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B13585 The saints hope, and infalliblenes thereof. or Two sermons preached before the English companie at Middelb. about the moneth of October, 1608. Written by Mr. Iohne Forbes, at the earnest request of the hearers, and now published by them for the generall instruction and comfort of all Gods children Forbes, John, 1568?-1634. 1610 (1610) STC 11134; ESTC S115118 69,305 128

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knowledge of God in Christ is not and the kingdome of Christ is not erected in the heart in righteousnes peace and ioy of the holy Ghost there is no thanksgiuing proceeding from that heart that can bee acceptable to God No nothing that is done for his seruice can be acceptable vnto him Psal 116 1● For as wee haue alreadie said before out of the Psalmist and other Apostles I beleeved therefore did I speake 2. Cor. Cap. 4. vers 13. the speach to God or of God That which proceedeth not from faith shall neuer bee accepted of him Therefore is it that the Apostle biddeth vs that wee should abound in faith with thankesgiuing to informe vs that all true thankesgiuing must be accompanied with faith and flowe therefrom Thus much concerning this first point that is the Authour of this benefite of a lively hope Nowe followeth the second point touching the cause moouing God the Father in Christ to begett vs to his hope and that is his aboundant mercie In this point Mercie the only cause moouing God to cal vs. we haue twoo things to be marked The first is the cause it selfe moouing God to bring vs to his blessing which is his MERCIE The second is the qualitie of his mercie which mooveth him to graunt this blessing which standeth in the measure of it in that it is called his aboundant mercie As touching the first it plainly layeth downe before vs our owne miseries First in that we were such as had need to be pitied vpon whom the Lord should haue compassion as being in miserable cace and vnable to deliuer our selues from our miserie For where there is no helpe left but that which standeth in the mercie of our Iudge he also being our partie the case must needes be most miserable Nowe it is playne by the Apostle that if God had not had pittie and compassion on vs wee had neuer attained not so much as to any hope or esperance of eternall life seeing nothing els but his owne mercie and pitie did mooue him to call vs to this blessed hope which is most plainly set downe by the Apostle to the Ephesians Ephe. 2.3.4 in that hee maketh all men both Iewe and Gentile by nature to be the children of wrath and the cause of our calling regeneration and safetie from that wrath to bee the riches of Gods pitie and compassion and the aboundance of his love Secondly this setteth before vs the nature of our God that it is such as he himselfe proclaimed when hee made all his goods goe before Moyses and proclaimed the Name of the Lord before him saying The Lord the Lord stronge Exo. 34.6.7 mercifull and gracious slowe to anger and aboundant in goodnes and trueth reseruing mercie for thousandes forgiuing iniquitie and transgression and sinne c. Psal 116.5 Therefore it is that Dauid hauing tasted of the mercie and kindnes of the Lord doeth shewe foorth to the world the same Psal 3● 5 saying The Lord is mercifull and righteous and our God is full of compassion And againe Psal 34.8 He indureth but a whyle in his anger but in his favour is lyfe Weeping may abyde at euening but ioy commeth in the morning Also he inviteth the world to prooue how good the Lord is Saying Taste ye and see how gratious the Lord is And for this cause doth Dauid take occasion to praise the Lord and to resolve with him selfe to prayse him in the said 34. Psalme Psal 34. ● I will alway giue thankes vnto the Lord his prayse shal be in my mouth continuallie and doth inuite and wil all others to praise the Lord with him saying Prayse the Lord with mee Psal 3.4.3 and let vs magnifie his Name together And further hee doth resolue to reioyce and glory in the Lord in his mercie saying I wil be glad and reioyce in his mercie And againe My soule shall glory in the Lord. And also exhorteth the righteous and Saints to loue the Lord to reioyce in him because of his mercie saying in the 31. Psalme Loue the Lord all yee Saintes c. And the 32. Psalme and 11. verse Bee gladde yee righteous and reioyce in the Lord and bee ioyfull all yee that are vpright in heart And so in the beginning of the 33. Psalme and many other Psalmes The vse of this poynt is First to humble vs all before the Lord our God as beeing such who haue forfaited all felicitie that there is no hope of blessednes Gal. 3.22 nor lyfe left vs but in the mercie of God against whom wee haue sinned for all are included vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue Rom. 11.32 And God hath shut vp all in vnbeleefe that hee might haue mercie on all So that wee must all confesse with the Prophete Ier. lament 3. and 22. That it is the Lords mercie that we are not consumed And againe Isai 1.9 Except the Lord of Hoastes had reserued to him a small remnaunt wee should haue bene as Sodome and should haue bene like to Gomora For as the Apostle sayeth Rom. 3.9 and 23.24 All both Iewe and Gentile are vnder sinne there is none righteous no not one c. For all haue sinned and are deprived of the glorie of God and are iustified freelie by his grace Therefore let vs all learne to obey the exhortation and instruction given by God to vs by the mouth of his Prophete that is Micah 6.8 to humble our selues to walke with our God Iem 4.6.7.10 And as the Apostle saith Let vs submit our selues to God for hee resisteth the proude and giueth grace to the humble Let vs cast downe our selves before him and hee will lift vs vp Herevpon doth follow the seconde vse which is to conuince all them that put the cause of their saluation or hope of saluation either in the power of their free will or in the merite of their workes or any other thing whatsoeuer except in the mercy of God only For God witnessed of himselfe in the Prophete Esaie I euen I am hee that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake Esa cap. 43. vers 25. And the Apostle plainly testifieth that by grace wee are saued through faith Ephes cap. 2. vers 8. And least that any man should thinke that to beleeue were in his owne power and did proceed from himselfe therefore that his safetie were of himselfe the Apostle addeth and that not of our selues it is the gift of God And yet further to make it more cleare hee subioyneth that it is not of workes that we are saued And he giueth the reason twoofold First least any man should boast himselfe For as the Apostle in an other Epistle affirmeth All reioycing all gloriation of man in himselfe is excluded and that by the law of faith and not of workes Rom. 3.27 and 4.2 for if our
Iustice did come by our workes then had we wherein to reioyce and glorie And for this cause also is it that God doth choose the vyle things of this worlde the foolish and the weake 1. Cor. 27. to the end euen that no flesh should reioyce or glory in his presence for wee are that which wee are of him in Christ Iesus and not of our selves nor in our selves saith the Apostle be it Wiesdom iustificatiō sactification or redemption That according as it is written Hee that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord. The second reason of the Apostle to the Ephesians Phil. 2.13 is Because the power of doing good is not of our selues nor in our selues because we are the workmanship of God created to good workes And this Creatiō saith the Apostle is in Christ Iesus therefore not in our selues Therfore it is not of our selues that we do good but of God who worketh in vs both the will and the deed and that of his good pleasure Neither haue we the vertues in our selues of working good but in Christ Iesus that we iustly say with the Apostle to the Galathians Gall. 2.10 It is not we that liue any more but Christ that liueth in vs. And therefore with the same Apostle to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 12.2 and 3. Our reioycing should be not in our selues but in the man which is Christ And we ought to acknowledge with him that what we are we are it by the grace of God And when we labour in well doing it is not we but the grace of God which is with vs. This serveth to vs for two things to instruct vs not with Papist or other whatsoeuer to asscribe merites to our workes or to esteeme the cause of our election calling iustification or glorification to be in our selues or our workes but in the free grace of God Therfore doth the Apostle to the Romans declare Rom. 11.5 that the remnant which are saved are reserued according to the election of grace and thervpon concludeth that if election bee of grace it is no more of workes else were grace no more grace And if it be of works then it is no more of grace or els workes were no more works So may we conclude here of our calling to the hope of life since the Apostle saith It is of Gods aboundāt mercy than it is not of merit els were mercy no more mercy and if it be of merite it is no more mercy or els merite were no more merite The cause therefore moouing God to call and elect vs is no wayes in vs but in God himselfe Therefore doth the Apostle say to the Ephesians Ephe. 1.5 that God hath predestinated vs to be adopted through Christ in himselfe And what was the cause in himselfe moouing him the Apostle likewise declareth it According to the good pleasure of his wil. And moreouer in the next verse he maketh it more plaine saying That it is his grace wherewith hee hath made vs freely accepted in his beloved yet more amplie hee cleareth this adding in the 7. verse That the redemption which we haue by the bloud of Iesus Christ is also according to his rich grace Declaring that whither wee look to God in giuing Christ to dye for vs or whither wee consider God iustifying vs in Christ and accepting of vs in him for the merite of his death applying or imputing the same to vs There was nor is nothing that mooueth him to doe so but his owne grace For as it is written Exod. 33.19 I will haue mercy vpon him to whom I will shew mercie wil haue compassion vpon him on whom I will haue compassion So that it is not in him that willeth Rom. 9.15 16. 18 nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie And therefore hee hath mercy on whom hee will and whom hee will hardeneth The second thing that hereby we learne is that comfortable lesson which the spirit of God teacheth vs by the Apostle to the Romanes reasoning from this mercie and loue of God towardes vs in Christ who when wee were yet of no strength at his time Rom 5.6.7 8.9.10 dyed for the vngodly God setting foorth his merueillous loue to vs that whyle we were yet sinners Christ dyed for vs. Whereupon he concludeth that nowe being iustified by his bloud we shall much more bee saued from wrath through him For as the the Apostle sayeth If when we were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne Ephe. 2.3.4 and 5. much more being re●ciled we shal be saved by his life For that mercy that mooued God when we were dead in sinne and trespasse being by nature the children of wrath Ier. lament 3.22 to quicken vs in Christ Seeing it remained for euer and his compassions fayle not but are renewed every morning Ephe. 2.3.4 must needes much more mooue him to accomplish the good pleasure of his will in vs Psal 106.1 who nowe are made the children of his loue in Christ Therefore neede we not to feare what man Rom. 8.38 and 39. yea what Deuills can doe to vs For neither death nor life nor Angells nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shal be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus For our God is full of compassion and mercie Psal 103.8 c. slow to anger and of great kindnes Therefore he will not alwayes chyde Psal 103.6 nor keepe his anger for euer neither will hee deale with vs after our sinnes nor reward vs according to our iniquities seeing he pitied vs and had mercie on vs when we were his enemies For that mercie that mooued God to beget vs to the hope of lyfe when we were straungers from him without hope and without God much more shall it mooue him to bring vs now being made his children to the enioying of that blessed hope Herevpon it followeth That Gods mercie is the only ground of solide and perfect comfort to man and only sure stay to the soule of him that is in trouble that contrariwise they can haue no stedfast hope nor perfect ioy through their hope who build their hope of lyfe not vpon the mercie of God but on their owne merite or merite of any other creature Therefore is it that in the scripture the most lamentable and sorrowfull cace of the godly is described to bee when as the sence of Gods mercie faileth them For then doe they crie out Will God shewe noe more fauour Psal 77.8 Is his Mercie cleane gone for euer Doth his promise faile for euermore Hath God forgotten to be mercifull Hath he shutt vp his tender mercies in displeasure This is my death sayeth the seruant of God Hereby declaring that mercie is their only comfort and cause of their lyfe And where mercie appeareth
of God keepeth vs. There be manie midses and meanes in and by which the Lord vttereth his power in preservation of his creatures from bodilie temporall daungers and keeping of them in the strength and enioying of this present life he vseth his creatures for nourishing vs in this mortall life He employeth divers meanes for our deliverance from sicknes and other troubles as Medecine and such like worldlie helpes And he manifesteth his power in the governement of thinges in the creatures both heavenlie and earthlie In all which it may be iustlie said that God by his power doth keepe all things in the life state and condition wherein hee putteth them but none of al these meanes doe serve to keepe vs from spirituall enimies vnto eternall life there is another meane whereby God vttereth his power and exerciseth it in vs to keepe vs from eternall death vnto salvation and that is faith Therefore is it that the Apostle writing to the Ephesians Ephe. 1.19 prayeth to God for them that the eyes of their vnderstanding might be opened to knowe what is the exceeding greatnes of his power towards vs which beleeve according to the working of his mightie power which he wrought in Christ whē he raised him frō the dead to teach vs that God vttereth his power practises it in his childrē to salvation by faith And that this power which he exerciseth in vs that beleeve is a more strong power then any that ever God vttered or manifested in anie other of his workes either in creating all things of nothing or yet in governing or preserving all things created For the power might which he imployeth to our preservation who beleeve is that same power and strength whiche hee wrought in raysinge Christ from the dead and in glorifying him and making him the head of all Principalitie Power and giving him to be the head of his church Which we in greater measure thē ever it was vttered in any other work because it must be greater that maketh Christ the head of all power in subdewing all things vnder his feete then that power which made all other powers Seeing the power of Christ given him by the Father over all Thrones and Dominions over Devills and Angells and sinne and death is greater then all other powers which is subdued vnder his feet Therefore the Apostle speaking of this power of God towards vs that beleeve saith That it is according to the working of the strength of his power as though God never had exercised the strength of his power in the strength thereof but in Christ our head in vs that beleeve And therefore also our faith whereby this power of God is exercised in vs both in quickning and raysing vs from the dead with Christ and in preserving vs is called by the Apostle to the Colossians Colos 2.12 The faith of the operation of God or rather of the effectuall working of God In the which place the Apostle sheweth plainlie that it is through this faith of the operatiō of God that God doth raise vs from the dead as he did Christ Letting vs knowe that as it is the power of God onely that is able to worke these things in vs that concerne eternall life so this power is never performed nor practised in vs but throw faith For this cause is it that the Apostle to the Philippians Philip. 1.27 declaring to vs how wee must fight and with what armour against all tentations and persecutions he biddeth vs fight togither through the faith of the Gospell 1 Pet. 5.9 And the Apostle Peter teaching vs how to resist our adversarie the Devill willeth vs to Resist him by stedfastnesse of faith And al this is to declare vnto vs that there is no suretie nor sure keeping of vs against the Devil the world and sinne but by faith onely according to that which Iohn in his first epistle teacheth vs 1 Ioh 5.4.5 This is that victorie that overcometh this world even our faith For who is it that overcommeth this world but he which beleeveth that Iesus is that sonne of God And the Apostle to the Ephesians cap. 6. vers 16. knowing that our chief strength stādeth in our faith biddeth vs above all other partes of our spirituall armour to take the shield of faith wherewith wee may quenche all the firie dartes of the wicked And Christ when hee declareth vnto his Disciples Luc. 22.31 that Sathan had desired to winow thē as wheat he saith to Peter but I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not Hereby shewing that howsoever the Devill assault vs buffet vs yet in none of our slydings obtaineth he a full victorie so long as our faith faileth not and that in the sure continuance of our faith stādeth our sure keeping from all the Devills sifting and winowing of vs. Hereby it is manifest that they which never beleved had never proofe of the saving power of God and that they whose faith is nothing powerful in operation against Sathan and sinne never had anie true faith but as Iames saieth Their faith is nothing but a dead faith For they who truely beleeve doe finde in them selves a power effectuall whereby they are made able to fight against all Principalities and spirituall wickednesses and not only to fight but also to overcome them So that even it is a wonder to the Saintes themselves who knowe their weacknes naturall that they shold be so strēgthned by grace that nothing is able to overcome them The vse of all this is to teach vs that aboue all things we should pray to God to strēgthen our faith and to preserve it that it fayle not For according to the measure of our faith so is the measure of our strēgth and according as we continew in faith so doth our strength continue with vs. As by the cōtrarie our faith fayling our strength faileth vs. Therefore was it that Peter albeit he receyved a great foyle from the Devill in denying his Lord yet did he at length overcome the Devill because his faith failed not though hee failed in confession The spirit of God in the 11. Chapter to the Hebrewes sheweth that whatsoever the Saintes were able to doe or suffer for the glory of God it was by faith therefore is it no wonder although the wicked be overcome with every tentation to lust to drunkenes to chambering to wantonnes pryde and covetousnes c. seeing the power of God by which these things only can be overcome is not in thē they being without faith Now have we to speak of the end wherto we are kept The Saints are kept to salvation that is saith the Apostle vnto salvation as we said before of the keeping of our life That it were no comfort to vs except it were kept for vs. So likewise of vs it were no matter of ioy to vs that wee are kept if it were not to salvation that we are kept For God