bee armed with Faith not all the poisoned darts of the Diuell can hurt it But alas will some say How shall I auoid hell being most worthy to be damned for my whoredome pride drunkennesse blasphemie c How shall I euer come to heauen who neuer haue kept the Law These thoughts especially trouble in the houre of tentation and death but as Paul and his company Act. 27.43,44 though in great danger yet swamme to the shore and escaped so though the floods of tentation swell and there be no bottome yet by Faith wee swimme to land and are safe My Brother Consider that thou shalt not goe to heauen for thy worthinesse but for Christs When thou hast done all thou canst thou art vnworthy to be saued Doest thou beleeue that Christ dyed and rose againe for thee Then is it as possible for Christ to dye againe as for thee to goe to hell He that hath satisfied the Law is freed but thou hast so done in Christ Therefore as when Ionas was cast into the Sea it calmed so thy Conscience may now be calmed by the death and Resurrection of Christ of whom Ionas was the Type Also if Christ be ascended and thou beleeuest it is as possible to plucke him out of heauen as to hinder thee from thence for all beleeuers doe sit together with him in heauenly places Ephes 2.6 He that denies that we doe euen now possesse heauen in Christ denies Christ to be in heauen Vse 3. Faith is most necessary and vsefull If euer thou hast felt the sting of sinne in thy soule thou knowest the power of Faith If thou hast not felt it thou shalt and then what a hell without Faith The fiery darts of Satan are quenched by Faith Ephes 6.16 Thou remembrest what a wretch thou hast beene how thou hast blasphemed his Name broken his Sabbaths despised his Word c. Can thy stomake digest these things Canst thou practice such things and thy Conscience not checke thee Though by the custome of sinne thou hast stupified thy Conscience yet it will be made sensible and then it will affright thee Yea then what thoughts of hell of Diâ—…ls of euerlasting torments arising from the guiltinesse of sinne Wouldst thou ouercome these Beleeue This is our Shield our Victory euen our Faith 1. Ioh. 5.4 and to approue thy Faith repent vnfainedly Which is as sure a demonstration of Faith as Faith is a cause of the peace of Conscience Keepe Faith and a good Conscience As Conscience cannot be good without Faith so nor Faith liuely without good Conscience As a Lampe yeelds no light without Oyle so nor Faith comfort without good Conscience Many beleeuers neglecting the care of a good Conscience haue lost not their Faith but the power of it to pacifie Conscience though Faith cannot bee cast away yet it may suffer shipwracke and the peace which is by Faith may bee lost as Dauid and other of Gods children haue done for their libertie in following their owne lusts and it may bee questioned whether euer Dauid after his Adultery obtained the glorious feelings he had before by his Faith Beleeuest thou Beware of sinne lest GOD chastise thee not by taking away thy Faith but the comfort of it without which life is tedious As in Cordials often distemper weakens the receipt so Faith loseth the power to comfort when we make a pack-horse of it by our often sinning Thy peace is from Faith thy misery from sinne Euen as wormes breed of putrified meate so distresse ariseth from a polluted minde Sinne weakens Faith and giues the Diuell aduantage who without it is as able to hurt vs as the Law to iustifie a sinner If thou thinkest of Heauen thinke of Faith and a good Conscience if thou sinnest thinke of hell and euerlasting torments If thou beest godly feare not hell if profane hope not for heauen For the wicked shall bee turned into hell and all that forget God but beleeuers and righteous people shall be saued Psal 9.17 Ioh. 3.15 VERSE 9. That if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt beleeue in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued 10. For with the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made vnto saluation OVr owne righteousnesse and the righteousnesse of Faith haue beene compared The righteousnesse wee attaine by doing is vncertaine and impossible the righteousnesse we attaine by beleeuing is certaine and possible Certaine because it expels doubts possible because the Word of Faith is neere vs in our mouth and heart This of Faith hee explaines in these two verses shewing that in the righteousnesse of Faith it is onely required that wee should heartily beleeue and confesse the Resurrection of Christ verse 9. which is amplified by an Apostolicall determination verse 10. If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth and beleeue with thy heart There are two things required of him that would be saued The confession of the mouth and the beleeuing of the heart and we haue in these verses two things to be considered 1. The duty required 2. The end The duty is two-fold Of the mouth which is called Confession of the heart which is named Beleeuing In the duty of the mouth wee haue three things First the Action Confession Secondly the Subiect the Mouth Thirdly the Obiect the Lord Iesus Auricular Confession is not here meant Tho. Aquin. in locum Confession is three-fold Of sinnes of Benefits of the Truth this last is here vnderstood namely that mayne Truth Saluation onely by Christ To confesse Christ hath a large sence to acknowledge him to be our Lord and so to vse him that is to submit our affection to him as to our chiefe Lord by right of Creation Prouidence Redemption to call vpon him to obey him and if neede bee to restifie our acknowledgement vvith our best blood And shalt belieue c. Here are also three things 1. The Action Beleeuing 2. The Subiect the Heart 3. The Obiect That God raised vp Christ c. This is not onely to assent to the truth hereof which the Iewes doe not the diuells doe not denie but to embrace the benefits and to rely vpon it Resurrection not exclusiuely but by a figure comprehending things Antecedent and Consequent but this principally is named not as adding to the price but as sealing to the conscience the sufficiency of his death The confidence of a good Conscience beeing grounded vpon the Resurrection of Christ 1. Peter 3.21 That Christ died the Iewes and Heathens do belieue Christians onely belieue that he rose againe Thou shalt be saued That is thou shalt be iustified as before Thou shalt liue for both the righteousnes of the Law and of faith haue eternall life as the end propounded and promised vnto them but with a different successe By that none attaine the end because it hath a condition possible to none By this all
Indefinite Proposition is equiualent to an Vniuersall 2. The Restruction of the generall Whosoeuer belieueth Whosoeuer concludes all Belieuers Belieuers excludes all vnbelieuers 3. The obiect of Faith In him To belieue on Christ is not onely to belieue that Christ is and that what he saith is true but to rest vpon his Righteousnes for Iustification and to trust him with our Saluation as Paul 2. Tim. 1.12 I knowe whom I haue belieued On him notes Faith and Confidence 4. The effect of Faith Not ashamed The contrary denied for the direct effect As if he had said Shall be saued For the denying of one contrary is the affirming of the other They shall not be frustrate of their end therefore not ashamed Ob. But wee account it a good thing to be ashamed and the contrary a fault Diogenes thus incouraged a young man blushing Feare not it is Vertues colour Yet the Philosophers wisely distinguish of it counting it a grace in young folkes but old folkes should commit nothing which might make them blush A. Here is a Figure The word is not vsed in the ordinary signification hee meanes not that beleeuers shall not be ashamed of their faults for none are more and the wicked are noted to be shamelesse Ier. 3.3 but the sence is they shall not misse the end of their faith and so be ashamed A man boasts of a matter and in the end vp starts iust nothing then is he ashamed as profane people bragge of their hope to bee saued but when their Crakes faile they shall bee confounded vvith shame Esay saith Shall not make haste that is shall not betake themselues to shamefull courses to bring their desires to passe but shall wait vpon God and in the end haue assured deliuerance but as such who runne hastily often stumble and fall and so are ashamed so they which will not stay Gods leisure fall into many inconueniences vvhich cause their shame doctrine He that beleeueth is sure to be saued Ioh. 3.18 Psal 22.4 Rom. 5.5 1. Pet. 1.6 The promises are called sure Rom. 4.16 The counsell of God stable and the consolation thereby strong Heb. 6.17,18 Vse 1. Whosoeuer trust in any thing but in Christ shall be ashamed The Iewes of their confidence in the Lawe The Papists though they now bragge and face out the matter that they be the only men and the true Church shall one day bee ashamed of their religion because they build their saluation on a rotten foundation as masses pardons indulgences pilgrimages prayer to Saints their owne merits c. They are like him in the Gospell who began to build a Tower but not being able to finish it was ashamed Those which trust in horses and armed men in the day of battell shall be ashamed They also which with King Asa trust in the Physicians and not in God in the day of sicknesse so they which trust in their riches contrary to the commandement of the Spirit whom Christ calls fooles 1. Tim. 6.17 Luke 12.20 These also who seek in losses to Wizards and not to God Many trust in outward things without God but there are few who trust in God without outward things Vse 2. There is much feare and doubting where faith is but in the end beleeuers shall not be ashamed This makes them confident against the obloquy and reproach cast vpon them by the world The children of God are laughed to scorne as the Philistims mocked Sampson What then Though Saul loue not Dauid nor his Religion yet he will speake of Gods testimonies before Kings wil not be ashamed Psal 119.46 and though the Gospell bee spoken against in euery place yet Paul will not be ashamed of it Rom. 1.16 This also comforts against the guiltinesse of sinne which is the true cause of shame following it as the shadow doth the body How profane wee were before our conuersion and how weakely we haue walked since our conscience knowes and is ashamed Here is our helpe faith obtaines pardon of sinne and therefore we shall neuer bee put to shame for our faults we are sinners but as when the light comes the darknesse departs and the more light the lesse darknesse so faith driues away shame and the more wee beleeue the lesse doe we feare confusion and shame Peter walked vpon the water and shamed himselfe for he began to sinke What was the cause Not the winde or waues but the defect of Faith Abraham beleeued and left his countrey and offered vp Isaac and yet was not ashamed Ob. Abraham had a great Faith but my faith is little Ans If thou hast true Faith though neuer so little thou shalt not be ashamed A childe cannot take vp his meate so strongly nor eate so much as doth a man yet that little which he takes weakely and eates nourisheth him as well as more meat doth a man So though thou be but a child in Faith thy Faith shal saue thee as wel as Abrahams Faith saued him For a man is not saued by the quantitie of his Faith but by the preciousnesse of that which Faith receiues which is the righteousnesse of Christ which a weake and little Faith will as sauingly apprehend as a strong Faith as a Begger that hath a shaking weake hand can make shift to take an almes as well as he that hath not such infirmitie Ob. But I am pestered with much doubting and cannot be rid of doubts A. Like enough But doest thou beleeue Beleeue still It is not the commendation of Faith to bee without doubtings but to ouercome them Thou shalt ouercome in the end and shalt not be ashamed Hee that kils his enemy at the first blow shewes himselfe valiant so doth he also shew a great deale of valour who being often knockt downe and wounded yet stands to it So though the field seeme doubtfull betweene thy Faith and doubting yet in the end thou shalt ouercome and thy victory shall be famous Make precious account therefore of thy Faith and labour to increase it A certaine Captaine d Epaminondas being in a hote skirmish was striken downe sore wounded and taken vp for dead as soone as he came to himselfe hee first asked if his Target were safe being loth his enemies should get that so looke to thy Faith for the Diuell thy enemy will looke to it and thou shalt not be ashamed Vse 3. Wicked men and vnbeleeuers are miserable because of the shame which followes them There can bee almost no stronger Argument against sinne then to say it will make ashamed then which there is nothing more grieuous to a generous minde therefore diuers haue rid themselues of their liues that they may be rid of their shame as Samson For to dye is naturall but to liue in shame is more then nature can endure and yet the wicked must eternally endure it Some like shamelesse beasts glory in their shame seeking no corners nor muffling themselues as Thamar but as Absolon
renue our freshnesse This is our comfort against our great guiltinesse and manifold infirmities he repents not of his loue to vs but keepes vs with watch and ward as vnder locke and key to saluation Hee finisheth the good worke hee beginnes If hee keepe not the Citie the watchman watcheth in vaine if hee keepe the Citie the enemie watcheth in vaine Vse 5. There are three sorts of men goe to hell 1. Such as continue in sinne a man need no great skill to reade their doome 2. The second are such who haue onely a shew of Religion these are hypocrites 3. Such who haue true grace but it is temporarie and continues not A man may haue true grace without saluation but not true sauing grace True grace is then sauing when it continues This distinction of grace is gathered out of the Hebrewes where Paul saith Heb. 6. That a man may be inlightned partake of the holy Ghost and taste of the good word of God and of the powers of the life to come and yet be a cast-away Now such graces were true but temporarie so the stony and thornie ground had true grace but not continuing which is the note of good ground Examine then the grace thou hast Thou hast true ioy and sorrow as at a Sermon thou art truly affected with that which thou hearest being mooued to ioy at the hearing of the promises and it may bee to mourning at the hearing of the threatnings against thy sinnes Doe these things continue or art thou Sermon-sicke as a man is sea-sicke sicke at sea and well at shore a penitent within the Church and prophane without If these continue not they are no sauing graces Thou hast true feare as in the time of thunder or other danger but it may be thy feare is ouerblowne with the cloud thou wert truely afraid but it must continue if a sauing grace In prosperitie many beleeue in God and in aduersitie flye to the Diuell This may be true faith but is not sauing Sauing faith is like a true friend who failes not in aduersitie which makes a man say Though he kill me I will trust in him Thou hast true loue as to the world and to godlinesse in godly folke but it may be thou louest these as Saul loued Dauid Dauid must be sent for and who but Dauid How long till the euill spirit come vpon Saul so many loue these things till the ill spirit come vpon them and then they shew that they haue not sauing grace Many haue true resolution as in time of sicknesse to amend their liues they will speake so well then as a man would think they spake as they meant and so they do as they meane then but their meaning changes and when they are recouered their minde is altered therefore such resolutions though true yet are not sauing We loue stuffe in our garments that will last and mettall in a horse that will last some horse will at first setting out stand vpon no ground and yet be starke tired before noone we like not such a horse nor doth God like such professors whose graces doe not continue VERSE 30. For as yee in times past haue not beleeued Or obeyed God yet haue now obtained mercy through their vnbeleefe 31. Euen so haue these also now not beleeued Or obeyed that through your mercie they also may obtaine mercie HEere is the last Argument to proue the Conuersion and generall calling of the Iewes which is furrher confirmed vers 32. The Argument is taken from the like dealing of God with the Gentiles God after a long time of infidelitie receiued the Gentiles to mercie therefore will hee also at last receiue the Iewes for according to the rule of things like there is the same iudgement The impiety of the Gentiles was no impediment to their mercie neither shall the infidelity of the Iewes to theirs One accounts this Argument probable not necessary Piscator but the Confirmation vers 32. makes it very necessary In these verses as in all similitudes are two parts First A proposition verse 30. Secondly A reddition or application verse 31. In the Proposition are three things 1. The state the Gentiles were in in times past They haue not beleeued God There is a double infidelitie Naturall Iudiciall the Gentiles were vnder both Infidelitie may also be considered as opposed to Christianitie so we Christians are not vnbeleeuers or as opposed to faith and so we are borne vnbeleeuers 2. Their present estate Terminus ad quem They haue now obtained mercie that is Faith which hee should haue spoken but he rather chose to say mercie both because faith is of mercie as of the cause and also because the proper act of Faith is to receiue mercie 3. The meanes whereby we come out of an vnbeleeuing estate to a beleeuing namely the vnbeleife of the Iewes Which was medium occasionale the occasion not giuen but taken by the goodnesse of God doctrine The Gentiles were Infidells Eph. 2.12 but by the vnbeleife of the Iewes they are receiued to mercy conuerted as appeares in our experience Vse 1. Forget not what thou wert in times past an vnbeleeuer a profane wretch for we haue all run the race of the Prodigall sonne It is Gods grace if it be otherwise with thee now Be thankfull It may be within these few yeares thou wert a drunkard a blasphemer an vncleane person How if God had taken thee away in thy sinnes who hath suffered others not so greeuious sinners as thy selfe to perish in their iniquities Let this binde thee to thy good behauiour for euer and spurr thee on to more godlinesse If now thou shouldst liue as those which haue receiued no mercy it must be a foul shame to thee Saint Paul sayth 1 Tim. 1.15 this a faithfull saying and worthy of all men to be receiued that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners O it s a sweet saying indeed for else we had bene all damned This is picked out to be read at the receiuing of the Lords supper for the comfort of penitent sinners a sentence worthy to be written in letters of gold write it vp in thy heart And remember that Paul sayth also Tit. 3.8 this is a faithfull saying and worthy of all affirmation that they which beleeue in God should be carefull to shew foorth good workes As that is a faithfull saying so is this a faithfull As thou desirest the sweetnesse of the former so see thou performest the dutie of the latter for as the former comforts the conscience so this latter directs the life Vse 2. Faith is a sweete mercy so is the word of God the meanes of that faith alas for the poor Indians who know not God in Christ who are without the word who worship the diuell how wretchedly do they liue how desperately doe they die we account them miserable as they are indeed But doe you thinke that we may not find some
A PLAINE EXPOSITION VPON the whole 8. 9. 10. 11. Chapters of the Epistle of Saint PAVL to the ROMANS Wherein the Text is diligently and Methodically resolued the sence giuen and many Doctrines thence gathered are by liuely vses Applyed for the benefit of GODS Children Performed with much variety and conuenient breuitie being the substance of neere foure yeeres Weeke-dayes SERMONS By ELNATHAN PARR Bachelor in Diuinity and Preacher of Gods WORD ROM 2.10,11 10. To euery man that doth good shall be glory and honour and peace to the Iew first and also to the Grecian 11. For there is no respect of persons with God NOLI ALTVM SAPERE LONDON Printed by George Purslowe for SAMVEL MAN dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Swanne 1618. TO The very Noble and Religious Gentleman Master Nathaniel Bacon Esquire TO The very Honorable and most worthy Lady the Lady Iane Cornwalleys his wife Grace and Peace be multiplied from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ SIR I PRESENT to your Nobleness these my poore labors which shall be much honoured if you will vouchsafe as gracious an eye to them written as you did a reuerent eare to them vttered by voice As a picture attaines not the life so neither can writing expresse that liuely Energie of the voice which consists in Vtterance and Action the two Ladies of Speech yet as the picture of a friend is much esteemed for the representation so I cannot but hope of your fauourable approuall of the Copy to whom the principal was so acceptable The stile must needs lose something because I haue endeuoured to abbreuiate many things in vvriting which I tooke more liberty in speaking to deliuer And yet I hope that nor I nor my labours shall for this lose with the Iudicious for Timantes a famous Painter as your selfe if any know was the more commended because by his pictures more was to bee vnderstood then vvas expressed As all that knowe your Noblenes haue experience of your Religious mind so haue I also of your deepe iudgement by whom no Author can lose you beeing able and vsing accurately to examine euerie vvord wherein any excellent thing may bee couched If I were able to write learnedly I would vvish such a Reader as I am MADAM I Humbly intreat you with fauour to receiue this fruit of yor owne goodnes If I haue performed any good by my poore labours those which receiue it owe the acknowledgement next vnto God to your Ladiship who haue so watered my studies with your coūtenance and beneficence that euen my Barrennes hath both by preaching and writing yielded some fruit which as it may be profitable to some is cōfortable to my selfe to haue brought forth so I hope it shal somwhat further your Ladiships reckoning at the day of Christ I know you take no pleasure to haue your goodnesse published because you account Vertues fairest Theater to be a good Conscience yet it becomes an ingenuous mind to professe by whom he profiteth And I wish that all the world vnderstood of your Honorable disposition and Christian carriage both in publique and priuate that many more might be prouoked by your Noble example For as in all natiue and infused Graces you immeasurably exceed the painted Sepulchers of these dayes so is your Ladiship in holy knowledge discreet zeale and compassionate charitie a liuely Image of those ancient Heroines commended by Saint Hierom and other Fathers and also by vnerring Writers As Ladies delight not onely to see faire Iewels and curious Needleworks but to take them out and weare them so I can truly testifie that your Ladiships care is not onely to knowe but to expresse and weare the good things you know in your conuersation I earnestly pray for the increase of Gods fatherly blessing vpon your soule and I craue your pardon and the continuance of your fauour to him who acknowledgeth himselfe bound vnto you in all humble obseruance ELNATHAN PARR To the Christian Reader increase of faith and loue GEntle Reader thou hast here the summe of diuers of my Lectures vpon that most comfortable Chapter the 8. to the Romanes and also vpon those three difficult Chapters next following viz. the 9. 10. and 11. wherein I haue endeuoured plainly to open the words diligently to vnfold the Argument briefely to comprise the doctrine and being euidently proued liuelily to apply the same In which Application I haue had a principall respect of these three things namely to comfort the distressed sinner to humble the obstinate and to exhort and prouoke the penitent to more obedience Also those mysterious points of Predestination Reiection of the Iewes Vocation of the Gentiles and Revocation of the Iewes are here soberly and diligently discussed and made plaine Beside diuers dangerous Positions of the Romanists and of Arminius oppugned many other material doubts and questions cleered by the way As I haue laboured to doe thee good so I desire thee not to requite me with euill If in some things thou thinkest otherwise abound in thine owne sence but censure not rashly remembring that it is easier to pluck downe a house then to build one If thou blamest the stile as too homely be perswaded that wise men desire rather a carefull then an eloquent Physician If thou readest therein read to profit thy soule which if thou doe not we are both losers but thou must giue account for both our losses For as for vs we are vnto God a sweet sauour of Christ both in them which profit by our paines in them which profit not That thou mayest profit I commend thee to God to whom also I desire thee to commend this labour and Thy true friend in our common Sauiour Elnathan Parr A briefe summe of the Doctrines handled in this BOOKE CHAP. VIII Doct. 1. THose which are in Christ by Faith shall not be condemned Verse 1. Doct. 2. Our vnion with Christ the cause of our good life Doct. Our vnion with Christ frees vs from the power of sinne and of death Verse 2. Doct. 1. The Law cannot iustifie vs because we cannot perfectly keepe it Verse 3. Doct. 2. Christ came into the world and was incarnate of the Virgin Mary not of his owne will and yet not vnwilling but by the will and Decree of his Father Doct. 3. God by the death of his Sonne on the Crosse in our nature hath so taken away and abolished sinne that it can not rule in vs here nor condemne vs hereafter Doct. Whatsoeuer Christ did concerning the Law is ours by imputation so fully as if our selues had done it Verse 4. Doct. Carnall men and spirituall are contrary Verse 5. Doct. Whatsoeuer the flesh or corruption doth minde or sauour bringeth death so on the contrary for the spirit that is the regenerate part Verse 6. Doct. 1. All vnregenerate men are enemies to God and God to them Verse 7. Doct. 2. The Law of God is the rule of our subiection to
for instance to be so also meant of euery Regenerate man and therefore the Syrian Translator reads it Thee 4. The Cause The Spirit The Law of Faith say some which may receiue a good Exposition Others better interpret the holy Ghost hereby prouing the Deitie of the third Person Ambrosius Pareus Chrysost Beza vnderstands it of the efficacie of the Spirit in vs which is saith he the Grace of Regeneration I take rather to bee meant here the roote of that Grace rather then the Grace it selfe The roote I call the Grace of Holinesse in the Humane Nature of Christ which vpon our vnion with him is by the Holy Ghost conueyed vnto vs. For Ioh. 3.34 Ioh. 1.16 hee receiued not the Spirit by measure but is full of grace and of his fulnesse wee receiue grace for grace This I take to be the fittest Exposition This Spirit is two wayes set forth First by the Subiect in whom it is It is radically in Christ Secondly by the effect it is the Spirit of life for if this flowe not vnto vs we are but dead men with this being deriued vnto vs both the worthinesse of Christs obedience and also power for the weakning and abolishing of sinne that it reigneth not in vs nor can condemne vs. And for this I gesse that our Sauiour is called a 1. Cor. 15.45 Quickning Spirit For as wee haue to liue a naturall life from Adam so haue wee to liue a spirituall life from Christ being vnited vnto him The meaning then is this The power of the Spirit which is in Christ hath freed all them which are in Christ from sinne and death So that as sinne could haue no power ouer him to condemne him neither can it haue ouer vs wee receiuing of the same Spirit and liuing the same life which was in him For we liue not a diuerse life from that which is in Christ but the very same as the water in the fountaine and riuers and the life in the head and members is the same doctrine Our vnion with Christ frees vs from the power of sinne and death Ephes 2.18,22 Vse 1. The cause of all our happinesse is this vnion From hence is it that wee serue not sinne from hence is it that wee yeeld not to euery tentation of Satan that wee haue comfort that wee are stablished in Grace is from hence Labour therefore to be vnited the ordinary meanes is the Word preached For as in Graffing so here God is the Husbandman Christ the Stock Beleeuers the Imps The Spirit the Sap The Word the Knife or Saw The Sacraments The Ligatures As therefore without a Knife or Saw to open and riue the Stock and to let in the Imps a man cannot Graffe so Contemners of the Word and Sacraments cannot possibly be in Christ Vse 2. Hath freed Mee There is much Diuinitie in Pronounes said Luther In the first Verse Paul spake in the third Person Them Here in the first Me. Not that hee appropriates this freedome to himselfe by so speaking but to teach euery one to apply it to themselues and in themselues to feele it for which cause the Syrian Translator reads Thee For as the power of sense and motion in the head is deriued to euery the least and farthest member and ioynt Ephes 4.7 so the meanest in the Church as well as the chiefest doe receiue according to their place sutable grace It may be some may think O if I were Abraham Dauid or Paul I should be saued Yea if thou bee in Christ thou art freed as well as they and shalt bee saued as well as they Vse 3. Wee are now freed from sinne and and death not simply so we shall hereafter be deliuered but from the Law of Sinne. Wee be not so deliuered that wee cannot sin or dye but Sin cannot domineere ouer vs nor damne vs nor Death hurt vs. Lay vp this against the Day of tentation It is very grieuous to feele the assaults of Sinne as of Vncleannes Pride c. But all are Beggers we may not choose our Almes wee must remember our measure wee haue such things that we may be humbled not that we should bee ouercome Thou must be content to haue Sinne trouble thee here and to wring from thee sighes and teares but comfort thy Soule with this it shall neuer condemne thee A Snake may be so handled by taking out the sting or teeth that it cannot hurt vs though it touch vs yet wee abhorre it for the nature of it and are afraid to haue it come nere vs and it 's but our feare So sinne is in such sort handled by our Sauiour Christ that though it touch vs and hisse at vs yet it cannot hurt vs It may make vs afraid but blessed be God the feare is more then the hurt For as sinne and death could not hurt Christ so neither can they hurt vs. It is not kild out-right but it is so maymed Iudges 1. that as Adoni-bezek hauing his hands and feet mangled and being in chaines could not endammage Israel so neither can sinne vs. When therefore thou feelest sinne stir in thy heart alas who feeles it not cast not away thy confidence but with a good courage resist it and resort to Christ by Prayer that thou mayst more feele the power of his Spirit Great is the power of sinne but the power of the Spirit is greater The Diuell is strong but CHRIST is stronger Vse 4. Those which haue not obtained this freedome are most miserable They are slaues and that to the basest master in the world which is Sin and shall haue the fearefullest wages which is Death As nothing is more base then sin so nothing is more bitter then death How did sinne Tyrannize ouer Ammon Achab Iudas who could haue no rest 2. Sam. 13.2 1. King 21.4 Iohn 13.30 but are sicke till they haue performed most shamefull seruices to their vtter ruine Thou hast heard of the Gally-slaues of the Turke How sweet is it to bee deliuered from such a bondage But alas What is the Turk to the Diuell What is a Gally to Hell What the labour of Oares to the seruice of sinne and torments of Hell O the happines of them which are in Christ that are deliuered from sinne and death Haue we any enemies to these Yea his happinesse is the more by the assurance of it for once in Christ and euer in Christ let Satan do his worst The lest branch of the Vine which is Christ is too high for Satans reach Such as are in him can neuer want sauing Grace so rich a Root is Christ to maintaine and nourish all such which are grafted into him So long as Christ hath any Spirit thou shalt not want it As possible is it for Christ to want the Spirit as for thee to want it if thou beest in Christ Vse 5. Examine whether thou beest set free If sinne rule in thee it will also damne thee thou
Crosse is foretolde if we meet with it it confirmes vs if not it weakens vs. But it may be some will say Alas I suffer nothing I haue had small or no troubles no losses sicknesse c. For answere know there is Abels crosse and Isaaks crosse both these are persecution The Tongue of the wicked is persecution as Paul calls it Gal. 4. as well as the Sword Though thou hast not Abels thou must quit thee well not to haue Isaaks Crosse And if thou beest ready and prepared to beare euen cruell death for Christs sake it shall be accounted as though thou hadst borne it He shall not lose the reward of a Martyr who hath a ready minde to bee Martyred for Christ If a company of resolute Souldiers set vpon the enemy here one is laid along there another one loseth a legge another an arme and some escape without hurt through the prouidence of GOD. Shall wee say that those which scape are Cowards No their valour was no lesse then the others their readinesse as much to venture their liues and their danger as great and therefore their glory is no lesse So be thou a Martyr in affectiō thou shalt haue the Crown of a Martyr Iobs friends iudged him an Hypocrite because of the Crosse But blessed is the man that iudgeth wisely of the afflicted Psal The Diuell would haue perswaded our Sauiour that he had not been Gods Sonne because afflicted Vse 2. Would God suffer his Sonne saih he to be here in the wildernesse and to starue But wee know that the precious stone of the Ring Gemma Annularis where with all are married to Christ is the Crosse and the Token that we are not Bastards but Sonnes There is great reason God should discipline vs. We should be mard without correction O what pride what Hypocrisy Couetousnesse Anger Lust c. is in vs These must bee purged out Our Physicke is the Crosse If a Father see his child by a Pond side hee takes it vp and makes as though he would cast it into the water thereby to scarre it from the water So God seeing his Children walking neere vnto hell by these vices takes them as though he would hurle them in throwing them at least into Purgatory that is the Crosse to make them afraide of sinne and hell Alas alas how cold and dull are we in Prayer and the seruice of God! The Crosse is a meanes to cure vs of this lazinesse and to quicken vs to all holy duties Vse 3. A man that is to goe a iourney though it bee faire at his setting forth yet he takes his cloake with him for feare of a storme so prepare for the Crosse if thou be in the number of Children for the crosse will come Ioseph in the yeers of plentie prouided for the yeeres of famine so doe thou But let none suffer as an euill doer 1. Pet. 4. Woe be to them that bear the Crosse but follow not Christ Thy Crosse is Christs when thou sufferest for the same cause in the same manner and for the same end 1. Christ suffred to beare witnesse to the Truth This must be the cause of thy suffrings It is not the likenesse of the punishment but the cause that makes a Martyr Christ was there where the Theeues were like in punishment vnlike in the cause Similis in patria dissimilis in causa Aug. 2. Christ suffered patiently and thankefully Thou must kisse the Rod. 3. Christ suffred to put away sinne so make thy suffrings a furtherance to mortification that thou mayest be stirred to repent for thy sinnes and to leaue them Many in the crosse cry out but of their paine as in a burning ague the sick man of his heate not of their sinnes As Esau who missing of the blessing cryed and blubbered not that hee cared for the blessing but for his curst heart Labor so to be vnder the crosse that thou mayst say another day It is good for me that I haue beene afflicted Psal 119. And labour so to auoid sinne that thou mayest be fit to beare the Crosse Vse 4. If Gods sonnes and heires must suffer what shall become of the Reprobate If hee spare not Moses one slip nor Dauid his owne Children how shall his enemies fare If such as pray against sinne and watch be taken shall drunkards blasphemers c. which neuer take any thought to please God escape No certainely If Ierusalem bee searched with Lanthornes and razed then Babylon and Rome must downe to the Ground yea to Hell VERSE 18. For I reckon that the suffrings of this present time are not worthy of the glorie to be reuealed in vs. IN this Verse is another Argument of Comfort from the excellency of the glory spoken of in the verse before and it is brought in by an Occupation thus You say we shall bee glorified but in the meane time who is able to beare the troubles that doe befall Paul answeres that The troubles of this present time are not worthy of that glorie to be reuealed For I reckon This word is not to bee referred to opinion which is vncertaine and doubtfull but to assurednesse and certainty And is a metaphor taken from such as casting account finde the true totall summe As if he should say I haue cast vp the Crosse with all the incumbrances of it That the afflictions of this present time Not excluding time past and to come but spoken as Time is referred to Eternitie Are not worthy The word properly signifieth that part of the ballance which goeth down the things therein drawing the beame As if hee should say If the troubles of this life be weyed with the glorie to come they will be but light in comparison Of the glorie That is Eternall happinesse so called because glorie is most of all coueted of all mortall men To be reuealed It is reuealed and it is to be reuealed That is the first fruite of this In vs. That is our bodies and soules The excellency of this glory is declared by a comparison of vnequals where from the lesse this glorie is aduanced In the Comparison there are three things First the things compared Secondly the Issue Thirdly the Proofe The things are two first Passions and secondly Eternall life Suffrings amplified from their short continuance of this present time Eternall life amplified first from the name Glorie Secondly from the manner To be reuealed Thirdly from the subiects in Vs. Secondly the Issue These are so compared that the preeminence is giuen to Eternall life These passions are base that life is glorious These are short That is Eternall Thirdly the Proofe from his Experience I count reckon determine doctrine The glorie to come doth euery way surmount the present afflictions 2. Cor. 4.17 Vse 1. Popish merit of condignitie is here confuted There must be a proportion between the merit and the Reward because the Recompence of Merit is an action of Iustice and
saw me asunder I remembred Esay If drowne me Ionas came to my minde If stone me I thought of Stephen If behead me of Iohn Baptist If take away my goods Naked came I out of my Mothers wombe Thus did this holy Bishop fore-arme himselfe So ought we to doe that if God appoint such times for vs we may not thinke it strange Thou it may be art Now rich in health in peace c. Thou knowest not what hangs ouer thy head but thou knowest what thou hast deserued Thinke dayly of Famine Nakednesse Banishment Imprisonment Hanging Burning c. Feare the worst and prouide for it For what art thou better then thy Fathers Then Eliah Esay Peter Paul c Forethinke these things lesse shalt thou bee moued with such things when they come if thou meditatest of them before they come The weapon that is fore seene hurts the lesse Vse 3. That which Satan aimes at in all his tentations is to separate vs from God and Christ He vexeth our bodies spoyleth our goods as we see in Iob not so much to hurt our bodies or make vs poore as to make vs blaspheme or deny God He can be content wee should bee rich and healthfull so we be hated of God Is this Satans drift Let vs ouershoote him in his owne bow the more he tempteth and raiseth trouble the more often and earnestly doe thou pray and the more conscionably doe thou walke before God that thou mayst defeat the Diuell and preserue the sense of Gods loue in thy brest VERSE 36. As it is written Psal 44.22 For thy sake are wee killed all the day long wee are accounted as sheepe for the slaughter THat No Tribulation can separate vs from the loue of Christ is here proued by the example of the ancient Church recorded in the Scriptures which comes in good season for least such grieuous things should seeme signes of desertion hee brings a prophesie which not only shewes that the Saints haue in former times suffered these things and been in fauour but also that this should bee the state of the Church in this life This Prophesie or holy Testimonie is taken out of the 44. Psalme Verse 22. This Psalme is intituled A Psalme of instruction to the sonnes of Corah which some interpret to the sonnes of Martyrdome It is questioned when and vpon what occasion this Psalme was written Some thinke vpon occasion of the 70. yeeres captiuitie at Babylon But this is vncertaine Because That Captiuitie was a punishment for their sinnes It was not For thy sake all the day long It is more likely to my seeming to be vpon the occasion of the horrible persecution of the Church vnder Antiochus Epiphanes vnto which in all likelihood Paul hath reference Heb. 11. toward the latter end The summe is this The Saints of old haue endured Tribulation vnto death and yet were not separated from the loue of God Therefore such tribulation cannot separate vs Now. That they haue endured the Records of all times testifie and that their sufferings extinguished not the sense of Gods loue appeares because they endured for Gods sake which they could not haue done without an exceeding sense of his loue Neither can such things separate because of the constant decree true from Abel They which will liue godly must suffer persecution And through many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdome of Heauen In this report of the sufferings of the ancient Church we haue three things 1. The greatnesse of their sufferings They were killed amplified by a similitude As sheepe to the slaughter 2. The cause Not for Their Sinne but for Thy sake 3. The continuance how long Euen all the day long We are killed Not mortified as the Vulgar which Sarcerius followes expounding of the killing of sinne namely that all our Afflictions must tend to mortification that there may be an end of sinning before there bee an end of liuing but it is to be vnderstood of bodily death which is the extremity of troubles All the day long A day is a measure of time which is either taken for the whole time of the world from Abel to the last Martyr or for the time of euery Christians life beginning at his conuersion This is the best Q. But how can one be killed all the day long A man can be killed but once and it requires not a day nor an houre for it our life is taken away in a moment A. It is to be vnderstood either of euery affliction which is mors partialis a kinde of death and a passing vnto it or in regard of our continual danger and readinesse to die with the terror of it being neuer secure but alwaies expecting to be taken and killed which is more terrible then Death it selfe When we must die it is a fauour suddenly to be dispatcht by nature all die but once but by our willingnes we may suffer it euery day as Paul said 1. Cor. 15.31 he died daily And are counted as sheepe to the slaughter Not innocent humble ready to heare and follow Christs voice as elsewhere the terme sheepe is taken The enemies of the Gospell doe not so reckon of vs but here it is meant as in that saying of our Sauiour Math. 10. I send you as sheepe among wolues Therefore called sheepe of the slaughter That is Tyrants make no more reckoning of the taking away of our liues then a Butcher doth of cutting the throat of a sheepe Some sheep are good for store some for slaughter we are not counted for store Happy were it if here were alwaies store of beleeuers their liues would much profit the world Gene. 18. If there had been found in Sodom ten such store-Christians it might haue stood to this day but the world vseth not to spare such but as a Butcher kills a sheep without making conscience of the effusion of the blood of it nay hee thinks well of his worke and is glad when hee hath done it So Christ saith that Tyrants shall kill Christians and thinke that thereby they haue done good seruice to God doctrine True Christians are alwaies in danger and ready to die for Christs sake Iohn 15.21 and 16.2 Luke 9.23 As the Sunne euery day goes downe so must Christs disciple euery day make account of crosses and death in the following his Master Vse 1. Paul to comfort vs vnder the crosse brings Scripture for there are the promises which were Dauids comfort in trouble There are the stories of the Saints what they suffered how they behaued themselues how they were assisted by God of the which whosoeuer is ignorant is as a souldiour without armor or weapons Christ in his temptations vsed Scripture so doe all the Saints When thou art tempted to couetousnes remember that of Paul We brought nothing into the world When to reuenge then call to minde that God saith Vengeance is mine And so in other cases defend thy selfe with this Target Out of the booke
the wound of the sheepe is more to the Shepheard then to the sheepe Plus Pastor in gregis sui vulnere vulneratur Cypr serm de lapsis Though we be not afrayd yet if our people be it toucheth vs neerely What if we saue our owne soules yet if our people perish wee cannot but sorrow as a carefull Father for the destruction of a wretched sonne Ease thou thy Teachers heart and ioy him by thy repenting It will be good for thee if thy Teacher can praise God for thy conuersion and on the contrary fearefull and vnprofitable if in his prayers he haue cause to complaine of thy stubbornnesse Heb. 13.17 Vse Let vs mourne for the sinnes of the Times and weepe in secret for the Iniquitie of the people so let vs reioyce when God is glorified by the conuersion of men Christs gaine and Satans losse should cause our ioy Wee can grieue when our children proue vnthrifts and when our friends decay in their worldly estate and on the contrary reioyce but such ioy and griefe are carnall The conuersion of thy friend howsoeuer he goe backward or forward in the world ought to bee matter of thy Ioy and if he be profane how rich so euer matter of thy mourning Luke 15.23 The Father of the Prodigall reioyced when his sonne came home a Conuert though he had spent all and had not a ragge to hang on his backe What Monsters are they which make the sinnes and destruction of men matters of their greatest mirth which ought to wring euen teares of bloud from them When thou hearest a blasphemer seest a drunkard c. canst thou laugh If thou shouldst see a man grieuously wounded fetching deadly grones and drawing his last breath wouldst thou account it sport or pastime How much lesse shouldst thou reioyce when thou seest thy brother wounding and stabbing himselfe euen to the heart by his abominable sinnes Wee lament ouer the bodies of our friends which we beleeue shall bee raised to glory at the last day much more ouer the soules of men which goe downe vnder the power of euerlasting death It is the Diuels delight if those hellish spirits can haue any delight It is their delight to see men sinne and offend their God Luke 15.10 Euen as the holy Angels reioyce at the conuersion of sinners Let vs not be like the Diuell but contrary to him and grieue at that which he takes pleasure in which if wee would doe it might so come to passe that our griefe might worke also a griefe in them that offend as many times the seeing others fall heartily to their meate brings on our stomake When thou seest sinners in words or behauiour to bee out of the way If thou couldst in stead of a smile afford a teare thy teare might make them relent whom thy smile confirmeth in their wretchednesse VERSE 1. I say the Truth in Christ I lye not my Conscience also bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost PAVL proues his griefe proceeding from his loue for the Reiection of his Nation by diuers Arguments The first is a Testimonio in the forme of an Oath where hee cals Christ himselfe to witnesse of that he deliuers The validitie of a Testimonie is according to the value of the Testis Therefore he appeales to Christ as his witnesse I speake the Truth in Christ Not in the name and authoritie of Christ nor as I am a Christian or as it becomes a Christian or I being in Christ or beeing baptized but By Christ As Beth sometime in the Hebrue so En in the Greeke is the token of an Oath in this place Piscator 2. Cor. 12.2 and so also some expound that of Paul I know a man in Christ that is By Christ yet not by Christ as onely a man but as God I lye not This duplication of contraries is here as elsewhere vsed for the more force and to shew his syncerity For a man may lye and yet speake the truth as when hee addes a lye vnto the truth And therefore it is well prouided by our godly Lawes that men to giue in euidence are sworne to speake the whole truth and nothing but the truth Paul in this Affirmation and Negation frees himselfe from this Againe a man may lye in speaking the Truth For our speech hath Relation either to the minde or to the thing If it agree with the thing and not with the minde it is a lye for that properly makes a lye If it agree with the minde and not with the thing it is false but no lye and therefore because we discerne not mens mindes we must be warie how wee giue any the lye Paul therefore for the more credit of his oath and that all exceptions of ambiguitie mentall reseruation or equiuocation might be taken away hee put his oath Affirmatiuely and Negatiuely My conscience bearing mee witnesse Paul here neither sweares by his Conscience nor by the holy Spirit though this might bee iustified but hee iustifies his oath by the witnesse of his Conscience For Conscience is a thousand witnesses being for this purpose placed in man by God In the holy Ghost That is renued by the Holy Ghost so that Paul could speak in no words with more weight against all exceptions then he vseth here First he auoucheth it the truth which he deliuers I speake the truth and because no Iew should cauill that part may be truth and part a lye He addes I lye not and because his word it may be would beare no pawne He addes an Oath And because the Oath of an vnconscionable man is little worth he brings in his Conscience and because vnlesse the Conscience bee enlightned and directed it may erre therefore hee signifies that his Conscience is renued by the holy Ghost So we haue here two things 1. Pauls Oath I speake the truth in Christ I lye not 2. The auouchment of his Oath My Conscience bearing me witnesse in the Holy Ghost I might here enter into the common place of Truth Lying Oath Conscience but I write a briefe Commentarie not a volume of Common places First in Pauls Oath wee haue three things First the Person that makes Oath Paul Secondly the Person by whom the Oath is made Christ Thirdly the Cause which is a matter of weight and great consequence namely that Paul writes not in malice but in loue and that hee grieues for the Reiection of his Nation doctrine The Doctrine out of the first It is lawfull for Christians in due time cause and manner to sweare We haue Iacobs oath Gen. 31.35 Dauids oath 1. Sam. 20.3 Pauls oath Christs oath Gods oath it is a part of Gods seruice commanded Deut. 6.13 and without it a Common-wealth cannot stand Vse The Anabaptists are here confuted who deny the vse of all oathes Ob. But Christ saith and his Apostle Saint Iames Mat. 5.34 Iam. 5.12 Sweare not at all A. That is vnlawfully Ob. But what is
most contrarie to this of the Apostle here who affirmeth that Iacob was elected before hee had done any workes that Election might be not of Workes but of him that calleth Arminius expounds these words of him that calleth thus Armin. in analis ca 9. ad prim script ad Gellium Succanum that the purpose of Gods election might bee not of workes but of Faith whereby it is obeyed to him that calleth This Glosse corrupteth the Text and is like an old piece sowne to a new garment For first this quite crosseth the meaning of the words and in effect it should be thus not of workes but of him that is called for they also absurdly hold that Faith is of our selues Secondly when there is an opposition betweene Faith and Workes it is in the point of Iustification and Faith not opposed in regard of it selfe but of the righteousnesse of Christ by it apprehended as it is a vertue it comes vnder the account of workes which in as much as they hold there must needs follow a confusion in the sense Gods election is without Faith as the cause of it not without it as the meanes appointed to Iustification and saluation So also Reprobation is without sinne as the cause discretiue impelling not without it as a condition without the which God reprobateth not as for instance God considers Esau Iacob falne in Adam His authoritie and power is this Hee may saue both and he may damne both and that iustly if hee will Or he may elect Esau if hee will and reprobate Iacob But what hath he done Hee hath chosen Iacob Why Because hee would Hee hath passed by Esau and reprobated him Why Because he would And this will is iust because Esau hath deserued it But so hath Iacob also True but it pleased God to forgiue Iacob in Christ and not Esau as a man hauing two debtors may forgiue the one and require the debt of the other without any iniustice Vse 2. This Doctrine affords comfort in tentation Thy vnworthinesse may dismay thee but remember that thy Election depends not vpon thy worthinesse but vpon the will of God Let this Doctrine also prouoke thee to thankefulnesse and due praises Which two vses Saint Augustin makes of his preaching this Doctrine There is great cause thou shouldst praise God if thou bee elect for it is of his mercy not of thy deseruing In regard of thy selfe there was no difference betweene thee and a Reprobate If now there be God found it not in thee but put it into thee Consider Esau and Iudas in what art thou better then they Thou art of the same Nature hewne out of the same Rocke of the same wooll as I may say and making Nothing hath parted thee but the knife of Gods Election Nothing in thee more then in Iudas to make him Elect thee Thou seest many commit lewd things some whoredome some drunkennesse some murder Thou hatest these sinnes what is the cause The grace of Gods Election If God should haue left thee to thy selfe thou wouldst haue proued a Iudas or a Iezabel Giue glory to God which hath discerned thee and seeing he hath put a difference betweene thee and the Reprobate manifest thou this difference by thy godly life doctrine The Doctrine out of the third part The Predestination of God is sure Ioh. 13.1 2. Tim. 2.19 as this is affirmed of election so holds it also of Reprobation Vse 1. Great comfort followes the Elect Their state is as sure as God is sure As none can be saued but they which are predestinated to it so they most certainly for God neither can deceiue nor be deceiued So certaine saith one Nullo detrimentâ—… minui potest summa praecognita l. de voc Gent. 1. c. vlt. inler opera Amb. In sensu diuiso non in sensu composito The. Sum. 1. p. q. 23. art 23. is the number of them which are predestinated that it can neither be increased nor by any detriment be diminished In deede if we consider an Elect by himselfe without the Decree of God hee may dye in sinne but if wee consider him with the Decree of God he cannot If our Saluation did not for the certainty of it depend on God but on our selues it were hazardable and wee must needs despaire and runne madde in trouble because wee are mutable The foundation is in God The markes in vs. God hath not reuealed to men whether they bee Elect or Reprobate 'T is not written in euery ones forehead but this is written in the Word 2. Pet. 1.10 that we must make our election sure not in it selfe but in our assured knowledge of it which may be done à posteriori as they say that is by certain effects of election which are infallible markes of the same There are two speciall markes of election noted by Saint Paul 2. Tim. 2.19 Faith and Repentance If thou hast Faith thou art Elect for only such beleeue which are ordained to life Repentance also approues thy election For we are elected that we should be holy and God hath ordained vs to walke in good workes and to be clothed with righteousnesse and the obedience of a new life If thou sayest Alas what shall I doe I finde not these markes in me but the contrarie as Ignorance Contempt of the Word Profanenesse Whoredome Pride Drunkennesse c. I answere thee Yet despaire not but vse the meanes and submit thy selfe to them and if thou beest elect they shall become effectuall to worke in thee all such graces vnto life Some as Spiders gather poison out of this hony Either of malice or as I would rather iudge of Ignorance blaspheming this Doctrine and saying If there be Predestination and so certaine then let vs neuer trouble our selues about Faith and Repentance For if I be predestinated to bee saued my sinnes cannot damne mee if to bee damned my care cannot saue mee To affirm this is horrible blasphemy for it is in effect to say that God who hath giuen vs his word to teach vs to liue wel hath therein opened to vs a Doctrine of carelessenesse and dissolutenesse Which is to deny the wisedome and purity of God Also they consider not that by the same act God both predestinates a man to life and to the meanes of obtaining it which are Faith and Repentance without which he hath predestinated to saue none A man hath a grieuous wound will he say if God hath appointed it shall heale It will heale though I vse no playster Will a man neglect to eat because God hath appointed how long he shall liue Did Hezekiah so for the terme of those fifteene yeeres because of Gods appointment Will a man on the top of an house refuse the ordinary meanes of safety and leape down vpon these termes Will we not on these termes trust our bodies and shal we our soules In bodily things will wee ioyne the meanes and end together whatsoeuer Gods predestination be and
verse 15 16 17. Therefore as that before is to be vnderstood so is this And as large a sense as Hauing mercy hath so large must hardening haue Then not onely of Actuall hauing but of the purpose it must bee vnderstood He should haue said He stirres vp to destruction whom he will but he saith he hardneth that he may shew how he stirreth vp namely by hardening Hardnesse is an estate of a corrupt heart whereby it is disposed to all euill yeelding no obedience to God and it is threefold First Naturall which is the estate of all men Secondly that which is contracted by a custome of sinning as a path is hardened by continuall trampling of passengers Thirdly Iudiciarie which GOD inflicteth vpon men as a Iudgement This is here meant for finding all in their naturall hardnesse hee hardeneth that is reprobates whom hee pleaseth Q. But all hardnesse is finne How then can God be said to harden A. There is a difference betweene hardnes and hardning Hardnes is sinne but to harden is not alwayes so and this is from God not as sinne but as his iust Iudgement For it is not possible that by him we should sinne by whom wee repent and rise from sinne euen as bitter water and sweet issue not from the same fountaine It is from God that we stand from our selues that we fall God is said to harden properly not by making soft hearts to become hard for Pharaohs heart was neuer but hard nor by putting hardnes into the heart as the Papists vniustly charge vs to affirme nor by only suffering vs to be hardened which is the opinion of the Papists dreaming idlely of an idle permission in God making him like the Poets Iupitor who was feasting in Aethiopia while things went out of order but three wayes 1. By forsaking not making it hard but not taking the hardnes away He hardneth that is he softneth not He hardneth not by putting in hardnes but by not putting in the softning oyle of his mercy as the Sunne causes darknes by with-drawing his light 2. By punishing for finding the heart hard if hee please not to pardon it and to soften the heart hee inflicteth a new hardnes as a punishment of the former And this he instilleth not but effecteth three wayes 1. Either by Satan to whose power hee deliuereth such a heart for him to worke vpon 2. Or by themselues giuing them ouer to their owne hearts â—usts 3. Or by the preaching of the Word For as the middle region of the Ayre is more cold by the Anteperistasis so the heart of a Reprobate more hard by the Word not properly but accidentally as a resty horse the more hee is spurred forward the more goes backward By actuating and exciting the present euill inclination of the Creatures by propounding an occasion to manifest it as the Sunne being in it selfe most cleane by the force of his beames draweth out of a dunghill stinking and vnpleasant vapours Hardnes then is caused by the Commandement Occasionally by our owne malice Meritoriously By Satan Efficiently By God Iudicially So Satan is the Tormentor a sinfull man the guilty person God the Iudge and that a Iust one who knowes how to vse euill meanes well being no wayes the cause of sinne as sinne but alwayes ordering it for his glory and the good of his Elect. For sinne is like a Ship Man the Mariner Satan the spirit or winde God the Pilot at the sterne directing all things to his glory doctrine The will of God is the cause of Election and Reprobation as hath beene shewed before Vse 1. Our goodnesse or ilnesse is not the cause of Predestination In election is excluded the merit of man and the debt of God and yet it is to bee confessed that some way the goodnesse of man is the cause of election Praedestinatio quantum ad principium sine nobis non sine nobis quantum ad finem Paulus de Pala. Gran. in ca. 25. Math. Aliud est principium Actionis abud Cognitionis that is not of the Action of God Electing but of our Cognition and knowledge that we are elected Consider election Compositiuely there is no cause but Gods will Consider it resolutely and our Vocation is the cause whereby we know it In Reprobation our ilnesse is excluded as a speciall personall discretiue cause but not as a necessary condition or generall meritorious cause without the which God will not reprobate any Vse 2. Here also appeareth that man falne is the subiect of Predestination Of election it is because it is called mercy which presupposeth misery and faultinesse It is of Reprobation because it is called hardning Now this is a Rule that God hardens none but such as are hard before Neither can it be auoided by an interpretation of Actuall Hardnes For here is to be remembred that Paul speakes of Gods purpose as hath beene obserued before out of Martyr And if hee actually harden none but them which are hard neither did hee euer purpose to harden but such Also if it bee not here to be vnderstood of the Decree of Reprobation there is more in the Antecedent then in the Consequent This verse being the determination of the point according to the meaning of that which is before deliuered and thus doe most Interpreters vnderstand this secret Augustine often calleth the subiect of Gods Decree The Damned Masse Lege doctissimam Aug. Epist quae est ad Sixt. presb num 105. That Masse saith Anselme Ibi gratuita est indulgentia vbi iusta poterit esse vindicta Ansel to which death is due Hereby is perspicuous both the Mercy and Iustice of God Because there is a free Indulgence where there might haue beene a iust reuenge He loued Iacob by a free Mercy he hated Esau by a due and deserued Iudgement They that against this pretend the absolute right of God obserue not how this way that Absolute right is more excellently manifested when Authoritie is attributed to him among all mankinde being guilty to saue or to damne all or none or some at his owne pleasure An absolute Monarch who hath power of life and death if his subiects should rebell hath by his absolute power iust right to pardon them all if hee will or some and not others whereof hee needeth giue no other reason then his pleasure But sure he could not be counted a iust Lord and Gouernour if out of a plea of absolute command hee should deuoid from his protection and cast off any his subiects without relation to any Rebellion or other crime If you aske whether God can annihilate all things I answere Yes If whether hee can reprobate good Angels or Men for Angels and men to bee neither good nor bad is an idle fiction I say hee cannot by the perfection of his nature which can not but loue goodnesse as Augustine excellently He rendreth good for good because hee is good Euill for euill because he is iust God
for euill because hee is good and iust Onely hee rendreth not euill for good because he cannot be vniust He that is elected cannot boast of his merits and hee that is reprobated cannot complaine but of his merits Vse 3. A hardened heart is a most heauy Iudgement which the more it is vpon a man the lesse he feeles it and the further he is from the possibilitie of Repentance and Saluation When God gaue the Diuell leaue ouer Iob hee made hauocke so when the heart is giuen ouer to the Diuell he rages in it Hee must needes runne headlong into all euill whom the Diuell driues as those Swine of the Gergesens into the Sea Of all Iudgements God deliuer me from this Hell onely is worse then it But thou wilt say that this is spoken of Pharaoh and that thou art an Elect. Shew then thy Election by thy works Vse 4. The property of hardnes is not to yeeld either to the stroke of a hāmer or to the dint of a sword That which neither can be bruised or broken with any strokes nor pierced with any sharpenes nor softned with any moistning is hard Hereby know thy heart If no Threatnings Monitions of the Word which is a hammer breaking the rockes and a sword piercing thorow can preuaile with thee Ier. 23.29 Heb. 4.12 Esa 55.10,11 nor any exhortations or intreaties of the Word which is as raine can perswade or soften thee nor any Afflictions moue thee but all these things are as an Arrow shot against a brazen wall thy heart beeing as the scales of Leuiathan who laughs at the shaking of the speare Surely thou hast a heart hardened which if it continue to the end is a most certaine signe of Reprobation Seeke therefore a soft heart which is a most singular blessing of God The way to haue it is 1. with reuerence to heare the Word 2. to meditate of Gods mercy The remembrance of his fathers house made the heart of the Prodigall to relent 3. To pray for a soft heart for it is the gift of God VERSE 19. Thou shalt say vnto me Why doth he yet finde fault for who hath resisted his will and so to the end of the 23. verse THe Apostle in the 18. verse said that GOD hardeneth whom he will against this wicked men cauill and Paul answeres verse 19.20,21,22,23 There are two parts 1. The Cauillers obiection verse 19. 2. The Apostles answere verse 20 21 22 23. Why doth he yet finde fault That is so as he punisheth Who hath resisted his will The will of God is distinguished to be his secret or reuealed will His secret will is the will of his good pleasure whereby he determineth of things which himselfe will doe His reuealed is that which is manifested in his Word commanding things to be done by vs. His reuealed will is refused of the wicked his secret cannot be resisted of any The Interrogations imply Negatiues as thus If his Will be the Cause of Reprobation then he hath no reason to complaine Because his Will cannot be resisted Here are two parts First the obiection Secondly the proofe The obiection in these words Why doth hee yet finde fault It is formed thus If Gods will be the cause of our Hardning hee hath no cause to finde fault But the last is denyed Therefore the first The Proposition is proued thus Whose will bringeth a necessitie of sinning hee hath no cause to finde fault with those sinners But Gods will brings a necessitie and cannot bee resisted Therefore Concerning this Obiection before we come to Pauls answere wee will propound two Questions in the answering of which the force and infirmitie of this cauill will appeare Quest. 1. Whether a Reprobate be in such an estate that he cannot but sinne Quest 2. If hee be in such an estate Whether it doth excuse him Answ 1. To the first I answere affirmatiuely proued Gen. 6.5 Ier. 12.23 Iam. 2.12 Mat. 18. So that a Necessitie of sinning lyes vpon Reprobates which is double 1. Of Nature 2. Of the Decree The first is Inward comming from an inward beginning which being corrupt of necessity that which proceedes from it must be corrupt also As fire heat the sunne light so corruption bringeth forth euill necessarily Ioh. 3.6 That which is borne of the flesh is flesh So that though the act it selfe of volition be alwaies most free yet now through corruption of nature all mens wills are necessarily both weake to attaine the good and peruersly inclined to that which is euill The other necessity is that which followeth the decree For things are necessarily vpon supposition that God had decreed them Principiatū sequitur natura principij Yet the decree is not the cause of sinne nor compelleth thereunto but God finding the nature corrupt decrees of it as he findes it Vse 1. The Philosophers erred who thought none were euill by nature but by imitation and that vice is not borne with vs but comes afterward Erras si existimes nobiscū nasci vitia superuenerunt ingesta sunt Sene. ep 9.6 Vse 2. Also the opinion of the Papists and Arminius is hereby confuted vvho hold a power in the vvil of it selfe not to sin For the vnderstanding of the trueth herein we will first note what Free-will is Secondly what necessity is to be meant in this question Thirdly the difference of actions Free-will is a facultie in an intelligent nature freely chusing or refusing the obiect as it appeareth vnder the shew of good or euil The forme of this freedome is that by an inward beginning it freely without any violence affects or reiects the obiect This freedome is distinguished to be a liberty of cōtrariety or contradiction The first is when we chuse one of two opposites as good or euill The latter is when one thing beeing propounded we freely chuse it or refuse it The first vvas in Adam and being of moralls is not in vs. In the second the obiect is to be distinguished for it may either generally be considered or particularly If generally as euill then we haue not this liberty If particularly as this euill then we may haue such liberty Necessitie is two-fold of coaction of immutabilitie The first is contrary to the nature of the will the second is not Actions are either naturall as to eate drinke speake c. or ciuill as to buy and sell c. or morall as with or against the Law or supernaturall as to belieue and repent In some naturall actions there is a liberty of contrariety contradiction So also in ciuill In morall there is no liberty of contradiction in the generall but in particular In good actions as they are rightly performed there is no libertie at all in a reprobate or vnregenerate man qua talis The Question between the Aduersaries and vs is about the libertie of Contrariety in good and euill in the generall The libertie of the will is not taken away the
liberty of the person is For Adams liberty is taken away but the liberty of the will is not neither can be but that whatsoeuer it chuseth or refuseth it chuseth or refuseth freely The liberty of contrarietie is rather a liberty of the state of a person then of the will and so a necessity of sinning free-will may stand together A necessity I say not of coaction but of immutabilitie both by an inward beginning and also by the decree and a freedome I say of contradiction but not of contrarietie Arminius thinketh that if the will bee determined to one part it loseth the freedome which is manifestly false For God is the most free Agent yet is his wil by a most absolute necessity tied vnto that which is good he being both most freely and most necessarily good The Diuell is now by a double necessitie euill and yet freely euill so our wills are free though determined because they are not compelled And whereas the Arminius auouch Vide Aug. tractat 26. in Ioh. that God cannot determine the will to one part without destroying it it is neere vnto blasphemy If Orators can perswade by their eloquence cannot God by the sweet power of his Spirit so perswade the heart and determine it that it cannot actually resist whatsoeuer the possibility be in regard of nature vncorrected If they say that such possibilitie still remaines in the wil to come into act I would faine know what good they wil say the Spirit hath done in vs whē the nature of our wills is as euill disposed as before grace receiued If God cannot determine our wills infallibly to one part then it shall be possible for the holy Angels and glorified Saints to fall from their happinesse which is horrible to affirme For they hold that the will of man lost nothing of its inward vertue by Adams sinne not receiues any vertue or strength from grace in the way to conuersion But to returne wee thus conclude that the vnregenerate sinne freely and yet necessarily yea by how much the more necessarily by so much the more freely because their wil hath brought vpon them this necessitie Our will is alwaies free though it be not alwaies good Ob. If there be no other freedome vvhy are wee exhorted to chuse the good and to refuse the euill An. The reason is set downe by Leo Ideo datur praeceptū praecipientis quaeratur auxiliū Leo ser 11. de Quadra Therefore saith hee is the precept giuen that perceiuing our weaknes wee might seek for helpe from him that gaue it And indeed hence wee should be admonished to seek the setting free of our wills frō euill vnto good which is onely by the power of God that as in the state of corruption wee haue a free necessity vnto euill so in the state of regeneration perfect wee may haue a free necessity vnto that which is good Voluntas quae libera est in malis quia delectatur malis ideo non est libera in bonis quia non est liberata Aug. contra 2. Epist Pelag. l. 1. c. 2. To the second Question the answere is negatiue though a man that is borne lame is to be excused before men for his halting because he was so borne yet wicked men and reprobates are not excusable before God for their sinning either by the necessitie of nature or of the Decree Not by necessity of nature For its the nature of the diuell to doe euill yet none excuse him It s the nature of an Adder to sting deadly yet we spare them not so we are born in sin yet the Saints excuse not thēselues by it but rather condemne themselues for it as Dauid and Paul Psalm 51. Rom. 7. Besides not God but our selues hath layd this necessity vpon vs. Adam willinglie obeyed the voice of his wife and brought vpon vs this condition which I call necessity Indeed if God had created vs vnder such a necessity or now did compell vs we desiring to doe good there might be some excuse but it is not so nor so Neither doth the necessitie of the Decree excuse For God doth not by his decree force vs to euill but finding vs euill prone onely vnto it of our selues hee decrees wee shall be so and knowes that so we would be though hee should neuer decree And thus he leaues vs to our selues who haue no more power to leaue sinning then a stone hath not to goe downeward if it haue no impediment God forceth not the drunkard or swearer but they voluntarily and with desire commit these sinnes as their owne consciences testifie Iudas did nothing but by the Decree of God yet he was not forced but did that which he did of his own accord most freely his heart being set vpon couetousnesse God gouernes the wils of the wicked but hee takes not away either the will from man or freedome from the will but he moues their wils according to their owne Natures as hee moues the heauens with a circular motion fit for the nature of it And when God moues then the will freely deliberates and willingly of it selfe consents So that wee may conclude this with that of Bernard Bernard ser 8. super cant The will bringeth a Necessitie vpon it selfe so that neither the Necessitie can excuse the Will nor the Will exclude the Necessitie When Adam finned he blamed his Wife and she blamed God himselfe and we haue suckt the same milke But remember thou that God is not the cause of thy sinne but thy selfe If thou smartest for thy faults thanke thy abominable and wicked life of which thou art the Cause GOD the Auenger VERSE 20. Nay but O man who art thou that * Or answerest againe or disputest with God replyest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it b Esay 45.9 Why hast thou made me thus 21. Hath not the Potter c Ier. 8.6 Wisd 15.7 power ouer the Clay of the same lumpe to make one vessell vnto honour and another vnto dishonour NOw followes the Answere to the Cauill which is either personall to the Cauiller in these two Verses or reall to the Cauill in the two next Verses following In these two verses the sawcinesse of Cauillers is reproued which appeared in that they submit not themselues as they ought to haue done but out of their pride petulantly word it with their Creator going about to bring the Decree of Gods Predestination vnder the Rule of their blind and Carnall Reason which is as possible as to gather vp all the Sea into a Nut-shell Here are two things First a Reprehension Secondly an Amplification The Reprehension is in these words But O man what art thou that replyest against God Where wee haue 1. The fault 2. The person reprehended The fault is disputing with or replying against God The person noted in these words Thou O Man Where is also couched a reason of the Reprehension from the
of a Reprobate thou wert in the same condemnation Consider the torments to which the Reprobate and the riches of Glory to which thou art reserued How doth God deale with vs as though we were Princes children who indeed are beggars brats Hee takes a Reprobate and scourgeth him with Scorpions to fray thee from sin and to shew thee his loue When thou feelest thy selfe dull to praise God consider how God hath discerned thee from the Reprobates then whom in thy selfe thou art not better so much as a hayre If God had saued all it had beene an Infinite mercy and an Infinite cause to praise him but Now seeing many are damned to them which are saued it is the more cause of thanksgiuing The Sunne is glorious and beautifull but if the Moone and euery Starre had as much brightnes it would not be so admired So this makes the mercy of GOD to the Elect so much the more admirable by comparison of his wrath on the Reprobate On the contrary it is augmentation of torment to the Reprobate to see how God vseth his Elect to heare how graciously Christ speakes to them Come ye blessed to behold Them goe triumphing to heauen and themselues thrust downe with the Diuell to hell To see what they lose shall more torment them then that which they feele This shall euen cut them to the heart as may by proportion bee gathered out of the Gospell Luke 13.28 There shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth saith Christ to the Reprobate Iewes when yee shall see the Elect in the Kingdome of heauen and your selues thrust out Apply this to all occasions of mercy to thy selfe which thou obseruest others to want Wouldst thou be stirred vp to praise God for our long peace Compare England with France the Low-Countries this will doe it Wouldst thou for the Gospell be prouoked to thankefulnes Consider their misery that liue in Turky or vnder the darknesse of Popery Thou hast riches vnderstanding health the vse of thy limbs c. When thou seest a man Lunati que or a poore lame cripple begging a penny of thee Remember that God offereth him to thee not onely that thou shouldest be compassionate to relieue him but also to make him thy glasse to behold the mercy of God to thy selfe who could haue put him into thy estate and thee into his Be from hence thankfull lest God cast thee into such an estate for he can do it that so by a hard comparison thou maist learne to be more sensible of his goodnes which thou hast receiued Thus did God declare i◅ Ierusalem by his Prophet that they should serue Shishak that they might see the difference of his seruice and of the kingdomes of the earth 2. Chron. 12.8 Consider wisely be thankfull VERSE 24. Euen vs whom he hath called not of the Iewes only but also of the Gentiles HItherto hath beene shewed that the promise was neuer made nor meant to the only carnall seede of Abraham Now followes the other part of Pauls Answere that it is made to the Elect of all Nations And he falls into it from the occasion of that which is vers 23. deliuered of the vessels of mercy and glory For in this verse he shewes who they be and by consequence who are Abrahams seede to whom belong the promises and that by an effect of election which is Calling This calling is enlarged by a distribution of the Subiect viz. Iewes and Gentiles The Argument or summe of the words is That the seede to whom the promises pertaine are the Elect which are not the Iewes only but the Gentiles also nor all the Iewes but only the Elect. The first is approued verse 25 26. The last verse 27 28 29. Then followes a collection from these things verse 30. to the end of the Chapter Euen vs whom he hath called Calling is an action of Gods loue whereby he calleth men to saluation It is two-fold 1. Outward when we heare the Word preached with the eare of the body 2. Inward when God bends the heart to beleeue the promise offered and swayeth the whole man to obedience Pareus This is here meant not of the Iewes only but also of the Gentiles Not all the Iewes nor all the Gentiles but of the Iewes and Gentiles the Proposition being partitiue some singulars of both doctrine They which are effectually called are elect vessels of glory for the execution of the decree of election begins in Calling Rom. 8.30 Tit. 1.1 Ioh. 10.16 Act. 13.48 Vse 1. In time past they sang God is knowne in Iewry his name is great in Israel at Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling at Sion Psal 76.1.2 Psal 79.6 Ierem. 10.25 Luke 2.32 Acts 10. Then were the Prophets bold to say Powere out thy wrath vpon the Gentiles Yea wee were as dogges But now he that is the glory of Israel is the light also of the Gentiles Peter could not vnderstand this without a vision The Iew the elder brother could not endure his younger bretheren to be entertained but they had no reason for it for neither did we grutch their glory neither doth our admittance but their owne infidelity exclude them from God Truth it is that in all times of the Iewes excellencie some few of the Gentiles were receiued into the fellowship of the promises as Iob Iethro Ruth c. for the saluation of some and for a witnesse vnto all but now the multitude of the Gentiles receiue the Gospell Vt quibusdam esset in remediū omnibus in testimoniū Amb. de voc Gen. Whether Iew or Gentile such as are called are the elect of God It is not the hauing or wanting of the prerogatiue of Nation Sex Condition c. that makes or marrs In Christ saith Paul Galat. 3.28 not in a Christian Common-wealth is neither Iewe nor Gentile c. But all rich poore masters seruants Iewes Gentiles haue an equall right in Christ vvhich I thinke was shadowed Exod. 30.15 Where the rich shall not passe nor the poore diminish Art thou rich if thou beest not effectually called thou shalt bee damned Art thou poore If thou beest effectually called thou art rich A poore man wanting grace is twise miserable and a rich man belieuing hath a double portion Nemo dicat ideo vocauit me deus quia colui eum Quomodo coles si non voceris Augu. There is nothing in vs which is the cause of effectuall calling He calleth vs. Good desires and thoughts c. follovv calling as calling followes Election and Election the mercy of God Wee are the subiect of Calling but power to obey the Calling of God wee haue not till God hath created it in vs. As water being by nature cold may be made hot and yet it hath no naturall inclination to heat so the Flesh hath no eares to heare nor eyes to see but as GOD createth them Neither doth God giue vs a power and wee educe it into act but
a prey for them then a good Voyage for the Merchant Separate zeale and knowledge and they become both vnprofitable but wisely ioyne them and they perfect a Christian being like a precious Diamond in a ring of Gold Let not zeale outrunne knowledge or lagge behinde it but let it ad aequale agree going hand in hand with the same For euen as in an Instrument of Musike there is a proportion of sound wherein is the harmony beyond which if any string be strained it makes a squeaking noyse and if it bee not strained enough it yeelds a clagging dull and vnpleasant sound So is it in our zeale if it bee either more or lesse then our knowledge Among the first sort of these men which haue zeale not according to knowledge are to be placed the Iewes and wee may iustly put the Papists whose zeale for their many groundlesse deuices hath made them bloudy persecutors of the Gospell Likewise the Brownists whose immoderate zeale without warrant hath made them most vncharitable Censurers of all the famous Churches in Christendome Among the other sort which haue knowledge vvithout zeale are our Dullerds in Religion who are like a resty horse that hath metall and strength but will not goe forward Bee zealous and amend the example of Laodicea were enough to prouoke vs. Apoc. 3.19 It is the end of thy Redemption and a very pitifull thing to be a man in knowledge and a beast in life Zeale without knowledge profits not so knowledge without zeale condemnes How farre art thou from the zeale of Phinees Dauid Elias c Thou canst be zealous and hote in thine owne causes thou canst follow thy pleasures with Esau till thou faint Thou wilt spend twenty pound but thou wilt haue thy wil of thy neighbour Alas what wilt thou answere to God When notwithstanding all thy knowledge thou neither hast indignation against sinne Nor art any way carefull to honour God according to his Word VERSE 2. For they being ignorant of Gods righteousnes and going about to establish their owne righteousnesse haue not submitted themselues to the righteousnes of God THat the zeale of the Iewes is not according to knowledge is shewed in this verse The reason whereby it is shewed is brought in by an Occupation Some might say Did not the Iewes abound in knowledge who counted the very Letters of the Bible For answere Paul affirmes that they were ignorant of that which they should specially haue knowne namely the righteousnes of God of which they ought to haue beene zealous In this verse then we haue two things 1. A Iustification That the Iewes are zealous but not according to knowledge They are ignorant of the righteousnes of God 2. A declaration of the effects of such ignorance which are two 1. Pride They went about to stablish their owne 2. Contempt of Gods righteousnesse They haue not submitted themselues vnto it Here is a distinction of righteousnes it is two-fold First Gods Secondly Our owne Gods righteousnes is not abolished but established by faith Our owne righteousnes that is which we haue wrought as I may say home-made righteousnes of our owne vvebbing this is abolished by faith this was the righteousnes which the Iewes boasted of vnable to abide the triall of the Law For they beeing ignorant of Gods righteousnesse not whereby God is righteous in himselfe but which he giues to man that he may be righteous by God This is the righteousnesse of our Mediator They are zealous of righteousnes but they are ignorant of that righteousnes which God approues vvhich is a righteousnes euery way answerable to the Law This we sinfull men cannot performe but Christ hath performed and we cannot apprehend when God giues faith Going about to stablish their owne righteousnesse Their owne that is which they in their owne persons performe To stablish or to set vp A Metaphor from the staying vp of an old rotten house which can be shored vp no longer b Aretius Or from the setting vp of a dead man vpon his feet to make him stand c Pareus Such is the labour of him that goeth about to be iustified by his owne righteousnes Going about The Nimrodians went about to build a tower whose top might reach to Heauen they went about it but brought it not to passe but built a Babel so the Iewes went about to be iustified by their own righteousnes but in vaine working their owne confusion in the sight of God They did not submit themselues This is the issue of pride They will not be beholding to God for a righteousnesse of his appointing They haue not submitted as Rebells which will not be subiect to their lawfull Prince doctrine Ignorance breedes pride and contempt Thus Christ imputes to the Scribes and Pharises Mat. 15.14 So Paul thought hee had no Peere while he was a Pharise and therefore he was mad against the faith and this was through Ignorance 1. Tim. 1.12 Vse 1. Zeale without knowledge is dangerous as appeared in the Iewes as appeareth in the Papists and Brownists It makes them proud and hauing drunke in an opinion they cannot be remoued with reason As a man cannot write in a paper already written or plow in a ground ouer-runne with bushes so is it hard to fasten any reason vpon a mind prepossest with fancy 2. It makes thē vncharitable in abhorring all them which consent not to their deuices so farre that they Iudge their Contraries to be men not worthy to liue persecuting vvith more eagernesse them which renounce their opinions then them which deny God This appeared in the Iewes who crucified Christ for reprouing their Traditions And in the Arrians vvho were more cruell in their time to the Orthodoxall Christians in maintaining their opinions then were the heathen Emperours The Papists doe not exercise so much cruelty against any as against those who consent not with them in the doctrines of their owne deuising A fantasticall zeale Also the Separatists exclaime of the Church of England and can endure any thing saue the gouernment of this Church because it confuteth their fancies I find by my little reading and smal obseruation that too much zeale is more dangerous to the Church then the contrary degree of coldnes 3. It makes men impatient of admonition It will not endure the hearing of any thing that contradicts it as the Iewes would not heare Paul Zeale is erroneous if it vvant charitie humilitie and patience Vse 2. Ignorance is the mother of Error and excuseth not because we are bound to know as a subiect is bound to knowe the Lawes of his Prince Ignorantia Iuris non excusat Regula and if he offend it will not serue his turne to say he knew not the Law If a man be ignorant of that which concernes him not it excuseth him as if a Minister be ignorant of the Art of Physike or to plow an acre of ground or a Physician ignorant of the Art of Nauigation But if
much to answere for before God This is the bane of the Church and that the Diuell knowes well enough Diuision in Doctrine is Heresie this is not found among vs. Diuision in Rites is Schisme This is our disease Let such remember who breake the peace of our Church that an inueterate Schisme is Heresie For the obstinate Schismatike at length obtrudeth his fancie for an Article of the Faith A Church in diuision is like an house on Fire Quench and increase not this flame by thy brainelesse opinions It is like Rebecca troubled in her wombe with the striuings of two children of contrary dispositions Pitie the paines of thy Mother This sinne is so great specially authoritie being resisted that some haue confidently auouched it not to bee expiated by Martyrdome Chrysost If Constantine iustly blamed Alexander Socrates Schol. Eccl. hist l. 1. c. 4. for eager opposing Arrius whom he did confute much more may our Constantine finde fault with them which blame that which they can neither amend nor confutes Vse 5. The way to be rich in all grace is to aske it Aske and you shall haue he is rich to all that call vpon him he giues bountifully and casts no man in the teeth plead not thine owne deseruings thou must sue in forma Pauperis Beggers obtaine the rich are sent empty away Vse 6. Euery man desires to serue a liberall Master that hee may be preferred Serue God and thou shalt be made rich Why doest thou by Swearing Lying Whoring c. serue that beggerly master the Diuell that hath nothing to giue his followers but hell and euerlasting torments If God be thy Master thou art made for euer No maruell that Paul breakes out into such a Patheticall thankesgiuing because God entertained him into his seruice 1. Tim. 1. For as there is no fishing to the Sea so no seruice to Gods and the Kings Get into Gods seruice and when thou art in keepe thee there Deserue not to be cast out as Cain was lest thou sing the Prodigals Song How many hired seruants in my Fathers house haue bread inough and I dye for hunger There are two things to be done that we may keepe our seruice First to know our Masters will 2. To doe it and then as God was rich to Abraham for his Faith to Dauid for his zeale to Steuen for his constancie so will he be rich to thee As God is rich in mercy to the good so in iudgements plagues woes curses is he rich to all vngodly wicked men VERSE 13. a Ioel. 2.32 Act. 2.21 For whosoeuer shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be saued THat God is rich vnto all that call on him is here confirmed by a Testimonie out of Ioel. The occasion of Ioels speech was this There was a great famine in Iewry the Cause their sinnes the meanes First a great raine presently after Seede time after that a wonderderful drought Also God sent Grashoppers and Caterpillers c. which deuoured the little encrease which the earth afforded Farther hee threatneth them with forraine enemies and vpon this exhorts them to Repentance telling them that whosoeuer shall call on the Name of God shall be safe For in Zion that is the Church of God shall be deliuerance Pauls Argument is thus framed If whosoeuer call on God shall be saued then is God rich to all that call on him for no riches are comparable to saluation But the first is true Therfore the last In this verse are two things First the Duty Secondly the Euent The Duty Calling vpon God The euent Saluation Whosoeuer as before verse 11. Shall call vpon By this is meant Prayer which sometimes is taken for the whole worship of God Inuocare quasi â—…tus aut in se vocare Anselm Prayer is called Inuocation in Latine because it must be performed with the Inmost affections or as to call God into vs Or as the Greeke word signifies to call vpon another for helpe in extremitie And therefore Chrysostome well expounds it by Confession ioyned with Prayer For he which beggeth helpe of another confesseth his owne weakenesse and want The Name of the Lord. That is God himselfe whose infinite perfections no name can comprehend Yet God hath by certaine Names and Appellations notified himselfe vnto vs so farre as was fit for abilitie to vnderstand Some here vnderstand Christ the Name expresse Image and Character of his Father by whom we know God as wee know things by their names Shall be saued Not that our prayers deserue Saluation but because Saluation followes faithfull praying by the promise of God doctrine God will saue all such which call vpon him Act. 2.21 Psal 50.15 145.18 Vse 1. God is infinitely good who propounds conditions of saluation as easie to the poore as to the rich If hee had offered saluation on these termes as to build Churches Hospitals and to endow them c. Alas what should haue become of poore men But if thou beest not rich nor eloquent c. Yet if thou callest on the Name of the Lord thou shalt be saued Vse 2. Whosoeuer calleth vpon the name not of our Lady but of the Lord. How then comes it to passe that the Papists so much striue for Inuocation of Saints There is no example nor promise nor commandement for it in the Bible No threatning to them which omit it neither doe the Saints departed know our particular necessities or our hearts The Heathen Philosophers conceiued one chiefe god and diuers inferior and Vnder-gods as mediators by whom they might come to the chiefe God as by Noble men we come to the King This is one of their best arguments which Ambrose on the Romanes excellently propounds and confutes Amb. comment in 1. cap. Epist ad Rom. A certaine man Chemnitius exem Decr. Conc. Trid. par 3. de Inuo Sanctorum hauing vsed the helpe of some Noble men in a cause to his King and being maruellously delayed hearing by occasion a Bishop preach that wee must goe to God by the mediation of Saints Alas saith he if it bee in the Court of Heauen as it is in the Courts of Princes wee shall all haue but a cold suite of it Wee doe many times request particular men and Churches on earth to pray for vs because we haue commandement example and promise for it in the Word it being a ministery appointed for the Militant Church But that from hence I should pray to Angels or Saints departed followes not For first I doe not inuocate these as the Papists doe their Saints neither doe I desire that office vnlesse either face to face or by Letter or Messenger I acquaint them with my desire but there is no such entercourse betweene vs and the Virgin Mary or other Saints Ob. But they pray not to Saints to fulfill but to impetrate their desires A. This also is vnlawful it being a part of the Office of our Mediator
Mar. 16.20 Act. 1.8 Col. 1.6 Q. But what may be thought of them which neuer heard of the Gospell are they not to be excused before God A. Yes Of the sinne of vnbeliefe in the promises but they cannot obtaine thereby an acquitall from their other sinnes but shall be condemned for them Vse 1. That is the true Religion which agrees with that which was preached in all the world by the Apostles Vse 2. It was a miracle that the Gospell a doctrine teaching the deniall of our selues and bearing of the Crosse carried by poore and meane persons oppressed by mighty Emperors and Kings should in despite of men and Diuels within the space of forty yeeres bee so published in all the world Let all enemies cease to oppose it by the remembrance hereof Vse 3. Obey the Gospell lest He which sent it take it away and remoue our Candle-sticke for our vnbeliefe and contempt of it For this cause Turcisme and Papisme possesse many places which haue beene heretofore famous for the Gospell Hath the grace of God shined to thee in despight of the Diuell Make much of this light and walke in it Hast thou heard the sound of it Why doest thou liue in lewd practices as if thou hadst neuer heard any inkling of it If thou beest a blasphemer drunken vncleane proud couetous c. what could a Iew or a Turke doe more then thou doest Thou hast not receiued it Where sinne beares rule there is not the Gospell receiued In those Marian times the Gospell made men forsake goods and life and can it not now make thee leaue thy vile and bad courses He that caused the Gospell to be brought with the bloud of his seruants will require the bloud of all the contemners of it Be you carefull that as in all the world so the Gospell may haue a free passage among you and bee glorified which shall be when you suffer it to subdue your vile and rebellious affections VERSE 19. But I say did not Israel know First Moses saith * Deut. 32.31 I will prouoke you to iealousie by them that are no people and by a foolish Nation I will anger you THe Apostle hath in the verses before soundly proued that the Gospell is by the will and counsell of God to be preached to the Gentiles The Iew is mute and hath nothing farther to obiect against that point but falls to excuse his opposition agaist the preaching of the Gospell to them by pleading ignorance that hee did not know it vvas the will of God so to haue it To this Paul answereth What saith he did not Israel know Did ye not know This Why Moses and Esay affirme it in whom you are conuersant And so falls into a plaine declaration of the Abiection of the Iewes and receiuing of the Gentiles as before he had done in the 9. Chapter Here then are two things First a taking away of the excuse viz. ignorance which the Iewes made to couer their malice against the preaching of the Gospell to the Gentiles by a reprehensarie declaration that they were not ignorant Secondly this he proues by the Testimonie of the Prophets Did not Israel know The Geneua Translation supplieth God without any sense which is exceedingly well obserued in His Maiesties Translation and there left out For that vvhich they pretended not to know was not God but the will of God in the matter before spoken of As if hee should say You may be ashamed to say you are ignorant you know it well enough or might or ought to know it doctrine The corruption of our hearts leades vs to the practice of those things which we know to be sinne Rom. 1.31 Iude 10. Vse 1. Abstaine from all sinne specially from sinne of knowledge A regenerate man may through infirmitie or in the violence of tentation sinne against knowledge as Dauid and Peter but beware of cold bloud and continuing in knowne sinne Antecedent Ignorance will not saue a man much more will consequent Ignorance condemne him Ignorantia mollit non tollit rationem peccati Scientia non mollit peccatum sed tollit excusationē peccati Ignorance taketh not away sinne but knowledge taketh away all excuse of sinne Now I haue spoken to them saith Christ they haue no c Ioh. 15.22 colour for their sinne To with-hold the knowne truth in vnrighteousnesse prouoketh the d Rom. 1.18 wrath of God Doest thou not know that drunkennesse whoredome c. are abominable sins And yet thou practisest them Alas what hope canst thou haue A willing practice of knowne sinne and Repentance can nouer stand together nay it is the high way to a reprobate minde and to that vnpardonable offence Though thou canst not but sinne in these daies of thy frailety yet beware of two things First of beeing willingly ignorant of that which God giues thee the meanes to know for this is the marke of a wretch 2. Pet. 3.5 Secondly of doing contrarie to knowledge For hee that knowes to doe well and doth it not and by proportion to auoid ill and shunnes it not to him it is sinne that is his knowledge aggrauates his faults Iac. 4. vlt. Vse 2. The Iewes sinned against their knowledge What was the cause Euen their Enuy that the Gentiles should be admitted to the prerogatiue of Grace This made them deliuer Christ to be crucified This caused the stoning of Stephen this the persecution of Paul Beware of Enuy which is a diuelish sinne the rotting of the bones which makes a man twice miserable For the enuious man is cruciated both with his owne euils and with the good things of his Neighbour The way to auoid enuy for worldly matters is to despise the world and the folly of it and to loue heauenly things and the way to auoid enuy for the grace of God shewed on another is to loue the glory of God which is set forth by my neighbour as well as by my selfe The proofe is from the testimony of two famous Prophets Moses in the rest of this 19. verse and Esay verse 20.21 First Moses Moses is called the first not because of a second Moses but first in time or dignity or first in this allegation The Testimonie is out of Deuteronomie containing a threatning of Reiection to the Iewes for their vile dealing against God wherin are two things to be considered 1. The phrase wherein this Reiection is set downe 2. The Amplification of it I will prouoke you to ielousie and I will anger you This is the phrase The Amplification is two-fold 1. Frō the Author which is God who doth not cause enuy but cause it to come to light being in the heart before nor is the Author of ielousie as a sinne but as its a punishment doing that for punishment which would stirre vp their corrupt hearts to ielousie 2. From the Instruments which God vseth to anger and prouoke them withall Namely No people A foolish Nation That
is the Gentiles whom the Iewes accounted beasts and not men euen dogges As a man diuorcing an adulterous wife and in her face taking her bondmaid to be his wife and adorning her with the garments and iewels of his former wife must needs make her pine with enuy ielousie So God threatens the Iewes whō he had chosen to be his Spouse that he would cast them off for their wickednes and bestow their priuiledges on the Gentiles Or as a Mother sometimes for a fault done by her little one thrusts it from her and saith it shall be her child no longer taking vp a strangers child into her lap so doth God threaten the Iewes Here 's the difference we doe it not seriously but God doth This is then as if the Lord should say You haue chosen another husband I will chuse another wife You another God euen your Idols I another people euen the Gentiles You haue angred me giuing my honor to Idols and I vvill anger you giuing your prerogatiues to the Gentiles doctrine God will forsake them which forsake him 2. Chro. 15.2 Iam. 4.8 Vse 1. To be out of the Couenant is to be of no account The Gentiles in regard thereof are said to be No people and a foolish Nation If a King haue an Army of many thou-sand dead men or cripples there is no reckoning to be made of them So no reckoning of men vnconuerted for they are dead in their sinnes very beasts without reason till they be enlightned Ob. But are not many vnregenerate men great Politicians A. Yes they are but in the account of God they are very fooles and beasts The Gentiles had many learned Philosophers and wise men for gouernment before their Calling yet God saith they were a foolish Nation The beginning of wisedom is the feare of God Prou. 1.7 Vse 2. There are many that despise scoffe the childrē of God for their simplicitie and holy profession let such remember that euen by those whō they iest at God wil anger them either in this life or at the day of Iudgement The time shall come that thou shalt gnash with thy teeth to see them saued thy selfe damned them carried to heauen thy selfe haled to hell As thou hast laught them to scorne so shall they laugh at thy destruction Vse 3. Liue England according to thy knowledge and bring forth fruit worthy of the Gospel which thou enioyest and thou shalt liue long else God will cast thee off and anger thee Now we are the people of God let vs obey him lest he make vs no people As a Master deales with a naughty seruant plucking his Liuery ouer his eares and turning him out of dores so God will take from vs his Word and Sacraments our Liuerie and cognizance if we reuerently profit not by them but despise them Now God honours vs aboue many nay aboue any Nation O what griefe enuy anger ielousie must it needes breed if euer the day should come that wee should see the Turks or other Infidels possessors of these fauours and our selues turned off There would be no griefe to this The Gentiles got the kingdome of the Iewes and all their wealth but for all this they enuied not them so much as that God should be the God of the Gentiles and not of the Iewes The losing of their Temporalties was not so much vnto them as the losing of their Spiritualties Thus hee dealt with the Iewes and thus will he deale with vs if we despise his Gospel not belieuing nor obeying it But if wee forsake not God he will neuer forsake vs it can neuer be shewed by any obseruation that God began first VERSE 20. But Esayas is very bold and saith Esay 65.1 I was found of them that sought me not I was made manifest vnto them that asked not after me HEre hee brings the Testimony of Esay a great Prophet of the bloud royall whom the Iewes greatly honored This Testimony in effect is the same with that of Moses it onely differs in words In it are to be considered two things First The manner of the Testimony Secondly The matter of it The manner is that Esay witnesseth boldly or audaciously this being to be taken in the better part not as a fault It was not safe to preach as Esay did for the Iewes were not patient to heare their downe-fall and of the aduancement of the Gentiles therefore he had need be of a bold spirit and this boldnesse like enough cost him his life For by the cōmandement of Manasses he was put to a cruel death being as it is said t Hierom. li. 15 in Esai in fine sawne asunder with a woodden saw doctrine Ministers are boldly to preach the truth Paul requireth so to be prayed for Ephe. 6.19 And so he enioynes Titus 2.13 Vse 1. Ministers may not feare the faces of men lest God destroy them They may not be timorous nor clawbacks neither of these can be faithfull They must be men of courage to stand for God and the truth against all opposites though they haue Iohn Baptists reward for their labour Art thou opposed in thy ministery Tu contra audentior ito be the more bold with discretion and wisedome and let not thy very life be deare vnto thee to fulfill the ministration thou hast receiued of the Lord. Acts 20.24 Vse 2. As it is our parts boldly to preach so it is your parts meekly to heare and cheerefully to follow that which is taught Iam. 1.21 The matter of the Testimony is two-fold First of the Calling of the Gentiles in the rest of this verse Secondly the Reiection of the Iewes verse 21. In these words are two things First a description of the Calling of the Gentiles Secondly an amplification of it The description I haue beene found and made manifest To finde God is to know him to finde fauour with him to haue him and enioy him as our portion which they doe which beleeue and repent I haue beene made manifest that is not declared in shadowes and Ceremonies but plainely These are set downe in the time past for the future because it was then as sure to be done as it is now done The Amplification is from the deniall of the cause of finding They sought not They asked not or minded him not For we read of the wisest of the Gentiles as Pythagoras Plato Aristotle c. that they trauelled and sought into euery corner of the world for Philosophy and to talke with learned men but wee neuer read that they came into Iury to seeke God And yet God was found though not of them in particular yet afterwards of the Gent◅es in generall Or here is a description of the Gentiles A Gentile is such a one who seekes not after God This is our glasse for wee are Gentiles doctrine Our conuersion and calling is not from our owne wisedome merit labour but from the mercy of God 2. Tim. 1.9 Iam. 1.18
Horeb he goes for more safetie and to meet with the Lord. There passeth by him a mightie wind an earthquake and fire representations of Eliahs zeale But God was not in them Then comes a still voice to teach Eliah patience saying What doest thou here Eliah Eliah answered Lord I haue bene iealous for the Lord of hoasts complaining according to the words here vsed by Paul verse 3. In this storie it appeares that Eliah was a man subiect to infirmities as other men are being ouerheate in his passion his life being in danger by Iesabel yet his zeale in regard of the cause of it is exceeding commendable and for our imitation doctrine We are to be zealous for the Lord. So was Elias Moses Samuel Dauid as appeares in their stories Vse When thou seest God dishonored and religion troden vnder foote be not senslesse Would it not moue a man to see altars throwne downe prophets killed miracles take no effect as in Eliahs time Iames 5. â—7 Or now to see the Sabboth profaned the preaching of the Gospell contemned and many notwithstanding dayly admonitions to runne out some to drunkennesse some to whoredome some to pride c Surely we want an Eliah Whosoeuer hath but a dram of his spirit these things to him are as a dagger at his heart Meeknesse in our owne causes but in Gods zeale and earnestnesse become vs. Yet be not ouer zealous few I confesse are sicke of this disease â—et Elias was and we may be also for we are more sure we haue his passions then his grace Excesse of zeale is intollerable yea it hath bene found lesse dangerous to the Church when men haue come short of the due proportion of zeale then when they haue exceeded Auda Bishop in Persia in an excesse of zeale throwing downe a Temple of the Pagans was the cause that the King thereby insensed threw downe all the Temples of the Christians Theod. lib. 5. There are two things whereby we may discerne whether our zeale exceed due limits and bounds or no 1 If thou make thy selfe a partie so much is it in the wrong Elias was the more hot because his owne life was in danger So if there be a disordered person who hath prouoked vs then wee crie its pitie but he should be presented indited punished But when vnder a colour of zeale against sinne we reuenge our owne wrongs it s more passion then zeale Secondly Zeale should consume the faults not the persons of offenders if thine feeds on the persons not on the faults it s naught Quench it against the person inflame it against the fault Iames and Iohn would haue had the wicked Samaritans by and by to be consumed with fier from heauen but they are reproued by our Sauiour Luc. 9.53 And here Elias was somewhat faultie comming short of Moses and Samuell who made intercession for not against their people Eliah makes intercession against his people Moses and Samuell for them These rather then Eliah are to be imitated of Ministers It s a lamentable thing to see a father wringing of his hands ouer his child and complaining of his stubbornesse wishing he had neuer bene borne So it is very greeuious to heare an Eliah complaine to God of the stubbornesse of his people We are your fathers so liue you that we may haue no cause to sue against you either in the court of heauen or earth but rather to reioyce oueryou which we shall doe with much cheerefullnes praying for you if you forsake your sinnes and turne vnto God obeying his word If we in our prayers haue cause to complaine of you it will be vnprofitable to you for what followed Eliah his complaint The Lord speakes to him as if hee should say Eliah I see thou art in a moode well goe annoynt Hazael King of Aram Iehu King of Israel and Elisha Prophet in thy roome him that scapeth the sword of Hazaell shall Iehu slay and him that escapeth Iehu shal Elisha slay Of such force are the complaints of the Prophets and Ministers of God against their stubborne people as also are their prayers effectuall on the behalfe of such as beleeue and obey Now I beseech you presently to reforme your liues that wee may mutually ioyne together to blesse God you for vs and we for you that we may be all crowned together at the comming of Christ VERSE 3. Lord they haue killed thy Prophets and digged downe thine Altars and I am left alone and they seeke my life IN these words is set downe the complaint of Eliah more particularly in which are two things First the person to whom he complaines Lord. Secondly the matter of the complaint which is twofold First The killing of the Prophets Secondly The digging downe of Altars Both these aggrauated from the miserable estate of Eliah which appeared two waies first He is left alone in his owne opinion secondly They seeke his life also They not onely bellua multorum capitum the vulgar but Ahab Iesabel Nobles Commons and all from the highest to the lowest Especially Iesabel a diuellish and wicked woman who added to the Idolatry of the Israelites the abomination of the Sydonians and whose hatred against true religion was so great that it came into a prouerb such being called Iesabels Apoc. 2. Thy Prophets Thy is added for more detestation of the fact The Embassadors of a meane Prince are not to be wronged but they haue killed Thy Prophets Thine Altars An Altar was a building or Instrument of earth stone or other stuffe reared vp for the offering of Sacrifices Quest But what Altars means he God coÌ„manded that there should be no Altar in ordinary after the building of the Temple but at Ierusalem where only Sacrifices were to bee offered which is the cause that now the Iewes offer no sacrifices because they want their Temple Ahab could not come by the Altar at Ierusalem being out of his Kingdome What Alter then meanes Ahab Answ Some say that the signe is put for the thing signified and by Altars meant Religion which was by Ahab and Iesabel abolished But as the killing of the Prophets was a matter of fact so also I take this to be rather then of signification only They threw downe material Altars built in Abrahams Isaaks Iacobs Iosuahs and Samuels time before the Temple was builded and the Altars which were by Elias himselfe and other Prophets by speciall commandement after the building of the Temple set vp which were called afterward high Places and the good Kings of Iudah commended for pulling them downe 1. Kin. 18.4.22 Obiect Why should Eliah complaine of the doing of that by Ahab which done by others is commended Answ Those Altars remained as monuments of Gods worship and Elias complaines not simply against their demolishing but because it was done in despite of true Religion that no foot-step thereof might remaine to put the people in minde of the true God which if it had bin done in
Eliah there were seuen thousand reserued so also now The like times of the Church are wisely to be compared But the present estate of the Iewes is the same with that of the Israelites therefore as then so now a reseruation is made and by consequence their reiection not totall Heere we haue two things 1. A Proposition 2. An Amplification The Proposition that in the time of Paul though the Iewes were generally cast off yet there was and is a reseruation Obseruation When thou hearest of persecution and of killing vp the Prophets and professors be of good-comfort God will saue seuen thousand He will reserue one Eliah as in the dayes of Ahab one Athanasius as in the time of the Arrian Heresie one Wicliffe one Husse one Luther in the most darksome and hideous times of Antichrist The Amplification is from the cause of this Reseruation which is Election set foorth also by the eause of it which is Grace Through the Election of Grace not actiuely to be vnderstood on mans part as Chrysostome but actiuely on Gods part and passiuely on ours nor is Election to be heere expounded faith the seale of it as some but the decree called election of Grace that is gratious or free election doctrine The cause why some are reserued in dangerous times is their Election For as saith so perseuerance is proper to the Elect Act. 13.48 and 20.21 Vse 1. As to be preserued from Idolatry when true Religion is abolished and persecuted so in these dayes to be kept from sin and to stand when a thousand fall on one hand and ten thousand on another is a comfortable note of Election Iniquitie abounds Neglect not so faire an occasion of making thy Election sure If God bestow his grace on thee stoppe thee in the way of sinne make thy heart bleed for the transgressions of the time and preserue thee in his feare thou art elected for if thou wert a reprobate he would not haue such care of thee but giue thee quite ouer to follow the swinge of thine owne lusts vnto perdition Therefore by thy life thou mayest know for God hath not elected vs to serue the Diuell but himselfe Vse 2. If persecution come seare not many suffered constantly in the dayes of Iesabel and seuen thousand could not be found being hidden as a treasure by God So in Queene Maries daies many were taken and burned and many were sought after and could not be found for God couered them with his hand and smote the eyes of them which sought their liues as he smote the Sodomites sometimes when they sought the dore of Lots house Resolue thus If such fiery times should come and God should call thee out and suffer thee to bee found he will also so strengthen thee that thou shalt glorifie him in thy sufferings If God giue thee not such strength he will so hide thee from thy persecutors that though Iesabel her selfe search all the corners of the Land for thee as narrowly as Laban searched Iacobs stuffe yet shee shall not finde thee VERSE 6. And if by Grace then is it no more of workes otherwise Grace were no more Grace But if it be of workes then is it no more grace otherwise worke is no more worke THese words as was before said are an amplificatiō of the summe of the 5. vers namely that the Reseruation is according to election of Grace from whence this Consectary takes place If by election of grace then not by workes Though this doe not much pertaine to Pauls Argument in hand yet by the direction of the Spirit he takes that little occasion offered to speake something in commendation of Grace because he had to deale with the Iewes which stood greatly vpon their owne Righteousnesse which indeed was one of their maine diseases and therefore he neglects not by the way to touch this sort and to giue them a iog for remembrance that we are saued by grace not by workes Pauls example must teach Ministers a point of wisedome which is to take notice of the speciall sinnes of their Auditors and in the course of their teaching if any occasion offer though it lie not so plaine in their way to giue them a memento Paul breakes out here into a new question that he might meete with the Iewes in euery corner When Ministers speake against the sinnes of their Auditors O say they he findes not that in his text but we know by the direction of Gods Spirit and by the warrant of Pauls example if we find such in you how to find it in our text to reproue you for it and yet not to be guiltie of rouing or digressing But to the Consectary If election and preseruation be of grace it is not of workes This is proued by the nature of grace and workes which are contrary and destroy one another And it is set downe with inuersion of the termes That which is of grace is not of workes else grace were not grace that is free That which is of workes is not of grace else works were not workes that is did not make indebted The mysterie in this verse plainly appeares if we vnderstand what is meant by grace and what by workes The Schoolemen and Iesuites distinguish grace into grace making gracious and grace freely giuen Aqin Sum. p. 2. q. 111. art 1. The first they say is charitie a grace whereby we are conioyned to God the second is faith and the rest of Christian vertues But first both these are coincident for charitie also is a grace freely giuen Secondly they make this grace to be in man they know no other and therefore Bellarmine and the rest when they write of this subiect they write de gratia hominis of the grace of man but the Scripture onely speaketh of the grace of God and of the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ Grace is taken three wayes First for the free fauour of God the alone cause of our election which is subiectiuely in God one of the imminent vertues of the Deitie being his essence This is meant here Secondly for the energie operation and working of this grace which Austen calleth the mouing of mercie Motum miseric Aust lib. 3. Hyp. the lesuites call it an helpe or grace preuenting or following of grace preuenting is that place Eph. 2.8 of following 1. Cor. 15.10 of both together 2. Cor. 12.9 Thirdly for the gifts of grace which haue a different appellation ordinarily in Pauls Epistles as faith hope loue patience and this is distributed into habituall grace and actuall This in no wise is here to be vnderstood nor either of the parts before spoken of from the Schoole For charitie and faith are workes but we must haue a grace opposite to workes Workes are either good or bad bad workes not here vnderstood but good Ob. But grace and good workes are agreeing as the cause and the effect Ans To speake properly the anger of God is contrary to his grace
what I pray you shall become of all our zeale and studie in the Law Paul answeres as if he should say I will tell you what becomes of it it is not al worth a rush for Israel hath not obtained that which he sought but the Elect haue obtained Ob. Why then doe you thinke all Israel damned Ans No saith Paul Israel is taken equiuocally Elect Israel is saued Reprobate Israel is damned Heere are two parts 1. A proposition Israel hath not obtained that which he sought 2. The explication of the terme Israel this is taken two wayes as the name Christian there are some elect some reprobate some reall some nominall those haue obtained these are cast way What then that is what shall we say then namely this Israel hath not obtained c. Israel the people of God not so indeed but outwardly and in shew Hath not obtained that which he sought What is that Iustification in the sight of God and saluation Why hath hee not obteined Because he sought these things in and by his owne righteousnesse Though he sought busily againe and againe as the word imports yet his labour was lost Hath not obteined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifieth hath not hit the marke he aimed at the marke but shot wide put himselfe to a great deale of paynes to no purpose The election hath obtained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath hit the marke and got the prize which is iustification The election that is the elect the abstract for the concrete as seeing a proud man we say there goes pride it selfe So circumcision for a Iew c. He those to speake thus to note a secret namely that whosoeuer are saued obteine it not by any thing but by the meere grace of God For election which is the foundation of iustification and saluation is of grace The rest were blinded or hardened The rest that is the reprobate were blinded in the passiue to note the suffering of the iust iudgment of God for beside their naturall hardnes God casteth another hardnesse vpon them as a punishment of their naturall leauing them to themselues and giuing them vp to the diuell to be blinded The Antithesis requires that hee should haue said the rest haue not obtained but he speakes this of purpose to shew the cause of their not obtaining which is their hardnesse or blindnesse of minde Reprobation is not the cause of damnation as election is of saluation nor a cause at all vnlesse you say a deficient cause as the sunne is the cause of night Damnation followes reprobation but the cause of it is sinne not Gods decree The Iewes then are cast away not all but onely the reprobate doctrine No elect cast away no reprobate but cast away Rom. 11.2 Ioh. 6.37.39 Ioh. 17.9 2 Thes 2.13 Reu. 21. vlt. Vse 1. There is election and reprobation Vse 2. Certainty of saluation followes election Vse 3. A man may be the Israel of God in some sence and yet be damned examine thy standing Vse 4. As the Iewes are distinguished into elect and reprobate so is all mankinde there is not a third to be found There are two Captaines God and the diuell two armies the elect and the reprobate two Citties heauen and hell two manner of weapons righteousnes and vnrighteousnes two kinds of wages saluation and damnation see thou be on the cunning side which is Gods Vse 5. A man may haue a desire to be saued seeke it vse meanes and yet be damned as here it is sayd of Israell Obiect But Christ sayth seeke and you shall find Answ True if thou takest Christs meaning that is seeke well or as I direct you otherwise a man may seeke and misse This word well is but a few letters but of great operation for it is the forme of all arts As Rhetoricke is the art of speaking well Logike the art of disputing well Magistracie the art of gouerning well Christianitie the art of liuing well not euery Magistrate gouernes wel nor euery Christian liues well nor euery seeker seekes well and therefore many as the Iewes take great paynes find nothing as Peter fisht all night and tooke nothing Euery seeking then and desire shall not obteine There is in euery man a naturall desire of saluation the veriest reprobate when he dyes had rather goy to heauen then to hell Content not thy selfe with a bare desire of saluations thou must desire and seeke it by the meanes and in the way that God hath appoynted Many aske and haue not because they aske amisse And euery one that striues for maisteries is not crowned except he striue lawfully So many seeke saluation and are not saued not because they seeke but because they seeke amisse To seeke that we may find foure things are to be obserued First the time Secondly the place Thirdly the paynes Fourthly the continuance 1 Seeke first the kingdome of God and his righteousnes If thou seekest it not first but at all leasures it s a thousand to one thou shalt neuer find it Vsually men post off this to their age in their youths they may not heare of religion for dulling their wits then nothing but pleasures old mens heads must not be set on young mens shoulders but when they come to be old and ly vpon their death bed then send for the minister Is this enough I should maruell if God should be content with the branne and dregges of thy life when the diuell hath had the flower and first broaching of the Gospell There 's an old saying He that neglecteth the occasion the occasion will neglect him as it appeareth by the example of the fiue foolish Virgins To them which neglect the time is that spoken You shall seeke me but you shall not finde me and where I am can you not come He that hath lost a ring and seekes a mile from the place where he lost it is not like to finde it Obserue the place and seeke saluation where it is to be found that is in Christ in whom are all treasures The Iewes sought it in themselues and missed of it Beware Papist But where is Christ to be found Resort thou to the house of God If Christ be any where to be found it s there not in an alehouse and the meetings of profane men 3 Seeke painfull not ouerly as the woman for her groat Luc. 15. Seeke as for siluer search as for gold prov 2.4 The mine of gold lyes not in the first spade it lyes deeper it s well if after all paynes we find it at the last 4 Continue seeking hee that continues to the end shall be saued its worth all our paynes though all should seeke a thousand yeares giue not ouer till thou hast found Israel sought for saluation in the obedience of the law but found it not what shall then become of our wicked profane wretches which seeke not at all What shall become of them which seeke only
vanityes Which fly not but seeke the corruption which is in the world that care for nothing but backe and belly if God reiect the righteousnes and will of the Iewes what hope canst thou haue which neuer thinkest of God but to blaspheme him Which delightest only to wallow in abhominable sins I must tell thee that ten thousand thy betters are in hell Euen such which haue rapt hard at heauen gates which haue bestowed many howers in prayers much mony vpon the poore c. If such as seeke misse for seeking amisse much more those which seeke not at all or the contrary VERSE 8. According as it is written Esay 29.10 God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber or remorse eyes that they should not see Esay 6.9 eares that they should not heare vnto this day THe latter part of the seuenth verse that the rest were blinded is proued by a double testimonie The one of Eliah in this verse the other of Dauid In the two next verses That which the scripture testifieth is true But it testifies that the multitude of the Iewes are blinded Ergo. This first testimony is taken out of two places in Esay The first part out of Esay 29.10 The latter part which is an exposition of the spirit of slumber out of Esay 6.9 Vse 1. The authoritie of the scriptures the ground of truth Vse 2. Scripture the best interpreter of it selfe In this testimonie are two things First The Iudgment Secondly the Amplification The Iudgement forethreatned is Slumber If I vnderstand our owne tongue slumber is a kind of vnquiet sleepe either in the beginning or end of our rest when euery little thing will awake vs. This cannot bee the meaning but rather a heauy dead sleepe is heere vnderstood translated by Beza Sopor as death is called by the Poet Perpetuus Sopor the Hebrew word is translated by some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Horat. Aquila The sleep here meant may be likened to Adams when his rib was taken out Quest But is it a iudgement to be cast into such a sleepe Many desire it Answ Heere is not meant the sleep of the body but of the minde Blindnesse of minde and hardnesse is so called by a metaphore as if you would say a spirituall lethargie when neither the thundring noise of the Law nor the sweete sound of the Gospell can awake vs. The Greeke word vsed by Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Septuagint signifies another thing namely pricking and compunction as if a man had a naile or bodkin in his sides Now because Esayes word signifies dead â—leepe Beza translates Pauls word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though anciently and properly it hath beene translated Compunction as is partly expressed in the margine There is a word in Greeke very like this here vsed which signifies sleep being deriued from a roote that signifies Night But this word in no wise doth so signifie Saint Luke who well vnderstood the Greeke tongue vseth it for Compunction in the second of the Acts 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 2.37 The naturall meaning may well be retained Dead sleepe being called Compunction by a figure the effect for the cause because much or no Compunction can awake it or rather of the cause for the effect because Compunction is the cause of dead sleepe not in the body but in the minde There is a double Compunction of minde one comming from sorrow for sinne as that Act. 2.37 another comming from Enuie and Malice which was in the Iewes because the Gospell of Christ whom they crucified was preached and receiued in the world this was as a dagger at their hearts This Compunction of Enuie is heere meant which is the cause of such a deadnesse of mind that as a man in a dead sleep heares and vnderstands nothing so a mind possessed with Enuy is not patient to heare or conceiue any thing for its good Excesse of griefe brings a failing of the mind Now enuy is a gnawing of the heart against our neighbour When Stephen preached Act. 7. the Iewes gnash their teeth stoppe their eares their hearts being readie to burst for anger and rage And when Paul preaches at Antiochia Act. 13.48 the Iewes raile contradict and stirre vp persecution so that a man had as good speak to a wall or a dead man as vnto them Chrysostome expounds it as a nayling to their passion wherby they are vnmoueable in their perfidiousnesse Theodotian Some translate it Exstasie for enuy makes a man beside himselfe capable of no good instruction Cyprian calls it Transpunction Cypr. l. 1. ep 3. as a vessell hauing a hole striken thorow the bottome holds not the liquor put in it so whatsoeuer was preached to the Iewes their hearts so aked with enuy that they were vncapable of good counsaile and doctrine being as senselesse of all good things as if they were dead This Iudgement is amplified by foure Arguments 1. The Cause 2. The Effect 3. The Subiect 4. The Adiunct 1. The Cause is two-fold first Principal God the Author of this Compunction not as it is a sinne but as it is a iudgement secondly Instrumentall Satan therefore Paul saith The spirit of slumber not as God workes grace in his owne doth he worke this blindnesse in the reprobate but grace by himsefe blindnesse by Satan to whom concerning some Reprobate God speaketh as it were thus Satan is such a one so wretched that he enuies the Gospell and spets at it Take him to thee torment him for it harden him more that his condemnation may be the greater God is the Iudge Satan the tormentor by the spirit of slumber is also meant the forcible working of Satan vpon our corrupt nature as if a man being vpon the top of an hill and purposing to runne downe the Diuell should stand at his backe and push him forward 2. The Effect Eyes that they should not see c. Blindnesse of minde not to be capable of sauing knowledge is an effect of malice against the truth 3. The Subiect The Iewes a wise and learned people in the Law 4. The Adiunct To this Day which may be referred to the seuenth verse Hardened or blinded to this day it is all one the meaning not for euer but to this day The vaile vnto this day is layd ouer their hearts but it shall be taken away 2. Cor. 3.16 doctrine God in his iust iudgement giues ouer such as are enemies to the Gospell to the diuell to be blinded that they cannot conuert Ioh. 9.39 2. Cor. 4.3 Vse 1. Many in worldly things are wittie and of great apprehension and iudgement and yet as blinde as beetles very blocks in religion Eyes they haue see they doe they are no fooles yet they perceiue not the things belonging to their peace As Bats and Owles see best in the night so their chiefest vnderstanding is of worldly matters As a Moule within the ground is
things thy heart with what minde thou prayest hearest more by thee then thou knowest by thy selfe Thou mayst walke in a cloud before men thou canst not before God Beware the hypocrite Vse 5. God is of infinit knowledge and power feare him Thou art asrayd to offend or provoke or iest at a wise man that is skilfull in the law but with a simple man thou art bold And darest thou provoke God whose wisedome is infinit And also his Iustice and power This is Atheisme For didst thou thinke there were a God and that he were wise and iust and able to plague thee thou durst not offend him Will a man keepe a seruant who alwayes angers his Master and laugheth him to scorne So shalt thou be turned into hell if thou darest dispise our infinit God or his word VERSE 36. For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen THis verse is a proofe of the infinite wisedome of God and that being most sufficient to in himselfe he needes not the counsell nor the guifts of any creature but giues all things to all whereby they are and are susteined and ordaynes all things to and for himselfe In these words are two things 1. A proposition All things are of God and through God and to God 2. An amplification To whom be glorie for euer Amen The Ancients from hence proue the Trinitie applying the three propositions to the three persons and it is likely that from hence that Antient depologie had originall which we vse in our liturgy Which Ierom Hier. ep ad Damasum desired to be sayd in all Churches at the end of euery psalme Basil reports Basilius lib. de spi sanct ca. 7.27.29 it as a forme of thanksgiuing to haue bene in vse from the time of the Apostles vnto the which for the more confutation of the Arrians and Macedonians was added by the Counsell of Nice that other versute As it was in the beginning is now and euer shall be world without end Amen Cassianus who liued in Chrysostomes dayes reports Cassianus Monasti Institut lib. 2. qui est de canon Noctur orat et psal mod cap. 8. that it was an auntient custome in the East Churches for that prayer as he cals it to be sayd at the end of the psalme by him that sung the psalme with the silēce of the people but in the West Churches that the people standing vp did vsually with a loud voice repeat the same Which I thought good to shew that it might appeare that this vse in our liturgie is from sound antiquitie and vniuersall prescript of the East and Westerne Church All things are of him as of the Creator and giuer all things of nature and grace all good things not sinne but as it hath entity For sinne is not a thing seperate hauing a being and existence by it selfe as the creature but it is in the creature and a priuation and therefore though the Creature which is euill is from God as from the cause yet the euilnesse and sinne of the creature is not Through him preferring all things in their estate To him to be referred to him that is to his glory as to their chiefe end This proposition is amplified with a comprecation To whom be glory for euer Amen Wherein we haue 1. The thing glory 2. The subiect to whom it is giuen God 3. The duration for euer 4. The affection with which it is giuen testifyed in this word Amen This word Amen is Hebrew growne familiar in all languages it comes of a root that signifies beleife It was vsed of auntient time in the end of prayers Our Sauiour so concludes that diuine forme of prayer which he taught his Apostles Deut. 27.15 seq Nehe. 8.6 1 Cor. 14 16. It was the wont of the people in auntient times to answere Amen at the end of prayers and prayses so loud that it was a noise like thunder which may reproue our fashion arguing great coldnes who some one man excepted qui supplet locum idiotae can scarse be heard to pronounce the same Hieron in prol lib. 2. in Ep. ad Galat. Tertullian Tertul. lib. de spectac prope sinem vseth this as an argument why it should not be lawfull for a Christian to applaud Idolatrous plaies because it is not fit to honour such things with that mouth which hath said Amen in the seruice of God This word may be taken three wayes 1 as a Nowne 2 as a Verbe 3 as an Aduerbe As a Nowne so is it a name of Christ Reuel 3.14 As an Aduerb so is it vsed eyther in the beginning of our speech for confirmation of that which is to be sayd signifiing verily as our Sauiour often vsed it or in the end of our spech as in prayer wherein we aske something of God and then as the speaking of it notes our consent to that which is craued so the substantiall meaning is to shew our faith in beleeuing to receiue that which wee haue prayed for where vppon some haue said that this one word is more excellent then the prayer it selfe as our faith is more excellent then our desire and yet I see not but that faith it selfe is expressely conteined in the prayer otherwise how could we say Our Father Porf in exporat Dom. as a verbe and so it is as much as So be it hauing the nature of a prayer being in this sense principally to be vnderstood at the end of prayses and thankesg uings as in this place noting an affectionate desire that God may be glorified doctrine God is of all his creatures specially of his Church to be praysed and glorified so Psalm 92.1.2 and 95.2 and 96. through the whole Psalme so Psal 148. and 150. So Christ concludeth his prayer For thine is the Kingdome Power and Glory So Paul often Ephes 3.20.21 c. Vse 1. Thy being and preseruation is from God and he hath appointed thee to glorifie him Glorifie him then in thy bodie and soule by a sober and holy carriage and as thou hast receiued thy nature from him so seeke grace also from his hands from whom all good gifts doe descend otherwise the oxe and asse are as neere heauen as thy selfe Vse 2. Glorie not in thy selfe nor in any good thing thou hast for thou hast receiued it from him who though hee hath granted thee the vse yet reserues the glorie for himselfe Art thou rich beautifull these are his gifts Art thou holy it is the Spirit that sanctifieth Art thou wise and eloquent It is God who giueth wisdome to the heart and vtterance to the mouth If thou wert equall to Eliah Paul Apollos thou mightest not be proud but must giue the glory to God As the commendation of the brightnesse of the Sun-beame is not to be ascribed to the wall on which it strikes nor the words of wisdome to the teeth and lips of the speaker nor the fairenesse of the picture to the pencill so nor the praise of any good thing to vs in as much as it is from God as the Author and we but the instruments of the same Vse 3. Glorifie Gods name The first grace which Christ teacheth vs to begge of God is this and it ought to bee the chiefest ayme of our whole life We ought to preferre the glorie of God before our liues yea before the saluation of our soules much more ought wee so to institute and lead our liues that God may be honored by vs. God hath endued thee with life and many good gifts what glory hast thou brought to God or his Gospell If none it had beene better thou hadest not beene borne Be you carefull hereof you professors of the Gospell It is your profession Be ware you commit nothing which may cause God or his Gospell to be blasphemed If you should be couetous proud c. as other men it were as if the Sunne should be darkened and the Moone withdraw her light Euery little aberration in a professor is noted Euen as though a thousand of the lesser starres bee eclypsed none takes knowledge of it but if the Sunne be eclypsed euery man speakes of it So that which is not accounted of in a profane man from whom no goodnesse is expected is intollerable in you whose calling it is to set forth the prayses of God Be you affected with the glorie of your heauenly father as his true and deare children and be you sensible of the dishonor which is offred to his name Put on the affections of Phinees Dauid Eliah and of that holy woman who died for sorrow because of the dishonour which came to God and his Arke 1. Sam. 4.21.22 It was good Hezekiah his sault not to render according to that which he receiued 2. Chro. 32.25 for which God was angry and punished it See that thy praises be proportionable to the causes God giues thee of praysing him It is a signe of emptinesse of grace to be a niggard of our prayses to God who is our Creator Preseruer Redeemer Account no time long enough for this exercise I mitate the Nightingale who spends the night in praysing the Creator as if the day were not sufficient Let thy heart thy tongue thy life prayse God It is hee who hath giuen thee life health food rayment yea his owne Sonne and holy Spirit To him therefore that is to the Father the Son and the holy Ghost one God and three Persons be all glory for euer Amen FINIS