behold gaue precepts touching Sampson and assended in the flame of the burnt sacrafice * King Dauid 2 Sam. 24. 17. 1 Kinges 14 5. 7. 43. Luk. 1. 11. 26. saw the angell of the Lord smyte the people and there died â—xx in three dayes at the pestilence * The angell touched Elias and a voyce spake twise vnto him * The angell foretelleth â—achary of his sonne Ihon the foregoer of Christ Iesus The angell Gabrell was sent from God to the Virgin Mary to forewarne her of her conception of Christ Iesus * An angell of God warned Ioseph not to go from his Matt. 1. 20 2. 13. wyfe commaunded him to take the childe and his mother and goe into Egipt called him home agayne when Herod was dead * An Angel of God appeared vnto the sheperdes with Luk. 2. 9. Of Angels and men him a multitude of angels singing praises at yâ— birth of Gods anoyâ—ted and our sauiour the tydings whereof was great * After Satan had tempted our Lorde Iesus the holy Mat. 4. 10. 11 Iohn 5. 4. Luk. 22. 42 c. Act 1. 10. angels came and ministred vnto him * At a certayne season an angell went downe and moued the water of the poole Bethesday alias Siloe and whosoeuer went next into the water was healed of whatsoeuer disease an Angel from heauen appeared to comfort Christ in his agony feare of death * Two angels stood in mens lykenes by the Apostles while they looked stedfastly after Christ Iesus when hee was taken vp into heauen told them that he should come agayne in like manner as he ascended * And against his comming to geue iudgement Mat. 24. 30 c. hee shall send his angels with sounding the trompet togather togeather his chosen people from the fower wyndes that is to say the whole worlde For of all the nations of the worlde some must bee blessed according to the * promise made Gen. 22 18 to the most honorable mere man that euer was Abraham the father of all the faythfull * The law was geuen by the ministery of angels but grace Act. 1. 53. and truth came by Christ Iesus which to that Michaell which with his Angels fighteth full agaynst the dragon Satan and his angels for whom and for the damned seed of Adam * hell tyre was prepared in which they shal be euer tormented Ecul 23. 10. Amos 3. 6. Esai 4 5 6. 7 and neuer rest But * an angels voyce was hard from Heauen saying write Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lorde for they rest from theyr labours so shall not the highe minded bent to wickednes that dye without repentaunce I haue omitted many and many places of holy scriptures concerning the ministry of Angels to auoyde tediosnes But these I haue recited to the end that no man may doubt but euery man assure himselfe that God worketh some time in this worlde by Angels both good and badde For thus it is writen of the holy angels * Are they not all ministering Hebr. 1. 14. spirites sent foorth to minister for theyr sakes which shal bee heyres of saluation Yes doubtlesse and to that end they cocker and flatter the wicked reprobate and preferre them in this world For albeit that God loued and choose Iacob and â—ated and refused Esau yet Esau by following the suggestions of Satan and his angels became of greater power and auctoryty then Iacob during theire lyues in this world * Therfore God is called the father of spirites which were Hebr. 12. 9. created and some of them fallen from blessed state before he created man for neyther angels nor men can keepe themselues from falling if God keepe them not And as the same God is almighty eternall and without beginning or ending so hath he purposed in himselfe before the world was that he would make both angels and men * some to honour and some Rom. 11. 21 to dishonour to shewe himselfe to bee the glorious God of mercy and Iustice The Lord hath made all things for his Prou. 16. 4. owne cause yea euen the wicked for the day of distruction For his election and reiection his choosing and refusing both of angels and men are most euedently proued in holy scriptures For angels thus Saynt Paule prescribing orders in the Election and reiection of Angels Church hath these wordes to Tymothy * I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and his elect angels that thou obserue these thinges without partialityeâ— Now it followeth of necessity that where when Angels were elected there also theÌ„ angels were reiected For of contraries there is euer a contrary reason and therfore where chosing is there is also refusing of them that bee not chosen But God elected some angels the consequent is hee reiected other some angels for if hee had preserued all and let none fall from him then had there bene no election at all neyther any deuill but some hee chose and some hee refused And iniquity whereof Iob * Iob speaketh was found in those which he had refused by which fall of angels it is manifest that they had a lawe or precept which they transgressed otherwise they coulde not haue committed iniquitie It is Saynt Paule his argumeÌ„t Ro. 14. 15. 2 Pet. 2. 4. * where no lawe is there is no transgression But Saynt Peter sayth * God spared not the angels that sinned Ergo they had a lawe or precept which they brake otherwise they could not haue sinned Thus it appeareth that God hath delt with angels as with men concerning creation election and reiection sauing that all angels sinned not as all mankinde sinned in Adam for wee reade not of the redemption of angels as of the redemption of mankind so many as it pleased God to choose were redeemed So then hee created both angels and men as the cheefe parte of his works purposed in him selfe to set forth his eternal power honor and glory Heâ— made the angels of inuisible substance and man of both inuisible and visible and all both kindes in perfect purity in holines and fredome of will it pleased God to make them in such sorte as he put it in theyr owne choyce to obay or disobay they had power in themselues to keep or change theyr blessed state wheriâ— they were created For if they had not had that choyce in themselues with reuerence be it sayde God could not with iustice haue punished theyr disobedience But God can do nothing vniustly therefore he had most iustly punisht theÌ„ hauing fore poynted which and how many should by his grace stand to serue him in theyr first purity the rest he left to them selues which through infidelity pryde and disobedience fell from theyr blessed state and became his euerlasting enimies Thus it pleased God to make iust matter vnto himselfe to exercise both mercy and iustice which two most excellent vertues do chiefly magnifie and extol his eternall
had he hidden in himselfe halfe his glory for euery thing is best discerned by his contrary Therefore the eternall vertue the infinite comfort and the most pleasaunt fruicte of Gods mercy could neuer haue beene so precious and comfortable to Gods elect except it had beene matched with a contrary vertue as infinite great as excellent and as much to be praysed as it selfe euen Gods iustice in generall but especially on the wicked reprobate Thus it appeareth how it pleased God to make for his owne purpose to shew foorth his wonderfull power a Theater or stage for the inhabitaunts of Heauen Earth and Hell to behold his vnspeakable woorkes and ordained the meanes and matter to work on how euery thing should come to his forepointed ende And that was and is some to saluation and some to damnation and all both for to shew foorth his own glory purposed in himselfe before the world was and to shew himselfe vnto all three regiments Heauen Earth Hell to Angels Deuils and mankind to bee the almighty eternall and most glorious God of mercy and iustice Oh that men would therefore feare him and submit their willes to his will because he is the chiefe Monarch of all in all will they nill they This is that very true God whom all the holy and noble Patriarches from the beginning did serue and honor before the general flood with such sacrifices as were then allowed of vntill wickednes did so abound as in these our dayes that God was as it were compelled to destroy by water and seemed to begin the world anew This is that most leuing God that cannot forget such as loue feare him * For when he was to execute iustice vpon Genes 6. the vniuersall world hee prouided for his seruant Noah commaunding him 120. yeares before to make the Arke in readines for safegard of him and his whereas all others for infidelitie pride and disobedience with other horrible and filthy sinnes perished by water The like kindnes he shewed vnto his seruant Lot when he by fire and brimstone from Heauen destroyed Sodome and Gomorah with other Cities And to all the Godly from age to age hee hath shewed like grace and mercy and greater to some by so much as the Gospell surmounteth the law in goodnes towards Gods elect This is that God * that those Abraham for a cheefe seruant Genes 12. made him of counsell what hee would doe to Sodome and Gomorah hee made him also his friend chiefe member of his visible Church on Earth and gaue him this honorable title the father of beleeuers of whose seed the promised Messias by a lineall discent came into the world in his appointed time to saue so many of the damned seed of Adam as God before the world was had elected to bee saued by the death and rising againe * of that vnspotted Lambe Christ Iesus stain from the beginning in his own person by Gods Reuel 13. 8. eternal decree forepointment also * in his elect members This is the same glorious maiestie that hath created the Heauen and the Heauen of Heauens with all the heauenly bodies And also hell with fiery tormentes the Sky the Sun the Mone the Starres the Sea and the Earth with al their contentes last of all man according to his owne ymage and for his owne purpose and eternall glory Euerlasting praises be vnto this most holy and glorious Psal 1â—5 16 God * that possesseth the Heauens and hath giuen the Earth to the children of men therein to stay and breath a whyle and so to passe away some to Heauen and some to Hel. Therefore wee ought to learne of Dauid to answere the wicked when in skorne they aske where is God wee may say our God is in Heauen and doth euery where what pleaseth him Hee is there accompanied with his holy Angels and soules of his elect in such pleasant rest quiet felicitie as no fleshly eie hath or can see no eare hath hard it told because no tongue is sufficient to expresse it nor learning disribe it no cunning with pen or pensel able to paint it out no thought strong ynough to imagine nor fleshly hart woorthy to conceaue it Saint Iohn in his reuelation hath said so much to blaze and declare the glorious ioy of this almightie and eternall God which hee will giue to his elect in the world to come as is possible for man to speake write or vnderstand and yet farre of from that it is indeede * For we 1 Cor. 13 12. see in this world as it were but through a glasse nothing perfectly but the time will come when wee shall see God face to face This euerlasting Monarch and almighty Iehoua is all in al and onely may bee said to bee For none but hee can iustly say without addition I am and why Euen because hee onely I meane God hath his being in of and by himselfe and all other creatures in of for from and by him alone There was neuer none of Adams lyne except the holy Ghost wrought in him to that end that could attaine to the true knowledge of this almighty and onely Monarch The heathen Philosophers saw a far of an vnknown thing which they very well perceiued to bee the cause of all other causes first moouer of all that moueth further knowledge they could not get by al the wisedome and cunning of men Therfore it is most true * that the wisedome of this world 1 Cor. 1 20. is foolishnes with God And contrarywise worldly wise men not yet new borne by the holy Ghost esteeme the simplicitie of the Gospel very foolishnes in comparison of their owne wisedome Therefore they cannot attaine to the true knowledge and wisedome of God And why Euen because * no man can Iohn 6. 44. 14. 6. come to the Father but by the Sonne And again * no man can come to the Sonne except the Father draw him Therefore those Philosophers and mighty wise men could not attaine to the true knowledge and wisedome of God neither can the mighty and wise men in these daies reach vnto it because they are not drawen thereunto by the holy Ghost proceding both from the Father and the Sonne and the meanes to bee drawne is to submitte our selues to the gouernment of Gods woord wherein by seeking wee shal find the supply of al our want And set vs * exalt and praise the name of the Lord that only woorketh woonders * for who so taketh on Esai 25. 1. Eccle. 18. him to tell out his woonderful woorks when he hath done al that hee can hee is new to beginne againe for it is an vnpossible enterprise A DESCRIPTION OF THE NAME and nature of Satan and what power it hath pleased God to giue him ouer mankind as well the Godly as godlesse viz. the elect and the reprobate CAP. 2. NOw that which hath bene said of God cannot bee sufficient except mention likewise bee
esteeme for the greatest happinesse because they want right iudgement and grace to discerne betweene good and euill For as to get ritches is doubtlesse a worldly blessing of God euen so it behoueth mankinde to consider by what meanes they are gotten For they consider not the difference how God hath made two sorts * of men whereof hee hath called many and chosen Mat. 20. 19 Mat. 25. 21. c. but few and that few * shal bee on his right hand and many on the left hand on whom he bestoweth these temporal blessinges which his elect in Christ vse to his glorye and their owne saluation the other abuse these benefytes to their own condemnation But yet God is good vnto all * hee maketh Mat. 5. 4h his Sunne to shyne and rayne to rayne on the good and bad on the iust and vniust Therefore no man can tell whether himselfe or this man or that man bee in the fauour of God to saluation or no by any outward thing pleasant or noysome that chaunce to any person in this lyfe * For it happeneth Eccle. 9. 1. alyke vnto the Godly as to the vngodly to the cleane as to the vncleane to the vertuous as to the sinner to him that for sweareth himselfe as vnto him that is afrayde to bee forswoâ—ne Therefore this lyfe is vyle and wretched because it happeneth to all alyke to mans iudgement For the hartes of meÌ„ are fulâ— of wickednes and mad folishnes because they consider not or else the forget that all is vanity and shall perish And although men knowe when they thinke on it that they shall dye and haue no more part of any thing that is done vnder the Sunne yet they care not for those thinges but wilfully neglect them and as blind men grope in the darke euen so they as in a waking dreame runne amazd worshipping satan and his adherentes for the thinges of this world not regarding Iob 9. 24. what Iob sayth * that the earth is giuen ouer into the handes of the wicked whose faces God doth couer euen the Iudges of the land but not all for a few are chosen from among many that are called For S. Paul speaking of the effectuall calling of Gods elect sayth that * not many worldly 1 Cor. 1. 26 wise men not many noble not many mighty are called meaning effectually called to the dignity of Gods election to saluation Psal 11. 6. Therefore they take their portion in this life * But vpon them in the lyfe to come shal râ—yne snares fire brimstone stormie tempestes those thinges then shal be their portion Example of the ritche glutton and poore Lazarus yâ— ritch was answered thus * remember that thou in thy lyfe tyme Luc. 16. 19. 19. hadst thy pleasures and Lazarus paynes Therefore now hee is comforted and thou tormented Although it cannot bee knowen by any thing that happeneth in this lyfe who God loueth or hateth neyther which they bee that shal bee saued or damned neither ought men to be curious to search further the secrets therof then holy scripture teacheth And so farre men ought to know by commauÌ„dement * serch the Scriptures c For to some of the elect Iohn 5. 39. Luke 8. 10. is giuen to know the secrets of the kingdome of God but to the reprobate they are spoken in parables that hearing they should not vnderstand Therefore Christ Iesus was sent into the world not onely to redeeme such as were forepointed to possesse the ioyes of heauen but also to open and declare the same secrete which was hidden since the world began except Col. 1. 26. here and there one of the fathers prophets which spake now and then but darkely of it vntill Christ Iesus reuealed cleerly the same in his preaching And wrought the true beliefe thereof in the myndes of his disciples who most cleerly and faythfully committing the same to writing * And whatsoeuer is written by them is written for our learning That wee which are allotted to godly lyfe in Christ Iesus to suffer persecution through patience and comfort of holy Scriptures might haue hope in God and bee lyke mynded one to another as Christ Iesus is towarde them that surely beleeue and trust in him Notwithstanding all these circumstances God hath subiected euery reasonable creature and bound them to the obseruation of his holy Law wherein Adam fayled at the beginning which is so strayt that it is not in mans power of himselfe to keepe and fulfill it the cause why hee made it so strayt is euident Euen to the end that al mankind * should be shut vp vnder sin which is their damnation therfor he hath Gal. 2 22. Exo. 33. 19. Rom. 6â— 18 mercy on whom he wil whom he wil he hardneth their hartes When the Israelites through iniquity and ingratitude had forgotten God then hee by taking his holy spirite from them * made them to err and hardned their harts from Esai 63. 17. fearing him Oh that al people would feare this incomprehensible Monarch that ruleth commaundeth and woorketh all in all whatsoeuer is done in Heauen and earth and hath al things at his beeke euen at the twinckling of an eye Therefore he may haue mercy on whom he wil and at his pleasure doe iustice on all the rest Hee made all if hee destroy all who can let him * If God take from any man that which he hath Iob 9. 12. giuen him who can make him restore it And what soeuer hath bene done from the beginning or shal be vnto the ending of the world is done by Gods forepointment be it good or bad vnto mankynde for all is good vnto God For although the breach of his commaundements is euil in Gods sight because it is the sinne of man yet it is not God nor in God for hee Psal 91. 10. c. is the soueraygne goodnes it selfe Who * appointeth his holy angels that no euill should come neere to his elect much lesse neere himselfe Therefore I say whatsoeuer things are wrought or done by the ministration of good or euill spirites or angels all are done by his almighty power and the same forepointed in the eternal counsel before the world was Now although it is not in mans power to obserue this holy law yet whosoeuer doth not loue the law endeuor theÌ„selues to frame their lyues thereby Whosoeuer doth not beleeue and confesse the same to bee full of al holy wisdome euery way tending to the preseruation of mans life in purity and holines to sustayne the society of mankynd on earth in honesty of lyfe ciuile policy vpright iudgement and dew execution of iustice Those I say do not shew them selues the children of God but seeme to be his enemies and children of the Deuill I liken this dangerous law to a Kinges standerd in the field vnder which his subiectes of necessity must fight I cal it dangerous for that is the