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A09319 The sinners safetie, if heere hee looke for assurance by Richard Barnerd ... Bernard, Richard, 1568-1641. 1609 (1609) STC 1963.3; ESTC S1489 43,261 108

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so liue eternally Amen Your calling and election sure Doctrine YOur calling that is which you haue tasted of by the ministry preaching of Gods word giue all diligence to make it sure see it be not vocall but effectuall not a calling to an externall profession but to an internall sanctification blossoming forth in good workes Make this sure but doe you aske how How to make our calling sure by good workes that is by knowing feeling and euer retaining such graces as are Gods good workes wrought in a man effectually called at the time of his conuersion The true knowledge of By knowledge the Lord Iesus is a worke of God in a mans conuersion Act. 9. 5. 18 who openeth the eies of the blinde turneth men Ier. 31. 33 from Satan to God from darknes to the light Act. 26. 18 True sight of sinne with humiliatiō for the same is an other Humiliatiō when certaine were conuerted they saw their sinnes confessed them left them Act. 2. 37. and. 19. 18. Faith in the Lord Iesus is an other the first grace of one truly standing in the state of grace for he is not by the word called effectually that beleeueth not faithfully for hearing bring● beleeuing and such as are Rom. 10 14 called of God beleeue in the sonne Ioh. 8. 30. Act. 8. 37 After this followeth a plyable hart to obey God the stony heart remoued in stead thereof God giueth a heart of flesh yielding subiection to God his word and spirit Eze. 36. 26. 27. This will make Paul going to persecute ignorant of Christ after one question made and answered Who art thou Lord I am Iesus whom thou persecutest Act. 9. in the next place to say Lord what wilt thou that I doe not making any more resistance This made Dauid ready to do any thing willingly at Gods bidding yea and it causeth vs humbly to condiscend to his good pleasure and say with Ezechias The word of the Lord is good with Ely It s the Lord let him do what seemeth him good and alwaies with Iesus Christ Father not my w●●●ut thy will be fulfilled Lastly the Vnion with Christ Lord worketh an vnion of hart spirit with other in Christ * ●er 32. 40 wherby it cōmeth to passe that we do conioine in one together one with another thus Act. 2 42 the church is set forth in that verse are 8 graces of the Church their constancy in this word they cōtinued in the next word The eight graces of the Church daily their seruencie with one acord their vnitie in the Temple their audacitie in other words following their charity familiarity alacrity sincerity vnto which by the voice of Christ they were called and wherewith we must be endued and therein continue else we cannot make our calling sure Vse Therfore such as remaine in blindnes such as are not humbled for sins neuer came to the sight of them neuer sorrowed or sought for pardon for thē but liue in their lusts loden themselues with iniquity such as giue not credyt to the word of God beleeue not his faithfull messengers such as be obstinate stubborne refusing the easie yoke of Christ or to draw with the godly therin but rather mocke at holy exercises raile on such as desire to please God endeuor to bring trouble vniustly vpon them these though they be come to externall bare profession yet sithen they are not come to reformation by their calling they cannot bee sure that they are saued they may liue in the Church but yet are none of it tares they be but none of the Lords wheat they are in that number of the many called but not of the fewe that shall bee saued they are like the guest comming in without his wedding garment whom the Lord one day will command to bee bound hand and foote and to be cast into vtter darkenes where is weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth Calling and election In the order of Exposition causes election is before vocation for therefore are we called because wee are elected Rom. 8. but in searching out our saluation according to the work wroght vpon vs and the same felt in vs calling must be before election so is it in iustification and sanctification that is before this if we note the cause and effect but this must wee finde in vs before the other for our owne assurance sanctified we be in our owne persons but iustified onely in Christs righteousnes Election is secret in God and by effectuall vocation knowne and reuealed to vs and the first sensible worke of GOD vpon vs touching soules safety God commeth forward beginning in and from himselfe to doe vs good wee to find this must goe backward from within our selues by sanctification to iustification by vocation to election and thence conclude our eternall saluation Therefore Esay 43. 1. is it that here the holy Ghost hath thus set downe the words and the like else where The wisedome of God doth nothing without iust cause he breaks not order as ignorant of order neither sets downe matter as mistaken but euer to teach vs from thence somewhat which by the help of Gods spirit we vnderstāding may further to saluation Doctrine From this order first wee learne how to make sure our election if wee haue made sure our vocation There is no doubt of the former where wee make certaine the latter and hee that cannot finde himselfe called cannot possibly be truly perswaded that he is one of the elect for he hath not the next and immediate worke of God following election going before iustification Vse Therfore to know our election watch for our Rom. 8. 30. calling follow the meanes the ministry and preaching of Gods word the ordinary means to bring men to Christ It pleaseth him by the foolishnes thereof to 1 Cor. 1. 21. Rom. 1. 16 saue them that beleeue It is the power of God to saluation where this is carelesly neglected such shall finde no other means to be saued and such as persecute it may feare iustly to be damned Sythen our election is made sure by our calling and our calling confirmed to vs as is said I neede not say more of this yet because the word affordeth vs more marks to settle our selues in better assurance a word thereof or two also Our election is further made sure by Markes of election other markes of the elect if we find them in vs they euer remain vpō vs which is to be sanctified 1. Pet. 1. 2 fruitfull in good things Ioh●● 16 sequestred from the world Ioh. 17. 6. 15. 19 a note which is notto be loued of the mē of the world perseuerance Ioh. 15. 16 following after Christ Ioh. 10. 28 without departing from him 1. Ioh. 2. 19 loue to the godly 1. Ioh. 3. 14 faith in Gods promises and a holy reuerence to Gods ordināces his word and sacraments and he that
hearts that they neuer depart from him Ier. 32. 40. Lastly we may establish our thoghts vpon the ground of a mans saluation The foundation of God remaineth sure his 2. Tim. 2 19. free mercie in Christ Iesus chusing some to euerlasting life no inducement in mā before we haue being our end is appointed nothing good foreseene in vs mouing God no way in vs is there cause at all of our happines but begun frō Gods free good pleasure and established in Christ out of whom wee may not suppose any least thing that may be beneficiall to worke mans saluation or to procure good to vs which is not freely giuen of God and obtained by Christ alone without any respect of vs at all Whence a penitent sinner may thus cōfortably reason Gods I was before I had my beeing in my beeing by corruption of nature hee found me his enemy yet did he not hate me but shewed his mercie vnto me he ordained me before the world that caused him in time to bring me into the world my sinnes did not hinder the passage of mercy because in Christ he would be satisfied for mee I will therefore surely conclude that God remaining one in mercie Christ Iesus alway wel-pleasing to his father the cause of my saluation beeing stil one and the same I will not doubt damnation for falles of infirmity when as Gods mercie and Christes merit preuented the same in mine obstinate standing in rebellion Thus by meditation may wee strengthen and settle our selues in assurance to be saued Praise the Lord. It pleaseth God to afford his childrē By diuine inspiration more in musing on heauenly comforts then when mens thoughts are bestowed vpon other things he aydeth them with his spirit who openeth our eies to see the secrets of the kingdome of God and to know the things that are giuen vs of God 1 Cor. 2. 12. Rom. 8. 10. who giueth testimony to our spirit that we are the children of God which witnes also is true and not lying as Iohn saith This is the spirit of adoption by which we are sealed and the earnest which he giueth when he taketh vs to be his Haue I then the spirit of Christ I am Christs and in him there is no cōdemnation Rom. 8. 1. Now least we be misled by Satans delusion and take it for the holy spirits inspiration By sanctification How to know the perswasion of Gos spirit from Sathans delusion see Rom. 〈◊〉 2. 5. 11. 15. 16. there is a third thing to be added that is sanctification For if we haue the spirit of God we are led by it wee walke not after the flesh but sauour the things of the spirit which quickneth our mortall bodies by it wee doe mortifie the deedes of the flesh by it we are without feare and dare come to God cry Abba father this spirit helpeth our infirmities in prayer it maketh request for vs with sighes that cannot be expressed This is the witnessing of Gods spirit with our spirit it is not a bare motion but a true perswasion from the effectuall graces which it worketh in vs causing vs to liue in newnesse of life This spirit witnesseth not to our spirit if it bee adulterous nor to our drunken spirit nor to our sweating lying blasphemous and rayling spirit nor to our prophane and mocking spirit if such we be that we are the sonnes of God no no for our conscience telleth vs that such are the sonnes of the Diuel and all perswasion of saluation is but Sathans deceiueable delusions to secure vs in sin The holie spirit will not say wee are coheires with Christ certaine of heauen whilst we walke on in wickednes hee teacheth in the scripture the contrarie and sheweth that there is no peace Esai 57. 21. Psal 9. 17. Mat. 25. to the wicked they shall go into hell and all the workers of in●quity Vse Therefore let vs not think otherwise but it is the spirit of Sathan and not the holy Ghost that worketh an imagination of any certaintie of sal●ation whilst wee liue vnsanctified in our thoughts vnchanged in our speech and vnreformed in our conuersation We see that assurnace may bee had by the foresaid meanes it must make vs striue by these means for it which if we obtaine O blessed are we saluation is come vnto vs the comfort of all comforts Through this assurāce thogh we fall we rise againe and doubt not of The benefits which arise vnto vs by hauing assurance mercie when we repent We ioy to heate of death because we are perswaded to be with Christ which is best of all we feare not man that onely can kill the bodie for that our soules are in safety This maketh vs desire to bee taken from hence and to be dissolued This maketh vs loue and long after the comming of the Lord Iesus saying how long Lord whē Lord O come Lord Iesus come quickly Reue. 6. 10. 22. 20. This to conclude freeth vs frō all dread of any euil that may befall vs from the rigour of the law it cānot condemne vs if it do Christ Iesus acquiteth vs frō terror of conscience it dare not accuse vs if it do Christ will speak for vs frō deaths sting dead stroke it hath not right to rule ouer vs if it do it s but a while Christ hath got the victory frō the fierce wrath of the Iudge in the last day when he shal be before vs Angels on one hand diuels on an other about vs the world burning in million● of thousāds conscience accusing crying out to the mountains to couer them hell gaping ready to deuoure all to whome Christ shall say Go ye cursed with the Diuell his angels Math. 25 But what terrour can this be to the penitent assured of life none at all The Diuels cannot daunt vs the repentant hath his pardon Angels will not disclaime vs they here haue waited vpon vs God will acknowledge vs we haue his spirit the assurance of his loue And can the Iudge Iesus Christ condemne vs who is our sauiour and hath by his death acquited vs Lastly we are freed from the horrour of hell where Diuels damned ghosts bee where paine is endless the place darknesse the persons punished with fire and brimstone remedilesse their noise is hydeous weeping and wayling for time lost and not recouerable howling lamentably crying for time present and paines intollerable they gnash with their teeth one vpon an other their conscience accusing cōntinually tormenting They languish with paine wishing to die but they shall remaine and euer bee though liueles●e that their torment may be endless Sithen assurance of saluation here deliuereth vs from the dread of these things what cause haue wee to vse all meanes to get so great and vnspeakable a good Oh let vs then meditate seriously pray for the spirit ardently and liue here conscionably that wee may bee therefore certaine of our saluation and