any other thing beside him not any other thing after him as Bernard speaketh 2. In time and season For they that seeke mee early shall finde me Pro. 7.17 3. Sincerely for they that seeke him with all their heart shall finde him Deut. 4.29 4. In the time of grace Whilst hee may bee found Isa 55.6 5. In faithfulnes without Hypocrisie for Hypocrites shall come with their sheepe and oxen to seeke the Lord but shall not finde him for hee hath withdrawen himselfe from them Hos 5.6 And besides the manner we must seeke him for a rightend viz. not our owne praise and glory but Gods Christ for himselfe In which point they offend who seeke Christ because they gaine by him as they in Iohn 6.26 You seeke me not because you saw the miracles but because you eat of the loaves Vt vix quaeritur Iesus propter Iesum Trect 25. in Iâ—hanem he so he thus That Iesus is scarcely sought for Iesus saith Augustine and therfore no marvell if they that deferre their repentance doe seeke and not finde for they seeke not early if Hypocrites seek and not finde for they seeke not sincerely if proud justiciaries seek and not finde for they seeke not in faith But if a man seeke him early as Elkanah and his wife 1 Sam. 1.19 if sincerely with all our heart and soule as Iosiah did Adsiar 〈◊〉 Erâ—â—no sert 2. 2 King 23.25 then that of Bernard will be most true It is more easie for Heaven and earth to passe away than that hee that so seeketh should not finde Facdues est transire calum terram quam lit sic quaerens non inveniat sic petens non accâ—piat sic pulsantium aperiatur In Cant. 3.1 that so asketh should not receive to him that so knocketh should not be opened for this is his word and though earth and heaven should passe yet not an Iota of my word should passe Math 5.18 I conclude the point with that of Bernard in Cant. 3.1 I sought him whom my foule loved but found him not There be three causes that hinders a man from finding God 1. When they seeke not in time he is departed without doubt when he cannot bee found this earlie is the acceptable time 2. If negligently 3. Because not as she ought shee sought him in her bed but hee is risen he is not here Doe you seeke the valiant one in a bed Quaeris in licto fortem in lectulo maâ—nuâ— in stabulo gloâ—â—ficatls Aug Conf. lib. 4. chap. 12. Quaerite quod quaeritâ— sed non ubi quaeritu luce intenebris vitam inregione mortis non est illic him that is great in a little bed him that is glorified in the stable no no saith Augustine Seeke what you seeke but not where you seeke light in darknesse and life in the region of death it is not there So I come to the second part of the proposition The election hath obtained it But the election hath obtained it It is a Metalepsis the abstract for the concrete as if he should say though such as seeke for life in their owne righteousnesse cannot finde it yet they that seeke it in faith cannot misse of it and who are these all that were eternally elected and he saith that the elect have obtained it already to note that it is as sure as if they were in full possession I will take the verie purpose of the Apostle for my conclusion A man once elected shall certainely be saved Doct. A point which I use to build upon these foure props against all the contrary windes of Popish opposition as above and so I come to the third clause in the proposition The rest have beene hardned And the rest have beene hardned I meet with it againe in the next verse where I shall shew you in what sence and how farre God is said to harden and to will sinne and yet be farre from being author of it In the meane time see the meaning of the word and one doctrine In the greeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the vulgar and Erasmus translate they are blinded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is asmuch as to change into a stony hardnesse and amongst Physicians is asmuch as to harden with an overgrowne-thicke skin as much as the brawne or hardnesse of a mans hands or feet by much labour And in the Hebrew the word sometimes signifies to harden that it cannot bee bent and notes 1. a naturall malice and hardnesse 2. a contracted hardnes under this understand both that hardnes when of soft a thing is made hard when of hard is made harder as iron hard of it selfe yet softned with fire and then put in cold water is harder than before Sometimes it signifies to aggravate as if the heart were then hindred with some great weight that it could not lift up it selfe to contemplate the workes of God and embrace grace when it is offered In Isay 6.10 It is applied to the eares of men when the hearing facultie is hindred by the accesse of some vitious humour either within or without it that it can either not at all or hardly perceive any sound what kinde of hardnesse this is viz. that it is not of the hands or fingers but of the eyes the eares the heart will appeare in the two next verses out of Isay and David So I come to Doctrine Induration and hardnesse of mans heart is a fearefull signe of reprobation for whereas in reprobation there bee two acts 1. Affirmative 2. Negative The affirmative hath two degrees the one a just induration 2. An ordaining to punishment and where there is the one it is to be feared the other will follow and therefore you read not in Scripture that any people were hardened but surely destruction followed In Iosh 11.20 when some of the Hivites that inhabited Gibeon made peace with Israel it came of the Lord to harden the hearts of the rest to the intent that they might be destroyed and have no mercie shewed to them So it is said of Sion King of Heshbon Deut. 2.30 that when he would not let Israel passe by him The Lord hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate because hee would deliver him up to bee destroyed So it is said of Pharaoh in Exod. 7.4 Hee shall not hearken but his heart shall be hardened that I may lay mine hand upon Aegypt So that when God hath a purpose to proceed to judgement against wicked men he lets them alone to worke ungodlinesse to live in disobedience to be hard-hearted and obstinate in sinning as in the sonnes of Eli they obeyed not the voice of their father viz. God left them and gave them not grace to hearken because he meant to slay them 1 Sam. 2.25 and all this is not meant of that hardnesse which is naturally even in the best for God many times takes away that hardnesse and gives hearts of flesh that may bleed and
changeth not his counsell 4. I adde they whom hee loved in Christ for whatsoever good the Lord promiseth as wee receive it it is per propter Christum through and for Christ He hath predestinated us to be adopted through Iesus Christ Ephes 1.5 yea no man is predestinate but for this purpose that hee may be a member of Christ for he predestinated us to be adopted through Christ into himselfe viz. into Christ 5. That they should bee justified and glorified So Paul Rom. 8.30 Whom hee predestinated them he will call whom he called them hee will justifie whom he justifieth them hee will glorisie 6. That he passed by others So Malac. 1.2 I loved Iacob and hated Esau Lastly to manifest his glorie in mercie and justice that hee might declare the riches of his glorie upon the vessells of mercie Rom. 9.23 But of this definition thus made and proved may arise these comfortable observations 1. Observ 1 God predestinated us because hee looked favourable on us in Iesus Christ both to holinesse and happinesse So the Scripture everie where attributes all the good that we have from God to bee through Christ Hee hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ Ephes 1.2 Hee hath chosen us in Christ Ephes 1.4 Hee hath predestinate us to bee adopted through Christ Ephes 1.5 Hee accepted us in his beloved viz. in Christ Vers 6. He redeemed us by the bloud of his sonne Christ Vers 7. Hee hath gathered together reconciled all things both in heaven in earth by one that is Christ ver 10. And therfore when we beg any thing of God we are taught to beg it in the name of Christ So Christ himselfe Iohn 14.13 Whatsoever yee aske the Father in my name that will I doe for you that the Father may be glorified in the Sonne So Ioh. 16.23 Whatsoever yee aske the Father in my name hee will give it you Whence we learne to disclaime our worthinesse and our owne workes from being meritorious causes of Gods blessings Excellently Moses Deut. 7.7 8. The Lord did not set his love upon you because yee were moe in number for yee were the fewest of all people but because he loved you O then let us feed Christ if we cannot in himselfe Vse yet in his members and cloath him though not in himselfe yet in his servants let us entertaine and lodge Christ in our hearts and soules that procures thus many blessings of his Father for us our free election our powerfull calling our free justification and assurance of glorie wee have by him Let us say with Paul 2 Thess 2.16 17. The same Iesus Christ our Lord and our God which hath loved us and given us everlasting consolation must also comfort and stablish our hearts c. 2. Observ 2 In that he predestinated us that we should be holy Note That whom God hath praedestinated to the end which is glorie them also he predestinated to use the meanes which is holinesse See Eph. 1.4 Hee hath chosen us before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and as the Apostle speakes of spirituall creation that we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good workes that we should walke in them Ephes 2.10 So of election and We are redeemed to be a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 3.7 8. I adde no more but that of Peter 1 Pet. 1.2 Wee are elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father to sanctification of the Spirit and to obedience Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved Whence they are most justly to bee blamed who make predestination a libertie to their sinfull lives and use sinfully to reason after this manner If I bee predestinate unto glorie then I shall bee sure of it howsoever I live for Gods decrees bee immutable If I bee in Gods decree and purpose a reprobate then if I should strive never so much I shall be no better I cannot alter it Contra Colsum lib. 2. Vide P. Martyr Com. lec p. 447. like those in Origen Whereas thou shouldest rather reason thus If I belong to Gods election then shall I use the meanes to come unto glorie I will therefore use all holy and godly courses that I may get my election sure and sealed as Peter wils us a Pet. 1.10 when Paul had that promise I haue given unto thee the life of all that saile with thee Acts 27.24 Yet except they use the meanes to come to land the helpe of their ship if they shall now leape into the water they cannot be saved vers 31. So when Iacob feared his brother Esau and yet had that assurance from God that hee should prevaile with men Genes 32.28 Yet see how carefull he is of all meanes to pacifie him he will doe it with gifts Munera crede mihi placant hominesque Deosque and sends one drove before another Genes 33. And so I come from the definition to the order observed in it God hee conceives all things at once with one act of his understanding 2. Of the order of predestination to which all things both past and to come are present and as hee conceived so hee decreed all things at once but the reasonable creature being finite conceives one thing after another Therefore for our understandings wee may distinguish the counsell of God concerning man into two acts or two degrees 1. The purpose of God in himselfe in which he determines what hee will doe and the end of all his doings and that is to create all things specially man for his owne glorie as Isa 43.7 partly by shewing mercie on some and partly by shewing of his justice upon others 2. Is another purpose whereby hee decrees the execution of the former and laves downe meanes to accomplish the end thereof which two acts of the counsell of God are not to be severed nor yet confounded but distinctly considered with some difference for in the first God decrees some men to honour by shewing mercie and some to dishonour by shewing his justice upon them and this man more than that out of his will and pleasure and that is the onely cause that we can give even his will In the second are set downe the causes of the execution of the former decree and these are knowen and manifest for no man though left out of clection is condemned but for sinne no man though elected is yet saved but by the merits of Christ But I passe over this and come to the parts of predestination which are two The parts of Gods predestination are two 3. The parts of predestination The first the decree of election The second the decree of reprobation A diftinction plaine out of Rom. 9. and may be thus confirmed of some it is faid The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 And of others Christ shall say in judgement Depart from mee yee wicked I know you not Matth.
yet say I not by God onely for there be three efficient causes of mans induration Man the Devill and God 1. The first cause of hardnesse of heart The wicked hardens of his owne heart so did Pharaoh Exod. 7.13 Pharaoh hardened his heart and did not let Israel goe And Exod. 8.32 Pharaoh hardened his heart at that time also Therefore saith Moses to Israel Harden your necks no more Deut. 10.16 And 2 King 17.14 The Lord bade them turne from their evill wayes but they would not obey but hardened their hearts and necks like to the necks of their fathers that did not beleeve in the Lord their God And Ierem. 5.3 Thou hast stricken them but they have not sorrowed consumed them but they have refused to receive correction and have made their faces harder than a stone which phrase is frequent in the Prophet Ieremie as in Ier. 7.26 They hardened their necks and did worse than their fathers And Ierem. 17.23 They made their necks stiffe and would not heare by which it appeares that ungodly and wicked men are a cause of their owne hardening when they either oppose the truth acknowledged or persevere in sinne against their conscience as may bee seene in Cain Pharaoh Iudas and the Iewes A second cause is the Devill The second cause of hardnesse of heart helping forward the wicked and sinfull purposes of man plunging him everie day further than other into finne and easting thicke and foggie mists over his eyes as 2 Cor. 4.4 If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that perish in whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes that the light of the Gospell might not shine unto them which God of this world is not the true everliving God as Chrysostome Augustine and Ambrose expounded it when they dealt with the Manichees and Arrians but the same which is called the Prince that ruleth in the aire the Prince of darknesse viz. the Devill and these two efficients of induration doe both sinne most grievously man by his owne will Satan by instigation mans corruption is as the coale that sendeth forth sparkes the Devill blowes the coales and kindles the fire The third cause is God for first The third cause of hardnese of heart mans heart sends forth fire Satan blowes it and then God strikes on the anvill and frames and disposeth everie thing to his owne will The first and neerest cause is mans corruption the Instigator and Tempter Satan and God as a just Iudge I will harden Pharaohs heart saith God Exod. 4.21 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh Exod. 9.12 And the Prophet Isay 63.17 questions thus with God O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy wayes and hardened our hearts from thy feare So God is said to give men over to a reprobate sense and reprobate minde Rom. 1.28 To blinde Isay 6.10 To deceive Ezek. 14.9 If that Prophet be deceived then I the Lord have deceived him to put a lying spirit in the mouth of his Prophet 1 King 22.23 Behold the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these Prophets Now how God doth harden and blinde is not agreed Some say that all those Scriptures Hee hardened Pharaohs heart and hee gave them over to a reprobate minde c. are to be expounded by the word of permitting that God did suffer them to be done and not without shew of Scripture Psal 81.12 They would not hearken therefore I gave them up to the hardnesse of their heart and let them walke in their owne counsells And also from the speech of Barnabas and Paul Acts 14.15 16. when the people of Lystra would have sacrificed unto them Why doe you these things we be men as you are who preach unto you the living God who made all things and in times past suffered the Gentiles to walke in their owne lusts and when it is said that God gave them over to doe such things as are not meet they understand it that God suffered them to doe such things as were not convenient and that God hath no more to doe in hardening mans heart than a man that stands upon the shore and sees a ship to bee drowned when hee might have holpen it which was the interpretation of Iulian the Pelagian August contra luâ—â—anum Pelag. lib. 5. cap. 3. as Augustine sheweth But Augustine shewes there that God doth it not by patience alone but by his patience which implyes an action for if he would not for no reason would hee have permitted it So that he doth not onely suffer it but will it for Gods permission is voluntarie and he suffereth willing not unwilling See Calvin Inst lib. 1. cap. 18. seâ—â— 2. God permits nothing against his will so that when God suffers sin to be done hee also wils it to be done Some say that they must be expounded by the word of substracting That God is no otherwise said to harden or blinde but by with-drawing his grace which they that are blinded and hardened are unworthy of As the ship-man withdrawing his helpe le ts the ship be drowned or a man that takes away the pillar that sustained the house then the house fals of it selfe and there bee two causes why God useth to withdraw his grace and spirit sometimes to punish the unthankfull that abuse his grace sometimes that they might better acknowledge the necessitie of grace that without it wee can doe nothing that is good that wee may bee more enflamed with a desire of it and embrace it joyfully when wee feele it and for these causes God sometimes denies his servants the powerfull working of his Spirit and suffers them to fall into foule sins and that not onely in justice to punish former ingratitude but also in mercie and for their good both in the sight of our owne weaknesse and in seeing the necessitie of Gods grace and in making us more carefull not to abuse grace when we have it So that God doth blinde when he takes away his light for take away light darknesse followes take away grace hardnesse followes and therefore Peter Martyr sayes That God is such a cause of sinne as is called in Philosophie the removing prohibiting cause that takes away the helpe by which they should bee kept from induration and though this bee somewhat yet it is not all for surely these sayings God did harden give over to a reprobate minde lead into temptation and encline the hearts of men doe signifie some action of God in man Some come a little neerer and say that God doth blinde and harden not by his owne but by an outward act indirectly that is by proposing to the eyes and eares such objects whereby they should be softned and enlightned and reclaimed from sinne but yet it comes to passe by their owne faults that they are thereby blinded and hardened and plunged further into sinne These objects are the preaching of the Word Sacracraments miracles mercies judgements
and perdition he is in danger to slip into everie hole and to fall into everie pit which the enemies of his salvation doe dig for him to be catched in everie trap and snare of tentation that is laid in his way he cannot discerne betweene the faire and sure path of holinesse and righteousnesse and the foule sloughes and deepe ditches of sinfull corruptions till he fall into them he is ready to run into briars bushes and obnoxious to all injuries which the enemies of his salvation shall be pleased to offer unto him They may rob him of all he hath and hee cannot avoyd them they may deceive him with any bait and he cannot discerne them yea they may wound and stab him to the heart and hee cannot defend himselfe from their rage and violence We have an example of this heavie judgement in Pharaoh who being smitten with this spirituall blindnesse thought that hee then did most wisely when like a Bedlam hee went on in that way which exposed him and his people to Gods searefull plagues and at the last brought them to utter destruction So Paul before his conversion had his minde so blinded that when like a mad man he raged against Christ in his members he supposed that herein hee did God good service Acts 26.11 And so bruitishly blinde were the Priests and Pharisies that they thought it was the onely meanes to bring safetie to their people to kill their Saviour Ioh. 11.48 51. which afterwards proved to bee the cause of their destruction and utter desolation Againe Vse 2 wee unto whom God hath given this grace to receive Christ by faith as our Saviour and Redeemer may hence learne to be thankfull unto God for delivering us from this heavie judgement which to this day lieth still heavie upon his ancient people and for the inlightning of our mindes with the saving knowledge of his truth The which our thankfulnesse wee must approve to bee unsained by walking according to this light of knowledge in the wayes of holinesse and righteousnesse that wee may glorifie him who hath beene so gracious unto us Finally Vse 3 it should make us pitifull and compassionate towards those that lye under this heavie judgement of spirituall blindnesse and especially the people of the Iewes and to pray earnestly that they may bee enlightned with the saving knowledge of God his Christ and holy Gospell For if their case bee to bee pitied and lamented who through bodily blindnesse run into innumerable mischiefes and fal at last into a deepe gulph without hope of recoverie how much more should we pitie and bewaile their miserable condition who through spirituall blindnesse plunge themselves for the present into farre greater evils and at last fall irrecoverably into the pit of everlasting destruction Neither let their furie and faultinesse in opposing Christ in his truth and members lessen our pitie but rather increase it For what can they doe otherwise so long as they are under this heavie judgement of spirituall blindnesse What can be expected of mad men but the fruits and effects of folly and phrensie Who is angrie with a blinde man because hee goeth out of his way or stumbleth at everie blocke or falleth into everie pit and ditch or is mislead by everie false guide or exposed to the wrongs and outrages of everie malicious enemie Yea who doth not pitie him in all or any of these miseries and laboureth not that hee may either prevent or be delivered out of them And how much more then should wee stand thus affected towards those who lye under the punishments of spirituall phrensie and blindnesse which without all comparison are greater than the other and much more durable and desperate The third judgement or punishment which he prophetically denounceth by way of imprecation against the people of the Iewes The third judgement for rejecting Christ and the Gospell is set downe in these words And bow downe their backes alway Exposition In which consider 1. The judgement it selfe 2. The continuance of it The judgement is expressed like the former in a metaphoricall speech taken from the body where consider 1. the matter and 2. the māner of it The matter is their utter weakning and disabling to all good actions spirituall civill and corporall inward and outward For the Hebrewes seat the chiefe strength of man in his back and loynes which being broken bowed and buckled together he is thereby made utterly unfit for any actions and employment So that the meaning is as if hee had said Disable them wholly unto all holy and Christian duties so as they may have neither power not will to performe any holy service unto God to receive Christ as their Lord or to yeeld unto him obedience as to their Sovereigne let them bow downe under the intolerable burthen of their sinnes especially that of crucifying their Saviour without ease or comfort Deprive their state of all strength and pull out of their hands all civill government which they have abused to Gods dishonour to the opposing of Christ in his Kingdome and to the dammage and hurt of all his subjects and members overthrow their whole policie and Common-wealth subdue them as vassals and slaves to all their enemies and make them wholly desolate The which heavie judgements we see accordingly inflicted upon that Nation For their Kingdome was quite overthrowen by Titus Vespasian their politicke Lawes and government taken away their cities and townes sacked and fired their people for the most part slaughtered and the remainder sold for slaves and scattered among all Nations under whose servitude they remaine in great scorne and reproach even unto this day And thus also we see their backes broken in respect of spirituall strength For no Nation under Heaven is more desperately wicked and averse to all goodnesse none so maliciously opposite to Christ and his kingdome whom they delight to disgrace with reproaches and blasphemies none more given up to a reprobate minde to couetousnesse sordide basenesse injustice and all manner of deceit A people separated from all nations that they may bee the scorne of of all And this is the matter of the judgement The manner or qualitie of it is implyed by that phrase of bowing or making crooked For as those whose backes are broken and bowed doe bend their faces downeward towards the earth and are not able without great difficultie to lift them up towards heaven So this nation being broken with Gods heavie judgements weakened in all their strength spirituall and civill had this heavie punishment added to all the rest that hereby like bruit beasts their faces were bowed towards the earth ascribing all their calamities to worldly accidents and inferiour causes and never looking up unto God as the chiefe Author of them that they might humble themselves under his mighty hād see acknowledge their sins which were the causes of these heavie judgements and turning unto God by unfained repentance might obtaine the pardon of
be with Christ Excellent is that meditation of Augustine Inquictū est cor nostrum O Domine dones in te requiescat Aug. Confess l. b. 1. cap. 1. Our heart is restlesse O Lord till what time it resteth in thee So that all that long for his comming are sure of a crowne The Vse is Vse 1 First to refute the Papist who teacheth that Paul had this assurance by revelation for so both Pighius and Andradius out of the Trent Councell for if you looke Rom. 8.32 33 34. you shall see that Paul grounds this certaintie not on revelation but upon a ground common to all beleevers as first on Christs death vers 32. Secondly on Christs free justification vers 33. Thirdly on Christs intercession vers 34. As before hath beene shewed But the principall use is to note the happinesse of all true beleevers and of all that feare God Whatsoever griefe and sorrow meannesse and want they endure here they know they shall have honour in stead of it hereafter They may be like Lazarus in Fulgentius without a garment but if not without faith without a house but if they be not without a Lord without meat but if they be not without Christ in the world here know that they shall not be without glorie without a Kingdome in the world to come When men suppose them to bee quite forsaken then can they looke with joy up to Heaven where they shall dwell and they can see though not the roomes and seats yet the glorious house and mansion which is theirs by inheritance and this point will lighten all our burthens mitigate all our sorrowes ease all our griefes that though here our heads be covered with ashes we know that there they shall bee crowned with glorie though here we be esteemed base we know that there wee shall be happy though wee be here as yet but servants wee know that there wee shall reigne as Kings though we be yet as strangers we know we shall be received as sonnes though here wee have a fit of mourning wee know wee shall rejoyce for ever though we labour hard for the six dayes we shall come to keepe a Sabbath that will last ever What comfort like this to be men and yet to know that God our God what comfort like this to be the meanest of men and yet to know that Christ is ours what comfort like this to dwell on earth and yet be sure aforehand that Heaven is ours what comfort like this to be here verie emblemes of basenesse and and yet bee sure that glorie is ours to dwell in a base cottage and yet bee sure that wee are borne to an immortall inheritance So that my conclusion is that of David Psal 37.37 Marke the upright man and behold him for the end of that man is peace Peace with Angels peace with his owne conscience peace with God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Lord bring us to that glorie invest us to that Kingdome give us that peace for thy Sonnes sake So I come to the second part of this description Of the seed of Abraham Of the seed of Abraham The seed of Abraham not onely a Convert or a Proselyte but deseended from Abrahams loynes and it seemes to be thus in sense that though some of Abrahams seed be cast off yet some are not and it will easily carrie this Doctrine That parentage can neither hinder a mans salvation Doct. nor further it One Abraham hath Isaac and Ishmael one called to an inheritance the other not One Isaac may have an Esau and a Iacob one loved and the other hated of God Mal. 1.2 3. A man may bee borne of a wicked father and yet bee deare unto God Amon a wicked King one that did much evill in the sight of the Lord as his father Manasses had done 2 Kings 21.20 yet he hath a sonne that doth uprightly and walkes in all the wayes of God as David had done 2 King 22.2 So that the Spirit of God gave him this testimony that like unto him was no King before him that turned not aside c. nor any like to him that came after him 2 Kings 23.25 and he may be a godly father of a wicked sonne as Isaac of Esau and Abraham of Ishmael One man may bee the sonne of a Patriarch and himselfe damned another the sonne of some poore Carpenter and be saved one may creepe in purple as Quintilian Lib 1. de Instit another hath not a rag to cover it the father and mother forsake it and yet the Lord takes him up and sets him neare to himselfe and in the end crownes it The Vse is To teach us first Vse That parents greatnesse and vertue cannot procure acceptance of their sonnes before God if a childe be good it is no disparagement that his father is not good Malo pater tibi sit Thersites dummodo tu sis Alacidae similis Vulcamiaque arma capessas quà mte Thersitae similem producat Achilles If thou be not good thy selfe it is not thy fathers vertues that can commend thee unto God Let everie man adorne and trim up his owne heart that it may be a sweet lodging for Christ to dwell in Though Christ should lodge in thy fathers house thou mayest be a cast away if he reside not in thee also Trust not then in parents and friends for there is no helpe in them If good doubt not of happinesse thou shalt fare no worse for them Thus it is no privilege to be great Secondly that it is no prejudice to be meanly borne for be a man never so poore if hee worke righteousnesse he is accepted Acts 10.35 bee he never so meane to him shall be glorie and honour and peace Rom. 2.10 She that grindes at the mill is as neere Heaven as he that sits on the throne what if thy father have nothing yet the earth is the Lords what if parents forsake thee the Lord will take thee up what if without food the Lord will send thee the bread of life what if without cloathes hee will cloath thee with the righteousnesse of Christ if thou belong unto him Thus parentage can neither helpe nor hinder us from God Before I proceed observe that Paul speakes not onely of his carnall descent from Abram but of the spirituall privilege that hee was one of his faithfull seed for in Gods account they onely that have the promises are counted for the seed Rom. 9.8 The one saith Augustine will doe a man honour the other none from whence I build a second Theoreme Doct. It is more honour to be faithfull than to be Abrahams seed It is more honour to bee a faithfull childe of God than the sonne of the greatest Prince Moses Heb. 11.24 counts it greater honour to bee amongst the children of God than to live in Pharaohs Court and be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter David takes more honour to dwell one day in Gods Court than a thousand elsewhere
that hee may embrace us let us welcome Christ into our hearts that hee may welcome us into his Fathers kingdome let us serve him that hee may preserve us goe to him that goes to the Father for us rejoyce in Christ that when we doe well rejoyceth over us weepe for grieving him who for our doing ill hath wept for us and bled for us and died for us let us glorifie him with our hearts and tongues that must glorifie us in our soules and I pray God that he may bee with us here and we may be with him for ever I come to the second Of the second effect of our election 2. Vocation justification glorification and a conformitie to the image of the Sonne of God So Paul Rom. 8.29 30. The first conformitie whom he fore-knew them he made like to the image of his Sonne vers 29. The image of his Sonne is holinesse and holines is a fruit of predestination See Ephes 1.4 He hath chosen us from the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him The same are we taught by Peter 1 Pet. 1.2 We are elected according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father to sanctification of the spirit and unto obedience From whence it followes that if a man be once appointed to holinesse he shall be sure of glorie because God doth never predestinate a man to the meanes but hee hath predestinated him also to glorie wherefore comfort your selves you that thirst after holinesse as the Hart after the rivers of water for whatsoever your troubles be your end is glorie So David Psal 37.37 Marke the upright man c. Behold the just man for the end of that man is peace If a man can finde that engraven in his heart which was written upon the Priests miter Exod. 28.36 Holinesse to the Lord. Hee may bee sure of glorie and happinesse with the Lord. Three Conclusions From all of these I inferre that no man can be partaker of life that is not called justisied sanctified for so the place affords it Secondly that all our hope of glorie depends upon Gods eternall election which hee made of us in Christ Thirdly that all the meanes whereby wee can have this glorie made sure to our soules are by obeying when God calls by our justification by faith in Christ by true holinesse whereby we are made like to the image of his Sonne But I come to the last fruit The third effect of election are good works Of the third effect of our election So Paul Ephes 2.10 We are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good workes which God hath ordained that wee should walke in them by these must we studie to make our calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 from whence followes another that is certaintie of our salvation for good workes are fruits of election and by these must we make election sure Doct. From whence it followes That all that doe good workes are certainly elected and shall certainly be saved for none can doe a good worke in respect of the ground and forme and end but he that hath true and justifying faith Rom. 14.23 for Whatsoever is not of faith is sinne The best sacrifice of the wicked is abhomination Prov. 15.8 Though a man could prophesie and worke miracles and cast out Devils and have not true faith the Lord will say unto him Depart from me Matth. 7.23 See Isai 66.3 He that killeth a bullocke is as if hee slue a man hee that sacrificeth as if hee cut off a dogs necke he that offereth an oblation as if hee offered swines bloud he that burneth incense as if hee blessed an I doll Onely hee can doe good workes that is in Christ by faith and he that is in Christ by faith is sure of salvation though hee have no extraordinarie revelation a damnable presumption saith the Rhemists in their Annotat. on Rom. 8. vers 16. The Spirit witnesseth with ours that we are the sonnes of God And in 1 Cor. 9.27 They say it is a faithlesse perswasion it is the faith of Devills not of the Apostles So the Councell of Trent Sess 6. chap. 9. But alas alas these bee but paper-bullets we are defended against them with a wall of brasse First 2 Pet. 1.10 Wee must studie to make it sure therefore it may bee made sure Secondly Paul Rom. 8.38 I am perswaded which was not by revelation but upon Christs death vers 32. Christs justification vers 33. intercession vers 34. Hoâ— non sit nisi revelante spiritu sed ea râ—velaâ—â—o nou est aliud quim insusio sâ—iâ—tualu gratie per quam caruis opera mortisicantur Bernard Epist 108. This is not done but by the spirit revealing it but that revelation is not any other thing than the infusion of spirituall grace by which the deeds of the flesh are mortified saith Bernard It was an excellent saying of M. Tyndall as it is remembred by M. Fox Christ is thine and all his deeds are thine neither if thou bee faithfull canst thou be damned except Christ be damned with thee We know we are translated from death to life because wee love the brethren 1 Ioh. 3.14 Wee know it by our hungring Matth. 5.6 By our desiring to meet Christ with joy and comfort 2 Tim. 4.8 And seeing wee know it so wâ—ll no Popish squibs can beat us off it I come to make some use of it Are good workes fruits of election Vse 1 and seales of our certaine salvation then let us labour to abound in good workes let us set our hearts to doe good and strive amongst our selves who may doe the most good For first wee shall honour God by our obedience Secondly wee shall helpe our brethren who are partakers of the good we doe Thirdly we shall finde assurance in our hearts that then we are Gods Fourthly we shall be in Heaven rewarded for them for there is nothing that God would have done but there is a reward to the doer of it if he bid run it is that men may obtaine 1 Cor. 9.24 If to fight there is a crowne 2 Tim. 4.8 If to labour there is a penny Matth. 20.7 8. If obedience Thou shalt eat the good things of the land Deut. 28.2 If hee command to be righteous then blessings shall be upon thy head Prov. 10.6 Excellently Augustine True honour shall be denied to none deserving Verus â—â—nor nulli digno negabitur praeâ—â—ium pietatis crit iâ—se Deus qui pietatem dedit Aug. Civit. Dei lib. 22. cap. 30. the reward of godlinesse is God himselfe who gave godlinesse I am thy buckler and thy reward Gen. 15.1 From whence we all may have a wonderfull encouragement to bestow our time in doing of good workes It remaines that I now descend from the explication of this terme to the pith of Pauls argument which is comprized in this conclusion Men once elect can never bee finally cast off Doct. A
world Ierem. 15.10 The Vse is Vse To teach the people to reverence and make much of the Prophets that are exposed to so many wrongs and indignities for their sakes and that hazard their owne lives to teach the way of God It is true of them which Bernard said a Veritas illa quae non sine stupore auditur non sine timore praedicatur Beâ—n De Coena Domini Serm. 2. That truth which is not heard without asto nishment is not preached without feare Or as Vives b Non audent dicere quae tenentor scne periculâ—suâ— est docere quod bonesium est disceâ—e De causis artic corrupt lib. 1. They dare not speake what they are bound to know it is dangerous to teach that which is honest to learne O love them that teach you that be eyes to guide you that be Seers to goe before that stand in danger of their owne lives to save yours pray that God may still open their mouthes that they may speake the truth boldly that they may be preserved from evill men 2 Thess 3.1 pray that the swords of the wicked may never bee stained and embrued with Prophets bloud but that they may bee preferved by God and you may bee taught by them that they may preach and you may heare and both may live in the feare and die in the favour of God And so I come to the second part of his complaint They have digged downe thine Altars The second part of the Prophets complaint Not the Altars of the high places for they are commended who destroyed them as Iosiah 2 King 23.12 nor were they those altars which Ieroboam set up for his golden calves these were not the Lords Altars nor the Altars in the Temple at Ierusalem for they were not in the dominion of Israel against whom Elias complaines But Peter Martyr thinkes they were Altars erected by Abraham as Gen. 12.7 and Isaac Gen. 26.25 and Iacob Gen. 33.20 though it is likely these continued not so long Paraeus thinkes it to be a figurative speech understanding by Altars the true worship of God Haimo is of opinion that they were Altars built by the godly of the ten Tribes because they could not goe to Ierusalem I doe best approve the judgement of Osiander that they were Altars built or erected by the command and direction of God as by Samuel and Elias who had Gods extraordinarie direction for erecting and building of Altars From whence I doe observe When bloudie men goe about to overthrow Gods worship Doct. Wicked men overthrow the meanes of Gods service they doe not onely make havocke of the men but take away all meanes and helpes that others might have to serve him They killed the Prophets before and now the Altars must downe Carion Booke 2. Chron. reporting the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes saith that when he would bring all the people from God to worship the Idoll of Iupiter Olympius he first slue all that would not forsake the Law of Moses yet this would not serve but hee caused all the bookes of Moses to bee burnt that so they might have no meanes to worship God So Iulian drawing the people from Christ not onely slue them but forbade them the schooles and tooke away all meanes that the Christians had of knowing Christ When Gebal Ammon and Amalek conspired against the Church they hold a councell how they may destroy them Psal 83.3 they take counsell and consult and what doe they determine 1. To cut them off from being a nation vers 4. 2. Let us take the house of God for our owne possession vers 12. and Psal 74.9 They say in their hearts let us make havocke of them and then burne up all the houses of God in the Land And if God suffer the wicked to prevaile thus farre what hope may his children have surely they have an Altar in heaven whereon to offer spirituall sacrifice unto God even Christ who is called the Altar under which the soules of the Martyrs lie Apoc. 6.9 And there is no other Altar from whence God will receive a Sacrifice but from Christ saith Augustine Contra Faust Manich. lib. 20. cap. 18. From whence it followes by way of corollarie That though wicked men doe what in them lyes to hinder Gods worship yet still in Christ they can please God Doct. still upon that Altar they can offer unto God The wicked dispute against Gods truth with the swords Againe observe That wicked men when they cannot evict Gods children by arguments fall upon them with the sword as Alexander did Gordius his knot Thus they disputed with Elias thus the Scribes and Pharisies with Christ when they could not evict him then they would stone him as when he had proved himselfe to be God they tooke up stones Ioh. 10.30 31. and at last crucified him So Heathens alwayes disputed against Christians with fire and sword as when they would disprove the resurrection they kept them from buriall they tore them in peeces by beasts burnt them to ashes cast them into Rhodanus as Eusebius Lib. 5. cap. 10. And thus doe those souldiers that fight under the banner of Antichrist at this day when they cannot defend their rotten religion by argument then sword and bloud and fire and powder must make it good Dumque ego pugnando superem Ovid. Metam lib. 13. tu vince loquendo They are not content to heare us dispute they will sight it out But this by the way I come to the third part of the complaint I onely am left No The third part of the Prophets complaint Elias not alone Obadiah hath hid an hundred in a cave 1 King 18.4 and are there not seven thousand that have not bowed the knee to Baal how art thou alone Yet he is alone in regard that in all the ten Tribes there is none that outwardly professeth God but hee a lone Observat Christs Church son ctimes searcely visible Whence note That Gods Church may sometimes bee so small that there is scarce one professour to be seene In a sloore there may bee much chaffe and little wheat in a rocke many stones and few jewels Satan may have a kingdome and Christ but a little flocke Luke 12.32 It is like Bethlem in Iudah a little one Micah 5.2 Like Noahs floud ebbing and flowing like Noahs Dove going and comming like the Moone waining as well as growing and sometimes so eclipsed that the Sunne of righteousnesse seemes utterly hid It was once contained in the family of Seth they onely are sonnes of God Gen. 6.2 once in a narrow fold the Arke after Abrahams time in Canaan and yet in Canaan moe goats than good sheepe for Though Israel be as the sand of the sea yet a remnant shall be saved Rom. 9.27 Divide the whole world into three parts with Ptolomie or into foure with some later writers or with some Geographers into six and you shall not finde one of
hard than to live amongst corrupt persons without corruption as hard as to walke upon coales and not burne his feet or to carrie fire in his bosome and not singe his cloathes saith Salomon Prov. 6.27 For admit saith Isidore that a man were made of iron yet if he stand continually before a great fire hee is in danger to grow supple and soft as wax Nan ques velap as non pâ—tuit sup raâ—e ossâ—duiâ—as superat For whom pleasure could not overcome continuall diligence overcommeth Though a man greatly like not the sinne yet company with a sinner may worke him to it And whom the vice could not overcome Et quos vitium non potuit vincere familiaritas vinc 1. familiaritie overcommeth Mee thinkes they may fitly bee compared to those two rivers mentioned by Maginus 〈◊〉 egr descript â—â—â—span neere to Carmâ—nâ—a in Spaine whereof the one drinkes up all the 〈◊〉 refuseth all The Vse is Vse to teach us to blesse God for this infinite mercie tous who though we lâ—ve in evill times yet God preserves us as he did Lot in Sodome though we passe the sait sea as that Sicilian river Arethusa yet wee retaine our sweet rellish though wee be in Aegypt yet wee feed not upon the garlicke of Aegypt though wee bee in the world yet not of the world and let us pray that God would vouchsafe this grace to us still that though we live in corrupt places we may be cleane though among prophane persons yet we may be holy though among Idolaters yet wee may follow our God though among such men as are polluted and uncleane yet we may be sanctisied thorow out that both our soule and spirit and body may bee kept blamelesse untill the great day Thus having shewed by whom we are preserved I come to shew to whom they are knowen To my selfe God onely knowes certainly who belong unto him 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God remaineth sure c. Where note that Gods children have two markes to bee knowen by as Bellarmine Of grace and free will Booke 2. chap. 13. The one inward the knowledge of divine approbation this marke is manifest to God only the other outward the avoyding of sinne and the outward performance of good workes and the hearing of the Word as Ioh. 10.27 but the point that is meant I comprize in these termes The Lord acknowledgeth none of them to hee his who fall to idolatrie Doct. In Apoc. 14. If any man worship the Beast and receive his marke in his hand or his forehead he shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God yea of the pure wine which is powred into the cup of his wrath and he shall be tormented in fire and brimstone And 1 Cor. 10.21 You cannot drinke the cup of the Lord and of Devils as if hee should say they that have any communion with Christ must have no communion with Devils but they that sacrifice to Idols sacrifice to Devils vers 20. Wherefore Christ hath no portion in them nor they in him and therfore the holy Ghost excludes such from Heaven Apoc. 22.15 Without meaning the celestiall Ierusalem shall be dogs enchanters murtherers liars Idolaters And the Apostle Ephes 5.5 Neither uncleane persons nor Idolaters have any part or inheritance in the kingdome of God Whence wee must learne Vse that while men abide in the bosome of that idolatrous Synagogue of Rome they are far from Gods kingdome Shall they not be destroyed that live in Babylon which is made the verie habitation of Devils A hold of foule spirits a cage of uncleane birds Apoc. 18.2 And this Babylon is Rome as may be proved by all circumstances I urge against them the authoritie of Hierome whom they urge so often against us Contra Iovin lib. 2. cap. 19. And Canisius the Iesuite cannot deny it in his common place of sinne commending the Citie of Rome that it was a powerfull Citie the head of the world praised by the voyce of an Apostle exhorts it to avoyd that judgement which the Lord hath threatned in the Apocalyps under the name of Babylon And that the Church of Rome is idolatrous appeares by this argument Whosoever gives to a creature divine worship commits idolatrie but Papists doe thus c. in the worship of Saints Reliques Images Consecrate things and the Eucharist The proposition is evident out of Scripture which termes them Idolaters who give divine worship either to an Idoll properly so called as to the image of a Calfe Exod. 32.4 These be thy Gods c. They made a Calfe and sacrificed unto the Idoll Acts 7.41 or figuratively as Mammon yee cannot serve God and Mammon Matth. 6.24 The assumption is proved both from Scripture and their owne mouthes The Scriptures teach that to put trust in any thing is divine worship Ierem. 17.7 To invocate as Psal 50.15 Thou shalt call on mee and glorifie me Sacrifice Exod. 22.20 Vowes Isa 19.21 Bowing Exod. 10.5 Now that Papists give some of these to Saints some to Reliques some to images some to Things consecrate some to the Eucharist themselves confesse it as in their Missall commanded to be publisht by Pius 5. and the Breviarie corrected by the Trent Councell and authorized both by Pius 5. and Clement 8. may sufficiently appeare I instance onely in one They commit idolatrie in giving divine worship to an image for an image may be the same with an idoll Stephanus in his treasurie of the Latine tongue sayes that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies everie image or picture representing a divine power which is to be worshipt and the Septuagint translate the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Eccles triumph lib. 2. In Exod. Hom. 8. Quaest in Exod. 10. quaest 38. But Bellarmine out of an errour of Origen and of Theodoret makes a difference betweene an image and an idoll Let us therefore expresse our thankfull hearts to God Vse who hath delivered us from the Aegypt of Poperie and to expresse this thankfulnesse let us labour to weed out all idolatrie So God bids Israel Iosh 24.2 14. Your fathers served strange Gods but I have brought you out now therefore feare the Lord and serve him in up rightnesse and truth and put away the Gods which your fathers served If wee bee restored to light let us walke as children of the light Ephes 5.5 Wee are now temples of God let us have no fellowship with Idols we are restored by Christ let us have no concord with Belial we are now setled in the truth let us have no commerce with Infidels So Paul 1 Cor. 6.14 And so I come to shew how many were reserved Seven thousand by seven thousand God would signifie the whole multitude that belonged unto him and it is the putting of a certaine number for an uncertaine as the virgins five wise and five foolish Matth. 25. And the rich man had five brethren Luk. 16. Origen is somewhat curious and thinkes that God used the
weepe for sinne and turne to be saved as Ezech. 36.26 I will take away your stony heart and give you an heart of flesh but it is principally meant of a contracted kinde of hardnesse when men hearing the word whereby they should bee conuerted and judgements whereat the heart should melt as did the heart of Iosiah 2 King 22.19 yet notwithstanding make their faces impudent and their hearts hard and resolve to march on in their sinfull wayes this hardnesse is the verie harbinger of death and the fore-runner of everlasting destruction Which makes mine heart to tremble Application and my bowels to yearne and my soule to mourne in secret for many of our people whose hearts be like to anvils the more they are beaten the harder they grow who have both seene and heard the judgements of God and tasted the sweet mercies of God yet have neither beene affrighted from sinne by judgement nor allured to holinesse by mercie surely all the signes and symptomes of destruction are upon them when man breakes the Sabbath heares the promises Isa 58.14 and Isa 56.5 and casts it behinde his backe the threats and punishments as the man stoned Numb 15. that he will kindle a fire in their gates that shall never be quenched Ierem. 17.27 and makes his face hard against them and goes on still in his wickednesse must needs be in the state of reprobation and hath all the marks and tokens of a castaway upon him The contemner of the word that heares the gracious promises Prov. 3.2 Luk. 11.28 〈…〉 are they c. Iosh 1.8 The judgement against them that refuse to heare Prov. 1.24 Because I 〈◊〉 called and you refused c. Zach. 7.12 13. The 〈◊〉 made their hearts as an Adamant stone lest they should heare the Law and the words which the Lord of hosts sent in his spirit by the ministerie of the Prophets therefore came great wrath from the Lord of hosts Therefore it is come to passe that as hee cried and they would not heare so they cried and I would not heare saith the Lord of hosts He that heares this and yet hardens his heart against it and will neither mend for mercie nor judgement is in the estate of damnation and hath all the signes and symptomes of a reprobate upon him and therefore let us labour for soft and tender hearts that if God threaten may melt and tremble if hee promise mercie may rejoyce and be glad if hee doe us good let us take the cup of salvation Psal 116.13 Let us pray God that we may weepe because wee have not wept mourne because wee have not mourned that our hearts may not bee in the hand of the Devill like hard clay but in the hand of God like wax And so I come from the proposition to the confirmation vers 8. VERS 8. According as it is written God hath given them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and cares that they should not heare unto this day HEre is the confirmation of the rejection of the Iewes proved by two testimonies wherein I note first the Oracles whither he resorts for determination of this point In these words as it is written from whence the conclusion is Doct. That the written Word ought to bee the Iudge of all controversies and doubts It is able to make us wise unto salvation through the faith that is in Iesus Christ and is profitable for doctrine reproofe correction and instruction as above on these words What saith the Scripture And so I come to the confirmation if I may first cleere a doubt Origen saith There is no place of Scripture where it can bee found in the written Word which is as much as to say that Paul lied indeed it is not to the Word but to the sense and meaning both in Isa 29.10 The Lord hath covered you with a spirit of slumber and shut up your eyes your Prophets and your chiefe Seers hath he covered and their visions are as a booke that is sealed Buxtorfius and Arias Montanus translate the Hebrew word thus the spirit of slumber And it is againe in Isa 6.9 Make their eares heavie The Apostle addes of himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto this day that they might not thinke that this prediction was already finisht but that the judgement was upon them till this day I will not insist upon the difference betweene the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee hath made them drunke So they use the word in Isa 19.14 and the originall which signifies he hath covered them Nor is it materiall that the Septuagint expresse it by the active referring it to the people that they have shut their eyes and so Luke cites it Acts 28.27 they have winked with their eyes that they should not see and S. Paul referres it unto God God hath given them c. For it is a good observation of Peter Martyr That is said to be done of God Id dicitur fieri à Deo quod sit Dei imperio which is done by Gods command Nor will I insist upon the signification of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated slumber or compunction which some take from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to move or drive and interpret it the spirit of perplexitie or maligne spirit as Anselme Some call it the spirit of envie whereby they were offended at the calling of the Gentiles but this is but conjecturall yet appeares no reason why the Hebrew word Tardemah should bee rendred by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying pricking and compunction of heart Therefore Beza and Tolet are of opinion that it signifies slumber or sleepe rather than compunction yet seeing that Chrysostome Origen and Theophylact who best knew the signification of the word and the Scriptures also used the word in this sense Acts 2.27 They were pricked in their hearts I thinke it had not beene amisse if it had beene rendred the spirit of compunction And yet I hold the sense and meaning to bee all one and Osiander gives a reason because they are pricked and stirred when they are called to the Gospel but as men asleepe are loth to awake my judgement is that this spirit of slumber or compunction is the same which Paul in 1 Tim. 4.2 cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a conscience burned with an hot iron and that is all one with the spirit of giddinesse and answers fitly to that in the seventh verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall more fully expound the words when I come to them in particular In the first proofe I note 1. The judgement 2. The Author 3. The continuance The judgement the spirit of slumber 1. Generall 2. In two particulars the excaecation of the eyes the other the obturation and stopping of the eares The author he God hath given c. The continuance to this day of these in order and first of the author he he hath given Hardnesse of heart is brought upon man by God
These God giveth to man for his good and man turnes them to his owne destruction As for example God proposed the Word to Pharaoh by Aaron miracles by Moses by these his heart should have been softened but by his owne fault it became more hard so were the Iewes at the preaching of Isay And to this purpose saith God in Ierem. 6.21 I will lay stumbling blocks before this people the fathers and the sonnes shall fall upon them the neighbour and the friend shall perish Yet surely though all this be true it is not all the truth for in the storie of Pharaoh I observe three things 1. The preaching of the Word by Aaron 2. The working of miracles by Moses 3. The hid action of God in the heart of Pharaoh And these three God did thus order that Aaron should speake the word Moses should doe miracles but hee would reserve to himselfe the action of induration I will harden the heart of Pharaoh Exod. 4.21 as if he should say I will reserve that to my selfe So that besides the outward objects of the Word and miracles proposed by Moses and Aaron there was an internall action of hardening wrought by God not to goe still about the point the conclusion is God doth blinde harden and give over to a reprobate minde not onely by suffering it not onely by withdrawing his grace and helping hand nor onely by proposing of outward objects against which the wicked may stumble but also by an inward and strange working in the heart of man and all these be acts of Gods just judgement whereby hee punisheth mans sinne So that hardnesse and excaecation in respect of it selfe is sinne In respect of the consequents the cause of sinne and it is in respect of 〈…〉 God workes is difficult from the blame God is free from the guilt he is also free let man looke to both these But the punishment of sinne being an act of his justice hee acknowledgeth and in the punishment note three things 1. The matter wherewith a man is punished 2. The contrarietie betweene the partie and the punishment 3. The order of consequence that where such an offence went before such an evill shall follow to make the offender feele the smart of it In those punishments which be punishments onely and not sinnes God is the Author of all things implyed In those which be sinnes as well as punishments God is onely the Author of the order of consequence and of the contrarietie betweene the punishments and the parties punished as for example Pride is punisht by envie now envie is not of God But there is a contrarietie betweene the soule of a proud man and it which makes it bitter and afflictive and there is an order of consequence that where such a sinne went before there such a punishment should follow This is of God So that God workes in sinne 1. Positively as it is a physicall act 2. Morally as it is a just punishment of sin 3. Permissively as it is a sin not by giving consent to the doing of it but in not hindring it Yet in all this we doe not say that God is the author of sinne Antid in Rom. pag. 715. as Stapleton accuseth Calvin and Becanus p. 6. who saith that the God of the Calvinists is the author of sinne nor as Bellar mine 〈…〉 Beza First that we say God to be truly and properly the cause of those sinnes which men commit De amissione gratiae et statu peccatt Lib. 2. Cap 4. Secondly that we say God truly properly to sinne Thirdly God alone truly to sinne whereas Calvin holds the quite contrary Insâ—â—ut Lib. 1. Cap. 14. Sect. 16. Lab. 2. Cap. 4. Sect. 2. Neminem indurat nisâ—â—eâ—â—ò Epist 106. Non inâ—uâ—dendo malitiam sed â—â—bâ—r â—â—endo gratiam Aug. ad Sixtum Epist 105. But wee say that induration and excaecation bee just judgements of God He hardens none but deservedly saith Augustine and in Calvins judgement there bee these parts to bee considered First the withdrawing of his divine helpe Not by infusing malice but by withdrawing grace The punishment of precedent sinne when God takes away those helps of grace which formerly they had and when man wants this help of his owne accord hee rusheth into sinne Hence Pharaos heart grew hard because God would not give him grace to hearken to his ministers Moses and Aaron And the Gentiles having their cogitations darkened that is God not enlightening them with his grace they gave themselves over unto wantonnesse and to worke all iniquity with greedinesse Eph. 4.18.19 and this denying of grace is no sinne because it doth not conferre grace Secondly the delivering of man into the power of Satan which is Gods just judgement upon man for sinne as 1. King 22.22 when hee bade Satan deceive the false Prophets Thou shalt intice him and prevaile goe forth and doe so and in this no sin for Satan being the executioner of Gods anger and judgements doth so plunge those that are turned over to him into eternall destruction that he punisheth their former sinnes by making them commit greater than they did before thus did God with the wicked people Rom. 1.24 Because they regarded not to know God therefore God gave them over that Sathan might punish them by driving them into greater sinnes than ever they had committed before Thirdly divine permission when God suffers Sathan and wicked men to runne into sinne but without his furtherance as Psal 81.12 My people would not hearken Israel would not obey therefore I gave them over to the hardnesse of their heart let them follow their owne imaginations as he did here with the Iewes so did he with the Gentiles Act. 14.16 The God that made heaven earth in time past suffered all the Gentiles to walke in their owne waies and in Zach. 8.16 I set all men every one against his brother and yet in this permission God is neither altogether unwilling that it should bee done for it were impossible to bee done if God were wholly against it neither is he simply willing because hee doth both hate sinne and punish it as Psal 5.5 So that if permission be referred to the act of sinne God hates it wills it not but unwilling permits it but if referred to the end not which the agent doth intend but which the divine wisdome deduceth from thence then he permits it willingly Fourthly the determination of sinne when God will not suffer the wicked to goe on in sinne so farre as they desire but sets them bounds that they cannot goe beyond and as hee did with the seas Iob 38.11 Hither shalt thou goe as hee did with Sathan in the tempting of Iob All that hee hath is in thy power but upon himselfe put not forth thy hand Iob 1.12 as hee did with Pharaoh he suffered him to vex and persecute Israell but when Pharaoh would have maliciously brought them backe againe and intended more exquisite cruelty
but sinne The manner how hee hardneth is not by creating the sinne as Augustine Not by infusing malice but by withdrawing grace as hee doth grace in the elect but by denying them the power of his grace which should mollifie them and by offering them sundry objects as the Word and Gospell which they convert into occasions of sinne and ruine and whereby they stand exposed to Sathans temptations and have neither power nor will to stay themselves Thirdly hee ordinates the sinne which is nothing else but the directing of it in such manner as hee pleaseth that it proceed no further nor otherwise than his good pleasure willeth sometimes hee restraines it that it shall reach no farther than hee willeth sometimes he turnes it to another end than the person doing it thought of he would Christ should suffer by the Iewes he would not that the Iewes should slay him as Lombard Lib. 1. Distinct 4â— sometimes hee makes way for it to passe that he may punish one sinne with another and this is all that wee say touching this point wherein when we say that God wills or workes positively ordaines it wee meane it not of Gods formall will but of these three inferiour actions whereby hee governes it A word of Vse and proceed First Vse 1 it sheweth Gods infinite mercie in sustaining us even then when we are sinning against him It is by him that we liye though we live to grieve him our actions are sustained by him though they bee done against him we are supported by his arme and strength though wee use that arme and strength to wound him though while we sinne he might justly cut us off withdaw his breath and let us fall to nothing as Psal 104.29 Yet he suffers us to have a part of his generall providence over his creatures Secondly Vse 2 it teacheth us to beware of unthankfulnesse lest it make God to withdraw his grace from us for then wee cannot chuse but bee hardened there is one grace above the rest you have it one thing to mollifie the heart you have it one blessing that surpasseth all others you enjoy it the preaching of the Gospell You have had it when others have sate in darknesse yea you boast of your many and famous Preachers you have Apolles and Tertullus and Gamaliel But as little fruit is to be seene here as any where else and as small respect to a Minister or his message as among any other people Take heed lest God strip you of this grace and after the seven yeeres of plentie send seven of famine after the full eares send some to devoure all that wee have sowen and bring upon you that famine in Amos 8.11 12. The ground that hath often had raine and brings forth no fruit if God once restraine the raine and influence is neere to be burned Heb. 6.8 Therefore let the Word worke upon you and bee like a hammer that breakes your stony hearts Ierem. 23.29 else will it worke as hammers doe upon anvils make them harder for the word shall prosper it cannot bee preacht for nothing if it softens not then it hardens if it reclaime not from sinne then it drownes you in sinne if it bring you not to holinesse it will leave you in sinne excuselesse if you profit not by it yet when God shall come you shall know that there hath beene a Prophet amongst you If God punish one sinne with another let man take heed See Rom. 1.24 and 2 Thess 2.10 11. If you will not come out of sinne God will let you fall into others that you shall never come out So I come from the Author to the judgement it selfe that is set downe 1. In generall the spirit of slumber 2. In particular and they be two 1. Eyes that they cannot see 2. Eares that they cannot heare To begin with the generall Thomas Aquinas would have us read it compunction and makes it to be twofold 1. Good whereby man grieveth for sinne 2. Evill whereby man grieves at another mans good But I will take the reading of Beza that it is of amazement or slumber and as Isa 19.14 It is called The spirit oferror that is an ill spirit that leads into error So here The spirit of slumber that is an ill spirit that possesseth their hearts with slumber and heavinesse and it is such a heavinesse and astonishment which takes away all sense as Iunius A lethargie or such a heavinesse as God cast upon Adam Gen. 2. as Paraeus And this is the spirit wherewith the Iewes are possessed at this day brought upon them by former sinne Doct. The first thing that I observe is That God punisheth one sinne with another So did hee with the Gentiles Rom. 1.24 27. and 2 Thess 2.10 11. Because they beleeved not the truth therefore God gave them over and sent them strong delusions to beleevelies David committed adulterie and murther and God suffers one of his children to commit incest with another one to murther another 2 Sam. 13. Lot is drunken and then committeth incest a just punishment upon him Gen. 19.30 I need no more but that in Psal 81.12 13. My people would not hearken Israel would not obey therefore I gave them over to their owne hearts lusts pride wantonnesse lust covetousnesse discontent murmuring c. which bee lusts of mans heart and sinnes against God See further Prov. 22.14 This Doctrine may bee a threefold cord to restraine us from all kinde of sinne and keepe us from doing one for feare that bring another upon us To keepe us from drinking lest God plague us with uncleannesse as he did Lot and therefore God fore warnes us of it by Salomon Prov. 23.31 32 33. Take heed of uncleannesse lest God punish it by suffering us to commit murther as he did David 2 Sam. 11. Take heed that we be not disobedient lest God punish us by giving us over to our owne lusts as he did Israel Psalm 81.12 Take heed of an unbeleeving heart when the word is preached lest God give us over to beleeve lies as 2 Thess 2.10 11. Take heed of doing any one lest God punish it with another and wee have two to answer for But I come to the point It is an heavie judgement of God Doct. that men have meanes to know God and yet never bee better for them See Isai 29. from 9. to 13. These Iewes had the Prophets rising early and late God sent them wise men and Prophets and Scribes but you shall kill some of them and others you shall persecute from Citie to Citie Matth. 23.34 and this judgement hee brings upon a people when hee gives them up to fill up the measure of their sinnes as vers 32. Fulfill yee the measure of your fathers sinnes How is that Behold I send unto you c. The old world was sinfull yet never filled up the measure of their sinnes till they despised Noah Sodome till they despised Lot The Aegyptians till they despised the meanes
offered by Moses and Aaron The Iewes they slue Christ and the Apostles and upon this followed the judgement Then came the floud upon the old world fire upon Sodome the sea in upon Aegvpt the spirit of slumber upon the Iewes There cannot be a greater judgement than to be strucke with a spirituall lethargie that nothing will waken to have hearts so hard that nothing can soften them to be like Epimenides in his cave or like the famous sleepers in the time of the Emperour Deâ—ius oâ— like Dionysius of Heraclea c. But this will better appeare in the two particulars whereof the first is Eyes that they should not see Salvian Lib 2. The eyes of the body which are fenestrae mentis the windowes of the minde should guide from corporall and the eyes of the minde from spirituall dangers * Tria impâ—â—iunt occulum 1. Tenâ—brae viz. peccata 2. Humor concretus viz. confluâ—us pecoâ—torum 3. Cura terrenorum With the former they lookt cleere enough not a mote in them but in the eyes of their mindes there were great beames that they could not see Three things hinder the eye 1. Darknesse to wit sinnes 2. a Concrete humour to wit a concusse of sinnes 3. The care for earthly things This Christ upbraided them with I speake to them in parables because seeing doe not see c. Matth. 13.13 which was a just judgement saith Musculus a Quia cùm loquebatâ—r perspicùe noluerunt intellâ—gire in paenam jam loquitur obscurè Because they would not understand when he spake cleerely to their punishment hee now speaketh obscurely And againe in Ioh. 12.40 He hath blinded their eyes c. Will you know a point by the way When the Iewes bewrayed their blindnesse that was in the time of Christ the Prophets and Apostles as Musculus observes and hee gives this note upon it b Malum ingenium impiorum nunquaÌ„ clâ—riùs deprehenditur qùam ubâ—lux veritatis splendere incipit The ill disposition of the wicked as never more clearely discerned than where the light of the truth begins to shine As c Splendente solenoctuae vespertiliones naturae defectum ostendunt sed noctè circum circa volitant hae solae aves The Sunne shining the Owles and Bats shew the defect of their nature but these birds alone in the night fly about here and there So wicked men shew themselves most vile when the best meanes are used to doe them good when this light came into the world then did this people bewray their blindnesse when Christ preached powerfully professed himselfe to bee the Messias then did they most of all whet their malice and rage against him when hee said I am of God and would have instructed them in his divinitie then they goe about to take him Ioh. 7.30 When he taught that high mysterie I and the Father are one then they goe about to stone him Ioh. 10.31 The more light they had the more their blindnesse appeared In the night time all colours are alike the foulest fogs and fens are not discerned from the crystall streames but in the morning they are discerned Reprobate men are never so bad as when the best meanes are used to doe them good Herod never worse than when Iohn preaches against Herodias till then all is well but if hee lay a plaister to that sore off goes his head Whence make a difference betweene the good and bad at the hearing of the word The one trembles and therefore onely is fit to heare as Isay 66.5 Heare yee that tremble at my word The other rages as Zidkijah did with Michaiah 1 King 22.24 When this Sunne shines the one is mollified like wax the other hardened like clay when the Law is read the one melteth like the heart of Iosiah 2 King 22.19 the other is never harder than then like as Pharaoh the more miracles Moses wrought and the more Aaron spake from God the more hee was hardened to be short we may see here both the nature of the word that it can discover a mans blindnesse and finde out everie uncleane corner in his heart as Heb. 4.12 It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Secondly it is a marke to know a castaway by his hearing of the word the seeing the light makes him more blind the hearing more hard Let them take heed then that have heard so many Sermons against pride and yet studie new tricks to cover foule carkasses more than ever they did So many against neglect of the word and now absent themselves more than ever they did Against greedinesse and yet wooe and sollicite the world more than ever they did I will not say what I feare not that they are reprobates But as old Iacob said of Simeon and Levi Genes 49.6 Into their secrets let not my soule come I come a little neerer It is not Eruit illis â—culos Soto in Rom. 11. He hath pluckt out their eyes that they should not see But though hee give other eyes to to see hee gives them eyes that they should not see a greater judgement than if hee had quite taken away their eyes Qui privati sunt oculis non possunt videndo seduci For They that have no eyes cannot be seduced by seeing But the purblinde though he have eyes and see somewhat as hee in Mark. 8.24 Menlike trees is many times more wronged by seeing than if he were quite blinde for so our Saviour tels this people in Ioh. 9.41 If yee were blinde yee should not have sinne but now you see therefore your sinne remaines They had eyes to see corâ—icem Legis the barke and outside of the Law sed non penetrabant oculi corum ad medullam but their eyes pierced not to the marrow thereof The points are many 1. That the word which is the best salve for some mens eyes doth take away the sight of others yet the fault is not in the word but in themselves Non crimen Phoebus noctua crimen habet The fault is not in the Sunne but in the Owle 2. When God gives a blessing as eyes to see and men abuse it and regard not God in justice deprives them of the use of it So in the Word and the Ministers which is the note of Anselmus But the note which I insist on is Observat that they saw his miracles and beleeved not The eyes of their body saw him doe those works which none could doe but God and by delegation from him as healing the sicke cleansing Lepers raising the dead yet they smoaked out the eyes of their understandings that it might not sinke into their hearts and for all that they saw they beleeved him not and therefore God in judgement casts such a mist upon their understanding that now they cannot see though they would and such a distemper is now in their eyes that the sight not onely failes but deceives them and
seduceth them their eyes are not onely darke and see not but deceitfull and seducing making them thinke that they see what is right when they see it not which I thinke to bee here meant and therefore Christ in Ioh. 12.40 addes these words not understand with their hearts from whence the point may be When good meanes of salvation be not used aright then God turnes them to their hurt and destruction Their eyes that once saw his workes Doct. whereby he shewed himselfe to bee God and whereby they should have beleeved doe now lead them into error and cast them upon their destruction Physicke is the meanes of health yet if not rightly used is able to kill him that useth it The eye mans best guide yet if distempered may bring a man into more danger than any professed enemy The Word and Gospell the best meanes to mollifie our hearts and bring us unto God yet if neglected and abused makes the heart hard the eyes blinde and the understanding darke Goe make the hearts of this people fat shut their eyes that they may not see Isa 6.10 If rightly used it is the savour of life unto life 2. Cor. 2.16 but if not it is a stumbling blocke to make men fall Ier. 6.21 But to keepe to the Apostles instance The eye It is first as a watchman set in the top of a tower to discover the enemy a farre off but if not rightly used it proves like a treacherous Sinon to open the gates of the City and let in the enemy to let lust into the heart And therefore Iob made a covenant with his eyes Iob 31. And David praieth Turne away mine eyes Psal 119.37 and how many the eyes hath undone you cannot bee ignorant The sonnes of God as they are called Gen. 6.2 saw the daughters of men and tooke them wives It brought Sichem to commit folly with Dinah Gen. 34.2 David to lie with Bathsheba 2. Sam. 11. Therefore saith Bernard that the eye is Prima sagitta The first arrow offornication that it is the window of the minde Demodo bene vivendi Ser. 23. Etin Psaâ— 91. Sertn 7. a Occâ—lus deprae datâ—r animam Epist 107. The eye robbeth the soule about his 107 Epistle Let us then heare aright for feare the word which is in it selfe the savour of life unto life be not the savour of death unto death As meat indigested rots upon the stomacke and poysons the body So doth this best meanes of life if onely heard and not digested with zeale It is a fearesull case when God lets our Pilot and our guide deceive vs our eye the best director to misleade us our meat to poyson us the light to bee like an Ignis fatuus to seduce us I pray God it befall not us who have a long time had eyes to see the wonders of God and yet make smal use of them And so I come to the second particular Eares that they should not heare Eares that they should not heare In Pro. 20.12 God hath made both these the eye to see and the care to heare These Iewes have them but neither see nor heare God hath made man two eares for two reasons First Vt 〈◊〉 actliuâ— That words may more easily be gathered as Lâ—â—l intius of Gods workmanship Chap. 8. Secondly Qua spoâ—tet dupla ad disciphnaÌ„ Consequenâ—am auâ—nt cum uraÌ„ linguim dederit ut meminerimus pau toraci enda plura audienda Because we must heare with a double care to the attaining if learning whereas hee gave but one tongue that wee might remember that sewer things are to bee spoken more to bee heard As Basil in his booke of virginitie and though the eyes be the organ of a most excellent sence of seeing the workmanship and wonders of God yet the eare is more needfull Institut Lib. 3. Cap 9. because as Lactautius saith Learning and wisdome is perceived by the eares alone not by the eyes alone It is a great misery to be blinde for then he sees not Gods workmanship but greater misery to want the hearing because then they cannot heare of their Saviour nor of eternall life Thomas Aquinas tells us that outwardly they could heare and perceive well enough but the judgement was they did not heare with fruit as Deut. 29.4.3.6 You have seene the great tentations the miracles and wonders how I led you sortie yeares in the wildernesse your cloathes waxed not old on your backes nor your shooes yet you want a heart to perceive and eyes to see and eares to heare untill this day The first thing that I observe I comprize in these tearmes Doct. It is a misery unspeakeable to heare the mysteries of salvation and bee no better for it for hearing without obedience hath no blessing he onely that so heares the will of God to doe it shall enter into the kingdome Matth. 7.21 shall bee blessed Luke 11.28 shall bee justified before God Rom. 2.13 But the hearers otherwise if they looke for any mercy from God they doe but deceive themselves Iames 1.22 a Ille â—crè aâ—dis qui moâ—bus non contrad cit In quatuor Evan. 〈◊〉 29. Hee beares aright that in his manners doth not contradict it saith Gregory b Fâ—deâ—ni presi â—u â—vita praâ—a est Chrys st in lib. Homd 〈◊〉 Faith profits nothing if the life be wicked c Frusâ— a audit qui non amat Encl 〈◊〉 Cap. 17. He leares in vaint that loves not saith Augustine d Grave estse catum non 〈◊〉 sse quoctsac as â— avnis nonseetsse qu◠〈◊〉 Deâ—ss◠〈◊〉 Lib. 2 20. It is a great sinne not to know that which thou doest a greater not to do what thou knowest saith Ambrose I here be three kindes of bad hearers in Mat. 13. every one of them miscrable The first compared to stores and the stones are cast cut of the vineyard in Isa 5.2 The second to thornes and thornes are to bee burned Heb. 6.8 The third to the way side and that is a double misery First the way is ever left without the hedge and without defence Secondly it is troden under soot of all passengers Woe be to thee Chorazim woe be to thee Bethsaida for if these workes had beene done in Tyre and Sidon c. and Wee to thee Capernaum for if these workes were done in Sodome c. Mat. 11.21 These three Cities Chorazim Bethsaida and Capernaum were Cities of Galilee very fruitfull by reason they were neere to Iordan which made them as rich as Nilus doth the country of Egypt Ioachiâ— us Vadianus not farre from the lake of Gennezareth where Christ often preached and where most of his great workes were done as Mat. 11.21 Out of Bethsaida he called his first disciples Peter Andrew and Philip In Capernaum he did many miracles hee preacht almost every Sabbath day and made them astonished at his doctrine Luke 4.31 and because they had all this meanes heard all this preaching the
God forgives he also forgets and if wee be good now Vse 1 he will never cast us in the teeth with what we have beene as Ierem. 31.34 And though we have beene never so farre off yet if now wee bee holy if now turned unto God the Lord will thinke as well of us and doe us as much good and take us as neere to himselfe as Abraham himselfe 2. Vse 2 What wee ought to thinke of men whom God hath called from their sinnes not to thinke worse of them for what they have beene but to thinke well of them for what they are If David have repented thou must not thinke worse of him for his sin but magnifie God for forgiving it If Peter have played the Apostate thou must not say I know the day when thou didst deny thy Master but blesse God that hath pardoned it Object not to Matthew that hee was a Publican for he is now an Apostle to Peter that he denied Christ for hee will now confesse him and lay downe his life for him to Manasses that hee was an Idolater for God hath forgiven him to the Gentile that hee was a wilde olive for the Lord hath engrafted him into the true stocke and when God hath received a man and forgiven him it is sinne for any man to object it against him So I come to the third benefit The fatnesse of the olive tree What may bee meant by it see Isa 55.1 2. Come buy wine and milke without silver hearken unto me and let your soule delight in fatnesse So the Parable of the feast in Luk. 14. By all which is meant the gifts and graces that concerne salvation in Christ and in regard that grace is compared to fatnesse wine and hony c. We may first learne That grace goodnesse is that which makes the soule fat and makes man favourable and comely in Gods eyes 2. There is no grace or gift or privileges that ever the Iewes enjoyed but now the Gentile hath them God hath promised to dwell amongst them wee have him now with us as Acts 2.39 And wee may say with David Psal 46.11 The Lord of hosts is with us the God of Iacob is our refuge They had the Temple the Church of God is now amongst us they were the keepers of Gods Oracles the Gospell now shineth amongst us they had the promise of Canaan we of Heaven they were Gods peculiar people now wee are his sonnes 〈…〉 they were first like Gideons fleece watered with dew of Heaven when all the rest of the world was dry but now the Nations and out-corners have the dew of Heaven and they are dry they could never challenge any privileges which wee have not and from hence we may comfort our selves with this That no Nation or Countrey can be any disparagement to grace and happinesse as above on the first verse So I come to the first proposition of the exhortation VERS 18. Vers 18 Boast not against the branches but if thou boast thou bearest not the root but the root thee THe verse hath in it two members the one a proposition Boast not thy selfe the other a reason thou bearest not the root c. In the first note first who may not boast thou thy selfe the Gentile that was engrafted Secondly against whom he must not boast the naturall branches I put them both together and then the first conclusion that they afford is this They that rise by other mens fals Doct. and grow great by other mens ruines must not grow proud over them that are fallen Thus did the common souldier in Tacitus represse Pompeyes pride Nostrâ miseriâ magnus es Thou art great by our misery therefore swell not against us Though Matthias come in Iudas his place he must rather lament for Iudas his losse than grow proud of his owne gaine If the Gentile bee raised by the fall of the Iew hee should rather bewaile that the Iew is fallen than grow proud of his 〈◊〉 rising the one of these would God exceedingly commend the other he cannot chuse but punish The lamenting of other mens losses is the rule of Charity that seekes not his owne 1 Cor. 13.5 The nature of members in one body is that one beare anothers burden Gal. 6.2 that if one member suffer all suffer with it 1 Cor. 12.26 most excellent is the Apostles rule Heb. 13.3 Remember them that are in bonds as if you were bound with them and them that are in affliction as if you were afflicted in the body If the foot which is the meanest part be sicke the heart sighs for it the soule and tongue pray for it the eye tends and watches it the hand applyes meanes and medicines to it Excellently Cyprian Cum destentibus defleo cum jacentibus jaceo jaculis grassantis inimiâ—â— membra mea percussa sant cum prostratis fratribus me prostavit offectus meus I weepe with them that weepe I lie downe with them that are sicke my members are stricken with the darts of my cruell enemie with my brethren overthrowne my affection hath me overthrowne But the rejoycing at other mens falls is as hatefull as the other was acceptable to God It is the counsell of wisdome Prov. 24.17 18. Be not glad when thine enemie falleth let not thy heart rejoyce when he stumbleth and for a threefold reason first for feare the Lord see it secondly for feare it displease him thirdly lest God turne his wrath from him and bring it upon thee If but an Oxe or an Asse be fallen into a pit we must not stand laughing at him but helpe him out Deut. 22.4 much more if our brother haue suffered either spirituall or temporall losses ought we to pity and helpe him with the spirit of meekenesse as the Apostle wisheth Gal. 6.2 How ought the consideration of this to amaze the hearts of some men Vse who when they are growne full by emptying other mens purses and build themselves palaces by the fall of other mens houses swell like to the milt in mans body when the other parts decay are ready to entertaine a meane conceit of such men whose estates are decayed and weakned It is an errour in judgement and the pregnant marke of a vaine and sinfull heart to thinke worse of a man because of his wants and to grow proud over him that is fallen for though Iob be in the ashes he shall be restored and Ioseph in prison he shall be adranced againe and God likes a man no worse for this Surely he loves Ieremie in the stocks as well as in the Kings palace Ioseph in prison as well as in Pharaohs house Iob on the dunghill as well as in the midst of his wealth his servants that wander in sheepe-skinnes and goat-skinnes Heb. 11.37 as well as Dives that 's clothed in purple and fine linnen but I hasten to the second conclusion God would have no man to grow proud Doct. because of either temporall or spirituall graces wherewith God
admonitions warnings before it thirdly that God would faine have his people to prevent judgement by repentance and when they will not God is moved with sorrow and griefe for it Thinke upon the fal of Babylon and learne somewhat first that no greatnesse or outward glory can perswade God to spare when sinne and ungodlinesse provoke him to strike secondly that many a people thinke themselves in good and happy case when their destruction is neere and death even upon them see Isa 47.8 She saith in her heart I am and none else I shall not sit as a widow nor know the losse of children therefore shall evill come upon her and she shall not know the morning thereof destruction shall come upon her suddenly ere she be aware vers 11. Thinke upon the punishment of Laodicea and learne how they that halt betweene two opinions that sow with two kinds of seed that have a heart for God and a heart for Baal that speake halfe in the language of Canaan and halfe in the language of Ashdod are as odious to God as lukewarme water to a mans stomacke that alwayes provokes vomit and casting secondly that thou must use sinceritie and singlenesse of thy heart in the whole worship and service of God lest it be said to thee as it was to Laodicea I will spue thee out of my mouth Let not passe one judgement of God upon others for every one of them is a lesson read unto thee both to teach thee that sinne alwayes will have punishment and secondly that if thou sinne against God as they have done the same punishment must light on thee Secondly let us learne to have wise hearts Vse 2 to make our election sure to our selves and be kept from negligence securitie and unbeleese by the desertion and apostasie not only of the Iewes but almost of the whole world for most of them are long agoe revolted the Easterne parts to the Turke and his Alcoran the Westerne parts to the Romish Antichrist and his superstition It is not good to put our salvation in hazzard with the multitude unlesse wee would perish with them Thirdly Vse 3 hence is reproofe for all those that doe riot and swagger and sweare it out and live as if hell were broken loose and God had now dispensed with justice and with judgement and granted a generall indulgence for such miscreants to rebell against him Let them take heed and remember that in 1 Thess 5.3 When they shall say Comedo bibo ludo quasi pertransierim diem judicii tormenta inferni haec miseria suprà omnem miseriam Bern. de inâ—ern Dome cap. 33. peace peace then sudden destruction commeth upon them Let them remember how Baltezar was surprised in the midst of his bowles Dan. 5. Remember the 17. of Luke vers 27 28 29. their destruction is never neerer than when they put it furthest from them I eat I drinke I play as if I had passed over the day of judgement and the torments of hell and this miserie is above all miserie saith Bernard For the ever watching eye of God is sixed upon them and will measure out a judgement against them sutable and proportionable to their crying sinne There is one point behinde We should so live Doct. as that Gods judgements might not seize upon us when they are abroad and therefore he gives this warning take heed lest he spare not thee and to this end observe these three directions 1. Beware of all sinne 2. Let no iniquity have entertainment with us 3. Labour to be at peace with God then shall no judgement shake us excellently David Psal 112.7 He shall not be afraid for any evill tidings And so I come to those arguments wherewith the Apostle closeth his exhortation in the 22 23 24. verses VERS 22. Vers 22 Behold therefore the bountifulnesse and severitie of God toward them which are fallen severitie but toward thee bountifulnesse if thou continue in his bountifulnesse or else thou shall also be cut off THese three verses have in them two generall and maine branches Analysis First a godly instruction to the Gentiles to wit the consideration of two attributes in God severitie and bountie Secondly a word of consolation to the Iewes putting them in minde of their receiving againe at the end of the 24. verse The instruction in this verse containes foure arguments to suppresse a proud conceit and a swelling humour in the Gentiles 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iudaeorum Gods severitie in cutting off the Iewes that 's one thing to keepe them in awe and he gives it with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Looke unto it or take notice of it The second Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or bounty toward the undeserving Gentile it was not thy desert but his bountie that 's the next thing to keepe thee in awe and draw thee to thankfulnesse The third is taken from the condition upon which they have this bountie if they continue in his bountie viz. in faith for a good which is had upon condition stirreth up in us a studie to fulfill the condition The fourth from the commination of cutting off If thou grow proud and revolt thou also shalt be cut off I begin with the first Gods severitie in cutting off the Iewes God sits his punishment both according to the greatnesse and qualitie of mans sinne Doct. 1 They cast away him he now cuts off them they committed a grievous sinne and he now overtakes them with a severe punishment See the sinne of the Church of Laodicea Apoc. 3.16 her sinne was luke-warmnesse a temper betweene hot and cold which is to the stomacke most loath some and offensive and her punishment is sutable God spues her out of his mouth and as she by lukewarmnesse was offensive so now she being vomited up is become an offence to others that they loath her If the sinne be great he suits it with a grievous punishment as he did with Israel when for a foule sinne and of long continuance he sent sore plagues and of long durance Deut. 28.59 If the sinne be of any strange qualitie he suits it with a punishment answerable as he did with Sodome shee sinned by burning in unlawfull lust and he punishes her by burning her with a showre of brimstone the stinke of her sinne came up to Heaven and he punishes her by turning her into a stinking fen Carion Chron. lib. 2. an Asphaltite lake and a dead sea If the sinne be grievous he payes it with a grievous punishment as hee doth uncleane actions with uncleane diseases backwardnesse in hearing him with utter refusall to heare them as Prov. 1.24 and Zach. 7.11 12 13. But the point whereat the Apostle principally aimes Doct. 2 is this That whatsoever wee see God to punish in another we should beware of it in our selves Therefore must the Gentile take notice of the severitie shewed to the Iew that hee may bee kept from that sinne for which the Iew was
vers 25. There is no sinner so great Doct. but if he come home and returne God will receive him Wee are like unto prodigals and God like that kinde and loving father Luk. 15. We are like sheepe going astray and God like a shepherd that both seekes us and when wee are found receives us into his fold as vers 24. See Ephraim Ierusalem Manasses To this purpose saith God to Israel That though a man have defiled his neighbours wife oppressed taken by violence lift up his eyes to Idols given to usury yet if that man returne from his wickednesse that hee hath committed hee shall save his soule alive Ezek. 18.27 Nay if he returne hee shall live and not die vers 28. And Paul so beseecheth the Corinthians in Gods name Come out from these idolaters and polluted persons and I will receive you c. 2 Cor. 6.17 Therefore Peter sends Simon Magus to pray that if it were possible his sinne might bee pardoned Acts 8.22 And Daniel having interpreted the dreame to Nebuchadnezzar that hee should bee driven out amongst the beasts of the field yet puts him in hope of a restoring If he will breake off his sinnes by righteousnesse and his iniquitie by mercie to the poore Dan. 4 2â— The reason iâ— taken from the infinite dimension of Gods mercie Reason whereof I may lay as Simonides in Tully De natur Deor. lib. 1. who being demanded what God was still â—â—sired more time c. Hee alwayes delights in mercie more than in justice to bee called a God of mercie is a title wherein hee delights much but that he is called a God of judgment I finde not passing twice in Isa 30.18 and in Malac. 2.17 Marke how hee proclaimes himselfe Exod. 34.6 7. The Prophet tels us Isa 28.21 that it is a rare thing with God to execute judgement The Lord shall stand as upon mount Perazim that he may doe his worke his strange worke Hee is much like to Odâ—vius Vtinam nescirem literas Would I knew not my letters Much like to Cato Non memini me percussum I remember not that I was stricken Much like to Phocion Filius mens non ulciseatur injurias Let my sonne not be revenged of injuries Not like to Theodosius who put the Thessalians to the sword for the sake of few but like Caesar in Plutarch who made the men of Cnidium free Denisons because of Theopompus or like Darius that milde Persian Generall who spared Delos He is so glad of the conversion of sinners that he stands waiting and looking for them Isa 65.1 2. It pleaseth him so well that the verie Angels rejoyce at it Luk. 15.10 And it is Gods ordinarie course to watch all opportunities and seeke all occasions to shew mercie as Gen. 18. at Abrahams suit for Sodome hee would have spared the whole Citie for ten righteous persons and Ier. 5.1 If one righteous man might bee found hee promiseth to pardon all the rest for his sake Where I meet with the errour of the Donatists and Novatians who denied repentance Vse 1 and receiving again into the fellowship of the Church unto all those that shrunke from the profession of faith in time of persecution or fell into manifest offences after Baptisme whereas the word is flatly against it in many particulars as 2 Cor. 2.6 7 8. where the Apostle speaking of the incestuous man he saith It is sufficient to the same man that he was rebuked of many so that now you ought to forgive him and comfort him that hee bee not swallowed up of overmuch heavinesse Wherefore I pray you to confirme your love towards him And Matth. 18.22 The brother must bee forgiven untill seventie times seven 2. Vse 2 Let no man albeit hee have beene never so great a sinner or never so often fallen and offended despaire of Gods mercie for then hee will not bee more fearfull to commit sinne but more willing to fall into it for hee that despaires reasons thus with himselfe It can prejudice mee nothing that I am a drunkard for I am already out of all hope of Heaven That I prophane the Sabbath for I have no hope of glorie why should I serve the Lord I am none of his sonnes please him I am none of his servants run I look for no garland fight I look for no crowne strive I shall not enter in at the strait gate pray I shall nor be heard sow in teares I shall never reape in joy But let a sinner acknowledge and bewaile his offences before God labour to forsake sinne and lead a new life learne Davids rule Eschew evill and doe good Psal 34.13 the Prophet Ezekiels rule Cast away your transgressions and make you cleane hearts Ezek. 18.31 the Prophet Isay's rule Cease to doe evill and learne to doe well Chap. 1.16 17. And then comfort your selves as God comforts them vers 18. I would have all sinners to resolve with the servants of Benhadad when an hundred thousand of his armie were slaine in field and seven and twenty thousand by the falling of a wall upon them as 1 King 20.29 30. Then his servants said unto him we have heard that the Kings of the house of Israel are mercifull Kings O homo qui tâ—lam attendis peccatorum multitudinâ—â— â—ar non attendis omniâ—otenâ—iam calestis Medici cum enim Deus velit quia bonus est possit quia omnspotens est c. Aug. de temp Serm. 58. wee pray thee let us put sack-cloth upon our loynes and ropes about our neckes and goe to the King of Israel it may be he will save us alive 1 King 20.31 It was a good saying of Augustine O man that considerest the multitude of thy sinnes why considerest thou not the omntipotencie of the heavenly Physitian seeing that God will because he is good and can because he is omnipotent he shuts the gate of Gods love against himselfe who beleeves that either God cannot or will not have mercie on him And an excellent meditation of Chrysostome If thou beest wicked thinke of the Publican Si impius es cogita publicanum si immundas attende meretricem si homicida prospice latronem si iniquus cogita blasphemum peccasti poenitere millies peccasti millies poenitere Chrysost hom 2. in Psal 50. if uncleane consider the harlot if a man-slayer looke upon the theefe if unjust thinke on the blasphemer hast thou sinned repent hast thou sinned a thousand times repent a thousand times Heaven gates are never shut when penitent sinners knocke Hee that for ten mens sakes would have spared Sodome will spare them Yet this is no encouragement to sinne for mercie must not make us sinne but feare to sinne as Psalm 130.4 Hee that sinnes in hope of mercie shall finde none for presumption is nothing else but a vaine hope or an high house on weake pillars He that saith I will sinne and bee sorrie and escape God will not see or not bee angrie or not punish and
lawfull calling is the common good as members for the common good of the body be it politicke or naturall Therefore many perswade themselves that they have lawfull callings when they have none such as live by usurie carding dicing playing these have neither the Author God nor the end the common good Now in the right use of a calling consider foure things First that they make choyce of a calling which is lawfull and honest Secondly that they make choyce of a calling which is fit for them and they for it Epist Endoxio Rhâ—tori Nazianzene reports of the Athenians That when their youth came to bee of age fit for employment they permitted them to make choyce of such callings in which they saw them take most delight because those things best succeed which we undertake by natures guidance Thirdly hee that is fitted for many must make choyce of the best Art thou called being a servant care not for it that is Though thy calling bee meane and hard yet shake it not off but beare it patiently 1 Cor. 7.21 Fourthly leave it not without good warrant but I hasten to my conclusion Let everie man examine his calling at the Apostles rule 1 Cor. 7.24 Let everie man wherein he as called walke with God No calling is lawfull when the action pleaseth not God as 1 Cor. 10.31 By this I hope some will learne at last to give over their calling whereby they bring not honour but dishonour unto God Those that live upon usurie by dicing houses by penning and acting of playes let them all remember this mine heart trembles to thinke what calling these men have my soule wonders how they glorifie God in them I marvell how these make for a publike good how God is honoured a kingdome bettered the common good promoted by them I know not I beleeve not And so I come to the Cui who must have all this honour Him It was the proud speech of Sennacherib Have any of their Gods delivered the Nations out of mine hand Isa 36.18 taking the glorie of all victories unto himselfe None may challenge the glorie of any thing that hee doth or hath unto himselfe The glorie must not rest upon him that hath any good but must bee returned to him that gave it Now it is God that gives everie good thing that wee enjoy for Everie good and perfit gift comes downe from the Father of lights Iam. 1.17 FINIS The Table A. PArents greatnes cannot pâ—ocure acceptance for their children pag. 41 Account must bee given by Ministers for their peoples soules pag. 253 Workes of God admired by the godly p. 454. Christ an Advocate to all he died for p. 447 Wicked men think the godly out of favour because afflicted p. 10 Men are ready to afflict the afflicted p. 302 No outward privilege can exempt from Gods anger p. 12 God answers his peoples prayers p. 104 Why God doth not answer sometimes p. 105 Apostles of foure kindes p. 244 Apostles excelled in six things p. 245 Spirit of application a signe of election p. 26 Faithfull Preachers make application to their people p. 241 Application of Stories of others to our selves p. 242 Assurance of salvation may be had here p. 22 75 Assurance of salvation set downe Rom. 8. p. 24 Assurance Papists errour concerning it p. 38 Assurance beleevers happinesse by it p. 39 Attention great to weightie points p. 365 God takes sinne quite away in forgivenesse p. 409 God takes sinne away three wayes ibid. B. BAal what it signifieth p. 115 Baal the originall of it p. 116 Children may be saved that dye unbaptized p. 276 Everie wicked man base p. 44 All riches without grace is beggerie p. 236 God beholding to none p. 470 Christ died onely for beleevers p. 447 Why Paul saith hee was of Benjamin p. 19 How to know we benefit by the ordinances p. 243 Best See Punishment Holinesse makes blessed p. 13 What is due to God of his blessings p. 271 Wee should register Gods blessings p. 346 Blindnesse a punishment of unbeleevers p. 187 Blindnesse spirituall and bodily compared p. 188 Blindnesse spirituall freedome from it requires thankefulnesse p. 189 Boldnesse of sinne p. 297 Spirituall judgements set forth in borrowed terms and why p. 185 Bowing a token of subjection p. 115 Bowing before an Idoll idolatrte p. 117 Bowing the backe what p. 191 Bountie to Saints a signe of love to God p. 34 Bountie of God should keepe us from sinne p. 343 C. NO sinner so desperate but may bee called p. 264 What Calling wee should chuse p. 476 Why men are so prone to censure others p. 431 Certaintie See Faith Promises to godly parents belong to their children p. 272 What holinesse is traduced from parents to children p. 274 All the elect committed to Christ p. 14 Elect desire the comming of Christ p. 37 Wee are predestinate in Christ p. 52 No meanes to glorie but Christ p. 71 The Iewes conversion a little before the comming of Christ p. 381 All our deliverance by Christ p. 390 Evils of countries imputed to Christians p. 234 Foure signes that there are few members of the true Church p. 113 In greatest revolts God preserves his Church p. 372 Gods promises to keepe his Church p. 373 Combat betweene flesh and Spirit a signe of election p. 30 Comforts must 〈◊〉 bee concealed from the wicked p. 5 Comfort for Christians in all estates p. 87 Comfort to the elect that they have a God to goe to p. 106 See Fall Place Wicked might have much good by the company of good men p. 224 Motive to confesse sinne p. 408 The Gospell though opposed shall convert the Elect. p. 378 Pope made Iudge of controversies and why p. 81 The word written the Iudge of controversies p. 144 God when he pardons sinne removes the guilt and corruption p. 406 Covenant of God that the Saints cannot fall away p. 16 Al that are called Christians not in Covenant p. 17 The Iewes within the Covenant shall not bee lost p. 384 Two acts in the counsell of â—oâ— p. 54 Sinne cries for judgement p. 369 R probation no act of crueltie p. 56 Curse how wee are freed from it p. 394 D. LIving in sinne a state of death p. 261 Pelagians errour touching death in sinne p. 262 Gospell raiseth men from death p. 266 We are reconciled by Christs death p. 399 God defendeth his Church p. 90 118 Deliverance by Christ. p. 390 Despaire the evill of it p. 353 Mâ—anes of grace abused turne to destruction p. 168 Destruction from the best things of wicked men p. 177 Destruction to seeke life in the Law p. 181 Destruction not aimed at in Gods decree p. 200 Man the cause of his owne destruction p. 312 Donatists errour p. 353 Drowsinesse in the best Christians p. 350 E. EAre how needfull a member p. 169 Election not proved by outward privileges p. 12 Election nine signes of it p. 25 Election three things concerning it p. 56 Election
in the word Where I finde that nothing deserves anger but sinne and God by damning such doth both prove himselfe to bee a just Iudge and takes away all cause of complaint from damned reprobates who run upon their owne damnation by their owne sinnes and so acquit God of it But to make the Doctrine plaine give me leave to premise three propositions and I will set downe my judgement in foure conclusions 1. A two-fold reprobation There is a two-fold reprobation eternall viz. Gods counsell eternall to reprobate those whom hee doth actually reprobate in time Of this speakes Paul Rom. 9.22 Vessels prepared to destruction And Iude vers 4. Temporall viz. the manifestation of his eternall counsell in reprobating those in time whom he decreed to reprobate from eternitie Of this God speakes 1 Sam. 15.23 2. Reprobation hath two acts the one negative will not shew mercie The other affirmative will condemne Two acts of reprobation The one called the decree of not shewing mercie the other the decree of punishing each of them hath two degrees The negative hath first the negation of the meanes or of grace Secondly the negation of the end and glorie The affirmative hath 1. a just hardening 2. An appointing to the punishment The 3. premise is this Reprobates may be considered either simply in themselves or comparatively with the elect whence come three questions 1. Why did God reprobate any at all indefinitely 2. Why this or that man definitely 3. Why this man rather than that Esau rather than Iacob comparatively These things being thus premised I come to the conclusions 1. Reprobation whether considered definitely or indefinitely conteining both the decree and execution is not to be called meerely absolute in respect of impulsive and finall causes but is grounded partly in Gods will partly in mans sinne a proposition partly proved already and these that follow will confirme it the more The 2. therefore is this The impulsive cause why God did reprobate some and not all according to both the negative and affirmative act was not the fore-seene sinne of any but the will of God for first God did fore-see sinne not onely in some but in all If therefore it had beene for sinne hee would have reprobated all as well as any one Secondly the potter makes not all to bee vessels of dishonour because he will So God Rom. 9.21 Thirdly why God did reprobate indefinitely some definitely these by the negative act from grace the cause was his meere will why from glorie partly his good will partly the sinne of the wicked For the first see Esau reprobated from grace by no desert but of Gods meere will Rom. 4.11 God cals to grace whom he will gives the meanes of salvation the Word and Sacraments to whom he will and calls not others because hee will not Paul did not preach in Bithynia why Because the Spirit suffered them not Acts 16.7 To you it is given to others it is not given to know the secrets of the Kingdome Matth. 13.11 Thou hast hid these things from the wise and revealed them to babes because it pleased thee Matt. 11.25 The cause why hee reprobates indefinitely some definitely these from glorie is especially the sinne of the wicked and I take it to bee sound for this reason God did eternally decree to reprobate men from glorie for that for which hee doth indeed reprobate them in time but God reprobates from glorie that is debarres from it for sinne and impietie for for this cause commeth the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience Ephes 5.6 therefore for sinne hee did decree not to give it The cause of the affirmative act of reprobation to the punishment of induration is Gods will whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9.18 to the punishment of damnation for sinne for the soule that sinneth shall die Ezech. 18. Fourthly why God did these more than others this man more than that both by the negative and affirmative act there is no cause in men but onely the will and pleasure of God because he would so Why he freeth this man rather than that let him that can search it out so great is the depth of Gods judgements but let him take heed of a downe-fall Epist 105. ad Sixtum Cur illum potius quà m illum liberet scrutetur qui potest judiciorum Dei tam magnum profundum ver untamen caveat praecipitium saith Augustine And De bone perseverant cap. 11. Cur his potiùs quà m illis detur misericodia quis cognovit sensum Domini i. Why mercie is given rather to these than to those who knew the minde of the Lord saith the same Augustine So Ambrose De voeat Gent. lib. 2. Cur illorum misertus non sit horum sit misertus nulla comprehendit ratio i. No reason doth comprehend why he should not have mercie on those and should have mercie on these Latet discretionis ratio ipsa discretio non latet i. The reason of this separation lieth hid the separation it selfe lieth not hid And so I come to that which in the last place I proposed omitting the many by-doubts touching free-will and universall grace to wit the effects and fruits of predestination 1. Christ himselfe Of he effects and fruits of predestination 1. Christ who was predestinate to be the Mediatour and Saviour of all the elect as in 1 Pet. 1.20 he was ordained before time but in the last times declared for your sakes when God did purpose to save some then did hee purpose to send his Sonne as Ioh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne c. Whence followes this conclusion Doct. That there is no meanes to glorie but by Christ Wherefore he calls himselfe the way Ioh. 14.6 What way wilt thou goe Qua vis ire ego via quò vis ire ego veritas ubi vu permanere ego vita August 10 bune locum I am the way whither wilt thou goe I am the truth where wilt thou abide I am the life A man caunot come to God by repentance but by Christ for no man commeth to the Father but by me Ioh. 14.6 a man cannot come for a blessing but by him Ioh. 14.13 The Father gives nothing but by him Ioh. 16.23 O then let everie soule that lookes for glorie embrace Christ as Zacheus did Luc. 19.6 He came downe hastily and received him joyfully let him take that babe in his armes with old Simeon and say Lord now let thy servant depart in peace c. Luk. 2.28 29. Let him fall downe and worship him and with the wise men of the East offer unto him gold Aurum sidei thies devotionis aromatapretatis mentes bumiles probos mores animos digues Deo Tom. 10. pag. 622. incense and myrrhe The gold of faith the frankincense of devotion the myrrhe of godlinesse humble mindes good manners soules worthy of God saith Augustine Let us embrace Christ