rooted in the heart that it cannot be remooued thence Your ioy shal no man take from you saith Christ. It must needes therefore be true and sound yea able to swallow vp all matter of griefe and heauinesse whereas the other is neuer sincere but with the sweetnes thereof hath alwaies mingled some bitternes Euen in laughter saith Salomon speaking thereof the heart is heauie When the face of the wicked man shineth and his countenance is pleasant euen then is he inwardly sorrowfull and his minde is troubled Lastly the ioy of the Spirit is eternall abiding in the mind of man not onely for the terme of this life but for euer in the world to come So is not the reioycing of the world in earthly things for it is fading and deceitfull as the things themselues be wherein it is placed it hath the beginning in corruption and endeth with this present life The examples of the two rich men in the Gospel doe manifest this truth And to this purpose is the speech of Zophar in the booke of Iob that the reioycing of the wicked is very short the ioy of hypocrites is but a momeÌ„t c. By these fiue properties may we put a true difference betweene earthly and heauenly reioycing and consequently discerne of them euen in our seleues And if we perceiue this ioy of the Spirit rightly conâ—ceiued and grounded in the right vse of the word and Sacraments as also in the exercises of inuocation faith and repentance to take place in our soules and consciences we shall finde it of force to moderate and alay the very terrours of death And so much for Preparation Now the helpes to be vsed in the time of death are manifold the summe of all may be reduced to two heads Meditations and Practises Touching Meditations we must in the first place consider Death in a double respect one as it is in it owne nature and another as it is changed and qualified by the death of Christ Death in it owne nature is a Curse or fore â—…er of comdemnation the very gates and suburbs of Hell it selfe but beeing qualified by Christ it is a blessing an end of all miseries a full freedome from all dangers a short passage vnto ioy an entrance into euerlasting life a quiet sleepe voide of all annoyance by dreames and fantasies And the graue a resting chamber yea a bed perfumed by the death of Christ for the bodies of all the Elect out of which when they awake they shall be admitted receiued into the presence of God in heauen Secondly we are to consider that there be three degrees of eternall life The first whereof is in this world before we die and it is then wheÌ„ we begin to repent beleeue in Christ and to be assured in conscience that God the father is our father Christ our redeemer the holy Ghost our comforter For this is eternall life to know God and him whome he hath sent Iesus Christ. The next degree is in death for death cuts off al sin originall actuall death frees vs from al wordly miseries death prepareth the bodie that it may be fit to enter into eternall happinesse together with the soule which is alreadie in heauen The last degree is when bodie soule reunited goe both together into eternall and euerlasting glory Our third meditation is that that there is a mysticall vnion and coniunctioÌ„ betweene Christ and euery beleeuer that not onely in regard of soule but of bodie also which beeing once knit shall neuer be dissolued but is eternall Wherevpon the dying dead rotten and consumed bodie remaineth still a member of Christ abideth within the couenant and is and shall be euer a temple of the Holy Ghost Thus Adam and Abraham which are dead so many thousand yeares agoe yea euery true beleeuer from them to the end of the world shall arise at the last day in body to glory by the power of their coniunction with Christ. In the winter season we see the most trees voide of leaues buddes and blossomes so as they seeme to vs to be dead and yet neuerthelesse there is a sappe in the roote of them which in the Spring wil ascend reuiue the decaied braÌ„ches Euen so it is with our bodies which though they be corrupted rotten burnt or eaten with wormes or deuoured by wild beasts so as they may seeme to be vtterly perished yet there is as it were a secret and hidden sap in them by reason of their vnion with Christ by which they shall be raised reuiued and quickned being made like vntothe glorious bodie of Christ their head with whome they shall raigne and liue for euermore Helpes in practise are two First he that will beare with comfort the pangs of death must labour that he may die in faith and that is done by laying hold of the promise of God touching forgiuenes of sinnes and life euerlasting by Christ. All these saith the holy Ghost died in faith namely Abel Enoch Noâ— Abraham and Sarah all laying hold of the promise of life by Christ. When Iacob on his death-bed was blessing of his children he brake forth into this heauenly speach O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation In which words it is plaine that his faith rested on the mercie of God and by hope he waited for his saluatioÌ„ our Sauiour Christ saith As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him might not perish but haue life euerlasting Out of which words the forenamed duty may be learned that looke as the childreÌ„ of Israel being stung with fiery serpeÌ„ts that vnto death weâ— healed by looking vp to the braseÌ„ serpeÌ„t erected by Moses so wheÌ„ we are stuÌ„g with sin death we must euer remeÌ„ber by faith to looke vpon Christ. But specially when we are dying then it is our part to sixe the eies of our soules by faith vpon him and thereby shall we escape death and be made partakers of eternall life and happinesse Notable is the example of Christ who as he was man alwaies fixed his trust and considence in his fathers word especially at his end For when he was dying and the pangs of death seazed vpon him he cries vnto the Lord My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and againe Father into thy hands I commend my spirit which words are full of faith and doe bewray what great affiance he placed in his fathers loue c. When Dauid in an extremitie saw nothing before his eies but present death the people in tending to stone him at the very instant as the text saith he comforted himselfe in the Lord his God but how by calling to minde the mercifull promises that God had made vnto him and by applying them vnto his heart by faith And Paul saith of himselfe the rest of the faithfull that they receiued the
and erronious Grounds of Doctrine much preiudiciall to the direction or resolution of the Conscience in time of neede as namely I. That a man in the course of his life may build himselfe vpon the faith of his teachers and for his saluation rest contented with an implicite and vn-expressed faith Which doctrine as it is an onely meane to keepe men in perpetuall blindnes and ignorance so it serueth to no other purpose in the time of TemptatioÌ„ but to plunge the hart of man into the pit of despaire it being vncapable of coÌ„fort for want of particular knowledg vnderstaÌ„ding of the word promise of God Iâ— That euery man ought to stand in feare and doubt of the pardon of his sinnes and that no man can be assured by the certentie of faith either of the present fauour of God or of his owne saluation True it is that in respect of our owne vnworthines and indisposition we haue iust cause not onely to doubt and feare but to dispaire and be confounded before the iudgement seat of God Yet that a man should not be certainely resolued by faith of the mercie of God in and for the merir of Christ is a comfortlesse doctrine to a distressed soule and contrarie vnto the sauing word of the Gospel which teacheth that certentie floweth from the nature of faith and not doubting III. That euery man is bound in conscience vpon paine of damnation to make speciall confession of his mortall sinnes with all the particular circumstaÌ„ces therof once euery yere to his Priest This position practise besides that it hath no warrant of sacred writte nor yet any ground of Orthodoxe antiquitie for 800. yeares more or lesse after Christ it maketh notably to the disturbing of the peace of Conscience in time of extremitie considering that is impossible either to vnderstand or remember all many beeing hidden and vnknowne And the minde being in this case informed that forgiuenesse dependeth vpon such an enumeration may thus be brought into doubt and distrust and will not be able to rest by faith in the sole mercie of God the onely soueraigne medicine of the soule Againe the griefe of the mind doth not alwaies arise from all the sinnes that a man hath committed neither doth the Lord set before the sinners eies whatsoeuer euill hath bin done by him but some one or more particulars And these are they that doe lie heavie vpon the heart and to be eased of them will be worke inough though he doth not exhibite vnto the Confessour a Catalogue of all the rest IV. That some sinnes are veniall because they are onely besides the Lawe of God not against it and because they binde ouer the sinner onely to temporal and not to eternall punishments This conclusion first is false For though it be granted that some offences are greater some lesser some in a higher degree others in a lower Againe that sinnes in regard of the euent beeing repented of or in respect of the person sinning beeing in Christ and therefore accounted iust are pardonable because they are not imputed to condemnation yet there is no sinne of what degree soeuer which is not simply and of it selfe mortall whether we respect the nature of the sinne or the measure and proportion of diuine iustice For in nature it is an anomie that is to say an aberration from the perfect rule of righteousnesse therefore is subiect to the curse both of temporarie and eternall death It is an offence against the highest Maiestie and consequently man standeth by it ingaged to euerlasting torment Secondly it is a weake and insufficient ground of resolution to a troubled Conscience For whereas true and sauing ioy is the daughter of sorrow and the heart of man cannot be lifted vp in assurance of Gods fauour to the apprehensioÌ„ and conceipt of heauenly comforts vnlesse it be first abased and by true humiliation brought to nothing in it selfe The remembrance of this that the offence committed is veniall may in some cases too much inlarge the heart and giue occasion to presume when haply there will be reason to the contrary And if not that yet in case of falling by infirmitie after grace receiued the mind beeing forestalled with this erronious conceipt that the sinne is lesse then it is indeede because veniall may in the issue be lesse quieted and more perplexed V. That a man may satisfie the iustice of God for the temporall punishment of his sinnes committed To omit the vntruth of â—â—is position Howe it maketh to the casing of the heart or the asswaging of the griefe of minde in temptation I appeale to common experience For when a man beeing assured of the pardon of his sinnes shall yet consider that there is something more behind to be done on his part how can he in probabilitie rely himselfe wholly vpon Christs satisfaction How can he reape vnto himselfe from thence any assurance of reconciliation to God whome he formerly offended If we may and must doe something in our owne persons whereby to appease the wrath of God why hath our Sauiour taught vs for our hearts releife wholly and onely to make the plea of pardon for our sinnes True it is indeede that Popish Confessours doe teach their Penitents when they feele the wrath of God vpon them for sinne to stoppe the mouth of Conscience by performance of a formall humiliation and repentance yea to offer vnto God some ceremoniall duties in way of satisfaction But when sorrow seazeth vpon the soule and the man falls into temptation then it will appeare that these directions were not currant for notwithstanding them he may want sound comfort in Gods mercie and runne into despaire without recouerie And for this cause vpon experience it hath bin prooued that euen Papists themselues in the houre of death haue bin content to renounce their owne workes yea the whole body of humane satisfactions and to cleaue onely to the mercie of God in Christ for their saluation By these instances and many more that might be alleadged to this purpose it is apparent vpon how weake and vnstable Grounds the Case-diuinitie of the Popish Church standeth and how indirect a course they take for the resolution and direction of the troubled Conscience Now by the benefit and abuse of this Doctrine we see how necessary it is that in Churches which professe ChristiaÌ„ religion it should be more taught and further inlarged then it is And to this purpose it were to be wished that men of knowledge in the Ministerie that haue by the grace of God attained vnto the Tongue of the learned would imploy their paines this way not onely in searching into the depth of such points as stand in bare speculation but in annexing thereunto the grounds and conclusions of practise wherby they might both informe the iudgement rectifie the conscience of the hearers By this means it would come to passe that the poore distressed soule might
be releeued pietie and deuotion more practised the kingdome of Sinne Satan and Antichrist weakened and impayred and the contrarie kingdome of Christ Iesus more and more established What the Author Contriuer of the Discourse ensuing hath done in this behalfe it is euident by the whole course of his writings that he hath left behinde him all which as they doe openly shew vnto the world howe great a measure of knowledge and vnderstanding with other endowments both of nature and grace the Lord had inriched him withall so they doe carrie with them the sweet sauour of pietie and sanctification wherwith he approoued his heart vnto God and his life vnto men Wherein also vpon occasion he hath propounded and explained sundry notable rules of direction and resolution of the Conscience as wil appeare to the view of the learned well-advised Reader To let passe all the rest this present Treatise giueth very sufficient testimonie of his knowledge and dexteritie in that kinde which could not be attained vnto without great paines much obseruation and long experience A labour which commendeth it selfe to the Church of God in two respects principally One because his grounds and principles are drawne either directly or by iust consequence out of the written Word and so are of greater force to convince the conscience and to giue satisfaction to the mind either doubting or distressed The other for that it is deliuered with such perspicuitie and disposed in such order and Methode as fitteth best for the vnderstanding and memory of any whosoeuer shall peruse it Now this whole Treatise of the Questiōs I haue made bold to present vnto your Lordsh and to publish abroad vnder your protection First because God who vouchsafeth speciall fauour to them that honour him hath adorned your estate with Honour your person inwardly with many rich graces of his Spirit and outwardly with the profession and practise of true Religion a thing directly confirmed by your vnfained loue of the truth and continuall fauours to the Teachers of the same the Ministers and Dispensers of the Gospel Secondly because as the Author of these Cases was himselfe in many respects bound vnto your Hon. while he liued so his wife and children for his sake haue receiued much kindnes at your hands since his death a manifest proofe of the truth synceritie of your affection towards him in the Lord. And in the last place it was my desire by setting them forth vnder your name to giue some testimonie of dutie to your Hon. presuming that as you loued the Author so you will be pleased to patronize the Worke and fauourably to interpret of the paines and good intention of the publisher And thus crauing pardon for my boldnes I humbly take my leaue and commend your Lordsh to the grace fauour of God in Christ. From Emanuel Colledge in Cambr. Novemb. 20. 1606. Your Hon. in all dutie to be commanded Tho. Pickering To the godly and well-affected Reader whosoeuer I Doe now at the length offer vnto thy view Christian Reader the whole Treatise of Case-divinitie so farre as the Author proceeded in the deliuerie thereof before his death If thou hast bin longer held in expectation thereof then either thy selfe desiredst or was meete I must intreat thy fauourable interpretation of my forbearance partly in regard of many priuate distractions and sundrie occurrents wherewith I was detained from this dutie and partly also in respect of my desire to publish it in such sort to thy contentment that it might afterward require no further filing or forbishing by secondarie Corrections Wherein notwithstanding mine endeauour to the contrarie my hope hath beene in part preiudiced by reason of some faults escaped in the Printing through want of carefull attendance on the Presse in my necessarie absence The principall I haue noted in a Table before the first Booke and the other of lesser moment I commend to thy priuate pardon Touching the Treatise it selfe I haue dealt as faithfully as I could keeping close to the Preachers owne wordes without any materiall addition detraction or amplification His Methode remaines the same in the bodie of the discourse not admitting the least alteration Onely it was thought conuenient to distinguish it into Bookes according to the severall distinct parts the Bookes into Chapters the Chapters that were most capable of diuision into Sections and my meaning therein was to helpe the memorie of the Reader and to avoid tediousnes the daughter of longsome discourses Now if in the perusing thou either find any thing amisse or thy selfe haply not fully satisfied in particular then remember what is the Lot of learned mens workes which are Scripta posthuma wherof these latter times haue yeelded many examples to be left after a sort naked and imperfect when the Authors themselues are gone who might haue brought them to perfection Consider againe that in regard of the weight of this worthy Argument it were much better kindely thankfully to accept and inioy these labours howsoeuer imparted then by their suppressing to be wholly depriued of such a benefite And withall rest with me in hope that as himselfe hath first traced the way and walked by the bankes of this maine Sea so others vpon this occasion will be incouraged to attempt the like course or at least to enlarge this worke by addition of more particulars Meane while not doubting of thy Christian acceptance of my paines for thy good I commend them to thy loue thy selfe vnto God and the word of his grace Eman. Coll. Novemb. 20. 1606. Thine in Christ Iesus Tho. P. A TABLE OF THE Summe or Contents of the whole Treatise both for Heades and Number of the Questions The first Booke The Preface touching the ground and order of the Treatise Pag. 1. CHAP. I. Of Confession and the degrees of Goodnesse CHAP. II. Of the nature and differences of Sinne. CHAP. III. Of the subiection and power of Conscience CHAP. IV. Of the distinction of Questions or Cases CHAP. V. Of the first maine Question touching Man simply considered viz. What a man must doe that he may come into Gods fauour and be saued 50 Concerning Humiliation 1. What if a man humbling himselfe cannot call to minde all or the most of his sinnes 56 2. What the man must doe who finds himselfe hard hearted and of a dead spirit c. 57 3. Whether he that is more grieued for losse of his friend then for the offence of God by his sinne doth truly humble himselfe 58 Concerning Faith 1. How a man may truly applie Christ with all his benefits vnto himselfe 60 2. When doth a man beginne to beleeue in Christ 61 Concerning New-Obedience 1. How may a man frame his life to liue in New-Obedience 65 2. How may a man doe a good worke 67 CHAP. VI. Of the Second maine Question viz. How a man may be in Conscience assured of his owne saluation CHAP. VII Of the Third maine Question viz. How a man beeing
Afflictions serue to humble men in their soules before God The young vnthrift in the Gospel called the Prodigall childe while his portion lasted he spent liberally and was grieued for nothing but when he came to be pinched with hunger and that through his owne follie then he humbled himselfe before his father returned home vnto him Dauid saith of himselfe that in his prosperiâ—te be thought he should neuer be mooued because the Lord of his goodnesse had made his mountaine to stand strong but saith he thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled then cried I vnto the Lord. III. They serue to worke Amendment of life No chastising saith the Author to the Hebrewes for the present seemeth to be ioyous but afterward it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse to them that are thereby exercised that is afflictions and chastisments that seaze vpon Gods children doe leaue after them amendment of life as the needle passeth thorough the cloath and leaueth the threed behinde it When we are iudged saith the Apostle we are nurtered of the Lord that we might not be condemned with the world And Dauid confesseth Psal. 119. It is good for me that I haue beene afflicted that I might learne thy statutes And the good husbandman purgeth and pruneth the vine that it may bring forth more and better fruit IIII. They cause men to denie themselues and to relie wholly on the mercie of God Thus Paul receiued the sentence of death in himselfe that he should not trust in himselfe but in God that raiseth the dead V. The fift is Invocation For afflictions make vs to crie heartily and feruently vnto God to bring our selues into his presence and there to abase our selues before him Thus the Lord said of the olde Israelites that when he slew them then they returned sought him earely Psal. 78. 34. And els where he saith of his children that in their affliction they will seeke him diligently VI. The sixth is Patience Affliction bringeth forth patience patience experience c. As if he should say because the loue of God is shed in our hearts therefore in afflictions we are patient Now whilst we patiently heare the crosse we haue experience of the mercie and loue of God towards vs and hauing once in some notable deliuerance tried and tasted the mercie of God we doe by hope as it were promise to our selues the saide fauour and mercie for time to come VII The last fruit is Obedience This the holy Ghost teacheth to haue beene the fruit of the suffering of Christ when he saith Though he were the sonne yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered In the next place Afflictions are good in regard of their qualitie and condition which is that they are tokens and pledges of our adoption when we make the best vse of them If ye indure chastening saith the holy Ghost God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes that is he comes to you in the crosse not as a iudge and reuenger but as a kind and louing father and the crosse imposed is as it were his fatherly hand wherewith the chastiseth vs and therefore Iob praiseth God for his affliction saying God hath giuen and God hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. The fifth Ground of comfort is that the partie distressed hath partners in the crosse For first he hath Christ to be his partner because he hath fellowship with him in that he is afflicted and is willing to obey God therein Paul accounteth it happines to knowe the fellowship of Christs afflictions and to be made conformable vnto his death Phil. 3. 10. And Saint Peter exhorteth beleeuers to reioyce in as much as they are partakers of Christes sufferings 1. Pet. 4. 13. Secondly if the partie afflicted repent Christ communicateth with him in al his crosses accounts them as his owne The Apostle in this regard would haue no man thinke it strange no not when he is in the fierie triall but rather to reioyce because he is partaker of Christs sufferings 1. Pet. 4. 12. And Christ saith to Saul persecuting his Church Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Thirdly he that is afflicted hath other seruants of God partakers with him in all his afflictions The Apostle Peter wisheth the Church of God to resist Sathan by faith knowing saith he that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brothren that are in the world 1. Pet. 5. 9. Thus much generally of Afflictions and of Comfort in them It were a long and tedious worke to set all downe in particular together with their proper and distinct Comforts therefore I will passe them ouer and speake only of three kinds of Afflictions with their Remedies Sect. 2. The first is the Deferring of deliuerance a great afflictioÌ„ if it be considered And touching it I propound one Question namely How the minde of the partie distressed may be staied when as the Lord deferres deliuerance For the answer hereof three especiall points are to be considered I. First that God hath in his wisdome set downe certen and unchangeable times for the accomplishment and issue of all things that are Ther is a time appointed to euery thing vnder the sunne Eccl. 3. 1 The speech of Salomon is generall and the meaning of it is this Whatsoeuer there is in the world either done or suffered or enioyed by man whether it be of the number of naturall things or of those which are voluntarily vndertaken or necessarily endured God hath in his prouidence sorted vnto them a set time and season whereof dependeth the successe of them all And this time himselfe most freely ordereth and ruleth at his owne good pleasure which as no maÌ„ can hinder or stay so is it not in the power of any to hasten or preueÌ„t This point the Holy Ghost in Scripture prooueth by two instances of the threatnings and promises of God which himselfe accomplisheth at some certaine and vnchangeable times When the old world in the daies of Noah had growne to much impietie and wickednes the Lord appointed a certaine space of 120. yeares for their repentance and conuersion at the very ende and tearme whereof he brought the flood vpon them and not before For if we compare the particular circumstances of time noted in the 7. of Genesis with that which S. Peter writeth 1. Pet. 3. 20. ee shall find that the inundation of waters came vpon the earth at the very point of time before determined Againe God threatned by Ieremie that the Iewes for their sins should be led captiue and serue the king of Babel 70. yeares Now if we take the iust computation of time it will appeare that so soone as euer those yeres were expired the foresaid threat was accomplished And therefore Daniel alluding to Ieremies prophecie exactly setteth it downe when he saith The same night was Belshazzarking of the
they were olde To adde no more examples by these we see the Lords dealing euen with holy men and women his owne deare seruants that he doth not alwaies grant their requests nor condescend to their desires at the first but as it were holds them off and suspends his grace and fauour for a time And therefore if it shall please him thus to deale with any of vs we must from these examples be taught to possesse our soules with patience resting contented in his will and waiting on his good pleasure to the ende To conclude this point Suppose that the condition of Gods seruants be such as that they finde no ende of their afflictions but that they doe continue euen vnto death what shall they doe in this case Ans. Besides that which hath beene said before for the resolution of this Question I answer further that first they must still euen vnto death liue by faith and say with holy Iob Lord though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee Secondly they must stay and releeue their soules in the meane time with these and such like meditations I. That it is the will and pleasure of God that we should through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God Act. 14. 22. Now it is the propertie of a true child of God to rest content in his fathers good will and pleasure euen when he is afflicted Prov. 3. 11. My sonne be not grieued at my correction that is let it not be tedious vnto thee be content to beare it Our dutie therefore is meekely to subiect our selues vnto the hand of God as the child doth vnto the correction of his father II. That though afflictions be long and tedious yet God will at length giue a ioyfull and comfortable issue For so himselfe hath promised Math. 5. 4. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Psal. 34. 19. Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord wil deliuer him out of them all Psal. 37. 73. Marke the vpright man and behold the iust for the ende of that man is peace III. Afflictions be they neuer so heauie in regard of continuance yet they are in no sort comparable to those eternall ioyes that God hath prepared for them that loue him This was Pauls meditation who indured the crosse euen to his dying day Our light affliction saith he which is but for a moment worketh vnto vs an excellent and eternall waight of glorie And else where he professeth that he did not count the afflictions of this present time answerable in value to the glorie which shall be reuealed vnto Gods children Rom. 8. 18. Saint Peter tells them to whome he wrote that in regard of their assured hope of eternall life they should reioyce though now for a season they were in heauines through manifold tentations 1. Pet. 1. 6. Lastly the Author to the Hebrewes comforteth the Church by this reason because it is yet a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarrie IV. Though God withholdeth his hand in respect of deliuerance euen to death yet his loue is constant and vnchangeable and the crosse which we vndergoe cannot separate vs from that loue wherewith he hath loued vs in Iesus Christ Rom. 8. 35. And thus much of the first particular distresse of minde arising of outward afflictions Sect. 3. The Second particular distres is bodily and temporarie Death which consisteth in the separation of the soule from the bodie And touching this affliction it is demanded How any seruant of God may be able to indure with comfort the pangs of death For the answer hereof two things are required a preparation to death and helps in the time of death Concerning preparation there are three duties to be performed The first and most principall is commended vnto vs in the booke of Psalmes where Dauid praies vnto God Lord make me to know mine end and the measure of my daies And Moses in like manner Lord teach me to number my daies that I may applie my heart vnto wisdome In which places is remembred a notable dutie of preparation to wit that a man should resolue himselfe of death continually and before-hand number his daies This is done by esteeming of euery day as the day of his death and accordingly doing alwaies that which he would doe if he were now to giue vp the ghost Secondly in way of preparation we must endeauour to disarme and weaken death who is as an armed man that hath his weapons whereby he seekes to destroy vs. And in this case we must deale with death as the Philistims dealt with Sampson They saw by experience that he was a mightie man and by his power and strength had giuen them many foyles and therefore they laboured to know in what part of his bodie his strength did lie And after inquirie finding it to be in the haire of his head they neuer rested till they had spoiled him thereof And questionlesse the time will come when we all must encounter with this strong powerfull Sampson Death In the meane while it is a point of wisdome to inquire wherein his power and might consisteth When this search hath bin made we shall finde that his weapons are our manifold sinnes and corruptions both of heart and life For as Paul saith The sting of death is sinne Therefore that we may spoile him of this his furniture we must exercise our selues in the practise of two duties First vse all meanes for the cutting off of the locke of our sinnes whereby alone Satan hath the vantage of vs and these means are the duties of humiliation inuocation and true repentance We must therefore humble our selues before God be instant in praier for the pardon of our sinnes past and present and in this point giue the Lord no rest vntill we haue obtained in our consciences the sweet certificate of his fauour and mercie in Christ whereby our mindes may be staied and comforted This done it stands vs in hand to turne vnto God to be carefull to leaue sinne to entertaine in our hearts a resolued purpose and intention of new obedience and conformitie to the will and commandement of God in all things And this is the onely way in the world to bereaue this our enemie of his armour to pull the sting out of the mouth of this serpent and consequently euen in death to prèuaile against him Thirdly in way of preparation our dutie is euen before-hand while we liue in this world to indeauour to haue some true taste of life euerlasting and the ioyes of heauen The due consideration whereof will be of great vse For it will stirre vp in our hearts a desire and loue of perfect happines in heauen yea a feruent expectation of Christs comming to iudgement and it will further cause vs to say with Simeon Lord now let thy seruant depart in peace and with the Apostle I desire to
which is the cause of this violent distresse And here we are to know by the way that it is an vsuall thing with the parties thus distressed to dissemble and cloake their sinnes and therefore they will alleadge that their trouble ariseth from some euill thoughts from wicked affections and from the corruption of nature whereas commonly men are not distressed in violent manner for euill thoughts affections c. but the violent distresse commeth from soâ—…e actuall and odious sinne or sinnes done which wound the conscience and are the causes of great distraction of minde and they are many which hauing bin vpon occasion before rehearsed I will not now repeat them Onely this must be remembred that the greater sinns against the third sixt and seuenth commandements are the maine and proper causes of violent distresses and the more secret the sinne is in regard of the practise thereof the greater horror of Conscience it bringeth and open offences doe not giue so deepe a wound vnto it as secret and hidden sinnes SecoÌ„dly the particular sinne being known Inquirie must be made as much as possibly may be by signes whether the partie distressed repenteth yea or no. For except he hath repented he cannot be fitted to receiue comfort vnlesse he be first fitted to receiue coÌ„fort he cannot be releeued in Conscience Now if it be found that the partie hath repented then care must be had in the next place that his repentance may be renued for the particular sinne committed Thirdly hauing thus done the comfort must be ministred for the moderating or taking away of the distresse And here remember by the way that the comforts ministred vsually and ordinarily must not goe alone but be mingled and tempered with some terrors of the Law that beeing thereby feared with the consideration of sinne and of the wrath of God due vnto the same the comfort may appeare to be the sweeter The ministring whereof in case of this distresse would not be direct and present but by certaine steppes and degrees except onely in the point of death for then a directer course must be vsed These degrees are two First the partie is to be informed of a possibilitie of pardon that is that his sinnes are pardonable and though in themselues they be great and hainous yet by the mercie of God in Christ they may be remitted Now put the case that the afflicted apprehendeth onely the odiousnesse of his sinnes and the wrath of God due to the same and in this fitte puts off the pardon from himselfe and cannot be perswaded that his sinne may be forgiuen what then is to be done Ans. Then for the effecting of this first degree certaine Grounds are to be laid downe whereupon assurance in that case may be built vp in his heart The first Ground of possibilitie of pardon is That the mercie of God is infinite yea ouer all his works Psal. â—45 9. That the death of Christ is of infinite price merit and value before God That God is much in sparing Isa. 55. 7. That with the Lord is mercie and with him is plenteous redemption Psal. 130. 7. That Christs satisfaction is not onely a price but a counterprice 1. Tim. 2. 6. able to satisfie for the sinnes of all men yea for them that haue sinned against the holy Ghost For that sinne is not therefore vnpardonable because the offence thereof is greater then the merit of Christ but because thâ— partie offending neither doth nor can applie the merit of Christ vnto himselfe An ancient father vpon Cains wordes My punishment is greater then I can beare saith Thou liest Cain for Gods mercie is greater then the sinnes of all men The mercie of God was very great to Manasses to Salomon to Peter and to many others though they were great offenders The second Ground Men of yeares liuing in the Church of God and knowing the doctrine of saluation shall not be condemned simply for their sinnes but for lying in their sinnes Vpon this ground I say that men distressed must be grieued not so much for committing of sinne as for lying and continuing in sinnes committed A third Ground It pleaseth God many times to leaue men to themselues and to suffer them to commit some sinne that woundeth conscience It is true and cannot be denied But we must withall remember that sinnes committed doe not vtterly take away grace but rather make it the more to shine and shew it selfe For God in mercie turneth all things euen sinne it selfe to the good of them that be his and therefore sinne committed cannot either waste or extinguish grace receiued but by diuine dispensation serueth to amplifie and inlarge the same so as where sinne aboundeth there grace aboundeth much more Rom. 5. 20. And the Lord saide to Paul beeing in great extremitie 2. Cor. 12. 9. My grace is sufficient for thee for my power is made perfect through weakenes Hence it appeareth that the grace of God is not vtterly lost but appeareth liuely in the time of distresse The fourth Ground is this The promises of God touching remission of sinnes and life eternall in respect of beleeuers are generall and in regard of all and euery man indefinite that is they doe not define or exclude any person or any sinner or any time onely they admit one exception of finall impenitencie Here a question may be mooued How long he that ministreth comfort must stand vpon the possibilitie of pardon I answer vntill he hath brought the partie distressed to some measure of true repentance and this beeing done then he is to proceede to the second degree of comfort The Second degree of comfort is to teach that the sinne or sinnes of the partie distressed are indeede pardoned But it may be asked vpon what signes may this comfort be applyed I answer vpon these two First if the partie distressed confesse that he or shee is heartily grieued that by their sinne or sinnes they haue offended so louing and so mercifull a God Secondly if they professe that they desire with all their heart to be reconciled vnto God in Christ and at least doe desire to repent for their sinnes and withall doe carrie in heart a purpose to sinne no more but in all things as much as in them lieth to performe new obedience vnto god Luc. 15. 11. c. Now for the better enforcing of this comfort some textes of Scripture fitting this purpose must be rehearsed aâ— for example Matth. 9. 12 13. I came not to call the righteous that is to say those that iudge themselues righteous but sinners that is those which are grieued because in their owne conscience they are vile and hainous offenders to repentance Againe Matth 11. 28. Come vnto me all ye that are wearie and heauie laden and I will refresh you And Christ saith it was the end of his coÌ„ming to preach deliuerance to the captiues and to set at libertie them that are bruised Luk. 4. 18. To
in heauen glorified doth he by the power of his Deitie raise vp vs his mēbers frō death to life Rom. 6. 4. A certaine pledge whereof he hath giuen vs in this Sacrament Which also affordeth singular comfort and ioy vnto a man euen in his greatest extremity True it is that man by nature is dead in sinne yet God of his mercie sealeth vnto him in baptisme his rising from the death of sinne to newnesse of life True it is againe that all men must die Yet this is our comfort that in baptisme God hath sealed to vs euen our rising from the graue to life euerlasting and all by the vertue and power of Christs resurrection This is a comfort of all comforts able to vphold the soule of man euen in the houre of death The second Vse of Baptisme is that it serues to be a notable meanes of our death vnto sinne and that three waies First by putting vs in minde of mortifying the flesh and crucifying our owne corruptions For if we be baptized into the death of Christ as Paul saith Rom. 6. 3. then ought we not to continue in sinne but to labour by all meanes as by praier by fasting by the word preached and by auoiding all occasions of offence to kill and destroy the corruption of our nature and the wickednes of our hearts Gal. 5. 24. Secondly it causeth vs to dedicate our selues wholly vnto God and Christ remembring that we once offered our selues to be baptized in the presence of the whole congregation in token that we should euer afterward consecrate our soules and bodies vnto the Lord and wholly renounce and forsake the flesh the world and the Deuill Thirdly it causeth vs to labour to keepe and maintaine peace and vnitie with all men but specially with Gods people For Baptisme is a solemne testimonie of the bond of mutuall loue and fellowship both of Christ with his members and of the members one with another To this ende Paul saith that we are all by one spirit baptized into one bodie 1. Cor. 12. 13. yea and Baptisme is one of those things whereby the vnitie of the Spirit is preserued in the bond of peace Eph. 4. 5. V. Question Whether a man falling into sinne after he is baptized may haue any benefit of his Baptisme Answer He may if he repent And the reasons are these First his Indentures and Euidences remain whol in respect of God his name is not put out of the couenant Which is otherwise in the Evidēces of men For if they be once cancelled a man cannot haue his name put into them againe Secondly Baptisme is indeede as hath beene said the Sacrament of Repentance and as it were a plancke or board to swimme vpon when a man is in danger of the shippewracke of his soule Therefore if a man repent and be hartily sorie for his sinnes committed he may haue recourse to his baptisme wherein was sealed vnto him the pardon of all his sinnes past present and to come he standing to the order of his baptisme beleeuing and repenting Thirdly to them that fall euen after Baptisme there is hope of repentance and consequently of the fauour of God if they be touched in hart with true remorse and sorrowe for their offences For hence it was that Paul calls the Galatians fallen after they had beene baptized to the remembrance of the fauour of God promised vnto them in the Couenant and sealed in their Baptisme Gal. 3. 3. 19. 27. In the same manner doth Iohn call the Churches of Asia that had left their first loue to repentance conuersion Apoc. 2. 5. 16. And the said Iohn in Ecclesiasticall historie is said to haue reclaymed a young man who had most grieuously fallen after his Baptisme CHAP. X. Of the Lords Supper THus much concerning the Sacrament of Baptisme Now we come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper concerning the vse wherof there are two principal Questions mooued I. Question How farre forth men haue libertie to vse or not vse the Lords Supper For the answering hereof I propound three Rules The First Euery man of yeares liuing in the Church and beeing baptized is bound in conscience by Gods commandement to vse the Lords supper In the institution of the Supper the Lord gaue a Sacramentall Word whereof there be two parts a Commādement a Promise The Cōmandement is expressed in these termes Take eate drinke doe ye this And it binds all men in the Church that are baptized to the vse of the Lords Supper The second Rule Euery man of yeares baptized is to receiue it often 1. Cor. 11. 26. As oft as ye shall drinke it in remēbrance of me The reason is because we haue need continually to feede on Christ. And herein the Lords Supper differeth from Baptisme because by Baptisme a man is once onely graffed into Christ but being in Christ he hath neede often and continually to be fedde in him to life eternall And this often nourishment of the beleeuer is sealed vnto him by the often vse of this Sacrament The third Rule Euery man is to receiue and vse the Lords Supper according to the laudable custome of that Church whereof he is a member vnlesse there be a iust impediment A iust impediment is that which barres a man from the vse of the Supper as Suspension Contagious and incurable sickenesse Absence vpon a iust and weightie cause as when a man is in his iourney and such like The reason of the Rule is first if any man refuse to receiue it when he may conueniently hauing no iust Impediment so doing he neglects and contemnes the ordinance of God Secondly for a man to abstaine when he is called to receiue it though happily he may be excused in regard of some reason inwardly knowne to himselfe yet his abstinence is a bad example and may giue offence to others Thirdly the man that may receiue and yet will not doth in effect suspend and withhold himselfe from the benefite of this holy Sacrament Now these three Rules as they serue directly to answer the Question in hand so they doe plainly discouer some errours faults in the practise of sundrie persons in these daies Some there be that thinke it sufficient to receiue the Communion once by the yere namely at Easter time Whereas on the contrary it is to be vsed as oft as may be considering that it is nothing but the shewing forth of the Lords death till he come which is not once or twise in the yeare but often yea continually to be remembred Others ther are that take liberty to thēselues to com to this Table abstaine at ther pleasure as if it were a thing arbitrary to themselues which notwithstanding the Lord hath enioyned by expresse commandement as hath beene said But some alledge for this their practise that they are at variance with such and such persons that haue done them wrong and whom they cannot forgiue and in this respect they were better