revelation of that grace in Christ which was shadowed in the law What is it but the h Act. 13.32 glad tidings how that the promise vvhich vvas made vnto the Fathers God hath fulfilled the same vnto vs For i Heb. 4.2 the same Gospell vvas preached vnto them and vnto vs. k Iste intellectus Ecclesiae Catholicae conuenit quae veteris et novi Testamenti vnam asserit prouidentiam nec distinguit in tempore quos conditione consociauit Hieron l. 2. com in ep ad Gal. c. 4. The old couenant in the New Testament promised by the Old performed by the New l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iust Mart. Quaest Resp ad Orthod p. 354. Novum Testamentum in veteri est figuratum vetus in no vo est revelatum Aug. contr adu legis l. 1. c. 17. shadowed in the Old reuealed in the New reserued to one nation by the Old Testamen extended to all nations by the New The new couenant spoken of in the old Testament not a couenant vpon new conditions but a new condition of the old couenant No new couenant m 1. Ioh. 2.7 as Saint Iohn speakes of the commandement but the old covenant which was from the beginning And yet a new couenant God makes with vs vvhich thing is true in him and in vs In him because the couenant is renewed as hee promised in the seed of Abraham which is Christ with all nations of the earth n Gal. 3.8 For the scripture foreseing that God would instifie the heathen through faith preached before the Gospell vnto Abraham saying In thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed It is true in vs because we are o Israel spiritualis à carnali non nobilitate patriae sed novitate gratiae nec gente sed mente distinguitur August doct Christ l. 3. c. 34. renewed thereby p. 2. Cor. 5.17 For if any man be in Christ Iesus hee is a new creature Old thinges are past away behold all things are become new The new Testament is ever new being once perfected never to bee antiquated q Heb. 7.18 But there is verily a disanulling of the commandement going afore for the weaknesse and vnprofitablenesse thereof The covenant of promise was rather a promise then a covenant and the typicall Testament was r Regem expressurus pictor cum suo equitatu hostibus victis in triumpho rudi adhuc operi line as tenues obscuras inducit quae autem totum complectuntur quod erat effigiandum quae tamen ita picta non discernuntur nisi à peritissimis sed posteaquam colores splendidos florentes obduxit tunc omnia siunt illustriora accedentibus facile cognita perspecta redduntur Serm. in dictum Pauli Nolo vos ignorare fratres Chrisost 1. Cor. 10. a draught of God his purposed will aforehand rather then the Testament it selfe and therefore vntill it was fully inacted it was rather called a testimony then the Testament s Ps 78.5 Hee established a testimony in Iacob and appointed a law in Israell which hee commanded our Fathers For it tended vnto this as a testimony of what was intended and should after bee performed Yet was that legall-testimony or typicall testament for the time a conspicuous monument of God his singular grace and trueth vnto his people according to the covenant with Abraham their father In which respect Moses exulteth in their behalfe saying t Deut. 4.7.8 What nation is there so great that hath God so nigh vnto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call vpon him for And what nation is there so great that hath statutes and iudgements so righteous as all this law which Iset before you this day But the will of God was not made compleat nor consummat vntill Christ u Heb. 9.16.17.18 For a Testament is not of force vntill the death of the testatour whereupon neither was the first testament dedicated without blood But at the last when all was performed indeede by the mediatour and testatour himselfe which was promised and prefigured then was his Testament consummat as his act and deede for ever And his will is his deede to them that proue it The event of Prophesies Nay the Word proues itselfe to be of God x Es 44.7 c. 42.9 For who as I saith the Lord shall call and shall declare it and set in order for me since I appointed the auncient people To instance in one or two prophesies most pertinent to our purpose proving at once that Iesus is the Christ and the Scripture the word of God That of Iacob at the beginning concerning the state of God his Church and kingdome that it should be amongst his Children the Israelites vntill Christ and that then it should be extended throughout the whole world and that of Haggay towards the end concerning the glory of the second temple a tipe also of the Church z Gen. 49.10 The scepter saith Iacob shall not depart from Iudah nor a law-giuer from betweene his feete vntill Shilo come and vnto him shall the gathering of the people bee Accordingly the state of the Iewes had its groth flourishing and decaying vntill Christ Iesus came When they made open profession saying a Ioh. 19.15 we haue no king but Caesar Vntill then the scepter was in Iudah or the lawgiuer some inferiour magistracy betwixt his feete the Iewes were a certaine nation yea the peculiar people of God b Psal 114.2 Iudah was his sanctuary and Israel his dominion But since Christ came the gathering of the people hath beene vnto him all nations of the earth haue sought vnto him for the blessing whole kingdome is ouer al the Church being now Catholike and Vniversall c Es 2.3.4 Out of Sion the law is gone forth and the word of the Lord the scepter of his kingdome frō Ierusalē all natiōs flow vnto it he iudgeth amonge the people For the other prophesie d Hag. 2.9 that the glory of the second temple should be greater then was of the former it was fulfilled when the sonne of God the Lord of his house was presented in this second temple e 1. Pet. 2.4.5 vpon whom a liuing stone disalowed indeed of men but chosen of God and pretious wee also as liuely stones are built vp a spirituall house f Eph. 2.21 And being fitly framed together in him grow into an holy temple in the Lord. This was the glory of the second temple when g Hag. 2.7 the desire of all nations came and filled this house with glory greater glory then was of the former as much as the h Heb. 3. Lord of the house excelleth the house i Iohn 2.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et I esus aderat Deus templum Deus inquam tempore omniantiquior templum novum vno eodemque die dissolutum ac tertio post
deliuery from euill and by the way that we may be supplyed with things needfull for this life by his ordinary providence and all to the eternall praise of his Kingdome power and glory Which is not only the first and greatest part but the very end and reason of our most earnest and devoted desires not onely of things spirituall and temporall for our better enablement and incouragement in his seruice here but euen also of life eternall hereafter that seeing wee cannot through our owne default so glorifie God in this life as we ought and might if we had beene so happy we may yet happily bee saued through his grace and mercy to his eternall praise and glory in the world to come Neither hath CHRIST heerein taught vs to pray otherwise then GOD commanded vs to doe For a 1. Tim. 1.5 the end of the Law is loue b 2. Tim. 3.2.4 not of our selues but of God c Deut. 6.5 with all the heart with all the soule with all the minde and with all the strength This is true godlines in the zeale of his glory A duty neuer repealed but ratified by the Law giuer himself here in person saying d Matt. 22.37.38.39 This is the first great Commandement and the other is like vnto it namely that thou loue thy neighbour as thy selfe both in e Incomparabiliter plus charitatis Deo quam nobis fratri autem quantum nobis ipsis impendere debemus nam Deum propter se nos verò provimos propter Deum diligere debemus Aug. de arin l. 8. c. 8. a second place vnto God that is for his sake and according to his will to doe and to be done by as he hath commaunded The reason why we should principally intend GOD his glory trusting him for our safety is intimated in the first wordes of the prayer calling GOD our heauenly Father grounded vpon the first Article of our faith In God the Father Almighty maker of Heauen Earth For a sonne honoureth his father the father provideth for his children Now GOD is our Father both by Nature and Grace who made vs all things both in Heauen and Earth redeemed vs by his Sonne Christ Iesus calleth vs by the Holy Ghost and thereby communicateth himselfe and all good vnto vs wil bring vs to euerlasting life that we may eternally praise him f Rom. 11.36 For of him and through him and to him are all things to him bee glory for euer and euer Amen Wee made not our selues The Author of our good neither can wee saue our selues therefore we are not our owne but his creatures instruments g Act. 17.28 in whom we liue moue haue our being h Prov. 16.4 Who made all things for himself yea euen the wicked for the day of euill i Initio non quasi indigent Deus hominem plasmavit Adam sed ut haberet in quem collocaret sua beneficia Non solum ante Adam sed ante omnem conditionem glorificavit verbum patrem suum manens in eo ipse à patre glorificabatur quemadmodum ipse ait Pater clarifica me c. Qui in â—umine sunt non ipsi lumen illuminant sed illuminantur ab eo Irenaeus lib. 4. adversus haeres cap. 28. Not that his glory depends on the creature for as there was light when yet there was no starre in the Heauen to expresse it no body on earth to reflect it so was k Ioh. 17.5 the glory of God with himselfe before the world was Only it pleased him by the exuberance of his goodnes to manifest his glory in vs whom hee made after his owne Image l Et c. 31. Non indigebat Deus dilectione hominis Deerat autem homini gloriâ Dei quam nullo modo poterat percipere nisi per eam obsequentiam quae est ergà Deum not to gain any accession of glory by vs to himselfe who is himselfe all-sufficient but by communicating his goodnesse to make vs most glorious m Rom. 11.22 had we continued in his goodnessè to the praise of his glory Art requires some compleate materials to worke vpon and Nature out of a rude matter produceth euery creature but n Deus non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 solùm vt à Platone sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicendus Iust Mart. in exhort ad Gent. God who is aboue both made all of o Ex nihilo terminativè non materialiter Iul. Scal. exerc 6. sect 13. nothing by creation Which the deepest Philosophy most busie in the search of Nature could neuer fully reach nor can comprehend by discourse of reason howsoeuer some of them seeme to haue had some notice thereof For the wisest of that profession supposing generally that of p Ex nihilo nihil sit in natura constituta non constituenda Vid. Tertul. adversus Hermogin nothing nothing can be vanished away in their imaginations of the q Si nulla fuit genitalis origo Terrarum coeli semperque aeterna fuere Cur supra bellum Thebanum funera Troiae Non alias alij quoque rescecinere Poetae Lucret. lib. 6. Vid. Theoph. Antioch adversus Autolyc lib. 2. Worlds eternity or of an eternall creation or else of a naturall manner of productioÌ„ of al things out of some matter and by some meanes when as yet there were none of theÌ„ But r Neb. 11.3 we through faith vnderstand by the word of God in the history of the Creation that the Worlds were framed by the Å¿ Quin Deum foecundissimo verbo creasse mundum aliquoties agnoscere videtur Trismegist Neque materia nec novo consilio opus fuisse Deo ad mundi creatiouem asserere videtur Algazel contra Averroem Word of God so that things which are seene were not made of things which doe appeare The last of all was man as it were a recapitulation of all for whoÌ„ all was made Who as he had an interest in al the creatures by his making so God gaue him power to vse them all by his blessing t Psal 8.6 For hee made him to haue dominion ouer the worke of his hands and put all things vnder his feete Of all the creatures the Angels who were made the first day when they were all made Angels of u Angelus est imago Dei manifestatio occulti luminis c. Dionys Areop de diuin nomin cujus ve ba prosequitur Alex. de Ales. part 2. qu. 20. memb 3. art 2. Bonavent l. 2 sent distinct 9. ad textum light man who was made the last day a light shining in darkenesse hauing his diuine soule pent vp in a body of clay are only called the x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. A Deo profecta semina non solum ea quibus pater meus me procreavit patrem avus verumetiam in res omnes è terra nascentes ac praecipuè in
ratione praedita 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quidninominet quispiam eum filium Dei Arrian epise l. 1. c. 9. sons of God y Iames 1.17 who is the Father of lights And againe wee are his sonnes by grace who of his owne will z Iames 1.18 begat vs by the word of truth through faith in his Sonne a Iohn 1.12.13 For to as many as receiue him to them he giues power to become the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue on his Name which are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Who for his part failes not to provide for our good both in the course of nature and in the state of grace For if an earthly father knowes how to provide good things for his children how much more doth our Father which is in Heauen b Acts 14.17 vvho neuer left himselfe vvithout vvitnes doing good And if hee make c Mat. 5.45 his sunne to rise on the euill and on the good and send raine on the iust and on the vniust hee will certainely cause the d Mal. 4.2 sunne of righteousnesse to arise and e Es 60.1 shine vpon his gracious children and will f c. 44.3 send downe sweete dewes of his spirit into their hearts And g Rom. 8.32 he that hath giuen vs his Son how shall he not with him giue vs all things also Nay our heauenly Father preuents vs with all good things both of nature and grace and all to this end that we should haue the good nature or the grace to vse all to the praise of his glory Which whilest we principally intend wee may be well assured that in the end wee shall be no loosers both because our true happinesse consists naturally in the h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus salutaris est sed bonumipsum salutare Arrian Epict. l. 2. c. 8. Summum amare bonum summa est beatitudo August epist 111. ad Iulian. fruition and admiration of Gods glory according to the covenant of nature i Levit. 18 5. Rom. 10.5 doe this and liue and also because the glory of God is ingaged vpon the saluation of his faithfull people by the covenant of grace k Habak 2.4 Rom. 1.17 The Iust shall liue by his faith In assurance whereof the faithfull children of God haue beene well content The true Zelotes of God's glory not onely to frame their liues to his glory but to lay downe their liues for his sake putting the last adventure of their soules that they could make in well-doing l 1 Pet. 4.19 into the hands of God a faithfull Creatour The Lord Himself m Phil. 2.6 being in glory equall with God the Father that without robbery was willing to be abased in the forme of a seruant to the pit of hell that the will of GOD might be done on earth by man for the redeeming of his Kingdome in vs to the glory of his holy Name For although the flesh was weake which for the time put him in a terrible agony yet he soone resolued being strong in the spirit n Luke 22.42 Not my will but thy will be done * Iohn 12.27.28 Now is my soule troubled and what shall I say Father saue mee from this houre but for this cause came I to this houre Father glorifie thy Name And at this marke of our high calling his zealous Saints resolued by his grace through faith presse hard in hope and loue Abraham was content to submit so farre to the will of GOD as to o Gen. 22. sacrifice his sonne Isaacke whom he loued and with him for ought that appeared his owne and all mens expected happinesse For the promise that in his seed all the Nations of the earth should be blessed was before restrayned to Isaacke p Gen. 21.12 Heb. 11.17.18 In Isaacke shall thy seed be called Only he beleeued that God was able to raise him vp from the dead q V. 19. from whence also he receiued him as in a figure Moses wished to be r Ex. 32.32 rased out of the Booke of life rather then that God should not maintaine his owne glory in the safety and prosperity of his people Israel whereon his glory lay ingaged Iob resolueth in his greatest affliction ſ Iob. 13.15 though the Lord slay me yet will I not forsake him The three children Shadrach Mesach Abednego were resolute not to giue the glory of God to Nebuchadnezzar in his golden image whatsoeuer came of them though they perished t Dan 3.17.18 Our God say they whom we serue is able to deliuer vs out of thine hands O King and hee will deliuer vs but if not bee it knowne vnto thee O King that wee will not serue thy gods nor worship thy golden image which thou hast set vp St Paul was content to be u Rom. 9 3◠Anathema from Christ for his brethrens sake not in mere naturall affection to them though it were great but in a feruent zeale of Gods glory which now might seeme to lye at stake with thē Because x V. 4. to them belonged the adoption the glory the covenant And generally all the new borne which onely are the true borne children of God seeme to bee of the same minde Christianos dicit Plinius Secundus omnia vitia detestari sanctissimè vivere hoc solum in eis posse reprehendi quod nimis faci è pro Deo suo profundant vitam quodque horis antelucanis furgant ad canendas laudes Christi l. 10. ep 97. ad Traian who reioyce not only in hope of the glory of God but euen in their greatest tribulations y Heb. 10.34 suffering ioyfully the spoiling of their goods yea of their z Heb. 11.35.36.37 liues vvith most exquisite torments because the a Rom. 5.5 loue of God is shed abroad in their hearts b 1 Pet. 1.8 vvhom hauing not seene they loue in vvhom though novv they see him not yet beleeuing they reioice vvith ioy vnspeakable and full of glory Nay euery creature doth euen by nature spend it self to set forth the glory of the Creator in some sort or other To glorisie the creatoris the glory of the creature being then most happy when it can serue best and is most vsed to that end for which it was made c Iob. 12.7 Aske now the beastes and they shall teach thee the foules of the aire they shall tell thee Or speake to the earth it shall teach thee and the fishes of the sea shall declare vnto thee If wee were not dull of hearing might we not perceiue an * Cicero in Somn. Scip. harmony of the Spheares the Earth below with a deepe base in consort to the Heauenly quier euery creature of God bearing his part all cōming in with a full Chorus to
vpon allowance with limitation Thus was he fondly perswaded to preferre his owne vaine affected glory to the glory of God wherein he stood vntill then truly glorious and most happy And so the forbidden tree proued indeed as it was i Ideo arbor illa appellata est scientię dignoscendi boni mali non quia inde talia quasi poma pendebant sed quicquid esset arbor illa cuiuslibet pomi cuiuslibet fructus esset ideò sic vocata est quia homo qui nollit bonum à malo discernere per praeceptum discreturus erat per experimentum vt tangendo vetitum invenirct supplicium Aug. in Psal 70. called the fruite of knowledge of good and evill by mans sinne and transgression For now he learned what it ment by woefull experience who knew not what evill should be vntill he felt it nor what was his own good with God vntill he had k Non solum vt sint dij homines else desierunt sed etiam qui quasi dij erant suam gratiam perdiderunt Ambrol lost it A losse not to himselfe alone but through his default to all his posterity who being in his loynes are l Falso queritur de natura sua genus humanum Salust initio bel Iug. iustly atteinted of his rebelliō because it was the covenāt of nature which he violated And we naturally are not only made guilty of that m In quo erat natura communis ab ejus vitio est nullus immunis Aug. ep 106. ad Paulin Restat vt in illo primo homine peccasse omnes intelligantur quiain illo fuerunt omnes quando ille peecauit vnde peccatum nascendo trahitur quod nisi renascendo non soluitur August contra duas Pelagian ep lib. 4. c. 4. original sin by imputatiō but are by n Peccara parentum alienasunt proprietate actionis nostra sunt contagione propaginis idem l. 6. contra Iulian. c. 4. propagation corrupted with sin or o Peccatum Originarium vitium languor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vetus iniquitas Ignat ep ad Trallian vice originary the polluted issue thereof in al mankind as an p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O insirmitatem meam Nam meam dico istam primi parentis infirmitatem Greg. Nazianz. orat 38. he reditary disease infecting the blood and a stigmaticall skarre that cannot bee done away vntill nature it selfe shal be dissolued For after that the man in his person had once viciated our nature hee begate a sonne in his owne q Genus humanum in parente primo velut in radice putruit ariditatem traxit in ramis c. Greg. ep 53. lib. 7. indict 2. likenesse and after his image the likenesse of sinne and the image of corruption r Natura erat seminalis ex qua propagamur quâ scilicet propter peccatum vitiata vinculo mortis obstricta iusteque damnata non alterius conditionis homo ex homine nasceretur Aug. l. 13. de Civ Dei c. 14. And do not wee all sinne if we liue to it after the s Rom. 5.14 similitude of Adams transgression t Liberum arbitrium captivatum non nisi ad peccatum valet Aug. ad Bonifac. l. 3. c. 8. preferring the pleasures of sinne to the law of God v Act 7.51 alwayes resisting the will of God As our Fathers did so do wee x Rom 7.11 For sinne taking occasion by the commandement worketh in vs all manner of concupiscence deceiueth and by it slayeth vs. Thus the law which by the covenant of nature y Rom. 7.10 was appointed to life The Law ever in force is by our transgression and perversnesse become vnto vs z C. 8.2 the law of sinne and of death nature it selfe beeing iudge For the very Gentiles without the law had their a Rom. 2.15 Quos diri conscia facti Mens haber attonitos surdo verbere caedit Occultum quatiente animo tortore flagellum Iuvenal Satyr 13. thoughts accusing or else excusing one another b C. 1.32 knowing the iudgement of God that they who commit such things as are forbidden by the law are worthy of death For the covenant of nature being to do this and liue the not doing thereof but the contrary must needes bee death c pro magnitudine culpae illius naturam damnatio mutavit in peius vt quod poenalitèr praecessit in peccantibus hominibus primis etiam naturalitèr sequeretur in nascentibus coeteris August de Civ D. l. 13. c. 3. ipso facto d Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eatest thou shalt dye the death For our breaking the law could not disanull the law but that it is ever in force to binde vs although never of force to inable vs to performe our duties Nor could the forfet of our bond discharge our debt to God but that his law is ever of force against vs to exact the penalty if there were not a remedy But hath not God abrogated the law of nature by contracting with vs a covenant of grace Nay thereby he hath established the law of an holy life e Exod. 34. v. 28. Deut. 4. v. 13. The words of the covenant were the ten Commandements At the first promise of grace there was a law of perpetuall f Gen. 3.15 enmity set betweene the seede of the woman and of the serpent and in the contract of the covenant with Abraham obedience to God his law is conditioned being implyed in his charge g Gen. 17.1 walke thou before mee be thou perfect But when God establshed that covenant with the children of Israell hee gaue them the law written most authentically with his owne finger in h Exod. 31.18 two tables of stone to bee kept for a testimony of his covenant with them in the i Deut. 10.5.1 Kings 8.9 Heb. 9.4 arke of his gratious k Numb 10.35.36 Psal 24.7.8 presence for ever And by the new testament wherein the same covenāt is renewed as he promised l Ier. 31.32.33 God will put his law in our mindes which was then put in the arke and will write it in our hearts which before was written in stone that wee may serue him in newnesse of spirit and not in the oldnesse of the letter Did Christ Iesus then when he came proue so vnlike Moses of whom he had said m Deut. 18.15 that he should be like vnto him did he set himself so much against Moses as vtterly to dislike and abolish that eternall law which was given by his ministery Nay hee the lord over his owne house wherein Moses was a faithfull servant ratifies the law in every title Saying n Mat. 5.19 whosoever shall breake one of these least commandements and shall teach men so hee shall be called the least in the kingdome of heaven v. 17. For he came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it and he did so
not onely as the great prophet expounding it aright and giuing the true meaning thereof against the vaine glosses of the Scribes and Pharises nor yet farther as the great high priest making satisfaction for our transgressions thereof but as the soveraigne Lord and King hee ratified it a royall law for euer And therefore in the Apostles commission he gaue them expresse charge to teach them Age Marcion omnesque iam commiserones coodibiles eius Haeretici quid audebitis dicere Resciditnè Christus priora praecepte non occidendi non adulterandi non furandi Ter. aduersus Marcion l. 4. c. 36. whom they baptised o Mat. 28.20 to do whatsoeuer he had commanded them Now wee know what commandement they gaue vs by the Lord Iesus the very same things in substance as Saint Paul reckons them vp 1. Thess 4. and elswhere which had beene formerly given in command by Moses were at first writtē in mans heart to know to do were ever acknowledged due by the light of nature Wherof they were very careful being tēder least by any means their doctrine of grace by p Rom. 3.31 faith should in that respect be misconstrued Wherefore the law remaines the perpetuall rule of our duty The Case whereby we should liue vnto God his glory though it be now altogether vnsufficient for our safety q Rom. 8.3 being weake through the flesh r Rom. 3 v. 19. Now we know that what things soever the law sayth it saith to them who are vnder the law from the which none are exempt Iew nor Gentile Christian nor Heathen that euery mouth may be stopped and all the world become guilty before God For by the deedes of the Law there shall no flesh be iustified in his sight Which wee are taught euer to acknowledge to the praise of the glory of his justice and mercy in the latter part of the prayer First that being shut out for the present from the tree of life in the Paradise of GOD whereof wee might haue eaten and haue liued for euer we now justly stand bound ouer vnto death liuing only vpon sufferance and begging our bread from day to day Secondly the guilt of sin by Natures admonition doth continually gaule our consciences with c Ipsa confusio verecundia quae semper turpitudinum castra sequuntur quasi crudelissimi carnisices conscientiae lacessunt improperant peccatori instant quasiquaedam Eumonides agitatrices furiae reprehensionis stimulos cordi saucio offigentes Ipsa se malitia praejudicat punit Arnold Bonaeval de operibus sex dier cap. 16. shame sorrow and feare whilest we doe nothing but trespasse one an other and all against GOD transgressing his righteous Law whereby our life is lost and death the forfeite and penalty of natures bond is a debt due by vs which we can not avoyde nor recouer vnlesse God shew mercy and forgiue Thirdly praying against temptations wee acknowledge that euery thing in the world which should haue beene for our wealth is now by Gods just proceedings become vnto vs d Quibus accedendo animae consentiendoque quam invexere sibi adjuvant servitutem sunt quodam modo propriâ libertate captivae Boeth lib. 5. pros 1. an occasion of falling For it is iust with God to e Fiunt eadem peccata peccatorum supplicia praeteritorum suppliciorum merita futurorum Aug. l. 5. c. 3. contra Iul. Pelag. punish vs by the same things wherby we haue offended him whilest through lust we take to heart all occasiōs of sin as tinder takes fire vse all means with rage and fury as fire doth fuell to accomplish our owne destruction These are the f 2 Tim. 2.26 snares of Satan vvherein hee taketh men captiues at his pleasure these are the chaines and fetters of darknes whereby he leadeth thē on that they g Psal 69.27 fall from one vvickednes to another and neuer come into the righteousnes of God without his speciall grace and mercy Thus h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Ioh. 5. v. 19 Heb. 2 14. he that hath the power of death that is the Deuill being Gods executioner holdeth men captiues through the feare of death all their life long and all the long life of eternall death vnder the power thereof i Psal 49.14 which gnaweth vpon them like sheepe that lye in Hell where the worme dieth not and the fire neuer goeth out Yet howsoeuer it fare with vs God neither will nor can be defeated of his glory who k Eph. 1.11 Non fit praeter cius voluntatem etiam quod fit contra ejus voluntatem Aug. Enchiric 100. worketh all things wonderfully after the counsell of his owne Will euen whilest hee suffereth them to doe what l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cùm enim sit potestas natura liberae potestatis nihil neque naturae necessitate neque legis sanctione facit Nemesius lib. de naturâ hominis c. 38. possibly they can against the Lavv of his revealed will prescribed vnto them For he will get Himselfe glory vpon the proud and haughty and vpon all that forget God as he did vpon m Exod. 14.17 Pharaoh and his Hoste in their just confusion and vtter destruction So that the very n Rom. 3.5 vnrighteousnesse of men will they nill they shall commend the righteousnesse of God o V. 7. vvhilest the truth of God doth more abound through their lye vnto his glory And by his speciall grace and providence this generall defectiō shall turne in the end to the advantage of his Elect in the advancement of his glory Who knoweth to bring light out of darkenesse and good out of evill p Rom. 9.22 What if God vvilling then to shevv his vvrath and to make his povver knovvne suffered at the first and q Quod non statim in peccatores vindicat patientia est non negligentia Non isle patientiā perdidit sed nos ad poenitentiam reservavit Aug. de verbis Apost Serm. 35. endure still vvith much long suffering the vessels of vvrath fitted to destruction And that hee might make knovvne the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy vvhich he had prepared vnto glory CHAP. II. The Couenant of Grace The Articles and Authors of Grace The Sonne of God the Mediatour The Sonne of man The offices of Christ The grace of our Lord Iesus The spirit of Grace Preventing Grace The state of Grace The praise of the glory of Gods Grace How shall we be saued and God be glorified by vs BY grace we are saued through faith The articles and authors of Grace whereby God is glorified For wee by faith receiuing the benefit giue him the * Eph. 1.6 praise of the glory of his grace whereby he prevents vs wherein he accepts vs wherewith he succours vs hauing first brought saluation vnto vs will finally bring vs to salvation according to the articles of