power and glory which to haue knowen and praysed is his chiefe scope And who dare say vnto him why hast thou dealt thus with angels and men * shall the pot say to the potter why hast thou made Rom. 9. 20 mee thus hath not the potter power ouer the cley of one and the same lumpe to make one vessell to honor and another to dishonor For as he hath wrought all things for his owne purpose as visible things to man of inuisible substance Euen so hee sustayneth and conserueth them by an inuisible strength and incomparable power And as Iob sayeth if hee destroy al agayne who shall call him to accompt shall the creature say to the creator why hast thou made mee thus Such rebellion sour moâ—â—ceth in euill all the highe treason that worldly subiects do to theyr Princes the rewarde whereof is death of body * But God condemneth both body and soule into hell Mat. 10 28. Luk. 12. 5. Moses a figure of Christ Iesus fire * Therefore feare him Wee read of Moses as a figure of Christ Iesus And of Pharao as a figure of Satan For as Pharao held the children of Israel vnder him in a slauish subiection vntil God deliuered them by his seruant Moses Euen so doth Satan hold all mankind while wee are in this Egipt this vale of miserie in his filthy slauery vntil God deliuer his elect out of Satans power by his sonne Christ Iesus working by power of his spirit and by seruice of his holy Angels God promised Moses before he sent him back into Egipt Exod. 4. 21. saying * I will harden Pharaos hart that hee shall not let my people goe That is to say I wil blind all his sences that hee shall neither beleue vnderstand nor regard the wonderfull signes and horrible plagues which I wil bring vpon him and his people to their forepointed destruction * For God Exod. 9. 19. Rom. 9. 17. saith to this end haue I raised thee vp and appointed thee that I may shew my power in thee to make my name knowen through all the world Euen so without all contradiction God before the world was did orâ—eine Satan and his adherentes both bodily and ghostly to bee his aduersaries as he raised vp Pharao and hardeâ—ned his hart And gaue Satan and his Angels such an vnspeakable power as should euermore impugne and resist all the good woorkes of God and yet all the glory redoundeth to God himselfe For God worketh all to the ende that his almighty power his infinite goodnes his louing kindnes his mercy and iustice might be the more magnifyed and praised of his elect both Angels and men For as the benefite of light is best discerned by his contrary which is darknes Euen so the almighty and most wonderful power of the infinite God appeareth the more glorious and admirable when the inferiour power which God him selfe hath giuen to Satan is compared with it If any lyst to argue why God hath so dealt with Angels men if the notes of holy Scripture herein coated do not satisfy him I leaue him to dispute with God himselfe vpon whose ordinance prouidence and power euery thing depends without exception for all thâ—nges haue of him their being mouing working and power to dispose and distribute And then it followeth of necessity that Satan dependes on him as sure as all the rest HOW IT HATH PLEASED GOD by the contrary actions and operations of his creatures to manifest his owne glory as wel in iustice as in mercy CAP. 5. THese things are manifest or may easily bee made plaine to euery one of meane wisedome so they bee not vtterly ignorant in holy Scriptures and void of the grace of God And it is not a new opinion to speake of two sortes of men whereof God hath forepointed the one to saluation and the other to damnation Eccl. 33. 10 For Iesus Sirach sayth * All men are of the ground For Adam was created of the Earth but the Lord hath deuided them by great knowledge and made their wayes diuerse some of them hee hath blessed exalted and made them his owne And some of them hee hath cursed and cast downe from the blessed state For as the Cley is in the hande of the Potter so are men and Angels in the hand of their Creator hee may do with them as hee list And hee hath set euil against good the vnbeleuer agaynst the faythful death against life c. So that in the infinite miraculous workes of the most high we may see that there are euer two things the one contrary to the other of insencible things it is proued by Phisick one thing bindeth another looseth one thing comforteth mans nature and another destroyeth it Wee find by experience falshod agaynst truth ignorance agaynst knowledge fleshly loue agaynst spirituall loue loue in adultery and fornication agaynst loue in mariage and godlines false and fayned friendship agaynst true and honest friendship false and idle faith agaynst true and working fayth flattery dissimulation and hipocrisie agaynst plainnes faithfulnes and true zeale of Gods seruice And whatsoeuer vertue there is there is also a vice his contrary and so of euery thing from the beginning First of Angels the good agaynst the euill secondly of men the elect agaynst the reiect the wicked agaynst the godly brother agaynst brother Cain agaynst Abell Ismael agaynst Isaack Esau agaynst Iacob Pharao agaynst Moses a false God agaynst the true God a false Christ against the true Christ For all vertues and vices are contrary And wee see that God in creating all thinges hath made each creature in theyr kyndes and one mortal enemie and deuourer of another for what thing soeuer driueth feare into an other thinge is enemie to the thinge that conceaueth the feare Example The Wolfe to the Sheepe the Firret and Wezell to the silly Conny the Cat to the Mouse the Spider to the Flye are natural deuourers And likewise of al maner beastes and wormes on Earth And whatsoeuer of them the same of the foules of the ayre and fishes in the waters both salt and fresh Finally the same in effect is Satan and his adherents both bodily and ghostly to Gods elect while they remayne on Earth So that euery creature liuing hath by natures ordinance as some speake which is in deede Gods prouidence a mortall enemie and deuourer for as the Wolfe is to the Sheepe euen so in efect is Satan to mankinde And all these hath this almighty God of nature wrought to set foorth his owne glory to Angels and men namely to shew him selfe to bee the wonderfull God of mercy and Iustice For Amos the Prophet sayeth * is there any euill in the Amos. 3. 6. Citty which the Lorde hath not done that is to say is there any plague or other punishment which men call euill that God hath not forepoynted and doth coÌ„maund to bee done * I Esai 45. 67 am Iehouah sayeth God
and fewest in nomber they waite in fearful patience what God is about to doe Some of them not well resolued in this sentence of the Sonne of God * Many are called and fewe are Mat 29. 16. Luc. 12. 49. chosen For they are greatly amased to see the true feruent zeale of Gods holy seruice euen the fyre that the Sonne of God brought into the World and wilâ—ed that it should burne in mens hartes to bee now almost quenched or at the least the substance wherein it should woorke â—o consumed that there resteth but only embers raked in the ashes And therefore seeing men regard not to maintaine that fyre of true zeale which the Lord himselfe willed to burne in mens hartes There are great likelihodes by many coniectures that God will shortly kindle the fyre of disturbance and in the end consume his enemies For euen now the angell of God speaketh vnto the diuers states as hee did vnto the congregations of the Laodicians saying * let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit sayth vnto the churches A men the true faithful witnes euen the beginning of the Creatures of God sayth these thinges I know your woorkes that yee are neither cold nor hote I would yee wer cold or hote so then because yee are lukewarme end neither cold nor hote I will spew you out of my mouth because ye say I am ritch and encreased with goods and need nothing and you know not that yee are wretched miserable poore blind and naked Therefore I counsell you to buy of mee Gold tried in the fyre that yee may bee ritch and white raiment that yee may bee clothed that your filthy nakednes do not appeare And annoint your eies with eie salue that yee may see As many as I loue I rebuke and chasten be feruent therefore and repent saith the Lord. Behold I stand at the dore and knocke if any man heare my voice and open the dore I will come in vnto him and suppe with him and hee with mee To him that ouercommeth will I graunt to sit with mee in my throne as I haue ouercome and sitte with my Father in his throne By this let them that haue eares heare what the Spirite saieth to the congregations They are monstrous may med bodies that want eares to heare the woord of God and yet haue eares doing their office in hearing all other thinges Now where the fault lyeth of this wauering zeale this dulnes in hearing this lukewarmnes in following this slownes in beleeuing and exercising the word of God or who deserueth the blame thereof I leaue that in question For to be an accuser of crimes is perillous namely wher the Iudges want vpright hearing there it is not only a lost labor and thankles office but also obtaineth vnwoorthy blame and hatred for good wil. Notwithstanding I say an accusation may bee made in Christian charity for the amendment of such as walke inordinatly whereupon I say proue it as I can that euery person is bound by duty to bee an eie and an eare to the maiestrate to declare vnto him in christian charitie the enormities which he seeth among the people because he can see no further then a maÌ„ except god do inspire som maÌ„ with more vertue that way theÌ„ coÌ„monly is in men Therfore wheÌ„ falts be told the magistrats for charity sake duty to god those persons haue discharged the duty of good Christians And then if the maiestrates do not trie out the truth execute iustice the sinne is vpon him Therfore in praier I humbly beseech the almighty God for his dear sons sake to send his holy Spirite into the hartes of all that euen from the highest that sittes in the roiall throne vnto the lowest and simplest in whole kingdoms dominions that euery one may remember that the ende of their creation both in body soule is to glorify God And therfore let euery one that desireth saluatioÌ„ endeuour now themselues to walke vprightly and deale truly honestly and faithfullie in their vocation pray hartily to God in this time of vrgent necessity that the feruent zeale of Gods most sacred seruice according to his owne word may be surelie engrafted in the hartes of all and most chiefly in Princes counsellers Nobilitie magistrates and officers That the same true zeale and the vertue thereof may discend from them by degrees in good example into the harts of the commons euen to the poorest and basest subiectes That all with one found minde may praise the holy and dreadfull name of Iehoua the most glorious almighty and eternall God the onely Monarch of Heauen and Earth that in the name of Christ Iesus for whose sake our praiers are pleasant and acceptable vnto him for otherwise he can not abide nor brooke them As King Dauid was moued and sollicited doubtles by holy motions which were in him the woorke of the holy 2 Sam. 7. 1 Chron. 17 22. Ghost to build a Temple vnto the mighty God of Israell which when hee had purposed to doe and prepared much costly stuffe for the building Nathan the Prophet warned him to the contrary God would not haue it of his dooing And why Euen because of his bloody handes Therefore hee commaunded to leaue it to his son Salomon by whose innocent handes God would haue that most famous and glorious figure wrought before Satan should corrupt his vnderstanding leade him captiue for a time as afterward hee did in most shamefull wife as in the 11. of 2. booke of Kinges Euen so I by like motions from time to time haue bin and am continually sollicited to meditate vppon Gods Monarchie and the Deuils Kingdome But whether the Lord worke in mee to the end I may rightly frame and performe it and time to finish the same to the benefite of his Church because of my bloudy handes and sinnes of my youth the Lord Iesus knoweth and not I. Yet through his grace woorking in mee for my selfe I can not thinke a good thought I haue gatherd togeather good and sound stuffe for some other that labor in Gods vineyard to frame the same or like peece of woorke Men ought to examine al doctrines by the word of God and chiefly consider what is spoken or written and not so much regarde the speaker or writer For it is a grosse error to thinke and more blockish to bee spoken That the true interpretation of holy Scriptures should rest onely in â—â—ole men Whereas wee finde by daily experience that many of them are enemies to the glad tidinge of Christ Iesus Now if any man obiect or take exceptions against the auctority of the bookes called Apocripha out of which I haue heare and there alledged somewhat I answere thus that in all pointes wherein they doe agree with the Canonicall Scriptures they are in my opinion to bee preferred to all other mens writinges Doctors what or who soeuer which canonicall Scriptures God hath most miraculously preserued
and beside mee there is no God I make peace and create euill that is to say all manner of plagues which man call euill for all is good to God his iustice and mercy are equall in him For euen I the Lord sayeth hee do all these thinges The text is playne that whatsoeuer is done good or euill to men euen when one wicked murdreth an other it is the Lordes worke by the ministry of Satan to punish the sinnes of men by theyr heaping sinne vpon sinne And yet God can do none euill whatsoeuer hee doth for he is vnder no lawe and hee to whom no lawe is cannot do amisse For God made his lawe by which good and euill is discerned for mankinde And not for himselfe to obserue no no but the breaâ—h of Gods law is sin death damnation therefore who so is subiect to Gods law and breakes the same comitteth sin but al mankinde is subiect to his lawe and breakes the same Therfore all mankinde comitteth sinne and by the law are damned for the same out of which compas God and his sonne Christ Iesus must needes bee exempted because hee fulfilled the Lawe for Gods elect for himselfe had no neede of it For albeit that * he put all thinges in subiection vnto man Psalm 8. 6. Cor. 15. 27. Hebr. 2. 8. it is worse then madnes to thinke much more to speake that God himselfe is included this word al is some tyme particular and sometyme generall in diuers places of holy scripture The almighty Monarch of Heauen and earth is not only the creator of all creatures but also the high lawe geuer for euery kinde of creature in those regiments So as before I conclude God himselfe is not subiect to any lawe and therefore cannot do euill And why Euen because hee oweth neyther homage nor odedience to any to whom offence might be made himselfe being the best and the greatest to whom all honor glory and obedience is due All men ought to know that Satan is the auctor and solliciter of euill and ordeyned of God to the same end For hee worketh in the hartes of Emperours Kings Princes Gouernours Counsellers Nobilities Magistrates Officers and Subiects as King Pharao and his people all the nations of Canaan with theire Kings the Philistines the Assirians the Babilonians the Romayns and others by whom it pleased God to punish his people Israell and at lenth for theyr infidelity pryde disobedience and neglecting the holy lawe to plague them with confusion that they should no more dwell to geather as a nation in one Country but skattered abrode amongst many nations And Satan the instrument and solliciter of all theyr wickednes and also the executioner of all theyr paynes and misery And such busines hath God wrought by Satans ministery from the beginning froÌ„ age to age that notably in these our dayes * For as it is written of old Euen so the nations Hct. 4. 28. in our dayes haue raged in madnes the people haue deuised innumerable vanities the Princes of the Earth haue set them selues agaynst the Lorde and his anoynted as they did of old And as they did then so haue they done nowe and so shall do to the worldes end What * Euen what soeuer the secret Psalm 2. 1. counsell of God had forepoynted to bee done so did they then doe so doe they nowe so shall they doe hereafter neyther more nor lesse yt is Satans office thereunto forepoynted of God to entice mankinde to all kinde of vices working by his adherents both bodely and ghostly as it is written * hee worketh by falce preachers and other wicked people to Deut. 13. 1. c. disceaue others and God dealeth so euen to try his people whether they do loue the Lorde theyr God or no For God willeth his people to trust in him to obey him to heare him and rest on him And Satan is not only the auctor of sinne and the solliciter and entiser of mankinde to sinne but also Gods executioner to punish sinne by sinne making the wicked to heape sinne vpoÌ„ sinne as King Saul King Ahab Iudas c. Moreouer hee doth not only tempt and entice the wicked sorte which God hath refused to theyr damnation but also cruelly vex and torment the very elect of God tempting and entising them to the comitting of most horrible sinnes as Idolatry Blasphemie Murther Adultry and all other filthy vices and thereupon maketh some of them to dispaire of theyr saluation for when the conscience is wounded with the gnawing of sinne and dispaire of Gods mercy then is the soule for the time as it were in Hell And yet because they are Gods elect he draweth them agayne through repentance and his mercy in Christ Iesus as hee did Dauid who confesseth saying * Thou O Lord hast made my soule come vp Psal 30. 4. from Hell And in all these workes Satan doth but his kinde as euery liuing thing in his kinde doth as nature compelleth them * Great is the Lords and most worthy to be praysed for 145. 3. 17. his greatnes is incomprehensible he is righteouse in all his wayes and holy in all his workes * He hath done all things Mark 2. 37 well Yea God hath done passing well for the accomplishment of his eternall purpose in ordayning Satan and his trayne with the greatest parte of mankinde to damnation because hee is the only Monarch of Heauen and Earth therfore hee only and none but hee may rightly say I will do with myne owne as I list As the Potter with his earthen pots may breake and newe make at his pleasure Euen so may do our wonderfull God neyther is it lawfull for any to call his doings in question further then holy scriptues doth aloweâ— Subiects are not alowed to prace agaynst theyr Princes doings but euery foole may say what they list agaynst Gods doings without reproch Wherein God is greatly beholding to some Princes of the Earth for so they may take theyr pleasures and liue as they list like little Gods they haue no care how the great God is serued Wheras the consideration of those his passing wonderfull workes ought to breede an horrible feare in the hartes of theÌ„ and theyr subiectes And all those shal be found happy and for euer blessed that can ioyne vnto this teare fayth to beleue his holy worde contayning the sweete promises of rewarde for weldoing and horrible punishment for ill doing Hope to receaue the rewardes promised through free mercy in Christ Faith Hope Loue. Iesus And loue with humble obedience to render thankes in his name in whom wee are made acceptable in the sight of God for whose sake wee are dearely beloued for whose sake our prayers are receiued as a sweete smelling sacrafice for whose sake our sinnes are not only remitted but also shall neuer bee imputed vnto vs not vnto vs I say which do submit our selues to Gods holy ordinance and vse the meanes by
to obserue it no sorrow for breaking it and although the threatning of the lawe sounding in theyr eares make theÌ„ sometyme afrayed yet they seeke not the righte way to be helped because they followe the suggestions of Satan and theyr owne lustes Therfore I call this blessed lawe the ballance of mans life for by examinatioÌ„ of his life how it agreeth with this lawe euery one may see weygh and know himselfe whether hee bee in tht right or in the wrong in fauoure or out of fauoure with God For whoso regardeth not the lawe * God casteth them of into Rom. 1. a reprobate sence that is into SataÌ„s gouernment to work most filthy and most horrible euils as are recited in the first to the Romaynes And no maruell for the stubberne wicked do wilfully disobey and breake the lawe as it were in dispite of his almighty maiesty which with one blast of winde might consume all enemies And all are Gods enemies great and small so long as they walke not in fayth feare and loue and obedience of his holy lawe And although the whole world is altogeather set on wickednes 1 Ioh. 5. yet Gods Maiesty is neyther endomaged nor trobled thereby For what detriment susteyned God by Adams eating the forbidden fruicce what domage or hindraunce hath God by all the filthy villenyes horrible beastlines comitted by mankinde on Earth As Idolatry Blasphemy Murther Adultry Fornication Periury Theft c. I say none at all for the godhead is not moued with passions neyther troubled with all the vprors and confusions done by Satan and his adhetents in the world but most louingly exersiseth mercy on his elect and most quietly his iustice on his reiect people which hee hath not chosen And albeit he hath ordeined rewards for weldoing punishment for il doing yet man by weldoing brings God no profit nor hindraunce by ill doing For the good and euil that man doth redoundeth to himselfe for the good that man doth hee deserueth nothing because it commeth not of himselfe but the holy Ghost worketh it in him And yet by grace hee Luc. 17. 10. receiueth the rewarde as though it came of himselfe * For when wee haue done all the good that is possible for vs to do wee shall yet be founde vnprofitable seruantes towards God because wee do not that which the lawe comaundeth Contrarywise for the euill that man doth he iustly deserueth damnation for it is his owne worke by yelding to the motions of Satan through infidelity pryde and disobedience and such lyke vices which are the causes of strife betwixt God man And for these causes God did execute his forethreatened sentence vppon Adam and his posterity For Adam had then before his fall freewill as many falsely affirme that all men haue yet that is to say hee had free choyce in himselfe to keepe or breake the holy commaundement wherein hee wilfully refused God rashly chose the Deuill neglected Gods truth and imbraced the lies of the Deuill whereof hee is the father * and the only tempter of mankind to all euill mischiefe Iohn 8. 38. For hee perswaded Eue that the punishment which God had threatned should not bee performed whereupon she enticed Adam And so committed the offence whereby he lost his freewil from him and his posterity for euer 1 Tim. 2. And yet Satan told them truth in one thing as is the common vse of his ministers in this Worlde to mixe truth with falshed the rather to make his lies take place For in eating the forbidden fruicte they knew euil whereas before they knew but good only Satans promise was they should be as Gods knowing good and euill the last poynt was true in in some sence but the chiefe poynt was altogeather false that was how yâ— punishment which God had threatned should not bee performed and that they should bee as Gods But they were sone ashamed of that credite which they had yelded vnto Satans Suggestion and of the breach of that obedience which was commaunded them by their Creator As then it was so is it manifest that now Satan and his worldly adherentes his instruments wicked people by whom he worketh amongest the multitudes namely such as preach false doctrine do many tymes speake the truth and rightly recite sentences of holy Scripture neuer to the good end but either to their owne gayne or to some other wicked purpose such is their nature they can do none otherwise then vpon recital of true and holy sentences make false conclusions And who can resist natâ—râ— except such as are lead by the holy Ghost And yet though mans reason cannot blame them in following nature Neuerthelesse God by his lawe hath ordayned death for such naturall offenders which lawe Kinges Princes and rulers of Nations Countries and Prouinces ought to obay and execute as God commaundeth in his Lawe how iustice from him ought to bee executed Deut. 13. 7 Read the Chapter Mat. 5. 17. 18. Luc. 16. 17. saying * Thyne Eye shall not pitty a false Prophet Preacher or teacher thou shalt not kepe secret his false doctrine but accuse him by order that hee may dye the death thou mayst shew him no mercy * Christ Iesus came not to breake one iot of this Law of Iustice but to fulfill for his elect that which was not in mans power to doe so to make an end of the ceremonies of the Law * which were shadowes Col. 2. 15. of good thinges to come euen figures of the comming of the Messias who came to doe his forepointed office to redeeme the miserable state of mankinde in his elect * whom God saw Ezec. 16. 6. ly weltring in their owne blood past recouery by his owne strength which was the fall of Adam whereby all mankind was damned body and soule * And then God had compassion Exo. 33. 15. Rom. 9. 19. and shewed mercy on whom it pleased him that is to say on those whom hee had forechosen and forepointed For it was Gods pleasure to make Adam of such miraculous complection quality and freedome of will as hee put it freely in his own power and choise to keepe or leaue his blessed state to obay or disobay the holy commaundement And further of a fatherly loue God forewarned him by a terrible threatning to feare him from offending And then seeing Adam would and did wilfully offend God could doe no lesse of his iustice hauing spoken the woord then executed his terrible forethreatned sentence once for all vppon Adam and his posterity for euer * The holy Scripture the woord of God which is as Galat. 3. 22. true as God himselfe hath concluded all vnder sinne which conclusion was decreed in his eternall counsell before this world began And all to bring the rest of his eternall purpose to his forepointed end to haue iust matter for himself to shew mercy and execute iustice Behold the profit that Adam got by knowing good and
called all of the spirite For as the elect of God are led and gouerned by the Spirite of God and his holy Angels And yet in such sorte as God letteth them fall often tymes by the pestâ—ient â—â—â—icementes of Satan and his Angels to the ende they may know that they stand not of themselues Euen so the reprobate whom God hath not chosen are led gouerned by satan his angels and yet in such sort as God doth very often put them in mynd by his holy Spirite admonishing them to turne from theyr wicked waies to the ende that euery one may be without excuse the autour of his own damnation Thus all in generall are of the Spirit â—yther good or bad but the reprobate follow the lustes of the flesh and suggestions of satan without resistance In the elect the flesh striueth agaynst the Spirit and the Spirit resisteth the flesh so that the Soule as all amazed is pulled now on the one syde then on the other side stackering too and free yelding sometimes to the good motions and many tymes to the euill motions filthy lustes Now in a litle hope and then in great dispayre and all by ignorance of holy Scriptures and neglecting the knowledge and grace which God already had or hath geuen them Therefore let vs labour in good woorkes of charity with fasting and faythful prayer to God * to obtayn the blessing of Luk. 11. 28. hearing beleeuing obeying and exercysing his holy woord that thereby we may obtayne wisedome from God to discerne betweene good and euill and that most excellent knowledge and precious gift of God * to trye the Spirites that woorke 1 Iohn 4. 3. in vs whether they be of God or no. For this is certayne that the least thought that râ—seth in mans minde is styrred either by the flesh or by the spirite and in the same moment tendeth to good or euil in Gods sight And to choose the good and reiect the euill is the ful some of al vertuous wisedome euen the precious gift of God which no creature caÌ„ obtayn of himselfe for it must come by the free grace and mercy of God through Christ Iesus being asked in true fayth as he commaundeth * Aske and it shall bee giuen you c. Matth. 7. 7. 21. 22 Mans naturall state as discended from Adam after his fall was most miserable and vtterly damned body and Soule the nombers of mankinde onely knowne to God to mans wit incomprehencible and to reason more then infinite out of which greater infinite nomber the Lord of mercy hath chosen and forepointed a lesser infinite nomber which hee hath elected by grace in Christ Iesus * And forepointed them to bee Ephes 1. 4 10. 13. adopted in him before the foundations of the World were layde And are sealed to saluation by the holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance purchased by Christ Iesus euen the same that king Dauid ment when hee sayde * I should vtterly haue faynted except I had beleeued to see Psal 27. 13. the goodnes of the Lord in the land of the liuing And so should now the elect of God faynt daily by reason of the afflictions and miseries which they suffer of the wicked worldlinges in this lyfe if it were not for the hope they haue to enioy the sweete promises of God by Christ Iesus in the world to come in Heauen which Dauid calleth the land of the liuing And â—o meruayle though Gods elect suffer horrible miseries in this World For * Satan can transforme himselfe 2 Cor. 11. 13. into an Angel of light as once he was Also his captiues the subiectes and wicked folkes by theyr hypocrisy can seeme in the sight of men as sober as honest as vertuous and holy as the very elect of God As Iudas for example beinge of the twelue Apostles hee Mark 3. 14 did his office hee preached the gospel hee wrought miracles hee seemed outwardly as honest as faythful and as holy as the rest * yea and more zealous then his fellowes and yet a Iohn 12. 5. very hipocrite which argueth that euen now among those that preach the gospell minister the holy sacramentes there may bee such Hipocrites as Iudas was Saynt Paul confirmeth 1 Cor. 9. 26. the same in saying * I runne not as at an vncertayne marke I fight not as one that beateth the winde but I bring my body in subiection least by any meanes after preaching to others I my selfe should bee reprooued which argueth that there hath bene euer are now and euer shall bee such Preachers and Ministers as are not as they would seem to bee And by those Hipocrites as well of the Spiritualty as of the Laity many of the very elect are abused and enticed to the committing of horrible Crimes manifested vnto men God seruing therein his eternall secrete purpose by the ministery of Satan to the end that none should be able to iudge of his secrets in the matter of election and reprobation who shoulde be saued or damned further then hee hath giuen scoape by the holy Scriptures * No man can iudge of another by any Eccles 9. 1. c. thinge that happeneth vnto men in this lyfe who is loued or hated of God for hee maketh the Sunne to Shyne on all alyke And as the wicked most commonly liue in greatest prosperity euen so among the poorer sort bursteth out the greatest villany what secret God hath in that I leaue to him Moreouer this pestilent vice of Hipocrisy is such a canker in the nature of mankind as cannot bee shunned nor auoyded And by it both the elect and the reiect couer their sinnes from the knowledge of man but not from God and priuily and inwardly abuse themselues in body mynd and Soule And some cary close their filthines but short tyme. Some keepe it long vnseene of man Yet in some at length it breaketh foorth to their vtter shame whereof some by Gods grace returne by repentance and receaue saluation because they are the elect of God Some through hardnes of hart cast asyde all shame and feare of God and so runne headlong into destruction damnation Some enioy * the blessing to haue their sinnes Psalm 32. 1 c. couered and forgiuen yea a speciall blessednes haue they to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne Is not this a most speciall grace of God to couer some mens sins that they neuer come to light haue they not great and iust cause to bee thankfull seeing no creature can accuse them but God and their owne conscience So it pleaseth God to deale with some and vnhappy are they that enuy the happy state of others For by the ministery of his holy Spirite hee woorketh reformation in the myndes and soules of some leading them by true repentance to amendment of life without beyng openly detected * for no man liueth and sinneth 1 Iohn 1. 8. not Oh that men
poyson euen from their mothers wombe Esau before his birth was refused and froward from his mothers Gen. 25. Mal. 1. 2. Rom. 9. 11. wombe when hee came to discretion hee furiously reiected the blessing of God which afterward hee could not recouer though hee sought it with teares It is an ancient opinion that euery man had his good and euill angel which albeit it wanteth sufficient warrant of holy Scripture yet most true it is that God by his holy spirite doth gouerne his elect who also haue by God his appoyntment holy angels to minister vnto them when it pleaseth God to his glory and their own saluation There are few of the reprobate that liue to years of discretion that haue bard by any means of the Law and the Gospel but they are some tyme put in mynde by the mations of God his Spirite to leaue their wickednes to the which because they do not obay their owne consciences shall condemne theÌ„ And because they yeelde no obedience vnto the motions of the spirit of God therefore hee giueth them ouer vnto their owne lustes and temptations of the Deuil To his temptations God his chosen are some tyme subiect * To the ende that the light of Gods elect in honesty of life Matt. 5. 16. and good woorkes may shyne amongst men to the good ensample of others and glory of their father which is in heaueÌ„ * That the tryall of their fayth much more precious then 1 Pet. 1. 7. Gold might bee to theyr prayse at the comming of the Lord Iesus to iudge the quicke the dead Great are their troubles and their temptations very greeuous but God deliuereth them out of all Oh that men would therefore feare the Lord Iehouah that almighty Monarch of Heauen Earth and Hell and shew foorth the wonders that hee doth among the children of men Whereas the * Apostle sayth that flesh lusteth contrary to Gal. 5. 17. the spirite hee meaneth contrary to the spirite of God For otherwise the flesh lusteth very agreeable to the spirit that is the mynde and soule of Man vntill the holy Ghost which is the same spirite that Paul meaneth worke in man * so doth Eze. 36. 28 God put his spirite in man according to his promise and then beginneth the battayle betwene the spirite and the flesh which is the whole man and which is compact of body spirite of lyfe mynde and soule c. And al that rest on Christ Iesus 2 Gor. 5. 17. are willed to become new creatures * which is that new and second birth without the which none shall inherite the kingdome of God * Satan is the strong man which possesseth the house of Mat. 12. 29. mans mynd and the holy Ghost is the stronger man that driueth Satan from his possession And when an vncleane spirit is displaced hee wandreth about a whyle and returneth to proue if hee can enter agayne which if hee do then hee bringeth in with him seuen woorse then himselfe so is his ende woorse then the beginning except hee bee the chosen of God to whom Satan geueth many foyles And when they haue fallen into sinne by Satans slightes they can not ryse they cannot repent they cannot returne to God of their owne power * For no man can come the Sonne Iohn 6. 44. 14. 6 except the Father draw him * Christ Iesus his Sonne is the way the truth and the lyfe and no man can come to the Father but by him Many are called but few are chosen But all those that Mat. 20. 16 are and shal bee enhâ—ritours of the kingdome of heauen were chosen therunto before the world began and after birth comming to years of discrecion they are called so effectually that they cannot chose but come to the Lord notwithstanding the pestiferous malice of Satan and his ympes both bodily and ghostly The meanes of calling are commen to all in places where the truth is professed as reaâ—ing and hearing the holy Scriptures preached taught or talked of the chosen receaue it by fayth to their saluation The refused of God are called by yâ— same meanes but they are so effectually holden backe by Satan and his impes bodily and ghostly that when they haue beleeued they 〈◊〉 no power to hold it but let it slip agayne in the end to their daÌ„nation Concerning such as liue not to yeares of discretion and such as are not called by the meanes aforesaid I leaue them to the secrete meanes which God at his pleasure may vse Rom. 11. 36 For * of him through him and for him are all thinges to him be all honor foreuer Amen For hee is all in all hee woorketh all in all and is not tyed vnder any lawe by his owne decrees neither can any other ympose statutes vnto him and therefore hee cannot doe euil what soeuer hee doth because all is his owne and hee onely and none but hee may doe with his owne as hee list CONCERNING THE VARIETY of Spirites that woorke diuers effectes in mankinde CAP. 13. IT shall eskape mee very much agaynst my will if I put downe any thing that is not to be found in holy Scriptures or gathered of the same by tru interpretation or souÌ„d argument grounded on the holy text Genesis chapter 41. verse 14 Ioseph had the Spirite of interpretation of Dreames Daniell 2 19. the interpretation of Nabuchadnezers dreame was opened vnto Daniell in a vision Exodus 28. 31. 2. 6. God filleth men with the suirites of conning in artes sciences handy occupations and all worldly wisedome Nombers 5. 14. 15 the spirite of Ielousy 27. 18. eod libro the spirit of gouernment in Iosua Iudges 6. 34. the spirit of boldnes and hardines in Gedion Iudges 9. 23. God sent an euil spirite between the King and his Subiectes And 11. 29. The Spirite of hardines in Iephta and 13. 25. the Spirite of strength in Sampson 1 Samuel 10. 6. Spirites of prophecie and 16. 13. a good Spirite came vppon Dauid 14. the good Spirite departed from Saul and the Lord sent an euill spirit to vexe him 1 Kinges 22. 21. to 28. Spirites of enticementes and lying In Esai 19. 3 Spirites of diuination 28. 6. 29. 10. Spirits of slumber and amasednes Ecclesiastious 39. 28. Spirites created for vengeance c. Math. 10. 1. vncleane spirits 12. blind dumbe spirits Mar. 9. 17. to 29 dumbe and deafe Spirites Actes 23. 8. 9. Spirits and Angels haue some time spoken vnto men The Saduces say there is no resur rection nor Angell nor Spirite the Pharisies confesse both 1 Tim 4 1. Spirites of error and Deuilish doctrine 2 Tim. 1. 7. Spirites of feare and loue And as there are dreamers of dreames and seers of visions so are there spirites both good and euill to moue dreames to shew visions and stirre vp phantasies in folks myndes some to good and some to euill * One man as wee reade had a legion of Deuils in him Marc. 5. 9. which by some mens accompt is 12500. and by other some 6000. footmen 732. horsmen what an infinite nomber of legions let euery man thinke are among so many mad men as presently liue in the world of all degrees high and lowe rich and poore I grant many are worldly wise but few haue right wittes in Godlines * For many are called but few are Mat. 20. 16. chosen Another reason they esteeme not of Gods woord they haue no desire to obay it nor to refrayne their couetous desires and wicked lustes they haue no wil to praye to fast nor geue almes to shew their loue and obedience to God who hath ordayned those thinges to exercise all such as wil bee his Our Sauiour Christ sayth it is the spirite that quickenneth Iohn 6. 63. the flesh profiteth nothing who knoweth not that the body without the spirite is deade and can doe neyther good nor euill But while the Spirite of lyfe the mynde and yâ— immortall sowle are ioyned with the body the man is continually woorking speaking or thinking good or euill So that it is the Spirite that quickeneth both wayes yet not one and the same spirite but a good or euill spirite Among the diuersity of Spirites there are none more perillous then the spirites of hipocrisy dissimulation and flattery For by the allurementes of those pestiferous subtlâ— spirites Satan who by those meanes * doth seem an angel 2 Cor 11. 14 of light can so finely frame his worldly ministers by whom hee woorketh as Gods elect euen they that walke most seuerely can not make a fayrer shew of Godlines then they And all to disceaue such as will not warely walke in the fear of God Yea such pernitious wicked spirites shall worke in some that shall auouch falshed for truth * And therfore called false Christes and false Prophets which shall shew signes wonders Mar. 13. 22 to disceaue if it were possible the very elect of their saluation Therefore wee must watâ—h and pray take heed because wee know not the moment of the Lordes comming nor the day of our death Certayne creatures on earth haue the Spirites of life the minde and bodily sences as seeing hearing smelling tasting feeling knowledge memory and agility of bodie common with mankinde If man had receaued no more hee had differed but in shape onely from other seemly beastes but vnto vnto man onely was giuen a reasonable and an immortal Spirite euen a reasonable soule whereby hee exceedeth all other earthly creatures Therefore to mankinde onely it is sayd * Bee not lyke horse and mule which haue no vnderstanding whose mouthes must be holden with bit bridle Psal 32. 9. Therefore most happy for euer blessed are they to whom God hath geuen true vnderstanding godly wisedome right iudgement and grace to follow the motions of God his most holy spirite by whose assistance wee are made able to eschew euill and doe good to seeke peace and keepe our soules in paâ—ience walking in holines and righteousnes till wee receaue the reward of our fayth euen the saluation of our soules and bodies for euer