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
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
evill affections God is present in his chosen all whole in Majestie together with all his power In the same place wisdome and goodnes From God as from a giver In the same place Hom. for Whitsunday come these graces and gifts kindnesse meeknesse patience Some men will say How shall I know that the Holy Ghost is within me As the tree is knowne by the fruit so is also the Holy Ghost The fruits of the Holy Ghost are love Part. 1. joy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faithfulnesse meeknesse temperance Of our selves we be crabbe-trees Hom. of mans misery Part. 2. that can bring forth no apples We be of our selves of such earth as can but bring forth weeds nettles brambles bryers cockle and darnell Our fruits be declared Gal. 5. We have neither faith charity hope patience chastity nor any thing else that good is but of God and therefore these vertues be called there the fruits of the Holy Ghost and not the fruits of man We ought first to crave things that properly belong to the salvation of the soule Hom. of prayer Part. 3. as the gift of repentance the gift of faith the gift of charity and good works patience lowlinesse hope joy love peace which things God requireth of all those that professe themselves his children This holy company of Saints in heaven confesseth constantly Rogat serm Part. 1. that all the goods and graces wherewith with they were endued in soule came of the goodnes of God onely It is meet therefore to thinke that all spirituall goodnesse cometh from God above onely We must needs agree In the same place that whatsoever good thing is in us of grace nature or fortune is of God onely as the onely author and worker Let us confesse that of our selves cometh all evill and damnation Hom. of mans misery Part. 2. Rogat serm Part. 2. and of God all goodnesse and salvation If we confesse that all grace of the soule is of God and is his gift onely it will teach us to thank God for them it will abate our pride when we perceive that nothing comes of our selves but sinne and vice it will keepe us from despising such as have fewer gifts it will make us to have recourse to God for all grace CHAP. VI. Of the receiving of grace IF by another speciall grace of God we doe receive the grace and favour that God offers us in his holy word then there is no question but God doth worke effectually where he doth regenerate Let us therefore heare what the Church teacheth us in that behalfe ALmighty God give us the grace Coll. Sund. 2. after Easter Coll. S. Andrews day that we may alwayes most thankfully receive that his inestimable benefit to wit of the death of Christ Almighty God which didst give such grace unto thy holy Apostle S. Andrew that he readily obeyed the calling of thy Sonne Jesus Christ and followed him without delay grant unto us all that we being called by thy holy word may forthwith give over our selves obediently to follow thy holy commandements through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Grant us grace to follow thy sonne Jesus Christ Coll. S. Matthews day Prayer for Church militant Prayer 3. in Confirm To all thy people give thy heavenly grace and specially to this congregation here present that with meek heart and due reverence they may heare and receive thy holy word Let thy fatherly hand we beseech thee ever be over these children let thy holy Spirit ever be with them and so lead them in the knowledge and obedience of thy word that in the end they may obtaine the everlasting life Send thy heavenly blessing so upon these thy ministers Prayer last in ord of Priests that thy word spoken by their mouthes may have such successe that it may never be spoken in vaine Grant also that we may have grace to heare and receive the same as thy most holy word By faith given us of God we imbrace the promise of Gods mercy Serm. of Salvation Part. 3. Hom. for Whitsunday Part. 1. and of the remission of our sinnes Let us humbly beseech God so to worke in our hearts by the power of his holy Spirit that we being regenerate and newly borne againe in all goodnesse righteousnesse sobriety and truth may in the end obtaine eternall life God of his great mercy so work in all mens hearts by the mighty power of the Holy Ghost Part. 2. that the Gospell may be truely preached truely received and truely followed in all places By the worke of the Holy Ghost we receive this grace of God whereunto we are restored Now. Cat. quest 149. CHAP. VII Of the internall effect of grace THE books attribute the internall effects of grace to God also For howsoever that grace that is given us in regeneration have some power to produce spirituall thoughts yet because our spirituall life is not so compleat as our naturall life and is much hindred from good inclinations by the corruptions of our flesh remaining so that it cannot do that good it would without a fresh supply of Gods assisting grace therefore the help of God is still implored and the praise of the effect given to him Now if in a man regenerate there be need of more grace to help that act which he hath already then certainly the first work of grace whereby a dead man is made alive spiritually must needs be the only effectuall work of Gods Spirit For if he cannot thinke what he would now he hath grace at all times without further help then certainly before he had grace he could do nothing pleasing to God This head of the internall effects of grace is the largest of all the rest We will therefore divide it into two parts First we will treat of the internall effect of Gods grace in generall in the regenerate Secondly of the particular effects of it For the First The effect of grace in generall is set down in these places O God from whom all holy desires Collect. 2. Even Pray all good counsels and all just works do proceed That it may please thee to endue the Lords of the Counsell Letany and all the Nobilitie with grace That it may please thee to give to all thy people increase of grace Letany to heare meekly thy word and to receive it with pure affection and to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit O God from whom all good things do proceed Coll. Sund. 5. after Easter Sund. 7. after Trin. Sunday 13. after Trin. Coll. Sund. 23. after Trin. Prayer 1. in Matrim Veni Creator O God the Authour and giver of all good things Almightie and mercifull God of whose onely gift it cometh that thy faithfull people do unto thee true and laudable service God our refuge and strength which art the authour of all godlinesse O eternall God giver of all spirituall grace the authour of