stand to him that will stand for it When Nebuchadnezzar heares his Furnace seaven times hotter than at other times then a good conscience will speak comfort seven times sweeter than at other times Are Gods Saints for good conscience â—on Acts and Mon. Omnis nobis vilis est poena ubi pura comes est conscientia Tiburt apud Baren An. 168. sake in prison Good conscience will make their prisons delectable hort-yards So doth Algerius an Italian Martyr date a comfortable Epistle of his From the delectable hortyard of the Leonine prison a prison in Venice so called So that as he said that hee had rather be in prison with Cato than with Caesar in the Senate house so in this regard it was more comfortable to be with Philpot in the Cole-house than with Bonner in his Palace Bonners conscience made his Palace a Cole house and a Dungeon whilst Philpots made the Cole-house a Palace Are Gods Saints in the Stocks Better it is sayes Philpot to sit in the Stocks of the world then in the stocks of a damnable conscience Therefore though they be in the Stocks yet even then the righteous doth sing and rejoyce yea even in the Stocks and prison Paul and Silas sang in the Stocks Sing in the Stocks Nay Hinc est quod è contrario innocens etiam inter ipsa tormenta fruitur conscientiae securitate cum de poena metuat de innocentia gloriatur Hieron ad Demetti ad â—â— 1. more they can sing in the flames and in the middst of the fires Isay 24. 15. Glorifie God in the fires And worthy Hawks could clap his hands in the middst of the flames So great and so passing all understanding is the peace and comfort of a good conscience So that in some sense that may be said of it which is spoken of faith Heb. 11. 34. By it they quenched the violence of fire Gods servants were so rapt and ravisht with the sense of Gods love and their inward peace of conscience that they seem'd to have a kind of happy dedolencie and want of feeling of the smart of outward torments Who knowes what trialls God may bring him to Wee have no patent for our peace nor his free liberty in the profession of the Gospel Suppose we should be cald to the stake for Christs sake Would we be chearful would we sing in the flames Get a good conscience The cause of Christ is a good cause now with a good cause get a good conscience and wee shall be able with all chearfulnesse to lay downe our lives for Christ and his Gospel sake CHAP. XII The comfort and benefit of a good conscience in the dayes of Death and Iudgement IN the fourth place The time of death is a time wherein the benefit and comfort of a good conscience is exceeding great Death hath a ghastly looke and 4. The comfort of a good conscience at the day of Death terrible able to daunt the proudest and bravest spirit in the world but then hath it a ghastly looke indeed when it faces an evill conscience Indeed sometimes and most commonly conscience in many is secure at the time of death God in his justice so plaguing an affected security in life with an inflicted security at Death And the Lord seemes to say as once to the Prophet Go make their consciences asleepe at their death as they have made it asleepe all their life lest conscience should see and speake and they heare and be saved God deales with conscience as with the Prophet Ez. 3. 26. I will make thy tongue cleave to the roofe of thy mouth that thou shalt be dumbe therefore they die though not desparately as Saul and Achitophel yet sottishly without comfort and feeling of Gods love as Nabal But if conscience be awakened and have its eyes and mouth opened no heart can imagine the desparate and unsufferable distresses of such an heart Terrours take hold of him as waters Iob 27. 20. Terrours make him afrai on every side Iob 18. 11. Then is that true Iob 25. 23 24. Hee knowes that the day of darknesse is ready at hand Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid they shall prevaile against him as a King ready to the battell And no wonder for hee is now brought unto the King of Terrours as Death is called Iob 18. 14. A man that hath an ill conscience if his eyes be opened and his conscience awakened he sees death in all the terrible shapes that may bee Sometimes he sees death comming like a mercilesse Officer and a cruell Sergeant to arrest and to drag him by the throat to the prison and place of Torment Psal 55. 15. Let death seize upon them They see it comming like that cruell servant in the Parable to his fellow Math. 18. catching them by the very throat Sometimes he sees death in the shape of some greedy Lyon or some ravening Wolfe ready to devour him and to feed upon his carkasse Ps 49. 14. Death shall feed on them even as a ravenous beast shall feed upon his prey Imagine in what a terrible plight the Samaritans where in when the Lyons set upon them 2 Kin. 17. and by it imagine in what case an ill conscience is when it beholds the face of death It puts an ill conscience into that case in good earnest that David was in in the case of triall Ps 55. 4 5. My heart is sore pained within me and the terrors of death are fallen upon me fearfulnesse and trembling are come upon mee and horrour hath overwhelmed me Sometimes againe he sees death as the Israelites the fiery serpents with mortall stings Sometimes as a mercilesse landlord or the Sheriffe comming with a Writ of Firmae ejectione to throw him out of house and home and to turne him to the wide Common yea he sees death as Gods executioner and messenger of eternall death yea hee sees death with as much horrour as if hee saw the Devill In so many fearfull shapes appeares death to an evill conscience upon the death-bed So as it is indeed the King of terrors to such an one that hath the terrors of conscience within There is no one thought so terrible to such an one as the thought of death nothing that hee more wishes to avoid Oh how loath and unwilling is such an one to dye But come now to a man that hath lived as Paul did in all good conscience and how is it with him upon his death-bed His end is peace so full of joy and comfort so is hee ravished with the inward and unspeakable consolations of his conscience that it is no wonder at all that Balaam should wish to dye the death of the righteous the death of a man with a good conscience The day of a mens mariage is the day of the joy of a mans heart Can. 3. 11. and the day of mariage is not so joyfull a day as is the day of death to a good conscience There are but
few that can marry with that joy wherewith a good conscience dies It enables a man not onely to looke Ananias and the Councel in the face but even to look death it selfe in the face without those amazing terrours yea it makes the face of death seeme lovely and amiable Hee whose conscience is good and sees the face of God reconciled to him in Christ hee can say as Iacob did when he saw the face of Ioseph Gen. 46. 30. Now let me dye since I have seene thy face It is the priviledge of a good conscience alone to goe to the grave as Agag did to Samuel and to say that truly which he spake besides the booke 1 Sam. 15. 32. Hee came pleasantly and hee said Surely the bitternesse of death is past Hee was deceived and therefore had no such cause to be so pleasant but a good conscience can yea cannot chuse but be so pleasant even when going out of the world because the guilt of sinne being washed away in Christs blood it knowes that the bitternesse of death is past and the sweetnesse of life eternall is at hand A man whose debts are paid he dares goe out of doores dare meet and face the Sergeants and the conscience purged by the blood of Christ can look as undauntedly on the face of death He that hath forgotten the sting that is the guilt of conscience taken away by faith in Christ he lookes not upon death as the Israelites upon the fiery Serpents but lookes upon it as Paul doth 1 Cor. 15. O death where is thy sting Who feares a Bee an Hornet a Snake or a Serpent when they have lost their sting The guilt of sinne is the sting of conscience it s the sting of death that stings the conscience The sting of death is sinne 1 Cor. 15. Plucke then sin out of the conscience and at once the conscience is made good and death made weake and disarmed of his weapon And when the conscience sees death unstinged and disarmed it is freed of feare and even in the very act of death can joyfully triumph over death oh Death where is thy sting A good conscience lookes upon death as upon the Sheriffe that comes to give him possession of his Inheritance or as Lazarus upon the Angels that came to carry his soule into Abrahams bosome and therfore can welcome death and entertaine him joyfully And whereas an ill conscience makes a man see death as if he saw the Devill a good conscience makes a man see the face of death as Iacob saw Esau's face Gen. 33. I have seene thy face as the face of God they see the face of death with unspeakeable joy ravishment of heart and exultation of spirit Well now what a motive have wee here to make us labour for good conscience Even Balaam himselfe would faine make a good end and die in peace and who wishes not his death-bed may be a mount Nebo from whence he may see the heavenly Canaan Lo here Balaam the way to dye the death of the righteous I have lived in all good conscience untill this day They that have conscience in their life shal have comfort at their death they that live conscionably they shal dy comfortably they that live in all good conscience till their dying day shall depart in the abundance of comfort at their dying day There will come a day wherein wee must lay downe these Tabernacles the day of death will assuredly come How lamentable a thing will it then be to be so destitute and desolate of all comfort as to be driven to that extremity as to curse our birth day oh what would Comfort be worth at our last houre at our last gaspe whilst our dearest friends shall be weeping wringing their hands and lamenting then then what would inward comfort be worth Who would not hold the whole world an easie price for it then Well then would wee then have Comfort and Ioy oh then get a good conscience now which will yield comfort when all other comforts shall utterly faile and shall be life in the middst of death How happy is that man that when the sentence of death is passed upon him can say with Hezekiah Is 38. 3. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Indeed the text sayes that Hezekiah wept sore but yet not as fearing death for hee could not feare death who had thus feared God but because the promise was not yet made good to him in a Son and Heire of his kingdome hence came those teares It is otherwise an unspeakable joy that such a conscience as Hezekiahs was will speake to a man upon his death-bed Every one professes a desire to make a good end Here is the way to make good that desire to live in all good conscience Alas how pittifull and miserable a condition live most men in All the dayes of their life and health they have no regard of a good conscience Notwithstanding that men are pressed continually to this one care by the instancie and importutunitie of Gods Ministers yet how miserably is it neglected Well at last the day of death comes and then what would not they give for a comfortable end If the gold of Ophir would purchase comfort it should flie then Then poast for this Minister and run for the other as in the sweating sicknesse in King Edwards dayes then for Gods sake but one word of comfort then O blessed men of God one word of peace Now alas what would you have them to doe Are they or your own courses in fault that you want comfort at your death What would you have us doe Wee must referre you to your owne consciences we cannot make oyle of flint nor crush sweet wine out of sowre Grapes we dare not flatter you against your cōsciences If you would give us a world we cannot comfort you when your owne consciences witnesse against you that such comforts belong not to you Doe not idely in this case hope for comfort from Ministers be it knowne unto you you must have it from your owne consciences Many on their death-bed cry to the Minister as she did to the King 2 King 6. 26 27. Helpe my Lord O King But marke what hee answers If the Lord doe not helpe thee whence shall I helpe thee out of the barne floore or out of the Wine presse So must wee answer to such as cry Helpe helpe O man of God If God and your owne consciences helpe you not whence shall we help you If there had beene Corne within the barnes the King could easily have helped her but he could not make corne So if men have carryed any thing into their consciences if they themselves have inned any provision and comfort by being conscionable in their lives then we can helpe and comfort them but otherwise doe not thinke that we can make comforts and make
him So that he that hath a good conscience hath the onely Antidote the most excellent Amulet and plague-cake at his brest that is in the world to save him from the pestilence and infection of Popery Arminianisme Brownisme Anabaptisme c. So long as the Ship of conscience is whole so long the Iewell of faith is safe Paul would have a Bishop to hold fast the faithfull Word and to be sound in doctrin Tit. 1. 9. But yet marke it that he would first have him be a man of a good conscience in the two foregoing verses And 1 Tim. 3. 9. he would have the Deacons hold the mysterie of the faith in a pure conscience Contrarily nothing so endangers the losse of the faith and truth and soundnesse of doctrine as doth the losse of good conscience A corrupt conscience soone corrupts the judgement 1 Tim. 1. 19. Holding faith and a good conscience which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwracke If the ship of conscience cracke how soone will the merchandize of faith wrack If once the conscience crack the braine will soone prove crazie and an unsound conscience makes a fearefull way for an unsound and rotten judgement 2 Tim. 3. 8. They resist the truth there is their corrupt conscience what followes upon it Men of corrupt minds unsound in their judgement concerning the faith How frequent a thing is it in experience to see men when they lose good conscience together with it either to lose their gifts as the unprofitable servant his Masters talent or else to lose the truth and to fal into pestilent and dangerous errours So those Prophets that made not conscience in faithfull and holy execution of their office see what was the fruit of their evill conscience Micah 3. 5 6 7. Therefore night shall be unto you that ye shall not have a vision and it shall be darke unto you that ye shall not divine and the Sun shall goe downe over the Prophets and the day shall be darke over them c. Their darknesse in life shall be plagued with darknesse in judgement To which purpose that is notable Zach. 11. 17. Woe to the idoll shepheard that leaves the flocke There is an unconscionable shepheard a man that makes no conscience to attend his ministery What becomes of him The sword shall bee upon his right eye his best eye And his right eye shall not be pore-blind or dimmed but shall be utterly darkened The losse of good consciences brings upon men of knowledge and learning that reproach that Nahash the Ammonite would have brought upon all Israel 1 Sam. 11. 2. It thrusts out the right eyes Ill consciences not only make men look asquint but it blinds them and takes away their sight And what is the reason that Popery gets ground so fast and so many turne Papists so easily Surely it is no wonder how should it be otherwise when men either having lost all good conscience or making no conscience of their wayes but living loosely viciously and licentiously have thereby prepared a way for Antichrist and his Religion to enter withall successe No wonder that men turne Papists so fast when long since they have turned good conscience going For that which Bellarmine speakes is in the Cum ariae ventilari incipiunt non frumenta sed paleae vento abripiente separantur ab area Ita prorsus cum Ecclesia per Ethuicorum persecutiones vel Haereticorum deceptiones Deo permittente cribratur aut ventilatur à Satana non veri sancti garves sed improbi leves curiosi lascivi ab Ecclesia avolantes ad Ethnicos haereticosue transfugiunt nec feâ—o solet accidere ut ante circa fidem aliquis naufraget quam naufragere caeperit circa mores Bellarm. Orat prefix tom 4. generall certainly true though by him falsly and maliciously applyed That they be not holy and grave men but wicked light curious wanton ones that turne Ethnickes or Heretickes and that it seldome comes to passe that any man makes shipwracke concerning the saith that first makes not shipwracke concerning manners See the truth of it in many of our backsliders to Popery especially such as have beene zealous propugners of the truth Where began the first declension where the first flaw Had not their coÌ„sciences first brusht upon some rocke was not the first leake there and when they had first put away good conscience then there was a speedy banishing of truth and a ready entertainment of errour And for the common sort of their converts consider if many times they have not beene the very riffe-raffe of our Church swearers grosse profaners of the Sabbath vncleane and debauched drunkards such as our Church was sicke of and desired even to spue forth and then when they have become a prey to all vicious courses through want of conscience through Gods just judgement they have become a prey to Romish Locusts whose commission is only to hurt such and not those whom the sap of a good conscience keepes fresh and flourishing as the greene grasse and trees of the earth Apoc. 9. 4. For as Salomon speakes of the bodily harlot Eccle. 7. 26. so it is true of that spirituall Whore of Babylon Her heart is snares and nets her hands as bands her delusions strong who so pleases God and hath a care to keepe a good conscience shall escape from her but the sinner and he that makes no conscience of his wayes shall be taken by her Well let us thinke well upon this motive we live in dangerous and declining dayes wherein men with a greedinesse turne to their Romish vomit againe Besides the Factors of Antichrist are exceeding busie and pragmaticall to draw men from the faith of Christ and the Holy Ghost tels us they shall come with strong delusions Now then all you that be the Lords people save your selves from this dangerous generation all you that have or would be knowne to have the seale of God on your foreheads save your selves from the seduction of these Locusts I but how may that be done The delusion is strong and it may be we are weake Lo then here is a remedy against their danger Get and keep a good conscience live as Paul did in all good conscience thou shalt be safe from all their delusioÌ„s I have kept the faith sayes Paul oh let it bee the care of us that that may be our closing voice at our last day and if we would keep the faith let us keep a good conscience He that in his life time can say I keepe a good conscience he at his death shall be able to say I have kept the faith Faith and a good conscience are both in a bottome Hold one and hold both As therefore thou wouldest feare to turne Papist or any other Heretick so be sure to hold a good conscience to hold on a good honest and a conscionable man So long as thou standest upon that ground thou art impregnable and the gates of hel
III. A good Conscience what it is False ones discovered 19 CHAP. IV. Peace of Conscience how gotten 35 CHAP. V. Integrity of Conscience how procured 46 CHAP. VI. Two further meanes to procure Integrity of a good Conscience 57 CHAP. VII Two marks of a good Conscience 73 CHAP. VIII Three other Notes of a good Conscience 90 CHAP. IX The two last Notes of a good Conscience 103 CHAP. X. The comfort and benefit of a good Conscience in the case of disgrace and reproach 128 CHAP. XI The comfort and benefit of a good Conscience in the times of cōmon feares and calamities and in the times of sicknes other personall evils 147 CHAP. XII The comfort and benefit of a good conscience at the dayes of Death and Iudgement 165 CHAP. XIII A second Motive to a good conscience That it is a continuall feast 180 CHAP. XIV A third fourth Motive to a good cōscience 201 CHAP. XV The last Motive to a good conscience viz. The misery of an evill one 213 CHAP. XVI The portion and respect that a good conscience finds in the world 232 CHAP. XVII The impetuous injustice and malice of the adversaries of a good conscience 243 CHAP. XVIII The severity of Gods justice upon the enemies of good Conscience and the usuall equity of Gods administration in his execution of Iustice 253 FINIS THE MISCHIEFE And Miserie of Sandals Both Taken and Giuen By IER DYKE Minister of Epping in Essex Wherfore let him that thinks he stands take heed least he fall 1. Cor. 10. 12. Aug de verb. Dom. Serm. 53. Imo vtinam terruerim vtinam aliquid egerim Vtinam qui sic filerat vel quae sic fuerat non sit vlterius Vtinam verba ista infuderim non effuderim LONDON Printed by W. S. for R. Milbourne in Pauls Church-yard at the Greyhound 1632. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE Ladie the Ladie ELIZABETH Countesse of Winchelsey his Noble PATRONESSE MADAM IT is not vnknowne vnto your Honour what first occasioned mee to meddle with this Subiect That which first moued me to preach it in mine owne Charge hath also induced mee to make it more publique I conceiued it might bee a worke well worth the while to vindicate as much as in mee lay the Honour of God from that impeachment it commonly receiues from Scandals to heale the bleeding wounds they vsually giue to the profession of Godlinesse to stop the mouth of iniquity which they set so wide open and to giue men notice of the great danger that both the taking and giuing of Scandal may bring them into J obserue that men doe with the Scandals of Professours as the Leuite did with the twelue partes of his Concubine they send them Iudg 19. 29. thorough all the quarters of Israel It were happie that such foule actions as trench to the dishonour of God and Religion might be buried in eternall silence and neuer be published Publish it not in 2. Sam. 1. Gath But since that is impossible but that they will be published in Gath What inconuenience is it that something bee published in and sent into the Coasts of Israel that may stop the mouthes of the men of Gath that may salue the Honour of God and Religion and that may discouer and preuent the danger of Scandalous euils J confesse that when I considered how frequently Scandals haue fallen out and what a world of mischiefe hath beene done by them I wondred that no man for ought I know or can learne had hitherto medled with this Argument so needfull and so vsefull and therefore thought it would not be lost labour to doe something in this kind And what I haue done I now make bold to present vnto your Honour as presuming that that shall be welcome to you that pleades for the Honour of God and his Truth I acknowledge my selfe many wayes deeply engaged to your Honour and the many fauours I haue receiued from you binde mee to a thankefull acknowledgement of them May it please you therefore to accept of this small Treatise as a publike testimoniall of my thankefulnesse Which if you shall please to doe I shall reckon it as a superadded fauour to all the rest and to my thankefulnesse to your selfe shall adde my daily prayers to the God of all Grace for his blessing vpon your noble Family both roote and branch and that he would not onely continue to you the blessing of the left hand Riches and Honour Prou. 3. 16. but giue you the blessing of the right hand also length of dayes and with them both the best of his blessings All spirituall blessings in heauenly places in Christ Iesus This shall bee the daily suite of Your Honours Seruant in the Gospell of Christ Iesus Jer. Dyke To the Reader THere is not any one thing that Satan the professed enemie of Mankind labours and endeauours more then the hindrance of the saluation of man There is but one way to Heauen that which Peter cals the way of Truth 2. Pet. 2. 2. which Salomon cals the way of good men Prou. 2. 20. which Isaie cals the way of Holinesse Isai 35. 8. which Ieremie cals the old and the good way and the ancient pathes Ier. 6. 16. 18 15. Now Sathan to keepe men from Heauen doth his vtmost to make men stumble at and from the ancient pathes that by taking offence at the waies of God disliking and distasting them the saluation of their soules might become impossible To effect their stumbling at those wayes Sathan layes many and sundrie kinds of stumbling blocks in the wayes of men But yet amongst those many ones I find there bee some more dangerous then others and by which the Deuill preuayles much more then by the rest And those I obserue and conceiue to be specially these three 1. The Reproach Contempt and Obloquie that by some men is vsually cast vpon Religion and the conscionable profession and Professours thereof Sathan tels men that if they will needs goe this way they shall haue a deale of filth and dirt flung in the faces of them that they must looke to be scorned and Reproached as if they were the very Of scourings of the earth And this very thing starts and stumbles not a few Some will better abide a stake then some others can a mocke Zedekiah could happily haue found in his heart to haue hearkened to the Prophets counsell but that this lay in the way I am afraid of the Iewes least they deliuer me into the Caldaeans hands and they mocke me Ier. 38. 19. It was death to him to be mocked But all considered we shall see how little reason any haue for this to stumble at Religion For doe but consider who they are commonly that mock at Godlinesse Doe but obserue their Character in the Scriptures and you shall finde them such as these A company of Hypocrites Hypocriticall mockers Psal 35. 16. A crue of Drunkards Psal 69. 12. I am the song of Drunkards A sort
Propter incertitudinem propriae Iustitiae periculum inanis gloriae tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sola Dei misericordia benignitate reponere Bellar. de Iustific lib. 5. cap. 7. merit comes to this at last That by reason of the uncertainty of our owne righteousnesse and the danger of vaine-glory it is the most safe way to repose our whole confidence in the mercie and goodnesse of God alone Which way soever Bellarmine is gone himselfe or any of his religion I thinke common reason will teach a man so much wisdome to go the safest way to heaven and that the safest way is the best way The Lord that would have us make our calling and election sure 2 Peter 1. 10. would not have us put so great a matter as the salvation of our soules upon Bellarmines hazard and confessed uncertaintie of our owne righteousnesse Now as in case of doctrine so in case of practise it is great wisedome and a great meanes of keeping a good conscience to doe that wherein we may Tutioris vivere and to take to that which Tutissimum est to follow that which is safest and to take to that side which is the surest and the freest from danger CHAP. VII Two markes if a good Conscience THus wee see how a good conscience may be had it followes we consider how it may be knowne and be discerned to be had The markes and notes by which a good conscience may bee knowne are seven 1. This in the Text. In all good conscience 1. Note of good conscience Conscience in all things It is a good note of a good conscience when a man makes conscience of all things all duties and all Sins There be that have naturall consciences principled by some generall grounds of nature and it may bee so farre as these rules carry them may make some conscience but their principles comming short they must needs also come as short of a good conscience I have lived saies Paul here in all good conscience and Heb. 13. 18. Wee trust wee have a good Conscience in all things It is a good conscience when a mans life all his life is a life of conscience when in all his life and the whole tenour thereof he makes conscience of all that God commands and forbids Psal 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed what breeds shame but evill conscience when I have respect unto all thy Commandements When all are respected there is no shame because where all are respected there is good conscience and where good conscience is there is no shame That argued Davids good conscience Psal 119. 101. I have refrained my feet from every evill way Try mens consciences by this and it will discover a great deale of evill conscience in the world Many a morall man makes conscience of doing his neighbour the least wrong hee will not wrong or pinch any man payes every man his owne deales fairly and squarely in his commerce there is no man can say blacke is his eye you shall have him thank God that he hath as good a conscience as the best These are good things and such things as men ought to make conscience of but yet here is not enough to make a good conscience A good conscience must be all good conscience or it is no good conscience Now indeed these men may have good consciences before men but my Text tels us that we must live in all good conscience before God And Paul joines them two together Act. 24. 13. And herein I doe exercise my selfe to have a good conscience voyd of offence towards God and towards men Now be it that these have good conscience before men yet what have they before God Alas they are miserably ignorant in the things of God no consciences to acquaint themselves with his truth no conscience of prayer in their families of reading the Scriptures no conscience of an oath and as little of the Sabbath and the private duties thereof How far are these from good conscience Others againe seeme to make conscience of their duties before God but in the meane time no conscience of duties of Justice in the second Table make no conscience of oppression racking rents covetousnesse over-reaching c. these are no better consciences then the former neither are good because they live not in all good conscience Thus may ◠man discover the naughty consciences of most Iehu seemes wondrous zealous for the Lord and seemes to be a man of a singular good conscience in the demolishing the Tēple of Baal putting to death his Priests I but if Iehu make conscience of letting Baals Tēple stand why doth he not as well make conscience of letting Ieroboams Calves stand If Iehu had had a good conscience hee would as ill have brookt Ieroboams as Iezebels Idolatry he would have purged the land of all Idols Herod seemes to make some conscience of an Oath Marke 6. 26. For his Oaths sake hee would not reject her It is joy of him that hee is a man of so good conscience I but in the meane time why makes hee no conscience of incest and murther Hee feares and makes conscience to breake an unlawfull Oath but makes no conscience to cut an holy Prophets throate Who would not have thought Saul to have beene a man of a very good conscience see how like a man of good conscience hee speakes 1 Sam. 14. 34. Sinne not against the Lord in eating with the blood Hee would have the people make conscience of eating with the blood and indeed it was a thing to be made conscience of I but he that makes conscience of eating the flesh of Sheepe and Oxen with the blood like a bloody hearted tyrāt as he was he makes no conscience of sucking and shedding the blood of fourescore and five of Gods Priests Iust the conscience of his blood-hound Doeg 1 Sam 21. 7. Doeg was there that day deteined before the Lord. How deteined either out of a religious conscience of the Sabbath or by occasion of a vow the man made conscience of going before the Sabbath were ended or the dayes of his vow finisht A thing indeed to be made conscience of men ought not to depart from Gods house till holy services bee finisht a duety that even the Prince must make conscience of Ezek. 46. 10. Who therefore would not judge this Edomite a conscionable Proselyte I but why then makes hee no conscience of Lying Psalm 25. Why no conscience of being instrumentall to Sauls injustice in that barbarous villany of slaying not onely innocent men but innocent Priests of the Lord such were the Consciences of the Chiefe Priests Matth. 27. 6. How like honest conscionable men they speake It is not lawfull for to put them into the treasury because it is the price of blood Sure it is great conscience ought to bee made of bringing the price of blood into the Temple treasurie Are they not then men of good conscience It is not lawfull
good consciences upon your death-beds If your consciences can say for you that you have beene carefull in your life time to know God to walke holily and religiously before him c. then wee dare be bold to comfort and cheere you then dare wee speake peace confidently to you But if your consciences accuse you of your ignorance your oathes Sabbath-breaches worldlinesse rebellion uncleannesse oppression drunkennesse c. and finally impenitencie What is it you would have us to doe What can wee say but as the Prophet to Zedekiah Ier. 37. 19. Where are now your Prophets that prophesied unto you saying the King of Babylon shall not come against you So where be those that in your life time told you ye need not to be so careful and precise to keep good consciences lesse ado will serve the turne now what think ye of them now what peace have you in those wayes what comfort can these give you now Or else what can we say when men in anguish of conscience lye tossing upon their beds but what Reuben said to his brethren when they were in distresse Gen. 42. 21 22. Did not I warne you saying Sin not c. So must wee what doe ye call to us for comfort did not wee warne you many a time and oft saying Sinne not nor live in those dangerous courses Did not wee warne you Oh to have our consciences and Gods Ministers thus to grate upon us what an uncomfortable condition will this be Would wee then prevent such sorrow and be cheerfull and cheered at our latter ends lay up a good conscience then lay in somewhat for conscience and Gods Ministers to worke upon and from which they both may be able to raise comfort to you Get a good conscience and live in it all thy dayes and then though thou shouldest want the benefit of a comforting Minister yet thy conscience shall doe the office of a comforting Minister and shall be the same unto thee that the Angel was unto Christ in his agony Luke 22. 43. and shall minister such comfort unto thee as shall make thee ready to leap into the grave for joy This shall be as another Iacobs staffe for thee to leane rest upon when thou shalt be upon thy death-bed If men knew but the worth of a good conscience at the houre of death wee should need no other motive to worke mens hearts to be in love therewith Fiftly and lastly the benefit and comfort 5. The comfort of a good conscience at the day of Iudgment of a good conscience is great at the day of judgement Oh the sweet comfort and confidence of heart that a good conscience will yield unto a man at that day What will become of all the Gigantean spirits and the brave fellowes of the earth then Alas for their yellings and cursing of themselves and their companions what howling and crying to the mountaines as they did Revel 6. Hide us Cover us yea dash and quash us in a thousand pieces When an ill conscience is awakened it is not to be imagined how small a thing will gastre it The sound of a shaken leafe shall chase them and they shall fly as flying from a sword and they shall fall when none pursues Levit. 26. 36. A dreadfull sound is in his eares Iob. 15. 21. Hee heares nothing but he thinkes he heares alwaies some terrible and dreadfull noise And then if a shaken leafe shall chase and shall put them into a shaking feare what case will such be in when as Iob speakes Iob 26. 11. The pillars of heaven shall tremble and when the powers of heaven shall be shaken Luke 21. 26. When the heavens shall shake and flame above them when the earth shall quake and tremble under them what case will they be in then If meere imaginations fill their eares with dreadfull sounds where there is no sound at all Oh what a dreadfull sound shall be in their eares when the Sea shall roare Luk 21. 25. when the last trumpe shall sound 1 Cor. 15. when they shall heare the shout and voyce of an Angel 1 Thes 4. 16. what dreadfull sounds will these be in the eares of ill consciences How will these dreadfull sounds confound their soules with horrour and amazement But now for a good conscience how is it with it then Even amiddst all these dreadfull sounds it lookes up and lifts up the head Luke 21. 28. and enables a man with a cheery confidence to stand before the Son of man Luke 21. 36. The Malefactor who looks for the halter how dreadful is the Iudges cōming to the Assises attended with the troopes of halberds in his eye but the prisoner that knowes his owne innocencie and that he shall be quit discharged his heart leaps at the Iudges approach how terrible soever he come attēded to the bench it glads his heart to see that day which shal be the day of his liberty release An hypocrite shall not come before him Ioh. 13. 16. much lesse shal look up lift up his head or stand before him Ps 1. 5. But the righteous and the man with a good conscience he shall hold up and cheerfully lift up his head when all the surly and proud Zamzummins of the earth that here lifted up their heads and nebs so high shall become howling and trembling suitors to the deafe mountaines to hide them from the presence of the Lambe on the throne Oh! they that feare the Lambe on the throne how dreadfull unto them will be the Lyon on the throne It will be with good and evill consciences in that day as it was with Pharoahs Butler and Baker on Pharaohs birth-day The Butler he knew hee should be restored to honour and go from the Prison to the Palace therefore he comes out of the prison ful of joy jollity he holds up his head and outfaces the proudest of his enemies But the Baker hee knowes his head shall be lift from off him and therefore when Pharaohs birth-day comes wherein all others are in jollity yet hee droopes and hangs downe the head hee knowes it would prove an heavie day of reckoning with him Such will the apparition of Christ unto judgement be unto good and evill consciences as was the apparition of the Angel Math. 28. 2 3 4 5. There was a great earthquake for the Angel of the Lord descended frō heaven his countenance was like lightening and his rayment white as snow Here was a terrible sight but yet not alike terrible to all the beholders For for feare of him the keepers did shake became like dead men But the Angel said unto the women feare not ye for I know that ye seek Iesus So at the last day when Christ shall come to judgment evill consciences shall be as the Keepers whilst all good consciences shall heare that comfortable voice Feare not yee for I know that you have sought for God all your daies ye have sought to keepe a good
Aegyptians destroy the males of the childrē God meetes with them in their kind hee smites the first-born throughout al Egypt The Aegyptians drowne the Israelites Infants in the waters God payes them in their kind hee drownes the Aegyptians in the waters of the Red sea there is drowning for drowning and waters for waters Nadab and Abihu Sin by fire and Levit. 10. 2. There went out a fire from the Lord and devoured them How many fires hath the Whore of Babylon kindled wherein she hath consumed to ashes the Saints of God God will plague her with an end suting with her sin Apo. 17. 16. she her self shall be burnt with fire They shall eate her flesh and burne her with fire There is fire for fire Apoc. 9. 12. shee there darkens the light of the truth with the smoake of heresie and superstition There arose a smoak out of the pit as the smoake of a great furnace and the Sun and the ayre were darkned by reason of the smoak of the pit And Apoc. 18. 9. 18. There we find the smoake of his burning There is smoak for smoak God wil make her smoak in the end that hath brought such a deale of spirituall smoake into his Church and as that Emperour said Let him perish with Fumo pereat qui fumum vendidit smoak that sold smoak so hath shee perisht with smoak at the last that hath put out the eyes of so many thousands with the smoak of heresie and superstition This was that justice of God which the Papists powder-Martyrs Catesbie some others of them were forced to acknowledge when they who had thought to have blowne up the State with Powder were themselves spoiled with Powder a sparke of fire flying into it as they were drying it and preparing for their defence Such is that Iustice of God threatned Hab. 2. 15 16. Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink that puttest thy bottle to him and makest him drunken also that thou mayest looke on their nakednesse Thou art filled with shame for glory drink thou also and let thy fore-skin be uncovered the cup of the Lords right hand shall be turned unto thee and shamefull spuing shall be on thy glory A good place for drunkards to think upon especially such whose glory is their shame whose glory is to make others drunke They shall have cup for cup nakednesse for nakednesse spuing for spuing As they have made others spue and vomit through oppression by drinke so will God give them such a draught of the bitter dregs of the cup of his wrath that shall make them spue their very hearts out as Ier. 25. 27. Drinke and be drunken and spue and fall and rise no more because of the sword which I will send amongst you Of this kind was that Iustice of God upon David himselfe He kils Vriah with the sword therefore the sword shall not depart from his house He defiles the wife of Vriah therfore his Concubines are defiled by Absalom This is that Iustice Apoc. 13. 10. He that leadeth into Captivity shall go into Captivity hee that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword It was the most righteous hand of God upon Saul that he that put Gods Priests to the sword should fall upon his owne sword and just with God that Elymas the Sorcerer that would have kept the Deputy in spirituall should himselfe be smitten with bodily blindnesse 3. Gods punishments are oft in the same part and member of the body wherwith men have offended That look as renowned Granmer dealt with himselfe at his Martyrdome That hand wherewith he had subscribed to the sixe Articles that hand he first put into the fire in an holy revenge upon himselfe even so deales the Lord very often in his justice That which men have made the Instrument of their Sin God makes the subject of his Iudgements Absaloms pride and his weaknesse lay where Sampsons strength was Absaloms haire was Absaloms pride therefore Absaloms haire as it is conceived was Absaloms halter and whilest hee will needs spare the Barber a labour hee also spares the Hangman a labour Such was Gods justice upon Sampson himselfe Hee can find none to bee the pleasure of his eyes as the Prophet speaks of his wife Ezek. 24. but Philistims Iudg. 14. 2 3. and chapter 16. 1. and so in the love of a Philistim Dalilah he abuses his eyes What is the issue At last the Philistims put out his eyes God punisht the abuse of his eies with the losse of his eies and those eyes that loved Philistims were pluckt out by Philistims Memorable in this kind was Gods justice upon that French King Henry the second who in a rage against a Protestant Counsellor cōmitted him into the hands of one of his Nobles to bee imprisoned and that with these words That he would see him burned with his own eyes But mark the justice of God within a few dayes after the same Noble man with a Launce put into his hands by the King did at a tilting run the said King into one of his eyes whereof he dyed Of this kind was the Iustice of God upon Zachary Luke 1. Offending with his tongue in that question How can this bee he is punished with the losse of the use of his tongue and speech for a time The rich gluttons tongue had denied Lazarus a crum therfore it is denied a drop of water The same glutton had abused his tongue in gluttony and therfore his tongue hath a peculiar torment in hell So those Zac. 14. 12. had their tougues consumed in their mouthes like enough as with their hand so with their tongues they had fought against Ierusalem Such was Gods Iustice upon Ieroboam hee stretches forth his arme against the prophet and the Lord withers it He with his arme threatens to smite God smites him in his arme Like that justice which was done upon the Emperour Aurelianus Euseb lib. 7. cap. 29. who when he was ready to subscribe and set his hand to an Edict for the persecution of the Christians was suddenly cramped in his knuckles and so hindred from it by the judgement of God I may not here omit that notable instance of Gods justice upon Rodolph Duke of Suevia he whom the Pope stirred up against his lawfull Lord and Soveraigne against his Oath to usurpe his Crowne and Empire This Rodolph in his wars for the Empire was wounded in the right hand of which wound he dyed and at his death acknowledged Gods justice in these words You see saith he to his friends here Videtis manum dexteram meam de vulnere sauciam Hac ego juravi Domino meo Hērico ut non nocerem ei nec insidiarer gloriae ejus Sed jussio Aposto ica Pontificumque petitio me ad id adduxit ut juramenti transgressor hono em mihi indibitum usurparem Quis igitur sinis nos es caeperit videtis quia in manu unde juramante violavi
mortale hoc vulnus accepe c. Morn Myst Iniq. p 259. my right hand wounded with this right hand I sware to my Lord Henry the Emperor But the cōmand of the Pope hath brought me to this that laying aside the respect of mine Oath I should usurpe an honour not due to me But what is now come of it In that hand which hath violated mine Oath I am wounded to death And so with anguish of heart he ended his dayes An example so much the rather to bee marked that men may see how God blesses the Popes blessings his dispensation with Oaths specially whē they are given to arm men to rebellion against their lawfull Soveraignes 4. The equity of Gods justice appeares in that Pro. 26. 27. Who so diggeth a pit shall fall therein and he that rolls a stone it will returne upon him Such was Gods justice upon Haman he makes a gallowes for his owne necke Hitherto wee may referre the justice of God when God turnes mens beloved Sins into their punishments Whoredome was the Levites Concubines Sin Iudges 19. 2. and Whoredome was her death ver 26. The Lord Deut. 28. 27. threatens the botch of Aegypt and how frequently is the Sin of uncleannes smitten with the French botch the fruit of the Sin How frequent are the examples of Gods Iustice upō drunkards drunkennesse their Sin and drunkennesse their death And so that Proverbe is often verified Prov. 5. 22. His owne iniquity shall take the wicked himselfe and he shall be holden with the cords of his Sins 5. The equity of Gods Iustice appeares in this when he makes the place of sin the place of punishment Wee have frequent examples of this in Scripture This was threatned Ahab 1 Kin. 21. 19. In the place where dogs licked the bloud of Naboth shall dogs licke thy bloud And this was made good 2 Kin. 9. 26. In Tophet the place where they had slain their Sons Daughters would God slay the Iews Ier. 7. 31 32. And as their houses were the places of their sins so should their houses be the places of their punishment Ier. 19. 13. And because the Sabbath was prophaned in the gates of Ierusalem therefore in the gates thereof would God kindle a fire Ierem. 17. 27. And remarkable is that Ezek. 6. 13. Their slaine men shall be amongst their Idols round about their Altars and under every thicke Oak the place where they did offer sweet savor to all their Idols Such was the Iustice of God in that late blow upon the Popish company In the very place where they used to dishonour God the hand of God was upon them they were slaine and their carcasses crushed in the place of their Mass-worship the first floore falling into their Massing place so they their Crucifixes Images all dashed together God doing with them as with the Egyptians Num. 33. 4. not only smiting them but also executing judgment upō their gods yea not onely so but executed them and their gods in the self-same place where God had been by them so much dishonoured 6. The equity of Gods justice is to be seen in the time of his punishments God oft makes that time wherin men have sinned the time of his judgemēts At the time of the Passover did the Iews crucifie Christ and at the time of the Passeover was Ierusalem taken Heavie is the calamity that is befaln the Churches beyond the seas the time wherein the first blow was given is not to be forgottē The first blow was upon the Sabbath upon that day was Prague lost What one thing have all those Churches fayled in more than in that point of the religious observation of that day that day they neglected to sanctifie by obedience upon that day God would be sanctified in his justice upon them in the time would have them reade one cause of their punishment Neither is the time wherein God did that late justjce upō those popish persons to be forgottē It is somwhat that after their Roman accoūt it was upō their fift of Novemb. God would let those of that Iesuited brood see how good it was to blow up Parliament houses and happily would have them learne more loyalty and religiō than to scoffe at our new holyday Of this kind was Gods justice upon one Leaver who rayling on the worthy Martyr servant of Christ Mr. Latimer saying that he saw that evill favoured knave Latimer when hee was burned and that hee had teeth like an Horse his Son the same houre at the same time as neer as could be gathered wickedly hanged himselfe And the same was Gods justice seazing upon Stephen Gardiner the same day that Ridley and Latimer were burned Since then there is such an equity in Gods administratiō of justice let it be our care and wisedome to observe the same Learne to comment upon Gods works of Iustice and to compare mens wayes and Gods works together God is to have the praise and glory of his justice upon others as well as of his mercie to ourselves now we shal then be best able to give God this glory when we so observe his administration that we may be able not only to say The Lord is just but the Lord is just in this and that particular when we can say as Revel 16. 5. not only Righteous art thou O Lord that judgest but righteous art thou O Lord that judgest thus Thus they sinned and thus are they punished It is good to observe all the circumstances of Gods justice that so not onely the justice but the wisedome and equity of Gods justice may be seen and this is to trace the Lord by the foot Psal 68. 24. Especially wee should be thus wise in personall evils that befall our selves that by our punishment and the circumstances thereof we might be led to the consideration of our sins and so might say as Adonibesek As I have don so hath God rewarded me Learne to give God the praise of his equity as of his justice So doth David Ps 7. 15 16 17. I will praise the Lord according to his righteousnesse Tremble and Sin not Take heed how and wherein we Sin lest by our Sins wee teach God how to punish us Take heed of abusing thy tōgue in swearing rayling scoffing lest God lay some terrible judgment upon thy tongue here or some peculiar tormēt upon thy tongue in hel hereafter Take heed what measure thou measurest to others lest thou teach God to measure the same to thy selfe Take heed that thou make not thine house a den of spuing drunkards lest God make thine house to spue thee forth Take heed how thou use thy wits thy strength take heed of sinning in thy Children or any thing else thou hast lest God make the matter of thy Sin the matter of thy punishment FINIS A Table of the severall Chapters of this Treatise CHAP. I. THe Introduction of the discourse following Fol. 1 CHAP. II. Conscience described 9 CHAP.
of Professours of Religion for they be set vp to be stumbling stones and rockes of offence against which men of the world shall dash themselues they be set for ginnes and for snares in which they shall bee taken In the case of passiue scandals where offence is onely taken there the trap is baited with the bread of life In the case of Actiue scandal where offence is giuen there the trap is baited with baine and poyson with deadly poyson death is in the trap Now if woe to the world when the trap is baited with the bread of life how much more woe to the world when it is baited with ranke and deadly poyson Scandals and offences are dismal and fatal to wicked men because God in his intention and administration disposes and orders them as the meanes that shall make way for the surer and sorer punishment of them for their vnprofitablenesse vnder and their contempt of the Gospell the meanes of grace and the holy examples of such as are truly godly Therefore are they fatall and wofull euents because they are sent as executioners of diuine vengeance vpon the disobedient rebels against the Gospel God giues men his word and the Ministerie of it to conuert and saue them the holy examples of his children to guide and lead them Now neither one thing nor another will reclaime men of the world nothing will doe them good still will they goe on in their vnbeliefe and hardnesse of heart notwithstanding the light of the Word and the light of holy examples notwithstanding the shining light of both they will loue and liue in darknesse still So then God seeing this that nothing will better them but to Hell they will goe and damned they will be let his Ministers and his people do what they can he thereupon enters into a resolution to make sure worke with them and to take such a course as shall infallibly and irreuocably make way for their eternall ruine and to this end in his prouidence disposes of these scandalous euents as stumbling stones and stumbling blockes at which they may so stumble as they may fall and be surely ruined As if the Lord should speak on this manner I haue giuen you my Word and Gospel it hath beene preacht amongst you plentifully and powerfully all the meanes notwithstanding you haue not beene one whit the better but rather worse yee are more stubborne more rebellious more malicious and to Hell yee will doe my Ministers what they can Well then since there is no remedie since yee will goe I will take an order to set you going surely Behold in my prouidence I will dispose of scandalous euents to fall out that shall lie as stumbling blocks in your way at which stumble yee and fall yee and be yee remedilesly ruined I gaue you my word that you might haue risen but you would not be raised by it I wil therfore lay a stumbling block in your way at which you shall bee sure to fall I gaue you my word that you might haue liued but now I will lay a stumbling blocke that you may die Ezek. 3. 20. You would not bee drawne to Heauen by the holy examples and lifes of my Saints therefore shall yee bee head-longed another way by the scandalous euents that shall by my prouidence fall out I sent my Ministers whom I made fishers of men with their nets and baites to catch you but by no meanes would yee bee caught in their nets nor bite at their baites nor bee catcht with their hookes therefore now will I dispose of scandalous euents which I will set as traps and snares and ginnes for you greedily and eagerly shall you come to them shal be ensnared and held fast for euer getting out againe And thus doe scandals come as messengers of wrath and death Gods dealing with wicked men in euents of scandals is cleane contrarie to his dealing with good men Such as loue the truth of God and subiect vnto it though scandals come shall not bee ensnared by them God will secure and saue them from being ensnared Psal 119. 165. Great peace haue they which loue thy law and nothing shall offend them or they shall haue no stumbling blocke Such as loue Gods truth haue great peace great securitie when scandals fall out they shall haue no stūbling blocks God himselfe will keepe them that they shal not dash their feet against these stones they shall haue no stumbling blockes to hurt them But now on the contrarie great danger and mischiefe shall they haue that loue not the Law they shall haue stumbling blockes and therefore because they loue not Gods law shal they haue them that God may bee auenged vpon them for the neglect and contempt of his truth And because they loue not Gods Law therefore shall scandals come that shal bee fatal stumbling blocks for them That looke as Salomon speakes of the Harlot Eccl. 7. 26. I finde more bitter then death the woman whose heart is snares and nets and her hands as bands who so is good before God shall escape from her but the sinner shal bee taken by her So may it be said of scandals Mare bitter then death woe vnto the world because of scandals are scandalous euents for they are as snares and nets who so is good before God an holy and a godly man shal escape and bee deliuered from being ensnared by them but the sinner the neglecter and contemner of Gods grace shall be taken and bee ruined by them and therefore woe vnto the sinners of the world because of scandals It is in this case betweene men of the world and scandals as it was in Ahabs case betweene him and his false prophets 1. King 22. 20 21 22. God had a purpose out of diuine Iustice and vengeance that Ahab should fall and bee ruined Now God enters into counsell what course shall bee taken to bring it about that hee may fall and perish Verse 20. Who shall perswade Ahab that hee may goe vp and fall at Ramoth Gilead There comes forth a spirit Verse 21. and sayes I will perswade him The Lord askes Verse 22. How or wherewith Hee answers I will goe forth and bee a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets And the Lord said Thou shalt perswade him and preuaile also Goe forth and doe so The case is the very same here God bestowes his Word and the Ministerie of it vpon a people it workes them not to Faith Repentance Hereupon is the Lord prouoked to anger and vpon that hee enters into a consult of reuenge Here be a company of men that haue had the meanes of grace but they will not bee conuerted and raised vp I am therefore resolued they shall fall into Hell for euer But who will now take some course that they may fal Then steps forth Satan I will take a course to make them fall fatally And the Lord sayes what course wilt thou take Satan answers I will goe forth
them vp to an hardened heart for it was of the Lord to harden their hearts that they should come out against Israel in battell that he might destroy them vtterly and that they might haue no fauour but that hee might destroy them So that when God meanes that a man shall haue no fauour but be vtterly destroyed then God first giues men vp to hardnesse of heart Nay it is that which is a woefull preparatiue to eternall wrath it is that which lockes men and shuts them fast vp and keepes them sure for eternal vengeance When God is so angrie as that hee is peremptorily resolued that a man shal not be saued but bee damned without all peraduenture then God giues him vp to the hardnesse of heart vnder which hee shall be surele reserued vnto the day of wrath When a Prince is resolued to put a man to death he commands him first to bee surely imprisoned to bee laid fast in fetters and irons When Herod meant to execute Peter see what sure worke is made He is deliuered to foure quaternions of Souldiers to bee kept hee lies betweene two Souldiers bound with two chaines and the keepers before the doores keeping the prison Act. 12. 4. 6. So that in reason there was an impossibilitie of his escape from death So when God will make sure worke with a man and is peremptorie for his execution the Lord deliuers him vp to hardnesse of heart and this hardnesse of heart will be as quarternions of Souldiers as Chaines and Keepers Lockes Barres Boults and Fetters to reserue a man sure for damnation A man hath had the meanes of grace offered him he hath slighted them and he will goe on and he will doe this and that say all the Preachers what they will and can to the contrarie When God sees this hee thus resolues Here is a man that I would haue saued I offered him the outward meanes of grace but he hath stubbornly and rebelliously stood out against the meanes I am resolued hee shall neuer be saued I but perhaps the man liues still vnder the meanes of grace and so long there is a possibilitie of his conuersion and if he be conuerted he must needs be saued Therefore God to keepe him from saluation will take a course sure enough to keepe him from conuersion Now what course is that God will haue such a mans heart hardened And if once the heart be hardened there is no possibilitie of Conuersion is no Conuersion no Saluation This processe of Diuine Iustice vengeane wee haue Is 6. 10. Make the heart of this people fat and make their eares heauie and shut their eies lest they see with their eyes and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their heart and conuert and be healed We see in the end of the Verse that Gods full and finall resolution is that they shall not bee healed that is they shall not be saued as appeares Mark 4. 12. But how will God keepe them from being saued they hauing and hearing the Word They shall not bee conuerted But how will he keepe them from Conuersion They shall not vnderstand with their heart though they heare But how will hee keepe them from vnderstanding with their heart Goe make the heart of this people fat that is goe harden their hearts When the heart is hardened they cannot vnderstand with the heart when they cannot vnderstand with the heart they cannot bee conuerted when they cannot be conuerted whē they cannot be saued And so the hardening of the heart is nothing else but the locking and the shutting and sealing of a man vp to keepe him sure and fast for Hell So that for a man to bee giuen vp to hardnesse of hearr is a signe and a wofull signe that a man is such an one as on whose soule God is resolued to shew no mercie and that a man is in the wofull state of reprobation Therefore see how the Apostle speakes Rom. 9. 18. Therefore hee hath mercie on whom hee will haue mercie and whom he will he hardens See how hardenings and shewing mercie stand in opposition Whom he will he hardens that is he reprobates and shewes no mercie to But why sayes he not to whom hee will shew no mercie hee shewes none but it steed of that whom hee will hee hardens Because God makes way for the execution of his counsell of Reprobation by Hardening mens hearts By al this then it is cleere that it is a woefull thing to bee giuen vp to the hardnesse of heart woe to that man that hath his heart hardened Now then Scandals are wofull euents vnto men of the world because they be such snares and stumbling blocks as make and occasion them to fall into this wofull condition of hardening their hearts Therefore woe to the world because of scandals because by scandals their hearts shal be hardened they shall haue the wofull plague of the heart they shall come vnder a wofull curse be brought into a preparatiue condition for temporall and eternall ruine For when men see such as make profession of godlinesse to fall into scandals and hainous euils it occasions them exceedingly to harden their hearts and to blesse themselues in their euill vngodly wayes as if their wayes were better then the wayes of godlinesse and their persons in a better estate and condition then theirs that make such adoe with their profession Wee may conceiue the truth of this in the scandal of the Incestuous Corinthian 1. Cor. 5. There were multitudes of Heathen Corinthians that had not yet receiued Christ nor his Gospel The Christian Corinthians had questionlesse beene dealing with the Heathen Corinthians to bring them to repentance for the sins of their Gentilisme What those sinnes were wee may see 1. Cor. 6. 10. Neither fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor effeminate c. nor Thieues nor Couetous nor Drunkards c. And such were some of you Namely when they liued in their Heathen condition Now out of these sinnes would not the Heathen residue be brought Now when all meanes and endeauours for their reclaiming were in vaine God in his Iustice would euen giue them vp to that wofull condition of being hardened in those their sinnes To this end in his prouidence a scandalous euent is disposed to come to passe in the sinne of the incestuous Corinthian which could not but turne to the great hardening of the Heathens heart in their sinnes Then began they to say and thinke in their hearts They told vs our estates and our wayes were dangerous and damnable but to bee sure our wayes are as good as theirs Wee are better yet then these professours of Christ we are honester at the hardest then are they The fornication and filthinesse that is acted and committed amongst them is not once named amongst vs. Wee will therefore euen keepe vs in these wayes and goe on in these courses still For if such as these professe themselues to be if your holy and strict
hee haue no more to doe with Episcopal or Ministerial function And this Discipline of theirs wants not foundation in Scripture It seemes to be the same thing that God himselfe constituted Ezek 44. 12 13. Because they ministred vnto them before their Idols they shall beare their iniquitie and they shall not come neere vnto mee to doe the office of a Priest vnto me nor to come neere to any of mine holy things in the most holy place but they shall beare their shame and their abominations which they haue committed Vpon their Repentance they were receiued againe to some other places Ver. 10. 11. but they must meddle no more after that scandal of Idolatrie with the Priest-hood And this Discipline did Iosiah put in practise 2. King 23. 9. Some priuiledges vpon their Repentance were granted vnto the Priests of the high places that had defiled themselues with Idolatrie but the office of Priesthood they were quite excluded from it And this was the ancient Discipline against the giuers of offence and indeed such zeale and such seueritie it did concerne and euer will concerne the Church of God to shew to scandalous delinquents Facilitie and an ouer easie readinesse to comply with such breedes a fresh scandal to the world and giues them iust cause to n Et quoniam andâ—o Charissimifratres impudentia vos quorundaÌ„ premi verecundiam vestram vim pati oro vos quibus possum precibus vt euaÌ„gelij memores vos quoque sollicitè et cautè petentiuÌ„ desideria ponderetis vtpote amici domini cùm illo post modum indicaturi inspiciatis actuÌ„ opera merita singuloruÌ„ ipsorum quoque delictorum genera qualitates cogitetis ne si quid abrupte indignè vel à vobis promissum vel à nobis factuÌ„ fuerit apud Gentiles quoque ipsos ecclesia nosira erubescere incipiat Cypr. Epist 11. reproach the Church and opens the mouth of iniquitie to say you bee all such Whereas discommoning and discarding such from our familiar and priuate societie and when neede and power is from communion in holy things gaines the Church a great deale of honour and stops the mouth of iniquitie from calumniating Gods people to bee fauourers and countenancers of such persons Such will bee pressing in to gaine their credit and to recouer their respect but when such suddenly and easily get into credit it is no whit for the honour and credit of the Church God will bring woes vpon them in their outward state their peace their posteritie Elies sonnes runne into foule Scandals 1. Sam. 2. 22. It was scandalous for priuate persons much more for Priests to bee vncleane and adulterous It was scandalous to haue done so vnclean an act in any place but to doe it in a scared place with women comming thither vpon deuotion this was egregiously scandalous God therefore takes them to doe and does execution vpon them and cuts them both off in one day by the Sword of the Philistims God brought the wo of the Sword vpon them Nay when they ranne into Scandal because Eli did not restraine them see what God threatens vpon his Posteritie 1. Sam. 2. 36. that hee would plague them with such base beggerie and miserie that they should beg their bread If God thus punish him for not restraining how much more would he haue punished him for the committing of a Scandal If it goe thus hard with Eli that restraines not how hard will it goe with Hophni and Phinehas that commit the scandal Wee cannot haue a more pregnant and full example in this kinde then Dauid himselfe Hee after his scandal committed was truly penitent the guilt of his sinne pardoned a solemne absolution and discharge giuen him by the Prophet And yet for all this wee shall see how terribly this woe pursued him in temporall crosses in this kinde First God smites his childe with death then followes his daughter Thamars defilement by her brother Amnon then Amnons murder then the treason of Absalom in which the hand of God was exceeding smart God turnes him out of house and home Whose heart would not earne and bleede to see his dolefull departure from Ierusalem 2. Sam 15. 30. And Dauid went vp by the ascent of mount Oliuet and wept as he went vp and had his head couered and hee went barefoote and all the people that was with him couered euery man his head and they went vp weeping as they went vp Who could haue beheld so sad and so woefull a spectacle with drie eyes But this was not all his life is endangered his Concubines defiled in open view on the house top And what thinke wee was the ground of all this For the childs death we see 2. Sam. 12. 13 14. The Lord hath put away thy sinne thou shalt not die howbeit because by this thy deede thou hast giuen great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the child also that is borne vnto thee shall surely die It is verie much that fasting and praying can doe it can cast out deuils This kind goes not out but by fasting and praying Mark 9. 29. And yet fasting and praying could not keepe off this woe that Dauids scandal brings vpon him in the childes death woe vnto Dauid by whom that offence came therefore shall his childe die And for all the rest of all those wofull sorrowes 2. Sam. 12. 9. 10. 11. 12. we see the cause of them all these woes were vpon Dauid for his scandal And if Gods woe in these temporall outward calamities will thus pursue and follow a repeÌ„ting an humbled scandalous offender how much more will that hand of God pursue that man vpon whose scandal followes no Repentance and Humiliation If Dauid the man after Gods owne heart must not escape what then shall others looke for If a beloued Dauid shall haue his teeth on edge with his owne sowre grapes of his scandalous courses who then shall thinke to goe scotfree that is guilty of scandalous transgressions what a sure irresistible wo is that which Repentance it selfe cannot keepe off from a mans children his life person and goods And thus temporall woe is to him by whom offences come 2. God will pursue and pinch such as giue offence with spirituall woe God will fill such mens hearts specially if they belong to him with much spirituall woe and bitternesse of soule He will awaken conscience to smite pinch and gripe them at the heart He will so loade and burden their consciences that in the anguish and bitternes of their spirits they shal be forced to cry out woe is mee vile wretch that I was borne that euer I breathed thus to dishonour God It is true that there is an happinesse in this woe and it is singular mercy that men are not seared and hardened in their sinne but yet for all that there it a great deale of smart sorrow and a great deale of wofull bitternes in the worke