Saint Augustine Haec est perfectio christianorum vt agnoscant se nunquám esse perfectos Herein stands the perfection of a Christian to acknowledge himselfe neuer to bee perfect The Conclusion Now it remaineth as was promised in the beginning to show the mutuall coherence of these words and to knitte vp againe the Linckes of this Cheine together HEre in foure words are contained the foure causes of our Saluation Jn Predestination there is the efficient cause which is Gods loue Jn Calling there is the materiall cause which is Christs death opened in his word in Iustifying there is the formall cause a liuely faith in Glorifying there is the final cause which is euerlasting life Thus in Predestination wee behould God the Father chosing of his loue in Calling we heare God the Sonne teaching by his word in Iustifying wee feele the comfort of God the holy Ghost sealing by his spirit The fruite of all which of Gods loue chosing of Christs word Calling of God the Holy Ghost comforting the effect of all these is our Glorification So that as we do see farre with our bodely eye yet reach farther with reason which is the eye of the mind but Faith which is the eye of the soule out strippeth both So Calling enlighteneth the minde with spirituall knowledge Iustifying goeth further and sealeth vp the heart with heauenly comfort Glorifying out-strippeth all and doth rauish the soule with immortalitie Bernard Euerie one of vs after this life wee desire and hope to enioy eternall Glorie Behould Conceditur in Predestinatione promittitur in vocatione ostenditur in Iustificatione percipitur in Glorificatione Jn Predestination there is the first grant in Calling it is directly promised in Iustifying it is plainely shewed in Glorifying there is liuerie and season the full possession of all Jn Predestination GOD bestoweth vpon vs his loue in Calling hee granteth the blessing of his word in Iustifying he yeeldes the fruite of his spirit in Glorifying he doth wholy giue vnto vs himselfe Here are the sweete springes issuing out of Nilus the head whereof cannot bee founde here are the foure pleasant riuers which water Paradise which runne through the Soule with a Diuine vertue and comfortably coole all our spirituall heat Iohn 1 16. Here is the holy and pretious oyle powred vpon the heade of Aron the exceeding loue and fulnesse of grace powred vpon our head Christ Jesus and running downe to the skirtes of his clothing to euery particuler and penitent member of his Church Of his fulnesse haue all wee receiued Gen. 1. Here we may see the spirituall regeneration of the Soule shadowed out in the first creation of the World In Predestination there is the huge and vast deepe the darke forme whereof could not bee discerned in Calling the separating of light from darkenesse of knowledge from ignorance in the Soule in Iustifying the Sunne is created the bright beames of his grace shine in our hearts in Glorifying we may behould the new Adam framed after the Jmage of God and placed in the paradise of immortall ioy Obserue heere if you please the kindnes of a louing Father who hauing many sonnes beareth secret affection to some one there is Predestination this affection in his good time hee declareth by making his will knowen and his loue manifest there is Calling after this Calling he causeth him to take vp his inheritaÌ„ce in Court giueth him earnest in token of assurance there is Iustifying lastly hee enters into his Fathers ioy and is made heire of all there is Glorifying Againe in Predestination the Heauenly husband-man choseth out a plotte of ground at his owne pleasure in Calling hee soweth it with the seede of his word in Iustifying hee waters and cherisheth it with his spirite in Glorifiinge hee reapes and carrieth into the barne Gen. 45 5. Lastly behould apparantly in Predestination howe Ioseph longe before was sould into Egipt by the determinate Counsell of GOD Gen 41.14 by Calling howe hee was loosed out of prison and deliuered from the bondage of sinne Psal 105.19 by Iustifyinge howe his cause was made knowne and so acquitted innocent Gen 41 42. in Glorifyinge howe hee was clothed in Purple placed in the Kings Chariote and made the cheife of his Kingdome Now then as Saint Paule saith to the Romanes What shall we say to these thinges in like sort what shall wee say to these so excellent so sweete so Diuine misteries to these so comfortable testimonies of Gods loue to this Ladder of Iacobs whereupon none but Angels do ascende to this inwarde working of the Spirite which bloweth where it listeth to this Diuine and hidden purpose which cannot bee deceiued to this in-effable glorie of the Sonnes of God which they doe expect and looke for what shall wee say more effectuall and more comfortable Can any thing bee set downe more plainely or knitte vp more breifely can any demonstration bee concluded more foundly Whome the Lord hath Predestinated before all time those doth he Call in time whome hee Calleth those hee doth Iustifie and whome hee Iustifieth those will hee Glorifie Thus then may euerie true Christian conclude for the comfort of his Soule and the assurance of his Saluation for euer J am Iustified truely by a liuely and working Faith therefore J am Called J am Called effectually by his worde therefore J am Predestinate J am Predestinate and choosen of his free loue from eternitie and therefore J shall bee Glorified vnto all eternitie againe O setled comfort O sweete conceiued hope of ioye That ioy which strength of Hels ten thâ—usand can neuer take away Wherefore should we feare whereof shall wee bee afraide No no force so mightie so puissant able to ouerthrowe vs. No terror of sinne no plagues of death no rage of the World no power of the Diuell himselfe Jn all these wee are more then Conquerers For all thinges shall turne to the best to to them that are setled in GODS feare That wicked and most dangerous conspiracie plotted against the Lords annointed when it came to the verie pinch when it was brought to the verie height was not all turned topsie-turuie and vtterly disappointed This daye wee doe acknowledge it with thankefull remembraunce this daye wherein wee are all mette together in a most happie and blessed peace this day doth plainely witnesse that hee had the deliuerance wee feele the comfort the Church hath an endelesse blessinge and GOD hath his euerlasting praises O behould what it is to bee knit vnto God For whome hee doth loue who is able to wronge them whome he hath chosen howe can they be reiected whom hee doth Call howe shall they bee shutte out Whome hee doth Iustifie who dare accuse them Whome God will Glorifie howe can they bee forsaken Seeing my Soule is lincked to that Cheine which can neuer be vnloosed my soule grounded vpon that foundation which can neuer be shaken what shall make vs to despaire nay what is it shall make vs to wauer or doubt of the singular loue of God which hee beareth towardes vs in his sonne Christ Jesus What shall separate vs from the hope of immortalitie in the life to come shall the wearisomnesse of this trouble some life shall the discontentmentes of this transitorie World shal a little sickenesse shaking this brittle house of clay No all the afflictions of this life which are but for a moment they are not to be accounted worthy that exceeding surpassing eternall weight of glorie For God hath chosen vs before the World he hath Called vs out of the World he hath Iustified vs in the World and he will Glorifie vs in the World to come God hath Chosen vs not being hee hath Called vs being enemies he hath Iustified vs being sinners he will Glorifie vs being mortall wretches Therefore wee may cheerefully singe with Dauid Miserecordia Domini ab aeterno in aeternum The mercy of the Lord is from euerlasting to euerlasting From euerlasting Predestination to euerlacting Glorie the one hauing no ending the other hauing no beginning This blessed fruition of glorie and immortalitie that wee may feele the comfort of it in our harts and consciences now in this life and hereafter enioy in the life to come the Lord grant euen for his blessed sonne Christ Jesus sake to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost three persons and one euerliuing God be ascribed all power glorie praise and thankes-giuing for euer and euer Amen FINIS
a non you cry out of the immortall Gods imputing to them the cause of your miseries when indeede your selues are the workers of your owne woe Perditio tua ex te O Israell thou hast fallen by thine own iniquitie Stigias vltrò quaerimus vndas Hos 14 2 Like the Ostrige we do pricke our selues with our owne feathers and we our selues do cause the Shippe to leake where we saile Onely lo this haue I found that God hath made man righteous but they haue sought out many inuentiōs Quare peccas quia nescis c. Eccles 7 31. How comes it to passe saith S. Aug. that thou dost sin because thou art ignorāt it is not so why dost thou sin because thou art cōpelled there is no such matter why dost thou sin because it pleaseth it delighteth thy wicked and corrupted nature Pro. 29.6 In the transgression of a man is his snare Of our owne accorde we run wilfully into the dead-fall of sinne so is it in the 9. Psal and 16 ver The vngodly is trapped how not by God but by the workes of his owne hands The Lord our God is good holy and onely holy so holy that as Iob saith the Angels are vncleane in his sight so pure that his Ministers the Cherubins are of fier most cleare and yet the Cherubins and Ceraphins do couer their faces with their wings as not able to behold the perfect brightnesse of his most pure and vndefiled Maiestie Isa 6.2 Therefore although no action can be done without God and that his power is so in all things that we cannot so much as lift vp our finger without him For in him we liue and moue and haue all our being Yet is not God the cause of any sin Act. 17.28 Gre Naz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We cannot fasten the least touch of any euill vpon God But so it stands Vna eademque actio tribuitur causae principali instrumentali In one and the selfe-same action there is a double cause First the instrumentall cause mouing then God separated from the instrument yet giuing power of motion to the same Through this double cause of mouing there is a double worke which vnto vs seemeth to be but one For example God as appeareth in the 2. of the Acts and the 23. ver by his determinate counsell and fore knowledge deliuered vp our Sauiour Christ as the principall cause Iudas as the instrumentall cause yet neither is God to be drawne in as a partie in Iudas fault nor Iudas to be excused as furthering the worke of God For God neuer commanded Iudas to deliuer vp Christ nor Iudas in deliuering him had any such intention as to do God seruice in the execution of his will Deus ag it per malos non in malis The wicked are the instruments of God Yet not God the cause of their wickednes God is the cause of the action but not of the euill or qualitie in the action For example A man trauaileth his horse by the way hee is the cause of his going but if his horse halt or haue an ill pace he is not the cause of his ill going A cunning man striketh an instrument with his fingers he is the cause of the sound but if the Instrument be bad or the strings not well chosen he is not the cause of the ill sound The Iron rusteth thou wilt not wite it vpon the Smith Wine sowreth the fault is not in the vintner In the heauens there is a double motion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristoxenus in lib de foram ni bus tibiarum The fixed Starres and the whole Globe of all is carried about with one Sphere and with one motion yet the Planets in themselues haue a wandring and vncertaine course The like we may vsually behould in euerie clocke The greatest and highest wheele moueth and carieth about all the rest yet in this motion some wheeles turne to the right hand others to the left and that by a contrarie course So then it fareth thus with the wicked As hee that hath an euill and corrupted stomake if hee do eate honie it turneth into gall or as if a mans hand be out of ioynte when hee would mooue it one way it turnes an other so wicked and godlesse men whereas the light of nature Gods Spirit and his word leadeth them one way their owne vile inclination their owne concupiscence leadeth them an other Now then what shall we lay is there vnrighteousnes with God doth hee cause vs to commit sin No God forbid wickednesse should be in God or iniquitie in the Almightie Iob 34 10. But as it is said before Euerie man is drawne away by his owne concupiscence and is entised lust when it hath conceiued bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death Iam. 1 14 Hauing hitherto freed God from all imputation of euill by shewing from whence sinne comes and that God is not the Author of it We do here meete with the Pelagian Heretike who not able to vntie this knotte affirmes that the wicked are reiected for the sins which God foresaw they would cōmit so cōtrariwise the godly preuenting the grace of God by their merits are predestinated and chosen through faith and good workes which God fore-sawe they should doe Making Gods eternall election to depend vpon our faith and vpon our workes whereas cleane contrarie our faith our good workes and all the good that is in vs doth wholy depend vpon Gods free election Ephe. 14 Saint Paule saith directly God hath chosen vs in his sonne Christ before the foundation of the world was If in Christ Assuredly it appeares we were vnworthie in our selues and so Gods election is the cause of our good workes Et causa non est posterior suo effectu the cause it doth neuer follow the effect Pet Lomb The learned Schoole-man makes it plaine Non ideò electus est quis quià talis futurus erat sed ex tali electione talis est factus No man was euer chosen through faith and good workes which God fore-saw that hee should do but the faith and good workes which wee now do proceede from the eternall election which went before 2 Tim 1 9 This doth the Apostle verie plainely set downe God hath saued vs and called vs not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen to vs through Jesus Christ before the World was Calling Moreouer whom he Predestinated them also he Called AS from the maine Sea wee do strike into some chanell or riuer So from Predestination the great depth of Gods Counsell the Apostle commeth vnto Calling For whereas it hath beene shewed in opening the first point that God of his free mercie did choose some to life and others hath left vnto Perdition In this case if God should neuer Call men if he should neuer offer them grace it might seeme preiudiciall to his mercy
and though we did sinne yet it might be thoght our selues could not redresse it For this cause the Apostle commeth from Predestination to Calling that is from Gods determinate counsaile to the meanes which hee hath appointed for our saluation Plut de tranqui animi This Calling is two-fould either outward or inward The outward and generall Calling is by the workes of God and by his word First by his workes This world it is an Vniuersitie or a Colledge wherein there are two Lectures whereof euerie man liuing must be a hearer and a learner The first is the Philosophy lecture concerning Gods workes in the heauens and all his creatures by the which we are taught and dayly Called to know God This is a plaine and easie Lecture written in great Capitall Letters that euerie simple and ignorant man may reade it running The other is the Diuinity Lecture whē we are exēpted frō the first and led on further to know God in his word Both these Lectures they are expressed together in the 19. Ps Frō the 1. ve to the 7. is contained the Philosophy Lecture Psalm 19 1. The Heauēs declare the glory of god the firmamēt sheweth his handie worke Day vnto day vttereth the same and Night vnto night teacheth knowledge there is no speech nor language where their voice is not hard There sound is gone forth through al the earth and their words vnto the endes of the world In them hath he set a Tabernacle for the sunne which cōmeth forth as a bridegrome out of his Chamber reioyceth like a mightie man to run his race His going out is from the ende of the heauen and his compasse is vnto the ends of the same and none is hid from the heate thereof The Diuinitie lecture begins at the seuenth verse and continues to the 11. vers The Law of the Lord is an vnderfiled Law conuerting the soule the testimonie of the Lord is suer and giueth wisedome vnto the simple The statutes of the Lord are right and reioyce the heart The commandement of the Lord is pure and giueth light vnto the eyes The feare of the Lord is cleane and endureth for euer The iudgements of the Lord are truth and righteous altogether More to be desired then gould yea then much fine gould sweeter also then hony and the hony combe Moreouer by thē is thy seruant taught and in keeping of them there is great reward Touching the Philosophie lecture that we are all first Called to know God by his workes it is most apparant For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est Diuinitatis symbolum the world is the glasse of Gods Diuinitie The heathen philosopher saith Deus tangitur in operibus Iamblicus De misteriis God is euen touched in his workes He iumpeth with S Paule Act. 17.27 The heathē by groping might haue found him for doubtlesse hee is not farre from euerie one of vs. Act. 17 17. In the 143. Psalme and the 5. verse the holy Prophet saith thus Psal 143.5 I will muse vpon all thy workes and exercise my selfe in the workes of thy hands Jf a man will profit by this philosophie lecture he must vse meditation For indeede if a man doe rightly consider of the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea whereof no reason can be rendred of the certaine course and chang of the Moone with the secret influence of the same the nature of the winde no man knowing whence it commeth nor whether it goeth the hugenesse of the swelling Sea girt in by Gods commandement that it doth not ouerflow the banckes the raging Thunder which makes all the Beasts of the feilde to tremble the fearefull Lightning which in the twinckling of an eye passeth from East to West howe all things keepe their appointed course wherein they were created As we walke abroad in the feilds if we do behould and view the glorie of the Sunne and Moone the beautie of the Starres the sweete Dew distilling Showers greene Pastures pleasant Meddowes cleare Springs thicke Woodes gushing Fountaines the wonderfull increase of Corne Cattle and such like Who is he behoulding these things and seriously meditating vpō this Philosophie lecture but he must needes confesse that God doth Call him being so manifestly taught to know him in his workes And as God is thus seene and taught vnto all the heathen people by his workes in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the frame and composition of this great World so likewise God doth Call vs by his workes in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the little World of man Homo est caelisimulachrum interpres naturae Man he is the picture of the Heauens and the interpreter of Nature Concerning God we acknowledge him to be a spirit concerning the World we haue found it to be a bodie in Man we haue an abridgmēt of both namely of God in regard of his spirit of the World in the composition of the body as though the Creator vpon purpose to set forth a mirror of his workes intended to bring into this one little compasse of Man both the infinitenesse of his owne Nature and the hugenesse of the whole World together As in the World so in the bodie of Man there is a wonderfull mixture of the foure Elementes The Heart placed in the midest as the Earth our centre the Liuer like the Sea frō whence the liuely springs of bloud do flow the Vaines like riuers spredding themselues abroad vnto the vttermost members the Braine which giueth light and vnderstanding placed a loft like the Sunne the Senses set round about like starres for ornament the Countenance of man full of grace and Maiestie striking a terror into all Creatures Such and so wonderfull is God in his power that he is seene in the workemanship of the bodie But if man as it were out of himselfe could behold this bodie receiuing life and entring into the vse of all his motions Ioints mouing so actiuely Sinewes stirring so nimbly Senses vttering their force so sharpely The inward Powers so excellent the Spirit supernaturall Reason so Diuine the Mind Cogitation so quicke and infinite the Vnderstāding so Angelike the Soule aboue all Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the engrauen Jmage of the immortall God If man could enter into himselfe and consider rightly of this he must needes be driuen to confesse that God hath Called him by those workes which are most apparant in himselfe Therefore as Saint Paule soundly reasoneth in the 1. to the Romanes and the 20. verse No man can excuse himselfe Neither the Turkes who acknowledge Mahomet their great Prophet nor the Indians that worship the Sun Nor the Egiptians who offer sacrifice to all manner of beasts Neither they nor any other remote and barberous people that do worship strange Idols of their owne inuention none of these can excuse himselfe and say he is not Called because the inuisible things of God his eternall power and Godhead are seene by the creation of the