as appeareth in the same place where this is added ' But he that hardneth his heart shall fall into euill as though hee should say that man is blessed which feareth the Lord for this will worke in him a conscionable care of auoiding sinne which is odious in the eyes of God and of imbracing holinesse and righteousnesse which being acceptable vnto God hee will reward with eternall blessednesse but hee that hardneth his heart and continueth in carnall securitie runneth headlong into the euill of sinne and consequently the euill of punishment euen euerlasting condemnation Thirdly whereas the Apostle Rom. 11.20 Rom. 11.20 exhorteth vs not to bee high minded but feare hee doth not meane that wee should doubt of our election and saluation but doth hereby beate downe our spirituall pride and opinion of our owne righteousnesse and holinesse whereby we are ready to insult ouer the Iewes as though we were chosen and preferred before them for some excellencie or worthinesse in our selues and so derogate from the free grace and goodnesse of God whereby he hath chosen vs without any respect of our deserts And that this is the meaning of these words appeareth in the eighteenth verse where he willeth the Gentiles not to boast themselues against the Iewes who were the naturall branches Neither doth the Apostle write this to the faithfull onely but to the whole Church of the Gentiles in which were many hypocrites and carnall men who contenting themselues with a bare name of Christians would insult ouer the Iewes whom God had cast off from being his Church and people whom he warneth not to be puft vp in pride as though in this respect their state were most secure and out of all danger for as saith he they were cast off for their infidelitie euen when they were naturall branches so shall you much more be reiected who being wilde branches were grafted in their places that is called to be the members of the visible Church if you continue in the like infidelity contenting your selues with vame confidence and fond presumption in stead of a liuely faith § Sect. 4 Fourthly Phil. 2.12 whereas the Apostle Phil. 2.12 doth exhort vs to worke out our saluation with feare and trembling he doth not hereby take away from vs assurance of our election and saluation but carnall securitie and selfe confidence that so despairing of our owne strength as being vnable of our selues to thinke a good thought or to will that which is good we may in all humilitie rest and rely our selues wholy vpon the Lord. And that this is his meaning appeareth by the reason which he adioyneth in the verse following for saith hee it is God which worketh in you both the will and the deede As though hee should say there is no reason why you should bee secure as though you were able to stand by your owne strength there is no cause why you should be lifted vp with fond presumption or be carried away with selfe confidence for of your selues you are not able so much as to will that which is good or to performe it though you should will it vnlesse it please the Lord of his owne good pleasure and free will to worke both in you and therefore respecting your owne infirmities and imperfections you should bee so farre from carnall securitie or selfe confidence that contrariwise you should continually feare least through your corruption you should be ouertaken of sinne and so displease the Lord which is your soueraigne King and gracious Father So that the Apostle doth not here exhort vs to doubt of our election and saluation but to a godly feare that we doe not fall into sinne he would not haue vs to doubt of Gods grace and free promises but of our own strength by which wee are altogether vnable to stand if hee leaue vs to our selues hee would not haue vs feare least wee should be reiected and damned after we are truely conuerted vnto God but least we fall into sinne and neglect that duety which we owe to our heauenly father Feare and distruct in our owne weakenesse and assurance of our election may well stand together These two therefore may well stand together for the more we distrust our owne weakenesse the more firmely we rest vpon the power and assistance of God and the more we rely vpon him the more sure we are of standing vnto the end the surer we are of Gods loue and fauour the more we loue him againe and the more we loue him the more fearefull we are to displease him the more we see our pronenesse to sinne the more we feare least we should fall into it and the more we suspect our selues the more earnestly we implore the assistance of Gods spirit whereby wee are inabled to withstand temptations And therefore Dauid ioyneth these together Psal 2.11 Serue the Lord in feare and reioyce in trembling Psal 2.11 noting thereby that Gods children feare yea euen tremble in regard of their owne infirmities and corruptions and yet at the same time they reioyce and are filled with consolation in respect of that full assurance which they haue of Gods loue and fauour and their election and saluation And as he ioyneth them in precept so also in his owne practise Psalm 5.7 Psalm 5.7 I will saith he come into thine house in the multitude of thy mercy and in thy feare will I worship towards thy holy temple so that at the same time when as hee was incouraged by the consideration of Gods great mercy to goe boldly and with a liuely faith vnto the throne of grace he was also touched with a godly feare in regard of his vnworthinesse and imperfections not that he doubted least hee should not bee accepted of God but least in worshipping of God hee should bewray his corruption and not doe it in that manner and measure which God requireth § Sect. 5 But against this it may be obiected that Iohn saith Obiection 1. Ioh. 4.18 Answere 1. Epist 4.18 There is no feare in loue but perfect loue casteth out feare c. I answere that there is a twofold feare mentioned in the scriptures the first is a seruile feare proceeding from incredulitie whereby men feare God as a scuere iudge who is ready to inflict on them those iust punishments which by their sinnes they haue deserued which feare is expelled when as we are assured of Gods loue and loue him againe The other is a sonne-like feare which is a fruite of faith whereby we doe not feare God as an enemy or an angry iudge but as a gracious Father whose displeasure we would by no meanes incurre not that we feare his wrath and vengeance as though it were ready to fall vpon vs but because we would not thus abuse his mercy and goodnesse towards vs nor doe any thing which might cause him to looke vpon vs with a frowning countenance or if we doe feare Gods iudgements it is as they are inflicted on another
be refuted and repelled CHAP. I. Answeres to those temptations of Sathan whereby he perswadeth carnall men of Gods loue § Sect. 1 ANd so much concerning the common affections of the Christian conflict That Sathans temptations impugne all the causes and meanes of our saluation namely his manfull withstanding Sathans encounters and also his fainting and falling into sinne Now we are to speake of the speciall temptations themselues and the meanes whereby wee may be strengthened against them Where first wee are to consider that Sathans temptations are not alwaies one and the same neither impugne one or two points onely of our faith and religion but as the causes and the meanes of our saluation are manifold so also doth he gather manifold obiections against euerie one of them if they truly appertaine vnto vs that so hee may impugne and race our faith or els doth fill vs with vaine presumption perswading vs that all the causes and meanes of saluation concurre together in vs when as in truth wee are voide and destitute of them all Let vs therefore consider of the seuerall causes of our saluation and obserue what temptations Sathan suggesteth in our minds against euery one of them The first and principall cause of our saluation is Gods eternall loue and immutable goodwill wherewith he hath loued his creatures from before the foundations of the world were laid the which loue and goodwill in himselfe did moue him to elect them to saluation whom he so loued without any deserts in themselues for how could they deserue any thing at Gods hath before they were or what good could the Lord foresee in them but that which in his eternall counsaile hee purposed to bestow and impart vnto them Sathans temptation whereby he perswadeth carnall men that they are beloued of God First therefore we will speake of those temptations which concerne the loue of God toward vs which are of two sorts the first leading vs to vaine presumption and carnall securitie the other to horrour and desperation For if Sathan see men liuing in carnall securitie frozen in the dregges of their sinnes so as in truth there is no signe that they are beloued of God he will perswade them that they are highly in his fauour and loue and therefore though they runne on in their wicked courses yet they shall be saued Doest thou not perceiue will he say that God dearely loueth thee Why consider that hee hath made thee one of his chiefest creatures whereas otherwise hee would haue made thee a toade or serpent he hath also like a tender father preserued and nourished thee from thy infancie and which is more he hath sent his dearely beloued sonne to die for thee and hee hath made choise of thee amongst many others to be a member of his Church where thou inioyest the preaching of the Gospell and the vse of the Sacraments to the end thou maist be assured of thy saluation without all question or doubting Neuer therefore take care nor trouble thy selfe concerning thy saluation vse not such strictnes and precisenes of life but take thy pleasure and follow those delights which the Lord hath bestowed vpon thee as pledges of his loue for thou art not now a slaue but a sonne and therefore maist more freely follow thine owne desire and vse thy libertie cast away all seruile feare which maketh thee take such paines in vsing all meanes whereby thou maist be assured of saluation for thou art assured of the principall namely of Gods loue and therefore thou needest not to doubt of the rest nor to debarre thy selfe of thy pleasures spending thy time in feare and care to the end thou maist get the assurance of that which thou needest not to call into question The answere to the former temptation And thus doth the diuell fill men with presumption and lull them asleepe in carnal securitie to their vtter destruction and therefore it behooueth vs to arme our selues against him that we be not circumuented And to this end let vs consider that Gods loue goeth not alone neither is it idle in those whom he loueth but as the first linke of a chaine draweth all the rest of the chaine with it so the loue of God which is the first cause of our saluation is accompanied with all the other causes which are subordinate thereunto for whom God loueth them he electeth whom he electeth those in his good time he calleth whom hee effectually calleth them he iustifieth and whom he iustifieth those hee sanctifieth if therefore we be not sanctified we are not iustified if wee are not iustified we are not called if we are not called we can haue no assurance that wee are elected nor yet of Gods loue and fauour and consequently whosoeuer liue in their blind ignorance in their infidelitie and wallow themselues in the filthie puddle of their sinnes without any true sorrow for those which are past or any good purpose of heart to forsake them in the time to come they can haue no assurance of Gods loue but are rather iustly to feare least they are in the number of those whom the Lord hath eternally reiected if they continue in this their miserable and desperate estate § Sect. 2 Neither let Sathan bewitch them with that vaine opinion of Gods loue towards them Temporall benefits no infallible signes of Gods loue because of those generall benefits which like the raine and Sunne-shine are bestowed both vpon the good and bad for what in this respect can they promise more to themselues than Esau and Saul Were not they created men according to Gods own likenes were they not preseured and nourished by God and that more liberally than many Gods owne children For Esau had so much the he professed to his brother Iacob that he had enough and was attended vpon by foure hundred men And was not Saul a mightie King who had all at commaund Were not all these in the Church of God and outwardly enioyed the word and Sacraments as well as any other and yet God himself saith that he hated Esau and had reiected Saul And therefore let vs neuer bragge of our assurance of Gods loue because of these outward and common benefits which he indifferently bestoweth both vpon the elect and reprobate but if we would be assured indeed of Gods loue let vs looke into our selues and consider if he haue bestowed vpon vs his spirituall graces faith hope patience loue of him and our brethren true repentance for our sinnes and holinesse of life and the rest and then by the fruites of sanctification we may be assured that we are sanctified and consequently iustified called elected and eternally loued of God § Sect. 3 And thus doth Sathan falsely perswade the carnall man that he is highly in the loue and fauour of God How Sathan perswadeth weake christians that thâ—y are not belouâ— of God but contrariwise when he assaulteth the weake Christian hee changeth his copie and goeth about to perswade him
conuersion in singular fruits thereof For he made a notable confession of his sauiour and redeemer euen when all his disciples for feare forsooke him He iustifieth Christ when all men condemned him and euen his Apostles doubted of him He praieth feruently vnto him when the multitude mocked and reuiled him hee humbly confesseth his owne sinns and louingly admonisheth his fellow of his wickednesse desiring earnestly that as they had bin fellowes and copartners in sinne so they might be partakers in pardon and in the benefitte of redemption wrought by Christ Whereas most commonly their repentance is forced and dissembled for feare of punishment rather then for hatred of sinne or loue of God as they vsually make it manifest if they recouer of their sickenesse And therefore seing there is such great dissimilitude and difference in their purposes liues and courses it is not probable that they wil euer bee like in their conuersion death and saluation CHAP. XXXI Sathans tentations mouing men to rest in a counterfait repentance answered § Sect. 1 ANd somuch for the answering of those tentations wherby Sathan laboreth to make vs delay and deferre our repentance from day to day That the promises of the gospell are made onely to those who repentseriously with which if he cannot preuaile both because we see the necessitie of repentance vnto saluation and also plainly perceiue by the former reasons that delayes are most dangerous then hee will laboure in the next place to perswade vs to content our selues with a smale measure of repentance or rather in truth with a coūterfait worke-repentance which is only in outward shew and neuer pearceth the heart making vs beleeue that if when wee see our sinns hauing our consciences conuinced out of Gods word we doe in some generall tearmes confesse that we are all sinners and desire God after a formall manner to haue mercie vppon vs if we can sometime straine from vs a broken sighe and be content to leaue some of our least pleasing sinnes our repentance wil be very acceptable to God and sufficient for our saluation And with this tentation Sathan deludeth and destroyeth innumerable men in these our dayes and therefore it behooueth euery man to prepare himselfe for this incounter And to this ende we are to know that the mercy of God and merits of Christ dot◠not belong vnto those who thus slubber ouer their repentance neither doth Christ Iesus call vnto him such as slightly sorrow for their sinnes and thinke the burthen of them light and easie to bee borne but such as labour and are heauie loaden as appeareth Matth. 11.28 Come vnto me all ye who are wearie and heauie loaden and I will ease you In which wordes our sauiour Christ plainely sheweth whom hee calleth to the participation of the worke of redemption wrought by him and what measure of repentance hee requireth of them for the first worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth such as labour vntill they bee wearie and the other worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth such as are heauie laden with a burthen vnsupportable and therefore being grieuously pressed therewith they desire nothing more then to bee case of it for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from which this worde is deriued properly signifieth the burthen of a shippe and is taken metaphorically for any thing which is very troublesome and grieuous So that by ioyning these two together our sauiour euidently declareth whom hee calleth and inuiteth vnto him Namely those onely who knowne acknowledge and feele that their sinnes are an intollerable heauie burthen and being exceedingly vexed with them most earnestly desire to bee eased and released of them and to this purpose flee vnto Christ by a true and liuely faith finding themselues destitute of all meanes whereby they may otherwise be eased and releeued § Sect. 2 If then wee could haue any assurance that wee are in the number of those whom Christ calleth and inuiteth vnto him wee must haue first a sight and sense of our sinnes What things are required in those who truly repent and a true and feeling knowledge of our miserable and wretched estate in which we are by reason of them and the punishment due vnto them Secondly we must be wearie in bearing this heauie burthen as being most irkesome and grieuous vnto us Thirdly wee must haue an earnest desire to be eased and freed from it Lastly we must come vnto Christ by a true and liuely faith to the ende that hee may ease and release vs. 1. Knowledge and sight of their sinnes For the first Wee must come to the knowledge of our sinnes before wee can truely repent of them for we cannot sorrowe for them vntill wee see them neither is it sufficient that wee see and know that wee are greeuous and hanious sinners vnlesse we also feele the waight of this intollerable burthen pressing vs downe and vexing and grieuing vs euen to the verie heart for wicked and prophane men may see their sinnes for what can hide them from their eyes being so innumerable in multitude and so grieuous and hainous in respect of their quantitie and quallitie but yet they feele not their waight neither are troubled with them nay it is a pastime to a foole to doe wickedly as it is Prou. 10.23 and the abhominable filthie sinner drinketh iniquitie like water as it is Iob. 15.16 and there are some so delighted with vngodlinesse and all lewd prophanesse that they euen drawe vnto them iniquitie with the cordes of vanitie and sinne as with cart-ropes as the prophet speaketh Esa 5.18 and though they bee laden with their sinnes as it were with an intollerable burthen yet they feele them not neither are they any thing vexed with their waight and though the iniquitie of sinners bee so heauie that the earth cannot beare it but reeleth too and fro like a drunken man and is remooued like a tent as it is Esay 24.20 though it make all the creatures grone and trauaile in paine together as the Apostle sheweth Rom. 8.22 yea though it euen wearieth God himselfe in suffering and bearing with it as it is Esa 43.24 yet doe they walke bolt vpright and with stretched out neckes neuer so much as stooping vnder this vnsupportable burthen till at last it growe so heauie that it ouerwhelmeth them and presseth them downe to the bottome of hel The reason here of is because they are wholy plunged yea drowned and dead in their sinns and therefore as those who being diued to the bottome of some deepe water doe not feele the waight of that which is aboue them whereas if they were pulled out of the waters they would be ouerwhelmed with the burthen of one tunne so those who are deeply plūged into the gulph of sinne and wickednesse doe not feele the waight of this intollerable burthen but if once they come out of their sinns by vnfained repentance the waight of some few of them woulde presse them downe vnto the gates of hell
lusts thereof and to serue the Lord in holinesse and newnesse of life and if we beleeue in Iesus Christ resting vpon him for our saluation or though presently we feele not this faith and repentance yet if euer in former time wee haue discerned it in vs that then we are receiued into Gods loue and fauour and therefore shall haue his loue continued vnto vs vnto the end be made partakers of his gratious promises heires of euerlasting life for the promises of the gospell are not restrayned to those who feele their faith but to those that haue faith not to those who feele that they doe beleeue but vnto those who doe beleeue § Sect. 4 That conclusions grounded vpon our sense are often false Neither is the not feeling of Gods loue and fauour a good argument to proue that wee are out of his loue and fauour or the apprehension of his wrath and anger in our sense and feeling a sound reason to perswade vs that wee are subiect to his wrathfull displeasure seeing the being of a thing and the sensible discerning of the thing to be are diuers and therefore howsoeuer at sometimes they concurre yet oftentimes they are seuered and disioyned so that the conclusion which is inferred negatiuely from the senses to proue the not being of their obiect is not onely commonly false but also oftentimes absurd and ridiculous for example sometimes we see not the beames of the sunne as in the night season or whē it is couered with some thicke blacke cloud but shal we herehence cōclude that the sunne shineth not nor wil euer againe appeare vnto vs So the bright beames of Gods loue and fauour are sometimes hidden from vs in the night of tentations and so shadowed with the cloud of our grieuous sinnes that we cannot sensibly discerne them but shall wee hence inferre that there is no grace and mercy to be found with God or that he will neuer againe make them shine vpon vs The one is as absurd as the other and both grosly false So sometimes the Sunne is eclipsed by the interposition of the Moone so as we cannot discerne his light or very dimly but if any man should conclude from hence that it were quite taken away or that we were depriued vtterly of his life-preseruing influence the experience of two or three howers would shew the sottish weakenesse of his sensible argumēt and so in like manner Gods fauour and loue are sometimes so ecclipsed with the interposition of some great afflictions that wee cannot discerne them for a time or but very dimly but if we shall inferre hereof that they are quite taken from vs and that they cast forth no comfortable influence on vs our present preseruation from being swallowed vp into vtter destruction and the speedy returne of woonted ioy and consolation by the apprehension of Gods loue and goodnesse towards vs will euidently shew that this argument taken from the senses is void of reason § Sect. 5 That Gods dearest children haue not at all times sensibly discerned Gods loue and the graces of his spirit in thē Lastly it appeareth by the examples of Gods children from time to time that though they haue bene indued with a great measure of faith and in a high degree of fauour and loue with almighty God yet sometimes in their owne sense they haue found in them in stead of faith nothing but doubting diffidence and infidelitie and for Gods loue and fauour they haue apprehended nothing in their present feeling but the wrathfull anger of God and his greeuous displeasure Looke vpon the holy man Iob who by Gods owne testimonie was the iustest man vpon earth and highly in Gods loue and fauour and you shal find that sometimes he sheweth in his grieuous afflictions no signe of faith but grosse doubting and in outward apparance vtter despaire of Gods mercy and loue for he curseth the day of his natiuitie and wisheth that he had neuer beene borne he complaineth that God was his enemy and had made him as a marke whereat hee shot venimed arrowes that Gods terrors did fight against him and that hee did hide his louing countenance from him So the Prophet Dauid a man according to Gods owne hart sheweth plainely that sometime he hath no sense and feeling of the graces of Gods spirit in him Psal 51.10 as when he desireth the Lord to create in him a cleane hart and to renew a right spirit within him to restore him to the ioy of his saluatiō to stablish him with his free spirit sometimes he apprehendeth in his present sense feeling in stead of Gods loue and fauour nothing but his wrath and displeasure and therefore complaineth as one reiected and forsaken of God So Psal 22.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Psal 22.1 77.7 88.14 and art so farre from my health and from the words of my roaring 2. O my God I crie by day but thou hearest not and in the night and haue no audience And Psal 77.7 he thus complaineth will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and will he shew no more fauour 8. Is his mercy cleane gone for euer doth his promisse faile for euermore 9. hath God forgotten to be merfull hath he shut vp his tender mercies in displeasure 10. And I said this is my death c. So Psal 88.14 Lord why doest thou reiect my soule and hidest thy face from me 15. I am afflicted and at the point of death from my youth I suffer thy terrors doubting of my life 16. Thine indignations goe ouer me and thy feare hath cut me off The Prophet Ieremy likewise being grieuously afflicted in body and mind Ier. 20.14.15 was for a time depriued of the sense of Gods loue and fauour apprehending nothing but present miserie and in stead of faith affiance in God peace of conscience and other sanctifying graces he bewraieth his doubting diffidence and impatiencie cursing the day of his birth and euen the man that brought first newes hereof to his father and wishing that his mother had bene his graue or her wōbe a perpetuall conception As appeareth Ierem. 20.14.15 c. The like may be said of the Apostle Peter for where I pray you was the sense feeling of his faith affiance in God zeale of his glorie loue feare and other sanctifying graces when as he shamefully denied his maister yea forswore him with bitter cursing and yet wee must eyther graunt that Peter at this time was indued with a liuely faith or els that the prayer of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ was not effectuall for hee had praied for him that his faith might not faile as appeareth Luk. 22.32 Luke 22.32 But what should I insist in the examples of these the seruants of God seeing the alone example of Christ himselfe is sufficient to cleare this point for though hee were the onely begotten and best beloued Sonne of his heauenly father yet in his
weakenesse in resisting sinne and inability to performe obedience to his lawe and also that Christ died not for the iust but the vniust not for the righteous but for the sinner and therefore be thy sinnes neuer so many yet applying the merits of Christ by faith neither their guilt nor punishment shall be imputed vnto thee Call to minde also the gracious promises of pardon and forgiuenesse which are made vnto thee in the Gospell for the obtaining whereof nothing is required of thee but faith and repentance now this faith thou hast already and this repentance thou maist haue hereafter when thou hast inioyed the pleasure or profit of this sinne Neither doth repentance goe before but followeth the committing of sinne so that vnlesse thou first sinne thou hast no cause of repentance nor neede to repent § Sect. 3 And these and such like are Sathans baites That the world and the flesh further the former temptation wherewith he allureth vs to intangle our selues in the snares of sinne into which wee are more readie to fall through the corruption of the flesh which naturally louing sinne doth with the euill motions and desires thereof further Sathans temptations and the instigation of the world which pricketh vs forward and draweth vs on into the steepe descending way of wickednesse into which we are readie to runne headlong of our owne accord partly alluring vs with pleasures riches and worldly glorie the desired obiects of our carnall desires and partly drawing vs with euill examples first to a liking and then to the practizing of those sinnes which we see committed by others Against all which temptations that we may be the better armed let vs in the next place propound some arguments whereby wee may bee withheld from falling into Sathans snares of sinne into which his suggestions the worlds allurements and our owne corruptions leade and draw vs and then being hereby moued to a true detestation of our sinnes and an earnest desire of hauing a diuorce sued betwixt vs and them I will afterwards set downe some meanes by the carefull vse whereof we may be inabled to stand in the day of temptation and preserued from falling into those sinnes which we alreadie condemne in our iudgements and dislike in our affections § Sect. 4 The reasons whereby wee may bee perswaded to resist sinne are of two sorts The preseruatiues to keepe vs from sinne of two sorts the first tying vs to holy obedience in the bands of loue the other binding vs from falling into sinne with the cords of feare Of the former ranke are these and such like holy considerations The first reason taken from Gaeds loue towards vs. First wee are to set before vs the infinite loue of God towards vs base and vile creatures altogether vnworthie of his least fauour by reason of our sinnes the which his loue as it plainly appeareth in all other his mercies and manifolde benefits bestowed on vs so especially in sending his onely begotten and dearely beloued sonne not onely to suffer some small miserie but euen death it selfe yea that cursed ignominious and cruell death of the crosse for vs who were not his louing friends or faithfull seruants but opposed enemies and rebellious traytors who had renounced his seruice and yeelded our selues as slaues to Sathan readie to doe his will Seeing therefore our good God hath so dearely loued vs who were altogether vnworthie his loue and most worthie of his anger and heauie iudgements O why should not this flame of his loue towards vs kindle some sparkles of loue towards him againe who is in himselfe the chief goodnesse and to vs most kinde and gratious If for our sakes who were his abiect enemies hee hath not spared his owne sonne but gaue him to die for vs should wee not for his sake who is our chiefest friend bee as willing to part with our sinnes and to kill and crucifie all our carnall corruptions Neither can wee by any other meanes so cleerely shew our loue to God as by hating sinne which aboue al things in the world is most hatefull and odious vnto him and the onely cause which maketh him abhorre euen his excellent creatures so that though hee loued them as being his owne workes yet he detested them being defiled with the filthie spots of sin yea so odious is sinne vnto our righteous God that he could not chuse but punish it in his dearely beloued sonne who bare our transgressions and sustained our persons and when there was no other way to subdue the power of sinne hee gaue it a mortall wound euen through the bodie of our blessed Sauiour and deliuered him to be crucified that by this meanes he might also kill and crucifie our corruptions Seeing therefore sinne is most odious and detestable in the eyes of God wee cannot better shew our loue towards him which his loue towards vs hath so well deserued than by hating and flying that which he so much abhorreth § Sect. 5 Secondly The second reason taken from Gods benefits Ephes 1.4 let vs call to our remembrance his innumerable benefits which are the vndoubted signes of his loue towards vs. First hee hath elected vs vnto eternall life that wee should be holy Seeing therfore he hath made special choise of vs amongst many who are reiected therfore let vs exceed others in a holy care of seruing him and auoiding those things which are displeasing in his sight hee also hath created vs to the end we should worship and serue him our Lord and Creator Act. 17.28 and therefore seeing we haue our being from him let vs in al our actions seeke his glorie and auoid sinne whereby he is dishonoured Yea hee hath not made vs the vilest of his creatures but reasonable men according to his owne image and likenes and therefore let vs not deface this glorious workmanship with the filthie spots of sinne He hath redeemed vs out of the cruell bondage of our spirituall enemies by giuing his sonne to be the price of our redemption and therefore seeing we are bought with a price so inestimable let vs not wilfully again make our selues the bondslaues of sinne and Sathan 1. Cor. 6.20 Luk. 1.74.75 2. Cor. 5.15 Rom. 6.6.8.18 but glorifie our redeemer in our bodies and in our soules seruing him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our liues He hath effectually called vs and selected vs out of the corrupt masse of mankinde and therefore let vs walke worthie our vocation 1. Thess 4.17 for God hath not called vs vnto vncleannesse but vnto holinesse He hath freely iustified vs imputing vnto vs Christs righteousnesse and pardoning all our sinnes both in respect of the guilt and punishment and therefore being made free from sinne let vs no longer liue therein but now become the seruants of righteousnesse and seeing he hath forgiuen much let vs also loue much labouring to manifest our loue by the fruites of holy obedience Luk. 7 47. He
enemies who labour to hinder our saluation for he is omnipotent and mighty to saue Esa 63.1 as it is Esa 63.1 And though through our frailety and weakenesse we might continually bee vanquished and drawne from God yet now there is no doubt hereof seeing we doe not stand in our owne strength 1. Pet. 1.5 but are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation as it is 1. Pet. 1.5 though in our selues wee are impotent and feeble yet we are strong in the Lord and in the power of his might and being armed with the armour of God Eph. 6.10 11. we are inabled to stand against the assaults of the diuell as the Apostle speaketh Ephes 6.10 11. Though wee are of little force in regard of our owne strength and able to doe nothing yet are we able to doe all things through the helpe of Christ which strengthneth vs as it is Philip. 4.13 though we be weake in faith Phil. 4.13 and vnable to stand yet being the seruants of God we shall be established for God is able to make vs stand Rom. 14.4 In a word Rom. 14.4 though our spirituall enemies are stronger than we yet shall they not bee able to plucke vs from Christ For the father which gaue vs to him is greater than all Ioh. 10.28 29. and none is able to take vs out of the fathers hand as our Sauiour reasoneth Iohn 10.28 29. And therefore when we are discouraged and ready to faint in the sight and sense of our owne weakenesse and our enemies mighty power let vs comfort our selues in the Lord saying with the Apostle I knowe whom I haue beleeued 2. Tim. 1.12 and I am perswaded he is able to keepe that which I haue committed to him against that day as it is 2. Tim. 1.12 § Sect. 2 The fifth reason is grounded vpon Gods truth and fidelitie The fifth reason groundad on Gods truth in his couenant Apoc. 1.5 2. Cor. 1.20 Luke 16.17 which is so infallible that whatsoeuer hee hath spoken promised or couenanted that he will most certainely performe for God is a faithfull and true witnesse Apoc. 1.5 and all his promises in Christ are Yea and Amen 2. Corinth 1.20 So that it is more easie that heauen and earth should passe away than that one title of Gods word should fall vnaccomplished Luke 16.17 But the Lord in his word hath assured all that beleeue that hee will vpholde them and preserue them vnto euerlasting life against all the furie of their enemies as may appeare both by his couenant which he hath made with his Church in generall and also by particular promises made to all the faithfull Concerning the first the Lord maketh this couenant with his Church Esa 59.21 I will saith hee make this my couenant with them Esa 59.21 my spirit that is vpon thee and my words which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seede nor out of the mouth of the seede of thy seed saith the Lord from henceforth euen for euer If therefore Gods spirit neuer departeth from them and they for euer confesse and professe his word and truth then certainely they can neuer fall away nor loose their heauenly inheritance For Rom. 8.11 if the spirit of him that raised vp Iesus from the dead dwell in vs hee shall also quicken our mortall bodies because his spirit dwelleth in vs as it is Rom. 8.11 Rom. 8 11.14.â—7 And as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God vers 14. And if we be children we are also heyres c. vers 17. So Ierem. 32.38 I will bee their God and they shall be my people â—er 32.38 39 â—0 Vers 39. And I will giue them one heart and one way that they may feare me for euer for the wealth of them and of their children after them 40. And I will make an euerlasting couenant with them that I will neuer turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me c. If therefore the Church and people of God shall feare him for euer if his couenant be euerlasting if he will neuer depart from them nor they from him then certainely there is no doubt of their perseuerance â—er 31.31.32 And chapter 31.31.32 The Lord saith that he will make a new couenant with his Church not according to the couenant which he made with their fathers 33. But this shall be the couenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my lawe in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people c. And I will forgiue their iniquitie and I will remember their sinnes no more In which words the Lord couenanteth that his law should euer remaine so deepely ingrauen in their hearts that nothing should blot it out that they should continually meditate and delight themselues therein Rom. 2.15 2. Cor. 3.2 for thus this phrase of writing in the heart is vsually taken in the Scriptures So likewise he assureth them of the perpetuall pardon of their sinnes so that their sinnes should neuer make frustrate that couenant which he had made with them Hos 2.19.20 So Hos 2.19 And I will marrie thee vnto me for euer yea I will marry thee vnto me in righteousnesse and in indgement and in mercy and compassion 20. I Will marrie thee vnto me in faithfulnesse and thou shall knowe the Lord. If therefore the Church of God shall bee married vnto him for euer in righteousnesse and faithfulnesse and in mercy and compassion then can neither their faith and righteousnesse towards God nor his mercy and compassion towards them fayle but both shall continue vnto the end Seeing then the couenant which is betweene God and vs doth assure vs of the continuance of his loue and mercy and of our perseuerance in his feare and holy obedience we neede not to doubt either of the ceasing of his loue or our falling away For though the mountaines remoue and the hils fall downe yet shall not his mercie depart from his children neither shall the couenant of his peace fall away As the Lord himselfe protesteth Esa 54.10 Esa 54.10 § Sect. 3 And thus haue I proued the certaintie of our perseuerance An obiection taken from our faltinesse answered by the couenant of grace which God hath made with his Church for whatsoeuer the Lord promiseth to the whole body of the Church that he also promiseth to euery particular member thereof seeing the whole containeth all his parts so that whatsoeuer belongeth to the whole body that also belongeth to all the members But it may be obiected that howsoeuer this couenant on Gods part is firme and eternall yet by our fault and transgression it may