A SERMON PREACHED at Paules Crosse the 9. of Iune 1605. Vpon the 20. of the Reuelation the 12. vers treating of these seuerall heads 1. Of the Resurrection of the Flesh 2. Of the Iudgement of the quicke and dead 3. Of the Communion of Saints 4. Of Euerlasting life By Samuell Gardnier Doct. of Diuinitie LONDON Printed for Edward VVhite and are to be solde at the little North-doore of Saint Paules Church at the Signe of the Gun 1605. TO THE RIGHT HONOrable and vertuous Lady Jane Lady Barkley wife to Henry Lord Barkley IN the full affiance I haue in the Lordes mercie which made this poore Sermon welcome to so many eares being preached that hee will direct it to the common comfort being now presented to their eyes printed the importunitie of many of my good friends had successe with me I consecrate it most Honorable Lady vnto you in token of duetie towards you for your great Loue by which I am enabled to labour in this sort and indeede to liue Gods blessing be vpon it and vpon you Your Honors Chaplaine SAMVEL GARDNIER Reuelat. 20. Vers 12 ¶ And J sawe the dead both great and small stand before God and the Bookes were opened and an other Booke was opened which is the Booke of Life and the dead were iudged of those thinges which were written in the Bookes according to their workes HEere is cluster and multiplicitie of Christian Catechisme as including and concluding these foure Articles of the catholique faith 1. The resurrection of the flesh touched in the standing of the dead before God 2. The iudgement of the quicke and the dead noted in the opening of the Bookes out of which they haue the sentence of iudgement reade them 3. The Communion of Saints 4. Euerlasting life not obscurely insinuated by the other booke entitled The Booke of life heere spoken of This sentence is an absolute descriptiō of the iudgement wherin we haue these circumstāces 1. The persons standing in the iudgement to bee tryed All. 1 Greate 2. Small of what note marke soeuer they be 2. The manner of trial proceeding with them by the billes of enditement found out against thē in the opening the bookes 3. The doome definitiue of double nature 1. Absolution 2. Condemnation according to the propertie and condition of their workes The precedencie is an introduction to this which telleth vs the person of the iudge in the immediate verse before which is Christ the Sonne of God the Sonne of man John 5.22 to whome all the iudgement is committed by the father being the predestinate man by whome he will iudge the world in righteousnes Act. 17.31 whose maiestie is there depicted vnto vs in his orient colours answerable in effect to that which Augustine saith videbitur terribilis qui visus est contemptibilis demonstrabit potentiam qui demonstrauit patientiam He shall be seene terrible that hath bene seene contemptible and he shall manifest his power as hee hath shewed his patience And thus I pretermit the purport of the premises with this sentence of monition giuen you out of Augustin August in Psal 66. Deut se corrigendos dent se dirigendos ei qui videt iudicandos Let them yeeld to be corrected let them yeeld to be directed to him that one day shall see them all detected That which is first in nature is heere handled first in order the learning of the resurrectiō the fore runner of the iudgement the consequents thereof taught in the verie entrie in these wordes I sawe the dead both great and small stand before God The resurrection is the hand that holdeth vp religiō by the head the life and soule of it the first stone that we are to lay in our spiritual building or rather the foundation that beareth vp the building the anker of our hope the certaintie of our saluation called by Tertullian Ianua regni caelestis The doore whereat wee enter into the Kingdome of heauen the Godly therby going to the ioyes the wicked to the tormēts prepared for them the referēce of our faith by the same Godly Father Fiducia Christianorum est resurrectio mortuorum Our Christian expectation is the corporall resurrection which is grounded on the Doctrine of Saint Paul who bringeth in bundles of reasons for it by order of iust consequence thus If there were no resurrection 1. Then were our preaching vaine 1. Cor. 1◠1. 2. Your faith of none effect 3. VVee should be found false witnesses 4. The dead were quite vndone 5. VVe were yet in our sinnes 6. Of all men Christians were most miserable As if he shold haue said take away the resurrection and take away altogeather our preaching your beleeuing burne the Bible throw downe pulpits lay our churches euen with their foundations play the Epicures belli-gods and liue as ye list For the Bookes are found lyars the Prophets Apostles haue fed vs with fables they are as Fountains dryed vp But our foundations are in the holy hilles and not in the valleies of humane reasons we know what wee beleeue and wee lay stedfast holde of the resurrection of faith towards Christ Psal 3.21 VVho shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able euen to subdue all thinges vnto himselfe But yet there is more oppugnation and insurrection against this sweete Article of the resurrection then against any parcell of Diuinitie beside the deuill and his blacke guard bending and banding themselues against this withall the might and mallice that they can 1. By Gentils 2. By Iewes without and within the Liberties of the Church Without by the Peripatecians and almost al the broode of Brainsicke Philosophers and schoole of Epicures among whome heere what Seneca Seneca ad Martiam one of the best of that bunch saith Mors omnium solutio est et finis extra quam mala nostra non exeant Death is the Period and determination of al things beyond which they cannot goe And he standeth to reason it and maintaine it in this wise Quo modo potest miser esse qui nullus est How can he be a wretched man that is no man But there are in the Church that speake proudlye and peruersly against this excellent Diuinity eyther marring it altogether or which is little better making it in their owne moulds casting cloudes fume vpō the cleare light of the Scriptures making a spiritual resurrection cōsisting in our renuāce regeneration Such were the Sadduces among the Iewes put to a non plus Mat. 22.33 and silence by our Sauiour Such were Hymeneus and Philetus while the Apostles liued taught among them taxed by saint Paul in his letter to Timothee 2. Tim. 2 1◠Such were the Athenians verie troublesome to the same Apostle no sooner he touched this text of the resurrection how be it they heard him willingly the forepart of the
amanuenses registers Scriueners to make enrolmēt of thē For as he numbreth the stars calleth thē al by their names as he keepeth tale of the haires of our head so as not one of thē fal away frō vs without his foreknowledge as his prouidēce stretcheth it self to the hādful of meale of the womā of zarepthah to the pitcher of oyle of the preachers widow to the fal of a sparrow frō the house top to the cloathing of the lilleis grasse of the field to the prouission of the young Rauens that call vpon him so much more keepeth hee a Kalender of our dooings and setteth our secret sins in the sight of his countenance Thus Metaphoricallie in this sence are Bookes giuen to God the spirit heere alluding to the custome of the wise to Princes Vniuersities Merchants Maisters of families and such like Princes vse to haue a bill of the names of such as appertaine vnto them that they may knowe what number they haue how to prouide for them in time So the Lord hath his court in heauen to which he hath not chosen al but some before the foundations of the worlde were laide Now the number and names of such he keepeth in as sure and sweet remembrance as if hee had put them into writing Tables for the purpose As God said to Moses I know thee by thy name Exo. 35.12 as Christ saith of himself to the Church Iohn 10.3 He calleth his owne sheepe by name else where Luk. 10.20 willing them to reioyce because their names were written in heauē Vniuersities doe the like when they admitte any into their corporation they cataloguize their names Merchants and Houshoulders serue their memories in matters of moment by notes that they keepe of them So this is the reason and cause of the Metaphor and the signification of the Bookes so often remembred in diuine learning Gods minde therfore is his book the Tables of our hearts are the writing Tables aswel as parchmēt skrolles wherein are thinges engrossed The omniscience of God is the writing it selfe Things are said to be written in a booke that is in the sacred secrets of his brest as he knoweth them altogether We finde three bookes giuen to God in the Scriptures 1. One is of his Prouidence foreknowledge of all things before euer they were 2. Another is of the iudgement 3. The other is of life The sweete singer of Israel saith Thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect Psal 139.16 and in thy booke were all my members written which day by day were facioned when as yet there was none of them There is the first booke of his prouidence foreknowledge 2. The second which is the book of iudgement hath two Tomes or volumes 1. The first is his vnderstanding of all our workes and wordes according to which hee will award Iudgement in the day of iudgement so as this is insteed of a rolle in Gods hand wherein the names of all delinquents are set downe and the qualitie of their dooings 2. The other Tome is the booke of euerie ones conscience which shall performe testimonie to things done and vndone which may also bee entitled the booke of life that is of this life which diuine operation in the conscience accusing or excusing scientia conscientiam the knowledge the conscience hath the name of a booke because in that in a manner is read whatsoeuer by the agent hath bene hid 3. The third book is inscribed the booke of life that is of Gods predestination to eternal life which is begun in this life by our stedfast faith in Christ according to the words of Christ Hee that beleeueth in me hath eternal life that is the inchoation first fruits therof after death it must haue consummation perfectiō So the book of life is a register or role in the Lords right hād of the names of such as are preordinated to euerlasting life whom God will alwaies acknowledge to be his Iohn 13.8 2. Tim. 1.19 as our Sauiour saith I knowe whom I haue chosen as St. Paule saith The Lord knoweth who are his This book is oftē spokē of in the scriptures as by Moses Exo. 32.32 when he saith Rase me out of thy book which thou hast written Psal 69.29 By Dauid Let thē be put out of the book of life not be writtē among the righteous By Isaiah he shal be called holy Isai 4.3 that shal be written among the liuing in Ierusalem Ezech. 13.9 By Ezechiel They shal not be written in the writings of the house of Israel By Daniel Dan. 12.1 Euery one shal be deliuered that shal be found written in the book The new Testament doth often intreate of it Luk. 10.20 Christ toucheth it saying Reioyce because your name is written in heauen that is in the book of life Phil. 4.3 so doth Paule when he saith I beleeue thee faithful yoake-fellow helpe those women which laboured with me in the Gospel with Clemēt also with other my fellow labourers whose names are in the book of life so doth the spirit elsewhere in the Reuelatiō There shal enter in it no vncleane thing Reuela 21.27 neither whatsoeuer worketh abhominatiō 〈…〉 Now these bookes shal be opened that is the Lord whose fiery eyes of his omnisciēce peirceth al things that holdeth the ball of the worlde in his hands and keepeth a perfect reckoning of our doings shal set euery ones seueral sinne in his sight And this diuine power shal smite open the doores of our cōsciences which shal cal to remēbrāce our forepassed misdeeds conuict condemne them For there is a booke that is writtē in our hearts which is of the workes of the law the Lord hauing imprinted in thē the notiōs of thē as naturally enduing the verye heathens with iudgement to deuide good from euill to discerne betweene thinges honest and dishonest that no man might hold vp for his defence the target of ignorāce This we shall soone perceiue by our cursory conference of the ten cōmaundements with their politick sanctions 1. Of the first which teacheth that there is a God whom we al stād bound to worship the Orator Cicero saith Cicero Legibus Nulla gens tam sera nulla tam barbara natio in quibus non misideat deorum opinio There is no natiō so wilde and barbarous that is not perswaded that there is a God The Athenians did set vp an Alter Ignoto Deo the vnknowne God Protagoras Act. 17. Abderites that said VVhether there be Gods or no I haue nothing to say was by the Athenians banished for it 2. To the second which is an inhibition of Idolatry the Persians gaue consent who as Strabo writeth 〈…〉 abhomination burned and destroyed their Temples and their Images Cornelius Tacitus storyeth it of the auncient Germaines that they held it verie vnbeseeming the heauenly Maiestie to mure him vp within
of this as it is of two sortes 1. The first is a wrighting in opinion and not indeede the iudgement of the faithfull which is led by charitie being led blind-folde by the Hypocrisie of many who make shewes of Godlynes vse strange fallacies betweene the Temple and the Alter to the enchauntment of their soules as staring vp with their eyes eleuating their hands smiting of their brests hanging downe their heads wagging their lippes sighing weeping and looking demurely with many such mockeries which easily coozen credulous charitable Christians But howsoeuer these haue a name that they liue the courtesie of Christians making the best construction of their painted profession and wrighting them in the Church booke they are not indeede in the wrightings of the house of Israel or in the legend of the liuing For the Lord will strippe them of these vaine shewes and bewray their hollowe hearts and discouer all their knauerie 2. The second sort is vncreated prescience and eternall foreknowledge by which he acknowledgeth and hath acknowledged those whom he hath preordinated to be his Of this saith Augustine Liber iste apertus non admonet deum qui sunt sernandi sed predestinationem eorum significat quibus aeterna dabitur vita Neque enim nescit eos Deus aut in hoc libro legit vt sciat sed potius ipsa eius praescientia de illis quae falli non potest liber est vite in quo sit scripti id est praecognitj This booke that is opened doth not learne God who are to bee saued but it signifieth the predestination of such to whome eternal life shall be giuen Neyther are they vnknowne to God neyther readeth hee in this booke to knowe them but rather his very foreknowledge it selfe of theÌ„ which caÌ„not be deceiued is the booke of life in which they are written that is to say foreknowne Now heere we are to open the vaine of the liuelyest and sweetest question in the Bible VVhether hee whose name is once entred into the booke of life may euer be blotted out that is whether an elect childe of God caÌ„ euer be a reprobate Our answere is negatiue that he caÌ„not the affirmatiue part is most detestable diuelish True faith doth not know what this meaneth to houer between hope feare as the Rauen ouer the Arke between heauen earth Our faith layeth holde vpon the omnipotencie of God as being in security of his wil it being ours by promises before the best witnesses in heaueÌ„ earth vnder the wrighting of his haÌ„d the seale of the blood of the Lambe whatsoeuer hee would haue vs beleeue hee hath liberallie promised of his owne accord which hee would neuer haue done had hee not minded to stand to his bargaine and to be as good as his word But let vs carrie away the cause from euerie gaine-sayer by the power and strong hand of argument Of the iust saith the Psalmist 1. ArgumeÌ„t salme 1. His leafe shall not fade as a tree planted by the right hand of God and ingrafted into the stocke Christ Iesus he so ordering their goings as they shall not turne aside to vngodly counsailes to the waies of the wicked or take vp the seate chaire of the scorneful The Prophet Isaiah speaking of the kingdome of Christ which is the church saith 2. ArgumeÌ„t Isai 9.7 He shal sit vpon his kingdome to order it and to stablish it with iudgemeÌ„t and Iustice from hence foorth euen for euer But this justice is established by faith in the regenerate by which we stand 1. Cor. 1. yea by which we liue Aba 2 If this be out of crie true of the whole church it cannot but be verified of euery singular member therof Ieremie pleasureth vs with as plaine a place as can be saying I wil put my feare in their hearts 3. Argumâ—â— Ier. 32.40 that they Shal not depart from me This so satisfied Augustine as he often to this purpose produceth it Hosea singeth the selfe same song taking his text from the Lordes owne mouth 4. Argumâ—â— Hose 2.19 I wil marry thee vnto me for euer in righteousnes I wil marry thee vnto mee in faithfulnes This Sermon is made to all the elect And the reason staÌ„deth thus Christ knitteth the indissoluble marriage knot with the Church faith being the marriage ring that ioyneth theÌ„ Therfore those whome hee hath thus conioyned to himselfe who shall put a sunder The Lord by the mouth of the Prophet Amos saith 5. Argumâ—â— Amos. 9 1â— I will plant thee vpon their land and they shall bee no more pulled vp againe out of their land The plaÌ„ts are the elect the plot wherein they are planted is the church as ingrafted into Christ they are planted therein by a true and liuely faith Now to these is this promise made they shall be no more pulled vp The Church is founded vpon a Rocke 6. ArgumeÌ„t Math. 7. which all the driuings of tempests cannot stirre that is the machinations of the deuil and all his darlings Hell gates shall not preuaile against this Rocke 7. Argume Math. 16. 8. Argum. Iohn 6.37 It is Christs saying All that the Father giueth mee shall come to me and him that commeth to me I cast not away For this is the will of my Father that sent mee that of all which he hath giuen mee I should lacke nothing but should raise it vp againe at the last day Here is the whole forme structure of our saluation and the compasse and dimensions of it For whereas the father hath giuen vs all to Christ 1. Heere is our election So that we holde of Christ as in Capite our mediator in whome wee were chosen before the ground-worke of the world was laide And whereas those that are thus giuen cannot bee kept from him but must come vnto him 2. There is our effectuall and liuely vocation our comming to Christ being by the feete of our faith nowe in that it is added that such as come vnto him he wil not cast away 3. There is our justification and the gift of perseuerance in Christ The conclusion I will raise him vp againe at the last day 4. Is the hand that pointeth at our glorification Vpon the former wordes of Christ 9. ArgumeÌ„s Rom. 8.29 the Apostle Paul paraphraceth in this wise Those whome he knew before he also predestinate and whome he predestinate them also he called and whome he called them also he justified and whom he justified them also he glorified which are the foure ringes and linckes of one chaine that are impartible let down from heauen to draw vs vp thither 1. The first is our predestination to life in Christ 2. The second is our effectual calling to Christ 3. The third is our Iustification by Christ 4. The fourth is our glorification with Christ The last cannot be brokeÌ„ from the first nor the first from the last wherefore it is impossible the predestinate should
to their young ones are but light shaddowes and resemblances thereof they are not equall rules and measures of it The mercie of God is the mother that conceiueth vs the nurse that feedeth vs and that which shall keepe vs for euer and euer saith Cassiodorus 2. It is also caution prouision against rash iudgement it is the vse and applycation the Apostle maketh of it in two places 1. Cor. 4.3 as when he saith Iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lord come who lighten things that are hid in darknes and make the counsels of the heart manifest Ro. 14.10 Againe VVhy doest thou iudge thy Brother for we must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ To God onely appertaineth the iudgement and the iudiciall seate he keepeth onely to himselfe wherefore Christ saith Iudgement is mine Wherefore what a presumption is this for the prisoner that must stand at the Barre to be iudged to take the roome on the bench that belongeth vnto the Iudge the Lord wil be sure to recompence this saucines with retaliation of iudgemēt as he insinuateth in this his cautiō Iudge not ye shal not be iudged But this is the common disease of our nature and as kinde vnto vs as the skinne that we carrie about vs we wil giue iudgemēt of a mans inclination if wee but see his outward behauionr and action As if he looketh downeward wee will note him for an Hypocrite If vpward wee conclude him to bee proud If silēt too seuere if somewhat pleasant talkatiue to be too remisse If somewhat frugal too couetous if somewhat liberal too careles if somewhat costly in apparrel too lasciuious if somewhat familiar a flatterer if somewhat graue stoical There was a fellowe shot his fooles bolte at Pompey and argued him of effeminate nature for hee scratched his head forsooth with one of his fingers that was the luxate logique to conclude it This Hydra doth more hurt then any one can diuine yea euen in the church among vs while he that is formall taketh the other side to be too peeuish and those that would reforme take vs to be too Popish For my part I shal iudge of them in loue and if they shall iudge of vs according to their lusts I shall leaue them to their lusts to contend with them wee haue no such custome nor the church of God we will not take vp the Lordes peculiar Chayre which hee hath in the hearts and the reynes of men In many things we sinne all the Lord be mercifull vnto vs all 3. It traineth vs to the timely reuerence and feare of the name of the Lord and to giue him his glorie the spirituall learning deducted from the iudgement which the Angell giueth vs. Feare God and giue glory to him for the houre of his iudgement is come For be our sinewes neuer so hooped about with iron and our hearts harder then the neither most milstone the hāmer of Gods iudgemēt wil break mollifie them or else there is no Iron instrument in the worlde can doe it The Cananites were as contumacious a people as any vnder the Sunne yet the comming of Moses Ioshua the people of Israel in military maner so perplexed apalled thē as their hearts melted in their bellies as waxe before the Sun And shall not the cōming of the great Iehouah riding vpon the heauēs as vpon an horse flying with the wings of the winde like a man of war putting on the habergeon swoord of justice which shal thē be dronken with blood in heauen more strike vs out of heart take our spirits from vs Elias his comming to the Priestes of Baal was their stupefaction destruction wherefore Christ his comming in wrath and indignation his face burning and his lippes full of indignation must needes haue a more terrible operation in vs. Psalme 18 If the earth trembleth and quaketh and the mightie foundations of the hilles shake be remooued because he is wrath how shall hee not rend asunder the foundations of our hearts and make them to stacker like a drunken man when hee shall come to execute the furiousnesse of his wrath Math. 2. If Herod Ierusalem were so trobled at the birth of Christ what an intricate maze of miseries troubles shall encircle the wicked in that great day when he shall come to iudgement Exod. 17. If the thunder clappes and fire flashes on Mount Sinai when the Law was published so quelled all the people as they crouched vnto Moses and besought him that hee might speake vnto them and not God when the whole world shall bee set on fire Et incandescet eundo and it shall flame as it goeth and shall climbe vp to the midst of heauen and the highest shall sound his shrill trumpet to the dolefull and bloodie battell what shall become of vs Hest 14. If Queene Hester was throwne into a traunce at the sight of the Maiestie of King Assuerus at the sight of the ineffable glorye of the King of glorye how shall not all palpitation and extremitye of passion possesse vs If the sight of one Angell put Daniel to an extasie Dan. 9. what effect shall the fight of so manye myriads of Angels haue with vs which must accompanie the iudgement Math. 28. The warders of the Sepulcher were dead men at Christes resurrection wherefore deade and dead againe shall the wicked be in the generall iudgement If the armed Soldiers sent to attache Christ in the garden Iohn 18. were so throwne backward at these milde words of Christ I am the man when euerie word shal be a deadly wound to the wicked in the iudgement how shall they be able to abide it whose brestes and sides shall then bee able to receiue the quiuer of his arrowes which must licke vp all their blood and deuoure their flesh This Doctrine therefore of the opening of the bookes openeth all our hearts wherfore goe we not about to pluck out the eyes of al knowledge of God with Dauids vaine man that saith Tush God doth not see it the God of Iaacob doth not regard it who is there noted for a noddy for his labour O thou foole shal not he that made the eye see The Lord is not liable to the scorne that was throwne vpon Baal Cry lowder for Baal may be otherwise imployed or coasting about the Countrie or happily hath betaken himselfe to his pillow and is at rest His seauen eyes saith Zacharie runne through the world the circles thereof are broader then the Moone And as he is Totus oculus as Augustine saith so he is totus manus he is all hand to strike and let this serue for the Doctrine of this place But there is an other wrighting booke besides these that is to be opened bearing heere the Title of the booke of life namely of our eternall life begun in this life and finished by our death But wee must likewise distinguish
perish The reason heereof layeth in the nature of God his will and counsel answering his nature his nature being without variablenesse or shadowe of change as he telleth vs saying Mal. 3.6 I am Iehouah and I change not it is no way subiect to repentance to which Balam perfourmeth testimonie Nu. 23.19 God is not as man that hee should lye neither as the Sonne of man that he should repent hath hee said and shall he not doe it and hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it It is Augustines apt inference Shall man say That I haue written I haue written which was Pilats speech of the title and inscription that was set vpon Christes Crosse and shall God goe from his hand wrighting or alter Let God be true and euerie man else a lyar that he may be iustified in his sayings cleere when he is iudged It is Christs asseueration 10. Argum. Iohn 10. No man can tyke my sheepe from my hands Heereupon it is concluded that the elect being deliuered by the father into the hands of his Sonne and ioyned vnto him by a liuely faith cannot be snatched from him It is Christ his gracious promise 11. Argu. Iohn 14. I wil aske my father he shal giue thee another comforter he shal abide with you for euer wherefore the holy Ghost dwelleth with them for euer with whome hee hath once bene If any thing could blotte or teare out our names out of the Booke of life 12. Argum. it is sinne For that is onelye to be feared Exo. 32.33 because God hath said whosoeuer hath sinned against me I will put him out of my Booke But this shall not scare vs as being to be vnderstood of preapared and presumptuous sinne which goeth downe to the graue with vs which a final impenitencie doth accōpany For as God could not be stopped by the foreseene sinnes of his Saints from making entrie of their names into the Lambes booke of life so when sin hath done the extent of his spight it shall neuer seperate his loue towards vs wherin it thus pleased him at the first to enrole vs. We are worthie whose names should be raced defaced as hauing shewed our sins as Sodom cast down our selues vpon the bedde of sinne as Iezabel vppon a bedde of fornication drinking iniquitie as an Asse drinketh water as Iob saith and drawing iniquitie with cordes of vanitie and sinne as it were with cart-ropes as Isaiah saith the Lord punisheth our iniquities by the rodde and our sinnes by scourges but his mercie will hee neuer take from vs it being tyed to vs by an euerlasting couenant Yea because wee are written vnto life by God wee shall not sinne contumaciouslie and stubbornely or continue in it as the wicked doe Our Faith may bee much perplexed with doubts ouershaddowed with cloudes shaken with tēpests winnowed by Sathan and the shield and breast plate thereof may be tryed to the vttermoste by all the fierye dartes of the deuill our faith may be challenged the field and endure a fierce fight and bee in an agonye and blodye sweate as Christ was in the garden it may bee as the last sparke of a fire readye to goe out as the last gaspe that a mans dying spirit giueth yet shall it kindle and recouer againe and in all these thinges be conqueror Bee the Sunne neuer so much vnder a cloude it will breake out againe and appeare vnto vs in his perfect beautie Though fire bee couered vnder ashes it will execute his nature Though the Philistimes take the Arke of the Lord they shall restore it to the Isralites againe These are aplycations to faith which howsoeuer assaulted with temptations and borne downe a while shal rise vp againe and haue the vpper hand of them the Lord being faithfull and iust not suffring vs to be tryed aboue that which wee are able to beare There is an Apoplexie of sinne in man which seemeth to stop his life altogether but he shall recouer againe Thus there was in Dauid an Apoplexie of adulterie which he ouercame thus there was an Apoplexie of idolatrie in Salomon which wee doubt not hee subdued thus there was an apoplexie of crueltie in Paule while he was a Saul which the Lord did driue from him thus there was an apoplexie of periurie in Peter which his repentance shooke off It is with a Christian as it was with Eutichus that fell from the third lofte and was taken vp dead of whome Paule said Trouble not your selues for his life is in him Act. 20. Be not ouer troubled deere friendes in the Lord the life of the inward man is in vs all howsoeuer Sathan would stifle and strangle it OUr election is in God 3. Argum. and not in man for election was before euer there was man For wee were elected as Paule saith Ephes 1.4 before the foundations of the world were laide at what time there was nothing but God wherefore our saluation is cock-sure as being wholye in God For what is the reason that the heauens keepe their certaine motions the Sunne Moone Starres their certaine courses the day and night their successiue returnes It is because the rule and gouernment of them is absolutely in God and not in any other creature whether Angel or man All thinges in God are stable and vnchangeable 14. Argum. wherfore his decree of our election is vnmooueable Gods election is eternall 15. Argu. that which is eternall is inuariable as admitting no beginning ending or changeing He that changeth his purpose 16 Argum. doth it in the sight hee hath of a better way or else because hee cannot compasse it Hence it is that being not able to doe as we would we doe as we can But be it farre from vs to thinke any of these in God For as his wisedome is vncreated nothing can be better then that he hath purposed as his power is illimmited and absolutely omnipotent it cannot as the armes of Sampson be manacled The reasons producted against this infallible diuinitie are simple God wot and wil hold no tacke with vs wee will single out the best and scatter them like foame They oppose this Text out of the Reuelation 1. Obiection Reuel 3. 1◠Hold that which thou bast that no man take away thy crowne that is to say they of beauenly glory to which the Apostles sentence hath reference 1. Cor. 10 Let him that thinketh be standeth take heede least be fall Wee answere that the Crowne there spoken of is the Crowne of the ministrie the spirit there directing admonitiō to the Bishop of Philadelphia to perseuerance in his function least being remisle and defectiue therein hee be deposed and another consecrated But let it carrie the construction they giue it they shall gaine nothing by it For the loosing of the Crowne of glorie is of double meaning 1. In respect of our selues 2. In respect of God In the first respect
which is of our selues there is nothing more certaine then that wee may loose it being so sinfull as wee are and death and not glorye being the stipend of iniquitye But second in respect of God that hath chosen vs of Christ in whom we are chosen this crown can neuer be taken from our heades being set on by him that can neuer repent himselfe of any thing that he dooth Whereas they obiect to vs the churches of the Ephesians Thessalonians 2. Obiect Ephes 1.4 1. Thes 14 1. Pet 1.1 and scattered Iewes who were called Elect by the Apostles and yet manie of them afterward were relapsed wee answere that there are two sortes of judgements 1. There is a judgement of certainty 2. There is a judgement of charitie 1. That which is of certaintye is in God onely it is in men but in part so farre foorth as they haue certificat from God of any mans estate 2. But that which is of charitye is belonging to vs all it being our parte to leaue the Lordes sacred secrets to himselfe and to iudge the best of euerie one that giueth his name to Christ maketh a good profession and sheweth the fruites thereof in outward conuersation God hauing reuealed to vs nothing to the cōtrary 2. Also the elect are so called of the chiefe part as an heape of corne is called corne though it standeth moste vppon chaffe But they thinke they hold vp Alax his shield vnto vs when they tell vs of that which Moses saith 3. Obiection Exod. 32. Blot me out of the Booke of life 1. I wil not answere them that that is ment of the Booke of the Lawe which hee had penned as some men doe because it is a base exposition and vnworthye a man of such a spirit as if hee had throwne out these wordes in his hastinesse and heate of his blood 2. Neyther will I vnderstand them of the Booke of this present life as if hee chose rather to bee strangled then to liue in his bones albeit manye Captaines are content to dye for the common good and therefore some would charge vs with this sence But because it seemeth as golde that is too light we wil not receiue it 3 Neyther shall I giue them reference to the book of the couenant to the Catalogue of communion of Saints of the church as if Moses would be out of the Rubrick in the Kalender of the church because we take it that Moses had a further prospect and a higher reach then this 4. Wherefore wee will willingly receiue the meaning they doe like of that is of depriuation of eternall life as if hee should haue said put mee out of thy predestination booke implying this condition if it be possible But he knewe it to be impossible If anie shall thinke it an absurditye in him to come in with an impossible conditiō I choake them with the like of our Sauiour Christ who not being ignorant that he could not possible auoide the deadly cuppe of the red wine of Gods wrath that was giuen him to drinke yet put vp this forme of petition to his father Father if it bee possible let this Cup passe from me The like prayer hath Dauid against his enemies 4. Obiect Psal 69.29 Let them be blotted out of the book of life wee reply thus to that that their names were neuer in the booke of life but in the charitable opinion of men whom their hypocrisie beguiled This Doctrine is much vseful but the chiefest grace it hath is the cōfort it giueth vs in the greatest tēptatiōs that besiedge vs while we haue in liuely louelye remembrance the loue of God towards vs wherby wee are grauen with an iron penne in leade or stone for euer in the Booke of Gods minde and so can neuer bee expugned or forsaken VVhy then should wee bee afraide in the daies of euill when the iniquities compasse vs to the beeles It is Dauids sweete aphorisme with the double spirit of Elias to haue a plause and aclamation giuen vnto it I know nothing more detestable to God and dangerous to our selues then to dispaire of Gods mercie which is to turne his truth into a lye and set Sathans suggestions before his gracious promises Wherfore we are of Hieroms minde that Iudas his treason was not so great as Iudas his desperation The reason whereof is giuen by Isidore because his transgression was but the death of the soule but his desperation the introduction into the verie hell of damnation Wherfore put but off the helmet of this hope which couereth the braine panne and the Target of faith which hideth the heart and we perish vnquestionably Wherfore be we not worser then Lyons to rise vp against our selues but behold the Lambe of God whose blood let it bee sprinckled on the dore postes of your hearts One deep swalloweth vp another the depth of his mercies the depth of our sinnes Desperation is a disease incurable For the Phiscitian would put to his helping hand and recouer vs and wee with our nailes vndoe all againe Nil miserius misero non miserante seip sum Nothing is more miserable then a miserable man that commiserateth not himselfe Though it was the saying of an heathen a Christian well may vse it Qui nihil potest sperare desperit nihil He that can hope for nothing let him dispaire of nothing Christ hath sowed in teares that wee might reape in ioy He hath troden the wine-presse of Gods wrath that wee might drink the wine of his loue be drunken with it He hath borne the heate and burden of the day that the wages might be ours He hath giuen vs a cup of saluation that we drincking it down might driue away all dread and desperation wherefore we hold vp our heads stand fast against all the assaults of our enemies in this life after which we shal enioy the place to which we haue of old by the Father been written and prepared and which by Christ of late hath bene purchased to which by the spirit vnto the day of redemption we are sealed Now to these three persons one eternall and euerliuing God bee all honor praise power thankes-giuing ascribed in the congreation of Christ Iesu now and for euer Amen FINIS