of that comfortable provision and gracious strength which should support it in the day of sorrow and leaves it at last to the tempestuous winter-night of death and all those desperate terrours that attend it like a scorched heath-ground without so much as any drop of comfort either from Heaven or earth 2. A second sort worse then the former are such as are so farre from treasuring up in this time of light and mercifull visitation soundnesse of knowledge strength of saith purity of heart clearnesse of coÌ„science holinesse of life assurance of Gods favour contempt of the world many sanctified Sabbaths fervent prayers holy conferences heavenly meditations dayes of humiliation righteous dealings with their Brethren compassionate contributions to the necessities of the Saints workes of iustice mercy and truth a sincere respect to all Gods Commandements a carefull performance of all spirituall Duties a conscionable partaking of all Gods Ordinances a seasonable exercise of every grace hatred of all false wayes an hearty and invincible loue unto God and all things that He loues or any wayes belong unto Him His Word Sacraments Sabbaths Ministers Services Children Presence Corrections Comming c. which are the ordinary provision of Gods people against the evill Day I say they are so farre from prizing and preparing such spirituall store that they hoard up stings scourges and scorpions for their naked soules and guilty consciences against the Day of the Lords visitation I meane lies oathes blasphemies Adulteries whoredomes selfe-pollutions variety of strange fashions gaming 's revellings drunken matches good-fellow meetings wanton dancings usuries falshoods hypocrisies plurality of ill gotten goods Benefices Offices honours filthy iests much idle talke flanderous â—â—les scoffs raylings oppositions to the Holy way c. And that with a cursed greedinesse and delight For they cry One unto another out of a boysterous combination of good fellowship with much eagernesse and roaring Come on therefore Let us fill our selves with costly wine and ointments and let no flower of the Spring passe by us Let us crowne our selves with Rose buds before they be withered Let none of us goe without his part of our voluptuousnesse Let us leave tokens of our pleasure in every place For this is our portion and our lot is this Let us lie in waite for the righteous because hee is not for our turne and be is cleane contrary to our doings c. But alas what will bee the conclusion of all this or rather the horrible confusion Even all their ioviall revellings roaring Outrages and sinfull pleasures which are so sweete in their mouthes and they swallow downe so insatiably shall turne to gravell and the gall of Aspes in their bowels and to fiery enraged scorpions in their consciences Where lurking in the meane time in the mudde of sensuality and lust breede such a never dying worme which if God thinke fit to awake upon their last Bed is able to put them into Hell upon earth to damne them above ground to knaw upon their Soule and flesh with that unheard-of horrour which seizde upon Spir'as woefull heart Who protested being fully in his right minde that Hee would rather be in Cain's or Iudas his place in Hell then endure the present unspeakeable torment of His afflicted spirit To beate them from this bedlam desperate course of greedy hoarding up such horrible things unto themselves against their ending houre Let them consider 1. Besides the eternity of ioyes for the one and of torments to the other hereafter the vast and unvaluable difference in the meane time in respect of true sweetenesse and sound contentment betweene the life of a Saint and a Sensualist a Puritan as the World calls Him and a goodfellow as hee termes Himselfe Let us for the purpose peruse the different passages of one day as Chrysostome excellently delineats them and represents to the life Let us produce two men saith He the one drown'd in carnall loosenesse sensualities and riotous excesse the other crucified and starke dead to such sinfull courses and worldly delights Let us goe to their houses and behold their behaviour We shall find the One reading Scriptures and other good Bookes taking times for holy Duties and the service of God sober temperate abstemious diligent also in the necessary duties of His Calling having holy conference with God discoursing of Heavenly things bearing himselfe liker an Angell then a Man The other joviall a vassall of luxury and ease swaggering up and downe Ale-houses Tavernes or other such conventicles of good fellowship hunting after all the wayes meanes and men to passe the time merrily plying his pleasures with what variety hee can possibly all the day long rayling and roaring as tho He were enraged with a Devill tho He be starke dead while He is alive c. Which is accompanied with murmuring of the family discontent of the wife chiding of friends laughing to scorne of enemies c. Whether of these courses now doe you thinke were the more comfortable I know full well the former would bee cried downe by the greatest part as too precise and the latter would carry it by a world of men but heare the Puritane Fathers impartiall holy censure quite crosse to the common conceite and humour of flesh and blood It is excellent and emphaticall arguing His resolute abomination of the wayes of goodfellowship and infinite love and admiration of the holy Path. Having given to the Goodfellow His hearts desire all the day long in all kindes of voluptuousnesse and delight yet for all this Who is he saith He that is in his right minde and hath His braines in His head that would not chuse rather to die a thousand deaths then spend but one day so This peremptory passage would bee holden a strange Paradoxe from the mouth of any moderne Minister and so appeares to the carnall apprehension of all those miserable men who are blindfolded and baffled by the Devill to the eternal losse of their Soules But besides that it might bee made good many other wayes it is more then manifest by comparing that threefold sting that dogs every sinfull delight at the heeles c. See my Booke of Walking with God pag. 17â— with the comfortable contentment and secret sweetenesse which might and should attend all well-doing and every holy duty done with uprightnesse of heart The very Philosophers doe tell us of a congratulation a pleasing contentednesse and satisfaction in doing vertuously according to their morall Rules What true solid and singular comfort then doe you thinke may bee found in those godly actions which spring from faith are guided by Gods Word directed to his glory and whose bewailed defects and failings are most certainely pardoned by the bloud of his Son Now what an extreme madnesse is this for a Man to sell His salvation for a life of pleasures abhorring the wayes of Gods Childe as too precise and painefull whereas besides Hell for the one and Heaven for the
of voluptuousnesse shalt most certainely very shortly lie upon thy Bed of death like a wilde bull in a net full of the fury of the Lord either sealing thee up finally in the desperate senselessenesse of thine owne dead heart with the spirit of slumber for everlasting vengeance even at the doore or else exemplarily enraging thy guilty conscience upon that thy last bed with hellish horrour even before hand For ordinarily the more notorious servants of Satan and Slaves of lust depart this life either like Nabal or Iudas Tho more by many thousands die like hard-hearted sots in security then in despaire of conscience If it bee so with thee then that thine heart when thou shalt have received the sentence of death against thy selfe die within thee as Naballs And most commonly saith a worthy Devine Conscience in many is secure at the time of death God in his iustice so plaguing an affected security in life with an inflicted security at death I say then thou wilt become as a stone most prodigiously blockish as tho there were no immortalitie of the Soule no losse of eternall blisse no Tribunall in Heaven no account to bee made after this life no burning in Hell for ever Which will make the never-dying fire more scorching and the ever-living worme more stinging by how much thou wast more senselesse and fearelesse of that fiery lake into which thou wast ready to fall Death it selfe saith the same Man cannot awaken some consciences but no sooner come they into hell but conscience is awakened to the full never to sleepe more and then she teareth with implacable fury and teacheth forlorne wretches to know that forbearance was no payment But if it please God to take the other course with thee and to let loose the cord of thy conscience upon thy dying Bed thou wilt be strangled even with Hellish horrour upon earth and damned above ground That Worme of Hell which is a continuall remorse and furious reflexion of the Soule upon its owne willfull folly whereby it hath lost everlasting ioyes and must now lie in endlesse easelesse and remedilesse torments is set on worke whilest thou art yet alive and with desperate rage and unspeakeable anguish will feede upon thy Soule and flesh The least twitch whereof not all the pleasures of ten thousand Worlds would ever bee able to countervaile For as the peace of a good so the pangs of a guilty conscience are unspeakable So that at that time thou maist iustly take unto thy selfe Pashur's terrible name Magor-Missabib Feare round about Thou wilt be a terrour to thy selfe and to all thy friends And that which in this wofull case will sting extremely No friends nor Physicke no gould nor silver no height of place nor favour of Prince not the glory and pleasures of the whole World not the crownes and command of all earthly kingdomes c. can possibly give any comfort deliverance or ease For when that time and terrour hath overtaken thee which is threatned Prou. 1.24 Et seq Because I have called and yee refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded But yee have set aâ— naught all my counsell and would none of my reproofe I also will laugh at your calamity and will mocke when your feare commeth When your feare commeth as desolation and your destruction commeth as a Whirlewinde when distresse and anguish commeth upon you Then shall they call upon Me but I will not answere they shall seeke mee earely but they shall not finde mee for that they hated knowledge and did not chuse the feare of the Lord. They would none of my counsell they despised all my reproofe Therefore shall they eate the fruitâ— of their owne way and be filled with their owne devises I say when this terrible time is come upon thee then will the mighty Lord of Heaven and earth come against thee as a Beare that is bereaved of her whelpes and will rent the caule of thy heart and will devoure thee like a Lion He will come with fire and with His charets like a Whirle-winde to render His anger with fury and His rebuke with flames of fire All his terrours at that houre will fight against Thee and that unâ—quenchable anger that burnes to the very bottome of Hell and sets on fire the foundations of the mountaines The empoysoned arrowes of His fiercest indignation shall be drunke with the bloud of thy Soule and sticke fast in it for ever In a word the fearefull armies of all the plagues and curses sorrowes and un-sufferable paines denounc'd in Gods Booke against finall Impenitents shall with un-resistable violence take hold upon thee at once and pursue thee with that fury which thou shalt never bee able either to avoide or abide And who is able to stand before this holy Lord God who can abide in His sight when He is angry who can deliver out of His hand what man or Angell what arme of flesh or force of Armes what creature or created power what Cherub or which of the Seraphins is able to free a guilty conscience from the ever-knawing Worme and an impenitent wretch from eternal flames Oh Me thinkes a sensible fore-thought of these horrible things even at hand should make the hardest heart of the most abominable Behall to tremble at the roote and fall asunder in His brest like drops of water To haue his end in his eye and seriously to remember the tribulation and anguish that shall shortly come upon His Soule the affliction the Worme wood and the gall should fright and fire Him out of all His filthy gracelesse good-fellow courses 3. Thirdly Let them consider what horrour it will bee in evill times I meane not onely at death and the last Day which are the most terrible of all but also In times of disgrace and contempt of common feare and confusions of the state of sickenesse crosses restraint banishment temptations or any other dayes of sorrow I say at such times to finde in stead of peace fiery scorpions in their consciences innumerable sins graven there with an iron pen un-repented of Heare how excellently Austin foretels forewarnes them into what a forlorne and fearefull state they shall most certainely fall when after a short gleame of worldly glory they fall into tempestuous and troublesome times Of all afflictions incident to the Soule of man there is none more grievous and transcendent then to have the Conscience enraged with the guilt of sinne If there bee no wound there if all bee safe and sound within if that bird of the bosome sing sweetely in a Mâ—â—s brest it is no matter what miseries be abroad in the World what stormes or 〈◊〉 be raised against Him What arme of flesh or rage of foes beset Him rouâ—d For Hee in this are hath presently recourse unto His conscience the safest Sanctuary and Paradise of sweetest repose and finding that sprinkled with the bloud of the Lambe filled with abundance of peace
penitently and resoluedly to bee reformed if Hee recover and yet His sorrow of minde but such onely as the terrours of an awaked guilty conscience produce and His resolution to cast away His sinnes onely such as a man hath in a storme to cast away His goods not because hee doth not love them but because hee feareth to loose his life if hee part not with them Or a meere civill Man or formall Professour may upon His Bed of death bee very confident and seeme to bee full of comfort and yet that confidence no other then the strong imaginary ioyfull conceit of a covetous man grasping a great deale of gold in his dreame but when Hee awaketh behold his hands are empty For a more full and cleare apprehension of my meaning and iudgement in the Point let us take a survay of the different and severall kinds of death which ordinarily befall the Godly and the wicked The death of Gods Children are divers 1. Some of their holy and zealous lives doe determine and expire sweetly fairely and gloriously even like a cleare Sunne in a Summers evening without any storme or cloud of temptation and discomfort The darkesome and painefull passages and pangs of death are illightened and sweetned with the shining beames of Gods glorious presence and fast embracement of Iesus Christ in the armes of their Faith So that to them the very ioyes of Heaven and exultations of everlasting rest mingle themselues with those last agonies and expirations of death Their heads are as it were crowned with immortality and endlesse peace upon their beds of death Luther that blessed Man of God died sweetly and triumphantly over Hell the Pope and the Divell My heavenly Father said Hee at his death eternall and mercifull God thou hast manifested unto me thy deare Son our Lord Iesus Christ. I have taught him I have knowne him I love him as my life my health and my redemption whom the wicked have persecâ—â—ed maligned and with iniury afflicted Draw my Soule to Thee After this Hee said as insued thrice I commend my spirit into thine hands thou hast redeemed mee O God of truth God so loved the world that hee gave his onely Sonne that all that beleeve in Him should have life everlasting Ioh. 3. Heare how another blessed Saint of God ended his dayes Having the day before hee died continued his meditation and exposition vpon Rom. 8. for the space of two houres or more on the sudden Hee said O stay your reading What brightnesse is this I see Have you light up any candles To which I answered No It is the Sun-shine for it was about five a clocke in a cleare Summers evening Sun-shine saith Hee nay my Saviour-shine Now farewell world welcome heaven The Day-starre from on high hath visited my heart O speake it when I am gone and preach it at my Funerall God dealeth familiarly with man I feele his mercy I see his Maiesty whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God hee knoweth but I see things that are un-utterable So ravished in spirit Hee roamed toward heaven with a chearefull looke and soft sweete voyce but what Hee said wee could not conceive With the Sunne in the morning following raising himselfe as Iacob did upon his staffe hee shut up his blessed life with these blessed words O what an happy change shall I make From night to day From darkenesse to light From death to life From sorrow to solace From a factious world to an heavenly beeing O my deare brethren sisters and friends It pittieth mee to leave you behind yet remember my death when I am gone and what I now feele I hope you shall finde ere you die that God doth and will deale familiarly with men And now thou fiery Chariot that came downe to feth up Eliah carry mee to my happy Hold And all yee blessed Angels who attended the Soule of Lazarus to bring it up to heaven beare mee O beare mee into the bosome of my Best beloved Amen Amen come Lord Iesus come quickly And so hee fell asleepe That this is true the reporter and By-stander that ancient learned reverend Minister of God Master Leygh addeth I say the truth my Brethren I lie not my conscience bearing mee witnesse in the holy Ghost c. 2. Others may end their dayes very uncomfortably in ravings impatiencies and other strange behaviours Nay the fiery distempers of their hot diseases may sometimes even in the Saints of God produce furlous carriages fearefull distractions and some despairefull speeches But these being the naturall effects and issues of melancholike excesses Phrensies and burning Fevers are sins of infirmity in sanctified men For which if they come againe to themselves they actually repent if not they are all undoubtedly by a generall habituall repentance and Gods gratious acceptation thereof pardoned by the Passion of Christ and buried for ever in his bloody death That last and unreversable doome at the dreadfull Tribunall of the ever-living God must passe upon us not according to the violent and unvoluntary distempers at our last houre but according to the former Passages of our life the sinfull or sanctified expense of the daies of health Heare that other great Artist in the Mysterie of dealing with trouble consciences The common opinion is that if a man die quietly and goe away like a Lambe which in some diseases as consumptions and such like any Man may doe then hee goes straight to heaven but if the violence of the disease stirre up impatience and cause franticke behaviours then men use to say there is a judgement of God serving either to discover an Hypocrite or to plague a wicked man But the truth is otherwise For indeede a man may die like a lambe and yet goe to Hell and one dying in exceeding torments and strange behauiours of the body may goe to heaven 3. The death of some others is mixt to wit of fearefull tempestuous stormes and almost if not altogether despairefull agonies in the beginning of their last sicknesse and a faire refreshing glorious calme and ioyfull triumphs over temptations and feare towards the conclusion of their life For some secret end and holy purpose seeming good to his heavenly wisedome God suffers sometimes even his dearest servants to taste as it were of the fire of Hell and for a while to feele in their consciences those damned flames as a preparative to drinke more sweetly of the Well of life and Rivers of endlesse pleasures So himselfe is most honoured by helping when all hope is past The heart of his Child more ravisht with the first sight of those un-utterable joyes beeing suddenly rais'd to the height of happinesse from the depth of horrour The enemies to the narrow way dasht and confounded by observing his deliverance whom out of prophane blindnesse they deemed an Hypocrite Godly Christians gratiously reviv'd when they see That tho the Lord hide His face from his Childe for a moment yet
at last with everlasting kindnesse will Hee have mercy on Him And that Hee will never utterly and finally forsake any of His. Thus died those blessed Servants of God Mistris Bretergh Master Peacock c. Mistris Bretergh in the heate of temptatioÌ„ wished that she had never bin borne or that she had bin made any other creature rather then a woman But when that Hellish storme was over-blowne by the returne of the glorious beames of the Sun of righteousnesse into Her Soule She turnd her tune and triumphed thus Oh happy am I that ever I was borne to see this blessed Day I confesse before the Lord his loving kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sons of men For hee hath satisfied my Soule and filled my hungry Soule with goodnesse Master Peacocke in the height of His dreadfull Desertion told those about Him that hee converst with Hell-â—ounds That the Lord had cursed him That Hee had no grace That it was against the course of Gods proceeding to save Him c. But when that horrible tempest of spirituall terrours was happily disperst and the light of Gods comfortable countenance begun to shine againe upon His most heavy and afflicted spirit Hee dis-avowed all inconsiderate speeches as hee called them in his temptation and did humbly and heartily aske mercy of God for them all And did thus triumph What should I extoll the magnificence of God which is unspeakeable and more then any heart can conceive Nay rather let us with humble reverence acknowledge His great mercy What great cause have I to magnifie the great goodnesse of God that hath humbled Nay rather exalted such a wretched miscreant of so base condition to an estate so glorious and stately The Lord hath honored mee with his goodnesse I am sure hee hath provided a glorious Kingdome for mee The joy which I feele in my heart is uncredible 4. Some of Gods worthiest Champions and most zealous servants doe not answere the unreprooveable sanctity of their life and unspotted current of their former conversation with those proportionable extraordinary comforts and glorious Passages upon their beds of death which in ordinary congruity might be expected as a conuenient conclusion to the rare and remarkeable Christian cariages of such blessed Saints So bottomlesse and infinitely un-fathomable by the utmost of all created vnderstandings are the depths of Gods most holy waies and His inscrutable Counsells quite contrary many times to the probable conclusions of Man's best wisdome But every one of His sith he certainly passes thorow those pangs into pleasures and joyes endlesse and unspeakeable must be content to glorifie God to be seruiceable to His secret ends with what kinde of death Hee please whether it bee glorious and untempted or discomfortable because of Bodily distempers and consequently interpretable by undiscerning spirits or mingled of temptations and Triumphs or ordinary and without any great shew or remarkeable speeches after extraordinary singularities of an holy life which promised an end of speciall note and admiration Why may not some worthy heavenly-minded Christians sometimes by strong mortifying meditations and many conquering fore-conceits of death in their life time make it before-hand so familiar and easie unto them an by continuall conversing above and constant peace of conscience taste so deepely of spirituall ioyes that that dreadfull Passage out of this life as it may breede no great sense of alteration in themselves so no extraordinary matter of speciall observation to others Of the wicked and those who were ever strangers to the mystery of Christ and truth of godlinesse Some die desperately Tho thousands perish by presumption to One of these who despaire yet some there are to whom upon their beds of death all their sins are set in order before them and represented to the eie of their awaked consciences in such griesly formes and so terribly that at the very first and fearefull sight they are presently struck starke dead in soule and spirit utterly over-whelmed and quite swallowed up with guilty and desperate horrour So that afterward No counsell or comfort no consideration of the immeasurablenesse of Gods mercy of the unvaluablenesse and omnipotency that I may so speak of Christs bloud shed of the variety excellency of gracious promises of the losse of their owne immortall soules can possibly drive and divert from that infinitely false conceite and cursed Cry My sinnes are greater then can bee pardoned Whereupon most miserable and forlorne wretches they very wickedly and willfully throw themselves into Hell as it were upon earth and are damned above ground Thus the Lord sometimes for the terror of others glorifying his owne iustice bringing exemplary confusion upon impenitent obstinacy in sinne and willfull opposition to grace doth in greatest indignation by the hand of divine vengeance unclaspe unto them the Booke of their owne Conscience and of His owne holy Law In one of which they find now at length all their innumerable iniquities transgressions and sinnes engraven with the Point of a diamond enraged with Gods implacable wrath aggravated with the utmost malice of Satan And never to bee razed out or remitted but by the bloud of the Son of God in which they peremptorily professe themselves to have no part In the other they see the fiercenes and fulnesse of all the curses plagues and torments denounced there and due unto all impenitent sinners ready to bee poured upon their bodies and soules for ever And no possibility to prevent them no waies to decline them but by Gods infinite bounty thorow Iesus Christ in which they also utterly disclaime all right and interest And therefore they are now finally and desperately resolved to looke for no mercy But in their owne judgement and by their owne confession stand reprobates from Gods covenant and voide of all hope of His inheritance expecting with unspeakeable terrour and amazement of spirit the consummation of their miserie and fearefull sentence of eternall damnation They are commonly such as have been grosse Hypocrites like Iudas and lien in some secret abomination against the knowledge of their hearts all their life long that have followed still their owne sensuall wayes and course of the world against the light of the Ministry standing like an armed man in their consciences to the contrary who have been Scorners and Persecutours of the power of godlinesse and the good way who have abjured the Gospell of Iesus Christ and forsaken the Truth for honour wealth or worldly happinesse To whom the Lord in their life-time vouchsafed many mercies much prosperity great meanes of salvation long forbearance c. And yet they stood out still they still hated to bee reformed set as naught all His counsell and would 〈◊〉 of His â—â— proofe Wherefore the Day of gratious visitation beeing once expired a thousand Worlds will not purchase it againe Heaven and Earth cannot recall it No mercy no comfort no blessing can then bee had tho they seeke it with teares
for his soule untill his last sicknes should for that sin alone bee snatcht out of the world in great anger even suddenly so that there bee scarce a moment betwixt the height of His temporall happinesse and depth of his spirituall misery That His foolish hope may bee frustrated and His vaine purpose come to nothing Hee may bee cut off as the Top of an care of corne and put out like a candle when hee least thinkes of death and dreames of nothing lesse then departure from His earthly Paradise They are exalted for a little while saith Iob but are gone and brought low they are taken out of the way as all other and cut off as the tops of the eares of corne Fifthly a long continued custome is not woont to bee shaken off in an instant Is it like that a Blackamore should change his skinne and a Leopard his spots in three or foure dayes which they have contracted in forty or threescore yeeres Therefore I marvell that any should bee so blindfolded and baffeld by the Divell as to embolden Himselfe to drive off untill the last by that Place before Confession At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sinne from the bottome of his heart I will put all his wicked out of my remembrance saith the Lord Especially if Hee looke upon the Text from whence it is taken which Mee-thinkes beeing rightly understood and the conditions well considered is most punctuall and precise to fright any from that desperate folly The words runne thus Ezech. 18.21.22 But if the wicked will turne from all his sinnes which hee hath committed and keepe all my Statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right hee shall surely live hee shall not die All his transgressions c. Hence it appeares that if any man expect upon good ground any portion in this pretious promise of mercy and grace Hee must leave all his sinnes and keepe all Gods Statutes Now how performest thou the condition of leaving all thy sinnes when as in this last extremity having received the sentence of death against thy selfe Thy sinnes leave Thee and not Thou thy sinnes that I may speake in the Phrase of an ancient Father And what space is left to come to comfort by keeping all Gods Statutes when thou art presently to passe to that highest and dreadfull Tribunall to give an exact and strickt account for the continual breach of all Gods Lawes all thy life long Sixthly many seeme to bee passingly penitent and promise exceeding faire in the evill day and upon their sicke Beds who beeing recovered and restored to their former state are the very same they were before if not worse I never knew nor heard of any un-wrought upon under conscionable meanes who after recovery performed the vowes and promises of a new life which Hee made in his sicknesse and times of extremity For if Hee will not bee mooved with the Ministry God will never give that honour unto a crosse to doe the deede Nay Father Abraham saith the rich Glutton but if one went unto them from the dead they will repent And hee said unto him If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neither will they bee perswaded the one rose from the dead Luke 16.30.31 It would amaze thee much if one of thy good-fellow companions should now rise from the dead and tell thee that Hee who was thy Brother in iniquity is now in Hell and if thou follow the same sensuall courses still thou must shortly most certainely follow Him to the Place of torment And yet even this would not worke at all if thou bee a despiser of the Word It may bee while the dead Man stood by Thee Thou wouldst be extraordinarily mooved and promise much but no sooner should He bee in His Grave but thou wouldst bee as gracelesse as thou wast before Seventhly what wise man seeing a fellow who never gave his name to religion in his life time now only troubled about sinne when hee is sure Hee must die will not suspect it to be wholly slavish and extorted for feare of Hell My sentence is saith Greenham that a man lying now at the Point of death having the snares of death upon him in that straite of feare and paine may have a sorrow for His life past but because the weakenesse of flesh and the bitternesse of death doth most commonly procure it wee ought to suspect c. Eighthly painefull distempers of body are wont to weaken much and hinder the activenes and freedome of the Soules operations nay sometimes to distract and utterly over-throw them Many even of much knowledge grace and good life by reason of the damp and deadnesse which at that time the extremity and anguish of their disease brings upon their spirits are able to doe no great matter if anything at all either in meditation or expression How then doest thou thinke to passe thorow the incomparably greatest worke that ever the Soule of Man was acquainted with in this life I meane the new-birth at the Point of death It is a wofull thing to have much worke to doe when the power of working is almost done When wee are come to the very last cast our strength is gone our spirits cleane spent our senses appalled and the powers of our Soules as numbe as our senses when there is a generall prostration of all our powers and the shadow of death upon our eyes then something wee would say or doe which should doe our Soules good But alas How should it then bee 3. When the spirituall Physition powres the baulme of mercy and oyle of comfort into a wounded conscience 1. Too soone The Surgeon that heales up a dangerous Sore and drawes a skinne over it before His corrosives have consumed the dead flesh before Hee hath opened it with his Tents ransackt it to the roote and rent out the Core is so farre from pleasuring that hee procures a great deale of misery to His Patient For the rotten matter that remaines behind will in the meane time rankle and fester underneath and at length breake out againe perhaps both with more extremity of anguish and difficulty of cure They are but Mountebankes as they call them Smatterers in Physicke and Surgery upon the matter but plaine Cheaters and Couseners who are so ready and resolute for extemporary and palliate Cures Sudden recoveries from rooted and old distempers are rarely sound If it be thus in bodily Cures what a deale doe you thinke of extraordinary discretion heavenly wisedome precise and punctuall ponderation of circumstances well-advised and seasonable leasure both speculative and experimentall skill heartiest ejaculations wrastlings with God by Prayer for a blessing is very convenient and needfull for a true and right methode in healing a wounded conscience Which doth passe immeasurably all other maladies both in exquisitenesse of paine tendernesse of touch deceitfulnesse of Depth and in highest and greatest consequence either for the
advise with any that is able or likely to leade him by a wise and discreet hand to a well-grounded comfort and refreshment And resolveth greedily what-ever the prescription and direction bee to give way unto it most willingly in his performance and practise And the people asked him saying What shall wee doe then Then came also Publicans to be baptized and said unto Him Master what shall wee doe And the Souldiers likewise demanded of him saying And what shall wee doe Thus were Iohns hearers affected Luk. 3.10 12 14. beeing afflicted with the piercing passages of Iohns thundring Sermon Men and brethren what shall wee doe say the Penitent Iewes pricked in their hearts Acts. 2.37 The Iaylour Acts 16.30 came trembling and fell downe before Paul and Silas and said Sirs what must I doe to bee saved As if they had said Prescribe and enioyne what you will bee it never so harsh and distastefull to flesh and blood never so crosse and contrary to carnall reason profit pleasure preferment acceptation with the world ease liberty life c. having warrant out of the Word wee are resolved and ready to doe it Onely informe us first how to partake and bee assured of the person and passion of Iesus Christ how to have the angry face of our blessed God to whom wee have continued Rebels so long turned into calmnesse and favour unto us But now a Cast-away and Alien thus legally terrified and under wrath for sinne is never wont to come to this earnestnesse of care eagernesse of resolution stedfastnesse of endeavour willingnesse upon any termes to abandon utterly all His old wayes and to embrace new strict and holy courses These things appeare unto Him terrible Puritanicall and intolerable He commonly in such cases hath recourse for ease and remedy to worldly comforts and the arme of flesh He labours to relieve his heavy heart by a strong and serious casting his minde and nestling his conceit upon his riches gold greatnesse great friends credit amongst Men and such other transitory delights and fading flowers of His fooles Paradise For Hee is at a Point and resolute with a sensuall impenitent obstinacy not to passe forward thorow the Pangs of the New-birth by repentance and sanctification into the holy Trade of new-obedience lest Hee should as out of a foolish and phranticke basenesse Hee is apt to feare bee engaged and enchained as it were to too much stricknesse precisenesse holinesse of life communion with Gods people and opposition to good fellowship 2. Hee that is savingly-wounded with Legall terrour is wont in cold blood and being something come to Himselfe to entertaine the very same conceit or rather mingled with a great deale more reverence affectionatenesse and love as farre as the life of an immortall Soule doth surpasse in dearenesse and excellency the cure of a fraile and earthy body of that Man of God which by a right managing the edge of his spirituall sword hath pierced his heart scorched his conscience and bruised his spirit I say the same in proportion which a wise and thankefull Patient would have of that faithfull Surgeon which hath seasonably and thorowly launced some deepe and dangerous Sore which otherwise would have been his death Vpon the search and discovery Hee clearely sees and acknowledgeth that had not that holy incision been made into his rotten and ulcerous heart it had cost him the eternall life of his Soule But now the Alien put out of his sensuall humour with horrour of conscience is ordinarily transported with much ragefull discontentment against the powerfull Ministery of Gods paineful Messengers who put Him to such torture by troubling Him for sinne and frighting Him with Hell And thereupon cries out against them at least with secret indignation and fretting as the Divels did against Christ Why doe you thus torment us before the time 3. Aliens in such cases entertaine no other thought and cast about for no other comfort at all but onely how they may recover their former quietnesse of mind carnall ease and freedome from present terrour But hee that is fitting by the spirit of bondage for Faith and the fellowship of the Saints will never by any meanes whatsoever come of Him relapse to his wouted sensuall security Nay of the two Hee will rather lie still upon the Racke waiting for the Lord Iesus all the dayes of his life then to returne any more unto foolishnesse or hunt againe after any contentment in the miserable pleasures of good fellowship 4. That Messenger an Interpreter One among a thousand who in such a case can seasonably and soundly declare unto a savingly-wounded Soule His righteousnesse assure Him it was Christ Iesus onely businesse in comming from Heaven to disburden all that labour and are heavy laden and ease such trembling hearts c. I say such a blessed Man of God to such a broken heart is for ever after most deare and welcome His secte are beautifull in his eye every time Hee comes neere Him Comfort of so high a nature in extremity of such horrible consequence doth infinitely and endlesly endeare the delivered Soule to such an heavenly Doctour But Aliens commonly make no great account of godly Ministers any longer then they have present need of them and that trouble of minde makes them Melancholike and without mirth They seeme to reverence them while from their generall discourses of mercy and Gods free grace of mercifull invitations to Christ and certainty of acceptation if they will come in c. They sucke into their false hearts before the time and truth of humiliation some superficiall glimmerings and flashes of comfort and cooling But if once the heate of their guilty rage begin to asswage and they find againe some ease from their former terrours and wonted rellish in earthly delights they turne such holy men out of their hearts cast them out of their consciences and hold no higher or further conceit of them then of other and ordinary men if they forbeare to persecute them with thoughts of disdaine and contempt 5. The true Penitent having smarted under the sense of divine wrath and frighted with the flames of horrour for sinne doth grow fearefull for ever after to offend and with much gracious care dreads that consuming fire But the Alien while hee is upon the Râ—cke indeede and hath the hainousnesse of his sinnes and Hell freshly in His eie will easily make many glorious protestations and promises what a rare and resolute Convert Hee will become upon his recovery But if once the storme bee over-blowne Gods hand withdrawne and his painefull conscience cast againe into a deade sleepe by the power or rather poison of some sensuall receit Hee performes just nothing But like a filthy swine wallowes againe in the mire and mud of earthlinesse and carnality and againe with the beastly dog returnes unto and resumes his vomit 6. Hee that hath savingly passed thorow the Pangs of such spirituall afflictions is wont to bee very kindlily affected
with that pretious blood of His c. 6. It is growing from appetite to endeavour from endeavour to action from action to habite from habite to some comfortable perfection and tallnesse in Christ. If it bee quite quencht and extingvished when the spirituall angvish and agony is over or stand at a stay never transcending the nature of a naked wish it is to bee reputed rootelesse heartlesse gracelesse There are Christians that lie as yet as it were strugling in the wombe of the Church who for a time at the least live spiritually onely by grievings and groanes by hearty desires eager longings affectionate stirrings of spirit c. There are also Babes in Christ young men in Christ strong men in Christ old Christians A perpetuall infancy argues a nullity of sound and saving Christianity The Childe that never passeth the stature and state of an Infant will proove a Monster Hee that growes not by the syncere milke of the Word is a true Changeling not truly changed Hee that rests with contentment upon a desire onely of good things never desired them savingly But here lest any tender conscience bee unnecessarily troubled I must confesse It is not so growing as I have said or not so sensibly at certaine times as while the pangs of the New-birth are upon us in times of desertion temptation c. Tho even then it growes in an holy impatiency restlesnesse longing c. Which is well-pleasing unto the Father of mercies in the meane time and which Hee accepts graciously untill Hee give more strength The Point thus cleared is very sweet and soveraigne but so that no carnall Man must come neere it no stranger meddle with it much lesse Swine trample upon it It is a Iewell for the true-hearted Nathanaels wearing alone Nay the Christian himselfe in the time of his Soules health height of feeling and flourishing of His Faith must hold off His hand Onely let Him keepe it fresh and orient in the Cabinet of His memory as a very rich Pearle against the Day of spirituall distresse As pretious and cordiall waters are to bee given onely in swounings faintings and defection of the spirits so this delicious Manna is to bee ministred specially and to bee made use of in the straits and extremities of the Soule At such times and in such Cases as these In 1. The strugglings of the New-birth 2. Spirituall Desertions 3. Strong temptations 4. Extraordinary troubles upon our last Bed 1. For the first When thou art once come so farre as I intimated before To wit that after a thorow conviction of sinne and sound humiliation under Gods mighty hand upon a timely and seasonable revelation of the glorious Mystery of Christ His excellencies invitations His truth tender-heartednesse c. For the desire I speake of is an effect and affection wrought ever immediately by the Gospell alone I say when in this Case thine heart is filled with vehement longings after the Lord of life If thou bee able to say with David My soule thirsteth after thee as a thirstie Land If thou feele in thy selfe an hearty hunger and thirst after the favour of God that Fountaine opened for sinne and for uncleannesse and fellow-ship with Christ Assuredly then the Well of life is already opened unto thee by the hand of thy faithfull Redeemer and in due time thou shalt drink thy fill He that is Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End the eternall and unchangeable God hath promised it And amid the sorrowes of thy trembling heart and longings of thy thirsty soule thou mayst even challenge it at His hands with an humble sober and zealous confidence As did that Scottish Penitent a little before his Execution Hee freely confessed his fault to the shame as Hee said of Himselfe and to the shame of the Divell but to the glory of God Hee acknowledged it to bee so hainous and horrible that had hee a thousand lives and could he die ten thousand deaths Hee could not make satisfaction Notwithstanding said hee Lord thou hast left mee this comfort in thy Word that thou hast said Come unto mee all ye that are weary and laden and I will refresh you Lord I am weary Lord I am heavily laden with my sinnes which are innumerable I am ready to sinke Lord even to Hell without thou in thy mercy put to thine hand and deliver mee Lord thou hast promised by thine owne word out of thine owne mouth that thou wilt refresh the weary soule And with that Hee thrusts out one of his hands and reaching as high as Hee could with a louder voyce and a strained cryed I challenge thee Lord by that Word and by that Promise which thou hast made that thou performe and make it good unto mee that call for ease and mercy at thine hands c. Proportionably when heavy-heartednesse for sinne hath so dryed up thy bones and the angry countenance of God so parched thine heart that thy poore soule begins to gaspe for grace as the thirsty Land for drops of raine thou mayst tho dust and ashes with an holy humility thus speake unto thy gracious God O mercifull Lord God thou art Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end Thou sayest It is done of things that are yet to come so faithfull and true are thy decrees and promises And thou hast promised by thine owne word out of thine owne mouth that unto Him that is athirst thou wilt give of the Fountaine of the water of life freely O Lord I thirst I faint I langvish I long for one drop of mercy As the Hart panteth for the water brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God and after the yerning bowels of thy woonted compassions Had I now in possession the glory the wealth and the pleasures of the whole World Nay had I ten thousand lives ioyfully would I lay them all downe and part with them to have this poore trembling soule of mine received into the bleeding armes of my blessed Redeemer O Lord and thou onely knowest it my spirit within me is melted into teares of blood my heart is shivered into peeces Out of the very place of Dragons and shaddow of death doe I lift up my thoughts heavy and sad before Thee the remembrance of my former vanities and pollutions is a very vomite to my soule and it is full sorely wounded with the grievous representation thereof The very flames of Hell Lord the fury of thy just wrath the scorchings of mine owne conscience have so wasted and parched mine heart that my thirst is insatiable My bowels are hot within mee my desire after Iesus Christ pardon and grace is greedy as the grave the coles thereof are coles of fire which hath a most vehement flame And Lord in thy blessed Booke thou calls and cries Ho every One that thirsteth come yee to the waters c. In that great day of the Feast Thou stood'st and cryed'st with thine owne mouth saying
flames of the raging fire over the roaring furie of the most hungry Lions over the varietie and extremitie of exquisitest tortures temptations persecutions all outward miseries euen over cruell mockings It unresistably beares downe or blowes up the strongest Bulwarkes and thickest walles puts to flight the mightiest Armies and conquers the most invincible Kingdomes And when all is done Oh blessed Faith at the very last and deadliest lift she triumphantly sets her foote upon the necke of the Prince of terrors I meane death the last and worst the end and summe of all feared evills And even in the middest of those dying and dreadfull pangs beares a glorious part with Iesus Christ the Conquerour in that sweetest Song of victory O death where is thy sting In a word it can doe all things All things are possible to him that beleeveth Fifthly and lastly and in a word Grace in its owne nature being the most glorious Creature of the Father of liâ—hts and flowing as it were more immediately and sweetly from his blessed face is of such a divine invincible and lightsome temper and hath such an anti-patheticall vigour and ability against all spirituall darkenesse and dampes whether of affliction temptation troublesome confusions of the times the valley of the shadow of death the Grave Hell it selfe that it is ever able either to dispell it or dissolve it or support it selfe strongly and triumphantly even in the midst of it Suppose a soule beautified with Grace to be seated if it were possible in the very center of that hellish Kingdome yet would it by its Heavenly strength and glory in despite of all infernall powers keepe off at some distance all the darkenesse torments and horrour of that damned place Whence it is that it is so often in the holy Scriptures compared to light Now what power and prevalent antipathy our ordinary light doth exercise against his most abhorred Opposite darkenesse you well know and it is elegantly and punctually for my purpose expressed by One in this manner We see and prove saith he by dayly experience how powerfull and dreadfull a thing the darkenesse of the night is For when it falleth it covereth and muffleth up the face of the whole world It obscureth and hideth the hue and the fashion of all creatures It bindeth up all hands and breaketh off all imployments The night commeth saith our Sauiour wherein we cannot worke It arresteth and keepeth captive all living wights men and beasts that they must be still and rest there where it arresteth them yea it maketh them fearefull and faint-hearted full of fancies and much subiect to frights It is of all others such a powerfull and unconquerable Tyrant as no man is able to withstand And yet neverthelesse it is not of that might that it is able to overwhelme or to quench the least light in the World For we see the darken the night is the clearer the Starres shine Yea the least candles light that is lighted withstandeth the whole night and not onely suffereth not the darkenesse to cover or to smoother and oppresse it but it giveth light also even in the middest of the darkenesse and beateth it backe for some space and distance on every side of it so that which way soever it is borne or wheresoever it commeth there must darkenesse depart and give place unto the light all the power and the dreadfulnesse of it cannot helpe or prevaile ought against it And tho the light be so weake that it cannot cast light farre about or drive the darkenesse farre from it as in the sparke of an hot coale yet cannot the darknesse cover or conceale and much lesse quench it but it giveth light to it selfe alone at least so that it may be seene a farre off in the darke and it remaineth unconquered of the darke tho it cannot helpe other things nor give light unto them Yea that which is yet more wonderfull a rotten shining peece of wood which hâ—th the faintest light that can be found yet remaineth invincible of all the power of darkenesse and the more it is compassed about with darkenâ—sse the clearer light it giveth So little is darkenesse able to overcome or kâ—epe downe anâ— light but that it ruleth and vanquisheth and expelleth the darkâ—nâ—ssâ— which else overwhelmeth and â—â—areth and fettereth and putteth all things in feare Now if this naturall light be so powâ—â—full and so able to prevaile against the darkenesse of the night why should not that spirituall Light that Gods Spirit doth kindle and set up in the hearts of Gods Children be able to afford them light in darkenesse and to minister sound ioy and sweete comfort unto them in the very midst of their heaviest and most hideous afflictions Assuredly it must needes be unconquerably able with farre greater power and in an higher proportion For our visible light doth spring but from a finite and materiall Fountaine the Sunne it selfe a creature but the Spirituall light I speake of flowes immediately from the glorious face of the onely true incomprehensible and eternall Light the Sunnes creatour who dwelleth in the light that no man can approach unto and is an everlasting well-spring of all Life and Light which it doth so farre represent and resemble in Divine excellencie and mightinesse that it thence receives by a secret and sacred influence fresh successions still of an infinite triumphant power and prevailing against all spirituall darkenesses for ever Suppose all the men that dwell within the compasse of our Hemisphere should addresse themselues with all their wit and weapons with all their power and policie to keepe backe that universall darkenesse which is woont to seize upon the face of the earth at the setting of the Sunne yet by all this strong and combined opposition they should but beate the ayre But now upon the very first approach of that Princely light but peeping up in the East it would all â—ly away in a moment and vanish into nothing Semblablely if all the understandings upon earth and all the Angels in Heaven should contribute all their abilities and excellencies to illighten with cheerefulnesse and ioy a guilty conscience surprised sometimes with hellish darkenesse and cloudes of horrour upon sight of sinne and sense of divine wrath yet all would not doe they should all the while but wash a Blackamoore as they say but now let but the least glimpse of the light of Grace shine into that sad and heavy Soule and it would farre more easily and irresistably chase away the very darkest midnight of any spirituall misery then the strongest Summers Sunne the â—hinnest Mornings mist. Give me if you will Iudas his heart or Spiraes horrour or a vexed spirit torne and rent in peeces with the raging guilt of both those wofull men and let that supposed rufull Soule weary of its hellish burden and thirsting sincerely for the water of Life but cast it selfe upon the mercy truth and power of
humorist an Hypocrite and all that naught is even as bad as the false tongues of the Devils Limbes can make a blessed Man He was a good-fellow will they say but hee is now quite gone a proper man and of good parts but his Puritanisme hath mar'd all While Paul humour'd the Pharises in persecuting and plaguing the disciples of the Lord Hee was a principall and much honoured Man amongst them but when hee turned on Christ's side He was holden a pestilent-fellow the very plague So that it is plaine and palpable whatsoever may bee pretended to the contrary that those cursed Cains dogged Doegs and scoffing â—â—maels that set themselues and spend their malice against the Ministers and people of God hare slander and persecute the very workes of Grace and graces of Gods Spirit in them Even their zâ—ale holinesse hatred of sinne reformation c. are an Eye-sore and heart-sore to such hatefull wretches and Owles of Hell â—ho cannot endure any heavenly light 8. As stigmaticall Rogues burnt in the hand curtal'd of their eares branded in the fore-head are in the Common wealth so are Persecutors in the Church By mutuall intelligence and information of Gods people or some more publike lasting record and Monunument of the Church they have many times such a Marke set upon them that they carry it to their graves yea to the iudgement Seate of God that it may bee knowne a sore-hand to that glorious Tribunall and all the triumphant Church what beastly men stinging Scorpions and pricking thorn's they have beene amongâ—t Gods Children and in the sides of the Saints Such a brand had Alexander the Copper smith set upon him by Paul 2. Tim. 4.14.15 And such a Brand was set upon Diotrephes that mâ—litious prating companion by Saint Iohn 3. Ioh 10. So are those bloud thirsty Tygers Gardiner Bonner and the rest of that cruell litter and persecuting packe branded that their names shall rot and their memories be hatefull to the Worlds end So too many in these times though they be very iolly fellowes in their owne conceits ador'd as Idols by their flattering Dependants applauded generally as the principall Patrones of revelling good-fellowship â—et in the censure of the Saints and by the doome of divine wisedome they are clearely knowne and iustly reputed enemies of all righteousnesse and Satans speciall Agents to doe mischiefe against the Ministery 9. And it is to be feared they will finde no mercy upon their Beds of death and in their last extremity cry they never so loude or promise they never so faire God in iust indignation is woont to deale so with those who drinke up iniquity like Water withâ—ut all sense or feare of a glorious dreadâ—ull Majesty above See Ezek 8.18 with those who refuse to stoupe to Gods Ordinance and submit to the Scepter of Christ when they are fairely invited by the Ministery See Prov. 1.24.28 Ier. 7.13.16 and 11.11 With great Ones who grinde the faces of the poore See Micah 3 4. with abusers of the riches of His goodnesse and long suffering See Rom. 2.4 5. How much more doe you thinke shall impenitent Persecutors bee paide home in this kinde See 2. Macchab. 9.13.17 There that great and cruell persecutor Antiochus being seizd upon by an horrible sickenesse promiseth very gloriously upon that his last Bed Besides many other strange reformations even that he also would become a Iew himselfe and goe thorough all the World that was inhabited and declare the power of God But for all this heare what the Writer of that story saith of his spirituall state and of Gods resolution towards Him vers 13. This wicked person prayed also unto the Lord who would now have no mercy on him 10 All their spitefull speeches scurrill scoâ—fes pestilent lyes insolent insultations c. are as so many Crownes of Glory and ioy unto the heads and hearts of all persecuted patient Professours 1. Pet. 4.14 Act. 5.41 Iob. 3.36 So that they infinitely misse the malicious Marke their revengefull humours would gladly hit the hurt and heart-breaking of those they so cruelly and cunningly hunt with much rancour and hate And not onely so but most certainely hereafter if they die not like drunken Nabal and their hearts become as stones in their brests upon their Beds of death they will all tho now passing from them with much bitternesse of Spirit and without all remorse turne into so many envenomed stings and byting scorpions unto their owne consciences and knaw upon their hearts with extreamest horrour 11. The whole body of the militant Church ioyne all as one man with a strong concurrent importunitie at the Throne of grace and with one heart and spirit constantly continue there such piercing prayers against all stubborne impenitent scorners all incurable implacable persecutours as the people of God have bin wont to poure out in such cases as Lament 3.59 c. O Lord thou hast seen my wrong judge thou my cause Thou hast seene all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me Thou hast heard their reproach O Lord and all their imaginations against me The lips of those that rose up against me their devise against me all the day Behold their sitting downe and their rising up I am their musicke Render unto them a recompence O Lord according to the worke of their hands Give them sorrow of heart thy curse unto them Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the Lord. Now I would not be in that Mans case against whom Gods people complaine upon good ground at that iust and highest Tribunal one halfe houre for the imperiall crowne and command of all the kingdomes of the earth for who knowes whether iust at that time the righteous Lord for his children's sake and safety may raine upon such a mans head snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest 12. And the prayers of the Saints poured out in the bitternesse of their soules vexed continually with their malicious cruelties and cruell mockes are meanes many times to bring Persecutours to an untimely end to knocke them downe before their time Doe not you thinke that the faithfull Iewes at Ierusalem hearing of Antiochus marching towards them like an evening Wolfe to drinke up their bloud had presently recourse unto Gods righteous Throne with strong cries to stay his rage And doe you not thinke that those very praiers drew downe upon him that horrible and incurable plague whereupon Hee died a miserable death in a strange Countrey in the Mountaines Herod for any thing wee know might have lived many a faire Day longer if hee had dealt fairely with the Apostles of Christ. But putting One to the sword Act. 12.2 And another in prison vers 4. Hee put the Church to their prayers vers 5. Which prayers for there is a certaine omnipotency of prayer as Luther was woâ—t to say did create full soone those vermine that eate him up horribly in the height
unconquerablenesse in torment then affected with the raging paines of a most terrible execution 2. In others from a strong stirring perswasion and consciousnesse of the honesty and honour of some civill cause for which they suffer But fortitude in this case doth not arise from any inspired religious vigour or heavenly infusions but from the severer instigations of naturall conscience and acquired manhood of a meere morall Puritane Many such morall Martyrs have beene found amongst the more generous and well-bred heathen It is storied of a brave and valiant Captaine who had long manfully and with incredible courage with-stood Dionysius the elder in defence of a Citie that Hee sustained with strange patience and height of spirit the mercilesse fury of the Tyrant and all his barbarous cruelties most unworthy of Him that suffered them but most worthy him that inflicted the same First the Tyrant told him how the day before hee had caused his son and all his kinsfolkes to be drown'd To whom the Captaine stoutly out staring Him answered nothing but that they were more happy then himselfe by the space of one day Afterward hee caused him to be stripped and by his executioners to be taken and dragged through the Citty most ignominiously cruelly whipping Him and charging Him besides with outragious and contumelious speeches All which notwithstanding as One no whit dismaide Hee ever shewed a constant and resolute heart And witâ—â— cheerefull and bold countenance went on still lowdly recounting the honourable and glorious cause of His death which was that Hee would never consent to yeeld his Countrey into the hands of a cruell Tyrant With such stoutnesse did even meere morall vertue steele the antient Romane spirits that in worthy defense of their liberty for preservation of their Countrey or other such noble ends They indifferently contemned gold silver death torture and whatsoever else miserable worldlings hold deare or dismall 3. In some from an extreme hardnesse of heart which makes them senselesse and fearelesse of shame misery or any terrible thing This wee may sometimes obserue in notorious malefactours A long rebellious and remorselesse continuance and custome in sinne raging infections from their roaring companions a furious pursuite of outrages and blood Satans hoâ— iron searing their consciences and Gods iust curse upon their fearefull and forlorne courses so fill them with foole-hardinesse and with such a ferall disposition that they are desperately hardned against all affronts and dis-asters So that tho such savage-minded and marble-hearted men be to passe thorow the streetes as spectacles of abhorrednesse and scorne as hatefull monsters and the reproach of Mankind to be throwne into a Dungeon of darknesse and discomfort and there to be loaden with cold irons coldnes and want from thence to bee hurried to that loathed Place of execution and there to die a Dogs death as they say and finally to fall immediately and irrecoverably into a Lake of fire yet I say for all this out of a desperate hard-heartednesse they seeme still to bee in heart and to represent to the beholders a great deale of undauntednesse and neglect of danger in their carriage and countenances O the prodigious Rocke into which the stone in a gracelesse heart may grow both in respect of desperatenesse in sinning and sense-lesnesse in suffering 4. In others from an enraged thirst after humane praise and immortall fame as they call it Which may be so prevalent in them and transport them with such a vaine-glorious ambition this way that it may carry them with much seeming insensibility affected patience and artificiall courage thorow the terrors and tortures of a very violent and Martyr like death Heare what Austin saith to this Point Thinke yee there never were any Catholikes or that now there may not bee some that would suffer onely for the prayse of men If there were not such kind of men the Apostle would not haue said Though I give my body to be burned and have not charity I am nothing Hee did know right well that there might bee some which would doe it out of vaine-glory and selfe-love not for divine love and the glory of God O the bottomlesse depth of Hellish Hypocrisie which lyes hid in our corrupt hearts O the blind and perverse thoughts of foolish men O the murderous malice of that old red Dragon which exerciseth such horrible crueltie both upon our bodies and soules 5. In some from false grounds of a supposed good estate to Godward from an unsound perswasion of their present spirituall well-beeing and future wellfare Such Pharisies foolish Virgines and formall Professours are to bee found in all Ages of the Church especially in the fairest and most flourishing daies thereof and when the Gospell hath the freest passage who thus many times in the greate it of all earthly extremities even upon their Beds of death represent to all about them from a groundlesse presumption of being reconciled unto God a great deale of confidence resolution and many glorious expectations Vpon a partiall survay and perusall of their time past not stain'd perhaps with any great enormities notoriousnesse or infamous sinne out of a vaine-glorious consciousnesse unto themselues of their many good parts generall graces good deedes and plausiblenesse with the most by reason of a former obstinated distaste and prejudice against sincerity and the power of godlinesse as tho it were unnecessary singularity and peevishnesse and it may bee confirmed also unhappily in their spirituall selfe-cousenage by the unskilfull and unseasonable palliations I meane mis-applications of some abused promises unto their un-humbled Soules from some dawbing Ministers a generation of vilest men excellent Ideots in the mystery of Christ and mercifull Cut-throates of many miserable deluded Soules to whom they promise life and peace when there is no peace towards but terrible things even at hand tumbling of garments in blood noise of damned Soules and tormenting in Hell for ever I say from such false and failing grounds as these they many times in that last extremity the Lord not revealing unto them the unsoundnesse of their spirituall estate and rottennesse of their hopes demeane themselues chearefully and comfortably as tho they were presently to set foote into Heaven and to lay hold upon eternall life but God hee knowes without any iust cause or true ground For immediately upon the departure of the Soule from the Body shall they heare that wofull doome from Christs owne mouth as Himselfe hath told us before-hand Depart from mee I never knew you Such men as these having been formerly acquainted with and exercisde in the outward formes and complements of Religion are woont at such times to entertaine their visitants and By-standers with many goodly speeches and Scripture-Phrases representing their contempt of the World Willingnesse to dye readinesse to forgive all the World Hope to bee saved desire to bee dissolved and bee in Heaven c. They may cry aloude with much formall confidence Lord Lord open to
us mercy mercy in the name of Christ Lord Iesus receive our spirits c. which last eiaculations did they spring from a truly broken penitent and heavenly heart and were they the periods and conclusions of a well-spent life might blessedly breake open with unresistable power the gates of Heaven unlocke the rich treasures of immortality and fill the departing Soule with the shining beames of Gods glorious presence but unto them such goodly and glorious speeches are but as so many catchings and scrablings of a Man over head in water Hee struggles and strives for hold to save Himselfe but Hee graspes nothing but water it is still water which Hee catches and therefore sinkes and drownes 6. In others from a mis-guided head-strong Zeale in will-worship an impotent peremptory conceit that they suffer in the cause of God and for the glory of Religion This unhallowed fury possessed many Hereretikes of old Vpon this false ground the Donatists in the fourth Century after Christ offered themselues willingly and suffered death most couragiously And so did the Euphemites who for the multitude of their supposed Martyrs would needs be called Martyrians Stories also tell us that Turkes Tartars and Mores both fight and dye most bravely and resolutely for the blasphemous opinions of Mahomet And that the Assasins a company of bloody Villaines and desperate Cut-throates who would without all scruple or feare undertake to dispatch any Man whom their Generall commanded them to murther dyed oftentimes with great constancy and un-dismaiednesse And this they accounted a speciall point of Religion But especially at this Day the Popish Pseudo-martyrs indeed true Traytors are starke mad with this superstitious rage First they drinke full deepe of the golden cup of abominable fornication in the hand of the great Whore Immediately whereupon they grow into an unsatiable and outragious thirst after the blood of Soules empoysoning them with the doctrine of Divels And also after the blood of whomsoever withstands their accursed superstitions even tho they weare Imperiall Crownes upon their Heads by plotting and practising treasons parricides assasinates empoysonings ruines of whole Nations barbarous Massacres blowing up of Parliaments and a world of bloody mischiefes which cast an inexpiable staine and obloquy upon the innocency of Christian Religion At last they come to Tyburne or some other Place of iust execution and then they will needes beare the world in hand that they are going towards Heaven to receive a Crowne of Martyrdome They seeme there already to triumph extraordinarily and to contemne tortures with an affected bravery they trample upon the Tribunals of Iustice kisse the instruments of death in signe of happinesse at hand and throw many resolute and reioycing speeches amongst the people as tho they had one foote in Heaven already When alas poore blind mis-guided Soules while they thus wilfully and desperately abandon their lives upon a groundlesse and gracelesse conceite that they shall become crowned Martyrs they are like a Man who lying asleepe upon an high and steepe Rock dreames that Hee is created a King guarded with a goodly traine of ancient Nobles furnished with many princely Houses and stately Palaces enriched with the Revenewes Majesty and Magnificence of a mighty Kingdome attended with all the pleasures His heart could desire c. But starting up upon the sudden and leaping for ioy falls headlong and irrecoverably into the raging Sea and so in liew of that imaginary happinesse Hee vainely grasped in a dreame Hee destroies Himselfe and looseth that little reall comfort Hee had in this miserable life That damned paire of incarnate Divels the English Fawkes and French Ravillac the one after that in the Popes cause Hee had embrued His hands in the Royall blood of a mighty King and the greatest Warriour upon Earth The other having done His utmost to blow up at once the glory power wisedome the Religion peace and posterity of the most renowned State under the Heavens were both prodigiously bold confident peremptory But was this courage thinke you inspired into them by the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah already triumphant in the Heavens or by that roaring Dragon of the bottomlesse Pit A man of an understanding impartiall discerning spirit would scarcely wish a clearer demonstration of the Truth and Orthodoxnes of our Religion then to marke the different Ends of our blessed Martyrs in Q. Maries time those Popish Traytors which are sometimes executed amongst us They both ordinarily at their Ends expresse a great deale of confidence But in the Pseudo-Catholicks Antichristian Martyrs it is so enforced artificiall ambitious affected Their speeches so cunning and composed upon purpose to seduce the simple Their last behaviour â—o plotted before-hand and formally acted Their prayers so unhearty plodding and perfunctory Their whole carriage so unspirituall and unlike the Saints of God discovering neither former acquaintances with the mysteries of true sanctification nor those present feeling elevations of spirit which are woont to fill the Soules which are ready to enter into the Ioyes of Heaven that to a spirituall eye to a man verst in the purity and power of godlinesse it is most cleare that their comfort in such cases is of no higher straine nor stronger temper then the morall resolution of an Heathen and head-strong conceit of Heresie can represent or reach unto It is otherwise with the true Martyrs of Iesus slaine most cruelly by that great Whore the MOTHER of HARLOTS drunken with a world of innocent blood as with sweet Wine As we may see and feele in that glorious Martyriology of our Saints in the mercilesse times of Queene Mary The constant profession and power of our most true and ever-blessed Religion did create such an holy and humble Maiesty in their carriages such a deale of Heaven and sober undantednesse in their countenances such ioyfull springings and spirituall ravishments in their hearts such grace and powerfull peircings in their speeches such zeale and hearty meltings in their prayers such triumphant and heavenly exultations amid the flames that it was more then manifest both to Heaven and Earth to Men and Angels that their Cause was the Cause of God their Murtherer that Man of sinne their blood the seede of the Church their Soules the Iewels of Heaven and their present passage the right and ready way to that unfading and most glorious Crowne of Martyrdome That which in fiction was fathered upon Father Campion was most true of every one of our true Martyrs That every one might say with heavy heart that stood Here speakes a Saint here dies a Lambe here flowes the guiltlesse blood Thus you haue heard upon what weake props and sandy foundations that confidence stands and is built which carnall men seeme to lay hold upon with great bravery in times of trouble and distresse But the comfort which sweetely springs from that spirit I speake of supported out of speciall favour and interest by the hand of God All-sufficient and the unconquerable
thing whatsoever is within Him or without Him or about Him whatsoever He thinkes upon remembers heares sees turne all to his torment No marvaile then tho the terrour of a wounded conscience bee so intolerable 3. As the exultations of the Soule and spirituall refreshments doe incomparably surpasse both in excellency of Object and sweetnesse of apprehension all pleasures of seâ—se and bodily delights so afflictions of the Soule and spirituall pangs doe infinitely exceede both in bitternesse of sense and intension of sorrow the most exquisite tortures can possibly bee inflicted upon the Body For the Soule is a spirit very subtile quicke active stirring all life motion sense feeling and therefore farre more capable and apprehensive of all kinds of impressions whether passions of pleasure or inflictions of paâ—â—e 4. This extremest of miseries a wounded spirit is tempered with such strong and strange ingredients of extraordinary feares that it makes a man a terrour to himselfe and to all his friends To flee when none pursues at the sound of a shaken leafe To tremble at his owne shadow to bee in great feare where no feare is Besides the insupportable burthen of too many true and causefull terrours it fills His darke and dreadfull Fancy with a world of fained horrours gastly apparitions and imaginary Hells which notwithstanding have reall stings and impresse true tortures upon his trembling and wofull heart It is empoysoned with such restlesse anguish and desperate paine that tho life bee most sweete and Hell most horrible yet it makes a man wilfully to abandon the one and willingly to embrace the other that Hee may bee rid of it's rage Hence it was that Iudas preferred an Halter and Hell before his present horrour That Spira said often what heart quakes not to heare it that Hee envied Cain Saul and Iudas wishing rather any of their roomes in the Dungeon of the damned then to have his poore heart so rent in pieces with such raging terrors fiery desperations upon his Bed of death Whereupon at another time beeing asked Whether Hee feared more fearefull torments after this life Yes said Hee But I desire nothing more then to bee in that place where I shall expect no more Expectation as it seemes of future did infinitely aggravate and enrage His already intolerable torture 5. The Heathens who had no fuller sight of the foulenesse of sinne or more smarting sense of divine vengeance for it then the light of naturall conscience was able to afford and represent unto them yet were woont in fiction to shadow out in some sort and intimate unto us the insufferable extremities of a minde troubled in this kinde by hellish furies following malefactors with burning fire-brands and flames of torture What understanding then is able to conceive or tongue to report in what case that sinfull conscience must needs bee when it is once awakened which besides the notions of naturall light hath also the full Sun of Gods sacred Word and that pure Eye which is ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne and cannot looke upon iniquity to irradiate and enrage it to the height of guiltinesse and depth of horrour Both heart and tongue Man and Angell must let that alone for ever For none can take the true estimate of this immesurable spirituall misery but hee that can comprehend the length and breadth of that infinite unresistable wrath which once implacably enkindled in the bosome of God burnes to the very bottome of Hell and there creates the extremity and endlesnesse of all those un-expressable torments and fiery plagues which afflict the Diuels and damned Soules in that horrible Pit 6. Not onely the desperate cries of Cain Iudas Latomus and many other such miserable men of forlorne hope but also the wofull complaints even of Gods owne deare Children discover the truth of this Point to wit the terrours and intolerablenesse of a wounded Conscience Heare how rufully three ancient Worthies in their times wrastled with the wrath of God in this kinde I reckoned till morning saith Hezekiah that as a Lion so will hee breake all my bones Even as the weake and trembling limbes of some lesser neglected Beast are crusht and torne in pieces by the unresistable Paw of an unconquerable Lion so was His troubled Soule terrified and broken with the anger of the Almighty Hee could not speake for bitternesse of griefe and anguish of heart but chattered like a Crane or a Swallow and mourned like a Dove Thou writest bitter things against mee saith Iob and makest mee to possesse the iniquities of my youth The arrowes of the Almighty are within mee the poyson thereof drinketh up my spirit the terrours of God doe set themselves in aray against mee O that I might have my request And that God would grant mee the thing that I long for Even that it would please God to destroy mee that Hee would let loose his hand and cut mee off Nay yet worse Thou scarest mee with dreames and terrifiest mee through visious So that my Soule chuseth strangling and death rather then my life Tho God in mercy preserves his servants from the monstrous and most abhorred Act of selfe-murder yet in some melancholike moode horrour of minde and bitternesse of spirit they are not quite freed from all impatient wishes that way and sudden suggestions thereunto My bones waxed old saith David through my roaring all the day long Day and night thy hand was heavy upon mee my moysture is turned into the drought of Summer Thine arrowes sticke fast in mee and thy hand presseth mee sore There is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sinne For mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for mee I am troubled I am bowed downe greatly I goe mourning all the day long I am feeble and sore broken I have roared by reason of the disqujâ—tnesse of my heart Heare also into what a depth of spirituall distresse three worthy servants of God in these later times were plung'd and pressed downe under the sense of Gods anger for sinne Blessed Mistris Brettergh upon Her last Bed was horribly hemmed in with the sorrowes of death the very griefe of Hell laid hold upon Her Soule a roaring Wildernesse of woe was within Her as She confessed of Her selfe She said her sinnes had made Her a prey to Satan And wished that she had never been borne or that shee had been made any other creature rather then a Woman Shee cryed out many times Woe woe woe c. A weake a wofull a wretched a forsaken woman with teares continually trickling from her eyes Master Peacock that man of God in that His dreadfull visitation and desertion recounting some smaller sinnes burst out into these words And for these saith Hee I feele now an Hell in my conscience Vpon other occasions Hee cryed out
the clouds are the dust of His feete c. The Lord of hostes is his name whose power and punishments are so infinitely vnresistable that Hee is able with one word to turne all the creatures in the world into Hell nay even with the breath of His mouth to turne Heaven and Hell and Earth and all things into nothing How darest thou then so base and vile a wretch prouoke so great a God 8. Let the consideration and compassion upon the immortality and dearenesse of that pretious Soule that lies in thy bosome curbe thy corruptions at the very first sight of sinne and make thee step backe as though thou wert ready to treade upon a Serpent Not all the bloudy men upon earth or desperate Devils in Hell can possibly kill and extingvish the Soule of any man it must needs live as long as God Himself and run parallell with the longest line of eternity Onely sinne wounds mortally that immortal spirit brings it into that cursed case that it had infinitely better never have bin then be for ever For by this meanes going on impenitently to that last Tribunall it becomes immortally mortall and mortally immortall as one of the Ancients speakes It lives to death and dies to life never in state of life or death yet ever in the paines of death the perpetuity of life It 's death is ever-living it's end is ever in beginning Death without death End without end Ever in the pangs of death never dead not able to dye nor endure the paine Paine exceeding not only all patience but all resistance No strength to sustaine nor ability to beare that which heareafter whilst God is God for ever must bee borne What a prodigious Bedlam cruelty is it then for a maÌ„ by listning to the Syren-songs of this false world the lewd motions of His own treacherous heart or the Divels desperate counsel to embrew His hands in the bloud of His own everlasting soule to make it die eternally For a little paltry pleasure of some base rotten lust sleeting vanity which passeth away in the act as the tast of pleasant drink dieth in the draught to bring upon it in the other world torments whithout end and beyond all compasse of conceit And his madnesse is the more because besides it's immortality His Soule is incoÌ„parably more worth then the whole world The very sensitive Soule of a little slie saith Austin truly is more excellent then the Sun How ought wee then to prize and preserve from sinne our vnderstanding reasonable Soules which make us in that respect like unto the Angels of God 9. Ninthly What an horrible thing is sinne whose waight an Omnipotent strength which doth sustaine the whole Frame of the world is not able to beare Almighty God complaines Isa. 1.14 even of the Sacrifices and other services of his owne people when they were performed with polluted hearts and professes that He was weary to beare them And how vile is it that stirs up in the dearest and most compassionate bowells of the All-mercifull God such implacable anger that threw downe so many glorious Angelicall spirits who might have done Him so high honour for ever in the highest Heauens into the bottome of Hell there most iustly to continue Devils and in extremest torment everlastingly Cast all mankinde out of His fauour and from all felicity for Adams sin caused Him who delighteth in mercy to create all the afflicting miseries in Hell eternal flames streames of brimstone chaines of darknesse gnashing of teeth a Lake of fire the bottomlesse Pit and all those horrible torments there And that which doth argue and yet further amplifie the implacablenes and depth of divine indignation the infinitenesse of sinnes prouocation and desert Tophet is said to bee ordeined of old Everlasting fire to be prepared for the Devill and His Angells As if the All-powerfull wisedome did deliberate and as it were sit downe and devise all stâ—â—ging terrible ingredients a temper of greatest torture to make that dreadfull fiâ—e hellish paines most fierce and raging and a fit instrument for the iustice of so great and mighty a God to torment eternally all impenitent reprobate Rebels God is the Father of Spirits our Soules are the immediate Creation of His Almighty Hand and yet to every one that goeth on impenitently in his trespasses Hee hath appointed as it were a threefold Hell There are three things considerable in sinne 1. Aversion from an infinite soveraigne unchangeable good 2. Conversion to a finite mutable momentany good 3. Continuance in the same To these three severall things in sinne there are answering three singular stings of extremest punishment To aversion from the chiefest Good which is objectively infinite there answereth Paine of losse as they call it Privation of Gods glorious presence and separation from those endlesse joyes above which is an infinite losse To the inordinate conversion to transitory things there answereth Paine of sense which is intensively finite as is the pleasure of sinne And yet so extreme that none can conceive the bitternesse thereof but the Soule that suffers it nor that neither except it could comprehend the Almighty wisedome of Him that did create it To the eternity of sinne remaining for ever in staine and guilt answereth the eternity of punishment For wee must know that every impenitent sinner would sinne ever if he might live ever and casteth himselfe by sinning into an impossibility of ever ceasing to sinne of Himselfe as a Man that casteth himselfe into a deepe Pit can never of Himselâ—e rise out of it againe And therefore naturally eternity of punishment is due to sinne How prodigious a thing then is sinne and how infinitely to bee abhorred and avoided that by a malignant meritorious poyson and provocation doth violently wrest out of the hands of the Father of mercies and God of all comfort the full vials of that unquenchable wrath which brings caselesse endlesse and remedilesse torments upon His owne creatures and those originally most excellent 10. Tenthly The height and inestimablenesse of the price that was paid for the expiation of it doth clearely manifest nay infinitely aggravate the execrable misery of sinne and extreame madnesse of all that meddle with it I meane the hearts-blood of Iesus Christ blessed for ever which was of such pretiousnesse and power that beeing let out by a Speare it amazed the whole Frame of Nature darkened the Sunne miraculously for at that time it stood in direct opposition to the Moone shooke the Earth which shrunke and trembled under it opened the Graves clave the Stones rent the Vaile of the Temple from the bottome to the top c. Now it was this alone and nothing but this could possibly cleanse the filth of sinne Had all the dust of the earth been turned into silver and the stones into pearles Should the maine and boundlesse Ocean have streamed nothing but purest gold would the
there must bee a third thing To take them to our selves to beleeve they are ours and there needes a worke of the Spirit for this For tho the promises bee never so cleare yet having nothing but the promises you shall never bee able to apply them to your selves But when the holy Ghost shall say Christ is thine All these things belong to Thee and God is thy Father when that shall witnesse to our spirit by a worke of His owne Then shall wee beleeve c This is the order observed in our iustification 1. First There is a sight of our misery to which wee are brought by the Law 2. Secondly There is by the Gospell an holding forth of Christ as our redemption from sin and death 3. Thirdly there is a working of Faith in the heart to rest on Christ as the ransome from sinne and death Now when a man is come hither Hee is truly and really iust Wee teach that in trve conversion a man must bee wounded in his conscience by the sense of his sinnes His contrition must bee compungent and vehement bruising breaking renting the heart and feeling shee throwes as a woman labouring of Childe before the new-Creature bee brought forth or Christ truly formed in Him It is not done without bitternesse of the Soule without care indignation revenge 2. Cor. 7.11 But as some Infants are borne with lesse paine to the mother and some with more so may the new-man be regenerated in some with more in some with lesse anxiety of travell But surely grace is not infused into the heart of any sinner except there bee at least so great affliction of Spirit for sinne foregoing that He cannot but â—eele it c. This bruising is required before conversion 1. That so the Spirit may make way for it selfe into the heart by levelling all proud high thoughts c 2. To make vs set an high price upon Christs death This is the cause of relapses and Apostasies because men never smarted for sin at the first They were not long enough under the lash of the Law Hence this inferiour worke of the Spirit in bringing downe high thoughts is necessary before conversion By this time it doth most clearly and plentifully appeare what a foule and fearefull fault it is for men either in the managing of their Publike ministery or more private Passages of conference visitations of the sicke consultations about a good estate to Godward and other occasions of like nature to apply Iesus Christ and the promises to promise life and safety in the evill Day to Soules as yet not soundly illightned and afflicted with sight of sinne and sense of Gods wrath to consciences never truly wounded and awaked I insisted the longer upon this Point because I know it full well to bee a most universall and prevailing Policy of the Devill whereby hee keepes many thousands in His cursed slavery and from salvation To confirme as many Pastours as Hee can possibly willing enough to drive their Flocks before them to damnation in an ignorant or affected Preiudice and forbearance of that saving method of bringing Soules out of Hell mentioned before and made good with much variety of evidence And to nourish also in the hearts of naturall men a strong and sturdy disconceite opposition raging against downe-right dealing and those men of God able as they say but falsely and furiously against their owne Soules by their terrible teaching to drive their hearers to distraction Selfe-destruction or despaire who take the only right course to convert them and to bring them to Iesus Christ as Hee Himselfe invites them to wit labouring and heauy laden with their sinnes Matth. 11.28 Dawbers then who serue Satans craft in this kinde and all those who dispence their ministery without all spirituall discretion and good conscience of whom there are too many as great strangers to the right way of working grace in others as to the worke of grace in themselves I say they are a generation of dangerous men Old excellent as they say in an accursed Art of conducting poore blinded Soules merrily towards everlasting miserie and setting them downe in the very midst of Hell before they bee sensible of any danger or discovery of their damnable state Great men they are with the men of this world with al those wise fooles and sensuall great ones who are not willing to bee tormented before their time or rather who desire impossibly to live the life of pleasures in the meane time and yet at last to die the death of the righteous They have still ready at hand hand over head mercy and pardon Heaven and salvation for all commers and all they come neere without so much as a desire to put any difference or divide the pretious from the vile Which is a prodigâ—â—usly-arrogant folly pernicious in the highest degree both to their own soules and those they delude Heâ—â—e 〈◊〉 they are branded in the Booke of God calling them 〈◊〉 Sâ—wers under mens elboes Ezek. 1â— 1â— That 〈◊〉 laid soft and lockt fast in the Cradle of security thâ—â— may sinke suddenly into the Pit of destruction before they be aware Criers of peace peace when no peace is towards Ier. 6.14 but horrible stirs tumbling of garments in bloud burning and devouring of fire A â—â—n-pleasers â—alat 1.10 who chuse rather to tickle the itching eares of their carnall hearers with some fâ—othy Frier-like conceits out of Dung-hill 〈◊〉 And so smooth Great Ones in their humours by their cowardly flatteries especially if they any waies depend upon them for countenance rising and preferment rather then conscionably to discharge that trust 〈◊〉 upon them by their great Lord and Master in Heaven upon answerablenes for the bloud of those Soules which shal perish by their temporizing silence and flattering vnfaithfulnesse Healers of the hurt of their Hearers with 〈◊〉 words Ier. 6.14 while their Soules are 〈◊〉 by the wounds of sinne unto eternall death Preachers of smooth things Isa. 30.10 which kinde of Men the greatest part and all worldlings wonderfully affect and applaud tho to their owne everlasting vndoing They swell under such Teachers with a Pharisaicall conceite that they are as safe for salvation as the precisest of them all but alas their hope is but like a hollow wall which beeing put to any stresse when the tempest of Gods searching wrath begins to shake it in the time of a finall triall of it's truth and soundnesse it shatters into pieces and comes to naught Heare the Prophet Now go write it before them in a table and note it in a booke that it may bee for the time to come for ever and ever That this is a rebellious people lying children children that wil not heare the Law of the Lord which say to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie not unto us right things speake unto us smooth things prophesie deceits Get you out of the way turne aside out
anguish as tho many fiery Scorpions stings stuck fast in them Either lead us to the sight of that blessed Anti-type of the Brazen Serpent to coole and allay the boyling rage of our guilty wounds or we are vtterly undone Either bring us to the Blood of that just and holy One which with execrable villany wee have spilt as water upon the ground that it may bind up our broken hearts or they will presently burst with despaire and bleed to eternall death Give us to drinke of that soueraigne Fountaine opened by the hand of mercy for all thirsty Soules or else wee dye There is nothing you can prescribe and appoint but wee will most willingly doe Wee will with all our hearts pluckâ— out our right eyes cut off our right hands We meane part with our beloved lusts and dearest sinfull pleasures abominate and abandon them all for ever from the heart root to the Pit of Hell If wee can bee rid of the Devills setteâ—â— welcome shall bee Christs sweete and easy yoke In a word wee will sell all even all our Sinnes to the last â—ilthy ragge of our heretofore doted vpon minion delight So that wee may injoy our blessed Iesus whom you have told us and wee now beleeve God hath made both Lord and Christ c. Now when wee shall see and find in some measure the hearts of our Hearers and spirituall Patients thus prepared both by legall dejections and terrours from the spirit of bondage and also possessed with such melting and eager affections wrought by the light of the Gospell and Offer of Christ When their Soules once begin to feele all sins even their best beloved One heauy and burdensome to prize Iesus Christ far before all the world to thirst for Him infinitely more then for riches pleasures honours or any earthly thing to resolue to take him as their husband and to obey Him as their Lord for ever and all this in truth I say then and in this case wee may haue comfort to minister comfort Then upon good ground wee may goe about our Masters command Isa. 40.1 which man-pleasers many times pittifully abuse Comfort yee Comfort yee my people I meane in respect of spirituall bondage Speake yee comfortably to Ierusalem and cry unto Her that Her warre is accomplished that Her iniquity is pardoned Wee may tell them with what a compassionate Pang and deare compellation God Himselfe labours to refresh them Isa. 54.11 Oh thou afflicted and tossed with tempest that hast no comfort behold I will lay thy stones with faire colours and lay thy foundations with Saphirs c. Wee may assure them in the word of life and Truth that Iesus Christ is theirs and they are His And compell them as it were by an holy violence not without a great deale of just indignation against their lothnesse to beleeue and holding off in this case to take his Person His merit His blood all His Spirituall riches priviledges excellencies And with Him possession of all things even of the most glorious Deity it selfe blessed for ever See 1. Cor. 3.21.22.23 Ioh. 17.21 But now in the meane time untill sense of Spirituall misery and poverty raise an hunger and thirst after Iesus Christ before such like preparations and precedent affections as have been spoke of be wrought in the hearts of men by pressing the Law and proclaiming the Gospell and that in Sincerity for the degree and measure wee leave it to God as a most free Agent in some they may bee stronger in some weaker the preaching or promising of mercy as already belonging unto them is farre more unseasonable and unseemely then Snow in Summer raine in harvest or honour for a foole It is upon the matter the very Sealing them up with the Spirit of delusion that they may never so much as thinke of taking the right course to bee converted What sottish and sacrilegious audaciousnesse then is it in any Dawber to thrust his prophane hand into the treasury of Gods mercy and there hand over head without any allowance from his highest Lord to scatter His dearest and most orient pearles amongst Swine To warrant salvaon to any unhumbled Sinner To strengthen the hands of the wicked who never yet tooke sinne to heart to any purpose and thirst farre more such true Gadarens are they after gold satisfying their owne lusts and perking above their brethren then for the blood of Christ by promising them life To assure meere civill men and Pharises who are so farre from the sense of any spirituall poverty that they are already swolne as full as the skin will hold with a selfe-conceit of their owne rotten righteousnesse that they shall bee saved as well as the most puling precisian Especially sith there is such a cloud of witnesses to the contrary as you have heard before Besides all which upon this occasion take two or three moe Heare a most faithfull and fruitfull workman in the Lords harvest of great skill experience and successe in the most glorious Art of converting Soules which makes mee more willing to vrge his authority and esteeme His judgement in Points of this nature None saith hee can prove or shew president that faith was wrought in an instant at first without any preparation going before Nor can it bee conceived how a man should beleeve in Christ for salvation that felt not himselfe before in a miserable estate and wearied with it and desired to get out of it into a better As the needle goes before to pierce the cloth and makes way for the threed to sew it So is it in this case Afterward Hee tells us how and in what manner order these predispositions and preparative Acts required for the plantation of faith and so securing us of the right season and a comfortable calling to assure men of Spirituall safety are wrought in such as God is drawing unto Iesus Christ. Hee requires from the law First Illumination Secondly Conviction Thirdly Legall terrour From the Gospell by the helpe of the Spirit First Revealing the remedy Secondly Beliefe of it in generall Thirdly Support in the meane time from sinking under the burthen and falling into despaire Fourthly Contrition Which is attended with some kind of First Desire Secondly request Thirdly Care Fourthly Hope Fiftly Ioy. Sixthly Hungring and thirsting after mercy and after Christ. Seventhly Resolution to sell all to wit all sins not to leave an hoofe behind c. And thus saith hee God brings along the man that Hee purposeth to make His. And when he is at this passe God seales it up to him inables him to beleeue And saith Sith thou wilt haue no Nay Bee it unto thee according to thy desire And God seales him up by the Spirit of promise as surely as any writing is made sure by sealing of it Then he beleeves the word of God and rests and casts himselfe vpon it And thus hee finds himselfe discharged of
judgement Nay why not more Proportionably to that which Divines hold That the privation and losse of heavenly joyes and beatificall presence of God is far bitterer then the torments of sense and positive paines of Hell But to tell you their true meaning and their very hearts Their aime in so complaining and calling for mercy from our Ministry is to have it so and in such a manner proposed and preached that they may thence collect and conceive that they are in state good enough to goe to Heaven as they are though in truth they bee meere strangers to the life of God and holy strictnesse of the Saints were never truly humbled with sight of sinne and sense of wrath nor experimentally acquainted at all with the Mysterie of the New birth That they may conclude and say within themselves Howsoever some Ministers of the purer and preciser streine fright us continually with nothing but judgement terrour damnation and will not suffer us to bee quiet no not so much as in One sinne yet it is our good hap sometimes to meet with some mercifull men who will help us to Heaven without so much adoe and upon easier termes c. In a word they would upon the matter have just so much mercy as might assure and warrant them to carry securely their sinnes in their bosome to Heaven with them to live as they list in this life and to dye the death of the righteous Which is a conceit most ridiculous absurd and more then utterly impossible What a hatefull tricke then is this and horrible imposture which they suffer Sathan to put them upon In proposing of Christ Let the Man of God set out as much as Hee can possibly the excellency of His Person the unvaluable pretiousnesse of His blood the riches of His heavenly purchases the gracious sweetnesse of His invitations the generality and freenesse of His offers the glorious Priviledges Hee brings with Him reconciliation to God Adoption forgivenesse of sins justification righteousnesse wisedome sanctification redemption c. Possession of all things For all things are yours Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come All are yours And yee are Christs and Christ is Gods 1. Cor. 3.22.23 Let Him tell His Hearers that the blood of Christ is called the blood of God Act. 20.28 and therfore of infinite merit and unvaluable price It sprang out of His humane nature and therefore finite in it's owne nature and lost upon the ground But the Person that shed it being the Sonne of God did set upon it such an excellency and eternity of vertue and value that the infinitenesse of its merit and inestimablenesse of its worth lasts everlastingly It will bee as fresh orient and effectuall to wash away the sinnes of the last man that shall bee called upon earth as it was those of the Penitent Thiefe who saw it with His bodily eies gushing out of his blessed side upon the crosse or the first man who did first savingly apprehend that first Promise The seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head Let him assure them it is so soveraigne That in a truly broken humbled and thirsty soule it turneth the most Scarlet and Crimson sinnes into snow and wooll That upon compunction and comming in it washed away that horrible and bloody guilt from the soules of them that spilt it Act. 2. Let them know also in how high a degree and hainously they offend from time to time who refuse to take Iesus Christ offered most freely without exception of any person every Sabbath every sermon either in plaine and direct termes or implyedly at the least Oh! Litle doe people thinke who sit under our Ministry unwrought upon by the word what a grievous and fearefull sinne they commit and carry home from the House of God day after day in neglecting so great salvation in forsaking their owne mercy and in judging themselves unworthy of everlasting life I meane by chusing upon a free Offer of his Soule-saving blood to cleave rather to a Lust Horrible indignity then to Iesus Christ blessed for ever rather to wallow in the mire and mudde of earthly pelfe in the filth and froth of swinish pleasures In idlenesse pride worldlinesse whoredome drunkennesse strange fashions scorning Professours contempt of the power of godlinesse railing against religion revelling Selfe-uncleannesse c. then abandoning these filthy harlots to take the Sonne of God for their deare and everlasting Husband This not Beleeving This refusing Christ This not taking Him in the manner and sense as I have said is such a sinne though not so thought upon and taken to heart that Divines speake of it as of a most transcendent sinne the greatest sinne the sinne of sinnes the onely sinne as it were from such Places as these But when the King heard thereof Hee was wroth and Hee sent foorth His armies and destroyed those murderers and burnt up their City Mat. 22.7 Hee meanes those who were invited to the Sons marriage and made light of it Hee that beleeveth not is condemned already because hee hath not beleeved in the Name of the onely begotten Sonne of God Ioh. 3.18 When the Comforter is come Hee will convince the world of sinne because they beleeve not on mee Hee meanes this sinne alone saith Austin As though not beleeving on the Sonne of God were the onely sinne It is indeed the maine and master sinne because as the same Father speakes truly This remaining the guilt of all other sinnes abides upon the soule this removed all other sinnes are remitted Nay and besides the horriblenes and hainousnes of the sin what height and perfection of madnesse is it That whereas a Man but renouncing his base rotten transitory sinfull pleasures dogged continually at the heeles with vengeance and horror And only taking Iesus Christ in whom are hidden and heaped up the fulnes of grace and treasures of all perfection might have therevpon to say nothing of the excellency of his person purchases of his passion and possessiō of the most blessed Deity a full free discharge thereby at the hands of so happy an Husband from every moment of the everlastingnesse of Hellish torments and a Deed presently sealed with His owne hearts-blood for an undoubted right to every minute of the eternity of heavenly joyes yet should in cold blood most wickedly and willingly after so many intreaties invitations importunity onely for the good of His poore immortall Soule refuse the change Heaven and earth may be astonished Angels and all Creatures may justly stand amazed at this prodigious sottishnes and monstrous madnesse of such miserable men The world is wont to call Gods people precise fooles because they are willing to sell all they have for that One pearle of great price to part with profits pleasures preferments their right hand their right eye every thing any thing rather then to leave
places also in the Book of God which being rightly handled and powerfully applied seeme to have a speciall keennesse to strike at and cut asunder the iron sinewes of the most obstinate heart And of more aptnesse to serve for the rowsing and awaking of meere civill men formall Professours Pharisies and foolish Virgins out of their desperat slumber of spirituall Selfe-deceit Such as these Deut. 29.19.20 And it come to passe when hee heareth the words of this curse that hee blesse Himselfe in His heart saying I shall have peace though I walke in the imagination of mine heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst The Lord will not spare Him but then the anger of the Lord and His jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the curses that are written in this Book shall lie upon Him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven Ps. 78.21 God shall wound the hairy Scalpe of such a One as goeth on still in his trespasses Pro. 1.24.28 Because I have called and yee refused I have stretched foorth my hand and no Man regarded c. Then shall they call upon mee but I will not answer they shall seeke me early but they shall not find mee Pro. 29.1 He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy Ezek. 24.13 In thy filthinesse is lewdnesse because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not bee purged from thy filthinesse any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee 1. Pet. 4.18 If the righteous scarcely bee saved Where shall the ungodly and the sinner appeare 1. Ioh. 3.9 Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sinne 1. Pet. 2.17 Love the brotherhood Heb. 12.14 Without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. Iam. 2.19 The Divels also beleeue and tremble Luke 13.24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you will seeke to enter in and shall not bee able Math. 10.14.15 And whosoever shall not receive you c. Veriâ—y I say unto you it shall bee more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of judgement then for that city And. 11.12 And from the dayes of Iohn the Baptist untill now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force And 5.46 And if you salute your brethren onely what doe you more then others and vers 20. I say unto you That except your righteousnes shall exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdome of heaven These fellowes represented to the eye of the World a goodly and glorious shew of freedome from grosse sinnes I am not saith the Pharisee Luke 18. as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers c. Of workes First Of righteousnesse I give tithes of all that I possesse Secondly Of Piety Hee went up to pray Thirdly Of mercy Besides fasting and prayer they gave almes Mat. 6. c. And yet Christ speakes thus peremptorily to his hearers Except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees c. ye shall in no case enter into the kingdome of heaven Hee saith not simply yee shall not enter But yee shall in no case enter And yet how many who come short of these will bee very angry if the ministers tell them that they shall certainely come short of the kingdome of heaven I have done with dawbing and plaistering over rotten hearts with plausible perswasions that they shall not bee damned I meane that most cruell and accursed trade of strengthening with lies the hands of the wicked that hee should not returne from his wicked way by promising him life Ezek. 13.22 Whereby thousands are sent hood-winckt to hell more is the pitty even in this blessed time of the Gospell And I come now to another errour about comforting afflicted Consciences Which is this 2. When the spirituall Physition promiseth comfort applies the promises assures of mercy acceptation and pardon 1. When the ground of griefe is not in truth trouble for sinne but some outward trouble Some in such a case may cast out by the way some faint and formall complaints of their sinnes and seeme to seeke direction and satisfaction about the state of their Soules when as the true root and principall Spring of their present heavinesse and hearts-griefe is some secret earthly discontentment the biâ—â—ng and bitternesse of some worldly sting It may bee the losse or desperate course of some over-loved child decay and going backward in their estate feare of falling into beggery some unexpected discontents and disappointments after marriage Some great disgrace and shame fallen upon them in the eye of the world Some long and tedious sicknesse pinching them extremely for want of peace with God and patience to passe thorow it Or the like In this case after the man of God by his best wisedome and searching experimentall tryals and Interrogatories fitted for that purpose whereby he may give a strong conjecture if not a peremptory censure hath discovered the Imposture Let his desire and endeavour be to turne the torrent of worldly teares and taking on for transitory things upon sinne When a veine is broken and bleeds inward or a man bleeds excessively at the Nose the physition is wont to open a veine in the arme so to divert the current of the blood that it may bee carried the right way for the safety and preservation of the party Doe proportionably in this point Let such know First That sorrow of the world worketh death It dries the bones consumes the marrow chils the blood wastes the Spirits eates up the heart shortneth life and cutteth off too soone from the day of gracious visitation It is a base thing for an immortall Soule to bee put thus out of tune and temper with mortall things most unworthy it 's heavenly birth breeding under the ministery and everlasting abode Secondly That sorrow spent upon the world is like a perfum'd precious water throwne into the channell or sinke-hole which would make a sweet sent in an humbled soule and helpe excellently against the noisome savour of sinne Fire put into the thatch would turne all into combustion Dung placed in your parlour would impoison all But lay the one upon the hearth and it would warme and comfort the other upon the land and it fatneth and makes fruitfull So sorrow misplaced upon earthly things fills a man with swarmes of carking confusions and brings many devouring Harpies into the heart but being turned upon sin and former sinfull courses which is the onely right proper profitable vse thereof it may procure a great deale of ease and enlargement to the heavy Spirit and helpe to bring foorth fruits meet for repentance Thirdly That the tithe perhaps of taking on trouble of mind vexation of Spirit sadnesse and sorrow about worldly things in respect of the bulke and quantity if sincere and
empoysoner of mens soules which beeing the glorious issue of thine owne infinite understanding was purposely created as a most pretious Panacea an universall medicinall store-house for the cure of all spirituall maladies an inexhausted treasury of all sound comfort true joy peace and refreshing Now the Lord rebuke thee Satan and returne as dung upon thine owne face this villanous base and wicked slaunder which by thy gracelesse instruments thou labourest to cast upon the glorious face of Christianity the incomparable sweetnesse of the wayes of grace and that One necessary thing I have knowne when the onely wise God hath suffered for ends seene and seeming good to his heavenly wisedome the hideous and raging humour of melancholie to darken the native clearenes of the animall spirits in the braine requisite to a due discretion of things apprehended and to blunder and disorder the objects and operations of the phantasie in his dearest child even to distraction and breaking out into that inordinate passion against reason I say then the concurrent cry and clamour of the enemies to the power of Godlines to bee This it is now to bee so bookish to follow preachers so much to be more holy then their neighbours never to have done in serving of God Her so much reading the scriptures and such poring upon precise bookes so they call those which most pierce the conscience and guide the cleerliest in the holy path hath made her starke mad The Puritan is now besides her selfe c. Now I say againe the Lord rebuke thee Satan who sits with such extreme malice and soule-killing folly in the hearts heads of such miserable men whom thou so sottishly hood-winkes and hardens to the height for a most desperate downefal and horrible confusion at last Were now the glorified soule of that blessed Saint consulted with and asked Diddest thou ever receive hurt by reading Gods blessed book by searching sweetly into the great mystery of Christ crucified by meditation upon heavenly things Did the sacred sense of those divine Oracles dissettle thy noble faculties or ever make sad thy heart c. Oh! with what infinite indignation would it sly in the face of such cursed Cavillers and wranglers against the truth Is it possible for the sole and soveraigne Antidote sent from heaven by God himselfe against the sting and venome of all heart-griefe and horror the sacred Sun of saving truth which is onely able to ennoble and glorifie our understandings with wisedome from the brest of the everlasting counsell of Iesus Christ should become the cause of discomfort and dissettlement of the soule No no. There is such a quickening healing and mighty efficacy and vigour shed into it from the Father of lights and shining in it from the face of Christ that by the helpe of the blessed spirit it can turne darkenes into light death into life hell into heaven the deepest horrour into height of joy Tell mee of any misery upon the body soule outward state or good name any calamity felt or feared in this life or the life to come and if thou wilt bee converted and counselled I can send thee to some both Promise and Precedent in this book of God which may upon good ground fill thine heart as full with sound comfort as the Sun is of Light and the Sea of Waters Nay give mee a wounded spirit with all it 's inexplicable terrors and bitternesse which is the greatest misery extremest affliction of which an understanding Soule is capable in this life And let first all the physitians in the world even the Rose-knights as they call themselves lay all their heads skill and experience together for the cure Let all the highest Monarchs upon earth shine upon it with their Imperiall favours for comfort Let the depth of all humane wisedome and the height of the most excellent oratory bee improoued to perswade it peace Let all the creatures in heaven and earth contribute their severall abilities and utmost to still it 's rage And when all these have done and have done just nothing I will fetch a cordiall out of Gods owne booke which shall mollifie the anguish expell the venome and bind it up with everlasting peace which passeth all understanding that the broken bones may rejoyce and the poore soule groaning most grievously under the guilty horrour of many foule abominations and ready to sink into the gulph of despaire bee sweetly bathed and refreshed in the fountaine opened by the hand of mercy for sinne and for uncleannesse Christs dearest bloud the glorious wel-spring of all lightsomnesse and joy Heare how precisely for this purpose and how punctually against such pestilent cauillers some of the ancient Fathers doe Puritanize There is no malady saith Chrysostome either of body or soule but may receive a medicine out of Gods booke One comes oppressed with sadnesse and anxiety of businesses overwhelmed with griefe But presently hearing the Prophet saying Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee Hope thou in God for I will yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Hee receives abundance of comfort and abandons all heavines of heart Another is pinched with extreme poverty takes it heavily and grieves seeing others flowing in riches swelling with pride attended with great pompe and state But hee also heares the same Prophet saying Cast thy burden upon the Lord and hee shall sustaine thee And againe Be not afraide when one is made rich when the glory of his house is increased For when hee dieth hee shall carry nothing away His glory shall not descend after him There is another which assaulted with insidiations and calumnies is much troubled thinkes his life uncomfortable finding no helpe in man Hee is also taught by the same prophet that in such perplexities wee must not resort to the arme of flesh Heare what hee saies They slandered and I prayed The mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitfull are opened against mee They have spoken against mee with a lying tongue They compassed mee about also with words of hatred and fought against mee without a cause For my love they are my adversaries But I give my selfe to prayer Another is slighted and contemned by some base contemptible underlings and forsaken of his friends And that is it which most troubles his mind goes nearest to his heart But hee also if hee will come hither doth heare that blessed man saying My Lovers and my freinds stand aloofe from my sore and my kinsmen stand afarre off They also that seeke after my life lay snares for mee and they that seeke my hurt speake mischeivous things and imagine deceipts all the day long But I as a deafe man heard not and I was as a dumbe man that openeth not his mouth Thus I was as a man that heareth not and in whose mouth are no reproofes for in thee O Lord do I hope thou
particulars It is a principle in the mysterie of Christ resolved upon by best Divines rightly instructed to the Kingdome of Heaven That a confused acknowledgement and generall repentance onely for knowne sinnes is never sound and saving But onely common formall perfunctory and that of counterfeite Converts not truly touched with sense of their sinnes nor heartily resolved to forsake their pleasures If they can bee first brought to the sight sense and acknowledgement of some one speciall notorious sinne which hath most reigned in their heart life o◠calling and bee in some good measure illightened convinced and terrified about the hainousnesse and horrible guilt of it it may bee a good meanes by Gods blessing to bring in the rest For ordinarily true repentance is first occasioned by some one speciall sinne laid to heart The Apostles Act. 2. doe specially presse the murder of Christ upon the Iewes Christ himselfe adultery upon the Woman of Samaria Ioh. 4. Samuel Idolatry upon the Israelites 1. Sam. 7. The sin of asking a King chap. 12. Ezra taking strange wives Ezra 10. Nehemiah usury chap. 5. c. To further the worke of a more particular setting their sinnes in order before their eyes it were much to bee wished and a very happy thing if all the wounded consciences and troubled in minde wee meete with were furnished before-hand with a competent speculative knowledge at the least of the particulars in Gods Law exorbitant passages of their life and grosse corruptions of their hearts Wee might so by Gods helpe more easily bring them to particular remorse and fit them sooner and more seasonably for comfort We find a most hard and right heavy taske to encounter the Divels devises wiles and depths in a poore distressed tempted Ignorant 4. When the party is dejected for some notorious sinne onely It is sometimes seene in meere civell men that having a long time preserved their reputations entire and unstained in the eye of the world from grosse and notable enormities and yet after foulely shaming themselues in the sight of men by some infamous fall seeme to take on much as tho they were truly troubled with the remorse whereas perhaps the present hearts-griefe ariseth rather from losse of credit then wound of conscience tho to favour their credit they cunningly father it upon conscience Or let them bee indeed affrighted very grievously for a time with the horrour of that one sin yet stay the cry and abate the rage of that One with some superficiall comfort and they are healed and put into an happy case in their owne conceite and in the opinion also perhaps of their unskilfull Physition tho they search no further and dive no deeper into the loathsome Dunghill of those many abominable lusts and corruptions in their heart and life of which they are as full as the skinne will hold Now it is a foule and fearefull over-sight in a Minister nay it may proove an errour stained with spirituall bloodshed to promise pardon to such partiall Penitents Suppose a man sicke of a Plurisie should send to a Physition and tell Him Hee is sore troubled with a Cough and intreate His help concealing other signes and symptomes which ordinarily accompany that disease as His short and difficult breathing the stinging stitch in His side c. The Physition may addresse Himselfe to cure the Cough and yet the Patient die of an inflammation seized upō the membrane girding the ribs and side It is proportionably so in the present Point A man may complaine and cry out houle and take on extremely for some one horrible hainous sinne and that may bee well but except hee proceede to a further discovery and sorrow proportionable for his other knowne sinnes they will bee the destruction and death of His Soule If a dozen Theeves bee entred into thy house it is not enough for Thee to lay hold on the Captaine Thiefe onely and thrust Him out at doores If Thou suffer but one of them to lurke in any corner undiscovered and not turned out Hee will serue the turne to cut thy throate and take away thy treasure Crying out of one capitall sinne onely is not sufficient wee must confesse and forsake all if wee looke to find mercy Prou. 28.13 And yet here I would have no true Penitent dejected or mistake the bare omission of some particular sinnes in this case is not ever damnable For wee must know that if a man deale truly with his owne heart in a sincere acknowledgement confession and repentance for discovered and knowne sinnes and Hee ought to labour by clearing the eye of naturall conscience and industrious inspection into Gods pure Law to know as many as may bee and for all those that come into His minde when Hee sets himselfe apart solemnely to humble and afflict His Soule before God and Hee ought to remember as many as Hee can possibly I say if so then for secret and unknowne sinnes which are committed in weakenesse and ignorance the Lord accepteth a generall confession as wee see in Davids practise Psalm 19.12 Who can understand His errours Cleanse thou mee from secret faults Sinnes there are many and that in the best men which are not onely unnoted of others and free from the worlds observation but even unknowne to a mans owne selfe and invisible to the watchfullest eye of the most waking conscience which notwithstanding are clearely subject to the search of Gods All-seeing eye and to the censure of His pure Majesty For Hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more the secretest waies of the sonnes of men Sinnes there are also which even in the zealous exercise and holy worke of Repentance may not come into the consideration and remembrance of one truly Penitent which if Hee could recover into his memory Hee would heartily and with much indignation acknowledge bewaile and detest So un-numbred are the cursed by-paths of mens crooked wayes But for both these sorts of sinnes I must say thus much for the comfort of the true Convert that both those unknowne sins which Hee commits of ignorance if He truly repent for all His knowne sinnes and labour with sincerity and zeale for further illumination of conscience and fuller revelation of every corrupt Passage both in heart life in judgement and practise and those sins of knowledge also which came not into his minde if with diligence and without dissimulation with hearty prayer and best intention of spirit He endeavour to recover them into His memory that Hee might also mourne for and mortifie them with the rest carrying ever in His heart this resolution that as any sinne shall bee discovered to His conscience or returne into His mind Hee will abominate and abandon it I say both these kinds of sinnes it is a Pearle for the true Penitent let no stranger meddle with it to such an one upon such conditions are most certainely washed away by Christs blood and Gods free mercy upon His generall
the damnation of Hell In a true Penitent there ought to bee an utter cessation from all grosse abandonable sinnes and at least dis-allowance dis-affection and all possible opposition even to un-avoidable infirmities and inseparable frailties of the flesh 5. Fiftly when the Physition of the Soule promiseth mercy and pardon hand over head without that spirituall discretion which is convenient for a matter of so great consequence and requiring such a deale of dexterity in discerning to a man upon His Bed of death who hath formerly bin notorious or onely civill howsoever a meere stranger to the power of godlines and the truth of Profession because now in the evill Day He takes on extremely by reason of His extremity cries out of his sins O I am an hainous horrible and grievous sinner If I were to live againe what would not I doe A World for comfort now and to die the death of the righteous because Hee Howles vpon His bed as the Prophet speaketh and breakes out oftentimes into a roaring complaint of sinne and cry for pardon by reason Hee now begins to feare and feele the revenging hand of God ready to seize upon Him for his former rebellions c. Or when Hee assures Him having been a formall Professour onely and foolish Virgine of blisse and glory because out of a former habituated spirituall Selfe-deceite Hee cries Lord Lord seemes to by-standers very confident that He shal presently receive a Crowne of life thankes God that nothing troubles Him Professes to every one that comes to visite Him that Hee believes and repents with all His heart forgives all the world makes no doubt of Heaven c. Here by the way wee must take notice that many having out-stood the day of their gratious visitation having neglected so great salvation forsaken their owne mercy and iudged themselues unworthy of everlasting life all their life long by standing out against the Ministry of the Word in respect of any saving worke upon their soules and now at length beeing overtaken after the short gleame of worldly prosperity with the boysterous winter-night of death and darkenesse of the evill day may keepe a great stirre upon their dying-Beds or in some great extremity with grievous complaints of their present intolerable misery and former sinfull courses procuring it with incessant cries for ease and deliverance being now caught like wilde Bulls in a Nâ—t full of the wrath of God with earnest and eager â—uing and seeking for pardon and salvation now when worldly pleasures are past and yet bee not truly penitent not soundly and savingly humbled not rightly fitted for Christ and comfort Consider for this purpose Prov. 1.24.28 In the day of visitation God called upon them and stretched out His hands but they refused did not regard set at naught all His counsell and would none of His reproofe And therefore in the Day of vexation when extremity and anguish shall come upon them like a Thiefe in the night a whirle-winde travaile upon a woman suddenly extremely un-avoidably Hee professeth before-hand that then they shall call upon Him but Hee will not answer They shall seeke Him early but they shall not find Him Psal. 78.34.35.36.37 When Gods hand was upon them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God c. Neverthelesse they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto Him with their tongues For their heart was not right with Him c. Hos. 7.14 They howled upon their Beds Will not a Dog or a Beast or any unreasonable creature when they are pinched when they are in extremity will they not cry will they not mourne for helpe c. Their cries in the evill Day were not hearty prayers but Howlings upon their Beds Their earnestnesse in such a case is ordinarily like the teares prayers and cryes of a malefactour newly condemned Hee is very earnest with the Iudge to spare Him Hee roares out sometimes and takes on extremely yet not heartily for his former lewdnesse but horribly because Hee must now loose His life Hee seemes now when Hee sees His misery to relent and to bee toucht with remorse but it is onely because hee is like to bee hanged Againe many there are who satisfying themselves and others with a goodly shew of a Forme onely of godlines may upon their last Bed discover and represent to By-standers a great deale of fearelesnesse about their spirituall state much confidence many ostentations of Faith and full assurance and behave themselves as tho they were most certainely going to everlasting blisse when as God knowes their Answer at His just Tribunall must bee I know you not And in truth and triall they have no more part in Christ nor other portion in Heaven then the foolish Virgins and those Luk. 13.26.27 They are so confident not because they have escaped the danger but because they never saw the danger And hence it is that many of them die with as much confidence as the best Christians they have no more trouble then holy men To bee sure I am free from danger and not to know it may beget equall confidence Now concerning the present Case I must tell you that for my part I would not much alter my censure and conceite of a Man's spirituall state whom I have thorowly knowne before for the manner of His death The end of Gods dearest servant after an holy life and unblame-able conversation may not appeare in the eye of man so calme and comfortable as was expected by reason of much tendernesse of conscience some strong temptation spirituall desertion violent distemper of Body or because God would have the manner of His death serue the glory of His justice in hardning those about him who were so farre from being won by His godly life that they heartily hated it or for some other secret and sacred end seene and seeming good to Divine wisedome who ever disposeth every circumstance even of the least affaire most sweetly and wisely And yet this as it doth not prejudice His salvation neither should it His Christian reputation Heare that great Doctor in the Art of rightly comforting afflicted consciences But what if you should die in this discomfort For my part as I my selfe looke for no great things in my death I would not thinke more hardly of you neither would I wish any to iudge otherwise of Gods Childe in that state of death For wee shall not bee iudged according to that particular instant of death but according to our generall course of life not according to our deede in that present but according to the desire of our hearts ever before And therefore wee are not to mistrust Gods mercy in death bee wee never so uncomfortable if so bee it hath been before sealed in our vocation and sanctification On the otherside a notorious wretch which hath swumme downe the current of the times and wallowed in worldly pleasures all his life long may seeme to die
and yelling They shall never more bee heard tho with much violence they throw their serikings into the Aire and cry with sighes and groanes as piercing as a sword Not but that the Gates of Heaven and armes of mercy may stand wide open untill their last breath But alas They have already so hardened their hearts that they cannot repent After thine hardnesse saith Paul and heart that cannot repent They now but howle upon their Beds they doe not cry unto God with their heart as the Prophet speakes Hos. 7.14 Their earnest and early crying in this last extremity is onely because Their feare is come upon them as desolution and their destruction as a whirlewinde When they cast out their considerations for comfort It is not the whole Creation can possibly help them for they must stand or fall to the Tribunall of the everlasting God mighty and terrible the Creator of the ends of the Earth If they looke up to God the Father that Prov. 1.24.26 comes presently into their heads with much horrour and quite kills their hearts Because Hee hath called all our life long and all that goodly time wee refused Hee will laugh now at our calamity and mocke when our feare is come Iesus Christ as they strongly conceive and un-mooveably conclude against themselves hath now to them for ever closed up His wounds as it were and will not afford them one drop of His blood because they have so often by comming unworthily spilt it in the Sacrament persecuted Him in His members and despised Him in the Ministry The blessed Spirit because in the Day of visitation they repelled all his inward warnings and holy motions preferring Satans impure suggestions before His sacred inspirations doth now in their own acknowledgement by the equity of a just proportion in this Day of vexation leave them to eat the fruit of their former wilfulnesse and reape the reward of their owne wayes Thus these forlorne wretches are disclaimed forsaken and abandoned of Heaven and Earth God and Man of all the comforts in this life and blessings of the World to come And so by finall despairing of Gods mercy the greatest of sinnes they most unhappily and cursedly follow Iudas the worst of men into the darkest and most damned nooke in Hell 2. Others die senselesly and blockishly They demeane themselues upon their dying Beds as tho there were no immortality of the Soule no Tribunall aboue no strict account to bee given up there for all things done in the flesh no everlasting estate in the world to come wherein every one must either lie in unspeakeable paines or live in un-utterable pleasures In their life time they were never woont to tremble at Gods judgments or rejoyce in his promises or much trouble themselves with the ministry of the Word or about the state of their soules All was one to them what Minister they had whether a Man taught to the kingdome of Christ or a generall Teacher or an ignorant Mangler of the word or a dissolute fellow or a Dawber with untempered morter or a dumbe Dog If they were neither Whores nor Thieves but well accounted of amongst their neighbours thriued in the world prospered in their outward state prouided for posterity slept in a whole skinne were not vexed on the Lords day with any of these precise Trouble-townes They were well enough and had all they looked for either in this world or in the world to come Wherefore at their death by reason of their former disacquaintance with spirituall things and God not opening their eies they are neither afflicted with any feare of Hell or affected with any hope of Heaven they are both un-apprehensive of their present danger and fearelesse of the fiery lake into which they are ready to fall In these regards they are utterly untouched die most quietly and without any trouble at all And it is their ordinary Answere when they are questioned about their spirituall state and How it stands with them betweene God and their owne Consciences I thanke God nothing troubles me Which tho they thinke it makes much for their owne credit yet alas It is small comfort to judicious By-standers and such as wish well to their Soules But rather a fearefull confirmation that they are finally giuen ouer to the spirit of slumber and sealed up by divine justice in the sottishnesse and security of their owne senselesse hearts for most deserved condemnation Thus these men as One speakes live like stocks and die like blocks And yet the ignorant people saith Greeneham will still commend such fearefull deaths saying He departed as meekely as a Lambe Hee went away as a bird in a shell when they might as well say but for their featherbed and their pillow hee dyed like a beast and perished like an Oxe in a ditch 3. Others die formally I meane they make very goodly shewes and representations of much confidence and comfort Having formerly beene formall Professours and so furnished with many formes of godly speeches and outward Christian behaviours And the spirit of delusion and spirituall Selfe-cousenage wich in their life time detained them in constancy of security and selfe-conceitednesse about the spirituall safty of their soules without any such doubts troubles feares temptations which are woont to haunt those who are true of heart for ordinarily such is the peace of unsound Professors continuing their imaginary groundlesse persvasion and presumption in the height and strength unto the end for their very last breath may bee spent in saying Lord Lord open unto us as wee see in the foolish Virgines and those Mat. 7. I say such men as these thus wofully deluded and fearefully deceiving others may cast out upon their last beds many glorious speeches intimating much seeming confidence of a good estate to God-ward contempt of the world willingnesse to die readinesse to forgiue all the world hope to bee saved desire to bee dissolved and goe to Heaven c. They may cry aloud with a great deale of formall confidence Lord Lord Mercy Mercy in the name of Christ Lord Iesus receive our spirits c. And yet all these goodly hopes and earnest eiaculations growing onely from a forme not from the power of godlines are but as I said somewhere before as so many catchings and scrablings of a Man over-head in water He strugles and strives for hold to save Himself but he graspes nothing but water it is still water which He catches and therefore sinkes and drownes They are all but as a spiders web Iob. 8. 14.15 Vpon which One falling from the top of an house laies hold by the way for stay and support Hee shall leaâ—e upon his house but it shall not stand Hâ—e shall hold it fast but it shall not endure O how many descend faitlâ— an ancient Father with this hope to eternall trauailes and torment How many saith an other worthy Doctour goe to Hell with a vaine hope of Heaven whose chiefest
cause of damnation is their false persuasion and groundlesse presumption of salvation Of all the foure kindes of death which ordinarily befall such as are not saved this is the fairest in shew but yet of greatest imposture to those about them and of most pestilent consequence to harden especially all of the same humour that heare of it 4. Some die Penitently But I meane seemingly so not savingly Many having served their appetites all their lives and lived in pleasure now when the Sun of their sensuall delights begins to set and the darke midnight of misery and horrour to seize upon them would very gladly bee saved And I blame them not If they might first live the life of the wicked and then die the death of the righteous If they might have the earthly Heaven of the worlds Favourites here and the Heauen of Christs Martyrs in the world to come These Men are woont in this last extremity to take on extremely But it is but like their Howling upon their Beds Hos. 7.14 Because they are pinched with some sense of present horror and expectation of dreadful things They cry out mightily for mercy But it is no other then their early seeking Prov. 1.28 Because distresse and anguish is come upon them They enquire eagerly after God and would now bee gladly acquainted with Him But just like them Psal. 78. When Hee slew them then they sought Him and they returned and enquired early after God And they remembred that God was their Rocke and the high God their Redeemer Neverthelesse they did flatter Him with their mouth And they lyed unto Him with their Tongs For their heart was not right with Him They promise very faire and protest gloriously what mended men they will bee if the Lord restore them But all these goodly promises are but as a morning cloud and as the early dew They are like those of a Thiefe or murtherer at the Barre which beeing now cast and seeing there is now no way but one O what a reformed man would Hee bee if Hee might bee reprieved Antiochus as the Apocryphall Booke of the Maccabees reports when the hand of God was upon Him horribly vowed excellent things O what Hee would doe so and so extraordinarily for the people of God! yea and that He Himselfe also would become a Iew and goe through all the world that was inhabited and declare the power of God But what was it thinke you that made this raging Tyrant to relent and thus seemingly repent A paine of the bowells that was remedilesse came upon Him and sore torments of the inner parts So that no man could endure to carry him for His intolerable stinke And He himselfe could not abide His owne smell Many may thus behaue themselves upon their Beds of death with very strong shewes and many boisterous representations of true turning unto God whereas in truth and triall they are as yet rotten at heart roote And as yet no more comfort upon good ground belongs unto them then to those in the fore-cited Places And if any spirituall Physition in such a case doe presse it hand over head or such a Patient presume to apply it it is utterly misgrounded mis-applied Heare what One of the worthiest Divines in Christendome saith Now put case One commeth to His ghostly Father with such sorrow of minde as the terrours of a guilty conscience usually doe produce and with such a resolution to cast away His sinnes as a Man hath in a storme to cast away his goods not because Hee doth not love them but because Hee feareth to lose His life if Hee part not with them doth not hee betray this mans soule who putteeh into His head that such an extorted repentance as this which hath not one graine of love to season it withall will qualifie Him sufficiently for the receiving of an absolution c. And another excellently instructed unto the Kingdome of Heaven Repentance at death is seldome sound For it may seeme rather to arise from feare of iudgement and an horrour of Hell then for any griefe for sinne And many seeming to repent affectionately in dangerous sicknesse when they have recovered have been rather worse then before It is true that true Repentance is never too late but late Repentance is seldome true For here our sinnes rather leave us then wee them as Ambrose sayes And as Hee addes Woe bee unto them whose sinne and life end together This received Principle among the ancient Fathers That late Repentance is rarely true implyes that it is often false and unsound and so by consequent confirmes the present Point Too manifold experience also makes it good Amongst many for my part I have taken speciall notice of two The one beeing laboured-with in prison was seemingly so extraordinarily humbled that a reverend Man of God was mooved thereby to bee a meanes for his reprive whereupon a Pardon was procured And yet this so extraordinary a Penitent while death was in his eye having the terror removed returned to His vomit and some two yeeres after to the same Place againe as notorious a Belial as Hee was before Another having upon His Bed of sicknesse received in His owne conceite the sentence of death against Himselfe and beeing pressed to humiliation and broken-heartednesse for Hee had formerly been a stranger and enemy to purity and the power of godlinesse answered thus My heart is broken and so broke out into an earnest confession of particular sinnes Hee named uncleannesse stubbornnesse obstinacy vaine-glory hypocrisie dissimulation uncharitablenesse covetousnesse luke-warmenesse c. He compared himselfe to the Thiefe upon the Crosse. And if God saith Hee restore mee to health againe the world shall see what an altered man I will bee When hee was prest to syncerity and true-heartednesse in what hee said Hee protested that hee repented with all his heart and Soule and minde and Bowels c. And desired a Minister that stood by to bee a witnesse of these things betweene the world and Him And yet this Man upon His recovery became the very same if not worse then Hee was before Now sith upon this Perusall of the different deaths incident to the godly and the wicked it appeares that some men never soundly converted may in respect of all outward representations die as confidently and comfortably in the conceite of the most as Gods dearest Children and that Christs best servant sometimes may depart this life uncomfortably to the eye and in the opinion of the greatest part And wee heard before that our last and everlasting Doome must passe upon us according to the syncerity or sensuality the zealous forwardnes or formality of our former courses and not according to the seeming of our last carriage upon Bed of death and enforced behaviour in that time of extremity I say these things beeing so I hold my conclusion still and resolution not much to alter my censure and conceit of a mans spirituall state for
bee tho I hope better things of Thee The truth as I said both of thy heart and these affectionate promises will appeare when the storme is over and this dismall tempest which hath over-cast and shaken thy spirit with extraordinary feare and astonishment is overblowne Thy course of life to come will proove a true Touch-stone to try whether this bee the kindly travaile of the New-birth or onely a temporary taking-on during the fit by reason of the uncouthnesse and exquisitenesse of this invisible spirituall torture without true turning to Iesus Christ. If when the now-troubled powers of thy soule which the wound of thy conscience hath cast into much distracted and uncomfortable confusion shall recover their wonted calmenes and quiet thou turne unto thine old bias humour company and conversation it will then bee more then manifest that this Furnace of terrour and temptation wherein thou now lies and languishes was so far from working thine heart to heavenlinesse and grace that it hath hammered it to more hardnesse and ungraciousnesse from purging and refining that it hath occasioned more earthlinesse epicurisme and raging affections in sensuality and sinfull pleasures But if when thou art up againe and raised by Gods mercifull hand out of the Depth of this spirituall distresse into which the horrible sight and heavy waight of thy sinnes have sunke thee if then thou expresse and testifie thy true-heartednesse in these present solemne protestations made now as it were in thy hot blood I meane of thy hatred against sinne by an earnest opposition watchfulnesse and striving against all especially that which in thine unregenerate time stucke closest to thy bosome of thine hunger and thirst after a comfortable fruition of Gods face and favour by a conscionable and constant pursuit and exercise of all good meanes and opportunities of all his blessed ordinances appointed and sanctified for groath in grace and bringing us nearer unto Him of thy future New-obedience and Christian walking by plying industriously and fruitfully with thy best endeavour and utmost ability those three glorious workes of Christianity Preservation of purity in thine owne Soule and Body righteous dealing with all thou hast to doe-with Holy carriage towards God in all religious duties In a word by denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and living soberly righteously and godlily in this present world of which the grace of God teacheth every true Convert to make Conscience I say if upon thy recovery this bee thy course Thou art certainely New-created Such blessed behaviour as this will infallibly evidence these present terrours to have been the Pangs of thy New-birth and thy happy translation from death to life from the vanity and folly of sin into the light and liberty of Gods Children 2. Secondly say unto Him When once that blessed Fountaine of Soule-saving blood is opened upon thy Soule in the side of the Sonne of God by the hand of Faith for sinne and for uncleannesse then also must a Counter-spring as it were of repentant teares bee opened in thine humbled heart which must not be dried up untill thy dying Day This is my meaning for every Christian hath not teares at command the heart sometimes may bleed when the eyes are dry Thou must bee content to continue the current of thy godly sorrow upon that abominable Sinke and Sodom of all the lusts vanities and villanies of thy darke and damned time and also upon those frailties infirmities imperfections defects relapses back-slidings which may accompany thy regenerate state even untill that body of sinne which thou carries about Thee bee dissolved by the stroke of death As concerning thine old sinnes and those that are past it is not enough that now the fresh horrour of them and those grissely affrighting formes wherein they have appeared to the eye of thy wounded conscience have wrought upon thy heart by Gods blessing some softnesse heart-rising remorse and hatred But thou must many and many a time hereafter in the extraordinary exercises of renued repentance presse thy penitent spirit to bleede afresh within thee and draw water againe out of the bottome of thy broken heart with those Israelites and poure it out before the Lord in abundāce of bitter teares for thy never sufficiently sorrowed-for abominations and rebellions against so blessed and bountifull a God Now the solemne times and occasions when wee are called to this renued Repentance are such as these 1. When wee are to performe some speciall services unto God because then out of a godly jealousie wee may feare lest the face and favour of God the love and light of His countenance may not lie so open unto us by reason of the cloudy interposition of our former sinnes 2. When wee seeke for any speciall blessing at Gods mercifull hands because then out of a gracious feare we may suspect that our old sinnes may intrude and labour to intercept and divert from our longing Soules the sweet and comfortable influences of the Throne of grace It may seeme that David in the current of his prayer saw His old sinnes charge upon Him and therefore cries out by the way Remember not the sinnes of my youth 3. In the time of some great affliction and remarkeable Crosse when upon a new search and strict examination of our hearts and lives we humbling our selves more solemnely againe in the sight of the Lord and mourning afresh over Him whom wee have pierced with our youthly pollutions and provoke daily with many wofull failings are wont to seeke Gods pleased face and our former peace sanctification of it unto us in the meane time and the remoovall of it from us in due time in the name of Iesus Christ. 4. After relapse into some old secret lust or fall into some new scandalous sinne Davids remorse for adultery and murder brought his heart to bleede over his birth-sinne Psal. 51.5 Above all upon all those mighty Dayes of humiliation by prayer and fasting publike private or secret wherein Gods people wrastle with God by the omnipotency of prayer and worke so many wonders from time to time 6. Some there are also who setting apart some speciall times to conferre with God in secret lay together before Him the glorious Catalogue of the riches of His mercy reaching from everlasting to everlasting all his favours preservations deliverances protections c. from their first beeing to that time and the abhorred Catalogue of all their sinnes from Adam to that houre Originall both imputed and inherent actuall both before and since their calling and this they doe with hearty desire of such different affections as they severally require A serious and sensible comparing of which two together makes sinne a great deale more loathsome and the mercies of God more illustrious and so prooves effectuall many times by the helpe of the Holy Ghost to soften their hearts extraordinarily to make them weepe heartily and fils their Soules with much joyfull sorrow and humble thankefulnesse 7. Vpon our Beds
of death Then because wee take our farewell of Repentance we should take our fill of it because it is the last time wee shall looke upon our sinnes for that purpose we should dismisse them with utmost and extremest loathing At such times and upon such occasions as these and the like when thou art called to a more solemne strict and severe search and review of thy old sinnes and former life Thou must renue this present repentance of thy New-birth make thine heart breake againe and bleed afresh with the sight of thy heretofore much doted-upon but now most abhorred abominable courses And so often also as thou lookes backe upon them Thou must labour to abominate and abandon them with more resolute aversion and new degrees of detestation Thoâ—e may bee by the mercies of God they shall never bee able to â—â—ng thee againe with the same slavishnesse of guilty horrour yet thou mâ—st still endeavour in thy cold blood to strangle utterly thy former delight in them with more hearty additions of deadly hatred and to bee more and more humbled for them untill thy ending houre It is a very high happinesse and blessing above ordinary to bee able to looke backe upon thy choisest youthfull pleasures and pollutions without either sensuall delight or slavish horrour with syncere hatred holy indignation and hearty mourning Now for the time to come and those sinnes which hereafter the rebelliousnesse of thy naughty nature and violence of the Divels temptations may force upon thee if thy heart bee now truly toucht and conscience savingly illightned Thou shalt find much matter necessity and use of continuing thy Repentance so long as thy life lasts In a leaking ship there must bee continuall pumping A ruinous house must be still in repairing These bodies of death wee beare about us are naturally liable to so many batteries and breaches by the assaults of originall sinne and other implacable enemies to our soules that there is extreme need of perpetuall watch and ward repenting and repairing lest the Newman bee too much opprest and too often surprized by the many and cunning encounters of the old Adam When thou art in company solitary busied about thy particular Calling there may suddenly arise in thine heart some greedy wish some grosse conceite some vaine uncleane ambitious revengefull thought ejaculate presently a penitent â—igh and â—ervent prayer for pardon of it in the Passion of Christ. In thy family perhaps amongst thy children and servants by reason of some crosse-accident thou mayst breake out into some unadvised passionate speech and disgrace thy selfe and Profession by over hasty intemperate heate not without some danger of hurting and hardening those about thee thereby Get thee presently upon it into thy Closer or some place for that purpose Throw thy selfe downe with a truly-grieved and humbled Soule before the Trone of grace and rise not untill thou bee reconciled unto thy God If at any time which God forbid Thou bee over-taken with some more publike scandalous sinne or dangerously haunted with some enormous secret lust appoint for thy selfe a solemne Day of humiliation and then cry unto the Lord like a woman in travaile and give him no rest untill Hee returne unto Thee with the wonted favour and calmnesse of His pleased countenance If Christians would constantly take to heart and ply this blessed businesse of immediately rising by repentance after every relapse and fall into sinne they should find a further Paradise and pleasure in the wayes of God then they ever yet tasted This course continued with present feeling and after-watchfulnesse would helpe excellently by the blessing of God and excercise of Faith the onely Conduit of all spirituall comfort to keepe in their bosomes that which they much desire and often bewaile the want of a chearefull bold and heavenly spirit Neither let any here bee troubled because I presse the exercise and use both of renewed and continued Repentance all our life long as tho thereupon the Christians life might seeme more uncomfortable For wee are to know that sorrow according to God Evangelicall mourning is mingled with abundance of spirituall joy which doth infinitely surpasse in sweetnesse and worth all worldly pleasures and delights of sense Nay whereas all the Ioviall good-fellow-mirth of carnall men is but a flash of Hellish folly This is a very glimpse of heavenly glory Let mee tell you againe how sweetly and truly that excellent Divine of Scotland speakes of it There is saith He more lightnesse of heart and true delight in the sorrow of the Saints then in the Worlds loudest laughter For unspeakeable ioy is mingled with un-utterable groanes The ancient Fathers are of the same minde with this Man of God Godly sorrow saith Chrysostome is better then the ioy of the World Even as The ioy of the World is ever accompanied with sorrow so teares according to God beget continuall and certaine delight Againe Such a man as this now meaning Him whose heart is inflamed with an heavenly heate despising all things here below doth presevere in continuall compunction pouring out abundance of teares every day and taking thence a great deale of pleasure Let the Repentant saith Austin be alwaies sorrowfull for sinne and alwaies reioyce for that sorrow 3. Beware of two dangerous errours 1. Either to conceive that thou mayst not admit of any comfort or apply the promises comfortably because Thou still finds in thy selfe more matter of mourning and further humiliation 2. Or to thinke When Thou hast onâ—â— laid hold upon Christs Person and pretious sufferings for the pardon of thy sinnes and quieting of thy Soule that then Thou must mourne no more 1. For the first know That were our heads Seaes and our eyes Fountaines of teares and poured out abundantly every moment of our life Should our hearts fall asunder into drops of blood in our breast for anguish and indignation against our selves for our transgressions yet should wee come infinitely short of the sorrow and hearts-griefe which our many and hainous lusts and pollutions justly merit and exact at our hands Therefore wee cannot expect from our selves any such sufficiency of sorrow or worthinesse of weeping for our sinnes as by the perfection and power thereof to win Gods favour and draw his mercy upon us Such a conceit were most absurd senselesse and sinfull and would rather discover and taste of naturall pride then true humility as they perhaps mistake tend unhappily to the disgrace of Gods mercies and gracing our owne merits True it is Had wee a thousand eyes it were too little to weep them all out for the very vanity of that one sinfull sense Had we a thousand hearts and they should all burst with penitent griefe and bleed to death for the sinnes of our soules it were more then immeasurably unconceiveably insufficient For were al this so yet were it not this but the hearte-blood of Iesus Christ could make the Fathers heart to yerne
prejudice against the power of godlinesse and pestilent perswasions of Pillow-sowers under their elbowes that in so doing they shal bee utterly undone and never have good day afterward But to speake in their owne language fall presently into the hands of the Puritanes into the strict tortures and Hypocriticall miseries of precisenesse into fowrenesse vnsociablenesse dumps of Melancholy and indeede into a state not past a step short of distraction and madnesse And these therefore cast about to get out of trouble of minde and sense of divine terrour with as great impatiency and precipitation as the former onely more plausibly and with seemingly fairer but truly false satisfaction to their owne Soules For the former rush with furious indignation out of these spirituall dejections of Conscience as unmanly feares not fit for worthy spirits and men of Ioviall resolution into greater excesse and variety of worldly delights and sensuall loosenesse and so ordinarily become afterward very notorious and more desperate enemies to the Kingdome of Christ Because the power of the Word hath once stung their carnall hearts with some remorsefull terrour they ever after heartily hate the sound and searching Ministry and managers thereof the Inflicters of their smart for no other reason in the world but that they tell them the truth and thereupon torment them before their time that so if they be not wanting unto themselves they may escape the torments of eternity hereafter And they set themselves against godly Christians with incompatible estrangement and implacable spite onely because they are Professours of Selfe-deniall holy strictnesse inconformity to the world repentance mortification c. the entertainement and exercise whereof they furiously more detest and flie from then the death of their Bodies and damnation of their Soules But these latter passe more plausibly out of trouble of conscience and take a fairer course of the two tho it proove but an imaginary and counterfeite Cure For they labour to close up their spirituall wound with comfort out of the Word and promise peace to their troubled hearts from the promises of life But herein they faile and fearefully deceive themselves in that they conceive the first fits and qualmes as it were of Legall terrour to bee saving repentance a generall speculative apprehension of Christ's Passion to procure a speciall pardon for all their sinnes fruitlesse speculations of Faith to prevent and secure them from the wrath that is come a meere verball profession to be forwardnesse enough except a Man would bee too precise Vpon the first fright and feeling the smart of a confused remorse and horrour for sinne without any further penitent wading into Particulars or thorow-search into their hearts lives consciences and Callings without suffering the worke of the spirit of Bondage to drive them to Christ and a resolution to sell all c. They presently hand over-head apply by the strong delusion of their owne idle groundlesse conceite all the gracious promises and priviledges of Gods Childe to their un-humbled Soules and enforce their understandings by a violent greedy error to think they are justified by such an artificiall heartles Notion which they falsely call Faith and so resting in a counterfeite perswasion that they are true Converts ordinarily turne carnall Professours Who are a kind of people who have no more spirituall life then a dead Faith can infuse into them No more comfort in the communion of Saints then an outward correspondence in Profession speculative Discourses of religion and meetings at the Meanes can yeeld No more interest or right to Heaven then a bold presumptuous confidence built first upon their owne wilfull fancy and seconded with Satans lying suggestion can give them Whose sorrow for sinne at the most is commonly no more then afflicting their Soules for a Day and bowing downe their heads like a Bul-rush without loosing the bands of wickednesse or departing from iniquity Whose conversion is nothing but onely a speculative Passage from a confused apprehension of sinne to a generall application of Christ without any sensible or saving alteration in their waies Whose New-obedience consists onely in a formall conformity to outward exercises of Religion without all true Zeale life heartinesse holinesse or indeed honest dealing with their Brethren But these men are to know that Christs blood never pardoned any mans Soule from sinne whose spirit the power thereof did not purge from guile It never saves any one from Hell whom it doth not first in some good measure season with holinesse and heavenly life In vaine doe they build comfort upon his Passion who doe not conscionably conforme to the practise of his Word And let them further bee informed for a more cleare discovery of their grosse and damnable Selfe-deceit that howsoever a dead Faith according to it's name and nature enters if it hath any entitie at all into the understanding without any remarke-able motion sense and alteration yet that Faith which truly justifies pacifies purifies mortifies sanctifies and saves is evidently discernable by first Many stirring Preparatives Sight and sense of a Mans miserable state by nature of his sinfulnesse and cursednesse Humbling himselfe in the sight of the Lord fearefull apprehensions wrought by the spirit of bondage Illumination conviction Legall terrours c. Secondly Violent affections about the infusing of it which are wont to bee raised in the humbled heart by the Holy Ghost extreme thirst inflamed desires vehement longings un-utter-able groanings of spirit prizing and preferring the Person and Passion of Christ before the Possession of infinite Worlds willingnesse to sell all to part with any thing for Him tho neuer so deare or so much doted upon heretofore with pleasure riches preferments a right hand a right eye liberty life c. Nay if in such a Case if even Hell it selfe should stand betweene Iesus Christ and a poore Soule He would most willingly passe thorow the very flames thereof to embrace His blessed crucified Lord in the armes of a lively Faith Thirdly inseparable consequents and companions first an hearty and everlasting falling-out with all sinne secondly sanctification thorowout in Body Soule Spirit and Calling and in every power part and passage thereof tho not in perfection of degrees as they say yet in truth and effectually thirdly A set and solmne course of New-obedience spent principally in Selfe-sobriety righteousnesse towards our Brethren and holinesse towards God Many unfaithfull men in the Ministry both in their publike teaching and private visitations of the sicke have much to answer-for in this Point who for want of skill in that highest Art of saving soules of familiarity with God and secret workings of his Spirit of experience in their owne change and of the spirit of discerning c. many times concurre with such miserable men to marre all in stife-ling the very first stirrings of Legall remorse by healing the wounds of their conscience with sweet words before they be searcht and sounded to the bottome and by an unseasonable and
undiscreet heaping a great deale of comfort there where as yet a good ground-worke of true humiliation is not soundly laid Many and lamentable are the spirituall miseries in those Places where such Dawbers with untempered morter domineere who never passed thorow the Pangs of the New-birth themselves were never feelingly acquainted with the wonderfull dealings of God in that great Miracle of a Mans conversion nor trained up experimentally in the Schoole of temptations painefull exercises of mortification and counter-minings against the Depths Wiles Devises and stratagems of the Divell The blessed Prophet paints them out to the life and denounces a dreadfull woe against such flattering and foolish Prophets Ezech. 13. A Ship-Master skilfull onely in Astronomy and other speculative Passages of the Art of Navigation is no body in conducting Men safely over some dangerous Sea to Him that besides sufficiencies of Art is furnisht also with experimentall skill in those Parts by passing formerly that way Himselfe and having discovered those dangers of ruine and hidden Rockes which the other Man might easily runne upon Give me a Man in whom variety and profoundnesse of best learning doth concurre in the highest degree of excellency yet if his owne heart bee not soundly wrought upon and seasoned with saving grace Himselfe experimentally seene into the Mystery of Christ and Secrets of sanctification as Hee shall bee hardly able to wound other mens consciences and pierce them to the quicke so Hee will bee found very unfit to manage aright the spirituall miseries of a troubled Soule and to transport it savingly thorow the tempestuous terrours and temptations incident to the New-creation into the Port of true peace and Paradise of the blessed Brother-hood A right dreadfull and tender Point it is to deale with distressed consciences so many depths of Satan and deceits of Mans heart mingle themselves with businesse of so great consequence Even a well-meaning Man without much heedfulnesse and good experience both in the Point and the Party may erre dangerously and bee much deceived herein I have heard from a Man of conscience and credit besides many and many in the same kind of a fearefull imposture to this purpose A man who for the world was well enough visited with some trouble of minde for his sinnes sent for a Minister to minister comfort Hee it seemes not sounding Him to the bottome or searching to the quicke heaped upon Him unseasonably and too soone mercies and hopes of spirituall safety Amongst other things Hee asked Him whether formerly Hee had ever felt testimonies and refreshings of Gods favour and love Yea answered the Party and here take notice of a notorious depth of the Divell Once riding alone upon the way in such a Place I grew upon the sudden very lightsome and light-hearted c. This was but a flash of Satans Angelicall glory cunningly to lighten and leade him the way to further confusion Why then replied the Minister you may build upon it God is constant in His favours and whom Hee loves once Hee loves for ever Hereupon the Patient was presently healed of his wounded heart and after fell unto his former courses and grew fully as prophane as Hee was before Amongst the many important Passages of our Ministeriall imployments I feare mee this waighty affaire of visiting the sicke is passed-over also more is the pitty with much ignorance slightnesse and neglect It is incredible to consider how fearefully many offend and what a deale of hurt they doe by observing one plodding generall forme and that a poore one too towards all Patients promiscuously without any judicious discretion in distingvishing the variety of spirituall states the different degrees of unregeneratenesse former courses of life c. Commonly their carriage in such Cases is the same to the notorious sinner the meere civill Man grosse Hypocrite carnall Gospeller formall Professor Back-slider the weake and strong the tempted and untempted Christian. If they but heare from the sicke Man a generall acknowledgement of his sinnes formall cries for mercy and pardon earnest desires to die the death of the righteous c. which may bee easily and ordinarily found in a Pharisie or foolish Virgine as you have heard before they will presently needs threape Him downe that He is as sure a saved Man as if Hee were in Heaven already Herein resembling saith Marbury a foolish Shepheard who wanting skill to helpe his poore sheepe out of the ditch is driven to play the miserable comforter and to take some other indirect course as many use to doe in such case to cut the sheepes throate in time to make him Mans meate left it should bee said Hee died in a ditch Many and many a time doe such fellowes as these empty and discharge their common-Place Bookes of all the Places of mercy and comforte collected curiously and industriously for that purpose upon those Men who were never acquainted with the waies of God in their life-time nor with the truth of humiliation or truly with the great worke of Repentance upon their Beds of death Those formall Church-men who stood about Marshall Biron that great Peere and Pillar of France at his death did in this respect very ill offices of Ghostly Fathers unto Him in his greatest neede and last extremitie For when Hee behaved himselfe more like a furious Divel already amongst the damned spirits in blasphemies impatiencies and most raging passions then a meeke and humble Saint of God ready to passe into everlasting Mansions of peace they notwithstanding out of their Popish divinity gave him this absolution assuring Him that His soule was ready to see God and to bee Partaker of his glory in Heaven When it had been farre fitter to have driven him to the sight of his sinnes sense of that dreadfull houre terrour of that strict Tribunall to which hee was ready to passe and fearefulnesse of that infernall fiery Lake from which no greatnesse can priviledge gracelesse Men. I feare me there are many Trencher-Chaplaines of the true Religion also who are ready to doe proportionable service to ungodly great Ones upon whom they depend by promising them life But many and dreadfull are the mistakings and miseries which fall upon the Soules of Men both Patients and By-standers by these flattering formall visitations and Funerall Panegyricks which ordinarily follow after Happy then and hopefull is that Man who in the troubles of His Soule meetes with that One of a thousand Iob 33.23 with those Sonnes both of Consolation and thunder who are as able ready and willing rightly to binde up a bruised spirit with the Baulme of mercy and promises of life as to breake in pieces a stubborne heart with the terrours of the Law Who as they labour in the first Place to fright and fire men out of their sinfull courses into penitent dejections of Conscience a needfull preparative to a saving conversion so they have learned both speculatively and experimentally to conduct them thorow the Pangs of the
gracious acceptation and intertainement at his Throne of Grace That it is naturall also to his Name To forgive iniquity transgression and sinne That is sinnes of all sorts kindes and degrees whatsoever There is none so hatefull and hainous whether naturall corruption or ordinary outward transgression or highest presumption but upon repentance God is most able ready and willing to remit it 7. God the Fathers compassionate pangs of infinite affection and forwardnesse to entertaine into his armes of mercy all true Penitents As I live sayth the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and live turne yee turne yee from your evill wayes for why will yee die O house of Israell Ezech. 33.11 Woe unto thee O Ierusalem wilt thou not bee made cleane When shall it once be Ier. 13.27 They say if a man put away his wife and shee goe from him and become another mans shall hee returne to her againe Shall not that Land be greatly polluted But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet returne againe to mee sayth the Lord Ier. 3.1 Oh that my people had hearkned unto mee and Israel had walked in my waies I would soone have subdued their enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him but their time should have endured for ever Hee should have fed them also with the finest of the wheate and with honey out of the rocke should I have satisfyed thee Psal. 81. O that thou hadst hearkned to my commandements then had thy peace been as a River and thy righteousnesse as the waves of the Sea Thy seed also had been as the sand and the off-spring of thy howells like the gravell thereof his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before mee Isa. 48.18 8. His mercifull almightinesse in putting life and lightsomnesse into the most dead and darkest heart Seeke him saith the Prophet that maketh the seven Starres and Orion and turneth the shâ—dow of death into the morning Amos 5.8 Suppose thou sâ—ttest thy selfe to seeke Gods face and favour and art presently set upon with this temptation But alas My soule is so blacke with sinne and darke with sorrow that it is to no purpose for mee to proceed c. But now in this case consider who Hee is that thou seekest it is He that made of nothing those beautifull shining glorious constellations Orion and the Pleiades and nothing in the world is darker then nothing Hee is Hee that turneth the darkest midnight into the brightest morning c. 9. Christs sweetest dearest most melting invitations of all truly troubled soules for sinne unto the Well of life and their owne everlasting wellfare Come unto mee all yee that labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest Mat. 11.28 O Ierusalem Ierusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee How often would I have gathered thy children together even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings c. Mat. 23.37 And when hee was come neare hee beheld the City and wept over it saying Oh if thou hadst knowne even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace Luke 19.41.42 In the last day the great Day of the Feast Iesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come to mee and drinke 10. Precedents in Gods Booke of many hainous and horrible sinners received to mercy upon their humiliation As Eve Magdalen Paul Zacheus Sodomits 1. Cor. 6.9.11 Crucifiers of Christ. Acts. 2. 11. Experience perhaps of the Comforter converted from a more wicked and desperate course then the Patient himselfe And it doth not a little refresh the heart of him who grievosly wounded in conscience and thereupon sending for a skillfull and faithfull Messenger of God and when he hath opened his Case fully unto him to heare him say when he hath sayd all My Case was farre worse then yours every way Nay but besides those notorious sins I have named unto you I have defiled my selfe with many secret execrable lusts Be it so saith the spirituall Physition yet in the daies of my vanity I have been guilty of moe and more hainous crimes then any you have yet spoken of Yea but even now when I have most need of should most prize reverence and lay hold upon Gods blessed Word Son and Promises I am pestilently pestered with many abhorred villanous and prodigious injections about them Not a man alive replies the Man of God hath had his head troubled with more hideous thoughts of such hellish nature then I c. 12. That pretious Parable Luk. 15. wherein all those loving passages of the Father unto his prodigall Son to wit His beholding him when hee was yet a great way off his compassion running towards him falling upon his necke kissing him putting on him the best Robe and the Ring killing the fatted Calfe c. doe shadow that immeasurable incomprehensible love of God the Father to every one that is willing to come out of the Divels cursed service into the good way But come as farre short of expressing it to the life as the infinite greatnesse of Almighty God surpasseth the finite frailty of a weake man and worme of the earth 2. In a second place Let us take a view of some of those most delicious and sweetest streames of dearest comfort which spring abundantly out of that fruitfull Fountaine of compassion and love Psal. 103.13 Like as a Father pittieth his Children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him See also Deutâ—r 8.5 Malac. 3.17 Hence may wee draw refreshing enough to our thirstie soules in many passages of heavy thoughts and grievous complaints about our spirituall state 1. In the distempers and damps of prayer thus Suppose the dearest Sonne of the loving'st Father to lie grievously sicke and out of the extremity of angvish to cry out and complaine unto him that hee is so full of paine in every part that hee knowes not which way to turne himselfe or what to doe and thereupon intreats him of all loves to touch him tenderly to lay him softly to mollifie all hee may his painefull misery and give him ease How ready thinke you would such a father bee with all tendernesse and care to put to his helping hand in such a ruefull case But yet if hee should grow sicker and weaker so that hee could not speake at all but onely looke his Father in the face with watery eies and moane himselfe unto him with sighes and groanes and other dumbe expressions of his increased paine and desire to speake Would not this yet strike deeper into the Fathers tender heart pierce and melt it with more feeling pangs of compassion and make his bowells yerne within him with an addition of extraordinary dearenesse and care to doe him good Even just so will thy heavenly Father bee
in the nearest and most immediate passive disposition if I may so speake to receive the whole Sunne of righteousnesse Reach but out thy hand in this Case to Iesus Christ offering Himselfe freely unto Thee as a Saviour and Lord and thou shalt presently take possession of the Kingdome of Grace and undoubted Right to the everlasting Kingdome of Glory The Prophet Amos 5.8 presseth this Argument of power for some such purpose And it may serve excellently against all pretences and counter-pleaes for a supposed impossibilitie of being illightened and refreshed in the depth of spirituall darkenesse and distresse It may bee Thou mayest say unto Mee You advise mee indeed to seeke Gods face and favour c. But alas Mine is not an ordinary heart it is so full of guilty sadnesse and horror for sin that I have little hope c. Yea but consider He that I counsell Thee to seek made the seven Starres and Orion and turneth the shadow of death into the Morning and will doe fargreater wonders for thy Soule if thou wilt believe the Prophets that thou mayest prosper If thou will trust in Him He will quickly turne the tumultuous roarings of thy conscience into perfect peace Thou wilt keepe Him in perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee because Hee trusteth in Thee Isai. 26. 3. The Prophet therefore to prevent all scruples and exceptions in this kinde calles upon them thus Seeke him that maketh the seven Starres and Orion c. 2. Secondly lay these two together To bring hony out of the Rocke and oyle out of the flinty Rocke Deut. 32.13 And to mollifie thine heart even to thine owne hearts desire in which there is already some softnesse else thou couldest not sensibly and syncorely complaine of it's hardnesse And thou must needs acknowledge that they are both equally easie to the same Almightie arme 3. Thirdly thou mayst well consider that it is a farre greater worke to make Heaven and Earth then to put spirituall life and lightsomnesse into thy truly humbled and thirsty Soule to which so many pretious Promises are made And Hee with whom Thou hast to doe and from whom thou expectest helpe is He that made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that therein is which keepeth truth for ever Which openeth the eyes of the blind and raiseth them that are bowed downe Psal. 146.6 Which healâ—th the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds Who taketh pleasure in them that feare Him in those that hope in His mercy Psal. 147.3.11 4. In such an extremity of helpe-lesnesse and hope-lesnesse In this trembling and terrour of thy heart thou shouldest call to minde for thy comfort That Hee who establisheth all the Ends of the Earth Prov. 30 4. and hath hung that mighty and massie Body upon Nothing Iob 26.7 can most easily stay and stablish the most forlorne and forsaken Soule even sinking into the mouth of despaire Hee that said at first to the Earth Stand still upon Nothing and it never stirr'd out of it's place since the Creation can easily uphold fortifie and refresh thine heart in the depth of the most grievous spirituall misery Even when in the bitternesse of thy spirit thou cries My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord Lament 3.18 4. Even his Iustice. Christs blood is already payed as a price for the pardon of the sinnes of thine humbled Soule and thou wilt needs pay it over againe or else thou wilt not enter upon the Purchase As tho God did expect and exact the discharge of the same debt twice which to imagine were a monstrous intolerable indignity to the most just God You know full well what conceit wee should hold of that Man who having a debt fully discharged by the Surety should presse upon the Principall for the payment of the same againe Wee should indeed thinke HIm to bee a very cruell hard-hearted and mercilesse Man wee should call Him a Turke a Cut-throate a Canniball farre fitter to lodge in a Den of Tygers then to live in the society of men What a fearefull dishonour then is iâ— to the mercifull and mighty Lord of Heaven and Earth To the righteous Iudge of all the World to conceive that having received an exact and full satisfaction for all our sinnes by the hearts-blood of His owne deare Sonne should ever require them againe at our hands Farre bee it then from every One who would not offer extraordinary disparagement even to Gods glorious Iustice to entertaine any such thought Especially sâ—th wee have His Word His Oath and the Seale of His Sonnes blood for security And assuredly wee may build upon it as upon a Rocke of eternall truth that when wee come unto Christ weary of all our sinnes thirsting syncerely for Him and throwing our selves upon Him as Salvation it selfe resolved to take upon us His sweet and easie yoke for the time to come Hee doth presently as Hee hath promised take off the burden and free us everlastingly from the guilt and staine damnation and reigne of all our sinnes But now if thou wilt cast thy self upon Iesus Christ role thy selfe upon the Promises beeing so humbled spiritually thirsty and resolved as thou hast said and I supposed at the first For wee who are Gods Messengers comfort and assure of pardon in such Cases onely upon supposition that the heart and speeches all the Promises and protestations of the Party and Patient we deale with bee syncere every way I say if thou thus cast thy selfe upon the Lord Iesus and the promises of life having a well-grounded strong and seasonable calling thereunto beeing as appeares before invited intreated commanded c. The Case will be blessedly altered Thou shalt then doe as God would have Thee and mightily honour the un-valew-able and infinite dignity of His Sonnes Passion and blood the pretious freenesse of all the Promises His free love sweet Name Truth Mercy Power Iustice c. Thou shalt also cut off and defeate the Divels present fiery darts and Projects of further cruelty dis-intangle and unwinde thy selfe out of the irkesome Maze of restlesse terrours and trouble of minde crowne thine owne soule in the meane time with peace that passeth all understanding with ioy unspeakeable and full of glory with Evangelicall pleasures such as neither eye hath seene eare heard or have entred into the heart of Man and hereafter be most certainely received by that sweetest Redeemer of thine into those glorious Mansions above where nothing but light and blessed immortalitie no shaddow for matter of teares discontentments griefes and uncomfortable passions to worke upon but all ioy tranquillity and peace even for ever and ever doth dwell 2. Yea but may an other say I in the Case proposed have cast my selfe according to your counsell upon Iesus Christ and there by the mercy of God am I resolved to sticke come what come will and yet no comfort comes What doe you thinke should I thinke of my selfe in this Case
as in a royall Throne Hee hath as it were two Thrones One in the Empyrean Heaven the other in a broken heart Isa. 57.15 But my heart lies groveling in the dust humbled under the mighty hand of God and trembling at his feete c. Therefore it is the mansion of Iehova blessed for ever Whosoever confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes shall have mercy Prov. 28.13 But I confesse and abominate all sinne resolved never to turne againe to folly Therefore mercy is most certainely mine Hee in whose heart the holy Ghost hath enkindled a kindly heate of affection to the Brethren hath passed from death to life 1. Ioh. 3.14 But by the mercy of God my heart is wholy set upon the Brother-hood which I heartily hated heeretofore Therefore I have passed from death to life These and the like Conclusions are in themselves as full of sound joy and true comfort as the Sunne of light or Sea of waters Open but the eye of thine humbled soule and thou maist see many glorious things in them Crush them but a little with the hand of Faith and much delicious sweetnesse of spirituall peace may distill upon thy Soule Lastly such considerations as these may contribute some matter of comfort and support to Him of weakest apprehension in this Case 1. If Hee consult with His owne Conscience Hee shall happily finde in His present syncere resolution an impossibility to turne backe againe to His former sinnefull life pleasures goodfellow-ship sensuall courses company Hee sayes and thinkes it that Hee will rather die then lie sweare prophane the Sabbaths put to usury doe wrong keepe any ill-gotten goods in his hands Haunt Ale-houses Play-houses Gaming-houses or willingly put His heart or hand to any kind of iniquity as Hee was formerly wont And doth nature thinke you keepe Him backe or grace and Gods Spirit 2. If Hee should now heare and have his eares fill'd with oathes blasphemies ribald talke rotten speeches filthy songs railing at Gods people scoffing at religion jesting out of Scriptures c. His heart would rise Hee would either reproove them or bee rid of them as soone as Hee could whereas heretofore Hee hath been perhaps a delightfull Hearer of them if not a notorious Actour Himselfe And whence doe you thinke doth this arise but from the seede of God remaining in Him 3. Thirdly If when you heare Him complaine That howsoever Hee hath cast Himselfe upon Christ as the Prophets have counselled Him yet sith thereupon Hee feeles no such comfort and peace in Believing as other Christians doe Hee begins to doubt whether Hee hath done well or no and to conceive that Hee hath layd hold upon the Promises too soone Nay and it may bee upon this discontent doth thus further enlarge His complaint Alas my sinnes have formerly been so great my heart is at this present so hard my sorrow so scant my failings so many c. that I know not what to say to my Selfe Mee thinkes I can neither pray conferre love the Brethren sanctifie the Sabbath rejoyce in the Lord c. as I see other of Gods Children doe And therefore I am affraid all is naught What heart can I have to hold on I say if to such a speech thou shouldest for triall give this reply Well then if it bee so even give over all strive no more against the streame trouble thy selfe no longer with reading prayer following sermons forbearing good fellowship and thine old companions And sith no comfort comes by casting thy selfe upon Christ cast thy selfe againe into the current of the times course of the world and merry company For there yet is there some little poore pleasure to bee had at least Oh! No No No would Hee say That will I never doe whatsoever comes of mee I will trust in my Christ tho Hee should kill mee for all these discouragements I will by no meanes cast away my confidence I have been so freshly stung with their guilt that I will rather be pull'd in peeces with wild horses then plunge againe into carnall pleasures I will put my hand to all holy duties in obedience to God tho I performe them never so weakely I will by the mercy of God keepe my face towards Heaven and backe to Sodome so long as I breath come what come will c. And whence doe you thinke springs this resolution but from a secret saving power supporting Him in the most desperate temptations and assaults of distrust Now this first secret saving power by which an humble Soule leaning upon Christ is supported when it is at the lowest secondly The seed of God and thirdly presence of grace doe every one of them argue a blessed state in which thou shalt bee certainely saved and therefore thou mayst lift up thine heart and head with comfort unspeakeable and glorious 3. Thirdly Many there are who much complaine of the great disproportion betweene the notorious wickednesse of their former life and their lamentable weakenesse of an answerable be wailing it Betweene the number of their sinnes and fewnesse of their teares the hainousnesse of their rebellions and little measure of their humiliation And thereupon because they did not finde and feele those terrours and extraordinary troubles of mind in their turning unto God those violent passions and pangs in their New-birth which they have seene heard or read of or knowne in others perhaps farre lesse sinners then themselves they are much troubled with distractions and doubts about the truth and soundnesse of their conversion Whereby they receive a great deale of hurt and hindrance in their spirituall state For Satan gaines very much by such a suggestion and grounds many times a manifold mischiefe upon it For by keeping this temptation on foot these doubts and troubles in their mindes whether they bee truly converted or no Hee labours and too often prevailes 1. To hinder the Christian in His spirituall Building With what heart can Hee hold on who doubts of the soundnesse and sure-laying of the foundation What progresse is Hee like to make in Christianity who continually terrifies Himselfe with fearefull exceptions and oppositions about the truth of His conversion A man in a long journey would jogge on but very heavily if Hee doubted whether Hee were in the right way or no. 2. To abate lessen and abridge His courage in standing on Gods side patience under the Crosse spirituall mirth in good company To keepe Him in dulnesse of heart deadnesse of affections distractions at holy exercises and under the raigne of almost a continuall sadnesse and uncomfortable walking To make Him quite neglect and never looke towards those sweete commands of the blessed Spirit Reioyce evermore Reioyce and I say againe Reioyce Bee glad in the Lord reioyce and shout for ioy all yee that are upright in heart 3. To fasten a great deale of dishonour upon God when He can make the Christian dis-avow as it were and nullifie in conceit so great a worke of mercy and grace
like Iehu in the pursuite of earthly pleasures and now creepe but slowly forward in the waies of God or if they begin to looke backe againe with some un-controled glances after disavowed delights and abandoned company c. I say in such Cases the Lord may withdraw Himself in displeasure leave them for a time to the terrours of their owne hearts all their old sinnes may returne to the eie of their consciences as unremitted c. That so their regeneration may be as it were regenerated their New-birth New-borne their sinnes new sorrowed for the hatefulnesse and horrour of their youthfull pollutions more hated and abhorred And in conclusion For all the worke and waies of God with His chosen are ever in love and for their good that the storme being disperst the comfortable beames of divine favour may shine more amiably upon them then ever before and by the effectuall stirring againe and stronger influence of the Spirit Spirituall life that was hid in the heart for a season may sprout out fresh spring and spread abroade more flourishingly and fruitfully for ever afterward 3. Thirdly For triall quickening and exercise of spirituall graces that they may put forth themselves with more power improovement and illustriousnesse The cold comfort of a desertion in this Case beeing unto them as water cast upon the Smiths Forge to make some of them especially to burne inwardly as it were in the meane time with more intention and heate and all afterward to breake out and flame more gloriously There are many gracious dispositions and endowments in the Christians heart which would never see the light at least with such eminency were it not for this darkenesse The brightnesse of lampes langvish in the light but they shine cleare in the darke the splendour and beavty of the Starres would never appeare were there no night You have heard of the patience of Iob saith Iames And wee reade also of his excellent Faith when Hee said Though Hee slay mee yet will I trust in Him But wee had neither heard of or admired the one or the other had He not been afflicted both with outward troubles and inward terrours It is the highest and most Heroicall Act of Faith and it is improov'd to the utmost and prooved steele to the backe as they say Then to trust in the Name of the Lord and to stay upon our God when wee walke in darkenesse and have no light God is best pleased and most honoured when wee rest upon Him without any sensible comfort I make no doubt but that admirable ejaculation of Iob Tho Hee slay mee c. did hold scale in Gods acceptation with all those innocencies integrities and gratious conformities to His holy Law blessed fruits I confesse of His invincible Faith enumerated Chap. 31. Nay did incomparably ouer-weigh them Abrahams believing against hope was far aboue and of infinite more worth with God then the sacrifice of His Sonne or all His other glorious services It is no such great matter or maistery to bee confident when wee are encouraged and hired as it were with ioy peace in believing but then to sticke to Christ and His sure Word when wee have against us sense and reason flesh and bloud feares and feeling Heaven and Earth and all Creatures That is the Faith indeed there is it's excellency there is the true and orient sparkling and splendour of that heavenly Iewell That prayer is truly fervent fullest of Spirit and enforced with most unutterable groanes which is poured out for the recovery of Gods pleased countenance after it hath been turned away from us for a time That love is most industrious and mighty groweth strong as death and into a most vehement â—lame which is enkindled in the upright soule when Her dearest Love is departed in respect of feeling and fruition Oh! then shee prizeth and praiseth His spirituall beauty and excellency as one exceedingly sicke of loue and takes on extremely As you may see Cant. 5.10 c. I opened to my Beloved but my Beloved had withdrawne Himselfe and was gone My soule failed when Hee spake I sought Him but I could not finde Him I called Him but Hee gave mee no Answer The Watchmen that went about the Citty found mee they smote mee they wounded mee The Keepers of the walls tooke away my vaile from me I charge you O Daughters of Ierusalem if yee finde my Beloved that yee tell Him that I am sicke of love What is thy beloved O thou fairest among Women What is thy Beloved more then another beloved that thou doest so charge us My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousands His head is as the most fine gold c. That thankefulnesse which springs from a sensible re-enjoyment of Iesus Christ and returne of the sense of the savour of His good ointments into the soule hath farre more heart and life then the free and full possession of all the visible glory and outward comfort of the whole world could possibly put into it That joy which makes our hearts leape within us upon the re-gaining of the woonted workings of grace and our heavenly feelings is much more joyfull then either that which followed the first taste or the after free enjoyment of them Excellent and extraordinary good things tasted and lost doe beget a farre greater sense of their sweetenesse and comfort upon their recovery then if they had been either never tasted or never lost That Sun-shine is most faire and amiable which breakes out after some boisterous storme or great Eclipse Restitution to sense of grace after some despairefull sadnesse for Gods departure may produce a deeper impression of spirituall pleasure in the recovered Patient then the first plantation of it Thus doth our gracious God who when Hee please can bring light out of darknesse life out of death something out of nothing Heaven out of Hell even come nearer unto us by departing from us By the dead winter-time of a spirituall desertion He may bring by His blessed hand of mercy and quickening influence more strength activenesse lively exercise and excellency into our graces and sweetest fruits thereof 4. Fourthly The ChristiaÌ„ as he growes in knowledge grace spirituall abilities forwardnes fruitfulnes further from His New-birth except Hee bee very watchfull over his heart much practised in the exercises of humiliation often exercised in the schoole of afflictions terrified sometimes with hideous injections and walke humbly with his God shall have by a slie and insensible insinuation privy pride to grow upon Him confidence in His owne strength too much attribution to the meanes a Selfe-conceit of an independant standing upon his owne Bottome as it were and by the power of his present graces And therefore our wise God doth sometimes take a course to take downe his selfe-confidence by with-drawing His countenance and to humble His spirituall presumption with a spirituall desertion I meane by taking from Him the sense of grace
the Cardinals the Sicilian Even-song and the Parisian Mattins nay the wish of Nero that Rome had but one Head which hee might cut off at one blow came farre short of this invention which spared neither age sexe nor degree Well then if thou shouldest have approved and consented unto the suggestion of this most execrable and unheard-of villany for which Hell hath not a fit Name nor the World a sufficient punishment thou hadst made thy selfe the most prodigious Beast that ever breathed an abhorred Monster of Mankinde and justly merited to have passed presently from most exquisite tortures here to endelesse torments in another World But now if all the while the motion was making thy heart had risen against it with indignation and loathing thou protested'st to the Party thy abominating any thought that way from the heart roote to the pit of hell and immediately running to the King shouldest have discovered and disclaimed it as a most detestable and hellish plot I say then what Man could have justly blamed thee or wherein could thy conscience any way accuse thee It is so in the present Point As that other incarnat Divell in his kinde so the Divell himselfe throwes into thine imagination most hideous thoughts and horrible blasphemies even against the dreadfull Majesty of Heaven the thrice blessed and ever-glorious Trinity the holy Humanity of the Lord Iesus c. To which if thou shouldest understandingly assent and approve indeed thou mightest expect most worthily to become ten times fouler then the ougliest Fiend in Hell But sith thou knowest in thine owne conscience that thy heart trembles with horrour and amazednesse when they are offered nay violently thrust into thy minde That thou resists and rejects them with all the power and prayer thou canst possibly canst not chuse but out of a pang of infinite detestation and heart-rising turne thus or in the like manner upon the Tempter Most malicious enemie to the glory of my God and good of my Soule thou troubles thy selfe and mee in vaine I doe infinitely acknowledge my blessed Creatour Redeemer and Sanctifier to bee one incomprehensibly glorious wise gracious God Heaven to be wholly filled embroidered impaled with nothing but holinesse and happines All the Creatures to be good as they issued out of the hands of God and Remembrancers to us of his power wisedome and goodnesse Gods blessed Booke to be all most holy most true a rich treasury of heavenly wisdome and sweetest knowledge c. And thy cursed self to be the onely Authour and Brocher of all sinne hurt and uncomâ—linesse And to thee and thine alone they belong Mingle not thou thy malice with my lowliest most deare and reverend thoughts of my Father my Saviour my Comforter c. And thou art also woont presently to presse in private into Gods glorious presence and prostrate thy selfe before his righteous Throne there to discover this hellish malice to complain how villanously the Divell deales with thee to protest thine innocency and infinite hatred of those horrible blasphemies to cry heartily for pardon patience and power against them And therefore it being thus with thee thou maist upon good ground bee more then infinitely assured that they are not imputed unto thee at all but wholly set upon Satans score Hence it is and from this ground that I have many times told some thus tempted That when they have passed a day prest upon violently and pestred with the furious intrusion of such un-utterably foule and fearefull injections they have in all likelyhood spent that day with farre lesse sinne in their thoughts and more freedome from guilt and provocation of divine anger then if they had been free Because they being so earnestly and vehemently deprecated withstood with such aversion and loathing protested against unfainedly and that upon such termes that they would rather bee torne in pieces with wild Horses die ten thousand deathes doe or suffer any thing then yeeld the least assent or approbation thereunto they are then I say not their transgressions but afflictions Not their iniquities but miseries Not their sinnes but crosses Nay and further for their comfort If they should bee haunted by them untill their ending houre which God forbid and beat backe such accursed and hatefull spight from every humble soule yet cleaving close unto the Lord Iesus hating all sinne and having respect to all Gods commandements they are not able at all neither can any whit hinder hurt or any way prejudice their spirituall state and everlasting salvation 3. Every servant of Christ hath his share in some affliction or other and is ever made in some good measure conformable to him in his sufferings Those who have the raines laide and left upon their neckes without curbe or correction are Bastards and not Sonnes They may as the holy Ghost tells us prosper in this World and passe peaceably out of it and have no bands in their death like other men they may live and become old and bee mighty in power Their seede may bee established in their sight with them and their off-spring before their eyes their houses may be safe from feare neither may the rod of God bee upon them Their Bull may gender and faile not their Cow may calve and not cast her Calfe they may send forth their little Ones like a flocke and their Children dance They may take the Timbrell and Harpe and reioyce at the sound of the Organ they may spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment go downe to the Grave At last die even like a Lambe as they say But when all is done they are utterly undone and everlastingly By reason of the horrour and angvish that shall come upon their soules the affliction the worme-wood and the gall for horrible is the end of the unrighteous generation they are immediately throwne downe from the top of their imaginary felicity and untroubled bed of seeming peace to the depth of extremest misery and bottome of the burning Lake But it is not so with the servants of God He scourgeth every sonne whom hee receiveth Hee hath onely one Sonne with out sinne none without suffering saith an ancient Father But here take notice that in this dispensation of fatherly corrections amongst his Children He ever out of his unsearchable mercifull wisedome singles out and makes choise of those which are most punctuall and simply the fittest for their spirituall good And therefore both for the kinde and particular let us ever humbly and thankfully submit and wholly referre our selves to the sweet and wise disposing of our most loving and dearest Father Who ever knowes best what is best for us in such Cases both in regard of his service and our sufferings his glory and our gaine what wee are able to beare How hee hath furnished us before-hand with spirituall strength to goe through temptations and troubles what spirituall Physicke is most quicke and operative and apted to the prevention cure and
feriunt 〈◊〉 verberant Ergo tanquam â—â—elerum malitia suâ—â—tesâ—es extirpare funditùs nituntur tollere grauesque sibi putant tanquam vita eorum coarguatur Lactant. Lib. 5. cap 9. d Iob 20. a Caeterum vultu facie satis valens mente intellectu constantissimus memorià potentissimus nunquam eadem verba bis repetit venientes omnes ad se recipit sermones doctos graves ac maturos profert se iusto Dei judicio damnaâ—â—â— se jam in inferno esse inde inenter cruciari Optare se in loco Iudae Caini esse Gribaldi epist. de tremendo divini judicij exemplo c. pag. 38. Immisit Deus ex illà horâ in cor ejus vermem corrodentem ignâ—m inextinguibilem ut horrore Confusione desperatione subitò repleretur Qui vermis ignis nunquam exinde illum dereliquerunt ut se longè deteriâ—ri in statu testetur quà m si separatâ à corpore animà cum iuda Cain caeteris damnatis esset desiderans se loco cujusvis mortui damnati esse pottus quà m si in corpore vivere Ibid pag. 43. b Tom. 5. Serm. contra Gulam caeteras corporis volupt Producamuâ— homines duos in medium quorum alier lasciviae sit voluptatibus deditus alter verò prorsus sit his rebus demortuus c. Adeamus istorum domos Inveniemus certe alterum libris incumbentem vacantem rei divinae abstinentiae vel rebus necessarus incumbentem habentemque cum Deoser â—onemâ— de rebâ—s coelestibus dissâ—rentem Angelum potiùs agentem quà m hominem Alterum verâ— madentem mero-dantem operam lasciviae-debacchantem delicijs incumbentem non solùm vivendo 〈◊〉 mortem sed esse mortuis longè inferiorem perniciosioremque Daemone agitato furijs Vbi verò dies illuxit amâ—ttit omnem quam ex lasciviâ ceperat voluptatem si â—â—dem Familiam ob muâ—murantem insectantem se â—urgio conjugem objurgantes amicos â—â—â—micos ludibrio se habentes recognoscit * Quis igitur qui mentis sit compos non potiùs optet mille obire mortes quà m diem unum hanc vitam degere * I say Ordinarily 1. First because Sometimes 〈◊〉 notorious Ones and yet without all 〈…〉 may represent to the eye of un-judicious By-standers whereby they are 〈…〉 fearefully hardened a notable shew of dying well In my time saith the French Aâ—thor of Essaies Three of the â—ost exercrâ—ble persons that ever I knew in all 〈…〉 and the most infamous have been seene to die very orderly and quietly c. I have also my selfe oâ—served some of higher place notorioâ—sly wicked who by their cariage in their last sicknesse have suggested conceits especially to those who were willing to be hardned by their deaths that they made a good end as they say whereas they had no true touch in Conscience at all or feeling remorse for their former extreamely sinfull life Which is occasioned sometimes by the un-skilfulnesse of some spirituall Physitions about them who are ready to dawbe and draw a skin only over their un-searched sinfull sores now at their death as they were to play the Men-pleasers and Sow-pillowes under 〈…〉 in their life time Fellowes as excellent in palliate Cures as utterly un-acqâ—ainted with the mystery of comforting afflicted Consciences aright and speaking seasonably to such as lie upon their last Bed Heare Master Marburies censure of such Mountebaâ—ks This intolerable defect saith He meaning of experimentall knowledge in Ministers 〈…〉 it selfe more shamefully or with greater hurt then when Men have 〈…〉 death or in time of great affliction for at such times 〈…〉 want shall to helpe their poore sheepe out of the ditch are 〈…〉 and to take some other indirect course as many use to 〈…〉 in time to make him Mans meate lest it should be said He 〈…〉 2. Secondly because Some One of them perhaps I know not amongst how many thousands may be â—â—ke the Thiefe upoÌ„ the Crosse. 3. Thirdly because Tho meete civil 〈◊〉 utterly estranged from the life of godlinesse all their life long for the most part may make a calme quiet and peaceable end in the eye and estimate of the world which was never able to distinguish a secure blockishnesse from an holy security Observation whereof hardeneth a world of people in their unsaving state Heare Greenâ—ams doome of such a death They dye saith He like blockes And yet the ignorant 〈…〉 such fearefull deaths sayâ—â—â— he departed as meekely as a Lambe he went 〈…〉 shall when they might as well say but for their fether-bed and their 〈…〉 and perâ—shed like an Oxe in a ditch I say tho this sort of Men for the most part die so yet I have knowne some such upon the very first thought they should certainely die to have fallen into desperation and could never be recovered And altho many fâ—rmaâ—l Professours may goe to Hell with many gâ—od speeches and Lord Lord in them 〈…〉 appeares in the fâ—â—lâ—sh Virgins and those in the seuenth of Mattheww yet I â—ave â—nowne of some of them who have died very fearefully indeede and full of cruely desperate horrour Hos. 13.8 Isa. 66.15 Deut. 32.22 * Inter omnes tribulationes humanae animae nulla est major tribulatio quà m conscientia delictorum Namque si ibi vulnus non sit sanumqâ—e sit intus hominis quod conscientia vocatur ubicunque alâ—bi passus fuerit tribulationes illuc confugiet ibi inveniet Deum Si autem ibi requies non est propter abundantiam iniquitatum quoniam ibi Deus non est quid facturus est homo Quò confâ—giet cum caeperit patitribulationes Fugiet â—bâ—gro ad civitatem à publico ad domum à domo ad cubiculum sequitur tribulatio A cubiculo jam quò fugiet non habet nisi interius ad cubile suum Porrò si ibi tumultus est si fumus iniquitatis si sâ—aâ—nmasceleris non illuc potest confugâ—re Pellitur enimâ—nâ—e cum inde pellitur à seipso pellitur Et ecce hostem suum invenâ—â— quò confugerat seipsum quò fugiturus est Quocunque fugerit se talem trohit post se quocunque talem traxerit se cruciat se. In Psalm 46. p. 502. Poena autem vehemenâ— multò saevior illis Quaâ— Coeaitius gravis invenit Roadamanthus Nocte â—iâ—que suum gestare in pecture teâ—â—em * Let us not bee Scotners lesters and Deriders for that is the uttermost token and shew of a Reprobate of a plaine enemy to God in his wisedome Hom. Of some places of Scriptures by which some take offence P. 2. ** 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thâ—ssal 2.16 a Shee prefer'd Iohn Baptâ—stâ— head before the halfe of Herod's kingdome Mark 6 2. b 〈…〉 rursâ—s haec in seâ—psam trâ—nssert â—llius verba quasi ad ejus ignominâ—am â—lâ—ta exissimans aliud conetlium Episcoporum contra eum cogendum curat Quâ re intellectâ
hee was upon the earth called thy blessed Lord and Saviour Divell See Matth. 10.25 Ioh. 7.20 which passeth all I am perswaded that any drunken Belial ever yet fastned upon thee Contemne thou therefore for ever and trample upon with an humble and triumphant patience all their contumelies and contempts Passe-by nobly without touch or trouble without wound or passion the utmost malice of the most scurrill tongue the basest gibe of the impurest Drunkard Doth the World carnall men thine owne friends ormall Teachers suppose and censure thee to be a dissembler in thy Profession and will needes concurrently and confidently yet falsely fasten upon thee the imputation of hypocrisie An heavy charge Yet for all this Let thy truly-humble heart conscious to it selfe of it's owne syncerity in holy services like a strong pillar of brasse beate backe all their impoysoned arrowes of malice and mistake this way without any dejection or discouragement Onely take occasion hereby to search more thorowly and walke more warily Iob may bee a right noble patterne to thee in this point also He had against him not onely the Divell his enemy pushing at him with his poysoned weapons but even his owne friends scourging him with their tongues His owne wife a thorne pricking him in the eye yea his owne God running upon him like a Gyaâ—â— and his terrours setting themselves in aray against himâ— Powerfull motives to make him suspect himselfe of former halting and hollow-heartednesse in the wayes of God yet notwithstanding his good and honest heart having been long before acquainted with and knit unto his God â—â— truth makes him breake out boldly and resolutely protest Till I die I will not remove my integrity from mee My righteousnesse I hold fast and will not let it goe Chap. 27.5.6 Behold my Witnesse is in Heaven and my record is on high Cap. 16.19 Art thou a loving and tender-hearted mother unto thy children and hast thou lost the dearest The greatest outward crosse I confesse that ever the sonnes and daughters of Adam tasted and goeth nearest to the heart Yet thy sorrow is not singular but out-gone in this also For the blessed Mother of Christ stood by and saw her owne onely deare innocent sonne the Lord of life most cruelly and villanously murdred upon the Crosse before her eyes Ioh. 19.25 Hast thou lost thy goods or children Doth thy wife that lies in thy bosome set her selfe against thee Doe thy nearest friends charge thee falsely Art thou pained extremely from top to toe Doe the Arrowes of the Almighty sticke fast in thy soule Thy affliction is grievous enough if thou taste any of these severally But doe they all in greatest extremity concurre upon thee at once Hast thou lost all thy children and all thy goods Doth thy wife afflict thy afflictions c. If this bee not thy Case and rufull condition thou commest yet short of Iob a most just man and one of Gods dearest Iewels 4. The exceeding greatnesse and pretiousnesse of the promises In every one of which it is incredible to consider what abundant matter of unspeake-able and glorious joy lies wâ—rpâ— up Oh how sweet are they to a thirsty soule in the â—â—me of angvish and trouble They are like a cloud of raine that commeth in the time of a drought They are very glimpses of Heaven shed into a heart many times as darke as hell They are even rockes of eternity upon which every bruised reed may sweetly repose with impregnable safety A truly humbled spirit relishing spirituall things would not exchange any one of them for all the riches and sweetnesse of both the Indies Tell me deare heart thou that in thy unregenerate time though now happily changed lay soaking in sinnes of cruelty and blood whether that mercifull promise Isai. 1.18 Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord Though your sinnes bee as skâ—rlet they shall bee as white as snow though they bee red like crimson they shall bee as wooll bee not farre dearer unto thee then thousands of gold and silver Or thou who formerly pollutedst thy selfe villanously with such secret execrable lusts which now thou canst not remember without horrour tell mee if it were utterable by the Tongue of man with what dearest sweetnesse and blessed peace thy broken heart was bound up and revived when thou cast thine eye considerately and beleevingly upon that pretious place Ezech. 36.25 I will sprinkle water upon you and you shall bee cleane and from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you c. There was beyond the Seas as my Author reports Christian Matrone of excellent parts and piety who langvishing long under the horrible pressure of most furious and fiery temptations wofully at length yeelded to despaire and attempted the destruction of her selfe After often and curious seeking occasion for that bloody fact at last having first put off her apparrell threw her self head-long from an high Promontory into the Sea But having received no hurt by her fall shee was there by a Miracle and extraordinary mercy strangely preserved for the space of two houres at the least though all the while shee laboured industriously to destroy her selfe Afterward drawne out with much adoe and recovered shee yet still did conflict with that extremest desperate horrour almost a whole yeere But by Gods good providence which sweetly and wisely ordereth all things listening on a time though very unwillingly at first to her husband reading amongst other places that Isa. 57.15 Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones For I will not contend for ever neither will I bee alwaies wroth for the spirit should faile before mee and the soules which I have made I say listening to these words the Holy Ghost drawing her heart shee begun to reason thus within her selfe God doth here promise to revive and comfort the heart of the contrite and spirit of the humble and that hee will not contend for ever neither bâ— alwayes wroth But I have a very contrite heart and a spirit humbled 〈◊〉 to the dust one of the acknowledgement and sense of my sinnes and divine vengeance against them Therefore peradventure God will vouchsafe to revive and comfort my heart and spirit and not contend with 〈◊〉 for ever nor bee wroth against mee still c. Hereupon by little and little there flowed by Gods blessing into her darke and heavy heart abundance of life lightsomnesse spirituall strength and assurance In which she continued with constancy and comfort many a yeere after crowned those happy dayes and a blessed old age with a glorious and triumphant death and went to Heaven in the yeere 1595. What heart now but Hers that felt it can possibly conceive the depth of that extraordinary un-utterable
refreshing which sprung out of that promise upon her forlorne and fearefull soule or the excesse of that love which shee bore ever after to those blessed lines to the mercy that made them and to the blood that sealed them An other terrified in conscience for sinne resolves to turne on Gods side but the crie of his good-fellow companions strength of corruption and cunning of Satan carrie him backe to his former courses A good number of yeares after hee was so throughly wounded that whatsoever came of him he would never returne againe unto folly Then comes into his minde the first of the Proverbes whence hee thus reasoned against himselfe So many yeares agoe God called and stretched out his hand in mercy but I refused and therefore now thâ— I call upon him hee will not answer though I seeke him early I shall not finde him Whereupon was his heart filled with much griefe terrour and slavish feare But the Spirit of God leading him at length to that place Luke 17.4 If thy brother trespasse against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turne againe to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgiue him He thence happily argued thus for himselfe Must I a silly sinnefull man forgive my brother as often as hee repents and will not then the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort entertaine mee seeking againe in truth his face and â—avour God forbid From which hee blessedly drew such a deale of divine sweetnesse and secret sense of Gods love that his trembling heart at first received some good satisfaction and afterward was setled in a sure and glorious peace An other godly man passing through his lâ—st sicknesse with such extraordinary calmâ—nesse of conscience and absolute freedome from temptation that some of his Christian friends observing and admiring the singularity of his soules quiet at that time especially questioned him aboue it He answered that he had stedfastly fixed his heart upon that sweetest promise Isa. 26.3 Thou wilt keepe him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because hee trusteth in thee And his God had graciously made it fully good unto his soule And so must every Saint doe who would sound the sweetnesse of a promise to the bottome make it the arme of God unto him for sound thorow-comfort Even settle his heart fixedly upon it and set his Faith on worke to broode it as it were with it's spirituall heate that quickenesse and life may thence come into the soule indeed For God is woont to make good his promises unto his children proportionably to their trust in them and dependance upon his truth and goodnesse for a seasonable performance of them Now all these promises in Gods blessed Booke which addes infinitely to their sweetnesse and certainty are sealed with the blood of Iesus Christ Heb. 9.16 and confirmed with the Oath of Almighty God Heb. 6.17.18 God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heires of promise the immutability of his counsell confirmed it by an oath That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie wee might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Oh what a mighty and pretious invitation is this to beleeve perfectly The speciall Aime of Gods oath whereas his promise had been more then infinitely sufficient was to strengthen our consolation And therefore every heart true unto Christ ought hence to hold fast not a faint wavering inconstant but a strong stedfast and unconquerable comfort Otherwise it sacrilegiously as it were robs God of the glorious end for which hee swore 5. The free love of God Which how rich and glorious how bottomlesse and boundlesse a treasure it is of all gracious sweetnesse abundant comfort and endlesse bounty appeares in this that Iesus Christ blessed for ever that unvalew-able incomparable Iewell came out of it For God so loved the World that hee gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Ioh. 3.16 And therefore every syncere servant of Christ when upon a serious and sad survay of his Christian waies finds himself to come so far short of that which God requires and himselfe desires That his prayers are very faint his sorrow for sinne very scant his love unto the brethren too cold His spending the Sabbaths very unfruitfull His spirituall growth since he gave his name to Christ very poore His profiting by the meanes hee enjoyes most unanswerable to the power and excellency thereof His New-obedience almost nothing c. For so hee is wont to vilifie himselfe Whereupon hee is much cast downe and out of this apprehension of his manifold unworthinesse concludes against himselfe that hee hath little cause to bee confident in the promises of life or to presume of any part and interest in Iesus Christ and so begins to retire the trembling hand of his already very-weake Faith from any more laying-hold of comfort I say in such a Case being true-hearted he may safely and upon sure ground have recourse to this ever-springing Fountaine of immeasurable mercy and raise up his drooping soule against all contrary oppositions with unspeake-able and glorious refreshing from such places as these Hos. 14.4 I will love thee freely Isai. 55. Ho every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and hee that hath no money come yâ—e buy and eate yea come buy wine and milke without money and without price And Chap. 43.25 I even I am hee that blotteth one thy transgressions for my owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes Revel 21.6 I will give unto him that is athirst of the Fountaine of the water of life freely c. God never set the Promises on sale or will ever sell his Sonne to any Hee never said Iust so much sorrow so much sanctitie so much service or no Christ But Hee ever gives Him freely Every truly humbled heart which will take him at the hands of Gods free love as an Husband to bee saved by him and to serve him in truth may have him for nothing Yet I must adde this there was never any who received the Lord Iesus savingly but hee laboured syncerely to sorrow as much for sinne to bee as holy to doe him as much service as hee could possibly And when hee reflected upon his best hee ever desired it had been infinitely better 6. The sweete Name of the Lord. Which hee proclaimes Exod. 34.6.7 wherein he first expresseth his essence in one word The Lord The Lord. Which doubled is effectuall to stirre up Moses attention Secondly three Attributes first His power in one word Strong Secondly His justice in two formes of speech not making the wicked innocent visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon childrens children unto the third and fourth generation Thirdly but his speciall goodnesse and good affection towards repentant and beleeving sinners in seven 1