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A09319
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The sinners safetie, if heere hee looke for assurance by Richard Barnerd ...
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Bernard, Richard, 1568-1641.
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1609
(1609)
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STC 1963.3; ESTC S1489
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43,261
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108
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so liue eternally Amen Your calling and election sure Doctrine YOur calling that is which you haue tasted of by the ministry preaching of Gods word giue all diligence to make it sure see it be not vocall but effectuall not a calling to an externall profession but to an internall sanctification blossoming forth in good workes Make this sure but doe you aske how How to make our calling sure by good workes that is by knowing feeling and euer retaining such graces as are Gods good workes wrought in a man effectually called at the time of his conuersion The true knowledge of By knowledge the Lord Iesus is a worke of God in a mans conuersion Act. 9. 5. 18 who openeth the eies of the blinde turneth men Ier. 31. 33 from Satan to God from darknes to the light Act. 26. 18 True sight of sinne with humiliatioÌ„ for the same is an other HumiliatioÌ„ when certaine were conuerted they saw their sinnes confessed them left them Act. 2. 37. and. 19. 18. Faith in the Lord Iesus is an other the first grace of one truly standing in the state of grace for he is not by the word called effectually that beleeueth not faithfully for hearing bringâ— beleeuing and such as are Rom. 10 14 called of God beleeue in the sonne Ioh. 8. 30. Act. 8. 37 After this followeth a plyable hart to obey God the stony heart remoued in stead thereof God giueth a heart of flesh yielding subiection to God his word and spirit Eze. 36. 26. 27. This will make Paul going to persecute ignorant of Christ after one question made and answered Who art thou Lord I am Iesus whom thou persecutest Act. 9. in the next place to say Lord what wilt thou that I doe not making any more resistance This made Dauid ready to do any thing willingly at Gods bidding yea and it causeth vs humbly to condiscend to his good pleasure and say with Ezechias The word of the Lord is good with Ely It s the Lord let him do what seemeth him good and alwaies with Iesus Christ Father not my wâ—â—â—ut thy will be fulfilled Lastly the Vnion with Christ Lord worketh an vnion of hart spirit with other in Christ * â—er 32. 40 wherby it coÌ„meth to passe that we do conioine in one together one with another thus Act. 2 42 the church is set forth in that verse are 8 graces of the Church their constancy in this word they coÌ„tinued in the next word The eight graces of the Church daily their seruencie with one acord their vnitie in the Temple their audacitie in other words following their charity familiarity alacrity sincerity vnto which by the voice of Christ they were called and wherewith we must be endued and therein continue else we cannot make our calling sure Vse Therfore such as remaine in blindnes such as are not humbled for sins neuer came to the sight of them neuer sorrowed or sought for pardon for theÌ„ but liue in their lusts loden themselues with iniquity such as giue not credyt to the word of God beleeue not his faithfull messengers such as be obstinate stubborne refusing the easie yoke of Christ or to draw with the godly therin but rather mocke at holy exercises raile on such as desire to please God endeuor to bring trouble vniustly vpon them these though they be come to externall bare profession yet sithen they are not come to reformation by their calling they cannot bee sure that they are saued they may liue in the Church but yet are none of it tares they be but none of the Lords wheat they are in that number of the many called but not of the fewe that shall bee saued they are like the guest comming in without his wedding garment whom the Lord one day will command to bee bound hand and foote and to be cast into vtter darkenes where is weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth Calling and election In the order of Exposition causes election is before vocation for therefore are we called because wee are elected Rom. 8. but in searching out our saluation according to the work wroght vpon vs and the same felt in vs calling must be before election so is it in iustification and sanctification that is before this if we note the cause and effect but this must wee finde in vs before the other for our owne assurance sanctified we be in our owne persons but iustified onely in Christs righteousnes Election is secret in God and by effectuall vocation knowne and reuealed to vs and the first sensible worke of GOD vpon vs touching soules safety God commeth forward beginning in and from himselfe to doe vs good wee to find this must goe backward from within our selues by sanctification to iustification by vocation to election and thence conclude our eternall saluation Therefore Esay 43. 1. is it that here the holy Ghost hath thus set downe the words and the like else where The wisedome of God doth nothing without iust cause he breaks not order as ignorant of order neither sets downe matter as mistaken but euer to teach vs from thence somewhat which by the help of Gods spirit we vnderstaÌ„ding may further to saluation Doctrine From this order first wee learne how to make sure our election if wee haue made sure our vocation There is no doubt of the former where wee make certaine the latter and hee that cannot finde himselfe called cannot possibly be truly perswaded that he is one of the elect for he hath not the next and immediate worke of God following election going before iustification Vse Therfore to know our election watch for our Rom. 8. 30. calling follow the meanes the ministry and preaching of Gods word the ordinary means to bring men to Christ It pleaseth him by the foolishnes thereof to 1 Cor. 1. 21. Rom. 1. 16 saue them that beleeue It is the power of God to saluation where this is carelesly neglected such shall finde no other means to be saued and such as persecute it may feare iustly to be damned Sythen our election is made sure by our calling and our calling confirmed to vs as is said I neede not say more of this yet because the word affordeth vs more marks to settle our selues in better assurance a word thereof or two also Our election is further made sure by Markes of election other markes of the elect if we find them in vs they euer remain vpoÌ„ vs which is to be sanctified 1. Pet. 1. 2 fruitfull in good things Iohâ—â— 16 sequestred from the world Ioh. 17. 6. 15. 19 a note which is notto be loued of the meÌ„ of the world perseuerance Ioh. 15. 16 following after Christ Ioh. 10. 28 without departing from him 1. Ioh. 2. 19 loue to the godly 1. Ioh. 3. 14 faith in Gods promises and a holy reuerence to Gods ordinaÌ„ces his word and sacraments and he that
life plotted by all the Nobles of Persia by an irreuocable decree cease off to pray as he was wont to doe three times a day and yet was he not as men religiously affected now are tearmed a good plain simple man one of Gods fooles of a good meaning but of no great witte for by Ezechiel the Prophet hee was called the wise Daniell Indeede he imployed not wholly his wisedome after the world as men now doe hee suffered religion to haue in him the rule which men in these daies haue least regard of Hee would not be politick to lose the peace of a good conscience which carnall men for honour and wealth care not to make shipwrack of If these examples be of no force to perswade men to thinke that wee can neuer be religious enough nor ouer-precise so wee keepe within the compasse of the word for a warrant let them consider the Lord Iesus who was without sinne vncapable of euill prone to all goodnes yet did hee addict himselfe to holy exercises praying whole nights thorow then assuredly ought we to doe much more then wee doe yea more then we can should we doe and as much as we can is too little for when we haue done all that yet still are we vnprofitable seruants For the world we thinke wee doe We keepe no measure in earthly things neuer enough to satisfie our wils or our selues in wilfull pleasures wee iudge it not amisse to keepe no measure delight draweth vs to spend much time to bee at much cost yet nothing too much nothing too deare â—ustfull appetites set vs to labour both long and tedious yet to attaine the purpose proposed we can endure the paines in a word nothing after our corruption is at any time beyond that which is meete where Will ruleth and the heart delighteth there nothing for that is vntunable nothing vnmeasurable though in superstition setting vp of Idols Israelites will giue their earerings appoint a day for cost and expenses because they will haue a golden calfe Papists practise herein doth shewe this plaine they go farre on pilgrimage they burthen themselues with infinit number of prayers they are at great cost to maintaine many Priests and many orders of their religion they night and day ty themselues to their taske thrice a weeke they fast many daies in a yeare they keepe after their fashion holie and doe striue to doe more then euer God commanded that they might merit And shall the pure religion of Christ the truth of God be held so little worth as wee wickedly should imagine that wee therein can doe too much that we may therein be too holy Surely these enemies of God this antichristian generation shall rise vp in iudgement against vs except religion be of more precious accompt we better in practise and cease to be so too too prophane as too many be whom the Lord God of heauen amend in his due time Amen To make your calling election sure THere are diuerse ends of our vertuous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Firmam vel certam rataÌ„ vestram vocationeÌ„ electionem faccre Eight ends of good workes liuing in religion To shew our loue and thankfulnesse to God in obedience to winne such as are not yet called to confirme the conuerted to stop the mouthes of the wicked shaming them by wel doing when they speake ill of vs to make our calling and election sure as the Apostle here exhorteth to assure to our selues that inward graces in vs are true and not counterfait to shew that we are truly ingrafted into Christ and lastly for the mutuall benefit one of another for our quiet peaceableness in the Church and Common-wealth These ends of good workes wee finde in the word these we acknowledge know to be attained by well liuing but that popish point of good workes wee may not approue to doe good workes to merit heauen by in any sort a deuise of man without the word It taketh away Many reasons against iustification by works from the sufficiency of Christs satisfaction it lifteth vp the heart of man in the imagination of his owne worthines it is contrary to Christs words When you haue done all you can you are vnprofitable seruants The godly are commended for good workes but not said thereby to merit rewarded they are but it is onely in mercy our best deedes are imperfect so farre as wee rely vpon workes of the lawe so farre are we accursed and haue lost righteousnes by faith in Christ before God we staÌ„d iust in Christs iustice the forme of our iustification is the imputation of Christs righteousnes or the mutuall donation and acception the giuing and receiuing of Christ Iesus betweene God in his mercie and a poore sinner by faith Our goodnes is a menstruous cloth and none wholly sanctified in perfection In Adam we lost our spirituall life In Christ and by him only and alone wee purchase our primarie happines but not perfectly till wee be in heauen in our owne persons Accursedly blinde therefore as beetles are our Antichristian aduersaries who hauing so many ends of good workes prescribed plainely by the Word yet cannot see them but haue added one of their owne against all truth against the honour of Christ yea and a mans owne saluation And thus much to preuent the aduersarie in his heresie of merit by workes of which wee had occasion to speake both from the Apostles scope vrging to a vertuous life by the argument here laid downe the gaining of assurance of saluation thereby as also from the diuerse reading of this text for in some copies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is thus To make sure by good works your calling and election and so it is in the vulgar which is commoÌ„ly called Ieromes translation which may well stand with the drift of the text and truth of diuinity in this point as that very reason added to this exhortation sufficiently confirmeth Let the aduersarie peruert good things as he pleaseth veritie is warrantable Words of good workes sound well euer to religious mindes though peruerse spirits wrest them heretically to an ill end But to proceede Two generall lessons may be collected from this matter of the exhortatioÌ„ Doctrine First that it is no easie thing to be in our selues sure of our saluation and setled in the way of life because the Apostle vrgeth vs to so great diligence care and endeauour about it which if it were easie needed not Light things aske not much labour easie things are soone done and wisedome requireth not to be much about a little therefore in that whereunto the spirit presseth with such reason vrgeth with so earnest an exhortation as here there is difficultie to attaine thereunto it is not easie And for proofe of this doctrine let vs weigh I beseech you how hard a thing it is to enter How this doctrine is confirmed into the way to abide in it being entred how easie to