we have a lively and sensible feeling of the same while we live at ease and in prosperity Iob 29.6 while we wash our steps in butter and the Rocke powreth out rivers of oyle shall we call this a true faith Tit. 1.1 The faith of the Elect to make shew of many good things in us so long onely as God bestoweth good things upon us and no longer but if he once change our estate to be ready to repine against him and to rent him in pieces like mad Dogs that flie in their Masters face This rule ariseth from Satans false measuring of the practice of Job Iob 2.5 Chap. 2.5 Put forth thine hand now and touch his bone and his flesh and he will curse thee to thy face This is contrary to the application of Gods servants who when he doth afflict them and his hand is most heavy upon them even then they sticke fastest unto him as the Traveller that claspeth his cloke closest unto him in blusterous windes and stormy weather The hypocrites will doe this in time of prosperity onely whereas in trouble and persecution they fall away and are offended Matth. 13.21 Lastly this is comfortable to every one that is able though it be with much weaknesse and with many infirmities A vveake faith applieth as truely as the strong faith to apply in particular the promises of God to himselfe These may be comforted yea these onely for they shall be sure to finde God gracious unto them in the end If they be stung they shall be sure to be healed because they are able to looke up to the Brazen Serpent that God had commanded to be shewed If they be hungry they shall bee satisfied and saved because they can in part apply Gods promises to themselves It is a rule that the Civilians have that mine is better then ours so we say in this case of faith for a man to say by particular application Christ is mine is better then to say in generall Christ is ours or others and God is my Father then to say he is our Father or their Father Neverthelesse we must not on the other side be discouraged to thinke or to feare wee doe not beleeve when indeed we doe beleeve True it is unbeleevers doubt and true beleevers doubt and yet there is great difference betweene the doubting of the one and of the other The hypocrites or temporary beleevers are like a man that is in a dreame Esay 29.8 that thinketh hee eateth and behold when he awaketh hee is hungry that thinketh he drinketh and behold when hee awaketh he is thirsty that he enjoyeth many good things and when he awaketh he is disappointed and findeth no such matter Or like one who being in a deepe sleepe supposeth he holdeth somewhat in his hand and that he claspeth and gripeth it so fast that none shall be able to wring it or wrest it from him by any meanes howbeit when he awaketh his hand is empty and he perceiveth plainely he hath nothing at all in it So doe all temporizers they have many a pleasant dreame they thinke verily they have true faith when indeed they have nothing lesse they are without the feares and terrours and tremblings that Gods Children doe often even in their best meditations finde in themselves whom Satan will not suffer to be quiet If any aske How commeth this to passe Obiect that the true beleevers should thus doubt and stagger and the unbeleevers no way so much distressed may not the state of these seeme to be much better then of the other I answer This ariseth from sundry considerations Answ Sometimes the effects of Gods grace are not so lively in them as formerly they have beene as we might easily shew in the examples of Job of David and of divers others that we might learne to walke by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 and not by sight or feeling Sometimes the heart of man too full of corruption will cast forth doubts as the Furnace doth sparkles concerning his faith seeking as it were to throw mire and dirt in the face of his faith and sometimes Satan is ready to interrupt us and to hinder the course of our beleeving because he is evermore an enemy unto us For the life of a Christian is like the daies of the yeere one while the daies are very faire another while they are full of clouds of stormes and of showres So a man that doth beleeve shall sometimes finde all faire as when the Sunne shineth in his strength and have a long time of breathing and gathering new strength lest he should be swallowed up with over-much heavinesse For as God will not suffer the rod of the wicked to rest upon the backe of the righteous Psal 125.3 lest he should put forth his hands to iniqiuty so he will not suffer the tentations of Satan to dwell evermore with him and to continue upon him lest he should be discouraged and dis-heartned Sometimes againe whiles stormes and tempests of doubting are raised and the waves and floods of infidelity threaten to drowne or at least to shake the foure corners or pillers of the house that it may fall downe and we are like a troubled Sea Iob 7.19 we have not leisure so much as to swallow our spittle this falleth out lest we should grow secure and that he might draw us or drive us thereby neerer to himselfe Then the Sunne hideth his face in a cloud then we are full of wavering Notwithstanding this may bee no matter of discouragement but rather of much comfort and encouragement forasmuch as this is a token of true faith and God doth it for these ends to make us more certaine of our faith afterward to cause us to lay better hold on the promises of God and to finde more joy in them at the latter end Good pleasure Here is the third branch of the promise noting the ground thereof not the free will of man but the good pleasure of God From hence are all good things conveied unto us This is called in holy Scripture His grace his mercy his love his kindnesse his purpose his will the purpose of his will the good pleasure of his will and such like all of them pointing out the supreme and highest cause of all the good meant toward us and bestowed upon us Doct. 9 This teacheth that the good pleasure of God is the fountaine of all good gifts and graces whatsoever His free love and favour is the first and principall cause of all blessings externall internall eternall This Moses sheweth Deut. 7.8 The cause why the Lord brought his people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and redeemed them out of the house of bondmen and from the hand of Pharaoh was because he loved them Deut. 7.8 Revel 1.5 Luke 2.14 This is the saying of the Angels after the birth of Christ Luk. 2. Glory to God in the highest on earth peace good will toward men The Apostle James teacheth
this Iam. 1.18 Of his owne will begate he us with the Word of Truth And Paul to like purpose Hee hath opened to us the mystery of his Will and hath made us accepted in his Beloved Ephes 1.6 Phil. 2.13 according to his rich grace And elsewhere It is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure This will further appeare to be the first mover that setteth forward the other second causes For our whole salvation proceedeth from the grace of God as election Christ himselfe vocation faith justification regeneration love good workes conversion of sinners the finall perseverance of the Saints and eternall glorification Even as the body and branches of the tree issue from the root so is the good pleasure of God the root out of which all these blessings grow which in due time we partake Let us see this better by induction of particulars No man can bee saved and obtaine eternal life except he be predestinated chosen unto it For the Kingdome is not given but to such for whom it is prepared Matth. 25.34 20.23 Ephes 1.4 Matth. 25.34 20.23 but this is done according to the good pleasure of his will Ephes 1.4 No man could be saved except Christ Iesus had come and had satisfied the wrath of his Father for the sinnes of the world Acts 4.12 for there is no other name under Heaven whereby we can be saved But this benefit proceedeth from the grace of God Ioh. 3.16 and his everlasting love toward us Ioh. 3.16 For God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne for all that beleeve in him There is none saved that is come to yeeres of discretion except he be effectually called to Christ and his Gospell but whence commeth this but from his grace for he hath called us with an holy calling according to his owne purpose 2 Tim. 1.9 Gal. 1.15 which was given us in Christ Iesus before the world began 2 Tim. 1.9 No man is saved except he have faith and beleeve in Christ for the Just shall live by his faith Hab. 2.4 Heb. 11.6 and without it It is unpossible to please God and whatsoever is not of faith is sinne But from whence have wee faith it is by grace Ephes 2.8 Ephes 2. By grace yee are saved through faith it is the gift of God No man can be saved except also he be justified Psal 34.15 for the eyes of the Lord are over the iust but the face of the Lord is upon the evill to root out the remembrance of them from the earth Psal 34. Now whence is this but from his free grace Rom. 3.24 We are iustified freely by his grace Rom. 3.24 No man can bee saved except he be regenerated and sanctified by the holy Spirit for except a man be borne againe of water and the holy Ghost he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Ioh. 3.3 Joh. 3.3 But whence is this also but from grace that we should be holy and without blame before him Ephes 1.4 5. Tit. 2.11 12. 1 Cor. 16.14 22. Ephes 1.4 5. Tit. 2.11 12 No man can bee saved without love toward God and our neighbour 1 Cor. 16.14 For he that loveth not the brethren abideth in death 1 Joh. 3.14 1 Ioh. 3.14 4.7 19. But this love proceedeth from grace for love is God 1 Ioh. 4.7 19. and we love him because he loved us first No man can bee saved without bringing forth good workes Ephes 2.10 and walking in them for wee are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them But this commeth from his grace who hath promised to give us his Spirit Ezek. 36. Ezek. 36.27 I will cause them to walke in my wayes No man can be saved without remission of sinnes for in many things wee all offend daily Jam. 3.2 Iam. 3.2 Ephes 2.7 Esay 43.25 but this is from grace Ephes 2.7 Esay 43.25 No man can bee saved except hee persevere and continue in faith in good workes and in all Christian duties for hee that continueth unto the end shall be saved Matth. 24.13 Matth. 24.13 but when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity all his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not bee mentioned but in his sinne that he hath sinned he shall die Ezek. 18.24 Ezek. 18.24 Now whence is this that we stand fast Is it from our selves No it is from his grace who will give them an heart to feare him for ever Ier. 32.39 Phil. 1.6 that they shall not depart from him Jer. 32.39 40. Phil. 1.6 Lastly no man can be saved without eternall life for what is our salvation but our glorification now this is also of grace for here Christ saith It is the good pleasure of our heavenly Father to give us the Kingdome and the Apostle elsewhere Eternall life is the gift of God Rom. Rom. 6.23 6.23 The reasons first Reas 1 because God will have the praise of all his workes Ephes 1.11 12. Ephes 1.11 12. Rom. 11.36 All things are from him and through him and for him To him be rendred all glory for ever Rom. 11.36 But if our salvation were any way of our selves that we did part stakes with him in the grace there were reason wee should also share with him in the glory Hence it is that the Apostle saith Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath whereof to glory but not before God Secondly grace otherwise were no grace at all and salvation were not of his good pleasure but of our owne good pleasure For grace is not grace except it be every way gracious or free Rom. 11.6 Rom. 11.6 If it bee of grace then it is no more of workes otherwise grace were no more grace but if it be of workes then it is no more grace otherwise worke is no more worke Thus the Apostle reasoneth from the contrary Thirdly God oweth nothing to any man neither taketh he ought of any man so that hee may give or not give what when where to whom and how much it pleaseth him being independant upon any creature and free from all obligation which might binde him to any of them He hath absolute right and jurisdiction over all men as the Potter hath over his clay Hee may doe with his owne what he please and who shall say unto him Iob 9.12 Rom. 9.20 Esay 10.15 45.9 What doest thou Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus Shall the clay say to him that fashioned it What makest thou Shall the Sonne say to the Father What begettest thou or to the Woman What hast thou brought forth Shall the Axe boast it selfe against him that heweth therewith Ier. 18.6 Or shall the Saw magnifie it selfe against him that shaketh it As if
THREE TREATISES Viz. 1. The Conversion of NINEVEH 2. Gods Trumpet sounding the Alarum 3. Physicke against Famine Being plainly and pithily opened and expounded in certaine Sermons By William Attersoll Minister of the Word of God at Isfield in Sussex IONAH 3.5.10 So the people of Neneveh beleeved God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them even to the least of them And God saw their workes that they turned from their evill way and God repented of the evill that he had said that hee would doe unto them and he did it not LONDON Printed at by Tho. Cotes and are to be sold by Michael Sparke at the blue Bible in Greene Arbor 1632. THE CONVERSION OF NINEVEH Wherein is declared on the one side the lively power of the Ministerie working Faith and Repentance in the hearers and on the other side the admirable effects of Prayer and Fasting calling backe the judgements of God threatned against sinners By William Attersoll Minister of the Word of God at Isfield in Sussex Mat. 12.41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgement with this generation and shall condemne it because they repented at the preaching of Ionas and behold a greater than Ionas is here 2 Cor. 10.4.5 The weapons of our war-fare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling downe of strong holds Casting downe imaginations and every c. Printed at London by Tho. Cotes and are to be sold by Mic. Sparke at the blue Bible in Greene Arbor 1632. To the Right Worshipfull Sr. John Rivers Baronet one of his Majesties Iustices of the peace in the County of Kent Encrease of grace in this life and addition of glory in the life to come Right Worshipfull HAving heretofore upon sundry occasions divulged sundry Bookes which are abroad in the world whereby J received much encouragement J resolved notwithstanding being now in yeares and as it were donatus rude Horat. lib. 1. epist 1. preparing for a nune dimittis utterly to give over and to enjoyne my selfe a perpetuall silence touching this kind of writing and to content my selfe with performing the other more necessary duty of teaching Neverthelesse being requested or rather importuned by friends to publish some things which had lyen a long time by mee whereof they doubted not but J had some store J delivered into their hands these two short Treatises both of one nature preached at such time as the heavie hand of God was gone out against us in Towne and Citie For after that he had sent forth his destroying Angel Psal 91.7 and that thousands fell at our side and ten thousands at our right hand and by his Majesties expresse appointment and commandment we were enjoyned weekly to assemble together for the practise of piety in the exercises of humiliation that the Lord at length might say It is enough 2 Sam. 24.16 1 Chro. 21.15 Stay now thy hand J thought J could not bestow the time better than to deliver and insist upon the doctrine of repentance which is the life of all our fasting albeit handled before by many that we repenting of the evill which we had committed he might repent of the evill which he had executed For what is all our praier but lip-labour and a sacrifice abominable in his eares or what is all our outward fasting and abstinence but meere hypocrisie which his soule abhorreth unlesse they be accompanied with faith in his promises and with repentance from dead workes Chrysost ad◠versus Iudaos or atie prima It was well said of Chrysostome long agoe against the Iewes Ne ita dixeris jejunant quin potiùs illud mihi ostendito eos ex Dei sententia jejunare quod ni ita fiat quavis ebrietate sceleratius est jejunium Let no man say to mee they fast rather let them shew that they fast according to the minde and meaning of God or as he hath ordained for unlesse they fast after this manner their fasting is farre worse than any drunkennesse no doubt because they abused the holy name of God and under a pretence of piety they practised all kinde of impiety And immediatly afterward Neque enim solùm considerandum est quid ab istis fiat verùm illud etiam observandum quam ob causam faciant that is we are not onely to consider the action what men doe but the affection is principally to be observed for what cause and intent they doe it It cannot be denied but the Israelites fasted and praied before they went to battell against their brethren the Benjamites Iudg. 20.23 they wept before the Lord untill even yet were they overthrowne and 18000. of them perished with the edge of the sword Some men may justly marvaile that the cause of the Israelites being good and of the Benjamites bad yet that they fell before the men of Benjamin yea albeit they fasted and prayed and consulted with God who should first beginne the warre Rogers upon Iudges pag. 921. But whatsoever men may object or mutter the Lord might dispose of the issue and successe of it without any injury to them that were overcome forasmuch as it is free for him to afflict and chasten his as it pleaseth him who hath alwaies just cause so to doe and among such as are supposed to be most innocent what man shall be able justly to say to him Why hast thou done thus Hee doth all things well neither can evill dwell with the Almighty whereas wee are corrupt and in our best workes defective Besides he would prevent the evils that hang about us and abate the strength of pride or some other sinne whereunto by nature he seeth wee are most prone yea he will make triall what patience faith obedience and thankfulnesse is in us whether such graces be in us or not True it is it is not directly expressed what the cause was why God gave Israel the foile and forsooke them in the day of battell But whether they did trust in their great armies and put confidence in an arme of flesh and therefore doubted not but presumed of the victory and prevailing over their enemies or whether they did it not in truth and sincerity because they did not as well pursue the men of Dan for their Idolatrie and forsaking of God Iudg. 18.30 31. Gen. 49.18 the fact being as horrible every way as the private injurie offered to the Levites Concubine It is most certaine they did not throughly repent as indeed they did afterward and prevailed when they were throughly humbled So then notwithstanding the goodnesse of their cause the greatnesse of their strength the consultation with God the practise of fasting and the duty of prayer yet may we still say as the sonnes of the Prophets in another case 2 King 4.40 There is death in the pot the want of true turning to God defiled and deformed all the rest This is the great and generall fasting not to abstaine from meat and
1 Cor. 15.55 all things fall out alike to the godly and ungodly to him that sweareth and to him that feareth an oath so that no man knoweth love or hatred by these outward things yet the venome and poyson is pulled out from these Scorpions so that albeit they may hisse at us yet they shall never hurt us Gen. 2.17 Rom. 6.23 Death is of it selfe the wages of sinne Gen. 2. Rom. 6. It came into the world by sinne and is the last enemy that shall bee subdued howbeit it hath already received his deaths-wound and the nature of it is quite changed to the godly Indeed death remaineth as a cup that all must taste off but behold the difference to the ungodly it is the reward of sinne the suburbs of hell the separation of the soule from God and the guide that conducteth them into everlasting torments To the godly it is no punishment of sinne but the abolishing of sinne the path and passage to a better life the haven of our rest the end of all our labours and the way by which we must come into the presence of Christ He is become the death of death so that they are bold in him to looke death in the face because they looke beyond death For he that will not feare it must cast his eye further then it as they feared not the fiery Serpents that lifted up their eyes to the brazen Serpent Thirdly if any meanes to uphold their life be wanting the Lord doth strengthen arme those that are his with patience contentednesse and inward comfort and consolation that he maketh them able to beare them he layeth heavy burdens upon them yet he supporteth theÌ„ with his hand that they sinke not under the waight thereof Albeit famine doe pinch and presse hard upon their bodies hee feedeth their soules with the precious food of his Word to eternall life and they are ready to answer with their Lord and Master Ioh. 4.32 I have meant to eate Iohn 4 32. that yee know not of Albeit they be vexed with warre yet he giveth them peace of conscience that passeth all understanding even peace with himselfe which the world cannot take away from them Albeit they fall into times of perils and dangers yet are they made to dwell in the secret place of the most high Psal 91.1 and to abide under the shadow of the Almighty Psal 91.1 The name of the Lord is a most strong tower and place of refuge the righteous flie unto it and are preserved Albeit they be sometimes enforced to endure nakednesse yet even then hee clotheth them with the precious robes of Christs righteousnesse Psal 45.8 all whose graces smell of Myrrhe Aloes and Cassia whereby they are more adorned then with all the silver and gold in the world Lastly if he take away this temporall life he recompenseth the losse thereof with eternall life and happinesse We learne from hence first of all Vse 1 what need we have all of us of faith to lay hold on the promises of God made in Christ Iesus to such as are in him and have him dwelling in them For what is there can drive us out of this feare 1 Tim. 4.8 6.6 but faith Indeed godlinesse is profitable to all things and hath the promises of this life as well as of the life to come Of this life with condition so far as it shall be good for us of the life to come without any condition This godlinesse is great gaine nay the greatest of all other But what of all this if wee have not the hand of faith to receive them Offer meat never so much to the hungry soule yet if the hand be closed and the mouth stopped hee can receive nothing Powre water upon a Vessell all the day long it remaineth empty if the entrance thereof bee shut up so let us heare of the promises of God to sustaine us in times of famine want losse and necâ—ssity yet it is all one as if you spake to a dead man except wee have faith to quicken us and to put life into the soule For as the Apostle concludeth from the suffring of the Saints Hebr. 10.34 who endured with ioy the spoyling of their goods knowing they had a better inheritance reserved for them in the Heavens that we have all need of patience that after we have done the will of God wee may receive the promise Hebr. 10. So from this consideration that wee are ready every foot to faint and to feare want and beggery or else this dehortation were vaine and needlesse we are to gather that we may not cast away our confidence in God which hath great recompence of reward The just shall live by faith Hebr. 11.1 which is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seene Take heed therefore and beware of infidelity For as covetousnesse is the root of all evill 1 Tim. 6. 1 Tim. 6.10 so is infidelity the root of covetousnesse What is the cause that we feare the lacking of earthly things which the greatest sort doe more feare then the lacke or losse or lessening of the feeding of the love and favour of God Doubtlesse this is nothing but the want of faith Let them lose but a trifle or the least pinne and profit that commeth to the purse what crying and complaining have wee how much adoe have wee to perswade them to bee contented to bee resolved to submit themselves to the pleasure of Almighty God and to beleeve that hee is able to give them more then that All the armor and furniture that wee can bring out of the Store-house of the Scripture is too little to settle their unbeleeving hearts upon the promises of God But these men can bee content without any scruple or touch of conscience to absent themselves from the house of God to lose many Sermons and much wholesome doctrine which is according to godlinesse many exhortations many instructions many comforts nay they may apparently feele their decaying and declining in knowledge in faith and in obedience yet it troubleth them no more then it did that prophane Esau Gen. 25.34 who when hee had sold his birth-right contemned and despised it The true cause of our carnall and corrupt feare is this want of a true lively faith when we dare not believe him that hath promised who yet is able to performe and is not as man that he should lie or as the sonne of man that hee should deceive Hence proceedeth feare of the losse of life and living that we are afraid to commit our state and standing to the safe garding of God as manifestly appeareth by the contrary Psal 27.1 2. Psal 27. The Lord is my light and salvation whom shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Though an host shall encampe against me my heart shall not feare though warre should rise against mee in this will I
the Rod should shake it selfe against them that lift it up or as if the Staffe should lift up it selfe as if it were no wood Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker Let the Potsheard strive with the Potsheards of the earth Wherefore albeit he shewed no mercy on Cain Esau Saul Ahab Judas and sundry others yet is he not herein unjust for hee was indebted unto them nothing at all Nay more then all this had he denyed mercy to all mankinde and appointed all the sonnes of Adam of whom they come as out of a corrupted masse to endlesse torments as he did the Angels that fell yet had he done them no wrong but executed upon them just judgement and their deserved punishment so that no man can justly utter a word of complaint against him Rom. 11.51 Hence it is that the Apostle saith Rom. 11. Who hath first given to him and it shall be recompenced unto him againe This reprooveth two sorts First Vse 1 such as set up mans free will and make the beginning of our salvation to come from our selves This crosseth the doctrine of the holy Scriptures which teach that in our will is no good at all untill God from above give it and graft it in us as the earth is dry and barren the dryest of all the elements untill it receive the showres from Heaven to make it fruitfull This error setteth up mans nature and puffeth up flesh and blood It abolisheth the grace of God and derogateth much from the glory of his mercy because we are no more able of our selves to doe good then the stone can of it selfe mount up aloft If you take it and throw it into the aire it flyeth upward so if the Sonne take us and make us free Cant. 1.4 then we will and worke freely and if wee bee drawne Obiect wee runne after him What then may some say Are we stockes and stones without will without life without motion I answer Not so Answ wee are not utterly as blockes or stones without understanding For our will is capable of good when once it is wrought in us whereas stones sencelesse creatures and bruit beasts are not Nay we have a certaine freedome and liberty in naturall and civill things and some Ecclesiasticall so farre as both sence and reason may guide us But to any thing that is simply good and well-pleasing to God before he make us willing that are unwilling wee are worse then stocks I meane to doe good in a good holy and sanctified manner For not onely wee have stony hearts but also we rebell against God and lift up our selves against him which stockes and stones never doe against their Maker Ioh. 15.5 Ephes 2.1 so that Christ saith Without mee yee can doe nothing And the Apostle Wee are borne dead in sinnes and trespasses Whosoever therefore shall tell us and perswade us that we have power of our selves to doe that which is good and that wee stand in need of nothing but to be gently holpen with the hand to walke in his waies and need not to be wholly assisted and prevented by grace they are lying spirits and false prophets beleeve them not bid them not God speed neither receive them to house What a stirre hath there beene heretofore and is yet in the Church of Rome and among other Sectaries and who is ignorant of it about the matter of free will Were he not a fond man who being fast bound in chaines and irons would talke of nothing but of his present freedome and liberty Yet this is the case with us we are bondmen and yet we hold our selves to be free men wee have just cause therefore utterly to abolish this name of Free-will and learne to reason of our bond-will another while For we are as unfit to begin any good in our owne selves as the greene wood is to kindle in it selfe and of it selfe any fire or heat which being kindled it is rather apt to be put out againe These never knew the greatnesse of the fall of man and the deadly wound that nature hath received for it is God that worketh in us the will and the deed And if both the deed and will it selfe be Gods gifts I would gladly know what good gift we have left unto us in nature or what we can rightly challenge to our selves God is Alpha and Omega the first and the last the beginning and the ending and therefore all power and ability is taken from us quite and cleane of doing any thing that is good True it is the first man Adam before his transgression had free will to chuse the good and to refuse the evill but by his fall hee lost both it and himselfe both his liberty and his innocency Mans freedome is a very bondage For now our freedome is onely to be free to sinne too free alas we are to it if that may be called a freedome which indeed is the most miserable and slavish bondage while wee can doe nothing else but sinne lying as it were fast bound in chaines and fetters hand and foot O but a man that is fettered hath at least a will and desire to be loosed It is true of bodily captives and prisoners but it is not so with the naturall man that is unregenerate For as he is fettered so of himselfe he is willing and desirous to be so he doth evill and he will doe it he loveth his chaines as if they were of gold or silver Ephes 5.14 2 Tim. 2.26 and hath no will to bee raised from the dead sleepe of sinne Hee thinketh himselfe at liberty and as free as the best when he is faster holden then the worst Gally-slave He is the servant of corruption and yet hee is offended with him that moveth him to shake off those heavy bolts and fetters and to come out of that bad and bond condition The Apostle sheweth 1 Cor. 2.14 that the naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Secondly it reprooveth such as teach that faith and workes foreseene are the causes of our election to life and salvation This were for us to choose God Faith foreseene is not the cause of our salvation and not for God to choose us whereas he witnesseth the contrary This is to reject all infants from Gods Election who are taken away by untimely death as corne that is reaped downe in the greene blade This maketh election to be uncertaine and to depend upon the will and pleasure of men This teacheth that grace is not the totall cause of faith This is as much as to begin our spirituall life at our selves and to give the praise to our selves at least in part and not to God for the blessings that we receive from him This is to be afraid lest we should bee too much beholding to God for our salvation and too little
to our owne selves 1 Cor. 1.29 The doctrine of the nevv Sectaries This is to reioyce in an arme of flesh and not in the mercy of God 1 Cor. 1.29 The new Sectaries teach that Election resteth and dependeth upon the foreknowledge of faith and that it is made for faith foreseene which the sounder sort of Papists begin to be ashamed of as appeareth in Bellarmine The Apostle teacheth plainely Ephes 1.3 4. that all spirituall blessings whatsoever are given us according to Election before the foundation of the world Ephes 1.3 4. and therefore Election must of necessity bee before those blessings Againe we are elected that we should be holy and without blame he saith to holinesse not for any holinesse and consequently to faith not for faith So Paul obtained mercy 1 Cor. 7.25 Acts 22.14 That he should be faithfull 1 Cor. 7.25 not because God considered him as already faithfull Christ Iesus chose his Disciples not already bearing fruit but that they should bring forth fruit Ioh. 15.16 Acts 13.48 Ioh. 15.16 This also Luke sheweth that such as were ordained to eternall life beleeved Act. 13. Election therefore is before faith and it is the cause why men doe beleeve whereas our new Sect-masters and Strife-makers set the Apostle and the rest of the Church to Schoole and teach him to speak as they do yong children that they beleeved afterward were ordained to eternall life Rom. 9.16 The words of Paul It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy could not be true if God had mercy on men for faith foreseene For what could he foresee but his owne gifts which himselfe determined to bestow upon us This teacheth us also to pull downe all high conceits of our owne worth as if our salvation depended upon our owne selves and that wee were able to guide our waies and order our steppes to life and on the other side admonisheth all Gods Children to thinke humbly of themselves and of all that they can doe or have done touching the cause and foundation of their salvation and withall to magnifie highly the riches of the mercy of God and the aboundance of the love of Iesus Christ our Saviour shed abroad in our hearts acknowledging the beginning proceeding continuing and finishing of our salvation to spring from him onely True it is our destruction is not of God Hos 13.9 Iam. 1.13 14 15. but of our owne selves but our salvation is not of our selves but of God Wherefore then hath God chosen us and refused others made us vessels to honour 2 Tim. 2.20 Rom. 2.5 and left others to be vessels to dishonour why hath hee taken away the hardnesse of our stony hearts and given over others to walke in their hardnesse and hearts that cannot repent as he did Pharaoh Wherefore hath he sanctified us with his Spirit and passed by many thousand others that they might worke out their owne destruction and damnation Doubtlesse he hath not done all these nor any one of all these things for any good he saw in us nor for any goodnesse he foresaw would be in us nor for any inclination to goodnesse hee could perceive in us nor for any workes of preparation to make us fit for grace for what could he see in us though he be of pure eyes but matter of his wrath to feed upon as the fire doth upon the fuell It was not greatnes of wealth noblenesse of birth highnesse of estate worthinesse of condition multitude of friends that hee respected who respecteth no mans person so that when we consider what we are of our selves and how graciously God hath dealt toward us we should cry out with the Apostle Rom. 11.33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his iudgements and his waies past finding out Rom. 11.33 Lastly seeing it is of Gods good pleasure that he saveth us and not any thing that is in our selves that moued him this ought to stirre us up to thankefulnesse and our thankefulnesse to dutifulnesse and obedience toward him The greater his mercy is and the more free his grace is the more wee ought to praise and magnifie his great Name It is he that hath given us all let him therefore have the praise of all We have nothing in our selves therefore let us challenge nothing to our selves The worke is his owne and properly belonging to him let us take heed we commit not sacriledge and robbe him of the glory due to his Name They are pure or rather impure naturall men that set up nature and they are destitute of grace that pull downe the post or piller of Gods grace which holdeth up the whole building We cannot ascribe too much to him wee cannot detract too much from our selves We cannot deny too much to Nature we cannot ascribe too much to grace Our good thoughts our good desires our good deeds our good words if we have any come from without Matth. 15.18 as evill thoughts come from within and doe defile us as water comming from an uncleane fountaine All our good is of his good pleasure and therefore it is good reason that hee should bee honoured and glorified in it and for it Hence it is that the Apostle saith What is it that thou hast not received Wee are so farre from comming to our iournyes end without his direction that we cannot set one foot forward in the right way Wee are so farre from being able to practise any thing that is good that wee haue no power to prepare our selves to it Psal 10.17 forasmuch as it is he that prepareth the heart Psal 10.17 And the Apostle saith We are not sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing as of our selves 2 Cor. 3.5 but all our sufficiency is of God This use doth Christ our Saviour point unto Mat. 11. I thanke thee O Father Matth. 11.25 26. Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes even so Father for it seemed good in thy sight That which Christ our Saviour doth ought we all to practise and performe It belongeth to all the Elect and godly to shew great love to him that hath loved us first and continuall thankefulnesse toward him because wee hold our selves and all that we have of his gracious favour We enjoy not any good through our owne deservings but all besides our merits nay directly against our merits For by the guilt of sinne we deserve to be in the same condition with the reprobate and it is the great goodnesse and mercy of God who hath separated us and allotted unto us a better estate and that it goeth better with us How often doe we requite his love with unkindnesse for wee give him nothing but he giveth us all neither doe we prevent his liberality but he preventeth our ability if