in conscience with the trembling of a spirituall palsie for his offence and yet indeed still remaines before God a member of Christ in respect of his coniunction with him and shall be restored to his former estate after serious repentance Obiect 2 Grace cannot stand with sinne against the conscience and with grieuous offences Though it cannot stand so firmely Solution yet it is not wholy taken away for a man in this case when sinne hath preuailed is like vnto a building whose roofe is taken off with an earthquake or thunderbolt and whose foundation is shaken and weakened yet the house standeth still Secondly wee must distinguish of sinne against conscience for it is taken two waies first properly which is done of purpose and with full consent of will and is called peccatum vastans conscientiam the sinne that wasteth the conscience and this is not incident vnto the man regenerate secondly improperlie which is done though of knowledge yet of infirmitie by reason of feare constraint hastinesse precipitation of the minde and such like suddaine passions in the tegenerate or with some wilfulnesse of presumption yet because there is neuer any full and absolute consent it cannot bee called sinne against the conscience properly Wherefore to conclude this whole matter we graunt that the man regenerate and indued with sauing grace may fall into sinne dangerouslie and grieuouslie so as hereby his faith shall be weakened his heart hardened the spirit of God made sadde in him the peace of the conscience troubled the proceedings of Gods grace in the heart interrupted the comfort and ioy of the spirit remooued and the heart filled with amazednesse astonishment perplexitie and feare all the grates of God lessened the best things in man obscured and blemished the course of Gods mercies stopped and the whole man laid open to all the plagues iudgements of God and made vnprofitable to euery good worke yea he may so fall that hee shall haue need of a new reconciliation with God a new remisssion of his late offence a new confirmation of faith a new inkindling of the spirit and a new restoring of the inner man but that hee can wholy lose grace that is not possible that that faith which purifieth the heart and worketh by loue that that loue which proceedeth from a pure heart a good conscience and faith vnfained that that hope which maketh not ashamed and is the anchor hold of the soule firme and stedfast that that feare which is the headspring of wisdome and causeth a man to decline from euill and is in the heart a well of life to make a man scape the snares of death can bee wholy lost neither scriptures reason nor probalitie shall be euer able to euince Vse The vse of this doctrine is brieflie thus much as on the one side it ministreth great comfort vnto the children of God touching the perpetuitie of their estate that though they shall bee assailed with dangerous and manifold temptations and be oftentimes fearefully foiled and ouertaken yet that they shall neuer be wholy ouercarried in any temptation so on the other side it giueth vs a caueat to take heed we doe not abuse it to securitie and the libertie of the flesh for considering the state of a christian man is so tickle and inconstant in this life that he is subiect euer and anon to fall into sinne yea wholy to fall away if it were not that by the promise of God and the effectuall intercession of Christ he were as by certaine vnderprops supported and sustained requisite and necessarie it is that we listen vnto the exhortation of the Apostle and with feare and trembling to worke our saluation and if any man thinke he standeth let him take heed least he fall FINIS TWO SERMONS PREACHED BY THAT Reuerend and Iudicious Diuine Master THOMAS NEVVHOVSE late Preacher of Gods word in the Citie of Norwich AND NOW SET FOORTH for the vse and benefit of Gods people by ROBERT GALLARD Master of Arts and Minister in the same Citie ECCLESIAST 12.11 The words of the wise are as goads and nailes fastned by the Masters of the assemblies which are giuen from one shepheard AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Edmund Weauer and William Welby 1614. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL AND trulie religious Gentleman Master THOMAS CORBET Esquire one of his Maiesties Iustices of Peace in the Countie of Norffolke And to the Worshipfull Gentlewoman Mistris ANNE CORBET his most louing wise and vertuous wife R G. wisheth true happinesse in this life and a blessed hope of the life to come RIght Worshipfull those exquisite and most curious workes which Aholiab and Bezaleel wrought in the Temple were to bee seene long after their times and remained as testimonies of their skil to them that did suruiue And we see also in common experience that earthly buildings when the workmen be dead oft times stand still as monuments of their art and meanes of much good to them that liue after In like manner it were to be wished that the workes of the skilfull builders vp of Gods house when they themselues bee gone might still continue as memorials of their skill in spirituall Architecture and as instruments of much good to succeeding generations Among diuers workes of worthie workmen who haue of late very artificially and cunningly wrought about the temple of Christ I am sure that some of the Manuscripts of that iudicious Diuine Master Thomas Newhouse may well for their art be valued with the best in their kinde and cannot doubtlesse but bee very precious in your eyes who loued their author so well and very profitable to many others by whō they be so much desired For this cause hauing some of them by me lest I should seeme iniurious either to their author in suppressing that which might make so much to his praise or to the publique good in keeping backe those things are much desired as vsefull to Gods people I thought it a meete thing to publish these few to the making vp of this little volume Among the manifold true harted and entirely affecting friends this godly man had I doubt not but that I might single out diuers of whose kindnes I might presume for defence of his workes and may iustly feare for passing them by to be challenged as a man vnmindfull of their loue but the time is comming wherein I hope to meete with good opportunitie of giuing them satisfaction in this kinde In the meane while I thinke it my dutie to remember your Worships with these which if I had neglected to doe I see not but that I should in some measure haue been blemished with the tincture of vnthankfulnes I therefore doe offer these Sermons to your view and also to your protectiō hoping that you shal finde them worthie of both If you respect their author they bee his something if me the publisher alas they be my nothing yet sure such is your ingenuitie as that I doubt not but that you will
communion and fellowship with him and consequently the meane whereby this fellowship is begun and preserued which are meditation in the word inuocation repentance and other exercises of religion which because they are generally neglected plainlie argue our want of the loue of God And in stead of louing our brethren in societies there is to bee found hatred malice rancour pride and lifting vp of our selues against our brethrē contempt disdaine and such like al which make manifest the hypocrisie of our hearts Lastly to omit the abuse of the name of God by blasphemous oaths and the prophanation of the Lords Sabbaths the pride and excesse aswel in apparell as in diet doth plainly euince this point specially in these times wherein the Lord hath called vs to moderation and frugalitie all which with many moe sinnes that raigne among vs doe argue the want and the absence of the grace of regeneration But to leaue this poynt and to come to the reason because in it is is contained speciall matter of instruction for his seede remaineth c. By seede in this place to omit all other expositions wee are to vnderstand the word of God the immortall seede of regeneration as Peter calleth it which as it is in it selfe immortall and incorruptible so it is immortall incorruptible in the hearts of the Receiuers The doctrine that naturally ariseth hence is this that the childe of God begotten againe by the word and spirit of God and indued with sauing and effectuall grace so continueth and abideth for euer which point because it is difficult and controuersall I will stand the longer vpon it The question then is this whether sauing grace may be wholy lost or not For the better resolution whereof we must hold and remember this distinction that the word grace in Scripture as also in the writings of Diuines is vsed two waies First it is put for the loue fauour and mercy of God which is the fountaine and originall of all grace called by the Apostle 2. Timoth. 1.9 the grace which was giuen vs through Christ Iesus before the world was and this is eternall and immutable as the Lord himselfe from which it is not possible that a man should euer totallie or finallie fall according to that of our Sauiour Christ Iohn 13.1 and that of the Prophet Esay 54.9.10 Neuerthelesse a man may loose the signes and tokens of this grace wholy for a time as it is manifest Esay 54.7.8 Psalm 89.30.31.32.33 And herein the Lord dealeth with his children as the naturall Father with his child who when he offendeth and transgresseth his commandement he is angrie with him hee lookes vpon him with a sterne and seuere countenance he threatnes him to disinherit him and turnes all the tokens of his loue and fauour into the signes of anger and displeasure yet he retaines this purpose firme and constant to make him his heyre euen so doth the Father of spirits deale with his children when they are rebellious and disobedient vnto him hee scourgeth them he afflicteth them and lets them feele his displeasure yea he puts them often in seare of depriuing them of the heauenly inheritance yet his purpose of putting them in full possession and giuing them the fruition hereof neuer altereth Psalm 89.33.34 Secondly it is put for the effects of this grace which are of two sorts some are of absolute necessitie vnto saluation without the which saluation and life eternall cannot be atchieued as Election effectuall vocation iustification regeneration and the graces thereof hope loue the feare of God and these can neuer be wholy lost as afterward wee shall prooue some againe are necessarie but not of absolute necessitie which may be lost as the inward cleannesse of the heart the alacritie of spirit arising of a good conscience great boldnesse in protessing and confessing the name of Christ inuincible courage in bearing and sustaining most grieuous crosses free and chearefull calling vpon the name of God and an excellent sense and taste of the goodnes and mercy of God all which or the most of them were lost in Dauid after his grieuous fall as some haue obserued out of the 51. Psalme To speake more plainely and distinctly spirituall ioy the sense and comfort of grace arising of the apprehension of the loue and fauour of God the degree and measure of grace may bee wholy lost for a time Apoc. 2.4 the Church of Ephesus is reproued because she had left her first loue which yerst shee had professed and practised but no one grace of absolute necessitie vnto saluation can euer be wholy lost This may appeare both by expresse testimonies of scripture as also by the euidence of reason deduced thence Among many scriptures I will make choyce of those that are most pregnant for the purpose Matthew 16.18 The gates of hell though they may assaile the Church and ioyne their forces against it yet shall they neuer preuaile because it is built vpon the sure foundation and rocke of our Sauiour Christ himselfe confessed by Peter Iohn 3.36 He that beleeueth in the sonne of God hath presently eternall life If it bee said hee hath it in hope onely not in deed the answere is that the hope of Gods children makes not ashamed Rom. 5. it doth not disappoint a man of the thing hoped for for why it is not a blinde hope a vaine hope a popish coniecturall hope but a certaine and an infallible expectation of immortalitie and of the glory of God whereupon Dauid Psalm 31.1 saith that he had cast his hope vpon God and therefore should not bee confounded Iohn 10.28.29 No man shall take my sheepe out of my hands Exception So long indeede as they continue the sheepe of Christ none can take them from him Answere They alwaies so continue as may appeare by the words following they are the gift of the father vnto the sonne and all which come vnto Christ are not cast forth Ioh. 6.37 and in the words following the Father is greater then all if then Satan sin the flesh should but for a time snatch them out of his hands they should at least for a time be stronger then he Rom. 8.35.36.37.38.39 1. Iohn 2.19 By all which places it is more then manifest that those that are once in the state of grace cannot wholy fall away But to descend to a more particular proofe and confirmation of this poynt First Election cannot be lost for that is firme and vnchangeable Rom. 9.11 Paul takes it for graunted that the purpose of God according to Election might remaine firme and sure 2. Tim. 2.19 the foundation that is the Election of God which is the foundation of the saluation of the Elect abideth firme and sure Secondly the effectuall calling of God is neuer made frustrate but abideth alwaies for it is without repentance Rom. 11.19 Excep God for his part repenteth not of any gift giuen vnto man but man after hee hath receiued grace from God doth vnthankfully and contemptuously
Great is the carelesnes of the world in this point all men that liue and are borne in the Church haue this benefit vouchsafed them in the beginning of their daies to bee brought into the Church by baptisme and to be acknowledged as true members thereof but few there are that labour for the inward baptisme represented and sealed by the outward to wit to become the liuelie mēbers of that mystical body whereof Christ is the head I will therefore vse some reasons as motiues to induce and perswade vs to become members of Christ the first whereof is this God of his infinite mercy and loue in Iesus Christ hath vouchsafed vs this honour in the beginning of our daies when we were no members of Christ actually but children of wrath and heires of damnation to call vs by his owne name setting as it were the stampe and seale of baptisme vpon vs thereby as by a badge cognizance not onely acknowledging vs for his but distinguishing vs from the pagan infidell and prophane companie of men in the world thereby also solemnely admitting vs into the Church and endowing vs with all the priuiledges thereof if wee will not therefore bee wilfull contemners and despisers of so great grace and on our parts as much as in vs lieth make frustrate the holy ordinance of God and preiudice that good which he meant and offered vnto vs in baptisme let vs labour to be set and ingrafted into Christ Secondly as it is no small priuiledge for a man to be acknowledged for a member of this Church and of Christ before hee bee so is it a farre greater prerogatiue truly to bee implanted into him Why so because by this meanes thou hast fellowship and communion with Christ not only as he is man but as he is God and the second person in Trinitie and by reason of him with the Father and the holy Ghost Now what a preferment and preheminence is this for a man being but dust and ashes yea a worme creeping and groueling vpon the earth to haue communion with the most great and glorious God who is King and Lord of heauen and earth Thirdly this incorporation is the ground and foundation of all those benefits we haue in Christ for hence it is that whole Christ is made ours both in iustification sanctification 1. Cor. 1.30 He of God is made vnto vs wisedome c. Fourthly hence it is that wee haue title and interest vnto eternal life and are heires and fellow-heires with Christ of his kingdome and shall as Kings reigne with him in glorie for euer after this life Lastly the very consideration of our miserable estate by nature ought to prick vs forward and euen to constraine vs hereunto which is this The image of God is defaced and almost raced out in vs and wee are vile and deformed creatures in the sight of God more loathsome and odious vnto him then the dogge or toade is or can be to vs in our mindes full of ignorance and error in our wils of contumacie and rebellion in our affections of disorder being alwaies prone to euill neuer to that which is good in our consciences of guiltines and in our memories of forgetfulnes in our words and deeds of manifold offences in the whole man wee are fearfully thrall and in bondage to sinne and Satan and vnto these corruptions and sinnes the punishment is answerable for in our mindes wee are subiect to frenzies and madnesse in our consciences to horrours and strange feares in our bodies to aches innumerable diseases and infirmities in our goods to losses in our names to ignominie and contempt in the end of this life to death and in the life to come to the second death which is a separation of the whole man from the presence of God If then this be the state of euery man till he be in Christ how doth it stand vs vpon to labour in this point aboue al things that we may be true members of Christ And that we may be incorporate into the bodie of Christ three things must be practised First wee must acknowledge our selues to bee no members of Christ but limmes of the Diuell vassals and bondslaues of Satan firebrands of hell and members of the kingdome of darknesse alienates and strangers from the Couenant and Church of God In the third of Matthew none were baptized of Iohn but such as confessed their sinnes We must in the next place be humbled that is bee heartily grieued and displeased with our selues for our sinnes purposing and resoluing by Gods grace neuer to returne to the practise of them but hence forward to liue in newnesse of life For this cause Iohns baptisme Mark 1.4 is called the baptisme of repentance because of the parties baptized being men of yeares was required a testification of their repentance and their baptisme was a solemne profession thereof Thirdly we must with humble and contrite hearts come vnto Christ first beginning to cōsider of the promises of the Gospell then to hunger and thirst after them and last of all by faith to embrace and lay hold of them Matth. 11.28 But how may we come to Christ only by faith for so beleeuing and comming vnto Christ are put one for another Ioh. 6.35 For faith is the foote which carrieth and bringeth vs vnto Christ and being come to him it is the hand whereby we receiue Christ the bond wherewee are coupled vnto him and made one with him Obiection If faith bee required to our ingrafting into Christ to what vse serueth baptisme to Infants who wanting actuall faith cannot be implanted into Christ and therefore this Sacrament can bee no seale vnto them of their incorporation Solution Infants borne in the Church are of two sort some reprobate some elect The former howsoeuer they haue the outward element conferred vnto thē and are charitablie reputed of the Church to appertaine vnto the Couenant it leauing secret iudgements vnto God yet before God they are not in the Couenant and therefore baptisme though in it selfe it bee the sacrament of incorporation by reason of the institution of Christ yet to them it is not but becomes altogether vnprofitable and turneth to their greater iudgement and condemnâtion by reason of their abuse prophanation of the holy ordinance of God Elect Infants are also of two sorts some die in their infancie some liue till they come to the yeares of discretion as for the former they are ingrafted into Christ not by any faith which they haue not neither indeede can haue by reason of their age but by a secret and vnspeakable working of the holy Ghost vniting and coupling them vnto Christ and applying vnto them the perfect obedience of Christ for their iustification from original sinne and inwardly renewing them in the inward man and repairing the image of God in them in holinesse and righteousnesse for the latter wherof there is the greater question Baptisme hath this present vse in them it is
so wee by the vertue of the same should rise out of sinne vnto righteousnesse and holinesse of life Our dutie is therefore to labour for spirituall regeneration for so baptisme is termed by the Apostle Titus 3.5 the lauer of the new birth and renewing of the holy Ghost Hereunto Paul exhorteth Ephes 4.22.24 and Phil. 3.9.10 alluding vnto baptisme Thirdly Christ is put on in his example when hee is made a paterne of all morall duties wherein hee hath gone before vs for imitation Our dutie is here to denie our selues to take vp our crosse and follow Christ in his patience in his meeknes in his humilitie in his loue in his obedience And vnto this putting on of Christ the Apostle exhorteth Colloss 3.12.13.14 Now vnto this putting on of Christ in that manner which I haue said diuers and sundrie reasons and inducements may bee brought the first is this Christ is here compared to a garment which argueth that our nakednesse and filthinesse is apparent in the sight of God before it bee couered therewith and wee also exposed to all the plagues and iudgements of God If wee would therefore haue assurance of our iustification before God and our acceptation of him vnto fauour and mercie and our freedome deliuerance from the wrath and anger of God let vs labour to put on Christ Secondly in the knitting of these two together our insition into Christ with our putting on of Christ we see that all that are truly ingrasted into Christ they are iustified sanctified and walke in obedience vnto God If therefore we would haue any testimonie or argument to perswade vs that wee are in Christ wee must necessarily put on Christ for here these twaine are inseparably coupled to gether by the Apostle Thirdly if wee shall not thus put on Christ wee are not in him and consequently baptisme is vnto vs a nullitie and becommeth of none effect for it is but as a seale set to a blanke Rom. 2.35 the Apostle saith Circumcision verily prafiteth c. But if thou be a transgressour of the law thy circumcision is made vncircumcision so baptisme loseth his grace in them that are not regenerate Lastly the consideration of our vow and promise so solemnely made in baptisme touching the renouncing of the Diuell the world the flesh and the embracing and following of Christ and his truth ought to moue vs hereunto vnlesse wee will become truce-breakers with God and contemners of the couenant vnto which wee are intitled in the beginning of our daies Neither may wee please our selues in an outward profession that wee haue giuen vp our names vnto God in baptisme and are acknowledged to be his and liue in the Church comming to heare Sermons and to receiue the Sacraments at times appointed but wee must proceede further to answere in truth and in deede vnto our profession made in baptisme for it is not the washing of the filth of the flesh by the materiall element of water that doth commend vs vnto God but the stipulation of a good conscience sanctified and purged by the blood of Christ FINIS A SERMON WHEREIN IS DEclared the nature of the feare of God PROV 1.7 The feare of Iehouah is the beginning of wisedome TO omit the coherence of these words with the former because it maketh not much for the further vnderstanding or opening of this place the words in themselues containe a briefe or summe of all that doctrine and the ground of all those exhortations which are propounded in the 9. first Chapters of this booke which is this that the reuerence of Iehouah is the chiefe wisedome and the gate or entrance to all wisedome according to which whosoeuer doth order and frame his life may be iustly called a wise man In the words is contained a description of the feare of God by a double argument The first is taken from the subiect to wit Iehouah for about his Maiestie is this feare conuersant The second taken from the nature of it to wit it is the principall wisedom or the very fountaine and headspring of all true wisedome For the better vnderstanding of the words wee must remember that there is a three-fold feare mentioned in Scripture The first is a naturall feare which is occupied about some imminent euill and danger which may either destroy or grieue and annoy the creature so our Sauiour Christ feared death The second is a distrustfull feare euery where discommended in Scripture and disallowed as 1. Ioh. 4. perfect loue casteth out this feare of incredulitie The third is a feare proceeding from faith as a fruite of it in which sense we are to speake of it in this place being that which here is commended vnto vs this is called the feate of Iehonah But here it will be demanded how God can be the obiect of feare considering that feare is occupied about some future euill and that not farre off but imminent and neere at hand and no small euill but so great as that a man is not able by his power either to resist or to sustaine and ouercome it Now God is goodnesse it selfe yea the chiefest good to bee desired and earnestly sought after of all and therefore to be feared of none Answera The proper and direct obiect of feare is some euill yet indirectly and in the second place it respecteth the partie or person from whence the euill commeth as hope first of all respecteth the good thing hoped for and next the person of whom this good thing is to be receiued so the most direct and proper obiect of this feare is the displeasure of God which is the onely euill to be feared and auoided of all men and more indirectly and in the second place it is referred to God himself and called the feare of Iehouah This feare proceeding from faith is said to be the chiefest wisedom both because from hence us from a pure fountaine proceedeth all true wisedome and herein also consisteth the greatest part of spirituall and diuine wisedome to reuerence the true God Touching this feare that we may with fruite consider and entreare of it foure things are to be learned first what it is secondly by what markes and notes it is knowne and discerned thirdly by what meanes it is obtained and kept fourthly by what arguments wee are to be induced to seeke after it and practise it For the first to begin with the acception and vse of the word which in Scripture is manifold First it is put for God himselfe Genes 31.53 Iaakob sware by the feare of his father Izhak Secondly for his word and doctrine Psal 19.9 The feare of the Lord is cleare c. Thirdly generally for the whole worship of God Psalm 34.9 Ionah 1.9 Fourthly it is put for a speciall part of Gods worship and signifieth this chast filiall feare that feare whereby the wife feareth the husband and the childe the father which may bee thus described It is a peculiar gift of the holie Ghost in the