87 2 How the Papists abuse the word of righteousnes from 87 to 100 3 Why the word is righteous 101 to 102 4 Of the workes of righteousnesse and how to doe them 103 to 107 2 In the sowing-time 1 How obedience seemes lost 108 2 Why thereward is not yet 109 3 Great gaine in obedience 111 4 We are to doe good to many 112 5 We are to doe the beast good 113 6 How the wicked sowe 114 7 World make obedience a labour 115 3 In the persons 1 Great men not too good to serue God 118 to 119 2 Poore not too meane to serue God 120 In the haruest time are 1 propertie of the worke 2 the manner of it 1 Generall obeydience euer rewarded 121 to 124 1 In the propertie 1 How obedience bringeth earthly blessings 125 to 127 2 The haruest of assurance of heauen 129 to 134 2 In the manner 1 All we haue is of mercy 135 2 Papists merits 136 to 137 In the consequence are 1 the action Seeke 2 the obiect the Lord. 3 the cause it is Time 1 In the action 1 We must serue God in our owne persons 139 2 That it is a labour to seeke and why 140 2 In the obiect 1 Of the name Iehouah 143 2 To seeke God in his word 145 3 The seuerall seekers 146 to 147 4 To seeke the loue of God 148 to 149 In the compelling cause 3 In the time past in it 1 The longer in sinne more cause to turne to God and why 150 to 154 2 In the time to come 1 Take time while time is and why 154 to 155 2 The continuance in seeking 156 to 157 3 How and when he come 157 4 The metaphor of the raine 158 to 159 5 Raine for teaching 161 6 Raine for abundance 162 A Table of the principall words in this Booke A A meane in words 69 Assurance of heauen here 129 Apology of the world 116 Apologie for the Church 35. 56 Adultery how committed 29 All the lawes to be executed 80 B Bishops lawfull 55. 56 Brokers 30 Blind Magistrates 82 Best good to be done 114 Boldnes of Ministers 77 Blasphemy of Papists 102 C Couetousnesse 26 Corruption of nature 16 Continuance in obedience 191 Ceremonies 39. 40 Custome in sinne 155 Church of England true Church comming of God how 157 Continuance in sinne 156 D Discipline of 3. sorts 38. 39 Death of sinne where 63 Dissembling protestants 113 Drunkennesse 19. 146 Dumbe Magistrates 82 Dead to sinne 63 Deuil cause of sinne 17. 18 Dead in sinne 152 Doctrnie of England pure 36 37 E Exchange 32 Error of Papists 132. 87 Engrosers 13 Earth for man 5. 7. 8. 9 Euill actions 66. 67 F Free will 97 Faith of our owne 75 Faith the nature of it 130 Faith only in this life 131 G Grace the power of it 72 Good to be done to many 112 God no cause of sinne 16 Gaine in obedience 111 Great men serue God 119 Good how to doe it 106 H Hypocrites 12 Heart most regarded 8. 9. 10 Heart to be rent 61 Hurt of euillworks 70 Hope of the godly 110 Haruest of magistrats 123 Ministers people 124 Haruest temporall 125 Haruest of grace 124 Heart in obedience 105 Hospitalitie 123 I Inclosers 24 Idolatry of Papists 95 Infidelity of ingrossers 24 Instruction 81 Iehouah what it is 143 Iustified how 167 K Knowledge of the word 105 Knowledge of sinne 57. 58. Knowledge of good and micked men 72 Knowledge of the heart 75 Kill sin in the heart 63 L Loue of God to he sought 148 Labour to seeke 115 Lookes wanton 29 Long in sinne 154. 155 loeke vp the word 88 to 90 Lawyer a seeker 139 Lawyer little trueth 21 M Mean in words 69 Merits of Papists 93. 136 Mortifie sinne 70 Magistrates to punish sinners 78. 79. 85 Man to worke his saluation out 73 Mercie of God 133 Murmuring 52. 53 Man part with all creatures 4 Mercie of God gause of this crop 115 Mercie of God greater then sinne 154 Merchants falow ground 21 N Nature of faith 35 Nature of the wicked 15 Nature of merits 96 Names cut off 5 O Obedience seemes lost 108 Oppression 22. to 25 Obedience profitable 122 Ordinances of God 141. 142 Obedience rewarded 121. P Pleasure of sinne 18 Profit of sinne 18 Patrons 24. 25 Pride 13. 27 Profit in words 71 Pardons 98 Purgatory 90. 91 Prayer to Saints 95. 96 Plow our selues 76 R Reward not yet 109 Raine the maner of it 159 Raine for teaching 160 Rob-altar seekes 139 Kighteousnesse of sanctification 168 Righteousnesse of iustification 166. S Slanders of the Papists 102 107 Seeke in our own persons 139 Seeking of sinne 146 148 Swearing 27 Subiect of faith in vs 74 Sathan rules the sinner 17 Sleeping magistrates 80 Sowing of the wicked 114 Sorrowe how differs in the good and bad 61 62 T Trueth not to be found 21 22 Trueth in words 67 68 Tongue to be mortified 65 Translation of the word 88 to 90 Time to seeke 150 Theft of engrossers 23 Thankes-giuing 161 Time past 150 Time to come 154 V Vsury 25 100 Vse meanes to saue the sinner 77 Vnwritten verities 97 Vnmercifulnes of the Pope 99 Vlcer of sinne 152 W Workes not perfit 135 Word righteous why 101 Wicked no right to any thing 143 Wicked sinne of purpose 14 Workes of righteonsnesse 103 Word our rule 84 Whoredome 28 In commendation of the Author VErtere si agricolas terrā est nunc laude docendo Virgilius dignus laudibus esse puto Dignum hunc nostrarum quae animarū cura libellum Sit qui nostra docet vertere corda bene Alex. Bradley To my worthy friend his Celestiall Husbandry THe Husbandry which these dead leaues doe bring Thy liuely voyce did once sweetely sing That thy learned and iudicious hearers thought The Celestiall haruest to them had brought Thereby their hearts so did inflame That they desir'd to heare it once againe Io. Ga. THe ground mans heartis Gods word the plow The harrow repentance is to breake it now The seede obedience sowen in our liues The raine Gods grace whereby it also thriues Then vse it and it will bring Thee to heauen there to sing Then now Prayse God for the gaine And the Author for his paine T. H. THE CELESTIALL husbandry RIght Honorable and well beloued in our best be loued I knowe that many haue been the flowers that my brethren the Prophets haue gathered out of the garden of Gods word giuing a fragrant smell in this place so that I know not what flowers to gather to present you withall that formerly yee haue not seene Yet in this my meditation I considered of my worthy Auditors and so fitted my text accordingly Some of them being Iudges and Magistrats that fitly I might speake to them of Iustice. An other part of them being inferiour subiects that also I might speake to them of obedience In a word considering that heere are vsually auditours of all sorts I
the things of God Yea so farre off that they are foolishnesse vnto him Si in ratione habitaret malum c. as Tollet obserues If euill should dwell in the reason then could it not will that which is good I remember Virgils verse Igneus est ollis vigor caelestis origo Scminibus quantum non noxia corpora tardant Terrenique hebetent artus moribundaque membra Those seedes haue fiery vigor and heauenly spring So farre as bodies Lnder not with fulnesse Or earthly dying members clogge with dulnesse Wee neede not to borrow proofes from the heathen Poets wee find them in our selues and the infallible trueth of God hath spoken it that in vs there dwells no goodnesse Rom. 7. And further the same Apostle saith Wee are all sold vnder sinne And There is none that doth good no not one If our nature be thus corrupt how can it produce any thing but that which is euill The barren heart is the ground of my discourse And according to the common distinction of euill here is a double euill in this barren and bad soile Vnum quodmalus facit One euill which the wicked man doth and then alterum quod malum patitur another euill which hee suffers The euill that hee doth is here the meditation to sinne or as my text saith a heart prepared to sinne The euill that he suffers is the corruption of nature which sauours nothing but vice The Philosopher said that the earth was a naturall mother vnto weedes but a stepmother vnto herbs It is true in this earth man by a procliuity of his owne naturall inclination is apt to produce all manner of euill but can bring foorth no good God must first play the husbandman with him There is no Farmer that so labours his ground as God must our hearts Wicked men are bad earth and base minded and naturally sinke downewards yea with a dull and ponderous declination All his actions haue a low obiect not out of humilitie but of base deiection Apollonius reporteth one strange thing among the rest of his reports That there was a people which could not see in the light but in the darke A strange report yet it is here true by experience The wicked cannot see any thing in the light of grace they haue their light onely in the darkenesse of nature for they here see and vnderstand through the darke cloudes of nature No maruell then if their heartes bee set vpon sinne when they can see nothing but euill Neither is God in this any way causa Peccati eitheir because his whole nature is corrupted or in with holding grace from him For the first the wise man cleareth God saying This haue I learned that God made man righteous but he hath found out many inuentions For how could a good cause produce an euill effect A Deo perfecto nihil malum nihil turpe est saith the Heathen From God that is perfect commeth neither euill nor foule thing Deus malorum causa non est cum bonus sit God is not the authour of euill when he himselfe is most good But as the Lord speaketh by the Prophet Perditio tua ex te Distruction is of thy selfe O Israel As God is not the cause of this corrupted nature and so not the cause of sinne so God is not vniust in withholding his grace from the wicked as some heretickes haue reasoned in this manner Priuatio est a Deo to be depriued is from God Priuatio est Peccatum To be depriued is sinne ergo peccatum est a Deo sinne is from God But this is easily answered for it doth not followe because we can doe nothing without grace that therefore God is bound to giue it Indeed we are bound to serue him but he is not bound to bestow his grace vpon vs it may be illustrated thus The King can raise a begger to great honour is hee therefore bound to doe it no man will conclude it So it is with God if he bestowe his grace vpon this man it is his mercy towards him if he doe it not to another it is none iniustice to him For his grace is free I will haue mercy on him to whom I will shewe mercy and will haue compassion on him on whom I will haue compassion So though man be corrupted God in no wise is the cause of his corruption Then this nature being so corrupt seeth and tasteth nothing but that which is euill A second cause or reason proceedeth from Sathan for hee sitteth in the heart of the wicked as a Prince vpon his throne commanding the same how and when he will This way and that way as the winds doe the Sedars in Libanus As the Apostle Paul saith They are taken prisoners by him to doe his will He is a workeman that is neuer without employment for them The diuell by the testimony of our Lord is the Prince of this world Note then his Monarchy is great and his kingdome bigger then the kingdome of Christ. For broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many runne that way But narrow is the way that leadeth vnto life and fewe walke that way If his kingdome bee so great no maruell if his employments be so many euery subiect therein is a great States-man for he is of the priuy counsell and there is neuer a day but there is a consultation between the Deuill and the heart of a wicked man The Deuill cannot be without the least of these but with great danger to his kingdome There is a two-fold cable-roape where by the Deuill drawes their hearts vnto sinne The first is the profit of sinning Come cast in thy Lot with vs we will finde riches and also fill our houses with spoyles Sinne neuer comes emptie handed for if it dyed we would reiect it We haue all earned Iudas his lesson which is Quid dabis And thus much doth the Apostle intimate in the Romanes where he saieth What profit had yee then in those things Hereby shewing that the end of sinning was the game of profit The second is pleasure and delight of this speaketh the Apostie in his second Epistle to the Thessalonianst They tooke pleasure in vnrighteousnesse And this is that that aggrauates a mans sinne to sinne and then to take pleasure in it Thus hee bindes two sinnes together 1. 2 finne to doe it 2. a sinne to loue it So the Diuell began with Adam and Euah to tempt them to sinne by the pleasure of sinne saying Yee shall bee as Gods knowing good and euill In many arts the more-skilfull the more ill-full Armis polentior astus Fraude goes beyond force Thus Sathan hath stollen trueths garment and put it on errors backe And so because the wayes to hell are full of greene pathes and tempting pleasures many runne apace till they come to their owne place with Iudas Sinne is a coach the Diuell is the carter then needes must they goe
story of the Gospel to bee true but for to assure a man of that which he beleeues to be true that they are his And this will appeare to be so by the Etymologie of this Theologicall faith considered either in the Hebrew Greeke or Latine in the Hebrew it is called amunah which commeth of aman which is firme and sure And therefore the Apostle doth vse this word to confirme the promises of God saying All the promises of God are in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so in the Syriack amin And hereupon it is that the Church hath appoynted this word to bee said at the end of all prayers nay God himselfe appoynted the same when the people were to be blessed they were to answere and say Amen Also this word Amen signifies a nourcery where trees are planted Faith is the nourcery where the trees of Gods promises grow And so to goe from aman to omen and then to omeneth which is in the feminine gender so that faith is both the nource and the nourcery And as the Etymologie of faith in the Hebrew confirmes the trueth of this doctrine so wee shall see the same in the Greeke For faith in the Greeke is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the third Praeterperfect tense Passiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence commeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is I am perswaded the actiue verbe is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Praeterperfect tense meane is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I perswade my selfe And so you reade of the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For I am perswaded that neither life nor death shall separate mee from the loue of God in Christ. So that according to this Etymologie of faith it is then a certaine perswading of a mans selfe of the promises of God The Etymologie thereof according to Latine is the same with the former Fides comes of fio or as Cicero saith of fiendo which signifies doing For the thing we beleeue is done and made firme vnto vs. And hereupon saith Chrysostome Therefore wee are called faithfull that we should without doubting beleeue these things that are said And to adde the saying of Augustine He which doubteth in faith is an Insidell Faith then is the euidence of things hoped for and he that hath it must needs haue assurance of glory Secondly if saluation be of faith then it must be while faith is in vse that we may attaine to this saluation Now it is manifest that Iustus ex fide viuet the iust shall liue by faith Which saying is taken out of the Prophet Habakkuk the iust must liue in his faith The meaning is that our saluation is by beleeuing as the instrumentall cause thereof But now faith indures but this life as the Apostle notes the difference betweene faith hope and loue The chiefe is loue for that remaineth with vs for euer in glory Hope goes to the graue yet leaues vs not there but like Peter followeth vs into the high Priests hall I meane into heauen and there remaineth till the day of iudgement Now faith is of shorter continuance and attends vs as a good seruant to the graue and there leaues vs so that after death there is no faith Therefore seeing saluation is of faith and faith but onely in this life it followes that while wee are in the kingdome of grace we are assured of glory If now bee the time of faith and the saluation of the soule be the reward of faith who doubteth then of the assurance of saluation while he is here in this world There are yet other good arguments to prooue that this assurance of glory is in this life viz 〈◊〉 wee lost saluation and here we must finde it againe Mee thinkes that place of the Apostle may be applyed to this and it shall be saide in the place where it was saide yee are not the sonnes of God yee are the sonnes of God Where the wound began the cure was made where death emred there life proceeded Againe in this world we were redeemed now it is fit that where redemption is wrought there assurance should be sealed And here note how answerable the worke of redemption was to the fall of Adam viz Adam sinned in eating Christ suffered in fasting Adam sinned in the spring Christ suffered in the spring Adam sinned in a garden Christ suffered in a garden here Adam lost all and here Christ hath recouered all where wee are redeemed there wee are sealed and where we are sealed there we are assured There is good vse to be made of this doctrine first against the Papist who say that men cannot be assured of this haruest and call the remission of sinnes vaine and of all confidence the hardest and remote and fides daemoniorum non Apostolornm the faith of Deuils not Apostles And this confidence in the promises of God belongs rather ad presumptionem non ad fidem to presumption and not to faith And here let vs see the Scriptures they confirme this their deuillish doctrine by and the first is this Who can say my heart is cleane not that there is none cleane but no man knowes when his heart is cleane Ergo no man can be assured of saluation But to this it may bee answered 1. the wise man speaketh against such as thought themselues to bee meritorious and free from sinne 2. Bee it granted that no man hath a cleane heart free from it yet he doeth not inferre hereupon therefore he cannot be assured of saluation 3. If none but such as are pure from sinne can bee assured of saluation then their Priests are not assured as they say Againe no man knoweth whether hee bee worthy loue or hatred therefore a man cannot be assured of saluation But this place speakes not of any inward cōfort and assurance of glory but of outward estate by the outward estate of man it is not to be knowne who is loued or hated of God because the assurance of saluation is not in outward worldly prosperitie but in the inward grace of the spirit so this place is nothing to prooue no assurance of saluation Againe they bring the saying of the Apostle worke out your saluation with feare and trembling Ergo where there is feare there can be no assurance but doubtfulnesse But marke what feare this is 1. Feare your carnall presumption by which you thinke to be in the state of grace and are not feare this 2. Feare to fall into error and to be deceiued by the craftinesse of men wherby they lay in waite to deceiue feare these 3. Feare in regard of the reuerence to God but no feare in doubtfulnesse of saluation To conclude if this be the best proofe that they can bring to confirme their doctrine the foundation is weake their arguments like ropes made of sand and the building cannot long stand To turne my selfe from them to you and reproofe into matter of exhortation whether you
The robbe-Altar that seekes to drinke in the goblets of the Temple and take away the Ministers sheafe that should make him bread and his fleece that should make him clothes Some of the rob-Altars find whole Churches at once and yet not so much as the sweepings will they giue to the minister But let them take heede for the stones will goe neere to choake them one day and the belles ring them a peale to hell and keepe such a shaking in their consciences that they will wish they had neuer swallowed them and then when it is too late begin to evacuate themselues of the same The Vsurer is a seeker not other mens good but his owne profit Hee seekes to lend not to enrich others but himselfe Many a yong gallant is found by the Vsurer to his cost that they could neuer find their inheritance since the Vsurer found them What say you to the Lawyer is hee not a diligent seeker but not of the Lord rather to peruert the Law and to make a poore mans case intricate For it is not for his profit quickly to finish a Cause And often we see after some good Gamaliel hath brought a cause to a period and day of sentence that one Achithophel or other ouerturnes all And before the poore man can bring his cause to an other day of sentence either his dayes or his estate is ended I would some good body would pray to God that hee would either conuert the bad of them or to send them to the deuill for a new-yeeres-gift that we may be rid of them And to adde this petition into the latanie from wicked Lawyers good Lord deliuer vs for the seeke not the Lord but our estates What should I speake of the swearer who seekes for newe oathes the proude person for newe fashions the tradesman for to deceiue the officer for bribes and the like so that as the Apostle saith all seeke their owne but not the Lord. Yet there are a fewe which seeke the wayes of the Lord with Iosia pure in heart with Nathanel vpright in life with Zacharias and shall bee blessed with Abraham These are they which say with Samuel speake Lord for thy seruant heareth and with Esaiah here am I send me Whom this verse concernes Duc me summe Pater altique dominator olympi Quocunque placuerat nulla parenda mora est Assum impiger fac nolle comitabor gemens Lead me great Lord King of eternitie Euen where thou wilt I le not resist thee Change thou my will yet still I vowe subiection Thus the children of God are resolued to seeke the Lord howsoeuer the wicked are bent to seeke their owne Eth Ichouah a word more The Lord that is the loue and fauour of the Lord such a seeking Dauid speakes of Seeke yee my face thy face will we seeke O Lord. This is that the Church prayeth for saying Let him kisse mee with the kisses of his mouth that is shewe me the signes of his loue for it is not the least fauour of God to loue vs and therefore saith Christ. If any man keepe my word my father and I will loue him As if the loue of God were the summum bonum chiefe good and so it is For it is causa causarum the cause of causes and causa cansati the cause of the thing saying of Christ God so loued the world that he gaue his sonne to redeeme it So that Gods loue is the cause of our redemption so the Church sings First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him that loued vs and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee washed vs. And as it is the cause of all good so it is the life and ground of faith and repentance for wee beleeue and repent not because of the iustice of God but the mercy of God So saith Dauid there is mercy with the Lord therefore wee feare him for that faith without the feeling of Gods loue is carnall securitie and that repentance without the feeling of mercy is desperation And as it is the life and ground of faith and repentance so it is that which makes the conscience at peace with God as saith the Apostle Then being iustified by faith we haue peace with God If a man had Achithophels pollicy Samsons strength Absoloms beautie Felix his honour Salomens wisedome and Belshazzars kingdome yet all would not make peace in the conscience if Gods loue be wanting Make the vse of it thus is it so that we should seeke the loue and fauour of God then miserable is the condition of those that prouoke the Lord to anger God is saide to be a consuming fire fire is a denouring and mercilesse element if it be before vs nothing more comfortable if vpon vs nothing more deuouring nothing more cold then lead if it bee melted nothing more scalding Nothing more mercifull then God but if hee be mooued nothing more fearefull and consuming for as the loue of God is the cause of all happinesse so his wrath is the cause of all confusion Secondly let this worke vpon you as an exhortation to make you seeke this loue and fauour of the Lord. O that you were sicke of loue that prayer might bee your physicke and faith your hand-maide this would bring long life to your dayes and happinesse to your soules if you could once say with the spouse ani te dodi vedodi li 〈◊〉 my well beloued and my well beloued is mine Foelix illa Conscientia in cuius corde c. Happy is the conscience of that man in whose heart this loue of God is for st Deus pro nobis quis contra nos if God be for vs who shall bee against vs. And thus much briefely for the obiect whom we are to seeke namely the Lord. The compelling cause THere is an appointed time for all things saith the wise man which being done in their time are like apples of gold with pictures of siluer A thing so pleasing to God that hee commends it in the dumbe creatures the Storke knoweth her appointed time and the swallowe obserues the season How much more then doth God looke for it at our hands as my text saith ve-gneth and time it is first in regard of the time past and secondly in regard of the time to come First of the time past which is lost and not to bee recouered againe Arte cannot produce it where it is to come nor reduce it when it is gone It was painted like an olde man with long haire before and all bare behind to shewe that wee are to make vse of it when it is before vs. For all the time that God hath giuen thee shall be required at thy handes how thou hast spent it Time is not our owne but the Lords and giuen to vs for his vse therefore doeth God call vpon vs for the spending of this time in his seruice as here in my text for it is time because many
Christi aduentu By consummation and glorification of the Church in the second comming of Christ and vntill then we must seeke the Lord. The last pare the ende VVE are come now by your patience to the last branch of our text And teach you righteousnesse where in obserue 1. the propertie of it Teach 2. the forme of it Rightcousnesse 3. the persons You. The propertie of the worke comes first to be handled Raine This part would bee better vnsoulded by some Phylosopher then by me Raine is impression that commeth of much cold vapour and moist gathered into a body of a cloude drawne out of the earth or waters by the heate of the Sunne into the middle region of the ayre whereby cold it is so knit together that it hangeth vntill either the waight or heate cause it to breake Some thinke the raine and cloudes are not aboue nine miles in height Albertus Magnus saith they are but three miles in height and some thinke that they be but halfe a mile and some againe by Geometricall demonstrations make it aboue fiftie miles to the place where the cloudes and raine are gathered but not to be too curious to seeke for that whereof we haue no neede To conclude sometime they are higher sometime they are lower according to the waight thereof where they breake to the great feare and no lesse danger of man and beast but to come to the true raine here intended Raine the word iorch doth signifie to raine yet a supernaturall showre which makes glad the city of God Gods word is compared to raine and is this raine fo saith the Lord my word shall droppe as the raine Likewise his spirit is compared to raine I will power water on the dry ground And fitly is his word and grace comcompared to raine 1 Raine is called Imber and hath that name of Imbuendo for it springeth and tempereth the earth and maketh it beare fruite Man is compared to earth and the word and grace to raine If this raine be not showred downe vpon this earth it is vnfruitfull therefore to make this earth fruitfull God sends downe the showers of this raine vpon it as the operatiue meanes and working cause to make the hearts of men fruitfull in faith loue and the like and their liues full of good workes And to this belongs the saying of the wise man Arise O North and come O South because in these two places are the signes which concerne the water and the earth as Taurus Virgo and Capricornus which are in the South and be earthly signes The other are Cancer Pisces and Scorpio in the North and bee watery signes Now when the earth of mans heart and the raine of Gods grace doe meete there followes a fruitfull haruest 2 Raine is called Pluuia and hath that name of pluralitate pluralitie of drops and that drop after drop that the earth might receiue it the better A droppe is part of a cloude being broken which destilleth downe droppe after droppe A fit embleme of this supernaturall raine which from one cloude the spirit destilleth into the hearts of men grace after grace and gift after gift Man hath not all the graces of God at the first but by degrees as the Apostle saith We must first haue milke and then strong meate first a lesse grace then a greater and after that full perfection Regeneration is compared to a birth where first the braine is made then the heart after that the liuer then the sinewes arreryes and pipes and lastly the handes and feete And thus is it in the spirituall birth first knowledge and vnderstanding then faith and repentance after peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost and lastly full assurance of all Gods mercies 3 Raine is a maker of peace for often wee see the windes and other elements in an vproare where by the stout Cedars are bowed to the ground Towres and Castles trembling and the waters roaring But now comes a showre of raine from the cloudes and mittigates all this fury Euen so when since the conscience Gods wrath and the terrors of hell accuse vs within and Gog Magog Moab and Ammon I meane wicked men persecute vs without then are wee in great feare and trembling But now comes a showre of grace and mittigates all feares and secures vs from all terrours 4. Raine is Medicus a good Phisition hauing a powerfull efficacie to cleanse the ayre when by infectious fogges and contagious vapours it is corrupted washing away with the showres thereof all the noysome putrifaction euen so when the iudgement and vnderstanding are infected with the filthy fumes of errours and heresies and the trueth almost stifled then commeth a shoure of grace and cleanseth the soule from all these infectious fogges 5. Raine mollifieth the hard earth and makes it more apt for tillage whereby the bowels of the earth are cut with coulters and shares Euen so the hard and obdurate heart of man is made soft and apt to euery good worke by the showres of Gods grace Happie earth whereon this raine falles that is so operatiue and donum omnium donorum maximum A gift farre aboue all other gifts Ioreh of iarah and signifies to teach as well as to raine For while we liue in this world we are in the schoole of Christ and haue need of teaching and the chiefe teacher is the Spirit of God as Christ The comforter whom the Father will send in my Name shall teach you all things outward meanes without this will doe no good For Paulmay plant Apollo may water yet it is God which teacheth by the Spirit or otherwise all is in vaine For Non verbis hominis sit vt intelligatur verbum Dei facit Deus vt intelligatis The wordes of man cannot make man to vnderstand the word of God but it is God that maketh them to vnderstand The outward ministery worketh no grace in the hearts of men It is but a subordinate meanes and causa instrumentalis The instrumentall cause and not causa efficiens The efficient cause Therefore sayth the Apostle Haue you receiued the holy Ghost Intimating thereby that if they wanted the Spirit they could haue no faith for Hoc est opus Dei This is the worke of God Gods assisting grace and the ministery of man must go together else thereis no power in our perishable voyces to effect your consciences Breake away this Analogie and vertuall association of the spirit from the word and you shall bee like those women euer learning but neuer able to come to the knowledge of the trueth Learne then First to follow the counsell of Christ to giue God the things that belong to God and to Cesar that which belongeth to Cesar. If by the ministerie of man you haue gotten some good measure of knowledge faith loue repentance and the like forget not your duetie to the messengers of God Haue them in singular respect for their workes
the world that hee gaue his sonne to redeeme it If God had not beene mercifull man had beene miserable and therefore saith Peter Blessed be God which according to his mercy hath begotten vs againe to a liuely hope Secondly wee are iustified sanguine vel obedientia Christi by the blood and obedience of Christ. 1. Vt materia iustitae nostrae As the mater of our iustification 2. Vt causa formalia iustificationis nostrae as the formall cause of our iustification 3. Vt causa impulsiua meritoria as the inpulsiue and meritorious cause Thus the obedience of Christ is the matter the forme and impulsiue cause of our righteousnesse From the redemption of Christ there is freedome from death reconciliation with God the gift of righteousnesse and the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen Thus all the vertue of our iustification depends vppon the life and death of Christ Neither could our death be dissolued without Christs passion nor our life restored without his resurrection Thirdly we are iustified ex fide of faith vt causa instrumentali in nobis as the instrumentall in vs whereby we apprehend the righteousnes of Christ by faith apply the same vnto vs. To cōclude it in a word here is misericordia Dei the mercy of God promising 2. satisfactionem Christi the satisfaction of Christ meriting 3. fidei faith beleeuing and thus stands our righteousnesse Which distinction the Church of Rome refuseth saying wee are iustified by an inherent righteousnesse wherein two false points of doctrine are maintained First that there is some meritorious cause in vs of this righteousnesse Secondly that we are free from sinne for so are their owne words that we are not reputed iust but are made iust indeede But to the meritorious cause in man I answere in Augustines wordes God crowneth thee but in mercy for thou wast not worthy whom God should call or being called to bee iustified and being iustified to bee glorified If thou pleade thy merits God saith vnto thee examine thy merits and see if they bee not my giftes Where then is the meritorious cause in man Hoc est non in nostris recte factis this lyeth not in our well-done deedes sed in tua bonitate situm est but in thy goodnesse O God that we are made righteous And for the perfection of iustice I answere with the same Augustine Our iustice in this life consisteth rather in the remission of sinnes then perfection of vertue Take comfort then O Christian For if God iustifie who shall condemne who is able to lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen Why then should wee feare For tius quod non est non est poena peccatum remissum non est Ergo peccatum remissi non est poena That which is not hath no punishment forgiuen sinnes are not Ergo forgiuen sinnes hath no punishment as saith the Apostle wherefore let vs goe boldly to the throne of grace If thou wouldest bee healed hee is thy Physition if thou burnest with feauers hee is a fountaine to coole thee if thou art pressed downe with iniquitie he is thy righteousnesse if thou feare death he is thy life and if thou desirest heauen he is the way Is God thus good thus mercifull as to iustifie vs being sinners what will hee doe for vs then being iustified and this is the proper righteousnesse in this place There is a righteousnesse of sanctification for as Christ is our iustice so is he our holinesse And as many as haue put on Christ haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lustes whereby a man is righteous in his life and conuersation So saith Iohn whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not That is as Piscator notes non dat operam peccato not giuing them to worke sinne for these two goe together iustification and regeneration as Dauid saith Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne there is iustification and in whose heart there is no guile this is sanctification Happy men in whom two kisse one another where the dewes of iustification are destilled down and the sweet flowers of sanctification doe spring vppe And yet such honour haue all his Saints iustification peace of conscience ioy in the holy Ghost and sanctification of life Thus God raines downe his mercies vpon his Saints which be the Charter of heauen the couenant of grace and the assurance of glory musicke to the eares splendor to the eye odour to the smell daintaies for the tast pleasures for the sense and solace for the soule And seeing it is now high time to leaue you here will I leaue you for I cannot leaue you better then where I haue you And so I cease to speake of that which you shall neuer cease to enioy The persons now remaine to bee spoken of lacem you but I passe ouer this with silence hauing spoken of them before And now I call heauen and earth to record that this day I haue set before you life and death a blessing and a curse and haue sounded out the voyce of Boanarges and the voyce of Barnabas by the voyce of Boanarges I haue laboured to plowe vppe your sinnes in the doctrine of repentance by thundring out Gods iudgements in the voyce of Barnabas I haue laboured to helpe you to reape the haruest of Gods promises in the voyce of consolation and in all this I haue not beene partiall neither fearing the great nor fauouring the meane And now all I desire at your hands is a thankefull acceptance of my paines and a ready obedience of my exhortation which if I finde I shall thinke grace to be in your soules zeale in your hearts iustice in your handes and holinesse in your liues and so looking for the haruest of my labours I commit my words of exhortation to your practise and my wordes of consolation to your comfort and your selues to the blessed trinitie to God the father which loned vs so sweetly to God the Sonne that bought vs so dearely and God the holy Ghost who sanctifies vs so purely three glorious persons but one immortall incomprehensible onely wise God be giuen and ascribed from men and Angels in heauen and earth with soule and spirit all praise honour glory might dominion and maiestie at this present hencefoorth and world without end Amen 6 JY 53 Esa. 44. 3. Man patt with all creaturs Obserue Luk. 16. 19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pto. 10. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Man a diuine earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 15. 5. Doct. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pro. 4. 23. 〈◊〉 4. 14. Heb. 13. 9. Luk. 21. 34. Re. 1. Rom. 10. 10. Psal. 112. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King 22. 31. Iohn 13. 2. Esa. 29. 13. Matth 13. 9. Matth. 7. 17. Leuit. 22. 19. Exod. 23 2. Heb. 10. 22. Heb. 12. 24.