dangerous darknesse then before for because they winke with their eyes and make their hearts fat striuing willingly not to see that they cannot but see wilfully blinding and hardening themselues therefore as a punishment of this sinne they are giuen ouer to haue dull and heauy eyes and eares so as they shall see and not perceiue heare and not vnderstand Acts 28. 27. Whereas the knowledge of the godly encreaseth in brightnesse like the Sunne which shineth more more cleerely vnto the perfect day Prou. 4. 18. So as the godly are very greatly bound to praise God for such their light of knowledge and to endeauour to walke in that light answering such a grace by thankfulnes in tongue and obedience of liues and workes as becommeth children of such light translated out of such darknesse Aquila Now that ye haue spoken of illumination or opening the eyes will it please you to say somewhat of the other worke of the Spirit which ye call the opening of the heart what may this signific or how may it differ from the former worke of enlightening Apollos By the heart according to Scripture phrase is signified not the fleshy part of the body which is thought to be the fountaine of life and seate of the affections but the faculties of the soule especially the vnderstanding and will For the heart is as it were the chaire of estate for the soule where the soule sheweth her selfe in presence therefore it is so often put for the soule and the chiefe powers thereof as God opened Lydiaes heart that is her soule Now this opening sheweth and teacheth vs that the soule is as a Chest fast lockt and barred into which while it is so there can no treasure be put So it is with the soule before our effectual calling it is close shut vp and lockt vp through ignorance and vnbeliefe sinne so as no sauing grace can drop into it but it is kept from all sight and feeling of Gods peculiar mercies Therefore this opening of the heart besides the illumination already spoken of whereby the Spirit piercing into the minde endued it with that heauenly light before touched that it may cleerely and certainely vnderstand the whole truth of the Word but chiefly the promise of the Gospel it hath also the mouing and bowing of the will with affection to receiue and embrace this promise the Spirit enduing the soule with a sweete feeling of the most mercifull goodnesse of God therein And of these two workes of the Spirit in opening of the eyes and the heart ariseth that third worke called Faith which is a gift powred into the soule knitting it vnto Christ with whom being vnderstood and knowen as hee is reuealed in his Word and embraced with affection both of the mind will it now resteth satisfied as one that hath found a rich treasure or great spoyle Aquila But I am not yet satisfied with this that you haue said about these workes of the Spirit Therefore I pray you yet more plainely and particularly lay forth the actions of the Spirit tending to the engendring of faith in the heart of an elect sinner Herein I will doe mine endeauour to giue you satisfaction the Spirit of God as in our first conference you rightly told vs worketh both by the Law and the Gospel In the preaching of the law it worketh first a knowledge of God as he is God the Creator and preseruer of all things reuealing his most great maiesty power iustice and wisedome making vs to see him a mighty terrible Iudge extremely hating and infinitely recompencing all iniquity Then it goeth on by the Law to shew vs our sinnes against this God The knowledge of sinne is by the Law Rom 3. 20. especially reuealing vnto vs that the very first motions of our minde and will against God or our Neighbour are damnable sinnes and breaches of Gods Law Rom. 7. 7. Our sinnes being thus vttered vnto vs in the very particulars as well actuall as originall as well of omission as of commission in our thoughts words and workes
whether they were little or great against God or men after this there followes a reuelation of all the fearefull punishments and curses temporall and eternall for the plaguing of body and soule now and for euer by the threatning and denunciation whereof and haply by a sensible experience of some part of it the holy Spirit breedeth terrour feare and astonishment vpon the view and apprehension of so many erroneous sinnes and such lamentable dolefull estate as is due thereunto Hereof called the Spirit of feare and bondage Rom. 8. 15. 2 Tim. 1. 7. Whereupon the saide spirit bringeth to a speciall griefe vpon the sence of Gods heauy wrath for some especial sinne called Pricking of the heart Acts 2. 37. whereby it bereaueth men of their chiefe desires putteth them out of conceit with the best things in themselues turning their mirth to mourning their chiefe delight to bitter griefe taking downe their hearts courage and stomack because they see they haue to doe with a righteous most rigorous Iudge who will remit nothing of his iustice but taketh reuenge vpon all sinne and iniquities and finding no strength or meanes in themselues to escape his wrath they despaire of euer obtaining his fauour by any their owne worth or goodnesse These are the workes of the Spirit in the ministry of the Law and in Ioh. 16. 8. They are called the rebuking of the world of sinne Here the office of the Law ceasseth and can bring no neerer to Christ but onely to bewray vnto vs our great neede and want of his sufferings righteousnesse and thereof the Law is termed our Schoole-master to Christ Galat 3. 24. Thus then the Spirit hauing brought the sinnefull soule by the preaching of the Law in the view and dread of her iniquity and misery to beholde what great and extreame neede shee hath of Christ and of euery droppe of his blood of his Spirit and of euery grace thereof doth after this by the Word of the Gospell begin to open her a doore to the grace and fauour of God shewing God vnto her as a Redeemer and Sauiour of sinners freely offering mercy for forgiuenesse and saluation in the promises of the Word enlightening the minde to know the truth and certainty of them mouing the iudgement to yeeld and subscribe vnto them being known to be from God and then further making poore sinners to perceiue and beleeue that all sinnes how many and horrible soeuer for all the multitude and hugenesse of them are pardonable and such as may be forgiuen them as being far and very farre lesser then the infinite mercies of God and most vnualuable merites of Christs passion and death the infinite price and worth whereof being wrought by the same Gospell to see and consider the distrustfull hearts be therewithall stirred vp by the holie Ghost to make particular confession of sinnes and to seeke mercy and pardon of them from God by Iesus Christ with trust of finding it as also to hunger and thirst after that perfect righteousnesse of Christ there set before them and finally by the operation of that Spirit applying to them the promises concerning Christ and righteousnesse by him they are sure'y perswaded that they belong to themselues wherupon flying from the terrour of iustice threatned in the Law they dare approach to the Throne of grace saying Abba Father in respect whereof the holy Ghost is called the Spirit of adoption of faith and of a sound minde Rom. 8. 15. 2 Tim. 1. 7. Aquila I doe acknowledge my selfe now well content with this your Anatomy and opening of the works of the Spirit in calling illuminating and opening the heart that it may beleeue Christ to saluation whereby I see how farre many are from faith which suppose themselues neere to it and also perceiue how manifoldly and greatly the Elect which doe beleeue are beholden to God for his wondrous working in them And lastly more and more discerne the continuall and sincere preaching of the Law and Gospell to be of great vse in the Church that Gods Elect thereby may bee translated from infidelity to faith Now if you thinke good we will hold our selues content to haue proceeded thus farre at this present and at our next meeting we will conferre further if God will concerning this great worke of Faith to the creating whereof we haue seene so many and sundry workes of the Spirit to be behouefull and requisite Apollos I am well pleased so to doe for my businesse calleth me away and it may be also your Family or calling may craue your presence and meete it is that these lesser duties giue place to the greater At our next meeting together I will try your knowledge about the nature and office of faith and other things which belong to that worthy and noble gift the Mother-gift and Queene of all graces which bee inspired into mans hear The third part of the Dialogue concerning a true and liuely Faith in Iesus Christ. Apollos WEll saide Neighbour Aquila I see you will not faile me in that you keep your appointed time so duly for you are here euen iust at the time we agreed vpon Aquila Sir I loue to stand to my word in euery thing which is in my power to performe I will be aduised what I promise but hauing once giuen my faith I will not breake it willingly Fidelity in keeping promise with men is one of those Christian graces which are proper to Gods children as there will be occasion hereafter to declare but in the meane time the thing that wee are now to deale in it is not concerning ciuill faith betweene man and man but about Christian faith in the promises which God hath made to man Which because it is a large theame and wil take vp much time I haue purposely set apart some and ouercome othersome businesse that wee might intend the through-sifting of this point Apollos And my leysure doth serue mee very well Therefore because you thought it no ease vnto you to propound Questions ye shall now vndergoe the burthen of an answer which you liked so well of Let me see how you proue that Faith is a fruite of our calling and a gift proper to the Elect seeing it is reported of many that they haue beleeued which yet were not Elect as of Simon Magus Actes 8. 13. Also some in Iohn 2. 23 24. Yea of the very Diuels that they doe beleeue Iames 2. 19. In which place verse 26. the same Apostle telleth vs of a dead faith which one may haue and yet be no true Christian. Aquila For your former Question whether it be a fruite of our effectuall Calling If there were no euident testimony to proue it yet the thing is plaine enough for all know which know any thing that in our Calling wee are made to beleeue this being the very terminus or end wherein the worke of our Calling resteth to bring vs
to Faith in the Sonne of God Of which yet there is proofe by expresse places or good consequence out of holy Scripture When the Apostle saith Rom. 8. 30. Whom he calleth them he instifieth of this it followeth that men being called and iustified at one time and all doe or should know that there can bee no Iustification but by Faith that therefore in our Calling we are made to beleeue vnto Iustification Againe such places as yoke preaching and beleeuing together as Actes 11. 20 21. They preached the Lord Iesus and a great number beleeued and Acts 14. 1. They spake so as that a great number beleeued with innumerable places of the like kinde These manifestly confirme to vs that where G O D S Spirit effectually calleth to the heart by the call and voyce of the Preacher to the care there followeth Faith as an immediate worke of such a Calling Now to your second demand I answer not euery Faith is a fruite of effectuall calling and proper to the Elect for there is a Faith which is so called vnproperly as a painted fire is called fire or a dead man is named a man Such is the faith which doth accompany a common outward Calling and may be found in hypocrites and wicked men and in some of them there is historicall faith onely by a generall illumination being made to vnderstand and beleeue the doctrine of Scriptures to be of G O D and therefore to bee most true and worthy of credit and thus much the Diuels doe beleeue and so farre the blinde Scribes and Pharises came but in others of them the Spirit worketh further to bringthem to haue a certaine ioy delight in that which they know and beleeue with a kind of loue and liking to the Ministers of the word and a reuerence after a sort vnto them and to the message which they bring Yea moreouer they are brought by the same Spirit to see and confesse a great neede of Christ and to haue some hope that their sinnes may be pardoned them to desire it in some manner to confesse their sinnes and that often and particularly to aske pardon and that onely in the name and for the merit of Christ and all this while their Faith is but temporary they neuer come to bee rooted and grounded in Christ and so their faith doth faile them and vanish away Such was the faith of them which were likened to the stony ground Mat. 13 also of Simon Magus of Demas of Iudas and of all hypocrites who are deceiued themselues and doe deceiue others with the shadow and appearance of faith in stead of a true liuely and substantiall faith Which in Scripture for distinction from dead Fath is called an effectuall Faith 1 Thess. 1. 3 and Faith vnfained 1 Tim. 1. 5. and Faith of Christ and Faith of the operation of God Col. 2. 12. and Faith of the Elect Titus 11. giuen to them who are ordained to life Acts 13. 48. which euidenceth vnto vs that there is a true liuely Faith which springs from election as a fruit of it and is proper vnto the chosen Apollos I desire to heare of you what this liuely Faith is 2. wherein it differeth from the faith of hypocrites and wicked men 3. what be the parts thereof 4. and also if it haue any degrees and what they be Aquila This liuely Faith is a precious gift of God enabling the Christian soule to know and beleeue the whole doctrine of God as it is contained in the Word especially that which concerneth saluation by Christ and to apprehend or receiue particularly and certainly Christ offered in that doctrine vnto eternall life in heauen When I affirme Faith to be the gift of God it agreeth with Scripture Ephe. 2. 8. Faith is the gift of God which is to teach that men haue it not by industry as they haue Arts and Sciences nor by nature as they haue reason memory speech for then all men might beleeue But all men haue not faith 2 Thes. 3. 2. Which must admonish the faithfull of thankfulnesse in acknowledging that thorow Gods great goodnesse it is giuen them of God to beleeue especially seeing it is no ordinary gift or common which all professors may haue but a very precious and rare gift 2 〈◊〉 1. 1. being giuen to Gods owne peculiar and chosen people a people purchased with an inualuable price This gift of faith looketh to the whole word and doctrine of God Whatsoeuer is in Scripture taught and set downe it knoweth and beleeueth it to be most true be it a word of rebuke or admonition or exhortation or threatning or commandement and precept it doth beleeue and know all that God speaketh to be most true and faithfull mouing the heart and that effectually to receiue the word of admonition to grceue at the rebukes of the word for sinne to obey the word of commanding to feare at threatnings faith hauing obiect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no other euen or equall obiect but God speaking in his word as it is written Abraham beleeued God Gen. 15. 6. And againe The people beleeued God and his seruant Moses Exod. 14. 31. Howbeit the word of promise of the Euangelicall promise promising Christ and with him remission of our sinnes righteousnesse and life euerlasting this word is the more speciall neere and proper obiect and marke that the eye of a liuely faith looketh vnto and betweene this faith and Christ promised or the promise of Christ there is a mutuall relation or reference the promise being set forth to be beleeued by faith and faith embracing and leaning vppon this promise it findeth no stay to rest on for saluation till it come to this word of promise For as mans naturall life is preserued by eating yet not by eating euery thing but by eating wholsome and fit foode So the soule is saued by beleeuing Ephe. 2. 8. yet not by beleeuing euery truth nor euery truth of the Bible but by beleeuing that Word of truth which is the Gospel This faith of Christ crucified saueth there being nothing whereby we can be saued but Christ onely Acts 4. And no gift of God whereby we can haue Christ but faith He dwelleth in our hearts by Faith Eph. 3. For this power of receiuing Christ vnto saluation belongs to faith onlie amongst all the gifts of God Where of there is cleere proofe for it is neuer written of any other gift that thereby Christ is receiued but this is attributed often vnto faith as Iohn 1. 12. Beleeuing in the name of Christ and receiuing him are put the one for the other As many as receiued him to them hee gaue prerogatiue to be the Sonnes of God euen to them which beleeue in his name And Rom. 5. 11. By whom wee which before were sinners and enemies verse 8. 10. haue now that is since we had faith to beleeue to instification verse 1. receiued the atonement And hereunto that in Galat. 3. 14.
It is written that by faith we receiue the promise of the Spirit that is the promise concerning Christ and righteousnesse by him which is called the Spirit because the Spirit is Authour of it reuealer of it and by his operation the applier of it This receiuing of Christ by faith it is done by a double act or worke one of the minde renewed seeing acknowledging and considering him as our owne Sauiour giuen to vs of God with all his merites and rich gifts the other of our will renewed embracing affecting and with ioy feeling his mercies being fully satisfied with him now made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. and become to vs as well of water springing vp in vs to life euerlasting Ioh. 7. 38. Now the reason why Christ with his benefits are receiued rather by faith then by any other gift of the mind is very plaine for it is so decreed of God in his eternall counsell that neither by repentance hope or loue or any other grace then by beleeuing onely we should become partakers of Christ and his righteousnesse according to that which is written This is the will of him that sent me saith Christ that euery one that seeth the Sonne of God and beleeueth in him shall haue eternall life Iohn 6. 40. And Galat. 3. 8. It is saide that the Scripture foreseeing that is God foreseeing and fore-appointing and in Scripture long before it came to passe reuealing that God would instifie the Gentiles through faith And this is a sure rule in Diuiniry that whatsoeuer comes to passe in time was ordained to be before all time therefore the Word and experience hauing taught that whosoeuer lay hold on Christ to their saluation it is by faith they doe it it must follow hereof that it was Gods will from all eternity The end of Gods counsell herein is twofold First is because this way of receiuing Christ with his righteousnesse to life it taketh from vs all matter of reioycing and boasting in our selues and giueth the whole glory vnto God as it is written God hath set forth Christ to be a reconciliation through faith to this end to declare his righteousnesse that is that he might be known to others as hee is in himselfe to be a most true and mercifull God in his promises to the praise of his righteousnesse And a little after Where is then the reioycing It is excluded By what Law that is to say by what doctrine of workes No but by the Law of faith Therefore it is written Rom. 4. 3. That Abraham had by his workes nothing whereof to reioyce with God but by his beleeuing the promises of Christ he had for when we must goe out of our selues for eternall life and all that belongs to it to receiue that from another in whole and in part what can there be left for vs to glory in and what can be more to the glory of God then to be acknowledged to be the Sauiour of empty miserable beggars which haue nothing of their owne but the old ragges of sinne and wretchednesse And how must not this exceedingly reioyce the beleeuing heart to see it selfe blessed with Christ and all his merites and that freely Another end of Gods counsell herein was not onely to prouide for the glory of his owne grace but for the stablenesse of our mindes that we might be sure of the thing promised which could not haue beene if it had come to vs any other way then by beleeuing the promise therefore the promise by Christ and the heauenly inheritance by him purchased it must be by faith that it might come by grace and the promise might be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 Rom. 4. 16. Apollos I haue willingly heard you opening the nature and proper office of a liuely faith the faith of Gods Elect enabling them euen to the apprehension of Christ which cannot be done by the faith of hypocrites and wicked men Whereof it is that this finely faith is termed the faith of Christ not onely because Christ is the giuer of it or the proper and especiall obiect but especially because it carrieth vs to Christ. As the sicke of the palsie who himselfe could not goe was by others carried to Christ to be healed of him Mat. 8. 1. 2 So wee being maymed and lame yea dead yet when wee thorow grace are quickened to beleeue the promise wee are carried to Christ as it were on the shoulders of our faith which is also the foote whereby we walk to him the eye whereby we see him the mouth whereby wee eate him the hand of our soule whereby wee receiue him and apply him to our 〈◊〉 decreed to bee thus by his Father for the manifestation of his truth and mercy and for our benefit in the establishing of our mindes in the assurance of enioying of Christ and all the good promised by him Now if ye please branch out this faith into his parts and acquaint vs with the seuerall measures of it that so the doctrine of faith may yet bee fuller and cleerer to our vnderstandings for I thinke ye are of this minde that all haue not a like faith neither doe ye take faith as some thinke to bee onely a generall knowledge and 〈◊〉 to the doctrine of Christ let me heare you what you will say to these masters Aquila Here in I will apply my selfe to fulfill your desire if first I doe deliuer somewhat vnto you of the two adioynts or qualities proper to this faith to wit particularity and certainty it being a particular and certaine receiuing of Christ Iesus First for certainty it is of the nature of faith to breede certainty or assurance of the thing beleeued we are not more certaine that we see what we see or do hold what we haue in our hands then we are certaine of hauing and enioying that which by faith we see and receiue In as much as doubting is ioyned with faith the faithfull hauing many doubts this commeth of the weakenesse and infirmity of faith as the shaking and daddering of the hand proceeds of some naturall imbecility and feeblenesse and yet the hand holds surely that it hath caught so it commeth of the frailety of faith that we stagger and doubt O ye of little faith why doe ye 〈◊〉 Mat. 6. yet faith for the nature of it doth surely receiue and hold the promise Hence it is that faith is defined for the certainty and cleerenesse of it to bee the ground or subsistence of things hoped for the euidence or demonstration of things which are not seene Heb. 11. 1. The meaning whereof is thus much as if the holy Ghost should say Faith is the very substance or essence of things hoped for because the things which bee but hoped for are yet to come and be voide of essence or being faith therefore whereby they are beleeued to be is a ceraine essence of
of an earthly Monarchy full little then thinking that the life of the Lord and Master should be the worlds ransome and that his resurrection should be the worlds conquest and victory they dreaming of an outward glorious reigne ouer the World and hoping to be great men in great place vnder him howbeit they giuing credit to his doctrine and embracing him for the Messias depending vpon his mouth in matter of duty and saluation they had a measure of faith though a little and weake one as Christ himselfe doth testifie of them all O ye of little faith and of Peter by name O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt Mat. 14. 31. and as they signifie of themselues by their owne petition Luke 17. 5. Lord encrease our fasth The other sort of weake ones in faith be such as hauing more knowlege in the mystery of Christ touching the worke of saluation by his sufferings and righteousnesse yet doe very weakely apply this their knowledge not being perswaded of the forgiuenesse of their owne sinnes and of their reconciliation with God but earnestly desiring to embrace and beleeue the promise of it and of this sort of beleeuers there haue been in all ages very many in the Church of God euer since the ascension of Christ as daily experience proueth in many honest Christians which can speake well and distinctly of the doctrine of grace and yet haue laide but poore hold of it for their own safety and comfort much doubting themselues Aquila But Sir by this meanes it wil come to passe that many which are farre enough from true faith will be ready to imagine themselues to haue some measure of faith for euery one will by and by alledge for himselfe that he hath a good desire to beleeue in Christ and so be lulled asleepe to their own perdition presuming of that which they in truth doe want Apollos Indeed Aquila you say well this is a thing may be feared howbeit there be diuers good and sure workes to discerne a sound desire to beleeue in Christ which is the lowest degree of a liuely faith from all vaine desires of wicked men hypocrites which may pretend to haue it and yet haue it not The first is that in them whose desire is sound and godly there is a coueting rather of reconciliation then of saluation rather to bee in grace and fauour with God then to bee happy in heauen for their desire commeth from a brused heart greeued and cast downe for the offence of God and his displeasure conceiued against their sinne so as to haue but one good looke of God one smile of his louing countenance it is more desired of them then the World nay then the glory of Heauen as Dauid prayeth O lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs Psal. 4. 7. And elsewhere the Church prayeth Returne and let the light of thy countenance shine vpon vs and we shall be whole Psal. 80. 3. And in another place the godly professe saying In thy fauour is life It is true that one cannot haue the fauour of God but he is sure to be saued and it is lawfull to desire saluation but yet the thing which the beleeuing broken heart doth cheefly looke vnto it is to be loued and fauoured of God Againe this godly desire is vehement not slight or light but very feruent like to the desire after meate of one pinched with hunger which is very earnest as we say hunger wil breake the hard stone wals or to the desire and longing of a woman with childe which vseth to be very vehement such is this sound desire of them who begin to beleeue they couet more to be satisfied with a full sight of Gods face then worldlings desire siluer and gold the doctrine of grace being to them more desirable euen then the finest gold Psal. 19. Wee haue heard of the desire of the Cananitish woman for her Daughter being vexed with a Diuell and we reade of the chased Hart breathing panting after the coole water brookes euen so the soule chased by temptations scorched with the heate of sinful lusts hauing begun once to taste the sweetnesse or but to feele the neede of sauing mercies doth most eagerly and sharpely desire to attaine vnto them This earnestnesse of desire it is not in them by fits and starts like Pilates desire to know the truth Iohn 18. which as a weake sparkle quickly died of it selfe but it is constant as is the desire of a thirsty man whose desire ceaseth not till his thirst be quenched such as Anna her desire was after a childe it was great and continued till the thing was granted which she did desire so it fareth with a sound desire to beleeue and find Christ it lasteth till faith bee formed in the heart and Christ be borne in them they are not quiet till then nor then neither still more and more desiring to bee knit and ioyned neerer to Christ their loue their ioy their crowne their treasure Lastly this witnesseth the soundnesse of this godly desire to beleeue in Iesus Christ that it bringeth forth some good affections which are accompanied with some reformation of life and manners They in whom it is being carefull according to that they know to obey and please God hauing with their desire to beleeue ioined an vnfained desire to repent and to liue honestly keeping a good conscience towards God and men in all things There is the quite contrary of all these to bee seene in vnfaithfull men for their desire it is of happinesse and not at all of Gods loue as Balaam would be blessed but tooke no thought to be reconciled to God or to reforme his way Againe their desires be faint and be soone quelled being neither vehement nor constant and no maruell for they are vnsound rather seeking themselues that it may be well with them then that God may set his heart vpon them and loue them and be glorified in his mercies towards them And finally they desire to be forgiuen saued but it is without desire to repent and amend their liues they like Heauen well but not the way that leadeth thither their desire being to bee glorified with God by hauing his blessing and ioy and not to glorifie him by doing his will Aquila Will not this thinke you doe some hurt to teach that there is a desire of faith which is an acceptance with God for faith it selfe may it not cause men thus to content themselues seeing now they haue some measure of faith which is sufficient to saue them Haply it will be thought that here they may fixe their staffe and set their rest Apollos No Aquila there is no feare of this in this sound godly desire that being a portion of sauing grace whose property is to grow still and waxe greater euen as young figges or raysins grow till they be ripe and come to their full bignesse as all things which haue a vegetatiue or
sensitiue life their property is to encrease vnto a certaine proportion whereunto nature aymeth as ye may see in plants and in beasts and birds so it is in the spirituall life it will not stay in beginnings but loueth still to attaine to that proportion and measure appointed to it of God As by the exhortation of Peter may be gathered Grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord 1 Pet. 5. verse last for the faithful doe that which by him they are exhorred to doe and by likening faith to a graine of mustard-seede whose quality is to grow till it be a large tree but though this be the nature of sauing grace to waxe and encrease yet exhortations to quicken mens care they may doe very well Christians are to be called vpon so to be 〈◊〉 and thankfull for euery true measure of true faith as withall they neuer content themselues with any measure labouring after perfection This it is we desire faith Paul euen your perfection 2 Cor. 13. And sure it is the will of God it should be so 1 Thes. 4. 3. I beseech you 〈◊〉 en encrease more and more The which will of God his Children are the rather to hearken vnto because as their faith encreaseth so will all their graces and comforts proportionably encrease for as a man beleeueth so he loueth and so he feareth and so he obeyes and so hee prayes And after the measure of faith and of the fruits thereof so will be the measure of glory hereafter he that had two talents and the other which had fiue by vsing and encreasing them gained this of the Lord to haue rule ouer the more Cities The examples of the Prophets Apostles and other Saints which haue continually striuen to encrease in godlinesse must also stirre vp others to doe the like wherein we shall be followers not of them onely but of Christ Iesus of whom it is reported that he encreased in stature and wisedome and fauour with God and men Luke 2. v. last Aquila If it please ye let mee heare what ye count strength of faith or a strong faith which is the other or second measure of faith before spoken of and whether in this measure also there be not differing measures of strong faith one to be stronger then another and which is the highest pitch of faith that can bee attained vnto here in this our pilgrimage and by what steps the children of God climbe vp thereunto Apollos Friend Aquila you will I see prouide mee worke enough your questions be like a chaine with many linkes which must be loosed not all together for that were a breaking and not a loosing but apart one after another That there is such a measure of faith which deserues to be termed strong it is very plaine by these few Texts following Abraham being strong in faith Rom. 4. 20. And O woman great is thy faith Mat. 15. 28. and of the Centurions faith I haue not saith Christ found so great faith no not in Israel Luke 7. 9. That the Centurion which was a Gentile by nature a Souldier by profession and saw in Christs person for outward appearance nothing saue weakenesse and infirmity should yet haue such firme perswasion of his power and goodnesse hauing no particular promise as to beleeue and to be resolued in his minde that Iesus was able to helpe his sicke seruant and that without his bodily presence or touching onely by speaking the word hee should chase away such an inueterate malady this was a strong faith indeede The like ye may see in Abraham that hee being an hundred yeeres old and his wife barren stricken with age neuer hearing of any before to be made Parents at these yeeres yet without any former example to beleeue vpon the word and promise of God that he should be a father and that of such a childe of whom should come Nations and in whom all nations shuld be blessed and when he was to be sacrificed yet then to be perswaded surely that God would keepe that promise this was a great faith and a strong But this is none of the linkes of your chaine the first whereof is when faith may be counted strong and great when by the worke of the Spirit ones heart is carried beyond that desire of pardon which before was spoken of euen vnto a sure and setled perswasion that through Gods mercies in Christ his owne sinnes are pardoned to him and hee fully reconciled to God vnto the cleere certainty of his owne saluation The weake faith already described is truly perswaded that sinnes may be forgiuen and desires to haue them forgiuen with some certainty to obtaine but this strong faith besides desire and certainty hath setlednesse and fulnesse of perswasion that all is already remitted and couered As it is reported of Abrahams faith that he was fully assured thereby that God which had shewed himselfe willing to promise was also able to doe it Rom. 4. 19. Such a perswasion was in Iob when he could say I will trust in God though he kill me Iob. 13. 15. And againe I know my Redeemer liueth Iob 19. 25. And in Dauid when hee so confidently professed that hee could lacke nothing because God was his Shepheard Psal. 23. 1. and that God was his shield and fortresse his buckler and his strong Sauiour Psal. 18. 1 2. Lastly in Paul and others we know 2 Cor. 5. 1. and Rom. 8. 35. I am perswaded neither height nor depth shall separate vs. Yet take this withall that when I speake of this strong faith that it is a full perswasion I meane it not absolutely as if there were any such strength of faith as hath no weakenesse no wants or defects at all vnlesse haply in some particular thing as in that which was said to Abraham that he should be Father of many Nations wherein it is saide hee was not weake in faith or doubted through vnbeleefe Rom. 4. 19. For all faith as before was saide is vnperfect but strong faith is called a full perswasion in comparison of a weaker faith which hath not such a measure of certainty and perswasion Now to the second linke whether this measure of strong faith doth not admit sundry measures and differences It is true there is so Moses might beleeue more strongly then Iacob and Iob more strongly then Moses and Dauid more strongly then Iob and Paul yet more fully then Dauid and Abraham more strongly then they all Amongst men of strong constitution some may excell others in courage and strength so amongst them which be strong in faith one may exceed another in power of beleeuing but of this strong faith there be two euident degrees The first is of such as throughfull assurance of faith doe feele in their hearts vnspeakable ioy and glorious 1 Pet. 1. 8. euen in tribulations Rom. 5. 3. Others which be fully perswaded in their soules of Gods mercies towards them in Christ and yet are without feeling any
comfort thereof for the time And sure this is a greater degree of the twain it is not a thing of such strength nor a matter so great in ioyfull feelings to beleeue Gods loue one hauing as it were a pawne of it in their hand as when one hath God frowning vpon him and lieth in some greeuous distresse outward or inward or both then to beleeue fully and strongly that God is still a Father and will saue and deliuer him argueth a mighty faith When Abraham sawe the day of Christ with reioycing at that sight and Mary so beleeued in Christ her Sauiour as her soule reioyced in him Luke 1. 46 when Paul and other beleeuers through their strong faith reioyced vnder the hope of glory Rom. 5. 2 This was nothing such a 〈◊〉 and height of faith to loose your third linke as for Iob when hee was in greeuous affliction God hiding his face from him Iob. 13. 24. and taking him for an enemy shooting his bitter arrowes against him which pierced his reines making him to possesse the sinnes of his youth to the terrour of his soule then and in that case to say I am sure my Redeemer liueth and I shall see him with the same eyes Iob 19. 25. and If he should kill me yet will I trust in him Iob 13. 15. Or for Dauid when his soule was cast-downe and vnquiet within him and all the waues of God came ouer him yet then to say Hee is my present helpe and my God Psal. 42. 5 11. I will yet giue him thanks Or for the man in the Gospell who cried with teares saying Helpe my vnbeleese yet could then say Lord I beleeue Marke 9. 24. And this it is which you did aduertise me of as thinking I had forgotten it that there may be a true faith yea and a great measure of it too for a time where there is no comfortable experience and feeling For as the Sunne may for a time cast forth his beames to the giuing of light when there is no heat nor warmth so the Sunne of righteousnesse Christ Iesus may kindle a light of some knowledge in the promise of mercy before there come to the soule the heat and warmth of ioy and comfort And where both light and heate haue beene giuen hee may seuer them at his pleasure which he is pleased sometimes to do denying to his members a ioyfull sence of mercies for some space for very good causes and respects First vpon some sinne committed he with-draweth his louing countenance taking from them inward ioy of heart that by the absence of it they may be humbled for their sinne as a father for the better humbling of his childe after some fault will denie him wonted fauour and looke vpon it with a displeasant eye and by this meanes also Gods children are brought the better to consider the greatnesse of their offence not onely for humbling but for whetting their prayers to moue them to more earnestnesse in 〈◊〉 of pardon and the restoring of their ioy vnto them as is to be seene in Dauids example Psalme 51. Also herein God taketh great triall of their faith and loue and hath occasion on the other side to expresse and giue his children experience of his mighty grace in sustaining and releeuing them his power is knowne in weakenesse and lastly it serueth for the awing of others to keepe them in feare of offending lest they also loose the ioy of their heart in Gods countenance as a Father will shew anger to one childe to informe and terrifie the rest vnto which wee may adde another consideration that ioy is often clouded or ecclipsed that when it breakes out againe and the minde is cheered and refreshed afresh then the comforts of the Spirit may be more esteemed more thankfully receiued and carefully retained Things lightly come by are lightly set by but euery thing is more accounted of the more hardly we get it therfore as we see a faire day more welcome after a soule or a calme or rest more embraced after a storme or trouble so is ioy of spirit more valued when it commeth after deepe heauinesse and much anguish of spirit for these respects Gods children must haue patience and striue to endure the lack of comfort considering it will returne with such aduantage yea and bee thankfull for such a schooling that it hath pleased God to send them such a bitter remembrance for so good ends for though it be the most greeuous thing in the World to haue our spirit wounded which should sustaine and beare vs out in all infirmities and afflictions Sand and Iron not being so heauy as anguish of heart yet surely in all Gods Children it hath a comfortable issue for which as God is to be waited on till it come so also he is to be praised for ministring such strength of faith as to be able to beleeue in him when nothing is seene and felt but terror and griefe and matter of despaire And where as yee asked how and by what steppes Gods people doe climbe vp vnto this height of beleefe in this I will satisfie you that there are sundry duties and meanes which thorough Gods blessing bring faith in time to such a great measure As first of all the duty of feruent prayer which being an exercise of faith as the body is encreased by exercise being moderate so is faith encreased by this exercise of prayer which springing of faith as a daughter like a good childe helpeth the mother Againe feruent prayer is like to a key or a bucket which doth vnlocke and draw out the treasures of Gods mercies Hence it is that such as haue beene most frequent in prayer haue proued fullest of knowledge faith loue and other graces Let Dauids example teach this none oftener in prayer none more rich in faith Paul full of faith because plentifull in prayer The second duty to adde vnto the strength of faith it is the often religious receiuing of the Lords Supper which for so much as by the vertue of Gods ordinance it signifieth and sealeth to euery beleeuer in particular the good will of God in Christ for forgiuenesse of sinnes and withall containeth a sacramentall promise of Christ and all his benefits to be distributed to due Communicants euen to euery faithfull receiuer Mat. 26. 26 27 28. Hence it is that it serueth greatly to the encrease of faith especially when therewithall is ioyned the diligent and obedient hearing of the Gospell preached which as it is the seede to beget faith so it is as foode and solid meate to confirme it by the ordinance of God And this effect it hath the rather if it be coupled with meditations of the Euangelicall promise the very nourishment of true faith which made godly Dauid to be much in meditations as Psalm 119. doth witnesse so earnestly to commend it to other Psal. 1. 2. Besides all this the long experience of Gods mercies and bounty in outward benefits and in inward
and hope Rom. 15. 4. Therefore let faint sinners plucke vp their feeble hands that hang downe and their weake knees and the rather calling to minde that they haue by vowe in their Baptisme and by promise often iterated in the profession of Christianitie bound themselues as to doe the cōmandements so to beleeue the promises of God And better it were wee had neuer made such a vow then to breake it hauing once made it Eccl. 5 5. But what encoragement shold this be to thinke not onely of that band wherewith we haue obliged our selues to God to beleeue him vpon his worde which as a pure virgin neuer was defiled with any vntruths but also to weigh the bond wherewith God hath bound himselfe to vs not onely in our Baptisme but namely in the Lords Supper where vnder his seale hee assureth euery true beleeuer that examineth himselfe and so eateth and drinketh that he is as verily partaker of Christ and of his passion with all the fruits thereof to remission and mortification of sin as he is partaker of the outward pledges of his body blood they being particular testimonies of assurance to euery one of his owne saluation by Christ according to the tenor of the couenant so as a token from a most trusty friend cānot more confirme our perswasions of his loue towardes vs then the Lords Supper duly receyued may warrant and assure our heartes of the especial loue of God in Christ for our eternal happinesse Vnto all this we may adde as a spurre to quicken vs the great and diuers hurtes which will redound to our selues if we beleeue not God and the maruellous dishonour that thereby should be offered to himself For if once vnbeleefe take roote in our hearts a bitter root or roote of bitternesse it will prooue For by it all our actions naturall ciuill religious indifferent good actions will be defiled and made hatefull to God For Whatsoeuer is not of faith it is sinne Rom. 14 23. And without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11 3. and to him whose minde and conscience is vncleane thorow infidelity and sinne all things are vncleane Titus 1 5. And what a matter this is let any man duly consider of it that as faith gets all sinnes both to bee forgiuen and to turne to our good Rom. 8 28. so infidelity gets all our best workes to become naught to turne to harme to vs and offence to God Neither this onely but through vnbeleefe we do euen bind vp the hāds of God and seale vp the fountain of his liberality that it should not flow vpon vs either in earthly benefites or heauenly graces His protections and deliuerances in our dangers and against our enemies are withhelde As it is sayde in the Gospell Christ could doe no great workes there in Capernaum because of their vnbeleefe so our vnbeleefe doeth after a sort disable God at the least it depriues vs of his gracious good things and great preseruations Neither onely doth it keep good things from vs but pulleth down euill things yea euen vpon Gods Children their particular and partiall vnbeleefe draweth many and greeuous iudgements from heauen Moses for his distrust died in the Wildernesse and might not be suffered to enter the Land of Canaan Deuterono cha 4 4. Also Zachariah otherwise a iust man yet for his vnbeleefe sake was stricken dumbe and for manie moneths was not able to speake Luke chap. 1. vers 22. If the vnbeleefe of the godly being but an infirmitie of faith were so sharpely chastised what marueile if the infidelity of the wicked being a meere absence of faith do cause vnto them many heauy plagues in this life Examples whereof are rife in the Book of God and in common life but the chiefe hurt of incredulity is that it shutteth out from the blessed and glorious kingdome of God For without shall be fearefull vnbeleeuers Reuel 21. 8. yea and throweth downe head-long into eternall perdition to suffer vengeance in flaming fires because they obey not the Gospel of Christ For he that beleeues not the wrath of God is vpon him Iohn 3. 36. and such shall be condemned Marke 16. 16. So as if obtaining of all promised good things cannot be offorce sufficient to stirre vp our dul hearts to embrace the promises yet when the manifold and certaine euils which befall men for want of faith be thought vpon this should helpe to awake our heauy mindes to make vs abhorre euery vnbeleeuing thought chiefly considering that the danger to our selues by yeelding to vnbeleefe is nothing though it be much most fearefull being compared to the dishonour that will thereby redound to God for by our vnbeliefe he is spoiled as much as in vs is of his essence being namely his mercy truth and power which is to make him no God For if we make him a lyar as euery one doth which beleeueth not in the onely begotten Son of God 1 Ioh. 5. 10. then we strip him and rob him of his chiefe glory yea of his very essence Nay which is yet more feareful we doe equal match him vnto Satan as if there were no more truth in his sayings then in the father of lies as on the one side then they doe much glorifie God that doe beleeue his word witnessing of him that he is true in his promises able for performance Rom. 4. 21. yea they do themselues a speciall honour for they doe make God a testimoniall as it were and set to their hand seale that he is faithfull Ioh. 3. 33. So on the other side they do exceedingly dishonour themselues and God also which doe through infidelity cast away his promises Thus you haue heard good friend Aquila the best encouragements which I can thinke of to quicken a fainting faith which if they hit vpon a presuming heart will make it more presumptuous but if they meet with a beleeuing humbled heart for whose sake I haue collected them then they will be as drie sticks heaped vpon a dull dying fire to reuiue and cheere it Now that ye are so well acquainted with the vsuall discouragements hinderances of faith you hauing had so many strong assaults made against your faith if you wil deliuer them and also shew how they may be repulsed ouercome it will doe well in my opinion and so wee will shut vp our conference about faith Aquila I haue a good mind to doe the one that is to lay forth the obiections which the flesh Satan make against the stedtastnesse of faith to shake it but for the other you that haue truly opened the encouragements can also tell how for to fit them for the resistance and beating backe of hinderances First how shall I be assured that the gracious promises offorgiuenesse by Christ and other promises of the Gospell are from God and not deuised by men Apollos Tell me haue you not been moued to doubt whether there
Christ can cleanse and make vs white as snow in Salmon How can any one great sinne hinder God from sauing any beleeuer when all his sinnes could not keepe him from reconciling him being an enemy to him Yea such as haue slaine the Lords Prophets and offered their Children and haue long both themselues liued in and by their authority maintained Idoll seruice as Manasses and Salomon yet haue found fauour vpon their beleeuing Yea he that by his sinne plunged the whole World with him into sinne and death yet was accepted and pardoned because he beleeued the promise And for lying in sinne you haue not abode in them longer then Dauid or Salomon or if ye haue yet as no sinnes so no space of time doth limit God God may forgiue what hee will and when he will to whom hee will The theese that had lyen in his sinnes euen till his last breath in a manner yet finding grace to beleeue found also the grace of pardon and was taken vp into Paradise there to be with Christ for euer That infinite mercy that can ouercome the multitude and vglinesse of our sinnes can also preuaile against our continuance in sinnes Aquila I haue so gone against the light of my knowledge in the course of my life as I am often in doubt lest I haue sinned that vnpardonable sinne yea I haue had feareful thoughts against that gracious diuine maiesty whereby I haue beene moued to feare lest hee had giuen me ouervtterly Apollos In all soule temptations lightly this of sinning against the holy Ghost is one as an ague goeth with all bodily diseases which commeth through ignorance of this sinne or the strong subtilty of Satan bewitching our mindes with feare of this sinne which is not any one nor many actions against knowledge but it is a sinne committed in speech being contumelious and reprochfull against Christ his person offices benefits doctrine and workes or against all of these yet not euery such speech is this sinne vnlesse it proceede of despight and malice of heart against the truth of Christ once knowne by the enlightening of the Spirit Also this sin is accompanied with an vniuersall and totall Apostacy from truth and generall pollution in maners quite contrary to the worke of the sanctifying Spirit wrought in them whereupon it is called the blasphemy of the Spirit Hee that dreads this sinne neuer did it Secondly he that truly greeues for any sinne neuer did this sinne Thirdly he that can pray for forgiuenesse of sinne if it be but with vnfained desire to be in Gods fauour he is free from this sinne Fourthly he that can speake honorably of Christ and can abide nay like the honourable mention of him and his truth by others neuer did this sinne Fifthly hee that hath any good affection to the Ministers or other members of Christ hath no part in this finne Lastly not he that feares lest hee be giuen ouer but knowes certainly that he is indeed giuen ouer to it is within the compasse of this sinne he that feares lest hee be in it is not in it for whosoeuer is in it knowes he is so this is most certain for he is damned of his owne conscience Aquila But when I am brought to see that all my sinnes are such as may be forgiuen me then I am troubled with this that I haue no faith My heart is dull and dead full of vnbeleefe and so all that can be saide is nothing to my comfort I feele no more then a stone or blocke except it be great feare sometimes and trembling of heart with excessiue dolour and heauinesse wherewith I am euen ouerwhelmed Apollos Faith is not feeling but apprehension feeling followes as a fruit of faith which is in assent not in sence What feeling had Christ when he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and my soule is heauy to death Mat. 26. and 27. 46. In your heauinesse and sorrow you are conformed to your head and other his members to Hezekiah mourning as a Doue and chattering as a Crane Esay 38. 14 To Dauid complaining of the disquietnesse of his heart Psal. 42. and confessing that his teares was the water that washed his Couch Psal. 6. 6. To Iob whose greefe was like heauy sand and pressed downe his heart to the graue Then as wheate may be hid in chaffe so faith is often buried vnder the heape of our corruptions and discomforts Say not therefore ye haue no faith because your heart is dull and dead They of whom Christ saide that their hearts were slow to beleeue heauy and dull and foolish hearts yet did beleeue Luke 24. 25. And howsoeuer you thinke all to be full of vnbeleefe it commeth in you from hence because 〈◊〉 beleeue not now so strongly and comfortably as you were wont to doe and feele those motions of incredulity and distrust which you were not wont to feele And howsoeuer it goeth with you now as with a man in a great sicknesse that hath lost his tast and cannot iudge of meates yet you shall hereafter when health is restored say you were deceiued Finallie if it were some other besides your selfe that saide they had no faith I might be sooner brought to beleeue them And would giue them this counsell that though as yet they beleeue not yet not to despaire or cast off hope for they may beleeue hereafter so they carefully vse the meanes with waiting vpon God who calleth at all houres It is darknes in the night but at due time the Sunne ariseth so after darknesse of vnbeleefe couering the firmament of the heart there wil arise the Sun shine of liuely faith to all Gods Elect in the meane time to feele vnbeleefe with a mislike of it and with a desire of faith in Christ it is a good beginning as we haue heard hereof in the degrees of faith Aquila Sir you haue now well satisfied me in these obiections and in this whole discourse about faith I trust hereafter to heare you speake of the fruits of faith and namely to lay forth distinctly and cleerely our vnion with Christ by meanes of our faith and our communion with his righteousnesse and Spirit for iustification and sanctification which being matters of great importance and our allowance of time being already more then spent wee are to expect some new occasion for the further dealing in these things Apollos Ye say well in the meane time I thanke you for your good company and wish you much good by this conference The sixth Dialogue Of Vnion with Christ. The first maine fruite of Faith Apollos YEa Neighbour Aquila are you here already You got the start of me this time I perceiue your quality I may be your Physicion for I know your pulse If once you begin a matter ye loue to see the end of it you had neede to take in hand good things and with good aduisement seeing you are so constant in prosecuting enterprises
Well shall we consent and agree to set vpon onr worke afresh For therefore ye are come I am sure Aquila It is so I come about that very thing and haue here indeed somewhile expected you It is my quality you say right that first hauing made choyse of good and rightful things I loue to goe thorow stitch and like the constant builder to proceede in laying one stone vpon another till he come to the loouer But goe we to our taske it is about the first and cheefe fruite of a liuely faith which hauing but lightly mentioned before as in his passage a Traueller would looke vpon a faire Tower now we are to make a more neere and particular suruey and to dwell vpon it especially the point being of so good vse and great moment What will ye Sir that I doe moue to you by questions such things as concerne it or will you put vpon me the office of a replyer for though I cannot doe either to purpose yet looke what ye enioyne mee that I will frame my selfe vnto with my best skill Apollos Nay friend Aquila I meane to be your poser and examiner this day First let mee vnderstand from you by what plaine place of Scripture yee proue that there is such an vnion of the Elect with Christ and that faith is the instrument of it Aquila Herein I will quickly satisfie you if first I tell you that there is an vnion of seuerall persons in one Nature so are the Father Sonne and Spirit one Secondly there is an vnion of seueral Natures in one person Thus God and man are one Christ. Thirdly there is an vnion of sundry persons in one Spirit Thus the Elect amongst themselues and with Christ be one This vnion is our being one with Christ and Christ his being one with vs by the band of one Spirit For plaine places to proue such an vnion it is written 1 Iohn 1 3. That the Gospell is therefore preached that wee should haue communion with the Father and the Sonne Also it is expresly saide 1 Cor. 10. That we haue communion with his body and bloud 1 Cor. 6. 17. a Christian is said to be ioyned to the Lord And 1 Cor. 12. 12. Christ and his members are there affirmed to be one body Also the faithfull are saide to be his members Flesh of his flesh bone of his bone Ephe. 5. 30. All those places wherein we are affirmed to be in Christ doe proue this vnion In Iohn 17. 21. Our Sauiour praying that such as beleeue might be one in him and in his Father doth teach both that there is such an vnion and that faith is the Instrument thereof Which is cleered also by Ephe. 3. 17. That Christ dwels in our heart by faith Vnto which we may adde that which is written Gal. 3. 26. For yeare all the sonnes of God by faith in Iesus Christ. And in Iohn 1. 12. When Christ had said that such as beleeue haue this dignity done them to be sonnes of God he addeth which be borne anew not of flesh and bloud but of the will of God where he plainely teacheth that our vnion with Christ where by our new birth wee are brought forth into the Christian World to become members of Christ and children of God that this is effected by faith So as this our vnion with Christ it is not by touching or bodily mixture or as it were by souldering one soule into another but it is a spirituall vnion made in a spirituall manner and by a spirituall band an infinite diuine power creating faith in vs as an hand whereby we graspe and take holde on Christ applying him to vs that hee may be most neerely ioyned to vs. As the soule of man conioyneth together the head and the foote which be farre asunder so the mighty Spirit of Christ in an vnexpressable manner by meanes of faith ioyneth him to vs and vs to him notwithstanding all the distance between vs. Whence it is that though the faithful be ioyned to the very substance of his manhood as wel as to his godhead touching the operation and efficacy thereof yet it is a spirituall vnion being from the Spirit as authour by faith as a spirituall Organ and to this ende to leade a spirituall life Apollos Shew vs now more distinctly first what is required to the working of this vnion secondly by what similitudes it is exprest thirdly what is the necessity of it fourthly as also the commodities and fruites doe come from it Aquila Two things necessarily required to make this vnion one is donation or free gift of God the Father freely bestowing Christ his onely Sonne vpon the Elect and the Elect vpon Christ for thus it is written That he gaue his Sonne to vs Es. 9. 9. and for vs Rom. 8. 32. And on the other side it is saide The Elect are giuen to Christ I declared thy name to them whom thou gauest me out of the World Iohn 17. 6. And Iohn 10. 29. My Father which gaue them me is greater then all Vnto this donation we must adde a second thing which is a mutuall agreement and consent betweene Christ and the soule of an elect sinner each consenting to be one with the other Christ comprehends the faithfull soule as his owne the soule apprehending Christ as her own Phil. 3. 12. As in marriage the coniunction betweene man and wife is effected both by the gift of the parents each giuing their children to liue in maried state together and also by each party agreeing to bee ioyned to the other and so they twaine become one flesh and are no more twaine so it is betweene Christ and his Church And now to your second point this of marriage is one and the most frequent similitude whereby the neere coniunction betweene Christ and the faithfull is shadowed out The whole Booke of Canticles alludes to this similitude and by a continuall allegory setteth forth vnder it the most sweet and happy fellowship betweene Christ and his Church Againe in the Gospell the similitude of a mariage feast is vsed also Ephesians 5. 24 and Romans 7. verse 3. 4 5. and in many other places And indeed there is no straighter band in humane society then this of mariage by the band whereof and the vertue of Gods institution they which were before twaine are now no more so but as it were one body which light of Nature taketh notice of Therefore by humane Lawes there lieth no action against the woman the man being aliue shee is no person to be sued in Law so as this fellowship was very apt and meete to declare that most neere vnion which the soule as Spouse hath with Christ as her Husband For as in mariage the man communicateth his person and all his goods whatsoeuer hee hath to the woman so it is here Christ and all his good things whatsoeuer are bestowed vpon euery soule beleeuing in him
hating our sinnes and we through sinne extreamly hating God the guilt of these sinnes and punishment being wholy done away freely pardoned by the merit of Christ his death we haue now God pacified towards vs of a more then terrible Iudge becom a most amiable and kinde Father taking vs now for sonnes by grace who were children of his wrath before Secondly from this peace and reconciliation made with God our faith accepting the mercy forgiuenesse by his gracious promise freely offered there followeth another peace and happy tranquility of our cōscience which the woundes and terrors of it being now healed and quieted vpon that blessed consent betweene Gods promise and our faith instead of accusing and trobling as it was wont doth now excuse and acquite vs before God with vnspeakable rest so as in the sense of Gods pacification towards vs wee are not greatly terrified with sinne and other enemies of our saluation and though there be some agreement likenesse betweene this true peace of a good conscience that false peace of a dead and benummed conscience inasmuch as both are quiet and free from trouble or anguish yet there is in other respects as great ods betweene them as is betweene heauen and hell 1. For first a dead conscience is quiet because it hath no feeling of sinne at all like to dead flesh which you may prick with a Needle and yet it feels nothing so is it with a sleeping dead conscience it hath no sense of sinne or iudgment and thence growes the quietnes it hath which will quickly be shaken off and horrible terror succeede in the roome with sin reuiueth And it is awaked by the knowledge and due consideration of the Law of God But an holy conscience washed in the blood of Christ it is quiet because it so feeleth sinnes as it 〈◊〉 them al forgiuen and God pacified and well pleased in his Son Hence ariseth her peace which passeth all vnderstanding 2. Secondly a benummed conscience though it be quiet yet it comforteth not but lyeth as asleepe there may be in the heart naturall liuelinesse and comfort by presence of things pleasing to nature but no spirituall comfort in the conscience at all whereas the truly pacified conscience hath great comfort in it selfe chearing vp the soule as a man is cheared at a feast a good conscience is a continuall feast 3. Thirdly the benummed conscience is awlesse feareth not the offence of God by sinne nor his wrath for sinne Whereas the truely appeased conscience is fearefull to offend such a Father though it now feare not damnation which is taken away by faith in Christ yet it feareth transgression breach of the Law as it is written of Iob that he feared alwayes and of 〈◊〉 that he feared God greatly Aquila Sir may it please you ere you passe ouer to the next fruite First to shewe how this blessing of a peaceable conscience is gotten and how to be preserued and also whether and how farre it may be lost and what is to be done to recouer it Apollos There are two wayes vvhereby to attaine this peace First by an vnfeigned displeasure sorow conceyued in our hearts against our owne sinnes breaking forth in an humble sincere and constant confession of them particularly so far as they are knowne with an earnest endeauour against them to shun all occasions of them Secondly by stirring vp the heart to embrace that promise of the Gospell which offereth to vs the forgiuenesse of them verily beleeuing them to be indeede remitted to vs from God according to that his mercifull promise which hee can no more breake then he can denie himselfe for he is true and cannot lie Now hauing thus gotten this peace of mind there must great care be taken for the preseruation of it seeing it is no lesse praise to keepe a treasure then at first to purchase it And it is to be kept euen by the same meanes by which it was come by euen by often and earnest confession of our sinnes and crauing pardon thereof and by beleeuing the truth of the promise but especiallie by a carefull auoiding of euery knowne sinne euen the least labouring still as to get a cleerer insight of sins by the lanterne of the Law so as they are more brightly known and perceiued to encrease in care and watchfulnesse ouer our hearts to stop the course of sin in the very thoughts and desires where sinne being yet but young and weake may most easily be crushed neuer let it goe so farre as to get consent of the will to agree to the motion of it much lesse the helpe either of tongue or hand or other part of the body to execute it for then it will raise vp new stormes and trouble the quiet peace of the soule Hereunto ioyne a desire and study how to performe all knowne duties which concerne vs in our generall or speciall calling with all vprightnesse and singlenesse of heart as in Gods sight out of loue to please him and true desire to glorifie him by our obedience to his will For great is the peace that they haue which walke in his Statutes saith the Psalmist Therefore that which we cannot doe perfectly let vs striue to doe sincerely and aske forgiuenesse of our imperfections and so it will come to passe that our peace will not onely stand to vs but encrease daily and more abound in vs. Whereas you desire to know touching this peace if it may be lost To this I answer you it cannot be lost none can take it away no more then reconciliation with God or faith can be lost Indeede this peace of conscience as touching the sense and feeling of it may be and sometime is lost as appeareth both in the examples of Scripture as in Iob Dauid Ezekiah and by the experience of others in these our dayes who either by falling into some grosse actuall sinne or by some fearefull security not looking to and watching ouer theirwayes or by some strong fit of temptation haue beene for a time in an hell of horror and soule-sorrow hauing no more sence of peace then a man vpon a racke doth feele any ease complaining in the anguish and bitternesse of their griefe that the terrour of God hath beene vpon them that their soule hath beene disquietted within them that they were cast out of Gods sight mourning as a Turtle chattering as a Crane weeping and watering their cheekes and couch with teares weary of life wishing for death finding nothing but feare on euery side yet all this while their liuely faith the remission of their sinnes their atonement with God and the blessed peace of minde comming thereof not vtterly lost but the sense onely of these benefits taken away it faring with them as with the Sunne which being vnder the darke cloudes yet is still in it selfe a lightsome creature and when it hath power to scatter the thicke cloudes giueth forth his
being herein not right though they little suspect so much by themselues The third sort is of such as hauing better knowledge of the truth of this doctrine touching the certainty of hope yet faile herein that they doe not labour to expresse the power of a true liuely hope in the purging of themselues their hearts and liues from filthinesse of sinne that they may become such as God in mercy will accept as meet and fit to enter into that vndefiled inheritance which they say they certainely by hope doe looke for But now Sir hauing dispatcht this fifth fruit of the hope of glory if it seeme good to you set vpon the next the sixth fruite Reioycing vnder this hope which is elsewhere called ioy in the Spirit or ioy of the holy Ghost and ioy vnspeakable and glorious and ioy of saluation I would haue you open this to me Apollos Ioy or reioycing generally taken it is a sweete motion of the heart vpon the presence or hope of some good thing Now as good things which are the obiects of ioy be diuers so reioycing is diuers If the good thing bee such as doe tend to the pleasing or preseruing of our Nature the ioy which is taken in it is fleshly and worldly such as reprobates wicked men of all sorts may haue But the reioycing which is peculiar to a beleeuing iustified person it ariseth and is occasioned by heauenly and spirituall graces and blessings either presently had and enioyed as calling to Christ remission of sinnes reconciliation with God peace of conscience repentance the graces of the new man faith hope loue c. or else certainly hoped for as eternall blisse and glory in Heauen Hence in Scriptures termed Ioy of the Spirit not onely because it is wrought by the Spirit but because spirituall blessings are the obiect of it And herein differeth Christian reioycing from worldly that as this springeth from the hauing and presence of earthly and perishing good things of this life and therefore lasteth not but is suddenly quailed vpon the change of estate and losse of temporall good things and euer it endeth in bitter sorrow Contrariwise the reioycing of the faithfull it is lasting and cannot be taken away such as cheereth the heart euen in afflictions as we shal heare anon because it commeth from a sence of Gods present fauour and the present enioying of many excellent heauenly fruits thereof and an assured expectation of full blessednesse to come their hearts being truly certified by the holy Spirit and assured by faith that as they now haue God propitious and gracious towards them for the free remission of all their sinnes so the day will come when all corruption of sinnes quite done away and all teares for sinne and misery being wiped from their eyes at a word when all euill being vtterly remoued from them they shall be perfectly blessed and glorified with God in which hope they reioyce and comfort their hearts lauding and praysing God with Psalmes The which their spirituall ioy comming from the feeling of Gods fauour and the looking for of Gods glory is a part of Gods Kingdome Rom. 14. The Kingdome of God is righteousnesse peace ioy in the holy Ghost And therefore of Saint Peter called Gloriousioy 1 Pet. 1. Vnto which the Apostle therefore earnestly exhorteth the faithfull Reioyce in the Lord Againe I say reioyce Phil. 4. 4. And Reioyce euermore 1 Thes. 5. 16. And this Dauid begs Psal. 51. Make me to heare of ioy and gladnesse Where obserue this that ioy is begotten by the promise of the Gospell being heard Let mee heare euen by that gladsome ioyfull tydings of forgiuenesse by Christ how it is nourished and encreased by that meanes and being at any time ouershadowed as it falleth out sometime with Gods deare Children that the sunne of their ioy is hid vnder a blacke cloude of sinnes and temptations then it is recouered and had again by the word of faith by the message and testimony of forgiuenesse of sinnes being yours and beleeued therefore it is that Dauid prayes to heare of ioy For when the ioy of the Christian heart is turned into bitter greefe there is nothing wil cheere and glad it sauing the promises of the Word I had vtterly fainted in my trouble had not'thy Word comforted me Psal. 119. All other solaces which wee vse to follow for the cheering of our spirit made sad with sinne are vaine and nothing worth It is the word of promise onely through the working of that Spirit of comfort that can fetch againe a fainting spirit or keepe it in ioyfull plight without fainting Therefore as God must be sought to for this ioy when any lacke it so hee must be waited on in his Word for the obtaining and encrease of it For sithence both faith and hope of glorie are bred and fed by the hearing of the Word of the Gospell by the same way our reioycing the fruite of our hope is to be gotten and preserued But that wee may not stay too long about any one thing hauing so many things to speak of we are to vnderstand that this former reioycing of a Christian heart vnder hope of Gods glory doth bring forth another branch of reioycing farre more admirable and that is reioycing in bitter tribulations which are greeuous to our Nature for this is not so much to be maruelled at if true beleeuers haue their hearts mooued to ioy and gladnes because they certainly looke to bee glorified with God in heauen for the hope of farre lesse matters vseth to cheere vp mens hearts but this is indeede very wonderfull that afflictions which haue in them matter both of shame and pain yea and carry a shew of God displeased and angry with vs that yet the godly beleeuers should be merry and cheerefull in the feeling of them this I say is strange yet it is most certainly true the Apostle affirming of them who be iustified by Faith That they reioyce euen in tribulations Rom. 5. 3. and experience proueth to vs the truth heereof The godly in their affliction euen in most bitter martyrdom suffering the spoyling of their goods and liues with ioy The reason is because the afflictions proceeding from Gods loue and speciall fauour as the faithfull are well perswaded being reconciled to him and for an especiall good end to try and encrease their faith therefore their afflictions do nourish in them the hope of their glory as seales and pledges thereof vnto them assuring them that rest will come after their troubles according to Gods faithfull promise Now the remembrance of that rest and happinesse in hope whereof they liue causeth all things to be sweete and pleasant vnto them which they meete with in their way as part of their way by which they are to passe toward that glorious and happie end They being not a little comforted heerewith in their greatest distresses and troubles to know that beeing now made partakers
calling diuers of them are subiect to despaire wherein they professe a want of hope though in truth it be not lost the operation and worke of it being only stopped affirming of themselues that they cannot be saued that God hath giuen them ouer for euer and such like which in some happeneth vpon a deniall of the Gospell through feare as in Francis Spira in some others it comes from a weakenesse of faith meeting with some strong deepe temptations which so ouershadow Gods countenance as the poore soules thinke the sunne of his fauour will neuer arise and shine more in their firmament In some it comes from too deepe a sight of their owne sinfulnesse and vnworthinesse seuered from the consideration of Gods promised mercies and finally in other some from the touch and conscience of a foule crime It being the nature of sinne to be sweete in committing and sowre in reckoning hony in the mouth and grauell in the bellie and the practise of Sathan hauing once allured to doe a sinne by hiding the punishment afterward to perswade to draw to despaire by couering and keeping backe the promises of mercy The counsell of God in all this towards his children most wise and gracious purposing by these examples of despaire to let all men see that there is no stay or strength in any man and that the stoutest is but feeblenesse if God leaue them that all may learne to distrust and feare themselues being kept from that dangerous sinne of presumption the break-necke of the soule and striue to depend wholly vpon the might and strength of God in all humility with earnest and continuall prayer for his help and supportation often beseeching and most feruently praying Lord leade vs not into temptation O Lord forsake vs not ouer long Psal. 119. 8. Also God vseth to make his owne to feele an hel here of horror and despaire that they may better iudge of the loue of Christ in suffering the sorrowes of death for them wrestling with his Fathers wrath and haue their hearts moued the more to loue him Further the anguish and smart which they feele in their pangs of despaire as it causeth them more to long for comfort before it come so when it cometh that the sense of Gods loue is restored and their hope of glory reuiued it is as welcome and sweete euen as faire weather after much foule liberty after bondage and a calme after a great storme For herein the despaire of the godly differeth from the despaire of the wicked that whereas these being voide of true hope therefore in their despaire they are wholy forsaken of God and finally or for euer The faithfull on the other side doe despaire not wholly but in part the work of their hope being stopped but the faculty or habite of hope not being quenched neither finally but for a time they are left to despaire being raised vp againe to a good and more firme hope which afterward workethin them very strongly to the bringing forth of many excellent effects in them begetting in them a desire and will to liue godly in the whole course of their liues 1 Iohn 2. 5. Stirring them vp also to an endeuour vpon occasions to take paines in good matters which tend to their owne and the common good hope being the whetstone of labour Working stedfastnesse in their godly course not fainting for any troubles because they by hope look for a blessed recompence in the end Heb. 11. Breeding also a contempt of the vanities and pompe of this World as it is to be seene in Moses Hebrewes 11. Engendering a contentment and willingnesse to die vpon expectation of an happier life hereafter And finally asswaging our greefe and sorrow for the death and departure of our Christian friends as 1 Thes. 4. verse last Which effects though alwayes they accompany Christian hope yet most of all when it is reuiued and refreshed after a fit of despaire Aquila May it please you to beare with me if I put you to dissolue another doubt how the hope of the faithfull may be seuered from presumption of vnbeleeuers which is so like it as a simple one can hardly discerne them and how it falleth out that such as haue liuely hope doe offend through presumption seeing they are two things Apollos It is a thing well moued for as in other things likenesse is the Mother of errour so here many a mans presumption is taken of him for hope because of the likenesse yet the truth is that that which vnbeleeuers doe account their hope is but their presumption Whereas they imagine that their hope is grounded and setled on God his free mercies and vndeceiuable truth and the merits of Christ Iesus they doe onely imagine this their hope being in truth fixed vpon worldly things as their wealth friends credit and such like vanities and may appeare to be so sundry wayes First by expresse testimonies of holy Scriptures which euidently affirmeth their hope and trust not to be in the Liuing God but in their Riches 1 Tim. 6. 17. and that riches is their strong Tower Prou. 18. 11. And their substance is their hope and gold their confidence Iob 31. And their trust is in the multitude of their riches Psal. 52. 7. And therefore it is saide Their portion is here Psal. 17. 14. And that they haue their comfort in this world Luk. 6. 24. And that their hope shall perish and come to an end Moreouer there be diuers tokens in the wicked which doe certainely declare it to be thus as namely that they cannot abide their worldly delights and profits to be spoken against therefore the Pharises mocked Christ when hee reproued their couetousnesse which proues their money to be their Idoll and their belly their God Secondly in the presence and abundance of earthly goods they haue heart and hope but when these faile and are gone they waxe heartlesse and hopelesse as is to be seene in Nabal and Belshasser Thirdly their great labour taken and their great cost bestowed about earthly matters doth bewray where their heart is which is further manifested by the speaking so much and so willingly of their worldly commodities comforts Their language shewes what Countreymen they be not of Ierusalem which is from aboue but of the earth here below But their continuing in a sinful course of life without all true remorse or returning doth demonstrate that they haue no other hope of saluation but a naked presumption for we haue shewed before that true Christian hope as it strengtheneth the weakenesse of faith so it stirreth vp the heart where it is vnto repentance and practise of godlinesse hope of glory will not suffer a man to wallow in the mire and puddle of his filthy and vncleane lusts Therefore such as serue sinne in the lusts and desires thereof casting from them care of yeelding obedience to the knowne will of God in that they will pretend to haue hope in Gods
good Christian and that it is spirituall and inuisible fought by inuisible combaters and weapons At length you deliuered the necessity of this battle by the true causes of it whereof the first is the wil and good pleasure of God who as he ordained his owne Sonne so all his members to this spirituall warre and conflict thorow which they are to passe vnto the Crowne and the Kingdome which is prepared for them as in earth no man is crowned except first hee striue lawfully none diuide the spoile which first haue not abid the brunt of the battle and obtained the victory The second cause is the extreme malice of Sathan against Christ the head and for his sake against all the Elect his members whom he will neuer ceasse to tempt and that with most wonderfull subtilty as a Serpent long experimented and with outragious cruelty as a red fierce and fell Dragon or roaring Lyon if it were possible to draw backe againe the regenerate vnto his kingdome and hauing ouercome them to destroy them 1 Pet. 5. The third is the repugnancy and contrariety which is betweene the Spirit and the flesh in the new borne Christians in whom they continually striue together as the twinnes did in Rebeccaes wombe the Spirit striuing against the flesh and the flesh lusting against the Spirit without truce or reconcilement hell and Heauen light and darkenesse God and Sathan being no more contrary in quality then the Spirit and the flesh Here I call to minde that it was taught that in Scripture phrase Spirit grace new man law of the mind in this argument were Synonyma and of one signification also flesh old man corruption law of the members were equiualent termes importing one thing so as euery regenerate man hauing these in him consisted of a double man and had two men warring in him perpetually during his whole pilgrimage the old man which is that remainder of sinne that vicious quality deprauing and poysoning our Nature inclining to the breach of Gods Law which is vsually called the flesh That which is borne of flesh is flesh Iohn 3. 6. And abstaine from the lusts of the flesh 1 Peter 2. 12. And corruption as Ephe. 4. 22. The old man is corrupt for it causeth spirituall vnsoundnesse wasting all where it reigneth lastly Law of the members because in faculties and powers of soule and body it hath force of a king or law to command and enioyne absolutely in wicked men but in the regenerate with resistance And the other man is the new man which is that quality of holinesse created in mind and will renewed by the Spirit of God hence called The Spirit and Grace because it is freely giuen and worketh things gracious and pleasing to God and lastly The Law of the minde because there it gouernes as a Law or Commander Now the opposition and strife betweene these two men in the regenerate it is this in generall that grace or the Spirit or the new man doth raise and beget godly desires and affections tending to Heauen and hindereth the wicked motions of corruption and the old man and this againe engendereth vicious euill desires and thoughts crossing and hindering the good counsels and purposes of the Spirit and new man In which conflict sometime sinne preuaileth against grace carrying vs away and leading vs captiue as it were fast bound in fetters and chaines Rom. 7. 23. and sometime grace mastereth the lusts of sinne and remaineth Conquerour And this alwayes falleth out by reason of this combate that a godly person as he cannot doe what euill Sathan sinne and himselfe according to his will corrupt would doe because grace dwelling in him doth put an obstacle and barre vnto sinfull desires that they doe not breake out as blisters or botches in ones body so he is not able to attaine to performe either all that good which he would or in so good a manner as he would with such loue to God and his Neighbour as his soule wisheth and the Law requireth because remaining corruption doth oppose it selfe vnto the worke and motions of the Spirit Which is the thing whereof Paul had experience in his owne person and hath reported in Rom. 7. 14 15. both to the instruction of all and great comfort of the weake that by reason of dwelling sinne egging and tempting him to euill pulling and drawing him from God hee both did the euils which he would not and left vndone the good which hee would doe or did it vntowardly and weakely He could no sooner haue a good thought and motion tending to God ward but euill was present and at hand very ready to quench and smother This was the condition which hee was subiect vnto euen like the condition of a sicke man newly recouered or but recouering who faine would walke a mile or two for his health but when he begins to go his legges double vnder him for feeblenesse and he can scarse walke two turnes about his chamber Or as it fareth with an escaped prisoner which desireth to flye and his heart could serue him to go twenty miles or forty a day yet his bolts and fetters so comber him as he can scarse rid one mile a day So the Apostle felt and so much other regenerated persons feele themselues encombred with their sinnefull Nature as they are enforced euen when they do best to do their duties with care wants and imperfections Apollos In this spirituall combate there is a materiall thing to bee enquired into whether corruption do so farre at any time preuaile ouer grace as wholly to extinguish it for a time or the faithfull do but onely fall into a spirituall sleepe deepely forgetting themselues yet still retaining the life of Grace The case of Dauid falling so heinously sinning so deliberately lying so long being falne causeth diuers more then to suspect that the godly in their conflict with sin may take such a foyle as to haue grace wholly beaten out of their hearts for a season though not finally For it thoughts that he yeelded vnto sinne with his whole will which cannot be where any sparkle of Grace remaines Aquila Sir this is a Question which it were more meete for you to make answer to then my selfe howbeit seeing you will haue it so I will speake my minde in it When I reade in Scripture that God is vnchangeable his couenant euerlasting his calling and giftes without repentance his regenerating grace to bee an immortall seede to remaine in the elect to be such as none can take from them and that the life of grace can no more returne to the death then Christ can returne to dye againe and that Christ doth make intercession for beleeuers and that the Comforter which is giuen them shall abide in them for euer Vpon these and such like grounds I am resolued that howsoeuer sauing grace in the Elect may be wounded yet not killed battered and beaten yet not raced sore shaken yet not plucked vp by the rootes
must be a continuall repentance There being some sinnes not yet espied therefore not particularly repented of some espied and yet not sufficiently hated striuen against and mastered and some good duties not yet knowne to vs and such as are knowne not so zealously followed nor so wisely as becommeth the redeemed by Christ which looke for eternall glory Aquila Now Sir you haue satisfied me in the acception of Repentance and shewed me how wee are to speake of it and how it agreeth to a man already called and sanctified Let mee make bold to aske you further touching this particular euangelical Repentance which is euery day to be renewed euen as a good House-wife doth once a day sweepe her House or as one that writeth a Letter lookes often ouer it so our life is often to be lookt ouer that the errors thereof may be corrected but where must this Repentance haue his beginning wherein doth it consist what be the kinds of it by what tokens is it knowne and bewrayed And after these things opened I haue certain doubts and scruples to propound to you about the doctrine and practise of Repentance Apollos This renewed Repentance of the godly takes the beginning from a godly sorrow engendred in the heart by the holy Ghost vpon the discouery of our daily infirmities and falles as the Apostle teacheth vs 2 Corinthians 7. 10. Godly sorrow bringeth forth repentance whereas worldly sorrow brings forth death There is to be seene in the wicked shadowish and counterfeit Repentance the ground whereof is wordly sorrow not a griefe stirred vp in the heart because of displeasing God by some sinne but in respect of worldly cause as temporal losse worldly shame and punishment or else for feare or through feeling of Gods wrath for sinne which is a griefe may be found in a meere naturall and worldly man the end of which griefe is death occasioned by a despaire which is in them of obtaining mercy by which they are brought to eternall yea and sometime to a temporall vntimely death as is to be seene in Achitophel and Iudas Therefore they are to be warned to abandon and put farre from their hearts this worldly sorrow which not onely can profit nothing but thereby no man can either redeeme his losse or shame or remoue his feared punishment but bringeth forth a dangerous and deadly fruit and to labour to conuert it into a godly sorrow to greeue according to God for this hath great commodity in it for as it pleaseth God being engendred by himselfe in the heart which mourneth euen here hence because the most mercifull God is offended by transgression of his Law therefore worthily called godly sorrow so it hath a notable blessed Issue for it leadeth to repentance and that to life or saluation For as it cannot be but such as haue their heart smitten with heauinesse because of the displeasure of their louing God by their sinne but they will meditate a turning from it and an amendment so they who enter into this course of Repentance and so continue it will at last leade them to saluation and in the meane time it is a good testimonie vnto them that they are saued persons if it were no more but that the holy Ghost saith of hearts contrite sorrowfull for their sinnes that they are a sacrifice to God and that the sobs and sighes of a troubled Spirit greeued for iniquity doe proceede from the holy Spirit Psal. 51. Rom. 8. Surely this were sufficient to moue euery Christian to pray and labour for this godly griefe that he may get his heart touched with it the melting heart the sostened heart soone moued to griefe vpon sence of a sinne is a blessed heart the very habitation and lodging of God himselfe yet to heare further that our repentance occasioned by our griefe for sinne is as a way wee are to walke in to saluation this same ought to cause all men to be willing to haue this godly sorrow and to know how they may attaine it And albeit that the meditation of the filthinesse and danger of sinne being committed against an infinite Iustice the souereigne goodnesse and a most holy Law may much helpe to moue the heart after a sinne to be aggreeued yet nothing so auailable to this purpose as the due and serious consideration of the 〈◊〉 of Christs life and the death and passion of our Lord which being so infamous and sharpe intollerably and the person so abased and plagued being the eternall Sonne of God and a man most innocent and wee our selues the proper and immediate cause of all his ignominy and paines suffering not for his owne but for our sinnes this if any thing else in the world will and if there be any true grace in the heart it will make it euen to bleede with griese that such an one should suffer and such hard and heauy things and for such being but wormes-meate vngodly and his enemies what heart would not be pricked to thinke of it that the Lord of life the immaculate Lambe should endure such fierce wrath from God and men for such vile ones The very Earth trembled at this and shall not our hearts feare the Sun was darkened the Heauen also put on mourning weede and shall not wee be troubled The stones rent and shall not our hearts be rent with sorrow and our eyes gush out with teares vpon the sight and remembrance of such our sinnes as we daily fall into and by which we occasioned such an execrable death with torment to such an honourable person As it cannot be but ill with them who can thinke of this and not be displeased with themselues and greeued at their sinnes which procured this so well is that man that vpon the thought of his Sauiours sorrow for sinne can haue his owne soule touched and ready to melt into sorrow For blessed are they that mourne they shall be comforted Mathew 5. Vnto whom doth the high God looke who dwelleth in the Heauens but vnto him which hath a 〈◊〉 heart Esay 66. This sorrow maketh the sinner to become ioyfull in 〈◊〉 end yea it makes Angels glad it reioyceth Gods 〈◊〉 and is his delight who not so much detesteth 〈◊〉 as hee loueth this godly sorrow which 〈◊〉 a sinner aworke the more to mistike and detest his owne sinnes and to endeauour more and more the mortifying and subduing of them and a departure from them In this affection of sorrow there be two sorts of persons which doe somewhat offend in diuerse sort the one thinke they neuer greeue enough for their sinnes and whereas they mourne much and truly yet they satisfie not themselues because they would haue and feele more And the other who doubt and mistrust themselues that they doe not greeue at all and so are out of heart because they haue no hearty greef for their offences complaining of the hardnesse of their heart this way Let the former consider that God respecteth not the measure
so much as the truth of our sorrow if it be vnfeined though it be not great yet it is accepted and if it prouoke to repentance so as after griefe there follow some amendment then it is vnfeined And let this serue to comfort the heart God being as well pleased to haue his Children cheered with his graces and the worke of his Spirit in them as greeued for their trespasses it is not pleasing to him to see them alwayes sad hanging downe their heads as a bul-rush there is a time for sorrow a time to reioyce And for the other their desire to be truly greeued for sinne and to haue a broken heart it is accepted for sorrow with that God who in his Children accepteth the desire for the deede yea they greeue that they are not more greeued they being sorry that their sorrow is so little it is a degree of sorrow Woe to them which are secure which sinne without all griefe or suspect of any fault this way and so lie still in their sinne without any turning or change and woe to them whose sorrow is worldly such as is stirred vp not for breach of Gods Law but for dread or sence of vengeance which rot still in their sinne but happy and thrice happy is the soule which without respect of Gods rods present or his iudgement to come without any regard either of the losse of Heauen or paine of hell can be affected with griefe after sinne in this onely consideration that they haue failed in duty toward so louing a Father and deserued by their sinne to lose his fauour Of this sorrow there will follow a repentance neuer to be repented of which I thus open and make plaine to you If the griefe be conceiued from an euill 〈◊〉 which should not haue beene done there wil 〈◊〉 it true Repentance that is an holy purpose to 〈◊〉 sinne and the occasion of it an hatred of it in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and seeking the death of it endeuouring by 〈◊〉 meanes against it and to do the good contrary to it Likewise if the griefe conceiued by this godly heart be for a good thing left vndone which should haue beene done there will follow a strange resolution with good endeuour to auoide such omission and to take vp such duties with more care in time to come saying with the Prophet I am vtterly purposed to keepe thy righteous Iudgements Againe I haue sworne that I will walke in thy Statutes Psal. 119. Now that we haue seene whence this speciall renewed repentance doth arise and wherein it consists the degrees would be a little examined and I find that there is an ordinary Repentance meete to be had for ordinary sinnes By ordinary sinnes I meane the common slips of life the faults that euery the most watchfull Christian doth ordinarily fall into daily infirmities in omission and commission for these there would be but ordinary griefe and ordinary repentance as aboue it hath beene declared But when any extraordinary sinnes doe happen such as were Dauids Peters Manasses Salomons foule and notorious sinnes which giue a greater wound to the conscience and an offence to the Church and more dishonour to Gods name and worke a greater decay of godlinesse in the soule there would be vsed a more extraordinary sorrow the heart would bee wrought to a deeper humiliation more feruent and frequent prayer holpen with fasting and vpon our rising out of such sinnes more streight bonds would bee taken for our good abearing afterwards serious vowes and protestations for a better life Such was Peters after his fall he wept bitterly such also the womans that washed Christs feete with teares Luke 7. Such was Dauids Psalme 51. and many other who after some foule and enormious sinnes haue performed more then ordinary repentance for daily and ordinary slips which yet be such considering the offence of so great a God in them as ought to moue much griefe displeasure with our selues and more watchfulnesse Now for the tokens or fruites of this renewed Repentance there be seauen reckoned vp 2 Cor. 7. 11. In that you were godly sorrie what great care it hath wrought in you yea what apology or clearing of your selues yea what indignation yea what feare yea what desire yea what reuenge yea what zeale Aquila I pray you Sir let me vnderstand your mind for these seauen effects of renewed Repentance what ye thinke euery one of them to be how you distinguish them one from another Apollos Aquila I doe well know that in these points all men are not of one mind and whereas some call them tokens or signes others call them rightly as you doe effects or fruites of Repentance I iudge it all one they are therefore signes to manifest the truth of Repentance because they are the proper and necessary effects of true Repentance For their distinction of one from another and what each is this I vnderstand Care it is the study of the minde and thought taking how to approue the course of our life hereafter both to God and to our owne conscience and to the Church of God As it fareth with Trauellers which haue by sloth or ignorance lost their way hauing found it again they are more carefull to keepe it so it is with the godly when they repent their care is to please God better afterwards the which their care doth expresse it selfe in the greatnesse of it not onely in the generall course of their conuersation but in euery particular action to direct it according to the rules of the Word that offence of God and men may be preuented as Col. 1. the Apostle prayeth for the faithfull that they may please God in euery thing and elsewhere that they may abound in euery good worke Yea this care in the godly as it is in themselues for eschewing one sinne as well as another and for the doing one duty as wel as another so it stretcheth it selfe vnto them of their charge children and seruants or flocke and subiects if they be publike persons as is to be seene in the example of Abraham Gen. 18. Iob Iacob Dauid Iosiah who all had care of their children and people no lesse then of themselues and this declareth ones care to be sound toward themselues when it embraceth others Of all which it followeth that all secure person which haue no further or greater care but for backe and belly for pleasure and profit are surely voide of repentance being voide of this care how they may please God So on the other side the more that care encreaseth in any after their falles to keepe the Word and stand fast in their obedience to it the more sure hee may be of the soundnesse of his repentance for how must not his sorrow for losing his way appeare to be true when his care is double to that it was not to lose it againe The next fruite of Repentance is clearing of our selues which may be diuers wayes performed
as either when we quit and cleare our selues from suspition of a sinne by shunning the very appearance of euill all that hath any neerenesse with it or lookes but toward it or when wee rebuke and punish such as wee haue thought to beare withall in their sinnes or haue in truth borne withall after which sort it is likely the Corinthians vpon Pauls sharpe reprehension did cleare themselues in the case of the incestuous man whom they had winked at Or finally by an humble true confessing of our fault to God and to men if it were open and publike with hearty crauing of pardon as in the Publican Zacheus Dauid we haue examples of this clearing and well also might the godly Corinthians cleare themselues to Paul that they were displeased with their sinne in bearing with such an offendour not onely by their diligence in censuring him but by their vnfeined confessing of the offence both to God and to the Apostle whom they hadagreeued The third fruite it is indignation which is an holy anger stirred vp in our hearts not onely against other mens faults with a pitty toward their person but especially against some sins which haue escaped our selues that we-were so beastly and foolish as to doe such euils that we might haue auoyded and when we are moued to anger more against our owne then other mens this is a very good token of a repentant heart The fourth fruite is feare not seruill but filiall and child-like arising from the feeling of Gods mercies and our owne 〈◊〉 from whence commeth an holy awe and feare lest the euils which tofore wee haue offended by or such like through our corruption breake forth againe The fifth is desire as impenitent persons haue their desires to eate to drinke to sleepe to take their ease and pastime to fare deliciously to goe gallantly and brauely in apparell to grow rich to be aloft to be well thought of and spoken of although they deserue it not and are stuffed with many other such carnall and worldly desires as tokens of their naturall impenitent heart so the godly desire to liue honestly to keepe a good conscience to dwell in the House of God for euer to enioy the sincere milke of the word to be vnburthened of sinne to mortifie their lusts be dissolued and to be with Christ and finally not to offend againe in these particulars wherin they haue offended God or his people are the testimonies of a truly repentant heart The sixth fruite is zeale which is a great griefe conceiued for the hurt of Gods glory by sinne and an ardent loue to all such things as God may be honoured by and to hinder in our selues and others whatsoeuer may dishonour or displease him Reuel 3. Repent and be zealous Therefore as cold and luke-warme Christians are vtterly without all grace of true Repentance which worketh a zeale against all sinnes and for all good to crosse the one and aduance the other according to our places meanes so the truly zealous man whose zeale is guided by the knowledge of the Word and tempered with charity such as was in Paul and Barnabas Acts 14. in Phine as in Moses in Dauid it is the euidence to our soules that it is blessed with the grace of Repentance The last fruite is reuenge which is not a requiting of euill for euill towards others a fruite of the flesh but a voluntary punishment which a sinner taketh vpon himselfe for the euils done against his God his soule or his brethren in labouring more to bridle his vnruly heart from vnlawful desires and moderating it in those which be lawfull for bearing not sinfull delights or profits alone but euen such things as are within our liberty if the vse of them will be an occasion of finne either to our selues or other This curbing of our selues and cooping vp our affections mortifying the flesh denying our selues is that reuenge here meant Also enforcing ones selfe to doe the things quite contrary to our sinnes as the drunkard to repent and punish himselfe with abstinence also the glutton and riotous with fasting the great talker by keeping silence the adulterer by forbearing all things may prouoke lusts Let me not conceale from you that I iudge this reuenge if it be referred to the Corinthians to be their exercising of that ecclesiasticall Authority which God had giuen his Church against sinne with more seuerity then wonted that as they had offended by remissenesse so they would henceforth take due reuenge vpon open sinners according to the power giuen them of God And this is very like for it is a godly reuenge to set on worke all power which God giueth vnto any for stopping of the course and current of sinne Let Papists who take such vnlawfull yet painfull reuenge of themselues by whipping c. admonish true Christians to take all lawfull reuenge Aquila Now Sir I will propound some doubts vnto you touching Repentance if first you will call to mind those cautions which ye deliuered touching the same in your publike teaching Apollos Herein I will answer your desire But let ' me tell you by the way what was saide of the meanes to quicken and stirre vp this daily Repentance Namely diligent reading of Scripture and other godly Bookes the humble submission of our mindes to all godly admonitions of the Saints blessing God in our soule after the example of Dauid for such rebukes as are priuately and friendly reached out yea thanking God for the reproaches of enemies by whom sometime one shall heare his sinne tolde him sooner then by a friend though not in a good manner nor for any good ende on their part yet considering God sets them on worke as Dauid the Prophet saide God hath bid him rebuke mee Therefore endeauour our selues to make vse of them giuing good heed both to the checkes of our conscience which often proues a faithfull monitor and to the strokes of Gods hand sensible and insensible in soule and body seeking to profit by them to amendment that wee feare him the more yea euen in the dayes of our prosperity and peace making this good vse to be inuited by them to speedy and true repentance and so we shal preuent Gods chastisements if wee voluntarily fall to iudging of our selues Yet of all other good meanes to awaken vs and bring vs vnto the practise of Repentance this is not the least euen our daily examination of our owne heart and wayes to consider particularly what escapes haue been in thoughts words and deeds in omission or commission with the circumstances of our actions for manner of doing and for the end of our workes and the persons and such like things that so we may come to see both what is to be sorrowed for presently and vpon faithfull and humble confession we may make all euen with God through Christ for that which is past and also what cause there is to watch ouer our selues for time
though he cannot absolutely keep the Law to fulfil it in the strictnesse thereof by doing all that good that is commanded there and that vnto the end and in all perfection of loue nay there be sundry good duties and workes which our regenerate man through ignorance cannot so much as attaine to the knowledge of so large and broade be the Commandements and so narrow and dull is our capacity yet as he is sanctified throughout hauing all his powers of spirit soule and body well and aptly disposed by grace to doe good so he endeauoureth to know better euery day what his worke is which is prescribed him to doe and also to performe it in euery part so farre as it is knowne with such perfection as he can doing his worke in truth and vprightnesse though with wants and weaknesse so as he balkes no duties He will not play the Pope to giue himselfe dispensation for any good worke which he is bound to doe doe it neuer so much goe against his stomacke and contrary his corrupt iudgement and affection his profit or delight yet his heart standeth with the Law Rom. 7. 16. and with that hee will take part euen against his owne lusts repenting him earnestly of his failings in duty whether it come of ignorance or infirmity being still more desirous to come neerer and neerer to God in true righteousnesse Hence it is that the godly are saide in Scripture to walke in all the wayes of God as 〈◊〉 2 Kings 22. 2. to haue kept the Statutes and Testimonies of God as Dauid Psal. 119. to haue walked in all the Commandements of God without reproofe as Zachariah and Elizabeth Luke 1. 5 6 7. to haue pleased God in all things as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. 9. to haue walked perfectly as Ezekiah because howsoeuer they could not for measure and manner doe all in an absolute fulnesse so as there should be no fault yet for desire care and endeauour they stroue to doe all which they could know and their heart was vpright in one duty as well as in another and so performed a perfection of parts as the Schoolemen speake It being quite otherwise with the vnregenerate man who as he still will cherish some sinne so he doth omit some duty good work knowne to be his duty and as necessary as any which he doth either because it thwarteth his carnall liking and fancy or pincheth him in his gaine or some other thing which is deare to him Herod will doe many things at Iohns preaching and Iehu is zealous in many things for the Lord Simon Magus will conforme himselfe to the word in sundry duties but their practise hated it is a maimed practise There were some good workes which they would not be brought to doe as there were some sinfull affections which they could not be made to put off for their heart was not right before God Acts 8 21. they were not seasoned with his true feare therefore their repentance was counterfeit in action rather then in affection in shew not in verity Aquila Sir this was well remembred It is indeede a maine matter and it is also a certaine truth that the childe of God being in the worke of his Sanctification nenewed though not perfectly yet throughout in euery faculty of his soule bearing now the Image of God his Father not in part but in whole carrying his resemblance in righteousnesse and holinesse and his heart framed vnto sincerity therefore he is renewed not to an halfe obedience but to all obedience that is in all duties which pertaine to him so as his will and purpose of heart is so farre as measure of grace will allow and enable him with readinesse to doe whatsoeuer the Lord shall say vnto him either for leauing euill vndone or for doing that which is good That which was Dauids resolution and care to haue respect to all the Commandements of God Psal. 119. 6 it is though not in such degree of grace the care and affection of euery repentant person to keepe couenant with no sinne but to disclaime and depart from all to omit willingly no good worke but to honour God by an vniuersall subiection to the Law so farre as concernes them in euery good worke submitting themselues to the mercy of God in Christ for forgiuenesse of that wherein they slip caking afterward better heede to their wayes But now Sir may it please you this being recouered which wee had in a manner lost that we proceed in our purpose and tell me is it of necessity that true Repentance be accompanied with good workes of all sorts Apollos After the doctrine of Repentance ye doe in very good time moue me for the doctrine of good workes which follow Repentance as the shadow doth the body and flow from it as a Riuer from the Fountaine or as fruite springeth from the tree Repentance lying hid in the heart as the iuyce or sappe in the roote of the tree vttereth it selfe by good workes as by meet and conuenient fruites This is it which we may marke in the Scripture how the holy Ghost hath matched repentance and good works together shewing that they should repent and doe workes worthy of Repentance Acts 26. 20. Againe Repent and doe the first workes Reuel 2. 5. Also Bring therefore fruits worthy of Repentance Mathew 3. 8. Where it is to be noted that a good worke is called a fruite not onely to shew how God accepteth them euen as a pleasant fruite is accepted of him that dresseth a Vineyard or an Orchard but in respect as they come from Repentance as a fruite from a Tree And whereas he calleth it a fruite worthy of Repentance he meaneth such workes as be meet for such persons to doe as haue repented Consider also that it cannot be that a man inwardly should loue that which is righteous and hate iniquity in his soule but hee must needs outwardly expresse it as occasion and meanes be offered so as that Repentance may be worthily suspected to be false where good workes doe not follow there is no true change in the heart where there is none seene in the life If we search the Scriptures we cannot find any who haue repented in truth but they haue beene afterwards carefull to doe good workes To omit other examples whereof Scripture affoords vs store take one or two in stead of all Zacheus repented and his repentance was fruitfull witnessing it selfe by good workes both by retribution of goods euilly gotten and by distributing of well gotten goods also by a cheerefull entertainment of Christ. The conuerted theefe as little space as he had after his conuersion yet how many wayes did his repentance declare it selfe namely by the reproofe and admonition of his fellow by admirable patience by godly prayer by iustifying and defending Christ his innocency when he was condemned of all the Iewes and doing it before them euen to their faces also by confessing
and constancie in his good course by the remembrance of the great recompence to come Heb. 11 26. so did Christ animate his Disciples Mat. 5 11 12. by the example of the Prophets promise of reward Also Paul thus quickned the Corinthians to constancie 2 Cor. 4. verse last The things saith he which wee see not are eteruall therefore faint not And 2 Tim. 2 12. If we suffer with him we shal reign with him therefore be resolued to sticke to Christ in life death Doe we not see by common experience how men of all Trades Husbandmen Soldiers Merchants are made hardie and bold to attempt and do great and dangerous things vpon hope of receiuing good things in the end as either victorie or spoile or commodity or such earthly perishing things How much more may true Christians by the hope of neuer-withering treasures prouoke themselues to enter into endure the trauailes and 〈◊〉 of that way which bringeth to heauen in the end They haue many things within them and from without them from satan euill men and themselues to make them faint and languish therfore it will be needfull to take all helpes and meanes of courage heart vnto themselues seeing God allowes them so to do and godly men in al ages haue done so By which it appeareth how the Papists in the Rhemish Testament wrong vs in saying That wee teach not our hearers either to do good or abstaine from euill for hope of heauen or feare of hell Aquila This is indeede a speciall good that comes to our selues of good workes which though they deserue nothing yet he that doth them and aboundeth in them is not sentaway empty handed but rather hath entrance made aboundantly into the blessed kingdom of glory Which beeing giuen as a free reward as it more sets foorth the mercie of God to reward that which he might condemne so it moueth his children the more heartily to loue him who not only without but against all merit on their part doth vouchsafe so richly to requite their poore endeuours in dooing his will But be there not other good vses wherunto good workes do serue and for which the godly do cheerfully take them in hand Apollos Yea verie many and excellent euerie one seruing as a strong motiue to procure all care of dooing them For that God that hath not made nor ordained ought in vaine no not the least of his creatures nor the meanest of his ordinances much lesse is it to be thought that good works were ordained to no vse or to small vse But if any thing in the world be rich plentifull for happy most gracious vses good works may haue the first place and ranke as being fruitfull on euerie side For if we looke vnto God himselfe then the good workes and good life of his children expresseth their great thankefulnesse towards him for the great benefite of their redemption Also it cheareth him and reioyceth his heart as I may so speake euen as our euill workes do greeue him and are to him as gall or sowre grapes to our teeth Deut. 32 32. so the righteous workes of all the godly bee as an odour or sweet sauour as precious spices as pleasant fruits himselfe so testifying that his soule is delighted with them And lastly God is both pleased and obeyed and honoured by good workes which are fruits of righteousnesse by Christ to the praise of God Phil. 1 11. Therfore wee should let our good workes breake foorth that men seeing them may glorifie our heauenly Father Mat. 5 16. For as the euill and loose behauiour of such as professe God to be their Father doth discredite him amongst men as himselfe complains My name is blasphemed amongst the Gentiles through you Rom. 2 24. so it is much to the glory aduancement of Gods name when the professors of godlinesse line as becomes the Gospell Now if wee looke to the Gospell of God that is beautified and adorned by the good works of such as know and professe it as it is written Let seruants shew all good faithfulnesse that they may adorne the doctrine of God in all things Titus 2 9. If the good life of a seruant be an ornament and renowne to the Gospell when he deals vprightly and faithfully toward his master what countenance do we thinke shall be gained to the holie doctrine of the word when men of greater degrees places be full of good workes Surely as it turnes to the reproach of the word if any who liue vnder it liue otherwise then well so on the contrary part their godly and honest conuersation turnes to the credit and honour of the Word Which is a thing that Gods children ought earnestly to thinke vpon that God is contented that himselfe and his Word should haue no more respect and estimation amongst men then our good actions and liues shall winne and purchase vnto it Now if we turne our eyes home to our selues besides that which was touched before our good workes are profitable euery way First to purchase vs a good report which is better then siluer to haue such as feare God to speake well of vs is more worth then all riches Prouerbs 22. 1. This fruite Abraham got by his workes Iames 2. 24. For hee was iustified viz. approued and commended for a iust person by his workes Also the faithfull mentioned Hebrewes 11 were well reported of through their faith and fruites thereof Thus Timethy got himselfe a good testimony but yet further our good workes they be testimonies of our faith to shew it to be no dead but a liuely faith which being an inuisible grace is yet after a sort made visible by well liuing as it is written Shew me thy faith by thy workes Iames 2. 18. Euen as health is knowne to be good and sound by good disposition of all outward parts of the body so our faith our calling our election be manifested and confirmed vnto vs by our study and practise of good workes 2 Peter Chap. 1. verse 5 6 7 8. Make your calling and election sure by good workes Finally a man is not more knowne to liue a naturall life by speaking seeing mouing then a Christian is knowne to liue the life of faith by his godly and righteous workes What should I say that it is more then likely that as our workes shall haue a reward of free fauour so the measure of our workes as they exceede in number and excellency shall haue a proportionable measure of glory Certainly much will be required of them who haue receiued much and why may we not thinke that much will be rendred to them who haue done much For to euery one shall be giuen according as his workes shall be 1 Cor. 3. To proceede if we regard other men the exercise of good workes is fruitfull to all sorts and kinds of men for they which belong vnto God and be yet vnconuerted by
5 6. where the infinite power of God vttered in the worke of creation and his fidelity in performing his word are put for foundations of our trust For the second when Esau came against Iacob hee gathered trust and heart from the remembrance and meditation of Gods promises before made to him O Lord saith Iacob thou speakest to thy seruant and badst me goe into my Country and thou wouldst be with me Gen. 32. 9. Also Dauid herevpon built his confidence as we may reade Psal. 119. In thy Word is my trust and comfort And touching the third his owne experience of Gods wonderfull preseruation towards himselfe Psal. 25. 4. Thou art the God of my saluation in thee doe I trust all the day long and towards others Our Fathers trusted in thee and were deliuered Psal. 22. 4. did embolden him to rest himselfe in God And this is to bee obserued in the trust and confidence of a godly man that whether he haue few or many little or great meanes any or no meanes yet his heart still trusteth in God whom hee knoweth and hath tried to be sufficient of himselfe without nay against meanes to succour and saue him And herein is the maine difference betweene the godly and the wicked in this point that whereas both professe to trust in God alone and in prosperity peace both seeme so to doe yet the trust of the vngodly is not in the Lord but in second causes in outward meanes as Asa trusted in his Phisicians 2 Chro. 16. 12. The rich man in the Gospell trusted in his abundance of goods Luke 12. 19. Doeg in the multitude of his riches Psalme 53. 5 6. the Iewes in the AEgyptians in whom they strengthened themselues Esay 30. 2. the Assirians in their owne forces Esay 36. and some saith the Psalmist trust in Chariots some in Horses whereas the godly doe trust in the name of the Lord Psal. 20. This difference is manifested in the euill day when meanes faile the wicked then it appeares their hope was not in God for of confident and bold by the presence of the meanes they weigh faint and heartlesse thorow the absence thereof as appeareth by common experience Whereas the godly in desperate hopelesse cases as Daniel in the Den of Lyons the three seruants in the fiery Furnace Ieremy in the dungeon Ioseph in prison Ionas in the Whales belly Dauid in exile and flight from Saul finally Paul and Silas in the stocks made God their strength and whole trust and which is yet more then all this the godly make the Lord their stay and trust not onely when all men and all things bee against them but allso when God sheweth himselfe as an enimie vnto them beleeuing in him vnder hope aboue hope as it is said of Abraham Rom. 4. 18. Iob also professing that hee would trust in God though he would kill him Iob 13. The reason hereof is euident because they are assured that whatsoeuer courses God holdeth towards them yet his mercies truth and goodnesse are firme and vnchangeable and will neuer faile them Now herein is the triall of our trust in God when in time of peace and prosperity that wee haue meanes at hand and in our power wee so vse them as our minds doth looke beyond them vnto God looking for the good successe and for a blessing from Heauen being assured that as we haue all meanes so we expect the good vse of the meanes from him alone and when they are lacking to vs or fight against vs yet not to be so dismaide but that we still cast vp our eye vnto God with confidence of helpe from his goodnesse When wee are put in the clests and come to any great straites we are then to resolue and say with Iehosaphat 2 Chro. 20. 12. There is a great multitude come out against vs and wee know not what to doe but our eyes are towards thee and with Abraham My sonne God will prouide a sacrifiee when he saw no likelihood of any Gen. 25. and with King Dauid Though my heart be per plexed and troubled yet will I waite on God he is my helpe and my God Psa. 42. And againe He hath beene my God euen from my mothers wombe therefore I will trust in him Ps. 22. and Happy is the man that hath his trust in the God of Iacob for whosoeuer trusteth in him shall be assured neuer any yet ashamed which put their trust in the Almighty Psal. 22. 4 5. Therfore if thou dwell in the secret of the most highest and abide in the shadow of the Almighty saying to him O Lord thou art my hope and my rock my God in thee will I trust surely then he will deliuer thee from the snare of the Hunter and from the noysome pestilence hee will couer thee vnder his wings and thou shalt be safe vnder his feathers his truth shall bee thy shield and buckler thou shalt not be afraide of the feare of the night nor of the arrow that flyeth by day nor of the plague that destroyeth at noone day nor of the pestilence which walkes in the darke Thus great is the peace and wonderfull is the security and quiet of the man that maketh God his stay for who can take out of the hands of God If God will saue who can destroy Who can hurt whom hee will keepe which doth all what hee will in Heauen and Earth whom none can resist whereas God being neglected and set apart all other things are too weake to helpe Vaine is the helpe of man an Horse cannot saue no power no policy can releeue or rescue against God Vaine is the helpe of Princes Castles Towers Forts Forces Friends wealth wit and whatsoeuer else is vnable to preserue him who hath not God for his friend and hee is not friend to any saue such as make him their stay 〈◊〉 Both Scripture and other Stories abundantly teach of very great and mighty men how feurefully they haue liued and how lamentably they haue perished because they reposed themselues vpon other things besides God which is sufficient to admonish all persons to vse all good helpes giuen them of God so as their trust be fixed in God alone for he is the defence of his people and their strong deliucrer It were better to haue the presence and protection of God onely then a gard of many thousand men about vs. Thou O Lord alone saith Dauid makest me rest in safety I laide me downe and slept and rose againe for thou O Lord makest me dwell in safety Psal. 3. 5. 4. But such as withdraw their hearts from God he shall cause those very means wherein they put their trust to be their ouerthrow vse meanes therefore lest thou tempt God trust not in them lest thou denie him and he destroy thee Of Prayer and Thankefulnesse I See it plainely that euill men whatsoeuer they say yet their trust is not in God but as the mistes and cloudes keepe
troublesome by my long discourse of it let me tell you that this is a chiefe ende which God lookt vnto in the calling of sinners vnto repentance as in regard of himsele euen the praise of his glorious grace as the Apostle hath three seuerall times affirmed Ephe. 1. 7. 12. 14. That there being not onely nothing in vs to further it but our selues and the gates of hell against it it might be saide O Lord this is thy worke thy owne hand hath done it euen with thine owne hand arme thou hast giuen vs the victory ouer all our spiritual hellish enemies To thee therefore the King euerlasting immortall inuisible vnto God onely wise be honour and glory for euer and euer Amen Apollos I thanke ye for your willingnesse to enter into and to continue this discourse Also I commend your good remembrance of these matters it being so long since they were taught but as you holpe your self in some thing that was almost slipt from you so ye shal suffer mee to helpe you in that which I my selfe almost had and as it seemeth ye haue altogether forgot For by the closing of your speech I perceiue that ye haue spoken what ye are minded to say of this argument and yet that you were willing to speake of it what you remembred but I maruell not if some things are slid from you I rather maruell the frailety of our memory being considered that ye kept so many things Therefore vnto all that which hath beene recorded by you there be other foure points which I will briefly adde First touching the impulsiue mouing cause which inclineth God to the effectuall calling of some whereas he passeth by othersome which are no more vnworthy then such as are called and haue the selfe same outward meanes being all alike sinners and enemies to God by nature and all equally partakers of the word and Ministerie yet some of them are left in their corruption others being gathered to Christ. It was tolde ye this proceedeth meerely of the purpose and good pleasure of God which is made plaine by expresse authority of Scripture which ioyneth Gods purpose and calling together Euen to them that are called of his purpose Rom. 8. 28. and affirmeth that God hides those things from some which he reueales to others euen because so it pleaseth him Mat. 11. 26. there being no other reason of Peters calling rather then Iudas but this it was his good pleasure For seeing effectuall calling as you well remembred floweth from election and is peculiar to the chosen thereof it followeth that that which makes the difference betweene some who are otherwise alike in Adam is the election of God ordaining some to life and so to the meanes in their calling to Christ whereas others are refused yet so refused in the counsell of God as they make themselues vnworthy and vncapable of calling by refusing willingly and reiecting wilfully the voyce of Christ shutting their eyes that they may not see and their eares lest they should heare and making fat their owne hearts lest they should vnderstand Acts 28 27. Which sheweth thus much that as the not calling of some is iust so the calling of othersome is most free depending vpon the good pleasure of Gods will This is such a matter the consideration whereof must moue Gods children by calling to be very thankefull with great feruent loue towards God for this happy worke Sithens finding nothing in them at all hee did fetch from himselfe the cause which moued him to reueale his Son in them by the Gospel whereas he would not doe so to others who were by creation as good as they and by nature no worse yet God to leaue others to giue them ouer to their blindnesse and to open to those the mystery of his will and that according to his good pleasure which he purposed in Christ how doth this deserue that they should from the ground of their heart blesse God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ for this most gracious spirituall blessing The second thing vnmentioned by you because vnremembred was this that as amongst men Gods will puts a difference betwixt man man as being all subiect to him as clay to the potter caling these hardning these so in those which are truly called he keepeth not one tenor some of his elect childrē euen at the instant of their calling being strong men in Christ able to goe walk run as Zacheus which at his conuersion was filled with ioy power giuen him to shake off his great sins to shake himself presently not only out of them but out of his goods by restitution of ill gotten contribution of the rest well gotten which argueth a great measure and force of grace there being sundry which long after their cōuersion can hardly ouercome themselues to doe that which Zacheus did at his new birth the 1. hour he came into the world The like is to be seen in Paul the Apostle who immediately vpon his calling coming out of the darknes of Iewish pharisaisme vnto the light of Christianisme and from Satan to God he had such a portion of the strength of grace as he could preach Christ and was ready to suffer for him being ready to the perill of his life to teach them whom hee had lately persecuted to death Now there be others againe at the time of their calling yea and a good while after which are so weake as young Babes both for knowledge and practise as appeareth in Peter and in the other Apostles who being called euen with a more peculiar calling to be the members of Christ and not onely with a general vocation to be the Ministers and Apostles of Christ yet by the story of the Euangelist it doth plainely appeare that for a great while after euen till the ascension of Christ they were exceeding infirme both in iudgement and affection not knowing distinctly the meanes of their redemption to be Christs sufferings and resurrection though it were most plainely and often tolde them and tripping and failing by pride and ambition contention and otherwise Againe some of his elect children at their first calling are brought forth by their Mother the Church with great paine and hazard to themselues being before and about the time of their calling much afflicted full offeares and anguishes by reason of their manifold greeuous sinnes laide before them by their inward monitor their conscience accusing them and the outward admonition and threatnings of the Law the light of Gods Iustice shining into their mindes and striking them as lightning and thunder from Heauen Thus it fared with the fore-named Paul at his conuersion which was with trembing and astonishment Acts 9. 6. As also with them Acts 2. 37. whose soule-horrors as daggers or kniues pricked their hearts Now on the other side some there bee which at their first calling feele no such thing but are deliuered from their bondage
to Satan and sinne with great case nay with maruellous ioy and alacrity osspirit as it is to be seene in Lydia Acts 16. 15. who as one feeling nothing lesse then anguish did cheerefully entertaine Paul vpon her new birth and calling The Samaritanes Acts 8. 9. at their conuersion by the preaching of Philip had great ioy it being in this case as in the naturall birth where some come into this World with great facility and others with very great danger and according to this different proceeding of God in this worke it is that some of the Elect doe sooner and far more easily see their owne calling then others doe The consideration of this second point is for comfort of them who being certainely called yet are troubled that the strength of grace is so little their infirmities so many their ioy and cheerefulnesse very small which should not so greeue them if they would remember that this case hath beene the condition of others and withall that the troubles and griefe which they finde in themselues by reason of their wants doth argue and proue to them their owne conuersion to bee true and sound which should more preuaile to comfort them then the sight of any defect and weakenesse to discourage let them reioyce in the truth of the grace which cannot reioyce in great measure of grace The third thing which I adde is this that election necessarily bringeth forth a true calling to Christ as a proper effect of it Therefore all good Christians are by their calling to iudge of their owne election and consequently of their owne saluation for as they must needes be saued which are elected because God changeth not and nothing can hinder his purpose so they are certainely elect who be effectually called It is not then for any to search curiously into Gods counsel and to begin there to find the assurance of their owne saluation but wee are to begin at another end and as wee discerne iudge of the roote by the fruite of the fountaine by the water which runneth from it and of the cause by the effect so we must rise vp to the sight of our election by the worke of our calling which is an hand to conduct vs into Gods Counsel-house Thus Paul the Apostle hauing taught and established that heauenly doctrine of Predestination Rom. 9. at the 24 verse hoe declared that the witnesse of it is to be sought not out of our selues in Gods secret will which is an obiect too excellent for our weake eyes directly to look vpon but in our selues to wit in our vocation to be Gods people which before were not his people Also Ioh. 6. 37. it is laide downe as a note whereby to know who be giuen to Christ of his Father in his eternall election that such shall come vnto him and see him All that the Father giueth me saith Christ shall come vnto me Now this comming vnto him is vpon their obedience vnto his call To be short for in a plaine matter few proofes be best as Christ proued the Iewes to whom then hee spake not to be the elect sheepe because they refused to heare his voyce and to beleeue so he describeth his sheepe which are chosen indeede by this marke that they heare and follow Wherefore as in vaine they presume of their election who neuer were called to faith in Christ so whosoeuer by the due tokens which you before haue laide forth and are about to doe hereafter when ye come to the effects of calling shall finde their owne effectuall calling to be soundly and surely wrought let them gather thereby vnfallibly their election to life Be of good comfort say the people vnto the blinde man in the Gospell the Master calleth thee so I say to these take to ye good heart for Christ the Master hath called you Not more certainely by the rayes and beames doe ye know the Sunne to be a lightsome creature then yee may determine of the loue of Gods gracious purpose towards you from euerlasting by this fruit of it in your effectuall vocation by the Gospell The fourth thing omitted by you it is this that the times of calling being so vncertaine wee should neuer cast away our hope of others who doe liue vnder the meanes though they liue wickedly vnlesse God doe giue vs any apparent signe of their reiectiō from grace as in 〈◊〉 Iulian and others otherwise to keepe vs from iudging especially of the finall estate of any because wee cannot tell what to morrow day may bring forth Therefore the Ministers of the word are still to be sowing and casting abroade their seede early late they know not which will take place this or that the people still to approach to Gods house to heare the word of God calling them They cannot tel which shal be the houre of their calling which as it cannot be preuented one minute so being once come all the strength of hell cannot holde them from obeying the voyce of their caller Aquila Sir I thanke ye for your good remembrance of these things which indeede were gone from mee May it please you now we will resort home for it very neere draweth to night and deferre other things to another time Here endeth the first part of the dialogue touching our effectuall calling The second Part of this Dialogue concerning the Graces which accompany and come from this effectuall Calling Aquila SIR ye are againe wel met here I thanke ye for your last conference in this place my mind hath been the more quiet euer since euen as my body fareth the better after a wholsome moderate repast or sweete rest may it please you that we should spend another houre in that sort setting on there where we left and broke off Apollos I am well pleased with your motion both that we should feed one another with the fruites of our lippes and that we go forward in that argument which wee haue begun Howbeit wee will alter our course whereas I put you to answere my questions and so put you to the more paine I will now take vp that burthen and you shall haue the easier and lighter ende of the staffe doe you aske and I will answer Aquila It pleaseth you to fauour me yet I iudge it no lesse hard to propound wise questions then to make true answeres One that hath any good measure of knowledge may better or as well replie when matter is offered by questions to worke vpon as to inuent and deuise still to propound new matter but I will agree to your order on this condition that where my questions shall be short or vnpertinent ye will correct faults and supply wants to make them more fit and full Tell me then what is the first sauing Grace which the holy Spirit workes in our Calling Apoll. All the sauing graces of the Spirit are wrought in the Elect to be giuen them simul semel at once and together In respect of time there is not