a non you cry out of the immortall Gods imputing to them the cause of your miseries when indeede your selues are the workers of your owne woe Perditio tua ex te O Israell thou hast fallen by thine own iniquitie Stigias vltrò quaerimus vndas Hos 14 2 Like the Ostrige we do pricke our selues with our owne feathers and we our selues do cause the Shippe to leake where we saile Onely lo this haue I found that God hath made man righteous but they haue sought out many inuentiōs Quare peccas quia nescis c. Eccles 7 31. How comes it to passe saith S. Aug. that thou dost sin because thou art ignorāt it is not so why dost thou sin because thou art cōpelled there is no such matter why dost thou sin because it pleaseth it delighteth thy wicked and corrupted nature Pro. 29.6 In the transgression of a man is his snare Of our owne accorde we run wilfully into the dead-fall of sinne so is it in the 9. Psal and 16 ver The vngodly is trapped how not by God but by the workes of his owne hands The Lord our God is good holy and onely holy so holy that as Iob saith the Angels are vncleane in his sight so pure that his Ministers the Cherubins are of fier most cleare and yet the Cherubins and Ceraphins do couer their faces with their wings as not able to behold the perfect brightnesse of his most pure and vndefiled Maiestie Isa 6.2 Therefore although no action can be done without God and that his power is so in all things that we cannot so much as lift vp our finger without him For in him we liue and moue and haue all our being Yet is not God the cause of any sin Act. 17.28 Gre Naz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We cannot fasten the least touch of any euill vpon God But so it stands Vna eademque actio tribuitur causae principali instrumentali In one and the selfe-same action there is a double cause First the instrumentall cause mouing then God separated from the instrument yet giuing power of motion to the same Through this double cause of mouing there is a double worke which vnto vs seemeth to be but one For example God as appeareth in the 2. of the Acts and the 23. ver by his determinate counsell and fore knowledge deliuered vp our Sauiour Christ as the principall cause Iudas as the instrumentall cause yet neither is God to be drawne in as a partie in Iudas fault nor Iudas to be excused as furthering the worke of God For God neuer commanded Iudas to deliuer vp Christ nor Iudas in deliuering him had any such intention as to do God seruice in the execution of his will Deus ag it per malos non in malis The wicked are the instruments of God Yet not God the cause of their wickednes God is the cause of the action but not of the euill or qualitie in the action For example A man trauaileth his horse by the way hee is the cause of his going but if his horse halt or haue an ill pace he is not the cause of his ill going A cunning man striketh an instrument with his fingers he is the cause of the sound but if the Instrument be bad or the strings not well chosen he is not the cause of the ill sound The Iron rusteth thou wilt not wite it vpon the Smith Wine sowreth the fault is not in the vintner In the heauens there is a double motion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristoxenus in lib de foram ni bus tibiarum The fixed Starres and the whole Globe of all is carried about with one Sphere and with one motion yet the Planets in themselues haue a wandring and vncertaine course The like we may vsually behould in euerie clocke The greatest and highest wheele moueth and carieth about all the rest yet in this motion some wheeles turne to the right hand others to the left and that by a contrarie course So then it fareth thus with the wicked As hee that hath an euill and corrupted stomake if hee do eate honie it turneth into gall or as if a mans hand be out of ioynte when hee would mooue it one way it turnes an other so wicked and godlesse men whereas the light of nature Gods Spirit and his word leadeth them one way their owne vile inclination their owne concupiscence leadeth them an other Now then what shall we lay is there vnrighteousnes with God doth hee cause vs to commit sin No God forbid wickednesse should be in God or iniquitie in the Almightie Iob 34 10. But as it is said before Euerie man is drawne away by his owne concupiscence and is entised lust when it hath conceiued bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death Iam. 1 14 Hauing hitherto freed God from all imputation of euill by shewing from whence sinne comes and that God is not the Author of it We do here meete with the Pelagian Heretike who not able to vntie this knotte affirmes that the wicked are reiected for the sins which God foresaw they would cōmit so cōtrariwise the godly preuenting the grace of God by their merits are predestinated and chosen through faith and good workes which God fore-sawe they should doe Making Gods eternall election to depend vpon our faith and vpon our workes whereas cleane contrarie our faith our good workes and all the good that is in vs doth wholy depend vpon Gods free election Ephe. 14 Saint Paule saith directly God hath chosen vs in his sonne Christ before the foundation of the world was If in Christ Assuredly it appeares we were vnworthie in our selues and so Gods election is the cause of our good workes Et causa non est posterior suo effectu the cause it doth neuer follow the effect Pet Lomb The learned Schoole-man makes it plaine Non ideò electus est quis quià talis futurus erat sed ex tali electione talis est factus No man was euer chosen through faith and good workes which God fore-saw that hee should do but the faith and good workes which wee now do proceede from the eternall election which went before 2 Tim 1 9 This doth the Apostle verie plainely set downe God hath saued vs and called vs not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen to vs through Jesus Christ before the World was Calling Moreouer whom he Predestinated them also he Called AS from the maine Sea wee do strike into some chanell or riuer So from Predestination the great depth of Gods Counsell the Apostle commeth vnto Calling For whereas it hath beene shewed in opening the first point that God of his free mercie did choose some to life and others hath left vnto Perdition In this case if God should neuer Call men if he should neuer offer them grace it might seeme preiudiciall to his mercy
of Saluation in Christ by his word but after this knowledge to lay hould vpon Christ by a working faith and so to hould on and continue still an holy Christian and sincere course of life that at length as Solomon saith In water face aunswereth face so in this worke of Iustification our spirit may answere vnto Gods spirit that we are his Euen as the pure and Christall Glasse doth liuely represent the image which is set before it so the heart once Iustified by a liuely faith in Christ in some good measure doth expresse the image of God and striueth to come vnto this marke which is here propounded namely our Glorification Glorifying THe fourth Lincke of this Cheine is Glorifying Which Glorifying is the highest steppe of Solomons Throne it is that exceeding great reward which God promised vnto Abraham it is that eternall weight of Glorie whererof J neither know how to begin nor how to make an ende of speaking Aug. de sinib lib 3. In vita aeterna faciliùs possumus dicere quid ibi nō sit quà m quid ibi sit In describing the glorie of the world to come it is easier to expresse what is not there then what is there For there is no discontentment nor greife no faintnes nor infirmitie no mourning nor miserie no corruption nor death but ioy and fulnes of ioy for euer such ioy as if we had once tasted we wold dispise the pleasures of a thousād worlds in hope of assurance to enioy it For after we haue waded through the miseries of this life at length in the twinckling of an eye in a moment with the sound of a Trumpet wee shall be carried into the heauenly Paradise into Abrahams bosome thousand thousands of Angels and Saints shall receiue vs with ioy and singing Our meate shall be that breade of life and that Heauenly Manna which will tast like whatsoeuer thing we desire our drinke shall be the water of life which if we haue once tasted we shall neuer thirst againe our mirth and musicke shall be the songe of the Saints Reud 5.13 Alleluia honor and praise and glorie be vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and vnto the Lambe for euer-more There shall we reioyce continually in the presēce of the holy ONE We shall be his Saints and he shall be our God neither shall wee feare death any more neither sorrowe nor crying nor feele any want againe The Lord of Hostes who is the King of gloriè he will take vs by the right hand leade vs to the garden of comfort to the fountaine of ioy where all our garments shall be washed pure in the bloud of the Lambe and all teares shall be washed from our eyes There shall wee see the Courts of the Lord of Hostes new Ierusalem the Citie of the great King Where there is no night nor any candle nor yet the light of the Sunne for the Lord himselfe shall be our light with him we shall shine as the starres in Heauen Here shall we be clothed with white robes the innocency of Saints we shall haue Palms in our hands in token of victorie We shall be crowned with a diadem of pure gould which is immortalitie and seruing God a while in this short life there shall wee haue riches without measure life without death liberty without thraldome solace without ceasing and ioy without ending O blessed are they Lord that dwell in thy house where the Sonne of God in glorie is light vnto their eyes musicke vnto their eares sweetnes vnto their tast and full contentment vnto their hearts where in seeing they shall know him and in knowing they shall possesse him and in possessing shall loue him and in louing shall receiue eternall blessednesse that blessed eternitie the Garland we run for and the Crowne we fight for Jn a word Here we shall come vnto the ende of all our desires for what els is our ende but to come to that ende-lesse glorie which hath no ende 1. King 10 6 The Queene of Sheba when she had seene the riches and royaltie of Solomons Court she said vnto the King It was a true word which J heard in mine own Land of thy prosperity and happinesse but now I haue seene it with mine eyes lo the one halfe is not tould me so concerning the glorious fruition of eternitie in the life to come whatsoeuer may possibly he deliuered by the tongues of men yet vndoubtedly the one halfe cannot bee tould vs. By this place of Scripture thus rising by degrees the Katharistes the family of loue and the Puritanes of our times would gather this conclusion For as-much as here are certaine degrees set down whervpon GODS Church is builded and whereby the members of the same doe growe vppe in Religion therefore now in this life by a godlye reformation we may attaine vnto perfection This selfe conceited and head-strong opinion of theirs hath beene the first cause ground of all the trouble some cōtentions which longe since haue beene raised now at this day are continued in our Church For diuers men while they take themselues as Iob saith the Onely-wise-men and pure in their owne eyes dreaming still of a certaine imagined perfection they neuer cease to bee clamorous to the Christian Prince troublesome to the the quiet state and diuers of them verie dangerous people to the whole Church of God Jn this verse of our text there is an ende propounded there is a marke set vp where-vnto euery Christian must labour to attaine and striue by all good indeuour to come But alas who can say that his heart is cleane and man that is borne in sinne conceiued in iniquitie while hee is clothed with sinfull flesh how can hee attaine perfection That the Militant Church of Christ hath had imperfectiōs in all ages it is a plaine an vndoubted truth For if euerie member be imperfect how can there be perfection in the whole Perfectio nostra magis constat remissione peccatorum quà m perfectione virtutum Our perfection consiseth rather in the forgiuenesse of our sinnes then in the perfection of our vertues In truth thus stands the estate of a Christian mans life in this world As a man traueiling a long iournie to a farre cittie he doth not continually go but he resteth here and stayeth there he baiteth in one place loggeth all night in an other yet still he is going forward houldeth on his iournie so in this life we are pilgrims we are traueilers and howsoeuer we do seeke an other country and striue to come vnto the cittie of rest yet in this iournie wee wander often out of the way we take many fallés we haue many impediments neither is it possible the light of our faith should still hold out and neuer be darkened in this pilgrimage till in the life to come wee bee made Citizens of that heauenly Ierusalem which is aboue We conclude then with the sweete and modest saying of good
Saint Augustine Haec est perfectio christianorum vt agnoscant se nunquám esse perfectos Herein stands the perfection of a Christian to acknowledge himselfe neuer to bee perfect The Conclusion Now it remaineth as was promised in the beginning to show the mutuall coherence of these words and to knitte vp againe the Linckes of this Cheine together HEre in foure words are contained the foure causes of our Saluation Jn Predestination there is the efficient cause which is Gods loue Jn Calling there is the materiall cause which is Christs death opened in his word in Iustifying there is the formall cause a liuely faith in Glorifying there is the final cause which is euerlasting life Thus in Predestination wee behould God the Father chosing of his loue in Calling we heare God the Sonne teaching by his word in Iustifying wee feele the comfort of God the holy Ghost sealing by his spirit The fruite of all which of Gods loue chosing of Christs word Calling of God the Holy Ghost comforting the effect of all these is our Glorification So that as we do see farre with our bodely eye yet reach farther with reason which is the eye of the mind but Faith which is the eye of the soule out strippeth both So Calling enlighteneth the minde with spirituall knowledge Iustifying goeth further and sealeth vp the heart with heauenly comfort Glorifying out-strippeth all and doth rauish the soule with immortalitie Bernard Euerie one of vs after this life wee desire and hope to enioy eternall Glorie Behould Conceditur in Predestinatione promittitur in vocatione ostenditur in Iustificatione percipitur in Glorificatione Jn Predestination there is the first grant in Calling it is directly promised in Iustifying it is plainely shewed in Glorifying there is liuerie and season the full possession of all Jn Predestination GOD bestoweth vpon vs his loue in Calling hee granteth the blessing of his word in Iustifying he yeeldes the fruite of his spirit in Glorifying he doth wholy giue vnto vs himselfe Here are the sweete springes issuing out of Nilus the head whereof cannot bee founde here are the foure pleasant riuers which water Paradise which runne through the Soule with a Diuine vertue and comfortably coole all our spirituall heat Iohn 1 16. Here is the holy and pretious oyle powred vpon the heade of Aron the exceeding loue and fulnesse of grace powred vpon our head Christ Jesus and running downe to the skirtes of his clothing to euery particuler and penitent member of his Church Of his fulnesse haue all wee receiued Gen. 1. Here we may see the spirituall regeneration of the Soule shadowed out in the first creation of the World In Predestination there is the huge and vast deepe the darke forme whereof could not bee discerned in Calling the separating of light from darkenesse of knowledge from ignorance in the Soule in Iustifying the Sunne is created the bright beames of his grace shine in our hearts in Glorifying we may behould the new Adam framed after the Jmage of God and placed in the paradise of immortall ioy Obserue heere if you please the kindnes of a louing Father who hauing many sonnes beareth secret affection to some one there is Predestination this affection in his good time hee declareth by making his will knowen and his loue manifest there is Calling after this Calling he causeth him to take vp his inheritaÌ„ce in Court giueth him earnest in token of assurance there is Iustifying lastly hee enters into his Fathers ioy and is made heire of all there is Glorifying Againe in Predestination the Heauenly husband-man choseth out a plotte of ground at his owne pleasure in Calling hee soweth it with the seede of his word in Iustifying hee waters and cherisheth it with his spirite in Glorifiinge hee reapes and carrieth into the barne Gen. 45 5. Lastly behould apparantly in Predestination howe Ioseph longe before was sould into Egipt by the determinate Counsell of GOD Gen 41.14 by Calling howe hee was loosed out of prison and deliuered from the bondage of sinne Psal 105.19 by Iustifyinge howe his cause was made knowne and so acquitted innocent Gen 41 42. in Glorifyinge howe hee was clothed in Purple placed in the Kings Chariote and made the cheife of his Kingdome Now then as Saint Paule saith to the Romanes What shall we say to these thinges in like sort what shall wee say to these so excellent so sweete so Diuine misteries to these so comfortable testimonies of Gods loue to this Ladder of Iacobs whereupon none but Angels do ascende to this inwarde working of the Spirite which bloweth where it listeth to this Diuine and hidden purpose which cannot bee deceiued to this in-effable glorie of the Sonnes of God which they doe expect and looke for what shall wee say more effectuall and more comfortable Can any thing bee set downe more plainely or knitte vp more breifely can any demonstration bee concluded more foundly Whome the Lord hath Predestinated before all time those doth he Call in time whome hee Calleth those hee doth Iustifie and whome hee Iustifieth those will hee Glorifie Thus then may euerie true Christian conclude for the comfort of his Soule and the assurance of his Saluation for euer J am Iustified truely by a liuely and working Faith therefore J am Called J am Called effectually by his worde therefore J am Predestinate J am Predestinate and choosen of his free loue from eternitie and therefore J shall bee Glorified vnto all eternitie againe O setled comfort O sweete conceiued hope of ioye That ioy which strength of Hels ten thâ—usand can neuer take away Wherefore should we feare whereof shall wee bee afraide No no force so mightie so puissant able to ouerthrowe vs. No terror of sinne no plagues of death no rage of the World no power of the Diuell himselfe Jn all these wee are more then Conquerers For all thinges shall turne to the best to to them that are setled in GODS feare That wicked and most dangerous conspiracie plotted against the Lords annointed when it came to the verie pinch when it was brought to the verie height was not all turned topsie-turuie and vtterly disappointed This daye wee doe acknowledge it with thankefull remembraunce this daye wherein wee are all mette together in a most happie and blessed peace this day doth plainely witnesse that hee had the deliuerance wee feele the comfort the Church hath an endelesse blessinge and GOD hath his euerlasting praises O behould what it is to bee knit vnto God For whome hee doth loue who is able to wronge them whome he hath chosen howe can they be reiected whom hee doth Call howe shall they bee shutte out Whome hee doth Iustifie who dare accuse them Whome God will Glorifie howe can they bee forsaken Seeing my Soule is lincked to that Cheine which can neuer be vnloosed my soule grounded vpon that foundation which can neuer be shaken what shall make vs to despaire nay what is it shall make vs to wauer or doubt of the singular loue of God which hee beareth towardes vs in his sonne Christ Jesus What shall separate vs from the hope of immortalitie in the life to come shall the wearisomnesse of this trouble some life shall the discontentmentes of this transitorie World shal a little sickenesse shaking this brittle house of clay No all the afflictions of this life which are but for a moment they are not to be accounted worthy that exceeding surpassing eternall weight of glorie For God hath chosen vs before the World he hath Called vs out of the World he hath Iustified vs in the World and he will Glorifie vs in the World to come God hath Chosen vs not being hee hath Called vs being enemies he hath Iustified vs being sinners he will Glorifie vs being mortall wretches Therefore wee may cheerefully singe with Dauid Miserecordia Domini ab aeterno in aeternum The mercy of the Lord is from euerlasting to euerlasting From euerlasting Predestination to euerlacting Glorie the one hauing no ending the other hauing no beginning This blessed fruition of glorie and immortalitie that wee may feele the comfort of it in our harts and consciences now in this life and hereafter enioy in the life to come the Lord grant euen for his blessed sonne Christ Jesus sake to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost three persons and one euerliuing God be ascribed all power glorie praise and thankes-giuing for euer and euer Amen FINIS