holdeth on his iourney so in this life wee are pilgrims wee are trauailers and howsoeuer we do seek another countrie and striue to come vnto the Cittie of rest yet in this iournie wee wander often out of the way wee take many falles wee haue many impediments neither is it possible the light of our Faith should still hold out and neuer bee darkned in this pilgrimage till in the life to come we be made Citizens of that heauenly Ierusalem which is aboue Wee conclude then with the sweet and modest saying of good Saint Augustine Haec est perfectio Christianorum vt agnoscant se nunquam esse perfectos Herein stands the perfection of a Christian to acknowledge himselfe neuer to be perfect The Conclusion Now it remaineth as was promised in the beginning to shew the mutuali coherence of these words and to knit vp againe the Lincks of this Chaine together HEre in foure words are contayned the foure causes of our saluation In Predestination there is the efficient cause which is Gods loue In Calling there is the materiall cause which is Christs death opened in his word In Iustifying there is the formall cause aliuely faith in Glorifying there is the finall cause which is euerlasting life Thus in Predestination we behold God the Father chosing of his loue in Calling we heare God the Sonne teaching by his word in Iustifying wee feele the comfort of God the holy Ghost sealing by his spirit The fruite of all which of Gods loue chosing of Christs word Calling of God the holy Ghost comforting the effect of all these is our Glorifycation So that as we do see farre with our bodily eye yet reach farther with reason which is the eye of the mind but Faith which is the eye of the soule out-strippeth both So Calling enlightneth the mind with spirituall knowledge Iustifying goeth further and sealeth vp the heart with heauenly comfort Glorifying out-strippeth all and doth rauish the soule with immortalitie Euery one of vs after this life wee desire and hope to inioy eternall Glorie Behold Conceditur Ber◠in Predestinatione promittitur in vocatione ostenditur in Iustificatione percipitur in Glorificatione In Predestination there is the first grant In Calling it is directly promised in Iustifying it is plainely shewed in Glorifying there is liuerie and seisin the full possession of all In Predestination God bestoweth vpon vs his loue in Calling he graunteth the blessing of his word in Iustifying he yeelds the fruit of his spirit in Glorifying he doth wholy giue vnto vs himselfe Here are the sweet springs issuing out of Nilus the head whereof cannot be found here are the foure pleasant riuers which water Paradise which runne through the Soule with a Diuine vertue and comfortably coole all our spirituall heat Here is the holy and precious oyle powred vpon the head of Aaron the exceeding loue and fulnesse Ioh◠Of◠nes◠all of grace powred vpon our head Christ Iesus and running downe to the skirtes of his clothing to euery particular and penitent member of his Church Here wee may see the spirituall regeneration of the Soule shadowed out in the first creation of the World In Predestination there is the huge and vast deepe the darke forme whereof could not be discerned in Calling the separating of light from darknesse of knowledge from ignorance in the Soule in Iustifying the Sunne is created the 〈…〉 6 bright beames of his grace shine in our hearts in Glorifying we may behold the new Adam framed 〈…〉 6 after the Image of God and placed in the paradise of immortall ioy Obserue here if you please the kindnesse of alouing Father who hauing many sonnes beareth secret affection to some one there is Predestination this affection in his good time hee declareth by making his will knowne and his loue manifest there is Calling after this Calling he causeth him to take vp his inheritance in Court and giueth him earnest in token of assurance there is Iustifying lastly he enters into his fathers ioy and is made neire of all there is Glorifying Againe in Predestination the heauenly husband-man chooseth out a plot of ground at his owne pleasure in Calling hee soweth it with the seede of his word in Iustifying hee waters and cherisheth it with his spirit in Glorifying hee reapes and carrieth into the barne Lastly behold apparantly in Predestination 〈…〉 5.5 how Ioseph long before was sold into Egypt by the determinate Counsell of God by Calling how hee was loosed out of prison and deliuered from the bondage of sinne by Iustifying how his cause was made knowne and so acquitted innocent in Glorifying how hee was clothed in Purple placed in the Kings Chariot and made the chiefe of his Kingdome Now then as Saint Paul saith to the Romans What shall wee say to these things in like sort what shall we say to these so excellent so sweete so diuine misteries to these so comfortable testimonies of Gods loue to this Ladder of Iacobs whervpon none but Angels do ascend to this inward working of the Spirit which bloweth where it listeth to this Diuine and hidden purpose which can not be deceiued to this ineffable glorie of the Sonnes of God which they do expect and looke for what shall wee say more effectuall and more comfortable Can any thing bee set downe more plainely or knit vp more briefly can any demonstration be concluded more soundly Whom the Lord hath Predestinated before all time those doth hee Call in time whom he Calleth those hee doth Iustifie and whome he Iustifieth those doth he Glorifie Thus then may euery true Christian conclude for the comfort of his Soule and the assurance of his saluation for euer I am Iustified truely by aliuely and working Faith therefore I am Called I am Called effectually by his word therefore I am Predestinate I am Predestinate and chosen of his free loue from eternitie and therefore I shall bee Glorified vnto all eternitie againe Osetled comfort Osweete conceiued hope of ioy That ioy which strength of Hells ten thousand can neuer take away Wherefore should we feare whereof shall we be afraid No no force so mightie so puissant able to ouerthrow vs. No terror of sinne no plagues of death no rage of the world no power of the Diuell himselfe In all these we are more then conquerors For al things shall turne to the best to them that are setled in Gods feare That wicked and most dangerous conspiracy plotted against the Lords annointed whē it came to the very pinch when it was brought to the very height was not all turned topsie-turuie and vtterly disapointed This day wee do acknowledge it with thankefull remembrance this day wherein wee are all met together in a most happie and blessed peace this day doth plainely witnesse that hee had the deliuerance wee feele the comfort the Church hath an endlesse blessing and God hath his euerlasting praises O behold what it is to bee knit vnto God For whome he doth
that for the most part our thoughts words and workes are guided by the good spirit of God for as many as are led by the spirit 〈◊〉 8. 14 of God those are the sonnes of God then wee may assure our selues that we are Iustifyed How soeuer we be chosen from the beginning by Gods loue and after Called by his word yet there is neuer assurance vnto vs vntill the Holy Ghost hath sealed it vp in our hearts which sealing is our Iustifycation Thus to assure vs of our Iustification it is not enough to be Called to the knowledge of Saluation in Christ by his word but after this knowledge to lay hold vpon Christ by a working faith and so to hold on and continue still an holy Christian and sincere course of life that at length as Salomon saith In water face answereth face so in this 〈◊〉 27. 19 worke of Iustification our spirit may answer vnto Gods spirit that we are his Euen as the pure and Christall Glasse doth liuely represent the Image which is set before it so the heart once Iustifyed by a liucly faith in Christ in some good measure doth expresse the image of God and striueth to come vnto this marke which is here propounded namely our Glorifycation Glorifying THe fourth Linke of this Cheine is Glorifying Which Glorifying is the highest steppe of Salomons Throne it is the exceeding great reward which God promised vnto Abrahā it is that eternal weight of glory wherof I neither know how to begin nor how to make an end of speaking In vita aeterna faciliùs Au◠sim◠possumus dicere quid ibi non sit quà m quid ibi sit In describing the glorie of the world to come it is easier to expresse what is not there then what is there For there is no discontentment nor griefe no faintnesse nor infirmitie no mourning nor miserie no corruption nor death but ioy fulnes of ioy for euer such ioy as if we had once tasted wee would despise the pleasures of a thousād worlds in hope of assurance to inioy it For after we haue waded through the miseries of this life at length in the twinckling of an eye in a moment with the sound of a Trumpet wee shall bee carried into the heauenly Paradise into Abrahams bosom thousand thousands of Angels and Saints shall receiue vs with ioy and singing Our meate shall bee that bread of life and that Heauenly Manna which will tast like whatsoeuer thing wee desire our drinke shall be the water of life which if we haue once tasted we shall neuer thirst again our mirth and musicke shall be the song of the Saints Alleluia honour and praise and glory bee vnto him 〈…〉 13. that sitteth vpon the Throne and vnto the Lambe for euermore There shall we reioyce continually in the presence of the holy ONE wee shall be his Saints and he shall be our God neither shall we feare death any more neither sorrow nor crying nor feele any want againe The Lord of Hostes who is the King of glory he will take vs by the right hand and leade vs to the garden of comfort to the fountaine of ioy where all our garments shall bee washed pure in the blood of the Lambe and allteares shall be washed from our eyes There shall we see the Courts of the Lord of Hosts new Ierusalem the Citty of the great king Where there is no night nor any candle nor yet the light of the Sunne for the Lord himselfe shal be our light and with him we shall shine as the starre in Heauen Heere shall we bee clothed with white robes the innocency of Saints wee shall haue Palmes in our hands in token of victory We shall be crowned with a diadem of pure gold which is immortality and seruing God a while in this short life there shall we haue riches without measure life without death liberty without thraldome solace without ceasing ioy without ending O blessed are they Lord that dwell in thy house where the Sonne of God in glory is light vnto their eyes musicke vnto their eares sweetnes vnto their tast and full contentment vnto their hearts where in seeing they shall know him and in knowing they shall possesse him in possessing shall loue him and in louing shall receiue eternall blessednesse that blessed eternity the Garland we run for and the crowne we fight for In a word Here we shall come vnto the end of all our desires for what else is our end but to come to that endles glory which hath no end The Queene of Sheba when she had seene the 1. Ki 〈…〉 riches and royalty of Salamons Court she said vnto the King It was a true word which I heard in mine owne land of thy prosperity happinesse but now I haue seene it with mine eies lo the one halfe is not told mee so concerning the glorious fruition of eternity in the life to come whatsoeuer may possiblie he deliuered by the tongues of men yet vndoubtedly the one halfe cannot bee told vs. By this place of Scripture thus rising by degrees the Katharistes the family of Loue and the Puritanes of our times would gather this conclusion Forasmuch as here are certaine degrees set downe whereby Gods Church is builded and whereby the members of the same do grow vp in Religion therefore now in this life by a Godly reformation we may attaine vnto perfection This selfe conceited and head-strong opinion of theirs hath beene the first cause and ground of all the troublesome contentions which long since haue beene raised and now at this day are continued in our Church For diuers men while they take themselues as Iob saith The Onely-wise men and pure in their owne eyes dreaming still of a certaine imagined perfection they neuer ceasse to bee clamorous to the Christian Prince troublesome to the quiet state and diuers of them very dangerous people to the whole Church of God In this verse of our text there is an end propounded there is a marke set vp where-vnto euery Christian must labour to attaine and striue by all good endeuor to come But alas who can say that his heart is cleane and man that is borne in sinne and conceaued in iniquity while hee is clothed with sinfull flesh how can he attaine perfection That the Militant Church of Christ hath had imperfections in all ages it is a plaine and an vndoubted truth For if euery mēber be imperfect how can there be perfection in the whole Perfectio nostra magis constat remissione peccatorum quà m perfectione virtutum Our perfection consisteth rather in the forgiuenes of our sinnes then in the perfection of our vertues In truth thus stands the estate of a Christian mans life in this world As a man trauailing a long iournie to a far cittie hee doth not continually go but hee resteth here and stayeth there hee baiteth in one place and lodgeth all night in an other yet still hee is going forward and
â—h P. 7. the meanes of the end must go together The ende which euery one of vs doth desire and ayme at it is eternall glory we must be sure then to lay hold vpon Calling and Iustifiyng as the meanes ordained to come vnto this end For this is a certaine and sure ground in diuinity and Religion Whom-soeuer God hath appointed to eternall life he hath also appointed that man to vse the meanes whereby he may come vnto the same To make this more plaine let it please you to vouch safe the hearing of an accident which fell out very fitly to this purpose One Ludouicus a learned man of Italy yet wanting the direction of Gods good spirit and so neuer considering aduisedly of the meanes of our Saluation he grew at last to this resolution Si saluabor saluabor It bootes not what I doe nor how I liue For if I bee saued I am saued Thus Ludouicus bewitched with this desperate opinion continued a long time till at length hee grew very dangerously sicke wherevpon he sent for a cunning and learned Phisition and earnestly requested his helpe The Phisition before-hand made acquainted with his former lewd assertion how in his health hee would vsually say If I bee saued I am saued he likewise directed his speech to the same purpose and said Sure it shall bee needlesse to vse any meanes for your recouery neither doe I purpose to minister vnto you for if the time of your death bee not come you haue no cause to feare you shall liue and do well inough without Phisicke and if the time of your death bee nowe come it is vnpossible to auoide it Ludouicus musing in his bed of the matter and considering aduisedly of the phisitions speech finding by reason that as meanes were to be vsed for the health of the body so God also had 〈…〉 ordained meanes for the saluation of the Soule vpon further conference with shame griefe he recanted his former opinion tooke phisicke and so was happily cured both of soule and body at one time By this doctrine of Gods loue so manifestly Calling vs we directly learne that if a man doe thirst after his saluation if a man would bee throughly 〈…〉 assured in his heart and conscience that God hath chosen him to eternall life hee must not rush presently into Predestination into Gods secret Counsell but he must enter into himselfe to trie and examine whether hee bee rightly Called for as the surest way to come vnto the sea is first to finde out 〈…〉 a riuer so concerning our saluation the plainest surest way to finde out the depth of Gods counsell is first to come vnto Calling vnto Iustifying which are as sweet and liuely springs flowing from the same We know and see dayly by experience wee are not able to discerne wee cannot pierce with the eye to see what matter the Sunne is of but we can plainely see and manifestly perceiue both beames and heat and light proceeding from the same So heere concerning the first point of Predestination alone wee cannot conceiue it wee are not able to pierce it for it is the way which the Eagles eye hath not seene but Calling and Iustifying which are as heate and light proceeding from the same those we may as comfortably perceiue as wee doe sensibly feele the heate and operation of the Sun Here then is the duty of a true Christian heere is the part of a religious and good man indeede not to venter his saluation vpon a bare speech presumption of Predestination but to vse all meanes possible which God hath ordained That he may truely be Called to heare the word of God and to ioy in hearing of it with loue and with a desire to profit that hee may bee Iustifyed when he hath heard to be feruent in prayer zealous of well doing and abundant in all good works of Charity that he may be Glorified in the life to come to consecrate both soule and body and all the whole course of his life vnto God that so growing vp from faith to faith from vertue to vertue from hearing to beleeuing from Calling to Iustifiing at length Gods spirit may satisfie our spirits that we are his our bodies his our soules his wee setled and sealed vp in a Christian ioy for euer Wherefore I beseech you all by the mercies of God and I intreate you as you hope to stand with comfort before God and his Angels at the last day euery man lay hold vppon his soule betimes do not esteeme the loue of any thing in this World more then the loue of God purchased in his sonne Christ Iesus Take heede and beware of this profane speech If I be saued I am saued vtter it not in word thinke it not in heart away with it 〈…〉 For God is not the cause of our condemnation it is our selues Woe vnto vs wretches we our selues are the workers of our owne destruction Wisedome 1. 13. O seeke not Death in the error of the soule 〈…〉 13. and destroy not your selues with the workes of your owne hands Bis interimitur qui suis armis interimitur Euery man catch hold vpon this Chaine worke and make sure his saluation and striue to walke before 〈…〉 the Lord in trueth with a perfect heart On the one side let no man passe on in a secure and carelesse course of life nor on the other side curiously prie into the hidden counsell of the Lord but euery good Christan with an humble spirit with an honest minde with a cheerefull and good heart 〈…〉 seeke to apprehend those meanes which God hath appointed for his saluation Iustification The third Lincke of this Chaine is Iustification Whom he hath Called those he hath Iustified IT is a principle in reason Actio perfect a non recipitur nisi imperfectè primò An habit is not gotten at the first the work of our regeneration is not wrought on a sodaine But as the Psalmist saith The Codly grow from strength to strength and the wise Psal 8â— man sheweth how The light of the righteous shineth more and more to the perfect day So here the Apostle Pr. 56. â— foote by foote leadeth vs from one degree vnto another till at length we may come to make our election sure This Iustification it goeth a step farther then Calling For Calling is an enlightning the mind with spiritual knowledge Iustifying an establishing the heart with a grounded perswasioÌ„ Calling is the beginning of conuersion but Iustifying is a full clearing of the heart Calling is the first change of one that is regenerate but Iustifying is the full perswasion of the Soule when the spirit of grace resteth in vs and we setled and truely sanctified in an holy christian course of life So then when we haue not onely sorrowed for sinnes past which is the first step of our Calling but further when wee are renewed in spirit and so changed in our life