Salvation is in the almighty hand of God and hath her abiding-place in his vnchangeable counsell and is reserved by God for man Therefore how can a faithfull man more certainely comfort and refresh himselfe then by this meanes namely by considering that God the only fountaine of all grace and mercy hath chosen him before he was and hath so loved him Rom. 8.32 Iohn 3.16 that he spared not to bestow his onely be gotten sonne for his life and salvation that he might deliver miserable and wretched man from all sinne and from the power of Sathan and bring him into life eternall Doth not God by this inestimable benefite shew that he loveth the salvation of mankinde better then his owne Sonne seeing that he had rather that his Sonne should suffer and dye then that man should be condemned and perish for ever How can a man more effectually and more strongly comfort himselfe then with this meditation that the Sonne of God would suffer and endure the paynes and torments of hell in soule as well as in body for the redemption of man Did not the sonne of God thereby shew that he accounted the salvation of mankinde more precious then his owne life whilest he had rather to dye for miserable man then that he should dye everlastingly How can a man more strongly rayse himselfe vp in hope then by this meanes that he is beloved of God with that love wherewith his onely begotten Sonne is beloved Iohn 17.23.26 and that the Sonne of God doth love and esteeme him no lesse then his owne members and his owne bowels How can a man more truly reioyce with true ioy Math. 25.40 then by this assured and infallible meditation that God by the merites of Christ is reconciled vnto him and made farre more gratious and mercifull vnto him then if he had never offended and sinned against God and that God doth more willingly and more lovingly bestowe salvation vpon man then man can desire it for this is the admirable goodnes of God that he vouchsafeth to convert his enemy vnto him and of rebellious to make him loyall By this meanes he playnely declareth that hee taketh more care for mans salvation then man doth for himselfe How can a man be better comforted then by this most certayne hope that his salvation is certayne and sure and that salvation can no more fall from him then he can fall from Christ Certaynely whome Christ hath redeemed with his bloud and whom God hath taken to mercy who shall hurt or condemne except first he make the death of Christ of none effect and first vanquish and overcome God himselfe but neyther the whole world nor the gates of hell shall never be able to doe this Therefore the salvation of the beleever is as firme and as sure as the omnipotent nature of God is eternall and invincible Lastly a faithfull man may worthily triumph with incredible ioy and gladnes that all his sinnes are forgiven and pardoned vnto him even for and by the onely sacrifice and merit of Christ so that not the least signe of them remayneth nor appeareth For Christ hath satisfyed for them by his death hee hath payd the vttermost farthing and by his bloud hath cancelled the hand-writing that was against vs beeing fastned to his Crosse Therefore seeing that Christ hath payd the whole price of our redemption and hath susteyned Gods anger against sinne and taken it away for ever I know not anything whereby a faithfull man may more confirme himselfe and adde more perfect peace and rest vnto his conscience then by this Seeing therefore that Gods iustice is satisfyed the everlasting throane of his mercy is so erected that it worketh effectually for the salvation of mankinde and doth mightily shew and declare the strength thereof against the power of Sathan and the rage of the whole world and that so that all the power of hell or any other dangers be they never so great shall in no wise be able to hinder or annihilate the salvation of man For God with his almighty hand doth so governe all things that they be not onely not hurtfull and noysome vnto man but on the contrary Rom. 8.28 shall tend to the good and salvation of him So that ranke and deadly poyson shall become wholesome phisick vnto him and the greatest dangers of this life shall become as spirituall Chariots to carry him into heaven For God is Almighty therefore it is easy for him to doe it hee is a mercifull and a most loving father therefore he will not thinke much to doe it So that everlasting felicity and incomparable glory shall ensue and follow after the miseries and the dangers which the godly do endure in this life Therefore the godly beleevers have wherewith to comfort themselves most certaynely and whereof to reioyce in that they are the sonnes of God Ephe. 2.19 and the brethren of Christ and heyres of the kingdome of heaven They have also cause to prayse and glorify God and his sonne Christ to prayse God I say for his so great love towards them in that by his eternall love he did chuse them vnto everlasting salvation and to prayse and glorify Christ for so great a benefit in that by his most pretious bloud he redeemed vs from the anger of God from eternall death and from the slavery of the Devill so that they shall be saved and redeemed for ever and so may as certaynely reioyce of their salvation and of eternall life as Christ himselfe who hath taken their burthen vpon him and payd theyr debt Farre therefore be from a Christian mans heart all troublesome doubts concerning his election and salvation because those doubts have a distrustfull nature and Sathan himselfe for theyr author which can do nothing else but lye and deceive Yea much rather let every Christian man with a stedfast faith beleeve that he is elected vnto salvation from everlasting and that he shall be blessed for ever in the world to come For that faith and perswasion hath God and his holy spirit for an author who can promise nothing but truth and will fulfill and perfourme their promises because they cannot lye For this is the highest step and the surest stay of a Christian mans faith to believe that God is mercifull vnto him and well pleased in his Sonne Christ This is a great glory vnto God then which man cannot give him a greater firmely to believe that he is elected by God through Christ vnto salvation This faith is the certayne salvation of Christians this hope is the highest glory of the elect and their everlasting triumph that they are elected of God and redeemed by Christ and so elected and redeemed as that they shall remayne so for ever in despight of the whole world and the kingdome of Sathan and that they neede no more to feare the danger of falling away and perishing then that God will cease to be God and Christ be of none effect Heere is
vnderstood rightly expounded it is the effectual wholesome instrumēt of the holy spirit to convert save mē So that the word of God his spirit is the singular and inestimable treasure and the excellent peculiar goods of the Church of which the Church according to that promise ought never to be deprived but to be alwayes begotten of it and to be continually directed and preserved by it Therefore the Holy Ghost is the begetting cause of faith he doth create and worke it in the hearts of the elect and by the dayly proceedings and increase thereof doth augment and preserve it vnto the end of their lives But the stedfast apprehension and applying of the promises of God and the merit of Christ is the expresse forme and lively image of faith in this consisteth the whole force and efficacy of faith Gal. 2.20 So S. Paule doth in expresse words set downe saying The sonne of God loved me and gave himselfe for me So true faith doth behold the generall promise of God and apprehendeth it and maketh particular application to it selfe certainely setting downe this that that promise of grace and salvation doth no lesse appertayne vnto it then vnto the rest of the beleevers For then the promise of God is effectuall in men and commeth to the proper end and issue of it selfe when it is apprehended by a true faith Againe the word publikely preached in the ministery of the Gospel is the instrumentall cause of faith and therefore that word is called by Paul the power of God vnto salvation Rom. 1.16 Rom. 10.17 vnto every one that beleeveth because that the holy ghost worketh by it in the hearts of the elect so that faith springeth from the preaching hearing of the Gospell Therefore whatsoever the elect do heare with their outward eares from the publike preaching of the word that doth the Holy Ghost make fruitefull and effectuall in their hearts Furthermore a stedfast confidence and a true hope in Christ a fervent love towards God also a sonne-like feare and reverence of God a sincere love of our neighbour and other honest and holy actions are such effects of the holy spirit which do accompany and attend vpon true faith as naturall and inseparable vertues So true fayth doth rest selfe vpon the fatherly love of God and doth heartily reverence and worship God as a good and loving Father and doth continually study how to please him and cleave vnto him and carefully avoydeth whatsoever may offend him and lastly doth steadfastly hope that it shall be partaker together with Christ of everlasting life and heavenly glory But the finall cause of fayth is 1. Pet. 1.9 the comprehending and conceyving of good thinges to witte life eternall and blessed immortalitie And if any shall here subtily obiect vnto a man and say that fayth is alwayes here lame and vnperfect and therefore cannot make a man perfect and happy For that which ought to save one must be every way perfect and absolute wee must answere him that fayth as farre forth as it abideth in the heart of man as in the subiect thereof is alwayes imperfect here and scarce deserveth the name of vertue But as it beholdeth and apprehendeth Christ so it is effectuall and maketh men of the sonnes of perdition the children of God then great power and saving actions are ascribed vnto it by the Scripture as that it iustifieth men that it quikneth them and saveth them So that fayth doth not save and make happy any man in regard of the subiect in which it remayneth but it is sayd to save and iustifie a man in regard of the obiect whither it tendeth and which it apprehendeth For Christ being layd hold on by fayth saveth a man whether that fayth be great or small And that Christ being apprehended with a little and slender fayth doth yet save and iustifie a man the examples of the holy Scripture declare manifestly enough For that Ruler in Iohn although he were endued with a very slender and weake fayth in Christ Iohn 4.49.53 yet for all that Christ reiecteth him not but iustified and saved both him and his sonne with all his houshold So likewise he in Marke Marke 9.24.25 although he was sayd to have a meane and a weake fayth yet Christ being layd hold on by it tooke pittie vpon him and healed his sonne that was possessed of the divell Here is notwithstanding diligently to be marked that in these manner of speeches wherein in the vertue of saving is attributed vnto fayth the power and force of the efficient cause is attributed vnto the instrument by which it worketh and is effectuall So that when iustification salvation is ascribed vnto faith as vnto the cause then the obiect of fayth is vnderstood For Christ cannot be apprehended but by sayth onely as by the instrument wherewith it is done Furthermore here is carefully to be considered that this saving Calling is produced and wrought more by the inward working of the spirite then by the outward preaching of the word For although God by his Ministers should speake and call vnto vs a thousand times by the voyce of his word in the Ministery yet vnlesse wee be drawne inwardly by the spirite of God we shall never come vnto him Many and most wonderfull examples of all ages have sufficiently declared this and do yet at this day declare it Whereby it may bee gathered that this Calling is placed in the good will and hand of God onely farre out of our owne reach For he alone can illuminate vs and convert and change vs into new creatures For in this calling the whole man is repugnant vnto God that calleth Iohn 6.44 Psal 51.12 Therefore Christ in S. Iohn vseth this word drawing David vseth this word creating speaking of the conversion of man Christ by the word drawing sheweth that this heavenly grace cannot bee conceyved of the naturall man but that there must be a new mind and a new vnderstanding to conceive it And David by the word creating would teach vs that the renewing and amendement of man is so difficult hard a worke that it can be wrought or brought to passe by no creature Bara This he sheweth by the Hebrew word Bara he created which properly signifieth hee made a thing of nothing which which was not before Secondly it signifieth to bring to passe some singular and wonderfull worke out of some matter already created which cannot possibly be imitated by any creature So that this regeneration of man is a certayne spirituall creation by which the regenerate are transported into a newe life and prepared for that heavenly glory which never shall have ende Here is refuted the errour of the Papists concerning the strength that is in man and shewed in what things an vnregenerate man hath free-will and in what not and how farre free-will stretcheth it selfe And the grosse ignorance or manifest impietie of the Papists is disclosed
and such like places of Scripture promise the grace of God and forgivenesse of sinnes Hebr. 8.12 not for a day or two onely but affirme that it shall alwayes bee of force and continue while life lasteth so that the forgivenesse of sinnes is dayly and continuall all our life long For a full and sufficient satisfaction hath beene made for them by Christ once for all For with one offering Hebr. 10.14 as the Apostle sayth hee consecrated for ever them which are sanctified Therefore seeing that Christ by his owne blood hath entred into the Holy place and hath obtained everlasting Redemption for vs and that our sinnes are taken away in his blood God cannot by right remember them any more For God is so iust as that hee will not have payment and satisfaction made for one thing twice But he is so well pleased with the satisfaction of Christ that he requireth no other satisfaction Isay 53.7 For the Lord hath layd vpon him the iniquity of vs all and Christ himselfe hath taken vpon him all the sincke of our iniquities that he might redeeme and free vs from eternall destruction This is our onely hope and comfort that Christ hath so once for all taken away all the sins of the world that not the least signe of them remayneth For this cause the Evangelist calleth Christ The Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Surely Christ hath so satisfied for our sinnes by his death that not one of them remayneth for which satisfaction is not made fully and sufficiently So that by the benefite of Christ we are redeemed and iustified Rom. 5.1 and through him we have peace toward God This satisfaction of Christ whosoever doth with a true stedfast faith apprehend and apply vnto himselfe hath wherein hee may reioyce and be glad in himselfe and that much more then hee is wont to reioyce which hath runne so farre into other mens debt that hee hath nothing to pay who when he shall heare that an other hath payd it in his name and hath fully discharged the whole debt reioyceth heartily and is more glad in his mind then if he in his owne person had discharged the debt So also our conscience when it heareth that Christ hath satisfied for all our sinnes both great and small so that God will never call them to his remembrance doth much reioyce and conceaveth true peace within it selfe and relyeth most peaceably vpon that satisfaction of Christ and favour of God recovered agayne and is exceeding glad in it selfe that it hath and shall have everlasting reconciliation and peace with God By this we may playnely see how necessary the grace of God is to the remission of our sinnes Let every man therefore diligently weigh his owne misery for except a man doe well consider this hee can never vnderstand how much the remedy thereof is to bee desired Let every man therefore truely acknowledge that he is every way past recovery in himselfe that so he may be iustified by God onely and transported by Christ from destruction to Salvation And let no man repose himselfe or put any trust in his owne wisedome in this Article of Iustification For by how much the more a man leaneth vpon his owne wisedome and opinion by so much the more swift and grievous iudgement doth hee plucke vpon his head Furthermore let every man thinke that amongst all there is not one which standeth not in need of this inestimable benefite of God Psal 14 3. Rom. 3.23 All are gone out of the way and corrupted For the Prophets and Apostles whenas they thus speake doe vniversally accuse all of iniquitie and doe make every one guilty of iust condemnation and so doe frame theyr order of teaching from the generall vnto the particular that every man in particular may consider and weigh in his owne conscience whether it be so in him or no which is spoken generally of all For a man is little touched with a generall speech vnlesse hee vnderstand it particularly to appertaine vnto himselfe Therefore seeing all excuse is cutte off on every side let every man seriously acknowledge his owne sinnes and offences that so by Christ his Redeemer and Saviour he may be delivered from them Here is shewed what and how great good commeth vnto those that are iustified by this Iustification by Fayth Likewise vnto whom this Iustification doth properly appertayne CHAP. 28. NOw in a few wordes we must shew what and how great good things doe issue and are to be looked for from this free remission of sinnes And these benefites are especially foure and these the greatest of all benefites the first of which is everlasting reconciliation with God For when God doth forgive and pardon our sinnes freely he doth then receyve vs into favour and continue vs therein For whom he thus iustifieth those he embraceth and affecteth with the same love Iohn 17 23.26 wherewith he loveth his onely begotten Sonne For when he pardoneth vs our sinnes hee loveth vs as dearely as if we had never offended For the obedience of Christ is imputed and imparted vnto vs and for this imputation sake we are as deare and as acceptable to God as Christ himselfe is Secondly in this that God doth freely pardon vs all our sinnes he llikewise forgiveth all and every punishment which we have infinitely deserved and plucked vpon our selves by our sinnes For when the offence is taken away the punishment must needes bee taken away likewise for the offence is forgiven that the punishment might be taken away The third benefite is that our corrupt nature is reformed by the power of the holy Spirit and framed vnto the Image of God so that wee begin to love and worship God even in this life The fourth benefite which we receyve by Iustification is eternall Life and Salvation which God onely imparteth vnto those whom he hath iustified through the remission of sinnes and by his spirit made new creatures These are the foure great and excellent Benefites which follow vpon Iustification So that when our sinnes are abolished and blotted out the mercifull and fatherly countenance of God beginneth to shine vpon vs. Therefore this Iustification may bee discerned and knowne by that which followeth it as by the effects and benefites which proceed flow from thence Among those the feeling of the love of God toward vs and the calling vpon him doe chiefely excell For when hee iustifieth vs then doth hee manifest and shew his love toward vs. For although he loveth vs in Christ with an everlasting love yet doth hee then lively and manifestly shew and declare that his love toward vs when he forgiveth vs our sinnes and reformeth vs with his spirit Then doe we by certayne experience feele in our hearts the strength and most effectuall power of the love of God towards vs. Rom. 8.26 For the holy Spirit doth stirre vp and make in vs hearty prayers by which wee
striveth vnto the obedience of Gods law with a carefull endeavour Therefore this wrestling betweene the flesh the spirit and the love of goodnes and hatred of evill are such works in a man as can be found in none but in the regenerate only for where there is no regeneration there can be no strife betweene the flesh and the spirit but men wallow nuzzle themselves in sin without feare But in a regenerate man there are contrary affections which alwayes fight one with an other They therefore which feele within themselves this conflict betweene the flesh the spirit and yet in the meane while doubt whether they be elected vnto salvation or no they do great iniury vnto God as if he did regenerate and call men vnto Christ in vayne and would not save them By this conflict the imperfection of the godly in this life may easily be perceived because that the corruption of nature is not fully and wholy vanquished and subdued in this world so that the godly should strive and contend manfully against it vntill by the holy spirit they have subdued it and so obtayne a ioyfull victory and rule over the stubbernes of the flesh Therefore Paul commaundeth Gal. 5.17 that the godly should not doe that which they would So in this life there is such a condition and conflict in the Saints that the flesh alwayes lusteth against the spirit Rom. 7.15 and the spirit against the flesh So that what they do they approve and allow not for that which they would they doe not but that which they hate that do they So Paul in his owne person as in the common example of all the godly doth teach vs that such is the infirmity of the best that they cannot do that good which they would but contrarywise that they doe that evill which they would not By this it is evident that the children of God are never such good proficients heere as that the perfection of their worke should be answerable vnto their will And so Paul sayth playnely and confesseth freely of himselfe That to will is alwayes present with me but I finde no meanes to do that which is good so the corruption of nature doth alwayes hinder the most godly in this life that they cannot perfectly serve and obey God Therefore let every Christian carefully examine himselfe whether he do acknowledge Christ for his redeemer and stedfastly beleeve in him or no if he shall find that he hath any whit of Christ within him so that for the love and feare of God he hateth evill loveth that which is good then surely he hath the beginning of life in himselfe Rom. 8.1 and neede to have no feare of condemnation at all They therefore which beleeve that they are elected do honour God by giving credit vnto his word Certainely we should by faith embrace the promise of God and not respect the frailty of man for they which by a true faith do beleeve that they shal be saved for Christ his sake his merit are the sonnes of Abraham shal be the heires of promise Gal. 3.29 Therfore by faith may every one be assured of his salvation So that this is a sure infallible conclusion I do beleeve truly and sincerely in Iesus Christ and do put the whole confidence of my salvation in him alone therefore I am elected and cannot be lost For true faith is a most certayne and vndoubted argument of salvation that is to say a most infallible and evident token which maketh an end of all wavering and doubting For the scripture sayth in playne and expresse words 2. Thes 3.2 Tit. 1.1 Act. 3.28 Rom. 5.1 14.17 that faith is not given vnto every one but is a gift peculiar vnto the elect only Now this faith is not idle but doth glad the conscience and bringeth peace vnto it This the scripture expresseth saying that God sheadeth abroade the feeling of his love into the hearts of the elect by the holy spirit by which they cry Abba father So Paul sayeth playnely that hee knoweth whom he hath beleeved on 2. Tim. 1.12 teaching every of the godly by his example that he may iudge and discerne of his owne faith Therefore whosoever beleeveth in his heart and desireth to go forward that is to make better proceedings in faith and in the workes thereof he may set it downe for a certayne truth that he is elected of God redeemed by Christ and regenerate by the Holy Ghost So God witnesseth and declareth in theyr consciences how he is affected toward every one so that where there is a quiet and peaceable conscience toward God there doth God set vp the throane of his fatherly and saving grace and ruleth and worketh by his holy Spirit vnto everlasting life Moreover although faith be an evident testimony of election yet the want of faith is no evident signe of reprobation Therefore this consequence is false and deceitfull I beleeve not therefore I am not elected but reprobated That is as vntrue as this The Sunne is not as yet risen therefore it will never rise for after a little while it may rise So also although this or that man beleeve not to day nor feeleth any effect of faith yet when the time shall come which God hath appoynted and set downe for his calling hee may have faith attaine vnto the true feeling therof Therfore we should hope very well in our good God evē vntil the last gaspe of life especially seeing he is endewed with so kind and mercifull a nature as that he is infinitely more desirous to save miserable sinners then they are to be saved of him Let every man therefore repent him and betake himselfe vnto a better way and through Christ he shall obtayne salvation For sinnes passed as Augustine sayth do not hurt a man if sinnes that are present do not delight him And he that is displeased with himselfe in his sinnes he is well pleasing vnto God in grace For the favour of God and a wicked life agree not together neyther can be in one man both together Therefore 2. Tim. 2.19 let every man that nameth Christ depart from iniquity for so hee shall indeede feele that hee is not of the number of the reprobates but of the elect So that whosoever loveth God truly 1. Cor. 8.3 and studieth and desireth to order his life according to his will let him know that he is truly elected and regenerate indeede For the vnregenerate men with their whole soule and will are at enimity with God Rom. 8.7 Col. 1.21 and are wholy caryed headlong into all wickednes and every kinde of sinne for theyr minde is alienated from that which is good and is wholy addicted and given vnto that which is evill These things being thus considered both in a generality and common view concerning the chayne of salvation is also being divided and vnfolded through the five linckes thereof as it were by
Apostles purpose to exhort the godly to an invincible patience and an vndaunted perseverance that being susteyned with a certayne hope and constant assurance they should wayt for an happy issue out of all theyr miseries yet notwithstanding he layes open the true fountaynes and springs from whence salvation flowes and springs foorth and sets downe the fyrst causes from whence it is derived poynting at them as it were with his finger And surely in every word of that place there is not onely great importance and singular grace but also the words themselves are for the most part compleat and perfect oracles and conteyne in them whole sentences I have thought good therefore briefly to runne over and compendiously to expound them But before I set vpon the exposition of the words the order and course of the causes of Salvation must seriously be weighed and considered For the causes in regard of their coherence are raunged and displayed by Saint Paule by a most divine skill and a most exquisite and logicall methode For in the first place he setteth downe the foreknowledge of God as the first and soveraigne cause Then he proceedes vnto predestination as being next to that Next he turneth his course and manner of teaching to the effects of both these as to the subordinate and second causes For God by his foreknowledge foresawe all things from before all beginnings Nothing is exempt from this foreknowledge of God but all things and every one thing is contayned and comprehended in that After this hee descendeth from this generall and common fore-knowledge of God as from a large and vnlimited voyce vnto predestination as vnto a more speciall kinde included in this fore-knowledge and so hee proceedes from a generality vnto a more certayne and particular kind For the foreknowledge as in the larger signification it is taken for his providence is Gods eternall decree by which he determined to make the world and all that is therein and to make his glory manifest vnto reasonable creatures namely vnto men and Angels by the governement of the things which hee had made But predestination chiefely is referd and restreyned vnto mankinde which God by predestination hath divided into two kindes of men so that of his owne sole and vndeserved grace he hath chosen some from eternitie whom he would make his heyres in Christ and bring to everlasting salvation and hath appoynted other some vnto everlasting punishment and destruction to the which also he brings them by his iust iudgement from their owne deserts Then the Apostle proceedeth vnto the subordinate causes of salvation and sheweth by what meanes and degrees the elect on the one side come to eternall life and the reprobate on the other side are brought to eternall torments as hereafter in the declaration hereof shall clearely and plainely appeare Furthermore also I thinke this worthy the observing to shew in what order Saint Paule hath disposed and placed the causes of Salvation in respect of time And he hath digested them with such arte and method as that he hath divided them into three distinct differences of times For certayne of them do farre surpasse and exceede all transitory times as Gods foreknowledge and predestination these two causes of Salvation were from eternity appoynted of God without any beginning Certayne of them are made and remayne in time and in these succeeding ages as vocation and iustification the former of which is wrought by the outward preaching of Gods word and the inward working of the holy spirit in the heart and will of man and the latter is gotten and bestowed vpon man by the onely merites and power of Christ his passion So these two causes doe arise in this life and in our age Certayne of them are mixt so that partly they are wrought in this life partly in the time to come after this life as namely they which are begun heere and finished there as glorification and those things that depend thereof This glorification consisteth in the true image of God and the conforming of our will with his will And this image of God and fashioning of our will with his will ariseth and springeth from true and effectuall regeneration And regeneration beginneth in this life presently vpon our vocation and is increased and continued through the whole course of our life vntill at the last it be throughly consummated and finished in an other life Therfore these inferior second causes are as it wer certaine means interposd degrees by which the holy men of God by his eternall counsell are brought to the full possession and fruition of everlasting life and salvation as heereafter shall be shewed in the handling of them In the next place these causes do as aptly agree together betweene themselves in their order and placing as the links of any chayne so that no one of them can be moved out of his place but the whole rancke and order of them will be broken and fall to nothing The order therefore and placing of these causes is in the manner of a golden and princely Chayne whose linkes hang together so artificially and workemanlike that not one linke can be taken away without the breaking of the whole Chayne And this Chayne is nothing else but an excellent glasse of Gods goodnes and mercy for the holy Ghost hath made and linked together this Chayne of the best and chiefest of Gods benefits and it is the highest honour and incredible glory of Gods children with which they are beautified in this life and shall be crowned like Kings in that life eternall which is to come and shall shine more bright then the Sunne it selfe in his chiefest glory And to conclude this Chayne is as it were a golden and celestiall hooke wherewith the Sonne of God letting it downe from heaven draweth his elect from out this world as out of a raging and tempestuous sea and bringeth them into his heavenly and everlasting rest as into an harbor most safe from the danger of any storme and into a most pleasant place of refreshing and freedome from all miseries Lastly the Linkes of this Chayne are in number five in every of which what and howe great benefites of God are conteyned and included in the declaration hereof shall hereafter be shewed These thinges I thought good for certayne causes to set downe as some briefe and compendious Preface before I would handle the exposition of the words which now beeing finished I doe betake my selfe orderly to those thinges which as yet remayne to bee handled and discussed Now the holy Spirite vouchsafe to bee present with me by his holy inspiration and direction and to guide me that am to speake of such high and hidden Mysteries of Heavenly thinges and so inlighten and direct my vnderstanding by his bright-shining Light that those things which shall be spoken concerning the chiefest Articles of Christian Fayth and Principles of Religion may be so spoken of me that they may tende to the Honour and
open vnder our eyes And therefore if any things though never so little should be exempt from the knowledge of God his wisedome and providence should not be infinite which ought to extend it selfe as well above all things as through all things and so God should not be God whose knowledge were straightened vnto a fewe things and particular and not enlarged vnto all things and vniversall Also here is further to be noted briefely and by the way that there are many more reprobated then elected This may first by most manifest testimonies of Scripture and then by dayly experience be truely verified and declared Christ himselfe playnely affirmeth and pronounceth in Saint Matthew that many are called Mat. 22.14 but few are chosen Luke 12.32 For this cause also in Saint Luke Christ calleth the number of the Elect a little flocke Also the Parable of the seede in Saint Matthew Mat. 13.4 doth in evident and expresse words explane and set forth this when as onely the fourth part of men are capable of the heavenly and spirituall seede and bring forth fruite And the rest eyther doe not receyve that spirituall seede Mat. 13.19 or else suffer it not to growe but set theyr studies and desires vpon things below which shall perish so that they neglect and and contemne the treasure of eternall Life By this Similitude Christ himselfe declareth who are elect and who reprobate the Elect are compared to the good and fruitfull ground and bring forth fruite eyther more or lesse according to the measure of the grace that is bestowed vpon them But the reprobate are compared eyther to barren and stony ground or to thornes which doe choke the heavenly seed by one meanes or an other and bring forth no fruite So that in Gods iust iudgement they are left in the corruption of nature and are not renewed therefore they are reprobates and shall be condemned And although that there are more reprobated then elected yet the number of the Elect is so great that it contayneth infinite millions of men so that with Moses they are compared vnto the starres of the skie and the sands of the Sea Agayne dayly experience teacheth vs that the number of the reprobate is greater then the number of the elect For how many and how great kingdomes and regions are there where the blessed Gospel of the Sonne of God was never preached nor heard of For none can attayne true Fayth and Salvation in Christ without the word of God preached or taught For faith sayth the Scripture Rom. 10.17 commeth of hearing and hearing by the word of God They therefore which neyther have not heare the word of God cannot attayne vnto fayth and so to Salvation And to dreame of some secret inspiration without the ministery of the worde is an hare-braind conceyt which needeth no confuting For although God bee not tyed vnto the outward word and that an extraordinary way may bring men vnto fayth yet he hath so tyed vs vnto the word that without it in this matter we cannot iudge any thing Therefore how many millions of men as well yong as old have departed out of this life before they have heard any thing at all concerning Christ and his Gospel Such ought rather to be left vnto the iudgement of God then to bee iudged by the censures of men For it is evident that Salvation commeth from nothing els but from fayth and faith proceedeth from nothing Tit. 1.1 Iohn 17.3 but from a true and sincere knowledge of God of Christ And this true knowledge of God and of Christ cannot bee had el ewhere but from the Gospel onely Therefore how can they obtayne fayth and Salvation which have neyther heard nor read the Gospel But seeing this kind of men is one of the foure secret mysteries of God which man ought not to search out and determine as Augustine elsewhere speaketh we must leave them to God and must hope that for his great Mercy sake if they bee not converted to day they may bee to morrow converted Concerning false christians which are mingled among the true ones as tares amongst the good corne I say nothing in this place That Similitude of the seede and of the Sower in Saynt Matthew doth playnely show Matt. 13.3.4 that there are many of them For we are taught by that Similitude that all are not true Christians before God which heare Gods word and professe themselves to be such for because that many bragge and boast of the shew and title of godlinesse whose heart notwithstanding is most farre from it Therefore our fayth will bee shaken and waver except wee remember that many of them are false brethren which speake and boast of the name of Christ Let not their falling away which surely will come overthrow our fayth and bring it to ruine As by the multitude of them that shall be damned the greatnesse of Gods wrath against them may be gathered so also by the scarcitie of those that shall be saved the aboundance of the Love of God towards them may be collected And men ought to examine by theyr fayth in what account they are with God CHAP. 22. ANd in as much as there are more condemned then saved it may from hence easily be gathered how great the wrath of God is against rebellious and vnrepentant persons which being oftentimes admonished by the word of God or endued with other good benefites or afflicted with such or such calamities yet repent not nor cease from sinne Agayne by how much the greater and more severe the wrath of God is against the rebellious stiffe-necked by so much the greater and more notable is his Love and Mercie towardes the penitent and such as cease from evill So that the fewer they are the dearer they are vnto God for rare thinges are vsually more fervently beloved and more carefully tendered This scarcity of the Elect and multitude of the reprobates ought to trouble no man nor weaken any mans fayth neyther is the grace and mercy of God for that to be thought straitned into a narrow roome and Christians ought not to despayre for this cause but to be in the better hope For where the Gospel of Christ is preached and taught and the holy Ghost made powerfull by it there God hath his Elect. Therefore all they which embrace the Gospel of Christ and by a true faith put theyr whole trust and confidence of the obtayning of Salvation in the sole mercy of God and in the onely Sacrifice of Christ and are not strangers from the holy Spirite but doe bewayle theyr sinne and have an hearty desire and care to profite in true faith and amendment of life they may surely perswade themselves that they are elected from everlasting and that they shall never perish For the Scripture doth every where reduce men vnto Christ and to true fayth in him that men might confirme themselves concerning their Election and pronouncerh such blessed And
CHAP. 23. FVrthermore that every man may the more safely exercise himselfe in this doctrine of Predestination and profite soundly in it these foure heads must alwayes be knowne and considered First that eternall and free Election in Christ be accounted to be the onely ground-worke of all Salvation and that so that not the least part of Salvation be sought elsewhere then from that one doctrine of Predestination which if it should be sought elsewhere the true naturall meaning of the Scripture in many places will not onely be missed and the conscience out of quiet and tormented being vexed as well with continuall feare as doubting but also Salvation it selfe will bee hazarded But seeing that I have spoken more fully of this matter in the Chapters fore-going and that this doctrine is confirmed by testimonies of Scripture I thinke there neede no more to be spoken of it in this place Secondly that concerning God he conceive nothing but a most sure and strong hope of his salvation and be most certainely perswaded in himselfe that he is one of the number of the elect and let no sinnes or continuall slippes weaken his faith or discourage his hope concerning his election For oftentimes many are of the number of the elect which live a very bad life and yet by the goodnes of God are brought to repentance through whose patience they are not taken out of this life in the very committing of their wickednes that it might be made knowne vnto them and their fellow heyres out of how great a mischiefe the grace of God can deliver them as Augustine speaketh Moreover Tom. 7. Colum. 170 Rom. 8. although the holy spirit do governe the children of God yet many times it suffereth them to fall into great sinnes that they might be more and more humbled and being so humbled they might repent the more hartily and have a fellow feeling of others that fall and yet afterwards he bringeth them againe into the right way to salvation by true repentance and if a man beleeve not that he is of the number of the elect he shall surely do great iniury against God as if he would mock any man or call any man vnto Christ in vayne Agayne although many more be ordeyned vnto destruction then to salvation yet that ought not to move or trouble any man because that the Scripture doth no where say that this or that man in particular is a reprobate therefore let not this or that man thinke himselfe of the number of the reprobates which if he shall do and beleeve that he is a reprobate he is iniurious against God and envious of his own salvation but let him much diligently betake himselfe vnto continuall prayer and give himselfe to the reading of the Gospell and exercise his faith in Christ by the study of holynes and say with the Apostle Luke 17.5 Lord increase my faith and then in the end he shall truly feele in his soule more and more that he is of the number of the elect Furthermore let no man presuppose that he is hated or detested of God by reason of any afflictions how great or how lasting soever they be For God is then most ready to bestow life everlasting when he sheweth himselfe to be contraryly minded as Augustine else-where well observeth So that whē he afflicteth Christians with these or those troubls he doth either chastice their sinnes or else they are exercised in a spirituall tryall and such are proposed vnto others as valiant and worthy captaynes eyther for their willing obedience or else for their invincible patience and strength and they being striken with these afflictions as with Gods rod are reduced vnto a more sober cariage and right-course of life So the fatherly love of God striveth with the perverse wickednes of man vntill at the last it softneth it and maketh it better And so S. Augustine rightly witnesseth elsewhere The common crosse and calamity of the godly is not a sentence to punish but an affliction to heale therefore he often punisheth his children to drive them to repentance and draw them to himselfe Hether apperteineth that of S. Austine which sayth elsewhere The afflictions that oppresse vs compell vs to go to God To this also belongeth that of the Prophet Amos Amos. 4.9 who sayth I have smitten you with blasting and mildew your great gardens and your Vineyards and your figge-trees and your olive-trees did the palmer-worme devoure yet have ye not returned vnto me sayth the Lord. By these things therefore it appeareth that God afflicteth his children that he might amend them and he amendeth them for this cause to save them Therefore let all the godly not onely submit both their hands but also their whole body and soule vnder his rod especially seeing that the afflictions that are sent vnto them are as Gods hammers by which as vpon an anvile they are fourmed and made fit for his kingdome and celestiall glory Seeing then that afflictions are as spirituall chariots to carry men into heaven they do minister much better matter to trust wel in God then any matter at all to despaire so that they are to be accounted the medicines of our sinnes and the remedies of our falls Againe out of them the godly learne that God doth not grant nor promise vnto his childrē a freedom from punishment but that he only promiseth them a fatherly moderation in their punishments that he will not execute vengeance on them in the highest degree So that betweene this great gentlenes of God which otherwise might be some alurement vnto sinne and his extreame rigor which would cast men hedlong into destruction this midle chasticement of his is put as wholesome temperature So also must we iudge of the inward temptations with which as often as God doth prick and vrge his children so often doth he try their faith prove their patience and stirre them vp vnto earnest prayer Therefore God will have his children to live heere vnder a continuall crosse both that being convicted of theyr owne infirmitie they might be humbled and that beeing humbled they might learne to seeke strength and helpe from God for if things went alwayes well with them according vnto theyr owne minde they woulde not acknowledge theyr owne weakenes nor thinke that they stand in neede of Gods helpe and also that the stubbornes of the flesh might dayly more and more bee subdued and brought vnder by the remedie of the crosse And lastly that they might be withdrawne from the desires of the world and the concupiscences of the flesh and be incited to the meditation and search of heavenly things knowing that their felicity consisteth not in the things of this world By this it may be playnely gathered that the afflictions of the godly are vnto them as it were spirituall provokements to call vpon God and most wholesome remedy and medicine for their sinnes In which respect those things which men thinke many times to be noysome evils
conteyned in the word of the Prophets and Apostles yet by reason of the blindnes of mans vnderstanding and the backwardnes and frowardnes of his will they are not sufficient to worke in vs a true knowledge of God and of Christ but that God must needes worke effectually in vs by his holy spirit that we may vnderstand them as wee ought to doe and soundly consent vnto them being so vnderstood Therefore there can come no greater benefite from heaven vnto man then the true knowledge of God and faith in Christ Heere for our better vnderstanding-sake wee must marke that God by his word doth lay open his will vnto all men in the whole Church but he revealeth it and maketh it knowne by his spirit vnto the elect onely and that not onely vnto all together in generall but to everyone by himselfe in particular This kinde of revealing is the proper worke of the Holy Ghost they therefore which stubbornely and of set purpose resist it do sinne against the Holy Ghost and shall be condemned without any hope of forgivenes as the scripture witnesseth Mat. â—2 31 And this effectuall vocation is manifested and revealed almost by the same meanes as election is revealed by But it appeareth by the outward preaching of the word of God by the inward instinct operation of the holy ghost In the outward preaching of the word God doth plentifully and playnely declare his will towards vs to wit that he wisheth well vnto vs in that he inviteth and calleth vs vnto himselfe which were wholy corrupted and altogether enemyes vnto him Heere therefore doth he indeed and by lively experience teach vs that he is more prompt and ready to defend and save vs then we can desire to be saved and defended by him whilest that of enemyes and foes he maketh vs his friends whilest that of vnwilling he maketh vs willing whilest that of infidels he maketh vs beleevers Doth he not thus offer salvation vnto vs of his owne accord Surely except God should call vs vnto him we should not onely never come vnto him but also we should remain sworne enemyes and adversaries to him and to our owne salvation But in the meane time by the inspiration of his spirit Ephes 1.9 1. Ioh. 5.20 he doth make fit and dispose our will to trust and beleeve in him For God doth not onely reveale vnto vs the misteryes of his hidden will but also giveth vs a minde that we may vnderstand and know those misteryes In this calling there is no violent motion to be dreamed of by which men are drawne against their will but it is a quiet and fatherly perswasion of the Holy Ghost by which of an vnbeleever Phili. 1.13 a man is made a beleever For first he doth cleere and illuminate our mind by his holy spirit that we may vnderstand Secondly he doth renew and change our will to affect that which is good and do that which is right So God by this effectuall calling doth beget faith in vs whereby we may apprehend the obedience and merit of Christ and apply it vnto our selves This incomprehensible goodnes and mercy of God toward vs is to be embraced beloved with our whole soule For when he draweth vs vnto Christ and calleth vs vnto himselfe then are we as it were created anew and do arise out of nothing because we have not the least sparkle of the least good thing in vs which may make vs worthy or fit for the kingdome of God So that faith and a spirituall life is wrought in vs from above altogether of nothing Faith followeth this calling which ariseth from the word of God being well vnderstood and the inward motion of the holy spirit Heere is to be noted that the word of God and the holy spirit ought to be ioyned together in this effectuall calling so that neither the word should be separated from the spirit nor the spirit from the word For those things which God hath ioyned together are by no meanes to be put asunder And that God hath ioyned togother the word and the spirit in the publike ministery of the Church it is manifestly cleered out of Esay Esa 59.21 where God speaketh thus This shall be my covenant with them sayth the Lord My spirit that is vpon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seede sayth the Lord even from henceforth for ever This is a most sweete promise that God by his ministery will alwayes even to the end of the world teach and gather together his Church with his word and spirit They which reiect this order which God hath established in his Church are but vayne boasters that they obey God so that they which seperate the spirit from the word and seeke for new revelations are mad and turne aside out of the right path of heavenly wisedome and wander altogether from the way of salvatio for the spirit separated from the word is not the spirit of God but of the Devill They therefore wliich brag of the name of the spirit despising and reiecting the word they are not the ministers of God but of the devill for whom also they gather together a Church but the spirit ioyned together with the word is the soule and life of it For the spirit doth quicken the word in the ministery of the Church maketh it frutefull and taketh wholsome roote in the hearts of men bringeth forth fruit Seeing therfore that this word of God is that only instrumeÌ„t by which the holy ghost sheweth forth his power to the saving of men his ministers therfore should with earnest vndaunted study give themselves vnto it that they may handle it rightly and deliver it vnto the people most diligeÌ„tly And that they may the more commodiously performe this they must duly consider daily practise these three things First that they keep that word of God pure vncorrupted not adding to it nor taking from it as do the Papists being lyers in adding and sacrilegious in taking from it Secondly that they vnderstand it rightly according to the will of God the analogy of Christian faith Thirdly that they interpret and apply it vnto those ends and vses for the which God hath ordeyned and appoynted it These three things except they shall dayly consider practise they shall not only beate the peoples eares with an empty sound without any edifying but also they shall set open a wide gap for Sathan himselfe for to sow errors by for he neglecteth not such an occasion offred but most carefully layeth hold vpon it wheresoever he may For the word of God being distracted drawne from the right and naturall meaning therof ceaseth to be the word of God and becommeth a snare to intrap deceive men But the whole fault shall fall vpon the Ministers which shall in no wise escape vengeance And where it is well
by sinne But here the Papistes doe shamefully erre and are grossely deceyved in that they measure the ability of man by the commandements of God For when God teacheth that which is right hee doth not regard what man can doe of himselfe but he sheweth and commandeth man that which hee is indebted and bound to doe So that man is not loosed and freed from this obligation because hee is not able to satisfie and pay it Therefore when as hee cannot performe that which the law of God exacteth of him he is convinced as guilty of his iniquity that hee may be constrayned to acknowledge his sinne lest he should lay the cause of his condemnation vpon some thing els So that as often as the law of God doth will and command man this or that it standeth not to skan how farre mans power is able to stretch but exacteth that simply of him which by right it may And when man cannot performe it hee is fast in bonds on every side so that he can neyther excuse his fault nor lay it elsewhere And so all cavilling and complayning are at an ende And although man bee not able to performe those things that are prescribed and commanded by the law yet notwithstanding hee cannot bee excused or defended as guiltlesse seeing this infirmitie and defect of strength came not nor proceeded from the Creation but from the fall and fault of our first Parents Therefore from this our frailty and weakenesse there is no excusing of our selfe to bee taken or pleaded but rather an accusation For the lawe in the commandements requireth that which was given vs in our first creation Therefore the Elect and godly do vnderstand by the commandement that they are not able to doe that which is prescribed in the lawe and therefore they flie vnto the mercy of God and helpe of the holy spirit pray that iust revenge be not inflicted vpon them but all excuse and defence is cut off from the reprobate Therefore that vnsavory inference and conclusion of the Papists ought to be hissed out by which they conclude thus God hath commanded it therefore man may performe it whenas God by that meanes sheweth man his iniquity frailty that acknowledging it he may fly vnto his grace for it is hee that worketh in man both to will and to doe Phil. â— 13 as Saint Paul teacheth the Philippians Let every man therefore sincerely and from his heart acknowledge that he is the servant of sinne that hee may be delivered and freed by the benefite of Christ no other freedome may bee found which mny prevayle with God As often therefore as wee finde the commandements of God in the Scripture which inioyne vs that which we cannot doe so often let vs remember that notable saying of S. Augustine Epistol 24. which sayth Give me O Lorde that which thou commandest and command what thou wilt otherwise if thou enioynest vs but the least thing we shall not be able to beare it Here the Papistes discover theyr grosse ignorance of the Scripture because they fayne any concurring of free-will with grace as if man in things spirituall pertayning vnto Salvation could of himselfe perfourme any thingâ— by which doctrine they labour to proove that man is not beholding to the grace of God for that good which he hath and is able to performe But the true Church of Christ doth most rightly beleeve and most soundly confesse that God causeth and worketh all that good in man which he hath and doth performe For the Scripture doth every where and manifestly attribute that wholy vnto God as when God sayth by the Prophet EZechiel I will give vnto you a new heart Chap. 36 26 11.19 and will put my spirite in the middest of you and will take away the stony heart out of your bodies and will give you an heart of flesh Here God ascribeth regeneration vnto himselfe because hee alone doth mollifie and change an hardened and stubburne heart Therefore this cannot bee translated vnto the abilitie in man but that something shall be detracted from the grace of God Therefore this ground and principle must firmely be holden and kept that there can no good thing come into our mindes which proceedeth not from God This whosoever doth from his heart beleeve and freely confesse holdeth the foundation of pietie vnshaken Li. 1. ca. 20. as Augustine saith in his booke of Free-will Therefore this whole division which they make betweene the grace of God and the abilitie of man ought to bee reiected as wicked and blasphemous for it hath no proofe out of the holy Scriptures Furthermore the Papists whenas they preferre theyr owne ability before the grace of God and make his promises of no effect by their preceptes do indeede sufficiently declare that they have more confidence in themselves then in God that promiseth Out of doubt being glutted with their owne righteousnesse they doe not hunger much after the righteousnesse of God But let the godly which love the righteousnesse of God and their owne Salvation know this that all the power of free-will such as the Papists dreame of is a vayne fantasie of mans brayne and a fayned and cursed fable which these idle bellies have invented for filthy lucre sake and doe force it vpon the ignorant common people and labour to perswade them thereof vnder the shew of holinesse But the word of God expressely and manifestly teacheth vs that the will of man of his owne power is not able to begin any inward obedience without the holy spirite much lesse to performe it For God is hee alone which worketh in man both to wil and to do Phil. 1.6 Iohn 15.5 The holy spirit is the onely teacher of all heavenly wisedom and hee is the onely author and finisher of all spirituall goodnesse and vertue hee onely worketh in vs all the knowledge and worship of God he worketh in vs faith and the feare of God hee sanctifieth vs and quickneth vs hee comforteth vs and saveth vs to him onely bee praise and glory for ever Certainely the wickednesse and corruption of mans nature is horrible in that it is so much voyd and empty of all goodnesse and so deprived and bereft of all power to will well or to doe good that not the least thought can proceed or be drawne out of it which may bee acceptable and well pleasing vnto God So that man in his owne nature is wholy turned away from God and from all goodnesse and by his owne power is not able to change or subdue this his rebellion whereby it commeth to passe that he sinneth of necessity and erreth continually vntill he bee renewed and amended by spirituall power from above From hence therefore it may most truely bee concluded that the saving knowledge of God and true fayth in Christ is a farre more high and heavenly wisedom then the vnderstanding of man by his owne ability can attayne vnto Moreover this Vocation which we speake of
as it neither ariseth nor dependeth of any naturall causes so also can it not bee knowne by them Agayne the knowledge thereof is not to be sought in the secret hidden fore-knowledge of God but to bee found out by the latter namely by the effects and signes thereof For there is nothing more preposterous nothing more dangerous then omitting and neglecting the effects of Vocation to seeke for the certaynety thereof in the counsell of God And they which labour to do this enter into an endlesse Labyrinth out of which the light of mans reason can never ridde or deliver them Now the effects whereby every man may know his Calling are sundry and manifest First whosoever are called effectually vnto Christ Iohn 8 47. do desire earnestly to heare the word of God and to profile truely in it Secondly Gal. 4 6. the holy Ghost doth stirre vp in them a diligent worship of God and doth kindle and inflame theyr hearts with the desire of thinking and doing good workes Tit. 2.14 and doth beget in them a true hatred of evill as to detest avoyd sinne with all their strength They therefore which love God are called of him 1. Cor. 8.3 for no man can love him except first he be called and taught of him Thirdly God doth beget in his children an hatred of this world and a love of theyr heavenly Country which can be in none but in those that are called and regenerate So that faith and the fruites of fayth are the true and infallible effects and signes of a saving Calling all which as vnseparable companions and vndoubted witnesses doe follow an effectuall Calling by which is begotten in a man a lively and an effectuall feeling of the favour of God Whereas otherwise if a man were not called and regenerate his whole mind and will would be set vpon evill things he should feele no true taste of the grace of God and should be able to doe no good thing before God as furnished onely with humane strength They therefore which doe conceave in theyr minde any good thing and feele it in themselves all that hath his beginning from God that calleth them which worketh in them every good thing that maketh for the Salvation of their soules iustification before God For he onely enclineth the wils and the hearts of men to thinke and doe that which is good and iust They therefore which have an hearty desire to doe that which is good howsoever the worthinesse of their worke answere not their will yet neverthelesse they may know that they are called of God and that they have the holy spirite within them which worketh effectually vnto their Salvation For where hee stirreth vp that spirituall contention betweene vertue and vices there doth an effectuall calling manifest it selfe and declareth and sheweth the power that it hath because that striving betweene the spirit and the flesh can be in none but in those that are called and regenerate For sinne doth wholy possesse the vnregenerate men but it doth but onely hinder the regenerate and set vpon them with great and continuall bickerings They therefore which doe acknowledge and confesse themselves to be vnperfect they may certaynely resolve with themselves that they are called and renewed For this is as one sayth the perfection of Christians to acknowledge theyr owne imperfections But if men feele no such effectes at all or very small and slender effects yet from thence they ought to take no occasion to doubt of the mercy of God or of theyr calling For God doth not give all his gifts and benefites at the first and in one day but enlargeth and encreaseth them by degrees Rom. 1.17 and by little and little Agayne there are sundry and divers times of calling Matth. 20. vers 1. and so forward For some he calleth in theyr first age some in theyr middle age some in their old age some for his great mercy sake he draweth to himselfe in theyr last gaspe of life So that they which as this day feele not the effectes of theyr Vocation they may feele them to morrow or the day after But when God deferreth fayth and repentance even vnto the last pang of death then doth hee witnesse his singular love and mercy towardes miserable sinners For by such examples he comforteth them who have fallen into such or such sinnes and have remayned in them as it were ensnared and lulled a sleepe for a long time that they should not for those sinnes though growne old by long continuance be cast downe and despayre of obtayning mercy because that the incomprehensible grace of God doth remit all manner of sinnes vnto those which are penitent from the bottome of theyr hearts and because that the greatnesse and power of grace is of farre more force to save man then the strength and power of iniquitie is to condemne him as Barnard elsewhere speaketh Lastly we must thinke this that true conversion vnto God and repentance is never too late Whosoever therefore shall truely and heartily repent even at the panges and poynt of death for him is the grace of God prepared and hee may hope for certayne Salvation Agayne true and lively experience teacheth vs by the examples of those whom God calleth even in the last gaspe of life that Salvation and Life eternall is altogether free and every way an vndeserved benefite Therefore no man should despayre of the great Grace of God but all should be in very good hope of it as long as they live here in this world And these thinges bee spoken of Vocation Now it remayneth to speake of Iustification Here is intreated of free Iustification and shewed how it may bee knowne by Vocation or Calling also what it is for a man to be iustified after the phrase of the Gospel and lastly what are the speciall causes of Iustification CHAP. 26. IVstification is the fourth lincke in Pauls Chayne and this is set vnder Vocation or calling in a most convenient and methodicall order For after that God hath called a man vnto himselfe and hath wrought fayth in him by his spirite through the word straight wayes are shewed by the Apostle those benefites which fayth seeketh in God and receyveth of him Fayth therefore that ariseth from an effectuall calling hath respect vnto Iustification Moreover fayth doth not by the proper merite and worke thereof absolve and iustifie any man but it is sayd to iustifie a man because it beholdeth and apprehendeth the free mercy of God in his promises So that true fayth embracing the promises of God and applying them vnto it selfe is imputed by God vnto man for righteousnesse or that I may speake more properly the obedience of Christ his death is imputed to him for righteousnesse through fayth For our righteousnesse before God consisteth in the forgivenesse of our sinnes Rom. 4.6.7 as it appeareth by the wordes of Saint Paul vnto the Romanes But the remission of our sinnes could not
sayth expressely Cap. 2.13 that God pardoneth all our trespasses I have put away sayth God by Isayas all thy sinnes as a cloud and thine iniquities as a mist Isay 44.22 Againe in the same Prophet he speaketh thus I am he which putteth away thine iniquities Isay 43.25 and that for mine owne sake and will remember thy sinnes no more So also David teacheth vs Psal 103.12 that God removeth our sinnes as farre from vs as the East is from the West So also Michah teacheth vs Michah 7.19 that God will cast all our sinnes into the bottome of the sea and blot them quite out Likewise S. Iohn in the Revelation affirmeth Revel 1.5 that Christ hath loved vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud The same Isayas likewise affirmeth Isay 1.18 saying though your sinnes were as Crimsin they shall be made white as snow though they were red as Scarlet they shall be as wooll So the holy Prophets and Apostles speake all as with one mouth and constantly affirme that not some of our sinnes onely are forgiven vs of God but that all our sinnes are pardoned vnto vs how great and fearefull how many and sundry soever they be But God doth not only wipe out those sinnes that are committed and past but doth also pardon the dayly slips of the penitent This let no man storme at as a paradox vnheard of For if God would punish the dayly falls of his children and take vengeance on them for theyr sinnes that are to come and yet pardon those that are past what would it profit I pray you So that the great and incredible goodnes and mercy of God doth extend and stretch it selfe as well to the pardoning of sinnes that are to come as to the remitting of those that are past otherwise the mercy of forgivenes of sinnes should be but halfe a mercy onely and not perfect and absolute None of vs ought to take vnto himselfe liberty to sinne from this fatherly compassion of God for this were to make a mocke of God and to tread his grace vnder foote and to shew that a man is a stranger from God and from his spirit For the least sinne cannot be committed of any man without manifest contempt of God But it should rather be an encouragement and provocation vnto vs to the more earnest study of godlynes for by how much the greater benefits God hath bestowed vpon vs by so much the greater obedience are we bound to yeeld him which we cannot performe without a studious care to avoyd evill and to do good They therefore which sinne rashly and securely do indeede shewe that they are prophane and have nothing to do with God Iude. 4. This the scripture delivereth playnely saying that they are appoynted of old vnto condemnation which from the grace of God take to themselves liberty to sinne securely and let loose the reynes to their owne lusts and obey them for they which so abuse the grace of God and his lenity in pardoning vnto wantonnes do not onely abrogate the kingdome of Christ and deny that there is a God but also do shew that they are wholy given over vnto Sathan as his very bondslaves But the godly which do feare and obey God as their father and Lord though there were no hell nor punishment to be feared yet they would vtterly abhorre to sinne and displease God Wherefore that infinite goodnes of God in forgiving sinne should be vnto no man an enticement to sinne but a teacher vnto every one to live holy and without blame For he which liveth wickedly loseth the price of his redemption and belongeth not vnto Christ as long as he sinneth securely and defileth and poluteth himselfe with abhomination But they which earnestly labour to order and frame themselves according to the rule of Gods law they do indeed and lively declare that they have the holy spirit and belong vnto Christ Moreover it ought to move nor trouble no man because that some of the promises of the forgivenes of sins before rehearsed are spoken without any generall note and seeme to be as it were particular So that we must know that notwithstanding they are indeed vniversall and generall for indefinite propositions are equall vnto generall propositions This the multitude of them doth argue and shew Or if a particular word or a word that signifieth but one thing be set downe Iohn 1.29 as The Sonne of God taketh away the sinne of the world then the generall word is signified which conteineth vnder it all and every particular kind And he that taketh away the generall thing it must needs be that he must take away also all and every particular kind thereof For sinne that is heere put in the singular number although it be referred by some vnto the common vice corruption of nature and that not amisse yet nothing hindreth but that it may be taken figuratively for every iniquity Synecdoche as if the Evangelist should have said whatsoever corruption or vnrighteousnes is amongst men by which God may be offended or alienated from mē all that is taken away and satisfied for everlastingly by the only sacrifice of Christ made once for all This benefite of Christ ought to be enlarged and applied as well vnto all actuall sinnes as vnto the originall sinne and corruption of nature that all occasion of cavilling should be shut vp from the Papists which in their Synagogues do babble and blatter that Christ hath satisfied only for originall sinnes not for actuall for which they impudently say that we ought to make satisfaction So that sinne in the singular number with the Evangelist is as an il-favoured head vnder which many vnseemely members are couched and it is as an vncleane fountaine out of which many vncleane chanels do spring flow and as an evill and corrupt tree out of which much evill and corrupt fruit do bud and grow all which and every of which the Lambe of God hath taken away with his pretious bloud In this free forgivenesse of sinnes the most excellent glory of the Mercy of God shineth brightly and triumpheth infinitely over the rest of the workes of God Therefore the Prophet sayth in expresse words Psal 145.9 God is loving vnto every one but his mercy is above all his workes For the Hebrew word which the Prophet vseth in the place rehearsed signifieth an inward Mercy such as remaineth in the very bowels which the Scripture is wont to vse when there is any speech of the Free-mercy of God and the receyving of a wretched sinner vnto grace Therefore the Prophet doth preferre the infinite mercy of God farre before all temporall benefites as if hee should have sayd The goodnesse of God is great in that he mercifully vpholdeth this world in that hee favourably provideth for all creatures and maintayneth and keepeth them in their estate but that goodnesse of God by which hee plucketh miserable man out of
doe call vpon God Gal. 4.6 as our loving and mercifull Father without trembling So that fayth by which we relie vpon God and love which wee have towardes God and prayer by which wee call vpon him are three most certayne signes of our Iustification For these doe necessarily follow Iustification But of these more shall be spoken hereafter in Glorification Last of all this Iustification belongeth onely to the Elect and such as shal be saved This Paul plainly teacheth here whilest hee sayth that God calleth and iustifyeth those onely whom hee hath predestinate Here therefore Vocation and Iustification are set vnder Predestination as the effects vnder theyr cause So that Iustification doth not reach farther then Predestination For the effectes cannot bee larger and reach farther then theyr causes They therefore which thinke that Iustification belongeth vnto all in generall ought first to teach and proove by the word of God that Predestination or Election is common to every one Agayne Act. 13.48 Tit. 1. Iohn 10.26 the Scripture playnely teacheth vs that Iustification is given and belongeth onely vnto those that are appoynted before vnto Life eternall But this thing is so cleere and manifest that it needeth no long proofe Let these things therefore bee spoken here briefely concerning Iustification Here is declared by what remedy the corruption of our nature is amended and the Image of God restored in man and in what partes especially regeneration is wrought Likewise how grossely the Papists and the grosser sort of Vbiquitaries doe erre which thinke that there is an hidden power in the outward water of Baptisme which is able to convert a man in the very act of Baptizing CHAP. 29. NOw Glorification beeing the last Lincke of Pauls Chayne this followeth to be set vnder Iustification very fitly For so Paul teacheth that the gift of the holy Spirit and the renewing of our corrupt nature vnto the Image of God doth necessarily follow our free receyving into the favour of God and cannot bee separated from it Wherefore Glorification followeth Iustification in a most divine order because it is the finall cause of it For therefore is this or that man iustified that in the end he may be glorified Therefore after Paul had taught that sinnes are forgiven men by the onely free mercy of God now he proceedeth rightly to teach and declare how sinnes are abolished and purged and so sheweth how Glory and the Image of God is recovered in man This hee sheweth in the worde glorifying Therefore to glorifie is nothing els then to abolish the corrupt nature of man and so to reforme man vnto the Image of God and make him fit for eternall Glory So that regeneration from the effect and last end thereof is called by the name of Glorification in asmuch namely as the Elect by it are renewed vnto the Image of God and then translated into everlasting Glory For God wil have his Glory and holinesse to shine in the Elect here after a sort And fayth being in some sort inflamed by the holy Spirite in our calling and our will somewhat changed is here more inflamed and changed But this is perfourmed and brought to passe by no other meanes but onely by our regeneration For God doth not beginne and finish the worke of our regeneration in one day and at one instant but doth continue and perfect it by little and little Here therefore a few things ought to be spoken concerning Regeneration which that they may be handled and intreated of the better and more plainely with the greater fruite wee ought to consider these foure severall heads First what Regeneration is and by what meanes it commeth Secondly in what parts it consisteth and of what sort it is in this life Thirdly how necessary it is and for what thinges it is profitable Fourthly by what signes and tokens it may bee knowne Concerning the first thing Regeneration is not the abolishing of the former substance and the establishing agayne of a new neyther is it the changing of one substance into an other but it is the reforming of our corrupt nature and the repayring and restoring of the Image of God in man So that in this Regeneration there remayneth the same frame of the body and substance but the inward and wicked affections of the mind onely are amended and changed which seeing it is a spirituall change it is felt inwardly before it bee learned as Saint Cyprian speaketh elsewhere And it is nothing els but the amending and abolishing of the corrupt and wicked qualities that remayne in the substance of man Therefore whom God hath iustified those also hee doth regenerate and change vnto his most blessed glorie and purity of life that they may repent and be ashamed of theyr former life that so they may betake themselves vnto a better course For no man can have an earnest desire vnto the grace of God except first he know his sins and be displeased with himselfe in them So that a renewing is required For God will not have his Elect to abuse his gentlenesse and long suffering and therefore doth he renew and frame them to sincere manners and holy actions Therefore they which are effectually regenerated do begin to be displeased with themselves for their sins and to be grieved in their hearts that they have displeased God and with theyr whole heart doe detest all wicked deedes whatsoever so that hereafter they will not commit or doe them and so doe shew theyr thankefulnesse by eschewing of evill and doing of good and there is in them a turning away from Sathan and evill deedes and a turning vnto God and to good workes And although the regenerate doe fall often yet they doe not defend nor allow of theyr sinnes but desire dayly more and more to hate and eschew them So they which are converted begin to savour of better thinges and doe change theyr evill custome and kind of life and revoke theyr former course of living and so convert theyr actions and endevours from evill vnto good as from one contrary vnto an other They which are thus affected doe feele true ioy in theyr hearts in that they have God at one with them for theyr Mediatours sake from whence followeth an earnest desire to obey God in all his Commandements Let the regenerate therefore know that now the time is come wherein they ought to approve and fulfill those most wholesome precepts of divinity not so much by discoursing of them as by performing them constantly living godly because they can by no other way obtaine blessed immortality heavenly Glory but onely by true fayth and ready obedience vnto the commandements of God Therefore how much or little soever it be which the children of God have and savour of regeneration to it they ought to frame theyr manners sayth Augustine Tom. 7. colum 694. Now this renewing as is abovesayd in the Treatise of Vocation is begun and finished by the word and spirit of God By
the word he sheweth vs what things he wil have done or not done by vs and by his Spirite there is strength ministred vnto vs to performe them This regeneration is especially wrought continued in the mind will and heart of man So that God sheweth forth and declareth his goodnesse towards his children here three manner of wayes First hee doth enlighten and dispell the blindnes of the mind by the Sun-shine of his Spirit For whatsoever man savoureth of his owne selfe Rom. 8.6 7. is enmity against God bringeth death with it This blindnesse of mans mind is not simply the ignorance of God and of himselfe but it is a stubborne rebellion and prowd presumption against God So that by how much a man excelleth and is indued with the greater quicknes of nature by so much the more doth he resist and strive against God himselfe and his owne Salvation Because such an one feareth not to charge the wisedome of God with extreame folly For all men as long as they are not renewed with this new and heavenly light do thinke the holy mysteries of God to be foolishnesse So Paul whilst hee preached Christ crucified vnto the Grecians sayth 1. Cor. 1.23 that to them he preached foolishnes So that the enlightning of this rebellious and hurtfull blindnesse is a great and inestimable benefite of God After this inlightning followeth a right iudgement and opinion of God of his will and of his workes because that then men begin to know God rightly and to iudge of him accordingly when they be inlightened by the spirit of God Secondly it changeth and reformeth the will of man which is extreamely contrary vnto the law of God And of evill it maketh it good and of vnwilling and stubborne it maketh it ready and obedient Phil. 2.13 So the will of man doth then begin to be good when it is reformed and renewed by God Here also the infinite goodnesse of God sheweth it selfe whilest that it maketh man of an adversary and foe to become a friend and heyre of heavenly glory which otherwise in himselfe is so corrupted and depraved that hee hath mind to nothing but evill and hateth God extremely This will of man howsoever by nature it be so wicked and perverse as to resist and withstand God and his will yet no will can be so wicked and stubborne but God if he will can mollifie it and make it good as Augustine sayth well Now God will doe this in the Elect Ezech. 36.26 27. because that of his owne accord hee hath promised that he will doe it Thirdly it converteth and reneweth the stubborne vnapt and disobedient heart and so doth weaken and debilitate the strength of sinne in his children and doth create in them an earnest study and desire to live godly and maketh them altogether forward vnto all piety Lastly it stirreth vp in them good workes and endueth them with sincere and holy behaviour Phil. 2.13 So God worketh in them both to will that which is good and doe that which is right So that all power to live godly proceedeth and commeth not from theyr owne power but from God onely which worketh in them effectually by his Spirit For this spirituall renewing is called in many places of the Scripture by an excellencie The creation and worke of God because that it is his worke to illuminate the blind vnderstandings of men with the knowledge of himselfe and to change theyr crooked willes and hard heartes and to frame them vnto the obedience of his owne will For these are so hard and difficult workes that they can bee brought to passe and effected by none other but by God onely Therefore the Lord by EZechiel promiseth that he will cause that we shal walke in his commandements shewing that regeneration and power to doe well is a worke farre surmounting all creatures The vse of this doctrine is divers First that the grace of God by which onely the Elect are changed into new creatures may be maintayned agaynst that divellish invention of free will which the Papists dreame of But here the Papists offend grievously for looke how much they attribute vnto the power of man so much doe they detract from the grace of God and merit of Christ For the grace of God and the power of man are in this matter two contraries which cannot be maintayned of one and the selfe same subiect at one time Therefore Saynt Austine in one place sayth very well that that is not free which the grace of God hath not made free For the Scripture as we have sayd before doth not leave a man so much as a good thought which is the least part of a good worke 2. Cor. 3.5 For such is the blindnesse and frailty of mans wit that it is not onely vnable to conceyve and bring forth of it selfe any thing rightly or truely but also that it frameth and inventeth to it selfe many and most dangerous errors even from most true principles An evident example of this we may see in the free-will of the Papists But that most fond dreame of theyrs vanisheth like a vapour by this doctrine of regeneration and the spirit of God onely is prooved to bee the onely beginning and true cause of every good worke Agayne seeing God doth regenerate man and make him fit for good works that other fiction which the Papists have dreamed concerning workes fore-seene is overthrowne and beaten to pieces For seeing no man can doe good except by the grace of God hee be changed into a new creature it thence followeth that God could fore-see no other workes in man but such as hee himselfe should worke in him whence a man may easily gather which considereth the matter any thing at all that this opinion concerning workes fore-seene is a meere and forged fable Moreover the Papists and the more grosse sort of Vbiquitaries do in this place after their manner erre and invent a new fiction whenas they thinke that there is some secret and hidden power in tne water of Baptisme which is able to convert and renew a man And from thence they labour to inferre that they which are baptized are regenerate in the very act of Baptisme This vnsavory invention is the fosterer of noysome errours But the falshood thereof is found first in this that it evidently appeareth by the holy Scriptures that all are not regenerate which are baptized as we may see not onely in Simon Magus but also in many others eyther openly wicked or hypocrites vnder hand and secretly which although they have beene baptized and receyved Baptisme as a true marke of their regeneration yet theyr lives sufficiently declare that they were not regenerate For although that the Sacraments are meanes or instruments by which the holy Ghost is effectuall in the Ministery of the Church yet in his power and efficacy hee hath not tyed himselfe vnto them neyther doth hee so worke by them that that working should alwayes shew it selfe
and exercise the strength thereof in the very act of administring them Agayne they doe offend and sinne exceedingly and out of measure agaynst the office of the holy Spirite and the blood of Christ For the holy Spirite is the onely efficient cause and principall worker of regeneration and the bloud of Christ is the meritorious cause thereof therefore they attribute that vnto the outward water of baptisme which is due only vnto the holy spirit the bloud of Christ so fall into a fallacy from that which is no cause as if it were a cause for they do cast that vnto the false and fayned cause which ought to be attributed vnto the true and proper cause and so as much as in them lyeth do overthrow and vndermine the principall heads of Christian religion And whereas they inferre that the purer and preciser sort of Divines do deny that Baptisme is the washing of the new birth Tit. 3.5 as Paul to Titus speaketh This is an vnsavory and a vile cavill for they doe not onely admit and like of those words of Paul in their true and naturall meaning but do receive them as a most sound confirmation and strengthening of our cause for Paul there playnely pronounceth that the power of the holy spirit doth effect and worke regeneration in vs. But our adversaryes do misvnderstand those words of Paul and do abuse them whilest they wrest them into an other sence as seducers vse to do and apply them amisse and so do fall into a fallacy of the ambiguity of a word whilest they interpret that ill which they apply worst of all Among true and sound Divines it is a thing firmely resolved and agreed vpon that the Sacraments do not bring grace but do for the strengthening of faith seale vp that which was bestowed before as we may see in Abraham Rom. 4.10 as in the common example and father of all them which beleeve Lastly they erre not a little by this their most vayne fiction whilest that they place the first beginning of salvation and the ground thereof in the water of baptisme for so they forge and frame the causes of salvation from the instruments that are vsed as meanes and from the manner of applying them but with deepe silence they do passe by and with wonderfull craft neglect the true and proper cause of salvation namely everlasting and free election and the onely merit of Christ that they might the more easily deceive and cast a mist before the eyes of the ignorant For there is no greater nor more plentifull occasion to beguile and deceive then where false and imaginary causes are supposed for true and proper causes Moreover this regeneration heere is alwayes defective and imperfect and a small beginning of a new life and a certayne onset vnto it This is prooved by manifest testimonyes of Scripture and also by dayly experience of the godly The testimonyes of Scripture say that we ought to be changed into the image of God from glory to glory 2. Cor. 3.18 Rom. 1.17 and to go forward dayly more and more from faith to faith Also that the children of God ought to walke in his commaundements Eze. 36.27 Tit. 2.14 and to keepe his statutes and to be zealous of good workes These and the like places of Scripture doe teach vs that the elect are not the first day polished vnto the highest perfection but that by little and little as it were by degrees they are brought from one vertue vnto an other vntill after this life they shall come vnto the highest perfection for they are not perfect which must be changed from one glory to another and goe forward from faith to faith Secondly they which walke in the commaundements of God are yet in the way and are not come vnto the end of theyr race therefore they are vnperfect For wayfaring men are often weeryed and now and then stumble and fall by reason of these or these lets and hindrances so also the regenerate men beeing as it were weeryed in the course and study of godlines doe slip often and fall into these and these sinnes Therefore the Apostle Saint Iohn sayeth playnely 1. Iohn 1.8 that they which say they have no sinnes deceive themselves and the truth is not in them Also the most holy Prophets do playnely and freely confesse of themselves that theyr best workes are poluted and stayned with many and great imperfections Esay 64. for in them alwayes the dregges of sinfull flesh remayne and abide and very often the sparkles of theyr lewde affections doe breake forth and shewe themselves but these hinder them not because they have a promise of a pardon These things the testimonies of Scripture teach vs that the children of God do onely obtayne some beginnings of a new life heere so that regeneration heere is maymed and vnperfect For the holy spirit doth so illuminate and renew the mindes of the elect 1. Cor. 13.9 that heere they doe know but in part and doth so change and refine their wills that they can will and do that which is good but in part as long as they live in this life So that whether a man respect the vnderstanding of the regenerate or whether a man consider theyr will hee shall easily finde that they are vnperfect for they which are renewed still day by day are not as yet wholy renewed but the children of God as long as they live heere are renewed day by day therefore they are not as yet perfect nor wholy renewed Besides these there are many other tokens whereof the scripture is very plentifull as which are wrought successively by the children of God eyther in reioycing at the benefites of God or sorrowing at theyr owne sinnes and surely these do bewray theyr imperfections So that infirmity alwayes abideth and dwelleth in them with which they must strive even vnto the death of the body with an entercourse of going backward and going forward as Augustine sayth in one place Secondly dayly experience it selfe doth convince and prove the imperfection of the godly For the most holy men of all ages have offended and sinned very often which they could not have done if they had not bin vnperfect for they which by regeneration are quite perfected are set out of all danger of sinning any more furthermore God hath no where promised that he will indue his children in this life with exquisite perfection therefore they cannot be made perfect heere for God doth not perfourme more in this worke of regeneration by the power of his spirit then he hath declared in the revealed word of promise and they themselves by their owne power cannot make themselves better and more holy then God will have them to be Also the most holy Apostles themselves say Iames. 3.2 that in many things they sinne all Iohn also in his Epistle pronounceth most plainely saying 1. Iohn 1.8 If we say that we have no sinne we deceive
morall workes which by their owne worth can make men gratious and acceptable vnto God before they have bin regenerate and grafted into Christ by faith And those merits they call merits ex congruo so called because that as they say by right and equity they deserve some reward which God by right is bound to repay them If this were true why then man belike should not be wholy infected and corrupted with originall sin But man as we have testimonyes in the holy scripture is wholy infected and corrupted with originall sinne Gen. 6.5 Psal 51.7 therefore that idle fiction of the Papists is nothing else but a meere invention of the Devill Surely those works which proceede from any man before his regeneration are every way foule and vgly sinnes to which by right and equity there is no reward else due but onely everlasting torment But it goeth very well and fayrely with vs if God doe not punish them in vs as they deserve Agayne all those workes of men although they seeme fayre and comely in the sight of man yet if they be skanned according to the rule of Gods lawe they will be found to be meere filth and vnsavoury pollution And that as the Starres which although they seeme most bright in the night time yet at the arising and presence of the Sunne they lose their brightnes so likewise those workes of men which in the common view seeme to be right and beautifull shall be manifest iniquity in the sight of God so lawdable sincerity heere shall be greater vncleanenes there and that which heere is approved as great glory shall there be reiected as extreame shame and reproach Farre therefore be from vs these faire-shewing and foule-meaning hipocrites which cover the corruption and wickednes that is wrapped vp in the heart of man with a vayne flourish and fayned maske and by their merits which are worse then extreame filthines doe labour to winne the favour of God and to make him beholding vnto them Surely it is without all doubt that they do provoke God more and more by these their workes seeing that they are execrable sinnes Agayne they doe plucke vpon their heads the more grievous iudgement and do aggravate theyr punishment in that they thinke that theyr workes which are nothing else but damnable sinnes extreamely contrary vnto the lawe and will of God are pleasing vnto God and worthy of his favour for by this meanes as much as in them lyeth they do as it were change God into a Devill and make him the patrone of sinnes to appoynt a reward for them therefore farre be from a Christian mans heart all those workes which are thus farre opposite vnto the will of God and condemned of him as meere offences Then after that God hath begun to renew men by the power of his spirit of evill they become good and that but in part onely for the corruption of nature is but onely restrayned and amended in some sort for as is aforesayd the elect are regenerate but imperfectly in this life therefore they are not wholy good and conformeable vnto the lawe of God wherefore theyr workes also can be good but in part onely and not perfect for there cannot be more in the effect then there is in the cause but whatsoever is in the effect that shall be in the cause much more therefore the workes of the godly are partly good and partly evill They are good as they proceede from the operation and motion of the holy spirit and are agreeable vnto the law of God And they are evill as they proceede from the flesh and vnregenerate part and do decline and stray from the rule and obedience of Gods law By this it manifestly appeareth that no worke of man is so prayse-worthy as Augustine sayth well which is not defiled and stayned with some blemish or other These works deserve nothing at all toward the attainement of salvation because they are imperfect and stray and swarve very farre from the law of God For the law requireth so great perfection as that it condemneth the least thought of the least sinne Agayne vnperfect works according vnto the Canonicall rule which the Lawyers so call are as if they were not done at all for such as the cause is such also must the effect needs be Seeing therefore that the cause is vnperfect the effect must needs follow vnperfect for it were extreame and ridiculous madnes to loke for a perfect and durable worke from an imperfect and transitory cause therefore these workes are proved and convinced to be vnperfect from their cause which is vnperfect so that if a man seeke for a reward by them he shall finde punishment as Saint Augustine saith for man in the least thing is not able to perfourme so much as the lawe requireth therefore he cannot be thought righteous and acquited before God and before his iust iudgement seate by the merit of his owne works Wo therefore vnto the life of men even the most commendable as the same Augustine sayth if it should be iudged according vnto the strict rigor of the lawe without the mercy of God Moreover seeing these good works proceed not from mans strength but do spring the power and grace of the holy spirit man cannot deserve or get any thing by them seeing they be not his owne but the works of God for man doth them not of himself but God doth worke them in him So that to do that which God commandeth to receive those things which he promiseth are both the gift of God and so man had no merits of his owne therefore the free works of God fall not within the compas of mans merit because those works are the effects of the holy ghost and not the deeds of mē proceeding from their own strēgth Therefore the Papists in as much as they hunt for salvation by these works are of all hunters the most vayne for their labours and endeavours are alwayes frustrate and without effect for they shall never attayne vnto that which they seeke for by them and they play the fooles more absurdly then if they should say they were able to strike fire out of the sea Certaynely in this their foole-hardy enterprise they do manifestly tempt God in that they go about to bring to passe things that are infinitely farre greater then their strength will suffer or permit Agayne in that they boast their owne deserts so confidently and boldly it is a manifest signe that they are not regenerate and that they know not themselves at all for by how much the more a man is regenerate by so much the more doth hee see and bewayle his owne sinnes and infirmityes and so findeth and perceiveth by experience that hee can do no good thing without the grace of God Therefore from his heart doth he humble himselfe before God and in the griefe of his heart with much lamenting doth he earnestly pray against those plagues which he hath deserved also he confesseth his
rewards vnto the religious worshippers of him Of which we may reade Moses his bookes Deut. 28. Surely such like promises are like so many heavenly spurs by which all and every one is pricked on to the doing of good as if the Prophets and Apostles should collect conclude thus 1. Tim. 4.6 Whatsoever things have the promises of this life and of that which is to come they ought to be thought vpon and to be done above all things But the works of godlinesse have the promises of this life and that which is to come therefore those works above all things ought to be thought vpon and done In this world God giveth vnto the godly some taste of his goodnesse in temporal blessings that by such a taste hee might allure and whet them on more and more vnto the desire of heavenly things S. Paul having respect vnto this 1. Tim. 4.8 writeth vnto Timothy that godlinesse is profitable vnto all things and hath the promises of this life and the life to come By this saying he doth stirre vp all the godly vnto true and sincere religion for the great goodnes sake of God in as much as God suffereth nothing to be wanting vnto them which love the wayes of God Therefore Paul setteth downe godlines alone to be the beginning accomplishment of an happy and prosperous life as if he should say whosoever attaineth vnto true godlinesse indeed possesseth God himselfe and all good things do attend vpon him and the Scripture requireth nothing els at his hands Seeing therefore that faith is nourished by good works that the holy spirit is cherished in man and that God is mooved stirred vp vnto a larger measure of liberality every man should dayly take heed that the transitory things of this world do not hinder the study and course of godlinesse So the godly and holy men by giving themselves dayly vnto good works Phil. 2.15 and by serving God faythfully are the lights of the world For on the one side by the good works that they doe they doe set forth and further the glory of God and doe adorne his Gospell and enlarge it vnto others on the other side they doe mutually edifie and benefite both themselves and others together with them Therefore good workes are precious oyntments which send forth their savour farre and wide vnto others and doe allure them vnto it by the pleasant odour whose wounds it cureth and healeth like balme and thus much of this matter Now wee must briefely runne over the reasons why good workes are to be done Phil. 2.4 for our neighbours sake A Christian man ought not only to thinke on and be carefull of those things that are his owne but also on those thinges which doe concerne his neighbour For what good thing soever a man receyveth of God hee ought not to suppresse and conceale them in his owne power as if he might enioy them alone but is bound to stretch and enlarge them further to the benefiting of others And so he should endevour himselfe to be profitable vnto his neighbour not onely by good counsell and other temporall commodity but much rather by a good and godly example of life that he may eyther be more furthered and edified in true fayth or converted vnto the fayth and continued therein For this often is effected by a godly life and an honest conversation that men which are altogether enemies of the Gospel are converted vnto the love and liking thereof So that the very infidels by a godly speech or by one good worke and holy example or other are gayned to Christ and do attayne salvation Agayne good works ought to be done lest others beeing offended with such or such faults should start backe from the love of the Gospel or should bee discouraged from embracing it for they thinke that the Gospell is such as their manners are which professe it for the world is wont to measure all religion by the manners of men If then the professours of the Gospell be holy and without blame then do they commend and prayse the Gospell it selfe But if they live wickedly after this or that sort theyr mindes are changed and they dissallow and reiect the Gospell which certaynely ought not to be so For the Gospell doth not depend vpon this or that event or vpon any manners of men but vpon God himself and hath authority from it owne nature so that the Gospell is holy and remayneth true yea though the whole world should abandon it selfe vnto the committing of all manner of wickednes and should with one consent condemne the whole worship of God together with the Gospell vnto hell and vtter darkenes notwithstanding they which live wickedly and dissolutely are infectious and bring assured destruction both to themselves and others So a wicked and prophane life is nothing else but a shame and reproach of true religion and of the Gospell and not only so but also it giveth matter and occasion vnto others to skorne and eschew the Gospell For they which professe and embrace that have after a sort the name of God engraven in their foreheads As often therefore as they do wickedly so often do they by their vncleanenes disgrace the very face of God and make his blessed Gospell a reproach and laughingstock vnto others And all they worke wickednes and live vngodly Rom. 2.24 not onely which commit evill and things that are forbidden of God but also which neglect good and things commaunded by God both which God hath decreed to punish For the Lord sayth in Mathew I thirsted Mat. 25.35 and yee gave me not to drinke and so forth These are the chiefest ends for which good works are to be done for all they are so necessary for a man of a ripe age Mat. 25.42 that without them not one can enter into eternall life not that they are the causes of salvation for of it there is not neyther can be any other cause but the merit of Christ alone and Gods onely goodnes Agayne men are reconciled vnto God and iustifyed before they have done any good workes for first theyr sinnes are forgiven and pardoned them Secondly the Holy Ghost by which they are renewed vnto a new life and to the doing of good workes is given vnto them So that in the order of nature iustification doth goe before the renewing of man and the perfourming of good workes Therefore the Papists which seeke for iustification by good workes doe make a cause of the effect and change the cause into the effect But good workes are necessary vnto men of ripe age as certayne meanes without which men cannot attayne vnto salvation for God doth acquite and iustifie man freely but he will not have man to abuse his grace by vngodly living Ephes 2.10 therefore he hath ordeyned good workes for men that they should walke in them Agayne in the last iudgement of the whole world he will pronounce eyther the sentence of
condemnation or salvation according to theyr workes so that none shall then be saved except he be endued and clothed with good workes By all this it appeareth manifestly with what an vniust and vndeserved slander the Papists do accuse and backbite vs among the rude and ignorant common sort of men when with open and impudent mouth they cry out vpon vs that we despise and reiect good works when as they rather are they which do this for they reiect and despise those workes which are acceptable and well pleasing vnto God and out of theyr owne brayne do forge and invent workes of their owne by which they say they can prevent and deserve the grace of God With these fayned workes they vaunt themselves vnto the rude and simple that they can attayne vnto glory by them but seeing they have not true workes which proceede from the renewing of grace or at the least do not teach the right vse of true workes they lost theyr glory with God And heere an end of these things thus spoken briefely as by the way concerning good workes Now returne we vnto the further handling of regeneration Although the regeneration of the godly be vnperfect and but onely begun in this life yet it is so necessary vnto every Christian as that without it not one can be saved Secondly although it he vnperfect yet it is never at an end Lastly it is declared by the scripture vnto whom regeneration hapneth CHAP. 33. ALthough regeneration be vnperfect and be but onely begun in this life so that the godly can never in deed and in act perfourme so much as in will they are prest to do Heb. 12.14 yet neverthelesse it is so necessary vnto every one that without it no man can attayne vnto salvation For the generation of every one is condemned in Adam as in the common father of vs all for which cause as Augustine sayth Tom. 10. col 336. every one that is begotten is condemned except he be begotten againe Therefore the scripture sayth playnely and absolutely that no man can see the kingdome of God except he be borne againe Iohn 3.3 Heb. 12.14 their eyes onely shall see God which have bene renewed vnto his image For man in his nature is wholy corrupted and a stranger from God Ephes 4.18 and from the life of God and sinne doth wholy possesse him By this it is cleere enough Rom. 7.16 how necessary regeneration is and a new creature in Christ Iesus Moreover although regeneration in this life be very small and vnperfect continually yet by the holy spirit it is made so great in the elect as that the power of sinne is restrayned and weakened in them that it beareth not the whole sway nor raigneth and ruleth at large So that although the godly and the regenerate doe fall now and then into such or such sinnes Rom. 7.18 yet they never sinne with all their mind and with their whole will but do so resist the corruption of nature that they never fully approve and do that which it perswadeth and biddeth So that in them there is such reluctation and striving Rom. 7.25 that the refourmed will desireth one thing and the corruption of nature perswadeth another Thus they doe not that which they would but that which they hate that do they So with theyr minde they serve and obey the lawe of God but with their flesh the â—â—â—w of sinne so that in them there is in a divers respect both a will and no will There is a will as they are reformed and renewed by the heavenly grace There is no will in them as farre forth as they are not regenerate and obey the flesh In them the refourmed and renewed will fighteth and striveth with the vnregenerate part that at the length it becommeth conquerour and overcommer For the grace of regeneration that perswadeth and inviteth men vnto goodnes is more mighty then the corruption of nature that tempteth vnto evill And thus farre of the second poynt to be observed in this regeneration now the third remayneth briefely to be vnfolded and declared This regeneration and renewing of the corrupt nature is afforded vnto none but vnto the elect onely This the scripture in expresse words sayth and playnely proveth that they onely are enlightened and do come vnto faith which are ordeyned vnto eternall life Act. 15.48 for faith proceedeth and commeth from regeneration and both are conteyned vnder election Therefore none are regenerate but the elect and againe none are elected but they which shall be regenerate and endued with faith Heere therefore are convertible termes which are equall one to an other and may one be affirmed of the other Also Paul in this cheyne affirmeth playnely that the elect onely are glorified For so hee sayth whom hee predestinated those also hee called and whom hee called those also hee iustifyed and whom hee iustifyed those also hee glorifyed therefore this glorification happeneth vnto none but vnto those that are predestinated By this most heavenly gradation from the highest vnto the lowest it commeth to passe that the conclusion of the grace of God answereth and agreeth very fitly vnto the preface or beginning thereof Now they which are glorified are first regenerate vnto a sincere and holy life then they are renewed more fully and perfectly dayly by continuall proceeding toward the attaynement of everlasting life vntill that their glorification being fully ended and finished they be made happy both in body and soule together and translated into the heavenly rest So God doth prepare man and make him fit by regeneration for the heavenly inheritance which can neither perish nor be defiled 1. Pet. 1.4 nor fade away Therefore whom he adorneth in this world with his grace those also he crowneth in heaven with glory This regeneration howsoever in respect of man it be very weake yet in respect of the foundation and beginning thereof it is farre more firme then the frame of heaven for it hath the holy spirit the Almighty God for the effector and preserver thereof Hee therefore which will disanull and overthrow that must first vanquish God and thrust him from his throne for God doth not onely glorify his children but also doth preserve them in that glorification and other spirituall gifts vntill at the length he finally glorify and crowne them both in body and soule For after that true faith hath once begun to be in a man it can never fall quite away and wholy decay for it is grounded and propped vp by the power of God 1. Pet. 1.5 and in it it hath a most strong foundation Indeed it may be that the course and fervency of faith may be much interrupted and alayed by this or that fall but the roote of faith being fastned and planted in the heart of man by the holy spirit and the bud that springeth from thence can never be quite supplanted and cleane rooted out And if that faith once given
and grafted in the heart of the elect by the finger of God could vtterly fall away and come to nothing then certaynely the counsell of God it selfe concerning the salvation of the elect should be variable not sure mutable and not constant Agayne if they whom the father hath planted into his Sonne by a true and stedfast fayth might be cutte off and perish then without doubt the Salvation of the Elect would bee vncertayne But seeing that Christ is the most faythful keeper of the Elect and Beleevers Ioh. 10.29 hee will not suffer them to perish Therefore they are set farre beyond all danger of perishing and falling away For God taketh them into his keeping and safegard his will remayneth vnchangeable in the preservation of them and is fortified with soveraigne power So that albeit in themselves they be weak and subiect to falling yet because they are vpheld and preserved by the hand and power of God they are stedfast permanent can never fall from the blessed estate of Salvation For God makes them to persevere in goodnes because he himselfe hath made them good Tom. 7. col 1345. saith S. Augustine If therefore some of the elect do fall grievously God is able to restore them For he it is that vpholdeth those that fall Psal 145.14 and lifteth vp those that are ready to fall saith the Scripture God giveth and bestoweth vpon them certayne and continuall perseverance in the faith because hee hath appoynted vndoubted salvation for them So that although they be weak and fraile in themselves yet they have more perseverance in their weakenesse than Adam had in his perfection Because they have a promise of perseverance which Adam had not For God is faithfull saith S. Paul 2. Thes 3.3 which will establish you and keepe you from evill Therefore they which dream that true faith may be lost againe do erre in their vaine conceit and offend grievously For they take away from Christians the sure comforte of their Salvation Therefore a finall perseverance in the faith is an vnseperable companion of true faith from which it can be seperated no more than can the light from the Sunne and heate from the fire For it is fortified with power from heaven against all the sleights of Sathan against the very gates of hell Mat. 16 1â— and so preserved from every hurtfull annoyance that it can never be lost nor fall away By what bonds the elect are vnited vnto God so that they cannot perish nor fall away Also by what signes they may be knowne and how they may be assured of their Salvation Chap. 34. ANd God hath vnited them to himselfe by two bonds stronger than Adamant The first of which is his vnchangeable and everlasting election before the foundations of the world were layd For whom he hath chosen from everlasting those will he have to be blessed for ever therefore they cannot perish so that the salvation of the elect doth not depend vpon any doubtfull event but it was appoynted and prepared for them by God from everlasting before they were borne Thus it is shewed that their salvation is so sure and certayne that the troublesome motions of the whole world nor all the feends of hell cannot overthrow nor weaken it the other bond is an effectuall calling vnto Christ in time But they whom God grafteth into Christ effecctually by a true faith can no more fall away and perish then Christ himselfe because he hath redeemed them with his bloud and being redeemed doth preserve them safe and without danger of every evill and deadly hurt Iohn 10.28 They are his sheepe which no man can take out of his hand Hence we may resolutely and strongly conclude that the salvation of the elect and true beleevers is so sure and certayne as Christ is the omnipotent and Almighty God Therefore who can pluck and withdraw them from Christ whom God hath called and drawne vnto Christ by his almighty spirit Surely the gates of hell shall not prevayle against them therefore theyr vnmoveable constancy and stedfast certaynety of salvation ought not to be considered in theyr nature but consisteth in and is grounded vpon the might and power of God Therefore in this and in nothing else doth the salvation of the elect depend and stand Fourthly and lastly regeneration may be knowne by the fruites thereof as the Sunne rising may be knowne by the light and the fire by the heate for it may be knowne by sundry motions and operations of the holy spirit as by infallible tokens and assured signes for as the life of a living creature may be discerned by the sence and motion so also this regeneration may be knowne by those things and workes which necessarily follow it for they which are truly and effectually regenerate in them the love of God is begotten This Saint Paul expressely affirmeth saying If any man love God 1. Cor. 8.3 the same is taught of him He therefore which loveth God with his soule and hath an earnest desire to keepe his commaundements let him know that he is elected and regenerate and be most certainely perswaded that he shal be saved Secondly they which are regenerate heare Gods words and receive them by faith Iohn 8.47 He therfore that hath an harty desire to heare the word of God to profit in it in him there shineth and appeareth a visible signe of election and of a godly and regenerate mind So that he which heareth Gods word enioyeth God himselfe and hath fellowship with him So on the contrary there is no more evident signe of a reprobate and prophane mind then to contemne and reiect the word of God for they of set purpose do deprive themselves of righteousnes and life eternall Thirdly the holy spirit doth kindle a sincere and serious desire to do wel and to please God in the hearts of the regenerate so that on the one side they do love and seeke after righteousnes and on the other side they hate eschue iniquity Psa 34.15 1. Thes 4.4 and therefore the Prophets and Apostles do exhort the children of God that they should depart from evill and do good Paul sayth playnely that this is the will of God even our sanctification that every one should abstayne from fornication and from every prophane wicked course of life should possesse his vessell in honour They therefore which do hartily love God and abhor evill may be most certainly perswaded that they are regenerate that therfore they are elected from everlasting vnto salvation Moreover this regeneration worketh in man a vehement strife betweene the flesh the spirit So that when the flesh which is the vnregenerate part doth withdraw man from the care obedience of Gods law and tempteth him vnto the committing and doing of that which is evill then on the other side the spirit being the part regenerate by God doth labour the contrary way for it aspireth
severall branches having bin by a divine order conceived before time are set downe in time by an Apostolike method and ordered and ranged with excellent skill And if a man should more intentively and deeply consider all the linckes of this chayne the only will of God shall be the efficient cause of all the rest for vpon it the summe of all the rest dependeth and consisteth Therefore the freewill of God is the first and most generall cause for from it proceedeth the first motion and whole power of working so that without it in this matter nothing can be wrought or brought to passe And heere is a most excellent and artificiall order of the causes of salvation for from the first and highest cause vnto the secondary causes and from thence vnto the effects there is a continuall gradation vntill we come vnto the last end whether all and every of them tend and have recourse What are the effects of predestination and how great benefits come from it vnto every beleever Next there is shewed that this cheyne of salvation is made of the meere benefites of God CHAP. 35. HEre now remayneth briefely to be handled what and how great effects and benefits doe arise and come vnto vs by the free grace of predestination These effects may be declared and enlarged by sundry and severall degrees and they are in number tenne all which are set downe in order The first of them is Christ the Mediator the head and beginning of all the elect Hee in this doctrine of election is to be esteemed the onely foundation and ground-worke of salvation for without him there can be no election vnto salvation so that of him dependeth the election of all the rest for hee vouchsafed to come downe from heaven and to become man that by his sacrifice and bloud he might redeeme and save others for ever The second effect is the creation and bringing forth of every of the elect into this world The third is an effectuall calling vnto Christ by the holy Spirit and the word of the Gospell and a true conversion vnto God The fourth is iustification a stedfast faith and a certaine hope which layeth hold vpon and applyeth vnto it selfe Christ and his merits and relyeth wholy on him not desiring nor longing after any thing else The fift is regeneration and the good workes which necessarily follow it for whome God hath appoynted vnto any end he also ordayneth and sheweth him certayne meanes by which he may attayne vnto the end that he is appoynted vnto Therefore good workes are not the beginning and cause of election as the Papists dreame but they are onely the effects and meanes by which as by certayne succeeding degrees the elect are brought vnto life everlasting The sixt is the dayly increase and accesse of faith and sanctification so that the workes of charity and effects of faith doe one after an other dayly growe greater and better for a man is not good except he have a desier to be made and become better And he that goeth not forward in the wayes of God goeth back from them as Saint Barnard sayth else-where The seaventh is invincible patience and courage in induring adversity quietly The eight is vndaunted and perpetuall constancy and finall perseverance in faith and sanctification daily increasing The ninth is resurrection from the dead and the reuniting of body and soule The tenth is glorification life eternall that is to say spirituall ioy in God with thanksgiving and everlasting gladnes in Christ By these things we may see cleerely what great and saving gifts and benefits are included in predestination onely They therfore which feele the effects of the grace of god within themselves ought with great admiration to have them in continuall remembrance to consider of them within thēselves for they which do acknowledge how greatly they are bound vnto God for so great a benefit which hath vouchsafed to choose them from out of such a number of wretched persons and being elected to reforme and renew them into his owne image and heavenly glory Let them then with certaine hope found confidence rely vpon that free goodnes of God and that his vnchangeable counsell concerning their salvation and let them be as surely perswaded and made as certayne of their salvation as if they had it already layd downe vnto them in theyr hand and did enioy it in full and present possession So that these gifts of God and merits of Christ are to be thought vpon seriously and religiously and to be preferred before all the riches of the whole world for they do bring with them everlasting life and blessed immortality But they which turne aside vnto transitory and fading good things are not wise for themselves for they perish at the last with certayne destruction Moreover these effects are some of them of one only respect and sort which are such effects as can never put on the nature nor take vpon them the turne of an efficient cause of which sort are all the secundary effects from the first effect vnto the last end Others are of a two-fold respect and sort which may sometimes be effects and sometimes efficient causes Such is the first effect namely Christ Iesus which though he be God eternall and in this respect can be an effect vnto nothing when as he maketh all things yet as he is man and a mediator he is the first effect of predestination and he is such an effect thereof as notwithstanding may neverthelesse be an operative and efficient cause of all the rest for hee is the cause of all the effects which are placed betweene predestination and glorification which is the last of all for it is he which hath called which hath iustified which hath glorified vs. So that all the linckes of this whole chayne are the meere benefits of God and no merits of man are found in it Therefore he that reckoneth vp mans merits among these free benefites of God as he doth derogate from the bountie and glory of God so also doth he hazard his owne Salvation But all they which love God and doe seeke for theyr Salvation in his goodnesse and in the Sacrifice of Christ doe know for an assured trueth that all the lincks of this Chayne are the very effects of Christ and the meere benefites of God himselfe Therefore to him only ought they to be thankefull for them Moreover out of this Chayne wee may see that in the whole course of Salvation the Scripture mentioneth and speaketh of nothing but the grace of God onely and many other gifts which proceed from that Therefore also the true fayth of the godly ought to receyve and acknowledge nothing besides them The Linckes of this Chayne ought to be considered by an Antithesis that the goodnesse of God may the more appeare and be magnified so that wee proceede from the enioying of the one contrary vnto the remooving of the other Secondly the Linckes hang together with an inseparable