a non you cry out of the immortall Gods imputing to them the cause of your miseries when indeede your selues are the workers of your owne woe Perditio tua ex te O Israell thou hast fallen by thine own iniquitie Stigias vltrò quaerimus vndas Hos 14 2 Like the Ostrige we do pricke our selues with our owne feathers and we our selues do cause the Shippe to leake where we saile Onely lo this haue I found that God hath made man righteous but they haue sought out many inuentiōs Quare peccas quia nescis c. Eccles 7 31. How comes it to passe saith S. Aug. that thou dost sin because thou art ignorāt it is not so why dost thou sin because thou art cōpelled there is no such matter why dost thou sin because it pleaseth it delighteth thy wicked and corrupted nature Pro. 29.6 In the transgression of a man is his snare Of our owne accorde we run wilfully into the dead-fall of sinne so is it in the 9. Psal and 16 ver The vngodly is trapped how not by God but by the workes of his owne hands The Lord our God is good holy and onely holy so holy that as Iob saith the Angels are vncleane in his sight so pure that his Ministers the Cherubins are of fier most cleare and yet the Cherubins and Ceraphins do couer their faces with their wings as not able to behold the perfect brightnesse of his most pure and vndefiled Maiestie Isa 6.2 Therefore although no action can be done without God and that his power is so in all things that we cannot so much as lift vp our finger without him For in him we liue and moue and haue all our being Yet is not God the cause of any sin Act. 17.28 Gre Naz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We cannot fasten the least touch of any euill vpon God But so it stands Vna eademque actio tribuitur causae principali instrumentali In one and the selfe-same action there is a double cause First the instrumentall cause mouing then God separated from the instrument yet giuing power of motion to the same Through this double cause of mouing there is a double worke which vnto vs seemeth to be but one For example God as appeareth in the 2. of the Acts and the 23. ver by his determinate counsell and fore knowledge deliuered vp our Sauiour Christ as the principall cause Iudas as the instrumentall cause yet neither is God to be drawne in as a partie in Iudas fault nor Iudas to be excused as furthering the worke of God For God neuer commanded Iudas to deliuer vp Christ nor Iudas in deliuering him had any such intention as to do God seruice in the execution of his will Deus ag it per malos non in malis The wicked are the instruments of God Yet not God the cause of their wickednes God is the cause of the action but not of the euill or qualitie in the action For example A man trauaileth his horse by the way hee is the cause of his going but if his horse halt or haue an ill pace he is not the cause of his ill going A cunning man striketh an instrument with his fingers he is the cause of the sound but if the Instrument be bad or the strings not well chosen he is not the cause of the ill sound The Iron rusteth thou wilt not wite it vpon the Smith Wine sowreth the fault is not in the vintner In the heauens there is a double motion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristoxenus in lib de foram ni bus tibiarum The fixed Starres and the whole Globe of all is carried about with one Sphere and with one motion yet the Planets in themselues haue a wandring and vncertaine course The like we may vsually behould in euerie clocke The greatest and highest wheele moueth and carieth about all the rest yet in this motion some wheeles turne to the right hand others to the left and that by a contrarie course So then it fareth thus with the wicked As hee that hath an euill and corrupted stomake if hee do eate honie it turneth into gall or as if a mans hand be out of ioynte when hee would mooue it one way it turnes an other so wicked and godlesse men whereas the light of nature Gods Spirit and his word leadeth them one way their owne vile inclination their owne concupiscence leadeth them an other Now then what shall we lay is there vnrighteousnes with God doth hee cause vs to commit sin No God forbid wickednesse should be in God or iniquitie in the Almightie Iob 34 10. But as it is said before Euerie man is drawne away by his owne concupiscence and is entised lust when it hath conceiued bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death Iam. 1 14 Hauing hitherto freed God from all imputation of euill by shewing from whence sinne comes and that God is not the Author of it We do here meete with the Pelagian Heretike who not able to vntie this knotte affirmes that the wicked are reiected for the sins which God foresaw they would cōmit so cōtrariwise the godly preuenting the grace of God by their merits are predestinated and chosen through faith and good workes which God fore-sawe they should doe Making Gods eternall election to depend vpon our faith and vpon our workes whereas cleane contrarie our faith our good workes and all the good that is in vs doth wholy depend vpon Gods free election Ephe. 14 Saint Paule saith directly God hath chosen vs in his sonne Christ before the foundation of the world was If in Christ Assuredly it appeares we were vnworthie in our selues and so Gods election is the cause of our good workes Et causa non est posterior suo effectu the cause it doth neuer follow the effect Pet Lomb The learned Schoole-man makes it plaine Non ideò electus est quis quià talis futurus erat sed ex tali electione talis est factus No man was euer chosen through faith and good workes which God fore-saw that hee should do but the faith and good workes which wee now do proceede from the eternall election which went before 2 Tim 1 9 This doth the Apostle verie plainely set downe God hath saued vs and called vs not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen to vs through Jesus Christ before the World was Calling Moreouer whom he Predestinated them also he Called AS from the maine Sea wee do strike into some chanell or riuer So from Predestination the great depth of Gods Counsell the Apostle commeth vnto Calling For whereas it hath beene shewed in opening the first point that God of his free mercie did choose some to life and others hath left vnto Perdition In this case if God should neuer Call men if he should neuer offer them grace it might seeme preiudiciall to his mercy
of Saluation in Christ by his word but after this knowledge to lay hould vpon Christ by a working faith and so to hould on and continue still an holy Christian and sincere course of life that at length as Solomon saith In water face aunswereth face so in this worke of Iustification our spirit may answere vnto Gods spirit that we are his Euen as the pure and Christall Glasse doth liuely represent the image which is set before it so the heart once Iustified by a liuely faith in Christ in some good measure doth expresse the image of God and striueth to come vnto this marke which is here propounded namely our Glorification Glorifying THe fourth Lincke of this Cheine is Glorifying Which Glorifying is the highest steppe of Solomons Throne it is that exceeding great reward which God promised vnto Abraham it is that eternall weight of Glorie whererof J neither know how to begin nor how to make an ende of speaking Aug. de sinib lib 3. In vita aeterna faciliùs possumus dicere quid ibi nō sit quà m quid ibi sit In describing the glorie of the world to come it is easier to expresse what is not there then what is there For there is no discontentment nor greife no faintnes nor infirmitie no mourning nor miserie no corruption nor death but ioy and fulnes of ioy for euer such ioy as if we had once tasted we wold dispise the pleasures of a thousād worlds in hope of assurance to enioy it For after we haue waded through the miseries of this life at length in the twinckling of an eye in a moment with the sound of a Trumpet wee shall be carried into the heauenly Paradise into Abrahams bosome thousand thousands of Angels and Saints shall receiue vs with ioy and singing Our meate shall be that breade of life and that Heauenly Manna which will tast like whatsoeuer thing we desire our drinke shall be the water of life which if we haue once tasted we shall neuer thirst againe our mirth and musicke shall be the songe of the Saints Reud 5.13 Alleluia honor and praise and glorie be vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and vnto the Lambe for euer-more There shall we reioyce continually in the presēce of the holy ONE We shall be his Saints and he shall be our God neither shall wee feare death any more neither sorrowe nor crying nor feele any want againe The Lord of Hostes who is the King of gloriè he will take vs by the right hand leade vs to the garden of comfort to the fountaine of ioy where all our garments shall be washed pure in the bloud of the Lambe and all teares shall be washed from our eyes There shall wee see the Courts of the Lord of Hostes new Ierusalem the Citie of the great King Where there is no night nor any candle nor yet the light of the Sunne for the Lord himselfe shall be our light with him we shall shine as the starres in Heauen Here shall we be clothed with white robes the innocency of Saints we shall haue Palms in our hands in token of victorie We shall be crowned with a diadem of pure gould which is immortalitie and seruing God a while in this short life there shall wee haue riches without measure life without death liberty without thraldome solace without ceasing and ioy without ending O blessed are they Lord that dwell in thy house where the Sonne of God in glorie is light vnto their eyes musicke vnto their eares sweetnes vnto their tast and full contentment vnto their hearts where in seeing they shall know him and in knowing they shall possesse him and in possessing shall loue him and in louing shall receiue eternall blessednesse that blessed eternitie the Garland we run for and the Crowne we fight for Jn a word Here we shall come vnto the ende of all our desires for what els is our ende but to come to that ende-lesse glorie which hath no ende 1. King 10 6 The Queene of Sheba when she had seene the riches and royaltie of Solomons Court she said vnto the King It was a true word which J heard in mine own Land of thy prosperity and happinesse but now I haue seene it with mine eyes lo the one halfe is not tould me so concerning the glorious fruition of eternitie in the life to come whatsoeuer may possibly he deliuered by the tongues of men yet vndoubtedly the one halfe cannot bee tould vs. By this place of Scripture thus rising by degrees the Katharistes the family of loue and the Puritanes of our times would gather this conclusion For as-much as here are certaine degrees set down whervpon GODS Church is builded and whereby the members of the same doe growe vppe in Religion therefore now in this life by a godlye reformation we may attaine vnto perfection This selfe conceited and head-strong opinion of theirs hath beene the first cause ground of all the trouble some cōtentions which longe since haue beene raised now at this day are continued in our Church For diuers men while they take themselues as Iob saith the Onely-wise-men and pure in their owne eyes dreaming still of a certaine imagined perfection they neuer cease to bee clamorous to the Christian Prince troublesome to the the quiet state and diuers of them verie dangerous people to the whole Church of God Jn this verse of our text there is an ende propounded there is a marke set vp where-vnto euery Christian must labour to attaine and striue by all good indeuour to come But alas who can say that his heart is cleane and man that is borne in sinne conceiued in iniquitie while hee is clothed with sinfull flesh how can hee attaine perfection That the Militant Church of Christ hath had imperfectiōs in all ages it is a plaine an vndoubted truth For if euerie member be imperfect how can there be perfection in the whole Perfectio nostra magis constat remissione peccatorum quà m perfectione virtutum Our perfection consiseth rather in the forgiuenesse of our sinnes then in the perfection of our vertues In truth thus stands the estate of a Christian mans life in this world As a man traueiling a long iournie to a farre cittie he doth not continually go but he resteth here and stayeth there he baiteth in one place loggeth all night in an other yet still he is going forward houldeth on his iournie so in this life we are pilgrims we are traueilers and howsoeuer we do seeke an other country and striue to come vnto the cittie of rest yet in this iournie wee wander often out of the way we take many fallés we haue many impediments neither is it possible the light of our faith should still hold out and neuer be darkened in this pilgrimage till in the life to come wee bee made Citizens of that heauenly Ierusalem which is aboue We conclude then with the sweete and modest saying of good
and though we did sinne yet it might be thoght our selues could not redresse it For this cause the Apostle commeth from Predestination to Calling that is from Gods determinate counsaile to the meanes which hee hath appointed for our saluation Plut de tranqui animi This Calling is two-fould either outward or inward The outward and generall Calling is by the workes of God and by his word First by his workes This world it is an Vniuersitie or a Colledge wherein there are two Lectures whereof euerie man liuing must be a hearer and a learner The first is the Philosophy lecture concerning Gods workes in the heauens and all his creatures by the which we are taught and dayly Called to know God This is a plaine and easie Lecture written in great Capitall Letters that euerie simple and ignorant man may reade it running The other is the Diuinity Lecture whē we are exēpted frō the first and led on further to know God in his word Both these Lectures they are expressed together in the 19. Ps Frō the 1. ve to the 7. is contained the Philosophy Lecture Psalm 19 1. The Heauēs declare the glory of god the firmamēt sheweth his handie worke Day vnto day vttereth the same and Night vnto night teacheth knowledge there is no speech nor language where their voice is not hard There sound is gone forth through al the earth and their words vnto the endes of the world In them hath he set a Tabernacle for the sunne which cōmeth forth as a bridegrome out of his Chamber reioyceth like a mightie man to run his race His going out is from the ende of the heauen and his compasse is vnto the ends of the same and none is hid from the heate thereof The Diuinitie lecture begins at the seuenth verse and continues to the 11. vers The Law of the Lord is an vnderfiled Law conuerting the soule the testimonie of the Lord is suer and giueth wisedome vnto the simple The statutes of the Lord are right and reioyce the heart The commandement of the Lord is pure and giueth light vnto the eyes The feare of the Lord is cleane and endureth for euer The iudgements of the Lord are truth and righteous altogether More to be desired then gould yea then much fine gould sweeter also then hony and the hony combe Moreouer by thē is thy seruant taught and in keeping of them there is great reward Touching the Philosophie lecture that we are all first Called to know God by his workes it is most apparant For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est Diuinitatis symbolum the world is the glasse of Gods Diuinitie The heathen philosopher saith Deus tangitur in operibus Iamblicus De misteriis God is euen touched in his workes He iumpeth with S Paule Act. 17.27 The heathē by groping might haue found him for doubtlesse hee is not farre from euerie one of vs. Act. 17 17. In the 143. Psalme and the 5. verse the holy Prophet saith thus Psal 143.5 I will muse vpon all thy workes and exercise my selfe in the workes of thy hands Jf a man will profit by this philosophie lecture he must vse meditation For indeede if a man doe rightly consider of the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea whereof no reason can be rendred of the certaine course and chang of the Moone with the secret influence of the same the nature of the winde no man knowing whence it commeth nor whether it goeth the hugenesse of the swelling Sea girt in by Gods commandement that it doth not ouerflow the banckes the raging Thunder which makes all the Beasts of the feilde to tremble the fearefull Lightning which in the twinckling of an eye passeth from East to West howe all things keepe their appointed course wherein they were created As we walke abroad in the feilds if we do behould and view the glorie of the Sunne and Moone the beautie of the Starres the sweete Dew distilling Showers greene Pastures pleasant Meddowes cleare Springs thicke Woodes gushing Fountaines the wonderfull increase of Corne Cattle and such like Who is he behoulding these things and seriously meditating vpō this Philosophie lecture but he must needes confesse that God doth Call him being so manifestly taught to know him in his workes And as God is thus seene and taught vnto all the heathen people by his workes in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the frame and composition of this great World so likewise God doth Call vs by his workes in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the little World of man Homo est caelisimulachrum interpres naturae Man he is the picture of the Heauens and the interpreter of Nature Concerning God we acknowledge him to be a spirit concerning the World we haue found it to be a bodie in Man we haue an abridgmēt of both namely of God in regard of his spirit of the World in the composition of the body as though the Creator vpon purpose to set forth a mirror of his workes intended to bring into this one little compasse of Man both the infinitenesse of his owne Nature and the hugenesse of the whole World together As in the World so in the bodie of Man there is a wonderfull mixture of the foure Elementes The Heart placed in the midest as the Earth our centre the Liuer like the Sea frō whence the liuely springs of bloud do flow the Vaines like riuers spredding themselues abroad vnto the vttermost members the Braine which giueth light and vnderstanding placed a loft like the Sunne the Senses set round about like starres for ornament the Countenance of man full of grace and Maiestie striking a terror into all Creatures Such and so wonderfull is God in his power that he is seene in the workemanship of the bodie But if man as it were out of himselfe could behold this bodie receiuing life and entring into the vse of all his motions Ioints mouing so actiuely Sinewes stirring so nimbly Senses vttering their force so sharpely The inward Powers so excellent the Spirit supernaturall Reason so Diuine the Mind Cogitation so quicke and infinite the Vnderstāding so Angelike the Soule aboue all Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the engrauen Jmage of the immortall God If man could enter into himselfe and consider rightly of this he must needes be driuen to confesse that God hath Called him by those workes which are most apparant in himselfe Therefore as Saint Paule soundly reasoneth in the 1. to the Romanes and the 20. verse No man can excuse himselfe Neither the Turkes who acknowledge Mahomet their great Prophet nor the Indians that worship the Sun Nor the Egiptians who offer sacrifice to all manner of beasts Neither they nor any other remote and barberous people that do worship strange Idols of their owne inuention none of these can excuse himselfe and say he is not Called because the inuisible things of God his eternall power and Godhead are seene by the creation of the
hearing of an accident which fell out verie fitly to this purpose One Ludouicus a learned man of Italy yet wanting the direction of Gods good spirit and so neuer considering aduisedly of the meanes of our Saluation he grew at last to this resolution Si saluabor saluabor Jt bootes not what J doe nor how J liue For if I be saued I am saued Thus Ludouicus bewitched with this desperate opinion continued a long time till at length hee grew verie dangerously sicke whereupon he sent for a cunning and learned Phisition and earnestly requested his hespe The Phisition before-hand made acquainted with his former lewd assertion how in his health he would vsually say Jf I be saued I am saued he likewise directed his speach to the same purpose sayd Surely it shall be needlesse to vse any meanes for your recouerie neither do J purpose to minister vnto you for if the time of your death be not come you haue no cause to feare you shall liue and do well inough without Physicke and if the time of your death bee now come it is vnpossible to auoide it Ludouicus musing in his bed of the matter and considering aduisedly of the Phisitions speach finding by reason that as meanes were to be vsed for the health of the bodie so God also had ordained meanes for the Saluation of the Soule vpon further conference with shame and greife he recanted his former opinion tooke Phisicke so was happily cured both of Soule and bodie at one time By this Doctrine of Gods loue so manifestly Calling vs we directly learne that if a man doe thirst after his Saluation if a man would be throughly assured in his heart and conscience that God hath chosen him to eternall life he must not rush presently into Predestination into Gods secret Counsell but he must enter into himselfe to trie and examine whether he be rightly Called For as the surest way to come vnto the Sea is first to find out a riuer so concerning our Saluation the plainest and surest way to find out the depth of Gods counsell is first to come vnto Calling vnto Iustifying which are as sweete and liuely springs flowing from the same We know and see daily by experience we are not able to discerne wee cannot pearce with the eye to see what matter the sunne is of but we can plainely see and manifestly perceiue both beames and heate light proceeding from the same So here concerning this first point of Predestination alone wee cannot conceiue it we are not able to peirce it for it is the way which the Eagles eye hath not seene but Calling and Iustifying which are as heate light proceeding from the same those we may as comsortably perceiue as we do sensibly feele the heate and operation of the Sunne Here then is the duty of a true Christian here is the part of a religious and good man indeede not to venter his Saluatiō vpon a bare speech presumption of Predestination but to vse all means possible which God hath ordained That he may truely be Called to heare the word of God to ioy in hearing of it with loue and with a desire to profit that he may be Iustified when he hath heard to be feruent in prayer zealous of well doing and abundant in all good workes of charitie that he may be Glorified in the life to come to consecrate both soule and bodie and all the whole course of his life vnto God that so growing vp from faith to faith from vertue to vertue from hearing to belecuing frō Calling to Iustifying at length Gods spirit may certifie our spirits that we are his our bodies his our soules his and wee setled and sealed vp in a Christian ioy for euer Wherefore J beseech you all by the mercies of God and J entreate you as you hope to stande with comfort before God and his Angels at the last day euerie man lay hould vpon his soule betimes do not esteeme the loue of any thing in this World more then the loue of God purchased in his Sonne Christ Iesus Take heede and beware of this prophane speech If I be saued I am saued vtter it not in word thinke it not in heart away with it For GOD is not the cause of our condemnation it is our selues Wo vnto vs wretches wee our selues are the Wisd 1 13. workers of our own destruction Wisdom 1.13 O seeke not death in the error of the soule and destroy not your selues with the workes of your own hands Bis interimitur qui suis armis interimiter Euerie man catch hould vpon this Chaine worke and make sure his Saluation and striue to walke before the Lord in truth and with a perfect heart On the one side let no man passe on in a secure and carelesse course of life nor on the other side curiously prie into the hidden Counsell of the Lord but euerie good Christian with an humble spirit with an honest minde with a cheere-full and good heart seeke to apprehend those meanes which God hath appointed for his Saluation Iustification The third Lincke of this Cheine is Iustification Whom he hath Called those he hath Justified IT is a principle in reason Actio perfecta non recipitur nisi imperfectè primò An habit is not gotten at the verie first the worke of our regeneration is not wrought on a sodaine But as the Psalmist saith Psal 84.7 The godly growe from strength to strength and the wiseman sheweth how Prou. 56 418. The light of the righteous shineth more and more to the perfect day So here the Apostle foote by foote leadeth vs from one degree vnto another till at length we may come to make our election sure This Iustification it goeth a step farther thē Calling For Calling is an enlightning the mind with spirituall knowledge Iustifying an establishing the heart with a grounded perswasion Calling is the beginning of conuersion but Iustifying is a full clearing of the heart Calling is the first change of one that is regenerate but Iustifying is the full perswasion of the Soule whē the spirit of grace refleth in vs and we setled and truely sanctifyed in an holy and Christian course of life So then when we haue not only sorrowed for sinnes past which is the first step of our Calling but further when we are renewed in spirite and so changed in our life that for the most part our thoughts words works are guided by the good spirit of God for as many as are led by the spirit of God those are the sonnes of God then we may assure our selues that we are Iustified Rom. 8 14. Howsoeuer we be chosen from the beginning by Gods loue and after Called by his word yet there is neuer assurance vnto vs vntill the Holy Ghost hath sealed it vp in our harts which sealing is our Iustification Thus to assure vs of our Iustification it is not enough to be Called to the knowledge Pro 27 19.