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A01739 Tvvo sermons vpon 1. Peter 5. vers .8. and 9 Wherein is shewed that the diuell is to be resisted only by a stedfast faith, how soeuer he commeth either against soule or body: and that whosoeuer hath once attained the true and liuelie faith, it can neuer be vtterly lost, but he is sure to get the victorie. By M. George Giffard, Preacher of the worde of God at Mauldon in Essex. Gifford, George, d. 1620. 1597 (1597) STC 11871; ESTC S112185 45,095 88

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their owne wickednes fall from it vtterly and finally and so he hath before ordained them in his foreknowledge vnto damnation This they say standeth with reason the other they hold to be repugnant to reason What shall we say to this shall wee heere enter for to discourse at large by the scriptures touching election and reprobation I haue no such purpose But only so farre as agreeeth with our present matter namely to make it appeare that the stedfastnesse of our faith and the full assurance of our saluation dependeth vpon the knowledge of our election As namely if wee finde in vs the true and liuely faith which goeth with the spirit of sanctification wee may then rise vp to that high cause and be assured that the Lord hath in that his eternall and vnchangeable decree chosen vs in Christ to be his children so that wee cannot perish To come then to an answere to those men Is not this a strange thing that they will comprehend by reason how God could decree the choise or election of some of his creatures vnto life and the reprobation of others vnto eternall destruction for their sinnes and yet not vniust If wee alleage the sentence of the Apostle But who art thou O man that pleadest with God They aunswer that they doe not pleade with God but they stand for the defence of the iustice and mercie of God least that shuld be imputed vnto him which is vniust and cruell No Is not this to plead with God or against God when hee shall bee iust hee shall be good hee shall bee mercifull no further than thy reason can comprehend He must yeeld a reason vnto thy vnderstanding and capacitie with what right or equitie he could doe so or so or els thou wilt reiect it Is not this I say to plead against God Saint Paule after hee hath disputed of the reiecting of the Iewes and the calling in of the Gentiles breaketh foorth into this exclamation O the deepnesse of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgments and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11. To this agreeth the Prophet in the Psalm saying Thy iugdments are as the great deep Let it be demanded what iudgementes of God are those which be vnsearchable or which bee as the great deep Are they not those iudgmēts which he executeth vpon his creatures and especially vpon his chief creatures Angels and men If these his iudgments be as the great deep euen vnsearcheable incōprehensible both vnto men and Angels then is it so in the highest matter namely that hee hath ordained by his eternall decree to bestow eternall life and glory vpon some and to appoint other some vnto eternal ignominie torments which they shall endure iustly for their sinnes For if any iudgementes of God bee vnsearcheable or any where it is in predestination It may bee rightlie said that if the counsels and wayes and iudgements of God be not vnsearchable in that eternal decree then is there no iudgmēt of god vnsearchable which is to denie not only the saying of the Apostle and of the Prophet but also after a sort to denie God for he that will make his iudgmentes to be searchable maketh also God himselfe to be searchable Wilt thou measure and comprehend the counsels the decrees and the iudgementes of God by reason Then measure and comprehend God himselfe euen that eternall and infinit maiestie with thy reason Nowe if it bee so that God hath chosen some for this cause that he did foresee that of their owne wil and power they would be faithfull do good works continue to the ende And on the other side that hee did foresee who would be vnfaithfull wicked and rebellious euen to their death and those in his foreknowledge he saw to be iustly damned Here is nothing incomprehensible in these iudgmentes For thy reason doth find out and thy vnderstanding doth comprehend all causes and thou canst shew a reason how God hath done euery thing and yet is iust yea all the causes of his counselles he open vnto thee if it bee so Why then did Saint Paule crie out How vnsearchable are his iudgments Why faith the Prophet also That they be a great deepe The Prophet was dull of conceipt it seemeth and so was Paule for thou hast entred into this great deepe and hast with the light of thy reason searched out all things and whatsoeuer is not agreeable to the same thy reason thou doubtest not to dash it out of Gods decrees Thou wilt haue nothing to stand higher then thy reason can reach vnto and comprehende Thou saiest that whatsoeuer is contrarie vnto reason is absurde Well but take heede that thou doest not extoll reason too much It doth indeed comprehend the principles of logicke but that it will from thence rise vp to comprehend God and his eternall decree it is extreame folly If wee looke a little in particulars we shall find it to bee so VVe do beleeue and confesse that the Lord God by his eternall power infinit wisedom created heauen earth al things which are in thē both visible inuisible Of the inuisible creatures in heauen the Angels some sinned fel whom he hath condēned vnto eternall fire they be now diuels Others whom the holie Apostle calleth the elect Angels neuer sinned neither shall euer any of them sinne as they bee well assured but shall remaine verie glorious and blessed for euer Tell me nowe were not all these the creatures of God and created in the same estate and conditiō How commeth it that some of them stand others do fall Will ye not say that of his infinite goodnesse and loue hee had decreed to stay vp the one parte so that they should neuer sinne nor be in danger of falling and that he had also decreed to leaue those other to their owne will and power why did he not shew the same goodnesse and loue towards all whie did he set so glorious creatures in such estate as that they should fal from the heauenlie glory into diuels torments was he not able to support them and to retaine them in glory with the rest He created man in great dignitie euen after his owne image whie did he not keepe him in that estate why did hee suffer the diuell to enter in vnto the woman and to tempt her why did hee not forewarn the man and the woman that such an enemie woulde set vpon them or why did he not giue thē strength to get the victorie in that tēptation O wilt thou say God did only suffer those thinges to bee done by the diuell hee did not ordaine that any such matter should fall out for that cannot stand with equity or iustice it agreeth not with mercy Wel thou hast a childe and when it is in thy power to let yet thou wittinglie doest suffer a terrible Lyon to enter in vnto him and to deuour him who will say that this
not al the branches that in me bear fruit but euery branch in me that beareth fruit he purgeth that it may beare more fruit So that we may conclude that there are none of the reprobate that haue the true and liuely faith for if they had they shoulde bring forth fruit and so remain for euer in the vine Againe whosoeuer knoweth that hee bringeth foorth fruite hee may be assured that he shal continue in the vine for euer hee shall neuer perish Also Christ saith I am the breade of life hee that commeth to me shall not hunger in any wise and he that beleeueth in mee shall neuer thirst This is the will of him that sent me that euery one that seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him may haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day I am that bread of life your fathers did eate Manna in the wildernesse and are dead This is that bread that came downe from heauen that if anie man eate thereof he should not die I am the liuing bread which came downe from heauen if any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life This is that bread which came downe from heauen not as your fathers did eate Manna and are dead he that eateth of this bread shall liue for euer Ioh. 6. ver 35.40.48.49 50.51.54.58 From these Scriptures wee may drawe most firme conclusions that not any one of the reprobate euer haue or can haue the true and liuelie faith but that whosoeuer beleeueth he is assured of life eternall Christ teacheth that hee is the bread of life and that whosoeuer eateth of that bread he shall liue for euer It is not possible that any man should eat of that bread and yet not liue for euer Euery one that beleeueth in him I speak of that liuelie faith which as the hand apprehendeth Christ and by which we receiue him and his benefites doth eat his flesh and drinke his blood He that beleeueth in mee saith hee shall neuer thirst for let any mā shew a reason why some that beleeue in Christ doe eate his flesh and drinke his blood other some hauing the same liuely faith doe not What will they say that the reprobate damned so many of them as euer come to haue the true and liuely faith according as they imagine do indeede eat the flesh of Christ drinke his blood and so for a time be made liuely members of Christ euen flesh of his flesh and bones of his bones as the Apostle speaketh Ephes 5. ver 31 If they doe not eat his flesh drink his blood then haue they not the faith remooue that effect and the cause is remooued If they will not abhor so wicked a speech but affirm indeed that the reprobate doe eate the flesh of Christ so many of them as haue the liuely faith then let thē see how they ouerthrow also the whole force of the argumēt of Christ by which he proueth that the Manna was not the bread of life but that he himself is the bread of life Your fathers saith he did eat Māna in the wildernesse and are dead If any man eat of this bread he shal liue for euer How standeth his argument consider of it I pray you Your fathers did eat Manna in the wildernesse and yet are dead in their sinnes they are dead in the spirituall and eternall death for of that death hee speaketh seeing they also which eat the flesh of Christ doe die the naturall death therefore Manna was not the bread of life that commeth downe from heauen For that which some did eat of and yet did die eternallie is not by any meanes the bread of life And how doth hee prooue that hee himselfe is the bread of life I am the breade which came downe from heauen if any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer Thus standeth his reason Whosoeuer eateth the flesh of Christ he shal liue for euer therefore the flesh of Christ is the bread of life If they shall now say some of the fathers in the wildernes did eate the Manna and yet died in their sinnes it cannot be denied and thereupon Christ doth affirme that Manna was not the bread of life that commeth downe from heauen and then adde their owne saying which is this some doe eate the flesh of Christ and yet do die in their sinnes what will then followe if this reason do stand in force Your fathers did eat Manna in the wildernes and are dead therefore Manna was not the bread of life Then shall not this also follow Many doe eat the flesh of Christ and yet are damned therefore the flesh of Christ is not the bread of life Thus it is euident that such as do affirme that any of the reprobate haue the liuelie faith doe gainsay Christ and ouerthrow the force of his argument To proceede what can be more firme to proue that the reprobate cannot haue the true liuely and iustifying faith then that which Saint Paul hath written Where this ground is first to bee laide that whosoeuer he is that hath the true iustifying faith he hath the spirite of sanctification the spirite of adoption for thus the Apostle conioyneth them wherein also after that yee beleeued yee were sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance vnto the redemption of the purchased possession vnto the praise of his glorie Ephes 1. ver 13.14 Is there any so absurd as to hold that a man is a liuely member of Iesus Christ as euery one is that hath the liuelie iustifying faith and yet hath not that holy spirite of promise that spirite of adoption that scale and that pledge If they will say that the faith which the reprobate doe attaine vnto is without this spirite of adoption or without this seale or pledge then doe wee holde with them and then doth it follow that the faith of the reprobate is not the true iustifying and sanctifying saith which purgeth the heart Act. 15. But if they shall say that the reprobate are for a time partakers of the spirit of sanctification euen of that spirit of adoption then will there diuers right wicked consequences follow which are to be banished far frō christian religiō For first touching the spirit of adoption see what the Apostle saith As manie as are led by the spirit of god they are the sons of God For ye haue not receiued the spirit of bōdage again to fear but ye haue receiued the spirit of Adoption whereby we crie Abba Father That same spirite beareth witnesse vnto our spirit that we are the sonnes of God Rom. 8.14 15 16. If anie of the reprobate be led by the spirit of God or be at anie time sanctified then hath not S. Paule here said true that as manie as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sonnes of God Some of the reprobate