Anwick his meditations vpon Gods monarchie and the deuill his kingdome And of the knowledge that man in this life may obtaine of the almightie, eternal, and most glorious godhed: with other thinges not only worth the reading but also the marking and the retayning.

OF THE FLOCKE WHICH GOD hath chosen. CAP. 11.

WE are taught * to loue our enemies, to blesse them that curse vs, to doe good to them that hate vs, and pray for those that persecute and hurt vs. Such is the goodnes of God in no∣rishing all thinges, who maketh his Sun to shyne, and his rayne to fal on the good and badde. * And as hee hath made the great and the small, euen so concerning this world he careth for all alyke.

But for the world to come hee hath a more special care for those whom hee hath chosen to saluation, whom our Saui∣our Christ calleth his little flock, and sayth vnto them: * feare not little flocke, for it is your fathers pleasure to geue you a kingdome. Those are they for whose sakes * the seede of the woman was promised to breake the head of the serpent. This litle flocke of the seede of Abraham, * the Father of all true beleeuers, to and to whom the promises were made, when God sayd vnto him, in thy seede which is Christ Iesus, al the Nations of the earth shal bee blessed. * For the fauour that God beareth to this litle flocke the euill dayes shal be short∣ned without altering his eternal purpose.

This litle flocke are those whom Christ Iesus calleth say∣ing: * Come vnto mee all yee that labor and are heauy loden and I will refresh you. Of this litle flocke are those that at the sodayne comming of the Lord in the cloudes, of two in a bedde, two in the field, two at a Mill, wherof one shal be ta∣ken that is chosen, and the other forsaken, that is refused. * Of this litle flocke are those that haue the marke of God in their foreheads, whom Satan and his angels cannot hurt: for

they are commaunded to the contrary. * This litle flocke is noted to be the good ground that receaueth the precious seed the word of God into their soules, and brings foorth fruite, 30. 60. & 100. folde: that is to say, the fruite of true beleefe in Christ Iesus, the fruite of humble obedience to God, and his most holy Lawe, the fruite of holy fasting, praying, almes deedes, and godly lyfe, the fruite of louing God aboue all thinges and our neighbour as our selues.

The precious fruite of sure hope in the mere mercy of God, to receaue our saluation through the merits of Iesus Christ onely, and nothing for our owne desertes, nor for popish good intentes, such fruits shew this litle flock to bee good ground.

Whereas all other people of the world in generall are no∣ted to bee stonie, thorny, barrany, and euill ground: ouer whose soules Satan hath full power eyther to take from thē Gods word that was sowne in their myndes, or els to choke it in them by vnlawfull couetousnes, cares of this lyfe, and filthy lustes of the flesh whatsoeuer: And therefore can bring out no godly frute to saluation.

This litle flock are the sheepe of whom Christ Iesus is the true and good Shepeheard, who gaue his life for the sheepe. * This litle flocke are the sheep which Christ Iesus shall de∣uide from the Goats. * And which the Angels shal gather to∣gether from the fowr windes, to meet the Lord in the clowds, at his comming to iudge the quicke and the dead, to whom hee shall say, come yee blessed of my Father possesse my king∣dome prepared for you from the beginning of the world. The contrary shal bee sayd to the Goats, all wicked people whom God hath not chosen to saluation: goe away from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his angels.

This litle chosen flocke onely * haue eares to heare the woord of God to their comfort in this lyfe, and to their salua∣tion in the life to come: Wheras al other people of the world, no state or degree excepted, haue no eares to heare, * because to this litle flocke it is geuen to know the secrets of the king∣dome

of God, but vnto them that are without, all thinges are done in parables, that they may see and not discern, heare and not vnderstand, &c. Neither wil they * come to the Lords Supper when he calleth. * Therefore they are as dead ima∣ges, they haue mouthes and speake not (any thing to Gods honor, and their own saluation, therefore they speake not at all) For it is written. * Yee shal see indeed, but not perceaue, yee shall heare but not vnderstand, make their Hartes fatte, their eares heauy, and shut their Eies: least they should s••e with their eies, heare with their eares, and vnderstand with their hartes and be conuerted, that Christ Iesus might heale them.

Reade all those places coated in the margent. Beleeue and repent, which if yee cannot doe, aske faithfully of God, yee may haue it for the asking: if a man may haue meat at his re∣quest, and wil sterue rather then demaund it: hee is woorthy to die of hunger and none to bewayle him.

Saynt Peter wrote * vnto the elect according to the fore∣knowledge of God, that wee were not redeemed with golde and such corruptible thinges, nor by traditions of the fathers: but by the precious bloud of Christ Iesus, which was ornai∣ned to y•• end, before the foundations of the world. * we are cal∣led to follow him in suffering afflictions. * Saynt Iude saith the vngodly turne the grace of God into wantonnes, euen or∣dayned to damnation: so were the angels that kept not their first estate. * But God hath chosen vs in Christ Iesus, before the foundations of the world, to the ende wee should bee holy and without blam••, before him in loue, he forepointed vs to be adopted in Christ Iesus according to the good pleasure of his will. * Hee hath saued vs and called vs with an holy cal∣ling, not according to our woorkes, but according to his own purpose and grace which was giuen vnto vs in Christ Iesus before the world was. Paul the seruant of God, and Apostle of Christ Iesus according to the faith of Gods elect in know∣l••dge of the truth in god ••iues, vnder the hope of eternall life which God that can not lye, hath promised before the world

began. * Which forepointment of God as a secret was kept closse from the beginning (except here and there one in euery age) but now is opened & published by the holy Scriptures, at the commaundement of the euer liuing God, that there∣unto fayth might giue obedience. * For in Christ Iesus wee were chosen when wee were predestinat according to the pur∣pose of him that woorketh all thinges after the counsell of his owne will, * and wee are his woorkmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes, which God hath ordayned for vs to exercise our selues in them. And what soeuer God hath forepointed and established shall neuer bee altred: for it is written. * My counsell shall stande, and I wil do whatsoe∣uer I will. * Seeing all holy Scriptures are written for our learning: then ought we to seek & know all the secrets there∣in contayned, and make our profite of them, for so is our maysters will and commaundement. * Search the scriptures which testify of mee. This foresayd litle flocke chosen of God were forepoynted to suffer all kindes of iniuries and afflicti∣ons of the wicked people (which God hath not chosen) during this lyfe in euery age from the beginning to the ending of the World. That vppon all the wicked may come the gyltinesse of all the innocent bloud of righteous Abel vnto the blood of Zacharias, spilt betweene the temple and the aulter: But likewyse the giltines of all the innocent bloud which hath bin is now, or shall bee shed from the first to the last in the world. * For shall not God reuenge his elect, that cry vnto him day & night: yes though hee suffer long for them, I tell you, hee wil reuenge them quickly that is to say, ••ffectually, euen with the twinckling of an eye.

Those four rehersed sentences, are notes of the true plain song of Gods holy and eternall forepoyntment, prickt downe in holy Scriptures, by Moses, by the holy Prophets, and by Christ Iesus himselfe: vppon which most pleasant and in∣fallible grounde: the concorde of Diuine Musitions, the Apostles, and their most true followers sithence theyr tyme, haue song pleasant and sweet descant, each one according to

the measu••e of this gift receaued of God, and prononuced as the holy Ghost wrought in them, and gaue them vtterance, not varying a note from the firme grounde.

If men would fall into consideration of this doctrine, that God is all in all, and worketh all in all, and that there proce∣deth from him both right iustice and tender mercy: surely they would feare him for his iustice: and they would loue and obay him for his mercy, yea they would magnify his eternall and almighty power, * and declare the wonders that hee doth a∣mong the children of men.

Notes

• Matt. 5. 44. &c.
• Sapien. 6. 7
• Luc. 12. 32.
• Gen. 3. 15.
• Gen. 12. 3. 18. 18. 22. 18 26. 4. Gal. 3. 8. Heb. 6. 13. Mar. 13. 20.
• Mat. 11. 28 Lut. 17. 34. Mat. 24. 40
• Reuel.
• Matt. 13. 3. 10. 9.
• Iohn. 10. ••. Mat. 25. 34.
• Lec. 14. 37.
• Matt. 13. 9.
• Marc. 4. 11
• Luc. 14. 16. 10 24. Psal. 115. 5. &c. Esai. 6. 9. Mat. 13. 14. Mark. 4. 12 Luc. 8. 10. Iohn 12. 40 Act. 28. 26. Rom. 11. 8.
• 1 Pet. 1. 2. 10. 18. read all▪
• 2▪ 20. Iud. 1. 4. 6.
• Eph. 1. 4. 5.
• 2 Tim. 1. 9.
• Rom. 16. 25 26. Colos. 1. 26
• Ephes. 1. 16 2. 10
• Esai 26. 10. Rom. 15. 4.
• Iohn. 5. 39.
• Mat. 23. 3••
• Luc. 18. 7.
• Psam. 107.