salvation but because man being in his soule and powers thereof changed renewed and enabled by the precious giftes of grace shall and may cooperate to his salvation yea the Apostle dares to professe himselfe 2 Cor. 3. 9. and such like to be Gods-helpers in the ministery of salvation If God did not requyre mans good and pious conversation as a meanes and necessary way leading to salvation then should not the faculties powers of mans soule neede to be sanctified and elevated with such supernaturall giftes and graces for the working and effecting of such actions of pietie and godlines but seeing he requires them yea most necessarily requires them as welnye every page of sacred Scripture proclaimes it should seeme a kinde of iniquity in God which be farre from him to require such actions of man yea and to condemne for the want of them if hee should not by his graces be ready to enable man for the doing and performing of the same Hee doth it then and this surely by no other meanes then by investing the soule and every power of her with such divine gifts graces and vertues as so divine actions doe require Bernard truely to Bern. ser 83. in canst this purpose The soule cannot seeke after God unlesse she be prevented by grace Austen more fully Grace is therefore given not because wee have done works but that we may doe them that is not because Epist 105. a sixt to 2 circaâ—med we have kept the law but that wee may keepe the law And againe Even as man should not have wisedome understanding counsell fortitude knowledge piety the Isa 11. 2. feare of God except according to the Propheticall saying he had received the Spirit of wisedome and understanding and counsell and fortitude and knowledge and piety and the feare of God and even as he should not have vertue charity continency except he should have received the holy Spirit whereof the Apostle speaketh you have not received the Spirit of feare but of vertue charitie contineney so neither should hee have faith unlesse he had received the Spirit of faith according as it is written I have beleeved therefore Psal 115. I have spoken and we also doe beleeve and therefore wee speake So then the source roote and fountaine of all these godly actions and motions which leade to salvation are the graces of God because proceeding from his graces enabling us for them which Sap. 10. 25. graces he who hateth nothing of all that he hath made he that willeth all should be saved and come to the knowledge of his truth He who delighteth not in the 1 Timoth. 2. 4. death of a sinner but that he turne from his wickednes Ezec 33. 11. and live He who lightneth every man that commeth Ioh. 1. 9. into the world Hee who hath placed his Tabernacle in the Sunne to runne his race with swiftnes and Psaâ— 19. 6. to spread his beames with graciousnesse that nothing can scape the warmth of his illuminations He who Reve. 3. 20. standeth at the dore and knocketh that if any man open to him he will enter in sup with him and bee his guest He I say who is out of his goodnesse thus Reve. 22. 17. graciously disposed towards his creatures freely and frankely offers and presents the same unto them in a holy serious manner that they may have life yea have it more abundantly according Ioh. 10. 10. to that of himselfe I am come that they may have life and have it more aboundantly And thus it appeareth how by grace presented and received received by the efficacy of it selfe the Saints and servants of God do walke in those wayes where by they come to be saved whereby they are enabled in some good measure truely to doe that which otherwise should be impossible to nature vitiated and corrupted Austen for De grat et lib. arbitrio cap. 16 â—07 this purpose excellently thus It is certaine we may keepe the Commandements if wee will but because the will must be prepared by the Lord we must aske of him that we may have a will to do so much as wee ought willingly to doe It is certeine that we do then well when we will but he maketh us able that we may will good of whom that is written which I expressed a litle aboue The will is prepared of the Lord of whom it is said The wayes of men are directed of the Lord. And he it is that willeth their way of whom it is said It is God that doth worke in us both to will to doe It is certaine that we doe when we doe but he maketh that we may doe giving most powerfull strength and ability to the will who hath said I will make you able that you may walke in my justifications and keepe and doe my judgements Thus he most excellently declaring the working of grace in us and our working by grace Grace the reward whereof is eternall life and our good keeping of Gods Commandements in a partiall measure according to this state not in a full perfect measure of degrees Thus concluding these my meditations touching the last end of man I earnestly intreate the religious Reader seriously to thinke and meditate on the glory and aeternity of this Land of promise both shewed and promised so faithfully and seriously unto him in sacred Scriptures The glories and excellencies thereof do infinitely surpasse the fruites that were brought unto the children of Israel out of the Land of promise which Num. 13. 28. notwithstanding did so prevaile on the hearts of the faithfull that the desire to obtaine the said fruits enabled them with a spirit of courage to undergoe all perills and hazards for the attaining of them many there were indeed whom the spirit of feare and trembling restreined from going into that happy land because they heard that the sonnes of Enacim giants robustious men were therein and thereby perished deservedly for their incredulity and disobedience Oh let not the like spirit of Incredulity and disobedience have dominion over the hearts of any Christians I especially meane those who professe to know God arightly for if we know God arightly let us walke to him arightly diligently fervently O gracious God thou the onely wise and most powerfull God doe thou vouchsafe for thy deare Sonnes sake to enlarge and widen our streightened hearts by the Spirit of grace that we may runne to thee and in the end also attaine thee by the way of thy Commandements preset to us by thy selfe To my soule I say and resolue that it be praying to God the Father in his Sonns name that shee may be endewed with such a spirit of grace that enamoured with the consideration and love of this happines shee may in the imitation of that holy man ever breathe out thus O my soule if we ought continually to endure torments that we may see Christ in his glory with God the Father and to be associated to the fellowship of his Saints were it not meete patiently and willingly to suffer all that is sorrowfull that we might bee made partakers of so great a good and so great a glory Let the Devills therefore lye in waite and prepare their temptations let fastings and hard-clothings breake and sub due our bodies let labours oppresse watchings afflict let that man disquyet me this man crie out against me let cold bowe and pinch me heate burne me let my head ake my brest faint my stomacke swell my face waxe wanne pale let me in every part be weakened and let my life faile me in griefe sorrow my soule in mourning heavinesse let rottennes enter into my bones and abound under me so that I may find rest in the day of Tribulation and may ascend up to the people of God O my God giue me a spirit to awake early in the morning unto thee and that my soule may thirst after thee yea that my very flesh may be manifestly and manyfoldly even bent unto thee O be thou the Horizon of my heart at noone day the desire of my soule at midnight O let all that is within me long after thee that I may in the end come to see and behold thee as thou art in thy selfe my blessed end my happinesse the God of my heart my part and my portion for ever AMEN Recensui hunc Tractatum cui Titulus est Mans last end c. unà cum Epistola Dedicatoria ad Serenissimum Regem Carolum et praefatione ad Lectorem qui quidem liber continet pag. 83. in quibus omnibus nihil reperio sanae doctrinae aut bonis moribus contrarium quo minus cum utilitate publica imprimatur ita tamen ut si non intra septem menses proxime sequentes Typis mandetur haec licentia sit omnino irrita Ex aedibus Fulhamiensibus prid Calend. Septem 1633. Guil. Bray The Errata Page 10. lin 8. for that read and p. 20. l. 5. reade is his end pa. 57 l. 29 for him r sinne p. 82 l. 30. for roule r. walke pa. 87 r. If we be found p 99 l. 2 r. or as meâ—rits pag 100. l 31 r. table of faith p. 102 l. 29 according to diverse readings In the notes Pag 25 read presences pa 43 for Trinitate r Civitate pag 60 r q. 82. p. 68 r. 19. p. 103. r. Cor. v 16.
wanting to them yet nothing that is hurtefull with them Christ present shall fill and satiate everye desire of them they shall not waxe ould they shall not languish they shall not rott A perpetuall sanitye a happy aeternity shall confirme the sufficiency of that happinesse there shall be no concupiscence in the members there shall arise noe rebellion of the flesh but the whole state of man shall be chaste and peaceable last of all God shall be all in all his presence shall fill and satiate all the powers and facultyes both of body and mind all needfull service and ministration of Angells shall cease the whole City being filled and arightly ordered the state of this consummate happinesse shall neyther bee innovated nor chaunged Thus hee with many more excellent prayses of that glory and yet hee expresseth not the least part of the excellent joyes which shall be injoyed there for to conclude August this poynte in Austens phrase VVee maye more easily shew what is not there then what is there wee may more easily declare what ill is not there then expresse the gloriouse eminency of all good that is there Though I dare not distinguish peremptorily with eyther Sect of the Schoolemen wherein the formality of mans happinesse doth consist yet wee may not deny but that in that most gloriouse estate three gloriouse Actions are most specially recommended and spoken of by the Scriptures to witt Vision Dilection and Ioye or Fruition which three certeyne schoolmen call A mistake of the schoolmen What is the dowrie of the beatified the dowrie of the Beatified Spirits but they are undoubtedly mistaken for as in carnall marriage the dowrie which eyther the Parents of the Bride doe give that the husband may better undergoe the charges and burden of marriage or which the Bridegroome maye give out of excesse of love to please and honour the Bride are not actions nor operations but gifts of Iewells Ornaments Moneyes or such like so likewise in that gloriouse Marriage above when the Lambe Revel 19. 7. and his Spousesse are knitt togeather in the linke or wedding-ring of a gloriouse aeternitye the dowrie is not operations and actions for those are the verie exercise fruition and consummation if I may so write of the gloriouse marriage it selfe But they are gloriouse Habitts Ornaments and Iewells of the Soules of the Bride called Psal 36. 10. by holy David the light wherewith God is to be seene by the Prophet in his Revelation The Revel 21. 11. and 19 8. brightnes of God and his light agayne fine white Revel 6. 11. 2. Timoth. 4. 8. 1. Pet. 6. 4. silke wherewith the spousesse is to adorne herselfe agayne white stoles wherewith the beatified Soules are to bee adorned and honnoured and the Scriptures elsewhere call them crownes of glory names written in the foreheades of the beatified Thrones of glory with many such like glorious epethites So then the gloriouse actions of the beatified are not the dowrie it selfe but suppose a dowrie which to expresse wants not great difficulty yet if I bee not mistaken as for the act of Vision there is required a gloriouse habitt of the Light of glory so likewise for the act of Love a gloriouse habitt of glorified Charity for the act of Ioy and fruition a gloriouse habitt answering to the habitt of Hope and Desire And these if I be not mistaken are that splendent silke those gloriouse whites those new-names those seates and Reve. 3. 4. 12. 21. et 6. 11. et 7. 9. et 19. 14. et 21. 11. thrones of glory those glorified stoles that clarity and brightnes of God whereof the holy Prophet makes so cleare and expresse mention And in truth the dowrie of the beatified Spirits and Soules can be no other then that glorious treasurye of glorious ornaments graces and gifts whereby they are prepared and fitted for the wedding of God the marriage of the Lambe and whereby they are enabled to all those glorious actions and operations in which as the glorious issue and offspring of that Marriage they are for all aeternities incessantly and joyously to exercise and there with to solace themselves in the present vision and fruition of God This state being such and so glorious it were idle with the schoolemen to inquire whether in An idle question of lome schoole-men such a state be required a rectitude and uprightnesse of the will or not For how is it possible but that there should be a rectitude of the will True happines cannot be with out a rectitude of the will when as there is such a cleare intuitive vision of all good so fully injoyed and possessed Is not the wil of herselfe a blind power seeing no otherwise then by her understanding how then can she incline too or prosecute any evill when as the understanding proposes no evill nor can propose evill unto her For in God whom the understanding so clearely and intuitively proposes to the will what evill or shadow of evill can be found or what want of good can be apprehended And here I cannot but admire Orig I. periarch cap. 7. hom 33. et 35. in Lucam how Origen that flower of witts amongst the Ancients could find unlesse his writings be corrupted that the beatified Soules and Spirits might sinne and transgresse which his errour we may observe too too clearely in his writings against it we may thus argue most unanswerably If the blessed Soules and Spirits may sinne then by sinne they may loose their happinesse which is so contrary to the essentiall condition thereof that it were dotage so to imagine that to be the true happinesse of man which is defectible amissible and may be lost most cleare it is that that cannot be true happinesse the aeternity whereof may be doubted of Or else we must admitt that the beatified together with the complacence of sinne may continue happy the which is impossible and implies contradiction For if perfect happinesse do necessarily yea essentially exclude all evill how then can it admitt that evill which Pro. 14. 34. Mat. 25. 48. is the evill of all evills the evill that made mankind miserable the evill that onely makes nations miserable the evill for the punishing of which the evill of hell fire was onely provided and for ever against the reprobates foreknowne and designed How then I say can the last happinesse of man admitt this evill which is so contrary to that most happy and holy state that nothing which is polluted with him can ever or shall ever enter Reve. 21. 27. August in psal 119. thereinto But so it is not above at the Lambes table there the pure truely pure and onely pure have admittance Austen aptly Blessed are the pure and unspotted in the way as if the Prophet should have said I know what thou wouldest thou desirest happinesse if then thou willt be happy be thou pure be thou unspotted So then cleare it
thy selfe art the too to great reward thou the Crowner and the Crowne thou the promiser and the promised thou the giver and the gift thou the rewarder and the reward itselfe of aeternall felicity O be thou this to us in the truth of that glory when we shall enter into thy owne joy and see thee as thou art in thy selfe to this guide us with thy Counsell and enable us with thy Spirit of grace that running the way of thy Commandements we may in the end attaine thee the God of our hearts our parts and our Portion for ever Amen SEVENTH SECTION Wherein is breefely and in generall laid downe the meanes and way whereby eternall happinesse is to be attained FOr the more cleare handling of this point we are to suppose that whatsoever thing hath any perfection due unto it as the end and consummate perfection thereof If that perfection be not naturall and essentiall to the thing it selfe the same cannot be had without some action or motion leading thereunto for example God who Exod. 3. 14. is most essentially his owne I am that I am and whole infinite perfection is his owne being most necessarily and essentially needes not nor requires not any action or motion to any thing that is without himselfe for his end and perfection But so it is not in Creatures whose natures being limited and in themselves imperfect neede and require some action or motion to that which is without themselves for the attaining of their ends and final perfection which motion is that which now we have in handling whereby man is to attaine his last end and consummate happines For this purpose I ponder that Principle of the Apostle He that cometh to God must beleeve that Heb. 11 6. he is and that he is a rewarder of all those that enquire after him In which words I find clearely that the accession and comming to God in this life which is the way to that vision and fruition of God in the nextlife the finall end of man is by Faith and a religious inquisition of and after him which religious inquisition of and after him if I should thinke not to be cheifely by Faith hope and love as the heads of this way out of which many particular paths doe follow I should wrong the judgement of all Orthodoxe Divines whatsoever who doe distinguish the vertues that are conversant and immediately exercised upon and about God into three to weet Faith Hope and Love The later of which the Apostle himselfe termes the more excellent way writing thus to the Corinthians Cor. 12. 31. And yet shew I you a more excellent way which more excellent way alone is to be taken as the spirit and path of Faith and Faith againe is to be reputed as the head way and soule of it two individuall inseparable twinnes mutually ever imbracing each other and working each by other And though there bee infinite ianglings and questions about the vertue extent and causalitie of these severall vertues in the matter of justification and about their manner of merrit or concurrence to saluation yet doe I not remember that ever I have read of any except the ungodly Anomists August ad quod vult de heres 14. and prophane Libertines a broode of Ennomius or some indiscret Predicants who have denyed the necessitie of the two later hope and love As for the first Faith all requyre the same absolutely necessary to salvation Yea the Papists themselves require the same as the very first meanes and foundation for justification and sanctification Coun Trident Bellar Omnes Pontificii out of an absolute necessitie but not solely and alone without hope and loue The Reformed Churches generally hould her to weet faith to be the sole and onely instrumentall cause of Iustification by which as by a hand the justice righteousnesse of Christ is applyed unto the justified soule So then by confession of all an accession and motion to God there must be in this life or else there can be no possession of him in fruition in the next life The happinesse of this life is the way and motion to the happinesse of the next life The happinesse of the next life which is the happinesse of the end can be no other then the vision and fruition of God The happinesse of this life which is the happinesse of the way is also a vision and fruition of God but it is by faith and love and that which Eusebius calleth the worship of God not onely externall but especially internall and yet not so internall but that there must also necessarily Eusib de moust evanglica be externall for no man shal be crowned unlesse he shall manfully and lawfully have fought and 2 Timoth. 2. 5. againe the Spirit of God saith thus Hould that Reve. 3. 11. which thou hast lest another take thy crowne Which wee are not onely to understand of the internall sight of the soule and inward constancy of our Faith but also of the outward profession thereof Rom. 10. 10. and the externall exercise of piety and godlinesse If I be demaunded what I would call this I cannot bethinke of a better name then Christian warfare or the Imitation of Christ The holy Apostle chearing Tit. 2. 12. up the faithfull puts them in minde of a joyous expectation after the comming of the glory of the great God but he prefixes before by the way of necessary preparation that they must live soberly piously and justly in this world so that sobriety which conteines the well ordering of man in himselfe against excesse c. Piety which comprehends the whole worship of God Iustice which comprises all duties that appertaine to equity right betwixt man and man are prerequired as the very motion and way by which they shall come to the ioyous meeting and glorious enioying of the glorie Via Regni of the great God Thus then holy life and Christian workes are the very way and motion to the glorious vision and fraition of God It is said generally yea received by all Orthodoxe Divines that good and godly workes are the way to the kingdome of glorie Which we are not to understand by the way of comparison onely to the materiall way by which men in their corporall journies doe walke from place to place from Citie to citie but even by the way of comparison to the very motions walkings and passings of men upon and along the same wayes which we may call mens wayes to such and such places so the pious and godly life of the faithfull is their very moving passing and walking to their journies end the glorious vision and fruition of God And so in what manner wee may hold the movings and passings of men along their wayes necessary for their arriving to such and such places In like sort we must hould the moving and passing of man by godly life to be necessary for his arriving to the
them should have had for their deliverance Is it not sufficient for the gamester and wrastler to know that except he contend manfully and worthily he shall have no reward So so let it be aboundantly sufficient for Christians to know and understand that unlesse they fight a good fight they 2 Timoth. 2. 5. shall not be crowned unlesse they hould fast that which Reve. 3. 11. they have another shall take their crowne unlesse their righteousnesse abound more then the righteousnesse Mat. 5. 20. of the Scribes and Pharises they shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Vnlesse they be diligent and painefull labourers in the vineyard they shall receive no Mat. 20. 8. day penney unlesse they have the cable of faith and repentance they shall not avoyd shipwracke except they persevere in faith and piety unto the end they shall never attaine that last happy end salvation Finally that according to their very workes so they shall receive either glory honour and immortalite 2 Cor. 5 10. Reve. 10. 12. Rom. 2. 9 10. or shame dishonour anguish and confusion as the Apostle St. Paule hath plainely delivered and St. Peter most resolutely Of a truth I have found that there is no acception of persons with God but in every nation hee that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse Act. 10. 34. 35 is accepted with him Thus the word of God most clearely accursed then be he that addeth or detracteth any thing or disputes against this truth so clearely delivered so strongly confirmed Venerable Austen reproved some rash and presumptuous August de vit Christ cap. 14. 10. 6. wits of his times daring to blaspheme against this truth And I have knowne others saith he whom the darke and obscure cloud of folly and imprudence so deludeth and deceiveth that they thinke and affirme that the faith which they pretend themselues to have shall profit them without workes of justice before God being deceived with this kynd of errour without al feare they cōmit greivous crimes whilst they beleeve God to be onely a revenger and Punisher of Infidelity Mat. 15. 14. Luc. 6. 39. but not of other crimes And such as these are not content themselves to perish alone but they also endevour to entrappe others in whom there is no light of divine knowledge and the sentence of our Saviour is fulfilled in them The blinde if he lead the blinde they shall both fall into the ditch Thus he which censure of his doth it not concerne those who in these dayes dare affirme that Obedience appertaines not to the Gospell and that of the lawe do this and thou shalt live appertaines not to the Gospell and againe that whatsoever sinnes the elect may commit they are not lesse acceptable in the sight of God By which prodigious paradoxes it is evident that they have placed all religion in apprehension and opinion which in the end will but deceave them Thus having in generall shewed the way to the last end of man endlesse happinesse and felicity to be faith and pious godly life it shall not be amisse to adde a few words touching that source roote whereout and whence out a godly and pious life doth spring yea solely and infallibly doth spring and arise Cleare it is that the life of every man is called his daily study and conversation and as cleere it is that the daily studie and conversation of every man are the vsuall actions and operations of every man which actions and operations if pious godly leading to glorie they must needes proceede from a man renewed in spirit and regenerate in his soule so that though the very faculties powers of the soule to weet the understanding will and memorie with such like doe really and truely effectuate and produce such actions and operations yet they doe it by the vertue and efficacy of grace which is in them I sayeth the Apostle have laboured 1 Cor. 15. 10. more then they all but not I but the grace-of God which is with me or thus which is in me or thus with me upholding divers readings Againe Christ to his faithfull when you shall stand before your adversaries Luc. 21. 14. do yee not premeditate what or how to speake for I will give unto you a mouth and wisdome which all your adversaries shall not be able to withstand for it is not you that speake but the Spirit of my Father which is in you Of the Apostles it is affirmed that they were Act. 2. 4. all filled with the holy Ghost and beganne to speake as the holy Ghost gave them utter ante So in these so in all actions godly and supernaturall man worketh according to that measure of grace which is given unto him When given unto him Surely Ephe 4 7. most specially in Regeneration where as that which Ioh. 3. 6. is borne of the spirit is become Spirit not by ceasing to be that substantiall naturall spirit which it was Isa 11. 2. Galat. 5. 22. Ephes 4. 23. 24. Rom. 8. 20. 21. before but because invested in herselfe and in every faculty of herselfe with the gifts and graces of the Spirit she is by them truely renewed and innovated yea changed from the servitude of sin full corruption into the libertie of the children of God Yea so changed that by the Spirit of God 2 Cor. 5. 17. Galat. 6. 15. Ephes 5. 6. 2 Cor. 6. 7. they are called new Creatures light in the Lord Temples of God seates of wisdome with many such like glorious appellations And no marvell for the graces and gifts of the Spirit of God are so deare and so gracious that the Apostle Saint Peter dares to affirme that by them the faithfull are made 2 Pet. 1. 4. Partakers of the Divine nature it selfe And these graces and giftes precious so called by Saint Peter are the very Source roote or fountaine of all those graces and motions which leade to aternity and these graces the Apostle intendeth when he thus divinely admonisheth It is good to confirme and establish the heart with grace not with meates which Heb. 13. 4. have not profited those which walked in them Now the reason why the sweete providence of God doth invest the Regenerate soules with these graces and precious giftes whereby the holy Ghost is said to dwell in them is not onely because they should have internall garments of sanctitie befitting his service but also because he would have those that doe his service and be his servants to doe him acceptable service yea such acceptable service as may leade and conduct them to glory immortall He made man without man man in his making doing nothing but he wil not so save man doing nothing hand in hand leaning his soules elbowes on the cushion of presumption no no hee will not save man without man as Austen truely not because man with by virtue of his naturall power can cooperate with God to