priviledges and of the chiefest that were executed of the Nobilitie none was in the whole Countrey more affected to that Religion then was the most noble and valiant Count of Egmond the very glory of that Countrey who neither for His singular Victories in the service of the King of Spaine can bee forgotten in the true Histories nor yet for the cruelty used for His destruction to bee but for ever lamented in the hearts of the naturall people of that Countrey See a Booke intituled A Declaration of the causes mooving the Queene of England to give aide to the defence of the people afflicted and oppressed in the Low-Countries pag. 5.6 l Phalaris and His fellow tyrants come far short of these Blood-hounds Heylyn p. 52. m Philip the second of Spaine after many preceding vastations and pressures did lastly by strong hand and maine force attempt not onely to make himselfe an absolute Monarch over the Hollanders but Turke-like to tread under His feete all their Nationall and fundamentall Lawes Priviledges and ancient Rites To effect which after Hee had easily obtained from the Pope a dispensation of His former oathes which dispensation was the true cause of the warres and blood-shed since then c. S.W.R. in his Preface n The King of Spaine hath paid above an hundred Millions and the lives of above foure hundred thousand Christians for the losse of all those Countries which for beauty gave place to none and for revenew did equall His West Indies for the losse of a Nation which most willingly obeyed Him and who at this day after forty yeares warre are in despight of all his forces become free Estates and farre more rich and powerfull then they were when Hee first begun to impoverish and oppresse them Idem Ibid. o Obey the commandement which commands thee to believe against all unbeliefe and above all beliefe and to hope above hope that is in infinite doubtings to believe in all despaires to hope and when all reasons grounds meanes and hopes are wanting yet to believe onely because God commands thee so to doe Tho nature reason sense and thy owne heart and faithlesse feares and all creatures forbid thee so to doe saying That thy strength and hope is perished from the Lord Lam. 3. Yet obey and believe none of these but Gods Commandement commanding thee to believe his promise against them all and so to honour Him as God above them all in power mercy truth and faithfulnesse Throgmorton of Faith pag. 194. p 1. Cor. 3 22. q Nullum genus insipientiae infidelitate ut sic loquar insipientâ—us Bern. de consid o Dicitur inquit Deus etiam iurâssè hoc est iureiurando interminatus esse non ingressuros esse in suam requiem Quibusnam verò Non sanè omnibus sed solis illis contumacibus Cogitate igitur vobis iuratam hanc Dei interminationem incumbere si non obediat is Deo per Evangelium vos hodiè vocanti Par. in Loc. s The state of Mankinde is happy in respect of the Angels which fell for none of them are or shall over bee restored to their former state As He who falleth from a steepe and high Rocke into a deepe Pit or Gulfe cannot possibly escape death whereas one whose fall is lesse may have hope of life so it is with these wicked Angels whose sin we may truly call that unpardonable sin coÌ„mitted against the holy Ghost If it 's objected that the Angels may repent and so obtaine salvation We answer First that it is impossible by reason of the nature of their sinne being the sinne against the Holy Ghost that they should ever truly repent and secondly that if they could after some sort â—epent yet they are altogether uncapable of salvation because God hath not taken unto Himselfe the nature of Angels as Hee hath done the nature of Man and so joyning it to Himselfe who is life it selfe made it a living and holy nature Morton Of the threefold state of Man cap. 1. Sect 3. t Hos. 2.19 u Isai. 6. â— * Ward in His Life of Faith Isai. 55.1 x Vivo ego dixit Dominus Ienova c. Iurans per vitam suam id est Deitatis suae aeternam essentiam omnipotentiam divinam Maiestatem ac naturam Quasidicat quà m certum immotuÌ„ hoc est quod vivam ego sim verus aeternus vivus omnipotens Deus tam infallibili támque irrefragabili certitudinis argumento nititur haec promissio Laurent Adversus desperationem y Vt vivo dictum Domini Iehovae non delector morte improbi sed delector quum revertitur c. Iun. Piscat Si quaeritur genuinus Prophetae sensus tantùm spem veniae vitae resipiscentibus facit sic ut illis non sit dubitandum quin Deus paratus sit ignoscere c. Polan in loc z Matth. 11.28 a Revel 21.6 b Beati sumus quorum causâ Deus iurat sed miseri detestabiles si ne iuranti quidem oredimus Tertull. * See Luke 4.18 a Sicut illi qui morbum nec agnoscunt nec sentiunt medicinam nec curant nec quaerunt nec applicant ita gratuâ—am misericordiam Dei quae in Christo proponitur nemo satis curat nemâ— seriò rectâ— quaerit amplectitur nisi qui agnitione sen su pavore peccatorum iâ—ae Dei adversus peccata contritus perterrefactus est Lex enim paedagogus est urgens impellens ad quaerendam gratiam Dei in Christo. Et ordo divinus est quòd vult quidem Evangâ—lizare sed pauperibus vulâ— sanare sed contritos vâ—lt praedicare dimissionem sed 〈◊〉 vult educere liberare sed â—â—nctos hoc est sub pecâ—atis conclusos vult consolari sed contriâ—aâ—os lâ—gentes vult respicere sed ad contritum spiritu Beâ—e plâ—citum est Domino sed super timentes â—um in eis qui sperant super misericordiâ eius vult resâ—ceâ—e sed laborantâ—â— â—nâ—ratos â—â—lt coronare misericordiâ miserationibus sed caput humiliatum non turgidum vult inâ—undere oleum misericordiae sed vulneratis c. Chemnit Exam. p. 2. De contrit b Sive meo volueris expolâ—ri ornatu sive armis meis armari 〈◊〉 mea 〈…〉 meis delitiari sive iter meum peragere sive in 〈…〉 art sex condâ—tor ipse sum sive in regione meà domum aedificare 〈◊〉 omnia facere potes ut non modò 〈◊〉 abs te harum rerum omnium mercedem exigam sed ipse tibi magnae velim esse mercedis debitor dummodò uti rebus meis non abomineris Quid huic liberalitati aequale unquam inveniri potest In cap. Matth. 24. Homil 77. c As for thy doings thou must have that power from God after thy Believing Therefore Believe first and thou shalt doe after Rogers Dedham Doctrine of Faith pag. 150. They may not for any thing they see in themselves put these promises from
God himselfe answers them Nay their owne hearts answere themselves Go whom you haue spent your life in seeking seeke to them now Let them save you at this whom yee sought at all other times As for mee it shall come to passe as I cryed and you would not heare So you shall cry and seek and shall not find or bee heard saith the Lord Yes they found Him but with a dore shut betweene Him them But what found they The Parable of the ten Virgins tells us a Nescio vos Hoe knoweth them not they tooke too short a time to breede acquaintance in Nescio vos they find that so seeke Profectò ad hoc tonitru c. At this clap Hee that waketh not is not asleepe but dead Winchesters Sermons pag. 181. I demand Will any time serue to seeke God Is God at all times to bee found It is certain Not The very limitation of Dum inveniri potest sheweth plainely that other times there bee wherein Seeke Him you may but find him you shall not Idem Ibid. pag. 178. d Quanquam Deus ipsos mundavit hoc est tum verbo suo praecepit ut se mundarent toties ac tamdiu per prophetas imperavit 2. Cro. 36.15 Iesa 1.16 tum aquâ sapone afflictionum abluere baculo calamitatum sordes excutere studio habuit tamen impuri manserunt Iesa 1.5 sequentibus Polan in Locum e 2. Cor. 7.10 f Quid autem est seclidiâ—m mundum Quandò contristaris propter divitias propter gloriam propter mortuum omnia haec secundum munduâ— idâ—ò mortem faâ—â—t Nam qui propter gloriam contristatur inviâ—et saepe perire cogitur Qualis erat tristitia Cain Esau hanc tristitiam voâ—at secundum mundum quae trisiibus perniciosa Chrysost. in 2. Cor. cap. 7. Sicut tinea comedit vestimentum sicut vermis rodit lignum ita tristitia nocet cordi Bern. de modo benè vivendi cap. 11. It pierceth even to the marrow of the bone it maketh bitter our whole life and poysoneth all our actions Char. lib. 1. cap. 31. Worldly sorrow worketh a change in the body it brings gray haires on the head and furrowes and wrinkles in the face It turnes youth into old age and strength into weakenesse and so causeth death Dike of repentance cap. 1. g Tristitia enim sic est quomodo stercus Stercus non loco suo positum immunditia est Stercus non loco suo positum immundam facit domum loco suo positum fertilem facit agrum Inveni nescio quem tristem stercus video locum quaero Dic amice unde tristis es Perdidi inquit pecuniam Locus immundus fructus nullus Audiat Aposiolum Tristitia mundi mortem operatur Non solum fructus nullus sed magna pernicies Sic de caeteris rebus ad gaudia secularia pertinentibus quas res longum est enumerare Video alium tristantem gementem flentem multum stercorâ—s video ibi locum quaero Et cum viderem tristem flentem inspexi orautem Orans nescio quid mibibonae significationis ingessit Sed adhuc locum quaero Quid enim si iste oraus gemens magno fletu mortem roget inimicis suis. Etiam sic jam plorat jam rogat jam orat Locus immundus fructus nullum Inspexialium rursus gementem flentem orantem stercus agnosco locum quaero Intenâ—di autem orationi ejus audito dicentem ego dixi domine miserere mei sana animam meam quia peccavi tibi Geâ—it peccatum agnosco agrum expecto fructum Deo gratias Bono loco est stercus non ibi vacat fructum parturit August de temp Serm. 151. h Tristitia illa solùm ad peccata utilis est quod hinc manifestatur Qui pro amissis divitijs contristatur damnum non solvit Qui pro mortuo contristatur jacentem non excitat Qui propter morbum contristatur non solùm non curatur sed etiam auget morbum Qui verò in peccatis contristatur hîc solùm utilitatis aliquid ampliùs à tristitiâ accepit absumit enim evanescere facit peccata Chrysost. in 2. Cor. cap. 7. Mortem lugere omittens luge peccata ut ipsa deleas propter hoc enim tristitia facta est non ut in morte nec in vllâ aliâ re tali doleamus sed ut ipsâ ad delenda ut amur peccata Et quòd hoc verum sit exemplosacio manifestum Remedia medicinalia propter illos tantùm morbos facta sunt quos tollerâ— possunt non propter illos quos nihil ad juvare possunt c. Mulctatus est quispiam pecunijs tristatus est mulctam non emendavit silium amisit doluit mortuum non resuscitavit nec defuncto prâ—fuit Flagellatus est quis alapis caesus contumelijs affectus doluit non revocavit contumcliam c. Vides horum nulli prodesse tristitiam Peccavit quis tristatus est peccatum delevit Idem ad Popul Antiochenum Hom. 5. i I meane both repentances Legall which is bred by beleeving the threats of the Law and by accident leades unto Christ. Evangelicall which springs from Faith in the promises of the Gospell after wee have taken Christ. For Faith must goe before this repentance as the ground and roote thereof In time Faith and Evangelicall repentance are both together but in the order of nature Faith is first k Quid enim quispiam sacere possit quo genero sum virum cogat contristari Auseret pecunias Sed habet in Coelis divitias Patriâ eijciet Sed in coelestem civitatem mittet Vincula inijciet Sed habet Conscientiam solutam exteriorem non sentiet catenam Sed interficiet corpus At iterum resurget Et sicut cum umbrâ pugnans aërem verberans perculere poterit neminem Sic cum justo pugnans cumumbrâ tantùm pugnat vires suas dissolvit nullam illi plagam valens infligere Itaque da mihi de Coelorum râ—gno confidere sâ—vis me hodie jugula caedis gratias tibi habeo quòd me celeriter ad illa hona transmattis Chrysost. ad Pop. Antioch hom 5. l Igitur postquà m manifestè oratio demonstravit quòd neque pecuniarum mulctam neque contumeliam neque calumniam neque flagella neque valetudinem neque mortem neque aliud quid talium inducta tristitia iastaurare posset sed solùm delere peccatum bujus est destructiva certum quò à propter hanc solam causam facta est Ne amplius igitur pecuniarum jacturam doleamus sed cum peccamus tantùm doleamus multa enum hic exâ—riâ—â—â—iâ utilitas Mulâ—laâ—us es ne doleas neque enim proderit Peâ—cuâ—â—â— Dole utile namque est Ibid. m 2. Sam. 17.23 Achitophel ita ratiocinatur Absolom aut vincet auâ— non sinoâ— vincat incidam in manus Davidis Si vicerit adhuc ego inglorius vivam Chusat consilio
unconquerablenesse in torment then affected with the raging paines of a most terrible execution 2. In others from a strong stirring perswasion and consciousnesse of the honesty and honour of some civill cause for which they suffer But fortitude in this case doth not arise from any inspired religious vigour or heavenly infusions but from the severer instigations of naturall conscience and acquired manhood of a meere morall Puritane Many such morall Martyrs have beene found amongst the more generous and well-bred heathen It is storied of a brave and valiant Captaine who had long manfully and with incredible courage with-stood Dionysius the elder in defence of a Citie that Hee sustained with strange patience and height of spirit the mercilesse fury of the Tyrant and all his barbarous cruelties most unworthy of Him that suffered them but most worthy him that inflicted the same First the Tyrant told him how the day before hee had caused his son and all his kinsfolkes to be drown'd To whom the Captaine stoutly out staring Him answered nothing but that they were more happy then himselfe by the space of one day Afterward hee caused him to be stripped and by his executioners to be taken and dragged through the Citty most ignominiously cruelly whipping Him and charging Him besides with outragious and contumelious speeches All which notwithstanding as One no whit dismaide Hee ever shewed a constant and resolute heart And witâ—â— cheerefull and bold countenance went on still lowdly recounting the honourable and glorious cause of His death which was that Hee would never consent to yeeld his Countrey into the hands of a cruell Tyrant With such stoutnesse did even meere morall vertue steele the antient Romane spirits that in worthy defense of their liberty for preservation of their Countrey or other such noble ends They indifferently contemned gold silver death torture and whatsoever else miserable worldlings hold deare or dismall 3. In some from an extreme hardnesse of heart which makes them senselesse and fearelesse of shame misery or any terrible thing This wee may sometimes obserue in notorious malefactours A long rebellious and remorselesse continuance and custome in sinne raging infections from their roaring companions a furious pursuite of outrages and blood Satans hoâ— iron searing their consciences and Gods iust curse upon their fearefull and forlorne courses so fill them with foole-hardinesse and with such a ferall disposition that they are desperately hardned against all affronts and dis-asters So that tho such savage-minded and marble-hearted men be to passe thorow the streetes as spectacles of abhorrednesse and scorne as hatefull monsters and the reproach of Mankind to be throwne into a Dungeon of darknesse and discomfort and there to be loaden with cold irons coldnes and want from thence to bee hurried to that loathed Place of execution and there to die a Dogs death as they say and finally to fall immediately and irrecoverably into a Lake of fire yet I say for all this out of a desperate hard-heartednesse they seeme still to bee in heart and to represent to the beholders a great deale of undauntednesse and neglect of danger in their carriage and countenances O the prodigious Rocke into which the stone in a gracelesse heart may grow both in respect of desperatenesse in sinning and sense-lesnesse in suffering 4. In others from an enraged thirst after humane praise and immortall fame as they call it Which may be so prevalent in them and transport them with such a vaine-glorious ambition this way that it may carry them with much seeming insensibility affected patience and artificiall courage thorow the terrors and tortures of a very violent and Martyr like death Heare what Austin saith to this Point Thinke yee there never were any Catholikes or that now there may not bee some that would suffer onely for the prayse of men If there were not such kind of men the Apostle would not haue said Though I give my body to be burned and have not charity I am nothing Hee did know right well that there might bee some which would doe it out of vaine-glory and selfe-love not for divine love and the glory of God O the bottomlesse depth of Hellish Hypocrisie which lyes hid in our corrupt hearts O the blind and perverse thoughts of foolish men O the murderous malice of that old red Dragon which exerciseth such horrible crueltie both upon our bodies and soules 5. In some from false grounds of a supposed good estate to Godward from an unsound perswasion of their present spirituall well-beeing and future wellfare Such Pharisies foolish Virgines and formall Professours are to bee found in all Ages of the Church especially in the fairest and most flourishing daies thereof and when the Gospell hath the freest passage who thus many times in the greate it of all earthly extremities even upon their Beds of death represent to all about them from a groundlesse presumption of being reconciled unto God a great deale of confidence resolution and many glorious expectations Vpon a partiall survay and perusall of their time past not stain'd perhaps with any great enormities notoriousnesse or infamous sinne out of a vaine-glorious consciousnesse unto themselues of their many good parts generall graces good deedes and plausiblenesse with the most by reason of a former obstinated distaste and prejudice against sincerity and the power of godlinesse as tho it were unnecessary singularity and peevishnesse and it may bee confirmed also unhappily in their spirituall selfe-cousenage by the unskilfull and unseasonable palliations I meane mis-applications of some abused promises unto their un-humbled Soules from some dawbing Ministers a generation of vilest men excellent Ideots in the mystery of Christ and mercifull Cut-throates of many miserable deluded Soules to whom they promise life and peace when there is no peace towards but terrible things even at hand tumbling of garments in blood noise of damned Soules and tormenting in Hell for ever I say from such false and failing grounds as these they many times in that last extremity the Lord not revealing unto them the unsoundnesse of their spirituall estate and rottennesse of their hopes demeane themselues chearefully and comfortably as tho they were presently to set foote into Heaven and to lay hold upon eternall life but God hee knowes without any iust cause or true ground For immediately upon the departure of the Soule from the Body shall they heare that wofull doome from Christs owne mouth as Himselfe hath told us before-hand Depart from mee I never knew you Such men as these having been formerly acquainted with and exercisde in the outward formes and complements of Religion are woont at such times to entertaine their visitants and By-standers with many goodly speeches and Scripture-Phrases representing their contempt of the World Willingnesse to dye readinesse to forgive all the World Hope to bee saved desire to bee dissolved and bee in Heaven c. They may cry aloude with much formall confidence Lord Lord open to
compassionately over us or purchase pardon and acceptation at his hands Tender therefore unto that poore troubled soule who beeing sorely crushed and languishing under the burden of his sinnes refuses to bee raised and refreshed endlesly pleading and disputing against himselfe out of a strong fearefull apprehension of his owne vilenesse and unworthinesse putting off all comfort by this mis-conceit that no Seaes of sorrow no measure of mourning will serve the turne to come comfortably unto Iesus Christ I say presse upon such an One this true Principle in the high and heavenly Art of rightly comforting afflicted consciences So soone as a Man is truly and heartily humbled for all his sinnes and weary of their waight tho the degree of his sorrow bee not answerable to his owne desire yet Hee shall most certainely bee welcome unto Iesus Christ. It is not so much the muchnesse and measure of our sorrow as the truth and heartinesse which fits us for the promises and comforts of mercy Tho I must say this also Hee that thinkes Hee hath sorrowed enough for His sinnes never sorrowed savingly 2. For the second which is more properly and specially pertinent to our purpose Take notice That the blood of Christ beeing seasonably and savingly applyed to thine humbled Soule for the pardon and purgation of sinne must by no meanes damne and dry up thy well-spring of weeping but onely asswage and heale thy wound of horrour That pretious Balme hath this heavenly property and power that it rather melts softneth and makes the heart a great deale more weeping-ripe If these bee truly the pangs of the New-birth wherewith thou art now afflicted Thou shalt find that thy now cleaving with assurance of acceptation unto the Lord Iesus will not so much lessen hinder or cease thy sorrow as rectifie season and sweeten it If thy right unto that Soule-saving Passion bee reall and thou cast thine eye with a beleeving hopefull heart upon Him whom thou hast therein pierced with thy sins and those sinnes alone are said properly to have pierced Christ which at length are pardoned by his blood Thou canst not possibly containe but excesse of love unto thy crucified Lord and sense of Gods mercy shed into thy Soule thorow his merits will make thee weepe againe and faâ—ely force thine heart to burst out abundantly into fresh and filiall teares See how freshly Davids heart bled with repentant sorrow upon His assurance by Nathan of the pardon of His sinne Psal. 51 Thou canst not chuse but mourne more heartily Evangelically and that which should passingly please Thee and sweetely perpetuate the spring of thy godly sorrow more pleasingly unto God Take therefore speciall notice and heede of these two depths of the Divell that I have now disclosed unto thee 1. When thou art truly wrought upon by the Ministry of the Word and now fitted for comfort Beleeve the Prophets those Ones of a thousand learned in the right handling of afflicted consciences and thou shalt prosper As soone as thy Soule is soundly humbled for sinne open and enlarge it joyfully like the thirsty ground that the refreshing dew and Doctrine of the Gospell may drop and distill upon it as the small raine upon the parched grasse Otherwise 1. Thou offers dishonour and disparagement as it were to the dearenesse and tendernesse of Gods mercy who is ever infinitely more ready and forward to bind up a broken heart then it to bleed before Him Consider for this purpose the Parable of the prodigall Sonne Luk. 15. Hee is there said to goe but the Father ran 2. Thou maist by the unsettlednesse of thy heavy heart unnecessarily unsit and dis-able thy selfe for the duties and discharge of both thy Callings 3. Thou shalt gratifie the Divell who will labour mightily by his lying suggestions if thou wilt not bee counselled and comforted when there is cause to detaine thee in perpetuall horrour here and in an eternall Hell hereafter Some find him 〈◊〉 furiously and maliâ—iously busie to keepe them from comfort when they are fitted as from fitnesse for comfort 4. Thou art extremely un-advised nay very cruell to thine owne Soule For whereas it might now be filled with unspeakable and glorious ioy with peace that passeth all understanding with Evangelicall pleasures which are such as neither eye hath seene nor eare heard neither have entred into the heart of Man by taking Christ To which thou hast a strong and manifold Calling Isai. 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters c. Matth. 11.28 Come unto mee all yee that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Ioh. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come unto mee and drinke Revel 22.17 And let him that is a thirst come And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Yea a Commandement 1. Ioh. 3.23 And this is his commandement that wee should beleeve on the Name of his Sonne Iesus Christ And yet for all this Thou as it were wilfully stand'st out wilt not beleeve the Prophets forsak'st thine owne comfort and liest still upon the Racke of thy unreconcilement unto God 2. On the other hand when the angvish of thy guilted Conscience is upon sure ground something allayed and suppled with the oyle of comfort and thy â—â—unded heart warrantably revived with the sweetnesse of the Promises as with marrow and fatnesse Thou must not then either shut up thine eyes from further search into thy sins or dry them up from any more mourning But comfort of remission must serve as a pretious Eye-salve both to cleare their sight that they may see moe and with more detestation and to enlarge their Sluces as it were to poure out repentant teares more plentifully Thou must continue ripping up and ransacking that hellish Heape of thy former rebellions and pollutions of youth still dive and digge into that Body of death thou bearest about thee for the finding out and furnishing thy selfe with as much matter of sound humiliation as may bee that thou mayst still grow viler and viler in thine owne eyes and bee more and more humble untill thy dying Day But yet so That as thou holdest out in the one hand the cleare Cristall of Gods pure Law to discover the vilenesse and variety of thy sinnes all the spots and staines of thy Soule so thou hold out in the other hand or rather with the hand of Faith lay hold upon the Lord Iesus hanging bleeding and dying upon the Crosse for thy sake The one is soveraigne to save from flavish stings of conscience bitternesse of horrour and venome of despaire The other mingled with faith will serve as a quickning preservative to keepe in thy bosome aâ— humble soft and lowly spirit which doth ever excellently fit to live by Faith more chearefully to enjoy God more neerely to apply Iesus Christ more feelingly and to long for his comming more earnestly In a word to climbe up more merrily those staires of joy which are
comest with thy cost Whereas God ever gives His Sonne freely and bids thee come and welcome and buy without money and without price Obiect 2. But will it not bee presumption in mee having no good thing in mee at all to bring with mee but comming now as it were fresh out of Hell from a most wicked impure abominable life to take Christ as mine owne and all those rich and pretious promises sealed with his blood Answ. Enough hath been already said to meete with this objection It is not presumption but good manners to come when thou art called How can Hee bee said to presume who is both invited and intreated commanded and threatned to come in c. Of which see before Thou must now in this extreme spirituall thirst of thine drinke of the water of life so freely offered that thou mayst receive some heavenly strength to bee good and power to become the Sonne of God Thou must throw thy sinfull Soule upon Iesus Christ bleeding and breathing out his last upon the Crosse as the Body of the Shunamites Childe was applyed to the Prophet stretching himselfe upon it That thou mayst thereby bee quickened with desired fruitfulnesse filled by little and little with all the fulnesse of God receiving grace for grace I am the resurrection and the life saith Christ Hee that believeth in me tho He were dead yet shall Hee live It were execrable presumption for any Man who purposeth to goe on in the willing practise or allowance of any one knowne sinne to believe that Christ is His righteousnesse and sanctification But where all sin is a Burden every promise as a world of gold and the heart syncere for a new way there a Man may be bold For thee to have pretended part in Christ wallowing yet in thy sinnes had been horrible presumption indeed and for mee to have applyed the Promises and preached peace unto thy remorselesse conscience before the Pangs of the New-birth had seazed upon thee had been damnable dawbing But in the Case I now suppose Thee to bee it is both seasonable and surely grounded for mee to assure thee of acceptation and pardon and for thee to receive Iesus Christ without any more adoe into the armes of thy humbled Soule 2. His sweet Name Exod. 34.6.7 Wherein is prevented whatsoever may any wayes bee pretended for standing out in this Case as appeares fully before pag. 415. line 25. 3. His glorious Attributes 1. His Truth Hee that believeth hath set to His Seale that God is true Ioh. 3.33 He that labours and is heavy laden with the burden of sin comes to Christ for case when Hee is called takes Him for his Saviour and His Lord and thereupon grounds a resolute unshaken and everlasting confidence that hee is His for ever puts to his Seale that Christ is true that His pretious promise Come unto mee all yee that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Mat. 11.28 is inviolable Whereby Christ Iesus blessed for ever is mightily honoured His truth glorified and thine owne soule with extraordinary blessednesse everlastingly enlived But Hee now that retires in this Case and holds off makes Him who is Truth it selfe a lyar Hee that believeth not God hath made Him a Lyar 1. Ioh. 5.10 Now what a fearefull indignity is this against the Lord God of Truth Wee see too often how miserable mortall men wormes of the earth take such an affront at the hands one of another For many times for the Lie given them they throw themselves desperately upon the irrecoverable ruine of their lives states soules and posterity by chalenging the field and killing each other Which dishonour to the mighty Lord of heaven and earth is the greater and is much aggravated by the infinite infallibility of the promises For besides His Word which were more then immeasurably sufficient Hee hath added a most solemne Oath for our sakes that wee might have greater assurance and stronger consolation 2. His Mercy most directly and specially And to say nothing of the freenesse of His mercy which springs onely out of the riches of his infinite bounty and the good pleasure of His will of his readinesse to forgive otherwise the death of Christ should bee of none effect His blood shed in vaine the greatest worke lost that ever was done of His delight in mercy Mich. 7.18 Mercy in man is a quality in God it is His nature and essence Now what wee doe naturally wee doe willingly readily unweariedly As the eye is not weary of seeing the eare with hearing c. A Bee gives honey naturally never stings but provoked When God is angry it is but as it were by accident upon occasion drawne unto it by the violent importunity of our multiplied provocations but Hee delights in mercy c. I say to say nothing of these this one consideration may convince us of extreme folly in refusing mercy in such a Case for all the hainousnesse or number of our sinnes to wit That no sinnes either for number or notoriousnesse in a truly broken heart can make so much resistance to Gods infinite mercies as the least sparke of fire to the whole Sea and that is little enough Nay as infinitely lesse as an infinite thing exceedes a finite Betweene which there is no proportion 3. His Power For thou art very like thus or in the like manner to reason within thy selfe and cavill cruelly against thine owne Soule Alas what talke you of taking Christ the promises of life and heavenly lightsomnesse my poore heart is as darke as the very middle of Hell much harder then a Rocke of Adamant as cold and dead as the senselesse Center of the earth as uncomfortable and restlesse almost as desperation it selfe c. It is more then infinitely impossible that such a darke hard dead comfortlesse Thing should ever bee enlightened softened quickened and established with joy c. But marke how herein thou unadvisedly under-valewes and unworthily sets bounds to the unlimited power of God Whereas thou shouldest imitate Abraham the Father of all them that believe who staggered not at the Promise of God through unbeliefe but was strong in faith giving glory to God And beeing fully perswaded that what Hee had promised Hee was able also to performe Rom. 4.20.21 Bee advised in this Case 1. To compare these two things together The making of the seven Starres and Orion and turning the shadow of death into the morning And the infusion of heavenly light into thy darke and heavy heart And doest thou not think that the second is as easie as the first to the same Omnipotent hand Nay it is easier in our conceit to the Divine Majesty nothing is difficult or un-easie For those glorious shining Constellations were created of nothing and nothing hath no disposition to any Beeing at all much lesse to any particular existence But a Soule sensible and weary of it's spirituall darknesse is
I think in such a Case it may be convenient and that such an One hath thereupon some cause and Calling seriously and impartially to search and trie His spirituall state For which purpose ponder seriously upon such considerations as these some of which may discover unsoundnesse Others His unadvisednesse 1. It may bee the Party is not yet come in truth to that sound humiliation contrition spirituall thirsting resolution to sell all c. required by the reverend Author in that most profitable and piercing Doctrine of Faith quoted before but onely hath passed over them overly not soundly superficially not syncerely and then no marvell tho no true and reall comfort come Informe thy selfe further in this Point and that thou mayst more fully know my meaning in it and be guided aright in a marter of so great waight Ibid. Cap. 2. Of the Author and meanes of Faith And Cap. 5. Of the difficulty of Faith pag. 284 c. 2. Or it may bee howsoever Hee protest otherwise and for all His partiall Legall terrour and trouble of minde His deceitfull heart may still secretly harbour and hanker after some sweet sinne as Pride Revenge strange Fashions Worldlinesse Lust Playes Gaming Good-fellowship as it is call'd c. From which it doth not heartily yeeld resolve and endeavour to make an utter and finall cessation and divorce And assuredly that false heart which regards and allowes any wickednesse in it selfe howsoever it may be deluded with some Anabaptisticall flashes yet shall never bee truly refreshed with ioy in the holy Ghost 3. It may bee tho there was some probable and plausible shewes that the Party was principally cast downe and affected with the heavy waight of sin and horrour of Gods wrath for it yet the true predominant cause of His heavinesse harts-griefe and bitterest complaint was some secret earthly discontentment the restlesse biting of some worldly sting And in such Cases remove this and you remove His paine Comfort Him about his Crosse and you set Him where Hee was And therefore as in all this He continues a meere stranger in affection to the sweetnesse amiablenesse and excellency of Iesus Christ so it is impossible that Hee should bee acquainted with any sound spirituall comfort But I will suppose all to bee syncere and as it should bee Let mee advise Thee then to take notice of thine unadvisednesse 1. Thou art perhaps so full of the want of feeling such a stranger to so much expected and desired ioy and peace in believing and by consequent so drowned in the unnecessary distractions and distempers of a sad heart that thou utterly forgets to give thankes and magnifie Gods singular and incomprehensible mercy for illightening convincing and terrifying thy conscience offering his Sonne raising in thine heart an insatiable thirst after Him and giving Thee spirituall abilitie to rest thy weary Soule upon Him And who knowes not that unthankfulnesse keepes many good things from us and is an unhappy blocke in the way to intercept and hinder the comfortable influence and current of God favours and mercies from being showred downe so frankly and plentifully upon His people And Hee is more likely to bee the more provoked in this Case because thou suffers thine heart to bee lockt up and thy Tongue tied by Satans cunning and cruell malice from praysing the glory of Gods free grace for such a worke of wonder I meane that mighty Change of thine from nature to grace in extolling of which were all the hearts and tongues of all the Men and Angels in Heaven and Earth set on worke industriously thorow all eternitie they would still come infinitely short of that which is due and deserved 2. Or it may be when some One of a thousand upon thy complaint that no comfort comes doth seriously labour to settle thine heart in peace pressing upon Thee for that purpose invincible and unanswer-able Arguments out of the Word of Truth to open it wide that over-flowing Rivers of Evangelicall joyes which may spring to Him that is advised and believes the Prophets abundantly even from the weakest Faith to refresh and comfort it Telling thee that as thine humbled Soule learning upon Christ drawes much heavenly vertue mortifying power and sanctifying grace from him so it may and ought also to draw abundance of spirituall lightsomnesse from that ever-springing Fountaine of life c. Yet notwithstanding all this thou suffers some malicious counter-blasts and contrary suggestions of the Divell to disperse and frustrate all these well-grounded and glorious Messages And therefore it is just with God that thou fare the worse at his hands and fall short of thine expectation because thou gives more credit to the Father of Lyes then the Lord of Truth Sith thou spills all the Cordials that are tendered unto thee in the Name of Christ by His faithfull Physicions thou art deservedly destitute of comfort still Many in such Cases while Gods Messenger who can rightly declare His wayes unto them stands by opening and applying the rich treasures of Gods free mercy in the mysterie of the Gospell and with present replies repelling Satans cavils are reasonably well cheared and revived But when Hee is gone they very weakely and unworthily give way againe to that foule lying Fiend to cast a dis-comfortable mist over the tender eye of their weake Faith and to domineere as Hee did before Tell mee true If thou wert in doubt and distresse about thy temporall state Tenure of thy Lands soundnesse of thy evidence Wouldest thou advise with and take counsell from a Foole a Knaue and an enemy or wouldest Thou make choise of an honest wise understanding Friend I doubt not of thine Answer And wilt thou then so farre disparage divne truth gratifie Hell and hurt thine owne heart as in that waightiest Point of thy spirituall state to consult and resolve with the Divell a Liar a Murtherer and sworne enemy to Gods glory and thy Soules good And neglect God Himselfe blessed for ever speaking unto Thee out of His Word by that Minister which in such a Case durst not falsify or flatter Thee for a World of gold Shall many thousands of worldly-wise men give credit very readily and roundly to Dawbers with untempered morter upon a false and rotten foundation to the most certaine and eternall ruine of their Soules And shall not an humble and upright-hearted Man believe the Prophet upon good ground that the bones which the heavy burden of sinne hath broken may reioyce God forbid 3. Nay but suppose the Party bee truly humbled very thankefull resolute against all sinne labour to believe the Prophets c. And yet no comfort come I say then there is an other Duty expected at thy hands right pretious and pleasing unto God And that is waiting By which God would 1. Set yet a sharper edge and eagernesse more hungring and thirsting greater longing and panting after the ravishing sweetnesse of His comfortable presence with which melting earnest crying dispositions Hee
nothing undone that his wit serves him to thinke of for the atchievement of victory Whately Gods Husb. cap. 15. e Psal 92.12.13.14 Acts 21.16 Psal. 143.6 f See the Preface written by G. Abbot Doctor of Divinitie before the Examinations Arraignement and conviction of George Sprot Notary in Ayemouth pag. 23. Revel 21.6 Isai. 55.1 Iohn 7.37 Matth. 5.6 u Tamet si sensus omnes nostri dolore occupati sint et prae moestitiâ sint praclusae fauces Dominus tamen corda nostra pervidet pia suspiria exaudit Imò plus efficient quà m expressae diserta voces modò spiritus adsit qui excitet in nobis gemitus illos inenarrabiles de quibus loquitur Paulus ad Rom. cap. 8. Ac nemo piorum est qui non experiatur ubi maior aliqua tristitia animum constringit se inter orandum vel balbutire vel propemodum obmutescere Calv. in Isai. cap. 38. Plerunque hoc negotium plus gemitibus quà m sermonibus agitur plus stetu quà m affatu Aug. Epist. 121. Cogitatio tua clamorest ad Dominum Idem in Psal. 141. Psal. 103.13 x Si nos qui secundum naturam diligimus filios satis tamen profectò eos diligimus multò magis ille diligit qui diligit ultra naturam Chrysost. in Matth. Hom. 23. Rom. 15.13 Psal. 145.19 1. Cor. 1.30 1. Cor. 1.30 1. Pet. 1.8 Philip. 4.7 1. Cor. 2.9 a Though it bee a Truth clearer then the Sunne-beames that a broken-hearted sinner ought to embrace mercy so strongly enforced yet there is no Truth that the heart shutteth it selfe more against then this especially in sense of misery c. Doctor Sibbes in his Preface to the B.K. b Vt quisque abiectissimus erit tantum abest quin desperationis causa sit suae paupertas ut inde potiùs debeat animum colligere ad Christum quaerendum Sed meminerîmus non alios censeri pauperes nisi qui sibi ipsis tales sunt hoc est qui suae inopiae sensu oppressi iacent Musc. in Mat. cap. 11. * Mat. 9.12.13 c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est eos qui sibi iusti videntur sive qui se iustos esse somniant quod fait Pharisaeorum dogma quibus opponuntur peccatores id est Qui suorum pectatorum sensu vulnerati ad unam Dei misericordiam confugiunt Beza in Loc. d Rom. 4.5 e 1. Pet. 3.18 f For our encouragement to a thorow worke of bruising and patience under Gods bruising of us let us all know that none are fitter for comfort then those that thinke themselves furthest off Men for the most part are not lost enough in their owne feeling for a Saviour A holy despaire in our selves is the ground of true hope Doctor Sibbes Bruised R. pag. 43. a Quomodò dicit qui vult quum alibi dicat Christus Nemo venit ad me nisi Pater qui misit me traxerit cum Ioh. 6.44 Et Paulus dicit non est volentu noque currentis sed miserentis De. Rom. 9.16 Resp. Sic loquitur Iohannes non quòd in hominis arbitris situm sit propriâ sponte accedere haurire aquam vitae sed quia ille idem qui invitat ad vitae aquas etiam sitis indit ardorem animum vires suppeditat ut veniamus imò verò essicit ut ex nolentibus volentes siamus quò omnis gloria ad ipsumâ— edeat non penes nos resideat Deus est qui agit in vobis ut velitis ut efficiatis pro bonâ voluntate Phil. 2.13 Marlorat in Loc. Christ together with bidding Lazarus come out of his grave inspired into Him power to rise b Whosoever will It may bee here said Who is it that would not bee saved Men indeed love to walke in wicked wayes but they love not damnation willingly would they bee saved How then is it said here Let Him that will take of the waters of life freely Surely here is no more then that Hee saith before Hee will give to Him that is athirst of the waters of life freely Cap 21. For Hee that thirsteth hath a Will and Hee that thirsteth not hath not a Will For this yee must know that the Will is not here put for every light desire or for every wish that a Man doth wish in His heart when as I said before Hee walketh in the way of destruction and committeth the things that deserve damnation and yet would bee saved c. Gissard in Loc. c Hee that willeth then even hee that is athirst for the waters of life let Him give all the prayse to God who hath endued him with that grace and let him know that were it not for the grace of God Hee should never have had any will to come to those waters Idem Ibid. d O quà m stupenda pietas Quà m intra Dei dignatio Quem rogare debuimus ut nos recipere dignaretur ab ipso rogamur ut ad cum venire dignemur Gers. De Verbis Domini venite c. e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Heus vocandi Ies. 55.1 Buxtorf f Et est particula exclamandi Zechar. 2.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O ó Fugite è terra Aquilâ—nis Iesah 55.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O omnis sitiens Pagnin Exclamat Propheta veluticontentâ voce Heus quia tantus est hominum torpor ut difficile sit admodùm cos excitari Stuporem istum magnis clamoribus assiduis excuti necesse est quò turpior magÃsque stupenda est corum pigrities qui ad hanc exbortationem sur disunt vel tam acritèr stimulati torpori suo ad huc indulgent Calv. in Loc. f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quod est multiplicare g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gratia è Coelo tantâ copiâ suit effusa ut peccatum non aequârit modò sed etiam infinitis partibus superârit Beza i See Prov. 3.14.15.16.17 k These Spaniards being meere strangers having no natural regard in their government to the maintenance of those Countries and people in their ancient and naturall manner of their peaceable living as the most Noble and wise Emperour Charâ—es yea and as His Son Philip Himselfe had whilest Hee remained in those Countries and used the Counsels of the States and Natives of the Countries not violating the ancient liberties of the Countries but contrariwise these Spaniards beeing exalted to absolute government by ambition and for private lucre have violently broken the ancient Lawes and Liberties of all the Countries and in a tyrannous sort have banished and destroyed without order of Law within the space of few moneths many of the most ancient and principall Persons of the naturall Nobility that were most worthy of government And howsoever in the beginning of these cruell persecutions the pretence whereof was for the maintenance of the Romish Religion yet they spared not to deprive very many Catholickes and Ecclesiasticall Persons of their Franchises and