This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this text, in whole or in part. Please contact project staff at eebotcp-info@umich.edu for further information or permissions.
That onely the Sonnes of God have certain satis∣faction in every thing.
BY one of these three wayes we come unto all things, as well those which pertain to pi∣ety, as unto all other things: by our own wills; against our own wills; and by the favour of God. In those things unto which we come by our own will, there is designe; in those things whereunto we come against our wills, there is
passion; in those things, whereunto we come by the favour of God, there is admiration. The sonnes of Adam never find certain and firm sa∣tisfaction in those things, unto which preten∣ding piety, they come with designe. For their designes are alwayes founded in self-interest, & in self-love. And holding this foundation when their designes succeeded not, they cannot stand with satisfaction, how much soever they perswade themselves to remain satisfied, and would shew it to others. That this is true, they know by experience, who with designe pretend piety, changing their manner of living, their state and condition of life, or do exercise them∣selves more in on thing, then in another. The sonnes of God do then find certain and firm sa∣tisfaction, in those things, unto which they come by their own proper will with designe, when their designe is either to help the mortifi∣cation, and the vivification, into which they have begun to enter by the favour of God, or is to serve Christ in his members. That this is true they understand by experience, who hol∣ding themselves for dead in the crosse of Christ, do attend unto mortification, with designe to mortifie themselves onely to live as dead, in as much as they are dead, and their life is hid with Christ in God. Colos.. 3.
The sonnes of Adam do seldom abide with∣out passion, and griefe in those things where∣unto
they come without their will, such as are diseases, infirmities, death and dishonour: for they do not in these kind of things, know the will of God; or if they know it, they hold it for rigorous, and therefore judge themselves enemies of God. That this is true all of us know by some experience. The sonnes of God then are without passion, and griefe in those things whereunto they come against their wills, when knowing the will of God, they reduce themselves to conform themselves with it; in which conformity they find content and satis∣faction in their minds, albeit the flesh feel grief, and affliction, being in that estate wherein it would not be. And it is no marvell, that in them who are such, the flesh should resent it self and be grieved; since it did resent it self, and was grieved in the onely begotten sonne of God Jesus Christ our Lord.
Tho sonnes of Adam do seldome come to the things of piety, by the favour of God; and when they do come, they do not feel it, nor know it, and therefore do not taste it, and not tasting it, they cannot therein find satisfaction. That this is true, they know by experience, who having been the sonnes of Adam, are now the sonnes of God, who do remember themselves of some things unto which they came by the favour of God, they not knowing the favour of God in them, and therefore not tasting it,
nor finding content in them. The sonnes of God come many times by the favour of God to the things of piety; and when they feel it, and know it, then they taste it, and tasting it, they find sa∣tisfaction therein, and they remain with admi∣ration. That this is true, the sonnes of God themselves know by experience, coming to ma∣ny things without their own will, and without designe, without contradiction, and without passion, but properly through the admirable fa∣vour of God; in such sort as they find them∣selves to have a detestation of those things which they formerly loved, and with love of those things which they formerly hated; without knowing by what way, or by what means they are come unto it. This marvellous and favou∣rable work, I understand that God works in hi•• sonnes in this world, opening their eyes to the knowledge of the justice of Christ, which shew∣ing unto them that it appertains to them, make that they abhorre their own proper justificati∣ons and merits, I would say, all that which me•• do pretending to justifie themselves in the sigh•• of God; which they altogether leave, despise and condemn. Opening their eyes to the know∣ledge of his divinity, he draws them to th•• knowledge of themselves, and of the men of th•• world, and so disenamours them of themselves and of the world, and enamours them of him∣self, and of Christ. Opening their eyes to th••
knowledge, that God slaying on the crosse the flesh of Christ, did also slay their flesh, he draws them to the hatred of their own flesh, and makes them such, that resolving themselves vvith them∣selves, they love mortification, and procure it. Opening their eyes to the most happy estate of life eternall, by the consideration of Christ raised, he makes them to hate the present life, and all that is in it, and appertains to it; and so they love eternall life, and despise the present life, and rejoyce to loose it. Finally, alvvayes vvhen God vvould reduce his sonnes to the ha∣tred of an evil thing, he gives them the knovv∣ledge of a good thing. For he knovvs that be∣ing affectionated to the good, they vvill hate the evil much the rather then if he gave unto them the knovvledge of the evil thing it self; as much the rather, and vvith more ease, I should bring my self to hate the vvorldly living, con∣sidering the felicity of the Christian living, then I should do, considering the evil of the vvorld∣ly living onely: Which I understand proceeds from the naturall condition of mans heart, vvhich cannot leave to love something; in such manner, that to reduce it to hate any thing vvhich it loves, it is necessary that there should be some other thing propounded to it, vvhich it may love.
In this discourse I intend Ten principall things.
1. That the sonnes of Adam do not find in any thing certain or firm satisfaction; and that the sonnes of God find it in all things which they do as the sonnes of God.
2. That as then my designe in that which I do by my will, shall be Christian, when I shall endeavour to augment my self in that in which I have begun to enter by the favour of God.
3. That in that which comes unto me con∣trary to my will, albeit the flesh resent it self, and be grieved, the mind is to be contented and sa∣tisfied.
4. That I am come by the favour of God in∣to those things, in which I do not know mine own designe, nor others violence.
5. That God giving unto me the knowledge of spirituall, eternall, and true things; he draws me to the hatred of corporall, temporall, and false things.
6. That through the knowledge of life ever∣lasting, I come to hate the present life.
7. That knowing my self dead on the crosse of Christ, I further my mortification.
8. That attending to the knowledge of God, I come to the knowledge of my self, and of the world, & into hatred of my self, & of the world.
9. That attending to know the righteous∣nesse of Christ I renounce all mine own.
10. That they who do not begin to hate their own righteousnesse, and themselves, and
the world, and the present life, and temporall things, and false; have not as yet begun to be the Sonnes of God, but are as yet the Sonnes of Adam: Forasmuch as in them who begin to be the Sonnes of God, all these hatreds are be∣gun to be felt, unto which they come by as ma∣ny other affections. And Sonnes of God are they, who believing the Gospel stand incorporated in the onely begotten Sonne of God Jesus Christ our Lord.