which in her child is wanting by occasion in like manner the Lorde God our most gracious father doth not cast vs off because through our imperfections we are vnable or afraide to drawe neerer to the throne of grace but rather pitieth vs and seing vs a farre of desirous to come vnto him meeteth vs by the way by grace strength of his owne hand directeth our steps vnto his kingdom And as he which freely purposeth to giue a wedge of gold will not withdrawe his gift because the hand of him that should receiue it is weak troubled with the gout palsy or leaprosie so that by any meanes though in greate weakenes he be able to holde it euen so the Lorde purposing in free mercie to bestowe on vs an immortall weight of glory will not depriue vs of it though many filthy blemishes haue poluted and weakened or faith so that in any small measure we be able to take holde of his promises neither are we â—o loke on our faith which the Gospell hath called vs vnto because we neuer beleeue as we ought but rather on that which the Gospell offereth giueth that is on Gods mercy and peace in Christ in whose lappe if we can lay our heads with Saint Iohn then we are in felicitie securitie and perfect quietnes Contrariwise there be some who notwithstanding that a tormented conscience is a stinging Serpent that it were much better that all the creaturs rose vp against vs euery one bringnig their bane then once to come before the dreadful face of God are so blockish that they are wholy resolued into hardnes If they bee pricked with sicknes they crye alas if they be pinched with pouertie thy can complaine but as for the torment of minde they caÌ„not skil of it And eueÌ„ to talke of abrused coÌ„trite broken hart is a strange laÌ„guage For profe whereof our consciences are rocked aslepe so that not one amongest a thousand knoweth what it is to be pressed and harrowed with the rake of Gods iudgements But blessed are they that to their owne saluation feele this in their bodies whilest sinne may be both punished and purged For though God spare vs for a time yet we know what he keepeth for our end Wherefore it is the best for vs to runne to the Lord in this life with a troubled minde least we tarry till the Lord haue locked vs vp with the heauie fetters of desperation when he shall sommon vs to the barre of his iudgement in the sight of his Angels and impannelling the great inquest of his Saintes against vs shall denounce our fearefull and finall sentence of eternall condemnation for we see many that haue beene carelesse and haue made good cheare all their life long yea and when men haue laboured to make them feele the iudgements of God they haue turned all to mockery but whose iolytie the Lorde hath so abated when they drawe towardes death that in steade of resting and sporting whereunto they had bene giuen they haue felt the terrour of death hell and damnation and lapping vp their ioyes in finall desperation haue forced out cursinges against their filthie pleasures Wherefore if wee in the tempest of our temptations will saile a right course neither shrinking nor slipping into the gulfe of desperation neither battering our barke against the rocke of presumption Let vs in a contrite spiriâ—e cry vnto the Lorde Haue mercy vpon mee heale my soule for I haue sinned against thee forgiue all mine iniquities and heale all mine infirmities Thou healest those that are broken in hearte and byndest vp their soares why art thou cast downe my soule and why art thou disquieted within mee waite on God for I will yet giue him thanks he is my present helpe my God Yet my soule keepe thou silence before God of him commeth my saluation he is my strength therefore I shall not much be moued his mightines is enough to giue me courage yea and shalbe euen when I am forlorne I knowe that the diminishing of my body goods friendes or any other thing is a calling of me to that which neuer shall diminish nor decay I beleeue that my Lord and my God allureth me daly thither that I might not doubt that when my body is laide in the graue and there consumed as it were to nothing yet notwithstanding my soule resting in the bosome of the Lord shall returne vnto me and shall rise to glory euen as it resting in this life in the mercies of Christ did rise to grace verely I see that with ioy that my flesh must go to decay for looke what freshnes soeuer was in it it diminished day by day And I neede not goe farre to seeke for death for I feele not so smale an infirmitie in my bodie but the same is vnto me a messenger of dissolution Yet for all this I shall see my God and when I am couered in the belly of the graue with mouldes I am assured that he will reach me his hande to lift me vp againe to the beautie of his inheritance so that this smale cottage and shed of leaues being brought to the graue shall be caried into an incorruptible tabernacle Thus communing with our owne harts and being still in the peace of a good conscience concerning our outward sufferings we shall finde that the Lord by his fatherly and louing chastismeÌ„ts intendeth nothing more then to proue our obedience as good reason it is that he should and to confirme our faith as also is most necessarie Howbeit still as I saide he vseth a fatherly correction that is in mercy measure and iudgement For as he striketh vs downe in anger for our sinnes with the one hande so he raiseth vs vp againe in loue for our saluation with the other hand For albeit his corrections be wearisome woundes to flesh and bloude yet are they soueraine medicines to the soule and conscience especially when the Lorde giueth vs that priuiuiledge of his children that by his holy spirite he doth ouermaister vs least that finally we should be his Iudge and he not ours And for this cause the Lord is often times prouoked to put on as it were a contrary face to locke vs vp in a prison of aduersitie to restraine vs from the libertie of our sinnes which Sathan faine would make vs violently to rush into And surely though the wisdome of the flesh perswadeth vs that nothing is better then to be spared and not to be espied when the Lord calleth vs to reckoning yet the spirit shewing our desperate estate without the syre of affliction and boulter of aduersitie teacheth vs that we cannot of all the blessings of God sufficiently esteeme this being the mother of humilitie and nource of true repentance Againe the Lorde fitteth vs often by inward temptations and outwarde crosses to flitte vs from the stake of securitie and vntowardnes to good workes least in time we should loose the experience of our knowledge and faith in
greater fire will breede Here siluer streames shall quench thy boyling heat And hony dewes thy hungrie stomacke fill Heere sweete Repose with Comfort shall intreate Thy wounded breast to cure with busy skill Hence fetch thy ransome howsoeuer great A mine of treasures are in this faire hill From whose hye top thy scaled eies may see A glorious light that shall enlighten thee The streames are bloud the dew is bread froÌ„ heaueÌ„ The Rest and Comfort are coelestiall ioyes The ransome from the crosse was freely giuen The light is faith which darknes all destroyes THrise happy man that guides his steps so euen As his pure light no gloomy darke annoyes His ransom'd soule aeternall ioyes shall win When timelye death shall blessed life begin H. C. A MOST SVVEET Comfort for an afflicted Conscience It is thus written Prouerbâ— 18.14 The Spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie But a wounded Spirite who can beare it THis Scripture is not onely worthy to be grauen in steele with the penne of an Adamant and to bee written in letters of golde but also to be laide vp registred by the finger of God his spirit in the tables of our hearts Which sentence briefly speaketh thus much vnto vs that what trouble befalleth a man his minde being vnappalled hee will indifferentlie beare it out but if the spirit of a man be once troubled and dismaâ—ed hee cannot tell how to be deliuered And no maruell for if the minde of man be the fountaine of consolation which ministreth comfort vnto him in all other troubles if that become comfortlesse what shall comfort it If it be voyde of helpe when shall it bee helped If the eye which is the light of the bodie be darkenesse how great is that darkenesse If the salt which â—auoreth all thinges be vnsauorie for what is it good If the minde which sustaineth all troubles be troubled how intollerable is that trouble To shew this the better I wil first declare howe greate a punishment of God this wounde of conscience is Secondly I will teach how this trouble of minde may be preuented and auoyded Lastly I will set downe how Gods children faling in some measure into this affliction of â—pirite may bee recouered out of it For the first the grieuousnesse of this malladie is seene eyther by some due consideration of the persons that haue felt it or by some wise comparison made betweene this griefe of minde and other outward griefes incident vnto a man The persons in whome we may consider this wounde of spirit are eyther meerely naturall men or such as bee renued by the spirit of God The men meerely naturall are either the Heathen such as neuer knew God in Christ or carnall professors such as haue not professed Christianitie aright If wee looke among the Hearhen how many of them haue willingly gone vnder pouertie and haue beene content to vnburden themselues of all worldly treasures How haue some of them whilest their mindes were vnappalled suffered imprisonment exile and extreame tortures of bodie rather than they would betray their Countries Howe many of them haue deuoured many iniuries and borne outwarde troubles with some ease and with no resistance whilest their mindes were at libertie And yet looke not into the meanest but the best and most excellent men among them euen their wise Philosophers sweete Orators and exquisite Poets who in bearing and forbearing thought the chiefest pointe of vertue to consist and yee shall see when once some great distresse of minde did wounde them some would make an ende of it by preparing a Cup of deadly poyson some would violentlye and voluntarily runne on the enemies pikes some woulde throwe downe themselues from hie Mountaines some woulde not sticke to stabbe most monstrously their owne bodies with Daggers or such like instruments of death all which men would seeme to haue great courage in sustaining many harmes so long as their mindes were not ouermastred But when their diuine and supreame Essence which they accknowledged to be God did by his power crosse ouerturne their witty deuises and headstrong attempts so as without hope of remedie they were hampered in pensiuenes and sorrow of minde then not being able to turne themselues vnder so heauie a burthen they shrunke downe and by violent death would ridde themselues of that disquietnes impatience of their troubled minds But let vs come neerer and whether wee behold the Papists or the familie of loue or the common sort of Christians wee shall see they will passe quietly through many afflictions whether for that they haue a spirite of slumbering and numbnes cast vppon them or whether because they haue brawned themselues through some sencelesse blockishnes as men hewen out of hard Oaks or grauen out of marble stones I know not But yet when the lord shal let loose the corde of their consciences and shall set before their faces their sinnes committed see what fearefull endes they haue whilest some of them by hanging themselues some by casting themselues into the water some by cutting their own throats haue rid themselues out of these intollerable griefes Now wherein is the difference that some die so sencelesly and some dispatch themselues so violently Surely the one feeling no sinne depart like brutish swine the other surcharged with sinne die like barking Dogs But let vs come to the children of God who haue in some degree felt this wounde of minde and it will appeare both in the members and in the heade of all burthens to bee a thing most intollerable to sustaine a wounded conscience And to beginne with let vs set in the first ranke Iob that man of God commended vnto vs by the holy Ghost for a myrrour of patience who although for his riches hee was the welthiest man in the land of Huz for his authoritie might haue made afraid a great multitude and for his substance was the greatest of all the men in the East Yet when the Shabeans came violently and tooke away his cattell when the fier of God falling from heauen burnt vp his sheepe and his seruants when the Caldeans had taken away his Camels when a greate winde smote downe his house vppon his children although indeede hee rent his garmentes which was not so much for impatience as to shewe that he was not senceles in these euils Yet it is saide that hee worshipping blessed the name of the Lorde saying Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thither The Lorde giueth and the Lorde taketh away blessed be the name of the Lorde But beholde when at the strange conference of his comfortlesse friendes his minde beganne to be agast which was not so in all his former tryall when his conscience began to be troubled when he sawe the Lord fasten in him sharpe arrowes and to set him vp as a Butte to shoote at when hee thought God caused him to possesse the sinnes of his youth this glorious patterne of patience coulde not beare his
owne condemnation yet because they labored not to se their guiltinesse acquited by the remission of sinne in Christ they plunged themselues into a bottomlesse sea of sorrowes Others hauing passed these degrees hitherto made these steps to auoyd the wounde of Conscience haue come also too short and missed of the marke when because besides the sence of sinnes pardoned by the death of Christ they felt not also the vertue of his passion crucifying sinne in them but saw that with the remission of sinne was not ioined the mortification of sin they feared that there was no forgiunesse for them but still languishing with sorrow they thought themselues to stand charged with their former guiltines Yea and which is more for that such men haue not truely beene instructed nor surely haue beene grounded in the doctrine of Christes death and resurrection that is for that they sawe not as well power flowing from his death to slay sinne in them as vertue to pardon sinne in them for that they felt not as well strength to Sanctification streaming from the rising againe of Christ as they were perswaded of iustification and righteousnes therein They haue lyne still bleeding at the heart in such sort as the wound of griefe coulde hardly or neuer bee staide and staunched Wherefore let vs strengthen our weake soules with this sixe-fold coarde of consolation against these bitter assaultes Let vs first labour to know sinne then to sorrow for sinne after to feele our sinnes in Christ forgiuen further to looke for power to crucifie the same then to lay holde on iustification by his resurrection and lastly hope for strength to proceede from thence to further vs in sanctification and holinesse of life euen vnto the ende And thus much briefly for the second thing which we matched in company with the examination of sinne euen the triall of faith both which rightly vsed shall in some measure sauegard vs from the trouble of an afflicted minde Now let vs hasten to the third parte of our deuision to shew howe Gods children beeing fallen into this wounde of spirite may be helped out of it which God willing wee will also performe after we haue answered a necessarie obiection which in the former part might seeme to encounter against vs. There is no man but will grant that Dauid Iob and others of the Saintes of God had a sight of their sins a sorrow for their sinnes and a taste of the remission of their sinnes how then commeth it to passe that these men were so troubled in minde To this I answere that their trouble so befell them either for failing in some of these former things or els they were rather afflicted for triall of their faith than for punishing of sinne in them And therefore be it alwaies prouided that wee thinke not euery conflict of Conscience continuallye and chiefely to bee for the pursuing of our sinnes but sometimes and principally that it commeth for the triall of our faith and yet secondarily or lesse principally for the scourging of sinne as we may see in Iob. Whereuppon let all men be admonished when they see good men thus humbled throwne downe in minde to lay their handes on their mouthes from saying Surely these men are but hypocrites doubtlesse these men be great sinners the Lord hath founde out their hypocrisie For good reason there is that such silence should be vsed for that the Lorde may as well make trial of their faith as take punishment on their sins For if such affliction should alwaies and chiefely be sent for sinne then it should follow that all others as they exceeded them in sinne should also exceede them in the punishment of sinne But now comming to the saluing of this soare I shall seeme very strange in my cure and so much the more bee wondered at by how much in manner of proceeding I differ from the most sort of men herein I am to vs and vncertaine To them which are troubled with such blinde griefes whereof they can see no reason as often it happeneth to Gods Children in secret prouidence vvho either neuer knew God or else had but a generall knowledge of him I answere that as I denie not Phisicke to be ministered if it in part proceede from a naturall cause so I require the word especially to shewe the principall and originall cause to beginne in the soule And this I doe the rather because I would haue wisdome both in considering the state of the bodie if neede so require and in looking chiefely to the â—oule which so fewe thinke of If a man troubled in Conscience come to a Minister it may be he will looke all to the soule and nothing to the bodie if hee come to a Phisition hee onely considereth of the bodie and neglecteth the soule For my part I would neuer haue the Phisitions counsell seuered nor the Ministers laboure neglected because the soule and bodie dwelling together it is conuenient that as the soule should be cured by the word by prayer by fasting by threatening or by comforting so the bodie also shoulde bee brought into some temperature by Physicke by purging by dyet by restoring by musicke and by such like meanes prouiding alwaies that it bee done so in the feare of God and wisdome of his spirite as we thinke not by these ordinarie meanes to smoother or smoke out our troubles but as purposing to vse them as preparatiues wherby both our soules and bodies may be made more capable of the spirituall meanes to follow after As we require these thinges to bee the matter of our Ministerie in such a perplexitie so we woulde wishe the persons ministring to be men learned and of sounde iudgement wise and of Godly experience meeke and of most louing spirites For when the troubled patient shall be well perswaded of our knowledge and discretion there with all shall perceiue vs to come in tender and louing affection I thinke an enterance is made and all preiudice is taken avvay so as wee may the more freely worke vppon the Conscience first bringing them to the sight of sinne as to some cause of their trouble Heerein wee must labour to put awaye all confusion and blindenesse of sorrrowe endeuoring by wisdome to bring the parties wounded to some certaine obiect matter of their trouble and so draw out of them the confession of some seuerall especiall and secret sinne I say seuerall secret sinne because I know how many through a palpable blindnes or disordered discerning of sinne talke nothing so much as of sinne and yet they eyther can not discry seuerall sinnes or they will not be brought to acknowledge their secrete sinnes wherof the one proceedeth of the ignorance of the Lawe of God and the other of selfe loue which maketh vs loath euen in our trauell of minde to shame our selues Now that the confession of particular sins is requisite it may appeare by the two and thirtieth Psalme wherein beeing a Psalme of
desparing vnder the crosse then when Sathan perswadeth vs that neuer any were handled so roughlye or els woulde beare vs in hande that although GOD afflicted the faithfull that haue beene before vs yet they were not so weake as wee But let vs remember that GOD hath so pinched his seruantes euen them whome hee loued and whose welfare was deare and precious in his fight and hath often brought them to such extremities as they were not able to looke vp any more not wist how to speake nor how to houlde their peace Wherefore least our infirmities shoulde ouermaister vs and when temptations are fierce vppon vs wee knowe not where to become Let vs call too minde the Saintes of God who were constrained with sighes and grones to stoup vnder the hande of GOD whose martyrs and tormented children ought to bee our looking glasses to the ende that by them wee may learne that according as GOD dealeth forth the giftes of the Spirite thereafter doth hee sende greater afflictions both to make theÌ„ the more estemed and also to cast vp a more plentifull fruite of their faith How did God deale with Abraham not a common man but rather an Angell the tenth part of whose sufferings would make a stout heart to quaile How was Dauid the seruant of God exercised in Gods schole who felt all Gods darâ—s and had all his arrowes shot at him Thus it is requisite that Gods graces shoulde not bâ— idle in his children but set on worke by afflictions whereby they may be knowne in due time and place How did God play the Lion wiâ—h Ezechias who as with pawes teeth brused and crushed his bones not that wee may accuse God of crueâ—tie but that wee may see with what anguish the Lorde doth some times exercise his children and with what patience he doth arme them who notwithstanding his vehement trialles doe stay them selues vpon God accusing themselues Mat. 7.9 I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him and exâ—using the Lord with all humblenes with Dauid Psal. 114 I know O Lord that thy Iudgements are right and that thou hast afflicted me iustly c. It is much auaileable to mortification and Christian patience also to occupie our heartes in the house of mourning euen in our greatest banquetting and to betake our selues vnto some serious meditation of aduersiâ—ie when present pleasures would most deuâ—rce vs from the remeÌ„brance thereof So though wee haue much in possession wee shall haue little in affection when God doth most aduance vs we shall feare our wantes of humilitie and â—hen espâ—cially be ransacking our infirmities when the Lord for ouâ— triall enricheth vs most with his benefits For if the Lord God by multiplying his mercies increaseth our account we are often to suspect to call to iudgement and to arraine our selues for the vsing of Gods creatures who often giueth that in iudgement which he might deny vs in mercy and often wayneth vs from some things in his loue which hee might giue vnto vs in his anger FINIS Sweete and sure signes of Election to them especially that are brought lowe A clearing of iudgement conceiuing of the truth and true meaning of the Scripture making for vs or against vs. A rebuking of sinne inwardlie a pouertie of spirite from thence and a mourning therfore A being cast dowe in our owne conceite a meeknes to beare our punishment therby wrought An hungring after the righteousnes which is in Christ and a prising and esteeming it aboue all eartly things A musing vpon and a desire to thinke and speake of heauenly thinges A conflict of the flesh and spirite and therin by practise the poweâ— of the spirite gettinge the vpper hand A fowing to the spirit by the vse of the means as of the word prayer c. A purpose vnfained vpon strength receiued of vowing ones selfe wholly to the glorie of God and good of our brethren A resignation of our selues into Gods hands An expecting of the daily increase of our soules health and our bodies resurrection The forgiuing of our enemies An acknowledging of our offences with a purpose truely to leaue them A delight in Gods Saints A desire that after death the Church of GOD may flourish and haue all peace A spirite without guile that is an vnfained purpose alwaies to doe well howsoeuer our infirmities put vs by it FINIS A letter from M. Richard Greeneham to a friend of his M. M. against hardnes of heart I Beseech God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ giue mee his holy spirit in writing to giue aduice and you in reading to receiue it Amen Since the time I receiued M. S. his letter wherein hee declared his carefull compassion ouer your estate I haue beene not a litle grieued because partly for want of a conuenient messenger partly because of my manifould distractions with the like occurrances other waighty affairs I haue beene hindred hitherto from wrighting vnto you And albeit euen still I am in the same case yet conscience towards God compassion loue towards you forceth mee to ouercome lets which hardly I could otherwise preuaile against And albeit I cannot write as I would yet of that which I shall write proceeding froÌ„ the forenamed groundes I looke for some blessing from God through Iesus Christ if you will not too much faint in faith and yeeld to the aduersarie yea if you will but hope so well of your selfe as in the feare of GOD I doe write it I hope of you First whereas it seemeth you are sometimes grieued becaus you tarried not still at Cambridge according to mine aduise you must knowe I aduised it not as a thing necessary but more conuenient as I theÌ„ supposed but I aduised you to obey your father if his pleasure still continued to haue you home whereunto you yeelding I cannot see â—owe you offended it beeing your Fathers pleasure you shoulde so doe And who knoweth whether beeing there you might not haue beene as much troubled there beeing no priuiledge for persons and places in such cases And who knoweth whether it be the Lordes pleasure for the exsample and instruction and I hope the consolation of others in the ende And albeit you will nowe thinke that heere you were nearer the moe and stronger meanes yet knowe you and bee persâ—aded that God can and doth in such cases worke by fewer and weaker according to his good pleasure Besides it is in our corrupt nature to make much of such meanes as we cannot haue and not so to esteeme those which God doth offer vs as we should I beseech you therefore in the name of Iesus Christ humbly to praise God for those meanes he offereth in mercy vnto you and to vse them in faith accordingly and so God shall blesse you by them And then by such conference as you may haue from hence by letters wherein if I may stand you in any steede rather for the