should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father Act. 1.4 And in this businesse they sate and the Holy Ghost came and sate upon each of them Behold then there is Unity Quietness Diligence Fidelity Constancy First here is Unitie one with another They were all with one accord in one place Behold the spirit of Unity rejoyceth in Unity The spirit of wisdom is loving Wisd 1.6 And the first fruit of the spirit is love Gal. 5.22 This loving spirit therefore descended upon them that were united in love to shew if that we dwell in love we dwell in God and God will be ready to dwell in us Secondly here is quietnesse They were in no commotion or hurly burly but quiet in themselves and one with another They sate therefore the spirit of rest here takes up his rest The spirit of trouble delighteth in trouble he is a compasser he compasseth the Earth Job 17. he taketh no rest neither doth he desire to find it but delighteth in compassing heads and troubled mindes that do weary themselves in the way of wickednesse But where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty Peace Quietnesse and freedome from trouble The Dove could find no rest for the sole of her foot while the troubled waters endured but the raven continued going and coming from her first going forth Gen. 8. For the carcasses and carions tost in waters were her fittest rest Now the wicked are the raging waves of the Sea foaming out their own shame Jude 13. They are like the raging Sea that cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt Is 57.20 therefore on them the golden feathered Dove of Heaven setleth not but the black devouring vulture of hell setteth up his rest Thirdly here is diligence They give not themselves to sleepy or idle rest but to such exercises as belong to their calling therefore they receive the hope of their calling Eph. 4.4 For as God is an austere man to idle and unprofitable servants so to the vigilant and diligent he is not onely liberall in honoring Lu. 16.21 Euge Well done good and faithfull servant and in rewarding Enter thou into thy masters joy Mat. 25. but also kind and loving in ministring He will gird himself about and make them sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them Lu. 12. Blessed therefore are both these and all those servants whom their Lord when he cometh shall find so doing even exercised in the charge that their Master shal give them Fourthly here is Faithfulness They had a charge given to that they are obedient they had a promise made In that they are confident Therefore according to their Faith so is it unto them And as they believe so do they receive Faithfull is he that promiseth Heb. 10.23 God is faithful 1 Cor. 10.13 Faithful therfore also must he be that receiveth Men must be faithfull He that commeth to God must believe not onely that God is but that he is arewarder of them that seek hm Heb 11.6 He that will receive must ask in faith and waver not Jam. 1. And he that will be received must be received in Faith So Philip answered the Eunuch when he would be baptised If thou believest with all thy heart thou maiest Act. 8.36 For Christ both in his word and in his work is unavailable to the unfaithfull Hee is the end of the Law for righteousnesse How to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 He could there in his owne Country do no great works Why not because his giving hand failed but because their receiving hand failed Because of their unbeliefe Mar. 6.5 For in giving and ministring there must be also receiving they are relative workes and cannot be one without the other Fiftly here is Constantness For as asoresaid this was the tenth day of their expectation and had it been tenfold ten no doubt it had been but as one to them they would have bidden without grudging unto the end both for their loves sake and for their trusts sake For their loves sake For every Jacob thinks two apprentiships one of the body and soul above ground another of the body under ground to be but a little while for the love of his Rachel his desired happinesse And for their trusts sake because they knew that that the Lord is not slack concerning his promise Pet. 3.9 but that all his promises are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 And without repentance Rom. 11.20 Therefore they runne not as at an uncertain thing their labor is not in vain in the Lord Their constancie is crowned at the last Be patient therefore brethren unto the comming of the Lord behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the Earth and hath long patience untill he receive the former and the later rain Be ye therfore also patient and settle your hearts for the comming of the Lord draweth near Jam. 5.6 And let us not be weary of well doing for in due time we shall reap if we faint not Gal. 6.9 Remember Lots wife and look not back Lu. 17. For no wan that putteth his hand to the plough and looketh back is apt for the Kingdom of Heaven Lu. 9. But he that continueth to the end shall be saved Mat. 10. Be faithfull unto the death and I will give thee the Crown of life Rev. 2.10 So much of the circumstances of this businesse the Time and the Persons or Parties The second chief part or branch of this text is the substance or matter of the businesse related that is the comming of the Holy Chost in sensible forms The comming of the Holy Ghost why was not the Holy Ghost come till now Indeed it is said Joh. 7.39 The Holy Ghost was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified Yet it cannot be denyed but that the Holy Ghost was given before For in old time holy men of God spake as they were inspired by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 But he was not come or given in comparison of this comming or giving Why Not in like manner Not in like measure Not to like end Not in like manner For before he was given inwardly but now outwardly before secretly now openly Before invisibly now visibly Before quoad potentiam efficaciam in respect of power and efficacie now quoad praesentiam apparitionem in respect of presence and appearance Before suddenly now upon promise and expectation So that Christs words inverted may be hither applyed The kingdom of God is come with observation Lu. 7.20 So that now men might say lee here or loe there For the Kingdom of God is not onely within them but without them and upon them totally possessing and compassing them Not in like measure For before it was here and ther to one or to a few at once but now to a multitude and in a multitude or magnitude To a multitude For there were 120. together Chap. 1. ver 15. In multitude for they were all
for that is implyed in asking forgiveness Secondly to forsake them Prov. 28.13 Thirdly to abhor Popish Pardons and Auricular Confession Sect. 29. Of the sixth Petition 1. Q. WHat is the sixth Petition A. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evill 2. Q. Is God the author of temptation A. No for God tempteth no man Jam. 1.13 3. Q. How then doth he lead into temptation A. Diversly in respect of the Elect and of the Reprobate 4. Q. How in respect of the Elect A. He doth tempt or try them by suffering them to fall into divers occasions Jam. 1.2 yet so as his grace is still sufficient for them 2 Cor. 12.9 5. Q. Why doth he do this to them whom he loveth A. For their outward probation 1 Pet. 1.7 as in Abraham Gen. 22.1 and in Iob Iob 1. and for their inward confirmation and consolation Rom. 8.28 6. Q. How in respect of the Reprobate A. By withdrawing his grace Exod. 7.3 and by giving them up to their own hearts lusts Rom. 1.24 and to Satans power 2 Thes 2.11 7. Q. Cannot Satan then tempt us without God A. No for he could not touch Iob nor the Swine till he had leave Iob 1.12 Mat. 8.31 8. Q. What is meant by deliver us from evill A. It is the exposition of the former part of the Petition for then he leadeth into temptation when hee doth not deliver from evill 9. Q. Is there deliverance wrought only to and with us A. No but rather in us by both parts of Sanctification viz. Mortification and Vivification which go together Rom. 8.10 10. Q. Is evill then here onely to be taken for sin A. No but also for the author of sin Mat. 13.19 and for the effect or issue of sin that is punishment Am. 3.6 11. Q. What doe you learn for practise out of all aforesaid of the sixth petition A. First to watch for temptations and not to live securely 1 Pet. 5.8 Secondly to put on all the armour of God Eph. 6.11 Thirdly not to trust to my self but to seek and relie on Gods help that strengtheneth me Ps 44.6 Ps 121.1 Phil. 4.13 Sect. 30. Of the Conclusion of the Lords prayer 1. Q. WHat is the Conclusion of the Lords Prayer A. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen 2. Q. Is this any part of the prayer A. Yes 3. Q. How can it be seeing it asketh nothing A. Because it is a thanksgiving which is a kind or species of Prayer 1 Tim. 2.1 4. Q. How can you shew this to be a Thanksgiving A. Because it acknowledgeth and rendereth to God his right and due 5. Q. Have not men also their kingdom power and glory A. Yes but not as God generally properly eternally 6. Q. VVhat mean you by generally A. In and over all creatures the kingdome the power the glory 7. Q. What mean you by properly A. That it is without dependance on any other thing 8. Q. What mean you by eternally A. That in these God hath neither beginning nor ending for ever 9. Q. Is there then nothing herein but thanks giving A. Yes it is also a ground or confirmation of our asking 10. Q. How so A. Because as we begin the prayer with mention of Gods lovingnesse in the name of Father so we conclude with his ablenesse in acknowledging his kingdom power glory 11. Q. VVhat mean you by the word Amen A. It is my setting to my seal in point of beleeving to receive what I ask Joh. 3.33 12. Q. How may this appear A. Because it is a word not onely of wishing but of assurance 2 Cor. 1.20 Rev. 3.14 13. Q. How far may we take assurance in our praiers A. That they shall be heard and granted directly and indirectly 14. Q. How may our prayers be granted indirectly A. By delaying Mat. 15.22 by exchanging 2 Cor. 12.9 by denying I am 4.3 15. Q. What learn you for practise out of all aforesaid of the Conclusion of the Lords Prayer A. First to pray with humility because of Gods greatnesse Secondly to pray with confidence because of Gods ablenesse Thirdly to pray with constancy because of both Sect. 31. Of the Law in generall 1. Q. YOu have set forth Prayer for the prime fruit of Faith and the chief of good works what more fruit hath faith necessary for the proof of it A. Obedience to the Morall Law 2. Q. Why not to the Ceremonial and Judicial Law which the Jews also had A. Because the former being an ordinance of religious service consisting most in Types of Christ was was ended in his coming and the latter being an Ordinance of Politick Government for the Jews Commonwealth is dissolved with it 3. Q. How doe these differ from the Moral Law A. 1. In direction or extent that was for all these but for the Jews 2. In duration that was for ever these but for a time 3. In dignity these yeeld and give place to that Mat. 12.3 4. Q. What then is the Moral Law A. A brief summe of the whole duty of man 5. Q. How can this be the summe of all seeing it is called but ten words Ex. 34.28 Deut. 10.4 A. Though they be but ten words or heads of matter yet they be exceeding large ones Ps 119.96 6. Q. How may the largeness of them appear A. By five rules especially 7. Q. VVhich is the first A. In each Commandement affirmative is contained the contrary negative and in each negative is contained the contrary affirmative Mat. 25.42 8. Q. Which is the second A. When any thing is commanded or forbidden all means or occasions thereto are likewise commanded or forbidden Mat. 5.22 9. Q Which is the third A. The breach of one Commandement is the breach of all Jam. 2.10 10. Q. Which is the fourth A. The Commandements require perfection of obedience inward and outward as Adam before his fall Deut. 6.5 11. Q. Which is the fifth A. In every breach of the Commandements the Accessary is guilty with the Principal 12. Q. How may one man be accessary to anothers sin A. Many wayes especially by furthering and by suffering it 12. Q. May the guiltiness of the accessary acquit the agent A. No for such excuse is vain Gen. 3.12 13. 14. Q. But if a man take occasion of evill from me when indeed it is not properly occasion of evill shall his taking it make me guilty A. No for though David in his humility confesseth the occasioning of the death of the Priests 1 Sam. 22.22 yet he is justified therein Mat. 12.3 15. Q. What learn you for practise out of all aforesaid of the Law A. First to pray open mine eyes that I may see the wonderous things of thy Law Ps 119.18 Secondly to love and delight in every part of it Thirdly to take heed of being partaker of other mens sins 1 Tim. 5.22 Sect. 32. Of the Preface of the Law 1. Q. WHere and how doth the
them for their work sake then ye will love them for their own sake because they are workers and for Gods sake because they are his workers and for your own sakes because the benefit of their work extendeth to you temporally spiritually eternally For bodily exercise profiteth little but godliness is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Yea love them for their presence and companies sake for much is the benefit that secretly you may receive thereby God blessed Laban for Jacobs sake Gen. 30.27 and Potiphar for Josephs sake Gen. 40.5 yea he gave Saint Paul the lives of all his fellow passengers in that desperate danger of shipwrack Act. 27.24 And if ten righteous could have been found in Sodome all the multitude of miscreants even all the whole citty should have been spared for their sakes Gen. 18.32 And what knowest thou whether the company and acquaintance the society and near neighbourhood of one of Gods favourites may be unto thee and all thine both a prospering in good and a defence from evill But what is the notice that God gives and thereby shews that he took of Moses life Even this That he was his servant Behold then God is no ungratefull Master no man can serve him for nought He observeth as diligently thy obedience to approve and reward it as thy disobedience to reprove and punish it yea though it bee in secret he will reward thee openly Mat. 6.4 yea though it bee but little and of small value that thou doest for a cup of cold water shall not lose its reward Mat. 10.28 The Widdows Mite is not disdained but extolled Luke 21.1 Yea he keeps a book to register every word and a bottle to preserve every tear that true repentance shall bring forth Put my tears into thy bottle are not these things noted in thy book Psal 56.8 O then be not weary of well doing for in due time ye shall reap if ye faint not Gal. 6.9 And say not it is in vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Commandements and walked humbly before the Lord Mal. 3.14 But be ye stedfast and unmoveable alwaies rich in the work of the Lord for as much as yee know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 But doth God give no other notice of Moses then that he was his servant No this was the height of his honour for the Law afforded but Servantship it is the Gospel that bringeth Sonship the time of Sonship was not yet come For even that Heir the Church of Israel differed nothing from a servant though he were Lord of all but was under Tutors and Governours yea in a kind of bondage under weak and beggarly rudiments Gal. 4. But when the Son became a Servant then servants became sens He made himself of no reputation but took upon him the form of a servant Phil. 2.7 From thence forth that was fulfilled to us Thou art no more a servant but a son Now if thou be a son thou art also the heir of God through Jesus Christ Gal. 4.7 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with with the yoke of bondage Gal. 5.1 The yoke of bondage of the Ceremonial and of the Moral Law Of the Ceremonial Law as touch not tast not handle not which were shaddows of things to come but the body is in Christ Col. 2.21 Of the Morall Law For even that also may prove an entangling yoke of bondage Namely if we stick to the Covenant of Works and presume on our own meriting Beware then with the Dog in the Fable ye lose not the substance by catching at the shaddow That ye go not about to establish your own righteousness not submitting your selves to the righteousnesse of God for Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnes Rom. 10.3 in him we must seek it or else we shall never find it It may prove also a yoke of bondage if we stick to the covenant of it the contrary way namely by dispairing yeelding to the force and sinking under the burthen of the curse of it taking no hold on that Anchor of hope which we have in Christ Heb. 6.19 For Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 In all these respects therefore stand fast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made us free for the sonne having made us free now are we free indeed Joh. 8.36 even of servants we are made sons But how are we made lawless sons and hath the Law indeed no more power over us Not so the curse of it is taken away not the force of it the killing letter is blotted out not the binding Letter We are freed in respect of vengeance from God not in respect of obedience to God so that still we must doe all that ever we can but when all is done we must say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to doe Luk. 17.10 As free and yet not as having your liberty for a cloak of malitiovsness but as the servants of God 1 Pet. 2.16 For brethren you have been called unto liberty onely use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another Gal. 5.13 For how much more priviledge God affordeth us so much more duty we should afford him acknowledging his service to be perfect freedom And so much of Gods notice taken and given of Moses in his life Of his death also he takes and gives notice Moses my servant is dead shewing that even Gods servants also must dye from that none can be priviledged By Adams sin death went over all men Rom. 5.12 It is appointed to all men once to die Heb. 9.37 Yea though Christ hath taken away his Fathers wrath in the curse of death yet he hath not taken away his Fathers word concerning the course of death he hath turned the curse of death into a blessing because he is merciful He will not alwaies be chiding neither keepeth he his anger for ever Psal 103.9 but he hath not stopped the course of death to stay it from proceeding because he is just and true Heaven and earth shall passe away but his word shall not pass Mat. 24.35 All must dye Let every man therefore from the meanest to the greatest from the worst to the best watch and wait yea provide and prepare for death as unavoydable thy poornesse cannot hide thee thy greatnesse cannot protect thee thy holinesse cannot priviledge thee Moses Gods servant dyed and so must thou Again this sheweth that God taketh notice of the death as well as of the life of his servants and that they who live to him cannot dye from or without him Right dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Ps 165.15 he dearly regardeth it he
Lord so that I may do and not only to know what to do And if knowing alone bee not enough what shall we say then for doing that may seem to be of it self all-sufficient for if a man do the will of God what can be more required Yes it is required also that ye know it as well as do it and if thou doe it not knowing it thou doest but lose thy labour For it is an infallible rule that without faith it is impossible to please God and it as infallible that without knowledge it is unpossible to have faith For how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard Rom. 10.13 Without knowledge therefore there can be no faith without faith no pleasing of God and so it followeth necessarily that without knowledge there can be no pleasing of God and that he that doth the will of God not knowing it to be Gods will he doth but beat the air and labour in vain yea so far is he from pleasing God that hee doth directly displease and offend him for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Rom. 14.23 If faith doth not draw it from the will of God as the original cause and direct it to the glory of God as the finall cause it will prove no better then sin Quia non actibus sed finibus pensant ur officia saith Mr. Calvin because our performances of duties are not weighed by the actions but by the ends Therefore St. Augustine calleth the good works and virtues of the heathen splendida peccata sins that make a fair shew And Cyprian writing on the Creed wisheth rather to doe sinfull works being a faithfull Christian then virtuous works being a faithlesse Pagan for whatsoever is done without faith and knowledge turneth unto sin Therefore as at first If ye know these things blessed are ye but how not unlesse ye do them so again If ye doe these things blessed are ye but how not unlesse yee know them Neither knowing alone nor doing alone can be sufficient to make us blessed but both must goe together If ye know these things blessed are ye if ye doe them And if it be not sufficient to have one of them alone how much more insufficient is it to want them both Some perhaps may think that it is no matter for works so long as they have no knowledge and that the want of th' one shall excuse the want of th' other that their ignorance shall excuse them Indeed Christ excuseth the Jews by their ignorance They wot not what they doe but yet he plainly intimateth that they were not innocent or guiltlesse in that he prayeth his Father to forgive them Father forgive them they know not what they do And St. Peter testifieth of them that that through ignorance they did it but yet hee doth not therefore hold them innocent for he bids them amend their lives and turn that their sins may be put away Act. 3.17 But this you may say was wilfull obstinate ignorance hear therefore that which may be understood of invincible ignorance Luk. 12.47 That servant that knew his Masters wil and prepared not himself to do it shall be beaten with many stripes His knowledge shall condemn him but he that knew not and did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes his ignorance shall not excuse him Or at the least if it do somewhat excuse him in that he shall bee beaten but with a few stripes yet it shall not quite clear him for he shall be beaten with stripes It shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah saith Christ in the day of judgement then for that City Easier their ignorance may somewhat excuse them but yet hard enough and little ease for they suffered no doubt the flashes of hell in their consciences living the fuell of hell in their bodyes dying the Lord rained brimstone and fire upon them from heaven Gen. 19. and the flashes fuel and fire of hell in their soules departed for so St. Jude testifieth of them they suffer the vengeance of eternall fire And from such easinesse good Lord deliver us Though therefore it be easier in the comparative degree yet it is not so much as easie in the positive degree the word easier spoken there comparatively and relatively is not so much as the word easie spoken positively and simply It was but little ease then that their ignorance brought them even such as belong to them that know not God that is Christ shall come in flaming fire and render vengeance to them 2 Thes 1.3 Ignorance then is as far from making innocent as knowing alone or doing alone is from making blessed Ignorance cannot excuse us knowing cannot suffice us doing cannot suffice us but ignorance being put away knowing and doing must both come together If ye know these things blessed are ye if yo do them Here are those two Sisters so loving to and so beloved of Christ Martha and Mary the one studying to know if ye know these things th' other earnest to doe them if ye doe them the one stuffing her head with Doctrine if ye know these things th' other filling her hands with practise if ye do them the one diligent in speculative contemplation if ye know these things th' other as busie in practique operation if yee do them Here is Jacobs Ladder touching heaven with the top if ye know these things and reaching earth with the foot if ye do them Here is Aaron the Priest If ye know these things holding up the hands of Moses the Law if yee doe them Here is St. Paul for Faith if ye know these things shaking hands with St. James for Works if yee doe them Here is the Philosophers Arbor transversa a Tree turned upside down the root upwards if ye know these things the fruits downward if ye do them Here are those two not Meteors but true lights Castor and Pollux which when they appear together are surely prosperous to all that sail in the sea of this life Here is calor humor the heat of Faith the moisture of Workes both of them so necessary to the life of the soul that if either of them doe faile or exceed the other it breedeth death or dangerous sicknesse Here is Oleum flamma the flame of Faith the oyle of Works if either of them be wanting or superabounding the light of your conversation will soon goe out Here is Urim and Thummim light and perfection eyes and hands faith and works the two Cherubims knowing and doing turning both their faces toward the Mercie-seat of blessedness If ye know these things blessed are ye if ye do them Blessed are ye which is the reward of our knowing and doing and is the last thing that I have before observed in the Text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I crave leave to read blessed for the Translators doe allow it in as much as though here they render it happy yet nine times together they read it
competency and sufficiency And therefore it must needs be a doctrine of devills to teach that a man may fall away from saving grace and justifying faith and be broken off from Christ No no Christ hath warranted his sheep shall never perish Jo. 10.28 And that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against his Church Mat. 16.18 They went out from us 1 Jo. 2. saith St. John but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would have continued with us Our portion we may say is according to his grace for grace yet not in equality to him but in sufficiency to us so that it cannot fail us But Chrysostome and Theophylact and others will have Grace for grace here to be the grace of the new Testament for the grace of the old so that for should signifie in stead of And understanding grace for grace to signifie the Gospell in stead of the Law And this they gather out of the next words because it followeth for the law was given by Moses but grace and truth come by Jesus Christ And this also wanteth not ground nor truth For indeed the Law was grace for it was given by Moses gratis ergo gratia free given and therefore free grace For was it not grace that God should covenant with man that the Creator should in any sort or upon any termes or conditions oblige himself unto his creature So then the very killing letter of the Law the very covenant of works was grace 2 Cor. 3.6 It was gratia illustrans or illuminans a glasse to shew us what once we were and what still we should be It was gratia stimulans a goading or spurring grace to set us on to good It was gratia franans or restringens a curbing grace to restrain us from evill But in all this it was but gratia jubens it was not gratia adjuvans It was but a commanding it was not an assisting grace and so indeed but a very killing grace the very inditement whereby we stood all condemned For it was that every mouth might be stopped and all the world become guilty before God for by the Law is the knowledge of sin Ro. 3.19 20. Therefore God was not content with the gift of this grace but out of his fulnesse he streameth another the Covenant of faith for the Covenant of works So God loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son to the end that all that believe in him him should not perish but have everlasting life Jo. 3.16 Hee taketh away the first that he may establish the second Heb. 10.9 Taketh it away how not the body of it but the raile of it not the strength of it but the sting not the blood but the penalty not the observation but the condemnation Christ hath redeemed us not simply from the Law but from the curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 so only we are said not to be under the Law but under grace Rom. 6.4 What then Saint Paul's use may be here applyed Gal. 5.1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not intangled again with the yoke of bondage he hath freed us from the Covenant of penalty let us not stick still to the Covenant of recompence we are brought from the one let us therefore renounce the other as Saint Paul doth Phil. 3.7 Those things which are advantage to me the same I accounted losse for Christs sake c. that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own right cousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith For Dei justitiam ignorantes suam constituere volentes non nomine quidem sed errore Judaizant saith St. Augustin Aug. Ep. 200. they that are ignorant of Gods righteousness and do set up their own do play the Jews though not in name yet in error But Saint Augustin is the best measurer and determiner of these bankes he will have it to be not grace for that is according to grace in proportion and correspondencie as in my first exposition Nor grace for that is instead of grace or by way of exchange according to my second exposition but grace for that is is in rewand of grace one grace to crown another so he saith Deus dona misericordiae suae coronat God doth crown his own gifts of mercy one grace with another so it comes to passe that we have the grace of glory in reward for the grace of faith Ipsa fides gratia est vita aeterna gratia est pro gratia saith he Aug. in Jo. 1.16 Faith is grace and life eternall is grace for grace And to this acute Gorran consenteth Gratia retributionis pro gratia justificationis gratia patriae pro gratia viae And this indeed is the strongest bank of our stream even as the sea bank a bound which our greatest waters may not passe Hitherto may we come and no further and here our proud waves must stay Job 38.11 we can boast no further for Qui tibi enumerat merita sua Aug conf li. 9. ca. 13. quid tibi enumerat nisi muneratua he that tells of his merits what doth he tell but Gods gifts saith Saint Augustine And Saint Bernard confesseth Ser. 1. in Annun merit a omnia Dei dona sunt it a homo propter ipsa Deo debitor est non Deus homini Our merits are Gods gifts which do make us in debt to him not him to us And to this exposition that place agreeth well Rom. 8.29 whom he knew before them he predestinated whom he predestinated them he called whom he called them he justifyed whom he justifyed them he glorifyed Here is no reason or cause of our calling but Gods predestinating us no reason of our justifying but his calling us no reason of our glorifying but onely his justifying us he doth the one because he hath done the other hee proceedeth from grace to grace still crowning his own gifts So that indeed grace is both Fountain and Stream and bank unto it self God is both the author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 all the degrees of our happinesse from first to last all is grace our election is grace He hath predestinated us according to the good pleasure of his will Eph. 1.5 Our vocation is grace Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth Ja. 1.18 Our justification is grace We are justifyed freely by his grace Rom. 3.24 Our glorification is grace Eternall life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. 6. So that wee can find no other bank or limit whereby to bound this stream but even it self In the measuring of bankes there must needs be taken longum latum profundum length and breadth depth and height And so indeed here in this there is length for it reacheth from the beginning to the end there is bredth