Another brags oâ— his wit and wise projects and famous inventions Another is lifted up with his valour and the notable atchieveâ— ments and feats of war that his handâ— have accomplished Another triumphs â—n prosperity because of his magnaâ—imity and courage in adversity which â—e hath outworn by his patience and â—ast behind him All these are injuâ—ious to God They may boast as long â—s they will but God will lay their â—onour in the dust and set up the â—rophies of his honor in their confuâ—on Such as will not give glory to God shall finde none themselves in the â—nd God will take from them what â—hey arrogate to themselves and turn â—ll to his own praise The conclusion of all shall be this 〈◊〉 teacheth us which is the true reliâ—ion It must needs be that which aims â—ost at Gods honour and refers all to Gods glory It must needs be that reâ—gion that puls down all pride of man â—nd attributes all the good that is in â—an to God the giver It cannot be the â—ligion of the Church of Rome that attributes a great deal to mans merits It â—nnot be our new Pelagianisme or â—rminianisme that ascribes too much 〈◊〉 mans will and makes his eternall appinesse to hang upon the doubtfull â—nd slippery turning of his own incliâ—ation It must needs be ours which subjects all to God that reduceth every thing that good is or comfortable to God as the fountain This religion suits best with St. Pauls words and permits no flesh to glory in Gods presence In this Religion let us live in this Religion let us die that we may be found in the number of Gods chosen and joyne his glory to our everlasting felicity Amen GODS CHOISE AND MANS DILIGENCE IN WHICH Is explained the Doctrine of free Election and Vocation answerable to it Both of particular persons yet may be uncertain to them for a time And the way of making both certain upon Scripture grounds DISCOVERED Deliverd in divers SERMONS at Christs Church Canterbury By Francis Taylor B. D. And Preacher there LONDON Printed by E. C. for G. and H. Eversden at the Gray-hound in Pauls-church-yard 1654. To the HONOUABLE his reall Friend Collonel John Dixwell SAlvian one of the holiest of the ancient Writers tels us Liber est quispiam beneficiorum foenore non gravatus coguntur autem omnes ipsa conscientia sua ad repensationem vicissitudinis postquam esse coeperint debitores Contra Avarit lib. 4. Every man is free that is not bound to pay interest for benefits received but all are compelled even by their own conscience to requite benefits with the like after they once become debtours But like for like I cannot give What shall I then what can I lesse do then give a cordiall and verball acknowledgement where I cannot render a reall recompence I am encouraged by that of Heliodorus Gratitudo viro sapienti pulcherrimum munus multosque novi qui hoc donum tanquam thesaurum in animo reposuerunt Lib. Aethiopic altero Thankfulnesse is a most beautifull gift to a wise man and I have known many who have laid up this present in mind as a treasure True it is the greatest praise for favours received by men is due to God in whose hands are the hearts of men Yet though the fountain be most to be eyed the rivers are not to be slighted Davids care spurs me on to gratitude who acknowledges Jonathans love in his kindnesse to his posterity 2 Sam. 9.3 7. I should be very ungratefull then if I should not acknowledge your kindnesse not only to me and mine but also to many other godly Ministers in encouraging of us and them in the work of the Ministry Our concord in Canterbury in driving on the work of the Gospell though we differ about Government and our stout consent to maintain purity of Doctrine as it may be exemplary to other places so it is throughly known to you And I must acknowledge in the name of my fellow Labourers that while you were employed in the Honourable house of Parliament you were the main instrument of setling and paying our means I may say with Ennodius Lib. 1. Epist 7. Quamvis non in me ad florem venerit matura facundia et pressus onere gratiae solvendi â—eserar facultate comnitto tamen cymbam â—heam placido mari quia â—arum ab ingratitudine â—iffert muta gratitudo Although I have not atâ—ained to the height of loquence and am overâ—ressed with your kindâ—esse so that I want â—ower to requite yet I â—ave adventured to put â—ny slender boat into the â—alme sea considering â—hat a dumbe gratitude differs little from ingratitude I set before yoâ— Gods Choice and shaâ— pray to God to give yoâ— grace to use diligence to make your calling and election sure And so desiring you tâ— accept kindly of thâ— small token of love anâ— thankefulnesse I commend you to God anâ— to the word of his grace which is able to builâ— you up and to give yoâ— an inheritance among all â—hem which are sanctifyyed Act. 20.32 So prayâ—th he that is At yours Honours service in the Lord Francis Taylor 2 PET. 1.10 Give diligence to make your calling and election sure IT is an infallible rule in the Schooles dearly beloved in our best beloved Lord and Saviour â—at the end which is ever last in â—xecution is alwayes the first in inâ—ntion The happy end of this unhapâ—y life is the happinesse of a better â—ife This is the last this is the lasting â—â—licity of Gods elect This is the fiâ—all this is the perpetuall beatitude â—hat God hath chosen us to before the world that God hath called us to in be world that God will crown us â—ith after the world As it is the last 〈◊〉 Gods execution so let it be the first 〈◊〉 your intention Give diligence to make your calling and election sure In this little world the Isle of Man the externall ornaments of the body are lively pictures of the internall indowments of the soul The eye of the soul is the Understanding it guide all the faculties of the soul The fooâ— is the Will it carries all the soul whiâ—ther it please The hands of the souâ— are the Affections these bring fortâ— as many severall actions in the life as the hands can shew artificiall operations in the world The great worlâ— is like the little world The varietâ— of mens naturall estates is an evidenâ— expression of their different spiritualâ— conditions The world may be mustreâ— in three rankes The vantguard consists of such as are poor this is a diâ—ease that most men complain of Thâ— main battail brings forth those thaâ— have riches but vex themselves as 〈◊〉 they had none and live in want thâ— might live in plenty The rerewaâ— holds those that are rich and knoâ— they are rich that live plentifull and bountifully according to their â—iches Such is the variety of mens severall conditions in the Church â—ome have no riches at all
glory hath God put by the greatest See his choise But the foolish things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle alters his phrase he saith not the foolish men of the world but the foolish things that is the most foolish men and such as are scarse esteemed men sometimes because of their simplicity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non videre vel a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non cura vel nulla providentia Etymol Men that the world will not vouchsafe to look upon or men that have no manner of forecast to provide such an honourable condition for themselves by their foresight and providence And therefore must needs have it cast upon them by the providence of God So low doth God descend in his choise among the sons of men that he may advance his own honour Peradventure may some man say God chose the foolish things because there were no wiser to choose The Apostle stops this gap in the next word Of the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No doubt but the world had choise of worldly wise men It hath its name from ornament and neatness in the Greek and in the Latine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gr. ornatus et mundus Mundus Lat. orbis et purus As in the heavens then there are bright starres as well as darke clouds and in the earth there are sweet flowers as well as noysome weeds so questionlesse in the world there are wise men as well as fools Gods choise therefore is the more admirable because he chuseth not foolish men for lacke of wise but rather then the wise that not they but he might have the greatest honout But who hath made this choise this strange choise the Apostle here mentions God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And no marvail for it is not like the choise of men If a man were to chuse he would take a wise friend rather then a foolish a powerfull favourite rather then a weak one a wife of a honourable stock rather then of a mean God who is wiser then all men doth otherwise they chuse like men he chuseth like a God they make choise of such as may be helpfull to them he makes choise of such as he may be helpefull to and not they to him The next thing considerable is the action of God Hath chosen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is in the world as in his orchyard he gathereth one apple of a tree and leaveth the rest or as in his garden where he crops one flower and leaves the rest where he found them So God chuseth some foolish men and omits many wiser then they The chusing which the Apostle here speaks of may be taken for Gods eternall choise before the world was made And then the Apostle gives 〈◊〉 a reason why God calls not the wise but the foolish for the most part because he had chosen them from all eternity And God is no changeling It may be taken also for Gods selecting in time rather then for his electing before time and then the Apostle confounds calling and chusing and takes them for one and the same thing even for a work of Gods Spirit in our souls bringing mean men to true faith in Christ which many greater never attain unto for all their greatnesse Come we now to the end why God prefers the foolish before the wise To confound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greek word signifies to make a man ashamed by putting some disgrace upon him so that he blush or hold down his head for shame And well may wise men be ashamed to shew their faces when they shall see very idiots learn the way to true felicity which they having studiously sought after and spent many houres in disputing about the chiefest good could yet never attain unto with all the wisdome and learning the world could afford them The persons confounded come next into our consideration The wise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It were no great wonder for God to confound a fool by a wise man It were strange to confound one wise man by another It were stranger to confound one fool by another But it is strangest of all to confound a wise man by a fool In the former men have some share in the commendation in the latter all the praise must needs be Gods For there is nothing in fools to procure it but there is much in wise men to hinder it Thus God takes the wise in their subtilty and robs the proud of all their glory Thus then hath God chosen the foolish rather then the wise But he hath refused the mighty as well as the prudent Whom hath he chosen in their room And God hath chosen the weak things of the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non possum Those that are able to do least God hath chosen So the word signifies such as are of no force or can do nothing to wit in comparison of such as God hath refused To what end God hath chosen these weakest ones the Apostle declares unto us in the words following To confound the things which are mighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hereby God shewes us the vanity of all worldly power and force when those that are mightiest are through his over-ruling hand confounded and brought low by such as are weakest and have most need of strength to do it We see how ill the wise and mighty speed fares it any better with the noble no surely for as God hath rejected many of them so he hath chosen base and mean men 〈◊〉 their room for so it followes Ad base things of the world hath God chosen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sine genere That is such men as are bred of so mean a stock that there are no Chronicles of their predecessours nor no pedegrees to be found for them upon record for it is the fashion of the world to keep account of the genealogies of Princes and Noblemen but other meaner men scarse know any thing of their predecessors These men then whom God chooseth in the room of nobles are men without stock that is such whose genealogies are not observed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or as the Syriack Testament reads it whose kindred is small or of no reckoning in the world That he may the better expresse their meannesse the Apostle addes And things which are despised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such men as go for nobody in the world and are despised as esteemed worthy of no account Nay that he may bring them as low as may be he proceeds further as if no words were sufficient to expresse their former baseness except he should put them quite out of the world and saith of them Yea and things which are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men that are so mean and so vile that they are as much slighted in the world as if they had no being at all
Religion and religious persons This St. James acquaints us withall Do not rich men oppose you Jam. 2.6 7. and draw youâ— before the judgment-seates Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which yee are called The rich Citizens of Jerusalem the wise Scribes the chief Priests the noble King Herod all oppose themselves against our blessed Saviour So we are taught by the Evangelist Mat. 2.3 Wheâ— Herod the King had heard these things heâ— was troubled and all Jerusalem with him And in the verse following he imployeâ— the chief Priests and Scribes to find ouâ— the Messias that he may destroy him So far were they from seeking salvation from him This point that it may sink the deeper we will take it 〈◊〉 pieces and shew what impediments 〈◊〉 salvation Are 1. Naturall wisdome 2. Riches and Greatnesse 3. Nobility and honour First for knowledge and naturall wisdome 1 Cor. 8.1 It puffes up those that have it It is like boyles and swellings that grow upon the body which make the bulk of the body the greater but yeeld no benefit to the body at all Thus knowledge often puffes up the mind but doth not edifie it And thus Ambrose glosseth upon the text they are called wise according to the flesh because they are rather puffed up with the wisdome of the world then truly learned Mundi rationibus instati magis quam eruditi sunt Ambrose on the text Mat. 11.25 Now what little acquaintance God hath with these wise and proud persons our Saviour teacheth us Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent And that made Augustine to cry out Behold Austin said thus in a Sermon Ecce ipsi idiotae rapiunt coelum ubi nos sapientes in inserno mergimur Pierce Plowm vision Pass 10. the very idiots snatch the kingdome of heaven while we wise men are overwhelmed in hell fire Neither doth knowledge make men proud only but also curious That excellent naturall capacity that God hath given them to enquire after necessary things they use it to dive into unnecessary questions The grounds of Religion they despise as common things fit for vulgar capacities and table-talke for shallow brains Curious things they pry into and such as neither God hath revealed nor man can comprehend Thus while they spend their choisest thoughts and chiefest times about needlesse niceties like the men of Sodome while they seek the door Gen. 19.11 they lose their eyes While they seek to be wiser then others they lose the felicity that meaner wits through Gods grace attain unto 1 Sam. 6.19 And as the men of Bethshemesh pry into the Arke and lose their lives so do these curious Masters dive into quiddities while they lose their souls Hence it is that none of these want their rare inventions which they magnifie themselves while other men laugh at them as idle crotchets They do te upon those opinions that meaner men upon better grounds explode and like Lucifer sink down into hell while their thoughts mount up above heaven By these means knowledge becomes the bane of many great Clerks while simple men attain eternal happinesse Secondly Discommodities of Riches Riches and greatnesse prove the ruine of many 1. 1 Pride Because they lift up the soul He that wants nothing knows not what need he hath of God or Man Now as the sense of want humbles the soul so the contrary exalts and lifts it up The great man and rich hath for his coyne the use and command of the best of Gods creatures for food and apparell and other necessary uses Yea men like himself and choise ones too are fain to attend upon him This lifts up his heart within him and so hinders him from the care of saving his poor and miserable soul Omnibus nobis ut res dant sese ita magni aique humiles sumus Ter. Hec. The Heathen man could say that our minds ebbe and flow with our means and we grow higher or lower in our own conceits as riches offer themselves more oâ— lesse unto us Salvian counts pride the rich-mans inheritance Taceatur superbia et tumor tam pâ—â—uliare hoc divitem reâ—rum est ut â—liquid forsitan de turâ— suo 〈◊〉 pâ—â—ent pâ—â—dere 〈◊〉 hinc sila alius quicquam veluerit vendicare Salv. de gub Dei lib. 7. as if poor men that were proud did him open wrong To say nothing quoth he of pride and swelling wich is the rich mans peculiar kingdome so that perhaps they would imagine that they had lost some part of their own right if any man else should challenge any part thereof from them So hard a thing is iâ— for a rich man to be humble and much harder for a proud man between whom and his Creator there is such an antipathy to come to the Kingdome of heaven 2. Because riches delight the soul 2 Delight and afford many pleasures to it which poor men cannot reach And the soul when it is delighted growes secure like Peter upon the mount concluding Master it is good to be here Mat. 17.4 Thus riches steal away the hearts of men from Religion It is an hard thing for a man to passe from delights on earth to delights in heaven 3. 3 Trouble Because they fill the soul with cares fears and griefs The rich man vexeth himself with his own prosperities He is more dejected oftentimes with fear of losse then comforted with possession of plentifull means They are like passengers in a ship in the midst of a storm when the wind blows stiffe upon them they are hardly able to keep the hatches So do fears and cares blow so stiffely on the soul that every moment it is in danger of perishing Every morning affords new cares What shall I do with my money Luk. 12.17 My barns are too little for my corne Shall I turn Merchant Every wind will make my heart ake Pirates will get in a moment what I have laboured for many a year Shall I buy Lands I may spend half the price of the purchase in trying the title Shall I put my money to use Besides the unquietnesse my own conscience may afford me and the scandall of the Church I may lose my principall while I study the Table of Interest These are the rich mans cares and fears The rich mans labour saith Bernard is in plotting inwardly Sudat pauper in opere for is sed numquid minus anxie divesâ—nt us in ipsa sua cogitatione laborat Bern. de obed pat et sap while the poor man sweats in labouring outwardly One sweats in body the other in minde One toyles to get to supply his wants the other toyles and cares to dispose of his goods to the best advantage These cares keep the rich man from caring for heaven The farme Luk. 14.18 19. the oxen must not be neglected though the soul be famished and deprived of her part of the heavenly banquet Mat.
13.22 These are the thornes in the parable that choak the good seed and make it unfruitfull Whereupon Ludolphus elegantly Divitiae spinae sunt quia sicut spinae suis punctionibus corpus laniant et cruentant ac saedum in oculis hâ—minum red duntâ—sic divitiae curis suis vulnus animae infligunt et miseram â—coram oculis Dei faciunt Ludolph de vita Christ Part. 1. c. 64. Riches are thornes because as thornes with their prickles tear the body and wound it and make it bloudy and filthy in the eyes of men so riches with their cares wound the soul and make it filthy in the sight of God Yet many count it a pleasure to be under these thornes and as soon as they begin to think of spirituall affaires by and by thrust themselves into worldly cares again So great impediments are worldly riches to heavenly happinesse 4. Neglect Riches make men neglect and slight the meanes of salvation What cares he for prayer or for hearing Gods word that hath his God in his purse What care takes he for his soul that hath his body so pampered that he knows not what belongs to inward or outward necessities Or if some slight thought of another world run through his mind yet it passeth away like a travailer So many accounts are to be taken so many reckonings to be cast up so many servants to be lookt after so many businesses to be ordered that the Preacher may speak to poor folkes Sicut ovis conversans inter spinas semper ibi de lana dimittit sic vacans curis temporalibus et mundo multa bona spiritualia amittit Lud. de vit Châ— p. 1. c. â—4 that have little else to do they are otherwise imployed As the sheep rubbing against the thornes leaves alwayes some of his wooll behind so be that attends upon worldly cares loseth many spirituall comforts Thus grow men rich in state by trading in the world and poor in soul by neglecting to drive a more profitable trade which tends to a better world 5. 5 Wickednesse Riches provoke the heart to many unlawfull things Without these sin wants her wings Drunkennesse Gluttony Wantonnesse Pride require a stocke to maintain them for vices are more costly then virtues Virtue observes a mean but vice knows none They do enlarge our skore and make our reckoning the greater at the day of judgment Seldome do servants run in arrears with their Masters Pierce Plowmans Vision Pass 10. but Stewards often The former is betrusted only with their work the latter with their goods So rich men run further into Gods books then poor Thus strangely do we alter the nature of things and make goods evills We know not how to enjoy the comfort of a plentifull estate Facimus rem bonorum operum materiam tantum esse vitiorum Mutamus naturas rerum iniquitatibus nostris Salv. de gub Dei l. 6. without overflowing and running into wickednesse We make saith Salvian the substance of good things to be only matter of vices By our iniquities we alter the very nature of the things themselves So those things that are good in themselves prove hurtfull to us as the same Father gravely elsewhere admonisheth saying Impediment a sunt haec non adjumenta onera non subsidia Bona appellantur cum sint causae malorum aeternorum contra avar l. 2 These things are hinderers not helpers burdens they are not aides They are called goods but indeed they prove the causes of eternall evills Too many may lament this in themselves which this good man compassionately bewailes in others The luxury and prodigality of rich men gives too plain an evidence of this truth So that we may boldly affirme with Clemens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Câ—m Alâ—x liv 2. cap. 3. Riches ill administed are the magazine of mischief The heathen man could informe us that Riches are even as the minde of him that possesseth them To him that knows how to use them they are good to him that useth them amisse Haec per inde sant ut Illius animus qut ea pâ—ssi let Qui uâ—t seâ—t ci honaâ— illi qut non uti tur â—ecâ—e mala Ter. Heaut Act. 1. Sc. 2. they are evill And how hard a thing it is to use them a right appears by the dayly abuse of them which ariseth out of naturall corruption and carelesnesse So are we judiciously informed by I eo There compasse us about on every side dangers of innumerable sinnes and we passe through the lawfull use of things to immoderate excesse Circumstant undique puricula innumerabiliâ—um dâ—liâ—â—â—rum et per licitâ—â— usus ad immoderâ—atos transiâ—ur excessus dum per curam salatis obrepitdelâ—ctatio voluntâ—â—is et non sufficit câ—nâ—upâ—sâ—emiae qued pâ—teâ—t satis esse naturae Leo de quadrag ser 11. for delights and pleasures creep into us under the title of care of our health neither can those things suffice concupiscence that might give nature comentment So easie a thing is it to passe from use to abuse So hard a thing to moderate the sailes of our affections when the winds of riches drive us to the quick-sands of unlawfull pleasures 6. 6 Hardnesse of heart Wealth hardens the heart in unlawfull courses and keeps it in impenitency Luk. 15. Poor men are with the prodigall child brought home sometimes by want Sometimes the shame of the world affrights them because they want means to hide their offences Sometimes the execution of good laws drives them from evill But rich men know how to prevent all these means of reclaiming They can for coyne make other men father their Bastards and stop the wheel of execution that good laws may not bruise them The threatnings of Gods law that breake poor mens hearts do but harden rich mens as the sun-beams which soften the wax do neverthelesse make the clay harder We threaten death and they live We threaten poverty and they are rich We threaten want and they abound Long enough may we threaten ere they amend If we seek by fair means to reclaime them what care they for promised happinesse who think they have attained present selicity All these things considered we must needs conclude that the wealth of the world however it be in great request here and of speciall use to command such worldly comforts as time and place afford yet is it oftentimes a great impediment to the serious seeking of the kingdome of heaven Now for the third member of our division The damage of Honour Nobility and honours are no little lets and pul-backs in the paths of piety First it layes them open to much flattery As the Crowes flutter about carrion where there is hope of food so flatterers prove good trenchermen at great mens tables Carneades in Plut. Com. de adulat et amico discern The Philosopher being demanded the reason why great mens sons learne nothing so well as to
we are the children of God St. Peters coherence intimates so much unto us that there is away to put all out of question He told us before of a chaine of grace tokens of salvation Wherefore the rather saith he give diligence to make your calling and election sure As if the Apostle should have said I would not perswade you to this diligence to make your election sure if I did not know there were certain and infallible tokens of election whereby it may be known but now seeing there are such certain notes though otherwise you might be negligent yet let me now perswade you the rather to diligence in making your election sure Next the Apostles command in the text to make it sure shews that there is a way for such as have grace to be assured of it The Apostle writes by the Spirit of God to whom all Spirits ought to be subject He urgeth it also as a matter very necessary for our own profit and comfort Doubtlesse then there is a way to secure it Adde unto this the promises of God elsewhere made by the mouth of our blessed Saviour Mat. 7.7 Aske and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you Now what have we more need to aske then the confirmation of our eternall election What have we more reason to seek for then the perswasion of our internall vocation What have we more to knock at heaven gates for then assurance to be let in there when we are shut out here So that Gods promise assures us a way to make our calling sure Lastly consider the examples of those that have attained to this assurance Take St. 2 Tim. 4.8 Paul for one Hencefore there is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse But St. Paul was an Apostle had been rapt up into the third heaven and might very well know by revelation what would become of him So were not they whom St. John writes unto and yet they knew their own happy condition also 1 Joh. 4.13 We know that we dwell in him and he in us And presently after V. 16. We have known and believed the love that God hath to us And in the Chapter before 1 Joh. 3.14 We know that we have passed from death to life St. John joynes the rest with him in this assurance Heb. 6.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That have salvation or are joyned to it The Hebrewes had in them things that accompany salvation and could not be divided from it Take the testimony of Macarius also They that are anointed with the spirituall oil of gladnesse have received a signe of that incorruptible Kingdome to wit Qui spirituali exuliationis oleo uncti sunt signum regni illius incorruptibilis recepere sc spiritum sanctum arrhabonem Secretarti sunt regis coelestis ac freti siducia Omnipotentis palatium ejus unpredâ—untur abi sunt angeli et spiritus sanctorum quamvis adhuc sint in hoc nundo Licet enim integram haereditatem sibi in illo seculo praeparatam nondum adierint certissimi tamen sunt ex arrhabone quem modo receperunt ac si jam coronati essent et regni clavem tenerint Macar Hom. 17. Gods Spirit for an earnest They are the Secretaries of the heavenly King and relying confidently upon the Almighty they enter into his palace where the Angels and the Spirits of holy men are although they be yet in this world For although they be not yet come to the entire inheritance which is prepared for them in that world yet they are most sure of it by that pledge which they have newly received as sure as if they were already crowned and had the key of the Kingdome in their own possession I will conclude the point with the testimony of an Emperour Constantine in his oration to the Fathers assembled in the Councell of Nice as Gelasius reporteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gelas Act. concil Nic. lib. 2. cap. 7. speaks thus The hope of the happinesse to come we do not only expect but as it were in some sort we have it hear already Worthily spoken and as became a Christian Emperour Woe then to the carelesse worldling who seeks to make sure the possession of his lands and goes to the Assurance office for his goods at Sea he hides his wealth and carefully layes up his treasure that it may not be stolne but takes no care at all to assure his election or calling to eternall happinesse If they could not be made certain he were to be excused but seeing there is a way to do it his negligence is inexcusable He hath preferd his wealth before his soul earth before heaven gold before God misery before happinesse He must expect Simon Magus doom Thy money perish with thee Act 8.20 He hath neglected his soul while he lives and God will refuse it when he dies The great mercy of God to us here also appears We had deserved eternal condemnation It had been abundanâ— mercy in God to bring us to heaven though we had gone through a kindâ— of hell here We had been happy in the end though we had been miserable in the way But God hath been pleased to give us not only heaven after this life but the assurance of it in this life Thus are we happy here under the certain hope of happinesse hereafter Our joyes are begun in this world that will be perfected but never be ended in the world to come Praise God then for thy happinesse begun on earth till thou enjoy thy endlesse happinesse in heaven We must now ascend one step higher to the means to assure us of our election and vocation and then we are at the highest till we come to heaven 6. The way to make our calling and election sure is by diligence It is no easie labour to assure so great happinesse There is need of much diligence to settle us in a full perswasion of our election and vocation Heb. 6.11 We desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end There is no growth in any art or science without great diligence and growth is our study and the end of our labour So in the conclusion of this Epistle 2 Pet. 3.17 18. Beware ye fall not from your own stedfastnesse but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ There is need of diligence 1. To know Ad sciendum For the signes of election are many and are not easily known Much diligence must be used to understand the Scriptures where these tokens are scattered None of them can be spared though they be many because we have many temptations to unsettle us A ruinous house the more props it hath the faster it stands The more notes of election the soul understands the better it holds out against Satans wiles 2. To examine Ad
Brotherhood will last when the other will decay These we shall finde faithfull upon earth These we shall have for companions in heaven Greater and better is that fraternity saith Austin Major et melior est fraternitas Christi quam sanguinis Sanguinis enim fraternitas similitudinem tantummodo corporis resert Christi autem fraternitas unanimitatem cordis animaeque deinonstrat Illa interdum sibi mimica est Christi antem fraternitas sine intermissione pacifica est Illa inter se communia cum aemulatione dividet haec etiam cum gratulatione communicat Illa in consortio saepe despicit germanos haec assumit frequenter alienum Aug de verb. Apost ser 25. which we have in Christ then that which we have in bloud The latter carries only some bodily resemblance the former shews forth consent of heart and minde The latter sometime is at enmity with it selfe but the former is peaceable without intermission The latter divides things that are common to them with emulation the former communicates with gratulation The latter often despiseth brethren and refuseth their society the former often admits the stanger To conclude the point Brethren in religion are to be preferred before Brethren in bloud kindred in spirit before kindred in flesh A lasting consanguinity is to be prized above a vanishing an eternall affinity far above a temporary Thus have I done with St. Pauls compellation And now I come to St. Pauls application Wherein I observe Two things 1. Pauls exhortation 2. Gods vocation St. Pauls exhortation is contained in these words For look upon your calling Wherein our eyes must first be cast upon the coherence Gods foolishnesse is wiser then men for men chuse the greatest but God chuseth the meanest Where we may see plainly that Gods wayes are contrary to our wayes So much the Lord teacheth us by his Prophet Isa 55.8 9. For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts This the Lord made good in the choise of David before all his elder brethren contrary to the expectation of Samuel himself whose errour in preferring Eliab God corrects and tels him 1 Sam. 16.7 The Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart The Apostles some of them were poor fishermen and followed Christ looking at no further end but the salvation of their own souls But Gods wayes are above theirs He hath a further reach then they could aime at an higher strain then they could aspire unto His purpose is to make mean fishermen great Apostles Joh. 1.40 41. Mat. 4.19 and those that would have been fully satisfyed with the salvation of their own souls to be the means to save many thousand more Thus are they made the pillars of the Church and the fillers of heaven who before were aboundantly satisfyed if they might but fill their nets with fish and their souls with grace This one example were sufficient to make every one of us to cry out with St. Paul O the depth of the riches Rom. 11.13 both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! how unsearcheable are his judgments and his wayes past finding out Gods wisdome doth infinitely exceed ours There is a greater disproprotion between them then between a fountain that never dryes up and a standing pool whose waters are dryed up by the heat of Summer and fail when there is most need of them The wisest men have need of the counsailes of others and therefore Kings have their privy Councels One mans head though it were Solomons could not reach to all occurrents of State If it could yet must it have much time to plot and to consider which is the best way to bring things to passe Angels themselves doubtlesse accomplish not Gods will without some kinde of meditations But Gods wisdome goes beyond Men and Angels He needs no counsaile of others to direct him nor no meditations of his own to fish one thing out of another His wisdome is alwayes ready Nothing can happen so difficult but he knows what to do without counsail or study For he knew before what would be done and had determined what he would bring out of it Look now upon a wise man and see what difference is between his wayes and the wayes of a fool He tunrnes and winds the fool which way he please He overrules him in his own actions What the fool intends for his own credit he turnes to his discredit Yet he knows not certainly what the fool intends Only out of his wisdome he guesseth by words and gestures No marvell then if God who knows all our purposes before we know them our selves can turn our actions to other ends then we entend nay to contrary ones For as his wisdome and ours so his wayes and ours have an infinite disproportion and are further distant then the highest heaven from the center of the earth Gods power also goes far beyond ours Men may be potent God is omnipotent Their power is but weaknesse compared unto his God doth what he will Men do what they can When they have done what they can God goes on with the work He begins where they end and turnes all to a new end which they never dreamed of He subverteth the wayes of men by his power when he please but all the world cannot hinder him in his purposes The greatest power that men have is but a rivulet let out of the Ocean of Gods omnipotency How often hath he clean altered the course of things How often hath he crossed the undaunted expectations of the proudest of the sons of men He hath sent deliverance when naturall reason hath set nothing but destruction before mens eyes He hath defeated proud Tyrants who in their own hopes and hearts have undoubtedly eaten up and swallowed down his people like bread Thus doth God as it were play with the great affaires of the world He brings light out of darknesse darknesse out of light He raiseth such as think themselves ruined and ruins them that think themselves firmly rooted Our ends are reeds he shakes them when he please His ends are cedars we cannot reach to the top nor dive to the bottome of them His power and wisdome do conspire to shew strong men their weakness and wise men their folly by chocking their actions in the blade Gods wayes differ from ours because they are secret and unknown unto us He gives his Commandements to men but reveals not his ends and purposes to them His revealed will we have in his word to direct us his secret purpose concerning the event of all things he locks up in heaven and keeps the key himself Men that use the counsaile of others are often disappointed of their ends because their plots are revealed by them whose heads they were forced to make
out of which Gods calling delivers us So Davids preferment was the greater when he was made a King because he was taken from following the Ewes with young Psal 78.70 71 72. Gen. 32.10 Jacobs two bands were the greater riches because with his staffe only he went over Jordan The mercy of the caller is the greater because of the misery the called did endure before Our condition was obscure before now it is famous It was servil before now it is free It was full of impiety formerly but now God hath planted piety in us It was loaden with impiety at first yet now our hearts are set upon equity and righteousnesse This promotion of ours cals for the more inspection because of the high honour and great riches we are called unto What greater honour then to be Gods children What greater riches then the inheritance of the kingdome of heaven 1 Thess 2.12 Walke worthy of Goâ— who hath called you unto his kingdomâ— and glory Great disproportion there iâ— betwixt darknesse and light Eph. 5.8 Ye werâ— sometimes darknesse but now are ye lighâ— in the Lord. No lesse difference between life and death 1 Joh. 3.14 Yet we know that we have passed from death to life Every man is willing to understand his own honours And we count them but bad husbands that dive not into their own Estates and are ignorant of their own Possessions Look then how far spirituall honours and treasures goe beyond temporall the soul beyond the body immortall possessions beyond mortall so much the more reason have we to pry carefully into our vocation and all the circumstances of it and dependences upon it Lastly consider we the way which God cals us by and that is his word Great is the power of Gods word and worthy to be lookt into By it God made the world and all the creatures in it By it he brought all things out of nothing By it he brought light out of darknesse Yet hath Gods word a very different operation in calling of sinners The same Sermon reclaimes one and offends another One man obeyes it and another resists This diversity of operation proceeds not out of the diversity of the soil for we are all naturally corrupted But it comes from the assistance of Gods Spirit joyned to the Preaching of the Word or restrained from it And are not all these things worthy of admiration Vse 1 A sort of secure persons come here to be censured who slight Gods choise and calling They never look into the worth nor the price of it Yet are they wonderfull curious in observation of earthly things They fully understand what belongs to their inheritances There is no corner of their offices unsearched If new honours be bestowed upon them they know quickly how to take state upon them But although God dayly call men by the mystery of the Word yet do they never look into the worth of that heavenly calling Hence it comes to passe that this spirituall honour is slighted This is the cause why the means of salvation is neglected because men never look into the worth of our vocation Yet in the mean while worldly studies are embraced all means of gain and new projects are attended Yea such as often end in losse are embraced in hope of gaine because men enriously pry into every hole where worldly profit may hide her self but neglect to take to peeces and view the severall parts of our divine vocation Vse 2 Yet let their carelesnesse make us the more carefull Let their negligence make us the more diligent in searching the mysteries of our calling Let us looke into all the parts of it This is the way to make us thankfull to God that hath called us This is the way to make us profitable to men that are not yet called Let us when we look up to God that cals us remember his greatnesse Let us when we look downward to the misery out of which he hath called us remember the depth of it Let us when we look forward to the honour unto which he hath called us ponder upon the height of it Let us when we look backward upon the means whereby he hath called us consider the ineffectualnesse of them upon others So shall we finde the totall sum to be this That the highest God hath called us out of the lowest degree of misery to the greatest step of glory out of his own grace and free mercy One thing more ere we leave St. Pauls exhortation offers it self to our meditation He bids them not look upon other mens calling but their own Look upon your calling Remember how mean ye were once and how miserable whom God by his calling hath now made so high and glorious Such as be exalted by God must often call to minde their former meannâ—sse Such a meditation it was that made David a King to cry out Who am I O Lord God 2 Sam. 7.18 and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto And St. Paul a glorious Apostle remembers himself and leaves it written for others to read that he had been a blasphemer 1 Tim. 1.13 a persecutour and injurious A low meditation for an high Apostle yet very profitable to himself and exemplary to others Many and great are the commodities that arise to the highest of men from such low meditations as these Benefits of remembring our low estate First 1 Thankfulnesse it breeds thankfulnesse to God that hath preferd them As for generall favours that are common to us and others they do not so much affect us much lesse make us thankfull to God as those peculiar mercies which are proper to us and which others have no share in Thus the remembrance of our own particular basenesse first affects us with joy and then stirs us up to thankfulnesse towards God Secondly 2 Admiration of Gods providence it breeds admiration of Gods providence in us who raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill Psal 113.7 8. that he may set him with Princes even with the Princes of his people The changes that are wrought in others do not commend Gods providence to our cogitations so much as those that are wrought in our selves Gods providence then which though it work many strange things for others and it may be more strange then it works for us is slighted and neglected by us by calling to minde our former lownesse is highly wondered at by us and admired Thirdly 3 Patience it brings forth patience in all adversities that can happen unto us There can nothing happen to such as are exalted from a low to an high estate but the same or the like they have had experience of before If poverty fall upon them they have been poor before If want trouble them they have been in want before Experience makes a man better able to bear any calamity These things may be strange to such as never
knew what want meant that were nobly borne and richly provided for by their parents But to him that hath been in a Sea of wants and tempests of troubles before though he have had a calme of plenty between these second stormes are far more portable then to the other freshwater Souldiers Fourthly 4 Sobriety it produceth sobriety in them They have learned by experience what it is to want flesh and food and apparell and other comforts and therefore will not abuse Gods gifts and blessings lest God take them away and reduce them to their former necessities Fifthly 5 Humility it makes them humble to remember how low they have been before either in their spiritual or temporal condition They that always have been rich or great or civilly good are easily puffed up But such as have tasted of poverty or been scandalous in their courses are more easily humbled Thus Abraham humbles himself before God by calling to minde his beginning dust and ashes Whereupon Basil of Seleucia infers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil Seleuc. Orat. 28. There might you have seen an unusuall thing a tongue made of earth talking of heavenly things When Abraham set it as a preface before his speach I am dust and ashes then did he by the acknowledgment of his nature most of all exceed the bounds of nature in worth and dignity So also Moses Abrahams successour in manners being made more honourable by his conference with God cast downe himself as a vile person saying I am slow of speach and of a slow tongue For look how much he puls down high-mindnednesse so much doth he draw grace unto himselfe and the power of humility is the measure of encreasing grace How great the benefit is that ariseth out of the remembrance of our former condition Magnus esse 〈◊〉 a minimo incipe Cogitas magnam fabricam construere celstâ—udinis de functarnemo prius cogita humiâ—itatâ—s De verb. Dom. ser 10. and how great a furtherance it is to true humility Augustine very well understood and therefore prescribes it as the road-way to exaltation Wouldest thou be great saith he begin at the least Dost thou intend to build a great frame and an high one think first of the foundation of humility Now of all thoughts that can come into a mans minde there is nothing more fit to humble him then the remembrance of his low estate before God exalted him Sixtly 6 Charity it workes in us Charity to those that are in a mean condition They that have never felt poverty themselves know not how to pity others Such as were never afflicted in minde themselves esteem light of other mens pangs But they that have been low know how to commiserate such as are mean though they be now advanced Vse 1 The first concernes all true Christians in generall they have been limbs of Satan now they are members of Christ Think often what ye have been A Christian must have two spirituall eyes one of memory to look backward to what he hath been the other of providence to look forward to what he may be The former will make him humble the latter will make him wary The profit of this looking backward will appear in his prayers and in his prayses In his prayers for it will force him to call upon God in an humble and lowly manner and to say with the prodigall Luk. 15.21 I am no more worthy to be called thy Son In his prayses it will make him ever to slight his own and to magnifie Gods goodnesse saying with Jacob I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant Gen. 32.10 It is a speciall worke of grace to make a man humble that hath grace Nature would teach him to be puffed up and to contemne all others that are beneath him yea to condemne them for reprobates and naturalists but grace teacheth him to remember what he was of himself and what he is it tels him comes of Gods grace His own meannesse then must humble him but Gods goodnesse must not make him proud Vse 2 Secondly it concernes such Christians in particular as have been raised from poverty to great meanes and honour It cals upon them to be mindfull of their former penury The dung that yeelds a noysome savour to the nose being laid upon the ground makes it fruitfull So doth the remembrance of mens former poverty bring forth many good fruits of humility and liberality in them although it be displeasing to the pride of nature Meeknesse and lowlinesse of heart become Godly men though they grow great in the world Pius in eo quod mitis est nulla adversitate frangitur in eo autem quod humilis est nulla prosperitate vel gloria elevatur Aug. ad frat in eremo ser 16. A godly man saith Augustine because he is meek is broken by no adversity and because he is humble he is not lifted up by any prosperity of glory It is no shame for the greatest in the world to remember that they have been mean It is profitable to remember it but very prejudiciall to forget it Vse 3 Thirdly let not such as are oblivious be offended if Gods ministers put them in minde sometimes of their low and forgotten condition St. Paul puts the Corinthians in mind of what they had been after they were washed Having spoken before of Theeves and Covetous and Drunkards and the like he addeth 1 Cor. 6 11. And such were some of you The Colossians he admonisheth more largely For these things sake cometh the wrath of God on the children of disobedience Col. 3.6 7. in the which ye also walked sometime when ye lived in them But most largely of all he rubs up the memory of the Ephesians Remember that ye being in times passed Gentiles in the flesh Eph. 2.11 12. who are called uncircumcision by that which is called circumcision in the flestirmade by hands That at that time ye â—â—ere without Christ being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world And have not we as much need to be put in mind of it as they Let us then hear and â—ear it with patience Thus much for St. Pauls exhortation Now followes Gods vocation In which we are to note 1. The persons called or chosen 2. The impulsive cause The persons are described two wayes First Negatively Secondly Affirmatively Negatively in these words How that â—â—t many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called In which words observe 1. The condition excluded 2. The limitation For the condition of men that are excluded they are called wise according to the flesh mighty and noble The naturall good things of soul body and estate prove more often impediments to salvation then furtherances Rich men are often the greatest enemies of
ride answered because the horse would not flatter If they cannot ride well they must fall Other things they cannot learn so well because their friends and servants flatter them being either affraid to offend them or hoping to get by them Secondly it makes them lyable to luxury They do not conceive themselves subject to laws so much as other men Their inbred corruption is the fire Their wealth is the fuel that â—akes it burn more fiercely Their atâ—ndants are the bellowes that blow the â—re Salvian complaines Servilibus vitiis etiam nobiles polluuntur Illa quae in servis peccata puniunt ipsi quasi licita committunt Quotus n. quisque est connubii sacramentum conservans cui non demus ac familia sua scor tum sit Salv. de gub Dei l. 4. that Noble â—r sonages were polluted with servile vices â—nd that Those vices which they punished 〈◊〉 their servants themselves committed as â—wfull things Who is there among them â—ith he that keeps his promise in marriage Who is there whose house serves not for a â—rumpet to him Thirdly it makes them impatient They are greater then other men and â—herefore know not how to bear crosses â—hat come from God They consider what men owe them but they consider not what they owe to God And much lesse can they bear rebukes from men no not from Gods Miniâ—ters Their greatnesse makes them so â—lind that they cannot see their own â—rrours and so deaf that they cannot â—ear others with patience reveal them although they seek not to disgrace nor destroy them but to amend and save their souls They think that infericurs should be silent and suffer their superiours quietly to goe to hell and say nothing to the contrary Fourthly honour and greatnesse often breeds oppression of meaner persons For great men look not upon a superiour law of God or Man nor upon a future account but upon their present power and the weaknesse of their neighbours This we may see in warres in robberies in covetous persons that have power over others how forgetfull they are of law and right how far they stretch their own power and greatnesse Too much honour or greatnesse put upon one man proves often hurtfull to a whole nation as in the body the overflowing of one humour endangers the life it self and threatens the ruine of the whole He that is on the top of an hill forgets how he came up and overlooks all the countrey about him so great men easily forget their common originall and trample inferiours under their feet For fear of this Moses enjoynes the future King of Israel whosoever he should be to write him out a copy of the law and to read therein dayly Dent. 17.20 That his heart be not not lifted up above his brethren Great men that are Covetous or Luxurious no bands of nature can keep them from oppression as Basil of Seleucia comments upon the story of Herod O the â—â—â—e fetches saith he of Satans fury 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bas Seleuc. in Heroâ—aden He â—akes the King his executioner upon John â—â—e saw indeed that Herod was a Lord of â—â—en but a slave of passions He saw the â—â—ing a servant of intemperance and a Ruler â—â—deed in the shew of his power but overâ—â—led by the weaknesse of his soul Look â—â—ell upon the sleight of the Devill how he â—â—aws him from slighter errours to impiety â—irst he makes him a violatour of his Broâ—ers bed that he may from the pit of adulâ—â—y make him venture upon the slaughter of â—ohn the Baptist Now this mischief in time â—eing bred up grew into all licentiousnesse He â—akes his brothers wife his own while the broâ—er lives and looks on using the authority â—f his royal power for an helper to his intempeâ—ency while he couples his lawlesse purpose â—ith his inbred boldnesse This hurt doth honour and greatâ—nesse often bring to a man it makes â—his skore of oppression to be much the â—onger For honours saith Ludolphus are as certain logges which increase the fire iâ— the torments of hell Honores n. sunt quasi quaedam ligna ad augmentandum ignem in futura poâ—na Lud. de vit Chr. p. 1. â— 68 f. 5. So that althougâ— wit honour and riches be Gods gooâ— gifts and might be so used that they might further our salvation yet such iâ— the strength of corruption within us that they prove great impediments to grace and often shut up the gates oâ— heaven against us and increase our otherwise deserved condemnation To bring home all that hath beeâ— spoken in this point I must divide the sonnes of men into severall stations as God hath divided them in their means I may ranke them all in the three degrees of Comparison In the Positive I may put the poor in the Comparative the mean sort of men in the Superlative the rich Some lessons oâ— profit I may hence read to them all and as the order of the division requireth I will begin with the poor because as they have least so I have least to say to them The mouths of the poor are ever open against the rich The consideraon of their own wants and comparing them with the aboundance of other men makes them foul-mouthed because they want grace as well as money Let these envious complaints cease What if rich men have the wind always prosperous yet have they it so violent withall that it oftner overturnes them in the sea then brings them safe into the haven Envy them not then but labour to be richer in grace then they are in wealth So mayest thou be happyer Lazarus envied not the rich man for he was happyer himself Sine domo non sine Domino sine veste non sine fide sine cibo non sine Christo canibus expositus sed Angelorum socius Fulg. Ep. 2. He was bouse-lesse saith Fulgentius but not Lordâ—esse without apparell not without faith â—e wanted food but wanted not Christ to feed upon he was exposed to the dogs while he lived but received for a companion of Angels when he dyed Consider well their troubles and dangers with their riches and the happinesse that thou mayest have without them and then Fret not thy self because of evill doers Ps 37.1 2 3 4. neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity For they shall soon be cut down like the grasse and wither as the green herbe But do thou trust in the Lord and do good so shalt thou dwell in the Land and verily thou shalt be fed Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart Secondly as poor mens thoughts are often envious so their defires are for the most part boundlesse They think none happy but richmen and great men and the more rich the more happy This conceit makes them swallow an ocean of riches in their wishes Let them learn for time to come to moderate their desires of those things that
examinandum All examination requires diligence Else will not that be found that we look for The Shepherd that hath lost but one sheep leaves ninty and nine in the wildernesse Luk. 15.4 and goes after that which is lost untill he finde it The woman that lost her peece of silver lights a candle V. 8. and sweeps the house and seeks diligently till she finde it The Judge that searcheth out a murder examines all the circumstances of the fact So must we ransacke all the powers and faculties of soul and body to finde out what God hath wrought in us and by us to assure us of our vocation The former reason required much reading to finde the notes of election in the Scriptures this requires many meditations to finde the same notes engraved by the Spirit of God in our own soules 3. Ad augendum To augment Diligence is required to encrease the graces of Gods Spirit in us when we have found them Without fuell the fire will decay rather then encrease Without food the strength of the body diminisheth Without the constant use of religious exercises the sense of Gods favour will be diminished in us The Sacraments the seales of Gods favour the one must be often thought upon the other often received The sight of his Evidences confirmes a man in his hope of the quiet possession of his Lands The right use of the Sacraments assures us of Gods favour As the Sacraments must be our food so Prayer must be our fuell to make the perswasion of Gods love to flame in us The more we seek Gods favour by fervent prayer the more will he assure us of it 4. To Act. Ad agendum Without action all the meditations in the world cannot assure us of Gods favour For whom God loves them doth he inspire with the fire of good affections which flames forth into good actions Now there are many impediments of good actions Some lets we meet withall abroad in the world Others we finde within in our own soules All these must be removed and this remove cannot be done without diligence Adde hereunto the manifold varieties of good actions to be done There are duties of Piety and duties of Sobriety duties of Equity and duties of Charity And can all these duties be done without diligence No certainly it is impossible Thus are we freed from Popish and Arminian cavils They exclaime against us for teaching that we may be assured of our election They call it a doctrine of security of liberty and of profanenesse They say we teach men to live as they list because they are sure of Gods favour We teach men with St. Peter that their election and calling to eternall happinesse may be certainly made known to themselves But we teach them withall as the Apostle doth in the text that it cannot be done without labour and diligence We demonstrate to them indeed that Gods favour cannot be lost for God sunchangeable This we acquaint them with for their comfort in the world But we shew them withall that the sense of Gods favour may be lost by negligence and then shall they live as uncomfortably as if they never had had it This we do for their caution against the temptations of Satan and provocations of the World Yea to make them the more carefull we tell them that the sense of Gods favour cannot be had nor being had cannot be kept without much labour and diâ—igence For the Devill hath many â—aetes to beguile us of this principall â—illar of our spirituall comfort and â—ively provocation to cheerfull obedience Theeves have not so many devices to cheat our rich men of their gold and silver as Satan hath to beâ—uile us of the feeling of Gods love Thus do we give to God his due and to Gods elect theirs Thus do wâ— maintain Gods constancy and keep Gods people from security Now let me urge every one thaâ— heares me according to the scope oâ— the text to be diligent to make hiâ— calling and election sure Whatsoeveâ— become of thee in the world make surâ— thy happinesse in another world Thiâ— cannot be done without pain and perill but this must be done else wiâ—â— thou never live with comfort Thoâ—â— hearest the Merchant discourse of thâ— many stormes he hath endured at seaâ— how often the sea beneath opened he mouth to devoure him how ofteâ— the heaven above frowned upon him as if it would give him over to thâ— fury of the seas how often the eartâ— denyed him the sight of her as if sâ—â— would never be trod upon more bâ— him how often the winds blew fierce ly upon him one crossing another as 〈◊〉 they contended whether should finâ— him And all this he endured for gaiâ— Thou hast read the Souldiers troubleâ— how he stands in sight of the enemy that seeks his ruine the bullets oâ— while whisk by his ear the swoâ— another while would shorten him by the head sometimes hunger bites him in the day and sometime cold strikes him in the night And all this he endures for gain Thou seest the Physitian toyle and endanger himself one while he visits the pox another while he trades in Spotted feavers yea sometimes he looks the Plague in the face And all this he endures for gain And wilt not thou endure any labour or run through any perils to be sure of heavenly treasures which no theef can steal which no mouth can corrupt which no fire can consume of which no death can disappoint thee Look upon the rich and great men of the world I mean not those humane Monsters inhumane Mahometans that leave not a brother alive for fear of injury But look on Christian and Religious people what care they have to make good their titles to settle their inheritances upon theirs And all this care is but for temporall riches Wilt not thou then be more carefull to settle thine interest to eternall glory If thou be quiet now yet the Devill will finde a time to trie thy Evidence and call thy title into question Sicknesse and death are times of weaknesse to thee wherein he like a subtill enemy displayes all his art and strength Provide thee arguments now that may uphold thy hope when thou art at the weakest Consider the misery of doubting persons at their death Think upon the anguish that their souls endure They apprehend God angry with them the Devill accusing them earth leaving them heaven refusing them hell clayming them soul and body parting friends weeping and themselves hopelesse going they know not whither What would they not give that they had made their election sure in the time of their strength or that they might be strong to do it yet Be thou warned by their folly Make thou all sure beforehand As worldly men get riches in health to cherish them in sicknesse and as the Bees get in Summer hony to feed on when stormes keep them within their hives so do thou in time of health get good grounds