him appoynted in his holy worde by which wee are to receaue his giftes and spirituall graces which lye hidden in many people for want of Godly exercises wherin wee ought to bee occupied Therfore * wee must stirre vp the giftes of God that are in vs as Paule admonished Timothy the meanes are hearing 2 Tim. 1. 6. reading and folloing the holy scriptures and holy wrytings and preachings grounded thereon For as God is the soueraigne goodnes it selfe euen so all goodnes cometh from him * euery good gifte and euery perfect gift cometh downe Iam. 1. from the father of light and his holy spirit mouing vs wee thinke good thoughts speake good words and do good dedes and not otherwise For when soeuer we thinke speake or do if it bee good * it is God that worketh in vs both the will and Phil. 2. 13. 1 Cor. 3. 6. the deede * For of our selues wee cannot thinke a good thought And contrarywise Satan is the capitall euil and the extreme euill it selfe * for hee is the tempter which by his Angels and worldly adherents puts all euill thoughts into meÌ„s Matt. 4. 3. Gen. 3. 1. 2. Iohn 13. 2. hartes * Thus hee delte with Eue and so disceaued Adam * hee put in the harte of Iudas Iscariote to betray his maister Therefore all wicked motions and filthy thoughts are stirred vp by the Deuill in our corrupt nature wee being his subiects For by Adams fall wee are all in Satans possession And it is the batayle of mans lyfe to striue agaynst his temptations agaynst infidelity pryde of the minde and lustes of the flesh Therfore our sauiour hath taught vs to pray to bee deliuered from euill from which wee cannot kepe our selues without God his especiall grace gouerning vs by his Spirit OF GODS ETERNALL PVRPOSE of chosing and refusing of mankind of the anoiance that it receiueth by Satan and his angels CAP. 6. NOw to proue Gods eternal purpose of election and reiection of man Male and Female * wee know that all thinges worke for the Rom. 8. 28. 9 11. Gen. 25. 23. Exo. 33. 19. Malac. 1. 2. best to them that loue God euen to them that are called of purpose * And of the children not yet borne hauing done neither good nor euil it is written I haue loued Iacob and haue hated Esaw that the promise of God might stande according to the election and not by woorkes but by him that calleth what shall wee say then is there vnrighteousnes with God God forbid For hee sayth to Moses I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy and haue compassion on whom I wil haue compassion So then election is not in him that willeth nor in him that ronneth But in God that sheweth mercy on whom it pleaseth him Psalm 107 8. 15. Rom 9 16. Exo. 9. 16. * Oh that men would therefore feare the Lord and declare the woonders that hee doth amongest men * For hee sayeth vnto Pharao for this purpose haue I raysed thee vp that I might shew my power in thee that my name might bee declared through al the Earth Behold to what end God hardned Pharaos heart euen to the same ende as hee before the world was had ordeined the fall of Angels and of men to shewefoorth his glorye and himselfe to bee the wonderfull God of mercy and iustice Then thou wilt say why doth hee yet complayne who can resist his will Saynt Paul correcteth that question saying Rom. 9. 20. * Oh man what art thou that disputest agaynst God Shall the thing formed say vnto him that formed it why hast thou made mee thus hath not the potter power ouer the clay euen of one and the same lumpe to make one vessel to honor and another to dishonor What if it please God to shew his wrath to make his power knowen in suffering with long patience the vessels of wrath ordayned and prepared to destruction and damnation and that hee might declare the ritches of his mercy vpon the vessels of mercy prepared vnto glory The text is playne inough that some are ordayned and prepared to saluation and other some to damnation And our Sauiour Christ sayth of the reprobate whom God hath refused * that God hath blinded their eies and hardned their Iohn 12. 40 hartes least they should see vnderstand and beleue and be conuerted that hee might heale them Moreouer * God did Ephe. 1. 4. elect whom pleased him euen before the foundation of the World was layed and those hee did forepoint to be adopted in Christ Iesus vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will that they might loue him For * all things work for the best to them that loue God euen to them that are called Behold the purpose of God Rom. 8. 33. of purpose And those whom hee knew before hee did forepoint and called them effectually and those he iustified those he also glorifyed * Who shal then lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen whoÌ„he doth iustify And that which the Lord hath decreed who shal make it void Thus it is manifest Esai 14. 27 46. 10. by the holy Scriptures that God did elect and reiecte whom it pleased him aswel of Angels as of men euen before the world was And al for his own purpose to shew forth his own glory himself to be the glorious God of mercy and iustice For God is glorifyed and magnifyed as much in his iustice as in his mercy for if both Angels and men had not sinned and by sinne fallen from theyr blessed state the mercy and iustice of God had neuer bene fâ—lonor spoken of amongst men But so it pleased God to deale with his own And what shal any man get to reason why or wherefore hee hath done this or that It behoueth men rather to feare him and prayse his holy name in beholding his wonderfull and passing terrible workes For hee being Monarch of all power and dominion hath all thinges in euerlasting possession therefore hee only and none but hee may doe with his owne what hee list No man can iustly say that any thing which hee possesseth is properly his owne because God hath but lent it him for a tyme. And yet there are few so ill mannered as to control any man for vsing that which God hath lent him because it is called his owne and shal wee vse lesse reuerence to God theÌ„ we do to men God sayth by his prophet * the sonne doth honor his father Malac. 1. 6. the seruant doth feare his Lord If I bee then your father where is then myne honor If I be your Lord where is the feare yee ought to haue of mee our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs by the example of the * murmuring labourers who were Mat. 20. 11 sharply rebuked for grudging agaynst the liberality of the Lord of the vineyard which is this almighty Monarch and bountifull God that dealeth so frankly and
louingly with all creatures namely men both good and bad Therefore let all people feare to reason why God hath dealt so or so with Angels and men further then is probable and allowable by holy Scripture In holy scriptures I find certayne aunswers to those curious How to answere the wicked questions why God doth this or that namely in this hard matter of choosing and refusing commonly called predestination First hee hath done it for the full accomplishment of his eternall purpose decreed in him selfe before the world was * To the end that his glorious name might be knowen Exod. 9. 13. 33. 19. and his almighty power magnifyed all ouer the Earth * To the end hee might haue compassion and shew mercy on whom it pleased him * To the end that his wayes might be knowne Psalm 67. 2 vpon the whole Earth and his sauing health among all Nations * For when hee hardned the hartes of Pharao and his Exod. 14. 7 subiectes to follow the Israelites through the redde Sea hee did it to that end to bee glorifyed in their distruction for God sayd I will get mee honor vpon Pharao and his hoâ—st his chariots and horsemen by confounding them that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. * He hath done it Ro. 9. 22. 23 to the end to shew his wrath and make his power knowen on the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction And to declare the ritches of his glory vpon the vessels of mercy prepared vnto glory To the end wee might know the fayth of Gods elect and haue the knowledge of the truth which is according to godlines vnder hope of eternall life which God that cannot lie hath promised to his elect before the world began and hath declared it in his word through preaching and writing The finall end of his eternal purpose inchosing and refusing both Angels and men and in ordayning the matter and the meanes to bring euery thing to his forepointed end euer was is now and euer shall bee to shew himselfe to bee the wonderful and glorious God of mercy and iustice For if man had not fallen from his first blessed estate into sin there should haue bene no declaration as now is for mercy and iustice Neuerthelesse fantasticall wits demaunde freuolous and Curious questions curious questions as this with what equitie and iustice could God condempne such infinite nombers of multitudes of people for the offence of one and yâ— for so sleyght a maâ—ter as tasting the fruicte of a tree I graunt that in mans iudgement the offence seemeth small And the punishment most seuere and horrible But what remedy get wee by disputing agaynst him whose will is an euerlasting lawe neyther is any able to resist his decrees dispute with him who list for I will no more I haue done to much alredy From hence forth this sentence shall satisfie mee So it pleased him to deale with his owne to make iust matter vnto himselfe to execute both mercy and iustice Indeede by mans corrupt reason and defiled conscience euer fauouring himselfe in his sinne the valew of the offence was litle but to Gods elect the wayght of the precept was of great importance the infidelyty most horrible the pryde and disobedience out of measure sinfull Because it was agaynst the most mighty Monarch of all power and dominion in Heauen Earth and Hell So infidelity pryde disobedience and negligence by the wâ— God his holy precepts are not only lightly esteemed but also wilfully dispised and stubbernly broken are the things where with Gods maiesty is so greatly offended and taketh it most vnkindly to bee so vnthankfully dealt withall of his principall workmanshippe his owne ymage for whom hee hath made and prepared so many good and precious thinges And when the matter shal be examined wee shall finde all the right on his side For which of vs of the basest degree can take it well to haue our precepts broken or to bee disobayed and vnthankfully vsed of our vnderlings when we coÌ„maund but in trifles especially of those that depend vpon vs for cloth and foode Behold the poorest man or woman will not endure quietly such disobedience and vnthankfulnes And euery one hath great reason not to suffer it so farre forth as nothing be commaunded but lawfull and honest things Because disobedience procedeth of infidelity and pryde in which enormicies are included all other vices Yea they are the very rootes of all the euils done vnder the Sunne what soeuer How much more then may our good God be iustly offended with vs his creaturs wholy depending vpon him albeit few confesse it as they ought to do not only for cloth and food but for creation lyfe and all other benefites namely the soule the ymage of God and the most precious Iewell geuen euery one to kepe and to looke well to it so comaunded of God Take heede to thy selfe and kepe thy soule diligently c. that thou forget not Gods infinite benefits * And kepe his comaundementes Deut. 4. 9. 40. that it may go well with thee and thy children after thee Example if one of vs commit a precious Iewell of great vallew into the keeping of one who is bounde vnto vs for benefits receiued of vs if the party trusted neglect that precious Iewell so that by his default it perish will not euery one vtterly disâ—ike of such beastly dealing how much more then may our good God dislyke of such as by wilfull stubbernes disdaynfully blot out his glorious ymage in themselues by shamfull disobedience breaking his holy lawe Behold we can do nothing to please God except we beleue and obay his worde * Obedience is better then Sacrifice and disobedience is as the sinne of Witchcrafte Here may be 1 King 15. 22. The dffereÌ„ce betwene the elect and reiect concerning the law a cauell because to obay and kepe the law is not in mans power and that is most true But whoso hath the grace to examine the one by the other shall find such difference as betwene light and darkenes I meane thus Gods elect whom hee hath chosen being led and guided by the holy Ghost and his holy Angels loueth the lawe and hath a continuall desire in his soule to obserue it sory when he breaketh any iot thereof more sory that hee cannot do all thinges as it requireth And therewithall hee seeketh for refuge in crauing mercy in the name of Christ Iesus who hath satisfyed the rigour and strayghtnes of that lawe in his owne person being very man euery way sinne except And therefore not for his owne soule but for al that truly trust to receaue saluation only through his desertes which are only all those that God choose and seperated to that end before the world was made The other sorte the reprobate which God hath refused being led and guided by Satan his Angels and theyr owne corrupt nature they hate the lawe they haue no desire in theyr soules
whereof with reuerence vnder correction of the same we may boldly speeke The other part of his will is secret to himself by which hee purposed in himselfe to haue matter to worke on to exercise both mercy and iustice * euen to prepare some vessels to Rom. 9. 22. honor and glory and other some to dishonor distruction the depthe of this secret passeth mans reason to finde out Therfore wee must leaue it to God and say his wil be done For indeede hee is the right * Lorde of the vinâ—ard that may geue Matth. 20. 13. 14. c. great wages for litle seruice And small rewarde for long attendance and hard labour For hee only and none but he is the righteous Lord that may iustly say I will do with mine owne as I list Exampâ—â— touching his predestination As a perfect workman pretending to builde an house hath conceâ—â—ed in his minde before hand the Idea or perfect image of the whole plot which hee pretendeth which euery corner member and ioynte as it were alredy wrought in perfection Euen so this eternall and almighty Monarch of all power and dominion the geuer of knowledge coming artes sciences and perfection of the same euer had hath and euer shall haue all the plots of Heauen Earth and Hell with all theyr contents the very beginning midst and ending of all and euery thing that euer was is or shal be done from euerlasting to euerlasting alwayes present in his sight For with him there is no distinction of tyme past nor to come but the time present only distinction of times are for Angels Deuilles mankinde and other creatures which had beginning but not for God without beginning or ending Therefore it is most true that God did foresee forepointe from euerlasting ordayne the beginning midst and ending of all whatsoeuer was is or shal be done in Heauen Earth and Hell from euerlasting to euerlasting Who so denieth this doth not onely deny his almightines but also affirmeth that God hath lesse knowledge lesse foresight lesse inuention lesse power and lesse prouidence then he hath geuen to mortall man whom he hath made But these thinges following are manifest and true by holy scriptures that God for the accomplishment of his eternall purpose * made by his worde the first Adam to rise out of the Gen. 1. 17. 5. 7. Earth and become flesh and blood in all puritie and innocency endowed him with discretion wisdome and vnderstanding and a reasonable soule in freedome of will for otherwise hee could not haue bene the ymage of God And it pleased God to create him of such miraculous complexion and innocent state in such fredome of will to bring the rest his eternall purpose to his forepoynted end And therefore hee lest Adam alone to him selfe at his owne free choyse to keepe or leaue his blessed state Therefore the punishment which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if hee should offende was iustly executed vppon him and his posteriety for euer Because he did vnworthely esteme and in wâ—nt 〈…〉 〈…〉 fully breake Gods holy precept Yet wee may neither say nor thinke that the fall of Adam 〈…〉 ened by cha 〈…〉 t◠〈…〉 wares to God least we deny his almightines for seing a sparrowe falleth not to the ground without his will much more Adam could not fall wither this will * man is of more valew Luke 12. 7. then many sparrowes Therefore Adam could not bene fallen namely so terrible a fal except God had deâ—râ—de it for nothing is don which he could not let if it pleased him Therfore it was his will forepoyntment to accomplish the rest of his most holy purpose Satan being his instrument who before was ordayned and fallen to the same end And yet was Adams fall wholy through his owne faulte Rom. 8. 28. 29. 1 Cor. 15. 45. Rom. 8. 3. and all to the end that God might performe the rest of his * eternall purpose * to redeeme agayne of the damned seede of Earthly Adam those whom he before the world was had chosen and forepoynted to saluation And to that end * hee sent the second Adam his only sonne from Heauen of his owne substance and nature to take vpon him our flesh to condemne sinne in the flesh for them whom hee had forepoynted * to bee Iohn 3. 3. 4 newe borne agayne by fayth in the seconde Adam Christ Iesus Secondly God hath ordeyned before the world was the meanes and the matter how euery thing should come to his forepoynted end and how many should be saued and damned and which they bee is only knowne to himselfe aboue And to that end hee subiected all mankinde vnder his royall lawe saying to all * do this and liue Which lawe is not in mans Luk. 10. 25. Leuit. 18. 5 Hebr. 7. 19. power aboue to obserue as it requireth Therfore * the lawe bringeth nothing to perfection For it was geuen to Mose and by him to the people to kepe them in ciuill order and honesty of lyfe it was not geuen to iustify to saluation because none can obserue it as it requireth Therfore by very iustice * into 〈◊〉 concludeth 〈…〉 e 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 come Christ Iesus with grace and Gal. 3. 22. Iohn 1. 17. 1 Tim. 2. 5. 6. Rom. 4. 25. truth aâ—d satisfied the rigour and strayghtnes of the lawe 〈◊〉 reade the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betweene God and man euen for these so many as hee had chosen and forepoynted before the world was to â—ee his 〈◊〉 adopted in Christ Iesus who is the elder brother of all the 〈◊〉 of God 〈◊〉 by nature to the whole Monarchy of Heauen and Church Thirdly we see feeles and vnderstand that our good God hath made this workâ— with all the reâ—â—ences for mans vse and * prepared it in re 〈…〉 before his creation as P 〈…〉 ces of the Earth and euery man to his powe 〈…〉 for theyr children yet 〈◊〉 And albeit God gaue man all necessaries before he was able to aske yet was it his good pleasure also to commaund man to câ—aâ—e it of him as though it semeth that * he Sap. 6. 7. Eccl. 9. 1. 2. careth for all alike because * no man can knowe by any thing that hapneth in this life whom God hath chosen to saluation for it falleth to the Godly as to the vngodly And so it semeth hee loueth all alike But certaynly it is not so For he hath Luk. 18. 7. a speciell care for his elect * whâ—se wronges he will reuenge vpon the wicked worldlings And commonly he kepeth whom he hath chosen to saluation 1 Cor. 11. 32. vnder correction in this worlde * because they should not be condemned with the wicked of the worlde Therefore he endueth them with his holy spirite helping them in his fayth feare loue and obedience by his â—otherly correction by exercising them in trobles and afflictions which hâ—s doth to them of speciall loue and fauour albeit flesh and blood cannot so
euen in the handes of the enemies of the truth therein contayned And that in the daungerous tymes of darke ignorance and cruel persecution and albeit Satan woorking in some of the enemies haue sought and endeuoured to corrupt some part thereof by false translations and wicked gloses Yet notwithstanding God hath euermore appointed some by working of his holy Spirite to restrayne the wicked from vtter currupting and destroying them And likewise haue wrought in some of his elect in all ages to preserue some true copies therof vndefiled with their wicked leuin euen through all the ages of Papistes and other enemies The holy glorious and dreadful name of almighty Iehoua the onely Monarch of Heauen and Earth be euer more praised and magnifyed for that and all other benefites done vnto mankinde in general but especially for his mercies in Christ Iesus on his elect only THE CONTENTES of this Booke Chap. 1. A Declaration what God is and that hee is the only Monarch of Heauen and Earth and of Satan who hath his power from God Fol. 1. 2 A description of the name and nature of Satan and what power it hath pleased god to giue him ouer mankind as well the godly as godlesse viz. the elect and the reprobate Fol. 6. 3 Of the knowledge that man may haue of the Godâ—ed in this bodily life Fol. 14 4 Of Angels together with their seruice which they doe vnto mankinde as messengers from God Fol. 19. 5 How it hath pleased God by the contrary actions operations of his creatures to manifest his own glory as wel in iustice as in mercy Fol. 25 6 Of Gods eternall purpose of choosing and refusing of mankinde and of the annoyance that it receaueth by Satan and his angels Fol. 31. 7 Gods eternal purpose proued by the holy Scriptures and how by his wil each thing is brought to his forepeinted ende Fol. 52 8 The fulfilling of Gods threatninges in afflicting K. Dauid and his posterity Fol. 79. 9 How the most part of mankind serueth Satan and of his reward for their seruice Fol. 85. 10 Of the broade and narrow waies of the wide and the straite Gates and of the little infinite flocke which God hath chosen to saluation litle infinite in compaâ—ison of the great infinit multitudes which God hath left vnchosen which are his refused people reprobate Fol. 98 11 Of the flocke which God hath chosen Fol. 104 12 Concerning nature lawes for all creatures visible and inuisible reasonable and vnreasonable sensible and incensible Fol. 108 13 Concerning the variety of Spirites that woorke diuers effëctes in mankind Fol. 115 The ende of the Table ⧠A DECLARATION Chap. 1. what God is and that hee is the onlye Monarch of Heauen and Earth and of Satan who hath his power from God IF ANY MAN BE DEsirous to know what God is let him search the holy Scriptures hee shall siâ—de it thus God is the only Monarch of Heauen Earth hee is the most glorious inuisible spirite omnipotent of him selfe who hath created set in order conserueth and ruleth all thinges in Heauen Earth and Hell being the right Maister of all indeede of euerlasting being had no beginning shall haue no ending without emparing or alteration through time there is nothing new vnto him neither can he waxe olde For to him there can bee no time past nor time to come but from euerlasting to euerlasting one and the same time is euer present with him Therefore the distinction of time is for Angels Deuils mankinde and other creatures which had beginning and not for God which had no beginning Vnus est ille Deus semper idem The same God is that almighty power which the Philosophers of old time found out to bee the first mouer that causeth all mouing and springing thinges to moue and spring to increase and diminishe as well sencible as insencible as wel reasonable as vnreasonable creatures Also they found him to be the cause of all other causes wherin they differ not much as touching the property of the diety from the Apostle Ephes 1. 23. Colos 3. 11. who sayth * that Christ Iesus as God is all in all Other knowledge they had not of him to giue him his right name because it pleased God not to open him selfe further vnto them Therefore the notable wise men of the famous Citty of Act. 17. 23 Athens worshipped him among the rest of their Gods * by the name of the vnknowne God by which their doinges it appeareth that mans wisedome and learning how excellent so euer it is of it selfe is not able to reatch to the right knowledge of the true God * except hee bee drawen thereunto by â—â—tt 11. Iohn 1. the spirite of God and taught to knowe the Father by the Soâ—urâ— This first mouer in the only Monarch of al power and dominion who hath created and set in order all thinges visible and inuisible by whose incomprehensible power will and direction euery thing hath his being in Heauen Earth and Hell Therefore of necessity it must followe that whatsoeuer or to what end soeuer things are by him created moued encreased or diminished or by Angels or men in deed or word committed or in thought conceaued yea euen by Satan and his Angells they all haue their mouing and disposition of working by his forepointment and direction only This conclusion cannot iustly bee denied except another power be imagined that of it selfe can bee moue worke dispose and direct thinges besides and contrary to the power and will of this Almighty and eternall Monarch of all power and dominion by which false vile imagination the almightines of our one eternall God to bee creator director of all things visible and inuisible should bee vtterly denied Therefore let all people beware and eschewe the wading in that bottomlesse gulfe of damnable imagination vnlesse they care Reuel 20. 3 Mar. 9. 46. not to bee drowned * in the bottomlesse pit where the worme dieth not nor the fier euer goeth out This is that Almighty Monarch and eternall God who after the Heauens and the Earth with their contentes were set in order created Adam the first man placed him in Paradise a most delicate place for pleasure with all commodious thinges and gaue him in commaundement what to doe and what to leaue vndone which commaundement man wilfully brake hee had also forepointed in his euerlasting and eternal counsell both the meanes and the matter to bring his holy glorious purpose to his forepointed end Therefore by his sacred lawe * hee hath concluded all vnder sinne whereby his Gal. 3. 2â— Exo. 33. 19. taketh iust occasion to shew mercy in Christ Iesus on whom it pleaseth him and to doe iustice on the rest to the miraculous admiration as wel of the holy Angels and his elect people as of all the reprobate wicked people with the Deuill himselfe and his cursed Angells For if hee had shewed mercy on all then
had he hidden in himselfe halfe his glory for euery thing is best discerned by his contrary Therefore the eternall vertue the infinite comfort and the most pleasaunt fruicte of Gods mercy could neuer haue beene so precious and comfortable to Gods elect except it had beene matched with a contrary vertue as infinite great as excellent and as much to be praysed as it selfe euen Gods iustice in generall but especially on the wicked reprobate Thus it appeareth how it pleased God to make for his owne purpose to shew foorth his wonderfull power a Theater or stage for the inhabitaunts of Heauen Earth and Hell to behold his vnspeakable woorkes and ordained the meanes and matter to work on how euery thing should come to his forepointed ende And that was and is some to saluation and some to damnation and all both for to shew foorth his own glory purposed in himselfe before the world was and to shew himselfe vnto all three regiments Heauen Earth Hell to Angels Deuils and mankind to bee the almighty eternall and most glorious God of mercy and iustice Oh that men would therefore feare him and submit their willes to his will because he is the chiefe Monarch of all in all will they nill they This is that very true God whom all the holy and noble Patriarches from the beginning did serue and honor before the general flood with such sacrifices as were then allowed of vntill wickednes did so abound as in these our dayes that God was as it were compelled to destroy by water and seemed to begin the world anew This is that most leuing God that cannot forget such as loue feare him * For when he was to execute iustice vpon Genes 6. the vniuersall world hee prouided for his seruant Noah commaunding him 120. yeares before to make the Arke in readines for safegard of him and his whereas all others for infidelitie pride and disobedience with other horrible and filthy sinnes perished by water The like kindnes he shewed vnto his seruant Lot when he by fire and brimstone from Heauen destroyed Sodome and Gomorah with other Cities And to all the Godly from age to age hee hath shewed like grace and mercy and greater to some by so much as the Gospell surmounteth the law in goodnes towards Gods elect This is that God * that those Abraham for a cheefe seruant Genes 12. made him of counsell what hee would doe to Sodome and Gomorah hee made him also his friend chiefe member of his visible Church on Earth and gaue him this honorable title the father of beleeuers of whose seed the promised Messias by a lineall discent came into the world in his appointed time to saue so many of the damned seed of Adam as God before the world was had elected to bee saued by the death and rising againe * of that vnspotted Lambe Christ Iesus stain from the beginning in his own person by Gods Reuel 13. 8. eternal decree forepointment also * in his elect members This is the same glorious maiestie that hath created the Heauen and the Heauen of Heauens with all the heauenly bodies And also hell with fiery tormentes the Sky the Sun the Mone the Starres the Sea and the Earth with al their contentes last of all man according to his owne ymage and for his owne purpose and eternall glory Euerlasting praises be vnto this most holy and glorious Psal 1â—5 16 God * that possesseth the Heauens and hath giuen the Earth to the children of men therein to stay and breath a whyle and so to passe away some to Heauen and some to Hel. Therefore wee ought to learne of Dauid to answere the wicked when in skorne they aske where is God wee may say our God is in Heauen and doth euery where what pleaseth him Hee is there accompanied with his holy Angels and soules of his elect in such pleasant rest quiet felicitie as no fleshly eie hath or can see no eare hath hard it told because no tongue is sufficient to expresse it nor learning disribe it no cunning with pen or pensel able to paint it out no thought strong ynough to imagine nor fleshly hart woorthy to conceaue it Saint Iohn in his reuelation hath said so much to blaze and declare the glorious ioy of this almightie and eternall God which hee will giue to his elect in the world to come as is possible for man to speake write or vnderstand and yet farre of from that it is indeede * For we 1 Cor. 13 12. see in this world as it were but through a glasse nothing perfectly but the time will come when wee shall see God face to face This euerlasting Monarch and almighty Iehoua is all in al and onely may bee said to bee For none but hee can iustly say without addition I am and why Euen because hee onely I meane God hath his being in of and by himselfe and all other creatures in of for from and by him alone There was neuer none of Adams lyne except the holy Ghost wrought in him to that end that could attaine to the true knowledge of this almighty and onely Monarch The heathen Philosophers saw a far of an vnknown thing which they very well perceiued to bee the cause of all other causes first moouer of all that moueth further knowledge they could not get by al the wisedome and cunning of men Therfore it is most true * that the wisedome of this world 1 Cor. 1 20. is foolishnes with God And contrarywise worldly wise men not yet new borne by the holy Ghost esteeme the simplicitie of the Gospel very foolishnes in comparison of their owne wisedome Therefore they cannot attaine to the true knowledge and wisedome of God And why Euen because * no man can Iohn 6. 44. 14. 6. come to the Father but by the Sonne And again * no man can come to the Sonne except the Father draw him Therefore those Philosophers and mighty wise men could not attaine to the true knowledge and wisedome of God neither can the mighty and wise men in these daies reach vnto it because they are not drawen thereunto by the holy Ghost proceding both from the Father and the Sonne and the meanes to bee drawne is to submitte our selues to the gouernment of Gods woord wherein by seeking wee shal find the supply of al our want And set vs * exalt and praise the name of the Lord that only woorketh woonders * for who so taketh on Esai 25. 1. Eccle. 18. him to tell out his woonderful woorks when he hath done al that hee can hee is new to beginne againe for it is an vnpossible enterprise A DESCRIPTION OF THE NAME and nature of Satan and what power it hath pleased God to giue him ouer mankind as well the Godly as godlesse viz. the elect and the reprobate CAP. 2. NOw that which hath bene said of God cannot bee sufficient except mention likewise bee
power and glory which to haue knowen and praysed is his chiefe scope And who dare say vnto him why hast thou dealt thus with angels and men * shall the pot say to the potter why hast thou made Rom. 9. 20 mee thus hath not the potter power ouer the cley of one and the same lumpe to make one vessell to honor and another to dishonor For as he hath wrought all things for his owne purpose as visible things to man of inuisible substance Euen so hee sustayneth and conserueth them by an inuisible strength and incomparable power And as Iob sayeth if hee destroy al agayne who shall call him to accompt shall the creature say to the creator why hast thou made mee thus Such rebellion sour moâ—â—ceth in euill all the highe treason that worldly subiects do to theyr Princes the rewarde whereof is death of body * But God condemneth both body and soule into hell Mat. 10 28. Luk. 12. 5. Moses a figure of Christ Iesus fire * Therefore feare him Wee read of Moses as a figure of Christ Iesus And of Pharao as a figure of Satan For as Pharao held the children of Israel vnder him in a slauish subiection vntil God deliuered them by his seruant Moses Euen so doth Satan hold all mankind while wee are in this Egipt this vale of miserie in his filthy slauery vntil God deliuer his elect out of Satans power by his sonne Christ Iesus working by power of his spirit and by seruice of his holy Angels God promised Moses before he sent him back into Egipt Exod. 4. 21. saying * I will harden Pharaos hart that hee shall not let my people goe That is to say I wil blind all his sences that hee shall neither beleue vnderstand nor regard the wonderfull signes and horrible plagues which I wil bring vpon him and his people to their forepointed destruction * For God Exod. 9. 19. Rom. 9. 17. saith to this end haue I raised thee vp and appointed thee that I may shew my power in thee to make my name knowen through all the world Euen so without all contradiction God before the world was did orâ—eine Satan and his adherentes both bodily and ghostly to bee his aduersaries as he raised vp Pharao and hardeâ—ned his hart And gaue Satan and his Angels such an vnspeakable power as should euermore impugne and resist all the good woorkes of God and yet all the glory redoundeth to God himselfe For God worketh all to the ende that his almighty power his infinite goodnes his louing kindnes his mercy and iustice might be the more magnifyed and praised of his elect both Angels and men For as the benefite of light is best discerned by his contrary which is darknes Euen so the almighty and most wonderful power of the infinite God appeareth the more glorious and admirable when the inferiour power which God him selfe hath giuen to Satan is compared with it If any lyst to argue why God hath so dealt with Angels men if the notes of holy Scripture herein coated do not satisfy him I leaue him to dispute with God himselfe vpon whose ordinance prouidence and power euery thing depends without exception for all thâ—nges haue of him their being mouing working and power to dispose and distribute And then it followeth of necessity that Satan dependes on him as sure as all the rest HOW IT HATH PLEASED GOD by the contrary actions and operations of his creatures to manifest his owne glory as wel in iustice as in mercy CAP. 5. THese things are manifest or may easily bee made plaine to euery one of meane wisedome so they bee not vtterly ignorant in holy Scriptures and void of the grace of God And it is not a new opinion to speake of two sortes of men whereof God hath forepointed the one to saluation and the other to damnation Eccl. 33. 10 For Iesus Sirach sayth * All men are of the ground For Adam was created of the Earth but the Lord hath deuided them by great knowledge and made their wayes diuerse some of them hee hath blessed exalted and made them his owne And some of them hee hath cursed and cast downe from the blessed state For as the Cley is in the hande of the Potter so are men and Angels in the hand of their Creator hee may do with them as hee list And hee hath set euil against good the vnbeleuer agaynst the faythful death against life c. So that in the infinite miraculous workes of the most high we may see that there are euer two things the one contrary to the other of insencible things it is proued by Phisick one thing bindeth another looseth one thing comforteth mans nature and another destroyeth it Wee find by experience falshod agaynst truth ignorance agaynst knowledge fleshly loue agaynst spirituall loue loue in adultery and fornication agaynst loue in mariage and godlines false and fayned friendship agaynst true and honest friendship false and idle faith agaynst true and working fayth flattery dissimulation and hipocrisie agaynst plainnes faithfulnes and true zeale of Gods seruice And whatsoeuer vertue there is there is also a vice his contrary and so of euery thing from the beginning First of Angels the good agaynst the euill secondly of men the elect agaynst the reiect the wicked agaynst the godly brother agaynst brother Cain agaynst Abell Ismael agaynst Isaack Esau agaynst Iacob Pharao agaynst Moses a false God agaynst the true God a false Christ against the true Christ For all vertues and vices are contrary And wee see that God in creating all thinges hath made each creature in theyr kyndes and one mortal enemie and deuourer of another for what thing soeuer driueth feare into an other thinge is enemie to the thinge that conceaueth the feare Example The Wolfe to the Sheepe the Firret and Wezell to the silly Conny the Cat to the Mouse the Spider to the Flye are natural deuourers And likewise of al maner beastes and wormes on Earth And whatsoeuer of them the same of the foules of the ayre and fishes in the waters both salt and fresh Finally the same in effect is Satan and his adherents both bodily and ghostly to Gods elect while they remayne on Earth So that euery creature liuing hath by natures ordinance as some speake which is in deede Gods prouidence a mortall enemie and deuourer for as the Wolfe is to the Sheepe euen so in efect is Satan to mankinde And all these hath this almighty God of nature wrought to set foorth his owne glory to Angels and men namely to shew him selfe to bee the wonderfull God of mercy and Iustice For Amos the Prophet sayeth * is there any euill in the Amos. 3. 6. Citty which the Lorde hath not done that is to say is there any plague or other punishment which men call euill that God hath not forepoynted and doth coÌ„maund to bee done * I Esai 45. 67 am Iehouah sayeth God
which his chosen people sucke iuice to their saluation and his refused people to their damnation So is Gods eternall decree that each thing shall keepe his own course and haue his naturall being * for thornes can not Mat. 7. 16. bring foorth grapes nor thistles figges Natures lawes in the firmament in the planets in the signes in the elimentes in the trees and fruits in the herbes and flowers and what soeuer springeth of the earth each thing yeeldes foorth his vertue to mans vse as God did first decree for the blessed spirites holy angels woorke Gods will in heauen and in this world A law of such humility obedience willingnes to please God as they haue neither will nor motion to the contrary which law is so naturally engraffed in them that they cannot erre by any meanes Therefore our Lord Iesus taught vs to pray that our heauenly fathers will may bee done in earth as it is in Heauen Natures law in cursed spirites the Deuill and his angels in Hell and dispersed in the ayre and working some tymes in the myndes of men doing their naturall offices seeking whom they may deuoure and are most noysome to Gods elect who by reason of their corrupt nature can not chuse but sinne And yet Gâ—d by his grace through the ministery of his holy Spirite doth restrayne his chosen calling them backe to repentance And sometyme they are tempted by Satan for triall of their fayth and constancie towardes God as was Iob Daniel and others But Gods refused people are still possessed by wicked spirites and caried on continually from euil to woorse to their vtter destruction And that their cursed exercise is to them a law engrafted so deeply in their nature by their fall as they cannot breake it But in Gods elect that wicked nature by the ministery of his holy Spirite by his mercy and grace is altred yet can not be taken clean away during this life * But when the elect moorn 2 Cor. 1â— 8. 9. vnder the burden of sinne and pray to bee released then is the grace of God sufficient for them Natures law in all kynd of beastes and creeping things on earth fethered foules and fish in the waters salt and fresh God hath insinuated by his woord in the creation into the vitall spirites of each creature in his kynde to keepe his course by natures lawes And it is a monster in nature whom any doe contrary to their kyndes By natures law God from the beginning hath doth now and euer shall gouerne ordinarily all creatures in Heauen and Earth mankind onely excepted while hee liueth in this world whom hee â—ath diuided in two sortes as hee had â—â—uided the angels and al for the accomplish ment of his eternal purpose and endlesse glory So is mankind onely exempted from this law of Nature by commaundement during this mortall life For whereas God insinuated and ingrafted into the vitall spirites of each liuing thing in his kinde to keepe the law of Nature which among them is very seldome broken Contrariwise God hath put vpon mankinde a law vtterly disagreeing and most contrary to the corrupt nature of maÌ„ a law of commaundementes in woordes playnly written for mans vnderstanding preceptes so hard as it is impossible for man by his owne power to obserue them If it had pleased God hee was also able to haue giuen power to fulfill it and so should mankynd haue liued as the holy Angels but then his mercy and iustice should not haue bene so manifestly sette foorth vnto his glory as now they are and as was most meet they should bee Yet God to set forth his loue toward man and the dignity excellency of mankind by his mere mercy offered vppon our nature hee did forepoynt that the nature of man should bee personally vnited vnto the deity In respect of this coniunction especially some thinke it is written * that God made man litle inferiour to the Angels it Psalm 8. 6. is most true that God preferred Christ Iesus vnto the Angels * For vnto which of the Angels sayd he at any tyme sit Heb. 1. 4. 5. 13. thou on my right hande vntill I make thyne enemies thy foot stoole And by vertue of the sayd holy coniunction all Gods elect are made so woorthy and deare in his sight that all the holy Angels are ministring spirites sent foorth to serue for their sakes which shal be heires of saluation and then of necessity it must needs follow because euery thing hath his contrary that the Deuil and his angels are also ministring spirites sent foorth to minister for their sakes which shall bee heires of damnation * For they goe about lyke roring Lyons 1. Pet. 5. 8. seeking whom they may deuoure The consideration of this woonderfull diuision ought to moue all people to feare and tremble in presence which is euery where of this onely Monarke of Heauen and Earth * Psal 107. 8. 8. 15. tel forth the wonders that he doth among the children of meÌ„ It is before proued that God hath dealt with Angels as with men chosing some refusing other some the chosen remayne in their first blessed state they refused for their infidelity pride and disobedience were cast out of Heauen with their thiefe Captayne or King * Abadon the angell of the bottomles Reuel 9. 11. 12. 9. pitte * which deceaueth all the World and those infinite nombers of multitudes of disobedient spirites that fell with Mat. 25. 41 him are called his angels * for whom Hell fire was prepared And it stands with reason that he his traine became enemies fel from Heauen before God made man on earth otherwise hee could not haue but so ready in the crafty serpent * to seeke mans confusion immediatly after his creation as Gen. 3. 1. to mee seemeth in and by the text Man male female were â—eceaued through their own infidelity and negligence in not beleeuing Gods holy woorde and for coâ—iting contrary to Gods woord they were desirous to be lyke Gods in knowing good and euill And so it fell out that In groping after glory They founde eternall follye In seeking glorification They found their owne damnation And that not to themselues onely but to all their corrupt posterity For then and there Satan ouer came them and from that tyme there was neuer any conceaued of a woman by the seed of man gotten and borne but by that wound which the Deuill gaue mankinde was wrapped in iniquity * in sinne mothers Psal 51. 41. conceaue their children All the elect of God from the beginning haue bene are and shall bee so conceaued to the ende * And how can that bee cleane which commeth of an vncleane Iob. 14. 4. Esai 61. 6. Psalm 58. 3 thing * All mans righteousnes is lyke a filthy clout The vngodly whom God hath not chosen * are strangers from God they are froward they speake lyes they are ful of Satans