open the deeper wound least the suddaine healling and closing of it vp might proue dangerous Thus thou dealt'st with Dauid who lying weltering in his blood thou the good Samaritan took'st compassion poured'st in thy healing Oyle of pardon but withall the corosiue wine of humiliation so to eat out or suppresse the luxuriant new-growne flesh lest festering inwardly it might proue to a Gangreene And when I am thus cast vpon the worlds reproch I know it is not without thy iust good and wise all-disposing hand Thou sawest what small fruit all my ordinarie and euerie-day repentance brought forth how it did not worke in me such a perfect hatred and detestation of sinne such an exact care and Conscience of auoyding the least appearance of euill as thou requirest how it laboured at the best rather to lop off the out-branches of sinne as eye-sores of the world then putting the axe to the root of the Tree to stub it vp with all the radicall sprigs and sprouts of affections And how easie is it to slubber ouer repentance when the heart is not possessed with a due estimate of the smallest sinne I thought all was well or at least tollerable being free from the maine Act nor making practise nor taking pleasure nor walking in a purpose nor watching opportunitie nor pursuing the meanes of committing sinne with greedinesse Or if at any time a temptation did ouertake me to yeald assent vpon thy gratious preuention I so reioyced with the Pharisee Lord I thanke thee c. as I neglected the Publicans Prayer Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Not duely considering in the meane time either the strictnesse of thy Law or the Sacredness of my Person Profession the one straitly prohibiting the other infinitely aggrauating the least degree of or disposition vnto sinne causing that to bee mortall in me which in others might bee accounted veniall And although thou knowest Lord which I dare the more freely recount to the glorie of thy Grace how often when occasions were offered euen inuiting mee to sinne boldnesse vsurping the seat of bashfulnesse I haue by thy present assistance not else while mine owne corruption when left to it selfe would easily haue followed auoided declined them and where I haue obserued temptations to be strongest and danger most apparant haue purposely not daring to trust vpon mine owne weake strength withdrawn my selfe where I haue beene like to bee taken with the lime-twigs which the cunning fowler layd for mee haue I not taken the wings of the Doue to fly a loft from the danger yea sometimes finding vpon triall a flexibility in the obiect haue I not disswaded haue I not counselled for good Yet all this all this while as it seemeth so deceitfull is the heart aboue all things not with that zealous affection not with that thorow hatred of sinne as was requisite Certainly I did not with all my power resist the Diuell so that it gaue him incouragement to watch still new occasions to take me tardie when I should least dreame of danger and obseruing my spirituall armour not so tightly girt to my loynes but like Ioabs sword to hang loose and dangling about me hee hoped one time or other to smite me vnawares as Ioab did Amasa kissing and killing both at once And could he at all haue inclosed mee in his toyle had not thy wonderful * Deus diligeÌ„tibus euÌ„ omnia cooperatur in bonum vsque aedeo prorssus omnia vt etiam si qui eorum deuiant exorbitaÌ„t etiam hoc ipsum eis faciat proficere in bonum quia humiliores redeunt atque doctiores Aug. de Corr. gra cap. 9 Prouidence so disposed it to a further end then Sathan imagined Hast thou there left me No surely For first hauing chastised and purged me with a fiery sicknesse nigh vnto death and heard my praier for deliuerance and for a renewed redubled strength in my Ministry to be a poore instrument of thy glory which my folly had any way stained how hast thou followed mee euer since what with assisting grace what with affâ—iccting griefe least I might bee either too much exalted with the one or too much depressed with the other And hath not thy vnchangable wisedome for this very cause left some corruptions in thy holiest Saints to keepe them in the ballance of a due temper that so the tempter might not attaine to his wished ends while hee meeteth with two contrary windes to saile withall For when hee would tempt to pride for the indowments of thy graces how doe our very corruptions stand vp against him to our humiliation On the other side when he would tempt vs to diffidence deiection desperation in regard of our indwelling or out-breaking sinnes then thy grace interposeth it selfe not onely as a token of thine vnchangeable loue but as a mighty weapon to batter downe all Satans strong holds Hereof hast thou giuen mee sufficient experience herein abundant cause of comfort so that may not I say with Dauid Thy rod of castigation and thy staffe of consolation and sustentation comfort mee But yet alas O Lord was there no other way to preserue the wine of thy grace in me but vpon the Lees of my corruptions No way to poise the course of my brittle barke that so it might safely bring the Pearle of the kingdome to the wished hauen but with the base ballace of sinne No antidote to preserue me from being exalted aboue measure for the portion of thy free goodnesse towards me but by the treacle compounded of the Serpent sinne But I may not reason with thee whose iudgements are vnsearchable whose wayes past finding out But Lord did not thy all piercing eye discouer some monstrous pride lurking in my heart ready to breake out and beare it selfe bigge when it should behold it selfe any way beautified with the borrowed feathers of thy Doue-like spirit and rather then I should rob thee of thy glory and so be left naked of thy grace it seemed good to thy wisedome to permit the preuention of it with the humiliation of mine own shame For otherwise hast thou not in the midst of my infinite weakenesses giuen me a minde to know thee a desire to please thee a will to obey thee a heart to prefer thy glory before my life a resolution to choose rather to dye a thousand deaths then to commit the least sinne But O wretched man that I am the cause of all my calamity is in my selfe this body of death which I carry about is the source of all my sorrow Yet seeing this is the coÌ„mon coÌ„dition of thy Saints none to be exempt from indwelling corruption all the best the holiest to cry out of it some for shame all for sorrow why should I thinke by any priuiledge to be holier then they or being the weakest the worst of all the rest shall not thy mercy thy merits be magnified so much the more in blotting out my misdeeds I am sure I cannot be a
will goe cut his own throat because his Master against his will cut his finger Fourthly Why should better taught Christians bee like those vntaught Lystrians who either Idolatrously will sacrifice to the Apostles or hearing them professing to be men of like passions with them in the turning of a hand stone them Yet if no remedie Let him that is without sinne cast the first stone Fifthly For the common Aduersarie of all grace nothing will stop his Serpentine two forked tongue If a Minister bee altogether blamelesse hee heares A Puritan But if in the least casuall errour obnoxious Worse then a Publican Lastly It is the glorie of the Gospell to make the least sinnes vile in the eyes of the true Professours thereof to the confusion of Babel with all her Crimsin Criminall Capitall yet Veniall yea Meritorious Meretricious Sinnes And it shall euer bee the glorie of the Ministers of the Gospell as an euidence of true grace in their hearts when they shall with a meeke yet magnanimous Spirit bee able to digâ—st the sower hearbes of malicious exprobrations cast in their dish by the profane Aduersarie and to answer them as Dauid did mocking Micol with a noble resolution I will yet bee more vile then thus will be base in mine owne sight In a word if any shall beare himselfe bigge vpon such instances as this of a man made nothing in his owne eyes thinking to purchase some opinion of sanctitie to blaunch his monstrous lurking lusts by how much his mouth shall vent the more venemous Censures against it let such learne of the Heathen Poet Qui ne tuberibus proprijs offendat amicum Postulat ignoscat verrucis illius aequum est Poscentem veniam peccatis reddere rursus Who would bee glad not to offend With his swolne bunches his deare friend His warts must pardon This is iust Who pardon craues hee pardon must But why stand we thus to answer euerie Obiecter Let this Booke answer for all Read it And if it will not satisfie thee Yet I hope it will aboundanâ—ly satisfie him for whom it is specially written Yet one obiection more is That in these loosse and licentious times it had beene more necessary to reach men the way to repentance humiliation for sinne then how to find comfort being humbled For most men though neuer so sinnefull are apt enough to lay hold on Gods mercie which yet neuer trod the way of true repentance thinking it sufficient as the Thiefe that trusts to his Neck-verse if at the verie end of the Race they can worke force in but one foote and with a Peccaui crowd in at Heauen Gate For such Ben-onies most will bee to assume the name of Sonnes of Sorrow but not before the giuing vp of the Mothers ghost that bare them As the Phenix is not bred but of the dead ashes of the Damme Most men being as loth to see their sinne dye as Hagar her bond sonne How many Iudasses will neuer repent confesse restore but with the Halter in their hands Or at the best as the Aramites going with Halters about their Hypocriticall neckes to the King of Israel to flatter God for a pardon The Vsurer builds no Hospitals relieues no poore till he dy nor many times then choosing rather to dye then make his Will Balaam will but dye the death of the righteous as loth to forgoe his wages of vnrighteousnesse while hee liueth Hee that liues a Theef would dye a Martyr though wee read but of one that did so Dicique beaâ—us Ante obituÌ„ nemo in the worst sense Euerie one would be happy but not till death In this regard then it had beene more requisite to show men their folly in deferring their repentance till either sinne or sicknesse haue made them senselesse of their sinnes or in putting off the payment of their debts till the score grow greater and greater and they lesse able to pay turning at length quite Banckrupts That so repenting in time they may enter in at the Gate of Mercie before it be quite shut vp with an I know you not Depart yee workers of iniquitie Answ. This obiection I confesse is of some moment Too many alas are readie with Ioab flying to lay hold on the Hornes of the Altar when yet they haue not made their peace with King Salomon the King of peace But in case any inordinate liuer shall be brought to a sight and sense of his sin while hee is yet meat-whole as we say here he may by Gods grace find comfort And as for that other taske to teach men the way to repentance others haue bestowed profitable pains therein and especially of late a learned and reuerend Predecessour of mine M. Mason in his Tribunall of Conscience Wherein for the point of moralitie in the examination of a mans life he hath taken worthy paynes Onely I could wish if his leasure did serue that hee would bee pleased to add thereunto a Rule how to examine a mans Errours in point of Faith and of the sound knowledge of the Mystery of Christ. For where this foundation of sound and sauing knowledge is not rightly layd in the heart as the foundation whatsoeuer repentance a man goes about to frame or erect it either falleth as built on the Sand or vanisheth away in an ayerie imagination For the purpose How can a man that either is ignorant of the grace of Christ of the Gospell of God and of the nature of sauing Faith or else is arrogant in the singularitie of his owne opinion wherein he ouerturneth the whole foundation of Grace euer come to true repentance for his sinne For true repentance is a speciall gift of Grace It is an immediate fruit of sauing Faith illuminating and sanctifying the heart and whole man and God giues this grace to no malicious enemie of Grace but to such as hauing receiued it are thankefull for it as a gift of Gods free grace in Christ flowing from the Fountaine of Gods eternall loue in electing vs in Christ before the World was So that it may seeme a worthy worke and necessarie if any for the aduersaries of grace swelling to a great height in these last times as if they would bring another Deluge vpon the Earth to show the way how such may come if it be possible to the acknowledgement of the Truth to repentance and amendment of their Errours and Sins that they may be saued Onely it is a question whether their Errours vphold them in their Lusts especially Ambition and Loue of the World or these their Lusts hold them fast in their Errours But I will not ouer bouldly presse this Taske vpon any it being both touchy and tedious In the meane time if any shall reape either Consolation or Instruction by this poore Worke to the furtherance of their Saluation and the aduâ—ncement of the glory of him who set me on worke it is the Fruit of all my Labour and I reioyce therein yea and I will reioyce THe Proeme
A like symptomes in both How shall wee then discerne the good from the bad Conscience Surely thus The bad Conscience and quiet is that whose tranquilitie or calme is contracted either of a benummednesse Consuetâ—do peccandi tollit sensum peccati and Cawle growne ouer it through long custome in sinne or from a profound ignorance of the nature of sinne and of the Law of God or from a prophane contempt of sauing knowledge and the meanes thereof and the like such are said by the Prophet to bee at ease setled vpon their lees Ier. 48.11 not poured from vessell to vessell but the good Conscience and quiet is that whose peace after trouble for sinne as a calme after a storme floweth from no other Fountaine but the mercie of God in Christ apprehended by Faith for the pardon of the sinnes of the belieuing penitent sinner as the Apostle concludeth Therefore being iustified by Faith Rom. 5.1 we haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. Hee that wants this Conscience flowing from Faith which layeth one hand on the Sacrifice Christ saying Lord be mercifull and so repentance laying the other hand on sinne saying To me a sinner can neuer goe home iustified his Conscience wants the true peace And this peace and quiet of a good Conscience is further setled by a firme purpose of pleasing God in all good duties for the time to come As the same Apostle saith Pray for vs for we trust wee haue a good Conscience in all things Heb. 13.18 willing to liue honestly So that the good Conscience looks both waies both backwards finding true peace in Christs righteousnes by Gods mercie imputed and by Faith apprehended and applyed for the pardon of sinne past and forwards with a sincere purpose of reformation and conformitie to the Word of God for the time to come willing resoluing and indeuouring to liue honestly This is the good Conscience and quiet Again the bad Conscience and vnquiet is that which being strucke with the sting of sinne either with Iudas and Achitophel runs to the halter as if that were the next way to heale it or by diuersion seekes to put it off as Cain fals a building of Cities and following his pleasures if so he may charme the Serpents biting or skin ouer the wound or weare out the skarre and ruthfull remembrance or still the hideous cry of his horrid murther or by this kind of Dictamne cause the mortall Arrow sticking in his side to loosen away But the good Conscience and troubled is that which for sinne being humbled and vpon repentance through Faith hearing The Lord hath put away thy sinne yet as a woman with her after-birth is exercised with grieuous conflicts afterwards It was Dauids case after his absolution pronounced by the Prophet from God whereupon hee might and did no doubt for the present find solid and assured comfort Yet how many a bitter storme doth he indure in his soule How many a sharpe fit So that as a man in an Hecticke feuer without intermission hee cryeth out Thy hand is heauy vpon me day and night And Ps. 32. Ps. 38. There is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger nor any rest in my bones because of my sinne for mine iniquities are gone ouer mine head as an heauy burthen they are too heauy for me All his penitentiall Psalmes breathe nothing else but groanes and sighes from a troubled Spirit Yet all the while hee possessed a good Conscience though the fruition thereof was for a time to his greater humiliation and exercise of his Faith denied and suspended from him Holy Paul in that perillous Nauigation though hee was comforted by the Angel with a promise of safetie for his owne life and theirs which sayled with him yet arriued not at the Port without great difficultie and with the losse of the lading and wracke of the Ship So Gods Child as Dauid though vpon repentance for sinne hee haue his Pardon sealed and life secured yet so hideous are the stormes of renued remorse for sinne which still lye beating vpon his brittle Barke that hee must suffer much dammage temporall before hee can vpon the Planke of redubled repentance waft and worke himselfe to reach the calme and comfortable Hauen of Melita This is that Conscience that troubled Conscience of the Conflicts and Comforts whereof wee are here to speake For as for the afflicted bad Conscience as of all such as liue in a knowne sinne without repentance and now and then are troubled with some fearefull qualmes comming ouer their stomacks while they seeke to haue not the cause which is sinne but the effect onely remoued Wee purpose not to bee troubled with such In such cases let the Adulterer repent and beccome continent the Drunkard repent and become sober the oppressing Vsurer repent and restore and become liberall to the poore and so in the rest Otherwise neuer let them looke for any true comfort and peace of Conscience Yet for their better instruction such also may reape much helpe by this Treatise to further them in the practise of true repentance thereby to obtaine true peace of Conscience For here we propound and describe the case of a troubled Conscience in the highest degree together with the remedies of it that so no troubled Conscience in any lesse degree or kind might here faile to find comfort in time of need For he that knowes how to cure the greatest wound can the more easily cure the lesse CONFLICTS AND COMFORTS OF CONSCIENCE CHAP. I. The first conflict or triall wherein the conscience of a man regenerate apprehending Gods wrath for sin is perillously shaken IT is the nature of all sinne once committed by guilt to affect the conscience with a fearefull apprehension of Gods wrath both temporall and eternall as due to the sinner It was decreed so in the beginning by an vnchangeable law of God In the day thou eatest thereof Gen. â— thou shalt dye the death And no sooner had Adam transgressed but an horror seased vpon his soule hee heares Gods voyce he feares flyes hides himselfe What 's the matter now Adam where art thou might God well say not in what place but in what case art thou surely the Serpent had left his sting in Adams Conscience Now hee is affrighted with hearing Gods voyce but a farre off as of a Iudge sending forth a Hue Cry or summons to the malefactor to appeare before him whom before he ioyed to behold as a dutifull sonne delighting in the presence of his louing and liberall father Ob. But Adam was afterwards receiued to mercy and that by a new couenant of Grace the old of workes being vtterly forfeited and that in and through Christ the promised seed of the woman Is not then the case of mans Conscience now altered Can the member of Christ the vessell of grace the heire of life eternall bee from henceforth repossessed with any such apprehension as of Gods wrath
heart trow you after that his sinne to heare the enumeration of Gods many fauours and benefits towards him mentioned by Nathan to him 2 Sam. 12 7 8. as in the person of God Enough of it selfe to wring from Dauid's gaulled and grieued heart a confession with teares I haue sinned against the Lord. Answ. True it is we haue no sweeter nor stronger tyes to serue and obey God then his benefites towards vs which as they are moe in numâ—er as he that hath fewest hath so many more then euer hee deserued or more excellent in their nature So when at any time wee sinne against this our liberall Benefactour all those benefits stand vp as witnesses against vs vpbrayding vs with extreme ingratitude and vnkindnesse as in the former example of Dauid And consequently in the Soules humiliation for sin Gods benefits comming into remembrance doe so accumulate and heape themselues vpon the Soule that as Tarpeia T. Liuius Lib. 1. the Romane Damosell was pressed to death with those Iewels cast vpon her which the Sabines wore on their left armes the price contracted for betraying to them the Capitoll of Rome shee is now pressed downe beyond all measure That speech Et tu Brute vttered by Caesar to Brutus might haue beene a sharper Dart to pierce Brutus his vnkind heart then his Poinado was to stabbe Caesar. When Ioseph was tempted by his wanton Mistrisse to folly with her Gen. 39 he answers her what obligations of fidelity his Master had layd vpon him in that he had intrusted him with all his goods taking no account of him and should hee not bee faithfull not to violate that one Iewell which alone hee had reserued to himselfe So that if Gods many benefits he hath trusted vs withall if the liberall allowance of all the Trees in the Garden will not cannot as they should restraine vs from the one and onely forbidden fruit of sinne as certainly they would Gen. 2â— if wee tooke but heed in any temptation to set Gods innumerable and inestimable blessings towards vs before our eyes which would make vs say as Ioseph How shall I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God But alas wee are too forgetfull Surely then if we doe sinne all the other Trees in the Garden will be readie to fall vpon vs and presse vs downe not affording vs so much as their shaddow to hide vs if possible from the wrath of Gods angry countenance Math. 9. much lesse to refresh vs therewith Yet in the midst of the presse of Gods benefits wherewith the Soule is now oppressed Faith with her finger touching vpon and pointing vnto that euerliuing Fountaine of the grace and mercie of God in Christ formerly experienced finds cure for the issue of the bleeding Conscience euen then when it seemes to be quite spent and cast behind Christ. So that I say not Math. 16 23. that to the afflicted Conscience the memorie of Gods temporall benefits will bring comfort no nor simply of those Spirituall mercies on our Soules formerly felt sith all of them may iustly vpbraid vs for our vngratious vsing of them But least the Soule in this conflict of the apprehension of Gods wrath deserued should bee swallowed vp her readie way is to haue recourse to the stabilitie of Gods loue mercie and grace in Christ towards vs which hauing once and often formerly felt and inioyed we may recollect our Faith and rest assured that wayting with patience a while the Cloud will passe ouer and the Sun-shine of Gods fauour will returne vpon vs. And thus wee may reckon Gods promises and our spirituall experiences of his mercies as two preseruatiues more Onely this must bee remembred withall that the more experience we haue had of Gods fauours the more it ought to driue vs to a greater measure of repentance which will follow fitly here as a fourth Preseruatiue The fourth preseruatiue then of the Conscience from perishing vnder the apprehension of Gods wrath 2 Cor. 7.10 is godly sorrow so called 1. because it is a spirituall grace gift of God 2. because as it commeth from God so it goeth tendeth vnto and endeth in God sorrowing not so much that his iustice is prouoked as his mercy abused and his glory prophaned by our sinnes Herein it is opposite to worldly sorrow which as it springeth from a guilty conscience conuicted by the euidence of Gods law reflected vpon it So it respecteth onely the worldly estate of a man that he may still inioy the same and preuent temporall iudgements 1 King 21. This worldly sorrow was in wicked Ahab and so may bee in all Reprobates But the godly sorrow is so farre from regarding the punishment deserued that if the godly Penitent had it put to his choyce hee would rather suffer the very torments of hell then to haue committed the least sin against God This is true godly sorrow which chusing rather to dye the death and to fry in hell then to sinne against God hereby it becomes a strong antidote against despaire For what power can euen the flames of hell fire haue ouer that soule which is so drenched in the flood of this godly sorrow one drop whereof that poore Diues had not to coole his tongue So that to despise hell torments in comparison of sinne this giues a Supersede as to Despaire and seales to the penitent soule a Quietus est from all feares For how shall he now be any whit appalled with the apprehension of Gods wrath that willingly would rather suffer his wrath in hell 2 Cor. 11 31. Filiusi staroum â—aâ—hrymaruÌ„ perire non potest as Ambrose comforted Monica Augst mother weeping that he was a Manicheâ— then by sin incurre it on earth Thus iudging ourselues wee shall not be iudged Impossible it is that a sonne of this sorrow should perish Had that seuentimes heated furnace any power at all somuch as to scinge the outer garments of those three noble Confessors while they preferred the suffering in that flame before they would once bow to the Tyrants Idol such a conflict is godly sorrow Againe as godly sorrow looks primarily to Gods glorie so secondarily it reflects vpon the soules speciall good namely saluation For godly sorrow worketh repentance vnto saluation not to bee repented of 2 Cor. 7.10 But as for any temporall end or corporall benefit or the sauing of this present life godly sorrow takes the least care The difference in this point betweene godly and worldly sorrow is liuely set forth in those two Theeues crucified with Christ which two Theeues on each hand of Christ were a Type of all mankind of the Elect on Christs right hand and of the Reprobate on the left All were Theeues in Adam's fall And to redeeme effectually all his Elect Christ is numbred crucified with for Theeues Now the one of these Theeues belieuing confessing Christ vpon the Crosse what was the thing he aymed at His temporall life A
repriuall thereof Nothing lesse But Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome And how did hee answer his fellow Theefe but not fellow Saint Fearest thou not God Wee are righteously here wee suffer condignly Such is godly sorrow humbly submitting it selfe to all torments as duly deserued When on the contrarie the obstinate Theefe his desire was all for his temporall life If thou be Christ saue thy selfe and vs. As if Christ's sauing of himselfe had beene the way to saue them This is all the ayme of worldlings to bee no further for Christ or Religion then Christ and Religion will serue their temporall turnes at the vtmost Num. 23.10 desiring if they must needs at length dye to dye the death of the righteous and that their last end may be like his the couetous man will then because hee must become liberall giuing all from himselfe when hee can keepe it no longer the drunkard will then dye abstenious because he can drinke no more the ambitious Temporizer would dye a Child of the Truth when by neutralizing hee can rise no higher the Pontifician Priest would dye in the garment of Christs righteousnesse imputed rather then in S. Francis Cowle when now hee can gaine no more full offerings by imposing vpon the simple seduced but now to doe this re integra in their health while they may yet liue longer and get more wealth and spend more merrie dayes and rise higher and liue like Abbey Lubbers they like not to bee like the righteous man Againe godly sorrow neuer goeth alone but is accompanied with sincere and ingenuous confession of sinne to God Till Dauid did this hee was exceedingly troubled and tormented in Conscience How pittifully complayneth he Psal. 32. When I kept silence my bones waxed old c. Psal. 32 3 4. I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee and mine iniquitie haue I not hid I said I will confesse my transgressions vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the iniquitie of my sinne Here Dauid's godly sorrow breaking forth and venting it selfe in an humble confession of his sinne to the Lord bringeth case and comfort to his Soule euen as a turbulent wind inclosed and pent in the bowels of the Earth causeth a terrible Earth-quake not ceassing till by some rupture it haue a vent Or as the stomacke striuing with some indigestible morsell which the inordinate appetite had swallowed downe Orig. in Ps. 37. is not eased till the same bee rendred backe againe Or as the iugling Fryars make the simple beleeue as the soule of such a rich Churle departed cannot be at rest till such his ill gotten goods bee restored to the owners at least to some religious Couent No nor then neither sith not before One ingredience more would here be added as necessarie to cause our godly sorrow to worke the more kindly and effectually to recouer sound health to the soule For it may so come to passe that the offence which the world hath taken at a mans sinne may affect a mans heart so much the more with sorrow because it hath brought a disreputation vpon his person and a staine vpon his good name whereas otherwise perhaps hee would haue made light of that sinne being concealed from the world and so haue still continued in it And againe it oftentimes yea too vsually comes to passe that for want of sound and solid repentance for former sinnes God suffers his child euen to fall into some scandalous sin with the world that so at length hee may bee throughly cast downe for all and come to a perfect hatred of all sinne And surely one sinne soundly and thorowly repented of doth mightily and maruellously arme a man against the tempters assaults for the time to come if it be but attended with a small guard of a wary watchfulnesse Whereas on on the contrary repentance slubbered ouer and dallied with causeth the enemy to grow much more audacious in new assaylments while hee obserueth vs the lesse able to resist his batteries by how much we haue beene more remisse and carelesse in the sure making vp of later breaches As a wound not throughly healed but skinned ouer festereth becommeth a greater sore Or as phisicke not working kindly doth but fit the body for more diseases For this cause then that we leaue no one corner of our deceitfull hearts vnswept and vnransackt it is behouefull for vs to call our selues to a strict and seuere account for all our former old sinnes and vpon a melius inquirendum to enter into iudgement with our selues a fresh for them as finding them now guilty of Treason which before happily we condemned but of petty Larceny when as now wee may iustly deeme that for want of due humiliation and sorrow for them they as a theefe saued from the gallowes that should haue beene put to death haue beene ready to cut our throate by leading vs on to the more bold committing of sinne For as we prophecy in part so wee practise repentance and all other duties in part And the more imperfect our repentance is for sinne past wee are not onely the more weake to stand out and resist temptations and to subdue the remainder of our corruptions but the further short we come of the inioying of those solid comforts of Gods Spirit which it poureth in greater abundance into the most penitent soule So that for the greater strengthning of the wounded soule fainting vnder the waight of some great temptation for a new sinne it is necessary to renew our repentance in a greater measure then euer for all our old sins that so the more ground wee sow with godly sorrow wee may reape the more plentifull haruest of consolation This was Dauids practise In his old age and vpon that great sinne of his hee prayes the Lord not to remember the sinnes of his youth which no doubt he had long agoe repented of but now vpon so fearfull a fall being driuen aground by the tempest of temptation he cannot bring his vessell off againe but with a greater spring-tide of teares in a redubled repentance But many are so mealy mouthed that for shame or pride they will not confesse at least in particular Pro. 28.13 as Dauid * Psal. 51. This euill this or that speciall sinne to God Because many times thereupon depends a necessity of restitution and satisfaction to man for the offence done Non remittitur peccatū nisi restituatur ablatum Aug. without which confession to God in such cases is vaine For the sin is not remitted vnlesse the wrong to man if it be possible be satisfied In the Law robbery cozenage violence periury had a sacrifice for it but he must withall make full restitution according to the Law the same day of his sacrifice see Leuit. 6.2 3 4 5 6 7. The fifth Preseruatiue of Conscience distressed with the feare of Gods displeasure is Prayer O the sweet and souerain helpe which Prayer frequent feruent faithfull humble Prayer