not out of any hatred that they did beare against such vile sinnes but onely for feare of the peoples speech and rather for want of meanes and opportunity to accomplish them then for want of any good will if time place and other things had been answerable And if thou finde that thine is such a generall and confused tentation as namely that thou diddest neuer rightly know nor loue nor feare God and that thine heart was alwaies or now is an euill an hypocritical heart thine estate is so much the more easie that in the dayes of thy security while thou diddest walke according to the course of this world and after the prince that ruleth in the ayre euen the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience God suffered not the Diuell to thrust thee into presumptuous sinnes after the manner of others and into grosse and desperate sinnes against all rules of honesty wherewith hee might now in this time of temptation torment thy conscience This affordeth much aduantage vnto thee that the diuell can finde no grosse particular sinne to vrge and presse thee withall Here let the afflicted man first consider that hitherto his case is no whit worse then the case of euery man that commeth into the world For Dauid doth tell vs that the best man euen he that prooueth afterwards a man after Gods owne heart yet out of his mothers wombe yea out of his fathers loines proceedeth a sinnefull creature with an euill heart empty of the loue of God and continueth so till God bestow some particular grace vpon him for the conuersion of him And he maketh himselfe an instance heereof speaking thus Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me He was from the wombe and loines a sinner taken in generall termes for a man in whom there was an euill heart not knowing not louing not fearing God And Saint Paul doth tell vs that the holiest man euen he that was from the beginning a chosen vessell to beare witnesse to the name of Iesus Christ before kings and nations yet in his originall estate and first yeares hee is the childe of wrath and dead in trespasses and sinnes as all other men till God in mercy looke vpon him and renew him And hee maketh himselfe among others an instance thereof while hee thus speaketh You hath be quickened that were dead in trespasses and sinnes wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world and after the Prince that ruleth in the ayre euen the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom wee also had our conuersation in times past in the lusts of our flesh in fulfilling the will of the flesh and of the minde and were by nature the children of wrath as well as others Paul was a bad as the Ephesians and the Ephesians as bad as all other men til God in mercy conuerted both him them And the Prophet Ieremy telleth vs that there is both generally and particularly in all men and in euery man a heart both wicked and hypocritical wicked to do that which is euill deceitfull and hypocriticall to dissemble in the doing of it and to make shews pretences and excuses that it might be thought not to doe euill And this wickednesse and hypocrisie ro be so deepe and cunning that it deceiueth not onely other men but euen the wicked man himselfe that flattereth and pleaseth himself with his owne pretences and perswadeth his owne soule that all is well and onely God is able to finde out his hypocrisie for thus hee saith The heart of man is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things who can know it I the Lord search the heart c. Other men cannot know it and search it out For the apostle saith What man knoweth the things of a man saue the spirit of a man which is in him A manâ—… owne heart may bee acquainted with his owne thoughts but another man cannot discerne them a man himselfe oft times is not able to discerne his owne wickednesse a vaine and false opinion misleading his blinded iudgement but God searcheth it out because as the Apostle saith There is not any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open to his cies with whom we haue to doe Such is the depth of the wickednesse of mans heart such is his deceitfull hypocrisie that no eye but the all-seeing eye of God no iudgement but his that neuer erreth can see the same And Salomon telleth vs that there is no man iust vpon the earth that doth good and sinneth not And knowing this to be generaly true he challengeth euery man that thinkes that he can say any thing to cleere eyther himselfe or any other saying Who can say I haue made my heart cleane I am cleane from my sinne So that this is the condition of all men till God in his mercy mould them anew by his grace till then they are altogether such as thou in thy troubled heart art charged to be men of an euill heart full of wickednesse and hypocrisie that neither know God nor loue God nor feare God Therefore when thou art charged with such a generall and confused tentation yeeld it to be true that thou art charged withall and stand not to make thy selfe better then thou art withall say vnto thy soule for that I haue no more cause to dispaire of Gods mercy then Dauid had that was such a one in his birth then Paul had that was such a one vntill the day of his conuersion then any other and all other of Gods elect and best beloued children that were euery way such conceiued in sinne borne in iniquitie children of wrath full of vnsearchable wickednesse and hypocrisie neither knowing nor liuing nor fearing God till he was pleased to looke vpon them in his fauour and to conuert them by creating a new heart and renewing a right spirit in them And now that mine eyes are opened by this affrighting of my soule to see my bad condition which I saw not before I will make hast vnto the Lord and will craue that grace at his hands that I now want neither can I nor will I vnderstand this worke of his in letting me see by this fearefull temptation my sinfull estate which in the daies of my peace I did not see to be any other then the fruit of his loue by making me to see my misery to stir vp my soule long drowned in former securitie to seeke with all earnestnes of â—…eale for his help When a sicke man feeleth paine in his flesh he doeth not faintly yeeld to death because he is sicke but from the feeling of his weakenes he taketh occasion to seeke out some learned Phisition craueth his help the more sicke he is the more he desireth and the more earnestly he sueth for his helpe spares no cost and putteth himselfe into
reason to thinke my self his child First the child ought to resemble the father Our Sauiour saith Ye shall therefore be perfect as your father which is in heauen is perfect But there is in me no part of the perfection of God either in the vertues of my minde or in the workes of my life and the Apostle Saint Peter saith As obedient children fashion not your selues vnto the former lusts of your ignorance but as hee which hath called you is hoâ—…y so be yee holy in all manner of conuersation because it is written be yee holy for I am holy And if yee call him father which without respect of person iudgeth according to euery mans worke passe the time of your dwelling here in feare By this rule of Peter they which call God their father ought to be holy as he is holy but I am altogether profane They ought to passe the time of their life reuerently in the feare of God but I haue beene and am a contemner of him and their doings should not be after the lusts of their own heart that beare sway in the daies of ignorance but I neuer followed other rule then the lusting of mine owne heart I neuer stroue to suppresse and mortifie them Yea my whole course of life doth proue mee to be the child of another father that hath no place in heauen but was cast out thence for sinne The Lord Iesus said vnto the Iewes Ye are of your father the deuill and the lusts of your father yee will doe Much more rightly by triall of my deedes may it bee said to mee thou art of thy father the deull and the lusts of that father of thine thou hast done While my sinnes thus daily come to remembrance how can I cal God my father And who can call God his father that hath not the spirit of God dwelling in him as the seale and earnest of his inheritance of which spirit Paul speaketh thus Yeâ—… haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry abba father the same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God But this spirit dwelleth not in me if this spirit were in me I should feele at one time or other and in one measure or other the comfortable testimony of that spirit but I feele nothing but feareful horror in my conscience oh that I had and might feele the comfort of this spirit my present tentation witnesseth the absence of it Also if I had the spirit of God in mee the fruits of that spirit would bud and shew forth themselues in mee but all is contrary The Apostle Paul saith the fruit of the spirit is loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meekenesse and temperance There is none of these to be seene in mee but the fruits of the flesh are plentifull in mee With them I am ouergrowen both in body and soule The Apostle reckoneth them vp in this order The workes of the flesh are manifest which are adultery fornication vnclâ—…annesse wantonnesse idolatry witchcraft hatred debate emulation wrath contention seditions herefies enuy murders drunkennesse gluttony and such like And in these sinnes I haue liued and dwelt and delighted if not in all yet in many of them and if not in many yet in some of them inough to quench the spirit of God if the fire thereof had at any time beene kindled in mee How then can it be that I should haue the holy Ghost And not hauing the holy Ghost how can I call God my father and if I haue no right nor power to call God my father that leaue to craue the forgiueuesse of sinnes and that hope to obtaine forgiuenesse of sinnes which are grounded vpon that commandement of Iesus pertaine not to mee Alas how ingenious men are in the daies of affliction when the burden of accusing thoughts lies heauy vpon them to dispute against themselues They haue not vnderstanding enough to apprehend and taste any thing that is spoken for their comfort but they haue wit to finde out and vtterance to pronounce and feruent passion to vrge any thing that may make for their discomfort But let vs helpe to remoue these stumbling-blockes from before these mens feete that they may walke on in hope and come vnto God by praier Thou thinkest that by that commandement of Christ there is giuen to thee no leaue to aske forgiuenesse of sinne â—…orhope to obtaine forgiuenesse of sin because it is to be craued of an heauenly father And thou canst not call God thy heauenly father thou thinkest thâ—… he is not thy father and that thou nâ—… not his sonne And thou hast two reasons to proue this to thine owne heart First because neither thy vertues noâ—… thy actions doe in any thing resemble God but rather proue thee to be the child of another father opposit to God and secondly because thou hast not the spiâ—…it of adoption to crie Abba Father For thou neither feelest the restimony oâ—… that spirit in thine heart neither doest thou see the fruits of that spirit in thy life but al things euery where contrary I mislike not that thou doest holdâ—… meane opinion of thy selfe and censâ—…rest thy selfe vnworthy the title of Godâ—… child and that thou thinkest honorably of the spirituall kinred that is betweene God and his saints But be of good comfort God saâ—…leth not to be thy father because thou thinkest him not to be neither failest thou to be his child because thou darest not thinke thy selfe to bee his child And these words vrged against thy selfe are no other then the words of the prodigall vnthrift spoken of in the Gospell who in his vertues and actions did nothing as yet resemble his father for hee hanted harlots and liued riotously being euery way as sinfull as thou canst with any words make thy selfe and when by aduersity he was brought to consider of his life and estate as thou now doest he had that opinion of himselfe that thou now hast thinking it not fit to take vnto himselfe the title of a sonne His words are thus set downe by Saint Luke I will a rise and goâ—… to my father and say to him father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne Compare thy selfe with him thou canst not be worse then hee not in thy life more vnlike thy heauenly father neither canst thou be in worse case then he was He for sooke his fathers house and was departed far from God knowing very well from whence he was departed Hee neuer had minde to returne backe againe till misery compelled him of whom we neede not feare to say for it is plaine and cleare that no loue to his father nor to his fathers house but pinching necessity and extreame misery made him a conuert And while hee was abroad what was his course the euangelist telleth vs he wâ—…sted his goods with riotous liuing That is all the blessings
of God bestowed vpon him whatsoeuer in minde in body or in estate hee waâ—…led them vainly without any fruit either to the praise of God or good of his saints yea wickedly to the dishonour of God and great offence and hurt of his saints His elder brother said truly of him to his father He hath deuoured thy goods with Harlots He was a deuourer rather then a spender because he followed wholy the flatterings and intice ments of the flesh and of the world hee pursued earnestly and greedily the pleasures of sinne he polluted the whole man both body and soule in carnall and spirituall fornication and hee dishonoured his mercifull Father while to his sinfull courses for the furthering thereof he conuerted all the gfits and graces that hee had receiued of God This was his behauiour being departed from his father In the end by misery iustly fallen vpon him hee was touched ashamed and confounded as thou art seest thou not thine estate liuely described in the estate of this prodigall man yet after all this wandering and wicked behauior and much misery that hee indureth hee remembreth his fathers house he repenteth he returneth and humbly praieth and the successe was he is gratiously receiued into fauour Take this example vnto thee and view it well dwell vppon it with holie meditation Such as he was in his wandering in his wickednesse in his trouble of minde such thou art such as he was in his repentance in his returne home to his Fathers house and in his humble praier vnto God such be thou and such fauorable intertainment as hee found at his Fathers hands thou also shalt find Are not these things written for our learning that wee through patience and consolation of the Scriptures might haue hope And because thou dost not yet resemble God either in the vertues of thy mind or the actions of thy life say not therefore that he is not thy Father and that thou art not his Child Why wilt thou adde this to the former discomfort of thy soule and to the former errours of thy life and wrong either God in his goodnes or thy selfe in the grounds of thy hope Thou knowest the words of Moseâ—… to the people of Israel if thou know them not heare and let thine heart vnderstand them Is not he thy Father thâ—… bought thee he hath made thee and proportioned thee If he be thy Father that made thee and proportioned thee theâ—… surely God is thy Father for hee and none but he that made heauen and earth made thee The Prophet saith of God It is he that hath made vs and not we 〈◊〉 selues And if he be thy Father that hatâ—… bought thee and purchased thee then whether thou approoue iâ—… or no God is thy Father for hee hath bought vs with a price not of corruptible things as siluer and gold but with the price of the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lamb vndefiled without spot Therfore the Apostle saith to the Corinthians Yee are not your owne for yee are bought with a price And beeing once his all thy wanderings cannot weaken his right in thee but hee still shall remaine thy Father that bought thee If a sheepe runne astray from the fold and wander long in vnknowne pastures doth it therefore cease to be his that is Lord and owner of the flocke and if it returne or be brought home with the fleece lost and left behind hanging vpon euery hedge and with the skin and flesh also torne will hee not acknowledge it and receiue it Yes he will receiue it with ioy Reade the fifteenth chapter of Saint Luke and meditate vpon that thou readest So farre off is it that the indignation of heauen should reiect thee that as it is there said There is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God for one sinner that conuerteth Make ioyfull the angels of heauen by thy returne to God and that ioy shall shine vpon the face of thy conscience And not to forget what we haue in hand to proue God thy father consider some words of the apostle to the Hebr. We haue had the fathers of our bodies that corrected vs and we gaue theÌ„ reuerence should we not much rather be in subiection vnto the Father of spirits that wee might liue He calleth men that begat vs fathers of our bodies and hee calleth God that created vs the Father of our spirits because in the generation of our bodies men are vsed but in the creation of our spirits God only worketh who is also the principal ageÌ„t in the framing of our bodies and men are but instrumentall agentâ—… therfore while there is a spirit dwelling in thy body quickning and mouing it thou canst not deny God to be thy Father whose gloâ—…ous habitation being in heauen as he saith by Esay I dwell iâ—… the high holy place Thou hast a Father in heauen And therfore by the commaÌ„dement of Iesus Christ willing vs to say to God forgiue vnto vs our sins thoâ—… hast both leaue giuen thee to aske forgiuenesse of sins and hope giuen thee to obtaine forgiuenes Vse therfore cheerfully but withall reuerently and thankfully this leaue obey duetifully and gladly this commandement for God is thy Father And thy seruice in calling vpon him shall not be fruitlesse And say not bicause as yet thou neither seest the fruits of the holy Ghost iâ—… thy reformed life nor feelest the testimony of it in thy cheereful conscience that therefore that blessed Spirit is not in thee When thou speakest of the fruits of the Spirit thou makest the Spirit to be as seed sowne in the heart that should bring forth fruit And so indeed the holy Ghost within vs is the seed of our regeneration and new life as the Lord Iesus teacheth vs saying Except that a man be borne of watâ—… the spirit the water of Baptisme spirit of Sanctification And Iohn plainely giueth the name of Seed to the Holy-Ghost saying His seed remaineth in him And when thou speakest of the testimony of the Spirit thou makest the Spirit to be as a witnesse that testifieth the fatherly loue of God vnto vs. And so indeed the Holy-Ghost within vs is vnto our hearts a true witnes of Gods loue Paul to this purpose saith Yee haue receiued the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that wee are the children of God And Saint Peter in his speech before the Priest and Captain of the Temple calleth the holy-Ghost a Witnesse saying Wee are his witnesses concerning these things which we say yea and the holy-Ghost whom God hath giuen to them that obey him For the Lord Iesus hath two sorts of witnesses to confirme to the consciences of men the truth of his death and resurrection and his power of sanctifying and sauing The one sort is the Apostles and Ministers who by their doctrine doe beare witnesse
his iust iudgement into hell This burden is prepared by bold and contemning sinners by men that rise early to follow drunkennesse and are strong to drinke strong drinke by men that commit adultery and assemble themselues by companies in harlots houses and rise in the morning like fed horses euery man neighing after his neighbours wife by men that lay wait as he that setteth snares and maketh pits to catch men and fill their houses with the fruit of deceit as cages are filled with birds by men that haue two kinds of waights and measures and vse to sweare falsly by men that say desperatly we will doe whatsoeuer thing goeth out of our owne mouth and our strength shall bee the law of vnrighteousnesse by mockers that say where is the hope of his comming and as the Prophet Esay testifieth of them draw iniquitie with cords of vanity and sinne as with Cart-ropes Of which audacious men that neither feare God nor man and are neither religious to regard conscience nor ciuill to regard good name the world is full These are the two kinds of burdens the ceremonious worship of God without truth and piety prepared and throwen vpon God by dissembling hypocrits and the bold transgression of all law and order prepared and cast vpon God by wicked contemners these are those particular burdens which by way of caueat I thought fit to warne you of that you meddle not with casting these vpon God least he cast both you and your burdens into eternall destruction in hell But our heauy burdens that presse our soules and breed feare care and griefe vnto our mindes whereof we desire to be eased those wee may and must cast vpon God and are not onely allowed but allured also to turne them off vpon him CHAP. VII OF these burdens some are secular concerning this world and no way touching Heauen or Hell and some are spirituall meerely concerning our soules and the life and death thereof and the seruice and fauor of God Of the secular there be foure kindes The first secular burden is worldly cares when a mans charge is great and his maintenance small the common burden of the poore though somtimes also wringing the backe of the rich This burden groweth heauy sometimes by the worke of Gods hands sending more charge lesse gaines deare times and vnexpected losses sometimes by the malice of other men some oppressing by power some deceiuing by fraud and some wasting by riot whom thou didst trust and sometime by thine owne fault as by sloth by sumptuous courses in apparrell diet building and by foolish bargaines This burden makes men grone out these words what shall wee eate what shall we drinke wherewith shall we be clothed how shall I pay my debts maintaine my credit and answer the charges of my place To cast this burden vpon God is to proceed by these rules First to consider the bounty of God that giueth to all both life and breath and all things Secondly vpon consideratiō of this bounty to fall to praier that he will be pleased to extend that bounty vnto thee Thirdly to apply thy selfe diligently and faithfully in some honest calling wherein God may blesse thy hand to fill thy mouth fleeing all vnlawfull shifts Fourthly and lastly to take heede of excesse This excesse is double first the excesse of desire which we calcouetousnes when a man is not content with that that is sufficient secondly the excesse of spending which we cal riot when a man hath a humour to waste intemperatly The first rule is to acquaint our selues with the bounty of God that we may cōceiue hope of help from his hand wherof the Prophet saith thou openest thine hand and fillest al things liuing of thy good pleasure this boūty of God wil appeare vnto vs partly by the testimony of the Prophets partly by the euidence of his own works liberal deling with his cretures His bounty is testified by the Prophets other holy men Dauid thus speaketh of it He causeth grasse to grow for the cattel and hearbes for the vse of man that he may bring forth bread out of the earth and wine that maketh glad the heart of man oile to make the face to shine bread that strengthneth mans heart This is a maruelous work of Gods prouidence an euidence of great bounty that out of the drie earth he bringeth forth food for vs. Of his special care among men to deale bountifully with them that feare him the Prophet Esay giueth testimony saying thus saith the Lord God behold my seruant shal eate you that is the wicked for to them he speaketh shal be hungry my seruants shall drinke you shal be thirsty my seruants shal reioice you shal be ashamed When the wicked shal want and in their want be confounded the righteous shal abound and in their abundance reioyce Excellent is the testimony of our Sauior Christ in the Gospel of S. Math. saying Behold the fowles of heauen for they sowe not neither reap nor cary into the barns yet your heauēly father feedeth them are ye not much better then they if God extend his bounty to creatures of so smal regard to whom also the means of prouiding their food by sowing reaping reseruing is denied that notwithstanding he sendeth them sufficiency how much more wil he prouide for the children of men that are of better regard with him to whom he hath giuē means of prouiding their own food by sowing by reaping by reseruing their store Excellent is the testimony of Saint Paul among the vnbeleeuing Gentiles at Listra vnto whom hee commendeth the true God that made the world before the vaine Idols which they serued saying hee left not himselfe without w◅nesse in that hee did good and gaue vs raine from heauen and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with foode and gladnesse Such was his bounty euen toward them that worshipped idols and being his creatures he failed not to supply them with necessaries◅ how much more wil he not faile his own children which worship him in spirit and truth Such testimony do the Prophets and other holy men giue of the bounty of God that openeth his hand and filleth all things liuing with his goodnesse And the euidence of his works is very cleare to approue vnto vs the same goodnesse He giueth daily and yearely store of foode and nourisheth life in all his creatures that participate life But because the worke of God in his ordinary prouidence is not obserued and esteemed as it ought to bee let him that is burdened with the cares of this life by reason of want consider the records of Gods bounty making prouision by myracle when ordinary prouision failed How he prouided for Israel in the wildernesse forty yeares sending them bread from heauen euery mourning How he prouided for Elias in a time of dearth causing the Rauens to bring him bread and flesh
of his quiet and content and thereupon he comforted his heart and would not continue in heauines for that that could not be helped So that it is to a right vnderstanding man ground enough to build content and quietnesse of heart vpon that God hath done his worke which thy sorrow cannot reuoke But for the further quieting of thy minde know that thy dead shall liue againe as the Prophet Esay saith Thy deadmen shall liue with my body shall they rise There is a day appointed of GOD wherin they shall returne out of the dust againe and liue againe in their bodies then glorified Yea know that for thy comfort that thy dead doe now liue and howsoeuer their bodies lie without life in the graue yet their soules do liue and shall liue for euer with God And with these considerations of the present life of the soule and the future life of the bodies the Apostle would haue wise Christians comfort thēselues ouer their dead and not giue way to their affections to mourne without measure saying I would not brethren haue you ignorant concerning them which are asleepe that ye sorrow not as others which haue no hope For if wee beleeue that Iesus is dead and risen euen so them which sleepe in Iesus God shall bring with him For this say wee vnto you by the word of the Lord that wee which liue and are remayning in the comming of the Lord shall not preuent them which sleepe For the Lord himselfe shall descend from heauen with a showt and with the voyce of the Archangel and with the trumpet of God And the dead in Christ shall rise first Then shal we which liue and remaine be caught vp with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the aire and so shall wee euer bee with the Lord. Wherefore comfort your selues one another with these words Let them mourne for their dead that know not the hope of the dead and suppose them extinct that are departed but let them which in the schoole of Christ haue learned what is the condition and hope of the dead how their soules doe presently liue with Christ and that their bodies also shal be raised vp in glorie at the last day Let them reioyce in the behalf of their dead and throw off that burden of sorrow which is so heauy vnto them And thus much for the second branch of secular troubles namely for domesticall troubles and the casting of that burden vpon God CHAP. X. THe third branch is of troubles more remote hauing a beginning further of when those by whom thou art wrōged are not of thy family neither of thy kindred neere acquaintance nor neighbours but strangers of another kinred family or habitation yet hauing so much knowledge of thee acquaintance with thee as to make thee the marke of their malice and obiect for their enuy and euill hearts to worke vpon And those for whom thou art grieued are not of the same house stocke village or country with thee yet because they are men and haue fellowship with thee in common nature or because they are christians and haue fellowship with thee in the same common religiō thy hart is grieued by way of compassion to heare of the calamities that are hapned vnto them And these remote troubles and griefes may happen to him that hath peace in his own house liueth quietly with his neighbours and louingly with his friends and hath comfort and ioy in their health and prosperity The rules giuen for domesticke troubles are also very sitting for these first therfore arme thy selfe with patience quietly suffer till God send ease And for the confirming of thy patience consider that the harts of all mē being in the hands of God these should neuer haue had any will to offer the wrong if God for some holy cause had not stirred them vp as he is said to haue stirred vp troublers to Salomon when he fell to idolatry Then the Lord stirred vp an aduersary vnto Salomon euen Hadad the Edomite c. And therefore though thou grudge to beare at the hands of men yet beare with patience and humility the good pleasure of God who knoweth when and how to make thee amends Dauid with this consideration confirmeth himselfe in his patience saying I should haue bin dumbe and not haue opened my mouth because thou didst it Saint Ierome reades it I haue been dumbe and will not open my mouth Tremellius reades it I am dumbe and doe not open my mouth The meaning is that either he should haue kept silence or he had kept silence or he did keep silence or was resolued hereafter to keep silence or else altogether for time past present and to come he held himselfe bound as by way of duty in his trouble to be mute and dumbe from murmuring raging and all works of impatiencie vpon this only reason because thou didst it that is because he knew it to be the handy worke of God And vnto patience adde praier for though it becommeth a godly man in his trouble to shut his mouth against all words of murmuring yet it becommeth him not to shut his mouth in the time of trouble against words of humble praier For by silence from murmuring it is manifest that God is feared and his pleasure approued but by silence from praier it is manifest that God is neglected and his helpe little set by In these troubles therefore and in all troubles it is a principall point of casting our burden vpon God to seeke his helpe by praier And the same consideration of Gods deed in stirring vp the aduersary that serueth to shut our mouthes against words of murmuring serueth as strongly to open our mouthes for words of humble praier That childe that bearing the fathers displeasure in the fathers displeasure suffering want of some wonted case doth refuse to make request vnto his father for the withdrawing of his displeasure and the restoring of wonted liberty especially being by the father commanded to make request and assured by his fathers promise that when he doth make request all shal be forgiuen that childe plainly appeareth to beare too big a heart against his father And a wise father not willing to be contemned of his child wil not restore his child to his wonted grace and liberty till he humble himselfe and intreat his father Euen so that christian man that hath displeased God and who hath not iustly deserued his displeasure and feeleth vpon him the hand of his displeased God in troubles that these remote enemies stirred vp of God doe put him vnto and doth not humble himselfe and pray vnto God for his fauour and ease seeing God hath both commanded him to pray and hath also promised to heare him helpe him when he praieth that man shews a heart ouer swolne against his God and God in iustice can doe no lesse then denie to send him reliefe so long as he refuseth to intreate
Chapter we shall finde it to be not any particular transgression of any or of all the precepts of the law but a wil-full opposition of our heart against as I may call it the body of religion first rightly vnderstoode and certainely knowne to be the true religion of God and vpon no other cause but out of meere enuie The Pharises heard the doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ and saw his miracles and knew him to bee that sonne of Dauid that Messias that was promised they knew his doctrine to be holy and heauenly and his workes to bee wrought by the finger of God Yet because the people honoured him and vpon the sight of his miracle when hee healed the man that was possessed of a diuell and was both blind and dumbe because they then cryed out saying Is not this that sonne of Dauid They therefore out of enuy and mallice without any other cause gaue it out concerning him saying He casteth out Diuels no otherwise but by Belzebub the prince of Diuels Indeuoring by these wordes to perswade the people that he was a wicked man risen vp out of Hell set vp by the Prince of diuels and assisted with his power to publish the doctrine of diuels and to vphold his kingdome so slaundering the person of Christ the workes of Christ and the doctrine of Christ all which many of them knew to be heauenly and of God If they had not knowne him to bee thee sonne of God they had not beene guilty of that great sinne As the Lord said vnto them If ye were blind ye should not haue sinne your ignorance would haue cleered you from this wiâ—…full mallice But they knew his person to be sent of God his workes to be done by the finger of God and in his doctrine that he taught truely the will of God The Lord himselfe said vnto them Yee both know me and know whence I am Yet did they out of enuy detract from the glory of his workes that they might by that meanes bring both his person and heauenly doctrine into contempt And they ceased not this course of slandering his person of disgracing his workes and obscuring the truth of his doctrine laying wait also for his life for God giueth not repentance for this sinne till they had bought him with money of the traytor iudged him to be worthy of death vpon the knowne false testimonie of suborned witnesses extorted with their clamours his condemnation from an vnwilling Iudge pronouncing him iust whom he condemned for their pleasure added vnto his vniust death what reproch they could and after his resurrection corrupted the souldiers with money so causing it to be by them divulged that his disciples stole away his body out of the graue and that he did not rise againe from the dead by that course labouring out of enuy to suppresse the Gospell and doctrine of Iesus Christ which yet they knew by the illumination of the holy Ghost to be the very truth of God This malitious opposition of theirs against religion knowne to be the religion of God was their vnpardonable sinne It was not their vncharitabe proceeding against an innocent man their hiering of a seruant to betray his master their suborning of false witnesses against a iust person their corrupting of a Iudge to giue sentence to their liking though vniust nor the hyâ—…ing of bold men to spred a lie among the credulious multitude nor yet the cruell and vniust murdering of the Lord of life Though all these were grieuous sinnes for many were pardoned both of the people and of their gouerners that had their handes in all this iniustice though they had not so deepe a reaâ—… so enuious a purpose of ouerthrowing by his ouerthrow the religion which they knew to be of God as most of the Priestes and Pharises had many I say were pardoned that had their handes in the iniustice done to our sauiour for he praied for them saying Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe and that praier of his could not be in vaine But in the cunning fellowes both among the people and their goueruors that knew him and whence he was and how he wrought and what he taught and that all was of God this was their vupardonable sin that they vsed al that falshood corruption and cruelty both during his life and in his death only to this end to hinder the course of his doctrine as they say plainely in their councell If we let him thus alone all men will beleeue in him When they knew that doctrine taught by him wherein they would not haue the people to beleeue to be the very truth of God This is the vnpardonable sinne called blasphemie against the Holy Gost because it flaundereth and disgraceth the truth of God which was made knowen vnto them so made to shine in their hearts by the Holy Ghost called the spirit of truth because it leadeth into all truth This sinne is a common sinne of diuels that know God and maliciously seeke his dishonor that know the groundes of true and holy religion and enuiously seeke to depraâ—…e them to corrupt them and if they could to abolish them out of the world desiring nothing more then to disgrace the truth of God among men This sin is sometime but rarely found amongst men and in examination thy sinne will bee found not to be this sinne and therefore not to be vnpardonable which is a great ground of hope to build vpon First the sinne of him that is pressed with the generall and confused accusation of an euill and hypocriticall heart cannot be this sinne that being naturally the estate of all men that come into the world they are borne with a heart deceitfull and wicked aboue all things But no man can be borne guilty of blasphemy against the holy-ghost because no man is in his birth enlightned with the knowledge of true religion which knowledge must necessarily goe before this fearefull opposition Neither can this sinne bee found in them that are distinctly charged with a particular sinne or sins that were committed in the days of ignorance it cannot be those sinnes For he that may fall into this vnpardonable sinne must first haue a full cleere knowledge of true religion with perswasion that it is the trueth But the ignorant man wanteth that cleere knowledge And hee is far enough from this sinne Neither can it be found in them that sinne against knowledge but out of weakenesse either surprised with a sudden temptation or led captiue with a strong and violent temptation for when these men are at libertie to consider what they haue done they haue no pleasure in it But that vnpardonable sinne is a voluntary wilfull and malicious opposition against the knowne truth out of their enuy not induring the glory of Christ in his Gospel Neither can any particular breach of any one Commandement nor all the breaches of all the
to the outward man and the other is the holy-Ghost who opening the vnderstanding and leading into all truth doth beare witnes to the inward man Now for seed we know that when it is cast into the ground it doeth not presently bring forth ripe fruit nay it doth not presently spring vp and shew it selfe but it resteth for a while in the wombe of the earth hidden from the eyes of men till conuenient time commeth and if any man in the mean time should say I see no fruit aboue the ground therefore there is no seede in the ground hee might be deceiued and the Husbandman and Gardner that had sowne the ground would censure him both of ignorance and boldnesse and time would disprooue him And as for witnesses we know that they do not speake so soone as a man is prouided of thē nor yet so soon as they appeare in publique place but being first prepared and after brought to the place where they should giue testimony they yet stay and keep silence and when the Iudge or Examiner is at leisure then they are called for and speak their knowledge And he that reasons thus there hath yet no witnesse spoken forsuch a mā therfore he hath no witnesse to speake at all for him should shew himselfe a rash man and by the timely voyce of the witnesses would be conuinced Euen so it is too much rashnesse in thee to say that because thou yet hearrest not the testimonie of the Holie-Ghost in thy heart witnessing with thy spirit that thou art the child of God therefore there is no such witnesse at al to speake when God shall appoint And because thou yet seest not the fruits of the spirit in the actions of thy life that therefore there is in thee no seed of the Spirit that may bring forth these fruits in due time Learne to haue patience wait vpon the good pleasure of God in time thou shalt see a blessed chāge heare that testimonie which yet thou hearest not and see those fruits of the Spirit which yet thou seest not And if it were as thou speakest that thou hadst not at all the Spirite as seed lying in secret and attending the time of Spring or as a witnesse prepared to speake when God shal call him fo◅th to giue his testimonie yet the Spirit that is not receiued may be receiued and shall be giuen thee if thou pray vnto God for it We know the words of the Lord Iesus Christ in the Gospel If you which are euill can giue good gifts to your children how much more shall your heauenly Father giue the holy-Ghost to them that desire him So that if there be in thee a true desire to obtaine the holy-Ghost aske and it shall be giuen thee for the Lord is more ready to giue then thou canst be to aske All that matter therefore of thy feare for that commandement of Christ that giueth leaue to ask and hope to obtaine forgiuenesse of sins that it should not belong to thee because it must be asked of them that haue God for their Father and thou thinkest him not to be thy Father because thou doest neither resemble him as yet either in the verues of thy mind or actions of thy life and thou hast not the spirit of adoption by which thou maiest cry Abba Father for thou neither seest the fruits nor feelest the testimonies of that spirit all this matter of thy feare is vaine That commandement of Christ belongeth to thee God is thy Father thou oughtest to pray vnto him for forgiuenesse thou maiest pray vnto him for forgiuenesse and if thou pray thou shalt obtaine forgiuenesse Pray therefore as Christ hath commanded thee and the obseruation of his order shall prooue thine ease CHAP. XX. OVr afflicted sinner was incouraged to pray and to hope for forgiuenesse of his sinnes not onely by the commandement of Iesus Christ which giueth leaue and hope but also and more strongly by the promise of God assuring in plaine words that it shall bee granted to him I will forgiue their iniquitie and will remember their sinnes no more But the nature of his temptation suffering no comfort to enter and abide with him armeth him with an obiection against that incouragement in this manner I know that God hath made such a liberall promise I know that he made it aduisedly vnderstanding himselfe what he promised that hee made it in truth meaning to performe faithfully as much as hee promised and that he remembers his promise for euer for time can not worke forgetfulnesse in him nor any shadow of alteration and therefore it shall be most truely and fully performed But it pertaineth not to mee for any aduantage and benefit of mine for the Prophet telleth vs it is a couenant made with the house of Israel for these are his words This shall be the couenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord. But I am no Israelite howsoeuer you shall take the name for if you vnderstand it in the naturall signification for the children of Iacob in the twelue Tribes of Israel I am not of that kinred I am of the Gentiles And if I were naturally of the seed of Israel yet might I very well loose all lawfull challenge to that promise because Saint Paul saith All they are not Israel which are of Israel But if you take the name in the spiritual signification for a child of promise an heire of grace and a preuailer with God and in that sence was it first giuen to Iacob when he wrestled with the Angell and preuailed not letting him goe vntill hee had blessed him in this signification It doth yet much lesse agree to mee that am rather an Egyptian a Cananite an Edomite and an enimie of God rather then a preuailer with him I neuer wrestled with God by faith and praier as Iacob to preuaile with him but rather I haue wrestled with God by pride and malice as a professed aduersarie I haue bidden defiance to God in the contempt of my proud heart I haue made fierce war against God in my many sinnes striuing to preuaile against him neuer desiring to preuaile with him and thence is it that now in iustice and power hee beareth himselfe so strongly against me Therefore being no way an Israelite and that couenant wherein God promiseth to forgiue and forget sinnes being made with the house of Israel what claime can I make to that promise euen none at all The nature of this disease is very strange that turneth into poison what soeuer is applyed to it by way of medicine or at least way striueth to extinguish all the vertue of those medicines least it might bee cured But this must moue vs to haue the more compassion and to take the more paine to see if God at the last will send comfort and sauing health Thou thinkest that this promise of forgiuing and forgetting sinnes doeth
or denouncing iudgement to the impenitent and vnbeleeuers Whatsoeuer yee binde on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer yee loose on earth shal be loosed in heauen Wherefore doeth hee speake thus of their determination and of their word but that according to that good hope which thou hast gathered vnto thy soule from the word of God in the writings of his Prophets and Apostles and in the mouthes of his faithfull witnesses on earth according to that good hope hee will doe vnto thee in heauen And in his iudgement both at thy last day and in the worlds last day he will not varie one iot from the straight rule of his word whereon thy recouered peace is grounded Indeede if thou shouldest recouer thy peace and remoue thy accusing thoughts with the remedie of Atheists that like Dauids foole Say in their hearts there is no God that is there is no diuine power gouerning the world in iustice and rewarding euery man according to his workes If thou shouldest shake off thy temptation with that conceit of wicked men recorded in the booke of wisedome that say Wee are borne at all aduenture and wee shal be â—…ereafter as though we had neuer beene for the breath is a smoke in our nosthrilles and the words are a sparke raised out of our heart which being extinguished the body is turned into ashes and the spirit vanisheth as the soft aire our life shall passe away as the trace of a cloud and come to â—…ought as the mist that is driuen away with the beames of the Sun and cast downe with the heate thereof That is no hand of God made vs at the first to be serued with the obedience of our life and when we leaue the world we shall not appeare before the face of any God to giue account for our liues for wee were borne by no prouidence and appointment of any higher power but euen as it happened such a man to beget such a boy such a mother to beare such a child and when wee die wee returne into earth and aire ourbodies become dust our spirits vanish as a puffe of winde there is no difference after death betweene man and beast both vanish and come to nothing as we were not before we were borne so wee shall not be when we are dead Iâ—… with these wicked conceites we seeke to stifle and choke our owne conscience or falsely flatter our selues with the securitie of contemners despising all the threatnings of God So that when they heare the words of the curse they blesse themselues in their heart saying we shall haue peace although we walke according to the 〈◊〉 of our owne hearts that is the threatnings of Gods displeasure are not to be regarded I esteeme them no more then the winde that breatheth ouer mine head and I shal be well inough whatsoeuer God say and I will hold on my course without any feare of God If vpon any such sandie and deceitfull ground thou shouldest builde thy peace and by such deuice should make dull rather then quiet thy troubled conscience verily thy accusing thoughts would returne like so many furies after death charging thee with all thine impieties before the face of thy Iudge The Atheist shall knowthat there is a God as it is said in the Psalme Doubtles there is a God that iudgeth the earth The Sadduce shall know that there is a life after this when he shall be called to answere as it is said of the â—…uill steward Giue accounts of thy stewardship for thou maist bee no longer steward And the contemner shall know the power of Gods displeasure when the wrath of the Lord and his iâ—…alousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses written in Gods booke shall light vpon him But if thy accusing thoughts be put to silence by the knowledge and faith of Gods mercy and of Christ his merit accompanied with repentance and true conuersion to God as hath beene said if by the promises and rules of Gods word thy peace while thou liuest be recouered assuerdly thy sinnes shall neuer be laid to thy charge after death for otherwise there were no faithfulnes in God nor trueth in his word wherein he hath thus spoken I will rememher their sinnes no more And in another place All his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned vnto him Theresore if it shall please God by the meanes that is applied vnto thee out of his word to deliuer thee froÌ„ the storme of this temptation whilest thou liuest thou hast no cause to feare the renewing of it after death nor in that name to feare death And because thou art troubled with such fantasticall feares of death that indeed is naturally fearefull to all men let â—…e acquaint thee with the condition thereof to a Chistian it came indeede into the world by the sinne of our first parents and by the holy and iust iudgement of God it was imposed vpon vs as a punishment of sinne depriuing vs of all present good things and plunging vs into eternall euils But when the sonne of God suffred death for our sinnes and by his suffring gaue satisfaction to the iustice of God he then slew destroied death it selfe by that death of his and tooke away all deadly killing power from that dissolution of ours which we call death and made it vnto all beleeuers a gate and passage into life putting an end vnto all their present troubles â—…nd bringing them to the possession of endles happines So that it is to them as the euening is to the labourer when he both resteth from his former wearie worke and also receiueth the reward for which he wrought For the body henceforth is laied vp in the graue as vpon a bed of ease where it shall â—…euer after either shake for colde or faint for heate where it shall neuer after feele either hunger or sicknes or be wearied any more with painfull labour That is it that the Prophet meaneth when hee saith Peace shall come they shall rest in their beds euery one that walketh before him That is the righteous man that treading in the paths of Gods commandements walketh with him in his holy obedience heâ—… at his iournies end in his body shall lie downe to rest in his graue as on his bed and much peace shall be his portion and as for the soule from thenceforth being vnclothed of his earthly couering and remoued out of his Tabernacle and house of clay it ascendeth vp vnto Iesus Christ and being clothed with glory it hath an happy abiding with him in heauen where it inioyeth the most comfortable presence of Christ his redeemer and the desired fellowship of those redeemed that are alreadle passed out of the wildernes of this wicked world into the paradice of eternall delight So did the Lord Iesus promise to the dying theese when hee said vnto him This day thou shalt bewith mee in paradice
THE Strong Helper OFFERING TO BEARE EVERY MANS BVRTHEN OR A TREATISE TEACHING in all troubles how to cast our burden vpon God but chiefly deliuering infallible grounds of comfort for quieting of troubled consciences By IOHN HAIVVARD The second Edition corrected and inlarged PSAL. 31. 22. Though I said in my haste I am cast out of thy sight yet thou heardest the voice of my praier when I cried vnto thee ¶ Imprinted at London by IOHN BEALâ—… for William Welby 1614. TO THE VVOR shipfull and his most kind and louing friends Master Israel Owen and M is Bathshaba Owen his wife IN the first publication of this Treatise the argument whereof is more agreeable to the hungry desires of a troubled soule then to the dainty appetite of them that seeke to haue their eares delighted with fine inuention I commended it to none but vnto such as had the only neede thereof euen to them that are weary and laden which grone vnder that burden whereof none can ease them but only he that beareth vp all things by his mighty word Heb. 13. And healeth those that are broken in heart and giueth medicine to heale their sicknesse Psal. 147. 3. At this second edition I haue been bold to publish it vnder your Worships name not that I haue any higher conceit of it now then at the first to thinke it now worthier then at that time to beare it in the forehead thereof thename of any worshipfull patron For though it bee in some places altered and in some enlarged yet our bookes grow not vnder our hands as our children doe to become fairer stronger and wiser by continuance of yeeres but they retaine with little alteration their first proportion and members And this little booke as it was at the first so it remaineth no other then a knitting together in one continud discourse of those obseruations which in my publike exercise I deliuered in many Serâ—… mons when I intreated of that text of Scripture which I haue put downe in the beginning as the argument of the whole worke But finding my selfe inde bted vnto your loue in a greater measure then I am able to make satisfaction for which loue of yours to me hath continued now aboue twenty yeeres and aboue all other proofes thereof hath lately declared it selfe in a most free and kinde offer of extraordinary fauour I haue been bold in this dedication to testifie vnto you as I was able my thankefull heart which is the best recompence that my weake estate is able to affoord And with this little booke which I offer vnto your Worshippes I offer vnto Almighty God my most hearty praiers that the father of mercy God of all consolations will euer continue vnto you and your posterity the abundance of his grace both for a long and happy life in this world and for a seasonable and christian departure hence that after your yeeres bee compleate on earth you may raigne with Christ for euer in Heauen From my house in Woolchurch this thirteenth of Nouember 1613. Your Worships wel-willer Iohn Hayward To him that is wearie and laden SALOMON in the Prouerbs affirmeth that he that is full despiseth a hunnie combe And one wiser then Salomon telleth vs in the Gospell that the whole haue no neede of the Phisition Idlely therefore should I offer my labour in this treatise to them that are full and liue at ease who bearing no burden or in their strength not feeling what they beare would reiect my offer as a mocke say vnto me Brach ia da lasso potius prendenda natanti offer your hand to him that is ready to sinke in the sloud we haue no neede we sit safe vpon the shore If these mens securitie be sound I wish it may be durable vnto them and as they haue no desire vnto so I wish they may neuer stand in neede of the counsell conteined in this booke this I wish them out of loue though out of iudgement e know if they belong to Christ the tim will come when they must beare a crosse and follow him But with hope of better acceptation I offer my counsell here following vnto thee that seeâ—…est the burden that thou bearest and gronest vnder the burden that thou feelest Salomon in the forenamed place telleth vs that to the hungry soule euery bitter thing is sweete And the Lord Iesus affirmeth the sicke to stand in neede of the Phisitions helpe Thy burden maketh thee as fainting labourer to long for releese and the crumes of Gods mercy easing thy ouercharged soule would be acceptable to thee and the paine of thy diseased spirit more sicke of thy tentation then of a burning feauer maketh thee desirous of the Phisions helpe thou criest in thy griefe Rebus succurrite lesis helpe my greeued estate and the offer and assurance of helpe and health cannot but bee ioyfull vnto thee If thy greefe and wearines be occasioned by any troubles of this life if it grow from any secular worldly cause I haue reduced all such burdens vnto fower heades Because either it is some want in our worldly estate which commonly is the burden and trouble of the multitude or if wee bee that way well stored it is some trouble domesticall and neare vnto vs either in our selues or in our house habitation or kinred or if we haue peace in our habitation ioy in our kinred friends and seruants with life and health as we desire then there is some more remoued person or more remoued accident that is the cause of greese care and feare vnto vs or â—…f abroad aswell as at home and among strangers aswell as among friends and neighbours we liue without disturbance yet we often finde difficulties in the duties of our callings or we meete with oppositions and are wronged with mistakings are euill rewarded for our well deseruing Within the compasse of one of these foure heads fall all such secular and worldly burdens and in the first place I haue giuen aduice concerning these perhaps not altogether such as some wise men well seene and traded in worldly causes would giue but surely such as an honest man should giue and such as he must obserue that looketh to obtaine ease and helpe from God If thy trouble and greefe be of another kinde if thy burden be spirituall and tâ—…e whole busines lieth more directly betweene God and thee and either as an honest man thou art greeued that thou canst not serue him as thou shouldest or so humbled that thou art greeued that thou hast sinned against him as thou shouldest not and fearest punishment for that sin these troubles I haue reduced to two heades for either the lustes of our flesh fighting against our soules doe crosse vs in the waies of trueth and righteousnes so that we cannot doe the good we would and the euill we woud not that we doe and our desires being as the desires of the children of light our deedes become as the deedes of the sonnes of
calmed hauing vented his griefe into the bosome of God and therfore from the beginning of the sixteenth verse he speketh in another temper partly professing his owne comfort and faith whereto euen the falshood of his enemies detestable before God gaue some strength and partly instructing others how in like assault of trouble they may grow vnto like comfort He professeth his owne recouered comfort in all these verses beginning with the sixteenth to the end of the Psalme my text excepted and he instructeth others in my text Those whom he instructeth are such as himselfe lately was namely men ouercharged with some heauy burthen The instruction that he giueth them is the same that he followed himselfe when he was burdened namely by faith and praier to turne the burden vpon the shoulders of God in these words Cast thy burden vpon the Lord. The successe that he promiseth them obseruing his instruction is the same that he found himselfe namely reliefe helpe and deliuerance from God in these words And he shal nourish thee he wil not suffer the righteous to fal for euer Some profitable obseruations may be drawen from the persons instructing and instructed and some from the instruction it selfe These things shall be handled in order CHAP. 2. THe person instructing declareth true charity seeking to further others in obtaining mercy as he before had been furthered himselfe according to a good rule of our blessed sauiour giuen in word to Peter but recorded in writing for all When thou art conuerted strengthen thy brethren That is when thou hast found fauour with God teach others the way how so to seeke that they also may find the same and in all things impart vnto others the good that hath been imparted to thee He that escaped a danger in the way will he not giue warning to his neighbour that is to trauell the same way and he that hath recouered health by any good meanes will he not in his neighbours sicknesse acquaint him with the meanes for his recouery certainly an honest man will This rule should be kept in al things but especially in the best things when thou hast learned the truth seeke to recouer thy brother out of error when thou hast obtained grace to amend thy waies seeke to recouer thy brother out of the bands of sinne and when thou hast won true comfort of heart vnto thy selfe helpe to settle the peace of thy brothers conscience Andrew hauing found Iesus brought his brother Simon to him Philip hauing found him brought Nathaniell to him And the woman of Sichar hauing found the Messias called her neighbours saying Come see a man that hath told me all things that euer I did is not he the Christi When thou hast found God yea rather hast bin found of God in any mercy shewed vnto thee teach thy brother how to goe foorth to seek the Lord that he also may find him and be found of him For no man receiueth any blessing of God for his sole priuate vse but that he should communicate the same to others It is a good saying of Chrysostome It belongeth to him that receiueth to communicate his good to others and hee prooueth it by the members of the body that communicate their faculties to the whole body and turne priuate possession into publike vse and by the professors of arts and sciences that communicate their skill and worke vnto others And he doubteth not to affirme that whosoeuer refuseth to communicate the skill and blessing whatsoeuer that he possesseth to the benefit of others hurteth yea destroieth both himselfe and others Study therefore to make commō the mercy shewed to thee This doth Dauid hauing found comfort by turning his griefe vpon God he teacheth others to doe the like Thus much of the person instructing CHAP. 3. THE person instructed is deciphered by his condition intimated in the name of burden when he saith Cast thy burden namely the man that in his soule is ouercharged with griefes and cares and feares as with a heauy burden such as the Lord speaketh vnto in the Gospell saying Come vnto me all ye that are weary and laden and I will refresh you If a burden be heauy it ladeth if it lie long vpon vs i◅ wearieth to men so laden and wearied the Lord Iesus offereth comfort And vnto the same men to preuent ouerlading and wearinesse as also to procure their ease that are ouerladen and wearied Dauid giueth this instruction Cast thy burthen vpon the Lord and he shall nourish thee c. Of men so burdened here are wee taught to haue compassion and to labor by counsell and all good meanes to procure their comfort and ease Thereto pertaines that precept of God Comfort yee comfort yee my people will your God say Speake comfortably to Ierusalem in the Hebrew it is speake to the heart of Ierusalem Which phrase S. Ierome thus interpreteth He that speaketh to him that mourneth and is vnto him a pleasing comforter he speaketh to his heart and crie vnto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned for she hath receiued of the Lords hand double for all her sinnes So that when God hath humbled his people by any crosse that for the correction of their sinnes he laid vpon them his compassion presently mooueth and he pittieth them as if they had borne twise more then they deserued and thenceforth he commandeth al men that regard his voice to comfort them with all good words and to assure them of his fauour Yea to speake vnto their heart that is all such words as may minister comfort to their hearts The Apostle Paul giueth a like charge vnto vs saying Comfort the feeble minded And most excellently in the Epistle to the Hebrews Remember them that are in bands as if yee were bound with them and them that are in affliction as if ye also were afflicted in the body We should esteem the afflictions of others as our own afflictions take vpon vs in compassion that which they sustaine in passion And both in our inward affection and outward diligence we should study and worke their releefe as we should study and worke our owne For we are all of the same kind condition and quality and nothing is befallen them that may not quickly fall vpon vs also we are should acknowledge our selues to be members of the same body whose property if they be neither dead nor diuided from the body is to feele the affliction of their fellow members and diligently to seeke their reliefe But especially finding God to be rich in mercy to vs and euen a father of consolation we should be mercifull as our heauenly father is mercifull and should study to comfort them whom the God of all consolation loueth It is the precious vse that God doth giue vs of good mens company in this life and it is the thing wherein good men doe prooue themselues to be such when they
domesticall troubles some are more priuate fitting for this or that domesticall trouble In this chapter I will set down those rules that are common to all these troubles And first of all it is a common rule in all these troubles pertaining to the right casting of them vpon God that we arme our soules with patience and quietly beare whatsoeuer God is pleased to lay vpon vs. For shall we be willing only to receiue good things at the handes of God things agreeable to our hearts wish and when he is pleased eyther for our triall or for our correction or for any other holy cause to lay vpon vs euill and hard things vnpleasant to flesh and bloud shall wee then murmure against his worke God forbid Iob iustly reprooueth such a course saying to his wife Shall wee receiue good things at the hands of God and not receiue euill As when good things come it is fitte to acknowledge Gods free mercie and to be thankefull so when euill things come it is fit to acknowledge Gods holy iustice and to be patient And this course of casting our burden vppon the Lord our blessed Sauior the Lord Iesus Christ commends vnto vs and a sure way of finding ease saying vnto vs Take my yoake on you and learne of mee that I am meeke and lowly of heart and you shall find rest vnto your soules that is whatsoeuer burden falles vpon any of you either after my example or for my sake which I account to be my burdens for I labor in him that labors vnder those burdens let him not murmure let him not spurne impatiently against it but let him take it meekely vnto him as I did my death This shal bring ease to his soule for this is to cast his burden vpon God while for Gods sake he is willing to beare his good pleasure This patience a while continued will make thy yoake easie and thy burthen light and whilest others crie and complaine thou shalt reioyce in God therefore haue the Apostles both in their practise and in their doctrine ioyned together patience and reioycing in the times of trouble because continued patience breedeth ioy Of their practise ioyning patience and reioycing together Paul speaketh thus Also we reioyce in tribulations knowing that tribulation bringeth foorth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed Such was their practise Which while hee reporteth doeth hee not there with all deliuer that troubles patiently borne doe giue experience of Gods fauour giue hope in Gods mercie and breede a confident and vndaunted spirit ◅ and these three experience hope and confidence are the grounds and true supporters of ioy Of their doctrine preached to others Iames the Apostle shewes vs what it was saying My brethren count it exceeding ioy when yee fall into diuers tentations knowing that the trying of your faith bringeth foorth patience and l◅t patience haue her perfect worke that yee may be perfect and intire lacking nothing In their practise could this course be kept in wisedome In their doctrine could this rule bee giuen in soundnesse if the patient bearing of all our troubles were not a readie and very soueraigne way of casting our burdens vpon the Lord for our ease therefore haue care of this in the first place to possesse thy soule in patience And if it seeme to any man a hard thing to bee patient in trouble let him not feare to attempt euen by this course of patience to cast his burden vpon the Lord. For there are many reasons that perswade thereunto First the burden while it continueth is a sure testimonie of Gods loue vnto thee Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews saith My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth hee scourgeth euerie sonne whom hee receiueth The chastisement of the Lord by these troubls is an euidēce of his fatherly loue and therfore we ought with the patience of children to beare it Secondly while God out of his loue continueth the burden of this trouble vpon thee he doeth it only for thy good As the same Apostle teacheth vs in the same Epistle saying Hee chasteneth vs for our profit that wee may be partakers of his holiness◅ The effect of those troubles intended of God is our benefit that wee may bee brought to haue neerer fellowship with God in holinesse and therefore they are to bee borne with patience Thirdly though God seem to continue our burden long and in the meane time to shew small kindnesse vnto vs yet sure the end of them will be with a blessing As Moses saith of the worke of God leading the children of Israel for many yeres together through a wearie wildernes that he did it to prooue them that he might doe them good in the latter end And if the cōclusion of our trouble like the wrestling of Iacob shall be with a blessing it is to be born with all patience A fourth reason there is to be regarded aboue all other reasons of force to make a man patient euen in the fire namely that if wee suffer with Christ wee shall raigne with Christ and when we haue indured patiently a while on earth we shal be rewarded honourably for euer in heauen Hereof the Apostle Paul thus speaketh Our light affliction which is but for a season causeth vnto vs a furre most excellent and an eternall weight of glorie Affliction shall bee rewarded with most excellent glory light affliction with a weight of glory and momentanie affliction with eternall glorie therefore to bee borne with all patience He that considereth these things that if God do send trouble it is of his fatherly loue vnto vs as vnto sonnes that in these troubles he onely intendeth our good to bring vs to haue fellowship with him in holinesse that our troubles shal bring peace and a blessing in the end and lastly that GOD will bring vs from a Crosse to a Kingdome and turne our Crowne of thornes into a crowne of glory He that considereth these things will bend his heart to beare his burthen patiently Whereby hee certainly turneth his burden vpon God for his great ease making a heauy burden to be light which while it is patiently borne melteth and falleth off from the heart like raine falling from the high grounds so that after a while he despiseth the troubles that at the first were fearefull vnto him and they seeme vnto him moale hils that at the first shewed a farre off like mountaines This is the first common rule of casting our burden vpon God alwayes to be obserued By this rule if it be Husband or Wife that causeth vnquietnesse we are taught to suffer their vnquietnesse whome wee can neyther reforme nor remooue and not to make a great flame of a small sparke by prouoking the vnquiet to more vnquietnesse If it bee Parents or Children that
or wealths to stand a blanke a cypher ◅ blot and an impediment either in common wealth or Church and to be an offence in the eye both of God all good men and to seeke to get his liuing by honest labour in some other calling that he hath bene better fitted for as Zacharie reporteth the words of some idle Prophets in their repentance as namely That he should no more weare a rough garment that is the robe of the Prophets profession that he was vnfit for and he should say I am no Prophet I am an husband man for man taught me to be an heardman from my youth That is I was neuer brought vp and fitted for the seruice of a Prophet where into I did foolishly thrust my selfe and therefore I will leaue that calling vnto more sufficient men and whereas I was brought vp to the trade of a husband-man heard-man I will henceforth follow that calling that I may eate my bread with a good conscience with Gods blessing though my reputation and maintenance be lesse This is to cast thy burden vpon God If thy ambition and couetousnes did not make thee intrude but men had good opinion of thy sufficiencie as Pharao had of Iosephs wisdome thou hast vsed no cunning to draw them to haue such opinion of thee but they simplie out of their owne obseruation iudged well of thee and imposed a charge vpon thee not being yet so ripe in iudgemēt and otherwise as thou wouldest be and hadst neede to bee in this case there is a good calling of God to giue thee hope of his further helpe though as yet thou be but as Dauid was the youngest among many brethren And the testimonie of thine owne conscience cle◅ring thee from intrusion is some ease of thy burden Plead thine honest calling plead thy cleere conscience before God and craue his fauour and if they that did chuse thee will not discharge thee pray to God for increase of strength craue the helpe of their prayers that laid the burden vpon thee and bend thy selfe with good hope vnto thy busines It is written that out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings God ordaineth strength hope well therefore in thy diligent indeuour of the assistance of God and remember what the Lord Iesus answered to Paul my grace is sufficient for thee my power is made perfect through weaknes and what the Apostle saith of himselfe assisted with this sufficient grace of Iesus Christ. I am able to doe all things through the helpe of Christ that strengthneth me and make vse of these testimonies studying striuing praying and vsing all meanes and helps for increase of sufficiencie And take that as spoken to thee that Paul spake to Timothi◅ These things exercise and giue thy selfe vnto them that it may be seene how thou profitest among allmen This is the waie of casting this burden vpon God If thy sufficiencie be good and thy diligence answerable so that thy conscience witnesseth that thy labour in the Lords Vineyard is faithfull labour but the effect answereth not and the work goeth not forward because the re are that oppose their vtter most power against thy labours to crosse the successe of them And there is scarce any one good worke that a man of publike calling can take in hand but the Diuell hath one instrument or other to crosse the attempt and hinder the successe so did the Sorcerers of Egypt withstand the message of Moses and Aaron comming vnto Pharao in the name of the Lord. So did Rehum and Simshai with their companions with Tatuai and Sauballat and T◅biah withstand to their vttermost power and cunning the worke of the Iewes in building the Temple wales of Ierusalem after their returne from the captiutie When Elias had slaine the Priestes of Baal and sought to bring backe Israel to the worship of the Lord Iesabel opposed hi◅ selfe and made Elias to flie for his life And while the Apostles preached the Gospell of Christ to the Gentiles the vnbeleeuing Iewes stirring vp the Gentiles withstood them in all places as the Apostle chargeth them saying They haue persecuted vs and God they please not and are contrarie to all men and forbid vs to preach vnto the Gentiles that they might be saued Thus vsually through Sathans enuie it falleth out that scarce any attempteth any commendable worke but that one or other instrument of Sathan ariseth opposing himselfe against it to hinder the performance of it increasing his burden that trauelleth about it How shall men thus vexed cast their burden vpon the Lord First when thou seest their mallice and opposition be not driuen from thy patience and peaceable minde lest thou also shouldest either say or doe amisse in thy vnquiet passion Secondly vnto this patience ioyne prayer vnto God and in thy prayer craue these things of God First that God will oppose his helpe against their opposition and hinder their hindring attempts as the Prophet doeth saying Let not the wicked haue his desire O Lord performe not his wicked thoughts Secondly craue the assistance of Gods hand vpon thy labour good indeuor to helpe thee against thine opposites as the Prophet doeth saying Giue vs helpe against trouble for vaine is the helpe of man through God we shall doe valiantly Lastly that he will take thy good enterprise into his hand and vse thee as his instrument to effect so good a worke by as also the Prophet doth saying Let the beautie of the Lord our God be vpon vs and direct the worke of our hands vpon vs euen direct the worke of our handes Surely in this case this is to cast our burden vpon God if withall when we see the end to fall out contrarie to our godly purpose we glorifie God therein supposing that as God would not let Dauid build his Temple but reserued it to be performed afterward by Salomon so God for some secret cause will not haue that good worke finished by thee but res◅rueth it for some other time and some other person Lastly if thy sufficiencie be good and thy diligence answereable to thy sufficiencie and the worke effected through Gods helpe be answereable to thy diligence but the malice of mē misconstrue thy worke and misreport it so bring thee into danger and trouble as Amaziah the wicked Priest of Bethel misreported the godly seruice of the Prophet Amos and accused him to the King saying Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel The land is not able to beare all his words So seeking betray his life into the handes of cruelty vnder shewes of iustice Then the casting of our burden vpon God is first in his name to protest ou◅ innocencie and that we haue done our dutie with an honest heart as God commaunded vs. So did Amos after Amaziah had accused him saying for himselfe The Lord tooke me as I followed the stocke
and said vnto me Goe prophecie to my people Israel That is I haue in those sermons which you call Conspiracie faithfully followed the commandement of the God of Israel So also did Ieremy when the Priestes and false Prophets and the multitude of the people had laid hands vpon him in the Temple and went about to kill him for his preaching he protested his innocencie saying The Lord hath sent me to prophecie against this house against this Citie all the things that you haue heard And thine innocency being thus protested made knowne then secondly turne thee vnto God appeale to his iudgemē◅ rest vpon him He is the true discerner of all mens doings to whō it is manifest both what things are done and with what mind they are done and he is the iudge of all men and of their doings and he will reward them that truly serue him therefore taking no discomfort at the vniustice and vnthankfulnes of men pray God to iustifie thy well doing against misreporters Thou hast a promise of such mercie made by the Prophet saying He shall bring forth thy righteousnes as the light and thy iudgement as the noone day and pray him to remember thee and giue thee thy reward in heauen because on earth good seruices are not worthily valowed and in expectation of that reward at Gods hands comfort thy soule in this case And thus haue we spoken of the fower secular burdens wherein immediately we haue to doe with men in matters concerning this life and shewed how the burdens may be ought to be cast vpon God for the ◅ase of our soules CHAP. XII THere are diuers troubles wherein the man that is troubled hath to doe immediatly and at the next hand with God and the things wherin he hath to doe with God and looketh directly vpon him do concerne our soule and inward man and the good estate therof for holinesse and happinesse both now and hereafter And in regard hereof those troubles I call spirituall troubles And those I reduce to two heads The first of these spirituall burdens is the powerful lusts of the flesh enemies to the holinesse of the soule The second is the feareful accusing thoughts that are enemies to the happinesse of the soule The first is the burden of the lusts of the flesh fighting against the soule The multitude of our corruptions and the law of sinne in our members so potent and strong that we cannot doe the good we would in doing whereof God should be serued and the euil we would not that we doe by doing whereof the diuell is serued This is a grieuous burden to an honest minded man that is desirous to please God and keepe a good conscience Hee considereth who made him and desireth to glorifie his creator He considereth the manifold mercies of God towards him and desireth to approue himselfe a thankfull man He respecteth the end both of his creation and of his regeneration and desireth to come neare vnto God and to haue fellowship with his redeemer and to resemble him in holinesse and righteousnesse hee seriously thinketh vpon the end of vertue and reward of vice the first to be eternall life the other to be eternall destruction and with his whole heart and soule he desireth and striueth to auoid euill which hee abhorreth and to do good which he loueth And while he striueth to goe on in this course nothing hindereth him more then the root of sin that is deeply fastened in his owne flesh The Diuell offereth a temptation and his false flesh yeeldeth presently vnto it The flattering world presenteth showes of vanity and the flesh greedily imbraceth them Occasions are offered and presented to our eies and our traiterous flesh suddenly apprehendeth them and our actions fall out to be sinfull and euill sometime at vnawares before wee haue leisure to consider what we ought to doe Sometime against fore-fight yea against repugning will For that corruption that is in our flesh which for the authority that it vsurpeth and for the power that it exerciseth in vs the Apostle calleth the law in our members that corruption rebelleth against the law of our minde and leadeth vs captiue into all actuall sinne And wee are compelled in the campe of our enemies to serue against our beloued Lord. And this is no small griefe vnto a sanctified soule that desireth to serue and worship God in spirit and truth How heauy this burden is the Apostles words doe teach vs crying out by reason of it in this manner O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body of death It was vnto him more bitter then death that sinne was of such power in his mortall body Vpon men groaning vnder this burden compassion ◅is to be taken both in regard of God whom it grieueth them to offend and dishonour and also in regard of themselues so intangled and indangered not by any fo◅aine malice but by their owne inbred sinfulnesse Therefore for the case of such ouercharged soules to giue them some comfort notwithstanding the continuance of their burden these things are to be considered First that where God hath giuen an heart grieued for these infirmities he neuer imputeth vnto them the sinnes that they so vnwillingly and grieuedly commit their broken and displeased hearts being a pleasing sacrifice to him According to the saying of the Prophet The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a contrite a broken heart O God thou wilt not despise So that God taketh more pleasure to see them sorrow for their committing sinne then he doth displeasure for the sinne that they commit for to commit sinne is common to all mankinde and we cannot chuse but to doe amisse while we liue in this flesh but to mourne and to be grieued for sin to striue against it and not to commit it but with dislike offence taken for it is proper onely to them that truely loue the Lord. Secondly though they cannot attaine vnto such perfect holinesse vppon earth as they desire nor vnto such an absolute conquest ouer their corruptions and such a full measure of mortification that sin shal haue no life nor power of mou◅ng in them yet their good wil being true and vnfained and their holy desire beeing sound and not dissembled is before God as well accepted as if they were altogether without sinne Therefore is it that God requireth the heart saying My sonne giue me thine heart and let thine eies delight in my wayes He that can by the mercie of God attayne vnto this to delight in in the wayes of God and to haue a sound heart within his weake bodie he hath attained vnto as great perfection of holinesse as this present life is capable of if that desire and delight of his be ioyned with knowledge and vnderstanding so that hee be free from their errour whom the Apostle speaketh of saying They being ignorant of the righteousnesse
Non nocent peccata praeterita si non placent praesentia Sinnes past hurt vs not if sinnes present please vs not If wee take no pleasure in vnrighteousnesse from henceforth God will put away and abolish all our old offences And this saying of his is groūded vpon the Scripture which must be thy stay before all the sayings of men The Prophet thus speaketh If the wicked will returne from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely liue and shall not die all his transgressions that hee hath committed shall not be mentioned vnto him Yea vpon our repentance and ceasing from sinne where it had stained as deepe as Scarlet and like Crimson double died in a colour not easie to bee changed yet there will God clense the sinner and make him as white as snow as cleane as the fleece of wooll new washed and skowred Reade to this purpose the wordes of Esay in his first Chapter 16 17 and 18. verses it is a place of much comfort And when thou hearest repentance to be a condition of the obtaining of forgiuenes of sinnes be not discomforted in the conscience of thine owne weakenes and insufficience of keeping the law of God as if it should be impossible for thee to obtaine forgiuenes vpon this condition I know thou canst not but be vnapt for good workes now at the first hauing so long before accustomed thy selfe to a contrary course of vngodlinesse But attempt with resolution to reforme thy waies and studie withall thy heart to serue God according to his will in his word reuealed God esteemeth the will for the worke yea hee will worke in thee both to will and to doe of his owne good will for hee giueth repentance as well as remission of sinnes by Iesus Christ whom he hath appointed and inabled therevnto As Peter saith of him Him hath God lift vp with his right hand to be a prince and a sauiour to giue repentance to Israel and remission of sinnes And therefore as a good degree of casting thy burden vpon God pray vnto God to giue thee repentance for thy sinnes that thou maiest also obtaine forgiuenes And learne of Dauid to say vnto God Create in mee a cleane heart O God and renue a right spirit within me And craue it in hope for God hath liberally promised to giue it Thus he saith by the Prophet Then will I poure cleane water vpon you and you shall be cleansed yea from all your filthines and from all your idols will I cleanse you a new heart also will I giue you a new spirit wil I put within you I will take away the stonie heart out of your body and I will giue you a heart of flesh I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and yee shall keepe my iudgements and do them What is it that belongeth vnto repentance either in the inward man for the renewing and humbling and sanctifying of the heart or in the outward man for the altering amending and reforming of the life that God in these words doth not promise to giue And what he promiseth that will hee truely giue if thou make suite vnto him as it is fit and necessarie for thee The second of the three conditions concerneth our brother and the mercifull vsing of him and it is a milde kind of charitie by which we must be willing to forgiue vnto our brother all the wrongs trespasses that hee hath done against vs seeking if we can to reforme him but not to shame him yeelding to doe all offices of mercy and loue vnto him in his necessitie not seeking to be reuenged and to render euill for euil rebuke for rebuke And this is agreeable to iustice and equitie that if thou wouldest receiue what thou wantest thou shouldest be willing to supply the want of others as thon art able and if thou wouldest finde mercy with God thou shouldest shew mercy to men for what measure we meate to others the same shall be meat to vs. Iames the Apostle saith There shall be iudgement merciles to him that sheweth no mercy and mer◅y reioiceth against iudgement If thou wilt not remit vnto thy brother then looke for no remission at Gods hand but if thou charitably remit vnto thy brother then cheerefully promise thy soule remission at Gods hands Verie clearely to this purpose speaketh the Lord Iesus saying If you doe forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly father will also forgiue you but if you doe not forgiue men their trespasses no more will your father forgiue your trespasses This text is plaine and needeth no interpretation but forgiue it shall be forgiuen to you forgiue vnto men and you shall be forgiuen of God At the hearing of this condition there needeth no discomfort arise in thy conscience from feare of thy insufficiencie for all resteth in thy will It is no more but this be willing the work is done desire not to be reuenged and thou hast forgiuen him continue kindnesse vnto him as if no such wrong had beene done vnto thee and this condition is fulfilled And if thou thinke it will be hard vnto thee by reason of thy froward heart heare a few reasons that may moue thee to thinke that it is a matter of nothing considering what thou desirest to obtaine of God First it is not much that thou hast to forgiue thy brother small few are his wrongs done to thee but it is infinite that thou seekest forgiuenes of from God many and grieuous are thy wrongs done to him Secondly betweene thy brother and thee there is no such difference with aduantage of dignitie on thy selfe that thou shouldest disdaine in regard of thy excellencie to put vp wrong at thy brothers hand for thou as hee art no better then dust and ashes but infinite is the difference betweene God and thee with all aduantage of full excellencie on Gods side he being of infinite glorie and maiestie so that hee might iustly disdaine to put vp wrong at the hands of such a vile worme as thou art Thirdly thy brother is neither by subiection to thy authoritie nor by kindenesse receiued from thee so bound vnto thee that in his doings which thou interpretest for wrongs he can be challenged of any great rebellion and any grosse vnthankefulnes against thee but thou both by subiection to the authoritie of God and by daily blessings receiued from God art so bound vnto him that in thy sinnefull deedes done against his knowne commandements thou art euidently guiltie of high treason and rebellion and most wicked vnthakfulnes Euery of these reasons doe inforce vpon thy heart be it neuer so froward and swelling that it is a trif◅e and matter of noe worth for thee to forgiue the wrongs of thy brother done to thee if thou desire and expect that
of his heart First thou maiest haue all these things and yet not know it and therefore it is great rashnes to say thou hast them not For as before this time thou wilt confesse that there was in thee wickednes of life enuie against thy neighbour and infidelitie against God and yet then when it was so thou didst not thinke it to be so nor couldest be induced to beleeue it to be so so at this time there may be in thee repentance and charitie and faith and yet in this astonishment of thy soule thou canst not see it to be so Securitie at that time suffred thee not to see what was amisse in thee and feare at this time suffreth not thee to see what is good and orderly in thee Againe if thou haue them not yet thou art in the way of them and thou art not far from them Thou art grieued to finde thy selfe guiltie of so much sinne and thy heart is pricked and thy soule is wounded to thinke that thou art so laden with thine iniquitie Surely this is the beginning of true repentance when a man is grieued at the sight of his sinne Indeed it is loue that commendeth vnto God our repentance and conuersion to him but it is feare that first openeth the heart vnto God whom being once entred we doe after intertaine with loue so was it with Peters hearers in the Acts. After he had brought them to the fight of their sinne in crucifying the Lord of life it is said of them When they heard it they were pricked in their heartes and said vnto Peter and the other Apostles men and brethren what shall we doe Then began they to haue care of amending their life when they saw the errour of it and were afraid at the fight of it And it is a true saying of Saint Gregorie Sancta electorum ecclesia simplicitatis suae et rectitudiuis vias timore inchoat sed charitate consummat The holy Church of Gods elect beginneth the waies of her simplicitie and vprightnes in feare but doth perfect them in loue So that euen this feare that thou art in by reason of thy sinnes is the beginning of repentance giuing thee to vnderstand that it is not good nor safe to continue in them Proceed in the feare of God for thou art not far from repentance And thou thinkest other men to be happy in their peace of conscience and desirest to haue fellowship with them in the fruition of Gods fauor And is not this loue or at leastwise a preparation to loue to haue in admiration the saints of God to thinke them to be happy that are in his fauour aboue the condition of other men that inioy the glorie of the world without Gods loue and to desire to be vnited vnto them No man can thinke well and honorably of them whom hee hateth no man can desire to bee ioined in condition and fellowship with them whom he doth not loue or at least thinke well of and therefore this opinion that thou holdest of them and of their happines sheweth that thou art not far from loue When Balaam hauing considered the condition of the people of God both in their life and death speake these words Let me die the death ◅f the righteous and let my last end be like his Hee began to loue the Israelites and though after hee shewed fruites of hatred against them yet at that time when hee spake those words he loued them his change of mind grew from his owne couetousnes he desired Balaks reward and therefore sel from his loue as Gregorie noteth of him that there was Nequaquam perseue ra◅tia continui amoris no perseuering in continued loue He began to loue thē but the couetousnes of his heart brake off his loue Continue thou in loue and striue to increase Thy present good opinion that thou holdest of them and of their happines is an euidence that thou louest or art not far from loue And thou hast a longing desire to recouer the loue of God thou gladly hearkenest to the report of his mercy and wouldest thinke thy selfe an happy man if thou couldest grow to any comfortable perswasion thereof and doth not the man thus minded follow after faith was there any more in the man that came to Christ for his son that was possessed of a diuell when he said vnto him Lord I beleeue help my vnbeliefe Hee freely confessed that all the faith he had was no other no better then vnbeliefe yet his desire of faith was esteemed for faith or obtained faith for the effect of faith followed Christ that said vnto him If thou canst beleeue it all things are possible to him that beleeueth healed his child because he beleeued and shall not thy desire of faith in like manner either be esteemed for faith or obtaine faith that the effect of faith in the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes may follow Surely that desire of thine sheweth that thou art not farre from God But be it granted that thou art altogether without them and at this time most farre from them doth it therefore follow that thou canst not obtaine forgiuenesse of sinnes for the present want of them Not so for though now thou haue them not yet thou maiest obtaine them and then forgiuenesse of sinnes now seeming impossible will easily bee obtained They that were borne without them die with them and reape the fruit of them bearing the testimonie of them into the graue in the sweet peace of their conscience that neuer brought them not any preparation vnto them out of the wombe And therefore hope in the Lord and pray vnto him and practise all the good councell that was giuen thee when these conditions were first remembred vnto thee Repentance is the gift of God and he is the Lord most holy that reneweth our hearts by the spirit of Sanctification He it is that made this promise I will poure water vpon the thirstie hee meaneth him that thirsteth after righteousnesse and stonds vpon the drie ground he meaneth barren hearts that bring forth no good I will poure my spirit vpon thy seed and my blessing vppon thy buds By the name of Spirit he giues vs to vnderstand what hee meant by Water and Flouds mentioned before euen the graces of his renewing and sanctifying Spirit this promise is made to the Church whereby GOD doth assure her that he will blesse all her children how drie and barren soeuer they be with that grace the moisture whereof shall make them fruitfull of all good workes And thou art a child of the church bred and brought vp in the bosome thereof thou art the seed thou art one of the buddes of the righteous pray vnto God that giueth repentance and hath largely promised and in ti◅e thou shalt find fauour Also charitie is the gift of God hee is loue and it is he that maketh men to be of one mind in an house that is in
all societies hee knitteth mens hearts together in loue and maketh them to keepe the vnitie of the Spirit in the band of peace It is he that hath promised in the Church of Christ and kingdome of the Messias the rod of the stocke of Ishai to do this The wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the leopard shall lie with the kidde and the calfe and the lion and the fat beast together and alittle childe shall leade them and the cowe and the beare shall feed their yoong ones shall lie together and the lion shall eate straw like the bullocke and the sucking child shall play vppon the hole of the aspe and the weaned child shall put his hand vppon the cockatrice hole By the wolfe the leopard the lion the beare the aspe the cockatrice he vnderstandeth men of prowd cruell minds apt to do al hurt bicause they are void of al loue by the lamb the kid the calfe the fat beast the cow the bullocke the sucking child the new weaned child he vnderstādeth men of an humble mild heart apt to do good vnwilling to doe hurt because they are full of loue by the harmelesse society of these so vnlike people he giueth vs to vnderstand that he wil take away from men their pride their fiercenesse their cruelty their vnmercifulnesse and in place thereof he will giue them humilitie mildenes loue and mercie This is a worke that hee doth and this hee will doe pray therfore vnto God who is loue it selfe and he wil giue thee a heart to loue thy brother Faith likewise is his gift and hee himselfe is a most faithfull God worthy to be trusted the God of truth that neither can nor will deceiue them that according to his couenant and promise of mercy doe trust in him The Apostle telleth vs that faith is his gift saying By grace are yee saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God Euery good gift and euery perfect giuing commeth from him who is the Father of lights pray him therefore to giue a beleeuing heart vnto thee and hee will not faile thee So that if thou haue neither repentance charitie nor faith which are the conditions vppon which God giueth forgiuenesse of sins yet thou maiest haue them for GOD doth giue them pray then vnto God and thou shalt in due time obtain them For the want of this triple grace thou hast a triple commandement to call for grace with a triple promise to obtaine all grace The Lord Iesus saying Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and ye shal finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Then aske repentance and it shall be giuen thee seeke for charitie and a mercifull heart and thou shalt find it and knocke at the gate of heauen for faith and it shall be set wide open vnto thee Wherefore is it that God at this time doth make thee see thy want but because he would haue thee to call for his help CHAP. XXIII BVt still obiections arise in a trobled conscience and the poore burdened sinner complaineth that his estate must needs be desperate For saith he I feele a continuall swarme of euill thoughts in extreame disorder stirring in my heart Thoughts against the maiesty of the most glorious Trinitie thoughts against the veritie of the diuine and humane natures personally vnited in the Lord Iesus Christ thoughts against all the Articles of the Christian saith thoughts rebellious against authoritie and seditious against peace thought malicious against my neighbour and vnnaturall against my selfe thoughts vnchristian vnciuill inhumane thoughts monstrous and fearefull I tremble to thinke that I haue such thoughts And these must either spring and arise out of mine owne heart and then wo vnto so wicked heart It is like vnto the Inne vnto which the virgine Mary came with the Lord Iesus in her wombe there was no roome for her in the Inne all the Chambers were filled with other guests she was glad to creep into the stable and there shee brought forth her first begotten So if any come to bring Christ or any christian thoght into my heart there is no roome in the Inne all the corners of my heart are taken vp with other thoughts they must seeke a resting place else-where and not with mee Or if they spring not from mine owne heart then are they thrust into my heart by Satan who did thrust the thought of treason against his master into the heart of Iudas then surely the diuell hath alreadie possession of my heart and either hee sendeth these thoughts as new inhabitants to dwell there and to keepe possession of my heart to his vse as the king of Ashur sent new inhabitants into Samari◅ to keepe the Citie and Countrie to his vse or else he sendeth them as so many hagges and furies what should I call them so may executioners with firebrandes to torment me and being so fully in his power it is too late to thinke of deliuerance Now the Lord of hosts help thee poore afflicted soule and case thee of this burden that presseth downe so heauily And for thy comfort vnderstand that if these thoughts arise out of thine owne heart as they are in thy heart and grow in the field in which they spring they are yet but as the first graffe of sinne and haue neither blade nor eare nor fruit to poison and kill withall if wee take not liking of them nor suffer our iudgement to be corrupted by them taking them for rules of truth and intertaining them as imbraced opinions nor suffer our will to be seduced by them interpreting them as rules and directions to leade vs into action Iames the Apostle hath an excellent saying to this purpose Euery man is tempted when hee is drawne away by his owne concupisence and is intised then when lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death By concupisence he vnderstandeth the first flattering thoughts the first euill motions that stir in our hearts that make the first proposition to our iudgement and will to trie whether they will take holde or no and howsoeuer the feeblest euill thought be sinfull in Gods sight who loueth trueth in our inward affections and it is an euidence of that sinfull nature that wee bring into the world with vs deserued vnto vs from our first parents through all the interceding generations and howsoeuer the same euill thought being sinfull deserueth in the iustice of God eternall death yet the Apostle Iames looking vnto rules of mercy and speaking according to those rules telleth vs that it is not dangerous vnto vs neither bringeth forth sinne vnto death except a man be inticed and drawne away by it For when the iudgement yeeldeth and is corrupted by it approuing as good that that is euill and approuing as true that that is false and when the will yeeldeth and is seduced by it intertaining the
by Esay When you shall stretch out your hands I will hide mine eies from you and though ye make many praiers I will not heare for your hands are full of bloud By bloud he meaneth soule and bloudie sinnes my hands are full of this bloud for my sins are many therefore if I should lift vp my hart with my hands vnto god in the heauens he will neither behold the stretching out of my hands nor heare the desires and grones of my heart Also I find this saying of the Prophet set down as a rule that shall stand Your iniquities haue seperated betweene you and your God and your sinnes haue hid his face from you that he will not heare Iniquitie seperateth between God and vs I am full of iniquitie therefore there is a wall of seperation shutting him out from mee and mee from him And sinne causeth him so to turne away his face that hee will not heare but I am guiltie of innumerable sinnes therefore God hath hid his face from me and â—…ee will not heare How then can I pray seeing I haue no God that will lend any eare to my praier Secondly I haue no mediator in whose name to pray and for whose sake I may hope to be heard when I pray For men and Angels whom some do make their mediators are no mediators the Apostle saith There is one God and one mediator betweene God and man which is the man Christ Iesus This saying excludeth all other mediators And the only mediator the man Iesus is no mediator for me for I haue denied him and he hath said Whosoeuer shall denie me before men him will I also denie before my father which is in heauen And I am sure that I haue denied him before men if not in words because these daies of peace haue giuen me no cause so to doe which I know I should haue done if daâ—…es of persecution had vrged me yet I haue denied him by my deedes The Apostle hath this saying of the men of his time which is most true in mee They professe they know God but by workes they denie him Hee may bee denied by vngodly workes but I am ful of vngodly workes therefore haue I denied him before men And hauing thus denied him hee must and will denie me before God So haue I no mediator Thirdly if I should offer to pray I must pray without any promise but so to doe were to pray idly for then only doe men pray according to the will of God and with comfort to be heard in their praiers when they ground their praiers vpon the promises of God But I neuer tooke heede to the promises of God and at this time I cannot call them to remembrance and if I could call them to remembrance I were neuer the better for God is not bound to performe his promises to any but to them alone that out of their loue to him striue to keepe his commandements For Moses thus speaketh of him Thou maiest know that the Lord thy God he is God the faithfull God which keepeth couenant and mercy vnto them that loue him and keepâ—… his commandements euen to a thousand generations If any loue not the Lord out of his loue to keepe the commandements of the Lord hee can make no claime to the couenant of God or to any promise of his neither is God bound in his truth and faithfulnesse to performe any promise to him but such a one am I that haue not loued the Lord nor out of loue studied to keepe the commandements of God but haue broken them all therefore I haue no promise to ground my praiers vpon and for that cause I cannot pray Fourthly I know not how to pray how to begin and how to make any proceeding and if at any time I incline my heart to pray I am disturbed I know not how and other thoughts draw away my minde While I thinke to aske forgiuenesse of sinnes my minde runneth out into a wilde remembrance of my sinnes with much pleasure to thinke vpon them While I thinke to pray for grace to assist mee against the power of sinne the lusts of my heart call backe my thoughts and I am deuising how I may compasse it to commit sinne and my will wholy inclineth that way While I thinke to pray for the inheritance of heauen my loue to this world carieth away my minde and I am studying how I may winne the pleasures and preferments thereof And euer my good desires that should lead my minde are crossed and put downe by my bad desires and I cannot raise vp or if I raise it I cannot hold vp my heart to God and holy things with any staiednes I know what is requisite vnto praier by the Apoâ—…les words Pray alwaies with all maner supplication in the spirit and watch there unto with all perseuerancâ—… If I pray it is with my lips I doe not make supplication in the spirit and to watch vnto praier that is diligently to attend with all the powers of my soule without either drowsinesse fainting or wandering of my thoughts is most farte from me And being so vnskilfull and so vnable to pray how can I pray to preuaile by my praiers And lastly which is my greatest mischiefe when I thinke to pray or when I doe pray or when I haue praied there is something within mee that giueth mee my answer assoone as I haue praied and sometime before I haue praied and I am farre from attending vpon God till hee doe giue mee answer as if I did not pray vnto God but rather vnto my self The Prophet Dauid saith Wait patiently vpon God and hope in him the meaning whereof I take to be this when we haue shewed our desire vnto God in praier and supplication that then we should hope in him to receiue a gracious answer and wait patiently for that answer till it please God to shew vs mercy in his appointed time I doe not so I haue neither hope nor patience to wait vpon his hand but mine owne heart maketh answer without God And that answer is alwaies a negatiue answer a flat deniall a plaine repulse So that I haue lesse hope and lesse comfort in and after my praier then before I praied and where others finde themselues much eased in heart after they haue by praier powred out their desires into the lap of God I am much more troubled esteeming euen my praier to be turned into sinne all these things together make me most vnable to pray This is a grieuous obiection but in framing this obiection the troubled sinner fareth like a blinde man in an vnknowen house who wandering without â—…guide goeth hee knoweth not whether and stumbleth often vpon the same threshold so doth he in seuerall branches of this obiection stumble at the same offences that haue beene answered and taken away before But let vs lend â—…and to bring him into the way First he aâ—…th he cannot pray because
rich Widdow how to pray vnto God among other words hee hâ—…th this saying 〈◊〉 hoc negocium plus gemitibus 〈◊〉 sermonibus agitur plus fletiâ—…quam â—…fatu This businesse of praier for the most part is performed rather with gronings then with words with weeping then with speech Let God therfore heare thy sighes and grones let him see thy teares when thou canst not shew him thy desire in words water thy couch with teares as did the Prophet and God will gather vp and put euery drop into his bottell thus doing when thou thinkest that thou hast not praied thou hast praied most powerfully For as Saint Ierâ—…mi saith Oratio deum lenit lacrâ—…na cogit Praier gently moueth God teares forcibly compell him He is allured as it were and won with the words of praier to heare vs but with the teares of a contrite heart he is drawen and inforced to heare and helpe where otherwise hee would not And in this affliction growing vpon thy heart because thou knowest not how to pray heare a notable comfort that the Apostle giues thee saying The spirit helpeth our infirmities for wee know not how to pray as wee ought but the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes that cannot be expressed Where thinâ—… owne strength and wisdome faileth in this seruice of praying vnto God there the wisdome and power of Gods spirit kindletâ—… in thee strong desires and earnest longings after the mercy of God And the meaning of those desires and longings God perfectly vnderstandeth and needs not to bee informed by thy words So 〈◊〉 though thou canst not pray as thou â—…oghtest to doe yet that seruice goeth forward well while thou hartily desirest Gods fauour Of which desire in thee â—…ere needeth no other argument but â—…en the griefe of thine owne heart seeing in thy sin cause of Gods displeasâ—…re and that other thoughts come into thine heart when thou bendest thy selfe to pray maruaile not at it neither therefore be so farre discomforted that thou shouldest giue ouer praying but 〈◊〉 the more to pray and to watch thereunto in the attendance of thy thoughts and lift vp thine heart vnto God and keepe it with all thy care looking still to him These thoughts of thine heart partly arise from thine owne weaknesse and corruption that art more fit for any thing then to attend with setâ—…ed reuerence vpon God And partly they are mustered together and thrust â—…o vnseasonably into thine heart by the wicked enimy that would not haue thee pray because he knoweth that the mercy of God is most easily obtained by harty and constant praier therefore hee seekes to hinder thee in that businesse that thy mind being occupied about other cogitations thou might est let fâ—…ll to the ground the petitions that thou are offering vnto God but the more hee seeketh to trouble thee the more earnest be thou in praier remembring that saying of our blessed Sauiour giuen for a warning to his Discipâ—…es Wateâ—… and pray that yee enter not into temptation Lastly hee is offended and discouraged in his praying by an intruded answer that offereth it selfe presently after his praier and sometime before his praier be either ended or begun not suffering him to wait patiently vpon God and to hope in him and this intruded answer is alwaies vncomfortable It comes euer in the negatiue and â—…pulsiue forme whatsoeuer hee hath praied for or intendes to pray for it tels him he shall not haue he cannot haue hee iâ—… not worthy to haue hee must not looke to haue the iustice of God will neuer grant it vnto him Which answer is nothing else but if I may so speake the smoke of those fiery dartes of Sathan wherby he hath set the poore mans conscience in combustion bringing his sins â—…o remembrance setting before him the â—…ath of God kindled by those sinnes 〈◊〉 from hence extracting and drawing this heauy conclusion looke for no â—…rcy where thou hast deserued so â—…ch wrath It is no other then a very 〈◊〉 of his disease the fruit of his owne 〈◊〉 ouer hastily answering himselfe â—…ot â—…arying to receiue answer of God tâ—…s he must take especial heed off that for as much as hee maketh praier to God and not to himselfe he waite for his answer from God and receiue none from himselfe and if his heart will be foolish to suffer any such vncomfortable answer vnto him that hee reiect it and wait on the hand of heauen About this point the sonnes of men erâ—…e very dangerously and faile in extremities and few or â—…one can keepe the right meane to expect and receiue their answer from God While men liue carelesly in sinne and prouoke God euery day if they chance to offer any petition to heauen or by aâ—…y meanes be occasioned to thinke vpon answer of their hopes from heauen they euer boldly answer themselues with promise of all prosperity though in iustice it cannot be like vnto the man whom God complaineth of saying that Hearing the words of the curse blesseth himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace though I walk according to the stubbornnesse of mine owne heart God giues no such answer to such men It followeth in the same place The Lord will not be mercifull vnto him Blessings belong to them that feare God not to them that conteâ—…ne him He that inqul reth for Gods will reuealed in his word shall finde another answer belonging to the petitions and hopes of such men The threatnings of Gods iudgemeÌ„ts are all denounced against them as in the fore-remembred place of Deuteronomy The wrath of the Lord and his lealousie shall smoke against that man and euery curse that is written in this booke shall light vpon him and the Lord shall put out his name from vnder heauen On the other side when men are humbled in the sight of their sins and haue great remorse in their hearts if they powre out any sighes and grones vnto God in their praier and by any meanes be occasioned to thinke vpon answer of their desires from heauen they euer fearefully answer themselues like those men spoken of by the Prophet Ezechil that say If our transgressions and our sins bee vpon 〈◊〉 and we are consumed because of them 〈◊〉 shall we then liue That is our sins deseruing death and those being now â—…id to our charge and the hand of God being heauy vpon vs for them there is no hope of life God giues no such answer to contrite hearts and to humbled spirits he doth not so reiect the deiected man He that inquireth for Gods will reuealed in his word shall finde another answer of comfort and health appointed for them the promises of mercy runne all vpon their side The Prophet Moses speaketh these words vnto the people When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come vpon thee at the length if thou returne to 〈◊〉 Lord thy God and bee obedient to his voice for the Lord thy
pleased either to shew mercie or to execute iudgement so shall euery man stand or fall escape or perish not as either he himselfe or any other shall iudge and pronounce of him Therefore this point of particular reprobation being exempted from mans iudgement for God sheweth mercie and giueth faith and repentance at his pleasure euen while the thiefe hangeth on the tree â—…ust exception lieth against this vnkind obiection Secondly if the matter were such as man might iudge and pronounce of yet I may without offence if I see reason for it deny to credit thy words because as all men are so art thou when thou art in best tune apt to be deceiued and prone to receiue imbrace and deliuer a liâ—… Dauid hath these words in one of the Psalmes I said in my feare all men are liers And what the Prophet spake in feare that the Apostle Saint Paul without feare and in a freer mind hath confirmed saying Let God be true and euerie man a liar as it is written And I am not bound to keepe silence to euerie word that comes from the mouth of a liar when I haue reason to think otherwise then he speaketh as I haue at this time to think otherwise then thou speakest Thirdly and lastly I haue at this time iust cause of exception against thy words because thy present disease thy disquietnes of mind thy feare that thou art in trouble both thy vnderstanding and speech that thou canst neither apprehend things as they are nor pronounce them as thou vnderstandest them And thou laborest vnder a temptation directly bent against thy faith perswading thee those things that are preiudiciall to thy soule And out of some violent fit of that temptation thou makest this vnkind obiection against thy selfe Thus in regard of thee that art the immediat speaker in mine eares I haue iust libertie to reply against this obiection But howsoeuer thou art in mine â—…are the immediate speaker yet in my vnderstanding the words of this obiection haue another a more remote and a more dangerous author The Spirit of GOD which is the Spirite of trueth and leadeth into all trueth is called in the Scripture a Comforter When the Comforter shall come whom I will send vnto you from the Father euen the spirit of truth which proceedeth of the Father he shall testifie of 〈◊〉 This spake the Lord Iesus calling 〈◊〉 Holy-ghost which is the spirit of trueth a comforter But the wordes of this obiection sound not like the words of a Comforter therefore I cannot iudge them to be the words of that spirit that is the spirit of trueth But there is another spirit that as the Lord Iesus saith abode not in the trueth because there is no truth in him when hee speaketh a lie then speaketh he of his owne for he is a liar and the father thereof To that spirit is the name of Satan giuen which signifieth an aduersarie because hee seeketh our hurt and in all things dealeth with vs as a sworne aduersarie of whom vnder the name of an aduersarie Saint Peter warnes vs to take heede saying Your aduersarie the diuell as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may denoure whom resist stedfast in the faith And the words of this obiection were neuer put into thy mouth by any friend And they plaiâ—…ly shew an aduersarie euen that aduersary to be their author and suggester who being himselfe eternally forsaken of God vtterly lost without hope of redemption and a reprobate Angell bound in euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse vnto the iudgement of the last day would make thee beleeue that thou also art forsaken lost and reprobate in like manner as himselfe Now such an one a lier and an aduersarie being the prompter of these fearefull things vnto thine heart thou oughtest not to giue any the least credite vnto them much lesse to maintaine them against thy selfe He being a lying spirit pietie doth teach thee not to beleeue him and being an aduersarie wisedome if thou haueany persuades to distrust him And both froÌ„ thee the speaker and from him the author of this vngodly obiection I haue much confidence and am much imboldened to make replie And against thy vncharitable affirmation saying I am forsaken I am lost I am a reprobate I will oppose a more charitable negation and say thou art not forsaken thou art not lost thou art not a reprobate And I will see how I can maintaine my saying and ouerthrow thiâ—…e that thou maiest not be ouerthrowne First thou saiest thou art forsaken If by this speech thou meanest that now for the present God hauing laied trouble vpon thee withdraweth his assisting power and hand from thee and leaueth thee vnder the crosse to cry and grone and to take notice of thy infirmitie in this sense I grant thou maiest bee forsaken But this is a temporary forsaking it is not a finall forsaking And to them that aâ—…e so forsaken God after in his time returneth with saluation there is hope for them Hereof let this be an argument vnto thee that the best seruants of God are in this manner forsaken oft times and feele themselues so to be and complaine heauily for it and yet after obtaine helpe So was it with Dauid when he said My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee and art so far from my health and from the words of my roaring If wee should say that these words were words of feare rather then of truth it might be with shew of reason maintained for God was not so far departed from hâ—…m as he feared but grant that they were words of truth and that God was indeed departed from Dauid and had forsaken him did not God returne againe vnto him and had not hee euen then hope of Gods returne did not God receiue him again into his protection and helpe him and had not hee euen then hope of such helpe from God that he had such hope of Gods returne to his helpe hee declareth by his praier vnto God continued in the same Psalme where he saith Be not thou far of O Lord my strength hasten to helpe me Hee that could thus pray wanted not hope of Gods returne to his helpe though hee were for the present forsaken And that God did returne vnto him and helpe him according to that hope of his hee also declareth in that Psalme speaking of himselfe though he vseth the third person as if hee had spoken of others Hee hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the poore neither hath he hid his face from him but when he called vpon him he heard So that though he were forsaken it was but for a time when the Lord was pleased for the exercise of the Prophets faith to hide his face from him The Prophet by his praier quickly found him out where he was hidden and at the crie of that praier he heard and came forth to his succour I might heere adde the example
the ancient murderer hath beene thy counseller the giuer of life neuer perswaded there vnto the very fact bewraies from what head the aduice came euen from him that desireth the destruction of man Lay these things togither and I hope the thing that thou art resolued to doe wil appeare so foule and odious before thee that thy resolution will vanish and sâ—…de away This sinne of selfe-murdering is so abhominable that in the first age of the world when abhominations were so multiplied that the most patient God was iustly prouoked with a generall floud to destroy from the face of the earth euery thing in whose nosthrils was the breath of life and among other abhominations murder crept in and that betimes in a greeuous manner the brother murdering the brother yet this sinne could find no entertainement The Diuell was not then so impudent to tempt thereunto and men were not so wicked to yeeld therevnto In the next long age of the world from the floud vnto Christs comming in the flesh for more then three and twenty hundred yeares all sinne increasing this sinne also crept in but in all the sacred historie among the people that had knowledge of the liuing God there were not found aboue foure or fiue that yeelded to this cruell sinne monsters they were among men monsters among sinners their raâ—…enes shews them so to bee And after the daies of Christ for seauenty yeares the Sacred history reaching no further there was found but one Iudas the traitour the thiefe the diuell that betraied his Maister the Sonne of God into the handes of his enemies a monster whom the world hath not equalled nor can equall with a match so that in more then foure thousand yeares among the people that knew God though there were many idolaters many blasphemers many giuen to witchcraft and other diuellish hearts many traitors many murderers many whoore masters many oppressors thieues false witnesses and sinners of all kinds yet there were not aboue six selfe murderers And with these monsters wilâ—… thou ioyne considering also that in this sinne there is no mixture of loue in all other sinnes there is some mixture of loue if not to any other yet vnto him selfe but he that committeth this sinne shewes no loue neither to God to his neighbour nor to himselfe His sinne is totally hate himselfe totally hatefull and whereas the vertues of Christianitie pertaining chiefly to the daies of affliction when God maketh his elect like vnto the Image of his Sonne that suffeâ—…ing with him in this world they may after reigne with him in heauen whereas the vertues of christianitie pertaining to this time are patience to suffer the will of God and faith to trust to Gods mercie this sinne is the banishment of all patience it is nothing else then fury in the highest degree and it is the ouerthrow of all faith hastening and pulling on destruction where it should pray and wait for deliuerance it is a violent opposition against the worke of God it is a violent intrusion and inuasion vppon the right of God For life is the gift of God he made vs liuing creatures aâ—…d this sinne violently ouerthrowes the worke of God And God being the Lord of life and hauing all authoritie ouer life to giue it to continue it and to end it at his pleasure and for his seruice this sinner inuadeth vpon Gods right and without leaue from God without any aduice or authority from him yea directly against the commaundement of God forbidding murder hee presumeth to cut off his owne life And he that neuer could find in his heart to lay downe his life for God and for his glorie though God gaue him the life that hee hath and when that is lost in his seruice and for his sake hath promised to giue him life eternall yet in this mad and desperate resolution is ready to step into the place of the tyrant the persecuter the executioner and hangman and for the diuells pleasure not to lay downe but to take away euen his owne life and to make himselfe with his owne murtherous hands a sacrifice to Belzebub who did not giue vnto him the life that yet hee holdeth but was euer an enemie to the safetie of it and when that life is lost shall reward him with eternall death and hell torments for euer such is the act thou resoluest to doe the wofull effect of damned despaire throwing thee into intollerable and eternall torments And therefore with all care to be auoided And the most mightie Preseruer change thy mind and keepe thee from this ruine CHAP. XXVIII WHen our sinner signified his resolution to this act he signified withall the reasons by which he was induced to be so resolute Those reasons I will now examine and shew the weaknesse of them that the sinner seeing his deceiued iudgement may repent him of his wicked purpose in time and stay his hand from doing that mischiefe which once done can neuer be helped the reasons were fixe in number The first three seeming to prooue it a matter of iustice and the last three seeming to prooue it a matter of aduantage The first three pretending iustice were these First he hath sinned against God and deserued death and therefore must die this being a thing of necessity hee holdeth it as good to die now as to tarry longer and to die by his owne hand as to expect the stroke of another Secondly hee hath loaden and ouercharged the earth the place of his present life with the burden of his sinnes it groaneth vnder that burden and can no longer beare it it must be eased and he that hath laied this burthen vpon the shoulders of the earth is the most fitte to remooue the same he hath hands wherewithall to doe iâ—… and his heart serues him And with this second reason hee inuolueth and wrappeth another foolish conceit that seeing hee is vnworthy of mortall life vppon earth it were follie and madnesse in him yea it were shamelesse presumption to hope to obtaine immortall life in Heauen Thirdly hee saith his life hath beenâ—… loathsome to heauen and earth in heauen to God and his Angells in earth to the Church and all the true members thereof And so great an offence must needes be remooued that God and his Angells the Church and her children may receiue content These things prooue it iust that hee should die And that it should be a part of his inioyned penance to see the thing done himselfe Now because my speech is intended for the health of the sinner I will direct it to the sinner Thy first reason is thou hast sinned against God thou deseruest to die This reason is no reason to infer that which thou wouldest inferre That therefore thou must die and especially by thine owne hand For all men sinne against God all men deserue to die must all men therefore die especially must they die by their owne hands This I doubt not
seuerall sorts being counted Salomon saith Aiust man falleth seauen times a day riseth againe not so often falling still in the same kind but diuersly falling in seuerall kinds and obtaining helpe to rise againe from euery fall and these many falles may be reduced vnto two generall heads for either a man falleth into sinne or hee falleth into some misery and trouble that sinne maketh our life to be subiect vnto And vnder these two names of sinne and misery we will speake of these falles and consider how true this promise is that GOD will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer The first of these falles is our falling into sinne For the commandements of God being as so many paths beaten out before our faces for vs to walke in he that keepeth them is as one that walketh vprightly with God and hee that transgresseth and breaketh them is as one that stumbleth in his way and falleth downe flat to his great danger Therefore doe we call Adams sinne the fall of Adam Therefore doe we call the lighter errours of the Saints their slidings and their grosser errours we call their falles And this name of fall is giuen to the sinne that we commit by the Prophet Hosea saying O Israel returne vnto the Lord thy God for thoâ—… hast fallen by thine iniquity This is a dangerous kinde of fall whereof it behoueth vs to take great heede Heli the Priest fell from the seat whereon he sate brake his necke Ahaziah the sonne of Ahab King of Israel fell thorow the Lattisewindow in his vpper chamber and brused his body whereof he died Yet is not such a fall as either of them haue taken any thing neere so dangerous as to fall into sinne This fall of sinne made the Angels fall out of Heauen and out of the fauour of God irrecouerably And it made our first parents fall out of Paradise and from that blâ—…ssed estate of innocency and immortality wherin God created them And many of their posterity by salling into sinne doe fall from God and sinke downe into hell and there perish eternally It behoueth all men therefore to take heed of it as the Apostle aduiseth saying Let him that standeth take heede lest hee fall There is no man of so sure footing that can walke steedily in Gods commandements without sliding and falling for as Sant Iames saith In many things we sinne all And the more weake our footing is the more warily we had need looke vnto our waies that as much as is possible we may escape falles especially considering how dangerous it is in this kind to fall But â—…et such is the mercy of God that he will not suffer the righteous to fal for euer but in due time hee will raise vp them by repentance that are fallen by their sinnes To which end hee giueth vnto vs his word that teacheth vs the way wheâ—…ein we should goe and sendeth vnto vs his messengers with that word in their mouthes that they may be our guides to that end he prepareth our eares for the hearing and our hearts for the vnderstanding of that word that we may learne and profit thereby After this he humbleth our will and bringeth into order all our affections that our knowledge may not be idle for want of willing obedience And because neither knowledge nor willingnesse are able by reason of our weaknesse to effect any thing without him he also strengthneth vs and worketh in vs what hee would haue wrought by vs. As the Apostle speaketh It is God which worketh in you both the will and the deede out of his good pleasure Thus he proceedeth in his good worke to raise vp by true repentance them that were fallen by their sinnes And to assure vs there of that we may with comfort hope for the helpe of his grace when our weaknes hath made vs fall into sinne Hee hath giuen vs many gracious promises For thus hee saith in the Psalme I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt goe and I will guide thee with mine eie Thus hee promiseth in the Prophecy of Ieremy I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts And thus hee speaketh by the Prophet Ezekiel Then will I powre cleane water vpon you and you shall be cleane yea from all your filthinesse and from all your idols will I clense you a new heart also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your body and I will giue you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and yee shal keepe my iudgements and doe them These and many such gracious promises hath God giuen vnto vs to assure vs that when the righteous fall into sinne hee will raise them vp againe by repentance Hence haue issued the calling of the Gentiles and the conuersion of all vnbeleeuers that for many succeeding ages liued in ignorance and sinne and yet in the end obtayned mercy to returne to God by repentance Hence hath issued the regeneration and new birth of the Saints that being originally shut vp in vnbeleefe and naturally dead in trespasses and sinnes haue beene quickned by Gods grace and begotten againe by the word of truth to be the first fruits of his creatures and by his mercifull worke haue been brought out of darknesse vnto his glorious light to liue thenceforth not as children of darknesse and of the night but as children of the light and of the day Hence hath this issued euen that God will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer and from their daily slidings hee doth raise them that when they haue sinned as Adams children they may repent and amend as the children of God The Prophet saith in the Psalme The secret of the Lord is reuealed to them that feare him and his couenant to giue them vnderstanding Let the righteous therefore that either finde their owne ignorance in mischoosing their way or feele their owne weakenesse in walking in their way let them pray vnto God for grace that he will not suffer them to erre and fall for euer and let them say vnto God with the Prophet Teach mee thy way O God and leade me in a right path This is the first kinde of fall to fall into sinne and it is the worst because it draweth with it the second kinde of fall which is to fall into misery CHAP. XXXV THE second kinde of fall in which God will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer is an effect of the former produced by the iust iudgment of God namely a falling into misery This kinde of fall mankinde had neuer beene acquainted withall if they had not taken the first fall for if man had neuer sinned against God God would neuer haue suffered man to haue felt any misery This kind of
fall into misery is of infinite variety no man can number the seuerall miseries and troubles that sinne hath made our life subiect vnto yet they may be reduced to two generall heads for either they are iudgements vpon the inward man inward miseries and afflictions vpon the soule or else they are outward iudgements vpon the outward man in outward things that touch not the peace of the soule The inward iudgements and miseries which follow the fall into sin and wherinto for sinne man falleth are either the blinding of our vnderstanding and the hardening of our heart often inflicted as punishments of foregoing sinnes and such was the iudgâ—…ment of God vpon Pharao whose heart God hardened and such a iudgement and misery the Apostle Paul telleth vs the Gentiles fell into as a punishment of precedent sins when he saith Wherefore also God gaue them vp to their hearts lusts vnto vncleannesse to deâ—…ile their owne bodies betweene themselues And in many more words he recordeth that iudgement or they are those feares and terrours of heart that cast vs downe from hope that empty our soules of comfort fill them with feares and make vs as it were to stagger shrinke and fall in our faith of this kind is that iudgement that God threaâ—…neth by Moses in these words the Lord shall simite thee with madnesse and with blindnesse and astonishment of heart when a man is amased and confounded with his feares that hee knoweth not which way to turne him for comfort and helpe and deepe fallen into this miserie were they whom Esay speaketh of saying The sinnes in Sion are afraid a feare is come vpon the hipocrites who among vs shall dwell with the deuouring fire who among vs shall dwell with the euerlasting burnings They conceiued no otherwise of God then of a consuming fire and therefore feare possessed altogither their hearts hope vanished faith had no abiding there And all these inward miseries falling immediately vpon the soule and the facultie thereof tend chiefely to this to ouerthrow our faith by decay of it to ouerthrow vs for faith is the firme standing of our soule grounded vpon the assurance of Gods mercy Therefore doeth the Apostle vse this phrase Watch you stand fast in the faith quit you like men and be strong Because he that hath the stronger faith standeth the more strong and steadfast and hee that hath the weaker faith standeth more weakely and loose and thoug the faith of the Saints of God once giuen vnto them neuer totally decaieth for as the Lord Iesus saith hee praied for the continuance and confirmation of Peters faith to whom he said I haue praied for thee that thy faith faile not So he praied for all his chosen ones that beleeue in him when he said to his father I pray not for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue in mee thorough their word Yet the faith of the Saintes suffereth sometimes an eclipse or deceasing at some other times an increasing whereby as in the increasing of their faith they stand fast and are full of comfort so in the deceasing of their faith their footing becommeth slipperie and they take many sore falles feele their hearts oppressed with feare as it was with Dauid when he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee and art so far from my health and from the words of my roaring And when he complained at another time saying Mine heart trembleth within mee and the terrors of death are fallen vpon mee feare and trembling are come upon mee and an horrible feare hath couered mee In this manner their faith at that time being in the wane the righteous oppressed with a weight of anguish and feare doe often fall through the shrinking of their faith and feele themselues sore bruised in their soules But yet such is the mercy of God that he doeth not suffer the righteous being fallen into these inward iudgements and miseries to fall for euer And if it be a blinded vnderstanding or a hardned heart that they are fallen into he raiseth them vp out from a blinded vnderstanding by sending the knowledge of the 〈◊〉 As the Lord Iesus sent Paul among the ignorant Gentiles with this commission I send thee to open their 〈◊〉 that they may turne from darkenes to light c. And he raiseth them vp from hardnes of heart by mollifying their hearts as hee promiseth by Ezekiel saying I will take away the stonâ—…e heart out of your body and I will giue you an heart of flesh And if they be fallen into any feare and terror of conscience he raiseth them vp by repairing their faith and by reuiuing their comfort To that end he bringeth to their remembrance the large promises of his grace the boundles measure of his mercy the riches of his free vnchangeable loue and then doeth hee make them remember that they haue a mediator that died for their sinnes and rose againe for their iustification and ascended into heauen to prepare a place for them and sitteth on the right hand of his father in highest fauour and greatest authoritie to make intercession for them continually vrging the vertue of his death and bloudshedding that hath taken away the sinne of the world who is the prince of peace that hath made their peace and is that beloued sonne in whom the father is well pleased making vs accepted in that his beloued To the same end doeth he spread the beames of his louing countenance and cause the light thereof to shine within their consciences sending downe the spirit of adoption into their hearts to beare witnes with their spirits that they are the sonnes of God so raking together the sparkes of their almost smothered faith from among the cold ashes of anguish and feare where it lay deepe couered giuing heate and life vnto it with the warming fire of his comfort so that they begin to lift vp their heads and to reioice their hearts and to shake of their their sorrow and feare and to glorie in God saying with the blessed virgin My soule magnifieth the Lord and my spirit reioiceth in God my Sauiour And with the Prophet Dauid Thou hast tnrned my mourning into ioy thou hast loosed my sacke and girded mee with gladnes And that God doeth thus not suffring the righteous to fall and languish in these inward miseries for euer besides the experience of Gods elect daily renewed with light and grace and daily refreshed with comfort and peace the scriptures also doe testifie it to be the gracious manner of Gods dealing with his chosen The Prophet saith of him Hee healeth those that are broken in heart and bindeth vp their soares These words can be referred to no other worke of God for the more sure and full performance whereof God sent his sonne into the world who came to call sinners vnto repentance and to seeke and saue them that