seduceth them their eyes are not onely darke and see not but deceitfull and seducing making them thinke that they see what is right when they see it not which I thinke to bee here meant and therefore Christ in Ioh. 12.40 addes these words not understand with their hearts from whence the point may be When good meanes of salvation be not used aright then God turnes them to their hurt and destruction Their eyes that once saw his workes Doct. whereby he shewed himselfe to bee God and whereby they should have beleeved doe now lead them into error and cast them upon their destruction Physicke is the meanes of health yet if not rightly used is able to kill him that useth it The eye mans best guide yet if distempered may bring a man into more danger than any professed enemy The Word and Gospell the best meanes to mollifie our hearts and bring us unto God yet if neglected and abused makes the heart hard the eyes blinde and the understanding darke Goe make the hearts of this people fat shut their eyes that they may not see Isa 6.10 If rightly used it is the savour of life unto life 2. Cor. 2.16 but if not it is a stumbling blocke to make men fall Ier. 6.21 But to keepe to the Apostles instance The eye It is first as a watchman set in the top of a tower to discover the enemy a farre off but if not rightly used it proves like a treacherous Sinon to open the gates of the City and let in the enemy to let lust into the heart And therefore Iob made a covenant with his eyes Iob 31. And David praieth Turne away mine eyes Psal 119.37 and how many the eyes hath undone you cannot bee ignorant The sonnes of God as they are called Gen. 6.2 saw the daughters of men and tooke them wives It brought Sichem to commit folly with Dinah Gen. 34.2 David to lie with Bathsheba 2. Sam. 11. Therefore saith Bernard that the eye is Prima sagitta The first arrow offornication that it is the window of the minde Demodo bene vivendi Ser. 23. Etin Psaâ— 91. Sertn 7. a Occâ—lus deprae datâ—r animam Epist 107. The eye robbeth the soule about his 107 Epistle Let us then heare aright for feare the word which is in it selfe the savour of life unto life be not the savour of death unto death As meat indigested rots upon the stomacke and poysons the body So doth this best meanes of life if onely heard and not digested with zeale It is a fearesull case when God lets our Pilot and our guide deceive vs our eye the best director to misleade us our meat to poyson us the light to bee like an Ignis fatuus to seduce us I pray God it befall not us who have a long time had eyes to see the wonders of God and yet make smal use of them And so I come to the second particular Eares that they should not heare Eares that they should not heare In Pro. 20.12 God hath made both these the eye to see and the care to heare These Iewes have them but neither see nor heare God hath made man two eares for two reasons First Vt 〈◊〉 actliuâ— That words may more easily be gathered as Lâ—â—l intius of Gods workmanship Chap. 8. Secondly Qua spoâ—tet dupla ad disciphnaÌ„ Consequenâ—am auâ—nt cum uraÌ„ linguim dederit ut meminerimus pau toraci enda plura audienda Because we must heare with a double care to the attaining if learning whereas hee gave but one tongue that wee might remember that sewer things are to bee spoken more to bee heard As Basil in his booke of virginitie and though the eyes be the organ of a most excellent sence of seeing the workmanship and wonders of God yet the eare is more needfull Institut Lib. 3. Cap 9. because as Lactautius saith Learning and wisdome is perceived by the eares alone not by the eyes alone It is a great misery to be blinde for then he sees not Gods workmanship but greater misery to want the hearing because then they cannot heare of their Saviour nor of eternall life Thomas Aquinas tells us that outwardly they could heare and perceive well enough but the judgement was they did not heare with fruit as Deut. 29.4.3.6 You have seene the great tentations the miracles and wonders how I led you sortie yeares in the wildernesse your cloathes waxed not old on your backes nor your shooes yet you want a heart to perceive and eyes to see and eares to heare untill this day The first thing that I observe I comprize in these tearmes Doct. It is a misery unspeakeable to heare the mysteries of salvation and bee no better for it for hearing without obedience hath no blessing he onely that so heares the will of God to doe it shall enter into the kingdome Matth. 7.21 shall bee blessed Luke 11.28 shall bee justified before God Rom. 2.13 But the hearers otherwise if they looke for any mercy from God they doe but deceive themselves Iames 1.22 a Ille â—crè aâ—dis qui moâ—bus non contrad cit In quatuor Evan. 〈◊〉 29. Hee beares aright that in his manners doth not contradict it saith Gregory b Fâ—deâ—ni presi â—u â—vita praâ—a est Chrys st in lib. Homd 〈◊〉 Faith profits nothing if the life be wicked c Frusâ— a audit qui non amat Encl 〈◊〉 Cap. 17. He leares in vaint that loves not saith Augustine d Grave estse catum non 〈◊〉 sse quoctsac as â— avnis nonseetsse qu◠〈◊〉 Deâ—ss◠〈◊〉 Lib. 2 20. It is a great sinne not to know that which thou doest a greater not to do what thou knowest saith Ambrose I here be three kindes of bad hearers in Mat. 13. every one of them miscrable The first compared to stores and the stones are cast cut of the vineyard in Isa 5.2 The second to thornes and thornes are to bee burned Heb. 6.8 The third to the way side and that is a double misery First the way is ever left without the hedge and without defence Secondly it is troden under soot of all passengers Woe be to thee Chorazim woe be to thee Bethsaida for if these workes had beene done in Tyre and Sidon c. and Wee to thee Capernaum for if these workes were done in Sodome c. Mat. 11.21 These three Cities Chorazim Bethsaida and Capernaum were Cities of Galilee very fruitfull by reason they were neere to Iordan which made them as rich as Nilus doth the country of Egypt Ioachiâ— us Vadianus not farre from the lake of Gennezareth where Christ often preached and where most of his great workes were done as Mat. 11.21 Out of Bethsaida he called his first disciples Peter Andrew and Philip In Capernaum he did many miracles hee preacht almost every Sabbath day and made them astonished at his doctrine Luke 4.31 and because they had all this meanes heard all this preaching the
receiving and so being an hypotheticall proposition it consists of an antecedent and a sequele From the antecedent I observe That God never gives way to any evill but for a good end and purpose their fall was suffered for this end to reconcile the world unto himselfe as in the eleventh verse I come to the sequele wherein were noted first their danger dead secondly their hope received to life from death From the first note That living in sinne out of favour with God Doct. is to be in the estate of a dead man The dead shall heare the voice of the sonne of God Ioh. 5.25 If you aske who be these dead surely you need not goe downe into the vaults of the earth to seeke them they are buried above ground they are dead soules in living bodies That body is their tombe and this their epitaph Hic siti sunt Here are they buried Therefore awake thou that sleepest stand up from the dead Ephes 5.14 It may be thought a strange position and savour somewhat of melancholy that a man that breathes and moves and speakes and drinkes and sweares and fights and does all other acts which now adayes are counted manly should be induced that for all this he is no better than a dead man a carcase But let such a man as this be brought before the Iudge of life Christ Iesus examined by the rule of life viz. the word and you shall see what his case is The life of a Christian consists in the union of his soule with God which is made by the grace of the holy spirit dwelling in him for as the life of the body is the soule so the life of the soule is grace and where that is wanting well may the body live but the soule is dead as Paul speaketh of the widow 1 Tim. 5.5 Such dead men are all by nature dead in sinnes and trespasses Ephes 2.1 yea dead even from the wombe and if I may so speake still borne for no man brought grace into the world nor suckt it from his mother he is made not borne a Christian The word Soule is capable of life if God be pleased to give it the best by nature but dead There be two things that argue life in the soule of man sense and motion if man in the estate of sinne hath either I will confesse him to be alive and not dead But first he hath no sense for he perceives not the things of the spirit of God nor can he for they are discerned spiritually 1 Cor. 2.14 Secondly he hath no motion he hath set up his rest in this world never dreames of aspiring higher Tell him of a journey to heaven t is not in him to will it t is not in him once to thinke of it 2 Cor. 3.5 Now if this man may be said to live which manifests life neither by sense nor motion then stocks and stones and the dullest of spring of the elements may as truly be said to live So that wee may conclude as Christ doth Matth. 8.22 Let the dead bury their dead or I may say of such as the holy Ghost doth of the Angell of the Church of Sardis Apoc. 3.1 Thou hast a name that thou livest but thou art dead Hence learne first the errour of the Pelagian and his naturall sonne the Papist Vse 1 who will defend man in sinne and without grace not to be dead but halfe dead like the wounded man Luk. 10.30 or the maid Matth. 9.24 But first God finds no such good in man Gen. 6.5 Secondly Paul finds nothing in the unregenerate part but opposition Gal. 5.17 Thirdly leave the best man to himselfe and he is dead to all good actions Fourthly Paul could not finde any good thing in himselfe Rom. 7. Yet in this point I can make it good out of Bellarmine and others that they neither speake nor write what they thinke Secondly Vse 2 the lamentable case wherein naturally wee are borne dead in sinnes and trespasses Thirdly in what fearfull case they are that live in sinne in grace dead in soule dead in Gods account dead and therefore how little honour wee should performe to them how base they are in respect of the sonnes of God you may perceive If a man want grace nothing can make him honourable he is servant of how many vices Servus quot vitiorum tot dominorum of so many masters saith Augustine Stemmata quid prosunt c. Aug. de Civit. Det lib. 4. cap. 3. Iuâ—inal Satyr 1. When the Apostles seemed to be a little proud that the devils were subdued unto them our Saviour would not have them rejoyce in this but in that their names were written in the booke of life Luk. 10.18 19. Wherefore if you affect either glory or honour or life see where you must seeke it seeke them not at Court those be like glasses saith Augustine bright and brittle Moses had rather be the childe of God than to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter And so I come from the danger wherein they were to their hope of restoring Life from the dead First the world shall be changed as it were from death to life after the receiving of the Iewes for though light be risen to the Gentiles yet while the Iew remains in blindnesse The world hath not yet revived saith Beza Secondly Life from the dead Their estate shall be more glorious after their calling than it was before Mundus nondum revixit So Ambrose Thirdly Life from the dead The restoring of the Iewes suddenly shall follow the resurrection from death to life So Aquinas out of Origen and Chrysostome I will not shew my dislike to any of these yet that which I observe is different That wee should not despaire of the Iewes though now they be out of favour and seeme to be dead Though a man be dead he may live againe though buried he may rise againe though out of favour he may be received againe though he run away with the prodigall he may returne againe though he be fallen yet he may rise againe If a man be never so farre gone wee should not despaire of his amendment and reformation What people in all likelihood farther gone than the men of Ephraim They willingly obeyed the commandement that is of Ieroboâ—m Hos 5.11 and when the Lord told them that they were sicke and would have cured them then went Ephraim unto Ashur and sent to Iareb King of Assyria This was added to his former sinnes Hoeaccedu ad superiora peceata saith Mercer yet if once they say Come let us returne to the Lord Hoe est tantum piccavit ut eâ— Sedoma comparata justa videatur then after two dayes he will revive them and they shall live in his sight Hos 6.2 What Citie so farre gone as Ierusalem She justified Sodome and Samaria Ezek. 16.51 that is She sinned so much Aug. contra Faustum Manachaum lib. 22. cap. 61. that Sodome compared
our selves from thy presence masses of corruption mountaines of sin dead and dry trees fit fuell for thy fierce wrath to worke upon If wee should climbe up into heaven to hide us from thee thou art there or goe downe into the bottome and depth of hell thou art there also or take the wings of the morne and fly to the utmost part of the seas even there also will thy all-seeing eye behold us and thy right hand will quickly visit and finde us out wee will therefore here dissolve and melt our selves into a floud and fountaine of many teares bewailing and bemoaning our wofull and miserable estate for albeit by reason of that foule Chaos and staine of naturall corruption and originall sin wee have deserved long since to have had the sweet issue of all thy good blessings to be stopped and dried up thy milde and gentle corrections to bee turned into the sudden execution of bloudy to â—utes and fearefull judgements upon us even in this life and at ouâ— departing out of this world to be plunged everlastingly into a piâ—â— destruction there to be fried and scorched with Sataâ— and his Angels for evermore And yet for all this O Lord we have never ceased to adde oyle unto this flame and to blow up the coales of thy fearefull displeasure through the hot and eager pursuit of many loud crying actuall sinnes and transgressions so that from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot there is not one place sound or whole within us but we are full of sores and swellings and botches full of sinne full or corruption our understandings which should have knowen thee to bee our true God and him whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ our Redeemer these are blinded and mis-led with ignorance and doubting our affections which should have beene good guides to have directed our feet into the way of peace they are become swift messengers of Satan to buffet us our bodies which should have been sweet Temples for thy blessed Spirit to dwell and lodge in they are sinks of sin and cages of filthy birds Our eyes O God are like open windowes and doores to receive sin our hearts like common Innes to lodge sin our heads like skilfull Politicians to contrive sinne our tongues smooth and sweet Orators to plead for the maintaining of sin and all our hands like stout Souldiers and couragious Champions to fight in the defence of sin Thus have we waged and managed war against thee our God ever since wee were borne so that now thou maist justly spâ—e us out of thy mouth cut us off in the midst of our sins come amongst us this verie present and binde us hand and foot and at the end of these few and miserable dayes send us all into hell together that so Satan might pay us our wages only whom thus long we have obeyed and served thus emptying our selves from all trust and confidence in the arme of flesh wee fly unto thee O God the anchor of our hope and the tower built for our defence with many deepe sighes and groanes from our perplexed consciences and diseased soules most humbly intreating thee to be gracious and mercifull to all our sins for they are wondrous great make it thy glorie to passe by and to winke at them poure into our soules the oyle of thy mercie supple our hard and dry hearts with the sweet influence of thy best graces and cure all our swelling wounds with the true balme of Gilead Purge good Lord and cleanse all the polluted and infected corners of our hearts that though 〈◊〉 this day our sins be as old as Adam as numberlesse as the stars oâ— heaven as high as the tallest Cedars in the Forrest Lord plucke them up by the roots burie them in everlasting forgetfulnesse that they may never stop the issue of thy blessings nor draw downe upon us the vials of thy wrath nor be a wound and griefe to our troubled consciences in this life or worke despaire in us at the end of our dayes nor stand up in judgement to be the utter ruine and condemnation of our soules and bodies at the last day Good Lord prepare us all for a better life sit us all for the Kingdome of thy Sonne Christ Jesus guide us all with thy blessed Spirit tutor us out of thy holy Word humble us by thy mercifull corrections and by thy fatherly blessings wed our affections and knit our hearts more neere unto thee in newnesse of life than ever heretofore they have beene that living as becommeth thy obedient children and servants an holy and a religious remnant of our dayes we may by thy grace and mercie be partakers of a joyfull and a comfortable death and after death of a glorious resurrection to everlasting life and peace among thy Saints Neither doe wee pray to thee for our selves onely but for all people and Nations of the earth but more particularly for the place in which wee live and therein according to our bounden dutie for thy servant and our Sovereigne Charles by thy speciall Providence King of Great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the most true ancient Catholike and Apostolike faith and in all causes and over all persons within these his Majesties Realmes and Dominions next under thee and thy Sonne Christ Jesus supreme Governour adde unto his dayes as thou diddest unto the dayes of Hezekiah that he may enjoy a long and a prosperous reigne over us and in the meane time remember him in goodnesse for the good he hath done already to thy Church Bestow the sweetest of thy blessings upon our gracious Queene Marie our hopefull Prince Charles and the Lady Marie and the rest of those royall Branches beyond the seas season them in their young and tender yeares with thy feare that they may bee great in thy favour and if it may stand with thine eternall Decree let us never want an holy and a religious man of that house and line to governe the Scepters of these Kingdomes and to maintaine the preaching of thy glorious Gospell within these his Majesties Realmes and Dominions so long as the Sun and Moone endure Blesse 〈◊〉 King with an honourable valiant and a religious Councell and â—obilitie blesse him with a learned painfull and a zealous Clergie by what names or titles soever they be called whether they be Arch-Bishops or Bishops and all other painfull Labourers in this thy Vineyard blesse him with a wise prudent and a religious Gentrie blesse him with a peaceable a loyall and a religious Commonaltie and good God wee beseech thee to showre downe thy blessing upon the right hand and upon the left to them whom it hath pleased thee to send to this Congregation that by the blessing of thy good Spirit whensoever they shall stand on thy Mountaine to deliver a Message from thee give them good Father what wilt thou giue them give them wise and understanding hearts that they may open to thy people the wondrous things
of thy Law good Father touch their tongues with a coale from thine holy Altar that by the blessing of thy holy Spirit they may be able to worke some holinesse in the hearts of a sinfull and unbeleeving people and cut downe the head and strength of some sinne that remaineth in us and to this end and purpose make them sound in thy Doctrines terrible in thy threatnings sweet in thy comforts powerfull and effectuall in all thy perswasions and mercifull Father make thy word like the bow of ionathan and like the sword of Saul or Gideon that never returned emptie from the bloud of the slaine and the fat of the mightie Lastly wee come unto thee for our selves againe thy most unworthy servants that are here assembled in a reverent feare of thy most holy and blessed name most humbly intreating thee in Jesus Christ to be gracious and mercifull to all our sinnes and to be effectually present with thy blessed Spirit in the midst of us all and grant that thy word may drop and distill upon our tender consciences like raine upon the mowen grasse and as dew comes downe from Heaven to water the earth take away the scales of ignorance from all blinde and darke understandings remove farre from us all lets and hinderances whereby the blessed seed of thy Word hath beene too many and sundry times made unfruitfull in the hearts of sinfull and unbeleeving people and to everie soule that is present in thy house this day or at any other time grant 〈◊〉 all holy diligence to seeke thee godly wisdome to know theâ— and sanctified understanding to finde thee aright that so thâ— Word may prove the the sweet savour of life unto everlasting lift â—â—ough Jesus Christ our Lord and onely Saviour in whose most holy and blessed name wee are bold to conclude these our weake and imperfect prayers in that perfect forme of prayer which Christ hath taught us saying Our Father c. AN EXPOSITION VPON The eleventh Chapter to the ROMANS VERSE 1. I say then hath God cast away his people God forbid for I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin IN the former Chapter the Apostle disputed at large touching the fall and rejection of the Iewes The Coherence and Argument Quatenus corum causa culpa contigit In Rom. 11. so farre forth as it came to passe through their meanes and fault saith Solo applying that unto them which was prophesied of them so long before in the 65. of Isaiah vers 2. Tota dit expendi manus meas All the day have I spread out my hands unto a rebellious people and Rom. 10.21 And in this Chapter hee disputes of the casting away of the lewes Quatenus à Deo ob bonam causam permissa suit Zab. de necess lib. 1. cap. 2. so farre forth as it was permitted by God for a good cause they were cut off that the Gentiles might be planted in Rom. 11.19 yet after this he goes about to comfort them by laying downe two conclusions which make the two maine and principall parts of the Chapter The first That the rejection was not uniuersall respectu subjecti i. in respect of the subject that is The Iewes were not all cast off from the first to the eleventh verse The second That their rejection was not universall respectu temporis i. in respect of the time that is eternall and forever from the eleventh verse to the end Or with Calvin more particularly thus In Rom. 11. The mitigation of their despaire after their rejection consists in these six Theorems 1. That all Israel is not rejected God hath not cast away his people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. which hee fore-knew vers 2. The 2. That by their fall the Gentiles have obtained salvation vers 11. The 3. That in the end the Iewes shall be converted to the faith and kingdome of Christ in great number vers 12. The 4. That Abraham who was the root was holy and therefore hath some holy branches among them vers 16. The 5. That God can as easily graft them into the Olive tree againe as hee cut them off vers 23 24. The 6. That Gods purpose and counsell to graft them in againe is like the Lawes of the Medes and Persians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. For the gifts of God are without repentance vers 29. This is the Coherence and Argument I have no purpose to insist upon the Author Paul so named of Sergius Paulus Of the Author of the Epistle the Pro-Consull of Cyprus whom he and Barnabas converted to the faith Act. 13.7 12. as Hierome avoucheth Lib de claris Scriptoribus nor of the signification of his name which in the Hebrew signifies Marvellous or as Buxtorâ—ius Etymol In the Greeke Ease and Rest à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cesso or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quies or small and little as Augustine De spiritu litiera cap. 7. In Psal 72. nor why his name was changed it is done by Augustine Hee was first Saul viz. superbus i. proud then Paul viz. Humilis i. humble Nor of the authoritie of this Epistle Lib. 4. de verbo Dei cap. 4. Non debet esse admirationi aliquaâ—na arbor ubi in candem proceritatem â—otasylva surrexâ—â— Quid primuÌ„ in eo admirer quid poste à comprobem quid postremò laudibus inestimandis vehendam arbitror planesum animi dubius which is knowen and beleeved to be divine by the witnesse of Gods Spirit in Scripturis non ex traditionibus i. in the Scriptures not by Traditions as Bellarmine vainely goes about to prove nor of the excellencie of this Chapter which I have select It was an excellent saying of Seneca in one of his Epistles Some one tree is not to be wondred at when as all the whole wood hath growen to the like talnesse I am altogether doubtfull what I should first admire what afterwards I should approve and what finally I should judge worthy to be extolled with inestimable praises * Convivium sapientâ—ae singuli libri singula â—ercula Ambr. script oâ—â—ic lib. 1. cap. 22. Hieron de Psalmis Epist ad Paulinum It is a banquet of wisdome and everie booke a daintie dish as Ambrose speaketh And as one said of the writings of Salvianus there is not one Iota or phrase in this whole Chapter which is not pregnant and full of supernaturall knowledge Thesaurus sapientiae i. even a treasure of wisdome as Hierome stileth the Booke of the Psalmes I come to the Analysis The parts are five 1. A consolation of the rejected Iewes Analysis that notwithstanding God had cast them off yet such a remnant of them as were within the covenant of election should be saved through grace from the first verse to the seventh 2. A confirmation of the rejection of the stubborne Iewes by Testimonies of two Prophets the one David Psal 69.22 Let their table
for Rahab the harlot nor want for poore Lazarus shall bee accepted of God at the judgement A singular comfort for such as live in prophane and wicked places Vse that are enforced to complaine as David did Psal 120.5 Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech that I dwell in the tents of Kedar for though the place where thou livest bee as Sodome and the sinnes of it mount as high as Heaven yet if thou bee a Lor that lovest holinesse and hatest iniquitie thou shalt surely be saved from the fire Though the place where thou livest be like the old world so sinfull that God repented that ever hee made it Gen. 6.6 yet if thou bee a Noah faithfull and holy thou for thy part shalt surely bee saved from the water what if thou live in Mesech amongst the untoward Ishmaelites that bend their bowes against the Lord and shoot their arrowes against Heaven like the Thracians in Herodotus his Melpomene For if thou bee a David David after Gods heart when thousands fall beside thee and ten thousand at thy right hand the plague shall not come nigh thee what if thou dwell amongst thornes prepared for the fire yet if thou be a Lilly or a Rose it shall goe well with thee in the day of vengeance what if thou live in the salt sea yet if thou retaine thy sweet and pleasing rellish there shall no harme happen unto thee What if thou passe thorow the weeds and gravell of a brinish Ocean yet if thou be like the river Arethusa commended for that rare qualitie by Virgil in his 10. â—clogue Quamvis fluctus subterlabere Sicanos Dor is amar a suam non intermiscuit undam Thou shalt bee è mult is millibus unus one of a thousand Titio ereptus ex igne one whom God will choose out of the midst of a perverse and crooked generation what then remaines but this that we continue constant and unmoveable in our most holy faith and though wee live in such evill dayes and dwell in such prophane places where wickednesse over-flowes the banks as the sea at an high tide and a full spring though wee be reserved ad tempora novissima to the last times and dwell neare the outsides and the common sewers where all Heretiques make their nests and like to Toads and Frogs engender in these sens and puddles Aug. de temp Scrm. 232. as Augustine is pleased to stile them though wee dwell amongst Papists Anabaptists Familists and have our residence amongst the Bastards of Barrow Browne c. yet if wee beleeve and repent if wee turne to the Lord though we turne from them if wee cleave to the Lord and renounce them if wee keepe our selves unspotted our consciences untouched we shall undoubtedly bee saved and received unto mercie notwithstanding all their peremptorie sentence of condemnation which they passe upon us Before I come to the two other branches let me note unto you the drift of all it is to prove that the Iewes are not all cast off and how it is proved because Paul knowes that hee himselfe is not cast off Here we have Paul sure and certaine of his owne salvation From whence gather A man while he is in this life may be sure and certaine of his owne salvation Doct. and life eternall And I adde ordinarily because I meane to oppose the Trent Councell denouncing the deepe Anathema upon them that say it a Si quis dixerit bominem ronaium justificatum toueri ex side ad credendum se esse ex numero praede stinatorum anathema sit If any man say that a man regenerate and justified is bound by faith to beleeve that he is in the number of the elect let hm bee accursed as Chemnitius notes to be in the 6. Session Canon 15. b Possunt quidom bon sperare peccata sibi remitti sed sine cerid siducia They may indeed hope well that their sinnes are forgiven but not with any certaine assurance In any particular man yet saith Christ Sonne thy sinnes are forgiven thee to one and to another Thy faith hath saved thee viz. the woman that had the bloudie issue Mar. 5.34 I fetch my reasons first from the nature and propertie of a free promise made by God as unto Ioshua I will never faile thee unto Abraham Gen. 17.7 I will be thy God c. So that if Gods promises be certaine and sure then is the salvation of the faithfull certaine and sure and because some men might doubt the Apostle tels us Heb. 6.17 18. that God was willing to confirme the promise And therefore bound himselfe by an oath that by two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lye that they might have strong consolation the one is his word the other his oath whosoever shall not beleeve God in these two maketh God a Liar in this that hee saith he hath given eternall life through his Son 1 Ioh. 5.10 That which the Papist replyes that the promises of God are true in generall but are not certaine to particular men by the certaintie of faith because it is no where faid in speciall I will give thee is most frivolous and idle for if the promise bee made to all that beleeve then when I know that I beleeve I know the promise is made to mee and besides it is false to say that the promises are onely generall See Rom. 10.9 If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus c. thou shalt bee saved Here is certaintie of faith which is nothing else but that assured confidence of our heart by which it perceiveth and doubteth not that it hath right to what is promised and this is that new name written in the white stone Apoâ— 2.17 by this faith God dwelleth in our hearts and suffereth none to perish saith Lombard Booke 3. Distinct 23. Secondly from the propertie of justifying faith First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an infallible perswasion Heb. 10.22 Reason 2 Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the substance Hebr. 11.1 Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through Christ we have boldnesse Ephes 3.12 Vpon these the Holy Ghost in Heb. 6. by an excellent metaphor compares faith to an anchor fastened in firme earth which the ship-man knowes to bee sound and constant against which no stormes can prevaile Which we have as the anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast Heb. 6.19 And Paul Rom. 8.38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. shall bee able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And vers 16. The Spirit of God witnesseth to our spirits that we are the sons of God which Pighius and Andradius setting downe the Trent Councell as Chemnitius reciteth it contend to have beene not by faith but by revelation But I will make it appeare that Paul grounds not this assurance upon revelation but on a ground
reliquisset filium Bucholcer in Ann. Dom. 181. Hist nat lib. 34. cap. 8. Antoninus had beene happie if he had left never a sonne Sometimes in their wits which God turnes as the edge and point of a weapon against themselves such was the wit of Achitophel And Plinius reports of one Perillus an Athenian who framed for the Tyrant Phalaris a brazen Bull wherein men being tormented should low like Oxen not speake like men his wit proved his death for himselfe was the first that died in it Sometimes in their wealth hee makes the rust of it to bee a witnesse against them and to eat their flesh like fire Iam. 5.3 There is since Adams fall in everie creature a poyson and a curse Since God cursed the earth which to a good man is taken away and all that hee hath is sanctified by the word and prayer 1 Tim. 4.5 But the wicked because no wicked man can pray have alwayes the curse and poyson with it So I come from the judgement on their tables to the eyes and backes VERS 10. Vers 10 Let their eyes bee darkened that they see not and bow downe their backes alwayes WHat an heavie judgement this is you may perceive by the former there is laid for them a snare a trap a stumbling blocke this were fearefull enough though they had eyes to looke well about them But to have these snares laid for them and they want eyes to see them is most miserable though there bee snares laid and a man have eyes to see and looke about hee may prevent them The speech is metaphoricall borrowed from the body and applyed to the soule and the judgment here meant is not corporall but spirituall namely the depriving of the minde which is the eye of the soule of all spirituall understanding in heavenly and divine things belonging to Christ and his kingdome of all sound judgement and discretion to discerne betweene truth and falsehood right and wrong good and evill And conrrariwise the darkening of it with the mistie fogs of palpable ignorance and the yeelding of them up to a reprobate sense whereby they should become as unable to discerne the mysteries of Christs kingdome notwithstanding the light of the Gospell shining clearely round about them as a blinde man to judge of colours when the Sunne brightly shineth in his chiefe strength Now this judgement is expressed rather in a borrowed than plaine and proper speech to make them more sensible of the weight and terriblenesse of it seeing men naturally are more quicke in discerning corporall than spirituall punishments and are more affected with the blindnesse of the body than of the minde though this bee incomparably the greater and heavier judgement Whence first observe That one sinne voluntarily committed 〈…〉 is necessarily attended with another as the just punishment of it Because the Iewes willingly winked when the Sunne of righteousnesse which as the Prophet speaketh did arise unto them bringing healing in his wings so as they would not see him notwithstanding hee so cleerely shone unto them both in his doctrine for never man spoke as hee spake and in his miracles which none could doe but he that was equall with his Father therefore the Lord gave them up to the blindnesse of their mindes so as they could not though they would see the light of the Gospell and the wayes of salvation revealed by it Because Nebuchadnezzer having the understanding of a man carried himselfe like a furious beast towards God and his people even as a raging Lion tearing them in peeces and treading them under his feet therefore his reason was taken from him and so becomming bruitish hee was driven out from amongst men to consort with beasts Because the Israelites would not heare Gods word in the mouth of his Prophets therefore hee threatens to send such a famine of the word that they could not enjoy the spirituall Manna 〈◊〉 12. though they did run from one end of the Land to the other to seeke it The unprofitable servant that will not use the talent when he hath it shall be deprived of the verie possession of it so as hee shall not bee able to use it though hee would Vse Which should move us to make high account of Gods ordinances whilest we enjoy them and embrace the truth of the Gospell with ardent love walking in the light thereof in all holinesse of conversation whilest it shineth unto us lest the Lord in his righteous judgement cause our Sunne to set at noone-day and leave us to grope in that Aegyptian darknesse of Poperie and superstition and because we will not retaine the love of the truth that wee may bee saved doe send us strong delusions that wee shall beleeve lies as the Apostle threatneth 2 Thess 2.10 11. Secondly observe from hence 〈◊〉 That God punisheth them who resect and persecute Christ with spirituall blindnesse so as they doe they know not what and goe they know not whither Thus the Priests and Pharisies refusing to retaine Christ as the Messias and Saviour of the world were so blinded in their understanding that though this Sun of righteousnesse shined unto them most cleerely both in the light of his doctrine and divine miracles yet they neither could nor would discerne and acknowledge him Yea being utterly blinded with bruitish rage they take occasion by his miracles the more to traduce and slander him saying This fellow casteth out Devills by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils Matth. 12.24 Yea even to persecute him to the verie death for when hee had raised Lazarus from the dead though their consciences were convinced with the â—â—â—acle yet presently they conspir his death Ioh. 11.47 And surely they must needs be bruitishly blinde that reject Christ seeing be is the light of the world and they who are opposite to him must needs live in darknesse and shadow of death He is the wisdome of his Father and in him are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Col. 2.3 And what then can bee in those that maligne and refuse him but blinde furie folly and madnesse The which should serve for the terror of all those that oppose and persecute Christ Vse 1 either in his truth or in his members seeing hereby they bring upon themselves this blindnesse of minde which is above others a most fearfull judgement So Deut. 28.28 29. The Lord shall smite thee with madnesse and blindnesse and astonishment of heart And thou shalt grope at noone-dayes as the blinde gropeth in darknesse And how great this punishment is wee may in part discerne if wee compare it with bodily blindnesse which neverthelesse is incomparably lesse evill than it For like the blinde man hee that wanteth the light and sight of the minde cannot guide himselfe in his wayes but is ready everie step to erre and goe astray into the by-wayes of error and sinne he is apt to stumble at everie stone of offence that lieth in his way and so to fall into ruine
salvation of soules What is Pauls hope or joy or crowne of rejoycing are not you it in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming Yes c. 1 Thess 2.19 20. This was the reason why Paul became all things to all men that he might save some 1 Cor. 9.22 I sâ—eke not yours but you The reason First because the Ministers must aime at that most whereby God is glorified most and that 's the salvation of soules he is glorified in the wickeds destruction but he glorieth more in the salvation of one that beleeves and repents than in the condemnation of a thousand that die impenitent Secondly because the Minister must answer for his peoples soules as the Apostle speakes Heb. 13.17 They watch for your soules as they that must give account unto God He iâ—â—o to watch Vtetiamsi sanctè vrvat perdite viventes arguere erubâ—scat aut â—ctuat cum o unibus qui ertacentâ— periere perit Prosp Aquitan Devita â—ontemplat cap. 20. That although he live holily and blusheth or is afraid to reprove corrupt livers he perisheth with all those that perish he being silent saith Prosper Aquitanicus Thus God speaketh unto the Prophet Ezek. 33.7 8. Sonne of man I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel and the word shalt thou require at my mouth When I say to the wicked O wicked man thou shâ—lt die the death if thou doe not speake c. Hence ariseth to a Minister a great care he must care for soules and great danger he is in danger of damnation if he lose one of his peoples soules and therefore I thinke that Chrysostome might well use that speech of his Non arbit or inter Sacerdotes maltos essi qui salvi siunt sed multo plures qui per. unt Clnys in Act. Asost Homil 3. Apud Stobaeum cap. 49. I doe not thinke that among the Priests many are saved but many more that perish If one of us have ten thousand soules to feed it is many thousand times more easie for you to goe to Heaven than for one of us which if we considered we would say as Antigonus If thou didst know with how many evils this Diadem is attended thou wouldst not take it up lying on a dunghill First then dangerous is the case of those Vse 1 who preach onely to please whose learning consists in the withdrawing of their matter and setting their words in knots and borders placing them cheeker-wise to delight the care onely who come alwayes from Placentia never were at Verona to use the words of Lavâ—ter on Esther These men wrong themselves for they bring other mens bloud upon their heads as Ezek. 33. They wrong their hearers for they see them like to perish and Felpe them not they see them posting forward in the broad path of iniquitie and reclaime them not they see them in the fire and they helpe them not It was the saying of Sigismund the Emperour 〈…〉 um oâ—â—ulâ— qui â—aunico 〈◊〉 in Carâ—â— â—in nâ— 5. 〈…〉 Mared 〈◊〉 54. 〈…〉 us urury 〈…〉 seâ—atur â—â—â—ust Serm 15 in Matth. Saevitin va nus ut 〈…〉 nam si 〈…〉 â—crd ur He slâ—yes his enemie that spares him and these Ministers doe kill you for want of speaking That which Ausken saith of God God sometimes by sparing rigeth is most true of the Minister hee kils you by forbearing to let you bloud and to launce your sores He that is to be burned bewaileth and yet is burned hee that is to bee cut bewaileth and yet is cut saith Augustine The sicke weepes yet the Surgeon cuts him hee laments and yet the Surgeon seares him whether is this crueltie or pitie Hee rageth against the wound that man may bee cured for if the wound be handled gently man is destroyed Secondly Vse 2 dangerous is the case of these who study nothing but honour and wealth who bestow most of their studies how they may rise higher than their brethren to get honour to themselves not to honour God who open both their mouthes and purses to wooe and solicite their rich promotions but can have no leasure to open their mouthes to preach that a man may say as Seneca in another case Small cures speake Cuâ—aeles â—â—loquunlto ngentes slupent great ones are dumbe When with Demoslhenes in Gedius this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bull in the tongue then they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pati suffer a kinde of squman cie they cannot speake Thirdly dangerous is the case of those Vse 3 who be dumbe dogs that cannot barke who take upon them this holy calling and yet can preach no more than Harpoerates the Aegyptian who was alwayes painted with his singer in his mouth as Erasinus notes who are like to those Idols Psal 115. That have mouthes but speake not Ante Vacunales stant que sedent que fucos Oâ— dâ—â— astâ—b 6. They are Vacuna's Priests and shee sittest Mistresse to bestow a liverie upon such Drones They are such to whom God will say Why stand yee idle the whole day Fourthly dangerous is the case of those Vse 4 who in stead of saving destroy the soules of their people sometimes sowing hereticall and wicked doctrine sometimes by a wicked and sinfull life To whom God may say as Psal 50.16 17. Ionoui mâ—â—i to jua otiosa â—anus Lucida lectiveita tenebr â—sa viâ—a monsir esi res est A tongue that speakes great things and an idle hand A â—lâ—ere doctrine and â—darke life is a monstrous thing Loquere ut vide im Speake as I may see you was the Philosophers rule which is the sault of too many of my brethren who doe more hurt in the weeke day by yoking themselves with a packe of good fellowes than they doe good on the Sabbath by many of their leane and soule-starving Sermons I come to a second note from hence The Minister of the Gospell is the instrument which God useth to save the soules of his people And therefore although God be the Author and efficient cause of salvation yet the Minister is said to save because hee is a co-worker So the Apostle 1 Tim. 4.16 Take heed to thy selfe and to doctrine continue therein for in so doing thou shalt save both thy selfe and those that heare thee In Iam. 5.20 This know that hee which converteth a sinner shall save a soule from death In Mat. 18.15 If hee heare thou hast gained or won thy brother The Minister is the savour of life unto life 2 Cor. 2.16 He is a fisher of men Matth. 4.19 to call them from the world to be of the number of Gods Saints So that a good Minister of the Gospell is said to save men either by working in them faith as Rom. 10.17 Faith is by hearing or by laying downe the danger that comes by sinne as Moses did to Israel Deut. 30.18 I protest you shall surely perish or by preaching that word which if a man
God forgives he also forgets and if wee be good now Vse 1 he will never cast us in the teeth with what we have beene as Ierem. 31.34 And though we have beene never so farre off yet if now wee bee holy if now turned unto God the Lord will thinke as well of us and doe us as much good and take us as neere to himselfe as Abraham himselfe 2. Vse 2 What wee ought to thinke of men whom God hath called from their sinnes not to thinke worse of them for what they have beene but to thinke well of them for what they are If David have repented thou must not thinke worse of him for his sin but magnifie God for forgiving it If Peter have played the Apostate thou must not say I know the day when thou didst deny thy Master but blesse God that hath pardoned it Object not to Matthew that hee was a Publican for he is now an Apostle to Peter that he denied Christ for hee will now confesse him and lay downe his life for him to Manasses that hee was an Idolater for God hath forgiven him to the Gentile that hee was a wilde olive for the Lord hath engrafted him into the true stocke and when God hath received a man and forgiven him it is sinne for any man to object it against him So I come to the third benefit The fatnesse of the olive tree What may bee meant by it see Isa 55.1 2. Come buy wine and milke without silver hearken unto me and let your soule delight in fatnesse So the Parable of the feast in Luk. 14. By all which is meant the gifts and graces that concerne salvation in Christ and in regard that grace is compared to fatnesse wine and hony c. We may first learne That grace goodnesse is that which makes the soule fat and makes man favourable and comely in Gods eyes 2. There is no grace or gift or privileges that ever the Iewes enjoyed but now the Gentile hath them God hath promised to dwell amongst them wee have him now with us as Acts 2.39 And wee may say with David Psal 46.11 The Lord of hosts is with us the God of Iacob is our refuge They had the Temple the Church of God is now amongst us they were the keepers of Gods Oracles the Gospell now shineth amongst us they had the promise of Canaan we of Heaven they were Gods peculiar people now wee are his sonnes 〈…〉 they were first like Gideons fleece watered with dew of Heaven when all the rest of the world was dry but now the Nations and out-corners have the dew of Heaven and they are dry they could never challenge any privileges which wee have not and from hence we may comfort our selves with this That no Nation or Countrey can be any disparagement to grace and happinesse as above on the first verse So I come to the first proposition of the exhortation VERS 18. Vers 18 Boast not against the branches but if thou boast thou bearest not the root but the root thee THe verse hath in it two members the one a proposition Boast not thy selfe the other a reason thou bearest not the root c. In the first note first who may not boast thou thy selfe the Gentile that was engrafted Secondly against whom he must not boast the naturall branches I put them both together and then the first conclusion that they afford is this They that rise by other mens fals Doct. and grow great by other mens ruines must not grow proud over them that are fallen Thus did the common souldier in Tacitus represse Pompeyes pride Nostrâ miseriâ magnus es Thou art great by our misery therefore swell not against us Though Matthias come in Iudas his place he must rather lament for Iudas his losse than grow proud of his owne gaine If the Gentile bee raised by the fall of the Iew hee should rather bewaile that the Iew is fallen than grow proud of his 〈◊〉 rising the one of these would God exceedingly commend the other he cannot chuse but punish The lamenting of other mens losses is the rule of Charity that seekes not his owne 1 Cor. 13.5 The nature of members in one body is that one beare anothers burden Gal. 6.2 that if one member suffer all suffer with it 1 Cor. 12.26 most excellent is the Apostles rule Heb. 13.3 Remember them that are in bonds as if you were bound with them and them that are in affliction as if you were afflicted in the body If the foot which is the meanest part be sicke the heart sighs for it the soule and tongue pray for it the eye tends and watches it the hand applyes meanes and medicines to it Excellently Cyprian Cum destentibus defleo cum jacentibus jaceo jaculis grassantis inimiâ—â— membra mea percussa sant cum prostratis fratribus me prostavit offectus meus I weepe with them that weepe I lie downe with them that are sicke my members are stricken with the darts of my cruell enemie with my brethren overthrowne my affection hath me overthrowne But the rejoycing at other mens falls is as hatefull as the other was acceptable to God It is the counsell of wisdome Prov. 24.17 18. Be not glad when thine enemie falleth let not thy heart rejoyce when he stumbleth and for a threefold reason first for feare the Lord see it secondly for feare it displease him thirdly lest God turne his wrath from him and bring it upon thee If but an Oxe or an Asse be fallen into a pit we must not stand laughing at him but helpe him out Deut. 22.4 much more if our brother haue suffered either spirituall or temporall losses ought we to pity and helpe him with the spirit of meekenesse as the Apostle wisheth Gal. 6.2 How ought the consideration of this to amaze the hearts of some men Vse who when they are growne full by emptying other mens purses and build themselves palaces by the fall of other mens houses swell like to the milt in mans body when the other parts decay are ready to entertaine a meane conceit of such men whose estates are decayed and weakned It is an errour in judgement and the pregnant marke of a vaine and sinfull heart to thinke worse of a man because of his wants and to grow proud over him that is fallen for though Iob be in the ashes he shall be restored and Ioseph in prison he shall be adranced againe and God likes a man no worse for this Surely he loves Ieremie in the stocks as well as in the Kings palace Ioseph in prison as well as in Pharaohs house Iob on the dunghill as well as in the midst of his wealth his servants that wander in sheepe-skinnes and goat-skinnes Heb. 11.37 as well as Dives that 's clothed in purple and fine linnen but I hasten to the second conclusion God would have no man to grow proud Doct. because of either temporall or spirituall graces wherewith God
the true nature and condition of the corne as Abbatus against Tompson chap. 6. 4. Hypocrites and unbeleevers are so like to Gods elect and faithfull children that no man can distinguish them but God and amongst men they are accounted branches of Christs owne planting though they be not such It is the position of Gregorie c Aurum quod pravu Diabel persuasionibus sterni sient lutli poterit aurum antè oculos Dei nunquam fuit habitam quesi sanctitatem ante oculos hominum videntur omittere sed eam ante ocules Dei nunquan habucrunt Greg. Moral l. 34 c 13. Gold which is so by the wicked perswasions of the Devill may be trampled on like dirt which before Gods eyes was never gold had sanctitie as it were before mens eyes they seem to lose but before the eyes of God they never had it The which agreeth with that of S. Augustine d Sunt silt Dâ—i qui nendum sunt nobis sunt qua dicuâ—tur si â—à nobis neâ—a â—en sant Deo Aug. deco rep grat cap â— There are sons of God who are not yet so to us there are who are called the sons of God of us but yet are not so to God Of the former there is mention Ioh. 11.52 that he should die not onely for the Nation but together the children of God which were scattered of the other there is mention 1 Ioh. 2.19 They went out from us but they were not of us They be branches secundùm praesent em yustitiam non secandùm praescientiam according to present righteousnesse not according to fore-knowledge saith Ambrose 5. The faith of Gods children hath his degrees it is subject to shaking and may bee so hid and covered that it yeeld no comfort like the soule in a trance like the Sunne in an eclipse like a fire or candle under a a bushell like the Moone under a cloud I beleeve Lord helpe mine unbeleefe Peters faith is shaken but not lost Theophylact. in Luc. 22. Bellarm. de Rom. Pont. lib. 4. c. 3. Radix fidei in Petro vixit saith Theophylact. And Bellarmine quite contradicting himselfe saith That Christ in his ptayer for Peter obtained a twofold privilege The one Vt sidem nunquam amitteret that hee might never lose his faith which hee proves by the testimony of Augustine De corrept grat cap. 8. of Chrysostome Hom. in Mat. 38. of Theophylact. on Luk. 22. of Prosper Aquitanicus Of the calling of the Gentiles Booke 1. Chap. last These grounds being laid I come to the proposition viz. Man justified or man that hath true faith and grace can never finally nor totally fallaway can never perish eternally Note That no man ever hath sanctifying grace or justifying faith but the elect onely and the elect being once called can never fall and this you may safely build on these grounds 1. Vpon the immutabilitie of God Mal. 3.6 I am God and change not His purpose is unchangeable He changeth his workes Mutat opera non mutat consilium Aug. cons lib. 1. cap. 4. hee changeth not his counsell His gifts and graces are without repentance Rom. 11.29 and faith is the gift of God Now unlesse he that hath faith and grace should persevere then his gifts were not without repentance and it is a trifling cavill to say That God doth not deprive them of faith but they cast away faith Dcum non eripere sed bominem abjicere sidem For no man can cast away faith unlesse God withdraw his grace which he doth not from any of the elect For they are all kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 And therefore saith God Ier. 32.40 I will make with my people an everlasting covenant that I will never turne away from them to doe them good but will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me I have loved thee with an everlasting love Ierem. 31.3 and Whom he loves he loves to the end Ioh. 13.1 The second is laid downe by Calvin Inflit. lib. 3. c. 24. whosoever have true faith are elected before all time as Rom. 8.30 Whom he predestinated them he called whom he called them he justified and all the elect are committed by God the Father to the keeping and protection of God the Sonne All that the Father hath he gives unto me Ioh. 6.37 O Father thine they were and thou gavest them unto me Ioh. 17.6 Now if you make question how he keepes them see vers 12. All that thou hast given mee I have kept and not one of them is lost And Ioh. 6.37 All that commeth to mee from the Father I cast not away In this respect hee is called the true Shepherd that will suffer no man to plucke his sheepe out of his hands that gives his sheepe eternall life and will not suffer them to perish Ioh. 10.28 In Gen 31. Iacob saith to Laban that he had not wasted his substance but if any thing were rent and torne he made it good So doth Christ the good Shepherd if any of Gods sheepe bee stollen and lost hee redeemes them againe by his owne life laid downe for them If any be dead hee is like to the Pelican which as Augustine affirmeth In Psal 102. spils her owne bloud to heale them Nay there is not one whom God the Father hath commended to the keeping of God the Sonne but he will shew him to his Father and bee accountable for their soules at the day of judgement For hee will raise them up at the last day Ioh. 6.39 The third upon the sealing of this assurance unto mens consciences The Covenant is not only made Gen. 17.7 but also sealed and we have an earnest penny in this life Hee hath sealed us and given us the earnest of his spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 1.22 Grieve not the spirit by which yee are sealed Ephes 4.30 The foundation of God remaineth sure 2 Tim. 2.11 After yee beleeved yee were sealed with the spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance Ephes 1.13 Consider the word it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as Chemnitius observes Exam. Concil Trident. part 1. signifies a pledge a seale a caution which stands for a part of the payed price and whereby there is credit made of the summe remaining to be paid To note that in regard that God unto all the elect hath made a promise of a Kingdome hee stands thereby indebted to them and because it is long a comming and Satan still urging them to doubt for the peace of their consciences and quietnesse of their mindes he hath left them a pawne and pledge so that hee hath not onely made a Covenant but hee hath set to his seale not onely so but he hath bound it with an oath that we might have strong consolation Heb. 6.18 nononely so but hee hath giuen us a pawne and that of no small value for it is his
of quantitie but proportion yea for other mens sinnes And the Trent Councell g Sicut Christus passione sia satesecit pro peccatis ita nos satisfanendo patimur pro peccatis As Christ by his suffering satisfied for our sinnes so we by satissying suffer for our sinnes And yet when the Fathers speake dogmatically they affirme no such thing h Nec Deo benis factis placemur nec pro peccatus satu facimus Cypr. act Clerum plebem Ep. 8. Neither please wee God by our good deeds neither satisfie for our sinnes saith Cyprian And the Schoole-man himselfe faith thus i Baptizato non est injungenda satisfactio hoc enim est injuriam sacere Christi morti passioni c. Sum. 3. quaest 68. art 5. Satisfaction must not be enjoyned him that is boptized for this is to wrong Christs death and possion as if that were not a full and sufficient satisfaction for the sins of the baptized And Chrysostome speaking of Peter k Lego lachrymas satisfactionem non lego Chrysain Luc. 22. I read teares satisfaction I read not I need no more but that of the Apostle 1 Ioh. 2.1 If any man sinne wee have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ and hee is the propitiation for our sinnes Or that of the Prophet Hee hath taken upon him the iniquitie of us all Isa 53.6 Or that of Paul He was made sinne for us c. 2 Cor. 5.21 Yea but saith l De Purgat lib. 1. cap. 11. Bellarmine If Christ satisfied for everre fault and punishment how comes it to passe that after sinne remitted in Christ we endure so many miseries and in the end die aut cur infantes baptizati aegroti moriantur or why are infants baptized sicke and die I answer him out of * Tract in Ioh. 124. Augustine 1. For the demonstration of deserved miserie 2. For the exercise of necessary patience 3. For the mending of unstable life so that it is castigatio non damnatio medicina non poena a chastisement not a condemnation a medicine not a punishment 4. For the demonstration of the workes of God But why is the punishment longer than the fault Hee answereth in the same place lest the fault should be thought small therefore when the fault is finished the punishment remaines My Conclusion is that of the Psalmist Psal 49.6 7 8. Though a man have multitudes of goods yet no man can red eme his brother nor pay a ransome to God it costs more c. There bee two other points The one from what Christ delivers that is intimated in this sinne death I will take onely the third By what Christ doth deliver from sinne and death Christ by his death upon the crosse hath delivered us from sinne and the curse Doct. A thing that was presigured in the Sacrifices for sinne in the time of the Law but was fulfilled in Christ when hee was offered upon the crosse so that he is the only Sacrifice for sinne as the Prophet speakes Isa 53.10 Therefore saith the Apostle He tooke the writing that was against us or the bill of debts which we owed unto God and nayled it to his crosse that is cancelled it and spoyled principalities and powers and triumphed over them upon the same crosse Audiat hoc haereticus qui Christum horntuem regat audiat Christianus Christum tam despicatum prose sactum and at peccator quid meritus sit hemo quam miser brmo quid passus Deus homo Let the heretique heare this who denies Christ to bee man let a Christian heare that Christ was made so despicable for his sake let a sinner heare what man deserved how miserable man is what God and man suffered saith Ferus He must dye betweene heaven and earth to note that he was Mediatour betweene heaven and earth Secondly on a tree because he would expiate sinne committed in eating the fruit of a forbidden tree Thirdly with hands reached out to shew that the way to his heart and mercifull love was open Fourthly with his feet nayled to the tree to shew that hee would not depart till wee were fully redeemed much like the Apostles phrase It pleased God by him to reconcile all things to himselfe and to sit at peace through the bloud of his crosse both things in heaven and things in earth Col. 1.20 Sangats Clristi est clavis Parad si litier Epist ad Dardonum I end with that of Hierome The bloud of Christ is the key of Paradise Marke yee here the nature of sinne Vse all the water in the sea cannot wash it the bloud of buls cannot wash it Hebr. 10.4 It is a passionate speech of Micah Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my selfe before the high God shall I come with burnt offerings and calves of a yeere old will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or ten thousand rivers of oyle shall I give my first borne for my transgression even the fruit of my body for the sinne of my soule Micah 5.6 7. No no all the gold of Ophir cannot ransome it all the Fullers sope in the world cannot cleanse it all the water of Iordan cannot wash it all the fig-leaves in the garden cannot cover one sinne there is no salve but one and the ingredientrare The bloud of the Sonne of God Consider yee that make so small a reckoning of sinne it had beene better that you had never beene borne or that your mother had tyed a mill-stone about your neckes and drowned you in the sea than to dye with one sinne unwasht unpardoned How then dare yee be so bold to act that which can so hardly be pardoned or run on still upon score which can so hardly be paid or thinke that sinne to be light and small which cast the Sonne of God into so many fits and agonies which caused him to utter so many passionate prayers Let this cup passe from me which drove him to that holy despaire My God my God c. and at last put him to a shamefull and ignominious death 2. Vse 2 If our sinne were so great and Christ so good as to die for it that we might live then can we doe no lesse than spend in his service our whole life acknowledge our selves his in all dutie and service So the Apostle wisheth us 1 Cor. 6.21 Yee are bought with a price an high Price the Son of God bought with a price an invaluable and inestimable price the life of Iesus Christ with a price not corruptible as silver and gold but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe undefiled 1 Pet. 1.18 and what is the inference therefore glorifie God both in your bodies and in your soules He endured paine in his body whipping spitting scourging buffeting thornes nailes speares paine in his soule My soule is heavie unto death Matth. 26.38 therefore glorifie him in thy soule and thy body let thy hand feed
him in his members thy tongue blesse him for his mercies let it rouze up thy drooping soule like Davids tongue Psal 103. Praise the Lord O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy name Let us ever be singing that Magnificat of Marie My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour for hee that is mightie hath done great things for us and blessed bee his name And so I come to the action or office He shall turne away iniquitie from Iacob But yet there is a point in the verie word which is here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui eripiet that shall snatch them as it were out of some danger Aquinas proposeth that place in Amos 3.12 As the Shepherd takes out of the mouth of the Lion two legs or a peece so shall the children of Israel be To give a double note 1. That but a small part of the world shall bee delivered from hell and death as vers 5. The Vse is Vse The more earnestly must wee labour and the more paines must we take to be of that number and if wee will not faile learne foure lessons perfitly 1. That the ordinary pace which men goe will never bring us thither 2. Learne the way to Heaven perfitly 3. When thou knowest the way then mend thy pace 4. Cast off the luggage and burdens that hinder thee as 1 Cor. 9.24 I come to the second Conclusion This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that shall deliver by pulling snatching affords this point Doct. That heaven must be got with violence much hardnes Therefore is the whole way to heaven a continuall battell marching aray or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a strife Luk. 13.24 And when Paul was almost there then hee hath fought the good fight 2 Tim. 4.8 And the Apostle Heb. 12.4 There must be resisting unto bloud many a troublesome day must a man see in many an hot skirmish must he fight many sore and sowre strokes a man shall feele many a strait way a man must passe before he see God in glorie The difficultie ariseth partly from the nature of the way to heaven and hard to be found amongst so many by-paths and amongst so many false lights and deceitfull Pilots every one crying this is the way that many a poore soule not knowing which way to take goes on in none My best direction is that of Ieremie chap. 6.16 Aske for the old way which is the good way walke in that and yee shall sinde rest unto your soules 2. From the travellers in this way who are the greatest hinderances unto themselves some by lingring and deferring the time before they set forward who are like the sluggard Prov. 19.24 forgetting both the shortnesse of their life and the difficultie of comming to God when they are old some by stooping to gather treasures or reaching for honours lose heaven Ovid. Metam lib. 10. like Atalanta who lost the race by stooping for the golden apples But because I will not fall upon the former point I come from the place Sion from the person deliverer to his office He shall turne away iniquitie from Iacob The words are easie Doct. and the point plaine It is the proper office of Christ Iesus alone to reconcile sinners to God 1 Ioh. 2.1 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous he is the propitiation for our sins When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Rom. 5.10 There is no salvation in any other nor other name under heaven whereby we can be saved Acts 4.12 His forme and manner of reconciling sinners unto God is first by intercession as Rom. 8.34 he is not onely Mediator of redemption as the Papist makes him who make Angels Mediators of intercession 1. The distinction is without warrant 2. The high Priest in the Law was Mediator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 typically both of remission by sacrifice and of intercession by prayer Of intercession as Aaron Numb 16.48 The other ordinarie and if now they bee divided the truth doth not answer the figure which must not be said 3. By him we have boldnesse Ephes 3.12 Let them shew where we have so by Angels 4. Hee lives ever to make intercession Heb. 7.25 let them shew the like of Angels Let them heare S. Augustine Whom should I finde that might reconcile me to thee Quâ—m invenirem quine reconciliarit riâ—i num eundum ad Angelos quâ prece quibus lachrymis Aug. Confess lib. 10. cap. 42. must I goe to the Angels with what prayer with what teares Secondly by not imputing sinne but by imputation of his righteousnesse unto them He was made sinne for us which knew no sin that wee might bee made the righteousnesse of God through him 2 Cor. 5.21 Thirdly by his death and passion that so hee may make payment and give satisfaction to Gods justice for his peoples sinnes The bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth us from all our sinnes 1 Ioh. 1.7 We are redeemed not with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious bloud of Christ 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Fourthly by abating the number and weakening the power of sinne in them by the Scepter of his Word and the efficacie of his Spirit Wee know that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might bee destroyed that henceforth wee should not serve sinne Rom. 6.6 Fifthly by quite abolishing and removing of all their sins at the houre of death and day of judgement So Apoc. 14.13 Blessed are they that dye in the Lord c. and therefore was Christ once offered to take away their sins Heb. 9.28 Hence was that excellent point and clause in Peters Sermon Acts 3.19 Amend your lives therefore that your sinnes may bee put away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. The reason of all is this Because he is the blessed seed in whom all Nations are blessed as God said of him to Abraham Gen. 22.18 In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed He is the root and foundation on which all Gods promises doe depend and in whom they are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 Learne to seeke for salvation in none other Vse Acts 4.12 Expect to bee saved onely by his merits righteousnesse and sufferings for hee alone hath trodden the wine-presse Isa 63.3 Apoc. 19.14 What remaines but that everie man disclaime his righteousnesse as a menstruous rag renounce his owne merits as deserving nothing but death give all the praise to God and cry with the Psalmist Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy name give the praise And so I come to the second place alleaged VERS 27. Vers 27 And this is my covenant to them when I shall take away their sinnes THis Text is alleaged out of Ierem. 31. at the beginning of vers 33. This is the covenant that
but beloved after their conversion Concerning the Gospell Some give this sense If a man should judge of them by their persecution of the Gospell he could hardly hope for their conversion yet in regard of election and promise wee must doe it But it will appeare more plaine if you consider the next clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for your sakes that is The Gentiles are by accident the cause why the Iewes hate the Gospell Quia â—nim Iudaei visebant Gentes Evangel um ans plecti idâ—o mâ—litiosâ— Evangeliis abjiciebant For because the Iewes saw the Gentiles did embrace the Gospell therefore did they maliciously cast away the Gospell Now if you will know why they are enemies the text gives two reasons First from the occasion not given but taken to wit the Gospell which they refused Secondly the end that the Gentiles by their unbeleefe might enter in If you would know why there is hope of their receiving there be also two reasons First their election unto life Secondly Gods promise and covenant made with their fathers both immutable Lastly how are they beloved for the fathers sake 1. Not for their fathers merits as Lyranus thinks Non propter merâ—â—a patrum on Rom. 11. 2. Nor because that after their conversion the Lord shall put them in minde of their fathers as Ambrose thinks Non quia sequuntur patrum sidem 3. Not because they follow the faith of their fathers as Origen thinkes for that is true of beleeving Gentiles also But they are beloved for the fathers sake that is for the promises made to their fathers as Tolet and the ordinary glosse Propter promissiones Patribus factas because they are descended of those parents to whom God made that covenant Gen. 17.7 I will be the God of thee and of thy seed Hence arise two questions 1. Quest. 1 Can one and the same man be both enemie and friend beloved and hated of God Yea Answ Paul before his conversion was loved in regard of election for Gods love was the impulsive cause of his election yet an enemie to God in persecuting his Church which whosoever doth persecute doth persecute Christ Saul Saul why persecutest thou mee c. Act. 9.4 Thus Christ is said to give his life for his friends Ioh. 15.13 and Rom. 5.10 to reconcile us when we were enemies So the elect are by nature children of wrath and enemies and yet friends and beloved before grace and sanctification because by the mercy of God they are from eternitie chosen and beloved in Christ 2. Quest. 2 If any one be beloved for the fathers sake then a man may be converted and called by reason of and for his fathers merits and so every man lives not by his owne faith The argument is not good Answ For first regeneration comes not by succession but proceeds from grace Secondly children of faithfull parents are not accepted to eternal life for their parents faith but must beleeve themselves and be saved by their owne faith as Habac. 2.4 Lastly in that the Iewes are beloved for their fathers sake as Salomon was never wholly deprived of Gods Spirit and favour for Davids sake 2 Sam. 7.14 15. It proceeds not from their workes or persons but from Gods gracious and everlasting Covenant which is the root and fountaine of it For the summe of his Covenant is this I will bee their God and the God of their seed And some there must bee to whom this Covenant is made and that some is beloved for the Covenants sake The parts are two The parts The present condition of that Nation miserable enemies as concerning the Gospell The future condition what they shall be that is hopefull Beloved for the fathers sake In the former observe 1. Their miserable condition enemies 2. Whereby this appeares by their contempt of the Gospell 3. The offence and scandall the Gentiles for your sakes I begin with the condition enemies This is the condition of man before grace and without the favour of God Man before grace is enemie to God Doct. Therefore the Apostle speaking of the converted Ephesians saith that naturally and before grace they were children of wrath as well as others Whatsoever is their state now their hope now their privilege now that they are engrasted into Christ yet before that time they were children of wrath as well as others Ephes 2.3 In Rom. 5.10 Before we were reconciled by the death of his Sonne wee were enemies In Col. 1.21 While our mindes are set on evill workes wee are enemies while our mindes are on the earth and our affections to the things of the world we are enemies for the love of the world makes us enemies to God Iam. 4.4 If the world should love us Si mundus nos deligeret diligendus non esset Aug. â—e mundi venitate cap. 1. wee should not love it saith Augustine Hence is it that wee are reconciled to God Who are reconciled but enemies That we are set at peace with God by the crosse and bloud of his Sonne to note That before the peace was concluded we were enemies The reason Reason Till the time that God give grace man doth nothing but sinne his best actions are sinne and this sets God and him at oddes Let Paul be witnesse Rom. 14. ult Whatsoever is not of faith is sin Be witnesse Salomon His prayer is abhomination Prov. 15.8 First Vse 1 to teach unregenerate men to see their owne miserable condition and danger wherein they live Gods enemies The Lord will make warre with them and if they obtaine not a peace destroy them for ever Hee will send the host of Angels to destroy the great Host wherewith he shakes Kings and Kingdomes Ioel 2.25 Secondly Vse 2 it shewes the happinesse of all that are sanctified they are no more enemies but friends not servants but sonnes not strangers but heires they are no more children of wrath but of the promise they fight not against God but for him they are christened by his name Christians fight his battels Christs Souldiers receiving the Sacraments dwell in his house the Temple of his Spirit have already the earnest penny of their inheritance and after the conflict shall have a crowne of glorie O then study to be at peace with God labour to bee friends with God let your tongues praise him your lives please him your soules rejoyce in him your hands fight for him so shall you be blessed of him and invested into that Kingdome where shall be life that never dieth love that never cooleth beautie that never fadeth a crowne that never withereth God grant us all to weare it I come to the argument whereby it appeares that they are enemies Contempt of the Gospell Concerning the Gospell All men Doct. during the time that they receive not the word but resist and withstand the course and preaching of it are Gods enemies and hated of him Those that submit not to his Scepter that is
18.10 If they sinne I will repent of the evill that I thought to doe unto them I answer out of Th. Aquinas Answ Sicut Dominus irasci dicitur non quia in Deo est passio irae sed quia ad modum irati se habet quantum ad punitionis effectuÌ„ Ità pâ—nitere dicitur non quia est in Deo commutotio poenitentiae sed quia ad modum pâ—nitentie se habet dum mutat quod secerat Tho. Aquin. in Rom. As the Lord is said to be angrie not because the passion of anger is in God but because he behaves himselfe like one that is angrie so farre as concernes the effect of punishing So is he said to repent not because a change of repentance is in God but because hee is like one that repents whilst he changeth what he had done So then it stands good That God loves this Nation How doth it appeare By his election as concerning election they are beloved What if they be Then they must be glorified What then Before glorification they must bee effectually called therefore wee are not to doubt of their conversion The first may be a conclusion of infinite comfort to the elect of God That in regard of Gods immutabilitie in all his purposes Doct. none of his elect can wholly or finally fall or possibly be damned A point that may bee enforced 1. Reason 1 From Gods covenant and seale 2. Reason 2 From Gods immutabilitie 3. Reason 3 From Gods care in commending them to be kept by God the Sonne c. First The markes of election then labour to secke the certaine markes of election 1. Love to the meanes of salvation 2. The spirit of supplication and prayer 3. Thy weaning and estranging from the world and minding of heavenly things 4. Hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse 5. Love to God to the brethren to the messengers of God 6. A longing for the comming of Christ And if thou finde these I shall admire thy happinesse whatsoever sorrow griefe want meannesse thou endure here thou shalt bee honoured of God hereafter though thou be like Lazarus in Fulgentius c. To proceed in this Text a little further I observe in it 1. The Author and Donor of all heavenly gifts God 2. The nature of it and the propertie we have it in it is a gift 3. The qualitie and condition of heavenly graces and gifts they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without repentance The first that they are gifts gives this observation Man is not beholding to himselfe for any thing that is good in him In mee dwels nothing that is good saith the Apostle Rom. 7.18 It was the speech of S. Augustine Si quid adverteris quod rectè displiceat in eo ego ipse conspicior Aug. ad Paulin Epist 32. If thou considerest any thing which may truly displease in it I my selfe am beheld No man is beholding to himselfe for himselfe for he neither made nor doth hee maintaine and keepe himselfe Hee is not beholding to himselfe for skill in arts and trades for Nemo artifex nascitur No man brought that into the world with him He is not beholding to himselfe for being a Christian for Christianus fit non nascitur A Christian is made not borne so To use the words of S. Hierome Epist ad Laetam Hee is not beholding to himselfe for his wealth and riches Beware that thou say not in thine heart My power and arme hath got me this abundance Deut. 8.17 Hee is not beholding to himselfe for the value of one haire of his head for hee cannot make an haire white or blacke Matth. 5.36 Thou art created healed saved what of these O man hast thou of thy selfe And therefore man in Scripture is ever described by titles of frailtie and weaknesse Crearis sanaris salvaris quid horuÌ„ tibi O homo ex te importing unabilitie to doe any good for himselfe But that which the Apostle principally termes a gift and calling is grace faith and eternall salvation to all beleevers but this I shall meet in the next place for this time let everie man learne 1. That whatsoever good he enjoyes for body or soule be it temporarie or eternall is a meere gift so the Apostle 1 Cor. 4.7 What hast thou that thou hast not received 2. Learne to know and when thou knowest bee thankfull to him that gave it and say in the Spouses phrase Not unto my selfe O Lord not unto my selfe but to thy name give the praise And so I come to the Author of these gifts and callings God God is the giver of everie good thing that we have Everie good and perfect gift comes downe from the Father of lights Iam. 1.17 Begin with things temporall wealth is the gift of God Beware that thou say not in thine heart my power and the strength of mine hand hath prepared me this abundance But remember the Lord thy God for it is hee that giveth thee power to get substance Deut. 8.16 17. Health is the gift of God He hath smitten us and he will heale as hee hath wounded and he will binde us up Hos 6.1 I make whole and none other Deut. 32.39 Peace is the gift of God therefore is hee called the God of peace 1 Thess 5.23 and God is not the author 〈…〉 but of peace 1 Cor. 14.33 Children are the gift of God For children and the fruit of the wombe are a gift and inheritance that commeth of the Lord Psal 127.4 Learning is the gift of God God gave to Isay the tongue of the learned Isa 50.4 Come to blessings spirituall In generall Blessed bee God even the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things in Christ Eph. 1.3 In particular Hee hath chosen us vers 4. adopted us vers 5. made us acceptable in his beloved vers 6. forgiven us our sinnes by the redemption of Christ vers 7. given us wisdome and understanding vers 8. opened to us the mysterie of his will vers 9. If I could repeat unto you all the blessings which Gods people enjoy I should still finde them derived from this fountaine Should I speake of faith It is the gift of God yee are saved not of your selves but by faith which is the gift of God Ephes 2.8 Should I speake of our victorie over sinne and death it is the gift of God Thankes be to God who giveth us victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 15.57 Should I speake of strength under affliction Vnto you it is given that yee should suffer affliction it is the gift of God Philip. 1.29 Should I speake of understanding the secrets of the Gospell To you it is given to know the secrets of the kingdome of God This also is a gift Matth. 13.11 Should I speake of the end and complement of all happinesse eternall life this also is meerely a gift The gift of God eternall life through Iesus Christ
makes much for Gods glorie Reason 1 that his judgements and secrets especially in matters of election and reprobation as also of particular events and of the times and seasons are hid and it is not fit for us to know them Acts 1.6 God doth not as Ezechias did 2 Chron. 32. shew all his riches and treasures to the Babylonish Ambassadours Secondly Reason 2 we cannot finde them out because God in his dispensation of his workes hath hidden contraries under contraries viz. contrarie ends under contrarie meanes life under death riches under povertie glorie under shame as the Apostle speakes He being rich became poore that we through his povertie might be made rich 2 Cor. 8.9 and by dying destroyed him that had the power of death Heb. 2.14 And therefore if we trouble our braines in these we shall be oppressed by the brightnesse of Gods Majestie confounded in our owne imaginations The Poets report of Prometheus the Father of Doucalion Horat. lib. 1. Od. 3. Ovid. Mâ—â—am lib. 1. Natal Comes Mytholog li. 4. cap. 6. that for prying too farre into the secrets of Iupiter the God rewarded him thus sent him a box by Pandora the wife of Epimetheus which so soone as ever he opened a thousand evils and diseases brake forth Mille morborum malorum geuera cruperunt by which they intimated the danger of prying into Gods secrets Thirdly Reason 3 they that in this have been inquisitive and curious have plunged themselves into such inextricable labyrinths and mazes that they have never been able to come out of them unto which we may adde That we have employment sufficient for our soules health to busie our mindes all the dayes of our life in searching out in musing upon in bringing into practise the lessons of Gods revealed will and word which containes whatsoever is necessarie for our salvation Wee can never in this mortalitie sound the just depth of that much lesse obey it and follow it Therefore what vanitie and folly were it to omit and leave undone that which God hath commanded and so highly concernes us and preposterously and unprofitably to dwell in the search of things impossible to be knowen and unprofitable if they were knowen Which serves first to answer all curious and unnecessarie questions Vse 1 as for example Why did God create man apt to fall Why did hee not keepe him from falling Why did God elect some and refuse others Why doth not God cause his word to be preacht at once in all places Why doth God condemne men for unbeleefe seeing no man can beleeve except God conferre faith upon him Why doth God suffer the greatest part of the world to lye buried in blindnesse and infidelitie Why doth hee at one time call moe than at another Is not God unjust and cruell to predestinate men to condemnation before they have done any evill I will not say to these as once Augustine answered him that made the question what God did ante mundum conditum before the world was made Aug. Confess lib. 11. cap. 12. That God was making hell for such idle and curious Questionists But I say with Chrysostome Ista ignorantia ipsâsâ—imtiâ sapâ—enâ—â—or est Chrysost in Eph. 5. Hom. 19. Bern. de pugna spirituals serm 2. Cave inquirere quae non debes scire curiositas pericâ—losa praesumptio est damnosa pâ—ritia in obscuris an daces in periâ—â—losis praecipites facit De modo banc vivendi serm 44 That ignorance is wiser than knowledge it selfe And I say with Bernard that it is contraria omni pietati contrarie to all godlinesse Take heed thou inquirest not after those things which thou oughtest not to know curiositie is dangerous presumption damned skill it makes men wex bold in hidden points to run headlong in dangerous points Let us passe by curious questions bid adue to all vaine speculations Let us exercise our selves in searching the Scripture First to know and practise such things as concerne our faith the sanctification of our life and the salvation of our soule Vse 1 this will finde employment enough though wee were as wise as Salomon and could live as long as Methusalem did And so I come to examine what particular conclusions will come from the word And first from this that it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The riches of wisdome and knowledge True riches consists in true wisdome and in knowing of God There is one dives sibi rich to himselfe another dives Deo rich unto God Luk. 12.21 He that hath onely outward treasures is rich to himselfe but he that hath the treasures of wisdome and knowledge is rich in God But where is this rich minerall of wisdome and knowledge to be found I answer out of the Apostle Coloss 2.3 All the treasures of wisdome and knowledge are hid in Christ How then may wee come to have our part in them I answer By searching and knowing the Gospell that is the field spoken of Matth. 13.44 Disce home ubi sunt verae divitiae regnum caelorum vere divitem facit praestat Deum ipsum quo praesente quid deosse potest Learne O man where are the true riches the kingdome of heaven makes man truly rich it gives God himselfe who being present nothing can bee wanting saith Ferus A man may bee like unto Lazarus without bread like Peter without money like Iob without friend yet if hee have a costly jewell in a box hee is rich and wealthy so is hee that hath that pretious jewell of wisdome and knowledge If you desire to be enformed what riches it is to have wisdome and knowledge See Prov. 8.10 Secondly Vse 2 from these How unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out VERS 34. Vers 34 Who hath knowen the minde of the Lord or who hath beene his Counsellour 1. HIs wayes and judgements viz. the course and order which God observes in managing and disposing universall and particular things Doct. The course and order which God observes in managing and effecting his workes and purposes are not to be sought into farther than they are manifested in the word So Moses Deut. 29.29 Things secret belong unto God but things revealed to us and to our children When the Disciples moved that question Master wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdome Our Saviour answers that it is not fit for them to know the times and seasons Acts 1.6 Where the Spirit of God hath had no mouth to speake we must have no cares to heare and where hee ceaseth to direct wee must cease to enquire They are too malapart and saucie schollers who will needs know more than Gods Spirit is willing to impart Hee hath written enough to convert their soules to give wisdome unto the simple to rejoyce the heart and to give light unto the eyes Psal 19.7 8. He hath revealed enough to make them wise unto salvation to teach to reprove to correct to instruct in righteousnesse to make them
At Ephesus see the storie Act. 19. In the house of Nero see their salutation Phil. 4.22 The more it is opposed the more God makes it to thrive and prosper Post Martyres floresâ—â—t Ecclesia Chrysost de patient Iob Homil 4. Cruciate damnate torquete at â—â—â—ite nos exquisitior quaeque crudelitas vestra est sectae illecebra quoties a vobis metimur totics plures essicimur nam sanguis Christiano um semâ—n Ecclesiae est Tertull. Apologet ad Calcem Hence is that of Chrysostome After the Martyrs the Church flourisheth And Tertullian Afflict condemne torment but waste us everie one of your more exquisite crueltie is an allurement of our Sect as oft as we are mowed of you so oft are wee made the more for the bloud of Christians is the seed of the Church Onely Gods hand and power is seene in the planting of it when it is planted onely his hand is seene in the preserving and delivering of it It is the Prophets speech Isa 59.16 The Lord saw that there was none to helpe therefore his arme did save it and his hand brought salvation unto it In the dayes of Elias when they brake downe the Altars killed the Prophets and Elias onely was left then did the Lord alone preserve it In the time of the Arrian heresie when there was but Athanasius against the whole world so Constantius the Emperour and Liberius the Pope Theod. Eccles hist lib. 2 ca. 16. Hee kept Ioseph in Aegypt Ionah in the belly of the whale Israel in the deepe sea and when there was none to save then the arme of the Lord brought salvation unto them Which may serve First Vse 1 to comfort us in all our distresses because our Lord and Master is sufficiently able of himselfe to defend and save us who will see his sonnes and children in the fire but would pull them out if hee were able Secondly if God be all-sufficient of himselfe then will he finde out meanes sufficient to helpe and to doe his children good though man perceive it not Thirdly if all-sufficient then God can save the lives of his people when all meanes are against it He can make the den of Lions to bee a castle and a lodge for Daniel I come to the third For him are all things Doct. God in all his workes of election reprobation creation preservation had a respect to himselfe and proposed his glorie as the end of them all God made all things for himselfe even the wicked for the day of wrath Thus the foure and twentie Elders Apoc. 4.11 Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glorie and honour for thou hast created all things for thy wills sake When God chuseth a people hee respects his owne glorie The Lord set them up to be a pretious people unto himselfe and made them higher than all the Nations whom he made in praise in name and in glorie Deut. 26.18 19. In the discomfiting of enemies hee proposeth his owne glorie For this cause have I appointed thee that I might shew my power in thee and declare my name thorowout all the world Exod. 9.16 If he raise Lazarus the end is his glorie Said not I unto thee that if thou didst beleeve thou shouldest see the glorie of God Ioh. 11.40 He did intend his glorie in everie thing that hee did and hath glorie from everie thing that he made even by that which is evill for he turnes evill to good and brings good out of it as out of the evill of sinne a five-fold good out of the evill of punishment a manifold good So that both in good and evill he intends and from both good and evill he gets honour and glorie to himselfe I shall make the use when I come to the dutie of returning thankes and to the person to whom glorie is due To him be glorie for evermore Amen This is the Doxologie describing to whom the glorie of creation preservation election doth belong It containes first the Quid what is to be returned Secondly the Cui to whom it must be returned to him Thirdly the Quamdiù for evermore Fourthly the seale set to this acknowledgement and recognition Amen I begin with the Quid what is to be returned glorie my purpose is not to speake of an acknowledgement of the glorious nature and attributes in God but of mans study to get glorie unto God here among men onely this Conclusion I cannot passe That God lookes to receive glorie from everie thing that he hath made Doct. Thus the Prophet Isa 43.7 Everie one of them shall bee called by name for I created them for my glorie And hee hath chosen his elect to the praise of his glorie Ephes 1.12 The heavens must declare his glorie Psal 19.1 The creation of the world must set out his glorie Rom. 1.20 All the creatures must set forth his glorie because he made them Gen. 1. Preserves their being Act. 17.28 Feeds them Psal 147.9 But man especially is bound to this dutie of glorifying God because he not onely made him preserves seeds him but being dead quickened him being lost sought him being Satans prisoner ransomed him not with bloud of buls and and goats but of Christ And what use makes the Apostle Therefore glorifie God in your bodies and in your soules 1 Cor. 6.20 I come to a second viz. Man should never doe any thing Doct. whereby hee may not gaine some glorie unto God Thus the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.31 Amongst many hee is principally to aime at Gods glorie in these three 1. His actions 2. His speeches 3. His calling His actions are of three kindes naturall civill religious The naturall are such as are common to men with beast as eating drinking sleeping recreation yet in man all these must be moderated by reason that wee erre not in excesse or defect or manner of using them The Apostle hath mentioned two whereof we should be most carefull that wee dishonour not God to wit eating and drinking Here I must quarrell with two sorts of people who dishonour God so much in these two First they dishonour him in eating so did the people of Israel when they required meat for their lust Psal 78.19 And therefore while the flesh was yet betweene their teeth before it was chewed Gods wrath was kindled against them as Numb 11.33 Secondly they dishonour him in drinking as those Isa 5.11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drinke that continue untill night till the wine inflame them I come to the third which is our calling We must make choyce of such callings whereby we may gaine glorie unto God Doct. For a calling is a particular kinde of life imposed upon man by God for the common good and in everie calling two things must be considered the Author and the end The Author of everie honest and lawfull calling is God So the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.17 As God hath called everie man so let him walke The end of every