for them then the Lord stayed him and stopt his passage by bringing in the sea to drowne him and his host Exod. 14. as hee did with Saul when he would have taken away Davids life the Lord set downe how farre hee should proceed to chase him from place to place but not to death By all which it appeares that wee make not God to bee an idle looker on which suffers every creature to doe what they will But when God gives men over to bee blinded and hardned by Sathan and suffers wicked men for a time to worke mischiefe yet sets bounds and limitts to their rage and fury and in the end wonderfully rescues his servants from trouble This surely is not to doe nothing Fifthly a reducing of the ends to the rule of justice The bringing of some good out of evill for though Sathan and wicked men propose their ends the wicked that hee may serve his pleasures the Devill that hee may destroy yet such is the goodnesse of God Bâ—â—um est mala esse vel â—ieri alioquâ—â— sumâ—â—è bonus non permitteâ—et ca ficri Loâ— hard lib. 1. distinct 46. that hee will never suffer evill to be done if it were not to bring good out of it It is good that evils be or bee done otherwise the most good God would not suffer them to bee done and such is the wisdome of God that out of worst things he can chose the best ends as for example Iosephs brethen sold him for envy but God sent him to prouide for his old father and his brethren to preserve their lives Gen. 45.5 So in the death of Christ Sathan and the Iewes intended onely his death but God turned it to the salvation of all that beleeve As poyson is in it selfe evill but the skilfull Physician by tempering it cures the sicke and workes good out of it So doth God with sinne Shimei by cursing would shew his hatred of David but God would make knowne the patience of David which was good Now these workes as they proceed from the next cause man and the Devth be evill they be evill trees which cannot bring forth good fruits But as they proceed from the supreme cause and as hee brings good out of them they are good God and Satan will both have Ierusalem destroyed But Sathan that hee might bee avenged on them God that hee might punish their rebellion Christ is delivered to death the Iewes they doe it onely in malice But God hath another end the redemption and salvation of man and therefore in Act. 4.28 Pilate and the Iewes Gentiles gathered together to doe whatsoever thy hand and Councell had determined S. Enchirid ad Laurent ca. 101. Augustine shewes how God man may will the same thing and God in willing it doth well and yet man sinnes in willing it The father of an ungratious child is sicke Vt citius perveniat ad haereditaâ—em paâ—ris Vuâ—t Deus jâ—â—sâ—e fil uâ— iâ— pie God will have him to die â—n his just judgement the sonne That hee may sooner come to his fathers inheritance God wills it justly the sonne wickedly Albeit God doe order Res mala non habet â—aulan essi cientem sed desi ie 〈◊〉 De 〈◊〉 taâ—e Dei Lib 12. cap 7. determinate and governe sinnes that be done yet is he not properly the efficient cause of sinne It was a good saying of Augustine An evill thing hath no a cause efficient but defficient as the corruption of iudgement and the perversnesse of will and further I say that though the Papist accuseth us for making God the author of sin yet I will change my religion if I will not shew to any Romanist that will challenge me that wee of this Church teach no otherwise than the Papists themselues have written not onely out of Occam Durand and Bannes but principally out of Thomas Aquinas and Bellarmine himselfe In Râ—m 9. Dea â—ass gratiae lib. 2. Cap. 13. By a figure hee commands it and incites men unto it as a Huntsman sets the dog upon the Hare by letting goe the slip That God doth not onely permit the wicked to doe evill nor onely forsake the godly that the wicked may doe what they will against them But he oversees their wills he rules their wills he governs their wills nay he bowes and bends them by working invisibly in them and not only inclines the will to one evill rather than to another by permitting them to bee carried into one sinne and not into another but also positively hee bends them by inclining them to one evill and turning them from another occasionally and morally as hee speakes out of Thomas Aquinas Let them looke well into these speeches and they shall finde that wee say no more than they and if they would expound ours as candidly as their owne there would bee small or no difference Briefly then we say first in generall That God is not the author of sinne but the devill and mans corrupt will and the contrary we defie as blasphemy Secondly in particular wee beleeve that God wills nothing which is formerly sinne but hee fulfills his good wills by our evill wills as P. Lombard as hee wills that which is good Lib 1. Distinct 48. but hates it rather whence it followes that hee inspires it into no man nor creates any corruption in our wills which was not there before but forbids it absolutely within us by the light of his spirit as Rom. 2.15 without by the commandement Thou shalt heare a word behinde thee saying this is the way turne not out of it Isay 39.21 c. The first entrance of sinne into the world and the continuance of it in the world was the voluntary action of mans will God infusing no evill into him for God is not the cause why man is worse but that which God doth about and concerning sinne is contained in three actions First as the universall cause of all things hee sustaines mankinde and upholds his being yea the being motion of all his actions good and bad So that no man could either move to any action or have being himselfe if God sustained him not as Act. 17.28 whence it followes that the very positive act which the schoolemen call the subject of sinne and the materiall part of sin whereto sinne cleaveth is of God in the same sort that all other actions of the creature are this proposition doth Zanchius well illustrate A man rides upon a lame horse in this action are two things Motion and Halting the motion is of man man makes him move but his halting is of himselfe so in sinne the action or motion is of God but the deformity of man himselfe Secondly he withholds his grace as Iohn 12.39 Therefore they could not beleeve because Isay saith he hath blinded c. as being bound to no man but leaves the wicked to themselves whereupon it followes that their hearts grow hard and they cannot chose
consecrated through affliction Heb. 2.10 And to that Image all the predestinate must be conformable Rom. 8.29 But concerning this I may say as the Philistines did of Sampsons riddle Iudg. 14.1 How can sweet come out of that which is sowre and meat out of the eater So say worldlings How can tribulation bring forth patience and how can a light affliction cause unto us a most excellent weight of glory But the children of God have learned by experience that albeit no visitation be sweet for the present yet afterward it brings the quiet fruits of righteousnesse to them that are thereby exercised Heb. 12.11 There is more solid joy in enduring rebuke for Christ than in all the pleasures of sin for as Moses the typicall Mediator of the old Testament by prayer made the bitter waters of Marah to be sweet Exod. 15.25 so Chrrist the true Mediator by his passion hath mitigated to his children the bitternesse of the Crosse yea made it profitable to them The prodigall sonne concludes not to returne till he was brought low by affliction Hagar was proud in Abrahams house but humble in the wildernesse Ionah sleepes in the ship but watcheth and prayes in the whales belly Ionah 2.1 Manasses lives in Ierusalem as a libertine but bound in chaines at Babel he turnes his heart to the Lord his God 2 Chron. 33.11 12. Corporall diseases inforced many in the Gospell to come to Christ whereas others that enjoyed bodily health would never acknowledge him The earth if not tilled beares nothing but thornes the vines wax wilde if they be not pruned and cut So would our wilde hearts overgrow with the noysome weeds of unruly affections if the Lord by a sanctified trouble should not manure them I will adde no more but that example of Ioseph Iacob sends him to Dothan to visit his brethren Gen. 37.18 his brethren cast him into a pit Reuben releeves him the Midianites buy him and sell him to Potiphar his mistresse accuses him his master condemnes him the Butler after long forgetfulnesse recommends him and at last Pharao exalts him What strange instruments are here and how many hands about this one poore man of God! and yet never one of them looking to that which God proposed So much of the negative I proceed to the affirmative But through their fall Th. Aquin. in hunc locum Tho. Aquinas produceth that in the fourth of Iohn Salvation is of the Iewes to prove this that the salvation of the Gentiles was occasionally by the fal of the Iewes and makes a threefold interpretation First because by their fault in killing Christ followed the redemption of the Gentiles Secondly because they refused the doctrine of Christ which therefore came to the Gentiles Act. 13.46 Seeing you put the Gospell from you and iudge your selves unworthy of eternall life wee turne to the Gentiles Thirdly because the Iewes for falling from God were dispersed thorow the world and by that meanes brought the Scriptures and Word to the Gentiles and to this purpose brings that Psal 59.11 Kill them not but scatter them Secondly wee must not thinke that the fall of the Iewes was any cause but only an occasion of the salvation of the Gentiles Thirdly there was no necessitie that the one people should be cast off before the other could be received for God might have called both at once Fourthly though the Iewes had not beene cast off yet the Gentiles should have beene called because there is no such dependencie as effects have upon their causes The first thing that I collect is God works good for his servants by contrary and most unlikely meanes Doct. It was a great worke that he opened the eyes of the blinde but greater that he should doe it by the application of spittle and clay meanes more like to put out the eyes of a seeing man than to restore sight to a blinde man Thus in the worke of creation when there was nothing but Thou and Bohu upon the earth and Choshec-panai Tehom darknesse upon the face of the deepe in Gen. 1.2 then did the Lord make Light of it So in the worke of redemption hee wrought by unlikelihoods and contraries when by a cursed death he brought a happy life by yeelding to death he overcame death by his Crosse he won the Crowne and through shame he ascended into glory The same order he keeps in our second creation he casts downe that he may raise up he kils that he may make alive he accuseth his children for sinne that he may cause them to seeke remission he troubleth their consciences that he may speake peace unto them and most commonly the meanes which he useth is contrary to the worke which he intends for his children He sent on Abram a most fearfull darknesse even then when he was to communicate unto him most joyfull light Gen. 15.12 Hee wrastled with Iacob and shooke him to and fro even then when he was about to blesse him Gen. 32. He strooke Paul with blindnesse even then when he came to open his eyes Act. 9. Sometimes he frownes upon his beloved as Ioseph upon his brethren when with loving affection he is about to embrace them he seemes angry at our prayers and puts us backe with the woman of Canaan when he is about to grant a favourable answer unto them Learne Vse first never to murmur what meanes soever be use to worke with Secondly not to doubt but God will doe us good when all meanes seeme contrary and against us he is able out of darknesse to bring us light out of death to bring us life and out of falling to make us rise Secondly at the fall of the Iewes he takes occasion to call the Gentiles from whence observe That God watcheth any opportunitie Doct. and takes all occasions to doe his children good How gladly would he have taken occasion to have spared Ierusalem when for one mans sake he would have spared it Ier. 5.1 How passionatly did he affect the cure of Babylon when he intreated her with as powerfull oratory as the heavens were able to compose and the Angels to utter till she made this the burthen of her song I will not be cured Ier. 51.9 How did he watch an occasion to spare Sodome when for ten mens sake he would have spared it Gen. 18.32 Deus secat ut sanet He cuts and sliceth our flesh that he may have occasion of shew mercy in healing it So Augustine on Matth. Ser. 15. Deus savit ut parcat Aug. in Matth. ser 15. He casts into despaire that he may shew mercy in sparing it And in another place He kils us that wee may not die And againe He strikes to death Oâ—idâ—t ne neriamur Aug. in Iohan sern 38. Aug. Confess lib. 2. cap. 2. that he may have occasion to doe his servants good in restoring them to life So that a man may fitly take up that speech of Themistocles when he was first banisht by the
p. 258 Not to feare though meanes seeme contrarie p. 358 Shew our love to Christ to his members p. 53 Election is of mercie p. 62 God saveth man of free mercie p. 126 Mercie of God sâ—staining men even when they sin p. 160 All our good is of Gods mercie p. 314 Against the abuse of Gods mercie p. 3â—9 The greatnesse of Gods mercie p. 352 Where Gods mercie most aboundeth hee punisheth sinne p â—69 Many now in state of sinne shall finde mercie p. 435 The elect onely shall have mercie p. 440 Wee should disclaime our workes in respect of merit p. 52 Man ready to ascribe the good things hee hath to his merit p. 306 Eternall life not by merit p. 426 Love to Ministers a signe of election p. 35 Few love Ministers as they ought p. â—6 Ministers their dutie p. 91 Reverence and love to Ministers p. 97 Of the labour of Ministers p. 248 258 Complaint of the ill carriage of Ministers p. 252 Duty of people to Ministers p. 259 Multitude no roâ—e of the Church p. 101 The depth of Gods counsels should keepe in from murmuring p. 458 Reproofe of those that murmur against Gods works p. 464 Everie point of godlinesse a mysterie p. 366 Not to search too farre into hid mysteries p. 458 N. PApists brag only of the name of a Church p. 11 Nineveh the strength of it p. 12 Wee should most tender the salvation of those that are neare us p. 259 God will alter the course of nature for his childrens good p. 357 Iewes and Gentiles alike by nature p. 433 O. NEw obedience a signe of election p. 32 New obedience three conditions of it ibid. Assurance of glorie by obeying Gods call p. 73 Objections against the doctrine of election p. â—3 Oppose See Gospell God takes all opportunities to doe his children good p. 214 To imitate God in taking opportunities to doe good p. 215 Ordinances of God how to account of them p. 186 Wee should beware of those sinnes that wee see punisheth in others p. 342 How to keepe from censuring others p. 430 Ministers should chiefly intend the good of their owne people p. 247 Wicked men judge of their estate by outward things p. 9 Wicked men excell others in outward things p. 10 Not to judge our selves by outward things p. 13 Outward profession not to be rested in p. 113 Outward privileges exempt not from punishment p. 332 See Election P. PArentage neither furthereth nor hinders salvation p. 40 439 Meannesse of Parentage no prejudice p. 42 Paul his description of himselfe p. 18 Promises of God how made to men in particular p. 23 Good men defend Gods people from persecution p. 87 Who the wicked persecute most p. 93 New obedience perpetuall p. 32 Comfort to those that live in evill places p. 20 Everie sinne hath its plea. p. 296 Gods pleasure the impulsive cause of election p. 56 Power abused God takes away p. 194 Power of God absolute p. 407 Possesse See Satan Predestination what p. 49 Predestination and providence distinguished p. 50 Predestination defined ib. Predestination abused to sinne p. 53 Predestination the order of it p. 54 Predestination the parts of it p. 55 Predestination three effects of it p. 71 Predestination the impulsive cause of it p. 130 Prayer an effect of the Spirit p. 27 Example of Saints oft in prayer ibid. Three things make God not to heare prayer p. 106 See Weapons Forgetfulnesse the cause of pride p. 280 Pride how to abate it p. 281 Three things to keepe men from pride of gifts p. 291 Three reasons to keepe from pride p. 305 None should bee proud of that he enjoyes p. 366 Wicked men presume upon outward privileges p. 9 Not to be â—ortent with outward privileges p. 11 Sin will ruine a people notwithstanding all privileges p â—6 Privileges spirituall all by Christ p. 52 The Gentiles have the Iewes privileges p. 287 Sinne will bring downe these that have the greatest privileges p. 301 See Anger Outward Profession See Outward A miserie to heare and not profit p. 170 Meanes contemned profit not p. 175 What makes men so little profit p. 263 Promises of God assure us of salvation p. 22 Promises to the Iewes belong to us p. 275 What over God hath promised shall come to passe p. 401 See Particular When the Prophets are made away people fall from God p. 95 Good people feare the losse of their Prophets p. 243 Prudence in Ministers in denouncing judgements p. 200 Punishment three things in it p. 152 God punisheth men in their best things p. 184 Foure good effects God brings out of punishment p. 210 Like sinne brings like punishments p. 33 Punishments accompanie sinne p. 388 See Sin Outward Mercie Q. QVestions curious unnecessarie p. 466 R. MYsteries of salvation above reason p. 457 God receives great sinners p. 351 Christ reconciles man to God p. 398 The manner of Christs reconciling in five things ibid. Rejection of God twofold p. 47 Rejoycing of wicked men vaine p. â—9 Rejoycing in Gods promises p. 403 What causeth God to remove the Gospell 216 In great revolts God preserves some p. 372 The reward of holinesse 43 Reprobation what p. 56 Reprobation the causes of it p 64 67 Reprobation double p. 68 Reprobation two acts in it p. 69 Reprobation three questions concerning it ibid. The knowledge of God true riches p. 231 461 Motives to labour for the riches of the word p. 235 No man can attaine life by his owne righteousnesse p. 135 Three things in Christs righteousnesse ibid. Bellarmines objections against imputation of Christs righteousnesse p. 136 Imputation of Christs righteousnesse reconciles us p. 99 God rules all p. 92 S. THose in Christs keeping are safe p. 15 Those of all Nations that repent shall be saved p. 19 Those that doe good workes shall be saved p. 74 Three things in those that shall be saved p. 121 All men shall not be saved p. 134 Salvation offered by the Gospell p. 218 Ministers should aime at the salvation of their people p. 252 Salvation of whom to seeke it p. 400 None can satisfie for his sinnes p. 392 Popish satisfaction vaine ibid. Satans stratagems cannot cut off the elect p. 15 Satan how he holds wicked men p 45 Satan hardens the heart p. 147 186 Exhortation to read Scriptures p. 82 See Wise A judgement to have eyes and not see p. 167 Seeking two things in it p. 137 Seeking God five things in it p. 138 We must not search into secrets p. 459 Servitude under sin p. 386 A man should find the cause of judgements in himselfe p. 313 God made all things for himselfe p. 473 Sin cannot cut off the elect p. 15 Sin not the impulsive cause of reprobation p. 64 Reasons why God reprobates not for sin p. 65 The best workes of wicked men sin p. 74 Sin how God workes in it p. 152 Three things God doth concerning sin p. 158 God punisheth one sin with another p. 162 367 Foure good effects God brings out of sin p. 210 Sin the cause of peoples ruine p. 334 Sin how displeasing to God p. 337 Sin how God sits punishments to it p. 341 Sin the nature of it p. 395 Sin Christ weakneth it iâ— us p. 399 Sin two things in it p. 406 Sin what ever a carnall man doth p. 416 Sinne makes good things snares p. 180 Subjection See Bowing T. TO labour for tender hearts p. 143 Thanke God for preservation from idolatry p. 109 112 When Ministers must preach threatnings 349 Threatnings of God true p. 404 New obedience totall p. 32 Troubles to bee expected p. 95 Truth how the wicked dispute against it p. 99 God receives all that turne to him p. 173 God doth great things in short time p. 469 V. MAlice of wicked men against the Church vaine p. 119 Gods Church scarce visible sometimes p. 100 God hath alway a Church though not visible p 113 Heaven must be gotten by violence p. 397 Vocation an effect of election p. 72 God unchangeable p. 14 Comfort from Gods unchangeablenesse p. 93 To take heed of unthankfulnesse p. 160 How to bee ashamed of unthankfulnesse p. 225 Unbeleefe See Infidelitie Universall grace confuted p. 443 Universall grace an absurd doctrine p. 450 W. MInisters must give warnings of judgement p. 350 Weapons of the Church is prayer p. 89 Wicked men wearie of good things p. 28 Scriptures able to make wise p. 79 God most wise p. 464 The Iewes at their conversion shall be endowed with wisdome p. 239 Religion should have no winter p. 33 Will of God the impulsive cause of reprobation p. 69 Workes a fruit of election p. â—â— 74 Motives to good workes p. 7â— God in election had no respect to good workes p. 129. 307 Good workes justifie not p. 130 4â—9 Workes of God how to bee affected with them 456 Obedience must be grounded on the Word p. 34 Word abused to maintaine sinne p. 205 Counsel of God must not be searched beyond the Word p. 462 To bee weaned from the world a signe of election p. 27 Iewes called toward the end of the world p. 218 Wicked m n overthrow the meanes of Gods worship p. 98 God wil avenge the wrongs of his p. 195 FINIS
7.23 In the former viz. election note 1. what it is 2. Of election and first what it is the execution 3. the knowledge of particular election 1. Election is defined thus It is a decree in which God according to the good pleasure of his will hath certainly chosen some men to life for the glorie of his grace as Ephes 1.4 5. in this one I note these points 1. The impulsive cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the good pleasure of his will hee will have mercie on whom hee will have mercie Rom. 9.18 2. If his decree then it is immutable he is not as man that he should repont 1 Sam. 15.29 3. There is an actuall election made in time I have chosen you out of the world Ioh. 15.19 4. The end his glorie for of the execution and the knowledge of particular election I will speake hereaster I come to speake a word of the other part of predestination viz. Reprobation which is A decree whereby God out of his pleasure purposed to refuse some men by meanâ—s of Adams fall and their owne corruption for manifeslation of his justice In this note only the matter or object of this decree viz. The rejection of some men in respect of mercie or the manifestation of justice upon some which howsoever men call it crueltie yet the Word tels it us Iude 4. They were of old ordained to this condemnation And Rom. 9.22 God makes vessels of wrath for destruction But this is a Doctrine that seemes to be hard and cruell for first men say it must needs bee crueltie to create a great part of the world to damne them in hell But they should know that by this decree God doth not create any to damne them but to the manifestation of his glorie in their due and deserved damnation for their sinne which is but justice and not crueltie 2. They say that by this God should hate his owne creature and that before it is whereto first I answer That God did not actually hate but purposed to hate justly and deservedly and if hee did I may say with Paul Rom. 9.20 O man what art thou that disputest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou in de mee thus Num. negandum quoâ— as crtum qâ—â—a intenni 〈◊〉 sotest â—â—d 〈◊〉 Aug. De buno persever lib. 2. cap. 14. And with Augustine May wee deay that which is plaine and evident because that which is hidden and secret cannot bee found out It is plaine out of Scripture that so it is and therefore it must needs bee sinne to object against it But that which makes the principal question is that which in the fourth placed proposed and which now I come unto to wir The causes of predestination Of the causes of election and because the parts of predestination are two I will take them severally and first begin with election Howsoever Gods will be the reason whereinto all causes must be resolved and end in that yet some imes there may bee given a reason of Gods will yet that reason must not be called an efficient cause of Gods will The reason why God placed Adam in Paradise was that hee might dresse it and keepe it the reason why God drove not the Canaanite out of the land was because the wickednesse of the Amorites was not yet full Gen. 15.16 The reason why God brought Israel thorow the desart rather than per compendia by more compendious and neerer wayes was that they might not easily bee met by their enemies Yet then onely must a reason of his will be given when he himselfe hath given it in his Word Of the finall causes of election For the finall causes of predestination they are plainly set downe by Paul especially citing that of Pharaoh Rom. 9.17 For this same cause have I stirred thee up that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be glorified thorowout all the earth or for this verie cause have I appointed thee as it is Exod. 9.16 And of the elect hee saith it was that God might shew the riches of his glorie upon the vessells of mercie Rom. 9.23 and as there is a finall so there may be a materiall cause Men who are predestinated and the benefits which God bestowes on the elect vocation justification sanctification glorie But the question is touching the cause impulsive whether it were his meere will or his fore-seene faith and workes That faith and workes be Of the impulsive cause of election was the Tenent of the old Pelagians renewed in latter times by some counterfeit Lutherans at the first maintaining faith simply to be the cause of election yet afterward onely the instrumentall and not the meritorious cause of election See the Rhemists In Annotat. in Rom. 9. Observe then 1. what wee hold 2. our arguments 3. the opposition of the adversarie In the decree of election there is a double act The first concernes the end The second the means I ground this proposition upon Rom. 9.11 That the purpose according to election might remaine where I see first in Gods decree an election before the purpose of damning or saving And Rom. 8.29 30. Those whom hee foreknew he did predestinate to be made like to the image of his Sonne and whom hee predestinated them c. where there is a manifest difference betweene the decree viz. predestination and the execution of his decree which consists in these three 1. Vocation 2. Iustification 3. Glorification The first act I call a part of Gods divine purpose whereby hee bringeth some men into love and favour passing by the rest and makes them vessels of honour and these are the acts of the sole will of God without all respect to either good or evill in the creature Neither doth God wrong any though he chuse not all because hee is tied to none as a man having no childe of his owne and seeing a multitude of beggers adopteth one of them and leaveth out the rest though hee shew mercie on him whom hee adopts yet doth no wrong to the rest so is it with God The second act is a purpose of saving or conferring glorie and this hath no other impulsive cause than the former viz. the good pleasure of God as Ephes 1.5 Hee hath predestinare us to bee adopted through Iesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will where note that this purpose of saving is with regard to Christ the Mediator who was first ordained to be a Mediator between God and man as 1 Pet. 1.20 Hee was ordained before the foundation of the world Secondly promised by the mouth of the Prophets as Isa 9.6 Thirdly revealed Fourthly applyed when Christ is given unto us of God the Father by the right use of the Word and Sacraments and received of us by true faith the last is the accomplishment of the application which is glorie when God shall bee all in all by Christ
in all the elect So that our point is this God did predestinate all that shall bee saved both to grace and glorie for his good pleasures sake not for any faith that he did foresee should bee in them Faith sore-seene no causes of election nor for any workes which hee knew they would does and wee can confirme it by these reasons following First Reason 1 from Rom. 9.11 That the purpose of God might remaine according to election not of workes but of him that calleth that is of the sole good pleasure of him that calleth from whence the argument may bee collected thus If election were for fore-seene faith then not of the sole good purpose of him that calleth but that is contrarie to the words of the Apostle Secondly Reason 2 Faith is a fruit of election and therfore must come after it therefore did God chuse us not because wee were about to beleeve but that we might beleeve See Ephes 1.4 He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world not because wee were but that wee might bee holy So in Tit. 1.1 it is called sides electorum Dei the faith of Gods elect In Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved Thirdly Reason 3 Faith is the gift of God by grace are ye saved through faith which is the gift of God Ephes 2.8 And Phil. 1.29 Vnto you it is given for Christs sake that you should beleeve in him Initiorum sidei incrementique lagitor Deus Ambros de vocat Gent. lib. 2. cap. 1. and suffer for his sake God is the giver of the beginnings and encrease of faith Now this being granted it followes that God was not moved by foreseene faith to elect for that which God in electing did give to man could not bee the cause that moved God to elect man I might urge the argument of Augustine De predest Sanct. lib c. 16. Workes foreseene no cause of election That grace goes before faith in the order of nature as the cause precedes the effect I come to shew that God had not respect to mens workes I will not stand to shew how Bellarmine Bellarm. de gratia libero Arbit lib. 2. cap. 10. Sect. 9. affents unto my proposition and consirmes it contrarie to the Rhemists upon the Hebrewes who bring for themselves that in Heb. 5.9 He is made the Author of salvation to all that obey Hence they say a man is not elected without condition of obedience And that in 2 Tim. 2.20 21. in a great house there are not onely vessels of gold and of silver but also of wood c. and if any man purge himselfe hee shall be a vessell of honour where say they by free will and good workes a man is made a vessell of honour whereto I will shape them no other answer than that which is given by Bellarmine Deorâ—â—â—e lib. 2. cap. 13. For answer to the second testimony the Apostle faith not That a man by purging himselfe is made a vessell of honour but is a vessell of honour that is shall by this be knowen to bee a vessell of honour as if hee should say there bee two seales of mans being a vessell of honour one inward which cannot bee seene of us in this life that is the knowledge of divine approbation The other outward the avoyding of sinne and iniquitie that is by these it appeares that wee are surely predestinate and so wee are exhorted by Peter to make our calling and election sure Now the reasons whereby I prove my proposition are these 1. That which is the effect of election cannot be the cause Reason 1 But all good workes are fruits and effects of election as appeareth Ephes 1.4 upon which words Augustine Elegit nos ut essen us sanch non quia crornus secundum voluntatem suam non nostram quae bonaesse non possit nisi isse ut siat bona sabveniat Hee chose us that wee might be holy not because we were about to be holy and according to his will not ours which cannot bee good except hee helpe it that it may bee made good And verie excellent is that of the same Father against I ulianus the Pelagian He chose no man worthy but by chusing made him worthy 2. Lib. 5. cap. 3. Reason 2 Our election is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth Rom. 9.16 but of God shewing mercie but if it were for our fore-seene workes it were not of mercie but of him that willeth and runneth Liberautur per gratiam aicnutur non vasa suorum meritorum sedm sericor diae August dexatura gratia lib. 5. cap. 1. They are freed by grace and are said to be vessels not of their owne merits but of mercie Yea the Rhemists upon Rom. 9.14 have confessed that election is a worke of Gods meere mercie contrarie to themselves and if of meere mercie then without all respect of our workes or fore-seene faith 3. Reason 3 It may be proved from Luc. 12.32 It is the Fathers pleasure to give you the Kingdome And Ioh. 15.16 Yee have not chosen mee but I have chosen you but if God should chuse men for good workes then they had first chosen him nor doth God chuse men because hee sees that men will doe good but chuseth men that hee make them workers of good and to persevere in good as Bellar mine proves it sufficiently Degratia lib. Arbit lib. 2. cap. 10. If any man be scrupulous and doubtfull let him but looke Aug. Epist 105. to Sixtus Epist 46. to Valentinus and Bellar mine in the place before noted I come to see what the adversarie hath against this doctrine that we may soone shape them an answer and shake them off The first may be out of Rom. 8.29 Object 1 Those whom he knew before he did predestinate to be made like to the image of his Sonne therefore Gods prescience of men to be like c. is the cause of Predestination whereto I answer first that their prescience is put for the proegumenicall cause that is his free mercie and the meaning is that whom God lookt upon in mercie hee did also predestinate to be made like to the image of his Sonne by righteousnesse and holinesse So the word is used Iob. 10.14 Psal 1.6 Secondly the Apostle saith not he knew them to be like and therefore did predestinate them but did predestinate them that they might be like Secondly they dispute from Matth. 20.8 Object 2 Call the Labourers and give them their hire therefore Heaven is ordained for mens good workes Whereto I answer first that the place sheweth that good workes are the way wherein men must walke that come to Heaven but they doe not prove that God in his decree had respect unto them There is a difference betweene the decree of predestination and the execution Good workes goe before the possession of Heaven but not before the purpose
and ordination of God Lib. 1. cap. 3. And S. Ambrose Of the calling of the Gentiles frames the argument of the place quire otherwise that Christs meaning in that Parable was to shew onely that men converted at the end of their dayes shall be by Gods mercie partakers of glorie and happinesse as well as others And so I come to the second part of predestination Of reprobation and the causes of it which makes the greater doubt whether reprobation have any other impulsive cause or reason besides the pleasure and will of God that is whether their fore-seene infidelitie and impenitencie in sinne did move God to reprobate any This latter that it was for sinne was anciently maintained by the Pelagians as may appeare by S. Augustines disputations against them in latter times by Stapleton Antidot in Epist ad Rom. onely of purpose to contradict Calvin his reasons be 1. Because the Apostle calls reprobation the hatred of God citing that of Malachy chap. 1. vers 3. I have hated Esau Now God hates nothing in man but sinne therefore God must needs fore-see that Esau would sinne and therefore hated him 2. From the Apostles words whom he will he hardeneth God hardeneth none but such as have an ill will already for which hee hardeneth them 3. From those words He suffered with much patience the vessels of wrath Rom. 9. vers 22. 4. Vpon those words God being willing to shew his anger now God shewes his anger against nothing but sinne and therefore did fore-see sinne which moved him to anger 5. The Apostle makes the cause why God did cast off the Iewes to bee partly their pride and vaine boasting of the Law Rom. 9.31 Israel which followed the Law of righteousnesse could not attaine to the Law of righteousnesse partly their incredulitie through unbeleefe they are cast off Rom. 11.20 and these doe shew that the sins of everie reprobate are to God a cause lawfully moving him why he doth absolutely reprobate him On the contrarie Calvin in that excellent book of predestination confuting Pighius cites that of the hating of Esau to prove that it was not for sin 2. That in Rom. 9. He hath mercie on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth therefore his will is the onely cause of mercie and induration 3. The potter makes one vessell to honour another to dishonour onely because hee will much more God 4. That which is common to all both elect and reprobate cannot be the cause of reprobation now sinne was fore-seene not onely in the reprobate but in the elect also For by nature wee were all the children of wrath as well as others Ephes 2.3 5. Christ attributes the cause of illumination in some to Gods good pleasure of Excaecation in others to his good pleasure Some heare and have wisdome revealed unto them that they may bee saved some heare not but wisdome is hid from them I thanke thee O Father Lord c. and it is so because thy good pleasure was such Matth. 11.25 26. Thus you see what is said on both sides heare now for resolution what is to be established for conclusion Stapleton makes a two-fold reprobation Antid pag. 567. the one comparative the other absolute The comparative whereby one man and not another and this man rather than that being in the same masse and condition is ordained to punishment and the cause of this hee makes the sole will of God without any respect at all unto sinne Quaest ad Simplicianum lib. 1. quaest 2. So Augustine hath fully resolved the question The other absolute whereby God ordained this or that man to destruction and the cause of this is their foreseene sinne But this cannot be true for God did fore see sinne in the elect as well as in others and yet did not reprobate them and therefore sinne could not be the cause of absolute reprobation any more than of the comparative Bellarmine writing of grace and free-will Lib. 2. cap. 16. comes neerer than Stapleton and resolves it thus that in reprobation there is a double act the one negative whereby God did decree not to have mercie on some whereof saith he there is no cause in man but it is only of the will of God The other act is positive whereby hee decreed to damne those upon whom hee decreed not to shew mercie and the cause of this hee makes the fore-sight of mans sinne But I thinke that Paraeus upon Rom. 9. hath gone as neere to the truth as any other whom I am content to follow till I see a sounder than he 1. We are to hold The causes of reprobation spoken of in the Scriptures two wayes that the Scriptures speak of the judgements of God and of the causes of damnation and reprobation two wayes 1. According to that absolute power which God hath over man and all creatures and then ascribes the cause of all to his good will pleasure So in Isa 45.7 I am he that for me the light and create darknesse I make peace and create evill c. So Ephes 1.11 He worketh all things according to the counsell of his will 2. According to that ordinate right that is the rule of distributive justice revealed in the Law and in the Gospell to which Law God doth as it were submit himselfe and according to that which is there revealed he would have us to thinke of his judgements and so the cause is to be referred partly to Gods will partly to mans sin As Levit. 18.5 Ye shall keepe my statutes which if a man doe he shall live in them And Ezech. 18.4 The soule that sinneth shall die They which commit such things are worthy of death Rom. 1.31 And 2 Thess 1.6 It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you And out of this ground arise the conclusions thus 1. If wee speake of Gods absolute justice and right the cause of both election and reprobation is the sole will of God So Rom. 9.11 Ere ever the children were borne and before they had done either good or evill that the purpose might remaine c. And vers 15. I will shew mercie on whom I will and have compassion on whom I will And vers 21. Hath not the potter power of the clay And Matth. 11.26 Even so O Father because thy good pleasure was such Neither can any reason oppose this for if the Pope should carrie many thousands to hell with him no man might say so much as what doest thou Gratian. distinct cap. 40. and shall any dare to question with God in the same 2. According to his ordinate right the Apostle speakes of it Rom. 9.22 What if God would to shew his wrath and to make his power knowen suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction where there is the cause of election the good will and the cause of reprobation his will according to the rule of justice revealed
save man Doct. was nothing in man but the free mercie of God and therefore the Apostle Ephes 1.4 5 6 7. Hee hath chosen us in him Hee hath chosen us according to the good pleasure of his will Hee hath accepted us in his Beloved to the praise of the glorie of his grace wee have the forgivenesse of sinnes according to his rich grace And Ephes 2.8 By grace are yee saved not of your selves it is the gift of God Ob. Yea but the Apostle saith Yee are saved by grace through faith therefore not onely grace but our owne faith is the cause of salvation I answer Faith is not here considered as any worke of ours but as an instrument whereby we receive grace and he must needs receive grace who will be saved by grace and how is grace received but by the hand of faith therefore faith doth not properly justifie and save a man either in whole or in part but receiveth righteousnesse and salvation and therefore is said to justifie because it receiveth salvation and righteousnesse and is the hand or instrument receiving but not deserving grace and salvation And when we say that faith doth justifie it is in respect of the object apprehended viz. Christ who only effectually and properly doth justifie by his grace So that this faith is so farre from being derogatorie from grace that no man can have grace that hath not faith to receive it and the Apostle joynes them fitly together grace whereby wee are saved and faith by which we apprehend it that which saves effectually and that which saves instrumentally that is grace and faith As the Israelites stung by serpents were healed by the brazen Serpent so are wee by Christ Ioh. 3.14 15. But they did nothing but onely looke upon the brazen Serpent so are we to doe nothing for our justification but to fix the eye of faith upon Christ whence wee see who must have the glorie for our salvation namely God 2. How vile and miserable we were before grace that there was nothing in us why God should love us or looke mercifully upon us or purpose to save us Before I proceed there is yet one generall note to be collected hence viz. That though the sins of the Iewes deserved a full rejection of them all yet God did not consider what they deserved but what might stand with his owne goodnesse and mercie So he did with rebellious Ephraim I will not destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man Hos 11.9 which is a wonderfull comfort to us poore sinner who many times deserve to be cast from Gods favour to have the meanes of salvation denied unto us to bee cast for ever from Gods presence yet God will not doe it for he considers what is sit to be done in mercie and therefore deferres his judgement from us and so I come to the conclusion of the application in the sixth verse VERS 6. And if it bee of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no more grace but if it be of workes it is no more grace or else were worke no more worke THis latter part of the verse is left out by Origen Chrysostome and the Spanish Edition as Soto hath observed and also by the vulgar Edition but is constantly read by Arias Montanus Beza Casaubonus and in all the Greek copies they containe in them a porisme or inserence upon the former proposition the argument is raised from the nature of immediate contraries whereof the Law is in Aristotle that the putting off the one necessarily implyes the removing of the other The two contrarie termes grace and workes which cannot both be causes of election The Syllogisme seemes to bee made thus Both grace and workes cannot be the causes of election but grace is that was concluded in the fifth verse The reason of the sequele because then grace were no more grace but works But these be contraries Grace gives a reward not due a worke requires it as due As Paul distinguishing betweene faith and workes To him that worketh the wages is due not by favour but by debt Rom. 4.4 I will not insist upon the Apostles reciprocall argument I draw all to an Enthymeme we are elected of grace therefore not by workes and because the antecedent was handled before there remaines now nothing but the conclusion which I comprehend in one bare proposition thus God in mans election had no respect unto mans good workes Doct. I need not stand to tell you of Bellarmine who strongly confirmes the point in hand De grat lib. arbit lib. 2. cap. 10. In Hebr. 5. Sect. 7. contrarie to the Rhemists Annotation alleaging for themselves 2 Tim. 2.20 21. In a great house there bee vessels of honour c. If any man purge himselfe where say they by purging a mans selfe he is made a vessell of honour Bellarmines answer is good that Paul sayes not hee is made but he is that is it is hence manifest that he is a vessell of honor as if he should say there be two seals of mans being a vessel of honor the first inward that knowledge of divine approbation which is knowen onely to God the second outward the purging of our hearts and the cleansing of our consciences and reforming of our wayes of which Peter 2 Pet. 1.10 But for the further cleering of it I propose two or three reasons 1. That which is the effect fruit cannot justly be called the cause impulsive of election But all good works are effects fruits of election as the Apostle witnesseth He hath chosen us before the foundation of the world that we should be holy a Vt essemus sancti non quia suturi eramus secundium veluntatem suam non nostram quae bona esse non potest nisi ipse subveniat 〈◊〉 bona That we might be holy not because we were about to be holy and according to his will not ours which cannot bee good unlesse he makes it good saith Augustine And writing against Iulian the Pelagian b Nullum Dominus elegit dignum sed eligen do efficit dignū Lib. 5. cap. 3. The Lord chose none worthy but by electing man made him worthy 2. Our election depends not upon him that willeth Rom. 9.16 but of God that sheweth mercie c Vbi nune opera ubi merita praeterita velfutura liberi arbitrii viribus impleta Aug. in huncloc Epist 105. ad Sixtum Where are workes now where are merits past or to come filled with the powers of free will saith Augustine So that I may say of those who attribute election and justification to their workes as hee doth to Valentine a Glorianter quasi non acceperint qui opera jactitant in seipsis non in Domino gloriantur Epist 46. They glorie as if they received not who boast of their workes they glorie in themselves not in the Lord. And his conclusion against them shall be mine b Liberantur per
gratian dicuntur vosa non meritorum sed misericardiae Lib. 5. de natura gratia cap 1. They are freed by grace and are called not vessels of merits but of mercie Vnto these I adde a fourth reason if you read the ninth to the Romans where the Apostle sifts and searches out the impulsive cause of predestination hee brings all to one of these foure heads 1. To the purpose or good pleasure of God that the purpose might remaine vers 11. 2. To the will of God Hee hath mercie on whom hee will and whom hee will hee hardeneth vers 18. 3. To his power Hath not the potter power c. vers 21. 4. To his mercie It is not in him that willeth but in God that sheweth mercie vers 16. But wheresoever he doth mention election he never makes mention of workes unlesse to exclude them as P. Martyr speakes as here he doth if of grace then not of workes Lastly if workes be the causes of election then in necessitie they are of justification also for that rule in Logicke is constant Whatsoever is the cause of the cause Quicq id est causa causae est causae causati is the cause of the thing caused But good workes are not the causes of justification for first that which justifies is that which can answer the extremitie of Gods justice But mans obedience cannot doe it being onely a begun conformitie as Chemnitius speakes Exam. Trident. Concil Sess 6. To them that will doe good evill is present Secondly if justified by workes then all boasting is not excluded but all boasting is excluded For wee are justified freely by grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Rom. 3.24 So that that which justifies a man is the satisfaction and obedience the justice of Christ our Mediator proposed in the Word apprehended by faith and by God imputed to all that beleeve So that we dare stand before God if that Christ stand betweene God and our sinnes that is our buckler wherewith we are protected from judgement by which we are emboldened to goe and appeare at the Tribunall of God and are there pronounced just So that though in respect of Christ it be satisfaction merit and righteousnesse yet in respect of us it is grace and mercie I could muster great Iuries of Scriptures and ancient Fathers to passe verdict on our side but I need not onely remember what Possidonius reports of Ambrose a Etsi non sic vixt ut pudeat inter vos vivere tomen non tâ—neo mors sed quia Don inum habeo bonum In vita August cap. 27. Though I have not so lived that I may be ashamed to live amongst you b Pateor non sum dignus ego nec propriu pessum meritis reguum abtinere culorum caeterum duplicâ— jure illud bâ—inens Dominuâ— hae reditate patris merito pessionu attero pse contentus alterâ—â—â— ihi dorat exenjus doâ—o jure illud vendans non cons nâ—or cap 12. yet I feare not to die not because I have lived well but because I have a good Lord. And I finde in the life of Bernard that seeming to be before Gods Tribunall and Satan opposing him and when Satan had done the good man seemed thus to reply I confesse I am not worthy neither can I by mine owne deserts obtaine the kingdome of Heaven but my Lord obtaining it by a do able right by his Fathers inheritance and the merit of his passion being content with one himselfe giveth mee the other of whose gift challenging it by right I am not confounded And therefore Bellarmine out of Bernard Because of the uncertaintie of our righteousnesse and the danger of vaine glorie Propter incertitudinem propriae jâ—â—tiae pericâ—lum in â—â—is glâ—ria tutissius â—â— est fidâ—i am totam insole Dei misericordia benâ—gnitate reponere De justif lib. 5. Cap 4. lib. 5. cap 7. propos 3. it is safest to put our whole trust in the sole mercie and goodnesse of God The Vse is to teach us first that we must not set up an Idoll in our owne hearts and thanke our selves Secondly an infinite comfort that our happinesse depends not upon our selves for then we should even be driven to despaire in regard of many sinnes and waverings which would breed not onely doubt but certaintie that wee should never be saved but seeing it depends upon God who is unchangeable Vse upon God whose promises are Yea and Amen upon God who is the same for ever wee may be sure that wee shall not misse of glorie which he hath laid up and prepared for all that love him And so I descend from the consolation of the rejected Iewes which was the first to the confirmation of their rejection which is the second maine point in the whole Chapter VERS 7. Vers 7 What then Israel hath not obtained that hee sought but the election hath obtained and the rest have been hardened IN the confirmation I note 1. The proposition to be confirmed 2. The testimonies and witnesses confirming it The proposition is aggregate and hath three branches 1. Israel hath not obtained what he sought 2. The elect have obtained what they sought for there is a taking of the abstract for the concrete 3. All the reprobates in Israel are given over to hardnesse of heart The witnesses to confirme all these are David and Isay that by the mouth of two or three witnesses everie word may be confirmed The testimony of David is in Psal 69.22 Let their table bee made a snare and a net and a stumbling blocke let their eyes be darkened that they see not which seemes to bee spoken by way of imprecation but is to be understood by way of prophecie The testimony of Isay is in Isa 6.9 God hath given them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and eares that they should not heare till this day I begin with the first branch viz. Israel hath not obtained Where note 1. Who is meant by Israel not the whole number of the twelve Tribes for then had Paul beene one of them for he was of the seed of Abraham of the Tribe of Benjamine nor must wee understand by Israel those that be called Israel Rom. 9.6 viz. the elect for then the second part of the proposition were false viz. the elect have obtained But by Israel we must understand the out-casts of Israel 2. Note what this Israel sought it appeares Rom. 10.3 They being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God went about to establish their owne righteousnesse and then the meaning is that they sought life by their owne righteousnesse and therefore obtained not what they sought but for the elect who sought life by faith in Iesus Christ they found life where I would have you first note in generall the division of Israel into two parts Some elect some not some hardened some not some obtaine salvation and some doe not Doct.
entertaine not embrace not his word are Gods enemies who must bee destroyed as appeares by the closure of the Parable Luk. 19.27 In Apoc. 11. it is one marke of Antichrist that hee shall make warre with Gods witnesses and put to death them that can shut the heavens vers 6. In Apoc. 12. there is mention of a Woman cloathed with the Sun and the Moone under her feet and upon her head a crowne of twelve Stars with this Woman they that made war are Dragons who cast venome on them that keepe the Commandements of God and have the testimony of Iesus Christ vers 17. There is a Text 1 Thess 2.15 16. that tels us of some who killed the Lord Iesus and their owne Prophets who forbid to preach that men might be saved and what is the reason that they might fill up the measure of their sinnes and what is their condition miserable they are enemies and the wrath of God is come upon them to the utmost And when Paul shewes how Alexander the Copper-smith was enemie to God and goodnesse and wishes Timothy to beware of him hee gives this as the reason of all he with stood our preaching sore 2 Tim. 4.15 And it stands with reason First Reason 1 while a man refuses and strives against the Gospell hee refuses the word and message of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.19 And therefore continuing unreconciled stands still in the condition and state of an enemie Secondly Reason 2 he evill entreats the Ministers of the Gospell who are Legats and Embassadours sent to treat of peace and to desire reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.20 and therefore continues an enemie Thirdly Reason 3 the preaching of the word is Christs golden Scepter under which all his subjects must bee ranged it is the rod of his power The Lord shall send the rod of his power out of Sion Psa 110.2 By which all his sonnes and children must be corrected and tutoured It is Gods Law by which all that love him must be governed it is his easie yoke which all that be his must take upon them and beare Matth. 11.29 The Vse is Vse 1 First to condemne all Iewes Turkes Papists Vnderminers and Persecutors of the Church who though they thinke that they doe God good service yet in truth are enemies to God God loves his Word and Gospell as himselfe nay hee loves and respects the verie places where it is taught as Psal 87. The Lord loveth the gates of Sion more than all the dwelling of Iacob And the more he loves it the more hee hates the contemners of it Secondly Vse 2 if they bee Gods enemies wee are not to be their friends wee must not bee familiars with them for feare of infection when Israel was mingled with the Heathens that hated the Gospell they learned their workes Psal 106.35 They are like Iacobs Poplar rods like the two rivers in Mercator Axius and Aliacmon Mercat Magin Geograph like the two fountaines in Spaine whereof Maginus 1. Omnia injecta respuit refuses all that is cast into it 2. Omnia injecta sibi assimilat makes all things cast into it like to it selfe The danger is noted by Salomon Prov. 6.27 and by the sharpe speech of Iehu the Prophet to Iehosaphat who when Ahab askt him to joyne with him against Ramoth Gilead made this reply I am as thou art my people as thy people 2 Chron. 18.3 But what saith the Prophet Wouldest thou help the wicked and love them that hate the Lord therefore is Gods wrath upon thee 2 Chron. 19.2 Audi sabulam non sabulam Euseb Eccles Hist lib. 4. c. 20. Heare a fable not a fable saith Eusebius speaking of a young man whom Iohn the Evangelist commended to an ancient Bishop to be entred and instructed but falling into bad company was perverted as appeares in the Historie Therefore is the exhortation of the Apostle Wherefore come out from amongst them and touch no uncleane thing 2 Cor. 6.17 Love not those that love not God and his truth Thirdly remember how God for many hundred of yeeres hath beene enemie to these Iewes for contempt of the Gospell and punished them both with spirituall and bodily punishments and captivitie and for as much as wee professe our selves to be Christs subjects and servants Let us suffer no evill lusts to ruler and reigne in us otherwise we shall bee slaine before Christs face Luk. 19.27 Bruized with a rod of iron Psal 2.9 Never enter into this rest Heb. 3.11 And so I come to the third branch of their present condition which is either the scandall and offence which the Iewes take or the opportunitie that God takes to doe the Gentile good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for your sakes For your sakes Because the Gentiles are accidentally the cause why the Iewes hate the Gospell and this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as in vestram utilitatem cedit it fals out for your good saith Th. Aquinas on this place The first thing that I observe is how God workes good for the Gentile out of the Iewes sinne and contempt of the Gospell God never gives way to any evill Doct. but hee workes good out of it as vers 11. Secondly God works for his servants by contrarie and unlikely meanes ibid. Thirdly God takes all occasions to doe his people good ibid. I come from their present condition which I have shewed to be miserable enemies to their future condition which I shall shew to be hopefull They are beloved for the fathers sakes The Conclusions may be these 1. Doctrines The promises made unto godly fathers belong to their children also 2. Gods promises shall bee fulfilled to some of the children though not to all 3. Children of faithfull parents are holy and beloved for the promise made unto their fathers See vers 16. 4. God in his elect doth not consider what they deserve nor respect them according to their present unbeleefe but consider what hee hath promised to Abraham and to his seed Therefore we must not despaire for our salvation depends not on our deserts but upon Gods decree I come to a second reason VERS 29. Vers 29 For the gifts and callings of God are without repentance THe purpose of the Apostle is to prove Exposition that God loves this Nation and therefore will call them home The reason is drawen from Gods love which is immutable from Gods purpose which is unchangeable By gifts understand not all things that God gives unto man for some he takes away Take from him that one talent Matth. 25. But those which flow from the grace of election as remission of sinnes faith fanctification perseverance salvation By calling understand not externall and outward calling but the internall which is alwayes effectuall which is his calling according to purpose proper onely to those who were from eternitie elected and shall eternally be saved as Rom. 8. But it is said Gen. Object 6.6 The Lord repented that he bad made man And Ierem.
of thy Law good Father touch their tongues with a coale from thine holy Altar that by the blessing of thy holy Spirit they may be able to worke some holinesse in the hearts of a sinfull and unbeleeving people and cut downe the head and strength of some sinne that remaineth in us and to this end and purpose make them sound in thy Doctrines terrible in thy threatnings sweet in thy comforts powerfull and effectuall in all thy perswasions and mercifull Father make thy word like the bow of ionathan and like the sword of Saul or Gideon that never returned emptie from the bloud of the slaine and the fat of the mightie Lastly wee come unto thee for our selves againe thy most unworthy servants that are here assembled in a reverent feare of thy most holy and blessed name most humbly intreating thee in Jesus Christ to be gracious and mercifull to all our sinnes and to be effectually present with thy blessed Spirit in the midst of us all and grant that thy word may drop and distill upon our tender consciences like raine upon the mowen grasse and as dew comes downe from Heaven to water the earth take away the scales of ignorance from all blinde and darke understandings remove farre from us all lets and hinderances whereby the blessed seed of thy Word hath beene too many and sundry times made unfruitfull in the hearts of sinfull and unbeleeving people and to everie soule that is present in thy house this day or at any other time grant 〈◊〉 all holy diligence to seeke thee godly wisdome to know theâ— and sanctified understanding to finde thee aright that so thâ— Word may prove the the sweet savour of life unto everlasting lift â—â—ough Jesus Christ our Lord and onely Saviour in whose most holy and blessed name wee are bold to conclude these our weake and imperfect prayers in that perfect forme of prayer which Christ hath taught us saying Our Father c. AN EXPOSITION VPON The eleventh Chapter to the ROMANS VERSE 1. I say then hath God cast away his people God forbid for I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin IN the former Chapter the Apostle disputed at large touching the fall and rejection of the Iewes The Coherence and Argument Quatenus corum causa culpa contigit In Rom. 11. so farre forth as it came to passe through their meanes and fault saith Solo applying that unto them which was prophesied of them so long before in the 65. of Isaiah vers 2. Tota dit expendi manus meas All the day have I spread out my hands unto a rebellious people and Rom. 10.21 And in this Chapter hee disputes of the casting away of the lewes Quatenus à Deo ob bonam causam permissa suit Zab. de necess lib. 1. cap. 2. so farre forth as it was permitted by God for a good cause they were cut off that the Gentiles might be planted in Rom. 11.19 yet after this he goes about to comfort them by laying downe two conclusions which make the two maine and principall parts of the Chapter The first That the rejection was not uniuersall respectu subjecti i. in respect of the subject that is The Iewes were not all cast off from the first to the eleventh verse The second That their rejection was not universall respectu temporis i. in respect of the time that is eternall and forever from the eleventh verse to the end Or with Calvin more particularly thus In Rom. 11. The mitigation of their despaire after their rejection consists in these six Theorems 1. That all Israel is not rejected God hath not cast away his people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. which hee fore-knew vers 2. The 2. That by their fall the Gentiles have obtained salvation vers 11. The 3. That in the end the Iewes shall be converted to the faith and kingdome of Christ in great number vers 12. The 4. That Abraham who was the root was holy and therefore hath some holy branches among them vers 16. The 5. That God can as easily graft them into the Olive tree againe as hee cut them off vers 23 24. The 6. That Gods purpose and counsell to graft them in againe is like the Lawes of the Medes and Persians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. For the gifts of God are without repentance vers 29. This is the Coherence and Argument I have no purpose to insist upon the Author Paul so named of Sergius Paulus Of the Author of the Epistle the Pro-Consull of Cyprus whom he and Barnabas converted to the faith Act. 13.7 12. as Hierome avoucheth Lib de claris Scriptoribus nor of the signification of his name which in the Hebrew signifies Marvellous or as Buxtorâ—ius Etymol In the Greeke Ease and Rest à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cesso or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quies or small and little as Augustine De spiritu litiera cap. 7. In Psal 72. nor why his name was changed it is done by Augustine Hee was first Saul viz. superbus i. proud then Paul viz. Humilis i. humble Nor of the authoritie of this Epistle Lib. 4. de verbo Dei cap. 4. Non debet esse admirationi aliquaâ—na arbor ubi in candem proceritatem â—otasylva surrexâ—â— Quid primuÌ„ in eo admirer quid poste à comprobem quid postremò laudibus inestimandis vehendam arbitror planesum animi dubius which is knowen and beleeved to be divine by the witnesse of Gods Spirit in Scripturis non ex traditionibus i. in the Scriptures not by Traditions as Bellarmine vainely goes about to prove nor of the excellencie of this Chapter which I have select It was an excellent saying of Seneca in one of his Epistles Some one tree is not to be wondred at when as all the whole wood hath growen to the like talnesse I am altogether doubtfull what I should first admire what afterwards I should approve and what finally I should judge worthy to be extolled with inestimable praises * Convivium sapientâ—ae singuli libri singula â—ercula Ambr. script oâ—â—ic lib. 1. cap. 22. Hieron de Psalmis Epist ad Paulinum It is a banquet of wisdome and everie booke a daintie dish as Ambrose speaketh And as one said of the writings of Salvianus there is not one Iota or phrase in this whole Chapter which is not pregnant and full of supernaturall knowledge Thesaurus sapientiae i. even a treasure of wisdome as Hierome stileth the Booke of the Psalmes I come to the Analysis The parts are five 1. A consolation of the rejected Iewes Analysis that notwithstanding God had cast them off yet such a remnant of them as were within the covenant of election should be saved through grace from the first verse to the seventh 2. A confirmation of the rejection of the stubborne Iewes by Testimonies of two Prophets the one David Psal 69.22 Let their table
saying THe second argument to prove that all the Iewes are not rejected Exposition is taken from Gods fore-knowledge and seemes to be thus framed God hath not cast away his people which he knew before but some Iewes are such people as God knew before therefore some Iewes are not cast off The termes are most of them easie for God hath not cast away his they are called his whom he from eternitie did purpose to save For rejection it is either temporarie or eternall he doth cast off his for a time and seemes to hide his face and loving countenance from them I will goe away untill they seeke mee Hos 5. But eternally he casts off none but such as were of old ordained to condemnation for this fore-knowledge some say was of them whom he fore-knew to bee apt to receive faith but this was the errour of the Greekes attributing too much unto mans free will and was much opposed by Augustine For it is thus said Deut. 7.7 8. The Lord set his love upon you not because you were many but because he loved you freely That is without any cause in you Oecumenius understands it comparatively hee fore-knew them before the Gentiles that is to bee called before the Gentiles But as Beza well observes here is no mention of calling but of eternall predestination Some take it thus which he knew that is enlarged and endowed with excellent benefits and privileges But this is sufficiently controlled by Tolet Annet 1. and hath indeed no warrant in the Text. This fore-knowledge of God saith Paraeus in Scripture is taken foure wayes First most largely for his generall knowledge whereby he knoweth things to come and not to come all things that are done in heaven and in earth of this spake Peter unto Christ in Ioh. 21.17 Lord thou knowest all things and this knowledge is only of the understanding and speculative this is not the cause of any thing nor is to be called his predestination because hee knowes many things to be done which are not done by his counsell and will Aquin. Sum. 1. quaest 14 â—rt 8. as Aquinas Secondly it is used for the foreknowledge of those things which he decreeth to be both of good which he purposeth to doe and of evill which hee purposeth to permit This practicke knowledge is not without counsell and is the infallible cause of all things that are and is that providence whereby the world is governed called the determinate counsell and fore-knowledge of God Acts 2.23 And yet this differs from election The difference between fore-knowledge and election as the whole from a part for election is but one part of predestination and providence and in this sense the reprobates are fore-knowen viz. preordained to punishment for their sinnes Thirdly strictly for the election and predestination of the Saints unto grace and glorie and so Augustine expounds this place whom he knew viz. whom he did predestinate So to fore-know is to approve as by this hee knowes not the wicked Matth. 7.23 Fourthly for the proegumenicall cause of election the free favour and mercie of God we are elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father unto sanctification through obedience and sprinkling of bloud where there is both the principal cause of predestinatioÌ„ God the father Secondly one end of it sanctification as well as glorie Thirdly outward or procatarcticall cause the suffering and bloud of Christ Fourthly the inward cause his fore knowledge that is his meere love unto us for from eternitie hee beheld us in Christ and in him loved us for he hath chosen us in him Ephes 1.4 Of predestination and what it is Before I come to gather the scope and drift of Paul give me leave to instruct you in that great point of predestination and therein I will make choyce of these principall heads 1. What it is 2. The order of it 3. The parts 4. The causes of predestination 5. The effects I begin with the first Bellarmine saith Degratia lib. Arbit lib. 2. cap. 9. that it is a certaine providence of God whereby certaine men out of the masse of perdition are mercifully chosen Ex massa perditionis misericorditèr electi and so are by meanes infallible directed to eternall life But this definition doth extend predestination onely to the elect which is both of the elect and reprobate and therefore unsound Secondly he makes predestination and providence all one which in themselves are different for 1. Providence reacheth to all creatures but predestination doth not so 2. Providence directs all things to naturall ends saith P. Martyr but predestination leads to those things that exceed nature as to bee adopted to bee sonnes of God to bee regenerate to bee seasoned with grace Lombard Distinct lib. 1. Dist 40. to come not onely to the hope but also to the fruition of glorie It is preparing of grace in this life and of glorie in the life to come True but this containes not all Est praeparatio gratia est praeparatio donorum Dei quibus certo liberantur qui liberantur coeteri in massa perd tionis relinquuntur De praedest Saâ—ct cap. 12. Augustine thus desines it It is the preparation of grace and of the gifts of God whereby they are certainly freed that are freed the rest are left in the masse of destruction But I will give out of all both ancient and moderne a more complete definition thus It is a most wise part of that most wise purpose of God whereby hee decreed before all eternitie some should be called to the adoption of sonnes should be justified by faith and in the end glorified others should be passed by that both by mercie on the one and justice on the other his glorie might be manifested Everie clause whereof I will demonstrate out of Scripture The 1. The proposed Genus a thing common to election and reprobation Paul Ephes 1.5 He hath predestinate us to bee adopted through Iesus Christ unto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will And Rom. 9.11 That the purpose of God might remaine according to election And this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purpose and this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good pleasure I take to bee all one 2. I call this purpose most wise for God doth nothing rashly or unadvisedly nothing that can bee corrected amended or repented of 3. Hee constantly decrees it that it is immutable So Paul 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God remaineth sure I am God and change not Mal. 3.6 And the gifts of God are without repentance Rom. 11.29 My counsell shall stand Isai 46.10 And though God say Ierem. 18.8 that hee will repent that is to bee meant not of predestination or of the will of good pleasure but of the signe that is of those punishments which hee threatned by the Prophets Nam qui mutat opera consilium non mutat Ang. Confess lib. 1. cap. 4. Though God changeth his works yet
to powder with a greater fall and therefore small cause to reioyce in that In their wealth alas this is but their opportunitie to sinne and strength to doe evill and power to worke mischiefe and liberty to heape sinne upon sinne and wrath against the day of wrath and what cause to reioyce in that when they are in the midst of their friends in the midst of their wealth in the height of their honour in the prime of their strength then are they though they know it not in the midst of the snare in the midst of their danger they are snared and know it not Deproviden Lib. 7. entrapt and feele it not they are intoxicate with that herb that Salvianus mentions that makes them laugh at the point of death Secondly Vse 2 see how sinne changes the condition and property of every thing that the wicked hath and wherein hee delights from a blessing upon him to a snare to choake him from being a help in the way it becomes a stumbling blocke to overthrow him It alters the property of the word preached unto him that in it selfe is the savour of life but to him the savour of death 2. Cor. 2.16 In it selfe the fountaine of wisdome This is your wisdome and understanding Deut. 4.6 But to a blinde Iew it is a stumbling blocke and to the wicked Grecian the preaching of Christ is but foolishnesse 1. Cor. 1.23 It alters the condition of the heavens which of themselves doe drop their dew and of the earth which of it selfe doth bring forth fruit but sin makes the one as brasse and the other as iron Deut. 28.23 It alters the nature of goods and makes those that in themselves bee blessings to be the incentives of sinne and the occasions of falling and therefore if we would have ioy in any thing that we possesse if a blessing upon what we have and not snares and traps to intangle us let us put off our sinnes labour to be in Christ for then onely have we them in the right use then will they bee blessings and not snares to us Secondly I observe out of Beza That as unhappy birds are there ensnared lose life where they seeke to uphold it So doe these Iewes they lose life where they seeke it they seeke it in the Law wherein they are ensnared and there lose it Doct. The point is They that seeke life in the Law shall finde destruction the righteousnesse whereby we are saved is the Lord Ier. 23.6 This is the name whereby you shall call him the Lord our righteousnesse not essentially as Osiander but effectually in him have wee righteousnesse Isay 45.24 It is the imputed righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith whereby we obtaine life Rom. 4.24 And therefore Paul praies that hee may not be found in his owne righteousnesse but clothed with the righteousnesse which is of God through faith and therefore durst not appeare in the righteousnesse of the Law Phil. 3.9 In Christ there is purity of nature answering for our corrupt nature Secondly integrity and obedience answering for our disobedience Thirdly merit and passion that takes away our curse and torment none of these can bee found in the Law but the Law is an unsupportable yoake which neither we nor our fathers could beare the strength of sinne 1. Cor. 15.56 the ministration of damnation and death 2. Cor. 3.7.9 how then can they finde life in it And though Bellarmine say stif Lib. 2. that this proposition Christs impâ—ted righteousnes is ours is never read neither in Scripture nor Father yet as we have before shewed it is a meere untruth The use is to confute the Papist Vse 1 who would have us to finde life in our inherent justice yet touching this they agree not among themselves some making actuall justice some habituall to be the cause the other two bee paralells with this and therefore I come to the last For a recompence Doct. It yeelds a double note 1. God repayes wrong done to Christ and his members in the same kinde that they were done They wronged and used him unkindly in his meat they gave him gall to cat they gave him vinegar tod inke mingled with gall Matth. 27.34 And as they use Christ so they used David before who was a type of Christ Psal 69.20 21. And now the Lord payes them in the same kinde their table is a snare and a net to take themselves The Iewes had a Law Levi. 24.19 20. If a man cause a blemish in his neighbour as he hath done so shall it bee done to him Breach for breach eye for eye tooth for tooth such a blemish as hee hath made such shall bee repayed to him Like to this is that of the Apostle 2 Thess 1.6 It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you His qui vos 〈◊〉 â—nt â—uj steâ—am rependet â—ictionem * He repayeth just affliction to them that afflict you unjustly saith Zanchius It was one of the Lawes of the twelve tables a nong the Romans Simembruâ— pit moum vâ—â—ssim â—um membrum Aut. Geliu 20. Cap. 1. Aâ—sta Etl Lib 2. Cap. If hee hath broken my member in like manner let his member bee broken And the Pythagoreans call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simply just But these were but temporall recompences but God will pay affliction with eternall affliction and though this may seeme hard that God should afflict them for ever who afflicted his sonne and servants but for a while yet it is quite contrary for God in punishing doth not so much respect the action which is temporall as the object against whom it is done who is that eternall and immense good Secondly the will of sinners which is for ever extended with their malice for if they did still live they would still persecute them Let them therefore see what they doe who persecute the innocent Vnto these let mee adde a most pregnant example of Adonibezok in Iudg. 6.7 Israel pursued Adonibezek and caught him and cut off the thumbs of his hands and his feet And Adonibezok said Seven kings having the thumbs of their hand and feet cut off gathered bread under my table as â—ave done so hath God rewarded me thus is that of Christ fulfilled With what measure you mete unto others it shall be measured unto you â—gâ—ine Matth. 7.2 and that of Habac. 2.8 Because thou hay spoyled many nations all the remnant of the peopl shall speile thee Take heed of wronging the people of God by disgraces by oppression by impoverishing them lest God in the same kind reward you seven fold into your bosomes 2. The Lord doth punish the sinnes of men by the best things that they have Sometimes by their children Doct. as Eli 1 Sam. 2.22 And Davids sin in Amnon and Thamar and Absalom but especially wicked men that they may say as it was said of the Emperour Antoninus Antoninum fuisse soelitem si nullum
and perdition he is in danger to slip into everie hole and to fall into everie pit which the enemies of his salvation doe dig for him to be catched in everie trap and snare of tentation that is laid in his way he cannot discerne betweene the faire and sure path of holinesse and righteousnesse and the foule sloughes and deepe ditches of sinfull corruptions till he fall into them he is ready to run into briars bushes and obnoxious to all injuries which the enemies of his salvation shall be pleased to offer unto him They may rob him of all he hath and hee cannot avoyd them they may deceive him with any bait and he cannot discerne them yea they may wound and stab him to the heart and hee cannot defend himselfe from their rage and violence We have an example of this heavie judgement in Pharaoh who being smitten with this spirituall blindnesse thought that hee then did most wisely when like a Bedlam hee went on in that way which exposed him and his people to Gods searefull plagues and at the last brought them to utter destruction So Paul before his conversion had his minde so blinded that when like a mad man he raged against Christ in his members he supposed that herein hee did God good service Acts 26.11 And so bruitishly blinde were the Priests and Pharisies that they thought it was the onely meanes to bring safetie to their people to kill their Saviour Ioh. 11.48 51. which afterwards proved to bee the cause of their destruction and utter desolation Againe Vse 2 wee unto whom God hath given this grace to receive Christ by faith as our Saviour and Redeemer may hence learne to be thankfull unto God for delivering us from this heavie judgement which to this day lieth still heavie upon his ancient people and for the inlightning of our mindes with the saving knowledge of his truth The which our thankfulnesse wee must approve to bee unsained by walking according to this light of knowledge in the wayes of holinesse and righteousnesse that wee may glorifie him who hath beene so gracious unto us Finally Vse 3 it should make us pitifull and compassionate towards those that lye under this heavie judgement of spirituall blindnesse and especially the people of the Iewes and to pray earnestly that they may bee enlightned with the saving knowledge of God his Christ and holy Gospell For if their case bee to bee pitied and lamented who through bodily blindnesse run into innumerable mischiefes and fal at last into a deepe gulph without hope of recoverie how much more should we pitie and bewaile their miserable condition who through spirituall blindnesse plunge themselves for the present into farre greater evils and at last fall irrecoverably into the pit of everlasting destruction Neither let their furie and faultinesse in opposing Christ in his truth and members lessen our pitie but rather increase it For what can they doe otherwise so long as they are under this heavie judgement of spirituall blindnesse What can be expected of mad men but the fruits and effects of folly and phrensie Who is angrie with a blinde man because hee goeth out of his way or stumbleth at everie blocke or falleth into everie pit and ditch or is mislead by everie false guide or exposed to the wrongs and outrages of everie malicious enemie Yea who doth not pitie him in all or any of these miseries and laboureth not that hee may either prevent or be delivered out of them And how much more then should wee stand thus affected towards those who lye under the punishments of spirituall phrensie and blindnesse which without all comparison are greater than the other and much more durable and desperate The third judgement or punishment which he prophetically denounceth by way of imprecation against the people of the Iewes The third judgement for rejecting Christ and the Gospell is set downe in these words And bow downe their backes alway Exposition In which consider 1. The judgement it selfe 2. The continuance of it The judgement is expressed like the former in a metaphoricall speech taken from the body where consider 1. the matter and 2. the māner of it The matter is their utter weakning and disabling to all good actions spirituall civill and corporall inward and outward For the Hebrewes seat the chiefe strength of man in his back and loynes which being broken bowed and buckled together he is thereby made utterly unfit for any actions and employment So that the meaning is as if hee had said Disable them wholly unto all holy and Christian duties so as they may have neither power not will to performe any holy service unto God to receive Christ as their Lord or to yeeld unto him obedience as to their Sovereigne let them bow downe under the intolerable burthen of their sinnes especially that of crucifying their Saviour without ease or comfort Deprive their state of all strength and pull out of their hands all civill government which they have abused to Gods dishonour to the opposing of Christ in his Kingdome and to the dammage and hurt of all his subjects and members overthrow their whole policie and Common-wealth subdue them as vassals and slaves to all their enemies and make them wholly desolate The which heavie judgements we see accordingly inflicted upon that Nation For their Kingdome was quite overthrowen by Titus Vespasian their politicke Lawes and government taken away their cities and townes sacked and fired their people for the most part slaughtered and the remainder sold for slaves and scattered among all Nations under whose servitude they remaine in great scorne and reproach even unto this day And thus also we see their backes broken in respect of spirituall strength For no Nation under Heaven is more desperately wicked and averse to all goodnesse none so maliciously opposite to Christ and his kingdome whom they delight to disgrace with reproaches and blasphemies none more given up to a reprobate minde to couetousnesse sordide basenesse injustice and all manner of deceit A people separated from all nations that they may bee the scorne of of all And this is the matter of the judgement The manner or qualitie of it is implyed by that phrase of bowing or making crooked For as those whose backes are broken and bowed doe bend their faces downeward towards the earth and are not able without great difficultie to lift them up towards heaven So this nation being broken with Gods heavie judgements weakened in all their strength spirituall and civill had this heavie punishment added to all the rest that hereby like bruit beasts their faces were bowed towards the earth ascribing all their calamities to worldly accidents and inferiour causes and never looking up unto God as the chiefe Author of them that they might humble themselves under his mighty hād see acknowledge their sins which were the causes of these heavie judgements and turning unto God by unfained repentance might obtaine the pardon of
Greeke and then highly honoured by the Persian Wee had perished if wee had not perished Petiramus nisi pertissemus If Iob be naked the Lord takes that occasion to cloath him if the Shunamites childe be dead the Lord quickly takes that occasion of shewing mercie in quickning it These be the steps wherein our Father walkes Vse and you that will be accounted sonnes must learne to follow him even to watch your times and opportunities when and where and how you may expresse and doe some good to the familie of the Saints and house of God The Magistrate must lie in wait for soules to save them by governing The Minister must lie in ambush for soules to save them by preaching The Iudge like good Othniel must watch his opportunitie to doe good in hearing and judging the causes Ladies and Matrons must watch their opportunitie to doe good in hearing the afflicted The Courtier like Mordecai must watch his time and opportunitie to procure the peace and welfare of Gods people by stopping the way against all malitious complaints and bils commenced against them Let us watch occasion to doe good if none be offered devise occasion and delight in doing them good that you may be sonnes and children of that Father who seekes and watches all opportunities to doe good to you I come to a third conclusion When God gives his word to a people Doct. and offers them meanes of salvation and yet they turne it off and fall away then God takes it from them and gives it unto others That 's the note of P. Martyr and may be backt with that place Act. 13.46 Then Paul and Barnabas said it was necessary that the word should first be preached to you but seeing you put it from you and iudge your selves unworthy wee turne to the Gentiles By that parable of the Vineyard in Mark 12.9 He will destroy those husbandmen and give the vineyard to others By that parable of the Supper in Luke 14. from 16. to 25. A man made a supper and invited many and said come for all things are ready but they began to make excuse c. The bread is first provided for the children and they must first be fed and by the children are meant the Iewes but if they refuse it must be cast to the whelps under the table as Christ said to the woman of Syrophenyssa in Mark 7.27 In all this you may see the fulfilling of that saying in Matth. 21.43 Therefore shall the kingdome of God be taken from you and given to a nation which will bring forth the fruits thereof It was the saying of our Saviour Matth. 25. To him that hath that is to him that useth shall be more given but from him that hath not that is useth not shall be taken away even that which he hath De doct Christiana Lib. 1. Cap. 1. vers 29. for so Beza seemes to expound that text and Augustine Which point may be a faire warning for us Vse who have thus long enjoyed the Gospell and the meanes of salvation wee have heard wisdome cry in the streets the Prophets have risen early and wooed us with arguments full of passion but may not the Lord say of us as he said of his vineyard in Isa 5.4 What could I doe for this people that I have not done We were like Aegypt when the plague of mist and darknesse was upon it even darknesse that might be felt Exod. 10.21 and the Lord hath made us like Goshen or like to those people that dwell under the poles who have no night but the Sunne still shining upon them Blundevil de Sphaera lib. 20. Cap. 16. Wee were like the mountaines of Gilboa but now the Lord hath watered us with the dew of heaven wee were overgrowne with weeds our fields brought forth nothing but cockle and darnell sowen by popish husbandmen but since that time the Lord hath gathered out those weeds and hath sowen amongst us the seed of the Gospell and he yet continues to be kinde and good unto us wee have our Churches open the Lord holds out unto us a candle like to that which Alexander held out to the Citie which he besieged let us yeeld and turne before the lampe be out for feare the Gospell be removed from us to another people What griefe did Israel conceive when they sate in Babylon as they make their complaint and moane Psal 137. By the waters of Babylon wee sate downe and wept c. The same may befall us and wee may be inforced to complaine with David Psal 84. that the case of the poorest creatures is better than ours The sparrow hath found her an house and the swallow a nest wherein she may lay her young Nidificant they build their nests and prope altaria neere the altars Ego prohibeor Calvin ia Psal 84. I am forbidden it saith Calvin Learne then that if God gives meanes embrace it if the word of salvation be preached heare it if the way to heaven be chalked out follow it if the Gospell be revealed receive it with cheerefulnesse and make much of it that God may not take his mercy from us nor bring that terrible famine threatned Amos 8.11 I come to one point more which I comprise in this conclusion Wheresoever the Gospell is preached Doct. there is salvation offered by God unto the people how beautifull upon the mountaines are the feet of him that declareth and publisheth peace that declareth good things and publisheth salvation Isa 52.7 And therefore in Heb. 2.3 The Law given by Angels is called the great salvation How shall wee escape if wee neglect so great salvation which at first began to be preached by the Lord and was afterward confirmed by them that heard him This is the great power of God to all that are saved 1 Cor. 1.18 that is t is the instrument divinely efficacious to salvation and is the power of God to salvation First in judgement because wee account it so Secondly in effect because indesalutem consequimur thence we obtaine salvation as Paraeus speakes that when the Gospell is preached to a people it may be said as it was to Zaccheus Luk. 19.9 when Christ lodged with him Behold this day salvation is come into thy house and therefore you should doe as he did run downe hastily and receive him gladly Imitate the rich Merchant Matt. 13.44 See first how gracious the Lord is in offering you salvation so many yeeres together Secondly how they that contemne the Gospell doe exclude themselves from all hope of salvation Thirdly they that esteeme meanly of preaching esteeme meanly of salvation they that will not maintaine it are enemies to their owne salvation They that pay much preaching with small rewards are unnaturall Gadarens and thinke their idols in their chests more pretious than the salvation of their soules But I passe this and come to the second part of the affirmative answer To provoke them to follow them There is saith Tho.
salvation of soules What is Pauls hope or joy or crowne of rejoycing are not you it in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming Yes c. 1 Thess 2.19 20. This was the reason why Paul became all things to all men that he might save some 1 Cor. 9.22 I sâ—eke not yours but you The reason First because the Ministers must aime at that most whereby God is glorified most and that 's the salvation of soules he is glorified in the wickeds destruction but he glorieth more in the salvation of one that beleeves and repents than in the condemnation of a thousand that die impenitent Secondly because the Minister must answer for his peoples soules as the Apostle speakes Heb. 13.17 They watch for your soules as they that must give account unto God He iâ—â—o to watch Vtetiamsi sanctè vrvat perdite viventes arguere erubâ—scat aut â—ctuat cum o unibus qui ertacentâ— periere perit Prosp Aquitan Devita â—ontemplat cap. 20. That although he live holily and blusheth or is afraid to reprove corrupt livers he perisheth with all those that perish he being silent saith Prosper Aquitanicus Thus God speaketh unto the Prophet Ezek. 33.7 8. Sonne of man I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel and the word shalt thou require at my mouth When I say to the wicked O wicked man thou shâ—lt die the death if thou doe not speake c. Hence ariseth to a Minister a great care he must care for soules and great danger he is in danger of damnation if he lose one of his peoples soules and therefore I thinke that Chrysostome might well use that speech of his Non arbit or inter Sacerdotes maltos essi qui salvi siunt sed multo plures qui per. unt Clnys in Act. Asost Homil 3. Apud Stobaeum cap. 49. I doe not thinke that among the Priests many are saved but many more that perish If one of us have ten thousand soules to feed it is many thousand times more easie for you to goe to Heaven than for one of us which if we considered we would say as Antigonus If thou didst know with how many evils this Diadem is attended thou wouldst not take it up lying on a dunghill First then dangerous is the case of those Vse 1 who preach onely to please whose learning consists in the withdrawing of their matter and setting their words in knots and borders placing them cheeker-wise to delight the care onely who come alwayes from Placentia never were at Verona to use the words of Lavâ—ter on Esther These men wrong themselves for they bring other mens bloud upon their heads as Ezek. 33. They wrong their hearers for they see them like to perish and Felpe them not they see them posting forward in the broad path of iniquitie and reclaime them not they see them in the fire and they helpe them not It was the saying of Sigismund the Emperour 〈…〉 um oâ—â—ulâ— qui â—aunico 〈◊〉 in Carâ—â— â—in nâ— 5. 〈…〉 Mared 〈◊〉 54. 〈…〉 us urury 〈…〉 seâ—atur â—â—â—ust Serm 15 in Matth. Saevitin va nus ut 〈…〉 nam si 〈…〉 â—crd ur He slâ—yes his enemie that spares him and these Ministers doe kill you for want of speaking That which Ausken saith of God God sometimes by sparing rigeth is most true of the Minister hee kils you by forbearing to let you bloud and to launce your sores He that is to be burned bewaileth and yet is burned hee that is to bee cut bewaileth and yet is cut saith Augustine The sicke weepes yet the Surgeon cuts him hee laments and yet the Surgeon seares him whether is this crueltie or pitie Hee rageth against the wound that man may bee cured for if the wound be handled gently man is destroyed Secondly Vse 2 dangerous is the case of these who study nothing but honour and wealth who bestow most of their studies how they may rise higher than their brethren to get honour to themselves not to honour God who open both their mouthes and purses to wooe and solicite their rich promotions but can have no leasure to open their mouthes to preach that a man may say as Seneca in another case Small cures speake Cuâ—aeles â—â—loquunlto ngentes slupent great ones are dumbe When with Demoslhenes in Gedius this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bull in the tongue then they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pati suffer a kinde of squman cie they cannot speake Thirdly dangerous is the case of those Vse 3 who be dumbe dogs that cannot barke who take upon them this holy calling and yet can preach no more than Harpoerates the Aegyptian who was alwayes painted with his singer in his mouth as Erasinus notes who are like to those Idols Psal 115. That have mouthes but speake not Ante Vacunales stant que sedent que fucos Oâ— dâ—â— astâ—b 6. They are Vacuna's Priests and shee sittest Mistresse to bestow a liverie upon such Drones They are such to whom God will say Why stand yee idle the whole day Fourthly dangerous is the case of those Vse 4 who in stead of saving destroy the soules of their people sometimes sowing hereticall and wicked doctrine sometimes by a wicked and sinfull life To whom God may say as Psal 50.16 17. Ionoui mâ—â—i to jua otiosa â—anus Lucida lectiveita tenebr â—sa viâ—a monsir esi res est A tongue that speakes great things and an idle hand A â—lâ—ere doctrine and â—darke life is a monstrous thing Loquere ut vide im Speake as I may see you was the Philosophers rule which is the sault of too many of my brethren who doe more hurt in the weeke day by yoking themselves with a packe of good fellowes than they doe good on the Sabbath by many of their leane and soule-starving Sermons I come to a second note from hence The Minister of the Gospell is the instrument which God useth to save the soules of his people And therefore although God be the Author and efficient cause of salvation yet the Minister is said to save because hee is a co-worker So the Apostle 1 Tim. 4.16 Take heed to thy selfe and to doctrine continue therein for in so doing thou shalt save both thy selfe and those that heare thee In Iam. 5.20 This know that hee which converteth a sinner shall save a soule from death In Mat. 18.15 If hee heare thou hast gained or won thy brother The Minister is the savour of life unto life 2 Cor. 2.16 He is a fisher of men Matth. 4.19 to call them from the world to be of the number of Gods Saints So that a good Minister of the Gospell is said to save men either by working in them faith as Rom. 10.17 Faith is by hearing or by laying downe the danger that comes by sinne as Moses did to Israel Deut. 30.18 I protest you shall surely perish or by preaching that word which if a man
hath honoured him So in the parable of the Pharisee that trusted in himselfe and despised others Luk. 18. from the 9. to the 13. Doe you despise the Church of God and shame them that have not shall I praise you in this I praise you not 1 Cor. 11.22 Thus the Apostle instructs his Corinthians Who hath separated thee and what hast thou that thou hast not received Nullis opportunis insidiatur quà m quibus laus j sta debetur c. 1 Cor. 4.7 God knowes full well that none are so subject to this sinne as they that have the best gifts according to that of Prosper Epist advirginem Demetriadem He insnareth none better than those to whom iust praise is due And therefore he charges them especially to take heed of this sinne that his people be not proud of their temporall blessings see Deut. 8.14 Take heed that thy heart be not lifted up not of spirituall graces for what hast thou which thou hast not received 1 Cor. 4. Other vices in sins Caetera vitiâ— in peccatâ—â— superâ—â— in 〈…〉 Superbia bones op ribus insidiatur ut pereant Ad Dioscor Epist 56. Epist 109. ad Monachas pride in deeds well done is most to be feared saith August Pride seekes to destroy good works When we have escaped common sins in dong evill God would have us take heed that we grow not proud of doing well many times the devill cannot keepe man from doing some good which yet shall never bee but upon record and so hee makes him proud of what he hath done and so in other sins Will you have a reason First Reason 1 there is no readier way to hinder a mans growing in grace than his proud conceit of what he hath already It is a true saying which Ludovicus Vives writes out of Seneca Multos pervenire potuisse ad sapâ—â—ttam rusi cò se pervenisse pâ—tarent De Causis Corrupt Artium l. 2. Many might have attained to wisdome but that they thinke they have attained it already * Ineus existens prohibet alienâ— That which is already within forbids the receiving any more The heart may be so full with a conceit that it wil sooner burst than receive any more It is impossible that ever he should be wise who thinks himselfe wise enough already impossible for him to learn that conceits his learning to be great enough already They that will grow in wisdome must come to say with So crates a Hoc 〈…〉 I know this one thing Reason 2 that I know nothing Secondly this keepes a man farre from God and malâ—es him unfit to come neere him that which brings a man neere is humility * Hec 〈…〉 sursun tendaâ— Aug de Civit. Det. lib. 14 cap 13. This is a wonder of humility that pride rends downewards humility upwards saith Augustine And to Dioscorus he saith Epist 56. that that which Demosthenes answered one that asked what in the precepts of Rhetoricke is first to be observed answered Pronuntiation what in the second place Pronuntiation what in the third place Pronuntiation may bee most truly said of humilitie So Hierome of Paula a Minima suit ut esset maxima quanto magis se d â—â—â—ciebat tanto magis à Christosuble vebatur latebat non latchat She was least that she might bee greatest by how much more she humbled herselfe by so much the more by Christ was she exalted she lay hid and yet she lay not hid b 〈…〉 gloriam assiquebatur Aug. de Civit. Det lib. 5. cap 12. By shunning glory he attained glory So Augustine of Cato Thirdly thou hast not these gifts because thou art better by nature than they for thou art a childe of wrath as well as others Eph. 2.3 nor of thy selfe but of Gods favour and God can and often doth for pride and unthankfulnesse Reason 3 both lessen and take away his gifts and graces and so he may doe with thee Which serves to take downe the pride of a number of conceited professors amongst us Vse 1 who because they exceed others perhaps in sharpnesse and quicknesse of apprehension perhaps but only in a talking vaine and habit of disputation about questions that cannot edifie use to swell and grow bigge with conceit of their owne perfection and in comparison of their grace conscience obedience and knowledge doe not sticke both to contemne and condemne their brethren others carnall men they spirituall others luke-warme themselves zealous professors others to bee blinde they to see the truth Iane à tergo quem nulla ciconia pinsit There are few men whom they can preferre before themselves their brethren are either more ignorant or more cold or more easily yeeld to Church orders but they thanke God they are not like other men So more they are for many that speake a great deale lesse doe a great deale 〈◊〉 good many that make lesse shewes have better hearts and many that boast lesse have better cause than they have To conclude the more wisdome a man hath the more humble it will make him not more proud the more learning and knowledge a man hath the more meeke and gentle it should make him not more haughty and censorious and ther 's good reason for it they that have least wisdome least knowledge least grace commonly thinke they have most and they that have mose seotheir want By seeing much they see how much they lacke and that which they have being nothing to what they want makes them thinke that of all others they have the least So I come from the proposition to the reason Thou bearest not the root but the root thee Which is taken from an absurdity that would follow It were absurde for him that must be carried to boast against him that carries him as if the armes should boast against the feet the chariot against the wheele the branches against the root whereon they are sustained Or iâ— may be from the unseemlinesse of it it is an unbonest part to receive a multitude of blessings and never to acknowledge it and wretched unthankfulnesse to receive a blessing at ones hands and crow over him that gave it but if the Gentiles insult over the Iewes then the branches rejoyce over the tree that beares them the hands against the body that sustaines them the chariot against the wheeles whereon it is borne and the roofe of the house against the pillars whereon it stands But the conclusion which may be inferred is first in the position How much men are beholding to their holy ancestors and children to be borne of holy parents they are holy for the promise made unto their fathers as in verse 16. Secondly Doct. in supposition The Gentiles are in many respects inferiour to the Iewes howsoever for the present they are cast off and pluckt from the vine Reason 1 For first we have our religion and doctrine the foundation beginning and establishment of our Church from them as
humbled at the losse of his cammels sheepe servants sonnes his friends would have cast him a great deale further perswading him that such great plagues would never have come but upon great sinners The Iew no so nâ—r downe but the Gentile is readie to triumph over him It was Davids case In mine adversitie they reioye dover mee yea the very abiects come against mee Psâ—l 35.15 God hath forsaken him therefore persecute him and take him Psal 71.9 If God lay any judgement upon a people man condemnes them as they did those on whom the tower of Siloam fel and slew them Luke 13. If any present calamitie man judgeth them as Paul when the viper hanged upon him at Malta Act. 28. If God bring men low and hide himselfe from them for a while vulgus iacentem calcat there be those that will tread upon them and insult over them as boldly as the frogs in the fable did over the lion when he was asleep If God take away the rich mans goods the people despise him If God take away the great mans honour the people scorne him If Kings take away their favourites from their followers there be those that will soone see it and keepe them from rising Whence wee may learne that if God should once leave us and cast us downe Vse 1 the world would rather tread upon us than helpe us up which should make us labour to make Gods love and favour sure and then wee need not feare who set themselves against us He is true enough wee may well trust him strong enough we may safely depend upon him and watchfull enough wee may commend our selves unto him and resolve with holy David Psal 27.2 When the wicked who are mine enemies come upon mee to eat up my flesh they shall stumble and fall though an host of men c. Secondly that God would not take away his mercy from us Hide not thy face from mee Psal 27.9 That God would be mercifull unto us and blesse us that though wee sinne he would not cast us off but forgive us though wee run away he would not let us alone but run after and overtake us though wee goe astray he would not leave us to our lelves but seeke us out and lay us upon his shoulders and bring us home and keepe us in his fold and at the day when the sheepe shall stand on the one side and the goats on the other wee may be of that number to whom God shall say Come yee blessed And so I come from the meane conceit that the Gentile hath of the Iew to the proud conceit he hath of himselfe in the next words That I might be graft in As if the Gentile should say I am more worthy than the Iew therfore in reason hee must give place unto mee and God looking upon my worthinesse doth so farre preferre mee that hee hath cut off them that I might be graffed in for them Wherein wee may observe Observat first how subject man is to grow proud of his gifts and graces that are bestowed upon him Secondly how when God hath bestowed upon man some greater blessing he is ready to say that it is for his owne worth that I might bee grafted in Both of them are noted by Lombard 1. Gradus superbiaecum jactat se habere qued babet 2. Cum credit à Deo datum sed pro suis meritis Greg. lib. 2. disâ—inst 42. out of Gregory 1. A degree of pride when he boasteth himselfe to have that which he hath Secondly when he beleeveth that it is given him of God but for his deserts I begin with the first The Apostle 1 Cor. 8.1 saith that knowledge puffeth up and reade Isa 65. that holinesse puffeth up Stand apart come not neere mee for I am holier than thou And in Luk. 18. that the performance of some outward duties puffeth up I fast twice in the week I pay tithe I am not like this Publicane that greatnesse puffeth up as Pharaoh Who is the Lord that I should feare him Exod. 5.2 Favour puffeth up as it did Haman who was carried so high in the smoakie cloud of a Princes affection that hee forgate both God and himselfe Esth 5. Eloquence puffeth up as in Herod who was not ashamed of that vaine applause that the people gave him It is not the voyce of man but of God Acts 12.22 Power to cast out Devils puffeth up as in the Apostles Luk. 10.19 20. Caetera vitia sune in peccâ—tis superbia meximè tunenda in recâ—e sâ—ctis Aug. ad Dioscor Epist 56. Et insidiatur Diabolus lit pâ—rdat Aug. ad monochas Epist 109. Other vices are in sinnes pride is most to bee feared in deeds well done saith Augustine God gives good graces And the Devill layeth in wait to destroy them saith Augustine If you consider what man is lighter than vanitie and whereof hee is made of dust you will easily beleeve that a small wind will blow him high enough and though a man have never so many causes of humiliation and dejection yet some one good gift will heave him up more than all these will cast him downe If Herod have onely an eloquent tongue he will be proud of that whereas hee hath a thousand scarres and blemishes in his life that cannot deject him If a Pharisie have but one good qualitie that hee will pay tithes justly though his heart be full of hypocrisie his understanding full of blindnes and ignorance all these foule sins cannot so easily keepe him downe as that one good qualitie will hoyse him up Reasons to keepe us from pride By what reasons then may a man be kept from being proud of his gifts and graces I have noted three 1. Because that is the strongest argument to keepe us from growing in spirituall graces as the way to be great is to be small in a mans owne conceit Latiùs regnes aâ— idum domando spiritum quam si Lybiam â—emoâ—is Gadibus jâ—ngas Horaâ— Oda l. 2. od 2. ad Salust Crisp Nat. bist lib. 16. cap. 42. Hee that ruleth his spirit is greater than he that overcommeth cities Prov. 16.32 2. Because humilitie in respect of our gifts is the best way to come neere to God 3. Because naturally thou art no better than they as vers 18. A good man should not resemble the Palme-tree wherof Pliny writeth that the more weight is cast upon it the higher it riseth but like to the canes that be full of sugar the more they beare the lower they stoope like trees that bee full of fruit the more fruit they beare the more they yeeld and bend much learning should make a man more humble much grace should make a man lowly much honour should make a man more gentle much riches should make a man more meeke and so I descend to the second conclusion When God gives good things Observ 2 man is alwayes ready to ascribe it to his owne merit This is it whereof
cast off If God punish idolatrie in Israel it is to weane the hearts of his people from it If murmuring it is to teach us the Apostles lesson Phil. 4.11 and that in Deut. 8.3 If hee punish Cain by setting upon him a marke it is to teach us to keepe our hands free from bloud if Dives it is to keepe us free from covetousnesse if hee set a fire in the gates of Ierusalem for breaking the Sabbath it is to teach us to keepe it holy and take a delight to make it glorious Isa 58. If hee punish adulterie it is to teach us to keepe our bodies chaste and pure as sweet and fit temples for his Spirit to dwell and tarrie in The Vse is To condemne us for doing that our selves Vse which wee see God to punish in other men If God be somewhat slacke and loth to punish us as hee hath done others his patience should lead us to repentance Rom. 2.4 make thee better not worse Vide severitatem Marke the severitie of God to other sinner and the same that payes other men their deserved punishments will pay thee without speedy and sound repentance But these be points that are neere of kindred to those I have already handled and therefore I come suddenly to the consideration of his bountie to the Gentiles Behold the bountifulnesse of God God 's children must take speciall notice of Gods bountie and love to them Therefore Paul beseeches the Romans by the mercies of God Rom. 12.1 But that which is the maine point is this The consideration of Gods bountie should make man loth to offend him or to sinne against him Doct. Vide bonitatem Consider his love in our election See how Paul concludeth 2 Tim. 2.19 the foundation remaines sure Therfore let everie one that hath part in that depart from iniquitie In our creation consider the efficient cause God this should make us doe good and eschew evill wee are his workmanship c. Ephes 2.10 The materiall cause nothing but dust this should make us humble and so come to God this is a miracle of humilitie as Augustine calleth it In Psal 33. this should make us praise God as David Psal 103. we are but dust at the 14. Therefore praise him all yee Angells praise him all yee his servants praise him all his workes and in all places of his dominion and praise thou the Lord O my soule The formall cause the making us after his image which containes the immortall substance of the soule Secondly all naturall knowledg of God Thirdly all just and holy actions Fourthly regiment over all the creatures Fifthly happinesse and glorie and joy and peace plentie of all things needfull without corruption and miserie all of them should be as bridles to restraine us from sin The finall cause Gods glorie as Isa 43.7 which should make us to say with the foure and twentie Elders Apoc. 4.11 They fell downe before him that sate on the throne and worshipt him that liveth for evermore and cast their crownes before the throne saying c. In our redemption looke upon God the Father giving the Sonne of his love to bee our ransome the Sonne like the good Shepherd laying downe his life for us like the Pelican Psal 102. shedding his bloud for us Liv. Decad. 1. lib. 7. or like Marcus Curtius The use of all this is set downe in that Prophecie of Zacharias Luk. 1.74 75. That we being delivered or redeemed from the hands of our enemies should serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse He hath called us unto holinesse whereas he hath left others wallowing in their menstruous blouds Behold the goodnesse of God in thy vocation Hee hath justified thee Rom. 8.33 See his goodnesse hee hath given thee health which others want see his goodnesse wealth which others want see his goodnesse peace which others want see his goodnesse the Gospell which others want see his goodnesse friends which others want see his goodnesse hee makes the heavens to drop their raine the clouds to drop their fatnesse upon thy ground whereas to others he makes the heavens as brasse and the earth as brasse see his bountie and there is not one of these but it should worke in thee obedience and love Gene osus animus bominis sacilius ducitur quà â—n trahitur The generous minde of man is more easily led than drawen saith Seneca The heart of man that is sanctified is more wrought upon by love and kindnesse than by judgements and threats Slaves and servants obey for feare but sonnes and children for love and kindnesse excellent is that Text Deut. 32.6 Doe yee so reward the Lord O foolish people and unwise thou shouldest have considered that hee hath beene unto thee as a father that hee hath made and proportioned thee how he led thee in the wildernesse taught thee and kept thee as the apple of his eyes as the Eagle stirreth up c. The reason hereof is this When men abstaine from sin because God hath loved them then God continues his mercie and loving kindnesse But when love and kindnesse cannot make them love God againe then God takes his mercie away from them They that loue thee and thy Law shall have great prosperitie and shall feele no hurt Psal 119.165 But when God shewes his mercie and love unto a people and it workes not obedience prevents and overtakes them with blessings and still they continue to sinne against him then God upbraids them with the gifts hee hath given them ceaseth to doe them good and removes his blessings from them Hee made Israel fat and grosse and laded them with fatnesse But when they regarded it not then the Lord was angrie and said I will hide my face away from them Deut. 32.19 20. The Vse is Vse To teach us that if wee would love God as sonnes and continue in his grace and favour as deare children and have God to continue his fatherly love and kindnesse to us to set downe and keepe in memorie all the loving blessings that God hath given us Remember how at the first he created us men and not beasts and vile creatures Laertius reports of Thales Milesius that he was used to account himselfe much beholding to God for three things 1. That hee made him a man not a beast 2. A man not a woman 3. A Greeke not a Barbarian But what is this to us He hath done for us more wonderfull things he hath made us not onely not beasts but little inferiour to the Angels Psal 8. not onely men but adopted us for his owne sonnes and children Ephes 1.5 When we were dead he revived us lost he sought us taken prisoners hee ransomed us in darknesse enlightned us in want provided for us his mercies are renewed unto us everie morning Lam. 3.23 Behold here the bountifulnesse of God and his patience and let this draw thee to repentance Rom. 2.4 His love and let this bring thee to obedience The Lord loved thee and
because we would be or were holy but that we might be holy saith Augustine Secondly Christ or our faith in Christ fore-seene cannot be the cause of our predestination seeing Christ himselfe in respect of his office of redemption and mediation was predestinate and preordained of God And the same thing cannot bee both the cause and the object of predestination Christ Ieus as hee is the head with his body which is the whole company of the elect are the object of predestination therefore not the cause adde unto this Luk. 12.32 It is your Fathers pleasure to give you the Kingdome And if they first beleeved they chose him he chose not them and the Lord pronounced it himselfe of the children before they were borne I have loved Iacob and hated Esau Rom. 7. Thirdly to affirme that God conditionally hath appointed all men if they wil beleeve and that it is his will that all should beleeve if all beleeve not it is not for defect of grace but through their owne fault for God gives man free will power of himselfe to beleeve or not to beleeve which is first against the rule 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God against the rule It is not in him that willeth c. Rom. 9.16 against the rule It is God that worketh both the will and the deed Phil. 2.13 against the rule Without me yee can doe nothing Ioh. 15.5 Fourthly as it is in mans power to beleeve if hee will so is it to resist Gods will and grace against the Apostle Rom. 9.19 who hath resisted his will against the rule of the Prophet Whatsoever the Lord pleased that hee did in heaven and in earth against the rule Ioh. 6.37 All that my Father giveth me commeth unto me Sed ex nolentibus fuit volentes not that God saves any man against his will But of being unwilling makes them willing saith Augustine Excellent is his speech to this purpose a Non potest essectus miseritordae esse in hominis pot state ut homo nolit quta si vellâ—tr luctantium â—seteri possit ules vocare quoinodo illâ— aptom effet c. Aug. ad St â—plicianun lib. 1. quaest 2. The effect of mercie cannot be in mans power that man may not will it because if God would have mercie on those that resist he is able to call them so as should be agreeable to them they therefore are elect who are so called that they may not deny him that calleth the rest are not elect because they follow not although they be called b Volenti salvun facere nullam hominis arbitrili resistit Aug. de gratia corrept cap. 14. No mans will resisteth God willing to save him And c Non est dutitandum voluntati Dei voluntates kominum resistere non posse Ibid. It is not to be doubted that the wills of men cannot resist Gods will Well agreeing with that of Ambrose d Nihil potest obsistere divinae gratiae quò minus quod volnerit impleatur Ambros de vocat Gent. lib. 1. cap. 10. Nothing can hinder the grace of God by how much lesse it might bee fulfilled which he willed There are many absurdities yet behinde As first that men are no otherwise elected but if they beleeve and so long elected as they continue in faith and therefore may lose their election and their faith and of vessels of honour become vessels of wrath This I have confuted at large already onely remember those distinctions of election vocation and faith and unto them joyne those reasons Begin with that in Hos 2.19 And so I come to the last part which is the Apostles conclusion of the whole Chapter VERS 33. Vers 33 O the deepnesse of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his wayes and his judgements past finding out THe occasion of these words Exposition Orig in Rom. 11. saith Origen was this Because he turneth the malice of the one to the salvation of the other Chrysostome saith Because hee hath cured contraries with contraries Quia contraria contrarus curaveris Chrysost brought so much good to the Gentile from the infideritie of the Iew. Some apply it to the whole mysterie of the Gospell whereof much is yet secret and which the Angels desire to behold 1 Pet. 1.12 O profunditas O profunditas in arconum Evangelii in bringing good out of evill But as the former restrained it too much so this is somewhat too generall Augustine restraines it to this particular mysterie of calling the Iewes and rejecting the Gentiles as if it were thus O the deepnesse of his wisdome in this who can search the causes of his judgements upon the one or finde out the wayes of his mercie to the other Calvin and Peter Martyr apply these words to the mysterie of Gods predestination O the depth in casting away some in saving others in paying to some due punishment to others undeserved grace as Augustine De praedest Sanct. lib. 1. c. 4. The whole occasion or the matter of his admiration I take to bee referred unto those deepe and mysticall conclusions which went before concerning both the calling of the Iew and the rejection of the Gentile concerning the saving of some and refusing of others concerning election and reprobation At these hee is amazed and cries O the deepnesse As if hee should thus have said I have expounded what I could I am now at a stand I am swallowed up of the deepnesse of Gods wisdome I must give over searching them I must give over preaching them they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unspeakable and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unsearchable not to be searched but to be adored The words are an explanation in which the Apostle goes about to silence two sorts of men The former is hee that curiously searches into Gods hidden and secret counsels The other that stormes and murmures at Gods proceedings and judgements The curious searcher and disputer in these words O the deepnesse of the riches His counsels are so deepe as he that wades into them may drowne himselfe but shall finde no bottome He is so rich in wisdome and knowledge that created and finite understandings of men and Angels doe dazle at the beholding of them The repiner and murmurer in the two next verses wherein he shewes 1. That God in his greatest workes needed none 2. That he is a debter unto none And therefore none can complaine of injustice though he be lost I begin with the former I must take onely some plaine observations for it were an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a confusion or against method to goe about too precisely to open that whereat Paul was amazed The first I comprehend in this Conclusion It is proper to the godly Doct. and their office and duty to thinke speake and consider to admire the works and counsells of God to burst forth into