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cause_n good_a will_n work_n 3,406 5 5.9618 4 true
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A19490 A conduit of comfort Preached at Sainct Iames before the Commissioners of the Vnion of the Realmes. By W. Couper, Minister of Gods word. Cowper, William, 1568-1619. 1606 (1606) STC 5916; ESTC S114683 33,427 48

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we are heere If of weakenesse we fall we may rise againe and if we haue not learned well to repent in one day we haue leaue of the Lordes patience to learne it better an other day his name be praysed therefore who hath opened a doore of mercie to sinners and with long suffering waites for our repentance But he who in the day of his transmigration steppes the wrong s●eppe will neuer get leaue to amende it Where the tree falles it shall lie there the wicked dies in their sinnes and so steppes downeward to the deepe Pit and Gulph out of die which there is no redemption Let vs therefore be well aduised before we leape Let vs fasten our feet● in the borders of that Canaan in time which shall be done if we make our whole life a proceeding from Election to Glorification and that through Calling and Iustification which two is inseparably following them the Sanctification Renouation of the whole man The Lord make vs wise in time that we may consider our course and thinke of the end wherevnto it leades vs for there is but one of two as M●ses protested to the Israelites so do I vnto you I haue layde this day life and death before you the Lord giue you grace to make choyce of the best But now to returne to the wordes of this description of the persons to whom this priuiledge appertayneth wee haue these thinges First the Purpose of God Secondly his Calling according to his Purpose Thirdly the euident token according to Gods calling which is the loue of God The Purpose of God concerning thy saluatiō thou mayest know by thy Calling and if againe thou wilt try thy Calling try it by the Loue of God which thou findes in thee And of these three now let vs speake shortly According to his Purpose Heere you see then how the Apostle draweth our Calling from the Purpose of God and so when he will comfort vs with the certaintie of our Saluation hee leades vs out of our selues vp to the Rocke that is higher then wee hee teacheth vs to cast our Anchor within the Vaile and to fasten our Soules vpon that vnchangeable Purpose of God It is most expedient for the children of God to marke this because the manifold changes we find in our selues do often times interrupt the peace of our mindes that the Lord our God hath in such sort dispensed our Saluation that the ground thereof is layd in his owne immutable Purpose but the markes tokens and pledges he placeth in them after their Calling for whom it was ordayned The tokens are changeable as wee our selues in whom they are are changeable but the ground holdes fast being layde in the vnchangeable God in whom falles no shadow of alteration and this should comfort vs against our dayly vicis●itudes changes defectes and temporall desertions our Fayth may faint our spirituall life may languish our Hope hoouer our Heartes in praying fall downe like the infeebled handes of Moses yet let vs not despaire no change in vs can alter the Lords vnchangeable Purpose hee who hath begun the worke in vs will also perfect it Because I am not changed sayth the Lord therefore is it that yee O sonnes of Iacob are not consumed This Purpose of God is called otherwayes The will of God and The good pleasure of his will and it doth learne vs to giue to the Lord the prayse which is due to him namely the prayse of the whole worke of our Saluation should be ascribed to the good pleasure of his will onely and not to our foreseene Merites that poyson of pride which Satan powred in our first Parents whereby he prouoked them to aspire to be equall with God doth yet appeare in their posteritie the corrupt heart of man euer ayming at this eyther in part or in whole to haue the prayse of Saluation ascribed to him and so would start vp in the roome of God vsurping that glory which belongeth to the Lord and he will not giue to another then the which no sacriledge more fearefull can be committed against the Lord. O man content thee with that which the Lord offers thee and let that alone which the Lord reserueth to him selfe My Peace sayth the Lord I giue vnto you but my Glorie I will not giue to an other It is enough that the saluation of the Lord is thine but as to the glorie of Saluation let it remaine to the Lord he is for this called The Father of Mercie because Mercie bredde in his owne bosome many causes without himselfe found he without himselfe moouing him to execute Iustice but a cause moouing him to shew mercie found he neuer saue onely The good pleasure of his will Therefore sayth the Apostle The Lord hath called vs with a holy calling nor according to our workes but according to his Purpose and Grace Surely except the Lord had reserued Mercie for vs we had been like Sodome and Gomorrah but it hath pleased him in his Mercie of the same lumpe of Clay to make vs vessels of Honour whereof he hath made others vessels of dishonour and who is able sufficiently to thinke of so great a benefite Therefore let the Redeemed of the Lord cry out with a louder voyce then Dauid O Lord what are wee that thou hast been so mindfull of vs Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glory for thy louing kindnesse and for thy truthes sake for our saluation commeth of God that sits vpon the Throne and of the L●●be to thee therefore be prayse and honour and glorie for euer and euer To them that are called The Purpose of God which is sufficient in it selfe is made knowne and manifest to vs by his Calling for our Calling is a declaration of the Decree of our Election and as it were the secret Voyce of God bringing from the Heauens to our Soules this comfortable message That wee are the Sonnes of God Now we must know that Gods Calling is twofold one outward which is common also to the wicked and of it speakes our Sauiour Many are called but few are chosen The other inwarde and effectuall proper onely to the Godly whom the Lord is purposed to saue And this will learne vs to consider of three sortes of men in the world whereof some not called at all some called but not chosen some chosen and therefore called to be sanctified lustified and glorified Yee that will take a right view of all mankind shall find them as it were standing in three Circles they onely being happy who are within the third In the outmost Circle are all those on whom the Lord hath not vouchsafed so much as an outward calling and heere standes the greatest part of the world In the middlemost Circle which is much narrower are all those which are partakers of Gods outward calling by the Word Sacraments And in the third Circle which is of smallest compasse in regard