whom he Predestinated them also he Called AS from the maine Sea we do strike into some chanell or riuer So froÌ„ Predestination the great depth of Gods Councel the Apostle commeth vnto Calling For whereas it hath beene shewedin opening the first point that God of his free mercy did choose some to life and others hath left vnto Perdition In this case if God should neuer Call men if he should neuer offer them grace it might seeme preiudiciall to his mercy and though wee did sinne yet it might be thought our selues could not redresse it For this cause the Apostle commeth from Predestination to Calling that is from Gods determinate counsell to the meanes which hee hath appointed for our saluation This Calling is two-fold eyther outward or inward The outward and generall Calling is by the workes of God and by his word First by his workes This world it is an Vniuersity or a Colledge wherein there are two Lectures whereof euery man liuing must bee an hearer and a learner The first is the Philosophy lecture concerning Gods 〈…〉 workes in the heauens and all his creatures by the which we are taught and daylie Called to know God This is a plaine and easie Lecture written in great Capitall Letters that euery simple and ignorant man may read it running The other is the Diuinitie Lecture when we are exempted from the first and led on further to know God in his word Both these Lectures they are expressed together 〈…〉 in the 19. Psal From the 1. vers to the 7. is contayned the Philosophie Lecture The Heauens declare 〈…〉 9. 1. the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handie worke Day vnto day vttereth the same and Night vnto night teacheth knowledge there is no 〈…〉 speech â—or language where their voyce is not heard Their sound is gone forth through all the earth and their words vnto the ends of the world In them hath hee set a Tabernacle for the Sunne which commeth forth as a Bridegroome out of his Chamber and reioyceth like a mighty man to run his race His going out is from the end of the heauen and his compasse is vnto the ends of the same and none is hid from the heate thereof The Diuinity Lecture begins at the seauenth verse and continues to the 11. verse The law of the Lord is an vndefiled Law conuerting the soule the testimony of the Lord is sure and giueth wisedome to the simple The Statutes of the Lord are right and reioyce the heart The commaundement of the Lord is pure and giueth light vnto the eyes The feare of the Lord is cleane and endureth for euer The iudgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether More to bee desired then gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also then hony and the honye combe Moreouer by them is thy seruant taught and in keeping of them there is great reward Touching the Philosophy Lecture that we are all first Called to know God by his workes it is most apparent For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est Diuinitatis symbolum the world is the glasse of Gods Diuinity The heathen I 〈…〉 De 〈…〉 riis Philosopher saith Deus tangitur in operibus God is euen touched in his workes He iumpeth with S. Paul Acts 17. 27. The heathen by groping Act. 〈…〉 might haue found him for doubtlesse he is not farre from euery one of vs. In the 143. Psalme and the 5. Psa 〈…〉 verse the holy Prophet saith thus I will muse vppon all thy workes and exercise my selfe in the workes of thy hands If a man will profiâ— by this philosophy lecture he must vse meditation For indeede if a man doe rightly consider of the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea where of no reason can be rendred of the certaine course and change of the Moone with the secret influence of the same the nature of winde no man knowing whence it commeth nor whether it goeth the hugenesse of the sweeling Sea girt by Gods commaundement that it doth not ouerflow the banckes the raging 〈…〉 Thunder which makes al the beasts of the field to tremble the fearfull Lightning which in the twinckling of an eye passeth from East to West how all things keepe their appointed course wherin they were created As wee walke abroad in the fields if wee doe behold and view the glory of the Sunne and Moone the beauty of the Starres the sweet Dew distilling Showers greene Pastures 〈…〉 pleasant Meddowes cleare Springs thicke Woodes gushing Fountaines the wonderfull increase of Corne Cattle and such like Who is hee beholding these things and seriously meditating vpon this Philosophy lecture but hee must needes confesse that God doth Call him being so manifestly 〈…〉 taught to know him in his workes And as God is thus seene and taught vnto all the heathen people by his workes in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the frame and composition of this great world so likewise GOD doth Call vs by his workes in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the little World of man Homo est caeli simulachrum interpres naturae Man he is the picture of the Heauens and the interpreter of Nature Concerning God we acknowledge him to be a spirit concerning the World we haue found it to be a body in Man we haue an abridgement of both namely of God in regard of his spirit of the World in the composition of the body as though the Creator vpon purpose to set forth a mirror of his workes intended to bring into this one little compasse of man both the infinitenesse of his owne nature and the hugenesse of the whole world together As in the World so in the body of man there is a wonderfull mixture of the foure Elements The Heart placed in the midest as the Earth our centre the Liuer like the Sea from whence the liuely springs of bloud doe flow the Veines like riuers spredding themselues abroad vnto the vttermost members the Braine which giueth light and vnderstanding placed aloft like the Sunne the Senses set round about like starres for ornament the Countenance of man full of grace and Maiesty striking a terror into all Creatures Such and so wonderfull is God in his power that he is seene in the workemanship of the body But if man as it were out of himselfe could behold this body receiuing life and entring into the vse of all his motions Ioints mouing so actiuely Sinewes stirring so nimbly Senses vttering their force so sharpely The inward Powers so excellent the Spirit supernaturall Reason so Diuine the Minde Cogitation so quicke and infinite the Vnderstanding so Angel-like and the Soule aboue all Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ingrauen image of the immortall God If man could enter into himselfe and consider rightly of this he must needes bee driuen to confesse that God hath Called him by those workes which are most apparent in himselfe 〈…〉 Therefore as Saint Paul soundly reasoneth in the
that for the most part our thoughts words and workes are guided by the good spirit of God for as many as are led by the spirit 〈◊〉 8. 14 of God those are the sonnes of God then wee may assure our selues that we are Iustifyed How soeuer we be chosen from the beginning by Gods loue and after Called by his word yet there is neuer assurance vnto vs vntill the Holy Ghost hath sealed it vp in our hearts which sealing is our Iustifycation Thus to assure vs of our Iustification it is not enough to be Called to the knowledge of Saluation in Christ by his word but after this knowledge to lay hold vpon Christ by a working faith and so to hold on and continue still an holy Christian and sincere course of life that at length as Salomon saith In water face answereth face so in this 〈◊〉 27. 19 worke of Iustification our spirit may answer vnto Gods spirit that we are his Euen as the pure and Christall Glasse doth liuely represent the Image which is set before it so the heart once Iustifyed by a liucly faith in Christ in some good measure doth expresse the image of God and striueth to come vnto this marke which is here propounded namely our Glorifycation Glorifying THe fourth Linke of this Cheine is Glorifying Which Glorifying is the highest steppe of Salomons Throne it is the exceeding great reward which God promised vnto Abrahā it is that eternal weight of glory wherof I neither know how to begin nor how to make an end of speaking In vita aeterna faciliùs Au◠sim◠possumus dicere quid ibi non sit quà m quid ibi sit In describing the glorie of the world to come it is easier to expresse what is not there then what is there For there is no discontentment nor griefe no faintnesse nor infirmitie no mourning nor miserie no corruption nor death but ioy fulnes of ioy for euer such ioy as if we had once tasted wee would despise the pleasures of a thousād worlds in hope of assurance to inioy it For after we haue waded through the miseries of this life at length in the twinckling of an eye in a moment with the sound of a Trumpet wee shall bee carried into the heauenly Paradise into Abrahams bosom thousand thousands of Angels and Saints shall receiue vs with ioy and singing Our meate shall bee that bread of life and that Heauenly Manna which will tast like whatsoeuer thing wee desire our drinke shall be the water of life which if we haue once tasted we shall neuer thirst again our mirth and musicke shall be the song of the Saints Alleluia honour and praise and glory bee vnto him 〈…〉 13. that sitteth vpon the Throne and vnto the Lambe for euermore There shall we reioyce continually in the presence of the holy ONE wee shall be his Saints and he shall be our God neither shall we feare death any more neither sorrow nor crying nor feele any want againe The Lord of Hostes who is the King of glory he will take vs by the right hand and leade vs to the garden of comfort to the fountaine of ioy where all our garments shall bee washed pure in the blood of the Lambe and allteares shall be washed from our eyes There shall we see the Courts of the Lord of Hosts new Ierusalem the Citty of the great king Where there is no night nor any candle nor yet the light of the Sunne for the Lord himselfe shal be our light and with him we shall shine as the starre in Heauen Heere shall we bee clothed with white robes the innocency of Saints wee shall haue Palmes in our hands in token of victory We shall be crowned with a diadem of pure gold which is immortality and seruing God a while in this short life there shall we haue riches without measure life without death liberty without thraldome solace without ceasing ioy without ending O blessed are they Lord that dwell in thy house where the Sonne of God in glory is light vnto their eyes musicke vnto their eares sweetnes vnto their tast and full contentment vnto their hearts where in seeing they shall know him and in knowing they shall possesse him in possessing shall loue him and in louing shall receiue eternall blessednesse that blessed eternity the Garland we run for and the crowne we fight for In a word Here we shall come vnto the end of all our desires for what else is our end but to come to that endles glory which hath no end The Queene of Sheba when she had seene the 1. Ki 〈…〉 riches and royalty of Salamons Court she said vnto the King It was a true word which I heard in mine owne land of thy prosperity happinesse but now I haue seene it with mine eies lo the one halfe is not told mee so concerning the glorious fruition of eternity in the life to come whatsoeuer may possiblie he deliuered by the tongues of men yet vndoubtedly the one halfe cannot bee told vs. By this place of Scripture thus rising by degrees the Katharistes the family of Loue and the Puritanes of our times would gather this conclusion Forasmuch as here are certaine degrees set downe whereby Gods Church is builded and whereby the members of the same do grow vp in Religion therefore now in this life by a Godly reformation we may attaine vnto perfection This selfe conceited and head-strong opinion of theirs hath beene the first cause and ground of all the troublesome contentions which long since haue beene raised and now at this day are continued in our Church For diuers men while they take themselues as Iob saith The Onely-wise men and pure in their owne eyes dreaming still of a certaine imagined perfection they neuer ceasse to bee clamorous to the Christian Prince troublesome to the quiet state and diuers of them very dangerous people to the whole Church of God In this verse of our text there is an end propounded there is a marke set vp where-vnto euery Christian must labour to attaine and striue by all good endeuor to come But alas who can say that his heart is cleane and man that is borne in sinne and conceaued in iniquity while hee is clothed with sinfull flesh how can he attaine perfection That the Militant Church of Christ hath had imperfections in all ages it is a plaine and an vndoubted truth For if euery mēber be imperfect how can there be perfection in the whole Perfectio nostra magis constat remissione peccatorum quà m perfectione virtutum Our perfection consisteth rather in the forgiuenes of our sinnes then in the perfection of our vertues In truth thus stands the estate of a Christian mans life in this world As a man trauailing a long iournie to a far cittie hee doth not continually go but hee resteth here and stayeth there hee baiteth in one place and lodgeth all night in an other yet still hee is going forward and
Christian eares Where is modestie where is trueth and Chtistian piety Is this our doctrine doe we thus teach no verily both in worde and writing we acknowledge the Lord our God to bee full of compassion and loue the bowels of his mercie sweet and amiable hee would not the death of any hee is gracious and kinde gentle and readie to forgiue and to the death wee affirme more then most holy pure and iust are all his workes and wayes therefore the Lord be iudge betweene them and vs and lay not this sinne vnto their charge Touching this doctrine how sinne first came to bee how it came in where it first tooke beginning and that God is not the author of it I haue shewed heretofore in handling the Golden Châ—ine the meanes of our saluation namely that the Diuell was Primitiuus peccator the 〈…〉 6. first offender for hee sinned from the beginning So that from him sinne first boyleth vp as out of the maine Sea From Sathan when it comes to Adam it ariseth as out of a Spring from this Spring it is reserued in nature as in a Conduit from nature conueied to concupisence as by a pipe and from thence doth flow all the mischiefe and wickednesse that is in the life of man Well then if sinne doe proceede from the suggestion of Sathan working through our owne concupiscence and so God wholy freed from all imputation of euill why is it so often said in the Scripture Deut. 2. 30. And the Lord hardened the heart of Sihon King of Heshbon and made him obstinate Ioshua the 11. 20. It came of the Lord to harden their hearts and here often in the booke of Exodus and the Lord hardened the heart of Pharao To make this plaine it is a point well knowne vnto the learned that this speech where it is said God hardened The Hebrew Dialect doth Flaccuâ— Illiricâ— P. Lonâ— li. 1. diâ— Tho Aâ— quin. â— 23. arti 〈…〉 signifie a permission and not an action Verbes that signifie to doe they often expresse a suffering and not a doing Destruit cum deserit God is then said to Harden when hee doth forsake Impios cùm non retrahit a malo culpae dicitur dimittere As the enduing with grace is the effect of Gods Election so the with-holding of his grace is the effect of Reprobation Dei includere est clausis non aperire saith Saint Gregorie vpon the 12. of Iob. and foureteenth verse Euery action hath his qualitie from the roote of the affection and from the intention of the Author Deus autem quoad peccatum non habet positiuè velle sed tantùm priuatiuè Touching sinne God hath no Positiue will but onely in regard of former sinnes a Priuation of his grace To bee short God doth Harden as Saint Augustine Agust â— saith Non malum obtrudendo sed gratiam non concedendo not by causing vs to commit sinne but by not graunting vnto vs his grace I but how comes it to passe that wee as well as others are not partakers of Gods grace why haue not wee also his good Spirit to direct and guide vs Saint Augustine makes it plaine againe Non ideo 〈…〉 non habet homo gratiam quia Deus non dat sed quia homo non accipit men become Hardened and want the spirit of grace why not because God doth not offer it vnto them but because they receiue it not when it is offered For example One of vs being sicke and like to die the Phisician knowing our case hee takes with him some preseruation to comfort vs and comes to the doore and knocks if wee will not or bee not able to let him in wee perish and die and the cause is not in the Phisician but in our selues that let him not in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sinne is 〈…〉 de 10. a disease whereof we are all sicke for we haue all sinned Romanes 6. 12. verse Christ he is the Phisician of our soules Venit de coelo magnus medicus 〈…〉 in 〈…〉 9. 12. quia per totum vbique iacebit aegrotus Christ the great Phisicion came downe from heauen because all mankind was generally infected Hee comes to the doore of our hearts and there hee knocks Reuel 3.20 Behold I stand at the doore 〈…〉 6. 35. and knocke Hee bringeth with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bread of life his eternall word to comfort vs if we let him in if we open the doore of our hearts he will come in and suppe with vs as hee did with Mary and forgiue vs all our sinnes 〈…〉 10. but if wee will not or through long contagion of our sinne bee not able to let Christ in we die in our sinnes and the case is euident not because Christ doth not offer grace and comfort vnto vs but because wee receiue it not when it is offered Meritò perit aegrotus qui non medicum vocat sed vltrò venientem respuit worthily doth 〈…〉 that sicke patient perish who will neither send for the Phisicion himselfe nor accept of his help when it is offered More plainely thus in the foureteenth of Saint Mathew Our Sauiour walking on the Sea hee bad Saint Peter come vnto him who walking on the water seeing storme and tempestarise his heart fayled and hee began to sincke vpon his cry vnto our Sauiour hee presently stretched forth his hand tooke him into the shippe and saued him This world wee know by dayly experience it is a sea of trouble and miserie our Sauiour as hee sayd to Saint Peter so most louingly hee willeth euery one of vs to come vnto him as wee walke stormes and tempests doe arise through frailtie of our flesh and the weaknesse of our Faith wee begin to sincke our Sauiour hee stretcheth forth his hand hee giueth vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Word his Sacraments the good motions of his spirit to saue vs from sincking and to keepe vs in the shippe of his Church if wee refuse these meanes we perish we sincke in our sinnes why not because Christ doth not most kindly put forth his hand vnto vs but because in want and distresse wee lay not hold vpon him This is condemnation that light is come into the world men refuse it loue darknesse more then light Our blessed Sauiour with great louing kindnesse 〈…〉 3. 19. hee doth inuite all men to his Great Supper if wee make excuses or wilfully refuse to come he may iustly pronounce none of those that were bidden shall euer tast of my supper 〈…〉 14. 24 Therefore let not men deceiue themselues and complaine as though God did harden their hearts and deny them grace and mercy for as Ionas saith in his second Chapter and 8. verse 〈…〉 2. 8. They forsake their owne mercie Deus prior in amore God neuer hateth vntill he be first hated and so â—brose â—no euÌ„â—tit n◠〈…〉 i di 〈…〉 it Aug â—essi I conclude with