The couenant of grace a Couenant of grace is drawne vp betweene vs 1. Cor. 6.18 consisting of two parts 1. what is performed on Gods behalfe by his free Adoption I will be a Father vnto you 2. What is to be performed on our parts by our bounden Renouation Ye shall be my sons and daughters Vpon this couenant a paire of Indentures are engrossed Assured by indenture and interchangeably sealed by both parties The former part containing our Sonneship by adoption lieth in record in Gods eternall prescience The originall hauing two seales appendent 2. Tim. 2.19 viz. on the behalfe of God his Seale of euerlasting Decree the Lord knoweth who are his Vs our Seale of assent that euery one which calleth him Father vpon the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie The counterpane containing our Sonneship by regeneration is a patent deliuered from God to euery son whom hee recieiueth The counterpane which likewise hath two Seales affixed viz. 1. His Seale of the Spirit 2. Our Seale of Faith God setteth to it the Seale of his Spirit for Eph. 1.13 We are sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance The print of which Seale is the New man Coloss 3.10 which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him The Seale of Faith although it be made by Gods owne workmanship this is the worke of God that yee beleeue in him whom he hath sent Iohn 6.29 and giuen by his bountie not of our selues it is the gift of God Ephes 2.8 although I say in these respects it is Gods yet it is our Scale in application for he that beleeueth setteth to his seale that God is true Iohn 3.33 The patent thus sealed The Patents force hath a double force and vertue 1. It maketh a man to bee the sonne and heire of the liuing God 2. It assureth a man to bee the sonne and heire of the liuing God It maketh him so to be by installing him in regeneration for as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sonnes of God Rom. 8.14 and it assureth him so to be by giuing euidence of his adoption vers 16. the same Spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God It is then a preposterous course of many who are more forward to call Father Father We may not begin with Predestination then to doe the will of this Father which is in heauen that they bend their wits how to breake open the closet of diuine Predestination and to search the record of eternall adoption yet take no heed to seeke out or looke in the patent of regeneration which is or should bee about them But with Regeneration Whereas it standeth for an infallible maxime that whatsoeuer sonne God adopteth beforetime he begetteth also in time 1. Pet. 1.3 so that he is not only chosen of God Eph. 1.4 but borne of God 1. Ioh. 3.9 not of his nature indeed but of his grace and so borne of grace that hee is made partaker of the godly nature 2. Pet. 1.4 although not of the nature of diuine Essence yet of the nature of godly qualities holinesse righteousnesse knowledge c. whereby a godly sonne resembleth God his Father howbeit in most vnequall proportion as little Astyanax did his great Father Hector Sic oculos sicille manus sic or a ferebat In this generation or rather regeneration God is our Father begetting vs vers 3. of this chapter the Church his Spouse is our Mother conceiuing vs Gal. 4.26 the meanes is the immortall seed of the Word infra vers 23. and the vitall spirit that giueth life to this seed is the holy spirit of God Spiritus intus alit It is the spirit that giueth life Ioh. 6.63 Being thus begotten wee are borne of God in mercie nursed of God in knowledge nurtured of God in grace and haue inheritance with God in glorie Whosoeuer now will be sure How to be assured of our assurance that his euidence for this inheritance is firme and indefeazible and that he is none of that great number who are wont to be both artificiall in forging within their braines a seale of faith in shew much counterfaiting that of Gods handy-worke and hauing forged it are prompt and liberall to scale to their credulous hearts some probable securitie of the land of promise without any approueable security for the promise of that Land let him see whether with his owne seale of faith there be ioyned the seale of Gods Spirit which he shall discerne from all counterfaits by the print thereof viz. the New man totally renewed in respect of his partes albeit in regard of degrees he haue but an imperfect perfection For if he can see in himselfe the Image of God in a waxie heart though blemished and bruised by sinfull corruption and the superscription of the holy Ghost in a holy though not wholly compleate renouation in vnfained howbeit not vnstained sanctification hee hath hence authenticall proofe for his sonneship by regeneration and thereby for his sonneship by adoption which clasping fast hee can boldly ascend in prayer to heauen and pressing home to the Throne of grace cry Abba Father And thus we call and onely thus may wee rightly call him Father who without respect of persons iudgeth according to euery mans worke which is the second branch of the doctrine proposing God with the countenance of a Iudge Which iudgeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And doth he now iudge there are two sorts of Gods iudgement The time of Gods Iudgement 1. Present by his disposing iustice in ordering of the world 2. Future by his rewarding iustice at the ending of the world His present iudgements are alwaies righteous Psalme 119.75 yet not alwaies seene to bee right according to euery mans workes seeing that heere good men often suffer euill while the euill enioy good but that last iudgement shall not onely it selfe be manifestly iust but also manifest the iustice of all his former proceedings whence it is called the declaration of the iust iudgement of God Rom. 2.5 This future iudgement is here timed as present according to the vse of Scripture to signifie 1. A certainty that it shall bee as surely as if it were present Ezechiel 7.6 The end is come the end is come c. 2. In this certainty an vncertainty when it shal bee that for any thing wee know it may bee presently The day of the Lord commeth as a thiefe in the night 3. The manner In this vncertainty a certainty that it will not bee long but must bee expected presently Behold I come quickly Reuel 22.12 and my reward is with me to giue euery man according to his worke Without respect c. His throne of iudgement is here kept vpright by two Supporters 1. Impartiall 1. An impartiall eie without respect of persons 2. A proportioning hand according to euery mans
THE SCHOLE OF GODLY FEARE A Sermon preached at the Assises holden in Exeter March 20. 1614. PSAL. 111.10 The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome a good vnderstanding haue all they that doe thereafter PSAL. 34.11 Come ye children harken vnto me I will teach you the feare of the Lord. MAL. 1.6 If I be a Father where is mine honour If I be a Lord where is my feare LONDON Printed by William Stansby for Henry Fetherstone 1615. TO THE HONORABLE SIR HENRY HOBART Knight LORD Chiefe Iustice of the Common Pleas and Sir LAVRENCE TANFIELD Knight Lord chiefe Baron of his Maiesties Exchequer continuance and multiplication of all heauenly Graces and earthly blessings THis Sermon being at first exacted by reuerend authority and since pulled foorth by violent importunity and euen pressed to the Presse inioyeth this onely freedome that it runneth cheerefully to your Lordships hands presenting it selfe a true howsoeuer slender testimony of the Authors thankefull and dutifull respect of your honourable fauours not onely in particular towards himselfe whom you haue beene pleased to grace farre beyond desert but also in generall to Gods Ministers whom with a iust and zealous care you as Gods vpon earth protect from oppression Who seeth not how resolute witnesses hauing armed themselues to seduce a tractable Iury with as formall a tale as the two Elders had deuised against Susanna your Lordship full of the spirit of Daniel that is the iudgement of God for so his name signifieth by prudent sifting and vnexpected interrogatories haue bunted out and dissolued their plotted falshood Who seeth not how vnaccustomed customes incroching vpon the Lords portion allotted and allowed to his Laborers haue shewed as faire pretences of remote Antiquity as were the old sackes old bottles old clothes and mouled bread of the Gibeonites when your discreet inquiry before the Inquest hath espied and descried their neere bordering neighbourhood In a word your Christian care to maintaine the hedge of Iustice for a fence to the Lords vine that euery one which passeth by may not plucke of her grapes putteth into our mouthes a ioyfull gratulation that your Honours are none of them that seek honor by muzzeling the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the Corne. And this leadeth vs to a farther duty viz. to looke vp towards Heauen vnto him that looketh downe from heauen vpon vs to behold and visit his vine which he hath planted with his owne right hand and made strong for himselfe and as hee hath giuen vs such nursing Fathers so we to returne vnto him prayse for your good beginnings and prayer for your good continuance to the glorie of his Name the vpholding of his Church the incouragement of his Ministers and your owne eternall reward through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Your Honours to be commanded in all duty IOHN BERY THE SCHOLE OF GODLY FEARE 1. PET. 1.17 And if yee call him Father who without respect of persons iudgeth according to euery mans worke passe the time of your dwelling here in feare THis verse consisteth of a Doctrine and his Vse The Doctrine teacheth vs how to looke vpon God Ye call him Father c. The Vse warneth vs how to looke to our selues Passe the time of your dwelling here in feare The Doctrine proposeth God to our view like Ianus Bifrons as hauing two faces First the chearefull countenance of a Father Ye call him Father Secondly the seuere countenance of a Iudge who without respect of persons iudgeth according to euery mans worke If ye call him Father We neede not curiously discusse the seeming difference of Translations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greeke phrase here vsed being compared with other like places of Scripture as Iames 2.7 Genes 48.5.16 Esay 4.1 yeeldeth vnto vs this plaine sense If yee call him Father that is if yee will passe for his children and professe him to be your Father which we may done three wayes 1. By pretending to the eies of others in shew 2. By presuming in our owne hearts by perswasion 3. By contesting vnto his owne face in prayer that he is our Father and we his children But quo iure God is our Father by what claime Father is a royall prerogatiue originally and primarily due vnto God alone Matth. 23.9 Call no man father vpon the earth for one is your Father which is in heauen but due to others secondarily and vnder him and to him it is due both by Creation and Generation Creation inuested him with an Vniuersall Fatherhood ouer all creatures 1. By Creation but among all principally of Adam who alone resembled his Father being made to the Image of his Maker Genes 1.27 and stiled Adam the sonne of God Luke 3.38 Nor is he Father of Adam alone but of vs also and of both parts of vs our bodies and our soules of our bodies mediately and virtually created in Adams loines and of our soules actually and immediately infused by himselfe For our bodies indeed we are bound to thank Patres carnis whō the Lord hath substituted to be our fathers according to the flesh but for our soules our soules must be lifted vp vnto Patrem spirituū Heb. 12.9 the Father of spirits qui infundendo creat creando infundit who at one and the same instant both createth and infuseth them into these earthly mansions of their fleshly tabernacle But what comfort is it thus to salute him by the name of father in this peculiar language before other creatures seeing the vnhappiest of all his creatures the damned reprobates that shall neuer come neere him or his patrimony are yet as neere as we to this paternitie and may take vp the Prophets words Malach. 2.10 Haue we not all one Father hath not one God made vs Wherefore seeing this is too low 2. By Generation mount we higher from Creation to Generation and here wee finde one Sonne begotten of his Nature and others begotten of his Grace I say one of his nature that is one with him in nature a Sonne as old and as good as his Father coeternall and coequall But as the former was too low Not of nature so this is too high a straine vnto which neither men nor yet Angels can reach for vnto which of the Angels said hee at any time Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee Heb. 1.5 In medio virtus nostra But of Grace the sinewes of our comfort lye in the middest viz. in the sonneship of grace by which a remnant of mankind through the election of grace Rom. 11.5 are separated in the name and for the sake of the naturall beloued Sonne to be sonnes and heires and coheires with him of euerlasting glory Rom. 8.17 for which purpose he granted forth a Dedimus potestatē and as many as receiued him potestatem dedit to them hee gaue power to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue on his name Ioh. 1.12 For this inheritance
it issueth from the premisses as the Vse from the Doctrine wee must now consider and so descend from explication to application from lightening our minds to heate our affections And that we might be throughly heated with godly feare the Apostle here placeth vs betweene the Sun and the fire For Gods fatherly loue on the one side God a Father a comfortable Sunne-shine of mercy on the other side God a Iudge a scalding Fire of iustice In the Sunne-shine of his mercy we may obserue a twofold brightnesse 1. In him in his direct beames proceeding of his owne goodnesse 2. From him in their incidence on vs reflecting to our happinesse The immanent splendour of his diuine goodnesse 1. In being our Father if we shall compare it with the candle of humane kindnes what incomparable difference shall we find It is worthily esteemed to be a singular fauour when a rich man that hath no sonne of his owne adopteth some neere kinsman or friend whom he most affecteth for his good behauiour But not any one of these motiues haue any place with God Did he lacke sonnes and heires of his happines No besides his naturall Sonne many millions of Angels stand like Oliue branches round about his table yet such is his loue hee would adopt vs. Were we any kinne vnto him No we came all of another stock and might say to corruption Thou are my father and to the wormes Thou art my mother Iob 17.14 and yet such was his goodnes hee would adopt vs. If not his Kinsmen were we then his friends No we were not only aliants strangers but enemies euen from the wombe Thy father was an Ammorite and thy mother a Hittite Ezech. 16.3 and yet such was his goodnesse hee would be our Father Did we then enchaine his affection vnto vs by our good demeanour No no for vntill he made vs his sonnes by new birth wee ran the sinfull prodigals race and if with him in the confidence of Gods goodnes we could dare to say Father yet in conscience of our owne naughtines we must needs adde I haue sinned against heauen and against thee I am no more worthy to bee called thy sonne and yet yet notwithstanding all this such is his goodnes still still be would be our Father O Lord what diddest thou see in man that thou so regardest him or the sonne of man that thou shouldest make him thy sonne the brightnes of this bountie is so glittering and glorious that it beateth back our weake sight from beholding it so that returning our dazled cies downe to our selues we can but cry out with the Apostle O the depth But although we cannot like soaring Eagles 2. In shewing himselfe our Father dare the shining Sunne in the face yet may wee obserue his incidence vpon our selues Obserue it indeed we may but as the beames of the Sunne so Gods fauours vpon his children are not to be comprised either in number or measure They extend in infinitum and if wee attempt to measure them they grow in measuring they may be diuided in semper diuisibilia and if wee assay to number them they increase in numbering Onely this in generall so farre as our heauenly Father transcendeth our earthly parents in excellence which is a comparison there being no proportion betweene finite and infinite so farre hee surmounteth also in the exact performance of all fatherly offices as namely to giue a taste of some amongst all and of all by those some in fatherly affection instruction correction protection and prouision In fatherly affection who so kind Esa 49.15 Can a woman forget her child and not haue compassion on the son of her wombe though they should forget yet will not I forget thee In fatherly instruction who so diligent Ier. 31.31 I will put my Law in their inward parts and will write it in their hearts and I will be their God and they shal be my people In fatherly correction who so louing Heb. 12.10 The fathers of our bodies chasten vs after their owne pleasure but the Father of spirits chasteneth vs for our profit that wee may be partakers of his holinesse In fatherly protection who so carefull Deut. 32.16.11 The Lord kept Iacob as the apple of his eie as an Eagle steareth vp her nest flootereth ouer her birds stretcheth out her wings taketh them and beareth them on her wings so the Lord alone led him In fatherly prouision who so plentifull both for present maintenance and future inheritance hee giueth for this life sufficient maintenance Luke 12.31 Your heauenly Father knoweth that yee haue need of these things but seeke ye after the Kingdome of God and all these things shall be ministred vnto you And for the life to come a roiall inheritance vers 32. Feare not little flocke it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you the Kingdome And now beloued in the Lord should all this light be without heate A reuerent feare due are not our hearts more insensible then the stones if they warme not more frozen then ice if they melt not in so cleare so feruent a Sun-shine who that hath the feeling of a child of God can choose but prostrate his soule in awfull obsequiousnesse at the feet of him whom thus we call Father Yet alas if euery one should examine one But ill paid how many of vs here present are bold to call him Father and in the same breath as bold to displease him yea eo nomine so much the bolder making his fatherly indulgence a boulster for our vnsonlike insolence and whereas there is mercy with him that he may be feared we on the contrary vntoward children as we are because we hope to find mercy with him we feare him not but presuming on impunity make the lesse conscience of impietie Doe yee so saith Moses Deut. 32.6 Do ye so reward the Lord O foolish people and vnwise is not hee thy Father that hath bought thee he that made and proportioned thee With what face can we call him Father with what heart can we thinke our selues to bee his sonnes feeling in vs no more feeling of deuout reuerence The Sunbeames collected in a burning glasse The reason kindle a fire vpon certaine conditions viz. that the obiect be combustible and apt to take fire that it be held still and steddy and that it be in a iust distance neither too farre off nor yet too neere but as the beames may best vnite their force we are not without a burning glasse I am come saith Christ Lu. 12.46 to put fire on the earth what is my desire but that it be kindled Through him Gods fatherly loue shineth vpon vs he standeth as mediator between God and vs receiuing the beames of fauor as his natural son and transfusing them altogether vpon vs his adopted brethren Being thē in so cleare a Sunshine and hauing so perfect a burning glasse how comes it to passe that so many of vs continue so cold