Evil Deut. 30.15 and in verse 19. he saith I call Heaven and Earth to record this day against you that I have set before â—ou Life and Death Blessing and Cursing â—herefore chuse Life Some may say that Liberty seems â—â—consistent with these words of St. John whosoever is Born of God doth not comâ—it Sin for his seed remaineth in him and â—e cannot Sin because he is Born of God. â—or if he cannot Sin then he is not free â—â—en Grace destroys Liberty for the â—ght understanding of this passage we â—ust distinguish between a Moral and Natural Power when we may not do 〈◊〉 thing we use commonly to say we â—annot do it which is to be understood â—f a Moral Power and not a Natural â—nd thus we must expound those words â—f the Angel where he says that he â—ould do nothing against Sodom till â—ot were escaped into Zoar Gen. 19. â—2 When then 't is said that whosoever is â—orn of God cannot Sin we must not â—elieve that the Natural Power is taken â—way but the Moral 't is as much as to â—â—y that as long as he Acts according 〈◊〉 the Principles of his Spiritual Birth â—nd doth his utmost endeavours to be â—ke his Heavenly Father he cannot â—in which we are to understand as School-men term it in sensu composito but not in sensu diviso CAAP. VIII If no Man Lives in this World without Sin we must not blame the Grace of God for it but the infirmity of his Nature and the Temptations which he is Subject to MAN is subject to so many sorts of Sins that 't is very rare to find one in this World exempt from all Sins Oftentimes we are caught by Sins of ignorance and because they seem matters of little weight we are not sensible of ' em Again Sins of Frailty surprize us all of a sudden and other Sins overtake us very often by reason of the continual Temptations of the Devil the World and the Flesh Therefore what St. John saith if we say that we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us appears but too true but though it is true in an ordinary sense that in this World Man is not without Sin yet by the Grace of God he may Live without falling into it I can do all through him that Comforts me saith St. Paul by saying all he excepts nothing now if he can do all through him that strengthens him then by Grace he can live without committing Sin otherwise that exhortation of St. Peter Be diligent that at Christs coming ye may be found of him in Peace without Spot and Blameless 2 Pet. 3.14 would be vain and to no purpose if by the assistance of Gods Grace we could not live without being spotted and defiled with Sin and to make it appear by reason thus I argue either the Grace of God is sufficient for the avoiding of Sin or it is not if it be not sufficient Ergo in vain God gives us his Grace for that effect and doth injustly punish our Sins seeing that he Punishes us for a thing which we could not avoid and since we cannot say so of God without Blasphemy we must say that his Grace is sufficient as it appears by these words of Christ to St. Paul sufficit tibi gratia mea and therefore we must conclude that with Grace a Man may live without sin if then we do not live in this World without sin we must not blame the Grace of God for it but either the frailty of our nature or the continual Temptations of the Devil and of the World. CHAP. IX Grace doth not destroy Concupiscence or sensual Lusts BY Grace 't is true we overcome Sin to Grace we are indebted for all the good works we do and for the Victories we obtain over our grand Enemies the Devil the World and the Flesh But tho it cools the Fires of our Lusts yet it doth not totally extinguish ' em Experience convinceth us too often that the Flesh Lusteth against the Spirit and these are contrary the one to the other Gal. 5.17 so long as we are here below in the Church Militant although we have the Grace of God on our side yet we must not hope to live without Wars Witness St. Paul he was in the State of Grace and yet his Lusts alarm him he is encountred with the sharp Goads of the Flesh his Flesh Warreth against his Spirit and the good that he would do he doth not and is forced to cry out Oh wretched Man that I am CHAP. X. Sanctifying Grace is incompatible with Mortal Sin. TO prove this assertion we must know the right Definition of Mortal sin and of sanctifying Grace or what are the effects of both Mortal sin is so call'd because it procures death to the soul or deprives it of the Grace of God which is its supernatural Life and sanctifying Grace is so term'd for as much as it sanctifieth the soul and renders it acceptable to God. By mortal sin the soul is in Enmity and hatred with God but through sanctifying Grace it becomes his friend and well beloved By mortal sin it is doomed to the Infernal Lake of Hell but through sanctifying Grace it is made an heir to the Kingdom of Heaven Now the Definition and the effects of mortal sin and sanctifying Grace being opposites they cannot possibly be found at one and the same time in one and the same subject as day and night chase away each other and cannot exist both together at the same time in the same place and subject so mortal sin and Grace cannot cohabit at one and the same time in one and the same soul and therefore the one is inconsistent with th' other CHAP. XI Sanctifying Grace may be lost THere is nothing certain in this fading and miserable Life but Death the most splendent Crowns are tottering and the best established Monarchies are oftentimes subverted And as the health of the Body which we count a great Treasure is too frequently lost so it fares with sanctifying Grace which is the Ornament of the soul this is very Evident in these Texts ye did run well ye are fallen from Grace Gal. 5.4 holding Faith and a good Conscience which some having put away concerning Faith have made Shipwrack 1. Tim. 1.19 Some are already turned after Satan having Damnation because they have lost of their first Love 5.12 15. the Dog is turned to his Vomit again and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2.22 't is that which Experience also proves to us but too often and to our shame David a Man of great Faith and Integrity committed two great Sins Adultery and Murder 2 Sam. 11.4 Solomon who was the beloved of the Lord yet through the Love of strange Women his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel and went after other Gods 1 King 11. Peter the first of the Apostles to whom Christ had given his special
Riots and do what is most suitable to my Inclination though never so much corrupted These are the pernicious and hellish consequences naturally following from such a Doctrine CHAP. XXI Second Impiety It Abolishes Prayer Faith Repentance the use of the Sacraments and the keeping Gods Commandments IF it be true that all Men and Women are enroled from all Eternity some of 'em to be saved and th' others to be damned without any regard to their Faith or Infidelity Obedience or Disobedience to Gods Commandments upon condition that you be of the number of the Reprobate then if you pray unto God Almighty your Prayer is of no profit and instead of making God Propitious it will serve but to provoke him and make him the more angry Therefore the Preacher that incites you to pray ought to imitate that Philosopher who being in a ship in the Company of wicked Livers whom the Tempest and Fear of being drown'd had incited to pray spoke thus unto ' em Silete ne Dij vos Nehulones hic navigare sentiant for if they perceive you are here they shall have cause enough to be angry and drown our ship Why should you pray for your Salvation why should you trouble your selves about it more than Adam for the Creation of Eva if you are bound to believe that nothing is able to promote it and that God will necessarily perform what he hath determined the Elect can never obtain any thing new by their Prayers no more than by their Faith Repentance use of Sacraments and keeping Gods Commandments their names being written from all Eternity in the Books of Life without any regard to all these things and it being impossible for them to be blotted out And the Reprobates can never be hereafter enroled in 'em by the exercise of their Prayers Repentance use of Sacraments Practice of Vertues and Commandments of God or other good works whatsoever no more than they can Abolish the immutable decree of their Reprobation These are the fair Consequences of Reprobation and Predestination as they are taught by John Calvin and his followers CHAP. XXII Third Impiety It destroys that Doctrine of ours that God will have all Men to be saved and none to Perish and that he hath no Pleasure on the Death of a Sinner THere is nothing more usual and evident in the holy Scripture than these Principles God will have all men to be saved and none to perish As I Live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the Death of the Wicked but that the Wicked turn from his way and Live. Turn ye turn ye from your Evil ways for why will ye die O House of Israel Ez. 33.11 He would not that any should Perish but that all Men should come to Repentance 2 Pi. 3.9 We have an advocate with the Father J. Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World Jo. 2.2 he tasted Death for every Man Heb. 2.9 for the unjust for the ungodly for sinners for his enemies 1 Pet. 3.18 Rom. 5.6.8.10 We trust the Living God saith John who is the Saviour of all Men. In this was manifested the Love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the World that we might live through him Here is Love not that we Loved God but that he Loved us and sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our Sins 1 Jo. 4.9.10 for God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved Jo. 3. And though these Texts be so common and manifest in the holy Scripture that God will have all Men to be saved and none to perish that he takes no pleasure in the Death of Sinners but that they turn from their Evil ways and Live yet they are opposed by a great many Those that maintain Predestination and Reprobation in such a manner as I have said before are quite of another Opinion For maintaining that God from all Eternity did by his immutable decree elect a small number of Men to be saved without any regard to their Faith Obedience and good Actions they do at the same time destroy that belief of ours that God will have all Men to be saved and that he hath no Pleasure in the Death of Sinners This is Calvins Opinion as you may see by these following words Indeed if God would have all Men to be saved he should give J. Christ unto all for their Gardian and unite them to his Body by the bound of Faith l. 3. c. 22. S. 10. vide c. 24. Sect. 14. They answer that when it is said God will have all Men to be saved that is to be understood de generibus singulorum non de singulis generum Not that he will have all Men that are in every Nation to be saved but that he will save some in every Nation And when it is written that he hath no Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked and that he hath tasted Death for every Man and would have none to perish they reply with Calvin that there are in God two sorts of Will one outward and reveal'd whereby he sweetly invites us to his Grace and calls us to Repentance as if in good earnest he would have us to be saved and another inward and secret which no Man can resist which is always effectual There is saith Calvin an Universal calling whereby through the outward Preaching of the word God calleth altogether to him even them also to whom he setteth it forth unto the Savour of Death and unto matter of more grievous Condemnation The other is a special calling which for the most part he vouchsafest to give only to the Faithful when by the inward lightning of his Spirit he maketh that the word Preached is settled in their Hearts yet sometime he maketh them also partakers of it whom he enlightneth but for a time afterward by the deserving of their unthankfulness forsaketh them and striketh them with greater blindness l. 3. c. 24. S. 8. as the Lord by the effectualness of his calling toward the Elect maketh perfect the Salvation whereunto he had by Eternal Counsel appointed them so he hath his Judgments against the Reprobate whereby he executeth his Counsel of them Whom therefore he hath Created unto the shame of Life and Destruction of Death that they should be Instruments of Wrath and examples of his severity from them that they may come to their end some time he taketh away the Power to hear his word and sometime by the Preaching of it he more blindeth and amazeth them l. 3. c. 24 S. 12. behold he directeth his Voice to them but that they wax more deaf he lights a light but that they may be made more blind He sheweth forth doctrine but that they may be made more dull he layeth to them a Remedy but not that they may be healed l.
Remember that shortly we must follow ' em The hour glass runs without ceasing and it may be Death to Morrow will lay our Bodies in the Dust This Sermon that we have heard to day this Godly Book which we read now may be the last we shall hear or Read. Our Years Months and Days are counted we cannot prolong them who knows whether we shall live till to Morrow how many do we see every day who go and lye down in perfect Health and in the Morning are found Dead in their Beds that which happens to others may happen unto us A Tile from the top of a House falling down upon your Heads may destroy you a fishes bone a Stone of a plum or a bit of bread may choak you Therefore your Life being so short and uncertain you ought not to delay your Conversion You must prevent the day which is wont to prevent you You must not stay till you be old or near Death you must serve God in your Youth you must turn to him without any delay As soon as Achaâ—â— had heard the words of Eliah he rent his Cloths and put saccloath upon his Flesh and fasted and lay in Saccloth and went softly 1 King 21.27 CHAP. XXXIII How the Married Woman that is desirous to be happy after Death and in a good Reputation among Men in this World ought to Live. ABove all things she ought to Fear and Love God the Fountain of all goods She ought to keep his Commandments and Worship him with a deep Humility and avoid the Pomps and Vanities of this World Remembring that she promised in her Baptism to Renounce them as well as to resist the Temptations of the Devil and Flesh She ought to obey her Husband and be taught by him both in matters as well belonging to Religion as his own Family to Love him and be Faithfull unto him till Death But because chastety is the Ornament of Women she ought to have a great care of her Reputation remove the least Sins contrary to pudicity and to avoid the Company of indiscreet and lacivious Women whetheir it be in their Discourses or in their Countenance looks or Garments she ought to delight only in her Husbands Company for the married Woman out of her Husbands Company should be like a Fish out of the Water as the Chich strugled from without the Hen or as a lost sheep exposed unto Woolfs She ought to have so great a care of her Family as she might give an account of all things that are done in her House which ought to be to her what the shell is to a Snail She ought often to hear the word of God keep Company with those that are of a Holy and Exemplary Life read good Books abstain from lascivious because the Reading of them by little and little infects our Souls corrupts good manners and brings us to a shamefull end She ought often to meditate that she is once to die and perhaps sooner than she thinks that she shall be Judged to everlasting Pains or Joyes to an Eternal shame or Glory and this frequent and serious meditation will make her refrain from all unlawfull Pleasures and render her diligent in the practice of Vertues and Remember that as in the harvest we reap but what we have sowed before even so in the other World we receive the Fruits of what we have sowed in this CHAP. XXXIV A great comfort to the scrupulous Woman shewing that all the little Children that dye without Baptism are sav'd BY little Children I mean those that have not yet the use of their reason and I say though the contrary be asserted by a great many that if they dye without Baptism they are saved notwithstanding For our Salvation doth not meerly depend upon an Element which is not always in our power The Baptism that saves us saith St. Peter is not that that puts away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God 1 Pet. 3.21 he that sinneth shall be punished Every one shall dye for his own iniquity Therefore the young Children before they can use their reason being not able to commit sin ought not to be punished for God hates and punishes nothing but sin and consequently if they dye are saved But some will say there is an actual sin and an other call'd original 'T is true that young Children before the use of their reason are not capable of the former but by the transgression of Adam they are guilty of the latter and ought to be punished for it I answer it is true that the young Children have encurred the original sin but it is true also it was forgiven unto them for as by the offence of one Judgment came upon all Men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto Justification of life Rom. 5.18 they shall say no more the Fathers have eat a sower grape and the Childrens teeth are set on edge but every one shall dye for his own iniquity Every Man that eateth the sower grape his teeth shall be set on edge Jer. 31.29 the original sin is remitted not as concerning temporal death and other afflictions in this life which are the consequences of that sin but as concerning eternal death and other torments in Hell that did deserve that same sin If any is now damn'd and suffers in the other world 't is for his own sin Suffer little Children to come unto me saith Christ and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of God. Mark that Christ spoke to young Children not Baptized of such saith he is the Kingdom of God therefore they are saved though they dye without Baptism the promise is not onely made to our Fathers but to our Children also God is the God of the one as well as of th 'others and to damn little Children meerly because they have not received the Baptism which was not in their power it would be in God a kind of Cruelty CHAP. XXXV The condition of a sinner near Death REpresent to your selves any wicked Man ready to dye he fears sweats becomes pale his eyes are chang'd his tongue stammers and his heart looses all courage The thought that he shall shortly be separated from his body and appear before the Judgment-Seat to receive his Sentence of Life or Death of eternal Happiness or Misery troubles him so much that he knows neither what he saith nor what he doth He wishes but in vain that God would be pleased to restore his health and let him live some few years or months longer that he might in good earnest practise vertue and keep Gods Commandments which he hath so often transgressed Whilst he entertains these vain desires in his troubled mind his Conscience accuses him of all his former Crimes the Devil clearly represents them unto him aggravates them and endeavours as much as he can to cast him into despair Sometimes he sighs desires God to
that can say with David God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever happy is he who can exclaim with him Ps 42. as the heart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God. My soul thirsteth for God for the living God my tears have been my meat day and night while continually they say unto me where is thy God 't is as much impossible to satisfie our Soul with the things that are here below as it is impossible to quench a great Fire by adding fewel unto it continually The Reason is this our Soul is spiritual and all that is in the World is material our Soul is made to enjoy God who is soverainly perfect and infinite and all that is in this World is imperfect and finite Why doth bread nourish our Body and poison destroy it the Reason is this bread agreeth with the nature of Men and poison doth not agree with it God alone agreeth with the nature of our Soul and therefore he only is able to satisfie it he Created it for himself by consequence it will never be contented untill it rests in him CHAP. XLII The Covetous Man is always poor and miserable the Liberal always Rich and Happy THE Covetous Man is always Poor He wants as well of what he possesseth as of What he hath not Although all other Sins be hurtful nevertheless they procure some good either to others or to him that sinneth But Covetousness is hurtful unto all Men as well in general as in particular for whilst the Covetous Man hideth his Money and will neither use it nor distribute a part of it for the relief of the poor it profits no Body not so much as to the Covetous Man. He is more unhappy than the other Sinners for though they have no Joy to hope in the other World yet they receive some in this present Life but the Covetous Man hath none in this World nor in the other No Covetous Person which is an Idolater hath any Inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God Ephes 5. he is unworthy to have a place either with the Angels above in Heaven or with Men below in Earth He is miserable in his Life for he is always Poor He is hated of his nearest Relations to whom if he doth any good 't is only after Death being not able to carry away his Money along with him And there is Danger whilst he is in the World either it will happen to him that which happened Ananias and Saphira who for their Coveteousness were punished by a sudden Death or he falls into the same misfortune as Judas who for the Love of Money having sold his good Master hang'd himself It is not so with the liberal he gives and wants nothing He knoweth he that bestows his goods upon the Poor for Gods sake will no more want than the poor Widow wanted oyl and Meal when she relieved Elias Give saith Christ Luc. 6.38 and it shall be given you He that gives to the Poor gives to Christ for as much saith he as ye have done it unto one of the least of those my Brethren ye have done it unto me Mat. 25.40 when we appear before him in the day of Judgment by the works of Mercy he will Judg us The more a Man gives to the needy the more he is like God his Creator who gives to all and receives nothing from any Many do spend a great deal of Money to Adorn their Houses with Fine and Rich Furniture and to make when they are dead a magnificent and splended Burial to the end that they obtain some Reputation amongst Men but they would be more esteemed if what they spend in these trifles and vanities they would bestow it upon the poor All those fine Beds Rich Tapistries and splendid Furnitures have no tongue to praise them as the Poor have By distributing their goods in the hands of the needy they send them into Heaven where neither moth nor rust shall corrupt them and where thiefs cannot break through to steal them away Therefore happy is he who stretches out his hands to the needy He that gives to the Poor shall not lack the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a Curse Prov. 28.27.31.20 Ps 41.1 CHAP. XLIII We must submit our Flesh to the Spirit WHosoever you are you shall have always occasion to fight in this World because you carry in your bosom an Enemy from whom you shall never be freed till after Death The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other and so united together that whilst we are here below the one cannot be without the other And yet they are so divided that the Life of one is the Death of th' other Walk in the Spirit saith Paul for if ye Live after the Flesh ye shall Die but if ye mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live take away the wood from the Fire and the heat shall abate Take away Oat and Hay from a young wild Horse you make him tame and Obedient to his Master if you grant to your Body all that it desires if you give it drink eat and sleep abundantly it will overcome your Soul. But if you assist your Soul with fasting watching and Prayer it will with the Grace of God master your Body Is it not better to your Soul to be the Mistress that both Body and Soul may be saved than to see one and the other eternally damn'd if you let your body master your Soul he that loveth his Life shall loose it and he that hateth his Life in this World shall keep it unto Eternal Life Jo. 12.25 Though St. Paul were a Vessel of Election yet saith he I keep under my Body and bring it into Subjection least by any means when I have Preached to others I my self should be cast away 1 Cor. 9.27 Daniel was mourning three full Weeks and eat no pleasant bread nor came Flesh nor Wine in his mouth neither did he anoint himself at all till three whole Weeks were over then lifting up his Eyes he had immediately Visions from Heaven and Revelations from God Dan. 10. though J. Christ had no need of fasting to subdue his Flesh to the Spirit nevertheless to give an Example he fasted Fourty Days and Fourty Nights Take heed saith he Luc. 21.34 least at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this Life and so that day come upon you unawares CHAP. XLIV Idleness ought to be avoided WIll you avoid Evil and Vice avoid Idleness it is the Mother and Nurse of it Idleness brings much evil Eccl. 33.26 The running water affords the best Fishes but the standing does commonly produce but Frogs Toads and Serpents The Earth which is barren and not Till'd brings forth only Bryers and Thorns The Fowler doth not commonly shoot
is guilty of Injustice that give Six-pence to one Beggar and a Farthing to another And though in strictness he is indebted to no Man yet being a God of infinite Goodness and Mercy he vouchsafes to all what is sufficient to Salvation CHAP. III. God gives to all Men Grace sufficient to Salvation ALthough it is Evident both by the Scriptures and by Experience that God gives a greater measure of Grace to one Man than to another yet we cannot tax God with the least injustice He is under no Obligation to us and may do whatever seems him good nor dare any Man say to him why doest thou so Notwithstanding if â—e are not Saved we must not impute â—ur Perdition to God Almighty since â—e gives to every Man a sufficient meaâ—ure of Grace to work out his own Salvation This cannot be denied unless we will deny these words of S. Paul to Titus 2.11 The Grace of God which bringeth Salvation appear'd unto all Men. Those words you see express a Grace universal and sufficient to Salvation Appeared unto all Men there you have Grace Universal given to all Men. Which bringeth Salvation there you have it sufficient Judge I pray you saith God by his Prophet Isaiah betwixt me and my Vineyard what could have been done more to my Vineyard that I have not done in it 5.3 CHAP. IV. Our Co-operation with Grace is necessary to Salvation FRom what hath been said already it remains most certain that God gives to all Men Grace sufficient to Salvation And to deny that Truth as too many are wont to do is no less than to accuse God himself of unparallel'd Cruelty For it is as much as if we should say that he hath sent some into the World on purpose to be damned or that he willeth the end but willeth not the means thereto which are Impieties that common sense cannot apprehend as being incompatible with the nature of a God infinitely good and merciful We must confess as is manifest by that passage of St. Paul in the foregoing Chapter that God vouchsafes to every Man Grace sufficient to Salvation Yet notwithstanding the truth of this no Man nevertheless shall be saved unless he Co-operates that is Joyns his own endeavours with that Grace which appears evidently by â—hese two following Texts As many as were ordained to Eternal Life believed Act 13.48 If thou wilt be saved keep the Commandments He that made us without our selves will never save us without our selves saith Austin If with St. Paul we could be transported to the third Heavens and there behold all those Saints who were all more or less endued with the Grace of God whilst they were here below we should find that they have arrived to those degrees of glory and happiness which they now enjoy by co-operating and joyning their own endeavours with Gods Grace CHAP. V. Grace works differently GRace is like Fire it acts continually but differently Sometimes it works insensibly as it did in John the Baptist who was Sanctified from his Mothers Womb as it doth in all little Infants who are Baptised and as probably it wrought in Zachary and Elizabeth who being addicted to the practice of Piety from their Youth would have sound it very hard to have told the very time when it was that Grace render'd them Righteous and Acceptable to God. It comes oftentimes like the dawning of the day without being perceived Sometimes it works sensibly as it appeared in Mary Magdalen when she was converted to the Lord and forsook her sins as it befel St. Paul when having a Commission to Persecute the Christians he heard a Voice saying Saul Saul why Persecutest thou me and as it hapned to St. Peter when having denied his Master Thrice and that with Swearing and Cursing he Repented of his fault when he heard the Crowing of the Cock. And thus in this Sense we may compare Grace to the Sun which by piercing a Cloud with its Beams disperses the Mist and becomes visible to our Eyes CHAP. VI. Grace is Resistible WHen God gives us his Grace 't is not to force us but to assist us because of our selves we are not able â—o do any supernatural good we may then resist it And not to speak of our own Experience we have but too many proofs thereof in Holy Writ They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit Isa 63.10 Woe unto thee Corazin woe unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sydon they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes Mat. 11.21 Ye always resist the holy Ghost Act. 7.51 But some will say Resistance supposes acting against now he that is dead has no power to Act and therefore a Sinner being dead in Sin can have no power to resist Grace To whom I answer that that Conclusion is not good for in the Antecedent is spoken of a natural Death and in the Consequence of a moral Death A Sinner who is dead in Sin is not dead in all respects for as much as we read in the Scripture that sometimes â—e is like a Man half dead sometimes â—e is like a Man asleep Luk. 10.30 Eph. 5.14 'T is certain that we may â—esist Grace And to make it appear more clearly mark well these following Texts How often would I have gathered â—hy Children as the hen her chickens and â—ye would not I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hands and ye regarded not When I called ye did not answer when I spake ye did not hear but did evil before mine Eyes and did chuse that wherein I delighted not Isa 65.12 it is further evident by that parable of our Lord Jesus Christ in St. Mat. 22.4 where he says that he sent out his Servants saying all things are ready come unto the Mariage but they made light of it And if a Man cannot resist Grace what means the request of St. Paul we beseech you also that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain To what end serve the Exhortations of the Prophets of our Saviour Jesus Christ and his Apostles CHAP. VII Grace doth not destroy Liberty GOD hath made Man after his own Image and Likeness he hath given him a reasonable Soul the use of his understanding and the Liberty of his will. He has given him Power to consider to deliberate to consult and to choose and consequently has given him Authority to govern his own Actions For having made him Lord and Master of the whole World below 't is not to be imagined that he hath made him a Slave to himself To force his Will were to destroy his nature Grace doth not at all compel him but assists and aids him And to prove this truth that Grace does not destroy Liberty Observe well these following Texts God made Man from the begining and left him in the hand of his Counsel Eccl. 15.14 I have set saith he before thee this day Life and Death Good and
help him and calls upon the name of Jesus but he receives no comfort On the contrary he hears his Saviour speaking thus unto him I did oftentimes speak to thy heart I gave thee a thousand inspirations to avoid sin and thou wouldst not hear me I sent Prophets Apostles good Ministers to declare my will to instruct and perswade thee to embrace vertue I did upon a Cross dye like a Criminal to save thee and manifest the excess of my Love. Then I did open my Arms to embrace thee and bow my head to kiss thee and thou hadst rather fall into the Arms of a lascivious Woman and take more pleasure in her kindness than in mine begone depart from me now when thou callest upon me I will not hear thee Thus this poor Soul finding neither help nor any inward comfort full of fright She shall say unfortunate that I am why did I not make a better use of the Grace of God And of the time allowed unto me to work out my eternal Salvation Let the day perish wherein I was born and the night in which it was said there is a Man-child Conceived Why dyed I not from the Womb Why did I not give up the Ghost when I came out of the Belly Why did the Knees prevent me or why the Breast that I should suck Cursed be the Man that shewed my Father saying a Child is born unto thee and comforted him Job 3. in that lamentable condition being enraged and in despair she will say Mountains and Rocks fall on me and hide me from the face of him that setteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Rev. 6.16 CHAP. XXXVI The Condition of a Sinner after Death THE Wicked and Criminal Soul being separated from its Body hears the Sentence of her Condemnation whereof she cannot appeal to any other Depart from me thou Cursed into Everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels For I was a Hungry and thou gaveth me no Meat Thirsty and thou gaveth me no Drink Stranger and thou didst not receive me in Naked and didst not cloath me Sick and in Prison and didst not visite me And then shall she say unto him when saw I thee an Hungred or Thirsty or Stranger or Naked or Sick or in Prison and did not Minister unto thee then shall he answer her saying Verily I say unto thee in as much as thou didst it not to one of the least of these thou didst it not to me Mat. 25.42 43 44 45. Then she seeth her self for ever separated from the sweet presence of God from the pleasant Company of all Blessed Souls from those unspeakable delights and Soverain honours that are in Heaven She seeth her self environ'd with an innumerable number of Devils and with them precipitated into an Everlasting Fire wherein she shall weep sigh and lament perpetually and endure an intolerable stink pain and fear without any hope of the least assistance The cries of Korah Dathan and Abyron when they saw themselves swallow'd up in the Earth are not to be compared with hers and that which grieves her the more is because she seeth no Remedy for her Torments and hath deserved all these Pains for few worldly pleasures that are rather Imaginary than true She knows that in that place of darkness horror and confusion she shall be forced to spill more Tears than there are drops of Water in the Sea that after she hath endured and cried as many Years as there are sands on the Sea shore or Leaves on the Trees in the Summer-time she is no nearer to the end of her Torments than at the first day and this consideration is the cause of her rage and despair for as often as she thinks that her Pains shall never end this consideration of never is to her an other Hell in the middle of Hell. CHAP. XXXVII The Condition of a Holy Soul near the Separation from its Body by Death REpresent to your selves any Holy Man or Woman whose Conversation was always honest and who did always strive to Answer Gods Inspirations fulfill his Will in all things and obey his holy Commandments When Death presents it self unto him and seeth that by sickness or otherwise his Soul shall be separated from his Body he doth not grow pail for fear on the contrary he seems to be very glad of such a news bearing this Testimony in his Conscience that he is going to rest from his Labors and be for ever united to the Object of his Love. He is assured he is going to his Heavenly Father into that new Hierusalem the City of his God wherein he is to taste Everlasting Pleasures and enjoy for ever the sweet presence of his beloved and the lovely Company of all blessed Souls In the mean time he orders his business and disposing himself to forsake this World he leaves to his Family and Friends this Holy Counsel to serve Love and Worship the true God all the Days of their Life When his Body is dying and grow weak when his tongue begins to stammer and his Eyes to change then the Spirit of God enlightens and fortifies his Soul she sighs and saith with St. Paul Cupio dissolvi esse cum Christo sometimes with David she utters these words as the Heart panteth after the Water brooks so panteth my Soul after the O God. Othertimes she Sings with Simeon now let thy Servant depart in Peace according to thy word Sometimes with St. Stephen Lord Jesus receive my Spirit and very often with her Saviour into thy hands O Lord I recommend my Spirit And as soon as her Soul is separated from her Body then the holy Angels take and carry her into Heaven as they carried that of Lazerus into Abrahams Bosom CHAP. XXXVIII The Condition of an holy Soul after She is separated from her Body AS soon as the Holy Soul is gone out from her Body She is as I have said just now carried into Heaven by the Holy Angels then in the presence of all Blessed Souls Friends and Relations dead in the Grace of God she hath this comfort to hear these words Come thou Blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom which is prepared for thee from the beginning of the World. Well done and well come good and faithfull Servant enter into thy Masters Joy receive the Crown of Glory promised to them that are faithfull till death If for the maintaining the truth of the Gospel she hath endured in this world several Torments she shall receive the Crown of Martyrdom If she did overcome the lusts of the flesh and submit her concupiscence to the law of the Spirit she shall obtain the Crown of Virginity If in Marriage she were always faithfull and did never defile her Conjugal Bed she shall receive the Crown of Chastity If she did always give good example relieve the needy preach the word of God convert
to perform whilst here good works When J. Christ shall reward every one he doth not say it shall be according to his Faith but according to his works When St. John Rev. 2.3 speaks of the Angels of the Seven Churches he regards only their Works I was hungry and ye gave me to eat Thirsty and ye gave to drink Naked and ye have cloathed me Stranger and ye received me in c. ye are Blessed of my Father come and possess the Kingdom which is prepared for you from the beginning of the World. Therefore when St. Paul saith that Man is justified by Faith without works v. 8. and St. James assures that he is not Justified by Faith without Works v. 24. they do not contradict one another because they speak in a different sense St. Paul speaks of natural works not vivified by Grace He saith that Faith doth justifie without these works for if we were justified by 'em we should have whereof to Glory our Salvation should be in our Power and depend upon our natural strength as some Hereticks would have it to be And St. James speaks of supernatural works vivified by Grace which do Justifie us without having whereof to Glory because we are indebted to the Grace of God for it and which can no more be without a true and Living Faith than a Body can be vivified without a Soul. Break off thy Sins by Righteousness and thine Iniquities by shewing mercy to the Poor Dan. 4.27 CHAP. XXX Images are of great advantage to instruct us and inflame our Devotion WHen I say that Images are of great advantage to instruct us and inflame our Devotion I do not mean the Figures of Venus nor Aretin's Postures nor the Images that are made to represent God Almighty The former are forbidden by the Moral Law being onely fit to corrupt us and the latter are forbidden by the Divine Law because God being not a Creature but infinitely above all Creatures cannot be represented by them To whom will ye liken God or what likeness will ye compare unto him Isa 40.18 Take ye good heed unto your selves for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire lest yé corrupt your selves and make you a graven Image the Similitude of any Figure the likeness of Male or Female Deut. 4.15 I speak onely of the Images of Saints Martyrs Apostles of the blessed Virgin and Christ And I say that they being of great advantage to teach us and inflame our Devotion ought to ba kept not onely in our Churches but also in our Houses For in looking upon them we quickly and without trouble learn how they lived what they did and suffered and at the same time we are incited to follow their good Examples and imitate their Vertues Why shall we condemn their Images rather than their Writings If you tell me it is because they are misused by some and that many ignorant and superstitious Persons do kiss and worship them Pray and offer Frankincense unto them I answer we must correct the abuse but not prohibit the having them in our Churches and Houses The abuse of any thing ought not wholly to destroy the use of it otherwise the best things would be forbidden and taken from us because they are sometimes misused The Holy Scripture would be taken away from us because there are some that do make a bad use of it and alledge it to authorise their erroneous opinions and criminal actions The use of Wine would be forbidden because many are drunk with it and is the cause of several disorders Our Feet and Hands would be cut off and our Eyes pluckt out from our Heads even our Souls from our Bodies because there are a great many that do misuse all these CHAP. XXXI Bad Companions are rather to be avoided than the Plague it self THe Plague can onely infect our Bodies but wicked Company both Body and Soul. Therefore you must avoid and fear them more than you do the presence of a Toad or Serpent you ought to forsake their Company with a greater dilegence than you do Houses that you know to be infected with Plague Come out from amongst them and be ye separate 2 Cor. 6.17 wicked Men are dangerous and pernicious they lay their nets to ensnare you and to take away your goods honour life and the grace of God. They laugh at all things and would be lookt upon couragious and undaunted If you will believe them vice is vertue and vertue vice They say that vengeance is a greatness of courage that pride is gravity that dissimulation is a complement that cheat is a subtilty of wit that devotion is but a bigotery fit onely for women and that to give alms to the needy is vain glory They corrupt the best things and to the worst they give the colour of good How many have shortned the course of their life and been ruined both in their goods and reputation onely for having kept ill Company The Holy Prophet whom God sent into Samaria was killed by a Lyon upon the High-way because he ate and drunk with a false Prophet 1 King. 1. Jeosaphat being in Company with the wicked Ahab was ready to be killed King. 22 Peter keeping ill Company denied his Master He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled 2 Eccl. 22.1 but if we could search into Hell how many should we see there burning weeping lamenting onely for not having left ill Company As Birds of the same feathers flie together so flock together those that live wickedly and it is as hard to them that keep ill Company to be good and vertuous as to swim against the stream of a rapide River Therefore when God speaks to your hearts and excites you to forsake bad Company you must not delay As soon as J. Christ had cast his Eyes of Mercy and Compassion upon Peter he forsook the ill Company wherein he was engaged he went out and wept bitterly for his sins Luc. 22.62 CHAP. XXXII The Sinner being to die shortly and knowing not when nor how ought not to delay his Conversion HOW many do we find that abounding in Richess speak thus to themselves Thou hast many goods lay'd up for many Years take thine ease eat and drink and be Merry But God saith unto them ye Fools this night your Souls shall be required of you then whose shall these things be which you have provided Luk. 12.19 indeed the Life of Man is so short and uncertain that it may surPrize him in that very time when he thinks himself most secure Man saith Job born of a Woman is of few days and full of trouble he comes forth like a Flower and is cut down he flieth also as a shadow and eontinues not His Life is like the water which runs continually 't is like a Cobweb which is suddenly swept away with a broom Let us go and see the Coffin of our Fathers and Friends and