The 4. The aſſurance of ſalvation is ſealed; the covenant is not onely made, as Gen. 17.7. but it is alſo ſealed, Reaſon 4 for God hath ſealed us, and hath given us an carneſt-penny; for hee hath ſealed us, and hath given us the earneſt of his Spirit in our hearts, 2 Cor. 1.22. So Epheſ. 4.30. Grieve not the holy Spirit of God by whom you are ſealed, &c. So 2 Tim. 2.19. The foundation of God remaineth ſure, and hath this ſeale: The Lord knowes who are his. I doe not at this time meane to diſpute the queſtion; for then I ſhould prevent my ſelfe hereafter: I uſe but that place of Peter for concluſion, and come to the Vſe: it is in 1 Pet. 1.5. All the elect are kept by the power of God, through faith unto ſalvation, which is prepared to be ſhewed in the laſt times: if kept by God, who can hurt them? if unto ſalvation, who can hinder them? if prepared for them, who can either take them from it, or it from them? and with that of David, Pſal. 121. The Lord is thy keeper, the Lord preſerves thy ſoule. 7. and this keeper will neither ſlumber nor ſleepe. Venit Diabolus ut ſeriat caput, & manus Dei ſub capite, ut eripiat animam, ſed dextra ejus me amplectitur. Aug. in Pſal. 1.1. 4. His left hand is under thy necke, and his right hand embraceth thee. Cant. 2.6. The Davill commeth that he may ſtrike my head, but the hand of God is under my head; that he may take away my ſoule, but his right hand embraceth mee; ſaith Auguſtine.

To ſtay the trembling hearts of many of Gods people in the day of temptation; Vſe. for though they may fall, yet ſhall they riſe againe: The juſt falleth ſeven times a day, Prov. 24.16. The deareſt of his ſervants are ſubject to ſuch foule ſlips. David was a man after Gods heart, before hee came to the Kingdome, when Samuel told Saul that David ſhould be King, 1 Sam. 13.14. but commits both murther and adulterie long time after, 2 Sam. 11. Peter beloved of God, and bleſſed; For bleſſed art thou Simon, for fleſh and bloud hath not revealed this, but my Father; yea, then Peter had ſo much faith, that Chriſt gives him this commendation; Thou art Peter, and on this rocke, viz. which thou by faith haſt confeſſed, will I build my Church. Matth. 16.17, 18. Peter had the ſpirit, No man can ſay that Ieſus is the Lord, but by the Spirit of God, and Peter ſaith here, Thou art Chriſt the Sonne of the living God, Matth. 16.16. and it was a long time after that Peter denyed him, yea Peter after his effectuall calling plyed the hypoerite, and diſſembled, Gal. 2.12.13. If therefore thou canſt ſinde inwardly by the witneſſe of the Spirit, Rom. 8.16. and outwardly by the fruits of true faith, 2 Pet. 1.10. that thou art within the Covenant, then if thou ſinne with David, repent with David; if thou ſinne with Peter, repent with Peter; if thou bee drunke with Noah, repent with Noah; God will bee entreated, and his mercie ſhall appeare. Though thou run from God, he will follow thee; though thou forſake him, he will overtake thee, though thou breake with God, yet God is faithfull in his Covenant, and will not breake with thee. I come to the ſecond Concluſion.

All that are Iewes, and carrie the name, Doct. are not within the Covenant, which God hath made with Abraham, in Rom. 9.6. All they are not Iſrael, which are of Iſrael, verſ. 7. They are not all children which came of Abraham; for in Iſaac ſhall thy ſeed be called. And verſ. 27. Though the number of the children of Iſrael were as the ſand of the ſea, a remnant ſhall be ſaued. And verſ. 29. Except the Lord of Hoſts had reſerved a ſeed, we had beene as Sodom, and like unto Gomorrha. Though God ſet his heart upon that people to doe them good. Deut. 32. As the Eagle ſtirreth up her neſt, &c. Yet there were ſome that crucified his Sonne, and ſome that ſpit in his face, and ſome that were mad upon him till they ſaw him dead, and ſome that mocked him, ſome that cryed, Away with with him, and ſome cry out, His bloud bee upon us, ſome that came of Iſhmael. and bee the children of Hagar, aſwell as of Sara and Iſaac; but this point I meet directly in the fourth verſe. I proceed therefore from the propoſition of Pauls anſwer to the three Arguments.

The 1. is taken from his owne perſon, where by one particular inſtance being negative hee infringeth their univerſall affirmative. That all the Iewes were caſt off, as if in an Enthymeme he ſhould thus diſpute; I Paul, an Iſraelite, of the ſeed of Abraham, am not caſt off: Therefore, not all the Iewes. Hee deſcribes himſelfe. 1. In generall, an Iſraelite. 2. That they might not thinke that he was only a Proſelyte, turned to the Iewes religion,Serm. in monte, lib. 2. as there were many, as Auguſtine, And our Saviour, Matth. 23.15. Yee compaſſe ſea and land to make one Proſelyte; hee tells them that he is a Iew by birth, as well as by profeſſion, of the ſeed of Abraham, of the Tribe of Benjamin, a famous Tribe: for Benjamin and Ioſeph were not of the hand-maids, but of Rachel: but I rather thinke, that by noting his Tribe to be Benjamin, hee would have us to remember that ſtorie in Iudg. 20. and the three laſt verſes, where we finde, that the other Tribes fighting againſt Benjamin, ſlew at one time 25000. onely there eſcaped ſome few, and yet of theſe few God will ſave ſome. So that the argument ſeemes to run thus, Though the moſt men of Benjamin be ſlaine, though the remnant be but few, yet even ſome of thoſe few will God ſave; for I am one, and if God take me out of that one Tribe, then it is likely, that in thoſe Tribes where the people are greater, the number of the elect is alſo greater; And if ſome amongſt ſo few, then are not all caſt off. Before I come to theſe particulars, we muſt obſerve.

1. That his nation is no diſparagement to his election, and future happineſſe; Doct. and thence with Hunnius obſerve:In Roman. That God doth never caſt off any nation ſo generall, but ſuch of it as doe beleeve and repent ſhall be ſaved. The Apoſtle in Heb. 11.31. By faith Rahab the harlot periſhed not, when ſhee had received the Spies peaceably; this was it that Peter taught Cornelius, in Acts 10.34, 35. Of a truth I perceive that God is no accepter of perſons; but in everie nation, hee that feareth God and worketh righteouſneſſe is accepted with God; that Paul taught the Romans; to everie man that doth good ſhall bee glorie, and honour, and peace, to the Iew firſt, and alſo to the Grecian: Rom. 1.7, 9. God will receive the Iewes that repent at the preaching of Peter, the Gentiles that repent at the preaching of Paul, the men of Achaia that repent at the preaching of Andrew, of Aſia that repent at the preaching of Iohn, of India that repent at the preaching of Thomas: for thither were they ſent to preach the faith, ſaith Gregorie upon the foure Goſpels, Homil. 17. there is nothing that can prejudice a mans ſalvation, if he beleeve in Ieſus Chriſt: not his wicked nation, for Paul was a lew; nor his meane condition, for Peter a poore Fiſher; nor his ignoble parentage, for Amos an herdſ man, Amos 7.14. nor ſex, for Rahab the harlot; nor want, for poore Lazarus ſhall bee accepted of God at the judgement.

A ſingular comfort for ſuch as live in prophane and wicked places, Vſe. that are enforced to complaine, as David did, Pſal. 120.5. Woe is me that I am conſtrained to dwell with Meſech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar: for though the place where thou liveſt bee as Sodome, and the ſinnes of it mount as high as Heaven, yet if thou bee a Lor, that loveſt holineſſe and hateſt iniquitie, thou ſhalt ſurely be ſaved from the fire. Though the place where thou liveſt be like the old world; ſo ſinfull that God repented that ever hee made it, Gen. 6.6. yet if thou bee a Noah, faithfull and holy, thou for thy part ſhalt ſurely bee ſaved from the water: what if thou live in Meſech amongſt the untoward Iſhmaelites, that bend their bowes againſt the Lord, and ſhoot their arrowes againſt Heaven, like the Thracians in Herodotus his Melpomene. For if thou bee a David, David after Gods heart, when thouſands fall beſide thee, and ten thouſand at thy right hand, the plague ſhall not come nigh thee: what if thou dwell amongſt thornes, prepared for the fire? yet if thou be a Lilly, or a Roſe, it ſhall goe well with thee in the day of vengeance: what if thou live in the ſalt ſea? yet if thou retaine thy ſweet and pleaſing relliſh, there ſhall no harme happen unto thee. What if thou paſſe thorow the weeds and gravell of a briniſh Ocean? yet if thou be like the river Arethuſa, commended for that rare qualitie by Virgil in his 10. • clogue, Quamvis fluctus ſubterlabere Sicanos, Dor is amar a ſuam non intermiſcuit undam. Thou ſhalt bee è mult is millibus unus, one of a thouſand. Titio ereptus ex igne, one whom God will chooſe out of the midſt of a perverſe, and crooked generation: what then remaines but this, that we continue conſtant and unmoveable in our moſt holy faith? and though wee live in ſuch evill dayes, and dwell in ſuch prophane places, where wickedneſſe over-flowes the banks, as the ſea at an high tide and a full ſpring: though wee be reſerved ad tempora noviſsima, to the laſt times, and dwell neare the outſides, and the common ſewers, where all Heretiques make their neſts, and like to Toads and Frogs engender in theſe ſens and puddles,Aug. de temp. Scrm. 232. as Auguſtine is pleaſed to ſtile them; though wee dwell amongſt Papiſts, Anabaptiſts, Familiſts, and have our reſidence amongſt the Baſtards of Barrow, Browne, &c. yet if wee beleeve and repent, if wee turne to the Lord, though we turne from them, if wee cleave to the Lord and renounce them, if wee keepe our ſelves unſpotted, our conſciences untouched, we ſhall undoubtedly bee ſaved, and received unto mercie, notwithſtanding all their peremptorie ſentence of condemnation which they paſſe upon us.

Before I come to the two other branches, let me note unto you the drift of all; it is to prove that the Iewes are not all caſt off, and how it is proved, becauſe Paul knowes that hee himſelfe is not caſt off. Here we have Paul ſure and certaine of his owne ſalvation. From whence gather.

A man while he is in this life may be ſure and certaine of his owne ſalvation, Doct. and life eternall: And I adde ordinarily, becauſe I meane to oppoſe the Trent Councell, denouncing the deepe Anathema upon them that ſay it.Si quis dixerit bominem ronaium & juſtificatum toueri ex ſide ad credendum ſe eſſe ex numero praede ſtinatorum, anathema ſit. If any man ſay, that a man regenerate and juſtified is bound by faith to beleeve, that he is in the number of the elect, let hm bee accurſed: as Chemnitius notes to be in the 6. Seſſion, Canon 15.Poſſunt quidom bon: ſperare peccata ſibi remitti, ſed ſine cerid ſiducia. They may indeed hope well that their ſinnes are forgiven, but not with any certaine aſſurance: In any particular man; yet ſaith Chriſt, Sonne thy ſinnes are forgiven thee, to one, and to another, Thy faith hath ſaved thee, viz. the woman that had the bloudie iſſue, Mar. 5.34.

I have reſerved to myſelfe ſeven thouſand, &c.] Wherein I obſerve, 1. By whom Gods children are kept from falling, l. 2. To whom they are knowen and manifeſt, to myſelfe. 3. From what they were preſerved, they have not bowed their knees to Baal. From the firſt I may collect this concluſion as Olerian doth, Doct. That it is the ſingular grace of God in corrupt times, to keepe a people, or ſome private perſons from idolatrie; A grace that he affords to none but the elect, as Apoc. 13.8. All that dwell upon the earth ſhall worſhip the Beaſt, whoſe names are not written in the booke of life of the Lambe ſlaine from the beginning of the world: and when the Prophet in Iſa. 1. declaimes againſt the apoſtaſie and back-ſliding of Iſrael, that they were a ſinfull nation, a ſeed of evill doers, children that were corrupters of others, that had forſaken the the Lord, and gone backward, therefore he would lay her waſte, Zion ſhould be like a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, and as a beſieged citie, yet a remnant whom he by his grace had kept from apoſtaſie, muſt bee kept from the that deſolation: For except God had reſerved a remnant, we had beene as Sodome, or like to Gomorrha, Iſa. 1.9. So Moſes, Deut. 32.10. & 12. He kept them as the apple of his eye, that they ſhould not follow ſtrange Gods; ſignifying both how ready man was to follow ſtrange Gods, if hee were not hindred by Gods eſpeciall grace; and alſo that they who are kept are moſt deare to him, and are therfore reſembled to the apple of his eye. And that which makes this grace more manifeſt, is the greatneſſe of the danger wherein men live in corrupt times: for the greater danger we are in, the greater is the grace to bee preſerved; now there is nothing more hard, than to live amongſt corrupt perſons without corruption, as hard as to walke upon coales and not burne his feet, or to carrie fire in his boſome, and not ſinge his cloathes, ſaith Salomon, Prov. 6.27. For admit (ſaith Iſidore) that a man were made of iron, yet if he ſtand continually before a great fire, hee is in danger to grow ſupple and ſoft as wax:Nan ques velap as non p • tuit ſup. ra • e, oſſ • dui • as ſuperat. For whom pleaſure could not overcome, continuall diligence overcommeth. Though a man greatly like not the ſinne, yet company with a ſinner may worke him to it. And whom the vice could not overcome, Et quos vitium non potuit vincere, familiaritas vinc. 1. familiaritie overcommeth. Mee thinkes they may fitly bee compared to thoſe two rivers mentioned by Maginus, 〈◊〉 . egr. deſcript. ••• ſpan. neere to Carm • n • a in Spaine, whereof the one drinkes up all, the 〈◊〉 refuſeth all.

The Vſe is: Vſe. to teach us to bleſſe God for this infinite mercie tous, who though we l • ve in evill times, yet God preſerves us, as he did Lot in Sodome; though we paſſe the ſait ſea, as that Sicilian river Arethuſa, yet wee retaine our ſweet relliſh; though wee be in Aegypt, yet wee feed not upon the garlicke of Aegypt; though wee bee in the world, yet not of the world; and let us pray that God would vouchſafe this grace to us ſtill, that though we live in corrupt places, we may be cleane; though among prophane perſons, yet we may be holy; though among Idolaters, yet wee may follow our God; though among ſuch men as are polluted and uncleane, yet we may be ſanctiſied thorow out, that both our ſoule, and ſpirit, and body may bee kept blameleſſe untill the great day. Thus having ſhewed by whom we are preſerved, I come to ſhew to whom they are knowen.

To my ſelfe.] God onely knowes certainly who belong unto him, 2 Tim. 2.19. The foundation of God remaineth ſure, &c. Where note that Gods children have two markes to bee knowen by, as Bellarmine, Of grace and free will, Booke 2. chap. 13. The one inward, the knowledge of divine approbation, this marke is manifeſt to God only; the other outward, the avoyding of ſinne, and the outward performance of good workes, and the hearing of the Word, as Ioh. 10.27. but the point that is meant I comprize in theſe termes.

The Lord acknowledgeth none of them to hee his who fall to idolatrie. Doct. In Apoc. 14. If any man worſhip the Beaſt, and receive his marke in his hand, or his forehead, he ſhall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God, yea, of the pure wine which is powred into the cup of his wrath, and he ſhall be tormented in fire and brimſtone. And 1 Cor. 10.21. You cannot drinke the cup of the Lord, and of Devils; as if hee ſhould ſay, they that have any communion with Chriſt, muſt have no communion with Devils; but they that ſacrifice to Idols, ſacrifice to Devils, verſ 20. Wherefore Chriſt hath no portion in them, nor they in him; and therfore the holy Ghoſt excludes ſuch from Heaven, Apoc. 22.15. Without (meaning the celeſtiall Ieruſalem) ſhall be dogs, enchanters, murtherers, liars, Idolaters. And the Apoſtle, Epheſ. 5.5. Neither uncleane perſons, nor Idolaters have any part or inheritance in the kingdome of God.

Whence wee muſt learne, Vſe. that while men abide in the boſome of that idolatrous Synagogue of Rome, they are far from Gods kingdome. Shall they not be deſtroyed that live in Babylon, which is made the verie habitation of Devils? A hold of foule ſpirits, a cage of uncleane birds, Apoc. 18.2. And this Babylon is Rome, as may be proved by all circumſtances. I urge againſt them the authoritie of Hierome, whom they urge ſo often againſt us.Contra Iovin. lib. 2. cap. 19. And Caniſius the Ieſuite cannot deny it in his common place of ſinne, commending the Citie of Rome, that it was a powerfull Citie, the head of the world, praiſed by the voyce of an Apoſtle, exhorts it to avoyd that judgement, which the Lord hath threatned in the Apocalyps under the name of Babylon. And that the Church of Rome is idolatrous, appeares by this argument: Whoſoever gives to a creature divine worſhip, commits idolatrie; but Papiſts doe thus, &c. in the worſhip of Saints, Reliques, Images, Conſecrate things, and the Euchariſt. The propoſition is evident out of Scripture, which termes them Idolaters, who give divine worſhip either to an Idoll properly ſo called, as to the image of a Calfe, Exod. 32.4. Theſe be thy Gods, &c. They made a Calfe, and ſacrificed unto the Idoll, Acts 7.41. or figuratively, as Mammon, yee cannot ſerve God and Mammon, Matth. 6.24. The aſſumption is proved both from Scripture and their owne mouthes. The Scriptures teach, that to put truſt in any thing is divine worſhip, Ierem. 17.7. To invocate, as Pſal. 50.15. Thou ſhalt call on mee, and glorifie me. Sacrifice, Exod. 22.20. Vowes, Iſa. 19.21. Bowing, Exod. 10.5. Now that Papiſts give ſome of theſe to Saints, ſome to Reliques, ſome to images, ſome to Things conſecrate, ſome to the Euchariſt, themſelves confeſſe it; as in their Miſſall commanded to be publiſht by Pius 5. and the Breviarie corrected by the Trent Councell, and authorized both by Pius 5. and Clement 8. may ſufficiently appeare. I inſtance onely in one. They commit idolatrie, in giving divine worſhip to an image, for an image may be the ſame with an idoll. Stephanus in his treaſurie of the Latine tongue ſayes, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ſignifies everie image or picture repreſenting a divine power which is to be worſhipt: and the Septuagint tranſlate the Hebrew word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .De Eccleſ triumph. lib. 2. In Exod. Hom. 8. Quaeſt. in Exod. 10. quaeſt. 38. But Bellarmine, out of an errour of Origen, and of Theodoret, makes a difference betweene an image and an idoll.

Let us therefore expreſſe our thankfull hearts to God, Vſe. who hath delivered us from the Aegypt of Poperie, and to expreſſe this thankfulneſſe, let us labour to weed out all idolatrie. So God bids Iſrael, Ioſh. 24.2, 14. Your fathers ſerved ſtrange Gods, but I have brought you out: now therefore feare the Lord, and ſerve him in up rightneſſe and truth, and put away the Gods which your fathers ſerved. If wee bee reſtored to light, let us walke as children of the light, Epheſ. 5.5. Wee are now temples of God, let us have no fellowſhip with Idols; we are reſtored by Chriſt, let us have no concord with Belial; we are now ſetled in the truth, let us have no commerce with Infidels. So Paul, 1 Cor. 6.14.

And ſo I come to ſhew how many were reſerved. Seven thouſand: by ſeven thouſand God would ſignifie the whole multitude that belonged unto him, and it is the putting of a certaine number for an uncertaine, as the virgins, five wiſe, and five fooliſh, Matth. 25. And the rich man had five brethren, Luk. 16. Origen is ſomewhat curious, and thinkes, that God uſed the number of ſeven, becauſe ſeven was the day of reſt, to ſignifie that they who came to Chriſt by faith, had reſt in him: And Gorrhan deſcants upon it, and ſhewes that the number of ſeven ſignifies the univerſalitie, becauſe all things were made in ſeven dayes; and of a thouſand, to ſhew their perfection, becauſe that is a perfect and abſolute number. The point is, God alwayes hath a Church, Doct. though inviſible to the eye of man.

The Vſe is, Vſe. to teach us not to reſt in the outward profeſſion; for that they may have, who are none of Gods Church, but to labour for true and inward holines, whereby we may be ſure that we are of it: whence it may be collected,That there are not many of the inviſible Church. that many are not of the inviſible Church, becauſe moſt men affect no more than a Phariſaicall puritie, which appeares by theſe foure ſignes: 1. Becauſe the keeping of a good conſcience is put out of countenance, the verie ſeeking after it is made a mock and a word of reproach: who is ſo much branded with the odious name of Puritane, as they that moſt labour for the teſtimonie of a good conſcience: moſt men thinke that preciſeneſſe of life is the onely ſtaine of a Church and can more eaſily beare with an Atheiſticall and time-ſerving Papiſt, than a Proteſtant, if there bee in him one ſparke of zeale more than ordinarie. 2. Becauſe moſt men ſpend moſt of their time in a ſlender diſputation, and ſo they can ſay ſomething, but doe not much care for practiſing any thing; ſuch as are taxt by Paul, 1 Tim. 6.4. puft up and dote about queſtions and words. Doe you diſpute, I will beleeve, I will practiſe. 3. By the generall ignorance partly affected, as Iob 21.14. They ſay unto God, depart from us, &c. partly of meere negation, where they want meanes of knowledge, where the childrens bread is caſt to dogs, where Church livings maintaines hawkes and dogs; and the Levites portion is made a childes portion for the Gentlemans youngeſt ſon. Adde to theſe ſuch men as can ſpare no time from wordly cares to heare the Word;Lucrantur denarium, amittunt regnum. A • per hoc nil •• ud eſt ſ •• entia •• ſtra qu • m culpa. They gaine a penny, and loſe a kingdome. 4. Becauſe men do not live as they profeſſe, And by this our knowledge is nothing els but a fault, ſaith Salvianus. Chriſt cries, Let your light ſhine before men, &c. Matth. 5.16. Wee ſo live, that men ſeeing our wicked lives, have cauſe to blaſpheme God; will Seythians, Moores, and Pagans doe it? they read the Goſpell, and live immodeſtly; they heare the Apoſtles, and are given to drunkenneſſe; they follow Chriſt, and ſteale; in us Chriſt ſuffereth a reproach, in us the Law ſuffereth a curſe, the name of God is blaſphemed, and religion ill ſpoken of for our ſakes, Rom. 2.24. And I feare that this want of practice will enforce the Lord to take away the Goſpell, and give it to a people that will bring forth fruit. Remember what befell the figtree, Matth. 21.19. Remember what is written Heb. 6.7, 8. The earth which drinketh up the raine that commeth oft upon it, and yet beareth nothing but thornes and briars is rejected, and is nigh unto curſing, whoſe end is to bee burned. So I come to ſhew from what they were preſerved.

They have not bowed their knees to Baal.] In 1 King. 19.18. there is in the Hebrew ſomewhat more, as everie mouth that hath not kiſſed Baal; The bowing of the knee is a token of ſubjection; therefore they that bowed, acknowledged thereby their ſubjection to Baal, as Iſa. 45.23. Everie knee ſhall bow unto me; and Phil. 2.10. At the name of Ieſus, &c. Secondly, they kiſſed the Idol, ſo they kiſſed the golden calves, They ſay one to another while they ſacrifice a man, let them kiſſe the calves, Hoſ. 13.2. Now the kiſſe is a ſigne of love, and by it they ſignified that they loved Baal; right as the Papiſts at this day doe bow at the Croſſe, the picture of Marie, and the Apoſtles, creepe to them and kiſſe them. Now if you will know what this Baal was; The word in the Hebrew ſignifies an Husband, or Lord; and here is meant a ſtrange Lord or Husband, for though Baal ſignifie an Husband or Lord; and God bee the Lord and Husband of the Church, yet he will not be called by this name, as Hoſ. 2.16. Thou ſhalt call mee Iſhi, but not Baali: and it is worth the obſerving, that it is here 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , in the feminine gender, underſtanding 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the image, & they are preſerved from bowing to the image: but in 2 King. 17.16. it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , viz. to an Idoll: So that the Scriptures make no ſuch difference betweene an idoll and an image; nor betweene the worſhipping of an idoll and an image, as the Papiſt doth. It was an idoll, the idoll of the Sydonians, and had his beginning thus. Ninus the third Monarch of the Perſians, was the ſonne of Iupiter Belus, and this Ninus, when his father Belus was dead, erected a Statua over him, and there promiſed in writing, that if a man were guiltie of never ſo great offence, yet if he ſhould repaire to that image, the King would pardon him; and when offenders found ſo great benefit by this Statua, they began to give to it divine honour; and when afterward they erected other idols, they called them by that name, as Bell, and Baal, and in the plurall number Baalim; as Zancheus ſheweth in Precept. 2. cap 15. So that Strabo, Diodorus Siculus, and Herodotus in Euterpe went amiſſe, when they ſaid that idols were firſt invented by the Aegyptians; for you ſee, they came firſt from the Babylonians, and as for the Romans, they worſhipt their Gods for an hundred and ſeventie yeares, as both Plutarch in Numa, and Auguſtine de Civitat. Dei, lib. 14. chap. 31. teſtifie. Thus the ſenſe and meaning being plaine; I deſcend to the note, viz.

To bow, bend, Doct. and kneele before an idoll is flat idolatrie. So when the Iſraelites danced before the Calfe, Exod. 32.19. That which is by ſome alleaged touching Eliſha, 2 Kings 5.18. that hee approved the act of Naaman the Syrian is not found; for firſt, that (Goe in peace) was but the ordinarie ſpeech of men, when they tooke leave one of another; ſo Zancheus: or rather thus: Naaman doth not deſire indulgence, for that hee meant to doe afterward; but for that hee had done already; and ſo the Hebrew imports, and beſides, at the ſeventeenth verſe hee proteſts againſt all idolatrous ſervice. In the third of Daniel they were commanded to bow to the image: But the three children refuſed, ſaying; that they would not ſerve thoſe Gods, nor worſhip them, verſ. 18. and therefore God forbids it in the ſecond Commandement. Sozomenus reports,Eccleſ. hiſt. lib. 5. cap. 16. that when ſome Chriſtian Souldiers were circumvented by Iulian, and by his perſwaſion moved to offer to the Idoll, they afterward in deteſtation of their former act, would bee avenged of their hands which offered, by the burning of their whole bodies. I proceed to the application of this ſtorie unto Pauls time.

Thirdly, a comfort for all good and religious hearts, Vſe 3 to thinke that howſoever they may bee puniſht for their ſinnes, and enemies may bring them to the ſword, yet ſome of them ſhall continue and ſtand to ſee the enemies fall, religion ſhall not quite goe downe. So I come to the number, a remnant.

There is a remnant.] Thoſe that belong unto God are not many, which muſt not bee ſimply underſtood; for in themſelves they be many, even an hundred fortie and foure thouſand, Apoc. 7.4. among the Tribes of Iſrael, and among the Gentiles a multitude which no man could number, of all nations and languages, ſtood before the Lord, and before the Lambe, with long white robes and palmes in their hands, &c. verſ. 9. But in compariſon of thoſe that ſhall be caſt away, they are but few, as Matth. 20.16. the Apoſtle is peremptorie, Though Iſrael were as the ſand, yet a remnant ſhall be ſaved; there is much chaffe, but little wheat; many ſtones, but few pearles. If a man ſhould divide the world into three parts with Ptolomie, or into foure with ſome later writers, or into ſix with our laſt Geographers, as Quade and others: Lib. 1. cap. 2. 〈◊〉 and you ſhall not finde one of ſeven that profeſſeth Chriſt aright, they are all confined into a narrow corner in the Northweſt. And in this corner remove Atheiſts, Heretiques, Neutrals, Worldlings, Hypocrites, and the remainder will be verie ſmall; and there • e doth Chriſt call it a little flocke, Luk. 12.32. and the gate a ſtrait gate, Luk. 13.24. and the way a narrow way, Matth. 7.14. And if you ſhould but looke upon the lives and actions of moſt men, and ſee how everie man waſtes his life in ſinne and vanitie, you would joyne with mee, and ſay there are not many that can be ſaved; if you doe but ſee how all care for earth, and few for heaven; you will ſay that ſurely verie few can bee ſaved: how everie man lives and rots in one ſinne or other, dandles and hugs one Dalilah or other, you will ſay that few can be ſaved: how everie man ſpends his dayes in libertie and looſeneſſe, both of life and conſcience, how they gather and build upon earth, and ſtrive how they may continue their names here, never dreaming of a building in heaven, of writing their names in heaven, you will ſay, ſurely few can be ſaved.

What uſe may wee make of this, but to ſee, Vſe. that the ordinarie pace and courſe which men take, can never bring a man to heaven: If then we will ever bee ſaved, and bee of that remnant. 1. Wee muſt learne the way to heaven perfectly. 2. When we know it, we muſt walke in it. 3. We muſt caſt off all luggage and ſuperfluitie that hinder us in it.

And ſo I proceed to that which is the foundation and ground of this preſervation, viz. the election of grace. S. Origen in his wandring ſpeculation,Origen. in Rom. 11. would here make a difference betweene thoſe which are called by grace, viz. thoſe that beleeve in Chriſt, and thoſe which are called by election of grace, which beſide faith in Chriſt have good workes; as if true ſaith could ever be without them; and Chryſoſtome, that they were elected of grace,Chryſoſt. ibid. whom God foreſaw would beleeve; and the Pelagians, of grace: that is, they who have choſen grace, both of them aſcribing too much to mans will. The meaning is, that this remnant is reſerued according to the election of grace, not whereby men choſe grace, but whereby God of his meere grace hath choſen men, ſaith Iunius, Iun. in Rom. 11. and there is in them an Hebraiſme, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , according to the election of grace, for according to free election, ſaith Beza and Aquinas. Beza & Aquin. In them I note, 1. The foundation and ground of ſalvation, and that is Gods election. 2. The impulſive cauſe of Gods election; grace, not in us, but in God, as Pareus and Soto. Pareus & Soto. In the handling whereof, and here, note, 1. what it is.

Election is that part of Gods eternall predeſtination,Election deſcribed. whereby hee decreed before all eternity, that they whom he loved in Chriſt, ſhould be called to the adoption of ſonnes, iuſtified by faith, ſhould doe good workes, bee glorified, and made conformable to the image of his Son; which conformity is begun when we are juſtified, increaſed daily by good workes; finiſhed in eternall glory: and all this that God may ſhew upon them the riches of his mercy, that it is of thoſe whom hee loved in Chriſt: it is manifeſt; for whatſoever good we have of God, it is by and through Chriſt. 2. That they ſhould be called. So the Apoſtle, hee hath choſen us to be adopted through Ieſus Chriſt unto himſelfe, Epeſ. 1.5. 3. That they ſhould bee juſtified. See Rom. 8.30. whom hee called, them he juſtified. 4. To be glorified. Ibid. 5. That they may bee conformable to the image of his Sonne. See Paul, 8.29. Out of all theſe ariſe three concluſions. 1. God did elect and choſe becauſe hee looked mercifully vpon vs in Chriſt. 2. Whomſoever hee did choſe unto glory, he did predeſtinate to be holy.Homines non producit Deus ad gloriam per ſcelera & flagitiae. Peter Martyr. God brings not men to glory by villanies and wickedneſſe, ſaith Martyr, as aboue. 3. All our hope of glory depends meerely vpon our election in Chriſt, that we are, or ſhall be called, and iuſtified, and in the end glorified. Rom. 8.29. & 30. This election is the firſt and moſt ancient charter that Gods children can ſhew for their right to their Fathers inheritance; for though by vocation we be manifeſted to be the ſonnes of God, & by iuſtification ingrafted in Ieſus Chriſt, and made partaker of all that is his, and by glorification we be entred into our Fathers inheritance, yet is our election the foundation of all theſe, as 2. Tim. 2.19. Our hope that we are of his Church, for onely the elect are the Church, and the univocall members of Chriſt the head, though it bee denied by Bellarmine in oppoſition to Wickliffe, Hus, and Calvin. Bellarm. de Eccleſ. mil tant. lib. 3. cap. 7. Our hope that our calling is true, and effectuall; for they only are effectually called, who are eternally elected, as may appeare in the golden chaine, whom hee did predeſtinate, them hee called, Rom. 8.30. Our hope that we ſhall never be caſt off, that we are preſerved by Chriſt, and ſhall bee raiſed up at the laſt day. Iohn 6.39. That we are kept by the power of God the father through faith unto ſalvation prepared but ſhowed in the laſt times. 1. Pet. 1.5. If all depend on this, let us learne whether wee belong unto it or no, that we may know whether we ſhall ever bee glorified or no. There is no way to know it but by the fruits, as 2. Pet. 1.10. The fruits are many, I will note for your comfort ſome. 1. good workes. 2. a conſcionable care of the meanes of ſalvation. 3. The ſpirit of prayer. 4. Abalienation from the world. 5. Hungring and thirſting after righteouſnes. 6. Conflict betweene the fleſh & ſpirit. 7. New obedience. 8. Love to Gods miniſters. 9. A longing for the fulneſſe and complement of Chriſts comming as above: and ſo I come to the impulſive cauſe of election, Grace. Amongſt men they are ſaid to have grace, Cui favet populus. Who have the good will and love of the people. And ſo with God, they are ſaid to have grace, who have found grace with God. But here is a manifeſt difference: men favour none, but in whom they finde ſomething whereby they may bee allured to love them: but God loved not becauſe he ſaw vs to be lovely, for hee loved us firſt, and by loving us, gave us that which pleaſeth him. So that the name of grace in Scripture is uſed two wayes. 1. For the free love and favour of God, wherewith hee imbraceth the elect. Epheſ. 1.6. We are predeſtinate to the praiſe of the glory of his grace. 2. Grace ſignifies the gifts freely beſtowed upon us by God, as Rom. 11.29. The gifts, that is, the graces of God, are without repentance, as Aquinas hath well diſtinguiſht.Quaeſt. 110. Artic. 1. By underſtanding of which diſtinction it will appeare with what difference the Proteſtant and the Papiſt agree in this tenent, that man is juſtified by grace, as the ſame ſchooleman.2a 2ae. quaeſt. 113. Artic. 2. But the Papiſt by grace underſtands the gifts of grace conferred upon them that bee juſtified, as the infuſed habit of faith, good workes, &c. We by grace in the act of juſtification underſtand, not the workes of grace, which by our faults and ſinnes bee made imperfect, and not able to ſatisfie Gods juſtice, but the good will & the love which God ſhewes unto us out of his meere mercie.Lib. 2. diſtinct. 26. Peter Lombard hath diſtinguiſht grace into working and co-working, and fathers it upon S. Auguſtine. Degratin & lib. Arbit. Cap. 7. But theſe bee the ſame; grace diſtinguiſht onely in the effects: for grace doth firſt cure the will, and ſo it is working. 2. It cauſed the will being cured to doe rightly, and ſo it is co-working. In the firſt, mans will concurs with grace paſſively and grace only workes; but in the other, when mans will is regenerate, it concurres both actively and paſſively; and ſo grace and mans will be co-operant. I will not trouble you with thoſe diſtinctions into prevenient and ſubſequent, which are but one, and by the ſame grace hee prevents us that wee may will, hee followes us by making us to doe, he prevents us by moving us to good workes, hee followes us by giving perſeverance: nor with that of grace into grace freely given, and making acceptable. Grace freely given is whereby one man workes with another to ſalvation, and is called grace freely given, becauſe it is granted to man above the facultie of nature. Grace making acceptable, by which man is joyned to God, as Th. Aquinas: Th. Aquin. quaeſt. 12. Art. 1. That which is here meant by grace, is his free mercie and love: from whence the point is.

That which moveth God to ſave man, Doct. was nothing in man, but the free mercie of God; and therefore the Apoſtle, Epheſ. 1.4, 5, 6, 7. Hee hath choſen us in him. Hee hath choſen us according to the good pleaſure of his will. Hee hath accepted us in his Beloved, to the praiſe of the glorie of his grace, wee have the forgiveneſſe of ſinnes according to his rich grace. And Epheſ. 2.8. By grace are yee ſaved, not of your ſelves, it is the gift of God. Ob. Yea, but the Apoſtle ſaith, Yee are ſaved by grace through faith, therefore not onely grace but our owne faith is the cauſe of ſalvation. I anſwer: Faith is not here conſidered as any worke of ours, but as an inſtrument whereby we receive grace, and he muſt needs receive grace, who will be ſaved by grace, and how is grace received but by the hand of faith? therefore faith doth not properly juſtifie, and ſave a man either in whole or in part, but receiveth righteouſneſſe and ſalvation; and therefore is ſaid to juſtifie, becauſe it receiveth ſalvation and righteouſneſſe; and is the hand or inſtrument receiving, but not deſerving grace and ſalvation. And when we ſay that faith doth juſtifie, it is in reſpect of the object apprehended, viz. Chriſt, who only effectually and properly doth juſtifie by his grace. So that this faith is ſo farre from being derogatorie from grace, that no man can have grace that hath not faith to receive it; and the Apoſtle joynes them fitly together, grace whereby wee are ſaved, and faith by which we apprehend it; that which ſaves effectually, and that which ſaves inſtrumentally, that is, grace and faith. As the Iſraelites ſtung by ſerpents, were healed by the brazen Serpent, ſo are wee by Chriſt, Ioh. 3.14, 15. But they did nothing but onely looke upon the brazen Serpent; ſo are we to doe nothing for our juſtification, but to fix the eye of faith upon Chriſt; whence wee ſee who muſt have the glorie for our ſalvation, namely God. 2. How vile and miſerable we were before grace, that there was nothing in us why God ſhould love us, or looke mercifully upon us, or purpoſe to ſave us.

Before I proceed, there is yet one generall note to be collected hence. viz. That though the ſins of the Iewes deſerved a full rejection of them all, yet God did not conſider what they deſerved, but what might ſtand with his owne goodneſſe and mercie. So he did with rebellious Ephraim, I will not deſtroy Ephraim, for I am God and not man, Hoſ. 11.9. which is a wonderfull comfort to us poore ſinner; who many times deſerve to be caſt from Gods favour, to have the meanes of ſalvation denied unto us, to bee caſt for ever from Gods preſence; yet God will not doe it: for he conſiders what is ſit to be done in mercie, and therefore deferres his judgement from us, and ſo I come to the concluſion of the application in the ſixth verſe.

THis latter part of the verſe is left out by Origen, Chryſoſtome, and the Spaniſh Edition, as Soto hath obſerved, and alſo by the vulgar Edition, but is conſtantly read by Arias Montanus, Beza, Caſaubonus, and in all the Greek copies they containe in them a poriſme or inſerence upon the former propoſition; the argument is raiſed from the nature of immediate contraries, whereof the Law is in Ariſtotle, that the putting off the one, neceſſarily implyes the removing of the other. The two contrarie termes, grace and workes, which cannot both be cauſes of election. The Syllogiſme ſeemes to bee made thus. Both grace and workes cannot be the cauſes of election; but grace is; that was concluded in the fifth verſe. The reaſon of the ſequele, becauſe then grace were no more grace, but works: But theſe be contraries. Grace gives a reward not due, a worke requires it as due. As Paul diſtinguiſhing betweene faith and workes. To him that worketh the wages is due, not by favour but by debt, Rom. 4.4. I will not inſiſt upon the Apoſtles reciprocall argument, I draw all to an Enthymeme; we are elected of grace, therefore not by workes; and becauſe the antecedent was handled before, there remaines now nothing but the concluſion, which I comprehend in one bare propoſition thus.

HEre is the confirmation of the rejection of the Iewes, proved by two teſtimonies, wherein I note; firſt, the Oracles whither he reſorts for determination of this point. In theſe words, as it is written; from whence the concluſion is; Doct. That the written Word ought to bee the Iudge of all controverſies and doubts: It is able to make us wiſe unto ſalvation, through the faith that is in Ieſus Chriſt, and is profitable for doctrine, reproofe, correction, and inſtruction, as above on theſe words, What ſaith the Scripture. And ſo I come to the confirmation, if I may firſt cleere a doubt.

Origen ſaith, There is no place of Scripture where it can bee found in the written Word, which is as much as to ſay that Paul lied; indeed it is not to the Word, but to the ſenſe and meaning, both in Iſa. 29.10. The Lord hath covered you with a ſpirit of ſlumber, and ſhut up your eyes; your Prophets and your chiefe Seers hath he covered, and their viſions are as a booke that is ſealed. Buxtorfius and Arias Montanus tranſlate the Hebrew word thus, the ſpirit of ſlumber. And it is againe in Iſa. 6.9. Make their eares heavie. The Apoſtle addes of himſelfe, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , unto this day; that they might not thinke that this prediction was already finiſht, but that the judgement was upon them till this day; I will not inſiſt upon the difference betweene the Septuagint, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Hee hath made them drunke. So they uſe the word in Iſa. 19.14. and the originall which ſignifies, he hath covered them. Nor is it materiall that the Septuagint expreſſe it by the active, referring it to the people, that they have ſhut their eyes: and ſo Luke cites it, Acts 28.27. they have winked with their eyes that they ſhould not ſee: and S. Paul referres it unto God, God hath given them, &c. For it is a good obſervation of Peter Martyr, That is ſaid to be done of God, Id dicitur fieri à Deo, quod ſit Dei imperio. which is done by Gods command. Nor will I inſiſt upon the ſignification of this word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , tranſlated ſlumber, or compunction, which ſome take from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which is to move, or drive, and interpret it the ſpirit of perplexitie, or maligne ſpirit, as Anſelme. Some call it the ſpirit of envie, whereby they were offended at the calling of the Gentiles, but this is but conjecturall; yet appeares no reaſon why the Hebrew word Tardemah ſhould bee rendred by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , ſignifying pricking, and compunction of heart: Therefore Beza and Tolet are of opinion that it ſignifies ſlumber, or ſleepe, rather than compunction, yet ſeeing that Chryſoſtome, Origen, and Theophylact, who beſt knew the ſignification of the word, and the Scriptures alſo uſed the word in this ſenſe, Acts 2.27. They were pricked in their hearts, I thinke it had not beene amiſſe, if it had beene rendred, the ſpirit of compunction. And yet I hold the ſenſe and meaning to bee all one, and Oſiander gives a reaſon; becauſe they are pricked and ſtirred, when they are called to the Goſpel; but as men aſleepe are loth to awake, my judgement is, that this ſpirit of ſlumber or compunction is the ſame, which Paul in 1 Tim. 4.2. cals, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a conſcience burned with an hot iron, and that is all one with the ſpirit of giddineſſe, and anſwers fitly to that in the ſeventh verſe, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . I ſhall more fully expound the words, when I come to them in particular.

In the firſt proofe I note: 1. The judgement. 2. The Author. 3. The continuance. The judgement, the ſpirit of ſlumber: 1. Generall. 2. In two particulars, the excaecation of the eyes, the other the obturation and ſtopping of the eares. The author, he. God hath given, &c. The continuance, to this day: of theſe in order; and firſt of the author, he, he hath given: Hardneſſe of heart is brought upon man by God; yet ſay I, not by God onely; for there be three efficient cauſes of mans induration; Man, the Devill, and God. 1.The firſt cauſe of hardneſſe of heart. The wicked hardens of his owne heart, ſo did Pharaoh, Exod. 7.13. Pharaoh hardened his heart, and did not let Iſrael goe. And Exod. 8.32. Pharaoh hardened his heart at that time alſo; Therefore ſaith Moſes to Iſrael, Harden your necks no more, Deut. 10.16. And 2 King. 17.14. The Lord bade them turne from their evill wayes, but they would not obey, but hardened their hearts and necks, like to the necks of their fathers, that did not beleeve in the Lord their God. And Ierem. 5.3. Thou haſt ſtricken them, but they have not ſorrowed; conſumed them, but they have refuſed to receive correction, and have made their faces harder than a ſtone; which phraſe is frequent in the Prophet Ieremie, as in Ier. 7.26. They hardened their necks, and did worſe than their fathers. And Ierem. 17.23. They made their necks ſtiffe and would not heare: by which it appeares, that ungodly and wicked men are a cauſe of their owne hardening, when they either oppoſe the truth acknowledged, or perſevere in ſinne againſt their conſcience, as may bee ſeene in Cain, Pharaoh, Iudas, and the Iewes.

A ſecond cauſe is the Devill,The ſecond cauſe of hardneſſe of heart. helping forward the wicked and ſinfull purpoſes of man, plunging him everie day further than other into finne, and eaſting thicke and foggie miſts over his eyes, as 2 Cor. 4.4. If our Goſpell be hid, it is hid to them that periſh, in whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes, that the light of the Goſpell might not ſhine unto them: which God of this world is not the true & everliving God, as Chryſoſtome, Auguſtine, and Ambroſe expounded it, when they dealt with the Manichees and Arrians; but the ſame which is called, the Prince that ruleth in the aire, the Prince of darkneſſe, viz. the Devill, and theſe two efficients of induration doe both ſinne moſt grievouſly, man by his owne will, Satan by inſtigation; mans corruption is as the coale that ſendeth forth ſparkes, the Devill blowes the coales and kindles the fire.

The third cauſe is God: for firſt,The third cauſe of hardneſe of heart. mans heart ſends forth fire, Satan blowes it, and then God ſtrikes on the anvill, and frames and diſpoſeth everie thing to his owne will. The firſt and neereſt cauſe is mans corruption, the Inſtigator and Tempter Satan, and God as a juſt Iudge. I will harden Pharaohs heart, ſaith God, Exod. 4.21. The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, Exod. 9.12. And the Prophet Iſay 63.17. queſtions thus with God, O Lord, why haſt thou made us to erre from thy wayes, and hardened our hearts from thy feare: So God is ſaid to give men over to a reprobate ſenſe and reprobate minde, Rom. 1.28. To blinde, Iſay 6.10. To deceive, Ezek. 14.9. If that Prophet be deceived, then I the Lord have deceived him; to put a lying ſpirit in the mouth of his Prophet, 1 King. 22.23. Behold the Lord hath put a lying ſpirit in the mouth of all theſe Prophets. Now how God doth harden and blinde is not agreed. Some ſay, that all thoſe Scriptures, Hee hardened Pharaohs heart, and hee gave them over to a reprobate minde, &c. are to be expounded, by the word of permitting, that God did ſuffer them to be done, and not without ſhew of Scripture, Pſal. 81.12. They would not hearken; therefore I gave them up to the hardneſſe of their heart, and let them walke in their owne counſells. And alſo from the ſpeech of Barnabas and Paul, Acts 14.15, 16. when the people of Lyſtra would have ſacrificed unto them, Why doe you theſe things? we be men as you are, who preach unto you the living God, who made all things, and in times paſt ſuffered the Gentiles to walke in their owne luſts; and when it is ſaid, that God gave them over to doe ſuch things as are not meet; they underſtand it, that God ſuffered them to doe ſuch things as were not convenient, and that God hath no more to doe in hardening mans heart, than a man that ſtands upon the ſhore, and ſees a ſhip to bee drowned when hee might have holpen it, which was the interpretation of Iulian the Pelagian,Auguſt. contra lu •• anum Pelag. lib. 5. cap. 3. as Auguſtine ſheweth. But Auguſtine ſhewes there, that God doth it not by patience alone, but by his patience, which implyes an action: for if he would not, for no reaſon would hee have permitted it. So that he doth not onely ſuffer it, but will it, for Gods permiſſion is voluntarie, and he ſuffereth willing, not unwilling; See Calvin. Inſt. lib. 1. cap. 18. ſe •• . 2. God permits nothing againſt his will, ſo that when God ſuffers ſin to be done, hee alſo wils it to be done.

Some ſay, that they muſt be expounded by the word of ſubſtracting. That God is no otherwiſe ſaid to harden, or blinde, but by with-drawing his grace, which they that are blinded and hardened are unworthy of: As the ſhip-man withdrawing his helpe, lets the ſhip be drowned, or a man that takes away the pillar that ſuſtained the houſe, then the houſe fals of it ſelfe; and there bee two cauſes why God uſeth to withdraw his grace and ſpirit: ſometimes to puniſh the unthankfull that abuſe his grace, ſometimes that they might better acknowledge the neceſſitie of grace; that without it wee can doe nothing that is good, that wee may bee more enflamed with a deſire of it, and embrace it joyfully when wee feele it; and for theſe cauſes God ſometimes denies his ſervants the powerfull working of his Spirit, and ſuffers them to fall into foule ſins, and that not onely in juſtice to puniſh former ingratitude, but alſo in mercie and for their good; both in the ſight of our owne weakneſſe, and in ſeeing the neceſſitie of Gods grace, and in making us more carefull not to abuſe grace when we have it; So that God doth blinde when he takes away his light; for take away light, darkneſſe followes; take away grace, hardneſſe followes: and therefore Peter Martyr ſayes; That God is ſuch a cauſe of ſinne, as is called in Philoſophie, the removing prohibiting cauſe, that takes away the helpe by which they ſhould bee kept from induration; and though this bee ſomewhat, yet it is not all: for ſurely theſe ſayings, God did harden, give over to a reprobate minde, lead into temptation, and encline the hearts of men, doe ſignifie ſome action of God in man.

Some come a little neerer and ſay, that God doth blinde and harden not by his owne, but by an outward act indirectly, that is, by propoſing to the eyes and eares ſuch objects whereby they ſhould be ſoftned, and enlightned, and reclaimed from ſinne; but yet it comes to paſſe by their owne faults, that they are thereby blinded, and hardened, and plunged further into ſinne: Theſe objects are, the preaching of the Word, Sacracraments, miracles, mercies, judgements. Theſe God giveth to man for his good, and man turnes them to his owne deſtruction. As for example, God propoſed the Word to Pharaoh by Aaron, miracles by Moſes, by theſe his heart ſhould have been ſoftened, but by his owne fault, it became more hard; ſo were the Iewes at the preaching of Iſay: And to this purpoſe ſaith God in Ierem. 6.21. I will lay ſtumbling blocks before this people, the fathers and the ſonnes ſhall fall upon them, the neighbour and the friend ſhall periſh; Yet ſurely, though all this be true, it is not all the truth; for in the ſtorie of Pharaoh I obſerve three things. 1. The preaching of the Word by Aaron. 2. The working of miracles by Moſes. 3. The hid action of God in the heart of Pharaoh. And theſe three God did thus order; that Aaron ſhould ſpeake the word, Moſes ſhould doe miracles, but hee would reſerve to himſelfe the action of induration; I will harden the heart of Pharaoh, Exod. 4.21. as if he ſhould ſay, I will reſerve that to my ſelfe: So that beſides the outward objects of the Word, and miracles propoſed by Moſes and Aaron, there was an internall action of hardening wrought by God; not to goe ſtill about the point, the concluſion is. God doth blinde, harden, and give over to a reprobate minde, not onely by ſuffering it, not onely by withdrawing his grace and helping hand, nor onely by propoſing of outward objects, againſt which the wicked may ſtumble; but alſo by an inward and ſtrange working in the heart of man, and all theſe be acts of Gods juſt judgement, whereby hee puniſheth mans ſinne. So that hardneſſe and excaecation in reſpect of it ſelfe is ſinne, In reſpect of the conſequents, the cauſe of ſinne, and it is in reſpect of 〈…〉 God workes, is difficult; from the blame God is free, from the guilt he is alſo free: let man looke to both theſe. But the puniſhment of ſinne being an act of his juſtice, hee acknowledgeth; and in the puniſhment note three things. 1. The matter wherewith a man is puniſhed. 2. The contrarietie betweene the partie and the puniſhment. 3. The order of conſequence; that where ſuch an offence went before, ſuch an evill ſhall follow, to make the offender feele the ſmart of it: In thoſe puniſhments which be puniſhments onely and not ſinnes, God is the Author of all things implyed. In thoſe which be ſinnes as well as puniſhments, God is onely the Author of the order of conſequence, and of the contrarietie betweene the puniſhments and the parties puniſhed; as for example: Pride is puniſht by envie; now envie is not of God. But there is a contrarietie betweene the ſoule of a proud man and it; which makes it bitter and afflictive, and there is an order of conſequence, that where ſuch a ſinne went before, there ſuch a puniſhment ſhould follow; This is of God: So that God workes in ſinne. 1. Poſitively, as it is a phyſicall act. 2. Morally, as it is a juſt puniſhment of ſin. 3. Permiſſively, as it is a ſin, not by giving conſent to the doing of it, but in not hindring it.

Yet in all this we doe not ſay that God is the author of ſinne,Antid. in Rom. pag. 715. as Stapleton accuſeth Calvin and Becanus, p. 6. who ſaith, that the God of the Calviniſts is the author of ſinne, nor as Bellar mine 〈…〉 Beza. Firſt, that we ſay, God to be truly and properly the cauſe of thoſe ſinnes, which men commit.De amiſſione gratiae et ſtatu peccatt. Lib. 2. Cap 4. Secondly, that we ſay God truly & properly to ſinne. Thirdly, God alone truly to ſinne; whereas Calvin holds the quite contrary.Inſ •• ut Lib. 1. Cap. 14. Sect. 16. & Lab. 2. Cap. 4. Sect. 2. Neminem indurat niſ • • e •• ò. Epiſt. 106. Non in • u • dendo malitiam, ſed •• b • r •• endo gratiam. Aug. ad Sixtum Epiſt 105. But wee ſay that induration and excaecation bee juſt judgements of God. He hardens none but deſervedly, ſaith Auguſtine; and in Calvins judgement there bee theſe parts to bee conſidered. Firſt, the withdrawing of his divine helpe; Not by infuſing malice, but by withdrawing grace. The puniſhment of precedent ſinne, when God takes away thoſe helps of grace which formerly they had, and when man wants this help, of his owne accord hee ruſheth into ſinne. Hence Pharaos heart grew hard, becauſe God would not give him grace to hearken to his miniſters Moſes and Aaron: And the Gentiles having their cogitations darkened; that is, God not enlightening them with his grace, they gave themſelves over unto wantonneſſe, and to worke all iniquity with greedineſſe: Eph. 4.18.19. and this denying of grace is no ſinne, becauſe it doth not conferre grace.

Secondly, the delivering of man into the power of Satan, which is Gods juſt judgement upon man for ſinne: as 1. King. 22.22. when hee bade Satan deceive the falſe Prophets. Thou ſhalt intice him, and prevaile, goe forth and doe ſo; and in this no ſin; for Satan being the executioner of Gods anger and judgements, doth ſo plunge thoſe that are turned over to him into eternall deſtruction, that he puniſheth their former ſinnes by making them commit greater than they did before: thus did God with the wicked people. Rom. 1.24. Becauſe they regarded not to know God; therefore God gave them over, that Sathan might puniſh them by driving them into greater ſinnes than ever they had committed before.

Thirdly, divine permiſſion, when God ſuffers Sathan and wicked men to runne into ſinne, but without his furtherance, as Pſal. 81.12. My people would not hearken, Iſrael would not obey; therefore I gave them over to the hardneſſe of their heart, & let them follow their owne imaginations: & as he did here with the Iewes, ſo did he with the Gentiles. Act. 14.16. The God that made heaven & earth in time paſt ſuffered all the Gentiles to walke in their owne waies: and in Zach. 8.16. I ſet all men every one againſt his brother; and yet in this permiſſion God is neither altogether unwilling that it ſhould bee done; for it were impoſſible to bee done, if God were wholly againſt it; neither is he ſimply willing, becauſe hee doth both hate ſinne and puniſh it, as Pſal. 5.5. So that if permiſſion be referred to the act of ſinne, God hates it, wills it not, but unwilling permits it, but if referred to the end (not which the agent doth intend, but which the divine wiſdome deduceth from thence) then he permits it willingly.

Fourthly, the determination of ſinne, when God will not ſuffer the wicked to goe on in ſinne ſo farre as they deſire, but ſets them bounds that they cannot goe beyond; and as hee did with the ſeas, Iob 38.11. Hither ſhalt thou goe, as hee did with Sathan in the tempting of Iob, All that hee hath is in thy power, but upon himſelfe put not forth thy hand, Iob 1.12. as hee did with Pharaoh, he ſuffered him to vex and perſecute Iſraell: but when Pharaoh would have maliciouſly brought them backe againe, and intended more exquiſite cruelty for them, then the Lord ſtayed him and ſtopt his paſſage, by bringing in the ſea to drowne him and his hoſt, Exod. 14. as hee did with Saul when he would have taken away Davids life, the Lord ſet downe how farre hee ſhould proceed, to chaſe him from place to place, but not to death: By all which it appeares, that wee make not God to bee an idle looker on, which ſuffers every creature to doe what they will: But when God gives men over to bee blinded and hardned by Sathan, and ſuffers wicked men for a time to worke miſchiefe, yet ſets bounds and limitts to their rage and fury, and in the end wonderfully reſcues his ſervants from trouble: This ſurely is not to doe nothing.

Fifthly, a reducing of the ends to the rule of juſtice. The bringing of ſome good out of evill, for though Sathan and wicked men propoſe their ends, the wicked that hee may ſerve his pleaſures, the Devill that hee may deſtroy; yet ſuch is the goodneſſe of God,B •• um eſt mala eſſe vel • ieri, alioqu •• ſum •• è bonus non permitte • et ca ficri. Lo • hard. lib. 1. diſtinct. 46. that hee will never ſuffer evill to be done, if it were not to bring good out of it. It is good that evils be, or bee done, otherwiſe the moſt good God would not ſuffer them to bee done; and ſuch is the wiſdome of God, that out of worſt things, he can choſe the beſt ends; as for example, Ioſephs brethen ſold him for envy; but God ſent him to prouide for his old father and his brethren, to preſerve their lives. Gen. 45.5. So in the death of Chriſt, Sathan and the Iewes intended onely his death; but God turned it to the ſalvation of all that beleeve. As poyſon is in it ſelfe evill, but the skilfull Phyſician by tempering it cures the ſicke, and workes good out of it; So doth God with ſinne. Shimei by curſing would ſhew his hatred of David; but God would make knowne the patience of David, which was good. Now theſe workes, as they proceed from the next cauſe (man and the Devth) be evill; they be evill trees, which cannot bring forth good fruits: But as they proceed from the ſupreme cauſe, and (as hee brings good out of them) they are good. God and Satan will both have Ieruſalem deſtroyed: But Sathan, that hee might bee avenged on them; God, that hee might puniſh their rebellion. Chriſt is delivered to death; the Iewes they doe it onely in malice; But God hath another end, the redemption and ſalvation of man, and therefore in Act. 4.28. Pilate and the Iewes & Gentiles gathered together to doe whatſoever thy hand and Councell had determined. S.Enchirid ad Laurent. ca. 101. Auguſtine ſhewes how God & man may will the ſame thing, and God in willing it doth well, and yet man ſinnes in willing it. The father of an ungratious child is ſicke;Vt citius perveniat ad haeredita • em pa • ris. Vu • t Deus j •• ſ • e, fil u • i • pie. God will have him to die • n his juſt judgement: the ſonne, That hee may ſooner come to his fathers inheritance: God wills it juſtly, the ſonne wickedly.

Albeit God doe order,Res mala non habet • aulan eſſi cientem, ſed deſi ie 〈◊〉 . De 〈◊〉 ta • e Dei Lib 12. cap 7. determinate and governe ſinnes that be done, yet is he not properly the efficient cauſe of ſinne. It was a good ſaying of Auguſtine, An evill thing hath no a cauſe efficient, but defficient, as the corruption of iudgement and the perverſneſſe of will; and further I ſay, that though the Papiſt accuſeth us for making God the author of ſin, yet I will change my religion if I will not ſhew to any Romaniſt that will challenge me, that wee of this Church teach no otherwiſe than the Papiſts themſelues have written, not onely out of Occam, Durand, and Bannes, but principally out of Thomas Aquinas, and Bellarmine himſelfe.In R • m 9. Dea • aſſ. gratiae. lib. 2. Cap. 13. By a figure hee commands it, and incites men unto it, as a Huntſman ſets the dog upon the Hare, by letting goe the ſlip. That God doth not onely permit the wicked to doe evill, nor onely forſake the godly, that the wicked may doe what they will againſt them: But he overſees their wills, he rules their wills, he governs their wills, nay he bowes and bends them by working inviſibly in them, and not only inclines the will to one evill rather than to another, by permitting them to bee carried into one ſinne and not into another, but alſo poſitively, hee bends them by inclining them to one evill and turning them from another, occaſionally and morally as hee ſpeakes out of Thomas Aquinas. Let them looke well into theſe ſpeeches and they ſhall finde that wee ſay no more than they; and if they would expound ours as candidly as their owne, there would bee ſmall or no difference.

Briefly then we ſay firſt in generall, That God is not the author of ſinne, but the devill and mans corrupt will, and the contrary we defie as blaſphemy. Secondly in particular, wee beleeve, that God wills nothing which is formerly ſinne (but hee fulfills his good wills by our evill wills, as P. Lombard) as hee wills that which is good,Lib 1. Diſtinct. 48. but hates it rather; whence it followes, that hee inſpires it into no man, nor creates any corruption in our wills which was not there before, but forbids it abſolutely, within us by the light of his ſpirit, as Rom. 2.15. without, by the commandement, Thou ſhalt heare a word behinde thee ſaying, this is the way turne not out of it. Iſay. 39.21. &c. The firſt entrance of ſinne into the world, and the continuance of it in the world, was the voluntary action of mans will, God infuſing no evill into him; for God is not the cauſe why man is worſe: but that which God doth about and concerning ſinne is contained in three actions. Firſt, as the univerſall cauſe of all things hee ſuſtaines mankinde, and upholds his being, yea the being & motion of all his actions good and bad: So that no man could either move to any action, or have being himſelfe, if God ſuſtained him not, as Act. 17.28. whence it followes, that the very poſitive act, which the ſchoolemen call the ſubject of ſinne, and the materiall part of ſin whereto ſinne cleaveth, is of God in the ſame ſort that all other actions of the creature are; & this propoſition doth Zanchius well illuſtrate: A man rides upon a lame horſe: in this action are two things, Motion and Halting; the motion is of man, man makes him move, but his halting is of himſelfe: ſo in ſinne, the action or motion is of God, but the deformity, of man himſelfe.

Secondly, he withholds his grace, as Iohn 12.39. Therefore they could not beleeve, becauſe Iſay ſaith, he hath blinded, &c. as being bound to no man, but leaves the wicked to themſelves, whereupon it followes that their hearts grow hard, and they cannot choſe but ſinne. The manner how hee hardneth, is not by creating the ſinne, as Auguſtine, Not by infuſing malice, but by withdrawing grace, as hee doth grace in the elect; but by denying them the power of his grace, which ſhould mollifie them, and by offering them ſundry objects as the Word and Goſpell, which they convert into occaſions of ſinne and ruine, and whereby they ſtand expoſed to Sathans temptations, and have neither power, nor will to ſtay themſelves.

Thirdly, hee ordinates the ſinne, which is nothing elſe but the directing of it in ſuch manner as hee pleaſeth, that it proceed no further, nor otherwiſe than his good pleaſure willeth; ſometimes hee reſtraines it, that it ſhall reach no farther than hee willeth; ſometimes he turnes it to another end than the perſon doing it thought of, he would Chriſt ſhould ſuffer by the Iewes, he would not that the Iewes ſhould ſlay him, as Lombard: Lib. 1. Diſtinct. 4 • . ſometimes hee makes way for it to paſſe, that he may puniſh one ſinne with another: and this is all that wee ſay touching this point, wherein when we ſay that God wills or workes, & poſitively ordaines it, wee meane it not of Gods formall will, but of theſe three inferiour actions, whereby hee governes it. A word of Vſe, and proceed.

Firſt, Vſe 1 it ſheweth Gods infinite mercie in ſuſtaining us, even then when we are ſinning againſt him. It is by him that we liye, though we live to grieve him; our actions are ſuſtained by him, though they bee done againſt him; we are ſupported by his arme and ſtrength, though wee uſe that arme and ſtrength to wound him, though while we ſinne, he might juſtly cut us off, withdaw his breath, and let us fall to nothing, as Pſal. 104.29. Yet he ſuffers us to have a part of his generall providence over his creatures.

Secondly, Vſe 2 it teacheth us to beware of unthankfulneſſe, leſt it make God to withdraw his grace from us; for then wee cannot chuſe but bee hardened; there is one grace above the reſt, you have it: one thing to mollifie the heart, you have it: one bleſſing that ſurpaſſeth all others, you enjoy it, the preaching of the Goſpell: You have had it when others have ſate in darkneſſe, yea, you boaſt of your many and famous Preachers, you have Apolles, and Tertullus, and Gamaliel: But as little fruit is to be ſeene here as any where elſe, and as ſmall reſpect to a Miniſter, or his meſſage, as among any other people. Take heed, leſt God ſtrip you of this grace, and after the ſeven yeeres of plentie ſend ſeven of famine; after the full eares ſend ſome to devoure all that wee have ſowen, and bring upon you that famine in Amos 8.11, 12. The ground that hath often had raine, and brings forth no fruit (if God once reſtraine the raine and influence) is neere to be burned, Heb. 6.8. Therefore let the Word worke upon you, and bee like a hammer that breakes your ſtony hearts, Ierem. 23.29. elſe will it worke as hammers doe upon anvils, make them harder; for the word ſhall proſper, it cannot bee preacht for nothing; if it ſoftens not, then it hardens; if it reclaime not from ſinne, then it drownes you in ſinne, if it bring you not to holineſſe, it will leave you in ſinne excuſeleſſe; if you profit not by it, yet when God ſhall come, you ſhall know that there hath beene a Prophet amongſt you: If God puniſh one ſinne with another, let man take heed. See Rom. 1.24. and 2 Theſſ. 2.10, 11. If you will not come out of ſinne, God will let you fall into others, that you ſhall never come out. So I come from the Author to the judgement it ſelfe that is ſet downe.

1. In generall, the ſpirit of ſlumber. 2. In particular, and they be two. 1. Eyes that they cannot ſee. 2. Eares that they cannot heare. To begin with the generall. Thomas Aquinas would have us read it compunction, and makes it to be twofold. 1. Good, whereby man grieveth for ſinne. 2. Evill, whereby man grieves at another mans good. But I will take the reading of Beza, that it is of amazement, or ſlumber: and as Iſa. 19.14. It is called The ſpirit oferror, that is, an ill ſpirit that leads into error: So here, The ſpirit of ſlumber, that is, an ill ſpirit that poſſeſſeth their hearts with ſlumber and heavineſſe; and it is ſuch a heavineſſe and aſtoniſhment, which takes away all ſenſe, as Iunius. A lethargie, or ſuch a heavineſſe as God caſt upon Adam, Gen. 2. as Paraeus. And this is the ſpirit wherewith the Iewes are poſſeſſed at this day, brought upon them by former ſinne. Doct. The firſt thing that I obſerve is; That God puniſheth one ſinne with another. So did hee with the Gentiles, Rom. 1.24, 27. and 2 Theſſ. 2.10, 11. Becauſe they beleeved not the truth; therefore God gave them over, and ſent them ſtrong deluſions to beleevelies: David committed adulterie and murther, and God ſuffers one of his children to commit inceſt with another, one to murther another, 2 Sam. 13. Lot is drunken, and then committeth inceſt, a juſt puniſhment upon him, Gen. 19.30. I need no more but that in Pſal. 81.12, 13. My people would not hearken, Iſrael would not obey: therefore I gave them over to their owne hearts luſts: pride, wantonneſſe, luſt, covetouſneſſe, diſcontent, murmuring, &c. which bee luſts of mans heart, and ſinnes againſt God. See further, Prov. 22.14.

This Doctrine may bee a threefold cord to reſtraine us from all kinde of ſinne, and keepe us from doing one, for feare that bring another upon us: To keepe us from drinking, leſt God plague us with uncleanneſſe, as he did Lot: and therefore God fore warnes us of it by Salomon, Prov. 23.31, 32, 33. Take heed of uncleanneſſe, leſt God puniſh it by ſuffering us to commit murther, as he did David, 2 Sam. 11. Take heed that we be not diſobedient, leſt God puniſh us, by giving us over to our owne luſts, as he did Iſrael, Pſalm. 81.12. Take heed of an unbeleeving heart when the word is preached, leſt God give us over to beleeve lies, as 2 Theſſ. 2.10, 11. Take heed of doing any one, leſt God puniſh it with another, and wee have two to anſwer for: But I come to the point.

It is an heavie judgement of God, Doct. that men have meanes to know God, and yet never bee better for them. See Iſai. 29. from 9. to 13. Theſe Iewes had the Prophets riſing early and late, God ſent them wiſe men, and Prophets, and Scribes; but you ſhall kill ſome of them, and others you ſhall perſecute from Citie to Citie, Matth. 23.34. and this judgement hee brings upon a people, when hee gives them up to fill up the meaſure of their ſinnes, as verſ. 32. Fulfill yee the meaſure of your fathers ſinnes. How is that? Behold I ſend unto you, &c. The old world was ſinfull, yet never filled up the meaſure of their ſinnes, till they deſpiſed Noah. Sodome, till they deſpiſed Lot. The Aegyptians, till they deſpiſed the meanes offered by Moſes and Aaron. The Iewes, they ſlue Chriſt and the Apoſtles, and upon this followed the judgement. Then came the floud upon the old world, fire upon Sodome, the ſea in upon Aegvpt, the ſpirit of ſlumber upon the Iewes. There cannot be a greater judgement, than to be ſtrucke with a ſpirituall lethargie, that nothing will waken; to have hearts ſo hard, that nothing can ſoften them, to be like Epimenides in his cave, or like the famous ſleepers in the time of the Emperour De • ius, o • like Dionyſius of Heraclea, &c. But this will better appeare in the two particulars, whereof the firſt is.

Eyes that they ſhould not ſee;Salvian. Lib 2. The eyes of the body, which are feneſtrae mentis, the windowes of the minde, ſhould guide from corporall, and the eyes of the minde from ſpirituall dangers.Tria imp •• iunt occulum. 1. Ten • brae, viz. peccata. 2. Humor concretus, viz. conflu • us peco • torum. 3. Cura terrenorum. With the former they lookt cleere enough, not a mote in them; but in the eyes of their mindes there were great beames, that they could not ſee: Three things hinder the eye. 1. Darkneſſe, to wit, ſinnes. 2. a Concrete humour, to wit, a concuſſe of ſinnes. 3. The care for earthly things.

This Chriſt upbraided them with, I ſpeake to them in parables; becauſe ſeeing doe not ſee, &c. Matth. 13.13. which was a juſt judgement, ſaith Muſculus, Quia cùm loquebat • r perſpicùe noluerunt intell • gire, in paenam jam loquitur obſcurè. Becauſe they would not underſtand when he ſpake cleerely, to their puniſhment hee now ſpeaketh obſcurely. And againe in Ioh. 12.40. He hath blinded their eyes, &c. Will you know a point by the way. When the Iewes bewrayed their blindneſſe, that was in the time of Chriſt, the Prophets and Apoſtles, as Muſculus obſerves, and hee gives this note upon it;Malum ingenium impiorum nunquā cl • riùs deprehenditur, qùam ub • lux veritatis ſplendere incipit. The ill diſpoſition of the wicked as never more clearely diſcerned, than where the light of the truth begins to ſhine. AsSplendente ſolenoctuae & veſpertiliones naturae defectum oſtendunt, ſed noctè circum circa volitant & hae ſolae aves. The Sunne ſhining, the Owles and Bats ſhew the defect of their nature, but theſe birds alone in the night fly about here and there: So wicked men ſhew themſelves moſt vile, when the beſt meanes are uſed to doe them good; when this light came into the world, then did this people bewray their blindneſſe; when Chriſt preached powerfully, profeſſed himſelfe to bee the Meſſias, then did they moſt of all whet their malice and rage againſt him; when hee ſaid I am of God, and would have inſtructed them in his divinitie, then they goe about to take him, Ioh. 7.30. When he taught that high myſterie, I and the Father are one, then they goe about to ſtone him, Ioh. 10.31. The more light they had, the more their blindneſſe appeared. In the night time all colours are alike, the fouleſt fogs and fens are not diſcerned from the cryſtall ſtreames, but in the morning they are diſcerned. Reprobate men are never ſo bad, as when the beſt meanes are uſed to doe them good: Herod never worſe, than when Iohn preaches againſt Herodias; till then all is well: but if hee lay a plaiſter to that ſore, off goes his head.

Whence make a difference betweene the good and bad at the hearing of the word. The one trembles, and therefore onely is fit to heare, as Iſay 66.5. Heare yee that tremble at my word. The other rages, as Zidkijah did with Michaiah, 1 King. 22.24. When this Sunne ſhines, the one is mollified like wax, the other hardened like clay; when the Law is read, the one melteth like the heart of Ioſiah, 2 King. 22.19. the other is never harder than then, like as Pharaoh, the more miracles Moſes wrought, and the more Aaron ſpake from God, the more hee was hardened: to be ſhort, we may ſee here both the nature of the word, that it can diſcover a mans blindneſſe, and finde out everie uncleane corner in his heart, as Heb. 4.12. It is a diſcerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Secondly, it is a marke to know a caſtaway by his hearing of the word; the ſeeing the light makes him more blind, the hearing, more hard: Let them take heed then, that have heard ſo many Sermons againſt pride, and yet ſtudie new tricks to cover foule carkaſſes more than ever they did: So many againſt neglect of the word, and now abſent themſelves more than ever they did: Againſt greedineſſe, and yet wooe and ſollicite the world more than ever they did. I will not ſay what I feare, not that they are reprobates: But as old Iacob ſaid of Simeon and Levi, Geneſ. 49.6. Into their ſecrets let not my ſoule come. I come a little neerer.

It is not,Eruit illis • culos, Soto in Rom. 11. He hath pluckt out their eyes, that they ſhould not ſee: But though hee give other eyes to to ſee, hee gives them eyes that they ſhould not ſee, a greater judgement than if hee had quite taken away their eyes:Qui privati ſunt oculis non poſſunt videndo ſeduci. For, They that have no eyes cannot be ſeduced by ſeeing: But the purblinde, though he have eyes and ſee ſomewhat, as hee in Mark. 8.24. Menlike trees, is many times more wronged by ſeeing, than if he were quite blinde; for ſo our Saviour tels this people, in Ioh. 9.41. If yee were blinde, yee ſhould not have ſinne; but now you ſee, therefore your ſinne remaines. They had eyes to ſee cor • icem Legis, the barke and outſide of the Law; ſed non penetrabant oculi corum ad medullam, but their eyes pierced not to the marrow thereof. The points are many. 1. That the word, which is the beſt ſalve for ſome mens eyes, doth take away the ſight of others, yet the fault is not in the word, but in themſelves:Non crimen Phoebus, noctua crimen habet. The fault is not in the Sunne, but in the Owle. 2. When God gives a bleſſing, as eyes to ſee, and men abuſe it, and regard not, God in juſtice deprives them of the uſe of it: So in the Word and the Miniſters, which is the note of Anſelmus.

But the note which I inſiſt on is,Obſervat. that they ſaw his miracles and beleeved not. The eyes of their body ſaw him doe thoſe works, which none could doe but God, and by delegation from him, as healing the ſicke, cleanſing Lepers, raiſing the dead; yet they ſmoaked out the eyes of their underſtandings, that it might not ſinke into their hearts, and for all that they ſaw, they beleeved him not; and therefore God in judgement caſts ſuch a miſt upon their underſtanding, that now they cannot ſee though they would, and ſuch a diſtemper is now in their eyes, that the ſight not onely failes but deceives them, and ſeduceth them; their eyes are not onely darke and ſee not, but deceitfull and ſeducing, making them thinke that they ſee what is right, when they ſee it not, which I thinke to bee here meant: and therefore Chriſt in Ioh. 12.40. addes theſe words (not underſtand with their hearts) from whence the point may be.

Whence firſt obſerve, That one ſinne voluntarily committed, 〈…〉 . is neceſſarily attended with another, as the juſt puniſhment of it. Becauſe the Iewes willingly winked, when the Sunne of righteouſneſſe, which (as the Prophet ſpeaketh) did ariſe unto them, bringing healing in his wings, ſo as they would not ſee him, notwithſtanding hee ſo cleerely ſhone unto them, both in his doctrine (for never man ſpoke as hee ſpake) and in his miracles, which none could doe but he that was equall with his Father: therefore the Lord gave them up to the blindneſſe of their mindes, ſo as they could not, though they would, ſee the light of the Goſpell, and the wayes of ſalvation revealed by it. Becauſe Nebuchadnezzer having the underſtanding of a man, carried himſelfe like a furious beaſt towards God and his people, even as a raging Lion, tearing them in peeces, and treading them under his feet; therefore his reaſon was taken from him, and ſo becomming bruitiſh, hee was driven out from amongſt men, to conſort with beaſts. Becauſe the Iſraelites would not heare Gods word in the mouth of his Prophets; therefore hee threatens to ſend ſuch a famine of the word, that they could not enjoy the ſpirituall Manna, 〈◊〉 12. though they did run from one end of the Land to the other to ſeeke it. The unprofitable ſervant, that will not uſe the talent when he hath it, ſhall be deprived of the verie poſſeſſion of it, ſo as hee ſhall not bee able to uſe it though hee would. Vſe.

Which ſhould move us to make high account of Gods ordinances whileſt we enjoy them, and embrace the truth of the Goſpell with ardent love, walking in the light thereof in all holineſſe of converſation, whileſt it ſhineth unto us, leſt the Lord in his righteous judgement cauſe our Sunne to ſet at noone-day, and leave us to grope in that Aegyptian darkneſſe of Poperie and ſuperſtition, and becauſe we will not retaine the love of the truth that wee may bee ſaved, doe ſend us ſtrong deluſions, that wee ſhall beleeve lies, as the Apoſtle threatneth, 2 Theſſ. 2.10, 11.

Secondly, obſerve from hence, 〈◊〉 . That God puniſheth them, who reſect and perſecute Chriſt with ſpirituall blindneſſe, ſo as they doe they know not what, and goe they know not whither. Thus the Prieſts and Phariſies refuſing to retaine Chriſt as the Meſſias and Saviour of the world, were ſo blinded in their underſtanding, that though this Sun of righteouſneſſe ſhined unto them moſt cleerely, both in the light of his doctrine and divine miracles, yet they neither could nor would diſcerne and acknowledge him. Yea, being utterly blinded with bruitiſh rage, they take occaſion by his miracles the more to traduce and ſlander him, ſaying, This fellow caſteth out Devills by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils, Matth. 12.24. Yea, even to perſecute him to the verie death; for when hee had raiſed Lazarus from the dead, though their conſciences were convinced with the ••• acle, yet preſently they conſpir his death, Ioh. 11.47. And ſurely they muſt needs be bruitiſhly blinde, that reject Chriſt, ſeeing be is the light of the world, and they who are oppoſite to him muſt needs live in darkneſſe and ſhadow of death. He is the wiſdome of his Father, and in him are hid all the treaſures of wiſdome and knowledge, Col. 2.3. And what then can bee in thoſe that maligne and refuſe him, but blinde furie, folly, and madneſſe?

The which ſhould ſerve for the terror of all thoſe that oppoſe and perſecute Chriſt, Vſe 1 either in his truth or in his members, ſeeing hereby they bring upon themſelves this blindneſſe of minde, which is above others a moſt fearfull judgement. So Deut. 28.28, 29. The Lord ſhall ſmite thee with madneſſe, and blindneſſe, and aſtoniſhment of heart: And thou ſhalt grope at noone-dayes, as the blinde gropeth in darkneſſe. And how great this puniſhment is, wee may in part diſcerne, if wee compare it with bodily blindneſſe, which nevertheleſſe is incomparably leſſe evill than it. For like the blinde man, hee that wanteth the light and ſight of the minde cannot guide himſelfe in his wayes, but is ready everie ſtep to erre and goe aſtray into the by-wayes of error and ſinne; he is apt to ſtumble at everie ſtone of offence that lieth in his way, and ſo to fall into ruine and perdition; he is in danger to ſlip into everie hole, and to fall into everie pit which the enemies of his ſalvation doe dig for him, to be catched in everie trap and ſnare of tentation that is laid in his way; he cannot diſcerne betweene the faire and ſure path of holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, and the foule ſloughes and deepe ditches of ſinfull corruptions till he fall into them; he is ready to run into briars & buſhes, and obnoxious to all injuries which the enemies of his ſalvation ſhall be pleaſed to offer unto him. They may rob him of all he hath, and hee cannot avoyd them; they may deceive him with any bait, and he cannot diſcerne them, yea, they may wound and ſtab him to the heart, and hee cannot defend himſelfe from their rage and violence. We have an example of this heavie judgement in Pharaoh, who being ſmitten with this ſpirituall blindneſſe, thought that hee then did moſt wiſely, when like a Bedlam hee went on in that way, which expoſed him and his people to Gods ſearefull plagues, and at the laſt brought them to utter deſtruction. So Paul before his converſion, had his minde ſo blinded, that when like a mad man he raged againſt Chriſt in his members, he ſuppoſed that herein hee did God good ſervice, Acts 26.11. And ſo bruitiſhly blinde were the Prieſts and Phariſies, that they thought it was the onely meanes to bring ſafetie to their people, to kill their Saviour, Ioh. 11.48, 51. which afterwards proved to bee the cauſe of their deſtruction and utter deſolation.

Againe, Vſe 2 wee unto whom God hath given this grace to receive Chriſt by faith, as our Saviour and Redeemer, may hence learne to be thankfull unto God for delivering us from this heavie judgement, which to this day lieth ſtill heavie upon his ancient people; and for the inlightning of our mindes with the ſaving knowledge of his truth. The which our thankfulneſſe wee muſt approve to bee unſained, by walking according to this light of knowledge, in the wayes of holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, that wee may glorifie him who hath beene ſo gracious unto us.

Finally, Vſe 3 it ſhould make us pitifull and compaſſionate towards thoſe that lye under this heavie judgement of ſpirituall blindneſſe, and eſpecially the people of the Iewes, and to pray earneſtly that they may bee enlightned with the ſaving knowledge of God, his Chriſt, and holy Goſpell. For if their caſe bee to bee pitied and lamented, who through bodily blindneſſe run into innumerable miſchiefes, and fal at laſt into a deepe gulph without hope of recoverie, how much more ſhould we pitie and bewaile their miſerable condition, who through ſpirituall blindneſſe plunge themſelves for the preſent into farre greater evils, and at laſt fall irrecoverably into the pit of everlaſting deſtruction? Neither let their furie and faultineſſe, in oppoſing Chriſt in his truth and members, leſſen our pitie, but rather increaſe it. For what can they doe otherwiſe, ſo long as they are under this heavie judgement of ſpirituall blindneſſe? What can be expected of mad men, but the fruits and effects of folly and phrenſie? Who is angrie with a blinde man, becauſe hee goeth out of his way, or ſtumbleth at everie blocke, or falleth into everie pit and ditch, or is miſlead by everie falſe guide, or expoſed to the wrongs and outrages of everie malicious enemie? Yea, who doth not pitie him in all or any of theſe miſeries, and laboureth not that hee may either prevent, or be delivered out of them? And how much more then ſhould wee ſtand thus affected towards thoſe who lye under the puniſhments of ſpirituall phrenſie and blindneſſe, which without all compariſon are greater than the other, and much more durable and deſperate?

The third judgement or puniſhment which he prophetically denounceth by way of imprecation againſt the people of the Iewes,The third judgement. for rejecting Chriſt and the Goſpell, is ſet downe in theſe words:

And bow downe their backes alway.] Expoſition. In which conſider, 1. The judgement it ſelfe: 2. The continuance of it. The judgement is expreſſed like the former, in a metaphoricall ſpeech taken from the body; where conſider, 1. the matter, and 2. the māner of it. The matter is their utter weakning, and diſabling to all good actions ſpirituall, civill, and corporall, inward, and outward. For the Hebrewes ſeat the chiefe ſtrength of man in his back and loynes, which being broken, bowed, and buckled together, he is thereby made utterly unfit for any actions and employment. So that the meaning is as if hee had ſaid; Diſable them wholly unto all holy and Chriſtian duties, ſo as they may have neither power not will to performe any holy ſervice unto God, to receive Chriſt as their Lord, or to yeeld unto him obedience as to their Sovereigne; let them bow downe under the intolerable burthen of their ſinnes (eſpecially that of crucifying their Saviour) without eaſe or comfort. Deprive their ſtate of all ſtrength, and pull out of their hands all civill government, which they have abuſed to Gods diſhonour, to the oppoſing of Chriſt in his Kingdome, and to the dammage and hurt of all his ſubjects and members: overthrow their whole policie and Common-wealth, ſubdue them as vaſſals and ſlaves to all their enemies, and make them wholly deſolate. The which heavie judgements we ſee accordingly inflicted upon that Nation. For their Kingdome was quite overthrowen by Titus Veſpaſian, their politicke Lawes and government taken away, their cities and townes ſacked and fired, their people for the moſt part ſlaughtered, and the remainder ſold for ſlaves, and ſcattered among all Nations, under whoſe ſervitude they remaine in great ſcorne and reproach even unto this day. And thus alſo we ſee their backes broken in reſpect of ſpirituall ſtrength. For no Nation under Heaven is more deſperately wicked, and averſe to all goodneſſe; none ſo maliciouſly oppoſite to Chriſt and his kingdome, whom they delight to diſgrace with reproaches and blaſphemies; none more given up to a reprobate minde, to couetouſneſſe, ſordide baſeneſſe, injuſtice, and all manner of deceit. A people ſeparated from all nations, that they may bee the ſcorne of of all. And this is the matter of the judgement. The manner or qualitie of it is implyed by that phraſe of bowing, or making crooked. For as thoſe whoſe backes are broken and bowed, doe bend their faces downeward towards the earth, and are not able without great difficultie to lift them up towards heaven: So this nation being broken with Gods heavie judgements, & weakened in all their ſtrength, ſpirituall and civill, had this heavie puniſhment added to all the reſt, that hereby like bruit beaſts their faces were bowed towards the earth, aſcribing all their calamities to worldly accidents and inferiour cauſes, and never looking up unto God as the chiefe Author of them, that they might humble themſelves under his mighty hād, ſee & acknowledge their ſins, which were the cauſes of theſe heavie judgements, and turning unto God by unfained repentance, might obtaine the pardon of them, reconciliation with God through Chriſt, and freedome from their puniſhments.

And this is the judgement denounced againſt the unbeleeving Iewes. The time of the continuance of it is expreſſed in this word alway: whereby is ſignified the durableneſſe of theſe heavy puniſhments, which were to continue ſo long, as though they ſhould never have end. The which wee ſee verified in the event, ſeeing ſince their deſtruction and deſolation, almoſt 1600. yeares are paſſed, and yet in outward appearance they are as farre from deliverance out of their great calamitles, as they were the firſt day.

The points to bee obſerved from hence are theſe: Doct. 1. How much God hateth, and how ſeverely he puniſheth the ſinne of infidelitie, whereby Christ the Saviour of the world is rejected; Seeing for this ſinne principally the nation of the Iewes, who were ſo highly in Gods favour, and partakers of all the prerogatives of his Church and people, have beene rejected and fearefully puniſhed, and that for the ſpace of ſo many hundred yeares. Neither indeed can it be otherwiſe; for how can his ſores but feſter, that refuſeth to apply that only plaſter, whereby they may be cured? How can they but continue loſt, and in the ſtate of perdition, who reject their only Saviour? How can they be reconciled unto God, that refuſe to have any part in him in whom alone hee is well pleaſed? Finally, how ſhould they but remaine under the guilt and condemnation of all their wickedneſſe, that having ſlaine the Lambe of God that taketh away the ſins of the world, doe not repent of this their horrible impietie.

And therefore let this teach us carefully to ſhun this fearefull ſinne of infidelitie, Vſe. which above all others is moſt damnable, as depriving us of the alone meanes, whereby we are freed from condemnation. And ſeeing wee are deadly ſicke in ſinne, let us not by rejecting our alone Phyſician deprive our ſelves of all hope of recoverie. Seeing wee are ſo deſperately wounded unto death, with ſo many and hainous ſins, let us take heed that wee doe not by infidelitie, refuſe to receive and apply that balſome of Chriſts bloud, which God offereth unto us for our ſpirituall cure.

Secondly obſerve, Doct. That when wicked men abuſe their power and authoritie, by oppoſing Chriſt in his Kingdome, and perſecuting him either in himſelfe or in his members, God will breake their backes, and deprive them of all their ſtrength, that they may not for ever rage against his Anoynted, and offer violence unto his Holy Ones. According to that, Pſal. 2.9. Thou ſhalt breake them with a rod of iron, and duſh them in peeces like a potters veſſell.

The which ſerveth; firſt, Vſe 1 for the terrour of the wicked in their chiefe ruffe and ſtrength, when as they ſeeme ſo armed with authoritie and power, that they have Gods Saints and Servants under their tyrannous command, to ſatiate their bloud-thirſtie ſoules with their ſlaughter, ſeeing the Lord Chriſt whom they oppoſe, hath all power in heaven and earth committed unto him, and therefore can at his pleaſure bow their backs, and diſpoyle them of all their ſtrength, and with theſe Iewes cauſe them to become ſo weake, that their enemies prevailing againſt them ſhall keep them in perpetuall ſlaverie and ſubjection.

And ſecondly, Vſe 2 Gods diſtreſſed Saints and Children may hereby comfort themſelves, in the midſt of all the preſſures and grievances which they indure at the hands of their mightie enemies; ſeeing they ſerve a Lord that is mightier than they, who is able to make them buckle and ſtoope under his heavie judgements, yea will aſſuredly doe it, if they prevent them not by their ſpeedy repentance, and ſo will turne their reſtraint to libertie, their ſorrowes into gladneſſe, and by a gracious deliverance will give them joy of heart after all their griefe and mourning.

In the firſt part of this Chapter, from the firſt to the end of the tenth verſe, the Apoſtle hath ſhewed and proved, that the fall of the Iewes was not totall. And now in the latter part, from the eleventh verſe to the end, hee proveth it ſhould not bee finall. Vnto which hee maketh way by a Prolepſis or preoccupation, anſwering an objection which might be made by the Iewes againſt his former Doctrine to this purpoſe; If it be ſo as you ſay Paul, that God hath expoſed the Iewes to thoſe judgements foretold by the Prophet Iſay and David, that is, brought them into ſuch ſnares, laid ſtumbling blockes before them, blinded their eyes, and bowed and broken their backs, whereby they are utterly diſabled to all good actions, civill, morall, and ſpirituall; then belike you conclude that their caſe is deſperate, as being caſt off by God without hope of recoverie. Vnto which the Apoſtle replyeth, that though this were the ſtate of the Iewes for a time, yet it ſhould not be ſo for ever, but there ſhould be a time (namely, when the fulneſſe of the Gentiles was come in,) that they alſo ſhould be called and added to the Church, that ſo both Iewes and Gentiles might make but one flocke, in one ſheepfold, and under one Shepherd. From whence hee taketh occaſion to exhort and admoniſh the Gentiles, that they ſhould not inſult over the Iewes, becauſe they were choſen and theſe rejected, and to comfort the Iewes, ſeeing their rejection ſhould not be finall, but they alſo in Gods good time ſhould be converted, gathered into the Church and ſo ſaved. And this is the Coherence & maine ſcope of the Apoſtle in this laſt part of the Chapter. I come to the words themſelves.

IN which words the Apoſtle ſetteth downe the firſt ground of his exhortation and admonition,Expoſition. which is taken from the ends for which God rejected the Iewes. Which were not that they ſhould periſh and be damned, but that way hereby might be made for the calling of the Gentiles, and thereby alſo the Iewes might at laſt be ſtirred up to jealouſie and emulation, and ſo alſo provoked to come in by following their example. For ſeeing the Iewes would not receive Chriſt themſelves, nor (as much as in them lay) ſuffer the Gentiles to receive him as their Saviour, therefore it was juſt with God, that by their rejection way might bee made for the bringing in of the Gentiles into the Church, that receiving and embracing Chriſt by faith, all of them which belonged to Gods election might be ſaved.

Whereby he acquitteth God from being ſuch an one as delighted in the deſtruction of his owne people, and ſheweth that the maine end at which hee aimed in their rejection, was not that they might bee deſtroyed and condemned; but partly to glorifie his juſtice, in puniſhing them juſtly for their infidelitie; and partly and chiefly to magnifie his mercie, in the effectuall calling and ſalvation of the elect Gentiles, and at laſt that he might alſo extend it more fully and generally to his ancient people in their converſion to the faith of Chriſt, that they alſo by him might be ſaved.

The prolepſis is propoūded by way of interrogatiō, for the greater emphaſis: I ſay then; have they ſtumbled, that they ſhould fall? that is, have they ſo ſtumbled, according to the prediction of the Prophet, as that they ſhall fall finally, & never recover and riſe againe. In which the Apoſtles meaning is not, as though hee would demand whether it was the intention of the Iewes to ſtumble that they might fall, or fall finally, that way hereby might bee made for the calling of the Gentiles; (for none are ſo fooliſh as purpoſely to ſtumble that they may fall, or to fall finally that others may riſe) But his queſtion is concerning Gods intention, whether it were his purpoſe and end that they ſhould bee blinded and ſo ſtumble that they might fall finally into everlaſting deſtruction: and this hee denieth as being a thing contrary to Gods nature, ſeeing hee delighteth not in the death and deſtruction of his creatures, but rather in exerciſing his mercy and goodneſſe in their converſion and ſalvation, neither will hee who in his Law forbiddeth us to put a ſtumbling blocke before the blinde to cauſe them to fall,Levit. 19.14. himſelfe put ſuch a ſtumbling blocke before thoſe that he hath firſt ſpiritually blinded, that thereby he may cauſe them to fall into the pit of everlaſting deſtruction. But he aimeth at farre other ends, that is, the calling of the Gentiles, and the recalling of the Iewes: yea, but will God doe evill that good may come of it? I anſwer, no. But there is no action in it ſelfe abſolutely evill, which hath not ſome reſpect and relation of good in it. And ſo this, for howſoever this rejection was evill to them, yet not ſimply and abſolutely evill in it ſelfe, ſeeing as it came from God, it was an act of his juſtice, whereby hee puniſhed the Iewes for their infidelity and rebellion againſt Chriſt, whom by wicked hands they had crucified. Now as he juſtly puniſhed the Iewes by blinding, hardning and rejecting them who had ſtumbled at Chriſt the corner ſtone, and ſo fallen into that fearefull ſinne of crucifying with wicked hands the Lord of life, Act. 2.23. as Peter ſpeaketh; ſo the Apoſtle here comforteth them by ſhewing that this puniſhment ſhould not for over extend to all their poſterity and to the whole nation, but that there would come a time when as they ſhould be ingraffed into Chriſt the true vine and olive tree, as well as the Gentiles.

And this he doth firſt negatively, according to his cuſtome and phraſe, when as a thing is propounded which he abominateth and abhorreth as monſtrous and blaſphemous, God forbid; and then affirmatively, where hee ſetteth downe that God had farre other ends of their rejection, as before hath beene ſhewed. We ſee the meaning, let us come to the obſervation.

And firſt whereas he ſaith;Obſervat. I ſay then] I might obſerve with Chryſoſtome the Apoſtles wiſdome,In hunc locum. in that when hee denounceth Gods fearefull judgements againſt the people of the Iewes, hee doth it in the words of the Prophet, but when he doth raiſe comforts againſt theſe terrors, he delivererth them in his owne words, becauſe being a Preacher of the Goſpell it better ſuited with his calling and profeſſion to comfort than to terrifie: and alſo becauſe by this courſe he might better winde himſelfe into their love & affections, as being a meſſenger of glad tidings,Rom. 10.15. that ſo affecting his perſon, they might more readily receive his doctrine. Vſe. Which may teach us of the miniſtery the like Chriſtian prudence; not to delight to be alwayes denouncing judgements and affrighting mens conſciences with the terrors of the Law; ſeeing God is not ſo much to be found and heard, in theſe bluſtring windes and terrible earthquakes, as in the ſtill voyce: or if we diſcerne that theſe legall terrours are ſometime neceſſary to worke humilitation in our hearts, and to make them more fit to flee out of themſelves unto Chriſt, and to embrace the joyfull meſſage of the Goſpell; yet wee muſt not alwayes dwell upon them, as delighting to dilate on this theame, more than the ſtate of the people neceſſarily requireth: and be ſure that wee doe denounce judgements no further than wee have warrant for what we ſay out of the word, and as neere as wee can in the very phraſe of the Scriptures. But I paſſe over this, and come to a ſecond obſervation.

When carnall men heare the doctrine of Gods predeſtinatiou, Obſervat. they are ready to caſt upon it this calumnie and ſlander, 〈◊〉 though wee ſhould teach that when God reprobate 〈◊〉 any, he doth in this decree principally aime at their deſtruction and condemnation; and ſo tyrannically delight in the perdition and torment of his creature. And this is the cauſe why the Apoſtle here propoundeth and anſwereth this objection, namely, that the Lord aimeth at farre other ends, that is, beſides the glory of his owne juſtice, the calling alſo of the Gentiles, and the provoking of the Iewes to jealouſie and emulation by their example. It is true, and wee muſt not denie it, that God by his long-ſuffering fitteth the veſſels of wrath to deſtruction, Rom 9.22. that theſe like naturall bruit beaſts are made to be taken and deſtroyed, 2 Pet. 2.12. yea that theſe men of old were ordained to this condemnation, as Iude ſpeaketh, verſ. 4. But this is not Gods maine end at which he aimeth in their reprobation, but the manifeſtation of the glory of his juſtice, and to ſhew his wrath and power in the puniſhing of ſinne, as the Apoſtle Paul ſpeaketh in the ſame place. Neither doth he abſolutely ordaine men to deſtruction, without any other thing comming betweene his decree and their condemnation; but only he decreeth to paſſe by them, to with-hold his grace which he is not bound to give, and to leave them to their owne ſinfull corruptions; and ſo being left to themſelves, and falling into all ſin and wickedneſſe, they are juſtly by God in reſpect of their ſinnes in a ſecond place ordained to condemnation, as Iude affirmeth. And ſo the Apoſtle Peter joyneth both theſe together, namely, that they were made to be deſtroyed, and alſo that they ſhall utterly periſh in their corruption. So that the perdition of the wicked is not the end at which God only or chiefly aimeth in their reprobation; yea indeed if wee ſpeake properly and diſtinctly, it is no end of it at all ſimply, abſolutely and immediately, without reſpect and relation unto ſinne, that commeth betweene the decree and the execution of it, but only an event which followeth upon the decree (though in ſome ſort neceſſarily in reſpect of Gods purpoſe, and not any coaction of their will, who goe voluntarily on in the way of perdition) ſeeing none can be ſaved whom he paſſeth by and doth not chuſe unto ſalvation. In which ſenſe the Evangeliſt ſaith, that at the preaching of Paul and Barnabas all they and they only who were ordained to life beleeved, Act. 13.48.

The which ſhould teach us, Vſe. that whileſt wee aſcribe unto God the glory of his juſtice in puniſhing of the wicked, that wee doe not rob him of the glory of his mercy and goodnes, as though he aimed in his decree at the deſtruction of his creatures, or tooke delight in their eternall torments and finall condemnation, ſeeing this is quite contrary to his nature, as he hath deſcribed himſelfe, Exod. 34.6. and to that which the Prophets ſay of him, namely that hee delighteth in mercie, Micah 7.18. Yea contrarie to his owne oath, Ezech. 33.11. As I live, ſaith the Lord, I have no pleaſure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turne from his way and live. For if hee doe not willingly (that is, with an abſolute will without a kinde of neceſſitie put upon his juſtice by our ſinnes) afflict us with temporall puniſhments, then how much leſſe with thoſe that are intolerable and endleſſe? Lam. 3.33.

But let us come to ſome particular obſervations from the words of the queſtion. And firſt, whereas by this demand hee preſuppoſeth that the Iewes had ſtumbled even at thoſe things which ſhould have kept them from ſtumbling and falling:

From hence I obſerve; That men, Doct. through the carnall corruption of their ſinfull nature, are apt to ſtumble at thoſe things which in their owne nature ſhould ſtay and ſupport them, as namely Chriſt himſelfe, his Goſpell and holy ordinances. For the Iewes here ſtumble at Chriſt, who was purpoſely ſent to uphold and keepe them from falling. He was in himſelfe the chiefe Corner-ſtone to ſupport the whole building of his holy Temple and Church:Iſa. 28.16. And they, through their infidelitie, make him to become unto them a ſtone of offence, at which many of them ſtumbled, and fell into the pit of perdition. According to Simeons prophecie, that he ſhould bee ſet for the fall and riſing of many in Iſrael, Luk. 2.34. Agreeable to that which Iſay foretold of him long before; namely, that hee who was unto his Saints a Sanctuarie of ſafetie, ſhould be for a ſtone and ſtumbling blocke, and for a rocke of offences to both the houſes of Iſrael, for a gin and a ſnare to the inhabitants of Ieruſalem. At which, Many among them ſhall ſtumble and fall, and be broken, and be ſnared, and be taken, Iſa. 8.14, 15. The which prophecie the Apoſtle fitteth to the Iewes, Rom. 9.32. And as many ſtumble at this Corner ſtone, ſo alſo at his Word and Goſpell, as the Apoſtle Peter ſpeaketh, 1 Pet. 2.8. The which as it is to the Iewes a ſtumbling blocke, ſo unto the Greekes fooliſhneſſe, 1 Cor. 1.18, 23. Yea, not onely ſtrangers and enemies, but even many that follow Chriſt in an outward profeſſion, and boaſt themſelves to bee his Diſciples, yet when hee preacheth high and holy myſteries of his ſpirituall union with his Church, doe ſtumble and fall at this ſtone of offence, and take occaſion thereby to leave and forſake him, Ioh. 6.60, 66. Yea, even his holy Apoſtles, through naturall blindneſſe, did ſtumble at his heavenly doctrine; as Peter, when our Saviour foretold his paſſion, Matth. 16.22. And all the reſt, when he taught them the unlawfulnes of being divorced, unleſſe in the caſe of adulterie, Matth. 19.10. So when he taught with what difficultie rich men ſhould bee ſaved, they ſo ſtumbled thereat, that they were aſtoniſhed out of meaſure, Mark. 10.26. And thus when the Miniſters of the word croſſe mens corrupt humours, and convince them of their ſinnes, they ſtumble at it, and will not endure them and their Miniſterie. Moſes is caſt out of Pharaohs preſence, when hee delivereth Gods meſſage faithfully. Elias and Michaiah are counted Ahabs enemies, when they deale plainly with him, and tell him of his ſinnes. The Iewes will not endure Ieremie, Ierem. 44. when hee croſſeth their humour, and challenge him to be a falſe Prophet, who ſpake his owne word to them, and not the word of the Lord. Herod goeth on ſmoothly a good while, but when the Baptiſt reproved him for taking his brothers wife, he ſtumbleth at this ſtone, and is ſo incenſed againſt him, that hee muſt loſe his head for it. Thus alſo men make the word a ſtumbling blocke, when they make it a Sanctuarie to ſecure them in their ſinnes, and countenance themſelves in their wicked courſes, by wreſting and miſ-applying of the Scriptures. So reprove ſome men for the abuſe of the Sabbath, ſhew them how God will bleſſe them that keepe it, out of Iſa. 58. they quickly finde a ſtumbling block to make them ſinne, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Tell wicked and voluptuous men, who ſpend their whole life in ſinfull delights; that it will not hold out before God, nor ſtand in judgement: They reply; What, will you allow a Gentleman no recreation? muſt man live without all delight? The Scripture affords recreation; then everie place of Scripture that allowes any recreation, muſt be an Advocate to plead in defence of their voluptuous and wicked lives; and all this toſſing and canvaſſing of Scripture is not a note of more wit, but of more wickedneſſe, and neere acquaintance with the Devill. Such mens tongues are ſet on fire of Hell, and blowen by Satans ſtinking breath; and when they have ſaid what they are able, they doe but make their ſin more grievous, their heart more hard, God more angrie, themſelves more juſtly and more deeply accurſed than before.

The third ſort that make the word a ſtumbling blocke, are they that refuſe to heare it, becauſe it makes againſt their ſinnes, wherewith they are in love, and diſcovers thoſe ſinkes of ſin in their hearts, which they cannot endure to be detected and laid open:Amont 〈…〉 oderunt ridargu 〈◊〉 . Aug. Confeſſ. lib. 10. cap. 13. They love the truth ſhining, hate it reproving, ſaith Auguſtine. They like the ſhining of the Sunne, but the diſcovering of uncleane corners they like not. This is their greateſt torment, that they cannot heare the word, but their ſinnes muſt ſtill be beaten at: when men be thus minded, ſurely their deſtruction and fall is neere.

2. Obſerv. 2 In the queſtion I note, that it is one thing to ſtumble, and another to fall: Some of theſe Iewes ſtumble, and yet doe not fall: The beſt may ſtumble, the reprobate onely doth fall finally: Thomas may doubt, David may luſt, Peter may deny his Maſter, Paul may for a while perſecute the Church, theſe bee dangerous ſlips and fals; yet when the night is paſt, and the light appeares, they riſe againe; if their names bee once in the booke of life, they can never be put out.S quiſpian el •• 〈◊〉 percat, 〈◊〉 Deus, • t nemo • ctorum perit. Aug. de corrupt. & grat. cap 7. If any of the elect periſh then God is deceived, but not any of them periſheth, ſaith Auſtine. Ei ſi quiſpiam pereat, tum vitio h •• ano vincitur Deus. If any one periſheth, then God is overcome of human vice Ex Ieruſalem illa non ſuit qui periit. Fſpen •• n 2 Tim. Out of that Ieruſalem there was not one that periſhed, ſaith Eſpencaeus. Non poteſt utru •• q. verum eſſe, 〈◊〉 predeſtinitur, & non ſalvetar. Lo • b. lib. 1. dij. 40. Both theſe cannot be true, that one ſhould be elected, and not ſaved; ſayes Lombard: and the reaſons bee pregnant; 1. Gods immutabilitie. 2. Chriſts keeping of the elect. 3. Chriſts teſtimony, Ioh. 10. 4. The ſealing of Gods covenant. But they that ſinally fall, were eternally reprobated and ordained to it, Iude, verſ. 4. For your better remembrance note theſe five propoſitions. 1. There is a two-fold election. 2. Some ſeeme good, and to have faith, which have it not. 3. Hypocrites and unbeleevers may for a while be counted amongſt the branches of Chriſts owne planting. 4. They are ſaid ſometimes in Scripture to have faith, who make profeſſion of the doctrine of faith, as 1 Tim. 4.1. ſometimes when they have the gifts of miracles, as 1 Cor. 13.10. 5. The faith of the beſt of Gods elect may decay, and bee fearefully ſhaken, as above hath beene ſhewed.

From hence the beſt muſt learne to be humble and repent; for they may ſtumble: Vſe. The wicked do ſinke with diſpaire, for they muſt fall; and we all muſt learne to cenſure mildly, when our brethren through infirmitie are overtaken. Though they ſlip, yet they may recover; though ſtumble, yet they may riſe againe. And ſo I come to the anſwer.

God forbid, &c.] The anſwer is two-fold. 1. Negative, God forbid. 2. Affirmative, and that, 1. That the Gentiles might bee called in their ſteads. The other, That by the Gentiles adoption hee might provoke the Iewes to emulation. I begin with the negative, God forbid: As if hee ſhould ſay, Farre be it from me to thinke, that either everie particular Iew ſhould bee caſt off, or the Nation caſt off for ever; or that God in rejecting them, ſhould have no other reſpect, but even to ſee their fall, and keepe them downe, that they ſhould never riſe: for all are not rejected, himſelfe was one. 2. The Nation not rejected for ever; for abundance of them ſhall bee called, verſ. 12. And beſides, God out of their fall, hath wrought the happineſſe and riſing of the Gentiles. The onely point that I ſelect is this.

God never gives way to any evill (whether it bee ſinne, Doct. or puniſhment) but he workes it to a good end, and brings one good or other out of it. In evill man hath one end, that hee may ſerve his pleaſures; The Devill another, to draw him from obedience to his God; and God hath a third, which is ſometimes ſecret, but alwayes good; as in the ſelling of Ioſeph; his brethren for envie, Gen. 37.11. But God ſent him before for the preſervation of Iacob, and to provide for him and his houſhold, Geneſ. 45.5. The death of Chriſt in the intent of Satan and the Iewes, was onely his death, and to rid the Countrey of him: But God out of this intolerable evill workes the happineſſe and ſalvation of all that beleeve: As poyſon in it ſelfe is evill, yet by the art and skill of the Phyſician it is made a remedie againſt ſickneſſe. So God doth with evill,Ve de veneno fiat ſpirituale antidetum. Ambroſ. de poenit. lib. 4. cap. 3. That of poyſon may be made a ſpirituall antidote, ſaith Ambroſe. God brings good out of Shimei's curſing, though hee ſhew his malice: But God workes patience in David, and made him hope that God would doe him good in ſtead of that curſing. It may be the Lord will looke upon my affliction, and doe mee good for his curſing this day, 2 Sam. 16.12. S. Auguſtine ſhewes how God and man doe • ill the ſame thing,Enchirid. ad Lawent. cap. 10 • . and yet the end of the one is evill, of the other good. A ſonne deſires the death of his father, which is evill; God to take him to him, an happineſſe ineffably good. All evill is either ſinne or puniſhment, God brings good out of both. So Lombard; It is good that evills be, or be done, Benum eſt mala eſſe • el fieri, alioquin ſummus bonus non permirteret ca fieri. Lombard. lib. 1. d ſtinct. 46. otherwiſe God the chiefeſt good, would not ſuffer them to bee done. Out of ſinne he workes, 1. Acknowledgement of our wicked hearts and corrupted nature; and makes us to deteſt our ſelves for it. 2. Of our owne unability to ſtand againſt the aſſaults of ſin, which are ſuggeſted by Satan, and makes us to magnifie Gods goodneſſe, who keepes us from ſinne, though not from all; whereas hee might in juſtice ſuffer us to fall into all ſinnes as well as any. 3. It makes us to take ſpeciall notice of the wilineſſe of Satan, who notwithſtanding wee labour to avoyd ſinne, yet doth cunningly deceive us, and draw us to it, ſometimes by the delight and pleaſures of it, as Heb. 11.25. ſometimes by colouring with the habit and cloake of vertue; and laſtly with profit, as Achan, Iudas, Gehazi. 4. God by ſuffering us to ſinne, makes us take notice of his mercie in ſparing us. Firſt, to teach us to magnifie him for ſparing us when wee did ſinne. Secondly, to give us hope that he will be mercifull ſtill, and ſpare us, though by infirmitie we ſinne againe. 5. Out of our ſinnes he workes meekneſſe in cenſuring and judging of others when they ſinne, as we have done. Auguſtine ſaith, that God bringeth out of our ſinnes theſe good effects,Aug. De Tr •• t. lib. 13. cap 16. 1. Relictione • peccati, Forſaking of ſin. 2. Probationem ſidei, Triall of faith. 3. Demonſtrationem miſerae hujus vitae, Demonſtration of this miſerable life. 4. Vt vita illa ubi vera erit beatitudo deſideretur ardentiùs, & inſtantius inqutratur; That that life where ſhall bee true happineſſe, may bee more ardently deſired, and more earneſtly ſought for. Out of the evill of puniſhment hee works, 1. Knowledge of the Statues and Lawes of God, Pſal. 119.71. Before I was afflicted I went aſtray. Verſ. 67. But now I have learned thy Statutes. Afflictior es prorum ſunt •• media en • rum. Vt eo ſere eniant, ubi adgi omm •• non poſſunt. Aug. ad Largum, Epiſt. 82. The note that Muſculus gives is this, The afflictions of the godly are the remedies of their errours. Then it is their care, To come thither, where they cannot at all bee afflicted, ſaith Auguſtine. Theſe bee teſtimonies of a good God, of an evill ſervant, ſaith Salvianus. 2. Humiliation for ſin that brings it, as Lam. 3.20. 3. Deniall of all worldly pleaſure, which is wrought in man by Gods ſpeciall grace, as Heb. 11.25. As a little wormewood makes children forbeare their mothers breaſts, ſo doth affliction weane from carnall delights. 4. It makes us conformable to the glorious image of the Sonne of God; the Prince of our ſalvation was conſecrated through affliction, Heb. 2.10. And to that Image all the predeſtinate muſt be conformable, Rom. 8.29. But concerning this, I may ſay as the Philiſtines did of Sampſons riddle, Iudg. 14.1. How can ſweet come out of that which is ſowre, and meat out of the eater? So ſay worldlings, How can tribulation bring forth patience, and how can a light affliction cauſe unto us a moſt excellent weight of glory!

But the children of God have learned by experience, that albeit no viſitation be ſweet for the preſent, yet afterward it brings the quiet fruits of righteouſneſſe to them that are thereby exerciſed, Heb. 12.11. There is more ſolid joy in enduring rebuke for Chriſt, than in all the pleaſures of ſin: for as Moſes, the typicall Mediator of the old Teſtament, by prayer made the bitter waters of Marah to be ſweet, Exod. 15.25. ſo Chrriſt the true Mediator by his paſſion hath mitigated to his children the bitterneſſe of the Croſſe, yea made it profitable to them.

The prodigall ſonne concludes not to returne till he was brought low by affliction: Hagar was proud in Abrahams houſe, but humble in the wilderneſſe: Ionah ſleepes in the ſhip, but watcheth and prayes in the whales belly, Ionah 2.1. Manaſſes lives in Ieruſalem as a libertine; but bound in chaines at Babel, he turnes his heart to the Lord his God, 2 Chron. 33.11, 12. Corporall diſeaſes inforced many in the Goſpell to come to Chriſt, whereas others that enjoyed bodily health would never acknowledge him. The earth (if not tilled) beares nothing but thornes; the vines wax wilde if they be not pruned and cut: So would our wilde hearts overgrow with the noyſome weeds of unruly affections, if the Lord by a ſanctified trouble ſhould not manure them. I will adde no more but that example of Ioſeph: Iacob ſends him to Dothan to viſit his brethren, Gen. 37.18. his brethren caſt him into a pit, Reuben releeves him, the Midianites buy him and ſell him to Potiphar, his miſtreſſe accuſes him, his maſter condemnes him; the Butler after long forgetfulneſſe recommends him, and at laſt Pharao exalts him. What ſtrange inſtruments are here, and how many hands about this one poore man of God! and yet never one of them looking to that which God propoſed. So much of the negative: I proceed to the affirmative.

But through their fall.] Th. Aquin. in hunc locum. Tho. Aquinas produceth that in the fourth of Iohn [Salvation is of the Iewes] to prove this, that the ſalvation of the Gentiles was occaſionally by the fal of the Iewes, and makes a threefold interpretation; Firſt, becauſe by their fault in killing Chriſt followed the redemption of the Gentiles. Secondly, becauſe they refuſed the doctrine of Chriſt, which therefore came to the Gentiles: Act. 13.46. Seeing you put the Goſpell from you, and iudge your ſelves unworthy of eternall life, wee turne to the Gentiles. Thirdly, becauſe the Iewes (for falling from God) were diſperſed thorow the world, and by that meanes brought the Scriptures and Word to the Gentiles: and to this purpoſe brings that Pſal. 59.11. Kill them not, but ſcatter them. Secondly, wee muſt not thinke that the fall of the Iewes was any cauſe, but only an occaſion of the ſalvation of the Gentiles. Thirdly, there was no neceſſitie that the one people ſhould be caſt off, before the other could be received, for God might have called both at once. Fourthly, though the Iewes had not beene caſt off, yet the Gentiles ſhould have beene called, becauſe there is no ſuch dependencie as effects have upon their cauſes. The firſt thing that I collect is;

God works good for his ſervants by contrary and moſt unlikely meanes. Doct. It was a great worke that he opened the eyes of the blinde, but greater that he ſhould doe it by the application of ſpittle and clay, meanes more like to put out the eyes of a ſeeing man, than to reſtore ſight to a blinde man. Thus in the worke of creation, when there was nothing but Thou and Bohu upon the earth, and Choſhec-panai Tehom, darkneſſe upon the face of the deepe, in Gen. 1.2. then did the Lord make Light of it. So in the worke of redemption, hee wrought by unlikelihoods and contraries, when by a curſed death he brought a happy life, by yeelding to death he overcame death, by his Croſſe he won the Crowne, and through ſhame he aſcended into glory. The ſame order he keeps in our ſecond creation: he caſts downe, that he may raiſe up; he kils, that he may make alive; he accuſeth his children for ſinne, that he may cauſe them to ſeeke remiſſion; he troubleth their conſciences, that he may ſpeake peace unto them; and moſt commonly the meanes which he uſeth is contrary to the worke which he intends for his children. He ſent on Abram a moſt fearfull darkneſſe, even then when he was to communicate unto him moſt joyfull light, Gen. 15.12. Hee wraſtled with Iacob, and ſhooke him to and fro, even then when he was about to bleſſe him, Gen. 32. He ſtrooke Paul with blindneſſe, even then when he came to open his eyes, Act. 9. Sometimes he frownes upon his beloved, as Ioſeph upon his brethren, when with loving affection he is about to embrace them: he ſeemes angry at our prayers, and puts us backe with the woman of Canaan, when he is about to grant a favourable anſwer unto them.

Learne, Vſe. firſt, never to murmur, what meanes ſoever be uſe to worke with. Secondly, not to doubt but God will doe us good, when all meanes ſeeme contrary and againſt us: he is able out of darkneſſe to bring us light, out of death to bring us life, and out of falling to make us riſe.

Secondly, at the fall of the Iewes he takes occaſion to call the Gentiles; from whence obſerve, That God watcheth any opportunitie, Doct. and takes all occaſions to doe his children good. How gladly would he have taken occaſion to have ſpared Ieruſalem, when for one mans ſake he would have ſpared it, Ier. 5.1. How paſſionatly did he affect the cure of Babylon, when he intreated her with as powerfull oratory as the heavens were able to compoſe, and the Angels to utter, till ſhe made this the burthen of her ſong, I will not be cured, Ier. 51.9. How did he watch an occaſion to ſpare Sodome, when for ten mens ſake he would have ſpared it. Gen. 18.32.Deus ſecat ut ſanet. He cuts and ſliceth our fleſh, that he may have occaſion of ſhew mercy in healing it. So Auguſtine on Matth. Ser. 15.Deus ſavit ut parcat Aug. in Matth. ſer. 15. He caſts into deſpaire, that he may ſhew mercy in ſparing it. And in another place; He kils us, that wee may not die. And againe; He ſtrikes to death, O • id • t ne neriamur. Aug. in Iohan ſern. 38. Aug. Confeſſ. lib. 2. cap. 2. that he may have occaſion to doe his ſervants good in reſtoring them to life. So that a man may fitly take up that ſpeech of Themiſtocles when he was firſt baniſht by the Greeke, and then highly honoured by the Perſian; Wee had periſhed, if wee had not periſhed. Petiramus, niſi pertiſſemus. If Iob be naked, the Lord takes that occaſion to cloath him; if the Shunamites childe be dead, the Lord quickly takes that occaſion of ſhewing mercie, in quickning it.

Theſe be the ſteps wherein our Father walkes, Vſe. and you (that will be accounted ſonnes) muſt learne to follow him, even to watch your times and opportunities, when, and where, and how you may expreſſe and doe ſome good to the familie of the Saints and houſe of God. The Magiſtrate muſt lie in wait for ſoules, to ſave them by governing: The Miniſter muſt lie in ambuſh for ſoules, to ſave them by preaching: The Iudge like good Othniel muſt watch his opportunitie to doe good in hearing and judging the cauſes: Ladies and Matrons muſt watch their opportunitie to doe good in hearing the afflicted: The Courtier (like Mordecai) muſt watch his time and opportunitie to procure the peace and welfare of Gods people, by ſtopping the way againſt all malitious complaints and bils commenced againſt them. Let us watch occaſion to doe good, if none be offered, deviſe occaſion, and delight in doing them good, that you may be ſonnes and children of that Father, who ſeekes and watches all opportunities to doe good to you. I come to a third concluſion.

When God gives his word to a people, Doct. and offers them meanes of ſalvation, and yet they turne it off, and fall away, then God takes it from them, and gives it unto others. That's the note of P. Martyr, and may be backt with that place, Act. 13.46. Then Paul and Barnabas ſaid, it was neceſſary that the word ſhould firſt be preached to you; but ſeeing you put it from you, and iudge your ſelves unworthy, wee turne to the Gentiles: By that parable of the Vineyard, in Mark. 12.9. He will deſtroy thoſe husbandmen, and give the vineyard to others: By that parable of the Supper, in Luke 14. from 16. to 25. A man made a ſupper, and invited many, and ſaid, come, for all things are ready: but they began to make excuſe, &c. The bread is firſt provided for the children, and they muſt firſt be fed, and by the children are meant the Iewes; but if they refuſe, it muſt be caſt to the whelps under the table, as Chriſt ſaid to the woman of Syrophenyſſa in Mark. 7.27. In all this you may ſee the fulfilling of that ſaying in Matth. 21.43. Therefore ſhall the kingdome of God be taken from you, and given to a nation which will bring forth the fruits thereof. It was the ſaying of our Saviour, Matth. 25. To him that hath, that is, to him that uſeth, ſhall be more given: but from him that hath not, that is, uſeth not, ſhall be taken away even that which he hath, De doct. Chriſtiana Lib. 1. Cap. 1. verſ. 29. for ſo Beza ſeemes to expound that text, and Auguſtine.

Which point may be a faire warning for us, Vſe. who have thus long enjoyed the Goſpell and the meanes of ſalvation; wee have heard wiſdome cry in the ſtreets; the Prophets have riſen early, and wooed us with arguments full of paſſion: but may not the Lord ſay of us as he ſaid of his vineyard in Iſa. 5.4. What could I doe for this people that I have not done? We were like Aegypt when the plague of miſt and darkneſſe was upon it, even darkneſſe that might be felt, Exod. 10.21. and the Lord hath made us like Goſhen, or like to thoſe people that dwell under the poles, who have no night, but the Sunne ſtill ſhining upon them.Blundevil. de Sphaera. lib. 20. Cap. 16. Wee were like the mountaines of Gilboa; but now the Lord hath watered us with the dew of heaven: wee were overgrowne with weeds, our fields brought forth nothing but cockle and darnell, ſowen by popiſh husbandmen; but ſince that time, the Lord hath gathered out thoſe weeds, and hath ſowen amongſt us the ſeed of the Goſpell, and he yet continues to be kinde and good unto us, wee have our Churches open, the Lord holds out unto us a candle, like to that which Alexander held out to the Citie which he beſieged; let us yeeld, and turne before the lampe be out, for feare the Goſpell be removed from us to another people. What griefe did Iſrael conceive when they ſate in Babylon, as they make their complaint and moane, Pſal. 137. By the waters of Babylon wee ſate downe and wept, &c. The ſame may befall us, and wee may be inforced to complaine with David, Pſal. 84. that the caſe of the pooreſt creatures is better than ours; The ſparrow hath found her an houſe, and the ſwallow a neſt wherein ſhe may lay her young. Nidificant, they build their neſts, and prope altaria, neere the altars: Ego prohibeor, Calvin. ia Pſal. 84. I am forbidden it, ſaith Calvin. Learne then, that if God gives meanes, embrace it; if the word of ſalvation be preached, heare it; if the way to heaven be chalked out, follow it; if the Goſpell be revealed, receive it with cheerefulneſſe, and make much of it, that God may not take his mercy from us, nor bring that terrible famine threatned Amos 8.11. I come to one point more, which I compriſe in this concluſion:

Whereſoever the Goſpell is preached, Doct. there is ſalvation offered by God unto the people: how beautifull upon the mountaines are the feet of him that declareth and publiſheth peace, that declareth good things, and publiſheth ſalvation, Iſa. 52.7. And therefore in Heb. 2.3. The Law given by Angels is called the great ſalvation, How ſhall wee eſcape, if wee neglect ſo great ſalvation, which at firſt began to be preached by the Lord, and was afterward confirmed by them that heard him? This is the great power of God to all that are ſaved, 1 Cor. 1.18. that is, tis the inſtrument divinely efficacious to ſalvation, and is the power of God to ſalvation, Firſt, in judgement, becauſe wee account it ſo; Secondly, in effect, becauſe indeſalutem conſequimur, thence we obtaine ſalvation, as Paraeus ſpeakes, that when the Goſpell is preached to a people, it may be ſaid as it was to Zaccheus, Luk. 19.9. when Chriſt lodged with him; Behold, this day ſalvation is come into thy houſe; and therefore you ſhould doe as he did, run downe haſtily, and receive him gladly. Imitate the rich Merchant, Matt. 13.44. See firſt how gracious the Lord is in offering you ſalvation ſo many yeeres together: Secondly, how they that contemne the Goſpell, doe exclude themſelves from all hope of ſalvation. Thirdly, they that eſteeme meanly of preaching, eſteeme meanly of ſalvation, they that will not maintaine it, are enemies to their owne ſalvation: They that pay much preaching with ſmall rewards, are unnaturall Gadarens, and thinke their idols in their cheſts more pretious than the ſalvation of their ſoules. But I paſſe this, and come to the ſecond part of the affirmative anſwer.

To provoke them to follow them.] There is (ſaith Tho. Aquinas) a double emulation; Firſt, of imitation, when one doth imitate another, and then the ſenſe is, that the Iewes ſhould imitate the ſaith and converſion of the Gentiles, and ſtrive to come into favour with God, as the Gentiles were. Secondly, of indignation, and then the meaning is, that the Iewes might emulate, that is, ſhould be moved with anger and indignation againſt them, according to that in Deut. 32.21. They have provoked mee to anger with that which is not God, and I will move them to iealouſie with thoſe which are no people, meaning the Gentiles. The true and proper ſenſe I take to be this: The Iewes manifeſtly ſaw, that the ſpirit, and grace, and knowledge of the Scriptures, and almoſt all ſpirituall bleſſings were tranſlated from them to the Gentiles; and therefore could not chuſe but grievouſly complaine, that they who were ſons, who were the proper and peculiar inheritance of God, who were the Lords portion and lot of his inheritance, Deut. 32.9. ſhould now be caſt off, and the Gentiles who were Heathens, Idolaters, ignorant of heaven and heavenly things, defiled with all kinde of pollution, as in Rom. 1. ſhould come in their ſtead, poſſeſſe their roomes, be graced with privileges, and that not by the judgement of man which might be erroneous and repealed, but by the judgement of the immortall God who erreth not, who eſtabliſheth his decrees; ſo that God would have the Iewes to take heavily the admiſſion of the Gentiles, and our ſalvation ſharply to bite them; that ſeeing what privileges they have loſt, and wee enjoy, they might imitate us, and come unto Chriſt from whom they have fallen.

But who is it that doth provoke them? The vulgar Latine and Origen underſtand it of the faith of the Gentiles, which ſhould provoke the Iewes to emulation. Chryſoſtome, Theodoret, and Ambroſe underſtand it of the Gentiles, that they ſhould provoke the Iewes (by their example) to beleeve. Anſelmus, quite contrary to the Apoſtles purpoſe, underſtands that the Gentiles ſhould imitate the Iewes. P. Martyr ſaith, that all this is referred to God; it is meant that God would provoke the Iewes,Annotat 6. contrary to Tolet; and his judgement I rather embrace, becauſe of that ſaying, Deut. 32.21. I will provoke them to iealouſie. But it will bee objected, that this is no commendable thing, by envy or by emulatiō to be brought to beleeve; whereto I anſwere, That God ſimply doth not approve ſuch emulation, or envie: but as hee can uſe evill to good purpoſes, ſo by this emulation it pleaſeth him to incite and ſtir up the Iewes to turne unto him, like as the husband puts away the adulterous wife, that ſhee thereby may bee provoked by a kinde of emulation to ſeeke reconciliation, leſt another ſhould come in her roome. Beſide this you muſt conceive this of the better ſort of the Iewes, they ſhall bee provoked, but not all; for the obſtinate ſhall be made worſe: laſtly, conceive it not of the Iewes in particular; for they which ſtumbled and fell away, were not reſtored: but of them in generall, that though ſome were beleevers, yet the whole nation was not caſt off. Thus much for the ſenſe: for the reading there is no great queſtion, onely mee thinkes that the vulgar doth ill tranſlate it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , That they might emulate them; Vt amulentur eos. for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , anſwers to the Hebrew word Hikni, which Moſes uſeth, and comes of Kanah, aemulari: now thoſe verbes which in Kal are abſolute, in Hiphil doe import the efficient and impulſive cauſe, as Grammarians ſpeake; and therefore the word cannot ſignifie only aemulari, but provocare ad aemulationem, to provoke to emulation. I deſcend to concluſions.

Firſt, God would have men to be at a holy emulation and ſtrife amongſt themſelves, which ſhould be neereſt unto God. It is the Apoſtles 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 doctrine, 1 Cor. 12.31. Covet the beſt gifts. En quomodo maxima cum lande vobis licet aemulari: See how with greateſt praiſe you may emulate, ſaith Beza. In this only it is lawfull to be ambitious, and lawfull to contend. This is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a holy and good contention, ſaith Heſiod. Wee may contend who may doe the moſt good, who may lead the beſt life, who may expreſſe the moſt holineſſe: though wee may not ſtrive who ſhould build the higheſt palace, yet wee may ſtrive to enter in at the ſtrait gate: though not ſtrive for lands and livings, yet to ſee the goodneſſe of the Lord in the land of the living: Though wee may not ſupplant one another, as Iacob did his brother, yet wee may contend as children doe, who may pleaſe their father beſt, and beſt deſerve his love, and which of us may provide the ſweeteſt veniſon for our fathers diet. There is a glory which if a man ſeeke for, runs away from him; if a man runs from it, it followes him, as Auguſtine ſaith of Cato: Quò nanus ſetebat gl • riam, comagis • ll • m •• quebatur. Aug. de • ivit Dei, lib. 5 cap. 12. How much the leſſe he ſought for glory, by ſo much the more it followed him. But there is a glory which cannot be got without toyling and labouring, thats the true and perfect glory. Plutarch reports of Themiſtocles, that when he heard that Miltiades had got him honour in the Marathonian battel, he was not able to ſleepe, becauſe Miltiades was ſo honourable, and he came ſo farre ſhort of him. So ſhould wee in •• irituall things.

The uſe is, Vſe. to teach us what ſhould be the true object of mans ambitious and aſpiring thoughts; not mortall, but immortall honour, and wherein it is lawfull for Chriſtians to contend and • trive; for grace, and not for greatneſſe; where in it is lawfull to emulate one another, in ſeeking who ſhould be neereſt unto God • and therefore wee ſhould reſolve, that if any man doe faithfull ſervice unto God, that wee will doe it as w ••• s he; if any mercifull, wee will be as mercifull as he, if any keepe the Sabbath, wee will keepe it as well as he; if any heare the word, wee will heare it as well as he. And ſo I come to a ſecond concluſion.

The good that we ſee in others ſhould be ſtrong provocations for us to follow them; Be yee followers of mee, ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 4.16. Your ſelves know, how that you ought to be followers of us, 2 Theſſ. 3.7. But moſt powerfull is that place, Heb. 6.12. Be followers of them which through faith and patience inherit the promiſes: As if he ſhould ſay, The faith and patience of the Fathers, the vertues and godly qualities of the Patriarks, who have inherited the promiſes, not the earthly Canaan which was promiſed, for that they all obtained not, as Heb. 11.13. All theſe died in faith, and received not the promiſes, but ſaw them af •• re off: But it is meant of the promiſe of ſalvation in and by Chriſt, as Act. 13.32, 33. And we declare unto you, that touching the promiſe made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled it unto us their children: and verſ. 23. God according to his promiſe hath raiſed up to Iſrael the Saviour Ieſus. It was the advice of Socrates in Lacrtius, that young men ſhould have alwayes a looking-glaſſe to looke themſelves in it; if they were deformed outwardly, they might labour to recompence it with inward comelineſſe. The glaſſes wherein the Lord would have us to looke, be the gracious orna nents and qualities of his ſervants. We ſhould looke on Abraham, and learne to beleeve that it ſhall be done, if God ſay it, though wee ſee not how, and part with that wee love beſt, to pleaſe h •• : Vpon Iob, and learne patience in all ſuch croſſes as are moſt neere unto us: Vpon Lot, and learne to be chaſte in the midſt of Sodome, even when wee have moſt occaſions; thats praiſeworthy, as Tully ſaid of Muraena, non quod Aſiam viderat, not that he had ſeene Aſia: Vpon Elias, and be zealous; Abigail, and releeve thoſe that ſight the Lords battels: Vpon the Centurion, and be good to the Church: Vpon Nehemiah, and ſtand for reformation of the Sabbath: Vpon every good man, and ſee what is excellent in him, that doe affect and imitate. As Tully reports of Xeuxis, that when he was to make the picture of Helena in the temple of the Crotonians, he ſent for five of the moſt beautifull virgins, that out of all their excellencies he might compoſe a perfect beautie; and as a man makes a garland or poeſie of all the beſt of flowers in the garden; ſo ſhouldſt thou picke out all the beſt qualities of men, whereſoever thou ſeeſt them.

Whence learne, Vſe. that it is no ſmall benefit that the wicked might reape by the company of good men: They may ſee a patterne of godlineſſe, and learne to follow it; they may reade holineſſe in their lives, conſcience in their doings, wiſdome in their carriage, and learne to affect the ſame commendable and gracious qualities in themſelves. There is no grace which they may not obſerve, nor vertue which they may not ſee lively delineated in them, and ſtudie to come to that degree of holineſſe which they have, that they may live as they doe, and have it in that glory which they hope to have. I come to a third.

I obſerve the great wiſdome and loving kindneſſe of God toward his children,Obſervat. who by his favour ſhewed unto others, and ſubſtituting others in their places, maketh them aſhamed of their unthankfulneſſe, and laboureth to ſtirre up in them a deſire of reconcilement. For confirmation, ſee Deut. 32. Becauſe they have moved mee to iealouſie with that which is not God, I will prouoke them with thoſe which are no people. And herein God deales with them as a tender father with his unkinde and diſobedient child that will not come unto him, he takes another ſonne in his armes, ſets another on his knees, embraceth him, commends him, makes much of him, hereby correcting the ſtubbornneſſe of his other ſonne, and provoking him to ſeeke for the like favour and acceptance. From whence learne;

Firſt, to condemne thoſe who by their idolatrie, Vſe 1 as Papiſts, or by their arrogancie, contempt and pride, doe alienate and detaine the Iewes from Chriſtianitie: when they ſee how the Papiſt is given over to idolatrie, the Proteſtant to libertie, no marvell though the Iewes follow neither the one nor the other; when he ſees that the Papiſt beleeves not well, that the Proteſtant lives not well, its a rocke of offence to him, that he can approve neither the one nor the other.

Secondly, Vſe 2 let us endevour by our pure and ſin cere ſervice of God, by our zeale, our godly life, our juſt dealing, to give light unto the Iewes, and at length to provoke them to emulation, and by our good converſation to win them to Chriſt, that there may be one fold, and one ſhepherd, as our Saviour ſpeakes, Ioh. 10.16. Example is very powerfull. There is nothing more availeable to the winning of one that beleeveth not, than the good converſation and life of him that doth beleeve. I know not if S. Peter doe not make a good converſation more powerfull to convert an unbeleever, than the word it ſelfe, in 1 Pet. 3.1. Let the wives be ſubiect to their husbands, that they which obey not the word, may without the word be won by the good converſation of the wives, while they behold your pure converſation coupled with feare. To this purpoſe Bernard ſpeaketh well:Eff • a • ior eſt vo • bonioperis quam elegantis ſermonu: illius dectoris libenter audio vece •• , qui non fibi planſum, ſed m •• ip anctum movet, &c Ber. in Cant. ſer. 59. Segnius irrita • t &c. ſivi • me fle • e, dol • ndū prius ipſe libi. Confeſſ. l. 9. c. 9. The voice of a good worke is more effectuall than of an eloquent ſermon: I willingly heare the voice of that Teacher, who doth not move applauſe to himſelfe, but weeping to mee; and if thou wilt perſwade, thou maiſt doe it more by weeping than by declaming. And Horace himſelfe in his booke of the Art of Poetrie: If thou wilt have mee weepe, thou muſt firſt thy ſelfe grieve. S. Auguſtine reports that his mother Monica gained her husband Patricia from being an impure Manichee (not by ſtrength of argument) but by pietie, wiſdome, chaſtitie: So there is nothing can more hinder the Iewes from profeſſing as wee doe, than our prophane life and bad converſation; to perſwade them by good words, and yet let them ſee our bad lives, is, but to weave Penelope's web, to untwiſt as faſt as we weave, and to pull downe as faſt as we build, and to deſtroy faſter with one hand, than wee build with the other. Wee muſt therefore learne to let the light of our good life and converſation ſo ſhine, Matth. 5.16. that men may ſee our good lives, and good workes, and holy converſation, and ſo gloriſie our Father which is in Heaven. Let us ſo behave our ſelves toward the Iewes, as S. Peter taught once the Iewes to behave themſelves towards us, 1 Pet. 2.12. Have your converſation honest among the Gentiles, that they by your good workes which they ſhall ſee, may glorifie God in the day of their viſitation, for feare wee cauſe them to blaſpheme the name of God, which they polluted among the Heathen, Ezek. 36.23. See Rom. 2.24. So I come to the illuſtration of his anſwer in the 12. and 13. verſes.

The grace and excellencie of an Apoſtleſhip conſiſts eſpecially in theſe points. 1. They were immediately called by Chriſt to preach his Goſpell thorow the world; Goe teach all Nations, Matth. 28. And it is no ſmall credit to bee Gods Herauld at armes, to be Tuba Evangelica, Gods Trumpet, both to give warning of a fight, and to ſound the retreat, to proclaime peace, and reſt when the combat is done; to deliver Gods will, to ſtand in his roome, to plead his cauſe and ſpeak for his honour, can bee no meane or ſmall prerogative. 2. The Apoſtles were ſuch men as had knowen Chriſt in the fleſh, were eye-witneſſes of his miracles, and heard his Sermons, as in 1 Ioh. 1.3. That which we have heard and ſeene, declare we unto you; His glorie that they ſaw, Matt. 17. Secondly, his reſurrection, for he appeared to the twelve, as 1 Cor. 15.5. His aſcenſion into heaven, while they beheld hee was taken up, Acts 1.9. And though S. Paul had not knowen Chriſt in the dayes of his fleſh, yet he ſaw him being immortall and in glorie by revelation, as Auguſtine and Lyranus affirme on 2 Cor. 12. Thirdly, they could diſcerne canonicall bookes of Scripture from others, they had the keyes of the Kingdome after a more ſpeciall manner, that whatſoever they bound in earth ſhould be bound in heaven, &c. as Peter bound up the ſinne of Simon Magus, and pronounced ſentence againſt Ananias and Saphyra. Fourthly, they had power to worke miracles, heale diſeaſes, caſt out Devils, yea Peters verie ſhadow, Acts 5.15. and Pauls napkin, Act. 9.12. Fifthly, they gave the Holy Ghoſt by laying on of their hands, Acts 8. They were free from error in doctrine, for the Spirit promiſed to lead them into all truth, Ioh. 16.13. Laſtly, they had the gifts of tongues, whereto Pererius addes further, that they had another ſpeciall grace, that ſpeaking in their owne tongue, yet men of divers languages did ſo underſtand them, as if they had ſpoken divers languages; and of the ſame opinion is Eraſmus Annot. in Act. 2.8. But I incline to the judgement of Beza, who ſhewes againſt Pererius and Eraſmus, Mirac • lum ſuiſſet non in Apoſlelis, ſed in auditoribus. that if that had been true, It had been a miracle not in the Apoſtles, but in the hearers. But to leave this and fall upon the point, theſe words are the reaſon that Paul gives of his ſpeaking to the Gentiles; In aſmuch as I am the Apoſtle of the Gentiles, therefore I ſpeake to you Gentiles; for it is not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , quamdiù, as long as I live. I ſpeake to you Gentiles, as Origen thought, and is the tranſlation of the vulgar Latine; but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , in quantùm, or quatenùs, nothing the cauſe, becauſe I am your Apoſtle, therefore I ſpeake to you. I might note, 1. That no man was ever ſo farre gone in ſinne, but God could call him home againe, Paul once a perſecutor, now an Apoſtle. 2. God is ſo farre after converſion from thinking a man the worſe, that hee will place him neere to himſelfe, Paul now an Apoſtle. 3. Gods providing of meanes for them whom he will ſave; The Apoſtle of the Gentiles: But theſe are not ſo proper to this Text; but that which I chiefly note is the Apoſtles drift, That his chiefeſt care was to ſpeake for the good of the Gentiles, to whom God appointed him to preach; from whence note.

When God ſets a man over a people, Doct. Civitas eſt, vigila ad cuſtodiam; ager eſt, ſtudeto cultui; ſpa • nſa eſt, ſtudeto crnatui; grex eſt, ſtudeto paſtui. Bernard. ſuper Cantic. Serm. 76. he ought chiefly to intend their good and well-fare. Is it a Citie, watch to keepe it; is it a field, ſtudie to till it; is it a ſpouſe, ſtudie to adorne her; is it a flock, ſtudie to feed it; ſaith Bernard. If a Citie, then he muſt labor to build & defend it, à vi tyrannorum, à fraudibus haereticorum, à tentationibus Daemonum; from the violence of Tyrants, from the deceits of Heretiques, from the tentations of the Devill: If a Spouſe, hee muſt labour to trim her, that ſhee bee all glorious within, viz. 1. An acknowledgement of the will of God. 2. True and ſolid comfort in diſtreſſes. 3. Hearing of prayers. 4. Famous deliverances. 5. Divers vertues kindled in them by the Spirit; as Mollerus on Pſal. 45.13. If it bee a field or vineyard, hee muſt labour both to gather out of it the briars and tares, and to ſow it with good feed, and then to watch for feare the envious man ſow tares in it. If it be a flocke, he muſt drive them to the greene paſtures of Gods word, and lead them out by the waters of comfort, Pſalm. 23. When Chriſt in Ioh. 21. asked Peter thrice, Simon, loveſt thou mee? 1. Pluſquàm tua. 2. Pluſquàm tuos. 3. Pluſquàm te. More than thine, more than thy ſelfe; as Bernard expounds it: and Peter ſtill anſwered, Yea Lord, thou knoweſt that I love thee; Chriſt gives him this marke to know it by, Paſce oves, paſce agnos, it may bee knowen by thy care in feeding my lambes, and tending my ſheepe; I have ſet watchmen upon thy walls (O Ieruſalem) which all the day and all the night ſhall not ceaſe; and yee that are mindfull of the Lord keepe not ſilence, Iſay 62.6. Sonne of man I have made thee a watchman, Ezek. 3.17. By which metaphor it may appeare, that as in times of warre the watchmen are tending all the day in their watch-towers, but eſpecially in the night time; and if there be any danger, give the people warning: So in the Church, Biſhops and Miniſters, they muſt be alwayes in their watch-towers, but eſpecially when the night of errours ariſeth; they muſt remember that in Act. 20.28. Take heed to your ſelves, and to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghoſt hath made you overſeers, to feed the Church which he purchaſed with his owne bloud. When I remember that ſaying of Iacob, Gen. 31.40. I was in the day conſumed with heat, I was parched with froſt in the night; and reade of the ſhepherds watching their flocks in the night; then doe I conſider their early riſing, and late going to bed, how their eyes have not time to ſleepe, nor their eye-lids to ſlumber, nor their heads to take any reſt from tending the ſoules and ſtudying the welfare of their people; and therefore the Apoſtle, 1 Corinth. 4. calls Miniſters 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to row, as if they were captives condemned to the oares, whoſe armes muſt row the ſhip of Chriſt to ſhore, yea the winds being conſpired againſt them. ExcellentlySace dotum nonuna accepunus, non ad quie • em, ſed ad laborem, ut inveniamur in oſere quod ſigna mur in n • mine. Greg. l. 4. epiſt 8. Gregorie: Wee have received the names of Frieſts, not to reſt, but to labour, that wee may be found in worke that which wee are ſealed in name; that wee may give a good account that day, when God ſhall ſay, Reſtore my ſheepe, or your ſoules; all his worke muſt be either to pray for his people, or to teach his people. God forbid that I ſhould ſinne againſt the Lord in ceaſing to pray for you, 1 Sam. 12.23. Sometimes he muſt be providing meat for them, ſometimes diſcovering the wolves that lurke amongſt them, ſometimes deviſing remedies which may heale their diſeaſes. But I meet the point in the next verſe, and will rejourne the application till I come unto it, and come from Gods gracing of Paul with an Apoſtleſhip, to ſee how Paul labours to grace and magnifie it.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , I magnifie mine office, with gravitie of manners, with maturitie of counſels, with honeſtie of actions, as Bernard: Ipiſt. 28. Non in his quae ad • on • re • . ſec • aren. ſpectant Not in theſe things which belong to ſecular honour, ſaith Tho. Aquinas; but in adorning himſelfe with good manners, enlarging his care of the ſalvation of all. I magnifie, by diligence and faith, by life and doctrine, ſaith Origen. Non • p • bus, non veſtibas, hae • ſunt oruamenta ſophiſt • a, ſedut multi convertantur ad Dei • 2 Vt miniſter. 〈◊〉 ſit efficax in cordib audiet. Not with wealth and garments, theſe are ſophiſticall ornaments, but that many may be converted to God: Secondly, that my miniſterie may be effectuall in the hearts of the hearers, ſaith Martyr. Non ver borum lenocinis, nam ſermoniſi animae med. tur abiectus eſt. Cent. 6 c 4. Not in the pleaſant allurements of words, for a ſermon (unleſſe it eures the ſoule) is reiected, ſay the Magdeburgenſes out of Ennodius: but pret: oſum paſtoris diadema &c. The pretious diadem of a Paſtor conſiſts in this, Vt docirina inſtitunt, bonis no ribas one n • t, ſad cos cuſto •• vigilet, à malo decli • are fa • at. that with doctri • he inſtructs, with good in inners he a lor • es, with a godly cuſtodie he, watcheth over them, that he makes them decline from evill, as Gregorie on 1 King. 1. Then Paul is ſaid to magnifie his miniſterie, if he can win both Iewes and Gentiles unto God, as 1 Cor. 9.19. I have made my ſelfe ſervant to all men, that I may win the moe: to the Iewes I became a Iew, I am made all things to all men, &c. From all, this concluſion followes in generall:

It is the dutie of every Miniſter of the Goſpell, ſo to preach, Doct. and live, as that he may honour and grace his calling and miniſterie: he muſt for life be unreproveable.Accipimus his injurias, quibus impis optimè • eritis nunquam non gravarunt. B • er in 1 Tim. 3.6. 1 Tim. 3.2. Wee here receive iniuries, with which the ungodly never have not burdened the beſt deſerving, ſaith Bucer. For knowledge hee muſt be able to teach, 1 Tim. 3.6. Bonaventure requires three things to the honouring of the miniſterie:Tract. de Chriſti paupertate. In Apo: cap. 2. 1. Authoritie; 2. Truth; 3. Profit. Aquinas ſaith, there muſt be in him that will grace the miniſterie, 1. Charitie to love: 2. Magnan mitie to ſuſtaine: (Clauſa domo tenere, was the complaint of Hyperm • eſtra) 3. Severitie to ext • rpate evill: 4. Humilitie to ſhun pride: 5. Stabilitie to perſevere: 6. Valiantneſſe to doe vehemently: he muſt have cleereneſſe in knowledge, ſervencie in life, ſhining and burning like Iohn Baptiſt, Ardens in ſeipſo vebimentia • ſteritate, ardens erga Chriſtum amore, erga peccantes incre • atione. Ioh. 5.35. he was lucens exemplo, verbo, ſhining in example, in word: he was burning in himſelfe with vehement auſteritie, burning with love towards Chriſt, with chiding towards ſinners, ſaith Bernard.

Here I ſhould firſt lay downe the duties of good Miniſters, how they ought to live and preach, that ſo they may magnifie their offices. Secondly, the lamentable face of our Church, in reſpect that ſo many of her children, who ſhould be like Barnabas, prove like Benoni, a heavineſſ and woe unto her; how too many Miniſters diſgrace the miniſterie, and many that ſometimes doe preach the Goſpell, diſcredit the Goſpell; many that are ſcrued (as it were) into this office, are the great blemiſhes of it; ſometimes in doing ſomething elſe, ſometime in doing nothing, ſometime in doing evilly. But this is a point that is knowne well enough; I wiſh it were to be excuſed: I ſpare the handling of it in this audience: Tis a thing rather to be lamented, than preached and publiſhed; it is too well knowne in Gath, and publiſhed in the ſtreets of Askelon: I pray God we might live to ſee the day, that they who have authoritie would either reſorme, or root them out of the Church; that they who baniſh dead idols out of Church windowes, would not ſet living idols in our pulpits: That they would not ſet them to ſpeake againſt drunkenneſſe, who be toſpots themſelves; againſt Laodicean luke-warmneſſe, who be hollow themſelves; them to pull downe ſinne in others, who hugge and dandle it themſelves. Theſe times need no ſuch aids and patrons. God hath no need of ſuch,Nec talianxlio, nec defenſoribus eſtu, tempus egit. Virg. Aeneid. and theſe ill times require better Preachers. There is ſmall comfort, or hope of health,lib. 2. when a ſicke man muſt be cured by ſuch a Phyſitian as hath the plague and ſore running upon himſelfe. But what I leave in this unſpoken, I ſhall finde in the next verſe, which is the other end of Pauls preaching and miniſterie.

HEre be two ends of Pauls preaching and miniſterie: the former, that he might provoke; the other, that he might ſave: and in theſe there be two other conſiderable points; the one, the great paines that he takes, if by any meanes; ſecondly, the ſpecification of the parties whom he ſo much tenders, them of my fleſh. I begin with the firſt; That he might provoke, viz. to emulation: from whence obſerve, That Gods children ſhould be at an holy emulation and ſtriſe who ſhould be neereſt unto God; and ſecondly, the good that wee ſee in others ſhould be ſtrong provocations for us to follow them: Be followers of mee, ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 4.16. I come to the ſecond end of his miniſterie, Doct. ſave ſome of them.

The end whereat every good Miniſter muſt aime is the ſalvation of ſoules. Praelatus deb • t prodiſſe, non praeſſe; nec • proprium ambire commod my ſed anima • is ſalutem. Bern. de lrib. ordin. & cleſiae. It is the rule of Bernard: A Prelate ought to profit, not to rule; neither to deſire his owne profit, but the ſalvation of ſoules. What is Pauls hope, or joy, or crowne of rejoycing? are not you it, in the preſence of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt at his comming? Yes &c. 1 Theſſ. 2.19, 20. This was the reaſon why Paul became all things to all men, that he might ſave ſome, 1 Cor. 9.22. I ſ • eke not yours, but you. The reaſon: Firſt, becauſe the Miniſters muſt aime at that moſt whereby God is glorified moſt, and thats the ſalvation of ſoules; he is glorified in the wickeds deſtruction, but he glorieth more in the ſalvation of one that beleeves and repents, than in the condemnation of a thouſand that die impenitent. Secondly, becauſe the Miniſter muſt anſwer for his peoples ſoules, as the Apoſtle ſpeakes, Heb. 13.17. They watch for your ſoules, as they that muſt give account unto God. He i •• o to watch,Vtetiamſi ſanctè vrvat, & perdite viventes arguere erub • ſcat, aut • ctuat, cum o unibus qui (ertacent • ) periere perit. Proſp. Aquitan. Devita • ontemplat. cap. 20. That although he live holily, and bluſheth, or is afraid to reprove corrupt livers; he periſheth with all thoſe that periſh (he being ſilent,) ſaith Proſper Aquitanicus. Thus God ſpeaketh unto the Prophet, Ezek. 33.7, 8. Sonne of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the houſe of Iſrael, and the word ſhalt thou require at my mouth. When I ſay to the wicked, O wicked man, thou ſh • lt die the death, if thou doe not ſpeake, &c. Hence ariſeth to a Miniſter a great care, he muſt care for ſoules; and great danger, he is in danger of damnation, if he loſe one of his peoples ſoules; and therefore I thinke that Chryſoſtome might well uſe that ſpeech of his,Non arbit or inter Sacerdotes maltos eſſi qui ſalvi ſiunt, ſed multo plures qui per. unt. Clnyſ. in Act. Aſoſt. Homil 3. Apud Stobaeum, cap. 49. I doe not thinke that among the Prieſts many are ſaved, but many more that periſh. If one of us have ten thouſand ſoules to feed, it is many thouſand times more eaſie for you to goe to Heaven, than for one of us: which if we conſidered, we would ſay as Antigonus; If thou didſt know with how many evils this Diadem is attended, thou wouldſt not take it up lying on a dunghill.

Firſt then, dangerous is the caſe of thoſe, Vſe 1 who preach onely to pleaſe; whoſe learning conſiſts in the withdrawing of their matter, and ſetting their words in knots and borders, placing them cheeker-wiſe, to delight the care onely; who come alwayes from Placentia, never were at Verona, to uſe the words of Lav • ter on Eſther. Theſe men wrong themſelves, for they bring other mens bloud upon their heads, as Ezek. 33. They wrong their hearers, for they ſee them like to periſh, and Felpe them not; they ſee them poſting forward in the broad path of iniquitie, and reclaime them not; they ſee them in the fire, and they helpe them not. It was the ſaying of Sigiſmund the Emperour, 〈…〉 um o • • ul • , qui • aunico 〈◊〉 in Car •• . • in n • 5. 〈…〉 Mared 〈◊〉 54. 〈…〉 us, & urury. 〈…〉 & ſe • atur. ••• uſt. Serm 15 in Matth. Saevitin va nus ut 〈…〉 ; nam ſi 〈…〉 • crd. ur. He ſl • yes his enemie, that ſpares him; and theſe Miniſters doe kill you for want of ſpeaking. That which Auſken ſaith of God, God ſometimes by ſparing rigeth, is moſt true of the Miniſter, hee kils you by forbearing to let you bloud, and to launce your ſores; He that is to be burned, bewaileth, and yet is burned; hee that is to bee cut, bewaileth, and yet is cut: ſaith Auguſtine. The ſicke weepes, yet the Surgeon cuts him; hee laments, and yet the Surgeon ſeares him; whether is this crueltie, or pitie? Hee rageth against the wound, that man may bee cured; for if the wound be handled gently, man is deſtroyed.

Secondly, Vſe 2 dangerous is the caſe of theſe who ſtudy nothing but honour and wealth, who beſtow moſt of their ſtudies how they may riſe higher than their brethren; to get honour to themſelves, not to honour God; who open both their mouthes and purſes, to wooe and ſolicite their rich promotions; but can have no leaſure to open their mouthes to preach; that a man may ſay as Seneca in another caſe, Small cures ſpeake, Cu • aeles •• loquunlto, ngentes ſlupent. great ones are dumbe. When with Demoſlhenes in Gedius, this is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a bull in the tongue, then they 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 pati, ſuffer a kinde of ſquman cie, they cannot ſpeake.

Thirdly, dangerous is the caſe of thoſe, Vſe 3 who be dumbe dogs that cannot barke, who take upon them this holy calling, and yet can preach no more than Harpoerates the Aegyptian, who was alwayes painted with his ſinger in his mouth, as Eraſinus notes, who are like to thoſe Idols, Pſal. 115. That have mouthes but ſpeake not: Ante Vacunales ſtant que ſedent que fucos.O • d •• aſt • b. 6. They are Vacuna's Prieſts, and ſhee ſitteſt Miſtreſſe to beſtow a liverie upon ſuch Drones. They are ſuch to whom God will ſay, Why ſtand yee idle the whole day?

Fourthly, dangerous is the caſe of thoſe, Vſe 4 who in ſtead of ſaving, deſtroy the ſoules of their people; ſometimes ſowing hereticall and wicked doctrine, ſometimes by a wicked and ſinfull life: To whom God may ſay, as Pſal. 50.16, 17.Ionoui m •• i to jua, & otioſa • anus. Lucida lectiveita, & tenebr • ſa vi • a, monſir eſi res eſt. A tongue that ſpeakes great things, and an idle, hand: A • l • ere doctrine, and • darke life, is a monſtrous thing. Loquere ut vide im; Speake as I may ſee you, was the Philoſophers rule; which is the ſault of too many of my brethren, who doe more hurt in the weeke day (by yoking themſelves with a packe of good fellowes) than they doe good on the Sabbath, by many of their leane and ſoule-ſtarving Sermons: I come to a ſecond note from hence.