addeth that word without any correction or corruption or without any violence to the Text. Againe the Scripture teacheth that we are justified without workes not by the workes of the Law If then works be excluded what can be included or what is there established but faith what can have place in our justification beside the same For to say that a man is justified by faith onely and to say that a man is justified by faith without the workes of the Law are equivalent and in effect all one thing Even as he that saith The husband ought to be master of the house and not the wife saith in effect that the husband onely ought to be master especially when the Question ariseth whether the man or the woman ought to be master for albeit he expresse not the word onely yet all men know it is necessarily to be supplied So he that saith a man is justified by faith without workes implyeth withall that a man is justified by faith onely when the Question standeth whether a man be justified by faith or by good workes or by the one and the other joyned together albeit he doe not expressely adde the word onely But it is further objected Obiect that the works which Saint Paul excludeth are the workes of the Ceremoniall Law and that sometimes he excludeth the works of Nature onely and not of Grace I answer Answ As though the Churches of God after their embracing the Gospell and walking many yeeres in the wayes of godlinesse were so simple and so foolish as to make any Question whether they could bee justified by workes wrought before their conversion when they were poore miserable Idolaters having no hope and being without God in the world Wherefore the Apostle as if of purpose he would prevent this tricke of evasion Rom. 4.2 6. bringeth in the example of Abraham and David even when they were in Gods favour Observe farther for the clearing of this point that he in all his treatises of justification which are many and large never exhorteth us to be justified no more then he doth to be elected Search the Epistle to the Romanes to the Galatians and other his Epistles or the Epistles of Peter and John and James yee shall never finde an exhortation to be justified but in these and other Scriptures we have a thousand exhortations to be holy and sanctified True it is we are warned to make our election and calling sure as also wee may be to make our justification sure But what may be the reason hereof doubtlesse because justification is not a vertue in man but a grace of God whereby he absolveth sinners in beholding his Sonne as in Civill Courts Iustification is an Act of the Iudge not a vertue in him that is to be judged Rom. 5.9 Therefore he saith Wee are justified by the blood of Christ but if by justifying hee had meant sanctifying or regenerating of us he would rather have said we are justified by the Spirit of Christ besides they are expressely distinguished else-where 1 Cor. 1.30 Againe the same Apostle concluding that a man is justified by faith without the workes of the Law Rom. 3.20 must be understood to understand the Morall Law to wit the same Law by which he teacheth that those which have sinned shall be judged And afterward that the Gentiles which have not the Law Rom. 2.12 14. 4.2 doe by Nature the things contained in the Law And againe chapter 4. when he insisteth upon the example of Abraham that he was not justified by workes it had beene in vaine to goe about to prove that he was not justified by the workes of the Ceremoniall Law For what had this beene but to fight with his owne shaddow seeing the Ceremoniall Law was not then ordained neither was established untill foure hundred yeeres afterward The like I might shew out of the Epistle to the Galatians For when he teacheth Gal. 2.16 that a man is not justified by the workes of the Law he excludeth the works not onely of the Ceremoniall Law but of the Morall Law especially as appeareth in the next Chapter where he sheweth that Christ Iesus hath delivered us from the curse of the Law even of that Law which saith Gal. 3.26 5.14 Cursed is every man that continueth not in al things which are written in the Booke of the Law to doe them where onely the Moral Law is spoken of And in the 5. Chapter he telleth them that all the Law is fulfilled in one word which is this Obiect Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe O but it may be said This is no better then to abolish and destroy good workes utterly when they are excluded from justification and to make our selves enemies to good workes that we may live as we list because we teach that we cannot stand righteous by them in the sight of God God forbid Nay Answ we hold that no man can be justified being without good workes albeit he cannot be justified by good workes Even as the eyes are not without the eares in the body yet the eyes onely see and not the eares So faith onely hath the vertue to justifie us that is to cause us to be absolved from our sinnes and to be accounted just before the judgement Seate of God because it hath this property and nothing else but it to apprehend the benefits of Christ Iesus and to apply and appropriate his righteousnesse to the person that hath it And that we are not enemies to good workes neither reject them as superfluous let Bellarmine himselfe as a witnesse no way partiall to us speake for us lib. 4. de Justif cap. 7. Bellarm. lib. 4. De Iustific cap. 7 Adversarij in eo conveniunt c. ut opera bona fieri debeant quoniam alioqui fides non esset viva nec vera nisi fructus bonos faceret quomodo ignis non est ignis nisi calefaciat that is It is agreed by our Adversaries that goodworkes in regard of the necessity of their presence are necessary to salvation and ought to be done because otherwise faith could not be lively and true unlesse it doth bring forth good fruits as fire cannot be fire except it give heat So then we cannot be judged to condemne good workes even our Adversaries themselves being judges yea we confesse a necessity of them as themselves confesse Besides the same Bellarmine after all his magnifying of the dignity of good workes to the highest straine as the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood Prov. 30.33 so hee teacheth they are able to endure the Iustice and Iudgement of God yet I say after all this hee witnesseth and confesseth thus much in his owne words Bellarm. De Iustific lib. 2. cap. 3 Justificamur à Deo gratis id est ex mera ejus liberalitate quantum ad nostra merita nullo enim nostro opere meremur justificari that is We are justified of God freely that
any were to worke in us such duties as may please him To give The fourth branch of the reason These words containe the manner of bestowing the promise and the meanes how it is convaied unto us As the fountaine of it is Gods good pleasure so the chanell to convay it is his free gift Some kinde of gifts are given but they are first well deserved by them that receive them Againe some things are given Luke 14.11 but it is with hope and expectation to have as great or greater bestowed upon them againe as they that give to Kings and Princes Some things are said to be given when a sufficient recompence is tendred and offered withall as Gen. 23.9 Give me the cave for as much money as it is worth Gen. 23.9 and 1. King 12.2 Give me thy Vineyard and I will give thee for it a better Vineyard then it This giving by way of commutative justice is no other then bargaine and sale or exchange But it is not thus with the gifts of God who is a free giver and bestower hee doth not alter them neither barter them for other he doth not chop and change buy and sell his blessings as men doe Bullockes in a market that he should be as much beholding to us as we to him He offereth with a willing heart Doct. 10 and performeth with a free hand This teacheth us that all spirituall gifts and graces are bestowed upon us frankely and freely They come unto us neither by inheritance nor by exchange nor by bargaine and sale nor yet by purchase True it is our Salvation and Redemption were purchased by Christ who paid a deare price to bring us to God because his Iustice required it Ephes 1.7 yet was this also of meere grace We have Redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of our sinnes according to the riches of his grace So then albeit Salvation were purchased and as I may say dearely bought in respect of Christ yet neither the whole worke nor any part or parcell thereof was purchased in regard of our selves who are made partakers thereof through Gods speciall grace We conferre nothing toward the attainement of Salvation to procure to our selves this unspeakable benefit Wee cannot gratifie Christ Iesus againe in any matter or measure Esay 63.3 who trode the wine-presse of the wrath of the Father alone for us and hath paid the utmost farthing that could be required of us and therefore it commeth as a meere gratuity unto us without any purchase or paiment without any money or satisfaction Rom. 3.24 6.23 This the Apostle teacheth Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Christ and Chap. 6.23 The gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And Peter speaketh to the same purpose 2 Pet. 1.3 According to his divine power hee hath given us all things that pertaine unto life and godlinesse 2. Pet. 1.3 Thus the Prophet long before proclaimed the free gift of God without either money or money-worth or any price all that are a-thirst may come freely to the waters of life Revel 22.17 Esay 55.1 2. John 7.37 The reasons are Reas 1 first from the generall to the speciall All good gifts and perfect gifts whatsoever are from above and come downe from the Father of lights Jam. 1. They spring not out of the earth Iam. 1.17 Ioh. 3.27 as John 3. A man can receive nothing except it be given him from above neither yet come unto Christ except the Father draw him John 6. Secondly wee cannot obtaine a bit of bread to doe us any good but we must have it by Gods gift as appeareth in the Lords Prayer where wee are taught to come to him to have our daily bread given unto us Matth. 6.11 Deut. 9.5 The Israelites could not inherit the Land of Canaan by any inherent righteousnesse in themselves the uprightnes of their hearts neither yet conquer it by their owne sword Psal 44.3 Psal 44.3 They gate not the Land in possession by their owne sword neither did their owne arme save them but thy right hand and the light of thy countenance because thou hadst a favour unto them much lesse then are we able to possesse the heavenly Canaan by any godlinesse in our owne persons This doctrine overthroweth all Iustification by our owne workes and merits whether done before grace Vse 1 or in the state of grace The Apostle saith Rom. 3.20 By the deeds of the Law shall no flesh bee iustified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sinne And Tit. 3. Rom. 3.20 The kindnesse and love of God appeared Tit. 3.4 5. not by workes of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy hee saved us and againe 2. Tim. 1.9 He hath saved us and called us by an holy calling 2 Tim. 1.9 not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which is given us in Christ Jesus before the world began What can workes before a mans conversion availe for as much as wee are borne dead in sinnes and trespasses as wee have shewed before being without faith without hope without any good so that wee should be justified by our sinnes and our righteousnesse should be by unrighteousnesse if we should bee justified by these or any such workes Neither can workes of righteousnesse done in faith and after our conversion present us as righteous in the sight of God because they are all unperfect even the best and the holiest of them that we cannot challenge righteousnesse by them Psal 143.2 130. 3. 32.1 2. but must with the Prophet cry out Lord enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified And againe to like purpose If thou Lord shouldst marke iniquities O Lord who shall stand but there is forgivenesse with thee that thou maist be feared This is our justification to obtaine remission of our sinnes Psal 32. The Servants of God doe not in the pride of their hearts advance themselves against God through their owne righteousnesse but they aske forgivenesse for their unrighteousnesse The Apostle John saith 1 Iob. 1.10 If we say that we have not sinned we make him a lyer and his Word is not in us All our righteousnesse is as a menstruous cloth Esay 64.6 spotted with the flesh Obiect But the Adversaries object that the Scripture never saith We are justified by faith onely and complaine that this word is fraudulently foysted and cunningly thrust into this Question as an Addition of our owne whereupon notwithstanding the chiefe state of the Controversie betweene us and them dependeth I answere Answ The putting to of that word is not alwaies an Addition to the Text but rather an exposition or explication Luke 4.8 Deut. 6.13 as wee see the like case in Christ our Saviour Luke 4.8 compareth with Deut. 6.13 who
Master it is joyned with open contempt of him no marveil therefore if disobedience to God be also a contempt against God as the Prophet saith If I be a Master where is my feare saith the Lord of hostes This teacheth that doubtlesse many stand guilty of a multitude of sinnes which they never thought of Vse 1 neither once dreamed upon Many men happly will grant there is some conscience to be made of committing evill who never thinke it a sinne to omit a good duty Such will confesse it a sin to worship a false god but never consider they are commanded to vnite their affections to the true God to trust in him to beleeve him to love him to feare him and to depend upon him that it is an heinous Crime to pray to a strange God or to Saints and Angels or to bow downe to an image who regard not to worship God in truth and sincerity and to call upon him in the day of trouble Many will refraine from working on the Sabbath day and prophaning it by riding about their businesse or running after their sports and pastimes they would be loth to doe these but in the meane season how doe they sanctifie and keepe it holy when they care not to heare the word or to performe publike and private duties of religion upon it We must all give account at the great day of the Lord as well what good we have done as what evill we have done That good governour of the people Nehemiah desired the Lord to remember him concerning the good deedes which he had done for the house of his God Neh. 13.14 It had beene small comfort to him if he had onely done them no hurt and gone no farther for so much might be said of an image or of the bruit beast but his comfort was he had endeavoured and employed himselfe to doe them good And how did Obadiah shew his religious heart in the dayes of persecution toward the Lords Prophets what did he rest in this that he had done them no hurt No 1 King 18.13 he did an hundred of them by fifty in a cave and fedde them with bread and water Or how did Rahab the harlot testifie her faith toward the spies that were sent to search the land did she content her selfe to offer them no injury and to bewray them or deliver them into the hands of their enemie No doubtlesse she was justified by her workes Iam. 225. Heb. 11.31 when she had received the messengers with peace and had sent them out another way But the religion of most men in our dayes is a negative religion they have little positive you may sooner obserue what they doe not Gal. 6.10 then understand what they doe We must obserue the rule of the Apostle As we have opportunity let us doe good unto all men especially unto them who are of the houshold of faith Secondly it reproveth such as content themselves with idle shewes and appearances of obedience and sincerity It will not serve our turne to be Christians onely in outward profession if we be fruitlesse and faulty in conversation It is not enough to make us sound Christians to come to Church to be at prayers to heare the word and receive the Sacraments when we yeeld no fruit of obedience as if it were sufficient that the fig-tree were planted in the Vineyard albeit it bare nothing but leaves Psal 1.3 but we must be as trees of righteousnesse planted by the rivers side which bring forth fruite in their season True it is the Church hath alwayes had such painted Sepulchers or gilded tombes outwardly as the Iewes that had the Temple of the Lord alwayes in their mouthes who yet remained wicked and prophane persons in their lives The sound Christian is not discerned by the leaves of outward appearance but by the precious fruits of the spirit not by his profession but by his practise and they are the true Israelites which are so within whose praise is of God and not of men The fig-tree had leaves good flore which were seene a farre off Mar. 11.13 and seemed to promise great store of fruit but when Christ drew neere and looked for fruit found none he said Never more fruit grow upon thee Let us take heed in time of such a wofull sentence For may not Christ Iesus trow you finde store of such fruitlesse fig-trees in this Vineyard of his nay when he commeth to looke upon his Vineyard will it not be a rare thing and an hard matter to see a fig-tree with any fruit upon it Nay are we not for the most part come to this passe that we have scarce any leave at all to be seene that a man may take a Candle and search for leaves and yet find none upon them This is the state and condition of sundry among us how neere are such to the curse and to be burned up which have neither fruit nor leaves neither substance nor shew neither body nor shadow neither truth nor appearance but openly and evidently make plaine Demonstration of wild and wicked fruit Deut. 32.32.33 their grapes are grapes of gall their clusters are bitter their wine is the poison of Dragons and the cruell venime of Aspes Such shall never be suffered to remaine within the Vineyard the axe is laid to the root of the tree to cut them downe Thirdly this checketh and controlleth the slanderous mouthes and pennes of the Romish Church opened wide and enlarged against our doctrine which they knew not or will not know who beare the world and their ignorant Disciples the multitude in hand that our religion destroyeth good works Math. 5.16 whereas we call upon the people to bring forth the fruits of the Gospel and to let our light so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorifie our father which is heaven Nay we teach a necessity of good workes as well as they to be in all true beleevers that they which have beleeved in God might be carefull to maintaine good workes these things are good and profitable unto men Wherein then lyeth the difference between us they teach them to be the causes of our justification we that they be lively fruits and effects of faith they doe not goe before him that is to be justified but they follow him that is already justified they are not necessary in the act or office of justification but they are necessarily required to be in every justified person Lastly let us all be provoked to the diligent practise of good workes No man must thinke himselfe exempted or priviledged from good workes albeit he be never so poore or simple The most sort post over this duty from one to another and thinke when we call for good workes it is a doctrine that toucheth onely rich men and such as have the wealth of this world at will and none other as if there were no good workes of charity that did deserue the
this Iam. 1.18 Of his owne will begate he us with the Word of Truth And Paul to like purpose Hee hath opened to us the mystery of his Will and hath made us accepted in his Beloved Ephes 1.6 Phil. 2.13 according to his rich grace And elsewhere It is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure This will further appeare to be the first mover that setteth forward the other second causes For our whole salvation proceedeth from the grace of God as election Christ himselfe vocation faith justification regeneration love good workes conversion of sinners the finall perseverance of the Saints and eternall glorification Even as the body and branches of the tree issue from the root so is the good pleasure of God the root out of which all these blessings grow which in due time we partake Let us see this better by induction of particulars No man can bee saved and obtaine eternal life except he be predestinated chosen unto it For the Kingdome is not given but to such for whom it is prepared Matth. 25.34 20.23 Ephes 1.4 Matth. 25.34 20.23 but this is done according to the good pleasure of his will Ephes 1.4 No man could be saved except Christ Iesus had come and had satisfied the wrath of his Father for the sinnes of the world Acts 4.12 for there is no other name under Heaven whereby we can be saved But this benefit proceedeth from the grace of God Ioh. 3.16 and his everlasting love toward us Ioh. 3.16 For God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne for all that beleeve in him There is none saved that is come to yeeres of discretion except he be effectually called to Christ and his Gospell but whence commeth this but from his grace for he hath called us with an holy calling according to his owne purpose 2 Tim. 1.9 Gal. 1.15 which was given us in Christ Iesus before the world began 2 Tim. 1.9 No man is saved except he have faith and beleeve in Christ for the Just shall live by his faith Hab. 2.4 Heb. 11.6 and without it It is unpossible to please God and whatsoever is not of faith is sinne But from whence have wee faith it is by grace Ephes 2.8 Ephes 2. By grace yee are saved through faith it is the gift of God No man can be saved except also he be justified Psal 34.15 for the eyes of the Lord are over the iust but the face of the Lord is upon the evill to root out the remembrance of them from the earth Psal 34. Now whence is this but from his free grace Rom. 3.24 We are iustified freely by his grace Rom. 3.24 No man can bee saved except he be regenerated and sanctified by the holy Spirit for except a man be borne againe of water and the holy Ghost he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Ioh. 3.3 Joh. 3.3 But whence is this also but from grace that we should be holy and without blame before him Ephes 1.4 5. Tit. 2.11 12. 1 Cor. 16.14 22. Ephes 1.4 5. Tit. 2.11 12 No man can bee saved without love toward God and our neighbour 1 Cor. 16.14 For he that loveth not the brethren abideth in death 1 Joh. 3.14 1 Ioh. 3.14 4.7 19. But this love proceedeth from grace for love is God 1 Ioh. 4.7 19. and we love him because he loved us first No man can bee saved without bringing forth good workes Ephes 2.10 and walking in them for wee are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them But this commeth from his grace who hath promised to give us his Spirit Ezek. 36. Ezek. 36.27 I will cause them to walke in my wayes No man can be saved without remission of sinnes for in many things wee all offend daily Jam. 3.2 Iam. 3.2 Ephes 2.7 Esay 43.25 but this is from grace Ephes 2.7 Esay 43.25 No man can bee saved except hee persevere and continue in faith in good workes and in all Christian duties for hee that continueth unto the end shall be saved Matth. 24.13 Matth. 24.13 but when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity all his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not bee mentioned but in his sinne that he hath sinned he shall die Ezek. 18.24 Ezek. 18.24 Now whence is this that we stand fast Is it from our selves No it is from his grace who will give them an heart to feare him for ever Ier. 32.39 Phil. 1.6 that they shall not depart from him Jer. 32.39 40. Phil. 1.6 Lastly no man can be saved without eternall life for what is our salvation but our glorification now this is also of grace for here Christ saith It is the good pleasure of our heavenly Father to give us the Kingdome and the Apostle elsewhere Eternall life is the gift of God Rom. Rom. 6.23 6.23 The reasons first Reas 1 because God will have the praise of all his workes Ephes 1.11 12. Ephes 1.11 12. Rom. 11.36 All things are from him and through him and for him To him be rendred all glory for ever Rom. 11.36 But if our salvation were any way of our selves that we did part stakes with him in the grace there were reason wee should also share with him in the glory Hence it is that the Apostle saith Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath whereof to glory but not before God Secondly grace otherwise were no grace at all and salvation were not of his good pleasure but of our owne good pleasure For grace is not grace except it be every way gracious or free Rom. 11.6 Rom. 11.6 If it bee of grace then it is no more of workes otherwise grace were no more grace but if it be of workes then it is no more grace otherwise worke is no more worke Thus the Apostle reasoneth from the contrary Thirdly God oweth nothing to any man neither taketh he ought of any man so that hee may give or not give what when where to whom and how much it pleaseth him being independant upon any creature and free from all obligation which might binde him to any of them He hath absolute right and jurisdiction over all men as the Potter hath over his clay Hee may doe with his owne what he please and who shall say unto him Iob 9.12 Rom. 9.20 Esay 10.15 45.9 What doest thou Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus Shall the clay say to him that fashioned it What makest thou Shall the Sonne say to the Father What begettest thou or to the Woman What hast thou brought forth Shall the Axe boast it selfe against him that heweth therewith Ier. 18.6 Or shall the Saw magnifie it selfe against him that shaketh it As if
is of his meere liberality as touching our owne merits for wee deserve by no worke of our owne to bee justified Now what I pray you ye Romanists doe wee teach more then hee teacheth in those words And yet farther touching workes he sheweth as I have shewed elsewhere Bellarm. De Iustific lib. 5. cap. 7 propos 3. that for the uncertainty of our righteousnesse and the danger of vaine glory it is a most safe thing to put our whole trust in the mercy and bountifulnesse of God onely And immediatly after Nemoabsque revelatione certò scire potest habere vera merita aut in eis ad finem usque perseveraturum that is No man can without a revelation know certainely that he hath any true merits or whether he shall continue in them unto the end I wonder therefore how they can warrant the workes of suprerogation in any of the Saints and how they dare take upon them to dispense the over-plus of their merits when they avouch that no man knoweth himselfe whether hee have any true merits doe they know the merits of other better then of themselves or can they dispense that whereof the Saints themselves are ignorant and what doe they then meane to boast so much and babble so often of their merits when this great master at Rome and a Cardinall of that purple Whore affirmeth that no man and therefore not himselfe certainely knoweth whether he hath any merits at all or not and that it is therefore the safest course for all men to rely upon the mercy of God onely Thus they say and unsay they affirme and deny they binde and loose they blow hot and cold at their owne pleasure Secondly acknowledge from hence that as salvation it selfe is freely bestowed so also are all the meanes that serve to bring us to salvation as it were from our setting out to our journies end Christ Iesus was sent into the world freely and the preaching of the Gospell is convaied and made knowne unto us freely Faith is given freely regeneration is given freely of them all wee may say with Christ our Saviour Ioh. 3.8 Ioh. 3.8 The winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it commeth and whither it goeth so is every one that is borne of the Spirit This truth the Apostle teacheth pointing out the steps whereby we attaine to salvation as it were to the top of a mountaine he taketh the beginning of all at God who sendeth out Pastors for the worke of the ministery Rom. 10.15 Ephes 4.12 and the edification of the body of Christ And that the worke might every way appeare to be free he causeth it to raine upon one City Amos 4.7 and causeth it not to raine upon another one piece was rained upon and the piece whereupon it rained not withered away And as it is his gift that we have the Word so it is a gift no lesse then the former to cleere the eyes of our understanding that the Word vanish not away as the corne that is blasted otherwise we may heare it and yet have no profit by it The Iewes were as sheepe without a Shepheard scattered abroad what was the cause that they were gathered together Matth. 9.36 Acts 16.9 10 6 7. Christ Iesus had compassion upon them Matth. 9. The Apostle had a vision A man of Macedonia stood by him and prayed him to come among them whereby he gathered that the Lord had called them to preach the Gospell unto them Againe they were forbidden to preach the Word in Asia and the Spirit suffered them not to goe into Bithynia This putteth us in minde of sundry other duties as branches thereof Heb. 5.11 First wee are by nature dull of hearing wee have eares but we cannot heare untill the Lord open them Acts 16.14 as he did Lydias that she attended to the words that were spoken we have hearts indeed but we cannot understand untill God open them as he did the hearts of the two Disciples that were going to Emaus who said Did not our hearts burne within us Luke 24.32 while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the Scriptures And likewise of those that heard Peter who were pricked in their hearts Acts 2.37 and said to the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe Wee have eyes indeed but wee are starke blinde untill hee open them who came into the world Ioh. 9.39 that they which see not might see Ioh. 9. and he sent the Apostle to open the eyes of the Gentiles and to turne them from darkenesse to light Acts 26.18 Secondly we know not the mysteries of Gods Kingdome for albeit they be the wisedome of God yet to us that are by nature foolish they are foolishnesse Marke 4.11 therefore it must be given to us to know them whereas to them that are without all things are done in parables Thirdly we must begge of God to take away the scales from our eyes and the stone out of our hearts and to give us hearts of flesh Thus the Prophet prayeth oftentimes to God Psal 119.18 27 34. to give him understanding Fourthly it is our dutie to come into the house of God the Schoole of all spirituall wisedome This is the House of prayer and preaching the place where his honour dwelleth This is Mount Sion wherein he pleaseth to reside and hath promised to dwell God is present with such and in the middest of them that heare his Word But how can we looke to have his graces bestowed upon us if we resort not to his gate where they are distributed Fiftly hearken and attend to the things taught and delivered with all diligence Heb. 2.1 lest they slip from us as wholsome liquor out of a rent or riven and broken vessell Heb. 2. Lastly the greater that the meanes are which are offered the greater is his mercy toward us and the greater his mercy is the greater obedience he requireth at our hands Hee dealeth not so with every people but if these be rejected of us the greater is our sinne the greater our sinne the greater is his wrath and the greater his wrath the greater shall be our punishment as Luke 12. Luke 12.48 Vnto whomsoever much is given of him shall bee much required and to whom men have committed much of him they will aske the more Thirdly from hence commeth much comfort to weake and troubled consciences as it were light arising out of darkenesse and life springing out of death that finde no worthinesse in themselves that know they owe as desperate debters and poore bankrouts a great summe even ten thousand talents Matth. 18. Matth. 18.24 and yet have not one penny or mite to make paiment and to discharge the debt considering that God offereth his gifts frankly and freely unto us and standeth not as a mercilesse creditor upon our owne satisfaction This putteth us in minde first