the Enemies do not come vpon vs at vnawares The Citie or Country hauing enemies encamped against it and looking euery day for nothing else but that battell shall be made against it wherein the Citizens and Inhabitants must shew themselues valiant and couragious for that then they are either to winne a peace or hazard a perpetuall slauerie carefully doth bring out make ready all their furniture muster their men and traine out all their best and most able Souldiers to the end it may be sufficiently prepared for the purpose against so great a Day Euen so the meditation of this great and strong conflict at the time of death with so great mighty enemies which how sudden and how soone it will bee is to vs vnknowne would teach vs to bee prouided and prepared to traine vp euery part and member in vs in this spirituall kind of fight that we may bee able to withstand these our deadly enemies at euery pinch Now that according to that which I haue said we may bee throughly and strongly armed I thinke it good as the Apostle Paul hath left vnto vs the description of the Panoplyo and complete armour of a Christian Ephes 6. to deliuer the same in the seuerall parts that so the vse of euery piece may stand vs in the better stead and serue our turnes the better in this conflict First therefore 1. Coat of Constancie according to the Apostles counsell thou art to put on the Coat of constancie For that it is which the Apostle meaneth Gal. 5.1 Ephes 6.10 14. when as hee biddeth the Ephesians and in them willeth all Christians to stand fast or bee strong When thou art to enter into this fight all feare all fainting must be vtterly exiled and banished from thee although thine enemies will vse many meanes to beate a feare into thee and to make thee to shrinke and flie away yet thou must haue a care vnto this to stand fast But herein thou art to looke well vnto the matter and take a good view of this piece of armour I meane this Coat of Constancie lest thou be deceiued For it must be Armour of proofe or elseit will not serue thy turne it is so far off from doing thee any good that it will rather turne to thy great hurt That thou shouldest not in this piece be deceiued the Apostle hath put a stampe and a marke thereupon that thou mayst easily discerne know it from that which is counterfet and that is in the Lord. Except thy constancie and courage then be in the Lord thou wilt easily bee ouerthrowne thou art not able to stand Thou must therefore when thou commest to occupy a roome in this fight which thou must doe euen all thy whole life time vtterly forsake thine owne wit and policy thine abundance and wealth all trust and confidence in thine owne workes and merits How sure soeuer these things appeare and be iudged of some yet they are found meere weake and insufficient of themselues in the iudgement of the Holy Ghost whose iudgement thou art aboue all to stand to approoue and like of Learne therefore to bee bold and resolute against the rage of thy furious enemies not because thou hast naturall strength or worldly wit and policie or the riches and goods of the world neither for that thou art attended vpon with many Popish ceremonies which are worse then vanities or because thou hast some store of good workes But be thou therefore strong and stand it out with constancie because the Lord is with thee Be bold and resolute in him and in his power might for in him alone thou shalt be sure and also able to preuaile against thine enemies 1. Sa. 17.45 Dauid comming to fight with the Gyant Goliah came in the Name of the Lord and in his name by his power by his might ouercame the Enemy of God and his people So fight thou still in the Name of the Lord and thou shalt surely triumph ouer all thine enemies be they neuer so great neuer so many and neuer so strong and mighty The Apostle proceeding in more particular manner 2. Girdle of Truth with the description of this Christian Armour and setting downe the seuerall parts thereof appointeth in the second place the Girdle willing vs to put on the girdle of Truth Stand therefore saith hee hauing your loynes girded with the girdle of Truth Ephes 6.14 Many girdles it may be shall bee offered thee and they shall through the craft of the Enemy be gloriously set forth making a shew outwardly as though they were sure and strong but in this take heed and beware thou bee not deceiued For it is not generally all truths neither that which man wil presumptuously obtrude and thrust vpon thee for truth Of which sort are almost all the Popish points of Religion beautified with the vaine shew of many vaine and idle ceremonies But it is onely the Truth and sinceritie of the Gospell which the Apostle speaketh of The knowledge of this Gospell hauing a Christian obedience annexed thereunto for a Buckle serueth as a girdle to containe vs and to hold vs in that we may be strong and able to resist the Diuell binding vp as it were about vs al those long loose garments of our naturall and fleshly reason which would otherwise greatly trouble and hinder vs in this Spirituall combate A necessary part of Armour no doubt and so needfull that without it it booteth or auaileth vs nothing at all to goe into the field And although it be neuer so needfull yet alas how small is the number of those which are carefull to prouide themselues of it For euen in these golden dayes of peace and safety from persecution when as the Gospell by the preaching thereof is offered vnto men in most plenteous manner it is a world to see how diuersly men are affected towards it that in the worst manner Some giue themselues wholly vnto the world some follow the pleasures of the flesh some although they haue tasted and felt the great fauor of God in deliuering them from the palpable darknes of Romish superstition and Idolatry yet now lothing the sweet Manna of the Gospell like the rebellious and murmuring Israelites in their hearts returne back againe vnto the flesh-pots of Aegypt And almost generally it is to be found in men that euery thing of light moment and weight yet is of force sufficient to hold them from prepating of this girdle whereby no small aduantage is offered to our deadly Enemy to preuaile against vs. The third piece of Armour to helpe to defend vs in this fight 3. Brest-plate of righteousnesse Ephes 6.14 and to furnish vs in this preparation is by the Apostle called the brest-plate of righteousnes And this is that which elsewhere in the Scriptures is called a good conscience which is a dutifull care and study to walke sincerely and vprightly according to the Spirit to lead our life
of his saluation yet may he not in defect of faith and other graces of regeneration conclude his owne condemnation and say that he is for euer reprobated and castaway For that hee hauing yet a time and space to liue bee it neuer so short a moment the Lord may therein call him home and gather him vnto himselfe The child cannot say that he is condemned because hee hath not faith because that when hee commeth to mans estate the gift of Faith may be imparted vnto him Neither hee that is at mans estate because that in his old age hee may be receiued Neither yet hee whom old age hath wearied because that if in health hee finde it not yet in the last houre and vpon his death-bed the Lord may bestowe the same vpon him and supply his want Wherefore seeing that our vocation and effectuall calling though in secret knowledge of God it bee certainly dated in respect of vs is most vncertaine whether it shall be when wee are yong or when wee are old whether this day or the next this moneth or the next yeere surely the state of the present time wherein wee finde and feele our selues can be no sufficient Argument to reason and conclude of that which we can tye or limit vnto no certaine time at all For what reason I pray you were it for a man to say I haue liued these twelue or fourteene yeeres and yet am not called and therfore I am a Castaway Or I haue liued twenty thirty or forty yeeres and yet I finde no faith and therfore I am condemned Or I am old weary weake sicke and feeble I doe looke euery houre to dye I am vncertaine of my life for an houre or a minute of an houre such is mine infirmitie and yet I finde no comfort of my Calling and therefore I shall not be called at all As though God were bound of dutie to order things according to our prescription or that either he were not able or else were vnwilling at the last gaspe to giue vnto thee greater mercie and more euident testimonie of his grace and fauour towards thee then he did all thy life before Let not any man presume to prescribe vnto the Lord what hee should doe or in what time and manner hee should doe any thing his own wisedome and his owne will and power are sufficient in this behalfe Neither let any man whartle at and why out the case with God saying Why doth he thus deferre the time and put off the comfort of his elect and chosen It is not meet that the seruant should pry so farre into the closet of his Masters secrets And who can reach or who is able or meet to search out the depth of his eternall counsels Rather lay thine hand vpon thy mouth with modesty and be it soone or bee it late doe thou still obediently depend vpon the Lords good will and pleasure which then shall take effect when as it seemeth to his wisedome most conuenient Were it therefore granted which is so much presumed in the wauering and doubting soule that it were for the present vtterly destitute and had no faith at all yet this is no reason for a man to proue himselfe a Reprobate because that no man in such a case can in this life peremptorily conclude that hee is a castaway as hath been before shewed though on the contrary the man regenerate may be certainely assured of his saluation euen while he continueth in this life Secondly the manner of our vocation both in respect of Gods working The manner of our Calling and our feeling must be next considered For the ignorance hereof maketh many euen in the very working and spring of life most of all to dread and stand in feare of death and in the very breeding of Faith to call in question and stand in doubt of the want of Faith We must therefore here note and marke that God worketh herein but not in all men alike For though some rather then others haue and finde more quicke and cheerefull conuersion in that they finde not such troublesome conflicts within themselues by reason of the shortnesse of the time yet others he leadeth on softly and step by step as it were in the worke of their conuersion So that they may seeme to put a greater difference and a longer pawse betwixt the two seuerall and generall points in their regeneration that is their humiliation in regard of sinne and of the Law and their exaltation in regard of faith and feeling of the grace of God in Christ This humiliation therefore resting a longer time in the sinfull soule Humiliation doth breed the greater conflict and bringeth forth a farre stronger combate because the time and space is greater wherein hee hath to consider of the fearefull and dangerous condition of his own estate being thus as is sayd humbled in regard of Sinne and the Law And the reasons are First because that the man so humbled doth not remember 1. Reason that God thus worketh in his seruants by degrees and not all at one time and in one instant Obiect And therupon the troubled soule is ready to obiect and alledge I haue been and continued a long time vnder the fearefull curse and terror of the Law by reason of my great wickednesses and my soule is humbled and abased euen vnto the hell and yet I finde or feele no comfort and therefore surely my case is hard and dangerous and I can be none other but a Castaway Answ This reason or rather obiection were of some force indeed if it could be certainely prooued that God effecteth all at once and that he neuer putteth any time and distance betwixt these two points of mans conuersion namely his humbling and his exaltation But seeing that it is euident that there is a time betwixt his wounding and curing his striking and healing his abasing and raising vp againe it may very well bee answered to the cheering and refreshing of the broken and contrite soule that this reason cannot bee in any part sufficient to breed in any despaire though Satan set neuer so faire and goodly a glosse vpon it And therefore whensoeuer Satan beginneth to assault and set vpon any man in this manner let the person so assaulted cast vp the eyes of his mind fix his meditations vpon this course of God which hee vseth in mans conuersion and learne withal to put in practice the rule of Dauid a man after Gods owne heart Hope in the Lord Psal 27.14 expect his leisure and he shall comfort thine heart Obiect But heereupon the troubled person so disquieted in minde will gather and say vnto mee How can these despaire and faith terror of wrath and peace of conscience feare of iudgement and hope of mercy agree together being in nature and in effect so contrary and repugnant the one to the other this appeareth to be a thing impossible For as these three latter that is faith peace and hope
are incident indeed to the Elect and chosen of God so on the contrary the three former despaire disquiet of conscience and feare doe appertaine to the Reprobates And these I doe finde within my selfe and how can it then any otherwise be but that I am a Castaway Answ I omit to repeat what before hath beene sayd that no reason can conclude a man in this life vndoubtedly to be a Reprobate And to this present Obiection I answer If thou wert I say skilfull and acquainted whoeuer thou be with the order vsed by God in mans conuersion thou wouldest neuer thus haue reasoned For God as is euidently by sundry examples to be prooued first humbleth and then exalteth first maimeth and then healeth first breaketh and then bindeth Peters auditors as we reade were first pricked and then were cured Mary Magdalen was first humbled and then obtained mercy And Manasses was first terrified and then restored So the children of God in respect of their humiliation by reason of their sinne and the curse by the Law denounced against sinne may haue in them these three despaire disquiet of conscience and feare But on the other side in respect of their exaltation by the feeling of the grace and fauour of God in Christ they may haue in them the other three faith peace of conscience and hope And all this notwithstanding the same person no doubt the true seruant of the Lord and a chosen vessell of God So that as thou seest this thy reason may very well bee retorted vpon thine owne head and that to thine exceeding great consolation and comfort If therefore thou be broken if thou be afflicted if thou be humbled be not dismayd but be of good comfort the Lord will bind thee he will comfort thee hee will raise thee God saith the Prophet Dauid is neere vnto them that be of a contrite heart Psal 34.18 and will saue such as be afflicted in Spirit And again A contrite and a broken hart Psal 51. O Lord thou wilt not despise Againe Cast down your selues before the Lord Jam. 4.10 and he will lift you vp For comfort is appointed vnto them that mourne in Zion Esay 61.3 To giue them beauty for ashes the oyle of ioy for mourning the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse that they might bee called the trees of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified Comfort therefore your selfe with these promises which as Peter teacheth in due time shall bee performed Another reason ariseth from ignorance of the end of Gods working in this sort as hath beene saydi 2. Reason ioyned with the consideration of his mercies promised to his Elect and chosen For thus the despairing conscience reasoneth Obiect Is it a thing euer likely that God which hath promised such exceeding mercy and so great fauour and grace to his elected children should deale thus roughly and in such rigorous and extreme manner with his seruants Or would he euer thus haue wounded me with the fearefull arrowes of despaire and dread had I not beene indeed a Reprobate If Gods rough dealing to vse thine owne manner of speeches in the handling of his seruants had none other end then despaire and if this were the only marke whereat God in this doing doth aime the reason surely had some force But this is not the end which God respecteth in this manner of his doings For in this point he is affected as the Chirurgeon and Physician are affected towards their Patients The one launceth cutteth and openeth the wound or sore more wide not with intent to inlarge but in fine to lessen heale and close vp the same The other giueth vnto his Patient a purgation so strong as for the time it maketh him more sicke and diseased then he was before but yet with this good purpose thereby to recouer his health So in like manner God maketh the wounds of our sinfull souls for a time to gape wider and giueth vs such a strong compound of the consideration of sinne the Law and Iudgement that for the time we are driuen into greater agonies yet all to this end that hee might heereby fully heale vs and wholly recouer vs to a perfect health in Christ And heere let not any man demand the question seeing this is so apparant why God dealeth as you terme it so ronghly and extremely with some and more mildly with others For it is not because he lesse loueth some then he loueth others or lesse pitieth some then he pitieth others as though in this dealing hee were more fauourable to some then he is to others For the Physician may be equally and like affected vnto the good estate and health of all though in curing all he vseth not the same medicines and measure of medicines in their recouery And so it is with Gods dealing towards vs. Therefore though we finde that God doth deale with vs more roughly and sharply then he hath done or doth with others in their conuersion yet let no man take this vnto his heart as a cause of distrust of the loue and fauour of God which worketh all according to his owne will and pleasure and in such manner as to his wisdome appeareth best and most behoouefull for his seruants and for the aduancement of his owne glory Experience teacheth vs that although the Chyrurgeon healeth some wounds with a gentle plaster yet hee thinketh good to deale with some more sharply that they may bee soundly cured So God in curing sinne though all the wounds therof are deadly yet some are more open then others some more inward and infectious then others and must therefore of necessity be searched deeper that our conuersion may be the perfecter In this cafe therfore let vs be contented to subiect our selues to the will of God who as I haue said doubtlesse disposeth all to the furtherance of his glory and benefit of his children and that after one sort with one and otherwise with another and not alike with all in their conuersion and yet so with euery one as in his wisdome hee seeth to be best and most effectuall for the accomplishment of their saluation But this in generall CHAP. VII Of speciall things in mans conuersion 2 IN more speciall in the course and case of mans conuersion is matter so hard and difficult to be discerned and iudged and faith in such sort groweth and creepeth on in the heart of man that though the truth therof be in the heart yet because it doth not liuely manifest it selfe by plaine effects wee are not able to discerne and know it For as the corne chitteth and continually groweth in the earth and wee see not how neither are wee able at the first shew to make a difference betwixt the good corne and grasse and yet notwithstanding the corne is in it selfe come indeede So faith when it is first hatched and begun in our hearts commeth forth in such sort that it cannot easily be descried
same according to that saying of the Apostle 1. Cor. 10.13 God is faithsull who will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are able to beare but will giue the issue with the temptation that wee may bee able to endure it The great and excellent fruits that arise and come from afflictions 4. Comfort vnto the children and seruants of God are most excellent sweet and delectable and therefore minister no small comforts in the time of extremities For by these afflictions wee are taught the more to be humbled in the sight of God in respect of sinne To abandon feare and fly from sinne They worke in vs a serious and earnest care in more dutifull obedience to conforme our selues to the will of God They are meanes to stirre vp our faith They declare our hope and bring forth in vs the fruit of patience They what vs on to earnest inuocation and prayer They teach vs the contempt of worldly pleasures They shew and set before vs the vanity and misery of this present life and stirre vs vp to the earnest study meditation and desire of the life to come whose ioyes and pleasures are true perfect and void of all miseries endlesse and durable without decay All which and many mo such excellent and worthy fruits so sweet and pleasant arising out of the bitter root of afflictions so vnsauourie to our fleshly seeling will serue as I haue said as most comfortable receits when wee are pained with extremities The next comfort is 5. Comfort to remember and alwayes to haue this in minde that be our afflictions and miseries neuer so extreme and neuer so great yet they can in no wise preuaile so farre against those that are the Saints and Beloued of God that they should any thing weaken or impayre the certaintie or assuredres of their saluation so long before determined and decreed in the good pleasure and fore-knowledge of God according to that of the Apostle Paul Rom. 8. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God that is in Christ lesus our Lord. Seeing then that nothing shal be able to hurt or annoy the Elect and Chosen but that all things shall turne and serue to their good it cannot bee but that afflictions also shall be conuerted to their singular comfort Let Satan now breathe out his terrible threats neuer so much against vs and admit that he so farre preuaile in his wicked and malicious purpose as to take away our naturall life and doe depriue vs of this present light yet our other life in obtaining whereof all our hope our ioy and comfort resteth is hid layd vp and kept safe in Christ our Sauiour as a most sure treasury from all Satans subtilties so that he cannot once touch or trouble it although hee make neuer so great attempts against the same The consideration and daily meditation of the afflictions and miseries of others the Seruants Saints of God 6. Comfort is no doubt very comfortable and profitable also in this case For when wee finde and are assured that such as haue beene the beloued Children of God haue been partakers of the like afflictions yea and ostentimes of greater and farre more grieuous and haue in the end receiued a recompence of their labours wee are incouraged the rather to enter into the same conflict with the more patience to beare the brunt thereof and with the greater constancy to endure vnto the end with full assurance that as those our brethren so wee also in the end as good souldiers shall be crowned as Victorers And seeing that Satan aswell in this poynt as in others bendeth his force to the vttermost of his power to abate and to coole this courage in vs by the blotting out of our memories the remembrance of these examples of such worthy seruants of the Lord for a most soueraigne medicine in this dangerous sicknesse I would counsell the afflicted soule in the time of his afflictions to spend no little time in reading and ouer-reading the lamentable histories of Gods distressed and afflicted seruants whereof hee shall haue great store and plenty both in the sacred Scriptures and also in the Ecclesiasticall stories of lower and later times faithfully gathered compiled published in our English tongue by that worthy man of famous memory Mr. Fox and others These I would wish to bee the afflicted mans Garden whereinto if hee euery day resort a little for recreation sake I doubt not but he shall there finde Flowers of so sweet and delectable sauour and Herbs of so rare and soueraigne vertue that he shall be assuredly thereby maruellously comforted and strengthened when as I haue sayd in reading hee shall finde that others also highly in the fauour of God haue notwithstanding tasted as deepe yea and farre more deepe of this bitter cup of afflictions then he himselfe hath done As a most dangerous poyson very forcible to ouerthrow vtterly 7. Comfort and to impaire his good estate I would wish the distressed soule to eschew the narrow intentiuenesse and fixing his minde vpon the extreme rage of his owne woes and miseries either past or present but rather to cal to his mind that which he hath heeretofore found in himselfe if at any time hee hath but felt some arguments and tokens of his election and on those of fix the eyes of his remembrance and withall to settle his heart vpon the end of his afflictions which as hath beene shewed is most ioyfull and comfortable tending onely vnto his good Lastly hee is to consider that although his miseries bee neuer so great and many for the time yet they are of no long continuance but short and momentany euen as is our life vpon the earth which is but as a vapour that quickly vanisheth as the brittle glasse that soon breaketh as the grasse that parcheth in a day and withereth as the Post that passeth by with speed So that although they should so long continue and cleaue vnto vs as our life lasteth yet the time of our life being so short the continuance of them must be short also Wherof no little comfort may grow vnto the afflicted soule and that the rather if he call to minde that endlesse and vndated time of happinesse wherein wee shall be made partakers of that endlesse crowne of glory and those exceeding ioyes which no tongue is able to vtter nor heart of man is able to conceiue These are the comforts whereof I thought good heere briefly to put the afflicted person in minde for that I haue in seuerall places as occasion serued touched the same before Others there are which in their places God willing shall in like manner for their good bee deliuered CHAP. XXIIII Against the feare of death and vnwillingnesse to die ALthough I haue before
aforesaid and dayly nay hourely or rather euery minute exercise thy selfe therein that thou mayst be able to withstand thine enemies at all times For if thy sinnes which Satan will bee busie to lay to thy charge be obiected against thee arme thee thē with the Brest-plate of Righteousnes it shall be vnto thee as a Brazen wall to beare it off If this will not fully serue vse the shooes of Preparation to step aside or at least the target of Faith to breake the blow If from the course of Gods dealing with his seruants and also with the wicked hee beginne to assault thee which is a very vsuall and common thing with Satan take then into thy hand the sword of the Spirit so shalt thou be sure to beate him off And finally if death with his vgly terrours begin to rush vpon thee as ready to deuoure and swallow thee vp bee resolute in the Coat of Constancy stand fast in thy station and place appointed thee of thy Chiefetaine Head Christ Iesus and euery piece of Armour vvill minister present helpe and defence vnto thee And if it so fall out for all this that thou seest some weaknes in thy selfe that thou art faint and not able to hold thine owne but that Satan seemeth to get some aduantage vpon thee Death doth affright and terrifie thee and thy sinnes doe amaze thee insomuch that thy girdle is loose about thy loynes thy Brest-plate is bent and battered thy Shooes ready to slip and fall off thy feet thy right hand weake in weilding and handling of thy Sword and thy Target beaten euen to thy head that is if thou in this conflict doest suffer many discomforts and Satan seeme to preuaile so greatly against thee that thou knowest not how or which way to ward or keepe him backe yet let not this make thee flee and to giue ouer the fight or in any wise to yeeld vnto thine enemies But comfort thy selfe that Christ standeth as an eye witnes of thy doings ready to strengthen thee and to minister power vnto thee Flye therefore to him for refuge with hearty and earnest Prayer for that hee is both able and also willing to succour and deliuer thee and patiently suffer and endure all the hard doings of the enemies against thee with the Helmet of Hope And at the end conclude and shut vp the matter with Dauid and say Into thy hands O Lord Psal 31.6 I commend my Spirit For thou hast redeemed mee O Lord God of Truth Here stay thy thoughts and close vp thine eyes and what thou findest not in thy selfe expect and looke for in him who as I haue said is able and vvilling to doe all things for thy good And though it appeareth to thy iudgement that thou art depriued of the needfull consolation and comfort in this life yet doe thou not despayre For Christ will not be thou sure cast thee off because he findeth thee cut and wounded But as the good Samaritane Luk. 10.33 c. will mercifully binde vp thy wounds and plentifully powre out the oyle of euerlasting ioy and blessednes into thy maymed soule CHAP. XXVIII That the Elect in time bee assured of their election and how THe proofe and demonstration of this position namely that the Elect and Chosen of God in time bee assured of their election I thought conuenient to be annexed vnto this treatise because it serueth not a little to minister help and comfort for the allaying and qualifying of the troubles and discomforts of the afflicted soule And because it is of many made a doubt question whether any such assurance may be at all in Gods Children except it bee onely by speciall reuelation I thought it good for the better vnderstanding of the same briefly to premise something of the meaning heereof and to shew how it is to be vnderstood First therefore when I say the Elect I doe not meane some but all and euerie one of the Elect of God that they may and shall haue a certainty and an assurance that they are elect vnto saluation But for further and better explanation of my meaning I adde to this mine assertion in time for it is not alwayes so but after such time onely as they are effectually called and regenerated and that before such time they cannot haue it So that this is not any speciall and particular reuelation but a thing common and incident euen generally to all and particularly to euery one after that hee is thus thorowly called and renewed to know and bee assured that not onely generally all that doe belieue in Christ are elect and shall bee saued but also himselfe in seuerall and particular to be one of the number of those whom God in his eternall and euerlasting decree and purpose hath predestinate and appoynted vnto life The certainty of which doctrine shall plainely appeare and bee fully demonstrated in setting downe the meanes how this assurance is wrought and effected in them For proofe of this so profitable a poynt of doctrine let vs see so briefly and so plainely as we can by what reasons it may bee prooued that the man regenerate may be certified and assured of his Election The first argument of this assurance 1. Argument of assurance of Electiō is drawne and brought from the euidence of their owne Spirit which the faithfull finde within themselues For that this I meane the Spirit of euery one of the Elect of God is a very good witnes to giue euidence testimony in this case as the Apostle plainly teacheth Ro. 8. where he hath these words that the Spirit of God beareth witnes with our Spirits Rom. 8.16 So that if both do witnes together then our Spirit doth witnes also And this is that testimony which euery man by his own Spirit and conscience doth deriue draw from those generall propositions which he findeth in the Gospel for from the Gospell the Spirit of euery one of the Elect of God doth fetch his euidence by applying the same and by annexing an assumption vnto the generall doctrine and vniuersall propositions there deliuered As for example The Gospel teacheth that euery one that belieueth in Christ shall saued This generall proposition wanteth not good proofe but hath very many places in the Scriptures to confirme the same They that haue faith and doe belieue Ioh. 3.15 Rom. 9 33. Ioh. 8.51 5.24 Ioh. 3. Ion. 3.24 Gal. 2. shall not perish Ioh. 3. Shall not bee confounded Rom. 9. Shall not see death Ioh. 8. Shall not enter inter Iudgement Ioh. 5. Shall haue euerlasting life Ioh. 3. Shall be saued be iustified and haue remission of all their sinnes Rom. 3. Gal. 2. and many such places most plaine and manifest to like effect The Gospell thus ministring this generall proposition now the spirit of the elected childe of God beginneth to giue his witnesse by a particular assumption saying But I see and know by search within my selfe that I haue
sheweth plainely that the same Iudas in Gods eternall decree was not elect at all Ioh. 13.18 I speake not of you all saith Christ I know whom I haue chosen but it is that the Scripture might bee fulsilled Hee that eateth bread with mee hath lift vp his heele against me In which words Christ maketh a plaine distinction betwixt Iudas and those that hee had chosen and elected vnto life The fourth reason is brought from the former witnes and testimonie of the Spirit of God before declared 4. Reason which is alwayes most true and certaine which doth testifie and seale vnto vs not onely that wee are sonnes and Children but heyres also and coheyres with Christ of eternall glory Now how can this witnes of the Spirit be true that wee are heyres and coheyres with Christ of life if wee might at any time so fall againe as that wee might bee condemned vnto eternall death Wherefore I vvould aduise the broachers and setters forward of this obiection to beware and take heede vnto themselues betime how they labour to vphold and maintaine this so pernicious a point of doctrine for that in defence thereof they shall euidently appeare to argue the holy Ghost of falshood which thing bee farre from all Christians The fift Argument is brought from that inseparable connexion and dependancie of the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost 5. Reason Rom. 8.30 and of his working in the Elect and Chosen for whom he predestinate vnto life them also he called whom he called them hee iustified whom hee iustified them he glorified So that I may then in this manner reason Art thou elected and predestinate vnto life Thou shalt then be called and also iustified And art thou iustified and canst thou yet fall vtterly from grace and life No in no wise for if thou bee iustified thou shalt also bee glorified What plainer euidences then these can bee brought for the continuance and perseuerance of the Elect of God and to warrant them against this obiected fall without recouerie The sixt reason may bee brought from the immoueable estate of the Regenerate of God 6. Reason in that that neither sinne Satan Death nor any other their enemies can preuaile against them to impayre their hope or doe them hurt although they dayly with all their power doe attempt the same And the reason is because Christ hath so fully satisfied his Father and reconciled him vnto them If they could so fall as by the obiection is pretended then it is likely that this fall must come by the suggestion of Satan or by some other meanes of the enemies aforesaid But there is nothing at all that can preuaile so far against them as appeareth by the Testimonie of the Apostle Paul Who saith the Apostle shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish Rom. 8.35 or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword Nay in all these things saith he we are more then conquerours through him that loued vs. And addeth further for more manifestation of this point that he is perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature and what can then indanger vs shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Vpon this we may safely inferre to our consolation and comfort that if Gods loue doe still continue towards vs and that he be with vs and take part with vs we neede not to feare who be against vs. And whereas there is indeed great force power in sinne to worke if it were possible this separation betwixt God and vs and to effect this fall of Gods Elect yet euen sinne is found to haue lost her power in this behalfe Rom. 8.33 as doth plainely appeare by the words of the Apostle euen a little before Who saith the Apostle shal lay any thing to the charge of Gods Chosen It is God that instifieth If none can lay to the charge surely none can condemne and reade the doome vpon them It is Christ that is dead yea rather that is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs. An argument no doubt very strong and forcible is here brought by the Apostle Christ saith hee is dead for sinne and how then should sinne bee imputed to his Chosen whereof Christ already hath in his owne person sustained the punishment Or if the Elect doe dayly sinne as they without doubt doe so long as they continue in this corrupted Tabernacle yet how should this depriue and spoile them of their hope seeing Christ standeth a continuall Intercessor and Mediator in their behalfe to qualifie and appease his Fathers wrath against them for sinne Seeing then that the matter is so plaine thou art to leaue off to dispute and reason against the durable estate of Gods Elect and Chosen vnto the end vnlesse thou wilt shew and proue thy selfe a very iniurious censurer of this sacred office of Christ our Sauiour Which if thou doe thou canst not in the sight of GOD bee holden guiltlesse but art to haue God to bee a sharpe reuenger of the iniury done and committed by thee and it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the Lord. The seuenth reason may bee drawne from the promises and doctrine of life 7. Reason and of that ioyfull Resurrection and glorious estate of Gods Chosen in the life to come These promises are so firme and sure and this doctrine is so cleere that they cannot bee gainesayed without great preiudice For to say that the Elect of God hauing once assurance of their election haue not also therewith an assurance of their perseuerance and continuance vnto the end is to depriue them of the speciall vse of those promises of such blessednes in the life to come And then what greater comfort should the faithfull and Regenerate finde in those promises then the faithlesse and Reprobate And further what benefit or comfort could grow to the faithfull by those three last Articles of our Creed I beleeue the Remission of sinnes the Resurrection of the body and the life euerlasting if they could not also bee assured that they should hereafter bee made partakers of them For the Reprobates yea the Diuels themselues do know that there are such blessed things prepared But this their knowledge nothing profiteth for that they are not indeed to be partakers of them they doe belong onely to the Elect and Chosen of the Lord. And to this end and purpose onely tended the course and order of the instructions of Christ the Apostles and all the faithfull Ministers of all ages vvho haue diligently taught the Children of God to view and behold these blessed things not as things being onely but such also as one day assuredly they shall by Christ be put in full possession of as their owne