or rather that is risen again who is also at the right handâ— of God and maketh request to God for vs. Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or â—…kednes or perill or sword As it is written for thy sake are we killed all the day long and are as sheepe appointed for the slaughter Neverthelesse in all these things we are more then conquerours in him that loued vs. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor thinges to come are able to seperate vs from the loue of God vvhich is in Christ Iesus our Lord. In which words it is manifest that the apprehension of the loue of God in Christ doth breede such a strong faith and confidence in God that the faithfull are thereby fully perswaded that they shal be never finally forsakeÌ„ of God not vaÌ„quished cleane overthrowen by the force and furie of all their enemies Now as this loue of God breedeth faith in God so also it engendreth 1. Ioh. 4. 19. loue towards God We loue God saith S. Iohn because he loved vs first and hath revealed this his loue vnto vs hath made vs to apprehend it with the eies of our faith and to be assured Ignoti nulla cupido Tantfi diligimus quantum credimus Gre. in Ez. ho. 22. perswaded of the same For if God loue vs and we be ignorant of it how can we loue him againe for the same For our charity doth so depend vpoÌ„ our faith that so much we loue God as we know and beleeue his loue and goodnesse towards vs. A strong faith a strong loue a weake faith a weake loue For God worketh not in vs as he doth in those creatures which are vtterly voide of al vnderstanding and reason and so haue no sense and feeling of the Lords working in them but in the worke of our regeneratioÌ„ first he informeth the vnderstanding with knowledge and thereby moveth the affections and will Now faith beeing the eie of our spirituall vnderstanding whereby with Abraham the father of Ioh. 8. 56. the faithfull we behold the day of Christ and reioice therein first in him apprehendeth the loue of God towards vs then kindleth in our harts our loue towards him For true faith is not idle 1. Tim. 1. 5. Gal. 5. 6. and vnfruitful but first worketh loue and then worketh by loue shee is the mother of loue in that shee first breedeth it and then Aug de fide operibus c 22. Greg. in Ezek. ho. 9. Faith is the life of loue not loue the soule of faith by loue bringing foorth all good works shee is the grandmother of all good workes And hereof it is that Austine saith that it may rightly be said that all the commandements of God pertaine to faith if not a dead but a living faith that worketh by loue be vnderstoode For as Gregory teacheth Faith is the doore and entrance vnto good workes not good workes vnto faith Neither is loue the soule of faith that quickneth it and giveth it life but faith is the very life of loue and maketh it liuely and industrious in her worke And therfore the Lord vseth to sette before the eies of his faithfull servants his owne loue testified by his sundry and manifold blessings and so causeth them to manifest their loue towards him by their readie obedience to all his commandements And hereof it is that they are called the friendes of God Abraham the friend of God Moseâ— Iac. 2. 23. the friend of God So our louing Saviour vnto his deare disciples HeÌ„ceforth cal I you not servaÌ„ts for the servaÌ„t knoweth not what the master Ioh. 15. 15. The faithfull are accepted of God as his frendes therfore are put in assurance of his loue doth but I haue called you friends for what soever I haue heard of the father I haue made manifest vnto you And what is true and sincere frendshippe but a mutual and interchangeable ben evolence and good wil not lying hidde or kept secret within the closette of the hart but breaking forth and manifesting it selfe by the effectes And therfore in that the â—aithfull are called the frendes of God it is evident both that they feele the loue of God towards themselues â—oÌ„finned vnto them by his gracious blessings that they likewise are stirred vp to loue him to testifie the same by their ready obedience to his will yea this is one sure signe of the speciall loue of Christ towards his that he doth shew himselfe not vnto Ioh. 14. 21. the world but vnto them and so raiseth vp in them faith and loue and strengtheneth them in his feare If a prince favour his subiect and he knoweth it not he must needes loose a great part of the benefit and comfort that he might receiue therby if that he did perfectly vndestand so much And verely that favour caÌ„â— not be great that can be altogeather concealed and kept close A little fire may be covered vnder ashes so preserved for some time but if it be kept so long it wil be extinguished cleane put out but a great fire wil not bee covered but wil shewe it selfe by heate smoke flame even so the great fire of the Lordes loue towards his elect cannot long be hidde but it will make it selfe manifest vnto them sooner or later by the effectes therof Earthlie parents conceale in part their loue from their children beeing in their tender yeares least they should waxe wanton and be made the worse for the same but when they are once come to ripenes of age and to yeares of discretion then they commonly seeke to make it manifest vnto theÌ„ by al the meanes that possibly they caÌ„ and they desire nothing more then that they should be through ly perswaded therof and he is a bastard a very vnnatural child worthy to loose both his name and inheritance which either will not be perswaded of the kind tender affection of his parents towards him or else is made therby more careles negligent to do his duty Even so our heavenly father whose tender loue affectioÌ„ towards his elect so far exceedeth the kindnes of al earthly pareÌ„ts as God exceedeth man testifieth his loue kindnes and care towards his continually either by his gifts or by his corrections or by both albeit he doth not at al times make theÌ„ feele so much it is for this end that wheÌ„ he doth so they should be more throughly moved to mislike theÌ„selues the more for their formet vnkindnes also to loue the Lord the more for his coÌ„stant and coÌ„tinual loue towards such as theÌ„selues were who before had so little regard so much as to take notice of such loue And therfore aâ— such as either wil not be perswaded of the fatherly affectioÌ„ of God towards theÌ„selues condeÌ„ning the same of
east them into an holie extasie and carried them after a sorte out of themselues and made them to haue little regard Cyrill in haec verbâ— sanguis â—ius sit super noset filios nostros of this present vvorlde and of the pompe and glorie thereof vvhich yet are so glorious in earthly mens eies To vvhat ende saith Cyrill shoulde I have vvealth and hope for the inheritance of the goodes of this vvorlds seeing alreadie I am made heire of thy most precious bloode and redeemed vvith thy most glorious death Why should I not verie much esteeme of my selfe seeing thou hast shedde as much bloode for mee alone as thou hast done for all the vvorld So Bernard O good Iesus O the loue of my soule vvho Bern. in haec verbai desiderio desideravi c. amongest mortall men doth so desire to make his life perpetuall as thou didst desire to loose thine for mine What pleasure vvilte thou take on the vvorld to come vvith thine elect seeing heere vppon earth thon didest call that day vvherein thou didest suffer Easter that is a great and solemne feastivall daie And againe O good Iesus O the redeemer of my soule doe I not happely owe thee as much as all the vvorlde ovveth thee seeing I have cost thee as much bloode as all the vvorlde hath done By the which testimonies of these holie men it is evident and plaine that an holie assurance of the great loue of CHRIST vvho hath died for our sinnes in particular and rose againe for our iustification is the strongest purgation to cleanse our soules from deade workes and to quicken them vp to an heavenly life and to strengthen vs in the ready preformance of all such duties as are most gratefull and acceptable to God And verely all manner of good vertuous works seeme they never so glorious in the eies of mortall men are most vile and base in the sight of God vnlesse the loue of Christ be the worker of them al and vnlesse they are performed as well deserved dueties for his sundry and manifold vndeserved mercies How then can there bee any true devotion at al in any of the children of the Church of Rome if they followe the doctrine â—f the assurance of the loue of God in Christ be the strongest band to binde vs to God then the doubtting therof must needs lette vs loose to runne a stray at random out of the Lordes waies as if we were at our owne liberty to liue as wee list The base borne bastardes of the church of Rome condemne in the legitimate children of God the holy assurance of his fauour and loue as Sap. 2. their former brethrren the elder sons of Satan haue done before theÌ„ Eph. 3. 18. of their mother who teacheth them to bee still in doubt of the loue of Christ in particular towards themselues of their effectuall calling into the state of grace and of the remission of their sins and eternall glory seeing the faithfull apprehension sence assuraÌ„ce of Christs loue the fruits therof is the only effectuall worker of all true devotion Howe can either the church of Rome be the faithful spouse of Christ seeing shee stil standeth in doubt of the loue of her bridegrome or her children bee the children of God our heavenly father seeing they are and must be still in doubt whether he beareth a fatherly affection towards them Surely a faithful spoufe cannot still stand in doubt of the loue of her most kind and carefull husband neither can the naturall and kinde childe alwaies feare whether his natural kind father beareth a louing and a fatherly affection towards him seeing hee hath testified the same by his manifold blessinges And therfore the church of Rome caÌ„not be the true spouse of Christ seeing shee knoweth not assuredly whether shee is his beloued neither can her children be the true children of God our heaveÌ„ly father seeing they are and must be stil vncertaine and doubtfull of his kind and fatherly loue of the most principal effectes thereof Nay in that they condemne the true children of God of pride presuÌ„ption for that they are not abashed to make a bold confession of their knowledge of God and of their assurance of his loue and to glory that he is their father and they his sonnes heereby they declare themselues to belong to the congregatioÌ„ of them alignant yea that they are the children of the devil himselfe in that after the very selfesame manner they condemne the holy faith of the children of God as their elder brethren haue done before theÌ„ in the second chapter of the booke of wisdome VVherfore all ye our deere brethren which are as yet covered with the blacke and darke doctrine of the church of Rome which came out of the bottomles pitte from the very prince of darkenes himselfe even as many of you as belong to the number of Gods elect defraud not your selues any longer of the comfort and fruit of Christs loue by continuing still doubtful of the same with the children of vnbeleife but rather labour with al saints that yee may comprehend what is the bredth depth length heigth to knovv the loue of Christ that passeth knowledge that so yee maÌ„y be filled with all fulnes of God Be ye not desirous to continue any longer doubtful of the remission of your sins of your election to eternal life according vnto the doctrine of the teacher of infidelity which yet boasteth himselfe to be the successour of St. Peter but striue yee 2. Pet. 1. 10 rather to make your election sure by your workes according vnto the most holy doctrine of St. Peter himselfe And as I doubt not but that yee vnfainedly desire to bee fruitful and plentifull in all good workes so labour yee by al meanes possible to compreheÌ„d the loue of Christ and to feele in your harts the coÌ„fortable fruits thereof which are the strongest motiues not onely to perswade but after a sort to constraine force vnto the ready persormaÌ„ce of al good workes Be ye not so foolish still to imagine that your workes which are the fruites of the loue of Christ the effectes of your election and iustification bee the causes of the loue of Christ of your election iustification Especially whereas it is God that worketh in you the wil and the deede and that of his owne meere mercy and good wil in Christ and thereby maketh you more endebtted vnto him by the continuance encrease of his blessings take yee heede of that grievous and intollerable pride wherwith the Devill the defacer of the grace and glorie of Christ hath hitherto beguiled you by making you thinke that God is endebtted vnto you by meanes of your good workes and that by them you merite at his hands remission of sins eternal glory For verely if the kissing of our owne handes that is the ascribing The ascribing to our owne witte industry
he hath ratified the same with holy sacraments as with his own seale annexed therevnto And verely if circumcision much more Rom 4. 11. baptisme and the Lords supper may worthily be called seales of the righteousnes that cometh by faith The cuppe saith our Saviour Christ Luk. 22. 20 is the new testament in my blood that is to say a seale and an assuraÌ„ce of the graunt of the remission of sinnes and eternall life giuen vnto you through my bloud which is the summe of the new testament And to what end tendeth both these sacraments of the new testament but to assure all the faithfull that they hauing put on Christ haue their sinnes washed away through his blood and that their soules are fedd with very Christ the heaveÌ„ly Mannah Galat. 3. 2â— bread of life whereby they are sustained to everlasting life The cuppe of blessing saith the Apostle which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the communion 1. Corinth 10. 16. of the body of Christ that is to say there all participatioÌ„ of these outward elementes and visible signes are they not most certaine pledges and assurances to all the faithfull of their spirituall vnion and communion with Christ and all his blessings And was not this the iudgment of those godly learned fathers of the councell of Nice in that they will that this holy sacrament of the Lords supper should be sent vnto penitent persons lying in their death beddes which stood as yet excommunicate for apostasie or for some other notorious crime that by the participation of that celestiall food they might be assured of their coÌ„munion with Christ and his church and of the remission of their sinnes and eternall life and so enabled to passe over in peace the end of their laborious and painefull life The which most comfortable doctrine is most coÌ„veniently set downe in our English liturgy at the celebration of these holy misteries in these wordes The body of our Lord that vvas giuen for THEE preserve thy body and soule to everlasting life The blood of our Lord that was shedd for THEE c. For hereby everie faithfull christian that reverently receiveth this holy sacrament may assure himselfe that the spirituall life that is nowe begunne in him and shall be made perfite in the worlde to come 〈◊〉 wrought by the speciall loue of Christ now dwelling in him by a true faith so that he may boldly say with the Apostle both â—n his life In that I nowe liue I liue by the faith of the son of God who loued Gal. 2. 20. Me and gaue himselfe for Me and also at his death I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith hence forth 2. Tim. 4. 7. there is laide vp for me a crowne of righteousnes c. And from whence also proceedeth that ioy in the holy ghost and that peace of God that Ro. 14. 17. 5. 1. passeth all vnderstanding which is felt in the heartes of the faithfull servantes of Christ in their greatest crosses and most greevous afflictions but of a faithfull perswasion of the remission of their sinnes and reconciliation which God procured for them by the death of Christ Otherwise also how could they serue the Lord Luc. 1. 74. Eph 3. Heb 10 22. Iaco. 1. 6. without feare and come vnto him in their praiers with boldnes yea in assurance of faith without wavering without doubting Yea how could they come vnto him not as vnto an offended and an angry iudge but as to a louing and a mercifull father saying O our Father which art in heaven And from whence else proceeded their solemne protestations that they did assuredly knowe that they were in the estate of grace and in the favour of God and that God was their God in particular and after so stable and stedfast a manner that nothing was able to sever them from his loue We knowe that we are of God I know that my redeemer liueth My spirite 1. Ioh. 5. 19. Iob. 19. 25. Luc 1. 77. Psal 18 1. 116 16. reioyceth in God my Saviour The Lord is my strength my castle my deliverer my God and on the other side Behold Lord I am thy servant I am thy servant and the sonne of thine handmaide Yea so great a stay and comfort had the prophet David in this assurance of his owne â—aith that he protesteth his adversities being so many and so Psal 27. 13. grievous as they were he should vtterly haue fainted but that he did beleeue verily to see the goodnes of the Lord in the land of the liâ—ing The which most comfortable assurance of faith was such a stay also to the blessed Apostle S. Paul that howsoever an whole army of Rom 8. 37. tribulations did presse sore vpon him yet he protesteth that hee was a conqueror yea more then a conqueror through him that loued Rom 8 37. him being most assuredly also perswaded for the time to come that neither death nor life nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come should be able to seperate him from the loue of God which was in Christ Iesus our Lord. Neither vvas this comfortable assuraunce of faith a speciall and an extraordinarie prerogatiue granted only to some principall persons among the faithfull but a gifte in some measure common to the whole church For all the children of the church being the children of God are led by the spirite Rom 8. 14. 2. Cor. 2. 12â— of God whereby they know such thinges as are giuen vnto them of God And they are all indifferently commanded in the Lordes praier to call God their father the which name they cannot sincerely vse vnlesse they be perswaded in some measure of faith that he beareth a louing and a fatherly affection towardes them having receaved them into favour for his Christes sake and giuen them a place among the number of his children And vvhy 1 â—oh 5. 13. else saith S. Iohn writing to the whole church in generall these thinges I vvrite vnto you that beleeue in the name of the sonne of God that yee may knowe that yee haue eternall life and that yee may beleeue in the name of the sonne of God So S. Paule writting to the church of the Corinthians in generall Proue your selues knovve yee not your owne selues how that IESVS CHRIST dwelleth in you vnlesse yee bee reprobates and in his former epistle Kâ—ovve yee not that your 1. Cor. 6. 15 19. bodyes are the members of Christ Knowe ye not that ye are the temples of the holy Ghost which is in you whom ye haue of GOD that yee are not your ovvne By the vvhich testimonies of Christ his Apostles it is evident that not a fewe onely but also every mâ—mber of the vniversall church in their times and according vnto the measure of
haue beene the eâ—ormities of prince people in this church of Rome that they haue poisoned after a sorte the very aire where they liued and haue caused those who in some respectes were their favorites friends thus to haue cast their own dunge in their owne faces and to haue dashed over their mishapen â—eatures with the blacke coale of euerlasting â—nfamy â—herefore small cause hath the viperous brood of this venimous generation thus to hisse against vs and to spet out their poison against our persons for albeit we bee not angels without spot yet we be not Englishmen Jâ—alianate that is Devils incarnate much lesse against our most The holy doctrine of the gospell vniustly charged to be the seed of all wickednes and sinne Luk 10. 20. The certainty of faith the assuraunce of election no hinderer but a fu therer of pâ—ety godlines holy and pure doctrine as if that were the seede of all wickednes and sinne The certainty of our election to eternall life and the assurance that we are the childreÌ„ of God haue our naâ—nes written in heaven which is the most forcible inducement of all other to cause vs to reioice in the Lord and to walke as the children of God and to haue our coÌ„â—ersation in heauen they accuse to be the mother of pride prâ—tumptioÌ„ and of carnal socurity and dissolutenes of life What is it credible that when J continually cal to my remembrance and set before mine eies that God to assure me that hee is my gracious God and louing father hath created mee and sustained me from my mothers wombe hath preserved me from these and these dangers and hath bestowed vpon me these these blessings hath made these these his creatures to serue to my vse that I might the better serue him yea and hath caused these mine affections to haue beene good and profitable vnto me is it credible I say that the assurance of this so great kindnes loue should breed in mine hart vnkindnes to God and the neglect of his honor of mine owne good Either is it credible that when I continually call to my remembrance set before mine eies that God to assure me of my reconciliation vnto himselfe and of my receiuing into his fauor hath reuealed vnto mee his sonne Iesus Christ the pledge of his loue and the meanes of my reconciliation hath opened vnto me his perfect obedience to the whole lawe not for himselfe but for my righteousnes and his invincible patience euen theÌ„ when he dranke so deeply of that so bitter cup of his painfull passion that it caused him to sweat water blood not for his owne but for my sins when I say this is revealed by Culpamea culpa mea culpa mea maxima God to be done for me by so worthy a person who according to his manhood receiued the spirit without measure and according vnto his godhead was infinite holines purity and peâ—fection it selfe that so I might bee assured of so absolute a righteousnes and so full a satisfaction for all my sins as might stand before the most exact iustice of God is it credible I say that the assurance of so great kindnes loue should breed vnkindnes in mine hart and a carelesnes of embracing and holding fast so great mercy and of continuing in such loue Either is it credible that when I continually cal to my remembrance and set before mineeies that God to assure me of mine adoption into the place number of his children hath sealed me with the spirit of adoption and hath by him sanctified mine vnderstanding with the knowledge of his most exact iustice in punishing my sins with such severity vpon my surety that I might be assured of mine acquitting from the same and of his endlesse and vnspeakeable mercy in sparing not his own sonne to spare me and of his wisedome in making his iustice and mercy so to conspire togither for my fuller assuraÌ„ce of my salvation wrought thereby when heereby also my iudgement and affections are so rectified and sanctified that I esteeme to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified and account all other things as losses and dong that I might win Christ and be found in him and be made partaker of the fruit of his death and of the benefire of his resuâ—…ection is it credible I say that so great kindnes should breed vnkindnes in mine hart and cause mee to prophane and to treade vnder foote this holy blood and to bee grievousome to this so comfortable spirit Lastly is it credible that when I cal to my remembraunce and set before mine eies that God to certifie mee of his fauour and loue hath opened vnto mee in his worde that greate charter and graunt of remission of sinnes and of eternall life in Christ Iesus and for my further assuraunce thereof hath written his gracious promises as vndoubted evidences thereof in mine hart that I might no more doubt of my most assured obtaining of these so great giftes then I neede of the admitting and allowing of these evidences that hee hath given me to shew for the â—ame when I come to appeare before the throne of grace is it I say credible that this so great security for mine everlasting blessednes should with â—raw mine hart from the loue of my blessednes and cause me to waâ—ke in cursed and damnable waies which tende to eternal miserie and woe Sure I am that the goodlier our temporal possessions are the better evidences we haue to shew for the same and the kinder our parents were that bestowed them vpon vs with charge not to passe them away in any case the more careful we shal be to keepe the same both for the loue of our most kinde parents and also for our owne welfare and good and shal the assurance of the most glorious inheritance of the kingdome of heaven given vnto me by mine heavenly father whose kindenes so much surpasseth the kindnes of any earthly parentes as God himselfe surpasseth man make me carelesse to keepe so goodly and glorious an inheritance to performe the wil and commandement of mine heavenly father VVhere Matth 6. 22. your treasure is saith our Saviour Christ there will your hart be also And therfore if this wil not moue me throughly to set mine hart and affections on heavenly things that I haue so good evidence for them that they are assuredly mine and that I shal vndoubtedly reape by them such an huge harvest of vnspeakable blisse what wil then moue perswade me therto yea if hereby I am allured drawen vnto sinne what is able to induce me to piety and godlines But this argument hath beene touched in the former is more fully handled in the latter part of this treatise therfore omitting now to wade further therin let vs come to examin whether that other maine point of the Gospel I meane Iustification by faith without works
Appius Claudius for fidelity Fabritius for abstinence Scaevola for courage Cato for severity Cimon the Plut. in vita Cimonis Athenian for liberality Of whom it is recorded that he tooke away the moundes and fences from his groundes that the stranger and poore might take what fruite they would to refresh and satisfie themselues there withall besides he prepared a large supper ordinarily to the which any poore man might come and receiue sustenance and if he mette any auncient citizen in ragged and torne attire he commaunded one or other of his follovvers to chaunge his apparell with him and of his retinue that accompanied him some carried large suÌ„mes of mony that if they mette with any honest poore man they might giue vnto him all that he needed And yet vvhat vvere all these so glorious and goodly workes but bare shadowes counterfeites of vertuous actions rather then vertuous actions indeede Yea what were they but Splendid a peccata The best workes of the vnfaithâ—ull aâ—e no better then sinnes Rom. 11. 20. beautiful sinnes And as for the parties themselues shal we therfore esteeme them to haue beene good trees for that they had such an outward shew of good fruite Surely the spirit of truth doth testifie of vs that we are all by nature brambles breers wild â—…ues vntill we be grasled into the true oliue Nowe it is faith that doth grafte vs into the true olive as infidelity doth breake vs of Without saith then we are no better then brambles briars and wilde olives And whâ—… Dee men gather grapeâ— of thorâ—es figges Math. 7. 16. of brâ—arâ— Or doth the wilde oliue bring forth a kinde and natural olive Wherfore all these before named so famous and worthy personages in the eies of flesh bloud for al their glorious shew of goodly fruite living without faith without Christ vvithout God being Ephes 2. 12. alâ—ans from the â—ommâ—n wealâ—h of Israell and from the covenants of grace must needes vndergoe that heavy but iâ—st sentence of the Lord of the vineyard Cutte downe the vnprofitable trees for why Luke 13 7. Math. 3 10. cumber they the grounde And againe Now is the aâ—e laide vnto the roote of the treesâ— therfore every tree that bringoth not forth good fruite is bowâ—n downe and cast into the fire For if I giue al my goods to the poore 1. Cor. 13. 3 and haue not loue it profiâ—…th me nothing that is if this liberall fact of mine proceede not from a sincere harty affection to the good of my neighbour as likevvise if this harty affection towarde my neighbour come not from a sincere loue towardes God vvho is loued for himselfe and in whom also I love my neighbour yea if this my loue towardes God flow not from his loue in Christ towardâ— me embraced and apprehended by a true and lively faith all this my releiving of the poore cannot releiue my selfe and all this my mercy toward the needy cannot be a meanes to convey over vnto me the Lordes mercy For vnlesse all my goodnes be after this manner derived from God the onely fountaine of all goodnes well it may vnto men seeme to be goodnes yet it shall not haue his allowance from God But now let vs returne againe vnto our Saviours rule Beware of false Prophots which come vnto you in sheepes cloathing but inwardlie are ravening wolves ye shall know them by their fruites True teachers which with their harts sincerely embrace that holesome doctrine which they professe with their mouthes togither with their faith full disciples and schollers are as trees planted in the paradise of God and watered with the pure streames of the river of the vvater of life that floweth throughout the paradise of God and so receiving the blessing of God doe there by bring forth fruit good in truth and substance and not in shewe onely or outward appearance whereas false teachers as bastard plantes setled in the wildernes of this barren and vnfruitful world and wette with the venemous drops of the infected and deadly puddles of humane devices and dreames doe thereby bring forth fruit sometimes holesome and good in shew but never in substance For an infected fountaine cannot yeeld forth holesome water neither can a corrupt faith bring forth an vncorrupt life For the mind and vnderstanding are the leaders and guides vnto the will and the affectious and therefore if they be misledde with falshood errour and wander and goe astray in the bye pathes of impiety vngodlines howe can they direct the will and affections in the right way of piety and godlines Verily vnto whomsoever God in his iustice hath denied the knowledge of the groundeâ—and principles of a sound faith to them also he doth deny the gift and blessing of an holy life seeing that selfesame holy doctrine that is the cause of an holy faith is also the cause of an holy life as it is made manifest in the fourth motiue As on the contrary side vnto whom God in his mercy hath given the faithful acknowledging embracing of the grounds and principles of a sounde faith vndoubtedly to them hee doeth likewise graunt the practicall knowledge of an holy life For true faith and sincere loue which are the mother and nurce of all good workes are as Hypocrates twinnes borne togither and living without separation so that if one of them be strengthned the other receiveth strength also and if one of them be weakned the other is weakned they go alwaies hand in hand and bee inseparable companions and never breake company giue entertainement to the one thou must giue entertainment to the other sâ—ut the one of them out of thy dores and the other will in no wise be thy guest nor abide vvith thee the least moment of time For albeit a bare naked knowledge of the grounds of faith may be severed from the practise of a godly life yet a faithfull embracing and a sincere reâ—oiceing in them can never be idle and vnfruitfull but alwaies is accompaned with good works which giue witnesse vnto the sincerity Qui non fac it bonuÌ„ non credit bonum soundnes of faith and do sufficiently declare the holinesse of the doctrine from whence â—hey proceede Holy doctrine embraced but in shew and in hypocrisie may be vnfruitfull but being sinâ—…ly received it maketh good trees which cannot bee without gâ—…d fruite Now then this being evident that good workes are the infalhble notes of a good faith it remaineth that as in the former part of this treatise we declared that faith to be only sounde and catholike which was agreeable to the grounds of faith more briefly abridged in the Apostles Creede and set downe more at large in the canonicall seripture so now we set downe those divine rules of an holy life which are delivered in the same books wherevnto we must frame all our works if that wee desire to bee assured that they shall
of him as his most faithful loyal servants The which thing because the children of the church of Rome list not to performe therefore the Lord will not be their Lord not accept of them as of his servantes nor yet allow of any of their workes as good and as a part of his worship and service 4 All obedience is to be yeelded by vs to the will of god for that we haue received all froÌ„ him and therefore are most straitely bound to yeeld to him our whole service Neither ought we only to be respectiue to the Lords good wil pleasure in al our works for that he of right ought to raigne over vs â—s being our only spiritual Lord king for that he will protect defend vs impart vnto vs the commodities of his kingdome but much rather for that he hath bestowed vpoÌ„ vs already so many favors hath shewed vnto vs so great kindnes hath bound vs vnto himselfe with such a multitude of his inestimable invaluable blessings For giftes benefits testifying kindnes loue do oftentimes much prevaile even with the natural vnregenerate maÌ„ yea with the very beasts theÌ„selues that want the light of vnderstanding reason The oxâ— knoweth his owner the asse his masters crib as the law doth allow a grouÌ„d bird to the owner of the ground where the swan is permitted quietly to make her nest without disturbance to hatch and breede vp her young so doth meere kindnes cause the thankfull storke to performe the same without law without constraint But amoÌ„g all other beastes voide of reason strange and wonderfull thinges are reported of the kindnesses of dogges towardes their masters for their simple breeding and for the sorry mainetenaunce they haue received at their hands yea the setled malice of a most caÌ„kered enimy of a most spitefull sycophant who of all savage and fierce beastes is thought by the Philosopher to be the worst hath beene conquered by kindnesse and loue and the most violent pertuâ—bations of rage and sury haue beene turned into the most tender affections of pitty and mercy And therfore it is not without cause that the Apostle exhorteth saying If thine enemie Rom 12. 2â— hunger feede him if he thirst giue him drinkâ— for in so doing thou shalt heape coales of fire vpon his head Be not evercome of evill but evercome evill with good For oftentimes the streames of kindnes loue do quench the flames of malice and hatred and kindle the coales of kindnesse and loue And therefore we ought not to suffer our selues to be taken prisoners of malice or to yeelde our selues captiues to her to execute herrage but couragiouslie to encounter her and to beate backe all her assaultes and to suffer her not to enter one foote much lesse to surprize the castle of our harts and not only so but also to pursue her manfully being entred into the heartes of our enemies and by the powerfull assistaunce of kindnesse and loue to beate her out of the plaine field and to dispossesse her of her owne castles and forteâ— vvherein shee hath beene before most strongly seated For so did Elizeus and 2. King 6. 23. David and the residue of the Lordes worthies who haue most couragiously fought these spirituall battles and haue most manfully vanquished both their owne of and the Lordes enemies When the bandes of the Aramites that were sent out to apprehend the Prophet Elizeus and to bring him to their king beeing brought into danger not only to be taken prisoners themselues but also to haue had their owne liues taken from them were not only rescued out of danger by meanes of Elizeus but also kindly friendly entertayned this kindnes so far prevailed with them that albe it there was opeÌ„ war between their nation Israel yet after their returne into their own laÌ„d they never returned to vex Israell But who was ever a more malicious enemy to any maÌ„ theÌ„ was wicked Saul to innoceÌ„t David yet astone as he perceived that himselfe beeing shut vp by the providence of God into Davids haÌ„ds he was spared by him his life preserved he was so throughly moved therewith that hee did not only presently withdrawâ— his forces from his pursuite but also most earnestly praied vnto 1. Sam. 24. 20. God and that he would giue him a reward for the same Yea wheÌ„ before having given a speciall charge to all his housholde to kill David lonathan had dehorted him from the same saying Let not the king sinne against his servant against David for he hath not sinned against thee but his workes towardâ—s thee haue beene very good for he did put his life in danger and slow the Philâ—stine the Lord wrought a greaâ— salvation for all Israell thou sâ—west it and thou reioicest Wherefore wilâ— thou then sinne against innocent bloode and slay David without a cause The only mention and recitall of the which matter did so alter Saules malitious hart that he did not only recal his former edict but also confirmed the revocation thereof with a solemne oath saying as the Lord loveth he shall not die Now if kindnes receaved 1. Sam. 19. 6 from our vnderlings and from such as we haue hated and sought their destruction doth even vpon a suddaine alter our affections and compell vs to vow their good to sweare their safety how much more any pleasure beeing done vnto vs by our superiours will glad and cheere vs at the very hart and cause vs to busie all our thoughts how we may in some measure recompence and requite the same What a credite do we thinke it to be vnto vs if the prince shall but take notice of vs and call vs by our name shew vs but some countenance and favour Or if a noble man or a man of state shall steede vs in a matter of some moment howe are we ready to cast our selues after a sort downe at his feete and to make most solemne protestation saying your honours to coÌ„mande yours according to bounden duty for ever your most obedient beadesman and servant as long as life lasteth Now the king of kings and state of states hath not only vouchsafed to haue takne notice of vs to haue provided for our vse service and comfort this so glorious and bountiful world furnished with such variety of all manner of earthly blessings but also hath prepared for vs treasures of farre greater price and value in the life to come how ought we then to be astonished amazed at such kindnes that proceedeth from so high and worthy a state how ought our hearts to be euen rapt and ravished beside themselues at the least apprehension of such invaluable favours Why even Publicanâ—s and sinners loue their lovers and shew kindnes to them of whoÌ„ they receiue kindnes yea the Devill himselfe will in some sort serue them that serue him and will be at the commandemeÌ„t
of the meanest witch that hath before bouÌ„d her selfe vnto him And hee doeth extenuate all that service that Iob himselfe had done vnto God for that he was so sufficiently hyred thereto paide so well for it and that before hand Doth Iob saith he feare Iob. 1. 9. God for nought Haste thou not made an hedge about him and about his house and about al that he hath on every side Thou hast blessed the works of his hands and his substance is encreased in the land and therefore what great thing is it that he doth so regard thee hath he not very good cause so to do Verily if he did not seek to serue thee after the best manner he were the wickedst wretch that ever lived Now if the most envious and malicious wretch of all other who by his intollerable ingratitude and vnthankfulnes had deprived himselfe most iustly of al the Lords blessings could yet notwithstanding reason after this maÌ„ner how much more ought the true and faithfull servants of God themselues which do and for ever shall enioy the inestimable favour of his vnchangeable loue set the loving kindnes of the Lord alwaies before their eies making it a sharpe spurre to stirre them vp to walke on forwarde in the Lords truth and even to run the way of his coÌ„mandements And that Psal 16. 3. so much the rather for that the Lord himselfe hath beene so carefull to remember them thereof in sundry places of divine scripture and that after a most vehement and patheticall manner Ier. 2. 31. O yee generation take yee heede vnto the word of the Lord Haue I bin vnto you a wildernes or a land of darknes Wherfore say my people we are Lords we will come no more vnto thee Surely I haue not bin as a wildernes but as a most fruitful land ministring vnto you all blessings in all aboundance And therefore yee ought to haue beene most fertile in my feare and most plentifull in my service This most ample beneficence of God towards his people is so apparant that he appealeth therein even to themselues O yee inhabitants of Ierusalem and men of Iudah iudge yee I pray you betweene Isa 5. 3. me my vineyard What could I haue done any more vnto my vineyard that I haue not done vnto it So likewise in the Prophet Micah O my Mich. 6. 3. people what haue I done vnto thee or wherein haue I grieved thee testifie against me Surâ—… I brought thee up out of the land of Aegypt redeemed thee out of the house of servants and I sent before thee Moses Aron and Myriam O my people remember now what Balaak king of Moab had devised and what Balâ—am the sonne of Beor answered him froÌ„ Shittim vnto Gilgall that yee may know the righteousâ—es of the Lord. The recital of the which so great kindnesse and loue did so inwardly touch the very hart of the Prophet of the residue of the faithfull to whoÌ„ it was vttered that immediatly in their person he calleth as it were al the powers of his soule to a consultation howe al dâ—tiful thankefulnes may after the best manner be rendred vnto God for these his so large and ample mercies Wherewithall saith he shall I come before the Lord and bowe my selfe before the most high God Shall I come before him with burnt offrings and vvith calâ—es of an yeare olde will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rammes or with teâ— thousand rivers of oile Shall I giue my first borne for my transgression the fiâ—ite of my body for the sinne of my soule Hee hath shevved thee ô man what is good and what the Lord requireth at thy hands Surely to do iustly and to loue mercy to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God Wherby we may learne what be those sacrificeâ— that are best acceptable to God first to do iustlie in giuing to God that which is due to God and to man that which is due to man Secondly to sheâ—e mercy to them that are in misery and lastly to haue Gods goodnes alwaies before our eies our owne vnworthines that so wee may learne to humble our selues to renouÌ„ce our owne worth and to cleaue vnfeinedly vnto God yea to deny to die vnto our selues that so we may devote out selues and our whole liues only to God And verely when the Lord hath once revealed shewed vnto vs how he hath loued vs and given himselfe vnto vs and hath abounded towardes vs in his gracious blessings and hath caused al his creatures to serue to our vse theÌ„ shal we desire in al sincerity to loue and please him and to resigne our selues wholy to his service When God shal say vnto vs ye are my people then shal we answere thou art our GOD. When Christ shal haue Hos 2. 23. made manifest his tender affection to his spouse haue taught her to say my beloued is mine and hath assured me of his â—idelity Cant. 2. 16. then shal shee reply I am his and am fully resolved to keepe true touch and faith with him His loue is mine and shall bee alwaies before mine eles and my service is his and shal be continually in his sight If a master among men should giue vnto his servant an annuity of 20. nobles by the yeere or some little farme or other living if hee serue him not therefore at his becke hee crieth out straight waies against his ingratitude but if he happen to ioine against him in any cause or suite and that with his professed and deadly enemie how intollerable an indignity doth this seeme in his sight Now we our selues haue receaved from our grand master and Lord not only some small parte portion of our liueing maintenaÌ„ce but our selues also whatsoever we enioy out lot tâ— is fallen out vnto vs in a good grouÌ„d we haue a very goodly hevitage Psal 16. 6. for the Lord himselfe is our portioÌ„ he doth maintaine our lotte What vnkind vnthankful wretches are we theÌ„ if we surrender not backe againe vnto him both our selues al that we enioy to be prest ready at his coÌ„mandemeÌ„t If we keepe not a continual remeÌ„braÌ„ce of these inestimable mercies sette theÌ„ not alwaies before our eies wee bee worthy to be cleane cast out of his sight vtterly to be put out of his remeÌ„braÌ„ce If so ful streames flowing froÌ„ so pure a fouÌ„taine do not moisteÌ„ the dry barreÌ„ soile of our soules make vs fruitful to al good works theÌ„ are we verely but badd grouÌ„d â—…re to the curse whose end is to be burâ—…d Vndoubtedly as al the rivers flowing out of the sea returne thither againe so empty theÌ„selues after a sort into their mothers lappe eveÌ„ so the Lords innumerable blessings issuing froÌ„ the maine sea of his loue vnto the vse of his faithful sincere servaÌ„ts are thaÌ„kfully returned by them backe againe and faithfully employed
this wrathfull countenance of God of al other calamities crosses is most grievous burdensome vnto them and doth aboue al other miseries vexe and torment their tender harts casteth theÌ„ downe to the gates of hell Then in anguish of soule and bitternes of spirit they powre forth whole streames of complaineâ— crying out and saying Will the Lord absent himselfe forever and will he be no more entreated Is his mercy cleane gone for ever Psal 77. 7. and is his goodnes come vtterly to an end far evermore â— hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he shut vp his loving kindnes in displeasure TheÌ„ said I this is my death againe O Lord how long wilt thou be angrie Psal 80. 4. with thy people that praieth Thou hast fed them with the bread of teares and hast given them plentâ—…snes of teares to drinke thou haste made vs to be a very strife vnto our neighbours our enemies laugh vs to scorne Turne vs againe O God of hosts shew vs the light of thy countenance and we shall be safe And yet in truth when the Lorde most sharply chasteneth his God is nearest to his servants in their asstictions albeit he seemeth to be then farthest of he sheweth then most of all the effect of his loue allthough they for the present feele it not Psa 119. 71. 75 ver own deare children he is not in wrath offended with them but in great loue most of all then tendreth their good his grace and favour is not absent but then especially is present with them albeit they for the very instaÌ„t feele not the same For what is it that in and by their afflictions worketh in them humility repentaÌ„ce patience obedience an earnest desire to feele the Lord gracious and favourable vnto them aboue all things to behold the light of his countenaÌ„ce Are not al these the most evident effects of the favourable presence of God with theÌ„ of the most neere assistance of his grace Doth he not herein shew theÌ„ the light of his couÌ„tenance make manifest vnto them his loue to their great benefit good Surely David did most thaÌ„kfully acknowledge so much saying It is good for me that I haue beene in trouble that I might learne thy statutes And againe I know O Lorde that thy iudgements are righteous and that thou not of wrath but of very faithfulnes hast caused me to be troubled And therfore Ieremy praied for the Ier. 10 24. same as for a thing beneficiall and good Correct vs O Lord yeâ— in thy iudgement not in thy fury For God chastiseth his children in loue albeit he punisheth the wicked in wrath And therfore both Iob. 5. 17. Iob David iudge not that the godly when they are afflicted are in a bad but in a right good and blessed estate Blessed is the man say they whom thou chastenest O Lorde and teachest in thy lawe that thou maiest giue him patience in time of adversitie vntill the â—it bee digged vp for the vngodly And therefore the Apostles did reioice in Rom. 5. 3. tribulations knowing that tribulations bring forth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shedde abroade in our heartes by the holy Ghost The loue of God then apprehended by faith not only engendereth Hope Patience ConfessioÌ„ in vs loue towardes God but also hope that maketh not ashamed and patience that maketh vs to reioice in tribulations and to be couragious and constant in the confession of his truth albeit all manner of crosses accompanye the same For out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and therfore if vvith the hearte wee beleeue to righteousnesse wee will bee ready vvith the mouth to confesse vnto salvation I beleeved saith David Rom. 10. 10 Psal 116. 10 2. Cor. 4. 13 and therefore haue I spoken so vvee also saith the Apostle beleeue and therefore speake And verily if wee doe beleeue that GOD from everlasting hath acknowledged vs and hath written our names in the booke of life howe can it bee but that wee shoulde thankefully acknowledge him before the greate congregation and willingly confesse him before the whole worlde Yea how can it bee but that wee shoulde continually make our resorte to Praier him by praier in all our necessities and craue his gracious aide to assiste and strengthen vs in all those afflictions and crosses which vvee endure for his most holy name sake The vnfaithfull vvho vvill not bee persvvaded of the fatherly loue and favour of God towardes them cannot come with any cheerefulnes to make their praiers vnto God for howe can they call vppon him Rom 10. 14 on whom they haue not beleeved but the faithfull that beleeue that God is become their loving father in Christ that by him they haue such interest in God in al his blessings must needs coÌ„e to him with great coÌ„fideÌ„ce hope powre out their whole harts continually before him and present vnto him all their petitions and requests And verily they need not to be ashamed to come into his presence seeing they are cloathed with the most precious garments of Christ their elder brother and haue him to bee their continuall advocate solliciter to pleade their cause In deed the more they behold their owne nakednes and shame take a true view of the rotten ragges fained garments of their owne righteousnes and the more deepely therewithal they meditate vpon that strange and admirable goodnesse of God that would cast the eies of his loue vpoÌ„ such loathsome wretches they haue great cause as to be ashamed of their abominable corruption so to be waile and lament their intollerable vnthankfulnesse And so the prophet Ezechiel hath testified that the faithful shal Eze. 16. 63. be confounded in themselues and hange downe their heads never open their mouthes for shame when they shal behold the loue of God towards them in Christ which hath freely pardoned all their iniquities and sinnes when I say they shal see on the one side how gracious God is to them on the otherside how grievous they themselues haue bin vnto God An ensample wherof In the praier of Manasse affixed at the end of the bookes of the Chronicles we haue in Manasse king of Iudah vnto whoÌ„ when the Lorde had given a little taste of his promise of mercy and had giveÌ„ him some assurance of the remission of his sinnes and of his receiving into favour how doth he debase and cast himselfe downe as if he were the only offender among all the servants of God and all other were as it were no sinners in comparison of him And how doth he exaggerate and amplifie his own transgressions as if they were more then the sande of the sea and togither withall so odious and abominable that he was not worthy to behold the heavens for the same
I haue provoked thy wrath saith he and haue done evill before thee I did not thy will neither kept I thy commaundements I haue set vp abominations and multiplied offences I haue sinned O Lord I haue sinned I acknowledge my transgressions O Lord forgiue O Lorde forgiue me and destroy me not with mine iniquities And verily vntill we haue some sight and sense assurance of the mercy of God in Christ pardoning our sins the ougly sight of our owne deformities will driue vs more and more from God and wrappe vs faster and faster in the bands of sinne and be ready to drowne vs in the gulfe of despaire as it may be seene in Caine Iudas the like But when Christ shall once looke vpon vs with the eyes of his mercy shall giue vs some assurance of the remission of our sinnes as he did vnto Peter whome he mercifully forewarned not only of his fall but also of his pardon of his recovery and of his duety in regard of the same I haue praied for thee Peter Luk. 22. 31. that thy faith faile not and thou being converted strengthen thy brethre this favourable aspect of Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse will cause vs with Peter to loue him the more and not only to single out some solitary place that we may bewaile our vnthankfulnes with bitter teares but also to be more feareful and careful for the time to come least we be overtaken againe with the like offence For a reverent regard and feare least we offende so good a God Feare whom we can never endevour sufficiently to please is caused also by the due apprehension of the Lordes mercies There is mercy Psal 130. 4. with thee O God saith David therfore shalt thou be feared For as the naturall and kind child reverenceth his father and feareth to offend him not so much for dread of the rod or for hope of the inheritance as for that he hath had already manifold experience of his fathers kindnes and care for him even so the deare children of God having had in former times very good experience of the Lords loue do reverence feare him from the very bottome of their harts and are thereby made watchfull and wary not to offend Behold saith S. Iohn what loue the father hath shewed vs that 1 Ioh 3. 1. we should be called the sonnes of God Now we are the sonnes of God but it doth not appeare what we shall be but this we know that when he doth appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And he that hath this hope purgeth himselfe even as he is pure In which words it is manifest that hope rising out of faith and the expectation of future blessednes out of the apprehension of former loue doth cause the faithfull to purge clense their harts least they offend their holy and pure God with their impurities Though we sinne say all Sap. 15. 2. the godly as it were with one voice that is though wee sinne through infirmity which cannot be avoided in these daies of infirmity yet we are thine for we know thy power but we sinne not that is presumptuously or we giue not over our selues to sinne knowing that we are thine for to know thee is perfect righteousnes and to know thy Ioh 3. 14. power is the roote of immortality For as the childreÌ„ of Isâ—ael were healed of the sting of fierie serpents by looking vp to the brasen serpent even so the faithful looking vp vnto CHRIST crucified are cured of al their spiritual maladies and haue their sinne slaine in them and are raised vp to newneâ— of life Zache desiring but to see CHRIST was immediatly converted and made a Christian Olde father Simeon beholding Christ desired presently to departe out of this life thinking that hee had lived long inough seeing hee had liued to see his Saviour with his bodely eies All the faithfull that haue had some true view of our Our whole conversion to God is wrought by his loue in Christ apprehended by faith Ioh. 17. Saviour Christ do more more desire to behould him still and that not without very great cause For the more they see him the more they loue him and the more they feele themselues to liue in him and by him This is everlasting life saith the auctor thereof to knowe the onely true God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ For rightly to know faithfully to embrace the endles vnspeakable loâ—e of God in Christ who hath consecrated himselfe both in his life and death to the working of our deliverance out of the hands of sin death damnation doth worke in the faithfull the death of sin and life of righteousnes and so layeth the foundation of that life heere which shal be made perfect in the world to come Now saith the Apostle I liue not but Christ liveth in me and the life that I now liue I liue by the faith of the sonne of Eph. 6. 15. The loue of God revealed in the Gospel is as shoes wherby we are enabled to walke on readily in the Lordes waies be they never so full of sharpe stones and pricking thornes God who hath loued me given himselfe for me The Apostle lived not he was dead in himselfe but Christ by hiâ— spirit word lived and raigned in him and that because he beheld with the eies of faith that great endles loue of Christ who both had lived and died for him And hereof it is that the Gospel of Christ the powerful instrumeÌ„t ordained by God both to begett streÌ„gthen faith is compared to shoes is part of that furniture wherwithal the souldiers of Christ haue neede to bee armed in their most hard daungerous fight against al the powers of the kingdome of darknes And verely there are so many thorns pricks of worldly cares and so many sharpe stones of crosses and persecutions lying so thicke in that straight and narrow way that leadeth to life that the passage of the faithful would be greatly stayed if not altogither stopped therin were they not al well shodde with the preparation of the Gospel of peace and had not that gladsome ioyful tidings of their recoÌ„ciliation with God made them most resolute to passe on along for al those sharpe stoÌ„es to endure al withal patience Now then by these things that haue bin delivered it is evident and cleare that not onely faith ariseth out of the true apprehension of the inestimable loue of God in Christ but also loue hope patience confession praier repeÌ„tance feare a religious care both to liue to die vnto God to devote our selues wholy to his service And yet we must not so conceaue heereof as if this one blessing All the Lords gratious giftes and blessings are furtherers of faith obedience in the godly Ier. 14. 20. of our redemption wrought by CHRIST did not onely
each one the other therein then how much more ought they to doe it which are appointed to be publik officers for the same purpose How ougâ—t they especially most carefully to put in practise the exhortation of the prophet by calling continually vnto the people and saying Praise the Lord and call vpon his name and declare his workes among the people Sing vnto him sing praises vnto him and let your talking be of all his wondrous works Reioice in his holy name let the harts of them reioice that seâ—ke the Lord. Seeke the Lord and his strength seâ—ke his face continually Remember the maâ—veâ—lous works that he hath done the wonders and the iudgments of his mouth â—h yee seede of Abraham his servant ye châ—ldren of Iacob his chosen he is the Lord our God â— The 〈…〉 â—…ssistance accordâ—… to his own covenant And yet if all men faile in their duety the Lorde himselfe will not faile in that covenant which he hâ—th made with all his chosen wherein hee hath promised that hee himselfe will write his lawes in their heartes and plant them in their mindes and that he will doe the same so sufficiently that it shall not be a matter of absolute necessity for every one to exhort and to admonish his neighbor saying know the Lord for they shall all know me saith the Lord even Ier. 31 34. from the greatest vnto the least So and so beneficiall it is vnto all the Lords people to know the Lord and his gracious blessings to keepe a continuall remembrance of the same and therefore so and so many meanes hath the Lord appointed in his vnspeakeable wisedome and goodnesse for the stirring vp of every one of his faithful servants to the ready and careful performance of this so beneficiall and necessary a worke So and so carefull hath the Lord been that the people devoted vnto his service should want no meanes to strengthen further them in the holy exercise of sincere devotion Now let vs see how the church of Rome which boasteth so highly of her owne great devotions land of the huge multitude of all manner of good works which so and so abounde among her children religiously extolleth the Lords mercies what a carefull remembraunce shee keepeth of his goodnes seeing as it hath beene shewed that is the mother and the nurce of all sound and sincere devotion and the fountain welspring of all good workes The word of God in setting downe the great gracious blessings of God doth declare vnto vs these three pointes First the cause of them even his owne goodnesse and loue secondly the end which is the manifestation of his goodnes and loue thirdly the effect which is the working therby in the harts of his chosen of al inward graces outward dueties also both to God to our neighbour The grace goodnes loue and mercy of God is the full fountaine froÌ„ whence all his blessings doe issue flow The great blessed worke of mans redemption issueth from thence as our Saviour testifieth So God loved the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but haue Ioh. 3. 16. life everlasting The great blessed worke of the creation and all the residue of his gracious blessings many of the particulars wherof are set down by the prophet Ps 136. come also from thence even because his mercy enduâ—eth for ever This mercy loue of God is not oâ—ly most ample large but also most free vndeserved For every good gift and every perfect giving commeth downe froÌ„ Iac. 1. 17. aboue froÌ„ the father of light we hold all that wee enioy from this grand vniversal lâ—ndlord therefore we must pay our whole rent to him performe only to his court our suit service we are endebted vnto him alone for the loane of al that we possesse therfore to him alone we must discharge all our debt His loue also is most free vndeserved he seeketh therin not to gain any thing to himselfe but only to do good to benefit other this doth farther set forth the greatnes of his loue so doth enlarge the bil of our debt SecoÌ„dly the end why God bestoweth his blessings is that they might be vnto vs most plaine demoÌ„strations of his loue most certain testimonies of his goodnes Shew me saith St. Iams thy faith by thy works I wil shew thee my faith by my works Iac 2. 18. 1. Ioh. 3. 18. My childreÌ„ saith St. Iohn let vs not loue in word in toÌ„gue but in work in truth That loue theÌ„ is in truth that is effectual in works and that faith is souÌ„d right that sheweth it selfe in the fruits Wherfore god who would haue his choseÌ„ know be fully perswaded that he loveth theÌ„ in truth sheweth it forth to them by his most gracious and manifold blessings as by the effects fruits therof and this is also a great addition vnto his loue Thirdly the Lord maketh his loue manifested by his blessings the meanes to beget and to encrease faith loue repentance and the like in the hearts of his elect and chosen children he putteth them not out to vse nor taketh any encrease for them for his estate cannot be bettered nor his blessednes encreased the profite and encrease accrueth to vs and therefore by them we merite nothing at the hands of God nor make him thereby any way endebted to vs but wee our selues are more and more still in his debt for the free lone francke gift of all his blessings Now then to returne againe to the first point The loue of God is the ful fountaine of all manner of his blessings both bodyly and ghostly and he himselfe is not only the author but also the disposer and bestower of them all the blessings themselues and the meanes are of him and the working also of the one and the other Temporal meanes are in themselues nothing without the speciall power of God working in them by them Man liveth not by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God And life consiseth not in the great aboundance of all such thinges aâ— doe belong to the maintenance of life The horse is counted but a vaine thing to saue a man neither can he deliver any one by his much strength the watchman also waketh but in vaine vnlesse the Lord keepe the citty So spirituall meanes also are nothing without the effectuall power of the almighty working by them for that is the very soule and life of all He that planteth is nothing and hee that watereth is nothing but God that giveth the encrease Iohn the Baptist can baptise but with water Austine can but speake to our bodyly eares Christ baptiseth only with the holy Ghost and he that hath his chaire in heaven is he only that can teach the heart The water in baptisme can
God for those his so wel known and manifest mercies Exod. 20. 2. no good but needs must be without al fruite And especially he vvill not enter into covenant and league vvith any to become their gracious God in Christ and to accept them for his peculiar people to giue them remission of sins eâ—ernal life and the first fruits of the spirit as the pledge of their caelestial heavenly inheritance but that he will make knowen vnto them this his gracious league and covenant vvith the articles and conditions belonging to the same for othervvise hovve can they performe the conditions And if they knowe not that they haue such and such giftes from God howe can they be thankefull to God for them and employ them to their owne good If they beleeue not that God is their God how can they honour him as their God If they bee not perswaded that they are beloued of God how can they be stirred vp to loue God If they be not assured that God hath accepted of them as of his trusty faithful servants what encouragement can they haue to demeanâ— themselues as his trusty and faithfull servants Surely the spirit of God which knoweth the deepest misteries of the Lords own most privy secret counsels therfore much more searcheth the harts raines of al men and vnderstandeth all their thoughtes taketh it as a thing well knowen acknowledged of all the faithsul servants of God that God louâ—th them and hath manifested the same vnto them by his manifold giftes and that he hath declared himselfe to be their God and hath taken them to be his people and therevpon inferreth that they should honour him aâ— their God and walke worthy of their high and heavenly calling that they should loue him be thankfull vnto him and bee ready continually to testifie the same by their duetifull regard vnto his service and by their humble obedience to all his commaundementes I am the Lord thy God saith God himselfe vnto his true and faithfull servantes among the whole natioÌ„ of Israel That brought you out of the land of Aegypâ—… out of the house of boâ—dage and therevpon requireth to bee accepted of them as their onely GOD and to haue humble obedience yeelded to all his commaundementes And so the holie posterity of these faithfull servants of God doe in most plâ—ine wordes acknowledge los 24. Even that God is their God and hath done thus thus for them therfore that they are bound to seâ—ue him alone to honour him as their only God The same moâ—iue God vrgeth to Abraham the father of the faithfull I am Gen. 17. 1. thy God alsufficient walke before me and be thou perfect that is I am â—ntred into covenant with thâ—e to be thy God I haue and vvill supply all thy wantes and haue wilsticke vnto thee in all thy necessities theâ—fore see that thou throughly sticke vnto me and cleaue perfectly vnto my service The Apostle St. Paule writing to the saints at Ephesus that is to the faithfull in Christ Iesus Eph. 3 1. beginneth with Blessed bee God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ and presently annexeth the cause thereof which vvas The blessing of them vvith all sperituall blessinges in CHRIST Iesus their election predestination redeÌ„ption the revelation of the mysteries of the will of God vnto them their hope faith and their sealing with the spirit of promise these blessings he remembreth not as things doubtfull and vncertaine but as things most manifest well knowen vnto theÌ„ Likwise he exhorteth the Theslalonians to keepe their vesselles in holines honor not to defraud 1. Thess 4. 2 or oppresle one another because they knew what commandements were given vnto them in Christ and that they were not called to vncleanes but to holinesse So to the Coâ—…nthians havinâ— remâ—mbred 1. Cor. 6. 11. them what they were before their calling even such as were desiled with most filthie and abhominable sinnes then hee addeth as a thing vvell knovven and acknovvledged by them all but yee are vvashed but yee are senctâ—fied but yee are iustified in the name of our LORDE Iesus and by the spirâ—te of our GOD and therevpon farther vrgeth as thinges also fullie knovven and confessed both the fruite and the benefite of this formes grace and the duetie also that is to bee performed â—or the same Knovve yee not saith hee that your bodies are the meÌ„bers of Christ Shal I then Ver. 15. take the members of Christ make them the members of an harlette GOD forbidde Yea Ver. 19. Know yee not that your bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost which is in you whom ye haue of God and that ye are not your owne but are bought with a price Therefore glorifie God in your bodie your spirit which are Gods So likewise to the Romanes chiefly considering the season saith the Apostle and knowing that the night is passed and the day is nigh therefore let vs cast away the works of 〈◊〉 13. 11. darknes and let vs put on the armour of light let vs walke honestly as in the day time And againe to the faithful among the Thessalonians Yee are all the children of the light and of the day we are not of the night Thes 5. 5. neither of darknes Therfore let vs not sleepe as other â—o but let vs watch be sober For they that sleepe sleepe in the night and they that are druÌ„ken are drunken in the night but let vs which are of the day be sober putting on the brestplate of faith and loue and the hope of salvation as an helmet For God hath not appointed vs to wrath but to obtaine salvation in Christ Iesus who died for vs that whether wee wake or sleepe wee shoulde liue togither with him Wherefore comfort your selues togither and edifie one another even as yee doe And in deed what greater comfort can there come to the faithfull then to be assured that they are not the children of the night neither of darknes but the children of the light and of the day And what more availeable for edification in godlines then to knowe that they are not appoinâ—ed to wrath but to salvation and therefore that they ought to bee employed wholy in all such dueties as do concerne all such as are to be saved Neither is this argument proper to S. Paule alone but coÌ„mon with him to al the Prophets Apostles who tasted with him of the sweete blessings of the same Saviour and were made partakers of the same comfortable spirit Beholde saith Moses the heaven 〈◊〉 10. 14. and the heaven of heavens is the Lords the earth also and all that is therein Notwithstanding he hath set his delight on vs and hath loved vs and hath chosen vs to be his people and hath preferred vs before many other nations that are farre greater and mightier then we that we also might learne to make
of Gods temporall giftes is a deniall of God and therefore much more the ascribinâ— of eternall life to our own merites but of our temporal goods and possessions vnto our owne industry and witte be an iniquity to be condemned because it is a deniall of God then is it a greater iniquity more to be condemned and a more heinous deniall of God to robbe him of the glory of his greatest giftes by ascribing them vnto our owne merites But herein is fulfilled the prophesie of Saint Peter * 2. Pet. 2. 1. who hath plainely foretolde that as there were then false prophets among the people so there shoulde bee false teachers among vs who shoulde prively bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lorde that bought them The truth is that the children of the Church of Rome confesse in word their redemption wrought by Christ but wheÌ„ they theÌ„ selues labour to purchase heaven by their ovvn merites do they not plainely disallowe the sufficiencie of the purchase thereof made by Christ Yea whereas our Rhemistes are so bolde as to call the iustice of God which is residenâ— in Christ appreheÌ„ded by our faith and so imputed to vs because it was wrought for vs a new no iustice a phant asticall apprehension of that which is not a falsâ— faith and an vntrue imputation and to affirme that there is no righteousnes Rhem in c. 3. ep ad Rom. whereby we are iustified before God but that which is inherent in vs being giveÌ„ to vs of God by Christ that therby we might merit for our selues our iustification salvation doe they not in flat tearmes deny Christs own inhereÌ„t righteousnes wherby we are iustified saved ascribe the same to our own inherent righteousnes If a friend should procure of a father some portion of a stocke for his son by the which being well emploied encreased the son should in some spate of time purchase a good farme were the friend or the father or the son to be tearmed the purchaser thereof It is plaine and manifest that none but the son Why then if Christs own righteousnes inherent in himselfe and imputed to vs be a new no righteousnes not the price of our redemption but our owne inherent righteousnesse procured of God our heavenly Father by the death of Christ as by the mediation of our dearest friend then wee our selues are the purchasers of everlasting life and so our owne Saviours and redeemers and are no surther beholding to Christ for the same then for that he hath procured for vs some portion of loue repentaÌ„ce obedience and the like the which being well emploied and encreased by our owne free will is the only price that is given for that heavenly purchase But far be this blâ—sphemous doctrine from the heartes of all true and faithfull Christians let it bee enough for vs to enioy the fruite of our salvation purchased by Christ let vs giue to his owne most pure and perfect obedience this glory that we esteeme it bee the only price that is or could bee equivalent vnto that so great and worthy a purchase And whereas the great endlesse loue of God our Father electing iustifying vs freely in Christ are the steppes vvhereby God descendeth to vs to finish his worke heere begunne in vs by bringing vs heere in this lâ—…e to our sanctification and to our glorification in the life to come and vvhereas also the Lorde in his high and admirable vvisedome hath appointed that this his greate and endlesse loue in electing and iustififying vs freely in Christ should bee the only effectuall meanes to worke our conversion and sanctification and the most strong and forcible motiue to in duce vs to the ready performaunce of all such holy vvorkes as are the steppes and staires to our glorification let vs not presume to perverte this order and course ordayned by God in his greate wisedome by setting the cart before the horse by turning all â—opsie turvey by chaunging the effectes into the causes and the causes into the effectes by placing the highest steppes in the lowest roomes and the lowest in the highest by altring the first into the last and the last into the first and yet all this is done by vs if vvee make our sanctification and good vvorkes the merit orious causes of the loue of God and of our election iustification by CHRIST vvhich are but the effectes and fruites of the same Nay rather seeing God hath not only loved vs but also hath made manifest the same vnto vs by his manifold blessinges by giving our selues vnto our selues and all this glorious vvorlde to our vse and service by giving vs his ovvne deare sonne to iustifie vs by his bloode and to sanctifie vs by his spirite and to leade vs by his worde in the right way to our full and finall glorification howe oughte wee to serue him that hath thus served vs and honour him that hath honoured vs and loue him that hath loved vs to be most desirous to testifie the same by our careful continual emploiment in all those works which he himselfe hath ordained for vs to walk in that in most ready and humble obedience vnto his will not onely because it is holy iust acceptable welpleasing vnto himselfe and the wil of him vnto whom we owe all obedience in respect of his supreme auctority over vs but much more for that we are so deeply endebtted vnto him in respect of his infinite endlesse mercies Seing theÌ„ the wil of God must be the rule squier of al our workes or else they will grow much out of square therfore it coÌ„cerneth vs most nearely to make most diligent inquiry by what meanes we may attaine to the assured knowledge therof that so we may conforme our selues wholy therevnto The knowledge of the most certaine and vndoubted will of The sure certaine â—…ill of God â—s onely to â—e learned â—ut of the Canonical scriptures God is now to be found only in the word of God revealed to the Prophets Apostles by the spirit of God sette downe by theÌ„ in the Canonical Scriptures For as words are given to vs of God that therby we might signify each to other the seÌ„ce meaning of our minds eveÌ„ so hath the Lord himselfe revealed to vs by his written word what is the meaning of his wil hath coÌ„manded vs to seeke for the same onely from thence This commandement Deut. 30. 11. saith Moses which I command thee this day is not hidde froÌ„ thee neither is it farre of It is not in heaven that thou shouldest say who shall goe vp into heaven and bring it vnto vs and cause vs to heare it that we may doe it Neither is it beyond the sea that thou shouldest say vvho shall goe over the sea to bring it to vs to cause vs to heare it that vvee may doe it But the word is neere vnto thee even
Marc. 1. 15. one is occasioned by the due consideration of our owne most manifold and greavous corruptions the other by the apprehension of the Lordes most singular and endles goodnes And therefore the scope of the whole Scripture teÌ„ding to teach repeÌ„taÌ„ce faith teÌ„deth likewise to these two ends on the one side to display lay open the incomparable excellencies perfectioÌ„s that be in God that by the beauty therof we may be most earnestly stirred vp to desire reconciliatioÌ„ fellowship with him to place our whole hope confideÌ„ce in him to ascribe vnto him al honour glory on the other side to discover the infirmities corruptions of man that therby he may be induced al selfe loue set aside to distrust deny renouÌ„ce himselfe to haÌ„g down the head being coÌ„fouÌ„ded in himselfe cast downe to the bottomles pitte of hell So the Prophet I say setting downe the mighty working of the gospell at the coming of the Messias testifieth that thereby the high lookes shall be humbled and the Isa 2. 17. 24. 23. loftines of man shall be abated and the Lord onely shall be exalted in that day yea that the Moone shal be abashed and the Sunne ashamed wheÌ„ the Lord shal appeare that is that such things as in our selues seeme beautiful as the SuÌ„ne shal be covered with darknes dashed over as with a coaâ—e in respect of the brightnes of Gods most admirable goodnes shining in the face of the glorious Messias And whaâ— else also meaneth the Prophet â—zechiell in saying that when Ezech. 16. the Lord hath confirmed his everlasting Covenant with vs is pacified towards vs theÌ„ we shal remeÌ„ber our waies be ashamed neuer open our mouthes any more in respect of our shame Wherefore if we will bee partakers of the fruite of the gospell we must be moued thereby to looke throughly into our own corruptioÌ„s to cast down our eies as it were vpoÌ„ our own fowle feete that so we may haue our part in that shaÌ„e which is the path way to worship honor We Eccl. 4. 21. must not be gazing vpon our peacockes tailes nor beholding the SuÌ„ne when he shineth nor the Moone walking in her Iob. 31. 26. brightnes that is we must not admire ourselues no not in respect of our teÌ„poral or spiritual gifts lest our owne harts do flatter vs in secret so induce vs to kisse our own haÌ„ds Surely this is an iniquity to be coÌ„deÌ„ned seing it is a denial Hab. 2. 4. of the Lord aboue For he that lifteth vp himselfe his hart is not vpright for the iust shal liue by faith which teacheth vs not to admire ourselues or to trust in our selues but to go out of our selues and to trust in God and to place our whole hope in the riches of his grace in the fulnes of his goodnes And in truth we can hardly detract to much from man in whose flesh dwelleth no good thing al the imaginatioÌ„s Rom. 7 18. Gen. 6. 5. of whose hart are only evil coÌ„tinually that so he may be brought to cast away al selfe loue pride coÌ„fidence in himselfe take to himselfe his due deserved coÌ„fuâ—ion and shame be vnfainedly huÌ„bled as he ought to be As on the coÌ„trary side we caÌ„ as hardly ascribe to much to Gods goodnes or be overlavish in extolling the hight leÌ„gth bredth depth of the loue of Christ that passeth knowledge that so the pledges of his endles favour may raise vs vp to a true liuely faith to giue him that glory that is due to him And why should mire that lieth in the streete be so gready to be seasoÌ„ed with sugar spice a vile peece of a rotten post to be gilded over with fine gold why should wretched sinful man be desirous to enlarg his own estimatioÌ„ by advauÌ„cing lifting vp himselfe prepare a way to a most daÌ„gerous downfall So God be glorified we ought not greatly regard what becometh of vs seing all is due to him nothing to vs. And verely the most blessed servants saints of God being purged and clensed from all corruptions being admitted to the vision of God and to bebold not his hinder partes but even to see him face to face and so to behold his vnspeakable glory as farre forth as the creature is capable of the same albeit they are so highly advauÌ„ced yet they take their crownes from their owne heades and cast them downe before the throne saying Apoc. 4 10. 11. Thou art worthy O Lord to receaue honour glorie power for thou hast created all thinges for thy willes sake they were are created never ceasing day nor night to sing holy holy holy Lord God Apoc. 15. 4. almighty who shal not feare thee glorify thy name for thou only art holy Yea our most glorious Lord Saviour Christ Iesus himselfe who was annointed with the oile of gladnes aboue his fellowes and endued vvith the spirite vvith out measure vvho is advaunced to the right hand of GOD and hath all power in heaven and earth giuen vnto him is appointed iudge of quicke deade when he shall haue finished the worke of his Mediator-shippe and shall haue placed al the elect of God in the peaceable possessioÌ„ of that most glorious kingdome which he hath purchased for theÌ„ with his owne blood theÌ„ as he is man he shal deliver vp his kingdome to God be subiect to him that to this end that God may be all in all all glorie honour power 1. Co. 15. 28 praise being worthely ascribed only to him Whereby it is evident that God can never be sufficiently magnified in respect of his incomprehensible goodnes glory as on the contrary side man can never be sufficiently huÌ„bled abased especially in comparison had vnto God And yet the members of the Church of Rome fearing belike that Gods great grace should be to highly magnified that to much should be yeelded therevnto being loath as it seemeth that man should take to himselfe that due deserued shaÌ„e that beloÌ„geth vnto him wil haue neither Conc. Trid. sess 6. cap. 1. Can. 7. al our workes before our coÌ„versatioÌ„ being doÌ„e without faith to be condemned for sinne nor all our good workes after our Cap. â—… con 25. Cap. 2. can 4. conversion to be stained so much as with any â—ental sinne neither all our very sinnes to be damnable and mortall nor yet our conversion it selfe to be wrought only by the spirit of regeneration but also by the power of our owne free wil neither our salvation to be ascribed to the only death of our all sufficient Saviour but also to our owne merites and desertes The Prophet Cap. 11. can 32. Psal 115. 1. David was of another spiâ—…e Not vnto vs O Lorde saith he not vnto vs but vnto
so make vs his beloued childreÌ„ Our harts are as barreÌ„ grouÌ„d bearing Matth. 1 â— nothing but weeds trash vntill we be manured by the Lords husbaÌ„dmeÌ„ haue receiued the pure seed of the word yea 1. Pet. 2. 25 we are all as sheepe going astray waÌ„dring in the waies of death destructioÌ„ vntil we are reclaimed by our great sheepheards voice and so brought home to Christs folde Now if we gladly receaue the seede of the worde and fructifie thereby accordingly heereby wee may bee assured that wee are that good grouÌ„d which doth receiue blessing of God And if we harkeÌ„ to this our great shepheards voice and not to the voice of a stranger heereby also we may assure ourselues that vvee are Christes heape and that we belong to his stocke Good cause therefore haue the faithful servants of Christ to loue and embrace the word of God not only for that it is an immortal seede wherby they are begotten to an immortal life of barren ground are made fruitful of waÌ„dring sheepe are reclaimed home to the fold of Christ but also for that it coÌ„taineth the baÌ„ds of the covenaÌ„t of our peace with God and the evidences for the assurance of the remission of our sinnes and of our inheritaunce in the kingdome of glory There is no wise man that is to enioy any temporall landes or possessions either by coppy or by Indenture or by deedes of gift but that hee vvill make good accounte of all such evidences as concerne the same and learne also the contents thereof that so he may know the iustnesse of his title to such possessions And if at any time he be vniustly molested and kept from the enioying of any of those lands he putteth the maâ—ter in suite and speaketh for iustice and making proofe of his title by the view of his evidences sentence passeth on his side and so he obtaineth his right and lawfull possessions It hath beene thought in the time of darkenesse that if a man had beene buried in a cloyster and in a Monkes coule having a crosse and a pardon put into his graue vvith him that those thinges had beene a sufficient safe conduct to fence him from the fenne and that they had beene as good an assuraunce for the silly soule to passe from hence to heaven as a pasport subscribed with a Iustices hand and ratified and confirmed with his â—…ne and allovved is a sure protection with vs for a poore travâ—…ling man to preserue him from al maner of molestation But 〈…〉 the light of the gospel hath appeared it is manifest known that these are but forged evideÌ„ces and of no validity for that no creature is able to bestow so great giftes as are the remission of sâ—nnes deliverance from hell and the inheritaunce of eternall glory or giue any assurance for the obtaining of the same it is God oâ—…ly that can make a grant of these graces and the assurance thereof that he hath made vnto the faithfull in his holy and sacred word are the only evidences that can fully warrant our iust title right to the same The which thing as it is wel known vnto the whole coÌ„pany of the Lords people so it was throughly setled in the hart of a faithfull brother not long since departed from vs in the Lord a George Wrisly bacheler of law fellow of new Colledge in Oxford fellow while he liued of an honourable foundation but now a fellow citizen of the saints enioying the priviledges of a far more honorable society who by order of his house was a studeÌ„t of those laws which are pleadable in the coÌ„sistory before an earthly iudge can giue vs some protectioÌ„ here in this world but by his godly choice he was also a student of those laws which are onely pleadable at the bar of the highest iudge can warrant vs the assuraÌ„ce of greater blessings And therefore he lying in his death bed feeling himselfe sicke vnto death and knowing that his time was now come of his present appearing in that place where he was to lay in his claime to his heauenly inheritance called for his evidences which did concerne the same that is he called for his bible which he had before daily vsed in his health read the fifteenth chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians therin beholding how sin was fully satisfied for by the death of Christ and so abolished and sin being abolished death must needs be vanquished for that it hath all his strength from sin and so being assured of his deliverance from death and of his right to the possession of eternal life laying these his evidences open vpon his brest clas-â—ping theÌ„ close to his hart with both his armes yeelded vp immediatly his faithful soule into the hands of his most loving Saviour and now resteth vndoubtedly vnder the altar praising lauding God continually For no doubt to him belongeth the heauenly inheritaunce vvhich vnfainedly loueth and embraceth all such evidences as doe concerne that heauenly inheritance and he hath most assuredly right and interest in everlasting life who highly esteemeth religiously embraceth that eternall will and testameÌ„t of our great gracious God wherin is beqâ—…athed vnto al the faithful the gift and legacy of eternall life and hee shall most certainely enioy the incomparable benefite of the covenant of grace who hath fulfilled the condition thereof by having the law of God planted in his heart and firmely setled in his inwarde man The second note is a full resting vpon God and a placing of our whole trust and confidence onely â—n him according to the direction of this our christian creede I beleeue in GOD. For hee is not to be accounted faithfull that beleeueth in any other but he that beleeueth only in God And it is onething to beleeue here is a God and another thing to beleeue God and another also to beleeue in God He that beleeveth in God shall never be confounded seeing he is made Rom. 10. 11 Ioh 1. 42. Mat. 16. 18. thereby a living stone as Peter was built vpon a most sure foundation and strong rocke hell gates shall never prevaile against him they shal neuer bring him to eternal confusion They that travaile saith Iob 6. 18 19. 20. Iob in the quarters of Tema and Seba in the time of a drought and seeke for some refreshing for themselues and their beastes to the rivers that overflowed and made a great flowde in the winter time returne confounded without succour for that the waters of those rivers are dried vp So it is with all such as trust in creatures they digge to themselues pits even Ier. 2. 13. broken pits that can hold no water haue recourse to dryed brooks therfore in the end are vtterly confounded for this their vaine and fond choice For they that follow lying vanities forsake and Ion. 2. 8. abandon their owne mercy Now
their faith may assuredly know that they are Christs that they are the true members of his mysticall body the temples of his hâ—ly spirit and that God is become their gratious father hath made them inheritours of his heauenly kingdome Now the faithfull being the adopted sonnes of God in Christ hauing God to be their merciful father haue no iust cause to doubt of their continuance in the favour of God in the estate of grace and salvation in Christ Iesus For the fountaine of this grace in them is as a fountaine of liuing water the streames wherof Ioh. 4. 10. 14. Psal 1 3. Ieâ— â—7 8. 1. Pet. 1. 23. never wax dâ—ie and they become as good trees planted by the water side whose leaues never wither who never cease from yeelding fruite they are borne againe not of mortall seeae but of the immortall seede of the word of God which liueth and lasteth for ever and they are Ioh. 6 35. fedde also with the incorruptible food of the bread of life the vertue whereof is never consumed he that eaâ—eth therof doth never hunger and he that drinketh there of doth never thirst Many great enimies indeede they haue but he that is in them is greater 1. Ioh. 4. 4. then he that is in the worlde and therefore they can never be fully vanquished Our Saviour himselfe doth continually appeare to make intercession for them before the throne of his heauenly father Heb. 7. 25. whose petitions the father will never deny Yea he himselfe is alway present with them even to the end of the world walking in the middest Matâ— 28. 20. Ap 1. 20. of them and holding them in his right hand neither is there any able to take them out of his hand Yea where this sunne of righteousnes beginneth to shine there the light thereof is never vtâ—eâ—ly darkened Esa 60 20. for this sunne never goeth dovvne To the first man saith Austin Aug. de bono qerseuâ—c 12 was giueÌ„ an ability to persevere only if he himselfe would haue vsed the same But to the elect now is giuen perseverance it selfe Christ hath appointed them that they goe and bring forth fruite and that their fruite abide therefore who dareth be so bold as to say peâ—adventure it shall not abide The Lord hath setled his fatherly Rom. 11. 29 Ioh 13. 1. Math. 16. 18 1. Ioh. 2 19 loue and affection vppon them he vvill not repent of it nor revoke it but continue it even to the end he hath built them vppon a most sure rocke hell gates shall never prevaile against them hee hath incorporated them into the heavenly Ierusalem the city of GOD they shall alvvay continue members of that society VVho then dareth bee so bolde as to say peradventure GOD vvill not loue his faithfull servantes to the end peradventure hell gates shall prevaile against them peradventure hovvsoever they are novve for the present yet they shall not continue in that celestiall society Verely â—f the faithfull vvere lefte in their ovvne handes to stande by the right and power of their owne strength there might be great doubt of their constancy and perseuerance But they are committed to a more faithfull keeper their life is hid with Christ in God and they are Col. 3 3. 1. Pet. 1. 5. preserued by his power vnto eternall salvation Or if the continuance of the Lords favour and loue did depende vpon the merites and desertes of the faithfull and not vpon the Lords owne most constant and vnchangeable goodnes there might be iust cause of feare lest the LORD vvould vvithdravve his mercy from them But he that knowing the greate frailty and weakenes yea the foule falles and faultes of his elect and chosen children before the foundation of the earth was laide therfore before he had made any promise of good things vnto theÌ„ did yet in his vnspeakable mercy goodnes steppe as it were over them all and bouÌ„d himselfe being before most free by his gratious promises made vnto them no doubt but the same vnspeakable mercy goodnes vvill cause him being novve bounde and so a debtour in respect of his truth and righteousnes also to steppe over all those stumbling blockes vvhen they are cast in his waie for the stedfast and stable performance of all such thinges as vvere in greate grace and mercy before promised For as the Apostle teacheth the promises made vnto the faithfull are founded vppon grace that so they might bee sure they are not founded Rom. 4 16. vppon the â—ottering stay of mans frailty but vpon the immoveable and vnchaungeable rocke of the LORDES ovvne loue and therefore they are vnmoveable and vnchaungeable Neither is this doctrine as it is vniustly chardged by the enimyes of faith the mother of pride or of carnall securitie and dissolutenes of life but the most sounde doctrine of the christian faith and the most direct way to sincere piety godlines For is not this a necessary dueâ—y of everie true and faithfull christian which is engraffed and incorporated into CHRIST to beleeue confesse that by the vertue of his death he hath full recoÌ„ciliation with God remission of sinnes and an inheritance in the kingdome of glory yeelding most hearty thankes vnto GOD for this his most gratious callinge vnto the estate of salvation in CHRIST â—esus and magnifying â—is vnspeakable goodnes for the same continually Nay not to acknowledge this willingly were plaine infidelity and gladly not to make profession thâ—… of were great vnthankefulnes so far is it of that this doctrine can be iustly charged to be the nurce of pride or the mother of haughty and diveâ—ish presumption being in deede the true nurcâ— of all sounde comfort and â—oy and the naturall mother of all holy and faithfull presumption Presume saith Saint Austine Aug. sâ—rm 28. de vâ— b. â—omini not of thine ovvne doing but of the grace of CHRIST for by grace yee are saved as saith the Apostle this is then not pride but faith to make open profession of that vvhich thou haste reâ—eaved iâ— not presumption but â—evotion I vviâ—… not glorie saith Ambrose Amâ— dâ— lacâ—bâ— viâ—a bâ—ata cap. 6. that I am iust but that I am redeemed for that vvill I glorie neither vvill I glory for that I am voide of sinne but for that my sinneâ— are remitted to my selfe I vvill not glorie for that I haue profited anâ—e or for that aâ—…e hath profited mâ—e but for that CHRIST is an advocate vvith the father for MEE and that his bloode vvâ—… shâ—dde for MEE VVherefore Bernarde speaking to the faithfull If thou saith hee beleevest that thy sinnes cannot bee done avvaâ—e Bâ—rn sâ—r 1. de annuâ—iat but by hiâ—… against vvhome alone thou halâ— offended and vvho himselfe cannot offende thou doest vvell but thou must proceede further and beleeue also that thy sinnes are forgiuen even to thy selfe For to doubte of the most singular
vertue of CHRISTS bloode to vvash and clense the staines of all the sinnes of the faithfull were infidelitie or not to doubt thereof but to doubt vvhether it bee availâ—able to purge and clense THINE iniquities sinnes is to bewray thine infidelity in another degree even in that thou beleevest not thy selfe to belong to that number nor yet to bee partaker vvith them of their mercie VVherefore to teach the faithfull that they shoulde bee persvvaded of the remission of their ovvne sinnes through the death of Christ is to plucke vp the rootes of infidelity it is not to teach pride but faith nor to open a gappe to all â—inne and vvickednesse but contrarivvise most effectuallie to provoke to repentance loue and thankefulnesse and to the practise of all other christian dueties Aâ—d in truth we cannot bee rightly offended with our selues for offending so merciful and gracious a God vntill he hath given vs some sense feeling of his vnspeakeable mercy towardes vs in assuring vs of the pardon of our offences and sinnes Neither can vve vnfainedly loue the Lord and desire to be thankfull vnto him as we ought to be vntil we be perswaded that he loueth vs and beareth a kinde affection tovvards vs. Neither yet can we wholy resigne our selues to God vntil we perceiue that we are not our ovvn but that we are bought with a price that so we should 1. Cor. 6. 20 sanctifie the Lorde both in our bodies and in our spirites which are the Lordes My beloued sâ—ith the spouse is mine and I am his he hath Cant. 2. 16. giuen himselfe to me and hath assured me of his loue and therefore I giue my selfe to him and assure him of mine obedience VVee loue him saith Saint Iohn because he loved vs first For as 1. Ioh. 4 19. one fire kindleth another and one heate raiseth vp another so the â—iâ—…y heate of the Lords kindnes and loue felt in the hearts of the faithful doth kindle againe the fiâ—e of their loue and thankefulnesse towards God causing them to busie all their thoughtes and cogitations how they may after the best manner perfourme this there bouâ—den duety and service to God When the Lord by the prophet had mentioned his great mercies bestowed vpon his people of Israel the prophet straâ—t-waies in the person of the people breaketh out into these words Wherewithall shall I come before Mich 6. 6. the Lorde and bowe my selfe before the high God Likevvise David vppon the like consideration VVhat shall I render vnto the Psa 116. 12. 103. 1. Lorde for all his benefites bestovved on mee and againe Praise the LORDE O my soule and all that is within mee praise his holy name praise the LORDE O my soule and forget not all his benefites vvho forgiueth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities vvhâ— saueth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindnes In which words we may perceaue that the sence and feeling of the Lords mercies in reâ—…tting to the prophet David his manifold sinnes was in him as a great vehement flame kindling in his very hart soule a most fervent zealous desire of magnifying and extolling the Lords mercies So Mary loved Luc. 7 47. much because manie sinnes vvere forgiven her â—eeling first the great aboundance of Gods loue tovvardes her selfe in pardonâ—ng her manifolde and grievous sinnes vvhich caused in her as it vvâ—re a reflexion and reciprocation of her loue towards God for those his great and endlesse mercies And surely if the small kindenes of a man and that towardes his enimy doth oftentimes â—eape coales of fire on his heade turning malice into meekenesse Rom. 12. 20 and currishnes into kindenes and so overcomming evill with goodnes how much more the infinite loue of God in pardoning our manifold and grievous sinnes being once felt within vs vvill it not possesse our soules with his loue and winne al our affections to his obedience Surely it vvil cause vs to reioyce if wee may suffer any tribulation for his names sake or performe any other duety whatsoeuer that may be grateful and acceptable vnto him We reioice saith the Apostle in tribulations knowing that tribulation Rom. 5. 4. bringeth foorth patience and patience experience and experience hope hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shedde abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost And to say the truth who euer were greater enimies to carnal security and dissolutenes of life more zealous followers of Christ more religious embracers of true piety and godlines then such as aboue all other haue felt the loue of God most aboundantly towardes themselues in assuring them most vndoubtedly of the forgiuenes of all thâ—ir sinnes of their inheritance in the kingdome of glory Wherefore this doctrine which teacheth the faithful to raise vp themselues to a stedfast assurance of Gods mercies tendeth neither to pride noâ— to dissolutnes of life but that doctrine which teacheth to doubt of Gods favour is no better then a flat stepmother to faith and a naturall nurce to infidelity For he that wil rightly come vâ—to God must come vnto him without doubting whereby we see that faith Iac. 1. 6. and doubtfulnesse cannot wel agree together So vvhen God promised Abraham a sonne in his old age adding further that Rom 4. 2â— in his seed al the nations of the earth should be blessed Mâ—t â—4 31. Rom. 14 23 In Gen 4â— The popish faith â—…ke to the Infidell Poets he doubted not saith the Apostle through vnbeliefe shewing thereby that doubtfulnes ariseth of infidelity Wherefore for any that professeth himselfe to belong to the number of the faithfull to doubt of the performance of any of the Lordes promisâ—s in generall or in particular of the promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes and eternall life made to al that beleeue doth argue a very small faith at the least if it doe not convince the party of â—latte infidelity Non si mihi Iuppiter ipse sâ—…n â—…at â—…am sâ—crem hoc contingere ponâ—… Wherefore as Martin Luther truely avouched if there were no other errors and heresies in the doctrine of the church of Rome but euen this that they teach that the faithful which are iustified before God ought not yet assure themselues of 〈◊〉 owne iustification and of their owne vndoubted calling vnto the estate of grace but remaine stil pensiue and doubtful of the remission of their sinnes and of their interest in the kingdome of glory yet this alone were a sufficient motâ—ue to make a separation from her as being the mother of infidelity and not of faith Div. 3. That we ought to beleeue onlie in God and not in the church or in anie creature THose things which the Gentiles offer vp in sacrifice they I beleeue in God I beleeue the church offer to devils not to God the Iews all hereticks beleeue not in the true God but
beleeue though one rose from the deade Signes â—uk 16 31. â—ar 16. 20. â—eb 2. 4. vvrought by diuine power were diuine witnesses to giue testimony to the doctrine that it vvas diuine nowe the doctrine is receaued as a diuine doctrine what neede is there of witnesses stil to testifie the same Hee is a monster saith Austine that as Aug. de civ Dei l. 22. c. 8 yet seeketh for a miracle The doctrine in truth of Antichrist and of all false prophets hath neede of new miracles because their doctrine is straunge and new and the Deuil as the spirite of Mat 24 24. â— Thess 2. 9 â—hrys in Mat. hom â—9 Christ hath foretolde shal be ready to furnish them vvith great variety thereof that so hee may prevaile the more by them and leade the greater number thereby into errour VVherefore in that the church of Rome boasteth greatly of her miracles and taketh exception against our doctrine for vvant thereof thereby shee betrayeth her infidelity and bewrayeth her selfe not to bee the church of Christ but the very seate of the great Antichrist Opposit 4. The faithfull servauntes of Christ by the preaching of the worde of God having their secret sinnes disâ—layed and their consciences touched to the quicke and feeling in their hartes the divine power and maiesty purity and perfection thereof lightning their mindes sanctifying their affections and converting their soules doe fall downe as the Apostle saith and worshippe God and say that God is in you of a trueth acknowledging the preachers of that worde to be Gods ministers and 1. Cor 14. 25. the worde it selfe to bee Gods word vvhereof they haue so good proofe and so sufficient warrant in their owne heartes whereas faithlesse hypocrites having felt within them no such divine power of Gods heavenly worde doe not beleeue it to bee the worde of God for the words sake it selfe but for the outwarde testimony and witnes of the church THE mighty and powerfull worde of Christ is the scepter of Heb. 1. 8. 4. 12. Isa 11. 4. Apo 19. 15. his kingdome whereby he ruleth and raigneth in the heartes of his loyal and obedient subiects the most sharpe sword whereby he subdueth and vtterly destroyeth all his enimes By it he beateth downe in the heartes of his chosen infidelity Idolatry pride and vnthankefulnes and whatsoeuer lifteth vp it selfe against God and planteth faith piety humility and an hearty desire of sincere obedience and thankefulnes vnto God In this word being laide open the infinite and inestimable dignity of the sufferings and death of Christ whereby ful reconciliation is obtained with God satisfaction made for sinne to the vttermost and a perfect purchase made of the kingdome of heauen how are the faithful encouraged with ful assurance of faith to come vnto God and to place their whole trust and confidence in him As by the dreadful denunciations of Gods wrath against all iniquity and sinne set downe in this word especially by that seuere execution of the iustice of God in the death of Christ in whom the sins of all the elect were so seuerely punished that in vnspeakeable mercy they might be most freely pardoned vnto themselues how are the faithful touched to the quicke pricked at the very hearts humbled and after a sort cast downe into hell that they might be lifted vp againe by the Lordes mercy tast see how gracious the Lord is So like wise vvhen the infinite wisedome equity iustice righteousnes integritie puritie sanctity vprightnes which is in every one of the commaundementes of God is made knowen in some measure to everie of the faithfull how doth it winne all his affections to the loue of this lawe and cause him to lay it vp fast in his heart as a most precious and invaluable treasure O theâ— saith he with the prophet David the law of the Lord is an vndefiled law 〈◊〉 19. converting the soule the testimony of the Lord is sure and giueth wisedome vnto the simple the statutes of the Lord are right reioice the hart the commandement of the Lord is pure giueth light vnto the eies the feare of the Lord is cleane indureth for ever the iudgmentes of the Lord are true righteous altogeather And more to be desired then gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also then the hony and the hony combe The SamaritaÌ„s who at the first were induced to beleeue in Christ vpon the testimony of the womaÌ„ which said vnto theÌ„ come see a man which hath told me all whatsoever I did is not he thâ— very Christ wheÌ„ they had heard theÌ„selue the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth had felt in their heartes the power of his doctrine theÌ„ they said to the woman that first brought theÌ„ to Christ Now we do not beleeue for thy words for we haue heard him our selues â—…h 4. â—…om 13. â—ug Conses â—ib 8. â—ap 12. do beleue that he is the very Christ So Austin wheÌ„ he was a coÌ„teÌ„tious carnall Manichee would not beleue the gospell but for the testimony of the church but when by the divine oracle being admonished to take the booke of God into his haÌ„ds to reade therein he had read Let vs walke honestly as in the day-time not in gluttony and drunkennes nor in chambering and wantonnes nor in strife and envying but put yee on the Lord Iesus and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lustes of it this did seeme so holy heavenly and divine a doctrine vnto him and such an admiration and alteration it wrought in his hart that theÌ„ no doubt he did not beleeue for the bare outward testimony of the church but for the divine fruite vertue power puritie of the divine word of God that he himselfe had felt in his own hart VVherefore in that the children of the church of Rome doe teach and avouch that they doe not nay cannot beleeue the divine scripture to be the worde of GOD but for the testimony of the church it is manifest that they haue not felt the divine power thereof in their heartes nor haue beene translated thereby out of the slavery of Satan into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Opposit 5. The mighty and speedy prevailing of the Gospell of Christ both at the first publication thereof by the Apostles of Christ and also at the renovation of the same in these last daies and that vvithout any earthly helpes or furtherances yea maugre the malice and spite of the Devill who set all the power and pollicy of the world with might and maine to suppresse and to roote out the same declareth the great â—fficacy of this most mighty truth vvhich thus hath hitherto and will still prevaile IT is a thing worthy to be obserued that the mystery of iniquity 2. Thes 2. 7 beganne even in the Apostles times creeping in by little and little being long in working before
in respect of them for that their number is alwaies the greater â—as shee is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy in respect of the godly for that they are the better part Wherfore all vngodly and faithlesse dissembling hypocrites as they seeme onely to be holy and are not so they seeme also but are not in deed the true members of the holy catholike church For how can they haue the church to be their mother which are not begotten againe of the immortal seede of the word of God which liueth and lasteth for euer How can I say those bee members of the holy catholicke church and haue her for their mother vvho haue not God for their father who as they honour not God as a father neither endevour to resemble his image so he doth not acknowledge them for his sonnes nor accept them as inheritours of his heavenly kingdome And doth not our creede reach vs also that this holy catholike church of Christ is a communâ—on of saintes who haue in this life remission of sinnes and shall attaine in the life to come to a glorious resurrection and to lâ—e everlasting But the wicked vngodly dissembling hypocrites the sonnes of the bond woman which are base-borne and bastarde brethren they haue no part nor portioÌ„ in these blessings of God with the sonnes Gal. 4. 30. of the free woman which are the elect chosen children of God and the true members of the holy catholicke church of Christ Wherefore the church of Rome greatly disgraceth this holy catholike church of Christ in that shee would allowe an interest in her to impuâ—e and vngodly dissembling hypocrites as on other respectes shee advaunceth her to high in assigning her that priviledge that shee cannot erre and graunting that ability vnto her children whereby they may perfectly fulfill the law of God Div. 4. That the church may erre in matters of faith THe Apostles prophets had their doctrine from God not onely mediately by instruction but also immediatly by revelation Holy but revelations are now ceased and the church hath her doctrine now mediatly onely by instruction out of the divine and sacred scriptures and therefore the church may erre albeit the Apostles and Prophets were free from errour For in learning out of the scriptures the dulnesse and blindnes of our capacity oftentimes misseth of the true sence and meaning thereof which is no impediment when as the spirite of God by revelation vseth not the blockishnesse of our vnderstanding to bring vs to the knovvledge of God but doth immediately by his power shâ—dde it in our heartes or else teacheth vs by such as are instructed immediately 〈…〉 2. Div. 3. That every member of the church breaketh the law and doeth not perfectly fulfill the same NO man loveth the Lorde with all his heart power and strength so that all his â—ffections cogitations thoughts are only employed in the Lords service and in obedience to his commandementes and therefore no man perfectly fulfilleth the whole law For our loue doth so follow ouâ— knowledge that no man can perfectly loue God that perfectly knoweth not his loue and goodnes towardes vs but in this life wee knowe but in 〈◊〉 13. 9 parte vvee vnderstande but in parte wee see as through a glasse and in a darke speaking and so our loue also is but in parte it is no wise so perfect as it ought to be VVherefore that perfect loue beeing not in any which the lawe requireth that which wanteth thereof is sinne â—…p 29. and a breach of the lawe and commaundementes of God For to loue the Lorde withall our hearte soule and strength is not a point of perfection counselled onely in the gospell aboue the lawe but a necessary duety commaunded in the lavve and therefore our Saviour calleth it in slâ—tte tearmes not onely a commaundement 〈◊〉 â—…2 38. but also the first of the commaundementes VVherefore all being guilty of the breach of this commaundement there is none that is able to fulfill the vvhole lawe much lesse to doe any worke of supererogation more then is commaunded in the law of God Many prowde debtours hauing not as yet wasted their whole stockes but beeing only declining and ready to fall conceaue so well of themselues and of their owne ability that when they looke but vpon the particular billes of their debt they conceaue some hope to recover and to bee able in time to discharge all but vvhen they cast them all togither and so take a viewe of the totall summe that appeareth by and by to bee so great that thereby they are cleane dismaide and discouraged and vtterly excluded from all hope But the pride of our Romish banke-ruptes is in a farre higher degree in that the summe of all the commandements contayning the summe of our vvhole debte bee it neuer so great and neuer so huge yet it doeth not mooue them to acknowledge their inhabilitie but they still imagine themselues to be able to fulfil the whole lavve and so to discharge their vvhole debte yea and more also vvith the surplussage vvhereof beeing due vnto them The meanest in the church of Rome are taught that they may fulfil al the commandementes whereas the very best in the church of Christ more or lesse faile in all vppon a reckoning and an accountes they thinke themselues able to helpe tovvardes the dischardge of the debtes of others also VVhereas in trueth if vvee vvoulde duely looke into the greatnesse of the duety that is required at our handes in any one of the commaundementes wee should perceiue the very debte of every one of these particular billes to amounte and grovve to so great a summe that as long as vvee liue heere in this life such is our spirituall penury and beggary vvee are neuer able to discharge the same 1. CoÌ„mand For vvho is there euen amonge the most perfecte and iust that neuer preferreth profite or pleasure or the satisfying of one affection or other before iustice and righteousnesse and before his loue and obedience to God thereby placing them after a sort in Gods throne 2 who alvvaies so highly conceiveth of the incomprehensible maiesty of the almighty Iehovah as hee ought to doe and of his incomparable and vnmatchable glory that cannot be resembled by any similitude without great impeachment and derogation to the same 3 Who conceiveth so reverently of the infinite power of the most mighty creator of heaven earth that hee neuer taketh his glorious and dreadfull name in vaine but euer vseth it with such reverence and feare as is due vnto it 4 VVho sanctifieth on that manner the Sabaoth day that ceasing altogither from satisfying his owne vvill hee suffereth the Lord by his holy spirite and sacred vvorde vvholy to vvoâ—ke in himselfe and so employeth himselfe only in his service Yea who is it that keepeth a perpetuall Sabaoth vnto the LORDE 5 VVho is it that so honoureth his pâ—rentes and the rest of his
gospell of Christ may encounter herein euen their stoutest champions For if either we respect the sounde doctrine or the sincere practise of good workes for good words bring forth good manners not only at their birth but also in their growth it shal be declared in the treatise following that the holsome doctrin of good workes is most soundly delivered by vs and not by them and as for the practise let vs nowe briefly take a true view thereof euen in the fowre cardinal vertues wisedome fortitude temperance and iustice and let vs in a word see whether we haue iust cause to giue ground vnto them and to yeeld backe one foote Concerning wisedome which is the Lady and M is The professors of the gospell are no whit behind the papists but a great way before them in the holy exercise of all vertues to all the residue of the vertues not onlâ— our doctrine but our practise also is that both priest and people haue their dayly resort to the word of God the full fountaine welspring of true wisedome and meditate thereon day and night that their harts being continually moistened with the sweete droppes thereof they may be made partakers of her fruits And is it not a point of true wisdome for one that cannot of himselfe wisely iudge of al thinges to make choise of a wise instructer teacher But the doctrine the practise of the church of Rome is to cause the people for the most parte to reiect the daylie reading of the word of God and therfore what wisedome can there be in theÌ„ Ier. 8. 9. yea it hath not bin required much lesse practised by their priestes and great Bishops to be much busied in the Lords bookeâ— it hath beene thought to haue bin inough for them to haue biâ— skilfull in their portuise and in their pontificall It may shame indeede the priestes of Italy who truelie Aenaeas Silvius coÌ„ment de dict fact Alphon. regis 1. 2. 17 Eras 1. 9. ep ad Natal Bedd as it is wel knowen haue no not so much as once read over the new testament whereas among the Thaborites that is the Gospellers yee can hardly finde any woman which cannot aunswere both out of the olde testament and the new And a proveâ—be went currant in Scotland not many yeares since testifieng the blindnes and brutishnes of some of their great Bishops ye are like the Bishops of Dunkelden who knew neither new nor olde lawe Now concerning true Christian courage and manhood it hath beene so great in many thousands of the professors of the Gospel of Christ that even among such as were of the meanest trades and occupations that they haue willingly lost both their liberties and liues to giue testimony vnto the truth of their most holy faith and the paucity of the seedsmen of rebellion that haue bin executed for treason against their prince and country and for the defence of the vsurped iurisdiction of the Romish Antichrist may no way bee compared and matched with them And as for the exercise of temperance and chastity it is well knowne to the whole world how we reverence the divine institutioÌ„ of holy matrimony and keepe our selues within the bounds of this ordinance of the Lord Wheras among our Romish votaries simple fornication hath beene accounted no sinne and it hath beene thought to goe well with them if they liued Si noÌ„ castè â—ameé cautè charily though not chastly And howe chastly some of their religious persons liued among themselues some of their fishpondes haue testified sufficiently and concerning their secular priestes the toÌ„gues of such as liued with them haue witnessed that very few wives in their parishes were left at the least vnattempted by these their ghostlie Fathers that I may omitte the vowed trotting on pilgrimage by many that the barren wombe might so be made fruitfull Lastly concerning iustice equity conscience and an vnspotted and vnblameable life as it hath beene reported by Reinerius an inquisitor and that no doubt vpon sufficient inquiry of our brethren the poore men of Lions that they had a great shew of godlines lived iustly with men and beleeved al things well concerning God and all the articles of the creede saue only saith he that they hated blasphemed the church of Rome so I doubt not but that the like testimony may be given of al the sincere professors of the Gospel and that by the mouth of the very enemy if that he wil lay aside blind malice as Reinerius did and simplie and plainely declare the truth At least suppose his conscience wil not make vs worse then those of his religious orders of whoÌ„ it hath bin testified long since that they haue fallen from conscience to science and from Petr. Rodulph Tossian histor Seraph religion 1. â— science to be bareences And what conscience I pray you and what regard to Gods commandements was in those that apprehended Thomas Sanpaulinus at Paris vpoÌ„ suspition of heresie for that he reproved one for swearing in vaine and never left him vntil they had brought him from the tortures of the racke to end his life in fiery torments And yet these things are not spoken to this end as if we meant to detract al ciuil carriage from all the members of the church of Rome nay that the Deuill himselfe may haue his right we ingenuously confesse and acknowledge the outward exercise of many civill politicke vertues in many of them especiallie the most profitable works of piety liberality and mercy in founding Colledges Hospitals and the like But yet so that if they would take from their Faulcons eies the hood of selfe loue and partiality look into one little corner of the glasse of that paineful labourer in the Lords vineyard Master Doctor VVillet they might Andrew-Willet controv gener 19. error 104. see that the professours of the gospel are nothing behinde them in those so goodly and glorious workes How beit although we were not altogither matchable with theÌ„ in the outwarde worke of these vertues for that wee are no way matchable with them in those great dignities priviledges offices and honors and in those large and ample possessions which they enioied to the ful yet they may know that the poore widdowes mite is as much and more also with Christ then al the large summes which were cast into the treasury by the Scribes Pharisies especially if they were giuen as parte of that pray which vnder pretence of long praier they got from poore widdowes And from whence I pray you did most of those greate Donatiues proceede that were cast into the treasurie by our popish Pharisies Is it not likelie that they were either part of that bootie that they gained by thesale of their Masses and pardons or at the least some portion of the fleeces which they tooke froÌ„ the sheepe for their little and course yea no feeding at all of the flocke of Christ And what
bountifully bestowed vpon vs. 1 The will of God is to be respected of vs in doing good workes for that it is holy good perfect Rom. 12. 1. If then we wil bee assured to haue our workes good wee must haue our eies bent vpon the will of God that must most carefully be respected of vs yea the holy good and perfect wil of God must be the motiue and inducemeÌ„t vnto vs for the most willing and ready performing of the same The Apostle St. Paule hauing sette downe in the former part of his Epistle to the Romans the principles and groundes of our Christian faith being in the latter part thereof to deliver the doctrine of good workes beginneth that matter after this manner I beseech you saith he by the mercifulnes of God that you giue vp your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God which is your reasonable serving of God And fashion not your selues like vnto this world but be yee changed by the renewing of your minde that ye may prooue what is the good will of God acceptable and perfect In which wordes we may obserue these two pointes first in what things the service of God consisteth not in the sacrificeing vp of vnreasonable beasts but in offring vp of our selues for that is our reasonable serving of God secondly who ought to be our directers and guides in performing our service due vnto God not the customes or fashions of this world nor the intents and divices of our owne harts but the good will of God acceptable and perfect Wherby we are to learne that if we wil be the approoved servaÌ„ts of God and haue our service allowed of him we must haue an intentiue eie to the Lords will make it the rule of all our works yea if wee will be citizens with the saintes and of the housholde of God and fellow servants with the Angels themselues then as they stand prest ready alwaies before God to attend his pleasure and to performe his will so must wee also walke continually before God as in his eies in his presence presenting our selues vnto him in our dayly praiers and still labouring by all meanes possible that his will may be done here by vs on earth as it is in heaven Mat. 6. 10. by his holy Angels When that kind of serving of God by the sacrificing of beasts was most in force Samuel said vnto Saule who had transgressed the flat commandement and wil of God to offer as he pretended sacrifice to God Is God so well pleased with sacrifice as when the voice of the Lord is obeied Beholde to obey is better 1. Sam. 15. 22. then sacrifice and to harken is better then the fat of Rammes It is the highest degree of wisedome and goodnes of himselfe to be able to conceiue that which is good and the second degree is of such as knowing their own wants betake themselues to be wholy guided and ruled by those in whom dwelleth wisedome in al abouÌ„dance Now perfect wisedome and goodnes dwelleth only in God his will is most holy iust and perfect yea it is the most perfect rule of all holines and of all iustice Neither doth God will and commande things so much for that they are iust lawful and good but rather those things are therefore iust lawful good for that they are willed and commanded of God When vpoÌ„ occasion of this holy and comfortable doctrine of the gospell that the sinnes of the faithfull doe the more evidently set forth the mercy of God in Christ in that he is of himselfe so good and so good vnto such which Rom. 3. 5. are so and so vnworthy in themselues obiection was made If our vnrighteousnes setteth forth the glory of Gods goodnes then the Lord may seeme to be vniust in punishing sinne for that his glory is thereby the more furthered the Apostle answereth by an exclamation or rather by a detestation saying God forbid else how should God iudge the world Seeing he is not a iudge after the manner of mortal men who being advanced to high estate do many times corruptly abuse their high authority but it is not so with God For his being iudge of the world is not by birth or electioÌ„ or suite or purchase but by nature For in that he is God creator of all hee is iudge of all and his most vpright and vncorrupt will is the soveraigne rule of all righteousnes and it his is the extraordinary prerogatiue of this his most righteous will that hee cannot possibly wil or coÌ„mand any thing that is vniust So that if he coÌ„mand the Israelites to borrow of the Aegyptians Iewels of silver Exod. 3. 23. Iewels of gold so to rob the Aegyptians they may boldly do the same and keepe those Iewels to their owne vses as his lawful gifts as the pledges of his fatherly loue If God coÌ„maÌ„d Levy to Exod. 32. 27 consecrate his hands in blood if he know not father nor mother brother nor friend but execute the Lords veÌ„geance without respect of persons he shall receiue a blessing for the same So likewise if Abraham be commanded of God to kill holy innocent Isaak Gen. 22. 16 his deare and only sonne from whom was to proceed that holy seed in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed if hee but intende in all humble obedience to the will and commaundement of GOD to performe the same GOD will so â—pproue and like of him for it that hee will in recompence thereof even vow and sweare his everlasting blessednes Nay if the most holie but secret counsell of God wherin he hath chosen some to eternall life before they were borne yea before the foundatioÌ„ of the world was laid and refused other be called in question and condemned also by the corrupt reason of maÌ„ yet this is a sufficient iustification thereof vttered by the Lordes owne mouth I Exod. 33. 19 Voluntas beneplacitâ— Mat. 11. 26. will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy and I will haue compassion on whom I wil haue compassion Whervnto our Saviour also subscribeth saying even so O father for so was it thy good pleasure And the same plea is made likewise by the Apostle in the same case he will haue Rom. 9. 18. mercy on whom he will haue mercy and whom he will he hardeâ—eth But this secret wil of God is mainly improued by the Church Not only the secret but also the revealed will of God is blasphemously defaced by the church of Rome voluntas signi of Rome yea and flatly condemned of cruelty and tyranny Neither hath shee any better regard of the revealed will of God set downe in the sacred bookes of the canonicall scripture For shee hath presumed to plucke downe out of the seate of highest iudgment the booke of God in that tongue wherin it was penned by the speciall direction of Gods vn-erring spirite hath
though hee had decreed to cast vs dovvâ—e into hell fire both for that we owe him for that our whole life is still sustained by him What must we not forsake father and mother al other earthly comfortes whatsoever if that they hinder vs from following Christ Must we not sacrifice vp to God our deere only child if he commaund vs and not onely so but also wish our selues rather to be accursed then God any waies should be dishonoured Surely we ought to loue God aboue all and therefore aboue our selues and wee ought to preferre our peace with God before our peace with the world and the smallest measure of grace godlines before the greatest store of all earthly treasures For otherwise when these things begin to be taken from vs our zeale to Gods service will soone bee cooled as it is sette forth vnto vs in the parable of the sower For by the stony and thorny groundes such being represented vnto vs that haue but a temporary faith who albeit they reioice truely and vnfainedly in the Lord goe on cheerefully in his service for a while yet for that they doe not in sincerity embrace the word of God nor loue the Lord for the Lords sake but are moued especially vpoÌ„ carnal respects to make profession of the faith of Christ therfore they continue not stedfast in their profession but being a little assaulted are soone vanquished Wheras the sound and sincere servants of Chrâ—st being represented vnto vs by the good ground for that in al sinceritie they embrace the word of God and loue the Lord for the Lords sake they stil finding that in the Lord in his word whâ—ch doth moue them more and more to cleave therevnto therefore are constant in their holy profession and can never be cleane removed from the service of God For these persons for that with full purpose of hart they cleaue to the Lord and in all sincerity serue him therefore his favouâ— doth cleaue fast vnto them and his constant loue and goodnes doth alwaies assist them preserve theÌ„ in his feare Wheras on the coÌ„trary side al such as in their workes pretending the Lords service doe indeede seeke their owne and not the Lords in the end loose all their owne and themselues also and are most iustly deprived at the last of their preteÌ„ded shew of the Lords service And so our Saviour Christ told the hypocritical Matth. 6. 1. Pharisies who seemed to be very rich in al good workes that because their praiers and almes deedes were done to please meÌ„ and to wine fame and glory to themselues and not to the Lord therefore they were to looke for no reward at the Lords handes As St. Paule doth testifie also to the whole nation of the Iewes that because they did performe the workes of the whole lawe rather to Rom 10. 3. iustifie themselues thereby then to testâ—fie their obedience to the good will and pleasure of God therfore both themselues and also their workes were reiected of God Wherefore the Apostle to the Hebrewes in the conclusion of his Epistle could not wish a greater blessing vnto them then this that the God of peace which brought againe froÌ„ Heb. 13. 21. the deâ—d our Lord Iesus Christ the great sheepheard of the sheepe by the blood of the everlasting testament shoulde make them perfect in all good workes to doe his will working in them that which was pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ wherby we may learne that the perfection of al good workes is the respect had to the wil and pleasure of God in doing the same Wherfore if we wil be fully assured that our workes are good and allowed of God we must not therein serue our selues and seeke our owne by entending either our estimation before men or our iustification before God but in them wee must seeke those things which are Christes intending if not only yet principally at the least to serue please him to testifie our obedieÌ„ce to his wil. What then may we iudge of al the most glorious works of the children of the Romish synagogue which are The children of the church of Rome doe their works principally to serue themselues and to procure their own good and therefore they are no part of Gods â—…râ—ice done principally to iustifie themselues before God to make satisfaction for their owne sins to merite for themselues the Kingdome of heaven and to releiue the soules of their deare freindes being most miserably tormented in purgatory fire The which merite of their workes is in so great an account with them such a principall motiue to al holy actions that because we deny the same ascribe our whole iustification first and last onely to the merite of Christs death and to the dignity of his passion therefore they charge vs to deny good workes or at the least greatly to diminish the care and studie of doing good workes Yea some of theÌ„ haue not beene ashamed to avouch that if we be not iustified by our good works it were as good to play for naught as to worke for naught As if to doe good workes to testifie our obedience to the good will of GOD and to serue and please him were a thing of nought VVherefore it cannot otherwise bee but that all their good workes howe glorious in shewe soever they bee should bee disallowed of God and vtterly reiected as things of nought 3 The will of God is to be respected of vs in all our workes for that he is our only spirituall Lord who hath authority to rule over our soules Exod. 20. 2. Eze. 20. 19. The third reason why in the performing of all good workes we ought to haue a speciall respect to the will of God is for that hee is our only Lord that hath authority to rule over our consciences and vnto whose supreame and soveraigne will wee owe all humble and dutifull obedience This is one of the reasons that is alleadged by God himselfe at the promulgation of his owne lawe to procure obedience to his commandements I am the Lorde thy God c. thou shalt haue none other Gods before me So likewise when he would haue reclaimed his people from those superstitions Idolatries wherinto they were fallen by following the customes and orders of their forefathers he proposeth vnto them the selfe same argument Yee shall not walke in the ordinaunces of your fathers nor obserue their manners nor defile your selues with their Idols I am the Lorde your God walke in my statutes and keepe my iudgementes and doe them and sanctifie my Sabbethes and they shall bee a signe betweene me and you that yee may knowe that I am the Lorde your God The cause of their falling away from God was the falling away froÌ„ his lawes and the embracing of the decrees and customes of their forefathers and the meanes of their recovery is the acknowledging of the Lordes supreme and soveraigne
in his seruice The bondslaues of Satan seeme sometimes to drawe nigh vnto God to seeke the advauÌ„cemeÌ„t of his honor glory but it is either afflictioÌ„ that forceth theÌ„ to cry that they might be delivered Psal 78. 34. Hos 7. 14. Ioh. 6. 26. out of the haÌ„d of the oppressor or they howle vpoÌ„ their beds for corne wine and follow Christ for more bread the gratious gifts of God already receiued do not allure them to come in sincerity to God For they say not in their heartes O let vs feare the Lord which giueth vs raine â—arely late in due season and reserveth Ierem. 5. 24. for vs the appointed weekes of harvest Neither doe they say vvhere Iob. 35. 10. is the God that made vs that giveth vs songes in the night vvhich teacheth vs more then the beastes of the earth and giveth vs more wisedome then the fowles of the heavens But the sincere servantes of Thankfulnes for benefits already received bringeth the faithfull to God wheras hope of profite to come and their owne necessities force hypocrites sometimes to flie vnto him 2 Reg. 5. 17 Is 38. 20. The contemplation of Gods mercies our owne defectes vnworthines is the proper cause of all sincere devotion especially the manifestation of the endles loue of God in Christ is the peculiar cause of faith by faith of all other parts of piety godlines Christ knowing that God hath advaunced them with honour aboue al the residue of his creatures seeke to advaunce his honour aboue al other yea they most duly weighing with theÌ„selues how deeply they are endebted vnto his divine maiesty for his gracious gifts already receiued desire rather to discharge some of the billes of their former debtes then more more stil to grow in arearages Naaman the Syrian being al his life long brought vp in most grosse blindnes Idolatry when he was cured of his leprosy by the goodnes of the God of Israel that is by the goodnes of the only true God Now saith he I know that there is no God but only in Israel therfore wil I not heÌ„ceforth offer any burnt offring or sacrifice to any other God saue to the Lord. So wheÌ„ Ezechias had obtained of God a great deliverance froÌ„ his most dangerous disease howe doth he sing vnto the Lord reioice in his goodnes vow vnto God perpetual homage service The graue saith he caÌ„not coÌ„fesse thee death caÌ„not praise thee but the liuing shall coÌ„fesse thee as I doe this day the father to the children shall declare thy truth The Lord was ready to saue me therfore wil I sing my songs in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life The like may be said of al the residue that haue vnfeinedly given themselues vnto God For how were they drawen therevnto but by the linkes of his loue by the chaine of his blessings Devotion saith Aquinas is a special act of religion importing nothing else but the devoting of a mans hearte to the prompt service of the almighty God the cause wherof is the contemplation meditation of the Lords benefits of our owne defects For if we would duly weigh coÌ„sider with our selues the Lords most bountiful largesse towards vs which are vnworthy of the leasts of his mercies deserue nothing but vengeance and wrath especially if we would religiously record that one invaluable gift of God who so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoever beleeved in him should not perish but haue life everlasting it would not otherwise be but that we should be wounded and pricked at the very hearte for our former contempts disloyalties and rebellions against so good and gratious a GOD and should also be made more careful for the time to come to looke better vnto our steppes and to be more respectiue serviceable vnto our God For so wrought this heavenly phisike in Peter Paule with al the residue of the servants of Christ it purged a way the putrified humours of corrupted affections recovered theÌ„ to spiritual health life It is sufficieÌ„t saith St. Peter that wee haue speÌ„t the time past of our life after the lustes of the GeÌ„tiles walking in 1. Pet. 4 2. Our defectes Gods loue Our dutie or devotioÌ„ vvantonnes lustes drunkennes and in abominable Idolatries But nowe seeing we knowe that Christ hath suffered for sinne we ought also to suffer in the flesh and to cease from sinne and henceforward to liue as much time as remaineth in the flesh not after the lustes of men but after the vvill of God So likewise the Apostle St. Paule Wee also our selues vvere in Tit. 3. 3. Our defectes Gods loue times past vnwise disobedient deceiued serving dâ—verse lustes and vâ—lâ—ptuousnes living in malitiousnes and eâ—vy hatefull and hating oâ—… another but when the boâ—…tâ—fulnes and loue of God our Saviour toward man appeared he not onely saved vs from the guilte of our sinnes by giving himselfe a ransome for our soules but also hee destroyed the power Our dutie or devotioÌ„ of sinne in vs and so raysed vs vp to newnes of life For albeit the wicked turne the grace of God into wantonnes saying let vs sinne that grace may abound yet the saying grace of God teacheth the godly another lesson even to deny vngodlines and worldly lustes and to live Tit. 2. 11. iustly soberlie and godly in this present world looking for the blessed hope appearing of the mighty God and of our Sâ—viour Iesus Christ vvho gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeeme vs from all â—…iquitiâ— and purge vs to be a peculiar people to himselfe zealous of good workes So likewise albeit the LORDES temporall blessinges are to the wicked as thornes choaking vp the good seedes of pietie and godlines and as baites to snare them and to drawe their heartes from God and as chaines to binde them fast vnto the varities of this wicked world yet to the godlie they are as sweete sauce to make them â—eede more eagerly vppon the foode of their soules and as spurres to make them runne more readilie in the way of Gods commaundementes and as ladders to lifte them vp vnto GOD that so they may come to the fruition of his greater blessinges For to the pure all thinges are pure in so much that their verie sinnes make them to hate sinne the more and the little tast of the LORDES mercies causeth them more vehemently to thirst after a full cuppe of the same mercies yea the more they see their owne wantes and the LORDES fulnes the more they are stirred vp to renouÌ„ce themselues to cleaue Eph. 5. 8. Our de fectes Gods loue Our duty or devotioÌ„ vnfainedly vnto the Lord. Yee were darknes saith the Apostle but now yee are light in the Lord Walke as children of the light as if he should haue said vnto them Remember your
wretched estate when yee sate in darknes and in the shaddow of death and forget not Gods mercy that hath translated you out of darknes into the kingdome of light and so see that yee walke worthy of God and of your high calling in Christ Iesus This due consideratioÌ„ of the Lords endlesse mercy in Christ and their owne vnworthines hath beene the only effectual motiue from the beginning of the world to draw the faithful out of the slavery of Satan vnto God and to confirme and establish them in his feare The seede of the woman shall breake the serpentes head made Adam who before hid himselfe from God afterward with boldnes to come into his presence In thy seede shall all the â—ations of the earth be blessed made Abraham who before was bred vp in Idolatry to forsake kindred and countrey and to endure many annoyances in a strange land that so he might shew his humble obedience vnto God Yea by the eies of this faith all the holy men of God before the comming of Christ in the flesh beholding the great goodnesse and loue of God as the Apostle testifieth Hebr. 11. haue offered vp their sacrifices acceptable to God performed all dueties and endured all crosses for the constant confession of this their holy faith And now since the comming of Christ in the flesh wherby was the whole world converted froÌ„ dumbe Idols to serue the living God Was it by the promulgation of the law of Moses or by the preaching of the gospel of Christ Surely the preaching and publishing of the glad tydings of the gospell of the yeare of Iubile of the acceptable day wherein the Lord for his Christes sake had graunted a free full and generall pardon and release of all debts trespasses and sins to all such as would willingly accept and faithfully embrace this vnspeakeable loue and make it the matter of their daily meditation and consolation and the rocke and foundation of their faith and hope was that warrelike chariot wherein the faith of Christ got the full victorie over falshoode and lies and trod vnder foote all infidelity and Idolatry and triumphed most gloriously against all the power and puissaunce of hell it selfe By the sounde of this doctrine did the servauntes of the great shepheard and Bishoppe of our soules call home all his straying and wandring sheepe and gathered them into the folde of Christ by this net did the fishers of men dravve into the arke of Christs Church all such as were before ready to bee drowned in the sea of their sinnes and to bee overwhelmed with the most terrible tempest of the Lordes wrath by this key did the Lords potters open the doore of the kingdome of heauen to them that vvere before most worthely driven out and dispossessed of that celestiall paradise With this ensigne did the Lordes standard bearers gather together all his companies and bandes which before had revolted became fugitiues fighting vnder the Devils colours by this boxe of ointmeÌ„t powred forth did the Lordes Apothecaries reviue and quicken the spirites of all the Lords patients who were before not only in a sound but also starke dead by the most noysome stincke of their abominable sinnes Lastly by this seed of faith sowen in the most drie and barren wildernes of the peoples hearts by the hand of the Lordes painefull and skilfull husbandmen vvas there raysed vppe a most plentifull and fruitefull harvest vnto the Lorde For faith commeth by hearing the word of faith Neither doeth this worde of faith revealing the vnspeakeable loue of God shining in the face of Christ beget faith only but by faith loue praier confession patience repentance feare obedience thankefulnes even all sounde and sincere devotion with all the partes and parcels thereof By faith we haue accesse to God and are admitted into his Church which is therefore called the family of Faith And Baptisme the sacrament of our Baptisme cleanseth as it doth fâ—…her make manifest vnto va and causeth vs to embrace the word of faith initiation and the seale of faith is added to the worde of faith for the further manifestation of the cause of this our admission into so honourable an estate and calling by setting after a sorte before our eies the loue of God who hath given vs his sonne with his owne most precious bloode to wash and cleanse our sinnes whereby there was before a seperatioÌ„ betweene vâ— God Now from whence saith Austine hath the water of Baptisme this vertue that it doth touch the body cleaâ—se the soul but by means of the word whervnto it is added that it might togither with the same not only represent the washing away of our sinnes by the blood of Christ but also â—atifie and coÌ„firme the same for the further strengthning of our fraile faith Not saith hee for that the word is vttered but for that it is beleeved not for that there is such vertue in the letters and sillables or in the pronunciation of the very wordes but for that they are the powerfull instrument ordained of God so to open the Lordes good and gracious meaning towardes vs and to assure vs of his vnchaungeable loue in Christ that thereby we might attaine to a sure faith For as long as we remaine in our naturall blindnes and ignorance either we fly from God as Adam did beeing touched with the pricke of a guilty conscience or else we embrace an Idol in steed of the true God being misled by the wrongful guiding of a blind coÌ„science as now naturally do all the posterity of Adam But wheÌ„ the Lord hath once revealed vnto vs the glory of his endlesse goodnes in Christ and hath made vs to behold the dignity of his death that he endured for our sins and the worthines of his obedience that he performed for our righteousnes thereby we are made bold to enter Heb. 10. 19. into the holy place by the newe and living way which he hath prepared for vs by his flesh and are encouraged to draw nigh with a true hart in assurance of faith being fully perswaded of the perfect purgation of all our sins and of our entire and absolute righteousnes I am saith our Saviour Christ the way the truth and the life no man commeth to the father but by me He then that is set in this way and walketh therein he vndoubtedly walketh in the right way and he cannot misse but come directly vnto God Hee that buildeth on this rocke buildeth on a sure foundatioÌ„ his faith cannot faile he cannot be vanquished his hope is sure he cannot be coÌ„founded He may be bold to triumph with the Apostle saying If God be on our side who can be against vs who spared not his owne sonne but Rom. 8. 31. gave him for vs all how shall he not with him giue vs all things also Who shall lay anie thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifieth Who shall condemne It is Christ that is dead
pride presuÌ„ption or else abuse it to the hardening of their harts by hartening theÌ„selus therby in their sinnes declare theÌ„selus to be bastards not sons being so farre of both froÌ„ the affectioÌ„ also froÌ„ the duty of natural sonnes Why If but a frieÌ„d having testified his loue towards vs â—y some fewe favours should vnderstand that wee stil stoode in doubt either of his sinceriâ—y or coÌ„stancy towards vs did imagm that either he did but disseÌ„ble with vs orelfe that he were vsriable quickly changed would he not thinke himselfe much wroÌ„ged seing he had so wel deserved before had giveÌ„ vs good cause to conceaue better of him And doth God bestowe any gift vpon any of his faithful servaÌ„ts but in al sincerity setled coÌ„stancy with a stedfast purpose to do them good And shal they stil doubt either whether he ever loued theÌ„ at al or else whether he wil ever coÌ„tinue to loue theÌ„ stil Surely they cannot do him a greaten dishonor seing therby as much as in theÌ„ lieth they rob him of â—is sincerity endlea goodnes of his eterâ—al mercy loue Wherfore the most sincere servaÌ„tes of God as they acknowledge themselues to be most highly honoured of God in that hee hath vouchsafed to cast vpon them so vnworthy wretches the eies of his loue and to haue testified the same by the manifold giftes of his mercy eveÌ„ so they are mostâ— desirous to magnify GOD by ascribing every good gifte vnto his most free and vndeserved goodnes and by receiving them al from him as pledges of his great loue and confirmations of his gratious favour yea the more they feele the heate of Gods loue cherishing and comforting them with his gratious blessings the more is the fire of their loue kindled towardes God and the greater is the flame of their obedience and thankfulnes That debteâ— loued most which receiued Luk. 7. 43. the greatest frendship having his whole debt most freely forgiveÌ„ him albeit it was never so great And Mary loued much for that her many sinnes were remitted vnto her albeit they had bin before never so grievous So Peter loued Christ more theÌ„ his fâ—llowes for that he had greater favour to be received the sooner to grace to be streÌ„gthened in the faith before his fellowes albeit he had sinned aboue his fellows And verely Gods grace revealed Gods grace revealed is no cause of sinne but Gods grace concealed and so contemned 1. â—or 2 8. Luk. 19. 42. doth not cause sin but Gods grace coÌ„cealed so conteÌ„ned Gods grace revealed giveth grace soone winneth allowance approbatioÌ„ so causeth al obedieÌ„ce thankfulnes but Gods grace vnknowen is easily coÌ„temned causeth stubbornes rebellioÌ„ that cried out so eagerly crucify him crucify him if they had knowen it they would never haue crucified the Lord of glory if they had knowen those things that did beloÌ„g to their peace they would hever haue so long stood out haue shewed themselues such wilfull obstinat recufaÌ„ts against their God against their owne good If that supersâ—itious carnal woman of Samaria had knowen the gift of God who it was that theÌ„ coÌ„muned with her Ioh. 4. 10. she would not haue stoode pelting with him for a draught of her water but she would without delay haue asked of him the water of life Wherfore the most louing Lord of Abraham Izaak Iacob of al the faithful of what kindred country soever albeit hee doth not vouch safe to shew this mercy to the world of the reprobatâ— as to shew himselfe to theÌ„ yet hee cannot long keepe close his loue from his chosen but doth manifest the same more and more vnto them as hâ—e knoweth it best for them in his divine and heavenly wisedome For if Ioseph could not long keepe in the tender bowels of his brotherly loue towards his vnkinde and vnnatural brethren but that it brake out with streames of teares and disclosed it selfe to their great astonishment and if David could not conceale his fatherly affection towards his most vndutiful and rebellious sonne Absolom no not at that time when he had behaved himselfe so lewdely and had so attempted his vtter overthrow but that it brake out in his straight charge to Ioab his general and to the residue of the captaines of the armie O â—e good to the young man for my sake the which petition whoÌ„ it did not prevaile with Ioab but that he stretched forth his owne hand to take away his life how doth that teÌ„der harted father take on vpon the â—elatioÌ„ therof O my soâ—ne Absolom my sonne my soâ—ne Absolom would God I had died for thee ô Absolom my sonne my sonne And yet the kindneâ— of earthly brethren and parents and that towards their most kind louing brethren children is but as a sparke of the great fire as a droppe to the huge sea of the loue of Christ our elder brother of God our heaveÌ„ly caelestial father CaÌ„ he theÌ„ altogeather coÌ„ceale his loue froÌ„ vs keepe vs froÌ„ that ioy vnspeakable glorious which we are to receive by the revelatioÌ„ therof The foure leapers that came into the Sirians tents whoÌ„ God had caused to flie in al hast to leave their tentes ful of al treasure store when they had wel eaten drunken and hidde also good store of treasure for theÌ„selues considering weighing the great necessity of their prince people by reason of the extreame famine that was among them could reason betweene themselues and say We â—… not well this day is a day of good tydinges wee hould our peace come therfore let vs goe tell the kings â—ousholde They thought 2. King 7. 9. it an offeÌ„ce to coÌ„ceale from their countrey being in extreme misery the remedy that God had appointed for their delivery And shal we thinke that whereas the Lordes owne deare and chosen children without some sence and assurance of his favour loue testified by his manifolde and gratious blessings are ready still to be overwhelined with the horrors of despaire the Lord will not cause the light of his countenance to shine vnto them that so the clouds of distrust that keepe from them the bright beames of his favour may be dispersed and the tempest of dispaire aswaged allayed In deede when they beginne to waâ—e waÌ„ton with peace and plentie and to neglect their duety vnto their good GOD and being at rest heere in this world slacke their passage towards their passagâ— to wordes their heavenly countrey and beeing filled with earthly delights become slow to seek after the true treasure God seemeth for a time to withdraw his favor from them after a sort to hide himselfe to suffer them to bee beaten with many rods â—yea he doth seeme to be grievously offended displeased with theÌ„ himselfe â—o correct chasten them with his owne hands And
beginne but also finish our regeneration and new birth seeing all the residue of the gratious giftes of GOD testifying and witnessing his fatherly loue are ayders also and assisters herein being all of them fitte fewel for this heavenly fire and do cause it to burne more fervently to breake out into a greater flame Wee acknowledge O Lord say the penitent Israelites our wickednes and the wickednes of our forefathers for we haue sinned against thee doe not abhorre vs for thy names sake cast not downe the throne of thy glory remeÌ„ber and breake not thy covenant with vs. Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can giue rainâ—…r can the heavens give showers It is not thou O Lord our God Therfore we will waite vpoÌ„ thee for thou hast made al these things In which words we may perceive that it was the due consideration of the covenant of God made vnto them in Christ whereby GOD after a sorte had bounde himselfe to bee merciful vnto them whensoever they did repent that caused this people to returne vnto their GOD and to acknowledge and bewaile their owne corruptions and sinnes the which also was vvell forvvarded by the remembrance of the LORDES smaller blessinges even by the due consideration of this that raine and truitfull seasons came onelie from him and all other giftes and blessinges vvhatsoever So Hos 14. vvhere the Prophet exhorteth the people to returne to the LORDE and say Take avvaie all iniquitie and remoove is gratiouslie so vvill vvee render to thee the calues of our lippes Ashur shall not Ho. 14. 3. sâ—… vs neyther vvill vvee ride vppon horses neither vvill we say any more to the workes of our hands yee are our Gods for in thee the fatherles findeth mercy Now they could not truly hope for pardon fot their sins and iniquities but onely in the promise of the the Messias it was that then that first ledde them vnto God the which was seconded by the due consideration of this that al aide and helpe is also found at his hands who is the helper of the helples And verely we haue no right at al vnto any of the Lords blessings as loÌ„g as we be at warre at emnity with God we must be first recoÌ„ciled vnto God made heires by Christ before we can lay iust claime to a childes part to haue our portion in that inheritaÌ„ce that doth descend vnto vs froÌ„ our heavenly father And therfore when the Lord would giue vnto Ahaz king of Iudah assurance but of this one temporal blessing even of his bodely deliveraÌ„ce froÌ„ his bodely enemies behould saith he this shal be your The loue of God in Christ is the fountaine and foundatioÌ„ of all other blessings signe that I wil bring to passe this thing for you A virgine shall concâ—aue beare a sonne she shall call his name Immanuel As if the Lord should haue said I haue bouÌ„d my selfe by promise even froÌ„ the beginning of the world to giue you my son to be a pledge of my loue to be the conduite of my mercies how shal I not theÌ„ with him by him convey them vnto you particularly howe shal I not nowe performe this my promise made in him for your deliverance from these your bodely enemies For the cause that moued God to make this glorious world at the first and to store it with such variety of al manner of blessings was his owne most free and vndeserved loue towards his elect in Christ and therfore when they are actually bestowed vpon them the same proceedeth from the very selfe-same spring The which wheÌ„ they The Lords gratious giftes are blessings to the faith full onely for to the vnfaithfull they are turned into curses are bestowed vpon the vnfaithful they are not blessings but curses for that they make them more earthly covetous licentious riotous proud cruel vnthaÌ„kful the like and so encrease their most grievous condeÌ„nation whereas to the faithful who are the right heires vnto them they are not curses but blessings for they make them the more to reioice in the Lord to be more obedient thaÌ„kfull vnto him more beneficial helpful vnto their neighbours and so further their faith repentance and loue and encrease in them all sincere devotion When David was remembred by the Prophet Nathan of his foule faulte committed with Bethshebah the wife of Vrias and of the great dishonour that redounded to God by that his most odious and grievous crime how that the Lord had not so deserved at his hands who had advaunced him from the shepheards crooke to the scepter of the king and had given into his bosome his masters wiues and could would haue done him more honor if that had not bin inough howe did even these smaller blessings worke most effectually in the hart of David peircing wounding his most tender soul causing him with many most bitter teares to bewaile his former most grievous vnthankfulnes And howe did the remembrance of the same mercies cause him also at another time to reioyce in the Lord and to triumph and most vehemently and earnestly to 2. Sam. 7. 18 1. Chro. 17. 16. pray vnto God for an obedient thankful hart What am I ô Lord saith he what is my fathers house that thou hast brought me hitherto And what is this thy people Israel that thou didst after a sorte muster togither al thy armies for their deliveraÌ„ce out of Aegipt What sawest thou in vs or in our progenitors that thou hast thus laden vs with thy loue and filled vs with such abundance of thy mercies O lett our harts therfore be filled with thy loue and let our hands stil be employed in thy service keepe this in the purpose thoughts of our harts for ever and so prepare our soules to feare thee Neither was he himselfe only thus stirred vp to imploy himselfe al his autority wealth to the promoting furthering of the Lordes service but also with the selfe same argument doth he endevour to perswade his principal subiects servantes to be helpers to his son Solamon in the same worke Is not saith he the Lord your God with you hath given you rest on every side For 1. Chro. 22. 18. he hath given the inhabitantes of the land into mine hand and the lande is subdued before the Lord and his people Now then set your harts and your soules to seeke the Lord your God arise build the Lords sanctuarie So likewise when the Lord had brought the children of Israel into the promised lande and had placed them in the quiette and peaceable possession thereof howe doth godly Iosuah hauing a greate care that after his death they should bee true and faithfull to their GOD who had beene so true and faithful to them make a large recitall of their manifolde mercies so lately receaved and then proposeth this option and choice vnto
them saying if it seeme evill in your eies to serue the Lorde then chuse ye this day Ios 24. 15. vvhome yee vvill serue c. I and mine house vvill serue the Lorde VVhere vnto they answere as it were with one voice God â—orbid that vvee shoulde forsake the Lorde to serue other Gods for the Lorde our God hath brought vs and our Fathers out of the lande of Aegypt and out of the house of bondage and hee did those greate miracles in our sighte and preserved vs in all the vvaie that vvee vvent and amonge all the people through vvhome vvee came And the LORDE did cast out before vs all the people even the Amorites vvhich dvvelte in the lande therefore vvill vvee also serue the Lorde for hee is our GOD. In vvhich wordes it is evident howe these faithfull servauntes of GOD vvell vveighing vvith themselues that the Lorde vvas their good and gracious God who had â—atified his loue towardes them by his manifolde blessings doe take themselues thereby to bee most straightlye bounde to his service and therevpon doe make a most solemne promise and vow to continue his loyall and obedient people The which promise and vowe beeing made by them vpon so iust and sufficient cause they as faithfully and truely kept and perfourmed For it is reâ—orded of them not only in the same Chapter but also Iudges the second to their eternall glory and renowne that they served the Lorde all the daies of Iosuah and all the daies of the elders that everlived Iud. 2. 7. Iosuah vvhich had seene all the greate vvorkes that the LORD had As the religious remeÌ„brance of the Lordes merâ—ies is the cause of all sincere obedience so the wretchlesse forgetfulnes therof is the cause of al rebellious vngodlines ver 10. done for Israell The cause then that kepte this people sound and vprighte in the service of GOD vvas for that they religiouslie kept an holy remembraunce of the Lordes manifold and greate mercies Now on the contrary side if wee will beholde and see vvhy the bad children of so good parentes revolted and fell away so quickely from the GOD of their fathers and continued not in his service and feare see vvhat followeth in the same Chapter VVhen Iosuah was deade and all that generation vvas gathered to their fathers then there arose another generation after them which neither knevve the Lorde nor yet the vvorkes that hee had done for Israell then they did vvickedlie and served Baalim and forsooke the God of their Fathers vvhich had broughte them out of the lande of Aegypt So in the dayes of the Prophet Ieremie the cause also why the badde posteritie of this backeslyding people departed likewise from the Lorde and vvalked after vanitye and became vaine is this for that none saide in their heartes vvhere is the Lord that broughte vs out of the lande of Aegypt that sedde vs through the Ier. 2. 6. vvildernesse through a desâ—rte and vvaste lande and through the shaddâ—vve of death and broughte vs into a good and plentifull land and made vs eate of the fruite thereof So likewise Psalme 78. and the hundred and sixt a like revolte of the same nation and namely of the Ephraemites who descended from holy Ioseph being meÌ„tioned the same cause is added of their revolte They forgate God Psal 78. 106. 21. their Saviour vvho had done so greate thinges for them vvonderfull thinges in the lande of Ham and fearefull thinges by the redde sea For as it fared vvith the children of Ioseph and the residue of the Israelites vvhen there arose a nevve king in Aegypt which Exod. 1. 8. knevve not Ioseph nor did remember those greate commodities vvhich all Aegypte enioyed by his meanes then they dealte most vnkindly vvith them and vsed them with all extremitie even so dealte the vngracious and vnthankefull posterity of Ioseph with the GOD of Ioseph who had advaunced him to bee a father to Pharaoh and the greatest state in all his kingdome vvhen thâ—y forgate the greate mercies of GOD both tovvardes him and tovvardes themselues also then they started aside from his service and fell away from his feare Yea Hos 2. 5. vvhen they ascribed their Corne and VVine and VVooll to Bâ—alim and the fruites of the earth to the hoast of heaven and their deliveraunce from their bodyly enemies to Ashur and Aegypte and their greate plentye to their ovvne pollicie then they forsooke God and followed Baalim and vvorshipped the host of heaven and sente giftes to Ashur and Aegypte and burnt incense to their owne yarne highly magnifying and extolling themselues and leaving of to magnifie God of whom they had not only received all these thinges but theÌ„selues also The which thing also vvhen it vvas forgotten by the wicked Sap. 2. Cap. When they did not beleeue that GOD was their creator that al maÌ„ner of coÌ„modities which they enioied were his giftes but imagined that they were borne at al adventure and left to their owne hands to shift for themselues then like filthy swine they trod vnder foote all feare of God gaue themselues over to wallowe in the mire of their owne sensual and vncleane lusts Come said they lâ—t vs enioie the pleasures that are present Sap. 2. 6. let vs cheerefully vse the creatures as in youth let vs fill our selues with costly wine and ointment and let not the flower of our life passe from vs let vs crowne our selues with rose buds before they be withered and let vs leaue some token of our wantonnes in every place for this is our portioÌ„ and this is our lot So daungerous a thing it is either to forget the Lords mercies or not to beleeue him to be the only fountaine of al good things but to ascribe ' theÌ„ either to our selues or to chaÌ„ce fortune or to the dispositioÌ„ of any creature for it causeth God to withdraw his favour wholy from vs and to giue vs cleane over to a reprobate sense and to suffer vs vtterly to fall away from his feare Yea it not only maketh the Lord to be most grievously offended with such an abominable sinne but after a sort to be vtterly astonished and amased for that there coulde come to passe any such impiety O yee heavens be astonished at this be afraide and vtterly confounded saith the Lord For my people haue committed two evilles Ier. 2. 12. they haue forsaken mee the founetaine of living waters to digge to themselues pits even broken pits that can hold no water And in the very beginning of Isay Heare O heavens and harken O earth for the Lorde Isa 1. 1. hath spoken I haue nourished and brought vp children and they haue rebelled against me The oxe knoweth his owner the asse his masters crib but my people hath not knowne Israell hath not vnderstoode The oxe the asse albeit they be voide of al reason yet haue so much sense as to be serviceable to them by whom
auctority over vs and yet heerein it doth exceede all this and is made most sinfull even in the highest degree for that it is committed against him vvhose mercies haue so farre exceeded towardes vs and haue made vs so deepelie endebted vnto him that if we should most frankely and freely giue our selues and all that vve haue to bee prest and ready continually to doe him service if I saie wee shoulde doe this againe and againe yea ten thousande times more then we are any way able yet we can no way match his vnspeakeable kindnes or be answerable vnto his endles loue To forget him then that hath so remembred vs hath given vs such cause to remember him coÌ„tinually casteth vs downe below all maÌ„ner of â—enceles liveles creatures yea it maketh vs in some sort worse then the very devils theÌ„selues For they in sinning forgate God their Creator saÌ„ctifier but we adde also thervnto the forgetting of God our Saviour redeemer WheÌ„ we defile our selues with the pollutions of the vvorlde vvee forgette that we vvere ever clensed from our olde sinnes and former vncleanes we tredde vnder foote the sonne of God count the blood of the covenant 2 Pet. 1. 9. Heb. 10. 29. as a vile thing of no price and after a sort crucifie againe the Lord of glory We contemne and despise this blessing of blessinges and cleane sette at naught this mercy of mercies or else wee would not so wretchlesly forgette the same We forgett it for if we did carefully embrace remember it it would not be without fruit But we contemne and forget it and neglect the meanes wherby we should be put in continual remembrance of it yea by little little we are drawen on eveÌ„ to hate to persecute these meanes and so draw nearer nearer vnto that sin of sins which maketh vs vncapeable of all mercie From the which sin from al other that we might be preserved The manifold means that God hath ordaned to preserve the remeÌ„braÌ„ce of his endlesse loue in Christ and the residue of his manifolde mercies as 1. the word the Lord hath given vs his holy word to bee alwaies before our eies and so to keepe in vs a faithful remembrance of all his mercies wherin we may record his gracious merciful covenaÌ„t in Christ by the which he hath giveÌ„ himselfe to vs to be our God and hath taken vs to himselfe to be his people wherein we may reade his will and testament in the which he hath adopted vs for his sonnes in Christ made vs heires to all his treasures hath bequeathed vnto vs besides al other gifts that grand legacy of eternal glory wherin we may pervse that autheÌ„tical charter of al these priveledges immunities which we preseÌ„tly do are hereafter more fully to enioy being already made fellow citizeÌ„s with the saints of the houshold of God and incorporated into the heavenly caelestial Ierusalem wherin we may take a true view of the large plenary pardon of all our trespasles and debtes of that great graunt of the free remission of al our sins signed after a sort with the Lords owne hand ratified coÌ„firmed with 2. The Sacraments Doe this in remeÌ„braÌ„ce of me the seale of his sacraments For they were also ordained for the same principal end vse that by the outward resemblaÌ„ce of the visible signes vvith the invisible grace they might togither vvith the word not only represent and sette before our eies the Lords spiritual giftes and graces for Sacramentes if they had no resemblance they should be no Sacramentes but also to assure vs by the bodely receiving of the outvvard signes of the invvard participation of the invisible giftes The Church hath also appointed vnto vs certaine principall feastes as the feast of the nativity of the LORD and of his resurrection and ascension and the like that they might likewise be a meanes vnto vs to 3. Festivall daies continue an holy remembrance of his principall mercies And therefore on those daies there are appointed also to bee opened vnto the Lordes people such speciall parcelles of holy Scripture as do more clearly sette forth the same And for that these feasts come but once in the yeare there is one special day appointed in 4 The Saboth or the Lords day every vveeke that vve should not onely call to minde that God made the vvorld in sixe daies and rested the seaventh blessed it and consecrated it to the holie remembrance of the glorious worke of the creatioÌ„ but much more that we which are ChristiaÌ„s haue the Iewes Saboth traÌ„slated into the day of the Lords resurrection should most carefully record especially on that daie that he both died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification And therefore as vpon the Iewes Sabboth there were certaine Psalmes appointed to be redde publikely to the people for Read these Psalmes hymnes not cursorely for fashion but with relligious and devout attention thou shalt soone finde the fruite thereof the calling to their remeÌ„brance of the blessings of the Lord so in the churches of the ChristiaÌ„s the same haue bin coÌ„tinued even to this day other holy hymmes added therto for the further manifestation of the same mercies And for as much as this publike meeting of the whole coÌ„gregation to record the Lords mercies is appointed by the Lord himselfe to be but one day in the weeke therfore there is a most strait charg giveÌ„ also by the Lord hiÌ„selfe that every one of the Lordes people shoulde privatly every day haue their resort to the word of God and meditate therin day night that so they might keepe a coÌ„tinual remeÌ„braÌ„ce of al those things which never can be too much remembred And least any of the more simple ignorant should pleade either simplicity in vnderstaÌ„ding or weaknes in remembring the Lord in his great goodnes hath provided a remedy also for the same by causing diverse short plaine senteÌ„ces to be sett down in his holy word which are both easie to be vnderstood to be remembred also These and the like seÌ„tences may easily be learned without booke and ought to be remembred when we are by our selues continually 5. The office of the Lords Ministers Psal 105 1. that so eveÌ„ they might haue no preteÌ„ce at al to faile in so behovful necessary a duty As Iob 35. 10. Ier. 2. 6. 5. 24. 14. 20. Ho. 14. 2. And yet least any of the Lords servaÌ„ts should discontinue in this the Lords worke he hath appointed also the ministers of his word to be his faithful remeÌ„braÌ„cers therin to cal coÌ„tinually vnto their remembrance both the Lordes manifold mercies and their manifold dueties that they owe vnto him for the same For if all the Lords people ought not only themselues to be employed diligeÌ„tly about the Lords works but also to further
in theÌ„selues in their own righteousnes reiected the righteousnes of God in Christ so caused theÌ„selues to be vtterly reiected of God Wherby it came to passe that the kingdome of God was taken froÌ„ them was translated vnto the Gentiles and the true worshippe and service of the onely true God vvas made common to all the nations of the whole earth But it did not with them neither continue pure and vncorrupte any longe time For the Church that vvas a chast virgine vvhiles the Apostles lived beganne shortely in many countries to play the adultresse and to defile her lelfe with spiritual whordomes and I dolatries The Apostle Saint Paule testified vnto the Elders of Ephesus that he knew ful well that after his departure there should enter in among them grievous woluet not sparing the Act 20. 29. 1. Ioh. 4. 1. flockâ— And Saint Iohn that lived longest of al the Apostles testifieth that even in his time manie false Prophets vvere gone out into the vvorlde and that the spirite of the greate Antichrist that was to come in the latter times vvas alreadie vvorking and laying of the foundation of the great apostasie from GOD and his truth and brevving the cuppe of that deadly poison vvherevvithall was to bee made drunken all the kingdomes of the vvorlde and practising those spirituall fornications and adulteries vvherevvithall the whole earth vvas to be defiled And vvhat vvere those spirituall fornications and adulteries but an Idolatrous worshipping of the creature in steede of the Creator a superstitious serving of the Saintes in place of the Saviour an vnchast vnshamefast embracing of the freindes of the bridegrome in steede of the faithful cleaving vnto the onely bridegrome himselfe And how was this brought to passe but whiles the world was taught that CHRIST the bridegrome of the Church was not the onely mediator and patrone of his people but the saintes also the friendes of the bridegrome that God had after a sorte passed away from himselfe his interest and right in the bestowing of his owne gracious giftes and blessinges and had delivered them over vnto his servantes to be in their handes and at their disposition had made some of them patrones over one countrie some over an other some over men of this calling and some over men over of that some over this kind of cattle and some over that some deliverers from this disease and some from that and some disposers of this blessing some of that And hereof it came to passe that so many devotions were done vnto the saintes and so fewe vnto Christ so many churches and relligious houses founded to the honour of the saintes and so fewe vnto Christ so much praying to the saintes and so little to God the very Ave-Maryes much exceeding the Pater-Nosters and yet great contentioÌ„ also to bestowe them too vpon the saints such gadding on pilgrimage to offer to the image of this saint and that saint and so little regarde of the sincere serving of God in spirit and truth which is no waies bettered by altering of places but by changing of our corrupt and sleshly affections such publishing of the fabulous legend of the saintes miracles and such debarring of the people from Gods owne booke where the glorie of Christ is most sett forth such buying of pardons wherein the merites of the saintes vvere sette out to sâ—le and such evacuating annihilating of the death of CHRIST whereby our salvation vvas onely vvrought such magnifying of the rules of their owne relligious orders and such a meane reckoning made of the Lavves of CHRIST These honours vvhich vvere given by the vvhore of Babilon to her louers vvere parte of those spirituall fornications and adulteries vvherevvithall shee did infecte all the nations of the earth and the greate giftes that vvere pretended to bee given by the saintes to such as did most devoutely honour them vvere the meanes to perswade them to this Idolatry even as the Gentiles and Iewes had in former ages beene drawen a longe into the like actions vppon the like motiues and perswasions Wherefore if wee desire to bee delivered from such a fall even from departing from God to followe after vanity yea from falling from his service into open and impious I dolatry let vs beware of this stumbling blocke which Satan casteth in our vvay to make vs fall vvhile hee parswadeth vs to begge for that blessing at the hande of any creature vvhich onely is in the gifte and disposition of the Creator and let vs acknowledge that GODS most large ample loue is the only ful fountaine of all good thinges whatsoever be the conduite to convey them vnto vs and that all this water that thus or thus serveth our vse springeth onely out of this fountaine and not out of the conduite and that the conduite it selfe is made by this founder and doth convery vnto vs such so much water as he himselfe doth dispose of to our benefite and good Neither must we onely acknowledge that God is the onely auctor disposer of his owne giftes but also that he bestoweth them all vpon vs most frankely and freely even of his owne meere mercy favour loue He did not predestinate vs to everlasting life nor bestowe vpon vs any other of his blessinges for that he foresawe that we would deserue the same For he did not foresee any thing that should proceede from our selues but a flatte conspiracy with sinne and Satan and an apostacy and a revolt from God all goodnes Whatsoever good thing he foresaw in vs he foreappointed both to begin the same by his ovvne grace and to continue it and to bring it to a good issue and end of his owne vndeserved favour and loue And nowe to come to the second poâ—nt All the gratious blessings The end of all Gods blessings is the manifestation of his loue of God are bestowed vpon the faithfull to this ende even that by them he might make declaration proofe of his loue giue them assurance of his fatherly affection towards them And verely as none among men bestoweth any gifte vpon another but that hee will at one time or other give him notice thereof neither vvill hee bestow it vppon such an one as knoweth not the vse thereof nor vnderstandeth it to bee a gifte least it bee takeÌ„ as a mockery or returned backe without acceptance much lesse doth God bestowe any of his gracious giftes vpon his servaunâ—es but that sooner oâ— later hee giveth them noâ—ice therof and shevveth them the vles of the same that so they may receiue benefite thereby sering otherwise they will doe them â—…is taken 〈◊〉 an vnâ—…ubted â—…ritie in â—…finite â—…aces of â—oly scripâ—…re that â—ods loue 〈◊〉 assuredly â—…owen to â—is owne â—eople â—…lt of theÌ„â—…specially 〈◊〉 those â—…essinges â—hich â—re most â—roper and â—eculiar â—nto them â—nd thereâ—pon are â—hey so ofâ—en and â—arnestly â—rged to â—hew themâ—elues thaÌ„kâ—ull and duetifull to
ministery of pastours and Doctors is not stil needfull for the people of God but the meaning is that the doctrine first taught by the mouth of the Apostles afterward set downe in their Canonical writings is so plaine evident and ful to the servants of Christ which are endued with his spirit that they need not now at vnder the law any vnerring teacher ordinary or extraordinary for the further opening of any necessary point of faith which otherwise might be secret and lye hid And so also the Apostle to the Hebrews teacheth out of the booke of the Prophet Ieremy This is the testament that I will make with the Heb. 8. 10. house of Israell after these daies saith the Lord I will put my laws in their mindes and in their heartes will I write them and I will be their God and they shall bee my people and they shall no more teach one another saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the greatest vnto the least Not as I said before that the ministery of teaching by ordinarie pastours should cease amongst vs which is still most behouefull both to renew the memory of those things which we know seeing we are stil ready to forget and to teach better those thinges which we know but in part and also those things which as yet we know not at al for the most skilful may proceede from knowledge to knowledge but that there shal be now no neede of any vnerring interpreter to open any necessary point of faith which otherwise would be altogether vnknown For al necessary things are set downe so plainly in the bookes of the Apostles and Evangelists by him that was best able to write even to the capacity of the most simple who caused also those bookes to be penned not to obscure but to lighten the truth that the lambe may wade in them without danger of drowning and drinke most plentifully of those vvaters of life yea the vvary of Gods service is now so plaine that the very fooles cannot erre therein The pointes of faith contained in these bookes neede neither to begge credite All thinges necessary to salvatioÌ„ are sette downe so plainely in the bookes of the new testament that all the faithfull may vnderstand the same without the helpe of an vnerring Interpreter yea without the helpe of any Interpreter at all nor to take light from the writings expositioÌ„s of men but haue their credite in themselues take their light from themselues giue light credit both to the persoÌ„s also to the bokes of al other whoÌ„soever that haue any credite or light in them And the maine grounds of faith contained in them stand vpon their owne ground haue in themselues most manifest perspicuity that the mind passing through many forms of opinions being once lightned therwith may resolue settle his ful assent consent vpon theÌ„ without the helpe of any vnerring Interpreter yea without the helpe of any Interpreter at all For what containe the bookes of the new testament but the vncovering of that which was covered in the old Now if those things be vncovered already what neede haue they of a further vncovering Vnlesse we thinke that the Apostles themselues which had the greatest measure of the spirite and the largest portion of knowledge in the misteries of God had either not so good skill or will to sett downe plainly in their Canonicall writings all points of faith as their schollers and successors had in their writings which are not Canonicall The truth is that all thinges necessarie vnto salvation are novve most plainly delivered in the bookes of the new testament the best Interpreters doe not by their expositions bring any new light at all vnto them but pointe as it were with the finger to that light which is in them that we may turne our eies vpon it togither with them behould the same they bring no grounds and principles of their owne that thereby they may lighten the doctrine of the scripture but they hould out the grounds principles of the scripture it selfe that therby they may lighten all that is obscure For albeit in the divine scriptures there are many places darke obscure hard to be vnderstoode such wherein the best Interpreters themselues may erre be deceaved yet as S. Austine Aug. de doct Christ l. 2. cap. 9. saith all things that belong to faith good manners that is to say to hope and loue are openly delivered sette downe in the same and out of these plaine and open places all necessary doctrines are to be taken and not out of the doubtfull and obscure And therefore when the heretike Petilian did alleage mystical obscure places for the confirmatioÌ„ of his errours the same father taketh exception against him after this manner saying these places Aug. cont Petil. cap. 16. are mysticall obscure and figurative but vvee require a manifest place that needeth no Interpreter at all And such places were alleaged by the Catholike Bishoppes for the opening and confirming of all controversies and doubtes Attende saith Iustine Iust Martyr in dialogo cuÌ„â—rypho Chrys in ep ad RoÌ„ hom 19. 2. Pet 3. 16. Martyr to these thinges vvhich I shall rehearse out of the scriptures vvhich neede not at all to bee expounded but onely to bee hearde So Chrysostome Doe these saith he neede any exposition are they not cleare and manifest even to those that are very dull And albeit in Saint Paule there are some thinges hard to bee vnderstoode vvhich the vnlearned and vnstable pervert as they doe also the other scriptures to their destruction yet Saint Ambrose is bold Ambr in ep 7. in principio epistolae to avouch of him that in most thinges hee doth so expound himselfe that he vvhich doth deliver and teach his doctrine can finde nothing that hee may adde or if hee vvill needes say something he must rather performe the dutie of a grammarian then of a discourser or disputer And verely albeit the vnbeleevers and such as are ignorant of the divine and heavenly doctrine of the Canonicall Scriptures Stap doct princ lib. 8. cap. 22. veritas docendo suadet Tertul. coÌ„t ValeÌ„t Aug cont ep Funda cap 14. The saith of the fiue members of the church of Christ is not setled vpon the auctority of the church or the iudgment of the Interpreter but vpon the light of the divine doctrine it selfe are at the first mooued sometimes to embrace the faith of CHRIST by the auctority of the Church and by the dignity and vvorthines of the Bishoppes and teachers yet when they are once perswaded and setled therein beeing lightned by the spirit of illumination and by the light of the doctrine it selfe then as Stapleton himselfe also hath taught they doe not any longer beleeue for the voice of the church but for the divine light it selfe they doe not any longer builde their faith vpon the voice of
holy pure perfect gratefull and acceptable to himselfe also for that it is his will vnto whoÌ„ I am ten thousand times bouÌ„d to yeeld al dutiful submissioÌ„ obedience both in respect of his soveraigne auctority that he only hath to rule over my conscience soule also in regard of his infinite blessings which he of his owne vnspeakeable goodnes in Christ hath most freely fully bestowed vpon me And verely our obedience performed to the vvill of God in these respectes is a sweete incense and a most acceptable sacrifice to God wherwith we after a sort gratifie God and grieve the Devill are as an heaven to all holy Angels and a very hell vnto al vncleane spirits So like wise when we are tempted to any wicked worke wee must thus reason with ourselues and say this worke ought in no wise to be done by me no not the least desire to accomplish the same ought once to haue any entrance into my hart because it is contrary to the holy pure perfect will of God agreeable vnto the impure will of the Devill because it is most offensiue grievous to God most gratefull acceptable vnto the Devill because it is a great dishonour to him to whoÌ„ all honour is double due both in respect of his soveraigne auctority over me and also in regard of his manifolde mercies collated vpon me and it is a great honour vnto that most cruell and infamous tyrant the Devill who presseth vpon me thereby to take me captive to the vtter destruction both of my body and soule We are debters as saith the Apostle yea very great debters as great as great may be but not to the flesh nor to our selues nor Rom. 8. 12. to the devil vnles it be that we owe to these al maÌ„ner of evils miseries whatsoever but we are debtters to God that for the loue of a thousand talents for the gift of ten thousand more yet if we haue but a sincere desire to discharge this our debt our most gracious creditour will not onely straitwaies forgiue it all but also wil giue vnto vs ten thousand times more Yea the sincere desire of being obedient to the will of God vpon the former respects and the true care according as God hath enabled vs in some measure to discharge this our debt is a very great mercy a very gracious favour wherby we are more and more endebtted vnto him And verely this is al the discharge of our debt that hee requireth at our hands that we willingly gladly acknowledge him of whoÌ„ we haue received all that we so highly esteeme of his giftes and presume of his good will that we are stil desirous to been debtted vnto him more more by al relligious hearing reading and meditating vpon his holy and sacred word by all servent and devout praier bee continually begging and craving for more and after a sort extorting it out of his handes For his desire is not to be benifited by vs but that we should still more and more bee benefited by him and hee vvould haue vs to acknowledge his loue and to grovve into a stedfast assurance therof that therby we might be more effectually stirred vp to reioyce in his goodnes to be thankful vnto him for his manifold mercies especially he would haue vs most midfully to record that vnmatchable blessing of our redemption wrought by Christ his inestimable loue made manifest therin that therby our hearts might be renewed our affections saÌ„ctified dying to our selues living to God employing our selues to every good worke And hereof it is that the spirit of God especially in the bookes of the new testament doth so often make mention of Christ and of our redemption wrought by him and of his great loue manifested therein as being the matter and subiect of those bookes a â—aÌ„st vvhereof I vvill giue vnto thee in some sentences of one of those bookes penned by Saint Iohn as they be pointed vnto by that learned preacher of the vvord Mr. Robert Rolloc in his commentaries vpon the same booke No man hath soone God at any time the onely begotten sonne of God vvho is in the bosome of the father hee hath revealed him Ioh 1. 18. The Philosophers in all ages haue most painfully searched after truth in their Physikes Ethikes Mathematikes and the rest But the knowledge of the Father in the Sonne doth only deserue the name of truth For to what purpose is it to comprehend in minde heaven and earth and all other thinges if a sinner doth not knowe God in Christ the redeemer That is vnlesse he feele God favourable vnto him and forgiving him all his sinnes in Christ which only doeth pacifie the troubled conscience hee can haue little true comfort in all his knovveledge of all other things be it never so great and smal courage to come vnto God and to rest in him and so to take hold of everlasting blessednes Therefore our Saviour himselfe after that he had said no man knoweth the father but the sonne and hee to whom the sonne hath revealed him Math. 11. 28. immediately addeth Come vnto mee all yee that are wearie and heavy laden and I will refresh you VVhereby hee signifieth that God being revealed in Christ there doeth follovve peace of conscience and vnspeakeable ioy in all those that doe cast their sinnes vpon him The nexte daie Iohn stoode and tvvo of his disciples and beholding Iesus vvalking hee saide beholde that lambe of GOD. Iohn 1. Chap. verse 36. As Iohn oftentimes gaue witnesse to Christ so it is no lesse necessarie at this time that the sacrifice and death of Christ be repeated and reiterated againe and againe For as the Iewes were ignoraunt that Christ the lambe of God shoulde bee offered vppe in sacrifice so vvee after a sort haue forgotten that hee hath beene sacrificed and hath already suffered for our sinnes For vvhat meane these sinnes which so every where abound adulteries murders rapines sacriledges even so many sinnes of all sortes vvhat say I doe they meane but that wee haue forgotten that our Saviour Christ hath suffered for vsâ— For ifit did come into our mindes that vvee vvere once boughte with so greate a price vvoulde vvee so sell our selues and become captiues to so manye sinnes If vvee did remember that vvee vvere washed with the most precious bloodof CHRIST vvoulde vvee againe so defile our selues vvith the filthy mire of this vncleane vvorlde After that Saint Peter had commended vnto the faithfull certaine necessary vertues 2. Peter 1. 9. Hee that hath not these saieth hee is bloude and seeth nothing a farre of but hath forgotten that hee vvas purged from his olde sinnes For let all bee sure of this that who edomes murders and the like to them that make profession of the faith of Christ are not therefore sinnes onely for that they are contrary to the lawe of God