perish and that therefore there can bee no certaintie made of the continuance of it For nothing can separate vs from the loue of God wherewith hee loueth vs in Iesus Christ our Lord. Who hath redemed vs with his blood Hee saith Aug. who hath bought vs for so great a price will not that they should perish whom hee hath bought Master Tyndall saith thus Christ is thine and all his deeds are thy deeds Christ is in thee and thou in him neither canst thou be daÌ„ned except Christ be damned with thee Wee conclude therefore according to the trueth that as Iustification is irreuocable so it is discerneable Let him doubt sath M. Philpot of his faith that listeth God giue we alwaies grace to beleeue that I am sure of true faith and fauour in Christ And so much concerning iustification the second meane ordeined for the execution and demonstration of â—â—ds eternall Election â—rga Dei bonitas veniam noÌ„ dimidiabiâ— Aut nihil aut totum to lachrymaÌ„te dabis CHAP. VI. What sanctification is All the causes of it are expressed Four effects of it The subiects termes and time of it Nine properties thereof Ten tokens of it THE third thing wherein the Apostle placeth the execution of the decre of Election is Glorification Whom he hath foreknowne predestinated effectually called and iustified them â—e hath also glorified Glorification is the communication or free donation of true holinesse and happinesse to them that are elected called and iustified For glorie comprehendeth in it both holines happinesse Holines is one degree of happinesse and happines is the highest degree of holinesse No man is holy but the same is happy and no maÌ„ can be happy but he must bee holie Grace is the inchoation of glorie and glorie is the consummation of grace He that sits in the throne of grace is truely intituled to the crowne of glorie and it is one point of glorie to be a man of grace A gracious man may be rightly stiled a glorious man Glorification then comprehendeth in it two things Sanctification in this world and the collation of eternall happinesse in the world to come Of both these we will intreat in order Sanctification or Regeneration is a benefit of God whereby our corrupt nature is renewed to the image of god by the Holy Ghost Polan Part. The lib. 1. Or sanctification is an inward change of a man iustified wherby the image of God is restored in him Hippocrates saith of Phisick that it is an adiection and a subraction Adiection of things wanting and a Subtraction of things redounding in the bodies of men Euen so sanctification is a remouing of the corrupt humors of our soules and an adiection or infusion of spirituall graces which are wanting It was excellently said by one The wise men saith he which were expert in nature could say that in euerie generation there is a corruption And we see that the seede sowen is much changed before it grow vp and beare fruit Then needfull it is that in regeneration there be a corruption of sin so that as the seed in the ground so sinne in our mortall bodies may decay that the new man may be raised vp the Spirit of God taking possession of our soules Now this transformation of a man is very requisit to saluation For without holines no man shall see God If wee will not liue to God by grace vpon the earth wee shall not liue in glorie with him in the heauens If wee will not die to sin in this world wee shall not escape death the wages of sin in the world to come If we doe not liue to God in holinesse in this life wee shall not liue in happines with God in the life to come It is not onely necessary in him that is to be saued that sinne be abolished by remission but that it bee likewise mortified by regeneration Neither is it onely requisit that a man stand righteous by the imputation of righteousnesse but that a man also be righteous by the infusion of righteousnes Sanctification is not deriued to vs from our parents For parents must be considered two waies First as they are Man the children of Adam Secondly as they are holy men sonnes of the second Adam and thus they doe not beget their children though their holinesse bee a meanes to make them to be reputed holy with men and accounted the children of the Church But they produce their children as they are men and corrupted in their father Adam and so conuey nature corrupted in Adam to them although they be regenerated Take wheat make it as clean as you can sowe it and it will come vp not as it was sowen but in stalk blade and eare and it brings vp as much chaffe as euer it did though none vvere sowen with it Euen so parents though sanctified by grace do bring forth childreÌ„ that are vnholie But the fountaine and proper Efficient of our sanctification and holines is almightie God whose workemanship we are created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes and who in mercie hath translated vs out of the kingdome of darknes into the kingdome of his beloued sonne in whom he hath quickned vs through his loue and hath lifted him vp with his right hand to giue repentance vnto Israel And albeit our Sanctification be the worke of the whole Trinitie yet it is immediately performed by the holy ghost therefore by a peculiar epithet hee is called Holy and we are said to be borne of the Spirit who is also compared vnto seede and vnto fire and vvater Vnto seede because of his vertue as it vvere of seede the faithfull are renevved and created nevv men that beeing dead to sin they might liue vnto God Vnto fire first because he doth eat out the drosse of sin and consume our lusts and so refine vs secondly because he doth enlighteÌ„ our mindes and shine like a lamp shew vs the way wherein wee ought to walke and lastly because he doth set vs on heat and inflame vs vvith a zeale of Gods glorie vvith a care of our duetie and vvith a loue of all mankinde And vnto Water because he doth refresh vs extinguish our spiritual thrist and because he doth vvater vs being destitute of all the iuice of life and make vs fertill and finally because he doth wash avvay the filth of our hearts and is povvred out like vvater vpon Beleeuers In like maner also he is compared to the Northerne and Southerne windes to the Northerne because he doth pinch dry the luxurious humours of our hearts and coole the vnnaturall heate and swelling pride of our soules and kil those wormes of wickednes which ly as it were at the very roote of our hearts And to the Southerne because hee doth comfort vs with his warme blasts and moisten vs with his sweete showers and dissolue our frost bitten
of a righteous man Thus now we see in part what our eternall glorie shall bee in the world to come wherewith we shall be all replenished though not all alike euen as wee see vessels different in bignes may bee all of them filled full to the top though one of them hold morâ— then another As wee haue excelled one another vpon the earth in grace so we shall excell one another in heauen in respect of glorie If wee haue gone before others in discharging of our duetie in this world we shall also surpasse them in dignitie in thâ— world to come They that be wise shall shine indeeâ— As the brightnes of the Firmament but they that turne many to righteousnes shalâ— shine as the starres for euer and euer Now the GOD of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus the great Shepheard of the sheepe through the blood of the euerlasting couenant make vs meete to doe his will in all good workes that hauing serued him in this life in the kingdome of grace we may also raigne with him in the life to come in the kingdome of glory Amen Trin. vni Deo Gloria a Ephe. 1. b Ephe. 2. c d Per. 1.19 Reu. 5.9 e 2. Cor. 5 21. f Chrys in â—phe 1. ser 1. g Act. 20.28 h Rom. 9 5. i Ion. 1 2. 10.30 k Ion. 4.9 Rom. â— 8 l â—ud 1. 2. Thesa 9.13 Ezek 3â— 1 Cor. 6.11 m Heb. 1.6 n Rom. 2.78 2. Cor. 5.1 2. Tim. 8. o August p Bernard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot. Nâ—scire malum â—urpe duciâ—us Cic. 1. Offic. Luke 6.13 Iohn 6.70 â—urâ—n de praed â— oâ— 36. Que. 2. Deut. 4.37 77. Psal 705.6 Polan de praedest â—uc Pol. ibid. Rom. 11.7 Tit. 1.10 Matth. 20 15. Iohn 13 1â— Act. 13. â—8 2. Pet. 1 1â— Pro. 16.4 Mal. 1.3 Iude. 4. PrayedestinationeÌ„ negaâ—e â—mmaniâ—â—st blasthemia ug 1â— 6. â—ypog Vid. Hâ—b â—turm de â—raed Thes 1. Ier. 31.3 32 40. 2. Tim. 2.19 Tit. 3.5 Eph. 1.4 Rom. 8. â—â— Polanus â—â—rmius de praed Rom. â—5 4 Matth. 28. Mark 16. Polan ibid Act. 10. Deut. 29.9 Instii lib. 3 c. 2â— â— 1 Ibid sect 3 Vide Aug. lib. 1. de praedest saâ— c. 20. Caluin ibid. Keck Syst Theol. l. 3. c. 1. Perk de praed Aug. de fide ad P. cap. 35. â—eck ibid. â—erk de â—raed p. 9.10 Opere Trinitatâ—s ad 〈…〉 Aug. Is 42.1 Matth. 12.18 1. Pet. 1.20 1. Iohn 5.7 Ephe. 1.5 Rom. 11.5 Tom. 7. lib. 7 de prae C 15 Polan de praed â—ag 3â— Eph. 1.6 Aug ibid. Contra Iul. Pel. Tom. 7. Contra Iul. â—elag l. 5. c. 3 Tract 86. in Ioh. Epist 105. ad Sex In Enchir. ad Laur. c 98. Ad Hebid. Quaest 10. In cap. 8. lib. 2. Regum Keck Syst Theol. l. 3. c. â— Quicquid est causa causae est etiam causa causati Contr◠〈◊〉 Tom 1. l. 1. â—e praed sanct c. 17. 1. Cor. 7.25 Cap. 3. Ephe. 1.4 Apolog. ad Ruffin Rom. 9.16 Polan lib. de praed Polan ibid. Rom. 2.11 Deut. 7.7 Col. 1.12 Polan lib. de praedest pag. 45. Instit l. 3. â— 21. s 7. Rom. 9.15 Bucan loc 36. Quaest 32. Sturm de praedest Thes 6. 1. Cor. 10.13 Ephes 1.4 Act. 13.48 Rom. 9.23 2. Thes 2.13 Ephe. 1. Act. 13. Rom 8. Polan de praed pag. 60 Perk. in Gal. c. 4. Polan de praed pag. 59 Ephe. 1.4 Ioâ— 13.18 Cal. Inst i. 3. c. 22. s 1. de Praed Gal. ibid. Perk. de praedest Note man simply considered is the obiect of election in respect of the preordination of the end but man corrupted if we regard the ordination of the meanes that tend vnto the end Rom. 8.30 2. Thes 2.13 Tit. 1.1 2. Thes 3.2 Pro. 16.4 Comment in 1. Reg. â—ap â— Sum. 1. part quaest 23. art 5. Rom. 9.18 Expos in Iohn c. 37. Greenham These notes may be better inserted towardes the end of the â—ractaâ—e where the notes of eternall life are set downe Matth. 5.8 Ephes 5.23 Matth. 8.11 Rom. 5.19 Reu. 7.9 Lib. 3. de doct Christ cap. 34 Lib 1. de voc gent. Matth. 7.11 Math. 20. â—6 Luke 12.32 Rom. 9.27 Is 10.27 Heb. 11.12 Instit lib. 2 Decor â— gra c. 13 2. Tim. 2.19 Tit. 1.1 Acts. 13 48 Instit l. 3. â— 22. s 10. Rom. 8.30 Homil. in Ezeck In 2. Reg. cap. 7 Col. 3.12 Sent. l. 2. c. 5 De verb. Apost ser 1 Ioh. 3.16 Mark 16.16 Psal 33.12 Psal 65. â— Matth. 24.24 Iohn 10.28 Ier. 32.40 Psal 94.14 In 7. cap. Ioh. Psal 34.7 Heb. 1.14 Lib. 1. â—â— 12 Matth. 24. â—1 Matth. 25.33 34 41. 1. Cor. 6.2 3. â— Tim. 2.10 Luke 18 7 8 Zach. 2 8 Mar. 13 20 Reu. 17.14 Rom. 8 33 1. Ioh. 5.13 â— Pet. 1.10 Psal 15 Rom. 8.16 Gal. 5.22 Keck Syst The. l 3.42 Rom. 8.30 M. Rogers pag. 496. â—hrys ser le fide Rom. 4.20 Heb. 11.1 Rom. 9.21 Degen cont Man.l. â— c 2. Hugo de S. Vict. Is 46. Sum. 1. par qu. 23. art 5 Rom. 9.11 Ephes 1.4 In Tit 1 Lib 5 de craedest D. Willet in Ioh 17. lect 16. Iam. 1.17 Mal. 3.6 Is 46.10 2. Tim. 2.19 Vrsin de Chr. rel par 2 Kek. l. 3 Syft 7 Theol. Ioh. 6.36 Ioh. 13.1 De fide c. 35 D. Willet on Ioh 17. â—ect 15. Gen. 43.34 Gen. 45.22 M. Perk. on Gal. 4. v 9 M. Greenâ—ham Perk. ibi Ephe. 2.1 1. Cor. 6.11 Col. 2.13 1. Pet. 4.3 sen 6.5 Hoz 2.21 turmius de â—redest Thes 8. Rom. 2.9 Ezek 18.21 Rom. 8.30 Sturm 16. Keck Theolâ— lib 3. Gen. 1.27 Eccle 7.31 Cyr. l. 8. Thes â— 1. Isa 46.10 In Triph. In Psal Poenit. Prosp Resp ad cap. Gal Expos in 1. Reg. cap. 4. Lib. 2. aduers Marc. In ser quod Deus c. Aug. ad Art 14. â—sal 5.4 Lib. 1. ad Monim Aug. ad 10. Art Lib 4. Stre Iob. 21.30 Insti lib. 2. Perk on Gal c. 5. ver 13. Rolloc de voc c. 1. Perk on Iude. v. 1. M. Perk. on Gal. 5 1â— 1. Cor. 1.9 2. Tim 1.9 1. Pet. 2.9 1. Pet. 1.15 M. Perk. on Gal. 5.13 2. Thes 2.14 Rom. 1.16 Rolloc de voc c. 1. â— Cor. 2. l 24 Ephe. 4.24 Psal 27.8 Psal 40.6.7 Gal. 1.15 â—relc Instit l. 2. 2. Tim. 1.9 2. Thes 2.14 Ioh. 11.43 44 Acts 9.40 Psal 29 Thunder Iosh 6.20 Iob. 18.6 Rom. 8.30 â—s 54.13 Acts 13.48 M. Perk. on â—ude 1 Matth. 13.1 Matth. 1â— â— â—olan de â—raedest â—olleck de voc c â—â— Rom. 8.30 Gal. â— 6 â— Thes 3.2 Rom. 8.30 Decor graâ— c. 12 epist 163 â—oc com clas 3. c. 1 In 1. Tim. cap. 2 Lib 1. in Isa cap. 1 In lib. sent 1 4 12. art 2 1. Thes 4.7 Col. 1.13 1. Pet 2.9 Tit. 2.14 Rolloc de voc t. 1. Iam. 1.17 Psal 16.11 M. Perk. on Iude. 1. Acts 1.7 Ephe. 2.1 Perk on Matth. 23 37 Phil. 2.13 Contra
subiect in vvhich this sanctification is wrought is the vvhole man according to both soule and body yea and life also Yet here by this way we must obserue that sanctification doth not alter the veâ—y substance of a man but onely his corupt and sinfull qualities It rectifieth but abolisheth not affections It corrects and moderates mirth and sorow and such humane passions but takes them not quit away It tunes the iarring strings of a mans heart but it breakes them not in peeces Euen as the fall of man did not abolish a mans essence but corrupt his faculties euen so the raising vp and the renouation of a man doth not aâ—ter his very substance but doth onely change his corrupted qualities and powers Now the Sanctification of the soule consist first in the alteration of the minde whreby ignorance is by little and little abolished and the mind inlightened to know the true God and his mercie in Christ and to know a mans selfe and to see his secret corruptions againg the â—aw and to know how to behaue himselfe vnto God and man aâ— also to approoue the things of God and to minde and meditate on things spirituall and celestiall Secondly it consists in the renouation of the will Which is when God giues grace truely to will good as to beleeue fear and obey God But yet this will is weake and not without resistance and contention made by the flesh Thirdly it consistes in the sanctification of the memorie which is an openesse by grace to keepe good things specially the doctrine of saluation Fourthly it stands in the regeneration of the conscience as when it is fitted to giue true testimony to a mans heart of the remission of his sinnes and of his care to serue God Fiftly it consists in a spirituall transformation of the affections as loue ioy sadnes anger feare and such like whereby a man that is iustified doth so temper them by his reason refined and by the light of the Law with the helpe of Gods Spirite that they doe not breake out as in the wicked that giue the reignes to their lusts but may bee held in some good order howbeit in this life this is done with much strife reluctation and is rather affected then effected Sixtly it consists in the sanctificatioÌ„ of the appetite or desires by which a man iustified obtaineth conformitie with good reason and Gods law in the desiring of meat and in other things which appertaine to the appetite Or the sanctification of the appetite stands in the holy ordering of our desires in meat drinke apparell riches And in the practise of three main vertues sobrietie chastitie and contentation by which the appetite must be gouerned Sobrietie is a continence from superfluous meat and drinke and from a wilfull macerating and afflicting of the body Chastitie is a continencie from wandering lusts and from all impuritie both in wedlock and out of it Contentation is when a man is contented with his present estate whether rich or poore noble or inglorious Paul saith I haue learned in whatsoeuer state I am therewith to be content I can bee abashed and I can abound euery where in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungrie and to abound and to haue want Lastly the sactification of the soule consists in a Christian resolution and constant indeauour with al our forces to please God and to testifie our loue vnto him in the seruing of our neighbour and seeking our owne saluation and withall flatly denying of our selues Which is first when we hold God to be wiser then vve are that so wee should bee both directed and disposed of by him Secondly when vvee account him more carefull for vs then we our selues can be and so rest vvell satisfied vvith vvhat condition of life soeuer he sets vs in The Sanctification of the body is that wherby the members thereof are made fit instruments for the soule regenerated to worke the workes of God with it being become obedient to the minde illumined and the heart reformed through the worke of the Spirit who now hath made it the Temple of his holinesse whereas before it was a slaue to the flesh and a shop of iniquitie and vncleannesse The Sanctification of the life is a visible reformation of it when as it is dedicated to God and good duties those sinnes being abandoned which reigned in it in former times And so much for the Subiects of Sanctificationâ— where remember that this worke of the Spirit is wrought in the whole man and that it belongs onely to the faithfull and Elect of God Ciuill moralities outward formalities and such graces as doe onely bridle and represse sinne may befall the reprobate but Christian vertues and such graces as doe supplant and suppresse sinne in our soules such works of the Spirit as doe reuiue and restore Gods image are appropriated to beleeuers The time wherein Sanctification is wrought is in this life in some sooner in others later but in none after this life if wee respect the beginning of it and not the finishing For it is begunne euer before death and neuer after He that would be saued in the life to come must bee sanctified in this life None liue like victorious Princes in the Church triumphant but such as haue bene courageous soldiours in the Church militant The properties of Sanctification are many First it is a most gracious and free worke of the Lord without all obligation or merit of ours For the Spirit of God bloweth with his blasts of grace both when how and where he listeth And the Apostle teacheth vs that our quickning and saluation is through the great loue and grace of God It is not giuen vs saith Augustine for any merit to wit of ours that we are borne againe of vvater and of the Spirit but it is freelie giuen and if faith haue brought vs to the lauer of regeneration we must not therfore think that we gaue somthing before that sauing regeneration might be giueÌ„ as in the vvay of recoÌ„pence Secondly this new birth is so needfull as that without it we cannot bee saued The kingdome of grace is the suburbs of the kingdome of glorie he therefore that walkes not through the suburbs shall neuer enter into the Citie a man must be in the kingdom of grace or else he shall neuer be admitted into the kingdome of glorie no grace no glory no holinesse no happinesse no heauen no heauenly honour Except a man bee borne againe hee cannot see the kingdome of God neither in this world nor in the world to come There are saith Augustine certaine beginnings of faith like vnto conceptions but yet that a man may come to eternall life it is not onely needfull that he be conceiued but that he bee also borne Thirdly Sanctification is an vnresistable act of the Spirit For when the holy Ghost doth seriously intend to sanctifie
them Whom 〈◊〉 hath fore-knowen and predestinated them he calleth Fourthly the redemption from sinne and miserie and the righteousnesse which is by Christ is theirs and theirs alone Is 53.6 12. 1. Cor. 1 30 Gregorie saith well Pro electorum vitâ— vsque admortem se tradidit author vitae The Lord of life laied downe his life that they might liue which were elected vnto life And Angelome saith Quae est gens in terra alia what other people is there in the earth praeter populum electum besides the elect for which God the sonne of God vouchsafed to come into this world as into Egypt that taking vppon him the shape of a seruant he might redeeme vnto himselfe with his blood an acceptable people studious of good workes Fiftly they onely are adorned with the speciall graces of the spirit they onely are sanctified and renewed Isidore saith Spirituall grace is not distributed vnto all sed tantummodo electis donatur but is giuen to the elect onely Nature saith Augustine is common to all men but not grace Sixtly saluation belongs to none but to them Rom. 11.7 What then Israel hath not attained that he sought but the Election that is the Elect hath obtained it and the rest haue been hardened Faith in Christ is theirs onely and he that beleeueth in him shall be saued but he that will not shall be damned As the Elect are the onely true members of the Church militant so they shall be the onely members of the Church triumphant Therefore wee may boldly say with the Psalmist Blessed is that Nation whose God is Iehouah euen the people that he hath chosen for his inheritance Blessed is the man whom thou chusest and causest to come vnto thee Seuenthly none of the Elect shall be whollie seduced nor vtterly decline and perish For Christ takes it for granted that the Elect cannot be seduced and saith concerning his sheepe I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of mine hand And the Lord hath promised to stand by them and to put his feare into their hearts that they shall not depart from him Surely saith the Psalmist the Lord will not faile his people nor forsake his inheritance Gregorie saith that temtation doth hide the light of righteousnesse in the heart of the elect oftentimes sed non interimit but puts it not out and makes it pale quiuer sed funditus noÌ„ extinguis but doth not extinguish it altogether Saint Augustine saith well Peters faith failed not in his heart when open confession with the mouth failed him Eightly God doth cause his Angels to protect and guard them The Angel of the Lord pitcheth round about them that feare him and deliuereth them And as Paul speaketh they are ministring spirits sent foorth to minister all for their sakes which shal be heirs of saluation Augustine saith This also I esteeme a very great benefit in that the Lord hath giuen me an angel of peace to keepe me from my birth to my death Ninthly God shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his Elect from the foure windes and from the one end of the heauens vnto the other Christ also when he comes to iudgement will set them on his right hand and say Come yee blessed of my father take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world But hee will place the Reprobate on his left hand and pronounce vnto them the dolefull sentence of condemnation saying Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the Deuill and his Angels Tenthly the Elect shall iudge the Reprobate Know ye not saith Paul that the Saintes shall iudge the world Know ye not that wee shall iudge the Angels Their faith and pietie shall condemne the wicked and bereaue them of excuse and as the Iustices sit about the Iudge at the Asâ—ses so shall the Elect attend vppon CHRIST at the last iudgement and shall subscribe vnto his sentence and applaud his proceedings Moreouer all men but especially all ministers ought to indure all things for their sakes I suffer all things saith Paul for the Elects sake that they might also obtaine the saluatioÌ„ which is in Christ Iesus with eternall glorie Againe God will auenge his Elect though he seeme slow in reuenging those wrongs that are done vnto them For they that touch them doe touch the apple of his eie Furthermore God for the loue he beareth to his Elect hee will shorten the dayes of crueltie and calamitie For the Elects sake saith Christ which hee hath chosen hee hath shortned those daies of tribulation Moreouer the Elect fight with the Lambe against Antichrist and his kingdome which shall by the Lambe be ouercome For he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are on his side are called and chosen and faithfull Besides the Elect need not dread death and damnation For as the Apostle speaketh Who shall laie any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that iustifieth who shal condemne Finally the Elect may bee assured in this life of their eternall election vnto life Therfore Peter exhorts vs to make our Election sure and the holy Ghost sets downe the notes of those that are the true members of the Church and shal rest vpon Gods mountaine Now this certaintie may bee had two wayes First by the inward testimonie of Gods spirit which giues testimonie to our spirit that wee are the sonnes of God Secondly be the effects of election as are the fruits of the spirit mentioned by Paul which God appropriateth vnto his Elect and which are as a ladder by which we may assend as it were vp into heauen easily discerne if we bee elected Because as one well saith Election includeth the means therefore we must determine of it by the meanes The Apostle saith that whom God foreknew he did also predestinate to bee like to the image of his sonne and doth call iustifie and glorifie them Therefore by conuersion we may hence inferre that those are elected whom he doth conforme vnto his sonne and effectually call iustifie and regenerate these being necessarie meanes by which God doth accomplish his eternall election Now this prerogatiue is the greater and more to bee respected for these reasons First because the Elect may haue better assurance of his election to saluation then anie man can haue of the things hee holdeth in this life by seale writing witnes or any other way that Law can deuise or prescribe Secondly the longer wee liue the better we may be assured the longer this assurance is inioyed the stronger we may finde it Thirdly this certentie doth beger exceeding ioy For what can raise the like ioy in our hearts as this that wee know that we
of the Lord is glorious and bringeth wonderfull things to passe The subiects of this effectuall vocation or the persons that are effectually called are not all of all sortes and fexes without exception of any but the Elect of God And therefore Paul saith that God hath called those whome he did fore-know and predestinate And Esay saith all thy children shall be taught of the Lord hee saith not All without exception but all the children of the church As many saith Luke as were ordained vnto eternall life beleeued that is were called vnto the faith Knowledge is not common to all It is not giuen to All to vnderstand the mysteries of the kingdome these things are hid from most of the wise of this world reuealed vnto babes Now if knowledge be giueÌ„ to some not to others then consequently faith For they which haue not known cannot beleeue And if all men do not beleeue then all men are not called For sauing faith is an indissoluble companion of effectuall vocation and by faith wee answere Gods heauenly Calling All that are effectually called are also iustified but we are iustified only by faith therefore iustifying faith may not bee seuered from those that are so called Now All men haue not faith therefore all men are not called Furthermore all that are called shall bee saued and shall perseuere vnto the ende in grace Therefore Augustine saith that to those that are predestinated to the kingdom of God as all that are effectually called are is giuen the gift of perseuerance and that the Church on earth looseth none but those that are wicked and admitteth none into heauen but such as are good Now all men doe not perseuere therefore all are not effectually called all are not glorified therefore all are not pertakers of this kinde of calling Finally God vouchsafes not an outward calling vnto all all men haue not heard of the Gospel and therefore it may seeme absurde that God should vouchsafe an inward calling vnto All seeing hee doth not vouchsafe an outward by the preaching of the Gospell Yea this were to make grace as large as nature or as Peter Mâ—rytâ— speaketh to turne grace into nature if we should say that God did effectually call all We conclude therefore that the Elect are the onely Subiectâ— of this vocation For as Haâ—â—o speaketh the Lord hath not drawen nor doth draw all men to himselfe but omnia electa all that are elect both of all kindes and countries And forsaking those as Beda writeth whom hee knoweth not for his owne he turnes himselfe to visite and illustrate their hearts whom hee hath predestinated to eternall life In like manner Cameracensis truely saith that he giues some gifts of speciall grace to one which he giues not to another as faith and the grace that makes a man gracious and such as are the effectes of Praedestination and such an one is effectuall Calling The subiect or place wherein this worke of the spirit is performed is the heart and minde For the Holy Ghost by this worke doth enlighteÌ„ the mind to see and incline and mollifie the heart to yeeld and to make answere to his call The Termini or things from which and vnto which we are called are darknesse and light vice and vertue prophannesse and holinesse For as Paul saith God hath not called vs vnto vncleannesse but vnto holines and hath deliuered vs out of the power of darknesse and translated vs into the kingdome of his deare Sonne And Peter likewise sheweth that this our calling is from darkenesse vnto light As by our outward calling wee are taught to relinquish the workes of darknesse and to follow vertue and godlines for this the Gospell teacheth euen so by our inward and operatiue calling we are by God instructed and caused to abandon sinne and to pull our neckes out of the Diuels yoke and to disclaime his wayes and on the contrarie to listen and yeeld to God and to subiect our selues vnto his will The things then from which God doth call vs are Sinne Sathan and the World For these are enemies to his glory these coniure against his kingdome these are enemies to our peace and welfare labour the downesull and destruction of our soules The state whereunto we are called is light God himselfe and that blessed condition of man in Christ For this condition is most excellent and happy replenished with much ioy many comforts and peace vnspeakeable Wee are called to holinesse and grace which are vndoubted forerunners of happinesse and glory We are called to God the father of lights the fountaine of felicitie the wel-spring of life the giuer of all grace in whose presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for euermore The time of this calling is either generall or particular The generall time is in this life before death For after death there is no calling neither outward nor inward God offers and confers his grace in this life onely this is the time of mercy after this life there is nothing but the expectation and possession either of happinesse or of misery without possibilitie of mutabilitie The particular time of any mans caling is not reuealed but layed vp in the secret counsell of God in whose hands times and seasons are Yet the extent of the time is large enough thogh stinted eueÌ„ the time of this life some the Sixt houre some at the Ninth and others at the Eleuenth Dauid Iohn Baptist and Timothie were called yong Onesimus the Ethiopian Eunuch and S. Augustine were men growne and the Thiefe was called vpon the Crosse ready to die Here further wee must vnderstand that when God did first beginne this worke of grace wee are no way A gents being dead in sinnes but meere Patients God himselfe being the onely Agent before he hath reuiued vs by his spirit When a man is dead chafe him and râ—bbe him put Aquavitae into him to warme him at the heart when this is done take him by the hand plucke him vp and bid him walke for all this be will not stir the least ioint neither can he All chafing and rubbing all speech and perswasion and all helpes in the world be in vaine vnlesse the soule bee restored to the bodie Euen so no perswasions offered to the minde nor good desires to the will are of any moment till the image of God standing in holinesse which is a conformitie to the will of God and the very soule of our soules begin to be restord First God must illuminate the minde with a new light and he must imprint in the will a new qualitie or inclination and in the heart new affections and hee must giue to the will the act of wel-willing and so a man being reuiued and the wil being acted and mooued by God who workes the will and the deed it also acteth and
sins and Gods accepting of vs as righteous men Remission of sins is a gracious act of God whereby for the merit and satisfaction of Christ he doth perfectly forgiue both the fault and punishment Therefore Paul saith that by him wee haue redemption through hiâ— blood euen the forgiuenes of sinnes according to his rich grace and that there is no condemnation to theÌ„ that are in Christ Iesus who hath by himself purged our sins and by whom the Father hath reconâ—iled vâ— vnto himselfe Now it were absurd to thinke that the punishment is retâ—ined when the sin is remitted For if the proper cause bee defaced then the effect thereof must needs be also abolished If the bodie bee remoued the shadow thereof remaines not So if sin bee pardoned the punishment is remitted As for the crosses which the faithfull suffer they are to bee reputed curses or penalties of vengeance inflicted of God as of an ireful direful Iudge but they are to be esteemed onely as tryals or as punishmeÌ„t of castigatioÌ„ imposed of god as a louing father desiring the welfare weldoing of his childreÌ„ As many as I loue saith the Lord I rebuke chasten He scourgeth euerie sonne vvhich he receiueth If therefore ye be vvithout correction whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sonnes Novv no chastening for the present seemeth to bee 〈◊〉 but grieuous yet afterward it bringeth the 〈◊〉 fruit of righteousnes vnto theÌ„ which are thereby exercised The Lord tries vs by afflictions as gold is tried in the furnace with fire He keeps vs by the crosse within our limits as water is held in with bankes And with the thorny hedge of troubles vexations hee keepes vs within our owne walkes and pastures being by nature giuen to break out and stray Therefore Dauid saith Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keepe thy word it is good for mee that I haue beene afflicted that I may learne thy statutes Blessed is the man whom thou chastisest For it is certaine God scoureth away the infirmities of his Saincts by many afflictions It is the Lord which sendeth crosses to his children to saue theÌ„ that they freese not with the wicked world in their dregs For this end saith Cyprian the Lord rebuketh that hee might amend vs to this end he mends that he might saue vs. Augustine saith that sorrowes before pardon of sins are the punishments of sinners but after pardon they are the trials and exercises of iust men And so for death it selfe the sting and strength thereof which is sin is abolished by the death of Christ vpon the crosse therefore is to bee reputed but as a triall or chastisement whereby the Lord doth teach vs humilitie and the flight of sinne and doth exercise and proue our faith fortitude and patience And though in respect of sinne it be the entrance of Hell yet through the death of Christ it is become the gate of heauen and as Cyprian speaketh Ianua vitae the dore of life It doth as it were conuey vs out of the wildernes into Canaan out of a troublesome Sea into a quiet hauen and out of earth into heauen from woe to weale and from men to God yea it becomes the death of sinne that first gaue life to it We conclude therefore this truth with Vrsinus saying God doth not hate vs neither hath he a will to punish vs for those sins for which Christ hath sufficiently satisfied in whom also we haue remission of those sins of omission and all other our sins so that by his onely merit we are reputed righteous before God The second part of Iustification is Gods gracious acceptation wherby he doth for the merit of Christs actiue obedience by faith receiued of vs account vs iust and pure and honours vs with the crowne of life And in this respect we may truely be sayed to be iust perfect and holie men because we stand clothed with the most perfect righteousnes of Christ which is reputed ours in which appearing before our heauenly father wee doe receiue a blessing as Iacob did of Isaack hauing on his elder brothers garmeÌ„ts Neither must it seeme strange vnto vs that we should be accepted righteous for the righteousnes of an other For albeit this righteousnesse be Christs primarily and by way of inherence yet it is ours by Gods donation and by the application of faith As the paiment of our debt is another mans so farre forth as it is discharged by him but it is our payment as it is imputed to vs. Aquinas saith well The head and the member is as one mysticall person and therefore the satisfaction of Christ pertaineth to all the faithfull as to his members The forme or formall cause of Iustification is not faith loue nor any other vertue neither is it an infused quality or habituall sanctity inherent in vs. For this were to confound iustification and sanctification which are very different acts as wee shall hereafter shew But the righteousnesse of Christ imputed considered as it is imputed of God is the forme of iustification Or the proper and onely true forme of iustification is the free imputation of the righteousnes of Christ by which the merit and obedience of Christ are applied to vs by vertue of that neare communion whereby he is in vs and we in him Now God is said to impute the righteousnes of Christ vnto a man when hee doth adiudge decree and giue it to him and account and reckon it as his owne and for the merit and worthines of it doth pardon acquite him and repute him righteous O sweete exchange saith Iustin Martyr O vnsearchable vvorkemanship O benefits surpassing all expectation that the iniquity of manie should be couered in one iust person and that the iustice of one should make manie that are vniust to be reputed iust If one saith Bernard did die for all then all died to wit that the satisfaction of one might be imputed vnto all as that one bare the sins of all Now Christ bare our sins and was made sin for vs not as if our sins had beene infused into him and had beene inherent and inhabitants in him but because they were imputed to him and reputed his as if they had beene committed by him he supplying our place as our Surety and Mediator euen so his righteousnes is made ours not as though it were infused or translated into vs as a thing inherent and inhabiting in vs but because it is reputed ours and imputed freely to vs as if wee our selues had wrought it in our owne persons And of this opinion was S. Augustine We are the righteousnes of God in him as he is sin in vs to vvit by imputation With whom consenteth Vrsinus the imputation of the righteousnes of Christ is not the transfusion of righteousnes or of qualities into vs but the absolution from sins in the iudgement
a man hee doth so worke vpon him that hee shall willingly yeeld how vnwillingly so euer his will be by nature On vvhom God shevveth mercie saith that learned Father he doth so call him as hee knovveth conuenient for him that hee may not reiect him vvhich calleth to him The same may be said concerning sanctificatioÌ„ Fourthly our Regeneration is but once begun howsoeuer our holinesse sometimes increaseth and sometimes decreaseth The Scripture speaketh but of one new birth As there is saith Austen one fleshlie generation neither can there be made a returne into the vvombe so is there one spirituall regeneration Semel enim nascimur semel quoque renascimur We are once borne and we are once born anew We are but once brought forth by our naturall mother once begotten by our naturall father so wee are but once begotten of our heaueÌ„ly father and but once brought foorth and borne of our spirituall mother which is the Church Fiftly Sanctification is an infallible argument of eternall saluation Grace is the testification of glorie and glory is the promised compensation of grace Godlinesse hath the promise of this life and of that vvhich is to come When vve haue receiued mortification and sanctification is hansels of Gods mercies theÌ„ may vvee hope for heauen for they that haue receiued grace shall also receiue glorie And as we haue behaued our selues in the kingdom of grace in this world so it shal be done vnto vs in the kingdom of glorie in the world to come Holinesse is a signe of honor and the more we haue of holinesse the more wee shall haue of honour Sixtly sanctificatioÌ„ is a very excellent commodious worke of God First because it is wrought by his own finger by his own hand engrauen vpon the tables of our harts Secondly that it is a Reformation and change according to the vvhole law of God and containes in it the seeds of all good duties Thirdly because without it our life is most vile and despicable wholly corrupt and sinfull For as Augustine saith hovv can hee liue iustly that is not iustified Hovv can he liue holily vvho is not sanctified Or hovv can hee liue at all who is not raised vp to life Seauently Sanctification is in this life imperfect Sinne is not all at once consumed but the scum thereof is almost continually boiling and walloping in vs foming out much filthy froth and stinking sauours If vve say saith Iohn that vve haue no sinne vvee deceiue our selues and trueth is not in vs. There is none so holie saith Gregorie vvhich hath not in him some corruption which hee may lament No man saith Lactantius can be vvithout sinne so long as he is burthened with the garment of his flesh Death must end the conflict betwixt the flesh and the spirit So long as we liue sinne will not die Iâ—ie will liue till the Oke bee hewen downe Before there be an vniuersal clensing there must bee a dissolution of nature The body must first rot before grace shall raigne without disturbance It is true indeed that the corruption of our nature is abolished in Baptisme in respect of guilt and condemnation but not in regard of existence Concupiscence saith Ambrose is taken avvay in Baptisme Non vt non sit sed ne obsit Not as touching the being of it but in that it shall bee no impediment of saluation to them that are baptised with water and the holy Ghost For it is to such no Prince but a Rebell only it neither shall damne them nor dominere within them But as a Serpent cut in diuerse peeces hath but certaine reliques of poison and remnants of fiercenes in the maimed members mangled parts thereof and is not able to exercise the like violence to a man as when it was whole and perfitlie membred so howsoeuer sâ—me relicks of sinnes remaine in our old but in our martired Adam yet it hath no such force or fiercenesse to preuaile against vs at vvhen it vvas in perfit age beeing then like to a mightie Monarch rather then to a poore prisoner And although those that are regenerated may bee termed iust and perfit yet it is onely in comparison of the wicked who are in bondage vnder sinne respect of Imputatiue righteousnesse and for that they are perfect because like Infants they haue all the parts of a Christian and not the perfection of those parts All the seeds of sauing graces are sowen in their harts but they haue not the â—ull groath of them in this life No man is so vvashed but he may haue dusty feete trauelling after his washing And as Ansâ—lme speaketh The bodie of sin is destroyed not that in bred conâ—upiscence should be on the suddaine consumed and quite extirped iâ— the very flesh that liueth but that it may be no let to him that is dead in whom it was vvhen he vvas aliue It is destroied not from hauing a beeing vvhiles vve are aliue but that vve should not be compeld to serue it Sin shall be but it shall not be to raigne but rather that the regenerate man may vex and afflict it like a most odious enemy and cut off as it were the hands and the feet thereof as Adonibezeks were by the Israelites till at length it be cleane defaced The trueth of that which hath beene spoken will euidently bee seene by this comparison Take a vessell full of vvater let a portion be taken out and an equall portion of hot vvater be put in it becomes luke-vvarme all of it partly hot and partly cold euen so euerie man is a vessel of vvater filled vvith corruption to the briâ—â— if a part of his corruption be taken avvay and a proportionall part of holinesse put instead of it the vvhole man becomes partly holie partly vnholie And albeit holinesse and sin be contrary yet may they be both in one subiect as light and darknes in the aire at the twilight beeing there remisâ—y neither of them predominant or absolute victour but remaining in continuall combat Now the reasons why the Lord doth not finish mans sanctification in this life may be these First that we might seeke after perfection more earnestly and couet it more ardently Secondly that despising this world we might the more affect our heauenly life as knowing that our perfect sanctification shall not bee wrought till wee come into heauen Thirdly that we might be humbled and exercised in faith patience prayers and skirmiâ—hing with the flesh might not wax proud with a conceipt of perfectioÌ„ but daily pray Enter not into iudgement vvith thy seruant O Lord Forgiue vs our trespasses Caluin saith that our reparation is not finished all at once but that God doth abolish the corruption of the flesh by degrees iâ— his elect That they may exercise themselues in repentance all their life and know that of this vvarfare there is no end but iâ— death Fourthly the