apparell 49 51 Whooredome and the dangers thereof 54 Excuses of whooredome 56 The fearefull effects of whooredome 60 The punishment of whooredome 56 57 The causes of whooredome 63 Remedies against whooredome 67 Couetousnesse what ibid. Couetousnesse wherein it doth consist 68 Foure notes to discerne the inward couetousnesse of the heart by 69 The euill effects of couetousnesse 71 The vanitie of this world and all worldly things 76 Excuses of couetousnesse 90 Remedies against couetousnesse 97 Gods prouidence for his children in the things of this life 98 For the things of this life Gods blessing is all in all 104 Outward meanes alone do not vphold vs. ibid. 105 Gods children sometimes are brought to great distresse 108 Gods children alwaies sure to be deliuered out of trouble 113 The great priuiledges of Gods children 116 Contempt of the Gospell a grieuous sinne 120 Contempt of the Gospell punished 121 Contempt of the Gospell the sinne of this age 122 Contempt of the Gospell a foresigne of wrath to the Land 130 Swearing and the punishments thereof 138 Excuses for swearing 146 Causes of swearing 149 Remedies against swearing ibid. Lying flattering and dissembling 150 Punishments for lying 158. 159 Excuses of lying 160 Causes of lying 161 Remedies against lying ibid. Drunkennesse and all the euill effects thereof 163 Excuses of drunkennesse 167 Causes of drunkennesse 167 Remedies for drunkennesse 168 Idlenesse and the wofull effects thereof 174 Causes of Idlenesse 179 Remedies against Idlenesse 179 Oppression a most horrible sinne 180 Many woes denounced against oppressours 181 Sundry kinds of Oppression 182. 183 Causes of Oppression 197 Remedies of Oppression 197 Sinne hurteth men in their bodies goods and name ibid. Sinne bringeth great danger to the whole Land 205 Nine predictions of wrath to the Land 210 The praiers and teares of the faithfull keepe backe the wrath of God from the Land 213 Praiers of the elect of great force 214 The wicked fare the better for Gods children 220 The best course to preuent Gods iudgements and to keepe backe his wrath from our Land 224 Tenne speciall things concerning the continuance of our peace 230 Nine signes of a found soule 232 Saint Peters eight markes of saluation ibid. Seuen infallible tokens of saluation 223 Assurance of saluation in this life prooued 352 Obiections against the assurance of saluation answered 237. The ground-worke of our saluation 241 Some doubts may stand with the assurance of faith 242 It is no presumption to bee perswaded of our saluation 244 The wicked cannot be assured of their saluation 245 The security of saluation which the wicked bragge of is vaine 247 Nine things required of all that shall be saued by Christ 250 Many say they hope to be saued by Christ but few can giue a reason why Christ died for them particularly and by name 252 Few shall be saued proued by scriptures reasons and examples 256 But few euen in the visible Church shall be saued 262 Obiections against the small number of the elect answered 263 Obiections of Atheists and vnbeleeuers answered 264 Reading of the Scriptures much commended 272 Deferring of repentance dangerous 277 God no authour of mans condemnation but himselfe 278 Obiections against predestination answered 279. 280 Gods decree no cause of Adams fall 283 The decree of reprobation prooued 284 Prescience in God what 285 The decree of election prooued 286 The first mouiue of election is in God himselfe 287 Fore-seene faith and fore-seene works no motiues of saluation ibid. Faith dependeth vpon election not election vpon faith 288 A reason yeelded why there is no end of cauilling and obiecting against the truth 292 Nine barres out of heauen 293 Nine gates into hell 294 The ignorance of the world 301 The answers of ignorant men to the grounds of religion 319 The meanes to get out of ignorance 322 Ignorance a most dangerous thing 323. 324 The charge of Ministers exceeding waightie and most carefully to be looked vnto 328 What is the best course for Ministers to take to bring the people out of ignorance 331 What is the best course for the people to take that they may be brought out of the bondage of sinne and captiuitie of Satan 333 Preaching a matter of absolute necessitie vnto eternal life 337 Without preaching the people are in great danger of losing their soules 336 Sathans cunning in frustrating the hearing of the Word and making all preaching vtterly vnprofitable 339 The Preachers counsell to the ignorant man 341 Six great dangers in sinne 342 Six most fearefull euents of sinne 343 God in all ages hath seuerely punished the transgressers of his law 344 Euery sinne though neuer so little in our eies is hainous and capitall because it is against a person of infinite maiestie 346 Nine profitable considerations 346 If men would leaue words and fall to doing great good would come of it 348 Nine things much to be thought vpon 350 The description of Christs comming to iudgement 351 The terror the suddennesse the end the maner and the vse of Christs second comming described 352 353 The torments of hell with the extremitie perpetuitie and remedilesnesse thereof described 361 The ignorant man vpon the hearing of the day of iudgment and hell fire laide open is pricked in his conscience bewaileth his former life repenteth earnestly for his sinne and ignorance and desireth spirituall Physicke and comfort of the Preacher 374 The Preacher ministreth vnto him much spiritual comfort and doth in ample manner laie open vnto him all the sweete promises of the Gospell and the infinite mercy of God in Christ to all true penitent and broken hearted sinners 375 The ignorant man being afflicted in his conscience is exceedingly comforted with the hearing of Gods abundant mercy preached vnto him and thereupon doth gather great inward peace conuerteth vnto God with all his heart and doth exceedingly blesse God for the Preachers counsell 391 FINIS A Morning prayer to be vsed in priuate families O Lord our God and heauenlie Father we thy vnwoorthy children doe heere come into thy most holy and heauenly presence to giue thee praise and glory for all thy great mercies and manifold blessings towards vs especially for that thou hast preserued vs this night past from all the dangers and feares thereof hast giuen vs quiet rest to our bodies and brought vs now safely to the beginning of this day dost now afresh renew all thy mercies vpon vs as the Eagle reneweth her bill giuing vs all things abundantly to enioy as foode raiment health peace libertie and freedome from many miseries diseases casualties and calamities which we are subiect vnto in this life euery minute of an houre and not onely so but also for vouchsafeing vnto vs many good things not onely for necessitie but euen for delight also But aboue all deare Father we praise thy name for the blessings of a better life specially for thy most holy word and sacraments and all the good we enioy thereby for the continuance
his son That he would condemne others for sinne Antile But how doe you prooue the decree of reprobation to wit That God hath determined the destruction of thousands before the world was Theol. The Scripture calleth the reprobates The vessels of wrath prepared to destruction The Scripture sayth God hath not appointed vs vnto wrath Therefore it followeth that some are appointed vnto wrath The Scripture sayth of the reprobates That they were euen ordeined to stumble at the Word The Scripture sayth They were of olde ordeined to this condemnation Antile But how answer you this God willeth not the death of a sinner Therefore hee hath predestinate none to destruction Theol. God willeth not the death of a sinner simply and absolutely as it is the destruction of his creature but as it is a meane to declare his iustice and to set forth his glory Antile God did foresee and foreknow that the wicked would perish through their owne sinne but yet he did not predestinate them vnto it Theol. Gods prescience and foreknowledge cannot be separated from his decrée For whatsoeuer God hath foreséene foreknowen in his eternall counsell he hath determined the same shall come to passe For as it apperteineth to his wisdom to foreknow and foresée all things so doth it apperteine to his power to moderate and rule all things according to his will Antil What do you call prescience in God Theol. Presence in God is that whereby all things abide present before his eies so that to his eternall knowledge nothing is past nothing to come but all things are alwaies present And so are they present that they are not as conceiued imaginations formes and motions but all things are alwaies so present before God that he doth behold them in their verity and perfection Antil How can God iustly determine of mens destruction before they haue sinned Theol. This obiection hath béene answered in part before For I told you that God condemneth none but for sinne either originall only or else both original and actual For howsoeuer hée doth in himselfe before all time determine the reprobation of many yet he procéedeth to no execution till there be found in vs both iust deserts and apparant cause Therefore they deale vnsoundly and foolishly which confound the decrée of reprobation with damnation it selfe sith sinne is the cause of the one and onely the will of God of the other Phila. Well Sir sith we are so farre proceeded in this question by the occasion of this mans obiections and cauils I pray you now as you haue spoken much of reprobation and the causes thereof so let vs heare somewhat of election and the causes thereof and shew vs out of the Scriptures that God hath before all worlds chosen some to eternall life Theol. Touching the decrée of Election there are almost none that make any doubt thereof therefore small proofe shall serue for this point Onely I will confirme it by one or two testimonies out of the holy Scriptures First the Apostle saith Blessed be God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in Heauenly things in Christ as hee hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue You sée the words are very plaine and pregnant for this purpose An other confirmation is taken out of the 8. Chap. to the Romanes in these words Those whom he knew before did he also predestinate to be like to the image of his own Sonne that he might be the first borne of many brethren Phila. Which be the causes of Election Theol. The causes of Election are to be found onely in God himselfe For his eternall election dependeth neither vpon man neither yet vpon any thing that is in man but is purposed in himselfe and established in Christ in whom we are Elected This is fully prooued in these words Who hath predestinated vs to bee adopted through Iesus Christ in himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of his glory wherewith he hath made vs freely accepted in his beloued Where wée see the apostle telleth vs that his frée grace and the good pleasure of his will are the first motiues or moouing causes of our Election Phila. But the Papists fetch the first motiue of election out of mans merits and fore-seene works For say they God did fore-see who would repent beleeue and doe well and therefore he made choise of them Theol. But they are greatly deceiued For I say againe and againe that there was nothing in vs which did euer mooue God to set his loue vpon vs and to choose vs vnto life but he euer found the originall cause in himselfe As it is written Hee will haue mercy vpon whom he will haue mercy and whom hee will hee hardneth And againe It is neither in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie The Lord himselfe also testifieth that hée did choose his people not for any respect in them but onely because hée loued them and bare a speciall fauour vnto them So then it is a certaine truth that Gods eternall predestination excludeth all merits of man and all power of his will thereby to attaine vnto eternall life and that his frée mercy and vndeserued fauour is both the beginning the middest and the end of our saluation That is to say all is of him and nothing of our selues Phila. Whether then doth faith depend vpon election or election vpon faith That is whether did God choose vs because we doe beleeue or whether doe we beleeue because we are chosen Theol. Out of all doubt both faith and all fruits of faith doe depend vpon election For therefore we beléeue because we are elected and not therfore elected because we beléeue As it is written So many as were ordained to euerlasting life beleeued Antil If men be predestinate before they be borne to what purpose serue all precepts admonitions lawes c It forceth not how we liue For neither our godly or vngodly life can alter the purpose of God Theo. This is a very wicked and carnall obiection and sheweth a vile and dissolute minde in them that vse it But I would wish such men to consider the end of our election which is that we should lead a godly life As it is plainely set downe in the first to the Ephesians where the Apostle saith God hath chosen vs before the foundation of the world But to what end that we should line as we lift No no saith he But that we should be holy and vnblameable before him Againe he saith We are perdestinate to bee made like the image of his Sonne that is to be holy and righteous For most certaine it is that we can iudge nothing of predestination but by the consequents that is by our calling iustification and sanctification
could I haue done more to my vineyard that I haue not done vnto it But to come néerer to your question I denie that God hath created the most part of men onely and solely vnto perdition as the proper end which he did aime at in creating them but hée hath created all things for the praise of his glorie as it is written Hee hath created all things for himselfe and the wicked also for the euill day Then it followeth that the cause and end why the wicked were created neither was nor is the onely destruction of his creature but his owne praise and glorie that that onely might appeare and shine foorth in all his works Yet certeins it is that God for iust causes albeit vnknowen and hidde to vs hath reiected a great part of men The causes I say of reprobation are hid in the eternall counsell of God and knowen to his godly wisdome only They are secret and hid from vs reserued in his eternall wisdome to be reuealed at the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus His iudgements saith the Scripture are as a great deepe and his wayes past finding out It is as possible for vs to comprehend the Ocean sea in a little dish as to comprehend the reason of Gods counsell in this behalfe Antile What reason iustice or equitie is there that sentence of death should be passed vpon men before they be borne and before they haue done good or euill Theol. I tolde you before that we can neuer comprehend the reason of Gods procéeding in this behalfe yet we must know that his will is the rule of righteousnesse and must be vnto vs in stead of a thousand reasons For whatsoeuer God willeth in as much as hée willeth it is to be holden iust We cannot conceiue the reason of many naturall things and things subiect to sense as the motion of the celestiall bodies their vnconceiueable swiftnesse their matter and substance their magnitude altitude and latitude We can not thorowly finde out the causes of the thunder lightning windes earth-quakes ebbing and flowing of the sea and many other things vnder the Sunne how then can we possibly ascend vp into the priuy chamber and counsell-house of God to sift and search out the bottome of Gods secrets which no wit or reach of man can any way attaine vnto Let vs therefore learne in Gods feare to reuerence that which we can not in this life comprehend This one thing I must say vnto you that whatsoeuer God decréeth yet doth he execute no man till he haue ten thousand times deserued it For betwixt the decrée and the execution thereof commeth sinne in vs and most iust causes of condemnation Antil If God haue decreed mens destruction what can they do withall who can resist his will why then is he angrie with vs For all things must needs come to passe according to his decree and determination Theol. First I answer you with the Apostle O man who art thou which pleadest against God! Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made mee thus Hath not the Potter power of the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour and another to dishonour Moreouer I answer That Gods decrée doth not enforce the will of man but it worketh and mooueth of it selfe It hath in it selfe the beginning of euill motion and sinneth willingly Therefore though the decrée of God imposeth a necessitie vpon all secondarie causes so as they must néeds be framed and disposed according to the same yet no coaction or constraint for they are all carried with their voluntarie motion Euen as we sée the plumbe of a clocke being the first moouer doth cause all the other whéeles to mooue but not to mooue this way or that way for in that they mooue some one way and some another it is of themselues I meane of their owne frame So Gods decrée doth mooue all secondarie causes but not take away their owne proper motion For God is the authour of euerie action but not of any euill in any action As the soule of man is the originall cause of all motion in man as the Philosophers dispute but yet not of lame and impotent motion for that is from another cause to wit some defect in the bodie So I say Gods decrée is the root and first cause of motion but not of defectiue motion That is from our selues Likewise that a bell soundeth the cause is in him that ringeth it but that it iarreth the cause is in it selfe Againe that an instrument soundeth is in him that plaieth vpon it but that it iarreth is in it selfe that is in it owne want of tuning So then to shut vp this point all instruments and middle causes are so mooued of God being the first moouer that he alwayes doth well holily and iustly in his moouing But the instruments mooued are caried in contrary motions according to their owne nature and frame If they be good they are caried vnto that which is good but if they be euill they are caried vnto euill So that according to the double beginning of motion and will there is a double and diuers worke and effect Antile But from whence commeth it that man of himselfe that is of his owne free motion doth will that which is euill Theol. From the fall of Adam whereby his will was corrupted Antile What was the cause of Adams fall Theol. The Diuell and the deprauation of his owne will Antil How could his will encline vnto euill it being made good and he being made good Theol. He and his will were made good yet mutably good For to be immutably good is proper only to God And Adam did so stand that he might fall as the euent declared Antile Was not the decree of God the cause of Adams fall Theol. No but the voluntarie inclination of his will vnto euill For Adams will was neither forced nor by any violence of Gods purpose compelled to consent but he of frée will and ready minde left God and ioined with the Diuell Thus then I do determine that Adam sinned necessarily if you respect the decree or euent but if you respect the first moouer and inherent cause which was his owne will then he sinned voluntarily and contingently For the decree of God did not take away his will or the contingencie thereof but only order and dispose it Therefore as a learned writer sayth Volens peccauit motu He sinned willingly and of his owne motion And therefore no euill is to be attributed vnto God or his decree Antile How then do you conceiue and consider of the purpose of God in all these things Theol. Thus That God decreed with himselfe vno actu at once That there should be a world That Adam should be created perfect That he should fall of himselfe That all should fall with him That he would saue some of the lost race That he would do it of mercy through