weather-beaten and to cry out Miserable or spoyled man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death chap. 7.24 The remedie of this disease is the powerfull operation of the Spirit that destroyeth by degrees the cursed worke of Satan in vs and perfecteth the good worke he hath begun within vs. Chap. 8. vers 11. whence we are taught Vse 1 First a reall difference betwixt him that is truly sanctified and the man wholly in the state of full corruption For the one striketh still to cut 1. Ioh. 3.3 and rend this euill tree vp at the roots the other onely to preuent and hinder the outward buds and fruits that it produceth Carnall men neuer looke to the fountaine from whence this bitter water springeth bubleth Vse 2 And here we are instructed whither to runne for help when we cannot stay the fountaine of originall sinne only to the Spirit of God for as Christ had power to heale the woman of the bloody issue which all the Physitians could not cure so hath the holy Ghost and no other this power priuiledge It is a worke that requires an infinite workeman to perfect Pray then with the Prophet Psal 51.11 Lord take not thy holy spirit from me For the third and last euill which is affliction and persecution the Apostle also giueth vs a helpe against it and that is comprehended in the verse read vnto you which is though afflictions be not ioyous but grieuous for the present Heb. 12.11 yet they shall turne to our good at the latter ende In which words for our better proceeding wee may obserue two things The one is an affirmed proposition We know that all things worke together for good The other to whom these contrary things doe worke for good and they are described first by an effect that they loue God secondly by an adiunct that they are called which calling is closely argued by the Author and chiefe efficient God by the maner or rule according to his purpose In the proposition note these particulars First things secondly that these things worke thirdly that they all worke fourthly that they all worke together fifthly that they all worke together for good sixthly and that we know c. This for the proposition the limitation of its obiect or fruit of its operation followeth But before we come to the seuerall doctrines this verse affoordeth wee will clearely and briefly open the meaning We That is I Paul and other grounded and strong Christians men and women as well of the Laity as Preachers of the Gospell Know Knowledge is tooke often in Scripture for faith because they are inseparable companions Rom. 10.14 For how can they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard And so it is taken where Iob saith I know my Redeemer liueth Ioh 19.25 Ioh. 17.3 that is I beleeue and This is eternall life to know thee that is to beleeue in God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ And so may it be vnderstood here We know that is we beleeue c. Againe Knowledge is either Notionall or experimentall Notionall is the bare apprehension of the truth of an Art Ioh. 3.11 2. Pet. 2.21 or rule in any science but experimentall knowledge is when we haue seene and felt the truth of a thing verified either in our selues Gen. 3.6.7 or others And so Adam after hee had eaten of the prohibited fruit did know the nature of it in the effects 2 Chron. 33.13 by his owne experience So Manasseh knew God Rom. 1.16 and so Paul the power of the Word And in this place it may be tooke for a knowledge of experience and not notionall onely So that the full sense is this Wee are assured by faith that all shall worke for good and wee know it too by experience in our selues Onely marke this that experimentall knowledge looketh backward faith forward the one which is faith relieth on the truth of the promise to be the other that is experimental knowledge is grounded vpon the word and will of God accomplished That all All is tooke for all kinds and all of all kindes that is collectiuely excluding not any thing or for of each thing some that is to say distributiuely excluding some things For example The Pharisies did tithe all hearbes Luk. 11.42 1. Tim. 2.4 that is of all kinds of hearbs God would haue all men to be saued viz. of all sexes men women and of all callings superiours inferiours or of all nations Iewes Gentiles Barbarians Scythians And in the largest sense it may be tooke in this place For the Apostle seemes to answere a secret obiection Some might say What shall affliction worke for good the answere is Yes whatsoeuer it be good or bad Things Things is any thing from God to the least ens entity and being for sinne it selfe is called a thing as These things Psal 50.21 that is these sinnes hast thou done So that by things here is meant any thing that can be named or conceiued Heb. 12.11 Worke To wit Turne or fall out in the end and euent by Gods disposing Together Not apart or as they be simply to bee considered in themselues for separate affliction from grace or Gods ouer-ruling and disposing hand Gen. 50.20 it cannot worke but for euill As simple poyson by it selfe receiued doth kill but being mixed with other ingredients cureth the sicke patient so doth sinne For good That is for the good of grace here Psal 119.71 and glory hereafter For we exclude naturall and ciuill goodnesse from this good in this place mentioned though in another respect they may haue their prize and praise To them that loue God Deut. 11.1 Mat. 10.37 Loue is sometimes put for all the duties of religion But Paul doth mention it heere before any other thing for two reasons First because without loue al our proceedings are vnacceptable to God 1. Cor. 13.1 c. this is that spirituall salt that seasoneth all our actions Secondly 2. Cor. 5.14 in regard that we cannot suffer any affliction for any person or thing if we doe not loue it and affect him therefore Iacob serued seuen yeeres for Rahel Gen. 29.20 and they seemed vnto him but a few daies because he loued her And are called Calling is manifold either from the subiect place so God called his people out of Egypt or by the instrumentall causes Psal 19.3 so God calleth by his creatures iudgements word and actions or to an office so Iudas Againe it is effectuall or not effectuall Mat. 22.14 Many are called but not truly sauingly Now a man is said to be effectually called in respect of the manner ordinarily or extraordinarily ordinarily is 1. Cor. 1.2 by the Word and Spirit co-operating in a mans conuersion extraordinarily when the Spirit immediately without the Word read or preached speaketh to the heart of a sinner saying Arise thou that art out of
the way Rom. 1.6 turne into the right path and walke on in the gate that leadeth to glory And this effectuall calling is that that is here by the Apostle nominated whether ordinarily or extraordinarily effected that skils not for so a thing bee well done it matters not whether it bee effected by a common or more speciall manner of proceeding for that is not of the essence but an adiunct to rhe thing Hebr. 8.5 According In this word is a similitude of equall proportion To his That is Gods they that referre it to man are deceiued and corrupt the Text for God calleth not any for his foreseene faith 2. Tim 1 9. or workes but of his owne good pleasure and that when man hath no purpose to bee called at all Purpose This word seemes to haue in it two things the one a rule by which a thing is done the other a setled resolution to doe according to that rule the first hath relation to the vnderstanding the second to the will and we ascribe both to God For hee effecteth nothing without knowledge and all acts proceed from the will the one guiding and the other working perfecting Now both these without offence to his Maiesty may be ascribed vnto him And now will you heere the Metaphrase in order as it is summarily in the verse contained then thus it is briefly plainly as if the Apostle had thus more amply reasoned related I cannot denie but that afflictions and persecutions are troublesome and not easily vndergone by them that either preach or professe the Gospell yet notwithstanding this may be a meanes to strengthen the weake and feeble mindes of the faithfull for we that are the Disciples of Christ doe know by experience in respect of times past and are by faith assured for the future daies that there is nothing whatsoeuer as sinne sorrow death or what can be named or conceiued but to those that loue the Lord and are effectually called of his good pleasure it shall in the euent and finall conclusion by his wise disposing turne for the bringing of them to the truth of grace here and the eternall perfection of glory hereafter And this I conceiue to be the very true and naturall sense of the verse wee haue in hand so let vs now proceed to gather some particular Doctrines for our better and further instruction and this I take to bee one of the principall that Doct. 1 All things worke together for good vnto the children of God The Apostle in another place hath a speech something to the same purpose 1. Tim. 4.8 Bodily exercise saith he profiteth a very little yet godlinesse is profitable for all things But for the better prosecution of this point we will make a fourefold distribution All things that are for our good come either first from God secondly Satan thirdly others fourthly and lastly from our selues for in these wee may comprehend the most if not all things whereof wee haue to speake And concerning God we will consider either his attributes or his acts For his attributes though they bee many yet foure onely shall bee mentioned And because that Knowledge in God is most excellent for Satan at the first vsed it as an argument to seduce our Parents Genes 3.5 Yee shall be as gods knowing good and euill we will declare how it worketh for the good of all his children First by knowledge hee discerneth them from all reprobated bastards and is able to call them by name Exod. 33.12 And is not this good for them will it not comfort a child in that his father knoweth him By this hee also vnderstandeth not onely who we be but where we be what we be and the things that be the best for vs. Ignorance was a cause why Isaac blessed Iacob in stead of Esau for had he knowne it Genes 27.23 he would not haue done it Ignorance was the ground why some of the Princes of this world put to death the Lord of life for had they knowne him 1. Cor. 2.8 they would not haue crucified him 1. Tim. 1.13 Ignorance caused Paul to persecute the seruants of God and many more euils haue sprung from this blindnesse Wherefore God that knoweth his cannot passe by them and giue his blessings vnto others So that knowledge in God is for his childrens good Was it not good vnto Hagar Genes 16. Matth. 2. that the Lord knew her in the wildernesse for Iesus when he was in Egypt for Dauid seeing the vprightnesse of his heart and for Paul also The Lord knoweth whether I loue you or not yea 2. Cor. 11.11 by this all-sufficient and seeing eye he can collect the Elect from the foure ends of the world single them out of the deformed multitude gather together their very bones number their haires make a re-union of the same soule and body conuent them at the last day before him and reward them according to their workes Nay the discerning of our thoughts is profitable for the elect for thereby they shall not be hindred but helped And by his Omniscience hee discouereth the plots of the wicked and knoweth thereby how to frustrate and confound their close and cunning enterprises The sicke patient is comforted when as the Phisitian vnderstandeth the nature and danger of his disease and the best way and meanes that can cure him It cannot but be a vexation of spirit to be in calamitie and his best friends ignorant of his perplexitie Hence haue these sorrowfull speeches sprung Little doth my father and friends vnderstand where I am and my wofull condition would to God they did for then they would vse meanes to free mee comfort me Wherefore when men are imprisoned vnder the Turke or any Enemie the first thing they doe is to let their friends by letters or other waies to haue knowledge of it Truly Gods knowledge is the very first ground of comfort to all the faithfull for it maketh way that euill may be remoued from them and all that is good conferred vpon them and the more wee thinke vpon Gods Omniscience the more will it yeeld vs matter of mirth and great reioycing Dauid when he would encourage his sonne Salomon to serue God 1. Chron. 28.9 vseth it for a strong inducement for the Lord knoweth all hearts Christ pricketh his people for to pray on the same ground Matth 6.6 Your heauenly Father knoweth the things whereof ye stand in need Paul thereby strengtheneth the feeble minded in the apostacy of such as had made great profession 2. Tim. 2.19 The Lord knoweth who are his Peter and others perswadeth the children of God to doe good and suffer affliction producing it as a reason for the eye of the Lord is ouer the righteous He knoweth their works 1. Pet. 3.12 Reuel 2.19 and their dwelling place So that we see the Omniscience of God in all respects may and shall worke for his childrens good And from Gods
we reade 2. Tim. 4.11 that Paul willed Timothy to bring Marke with him for he was profitable to minister A rare spirit was this in Paul and hard to bee found in these dayes that would send from Rome to Troas for an assistant Finally let vs now come to our selues and if wee bee effectually called all that is within vs or that proceedeth from vs shall turne to our benefit not onely the good graces of Gods spirit and all outward fauours with our holy actions but our Originall sinne and actuall transgressions For first this inbred corruption will humble vs to the earth and make vs vile in our owne eyes Secondly cause vs to pray earnestly and often and thirdly will we nill we to denie our owne power and free-will and fourthly to seeke to God for mercy in Christ his Sonne And our actuall sinnes will worke the same effects also And is not he that is burthened wounded humbled in the way to be eased healed exalted I could instance in particulars Sampson some thinke sinned in matching with the Philistim Iudg. 14. yet thereby God brought a great destruction vpon the Churches enemies and made him a liuely type of our Lord. Isaac mist it through circumstance Gen. 26.8.9 insporting with Rebeccah notwithstanding it was a meanes of his safe deliuery out of the Kings hands Iacob may steale his brothers blessing but cannot the Lord sanctifie it vnto him 1. Sam. 21. vlt. Dauids faining of himselfe madde cannot well bee excused what of that God can so worke that thereby he shall escape death and danger And let this be obserued that as a man hauing tumbled in the mire and mudde by occasion whereof washeth off his clothes many lesser spots then which hee before that fall neglected so the faithfull through the commission of some great and fowle offence be brought by repentance to cleanse themselues of smaller sinnes then which had not yet been reformed except the other had befallen them And these may serue to manifest the truth of the thing that actuall sinne shall as it hath worke by the good hand of God for his childrens benefit and great commodity And now I come to render some generall reasons of the generall Proposition Reason 1 And first of all who can hinder the Lord from this action Prou. 21.30 Is there any wisedome counsell or vnderstanding against him cannot he tell that made all things of nothing brought light out of darknesse how to turne all for the good of the godly Who or what is able to preuent it no policy or inuention of man or Angell Reason 2 Againe his power is proportionable to his vnderstanding â—ob 9.4 for as he is wise in heart so is hee mighty in strength He can confound the policy of Achitophel breake the arme of Satan and turne the fierie bullets of his foes bark into their faces to fight for him and his and destroy the aduersaries he can cause all the crooked wheeles of the wicked to runne straight for the execution of his good pleasure This he hath done and this he can and will effect hereafter Reason 3 Moreouer as he knoweth how to doe it and hath power to effect it so hath he a will to execute it and who is able to hinder that irresistable motion â—om 9.19.22 will chaffe cast on the violent streame stay the current thereof from running shall a feather hinder the turbulent wind from blowing or the pismire moue the earth out of the worlds center why then may his will be preuented frustrated Reason 4 And is it not for his owne glory to effect this for the seed of the woman and for the shame of the wicked to bruise the head of that subtill Serpent Yes doubtlesse for if all his plots were not ouerthrowne then Satan and his brood should haue somewhat to glory in God to bee humbled for but they shall neuer effect their willes or the Lord be preuented of his Isa 59.5.6 They may weaue the webbe of the Spider but a winde shall huffe it away sit and hatch the Cockatrice egges but they shall breake forth into a Serpent that shall eate out her owne and their bowels And thus we come to make vse of the doctrine which is profitable euery manner of way Vse 1 First for confutation of the Papists who maintaine that A man effectually called iustified and in some measure sanctified may fall totally and for euer If the Popes position be a truth then the Apostles is a falshood for if one may fall from sauing grace and vtterly perish how can all things be said to worke together for good to such a person And in my opinion no one Text though there bee many for that purpose doth more make against our Aduersaries then this we haue in hand And what a comfortlesse doctrine is that which they defend Vse 2 The next is for reprehension of those which say It is in vaine to be religious Iob 21.15 What profit is there in seruing the Almighty What profit why all profit for all things shall worke together for their good sinne Satan death iudgement and hell Yea the worst thing that befalleth any of his children shall doe them more good then the best shall that can befall the wicked Heb. 11.25.26 It was better for Moses to suffer affliction with the faithfull then to haue been called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter and enioyed the pleasures of sinne for a season Oh that the men of our age did consider but this one thing then doubtlesse they would alter their minds and speedily change their manners For many fall into vtter desolation because they doe not deepely ponder this in their hearts Vse 3 And here it may teach the enemies of Gods children to learne a point of wisedome and if they will not shew themselues mad men to amend Psal 2.2 Psal 11.2 The Papist and Atheist may band themselues against the Lords annointed shoot at the vpright in heart and make hast to the spoyle But the righteous God shall cut their cords asunder Why then doe the Heathen rage Psal 94.8 and the people murmure a vaine thing O yee fooles when will ye be wise I haue often wondred why they still perseuere in their mischiefe But either they beleeue not the truth Psal 14.1 for the foole hath said in his heart there is no God or else with some of the former Pharisies and Alexander they haue sinned vnto death and that is a wickednesse implacable and if not so yet like Elymas the Sorcerer Act. 5.3 and 13.10 they are full of the diuell and pursue them of enuie or for lucre's sake and haue their hearts so set vpon malice Rom. 1.32 that though they are conuinced in iudgement and know that they doe euill and that God will reuenge yet will they persist in their wicked practises Doe wee not see some wrangling Clyants that though their learned Counsell tell them that their case