with some extraordinarie terror Let those then examine themselues at this marke who howsoeuer shame keepe them from vncleane practises and grosser acts of filthines yet inwardly boyle in speculatiue wantonnesse and adulteries of the heart Those who howsoeuer their indirect meanes speed not for mounting themselues to high estate yet spend their best thoughts all their life long in proiecting and contriuing as though they were borne to aduance themselues and not to honour God in their â—allings Those who though they doe not enclose oppresse and grind the faces of the poore yet haue their hearts exercised in couetousnes Those who though they haue forsakeÌ„ some sins yet maintain in themselues one known sweet sinne Those who though lawes and feare of danger restraine from railing with open mouthes against our State yet harbour secret repinings murmurings vnthankfulnesse and discontentments Euen a contemptuous thought of a king or lawfull authority is a sinne of high nature and me thinkes for the miraculousnesse of the discouerie is paralleld in Ecclesiastes to the bloodinesse of actuall murther That which hath wings saith the Preacher shall declare the matter Lastly let those examine themselues at this marke who offer themselues to those sinfull occasions breeders of many strange and fearefull mischiefes I meane prophane and obscene Playes Pardon me beloued I cannot passe by those abominable spectacles without particular indignation For I did euer esteeme them since I had any vnderstanding in the waies of God the Grand empoysoners of grace ingenuousnes and all manly resolution Greater plagues and infections to your soules then the contagious pestilence to your bodies The inexpiable staine and dishonour to this famous City The noisome wormes that canker and blast the generous and noble buds of this land and doe by a slie and bewitching insinuation so empoyson all seeds of vertue and so weaken and emasculate all the operations of the soule with a prophane if not vnnaturall dissolutenes that whereas they are planted in these worthie houses of Law to be fitted and enabled for great and honourable actions for the publicke good and the continuance of the glory and happinesse of this kingdome they licentiously dissolue into wicked vanities and pleasures and all hope of their euer doing good either vnto God the Church their Countrie or owne soules melteth as the winter ice and floweth away as vnprofitable waters These infamous spectacles are condemned by all kind of sound learning both diuine and humane Distinctions deuised for their vpholding and defence may giue some shallow and weake contentment to partiall and sensuall affections possest with preiudice but how shall they be able to satisfie and secure a conscience sensible of all appearance of euill How can they preserue the inclinablenesse of our corrupt nature from infection at those Schooles of leaudnes and Sâ—nkes of all sins as to omit Diuines Councels Fathers Moralists because the point is not directly incident euen a Polititian calleth them Alas are not our wretched corruptions raging and fierie enough being left to themselues dispersed at their naturall liberty but they must be vnited at these accursed Theaters as in a hollow glasse to set on flame the whole body of our natural vitiousnesse at once and to enrage it further with lust fiercenesse and effeminatenes beyond the compasse of nature Doth any man thinke it possible that the power of sauing grace or the pure spirit of God can reside in his hart that willingly with ful consent seeds his inward concupiscence with such variety of sinfulll vanities and leaud occasions which the Lord himselfe hath pronounced to be an abomination vnto him How can any man that euer felt in his hart either true loue or feare of so dreadfull a Maiestie as the Lord of heauen and earth endure to be present especially with delight and contentment at Oathes Blasphemies Obscenities and the abusing sometimes of the most pretious things in the booke of God whereat wee should tremble to most base and scurrill iests Certainely euery child of God is of a right noble and heroicall spirit and therfore is most impatient in hearing any wrong indignitie or dishonour offered to the word name or glory of his Almightie Father A second marke of difference may be this The power of sauing grace doth subdue and sanctifie our affections with a conscionable and holy moderation so that they become seruiceable to the glory of God and for a more resolute cariage of good causes and zealous discharge of all Christian duties But the bridling of passions in the formall hypocrite is not so much of conscience as artificiall politique for aduantage and by the guidance of morall discretion so that if they be tempted by strong occasions and violent obiects they many times breake out to the dishonour of God the disgrace of a Christian profession and the discouery of their hypocrisie Let euery man then examine himselfe at this marke and with a single eye and vpright heart take a view of his affections whether his ioy be inward and spirituall that is in the assurance of Gods fauour in his word in his children in prayer and a continuall practise of godlinesse or outward and caâ—uall that is in the attainement of greatnesse and woâ—dly pleasures in the increase of his corne and wine and oile Whether he loue the peace of conscience farre more deâ—rely then the fauour of men or his owne life Whether hee bee more zealous for the honour and praise of God then his owne Whether he be more affraid of secret sinnes then open shame of offending God then outward afflictions Whether he be more angry in the cause of religion and concerning Gods glory or for his owne priuat wrongs And so thorow out the rest of his affections Let the fierce and desperate gallants consider this point which vpon euery light occasion and termes of disgrace are ready out of a graceles vngrounded opinion of declining cowardize to sheath their swords in the bodie of their brother And let them assure themselues that the meeke and mercifull spirit of God will neuer consist with such bloodie and vntamed affections his holy motions will not come into their secret neither will his sauing grace be ioyned with their assembly For in their wrath they will kill a man and in their selfe-will they will destroy the image of God Cursed bee their wrath for it is fierce and their rage for it is cruell Oh that they would but marke and foresee into what an ineuitable and endlesse maze of certaine misery and vengeance they enter when they enter into the field vpon either offer or acceptance of challenge If they be slaine they are accessaries to their owne vntimely murder They violentlie and wilfully pull themselues from the land of the liuing to the abhorred regions of death They cruelly and irrecouerably rent their owne poore soules from time of grace and repentance They extinguish all hope of posteritie and perhaps their house and family determines in
vpon a balance they are altogether lighter then vanitie it selfe Lastly the child of God besides the better and more speciall apprehensions of nature stores his conscience his treasurie of practicall principles with many sacred and sauing lessons and rules out of heauenlie truth and Gods holie word but so that in his practise of them he stands not vpon termes of pleasure profit or preferments but doth whollie and entirely resigne vp himselfe in obedience and humilitie to be guided and gouerned by them without restriction or cuasion in his thoughts affections and actions thorow the whole course of his life Therefore Luke 8.15 the hearer compared vnto the good ground which is the child of God to whom in al my Discourse I oppose the stony ground which I call the formall hypocrite is said to be of an honest and good heart that is downe-right for godlinesse and good men without hollownesse faintheartednesse or slinking Hee makes Christianitie as it were his trade he sweates and toiles in it as the end for which he was created and placed in this world And as he receiues the word of God into his honest and good heart so there he treasures it vp and keeps it faithfully The word in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He keeps it though it be with much difficultie strugling and colluctation with his owne corruptions the temptations of Satan and vanities of the world who cunninglie conspire and labour ioyntlie to plucke it vp and wrest it from him and he brings foorth fruite with patience He yeelds no ground though he meete a a Lion in the way or a Tyrant in the face In the day of trial and encountring with dangers and vngodly oppositions he shrinkes not but stands fast and suffers himselfe rather to be ouerflowne then to be carried downe the streame of the sinfull fashions and wicked waies of the world He knowes full well howsoeuer he goes now on his way weeping yet he caries precious seed and therefore the time will come shortly that he shall doubtlesse come againe with ioy and bring his sheaues with him Crosses disgraces and tribulations may beget in the formall hypocrite fainting and defection but in Gods child they bring foorth patience experience hope and resolution Euer when he enters consultation with himselfe whether God must be obaied and glorified or man pleased and satisfied he is quickly resolued out of that in Isai. 51.12 I euen I am he that comfort you Who art thou that thou shouldest feare a mortall man and the sonne of man which shall bee made as grasse And forgettest the Lord thy maker that hath spread out the heauens and laid the foundations of the earth He considers the heauie iudgement determined and reserued for all fearefull men al spirituall cowards and saint-hearted in the Christian warfare who more feare men then God and for their fauour and countenance part with the protection of the Almightie and the comforts of a good conscience They shall be punished with vnbeleeuers with the abominable with murtherers and whoremongers with idolaters and hers in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Reuel 21.8 You may now cleerely conceiue the point I haue in hand how the word of God is not rooted in the conscience of the formall hypocrite The ordinarie intelligencers to his conscience are examples custome opinion worldly wisdome common preiudice against a strict course of sanctification precedencie and practise of greater men for true goodnesse many times ouerprized and misualued by the worlds flattering censure the common naturall notions of right and wrong But if vpon some extraordinarie good motion by guidance of diuine rules he sometimes crosse the current of the times enter a profession of sinceritie and some correspondence with Gods children it is but for a spirt an essay like a morning cloud and as the morning dew For as soone as his feruour in religious affaires and furtherance of good things doth once by the fury of hell crueltie of prophane men malice of the world enkindle and stirre vp against him I say not onely a fierie triall but euen some smarting heate of lesser persecution some railing and slanderous tongue which schorches like coales of Iuniper a disconccit and dereliction in his friends and old acquaintance disgrace with the world discountenance of Greatnesse vnlikelihood of rising and preferment if it once raise against him stormes of iealousies enuies and molestations why then he is gone he slinks and starts aside like a broken bow All his former good motions purposes and endeauours melt as the winter ice and goe away like the morning dew For the formall hypocrite euer when he seeles disturbance in his present securitie interruption of his former contentments hazard of his temporall felicitie he begins strongly to suspect himselfe of too much forwardnesse of vnseasonable and preposterous zeale of distemper and indiscretion in matters of religion and therfore giues backe and falles away into his former plodding course of formalitie and that perhaps without any check of conscience but if any scruples and reluctation arise in his heart out of his worldly wisdome he Interprets this yeelding to the times to be but an ordinarie and pardonable infirmitie and therfore notwithstanding slatters and deceiues himselfe with hope of heauen which is a strong barre to keepe him out of the state of grace and vnacquainted with the glorious comforts of sound and sauing sinceritie But the sacred light of Gods holy truth is habituated and incorporated into the conscience of Gods child and is the onely and constant rule and square by which with all humilitie vprightnesse of heart a free entire submission and obedience vnto it he frames al his thoughts affections and actions And in this light he walkes with a settled constancie and grounded resolution thorow pouertie and oppression contumelies and contempt slanders and indignities good report or ill report For he hath his eie still fastned vpon eternitie he hath the crowne of glory alreadie in sight the inestimable pretiousnesse and euerlasting beautie whereof rauisheth and possesseth his truly free and great heart with such a longing and feruencie that hee is at a point with all that is vnder the Sunne that he doth not only contemne patiently endure and vanquish al asperities and difficulties but euen with reioycing entertaine and embrace if the tyranny of the times so require the vtmost that malice and crueltie can inflict vpon him There is no other consideration or creature either in heauen or earth can separate him from the loue of God in Christ Iesus or from his glorious seruice in al good conscience And as the word of God is planted and rooted in the conscience of Gods child for his direction and constancie in the waies of godlinesse so is it also there fastned for his forbearance of sinnes by these three properties which are not to be found in the formall hypocrite Remorse for sinnes past by which he is saued from
and falshood whose fâ—et are not swift to run after mischiefe vanitie and leaud companions That â—itteth not in the seate of the scornefull That is that confineth not himselfe to the chaire of iniquitie that confirmeth not himselfe in his malice and hardnesse of heart that doth not make a mooke of sinne and iest with the sacred word of God that doth not direct the poisonous arrow of a spiâ—â—full tongue euen at the apple of Gods own cie his dearest Saints and seruants That with the scorner doth not dare the highest maiestie of the Almightie to whet his glittering sword and take hold on iudgement to put on his habergeon of righteousnesse and the garments of vengeance for clothing saying as it is Isai. 5.19 Let him make speed let him hasten his worke that we may see it and let the counsell of the holy one of Israel draw neere come that we may know it Thus farre his forbearance of sinfull actions Now followes his practise in actions of pietie But his delight is in the Law of the Lord. That is the whole doctrine diuinely inspired is the very ioy of his heart and delight of his soule It is sweeter vnto him then hony the hony combe It is more pretious vnto him theÌ„ gold yea then much fine gold It is more worth vnto him then heauen and earth And when the heart is once enkindled with loue there the imagination embraceth with dearest apprehension the thoughts are impatient of any other obiect all the powers of the soule are vnited in a strong endeauour for the attainment The whole mind must needs be possest with meditation If he delight in the Law of the Lord hee must needs meditate therein And this feruencie of the heart cannot possible be enclosed within the compasse of the breast it will spread it selfe in speech and actions As is plaine Psalm 37.30 The mouth of the righteous will speake of wisedome and his tongue will talke of iudgement The reason followes For the Law of his God is in his heart And Psalm 119 167. My soule hath kept thy testimonies for I loue them exceedingly And this loue delight meditation and exercise in the Law of God of this happie man is not as a morning cloud and as the morning dew before the Sunne but like the light of the Sunne that shineth more and more vnto the perfect day It is not for a start for feare for restraint for reputation for aduantage or to couer the terrors of conscience for a while with a few flashes of deceiueable comforts out of some misapplied promises in the word of God but it is out of a free resolution and with vndaunted constancie day and night But giue me leaue I beseech you before I proceed to the explication of the rest or deduction of Doctrines from these particulars to propose vnto you this generall Doctrine which hath his strength from the body of the Psalme and the maine scope of the spirit of God There is in the booke of God proposed and offored vnto vs an happinesse standing in opposition to all the vaine felicities which ancieÌ„t Philosophers deuisde out of their deep speculations or prophane men frame out of their corrupt affections not consisting in pleasures riches honours greatnes in ciuill honesty formall hypocrisie or the whole possibility of nature but in supernaturall grace and the blessed consequents The whole book of Ecclesiastes Salomons sacred retractations is a large and sound demonstration of this Doctrine Salomon was sonne vnto the worthiest king that euer swayed scepter vpon earth and he was predecessor in the royall line vnto the Sonne of God and so matchlesse for nobility if true happinesse had consisted therein He was king of Ierusalem the lady of the world the perfection of beauty and the ioy of the whole earth Hee gaue siluer as stones and gaue cedars as the wild figtrees that grow abundantly in the plaine He built him houses and planted Vineyards He prouided him men fingers and women fingers and the delights of the sonnes of men Whatsoeuer his eyes desired he with held it not from them and withdrew not his heart from any ioy For wisedome and vnderstanding hee had a large heart euen as the sand that is on the sea shore It speculatiue knowledge hee excelled the wisedome of all the children of the East and all the wisedome of Egypt Hee was able to discourse from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon euen vnto the Hyssope that springeth out of the wall In wisedome of politie and gouernment there was none like vnto him before him neither after him shall arise the like vnto him So that Salomon was the most fit and absolute man that euer liued both for ability in vnderstanding abundance in possession and desire in searching to take an exact measure and the â—tmost extent of the worth and sufficiencie of all creatures and to raise from them the best contentments they could possiblie afford Yet when he had wearied himselfe in the variety of passages of this life and in the book of Eâ—clesiastes becomes a publick penitentiary to the whole Church and to all posterity see his iudgement he vtterly disauowes and disclaimes them all as miserable comforters as meere shadowes and dreames wherin there is no more matter of sound comfort then there is light in the greatest darknesse or taste in the white of an egge He saies of laughter thou art mad and of ioy haâ— is this that thou doest And whereas wisedome and knowledge are the most incomparable treasures this transitorie world hath he saith that in the multitude of wisedome is much griefe and hee that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow And of these and all other things vnder the sunne yea and if to the glory of all created natures were an addition of ten thousand excellencies that neuer man saw or enioyed hee hath pronounced of them all in respect of true happinesse and diuided from the grace and feare of God and a sanctified heart that they are all vanity And if he had staied there it had beene well that argues but a passiue imperfection and a weakenesse of being in the things themselues but they are vexation of spirit Nothing in themselues yet full of power and actiuity to inflict vengeance and vexaâ—ion vpon the spirit of a man The spirit of a man being sound in sincerity and seconded with a good conscience is able to beare out his infirmities and all the miseries incident to his nature It is able to passe by with a resolute and contented patience the lying imputations of the prophanest malice It is able by the grace of God to encounter with the terrors of death and the fearefulnesse of the graue yea to endure with a gratious humility euen the prâ—sence of God and Angels at that great day But a wounded and an afflicted spirit who can beare If the eye bee darke how great is that darkenâ—sse If the spirit of a man which should refresh all the faculties of
which is a horrible and feareful curse euen esteeme them foolishnes The third reason shall be taken from the example of Nicodemus Iohn 3. Nicodemus I am perswaded was an honest and an ingenuous man I am sure he was a great man and a teacher of Israel yet when he comes out of his ciuill honestie and naturall wisdome to reason and confer with Christ about the saluation of his soule and eternall happinesse hee is strangely childish and a meere infant For when Christ tels him Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God he replies How can a man be borne which is old can he enter into his mothers wombe againe and be borne A replie which may breed an astonishment in all that shall euer reade this story vnderstandingly vnto the worlds end nay it seemes to seeme strange to Christ himselfe by his interrogatiue admiration afterward Art thou a teacher of Israel and knowest not these things And no maruell for who would think that one of the best of the Pharises a ruler of the Iews a profest Doctor in the Law and the Prophets and one carefull to saue his soule should be so grossely and palpably ignorant in a most materiall and necessarie point of saluation especially hauing many times no doubt read it in Moses and the Prophts Amongst many places he might see Ezech. 36.26.27 most cleerely laid downe the great and glorious worke of our new birth A new heart also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take the stony hart out of your body and I will giue you a heart of flesh c. But when he comes from teaching and reading of this and the like places to be examined in the practise and experimentall feeling of these graces of regeneration vpon his owne soule why hee talkes of a man that is old entring againe into his mothers wombe from whence he should certainely returne with a doubled pollution and corruption of nature and once more the child of Satan then he was before But so it is where the hart is not seasoned with sauing grace let the vnderstanding be neuer so great with swelling knowledge the practicall powers of the soule neuer so pregnant with wisdome and policie and perfected with morall vertues yet there is nothing to be expected from that man in matters and mysteries of saluation but darkenes and blindnesse childishnesse and stupiditie Fourthly the young man in the Gospell may be a fit instance for our present purpose He was vnreprooueable in the externall iustice and outward obseruances of the second table wherein ciuill honesty doth principally consist but how farre hee was from inward sanctification the state of grace and happinesse of Gods children appeares in the story For when the sacred and powerfull words of our blessed Sauior had insinuated into the secrets of his soule and strucke at his sweet sinne of couetousnesse the young man is presently cast into a fit of melancholie Christ is too precise a preacher for him he cannot digest such a strict and seuere course he will not abandon his pleasures of worldlinesse his palaces his possessions to follow Christ the Lord of heauen and earth in this life though he assure him of the rich treasures of eternall blessednes in the life to come When the young man heard that saying he went away sorrowfull for he had great possessions Whereby we may see that a man may be ciuilly honest and vncensurable in outward workes of iustice and yet harbour and nourish some close corruptions and sweet sinne in his heart from which rather then he will part he will lose his part in Christ the bottomlesse fountaine of endlesse ioies and comforts and his portion of vnualuable glory in the new Ierusalem This point being thus manifest for conclusion I will lay downe certaine differences betwixt the righteousnesse of faith and sanctification and the righteousnesse of ciuil honestie that a man may haue some directions to examine his soule and conscience in this respect First the fountaine and originall of righteousnesse of faith is the sanctifying Spirit of God I call it the sanctifying spirit because the spirit of God may by a generall influence concur to the illumination of the vnderstanding with knowledge and a ciuill reformation of the wil euen in the vnregenerate but the sanctifying spirit by the miraculous operatiue of sauing grace doth purge and mortifie the inmost affections plant iustifying faith in the heart renew al the powers of the soule and reinuest them in some good measure with the blessed image of holinesse and integritie which they lost in Adam But the cause and fountaine of righteousnesse of ciuill honesty may bee goodnesse of constitution and ingenuousnesse whereby a man may not be so apt and inclinable to notorious sinnes or want of trials and prouocations or feare of lawes and temporall punishments or desire of reputation and rising or a vaine hope to stay Gods iudgements for inward corruptions by ciuill outwardnesse or at best the restraining Spirit of God by which hee doth onely represse the furies and outrages of the wicked and reduce them to some moderation and honestie for the quiet of his Elect and conseruation of Kingdomes For if God did not put his hooke into the nostrils of prophane men and his bridle into their lippes euery one of them sith euery man hath in his corrupt nature the seedes of all sinnes that euer haue are or may be committed I say euery one of them might become a cruell Senacherib a railing Shemei a traiterous Iudas a bloodie Bonner an hellish Fawkes fierce Woolues and Lions against the sillie and innocent Lambes of Christs fold Secondly righteousnesse of ciuill honestie in outward actions may make a colourable pretence of pietie and vprightnes but indeed hath many secret relations to pleasures to friends to profit to preferments to reuengement to passions partialities and euents and such like by-respects not easilie discernable but by him whose eies are tenne thousand times brighter then the Sunne But righteousnesse of faith hath in all actions for the maine scope and principall end the glory and honour of God and if infirmitie doe sometimes distaine them with some mixture and adherence of respects for who can say my heart is cleane euen the purest actions are mixt with some spice of corruptions it workes in the faithfull soule much griefe sorrow striuing against repentance and humiliation Thirdly righteousnesse of faith doth labour watchfully religiously and conscionably in that particular calling wherein Gods prouidence hath placed a man and in all the parts and speciall duties of godlinesse and obedience But ciuill honesty wanders in the generalities of religion and many times in impertinent vnsetled and vnlimited courses Fourthly righteousnesse of faith doth striue with greatest earnestnesse and contention of spirit for spirituall comfort and a good conscience before God But ciuill honestie is fully and finally satisfied with credit and plausiblenesse amongst men Fifthly
A DISCOVRSE ABOVT THE STATE OF TRVE HAPPINESSE DELIVERED IN CERTAINE Sermons in Oxford and at Pauls Crosse By ROBERT BOLTON 2. CORINTH 13.5 Prooue your selues whether yee are in the faith examine your selues know yee not your owne selues how that Iesus Christ is in you except yee be reprobates AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for EDMVND WEAVER and are to be sold at his shop at the great North-gate of Pauls Church 1611. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL HIS VERY GOOD PATRONE SIR AVGVSTIN NICOLS Knight Serieant at the Law the glorious comforts of Grace here and the blessednesse of immortalitie hereafter SIR I hauing been often and much solicited with varietie and iteration of strong importunitie to publish and let passe into the eie of this censorious world these thevery first fruites and essaies of mine imployment and businesse in the Ministerie did apprehend and embrace this season with better contentment and with more cheerefulnes addresse and compose my self thereunto because I did see opportunitie offered thereby to let appeare abroad my thankfull acknowledgement of your respectfull and more then ordinary fauour vnto me and a publike testimonie of your worthie and exemplarie integritie in discharging your hands and faithfully disposing that portion of the Church his patrimonie committed to your trust and conscience An affaire though in these desperately sinfull times fearfully and accursedly abused of high and waightie consequence and of great power as it shall be discharged with conscience or corruption either further to ruine our Church and bring it to more miserie and desolation or to repaire and aduance it to better state more happinesse For mine owne particular it hath so pleased God to guide your heart in this busines and to blesse me with his prouidence that wheras too many Patrones now adaies either by detaining sacrilegiouslie Gods portion agaiâ—â—â— all grounds of equitie both diuine humane or by furnishing Church-liuings simoniacally and corruptly do certainly pull vpon their own heads soules and bodies goods and posteritie an heauie and horrible curse and shall thereby make their account to be without fauour at the last day and whereas many worthie men after they haue wearied and wasted their bodies and mindes their spirits and patrimonie in studie and worne out their hopes with long and tedious expectation pursuit and dependance come at length with much adoe to no great matters and when all is done it is well if they escape all galling and gash of conscience such is the strange iniquitie of the times yet I say so worthily haue you dealt with me so vprightly in the Church his cause that vpon your owne first motion you sent vnto me to accept the place I now enioy from you and offered me a faire a free and comfortable passage to the exercise of my Ministerie abroad which next vnto the saluation of mine own soule I hold most deare and precious when I neither sought after nor thought vpon preferment This your rare and singular bountie did at the very first affect me with a secret sense of an extraordinary obligation for all inward affectionatnes and with a desire of representing it in some visible forme of outward testification But when I did after further consider first how that Sacriledge and Simonie that damned couple of crying sins like two rauenous Harpies and the two insatiable daughters of the Horsleech had seazd euen vpon the Heart of our Church readie to rent and teare in peeces her very heart-strings and to sucke out the inmost blood and last life of our dearest Mother when I looked aboue me in this famous Vniuersitie where I haue liued and saw many reuerend and learned men full of the light of diuine truth and of the water of life able gloriouslie and comfortablie to illighten many darke places and drie soules in this land readie to expire and powre out their soules in the bosome of this their famous Nurce not brought vp by her to die at her breasts but if they might haue honest and lawfull passage readie and resolute to enlarge Christs kingdome abroad and to oppose with all their power against the bloodie torrent of Poperie and rage of Antichrist lastly when I weighed with my selfe mine owne naturall declination and resolued vnfitnes to make a noise and stirre in the world for preferment I did finde that as these considerations did before giue small hope of changing my station so now they were of power yet further to double the impression of your worthie and extraordinarie goodnesse vnto mee and freshly to renew the thankfull deuotions and apprehensions of mine heart Out of which hath sprung in me a thirsting earnestnes and contention of spirit to returne vnto you for these temporall fauours so farre as the nature of that high Ministeriall function wherein I stand shall guide me and the power of my poore abilitie can reach the Blessings of Heauen and comforts of a better world To which end I here present vnto you this Treatise which I haue intended to be so farre as my gracious God hath giuen me vnderstanding in the point as it were a looking-Glasse or Touchstone to whomsoeuer it shall please to take thorow notice thereof for the discerning and trying in some good measure whether he alreadie bee of the number of those fewe which truly liue the life of God and vnder the Scepter of his Sonne or lie as yet enthralled in the inuisible chaines of damnation and death and vnder the large and powerfull raigne of Satan For I am perswaded that in this glorious noontide of the Gospell many thousands deceiue not only the world and others but euen themselues and their owne soules about their spirituall state thinking if they finde in themselues a freedome from grosse and notorious sinnes fairenes of conditions ciuil honestie a formall profession of Christianitie outward performances of religious seruices that then their case is good enough for heauen though there bee wanting the sauing power of inward sanctification and the truth of a sound conuersion though they bee strangers to the great mysterie of Godlinesse and disacquainted with a conscionable and constant course of Holinesse in their liues and actions But we must conceiue that ouer and besides these degrees of goodnesse with which millions of men content and deceiue themselues yea and quite beyond and vtterly without the compasse of all worldly glorie all visible pompe the most admited greatnesse and sufficiency vpon earth for which a great part of the world exchange the euerlasting happinesse of their soules there is a Paradise of Christian comforts a Royall Peculiar a victorious Simplicitie a neglected Innocencie a marueilous Light an inuisible Kingdome an Heauen vpon Earth which I call the state of Grace and labour in the ensuing Discourse to difference from al perfections and sufficiencies attaineable in the state of vnregeneration I meddle not purposely with the notorious sinner for me thinkes in these daies of light there should none so wilfully and deeply inwrap
himselfe in darknes but that in his cold blood and more sober consideration will acknowledge and confesse that the state of notorious sinfulnes is the state of wretchednes and of death And that there is no hope for the Drunkard the Swearer the Lier the Vsurer the vncleane person the Sabbath-breaker the Sacrilegious Simoniacall and sinners of such infamous ranke but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and without repentance and forsaking their sinnes an eternall separation both from al possibilitie of grace and sound comfort in this life and from the fruition of the ioyes and blessednes of heauen hereafter I therefore endeuour and desire to come neerer and closer to mens consciences and to tell them that out of a conceit of their morall honestie and outward religiousnes they may perswade themselues that they are rich and encreased in spirituall store and haue need of no more for the attainment of heauen when in deed and truth as concerning the power of sauing grace and sincere exercise of religion they are wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked In these luke-warme times many there are who with the fruites of a temporarie faith and some light of the generall graces of the Spirit make a faire shew and win good reputation for their spirituall state both with their owne hearts and with the world abroad when to the eie of heauenly wisdom and in truth they are but only Blazing-stars and earthly minded not fixed in the same firmament with the Sunne of righteousnes nor of an heauenly stampe And if they rise not higher in their affections and conuersation from earth and earthly vanities when their rootlesse graces shall be withered and wasted away their fall will bee sudden and fearfull and their former vanishing flashes of vaine hope for future happinesse will be turned into horror and extremest miseries of despaire Most behooffull then is it for euery man in time to search and examine himselfe whether Christ Iesus be in him or no. And it is one of the worthiest and noblest imployment of the soule to reflect vpon it selfe and with an vndazeled and vndissembling eye thorowly to trie and descrie cleerely it owne state whether it be already washed with the blood of Christ and enliued with a supernaturall vigour and life of grace or yet lie polluted in it owne blood and vnder the power of the first death I wonder how any man can bee at rest and quiet vntill he be assured and secur'd in this point sith vpon it depends his euerlasting estate in another world Nay sith euen in this world euery vnregenerate man let him be otherwise neuer so great or adored aboue others neuer so absolute in all other excellencies and perfections whatsoeuer yet being out of the state of grace is a very limbe of Satan a child of darknesse and one of the familie of Hell The wrath and vengeance of God all the furie of the kingdom of darknesse the rage of all the creatures though hee little thinke vpon it are euerie houre readie and addrest to seize vpon him as a traitor and rebell to the highest Maiestie and to dragge him downe into the bottome of Hell Whereas the state of true Christians and Gods faithfull Ones is most comfortable and glorious euen in this life in this vale of teares and in these Tabernacles of clay For their comforts are not fading and earthly springing out of the sinfull pleasures transitorie glorie of the world not fastned vnto honors greatnes and possessions to the encrease of Corne and Wine and Oyle but they are of a right noble and heauenly temper framed and emplanted in the sanctified soule by the spirit of all comfort and therefore euerlasting and vnconquerable able to keepe a man in heart and resolution against the malice and cruelties of all aduersaries of all creatures They only are truly and soundly perswaded by the sweet and secret testimonie of the spirit and by the euidence and experience of their own holy life that after the approching and much longed for period of a few and euill daies they shall raigne with God almightie the holy Angels and glorified Saints in vnutterable and endlesse pleasures for euer and euer and therfore easily and resolutely with much indignation contempt ouer-looke and throw out of their hearts all worldly thoughtfulnes all excessiue desires of earth and earthly vanities all restlesse aspirations after transitorie honors the noble miseries of this wretched life They alone haue fastned the eye of their mindes illightned from aboue with sauing faith vpon the vnualuable pretiousnes and lasting beauty of their immortall crownes in heauen and therfore all the glittering and golden representations with which the flattering world hath formerly deceiued and dazled their eyes appeare to be nothing but darknes and desolations Their glorie indeed heere vpon earth doth not consist in outward pompe and state it doth not shine to carnall eyes it is vndiscernable to the sharpest sight of worldly wisedome and policie but inwardly and with spirituall fairenes their diuine graces make them so truly honorable and louely that somewhere in Scripture they are called the Glory of God and are as deare vnto him as the pretious ball and apple of his owne eye They are in so high esteeme and account with Angels that those excellent creatures with much ioy alacrity become their Guardians and seruiceable vnto them with extraordinarie care and tendernes All the creatures groane and desire to bee deliuered into their glorious libertie and in the meane time with a secret and insensible reuerence they adore the sacred character of diuinitie that is stampt vpon them All the Saints acknowledge them to bee more excellent then their neighbours of the household of God and heires of heauen Nay the wicked themselues many times are confounded and stand amazed at the height of spirit and resolution that possesseth their hearts and at the sober vndanted maiestie that shines in their faces This and a thousand times more then this is the blisfull state of Gods children euen in this life Howsoeuer they be neglected and trampled vpon by the world and wicked men yet in the iudgement of God himselfe the blessed spirits and all men of true worth indeed they are the only Angels vpon earth and the royall citizens of this kingdome of Grace The prosecution of this point would bee comfortable but so I should be more tedious No more but this therfore at this time Certaine it is if a man were crowned with the royall state and imperiall command of all the kingdomes vpon earth if his heart were enlarged to the vtmost of all created capacitie filled with all the exquisite and vnmixed pleasures that the reach of mortalitie and most ambitious curiositie could possibly deuise and might without interruption and distast enioy them the length of the worlds duration they were all nothing to the enioyment of the pretious and peereles comforts of the state of Grace but euen for an houre
our first loue Would to God that we would keepe fresh in our minds but this one consideration That the same God which against the expectation both of heauen and earth of Rome and hell of diuels and Papists turned our feares and amazements at the death of that glorious Saint the late Queene into safetie and a sure foundation by the most happie succession of our gracious Soueraigne and his roiall seed can out of his iust iudgements for our vnthankefulnesse and securitie in the very turning of an hand and closing of an eie dash all our hopes and shut vp the whole Body of this flourishing kingdom in the pit of irrecouerable destruction It had bin done had Fauks fired the powder and who knowes what those busie and bloody heads are euen now hammering in the same kind Besides these two now mentioned there is another capitall cause of Gods heauie displeasure which though iâ— make no great noise nor be much taken notice of vpon earth yet â—t is much lothed of God almighty and cries loud in heauen for vengeance vpon vs It is a Lukewarmenesse and vnzealousnesse a cold and carelesse mediocritie in spirituall matters and as it were a neutralitie betwixt notorious sinfulnes and sauing sinceritie When men perhaps with diligence willingnesse and forwardnesse submit themselues to the hearing of the word but subordinate the power and practise thereof to their â—ase honours and worldly contentments When they wil needs hold an outward correspondence with the world and yet inwardly maintaine and nourish hope of saluation in themselues When they straine their wits and striue to partake both of the comfortable fauour of God and corrupt fashions of the times both of the pleasures of their sweet sinne and the sweetnesse of the true peace of conscience which are as inconcurrent as two parallel lines and as incompatible as light and darkenesse These men though in the worlds opinion they be of ciuill honest cariage of moderate spirits and of a stated temper in religion and in their owne conceits rich and enriched and want nothing yet indeed they are meere staruelings and starke beggers in respect of the true riches and lasting treasures of sauing grace and in the very case of those except in the meane time they buy of him gold garments and oile which shall neuer see Christ Iesus in his Kingdome to their comfort for Amen the faithfull and true witnesse hath vowed it that he will spue such out of his mouth and wishes much rather that they were key-cold then such formall Christians His speech imports thus much I had rather you were Pagans and Infidels then professors without zeale Now my chiefe and speciall aime is with all humble submission to beâ—ter iudgements and the censure of the Prophets to lay open the state of thâ—se men because besides their fearefull deceiuing their owne soules and particular certaine damnation if they so continue they mightily inceâ—se the Lords wrath against this laâ—d with an insensible and vnacknowledgde prouocation and mainly hazard the continuance of his glorious Gospell amongst vs. It is commonly conceiued indeed both of themselues and of the world that if they bee morally honest and outwardly conformable to the ministery of the word so that they bee hurtlesse and innocent in respect of humane iustice that they are also I know not how harmelesse and guiltlesse before the Tribunall of God But the Euangelist telles vs That that which is highlie esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God And God himselfe by Isaiah That his thoughts are not our thoughts neither are his waies our waies For certainely the state of Lukewarmnesse and formalitiâ— in religion howsoeuer it may be full of worldly applause and happinesse and beare away the bell vpon earth yet it is as burdensome and hatefull vnto God as luke-warme water or the most lothsome potion to the nicest stomacke And doth with a more naturall importunitie then other sinnes knock at the gates of diuine iustice for the remooueall of our candlesticke and the glory of his Gospell from amongst vs. All kinds of sinnes according to their nature measure and ripenesse haue proportionally a part and hand in drawing downe all manner of plagues vpon the sonnes of men but this hath a peculiar and predominant power in hastening that particular and greatest of all iudgements the famine of the word For God cannot endure without speciall indignation that his word which is his power vnto saluation should recâ—iue such limitation and prescription from mens wisdome that it should worke no further vpon them nor beget more change and holinesse then may consist with the enioyment of their worldly contentments reputation and the pleasures of their beloued sinne He cannot abide that men discontented with the straâ—tnesse of the gate of grace and impatient of a strict course of godlinesse should labor to find out and follow another way to heauen then that which is sanctified by his word and which hath and must be troden by all those that will euer see the Lord. Knowledge and profession of Gods truth without sanctification and zeale are but meanes in the meane time to put out the glory of Israel and will hereafter but encrease the number of stripes and adde waight vnto endlesse torment In the name of God therefore let all luke-warme and formall Christians be contented to take notice of their state and before the Sun goe downâ— ouer the Prophets suffer their hearts to be thorowly heated with true zeale and besides their outward reformation and generall lightnings of the Spirit to entertaine that speciall sauing and sanctifying grace which onely can saue their soules and prepare them for the glory that is to be reuealed Lest now at length for he hath borne with vs miraculously our iust God cause our Sunne to goe downe at noone and darkenesse to surprize vs in the cleare day Lâ—st he roote vs out of this good land as a fruitlesse and faithles nation turne vs out of our houses of peace as the vnworthiest and vnthankefullest people vnder heauen and let out his vineyard to other husbandmen which will deliuer him the fruites in their seasons And the more secure and fearelesse wee bee as wee were neuer more the more sudden and ineuitable is like to bee our surprizall and destruction For as Gods mercies are then most magnified when they relieue the extremest miserie and shine into the depth of discomfort and darkenesse when all other helpe is vtterly despaired of so his iudgements are most glorious when they strike at the height and top of pride and impenitencie while they thinke themselues most sure and with greatest confidence repose vpon the arme of flesh and policie of man The third reason and motiue why I insist so long in the point of formal hypocrisie was taken from the condition of mine auditors who being of deepest vnderstanding are naturally aptest and stroÌ„gliest tempted to mistake vnderualue the mystery of godlines and to deceiue their owne
ciuill honestie makes no great conscience of smaller sinnes as lying lesser oathes gaming prophane iesting idlenesse and pastime on the Sabbath day and the like But righteousnesse of faith hauing a sensible feeling of the heauie weight of sinne from those anguishes which the conscience felt before the infusion of faith and being still stung with a checke and smart for all kind of transgressions doth seasonably and proportionablie hate and make resistance to all knowne sinnes Sixthly ciuill honestie doth not vse to make opposition against the sinnes of the time but is euen willing to be caried with the streame onely vpon more faire and probable tearmes then notorious sinfulnesse and therefore will goe on and encourage a man in godly courses and good causes vntill he meet with either a wound to his state a disgrace to his person a disturbance to his pleasures an imputation to his forwardnesse a stop to his preferments losse of friends imminencie of danger or any such crosse and discouragement and then it teacheth him to step backe as a man ready to tread vpon a serpent and to start aside like a broken â—ow But righteousnesse of faith doth stand out for the honour of God and ordinarily goes thorow stitch in good causes come what come can crosses or calumniations good report or euill report men or diuels For it is compleatly armed with confidence of future happinesse and hath sixt the eye vpon the crowne of immortality which if heauen and earth conspired they were not able to pull it out of his hand that reserues it in the heauens for all those that sight a good fight that keepe the faith and run with constancie the race of sanctification The next point of the negatiue part of my doctrine is formall hypocrisie Which that you may more cleerely vnderstand consider with me three kinds of hypocrisie priuy hypocrisie grosse hypocrisie formal hypocrisie Priuie hypocrisie is that by which a man makes profession of more then is in his hart And this somtimes doth mixe it self euen with the fairest and most sanctified actions of Gods dearest children and doth soonest insinuate into a hart stored with the rich treasures of true godlines For Satan if he cannot detain a mans soule in notorious sinfulnes in meere ciuil honestie or formality but that by the sacred inspirations of Gods good spirit it is pulled out of the mouth of hell from the slauery of sin and courses of darkenes into the glorious light liberty of Christs kingdom he is inraged with fierce and implacable furie doth euer certainly with eager pursuit persecute that soule both by his owne immediate malice and by the cruell agencie of prophane men And if so be he cannot procure a scandalous relapse into grâ—sse sins yet that he may in some measure worke the dishonour of God and the discomfort of his noblest creature the two maine ends of all the policies of hell hee doth labour to distaine the pure streames of diuine grace in the soule puddle of our corrupted nature and at least to fasten the spots of priuie hypocrisie vpon the best actions and the very face of innocency This hypocrisie as I take it ariseth from spirituall pride For when a godly man by the great worke of regeneration is become more excellent then his neighbour as indeed he incomparablie is howsoeuer the worlds estimation be otherwise Because the one is as yet a limme of Satan receiuing from him the cursed influence of scule pollutions of vncleannes and lying of malice and reuenge of pride and prophanenes c The other is already a blessed member of Christs mysticall body continually inspired with holy motions and the life of grace The one lies polluted in his owne blood encompassed with the menstruous clouts of loathsome corruptions of all natures except onely the diuell and his angels the most wretched and woefull of the familie of hell heire of horrour and desolation The other by the immortall seed of the pure and powerfull word of God is made partaker of the diuine nature clothed with the rich and vnualuable robe of Christs iustice guarded with an inuincible troope of heauenly Angels iustly intituled to a kingdome of vnconceiueable glory and pleasures moe then the starres of the firmament in number The one is a wrongfull vsurper of the riches honours and preferments of this life for which hereafter hee must be condemned to chaines of eternall darkenes and a dungeon of endlesse miserie and confusion the other while he continues in this world is a rightfull owner and possessor of the earth and all the creatures and blessings of God and when hee departs hence he shall bee made a glorious inhabitant of those sacred mansions where constant peace vnmixed ioyes and blessed immortality euen for euer and euer doe dwell Which great difference when the godly man perceiues and his owne prerogatiues he is filled with a strange and ioyfull amazement and admiration at his owne happinesse which Satan seeing who is perfectly experienced in all aduantages and opportunities for spirituall assaults and working vpon the reliques of mans proud nature doth cunningly draw him to aduance aboue that which is meet within himselfe in his owne opinion the worth of his owne graces and vertues Which that he may conuey and reprâ—sent to the view of the world with an excellencie proportionable to his owne ouerweening conceite he is forced to admit the secret and insensible poyson of priuie hypocrisie which he doth more easily at the first entertaine because the pestilencie and bitternesse thereof is not discernable by reason of the predominancie and sweetnesse of the fresh present graces of Gods spirit in his soule But when by afflictions or disgraces by some extraordinary temptation or particular checkes from the Ministery of the word the vglinesse of it is discouered to his conscience hee for euer abhorres it as a consuming canker that would fret out the very heart of grace and extinguish the life of sincerity and therefore with much humiliation and feruencie doth pray against it striue against it and by the mercies of God preuaile against it This kind of Hypocrisie belongs not to my present purpose onely by the way let mee giue aduertisement to the child of God for to him onely I speake in this point to the end he may keepe his heart vnblameable in holinesse and preserue the true relish and sound ioy of good actions entire and vndistempered that he would strongly fence his heart with a gracious and vnfained humility against priuie pride the mother of this hypocrisie as against a close vndermining and a most dangerous enemie and the more seriously and watchfully for these reasons partly drawne from the nature of the sinne and partly from the state of his soule From the nature of the sinne First other sinnes grow from poysonous and pestilent roots as Adulterie from idlenesse Faction from discontent Murder from malice Iesting out of the word of God from a a prophane heart the
man professeth that which is not in his heart at all and so deceiues others but not his owne heart And this is most properly hypocrisie For the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a stage-plaier who sometimes putteth on the roabes and maiestie of a Prince himselfe being of a base and neglected state Or the grauitie and wisdome of a Counseller himself being of roguish dissolute conditions Sometimes he representeth a chast and modest louer his owne life being a practise of vncleannesse Sometimes he assumeth a good and honest vocation his own being accursed and vnwarrantable Euen such is the grosse hypocrite vpon the stage of this world a very painted sepulchre and whited wall glorious indeed in outward fashions and solennities in shewes and representations to the eie of the world but if it were possible for a man to make an exact inquirie into the close and hidden passage of his heart he should find many black and bloodie proiects for compassing reuenge euen vpon surmised opposites many ambitious steps built vpon flatterie and dissembling basenesse and briberie for his rising and preferments many stinging swarmes of fierie lusts and impure thoughts which are either spent in speculatiue wantonnesse and the adulteries of the heart or else for feare of the worlds notice breake out onely into a strange and secret filthinesse In a word vnder the vaile of his outward religiousnesse hee should see a perfect anatome of the infinite and deceitfull corruptions of the heart of man and many plausible and politicke conuâ—iances to bleare the eies of the world howsoeuer wretched man vpon his owne fillie and forlorne soule he certainely drawes an exceeding waight of vengeance This kind of hypocrite is more miserable and of lesse hope then the open sinner First because he sinneth against the light of his conscience which manner of sinning makes him incapable of sauing graces For how can that heart which to naturall hardnesse addeth a voluntary obfirmation in sinne and resistance to godly motions receiue the softening and sanctifying spirit of God How should those vnrulie affections be tamed by the power of religion who please themselues and hold it their greatest glory to seeme most moderate outwardly when inwardly they boile most intemperately in lust pride malice contempt of zealous simplicity and in other soulest pollutions How should the brightnesse of wisedome shine where the windowes of the soule are shut close wilfully and vpon set purpose Secondly by reason of the shining lampe of an outward profession howsoeuer he want the oyle of grace in his heart he so dazles the eyes of men that he barres himselfe of those reproofes and wholesome admonitions whereby the open sinner is many times confounded and amazed in his conscience humbled and cast downe in himselfe and happily reclaimed and conuerted Thirdly all publicke reprehensions and aduertisements from the Ministery of the word although they be as so many loud cries sounding in his cares to awake him out of the dead slumber of hypocrisie he either interprets to proceed from some particular malice or indiscreet heate and so passes them ouer with a bitter and peremptorâ—e censure or else out of the pride of his heart hee posteth them ouer from himselfe as not infamous or notorious in the worlds opinion and transfers them vpon the open sinners being assured that in the iudgement of others whom hee blinds and deludes by his Art of Seeming they belong not to him Fourthly he is iustly obnoxious to an extraordinarie measure of Gods hatred and indignation For euery ingenuous man out of the grounds of morality holdeth in greatest detestation a doubling and dissembling companion as a fellow of extreme basenesse and seruility most vnworthie to be entertained either into his inward affections and approbation or outward seruices and imployments how much more the God of heauen and earth who seeth cleerely into the inmost closet of the heart For hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more the hearts of the sons of men I say how much more must he needs double his infinite hatred of sin against the double iniquity of hypocrisie how must his soule abhorre that wretched creature which beares the world in hand and makes a shew vnto men that he stands for God and his honour and seruice but indeed is a close factor for Satan his owne pleasures and the powers of darkenes And as the hypocrite is subiect to Gods extraordinarie hatred so is hee liable to an extraordinarie weight of vengeance For when the wrath of the Lord is once enkindled against him it is powred out like fire and burnes euen to the bottome of hell His feare commeth like an horrible desolation and his destruction like a whirlewind Terrors shall take him as waters and a tempest shall carrie him away by night And so certaine are these plagues that as though the hypocrite were already turned into a diuell or into the very fierie lake it is said in the Gospell of other sinners that they shall haue their portion with the hypocrite where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Good Lord it is strange and fearefull that so noble and excellent a creature as man endewed with reason and vnderstanding like an Angell of God hauing besides the pretiousnes of the holy booke of God those great and vniuersall motiues the immortality of the soule the resurrection of the dead the ioyes of the kingdome of heauen the endlesse paines of the wicked which except he be a damned Atheist he doth certainely beleeue and whereas hee might liue on earth with vnconquerable comfort and shine hereafter as the brightnes of the firmament bee a companion of Saints and Angels and stand in the glorious presence of the highest Maiestie for euer and euer yet for all this will euen wilfully against the light of his conscience and with the certaine knowledge of his heart by his grosse hypocrisie secret abominations and vncleannes priuie practises for some wretched pleasures and preferments make himselfe in the eyes of God howsoeuer he deceiue men a very incarnate diuell vpon earth and after this life iustly heape vpon his body and soule all the horrours and despaires tortures and plagues which a created nature is capable of Oh that the hypocrite would consider these things in time lest the wrath and fierie ielousie of the Lord breake forth vpon him suddenly and ineuitably like sorrowes vpon a woman in trauell and teare him in pieces when there bee none that can deliuer him Well may he carrie the matter smoothly for a time and by his iugling dissimulation cast a mist about him and inwrap himselfe in darkenesse from the eye of the world yet let him know that in the meane time his sinnes are writing by the hand of Gods iustice with the point of a Diamond in the register of his conscience and when their number and measure is accomplished the Lord will come against him euen with whole armies of plagues and vengeance as against the most hatefull
must either enioy it in some kind and measure or it will waste and consume it selfe Hence it is that those who want inward and spirituall ioy arising from the testimonie of a good conscience from an assurance of remission of their sinnes and the fauour of God hunt after worldly contentments and carnall ioies At home in their owne hearts they find little comfort rather much terrour if their consciences awake and therefore they seeke to refresh themselues amid their treasures honors and sports at Plaies in Tauernes with merrie companie and many other such miserable comforters nay they had rather be necessarily imploied then solitarie not so much to auoid idlenesse as bitings of conscience Yea some had rather cease to be men then that their consciences should awake vpon them and therefore they labour to keepe it asleepe and to drowne sorrow for sinne with powring in of strong drinke But let them looke vnto it though it goe downe pleasantly yet secretly and insensiblie it strengthens the rage and sharpens the sting of the worme that neuer dies against the day of their visitation for in the end saith Salomon it will bite like a serpent and hurt like a cockâ—trice This outward and worldly ioy because the children of God doe not pursue because they will not relie vpon those broken staues of reed they are estâ—emed the onely melancholike and discontented men But I maruell when or with what eyes the worldlings looke vpon the faithfull Christian. It may be while hee is yet in the sore trauell of his new-birth and humbled vnder the mightie hand of God with affliction of conscience for his sinne If so then they should know that men must mourne for their sins as one that mourneth for his onely son and be sorie for them as one is sorie for the death of his first borne There must be in them a great mourning as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon as it is Zac. 12.11 And this sorrow is a blessed sorrow for it brings forth immortality And either themselues must haue a part in it or they shall neuer be made partakers of the fulnesse of ioy at Gods right hand What though the child of God lie for a night in the darkenesse of sorrow and weeping for his sins marke a while and the day will dawne and a day-starre will arise in his hart that will neuer set vntill it hath conducted him vnto the light that no man can attaine vnto The sunne of righteousnesse will presently appeare and will drie away his teares and with euerlasting light will shine vpon him for euermore But it may bee the worldlings take notice euen of the whole course and best state of the child of God and yet can see nothing therein but vncomfortable strictnesse and sad austerity But then I must tell them they looke onely vpon him with carnall eyes and deceiue themselues for so indeed he doth not appeare a boisterous Nimrode or dissolute Ruffler amid the vanities and delicacies of the world that is for Satans reuellers who haue smiling countenances but bleeding consciences glorious outsides but within nothing but rottennesse and prophanenes much laughing when the heart is sorrowfull But if they were able with illightened eyes to pierce into the inward parts of Gods child they should see within hope alreadie feasting vpon the ioyes of eternity they should see faith holding fast the writings by which the kingdome of heauen is conueied vnto his soule sealed with the precious blood of the sonne of God that nor man nor diuell is able to wrest out of it hand They should see the white stone mentioned in the Reuelation wherein there is a new name written which no man knoweth sauing hee that receiueth it Whence springeth such a strong comfort and high resolution in the affaires of heauen that no sword of the Tyrant no flame of cruelty not the combination of heauen and earth shall euer be able to amaze abate or extinguish Fifthly the formall hypocrite doth more confidently continue in a selfe liking of his owne state though the state of vnregeneration because he seeth those that besides his outward forme of religion are indewed with an inward and vnfained sinceritie in all their waies to be reputed but as the ofscouring of all things the simple fellowes and precise fooles of the world They haue indeed beene so accounted in all ages For the hearts of wicked men being stuft with prophanenes and earthly pleasures being swelled with ambition and worldly wisedome easilie bring forth pride and contempt And therefore they looke a farre off at the children of God as at fellowes of base and neglected condition of low spirits of humble resolutions of weake minds vnable to manage affaires and occurrents for their preferments of no dexterity to plant themselues in the face and glorie of the world when God knowes if they could be perswaded that there were no heauen but vpon earth and that the power and exercise of godlines were nothing but an vnnecessarie precisenes if they would enlarge their consciences proportionablie to the vast gulfe of the times corruptions if they durst make a couenant with death and an agreement with hell and put the euill day farre from them sure they might outstep many of these great Ones in their Proiects of policie and the precedencies of the world but sith they cannot they daâ—e not they will neuer by the grace of God be so perswaded they are well content with their continuall feast a good conscience while the others are fatted with their wine and their corne and their oyle against the day of slaughter And then at that day they will change their minds For goe I beseech you into the sanctuarie of the Lord and vnderstand their end they are now vpon the stage of this world in their full glory but were they as mighty as Leuiathan as cruell as Dragons could they reare their honours to the height of the clouds nay aduance their thrones aboue beside the starres of God yet they must downe they haue but one part to play they must make their beds in the dust and then when they are once disroabde of their greatnes and glory and stript naked of their honours and preferments and without all mitigation by worldly comforts left vnto the ful rage of a stinging conscience then they change their note and alter their iudgements and sigh for griefe of mind and say within themselues These are they whom we sometime had in derision and in a parable of reproch we fooles thought their life madnes and their end without honour How are they counted among the children of God and their portion is among the Saints Therefore wee haue erred from the way of truth and the light of righteousnes hath not shined vnto vs and the sunne of vnderstanding rose not vpon vs wee haue wearied our selues in the way of wickednesse and destruction and wee haue gone thorow dangerous waies but we haue not knowne the way of the
pleasingly to themselues and more plausiblie to the world compasse their ends and desires No maruell then though they haue the wicked world at will The third reason of the flourishing of the wicked is because they are men of this world and therefore they haue onely their portion and full felicitie here Their heauen is vpon earth their pleasures in their life time with the rich man in the Gospell For as the euerlasting couenant of inward peace grace and glory is peculiarly confirmed to the children of the spirit so many times in great measure the temporall promises of outward happinesses are performed vpon the children of the flesh When God had established vpon Isaak the euerlasting promises of loue mercy and blessednesse yet he was content to make Ismael a great man vpon earth Concerning Ismael saith he to Abraham I haue heard thee loe I haue blessed him and will make him fruitfull and will multiplie him exceedingly Twelue Princes shall hee beget and I will make a great nation of him Fourthly and lastly the prosperitie of the wicked makes them more inexcusable and their damnation more iust before the Tribunall of God For it is iust with him to bring a greater measure of tribulation and anguish vpon them in whom his many fauors aâ—d louing kindnesses haue brought forth vnthankfulnes rebellion that wrath is most iustly returned vpon their heads which by despising the riches of his bountifulnesse and patience and long sufferance leading them to repentance they haue heapt vp as a treasure vnto themselues against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God You haue heard the reasons of the happinesse of the wicked in this life but it is not so with Gods children For they must mourn in this vale of teares while the world reioyceth And as the wicked are fild and fatted with worldly happinesse and plentie against the day of wrath so Gods children must bee prepared and fitted with afflictions for the glory which shall be reuealed They are shortly to become inhabitants of that great and glorious city whose foundations are pretious stones whose gates are Margarites whose streets are pure gold as the shining glasse they must bee companions of the blessed Angels and stand in the presence of that great and sacred Maiesty and therefore in this life they must be cast into the Lords furnace that in the fire of affliction they may be more and more purified from earthlines and corruption and so with holinesse and humilitie prepared for that high perfection of heauenly beautie glory and blisse Let euery godly man then with comfort and benefit vndergoe those crosses which the Lord layeth vpon him for they are vnto him as looking glasses wherein God sees his faith and dependance vpon his prouidence the world his patiâ—nce and constancie himselfe the spots of his soule his decayes of grace the breaches of his conscience his neglect of the duties of his calling his coldnes in religigious seruices his fall from his first loue So that by them God is pleased and glorified others edified and instructed himselfe humbled recouered by repentance and more sanctified I haue staied long vpon the third reason of the formall hypocrites false persuasion of being in state of grace The reason is because ciuill honesty performance of outward duties of religion and worldly prosperitie meeting together in an vnregenerate man many times breed a very strong conceit of his being the child of God and an obstinate impatiencie of hearkning stepping forward to grace or any further perfection I come now to the fourth reason wherby the formall hypocrite doth falsly persuade himselfe to be in the state of true happinesse and saluation and that is A misconceit of Gods iustice and a straining and racking of his mercy beyond his truth and promise so making the way to heauen broder then the Scripture hath made it and himselfe more blessed then he is indeed Mans heart is naturally empoysoned with pride and hypocrisie and therefore is hardly drawne hartily to acknowledge the horrible vglinesse of his sin or that Gods proceeding against it with such waight of vengeance is equall Hence comes much indulgence and partiall censuring of our owne sinnes transferring them vpon allurements occasions circumstances necessitie and the like much lessening and impairing Gods iustice but amplifying his mercies euen to the securing of vnwarrantable courses Adam immediately after his fall shifteth off his sin vpon his wife nay he is so blind in spirituall iudgement of diuine purity that rather then hee will crie guiltie he will fasten the fault by consequent vpon God himselfe The woman saith hee which thou gauest to bee with mee shee gaue mee of the tree and I did eate So gladly would sensuall men persuade themselues that either their sinnes deserue not so strict account and great iudgements or that God doth exercise too much rigour in inflicting them For out of their worldly wisedome they measure and esteeme the vnspotted and infinite Ocean of the iustice of God by the finite muddie and imperfect streame of humane iustice Lawes and constitutions of states and kingdomes are bridles to curbe and moderate our corruption that we become sociable and peaceable but they cut off only from the Body politique by finall execution those that are of notorious and desperate condition such as are Theeues Murtherers Traitors and the like A verie proportionable conceit I am persuaded of diuine iustice and comminations in the law of God lurkes in the hearts of many they thinke that those sinnes that arise ineuitably out of our corrupt nature or that are committed by strong temptation or that are lesse pernicious are I know not how naturally pardonable and that if they bee of the ciuiller sort if they bee outwardly conformable in their liues and harbour good meanings and intentions in matters of religion though they neuer trouble themselues with more strictnesse and a course of sanctification yet they thinke that God will bee mercifull in the end and that it will goe well enough with them and that onely fellowes of infamous note such as are swearers liers vsurers adulterers and the like shall be excluded finally out of heauen But I would haue these men know that though the sea of Gods mercie be bottomlesse though the promises of grace be many and pretious yet not one drop of all that great sea not one iot of all those gracious promises belongs to any saue onely vnto him that groanes and sighs vnder the heauie waight and burthen of his sins that is of a broken and contrite hart that trembles at his word that vndissembledly sorrowes and repents for al his sins forsakes them and resignes vp himselfe in holy obedience to all his commandements I would haue them know that he is as infinitely iust as hee is infinitely mercifull and will as certainelie powre all the plagues and curses in his booke vpon the impenitent sinner as he will performe all his promises of grace to
that bloudie act But that which is the accomplishment of all miseries and terrour they iustly fall into the hands of the liuing God who will certainely iudge them after the manner of them that shead their owne bloud and will giue them the bloud of wrath and of iealousie And whereas they looked to leaue a name behind them it shall rot away with as vile detestation as their carcases in the graue The memoriall of the iust faith Salomon shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot If it doe liue it shall liue to their shame and infamy For I dare say this boldly There was neuer any man rightly informed either in the principles of nature or in the gracious way to heauen in the sober passages of moralitiâ— or in the iustice of state and policie or acquainted with the fairenesse of true honour that euer gaue any allowance or euer will to the reputation of manhood falsely so called purchased in priuat quarrell in the field This is then all they get for the losse of soule and bodie of heauen and earth of name and posteritie they onely gaine the damned applause of diuels swaggerers and wicked men But if it fall out otherwise that they be not kild but kill marke what befals themâ— they depart the field drunken with blood as with new wine and therefore they shall be sure at length to be fild with drunkennes and with sorrow euen with the cup of destruction and trembling they shall drinke of it deepe and large and wring it out to the very dregs For presently after the murder committed they haue Caines fearefull marke stampt vpon them The furies of conscience and cries of blood shal for euer persecute them with restlesse horrour As they clothed themselues with rage like a raiment so shall it now come into their bowels like water and sinke like oile into their bones In the meane time they shall liue in the hell of conscience vpon earth and expect euerie houre to be tumbled into the hâ—ll of wicked diuels for euermore in the world to come Let me then in the name and feare of God aduise them if they would win an opinion of true valor indeed if they look for any portion in the mercies of God or honour amongst his Saints to settle and compose such wild affectionâ— by the word of truth to turne the greatnesse of their courage and gallantnesse of Spirit to the subduing and conquering of their owne corruptions and to the wrastling against principalities and powers against the worldly gouernours the princes of the darknesse of this world against spiritual wickednesses which are in the high places This fight is Christian and couragious indeed the victory is glorious the reward is immortalitie A third note of difference may be this Euery child of God by the power of sauing grace doth hunger and thirst after all those meanes God hath ordained or offers for his furtherance in the way to heauen and for his comforting and confirming in a Christian course and doth make a holy vse of whatsoeuer is either publickly or priuately laid vpon him for his amendment and therefore he continually profits and proceeds in sanctification by his word his iudgements and his mercies by the exercise obseruation and sense of which hee growes sensiblie in heauenly knowledge faith humiliation repentance thankfulnesse and all other spirituall graces But the formall hypocrite doth so farre take notice and regard of them as they further his temporal happinesse and as his neglect of them by consequent threatneth danger and ouerthrow to his outward worldlie state For the present perhaps hee is mooued with the hearing of the word of God with the terror of his iudgements while they lie with some extraordinarie waight vpon himselfe or the whole land and with the sweetnesse of his mercies because they secure him in his prosperitie But these things sinke not into his soule with the power of mortification to the destroying of his sinfull affections and the shaking off of euery knowne sinne Beloued in our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus let vs euery one of vs I beseech you trie himself faithfully by this note of difference And the rather because our gracious God hath most plentifully and incomparablie vouchsafed vs in this land all meanes to bring vs vnto heauen He hath visâ—ted vs with his word his iudgements and mercies to the astonishment of the whole world Now let vs consider whether as they haue bred admiration in men and Angels so they haue brought saluation to our owne soules First for his word For these fiftie yeeres you know hee hath spread out his hands all the day long he hath sent all his seruants the preachers of his word rising vp earely and sending them saying Returne now euery man from his euill way and amâ—nd your workes Let vs then examine our selues in this point Hath this glorious Gospell which hath so long shined bright in our eies and sounded loud in our cares hath it I say bin mightie in operation vpon our soules in planting in them the power of true godlinesse Doe wee daily grow more sound by it in the knowledge of the truth and see more particularly into the way and whole course of Christianitie Doth it continually build vs vp more strongly in faith repentance and an holy obedience to all his commandements Why then blessed is our â—ase for this powerful experience in our soules of daily growth in godlinesse by the word is a notable mark vnto vs that we are in the state of grace and so al the blessings in the book of God belong vnto vs and pleasures moe then the starres of the firmament in number But if otherwise which is rather to be feared if we haue either bin no hearers or but now and then as our worldly commodities would giue vs leaue or hearers onelie of forme and faâ—â—â—on not of zeale and conscience to profit by it and yeeld obedience vnto it or onely hearers and no doers why then we may assure our selues we are yet short of the state of grace and marke what will be the end both of vs and the whole land it must needs be the same with that of Iuda and Ierusalem for they were as wel beloued of God as euer England can be Goe saith God vnto Ieremie Goe and tell the men of Iuda and the inhabitants of Ierusalem I haue sent you all my seruants the Prophets rising vp earely and sending them but you would not encline your care you would not obay me therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Behold I will bring vpon Iuda and vpon all the inhabitants of Ierusalem all the euill that I haue pronounced against them I will doe vnto this house whereupon my name is called wherein also ye trust as I haue done vnto Shilo I will cast them out of my sight And will make â—his City a curse vnto all the nations of the earth And the Lord was so vnremoueable
that out of his cruell malice hee may mixe some hellish poison son with these riuers of comfort labours to cast into his mind euen some thoughts of impossibilitie of the performance of the promises of saluation and of the attainement of that excellent waight of glorie and would gladly make him thinke it incredible that hee should euer bee crowned with immortalitie or be so gloriouslie partaker thorow all eternitie of vnspeakeable comforts aboue This temptation as I take it doth not much disquiet the formall hypocrite or any vnregenerate man For because his perswasion of happinesse to come is false and misgrounded and that hee hath no sound assurance of heauen Satan is too wilie to suggest vnto him doubts and distractions of this nature But wheresoeuer it lights it is of feareful consequence and therfore not to bee debated vpon by the thoughts or disputed with Satan that is not the way to conquer this temptation but suddenly and resolutely to bee repeld by the power of prayer and out of an holy contempt of so base and lying malice to be cast as dung vpon the face of the tempter So that the faithfull Christian for al this may maintaine and possesse his hart in patience and vnconquerable comfort out of these two considerations First if hee bee a diuell and prince of hell as Gods child feeles sensibly and certainely by this present immediate suggestion why then vndoubtedly there is the glory of infinite Maiestie in heauen Angels Saints boundlesse and endlesse blessednesse of euerlasting time Secondly he is to consider that in the daies of his securitie and worldlinesse no such scruples arose in his thoughts And therefore it is onely a malicious tricke of the enemie of all true comfort to defeate vs of our heauen vpon earth our assurance of heauen in the world to come A fourth way of weakening our faith is this If Satan by taking in the nicke the tide of our fraile and impotent affections by casting vs vnawares vpon occasions and allurements or by the suddennesse subtiltie or violence of some temptation be able to hale vs againe into some grosse and scandalous sinne to which by reason of our naturall disposition and custome wee were often and most principally obnoxious before our calling why then from thâ—nce he drawes and enforceth vpon vs discomfortable and faith-killing conclusions He presently infers vpon such relapses that we haue deceiued our owne soules that our holinesse indeed is but hypocrisie that our faith is but temporary and our conuersion counterfeit Otherwise the grace of God would be sufficient for vs and the power of his sanctifying spirit would at the least so farre restraine vs bridle and mortifie our corruptions that we should not breake out againe and backslide into a sinne so much loathed and repented of Otherwise as our sweet and master-sinne in the time of our vnregeneration made the deepest gash the widest gap into our consciences so if we were indeed in the state of grace wee should most carefully and tenderly close vp that wound and bee most vigilanâ— and solicitous in fencing and fortifying that breach before any other By this meanes Satan many times giues a sore blow to our faith and breeds much heauinesse and discomfort in the soule Thus Satan in his temptations sometimes proceedes by a method a it were of nature in striking at faith the roote and heart of our spirituall life But if hâ— be not able to fasten his fierie darts vpon the shield of faiâ—h why then he takes a contrary course and method as it may best fit his aduantage and more easie insinuation For he attempts the dulling and diminishing of our zeale and forwardnesse in religion and other fruits of faith and inferiour parts of sanctification And that by such meanes as these One weapon by which he labours to wound our feruencie and faithfulnesse in duties of holinesse and to hinder the entire exercise of the graces of sanctification is prosperitiâ— and freedome from discomforts and miserie For if he once espie vs to be encompassed with worldly peace reputation amongst men honours and offices plenty of wealth and preserments he is euer then in good hope by the helpe of the natural aptnes of worldly happines to ensnare and intangle to beget in our hearts worldlinesse and securitie the two great and dangerous consumptions of spirituall life For if worldlinesse once take possession of our hearts it wasts by little and little our ioy in heauenly things our comfort in the communion of Saints our longings for the incomprehensible and euerlasting happinesse it banisheth all thought of the worth of our soules of the spirituall state of our conscience of the vanitie and change of this present life of the glorious rising againe of our bodies and the immortalitie of the second life and in stead thereof filleth vs with earthlie cares with feares iealousies griefe hopes wishes independance vpon the prouidence of God and a thousand platformes for the encreasement and securing of our outward felicitie And securitie it makes vs insensible of Gods iudgements of our falling from our first loue of the danger wherein we stand It makes vs put farre from vs the euill day and to thinke our mountaine so strong that wee shall neuer bee mooued but continue in our happie state and die in the nest Secondly he seekes to weaken our practise of godlinesse by fastening vpon vs vncheerefulnesse and vnprofitablenesse in the meanes of the preseruation of grace For if he can once make vs cold and negligent or onely formall and cursorie in the daily examination of our consciences in hearing the word of God in the godly exercises with our schollers or families in publike prayer or our more priuate striuing with God by groanes and sighes for the supplie of some grace or remooueall of some corruption then there euer followes a languishing and decay of the life of grace If we but perfunctorily receiue the heauenly food into our vnderstandings and being hindered by distractions carelesnesse or worldlie cares not digest it by meditation and conference and by spirituall exercise of seruent prayer conuey it into the seuerall parts of our soules our new man wil quickly fall into a consumption Thirdly hee doth notably dull and darken our holinesse and sinceritie by casting vs vpon vngodlie and prophane company which hath I know not what secret and bewitching power to transforme others into their owne fashions and conditions and to make them sometimes to condemne their former forwardnes and zeale in the seruice of God For as the feed cast into the earth drawes vnto it self by little and little the property of that soyle whereunto it is transported vntil at length it becomes like y t which doth there naturally grow so the spirits and manners of men commonly conforme themselues to those with whom they ordinarily conuerse Lamentable then is their case base their resolution and miserable their comfort who for aduantage faction foresight and hope of future gratifications or
irregular and stirring heads of some busie and pragmaticall fellowes shadowed onely with a number of faire shewes and pretences but really existent and acted no where And that they may more securely and obstinately rest vpon this persuasion he furnisheth them with a notable art of misconceiuing and misinterpreting the actions of grace and of making by odious exaggerations a little hole in the coate of a sound Christian as wide as hell Hence it is that Dauid is many times made sport with and merrilie iested vpon by them with the false scoffers at their feasts and bankets and hath things laid to his charge with much confidence but without al conscience which God thou knowest he neuer knew Hence it is that many times those actions in which for the truth and vprightnesse of his heart and the iustnesse and innocency of his cause he dare appeale to the tribunal of God the impartiall searcher of the inmost thoughts and seuere reuenger of all falshood yet are racked by vile and base misconstructions and interprâ—ted to be the workes of darknes and deceit And if they take a godly man but tripping in some lesser error in his cariage and that perhaps but forged in their owne wilfull misconceit they thence raise matter not only of triumph and insultation but which is much more feareful of chearing applauding and confirming themselues in their present wretched state But if Satan meete with a man that by the grace of God is already entred into the panges of his trauell in the new birth and with sorrow for his sinnes is smitten downe into the place of dragons and couered with the shadow of death then he eagerly striues to stiffle the new man in the wombe and by presenting to his view the vgly visage of his many and outragious transgressions the curse of the Law and the wrath of God which he yet makes more grizlie and fierce by his owne hellish malice to plunge him into the bottomlesse gulfe of irrecouerable horror and desperation But if by the mercies of God hee sinke not but betime lay hold vpon the iustice of Christ and that boundlesse compassion which neuer knew how to breake the bruised reed or quench the smoaking flaxe but holds a broken and contrite heart farre more pretious then a sacrifice of the beasts on a thousand mountaines and then ten thousand riuers of oile why then he stands like a great red Dragon in his way at the very first entrance into the Kingdome of light and profession of sinceritie and casts out of his mouth flouds of persecutions vexations and oppositions that so he may ouerwhelme and crush him before he come to any growth or strength in Christ and a full comprehension of the mysterie of grace And to this end hee sets on foot and fire too and whets with keene razors many a leaud and prophane tongue to scoffe disgrace and discourage him in his narrow but blessed passage to immortalitie by reproches slanders exprobration of his former life by odious names of Hypocrite Singularist Puritane a fellow of irregular conscience and stirring humour of a factious and contradictious spirit and such like But if hee also passe these pikes and these sharpe swords for so Dauid calles spitefull tongues out of a consideration of that truth in Paul Euery one that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution and that in the calmest time of the Church amongst many other he shall be sure at the least to bee continually scourged and vext with strife of tongues for euerie faithfull Christian knowes by good experience that euer now and then as he shall stirre in a good cause stand against the corruptions of the place where he liues with conscience and faithfulnesse discharge his calling hee shall presentlie haue the spirit of prophanenesse to slie in his face with brutish and implacable malice and insolencie But yet I say if he be able with his Lord and Sauiour to endure this speaking against of sinners and to esteeme it as it is indeed his crowne and comfort why then Satan casts about another way and hee labours sometimes to fasten vpon him some vnwarrantable opinions thereby scandalously and vnnecessarliy to disquiet him to defraud him of an entire fruition of the comforts of holinesse and to hinder and interrupt him in the prosecution of his glorious seruice of God Sometimes to puffe him vp with a selfe-conceit of his owne excellencie seeing himselfe aduanced as farre aboue the common condition of men and the richest and happiest worldling as heauen aboue earth light aboue darkenesse endlesse happinesse aboue eternall miserie that so as the Apothecaries ointment by a dead flie his good actions and spirituall graces may receiue staine and infection by priuie pride of the nature and remedies whereof I haue before discoursed These and many others be the temptations of a babe in Christ and fitted to the infancie of regeneration But if Satan meet with a strong man in Christ he tempts him by those two methods I told you of before somtimes by wasting his zeale sometimes by weakening his faith and a thousand moe Amid which infinite varietie he is for the most part constant in one point of policy and that is this He coÌ„ceales his greatest fury his most desperate assault vnto the last He reserues his fieriest dart his deadliest poison his sharpest sting his Gunpouder-plot vntill he meete vs on our deaths bed Wherefore beloued in Christ Iesus we had need euery man to be strongly and soundly prepared and armed against that great and last encounter with Satan vpon which depends our euerlasting estate either in the ioies of heauen or paines of hell Oh at that day and we little know how neere it is it is not our deepe reaches and vnfathomd policies and proiects the countenance and patronage of great personages our merrie and plesant companions or the pluralitie of liuings and preferments that can yeeld vs any comfort or assistance in that terrible and fearefull combat Nay though we now little thinke vpon it all the worldly contentments that we haue either indirectly purchased or vnconscionably imploid he will then turne vnto vs into Scorpions stings and wormes of conscience Onely at that day a good conscience will hold out as armour of proofe which as it hath bin on earth a continuall feast so their it will bee vnto vs a great and euerlasting Iubilee for euermore By this time you easily perceiue and I am very sensible of the digression I haue made but I haue done it onely to giue you a taste of that part of diuine knowledge about the depths of Satan and spirituall state of sanctified soules and afflicted consciences which I take to be Gods childs peculiar and in which the formall hypocrite hath little skil or exercise For the deepe and diuine ponderations of this nature vpon these points doe not much take vp or trouble his mind and meditations It is a pretious knowledge abstracted by an holy experience from
him in one thing or other he is short of the state of grace and by consequent hath no sound and reall assurance of heauen aboue and therefore he will haue some sweetnesse in the meane time he wil inioy some shadow at least of one heauen or other vpon earth So that if we suppose such an one to take a view in his thoughts of al that stand for a place he would resolue for goodnes and honesty so far as the security safety of his maine contentments would giue him leaue so far as the light of reason and glimmerings of generall graces were able to leade him but because he is still too respectiue of his own particular wants the eie of spiritual discretion suffers his conscience to be cooled and countermanded by worldly wisedome he may I grant by constraint occasionally or by accident consent and concur vpon the worthiest but ordinarily for meere loue of religiousnesse hee doth not make within his owne heart a free vnpassionate impartiall sincere and conscionable choice For let him otherwise bee neuer so wise or honest yet he is a meere stranger to the mysterie of godlines vtterly vnapprehensiue of the singular and supernaturall operations of the life of grace and therefore cannot discerne betwixt resolute sincerity and true turbulencie whereupon it may often come to passe that by a promiscuous confusion of these two most different spirits he may so much as in him lies repell farre the best to the vnsatisfiable wrong of the partie and the vnualuable losse of the House which should enioy him There is one point further in deliberations of this nature in which hee would iumpe with the notorious sinner In aduising with himselfe for a fit man if by the way his thoughts should be crossed with a man of knowne professed and practised forwardnesse in religion hee would passe him ouer with contempt and indignation for thus would he thinke with himselfe If such a fellow come in amongst vs we shall haue all moulded anew after the strict modell of his irregular conscience wee should be troubled with new tricks and erections for the encreasement of study and reformation of manners he would bee stil standing and striuing for an Ideall and abstractiue purity in Elections and other affaires of the Colledge so that our former quietnesse and peace would be much dissweetned with his tartnesse and too much precisenesse Thus would he bee as hote and heady against the power of grace as the notorious sinner For though there bee many different degrees of ilnesse of vnregenerate men some are farre more sober tolerable and moderate then others yet all commonly agree in this that they are bitter and implacable Opposites to the profession and practise of sound and sauing sinceritie Gods faithfull Ones euer were and euer will bee Signes and Wonders euen in Israel Isa. 8.18 Monsters vnto the great men of the world as Dauid was Psalm 71.7 A scorne reproch and derision to them that are round about them Psalm 79.4 They shall euer be accounted men of an odde fashion and singular cariage from other men Wisd. 2.15 precise humorous hypocriticall and the like Mistake me not I apologize not for any vnwarrantable opinion tending to Separation it is onely sanctification true and vndissembled holinesse without which none shall euer see the face of God or glory of heauen which I stand for and intend in all my Discourse But by the way let mee tell you this in this generall and ioynt-conspiracie of all kinds of naturall men against the spirituall state of true Christians and the soueraignty of Gods sanctifying spirit in them the meere ciuill honest man and formall hypocrite as I take it are transported with more fiercenesse and rage against them then the grosse hypocrite and notorious sinner This I take to be the reason The grosse hypocrite hee sins against the light of his owne conscience and with the certaine knowledge of his heart and therefore doth not much enuie and grudge the righteous man his excellencie aboue his neighbour and saluation of his soule The notorious sinner in his more sober mood and cold blood will confesse himselfe to be out of the way promise and protest amendment or at least reserues in his heart a resolution to repent when he is old but the meere ciuill honest man and the formall hypocrite thinke their owne state to bee as good as the best and whatsoeuer is more and besides that which they find in themselues to be but needlesse precisenes and affected singularity and therefore are many times gauld and grieued that the truely gratious and conscionable cariage of Gods seruants doth censure and condemne their outwardnes and formalitie in religion and make it plainely appeare that their case without sound conuersion and imbracement of sinceritie is the very state of wretchednes and of death But now fourthly and lastly in Elections the thoughts of Gods child in whose heart alone the word of God doth chiefly rule and is deepely rooted would bee these or the like In the first place there comes into his mind a reuerent feare of that God who hath mercifully aduanced him to his place wherein hee expecteth conscience and faithfulnesse He considers that solemne and sacred oath which hee takes in the sight of him who seeth all hearts and cogitations for a resolute and vnswayed vprightnesse in the disposing of his voice that vpon the integritie or vnconscionablenesse in Election depends the miserie and confusion or happinesse and flourishing of an House Hee further calleth to mind out of his experience that commonly those fellowes who thrust into societies offices and high roomes by shufling and violence by faction and preposterous fauour by cunning or corruption become pernicious and dishonorable to the places where they liue they are still thornes in the sides and pricks in the eyes of all that loue grace and goodnesse they either turne idle truly factious or notoriously scandalous by misspending the vnualuable pretiousnesse of their golden houres in Tauerns Ale-houses or some other course of good-fellowship to the inexpiable and eternall dishonour of those Houses of which they should bee ornaments and when they haue done much hurt and mischiefe here they are the onely men to bargaine for buy or compasse by indirect and sinister dealing Benefices and spirituall promotions abroad of which being possest they either by vnconscionable and cruell negligence and Non-residence in their charge betray the soules of their people to wildnesse and barbarisme to ignorance prophanenesse or poperie or else by a prophane and vnhallowed handling of Gods word by daubing with vntempered morter as the Prophet speakes so strengthen the hands of the wicked that they cannot returne from their wicked waies and kill the heart of the righteous and make them sad whom the Lord hath not made sad that the bruised reed is quite broken and the smoaking flaxe vtterly put out Now thinkes the child of God with himselfe out of his spirituall wisedome
if such an one as these should bee chosen by my default and faintheartednesse I should in some sort and measure be iustly guiltie and answerable before that high and euerlasting Iudge of the many miseries and mischiefes which ordinarily ensue vpon so vnhappie a choice Hereupon after a mature and impartiall suruay of all circumstances considerable in the partie the statute and whole businesse he singles out him with sinceritie and singlenesse of heart whom in conscience he thinks most sufficient and there hee stickes with a truely Christian and vnshaken resolution pitcht by the verie power and strength of heauen and come what come will tempests or faire weather preferment or pouertie threatnings or flatterie policie or persuasion priuate importunities or frownings of Greatnesse he is at a point infinitely rather to keepe a good conscience and saue his soule then to enioy the present and gaine the whole world For hee well knowes that the day is at hand euen that great and fearefull Day when the consciousnesse of one gratious action performed with vprightnesse of heart will breed more comfort then the glory riches and soueraignty of the whole earth To conclude this point As vnregenerate and sanctified thoughts differ much in their workings euen about the same Obiects so there are some which are Gods childs peculiar with which the state of vnregeneration is vtterly vnacquainted They are such as these First thoughts full of scare and astonishment all hell and horrour which rise out of the heart when it is first stricken with sense of Gods wrath at the sight of his sinnes These are scorched in verie manie euen with the flames of hell in their conuersion They burne sometimes the verie marrow out of their bones and turne the best moysture in them into the drought of Summer No print or skarre of these wofull and wounded thoughts appeare in the heart of the formall hypocrite This hell vpon earth is onely passed thorow by the heires of heauen while the children of hell haue commonlie their heauen vpon earth 2 Secondly thoughts composed al of pure comfort ioy heauen immortalitie the sweet and louely issues of the spirit of adoption These flow onely from the fountaine of grace and spring vp in that soule alone which hauing newly passed the strange agonies and sore pangs of the new-birth is presently bathed in the blood of Christ lulled in the bosome of Gods dearest mercies and secured with the seale and secret impression of his eternall loue and sacred spirit not only from the rage of hell but also of an euerlasting and roiall inheritance aboue Oâ— the heart of the vnregenerate man is farre too narrow base and earthy to comprehend the vnmixed pleasureâ— the glorious Sunshine of those blessed and ioyfull thoughts which immediatelie follow vpon the stormes of feares and terrour ordinarily incident to a sound conuersion 3 Thirdly thoughts of spirituall rauishment and vnutterable rapture slashes of eternall light raised sometimes in the hearts of the Saints and occasionally inspired by the Spirit of all endlesse comfort which with vnconceiueable amazement and admiration feed vpon and fill themselues with the ioies of the second life in such an vncouth extasie and excesse as is farre aboue and without the compasse and concâ—it of all worldly comforts the tongue of Angels or heart of man In this point I appeale to the conscience of the true Christian for I know full well that all my Discourse is a parable and paradoxe to the prophane whether hee hath not sometimes as it were a sea of comfort rained vpon his heart in a sweet shower from heauen and such a sensible taste of the euerlasting pleasures by the glorious presence of inward ioy and peace as if he had the one foot in heauen alreadie and with the one hand had laid hold vpon the crown of life especially after a zealous heate feeling feruencie in praier after an entire gracious and profitable sanctifictation of the Sabbath at the time of some great and extraordinarie humiliation entertaind and exercised with fruit and sinceritie when he hath freshly with deepest groanes and sighes and new struglings of spirit renewed his repentance vpon occasion of relapse into some old or fall into some new sin when the empoisoned arrowes of cruell and fierie tongues pointed with malice policy and prophanenesse come thickest vpon him and yet retyring into his owne innocent heart he finds no cause of such mercilesse vexation but defence of Gods truth and profession of holinesse Nay sometimes vpon on the deaths-bed to a soule conscious of an vpright and vnspotted life the ioies of heauen present themselues before the time so longing a sympathy is there betwixt the life of grace and endles glory Such like ioyfull springings and heauenly eleuations of hart as these which I haue now mentioned are the true Christians peculiar no stranger can meddle with them no heart can conceiue them but that which is the Temple of Gods pure and blessed Spirit Thus farre of the difference of their thoughts in respect of their nature and manner of working Now in a second place Gods child is notably differenced from the formall hypocrite by the seasonablenesse of his thoughts and their holy seruing the time In a body of best and exactest constitution the senses are quicke and nimble and sharpliest discerne with greatest life and vigour apprehend their obiects and are most sensibly affected or displeased with their conuenience or antipathy Euen so in a hart of a true spiritual temper seasoned and softned with the dew of grace the thoughts are actiue readie and addrest with zeale contentment to encline and apply themselues to the condition of the times and varietie of occasions offered for some holy vse to the bettering of the soule and the enlarging of Gods glory In the time of fasts sackcloth if Gods iudgements be threatned out of the Pulpit or executed from heauen when the Church weares her mourning weed sincerity droupes and the godly hang down their heades in such blacke and dismall daies they are impatient of all temporall comfort they willingly put on sadnesse to entertaine penitencie humiliation and sorrow but they are clothed with ioy and lightsomnesse when mercie and saluation are wisely and seasonably proclaimed out of the booke of life when religion spreads and prospers and diuine truth hath free passage when whole States haue escaped the bloodie Papists Gunpowder and the roiall breasts of Kings their empoisoned kniues and in such like ioyful and happy times Thus the thoughts and inmost affections of Gods child haue their changes their seueral seasons and successions as it pleaseth the Lord to offer or execute mercie or iudgement out of his word or in the world abroad But the thoughts of the formall hypocrite though they suffer indeed many alterations and distractions about earthly obiects they ebbe and flow with discontent or comfort as his outward state is fauoured or frowned vpon by the world yet spirituall
occurrents obseruable with deuotion and reuerence for the good of the soule haue no great power to worke vpon them sacred times or daies of affliction are not wont to make any such impression or to breed extraordinary stirrings and motions in them Let iudgements blast or mercies blesse a kingdome let Gods word find smooth and euen way or rubs and opposition let prophanenesse be countenanced or sinceritie cherished he takes no thought so he may sleepe in a whole skinne and keepe entire his worldly comforts his thoughts continue heauie dull and formall Hee may conforme and consort with the times in his outward gestures words and actions but ordinarily his thoughts admit no change saue onely so farre as his priuate temporall felicitie is endangered by publicke iudgements or enlarged by showers of mercies and blessings from heauen I cannot enlarge this point at this time only I will giue one instance in their difference of thoughts vpon the Sabbath day The Sabbath day is as it were the faire day of the soule wherein it should not onely repaire and furnish it selfe with new spiritual streÌ„gth with greater store of knowledge grace and comfort but also feast with it heauenly friends the blessed Saints and Angels vpon those glorious ioies and happie rest which neuer shall haue end Euery child of God therefore which hath alreadie a reall interest in that eternall rest makes not only conscience of doing his owne waies seeking his owne will speaking a vaine word on that day but also in some good measure makes it the very delight of his heart the loue and comfort of his inward thoughts so that he may consecrate it as glorious to the Lord. He doth not onely giue quiet and cessation to his body from worldly businesse and works of his calling but also empties his head and disburdens his thoughts of al earthly cares that so they may wholly and entirely intend the holy motions of Gods Spirit and spend themselues in godly and extraordinarie meditations fitting the feast day of the soule and the Lords holy day This is the desire longing and endeuour of his heart thus to sanctifie the Sabbath and if at any time he be turned awrie from this vprightnesse by companie or his owne corruptions he is after much grieued and vext with it repents and praies for more zeale conscience and care for the time to come But the formall hypocrite howsoeuer he may on that day forbeare and abstaine from his ordinarie sinnes labours sports and idlenes howsoeuer he may outwardly exercise and execute all duties and seruices of religion though indeed more of custome and for fashion then with heartie and true deuotion nay he may haue other thoughts on that day but onely so farre as the bare solemnitie of the time and the greater Presence can alter them yet I dare boldly say it no formall hypocrite no kind of vnregenerate man can possibly make the Sabbath his delight as is required Isai. 58.13 And which is presupposed to make vs capable of the blessings following in the same place Then shalt thou delite in the Lord and I will make thee to mounâ— vpon the high places of the earth feed thee with the heritage of Iacob thy father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it He cannot for his life sequester his thoughts at all not euen on that day from worldlinesse and earthly pleasures to diuine and sacred meditations Doe what hee can he cannot beate and keepe them off from worldly Obiects they will not leaue their former hants or be restrained from plotting or pleasing themselues with weeke-day businesses Lord it is strange that the soule of a man so noblely furnished with powers of highest contemplation being so strongly and sensiblie possest with consciousnesse and conceit of it owne immortality and hauing the restlesse and vnsatisfied desires of it wide capacity neuer fild but with the Maiestie of God himselfe and the glory of an immortall crowne should be such a stranger to heauen the place of it birth and euerlasting abode that vpon that day whereon as vpon the golden spot and pearle of the weeke the Lord hath stamped his owne sacred Seale of institution and solemne consecration for his owne particular seruice and speciall honour yet I say vpon that day it cannot settle and continue it owne thoughts and motions vpon those vnmixed and blessed ioyes and the way vnto them without which it shall bee euerlastingly miserable and burne hereafter in that fierie lake whose flames are fed with infinite riuers of Brimstone and the endlesse wrath of God for euer and euer Now I pray you tell mee when wee shall haue raigned hereafter many millions of yeeres in heauen what thoughts will remaine of this little inch of time vpon earth When we haue passed thorow a peece of eternitie where will appeare the minute of this miserable life and yet our thoughts and affections are so glued vnto the world as though eternitie were vpon earth and time only in heauen You are men capable of worthiest and highest eleuations of spirit I beseech you resume this meditation at your leisure methinks it should be able to breed thoughts of a far more noble and heauenly temper then ordinarilie arise and are nourished in the hearts of men But to follow my yurpose Certaine it is not the best vnâ—egenerate men can endure an entire and exact sanctification of the Sabbath it is not a Iubilie to their hearts and the ioy of their thoughts for they cannot abide to haue their minds stay long in a feeling meditation vpon spirituall affaires vpon the examination of their former life the state of the other world the sleights and tentations of Satan the day of death the tribunall of heauen and such like For though the best of them may haue a persuasion of their being in the state of grace as I haue largely proued heretofore yet sith it is wrongly and falsely grounded it cannot abide the search and touchstone Hence it is that of all things they loue not to bee alone They may please themselues well enough in solitarinesse vpon some priuate businesse for the more profound plotting and contriuing worldly matters for a more free but filthie exercise of the adulteries of the heart and contemplatiue fornication to feed vpon dull and fruitles melancholie to let their thoughts wildly range and runne riot into a world of imaginations to diue into the mysteries of nature or depths of State but to be alone onely for this purpose that the mind may more fully and immediately worke vpon the spirituall state of the soule and impartially inquire into the conscience they cannot they will not endure it and therefore commonly cast themselues into one knot of goodfellowship or other that they may merrily passe away that time for an houre of which the time of grace being once expired they would giue ten thousand worlds yet shall neuer bee able to purchase it againe But Gods children when they are alone haue inward
vprightnesse of heart resigned mine owne soule nay I haue vowed and resolued that my crowne and scepter my court and whole kingdome shall for euer bee seruiceable to my gratious God and that great maiesty aboue My mind is neuer truely pleased and ioyfull but when it is gazing and meditating vpon the excellent beautie of his glorious Being vpon his bottomlesse goodnes and immeasurable greatnesse His word and sacred lawes are better and dearer vnto me then thousands of gold and siluer His Saints vpon earth are onely my solace and their sincerity the delight of mine heart For mine innocency from those imputations which are charged vpon mee I dare appeale vnto the strictest Tribunall of heauen Why then how comes it to passe that I am become a spectacle of disgrace and contempt to heauen and earth to men and Angels to Gods people and that which grieues me more to Gath and Askelon Saul for all the seruice I haue done to hiâ— and to the State hunts me vp and downe like a Partridge in the mountaines Dogged Doeg he hath informed against Ahimelech for releeuing me and so caused the sacred blood of 85. Priests to be spilt as water vpon the ground Malice and furie driue me into the wildernesse for Lions and Tigers are more mercifâ—â— then madded and enraged prophanenes but there the barbarous Ziphims haue betraied me to the King I am railed vpon not onely by base and worthlesse companions by fellowes of prostituted conscience and conuersation that were tolerable but euen Princes and those that sit in the gate speake against me Not only drunkards make songs and iest vpon me but euen great men with authoritie and imperiousnesse carrie in triumph my distressed and forsaken innocencie Nay that which is the complement of miserie and discomfort mine owne familiars with whom I haue many times sweetly and secretly consulted they haue also deceiued me as a brook and as the rising of the riuers they are passed away But marke now the issue of this conflict and inward dispute with himself Had a notorious sinner bin in these straits perhaps hee would haue burst out into desperate conclusions and furious attempts Had a Papist bin here he would presently haue had recourse vnto the Iesuits fellowes which are by definition refined and sublimated Friers composed all of fire bloud and gunpowder inspired by the powers of darknesse with a transcendent rage against Gods truth sworne solemnely in the blackest consistory of hell to the death of Kings desolation of States combustion of the whole Christian world and destruction of infinite soules These men would presently haue addrest some bloody and prodigious villaine with a kniffe poyson or gunpowder to haue killed the King and to haue blowne vp Saul and all his court Had a formall hypocrite bin in this case seeing these crosses and miseries befall him he perhaps would haue presently recoiled from these courses of opposition though in a good cause closed with some great man in the court and cast himself into the current of the times But marke Dauids cariage in this point his noble 〈◊〉 like a glorious Sunne breaks thorow these clouds and stormes of inward troubles these strong temptations to impatiencie and discontent he puts on more strength of faith and patience and shines brighter in all spirituall graces me thinkes hee reacheth the very meridian of all Christian comfort and high resolution For as you may see in the forecited 62. Psalme He doth not onely fortifie his owne hart with vnconquerable confidence in Godâ— protection but also with an holy triumph insults ouer the insolencies of his aduersaries and already washeth his princely feete in the blood of the wicked Hee tels them they shall bee slaine euery mothers sonne of them and that in feareful and horrible manner As if a man should come vpon the backe of a rotten and tottering wall and with great strength and furie push it downe euen so when they were most swelled with pride and prophanenes the wrath and vengeance of God should like a fierce tempest and whirlewind seaze suddenlie vpon them and hurle them out of their place FINIS * Wâ—ll a man spoile his gods yet haue â—e spoiled me But yee say vvherein â—aue we spoiled thee In tithes and offerings Ye are cursâ—d with a curse â—or ye haue spoiled me euen this whole nation Malach. 3.8 Luke 16.15 Isai. 55.8 Matth. 16.25 Pâ—alm 92.12 Psalm 125.1 Prou. 13.1 Psalm 91.13 Eccles. 2.2 Eccles. 1.18 chap. 14.22 Iob 20. Chap. 14.10 11.12 Pro. 17.15 a Cato homo virâ—â—ti similimus qui nunquaÌ„ rectè fecit vt facere viderâ—tâ—r sed quia all â—â—r facere non poteraâ— cuique idsolum visum est rationem haebâ—re quòd haberet iustitiaÌ„ omnibus humaniâ— vitijâ— immunis semper fortunam in sua potestate habuit Paterculus lib. 2. b Splendida peccaâ—a c Cap. 11.6 Matth. 19. Prou. 12.26 2. Pet. 1.4 â— Tim. 3.5 Chap. 15.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prou. 28.1 * Prou. 23.32 Chap. 23.10 * But let no man beare himselfe presumptuously vpon this comfortable promise but consider well the condition for it is thus in the Text But if the wicked will returne from all his sinnes that he hath done and keepâ— all my statutes and do thâ—â— which is law full and right he shall surely liue and shall not die Ezech 18.21 Chap. 10.20 * Theatra desinire possumus surpitudinis viâ—iorumque omnium sentinam ac scholam â—odin â—e repub lib. 6. cap. 1. Dâ—ut 22.5 Prou. 10.7 Chap. 35. Chap. 5.3 Vers. 6. 2. Cor. 2.11 Psalm 7â— 2. Tiâ—o 3.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 16.19 * For I may take conscience for the habit of practicall principles as doth Origen Basil Damascen Ierom. Origen calleth conscientia paedagogus animae sociatus Basil naturale iudicatorium Damascen lux intellectus nostrit Ierom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The only men those that are men indeed Rom. 5.3.4 5. Prou. 4.16 Isal. 48.4 1. Kings 21. * The world is come to that wretched passe and height of prophanenesse that euen honestie and sanctification is many times odiouslie branded by the nick-name of Puritanisme * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 licet inâ—erpretari vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel magnos Magnis â—eddidis Calumus Ezech. 13.22 a I doe not hereby exempt the state of vnregene aâ—ion from all tremblings and terrors of conscience for sinâ—e but only make it a priuiledge of Gods châ—ldren to passe quite thorow them into the spirituall pleasures and paradise of the Kingdomâ— of grace and to be able with an holy amazement and thankfulnesse to looke back vpon the skaâ—â—es and prints of those former wounds of a truly humbled and broken heart alreadie healed and â—weethe closed vp with the blood of Christ whereas in others they commonly either work but a half conâ—â—â—sion are expellâ—d with ouâ—warâ— mirth or end in despaâ—re b I meane those blessed stirrings of the harâ— vnspeakable and glorious vvhen the seale of remission of sinnes is first set vnto the soule by tâ—e Spirit of adâ—ption Esay 58.3 Lib. de Conscientia * I meane horror of iudgement not detestation