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A54381
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An abridgement of the whole body of divinity extracted from the learned works of that ever-famous and reverend divine, Mr. William Perkins / by Tho. Nicols.
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Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Nicols, Thomas.
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1654
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Wing P1560; ESTC R36667
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64,041
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216
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the acknowledgement of Gods calling is A tasting of heavenly gifts as of 1. Justification 2. Of sanctification 3. Of the powers and virtues of the world to come This tasting of heavenly gifts is a sense in their hearts by which they do feel and perceive the excellency of Gods benefits but they do not enjoy the same For they do not feed on these banckets nor are they nourish'd by them but they do onely taste of them Heb. 6. 4 5. 5. The fifth Degree of the acknowledgement of Gods calling is 1. An outward holiness of life for a time under this is comprehended a zeal in the profession of Religion 2. A reverence and fear towards God 3. An amendment of life in many things as it was in Herod Mark 6. 20. and in Simon Magus Acts 3. 13. 2. Degree of the execution of the decree of reprobation in those that are called by an uneffectual calling is A falling away again after calling this cometh to pass after this manner 1. The reprobate is deceived by some sin 2. His heart is hardened by the same sin 3. His heart being hardened becometh wicked and perverse 4. Upon this followeth unbelief so that he will not consent unto Gods word though he heareth it knoweth it 5. There doth immediatly upon this unbelief follow an Apostasie or a falling away from Faith in Christ Heb. 3. 12. 13. 1 Tim. 1. 19. Apostasie is sometimes a sin against the holy Ghost The sin against the holy Ghost is so called because it is done contrary to the illumination of the holy Ghost It is a set and a stubborn obstinate malice done knowingly against God and against Christ and that after illumination or enlightning by the holy Spirit Heb. 10. 29. It is a general or totall defection and Apostasie from God after enlightning by the holy Spirit out of meer stubborness and malice of heart Heb. 10. 29. and 6. 5 6. It is hard to know when a man committeth this sin 1. because the root of it which is malice lurketh secretly in the heart and therefore it cannot be easily discerned This sin is not found in all the reprobates because many of them die before they are enlightned by the holy Spirit of God Those that commit this sin do never repent and therefore can never receive pardon The elect cannot commit this sin therefore those who do feel in themselves a sure Testimony of their election need never dispair After Apostasie followeth pollution which is the very fulness of all iniquity and it is altogether contrary to sanctification Gen. 15 16. He doth not Apostatise nor sin against the holy Ghost that in time of persecution doth either rashly or for fear deny Christ for Peter thus for fear did deny Christ Matth. 29. 73 74 75. He that doth ignorantly persecute the Church as did Paul doth not sin this sin 1 Tim 1 13. And as did the Jews Act. 3. 17. and 2. 37. 3. The third degree of the execution of the dâcree of reprobation in those that are called by an uneffectual calling is Damnation by which they are delivered up to eternal punishment The execution of damnation beginneth in death and is finish'd in the last judgement Luke 16. 22 23. The execution of the decree of reprobation in those which are not called is this 1. They have by nature ignorance and vanity of minde Eph. 4. 18. 2. Hardness of heart followeth this by which they do become void of all sorrow for their sins Ephes. 4. 18. 3. There doth follow this hardness of heart a reprobate sense that is an extinguishing of the natural light of reason or of the judgment of good evil And 4. when the heart doth cease to sorrow for sin there doth follow a committing of sin with greediness Eph. 4. 19. 5. Upon this followeth pollution which is the fulness of sin And then 6. a just reward is given to all these viz. fearfull condemnation Eph. 4. 18. Rom. 1. 28. The estate and condition of reprobates when they are dead is this 1. Their bodies being dead lie in the earth 2 Their Souls are tormented in hell Luk. 16. 25 1 Pet. 3 19. 2 Pet. 2. 4. And in the last judgement their bodies and Souls being united shall be cast into the most fearfull and terrible fire of Hell Matth 25. 41. Reprobates when they die do become sensless and astonish'd like unto a stone as did Nabal 1 Sam. 25. 37 38. Or else they are overwhelmed with a terrible horrour of conscience and with a despairing of their salvation as if they were overturn'd and swallowed up as with a gulf of the Sea as Judas Matth. 27. 5. Their condemnation is this At the sound of the last Trumpet they that are alive shall be smitten with horrour and with fear and they shall be changed in a moment and those of them that are dead shall rise again and their bodies shall then be made immortal and cast into eternal torments Matth. 25. 41. Joh. 5. 29. 1 Thes. 4. 16. 17. Christ will pass this sentence of go ye cursed upon them and this being by him pronounced against them immediatly everlasting death shall follow The manner of which is this 1. They shall be separated from the glory and presence of God 2 Thes. 1 9. 2. They shall be punish'd with eternal confusion and with bitter reproaches For all their secret wickedness and sins shall be revealed 2 Thes. 1. 9. Isai. 66. 24. 3. Their fellowship shall be with the Devil and his Angels for ever Matth. 25. 41. 4. Their bodies and Souls shall be tormented with horrour and exceeding great anguish through the sense and feeling of Gods wrath which shall be poured out upon them for ever Isai 66 24. And by reason of their great tortures their punishment is called Hell fire a worm weeping and gnashing of teeth and outer darkness Rev. 21. 8. Matth 13. 42. Isai 66. 24. A Corolary or the advantage over-plus or last Conclusion IN this which hath been spoken concerning reprobation the Justice of God in punishing sin doth appear And from it ariseth Gods glory which is the end of punishment For this cause also every good Christian must in all things propound Gods glory as the end of all his actions Rom. 9. 14 15 16 17. 1 Cor. 10. 31. The Application of Predestination How to discern and judge of our own predestination Rules 1. All the elect in Gods good time are assured and sure of their election in Christ to eternal life Rom. 9. 14 16. John 15. 5 18 19. 1 Cor. 2. 12. 2 Cor. 13. 5. 2. The elect do come to the knowledge of their election by the effects of their election 1. The effects of election are the Testimony of Gods Spirit Rom. 8. 10. 2 The works of sanctification 2 Pet. 1. 5. to the 10. 3. If any doubt of this Testimony it may be known whether it doth come from the Spirit of
God or from her own carnal presumption thus 1. By a full perswasion which they shall finde in themselves for the holy Ghost will not onely say it but perswade them that they are Gods children And the flesh can in no wise do this 2 By the manner of this perswasion the holy Ghost doth not perswade men that they are elect by reasons drawn from their own works or worthiness but by reasons drawn from the free grace love and favour of God And this perswasion doth exceedingly differ from that which Satan useth 3. By the effects of this Testimony or perswasion For If this perswasion cometh from the holy Ghost it is lively and stirring But if it doth arise from carnal presumption it is a dead and liveless perswasion For all such as are truely perswaded that they are elected and adopted Children of God will love God and trust in God and call upon God with their whole heart 4. If the Testimony of Gods Spirit be not so powerfull in the elect then they may judge of their election by their sanctification which is an effect of the holy Ghost even as we may judge by heat that there is a fire though we see no flame 5. We may know whether we be predestinate or elect or no by these notable effects of sanctification 1. By feeling our wants and by bewailing in the bitterness of our hearts our offending of God by our sins 2. By our continual striving against the flesh by our resisting and hating the godly motions thereof and if with grief we do think them burthenous and troublesom 3. By an earnest and fervent desire of the grace of God and of the merit of Christ that thereby we may obtain eternal life 4. By a true esteem of it when we have obtained it even as a most precious Jewel Phil. 3. 8. 5. By our love to Christians to Ministers to Brethren and by our readiness to lay down our lives for them and with them if need so require Matth. 10. 42 1 Joh. 3 16. 6. By our earnest and fervent calling upon God and that with hearty tears in the sensible perceiving of those sins which we commit to his dishonour and therefore may have just cause to think he may be displeased with them 7. By a desire and love to the coming of Christ and to the day of judgement that there may be an end of the days of sin 1 Joh. 4. 17. 8. By our flying all occasions of sin and endeavour seriously to come to newness of life 9. By our perseverance in such good actions and endeavours and in such good thoughts as these even to the last gasp of our lives Luther saith he that will serve God must believe that which cannot be seen and hope for that which is deferred and love God even then when he sheweth himself an enemy and thus he must remain to the end 6. If so be that the godly finde all these notable effects of the spirit feeble in them and their Faith weak and faint yet they must not doubt of their election but they must know that God doth thus try them and therefore they must not be dismayed for a weak Faith is sufficient to engraf them into Christ 7. He that as yet feeleth none of these effects in his heart must not upon this conclude himself to be reprobate but he must endeavour by the reading of the word of God and by the use of the Sacraments and chiefly by fervent and earnest prayer to come to an inward sense of the power of Christ drawing him to himself by his Spirit and thus to come to an assurance of his redemption by Christs death and passion 8. No man can certainly say of himself or of any other that he is reprobate for God doth oftentimes prefer those to be in his Kingdom which in the sight of men seem to be most estranged from his favour and above them also which in outward appearance and in the judgement of men are the Children of the Kingdom Thus were the Publicanes and Harlots preferred before the Pharisees by Christ Matth. 21. 31. And many a man is called even at the eleventh hour Matth. 20. 6. A notable example of this we have in the Thief upon the Cross Luke 23. 40 43. The uses of this Doctrine for instruction be these 1. There is no justification by works nor any works of ours that are Meritorious For election is by the grace of God and therefore justification also In the work of Salvation grace challengeth all to it self Rom. 11. 5. 2 Tim. 1. 9. Phil. 1. 29. Rom. 3. 24. Tit. 3. 5. Ezek. 36. 27. Rom. 6. 23. 2. Hence we learn that judicial Astrology or the foretelling of what men will be by the casting of their Nativities is false For this doth determine such and such men shall be like in life and conversation whom God in his predestination hath made unlike As for example Jacob and Esau were born of the same parents and almost in the same moment of time and yet they were most unlike in disposition and had divers events The like we may see in all Twins born at the same time 3. Hence we learn that God is most wise omnipotent just and mercifull Rom. 11. 33. Eph. 1. 5. Here we are advised 1. to fight against all doubtings distrust of our Salvation because it doth not depend upon our works but upon Gods grace Luke 10. 20. Rom. 8. 33. 2. To humble our Souls under the mighty hand of God because we are in his hand even as clay in the hand of the Potter Rom. 9. 20. 21. 3. To give all the glorie to God as to whom alone it is due 2 Thes. 2. 13. 4. To bear crosses or afflictions patiently Rom. 8. 29. And that because by this means we are conformed to Christ and made like unto him Phil. 3. 10 5. To do good works and that because God hath created us in Christ Jesus unto this purpose Eph. 2. 10. To whom with the Son and holy Spirit be all glory honour praise now and ever Amen The end of the sum of Divinity FINIS Joh. 17. 3. Simplenes of the nature of God See Aug. l. 6. c. 4. de Trinitate Gods nature Its immutability Its infinitness Gods wisdom Gods will Quid vult fieri de nobis or in nobis Quid vult fieri a nobis M. P. pag. 295. * i. e. Vâlendo velle Nolendo nolle or penitus nolle Decretun Dei non tell it libertatem voluntatis sed ordinat So M. P. Gods omnipotencie Gods glorie Gods blessedness * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The creation 2 Cor. 12. 2. * 2 Sam. 14. 17. Their knowledge Ministery Of Man The place of his first habitation His integrity The fall of Angels Their corruption Degrees Punishment Mans fall The manner of it The greatness of it Fruits and effects of it Of sin by participation Original sin The remnant of