unto men to bee justified therefore good workes doe not precede a man to bee justified but follow him being justified as the effect and fruit of faith that is our workes shall bee our witnesses what wee are in heart and what wee are in fayth Rom. 4 22.23 Eph. 2.10 but by faith wee are justified and made righteous in the sight of God Saint Paul saith not that wee are the creatures of God in Christ through good workes but that wee are created of God in Christ to doe good workes Againe you are saved by grace through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Vers 8 9. not of workes least any man should boast himselfe Math. 9.22 29. Marke 5.34 10.52 Luke 7.50 8.48 Acts 26.18 John 1.12 Our Saviour Christ as it is in sundry places of the Evangelists recorded saith often thy faith hath saved thee onely believe believe onely and thou shalt receive remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in mee as many as believe in me to them hath God given power to become the sonnes of God whosoever believeth in me shall not be condemned shall not perish but have everlasting life these be the words of our Saviour Christ now Saint Paul saith Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ Acts 16 31. and thou shalt be saved Gal. 3.8 Rom. 4 3 c. God doth justifie through faith we are blessed by faith we are the children of Abraham yea we are the children of God by faith the righteousnesse of God commeth by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe If therefore thou confesse with the mouth of the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God raysed him from the dead thou shalt bee saved for with the heart man believeth unto righteousnesse Rom. 3.24 c. and with the mouth man confesseth unto salvation Wee are freely justified by his grace through faith but justification is onely proper to Gods children so that all prophane and ungodly people are out of possibility to bee justified and made righteous in the sight of God this is proved by Saint Paul to the Romans Rom. 8.3 Whom he predestinated them also he called and whom he called them also be justified And againe justification is a righteousnesse in the sight of God that is such as have a true a living and a saving faith and by faith wee doe apprehend the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ God is content to accept of such in the righteousnesse of his Sonne and to obscure their sins and to make them to appeare and stand before him as actually and verily just by his imputative righteousnesse as if they had wrought it personally in the practise of their owne lives If any make demand how can these things be I answer with the Apostle Vers 33 34. Rom. 5.1 It is God that justifieth who shall condemne Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ Thus farre Saint Paul whereby we may see that if justification and salvation should bee attributed to the merits of mans good workes it would occasion boasting and glorying in the flesh and challenging of our justification and salvation as due to the merit of our good workes and so much abâ—te and abase the glory of Gods grace that grace should then no more deserve the name of grace The Scripture is full of proofes in this argument looke Gal. 2.16 Rom. 3.21.22.28 30. Act. 13.38 Rom. 1.29.30 31. but if Justification and Salvation be as it ought to be wholly given and ascribed unto Gods grace and mercy promised unto us in Christ Jesus which we doe apprehend and lay hold of onely by faith as the onely instrumentall cause under Gods grace then is all the glory and honour of our justification given onely unto God without any merit of man and so as it is said before is concluded that we meane not by faith onely to exclude the doing but the meriting of good workes Seeing that none can be saved but those that are first justified and seeing none can be justified but they that have a true living and a working faith It behoveth all men to have a principall care to have the assurance of this faith that so they may be sure to be justified that they may be sure to be saved And because all men are naturally prone to deceive themselves with flattery and favourable opinion of themselves and their owne actions because Saint James and so the Scripture James 2. in many places doth utterly dis-inable an idle dead and a fruitlesse faith from the office of Justification it therefore neerely concerneth all men seriously and without private respect to examine their faith and compare their faith and their workes together that their workes being good those workes may justifie their faith to be a living and a saving faith and that they content not themselves with a bare and common historicall faith the which the Divell and the damned soules may have but that their faith may be approved good by the sufficient testimony of their good works without which their faith cannot be good For as the tree is knowne by his fruit and as it is impossible to gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles even so is our faith judged by our workes and so it is impossible that good workes should proceed from an evill faith or that a good faith should not produce good works good works being a necessary dependance upon a good faith This ought to provoke all men to an emulation of godly exercise to contend to exceed in holy actions and to square and fashion all their workes by their faith Note and to make every act of theirs a testimony that they are truly faithfull For he that is not with us is against us and those workes of ours that witnesse not for us will be witnesses against us and will condemne us in the sight of all men that our faith is not good or not at all and that therefore wee are not justified neither can be saved This may judge all those actions of men that disproportion a good faith and a good conscience For though men flatter themselves and promise peace to their soules and thinke to be justified and saved by a bare acknowledgment of God and their common historicall faith yet in a time when they thinke not on 't Note their ungodly workes will make warre upon their soules and bring upon them a sure and a sudden destruction Againe seeing justification is a meanes ordained by God to bring us to salvation this ought to move all men to a faithfull acknowledgement of Gods love who onely is the principall and first moving cause in every circumstance of our salvation and that we doe acknowledge our selves in great humility to be altogether defective and unable in the worke of our owne salvation and that every grace in us is
angels spirits and divels of hell because they suppose there is nothing farther and besides that which is seene with our eyes and so they acknowledge not God in their hearts for that he is not seene neither they consider not that there bee also some other things invisible which for all they see them not yet they cannot deny them to bee who ever saw a voice who hath seene the winde who ever saw a savour these things indeed are invisible but yet notwithstanding no man of any perceivance will deny them to be and whereby are they judged to bee but by the perceivance of their efficacy and working the voice is not seene yet is it heard the winde is not seene yet is it perceived by feeling and his working and violence in that which it bringeth to passe a savour is not seene but by smelling is perceived most effectually who ever saw at any time his soule The faculties of the soule yet no man is so unwise to deny that his soule is within him by whom hee perceiveth hee hath life sight and hearing smelling feeling tasting and power to move from place to place who ever saw his owne minde and is there any man so voyd of reason that hee will say hee hath none because hee seeth none and yet thereby conceiveth understandeth and judgeth no man ever saw the power of his will and heart God is known by his creatures and workings yet there is no man but perceiveth he hath such a power whereby he loveth hateth desireth and envieth mourneth and rejoyceth Rom. 1.20 21. why judge wee not likewise of God he is indeed invisible of himselfe but through his working vertue and goodnesse hee declareth himselfe so that the minde of man except it be altogether blinded may easily judge by the godly workes that there is a God by whom all things are made and by whom all is governed so that any man of understanding must needs grant that hee doth not understand God in his minde by his workes onely but also that hee seeth him with his eyes Iob 13.1 c. heares him with his eares and perceiveth him in his smell and feeling and the faithfull man surely maketh tryall of God even in his taste Psal 34.8 so the Prophet saith Taste and see how sweet the Lord is Unlesse Honey be tasted ye cannot know how sweet it is even so unlesse you taste of God ye shall not know how sweet he is the taste of his sweetnesse is the understanding of his goodnesse perceived by faith The second way whereby God doth manifest himselfe unto men consisteth in the Word God is known also by his Word for so God hath opened himselfe to our fathers by word and speaking even from the beginning of the world untill the daies of the new Testament whereof the Apostle speaketh saying Hebr. 1.1 2 3. Divers and many waies hath God spoken to our fathers by the Prophets but last of all hee hath spoken unto us by his Sonne this is a speciall way for it happened not so to every Nation as it did by a speciall grace happen to the Israelites Psal 147. hee that declared his Word to Iacob his Righteousnesse and his Iudgements unto Israel he did not so unto all nations and yet this Word and Christ also is the only Sonne of God The third way is by inspiration God is opened to the Elect by inspiring and the secret revelation of the holy Spirit and this is called most speciall for a difference from the other two that be indifferent to good and evill and this may pertaine to the elect onely who beside the light of workes and the declaration by word getteth almost certaine knowledge of God yet rather a feeling and a taste of him Ephes 3.5 by the lively and effectuall inspiration and revelation of the holy Spirit of God by these three waies man may certainly know there is a God What God is in his Essence and how to be understood in his holy Attributes Secondly it seemeth that this question hath troubled many mens mindes also who it is that is God Certainly knowne by so many manifest and many testimonies of godly workes Further to know what God is God is a divine Essence and Incomprehensible Immutable Indivisible Impassible Incorruptible Immortall 1 Tim. 6.16 2 Cor. 3.17 Unspeakable perfect and everlasting dwelling in Inaccessible light spirituall and infinitely perfect whose being is from eternitie to eternity In the God-head there are three divine persons the Father Sonne and holy Ghost these three persons are not three severall substances but three distinct subsistences or three divers manner of beings of one and the same substance and divine essence so that a person in the God-head is an individuall understanding and incommunicable subsistence absolute of it selfe and not sustained by any other The persons in this Mysterie or divine Essence are but three there is another and another but not another thing and another thing the divine Essence in it selfe is neither divided nor distinguished but the three persons in the divine Essence are distinguished amongst themselves by their names Mat. 11.27 Mat. 3.17 Esay 63.16 Eph. 3.16 17. by their order and by their actions in this manner the first person of the glorious Trinitie is named the Father first in respect of his naturall sonne Christ secondly in respect of the elect his adopted sonnes not by nature but by grace Christ the sonne is the second person of the glorious Trinitie and the onely begotten sonne of his Father not by grace but by nature Hebr. 1.3 Esay 36.10 Ioh. 20.21 22. 1 Pet 1.15 and Thes 1.2 the third person is named the holy Ghost first because he is spirituall without a bodie secondly because hee is spired and as it were breathed that is proceedeth from them both because hee is holy in his owne nature and the immediate Sanctifier of all Gods elect people Hence it is that for as much as the Father is the fountaine originall of the Trinitie the beginning of all eternall working the name of God in relation and the title of Creator in the Creed Ioh. 14.1 are given in especiall manner to the Father our Redemption to the Sonne and our sanctification to the Person of the holy Ghost as the Immediate agents of these actions Rom. 8.3 4. 1 Cor. 15.24 This divine order excepted there is neither first nor last neither superioritie nor inferioritie among the three persons for nature they are coessentiall Ioh. 1.1 for definitie coequall and for time coeternall For the essence doth not beget an essence but the person of the Father begetteth the person of the Sonne Ioh. 5.19 and so hee is God of God and hath from his Father the beginning of his person and order Rom. 8.9 but not of essence and time And the holy Ghost proceedeth equally from both the Father and the Sonne by an eternall and incomprehensible
counterfeiting and dissembling one may easily deceive and abuse another having one thing secretly hid in his heart when outwardly he saith and doth the contrary upon that is grounded the saying of the Prophet Jeremy Ierem. 17.9 The heart of man is overthwart and who shall know it but there cannot be such a perversity and dissimulation ascribed unto God but when he worketh hee declareth the quality of his nature in his working so that his workes may be most assured testimonies by which the hearts of the faithfull may bee perswaded of his goodnesse and will Esay 28. and although he seeme sometimes to worke contrary to his custome yet that is done to the intent that it shall come to that end which hee hath appointed This is to worke truly and verily according to the quality of his nature and to declare openly to the world the testimony of his good will or anger by word and deed Now there are five kinds of working One is Five kinds of working when things bee wrought according to the strength of their nature without any governance of understanding or will as in the working of fire water medicinall hearbes precious stones and such other things whose working if it bee guided by any reason or will it is not their owne but by some outward either by Gods or mans directions The second kind is of those things which followeth the drift of nature in their working but not without their owne will though the mastery of reason be lacking in them yet such is their working that sometimes it is forced against their will and so worke the bruit beasts The third kind is of men which doe also worke according to the quality of their nature and joyne theirs unto the governance of reason or will but wrong and corrupt and also subject and under a greater power either of man either of God and under this is also comprised the working of evill spirits The fourth is of good Spirits which wee call Angels they worke also according to their nature and that with understanding and will but without any depravation thereof wherein they differ from men and from evill spirits but they are also subject to a superiour power by whom their doings be directed The fift and last kind of working is also according to the nature of the worker Eccles 42.15 c. 43. with understanding and will and that pure and uncorrupt and is not subject unto the wisdome or will of any superiour but is most free wise mighty good and infinite upon whom all other things dependeth This is the working of one very God the beginning increase keeping repairing the rule and end of all things most good most free willing infinite everlasting perfect needing no other helpe No man is able sufficiently to praise God for he farre exceeds all praise necessary and profitable not to the worker but to the workes whose incomprehensible waies infinite multitude and unsearchable consideration no man may seeke to know whose infinite Goodnesse Wisedome Power Majesty and Glory all Angels and men must have in admiration and worship Though the Multitude Variety Majesty and Excellencie of the Workes of God be infinite and incomprehensible that neither the reason nor number of them can bee comprehended by any mans imagination or industry Eccle. 8.17 even as Ecclesiasticus said Yet among all the Workes of God Among Gods workes the worke of Creation is first wee ought first to understand the workes of the Creation and herein wee must leave the consideration of those workes that are of the Father towards the Sonne and of the Sonne towards the Father and of both of them toward the holy Spirit and of the holy Spirit toward both of them which are unsearchable and not necessary to know nor belonging to Creation But it is even enough if the creature doe acknowledge honour and glorifie the workes of his Creator in that that he is the Creator Encreaser Conserver Repairer Governour and Perfecter of all when we say the Father created all things the Word must not bee excluded neither the holy Spirit because that by the Word and with the Spirit all things were made and created When we say the sunne nourisheth and giveth light unto the earth wee exclude not his heate nor his brightnesse without which he doth not accomplish his worke Againe when we say all things are created of God we must not include those things that be evill in respect they be evill for they be not of God Iohn 8.44 but of satan the father of all evill this is the plaine description of our true and onely God from all false gods and idols To possesse our hearts with greater awe of his Majesty whilest we admire him for his simplenesse and infinitnesse adore him for his unmeasurablenesse unchangeablenesse and eternity seeke wisdome from his understanding and knowledge submit our selves to his blessed will and pleasure love him for his love mercy goodnesse and patience trust to his word because of his truth feare him for his power justice and anger reverence him for his holinesse and praise him for his blessednesse and to depend all our life on his faithfull promises who is the onely Authour of our life being and all the good things we have Eph. 5. Let us therefore stirre up our selves to imitate the divine Spirit in his holy Attributes and to beare in some measure the Image of his wisdome love goodnesse justice mercy truth patience zeale and anger against sinne and strive that wee may bee wise loving just mercifull true patient and zealous as our God is and that wee may in our prayers and meditations conceive aright of his divine Majesty and not according to those grosse and blasphemous imaginations which naturally arise in mens braines Psal 90.2 Rom. 1 23 c. as when they conceive God to be like an old man sitting in a chaire and the blessed Trinity to be like that tripartite idoll which Papists set up in their Church windowes When therefore thou art to pray unto God let thy heart speake unto him Psal 90.2 1 King 8.27 1 Iohn 5.7 as unto that Eternall Infinite Almighty Holy Wise Just Mercifull Spirit and most perfect and individuall Essence of three severall substances Father Sonne and holy Ghost who being present in all places ruleth Heaven and Earth understandeth all mens hearts knoweth all mens miseries and is onely able to bestow on us all graces which we want and to deliver all penitent sinners that with faithfull hearts seeke for Christs sake his helpe out of all their afflictions and troubles whatsoever If therefore thou dost believe that God is Almighty why dost thou feare devils or enemies Confidently trust in God and crave his helpe in all troubles and dangers if thou believest that God is infinite how darest thou provoke him to anger If thou believest that God is simple with what heart canst thou dissemble and play the hypocrite
The judgment of reason that they who deny the judgement of Divinity may be judged by reason and the wisdome of nature which alone is able to convince all oppositions and gain-sayers but to Christians I will onely set forth what God saith for that may serve to informe and satisfie all and every faithfull Christian Gen. 1.1 c. Moses the servant and witnesse of God Almighty being inspired by the holy Ghost hath left recorded to all posterities the manner of the Creation of the World The scripture is onely able to satisfie all doubts to which authority not onely my selfe but every faithfull Christian doth confidently adhere utterly disclaiming all contradiction all diversity of opinion In the Creation is principally considered the Creator God and the creatures the workes of Gods Creation In the Creator is considered his power his purpose his power in being able by his word to finish such a worke of admiration his purpose The world was made for man and man for God not that hee needed any such thing that he had made to supply any defect in his Divinity but for the use of a creature man which afterward he was to make to whom hee gave the Heavens the earth and all the host of them for the service of man reserving onely man for the service of himselfe In the creatures is considered their originall or matter of their creation The matter of the creation for some things he made of nothing some of fire some of aire some of earth some of water some of flesh of nothing he created the Heaven the Earth and the Sea whereunto as is supposed may be joyned the heavenly Spirits but under correction of others of earth hee made and shaped the first man Adam our father also of the earth hee made beasts and all kind of plants and hearbs of the aire hee made wind and blasts The order God observed of the waters he created fish and foule of flesh he created Eve the first mother of our kind Next the order wherein they were created this originall was nothing for God created all things by the power of his Word without matter there being nothing whereof to make any thing the order observed in the creation was that God determined the World and the workes therein for the service of man would before he made man store the World mans mansion-house with very needfull providence that man at the very instant of his beginning might know himselfe to be in the fulnesse of Gods favour nothing wanting which might either administer to him profit pleasure or serve his necessity Againe in the creatures themselves God observed a speciall order First hee created light without which the workes of his greatnesse had not beene visible Secondly he created Heaven giving that priority Apoc. 4.11 Of the Celestiall bodies for the excellency and dignity of the place Next he made a separation of the Earth and Waters and gave the Earth a generation of all Plants and Trees bearing good seed Then hee placed in the Firmament the Planets and fixed the Starres and Celestiall bodies the which serve not onely for light to distinguish times and seasons but also by their influence for the generation and government of all living creatures Then God furnished the two elements of Water and Ayre with creatures of that kind Last of all hee stored the Earth with the creatures which live on that element and when hee had finished the creation of all things hee then made man after his owne similitude and gave him the possession of the World and the creatures hee had made giving him interest in all and power over all without exception of any This knowledge of the Creation is necessary in the understanding of every Christian of carefull conscience with which knowledge the lesse learned may satisfie themselves avoyding the curious search of such nice questions as may distract the simple and availe not unto salvation The knowledge of the power of God in creating the World doth admonish and remember all men that seeing God created all things by the power of his word The maine interest of all things is in God therefore the maine interest and principall claime to all things created remaineth to God only he being the absolute owner without competitor and how man hath onely the use and communication thereof and that onely with condition and limitation of time Note it doth also perswade a reverence to the Majesty of God and a feare of his displeasure for that God who is able by his Wod to create of nothing any thing is able also by his Word to destroy any thing and make it nothing or worse than nothing The purpose of the creation of the world by God being for the use and service of man doth remember all men that the measure of the love of God to mankind is infinite The infinite measure of Gods love who of his owne election did please to make a Creature of such noblenesse as to be called his Resemblance and Image giving him a soule of such divine nature as nothing but God can be more Every thing created is either for use or ornament for whose sake God made the world and stored it with the plenty of all things which migh◠〈◊〉 fit either for use or ornament all which God hath given man only requiring acknowledgement and thankfull service which condition if man performe God will then a thousand-fold double his favours and whereas these are but transitory and passible pleasures God will make them eternall and unexpressable both in number and worth John 1. for he that proveth a faithfull servant God will make him a sonne and crowne him with the glory of his Saints in the kingdome of glory where there is a perpetuity of all happinesse Againe the purpose of Gods creating the world for the use of man Man must use Gods Creatures with reverence and moderation doth admonish all men to use the Creatures of God with moderation reverence and Christian judgement not to despise them because they are Gods Creatures not to adore them because they are but Creatures but so to use them as they may supply that purpose for which God created them Thirdly seeing God created the world for mankinde in generall it doth remember us not to appropriate the Creatures of God to our owne private ends but to communicate the use of them with all such as shall need them for God gave not the world to Adam onely but to his posterity also therefore every man is lawfully interested in the enjoying of Gods Creatures Matth. 25. God gave the world to mankind in generall and not to any particular if by lawfull and allowable meanes hee can attaine them Againe if a Christian mans necessity require reliefe and favourable supportation hee hath a righteous claime to some part of the superfluous possessions of others and hee that shutteth up his compassion against such necessity
is guilty of injustice and must answer the fault at the barre of death for God hee maketh his Sunne to shine upon all indifferently and hee hath given the world and the Creatures therein to mankinde generally and not to one man one family or one kingdome this may both teach and judge the mercilesse who can see and not relieve the extremities of men distressed men their brethren The meditation of this power of this love of God in creating a world of Creatures for the service of man and seeing it hath pleased him to make a reasonable soule and a sharer of these infinite blessings I have resolved with my selfe to declare my selfe in all dutifull demonstrations to my God and to use the Creatures hee hath given mee with moderation as hee hath commanded I have made a covenant with my soule that I will not appropriate that to my private which God hath made common If God give mee abundance I will open my liberality Luk. 16.2 How to employ Gods Talents I will give as God doth to all but carefully to the wants of faithfull men distressed I will remember that what I have I must use what I use not I must bestow lest Gods talents be without imployments and so God discharge mee of trust if God give me wisdome and knowledge more then some others I will not be silenced How to occasion an holy meditation I will not obscure the grace and gift of God I will not deny my God I will not deny the world my service but in whatsoever God shall enable me in that I will be industrious if I can doe nothing of desert or common profit yet will I spend my houres in holy meditation I have resolved I will still travell in holy exercise when I cannot profit generally I will pray generally wee are all the Creatures of one God the Word of God gave forme to every Creature therefore every thing that presents my eye shall move my holy meditations When I shall behold the wonderfull frame of heaven I shall revise on the creation and admire God his Mercy his Majesty I shall remember the happinesse of heaven and refresh my selfe in adversity with hopefull confidence Where to repose our confidence When I consider the earth I shall remember the basenesse of my beginning what I was in sinne what I am in grace this shall teach me to deny my selfe and wholly to depend on the favour of my God When I see unreasonable noysome and evill Creatures I shall have cause of acknowledgement for God might have made me so or worse Lastly when I shall see wicked men pride themselves in their vanities Pitty can respect our enemies I shal both pity and glory pity the misery of their soules and glory in the fortune of my owne and thus with these and such meditations my soule shall breath content Of the Angels their Nature their Office their Fall Moses of purpose did leave to speake any thing of the creation of Angels because of the disposition of the people bent to Idolatry It is supposed they were Created the first day of the Creation as appeareth Job 38. THat the Angels were created is most certaine the time of their creation is not certaine but doubtfully and diversely believed many men have spent their judgements in conjectures all such are more curious than wise because the truth thereof cannot certainly be determined neither if it could the knowledge thereof were not necessary or materiall to salvation for whatsoever knowledge is necessary for the happinesse of our soules is by God himselfe taught in the testimony of holy Scriptures This knowledge of the time of the creation of Angels being not taught by God doth make the search thereof unprofitable unlawfull for God doth nothing at peradventure but all things in judgement and with the advice of his divine wisdome God having denied this knowledge doth forbid the search of this unknowne unprofitable knowledge that which I desire to know which I desire to make knowne is contained in the testimony of holy Scriptures the which denying me this knowledge of the creation of Angells I forbeare to search the knowledge of Gods secrets and rather to be thought ignorant than audaciously bold with forbidden knowledge That which is needfull to be knowne of Angells is their nature their office in their nature must be considered what they are in substance what in quality they be heavenly invisible Creatures pure and spirituall of the substance and nature of our soules eternall in respect of ending without corruption in their quality is considered their power being at all times and upon all occasions able and ready to performe the excution of Gods service their office is that they are Gods messengers their imployment is either in Judgements or Mercies this Compendium is the knowledge of them all in generall The good and evill Angells were all created in one nature before the fall and apostacy of Angels The Angells and those that now are divells being at the first creation of one quality of one power and one excellence of nature after the fall of Angells who for their unsupportable pride were cast from the presence of God into eternall darknesse 2 Pet. 2.4 and damnation the Angels divided themselves the better part keeping their first estate kept their entertainment with God Math. 18.10 and continued his favour and service Iude 6. the worst dividing themselves left the service of God and the fellowship of good Angels and bend their whole endeavour against God and against his blessed Angels and against the Saints that love and serve him this apostacie and division of Angels have divided them in their nature and in their offices The full opposition of the good and evill Angels the good Angels ever labouring the good of men the evill angels to hinder and prevent the goodnesse of God and his good Angels labouring by all meanes to bring mankind to their owne condemnation In their offices likewise they disagree for God doth commonly imploy his good Angels in his workes of mercy and favourable protection the divels hee imployeth in the execution of his judgements and corrections not that hee needeth their service but that hee forceth them against their will to his obedience God can enforce the divels in workes of his own glory These severall imployments of the good and evill angels are not alwaies of necessity though very common for God when hee pleaseth maketh good Angels destroy and inflict vengeance and the divels hee can and doth use in his workes of greatest mercy and this the divels doe not with consent but are either forced by the unresistable power of God or else deceive themselves in the end of their owne working God making that which they intend for evill to tend to a good end farre beyond and contrary to their purpose and expectation Iude 6. The good Angels have both liberty and pleasure in the service of
it for man to pride and boast himselfe in his prosperitie and disgracefully to repute men for their difference of fortunes Pride the vainest folly in mans nature for the best man is but base earth and the basest man is created of God in his owne Image all of one nature and in one office and all to one end ordayned therefore in a Christian judgement there is no difference of men but the difference of good and of bad men and this inequality is not in their nature The difference of grace and fortune but in the corruption and defect of their nature and the best and safest way to esteeme men is to compare them in their gifts of grace and not of fortune Note for with God the least Spirit of grace though in the lowest degree of fortune is of more value and esteeme then the greatest of the world if not gracious This knowledge of our creation should remember us in our dutifull obedience to God that seeing his hand hath fashioned us and that his mercy hath made our bodie a Temple or Sanctuary for his holy Spirit to dwell in 1 Cor. 3.17 therefore let us carefully keepe the temple of our bodies from the filth of sinne and endeavour our selves in such holy exercises that our soules may have the perpetuall fellowship of the holy Ghost without which there is no happinesse nor salvation let us therefore refraine to accompany with the leprosie of sinne lest we runne into their danger in defiling our bodies the Temples of the holy Ghost with diseased company let us hate the imitation of mens vices let us not bee tempted with their fellowship because we know that when we prophane our bodies the temples of the holy Ghost wee shall banish that sweet society frustrate our hope and wound the quiet of our conscience O God of all goodnesse of base earth thou madest us noble creatures we had no life no soule before thou inspiredst it thou gavest us reason and understanding to enable us for thy divine service and worship thou hast given us thy favourable entertainement continue us wee beseech thee in this service God that gave grace can only continue it let our soules let our bodies let every power let every part thereof have their imployments therein we desire no change we are thine from the beginning O continue us thine for ever thy selfe good God inspired our soules it is thy breath and therefore precious it was thine before we had it helpe as to keepe it in the time and in the danger of this our progresse in this our pilgrimage through this sinfull and wicked world and when thou shalt call it home we may gladly breathe it backe for with thee there is onely safety How and where to repose our confidence with thee there is happinesse infinite without time without measure in the meane time keepe us from the danger of leesing let us walke in the directions of thy holy Spirit we are not able to walke to move our selves in any holy course if thy hand lead us not wee shall either faint or wander O keepe us from both that we may travell in the passage of this life with alacrity and spirituall profit that this earth our bodies of earth may passe to the grave in hope that this breath A needful care our soule may returne from whence it came with confidence this is the happinesse for which I will onely endeavour for which I will alway pray O my God make me resolute in this my intended course Of the state of Mans Innocence before his fall THat man was created good holy and innocent is evident by the testimony of Scripture neither is it doubted of the Christian world for when God had ended the Workes of his Creation Gen. 1.31 the holy Ghost saith That he viewed all that he had made and loe it was very good for God being the father and fountaine of all goodnesse Nothing but â—ood can be derived from God Eccle. 15.14 15 16 17. it was not possible that any thing that was evill should bee derived from him but like himselfe so his workes were perfectly good without blemish without defect it is therefore generally to be believed that Adam at the first creation was holy and innocent no defect of nature no corruption of sinne and that God gave him liberty and power of free-will if so he would to continue his estate and happinesse for Adam in the estate of his innocence had this condition of happinesse First he was in the full favour of God a joy unexpressable Secondly hee had the world and the creatures therein for his use and pleasure which then were perfectly good hee had power also given him of God to continue this happinesse to himselfe and his posterity for ever for the gifts both temporall and spirituall which God gave him doe well declare the infinite measure of Gods love to him God giving him all that was created Note and enduing him with a divine soule and with that such endowments of grace as made him both excellent and happy that God gave him the possession of the world both for his use and pleasure is already proved yet more God for an extraordinary demonstration of his favour to him planted a garden in Eden Gen 2.8 9. of admirable variety both for use and ornament For out of the ground made the Lord to grow every tree pleasant to the sight that was for ornament and good for meate the tree of life also in the middest of the garden and the tree of Knowledge of good and evill These were there both for the beauty of the place and for the triall of mans obedience Verse 16 17. and God gave Adam liberty to eate of every tree thereof freely onely prohibiting him to taste of the tree of Knowledge of good and evill These benefits this bounty was large yet doth God still encrease his favour to Adam and deviseth to make him an helpe fit for him for he said Gen. 2.18 It is not good for man to be alone as if God had laboured his invention to devise for the good and for the helpe of man 1 Tim. 2.14 then God made woman and gave her for the consolation of man Thus did God derive his blessings by degrees upon man still inlarging the measure of his bounty and goodnesse towards him so as there wanted nothing which in the wisedome of God was thought fit for mans prosperity Lastly to all these favours God yet giveth one more then all and that was a free will and power in himselfe to derive these infinite blessings upon himselfe and his posterity for ever no mixture of griefe to distaste them no death to deprive them but themselves and these pleasures to bee infinite and unspeakeable and all these pleasures and continuance was given upon such easie condition as in our imagination could hardly tempt a reasonable man to a small forfeiture
us but it must be considered with what minde those things be wrought which be of themselves good whether of the affection of love and mercy or for some other cause Let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed verity 1 Iohn 3.18 for hee is not worthy straightway to have the commendation of good workes which doth bestow meate drinke and cloathing upon the poore not of the desire to do good but rather to hunt hauke for glory and praise in the sight of men wherefore all be not immediately good workes which be esteemed to be good unlesse they be such as doe profit their neighbours and that they do proceed from a good and faithfull heart and the affection of charity thereby our faith is exercised fed encreased and strengthened by good workes and that wee be assured by them in our consciences of our election and calling in that wee doe daily more and more feele the grace and vertue of Christ encreasing in us by meanes thereof like as on the contrary part evill workes doe expresse and shew forth more and more the malice and wickednesse of our hearts Therefore Saint Peter admonisheth us to make our election and vocation sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Eccles 28.10 for like as the fire by wasting much wood waxeth greater and stronger so is godlinesse and faith fedde and maintained in Christian men by the study and use of good workes even so by use exercise of vertuousnesse men doe come to a perfect habite of the same and so by imitation of their good workes others bee stirred up to the like desire of godlinesse when they doe see some lively examples in their neighbours that by the applying of good workes to the reliefe and necessities of the poore Jam. 1.27 John 3.17 Hebr. 13.1 2 3 16. needy widdowes fatherlesse prisoners sicke folkes and all other distressed which kind of goodnesse doth resemble the very disposition of God himselfe for the goodnesse which wee are created unto is not determined in the workes of mercy onely but it doth extend unto our whole life and common trade of living together Amity is the true bond of all humane society wherein one man is so knit unto another by mutuall love ayd and service even as the very members and parts of our body doe service one to the necessary use and ayde of the other wherefore they be not men but vaine shapes of men John 5.5 which doe vainely and idlely spend all their life as though they were borne to no other intent and end but to waste and consume upon themselves without regard to their Christian brethren or relieving and supplying their wants and necessities in time of need to which end they were chiefly and necessarily ordained of God next then to doe him service and divine worship for Saint Paul admonisheth all men to walke worthily in the sight of the Lord Col. 1.10 to please him in all points being fruitfull in all good workes for hee that is fruitfull in all good workes doth please the Lord in all things if they be done with a pure and sincere faith for they bee the fruits of faith for good workes are pleasing to God Good workes be done by the Spirit of God because they bee done by his Spirit for he doth worke in us both to will and to performe according unto his good will and pleasure therefore forasmuch as they come from him it cannot be but that they must be liked of him That which is just and good is loved of God as the authour and beginner of them Such is his justice that he loveth the same which is just and good being himselfe of all other most just and the rewarder of all good workes that proceed of faith but wee must not assume the reward of our good workes to proceed of our owne deserts but unto the goodnesse of God who doth worke the effects of godlinesse and charity in them that believe True and sincere love is an inseparable property in the godly no Christian without faith Iohn 15.17.12 13 14. and no faith without charity where there is not the brightnesse of charity neither is there the zeale of faith Note take away the light from the sun and thou maist aswell take charity from faith Charity is the outward act of the inward life of a Christian the body is dead without the spirit James 2.26 so faith is dead without charity He is not of Christ that hath not the Spirit of Christ and hee hath not the Spirit of Christ Gal. 5.22 that hath not the gift of charity for charity is the fruit of the Spirit and the bond of perfection Col. 3.14 Note As the members of the body are knit together by the Spirit that is the soule so the true members of the mysticall body of Christ are united by the holy Spirit in the bond of charity 1 King 6.21 22 Salomons Temple was all covered with gold within and without so let Gods Temple be all beautified with love and charity both within and without let charity move thy heart to compassion and thy hand to contribution for compassion is not sufficient unlesse there bee also outward contribution neither is outward contribution sufficient unlesse there be also inward compassion 1 Iohn 4.7 c. faith receiveth all from God and charity giveth againe unto our neighbours God is love and by faith we are partakers of his divine nature no man believeth in Christ which loveth not Christ and no man loveth Christ unlesse he love his neighbour neither doth he apprehend the benefits of Christ with true confidence of heart that doth deny his neighbour the office which hee oweth unto him That is not truly a good worke which proceedeth not from faith Rom. 14.13 neither is it truely a good work which proceedeth not from charity charity is the seed of all vertues it is no good fruit which springeth not from the root of charity for charity is the spirituall taste of the soule for unto it alone is every good thing sweet and pleasant every hard thing sweet yea all troubles and adversities sweet 1 Ioh. 13.34 35 It profits not to give all that one hath unto the poore if hee hath not charity for the outward action is done in hypocrisie if there bee not inward love Rivers of bounty profit not unlesse it spring from the fountaine of charity Charity is patient for no man is easily angry with him that he loveth charity is bountifull for hee that by charity hath bestowed his heart which is the chiefe good of the soule how can he deny his outward goods to his neighbour which are of farre lesse worth Charity envieth not because hee that hath charity looketh unto anothers good as upon his owne Charity thinketh no ill 1 Cor. 13.1 c. but loveth truly and from his heart Charity is the bridle of anger Charity is simply
Justification to be in the workes of the Law and doth absolutely ascribe it to the power of faith in Christ and he giveth a reason of this doctrine for saith hee If righteousnesse be by the Law Gal. 2.21 then Christ dyed without cause So then the very cause why Christ died was that righteousnesse might be imputed and apprehended by faith to all them that believe seeing that by workes it is impossible and therefore saith the Prophet David Psal 32.1 Blessed is he whose unrighteousnesse is forgiven Verse 2. and whose sinnes are covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne so hee thinketh them most righteous that have their unrighteousnesse forgiven them and them most holy that have not their sins imputed unto them Rom. 4. The fourth to the Romanes the whole Chapter is an earnest and sufficient proofe of this argument and doctrine where the Apostle laboureth by direct evidence to satisfie all doubt as if hee had fore-knowne the stiffe and unreconcileable oppositions of these times against this doctrine of Justification in which Chapter he maketh Abraham his instance in whom there was as much cause of boasting and as much righteousnesse as in any other particular save Christ Jesus onely yet he there proveth that Abraham upon whom God had founded his peculiar people was not justified by the righteousnesse of his workes but that this faith was imputed unto him for righteousnesse and for proofe alleadgeth Scripture Gen. 15.6 And Abraham believed the Lord and hee accounted that to him for righteousnesse so that the matter of our justification is the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ onely and the meanes of apprehending it is onely by faith This doctrine howsoever it is made strong and unresistable by many testimonies of holy Scripture and though it be zealously maintained by men of great learning and religious judgement yet it hath endured violence and suffered disgrace both by ignorance and envie this age maintaining such oppositions of error as the ignorance of former times first occasioned thereforâ— at this day this argument of justification is one of the maine controversies of the world the one maintaine justification by faith onely the other by workes that defending truth this opposing it and though a faithfull man would be willing to quarrell in defence of faith Note Psal 91.4 faith being our shield of defence against all gaine-sayers sin and the dwell yet know not how to give addition of strength to them that have already exceedingly travelled in this manifest truth and whose faithfull paines have maintained this quarrell with valour and victory against all opposition neither is it in the purpose of this businesse to dispute questions of truth but to deliver truth as it is by admonitions and plaine teachings to men of simple easie understanding for whose Christian good these paines are principally taken whose simplicity might most easily be confounded in the intricate search of cunning arguments for these respects And because all contention and strife of words is in the hatred of my nature I will as I finde it written downe sparingly deliver my selfe in a large argument and strike onely one blow at the enemy of faith that I may bee knowne to be an enemy of that enemy and that by a familiar proofe I may instruct the knowledge of them that are lesse learned For they that deny justification by fayth and approve it by works would frame this argument from the testimony of Saint James Jam. 2.17 c. who speaking of a generall faith doth utterly disable it from the office of justification and therefore he saith that Faith without workes is dead in it selfe for as the body without the spirit is dead even so faith without workes is dead also Therefore say they that the Apostle concludeth that of workes a man is justified and not of faith onely To this is answered it is most true that fruitlesse faith is dead neyther can justifie and that good workes are the spirit and soule of a living faith for as the body without the soule is not a living man but a dead carcase so faith without workes is not living is not saving nay is not true faith but onely beares a generall name and with Saint Iames wee may conclude against all such faith But if there be a faith that hath a necessity depending of good workes as necessarily as the soule to the body and the fruit to the tree and that this faith declare it selfe to bee plentifull in good actions the fruits of a living faith we may then with Saint James conclude against them for hee doth not as they doe disinable all faith in the worke of justification but onely that faith which is dead Note and without workes So both opinions imply a necessity of workes the one as the cause of justification and the other as an effect in them justified It were easie to be large in numbring authorities and in reporting such distinctions and shifts as the deceived use in supporting their erroneous opinions they are but inventions therefore without respect wee will passe them over Note but advise the Christian Reader to beware of both extreames and modestly and moderately to understand the meanes of his justification that his zeale carry him to no extremity but to the vertuous meane onely and not to ascribe all to fayth and nought to workes but to give them both their necessary respects for as wee are not justified but by fayth so our fayth is not justified but by our workes for if our works be not faythfull our fayth working we are not justified neyther can be saved For when it is said that fayth onely justifieth it is meant and not denyed that charity is joyned with that fayth which justifieth being inseparably united unto it but that onely fayth and not charity is the meanes by which we embrace Jesus Christ our justification righteousnesse As for example the fire hath heate and light which qualities cannot bee severed in that subject Note yet the fire burneth by heate only and not by light now if they will reason say if the heate of the fire only burn Similitude then it burneth without the light of the fire but that it cannot do such is their reason against justification only because it cannot be separated from charity Likewise though the parts of mans body bee joyned together and one is not without another in a perfect body yet the eye onely sees and the eare onely heares and every part hath his distinct office and so hath faith and charity Thus may the seeming difference betweene Saint Paul and Saint Iames bee reconciled Heb. 11. but such fayth and workes as Saint Paul meaneth justifie us before God but such fayth and workes as Saint Iames meaneth justifie us before men but God doth justifie effectually fayth doth justifie apprehendingly and good workes doe justifie declaringly that is we doe declare our selves by our workes
and I shall speake and let the earth heare the words of my mouth for I will publish the name of the Lord and ascribe honour unto our God Acts 13.26 Yee men and brethren children of the generation of Abraham and whosoever amongst you feareth God to you is the word of this salvation sent Psalm 34. Come yee children and hearken unto mee and I will teach you the feare of the Lord. O praise the Lord with mee and let us magnifie his name together A perfect Table to finde readily all the branches contained and treated of in the first and second Part of this Booke OF the Essence of God what God is in his Essence and how he is to be understood in his holy attributes so farre as he hath revealed himselfe in holy Scripture for otherwise no man is able to define what God is page 1 Of the majesty greatnesse and quality of God page 19 Of divine directions declaring the variable state and misery of man from the time of his creation to the time of the Gospel or the new Covenant of Grace page 30 Of the creation of the world page 34 Of the Angels their nature their office their fall page 40 Of man his first beginning page 51 Of the state of mans innnocency before his fall page 58 Of originall sin the fall and apostacy of man page 64 Of the Divells trecheries and how to prevent him page 74 Of the morall law of God the ten commandements page 77 Of the purity of conscience page 89 Of the accusations of conscience page 91 To avoyd security page 102 Of the knowledge of mans corruption and state of misery in this world and the miserable state and condition in the life to come without we be renovated by Christ. page 105 Of the meditation of the misery of the body and soule in this life page 109 Of the meditation of the misery of man after death which is the fulnesse of cursednesse page 116 Of the meditations of the grievousnesse of the torments of Hell p. 120 The Branches contained in the second part of this Booke OF the Covenant of the Gospell or the Covenant of grace pag. 127 Of the incarnation of the word Christ pag. 141 Of Christs Nativity pag. 150 Of Christ Iesus the summe or compendium of the Gospell pag. 154 Of the Crosse of Christ and his holy sufferings for our sins pag. 164 Of repentance or sorrow of the soule for sinne pag. 168 Of the two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper pag. 182 Of the Lords Supper the institution of Christ pag. 184 Of the preparation to the receiving of the holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Iesus Christ pag. 199 Of the ordinance of Christ concerning the translation of the holy and blessed Sabbath pag. 205 Of Christs ascension pag. 208 Of the comming of the holy Ghost pag. 210 Of the love of God pag. 213 Of the properties of Charity and true love to our Christian brethren pag. 217 Of Gods eternall election and predestination pag. 222 Of mortification pag. 234 Of Regeneration pag. 246 Of Sanctification pag. 255 Of Justification pag. 262 Of Faith pag. 267 Of Hope pag. 294 Of Patience pag. 301 Of Prayer pag. 313 Of Afflictions pag. 326 Of generall rules directing a Christian in a godly life pag. 336 Of Gods glory pag. 347 Of the uncertainety of mans life and the expectation of death pag. 351 Of temporary death and of the severall state of salvation and damnation pag. 355 Of a sweet contemplation of the beatificall joyes of Heaven and of heavenly things and the blessed state of a regenerated Christian pag. 364 The Conclusion pag. 373 Esay 40.3 A Voice cryeth in the Wildernesse of this wicked world prepare the way of the Lord make straight the path of our God in the Desert Esay 58.1 Cry now as loud as thou canst leave not off lift up thy voyce like a Trumpet and shew my people their offences and the house of Iacob their sinnes Psal 36.1 My heart sheweth me the wickednesse of the ungodly that there is no feare of God before his eyes Vers 4. He imagineth mischiefe upon his bed and hath set himselfe in no good way neither doth he abhorre any thing that is evill Esay 59.2 3 4. But your mis deeds have separated you from your God and your sinnes hid his face from you that he heareth you not for your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with unrighteousnesse your lips speake leasing and your tongues set forth wickednesse no man regardeth righteousnesse and no man judgeth truely every man hopeth in vaine things and imagineth deceit conceiveth weaknesse and bringeth forth evill Vers 7. Their feet run to evill and they make hast to shed innocent blood their counsels are wicked counsels harme and destruction are in their waies Ierem. 9.8 Their tongues are like sharpe arrowes to speake deceit with their mouth they speake peaceably to their neighbour but privily they lay waite for him And like as a net is full of birds so are their houses full of that which they have gotten with falshood and deceit Ier. 5.27.28 hereof commeth their great substance and riches hereof are they fat and wealthy and are more mischievous then any other they minister not the law they make no end of the fatherlesse cause yea they judge not the poore according to equity They are corrupt Psal 53.2 4. and become abominable in their doings there is not one that doth good no not one For though they can say the Lord liveth yet they sweare to deceive Ier. 5.2 Their throate is an open sepulchre Psal 14.5 with their tongues have they deceived the poyson of aspes is under their lips Their mouthes are full of cursings and bitternesse their feet are swift to shed blood Vers 6. For when ye have stollen Ier. 7.9 murdered committed adultery and perjury when yee have offered unto Baal following strange and unknowne gods shall ye be punished Have they no knowledge that they are all such workers of mischiefe Psal 14.7 8. eating up my people as it were bread destruction and unhappinesse is in their waies and the way of peace have they not knowne Should I not punish these things Ier. 5.29 saith the Lord should I not be revenged of all such people as these be Heare thou earth also behold I will cause a plague to come upon this people Ier. 6.19 even the fruit of their owne imaginations for that they have not beene obedient unto my words and to my law but abhorred them Psal 28.4 5. Reward them according to their deeds and according to the wickednesse of their owne inventions recompence them after the works of their hands and pay them that they have deserved Eccles 8.11 Because now that evill workes are not hastily punished the heart of man giveth himselfe over unto wickednesse Esay 5.14 Therefore gapeth hell marvellous wide
prevent him SEing the Divell is so apt and ready to assault and tempt the faithfull and the elect of God consider therefore thou devout soule in what danger thou art because the divell thine adversary is alwaies lying in wait for thee hee is an enemy for boldnesse most ready for strength most powerfull for subtilty most cunning for engines well stored in sight indefatigable into all shaps changeable he intiseth us into many sinnes and having inticed us hee accuseth us before Gods judgement seate 2 Cor. 2.11 2 Cor. 11.14 hee accuseth God to men and men to God and one man to another hee exactly considereth every ones inclination and then hee layes for them the snares of temptations for the devill when he assaulteth the soule of man first sets upon that part he findes softest and best affected for his purpose for him the easier to worke upon and if hee once be withstood and overcome hee doth not presently remove nor give over but comes againe to tempt with greater force that so hee may by tediousnesse and neglect overcome those whom by violence and force of temptations he could not overcome Against whom will he not be bold to use his subtill trickes when hee was so bold to set upon the Lord of Majesty himselfe with his craft and subtilty Math 4.2 3. when hee had fasted forty daies and forty nights what Christians will he spare when hee sought to winnow Christs Apostles like wheate He deceived Adam in his nature instructed whom then can hee not deceive in his nature corrupted he deceived Judas in the schoole of our Saviour Luke 22.31 and whom will hee not deceive in the world Gen. 3.4 5. the schoole of errours in all states the divels trecheries are to bee feared In prosperity hee lifts us up with pride in adversity he drives us downe to despaire if he sees a man delighted with frugality he intangleth him in the fetters of insatiable covetousnesse if hee sees a man of an heroicall spirit hee sets him on fire with flaming anger if he sees a man somewhat merrier then ordinary hee incites him to burne with lust those whom he sees to be zealous in religion he labours to entangle in vaine superstition those whom he sees exalted to dignities hee prickes them forward with the spurres of ambition when hee allureth man to sinne hee amplifieth Gods mercy and when hee hath cast him headlong into sinne then he shewes and amplifies Gods justice first hee will lead a man to presumption and afterwards he labours to bring him to desperation sometimes he assaults outwardly by persecutions sometimes hee assaults inwardly by fiery tentations sometimes he sets upon us openly and by force sometimes hee sets upon us secretly and by fraud in eating he sets before us gluttony in generating luxury in exercising sluggishnesse in conversing envie in governing covetous extortion in correcting rage in dignity pride he possesses the heart with evill cogitations in the mouth he puts false speakings in the other members wicked actions when wee are awake he moves us to evill workes when we are asleepe he moves us to filthy dreames so then at all times in every place and in every thing we must beware of the divels trecheries wee sleepe but hee watcheth wee are secure but he goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devoure 1 Pet. 5.8 Consider therefore thou faithfull soule the trecheries of this most potent enemy and seeke the ayd of spirituall armes to defend thee from his subtilties let thy loynes be girt with the girdle of truth Eph. 6.14 and covered with the brest-plate of righteousnesse put on Christs perfect righteousnes thou shalt bee safe from the divels tentations Iohn 14.30 as Satan hath no power over Christ neither hath he power over the faithfull his members Let thy feet be shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace so the fiery darts of the divell shall not hurt thee take the shield of faith to defend thee from the assaults of this most wicked enemy Eph. 6.15 Math. 17.20 Faith is that which removes Mountaines which is to be understood the mountaines of doubts persecutions and tentations if thou hast faith neither shall any thing be unpossible unto thee Vers 20. Exod. 12.17.12.13 The Israelites whose doore posts were figured with the blood of the paschall Lambe were not smitten with the destroying Angell so likewise those whose hearts are by faith sprinkled with the blood of Christ shall not be hurt by this destroyer faith relies upon Gods promises in the mercy of the Almighty and Satan cannot overthrow them that believe faith is the light of the soule and hath a bright eye a holy eare a cleane heart and a sure foote shee is the strength of hope the trust of truth the honour of amity and the joy of love and Satan cannot prevaile against it and the tentations of this malignant spirit are easily discerned through this light Mich. 7.19 By faith our sins are throwne into the profound sea of Gods mercy and in that the firy darts of the divell shall be easily quenched we must likewise put on the helmet of salvation that is Ephes 6.17 holy Hope endure tentation and expect an issue thereof by hope and thou shalt find comfort thereby For God is an Assister of them that contend and the crowne of them that overcome Vers 19. wee must also take the sword of the spirit that is the Word of God For the consolations of the Scripture will prevaile against the contradictions of the divell Nazianz. for by the Word Christ overcame all Satans temptations Math. 4.4 c. 11. and still the faithfull shall overcome the divell and all his subtilties To conclude by prayer thou hast great aid against tentations for as often as the little ship of thy soule is ready to be overwhelmed by the waves of tentation awake Christ by thy prayers we overcome visible enemies with striking but wee overcome our invisible enemies by powring forth prayers unfained fight thou O Christ both in us and for us that so through thee we also may overcome our deadly enemy with victory that in thee and through thee we may triumph gloriously Of the Morall Law of God the ten Commandements THe Law of God The morall Law of God and the Law of nature is all one though it was not given to man with solemne promulgation before the time of Moses yet was there a generall sense thereof given to Adam in his creation For when God gave him his nature and endued him with the use of reason and discourse he gave him capacity to understand his duty the which duty is nothing else but the observation of the Law of God and therefore when Adam had transgressed the commandements of God and had eaten the forbidden fruit the reason of his naturall soule could tell him his offence and then his conscience judged him he was afraid
both caused and continued in us by the secret power of God our selves being meerly passive and moved to divine exercise by the onely direction of the holy Ghost and therefore that we doe ascribe the honour of every good action to God by whom it is caused and utterly disgrace our selves in our owne estimation because Gods grace doth leade every man to every particular action of goodnesse Note Againe seeing that by faith in Christ God doth both cancell and abolish our sinnes and repute us righteous in his presence it doth remember all men the admirable degree of Gods favour and the powerfull operation of faith First Gods favour towards us hee being pleased to forgive us our sins and deserts of condemnation and to give and impute the most absolute righteousnesse of his deare Sonne Christ to all men upon this easie condition of faith that such who have a true faith to apprehend him shall be accepted in his favour as sonnes and shall appeare in the presence of God as equally righteous as if themselves had actually performed righteousnesse in their owne particular persons Secondly Heb. 11.1 c. wee are taught the powerfull operation of true faith that it is able to enter heaven and to apprehend and apply Christ and his righteousnesse to reconcile the favour of God unto us and to satisfie his displeasure to wash off the leprosie and spots of our sins and to put on us the garment of righteousnesse even Jesus Christ the Sonne of God by whom and through whom wee are justified in the fight of God and by whom also wee shall be saved Let us therefore carefully endeavour our selves in a constant exercise of all godly actions not that we repose our justification in the vertue or merit of our owne workes but that by the testimony of our good works we may approve our selves to be faithfull and that our faith is more than a common or a generall historicall faith even a living and a saving faith which is and must be the onely meanes of our apprehending Christ who is the all-sufficient and onely matter of our justification and let this be the onely glory and pride of our well-doing that this witnesse of workes shall gaine us the reputation of Gods servants and that Gods faithfull children here on earth shall esteeme and repute us to be of their fellow-brethren then which let us never desire a greater cause of boasting and this judgement of good men must needs rise from the testimony of good workes because there is an inevitable necessity of consequence and necessary dependence betweene faith and workes they being as inseparable as the heat from the fire and as necessarily depending as the body and the soule let this provoke us to a zealous forwardnesse of all godly actions because thereby we shall conclude the assurance of our justifying faith and thereby satisfie the desire of our owne soules and that doubt which otherwise might justly be had of us in the common opinion of men From this argument must needs follow this conclusion that seeing we have the fruits of faith Note good works therefore we have also the cause of workes true faith and that therefore this faith thus working is a tree of Gods owne planting this is that use this is that comfort and consolation which wee shall understand and find in the nature of our best deserving workes thus let us esteeme them and but thus let us therefore avoid and abolish that dangerous opinion of meriting by workes because it is farre better to want honour then to force it from God by violence nay let us rather disgrace our selves then to dis-inable our Saviour Jesus Christ for if righteousnesse be from our selves it is not onely from him and then would follow that absurd and blasphemous conclusion that he is not the onely Saviour neither hath perfected the worke of mans salvation let us therefore doe all the good we can Note but let us repute our deeds though never so good to be the effect and not the cause of goodnesse in us let us also confidently hold that nothing is able to merit salvation but onely the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ let us therefore utterly disclaime our selves and our owne power which is nothing but weaknesse and wholly ascribe all vertue and all power to our Saviour Christ for it is safer to give him honour then to take it from him and it will farre better become our Christian modesty to acknowledge our weakenesse and infirmities then proudly to boast and advance our selves above our deserts and worthinesse If therefore God by the moving of his holy Spirit doe incline our hearts unto godlinesse hee will also give us grace to continue in the same and give us a desire and power in godly exercise which when it makes us grow plentifull in the demonstration of holinesse let us ascribe the glory thereof unto God to whom it is due onely and onely acknowledge our selves to be that instrument whereby his holy hand of grace is pleased to work with to our salvation Of Faith FAith is the ground the foundation and the pillar of the truth 1 Tim. 3. and it is the constant assent of the heart unto those things which bee taught and promised by the word of God for to believe is to assent unto the same which we doe heare it is also a certaine and sure perswasion of the heart What it is to believe that there is a God whereby wee doe believe certaine things of God as that there is a God and that there is but one and none other besides him that hee is omnipotent the creator of heaven and earth that he is just doing good to the righteous and punishing the wicked that he is good gentle and mercifull to them that doe amend their sinfull life that he is true and keepeth promise that he is able to performe what hee hath promised that hee is everlasting and many other things that bee reported of him in holy Scriptures and to beleeve also of Christ that hee is the onely begotten Sonne of God the word of God made flesh true God and true man our onely Lord redeemer Saviour and Mediatour hee was crucified dead buried and rose againe taken up into Heaven touching his manhood and that he sitteth at the right hand of the father and that he shall come at the end of the world to judge the quicke and the dead and many other things set forth in the Evangelists and Apostles and to believe of the holy Spirit that he is of the same Godhead equall with the Father and the Sonne that he is of the light giver of the minds the comforter teacher reliever renewer sanctifier and governour of the elect of God this maketh a great matter to the salvation of man how it be grounded in their hearts Secondly To believe God that we doe believe God also that is to credit and to believe his word as the word of
let the one have pitty and the other justice in matters of accusation be first assured of the truth then censure and as thou tendrest the reputation of an honest heart never let malice in hatred make thee to reveale that which love in friendship bound thee a long time to conceale for as God breeds among men truth peace and amity that wee should live to doe one another good so the divell daily soweth falshood discord and enmity to cause if he can the dearest friends to devoure one another Rejoyce not at the fall of thine enemy for thou knowest not what shall bee the manner of thine owne end but bee more glad to see the worst mans amendment rather then his punishment hate no man for feare least Christ loves him and be angry Pro. 24.17 18. Rom. 5.8 10. and turne his wrath from him unto thee love thine enemy for Christ loved thee when thou wast his enemy by the merits of his blood hee requireth thee for his sake to love thine enemies Eph. 2.4 c. Math. 18.24 28 deny him being a Christian if thou darest hee asketh but forgivenesse for forgivenesse petty forgivenesse for the infinite forgivenesse of Almighty God therefore though thou thinkest thine enemies unworthy to bee forgiven yet Christ is worthy to bee obeyed Doe nothing in the sight of a civill friend for which thou canst not be safe unlesse it bee concealed nor any thing for which if just cause be offered thou needest feare him if that he proves thine unjust enemy If thou beest disposed to be merry have a speciall care to three things That thy mirth be not against Religion that it be not against Charity and that it be not against Chastity then be as merry as thou canst onely in the Lord. Levit. 19.12 Speake not of God but with feare and reverence as in his sight and hearing for seeing we are not worthy to use his holy name in our mouthes Deut. 28.58 Rom. 9.5 much lesse ought wee to abuse it vainly in our talke but to use it ordinarily in vaine rash or false oathes is an undoubted signe of a soule that never truly feared God Pray therefore with David when thou art to speake in any matter that may move passion Psal 141.3 1 Thes 5.26.14 2 Thes 3.5 Levit. 19.17 Psal 15.5 Deut. 15.13 14. Set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lips In praising be discreet in saluting courteous in admonishing friendly in forgiving mercifull in promising faithfull and bountifull in recompencing of good service and other friendly courtesies making not the reward of vertue the gift of favour Doe no evill though thou mightest for God will not suffer the least sinne without bitter repentance to escape unpunished Leave not undone any good that thou canst but doe thou nothing rashly nor any thing till thou hast first taken counsell of Gods word 1 Sam. 30.8 of the lawfulnesse thereof and praying for his blessing to blesse thy endeavour and then doe it in the Name of God with cheerefulnesse of heart committing the successe unto him in whose power it is to blesse with his grace whatsoever businesse is intended to his glory and when thou art tempted to doe any evill worke 1 Cor. 7.5 remember that satan is where his businesse is Let not the child of God bee the instrument of so base a slave hate the worke if thou abhorrest the author and remember with Ioseph Gen. 39.9 that though no man seeth yet God seeth all in all places fly therefore with Ioseph from all sinne as well those that are secret in the sight of God as those that are manifest in the eyes of men be therefore as much afraid of secret sinnes Luk. 8.17 12.2 as of open shame and so avoid all in generall so as thou doest not nurse nor allow to thy selfe any one particular or darling sinne for the craftie divell can hold a mans soule as fast by one as by many sinnes and faster by that one that doth please thee than by all those which begin to be abhominable unto thee and as thou desirest to avoid sinne so be carefull to shun the occasion Prov. 5.8 love all good things for Gods sake but love God for his owne sake whilest thou holdest God to be thy friend Psal 118.6 7. Prov. 16.7 thou needest not feare who is thine enemy for God will either make thine enemie to become thy friend Rom. 8.31 Gen. 32.4 c. Exo. 32.27 c. or will bridle him that he cannot hurt thee No man is overthrowne by his enemy unlesse that first his sinne hath prevailed over him and God hath left him to himselfe therefore he that would bee safe from the feare of his enemies and live still in the favour of his God Num. 42.43 c. let him redeeme the folly of the time past with serious repentance looke to the time present with religious diligence and take heed to the time to come with carefull providence In effecting good actions distrust not Gods providence though thou seeth the meanes either wanting or weake and if meanes doe offer themselves unto thee Iudg. 7.17 c. be sure that they be lawfull and having gotten lawfull meanes take heed that thou relie not more upon them then upon God himselfe labour in a lawfull calling for it is Gods ordinary meanes by which hee blesseth his children with outward things pray therefore for Gods blessing upon his owne meanes and in earthly businesse beare an heavenly minde doe thou thy best endeavour and commit the whole successe to the fore-ordayning wisdome of Almighty God never thinke to thrive by those meanes which God hath accursed Matth 16.26 that will not in the end prove gaine which is gotten with the losse of thy soule therefore in all thy actions endeavour with Saint Paul to have a cleare conscience towards God and towards men Acts 14.16 Give every man the honour due to his place but honour a man more for his goodnesse then for his greatnesse and of whom soever thou hast received a benefit unto him as God shall enable thee remember to be thankfull acknowledge it lovingly unto men and pray for him heartily unto God and count every blessing received from God as a pledge of his eternall love and as a spurre to pricke thee on to a godly life be not proud for any externall worldly wealth nor for any internall spirituall gifts not for externall goods because they be momentany and will shortly be taken away not for any internall gifts for as God gave them so will hee likewise take them away if forgetting the giver thou shalt abuse his gifts to puffe up thine heart with a pride of thy owne worth and to contemne others for whose good Almighty God bestowed those gifts upon thee hast thou any one vertue that doth move thee to be selfe-conceited thou hast twenty vices that may better vilifie thee in