Sathan the Christian as he will not speake filthie language so he will not heare it As he will not murther with his hands so stops his eares from hearing of bloud Esa. 33. and as hee will not slander with his tongue so will hee not receiue in his eares a false report when another hath made it Psal. 15. For I pray you what difference is there betweene the willing reporter and receiuer of a false tale but that where the one carryeth Sathan in his tongue the other carryes Sathan in his eare The forger of falshood is the striker of Sathans coine the willing hearer is Sathans resetter and hee that after hearing reports it for a truth which he knowes not to be true is Sathans ventor this man turnes his eares into his eyes while as that which he hath heard hee giueth out for as vndoubted a truth as if he had seene it Therefore is it that as the mouth tastes the meat and lets none goe downe to the stomack vnlesse it be approued so the eare of the godly tastes words and lets none goe downe to the soule which is not from God And herein the Christian takes not so much heed to the speaker as to that which is spoken were the person neuer so honourable yea like an angell of God the heart that feares God receiues not his speech without examination so Mary discussed in her minde the words of the Angell and thought with herselfe What manner of salutation may this be And if otherwise for outward estate the person were neuer so contemptible yet if he speake the words of God he is reuerenced of the Christian for euen the feet of him that brings the glad tidings of peace are beautifull to him No man despiseth good corne because he finds it in a contemptible sack nor reiects precious pearles because they are in earthen vessels far lesse will the Christian refuse the message of grace because it is brought by a base messenger As the eare was the first port by which the Seducer entring in brought death to the soule so is it the first by which our Sauiour enters and restoreth life vnto it Hearing must goe before seeing wee must sit downe and reuerently heare the Lord on earth that wee may ascend and ioyfully see the Lord in heauen then shall wee sing that song As we haue heard so haue we seene in the citie of our God but if wee will not heare the Lord speaking in his word on earth we shall neuer see the Lord shewing his ioyfull face in heauen The Lord Iesus accounts our voyce sweet to him delights to heare it My Doue let me heare thy voyce for it is sweet Cant. 2. 14. And shall not we esteeme his voyce sweet vnto vs and delight to heare it Certainely if wee delight not in his word whereby hee speakes to vs hee shall take no pleasure in our prayers whereby wee speake vnto him For hee that turnes away his eare from hearing of the Law his Prayer shall be abhominable Yet it is not inough to heare Our Sauiour also warnes vs to take heede how wee heare Some heare malitiously such as come to trap the Preacher as the Pharisees often heard Christ that they might snare him This now is a common sinne that men resorts to preaching as if they come to amend the Preacher and not to amend themselues Others heare for curiositie seeking rather tidings of occurrents among men then the glad tidings of peace sent from God these are like vnto Herod who hauing our Sauiour Christ present before him sought a miracle to feede his curiositie but sought not grace whereby hee might be saued Some againe are not so euill disposed as any of the former two yet they heare vnpofitably for the present they are somwhat moued but carry nothing away whereby they may be mended these goe out of the Church as the vncleane beasts went out of the Arke that is they go out vncleane as they came in vncleane The Apostle compares them to vessels that runne out or to the sieue â—…ribrum which as long as it is in the water is full but if you take it vp no water remaines in it something they haue while they heare but so soone as they goe out it goes from them the remedie of this euill were to lay vp the word in our heart as Mary did The last sort of euill hearers are they who heare the word remember it and can report much of it to others but not as of a thing that concerneth their life and therefore while they speake of it to others they forget to doe it God hath placed in the body the eare the tongue and the hand not far asunder to teach vs that what wee heare with our eare and professe with our mouth we should practise with our hand The Censure And of this also it is euident that all are not Christians indeed who now vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER III. Of his Eyes The Lords Command THe eyes of a foole are in the corners of the world Prou. 17. 24. but the wise mans eyes are in his head Eccles. 2. 14. Cast not thine eyes vpon that which is nothing Pro. 23. 5. For all that is in the world as the lust of the slesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father but of the world Ioh. 2. 16. As the graue and destruction can neuer be satisfied Pro. 27. 20. so the eyes of man are not satisfied with seeing Eccles. 1. 18. Let not therefore thine eyes and heart be for couetousnesse Ierem. 22. 17. neither full of adulterie Iude. 7. Haughtie eyes the Lord abhorreth Pro. 6. 17. and the high looke of the proud shall be humbled Esa. 2. 11. The eye that mocketh his father and despiseth the instruction of his mother let the Rauens of the valley pick it out and the young Eagles eate it Pro. 30. 17. Cast away therefore the abhomination of thine eyes Ezech. 20. 7. Let not my word depart from thine eyes but obserue wisedome and counsell Prou. 3. 21. that thine eyes may behold the right and thine eye-lids direct thy way before thee Prou. 4. 25. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command BE mercifull to mee O Lord and blesse mee cause thy face to shine vpon mee that I may know thy way vpon earth Let mee not be like the wicked who haue not the feare of God before their eyes But as thou hast made both the eares to heare and the eyes to see so I pray thee good Lord to teach me thy feare Turne away mine eyes from regarding vanitie and let not mine heart walk after mine eye except when I looke to my Maister and when mine eyes are toward the holy One of Israel that so I may be deliuered from euery euill worke and preserued to
ANATOMIE OF A CHRISTIAN Man VVHEREIN IS PLAINEâ—… shewed out of the Word of GOD what manner of man a true Christian is in all his conuersation both inward and outward FVLL OF HEAVENLY INSTRUctions by practise whereof we may be 〈◊〉 in the life to come our Creator in his glorâ—… and our Redeemer at his right hand By M. WILLIAM COVVPER Minister of Gods Word 2 Cor. 519. If any man be in Christ Iesus let him becomâ—… 〈◊〉 creature LONDON Printed by T. S. for Iohn Bâ—…dge and are 〈◊〉 at the great south doâ—… of 〈◊〉 Briâ—…aynes 〈◊〉 TO THE MOST SACRED CHRISTIAN TRVLY CATHOLIQVE AND mighty Prince IAMES King of great Britayne France and Ireland defender c. AMong many most excellent graces wherwith your Princely Minde is beautified your Highnesses euer constant and vndiuertable affection toward all your loyall seruants is not one of the least Principis est virtus maxima nosce suos This emboldeneth mee to offer to your Highnesse patronage this little Treatise which first I dedicated to your Highnesse honorable seruant of good memory the Earle of Dunbar and presented to himselfe in writing while hee was here in this Country but before it could be finished by the Printer he was taken away by bitter and vntimely Death For so after that memorable saying of Plinius secundus iustly may I tell it Mihi acerba semper immatura videtur esse mors illorum qui immortale aliquid parant Nam qui voluptatibus dediti quasi in diem viuunt viuendi causas quotidiè finiunt qui vero posteros cogitant memoriam suâ—… operis ostendunt his nulla mors non immatura est vt quae semper inchoatum aliquid abrumpat But of this what I might speake I doubt not vvith your Highnesse approbation and of such your Maiesties subiects as loue truth and peace I dare not Nam vulneramentis Intempestiuè qui mouet illa nouat Yet when all is reckoned to the vttermost our account in the end is that we can lose nothing by the death of any so long as we enioy the benefite of your Highnesse life which I pray God may be long and happy exceeding all our dayes who from our young yeares hath felt the sweetnesse of your Maiesties most wise and peaceable regiment For what he was eyther for grauity in conuersation or wisedome in gouernment he was it by your Highnesse instruction as a Disciple trayned vp by your selfe who out of the treasure of your Princely minde can imprint the like stampe of good things in others which you did in him if so be which I must craue pardon to speake your Highnesse fore-gather with such another obiect as hee was whereupon to worke For as the Sunne in the firmament suppose he shine alike vpon many Palaces at one time yet doth most illuminate those which haue most ample windowes to receiue his light so that if any of them be not sufficiently lightsome the fault is not in the Sunne but in themselues for hee is alike good vnto them all if they were alike capable of his goodnesse so is it with a King in the middest of his Nobles Counsailours and speciall seruants But least I goe beyond my line profering to stretch mine arme higher then my stature may carie it I returne to my humble supplication that seeing he who now translated to the Court of heauen leades there a happy and blessed life hath no other meane on earth whereby to liue among men but by his good name Your Maiestie who gaue him a wealthy and honourable life for his vertue while he was in the body will continue to keepe life to his name when himselfe is gone For thus euen in the estimation of Ethniques who had but Natures light is alterum patrimonium which in this earth is the iust reward of a vertuous life Et memorem famam qui benè gessit habet And for this cause that your Highnesse vvill grant your fauourable countenance to this little Treatise which in token of my loue toward him for his vnfained affection toward your Highnesse seruice I did first put forth vnder his name and now humbly craues to be shadowed vnder your Highnesse protection Your Highnesse most humble Seruant and daily Orator Mr. William Cowper Minister at Perth Prouerbs 10. 7. The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rott TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE GEORGE EARLE OF DOVNBAR LORD HOWME OF BARWICKE LORD NORHAM ONE OF THE LORDS Lieutenants of the middle Shieres of great Britayne Captaine and Gouernour of his Maiesties Towne and Garison of Barwicke Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter Lord high Treasurer of Scotland and one of the Lords of his Maiesties most Honorable priuie Counsell in both Kingdomes RIght Noble Lord that which in this Treatise contayning the Anatomie of a true Christian I haue publiquely proposed for the vse of many I haue now particularly for many reasons dedicated to your Honour but in speciall because that which here is pointed out of the Christian is in your Lordship performed in a good measure hauing by the grace of God learned so to gouerne your life that hitherto in a most high and difficill calling ye haue liued si non sine peccato if not without siâ—…ne for that is not giuen to any man vpon earth if we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues saltem sine crimine at least without such offence of malitious wickednesse as might make your Lordship culpable before men For your life toward God hath beene religious as the priuate exercises of godlinesse customable to your Lordship by your selfe and with your familie and the publique reuerence of the word and obseruance of the Saboth in euerie place doth testifie Toward his Maiestie faithfull from a most inward affection from whom yee haue learned to rule others by learning to obey him Optime enim imperandi rationem tenent quieam bene parendo didicerunt In your selfe a rare example of humilitie in honour of grauitie temperance and sobrietie in the middest of wealth and that in all the parts of your Lordships behauiour Which is not a small thing if it be considered that as men of honour when they doe euill plus exemplo peccant quam culpa are more hurtfull by their euill example then by their euill deede so if they liue godly they doe not so much good to themselues by well doing as to others by their good example Toward euill men a iustitiar not flexible from equity for feare or fauour Toward good men courteous Toward all men conscientious that in no part of the land is there any found to murmure or charge your Lordship with vnrighteousnesse vnlesse it be such who in their blindnesse thinke the seruite of God according to his word a seruitude and bondage not knowing quod sic seruire Deo est regnare And esteemes the law of a lawfull King a tyrannie who because they would doe all
of the new man arising to succeed in his roome to the possession of soule and bodie which before we possessed by him And thirdly because in the godly this corruption waxeth weake and infirme wearing daily neerer and neerer to death after the manner of old men But it is to be marked that in these two last respects sinfull corruption of nature is named the old man in men regenerate onely and in no other for in men vnregenerate their corruption shall for euer possesse them it increases vpon them and is yong strong and liuely euen when they themselues are weake and wearing to the graue Now aâ—… no birth can be without sorrow nor death without dolour nor circumcision or cutting of the flesh without paine so cannot our regeneration be wrought without godly sorrow and anguish of spirit which I marke for the comfort of the godly that they may know that sanctified troubles of conscience are but the dolours of the new birth and therefore should not be discouraged with them The infant that hath lien but nine moneths in the mothers wombe cannot throng out into the world without paine and thinkest thou to be lighter of sinne wherein thou wast conceiued and borne and which also hath beene so many yeares nourished in thy bowels without paine As Pharaoh grieued Israel forest when they stroue fastest to libertie and as that dumb spirit tormented that yong man worst when he saw he was to be cast out of him Mark 9. 25. So Sathan troubles the godly most heauily when hee sees the time of their deliuerance from his seruitude and bondage neerest But our comfort is that God is faithfull as he begins the worke so will he finish and end it Strong is Sathan indeed but Christ our Lord is that stronger one Pharaoh may repine but hee shall perish and the Israelites of God shall goe through that vncleane spirit in our parting from him may rend vs and cast vs as dead men to the ground but out shall he goe and Christ by his hand shall raise vs vp againe The other part of the Regeneration of the Soule is called as I said the viuification of the new man and the first resurrection where in our heauenly father communicates to vs his owne seed 1. Pet. 1. his nature 2. Pet. 1. 4. and his image 2. Cor. 3. 18. For since earthly fathers beget creatures like vnto themselues shall wee thinke that the heauenly father begets children to another similitude not his owne Surely they doe greatly dishonour the Lord who in their words say they are the sonnes of God and yet in their actions resemble the image of Sathan The Regeneration againe of the body consists also in two first in a right vsing of the members of our body as weapons of righteousnesse to serue God which we are taught to doe by grace Next in a full deliuerance of them from mortalitie and corruption Of this it is cleare that the Regeneration of the whole man will not be perfected till the day of resurrection called for that cause by our Sauiour the Regeneration Matth. 19. 28. Now through grace the Soule liues a happy life in the body thogh not as yet fully clensed and separated froÌ„ sin Out of the body it liues a more happy life being freed from all sin but yet not contented for the soule was not made to liue by it self but in the body and therefore cannot rest contented so long as it wants his owne organe and companion but when the body shall be raised againe and soule body revnited both of them fully deliuered from sinne and from the fruits of sinne then shall our generation which now is begun be perfected and absolued As for our parents in this generation wee haue God for our Father in Christ and Ierusalem which is from aboue to wit the Church of Christ the mother of vs all The Apostle to the Corinthians calles himselfe their Father Though ye haue ten thousand instructers yet haue ye not many fathers for in Christ Iesus I haue begotten you through the Gospel 1. Cor. 4. 15. And againe to the Galathians hee calles himselfe their mother My little children of whom I trauaile in birth againe till Christ be formed in you Gal. 4. 19. But Preachers are onely ministeriall parents yeâ—… for this same should they be honoured of people as their fathers and should againe carrie toward their people no lesse affection then fathers haue to their children specially to procure their euerlasting saluation But here both the naturall mother is to bee discerned from the stepmother and the bastard children from the lawfull for the chast spouse of Christ will receiue no seed into her bosom but the seed of her immortall husband which is the word of God and the lawfull mother of the sonnes of God will not giue them any other milke to feed vpon but the sincere and vnmingled milke of Gods word as Saint Peter calles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which shee offers to be sucked out of the pappes of the old and new Testament And therefore the Church of Rome which withdrawes these pappes from the mouthes of Gods children or giues them the milke of the word mingled with the Traditions of men pretend what shee will is but a strumpet and stepmother And as there is a stepmother so is there also bastard children they sit vpon the knee of Christs spouse but neuer sucked her pappes to draw life and grace out of her breasts such a one was Cham in the Arke such was Ismael in Abrahams house such was Esau brought vp with Iacob on the knee of Rebecca and alas such are many in our time who in regard of profession are in Gods Church pretending they are sons but are in very deed bastards no way in their life resembling the image of their heauenly father The Censure By these rules it is manifest that all are not Christians indeed who this day vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER II. Of his New Senses The Lords Command concerning them THou knowest not how by Nature thou art wretched and miserable blind poore and naked Reu. 3. 17. For the naturall man perceiues not those things which are of the Spirit of God 1. Cor. 2. 14. he sauours onely the things of the flesh Rom. 8. 5. his wisdome is death for it is enmitie with God verse 6. Hearken therefore vnto my words and keep them in the middest of thine heart Prou. 4. 21. Come and buy from mee eye-salue to annoynt thine eyes that thou maist see Reu. 3. 18. for I am he who maketh both the eye to see and the eare to heare Prou. 20. 12. I will bring forth the blind people and they shall haue eyes and the deafe and they shall heare Esa. 43. 8. He that walks in the darke knows not whither hee goes Ioh. 12. 35. But I am come a light into the world that whosoeuer
regard any that are wise in their owne conceit Iob. 37. 24. but pronounceth a woe against them Esay 5. 21. Let therefore the same minde be in you which was in Iesus Christ who being in the forme of God thought it no robberie to be equall with God but made himselfe of no reputation and was found in shape as a seruant Philip. 2. Deck yee also your selues in lowlinesse of minde 1. Pet. 5. 5. that yee may walke worthy of the calling wherevnto yee are called with all humblenesse of minde Ephe. 4. Furthermore thinke of those things which are of good report are which and true honest iust pure pertaining to loue Philip. 4. 8. Let there not be in your heart a wicked thought Deut. 15. 9. for many minde earthly things whose God is their belly and whose glory is their shame Philip. 3. 19. But vnto him who doth thinke on good things shall be mercy and truth Prou. 14. 22. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command O Lord I am a man void of Counsell neyther is there any vnderstanding in me I am not sufficient of my selfe so much as to thinke a good thought but my sufficiency is of thee for thou Lord dost giue wisedome and out of thy mouth comes knowledge and vnderstanding thou art he who puttest wisdome into the reynes and giuest vnderstanding to them who haue erred in spirit I therefore pray thee O Lord if I haue found fauour in thy sight shew me thy way that I may know thee thy hands haue made me and fashioned me Lord giue me vnderstanding that I may learne thy commandements lighten my darknesse that being filled with the knowledge of thy will I may walke in thy light studying alwayes to doe that which is good and pleasant in thy sight through Iesus Christ. Another O Lord who didst command light to shine out of darknesse make it I beseech thee to shine in mine heart to giue me the light of the knowledge of thee my God in the face of Iesus Christ take away good Lord the vaile wherewith my mind is couered that I may behold as in a mirrour thy glory with open face and may be changed into the same Image by thy spirit let me not be of the number of those Infidels whom the God of this world hath blinded that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ who is the Image of God should not shine vnto them but make me to abound more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement that I may discerne betweene good and euill and betweene things which differ one from another and may be kept pure and without offence till the day of Christ filled with the fruits of righteousnes which are by Iesus vnto the praise and glory of God Amen The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command ONce I was darknes but now I am light in the Lord Eph. 5. 8. I walked in darknesse and dwelt in the land of the shadow of death but now the light hath shined vpon me and I haue seene light Esay 9. 2. and God hath giuen me a minde to know him who is true 1. Iohn 5. 20. for his word is my wisdome and vnderstanding Deut. 4. 6. and his commandements haue made me wiser than mine enemies for they are euer with me yea I haue had more vnderstanding then all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation Psal. 119. 99. I will not any more lift vp my minde vnto vanitie but I will thinke vpon God in the night Psal. 63. 6. and I will meditate in the Law of the Lord continually Psal. 119. 97. and of the beauty of his glorious Maiestie and his wonderfull acts Psal. 145. 5. And I will alwaies giue thanks to him who hath made me meet to be partaker of the inheritance of his Saints in light who hath deliuered me from the power of darknesse and hath translated me into the kingdome of his deare Sonne to whom be praise and glory for euer Amen Col. 1. 13. THE OBSERVATIONS AS in the first creation God began at the light so in the second he begins at the illumination of the mind and the mind changed and renued by the Lord worketh a change also of the will and affections Naturally the minde of man is darke proud and prophane the ignorance that is in it being both a punishment of mans first sinne a sinne it selfe and the cause of all other sinne For man aspiring to an higher knowledge then God vouchsafed vpon him lost the knowledge wherewith God endued him by creation except some generall notices of good and euill which like sparkles of fire couered with the ashes of mans corrupt nature are left in him to make him inexcusable By his first creation he was made a companion of Angels but falling from that honour hee became a companion of beasts and hath so far degenerated from that which God made him that hee hath assumed the very properties of beasts wherefore also God giues vnto him the name of a beast Quidenim an non tibi videtur ipsis bestijs bestialior homo ratione vigens ratione non viuens And now seeing restitution is proclaimed in Christ how carefully should hee take heede to himselfe that hee despise not grace which is offered by his first fall hee fell from light to darknesse his second fall shall cast him into vtter darknesse the transgression of the couenant of workes made him a companion of beasts but the contempt of the couenant of grace shall make him a companion of damned Diuels And as this ignorance is a punishment of mans first sinne so is it also a sinne as is euident out of 2. Thes. 5. 1. The Lord shall appeare in staming fire to render vengeance vnto all them that know not God Thirdly it is a cause of other sinnes as we are taught by the Apostle Eph. 4. that the Gentiles wer strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them As Balaam went on blindlings in an euill course because he saw not the Angell standing with a naked sword against him so the wicked walke boldly in their sins because they know not the danger thereof A body destitute of eyes cannot discerne the day from the night a friend from a foe nor the pit from the plaine no more can a darkned minde discerne the manifold snares of Sathan but as our Sauiour saith where the blinde leads the blinde both of them must fall at length into the ditch so where a blinded minde is the directer of a corrupted will what can the end be but fearefull damnation and yet no better is mans miserable estate by Nature But this naturall ignorance is remoued in the regeneration and a holy light created in the minde of man which the Lord workes by degrees as hee opened the eyes of
therefore I will reioyce in the workes of thy hands O Lord Psal. 92. 4. THE OBSERVATIONS MAn by his fall lost not the naturall affections which GOD created in him but the rectitude and holinesse of his affections which now are moued in him no otherwise then members in a paraliticke body to wit out of order Neither doth the grace of Regeneration take away from man naturall affections but onely the peruerse inclination and disordered motion of them by restoring them againe to their originall rectitude and holinesse What the Nature of ioy is may better be felt then can be defined It is an affection of the soule whereby the soule vpon knowledge of some good eyther present or to come is inlarged as saith the Apostle or exalted as saith the Psalmist Ita vt animam prope exilire ad exterior a prorumpere dicas This ioy is eyther Naturall such as is the ioy of men vnregenerate or Spirituall such as is in the regenerate The Naturall man againe hath his ioy eyther in the gifts of God wickedly abused by himselfe or else in the baites of Sathan cunningly disguised for the Naturall man doth in such sort vse the gifts of God that hee neyther seeks nor finds comfort in God who gaue them and this is Idolatry to set vp in thy affection the creature before the Creator beside this he vseth not the creature after the will of him who gaue it but after the lust of his owne will and this also is sacriledge to abuse that to wicked and prophane ends which God created good and holy And hereof it comes to passe that vnto the wicked the good creatures become the meanes of their greater condemnation yea and oft-times also of their present confusion in this life The Lord most iustly suffering them to perish in the abuse of that creature wherein they reioyced more then in him and of this daily examples haue we before our eyes Thus Haman like a foole reioyced in his preferment specially that hee was bidden to the Banquet by Queene Esther not knowing that the same was the beginning of his fall thus Achitophel thinking by his wit to beare out an euill cause was snared thereby himselfe so Absalom carnally reioycing in his beautifull haire found it at length a rope to hang himselfe so the Philistims eating and drinking before Dagon and reioycing to make a play-foole of blind Sampson had their banquetting house by him made their buriall Yet the other obiect of their ioy is worse by which they ioy in the disguised baites of Sathan couered with a shew of deceitfull pleasures that endure but for a season but vnder it lurkes the hook that slaies them to death that endures for euer here is a most lamentable case to see men with a carnall ioy swallowing vp the pleasures of sinne which will be their perdition Lachrymarum causas tripudiantes peragunt ridentes mortis negotium exequâ—…ntur In this they are like Birds which lay downe their heads to take vp the cornes of Wheat cast to them by the Fowler but see not the snare which hee hath spread ouer to take them or like the Fish in the pleasant streame of Iordan taking pleasure in that same water which carryeth them that they know not of into the salt sea where incontinent they die As also this ioy arising of the pleasure of sinne is not vnproperly compared to the light of a candle which in burning consumeth that same which nourisheth it till at length both of them die together and the light end in darknesse and stinking smoake It is euen so with carnall ioy which consumeth by degrees those same things which nourish it as outward substance and strength of bodie and then being consumed it selfe endeth in fearefull anguish and perturbation But the ioy of the man regenerate hath these three properties first it is a great and solide ioy for he neuer layes it vpon any small thing God is the matter of his ioy secondly his ioy is internall whereas the heart of the wicked euen in laughing is sorrowfull the heart of the godly in mourning is ioyfull thirdly it is eternall and endures for euer where the ioy of the wicked is but like a point wherin there is no continuance The obiects of a Christians ioy are as I said first God and then those benefits which of his loue and mercie slow from him to vs in Christ Iesus these are either principal or secondary Principall benefits wherein the Christian reioyceth are Election Calling Iustification Sanctification deliuerance in tentations which breedes experience and experience begets and encreaseth a sure and liuely hope of our Glorification which maketh our ioy to abound Secondary benefits are also the matter of the Christians ioy according to that Deu. 26. 11 Not so much for the gifts themselues as for that they are giuen of God tokens of his fatherly loue and pledges of better things to come Where it is to be marked that in one and the selfe same externall gift where the Naturall man is onely delighted with the goodnesse of the thing it selfe the Spirituall man is much more refreshed with the sense of Gods loue from which the gift came then he is with the gift it selfe The Censure But the want of this disposition proues that all are not Christians indeed who vsurpe the Christian name CHAPTER X. Of his Griefe The Lords Command BLessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Math. 5. The sacrifices of God are a contrite Spirit a contrite and a broken heart the Lord despiseth not Psal. 51. 17. Set a marke on the fore-head of them that mourne and cry for all the abhominations that are committed in the Citie Ezech. 9. 4. It is better to goe to the house of mourning then to the house of banquetting because this is the end of all men and the liuing shall lay it to his heart Eccle. 7. 4. Mourne yee therefore with them that mourne for if one member suffer allought to suffer with it 1. Cor. 12. 26. But be not grieued with the Lords correction for he correcteth those whom he loueth Prou. 3. 11. But concerning them who are asleepe sorrow not as others doe which haue no Hope 1. Thes. 4 13. The Christians Prayer for Grace to obay this Command O Lord thou to whom heauen is for a throne and the earth for a foot-stoole and yet hast said in thy word that thou wilt looke vnto him that is of a poore and contrite spirit and trembleth at thy words create I beseech thee in me a cleane heart and renue a right spirit within mee fill my head with water and make mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I may weepe both night and day recounting my former sinnes in the bitternesse of my heart and so may now sow in teares that after this I
by God to the Christian. a Esay 62. 2. b Nomb. 6. 27. c 1 Chro. 17. 23. d Esay 56. 4. e Esay 29. 23. f Ephes. 4. 1. g Esay 56. 5. 1 The dignitie of a Christian far abouâ—… the dignitie of Adam appeareth in his new names 2 For Gods giues no vaine stiles but with the name he giues the matter answerable to it 3 A Christian is despised of worldlings and why 4 But he is honourable in Gods estimation 5 Many graces must concurre to make a Christian. 6 The Christian by his names is admonished of his duty With what care a Christian should keepe his heart a 1. Chron. 29. b Psal. 84. 5. c Ezech. 11. 19. d Hos. 10. 2. e Psal. 119. 80. f Nehem. 9. 8. g Psal. 86. 11. h Psal. 119. 80. a Heb. 13. 20. b Ephes. 2. 16. c 1. Thes. 5. 23. How the Christiâ—…n answeres the commandements of God 1 How in the Christian man there are two men 2 The Christian is holy both without and within 3 Carnall Christians compared to painted Sepulchers 4 They are not like Nathaniel but like Simon Magus Iohn 1. 47. Acts. 8. Three singular ornaments of the minde of the new Man 1 The first is light 2 The second is humblenesse 3 The third is holinesse a Deut. 32. b 2. Cor. 3. 5. c Prou. 26. d Iob. 38. 36. e Esay 29. 24. f Exod. 33. 13. g Psal. 119. h Psal. 18. 28. i Colos. 1. 9. k Esay 2. 5. l Heb. 13. a 2 Cor. 4. 6. b 2. Cor. 3. 13. c 2. Cor. 4. 4. d Phil. 1. 9. e 1. King 3. f Phil. 1. g Phil. 1. What a change is made in the minde by regeneration 1 In the new creation God begins at the light 2 The minde of man by nature is first darke secondly proud thirdly prophane 3 Some knowledge left in the minde of apostate man to make him inexcusable 4 Man by his first fall is become a companion of beasts Bern. in Cant. Serm. 53. 5 If now he fall by despising grace he shall goe to a worse estate 6 Ignorance is 1. A Stone 2. A Punishment of sinne 7 3. A Cause of sinne 8 A cause also of a most fearefull damnation Math. 15. 14. 9 Light created in the minde by degrees Math. 9. 29. 10 Euery knowledge doth not sanctifie 11 Gentiles and carnall Christians shut vp the light in the prison of their vnrighteousnesse 12 For either they seeke not the counsell of light or else they doe against it 13 Liuely knowledge workes humilitie and banisheth a three-fold pride 14 Blinde Pride 15 Foolish Pride 16 Vaine Pride 17 Pride both a dangerous and deceitfull euill Aug. de ciuit Dei lib. 14. c. 13. 18 Humilitie taught vs by the example of our Sauiour Philip. 2. 5. 19 No peace can be to a proud heart 20 No grace can lodge in a proud heart 2 Sam. 1. 21. 21 Examples of humiâ—…e in the godly 22 How the Seruants of God are great by humilitie 23 The greatnesse of Pride is but like a swelling August 63. 24 No obedience to God till pride be slaine 25 Liuely knowledge with humilitie doth worke holinesse If we renounce not our owne will we cannot be the seruants of God a 1. Chron. 29. b Phil. 2. 13. c Psal. 143. 10. d Psal. 27. e Rom. 1. f Psal. 119. 103. g Heb. 13. 21. The perfection of a Christian in this life is in a willing of good rather then doing of it 1 The onely question betweene God and man is whose wil should be done 2 Mans will by nature how far disordered 3 It is not subiect to God yet vsurpes dominion ouer his creatures 4 An intollerable rebellion to seeke seruice from Gods creatures and giue none to himselfe 5 The will of man would haue the wils of all men subiect vnto it 6 It riseth also into a plaine opposition to the Creator himselfe Bern. dâ—… râ—…sur Seâ—… 3. 7 For this cause God is an enemie to mans will for in all his plagues he 〈◊〉 of seth the will 8 Thus in resisting God man receiues the worst Bern. de considâ—… lib. 5. 9 For he willeth that which shall neuer be but be the contrary 10 Mans will iustly at variance with it selfe 11 A three-fold disorder of the will of man Aug. enchirid cap. 30. Ber. in Cant. Serm. 81. 12 In mans nature no free-will to good Aug. cont Pelag. lib. 2. c. 48. 53 Concil Arausi acanum can 7. an 445. Can. 13. 13 The naturall man hath a minde that cannot vnderstand a will that cannot be subiect to God till it be regenerate 14 Necessitie of sinne lying on the will excuseth it not and why Bern. in Cant. Serm. 81. 15 How the will is both bound free Ibid. 16 The will is renued in the regeneration 17 For the first lesson a Christian learnes is to renounce his owne will No fighting without faith a good conscience The power of conscience a 1. Thes. 3. 13. b 2. Tim. 1. 3. c Esay 38. 3. d Philip. 4. 7. Alas how far are wee from this perfection so to order our wayes that our heart reproue vs not 1 Conscience considered as concerning her Nature 2 It is a different facultie from the will and minde 3 Conscience considered as concerning her Office 4 The word of conscience imports that another with it is vpon our secrets 5 God and Conscience know our deeds together and will iudge them together 6 Conscience is Gods deputie and therefore not to be despised 1 Iohn 3. 20. 7 The sentence giuen by Conscience will be confirmed by God 8 The maiestie and authoritie of Conscience it stands against all the world 1 Corinth 4. 4. 9 If Conscience terrifie no creature can comfort Dan. 5. 10 The seat of conscience is not the body but the soule 11 After death of the body conscience liues 12 The three-fold office of Conscience 13 Conscience goes with vs whereuer we goe to beare record of all that wee doe 14 In euery action Conscience determines with vs or against vs. 15 In determining of our doings Conscience proceedes according to light 16 How the reasoning of conscience is very forcible 17 Difference to be put between Conscience and error of Conscience 18 The sentence of Conscience is neither perfect nor supreame 91 Therefore when it absolues it giues not perfect and permanent peace in this life 20 Yet in this life it begins the execution of the sentence giuen by it 21 Affections are novv louder then Conscience but it vvill not be long so 22 Good to agree vvith conscience in time Gen. 42. 21. 23 For what ends is Conscience placed in man 24 Conscience proues that God desireth not the death of a sinner 25 The vvicked who liue against Conscience vvill before conuicted 26 Vse of Conscience to the godly is 1. As a Paedagoge to lead them the right vvay 27 2. As a vvarner to tel them vvhen they goe vvrong 28 A feeling