called all of the spirite For as the elect of God are led and gouerned by the Spirite of God and his holy Angels And yet in such sorte as God letteth them fall often tymes by the pestâ—ient â—â—â—icementes of Satan and his Angels to the ende they may know that they stand not of themselues Euen so the reprobate whom God hath not chosen are led gouerned by satan his angels and yet in such sort as God doth very often put them in mynd by his holy Spirite admonishing them to turne from theyr wicked waies to the ende that euery one may be without excuse the autour of his own damnation Thus all in generall are of the Spirit â—yther good or bad but the reprobate follow the lustes of the flesh and suggestions of satan without resistance In the elect the flesh striueth agaynst the Spirit and the Spirit resisteth the flesh so that the Soule as all amazed is pulled now on the one syde then on the other side stackering too and free yelding sometimes to the good motions and many tymes to the euill motions filthy lustes Now in a litle hope and then in great dispayre and all by ignorance of holy Scriptures and neglecting the knowledge and grace which God already had or hath geuen them Therefore let vs labour in good woorkes of charity with fasting and faythful prayer to God * to obtayn the blessing of Luk. 11. 28. hearing beleeuing obeying and exercysing his holy woord that thereby we may obtayne wisedome from God to discerne betweene good and euill and that most excellent knowledge and precious gift of God * to trye the Spirites that woorke 1 Iohn 4. 3. in vs whether they be of God or no. For this is certayne that the least thought that râ—seth in mans minde is styrred either by the flesh or by the spirite and in the same moment tendeth to good or euil in Gods sight And to choose the good and reiect the euill is the ful some of al vertuous wisedome euen the precious gift of God which no creature caÌ„ obtayn of himselfe for it must come by the free grace and mercy of God through Christ Iesus being asked in true fayth as he commaundeth * Aske and it shall bee giuen you c. Matth. 7. 7. 21. 22 Mans naturall state as discended from Adam after his fall was most miserable and vtterly damned body and Soule the nombers of mankinde onely knowne to God to mans wit incomprehencible and to reason more then infinite out of which greater infinite nomber the Lord of mercy hath chosen and forepointed a lesser infinite nomber which hee hath elected by grace in Christ Iesus * And forepointed them to bee Ephes 1. 4 10. 13. adopted in him before the foundations of the World were layde And are sealed to saluation by the holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance purchased by Christ Iesus euen the same that king Dauid ment when hee sayde * I should vtterly haue faynted except I had beleeued to see Psal 27. 13. the goodnes of the Lord in the land of the liuing And so should now the elect of God faynt daily by reason of the afflictions and miseries which they suffer of the wicked worldlinges in this lyfe if it were not for the hope they haue to enioy the sweete promises of God by Christ Iesus in the world to come in Heauen which Dauid calleth the land of the liuing And â—o meruayle though Gods elect suffer horrible miseries in this World For * Satan can transforme himselfe 2 Cor. 11. 13. into an Angel of light as once he was Also his captiues the subiectes and wicked folkes by theyr hypocrisy can seeme in the sight of men as sober as honest as vertuous and holy as the very elect of God As Iudas for example beinge of the twelue Apostles hee Mark 3. 14 did his office hee preached the gospel hee wrought miracles hee seemed outwardly as honest as faythful and as holy as the rest * yea and more zealous then his fellowes and yet a Iohn 12. 5. very hipocrite which argueth that euen now among those that preach the gospell minister the holy sacramentes there may bee such Hipocrites as Iudas was Saynt Paul confirmeth 1 Cor. 9. 26. the same in saying * I runne not as at an vncertayne marke I fight not as one that beateth the winde but I bring my body in subiection least by any meanes after preaching to others I my selfe should bee reprooued which argueth that there hath bene euer are now and euer shall bee such Preachers and Ministers as are not as they would seem to bee And by those Hipocrites as well of the Spiritualty as of the Laity many of the very elect are abused and enticed to the committing of horrible Crimes manifested vnto men God seruing therein his eternall secrete purpose by the ministery of Satan to the end that none should be able to iudge of his secrets in the matter of election and reprobation who shoulde be saued or damned further then hee hath giuen scoape by the holy Scriptures * No man can iudge of another by any Eccles 9. 1. c. thinge that happeneth vnto men in this lyfe who is loued or hated of God for hee maketh the Sunne to Shyne on all alyke And as the wicked most commonly liue in greatest prosperity euen so among the poorer sort bursteth out the greatest villany what secret God hath in that I leaue to him Moreouer this pestilent vice of Hipocrisy is such a canker in the nature of mankind as cannot bee shunned nor auoyded And by it both the elect and the reiect couer their sinnes from the knowledge of man but not from God and priuily and inwardly abuse themselues in body mynd and Soule And some cary close their filthines but short tyme. Some keepe it long vnseene of man Yet in some at length it breaketh foorth to their vtter shame whereof some by Gods grace returne by repentance and receaue saluation because they are the elect of God Some through hardnes of hart cast asyde all shame and feare of God and so runne headlong into destruction damnation Some enioy * the blessing to haue their sinnes Psalm 32. 1 c. couered and forgiuen yea a speciall blessednes haue they to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne Is not this a most speciall grace of God to couer some mens sins that they neuer come to light haue they not great and iust cause to bee thankfull seeing no creature can accuse them but God and their owne conscience So it pleaseth God to deale with some and vnhappy are they that enuy the happy state of others For by the ministery of his holy Spirite hee woorketh reformation in the myndes and soules of some leading them by true repentance to amendment of life without beyng openly detected * for no man liueth and sinneth 1 Iohn 1. 8. not Oh that men
it were Therefore it is not without great causes and many necessary considerations that the true feare of God to saluation is so carefully and most excellently set downe with such conâ—â—endation in so many places of holy Scriptures for it is not onely the beginning of wisedome appertayning to the elect of God but it is also the totall summe and ful perfection thereof Therefore when people through infidelity pride and disobedience cast of this holy feare of God then God giueth such folkes ouer into * a reprobate mynde into Rom. 1. 28. 29. Satans power to woorke all manner of euilles euen with pleasaunt greedines And that is the sorest punishment and heauiest burden that God vseth ordinarily to cast on folkes in this lyfe euen to withdraw his holy Spirit from the disobedient and leaue them to their owne hartes lustes then the which plague none can bee greater For immediatly the Deuil as it were possesseth them euen by Gods appoyntment for hee sendeth euill Spirites to such as cast off the feare of God as hee did to king Saul to lead such wicked from euil to woorse by that meane to punish their former sinnes for in this lyfe God punisheth sinne by sinne and man by his owne inuentions and abhominations whereunto hee is naturally inclyned And this is most true that all the euilles committed in thoughtes woordes and deedes being most filthye and execrable before God and his elect as well Angels as men done by Satan and his adherentes bodily and ghostly they haue neuerthelesse their being moouing disposition and woorking from the power of God and are forepoynted and limitted by him for the accomplishment of his eternall purpose And of necessity it must bee so because hee is all in all and yet in him none euill at all For if God did not forepoint hold and gouerne Satan and his members visible and inuisible within certayne limittes al the euils pretended by Satans woorking in and by wicked people would bee accomplished The contrary whereof is found by daily experience that wicked folke can not bring all their deuilish deuises to their desired end And this is most true that vnlesse it were Gods forepointment it were vnpossible for any euil to haue either being mouing or working for neither good nor euil may be sayd to be vnwares of God or against his secret will seeing hee is all in all and can doe none euil whatsoeuer hee doth and is euery way good and none good but hee and those whom he maketh and alloweth for good And because there is none other chiefe workman then onely this almighty Monarch that worketh all in al thinges of necessity it must stand that hee hath forepoynted all that euer was is or shal bee done for the accomplishment of his eternall purpose wâ—th the matter the meanes and the maner howe euery thing should proceede succeede and come to his forepoynted ende and all to make iust matter for himselfe whereon to execute iustice * and to Exod. 33 19 Rom. 9. haue compassion and shew mercy on whom it pleased him Then for as much as Satan hath his being mouing and his power of working from the almighty God it followeth of necessity that he is limitted by him from whom he receiueth his power and cannot do any thing otherwise then he is forepoynted for the execution and accomplishment of his eternall purpose which no man ought or may call in question further then is truly to be gathered vpon the right vnderstanding of holy scriptures And it ought to be so because his almightynes hath created set in order conserueth and continually gouerneth all thinges in Heauen and Earth by his almightye power his holy law vnwritten which some cal the lawe of nature incomprehensible to any creature vesible or inuisible Neuerthelesse he hath subiected mankinde during this lyfe vnder his written lawe to be obserued of them vppon payne of damnation From which damnation no one is exempted Except that one which in no wise can bee subiect and that is God himself Therfore whatsoeuer that one God worketh by the seruice of Satan and his trayne visible and inuisible and in mans iudgement contrary to the written law the same in God cannot be euill but euery way good because it is the performance of his most holy will which ought to stop all mens mouthes and it is also the execution of his most righteous iudgements which all people in the end shall obay will they nill they For his holy will and iust iudgement are out of the compas of mans vnderstanding and euery way beyonde his abilitie except the man Christ Iesus Neyther can Satan exercise his tyranny vntill God geue the hippocriticall beleuers and other beastly infidels into his power whom then Satan * holdeth captiue at his will they 2 Tim. 2. 26 falling into his snare by following theyr own lustes and affections by which means they are by Satan enticed not only to sinne but also to percist therein so then are they snared indede and driuen by Satan to heape sinne vpon sinne so proceding alwayes from euill to worse vntill theyr vtter distruction I meane only those whom God hath not chosen to saluatioÌ„ As Iudas for example who hauing long time and many wayes vsed his him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his further punishment * was solicited by Satan to 〈◊〉 is Lord and 〈…〉 ster Christ Iesus Luk. 22. 3. Iohn 13. 2. 2â— Mat. 27. 5. Iohn 17. 12 and for a small plague Satan made him dispayre and hang himselfe for a 〈…〉 ewarde of al his filthynes and horible treason the consideration of these thinges ought to driue mankinde in to the true feare and humble obedience of God Thus it is manifest how God punisheth sinne by sinne and man by his own abhominations let al people beware therfore of Satans fleyghts and subtill enticementes and of heaping synne vppon synne And let them pray to God in the name of Christ Iesus to bee guyded by his holy spirit for otherwise it is impossible for man to think a good thought much lesse to do good deedes and keepe himselfe from euill For as good thoughts are raysed in vs by the spirit of God euen so are our euill thoughts * by the messenger of Satan and mans 2 Cor. 12. 7 owne corrupt nature and yet both by Gods owne forepoyntment For as God being a spirit and the souerayne goodnes it selfe hath holy spirits Angels whose ministery he vseth to the saluation of his elect euen so Satan is aspirit the extreme â—uilâ—es it selfe hath his cursed angels whose seruice hee vseth to the condenmation of the wicked when it pleaseth God to suffer him It is a thing too well knowen that some wicked scoffers All are of the spirite as well as of the flesh at God holy peligion do Ieare and Iybe at such simple ones as are zealous in the gospell calling them all of the spirite Yet I say that those Iearing Iesters may also righely be
exhortation * Stryue to Mat. 7. 13. Luc. 13. 24. enter in at the strayt gate For wyde is the gate and brode is the way that leadeth to destruction and many goe in thereat but strayte is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth vnto lyfe and few there bee that finde it Few in comparison of all the world * For many are called few are chosen And as Mat. 20. 16. of the brode and narrow wayes and of the wyde and strayte gates euen so of the opinions and conceiptes of mens minds in general which are more then infinite And yet al erronious and false concerning God and godlines whatsoeuer is conceaued and vttered by any of mankind except such as are guided by the spirit of God For if a good thought come to mynd wee fetch it not of our owne power for there is no ability in vs * to thinke a good thought For when any man thinketh 2 Cor. 3. â— doth any thing well in godlines it is God that woorketh in him both the will and the deede Now is there none righteous but those whom God hath elected to saluation in Christ Iesus by whom they are made righteous And yet those righteous fall so often into the daunger of Satan by sinne that they haue greate cause to feare and tremble at the fierce assaults of the enemies of their soules Satan and his adherentes both bodily and ghostly who doe woorke by such intricate flattering allurementes and perilous pleasaunt enti ementes or else by such furious and fumes of anger malice hatred and reuengement as should deceaue if it were possible the very elect of their saluation But holy Scriptures doe affirme auouch and confirme that Gods election cannot fayle What though many doubt of the stability thereof and would if they might for shame say there were no such thing But because it is so playnly set downe in holy Scriptures and in so many places that it cannot bee denied The Papistes are constrayned to gloze vpon the text and wrest it as followeth God doth choose daily such Papistes glose vpon the text as hee knoweth wil bee faythful and doe good woorkes Lo they imagin God to know by calculation at their birth as Astronomers take on them to doe As though man could become good of him selfe or any goodnes fall into him by any other meane then from God onely which to think is a shamefull grosse error Others obiect that if his election fayle not and that his choice was before the world began then say they how could Gods elect in Adam be subiect to his offence and change their blessed estate before their being in the world This may seeme a curious question * which S. Paul did Titus 3. 9. wil to bee stayed for that the impaciency of men is such as not to reason thereof without being angry and thinking euil one of another And yet the matter easy to bee decided being handled with reuerence in the feare of God True it is that Gods elect did offend in Adam before their being in the World For Adam purchased to himselfe and to his posterity by his infidelity pride and disobedience damnation both of soule and body therefore all his corrupt posterity by nature of neceâ—â—ity must be pertakers of yâ— cursed purchase and damnable inheritance And albeit Gods elect in Adam did chaunge their blessed state and were vtterly damned Yet for all that Gods election fayled not For by that offence of Adam it was forepointed * that all should be Gal. 3. 22. Exo. 33. 19 Rom. 9. 13. shut vp vnder sinne to the ende that God might shew mercy on all whom it pleased him It is most true that all mankinde both elected and reiected chosen and refused were damned in Adam by his disobedience And yet the forepointed by election which hee had forechosen in Christ Iesus were euen then by his death redeemed agayne the promise being made * that the seed of the woman Gen. 3. 15. should breake the head of the serpent and pull out of satans power and possession such as pleased him So that the elect the redeemed and sanctifyed in Christ Iesus by his merits and righteousnes onely are made righteous and therefore though * they fal they shall not be cast away For God Psal 38. 24. shall geue them grace and power to ryse agayne by repentance and so cannot the reiected doe because it pleased not God to geue them that grace and power * For none can come Iohn 6. 44. 14. 6. to the Sonne except the Father draw him * none can come to the Father but by the Sonne Thus it is euident that the fall of mankynde into condemnation 2 Tim 2. 19 was no hindrance to Gods election * For the fouâ—dation of God remayneth and hath these wordes for a seale The Lord knoweth who are his Therefore let euery one that calleth on the name of the Lord Iesus depart from iniquitie and not follow their sinfull lustes and flatter themselues with fayth onely iustifyeth For albeit I confesse the sentence to bee most true yet I wish none to stande in their own conceiptes to thinke they haue that they haue not For there is great difference betweene the shadow and the body false and true faith For true fayth can bee no more without good workes then the Sunne without light or the fyre without heate Thus wee see that mankinde is deuided in two sorts some to saluation some to damnation the reprobate are damned through their owne default for their iust desertes the elect are saued through Gods mere mercy in Christ Iesus not for their owne desertes So was his good pleasure to doe with his owne And it is more then mere madnes to argue why he hath done this or that * There is written sufficiently to answere Exo. 33. 19. Rom. 9. 10. c. all curious questions whatsoeuer Now if these thinges seeme strange hard rigorous cruel and agaynst reason in some mens iudgementes let them neuer trouble their heads with musing on the matter for it wil not helpe but rather with all humility let them returne vnto the true obedience of this incomprehensible this euerlasting this almighty and passing woonderfull Godhed And although men cannot obserue the Law yet let them confesse it to bee most righteous let them loue it let them put all their care and desire to obserue and keepe it let them bee sory when they breake it thereunto let them adde true holy obedience to God the Father stedfast and true fayth feare and loue in Christ Iesus crauing alwayes the gouernance of the holy ghost not trusting any thing in their owne strength or good woorkes And they that are thus affected may certainly and without doubt assure themselues that God hath chosen them to saluation and made them ioynt heires of his kingdome in and with his Sonne Christ Iesus the right heire thereof and elder Brother of all the children of