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
and fewest in nomber they waite in fearful patience what God is about to doe Some of them not well resolued in this sentence of the Sonne of God * Many are called and fewe are Mat 29. 16. Luc. 12. 49. chosen For they are greatly amased to see the true feruent zeale of Gods holy seruice euen the fyre that the Sonne of God brought into the World and wilâ—ed that it should burne in mens hartes to bee now almost quenched or at the least the substance wherein it should woorke â—o consumed that there resteth but only embers raked in the ashes And therefore seeing men regard not to maintaine that fyre of true zeale which the Lord himselfe willed to burne in mens hartes There are great likelihodes by many coniectures that God will shortly kindle the fyre of disturbance and in the end consume his enemies For euen now the angell of God speaketh vnto the diuers states as hee did vnto the congregations of the Laodicians saying * let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit sayth vnto the churches A men the true faithful witnes euen the beginning of the Creatures of God sayth these thinges I know your woorkes that yee are neither cold nor hote I would yee wer cold or hote so then because yee are lukewarme end neither cold nor hote I will spew you out of my mouth because ye say I am ritch and encreased with goods and need nothing and you know not that yee are wretched miserable poore blind and naked Therefore I counsell you to buy of mee Gold tried in the fyre that yee may bee ritch and white raiment that yee may bee clothed that your filthy nakednes do not appeare And annoint your eies with eie salue that yee may see As many as I loue I rebuke and chasten be feruent therefore and repent saith the Lord. Behold I stand at the dore and knocke if any man heare my voice and open the dore I will come in vnto him and suppe with him and hee with mee To him that ouercommeth will I graunt to sit with mee in my throne as I haue ouercome and sitte with my Father in his throne By this let them that haue eares heare what the Spirite saieth to the congregations They are monstrous may med bodies that want eares to heare the woord of God and yet haue eares doing their office in hearing all other thinges Now where the fault lyeth of this wauering zeale this dulnes in hearing this lukewarmnes in following this slownes in beleeuing and exercising the word of God or who deserueth the blame thereof I leaue that in question For to be an accuser of crimes is perillous namely wher the Iudges want vpright hearing there it is not only a lost labor and thankles office but also obtaineth vnwoorthy blame and hatred for good wil. Notwithstanding I say an accusation may bee made in Christian charity for the amendment of such as walke inordinatly whereupon I say proue it as I can that euery person is bound by duty to bee an eie and an eare to the maiestrate to declare vnto him in christian charitie the enormities which he seeth among the people because he can see no further then a maÌ„ except god do inspire som maÌ„ with more vertue that way theÌ„ coÌ„monly is in men Therfore wheÌ„ falts be told the magistrats for charity sake duty to god those persons haue discharged the duty of good Christians And then if the maiestrates do not trie out the truth execute iustice the sinne is vpon him Therfore in praier I humbly beseech the almighty God for his dear sons sake to send his holy Spirite into the hartes of all that euen from the highest that sittes in the roiall throne vnto the lowest and simplest in whole kingdoms dominions that euery one may remember that the ende of their creation both in body soule is to glorify God And therfore let euery one that desireth saluatioÌ„ endeuour now themselues to walke vprightly and deale truly honestly and faithfullie in their vocation pray hartily to God in this time of vrgent necessity that the feruent zeale of Gods most sacred seruice according to his owne word may be surelie engrafted in the hartes of all and most chiefly in Princes counsellers Nobilitie magistrates and officers That the same true zeale and the vertue thereof may discend from them by degrees in good example into the harts of the commons euen to the poorest and basest subiectes That all with one found minde may praise the holy and dreadfull name of Iehoua the most glorious almighty and eternall God the onely Monarch of Heauen and Earth that in the name of Christ Iesus for whose sake our praiers are pleasant and acceptable vnto him for otherwise he can not abide nor brooke them As King Dauid was moued and sollicited doubtles by holy motions which were in him the woorke of the holy 2 Sam. 7. 1 Chron. 17 22. Ghost to build a Temple vnto the mighty God of Israell which when hee had purposed to doe and prepared much costly stuffe for the building Nathan the Prophet warned him to the contrary God would not haue it of his dooing And why Euen because of his bloody handes Therefore hee commaunded to leaue it to his son Salomon by whose innocent handes God would haue that most famous and glorious figure wrought before Satan should corrupt his vnderstanding leade him captiue for a time as afterward hee did in most shamefull wife as in the 11. of 2. booke of Kinges Euen so I by like motions from time to time haue bin and am continually sollicited to meditate vppon Gods Monarchie and the Deuils Kingdome But whether the Lord worke in mee to the end I may rightly frame and performe it and time to finish the same to the benefite of his Church because of my bloudy handes and sinnes of my youth the Lord Iesus knoweth and not I. Yet through his grace woorking in mee for my selfe I can not thinke a good thought I haue gatherd togeather good and sound stuffe for some other that labor in Gods vineyard to frame the same or like peece of woorke Men ought to examine al doctrines by the word of God and chiefly consider what is spoken or written and not so much regarde the speaker or writer For it is a grosse error to thinke and more blockish to bee spoken That the true interpretation of holy Scriptures should rest onely in â—â—ole men Whereas wee finde by daily experience that many of them are enemies to the glad tidinge of Christ Iesus Now if any man obiect or take exceptions against the auctority of the bookes called Apocripha out of which I haue heare and there alledged somewhat I answere thus that in all pointes wherein they doe agree with the Canonicall Scriptures they are in my opinion to bee preferred to all other mens writinges Doctors what or who soeuer which canonicall Scriptures God hath most miraculously preserued
Lyon 1 Pet. 5. 8. But our good God for his sonnes sake doth lymit Satan his bounds which he cannot passe hee is forepointed how where when and vpon whom hee shall extend his horrible crueltie For God being Monarch of Heauen Earth and Hell doth gouerne all creatures euen Satan and his trayne with a thought Therfore some he tempteth only and can do no more because God co 〈…〉 ermaundeth him by his grace of resistance in some of those â—y him tempted Some he ouer cometh in tempting to the committing of vile filthy horrible meâ—stious and most vnnatural factes as are recited in Ro. as murdring of parentes blaspheming and vtter forsaking of God worshipping vile creatures insteede of the only creator which aboue all things is blessed for euer Of all which abhominations Satan is the only auctor the enticer prouoker mayntayner and supporter And also by Gods holy ordinaunce and forepoyntment hee is by himselfe his Angels and worldly adherentes the executioner of Gods sacred iustiâ—e or punishment of all synne whereof hee is the prouoker Satan meaning no more to execute Gods iustice then a dogge in biting the swine meaneth to â—eare them from the corne For Satans greedy and vnlatiable malice is to distroy deuour and confoundâ— all by all meanes And to that end saith S. Peter he goeth about lyke a roring Lyon seeking whom he may deuour hath his greatest spite at Gods elect against whoÌ„ he exerciseth his subtility cruelty in this world by him his adherents both bodily Ghostly by such intricate iuglings as passeth mans skil working such wonders as should deceaue if it were possible yâ— very elect of their saluation for by his pestiferous enticementes hee hath and doth lead many of the very elect blindsom to the committing of most filthy horrible factes as among the auncient fathers Aron Dauid c. And the lyke is done now c. And yet because they are Gods elect hee calleth them agayne by true repentance through his mercy in Christ Iesus otherwise they could neuer returne Thus God vseth his owne power by the ministerâ— of Satan woorking for his owne purpose aswell vpon the elect as the reprobate to punish sinne vpon both and sometyme on the elect very seuerely for tryal of their faith as Abraham Isaack Ioseph Sidrack Misaak and Abednego Daniel Iob and many others And sometymes God sendeth lying spirites into men to dreame dreames and prophesie lies instead of Gods truth of purpose to deceaue such as wilfully neglect Gods woord and as Beastes voyde of reason fulfill their filthy lustes Of such it is writen the tyme wil come 2 Tim. 4. 3. when men for their lustes wil get preachers to their fancies and not suffer true doctrine but delyte in fables It is God that sendeth the false Prophets and Moses telleth the cause why For by such meanes * The Lord your Deut. 13. 7. God doth proue you whether you loue him with all your hartes and with all your fowles For you shall walke after the Lord your God feare him do his commaundements harken to his voyce serue him and cleeue vnto him but the false Prophets shal be slayne Thus by the ministery of Satan God correcteth all but yet diuersly an 〈◊〉 sundery sortes in this lyfe For Satan is Gods executioner to whippe to scourge and torment all such as regarde not his holy worde in such ordinary or extraordinary manner as he hath forepoynted For by his almightye power and inuisible woorking Satan and his trayne visible and inuisible haue their being mouing disposition woorking for otherwise they could either bee moue dispose nor woorke any thing For â—â— the vnspeakable power of the almighty Monarch Satan and his angell are prickt and push forwarde to fulfill Gods secret determinations in the World much like as meÌ„ with Bridles spurs make brutish horses gallop turning tossing too and froe almost at theyr owne pleasure but God altogeâ—ther at his owne pleasure Moreouer Satan hath power at God his appoyntmentes send his messengers into all men so that no man euer was is or euer shal bee exempted from his a 〈…〉 es and deceitful allurementes Christ Iesus himself was assaulted by him Saint Paul coÌ„fesseth that he was buffered by the messenger of satan 2 Cor. 11. 7 that God did it to the end that he should 〈◊〉 glory in himself We reade that the Apostles were â—â—â—ers wayes tempted some with vayne glory some with dâ—strâ— of reuengement * euer with fire and brimstone from heauen Sometymes with ambition to sitte in the highest seates * Sometymes Luk. 9. 54. Mat. 20. 21. 26. 34 to deny Christ Iesus Thus wee see God giueth his electe grace sometyme to resist satan sometyme hee maketh satan giue them the foyle that they aâ—â—ay knowne they stand hâ—t of themselues but by his grace only Wee reade of Abraham and other ancient Fathers howe they haue erred by the subtil deceiptes of Satan whom God doth send of purpose both for royall of fayth and punishment of sinne Present sat 〈…〉 Iob for tryall of his fayth and constancie hee sent an euill spirit to vexe king Saul for his former wickednes Hee sent lying spirites into the mouthes of foure hundreth of Kinges Ahabs prophets to the 〈◊〉 Para. 18. 21. 1 Re. 22. 22. that through their lying prophesies hee should greedely goe to warre agaynst R 〈…〉 in 〈◊〉 A thinge forepoynted of God for his destruction in reuenge of his former sinnes and all by Satans ministery and his hellish adherentes visible and inuisible to execute his iust vengeance vpon all in generall namely on such as known the wil of God by hearing and reading his holy woord and yeâ— regard it not such lazy lobbers * shall be beaten with many stripes And at Luke 12. 4 such lawes swine God lecteth slip his Satanicall â—andâ—â—s Oh it is a most fearefull thing to fall into the handes of the euerliuing Hebr. 10. 31 God And yet as often as wee breake any of the ten commaundements we fall into the handes of the almighty God who for our former sinnes geueth vs ouer into the handes of Satan who maketh vs to heape synne vppon synne so punishing syn by syn and yet it is sayd we fall into the handes of God which is most true for as much as Saâ—aÌ„ doth nothing besides Gods forepoyntment as when he was to execute his malice vppon Iob he saide to God lay thyne hand vppon him that is â—end me to do myne office on him so that Satan is the hand the scourge of God to punish whom it pleaseth him eyther for sinne or triall of fayth So their if we had the true feare of God setled in our mindes and our fayth hope and loue fixed in Christ Iesus as hee willeth we should not need to feare Cerberus nor any other Bug fayned by false dreâ—â—nes nor any of the furyes of Hell nor any worldly power how mighty or tyrannâ—call soeuer
17. 14 19. 16 1 Re. 11. 14 31. but not for euer * for Christ Iesus the Lyon of the trybe of Iehudah shall come and sitte one the spirituall seat of his father Dauid for euer * for hee is Lord of Lordes and King of Kinges euerlasting So that the seed of Dauid was afflicted vntil Christ Iesus by his death tryumphed ouer all his enemies * For God raysed aduersaries agaynst Salomon and threatned to rente his kingdome in peeces which he performed as it is written in the twelft Chapter and al to punish his beastly lyfe But for king Dauids sake God did not rent the kingdome whyle Salomon liued But hee beeing dead and Roboham his Sonne begynning to raigne al Israel came to Sechem to make him king as it were to the coronation And then and there the people hauing chosen them a Captayne and secretly conspired before hand that if the king would not grauÌ„t their necessary request by way of humble petition to make lighter the heauy burthens which Salomon his Father by impostes and taxes had layd vpon them That then they would be quite out his gouernment and reuolt cleane from him Which conspiracy was hidden from king Roboham who in asking counsell to answere the people refused the good those the euill And who was Gods instrument to cause him so to doe euen Satan that olde subtle Serpent that so slâ—ely deceaued Adam Noy Aron Dauid Salomon and all the people of the World from age to age no one hath escaped his clutches but his pestilent enticementes haue made them erre except that only one Christ Iesus the Sonne of the liuing God who was forepoynted promised to breake the Serpentes head So this Serpent Satan woorking in the mynde of King Roboham and his young counsellers caused him to refuse the aduyce of the Counsellers to his Father that gaue him good and sober counsell to rule with lenity and vpright iustice And followed the euil counsell of the young men with whom hee had bene â—rayned vp to rule with rigor and tyranny Whereupon hee answeared the people thus * Whereas â— Reg. 12. 13 my Father did burtheÌ„ you with an heauy yoke I wil make it heauier my father did chasten you with rods but I will correct you with scourges Here let vs consider what spirite wrought in the King and his counsell to cause him make this â—â—uell answere it was not the Spirite of meeknes which is of God it was the Spirite of prâ—de which is of the Deuil Vpon which dispiteful answeare The twelue trybes reuolted quite from him with the like dispitful woords * what portion haue wee with Dauid or inheritance with the sonne 1 Reg. 12. 16 11. 29. 12. 15. of Isha * Ieroboam being their Captayne who became king of those ten Tribes and was called king of Israel and Roboham king of Iehuda Thus the Lord performed his promise in renting his kingdome as well for the sinnes of Roboham as of his father and grandfather Then king Roboham began to make warre agaynst his rebels purposâ—â—g to conquere them agayne by force The lykelihood of his enterprise therein haue bene to haue lost yâ— rest for he had but 2 agaynst 10. But God had forepoynted it otherwise that one should sit on Dauids seate vntil the comming of Messias And to that ende * hee sent his Prophet to 1 Reg. 12. 12. warne him all his people not to deale that way but returne euery man to his owne house sayeth God for the thing is done by me Marke it wel it was Gods woorke who worketh all in all and yet in him no euil at all Satan and his Angels are Gods instrumentes doing their naturall office when where and vpon whom it pleased him to forepoint before the World began to bring each thing to his forepoynted end for the accomplishmeÌ„t of his eternal purpose so wrought they in king Roboham and in those whose counsell hee followed and also in Ieroboham and the ten Trybes to rebell agaynst their Prince For who puts euill conceiptes in peoples myndes who prouokes them to performe the euill conceaued who perswades Princes and their Counsellers to â—â—fuse the good and choose the euill who I say but Satan that olde enemy For he put into the hart of Iehudas to betray his mayster Iohn 13. 3. Christ Iesus Euen so whatsoeuer hath is or shall bee 〈◊〉 Gods forepoyntment it is of necessâ—ty also that hee forepoint the meanes the matter and the maner to bring each thing to â—â— forepoynted 〈◊〉 * for if the Sparrâ—â— fall not Mat. 10. 29 Luk. 11. 6. 7 Act. 27. 34. on the ground without his will neither is one of them forgotten with God if the hayres of the heads of Gods elect are nombred neyther can an hayre fal from their hâ—aâ—s without his will thâ—se beyng as small thinges as may bee deuised And yet not forgotten with God then how can these great thinges bee without his will and appoyntment Vnlesse some madde man would say that perhaps some thing done vnknowen or vnwares to God which were to diminish his almightines but all thinges are possible with God and of him euery thing hath being mouing power disposition of woorking be it good or euill in respect of maÌ„ for in regard that al that is commeth from God all is good euen that which euill spirites worke towardes mankinde for as much as they worke not otherwise then God hath forepoynted for the accomplishment of his eternall purpose Therefore whatsoeuer God doth by the working of spirites good or ill is euery way good and no degree to be tearmed euill For although he commaund man not to kil man yet may God destroy millions of millions without checke of any and geue lyfe againe at his pleasure But why he doth this or that or what hee meaneth by these or those his secrete workes ther ought no questions bee made further then is limitted by holy Scriptures but with all humble obedience let vs submit our selues to his blessed will reuealed in his word and with all reuerence let vs honor the secrets of his will vnreuealed And here withall let vs liue in all dutiful obedience to his holy law for otherwise we hope for mercy in vayne And yet I say * that by the workes of the Law no flesh Gal. 2. 16. shall bee iustifyed The iustice of God which hee executeth by the ministery of Satan and his angels as good as holy as much to be praised and magnifyed as his sweete mercy in Christ Iesus in God they are equall Therefore it pleased God in the secret counsell of his own will for his eternall purpose decreed before the world was to forepoint matter whereon to bestowe iustice and mercye And all to magnify his holy name and shew foorth his owne glory Yet is it not lawfull for Emperours Kings and Princes ouer nations to seeke their own glory for as they are commaunded in generall to seeke set foorth
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
behold gaue precepts touching Sampson and assended in the flame of the burnt sacrafice * King Dauid 2 Sam. 24. 17. 1 Kinges 14 5. 7. 43. Luk. 1. 11. 26. saw the angell of the Lord smyte the people and there died â—xx in three dayes at the pestilence * The angell touched Elias and a voyce spake twise vnto him * The angell foretelleth â—achary of his sonne Ihon the foregoer of Christ Iesus The angell Gabrell was sent from God to the Virgin Mary to forewarne her of her conception of Christ Iesus * An angell of God warned Ioseph not to go from his Matt. 1. 20 2. 13. wyfe commaunded him to take the childe and his mother and goe into Egipt called him home agayne when Herod was dead * An Angel of God appeared vnto the sheperdes with Luk. 2. 9. Of Angels and men him a multitude of angels singing praises at yâ— birth of Gods anoyâ—ted and our sauiour the tydings whereof was great * After Satan had tempted our Lorde Iesus the holy Mat. 4. 10. 11 Iohn 5. 4. Luk. 22. 42 c. Act 1. 10. angels came and ministred vnto him * At a certayne season an angell went downe and moued the water of the poole Bethesday alias Siloe and whosoeuer went next into the water was healed of whatsoeuer disease an Angel from heauen appeared to comfort Christ in his agony feare of death * Two angels stood in mens lykenes by the Apostles while they looked stedfastly after Christ Iesus when hee was taken vp into heauen told them that he should come agayne in like manner as he ascended * And against his comming to geue iudgement Mat. 24. 30 c. hee shall send his angels with sounding the trompet togather togeather his chosen people from the fower wyndes that is to say the whole worlde For of all the nations of the worlde some must bee blessed according to the * promise made Gen. 22 18 to the most honorable mere man that euer was Abraham the father of all the faythfull * The law was geuen by the ministery of angels but grace Act. 1. 53. and truth came by Christ Iesus which to that Michaell which with his Angels fighteth full agaynst the dragon Satan and his angels for whom and for the damned seed of Adam * hell tyre was prepared in which they shal be euer tormented Ecul 23. 10. Amos 3. 6. Esai 4 5 6. 7 and neuer rest But * an angels voyce was hard from Heauen saying write Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lorde for they rest from theyr labours so shall not the highe minded bent to wickednes that dye without repentaunce I haue omitted many and many places of holy scriptures concerning the ministry of Angels to auoyde tediosnes But these I haue recited to the end that no man may doubt but euery man assure himselfe that God worketh some time in this worlde by Angels both good and badde For thus it is writen of the holy angels * Are they not all ministering Hebr. 1. 14. spirites sent foorth to minister for theyr sakes which shal bee heyres of saluation Yes doubtlesse and to that end they cocker and flatter the wicked reprobate and preferre them in this world For albeit that God loued and choose Iacob and â—ated and refused Esau yet Esau by following the suggestions of Satan and his angels became of greater power and auctoryty then Iacob during theire lyues in this world * Therfore God is called the father of spirites which were Hebr. 12. 9. created and some of them fallen from blessed state before he created man for neyther angels nor men can keepe themselues from falling if God keepe them not And as the same God is almighty eternall and without beginning or ending so hath he purposed in himselfe before the world was that he would make both angels and men * some to honour and some Rom. 11. 21 to dishonour to shewe himselfe to bee the glorious God of mercy and Iustice The Lord hath made all things for his Prou. 16. 4. owne cause yea euen the wicked for the day of distruction For his election and reiection his choosing and refusing both of angels and men are most euedently proued in holy scriptures For angels thus Saynt Paule prescribing orders in the Election and reiection of Angels Church hath these wordes to Tymothy * I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and his elect angels that thou obserue these thinges without partialityeâ— Now it followeth of necessity that where when Angels were elected there also theÌ„ angels were reiected For of contraries there is euer a contrary reason and therfore where chosing is there is also refusing of them that bee not chosen But God elected some angels the consequent is hee reiected other some angels for if hee had preserued all and let none fall from him then had there bene no election at all neyther any deuill but some hee chose and some hee refused And iniquity whereof Iob * Iob speaketh was found in those which he had refused by which fall of angels it is manifest that they had a lawe or precept which they transgressed otherwise they coulde not haue committed iniquitie It is Saynt Paule his argumeÌ„t Ro. 14. 15. 2 Pet. 2. 4. * where no lawe is there is no transgression But Saynt Peter sayth * God spared not the angels that sinned Ergo they had a lawe or precept which they brake otherwise they could not haue sinned Thus it appeareth that God hath delt with angels as with men concerning creation election and reiection sauing that all angels sinned not as all mankinde sinned in Adam for wee reade not of the redemption of angels as of the redemption of mankind so many as it pleased God to choose were redeemed So then hee created both angels and men as the cheefe parte of his works purposed in him selfe to set forth his eternal power honor and glory Heâ— made the angels of inuisible substance and man of both inuisible and visible and all both kindes in perfect purity in holines and fredome of will it pleased God to make them in such sorte as he put it in theyr owne choyce to obay or disobay they had power in themselues to keep or change theyr blessed state wheriâ— they were created For if they had not had that choyce in themselues with reuerence be it sayde God could not with iustice haue punished theyr disobedience But God can do nothing vniustly therefore he had most iustly punisht theÌ„ hauing fore poynted which and how many should by his grace stand to serue him in theyr first purity the rest he left to them selues which through infidelity pryde and disobedience fell from theyr blessed state and became his euerlasting enimies Thus it pleased God to make iust matter vnto himselfe to exercise both mercy and iustice which two most excellent vertues do chiefly magnifie and extol his eternall
called all of the spirite For as the elect of God are led and gouerned by the Spirite of God and his holy Angels And yet in such sorte as God letteth them fall often tymes by the pestâ—ient â—â—â—icementes of Satan and his Angels to the ende they may know that they stand not of themselues Euen so the reprobate whom God hath not chosen are led gouerned by satan his angels and yet in such sort as God doth very often put them in mynd by his holy Spirite admonishing them to turne from theyr wicked waies to the ende that euery one may be without excuse the autour of his own damnation Thus all in generall are of the Spirit â—yther good or bad but the reprobate follow the lustes of the flesh and suggestions of satan without resistance In the elect the flesh striueth agaynst the Spirit and the Spirit resisteth the flesh so that the Soule as all amazed is pulled now on the one syde then on the other side stackering too and free yelding sometimes to the good motions and many tymes to the euill motions filthy lustes Now in a litle hope and then in great dispayre and all by ignorance of holy Scriptures and neglecting the knowledge and grace which God already had or hath geuen them Therefore let vs labour in good woorkes of charity with fasting and faythful prayer to God * to obtayn the blessing of Luk. 11. 28. hearing beleeuing obeying and exercysing his holy woord that thereby we may obtayne wisedome from God to discerne betweene good and euill and that most excellent knowledge and precious gift of God * to trye the Spirites that woorke 1 Iohn 4. 3. in vs whether they be of God or no. For this is certayne that the least thought that râ—seth in mans minde is styrred either by the flesh or by the spirite and in the same moment tendeth to good or euil in Gods sight And to choose the good and reiect the euill is the ful some of al vertuous wisedome euen the precious gift of God which no creature caÌ„ obtayn of himselfe for it must come by the free grace and mercy of God through Christ Iesus being asked in true fayth as he commaundeth * Aske and it shall bee giuen you c. Matth. 7. 7. 21. 22 Mans naturall state as discended from Adam after his fall was most miserable and vtterly damned body and Soule the nombers of mankinde onely knowne to God to mans wit incomprehencible and to reason more then infinite out of which greater infinite nomber the Lord of mercy hath chosen and forepointed a lesser infinite nomber which hee hath elected by grace in Christ Iesus * And forepointed them to bee Ephes 1. 4 10. 13. adopted in him before the foundations of the World were layde And are sealed to saluation by the holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance purchased by Christ Iesus euen the same that king Dauid ment when hee sayde * I should vtterly haue faynted except I had beleeued to see Psal 27. 13. the goodnes of the Lord in the land of the liuing And so should now the elect of God faynt daily by reason of the afflictions and miseries which they suffer of the wicked worldlinges in this lyfe if it were not for the hope they haue to enioy the sweete promises of God by Christ Iesus in the world to come in Heauen which Dauid calleth the land of the liuing And â—o meruayle though Gods elect suffer horrible miseries in this World For * Satan can transforme himselfe 2 Cor. 11. 13. into an Angel of light as once he was Also his captiues the subiectes and wicked folkes by theyr hypocrisy can seeme in the sight of men as sober as honest as vertuous and holy as the very elect of God As Iudas for example beinge of the twelue Apostles hee Mark 3. 14 did his office hee preached the gospel hee wrought miracles hee seemed outwardly as honest as faythful and as holy as the rest * yea and more zealous then his fellowes and yet a Iohn 12. 5. very hipocrite which argueth that euen now among those that preach the gospell minister the holy sacramentes there may bee such Hipocrites as Iudas was Saynt Paul confirmeth 1 Cor. 9. 26. the same in saying * I runne not as at an vncertayne marke I fight not as one that beateth the winde but I bring my body in subiection least by any meanes after preaching to others I my selfe should bee reprooued which argueth that there hath bene euer are now and euer shall bee such Preachers and Ministers as are not as they would seem to bee And by those Hipocrites as well of the Spiritualty as of the Laity many of the very elect are abused and enticed to the committing of horrible Crimes manifested vnto men God seruing therein his eternall secrete purpose by the ministery of Satan to the end that none should be able to iudge of his secrets in the matter of election and reprobation who shoulde be saued or damned further then hee hath giuen scoape by the holy Scriptures * No man can iudge of another by any Eccles 9. 1. c. thinge that happeneth vnto men in this lyfe who is loued or hated of God for hee maketh the Sunne to Shyne on all alyke And as the wicked most commonly liue in greatest prosperity euen so among the poorer sort bursteth out the greatest villany what secret God hath in that I leaue to him Moreouer this pestilent vice of Hipocrisy is such a canker in the nature of mankind as cannot bee shunned nor auoyded And by it both the elect and the reiect couer their sinnes from the knowledge of man but not from God and priuily and inwardly abuse themselues in body mynd and Soule And some cary close their filthines but short tyme. Some keepe it long vnseene of man Yet in some at length it breaketh foorth to their vtter shame whereof some by Gods grace returne by repentance and receaue saluation because they are the elect of God Some through hardnes of hart cast asyde all shame and feare of God and so runne headlong into destruction damnation Some enioy * the blessing to haue their sinnes Psalm 32. 1 c. couered and forgiuen yea a speciall blessednes haue they to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne Is not this a most speciall grace of God to couer some mens sins that they neuer come to light haue they not great and iust cause to bee thankfull seeing no creature can accuse them but God and their owne conscience So it pleaseth God to deale with some and vnhappy are they that enuy the happy state of others For by the ministery of his holy Spirite hee woorketh reformation in the myndes and soules of some leading them by true repentance to amendment of life without beyng openly detected * for no man liueth and sinneth 1 Iohn 1. 8. not Oh that men
would therefore prayse magnify and extoll by fayth good woordes and deedes the almighty maiesty of this incomprehencible Monarch of Heauen and Earth and tell foorth the woonders that hee doth and hath done among the children of men And let those whose sinnes God doth couer from the knowledge of men â—â— very thankfull for it for it is a sure tâ—ken of Gods grace â—o leade theÌ„ to repentance And let those which â—t pleaseth God to preserue from doing such beastlines as iâ— others are manifested to the world Let thâ—se I say especially giue humble thanke in the name of Christ Iesus because it is a singuler token of grace and election For let all men assure themselues of this that they which noâ— and take least euill should doe and take as much as they which doe and take most euil yf God * did not set his holy Angels about them and steard his holy Spirite into them to preserue them â—oth from dooing and taking euill The conclusion hereof is that â—od is all in all and consequently doth all in all otherwise hee cannot bee almighty Col. 3. 11. Ephes 1. 23 1 Co. 15. 28 which almightines in God no man will dâ—â—ye being in his right wittes vnlesse an Atheist which beleeues no God at all And the same God is a Spirite which by the ministery of his Spirite kâ—epeth whom to please him from great offences and hee pardonneth whom it pleaseth him of all their offences On the contrary part the fowle Spirite Satan and his Angels do not onely entice and prouoke folkes to sinne but are also Gods instrumentes call the◠〈…〉 men if you will for they haue the same offâ—ce to punish folkes for sinne As when King Daiud by Satans enticemeâ—â—e had commited Example of Gods iustice on Dauid 2 Sam. 12. 1 c. both adultry and 〈…〉 ther Nathan pronounced Gods iust sentence agaynst him that the swoord should neuer be froÌ„ his house A terrible sentence marke it wil it was not the plague of pestilence or other sicknes which commonly endure but for certayne Wâ—â—kes or Moâ—thes c. but it was a most horrible most pestiferous and continuall plague of rape murther incâ—stious whordome withdome 〈◊〉 and forraine warres during the rest of his lyfe And on his house after his death by succession vntill after the death of Christ Iesus euen to the vtter dissoluing of Dauids house in this world And who were Gods instrumentes to execute his iâ—st vengeance so long in continuance as aboue mxl yeares no one mortall creature could liue so long neither then nor now who then I say but Satan and his Angels woorking in his members the children of disobedience in whom * hee being Ephes 22. Prince ruling in the ayre worketh his will according as God hath forepointed and limitted him What meanâ— God vseth c. Now marke the meanes circumstances and instrumentes both bodily and ghostly which God vseth for performance of his promise for the due execution of his iudiciall sentence pronounced by Nathan the Prophet First hee giueth Anmon king Dauids Sonne into the power of Satan to bee led into temptation who stirred vp in him an horrible stinking lust of the flesh falsly called loue such loue as Horses haue to Mares and consequently each male beast to his kind This beastly lust was to rauish his Sister Thamar the daughter of his Father And Satan did so inflame him pricke him foreward and torment him with desire to accoÌ„plish this lust that very anguish for want therof made him sicke and pine away hee was in the deepe dungeon of Satans prison * holden captiue at his will 2 Tim. 2. 2. 2 Sam. 13. â— c. Then another of Satans impes one Ionadab a flattering â—awde such as seeke their gaine by such filthy practises aswel in Princes courtes as els where hee deuised a fyne hipocriticall meane to accomplish his filthy lust saying art not thou a Kinges sonne as though a Kinges sonne were lawles therewithall gaue him this pestilent counsel to fayne himselfe yet more sicke to the end hee might haue had some colour to craue of the king some meat dreast of his sisters hand to comfort him in his sicknes meaning nothing else but as all the wicked doe euen by false policy treason and tiranny to accomplish their couetous desires and filthy lustes as hee did in raâ—ishing his sister â—hâ—mar And thus God begaâ—ne to plague Dauid according to hiâ— promise by the Prophet Nathan first by the death of the Childe gotten in adultery secondly by rauishing of his Daughter by his owne Sonne And it pleased God to call for these villanies and filthines which Satan wrought in Dauids children his own works And why euen because Satan doth nothing more or lesse theÌ„ God forepoynteth him * For God sayde I will stirre â— Sam. 12. 11 vpp euill agaynst thee euen out of thyne owne house I will take thy wiues and giue them to another to be abused behold God sayeth it is his owne dooing euen his iustice vppon Dauid Who being ouercome by the suggestions of Satan woorking in himselfe and others that fauoured Ammon through foolish affection of fatherly pity neglected to doe iustice on his vngratious sonne for committing so fylthy a fact in Israel the which notwithstanding God would not leaue vnpunished and that by an extraordinary meane because King Dauid neglected Gods ordinary iustice which he putteth into Princes handes to bee executed of them in righteousnes Marke the consequence Absalon king Dauids darling sonne voyd also of the feare of God and therefore captiue to Satan by Gods forepoyntment was by Satan mooued to reuenge the rauishing of his Sister Thamar vpon Ammon his vnhappy brother which wicked purpose hee performed by treason for at a pretended friendly Banquet hee caused him to bee cruelly slayne contrary to the right order of iustice which the kinge ought to haue done by order Thus wee may see how God punisheth sinne by sinne and men by their owne inuentions and abhominations As it is written * let men knowe that by such Sap. 11. 13. Luk. 6. 38. meanes as men offend by such lyke they are punished * And such measure as they meate to others the lyke they shall receiue agayne Then Absalon fearing iustice for his murtherous fact fled to saue his life as nature teacheth in daunger to seeke surcour to Talmay king of Gâ—â—hure his mothers father And being in exile Satan wrought still in him and in those that fauoured him by famed repentance to seeke reconciliation to the king his Father which thing was broughte to passe by Satans woorking in him in Ioab the Kinges chieftayne in warres in a woman and others appointed by Ioab for that purpose to bringe Absolon agayne from exile to bee a further plague vnto the Kinge his Father It is vnlike that Ioabs meaninge was so ill towardes the King And yet so was Gods purpose hee beeyng the instrument not knowing the sequell