this point that death which he calleth poenam vitiorum and supplicium peccator is the iust paine of wickednes punishment of sinners should become as hee calles it arma virtutis and iusti meritum the armour of vertue and merit or happines of a righteous man hee saith this commeth thus to passe non quia mors bonum aliquod facta est quae antea malum fuit not because death is now become a good blessing that before was an euill curse Sed tantam Deus fidei praestit it gratiam vt mors quam vitae constat esse contrariam instrumentum sieret per quod transiretur in vitam that is but God did afford so much grace vnto faith in his Son that death which is knowne to be contrarie to life should be made the instrument or way by which we might passe into life So that death comming by the order of God to a man prepared by faith in Christ that neither through impatience hasteneth death before his time nor through loue of this world or ignorance of his future happinesse cowardly shrinketh desiring to liue beyond his time death comming to such a man in this maner deliuering him from his present short and sufferable troubles leaueth him in a blessed and happy condition absolutely freed from all troubles for the second death hath no power ouer him and he is presently receiued into glorie To him pertaine these words of Christ He that heareth my wordes and beleeueth in him that sent mee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death vnto life As the beleeuing thiefe passed from the Crosse to Paradise and as soone as he was deliuered from his present trouble entred into eternall glorie and neuer felt eternall troubles so euery beleeuer when God calles him out of this world from earth passeth to heauen as Lazarus did from his houell into Abrahams bosome and death leaueth him in a most happy state For Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord euen so saith the spirit for they rest from their labours No more trouble no more dāger no more sorrow shal come to them But death doth not prooue so beneficiall to all For when a wicked man dies whether hee perish by fire as did the Sodomites or perish by water as did Pharao and his Egyptians or be swallowed vp of the gaping earth as was Korah and his company or were stoned to death as was Achan or be slaine with the sword as was Ioab or perish of some foule disease as did Herod or die a faire death in his bed as the greatest number do or fall by his owne hand as Achitophel and some other did howsoeuer he come to his end with honour or reproach with ease or with paine the wicked man by death though deliuered frō the troubls of this life yet is left in a most wofull estate being ledde into the depth of all miseries For from the earth they passe to hell from short to eternall from tollerable to vnsufferable crosses from trobles mixed with comforts which also in their bitterest condition may bee indu◅ed and ouercome with some little patience to troubles mixed with no comforts making euen the remembrance of that sweet name of comfort to be a new addition of discomfort and which giue no place for the least measure of patience to abide with them Of the end and endlesse condition of the wicked when death hath fetched them from hence the Prophet speaketh in the Psalme Surely thou hast set them in slippery places and castest them downe into desolation How suddenly are they destroied perished and horribly consumed as a dreame when one awaketh O Lord when thou raisest vs vp thou shalt make their image despised There prosperity before death is slippery as Ice there is no firme standing vpon it and when death commeth that seemeth to giue ease and end of some intermixed troubles they fall with violence and there fall is remedilesse they perish in it and remaine miserable for euer whatsoeuer conceit they nourished of lasting and continued ease it becommeth like a dreame which proueth idle when the dreamer awaketh Iob speaketh excellently of the wretched condition vnto which death bringeth the wicked saying How oft shal the Candle of the wicked be put out and there distruction come vpon them Hee will deuide their liues in his wrath they shall be as slubble before the wind and as chaffe that the storme carrieth away God will laie vp the sorrow of the father for the children when hee rewardeth him he shall know it his eies shall see his distruction and he shall drinke of the wrath of the almighty for what pleasure hath he in his house after him when the number of ◅is moneths is cut off This good man Iob knew something in what condition death leaueth a wicked man when it hath fetcht him out of this world then is he deliuered vp to the violent storme of Gods iust indignation the stubble is not more easily nor more confusedly scattered then hee then commeth the reward of all his wickednesse hee was a doer before from that time hee becommeth meerely a sufferer then the fury of the almighty ceazeth vpon him his daily drinke shall bee nothing else but the wrath of God his pleasure after his death is altogether ended and eternall woe lighteth vpon him Let vs not stand onely vpon sentences which may perhaps bee esteemed as lawes which great men easily breake thorow and delude Let vs looke into the acts of God and consider his reall proceeding wee haue a notable example commended vnto vs by our Sauiour Christ to whom the father hath committed all iudgement and therefore hee should not bee ignorant of Gods carriage He remembreth a great man a rich man which was cloathed in Purple and fine linnin and fared wel and dilicately euery day His welth and great estate could not protect him from the stroke of death that made an end of him and so of the troubles of his life if his life were acquainted with any But in what case did death leaue him our Sauiour telleth vs in these words The rich man died and was buried and being in hell in torments hee lift vp his eies and saw Abraham a farre off and Lazarus in his bosome then he cried and said father Abraham haue mercy vpon me and send Lazarus that hee may dippe the tip of his finger in water and coole my tongue for I am tormented in this flame but Abraham said sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasure and contrariwise Lazarus paine now therfore is he comforted and thou art tormented Ther was his answer stoping his mouth leauing no place for any further hope of any good While he liued he was wel if any thing were a little amisse it was fully recompenced with many pleasures in the end he died and in that death his troubles if he had any ended and his
that may fall vpon vs as for example Ioseph was sould vnto strangers and imprisoned in Aegypt the men of Zeklag were spoiled of all that they had in their absence with Dauid Abiathar of the house of Eli was cast out by Salomon from being Priest vnto the Lord warre and famine and the anger of Princes yea many inferior causes breed many calamities the only sure way of casting our burden vpon God is to acknowledge the worke of God in our calamity patiently to beare what he laieth vpon vs and heartily to pray vnto him for succour That wee ought to acknowledge Gods worke in our calamity and patiently to beare his pleasure Iob doth teach vs saying Shall we receiue good things at the hand of God and not receiue euill Surely we doe neuer deserue any good at the hand of God and wee doe continually deserue euill what reason then haue we to desire euer to receiue good that we neuer deserue and neuer to receiue euill that we euer deserue Patience therefore in bearing the calamity that God laieth vpon vs doth well become the sonnes of men And that in our calamity wee ought to pray vnto God if wee would haue him to ease vs of our burden is so cleare that wee neede no proofe for it What man is hee religious or profane beleuer or vnbeleuer that doth not in his calamity remember God looke vp to heauen and pray to God the Mariners in the ship whereinto Ionas was entered when he fled from God when the storme vpon the sea was sore and the tempest proued a calamity vnto them so that they threw the wares out of the ship into the sea to lighten the ship for safty of their liues without instruction they could then according to their knowledge of God fall to praier For so it is written The Mariners were affraid and cried euery man vnto his God Though it be not generall with all men being in calamity and misery to beare it patiently yet it is generall with all men in calamity and misery to pray for ease So that a religious man being burdened with any calamity needeth not so much to be taught that it is fit for him to pray as hee needeth to be comforted by being put in hope that God will in due time answer his praier as surely he will if he be called vpon in the name of his beloued sonne For so hath the Lord Iesus assured vs saying Verely verely I say vnto you whatsoeuer yee shall aske the father in my name he will giue it you Let him pray therefore vnto God the father in the name of the Lord Iesus and patiently attend the Lords leisure and in due time he wil haue mercy vpon him This is when any calamity is fallen vpon vs to cast our burden vpon the Lord for our ease If it be the feare of death that is thy burden and perhaps with regard vnto others that shall be in some danger by thy death as wife children seruants and others that haue their education and maintenance vnder thee First the burden of feare of death is made easie to a godly man by many considerations in al which he casâ—…eth his burden vpon the Lord. First hee will consider that it is common to all Adams posteritie Aâ—… Dauid being ready to die saith vnto his sonne Salomon I goe the way of all the earth therefore death ought not to seeme fearefull to thee that is common to all Secondly hee will consider that hee cannot die before the time appoynted of God that gaue him life and assigned from euerlasting the certaine length of it as Iob saith Is there not an appoynted time to man vppon earth And shall any desire longer life then the giuer of life alloweth Or shall any be grieued to resigne his life into the handes of him that gaue it Thirdly hee will consider that the end of life shall bee the end of trouble vnto him that his death shall bring him rest from all troubles as the Spirit of God from heauen hath proclaimed saying ' Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord for they rest from their labor Rest and ease from weary labour is obtained by our death and departure out of this life Fourthly hee will consider that the sting and danger and all bitternesse of death is taken away by the death of Iesus Christ and death vnto the Saints is made the gate of life the Apostle saying O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law But thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. Lastly for his ease of feare in the approach of death yea for the filling of his heart with all true comfort in death that he may rather desire and long for then any way feare the houre of his death he will consider that his death shal be the gathering of him vnto Christ his redeemer as the Apostle saith Desiring to bee loosed and to bee with Christ which is best of all For while we liue in the world we are absent from the Lord and we walke by faith and not by sight But when we depart this world wee are gathered vnto him to dwel for euer with him And that is performed which hee promised saying Though I goe to prepare a place for you I will come againe aud receiue you vnto my selfe that where I am there may ye be also By these considerations is the burden of the feare of death made easie to a beleeuer and in all these considerations doth hee cast his burden vpon the Lord for his ease If hee therefore feare his owne death because others shall want him his wife shal be a widow his children shal be fatherlesse his seruants shal be orphanes and many shall misse him that now haue a helper of him and for their sakes rather then for himselfe hee is afraid to die This burthen is to bee cast vppon God by commending them vnto his prouidence who giueth food to al flesh because his mercy indureth for euer and who is the keeper of Israel that neither slumbereth nor sleepeth And that hee may doe this the more comfortably for the ease of his heart let him remember that the Lord saith All soules are mine both the soule of the father and also the soule of the sonne are mine He that created thee and had a care of thee as the worke of his handes to maintaine thee created also thy wife thy children thy seruants and thy poore friends and therefore hath also a care of them as the worke of his hands to maintaine them And hee that gaue his Sonne for thee to redeeme thee and therefore had a fatherly care for thee to doe all things for thy preseruation and saluation did also giue his Sonne for them to redeeme them and therefore also hath a fatherly care of them to doe all
sinne highly displeasing to God Sometime thou wert warned by a publique Sermon sometime thou wert warned by thine owne priuate reading sometime by the louing admonition of some neighbour or friend And thy iudgement was growen to a mislike of that same sinne and thou wert offended at others that committed it aud yet thou hast fallen thy selfe into the same sinne Surely this is a hard case and the tempter hath great aduantage against thee But what must the charged sinner sincke eternally vnder this burthen is there no meanes to cast euen this burthen vpon GOD for the sinners case Yes verily and Sathan hath not yet driuen vs so close vp to the wall but that wee may by Gods mercy slippe safely out of his hands Heere let the sinner consider in what case hee was when hee committed this sinne whether hee were his owne man as wee speake that is whether it were in the choise of his own wil to do it with liking or without liking For great is the weakenesse of our nature and oftentimes the regenerate and best minded serue â—…s of God though they should yeelde to die a thousand deaths with most exquintâ—… torments rather then commit â—…nie sinne to the offence of God yet either sodainely affrighted with the appearance of daunger they commit sinne before they haue time to consider what they should doe and to settle their resolution against it or else weighing at leasure both their duty to God and their present danger pusillanimity and weakenesse of heart maketh them to shrinke and yeelde at the present And must a sentence irreuocable presently come forth against this weake sheepe Is there no balme in Gilead is there no Physition there is there no mercy in heauen for this sinner is there no gracious pardoner there Such a rule must needes haue sent to hell many of Gods beloued Saints that now are with him in heauen who while they liued on earth were sometime vrged with sodaine and sometime with violent temptations and haue yeelded sometime without consideration and sometime with consideration and yet after by the mercie of God haue recouered themselues and haue glorified GOD both in their life and death are now glorified of him in his kingdome And why shouldest not thou if thy sinne be like theirs hauing to do with the same God of mercie hope to finde the same fauour that they found Surely this very circumstance that thou wert surprised by a sodaine or violent temptation led captiue to do euill against thine owne liking that didst take no pleasure in it yea wert exceedingly grieued that thou hadst not strength grace to withstand it is a hole in the wall of hope through which light shineth and wherin if thou dig by humble hearty prayer it may proue a doore of mercy for thee to enter by come neare to God to be eased of thy burdeÌ„ Here consider the example of the Apostle Peter his sin was a grieuous fin for he denied before men his master the Lord Iesus Christ he did so once twice and thrice each time more vehemeÌ„tly then other for first he simply denied him passed it ouer with this saying I know not the man At the second time he augmented his sin with addition of an oath and forsweares him The third time he yet augmented his sinne more with addition of grieuous execrations and cursed himselfe that is wished himselfe accursed if hee know him And he did this in the time of knowledge after he had learned that to do so was sinne and dangerous to his soule For he had heard his Maister openly before speake thus Whosoeuer shall confesse mee before men him will I confesse before my Father in heauen but whosoeuer shal deny me befnre men him wil I deny before my Father which is in heauen And though it were a true saying out of a liars mouth skin for skinne and all that euer a man hath will hee giue for his life Yet this is true also and to be regarded aboue the other that all that a man hath euen skin and life also hee must giue cast away and esteeme as vile that he may follow Christ to glorifie him by true confession Which course only hath power to secure life As Peter also had heard from the mouth of his Lord saying If any man will follow mee let him forsake himselfe and take vp his crosse and follow mee for whosoeuer will saue his life shall loose it and whosoeuer shall loose his lifs for my sake shall saue it This Peter had heard this he knew And besides these general caueats long before giuen Peter was also priuately forewarned of this thing euen the same night a little before he did it when he also took knowledge of that warning and resolued with himselfe not to doe it yea made open vow not to doe it For when the Lord Iesus Christ after his last Supper a little before his apprehension hee tolde the Apostles that they that night should all be offended by him Peter boldely answered and saide vnto him Though all men should be offended yet will not â—… be offended To whom the Lord said in the next words Verily I say vnto thee that this night before the Cocke crow thou shalt deny mee thrice Peter had no meaning to do so but rather a resolued heart not to do so And therefore aunswered presently Though I should die with thee yet will I not deny thee And hee spake no more than hee truely intended hee was no hypocrite onely he considered not his owne weakenesse but was ouer confident in the opinion of his own streÌ„gth And therfore when Iesus was taken and carried to the high Priests houâ—…e Peter followed a farre off and entred into the high Priests hall and put himselfe among the seruants and officers and drew neere to the fire for it was colde and first a maide challenged him to bee one of the followers of Iesus after some of the men seconded her challenge strengthening it by adding 〈◊〉 suspition that his speech bewrayed him to be a Galilean and Iesus came out of Galilee and therefore hee was not vnlikely to be one of his followers At last a coosin of his whose care Peter had smoâ—…e off in the garden flatly affirmed that hee did see him in the garden with him Peter affrighted sodainely with these challenges and being in the middest of them whom hee esteemed his enemies seeing at the present no way to escape yea hauing no leisure to thinke what was fittest for him to doe denyed his Maister and bound his deniall with oaths and curses Was not this a sin against the knowledge of his heart and what hast thou done in the particular sinnes that thou arâ—… charged withall in thine heart that Peter did not in this sinne of his and in what points are thy sinnes greater and more grieuous then his then what letteth thee that thou maiest not pray for and
I haue prouoked him to anger and by his iust sentence I must not liue Also I haue spent the daies of my life on earth so wickedly that I must liue no longer There the earth is ouer-loaden with my transgressions and refuseth to beare the burden of them And as for the life of heauen it were folly and madnes in mee yea it were shameles presumption in me to hope for any fruition of iâ—… I know no other place of life but these two earth where life is mortall and heauen where life is immortall and heauen will not admit me to liue there and the earth hath indured my life too long Therefore I must die This is the sentence of God The Prophet Ezekiel saith The soule that sinneth it shall die And the Apostle Saint Paul saith The wages of sinne is death Who can controule this iudgement of God who shall open his mouth against it I doe my selfe approue it And therefore I am become my selfe an enemie to mine owne life yea heauen doeth abhor it the earth doeth loath it it must not continue to the offence of God and his Angels to the greefe of the Church and all true members of it And therefore I â—…hat heitherto haue had no care to serue and glorifie God wiâ—…h the continuance of my life will yet at the least and at the last serue and glorifie God with the end of my life intending to be the executioner of Gods holy sentence vpon my selfe So shall I cease to sinne any longer against God As the dead cannot praise him so the dead can not blaspheme him and as they haue no place to doe well so I thinke they haue no place to doe euill and by such course I shall deliuer my selfe from this violent temptation I shall obtaine an end of my feare Doth not Iob say of death and of the graue The prisoners rest together and heare not the voice of the oppressor there are small and great and the seruant is free from his master There shall Ireâ—… hauing put off this heauy burden What greater oppressour can there be then an accusing and condemning conscience And there he saith I shall not heare the voice of the oppressor O place to be desired O sweet graue I long to be laied vp in thee and am I not a seruant and a slaue to sinne is it not now a most cruell and tyrannous master to me and there I shall be freed from his tormenting power This being so iust in regard of God so full of aduantage and ease vnto my selfe it must be done it shall be done and I must doâ—… it yea I wil doe it disswade mee not from so iust and so gainefull a course wherein I am resolued O malice of Satan this is thy voice this is thy counsell in all the former obiections wherein thou hast beene a medler thou hast shewed thy selfe but in this thou exceedest thy selfe Hee that knew thee not before by this obiection may know thee to be as saint Peter calls thee A roaring lion that walketh about seeking whom hee may deuoure Heereby thou maiest be knowne to be as S. Iohn calls thee the great dungeon that olde serpent called the diuell and Satan which deceiueth all the world In this temptation thou seekest to deuoure but the prey shall be plucked out of thy iawes in this thou thinkest to deceiue but thy dangerous falshood shall be discouered and auoyded The victorious Lion of the tribe of Iudah the roote of Dauid shall rescue and deliuer his seely sheepe The Serpent that was lifted vp vpon the crosse shall bâ—…uise thine head and heale the wound that thou like a fiery serpent hast made The Lord rebuke thee Satan The Lord tread thee downe vnder the feete of this afflicted sinner and that shortly But thou O sorrowfull sinner hearken to the councell of God let not the serpent that deceiued our first parents deceiue thee stoppe thine eare against his lying words and be ready to heare what shall be taught thee in the name of God God saith by the Prophet Heare your soule shal liue Heare that thy soul may liue Thou art vrged to desire deser ued death thou art vrged yeldest with thine owne hands to hasten his death Thy resolution to hasten it seemeth to be grounded vpon these reasons First thou hast wronged and prouoked to anger the Lord of life and therefore deseruest in his iustice to die Secondly thou hast burdened the earth the place of mortall life with thy sinnes and art not worthy to liue any longer vpon the face thereof and then to thinke that thou maiest liue in heauen the place of immortal life thou holdest to be shamlesse presumption Thirdly thou holdest thy life to be loathsome it is so to thy selfe because it is offensiue to God and to his Angels to the church and members thereof Fourthly because thou hast not serued and glorified God by the continuance of thy life thou wilt serue and glorifie him by hastening the end of it Fistly thou hast multiplied sinne all the daies of thy life and thou thinkest that thou shalt cease to sin if once thou be dead Lastly whereas thy life is full of feare sorrow and bitternesse thou thinkest by death to be freede at once from all These are the reasons vpon which thou groundest thy resolution to hasten thy death with thine owne hands they may preuaile as reasons with them whom God hath left in the power of him whom the Lord Iesus calleth a murtherer from the beginning But whosoeuer remaineth in the protection of the Lord and giuer of life to him these allegations cary not the estimation of perswading reasons oâ—… if they beare any such estimation with them yet God wil nâ—…uer suffer them so to preuaile that they shal take effect but he will preuent their execution as â—…e did with the affrited Gaoler of Philippiâ—…â—…hom â—…hom being ready to fall vpâ—… his sword when he perceiued the effects of the earth-quake and feared that his prisoners were â—…led the mercifull GOD preserued him by the voice of Paul My heart trembleth to thinke of this obiection and it breaketh out beyond the bounds of my conceit that thought the precedent obiection to haue beene the height of Sathans malice and of this poore afflicted sinners danger But this exceedeth all height heere is extremity of malice in the tempter heere is extremity of danger in the tempted If the Deuill preuaile in this temptation hee xedeth not to vse any other And if the â—…ner giue place to this temptation it is â—…othing worth to 〈◊〉 and ouer come â—…lother In answering this temptation â—…il first examine the point that he saith â—…is resolued vpon and then the reaâ—…ons vpon which hee groundeth his resolution The thing that he is resolued vpon is â—…o cut the threed of his own life in plain â—…ords he intendeth to kill himselfe In the whole history of the Bible that conâ—…neth the
but thou thy selfe thinkest absurd for others and yet thou thinkest it reason for thy selfe But God himselfe denieth this argumēt to be of any strēgth while he saith or commandeth the prophet in his name to say Say vnto them As I liue saith the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue turne you turne you from your euill waies for why will you die O yee house of Israel Is not God the Iudge Is it not hee against whom thou saiedst thou hast sinned and deserued death and therefore must die It shall be granted that thou hast sinned It shall be granted that by that sinne thou hast deserued death but where is that must where is that necessity of dying that thou speakest of when God saith it and sweares it by his life who liueth euer that hee desireth not the death of a sinner Thou dreamest of some inexorable seuerity in God and some ineuitable necessity of death in the sinner God saith no to both There is no such seueritie in God Hee is farre from vrging that desires not the death of a sinner And there is no such vnauoidable danger to man while God doth offer him the way of life euen then when he hath by this sinne deserued death saying As I liue I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue Seest thou not the vanitie of this first Argument where of trueth afforded the premisses for thou hast sinned against god and thy sinne deserueth death But errour danger death and the diuell drew in the conclusion against trueth for there is no necessitie seeing God the Iudge requires no such death As I liue I desire not the death of the wicked and contrary to that conclusion sheweth a way of life to his mind more ag◅eeable to the sinner more safe But that the wicked turne from his way and liue returne this argumēt to the diuel that lent it thee it may be retorted vpon him in full strength For he hath sinned against God and by his sinne deserued death and therefore must die for God desireth the death of wicked angels hauing shut them vp in euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse vnto the iudgement of the last day and hath not shewed vnto them any way of life But for thy selfe learne to argue better and frame thy argument so that God may allow of it I haue sinned against God therefore I must repent I must turne from my waies vnto God and learne to walke in his waies And againe my sinne hath deserued death therefore I must turne from my waies that I may liue for God hath sworn◅ that he desires not the death of a sinner but that the sinner turne from his wicked way and liue These Conclusions are inferred according to Gods will who desireth both thy conuersion from thy former sinnes and also thy saluation contrary to the merit of thy sinnes saying Turne you turne you from your euill waies for why will you die Oyee house of Israel These conclusions haue holinesse in them agreeable to all the commandements of God whereas thy former conclusions inuite to murder contrarie to GODS commandements and these conclusions containe life and saluation in them according to all the promises of God whereas thy former conclusions containe death and destruction contrarie to his promises If by thy former sinnes thou hast incurred the iust displeasure of God This manner of reasoning that I haue taught thee shews thee how to recouer his loue and liking and if thy former sinnes haue brought thee into the danger of death this maner of reasoning that I haue taught thee shewes thee how to recouer life and saluation Throw therefore thy foolish reason I haue sinned and therefore must die in the face of him that framed it for thee and remember euer that comfortable speech of God As I liue saith the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way liue And frame thy Arguments by the direction of this word I haue sinned against God therefore I must turne from my wicked waies And my sinne against God hath deserued death Therefore I must turne from my wicked waies so shal I liue this māer of arguing being as thou seest agreeable to Gods word is both pleasing vnto God and safe for thy selfe Thy second reason grounded as thou thinkest vpon iustice is this I haue loden and ouer charged the earth with the burden of my sinnes it groneth vnder that burden and can no longer beare it therefore it must bee eased by the remouing of me And forasmuch as I haue beene the man that haue laied this load vpon the earth it is meete I should also be the man to remoue it This latter part of thy reason that thou shouldest be the man to remoue the burden that hast beene the man to lay on the burden I hold to be most reasonable he that did the wrong ought to make the mends But let vs agree of the true burden that hath beene laid on by wrong and must be remoued by right That burden thou speakest of in the first part of thy reason wherein thou arguest thus I haue loaden the earth with the burden of my sinnes which it can no longer beare therefore I must by death be remoued Doest thou not behold and see an error in this arguing yea a wicked and most deceitful fraud of Satan seeking subtilly to destroy thee while in the antecedent of thy argumēt thou speakest of the burden that presseth the earth thou namest thy sins and they indeed make the earth to grone and when thou commest in the conclusion of thy argument to speake of remouing this burden thou ◅aiest nothing of remouing the sinne but speakest altogether of remouing thy selfe thy sinne is the burden and thou concludest not to remoue the sinne but to remoue thy selfe If a man wounded by another and desirous to be healed should apply his meanes to the party that made the wound and not to the wound it selfe doest thou not see that man that made the wound may bee remoued and the wound remaine still as dangerous as it was at the first but if he apply his meanes to the wound that was made the wound shal be healded and so remoued the man that made it remaining still Thy case is altogether like it thou hast giuen the earth a wound by the burden of thy sinnes if the meanes for the easing of the earth be applied not to the sinne to take away it but vnto thee to take away thee thou maiest be remoued but the guiltines of thy sinnes shall remaine vnto iudgement But if meanes be rightly applied to take away the sinne the earth is eased of her burden and thou also remainest in safetie thy argument therefore should be framed thus The earth groneth vnder the burden of my sinnes therefore these sinnes must be remoued Hee
dead should become free from sinne and holy Saints to please God by abstayning from euill and to merit fauour O most absurd imagination to think that a man should become holy in Hell that was profane vnto the last point of his life on earth Hitherto properly belong the words of Salomon saying If the tree doe fal toward the South or toward the North in the place that the tree falleth in there it shall be In that place he exhorteth to liberality and vertue while we liue because when death comes then there is no place of bearing after any fruits of goodnesse after death there followeth no alteration of this kinde to make either the good man worse then hee was or the euill man better then hee was if the tree fall toward the South it turneth not it selfe after to the North and if it fall toward the North it turneth not to the South The good mans goodnesse continueth with him and is increased rather then diminished because he then inioyeth the goodnesse of God in Heauenly maner to raise his loue vnto God to the highest degree and measure and the wicked mans wickednes after death continueth with him and is increased rather then diminished because he now feeleth the wrath of God in the heauiest manner to raise his hatred against God â—…nto the highest straine Death can make no such change in a man that hee that was a sinner vnto death and in death should cease to bee a sinner after death this reason will deceiue thee if earth was able to make the a contemner then Hell is able to make thee a blasphemer for if correction intended for thy amendment could not make the cease from sinning while thou didst liue How much lesse can punishments laid vpon thee not by way of correction but by way of condemnation make thee cease from sinning the minde of the condemned how it stands affected toward God we may see by that which is written in the Booke of the Reuelations Men boiled in great heate and blasphemed the name of God which hath power ouer these plagues and they repented not to haue giuen him glorie When sinners are once tormented in those flames they are so farre from repenting of their sin to cease from it that their whole carriage is rage and blasphemy They can doe nothing else and therefore though being dead thou can doe no euill after the fashion of this world yet it followeth not that therefore thou shalt not sinne But say thou canst not commit any new sinne what aduantage is that vnto thee when thy olde sinne is vnforgiuen for want of repentance before thy death yea thy very death wrought by thine owne hands without warrant from God yea directly contrary to the commaundement of God addeth vnto thy condemnation deserued before Doth it helpe the thiefe fast shut vp in prison that he stealeth no more when for the olde theft vnpardoned hee must be hanged Surely no and his ceasing to steale while he is a prisoner will not bee interpreted to proceede from my new grace and purpose of amendment but to be want of libertie want of meanes and opportunitie Hee doth â—…ot steale because hee cannot steale it is no new mind in him but the streightâ—…esse of his imprisonment that maketh him for beare and though hee commit no new robberies yet hee must die for the olde And if thou couldest sinne no more after thy death the not committing of new sinnes would be as smal aduantage vnto thee that perishest for the olde vnpardoned and thy forbeating in thy graue will not be interpreted to be any fruit of repentance and a renewed heart but to bee a necessitie imposed vpon thee thy earthly members beeing tied and restrained by the condition of death and therfore thogh thou commit no new sinne thou must perish eternally for thy old not repented by thee and therefore not pardoned of God There shall not be laied to the charge of them that shall heare this sentence at the last day Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell and his angels Any other sinne then those which they committed vpon the earth where they liued among the little ones of Christ for thus shall it be said vnto them I was an hungred and yee gaue me no meate I thirsted and ye gaue me no drinke I was a stranger and yee lodged mee not I was naked and yee clothed me not sicke and in prison and yee visited me not These were no sinnes committed after they were gone out of the earth while their bodies were in the graue and their soules in hell fire Christ was not there among them in his members hungry thirsty wandring naked sicke and in prison and they there had neither bread nor drinke nor clothes not lodging chambers to relieue him withall they are their olde sinnes vnpardoned not any new sinnes after death committed that the wicked shall be condemned for at the last day And so much Saint Paul doth teach vs where hee saith We must all appeare before the tudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that hee hath doone whether it bee good or euill When thou shalt come to iudgement before Iesus Christ that shal iudge both quicke and dead at his appearing and in his kingdome thou shalt not be questioned for any thing done out of thy body when thou art dead but onely for those things which thou did dest in thy body while thou wert aliue Where is then that aduantage that thou dreamest of by not sinning any more after death Seest thou not by this time what a strange delusion it was that thou sholdest sinne no more after death and that ceasing from sinne should winne thee some fauour with God and be takeâ—… for true repentance and that therefore it should be a benefit vnto thee to cut off thine owne life that so thou mightest withall cut off the too long continued course and custome of thy sinne if thou haue any such purpose indeed to cease from sinne which I beseech God to giue thee if thou haue it not and to continue in thee if thou haue it nourish thy life that God hath giuen thee and while thou art in the bodie cease to doe euill and learne to do welâ—… make haste to turne to the Lord and put not off from day to day and whilest thou hast time bring forth fruits woorthy amendment of life This will be taken for true repentance this will cause all thy former sinnes to be put out of all remembrance And then whensoeuer God shall be pleased to call thee out of thee out of the world thou shalt end thy dayes in peace and comfort and then thou shalt indeede cease from sin and thy workes shall follow thee to the gaine of eternall life This doe and repent thee of thy former resolution for hitherto the reasons whereuppon it is grounded are vaine
is proued not to be that sinne whereof God neuer giueth repentance and therefore neuer forgiueth it pag. 208. 17 Hence follow obiections made by his troubled minde And first he obiecteth that his sinne comes so neere that vnpardonable sinne that the angry eie of heauen can se no difference and though his sinne be pardonable yet it is punishable and lesse sinnes then his are punished therefore why not his The seauenteenth Chapter answereth this obiection pag 225. 18 His second obiection is the iustice of heauen cannot suffer such sinne as his to passe vnpunished and the holines of heauen will not admit such sinners as hee to enter The eighteenth Chapter answereth this obiection And addeth incouragements from the promise of God and commandement of Christ. pag 234 19 His third obiection is against Christs commandement as not pertaining to him he may not aske forgiuenes of sinnes because he cannot call God his father The nineteenth Chapter answereth this obiection pag. 247. 20 His fourth obiection is against Gods promise as not pertaining to him because it was Gods couenant with the house of Israell and he is no Israelite neither after the 〈◊〉 or after the promise The twenieth Chapter answereth this obiection pag 264. 21 His fift obiection is notwithstanding Christs commandement to aske and Gods promise to grant forgiuenes yet maâ—…y perish therefore why not he The â—…ne twentieth chapter answereth this obiâ—…ction shewing the conditions of obtaining forgiuenes to be repentant toward God faith in Christ and charitie â—…oward our brethren pag. 275. 22 His sixt obiection is There is in him neither repentance nor faith nor loue The two and twentieth chapter answereth this obiection pag 302. 23 His seuenth obiection iâ—… His heart is euen full of all euill thoughts If they riâ—…e out of his owne heart it is incurably euill â—…f the diuel thrusts them in his heart is irrecouerable in the deuils power The three and twentieth chapter answereth this obiection pag. 312. 24 His eight obiection is this The law â—…f God curseth 〈◊〉 hee is a transgressor therefore by the law of God accurâ—…ed the foure and twentieth chapter answereth this obiection pag. 330. 25 His ninth obiection is He cannot pray alledgeth many impediments The fiue twentieth chap. answereth this obiection pag. 340. 26 His tenth obiection in an extreame fit of his disease is this He is forsaken oâ—… Gâ—…d hee is a child of perdition and lost and he is a reprobate The six twentieth chapter answereth this obiection pag 368. 27 His eleuenth obiection is the hâ—…ight of dispaire He saith he must and will diâ—… and must and will be the instrument of his owne death and alledgeth reasons for it some to proue from the iustice of the fact some from the aduentage The seuen and twentieth chapter in answere to the obiection sheweth the foulenes of the fact pag. 421. 28 The eight and twentieth chapter examineth and answereth his reasons both for the supposed iustice for the supposed aduantage of the fact shewing their weakenes and errour pag. 468. 29 Being driuen from his desperate resolution he maketh â—… twelfth obiection from his vnworthines of life and of the comforts of life concluding that hee must and will abstaine from them The nine and twentieth chapter anâ—…wereth thiâ—… obiection pag. 517. 30 A thirâ—…eenth obiection is from the â—…eare of death that either he shall die before this tenâ—…ation be ouercome or that it will be renewed after death as in the proper place for then sinnes are brought to iudgement The thirtieth chapter answereth this obiâ—…ction pag. 533 31 A fourteenth obiection is a matter of discomfort namely that all things that minister delight and comfort to others are vnto him mingled with griefe and feare The one and thirtieth chapter answerâ—…th this obiâ—…ction and conuerteth the precept pag. 559. 32 The two and thirtieth chapter beginneth the promise pronounced in words answer able to his owne presenâ—… estate pag. 569. 33 The three and thirtieth chapter handleth the first part of the promise in these words he will nourish thee pag 578. 24 The fower â—…nd thirtieth chapter beginneth the second part of the promise in these words He will not suffâ—…r â—…he râ—…ghteous to fall for euer Mens falles are here shewed to be either into sinne or into mâ—…serie and this chapter sheweth that God will not suffer the righteous when they fall into sin to lie in it for euer pag. 35 The fiue and thirtieth chapter sheweth that God will not suffer the righteous when they are â—…allen into miserie either inward or outward to lie in it for euer pag. 36 The six and thirtieth chapter gathereth the conclusion of all the whole treatise pag. Faults escaped in Printing Pâ—…g 19 line 7 read wight p. 23. l. 13. r. you p. 54. l. 12 for r. 2â—… p. 84. l. 8. â—… their burdeÌ„ p. 88. l. 17. 1. fâ—…r mat man p 89 l. 23 r. bâ—… by the. p. 9â—… l. 5. r. Aramite p. â—…04 l. 12 r no meatâ—… and l 13 〈◊〉 no drinke and l. â—…7 r. â—…rieue p. 105. l. 1â—… r. repentance p 139. l. 8 r trieth p. 141. l. 15. r offices p. 1â—…2 l. 26. r. to 〈◊〉 p. 153 l. 6. foâ—… troubles r. burdens p. 160. l. 25. r. pntâ—…eth p 164 l. 6. r 〈◊〉 p. 172. l. 12. r. muster master p. 1â—…3 l 2. 6 r. louing p 20â—… l 25. for that r. no constancie p. 225. l. 14 r. to shew for p. 2â—…8 l. 13. r. but l. p. 290. l. 1â—… r. budding p. 315. l. 20. r. deriued p. 320. l. 12. r had couered p. 〈◊〉 l. 2â—… â—… scâ—…uethe p 367 l. 13. r. and of thâ—… p 36â—… l 12. â—… thou knowell whereof p. 392 l. 27. r and serue him p 424 l. â—… r dâ—…agon p. 427. l. 2â—… r. in minâ—… hurt p. 428. l. 3. â—… they â—…ocke thâ—…m p. 432. l. 28. r. coniecture vnto me p. 436. l. 8. r. peâ—…secu eth p. 442. l. 23. r. pasâ—…ibus p. 457. l. â—… r. limme p. 465. l. 11. r. arts p. 48â—… l. 20. r. hâ—… receaueth p. 490. l. 11. r. cut of p. 502. l. 16. r. vnexpected p. 527 l. 15. r. idlâ—…e p. 560. l. 13 r. without content Other letterall faults good gentle reader beare withall THE STRONG HELPER PSAL. 5â—… 22. Cast thy burden vpon the Lord and hee shall nourish thee he will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer CHAP. 1. THE violence of Saul and â—…nuy of his courtiers had bred vnto Dauid trouble and danger This trouble and danger had affrighted his mind so that trembling feare and horror oppressed his heart as appeareth in the first eight verses of this Psalme His trembling feare and horror made him â—…e vnto God before whom he complaineth of the most perfidious falsehood of his enemies and at the hands of God he craueth in iustice their death and destruction This appeareth in the next seauen verses of the Psalme By this time his mind is somewhat
his iust iudgement into hell This burden is prepared by bold and contemning sinners by men that rise early to follow drunkennesse and are strong to drinke strong drinke by men that commit adultery and assemble themselues by companies in harlots houses and rise in the morning like fed horses euery man neighing after his neighbours wife by men that lay wait as he that setteth snares and maketh pits to catch men and fill their houses with the fruit of deceit as cages are filled with birds by men that haue two kinds of waights and measures and vse to sweare falsly by men that say desperatly we will doe whatsoeuer thing goeth out of our owne mouth and our strength shall bee the law of vnrighteousnesse by mockers that say where is the hope of his comming and as the Prophet Esay testifieth of them draw iniquitie with cords of vanity and sinne as with Cart-ropes Of which audacious men that neither feare God nor man and are neither religious to regard conscience nor ciuill to regard good name the world is full These are the two kinds of burdens the ceremonious worship of God without truth and piety prepared and throwen vpon God by dissembling hypocrits and the bold transgression of all law and order prepared and cast vpon God by wicked contemners these are those particular burdens which by way of caueat I thought fit to warne you of that you meddle not with casting these vpon God least he cast both you and your burdens into eternall destruction in hell But our heauy burdens that presse our soules and breed feare care and griefe vnto our mindes whereof we desire to be eased those wee may and must cast vpon God and are not onely allowed but allured also to turne them off vpon him CHAP. VII OF these burdens some are secular concerning this world and no way touching Heauen or Hell and some are spirituall meerely concerning our soules and the life and death thereof and the seruice and fauor of God Of the secular there be foure kindes The first secular burden is worldly cares when a mans charge is great and his maintenance small the common burden of the poore though somtimes also wringing the backe of the rich This burden groweth heauy sometimes by the worke of Gods hands sending more charge lesse gaines deare times and vnexpected losses sometimes by the malice of other men some oppressing by power some deceiuing by fraud and some wasting by riot whom thou didst trust and sometime by thine owne fault as by sloth by sumptuous courses in apparrell diet building and by foolish bargaines This burden makes men grone out these words what shall wee eate what shall we drinke wherewith shall we be clothed how shall I pay my debts maintaine my credit and answer the charges of my place To cast this burden vpon God is to proceed by these rules First to consider the bounty of God that giueth to all both life and breath and all things Secondly vpon consideratiō of this bounty to fall to praier that he will be pleased to extend that bounty vnto thee Thirdly to apply thy selfe diligently and faithfully in some honest calling wherein God may blesse thy hand to fill thy mouth fleeing all vnlawfull shifts Fourthly and lastly to take heede of excesse This excesse is double first the excesse of desire which we calcouetousnes when a man is not content with that that is sufficient secondly the excesse of spending which we cal riot when a man hath a humour to waste intemperatly The first rule is to acquaint our selues with the bounty of God that we may cōceiue hope of help from his hand wherof the Prophet saith thou openest thine hand and fillest al things liuing of thy good pleasure this boūty of God wil appeare vnto vs partly by the testimony of the Prophets partly by the euidence of his own works liberal deling with his cretures His bounty is testified by the Prophets other holy men Dauid thus speaketh of it He causeth grasse to grow for the cattel and hearbes for the vse of man that he may bring forth bread out of the earth and wine that maketh glad the heart of man oile to make the face to shine bread that strengthneth mans heart This is a maruelous work of Gods prouidence an euidence of great bounty that out of the drie earth he bringeth forth food for vs. Of his special care among men to deale bountifully with them that feare him the Prophet Esay giueth testimony saying thus saith the Lord God behold my seruant shal eate you that is the wicked for to them he speaketh shal be hungry my seruants shall drinke you shal be thirsty my seruants shal reioice you shal be ashamed When the wicked shal want and in their want be confounded the righteous shal abound and in their abundance reioyce Excellent is the testimony of our Sauior Christ in the Gospel of S. Math. saying Behold the fowles of heauen for they sowe not neither reap nor cary into the barns yet your heauēly father feedeth them are ye not much better then they if God extend his bounty to creatures of so smal regard to whom also the means of prouiding their food by sowing reaping reseruing is denied that notwithstanding he sendeth them sufficiency how much more wil he prouide for the children of men that are of better regard with him to whom he hath giuē means of prouiding their own food by sowing by reaping by reseruing their store Excellent is the testimony of Saint Paul among the vnbeleeuing Gentiles at Listra vnto whom hee commendeth the true God that made the world before the vaine Idols which they serued saying hee left not himselfe without w◅nesse in that hee did good and gaue vs raine from heauen and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with foode and gladnesse Such was his bounty euen toward them that worshipped idols and being his creatures he failed not to supply them with necessaries◅ how much more wil he not faile his own children which worship him in spirit and truth Such testimony do the Prophets and other holy men giue of the bounty of God that openeth his hand and filleth all things liuing with his goodnesse And the euidence of his works is very cleare to approue vnto vs the same goodnesse He giueth daily and yearely store of foode and nourisheth life in all his creatures that participate life But because the worke of God in his ordinary prouidence is not obserued and esteemed as it ought to bee let him that is burdened with the cares of this life by reason of want consider the records of Gods bounty making prouision by myracle when ordinary prouision failed How he prouided for Israel in the wildernesse forty yeares sending them bread from heauen euery mourning How he prouided for Elias in a time of dearth causing the Rauens to bring him bread and flesh
cause vnquietnes Parents must be honoured and Children must be cared for though in some things they grieue vs and God may amend them at the last if wee in the meane while bearing patiently their infirmities continue our duety to them and our prayers for them If it be Masters or Seruants that cause vnquietnesse the Seruants in patience must bee subiect to their Maisters with all feare not only to the good and curteous but also to the froward they can not shake off their Maisters while the dayes of their seruitude continue and the maisters in patience must do vnto their seruants that which is iust not omitting any meanes whereby they may reforme them and in the end the master hath power to ease himselfe of an incurable euill seruāt by dismissing him If it be neighbour against neighbor that causeth vnquietnesse this rule teacheth not to render euill for euill nor rebuke for rebuke but contra◅iwise in patience to blesse and to doe all good offices in neede whereby thou shalt haue peace in thy heart howsoeuer thy neighbour bee disposed to contention And if thy home-trouble be painefull sickenesse either vpon thy selfe or vpon some of thy houshold or some other neare and deare vnto thee this rule teacheth thee whatsoeuer other meanes for recouerie of health be vsed to beare thy visitation meekely humbling thy selfe vnder the mighty hand of God in euery thing If thy trouble bee the death of any whose life thou didst desire this rule will teach thee knowing the death of the righteous to bee vnto them the beginning of true life to giue glorie to God with a quiet mind This patience in all things will giue thee ease of thy burden according to the saying of our Sauiour Take my yoake on you and learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in heart and ye shall finde rest vnto your soules This is one common rule A second common rule in all these troubles pertaining to the right casting of them vpon God is that we pray vnto God crauing his helpe who for ought wee know hath therefore layed these troubles vpon vs because we haue been negligent in prayer that now feeling sensibly in our sorrow our neede of his helpe wee might amend our old negligence and fall to praier And surely whether God did send our troubles for that cause or no yet this is most sure that prayer is a most profitable course for the easing of our trouble which God commandeth with promise of ease saying by the Prophet Call vpon me in the day of trouble so will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie mee And the Saints haue alwayes vsed it with happy successe of ease As the Prophet testifieth saying These called vppon the Lord and hee heard them So did Iacob when returning from his vnckles hee heard that Esau was comming forth against him with foure hundred men hee said thus vnto God I pray thee deliuer me from the hand of my brother from the hand of Esau for I feare him lest hee will come and smite mee and the mother vppon the children And according to his desire God deliuered him from his feare for his brother and hee met in peace and departed one from another in peace so did Moses when the Aegiptians pursued the Israelites and the Israelites feared the Aegiptians before the red Sea The Lord fayd vnto Moses Wherefore criest thou vnto mee for Moses in his heart prayed earnestly vnto God and God did deliuer him from his feare opening a passage for the Israelites thorow the waters of the red Sea and drowning in the floud the Aegiptians that presumed to follow so that Israel sawe the Aegiptians dead vpon the Sea banke Wee neede not stand vpon particular examples hauing a generall rule that neuer fayleth the Prophet saying The Lord is neare vnto all that call vpon him yea to all that call vpon him in trueth hee will fulfill the esire of them that feare him he also will beare their crie and will helpe them Now seeing the saints doe thus in their troubles pray vnto God for ease and do thus at the hands of God obtaine ease when they pray in their troubles it is euident that to pray vnto God in our trouble is a worthy rule of casting our burden vpon God in all domesticall yea in al whatsoeuer troubles And let no man say there is no need in these troubles to trouble God with our praiers because he knoweth both what we suffer and what himselfe hath determined to do for these reasons thou oughtest the more gladly to pray because God doth vnderstand thy want before thou complaine and is determined to succour before thou intreate him thy labour with such a God cannot be in vaine And this know thou hast great imploiment for thy praiers in these and such like troubles First thou hast neede to offer vp praiers vnto God for thy selfe that he will giue thee patience and wisedome to demeane thy selfe aright vnder these troubls that thou maiest neither be a murmurer against God grudging at those troubles nor increase thy troubles by dealing indiscreetly and frowardly with them that are the causers and occasion of thy troubles nor maiest erre and be wanting in vsing good remedies to heale and reforme them that are the causers of thy troubles And if thy domesticall trouble be sicknesse in thine owne body how necessary it is to pray vnto God to giue thee patience to send thee health to forgiue thy sins and to prepare thee for death when Iames the Apostle exhorteth to reioice for temptations and to continue in patience till patience haue her perfect worke because these things require an extraordinary wisedome he further aduiseth vs to pray vnto God for that wisedome saying If any of ◅ou lack wisedome let him aske of God who giueth vnto all men liberally Giuing to vnderstand by that aduise how necessary it is in the time of trouble to vse pra◅er for thy selfe that thou maiest demeane thy selfe patiently and wisely to glorifie God in thy trouble to profit by the same trouble and not to increase the same but safely to grow out of it and to recouer peace and health Secondly thou hast need to offer vp praiers vnto God for them by whose meanes thou art troubled or for whose sake thou art grieued Sometime thou art vnkindly vsed either by thy husband or wife either by thy parents or children or such as haue stept into the roome of parents and children and haue those names by law giuen them not by nature due vnto them or else by thy master or seruant or by some friend or neighbour For these thou hast great cause to pray vnto God that he will giue them better minds and let them see their fault with mislike of it and see what becommeth them to doe and giue them a heart to doe it If they continue in their frowardnesse shall they not continue to be troublers vnto
that God may doe at his pleasure because he is the Lord of life to giue it and continue it Dauid saith vnto God With thee is the well of life And to him also pertaines all power ouer death to hastē it bring it forward The same Prophet saith of the same God To the Lord God belong the issues of death This maner of remoue by death it is not lawfull for thee to desire much lesse by thy hand to further either in the death of thy selfe or of thy troubler If God be pleased to doe it for thee either in remouing thy troubler from thee or in remouing thee from thy troubler it is euery way a worke of his mercy toward thee If God by death remoue the troubler from thee it is his mercy to thee When God by death had remoued Absolom that had greatly troubled his father and made him flie from Ierusalem then was that domesticall trouble at an end and Dauid returned in peace to Ierusalem That remoue of the trobler by his death was Gods mercy to the troubled So likewise if God by death remoue thee from thy troubler that also is Gods mercy to thee for so he giueth thee rest as the Prophet Esay speaketh saying The righteous perisheth and no man considereth in his heart and mercifull men are taken away and no mā vnderstandeth that the righteous are taken from the euill to come This is also Gods gracious mercy deliuering him from trouble But for thee to be an actor in these things it is altogether vnlawfull God hauing giuen to thee a commandement to the contrary Thou shalt not kill Dauid would neuer so be eased of his troubler Saul he would not doe it himselfe nor suffer others to doe it though he often had opportunity but waited on the hand of God saying to Abishai that would haue smitten him while Dauid and he stood by Sauls beds side As the Lord liueth either the Lord shall smite him or his day shall come to die or he shall descend into battell and perish the Lord keep me from laying mine hand vpon the Lords annointed And at last he was eased by Sauls death without laying his hand vpon him it is the remedy of tyrants and bloud-thirsty persons to seeke ease of their troubles by procuring the death of their troublers And it is the remedy of faithlesse desperate men to ease them of their burden of troubles by remouing themselues from their troubles and troblers by their death So did Saul Ahitophel and Iudas Those men that so remoue themselues and others cast not their burden vpon the Lord who is the giuer of life but cast it vpon the diuel◅ backe and themselues withall who was a murderer from the beginning But if a remoue for thine ease may be effected by shift of place that may both be desired and vsed without sinne Isaack sent his sonne Iacob away from his brother Esau when Esau in his anger had sworne to slaie him Dauid fled from the hand and Iauelin of Saul and shifted for himselfe by remouing from place to place and he conueied all his fathers house into the land of Moab from Sauls reach The Lord Iesus oftentimes withdrew himselfe from the fury and rage of the Iewes And he gaue his disciples a rule for times of persecutiō saying when they persecute you in this city flie vnto another And many honest men haue remoued their habitations to auoid ill neighbours and to be out of the reach of too neare troublers And many haue purged their houses of vnquiet spirits both children seruants as they might doe when they could not amend them in the house But yet I must tell you that if children and seruants increase the burden of thy domesticall troubles this turning them out for thine ease must be the last remedy that must be vsed and all other meanes for their amendment must first be attempted because children and seruants are not sent of God into thine house only for thy pleasure and ease but they are committed vnto thee to be brought vp vnder thee and to be trained by thee to grace and good behauiour And that is a thing that thou must looke vnto somewhat more then only to thine owne quiet that thou maist be able to answer God for their soules If any member of the body be diseased and out of temper putting the head and whole body to paine a man will not at the first cut off that member but first he vseth all meanes to cure it and doth with much patience endure the weaknesse of it and will suffer a blind eie rather then plucke it out of the place and a lame hand rather then cut it of and a sore leg rather then let the sawe come to it and that shall be the last worke if he doe it at all And children and seruants are members in the body of thine house therefore he is but a bad head and gouernour that presently because children and seruants are troublesome that thrust them out of dores to seeke their ease By remouing them must be the last attempt But if other attempts first made by thine own authority and wisedome then after by the counsel of neighbors and friends and lastly by the power and countenance of the magistrate will doe no good vpon them but they persist in their wickednesse and proue incurable to the hurt of thy selfe and others in thy family Then the eie the hand and the foot that offendeth may be cut of If children or seruants or any other that may be turned away be as tender and deare as thine eie as seruiceable as thine hand as necessary as thy foot let them depart The whole is to be respected before a part the head before a member Thus God may be pleased to shorten thy sorrow by a remoue and shift of place between thy troubler and thee If God be pleased to continue thy trouble long all the former aduises must be practised as time affordeth opportunity because thou know st not what happy houre of thine ease God hath set downe in his good purpose And those two common rules of patience and praier must neuer be neglected And for the mittigating of thy sorrow vnder that burden consider these things that follow and they will bring much ease vnto thy mind First that it is the common condition of all Adams children in this world to haue troubles as Iob speaketh most truly Man that is borne of a woman is of a short continuance and full of trouble And if it be common to all without exception of any how great how godly soeuer thou shouldst be too delicate to desire to be exempted Secondly in a more neare manner it is common to all the Saints of God to haue troubles in this world more then the wicked by reason of the enmity that the wicked world beareth to the godly being vnto them a step-mother while like a naturall mother
of some in hell shall be more tollerable then of some others but thereby they vnderstand rather those gripes of conscience that prouoke prayers supplications strong cryings and teares out of a heart beset and straightned with fierce accusations a conuinced conscience feared condemnatioÌ„ these assaults they say shall be more hard against the conscience of him that siuned against knowledge in a presuming manner then against the conscience of him that sinned of ignorance in a weaker manner that is yeelding rather out of his weaknes then daring out of his pride for it may be alledged for the ignorant man that if he had knowne such a thing to be euill in the sight of God he would not haue done it No such thing can be said for him that presumed against knowledge for such an one sheweth contempt of God and of his reuealed will which the ignorant man cannot be charged with all hee groneth only vnder the burden of humane errour and frailty but the other lieth vnder the burden of malice and presumption Therefore when our afflicted man pressed distinctly with some particular sinnes findeth that they were the sinnes of his ignorance let him not thinke himselfe thereby free for to be ignorant of that which is our duty required of God is of it selfe a great sinne and if his ignorance be affected ignorance as in them that refuse to be taught and contemne the meanes of knowledge when God doth offer them such ignorance differeth little or nothing from malice But let him pray vnto God in hope and let him plead before God his ignorance not as an excuse much lesse as a iustification of his fault but as a motiue by which the Lord is often led in his free mercy to forgiue sinnes And for the incouraging of his heart let him remember the examples of them to whom vpon their â—…epentance and conuersion to God mercy to the forgiuenesse of their sinnes of ignorance hath beene granted Peter in a sermon of his made vnto the multitude that came together to see the lame man whom he and Iohn had healed chargeth them with a grieuous sinne saying You denied the holy one and the iust and desired a murà erer to be giuen you and killed the Lord of life whom God raised from the dead where of we are witnesses This was a great sinne to kill the sonne of God and to make more reckoning of and to shew more fauour vnto a knowen murderer then to the Lord of life that came to saue them But this their fact he saith was of ignorance And now brethren I know that through ignorance you did it as did also your gouernors For though the lews were very maliciously bent against Iesus yet many of them knew him not to be the Lord of life and to be the holy one of God neither did they persecute him in that name Therefore doth Saint Peter saâ—…e vnto them in the same Sermon Amend your liues and turne that your sinnes may be done away Heere is mercy offered and assured vnto them that amend their liues and turne to God namely this mercy that all their enormious sinnes and euen among the rest their sinne in refusing the Lord Christ and putting him to a shamefull death should be forgiuen and the rather because they did it ignorantly And memorable is the example of the blessed Apostle Paul His sinne was persecutioÌ„ against the name of Iesus Christ his proceeding in it was furious without all compassion raging both against men and women that called vpon that name and casting them into prison in all places where he could finde them and had power against them In such sort that hee became famous or to speake more truely infamous for his cruelty so that Ananias in Damascus could say to the Lord Iesus of him Lord I haue heard by many of this man how much euil he hath done to thy Saints in Ierusalem moreouer here hee hath authority of the high Priests to bindâ—… all that call vpon thy name And yet this man had his sinnes forgiuen and was receiued into fauour and had all the degrees of holy honour done vnto him that can be done vpon earth to any among the followers of the Lord Iesus For first he was called to the knowledge and faith of the Lord Iesus and was made a true beleeuer Secondly he had honour not only to belieue in him but also to suffer for his sake and was made a true confessour and marter Thirdly he was also an excellent instrument to draw other men to the knowledge and faith of Iesus and was made a teacher and an Apostle And all this was the more freely done to him because when hee was a persecurour hee finned of ignorance and knew no other but that it was lawfull and holy for him to doe so Heare what himselfe saith of that matter I thanke him that hath made mee strong that is Christ Iesus our Lord for he counted me faithfull and put me in his seruice when before I was a blasphemer and a persecutor an oppressor but I was receiued to mercie because I did it ignorantly through vnbeliefe Ignorance and vabeleese are not things pleasing ro God by their vertue and merit obtaining forgiuenes of all the sins growing out of them neither doth the Apostle remember his ignorance and vnbeleefe obtaining his pardon as out of worthinesse of them rather know them in themselues to be grieuous sins deseruing hell as fully as any notorious sinne that issueth from them but he that sinneth out of ignorance more easily findeth fauour then hee that sinneth against knowledge For the sinne of the ignorant man hath not in it like euidence of rebellion against the reuealed will of God as the sin of him that hath knowledge As the words of the Lord Iesus shew spoken to some of the Pharisies If ye were blind ye should not haue sinne that is if yee wanted knowledge and were blind in your vnderstanding your fault should not bee so great so notorious so blame-worthy as now it is by reason of your knowledge There is therefore though no merit of fauour yet much hope for him that can say truely in his heart vnto GOD Lord thou knowest that blindly and ignorantly I ranne into this sinne not knowing that it was against thy will and so odious in thy sight And this is for him that is distinctly charged with particular sinnes and findes that hee committed them out of ignorance a doore of hope in which these examples may incourage him to digge by prayer wherein if hee doe truely and with a right penitent heart humbly and earnestly trauell he casteth the burthen of his sinnes vpon God and shall finde case CHAP. XV. BVT say it was sinne against knowledge and thou hadst warning giuen thee many times to take heede of that same sinne and warning by the word of God so that thou couldest not but know that to doe so as thou didst was a
Chapter we shall finde it to be not any particular transgression of any or of all the precepts of the law but a wil-full opposition of our heart against as I may call it the body of religion first rightly vnderstoode and certainely knowne to be the true religion of God and vpon no other cause but out of meere enuie The Pharises heard the doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ and saw his miracles and knew him to bee that sonne of Dauid that Messias that was promised they knew his doctrine to be holy and heauenly and his workes to bee wrought by the finger of God Yet because the people honoured him and vpon the sight of his miracle when hee healed the man that was possessed of a diuell and was both blind and dumbe because they then cryed out saying Is not this that sonne of Dauid They therefore out of enuy and mallice without any other cause gaue it out concerning him saying He casteth out Diuels no otherwise but by Belzebub the prince of Diuels Indeuoring by these wordes to perswade the people that he was a wicked man risen vp out of Hell set vp by the Prince of diuels and assisted with his power to publish the doctrine of diuels and to vphold his kingdome so slaundering the person of Christ the workes of Christ and the doctrine of Christ all which many of them knew to be heauenly and of God If they had not knowne him to bee thee sonne of God they had not beene guilty of that great sinne As the Lord said vnto them If ye were blind ye should not haue sinne your ignorance would haue cleered you from this wiâ—…full mallice But they knew his person to be sent of God his workes to be done by the finger of God and in his doctrine that he taught truely the will of God The Lord himselfe said vnto them Yee both know me and know whence I am Yet did they out of enuy detract from the glory of his workes that they might by that meanes bring both his person and heauenly doctrine into contempt And they ceased not this course of slandering his person of disgracing his workes and obscuring the truth of his doctrine laying wait also for his life for God giueth not repentance for this sinne till they had bought him with money of the traytor iudged him to be worthy of death vpon the knowne false testimonie of suborned witnesses extorted with their clamours his condemnation from an vnwilling Iudge pronouncing him iust whom he condemned for their pleasure added vnto his vniust death what reproch they could and after his resurrection corrupted the souldiers with money so causing it to be by them divulged that his disciples stole away his body out of the graue and that he did not rise againe from the dead by that course labouring out of enuy to suppresse the Gospell and doctrine of Iesus Christ which yet they knew by the illumination of the holy Ghost to be the very truth of God This malitious opposition of theirs against religion knowne to be the religion of God was their vnpardonable sinne It was not their vncharitabe proceeding against an innocent man their hiering of a seruant to betray his master their suborning of false witnesses against a iust person their corrupting of a Iudge to giue sentence to their liking though vniust nor the hyâ—…ing of bold men to spred a lie among the credulious multitude nor yet the cruell and vniust murdering of the Lord of life Though all these were grieuous sinnes for many were pardoned both of the people and of their gouerners that had their handes in all this iniustice though they had not so deepe a reaâ—… so enuious a purpose of ouerthrowing by his ouerthrow the religion which they knew to be of God as most of the Priestes and Pharises had many I say were pardoned that had their handes in the iniustice done to our sauiour for he praied for them saying Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe and that praier of his could not be in vaine But in the cunning fellowes both among the people and their goueruors that knew him and whence he was and how he wrought and what he taught and that all was of God this was their vupardonable sin that they vsed al that falshood corruption and cruelty both during his life and in his death only to this end to hinder the course of his doctrine as they say plainely in their councell If we let him thus alone all men will beleeue in him When they knew that doctrine taught by him wherein they would not haue the people to beleeue to be the very truth of God This is the vnpardonable sinne called blasphemie against the Holy Gost because it flaundereth and disgraceth the truth of God which was made knowen vnto them so made to shine in their hearts by the Holy Ghost called the spirit of truth because it leadeth into all truth This sinne is a common sinne of diuels that know God and maliciously seeke his dishonor that know the groundes of true and holy religion and enuiously seeke to depraâ—…e them to corrupt them and if they could to abolish them out of the world desiring nothing more then to disgrace the truth of God among men This sin is sometime but rarely found amongst men and in examination thy sinne will bee found not to be this sinne and therefore not to be vnpardonable which is a great ground of hope to build vpon First the sinne of him that is pressed with the generall and confused accusation of an euill and hypocriticall heart cannot be this sinne that being naturally the estate of all men that come into the world they are borne with a heart deceitfull and wicked aboue all things But no man can be borne guilty of blasphemy against the holy-ghost because no man is in his birth enlightned with the knowledge of true religion which knowledge must necessarily goe before this fearefull opposition Neither can this sinne bee found in them that are distinctly charged with a particular sinne or sins that were committed in the days of ignorance it cannot be those sinnes For he that may fall into this vnpardonable sinne must first haue a full cleere knowledge of true religion with perswasion that it is the trueth But the ignorant man wanteth that cleere knowledge And hee is far enough from this sinne Neither can it be found in them that sinne against knowledge but out of weakenesse either surprised with a sudden temptation or led captiue with a strong and violent temptation for when these men are at libertie to consider what they haue done they haue no pleasure in it But that vnpardonable sinne is a voluntary wilfull and malicious opposition against the knowne truth out of their enuy not induring the glory of Christ in his Gospel Neither can any particular breach of any one Commandement nor all the breaches of all the
of his heart First thou maiest haue all these things and yet not know it and therefore it is great rashnes to say thou hast them not For as before this time thou wilt confesse that there was in thee wickednes of life enuie against thy neighbour and infidelitie against God and yet then when it was so thou didst not thinke it to be so nor couldest be induced to beleeue it to be so so at this time there may be in thee repentance and charitie and faith and yet in this astonishment of thy soule thou canst not see it to be so Securitie at that time suffred thee not to see what was amisse in thee and feare at this time suffreth not thee to see what is good and orderly in thee Againe if thou haue them not yet thou art in the way of them and thou art not far from them Thou art grieued to finde thy selfe guiltie of so much sinne and thy heart is pricked and thy soule is wounded to thinke that thou art so laden with thine iniquitie Surely this is the beginning of true repentance when a man is grieued at the sight of his sinne Indeed it is loue that commendeth vnto God our repentance and conuersion to him but it is feare that first openeth the heart vnto God whom being once entred we doe after intertaine with loue so was it with Peters hearers in the Acts. After he had brought them to the fight of their sinne in crucifying the Lord of life it is said of them When they heard it they were pricked in their heartes and said vnto Peter and the other Apostles men and brethren what shall we doe Then began they to haue care of amending their life when they saw the errour of it and were afraid at the fight of it And it is a true saying of Saint Gregorie Sancta electorum ecclesia simplicitatis suae et rectitudiuis vias timore inchoat sed charitate consummat The holy Church of Gods elect beginneth the waies of her simplicitie and vprightnes in feare but doth perfect them in loue So that euen this feare that thou art in by reason of thy sinnes is the beginning of repentance giuing thee to vnderstand that it is not good nor safe to continue in them Proceed in the feare of God for thou art not far from repentance And thou thinkest other men to be happy in their peace of conscience and desirest to haue fellowship with them in the fruition of Gods fauor And is not this loue or at leastwise a preparation to loue to haue in admiration the saints of God to thinke them to be happy that are in his fauour aboue the condition of other men that inioy the glorie of the world without Gods loue and to desire to be vnited vnto them No man can thinke well and honorably of them whom hee hateth no man can desire to bee ioined in condition and fellowship with them whom he doth not loue or at least thinke well of and therefore this opinion that thou holdest of them and of their happines sheweth that thou art not far from loue When Balaam hauing considered the condition of the people of God both in their life and death speake these words Let me die the death ◅f the righteous and let my last end be like his Hee began to loue the Israelites and though after hee shewed fruites of hatred against them yet at that time when hee spake those words he loued them his change of mind grew from his owne couetousnes he desired Balaks reward and therefore sel from his loue as Gregorie noteth of him that there was Nequaquam perseue ra◅tia continui amoris no perseuering in continued loue He began to loue thē but the couetousnes of his heart brake off his loue Continue thou in loue and striue to increase Thy present good opinion that thou holdest of them and of their happines is an euidence that thou louest or art not far from loue And thou hast a longing desire to recouer the loue of God thou gladly hearkenest to the report of his mercy and wouldest thinke thy selfe an happy man if thou couldest grow to any comfortable perswasion thereof and doth not the man thus minded follow after faith was there any more in the man that came to Christ for his son that was possessed of a diuell when he said vnto him Lord I beleeue help my vnbeliefe Hee freely confessed that all the faith he had was no other no better then vnbeliefe yet his desire of faith was esteemed for faith or obtained faith for the effect of faith followed Christ that said vnto him If thou canst beleeue it all things are possible to him that beleeueth healed his child because he beleeued and shall not thy desire of faith in like manner either be esteemed for faith or obtaine faith that the effect of faith in the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes may follow Surely that desire of thine sheweth that thou art not farre from God But be it granted that thou art altogether without them and at this time most farre from them doth it therefore follow that thou canst not obtaine forgiuenesse of sinnes for the present want of them Not so for though now thou haue them not yet thou maiest obtaine them and then forgiuenesse of sinnes now seeming impossible will easily bee obtained They that were borne without them die with them and reape the fruit of them bearing the testimonie of them into the graue in the sweet peace of their conscience that neuer brought them not any preparation vnto them out of the wombe And therefore hope in the Lord and pray vnto him and practise all the good councell that was giuen thee when these conditions were first remembred vnto thee Repentance is the gift of God and he is the Lord most holy that reneweth our hearts by the spirit of Sanctification He it is that made this promise I will poure water vpon the thirstie hee meaneth him that thirsteth after righteousnesse and stonds vpon the drie ground he meaneth barren hearts that bring forth no good I will poure my spirit vpon thy seed and my blessing vppon thy buds By the name of Spirit he giues vs to vnderstand what hee meant by Water and Flouds mentioned before euen the graces of his renewing and sanctifying Spirit this promise is made to the Church whereby GOD doth assure her that he will blesse all her children how drie and barren soeuer they be with that grace the moisture whereof shall make them fruitfull of all good workes And thou art a child of the church bred and brought vp in the bosome thereof thou art the seed thou art one of the buddes of the righteous pray vnto God that giueth repentance and hath largely promised and in ti◅e thou shalt find fauour Also charitie is the gift of God hee is loue and it is he that maketh men to be of one mind in an house that is in
be made righteous by faith This Law that accurseth thee with such ◅igour and seuerity euen in that curse serueth as a Schoolemaister to instruct thee by driuing thee from all liking of thine owne waies to seeke thy iustification by Iesus Christ that died for thee As the tempest by Sea maketh men flie with all speed and skill to safe harbour and as a storme by land maketh men flie with all possible haste into the house Euen so the thundering of the Law denouncing curses against transgressors maketh them with all speed and skill to flie vnto Iesus Christ our Sauiour who onely is the sure harbour and house of rest and safetie to all poore and weather-beaten and distressed sinners To him truely and in the first place belong those words of the Prophet That man shall bee as an hiding place from the wind and as a refuge for the tempest as riuers of water in a dry place as the shadow of a great rocke in a weary land And as hunger and thirst kindle a desire of meat and drinke and as paine and sicknesse felt and knowne kindleth a desire of the counsell and helpe of the Physician so feare and anguish wrought in our hearts by the rigorous sentence of the Law accursing vs kindleth in vs a desire to slie vnto this man euen the man Iesus Christ our hiding place our refuge our fountaine of liuing waters our shadow that refresheth that in him we might find defence against the storme of curses that the Law powreth downe vpon vs. Be not therefore afraid of the Law but be aduised by it and confessing thy sinnes flie as the Law compels thee vnto Iesus Christ who as the Apostle Peter saith His owne selfe bare our sinnes in his bodie on the tree that we being deliuered from sin might liue in righteousnesse by whose stripes ye were healed Turne thee therefore from the ◅igorous face of the Law to the farre more cheerefull countenance of Iesus Christ and behold him hanging vpon the tree where he suffered for sinnes not for his owne for in him was no sin nor guile in his mouth but for thy sinnes imputed to him as the Prophet Esay teacheth vs saying All wee like sheepe haue gone astray we haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquitie of vs all Looke therefore from the Law that was giuen by Moses vnto Iesus Christ by whom grace and trueth are reuealed behold him sweating in the Garden till droppes of blood fell from him to the ground behold him scourged with whippes and crowned with thornes till the blood issued from all parts of his body behold him nailed to the tree there reuiled most disdainefully by the Priests and all the people heare him crying out vnder the weight of thy sinnes and of Gods displeasure indured for them My God my God why hast thou for saken me Behold him giuing vp the Ghost his life search whether it were departed from him or no with a speare Then O troubled sinner then did he sustaine the curse of the law when he was made a curse for vs as Saint Paul te◅cheth saying Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law when hee was made a curse for vs. For it is written cursed is euery one that hangeth on tree that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ that wee might receiue the promise of the spirit through faith Dooth the law thunder out curses Iesus Christ stepped in betweene the law and vs and receiued the stroke of that curse vppon his owne head whereof he gaue all the world assurance when he humbled himselfe to the death of the crosse which manner of death was by a particular sentence of the law pronounced accursed and why should the law threaten againe the curse of God against thee which alreadie before it hath not onely pronounced but executed vpō another for thee Thou art discharged from the curse of the law in the curse that Christ sustained for thee yea thou art so fully discharged of the curse that in place there of thou art made heire of the blessing promised to Abraham for so are the Apostles wordes That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gētiles through Iesus Christ. Now this blessing of Abraham is the firme fauour of God to bee our God according to the couenant which hee made with Abraham and his seede after him in their generations for euer Which seed is not to be accounted by carnall birth but by spirituall faith without regard of line◅l discent in bloud for god is able of the stones that is of the heard stonie-harted Gentiles to raise vp children vnto Abraham For which cause it was said vnto him In thy seed shal all the nations of the earth be blessed By seed in this place he meaneth the Messias the redeemer that came of Abraham Isaack Iacob Iudah Dauid and in him all nations without respect of persons beleeuing in him as Abrahams heires walking in the steps of his faith shall become blessed by inheriting the couenant euen Gods fauour according to the couenant and thou among the rest Feare not therefore the sentence of the law but from the law turne thy face to Iesus Christ and the feared curse shall not fall vpon thee Reuerence the law as it teacheth a rule of life and feare it not as it pronounceth sentence of death God made his sonne vnder the law to redeeme them that were vnder the law And the same sonne of God is called by Saint Paul The end of the law for righteousnes vnto euery one that beleeueth If therefore being in the hands of the law thou wilt looke vnto Iesus Christ tho◅ hast attained to the end of the law and so art no more vnder the lawe but vnder grace And remember what Iesus Christ hath said in the Gospell As Moses lifted vp the serpent in the wildernes s◅ must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him might not perish but haue eternall life Looke vp therefore vnto that serpent lift vp vpon the tree of the crosse and the sting of death which is thy sinne and the strength of sinne which is the law shall neuer hurt thee Against all danger of death of sinne and of the law heare what the Apostle saith Thankes be vnto God which hath gi◅en vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. CHAP. XXV ALL that is hitherto spoken cannot giue peace to this troubled minde but as one waue followeth another in the sea so one feare followeth another in his heart and new feares afford new obiections Now he pleadeth thus against himselfe I haue no reason to hope for mercy for I haue no heart to pray for mercy I want all things that pertaine to true praier First I haue no God to praie vnto that will lend any care to my praiers I find this saying of Gods recorded
he hath no God to pray vnto that will lend an eare of hearing to the praier hee makes because hee hath sinned against God And yet hee was taught before that leaue was giuen him yea that hee was commanded to pray vnto God euen for the forgiuenesse of those sinnes that made the separation betweene him and his God and also that God had promised to forgiue those sinnes yea all sinnes without exception And whereas he obiected against the commandement of praying for forgiuenesse that it pertained not vnto him that could not call God his father and against the promise of forgiuing that it pertained not vnto him that was no Israelite These things were answred and remoued and it was clearely proued vnto him that God was his father and therefore hee might and ought to pray for forgiuesse and that he was an Israelite of the seed of Abraham and of the houshold of faith and therefore God had promised vnto him forgiuenesse of sin And while these things stand good how can he say that he hath no God that will heare him because hee hath sinned against him Let him remember what Dauid saith vnto God in one of the Psalmes Against thee against thee onely haue I sinned and done euill in thy fight that thou maiest be iust when thou speakest and pure when thou iudgest Here is a true confession that he had sinned against God Doth hee therefore thinke that he hath no God to pray vnto that will lend him an eare of hearing What is that whole Psalme but a praier vnto this God In the first verse hee praieth thus Haue mercy vpon mee o God according to thy louing kindnesse according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities In the second verse hee praieth thus Wash mee throughly from mine iniquity and clense me from my sinne In the seauenth verse hee praieth thus Purge me with Hisop and I shal be cleane rash mee and I shall be whiter then snow And so in many other parts of this Psalme So that it appeareth by Dauids practise that our sinners rule faileth pleading that hee hath no God to pray â—…nto that will lend an eare to heare his praier because hee hath sinned against â—…im for Dauid praied vnto that God â—…ot doubting of gracious hearing against whom he freely confessed that he â—…ad sinned and sinned grieuously And whereas in some places of scripture by our afflicted sinner remembred and in diuers other the holy Ghost telleth vs that God will not heare sinners and hideth his face from them they are to be vnderstood as spoken of impenitent sinners that take pleasure in sinne and continue in it refusing to turne from their sinne vnto God and yet presume that all shall be well and that God cannot deny their requests Like them spoken of by leremy the Prophet Will you â—…eale murder and commit adultery and sâ—…tare falsly and burne incense vnto Baal and walke after other Gods whom ye know 〈◊〉 and come and stand before mee in this house whereupon my name is called and say we are deliuered though we haue donâ—… all these abominations And like them spoken of by the Prophet Micha Heare this I pray you ye heads of the house of Iacob and Princes of the house of Israel they abhor iudgement and peruert allequity they build vp Sion with bloud and Ierusalem with iniquity the heads thereof iudge for rewards and the Priests therof â—…each for hier and the Prophets thereof prophecy for mony yet will they leane vpon the Lord and say is not the Lord among vs no euill can come vpon vs. Such men there are in the world that flatter themselues in their sinnes and when they heare the iudgements of God denounced against sinne yet for the pleasure they take in sinne and for the gaine they make of sinne they will continue in it and not leaue it and thinke with praiers and some other outward humiliations to blow away as a fether or some light thing the iudgements and wrath of God These are the men that haue no God because they depart away from God by their owne wickednesse these are the sinners whom God will not heare because they delight more in sin then they do in God But the humble the penitent the broken-hearted sinner to whom his sins are his burden a displeasing burden from which hee desireth to be deliuered as our sinner doth this day He that is grieued for his sins that hateth and abhorreth them and if â—…ee might once get cleere from his sins past intendeth no more to be acquainted with them and esteemeth them as his plague and his death Him the Lord most willingly and with delight hearkneth vnto The Prophet saith The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a contrite and a broken heart O God thou wilt not despise So that thou wert neuer so fit indeede to pray as now thou art with thy contrite and broken heart thy praiers now will be a sweet and pleasing sacrifice to him He is thy God and wil most readily heare thee Secondly hee saith hee hath no Mediator in whose name to pray and for whose sake hee may hope to bee heard And yet remembreth the words of Scripture that call Iesus the Mediator betweene God and man Those verie words prooue thou hast a Mediatour euen the same Iesus except thou wilt deny thy selfe to be a man for hee is Mediator betweene God and man and therefore mediator betweene God and thee if thou be a man So that to say thou hast no mediator in whose name to pray and for whose sake thy praier should be accepted is but an vnthankfull speech put into thy head without any good ground for Paul saith of Iesus that hee euer liueth to make intercession for vs. Yet our afflicted sinner thinketh he hath reason to say so because he hath denied Iesus before men And did not Saint Peter deny the Lord Iesus before men and yet hee after praied and was heard in the Mediators name because hee stoode not in his deniall but repented Yet thou hast not denyed him in words before men as Peter did That thou thinkest to bee no aduantage to thee and referrest it to the daies of peace not vrging thee rather then to the constancie of thine own heart thou louest to bee thine owne accuser and what thou hast not done in words thou thinkest that thou hast done in workes by them thou hast denied him while thou didst not liue like á Christian. But must it therefore follow that he is now â—…o Mediator for thee and will deny thee before his Father in heauen Knowest thou not what Iohn the Baptist faith of him Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world He himself when as an vnspotted Lamb he was sacrificed for thee tooke away and by the vertue of that sacrifice still taketh and euer taketh away thy sinne where is now that reall deniall of thine when
rich Widdow how to pray vnto God among other words hee hâ—…th this saying 〈◊〉 hoc negocium plus gemitibus 〈◊〉 sermonibus agitur plus fletiâ—…quam â—…fatu This businesse of praier for the most part is performed rather with gronings then with words with weeping then with speech Let God therfore heare thy sighes and grones let him see thy teares when thou canst not shew him thy desire in words water thy couch with teares as did the Prophet and God will gather vp and put euery drop into his bottell thus doing when thou thinkest that thou hast not praied thou hast praied most powerfully For as Saint Ierâ—…mi saith Oratio deum lenit lacrâ—…na cogit Praier gently moueth God teares forcibly compell him He is allured as it were and won with the words of praier to heare vs but with the teares of a contrite heart he is drawen and inforced to heare and helpe where otherwise hee would not And in this affliction growing vpon thy heart because thou knowest not how to pray heare a notable comfort that the Apostle giues thee saying The spirit helpeth our infirmities for wee know not how to pray as wee ought but the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes that cannot be expressed Where thinâ—… owne strength and wisdome faileth in this seruice of praying vnto God there the wisdome and power of Gods spirit kindletâ—… in thee strong desires and earnest longings after the mercy of God And the meaning of those desires and longings God perfectly vnderstandeth and needs not to bee informed by thy words So 〈◊〉 though thou canst not pray as thou â—…oghtest to doe yet that seruice goeth forward well while thou hartily desirest Gods fauour Of which desire in thee â—…ere needeth no other argument but â—…en the griefe of thine owne heart seeing in thy sin cause of Gods displeasâ—…re and that other thoughts come into thine heart when thou bendest thy selfe to pray maruaile not at it neither therefore be so farre discomforted that thou shouldest giue ouer praying but 〈◊〉 the more to pray and to watch thereunto in the attendance of thy thoughts and lift vp thine heart vnto God and keepe it with all thy care looking still to him These thoughts of thine heart partly arise from thine owne weaknesse and corruption that art more fit for any thing then to attend with setâ—…ed reuerence vpon God And partly they are mustered together and thrust â—…o vnseasonably into thine heart by the wicked enimy that would not haue thee pray because he knoweth that the mercy of God is most easily obtained by harty and constant praier therefore hee seekes to hinder thee in that businesse that thy mind being occupied about other cogitations thou might est let fâ—…ll to the ground the petitions that thou are offering vnto God but the more hee seeketh to trouble thee the more earnest be thou in praier remembring that saying of our blessed Sauiour giuen for a warning to his Discipâ—…es Wateâ—… and pray that yee enter not into temptation Lastly hee is offended and discouraged in his praying by an intruded answer that offereth it selfe presently after his praier and sometime before his praier be either ended or begun not suffering him to wait patiently vpon God and to hope in him and this intruded answer is alwaies vncomfortable It comes euer in the negatiue and â—…pulsiue forme whatsoeuer hee hath praied for or intendes to pray for it tels him he shall not haue he cannot haue hee iâ—… not worthy to haue hee must not looke to haue the iustice of God will neuer grant it vnto him Which answer is nothing else but if I may so speake the smoke of those fiery dartes of Sathan wherby he hath set the poore mans conscience in combustion bringing his sins â—…o remembrance setting before him the â—…ath of God kindled by those sinnes 〈◊〉 from hence extracting and drawing this heauy conclusion looke for no â—…rcy where thou hast deserued so â—…ch wrath It is no other then a very 〈◊〉 of his disease the fruit of his owne 〈◊〉 ouer hastily answering himselfe â—…ot â—…arying to receiue answer of God tâ—…s he must take especial heed off that for as much as hee maketh praier to God and not to himselfe he waite for his answer from God and receiue none from himselfe and if his heart will be foolish to suffer any such vncomfortable answer vnto him that hee reiect it and wait on the hand of heauen About this point the sonnes of men erâ—…e very dangerously and faile in extremities and few or â—…one can keepe the right meane to expect and receiue their answer from God While men liue carelesly in sinne and prouoke God euery day if they chance to offer any petition to heauen or by aâ—…y meanes be occasioned to thinke vpon answer of their hopes from heauen they euer boldly answer themselues with promise of all prosperity though in iustice it cannot be like vnto the man whom God complaineth of saying that Hearing the words of the curse blesseth himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace though I walk according to the stubbornnesse of mine owne heart God giues no such answer to such men It followeth in the same place The Lord will not be mercifull vnto him Blessings belong to them that feare God not to them that conteâ—…ne him He that inqul reth for Gods will reuealed in his word shall finde another answer belonging to the petitions and hopes of such men The threatnings of Gods iudgemeÌ„ts are all denounced against them as in the fore-remembred place of Deuteronomy The wrath of the Lord and his lealousie shall smoke against that man and euery curse that is written in this booke shall light vpon him and the Lord shall put out his name from vnder heauen On the other side when men are humbled in the sight of their sins and haue great remorse in their hearts if they powre out any sighes and grones vnto God in their praier and by any meanes be occasioned to thinke vpon answer of their desires from heauen they euer fearefully answer themselues like those men spoken of by the Prophet Ezechil that say If our transgressions and our sins bee vpon 〈◊〉 and we are consumed because of them 〈◊〉 shall we then liue That is our sins deseruing death and those being now â—…id to our charge and the hand of God being heauy vpon vs for them there is no hope of life God giues no such answer to contrite hearts and to humbled spirits he doth not so reiect the deiected man He that inquireth for Gods will reuealed in his word shall finde another answer of comfort and health appointed for them the promises of mercy runne all vpon their side The Prophet Moses speaketh these words vnto the people When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come vpon thee at the length if thou returne to 〈◊〉 Lord thy God and bee obedient to his voice for the Lord thy
is most profane and his Armour-bearer was not vnlike 〈◊〉 for commonly such as the master is such wil the seruant be such as the King 〈◊〉 such wil the Courtier be As for Achitophel he was a great states-man but he was also a great traitor hee was very wise in matters pertayning to rule but he was also very wicked He assisted the subiect against the King that was treason he assisted the sonne against the father that was vnnaturall treason he assâ—…sted a wicked sonne proud and bloudy 〈◊〉 against a godly father euen against religious and holy Dauid this was impious treason Zimri likewise was a traitour against his Master Elah whom he â—…lew in the second yeare of his reigne and inuaded the kingdome of Israel Such were the men with whom the ancient murderer preuailed in three and twenty hundered yeeres few in number and men of most wicked hearts and liues And shal our afflicted sinner thinke to match himself with such forlorne meÌ„ In wickednesse so rare will he be so forward and with men so vile will hee ioyne for the time after the comming of the Lord Iesus in the flesh wee haue record in holy Scripture onely for seauenty yeares In these yeares we read of much wickednesse of the rage of the Iewes in crucifying the Lord Iesus of the persecution of Saul wherein Steuen was stoned of the persecution of Herod wherin Iames was slaine with the sword Of the malice of the Iews in euery place forbiding the Apostles to preach the Gospell to the Gentiles And of their endlesse malice against Paul being now conuerted and become a witnesse of Iesus And among all the inraged sinners of this time in whom the prince of this â—…orld exercised his power most impeâ—…ously We neade but of one â—…hat 〈◊〉 â—…iolent â—…ands vpon himselfe euen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle and hee is marked out â—…y the â—…nes of â—…â—…raitor a 〈◊〉 â—…nd 〈◊〉 child of perâ—…ion so 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 qâ—…itie in comparâ—…son of other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so incurably â—…nd not or 〈◊〉 â—…uill 〈◊〉 these men in comparison of other 〈◊〉 And shall our poore sinner 〈◊〉 to increase this number â—…nd to 〈◊〉 if not to 〈◊〉 these mâ—…n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the sinne wherein the 〈◊〉 â—…eemeth to haue some modestie 〈◊〉 â—…ring to all 〈◊〉 many to such 〈◊〉 wickednesse and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inquiâ—…e of the 〈◊〉 as if the 〈◊〉 thoughâ—… iâ—… 〈◊〉 to tempt any to a great wickednesse but such as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out â—…unne his allurements by 〈◊〉 owne forwardnesse in sinne let 〈◊〉 things stay the resolution of our 〈◊〉 and make him feare to execute 〈◊〉 iniustice vpon himselfe In which fact to make al hearts deâ—… there is the extreamest height of all cruelty without all mixture of charitie on mercy the thiefe that murdereth by the high-way side is cruell yet in his cruelty there iâ—… mixture of some charity for â—…e intendeth his owne supposed good in seeking spoyle to to maintaine his life More cruell is the tyrant that sheddeth innocent bloud and presenteth vnto death Gods Saintâ—… As 〈◊〉 shâ—…d innocent bloud exceeding much â—…ill 〈◊〉 replenished Ierusalem from corner to corner And â—…s Herod stretched forth his hands â—…exe certaine of the Church and hee killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword Greatâ—… this cruelty that is maintained by power and countâ—… by authoritie and false show of iustice Yet is there in this â—… mixture of charitie For such tyrants suppose them whom they kill to bâ—… enemies either to their religion or to their rule for defence whereof they vse their cruelty Greater is the cruelty when vnder pretences of loue peace murders are committed As when those two seruants of Ishâ—…oseth pretending trade as Merchants Rehab and Baanah his brother came into the middest of the house as if they would haue wheate and they 〈◊〉 him vnder the fift robbâ—… and 〈◊〉 For when they came into the house 〈◊〉 slept on his bed in his bed-chamber and they smote him and slew him and 〈◊〉 â—…eaded him and tooke his head and 〈◊〉 them away through the plaine all the â—…ght And when Ioab tooke Aâ—…er a side iâ—… the gate to speake with him peaceably 〈◊〉 smote him vnder the fift ribbe that he bed for the bloud of Asael his brother Heere was great treason heere was cruelty couered with pretences of loue and â—…eare Yet in this cruelty there was some mixture of loue For the two breâ—…ren that slew Ishboseth did it for Daâ—… sake as they affirmed For when they had slaine him They brought the head of Ishboseth vnto Hebron and said iâ—… the King behold the head of Ishboseth Sâ—…uls sonne thine enimy who sought after thy life and the Lord hath auenged my Lord the King this day of Saul and of his â—…ede And either they bare this loue to Dauid to free him from an enemy as they pretended or else they did it out of loue vnto themselues hoping to receiue some reward at Dauids hand for their seruice And the fact of Ioab in murdering Abner was out of loue tâ—… Asaâ—…l his brother whome Abner had killed before This their crueltie was exceeded by the murder committed by Cain in killing his brother Abel wherin it cannot be denied but there was loue vnto himselfe for this was the quarrell it grieued him that his brother was accepted in his sacrifice and hee refused Heerein hee held himselfe wronged and intended that way to doe himselfe right We reade of a crueltie exceeding this in a degree against nature aboue the murder of brothers For when Senacherib was returned from the land of Israel to Niniue on a day when he entred into the Temple of Misroch his god Adramelech and Sharezer his sons slew him with the sword The sonnes of his loines that should haue beene the staffe of his age and the guard of his person against his enemies became his mortall enemies they that receiued their life by propagation from him and had not beene if he had not first beene they vnnaturally requited him and spoiled him of his life and did to their vttermost extinguish his being What heart of man abhorreth not these cruelties and yet in all these there is a mixture of some loue I confesse a wicked loue yet some loue and some purpose they haue to benefit some by making their life more happy themselues at least and their owne life if no others But in the fact of Saul Achitophel and Iudas and such like persons that lay violent hands vpon themselues there is no intent of doing good to others no noâ—… of making their owne life more comfortable or happie they are no friends to other men and they are greatest enemies to themselues where no other loue remaineth in wicked men yet selfe loue remaineth and perswadeth them things beneficiall to themselues But in this finne where no loue to other men appeareth there is loue least of al to themselues while they worke their owne
a thing is it that the professed Christian should faile to put his trust in Christ his Sauiour a greater error then this into which thou runnest it is not possible for any man to fall into this is to say to the iudge whom we haue offended I will indure no chastisment at thy hands this is to say to the redeemer that is readie to saue vs I despise thy saluation rather make choice to perish There is a madnes of the bodie when the braine is distempered but verily this is the madnes of the soule running into ruine and while thou art yet sober wilt thou wittingly run mad foreseeing the mischiefe that will follow Besides consider whose thy life is who quickned thee at the first who preserued thy life heitherto who hath numbred thy dayes and appointed thy time to whom the seruice of thy life belongeth to vse while he pleaseth to whom the issues of death doe appertaine and who hath the keyes of Hell and of Death and in whose handes the rule of all these things remaine thâ—… so shâ—…lt thou discerne whether thou haue any power authorite or no to meddle in this busines Didst thou appoint the beginning of thine owne life Didst thou fashion and quickeÌ„ thy selfe in thy mothers wombe doeth not the Prophet say speaking vnto God Thine hands haue made me and fashioned me He confesseth god to be the work master himselfe to be Gods work wherein hee did no more then the pot doeth that taketh not his owne shape but receiues it from the potter Hereof he speaketh more fully in another place Know yee that euen the Lord he is God he â—…th made vs. and not we our selues And wilt thou pull downe the building that God hath set vp go to then and pull downe heauen which God hath spread â—…owle it vp in a bundle and cast it into the deepe scatter in the ayre the water of the sea and fling abroad the drops of it till it be drie pound the earth into â—…st and raise a mightie winde to scatter the same that the place of it may bee sound no more If thou haue a purpose to destroy that God hath made and wouldest oppose thy hand in destroying against the hand of God in building attempt some of these things and try thy strength that thou maiest suruiue thy fact and liue to reape the glory of it If these things be to great for thee then cease to hold this conceit to attempt the pulling downe of that which God hath built vp oppose not thy selfe against his worke especially in pulling downe the frame of thine owne life where thou must needes perish with thine owne worke not liue to glorie in that that thou hast done And as God made thee at the first a liuing wight so it is he that hath preserued thee all thy time in the feeblenes of thy insancie in the carelesnes of thy youth in the rashnes of thy riper yeares all which seasons of thy life made thee subiect to many decaies thorough their proper frailties But God made thy feeble infancie strong with his strength he made thy ignorant and carelesse youth aduised and wise by his wisdome he made thy rash and hold manhod to be safe through his prouidence He that keepeth Israel and neither slumbreth nor sleepeth it is he that hath kept thee The Prophet speaketh thus vnto God in one of the Psames Thou didst draw me out of the wombe thou gauest me hope euen at my mothers breastes I was cast vpon thee euen from the wombe thou art my God from my mothers belly By which words hee giueth vs to vnderstand that the same God that gaue vs life in our mothers wombe is hee that keepeth vs from the wombe to the graue he preuenteth dangers he giueth â—…oode hee healeth our sicknes hee disapointeth our enemies he is our guard to defend vs he is our shield and buckler to saue vs from all hurt He hath done this for thee for thy conception vnto this day and wilt thou in one hower attempt to ouerthrow and destroy that which with so much care God hath cherished so long wilt thou be hatefull to oppose thy selfe against his loue wilt â—…ou be maliciously vnthankefull to oppose thy selfe against the worke of his fatherly care while hee is desirous to keepe thee in safetie wilt thou striue more then all the world besides to worke thine owne decay The Angels in heauen vnderstanding the care of God for thee doe willingly pitch their â—…ents about thee and refuse not for thy safety to be are thee in their hands and keepe thee in thy wars The diuels of hell by Gods prouidence are kept off from thee as with a strong hedge which they can neither clime ouer nor breake thorow whereby they impeach not thy safety And while the creator of all things remaineth thy keeper the creatures are in league with thee and thou liuest in pace among them and while the worke of God that preserueth thy life hath this power among all creatures that the creatures of heauen will not attempt thy hurt the creatures of earth doe not attempt it and the creatures of hell cannot Wilt thou alone vnmercifully seeke to crosse the care of God in working thine owne woe Then thou art worthy whom the heauenly creatures should abhorre whom the earthly creatures should forsake and the hellish creatures imbrace receiued into their company with this greeting this is he whom God would haue kept but against the loue of the Angels of heauen against the peace of the creatures of the earth and beyond the malice and power of vs Angels of darknes hee hath destroied himselfe Besides it is God that hath assigned to euery one of vs the measure of our time he hath appointed the number of our daies our life did not begin till he appointed the first day of it and so long it must last vntill hee say this is the last day of it No man did set downe for himselfe when he would come into the world and no man must set downe for himselfe when he will goe out of the world God sent vs in giuing vs life when we came into the world and God must call vs out of the world taking away our life when wee goe hence It is the saying of Iob Is there not 〈◊〉 appointed time to man vpon earth and 〈◊〉 not his daies as the daies of an hireling Man hath his time appointed to him when it shall begin when it shall end he cannot lengthen it when the end comâ—…th and he ought not to shorten it before the time be come His daies are as the daies of an hireling an hireling is entertained for so many daies longer theÌ„ his couenant he may not stay shorter then his couenant he ought not to stay such is the life of man hee is Gods hireling for so many daies and yeares God â—…ath hired him in this world as in Gods vineyard to worke in some
honest calling when we haue serued out our time here we may stay no longer and till we haue serued out our time we must serue so long Thou wilt therefore be found to bee a fugitiue seruant from God if thou depart his seruic before thy time be full out And that belongeth to God and not to thee to set downe The Prophet Dauid saith of God in one of the Psalmes To the Lord God belong the issues of death To God it belongeth and not to man to set downe and determine who shall die when he shall die and by what meanes he shall die he vseth sometime the hand of the magistrate sometime the hand of the violent and so endeth one mans life as we thinke by counsell and worke of another man but neuer did he giue licence to any man to kill himselfe Hee hath forbidden murder by his commandement Thou shalt not kill He condemned it in C◅ine from the beginning of the world to whom hauing slaine Abel his brother he said What hast thou done the voice of thy brothers bloud cries vnto me from the ground Now therefore thou art cursed from the earth which hath opened her mouth to receiue thy brothers bloud from thine hand And after the floud when hee began againe to replenish the earth with inhabitantes he made a law against murder to restraine both man and beast from committing it saying Surely I will require your bloud wherein your liues are at the hand of euery beast will I require it and at the hand of man euen at the hands of a mans brother will I require the life of man Who so sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed for in the image of God hath hee made man So oftensiue vnto God it is for a man without warrant and authoritie to kill any because man was made in the image of God a creature of vnderstanding indued with excellent vertues of knowledge and righteousnes with resemblance in these vertues to God himselfe in the making of whom it pleased God to shew his excellent power his wisedome and his mercy No man no beast can destroy this creature and bee innocent before God It belongeth onely to him that gaue life to take it away where he takes it away who can giue it and where he◅ hath giuen it who shall take it away So that the whole rule of life must remaine in the hands of the Lord of life who of himself saith I kill and giue life Except thou canst doe both attempt to doe neither First make a liuing man if thou canst and then kill him whom thou gauest life vnto thou shalt hurt no worke therein but the worke of thine owne hands But if thou canst not giue life presume not to take away life thou shalt therein violate the worke of another and if thou maist not kill any other thou maiest not kill thy selfe one God made thee and them and if thou shalt be guiltle of bloud in killing thy neighbour thou shalt be guiltie of bloud in killing thy selfe if thou maiest not touch the life of thy neighbour thou maiest not touch the life of thy selfe When Elias was weary of his life being persecuted by Iezabel hee said vnto God It is inough O Lord take my soule for I am no better then my fathers Hee desired to be out of this present euill world hee was wearie of the trauels and dangers of it did he therefore kill himselfe did he lay violent hands vpon his body let out his soule before his time No such thoughts were far from him he remembred that God had placed his soule in that earthly Tabernacle and he intreateth God to set his soule at libertie Hee held his hands howsoeuer his heart was affected So doe thou hold thy hands from any fact of violence and lift them vp with thy heart vnto God in heauen and desire him to take thy soule when hee thinkes good When the Apostle Paul was in a streight betwene two and wist not whether he should desire life to continue in the world or death to goe out of the world because his life should be profitable to the Church but his death gainefull to himselfe he expressed the inclining of his heart to death for his owne aduantage in these words Desiring to be loosed and to bee with Christ which is best of all His reward was in heauen he desired to obtaine it his redeemer was in heauen hee desired to be with him and because hee could not come to inioy his reward and to be with his redeemer except by death he should passe out of the world therefore he was willing to depart and to that end to be loosed and set at libertie from his flesh But did hee incline to set himselfe at libertie to loose the bands of his owne life by which his soule was tied and fast bound to the fellowship of his body no he desired to bee a patient not an agent to be a sufferer not a doer in this business his words are Desiring to be loosed Not desiring to loose my selfe This he longed and this he waited for and in time obtained it In these men behold and see how to craue and demeane thy selfe learne of Elias Paul learne of them that feare God learne not of Saul and Iudas learne not of wicked men mē that went astray intheir doings And tell mee if at any time thy life was so vile in thy sight and the pleasure and glory of God so deare vnto thee that thou wert content and desirous to giue thy life vnto God to put it in hazard for his name and for his trueths sake Where hast thou despised the threatning of tyrants where hast thou contemned the sword the fire the halter or any other death hast thou beene cast into the fierie furnace with Ananias Azarias and Misael rather then thou wouldest commit idolatrie and worship any God but the Lord Hast thou at any time with Daniel bin cast into the Lions den for a prey to their teeth rather then thou wouldest giue ouer and cease to pray vnto thy God Hast thou beene whipped with Peter and Iohn hast thou beene imprisoned with Paul and Silas hast thou been stoned with Steuen or hath thy necke beene vnder the stroke of the sword with Iames the brother of Iohn hast thou suffred rebuke or any losse of goods or any linnen for the name of Iesus thy Sauiour In these cases if thy life had beene vile in thy fight it had beene a commendable thing in thee to prefer the pleasure honor of God the trueth and glory of Iesus Christ before the safety of thy life for in this course thou seruest with thy life him that is the God of thy life thou yeeldest it vp being called for into the hands of him that gaue it And thou hast the examples of the Prophets of God and the Apostles of Iesus Christ to be thy patterne who were euer ready and
willing to lay downe and loose their liues in the seruice of God they did not kill themselues to be deliuered from the fury of tyrants but they yeelded themselues to the cruell will of tyrants As Ieremy saying to them that went about to kill him for preaching as god had commanded him As for me behold I am in your hand doe with me as you thinke good and right It was all one to him and equally welcome to die or liue so that he might faithfully doe his office of the like minde was S. Paul the Apostle saying to the elders of Ephesus Behol◅ I goe bound in the spirit to Ierusalem and know not what things shall come vnto me there saue that the holy Ghost witnesseth in euery Citie saying that bands and afflictions abide mee But I passe not at all neither is my life deare vnto my selfe so that I may fulfill my course with ioy and the minstration which I haue receiued of the Lord Iesus to testifie the Gospell of the grace of G◅d Heere was a godly contempt of fraile life with resolution to vse the benefit of it while it lasted in setting forward the seruice committed to him and to let it goe without shrinking whensoeuer the rage of men by the sufferance of God should by violent hands take it from him in the Lords quarrell If thou haddest resolution in any like quarrell to yeelde thy life when there should be any attempt made to take it from thee thou hast the Prophets of God and the Apostles of Christ thy example and thou hast also the promise of the Lord Iesus to recompence that losse of life with the gaine of eternall life saying He that will saue his life shall loose it and he that looseth his life for my sake shall saue it That is i◅ any shall to saue his life deny to confesse me before men his life shall bee taken from him by some such iudgement of God as that he shall haue no comfort in the losse of it and he shall after die eternally But if any constantly confesse mee putting his life in danger either God shall miraculously deliuer him and hee shall saue his life in this world or for the losse of his life here in which losse hee shall haue abundant comfort hee shall haue eternall life in the kingdome of heauen Here are comforts for thee if thou haue come or shalt come in these cases into danger if thou retaine this resolution to laie downe thy life for God and his glory for Iesus Christ and his truth But there was neuer in thee any such resolution thou diddest not loue God so well and thy selfe so ill to die for vertue to die for truth to die for the glory of God to die for the name of Iesus thou diddest neuer esteeme the Gospell true religion and righteousnesse at so high a price O vile man O vnworthy sinner wouldest thou not gratifie God with contempt of life and wilt thou gratifie the Deuill with it wouldest thou not loose it for him that is the truth wilt thou loose it for the father of lies was not he worthy in thy sight to be serued with this manly resolution that gaue thee this life and for the losse of it is ready to recompence thee with eternall life and is he worthy to be serued with it who was euer an enemy to thy life and when hee hath spoiled thee of this life makes thee ◅mēds with a higher mischife to plunge thee in eternall death O monstrous absurdity to be admitted among the professours of Christianity Pause a while and consider of this point that if it be possible thou maiest be recouered from this desperate purpose Thinke what it is to haue held God off at the staues end and neuer to haue yeelded in thy heart die for his loue though he gaue thee life to loose one drop of bloud for his sake though he filled thy vein◅s to haue thy breath stopped for his glory though it was hee that breathed into thy nostrels the breath of life and made thee a liuing soule and now to imbrace the deuill in thy bosome as if hee were thy God to tell him that he shall haue thy life thy bloud shall flowe for his sake if thou get a sword or knife and thou wilt strangle thy selfe and stopthy breath for his loue if thou canst get a halter Where is thy wisdome that resoluest so foolishly where is thy iustice that resoluest so iniuriously where is thy loue either to God or to thine owne soule to whom thou owest thy loue to God to procure his glory to thy soule to procure the saluation of it that resoluest so hatefully for more foolishly for himselfe more iniuriously against God and more hatefully both against himselfe and God did any man euer conclude and resolue in any thing then thou doest in this Most foolishly thou determinest for thy selfe that runnest into that destruction from which thou shouldst flie with all possible speed as the Israelites fled from the tents of Korah his company when the earth swallowed them vp And most vniustly thou dealest with GOD to take that is his without his leaue for we are his and not our owne They are the words of the Apostle Paul Yee are not your owne And a little after speaking of our bodies and spirits hee saith they are Gods and before his face without any reuerence and feare of him to destroy them both at once for thou destroyest the body in killing it thou destroyest the soule that must perish for that murder And most hatefully thou proceedest both against God thy self in this resolutiō hatefully against God in destroying his creature and hatefully against thy selfe in destroying thy selfe The fact of the Philistims stopping vp with earth the wells that Abraham had digged to the end that Isaac his sonne should not vse them for his ca◅tell is interpreted to be an euidence of their hatred Isaac saying vnto them Wherefore come yee to mee seeing yee hate mee c. How much more must thy fact be interpreted to be an euidence of hatred both against God and thine owne soule that fillest vp and choakest the well of life that God digged and opened for thine vse and desirest to water at the piece of death and hell where thou shalt not obtaine one droppe of water to coole thy tongue when thou art in torments How commeth it to pas◅e among deceiued men that when as in the case of suffring for God where death is accompanied with comfort and rewarded with glorie they shrinke and feare withdrawing themselues shifting for their liues which then are sweet vnto them and death is bitter vnto them and in this case of laying violent hands vpon themselues where death is accompanied with terrour and shall be rewarded with eternal damnation heere they step foorth and are desperately bolde life now is bitter vnto them and death is sweet This is a dangerous errour wherein
the ancient murderer hath beene thy counseller the giuer of life neuer perswaded there vnto the very fact bewraies from what head the aduice came euen from him that desireth the destruction of man Lay these things togither and I hope the thing that thou art resolued to doe wil appeare so foule and odious before thee that thy resolution will vanish and sâ—…de away This sinne of selfe-murdering is so abhominable that in the first age of the world when abhominations were so multiplied that the most patient God was iustly prouoked with a generall floud to destroy from the face of the earth euery thing in whose nosthrils was the breath of life and among other abhominations murder crept in and that betimes in a greeuous manner the brother murdering the brother yet this sinne could find no entertainement The Diuell was not then so impudent to tempt thereunto and men were not so wicked to yeeld therevnto In the next long age of the world from the floud vnto Christs comming in the flesh for more then three and twenty hundred yeares all sinne increasing this sinne also crept in but in all the sacred historie among the people that had knowledge of the liuing God there were not found aboue foure or fiue that yeelded to this cruell sinne monsters they were among men monsters among sinners their raâ—…enes shews them so to bee And after the daies of Christ for seauenty yeares the Sacred history reaching no further there was found but one Iudas the traitour the thiefe the diuell that betraied his Maister the Sonne of God into the handes of his enemies a monster whom the world hath not equalled nor can equall with a match so that in more then foure thousand yeares among the people that knew God though there were many idolaters many blasphemers many giuen to witchcraft and other diuellish hearts many traitors many murderers many whoore masters many oppressors thieues false witnesses and sinners of all kinds yet there were not aboue six selfe murderers And with these monsters wilâ—… thou ioyne considering also that in this sinne there is no mixture of loue in all other sinnes there is some mixture of loue if not to any other yet vnto him selfe but he that committeth this sinne shewes no loue neither to God to his neighbour nor to himselfe His sinne is totally hate himselfe totally hatefull and whereas the vertues of Christianitie pertaining chiefly to the daies of affliction when God maketh his elect like vnto the Image of his Sonne that suffeâ—…ing with him in this world they may after reigne with him in heauen whereas the vertues of christianitie pertaining to this time are patience to suffer the will of God and faith to trust to Gods mercie this sinne is the banishment of all patience it is nothing else then fury in the highest degree and it is the ouerthrow of all faith hastening and pulling on destruction where it should pray and wait for deliuerance it is a violent opposition against the worke of God it is a violent intrusion and inuasion vppon the right of God For life is the gift of God he made vs liuing creatures aâ—…d this sinne violently ouerthrowes the worke of God And God being the Lord of life and hauing all authoritie ouer life to giue it to continue it and to end it at his pleasure and for his seruice this sinner inuadeth vpon Gods right and without leaue from God without any aduice or authority from him yea directly against the commaundement of God forbidding murder hee presumeth to cut off his owne life And he that neuer could find in his heart to lay downe his life for God and for his glorie though God gaue him the life that hee hath and when that is lost in his seruice and for his sake hath promised to giue him life eternall yet in this mad and desperate resolution is ready to step into the place of the tyrant the persecuter the executioner and hangman and for the diuells pleasure not to lay downe but to take away euen his owne life and to make himselfe with his owne murtherous hands a sacrifice to Belzebub who did not giue vnto him the life that yet hee holdeth but was euer an enemie to the safetie of it and when that life is lost shall reward him with eternall death and hell torments for euer such is the act thou resoluest to doe the wofull effect of damned despaire throwing thee into intollerable and eternall torments And therefore with all care to be auoided And the most mightie Preseruer change thy mind and keepe thee from this ruine CHAP. XXVIII WHen our sinner signified his resolution to this act he signified withall the reasons by which he was induced to be so resolute Those reasons I will now examine and shew the weaknesse of them that the sinner seeing his deceiued iudgement may repent him of his wicked purpose in time and stay his hand from doing that mischiefe which once done can neuer be helped the reasons were fixe in number The first three seeming to prooue it a matter of iustice and the last three seeming to prooue it a matter of aduantage The first three pretending iustice were these First he hath sinned against God and deserued death and therefore must die this being a thing of necessity hee holdeth it as good to die now as to tarry longer and to die by his owne hand as to expect the stroke of another Secondly hee hath loaden and ouercharged the earth the place of his present life with the burden of his sinnes it groaneth vnder that burden and can no longer beare it it must be eased and he that hath laied this burthen vpon the shoulders of the earth is the most fitte to remooue the same he hath hands wherewithall to doe iâ—… and his heart serues him And with this second reason hee inuolueth and wrappeth another foolish conceit that seeing hee is vnworthy of mortall life vppon earth it were follie and madnesse in him yea it were shamelesse presumption to hope to obtaine immortall life in Heauen Thirdly hee saith his life hath beenâ—… loathsome to heauen and earth in heauen to God and his Angells in earth to the Church and all the true members thereof And so great an offence must needes be remooued that God and his Angells the Church and her children may receiue content These things prooue it iust that hee should die And that it should be a part of his inioyned penance to see the thing done himselfe Now because my speech is intended for the health of the sinner I will direct it to the sinner Thy first reason is thou hast sinned against God thou deseruest to die This reason is no reason to infer that which thou wouldest inferre That therefore thou must die and especially by thine owne hand For all men sinne against God all men deserue to die must all men therefore die especially must they die by their owne hands This I doubt not
more then for ninetie and nine iust men that neede no amendment of life And when he saith there shall be ioy in heauen he doeth not exclude the God of heauen for what ioy can be in heauen and among the cratures of heauen if the God of heauen remaine displeased therfore thy repentance remoueth all cause of loathing from God and receiueth therein all content and in particular it giueth content to the Angels of heauen All cause of loathing offence is taken from them and in place thereof they reioice and are glad for thy conuersion It is said in the same place of the Gospel Likewise I said vnto you there is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God for one sinner that conuerteth See how thy conuersion altereth the case thy sinne maketh the Angels to loath thee as a filthy and abominable creature thou art no sooner conuerted and changed by thy repentance but they which loathed thee before doe now loue thee they which held the abomminable before doe now esteeme thee as honorable What neede is here of taking away of life to take away and remoue the offence of the Angels repent and it is done amend thy â—…se and thou hast their loue and as thy â—…epentance recouereth loue and grace iâ—… heauen so doeth it in the earth in the Church and among her children What else is the Church but the number of them that by the calling of God are turâ—…ed from their wickednes and infidelitie And can the Church hate the children that by repentance and regeneration are borne againe vnto her the Church inuiteth and calleth to repentance saying Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Lacob and he will teach vs his â—…ies and we will walke in his pathes The Church altogether calleth to repeÌ„tance the watchmen and pastors in the Church lift vp their voice as a trumpet and reproue the sinne of the people and teach them the way and will of God and call by doctrine the people and flocke set vp the example of their life according to the commandement of our Sauiour Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen And they call by example all that are truly turned vnto God doe desire that all other may truely turne to God And how then can it he if thou repent thee of thy sinne and turne to the Lord in amendment of life but that the Church and her children that lothed thee before should now loue thee and what is then become of this great and fearefull obiection what neede haue we of killing and murdering the sinner mortifie thy earthly members war against thy fleshly lusts cease from thy sinne and doe that which is right in the sight of God and these reasons that seemed iniustice to vrge a necessity of thy death are vanished away And thou maiest liue to glorifie God and finishing thy daies on earth with comfort and maiest and shalt liue hereâ—…fter in heauen Al which is ouerthrown with thy wicked resolution Besides these reasons that seemed to proue it a matter of iustice when yet â—…othing can bee deuised more vniust â—…ou hast other reasons that seeme to â—…ooue it a matter of aduantage when â—…deed it were the greatest of all losses 〈◊〉 can hoppen vnto thee First thou â—…kest by doing execution vpon thy 〈◊〉 that thou shalt glorifie God in thy â—…th whom thou neuer haddest care to â—…lorifie all the daies of thy life and this cannot but turne to thy aduantage to 〈◊〉 found so zealous of Gods glory that 〈◊〉 art willing to furder it with the 〈◊〉 of thy life Secondly thou thinkest 〈◊〉 by cutting of thine owne life thou 〈◊〉 then cease to sinne which during 〈◊〉 life thou hast not done but hast continued to multiply iniquity euery day And indeed he that is dead is freed from â—…ning after the manner of the liuing â—…or when Achan was stoned hee could â—…eale no more When Zimri was thrust â—…orow the body by Phinâ—…as hee could commit fornication no more When Achitophel had hanged himselfe and Ioab had smitten Absolom they could conspire in treason no more And this cannot but turne to thy aduantage that thou shalt no more sinne against God Thirdly thou thinkest that thy death shall 〈◊〉 with it an end of all thy troubles of all thy paine of all thy feare and indeed it bringeth with it an end of all the momentary troubles of this life both past present and to come Famine hauing once killed the famished shall hunger no more the sword hauing once slaine the dead shal neuer feare wounds any more If sicknesse haue deuoured and brought to the graue the consumed parts shall grone and languish no more The fire the water the prison the racke the tyrant the hang-man can torment and kil no more And in one word death deliuereth from all the labours troubles dangers and euils of this life if there be not other troubles and euils of another world it freeth from all and this thou esteemest so great an aduantage as that euen the most fearefull should for it desire seeke and imbrace death These reasons also let vs examine that thou maiest not bee deceiued and perish The first reason seeming to proue it a â—…atter of aduantage is this thou thinkest by doing this execution that thou â—…alt glorifie God by thy death whom thou hast had no care to glorifie all the daies of thy life And some beneficiall reward must needs be due vnto thee for so great care of glorifying God I might wonder iustly to heare this reason come from thee for they which intend to doe 〈◊〉 such thing vnto themselues haue little care or thought of Gods glory and I am sure they haue no rule for it that by destroying themselues they do gloryfie God and may thinke that God would haue them by any such course seeke to glorifie him This was a tricke of the prince of darknesse cunningly â—…ut vpon thee who turning his selfe into an Angell of light when he goeth about both to destroy thee and to dishonour God by this vngodly fact would make thee beleeue that it were a holy and vertuous action seruing greatly to the glory of God And with this cunning the subtill Serpent hath preuailed too far with many weake ones God deliuer thee from him Indeed God is honoured greatly by the destruction of the wicked as he saith to Moses When the children of Israel going out of Aegypt were directed to goe by the way of the Red-sea through the Wildernesse Pharao will say of the children of Israel they are tangled in the land the Wildernesse hath shut them in and I will harden Pharaos heart that hee shall follow after you So I will get me honour vpon Pharao and vpon all his host And after when Pharao with his host was come forth after Israel and God
had commanded Moses to goe toward the sea to lift vp his rod and streich out his hand vpon the sea that a way being opened in the diuided waters Israel might goe thorow he said Behold I will harden the hearts of the Aegyptians that they may follow them and I will get me honour vpon Pharao and vpon all his host vpon his Chariots and vp on his Horse-men Then the Aegyptians shal know that I am the Lord when I haue gotten me honour vpon Pharao vpon his Chariots and vpon his Horse-men And how was this honour gotten but by destroying those wicked men for after they were entered in betweene the waâ—…ts at Gods commandement Moses stretched forth his hand vpon the sea and the sea returned to his force early in the â—…ning and the Aegyptians fled against 〈◊〉 but the Lord ouerthrew the Aegyptians in the middest of the sea So the water returned and couered the Chariots and the Horse-men euen all the hoast of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them there reâ—…ained not one of them Heere was honour gotten by the destruction of the Aegyptians But marke how he speakes of it I will get me honour vpon Pharao and vpon all his Host. Hee got it they did not giue it him they had no intent to doe him honor and to make his name glorious but he tooke it hee wrought it out for himselfe by his mighty power in their destruction hee made himselfe â—…nowen to be a iust a mighty and vpright God that giueth to euery man according to his workes and respecteth to mans person and is able to bridle tyrants and to cut of the vngodly whatsoeuer they be Thus he glorifieth himselfe by winning the praise of a holy iust and omnipotent God when he cutteth off the wicked and bringeth them down into destruction They that perish had no intent to glorifie him nor may they looke for any thankes or reward in regard of the glory that God hath by them for they neuer studied to yeeld him any such praise he wonne it altogether against their minde and purpose And so in thy case if thou shouldest persist in thy vngodly purpose and shouldest out of thine owne daies by killing thy selfe thy frowardnesse and wickednes should turne to his praise his iustice should appeare to his great glory But to thee no thankes nor reward should be due as if thou haddest intended and laboured to bring glorie to his name for what hast thou doâ—…e that thou canst thinke agreeable to his will and worthy of his acceptation and reward Did he euer giue thee any authority to take away the life of any shew thy commission and warrant from God that thy obedience and care to set vp Gods praise may appeare in thy lawfull and warrantable action Many trespasses of subiects deserue death and it is the Kings honour that wickednesse in his people be punished but is it lawfull presently for a priuate man to kill that trespasser because hee hath iustly deserued death he that doth it without authority and warrant from the King shall hee not bee culpable of murder If authority be giuen thee it is thy praise to doe iustice if thou haue no authority that act of iustice will be thy sinne it will bee iustice to him that is slaine but it will be murder in thee that diddest take away his life So howsoeuer thy sinne doe deserue death yet if thou kill thy selfe without authority and God neuer gaue authority nor wil giue to any to kill himselfe thou sinnest presumptuously and insteede of honouring God doest dishonour him first in committing wickednesse and secondly in preuenting the noble honour of God which he might haue won in forgiuing thy sinne Gods glory is sought and often wrought by aduenturing thy life in his seruice yea by loosing thy life in his seruice this hee often requireth and euer rewardeth Therein a man truely sheweth that he preferreth Gods glory before his owne life Thus the Prophets and Apostles and all holy Martyrs haue glorfied God by aduenturing first and loosing at last their liues in his seruice It is their comfort their glory their saluation so to yeeld vp their liues to the seruice of the giuer of it But Gods glory is not sought nor wrought by them that in their discontent and impatience grudging at the troubles that hee hath laied vpon them and despairing of his helpe to support and deliuer them doe kill themselues because they will not suffer Therein they truely shew themselues enemies of Gods glory grudgers at Gods will preferring euen to the losse of life their owne wil before Gods will their owne vniust will refusing to beare the correction of God before his iust will in correcting them Can there be a more proud a more wilfull a more wicked and obstinat opposition against God then this that a man shall say I wil die before I will indure this at Gods hands and after to doe it because hee may not haue his will against God Neuer any Prophet neuer any Apostle or holy man euer did so There is no comfort nor glory in it but dispaire horror and eternall confusion in it This therfore is a most false and wicked reason Thou shalt truely glorifie God if thou amend thy life thou shalt but dishonour and offend him in ending thy life Thy second reason grounded vpon supposed aduantage is this Thou thinkest that by cutting of thy life thou shalt sinne no more And to cease from sinne thou holdest to bee very pleasing vnto God and so it will proue beneficiall to thee This reason is full of fraude For first where thou thinkest that after death thou shalt sinne no more I deny it to be true in all men otherwise then thus that they can no more sinne after the manner of this world they cannot betweene death and the resurrection giue their members that laie leueles in the graue and turue to dust As weapons of vnrighteousnesse vnto sinne Ahabs false Prophets being dead can lie vnto him â—…o more Ioab being dead can murder â—…o more the swearer the adultery tho thief being dead can with their tongues blaspheme no more with their hands rob spoile no more nor pollute their members by vncleannesse any more but doth it follow therefore that they sinne no more is not the hatred of God sin impatiency in suffering deserued damnation is it no sinne can any imagine that damned soules haue laied off al maliciousnesse and that those men that while they liued and were called vpon to serue the Lord were allured by many blessings giuen and by promise of many more were threatned with Gods iudgements and felt also some fauourable and easie corrections would yet neuer hearken to the voice of God would neuer loue him neuer feare him neuer cease from sinne neuer regard to amend their waies but continued obstinate and died in their ignorance stubbornnesse malice and all their sinne can any imagine that these assoone as they are
and dangerous Thy third and last reason grounded vpon supposed aduantage is this thou thinkest that thy death shall bring with it an end of all thy troubles of all thy paine and of all thy feare And I verely beleeue that all the former reasons were but idlely pleaded by thee that thou wert nothing at all mooued with them and that thou didst onely alledge them to make shew of doing that with reason for which indeede thou canst haue no reason and this last alleadged reason though as weake as vaine and as deceitfull as all the other was the onely thing that carried thy resolution For all they that resolue vpon such desperate courses doe it out of a conceit to ridde and free themselues from shame and troubles But verily this act if thou shouldest doe it which God defend thee from can not deliuer thee from trouble from danger or from shame It is one of Satans lies as truely as hee tolde our first parents that by breaking Gods commaundement they should be as gods so truely doth he tell thee that by this act which is a manifest and violent breach of Gods commandement thou shalt free thy self from troubles There is not a more readie way to throw thy selfe into endlesse troubles And let vs consider seriously of this point that thou maiest see thy errour There are troubles dangers and shames that belong to this world and to the life of man in this world this world is their proper place and thy life heere is their proper time Some other there are that belong to an other world and to the time that followeth our departure out of this world Hell that receiueth the wicked is their proper place and the time that succeedeth this life their proper time Of the first sort are pouertie and vnexpert losses wearines weaknesse and sickenesse in our bodie disquietnesse in our house slaunders and disgraces banishment imprisonment publique shame displeasure of Princes persecution and such like Of these the Prophet speaketh saying Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of them all Of the other sort are the worme that dieth not and the fire that neuer goeth out which Esay speaketh of shame and perpetuall contempt which Daniel speaketh of outward darkenesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth which our Sauiour speaketh of euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell and his Angells tormenting flame abiection from God the second death and the bottomlesse pit whose smoake ascendeth for euer Of these speaketh Iohn the Euangelist saying Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire this is the second death and whosoeuer was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire The first sort belonging to this life are short tollerable and mixed with many comforts the second sort belonging to the time after this life are eternall intolerable and no comfort is mixed with them not so much as one drop of water to coole the scorched tongue The first sort is common both to good and bad men and may be borne yea ouercome with patience the second sort is prepared onely for the wicked euen for the appointed vessels of wrath and they giue no place to patience And among all these troubles one I finde that seemeth to be common to both these places and that is accusing thoughts thy present burden but with this difference that in this life it is but a matter of feare though a tormenting feare and after this life it is matter of torment euen a most fearefull torment in this life both good and bad are affrighted with this tormenting feare after this life onely the wicked and the reprobate are tormented with this fearefull torment Now from which of these troubles doth death free vs and in what estate doth it leaue vs when it hath freed vs These are materiall considerations for a man in thy condition and therefore hearke diligently that thou maiest not be deceiued in thy account and fall into endlesse and intolerable troubles while thou striuest to free thy selfe from short and easie troubles Death doeth put an end vnto the troubles of this life not because it taketh away troubles but because it taketh away life and with the end of life needes must there be an end of the trouble that is proper to life For death doth not help our paine aâ—… Physician but as an executioner the Physician cureth the griefe and preserueth life the executioner cureth the griefe by taking away the life for by cutting off the head hee frees the patient from euer complaining of the tooth-ach And Imtreate thee to regard this manner of deaths cure If thou wert sicke of the gowt or palsiâ—… or other disease wouldst thou send for the common hangman to cure thee with a sword or with a halter This is not to take away the disease but to assist the disease too weake of it selfe to destroy thee speedily and therefore thou callest for helpe not to assist thee against the disease to ouercome it but to assist the disease against thee to ouercome thee I perswade my selfe thou wouldst not send for the hangman but wouldest send for the Physician to cure thy disease with safety of thy self whose knowledge and fidelitie might oppose against the danger of thy disease and comfort thee to ouercome thy disease and weaken the disease that it might not ouercome thee so deale with thy selfe in the time of thy Spirituall disease Send not for death the hangman death came into the world by the Iustice of God as a punishment of our sinne but send vnto God the Physician that is able to remoue thy disease and preserue thy life God healeth by preseruation not by destruction deaths act in this maner required if it may be called a healing healeth by destruction not by preseruation though I must confesse that with death there comes an end of all present troubles from sence and feeling whereof he is deliuered that is dead But in what case doeth death leaue them that are thus deliuered from present short and sufferable troubles surely it leaueth not all in like case the difference is great betweene the dead When death commeth by the ordinary worke of Gods hand to whom the issues of death belong and the partie that dieth is well prepared by faith in Christ to leaue this world at the will of his GOD that he may be gathered to his Redeemer which is best of all Death leaueth this man in a blessed estate it is the period of his present troubles and then begins his eternall rest Vnto this man death hath left his sting and is made vnto him the way and bridge by which he passeth ouer to enter into true life And this comes to passe not by any secret vertue of death it selfe but by the vertue of the death of Christ making that by his grace to bee our medicine that sinne had made to bee our poison Augustine intreating of
pleasures also And where did death leaue him in Hell in what estate there in torments with what hope of helpe he had liberty to crie and call but there was no reliefe and it seemeth the man vnderstood and feared so much and therefore in his request he was very moderate if I may call it moderation which was rather the faint request of a despairing heart for hee desired not to be taken out of Hel to be placed in Heauen where Lazarus was he desired not to bee quitted wholy of his torments and to possesse the ioyes of Paradice he knew it was in vain to hope for or craue any such thing And therefore like a saint-harted fearing doubting and despairing creature hee begged a drop of colde water a thing of nothing soone dried vp in the heat of that Fornace of fire where he fried In the measure of his request hee shewed the measure of his hope hee craues a thing of nothing as knowing that nothing was to be obtained This is all the deliuerance from trouble that thy act in killing thy selfe and adding that vnnaturall sinne vnto all thy other sinnes can helpe thee vnto namly to deliuer thee from sicknesse by thy death and that death eternall to deliuer thee from needlesse feare by certain danger and that danger for euer remedilesse to deliuer thee from a little greese by endlesse woe and that we also vnsufferable to deliuer thee from some discontent by eternal vexation heaped vp beyond measure to deliuer thee from the slight offence of a litle sun-burning by casting thee into the flames of Hell fire that neuer shal be quenched to deliuer thee from some disgrace among men by making thee as Esay speaketh to be an abhorring to all flesh This is that sweet aduantage that thou dreamest of that thy death shall bring with it an end of all thy feares troubles and disgraces indeede it is the most sure way to bring vpon thee all feare trouble and disgraces it endeth present and beginneth future troubles It endeth short and beginneth eternal troubles it endeth easie and tolerable euils it beginneth wofull and intolerable euils So that there is no deliuerance to be hoped for this way it turneth in conueniences into mischiefes and turneth offences into hellish torments in one word it turneth a weary life that may bee helped into a wofull death that cannot be helped Hee that hateth thee with a deadly hatred cannot deuise to doe or wish vnto thee a greater mischiefe then this that thou vnwisly concludest against thy self therfore change thy minde while yet thou hast time hurt not thy selfe please not thine enemies offend not thy God quench not the light of life that he hath kindled in thy breast breake not the prison of thy body in which God hath shut vp thy soule as a prisoner for a season it is neither a matter of iustice for thee without commission to punish thy selfe with death neither is it a matter of aduantage for feare of falling into danger to throw thy selfe headlong into danger Beare thy crosse with patience yet a little while and trust in the mercy of God by Christ. So shall thy sinnes be forgiuen thy life shall be saued and in due time peace shall be restored to thy soule CHAP. XXIX THE sinner by this time partly afraid and partly ashamed of his former vniust and dangerous resolution and seeing the iniquity and absurdity of it lets it fall vpon the ground but is not yet won to that care and loue to the preseruation of his owne life that should be in him and therfore obiecteth againe in a lesse violent manner but very vnkindly saying If I may not kill my selfe that haue deserued to die yet why should I cherish my selfe that am not worthy to liue is not life a gift and blessing of God is it not a talent of his welth that he hath committed to our occupying that wee might bee faithfull and hee might bee a gainer by the right vse of it and first of all as it is his gift and blessing bestowed vpon me I haue beene vnthankfull to him for it the vnreasonable beasts the sencelesse trees and plants haue beene more thankfull for a viler and worse-qualified life then I for my life yea the stones and dead earth that haue no life haue beene more thankfull for a bare being then I for my life adorned with excellent qualities And shall so vnthankfull a man thinke to continue the vse of so great a blessing And as it is his goodes and that Talent that hee hath committed to mee to vse to his aduantage that hee might get glory by his owne possession I haue beene very vnfaithfull and haue wasted the daies thereof not onely vnprofitably but also hurtfully many daies haue beene spent in ignorance while I knew not my duty many daies in sloth and idlenesse while I had no care to doe my duty many daies in vanity while I sought my pleasure many in wickednesse while I sought the satisfying of mine owne lusts And shall so vnfaithfull a seruant thinke to haue still in vse such goods of his masters that hee hath done no good withall was it not said if the vnprofitable seruant take thâ—… talent from him and giue it vnto him that hath ten talents And was it not said to the wastfull Steward How is it that I heare this of thee giue an account of thy Stewardship for thou maiest be no longer Steward Such a Steward such a seruant am I I haue made waste of the daies of my life I haue brought no glory to God by them therefore I hold my selfe vnworthy of life and wil not seeke to nourish it besides I am not worthy of meat I wil not eat I am not worthy of drinke I will neuer quench my thirst I am not worthy of my clothes to couer my wicked carcase nor of my bed to rest my vngodly bones vpon I am not worthy of thy company of thy comfort of these mercifull words of counsell that thou giuest mee I am worthy of nothing cast me out to the dung-hill as a crumbe of vnsauory salt speake no more vnto mee doe no more seruice for me giue nothing vnto me let me perish I know how vile I am before God and I am as vile in mine owne sight and let mee be no dearer in your â—…ies my sinnes make me vnworthy of all good things and worthy onely of death and therefore in reuerence to God I will absteine from the vse of all good things and waite for deserued death O poore afflicted soule these words doe much moue my compassion toward thee to see that humilitie should become hurtfull to any poore seruant of God and that the confession of our vnworthines should preiudice our comfort in God and our releefe from God euen then when God doth ofter releefe and in those things wherein God doeth offer comfort Here is an error that must be helped This error is not in thy
plainely signifieth vnto vs that when God hath giuen vs fruitfull habitations and giuen vs foode and all necessarie things his meaning is that we should receiue and vse his guiftes and giue him thankes for his goodnes Whosoeuer therefore refuseth to vse the guiftes of God for their comfort contemne his bountie and denie him his due praise while they refuse the things for which they should praise him And most excellent are the words of the Prophet Ioel promising in Gods name these his blessings to the people and requiring their thankes for them to bee returned vnto God saying The barnes shal be full of wheate and the presses shall abound with wine and oile and I will render you the yeares that the Grashopper hath eaten the cankerworme and the caterpiller and the palmerworme my great host which I sent among you so shall you eate and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God c. Consider rightly of these words in them the Prophet teacheth vs that when God sendeth the fruites of the earth his good blessings vnto vs his meaning is that we should eate and in eating be satisfied and for this satisfaction blesse Gods name This is Gods meaning in sending them and thou wilt not receiue them thou wilt not eate that thou maiest be satisfied thou wilt not vse them to the comfort and gladnes of thine heart is there not in thy course manifest contempt of Gods goodnes as if thou didst say vnto him let him keepe his guiftes to himselfe let him giue me none I care not for them I will not receiue them I will not vse them I will not be beholding to him for them veriely this is the stubbornes of an vntoward child that being in his foolish and froward nature displeased with his father refuseth to receiue bread at his fathers hands Lastly vnderstand that this resolution to refuse the comforts of life differeth but little from the former resolution to hasten violently thine owne death for that which thou thoughtest before to doe with Sauls sword or Achitophelsâ—…lter â—…lter thou wilt now doe with foolish and willfull abstinence most idle pretending thy vnworthines as if in meere humilitie thou wouldest kill thy selfe And if the matter be wisely considered this course of weakning first and after ouerthrowing thy life will be found a more cruell act then that of Saul or Achitophel for they quickly rid themselues out of the paines of death but thou like a cruell executioner doest kill thy selfe slowly with a lingring kinde of torment The Prophet Ieremie saith They that be slaine with the sword are better then they that are killed with hunger for they fade away as they were stricken through for the fruites of the field Let these words weigh with thee and take heede that thou be not a most cruell tormenter to thy selfe The prophane histories report of a noble Roman whose name was Marcus Portuis Latro that being wearie of a quartan ague that he had indured long and whereof he could not be healed hee killed himselfe with his sword And they make like mention of one Eratosthenes a Cirenaean the keeper of the famous Librarie of Ptolome in Egypt that being long vexed with a disease whereof he could find no remedie in the end by absteining from meate killed himselfe Both out of discontent ended their owne liues one by laying violent hands vpon himselfe the other by withholding helping-hands from himselfe the one by applying that that did destroy life the other by denying that that should preserue life which of these canst thou excuse of murder of the vnnaturall murder of himselfe and if both were murderers which of them was the more cruell in the 〈◊〉 iudgement of the world surely the second that absteined from the good things that he might ought to haue vsed for hee prolonged his first greefe and ioyned a second greefe euen the teeth of famine to it and so with a double prolonged plague consumed himselfe whereas the other made quicke dispatch this fondnes therefore in refusing to vse the good guiftes of God because the conceite is entred into thy phantasie that thou art vnworthy of them is not a fruite of Christian humilitie inspired by the Holy Ghost it is foolishnes it is extreame dotage yea if I should call it by the right name I should say it is high crueltie against thy selfe besides that it is vile vnthankfulnes against God and the aduiser was no other then the old serpent that deceiueth the whole world Lay all these things together first the bountie of God that giueth his blessings not onely to the worthy but also to the vnworthy because the necessitie both of the worthy and of the vnworthy doeth require it and by vnworthy I doe not meane the godly that in true humilitie doe iudge themselues vnworthy of Gods fauour for God esteemeth them worthy but I meane the wicked whatsoeuer they thinke of themselues for God doeth esteeme them vnworthy euen vnto them doeth God allow his good blessings Secondly the behauiour of all the wise and well aduised sonnes of Adam who euen then when they see and acknowledge their vnworthines yet in the feeling of their necessities and wants doe make hearty praier vnto God that hee will be pleased to bestow his blessings vpon them and it is not onely a libertie that nature taketh to seeke for helpe in time of necessitie but it is the libertie that God in his mercy giueth to his seruants and which in pietie and faith they doe vse namely to fly to God their helper in all necessities Thirdly the purpose of God the giuer of all good things who giueth them not in vaine but for our seruice and helpe that we might vse them and being cheared by their vse might returne vnto him with thankes for his goodnes so that whosoeuer refuseth to receiue them and vse them deludeth as much as in him lies the good purpose of God reiecteth the offred mercy of God and intercepteth the praise of God while hee refuseth to receiue vse that by which God seeketh to merit and winne praise at his hands Lastly the nature and qualitie of the thing it selfe namely the refusing of good things that God giueth and thou needest it is a wilfull killing of thy selfe while thou doest obstinately refuse to vse the things that may preserue thy life it is a most cruell kinde of killing thy selfe while thou doest consume and waste thy selfe by little and little tearing thine owne bowels with the teeth of inforced famine continued and increased from day to day for it is a more grecuous thing to be slaine by famine then by the sword lay all these things together and thy doc proue this abstinence of thine grounded vpon pretence of vnworthines to be a foolish vngodly and a cruell course Put it therefore from thee and vse the loue of thy friends the helpe of the Phisition the counsell of thy minister the
cheerefull seruice of them that are about thee vse thy bed thy clothes thy meate prepared for thy ease thy couering thy nourishment vse all the creatures of God in their kinds and praise God that thou maiest haue them S. Paul saith Euery creature of God is good and nothing ought to be refused if it be receiued with thanksgiuing for it is sanctified by the word of God and praier It ought not saith he to be refused it ought to be receiued with giuing of thankes And if we vse praier vnto God that it will please him to blesse vnto vs his owne gift which the word of God alloweth vs to vse he will sanctifie it for our good For God that giueth these things is good the things themselues that God doth giue are good therefore the effect of them being Christianly vsed cannot but bee good Continue the opinion of thine owne vnworthinesse but reiect thy vnwise purpose of refusing to vse Gods creatures for thine vnworthinesse CHAP. XXX OVR poore distressed sinner reclaymed from the conrses that in his last obiections hee remembred the first being a quicke violent and apparent purpose of ending his owne life the second being a slow dangerous and close purpose of wasting his life is not yet so freed from the troubled thoughts of death that he can with a quiet hope of life looke to the God of life and thus further out of remayning feare obiecteth to the disquieting of his owne heart though I may not hurt my life with violent hands as first I thought to doe and must nourish my life with seruiceable hands which in the second place I thought not to haue done yet my life must come 'to an end by the condition that all Adams children are subiect vnto God said to Adam in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou returne to the earth for out of it wast thou taken because thou art dust and to dust shalt thou returne This was the condition of the first man this is the condition of all men and among all it is also my condition I must die if I cherish life neuer so carefully And this remembrance of death considering my present woefull estate is fearefull vnto mee two manner of waies First I feare lest death should take mee away before I be deliuered from this temptation as it may well doe for I may die to day or to morrow yea I may die presently And if I should so hastily die while this feare directly contrary to faith lieth yet vpon my conscience I should die in my infidelity I should die without faith in Christ and so to die without faith in the sonne of God is the high-way to eternall damnation for the Lord Iesus saith he that beleeueth not is condemned already because he beleeueth not in the name of the only begotten sonne of God Secondly if there should be any ceasing and intermission of these accusing thoughts before my death yet I feare death because after death this accusation may bee renewed and the precedent ceasing proue no doing away for euer but onely a deferring for a time of this plague And I haue cause to feare such a thing because the right time of preferring accusations against sinners is the time after death when men must come to iudgement as the Apostle saith it is appointed vnto men that they shal once die and after that commeth the iudgement After death the soule commeth to iudgement the book of conscience must then be opened and accusations then or neuer must be heard and if these accusations now be so grieuous vnto mee now while iudgement is far off while there is place for repentance and hope of forgiuenesse surely they will then be much more fearefull woefull miserable horrible therefore the remembrance of death come it sooner or come it later come it before or after the stay of this temptation is fearfull vnto me This obiection is not hard to bee answered thou fearest death two manner of waies First lest it come before thou haue ouercome this temptation and recouered peace with God by faith in our Lord Iesus And thou fearest this hasty comming of death for two causes one is because it is possible that it may so come for we may and must if God cal die presently another because it is dangerous so to die thou takest thy temptation to bee directly opposit to faith therefore if thou die before it bee ouercome thou diest without faith and to die without faith is sure damnation Thus thou fearest deathes hasty comming and to thy feare of death this way growing we will first make answer Against thy feare of death comming before thy temptation be ouercome God giueth comfortable hope that death shall not come before thy temptation be ouercome And it comes not at all but by the appointment of God neither sooner nor later then he appointed it For hee sent vs with life into the world he hath appointed the length of our life in the world and the time and manner of our dying and departing out of the world lieth onely in his pleasure of whom the Prophet saith To the Lord God belongeth the issues of death The set time for the produceing of all his appointed workes resteth in his owne counsell when the Apostles questioned the Lord Christ after his resurrection for the restoring of the kingdome to Israel he made them answer It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the father hath put in his owne power And if the time of all his workes be put and placed only in his power then the time of thy death which is one of this workes is put only in his power But his God that hath the sole disposing of thy death hath as I said giuen thee comfortable hope that death shall not come before this thy temptation be ouercome For this we haue his gracious promise deliuered by the pen of the blessed Apostle Paul saying God is faithfull that will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you be able but will giue the issue with the temtation that ye may be able to beare it Here he promiseth an issue of euery temptation and also that the man burdened there with shal be able to beare it and ouercome it And hitherto though this temptation hath beene grieuous vnto thee and in bearing of it thou hast felt and found thine owne weaknesse yet God hath supported thee and thou hast beene inabled to indure weary daies and comfortlesse nights And in the meane time while this temptation hath lasted for thy further strengthening thou hast inioyed many mercies of God both in thy soule and body and estate and friends for hee hath not smitten thy soule with the stroke that fell vpon Nebuchadnezzar thou hast had and stil hast thine vnderstanding free to inquire after God and harken after his mercy and he hath not smitten thy body with the bile of Aegypt
the man in whom they remaine a contrary way the one to God the other to sin and yet they continue in the same man at the same time for his exercise so long as hee liueth The same Apostle telleth vs concerning euerie renewed seruant of GOD that in him at the same time there remaineth both naturall corruption which he calleth flesh and infused grace which he calleth Spirit and either worketh striuing each against other His words are The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrarie one to the other so that yee can not doe the same things that yee would The spirit in them that is infused grace lusteth against corruption to draw them vnto goodnesse and the flesh in them that is naturall corruption lusteth against grace to draw them vnto wickednesse Faith and infidelitie the one being the worke of the spirit the other the worke of flesh are not more contrary one to another then the flesh and spirit from whence they grow and yet they are present together therefore with thy infidelitie there may be faith in thee The condition of a Christian man in his holy calling from darknesse vnto light is like vnto the appearing of day after a darke night It is a similitude much vsed by the holy Ghost in the Scriptures Paul saith The night is past the day is at hand That is the time of darkenesse in which you erred altogether is past and God hath sent his word among you by which as by the light of the day you may see the way to walke in And in another place Yee are all the children of light and the children of the day wee are not of the night neither of darkenesse That is we liue not in ignorance we walke not in ignorance but God hath called vs to knowledge and by the light thereof wee see the way before vs and walke on safely in it Now we all know that when the day beginneth to breake there is remaining a shadow of darkenesse a long time and that first growing light is farre from the cleare and ful light that shineth at noon day But will any man say that because of the remainder and mixture of darkenesse in the beginning of the day that therefore there is no light at all euery man would controule that assertion Euen so God shewing mercie to them that were shut vp in infidelitie giueth them faith which beginneth to growe like the day light in the first breaking forth of it and with some faith there remaineth much infidelitie Shall any man therefore say that because there is some infidelitie still remaining there is no faith at all that saying were iniurious to the new conuerted and weake Saint and it were an vnthankefull censure of Gods gracious worke begun Remember what thou hast read in the Gospel of the honest man that came vnto the Lord Iesus to intreat for his sonne that was possessed with a diuell he said vnto our Sauiour Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe He professed his faith while hee confessed his infidelity he doubteth not of the presence of the one because hee saw and felt the presence of the other but knowing his faith to be tender and young and his infidelitie to be old and strong hee craueth the help of the Lord Iesus to weaken his infidelitie and to strengthen his faith Such altogether is thy case at this time weake faith oppressed by strong infidelitie strong infidelitie keeping the vpper hand of weake faith say vnto the Lord Iesus as that man did Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe And if thou thinkest his prayer to be defectiue because hee onely craueth helpe against infidelitie and desireth not increase of his faith vnto the words of his petition ioyne the words of the petition that the Apostles together made vnto the Lord saying Lord encrease our faith These words put together make a perfect praier for this peculiar grace that the Lord Iesus of whose fulnesse wee receiue grace for grace will bee pleased to increase our faith which we finde to bee weake and to weaken our infidelitie which wee finde to bee strong This doe and by the mercy of God and goodnesse of our most milde Sauiour thou shalt finde an happy alteration in good time growing and thou shalt haue no cause to feare to die without faith whensoeuer death shall come yea though thou shouldest bee taken away before the full vanishing of this temptation because he dieth not without faith in whom at his death there is remaining some infidelitie neither dieth he without hope in whome at his departure there is remayning some feare and vnto God thy couered and almost smotherd faith wil appeare when the same is hidden from thine owne feeling But thou fearest death not onely this way least it should come before thou haue wholy ouercome this temptation but thou fearest it also though there should be a ceasing of the temptation before namely that after death this accusation may be renued because as thou saiest the right time of preferring accusations against sinners is when after death they appeare before the Lord in iudgement and if the accusation now while there is yet time of repentance and hope of forgiuenes ◅e so heauie and fearefull as thou doest finde it and feele it it must needes be then much more heauie and fearefull when there is left no time of repentance nor any new course to be taken for the obteining of forgiuenes To this I answere that if once thou ouercome this temptation before death thou needest not to feare the returne of it after death if now it be ouercome and quenched rightly by such meanes as God hath appointed for the quieting of consciences whereof it behoueth thee to be very carefull for if thy temptation be ouercome by the knowledge and faith of the infinite mercy of God toward humble and contrite spirits and of the vertuous mediation of Iesus Christ that lambe of God that taketh away the sin of the world gathered by harkening to the doctrine of the Gospel which is the power of God to saluation and if this knowledge and faith be accompanied with the loue of God that is so mercifull a father and of Iesus Christ that is so gratious a redeemer and with the loue of thy brother and with the hatred of sinne that is offensiue both to God and to thy brother assure thy selfe that these accusing thoughts so silenced and quenched shall not be reuiued after death and thy peace so growen by knowledge and saith so accompanied is not a deferring of this temptatiō vnto a fitter time but a totall abolishing of it for euer He that in this manner ouercommeth his accusing thoughts on earth shall neuer heare of them before God in heauen Wherefore else doeth the Lord Iesus say of the determination and censure of his seruants to whom he hath committed the word of reconciliation either assuring forgiuenes to the penitent beleeuer
So did the Apostle Paul wish vnto himselfe when hee expressed his minde in these words Desiring to be loosed and to bee with Christ which is best of all And the same Apostle speaking of the death of all the faithfull saith in this wise Wee know that if our earthly house of this Tubernacle be destroied wee haue a building giuen of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens Here is the change of the soules dwelling from a ruinous house on earth to an eternall house in heauen Afterward the same Apostle saith Wee are bold and loue rather to reâ—…one out of the body and to dwell with the Lord. Here is the change of the soules company on earth it conuerseth with mortall men in heauen it dwelleth euer with the immortall God This is all the hurt that death can doe vnto vs if this were to be called hurt it bringeth the body to rest in the graue and it bringeth the soule to present glorie with God and all the dangerous deadly and killing power that originally it had by any confederacie with sinne all that is taken away by the death of Iesus Christ. And if it were sometime to be feared as a poisoned serpent of the olde serpents brood yet it is so spoiled by that serpent that was lifted vp vpon the crosse that it hath neither tooth nor sting nor any poison left to hurt any beleeuer Heare to this purpose the words of Saint Paul O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law but thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. Death therefore cannot be hurtfull to the beleeuer And if while he liue he take such order and find such fauour that God will be pleased in Iesus Christ to send him a discharge of his sinnes by faith in his sonne he hath no cause after death to feare the reuiuing of his accusation though the legions of lying diuels whose malice makes them accusers of the Saints before God should altogecrie out against him as Saint Paul teacheth vs saying Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs. Thou hast no cause to feare death or any thing that followeth death if while thou liue thou returne to God and recouer his fauour in Iesus Christ for there is full discharge against accusation condemnation both in this life and after this life in the free loue of God and most meritorious intercession of our Lord Iesus Christ. CHAP. XXXI THE storme is ouer our afflicted sinner by this time seeth no cause any longer to dreame of terrifiing death and were it not that one dâ—…am of bitternes disseasoneth the comforts of life that God hath lent vnto him he should grow to some reasonable temper But one thing hee hath cause to complaine of and let vs heare him that we may vnderstanding his griefe be the better able to helpe him Hee telleth vs of a heauie case his sleepe he saith is not quiet but mixt with fearefull dreames at his table his minde taketh in more sad thoughts then his mouth doeth bits of meate the voice and face of his old acquaintance and former friends doeth now reuiue his greefe so oft as he doeth either see them or heare them the fairest roomes of his house which he had trimmed vp for his delight if hee come into them doe strike him with grieuous terrour and all those things that hee delighted in before are new matter of sorrow and heauines vnto him and it is his onely content though without to sit alone in darknesse This hee taketh to be some curse of God folowing him and an euident signe of Gods iust and fearefull anger following him for what should make Gods good creatures other mens comforts to be discomforts to him but the onely displeasure of God To this I answer that it is very likely that it is so and will continue to bee so with him so long as this burden of accusing thoughts lies heauy remaining vpon his wounded conscience It is a very kindly effect of it that hath growen out of it and wil vanish with it Thou sleepest catest with a wounded heart and hence it is that while thou sleepest and eatest thou still feelest the smart of thy wounded heart Thy ancient friends and former woonted delights appeare vnto thee now when thou art not fit to take pleasure in them as before time thou didst and that maketh thee at the present to be the more troubled thinking vpon thine old liberty now lost And the things prepared for thy pleasure while thou wert capable of pleasure in the contrary disposition of thine heart bent altogether to feare and sorrow doe now bring â—…orth a contrary effect vnto thee euen increase of sorrow And a desire of shaddow and solitarienesse though they be hurtfull doth follow a grieued minde as Ieremy saith of the man that beareth the yoke in his youth Hee sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath borne it vpon him And this desire of darknesse and solitarinesse either is an effect of mortification in him that is crucified to the world seeing the world crucified to him or else it groweth partly out of shame and partly out of anger that things are in no better tune and vpon the recouering of thy peace and ceasing of thy temptation this trouble will certainly vanish away In the meane time giue place to this griefe as little as thou canst and striue to reioyce in the Lord and in the good blessings hee hath bestowed vpon thee pray him that bestowed good things vpon thee to giue thee a free heart to take comfort in his guiftes that thou maiest be prouoked to praise his name And withall craue and vse the counsell and helpe of some learned and skilfull Physician for there is somthing in this griefe that hath neede of his iudgement and diligence And the God of hope fill thee withal ioy and peace in beleeuing that thou maiest abound in hope thorow the power of the holy Ghost Amen And now after some delay in answering such obiections as the vnquiet soule hath made out of his grieuous feare let vs grow vnto a conclusion concerning this burden of accusing thoughts and let vs gather together briefly orderly the scatterd grounds of hope that this burden may be cast off when God shall be pleased to giue his blessing and the scattered rules of aduice that teach how to cast it vpon God And for grounds of hope that this burden of accusing thoughts may bee cast off vpon God for the sinners â—…ase it hath beene shewed and proued First that his sinne not being that
were lost giuing repentance vnto Israel and remission of sinnes so lifting vp them that were fallen downe by any inward iudgement of God any way punishing them in their soules for their first fall into sinne This was the inward miserie vpon the inward man whereunto men fall that haue fallen into sinne There is another miserie into which men fal for their sins God in his iust iudgement thrusting them forward which I call outward misery because it is not the stroke of the heart though the heart afterward be grieued for it This kinde of outward misery into which men fall is full of varietie vnder one head there are diuers branches contained for some of these fall vpon vs by the good worke of God to trie vs to exercise our faith to correct and humble vs and some doe fall vpon vs by the malice and in iustice of men and Angels to ouerthrow vs in our faith or our pietie as the diuell hoped by Iobes losses to make him blaspheme God or at the least to vexe and grieue vs and to make vs murmur so differing in regard of the author from whom they come and of the end for which they come They differ also in regard of the subiect matter of them for some of these outward miseries happen to vs in our name and credit wounded and impaired by lying standering and the spite of euill tongues or they happen to vs in our bodies reach euen to the danger of our liues by sores and sickenesses by blowes and bruises by maimes and woundes on they happen to vs in our estate goodes when we are deceiued robbed spoiled deposed from offices of profit and worship or they happen to vs in our libertie when we are banished from our natiue countrie or confined to some restrained boundes which wee must not passe as Salomon confined Shemei to his house in Ierusalem or we are committed to some prison or they happen to vs in our friends by death taken away from vs that were our maintenance our countenance our credite and safegarde and they being remoued we are left naked and Orphans in a pittiles world By which outward miseries of so great and greater varietie we fall from estimation and lone of the people from health strength and beautie from riches and plentie from freedome and libertie from comfort and refuge into suspicion and an euill name into weakenes and leanenes into pouertie thraldome and much contempt and aduantage is giuen vnto our aduersaries to insult and glory ouer vs and many men haue beene dangerously bruised with such falles of this kinde But yet such is the mercy and goodnes of God that hee will not suffer the righteous fallen into these miseries to fall for euer but in due time he will raise them vp and deliuer them The slander of Susanna was wiped away and shee was discharged of the fowle imputation laied vpon her by the wicked Elders with honorable repaire of her credit The imprisonment and affliction of Ioseph after some yeares was done away and he was brought forth and made a great commander in the land of Egipt Iob was spoiled of his goodes robbed of his children miserably afflicted in his body and brought most low for hee could not fall more low and liue but God did graciously restore Iob in all his losses and he ended his daies in honor and peace Mordechai and the Iewes by the wicked deuise of Haman were fallen deepely into contempt and danger of death yet by the meanes of Hester it pleaseth God to cast downe their enemies into destruction and to raise vp the Iewes both to repaired credit and to secured life Saint Paul confesseth writing to the Corinthians that being in Asia hee was with afflictions and sicknes Pressed out of measurâ—… passing strength so that he altogether doubled euen of life yea he receiued the sentence of death in himselfe But when he was fallen and brought so low God raised him vp by restoring health and would not suffer the righteous Apostle to lie foreuer as also he confesseth in the next words saying God which raiseth the dead deliuered me from so great a death and doeth deliuer me in whom I trust that he will yet deliuer mee I might easily fill many leaues with examples of the rightsous seruants of God whom being fallen into these outward miseries hee mercifully raised vp but I will forbeare and remember only a testimonie or two that manifestly shew how God in these as in other kindes of falles though hee suffer the righteous to fall yet he doeth not suffer them to fall for euer but will raise them vp and reduce them to a better estate Heereto pertaine the words of Eliphaz speaking of the almighty He maketh the wound and bindeth it vp hee smiteth and his hands make whole hee shall deliuer thee in six troubles and in the seuenth the euill shall not touch thee in famine he shall deliuer thee from death and in battell from the power of the sword Thou shalt be hid from the snare of the tongue and thou shalt not be afraid of destruction when it commeth but thou shalt laugh at destruction and death c. If God send the euill he will send the remedie if he send danger he will send deliuerance if hee affright with feare hee will comfort with saluation if he cast downe he will raise vp againe and will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer And he will doe this not at one time alone but at all times not in one manner of miserie alone but in all kindes of miseries The Prophet Dauid saith of this mercifull worke of Gods hands raising vp out of miseries Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of them all And if happily this be not effected in this world and during this life yet most certainely God doth raise vp the righteous that were falne and frees them from all both outward and inward miseries in an other world and after this life The Prophet Esay doth tell vs that when the righteous perish for so the world censureth their death and when mercifull men are taken away then the righteous is taken away from the euills to come râ—… their death is a full deliuering of them from al troubles and therefore a lifting of them vp from all the miseries into which they were fallen And for proofe hereof it is most cleere that the Lord Iesus reporteth of the poore Lazarus in the gospel of Saint Luke that man was fallen lowe into the pit of pouertie so that hee was compelled to begge for his maintenance at other mens doores and he was fallen as deepe into the gaping gulfe of sickenesse and diseases for hee was full of sores and the dogges licking him were his best leeches his pouertie could not purchase the helpe of any other to cure him in this world And during this life he was neuer raised vp from this fall and yet
lost Luke 19. 10. Mat. 15. 24. Luke 18. 11 Iere. 7. 10. The estate of a Christian how it is in himselfe Mat. 1. â—… And how it is considered in Christ by vertue of his holy calling Thou canst not affirme thy selfe to be a reprobate seeing it depends vpon the vnknowne counsell of God Rom. 9. 22. The sinner secketh to proue by orgument that hee is 〈◊〉 reprobate His argument answered and taken away Sinne though déseruing yet no argumet of reprobation The sinnes of the elect may bee more vile then the sinnes of the reprobate in our eies Dauids sin and Sauls compared together Mâ—…ch may be said to exâ—…us Saul that will seeme reasonable Dauids sin declared Exo. 20. 17 Exo. 20. 14 No excuse can be made to extenuate the sin of Dauid 1. Sam. 15. 19. 2. Sam. 12. 9. Dauid was not therefore a reprobate because he sinned more vilely then a reprobate Gods wrath vpon me for sinne is no euidence of reprobation Lam. 3. 39. Mica 7. 1â—… 2. Tim. 2. 11 Micah 7. 7. Pro. 18. 14. The particular stroke of a wounded conscience is no signe of reprobation Psal. 38. 2. Acts. 4 11. Our answers are such as will stand before Gods iudgment seate Iohn 12. 48 An eleuenth obiection His sinne deserueth death hee must die must doe the execution vpon himselfe Ezeki 18. 4 Rom. 6. 23 Iob. 3. 18. An appostro phe to Satan 1. Pet. 5. 8. Reue. 12. 9. Answer to this obiection Esay 55. 3. Iohn 8. 44. The iniquity of the thing that he intendeth to doe It is rare as being the height of al wickednesse Gen 4. 23. Gen. 6. 2. Gen. 6. 11. 1. Sam. 31. 4. 2 Sam. 17. 23. 1. King 16. 18. Iud. 16. 30. 2. Mach. 14. 41. 1. Sam. 22. 9. c. 1. Samuel 2â—… 19. 1. Sam. 28. 7. It is the excesse of crueltie without all mixture of charitie â—… 〈◊〉 21. 16 Acts 1â—… 1 â—… Sâ—…m 4. 6 2. Sa. 3. 27. 2. Sam. 4. â—… â—… Kâ—… 19. 37. Matt. 7. 20 It is the losse of all patience of faith Mat. 11. 28 Phi. 4. 5. Mat. 11. 28. Phil. 4. 7. It is against the right of God who onely is Lord of life to whom onely the issue of death appertaine Psal. 19. 73. Psal. 100. 3. Psal. 22. 9. Iob. 7. 1. Psal. 68. 20 Exo. 20. 13. Gen. 4. 10. Gen. 9. 5. Deu. 32. 39 1. King 19. 4. Phil. 1. 23. Will thou loose thy life for thy owne pleasure that neuer wert willing to loose it for Gods sake Iere. 26. 14 Iere. 26. 14 Acts â—…0 â—… Mat. 10. 39 1. Corin 6 19 20 Gen. 26 27 Conclusion concerninâ—… the act that bee intendeth to do The vanity weaknes of the reasoâ—…s by which he is drawne to intend this act Three reasons seruing to prooâ—…e it a matter of iâ—…stice 1 2 3 The weakeness of his first reason â—…zec 33. 12 Ezec. 33 11 Ezec. 33 11 The weaknes of his second reason Lib. 4. Epist. 80. Esay 1. 16 Eze. 18. 21 Acts 3. 19. Being vnworthy of lâ—…fe on earth he is more vnworthy of life in heauen aswered Geâ—… 3â—… 1â—… The weaknes of his third reason Prou. 16. 7 Luke 15. 7 Luke 15. 10. â—…say 2. 3. Mat. 5. 16. Three reasons seeming to â—…roue iâ—… a matter of aduantage 1. 2. The vanity and weaknesse of the first of these reasons Exo. 14. 3. Exo. 14 17. Exo 14 17 The vanity and weaknesse of the second of these reasons How the dead may be said not to sinne The wicked continue to sinne euen when they are dead Eccle. 9. 3. Maâ—…t 16. 9 If they doe comâ—… it no new sin yet they must perish â—…r the old vnpardoned Mat. 25. 41 Mat. 25. 41 2. Cor. 5. 10 The vanity weaknes of the third of these reason There are â—…vo kâ—…des of 〈◊〉 oâ—…â—… in this life another after this life Psâ—…l 34. 19 Reu. 20. 14 From what troublâ—…s death doth deliuer In what case death leaueth theÌ„ that are de liuered so from troubles It leaueth the godly iâ—… a blessed estate De Ciuitat DeiÌ„ lib. 13. cap. 4. Iohn 5. 24. Reu. 14. 13 It leaueth the wicked in a most wicked estate Psal. 73. 18 Iob. 21. 17 Lu. 16. 22. The sinners misery that by killing himselfe seckes to be free from trouble Esa. 66. 24. A twelâ—…th obiection be iâ—… vnworthy of life and must not nourish it be is vnworthy of good things and must not vse them Mat. 25. 28 Luk. 16 2 Answere to this twelfth obiection Gen. 32. 11 Mat. 8. 8. Luke 15. 21. Wherein the error of this obiâ—…ction heth God alloweth his blessings to the vnworthy Psal. 145. 9 Mat. 5. 45. The vnworthy craue obtaine vse Gods blessings Gen. 32. 11 Mat. 8. 8. Luke 15. 19 God giueth his blssingâ—… that they should be vsed to his praise 1. Tim. 6. 17 Psal. 104. 14. Acts. 14. 17 Deu. 8. 10. Ioel. 2. 24. This abstinence is 〈◊〉 dangerous to thy life as violence can be Lam. 49. Portuis latro Eratosthenes The conclusion of the answere to this obiection 1. Tim. 4. 4 A thirtenth obiection He feareth death for two causes Gen. 3. 19. First least he die before this temptation cease that were to die without faith Ioh. 3. 18. Secondly least the accusation be renewed after death Heb. 9. 27. Answer to this obiection There is hope that thy temptation shall end before death come vpon thee Psal. 68 20. Acts 1. 1. Cor. 1â—… 13 Deut. â—… 16 1. Pet. 5. 6. If death com before yet there is faith euen where this temptation is strong In this teÌ„ptation ther is infidelity But where there is infidelitie there may be faith Rom. 7. 22 Gala. 5. 1â—… Ro. 13. 12. 1. Thes. 5. 5 Mar. 9. 24. Luke 17. 5 If the temptation hee once rightly ouercom it shall not returne after death Mat. 18. 18. Psal. 14. 1. Wis. 2. 2. Deu. 29. 19 Psal. 58. 1â—… Luke 16. 2. Deu. 29. 20 〈◊〉 31. 34 Ezeâ—… 8 2â—… Death iâ—… not to be feared for anything of a good man Esay 57. 2. Luke 23. 43 Phil. 1. 23. 2. Cor. 5. 1â—… 2. Cor. 85. 1. Cor. 15. 55. Rom. 8. 33. A fourteenth obiection all things are grieuous to him that are pleasant to other men Answere to this obiection I. am 3. 28. Rom 15. 13 Conclusion concerning this burden of accusing thoughts Grounds of hope that iâ—… may be cast off vpon God Mark 3. 28 Luk 11. 〈◊〉 Ier. 31. 34. Eze. 18. 21 Math. 〈◊〉 14 Ioâ—… 16. 23. Rulâ—… of aduiâ—… how to caâ—…l this burden vpon God Psal. 51. 4 Pro. 28. 13. Mic. 7. 9. Psa. 18. 26. 1. Pet. 5. 6. Act. 3. 19. Psa. 11. 5. Col. 3. 13. Mat. 6. 15. Ioh. 20. 31. Heb. 11. 6. Hos. 14. 1. Psal. 53. 4. The promise of recompence Luk. 10. 28 Esay 1â—… 19. Iob 21. 14. Mala. 3 24 Mala. 3. 18 Psa. 19. 11 The words of the promise are fitted to his owne present burdens Which were two one was pouerty and waâ—… 1. Sa. 25. 5. His other burdeÌ„ was a fall from his former honour 1. Sa 17. 7. The first part of this promise is the poore mans promise God will nourish his poore that attend vpon his hand He sendeth inough for all in generall Gen. 9. 2. God sendeth inough for all but couetousnes intercepteth it and the pâ—…ore cannot get their part God giueth his gifts by â—… particular prouidence to euery one 1. Sam 2. 7. Esay 65. 13 Psal. 37. 19. Luke 1. 53. Mat. 6. 15. Mat. 6. 26. Mat. 6. 28. Mat. 6. 31. The second part of the promise How many kinds of saâ—… there be Pro. 24. 16. One kinde of â—…all 〈◊〉 to fall by sin Hos. 14. 1â—… This kind of fall is most dangerous 1. Cor. 10. 12 Iam. 3. 2. He raiseth by repentance them that are fallen by sinne Phi. 2. 13. Psa. 32. 8. Ieâ—… 31. 33. Eze. 36. 25. The second kind of fall is to fall into miserie for sinne These miseries are of two sortes inward aâ—…d outward What are these inward miseries and iudgements Rom. 1. 24. Deu. 2 28. Esay 33. 14. 1. Cor. 16. 13. Luke 22. 32. Iohn 17. 20. Psal. 22. 1. Psal. 55. 4. He raiseth them vp that are fallen into these inward miseries Acts. 26. 18 Eze. 36. 26. 〈◊〉 Luke 1. 46 Psal. 30. 11. Psal. 147 3. What are the outward miseries whereunto men fall God raiseth them that are fallen into these outward miseries 2. Cor. 1. 8 Iob. 5. 1â—… Psal. 34. 19. If not in this life yet most certainly after this life Esay 57. 1 Lu 16 22 25 Reuel 21 Psal. 16. 11 The conclusiâ—…n of all Psa 9. 10. Psa. 34. 10. Esay 55. 1.