Brotherhood will last when the other will decay These we shall finde faithfull upon earth These we shall have for companions in heaven Greater and better is that fraternity saith Austin Major et melior est fraternitas Christi quam sanguinis Sanguinis enim fraternitas similitudinem tantummodo corporis resert Christi autem fraternitas unanimitatem cordis animaeque deinonstrat Illa interdum sibi mimica est Christi antem fraternitas sine intermissione pacifica est Illa inter se communia cum aemulatione dividet haec etiam cum gratulatione communicat Illa in consortio saepe despicit germanos haec assumit frequenter alienum Aug de verb. Apost ser 25. which we have in Christ then that which we have in bloud The latter carries only some bodily resemblance the former shews forth consent of heart and minde The latter sometime is at enmity with it selfe but the former is peaceable without intermission The latter divides things that are common to them with emulation the former communicates with gratulation The latter often despiseth brethren and refuseth their society the former often admits the stanger To conclude the point Brethren in religion are to be preferred before Brethren in bloud kindred in spirit before kindred in flesh A lasting consanguinity is to be prized above a vanishing an eternall affinity far above a temporary Thus have I done with St. Pauls compellation And now I come to St. Pauls application Wherein I observe Two things 1. Pauls exhortation 2. Gods vocation St. Pauls exhortation is contained in these words For look upon your calling Wherein our eyes must first be cast upon the coherence Gods foolishnesse is wiser then men for men chuse the greatest but God chuseth the meanest Where we may see plainly that Gods wayes are contrary to our wayes So much the Lord teacheth us by his Prophet Isa 55.8 9. For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts This the Lord made good in the choise of David before all his elder brethren contrary to the expectation of Samuel himself whose errour in preferring Eliab God corrects and tels him 1 Sam. 16.7 The Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart The Apostles some of them were poor fishermen and followed Christ looking at no further end but the salvation of their own souls But Gods wayes are above theirs He hath a further reach then they could aime at an higher strain then they could aspire unto His purpose is to make mean fishermen great Apostles Joh. 1.40 41. Mat. 4.19 and those that would have been fully satisfyed with the salvation of their own souls to be the means to save many thousand more Thus are they made the pillars of the Church and the fillers of heaven who before were aboundantly satisfyed if they might but fill their nets with fish and their souls with grace This one example were sufficient to make every one of us to cry out with St. Paul O the depth of the riches Rom. 11.13 both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! how unsearcheable are his judgments and his wayes past finding out Gods wisdome doth infinitely exceed ours There is a greater disproprotion between them then between a fountain that never dryes up and a standing pool whose waters are dryed up by the heat of Summer and fail when there is most need of them The wisest men have need of the counsailes of others and therefore Kings have their privy Councels One mans head though it were Solomons could not reach to all occurrents of State If it could yet must it have much time to plot and to consider which is the best way to bring things to passe Angels themselves doubtlesse accomplish not Gods will without some kinde of meditations But Gods wisdome goes beyond Men and Angels He needs no counsaile of others to direct him nor no meditations of his own to fish one thing out of another His wisdome is alwayes ready Nothing can happen so difficult but he knows what to do without counsail or study For he knew before what would be done and had determined what he would bring out of it Look now upon a wise man and see what difference is between his wayes and the wayes of a fool He tunrnes and winds the fool which way he please He overrules him in his own actions What the fool intends for his own credit he turnes to his discredit Yet he knows not certainly what the fool intends Only out of his wisdome he guesseth by words and gestures No marvell then if God who knows all our purposes before we know them our selves can turn our actions to other ends then we entend nay to contrary ones For as his wisdome and ours so his wayes and ours have an infinite disproportion and are further distant then the highest heaven from the center of the earth Gods power also goes far beyond ours Men may be potent God is omnipotent Their power is but weaknesse compared unto his God doth what he will Men do what they can When they have done what they can God goes on with the work He begins where they end and turnes all to a new end which they never dreamed of He subverteth the wayes of men by his power when he please but all the world cannot hinder him in his purposes The greatest power that men have is but a rivulet let out of the Ocean of Gods omnipotency How often hath he clean altered the course of things How often hath he crossed the undaunted expectations of the proudest of the sons of men He hath sent deliverance when naturall reason hath set nothing but destruction before mens eyes He hath defeated proud Tyrants who in their own hopes and hearts have undoubtedly eaten up and swallowed down his people like bread Thus doth God as it were play with the great affaires of the world He brings light out of darknesse darknesse out of light He raiseth such as think themselves ruined and ruins them that think themselves firmly rooted Our ends are reeds he shakes them when he please His ends are cedars we cannot reach to the top nor dive to the bottome of them His power and wisdome do conspire to shew strong men their weakness and wise men their folly by chocking their actions in the blade Gods wayes differ from ours because they are secret and unknown unto us He gives his Commandements to men but reveals not his ends and purposes to them His revealed will we have in his word to direct us his secret purpose concerning the event of all things he locks up in heaven and keeps the key himself Men that use the counsaile of others are often disappointed of their ends because their plots are revealed by them whose heads they were forced to make
pro quibus sanguinem fudit Aug. de Temp. ser 212. their hearts must not be lifted up above their Brethren Great is their power on earth yet are they Brethren in Religion and must remember that others may be as great as they in heaven The rich man must not be proud because he releeves others but remember that they are his Brethren Let the rich man saith Augustine be humble let him more rejoyce that he is a Christian man then that he is a rich man Let him not be puft up let him not lift up himself let him have an eye to his poor Brother let him not think scorne to be called the poor mans Brother For let him be as rich as he can yet Christ is richer who would have them to be his Brethren for whom he shed his bloud It is too much to insult over an enemy but too too much ambitiously to triumph over a Brother whose honour should be accounted our reputation whose disgrace should be esteemed our proper infamy Vse 3 Thirdly it cryes down all unchristian contention among Christians Our case is Abrahams case He yeelds to his nephew Lot for avoiding of quarrels Let there be no strive I pray thee Gen. 13.8 between me and thee for we be Brethren Yet we rather justifie the proverb then follow Abraham Fratrum quoque gratia rara est Ovid Met. For as with naturall Brethren so with us Brethren seldome agree Whence come so many suites about syllables about words and trifles but that we forget that we are Brethren Contention may become enemies rather then Brethren though indeed it become no man Vse 4 Fourthly the covetousness of Christians is likewise reproved Justus ac sapiens nemini injuriam facit Scit enim cunctos ab eodem Deo et eadem conditione generatos jure fraternitatis esse conjunctos Lact. l. 5. c. 23. It becomes not Brethren to oppresse one another that they may inrich themselves The just and wise mon saith Lactantius doth wrong to no man For he knows that all they who are brought forth by the same God and in the same condition are joyned together by the right of fraternity It is an unnaturall cruelty for one Brother to oppresse another Helpinâ— not hindering beseemeth Brethren Vse 5 Fifthly here are we taught commiseration and relieving the necessities of our Brethren But we with the Priest and the Levite passe by another way when our brethren are in misery Luk. 10.31 and leave pity for the Samaritane We know not how to pity others but all our compassion terminates in our selves When will he have pity on his brethren Quando compatâ—etur fratâ—â— qui in propria voluntate nesâ—â—â— compati ni si sibi Ber. de res Dom. ser 2. who by his own good will knows not how to pity any body but himself saith Bernard The Divine should pity other mens afflicted consciences as he would pity his own The Lawyers should be as tender over other mens causes as if they were their own and plead with as much earnestness in other mens suites as if their own inheritance lay at the stake Fratribus nostris inter quos vivimus ipso jure fraternitatiset societatis humanae consiâ—iâ— sumus et auxilii debitores Ber. de advent Domi. â—er The Physitian should have a fellow-feeling of other mens pains and cure their diseases with as much tendernesse as he would cure his own For we are brethren To our brethren among whom we live we owe both counsell and help by the very right of brotherhood and humane society this was Bernards judgment In our Brethren we have the image of God to behold Hast thou thou seen thy Brother saith Clemens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Str. l. 1. thou hast seen thy God And would any man suffer his God to want Our Saviour presseth us to compassion with this argument Mat. 25.40 In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my Brethren ye have done it unto me Brethren we are then in Christ and Christ accounts what pity we shew to others to be shewed to himself And what stronger incouragement can any man have to commiseration Vse 6 Sixtly we must seek for the glory of our family and for the prosperous estate of the Church of God because we are Brethren This was Davids affection to Sion Psal 122.8 For my brethren and companions sake I will now say Peace be within thee By this means the house of Austria grew to their greatnesse They did all with joynt forces seek to maintain the glory of their house So must we The Magistrate must remember that his subjects are his Brethren and may be right dear and precious in the sight of God and so must guide them in a pleasing and cheerfull fashion The Ministers must not be flatterers of great men to sooth them in their oppressing of meaner persons but studious of Gods glory and seek for the publick benefit of the Church The people must be obedient to the Magistrate as to one of their own race set up by God for the raising of the whole house They must also be perswaded by the Minister as by an elder Brother appointed by the Lord for the instruction of the whole houshold They that throw stones in at the windowes strike at the master of the family They that oppose superiours Ecclesiasticall or Politicall strike at God himself who hath committed their authority to them They seek not the good of the family but the ruine of it while they goe about to disjoynt it Vse 7 Sevently false Brethren come here to be arraigned who seek for the title of Brethren but carry not themselves like to Brethren Some there are that are false to their Father as the Papists who boast of the Church and triumph in their Mothers title but are idolatrous and dishonour their Father Others are false to their Mother as they of the Separation who boast of God their Father but cast the foulest aspersions they can upon the Church their Mother wherein they were begotten to God even themselves being Judges yet since they have forsaken and reviled her Others are false to their Brethren as Hypocrites who bear a great shew of zeal to God and love to the Church but seek underhand to pull down the forwardest of their brethren Such were the Pharisees who seemed zealous to the people but sought underhand to pull down Christ and his Apostles St. Paul concludes with these as with the most perilous of all his perils 2 Cor. 11.26 I have been in perils among false Brethren Such the Church of God hath ever had upon earth and will have ever till it come in heaven Vse 8 Lastly although we must love our Brethren according to the flesh yet our greatest affection must be reserved for our spirituall Brethren All Davids delight was in the Saints these he accounts the excellent of the earth Psal 16.3 This
earthly Apostleship Peter and Paul are elected to be Apostles in this world and Saints in a better This difference I mention by the way that such as are not elected to honourable imployments in Church or Common-wealth may not be discouraged they may be elected to eternall happinesse in heaven In the warres all that are chosen to be Souldiers are not chosen to be Captains In the Church all that are chosen to be Saints in the Churches are not chosen to be Angels of the Churches Revel 2.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Each Church hath many Saints yet but one Angell All that are chosen to be golden candlestickes are not chosen to be starres Revel 1.20 The builder among many stones chuseth one to be a corner stone Video etiam ex electis seligi aliquos ad aliquid majus atque praestantius sicut in militia cum tyrones electi fuerint ex his quoque cliguntur ad opus aliquod majus armorum Et cum eliguntur in Ecclesia qui fiantâ— praepositi non utique caeteri reprobantur cum omnes boni fideles electi merito nuncupentur Elâ—guntur in aedificio lapides angulares non reprobatis caeteris qui structurae partibus allis deputantur Eliguntur uvae ad vescendum nec reprobamus alias quas relinquimus ad bâ— bendum Aug. de civ Dei lib. 7. c. 1. but layes by many first not to shut them out of the building but to reserve them to a convenient place The bunch of grapes that is not pulled with the hand of the passenger to eat is not cast away by the Master of the Vineyard but kept to make wine to drink In Gods Vineyard many that are not preferd before may expect their preferment at the vintage Those that are not rulers of the Church may be members of the Church If the ear shall say 1 Cor. 12.16 Because I am not the eye I am not of the body is it therefore not of the body It often happens in the Church as it doth in the body 1 Cor. 12.23 that lesse honoured members have more abundant honour put upon them and finde it by experience in the end that election to eternall goes beyond all temporall honours But what have I to do with uncertain offices upon earth my thoughts must follow St. Peter and mount up to election that leads to everlasting happinesse Such an election there is and it is well for them that are elected that there is such an one how ere it goe with others Kings Princes Judges upon earth have offices and honours to bestow upon their favourites These they bestow upon whom they please they deny to whom they list and no man cals them to account for either Shall that liberty be denyed to God that is granted to Gods deputies upon earth Shall any man question God for giving or denying that sees men give and deny every day without a reason When I look upon the face of such as are elected I know not how to deny an election They are foolish they are mean they are feeble The world chuseth the wise and refuseth the foolish takes the great and puts by the mean accepts the strong regards not the weak Surely such as these could never be so highly advanced were it not for Gods chusing them before greater personages Where is their nobility Where is their dexterity of apprehension and deepnesse of understanding Where is their martiall fortitude and rare exploits of war They that have these are refused they that want these are received This cannot be without an absolute and free election Cast your eyes aside now a while look off Gods elect and view their children Compare Ishmael with Abraham Esau with Isaac Absalom and Ammon with David How unlike are these children to these parents If their parents bad got their free dome by their service they would have pleaded the custome of the City to make their children free Their children are partakers of their nature but not of their grace The purest wheat cast in the ground brings forth corn full of chaffe and darnell He that considers the corn mingled with trash and compares it with the pure seed cast into the ground must needs conclude the seed was not so clean by nature else would this have been so too but it was purifyed by the sowers labour In like sort he that sees the wickednesse of Absalom and compares it with the goodnesse of David will be forced to confesse that Davids good came not from Ishaies seed but from Gods election Lastly consider the corrupt estate of all men by nature and see if any man can come to God without election We are the best of us too much corrupted by nature to repent of our selves Gods choise therefore must make the difference Man is a creature that wanders from his Creatour Quid est homo Aberrans a creatâ—re creatura nisi creator ejus memor sit â—ius et eligat cum gratis et diligat gratis quia non potest eligere vel diligere nisi prius electus dâ—lâ—ctusque curetur qui caeâ—itate eligenda non cernit et languore diligenda fastidit Aug. de Temp. ser 223. unlesse his Creatour be mindfull of him and chuse him freely and love him freely because be can neither chuse nor love except he be first elected beloved and healed who by reason of his blindnesse discernes not what is to be chosen and by reason of his weaknesse loathes what is to be beloved Truely and deeply observed by St. Augustine Deo duce venitur ad Deum Pros de voc gent. l. 1. c. 24. Prosper sutably God must be his guide that comes to God I conclude the point with his authority that goes beyond both Augustines and Prospers John 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him Marke this I beseech you you that scoffe and deride at election and at those whose greatest comfort is that they have the eternall testimony of Gods Spirit that they are elected Your scoffes may keep you from sanctification but cannot deprive them of their expectation This is their greatest comfort Take life and goods and all only let them quietly enjoy the perswasion of Gods election and they are well No marvail if men scoffe at election when they are taught a mock-election Many maintain anâ— election that is no election and teach a choise without choise What did it profit Saul to boast 1 Sam. 15.14 I have performed the commandement of God when the sheep and oxen open their mouthes and stop his What will it profit these men to cracke of election when they â—verthrow all absolute and free choise 〈◊〉 may be this charge is too loud to â—me out of my mouth it will sound â—tter in the words of Augustine and â—oid the imputation of novelty â—hose that acknowledge no other â—ection but out of works or faith â—reseen let them heare St. Augustines â—om You
but are pretched and miserable poor and blind Revel 3.17 and â—aked meer luke-warme Laodiceans â—ime-serving formall Hypocrites These â—re born in fin and live in sin and die 〈◊〉 fin The riches of Gods grace they â—ave no share of they are but baptized Simon Magusses Act. 8.21 They have neither part â—or lot in this matter for their heart is not â—ight in the sight of God Others have â—pirituall treasure but they know it â—ot They vex themselves for want of â—pprehending that favour which they â—ave They live as uncomfortably in â—he midst of grace as covetous men in â—he midst of riches These say with â—saph Hath God forgotten to be gracious Psal 77.9 â—ath he in anger shut up his tender mercies These pray with David Psal 51.8 Make me to â—ear joy and gladnesse that the bones â—hich thou hast broken may rejoyce Others have the riches of Gods grace and â—now they have it These are full of â—by as well as grace examples of â—heerfulnesse and carefulnesse patterns â—f piety and alacrity These sing with David Psal 4.8 We will both lay us down in peace and sleep for thou Lord only makest uâ—dwell in safety These ride in triumphâ— over all worldly things with St. Paul We are perswadâ—d Rom. 8.38 39. that neither death nâ—â— life nor Angels nor principalities nâ— powers nor things present nor things tâ— come nor height nor depth nor any otheâ— creature shall be able to separate us from thâ— love of God which is in Christ Jesus ouâ— Lord. The first condition is miserable The second is uncomfortable The third is admirable To those of the first condition I say no more but let them pray to be delivered out of their unhappinesse Those of the third sort I advise to praise God for their happinesse But those of the second estate whosâ— comfort is the scope of these meditations I must endevour to perswadâ— to the fruition of spirituall contentednesse Set before your eyes some worldly Nabal whose inheritance is called in question See how he plots in hiâ— mind goes to the Scriveners consult with the Lawyers spends his money wasts his time to amend those errour that have tainted his Evidences Suppose in me you hear St. Peter exhorting you to use the same diligence to assure your eternall inheritance We are Gods labourers Cor. 3.9 we are Gods building The builder first layes a foundation then raises the walles and lastly secures the whole building against all tempests with a roof So must I lay a foundation in explication build up the wals with observation and secure all with application Use diligence The Greek word is originally derived from a word that signifies to make haste 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diligence is neither slow nor slothfull The weight of the matter requiring hast commands diligence The cure of spirituall distractions is â—ot to be deferred No time is to be â—eglected when the rents of the soul â—re to be repaired Scruples of conâ—cience must be suddainly removed They are not worth house room 〈◊〉 green wound is easily healed but â—ime alone is sufficient to make it inâ—urable Those scruples that at first â—ight have been easily blasted in proâ—â—sse of time may grow to such a flame that no water can quench them Health encreaseth by labour but wounds and sicknesse grow by idlenesse Haste therefore and diligence are requisite where pangs of conscience are to be removed To make your calling Calling puts us in minde how wâ— come by all our happinesse We aâ—â— born miserable our preferment come from heaven Judges are men by birthâ— and Judges by calling men from their parents Judges from theiâ— prince So we have our naturall part from our parents our spirituall grace from God And election This word not only notes an accepting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but also a picking or chusinâ— of some out of the midst of others 〈◊〉 the same nature So the gardner pick one flower to smell to and leave many as good So the Gentlemaâ— walking in his orchyard gathers oâ—â— apple to eat and leaves many growinâ— on the same tree So God freely pickâ— out some vessels for honour and leaves others of the same stampe in that earthly and miserable state wherein he found them Sure Make it firme or established The house that totters must be ript up and repaired till it stand fast against all winds So must the soul that wavers be established with Gods promises against all assaults of Satan There must be no room left for doubting in time to come Let us now paraphrase a little the words of St. Peter Imagine you heard him speaking thus I know you are men as well as Christians You have many worldly cares for this life but let your greatest care be for the life to come The Devill will set fiercely upon your vocation and plant his greatest Ordinance against your election Neglect you no opportunity to make up the breaches that Satan may not reenter Leave not the worke begun till it be finished Leave no place for doubting God hath elected you and called you to grace and glory Labour to assure your title to the end And thus much for exposition The builder that hath reared up his house without comes after to look within and proportions it unto divers rooms for the pleasure of the beholder and the profit of the dweller So must I lead you from the outside of my text to view the severall chambers within this spatious building for the profit and the comfort of your souls This beautifull tree affords unto us these fruitfull branches for heavenly meditations 1. That there is an election 2. That there is a vocation depending upon it and answerable to it 3. That this election and vocation are of particular persons 4. That both of them may be uncertain to them that have interest in both 5. That they may be made certain 6. That the way to make them certain is by diligence Who would not then use all diligence to make his calling and election sure For the first There is an election The Scripture mentions the elected and the Elector hand in hand in many places Our Saviour Christ joynes them Shall not God avenge his own elect Luk. 18.7 St. Paul followes his Masters steps Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Rom. 8.33 The like testimony he gives the Thessalonians as well as the Romans Knowing brethren beloved your election of God 1 Thess 1.4 The book of God affords unto us a twofold divine election Some God chooseth to glorious offices in this world some to eternall glory in the world to come Judas was chosen to be an Apostle on earth but not to be a Saint in heaven Christ puts him into the one but shuts him out of the other Have not I chosen twelve of you Joh. 6.70 1 Thess 1.4 and one of you is a Devill The Thessalonians are ordained to heavenly glory not to
we are the children of God St. Peters coherence intimates so much unto us that there is away to put all out of question He told us before of a chaine of grace tokens of salvation Wherefore the rather saith he give diligence to make your calling and election sure As if the Apostle should have said I would not perswade you to this diligence to make your election sure if I did not know there were certain and infallible tokens of election whereby it may be known but now seeing there are such certain notes though otherwise you might be negligent yet let me now perswade you the rather to diligence in making your election sure Next the Apostles command in the text to make it sure shews that there is a way for such as have grace to be assured of it The Apostle writes by the Spirit of God to whom all Spirits ought to be subject He urgeth it also as a matter very necessary for our own profit and comfort Doubtlesse then there is a way to secure it Adde unto this the promises of God elsewhere made by the mouth of our blessed Saviour Mat. 7.7 Aske and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you Now what have we more need to aske then the confirmation of our eternall election What have we more reason to seek for then the perswasion of our internall vocation What have we more to knock at heaven gates for then assurance to be let in there when we are shut out here So that Gods promise assures us a way to make our calling sure Lastly consider the examples of those that have attained to this assurance Take St. 2 Tim. 4.8 Paul for one Hencefore there is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse But St. Paul was an Apostle had been rapt up into the third heaven and might very well know by revelation what would become of him So were not they whom St. John writes unto and yet they knew their own happy condition also 1 Joh. 4.13 We know that we dwell in him and he in us And presently after V. 16. We have known and believed the love that God hath to us And in the Chapter before 1 Joh. 3.14 We know that we have passed from death to life St. John joynes the rest with him in this assurance Heb. 6.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That have salvation or are joyned to it The Hebrewes had in them things that accompany salvation and could not be divided from it Take the testimony of Macarius also They that are anointed with the spirituall oil of gladnesse have received a signe of that incorruptible Kingdome to wit Qui spirituali exuliationis oleo uncti sunt signum regni illius incorruptibilis recepere sc spiritum sanctum arrhabonem Secretarti sunt regis coelestis ac freti siducia Omnipotentis palatium ejus unpredâ—untur abi sunt angeli et spiritus sanctorum quamvis adhuc sint in hoc nundo Licet enim integram haereditatem sibi in illo seculo praeparatam nondum adierint certissimi tamen sunt ex arrhabone quem modo receperunt ac si jam coronati essent et regni clavem tenerint Macar Hom. 17. Gods Spirit for an earnest They are the Secretaries of the heavenly King and relying confidently upon the Almighty they enter into his palace where the Angels and the Spirits of holy men are although they be yet in this world For although they be not yet come to the entire inheritance which is prepared for them in that world yet they are most sure of it by that pledge which they have newly received as sure as if they were already crowned and had the key of the Kingdome in their own possession I will conclude the point with the testimony of an Emperour Constantine in his oration to the Fathers assembled in the Councell of Nice as Gelasius reporteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gelas Act. concil Nic. lib. 2. cap. 7. speaks thus The hope of the happinesse to come we do not only expect but as it were in some sort we have it hear already Worthily spoken and as became a Christian Emperour Woe then to the carelesse worldling who seeks to make sure the possession of his lands and goes to the Assurance office for his goods at Sea he hides his wealth and carefully layes up his treasure that it may not be stolne but takes no care at all to assure his election or calling to eternall happinesse If they could not be made certain he were to be excused but seeing there is a way to do it his negligence is inexcusable He hath preferd his wealth before his soul earth before heaven gold before God misery before happinesse He must expect Simon Magus doom Thy money perish with thee Act 8.20 He hath neglected his soul while he lives and God will refuse it when he dies The great mercy of God to us here also appears We had deserved eternal condemnation It had been abundanâ— mercy in God to bring us to heaven though we had gone through a kindâ— of hell here We had been happy in the end though we had been miserable in the way But God hath been pleased to give us not only heaven after this life but the assurance of it in this life Thus are we happy here under the certain hope of happinesse hereafter Our joyes are begun in this world that will be perfected but never be ended in the world to come Praise God then for thy happinesse begun on earth till thou enjoy thy endlesse happinesse in heaven We must now ascend one step higher to the means to assure us of our election and vocation and then we are at the highest till we come to heaven 6. The way to make our calling and election sure is by diligence It is no easie labour to assure so great happinesse There is need of much diligence to settle us in a full perswasion of our election and vocation Heb. 6.11 We desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end There is no growth in any art or science without great diligence and growth is our study and the end of our labour So in the conclusion of this Epistle 2 Pet. 3.17 18. Beware ye fall not from your own stedfastnesse but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ There is need of diligence 1. To know Ad sciendum For the signes of election are many and are not easily known Much diligence must be used to understand the Scriptures where these tokens are scattered None of them can be spared though they be many because we have many temptations to unsettle us A ruinous house the more props it hath the faster it stands The more notes of election the soul understands the better it holds out against Satans wiles 2. To examine Ad