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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	bear_v	good_a	tree_n	8,220	5	10.2554	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61645	A stock of divine knowledge, being a lively description of the divine nature, or, The divine essence, attributes, and Trinity particularly explaned [sic] and profitably applied the first, shewing us what God is : the second, what we ought to be / by the late learned and laborious preacher, and worthy instrument of Gods glory, Richard Stock ...	Stock, Richard, 1569?-1626.	1641 (1641)	Wing S5693; ESTC R34616	191,839	352

good thou hast in thy creation redemption and renewing let it be a provocation to returne good againe to God or else the more shall be thy condemnation let every man therefore labour after this manner to answer the goodnesse of God that herein may be his comfort for then we are best to our selves when we returne good againe and worse to our selves when we returne evill therefore we ought thus to approve our goodnesse to him and have this ever upon our hearts how doth the goodnesse of God call for obedience that we may glorifie God heer and then by him we may be glorious in the life to come OF THE GOODNESSE OF GOD. CHAP. XV. 1. JOHN 4.8 God is love ACcording to our order the next that followed was the goodnesse of God and as you heard what it was namely a communicable Attribute c. whereby God was absolutely good of himselfe c. the parts of which have been explaned and you heard we have made two uses according as time suffered us there now remaines divers other uses that might be made of this but to teach two more Vse 3. The use now which is the third is a confirmation of our faith against the Heretiques and Heresies concerning God First against Sardian who first raised up and after him Marcion as Tertullian reports wrot that the God who was the creator was not good as the story reports this Marcion being some times of the Church fell into uncleanesse and being deprived of the Communion of the Church and so cast out for deflouring of a Virgin he in envy taught that God the creator was not good but we see by this description which I have given of Gods goodnesse the falshood of this heresie for God is good and there is no evill comes from him as it is evill though the evill of punishment comes from him for from that which is good as it is good no evill can come therefore when evills of judgement comes from God they are good Saint Chrysostome saith he had a conference with a Marcionite and he reasoned thus God was good saith he if he would not take account for sinne but seeing he doth take an account for sin he is not good Chrysostom saith I answer thee Marcionite that God is good because he doth take account of sinne for if men now exceed Lions and Beares when God doth take account of sinne what would they doe if God should take no account of sin I dispute with thee Marcionite saith the father thou hast a family if thy servants despise thee and thy government and beat thy children thou do nothing to them tell me whether this were good in thee or no every man will conclude no and should we make God idle that will suffer men to do what they list therefore we see the goodnesse of God is very good though he take an account of sin Vse 4. The fourth use is whosoever hath received any good from God spirituall or temporall outward or inward it teaches him that he should be thankfull to God thankes ought to be returned but you will say Quest How shall we be thankfull Answ I answer two waies in word and in deed we must use the goods we receive and use them well whosoever is unthankfull in word he is also in deed unthankfull he that useth not his talent or useth it not well whatsoever his words be is unthankfull to God whatsoever his talent be whether knowledge wisedome or riches if a man shall hoard up riches let him remember what Saint Basil said when he reproved such they answered they did no man injury are they not their owne goods I but saith he didst thou bring them into the world with thee no sure then thou must be thankefull God hath honored men when he hath given them more then others but yet hath made them but Stewards that Steward dishonoreth his master that keeps that he hath to himself and doth not use it to the benefit of the family those men provoke the justice of God to revenge the quarrell of his mercy that use not his mercies many men receive good things but they are unthankfull in the use of them as the Prodigall sonne made an evill use of his portion to the abuse of his father For the conclusion they are to use every thing three waies for the glory of God to the benefit of others and their owne comfort three things unseparable for if any man use any thing to the dishonour of God and hurt of his brethren or of himselfe he is unthankefull every man ought to returne part of that he hath to God part of it to the benefit of others as the Apostle speakes 1. Tim. 6.17 Charge them that are rich that they trust not in uncertaine riches on the other side charge them that they doe good that they be good and that they be better for their riches S. Cyprian complaineth of some that they were the poorer to God the richer he was to them every man ought therefore according as he hath received to returne due thankefullnesse againe to God Now we come to speake of the love of God and the question is Quest What is the love of God Answ The answer is it is a communicable Attribute whereby God loves himselfe his sonne and his spirit and then his creatures freely but not equally to explane these points we give love to God as other Attributes not as qualities not as accidents not as any thing comming from God that was not in him before because there is nothing in God that is not in God Love is given to God as voide of all imperfection or error it is a rule that the Learned have that whatsover Attribute is given to God must be free from all imperfection and error before we can Attribute it to him and therefore love as it is an Attribute given to God must be purged from all imperfection there are three things in love First a good will that one bears to another Secondly a good worke Thirdly a delighting in that which is loved these things are in God none hath a better will then God none doth more good then God and there is none that delights more in his beloved then God himselfe againe we say it is a communicable Attribute not that love is in God as it is in man but because there is something in man that is like this love of God man being made partaker of the godly nature that is they have this in the quality that God hath in substance and therefore we call it a communicable Attribute In the next place we say it is that whereby he loves himselfe his sonne and his spirit it is for his owne glory that he loves himselfe as it appeares in that the Scripture saith that God is a jealous God jealous of his worship and service if he be jealous there is a kinde of love of himselfe goes with it 2. Commandment so he loves himselfe and he loves

cannot nor will not cease to favour his Sonne so neither will he cease to favour those that he loves in his Sonne but as the favour of God did never leave Christ till he had brought him to glory so undoubtedly he wil never leave those that he loves in Christ for if he dealt thus with his naturall body he will deale thus with his mysticall body certainely hee will bring the mysticall body where he hath brought the naturall body for Christ hath prayed Father I will that they should be where I am certainely if he hath brought Christ to that glory he will bring his mysticall body to it why because he hath taken possession of it in our nature and therefore out of that love that God beares to them that are in Christ he wil doe it and as Tertullian saith that our nature hath taken possession of heaven already therfore he that denies thee that art a member of Christ that thou shalt be in heaven he denies Christ to be in heaven But every man that would be prataker of the glory must labour to make his election sure because there are but some that shall be partakers of this comfort let every man labour to see whether he be elected and called that so he may know whether he be in the state of salvation And these be the degrees as the Apostle layes them downe in Rom. 8. Calling sanctification and so proceeding in that order that the Apostle layes downe there every man must labour to have the feeling of his calling his sanctification his justification c. that the guilt of sinne is taken away c. Thus every man should labour to make his calling and election sure so he may be certaine of his salvation even then when God takes away his feeling of it whosoever he is that doth labour to have these tokens he hath this comfort in this life that he is the Lords and in the life to come he shall have glory and happinesse for ever CHAP. XV. EPHES. 28. By Grace ye are saved through faith THe last part of the description of Grace is bringing men to salvation To explane this we propound two Questions the answering and opening of which will explane the point The first question is this Quest Why is it further added in the description of grace bringing men to salvation Answ Because Grace is the chiefest motive and the first beginning of salvation and all the meanes that tend thereunto Quest 2. What are the meanes that bring men to salvation Answ They are either externall as the preaching of the Gospell and sending Christ to suffer or internall as vocation justification sanctification c. So that grace which is the chiefest motive and first beginning of salvation and the meanes tending to it do shew that our salvation is of faith because the beginning of salvation is without our selves in God shewing mercy wherein we are meere patients howsoever we come to assent And that this is the first and chiefest principle and first beginning of salvation we confirme Why because it is the foundation of election 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God is sure the Lord knowes who are his there is election and the foundation is the grace of God Election is of grace you heard it proved before and the Apostle Paul saith Rom. 11. that it is the free grace of God Againe the grace of God is the first and chiefest principall cause of the meanes by which we are brought to salvation the meanes you heard were of two sorts externall and internall externall were the preaching of the Word and the sending Christ to suffer the former of these is meerely of grace Rom. 1.5 We have received grace and Apostleship c. that is as if he should say that all the meanes of salvation are of grace and so the Apostle saith I am the least of all the Saints yet have found grace Secondly sending his Sonne to suffer is meerely of grace 1 Iohn 3.15 16. God so loved the world c. and the Apostle affirmes manifestly Ephes 1.17 So that the externall meanes are meerely of grace The internall meanes also are of grace and the first of these is vocation and this is of grace 2 Tim. 1.9 We are called with a holy calling according to his purpose and grace So that we see that this is of grace and indeede whom did ever the Lord call that was not at the same time worthy of condemnation This we see the Apostle Paul makes cleare that before his calling he walked so that no man could say black was his eye yet for all his civill honest life he confesseth of himselfe that he was worthy of condemnation and Saint Austin hath a Meditation upon this he cast him down a persecuting Saul and raised him up a Paul I adde to this that this calling of God is to little purpose unlesse that man assent but to have power to assent is not of man but of God Ephes 2.13 God works in a moment upon our will which is unwilling at the first and therefore of grace The second meanes to bring us to salvation is Justification and that is meerely of grace so you have heard that justification is of grace Rom. 3.2 4. We are justified freely by grace not of our selves not of workes but of grace Why because there were no works before justification for then men begin to do good workes when they are justified If justification be by workes then they must goe before justification but they follow after it as Saint Augustin saith workes come after we are justified for saith he an evill tree cannot bring forth good fruit c. The third meanes is sanctification and that is of the free grace of God and this is manifest Tit. 3.4 We are saved by grace not of our works but through the renewing of the holy Ghost we are saved by sanctification How comes that by the work of the spirit Ephes 5.25 God loves his Church and out of that love comes their sanctification that he might sanctifie he washes it so that it appeares this also is of grace Graces in man are but the gifts of grace and the fruits of the spirit this appeares Ephe. 2.9 10. We are Gods work manship created unto good workes So also Eze. 36.37 he promises that he will send his spirit upon c. The fourth meanes is perseverance and this is a speciall meanes to keepe us to enter into salvation and this also is of grace Ier. 32.40 I will put my feare in their hearts and they shall never depart from me So there we see that all the meanes tending to salvation are of grace the whole masse of our corruptions deserves to be condemned and whosoever is called out of it is called freely of grace so that salvation and all the meanes tending thereunto are of grace And thus we have explaned and proved the Question and so now you have the whol explication of this description of grace Vse 1.

we doe not contend against them if they understand hatred to be a passion of the minde which is seldome without corruption but when they take hatred as the Scriptures speake of it then as God loves that which is good so he hates that which is nought and evill for as God is said to love so he is said to hate Againe I say it is a communicable attribute because that there is the like in man next it is that by which he freely decrees not to shew mercy to the wicked to deny to them the grace of election To open this hatred in the Scriptures doth many times signifie to refuse to give and to deny favours to put behinde and make lesse account of one then another as our Saviour Christ saith Luke 14 26. He that hateth not his father and his mother c. that is he that doth not deny his father by putting him behinde him and neglecting him when he commands any thing and God another God saw that Leah was hated that is was not so dearely loved as Rahel so this hatred of God is to neglect to shew favour and to deny the grace of election to the wicked this is apparant Rom. 9.13 I have hated Esan and loved Iacob this is not put down but with opposition I have loved Iacob and hated Esau that is to say I have not decreed nor offered this grace and favour of election to Esau which I have allowed to Iacob it is that which is further manifest in the 18. verse of the same chapter I will have mercy on whom I will and whom I will I harden c. This God doth freely from his owne will his will is the solitary cause of denying the grace of election the cause why he chose Iacob and hated Esau was nothing but his will it is manifest Rom. 9.11.12 before they had done good or evil God said that the elder should serve the yonger that it might be of grace if you aske the Apostle a proofe of this he alledges a place out of Exodus if any man should wrangle with God and say God is unjust that he should love one and hate another the Apostle answers There is no unrighteousnesse with God ver 14. and for this he gives a proofe Exod. 23.19 I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and whom I will c. As God doth absolutely love whom he will so he doth absolutely hate whom he will he denies the grace of election to the most there are but a few that have favour Mat. 20.16 Many are called The next thing is that he destinates them to destruction as the punishment of sinne Iude 4. men were before of old ordained to this condemnation He hath prepared Tophet of old Esa 30. ult not that God doth delight in the torment of the creature or created any thing that he might destroy it but out of his hatred to sinne and love of justice did decree and prepare to punish all and onely such as should live and dye in sinne without repentance That negative act of reprobation or preterition findes all men alike in the same condition this positive act of predamnation respects men as sinners without repentance That first act is grounded onely on the absolute will of God I will have mercy on whom I will c. and whom I will I harden but this latter act is an act not so much of power as of justice and alwayes hath respect to sinne The third thing That he actually punishes them when they are wicked It is manifest that they that be born in sinne and live in sinne knowing it to be sinne be enemies to God and to the grace of God and them he actually hates when they are wicked This is apparant Thou hatest all those that worke wickednesse and that hatred carries the punishment as appeares by the next words of my Text and thou destroyest all those that tell lyes and therefore he doth not hate them as they are men and his creatures but as they are wicked Bernard saith man could not endure after Gods making but he would be better therefore he was cast out of Paradise Godhating all iniquity in whomsoever it was elect or reprobate Psal 45.7 Thou lovest righteousnesse and hatest iniquity and this I might shew unto you that there is no sinne almost but I can bring you a plaine text of Gods hatred of it sometimes hating idolatry sometimes hating blood sometimes false weights sometimes contempt of his Word sometimes wicked thoughts all which shew that he hates iniquity two wayes he manifests he hates it in some because he destroyes them for it in others because he tooke it away by justice in his owne Sonne And thus much for this description Quest How justly can God decree and destinate men to hatred and destruction absolutely Answ The answer is thus Because he is the creator of all the Lord over all by either of which he may decree what he please concerning his creatures We manifest this first that he is the creator of all no man makes question then if he made all as he would and to what end he would deformed in body or destitute of good Esai 64.8 We are the clay and thou art the potter we are all the workes of thy hands may not he the Potter of one and the same lumpe make one vessell to honour and another to dishonor If he may make a vessell as he will then he may doe with it what he will Rom 9.20 21. when he had spoken of mans reprobation there may be some that would question with him and say How is this just he answers What are thou oh man that disputest with God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why madest thou me so So vers 20. The potter hath power over the clay and hath not the Lord much more power over us Secondly He is an absolute Lord over us What followes then he may therefore for the manifestation of the greatnesse of his mercy appoint some to glory and some to destruction Why because he is absolute Lord marke the place in which the Apostle speakes of the Potter What if God willing to shew his wrath to make his power knowne endure with much patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction that he may magnifie his wrath upon the one and his grace upon the other So also in 2 Tim. 2.20 in a great mans house there are vessels to dishonour and some to honour the absolute Lord may appoint what he will the Lord is absolute Lord of his house he may appoint some to honour and others to dishonour To conclude this with a speech of Saint Augustine against our universalists they plead that Augustine is all for them he uses a pretty speech the first man came into the world without originall sinne and was made of a pure masse God might then appoint some to destruction and who dares come to God and say Why hast thou done so