euill in regard of the priuation and absence of the good good in regard of the subiect wherein it is Therefore since euery euill is in some subiect and euery subiect hath his being and is vpholden by God therefore the opinion of the Manachies proued by meere reason is fond and foolish The third point followeth That God willeth sin as it is a punishment of sinnes before committed Position 3 IT is vsuall with God and this is a most grieuous kinde of punishment to punish one sinne with another Such was the hardning of the heart of Pharaoh and the blinding of the eyes of the Iewes which were not effected by God as they were simply sinnes but as Tertullian saith against Marcion as they were punishments of their former iniquities Lib. 2. pag. 180. God sent the diuell to deceiue Achab with a lie put the spirit of error into the lying Prophets their lying was a sinne but God willed it as punishment and not as it was meerely a sinne of it selfe The like appeares 2. Thess 2.10.11 Rom. 1. Isai 19. Isai 29. Because the Thessalonians receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued therfore God sent them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies Tim. 7. lib. 5. cap. 3. Augustine against Iulian sheweth that a desire to sinne is a sinne a punishment and a cause of sin but yet in respect of God a punishment onely This shall suffice touching this point If any one list to heare more I referre him to that of Tertullian before alleaged Contra Marcion lib. 2. p. 180. That God doth will sinne as it is an action in ward or outward Position 4 ALthough sin cannot in very deede be separated from the action with the which it goeth because euery priuation is in some subiect yet in minde there may bee a distinction and in the vnderstanding a separation of the one from the other Wherein wee conceiue the one to be good the other euill the euill proceeding from our owne corruption How sinne is distinguished from the action with the which it goeth the good from God alone whether it be substance or action Rom. 11.36 Of him and in him and for him are all things when hee saith all things hee comprehendeth substances and actions ioyntly together For since in God wee liue we moue and haue our being Act. 17.28 there is no question but by the vertue of the same power all substances are maintained and actions effected Tyrants persecuted the children of Israel their malice proceeded frō themselues but their strength to effect came of the Lord Tom. 7. de Gratia libero Arbit c. 20. Isai 7.17 For as Augustine saith God doth worke in the heart of man and doth moue the motions of the will that by them hee may bring to passe whatsoeuer he hath decreed according to that of Salomon Prou. 21.1 The kings heart is in the Lords hand as the riuers of waters hee turneth it whither soeuer it pleaseth him all Gods creatures are his instruments of glorie wee cannot properly say that an instrument worketh but the vser of the same The axe is not the squarer of the timber but the Carpenter with the axe so man doth not worke of himselfe but God by man Thus much wee acknowledge in the Confession of our faith saying I beleeue in God the Father Almightie maker of heauen and earth When we call him Almightie wee acknowledge an effectuall power working all in all according to the good pleasure of his will and when we confesse him Greator of heauen and earth we likewise acknowledge that he is the Maintainer Mouer and Effecter of all things And thus is God the effecter of actions though not of the sinnes which vsually goe with them The fifth point followeth That God doth will sinne as it is a guilt Position 5 or obligation wherin we stand bound vnto him to vndergoe the punishment our sinnes haue deserued AVgustine against Iulian Tom. 7. lib. 6. cap. 8. disputing of the guilt of original sin saith that it is an obligatiō wherin euery one that is in the flesh borne carnally of the flesh is bound vnto God to vndergo the reward of sin namely eternall destruction This obligatiō hath his seat in the lawes of God made in his iust iudgment his will setting downe the matter and his iustice ruling the forme and therefore must needs be good and being good that the Lord doth will the same For since it is proper vnto God to soue iustice and hate iniquitie as the Psalmist saith it must needs bee that God willeth our being tied to vndergo the punishment our sinnes haue deserued because therein is his Iustice exalted Gods promises conditionall namely if we by true faith take hold vpon them Ioh. 3.16 1. Ioh. 4.9 and our iniquities beaten downe Now this bond is cancelled by our gratious Redeemer the benefit whereof redoundeth only to such as by a sledfast faith exercised in the workes of true godlines take hold vpon him I meane such as are growne to the yeares of discretion and therefore capable of instruction of whom a holy life is necessarily required not infants who by Gods order of creation cannot performe the same yet by reason of the promise are within the Couenant by a powerfull and admirable worke of his Spirit as Peter Martyr saith are conuerted vnto him Obiect If any obiect the conuersion of a sinner at the last gaspe as the thiefe on the crosse I answere Ans the instāce is of one that none should dispaire but of one that none should presume Late repentance is better then none yet remember a good lesson Vix benè moritur qui malè vixit That mā doth seldome die well that euer liued ill Thus much by the way Prou. 1 though it seemes from the purpose And thus much of this guilt because I haue spoken before of the same The sixth point followeth Position 6 That God doth not will sin as it is simplie a transgression of his law but doth only willingly permit it FOr the vnderstāding of this A permission is taken three waies we must know that to permit or to suffer is taken three waies The first when of two good things wee must against our willes yeeld vnto the worst As for example A man rather desireth his sonne should applie his studies and so proue learned then that hee should be a souldier delight in warrefare or that baser Arts should be effected by him yet because he is not fit for that thou desirest when he entreateth thee that he may be a souldier or to follow some occupation thou dost yeeld vnto him which kind of yeelding is called a suffering against our willes According to that old saying When we cannot that which we would then wee must that which wee can But God willeth not after this maner for he is omnipotent and by consequence his will can neither be forced nor restrained Secondly to permit
iudgement with vs. For surely though the world makes but a iest at sinne and a toy to commit iniquitie though they play with it as the fish with the bait in her mouth not regarding the hooke till she see it hath caught her yet at last they shall find that it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God Hebr. 10. and that when his register of what is done amisse shall bee opened before them they shall not be able to abide it As is the meanes the theefe can vse for his deliuerie and the disposition of the Iudge before whom hee is to bee arraigned so is hee raised vp to hope or driuen downe to despaire Now all haue sinned if wee vse the meanes Christ Iesus the sole Redeemer of the world by a liuely faith exercised in the workes of righteousnesse wee shall be freed from the censure of condemnation but if thou shalt reiect Christ and vnrepentantly delight in the workes of darknesse behold the nature of the Iudge and from thence the fearefulnesse of his iudgement and so auoide I beseech thee the sinnes that will cause it First therefore we consider that God is infinit in mercie here and therefore will very seuerely punish in the life to come The meanes of present maintenance addes to the grieuousnes of the theft and the clemencie of the Prince makes the rebellion more punishable how then shal the wicked appeare before the Lord when the heauens and the earth with all things therin cōtained shall declare both his worthinesse and bountie whē his Ministers shal obiect their infinite sermons their preaching of the Gospel their daily exhortations when his Angels obiect their attendance seruice ministerie when as Christ himselfe shal obiect his poore estate the obseruations of the wicked the contradictions of his enemies the reproches of the scornful the scarres in his bodie the speare in his side the nailes in his feete the bowing of his head the spreading of his armes the shedding of his blood and all for to cleanse thee how strict will God bee in punishing when thou wouldest not be clensed Secundum magnitudinem misericordiae in praesenti erit magnitudo furoris in futuro As God is most abundant in mercie now so he will be most furious in punishing thē And therfore saith Gregorie Greg. in Moral how shall he endure his displeasure there that contemned his rich mercy heere The second consideration is of the iustice of God If hee spared not Adam for eating the forbidden fruit Genes 3. if not the whole world because they rebelled against him Genes 7. if not the Angels that sinned 2. Pet. 2.4 but committed them to chaines of perpetuall darknesse yea if hee punished his righteous Sonne for the sinnes of the elect Eph. 2.13 Esay 53.8 rather then sinnes should go vnpunished how hopest thou to escape which art by nature the child of wrath Ephes 2.3 which art but one which maiest not be compared to the Angels which art a wicked seruant what shall become of the vnprofitable shrubbe of the desert when that goodly Cedar of Paradise shall be stricken Hieron Dan. 7. Malach. 3. Isai 30. Ose 11. Amos. 4. Apocal. 6. Neither shall God appeare to the vnrepentant in the strictnesse of his iustice only but also in the zeale and furie of the same so that then they shal crie Hide vs from him that sitteth on the throne and from the furie of the Lambe Tunc nec diuitiae diuitibus prosunt He that by nature is a lambe is enforced by sinne to shevv himself a Lion nec paerentes parentibus intercedunt nec Angeli pro hominibus verbum faciunt quia natura iudicij non recipit misericordiam At that time saith Chrysostome riches shal not profit them one mā shal not make intercessiō for another the Angels shall not pleade for them Ezech. 7.19 because the nature of the iudgement admits not of mercie Mallent omne tormentum sustinere quà m faciem Iudicis irati videre They had rather saith Augustine suffer any punishment Prou. 11.23 then behold the angrie countenance of that fearefull Iudge whom by their sins they displeased The third consideration is that he to whom it belongeth to punish sinne is an Al seeing God Many breake the lawes of the Prince vpon hope of concealing their offence but the sinnes we commit against the Prince of Princes cannot be hidden hee knowes the secrets of the heart Iob 11.11 1. King 16.19 Psalm 139.3 Ierem. 16.17 searcheth the reines and vnderstandeth the thoughts long before Thou compassest my pathes saith Dauid and my lying downe and art acoustomed to all my waies Whereupon saith the Glosse God doth so consider the waies and compasse the paths of euery one that euery idle word and vaine thought shall be iudged Lord how shall the wicked be able to appeare before thee whē not one but all their sins shal be mustered in thy presence how shall they be able to vndergoe thy censure for all in nūber like the sands of the sea whē they cannot make answere for one and that of the smallest Ierem. 29.23 Malach. 3.5 But what men haue committed that cannot be concealed for God is both the Iudge and the witnesse Boetius Indicta est probationis necessitas cum agamus coram oculis Iudicis cunctae cernentis In the diuine law the necessitie of proouing is forbidden because wee doe all things in the sight of the Iudge that shall trie vs Sicut capillus non perit de capite ita nec momentum de tempore As the haire perisheth not from the head but God takes note of it so no time passeth saith Bernard but God keepes account of it Therefore seeing our sinnes are so infinit and that they are al knowne vnto God who shal iudge them it behooueth men to feare the committing of moe because the account they are to make is so large alreadie The last consideration is that this Punisher of finne is Almightie Isai 14.27 Isai 51.15 Matth. 10.18 Iames 4.12 Isai 47.11 He is a God of armies the Lord of hosts is his name when he will saue none can destroy and when hee will destroy none can deliuer Chrysost Nee resistendi virtus nec fugiendifacultas we haue neither power to resist nor meanes to flie away Hee which caused the mountaines to shake at his Maiestie in giuing the law he shal cause the proudest sinner to feare and tremble when hee shall denounce his sentence of iudgement vpon the violaters thereof Qui ceciderun ad vnam vocem Christi monituri quid facient sub voce indicaturi August in Ioh 18.6 If the souldiers fell downe at the voice of Christ in the forme of a seruant admonishing them how shall the stoutest gallant bee strooke to the ground at the voice of the Lord of life in his glory and Maiesty iudging them Therefore howsoeuer the world the flesh and the diuell doe deceiue men howsoeuer they iudge the seruing of God lost labour and that they had rather liue and die in their sinnes then remember their Creator in the daies of their youth yet let them at last returne to the truth againe the nature of their sin is a beastlike rebellion the punishment eternall destruction the punisher Almightie thou canst not escape him Maiesticall thou canst not abide him Al-seeing thou canst not hide thy selfe nor thy sinnes from him Iust for he punished his righteous Sonne and therefore will not spare his vile seruant Rich in mercie now and therefore will abound in wrath and furie in the life to come therefore when thou art entised to continue in thy sinnes and to deferre thy conuersion to God say vnto thy soule Genes 16. as the Angell to wandring Hagar O my soule from whom hast thou fled from the Lord of life a gratious God and mercifull father to all those that obey him and what art thou doing defiling thy selfe with sinne and iniquitie and enfolding thy selfe in infinite miseries And whither art thou going to be punished by an Almightie most iust and Al-seeing God now most mercifull but when he shall enter into iudgement exceeding furious now gentle then angrie now long suffering then auenging therefore O my soule what canst thou answere when hee demands an account what wilt thou doe when hee shall enter into iudgement with thee peccata latere erit impossibile peccatorem apparere intollerabile That thy sins should be hid it is impossible that a sinner should appeare it is intollerable Backe then againe O my soule goe to the Lord thy God right humblie confesse thy sins and acknowledge thine iniquities say vnto him Father I haue sinned against heauen and earth and am not worthie to bee called thy seruant but O Lord rich in grace infinite in mercie true in thy promises for thy deere Sonnes sake put away my sinnes instruct mee that I may strike my hand vpon my thigh and vnfainedly repent for them Shew me thy saluation that they swallow mee not vp worke in mee by thy holy Spirit and word a true faith in Christ Iesus my gratious Redeemer and being thy redeemed O my sweet Sauiour stay mee with thy Spirit that I fall not frō thee vphold me with thy grace that I be no more the seruant of sin yea create in mee a new heart and a new spirit that as I haue been a weapon of vnrighteousnesse euer heretofore so I may be a member of righteousnesse alwaies hereafter that as thou hast been infinit in mercie to mee I may encrease in obedience to thee then shall I no longer feare the terror of the great Iudge but to the ioy of my heart say my Redeemer liueth then shall I desire no longer the deferring of thy comming as the wicked seruant but as a good child desiring alwaies to see the face of his father and as one in pure loue espoused wishing no thing so much as to bee with her beloued euen so will I for my selfe and all that loue thy comming crie Come Lord Iesus come quickly euen so for thee and vs al Amen Amen FINIS
Especially to labour to be of Christes Church 3. To loue God aboue all 4. To feare him in his vvorks 5. To pray to him for a blessing on all things 6. The rich not to insult ouer the poore 7. The poore not to repine at the rick 8. None to depraue Gods gouernment 9. Thankefulnesse to God and not to sacrifice to our ovvne nets 10. To be patient in all troubles 11. To seeke to God and not vnto witches 2. From his manner of gouerning 12. To vse meanes both for sauing of soules and bodies 13. Not to despaire when meanes are vvanting 3. In that it belongs to him to punish sinne 14. To feare the committing of the least sinne FINIS A LEARNED AND PROFITABLE treatise of Gods Prouidence That all things in the World whether they liue mooue or haue a beeing are maintained and gouerned by Gods Prouidence IT is a main infirmitie crept into all and neuer cleane cured in any to be as the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obtenebratum Ephes 4.18 darkened in the vnderstanding Experience teacheth the blind man to bee incident to many miseries though the way be plaine yet hee will stumble though the path bee straight yet hee will wander though the day bee cleere yet hee sees nothing and if any thing yet verie darkely Tit. 3.3 Sinne hath blind folded all none can see but those whom God doth enlighten and none are so enlightned but that they see obscurelie Hence it is that although the Prouidence of God is that plaine way that straight path that cleere light yet some stumble at it some wander from it some see it not at al. Democritus thought God made not the world Diuers opinions touching Gods Prouidence and therefore could not gouerne it Auerroes that although he made it yet hee is ignorant of what is done in it Protagoras worse then both that it hath neither Gouernour nor Maker Some thinke that God respecteth the heauens but hath no regard to that which is done vpon Earth Some that hee cares for all but yet commits the dealing in meane matters vnto the sonnes of men as kings ouerburthened with waightie affaires put ouer inferiour causes to their magistrates vnder them Some that God gouernes all things but without the vse of second causes Others attribute so much to their working thinking all things to bee carried away with such a violēt necessity as that God cannot alter their working when he would nor hinder their effects when it seemes good vnto him This being so I hold it conuenient first to prooue Gods Gouernment and then in the second place to define and shew the manner of the same And as wee see nature hath receiued of God that a master should haue a generall care of al that is vnder him and from this in the chiefest place to respect his children in the second his hired seruants and in the third and last his cattell and baser necessaries so vndoubtedly it is originallie in that great Master of the whole families of the Earth generallie to prouide for all yet chieflie for his children lesse for his disobedient seruants and least for other things subiected vnto them Vnto the proouing whereof in order First by Gods word whose authoritie cannot be reiected Secondly from the consent of the holy fathers whose iudgements are much to bee reuerenced Thirdly from the opinions of Heathē writers whose light of nature is not to bee contemned Lastlie from meere reason by men of least reason not to bee denied Gods generall Prouidence prooued by his word WHen God that reioiceth in mercie was constrained to open the dores of his iudgemēt house vpon the whole world Genes 6. because their great and their crying sins were still multiplied against him whereas the punishment might iustly haue redounded vnto all both reasonable and vnreasonable in as much as the reasonable had most grieuouslie sinned and the vnreasonable with the contagion of that sinne were wonderfully corrupted yet God would haue Noah to make an Arke wherein not onely some of mankind but of all other creatures also should be preserned A sure president of his infinite loue to his Church and great care ouer other things God saith Iob is wise in heart Iob 9.4.5.6.7.8 and mightie in strength He ruleth the earth he walkes vpon the sea he spreadeth the heauens hee commaundeth the sunne and it riseth not hee closeth vp Orion Arcturus the Pleiades and all the starres as vnder a signet Hee alone saith Dauid numbreth them Psalm 147. and calleth them by their names He couereth the heauens prepareth raine and maketh grasse to grow vpon the mountaines Ierem. 23.24 He is present as himselfe saith by Ieremie to all his creatures not as an idle beholder as some foolishly haue imagined but as a powerfull Gouernour as Paul teacheth the men of Athens giuing life and breath vnto al things Act. 17.24.25.26 making of one blood all nations of men to dwell on the face of the earth But how and in what manner determining the seuerall times appointed and also the boūds of their habitations Yea as it followes in him wee liue wee mooue and haue our being But what more cleere then the words of Christ Ioh. 5.17 As yet the father workth I also worke But what worketh he and how worketh hee the latter Paul shewes Ephes 1.11 According to the purpose of his will to the former Dauid answers Psalm 113.5 He dwelleth in the highest and beholdeth the base things vpon earth Psalm 136.25 Hee feedeth all flesh both man and beasis He maketh the earth to bring forth fruite for the vse of man Psalm 138.6 Psal 145.16 Psalm 147. And who is like vnto the Lord that dwelleth in the highest and yet beholdeth the base things vpon the earth He giueth life vnto all creatures Deut. 30. Deut. 28. prolonging or shortning the same as best seemeth good vnto him He bestoweth his blessings vpon the righteous and punisheth the sinnes of transgressors Wherefore since God thus ordereth the heauens the earth and the sea feedeth all creatures sendeth raine in his appointed seasons openeth the fountaines of riuers causeth the Sunne to arise on good and bad worketh all in all according to the purpose of his will feedeth the little sparrowes and cloatheth the verie lillies of the field let vs conclude with Iob The Lord looketh vpon the ends of the world Iob 28.24.25.26 c. and hath a regard vnto all things God speciall Prouidence ouer his Church prooued his Word THe Church of God and the wonderfull loue our most gratious Father beareth vnto it being the cause why all other things were created and being created why they are maintained it seemeth fitter to fall with Paul and Peter into an admiration of Gods great mercie and goodnes vnto vs Ephes 1.3.1 Pet. 1.3 then to goe about to prooue the same Yet since it will mooue to that Angelicall worke of thankfulnesse Good
then wee shall loue him more then our selues if friendship there shal be no discord if power and might thy will shall be as it were omnipotent for as Gods will is effected by himselfe so thy will shall bee effected through him if honour thou shalt a thousand thousand degrees exceede the honour that the mightest Emperours enioy vpon earth if riches the largest Empire hath his limits the mainest Ocean his bounds Kings treasures often labour of consumptions but the riches of heauen are euery way exceeding they haue neither end nor measure This is that glorie as Augustine saith which the Angels admire which obscures the Sunne yea which could it appeare to the soules of the damned would make as the sweete tree in the bitter waters euen hell it selfe seeme a paradise of pleasures But what should I say more of this blessednesse It hath not entred into the heart of man to conceiue aright thereof needes must it then bee greater then can bee described therefore blessed and a thousand times blessed are they whom God doth especially blesse in this life and so infinitelie reward in the life to come Plures sunt qups corrigit timor meliores sunt quos dirigit amor Gregor Now as these are meanes to quicken vs vp in a Christian course of seruing God so his punishments prepared for the vnrepentant should then terrifie from sinne when his mercies will not allure to holines of life For as his rewards of holines are infinite so his plagues ordained for the disobediēt are euery way exceeding Consider the names of the place prepared the Tormenters the diuersitie of torments their cōtrarieties their generalitie and their continuance and the truth of this will appeare vnto vs. Touching the place it is hell Topheth a pit Matth. 18. a lake vtter darknesse and what not to expresse the horror thereof The tormenters are diuels in number infinite in countenance fearefull in malice exceeding in strength wonderfull in nature cruell and neuer satisfied with plaguing nor wearied with punishing If one diuell seemes fearefull to men in this life and that they shake to behold him what horror will they bring in the life to come where there are legions where they appeare in the vglinesse of their owne natures and where they tyrannize according to their own desires The sorts of punishments are very many The worme vexing the conscience Esay 66. and gnawing the strings of the heart Matth. 25. The immercilesse firie flame tormēting both soule and bodie without intermission Luke 16. nor can there be compassion where fire and brimstone do meete together nor can there be respit where the flame is neuer extinguished Apocal. 21. nor can it be extinguished since the breath of the Lord doth alwaie kindle it Isai 30. Here the wicked haue their daintie fare their pleasant sights their stately buildings their gorgeous attire their troopes of Attendants but alas there is a lamentable exchange of all things Iob 21. Isai 65. Nahum 2. Ioel 2. In stead of their seruile Attendants ouerruling diuels of gorgeous attire vgly blacknesse of stately buildings a stincking lake of pleasant sights direful shapes of sweet musicke gnashing of teeth of daintie fare and abundance of what they desired an extreme pinching want with presence of that which they most abhorred Genes 41. Thus as the seuen leane kine deuoured the fatte so shall all the fading ioynes of the wicked bee deuoured of their contraries The seuen yeares famine consumed not all blessings but this neuer ceasing famine is a deuourer of all which the wicked had lent them Diues in inferno cogēte inopia Gloss in Ioh 27. vsque ad minima petenda perductus est qui sua tenacitate vsque adminima neganda pauperibus restrictus est The rich man that through his couetous desire was so strait laced to the poore that he would not grant the least thing to relieue thē is now being in hell compelled to aske the least drop of water to ease himselfe And thus is their glorie turned into shame their abundance into an extreame want and their libertie into chaines of darknesse And as the punishments are infinite in number so are they contrarie in qualities The fire continually flaming and yet a perpetuall darknesse the heate continually boyling and yet a congealing cold Stridor dentium solet sequi frigus Atque sic in imptorum interitu ipsa à suis qualitatibus tormenta discordant quia à conditoris voluntate Ignis infernalis cōcremationem habet lumen nō habet Oregor in Moral dum viuerent discrepabant And thus saith Gregorie the torments in hell in the destruction of the wicked do disagree from their natures because whilest the wicked liued vpon earth they would disagree from the wil of their Maker Neither are they onely contrarie in their qualities but also cōtagious in their spreading and therefore they sting both soule and bodie with euery member in particular The tortures being so generall ouer all and so violent in euery part Vt mentes impiorum ad aliud dirigi non possint nisi ad id quod vis doloris impellit That as Hierome saith the minde of the vngodlie can think vpō nothing but that whereunto the very force and extremitie of paine doth compell it Gathered directly by the words of Christ when he saith There shall be nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth Matth 13. 22. 15. If one member grieued troubles the whole bodie how shall the torturing of all be endured Neither is it onely generall but that which is most grieuous perpetuall the torments neuer ending nor the tormēted at any time dying Matth. 15. Goe ye cursed saith Christ into euerlasting fire The portion befalling the wicked is a death without death an end of ioyes without end of paines a want of all delight without want of any sorrow this death euer liues this end euer begins in this want there can be no want Aug. de Ciuit. Dei lib. 13. Nunquam erit homini peius in morte quam vbi erit mors sine morte Most lamentable is it for that man which shall haue a death without any death whose death shall euer liue in paines because his life was euer dead in sinne De Ciuit. Dei lib. 19. Ibi dolor permanet vt affligat natura perdurat vt sentiat quia vtrumque non deficit nec poena deficiet Sic ibi ignis cōsumit vt se semper reseruet sic tormenta augentur vt semper remoueantur sic morientur vt semper viuent sic viuent vt semper moriantur Bern. in Medit cap. 19. There saith Augustine doth paine remaine that it might alwaies torment and there doth nature endure that it might euer feele the paine and because neither of these can be wanting therefore the plague can neuer haue a ceasing O miserie of all miseries alwaies to bee dying and yet neuer dead