to be discerned are meant their corrupt opinions and doctrines for that opinions sayings aswel as doings be they good or badde are the effects fruits of good and badde men yet for that also that doctrine not delivered to others but first conceaved by our selues is not the fruite but the cause of faith and faith engendred by sound doctrine engraffeth vs into Christ and so maketh vs good trees bringing forth good workes as good fruit and faith proceeding from evil doctrine bringeth forth evill workes as evil fruit wee will be contented at this time to vnderstand also by fruits wherby false prophets are to be discerned their evill and vngodly workes Especially if it bee added that workes are no otherwise knowen to be good or badde then as they agree or disagree froÌ„ the precepts and rules of good works which are delivered in the canonicall scripture For that is the most exact canon and rule whereby wee must trie both ouâ— faith and our workes and that faith and workes are onely to be approved which are agreeable and consonant thereto And vnlesse wee keepe our selues most carefully to the triall of this iudge wee may easily bee deceived with probabilities and shewes For according vnto the admonition of our Saviour set downe in the former rule false prophets which inwardly are ravening wolves may bee attired in sheepes cloathing that is may haue an outward shewe both of a sounde faith and also of an holy and godly life For the Devill is a most cunning counterfeite and the skilfullest Ape that ever was He can alleâ—ge scripture and the holy word of God to draw vs from that pure doctrine of that holy word and hee can turne himselfe into an angel of light and make his ministers to appeare to bee the children of light and furnish them with the outward shewe of the workes of light yea he can imitate the miraculous workes and wonders of God to perswade the world that God himselfe by hâ—s omnipotent almighty power doth giue testimony vnto his lies The which thing is so much the more carefully to bee considered of vs for that wee are fallen into these latter daies wherein experience hath taught vs that to be true which vvas foretolde by Isidore Gregory that is that the true Church of See Mâ— Fox vol. 1. fol. 418. Christ should want the glorious power of working of miracles before the comming of Antichrist that he might the more freely and without controlement persecute her as a base obiect that Antichrist should come himselfe not onely with straunge signes and wonders to gette the greater credit and admiration but also with a certaine shew of holines that both the lighenes of the reprobate might be detected that are soone caried away with every shew and also that the patience and stayednes of the faithfull might be made manifest who will embrace the truth albeâ— it be not garnished with outward shewes and sette themselues against falshood and lies although they be never so much beautified adorned with the same Heerein theâ— is coÌ„mended vnto vs one speciall point of Christian wisedome that as Christ who was endued with the spirit of wisedome aboue measure iudgeth not according to the sight of Isa 11. 3. 1. Sam. 16. 7. the eies nor reproveth according to the hearing of the eares but iudgeth righteously as God himselfe looketh not on the outward Good workes in shew are not alwaies good workes in deede but sometimes evill and what is the cause therof not the worke it selfe but the maÌ„ner of doing of doing of it maketh it faulty Aug. de doct Christ l. 3. c. 12. 2. Tim. 3. 5. The shewe of good works may be greater among Hypocrites Heretiques and the ve ry Infidels then amoÌ„g sound and sincere Christians appearance but behouldeth the heart so doth the wise and prudent Christian also He iudgeth of the workes of man not according vnto the glorious shewe of the outward action but according vnto the pure sincerity of the inward intention neither doth hee so much respect the worke done as the manner wherby it is done For as the Philosopher can teach vs he is not a iust man that doth iust actions but he that doth them after a iust maÌ„ner as the schoolmeÌ„ haue taught God is not a rewarder of nownes but of adverbes that is God rewardeth not the deeds that are barely iust but such as are done iustly For a iust deed performed but not iustly is a iust deede in shewe but not in substace Now iust deedes onely in shewe and not in substance may bee founde in false Prophets and seducing Heretiques yea they shal be found in the Hereâ—iques of these last times who shall haue a shew of godlines but shal deny the power thereof And verelie such as â—… open offendors notorious malefactors can hardly perswade others to like of that doctrine which themselues professe whatsoever it be but such as are in outward appearance of an holy life and conversation may greatly prevaile and do much mischiefe if that they be teachers of falshoode and lies and of erronious and heâ—…icall doctrines And this the Devill knoweth right well and therfore ofteÌ„times maketh his ministers to seeme to be of an heavenly and Angelical coÌ„versation that so he may by this meanes more easily bring in his divelish errours And hath not our Saviour tolde vs Luke 16 8. that the children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of light Mat. 23. 15. And doth not experience it selfe teach vs that they are not onely more painefull industrious compassing sea and land to make one of their profession but also more beneficial and bountifull Exod. 32. 24 giuing away their goodâ—… and treasures and robbing themselues and theirs of their most pâ—etions and costly Iewels to make a golden calfe or some other the like Idoll The Apostle Saint Paule hath testified that the Heretiques of these last times shall forbidde mariage and commaund 1. Tim. 4. 2. to abstaine from meate in hypocricy that so they might seeme very abstemious and chast and of a most severe and straite life And Chrysostome hath witnessed lâ—kewise of them that they Chrysost in matth hom 49. shâ—ll haue a greater shewe of abstinence and continency then shall be found among the true Christians And is it not recorded of The very Turkes that such as are of their religious orders vse wonderfull austerity and rigour in punishing their owne bodies that so they might seeme great mortified me And did not Baals Priestes vse to launce themselues vvith kniues vntill they vvere goared in their owne blood But what doe I speake of rigorous 1. Reg. 18. 28 discipline found among Turkes Heretiques Idolators Were there not among the heathen theÌ„selues as notable examples for the exercise of all manner of civill duties as ever were found among any Christians Was not Aristides most famous for iustice Socrates for sobriety
out of the same The spirit of God sendeth him not to a second table of penance to tâ—ke holde thereof that by the power thâ—rof he might be deliuered but remember saith he how thoâ— hast received and hearde and holde fast and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 3. repent Now no doubt but he had receiued and heard aâ—d therefore was to hold fast that to the peniteÌ„t humble sinner Christs blood is the purgation of all his sins that by the mediatioÌ„ of his death he doth obtaine remission of theÌ„ not only when he is received into favor at the first but even to his liues end being thereby still pâ—eâ—erued in the same grace obtaining the forgiuenesse of hiâ— dayâ—y offences For so S. Iohn setting downe the meanes whereby the faithfull themselues are continually cured of their dailie infirmities If any man sinne saieth hee vvee haue Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. â—0 our Advocate and hee is the propitiation for our sinnes So the Apostle Saint Paul sheweth that not onely when wee were enemies we were reconciled at the first by the death of Christ and obtained the release of our grosser offences but much more beeing once reconciled and made the children of God by CHRIST wee are still preserued in the same grace and obtaine the forgiuenesse of ouâ—…maller offences by the same meanes The trueth is that none are cured of their sinnes by Christ vvhich continue stil in the same and doe not dayly fight against them vvith dayly repentaunce but yet the physicke is one thing vvhereby the soule is cured and the disposition of the soule another thing vvhereby the soule is prepared that so the physicke may effectually vvorke The preparatiue is one thing and the physicke is another thing the physicke is onely the physicke and nothing else Our Saviour CHRIST is our onely physicke and physition also Repentance after a sort may bee called the preparatiue and the Minister of the vvorde may be to vs in steede of the Apothecarie or as â—he physitions man that is sent to vs vvith the purgation The purgation it selfe is made of none other ingredientes but of the most bitter panges of our Saviours owne passion not of the rootes of our hearty repentaunce neither yet of the fruites of our christian faith that is vvhatsoeuer our sinnes bee and vvhensoeuer they bee committed we obtaine not the forgiuenesse of them by our owne merites nor by the satisfactions of any other but onely by the free and vndeserued mercy of GOD and by the most precious satisfaction of the death of CHRIST All haue sinned saith the Apostle and are deprived of the glory of GOD but are iustified from their sinnes freelye Rom 3. 23. by his grace through the redemption that is in CHRIST IESVS And in trueth otherwise our case were most miserable For in the parable of the debtour the summe of one thousande Mat. 18 24. talents declaring the infinitenesse of our debt doth openly proclaime our insufficiency and inabilitie to discharge the same as also the wordes annexed vvhen he had nothing to pay and I forgaue Psal 130. 3. Iob. 93. Psa 143. 2. thee all thy debt For verily if God should marke what were done amisse vvho vvere able to abide it And if hee shoulde call vs to an accounte vvho vvere able to aunsvvere one for a thousande And therefore our best plea is Enter not into iudgement with thy servants O Lord cal vs not to reckoning put not our billes in suite for we are no way able to make payment we are no way able to make satisfaction Div. 10. That Purgatory is no article of the Christian faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resurâ—…on of â—…sh IF the deliverance of the soules out of Purgatorie had beene an article of the christian faith as it is iudged to be by the church of Rome then it had beene convenient that after mention made of the resurrection of the body out of the custodie of the graue there shoulde haue beene adioyned the deliveraunce of the soule out of the prison of Purgatory the tormentes there being so greate as they say they be the deliverance from thence being as great a blessing at the lest as the raising of the bodies out of their graues should not haue beene altogeather vnremembred especially sinne verie much abounding before the day of the generall resurrection and the Popes pardons nothing so much regarded and his charitie without a fee being not vsual and ordinary Purgatory then must needes be well filled and so the deliverance from thence a great benefite to many Div. 11. That everlasting life is the free gifte of God through CHRIST and noway purchased by the merite of our owne vvorkes 〈◊〉 ever â—…ng IF any thing be bestowed vpon vs by free gift froÌ„ God theÌ„ surely everlasting life is so bestowed as the greatest gift proceeding froÌ„ the most bouÌ„tifull giuer the most excelleÌ„t effect from the most excelleÌ„t cause And why is God else accouÌ„ted a most liberall bountifull free franke and gracious benefactor but that most liberally bountifully frankely and freely he bestovveth vpon his faithfull servantes the most precious crovvne of eternall glory VVhen that bountifulnes saith the Apostle and that loue of GOD our Saviour tovvardes man appeared not by the vvorkes of righteousnes vvhich wee had vvrought but of his ovvne mercie he Tit. 3. 4. saued vs. And verely the glory of this greate bountifulnes must needes haue beene much dimmed if vvee had attained to salvation by our owne merites and not by the LORDES onely mercy The vvages in deede of sinne is death but everlasting life is the gifte of GOD through IESVS CHRIST our Lorde Rom. 6. 23. For our evill vvorkes are perfectly evill and therefore deserue eternall death but our good workes are not perfectly good and therefore eternall life is the free gift of GOD through CHRIST and not a vvages due to the merite of our vvorkes Othervvise vvhy did the Wiseman say Beholde the righteous are here recompenced vpon earth hovve much more the vvicked and the sinner VVhat doth not the LORD as well loue righteousnes Pro 11. 31. to recompence it as he hateth vnrighteousnesse to punish the same Yes verely but this is heere spoken to this end by the VViseman that vve shoulde vnderstand that the sinner most iustly deserueth this punishment vvhereas the righteous deserueth not the revvard And therefore it is not without cause that iust Iob thus speaketh of himselfe If I haue done evill vvoe vnto mee if I haue done righteously yet vvill I not Iob. 10 15. lifte vp my heade being full of confusion because I see mine affliction And vvhy The evill vvorkes of the best are in an higher degree evill then their good vvorkes are in themselues good and therefore in respect of the one they may be rustly cast dovvne vvith the feare of eternall confusion and vvoe but in
only doth this their doctrine of satisfaction and merites greate wrong vnto our Saviour Christ by disanulling the covenant of life made in him and by defacing of the sufficiency of his death but otherwise also it is most iniurious vnto God and tendeth highly to the dishonour of his sacred maiesty 1. First it maketh him like to a very vniust and hard Land-lord whoe hauing graunted an estate in a bargaine vnto a yonger brother vpon a sufficient fine tendered by the elder yet will not let the yonger enioy it vnlesse he fine for it againe himselfe 2. Secondly it maketh him like to a cruell Creditour who hauing the debt discharged to the vttermost by a frieÌ„d yet casteth the poore debtour himselfe into prison vntill he there also in parte make some satisfaction 3. Thirdly it maketh him like to a mercilesse Iudge who hauing punished an ofâ—ence with condigne punishment yet will haue the offender punished againe as if he delighted in the tormentes of the miserable 4. Fourthly it maketh him lesse mercifull then man who doth remitte to his penitent brother all manner of offence and all manner of revenge also 5. Lastly it â—inistreth matter to the malitious to the satisfying of his malicious humor to the full seeing as GOD doth pardon vs so vve are to deale one vvith an other and therefore if GOD doth so forgiue vs our sinnes in CHRIST as that we must yet still either afflict our selues vvith the rigorous vvorkes of Penance or else bee cast into the extreame tormentes of Purgatorie then we may also so forgiue our brother as that we may yet procure his most greavous punishment Wherefore let all true and faithfull Christians abhorre those aboâ—inations of the whore of Babylon yea let all such as looke for forgiuenes of sinne and eternal life by the covenant of mercy in CHRIST Iesus giue the glory thereof not to themselues or their owne workes but onely to the death of our al-sufficient Redeemer And yet let them haue a most earnest care to shew forth their most holy faith by their godly workes not as if they were part of the satisfaction made for sinne or anie parcell of the price giuen for the purchase of eternall glorie but thereby to testifie their thankefulnes to him who hath paide the whole price for that purchase himselfe and hath made for them a perfect and full satisfaction For true faith is not idle nor deade but a living faith working by loue albeit this mother iustifieth vvithout the Fides iustificat ante partum Roffensis helpe of her daughters yea before their very birth as the truth hath forced an enimie to confesse For workes do follovve the iustified man they go not before our iustification even as good fruits proceede from a tree which is already good declaring and not making the tree good Wherfore if we which by nature are wilde oliues being ingraffed in Christ are made good oliues and if we which of our selues bringe forth sowre grapes being planted into the true vine yeeld a sweete liquor if we be made good trees and pleasant plantes such as are setled in the caelestiall paradise we owe that wholy to our engraâ—…ing into Christ by a true faith and not in any vvise to the fruites of our faith the vvhich are only requisite and necessary duties vvhich are carefully to be performed of all such as are called to be pertakers of so greate mercies For as in those landes and liuinges vvhich are holden of temporall Lords ther are besides the fines paide for the purchase of the first estates certaine rentes services and other duties vvhich are also to be performed for the quiet and peaceable possessing of the same liuinges and yet he were but a simple tenante that vvoulde imagine those rentes and seruices to be his whole fine or any part or parcell thereof even so the faithfull which haue their estates purchased for them by the death of Christ in the kingdome of heaven must as it vvere pay their rents performe their services submit theÌ„selues to the custoÌ„e of that heavenly mannour and yet they must neither be so proud nor so simple as to thinke that these rentes services and duties are any part or parcell of that fine that was paid for the first purchase of that heavenly inheritance Chap. 13. That the very end and scope of the sacramentes also is to teach the faithfull that remission of sinne and eternall life is obtained onely by faith in Christ VNTO the preaching of the gospell and Bap isme Eucharist doctrine of the new testament vvere adioyned by our Saviour Christ the sacramentes of the newe TestameÌ„t For it pleased our louing and gracious father not only to giue vs eternall life in his onely begotten sonne but also by certaine external rites and ceremonies to take vs as it were by the hand and to put vs into possession thereof If vvee had beene saith Chrysostome spirituall GOD Chrys in Math. hom 83. vvoulde haue giuen vs these thinge nakedly and spiritually but now for that our soules dvvell in bodies hee giueth spirituall thinges vnder visible creatures Visible sacramentes saith another vvere In quaest ve teris testamenti ordained for such as are environed vvith flesh that by the steppes thereof vvee mighte ascende from such thinges as are seene to thinges that are vnderstoode Saint Austine calleth the sacraments Aug. â—ont Faustum Lib. 19. Cap. 16. in generall a visible vvorde as our Saviour calleth the cuppe in particular the nevve Testament in his bloode because as the worde and testament doth teach our eares that the blood of Christ is the purgation of all our sinnes and his body the bread of eternall life even so doe the sacramentes represent the same doctrine visibly to our eies For certaine it is that in the right vse of thâ—se holy mysteries by the reverent receauinug of the bodely creatures God doth ratifie to the faithfull his graunt and donation of spirituall thinges that is of remission of sinnes and of eternall life in CHRIST IESVS and the faithfull in the religiouâ— vse thereof do againe for their part after a sort vow vnto GOD that they will seeke for the same blessinges onely by Christ and not by any other meanes whatsoever VVherefore the members of the church of Rome seeking for remission of sinnes and eternall life not onely by CHRIST but also by their owne merites and satisfactions may worthely be charged not onely as transgressors of the new TestameÌ„t but also as violaters of the holy sacraments and breakers of that solemne and sacred vovve made at thereceauing of these holy mysteries Yea vvhereas in the religious vse of the sacramentes GOD giueth vs CHRIST vvith all his blessinges according vnto the plaine vvordes of the institution of the LORDES supper take yee eate yee this is my body the church of Rome hath turned this tipsie turvy and vvill not so much receaue CHRIST therein as a sacrifice already offered to GOD for them
Appius Claudius for fidelity Fabritius for abstinence Scaevola for courage Cato for severity Cimon the Plut. in vita Cimonis Athenian for liberality Of whom it is recorded that he tooke away the moundes and fences from his groundes that the stranger and poore might take what fruite they would to refresh and satisfie themselues there withall besides he prepared a large supper ordinarily to the which any poore man might come and receiue sustenance and if he mette any auncient citizen in ragged and torne attire he commaunded one or other of his follovvers to chaunge his apparell with him and of his retinue that accompanied him some carried large suÌ„mes of mony that if they mette with any honest poore man they might giue vnto him all that he needed And yet vvhat vvere all these so glorious and goodly workes but bare shadowes counterfeites of vertuous actions rather then vertuous actions indeede Yea what were they but Splendid a peccata The best workes of the vnfaithâ—ull aâ—e no better then sinnes Rom. 11. 20. beautiful sinnes And as for the parties themselues shal we therfore esteeme them to haue beene good trees for that they had such an outward shew of good fruite Surely the spirit of truth doth testifie of vs that we are all by nature brambles breers wild â—…ues vntill we be grasled into the true oliue Nowe it is faith that doth grafte vs into the true olive as infidelity doth breake vs of Without saith then we are no better then brambles briars and wilde olives And whâ—… Dee men gather grapeâ— of thorâ—es figges Math. 7. 16. of brâ—arâ— Or doth the wilde oliue bring forth a kinde and natural olive Wherfore all these before named so famous and worthy personages in the eies of flesh bloud for al their glorious shew of goodly fruite living without faith without Christ vvithout God being Ephes 2. 12. alâ—ans from the â—ommâ—n wealâ—h of Israell and from the covenants of grace must needes vndergoe that heavy but iâ—st sentence of the Lord of the vineyard Cutte downe the vnprofitable trees for why Luke 13 7. Math. 3 10. cumber they the grounde And againe Now is the aâ—e laide vnto the roote of the treesâ— therfore every tree that bringoth not forth good fruite is bowâ—n downe and cast into the fire For if I giue al my goods to the poore 1. Cor. 13. 3 and haue not loue it profiâ—…th me nothing that is if this liberall fact of mine proceede not from a sincere harty affection to the good of my neighbour as likevvise if this harty affection towarde my neighbour come not from a sincere loue towardes God vvho is loued for himselfe and in whom also I love my neighbour yea if this my loue towardes God flow not from his loue in Christ towardâ— me embraced and apprehended by a true and lively faith all this my releiving of the poore cannot releiue my selfe and all this my mercy toward the needy cannot be a meanes to convey over vnto me the Lordes mercy For vnlesse all my goodnes be after this manner derived from God the onely fountaine of all goodnes well it may vnto men seeme to be goodnes yet it shall not haue his allowance from God But now let vs returne againe vnto our Saviours rule Beware of false Prophots which come vnto you in sheepes cloathing but inwardlie are ravening wolves ye shall know them by their fruites True teachers which with their harts sincerely embrace that holesome doctrine which they professe with their mouthes togither with their faith full disciples and schollers are as trees planted in the paradise of God and watered with the pure streames of the river of the vvater of life that floweth throughout the paradise of God and so receiving the blessing of God doe there by bring forth fruit good in truth and substance and not in shewe onely or outward appearance whereas false teachers as bastard plantes setled in the wildernes of this barren and vnfruitful world and wette with the venemous drops of the infected and deadly puddles of humane devices and dreames doe thereby bring forth fruit sometimes holesome and good in shew but never in substance For an infected fountaine cannot yeeld forth holesome water neither can a corrupt faith bring forth an vncorrupt life For the mind and vnderstanding are the leaders and guides vnto the will and the affectious and therefore if they be misledde with falshood errour and wander and goe astray in the bye pathes of impiety vngodlines howe can they direct the will and affections in the right way of piety and godlines Verily vnto whomsoever God in his iustice hath denied the knowledge of the groundeâ—and principles of a sound faith to them also he doth deny the gift and blessing of an holy life seeing that selfesame holy doctrine that is the cause of an holy faith is also the cause of an holy life as it is made manifest in the fourth motiue As on the contrary side vnto whom God in his mercy hath given the faithful acknowledging embracing of the grounds and principles of a sounde faith vndoubtedly to them hee doeth likewise graunt the practicall knowledge of an holy life For true faith and sincere loue which are the mother and nurce of all good workes are as Hypocrates twinnes borne togither and living without separation so that if one of them be strengthned the other receiveth strength also and if one of them be weakned the other is weakned they go alwaies hand in hand and bee inseparable companions and never breake company giue entertainement to the one thou must giue entertainment to the other sâ—ut the one of them out of thy dores and the other will in no wise be thy guest nor abide vvith thee the least moment of time For albeit a bare naked knowledge of the grounds of faith may be severed from the practise of a godly life yet a faithfull embracing and a sincere reâ—oiceing in them can never be idle and vnfruitfull but alwaies is accompaned with good works which giue witnesse vnto the sincerity Qui non fac it bonuÌ„ non credit bonum soundnes of faith and do sufficiently declare the holinesse of the doctrine from whence â—hey proceede Holy doctrine embraced but in shew and in hypocrisie may be vnfruitfull but being sinâ—…ly received it maketh good trees which cannot bee without gâ—…d fruite Now then this being evident that good workes are the infalhble notes of a good faith it remaineth that as in the former part of this treatise we declared that faith to be only sounde and catholike which was agreeable to the grounds of faith more briefly abridged in the Apostles Creede and set downe more at large in the canonicall seripture so now we set downe those divine rules of an holy life which are delivered in the same books wherevnto we must frame all our works if that wee desire to bee assured that they shall
be allowed and approved of God The proper cause of all good workes delivered vnto vs by the Not our owne will nor the wil of any creature but the will of God is the fountaine and foundation of all good workes Peccatum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To doe our workes in humble obedience to the will of God to serue and please him therein is a sure signe of a good worke and of the true service and servant of God Ioh. 5. 30. spirit of God in the canonical scripture is a religious respect vnto the will of God in doing the same For as rebellious disobedience against the will and commandement of God maketh an evill worke so sincere obedience maketh a good Even when the will of God is the motiue to induce vs to the performance of all our workes when they are done in obedience vnto hâ—m as the duty and service which he requireth at our handes yea when they are done also to this end and purpose that therein we way serue him according vnto his owne will then they are without controversie his right acceptable service and further declare them that so doe the same to be his loyall and obedient servants For how shal we know a loyall subiect to his prince and a true and trusty servant to his master but by their care and labour to serue and please them in their ready obedience to their willes and commandements even so we may soone know discerne the loyall subiectes and the faithfull servants to the great Lord master of vs al if that al our works are done to serue please him to shew our coÌ„formity to his wil. Vpon this ground did our Saviour Christ himselfe iustâ—fie make good all his owne proceedings I can doe nothing saith hee of my selfe as I heare I iudge and my iudgment is iust because I seeke not mine owne well but the will of the father that sent mee So we that are Christians if we desire to haue our workes holy and good wee must learne by the ensample of our master Christ in none of them to seeke our owne will and to walke in our owne waies but alwaies to haue our â—ies bent vpon him who hath sett out vnto vs our limites boundes The which thing if we sincerely performe we shal be as deare vnto our blessed saviour as if we were his brother or mother For who saith he is Mat. 12. 50. my brother and mother Behould he that doth the will of my father which is in heaÌ„ven the same is my sister brother and mother And whom will he admitte vnto the kingdome of heaveÌ„ Not every one saith he Mat. 7. 21. that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of beaveÌ„ but hee that doth the vvill of my father vvhich is in heaven And verely if Gods will be deare to vs we our selues shall be deare vnto him if we bee câ—refull to fulfill his will he will bee carefull to fulfill our will if we endevour to please him he will endevour to please vs if we be ready to performe all that is in his hart he will be readie to performe all that is in our hart yea he will giue vs more then we can wish or desire The cause of our blessednes is our communion The cause of our blessednes is our coÌ„munion with God True blessednesse is our conformity to Gods will with God and our reconciliation vnto him by the blood of Christ whereby he is become our loving father hath adopted vs into the number of his children And true blessednes it selfe which is heere in this life begunne in the children of God and shall be made perfect in the life to come is nothing else but their sanctification by his holy spirit illuminatioÌ„ by his holy word and their conformity to God both in their mindes and vnderstandings and also in their affections and willes For when Gods wisedome is our wisedome and Gods will our will Gods pleasure our pleasure pleasure when the faith that God commendeth is our faith and the workes that he commandeth re our workes when we haue vnfainedly sought to conforme our selues wholy to the most exact rule of the Lords will to be holy as he is holy then doe we see as in a mirrour the glory of the Lord with open face and are changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the spirit 2. Cor. 3. 18. of God For as sinne is our greatest wretchednesse because it Sinne maketh a pâ—ople miserable maketh vs most vnlike vnto God the holie of holies most like vnto the devill that uncleane and impure spirit even so true sanctity is our greatest glory because it maketh vs most like vnto the Lord of glory Seeing then our workes are right which are squared out by the squier of Gods will seeing our seruing of God according vnto his owne pleasure is his wellpleasing and acceptable service yea seeing our conformity to the will of God is our greatest blessednes it is no marvaile that the spirit of God who is of his most privy and secret counsell doth often vrge in direct termes this will of God as a most strong and effectual motiue and inducement to perswade vs thereby vnto the carefull diligent performance of all good workes This is the wil of God saith the Apostle even your sanctification that every one knowe how to possesse 1. Thes 4. 3. his vessell in holines and honour and not in the lustes of concupiscence as doe the Gentiles which knowe not God As if hee had saide your sanctification and your possessing of your vessels in holines and honour is the thing that God willeth and commaundeth and therfore yee ought most religiously to embrace the same to testâ—fie your obedience to his will And againe Reioice evermore pray continually 1. Thes 5. 16 in all thinges giue thankes for this is the will of God in Christ Iâ—sus towardes you So the Apostle St. Peter exhorting them to whoÌ„ he wrote to repentance and amendement of life telleth theÌ„ that 1. Pet. 4. 2. it is sufficient that before they were called to the knowledge of the will of God they had spent the time past of their life after the lustes of the Gentiles now saith he as much time as remaineth for vs to liue in the flesh we must liue not after the lustes of men but after the will of God And if we would further be instructed in what workes especially it is the will and pleasure of God to haue vs employed they are the workes of the morall and not of the ceremoniall law Sacrifice and offering saith the Prophet thou vvouldâ—st not haue buâ— Psal 40. 7. mine eares hast thou opened Burnt offrings and sacrifice for sin hast thou not required then saide I Loe I come In the volume of thy booke it is writen of me that I should doe thy will ô my God I am content