Of Nature and Grace, Book 2
OF THE FREE GRACE OF GOD. LIBER. II.
OF mans corruption hath bin declared: tuching almighty God, in the Scripturs amongſt other proprieties vttered after the maner of men for the better vnderſtanding, are chiefly ſet foorth his righteouſe iudgements, & gracious mercy. His iudgements pronounced by the Lawe, and executed in his wrath againſt the children of vnbeliefe & diſobediēce: his merciemercy prepared for the elect in his ſon, & publiſhed by the goſpel
This Goſpel & meſſage of the ioyfulleſt tidings that euer were,Luc. 2.10 was imparted firſt to Adam in paradiſe as a preſent remedie, immediatly after his fall, applied to the weaker part affected, by name to Eue. Thy ſeed ſhall bruſe the Serpents head. Gen. 3.15Afterward declared to Abraham. In thy ſeede ſhall all nations be bleſſed. Gen. 12.3Then renued againe in Iſaak, & ſo foreſhewed in the ſacrifices & olde ceremonies, likewiſe inforced by the Law, and foretold by the Prophetes, & in the fulnes of time preſented in the perſon of our Sauiour, & laſtly by his Apoſtles, & ſtill by the worke of the miniſtery (the partitiō wal being takē down) ſpread abrode and ſhed into the eares of all the worlde.
Herein if we make ſearch & diligent enquirie, for the firſt cauſe, and end of this ſo glad a meſſage, wherefore, and to what ende it was made to vsus ſo ſinfull men, we ſhall finde nothing elſe to be the cauſe, but his louelove, and the ende to be mans ſaluation, and his owne glorie, whereof he is a iealouſe God.
The ſinguler louelove of God.In the cauſe which is his onelyonly grace and fauour, if we conſider it aright as it is, we ſhall agnize it, worthely to be the ſinguler louelove of God, Whereby he ſo loued the world, Iohn. 3.16.that he gaue his onelyonly begotten Sonne that whoſoeuer beleeueth in him ſhould not periſh, but hauehave life euer laſting: thus and ſo he loued, as neuer louelove was like, ſo ſtedfaſt without change, ſo ſufficient without want, ſo free without all deſert, which is the point I now ame at altogeather.
To louelove where a man is loued, no great thankes:Luc. 6.32. the gentiles and ſinners doe ſo. The ſtorke will leaue one of hir yong ones to the owner of the houſe where ſhe is permitted to make her neſt, and breede vppe the reſt. But to louelove where pure hatred is rendred for perfite louelove, that is exceſſiue louelove.1. Ioh. 4.19 He loued vsus firſt, and euen then whē we were his enemies.
And becauſe he knoweth the frowardnes of mans peruerſe hart, how lightly we eſteeme of his mercies, and how quickly we preſume of ſuppoſed merites, as if becauſe he loued vsus, therfore he muſt needes louelove vsus for ſome cauſe in vsus firſt, eueryevery where prouiding for the honour of his owne glorie, he maketh continuall mention of his innumerable benefits, & of the roote wheron they grew, which is his louelove, to the end that the mindfulnes of his graces, & thankfulnes for the ſame ſo often required, may bridle preſumption & repreſſe a naturall pride incident to all fleſh.
Is the father beholding to the ſonne, or the ſonne (eſpecially the adopted) to the father?Rom. 8.16. we are all the ſonnes of God not by nature: for by nature were we not all the children of wrath?
Likewiſe doth the infante tender the nourſe, or the nourſe tende the infante? God is he that nurſeth vsus vp, that carieth vsus, as the eagle her yong ones in his armes from our youth vntill our gray heares, as it is in the Prophet.
Againe is not the priſoner bound to his deliuerer,Deut. 32.11. Eſai. 46.4. and not backwarde the deliuerer to the captiue? Who hath deliuered vsus from the bodie of ſinne, but the grace of God through Ieſus Chriſt.
In all the ſtrong and golden chaine of mans ſaluation there is not any one linke made or framed by man himſelfe:Rom. 7.24. Rom. 8.2. whether we conſider the Lordes free choiſe before all worldes, our vocation by the preaching of the word, iuſtification in his ſonne, ſanctification by the ſpirite, or our glorification in his kingdom to come.