be partakers in his spirit Hearing is euery where made the beginning of our comming to God He that heareth and learneth from the father Ioh. 6. If ye haue heard and learned Christ as the truth is in Christ Ephes 4.21 The word hath beene fruitfull in you from what time you heard c. Col. 1. This was the sense by which first death entred Eue hearing the Serpent was seduced and this is the sense by which wee are restored Looke as the ground cannot be quickned with fruits till it receiue seede and the dewes from heauen no more can our soyle be quickned with the spirit and fruits of the spirit till by hearing it hath taken in this seede immortall drunke in this heauenly shower of Gods word Now it is not euery hearing which is accompanied with the spirit but hearing with the heart so as the heart is affected to doe that it heareth There is a hearing with the eare bodily thus many may heare who doe not vnderstand Ergo heare doe not heare If out-landish men were here such as did onely know their owne forraigne language we might talke lowd enough in English not fearing their hearing of vs. There is a hearing ioyned with vnderstanding when yet the heart is not affected to doe after it and this hearing is no hearing also If one heare vs asking him to doe this or that if he haue no minde to performe it we say hee cannot heare on that side It must Ergo be such hearing as Lydea heard with whose heart God opened to attend to Pauls preaching Vse 1 The Vse of this is to let vs see that where there is much hearing yet the word is not there heard as it should be Who commeth to haue his heart burn within him to be filled with the spirit by hearing by being taught being admonished It is pittifull We may obserue some like Iudas who was when now he had heard Christ and taken the sop he was filled but with Sathan they are viler after hearing then before the most like children when Schooling-time is ended Nay it is to be feared that some with hearing are growne past hearing as those who dwell neere the continuall roaring of mighty waters they waxe deafe through continuall hearing such vehement noyse so that they cannot heare any thing at all so many the sound of Gods word hath so long beatē their eares that they cannot discerne any thing in it what euer is spoken Vse 2 Secondly this must teach vs to attend on hearing Wouldst thou keepe the spirit from being quenched despise not prophecie hearing the Scriptures opened to thy vse Euen as the Conduit-pipes carry the water hither and thither so doth the word conueigh the graces of the spirit into our hearts It is a peale to bed when men can be without hearing not feeling neede of it as some times they haue done Doct. 2 Secondly obserue what word heard bringeth vs the quickning spirit the word of the Gospell A mans drooping heart vpon the comming of some good newes to him it feeleth as it were new spirits returne to it so our dead hearts when God hath made this glad tydings of saluation and pardon of sinne be brought them there doth returne to them a quickning spirit of peace and ioy vnspeakeable and glorious Receiued you the Spirit by hearing the Law or by the Doctrine of faith preached Gal. 3.3 And for this cause the ministery of the Gospell is called the ministery of the Spirit not of the Letter because this doctrine doth onely bring vs to receiue the quickning spirit which doth worke in vs a life eternall The Law may bring vs to feele our selues dead Rom. 7. but it cannot quicken any Though when the Gospell hath now quickned vs it may instruct vs reforme vs yea delight vs in the inner man Rom. 7. many things may helpe vs when now wee liue which could not be meanes of restoring vs from death to life But it may be obiected the Gospell is said a sauer of death as well as the Law is said a a killing letter I answere The Gospell is said so not that directly the nature of it is to kill but by accident of mens corruption who reiect and will not obey it it turneth to their further condemnation As the Kings pardon cannot kill any by it selfe yet despised by a malefactor it may double his guilt and bring him to more hasty and fearefull execution So the gracious pardon of God offered in the Gospell killeth not any by it selfe saueth many who receiue it yet despised it may by occasion worke heauier death and destruction But the Law doth of it owne nature hold a man now in state of sinne vnder death and condemnation and cannot of it selfe bring any to life who now hath offended The words I speake to you saith Christ they are spirit they are life Euen as the body of the sunne diffuseth as an instrument the beames of this materiall light so it is the Gospell that instrument of God by which hee sendeth out the light of his gracious spirit into our hearts Vse 1 The Vse of it is to stirre vs vp earnestly to desire this sincere milke of the Gospell Euen as there goeth out naturall spirits with the milke the babe draweth from the mother so the Lord doth accompany this word of his which the Church ministreth as milke with that supernaturall spirit which giueth quicknance to life euerlasting Euen as we doe daily renew our feeding to repaire the decay of naturall spirits in vs so must we neuer be weary of renewing and encreasing that supernaturall life and spirit which we haue receiued from Christ If thou hast the spirit heare that thou maist keepe it if thou wouldest haue it and wantest it attend on hearing remembring how the Eunuch receiued the spirit Acts 8. and how while Cornelius and his friends heard Peter opening the good word of saluation the holy Ghost did fall on them to the wonder of the beleeuing Iewes who accompanied Peter Doct. And here before wee passe to the generall Doctrine note from this that the Gospell is called the word of truth that all Gods promises made in Christ are true and faithfull They are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. They are true and worthy all entertainement 1 Tim. 15. The whole word is true For like as the witnesse is like is the testimony or deposition which commeth from him Now God is faithfull and cannot lye but this is attributed to the Doctrine of the Gospel as agreeing to it with a certaine excellency before other parcels of the word For the Gospell is sometime called by generall names as a doctrine of godlinesse a Law a Testimony Sometime it is described by the author the Gospell of God sometime from the obiect the Gospell of Christ of the kingdome sometime from the property as an eternall Gospell a good word a true word as here sometime from effects as in the next words a Gospell of saluation Now it
to create mankinde out of necessity not out of liberty that is absurd But choosing some and reprobating others to ends forenamed maketh him create out of necessity 6 He who cannot doe worse then annihilate his creature cannot reiect it to the glory of Iustice God cannot doe worse for hee giues it but being Ergo can doe no worse then take away that he giueth it Ergo. 7 Such who are chosen to saluation through faith and sanctification such are in sinne But we are chosen Ergo. 8 Such who were all alike loued in Creation amongst such was no election nor reiection but we are all alike loued receiued like fauours had all life alike offred vs. 9 That which maketh the fall of man necessary so as man was not free to fall is not to be granted Gods decree to haue mercy glorified in some and iustice in other some doth impose necessity of falling Ergo. These be the chiefe reasons which I haue obserued for the vouching our election to be both after the decree of creating vs and permitting vs to fall into sinne Now then let vs set in equall pareill the arguments which shew that Gods electing of vs cannot be after the consideration of our creation and fall 1 That which is a meane by which God bringeth some to saluation vnto the glory of Grace and others to glorifie his iustice in deserued punishments that is after these ends decreed But the permission of the fall is vsed by God as a meane c. The first part is plaine for the ends must be in nature before the meanes to the end The second part may be thus cleared We see some by occasion of the fall saued to the glory of mercy which without the fall they could not haue beene Had Adam stood it is manifest that iustice should immediately and properly had the glory in all our saluations for we should haue liued according to Couenant Doe these things and liue in them Againe that sinne in whose punishment iustice doth glorifie her selfe the permitting it could not but be a meane but the punishment of Adams sinne lyeth vnremoued on all vnpenitent and vnbeleeuing persons for wee are by nature the children of wrath and Gods wrath abideth on him who beleeueth not abideth I say intimating that the wrath is not first inflicted vpon vnbeleefe but further continued whereas could wee by faith come to God he would be reconciled That which some obiect that the sinne of Adam not as it was contracted by him condemneth any but as it is continued by our vnbeleefe this is nothing to the matter For first it is false that many remaine not in the death of sinne and trespasse in which by nature they are conceiued Now these who haue the punishment of that sinne neuer remooued from them must needs be vnder that sinne once contracted by him And though the latter part of that exception is true in this sense that by reason of vnbeleefe that sinne hurteth them which otherwise would not yet in this sense it is not true viz. vnbeleeuers are onely condemned for that sinne of vnbeleefe not for that sinne they sinned in Adam also and other actuall transgressions But whither as first contracted or after continued it condemnes This is sure that vnlesse it may be verified that the sinne doth not by any meanes stand on any mans score so as to be condemned for it that it must needs be yeelded a meane whereby iustice is glorified in the iust reuenge of some Argument 2. No word teacheth that God had any other euent for doe this liue doth not proue that God propounded to attain this as his end that wee might all liue no more then in what day thou eatest thou shalt die the death doth argue that God had this end viz. that all mankind breaking his Law should die eternally Eyther God had no end in making his creature or this end which now hee compasseth or some other which he hath not attained But he could not be without his end in making him nor haue any other end which he hath not attained The first proposition is vndoubted the second is as cleare for to haue no end in working agreeth not to God a wise and vnderstanding agent to haue an end and not attaine it standeth not with his blessednesse for to haue a primary principall end which one affecteth is more blessed then not to haue it Againe he whose prouidence is so perfect that no inferiour cause can default beside his intention and permission his end cannot be disappointed Now it is plaine that no instrument can default further then hee intendeth it shall and chooseth to permit it for if any defect befall an instrument which the Artificer chooseth not his worke is troubled and it argueth ignorance or impotency in him that so worketh Argument 3. Either God did by his antecedent prouidence propound this end or he commeth to it by occasion of some euent But he doth not come to this end of sauing in Christ by occasion First this after-prouidence is imperfect not beseeming God when one after a thing is fallen out maketh the best of it and is rather post videntia then prouidentia Secondly this maketh God vse a more imperfect prouidence about his most excellent workes and come to that besides his primary intention which is far more glorious then the first end could haue beene intended Thirdly This maketh God like men to doe as hee may when hee is hindred from that he would Argument 4. That which doth take away the vnsearchable mistery of Election and reprobation is not to be admitted But to choose reiect after the fall doth euacuate this mistery For though God deale diuersly with men now in equall condemnation yet the iustice of this fact is apparant for God may punish with death or make that treason trespasse which is committed against him Who will challenge this fact of iniustce Argument 5. That which maketh God will some of his creatures conditionally that is not to be granted But to make God choose after the fall maketh him to haue willed ineffectually some other end Gods will were not omnipotent should it not effect what euer it willeth Gods velle is posse neither can he haue a conditionall will I will giue my creature life if he keepe this commandement For either he must suppose that his creature must doe some thing which he will not make him and then he were not omnipotent or think that he will make him doe that thing and on doing it giue him life and this in effect a will most absolute or he must know that hee neither will nor can doe it and yet will this on a condition which he doth see impossible and this were friuolous Argument 6. That which maketh God looke out of himselfe for determining his will But to elect and reiect after the fall suspendeth that determination of his will on qualification fore-seene in the creature Ergo. The first part is manifest For it
of loue which here is begun in vs thus when Christ saith Blessed are the poore in heart hee doth not so much note any singular vertue as a state to which some heere come aboue othersome in vertue and thus I thinke it is taken heere both because these words doe signifie a state of Christian perfection and because here is Loue expressed as the subiect the life in which wee shall attaine this perfection For that second circumstance those words before him doe note sometime this presence of God which wee haue heere in state of Grace by sight Luke 1. But heere it doth directly signifie that presence which wee shall haue of God when now we are brought to state of perfection when we shall walk by sight and see him as he is Lastly when hee saith in Loue hee noteth that supernaturall life in which wee shall be brought to this perfection as if hee should haue spoken more largely Who hath chosen vs as who should haue that supernaturall being and life of Loue yea that wee should grow to such a state in it that we should be pure or holy without the least spot and that in his glorious presence whom we shall then see as he is Three things then heere offer themselues to obseruation Obs 1 1. That God hath of Grace chosen vs to that supernaturall life of loue which is to be perfected in the heauens Obs 2 2. That he hath not onely of grace chosen vs to this life but to the perfection of it Obs 3 3. That hee hath of grace taken vs to haue this perfection of life to his owne glorious presence To handle them briefly in order 1. First for the former S. Peter saith the faithfull was chosen of God to the sanctification of the spirit that is in effect to be made partakers of a Diuine nature and when we are said chosen to saluation or glory This is chiefly perfection of Loue which doth make the soule glorious euen as whitenesse maketh the wall white thus God hath loued vs that wee should not onely haue such a life of God giuen vs in the first Adam as was due to our nature and created together with it but such a life as is both for kinde and degree aboue all that nature created did know the root whereof is that second Adam Christ Iesus Looke as all of vs who haue this naturall life and being which now as men and women all of vs haue we were loued of God so farre as to receiue it in Adam and be brought to it through him and looke as all that shall be borne to the end of the world and be in time men and women were loued of God and chosen as it were that they should in their times haue the nature of man so heere wee who now haue this life of God liue and all that euer shall haue the holy life which the spirit of God worketh in the hearts of beleeuers wee and they were from eternity chosen that in time wee should haue it deriued and propagated through Christ Now this is to be marked that beeing chosen to haue this holy loue the Diuine nature wee are chosen to faith also for looke as all who are loued to the receiuing of this naturall and bodily being and life are together chosen to this that they shall be borne of Adam and haue a naturall natiuity from him so all who are chosen to haue the being of holinesse and loue are together taken to this that they shall haue a supernaturall natiuity from Christ that is they shall be brought to beleeue He that beleeueth is borne of God 1 Iohn 5.1 Vse 1 Let vs then first recount his wonderfull loue to vs whom his spirit hath in any measure sanctified and made vs to partake in that Diuine nature which commeth from Christ wee deeme it his fauour and worthily that hee hath made vs Men and Women not Toades or Creatures of such vile being but how much more are wee bound to him that hee hath made vs Christian men and not left vs to such a state in which men shall come to worse passe then if they had neuer beene Because God doth not rayse all who are dead nor giue all sight who are blinde therefore wee thinke them to haue found great fauour whom God did choose to this that he would restore their sight though they were borne blinde and raise them to life though they were dead But what loue hath he shewed vs in chusing vs whom hee would make light when now we were darknesse make to liue when now we had beene dead in sinnes trespasses for this wee haue to thanke his gracious pleasure For as his will is the chiefe cause why one is poore another rich one in excellent state another in vile condition so heere why one is left in that miserable estate into which sinne hath brought vs others deliuered from it Vse 2 Secondly wee see heere how they take this Doctrine who thinke it maketh men licentious and giueth them leaue to liue as they list for all that are chosen of God are chosen of him to this that they should be holy in loue and therefore such as resolue to goe on in vnrighteousnesse they may feare least the sentence be thundered out against them Depart from me ye workers of iniquity I neuer knew you Nay there is no more effectuall argument perswading Christians to sanctification then this of our election Now as the Elect of God put on meekenesse Colos 3. If wee heare that we are chosen to any place or condition on earth which is beneficiall this that wee are chosen to it maketh vs ready and stirreth vs vp to get possessed of it Vse 3 Thirdly we see here that God doth not choose because of faith and holinesse and perseuerance foreseene seeing hee chooseth vs to these things these things follow by force of his election and therefore cannot be the cause of that which is before them for euery cause must needs be before that it causeth Now heere is fit place to consider of that question Quest Whether God in foresight of beleefe and perseuerance in faith and holinesse doe choose vs to saluation I will discusse the question after the former manner in which I will propose diuers Articles First then the Arguments affirming which I haue obserued are these 1. They who are chosen in Christ are chosen on Faith foreseene But all the Elect are chosen in Christ Ergo. 2. Such whom God doth adopt and saue such he decreed to adopt and saue He adopteth and saueth beleeuers c. 3. On what condition God offereth life vpon that condition foreseene hee chooseth to life But he offereth life vpon belieuing 4. If God choose not all on condition they will belieue then some are bound to belieue a lye for they are bound to beleeue that God will saue them But we are not bound to belieue a lye c. 5. If God chose some to saluation before faith and perseuerance
of that manner electing and reiecting which are heere expressed and for the two conclusions hee doth argue from these words The first is true but not a thing heere to be prooued for the Apostle had said that ergo the word was true notwithstanding the multitude of Israelites were reiected because that all Israelites were not that Israell and all the seede of Abraham were not those children to whom the word belonged This is then that which here is to be concluded that those who are the seede of Abraham and Israelites in course of nature were not that Israell and that seede to whom the word signifying Gods election and adoption belonged the force of the argument therfore is in this not that the decree is after election but that Iacob onely was in decree of election and Esau borne alike of Isaac was not The second syllogisme concludeth a thing that neuer came into the Apostles minde and cannot be accommodated to these types vnlesse types in that wherein they are types may be contrary to the thing testified by them as I haue shewed aboue Beside who will yeeld him that Gods calling is heere put for faith obeying God calling when the sight of faith and euery thing else was before excluded in this election of Iacob and therefore the decree electing him excludeth and opposeth it selfe in workes to this faith aswell as any other thing Now then we see that this decree electing and adopting is so from Gods will that nothing in man is considered in it as a meane or cause but onely his meere pleasure for cleering which I entred the explication of this place to this only the context following will agree which seeing I am thus far entred I will shew so shortly as I can What shall wee say then saith the Apostle is there iniustice with God God forbid For hee saith to Moses This is plaine that the doctrine next before deliuered giueth occasion to this obiection Let any iudge then whether Arminius his sense is made probably a ground of this imagination we see this doth naturally arise from our construction for if God from his meere pleasure doth choose one cal him to adoption and the heauenly inheritance reiecting another euery way equal to him Then God seemeth vniust for vpon his meere pleasure to deale so vnequally with equals vpon meere pleasure seemeth very hard doe but lay that of Arminius by it and there neede no other confutation If God decree to reiect such as reiect his grace offered in Christ stiffely cleauing to their own righteousnes if out of his meere pleasure none deseruing it he decree to saue such as shal by faith lay hold on his mercy offered in Christ then he seemeth vniust I answer Here is no shew of iniustice to the reason of man for that which he supposeth to be the groūd of their suspecting iniustice namely that God shold of his meere pleasure decree that beleeuers on Christ not followers of the Law should be saued contrary to his former decree in the couenant with Adam for had this beene the ground of their imputation the Apostle should haue answered that God did not of meere pleasure decree otherwise about attaining life then at first he had but he came to this couenant of the Gospell by reason that we had broken the former and through weake flesh made it impossible to vs But he maintaineth the will of God from meere pleasure showing mercy to Iacob to haue beene iust in him it followeth Hee who hath power to shew sauing mercy where himselfe pleaseth he is not vniust in showing to some without any consideration on their parts and denying to other some But God hath power to shew mercy electing adopting calling to the heauenly inheritance to whom he will This is the expresse testimony of Moses which tendeth to proue God free from iniustice in his grace to Iacob and in denying it to Esau For if hee may show it to such as he please hee may refuse it others by the same liberty He doth amplifie this by a consectory deduced That which is wholly in the free pleasure of God that commeth not from any thing in the power of man But this mercy electing adopting calling is meerely in Gods free pleasure it is not therefore in man to procure it but in Gods liberty to show this mercy This answere doth plainely shew that the point which distasted was this That God should at his meere pleasure show mercy to Iacob which he refused Esau which would make our election calling adoption quite out of our power meerely depending on Gods free pleasure For both these are here auouched to stand with iustice in God what euer might be surmised And marke here that the Apostle doth maintaine it without iniustice to show and refuse mercy when he considereth not any thing in the persons which might make this equall For were the equity of Gods mercy shewed to Iacob and denied Esau in this that now all were become children of wrath whom God might pardon and restore or leaue and execute at his pleasure then the Apostle should in the honour hee owed to the name of God haue here expressed this consideration that God might iustly show mercy to some and deny it to othersome who were no◠such that they had by sinne brought themselues vnder sentence of condemnation For if he had not shewed it to any hee had not beene vniust but Saint Paul did know that he had affirmed that God looking neither at merit in the one nor demerit in the other had chosen and loued the one refused lesse loued the other Here marke Arminius If that purpose God reiecting such as seeke righteousnesse by their owne workes electing beleeuers depend onely on his mercy then it is not vniust But that purpose is neither from him that runneth c. but dependeth on Gods meere mercy Ergo it is not to be accused of iniustice First Marke how he maketh the Apostle not answer the difficulty of the Obiection which was this How could God goe from one Couenant decreeing saluation on workes and decree contrary that not workers but beleeuers should be saued for Gods mercy cannot be the cause nothing else comming betweene why God should change his order and goe from one vnto a contrary Secondly Let him show how mercy can be the onely cause why a iusticiarie cleauing to his own righteousnesse is reiected from saluation Thirdly The Apostle doth not proue this decree that beleeuers shal be saued to be iust in God but Gods shewing mercy in destination and execution to one before another Now this decree I will saue all that shall beleeue doth not show any mercy to one before another but offers mercy to all alike Lastly Who would euer accuse the mercy of God for decreeing in a iust course to bring men to saluation when now they had made themselues guilty of wrath Marke how he depraueth that consectorie which showeth that it is not in our power
two things be remembred First that when the words of knowledge doe together by connotation imply affection much more doe the words of beleefe and Ergo where I finde to beleeue that Christ is the Sonne of God I must conceiue this beleefe to containe confidence in the Sonne Secondly to remember that when faith of any temporary promise is said to be accounted for righteousnesse it is because it doth in beleeuing the thing temporall apprehend him in whom all the promises are yea and Amen who is at least the remoued obiect of a iustifying faith in euery thing it apprehendeth Thus Abraham beleeuing the promise of seede of Isaac did apprehend that blessed seede which had from the beginning beene promised and saw his day which the Apostle doth testifie Gal. 3. Neither did he looke at the power of God but to sustaine his beleefe of a seede before promised against the temptations wherewith God did exercise him that we haue a particular word and in effect to beleeue on Christ vnto forgiuenesse of our sinnes I haue shewed aboue Vse Wherefore let vs rest on Christ alone as our rocke flye to him as our true sanctuary This Papists come to in death renouncing any confidence in their fooleries this themselues giue testimony vnto that it is the surest and he is not wise who will not take the safest way for his soules saluation Doct. 3 The third Doctrine is that faith and loue are neuer disioyned but goe each in hand one with the other From what time we beleeue men will doe any great good things for vs we feele a loue arise toward them so from what time by faith wee apprehend loue in God toward vs through Christ we feele loue reflecting from vs toward him according to that we loue him because we haue knowne and beleeued his loue to vs First faith must bring the holy fire of Gods loue into our frozen hearts or they will neuer be warmed with feruent loue to God againe The sinfull soule doth see Gods loue forgiuing it many sinnes then it loueth much againe In nature we see nothing can moue in desire to this or that till first it hath apprehended it louely So our affections cannot in loue and desire moue to and vnite themselues with God till by faith wee doe discerne him as reconciled to vs so becomming an amiable obiect for vs sinners to imbrace till that faith discerneth this nothing but wrath like a consuming fire abideth ouer vs. Hence it is that Saint Paul 1 Tim. maketh loue to flow from faith vnfained and Gal. 5. he saith that faith worketh by loue not as fire maketh hot by heate which is a formall property inherent in it but as the soule doth this or that by the hand which is an externe instrument conioyned vnto it for loue is not any essentiall cause which doth giue being to faith but it is a grace without the being of faith though ioyned vnto by which as an instrument faith worketh Vse 1 The Vse of this Doctrine is to show how vniustly they slander vs as teaching a faith alone without other graces when we hold according to the Scipture that there can be no true faith without loue nor loue without true faith for the first is but a dead carkase this latter is but blinde deuotion neither is pleasing to God Indeede we teach that faith iustifieth vs alone without other graces not in regard of their presence but in regard of their co-working with faith to this effect of our iustification It is one thing to say the eye is in the head without other senses and another thing to say the eye doth see alone no other sense seeing with it Vse 2 This must make vs trie the truth of our faith for if our hearts haue not been kindled with loue to God they neuer truely beleeued his loue in Christ We may easilier carry coales in our bosome without burning then by faith apprehend truely this loue of our God without finding our hearts burne in loue to him answerably Vse 3 We see that loue is an effect following faith euen loue to God himselfe They make the tree to beare the roote who will haue loue giue being to faith but this is but a consequent of Lombards errour who did hold loue to be no other thing then the holy Ghost himselfe Doct. 4 Obserue lastly who are the persons on whom the loue of true beleeuers is set viz. the Saints yea all Saints True Christian loue next to God and our owne soules maketh vs affect those who are sanctified who expresse the vertues in their life of our heauenly Father by whom we are called from darkenesse to light Hence it is that the Saints the houshold of faith the brethren are commended as persons whom we must affect and doe good to before all other Thus our God loueth Psalme 147.10 not the strength of horse nor legs of man but those that feare him are his delight Thus Christ loued Who is my father and mother c. hee that heareth and obeyeth Thus Paul and Dauid loued We loue none according to the flesh all my delight is in the Saints in them who excell in vertue Euery creature loueth and liketh to be with those who are vnited with it in communication of the same nature So sanctified Christians cannot but loue and like to be most with them who haue receiued the like diuine nature in which themselues are partaker yea it loueth all Saints not such who haue other parts pleasing and contentfull but it loueth euery one in whom it can see the image of God shining for it cannot be but that loue which truely loueth one person as he is holy shou d loue euery one so far forth as he is holy yea though we are to esteeme and inwardly affect men as we see them holy we are not bound to shew them the outward effects of our loue answerably The neerer persons are tyed to vs in naturall and ciuill bonds the more must our prouidence be for them and loue shewed them in outward things vnlesse their foolish lewdnesse dispriuiledge them this way for then the prouerbe taketh place A wise seruant may be preferred before a foolish childe Vse 1 This then doth reproue many who indeede hate and would show it were it pollicie those who endeauour to liue holily traduce the name of Saints nickname them as Puritans such who cannot be themselues but when they are in company with Swearers Gamsters good fellowes such who will seeme to relish some odde persons who are indeede truely holy but others in whom holinesse is apparant they cannot endure it is to be feared they loue those whom they doe not because they see holinesse but for some by respects which within themselues they haue conceiued Some who are all for a sound iust dealing well natured man though he be neuer such a stranger from matter of religion Yea I would many of the Lords children through selfe-loue did not loue too well
themselues that God hath thus exalted them and not enuy worldly men their full estates in this present world Heyres are glad to borrow trifles with Seruants sometime while they are vnder gouernment so God doth hold his Children low for a while in this present life Againe why should we enuy them seeing they haue but a state of life granted them in this most remote and vtmost part of our inheritance Will a Childe thinke much a Parent should giue a pension for life out of this or that while he hath greater things farre left him yea the inheritance of that also out of which an anuity as it were for a time is graunted to some other Thus it is our Father dealeth with vs while he doth both reserue for vs greater things also bequeath the euerlasting inheritance of heauen and earth to vs in which wicked ones haue but a state of life till wee shall come to our full age in Christ See more of this verse 11. Doct. 5 Obserue lastly who they are to whom belongeth this inheritance viz. the Saints such as are not onely cleansed from the guilt of dead workes but by the spirit of Christ renewed to true holinesse and brought to walke in all holy Conuersation 2 Pet. 3.11 1 Thes 4.7 For wee are called in Christ both to outward and inward sanctification See Acts 26.18 So likewise Coloss 1. To receiue inheritance with the Saints Made vs fit to haue inheritance with the Saints in light If you aske this question why wee shall haue the inheritance of life it is answered the grace of God in Christ is the cause why we obtaine it If you aske who shall haue it see Psal 24.3.4 Hee whose hands are innocent whose heart is pure who looketh not to vanity This inheritance as the glory of it decayeth not no doth not so much as wither so it is for state and vndefiled inheritance no vncleane thing may enter Reuel 21. Againe to whom doe men leaue inheritances is it not to Children or Allies who haue the same flesh and bloud as it were with them So God will not giue his inheritance but to those who haue the diuine nature and are made holy in some likenesse as hee is holy though not in like perfection Vse 1 The vse is to let many see how they deceiue themselues who looke to be saued but loue not holinesse they loue to liue after their ignorance and lusts they will mocke at men who will not runne to the same excesse of ryot which themselues doe Know this that when wise men will not leaue their substance to children of an adultresse God will neuer giue thee the inheritance of glory while thou continuest a childe of this world louing nothing so much as the pleasures pompe and profits of it Vse 2 Let vs in the second place labour for holinesse True holinesse it is not a good nature nor morall iustice nor externall profession of religion so farre as standeth with our owne wills No where wee first renounce our will there we first beginne to be holy What then maketh Saints to finde out how our whole nature is polluted to strike at the roote and seeke to get purged of that sinne which dwelleth in vs to fight against those sinnes custome complection age company most incline vs vnto to seeke to God to make vs grow vp in holinesse and his feare he that doth these things is happy he that doth not these things is but a painted sheath and whited sepulchre he hath nothing but a powerlesse show which the Lord abhorreth VERSE 19 And what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power towards vs who belieue according to the working of his mighty power The second thing to be knowne is the power of God not that absolute power by which he can do what euer is possible but that power ioyned with his will which was put forth for finishing the worke of faith in them who now belieued This power is described by the quantity in those words the exceeding greatnesse of his power from the persons whom it respecteth towards vs who now belieue the principall cause of their belieuing being next adioyned viz. the efficacy of his mighty power which was put forth in raysing Christ from the dead The summe That you may not onely know the hope of glory laid vp for you but also more fully see the excellent great power which hath wrought doth worke and will worke out for vs who belieue all that saluation and glory we hope for in the heauens for vs I say who are brought to belieue by the selfe-same effectuall working of Gods almighty power which he wrought or shewed while he raised Christ from the dead Doct. 1 Obserue then first that Gods belieuing children know not at first any thing clearely the great power of God which worketh in them God doth worke wonderfully passing by vs and we see him not changing his place and we obserue him not Iob. 9.11 It is as nothing which we know of his waies Iob 26. vlt. And as he reuealeth his wisedome in afflicting vs once twice and we heare him not so he doth againe and againe manifest his power but wee are not able to conceiue it This is part of that light to which is no accesse the eye of our mindes especially at first weake not able to looke against it Vse 1 Wee must not then be discouraged if we cannot conceiue of God in any measure as wee desire Our children at foure or fiue yeares old what doe they know of our wisdome knowledge strength There is a common-wealth in the head of a man no part whereof once entreth into their childish vnderstanding When our children can so little trace the waies of vs their earthly parents how much lesse able are we any thing fully to know the working of the strength wisedome mercy which are in our heauenly Father Some may thinke it strange that so exceeding great a power should worke and not be discerned when the least bodily force put to vs is presently perceiued but it is not with this power as with bodily their working is violent and manifest the working of this is sweet and imperceiueable when the heauens by their influence worke on bodies and yet are not commonly discerned how much lesse is it to be wondred at if this spirituall Almighty power doe insinuate it selfe in such sort as it is not commonly obserued by vs Againe as the brightest light while it shineth in a thicke cloud seemeth rather darkenesse then light so this power while it worketh in middest of manifold weakenesses is not to outward appearance so powerfull as it is in it selfe Vse 2 Let vs labor more and more to know this power of our God put forth for vs. We loue to know the strength of things or earthly persons to whom we trust for till we know our selues on sure hand our thoughts are not secure Thus we should delight to know this power of God to whom wee trust
the face of Christ For the creating of vs anew in Christ is a greater worke then giuing vs our naturall being in Adam and ergo may not be ascribed to any power which is not almighty Which will yet be more apparant if wee consider what state we are in of our selues when he bringeth vs to beleeue We are dead Ephesians 2. Now to raise from naturall death is an effect proper to that power almighty Secondly if wee consider what powers doe hold vs captiue euen those strong ones whom none but the strongest can ouer-master Thirdly if we consider to what estate God doth lift vs vp by beleeuing euen to such an estate as is without comparison more excellent then that wee receiued Now to bring vs from death vnder which so mighty ones hold vs captiue to such a life so vnutterably glorious must needes be the working of a power almighty But here three things are for further vnderstanding of this point to be considered First in what standeth that effectuall helpe See for the finishing of this Doctrine that which follows hereafter at this marke in the Margent ☜ by which we come vnto God Secondly in what order it doth make vs come to God whether immediately or by some preparation going before Thirdly whether it leaue the will at liberty actually to resist it yea or no. To the first it is plaine that the effectuall helpe which maketh vs come to God by beleefe is the efficacie of Gods almighty power put forth to such purpose For so farre as God doth intend to worke so farre he putteth forth his omnipotent power to accomplish But God doth intend to make some before othersome come vnto him and ergo hee doth stretch out the arme of his power to effect this in them Neuerthelesse to speake more fully though this be the principall it is not the sole cause in conuersion We may then consider three causes First the principall viz. this power Secondly the instrumentall both of the word sounding in our eares and that inward illumination and inspiration wrought within vs by which as an internall word God speaketh in the minde Thirdly a formall cause a free gracious disposition or habit of faith by which the will is inclined agreeably to the disposition of it to come vnto God so that the more full answere to this question viz. what is all that effectuall helpe whereby I come to God is this It is a mixt thing standing partly of that almighty power of his put forth for my good partly of that word outward and inward by and with which his power is put forth partly in that spirit of faith and supernaturall life which his almighty power through his word bringeth forth in my soule What was that helpe whereby Christ made Lazarus able to come to him out of the graue of naturall death The principall was Christs power almighty the instrumentall his voyce the formall cause immediately helping to it or working it was the spirit of naturall life which the power of Christ by his word restored to this dead corps which now was fallen And thus you haue the effectuall helpe or grace by which we come actually to conuert for that Gods power put forth to worke good for vs is a helpe giuen from his free grace or his free fauour toward vs cannot be doubted when the Scripture euery where maketh him our helper from his meere grace If we lend our arme or hand to helpe one being no way tyed to it it is a helpe giuen from our free fauour That his call inward or outward and habit of grace wrought in vs may be fitly called grace effectually helpfull to the acts brought forth by them none denieth though all will not haue habit needfull to our first couersion And this first thing is well to be noted for from hence wee may gather in what standeth the efficacie of Grace effectuall to conuersion viz. In Gods effectuall power put forth to execute his intention which he hath of conuerting some actually before othersome it doth not stand in any congruity or temperature of Grace correspondent to our Nature for this doth argue that there is inwardly an incorrupted a connaturall disposition to receiue grace This maketh the effect of conuersion to depend as much on the actiue capacity of the will as on the Grace of God nay more for it maketh the Grace of God worke it morally and externally and the will of man from a power within it selfe which doth more inwardly enter the effect of conuersion then the other as hee who perswadeth mee to giue an almes is not the cause of it so essentially as I am who out of my pleasure giue it vpon his first motion To the second I answere that God doth vse so to worke our comming to him by beliefe that he doth first for the most part prepare vs thereunto As before we engraffe a Sience we cut it and set it for incision and if a timber logge lye sunke into mudde men set to their tacklings first to draw it out of the mire before they lay it on Cart to carry it away Thus God doth by his power often worke some preseruatiue change in a sinner before he doth by his power and word worke the spirit of faith in them and make them come to him Thus God by afflictions is said to boare the eare and to prepare to conuersion When Manasses was humbled in great misery he sought the Lord Thus by conuiction of sinne they were pricked in heart and said what shall we doe to be saued and then speedily receiued the Gospell belieuing sometime by extraordinary terrors rising from external accidents yea hidden naturall causes thus the Iaylor was prepared and Paul himselfe by an extraordinary vision was brought to great astonishment somtime by restraining giuing common gifts which make men for degree neerer that is in their kind and state not so much remoued as others in the same state and kinde with them Thus Christ said to the young man who was rich and vnconuerted that hee was neere the kingdome Nay God may by giuing a man vp to height of some sinne or sinnes prepare one to Conuersion as Paul and Manasses the one left to persecuting the other to those horrible outrages that looke as Physitians by ripening diseases make way to heale them for sicke matter is neuer more easily brought away then when it in ripenes and quantity exceedeth Concerning this matter for our better vnderstanding let these conclusions be remembred First that these preparations are not absolutely necessary for wee see that God doth giue to infants sanctifying grace in whom none of these preparatiue operations can take place Secondly we do not finde that they haue been alwaies vsed and therefore this matter is to be vnderstood as a thing most commonly falling forth not otherwise How was Mathew called euen at his custome hee followed presently not as Iudas but as a true conuert to Christ so in Lydia for life