he did all the transgressing angels in that wofull and wretched state hee had done no wrong to any seeing hee was not bound to shew his mercy or fauour vnto any In that he puls out some it 's a superaboundance of his loue and mercy towards them In that hee leaues the rest to destruction it 's truely iustice on Gods part and on theirs most deserued punishment for to giue vndeserued fauour is mercy but not to giue it or to render deserued punishment is no wrong Now whereas in the last place they accuse God not onely of inuistice but for tyranny and cruelty for creating so many whom hee would permit to fall into sinne and then inflict endlesse and insupportable torments vpon them whereas if it had pleased him he might haue giuen vnto them all such grace as would haue preuented not onely their destruction but their sinne also which was the cause thereof they doe herein bewray themselues not onely to be besotted in errour but such as Gyant-like doe maliciously fight against God Art thou wiser then the Almighty or wilt thou prescribe a Law vnto God whom or how many hee should create or what measure of grace he should giue vnto them Art thou able to answere him one for a thousand Was 't not sufficient to giue both to all mankinde and to all angels so much grace and power as that thereby they might for euer haue stood in integritie and haue inherited eternall felicitie if they would themselues In which one gift consists the effect of all that which the oppugners of this truth either doe or can say to cleere the iustice of Godâ— or free hish from that cruelty which against vs they obiect Or had God entended their death or destruction before he foresaw their most wilfull rebellion then might they haue had some colour for their impious and blasphemous declaiming against the Lord. But seeing no thought of punishing either men or Angels euer entred into the heart of God but in order though not of time yet of nature and reason after his foresight of their voluntarie disobedience and rebellion against him why should they count it either iniustice or cruelty to inflict that deserued punishment on them which they wilfully puld downe vpon themselues Or was God bound to giue them such an antidote of his preuenient grace as would haue preserued them from sinne Besides that he was not so obliged to any in the infinitenesle of his wisedome he saw it was not fit he should giue that vnto them for by giuing such grace vnto all it would haue beene thought that it had been their own and their naturall power which now by not giuing it to some is declared to bee due vnto none and by bestowing it on others is knowne to bee his free and supernaturall gift and grace vnto them Nay by giuing such grace vnto all hee had for euer both damm'd vp all passage to his iustice and mercy and the greatnesse of his loue wisedome and goodnesse had for euer beene obscured And therefore first heâ— would let them know what of themselues and by their owne will they would doe euen runne into destruction that afterwards hee might make euident and knowne all the exceeding riches of his glory The riches of his mercy which could neuer haue beene seene if he had suffered none to fall into misery whence afterwards himselfe would deliuer them by mercy The riches of his iustice who is now seene to be so infinitely iust as that he hath an infinite hatred against all iniustice and therefore iustly inflicteth an infinite punishment vpon it and who therefore would not in mercy pardon all as he might haue done lest it might seeme that hee who is Righteousnesse it selfe had not in a iust and perfect manner hated vnrighteousnesse The riches of his wisedome who is now seene to be so infinitely wise as that he could finde a most blessed meanes both fully euen to the vtmost farthing to punish the offences and so to satisfie his infinite iustice and yet wholly to pardon the offenders and so to manifest his infinite mercy that euery one might with the Prophet say vnto God Mercy and iudgement will I sing vnto thee The riches of his power and goodnesse which both are now seene to be so infinite that hee is able to turne the greatest euill to our greatest good and euen out of sinne to worke saluation and out of death to effect eternall life The riches of his lone to the elect the infinite greatnesse whereof could neuer haue beene conceiued if they had not seene in the iust punishment of others from what infinite and endlesse torments they are freed themselues and freed by his onely loue either most louingly preuenting them vvith his grace that they should not fall into sinne as hee did the elected Angels or most louingly deliuering them by his grace when they were falne into sinne as he did all the elect of mankinde In regard of all which it may truely bee faid with Saint Austen that God being both most powerfull and most good would neuer haue suffered euill to haue beene vnlesse hee had beene so infinitely good and powerfull that he was able euen out of euill to bring good and vnlesse he had knowne that it was a farre more glorious worke and would turne to his farre greater glory when some had sinned euen out of sinne to worke saluation then not to suffer them to sinne at all But what though we in the shallownesse of our vnderstanding either cannot giue or cannot comprehend the reason of Gods will herein Shall we therefore presume to exclaime against the Lord or accuse him for thus doing Doth not the Apostle put to silence the insolency of this folly when hee saith O man who art thou that disputest with God Who art thou that darest aske a reason of his will whose very will is the rule of al reason Much rather oughtest thou here euen with amazement and admiration cry out with the same Apostle O the depth of the richesâ— both of the wisedom and knowledge of God! how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out Yet euen by this little which we haue now said you doe cleerely see both the will of God to bee most holy and his iustice most vpright and both his will and iustice to be without all blame in that his whole Decree whereby hee elected some to giue freely vnto them both grace and glory and left others in their owne sinne to bee led thereby into euerlasting perdition Howsoeuer then blasphemous mouthes doe barke against Heauen against their Creator yet let vs all Gods seruants not onely acknowledge but magnifie as in those whom he refuseth his Iustice so in our selues his exceeding and vnexpresseable mercy let vs cast all our crownes before his footstoole and sing an hymne of praise vnto him who not onely hath made vs of nothing but which is the
complaine of his wrong But the Almighty did owe thee nothing nor was he obliged to shew thee the least fauour And though hee was not yet to leaue thee vvithout all excuse hee enriched thee with his free bounty and thou hadst greatly tasted of his fauours in that hee gaue thee thy being when hee might haue suffered thee to continue in Nothing in that he made thee a man when if it had pleased him hee might haue made thee a beast yea haue made thee a Toad and especially in that hee created thee after his owne image decking thee with righteousnesse and true bolinesse setting thee in a most glorious and happy estate and giuing vnto thee free will power and abilitie to haue continued so for euer if thou wouldest thy selfe Now feeing thou and all mankind by their owne will and wilfull disobedience didst depriue thy selfe of all that glory and pulledst downe his iust wrath and vengeance vpon thee Why doest thou now repine against so good and gracious a God or how canst thou imagine any colour of iniustice in his doings though hee shew not to thee that vndeserued mercy which hee doth vnto others to whom he giueth both grace and glory As one of those malefactors before mentioned caunot iustly complaine that the King doth wrong him because he did not pardon him as he did some other in the like offence and condemnation So though God deale in iustice with thee and not in mercy as he doth with others yet he doth no wrong vnto thee seeing he ought thee nothing and to shew vndeserued fauour is mercy and loue but not to shew it is no iniustice no wrong at all Whence also may fully be cleered the iustice of God in his reiecting of the transgressing angels There is I confesse great oddes and difference in the reiection of them and of men All mankind was included in one common roote whence all the rest should be propagated so were not the angels All mankinde in that common roote had sinned and willingly depriued themselues of blessednesse and made themselues subiect to the eternall hatred of God so had not the angels In electing men God vsed an act of mercy I will haue mercy on whom I will Now mercy presupposeth sinne and misery so in electing of them God in mercy puld them out of sinne and misery and in mercy gaue both grace and glory vnto them In electing the Angels he cannot be said to haue vsed this Act of mercy seeing they were then neither sinfull nor miserable His act in electing them was onely an act of free loue and bounty in giuing such grace vnto them as that they should neuer sinne neuer â—e willing to sinne nor euer fall from that most blessed estate wherein they were created In reiecting men God vsed an act of iustice and that act was both Negatiue decreeing not to giue such grace vnto them as should free them from sinne and misery as hee did to the elect and positiue decreeing for that sin into which they wilfully now had runne to inflict eternall punishment vpon them All which God himselfe expresseth saying of that reiected person I haue hated Esau that is I haue both in iustice decreed not to shew such loue and mercy to him as I doe to Iacob and in iustice also decreed to inflict that punishment on him which his sinne most iustly hath deserued In reiecting the Angels God can not be said to haue vsed this Act of Iustice seeing hee could not decree to leaue them either in sinne or misery into neither of which as yet they were falne His act of reiecting them was onely Negatiue decreeing not to giue that grace vnto them which hee gaue to the elect Angels such as would preserue them from sinning but to leaue them wholly to themselues and permit them of their owne accord to fall into sinne and his decreeing to punish their sinne was an act of his iustice on the parties reiected rather then an act of his reiection of them In all which Gods dealing to haue been most iust if wee rightly consider thereof will be cleere and manifest For had God at the Creation either made mankinde or Angels sinfull or hauing made them iust had he left them impotent or vnable to stand in that blessed estate if they would or had hee himselfe thrust them forward into sinne compelling or causing them to transgresse then might they haue iustly complained indeed of God Complained first of want of goodnesse in God who had either made them euill or forced them to be euill and then complained of his iniustice who would punish them for doing that euill whereof himselfe had beene the cause and author vnto them But Gods proceeding herein was farre otherwise It was euery way most iust and most equall For he not onely created mankinde and all Angels in perfect righteousnesse and innocency exceeding good and complete in all goodnesse which was sit for their natures but withall he gaue vnto them that which was requisite to reasonable creatures such a freedome of will and so great assistance and aboundance of his grace that by these they might for euer haue perseuered in pietie and continued in blessednesse if themselues had beene willing And although God might further haue giuen both to the wicked angels and to all mankinde such an ouerplus of grace as he gaue to the elected Angels and dayly giues to the elect which are regenerate and sanctified that they should not onely bee able to perseuere if they would but that they should also be willing so to perseuere yet seeing he was no way bound to giue this grace vnto them seeing that grace was meerely his owne to giue it or not giue it vnto whom he would neither can mankinde nor any of the reiected angels complaine of iniustice in God for not giuing such grace vnto them May not I doe with my owne what I will May not I giue my grace to whom I will and withhold it from whom I will Is thy eye euill because I am good For seeing that grace was due to none of them all if he giue it to any that 's his bounty and a surplusage of his loue but in not giuing it to others seeing hee ought it not to any he doth no wrong at all vnto them In the very like sort when first the wicked angels and after them all mankinde had by their owne wils and most voluntary transgression cast off the loue of God and so not onely depriued themselues of that glory which if they had been willing they might for euer haue enioyed but made themselues lyable to Gods wrath and eternall condemnation what wrong or iniustice can this seeme to any not to pull them out of that pit of perdition into which with open contempt of God both those angels and all mankinde of their owne accord and most willingly had now cast themselues If he had for euer left all mankinde as
most happy blessing that wee can wish or desire hath made vs vessels of loue vessels of mercy and glory whereas if it haâ— pleasâ—d him hee might haue left vs to haue beene vessels of wrath and vengeance as hee left the rest for there was no oddes at aâ—l â—etwixt them and vs in our selues the onely odd was in his mercy and will Euen so O Lord it was thy holy will who hast said it and it shall stand for euer Thou wilt hâ—ue mercy on whom thou wilt and whom thou wilt thou hardenest And thus much be spoken of the first generall point namely our Election it selfe as well of the parties who as of the cause why they are elected The second generall point proposed was the certainty of our election expressed in this that the Apostle saith Make your election sure Now our election is said to be sure or certaine two manner of waves First it is sure and certaine in it selfe secondly it is called sure and certaine in respect of vs and of our perswasion or knowledge Concerning the former certainty beeing not so proper to this place I would not haue at all entreated if some malicious men had not with most venemous tongues oppugned and eagerly sought to disgrace this truth teaching that Gods election is so vncertaine and changeable as that the elect may become reprobates and the reprobate elect the elect bee quite blotted out of Gods fauour and fall from their election the other receiue the crâ—wne of glory which was prepared for the elect But wee are taught a farre more comfortable doctrine in the Word of God That Gods election is most firme certaine and vnchangeable For it it the Ordinance Counsell and Decree of God who hath chosen vs Ephes. 1. 4. who hath predestinate that is fore-ordained vs vnto glory Rom. 8. 29. Now if the ordinances and Lawes of the Medes and Persians were such as might not be altered how much more shall the Decree of God be immutable of which himselfe faith Isay 46. 10. My Counsell shall stand The firmenesse of this election our Sauiour teacheth Iohn 6. 37. where speaking of his chosen seruants which his Father hath giuen him he saith They shall all come vnto me and those that come vnto me I cast not away And lest we should imagine as they doe that though Christ would not put them away yet either themselues or some other might take them from him hee addeth further Iohn 10. 28. of the same chosen sheepe I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of mine hand If not any then not the World nor the Flesh nor Satan with all the powers of darknes no nor they themselues shall bee able to plucke themselues from Christ or take them out of his Fathers hand And lest wee should thinke that though they cannot be pluckt or by force drawne from Christ yet by some subtiltie or craft of Satan they might be ensnared and as it were stolne from him our Sauiour preuenteth euen this doubt also Math. 24. 24. telling vs that the wonders and lying signes of Satan shall bee such and so great that if it were possible they should deceiue the very elect Manifestly implying thus much that not all the sleights deceits and lying wonders of Satan shall bee able to deceiue any one of his Elect because it is impossible by any meanes whatsoeuer to take or steale them away from Christ who being the Watchman and good Shepheard of Israel can neither slumber nor sleepe Seeing then Christ promiseth to receiue all the elect and beeing once receiued and come vnto him neither himselfe will cast them away neither any force or violence shall bee able to pull them out of his hand nor any deceit or sleight of Satan shall steale them from him that remaineth as vndoubtedly true which Saint Paul teacheth Rom. 8. 29. that saluation and eternall glory is by a golden chaine most infallibly and inseparably linked vnto election for whom God predestinateth them also he effectually calleth and whom he so calleth them also he iustifieth and whom he iustifieth them also hee glorifieth Here againe they open their mouthes wide against God abusing their wits peruerting the Sacred Scriptures and in the insolency of their folly euen in most reprochfull manner slandering this holy truth of the certainty of Gods election yea and the whole doctrine of Predestination also as a dangerous pernicious and pestilent doctrine making men as they teach secure and carelesse of well doing and of their saluation For if I be say they predestinate to life what neede I repent beleeue serue or loue God let mee wallow in sinne yet seeing the elect cannot perish nor fall out of Gods fauour I am certaine I shall be saued But if I bee reiected of God to what purpose should I repent or amend my life for though I walke in all the statutes of God yet can I not attaine to life but must vnauoidably be condemned See how rightly the Apostles doome is verified of these men When they professe themselues to bee wise they become fooles God making the wisedome of the flesh meere foolishnesse For know they not that this dispute of theirs is euery way as effectual against the Praescience and foreknowledge which yet themselues confesse as it is or can bee against the Decree and Predestination of God his Praesâ—ience being as certainely infallible as his Decree is immutable If God then foreknow that I shall be saued let me liue as I list and passe my time in sinne yet I shall bee sure to bee an heire of Gods Kingdome But if God foreknow that I shall be damned to what end should I feare or serue the Lord for seeing God foreknoweth this and what hee foreknoweth must vnauoidably come to passe though I should wholly deuote both my soule and body to Gods seruice yet of necessirie I must at the last eternally perish Let them now either in plaine tearmes professe Atheisme and deny Proescience in God and so deny him to be God or let them cease with such vaine disputes to oppugne the Ordinance Decree and Predestination of God the selfesame difficulty as forcibly ouerthrowing the infallibilitie of the one which themselues confesse as it doth or can the Immutabilitie of the other which we defend See againe how Satan hath bewitched these men they seeme witty to themselues in pleading thus against their owne saluation but this their reason is with them of no force at all to make them secure and carelesse in their bodily estate or worldly affaires God doth not onely foresee but foreordaine also concerning euery man whether hee shall be rich or poore sicke or whole liue or dye for none of these come from the earth nor spring out of the dust as holy Iob speaketh that is they come not by chance or fortune vnto any but as the Prophet saith Lament 3. 38. Out of the mouth of God from