Of the An 8xpojition Church, In which words he takes it for granted, that A !hevfes which refpeCI ourliues& conuertheelet'l: of God can neuer finally fall away. fattons are manifold. Firll:,feeiugGod hath eAnd hereupon he faith to his difciples when leC!ed fame to C..luation , and hath a!fo!aide they reioyced that the diuels were fubiect to downe the mcanes in his holy word whereby thern,Lnl:, IO•>O.R<thorreioyce th.rtyo•r"""'" we may come to the knowledge ofour parti4Ye written inheaHen. AndS. Paul fpeaking of cular elettion, we muft therefore asS, Peur Hjmene•s and'Phi!etUJ,whichhad fallen away counfel!erh vs,>. 'Ptt.r .ro.giue Rlldiligrnct,. from the faith, !ell: the Church !hould bee makt ••rel<ftio11 fore. In the world meu are difcouraged by their fall, becaufe they were careful! & painful! enough to make afli1tance thoughtto be worthy men and pillars ofthe of!andsand goods to rhemfelues, anJ to their Church; he doth comfortthem from the vepoftemy: what a !hameis it then for vs, that rygronndofeleC!ion,faying,>.Tim.>.t9.Th< wee !hould be flacke in makwg fure to our fo•ndation ofGod femainethfore, andbath thi• felues the ele<'lion of God, which is more /Mle: The Lord kzfovmh who arc hu. Where worth then all the world befideland ifwelhal Gods election is compared to the foundation continue to bt !lackeherein, rhe !cafe•ofour ofan houfc,the building whereofmay be-fhalands and houfes and all other temporall alfu· ken, but the grour.d-worke frandeth fafr: and B rances !hall bebils ofaccufation againfr vs at thereforePaul faith further. Rom.8. 33· Who the day of iudgement to condemne vs. S'c:- Jh•llay""J thing tothe charg ifGods ei<Ef!Nmv condly, by this doctrine we are taught to liue thea that we may haue comfort in difrrdle,& godly and rightcoufly in this prefent world· fomethingtofrayvponinallourtroubles: we bec.u!e allthofe whom God hathch6fent~ in thu world oreasll:rangers in a far country: faluation, hee harh alfo appointed to liue in our pa!fage homeward is ouer the fea ofthis newne!fe oflife, asS. 'P•ul, Eph.r. 4- God world:the!hipwherin we faile is the Church: bath choftnvtinChrijlbefornhefo•nd<tio11 ifth< and Satan ll:irres vp many blalts of troubles ,.orld;th.ewe p,oHldb< holyandwithout bla,.be- & temptations, andhispurpofe is to finkc tht _ore hi"!. And againe,E'ph.l.lO. WeRrecreated !hip, or to ddueit on the rocke; but we mufr "'Chri.f1 lefU4 =• g..d workts, which Godhath take-.thcanchor ofhope, and fall:en it in heaordainedth4twejhouldwa/ktin them. And, Cjod ,, Th:i!, uen vpon the foundation of Gods election : h4th chojinyoutofoluation thro•ghfonSifiwion ,,, 1 • which being done,welhall paffc inlifetie,and ifsheJPirit andf•ithifthetrHth. The eled: are llom.~o reill:oyceinthe midddlof all !todrm 6 es and;emve{fdsofho11••r : and tfherefore all thofe that :!i-un.,. pc s.Secondly, whereas.Go re ufcth .ome wrll beofthenumbero the elect, multcarrie _men,and leaues them tothemfelues, it ferues C themfelues as vef!C:I• of honour. For fc long tofrrike afeareinto euery one ofvs whatfocasrhey liuein their fins, they be likeve!fds of uerwe be, asS. PAul faithinthelike cafe, the di!honour, imployingthemfe!uesto the malt Iewes being the naturall branches, Rom. II. bafe feruicethatcan be, euen to the femice of 2o.arebroksnojfthrough<mbeieif<,d- thou.flantnediuell. Thefunnewas <>rdained to lhinei11 deft byfaith:benot high minded, bHtftare. This the day, and th<l moonc inthe night, and·that indeede was fpokento the Romancs, bur wee order they keepe; yea euery creature ia his mull: alfo lay it vnto our hearts. For what is kinde obferueth the courfe appointed vntoit the bell ofvs, but a lumpe ofday/ and howby creation,as thegralleto grow,and trees to foeuer in Gods conncell weeare chofen to fa!- bringforth fruit:now the ded: were ordained uation, yet in our felues we are all !hutvp vntothiscod toleade a godly life;and therforeif der vnbeleefe, and are lit to make veffels of wee !hould either pcrfwade our felues or the wrath. Our Sauiour Chrill: ca!leth lxda. a di· world, that we are iodeede chofi:n to faluatio, uell, and we know his lewd life and fearefull we mufr be plentifull in all good W<>rkes,and end: now .what are we better then l"d"' by makeeonfcrenceofeueryeutll way; and to do nature? Ifwe had bin inhis !l:ead,without the otherwife,is as muchas t<>change theorder of lpeciall blefsing ofGod, we!hould haue done D nature, and asifthe Sun !hould ceafc to lhine as he did: he berraied Chriti;but ifGod leaue by day and the Moone by night. Thirdly, vs to our felues,we !ha! not ondybetray him, when God !hall fend vpon any of vs in this 1 but by our fins tuen crucifie him a thoulind worldcrotfes and afflictions,either in bodyor I . waies.Furthermore letvs bethinkeour felues inminde,or any way els(as this lifeis tlie vale ofthis, whetherthere be not fome alreadie ofmiferie aRd teares,and iudgement mu!t be- \ I condemned in hell, who in their liues were ginne at Gods houfe)we mull learne to beare not more grieuous offenders then wee. ef":Y themwith all fubmifsion and contentation of I called the ~.eople ofhis_ri_mea people ofSominde. For wh<>mGodnew before, them he :£( 3 • 1 " 10 i dome and <...iomorrha; gmmg the Iewes then hathpredeflmare u bu made likE vtlto hr-sfonnt. Rom.8. !liuiogto vnderltand, that they were as bad as But wherein is this likene!fe? "PaHI fairb,'Phil. , 1 • the Sc.domitcs,and as the people of Gomor3-Io.in thefcUowfl>ipofhua[jliftions,& in aeon• Irha,onwhom the Lord had!hewed his iudgeformity to his death. And the con!ideration \ m~ats_long before. Ifthis be trua, then let vs ofthis,that afflictionS\~ere ordained for vs in I . wJth !care and trembling be thankfull to hrs the etcrnall predefhnauon ofGod,mufr comrnaieflie thlt he bath prefemed vs hitherto fort our hearts, and re!l:rainc our impatience from deferucd damnation. fooft a• we lhalgo v~<der the burden ofthem. . ~
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