iudgement with vs. For surely though the world makes but a iest at sinne and a toy to commit iniquitie though they play with it as the fish with the bait in her mouth not regarding the hooke till she see it hath caught her yet at last they shall find that it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God Hebr. 10. and that when his register of what is done amisse shall bee opened before them they shall not be able to abide it As is the meanes the theefe can vse for his deliuerie and the disposition of the Iudge before whom hee is to bee arraigned so is hee raised vp to hope or driuen downe to despaire Now all haue sinned if wee vse the meanes Christ Iesus the sole Redeemer of the world by a liuely faith exercised in the workes of righteousnesse wee shall be freed from the censure of condemnation but if thou shalt reiect Christ and vnrepentantly delight in the workes of darknesse behold the nature of the Iudge and from thence the fearefulnesse of his iudgement and so auoide I beseech thee the sinnes that will cause it First therefore we consider that God is infinit in mercie here and therefore will very seuerely punish in the life to come The meanes of present maintenance addes to the grieuousnes of the theft and the clemencie of the Prince makes the rebellion more punishable how then shal the wicked appeare before the Lord when the heauens and the earth with all things therin cōtained shall declare both his worthinesse and bountie whē his Ministers shal obiect their infinite sermons their preaching of the Gospel their daily exhortations when his Angels obiect their attendance seruice ministerie when as Christ himselfe shal obiect his poore estate the obseruations of the wicked the contradictions of his enemies the reproches of the scornful the scarres in his bodie the speare in his side the nailes in his feete the bowing of his head the spreading of his armes the shedding of his blood and all for to cleanse thee how strict will God bee in punishing when thou wouldest not be clensed Secundum magnitudinem misericordiae in praesenti erit magnitudo furoris in futuro As God is most abundant in mercie now so he will be most furious in punishing thē And therfore saith Gregorie Greg. in Moral how shall he endure his displeasure there that contemned his rich mercy heere The second consideration is of the iustice of God If hee spared not Adam for eating the forbidden fruit Genes 3. if not the whole world because they rebelled against him Genes 7. if not the Angels that sinned 2. Pet. 2.4 but committed them to chaines of perpetuall darknesse yea if hee punished his righteous Sonne for the sinnes of the elect Eph. 2.13 Esay 53.8 rather then sinnes should go vnpunished how hopest thou to escape which art by nature the child of wrath Ephes 2.3 which art but one which maiest not be compared to the Angels which art a wicked seruant what shall become of the vnprofitable shrubbe of the desert when that goodly Cedar of Paradise shall be stricken Hieron Dan. 7. Malach. 3. Isai 30. Ose 11. Amos. 4. Apocal. 6. Neither shall God appeare to the vnrepentant in the strictnesse of his iustice only but also in the zeale and furie of the same so that then they shal crie Hide vs from him that sitteth on the throne and from the furie of the Lambe Tunc nec diuitiae diuitibus prosunt He that by nature is a lambe is enforced by sinne to shevv himself a Lion nec paerentes parentibus intercedunt nec Angeli pro hominibus verbum faciunt quia natura iudicij non recipit misericordiam At that time saith Chrysostome riches shal not profit them one mā shal not make intercessiō for another the Angels shall not pleade for them Ezech. 7.19 because the nature of the iudgement admits not of mercie Mallent omne tormentum sustinere quà m faciem Iudicis irati videre They had rather saith Augustine suffer any punishment Prou. 11.23 then behold the angrie countenance of that fearefull Iudge whom by their sins they displeased The third consideration is that he to whom it belongeth to punish sinne is an Al seeing God Many breake the lawes of the Prince vpon hope of concealing their offence but the sinnes we commit against the Prince of Princes cannot be hidden hee knowes the secrets of the heart Iob 11.11 1. King 16.19 Psalm 139.3 Ierem. 16.17 searcheth the reines and vnderstandeth the thoughts long before Thou compassest my pathes saith Dauid and my lying downe and art acoustomed to all my waies Whereupon saith the Glosse God doth so consider the waies and compasse the paths of euery one that euery idle word and vaine thought shall be iudged Lord how shall the wicked be able to appeare before thee whē not one but all their sins shal be mustered in thy presence how shall they be able to vndergoe thy censure for all in nūber like the sands of the sea whē they cannot make answere for one and that of the smallest Ierem. 29.23 Malach. 3.5 But what men haue committed that cannot be concealed for God is both the Iudge and the witnesse Boetius Indicta est probationis necessitas cum agamus coram oculis Iudicis cunctae cernentis In the diuine law the necessitie of proouing is forbidden because wee doe all things in the sight of the Iudge that shall trie vs Sicut capillus non perit de capite ita nec momentum de tempore As the haire perisheth not from the head but God takes note of it so no time passeth saith Bernard but God keepes account of it Therefore seeing our sinnes are so infinit and that they are al knowne vnto God who shal iudge them it behooueth men to feare the committing of moe because the account they are to make is so large alreadie The last consideration is that this Punisher of finne is Almightie Isai 14.27 Isai 51.15 Matth. 10.18 Iames 4.12 Isai 47.11 He is a God of armies the Lord of hosts is his name when he will saue none can destroy and when hee will destroy none can deliuer Chrysost Nee resistendi virtus nec fugiendifacultas we haue neither power to resist nor meanes to flie away Hee which caused the mountaines to shake at his Maiestie in giuing the law he shal cause the proudest sinner to feare and tremble when hee shall denounce his sentence of iudgement vpon the violaters thereof Qui ceciderun ad vnam vocem Christi monituri quid facient sub voce indicaturi August in Ioh 18.6 If the souldiers fell downe at the voice of Christ in the forme of a seruant admonishing them how shall the stoutest gallant bee strooke to the ground at the voice of the Lord of life in his glory and Maiesty iudging them Therefore howsoeuer the world the flesh and the diuell doe deceiue men howsoeuer they iudge the seruing of God lost labour and that they had rather liue and die in their sinnes then remember their Creator in the daies of their youth yet let them at last returne to the truth againe the nature of their sin is a beastlike rebellion the punishment eternall destruction the punisher Almightie thou canst not escape him Maiesticall thou canst not abide him Al-seeing thou canst not hide thy selfe nor thy sinnes from him Iust for he punished his righteous Sonne and therefore will not spare his vile seruant Rich in mercie now and therefore will abound in wrath and furie in the life to come therefore when thou art entised to continue in thy sinnes and to deferre thy conuersion to God say vnto thy soule Genes 16. as the Angell to wandring Hagar O my soule from whom hast thou fled from the Lord of life a gratious God and mercifull father to all those that obey him and what art thou doing defiling thy selfe with sinne and iniquitie and enfolding thy selfe in infinite miseries And whither art thou going to be punished by an Almightie most iust and Al-seeing God now most mercifull but when he shall enter into iudgement exceeding furious now gentle then angrie now long suffering then auenging therefore O my soule what canst thou answere when hee demands an account what wilt thou doe when hee shall enter into iudgement with thee peccata latere erit impossibile peccatorem apparere intollerabile That thy sins should be hid it is impossible that a sinner should appeare it is intollerable Backe then againe O my soule goe to the Lord thy God right humblie confesse thy sins and acknowledge thine iniquities say vnto him Father I haue sinned against heauen and earth and am not worthie to bee called thy seruant but O Lord rich in grace infinite in mercie true in thy promises for thy deere Sonnes sake put away my sinnes instruct mee that I may strike my hand vpon my thigh and vnfainedly repent for them Shew me thy saluation that they swallow mee not vp worke in mee by thy holy Spirit and word a true faith in Christ Iesus my gratious Redeemer and being thy redeemed O my sweet Sauiour stay mee with thy Spirit that I fall not frō thee vphold me with thy grace that I be no more the seruant of sin yea create in mee a new heart and a new spirit that as I haue been a weapon of vnrighteousnesse euer heretofore so I may be a member of righteousnesse alwaies hereafter that as thou hast been infinit in mercie to mee I may encrease in obedience to thee then shall I no longer feare the terror of the great Iudge but to the ioy of my heart say my Redeemer liueth then shall I desire no longer the deferring of thy comming as the wicked seruant but as a good child desiring alwaies to see the face of his father and as one in pure loue espoused wishing no thing so much as to bee with her beloued euen so will I for my selfe and all that loue thy comming crie Come Lord Iesus come quickly euen so for thee and vs al Amen Amen FINIS
no doubt to be made of them The question is about the third namely Gods voluntary suffering of sin which although I haue prooued that it cannot be a cause of the thing so suffered yet because the aduersaries of this truth doe draw most of their arguments from hence Satan cunningly raising many doubts of his goodnes who indeed is an infinit goodnesse in and of himselfe and is also infinitelie good and gratious vnto others I will by way of confirming the latter part of this Argument stand somewhat more vpon opening this truth vnto vs. What Gods permissiue will is I haue shewed immediatelie before The fountaine from which it proceeds is his foreknowledge as that from which all his actions quoad extra as Diuines call them which are effected without him haue their beginning and is thus distinguished either it is absolute and simple Permission is either simple or respectiue as the suffering of Adam to eate the forbidden fruit or it is respectiue and hath regard and consideration to the parties suffered God determining thereby to keepe his law of iustice vnspotted and yet to giue a generall rule to all Magistrates how to vse a wise moderation As when God permitted the Israelites to sell their children into bondage and Moses for the hardnesse of the peoples hearts granted a bill of diuorcement Matth. 19.8 though from the beginning it was not so Touching this permission thus considered Jn God permitting of sin foure things to be obserued these things are to be obserued First that Gods suffering of sinne is voluntarie for being almightie he cannot be constrained to any thing Secondly that this suffering is for a set purpose and end agreeing with his iustice and glorie as that the exceeding riches of his grace and mercie might more appeare in sauing the elect and his iustice and power be more euidēt in condemning the wicked Thirdly that this permission is not idle proceeding either of negligence inabilitie or ignorance common causes of mans permitting but is from the determinate counsell of God knowing and decreeing a voluntarie suffering Lastly that this permission is with a limitation of the natures of sins of their number with the times places and persons committing them So that men are often restrained in their wicked purposes neither can the diuell preuaile alwaies in what he most desireth no not with the most wicked much lesse with the vnregenerate in the secret counsell of God elected to eternall glorie though not as yet called home to Christ Iesus the Shepheard of the flocke and Bishop of our soules For if Gods diuine power and rich grace should not concurre in this then alas men should neuer cease sinning yea then their least transgressions should be peccata clamantia crying sinnes sinnes of presumption blasphemies sins against the holy Ghost that so the committers might perish finally Whereto then should serue the gratious promises of God in Christ Iesus vpon true repentance by a liuely faith apprehended Alas to no end Ephes 2.2.3 for without the barres of Gods grace and mightie power wee inclining the world alluring and Satan continually tempting how should we eschew that great seareful sinne for which the grace of repentance is neuer granted If this was not true euen in the wicked most lamentable miserie should befall all true hearted Christians We haue experience of the truth of this doctrine in the most grieuous persecutions of the Church of Christ and especially in that most fearfull conspiracie and infernall treason deuised plotted and prosecuted by that Antichristian sect and diuell incarriate Papists against the Church of Christ his chiese Anointed and all other the most religious wise and honourable Peeres of this Common-wealth whom had not the hand of the Lord of his especiall grace to the Nursefathers of his Church miraculously deliuered they cursed be the soules that shall once intend it as innocent lambes had been deliuered to the bloodie slaughter-house of diuellish Tyrants the walles of our Hierusalem had been broken downe the honour of our Sion laid in the dust yea the many Pillars and sole Maintainers of our welfare being taken away farre be it from vs O Lord for this is most fearefull to thinke of how fearfull then O Lord to endure it we thewhole bodies of his Highnes dominions had come to a most lamentable subuersion and ouerthrow A comfortable instance of Gods reslrayuing the sinnes of the wicked But to the euerlasting praise of our most gratious God bee it spoken they haue digged a pit and haue fallen into the middest of it themselues the Lord of the riches of his mercie hath broken their nets our soules are deliuered from the bloodie hands of these infernall insatiate fowlers O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse Psalm 107. and declare the wonders hee hath wrought for the children of men Surely the policie of man preuented it not they stood affected to vs and holding the grounds of their profession will alwaies so stand euen as Satan vnto Iob Iob 1. desiring if the Lord would permit to plague both soules and bodies yet as the Lord said he would not suffer Abimelech to sinne against him Genes 10.6 by comming neere vertuous Sarah so let vs al with one hart voice confesse that our mercifull God would not suffer these diuellish Papists to proceed to the height of their hortible sinnes by comming neerer his Anointed and honorable chosen ones to extinguish the blessed light of Christs Gospel and that admired happines which by their most religious iust wise and careful gouernment we haue enioyed amongst vs. Further In euery permission two Agents it is to bee obserued that in euery permission there are two Agents the person permitting and the person permitted The former hath power to hinder whē he pleaseth doth vse the same The latter hath an abilitie of working and when hee is permitted doth put the same in execution In both of these there is a voluntarie action as wel in the suffered as in the suffer but herein is the difference the action of his will which suffereth is only inward and worketh nothing in him whom it suffereth the partie suffered worketh of his owne proper will his end of working being not preuented nor his meanes of accomplishing hindred by the other so that although in both of these there is a voluntarie action yet one of them onely is author of the fact And by consequence God onely suffering and we wholly executing hee is most pure and holy and we only guiltie of our sinnes committed For although as Augustine saith Nothing is done in the world which the Lord would not to be done Enchir. cap. 95. Vel ipse faciendo vel voluntariè sinendo either by doing it himselfe or by a willing suffering of it to be done yet he is altogether free from the guilt of the transgression though for the manifestation of his iuflice and glorie he
place of all ioy 2. By our practise The palme of victorie is not due without fighting the price without running nor the wages without labouring This is reason and therefore thus wee practise an instance of one for all Julius sextus lib. 1. cap. 11. Cyrus King of Persir encouraging his souldiers against the Medes brought them to a great wood where hee set them to labour al the day long in cutting down the same but the second day prepared a daintie banquet for them at their eating whereof hee passed thorow the seuerall bands demaunding which of those two daies were best the souldiers answered the second because then was the banquet but how came you by this daies pleasures saith Cyrus they answered by yesterdaies labours So saith he by your paines in fighting against the Medes you shall obtaine the victorie and after enioy the banquet of the spoile So first we must conquer afflictions and after bee crowned with glorie 3. By the commodities But the excellencie of the crosse is seene in nothing more then in the wonderfull commoditie it brings to those which are exercised therein The bodie is a stinking house and infects the soule a bad seruant and deceiues the master an vntamed horse and hurts the rider a false friend and often preuailes a bad counseller and is sometimes heard Hence it is that Christians haue their spirituall maladies some troubled with the burning feuer of malice hating where they should loue some with a dead palsie not feeling Gods mercies some with a spirituall phrensie reioycing when they should weepe some with an insatiate thirst euer seeking after pleasures some crookt-shoulders that they cannot looke vp vnto heauen some stark mad counting godlinesse losse and earthlie treasures of greatest value for these whether crept into the godly and so must be remoued or incident vnto thē and so must be preuented God hath his seuerall potions of heauenly physicke which according to our natures and grieuousnes of our diseases for daies moneths or yeeres Gods potions to cure our spirituall maladies are 1. Diseases imprisanment b Inishment c. Profitable hee doth minister hee doth minister vnto vs. The first and principall of these which by the instance seemes most bitter and hardest to bee digested are the diseases of the bodie imprisonment banishment losse of life and such like touching which though we hold them being naturall euils to bee gall in the mouth yet being receiued we shal find them honey in the bellie They keepe a man in the paths of Gods commandements Hebr. 12.11 Exod. 1.22 2. Chro. 32.20 Greg. in moral It is good for mee saith Dauid that I haue been in trouble that I might learne to keepe thy commandements Mala quae nos hic premunt ad Deum ire compellunt The afflictions which God laies on his children compell them to goe vnto him They shew vs our sinnes Matth. 7.13 Ioh. 12.25 Before I was corrected I went wrong saith the Psalmist but now I haue learned to keepe thy commandements So that Cum non potest disciplina verborum percommodè vititur disciplina verberum Gregor in Moral Philip. 28. Hebr. 2.9.10 When words will not preuaile then is the rod very profitably vsed By fanning the wheate is separated from the chaffe by threshing the corne is reserued that the beast doth not eate the straw and it together Chrysost opere imperf hom 4. whereas otherwise both would be deuoured So in that satan that rauenous beast 2. Cor. 11.22 swallowes not vp the godly with the wicked it is because God reseruing them for his garner of glorie wils that they should be separated from the wicked by the flaile of affliction They humble the high minde moue to repentance for our sinnes Luke 24.19 and stirre vs vp to faithfull and earnest prayer to God for forgiuenes of them and thus prepare vs for Christs comming Act. 14.19 and reserue vs till his comming To this end saith Moses God sent the fortie yeres troubles to the Israelites 2. Thess 1.5 Prou. 17.3 1. Pet. 1 7 9. Deut. 8.2 so that the hardned heart by affictions is oftentimes driuen to God whether it will or no as it appeares by the stiffenecked Israclites Exod 8. Pharaoh and diuers others And therefore the tenour of Salmons prayer at the dedicating of the Temple is after this manner if thy people in their captiuitie and distresse shall remember their sinnes humble themselues and by feruent prayer foorth of this place call to thee O Lord for mercie then be thou mercifull vnto their sinnes and hearken vnto their prayers Apopyni auis Some birds are taught to speake as some haue obserued by beating them on the head with an iron rod some Mariners will not bee wakened till the water come into the shippe so some men lie so sound asleepe in the cradle of securitie Iud. 10.13 that the coole water of affliction must be powred vpō them before they will waken Some men will neither praise God for his blessings receiued nor pray for moe vnto him so that the iron rodde must teach them to praise him for what they haue and neuer to cease praying for what they wāt Oculos quos culpa claudit poena aperit Gregor in Moral The eyes which before through corruption of nature were bent to the earth are now by correction fixt on the Lord as the eyes of a handmaid vpon her mistresse Afflictions quicken vp Gods graces within vs Hieren Adiutrix virtutum tribulatio saith Hierome Vertue is vpholden holden by afflictions Simile The fire flameth most when the winde blowes hardest vpon it Siluer is best discerned in a dark vessell when it is full of water so the siluer graces of God are most apparent when the water of affliction is distilled from heauen into our earthen vessels so the sparks of graces within vs are neuer so neere the flaming as when aduersitie blowes strong vpon vs. Dauid was neuer carried away with so feruent a zeale of Gods glorie with such diuine meditations with such heauenly praises with such feruent prayers as when the tempestuous blasts of Saul and his Counsellors blew strong and sharpe vpon him Lastly asslictions shew vs to be high in Gods fauour they conforme vs to Christ they frame that golden ladder whereby we climbe to heauen they assure vs sillie men and women that although we lament Prou. 3.12 weepe and mourne the teares distill from our eyes suffer imprisonment hebr 11.40 beare the markes of Christ liue in the vale of many miseries Hebr. 12.6 and are continually tost in the troublesome seas of this world by the tempestuous blasts of furious Tyrants yet we shall laugh reioyce and sing the teares shall be wipt from our eies Apoc. 3.19 our feete shall bee set in a large and ample roome the hill of Sion shall be our rest yea because we haue borne parte of the storme with
Vbicunque caro inuenit refectionem inuenit defectionem wheresoeuer the flesh findes a refreshing it shall also finde a want and wearing In this the godly are often poore in regard of the quantitie but in the other which are true and tried riches very abundant Are not they rich which haue the most precious graces of Gods holy spirit within them which haue Christ himselfe who as Bernard saith hath all riches in his left hand Bern. in serm and all honour in his right yea who are heires of a kingdome in qualitie rich pure shining cleare gorgeous most glorious and fuller of all ioy and happines then tongue can declare or heart conceiue In quantitie exceeding spatious in substance not subiect to alteration corruption or malice of traitors Reuel 21. To this of the riches of Gods grace and mercie they are freely chosen and of this the whole world combining themselues together can neuer depriue them These are treasures not subiect to the blasts of the aire to the malice of Tyrants to the furie of the enemie to the deceit of the flatterer or to the plots of the robber Nec fraude surripiuntur nec vi eripiuntur they are neither gotten by craft nor taken away by force and therefore permanent and enduring And thus Christ for our sakes became poore 2. Cor. 8.9 that we through his pouertie might bee made rich And thus are the godlie euer rich when in the sight of the wicked they are counted poore Lastlie 5. The godlie euer haue true honor and happinesse howsoeuer the godly are accounted wretched yet they are most blessed howsoeuer base and vile yet most excellent and honourable Prou. 22.4 The truth of this appeares in that the God of Gods and King of Kings doth both largelie reward them highly esteeme them For passing by many mightie Princes 1. Thessal 1. of the exceeding riches of his grace hee elected them being defiled with that vglie leprosie of sinne he hath clensed them with the most precious blood of his onely begotten Sonne being by nature the children of wrath as well as others he hath iustified them of his free mercie sanctified them by his Spirit and called them by his word thus though once they were dead wandred and were dispersed yet now they are reuiued called home and in the superabundance of Gods mercie gathered to Christ Iesus the Sheepheard of the flocke and Bishop of our soules In which estate they weare now no more the filthie ragges of the old man but by the hand of a liuely faith haue the glorious robe of righteousnesse that is of the new man Christ Iesus put vpon them This was our estate in regard of our selues Ephes 2.3 1. Pet. 2.9 Ioh. 1.12 Galath 3.26 Hebr. 2.11.12 So that whereas once they were enemies to God now they are made friends vnto him whereas once cursed now blessed whereas once slaues to Satan now sonnes to God whereas companions and brethren of iniquitie now brethrē to Christ wheras once wedded to our lusts now espoused to him wheras once vassals of wrath now vessels of glorie whereas once captiues to Satan now free denizens of a glorious citie whereas once led by the spirit that ruleth in the aire now guided and gouerned by the good spirit of God whereas once bondslaues to Satan now heires of the kingdome of heauen Is not this true blessednes is not this exceeding honour and dignitie A faithfull man saith Salomon abounds in blessings Prou. 28.20 Prou. 28.6 Prou. 19.1 Psalm 1.1.2.3 c. and better is the poore Christian that walketh in his vprightnesse then he that peruerteth his waies though he be worldly rich Hunc habe beatum saith Seneca non quem vulgus vocat Sencca sed cui omne bonum in animo est Account that man blessed who hath all his riches in his mind not him whom the blind worldlings esteem blessed Macrob. because solae virtutes faciunt beatum the vertues of the mind make a man happie The world hauing their iudgements corrupted and eies blindfolded are misled in censuring and deceiued in beholding the state of Christs Church and no meruaile Omne decus filiae Sion ad intus The beautie of the daughter of Sion is within her which in as much as they want the spirituall eie it is impossible by thē to be discerned They prie into the imperfections and outward blacknesse of the Church but they behold her not in Christ and so see not her perfection and glory Being for her prittie trimnenesse compared to a Roe for her louelines to a doue for her fruitfulnesse to a vine for her holinesse to a Priesthood for her royaltie to a Queene for her safetie to mount Sion for her brightnesse to the morning for her glorie to the Sunne for her beautie to the fairest of women for her glittering to an Iuorie tower for qualities called by Christ himselfe sweete comelie perfect and most blessed Now the Church of God consisting of the number of the righteous Lord what do they count blessednesse if these whom thou hast thus blessed are not truelie blessed If these whom thou thus honourest are not right honourable whose soules are inricht with thy graces whose bodies are kept by thy Prouidence and guarded by thy Angels whose death is life Hebr. 6.7.8 1. Cor. 3.22 Hebr. 1.13 whose end is glory and ioy without end whose authority is to rule all Gods creatures and this rule ended to haue a greater giuen them euen to be Iudges with Christ of the most mightie tyrants and wicked Princes vpon earth Loe this is the portion of the righteous this the inheritance of the God of Iacob and therefore they are truly blessed therefore right honorable therefore most excellent But on the contrarie the wicked want true comfort euen when prosperitie smiles The tontrarie to the fiue former observed in the wicked much more when aduersitie frownes vpon them And how can it be otherwise since they want the Spirit of God which is the sole fountaine of all comfort Secondly they are swallowed vp of the miseries that doe befall them Hence it is that Dauid saith though their seate be vpon an high hill yet it is slipperie therfore they fall in their falling come to a perpetuall destructiō As Pharaoh and his hoste were swallowed vp of the seas so they are detained of death kept vnder of the graue and hell hath dominion ouer them Thirdly they lose by all view their exchange for laughing they haue mourning Luk. 6. Prou. 14. for a little ioy endlesse sorrow for the loue of the world the hatred of God for the sauing of this life Triplex vox creaturae 1. Possideto 2. Gratias habeto 3. Rationem reddito the losing of their soules for earthly pleasures they lose heauenly ioyes to liue at ease in this life brings endlesse torments in the life to come Yea in the enioying of what they most desire they frame an
this life which those that heare Gods voyce and obey his will doe abundantly enioy are infinite many view their blessednesse euen in the middest of their miseries noted alreadie in the answeres to the former obiections In the answere to the second instance in the third obiection against this doctrine God gouernes all things and if they are happiein those things which make them seeme vnhappie how blessed are they in other things wherin there is neither taste nor shew of miserie But alas how can they want store of blessings who haue Christ the fountaine of all blessings how shall God detaine that which is deare who hath giuen them his onely Son who is dearest vnto him and how shall his mercie be failing to his friends Rom. 5. when it was so abundantlie manifested when they were enemies If wee heare his voyce we are friends wee are brethren we are sisters we are sonnes vnto him If earthly parents doe loue their children and labour to profit them how should our heauenly father whose loue as farre exceedes their loue as the infinite Creator doth the silly creature faile in his loue to his children or bee wanting in his blessings toward them But I leaue the priuiledges of the godly in the blessings of this life and come to their happinesse in the life to come In the description whereof we may aime but cannot attaine He which will bee a certaine reporter must heare the matter himselfe he which will limme perfectly must view that hee would draw and he that would iudge of harmonies must heare the sounds how then should sillie man on earth whose senses were neuer partakers of this glorie be a perfect describer thereof It rests then and so in the bowels of compassion as Embassadors of Christ wee entreate you that you rather seeke to bee partakers thereof then to expect a description from another yet being the end of the hope of the faithfull it shall not be amisse to speake something thereof That there is a place of infinit ioy and blessednesse for the godlie Psalm 15. Psalm 27. Matth. 25. 1. Cor. 19. Hebr. 4.11 13. none so vilde that will call it into question for God who is truth it selfe hath alwaies both taught and promised it therefore Peter in the behalfe of himselfe and the Church the sole partakers of this blessednesse breakes forth into an hartie thanksgiuing vnto God on this manner Praised bee God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercie hath begotten vs againe vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from death to an inheritance immortall and vndefiled and that perisheth not reserued in heauen for them which are kept by the power of God through faith vnto soluation Touching the word heauen it hath three significations Psalm 14.6 as Paul noteth when hee saith he was taken vp into the third heauens The error of Basilides that there are 365. heauens Euseb lib. 4. ca. 7. verie foolish first it is taken for the aire aboue vs In this sense I take it the Psalmist speaketh when he saith the Lord couereth the heauen with clouds and thus the birds of the aire are called the fowles of heauen Secondly it is taken for the firmament Psal 8.89.30 which is called the heauenly hoste or beautifull apparrell of the heauens Thirdly it is taken for the seate and habitation of God himselfe which is aboue the firmament Psal 15. Philip. 3. Psalm 103. Matth. 5. And this is the place whither Christ our forerunner is gone to prepare a place for vs that in due time he might gather vs vnto him Reuel 21. The glorie whereof being described so farre forth as we may conceiue of the same I leaue the description and come to the ioies therein contained whereof both soules and bodies shall be partakers Col. 3.10 Ephes 4.14 1. Pet. 1.4 The soule shall bee adorned with wisdome iustice and holinesse for the good graces begun in vs here shall be perfected there and that excellent estate wherein we were at first created like vnto God shall then be restored a thousand times more excellent The mind shal lose her darkenesse and bee replenished with all light it shall know the might power mercie and iustice of God without any ministerie of his word The will shal want all euill desires and in a sweete content rest and stay it selfe on God alone The bodie after the day of the Lord being ioyned to the soule Matth. 22.3 shal euer remaine glorious subiect to no changes to no infirmities not needing meate 1. Cor. 15.3 drinke apparrell or outward meanes to preserue it the agilitie thereof shall be such as that it shall mooue it selfe whither it listeth 1. Cor. 13.11.12 the proportion such as that there shall bee no defect in any member Dan. 12. Matth. 13. And thus God hauing blessed both soules bodies shall giue them a glorie which shal shine as the Sunne and Starres in the firmament and this glorie must needs be infinite for that his glorie which replenisheth all things shall cause it And whereas the pleasures of this life Iohn 2.3 either breede discontent in the possessing or griefe in the losing those blessed and perfect ioyes in heauen shall cause neither for our abundance shall not cause a loathing but we shall stil desire them nor our desiring implie a want for wee shall be filled with them and not for a time for then there was griefe in losing them but for euer and euer and therefore there is an endlesse happines in thus possessing them Oh blessed happinesse and happy blessednesse to haue health without infirmitie Rom. 8. Philip. 3. Isai 25. Deut. 8. Isai 32. 1. Cor. 13. Ioh. 18. youth without waxing old fulnesse without loathing freedom without bondage fairenesse without deformitie life without death abundance without want peace without trouble securitie without feare knowledge without ignorāce ioy without sorrow and light without darknes What is Salomons wisdome Absolons fairenesse Sampsons strength Mathusalems long life and Caesars reigne surely compared with the excellencie of these things in heauen they were but follie deformitie weaknesse a point of a moment and a seruile bondage It is excellent to know things physical but much more excellent to know metaphysicall to haue the knowledge of the blessed Trinitie the knowledge of the might of the father of the wisdome of the Son of the bountie of the Spirit Bern. in Medic. O beata visio videre Deū in seipso videre Deum in nobis nos in ipso Oh blessed sight to see God in his glorie to see God in vs and vs in him What doest thou desire O thou mortall man which may content either soule or bodie if glorious sights there you shall see the glorie of heauen of the Saints of the Angels yea of God himselfe If melodie there is the blessed consort of praising God together if to loue God
vses of Gods speciall prouidence teach patience in aduersitie minister comfort in affliction encourage the godly in their weldoing and be at least a corrosiue vnto the coÌ„sciences of the wicked if not a meanes to stay their malice and euill against Gods chosen the trueth of this his great goodnes shall be prooued vnto vs. Before the foundations of the world were laid The impulsiue cause of God speciall care ouer his Church Ephes 1. Rom. 8.2 it pleased God mooued through the riches of his grace and mercie alone to elect vnto himselfe and select from others the whole number of his Church vnto eternall glorie and felicitie Secondly from this worke of Election within himselfe he proceeded vnto the meanes of accomplishing Hee created them by his power yea holy righteous Our captiuitie by nature threefold but by our own inuentions we fell into a threefold captiuitie The first of error blindnes and ignorance of heauen and heauenly things Ephes 4.18 Tit. 3.3 The second vnto sinne and by consequence vnto Satan death and destruction eternall Rom. 6.20 2. Pet. 2.19 Ioh. 8.34 The third vnto corruption and dissolution of the soule from the bodie Rom. 8.19.20.21 But God that of grace elected Rom. 5.6 Ephes 1.10 Ephes 1.7 1. Pet 1.19 in mercie followes vs He sent his Sonne in an accptable time who by his most precious blood and offering himselfe once vpon the crosse effected our deliuerance and reconciled vs to God the father againe First from error and ignorance The manner and order of our redemption when hee calles by his Gospell and enlighteneth the eies of our vnderstandings by his holy Spirit Secondly from our seruitude to sinne Note in this redemptions two things 1. that is by a price so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies and so Paul teacheth 1. Tim. 2. when by the same worke of his word and Spirit hee worketh faith within vs to take hold on Christ â—nd on his sauing promise the sole meanes of our deliuerance from eternall destruction whereunto our sinnes had made vs subiect Thirdly from our seruitude to corruption by the vertue and power of his resurrection working this assurance 2. a price of wonderfull value first because our Redeemer is the Sonne of God secondly most righteous 1. Pet. 1.18 1. Cor 6.20 Heb. 9.12.13.14 that as our head Christ Iesus could not be kept vnder the graue nor detained by death but is certainely risen to eternall glorie so wee his members vnseparablie vnited shall rise to felicitie with him Thus the Church being elected by God of his free grace and mercie a worke without repentance redeemed by the blood of his Sonne when it was vtterly lost reuiued by his word and Spirit wheÌ„ it was dead in trespasses and sinnes gathered when it was dispersed and so brought again vnto Christ the Shepheard Bishop of our soules and now by the bond of his Spirit vnseparablie vnited vnto him how can it bee denied that being thus blessed with all heauenly blessings Ephel 1.3 in heaueÌ„ly places in Christ Iesus it should not be in a most special manner guided and preserued by him Hath he done the greater and will he not doe the lesse Rom. 5.9 Hath hee when we were sinners iustified vs by his blood and now being iustified shall he not much more looke vnto vs If when we were enemies then much more being friends If when wee were wicked seruants then much more being blessed sonnes If when we were abiects then much more being his best beloued The natural head prouides especially for the members of the bodie the husband for his wife the deliuerer for his deliuered and shall not Christ our head the husband to his Church the Redeemer of his people especiall maintaine blesse and preserue his Church his members his Spouse his redeemed Our vertues are mixed with imperfections our loue with some dislike our care with want of prouiding yet what we haue we receiue from God who is loue it selfe Doth not hee then loue his Church abundantly and from this loue especiallie blesse and keepe it Cast backe thine eies to the time past behold the present and conclude of the future For the first looke vnto Noah when the wicked should perish hee being a figure of Christs Church must haue his Arke of deliuerance How miraculouslie did the Lord preserue his people in the land of Egypt euen foure hundred and thirtie yeeres from the promise made vnto Abraham A figure of our deliucrance from Satan How wonderfully by the hand of his seruant Moses did hee deliuer them from the bondage of Pharaoh first without munition secoÌ„dly with a mightie ouerthrow to the Enemie and hauing freed them from that slauerie how strangely did the Lord restore them safe into their promised Countrie The Arke to assure them of Gods continuall presence the heauens contrarie to nature to yeeld them foode the rocke to bee enforced to send forth her streames the pillar of a cloud to protect them from heate the shining fire to giue them light from heauen the nations to be cast forth before them and what not for the good of his children Esay 43.1 c. Therefore Esay 43.1 Feare not saith the Lord that created thee O Iacob and hee that framed thee O Israel feare not I haue redeemed thee I haue called thee by thy name thou art mine When thou passest thorow the waters I will be with thee and thorow the floods that they doe not ouerflow thee When thou walkest thorow the fire thou shalt not bee burnt neither shall the flame kindle vpon thee for I am the Lord thy God the holy one of Israel thy Sauiour I gaue Egypt for thy ransome Ethiopia and Seba for thee because thou wast precious in my sight wast honourable and I loued thee therefore will I giue man for thee and people for thy sake feare not for I am with thee I will bring thy seede from the East and gather thee from the West I will say vnto the North giue and vnto the South keepe not backe bring my sonnes from farre and my daughters from the ends of the Earth Esay 54.16.17 Esay 54.16.17 All the weapons that are made against thee shall not prosper and euery tongue that shall rise in iudgement against thee thou shalt destroy and condemne For this is the heritage of the Lords seruants and their righteousnesse is of mee saith the Lord. Neither hath the Church of God had experience of the performance of this Gods speciall Prouidence in former ages onlie but euen wee also in a most gratious manner haue been especially blessed and delinered by the same How could this little Iland Applie in quantitie a handfull in number few enioy so manie so great such wonderfull deliuerances from the hands of Infidels Tyrants Hereticks bloodie Papists in number infinit some by open force abroad some by secret conspiracies at home did not our mercifull God most carefully
transgressions yea redeemes it being vtterly lost 1. Pet. 1. not with corruptible things as filuer gold and such like but with the most pure and precious blood of his deare and onely begotten Sonne And now thus called home keepes it to the Shepheard of the flocke and Bishop of their soules thus gathered preserues it louingly vnder the wings of his mercie thus a wakened still sounds by the trumpet of his word that it should not be lulled asleep in the cradle of security Rom. 10. thus reuiued giues still life vnto it by the power of his Spirit and thus of the exceeding riches of his grace and mercie hath deliuered vs from the captiuitie of error sinne Satan corruption and eternall destruction and so by the same word and Spirit Rom. 8. conducts vs thorough the boisterous seas of this troublesome world vntill hee hath brought vs to his hauen of euerlasting rest and blessednesse O the wonderfull and incomprehensible goodnes of this our most gratious God and mercifull Father The Arguments drawne from reason Arguments drawne from reason to proue God such an absolute Goodnes from whom proceeds no euil whereby those which are vnreasonable may be farther conuinced are very many The Philosophers defining that which we call Good say Bonum est quod omnia expetunt That is good which all doe desire But all desire God Reas 1 and are by a certain affection carried vnto him as vnto one in whom all perfection doth consist and from whom all goodnesse proceedes for euery one desires his perfection and longeth in a certain manner after the chiefe good which all conclude to bee in God though some hauing their vnderstandings darkened and the vaile of ignorance as yet before their eyes framed vnto themselues an vnknowne God and so could not attain the goodnes they hoped for frō him therfore God is an absolute goodns Reas 2 Their second reason is taken from the nature of that which is good after this manner The propertie of that which is good is to extend and communicate it selfe And by how much the better it is so much the more doth it participate vnto others for thereby do men know and say that it is good The Sunne is therefore more excellent then the rest of the starres because it is more beneficiall in extending his light and vertue The like wee may see in other Gods creatures and especially in man the more hee loueth the more he exerciseth the duties which loue requireth the more righteous hee is the more hee executeth iustice and iudgement the wiser hee is the better hee disposeth of seuerall matters the more mercifull he is the more he visits the sicke feeds the hungrie cloathes the naked relieues the oppressed and shewes compassion with cheerfulnes and so in other things particularly to which tendeth that heauenly saying of Christ It is a better thing to giue then to receiue Now if the goodnesse of creatures is so much the better by how much the more they communicate vnto others then the Creator himselfe who communicates all vnto all must needs be goodnesse it selfe that is one from whom proceedeth no iniquitie Reas 3 Their third reason is taken from Gods absolute perfection There is nothing wanting in him nothing to bee more desired therefore hee is perfect goodnesse Wee say that vertue makes the owner good and his works good for the vertue of euery thing is the perfection of that thing Therefore since God is absolutelie perfect it must needs follow that hee is also perfectlie good Neither is hee so fitly said to bee good as he is properly said to be goodnesse it selfe that is of himselfe good and of his owne essence perfect goodnes for he receiues not his perfection from anie other neither is it added to his diuine essence as an accident for then it should follow that hee should be good by the participation of another goodnesse which is impossible First because if Gods essence and goodnesse bee two distinct things then he should not bee simple but subiect to composition Secondlie if he was not of himselfe perfectlie and essentiallie good then hee should be good by the participation of another goodnesse which is good of it selfe and therefore should not be eternall because hee should haue another goodnesse before him For that thing which is good of it selfe is in nature and order before that which it doth participate his goodnesse vnto But God is a most simple and eternall goodnesse absolutelie perfect and therefore of himselfe essentially good so that this absolute perfection is proper to the Deitie only in regard of which al other things are meerely imperfect The water made warme by the fire is imperfectly warme because it receiues heate from another so the goodnesse of all other creatures is imperfect because whatsoeuer sparke of goodnes they haue they receiue it from God So that the most righteous is imperfectlie iust the most prudent imperfectly wise because both the righteousnesse of the one and wisdome of the other are iointlie receiued from God who is wisdome and holinesse it selfe Yea what is the righteousnesse of the most holie and wisedome of the most wise being compared with God Surelie filthie pollution and palpable follie in his sight As impossible therefore as it is for God not to be God or being God to lose the properties belōging to the Godhead so impossible is it for God being of himselfe an essentiall absolute and perfect Goodnes to doe any thing which should not bee good that is simplie a sinne and transgression of his law Hony in that respect that it is honie hath neither sowernesse nor bitternesse in it The Sunne of the owne nature is light and therefore cannot admit of darkenesse The good tree by his natural vertue yeelds forth good fruits and the bad those which are euill If these creatures by the ordinance of God cannot in their natures admit of contraries how much lesse can the Creator that most perfect sweetenesse most glorious light most blessed tree of life admit of the gall of sinne effect the works of darkenesse or yeeld the bitter fruits of lust and concupiscence Therefore as Iohn saith 1. Ioh. 1.4 God is light and in him is no darkenesse so wee conclude God is a perfect goodnesse and in him is no iniquitie Reas 4 Fourthly euery Agent worketh an effect like vnto himselfe much lesse contrarie to himselfe Psalm 1. The godly man sits not in the chaire of the scorners nor walkes in the waies of the wicked but his delight in the law of the Lord and therein doth exercise himselfe day and night The wicked on the contrarie reiect Gods lawes and effect the works of darknesse and herein they take pleasure and delight as the fish to bathe in the sea If these are carried this way or that way according to their seuerall conditions how can God bee mooued to any other then to good being a most perfect essentiall goodnesse Reas 5 Fiftlie he which