eijcio I cast not away The words are plaine and therfore let vs but consider the vse of them and so hast to an ende 1 First then they contayne a singular comfort against the wringing thought of our vnworthynesse being in sence as if the Lord Jesus should saye feare not though base though sinnefull poore and of no accompt in the eye either of thy selfe or others For if thou commest to me thou art welcome notwithstanding these and I neuer cast away him that commeth True beloued true and most true blessed be his maiestie for such goodnesse Publicans and sinners poore fishermen and despised Gentils he hath entertayned withall mercie fafour as we know Come vnto me all ye y t trauell and are heauy laden carieth with it no exception of pouertie or basenesse but reacheth out comfort to all commers be they neuer so many in the eyes of men ego reficiam vos I will refresh you At what time soeuer a sinner repenteth himselfe from the botome of his hart I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance saith the Lord. Hath it any exception of vnworthinesse against any true repenter If thy sinnes were as redd as skarlet I will make them as white as snow noteth it any casting away of any y t is truely sorowfull No no. And therefore this speach is true he that commeth to me I cast not away Dauid so dead by adultery and murder he cast not away when repentance cryed hartely Lord forgiue Paul a most fierce Saul persecuting the saints of God was not cast away when he came Peter with his periury sinful denyall was yet receiued when he came Mary with her seuen diuells was not cast away He that sorowfully sayd Lord I beleeue to witt as I am able help my vnbeleefe found his swéet comfort notwithstanding imperfection In a word he that commeth vnto me I cast not away haue all true commers to Christ foūd since y ◠world was and shall doe till it ende againe Heauen and earth passing but not a iote of this word of God fayling in truth swéetnesse promised 2 An other swéete vse of these words is this Comfort against contempt in the world and disdaine of proud ones Thou commest to their houses tables and companies being poore simple but a true fearer of God his lawes and what entertainment hast thou Surelie this thou art cast out and contemned For either they cannot be mery whilst thou art in place or y e pride of their places séeme nothing sutable to so sely a guest Farewell they behould thy comfort héere Jesus Christ casteth thée not awaie if thou come to him and therefore blesse him loue him and still more more in all thy occasions resort to him leauing those proud pecocks to the will of him that hateth them and theire sinnefull contempt of their brethren and his most déere seruants 3 A third vse is this to Magistrates rulers iudges gouernours vnto whome come thousands with sorow in their harts and litle money peraduenture in their purses O cast them not away as néere as you can without your comfort Their spirits are troubled their iniuries be great their skill but small to moue your affections by any orderly tale But this scripture is written and let it moue you and moue you greatly that your Lord master casteth none away that come to him He in nature and you in office be gods of comfort to poore commers the fewer you cast away the liker to him and if you cast none away then lykest of all And what better paterne of liked life then Christ our Lord. O happie man that foloweth him riding on horsebacke casteth a comfortable eye downe to him that walketh afoote by his side telling his case as panting and breathing feare of some greater man to come and cary you from him will giue him leaue Yea O happy man I say againe For in earth such an one shalbe blessed praysed and prayed for and in heauen no more cast away then he hath cast others but receyued and comforted as he hath done others 4 Fourthly it most notably implieth the certayntie and assurance of our saluation For if the constancy of Christs loue to all that come vnto him be such that he neuer casteth any of them away iudge in your owne selfe if once you finde the assurance of your cōming whether your safetie be not sealed in the word of Gods truth that you can no more perish then he be vntrue Laye this text then to many scriptures mo that most comfortably deliuer this doctrine to vs. To the first Psalme which saith the man that is once come to Christ by a true beléefe in his name and a life as God inableth according to such faith is like a tree planted by the water side whose leafe shall neuer fade nor fall away for want of moysture neuer neuer To the two and thirtie of Ieremy where promise is made that the couenant with such as are come vnto him shalbe euerlasting that he will neuer turne away from them to doe them good but will put his feare in their harts that they shall not depart from him Which place Austen often vrgeth and setteth it as a wall of brasse against doubt héerein by any man To the testimony in Mathew againe wher it is sayd they should deceiue the verie elect if it were possible if it were possible againe I say and euer remember it To the tenth of Ihon where our Sauiour saith I will giue my sheepe that is such as our text to day calleth cōmers to him eternal life and they shall neuer perish neither shal any pluck them out of my hands With a number such places mo all proouing and preaching this truth of God vnto vs that once finde in our selues a true comming to Jesus Christ by faith and obedience the two heads of all religion and conclude a comfort more swéete then tounge can tell our saluation is sure when this life is ended for this text is plaine with all else now named He that commeth to me I neuer cast away Shaken we may be dangerously tempted as God shall thinke good but perish we cannot if these scriptures be true Peter is a paterne what may befal vs and Peter is a proofe of Gods goodnesse toward vs. Of whom Tertullian saith thus Fidei robur concussum fuit sed non excussum mota fuit fides sed non amota caepit arescere sed nō exaruit ore deū negauit sed corde tenuit The strēgth of his fayth was shaken but not shiuered in peeces moued it was but not remoued it began to dry but it withered not quite with his mouth he denyed God but his hart did not fully and finallie let him go Thus farre may we fall which yet God forlnd and by the mercy that raysed him rise againe 〈…〉 tentatoris viuit tamen radix Wel may
the tempter cast downe our leaues that declared vs to liue and yet shall the roote remaine a liue though it be not seene saith Theophilact Fowlly fell Dauid we all know and felt a feareful change in his hart when he cryed O Lord Let me feele y e comfort of thy Spirit againe yet finally forsakeÌ„ he neuer was nor cast away Notable is the storie of master Robert Glouer in the Acts and Monuments of our Church to show how shrodly a childe of God may be shaken humbled yet all well in time againe Master Glouer to my remembrance hauing receiued sentence to be burned for his faith was in the prison after so bereft of all swéet comfort and féeling of the Spirit in his soule and inwards that he séemed rather to himselfe as it were forsaken then otherwise of God and his grace Diuers godly brethren to whome he made great lamentation for this his dulnesse comforted him with gods promises assuring him in the truth therof y â— it would be otherwise with him in due tyme though thus it pleased God to humble him for a while happely as in déede it was y â— it might be more swéet when it come Say what they all could he receiued no tast of swéetnesse but remained still all dull and heauie dead in himselfe The tyme of his death came he thus voyde of comfort a dolefull and heauie case if we thinke of it The brethren applied him stil with their comfort bad him not feare for as sure as the Lord liued who neuer forsaketh his in their most néede the Spirit would come againe yet ere he died And because they were most sure of it grounding themselues vpon Gods promises which neuer faile therfore they intreated him that when it came he should giue them a signe or by some meanes or other make them acquainted with it both for their comfort present and instruction euer in the like triall He promised that he would and now sée the wonderfull worke of God being taken out of the prison and vpon his way to the place where he must dye sodainly in y â— way came such a streame of swéetnesse into his hart and such a power of the Spirit replenished his soule that he cryed with a loude voyce He is come he is come he is come To the vnspeakeable comfort of the godly brethren that had assured him thereof before the great wonder of them that knew not what be meant Neuer being so heauy in the tyme of his huÌ„bling as now he was ioyfull after this his lightning Tried therfore I say Gods children may be and séeme as forsaken but yet in the ende it is not so my text being true as God is true He that commeth to me I neuer cast away Stand we therefore in the truth of God with assured comfort of our happy end when once we find we are truely come to Jesus Christ by the Fathers giuing Eor whom the Lord loueth to the and he loueth Iesus Christ is yesterday to day the same for euer But O presumption presumption cry some y t neuer knew or else would not haue y t people of God to know what true pietie meaneth Papists I meane who in no case can abide this doctrine being a cutthrote to their purgatorie masses and satisfactorie works all flowing from a fearefull vncertaintie what shall become of vs deuised by theÌ„ to comfort this feareful thought with all Alas beloued is this presumption to giue credit to God when he promiseth yea againe and againe and twentie times promiseth Make the case your owne and suppose that your selues do promise a man either â—aiment or pleasure or some thing or other and the partie resteth vpon the truth of that word assuring himselfe it shal neuer faile but is as sealed with a thousand seales Doth this man offend in presuming or rather yeld you the credit y â— is due vnto you you meaning w t all truth the performance of your word So is this case yea so much better as God excéedeth man in truth of meaning and power to performe what he promiseth God saith I will not cast him away that commeth or I do neuer cast him away If I beléeue this â—o be true doe I presume or performe my dutie in giuing credit to the Lord Nay is not y â— doubting of it a feareful dishonoring of God and detracting from his truth Surely if a man should doubt one of your wordes you will make it and take it a wrong and shall it be no wrong to doubt of God Much more Therefore let these sinfull men delight in their owne discomfort the Lords disgrace till God open their eyes let you and me be of Austens iudgement in this matter Non est ista superbia elati sed câ—â—fessio non ingrati This is not any pride of one puffed vp but a confession of one that is not vnthankfull If any man thinke yet this doctrine of assuraÌ„ce will make men carelesse how they liue I haue answered before this obiection and showed that is neuer so in them that are truely religious and truely taught because they know God hath aswell apointed the way as the ende that is holy life aswell as saluation in heauen And Pietas quae finem nouit non est pietas Pietie that ceaseth was neuer pietie Lastly these words teach vs constancie in loue and affection one towards an other as our Lord and Sauiour is most constant towardes all â—â—at come to him We are to fickle and tickle many of vs to day takeing and to morow forsaking to day louing and to morow lothing without any cause in the world other then our owne naturall corruption soone hott soone colde Such is not our God Sauiour we héere sée who neuer reiecteth whome once he accepteth neuer casteth away who once commeth to him And what better paterne to frame our selues vnto then such an one Such was not Ruth who answered her mother in law that wold haue had her returne and sayd Intreat me not to leaue thee nor to depart from thee For whither thou goest I will go where thou dwellest I will dwell thy people shalbe my people and thy God my GOD. Where thou dyest I will dye and there will I be buryed The Lord do so to me more also if ought but death depart thee and me This was stedfastnesse worthie praise and an example for all to folow that in this behalfe wil be worthie of prayse Such againe was not Traian the Emperour of whome it is written that when Sura Licinius one whome he greatly trusted was accused to him that he was not faithfull but practised trechery against him Traian would not be induced to suspect his faith â—home long he had loued and duely tried but in stede of that frowne with the appurtenances which the accusers looked for went to Sura his house vnbidden tould him he would suppe with him called for Sura
A SERMON Preached at Paules Crosse the second Sunday in Mychaelmas tearme last 1590. By Geruase Babington D. of Diuinitie Not printed before this 23. of August 1591. ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas Este dwelling in Aldersgate streete at the signe of the black Horse and are there to be sould ¶ TO THE RIGHT worshipfull Thomas Cranfield Master Henry Rowe Barthelmew Barnes and Nicholas Staynes wardens and the rest of the right worshipfull Societie of the Mercery of the citie of London I Haue euer accounted ingratitude Right worshipfull to be not onely the greatest but the vgliest moÌ„ster in nature according to that Ingratum si dixeris omnia dixeris Wondring at the most sort of men which in this our age doe liue that they so litle regard of it and not rather altogether shunne abhor it But when I perticulerly muse of some as of my selfe I find that either oportunitie wil not alwaies serue or hability in most doth waÌ„t to those that cary willing minds to shew theÌ„selues mindeful in words or answerable in deeds And concerning my selfe which is now my drift purpose I haue often feared least of diuers hereof I should as guiltie be noted of many to whome I haue beene greatly beholden iustly condemned But of none more then of your worships and this right worshipfull company which to me and myne for these many yeres haue ben most bountifull Patrons in diuers respects as louing and carefull pareÌ„ts Wherefore hauing gotten some fitt occasion I thought not to pretermit the same but therein to show my minde and poore habilitie wherein I may doe your worships any seruice I doe here offer to your worships a small present small I say in respect of answering any benefit receued but great pretious in regard of the matter therin conteined A Sermon preached at Paules Crosse as the tytle showeth by a learned godly serious laborer in the Church of GOD which being of the best generally liked so of many earnestly desired Amongst whom diuers of my friends by reason of my ancient acquaintance with the Preacher did request me being therto desirous of my selfe to procure a copie of the same affirming that it would for euer be a comfort to them one Sermon instead of many Sermons Which I assaying to doe at the first found him very vnwilling to graunt being before requested the like by certaine of great account Yet I presuming farther to presse him bearing my selfe bold vpon long acquaintaÌ„ce knowledge with the remembraÌ„ce of diuerse other benefits which I had often and diuerse wayes receaued of him presuming to argue and vrge farther my sute aleadging that I knew his mind was not onely to profit the audience theÌ„ present but to do good to so many as coÌ„ueniently he could according to my experienced knowledge of him of long time At length I obtained a Copie of him of his owne haÌ„d writing which I haue caused to be Printed not onely for the benefit of your worships this right worshipful Company to whome being diligently read often meditated vpon I doubt not but it will be fruitfull but also to so many as shall read or heare the same which was the authors labor and purpose and my poore endeuor and request This I say I am bound to present your worships with all hoping you wil vse the benefit therin contained by due consideration and accept of my minde and dutie which I owe your worships to whome as to the rest of this right worshipful company I pray for the encrease of our heauenly fathers grace with the still continuance of the same Your worships most bounden Richard Wilkinson Things touched in this Sermon COncerning the doctrine of our election The dislikers of it fol. 5 Reasons why it ought to be taught 6 The euidence of the doctrine 8 The cause of election 11 The stabilitie of it 13 The number certaine 15 Knowledge of it in our selues 16 The vse and comfort of it 17 Cauills and obiections against it answered 23 Diuers sorts of conmers to Christ 33 Pride outward in apparell 35 Pride inward in minde fol. 38 Ouer nice humilitie 41 Slippers from the Ministerie ibid. A holow heart to the state fol. 42 The iudgement of God vppon Traytors euer ibid. Contention and Diuision in the church 43 Holow reuerence to Superiors 50 Titles vsed to minist ibid Church robbers 53 Comfort against our vnworthinesse 59 Against disdaine 61 A patern for iudges lawyers gouernors ibid Certainty of our saluation 62 Yet how a child of God may be shaken 64 The storie of master Robart Glouer Martyr 65 No presumption to beleeue the certaintie of saluation 67 Constancie in good affection 69 Not esily to suspect whom we haue trusted ibid. Sectaries excom 71 Iohn 6. 37. All that the Father giueth me shal come vnto me him that commeth to me I cast not away IN the verse before right Honorable beloued in y â— Lord all wée heare our Sauiour Christ affirme of the Capeâ—naits that they also amongst others had séene him but beléeued not The reason is implied in these words which I haue read because they were not giuen of the father For all that the Father giueth mee saith our sauiour in this text commeth vnto me and him that commeth to me I cast not away So is this verse I say a reason of the former we plainely sée it Added of our sauiour Christ in his most déepe wisedome to answere both then and whilst y â— world indureth for the vnbeléefe of many which contemne the Gospell that it ought not as it often is be a stumbling block to any to make them mislike or doubt of Gods truth because many reiect the same cannot be won to regard and folow it as they ought For they that so do and continew are not giuen to Christ of the Father being not giuen they come not it being an effect of y t Fathers giuing to come to the Sonne as witnesseth our Sauiour both in this place and else where when he saith He that is of God heareth Gods word ye therefore heare them not because ye are not of God Againe But ye beleeue not because ye are not of my sheepe And thirdly As many as were ordayned to aeternall life beleeued as many as were ordayned with diuers such places all proouing as I say that to come to Christ by faith procéedeth as an effect from the fathers giuing of vs to Christ by election A doctrine if euer necessarie now surely most necessarie when the fearefull contempt of Gods word that ruleth in many either is or may be a stumbling block to weake mindes that iudge not persons by faith but faith by persons as Lactantius speaketh Not knowing or else not weighing this point of Gods sacred truth that they onely beléeue which are ordayned which are of God which are sheepe to as this text speaketh which are giuen to y â— Sonne by y
t Father Which because many yea the most part of men are not therefore they beléeue not neither imbrace that thing which in it selfe yet is worthie all loue and following Necessarie I say to these weake ones that they may learne not to fall away from goodnesse for this cause and necessarie to these vnbeléeuing contemners to awake them to looke how this contempt taketh any roote in them least happely it be by their reiection from God because they are not of the number of them whome the Father hath giuen to his Sonne to be saued of him and by him and in him in his iudging day Purposing then by the Lords assistance and your godly patience to say something of this matter let the order for me to speake and you to heare be the selfe same which the holy ghost directeth vs vnto in the text First of the Fathers giuing Secondly of their coÌ„ming that are giuen Thirdly of the intertainmeÌ„t with Christ that they finde which being giuen doe come Non eijcio I cast not away 1 Part. Concerning the first to wit the Fathers giuing contained in these words all that the Father giueth mée a learned writer sayth thus Quos pater dedit praedestinatione veniunt per fidem tales non eijcit Christus Whome the Father giueth by predestination those come to Christ by faith and he casteth not away such commers Making this giuing of the father to be nothing else but his eternall election apointment vnto life of such as he will haue saued in Christ and by Christ And in déede so it is Dat enim Christo pater cum eligit in Christo tanquam in capite in quo omnia meÌ„bra salua erunt The Father giueth to Christ when he electeth in Christ as in the head in whome all the meÌ„bers shalbe saued Proofes of scripture are the grounds of grounds to direct both my speche and your faith of those I could remember you of many if it were néedefull But the 17. of Ihon shall suffice vs for all where it is said I haue declared thy name vnto the men whom thou Gauest me thine they were thou Gauest them me I pray not for the world but for them whome thou hast Giuen me Holy Father keepe them whome thou hast Giuen me Them whom thou Gauest me I haue kept Ouer ouer repeating this word you sée euer by the same noting Gods election of his seruants and children apointed to be saued Therefore this exposition is plaine not onely by testimonies of interpreters but by conference witnesse of scriptures themselues So then the doctrine of Gods election is the first point that to day we are occasioned by this text to speake and heare of it being ment by y â— word Giuing as I haue shewed A doctrine as you well know that both heretofore hath and euen yet still is of ignorant minds auoided as a dangerous doctrine iudged not fit to be spoken of except it be in schooles and charged with many wicked inconueniences as flowing from y â— affirmation thereof The Epistles of Prosper and Hilari prefixed before the bookes of Austen De predestinatione sanctorum will iustifie what I say in stede of many mo which might be brought What others of later time especially Papists haue both writen and dayly speake would be to tedious to obserue Whatsoeuer they were or are olde or 〈◊〉 is most certaine they consider not Either y e dutie of gods ministers childreÌ„ Or the great euidence of Scripture for this doctrine Or y e swet vse of it to mani special purposes For all these do show that the doctrine in no case is to be auoyded but both spoken and heard of as occasion shall serue to Gods great glory and his true seruaunts swéete comfort And first for our dutie thinke of it I pray you Surely it is this Ut arcana non inuestigare ita reuelata non occultare supprimere As not to search the secrets of God which are not reuealed so not to suppresse and hide what is reuealed For so teacheth vs Moyses if you remember when he saith The secret things belong to the Lord our God but the things reuealed belong to vs and to our children for euer that we may do all the words of the lawe Againe it is our dutie to estééme of the Lord and his word thus that as he hath omitted nothing that is needefull to be knowen so hath he laid downe nothing but what ought to be knowen and is most â—â—â—fitable But he hath laid downe this doctrine of our election therefore necessary to be taught and looked into of all men Thirdly it is the dutie of all faithfull ministers to preach the gospell wholie to Gods people and to deliuer vnto them euen all the counsel of God But this doctrine is a part of the contents of this booke of God therefore to be deliuered to Gods people as occasion shall serue or else we do not our duities And least any man should distinguish of Gods people say some be learned some be vnlearned the one may be thus preached vnto but not the other coÌ„sider I pray you the words of our Sauiour Christ Go preach the gospell Omni creaturae To all creatures euidently giuing the simpler sort as good right to the whole doctrine of his word as the better and the vnlearned as the learned Which y â— faithfull Apostle well knew when he saide I am a debter both to the Graecians and Barbarians both to the wisemen and to the vnwise If any man will say yet a care must be had of mens capacities and of edification I confesse it willingly and therefore haue alwaies added as occasion serueth that is as shall be fit for y â— people to whom we speake going by degrées in all our doctrine as may most profit and euer soberly and carefully keping within the limits of the word But vtterly to suppresse and alwaies to auoyd any truth reueled in the booke of God or by name this truth of our election and predestination I say it is not lawfull but the contrarie a parcell of our bounden dutie both to God our selues and our brethren In the second place they consider as litle the euidence of scripture for this doctrine as they haue done before our duties For I may bouldly saye there is no one thing more plainely and fully testified in the word then this is being often iterated and beaten vpon in sundry places That a thing often spoken of might at one time or other be duelie marked and borne away First the doctrine then the branches The doctrine it selfe is layd downe in this sort That as the clay lyeth before the potter to be vsed and handled disposed of and formed as shall please him so were all men at the first before the Lord in his eternall counsell to receiue an ende or vse according to his will to life or death
others the rest on boards and broken péeces of y t ship came all safe to shore Thus did meanes effect Godê purpose and not Gods purpose knowen of Paule hinder the carefull vse of meanes in him or the company A third example if you will let vs adde to these two as pregnant to our purpose as either of theÌ„ Our Sauiour Christ him selfe in his youth was sought for by Herod to haue bene slaine Yet God had apointed him to liue and to effect the worke of our redemption So in respect of Gods decrée it was not possible y t Herod should hurt him doe what he could What then would God haue this counsell of his a cause of securitie or neglect of meanes in Ioseph the reputed father of our Sauiour No. But his owne selfe willeth him in a dreame by his Angel to take Mary and the Child and to slye into Egipt there tarying till he should bring him word Which Ioseph dyd so by vse of meanes preserued him whom yet God had apointed to liue from euerlasting do Herod all the world what they could Did Mary hinder Ioseph from vsing these meanes saying to him tush do not we know what God hath aponinted this Child vnto Did not I heare what the Angell said to me when I conceiued what the Shepherds wise men said when he was borne what Simeon and Anna sayd at my Purification all which things Mary layd vp in her hart saith the text therefore let Herod doe what he can Gods apointmeÌ„t must take place cannot be preuented by his malice though we sit still and slye not at all Did I say Mary thus reason or thus hinder him Nothing lesse And therefore learne we euer by this example the true dutie of Gods children the right vse of the doctrine of gods predestination Surely it is this that whatsoeuer the decrée of God is we euer pitch our owne eyes vpon the meanes that God hath apointed knowing that as he hath apointed vs to the ende so he hath prescribed away to come to the same by If I wilbe saued I must doe this if I will not be damned I must auoyd that So you sée did Rebecca Paule God himselfe for his Sonne Christ and all that euer feared God vnderstoode this doctrine since the world began So doe we our owne selues I doe not doubt at this day carefully working our saluation with feare trembling by hearing the word receiuing the Sacraments and folowing the course prescribed in the word to such as wilbe saued Making the determined counsell of God in predestinating vs to life whereof in our consciences we féele a swéete assurance the ende of this our obedience a comfort against our imperfections wheÌ„ we cannot do the good that we would and therevpon Satan séekes to terrifie vs and in a word rather a chéefe cause to incourage vs to the vse of meanes then any way to make vs negligent in the course of good liuing Let prophane persons doe what they will and say what they list as hoth works and words be vnsanctified yet thus both doe say the godly whome we are to folow If for the abusing of this doctrine by some the doctrine it selfe must be reiected then must y e whole word it selfe be also prohibited because that vnto some it is a sauour of death vnto death as often as it is either read or preached But God forbid Let sinne be sinne in them that abuse it and truth be frée for them that will learne it Uaine then is this obiâ—ction I hope you sée against gods predestination that it maketh vs carelesse what we doe Surely it maketh vs most carefull as I haue shewed And let this suffite Why but if I did nothing yet I should be saued being apointed to be saued and if I do neuer so well yet I shalbe damned being apointed therevnto Be not deceiued Being apointed to be saued it is not possible that you should do nothing For aswell you are apoynted to the meanes as to the end which apointmeÌ„t is effectual euer as examples haue showed no example can be showed to y â— contrary For as predestination hath folowed vpon loue in God so doth calling folow predestination iustification folow calling sanctification which is this vsing of meanes that I speake of folow iustification Till at the last we come to gloryfication You knowe it is the Apostles cheyne to the Romanes Contrarywise if a man be apoynted vnto death and a reprobate it is neuer possible that his déeds should be good in respect of him selfe but alwaies there wilbe some secret poyson in them as was in Iudas care for the poore when he would haue had the oyntment sould beare they neuer such a glosse to the eye of the world And therefore that againe is but an error that men shalbe damned do they neuer so well being apoynted therevnto Well Sir then may you say this is also that which maketh against this doctrine which you now handle that it séemeth to iustifie or excuse the wicked who are not able to do other wise theÌ„ they do being marked of God vnto perdition therfore should not as it séemeth be punished for that which they cannot chuse but commit Neither in this againe let vs be deceyued For to sinne necessarely and to sinne constraynedly are two things farre differing one from an other The reprobate they sinne necessarely in respect of Gods decrée but yet they sinne not constreynedlie or by force thereof at any time For then might their punishment séeme somewhat hard But there is in them knowledge many times when they sinne will delight anger if they be restreyned or brideled any way all which are testimonies against theÌ„ of the iustice of their punishment fully conuincing them in their consciences and accusing theÌ„ clering this doctrine of Gods decrée from being any compulsion to them to transgresse euer Let this cauill therfore also cease and this holy doctrine stand still vndefiled in our eyes Thirdly it is not so high mysticall obscure hidden if it be soberly intreated of and within the limitts of the word but that it may be vnderstode with profit and comfort of a reuereÌ„t minde Witnesse hereof all that I haue now saide of the points seuerall members of this doctrine so euident and plaine and easie as we cannot desire a greater light If any thing be obscure in it or hard yet may not that cause all the rest to be reiected as Austen truely testified when he said Numquid negandum quod apertum quia comprehendi non potest quod occultum Must we therefore deny what is playne and manifest because we cannot comprehend what is hidden Thus doe we sée the vanitie of mens cauills against this sacred truth of God and whatsoeuer else is brought of any man against it falleth as these with the light of truth when they are considered and compared with it And let thus much
suffice for the first point The 2. part Venit ad me Commeth vnto me Venire ad christum est christum fide amplecti locum dare veritati To come vnto Christ is to embrace him by faith to giue place to the truth saith one Quod dedit mihi pater scilicet perpraedestinationem venit ad me s per fidem What the father hath giuen me to wit by predestination that commeth vnto me by faith saith an other as we hard before in the beginning Quid est qui ad me venerit nisiqui se mihi certa fide dederit What is this he that commeth vnto me but he that giueth himselfe vnto me by assured faith saith a third By all which and many mo that I could aledge we sée the sense is thus much as if our Sauiour should haue saide all that the father giueth me by his election to life those come vnto me by faith that is those lay hould of me and embrace me by true beléeuing in me testifie that fayth by fruits of the same dayly as God inableth Which euidently confirmeth that which I sayd before that the cause of election is in God not in man For here we sée beléeuing floweth from gods giuing and not gods giuing from our beléeuing Therefore is true faith called Electorum fides the faith of the elect because it is in none but in them springeth euer from this fountaine As many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued saith the Apostle Making ordayning first and beléeuing second The like doth that golden cheyne testifie in the eight to the Romans and many places mo Sée then beloued in these words giuen to vs by the Lord Jesus our Sauiour himselfe a sure token a true way to know whether we be the children of God or no and stand in a comfortable estate if God should call vs herehence Surely if we be come vnto Christ by a true faith working to holy life then are we sure by Christes owne words who is truth it selfe that we are giuen by the Father that is chosen and elected to eternall life and cannot perish And that the Lorde would haue vs marke this and make a tryall of our selues by it his very spech declareth For he could haue sayde as easily euery one that is elected is giuen vnto me as all y â— is giuen me commeth vnto me but that by the former no light had broken out to vs wheras by the later we haue a most plain signe Looke we then earnestly at this marke sée if we be commers commers a right vnto Christ For Iudas came and that with both lowly louely behauiour out ward but his drift was naught no lesse then treason In the 7. of Ihon some came to Christ but they came to intrap him In this present chap. they came to Christ that by slocks but it was for loâ—ues and not for loue as our sauiour telleth them The Capernaites also both came and saw as others dyd but they beléeued not Many amongst vs come to Church Sermons Lectures as others to the good comfort of men that sée no more then what is without but God knoweth secrets the ende of all mens comming Certaine it is that euerie comming proueth not a giuing of God therefore looke we about 〈◊〉 It is no smal dutie of a Christian man woman to be carefully harted and sharply sighted to sée into themselues how they walke liue and are like to dye when the trée falleth so shall lye till the iudging daye For the spirit often beateth vpon this as a néedefull thing Let vs search trye our wayes saith y â— Prophet Ieremy Proue your selues whether you be in the faith or no saith y â— Apostle with many such like Many haue thought too well of them selues and found it too late Here is a direction before our eyes If we be Gods we are elected so giuen to Christ as men that shall not perish but be saued in him by him eternally This election shall apeare to vs by comming to Christ For all that y â— Father giueth commeth to him sayth this text This comming to Christ is by faith What faith By a true liuely faith And how is that knowne Euer by fruits as fire by heat Here then is y â— point Our fruits show our faith our faith showes our comming to Christ and our comming to Christ in this sort showeth our election by God to eternall lyfe Fruits then are all which what they are this daye in many of vs that proâ—esse the gospell religiously as men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the maiestie of God the burning brightnesse of his pearcing eyes let vs all consider in the secret soules and consciences of vs. May that fearefull strange and monstrous pryde in aparell that this daye apeareth and eateth vp this lande testifie vnto the soule of any man or woman delighted with it and in it that they are come to Christ did euer any in the world proue his election by this fruit we know â—o We thinke no euen as we sit now and yet we feare not Herod was royally robed and dreadfully perished The rich glutton with his costly purple fine linnen was a castaway And had not vanitie of aparell saith Gregory béene a gréeuous sinne Nunquam sermo dei tam vigilanter exprimiret quod diues qui torquebatur apud inferos bysso purpura indutus fuisset Neuer would the word of God so carefully note that this rich man tormented in hell was in his life time clothed with purple fine linen So saith he else where if pryde in aparell were not most sinnefull neuer would Christ so haue praised Ihons meannesse and plainnesse in aparell or the Apostle haue exhorted women to beware of brodered haire c. By the prophet Sophony the Lord saith He will visit all those that go in strange apparell meaning the courtiers as the marginall note saith which imitated other nations in their apparell If the Lord threaten punishment iudge in a féeling hart how he liketh it Saint Ierom noteth an example of his punishment in a noble woman in those daies who decking and painting vp a yong mayde that was her Neece with Jewells in her haire and such like trimings by and by had both her handes withered and shortly after dyed concluding vpon it Sic gemmas pretiosissima ornamenta Christus defendit So doth Christ defend pretious stones end gaye clothes God forbid all hands in these daies that are busied in such dressing of haire and hanging on of ornameÌ„ts aboue that which is fit should tast of such iudgemeÌ„t yet feare beloued and thinke of this example in the middest of your deckings For God may show his wrath if it please him in a moment Cypryan sayth profitably Tormenta paucorum exempla sunt omnium The punishment of one is an example for all And with the wise