foode it is time before we famish to receiue it and to recouer our appetite If with the Church of Ephesus we haue lost our first loue we must repent and consider from whence wee are fallen and doe the first workes if with the Church of Sardis wee haue a name that wee liue and yet are dead wee must awaken and strengthen the things that remaine that are readie to die If with the Church of Laodicaea wee by reason of ease and prosperitie grow luke-warme and are neither cold nor hote we must bee zealous and amend Lastly if our sinnes haue wounded vs and left vs halfe dead as the theeues and robbers did the man that fell into their hands betweene Iericho aâ—d Ierusalem wee must in the Inne of the Church entreate and procure the good Samaritane Christ Iesus to powre wine and oile into our wounds and to take charge of vs and heale vs so shall wee bee in staetu quo prius yea and our latter end wil be more glorious and comfortable then our beginning And thus much of this point viz. that sauing grace in the elect neuer faileth THE FOVRTH SECTION BVt mine c. Here the Church findeth and feeleth grace in her heart by faith layeth hold on Christ so that notwithstanding that her temptation had in part preuailed yet shee before the extremitie and bitternesse of it came professeth and assureth herselfe and others that her faith was vntainted and her heart sound with GOD. Her walls and outward buildings were somewhat crazed and battered but the strong Castle of her faith in Christ vntouched From this her confession wee learne to our comfort that the elect and Saints of GOD of whome alone his Catholike Church doth consist are except onelie in the greene blade and insancie of the Church or in the night and tempest of some great temptation perswaded and assured in their owne consciences by Gods spirit that they are in the state of grace and saluation and shall neuer fall away from it Now that we may be assured that wee haue faith in our hearts and so are in fauour with GOD wee haue most plaine and pregnant places of holy scriptures to prooue it God hath sent forth the spirit of his Sonne into your hearts whereby wee cry Abba father wee haue receiued the spirit of Adoption whereby wee cry abba father the same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that wee are the children of GOD. But this witnesse is not coniecturall but most certaine for the spirit can neuer bee deceiued therefore vndoubtedlie they knewe that they were Sonnes Thirdly by the spirit wee haue boldness and enterance with confidence by faith in him for the spirit expelleth all feare that is all doubtfulnesse and mistrust Prooue your selues whether that you are in the faith examine your selues know yee not your owne selues howe that IESVS CHRIST is in you except you be reprobates Now CHRIST was in them by grace and iustifying faith and not by his power and miracles only as Bellarmine would haue it for by this faith men liue in Christ yea liue for euer But you knowe the spirit for hee dwelleth with you and shall bee in you therefore if wee know the spirit to bee in vs wee must needs know our faith and iustification that proceedeth thence Yee haue an ointment from him that is holy and knowes all things Here the Apostle alludeth vnto the old figures of the law and the ointments where-with the Priests were annointed and specially the high Priest a figure of Christ who is stiled by the name of messias or anointed Now the anointing of Priests and Kings in the old testament was a representation of the gifts of the holy Ghost and this is the cause why the holy Ghost is here and else where named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or ointment and the sense is that the true beleeuers hauing the holy Ghost know all things necessary to saluation and by his power preseuer in faith ergo they also know that they are in Gods grace and fauour And againe we know that wee are translated from death to life because wee louâ—e the brethren Hereby we know that we dwell in him and hee in vs because he hath giuen vs of his spirit He that beleeueth in the sonne of God hath the witnes of God in himselfe Now this is not a doubting or coniecturall knowledge but an holy perswasion wrought in Pauls and so in all our hearts by the holy Ghost I know my redeemer liueth saith Iob and that I shall see God in my flesh and mine ies shall be hold him and none other for me Lastly to be breife I wil conclude with that of Paul I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principaliites nor powers nor things present or things to come nor beegth nor depth nor any other creature shal be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iâ—sus our Lord. But least any man should obiect that this perswasion was proper onely to Saint Paule and that hee had it by some speciall reuelation for the answere hereof Aâ—s Wee must note that the ground of his 〈◊〉 viz the loue of God in Christ Iâ—sus is common to all the faithfull for it is shed in all their hearts And Paul in another place maketh the assurance of saluation common to him with all the faithfull saying there is laid vp for mee a Crowne of righteousnesse and not to mee onely but vnto all them also which loue his appearing albeit some haue it in greater measure then others And that this doctrine may bee the more easily conceiued of vs I will explaine and make it lightsome by some familier comparisons and similitudes Can a man carry fire in his hand and not feele it and can a man containe the holy flame of Gods grace in his heart and not discerne it Can a woman be wedded to an husband and not know it And can wee be conioyned to Christ yea and ingrafted into him and not perceiue it Can a man buy and possesse a precious pearle and a rich treasure and yet bee ignorant of it and can the Church by faith buy and apprehend Christ and not be aware of it Can a man doubt of the garments where with he is cloathed and can the Church cloathed with the sonne of righteousnesse neuer see nor obserue it Can the elect the friends of God know all things needfull for their saluation by reuelation from him and shall they erre and be ignorant in the knowledge and certaintie of their owne iustification and saluation Can the sense bee deceiued about his proper obiect And can all spirituall senses faile and beguile vs Can hee dwell in vs and we not see him Can hee dwell in vs and wee neuer feele him Can he speake peace to our soules and cause our hearts to burne within vs and we not
them-selues dangerous both to Church common wealth Ob. Is not beare-baiting and cock-fighting lawfull and allowable An. No for it maintaineth yea and increaseth the enmitie and opposition betweene the creatures which mans sinnes brought first into the world And therefore they should rather labour to reconcile then to sette the creatures at iarre and rather lament then to sport themselues when they see them one to rend and deuour another Yet notwithstanding if they will haue some proportionable sport wherein to recreate them-selues let them first like prudent Paule who for the preseruing of himselfe set the Scribes and Pharasies at difference so let them for the defence of them-selues and the weakening of the Papists ours and their aduersaries shew their best wit skill and indeuor to sette these Midianites at enmitie against them-selues by shewing the opposition of the late Papists with the ancient the Iesuits with the seculer Priestes and one Papist with an other yea one and the same Papist many times with him-selfe as two excellent worthy Diuines Maister Doctor Willet and Maister Doctor Morton the one in his terrastilon and the other in his prima et secunda Apâ—logiae Catholicae parte haue most notably attempted and begunne Secondly let them rather and vpon farre better ground and vndoubted recreation and comfort labour and endeuour in their owne selues and soules to worke and breed enmitie and warre betweene the flesh and the spirit and by all holy meanes to continue and further it for as long as this battaile and conflict lasteth there is grace in the heart and when this ceaseth faith and grace determineth Let them strengthen arme and encourage the spirit and disarme and weaken the flesh and sinne that the spirit may triumph and the flesh bee subdued Here is sport that will end in greater pleasure here is matter of exercise that will not vndo or hurt vs but enrich and make vs all blessed But it is much to be feared that most of those that are so caried away with humane vanities and these cruell sportes little know and discerne what this battaile betweene the flesh and the spirit meaneth much lesse are they trained vp and beaten in it Vse 2. Secondly wee must keepe such a moderation and temper in the vse of lawfull pleasures wee that haue wiâ—es must bee as though wee had none so was it with good Vrias who for the time that his seruice in Dauids warres lasted made a conscience to go into his wife least the pleasure of her might perhaps make him more Remisse and vnwilling to performe that warlike charge imposed vpon him wee that reioyee must be as â—hough wee retoâ—sed not wee must vse them as Ionathan tasted of the hunny onely for his necessarie refreshment and as Canis e Nito bibit a taste away Finally wee must qualifie and temper them with the feare of God that wee be not seduced by them or at least made more vnwilling vnfit and vnapt for better exercises and actions And thus much of pleasures and their vses A fourth and last reason of the Churches sâ—curitie and slumbering in generall and of the speciall members in particuler may be and is oftentimes the desire affectation of honours titles and of the glory and applause of the world which many seeking and withall obtayning iudge of them-selues rather by the opinion and esteeme of others then by the sound knowledge and experimentall Iudgement Hence it was that the Church of Sardis had a name that she liued and yet was dead Of this sort are those that haue a forme of godlinesse but deny the power of it The Diuell albeit twise before repulsed at length tempted our Sauiour Christ by shewing him in a vision perhaps all the kingdomes of the world and the glory of them hoping thereby to blinde his eyes and to preuaile against him as he doth against many Moreouer Christ reproouing the Scribes and Pharasies for their vanitie and ambition in that they hunted after humaine glory and neglected the glory that was due vnto God saith hee how can yee beleeue that receiue honour one of an other and seeke not the honour that commeth from God onely And this affecting and desire to gaine and retaine humaine titles and glory is one great cause that detaineth many of the Papists from admitting of the puritie of the Gospell and it is some occasion of hardening them in their Idolatry It is said of many of the cheife rulers in the time of our Sauiour Neuerthelesse euen among the chiefe Rulers many beleeued in him but because of the Pharaâ—ies they did not confesse him least they should be cast out of the Synagogue for they loued the praise of men more the theÌ„ glory of God It is to be thought â— not withstanding these chiefe Rulers amongst whome was doubtlesse Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were indued with true faith but it was for the time very weak yong which God beareth withal in processe of time cureth and perfiteth Ambitious vanitie possessing Absolon moued him to seeke to depriue his aged father Dauid of his Crowne Kingdome The assenting vnto the flattering and blasphemous acclamation and applause of the multitude caused Herod to be smitten of the Angell of the Lord immâ—diately because hee gaue not the glorie to God so that hee was eaten of wormes and gaue vp the Ghost it made the scribes and Pharasies to delight and content themselues with an externall and onely seeming righteousnesse who in their fasting praâ—ers almes titles robes salutations aimed at onely the praise and commendation of men and therefore are by our Saâ—iour iustly and often taxed and checked for it They had the reward that they sought for viz. the praise of men but they had no rewarde or approbation from GOD. In so much that Christ saith I say vnto you except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the scribes and Pharasies yee shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen The pompe and applause of the world is nothing els but a vapour or fume soone consumed it is like a fether tost in the aire from month to mouth then which nothing is more light vaine and inconstant and the brauery and flaunting glory of the world is nothing else theÌ„ an Idol a vaine thing yea like vnto a dreame wherewith for a time a man doth delight himselfe whilest that hee conceiueth great hopes of riches honours preferments and renowne but when he waketh all his hopes perish and come to nothing Obi. But is it not lawful for a man to seeke to seeke to get a good name credit report and estimation amongst men and when he hath once gotten it to maintaine keepe it Ans. Yes without question for whatsoeuer things bee of good report if there bee any vertue if there bee any praise wee must thinke on these things Secondly that which GOD promiseth and bestoweth vpon his children
interest to eternal life remaineth firme sure yet by their sins do may loose yâ— inward feeling of Gods fauour be left to themselâ—es for a time in their troubles afflictions Secondly vntill they repent of their sinnes they feele not nor finde in themselues the outward act and effects of imputed grace Thirdly touching inward and inherent grace albeit the seede and habite of it cannot bee lost by reason of confirming succeeding grace yet the outward worke and apprehension of it may for a time cease and be suspended as wee haue examples in Dauid Iob Anna Ezechias and others Ques In the most greeuous and extreame assaults and temptations of the children of God what grace of God remaineth in them so as that they and others of sincere orthodoxe iudgement may bee kept from dispaire and conceiue good hope that they remaine in Gods fauour An. These following the loue of God of his Son Christ of his word and of all his children in generall For they neuer hate God hate Christ hate his word hate his children but loue and like them Secondly they thinke and speake oft of God and his waies desire to bee reconciled vnto him Thirdly they pray vnto God which though they cannot doe alwaies in feeling yet they do it in faith and this faith without feeling is more precious and more highly esteemed with God then faith with feeling for it wholie and simply relieth vpon God and his word And herein as they bee blessed that beleeue and see not so vndoubtedly they are most happy that trust in and depend vpon God 〈◊〉 for the present haue no feeling Lastly they reioyce finde maruelous contentment when they know or heare of the good estate and prosperity of the church in generall or any member or part of it in particular and when it goeth ill either with the Church or any member thereof they vpon the notice thereof mourne greiue lament And this argueth that they euen in the night cloude tempest of their present affliction are liuely and feeling members of the Church of God because they haue a sympathy and such a mutuall compassion and this point that saying of Paul confirmeth and striketh it as wee vse to phrase it dead if one member suffer all suffer with it if one member be had in honour all the members reioyce with it Que. But God is an holie God an hater and a punisher of sinne one that requireth truth in the inward partes that we walke before him and be perfect how then will hee or can hee beare with such want of feeling so many complaints so many defects corruptions and wants in his children An. The Godly are better within then without GOD requireth the heart more then the worke man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord beholdeth the heart A broken heart is an acceptable sacrifice vnto him If our faith be but as the graine of mâ—stard seede yea as smoaking flaxe which for the present can neither yeeld light nor heate yea and weake like a bruised reed if it can but touch the hemne of Christ his garment yet if it be sound hauing onely God Christ and the promises of the Gospell for the obiect and it doe growe and encrease it is accepted with GOD for a perfect faith and is sufficient for saluation Secondly God is a most indulgent and louing Father to his children looking onely vnto and accepting the better part in them which is his owne worke and passing by and pardoning their defects sinnes and imperfections as though they were not at all and therefore they are blessed beâ—ause their sinnes are not imputed and GOD iustifieth them who shall then condemne them And as wee respect an heape of corne albeit the greater part bee chaste for the corne and not for the chaffe and giue it the denomination of corne and as wee esteeme a mountaine or mine of Gold or Siluer though vnwrought and vnrefined for the gold or siluer and not for the drosse and for the more precious parte cal it gold or siluer Euen so our heauenly Father accepteth regardeth his children for their better partes of faith and sanctification and taketh no notice of their faultes and defects albeit they bee farre more in number then their virtues Vse 1. First this doctrine of the perpetuity and continuance of grace in Gods children serueth to checke and condemne that false and comfortlesse doctrine of the Romish Synagogue who holdeth and maintaineth and that by the cannons of the â—ridentine councel non modo infidelitate per quam et ipsa â—ides amittitur sed etiam quocunâ—q alio mortali peceato acceptam iustificationis grasiam amitte et omnes qui laethalta committant peccata a Christs gratia seperâ—entur That the grace of Iustification receiued is lost not onely by vnbeleefe by which faith it selfe is lost but also by any other mortall sinne and they that commit deadly sinnes are seperated from the grace of Christ which vile doctrine as before hath beene prooued is the breake-necke of faith directly against the word of God Vse 2. Secondly it serueth for the consolation and reuiuing of the afflicted conscience of Gods children for being in the estate of grace they can neuer bee depriued of it but God that hath begunne the good worke will finish it hee that hath wounded the Church will heale it though shee fall she shall rise and when shee shall siâ— in dark nesse the Lord will bee a light vnto them and therefore let no man for his owne or any of Gods seruants temptations fals and frailties despaire either of his owne or any other mans restitution and saluation for God is able to restore them yea and will restore and perfect them Vse 3. Seeing that in euery greiuous temptation wee suffer much losse either by abating and remitting of our faith our zeale our hope our loue our strength our ioye feeling or els by falling into some grosse and greiuous actuall sinne as did Noab Lot ' Dauid Solâ—mon Ezâ—chias Peter c. Wee must labour by all good and holy meanes to repaire our decaies and recouer our losses We must nourish the spirit of God by prophesie praier c. cherish our lampes with the oile of faith If our nets bee broken wee must with Iames and Iohn mend them if our wedding garment bee rent or torne wee must repaire it And as in Pauls nauigation when through the feare of death and through an exceeding tempest and for that the sunne and starres in many daies appeared not the mariners and souldiers for foureteene daies had no appetite to their meat or did any thing at all yet at last beeing comforted and reuiued by Paul they did at his exhortation for the safegard of their liues take foode euen so if through the tempests of temptations wee haue longer then it was meete either abstained from nor had any appetite to spirituall
sixt and last marke amongst many other and that most eminently is praise and thankes-giuing vnto God for all his benefits past present and to come whether outward and temporary or spirituall and eternall Of this sort in things outward is our creation preseruation health life libertie prosperity priuate and publicke deliuerances yea and all the meanes of our temporall life and hapinesse and specially in heauenly things our predestination to eternall glory our adoption to be Gods sonnes our redemption by Christs sufferings and obedience our iustification by faith in Christ his death and merits our illumination and sanctification by his word and spirit the blessed ministery of the word the vse and comfort of the Sacraments the reueiling and weaking of Antichrist and his promised destruction the fitting of vs for a better kingdome and preparing the kingdome of glorie for vs his long patience and forbearance of vs and all fatherly gentle and mercifull corrections and warnings For all these in general yea and for euery one of them in particuler we are bound and must endeuour both generally and distinctly to returne vnto the Lord praise and thanksgiuing and to serue him in holinesse and righteousnes all the daies of our life Here vpon Paul vpon the distinct consideration of them brasteth forth into thankesgiuing and saith Blessed bee God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which â—ath blessed vs with all spirituall blessing in heauenly things in Christ. And afterwards hee descendeth into particulars Dauid also wondering at the greatnesse of Gods goodnesse braâ—teth out into an exclamation and acknowledgeth Gods benefits to be greater then he is able to requite What shall I saith hee render vnto the Lord for all his benefits and in another place hee saith my soule praisâ— thou the Lord and all that is within mee praise his holie name my soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits Hereby hee stirreth vp himselfe to thankesgiuing and laboureth to shake of all drowsinesse For forgetfulnesse and vnthankefulnesse as it is the common disease of the world so it argueth a vaine and a wicked minde For speciall and particular deliuerances from captiuitie from hunger from imprisonment from sicknesse from feare of drowning and shipwracke c. require particular thankes and there is good reason it should bee so for euery particuler benefit requireth a new song and a peculier forme of thankesgiuing and this is plaine by sundry psalmes of Dauid endited and framed vpon sundry benefits receiued and deliuerances obtained This thankefulnesse is the peculiar dutie of the Iust and it is a Sacrifice whereby wee glorifie GOD and glorifying him he will glorifie vs. It is also a speciall note of the true ye the triumphant Church as may appeare by the practise and examples of the Angells Elders and beasts in the Apocalips Amen Glorie honour wisedome thankes and power and might be vnto our God for euermore It is peculier to them to singe the new song of their redemption which none can learne but the redeemed alone Wee must also with the Church in the Apocalips render and ascribe vnto the Lord praise glorie wisedome honour thankes power might saluation for his righteous iudgement alreadie in part vpon the Antichrist of Rome for that he hath condemned the great whore which corrupted the earth with her fornication and hath auenged the bloud of hiâ— seruants shed by her hands Lastly the Church is exhorted to reioyce be glad and giue glorie to him for the full redemption of his Church at hand and because the mariage of the lambe is come and the bride hath made her ready But that we may the more soundly and sincerely practise and performe this dutie we must do three things First wee must magnifie and high esteeme of all Gods blessings specially of those that concerne and accompany saluation wee must acknowledge them wonderfull speake of them honorably thinke and meditate of them often yea and to value and price them aboue riches spoiles corne wine gold siluer Iewells precious stones yea and account all things els in comparison of them and so farre forth as they are any let or hinderance to our saluation as losse and dung Secondly wee must debase our selues before God and acknowledge our vnworthinesse to receiue so great blessings and graces at his hands Thus Iacob acknowledged himselfe not to bee worthy of the least of all Gods mercies and of his promises pâ—rformed vnto him Thus Dauid vpon the consideration of Gods vnspeakeable mercies towardes mankinde and also of mans vilenesse and vanitie brasteth forth into an exclamation saying What is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the Sonne of man that thou thinkest vpon him Man is like to vanitie his daies are like a shadowe that vanisheth Thirdly in Paul and that most singulerly who confesseth ingenuously that the grace of the Lord was exceeding aboundant towardes him beeing before his conuersion a blasphemer a persecutor and an oppressor and that IESVS CHRIST came into the world to saue sinners of whome saith hee I am chiefe Lastlie in the lost childe saying Father I am no more worthy to bee called thy sonne make mee as one of thy hired seruants Thirdly if wee would shewe our selues truely thankefull wee must liue in obedience of Gods commaundements sinne no more least a worse thing befall vs order our conuersation aright keepe our selues pure from idolatry and consecrate and deuote our selues soules and bodies to God his seruice For this is a most liuely effectuall yea and reall sacrifice yea the best sacrifice that we can offer vnto God Rom. 12. ver 1. Reasons further to enforce this dutie and to perswade vs herevnto are firsâ— so many commandements and exhortations in holy scriptures and by name in the psalmes of Dauid Secondly the often and excellent examples of so many rare and renowned men in holy scripture of Patriarkes Kings Prophets and right Isralites in the old Testament and of Christ his Apostles disciples and all rankes of sound confessors and Christians in the new Testament These are so many notable lightes lampes examples and directors vnto vs whose footesteps if wâ—e insist not in wee declare our selues to bee bastard slips and not true branches and to bee notwithstanding al labour care and husbanding that cursed ground that bringeth forth nothing but briars and thornes whose end is to be burned Thirdly of all other sacrifices this is most sweete and sauory in Gods nostrilles being not a constrained and enforced worship as praier is sometimes â—ut a free-will offering it is the caâ—ues and fruâ—te of the lips which confesse his name and it is a speciall glorification of God Fourthly hereby wee imitate and follow the practise of the Church triumphant in heauen whose continuall vsage and exercise it is in quiers and companies by Himmes Psalmes and thanksgiuing to sound and set forth the glorie