everlasting life Thou in thy gifts art manifold whereby Christs Church doth stand In faithfull hearts writing the law the finger of Gods hand Thine holy Ghost into us poure Lords pray by D. Coxe with all his gifts most plenteously Whatsoever is good proceedeth from God as from the principall fountain Rogat Ser. Part. 1. and the only authour All good things come down to us from above from the Father of light The Title of the Sermon is That all good things cometh from God In Christ God the Father doth blesse us with all spirituall and heavenly gifts Part. 3. God is the giver of all good things Now. Cat. quest 249. The particular effects of grace are seene either in mortifying of vice or exercising of vertue in the heart I will begin with those places that speake of mortifying of vice Almightie God mortifie and kill all vices in us Coll. Innoc. day Cat. in the Common Prayer book quest 15.18 Complaint of a sinner A Sacrament is an externall and visible sign of an internall and spirituall grace given unto us This grace in Baptisme is a dying unto sinne and living unto righteousnesse Now let those drops most sweet So moist my heart most dry That I with finne replete May live and sinne may dye That being mortifide This sinne of mine in mee I may be sanctifide By grace of thine in thee So that I never fall Into such mortall sinne That my foes infernall Rejoyce my death therein But vouchsafe me to keep From those infernall foes And from that lake so deep Whereas no mercy growes Make us to follow the doctrin of Iohn the Baptist Coll. on S. Iohn Bapt. day Prayer 1. added to Set. Fast 1625. Prayer 4. Thanksg for ceasing plague 1604. that we may truly repent according to his preaching Give us thy heavenly grace that we may truly and earnestly repent As thou gavest the Ninivites repentance through thy grace so now visit the hearts of thy people in this land with thine heavenly grace and holy Spirit that they may speedily and soundly return unto thee from all their wicked wayes in true repentance and a living faith in Jesus Christ See the like in the Evening prayers set forth in the rainy weather 1613. Homily of falling from God Part. 2. Homily against wilfull rebellion Part. 1. Collect. 1. in Thanksgiving Novemb. 5. and the next prayer there Grant us the true circumcision of the Spirit Collect. on Circumcis of Christ that our hearts and all our members being mortified from all worldly and carnall lusts may in all things obey thy blessed will Grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickednesse Coll. on Easter tuesday that we may alwayes serve thee in purenesse of living and truth Grant that we forsaking all worldly and carnall affections Coll. on S. Iames day may be evermore ready to follow thy commandments To withstand Satans invasion Give power and strength to every age Lords Pr. by D. Cox Prayer to the holy Ghost before the Serm. Coll. before Epis Fast 1625. Thanksgiving following Coll. 1. Prayer 2. There after the Gospel Prayer against rebel in the Hom. Cain Com. Pray book quest 24. O holy Ghost visit our coast Defend us with thy shield Against all sinne and wickednesse Lord help us win the field Create and make new hearts within us O Lord. Give unto us such effectuall grace that every one of us beholding the plague of his own heart we may abhorre our corruptions and turn our selves away from our evill wayes Give us grace that we may not any more provoke thine indignation against us by our transgressions Make soft and tender the stony hearts of all those that exalt themselves against thy truth Our soules are strengthened and refreshed with the body and bloud of Christ as our bodies are with bread and wine By the strength of the holy Ghost sinfull flesh is subdued and tamed Now. Cat. quest 144. and corrupt desires are brideled and restrained We pray that God will with the moving of his holy Spirit Quest 208. so change and fashion all the wils of us all to the will of his Majestie that we may will or wish nothing that his divine will misliketh Thus much for the effects of grace in mortifying of vice now follow those that belong to the executing vertue in the soul That it may please thee to give us an heart to love and dread thee Letany and diligently to live after thy commandments By thy speciall grace preventing us Collect. on Easter day Sund. 4. after Easter thou dost put into our hearts good desires Almightie God which dost make the minds of all faithfull men to be of one will grant unto thy people that they may love the thing which thou commandest and desire that which thou dost promise Grant us thy humble servants Coll. Sund. 5. after Easter Sund. 3. after Trinity Sund. 6. after Trinity that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that be good Lord to whom thou hast given an hearty desire to pray O God poure into our hearts such love toward thee that we loving thee in all things may obtaine thy promises That thy servants may obtaine their petitions Sund. 10. after Trinity make them to aske such things as shall please thee Grant we beseech thee Sunday 13. that we may so run to thy heavenly promises that we raile not finally to attain the same That we may obtaine that which thou dost promise Sunday 14. make us to love that which thou dost command Grant thy people grace with pure heart and minde to follow thee the onely God Sund. 18. Grant we beseech thee unto thy Church to love that he beleeved Coll. on S. Barthol day Coll. on Sim and Iudes day Prayer at begin of Commandements Prayer after each command After the last commandement Prayer of the Priest in the name of the communicants Prayer 2. after receiving the communion Prayer 2. in the short ones after the communion Prayer 3. Grant us so to be joyned together in unity of Spirit by their doctrine that we may be an holy Temple acceptable to thee Cleanse our hearts that we may perfectly love thee and worthily magnify thy holy name Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keepe this law Lord write all these thy lawes in our hearts we beseech thee Grant us therefore gracious Lord so to eate the flesh of thy deare Sonne Jesus Christ and to drinke his bloud that our sinfull bodies may be made clean by his body and our soules washed through his most precious bloud We most humbly besech thee O heavenly Father so to assist us with thy grace that we may continue in that holy fellowship O Almighty Lord and everliving God vouchsafe we beseech thee to direct sanctifie and govern both our hearts and bodies in the wayes of thy lawes and in the works of thy
thy honour and glory Make us so follow the doctrine Coll. on S. Iohn Bapt. and holy life of Saint Iohn Baptist that we may truly repent and constantly speak the truth boldly rebuke vice and patiently suffer for the truths sake Make we beseech thee all Bishops and Pastours diligently to preach thy holy word Coll. on S. Peter and the people obediently to follow the same Grant that we forsaking all worldly and carnall affections Coll. on S. Iames. may be evermore ready to follow thy commandements Grant us grace to follow thy holy Saints in all vertuous and godly living Collect. on All Saints Prayer after every command Ser. against perill of idol 2. Part. Serm concerning Pr. 1. Part. 1. Part. of Serm. for Rog. week In the same place Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this law Let us beseech God that we may flee from all idolatry God for his great mercy sake so work in our hearts by his holy Spirit that we may alwayes make our humble prayers unto him as we ought to do Let us call upon the father of mercy that we may be assisted with the presence of his holy Spirit and demeane our selves in speaking and hearing to the salvation of our souls If we should aske the Saints in heaven whence came their glorious works which they wrought in their lives Esay saith O Lord it is thou of thy goodnesse that hast wrought all works in us Grant that this thy rod Prayers for the Fast 1625. 2. Prayer added in the Letany Thanksgiving 1625. Collect. 1. In the same book 3. Prayer after the Gospel may by thy heavenly grace speedily work in us the fruit and effect of true repentance unfainedly turning and converting unto thee and perfect amendment of our whole lives Give us such effectuall grace that we looking every one of us into the plague of his own heart may abhorre our own corruptions and turn from our evill wayes We most humbly beseech thee to poure thy heavenly grace into our hearts that we may learn to turn unto thee from our wicked wayes CHAP. X. Of Gods governing us SEeing after we are regenerated and have spirituall life wrought in us we still need Gods help to govern us it must needs follow that being spiritually dead by nature we could not be made alive by a morall swasion but by a powerfull work of God That we still need Gods governing grace appeares by authorised books GRant that our doings may be ordered by thy governance Morning Prayer Coll. 3. to do alwayes that is righteous in thy sight We beseech thee Coll. on 5. Sunday in Lent that by thy great goodnesse thy people may be governed and preserved evermore both in body and soul Lord from whom all good things do come Coll. on 5. Sund. after Easter grant us thy humble servants that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that be good and by thy mercifull guiding may performe the same Lord make us to have a perpetuall feare and love of thy holy name Coll. on 2. Sund. after Trinity for thou never failest to help and govern them whom thou dost bring up in thy stedfast love Grant that the course of this world may be so ordered by thy governance Coll. on 5. Sund. after Trinity that thy congregation may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietnesse O Almightie Lord everliving God vouchsafe Short Pray after Com. Prayer 2. we beseech thee to direct sanctifie and govern both our hearts and bodies in the wayes of thy laws and in the works of thy commandements Defend O Lord Prayer in Confirm Hom. of Matrim this child with thy heavenly grace that he may continue thine for ever Married persons must crave the help of Gods Spirit so to rule their hearts that their minds be not desevered Use oft prayer to God In the same Hom. that he would be present by you that he would continue concord and charitie betwixt you We pray that God by his holy Spirit would illuminate and govern the hearts of all such Now. Cat. quest 206. as be of his Cuurch wherein he reigneth specially as in his kingdome As thou hast by Gods guiding quest 251. first conceived this minde and will so shalt thou by his grace attain to a happy end of this thy godly study and indeavour CHAP. XI Of Gods preserving us in godlinesse and from sinne AS the power of God manifests it selfe at first in regenerating us so may it evidently be discerned afterwards in resisting Satans temptations and keeping us in the wayes of piety If an effectuall worke of God be sometimes needfull to keepe us from grosse idolatry in heavy temptations then is it much more needfull to keepe us from evill thoughts and in pious meditations with delight Our flesh is quickly weary of good wayes and easily inclining to evill after we are regenerate If now besides the strength of that working grace which God put into us at first there be need of an effectuall helpe of grace still then was there at first when we were able to doe nothing need not of a stocke that we might use well or ill but of an effectuall work of grace to worke faith and repentance in us Now what need we have of Gods preserving helpe let the bookes speake VOuchsafe Te Deum O Lord to keepe us this day without sinne From all evill and mischiefe Letany from sinne from the crafts and assaults of the devill from thy wrath and from everlasting damnation Good Lord deliver us From all blindnesse of heart from pride vaine-glory and hypocrisie from envy hatred and malice and all uncharitablenesse Good Lord deliver us From fornication and all other deadly sinne and from all the deceits of the world the flesh and the devill Good Lord deliver us That it may please thee to keepe and strengthen in the true worshipping of thee in righteousnesse and holinesse of life thy servant Letany Charles our most gracious King and Governour Lord make us to have a perpetuall feare and love of thy holy name Coll. Sund. 2. after Trin. Sund. 7. Nourish us with all goodnesse and of thy great mercy keepe us in the same Lord we beseech thee grant thy people grace to avoid the infections of the devill Sund. 18. Lord we beseech thee to keepe thy houshold the Church in continuall godlinesse Sund. 22. Almighty God confirme and strengthen you in all goodnesse Absolv at the Communion Cat in book of Com. Pr. quest 13. Pr. 3. in vis of the sicke Veni Creator I pray unto God that it will please him to save and defend us in all dangers ghostly and bodily and that he will keepe us from all sinne and wickednesse Preserve and continue this sicke member in the unity of thy Church Strength and stablish all our weaknesse so feeble and so fraile That neither flesh the world
as to think a good thought We are all by originall corruption of our nature Now. Cat. quest 69. of such blindnesse wickednesse and frowardnesse that we can neither understand nor are able or willing to do our dutie required by the law We by nature are so unwary to foresee Now. Cat. quest 224. and so weak to resist temptations that we cannot but be overcome unlesse God do assist us with his grace and arme us with his strength The corrupt inclination of man was so much given to follow his own fantasie Sermon of good works Part. 2. that all the admonitions exhortations benefits and threatnings of God could not keep him from his inventions Neither could the notablenesse of the place being the beginning of Gods law make us to marke it Hom. against perill of idolatry Part. 1. nor the plain declaration by recounting of all kinde of similitudes cause us to understand it nor the oft repeating and reporting of it in divers and sundry places the oft reading and hearing of it could cause us to remember it nor the dread of the horrible penaltie to our selves our children and posteritie after us feare us from transgressing of it nor the greatnesse of the reward to us and our children after us move us any thing to obedience and the observing of the Lords great Law against idolatry So that if either the multitude or plainnesse of the places might make us to understand In the same Hom. or Gods earnest charge that God giveth in them move us to regard or the horrible plagues threatned to idolaters might ingender any feare in our hearts we would forsake this wickednesse When God leaveth us to our own wit will Sermon of falling from God Part. 1. Part. 2. and strength then he begins to forsake us When God gives us over he suffers us to bring forth such fruits as we will all naughtinesse and vice and that so abundantly that they shall cleane overgrow us choke strangle and utterly destroy us They that live not after God perceive not this great wrath of God towards them Part. 2. that he doth let them alone to themselves When thou art called to repentance Hom. of Repentance Part. 3. neglect not the good occasion that is ministred to thee least when thou wouldst repent thou hast not the grace to do it Sermon for Rogat week Part. 1. Hom. of information of them that take offence at some places of Script Part. 2. For to repent is a good gift of God In the power and vertue of the holy Ghost we are made meet and able to receive Gods gifts and graces Godly men when they fall into sin through Gods great grace and infinite mercy rise again and fight against sinne CHAP. II. Of Gods Omnipotency shewed in our Conversion THis Argument is one of the strongest for if God use his omnipotency in converting of a sinner then there is no question but God doth more then perswade and that the work must needs be effectuall unlesse any mans will can resist Gods omnipotency Let us therefore heare the books pronounce sentence and agree to it God which declarest thy Almightie power most chiefly in shewing mercy and pitie Collect. 11. Sunday after Trinity give unto us abundantly thy grace that we returning to thy promises may be made partakers of thy heavenly treasure through Jesus Christ our Lord. From Satans rage and filthy band Lords prayer By D. Coxe Serm. of Sacrament Part. 1. Hom. for Whitsunday Part. 1. In the same place Defend us with thy mightie hand We are marvellously incorporated into Christ by the operation of the holy Ghost It is the office of the holy Ghost to sanctifie and regenerate Which work the more it is hid from our understanding the more it ought to move all men to wonder at the secret and mighty working of Gods holy Spirit which is within us Did not Gods Spirit miraculously work in David Matthew Peter and Paul Such is the power of the holy Ghost to regenerate men and as it were to bring them forth a new so that they shall be nothing like the men that they were before The Apostles rejoyced In the same place that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ This was the mighty worke of the Holy Ghost who because he giveth patience and joyfulnesse of heart in temptation and affliction hath therefore worthily obtained this name in holy Scripture to be called a Comforter Let us humbly beseech God so to worke in our hearts by the power of his holy Spirit In the same place that we being regenerate and newly borne againe in all goodnes righteousnesse sobriety and truth may in the end obtaine eternall life To new create a man from a wicked person to a righteous man is a greater act saith S. Augustin then to make such a new Heaven and Earth Serm. for Rogat week Part. 1. as is already made God is able to doe abundantly beyond our desires and thoughts according to the power working in us Part. 3. Almighty God give us grace that we may cast away the works of darknesse Coll. 1. Sunday in Advent and put upon us the armour of light Lord of all power and might graffe in our hearts the love of thy name Coll. 7. Sunday after Trin. Coll. on All Saints day Song before Even prayer Almighty God which hast knit together thy elect in one communion and fellowship in the mysticall body of thy Sonne Christ our Lord. Praise yee the Lord which gives all grace for he is a Lord of great might CHAP. III. Of Gods speciall grace THe doctrine of Gods speciall grace overthroweth the foolish conceit of some common grace wrought in all those that heare the Gospel whereby they may beleeve if they will yet often doe not It is a speciall and effectuall grace that workes in our regeneration that workes not in others that are not regenerate Heare therefore the words of the bookes BY thy speciall grace preventing us thou dost put into our hearts good desires Coll. on Easterday Exhort to such as come negligently to the Communion Article 10. These things if ye earnestly consider ye shall by Gods grace return to a better minde for the obtaining whereof we shall make our humble petitions while we shall receive the holy Communion The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turne and prepare himselfe by his owne naturall strength and good works to faith and calling upon God wherefore we have no power to doe good works pleasant acceptable to God without the grace of God preventing us that we may have a good will and working with us when we have that good will Adversaries unto this truth Mr. Rogers commentary on it Prop. 2. ere such as hold that men beleeve not but of their owne free-will and that it is in a mans free-will to beleeve or not to beleeve to obey or
be left altogether to his own will and made his owne onely keeper To dreame of attaining to a perfect keeping of Gods law here on earth without a great power in mans will were to set a man quite beyond the Cape of all good hope It is not then an unnecessary labour to play the midwife and to cut this navell-string of free-will and send these Arminian impes abroad into the wide world to cry for foode Vndermining was ever held a more sure and lesse dangerous way to overthrow cities then the tempest of Canons If the foundation of Arminianisme berased by the plaine doctrine of our Church the walles of it must with Dagon fall downe before the Arke The proofes are all upon record The words are therefore set downe least the Adversary should complaine of forgery or the reader be to negligent to search them out himselfe The Lord guide us all to the knowledge of his truth dispell the mists of errors confirme his servants in love and peace on earth and bring us to glory in heaven Thine in Christ Iesus FRANCIS TAYLER Clapham The faith of the Church of England concerning Gods worke on mans will The Preface IN all disputations the first thing to be done is to set out the right state of the question Which if it be misunderstood men fight with their owne shadowes We agree often in words when we differ in the sence Our conclusion that we must drive at throughout the whole worke must be this that God works alwayes powerfully and effectually upon the will of man in the regeneration of a sinnner Nothing is difficult but the terme of effectuall working whereby we doe not understand onely in a generall sence that some effect or other follows upon Gods work nor yet that regeneration follows after Gods worke oftentimes for so it may though it be not an effect of it Neither do we intend that God so takes advantage of the time place affection and disposition of a man that he offers grace to him in such a point of time as he knowes that mans will is inclined to receive it for this were to commend Gods wisdome in regenerating of us but to deny any worke of his power in it and to make regeneration not Gods worke but the worke of mans will Our meaning plainely is that in the worke or regeneration God works so powerfully upon mans will that regeneration infallably followes as an effect of it and that this kind of working powerfully is onely found in such as are elected before and all in whom God works thus are by that powerfull work of his regenerated So that the cause of their regeneration is not any way their own will but Gods powerfull working in them by his spirit Neither doth God work thus in any other but such as prove converts for if he did work so powerfully in others they would have been regenerated also In a word there is a particular powerfull work of Gods Spirit in his elect only whereby they all and onely they are truly regenerate In others there may be illumination and some weak motions to goodnesse in their wills but alwayes in effectuall because they are left to mans will and God doth not so work in them as he doth in his elect Where God powerfully works there regeneration necessarily follows where he doth not there it cannot follow We will reduce all to fourteen heads all which confirme the former conclusion against the power of mans will and demonstrate Gods powerfull work The proofe of each is the words of the records Sometimes we shall make use of the title in some prayers given to God because we doubt not but the wisdome of the Church in her prayers would give such titles to God as were most answerable to the things in those prayers desired of God The conclusion is let the Reader well weigh the heads themselves and the arguments brought to prove them and conclude in his own soule which is the doctrin of the Church of England CHAP. I. Of our own insufficiency WE will begin with our own insufficiency to any good and shew what matter the books allow us to set it out so farre forth as arguments may be taken from thence to prove an effectuall work of God upon the will of man in the work of regeneration Where in generall I observe that the books put no difference in unregenerate men but make all their wills alike dead in sins and trespasses unable to beleeve untill they be quickened by God Which takes away the new Arminian conceit that where the Gospel is preached there is a power given to all that heare it even before regeneration to beleeve if they please by the use of which power some do beleeve others that have as much power will not use it to beleeve in Christ The books that make all alike dead in sins auke to goodnes till they be actually regenerate acknowledge no such difference This is but a trick to avoyd the odious names of naturall power in the will and Pelagianisme It is a monstrous opinion in nature that a thing should have a naturall inbred motion wrought in it before any life be wrought in it so is it in grace that their should be a power wrought in mans will whereby of it own free inclination it should be able to live spiritually or not to live as it list yea which is more absurd be able to move it self in the highest spirituall action that can be before it be actually regenerate or have in it any true spirituall life Now let the words of the book declare mans insufficiency and let every one collect from thence Gods-powerfull operation in mans conversion FAith giveth life to the soule Sermon of good works Part. 1. and they be as much dead to God that lack faith as they be to the world whose bodies lack souls Sinne is come into the world Sermon two of the Passion and so come that it cannot be avoided It cannot be chosen but we must needs fall often That which is born of the Spirit Hom. for Whitsunday Part. 3. is spirit as who should say Man of his own nature is fleshly and carnall corrupt and naught sinfull and disobedient to God without any spark of goodnesse in him without any vertuous or godly motion onely given to wicked thoughts Sermon for Rogat week Part. 1. 2 Cor. 3.5 Sermon of Repentance Part. 1. and evill deeds Paul brings in his beliefe we be not saith he sufficient of our selves as of our selves once to think any thing but all our ablenesse is of Gods goodnesse We must beware and take heed that we do in no wise think in our hearts imagine or beleeve that we are able to repent aright or to turn effectually unto the Lord by our own might and strength Ioh. 15.5 For this must be verified in all men without me ye can do nothing 2 Cor. 3.5 Again of our selves we are not able as much
the holy Ghost God grant that these words against adultery may not be spoken in vain God by his holy word indueth his people assembled in his Church Hom. of right use of Church with the effectuous presence of his heavenly grace God doth indue his people assembled in his Church Hom. against perill of idol Part. 1. with the effectuall presence of his grace by his word and promises to the attainment of worldly commodities and all heavenly gifts and life everlasting God vouchsafe to purifie our minds through faith in Christ Hom. of inform of such as take offence at some places of Script Part. 2. to instill the heavenly drops of his grace into our hard-stony hearts to supple the same that we be not contemners and deriders of his word but that with all humblenesse of minde and Christian reverence we may indeavour our selves to heare and to read his sacred Scriptures and inwardly so to digest them as shall be to the comfort of our soules and sanctification of his holy Name Man is first made good by the Spirit and grace of God that effectually worketh in him Hom. of Almsdeeds Part. 2. Hom. of Almsdeeds Part. 2. In the same place In the same place and afterwards bringeth forth good fruits The grace of God worketh all in all Whatsoever can be named good and profitable for body or soule comes only of Gods mercy and meere favour and not of our selves God attributes that unto us and to our doings that he by his Spirit worketh in us and through his grace procureth for us God grant that we may alwayes shew our selves thankfull for Christs death Passion Sermon 2. abhorring all kinde of wickednesse and applying our minds wholly to the service of God and the diligent keeping of his commandments It is Gods Spirit which ingendreth a burning zeale towards Gods word Hom. for Whitsunday Part. 1. In the same place In the same place Nicodemus knew not the power of the holy Ghost in this behalfe that it is he which inwardly worketh the Regeneration and new birth of mankinde It is the holy Ghost and no other thing that doth quicken the minds of men stirring up good and godly motions in their hearts which otherwise of their own crooked and perverse nature they should never have The fruits of faith In the same place charitable and godly motions if man have any at all in him they proceed onely of the holy Ghost who is the only worker of our sanctification and maketh us new men in Christ Jesus The Spirit of Jesus is a good Spirit Part. 2. an holy Spirit a lowly Spirit a mercifull Spirit If any man live uprightly he hath the holy Ghost within him If the Saints in heaven were asked Serm. for Rogat week Part. 1. who should be thanked for their regeneration justification and salvation they would answer with David Not to us Lord but to thy Name give all the thanks If they be asked In the same place whence came all their glorious works they would say with Esay O Lord it is thou of thy goodnesse that hast wrought all our works in us not we our selves They be justitiaries and hypocrites In the same place which rob Almightie God of this honour and ascribe it to themselves Let us confesse Serm. for Rogat week Part. 2. that all spirituall graces behoveable for our soule come from God without whose goodnesse no man is called to faith or stayed therein God grant us all grace so to heare his word that we may fulfill it In the same place God give us grace to know those things Part. 3. and to feele them in our hearts This knowledge and feeling is not in our selfe by our selfe it is not possible to come by it Let us therefore meekly call upon the Holy Ghost that he would assist us and inspire us with his presence that in him we may be able to heare our salvation For without his lively and secret inspiration we cannot so much as name Christ Much lesse should we be able to beleeve In Gods Spirit shall we be meet vessels to receive the grace of Almighty God In the same place for it is he that purgeth and purifieth the minde by his secret working He sitteth in the tongue of man to stirre him to speake his honour He onely ministreth spirituall strength to the powers of our soule and body It is Gods Spirit that maketh us to hold the way which God hath prepared for us and to pray boldly to God If any gift we have whereby we may worke to the glory of God and profit of our neighbour all is wrought by this Spirit The holy Spirit will confirme us in all things In the same place Hom. of Matrim Married persons must crave continually of God the helpe of his holy Spirit so to rule their hearts and to knit their minds together that they be not dissevered by any division of discord It is God that worketh in us both the will Serm. of Repen Part. 1. and the deed Phil. 2. For this cause although Ieremy had said before If thou returne O Israel returne unto me saith the Lord yet afterwards he saith Turne thou me O Lord I shall be turned for thou art the Lord try God Ier. 6. And therefore that holy writer and ancient Father Ambrose doth plainely affirme that the turning of the heart to God is of God Ambros de vocat gent. lib. 8. cap. 9. As the Lord himselfe doth testifie by his Prophet saying And I will give thee an heart to know me that I am the Lord and they shall be my people and I will be their God for they shall returne unto me with their whole heart God vouchsafe by his holy Spirit to worke a true and unfained repentance in us In the same place If we repent Hom. against wilfull rebell Part. 1. Next pray after Coll. Nove. 5. Now. Cat. quest 43. quest 128. God will either take away evill Princes or of evill make them good Make us now and alwayes truly thankfull in heart word and deed for all thy gracious mercies and this our speciall deliverance We must on the Sabbath rest from our own works and yeeld our selves wholly to Gods governance that he may doe his workes in us From Christs resurrection cometh unto us an endeavour vertue and strength to live well and holily Christ indueth us with strength by the vertue and power of his resurrection to rise from the deadly workes of sinne quest 129. and live to righteousnesse The Spirit of God is called holy quest 142. for that by him the elect of God and the members of Christ are made holy for which cause the scriptures have called him the spirit of sanctification It is onely God which strengthneth man and by whose grace the sinner conceiveth this hope quest 164. minde and will Christ with the inspiration and vertue of the Holy
Ghost doth regenerate and newly forme us to the endeavour of innocency and holinesse quest 173. which we call newnesse of life Faith is the gift of God quest 180. and a singular and excellent gift The Holy Ghost hath wrought faith in my heart by the preaching of the Gospel quest 249. CHAP. VIII Of the purification of the heart MOrall perswasion goes before any intent in man to purifie his owne heart If then this latter act of purifying the heart which must necessarily follow the intention of purging be attributed to God then must he needs doc more in the cenversion of a sinner then morally to perswade him to purge his owne heart Now that this act is ascribed to God the bookes can witnesse O God make cleane our hearts within us Short prayers after the Creed Letany From all blindnesse of heart from pride vaine-glory and hypocrisy from envy hatred and malice Good Lord deliver us Grant us the true circumcision of the Spirit Coll. on circumcision of Christ that our hearts being mortified from all worldly and carnall lusts c. Create and make in us new and contrite hearts Coll. 1. day of Lent Coll. 3. on good Friday Coll. on Tuesday in Easter Have mercy upon all Jews Turkes Infidels and Hereticks and take from them all ignorance hardnesse of heart and contempt of thy word Grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickednesse that we may c. Grant that we may be presented to thee with pure and cleane mindes Collect. on the Purif of the virgin S. Mary Coll. on S. Matthews day Coll. on S. Lukes day Hom. of Inform of them which take offence c. Part. 2. end Serm. for Rogat week Part. 3. Grant us grace to forsake all covetous desires and inordinate love of riches May it please thee by the wholesome medicines of Lukes doctrine to heale all the diseases of our soules God therefore for his mercies sake vouchsafe to purifie our mindes through faith in his Sonne Jesus Christ and to instill the heavenly drops of his grace into our hard stony hearts to supple the same that we be not contemners and deriders of his infallible word In Gods Spirit shall we be meet vessels to receive the grace of Almighty God For it is he that purgeth and purifieth the minde by his secret working CHAP. IX Of the externall effect of grace IF the externall effects of grace come not altogether from the spirituall power put into us at the first nor from the perswasions of the Ministers but God is said to worke in us the deed as well as the will to doe well and we taught to pray to God for such effectuall grace as may produce good effects outwardly then it follows that the grace it self cannot be wrought in us onely by morall perswasion but must be wrought in us by divine operation Now whither the outward effects of grace be wrought by Gods assisting spirit or no let the authentick records of our Church speak O Lord open thou our lips Short prayers after the Lords Pr. Letany and our mouth shall shew forth thy praise That all Bishops Pastours and Ministers of the Church may both by their preaching and living set forth and shew true knowledge and understanding That it may please thee to give the Magistrates grace to execute Justice and to maintain truth Letany That it may please thee to give us an heart diligently to live after thy commandements Letany That it may please thee to give to all thy people increase of grace to heare meekly thy word Letany and to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit That it may please thee to endue us with the grace of thy holy Spirit Letany to amend our lives according to thy holy word Grant that we evermore serve thee in holinesse and purenesse of living Prayer in the Letany before the prayer for the King Prayer for the King Prayer for the Bishops Coll. on 1. Sund. after Epiph. Coll. on 5. Sund. after Epiph. Coll. on 1. Sunday in Lent Coll. on Sun before East So replenish the King with the grace of thy holy Spirit that he may alway walk in thy way That Bishops and Curats and all Congregations committed to their charge may truly please thee poure upon them the continuall dew of thy blessing Grant that thy people which call upon thee may have grace and power faithfully to fulfill what they know they ought to do Lord we beseech thee to keep thy Church continually in the true Religion Give us grace to use such abstinence that our flesh being subdued to the spirit we may ever obey thy godly motions Mercifully grant that we both follow the example of Christs patience Receive our prayers 2. Coll. on good Friday that every member of thy holy Congregation in his vocation and ministry may truly and godly serve thee As by thy speciall grace preventing us Collect. on Easter day thou didst put in our minde good desires So we beseech that by thy continuall help we may bring the same to good effect Grant that we may daily endeavour our selves Coll. on 2. Sund. after Easter Coll. on 3. Sund. after Easter Coll. on 1. Sunday after Trinity to follow the blessed steps of Christs most holy life Grant unto all them that be admitted into the fellowship of Christs religion that they may follow all such things as be agreeable to their profession Because the weaknes of our mortall nature can do no good thing without thee grant us the help of thy grace that in keeping of thy commandments we may please thee both in will and deed Grant us Lord we beseech thee Coll. on 9. Sund. after Trinity the Spirit to think and do alwayes such things as be rightfull that we which cannot be without thee may by thee be able to live according to thy will Almightie and mercifull God of whose onely gift it cometh Coll. on 13. Sund. after Trinitie that thy faithfull people do unto thee true and laudable service Because the frailtie of man without thee cannot but fall Coll. on 15. Sund. after Trinity Coll. on 17. Sund. after Trinity lead us to all things profitable to our salvation Lord we pray thee that thy grace may alwayes prevent and follow us and make us continually to be given to all goods works Lord we beseech thee to keep the Church in continuall godlinesse Coll. on 22. Sund. after Trinity that it may be devoutly given to serve thee in good works Grant unto us all Coll. on S. Andr. day that we being called by thy holy word may forthwith give over our selves obediently to fulfill thy holy commandements Grant that we may follow thy holy doctrin that Saint Paul taught Coll. on Convers of S. Paul Coll. on S. Barn Let us not be destitute of thy manifold gifts nor yet of grace to use them alway to
nor devill against us doe prevaile In the same hymne And grant O Lord that thou being our leader and our guide We may eschew the snares of sinne and from thee never slide Onely thy grace must be my stay Humble suit of sin least that I fall downe flat And being downe then of my selfe cannot recover that Lord keepe our King and his councell Prayer to the Holy Ghost before Serm. Hom. of faith Part. 3. Hom. of Inform of them which take offence c. Part. 1. In the same place and give them will and might To persevere in thy Gospel which can put sinne to flight It is God that must be our defence and protection against all temptation of wickednesse and sinne Noah and Lot godly men which otherwise felt inwardly Gods holy Spirit inflaming them in their hearts with the feare and love of God could not by their owne strength keepe themselves from committing horrible sinnes We must therefore acknowledge our owne infirmity and weaknesse and pray more earnestly to God incessantly for his grace to strengthen us and to defend us from all evill It is of the goodnesse of God Serm. for Rogat week Part. 3. that we faint not in our hope unto him It is verily Gods worke in us the charity wherewith we love our brethren If after our fall we repent it is by him that we repent which reacheth forth his mercifull hand to raise us up If any will we have to rise it is he that preventeth our will and disposeth us thereto Pray God to defend and maintaine you in marriage Hom. of Matrim Now. Cat. quest 206. that ye be not overcome with any temptations We pray that God would strengthen the members of his Church with his aide and power as his souldiers that they may earnestly fight against and subdue the devill the world and the lusts of the flesh We pray God not to suffer us to be overcome with any wicked temptation but that he will deliver us quest 224. and save us from all evill Direct our steps in thy word Psal for Even and so shall our feet be kept from falling and no wickednesse shall have dominion over us Deliver us from the power of wicked spirits Even prayer there and from all sinne the workes of darknesse and from all other perils bodily and ghostly CHAP. XII Of the progresse of the Regenerate THe servants of God that are regenerate though they be able to doe spirtuall actions by vertue of that grace they have received yet so unperfectly that they cannot make any great progresse in godlinesse without further helpe of Gods grace they acknowledge that they have of Gods assistance to bring into action their good cogitations so violently are they opposed by the remainders of fleshly corruption Now if the regenerate have need of Gods grace to make a progresse how much more have they need of his effectuall grace that have no power to regenerate themselves as we say or at least not so much as the regenerate have to proceed as our adversaries must say unlesse they will put no difference betwixt spirituall death and spirituall life Let us now heare the testimony of the bookes in this particular Grant that we being regenerate Collect. on Christmas day and made thy children by adoption and grace may daily be renued by thy holy Spirit Nourish us with all goodnesse Sund. 7. after Trinity Sunday 14. after Trin. Prayer 3. in Baptisme Prayer in priv Bapt. Almightie and everlasting God give unto us the encrease of faith hope and charitie Encrease this knowledge and confirme this faith in us evermore Give thy holy Spirit to this infant that he being born again and being made heire of everlasting salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ may continue thy servant and attain thy promise Daily increase in these thy servants Prayer 1. in Confirm thy manifold gifts of grace the spirit of ghostly strength and true godlinesse and fulfill them O Lord with the spirit of thy holy feare Defend O Lord Prayer 2. there this childe with thy heavenly grace that he may continue thine for ever and daily increase in thy holy Spirit more and more untill he come unto thy everlasting kingdome O Lord increase our faith in us Prayer to holy Ghost before Ser. Prayer 3. in order of Priests and love so to abound c. We humbly beseech thee by the same thy Sonne to grant unto all us which either here or else where call upon thy name that we may shew our selves thankfull to thee for these and all other thy benefits and that we may daily encrease and go forwards in the knowledge and faith of thee and thy Sonne by thy holy Spirit Almightie God accomplish in you the good work Prayer 2. in Consecr of Bishops which he hath begun that ye may be found perfect and irreprehensible at the latter day Regard not the horrour of our sinnes Prayer in fast 1625. Coll. 1. but our unfained repentance Perfect that worke which thou hast begun in us Give unto us every day more earnest and unfeignned repentance Prayer 6. added to Letany there plant in our hearts by the grace of thy holy Spirit a setled feare of thy name and full resolution to lead the rest of our life in the carefull obedience of thy holy will in our callings and faithfull hope of a better life to come Lord we beleeve but do thou encrease our faith Prayer for season weather there our devotion our repentance and all Christian vertues Thou didst most graciously accept our undeserved repentance before thee Prayer against pestil in the fast 1626. we beseech thee to give us the grace of greater humiliation and to shew as yet further mercy Neither doth the holy Ghost think it sufficient Hom. for Whitsunday Part. 1. inwardly to work the spirituall and new birth of man unlesse he do also dwell and abide in him Whether the Prince be good or evill Hom. against wilfull rebel Part. 1. Thanksgiv Nov. 5. Pr. after 1. Coll. let us pray for him for his continuance and increase in goodnesse if he be good and for his amendment if he be evill Increase in us more and more a lively faith and fruitfull love in all obedience CHAP. XIII Of the prayers of holy men SVch as are indued with true grace already yet pray to God still for grace By which grace they do not entend a power to do well if they please for this they have already yea they had it before they did actually beleeve and by vertue of this power did beleeve as our adversaries say The grace then that Gods servants pray for that they may obey God is an actuall inclination of their will already regenerate to the effecting of those good desires that are in their souls Neither must we suppose that their prayers aime only at an indefinit power of doing well but at a