ignorance of foolish men Ninthly by charitable works the poore distressed are much releeued and such are commended and commanded in the word of God Philem. 7. We haue great ioy and consolation in thy loue because the bowels of the Saints are refreshed by thee brother Iob saith Iob 29.12 I deliuered the poore that cryed and the fatherlesse and him that had none to helpe him the blessing of him that was readie to perish came vpon me and I caused the widowes heart to sing for ioy To do good Heb. 13.16 and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Tenthly when we do such works as beseeme them that repent we countenance the Gospell of Christ and our holy profession Therefore euen seruants are commanded so to walke Tit. 2.10 That they may adorne the doctrine of God our Sauiour in all things And this precept is giuen to all the faithfull Phil. 1.27 Let your conuersation be such as becometh the Gospell of Christ Furthermore let it be well remembred that to the wel doing of a good worke all the foure causes must meete together the two externall the Efficient and the End the two internall the Matter and the Forme By the Efficient is meant the Author worker or doer of a good worke who is no meere naturall man for he doth not perceiue the things of God 1. Cor. 2.14 much lesse do them No hypocrite who doth all for himselfe euen when he pretendeth most holinesse as Iudas could say Ioh. 12.5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence and giuen to the poore This he said not that he cared for the poore but because he was a theefe and had the bag and bare that was put therein No wicked man Pro. 15.8 whose very sacrifice is abhomination to the Lord. But he must be in Christ a new creature a regenerate man one that hath faith purifying the heart Act. 15.9 and which giueth him assurance that for Christ both his person and his worke is accepted with God As God had first respect to Abel and then to his offering Gen. 4.4 So it is Gods chosen that he hath ordained to bring forth fruite Ioh. 15.8 and be glorified that they beare much fruite He being the true author of all good works working in his both the will and the deed Secondly the End and principall scope of all our works is the glorifying of God Whether ye eate or drinke 1. Cor. 10.31 or whatsoeuer ye do do all to the glorie of God Pro. 3.9 Honour the Lord with thy riches and with the first fruits of all thine increase Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen There are also other lawfull subordinate ends of good works as in those nine seuerall vses before mentioned is made plaine Thirdly the Matter and substance of good workes is not euery deuised worke of man vpon his good meaning and good intent Our Sauiour reproueth the Pharisies for their traditions and seruices of God of their owne deuising Mat. 15.9 saying In vaine do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandements of men Whatsoeuer I command you Deut. 12.32 take heede ye do it thou shalt put nothing thereto nor take ought therefrom So that nothing can be a good worke with God will allow but onely what he hath commanded The Law of God teacheth what good works we must do as Christ out of it answered to the yong man that would know What good thing he should do Mat. 19.16 Phil. 4.8 to haue eternall life Whatsoeuer things are true honest iust pure louely of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any praise thinke on these things these things which ye haue learned receiued and heard in me do and the God of peace shall be with you Fourthly the Forme and manner of doing them must be as the Lord commandeth 1. In faith Rom. 14.23 1. Pet. 2.5 the heart hauing a well grounded perswasion that for Christ they are pleasing to God 2. In loue as the precept is Let all your things be done in loue 1. Cor. 16.14 Tit. 3.8 Whence springeth 1. A carefulnesse They which haue beleeued in God be carefull to maintaine good workes Also 2. Readinesse and forwardnesse Tit. 3.1 Gal. 2.10 Be readie to euery good worke Onely they would that we should remember the poore the same which I also was forward to do 3. Timely for the good of the receiuer Pro. 3.27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due when it is in the power of thy hands to do it say not to thy neighbour Go and come againe and to morrow I will giue thee when thou hast it by thee 2. Cor. 9.7 4. Chearefully for God loueth a chearefull giuer Thirdly discreetly and with iudgment Eccles 8.5 For a wise mans heart discerneth both time and iudgement And as in the Psalme Psal 112.5 A good man sheweth fauour and lendeth and will guide his affaires with discretion Doing first good to them that excell in vertue and then to others after the example of the Samaritan Yea prouidently to take occasions of doing good As we haue opportunitie Gal. 6.10 let vs do good vnto all men especially to them who are of the houshold of faith Fourthly Plentifully The praise of Tabitha is Act. 9.36 that she was a woman full of good workes and almes deeds Charge them that be rich 1 Tim. 6.18 that they do good that they be rich in good workes readie to distribute willing to communicate Fiftly zealously and earnestly must good workes be done with feruent desire of heart and outward diligence He gaue himselfe for vs Tit. 2.14 to purifie vs to himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes Sixtly Constantly also and not for twice or thrice and then giue ouer Let vs not be wearie of well doing Gal. 6.9 for in due time we shall reape if we faint not Thus we teach good workes thus we practise thus we encourage all thereto Colos 1.10 yea We ceasse not to pray that we may walke worthy of the Lord vnto all pleasing being fruitfull in euery good worke and increasing in the knowledge of God The second vse and fruite Which we are to make by our knowledge of holy Maries blessednesse is to be informed and taught that it is the nature of true faith to apply to our owne selues apart personally particularly the promises of saluation and to put on Christ as a man putteth on his owne garment vpon his body not onely to beleeue that Christ and all his riches is ours but also that Christ is mine and I am his So said the Spouse of Christ My beloued is mine Cant. 2.16 and I am his so said the holy mother of Christ Luke 1.47 My soule
the booke of Iudges vsed a parable to declare his mind more plainly saying The trees went forth on a time to annoint a king ouer them so forth So we desire without offence to vse a Dialogue or disputation to see if this mysterie so profound may be better vnderstood or leaue a deeper impression of so holy learning Whē Adam and in him all his posteritie by disobedience had sinned against God before he should receiue the doome of his iust damnation sundrie stood vp to pleade IVSTICE tooke the first place and with much vehemencie alledged that the righteousnesse of God required that vnlesse there were a ful satisfaction made by man for mans transgression man must necessarily die and that eternally for his sinne and that God could not be iust if any of his debts should passe vnsatisfied Infinite Iustice is wronged therefore must man endure infinite torments The most holy and iust God hath spoken Gen. 2 17. In the day thou eatest of the tree of the knowledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death Againe he hath said Deut. 27.26 Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Law to do them Yea and againe The soule that sinneth shall die Ezek. 18.5 TRVTH likewise stood vp and said My sentence must needs be to second make good all that Iustice hath spoken for what God saith is true all his words are as the faithfull witnesses in heauen and He will be knowne by executing of iudgement Psal 9.16 Be ye well assured Num. 23.19 God is not as man that he should lie hath he said and shall he not do it and hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it MERCIE then put forth her voice Giue me place also to stand for and to witnesse what is noted in the Scripture of truth For though I may in no part derogate from Iustice or Truth whose greatnesse I know and reuerence yet know ye also that Mercie will lose neither her right or preheminence but will take first place of you both for it is allotted by the word vnto me It is first said Gracious and then Righteous is the Lord. Psal 25.8 Yea let it be engrauen in pillars of marble and written with letters of gold and in the hearts of all the holy ones Psal 145.8 The Lord is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great mercie Yea I will auouch it confidently that where there is one title of Gods Iustice He maketh not the wicked innocent there are seauen titles of his Mercie Iehouah Iehouah Exod. 34.6 strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger abounding in goodnesse and truth reseruing mercie for thousands forgiuing iniquitie and transgression and sinne If Iustice say man shall die Mercie saith he shall liue Eze. 16.6 PEACE then very mildly tooke part with Mercie and said Sister Truth I blame thee not for speaking on Iustice side for we haue learned that God is true in his threatnings none will herein gainsay thee but speake vnpartially as I well know thou wilt when it cometh to thy turne to speake againe is not God also as true in his holy Couenants and all his sweete promises But without more vrging thee I will speake for vs both and in the words of the holy Ghost As I haue sworne Isa 54.9 that the waters of Noah should no more go ouer the earth so haue I sworne that I would not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee for the mountaines shall depart and the hils shall be remooued but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the Couenant of my peace be remooued saith the Lord that hath mercie on thee If rigor of Iustice should take such place that man for his Sinne should eternally perish then Mercie and Peace should be quite banished out of the earth But I know assuredly That he will speake peace vnto his people Psal 85.8 and to his Saints The Lord will blesse his people with peace Yea vnto man Isa 9.6 for man is giuen the Prince of peace WISDOME then as best able to decide this controuersie tooke place and said All of you haue spoken well and as beseemeth you for God will make his Name glorious in manifesting before men and Angels the holinesse of his Iustice Truth Mercie and Peace Mercie must be shewed otherwise man cannot be saued and yet God will not shew Mercie to violate or wrong his Iustice There is a way found out by him whose name is Wonderfull and Counseller Isa 9.6 how to please you all and to giue you full contentment and to saue men from deserued damnation There is a law made by the most High the Iust and Mercifull God wherein it is thus enacted If thy brother be impouerished Leuit. 23.47 and sell himselfe to a stranger by thee after he is sold he may be bought out ONE OF HIS BRETHREN may buy him out any of the KINRED of his flesh among his familie may REDEEME him According to the equity of this law some second Adam that is a Brother must make the Redemption and Attonement who can pay all the forfets and debts of man who can die and yet ouercome death die and be no debter to death but meerely of loue lay downe his life to saue other from dying who can perfectly fulfill the whole Law and purchase the Creators fauour and an eternall inheritance For God by his Commandemēt requiring of man sound full and perfect obedience without a perfect and complete obedience will not make man righteous and threatning a curse setting downe the penaltie will admit of no satisfaction but by the suffering of that curse denounced by God himselfe Now such a suretie and man of worth that can thus suffer and thus do where shall he be found Here Adam and all his sonnes were silent deiected and heartlesse for no such could be found on earth man could do nothing to worke his recouerie no more then a dead man can raise vp himselfe out of his graue Ephes 2.1 being dead in trespasses and sinnes so that Desperation was readie to arrest Adam and to take him from Gods gracious presence for euer but the SONNE OF GOD came in due time to helpe at neede and to saue that which was lost and he graciously spake I will take flesh of the wombe of a Virgine I will become man rather then man shall perish whom I created after mine owne image He fell not altogether of himselfe but by temtation of another another that is more mighty shall raise him vp and restore him fully into the fauour of his Creator And this shall be accomplished as Wisedome hath made it plaine vnto you altogether according as it is written of me in the volume of Gods booke Isa 53.5 The iniquitie of all shall be laid on me and I will make reconciliation I will be wounded for mans transgression
22.19 and Iames 2.18 Abraham was approued for righteous when he beleeued Gods promise euen before Isaac was borne so it is as plaine as can be spoken Gen. 15.6 He beleeued in the Lord and he accounted it to him for righteousnesse But Saint Iames sheweth how he declared it and made it manifest in worke and deed by a rare obedience to God When he offered Isaac his sonne vppon the altar Iam. 2.21 His faith so rested on Gods promise that although Isaac were killed and burnt to ashes Yet God was able to raise him vp Heb. 11.19 euen from the dead from whence also he receiued him in a figure All that are taught of God know that faith worketh by loue Gal. 5.6 that it cannot be idle or fruitlesse Eph. 2.10 God hauing created vs anew vnto good workes which he hath ordained that we should walke in Though they go not before iustification yet do they follow it where the Lord forgiueth sinne he also giueth a power to resist sinne to hate and shun it with a sound desire to practise such holinesse as through Christ is pleasing to God Though some ignorant people say We are iustified for our good workes yet the holy Ghost saith otherwise namely that We are iustified freely by his grace Ephes 1.7 through the Redemption that is in Christ Iesus Euen that grace wherein he hath made vs accepted in his Beloued in whom we haue redemption through his bloud the forgiuenesse of sinnes according to the riches of his grace Euen that grace which is Gods eternall free bounty and loue to vs in electing calling adopting and iustifying vs in Christ who is the Lord our righteousnesse Ier. 23.6 not that infused grace which is but as a drop and fruit of the other consisting in the renouation of the new man which being but in part for they that haue greatest measure Rom. 7.16 do what they would not and leaue vndone what they would do is not able to stand before the Tribunall seate of iustice which exacteth entire absolute obedience Deut. 27.26 accursing euery one that confirmeth not all the words of the Law to do them Which moued Dauid to powre out this desire of his soule Psal 143.2 Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified And Paul who as touching the righteousnes which is by the Law was vnrebukeable yet counted all things losse Phil. 3.8 and did iudge them as dung that he might win Christ and might be found in him that is not hauing his owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnesse which is of God through faith A third obiection and doubt It is said of the godly professors in Sardis that had not defiled themselues Reu. 3.4 that they shall walke with me in white for they are worthie there is then say some a worthinesse in our faith or works or both together by which we merit our blessednesse That we may not mistake this place seeing no prophesie of the Scripture is of any priuate interpretation 2. Pet. 1.20 conferre it with Luke 20.35 They that shall be accounted worthy to obtaine that world and the resurrection from the dead and that in 2. Thessal 1.5 That ye may be accounted worthy of the kingdome of God for which ye suffer And we shall perceiue that these are worthy by acceptation in mercy worthy by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed not by holinesse inherent the reward of going clothed in white or to haue a kingly dignity and much beauty set on them is not a merit or a reward for the desert of their works but of the meere grace and mercie of God for the merits of Christ for whom we and our works wrought by his Spirit find acceptance and fauour the Law teaching that the reward is of mercie Exod. 20.6 And the Gospell telling vs That the sufferings of this present time are not worthy of the glorie which shall be shewed vnto vs. Rom. 8.18 The crowne of life is of Gods promise not of our deseruing Iam. 1.12 as it is said Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receiue the crowne of life which the Lord promised to them that loue him The things which some call merits very vnfitly and not according to the phrase of the Scriptures are the nurses of our hope the prouocations of loue the signes of our election the forerunners of our future happinesse the way of the kingdome not the cause why we reigne It is Iesus Christ the holy Lambe of whom it is properly spoken Reu. 4.11.5.12 Thou art worthy O Lord to receiue glorie and honour and power and Worthy is the Lambe that was slaine to receiue power and riches and wisedome and strength and honour and glorie and blessing He alone purchased his Church with his owne bloud Our robes are made white in the bloud of the Lambe Our persons Reu. 7.14 our seruice our works haue acceptance with God onely for Iesus sake as it is said Eph. 1.6 He made vs accepted in his Beloued and our spirituall sacrifice is acceptable to God by Iesus Christ 1. Pet. 2.5 As no mans free gift can bind him to giue more but he that receiues more is the more bound to him that giues it therefore hence it followeth that by the good deeds which God hath enabled vs to do he is not bound by the debt of his iustice to giue vs more that he should be vniust if he gaue it not but we rather are bound to him And if he giue any reward to our well-doings this is not that he is a debtor to the works but of his owne liberalitie How vnfitly are good works said to be meritorious seeing they are not ours originally but Gods Phil. 2.13 he working both the will and the deed and that of his owne good pleasure But as they are ours they are debts due to God by his holy Law binding vs to do them and more Iam. 3.2 they are imperfect For in many things we offend all they are faulty not done alwaies with sinceritie fulnesse of desire or not with whole strength zeale and continuance as the Lord requireth yea they are vnequall to the recōpence When ye shall haue done all those things which are commanded you Luk. 17.10 say We are vnprofitable seruants we haue done that which was our dutie to do Let not our hearts be lifted vp in conceit of the worthinesse of our doings Habac. 2.4 as is vsuall in all Hypocrites but desire we that as they that looke through greene glasse thinke all they see greene the Lord will looke vpon vs in the face of his Annointed and accept vs as righteous in him who is our righteousnesse Gen. 27.24 That as Iacob got a blessing which was not due to him in
sanctification Secondly it is Gods ordination We are his wormāship Eph. 2 10. created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath before ordained that we should walke in them Thirdly there is a necessity of the doing and presence of good workes for the manifestation of the righteous iudgments of God when he will come to be glorified in his Saints and crowne his owne works in them Mat. 25.35 Reu. 22.12 For he will iudge all men according to their deeds And giue to euery man as his worke shall be Fourthly a necessity is imposed vppon vs because we are debters as it is said Luk. 17.10 We haue done what was our dutie to do Rom. 8.12 And Paul saith Ye are debters but not to the flesh but to God our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier Euer thinke we on it Tit. 2.14 that Iesus Christ gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeeme vs from all iniquitie and purifie vs to himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes The obligation and bond of our debt is our Baptisme We are buried with him by Baptisme into death Rom. 6.4 that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glorie of the Father so we should walke in newnesse of life Fiftly because there is no other way to eternall blessednesse but by the practise of holinesse For though good workes cannot be the cause of saluation but onely Iesus Christ as it is said Isa 49.6 I will giue thee for a light of the Gentiles that thou maist be my saluation vnto the end of the world yet are they the way and path vnto life and blessednesse Pro. 12.28 In the way of righteousnesse is life and in the path thereof there is no death Ye haue your fruite in holinesse Rom. 6.22 and the end euerlasting life The vses of good works are many and great in regard of God our selues others and our holy profession First God is glorified by our good workes which are being rightly performed a speciall part of his holy worship and seruice Ioh. 15.8 Herein is my Father glorified that ye bring forth much fruite His grace is manifested by enabling vs vnto a measure of obedience Eze. 36.27 I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and ye shall keepe my iudgements and do them God is honoured and praised for them and by them They glorified God for me Gal. 1.23 1. Pet. 2.9 Ye are a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him which hath called you out of darknesse into his maruellous light 1. Pet. 4.11 Do it as of the abilitie which God giueth that God in all things may be glorified through Iesus Christ As a father delighteth in a dutifull sonne so God delighteth in all those that beare his image imitate his holy nature that take pleasure in well doing Ioh. 4.34 whose meate and drinke it is to do their fathers will Secondly by our blamelesse and good conuersation we become followers of the example of Christ of his Saints Ioh. 13.15 I haue giuen you an example that ye should do as I haue done to you As Christ forgaue you Colos 3.13 so also do ye Take the Prophets who haue spoken in the name of the Lord Iam. 5.10 for an example of suffering affliction and of patience Thirdly by our holy life and obedience to God we gaine assurance that God hath chosen vs to be heires of saluation 2. Pet. 1.10 Giue diligence that ye make your calling and election sure for if ye do these things ye shall neuer fall If we loue in deed and truth We know we are of the truth 1. Ioh. 3.19 and shall assure our hearts before him Thus the truth of faith is knowne for faith that hath no works is dead Gal. 5.6 being alone Neither Circumcision nor vncircumcision auaileth any thing but faith which worketh by loue Thus also is the soundnesse of repentance knowne Act. 26.20 I shewed to them that they should repent and turne to God and do works meete for repentance Fourthly by carefulnesse of well performing our dutie we are heartned to looke for the performance of Gods free promises made vnto vs. So Moses had respect vnto the recompence of the reward Heb. 11.26 Godlinesse hauing the promises of this life 1. Tim. 4.8 and that which is to come We may looke for obtaine if God see it expedient for vs long life a blessed posterity peace plentie ioy of heart preseruation in the euill day and whatsoeuer good is 1. Cor. 15.58 Be ye stedfast vnmoueable alwaies abounding in the worke of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vaine in the Lord. Gal. 6.9 Let vs not be wearie of well-doing for in due time we shall reape if we faint not Know that whatsoeuer good thing any man doth the same he shal receiue of the Lord. Fiftly they that liue righteously escape curses and calamities when the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience 2. Pet. 2.5 For when God spared not the old world he saued Noah the eight person a preacher of righteousnesse God said he would spare Sodome and Gomorha Gen. 18.32 Isa 65.14 for ten sake that were righteous Behold my seruants shall sing for ioy of heart but ye shall crie for sorrow of heart and shall houle for vexation of spirit Sixtly they that are of vpright conuersation and are studious to abound in good workes shall auoid offences Giue none offence 1. Cor. 10.32 neither to the Iewes nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God Mat. 18.7 2. Cor. 6.3 For wo vnto the world because of offences Giuing none offence in any thing that the Ministerie be not blamed Seuenthly by our good deeds we win others to God or make way and prepare some to conuersion I am made all things to all men 1. Cor. 9.22 that I might by all meanes saue some Haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles 1. Pet. 2.12 that whereas they speake against you as euill doers they may by your good workes which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of visitation Rom. 11.14 I magnifie mine office if by any meanes I may prouoke to emulation them which are my flesh and might saue some of them 1. Pet. 3.1 Ye wiues be in subiection to your husbands that if any obey not the word they also may without the word be wonne by the conuersation of the wiues Eightly righteous behauiour stoppeth the mouthes of the aduersaries that they cannot speake ill of vs. So the loyall and iust cariage of Dauid towards Saul ioyned with loue and meeknesse preuailed so far that he made this acknowledgment Thou art more iust then I. 1. Sam. 24.17 1. Pet. 2.15 So is the will of God that with well doing ye may put to silence the
reioyceth in God MY Sauiour It was no affectation of singularitie in that gracious woman to say MY Sauiour as though he had bene hers alone But so she well expressed the life of true and liuely faith vnto vs. And after her example euery Christian for himselfe is to beleeue his owne saluation building his assurance first on Gods loue in Christ 2. Cor. 5.19 reconciling vs to himselfe Secondly and on the truth of Gods free and vnchangeable promises sealed in our hearts by the spirit of adoption We receiued not the spirit of the world 1. Cor. 2.12 but the spirit which is of God that we might KNOW the things that are freely giuen vs of God It is a conceit without warranty to think this was a prerogatiue granted to her alone or to Peter Paul or some few that haue it by reuelation for euery one that is effectually called doth particularly with such application to himselfe so beleeue as she did and hath no sound and certaine comfort till he so beleeue Marke it heedfully how Paul so applieth to himselfe the promise of life and then to all euery of the faithfull that loue Christs coming I haue kept the faith 2. Tim. 4.8 henceforth is laid vp for ME the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue ME at that day and not to ME onely but to ALL them also that loue his appearing He that doth not beleeue particularly and faithfully that Christ Iesus is His Sauiour his beleefe is no better then the faith of diuels they beleeue Christ is a Sauiour to some men but they beleeue not that he is their Sauiour As of old euery one that sprinkled his dore posts with the bloud of the Paschall Lambe Exod. 12.13 was assured by the promise of God that he should escape the destroying hand of the Angell so euery one is baptized seuerally that he may haue a personall beleefe that His sinnes are washed away in Christs bloud and He shall escape the wrath to come Philip will not baptize the Eunuch till he professe such a faith Act. 8.37 Thou mayest be baptized if thou beleeuest with all thine heart We haue a cloud of witnesses of the holy ones that thus apart to themselues applied the promises of God whose steps we must follow if we wil haue true peace in our soules Iob expresseth his faith apartly and particularly thus Iob. 19.25 I KNOW that MY redeemer liueth In Isaias we reade My soule shall be ioyfull in MY God Isa 61.10 In Abacuk I will reioyce in the Lord Abac. 3.18 I will ioy in the God of MY saluation In Zacharie I will say it is my people Zach. 8.8 and they shall say the Lord is MY God So Dauid Psal 27.1 The Lord is MY light and MY saluation Elizabeth the mother of Iohn Baptist Luke 1.43 Whence cometh this to me that the mother of MY Lord should come to me Thomas the Apostle after he was healed of his vnbeleefe could say MY God MY Lord. Ioh. 20.28 Paul most holily acknowledgeth I liue by the faith in the Sonne of God Gal. 2.20 who hath loued ME and giuen himselfe for ME. It is no presumption to beleeue all that God hath promised nor to waite for all he intends to giue vs. But it is the great sinne for which the holy Ghost will reproue the world Because they beleeue not on Christ Ioh. 16.9 As a wounded man hath not comfort of his incarnatiue plaister till it be laid on his sore so haue we no fruit of Gods sweete promises till we apply theÌ„ close to our soules Who knoweth not that the commandements Thou shalt not kil nor commit adulterie nor steale are giuen to euery of vs as if he had said Thou Iohn Thomas Peter c. shall obey me when I say Thou shalt not kill c. So the promises of saluation for comfort are spoken to vs as if he named euery beleeuer seuerally It will do thee no good nor put any comfort into thy soule to beleeue the resurrection of the dead and life euerlasting except thou beleeue that thou thy selfe shalt at the end of the world rise againe and enioy life euerlasting â—â—ias prophecying of the coming of the Messias into the world Isa 9.6 saith not onely A Child is borne but vnto VS a childe is borne vnto VS a sonne is giuen So the Angels that were messengers of glad tidings say Luke 2.11 Vnto YOV is borne this day a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. So the Prophets and Apostles lay downe to their hearers their particular sinnes particular punishments and particular comforts when they repent Our dutie and comfort it shall be where God speaketh to all his generally to apply it our selues particularly As Seeke ye my face my heart answered vnto thee O Lord Psal 27.8 I will seeke thy face The third vse and fruite Is comfort and reioycing for the certainty of blessednesse by faith in Christ Iesus So the Virgine Marie hauing much assurance of her owne saluation Luke 1.47 Her spirit reioyced in God her Sauiour So the Lord bad his seauentie disciples Luk. 10.20 Reioyce that their names were writtten in heauen Now reioycing which God commandeth is for good things that are certaine and not vncertaine Be it so that such as know not that the Lords loue is towards them are euer full of doubting and vncertaintie and say the Apostles Disciples of Christ by Christs reuelation might be sure and certaine of their owne personall and seuerall saluation but so cannot others Let such be put in mind that where true faith is there is also a true assurance of blessednesse the holy Ghost teaching vs that faith assurance and reioycing in the Lord go together Rom. 5.1 Iustified by faith we haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom also we haue accesse by faith into the grace wherein we stand and REIOYCE in hope of the glorie of God Phil. 4 4. Againe Reioyce in the Lord alway Agreeable whereto is that in Peter 1. Pet. 1.8 In whom though ye now see him not yet beleeuing YE REIOYCE with ioy vnspeakeable and full of glorie And for assurance and certaintie the holy exhortation is Heb. 10.22 Let vs draw neare with a true heart in full assurance of faith We could not attaine to this assurance of Gods loue But that we haue receiued the Spirit which is of God 1. Cor. 2.12 that we might KNOW the things that are freely giuen to vs of God He it is that perswades our hearts infallibly enabling vs to beleeue the power truth and loue of God to vs. 1. Pet. 1.5 We are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation What more assurance can we desire or what surer ground of reioycing then to know that we are kept for saluation and saluation kept for vs as it is there also said
1. Pet. 1.4 That the inheritance incorruptible is reserued in heauen for you Yea that we might haue strong consolation we haue the Lords oath Heb. 6.18 abundantly to shew to the heires of promise the immutabilitie of Gods counsell for blessing vs. And as the Lord is true in his promises so is he cōstant in his loue the word witnessing that Iohn 13.1 Hauing loued his owne which were in the world he loued them vnto the end Hence it is that we haue boldnesse Ephes 3.12 Heb. 4.16 Rom. 5.2 1. Thes 1.5 and accesse with confidence by faith of him Knowing the power of the word The Gospell comming vnto vs in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance and the power of faith that it is a ground or confidence Heb. 11.1 A substance of things hoped for the euidence of things not seene The phrase or speech of Scripture is not to doubt of Gods loue to weene trow or thinke well but to haue cōfidence assurance to beleeue and to know Iohn 6.69 We beleeue and know that thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Rom. 4.21 Abraham was strong in faith fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able to performe Most comfortable are the words in Iohn Behold what manner of loue the Father hath bestowed vpon vs that we should be called the sonnes of God Now are we the sonnes of God 1. Ioh. 3.2 and it doth not yet appeare what we shall be but WE KNOW that when he shall appeare we shall be like vnto him for we shall see him as he is Paul vseth much vehemencie herein 2. Cor. 13.5 Proue your selues whether ye be in the faith examine your selues KNOW YE not your owne selues how that Christ Iesus is in you except ye be reprobates And in another place 1. Cor. 3.16 KNOW YE not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you Martha speaking of her brother Lazarus that was dead saith Ioh. 11.24 I KNOW that he shall rise againe in the resurrection at the last day Can we know a certainty of the resurrection of the dead and may we not as well know the other parts of our faith which we confesse a particular and true assurance of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and of our liuing euerlastingly in the kingdome of Christ Sure we are the Lord checketh doubting and reproueth staggering mistrust fearefulnesse vnbeleefe and wauering where we haue any promise to stay vpon Iam. 1.7 Let not him that wauereth thinke that he shall receiue any thing of the Lord. Mat. 21.21 Mat. 14.3 If ye haue faith and doubt not O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt and Why are ye fearefull Mat. 8.26 O ye of little faith If it be obiected that very faithfull and holy men haue doubted bene deiected and bewrayed their lacke of this assurance of faith as Ionas Ionas 2.4 when he said I am cast out of thy sight Dauid when he brake out Is his mercie cleane gone for euer Psal 77.9 doth his promise faile for euermore Iob when he ran into extremitie of passion Iob 6.9 O that God would destroy me that he would let his hand go cut me off To these and the like we returne this answer that like as the beautifull Sunne is sometime eclipsed and the light of it to vs-ward is diminished for a time and as Iacob when he had preuailed with God and got a blessing Gen. 32.31 yet halted on the one thigh so the holiest vpon the earth fall faile in dutie and yet recouer thēselues through the seed of grace which God hath put in them 1. Ioh. 3.9 and so constantly to the end persist in grace and sanctimonie Yet to make it plaine by a fuller manifestation know First that at the first conuersion of a sinner he hath not full assurance of Gods loue to him but beleeuing his sinnes are pardonable afterward by spirituall growth he cometh to perswasion they are pardoned lastly to an infallible assurance and certainty thereof as we reade of Abraham Rom. 4.21 8.38 and Paul Faith is first like a bud then a blossome and after fruite of a full growth Eze. 47.3 As the waters that issued out from vnder the Temple first tooke the Prophet to the ancles thē to the knees after to the loynes lastly became a riuer that could not be passed ouer so are the graces of God in his children small at the first and haue their growth both by degrees and by attending to the word of his grace 2. Thes 1.3 So Paul thanked God that the faith of the Thessalonians grew daily 2. Secondly by some fall into a heinous sinne faith is much weakned euen as a mans body is by a sharpe and sore disease which moued Dauid to cry Psal 51.11 Cast me not away from thy presence take not thy holy spirit from me restore to me the ioy of thy saluation and stablish me with thy free spirit 3. Thirdly in time of grieuous tentations when Satans suggestions moue him to thinke hardly of God and to thinke of himselfe that he is but an hypocrite deceiuing both himselfe and others though God be good to his Saints yet hath he forsaken him that he is no true member of Christs Church but as a dead branch Notwithstanding this fall in the spirituall combate there is a recouerie Psal 37.24 God putting his hand vnder that though he fall yet he falleth not away In such fearefull skirmishes it is with Gods elect as it was with the Patriarch Iacob in his trials for he once thought that he had lost three of his children Ioseph is not Gen. 42.36 and Simeon is not and ye will take Beniamin yet through the kindnesse of his God he receiued them all three againe to the great ioy and gladnesse of his heart So when faith seemeth to be quite lost and extinguished or at the most like a sparkle of fire couered with embers yet where it once was in truth it is recouered fully as in Dauid and Peter and manifesteth it selfe Mat. 8.25 somewhile in 1. Prayer for though fainting faith said We perish yet strugling and recouering faith cryed Ionas 2.7 Lord saue vs. Ionas soule fainted in him Yet remembred the Lord and his prayer came to him in his holy Temple Otherwise by 2. Hope On thee O Lord do I waite Psal 38.15 thou wilt heare me my Lord my God Why art thou cast downe my soule why art thou disquieted within me Waite on God for I will yet giue him thankes he is my present helpe and my God In 3. Humiliation also 2. Sam. 15.26 If he say I haue no delight in thee behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good in his eies The perplexitie of some in sundrie temptations is not vnlike Dauids and his men at Ziglag