from the marriage-bed and the like Thirdly Abstaine from all worldly labour as upon a Sabbath day for worldly busines the cares thereof doe as well as worldly delights distract the thoughts and hinder humble devotion and a ceasing there-from giveth a full opportunitie to holy imployments the whole day Therfore the Iewes were commanded to sanctifie a fast And that yearely Fast called the day of Atonement was upon perill of their lives to be kept by a forbearance of all manner of worke Now albeit the Ceremonials of that day are abolished in Christ yet forbearing worke as well as meate and drinke being of the substance of a Fast doth remaine to bee observed in all such as may properly be called Religious Fasts Thus much for the outward fast you must be as strict in observing the inward Begin the day with prayer according as I directed you to doe every day but with more than ordinary preparation with fervency and faith praying for Gods special grace to enable you to sanctifie a fast that day according to the Commandement Then apply your selfe to the maine worke of the day which hath these parts 1 unfained Humiliation 2 Reformation together with Reconciliation and 3 earnest Invocation The soule is then humbled the heart rent and truly afflicted when a man is become vile in his owne eyes through conscience of his owne unworthinesse and when his heart is full of compunction and anguish through feare of Gods displeasure with godly sorrow and holy shame in himselfe and anger against himselfe for sinne These affections stirred doe much afflict the heart To attaine this deepe humiliation know that it is to be wrought partly by awakening your Conscience through a sight of the Law and apprehension of Gods just judgements due to you for the breach of it which wil break your heart and partly by the Gospell raising up your heart to an apprehension and admiration of the love of God to you in Christ which will melt your heart and cause you the more kindely to grieve and to loath your selfe for sin and withall to conceive hope of mercy whence wil follow reconciliation reformation and holy calling upon God by prayer To worke this Humiliation there must be First Examination to find out your sinne Secondly a Accusation of your selfe with due aggravation of your sinne Thirdly Iudging and passing sentence against your selfe for sinne Sinne is the transgression of the Law and revealed will of God Wherefore for the better search and finding out of your sinne you must set before youthe glasse of the Law for your Light and Rule And if you have not learned or cannot beare in minde the heads of the manifold duties commanded or vices forbidden then get some Catalogue or Table wherein the same are set downe to your hand which you may reade with pausing and due consideration staying your thoughts most upon those particular sinnes whereof you finde your selfe most guiltie If of those many that are you doe not meete with one more fit for this purpose or which you shall like better then use this Examinatorie Table in manner as Followeth But expect not herein an enumeration of all particular sinnes which is beyond my skill nor yet of all the heads of duties or kindes of sinnes which would require a volumne but of those which are principall and most common yet hereby if your Conscience be awake it will be occasioned to bring to your thoughts those other not mentioned in the Table if you bee thereof guiltie The first Table of the Law concerneth duties of love and pietie to God the performance whereof tendeth immediately to the glory of God and mediately to the salvation and good of man The first Commandement concerneth the setting up of the onely true God to your selfe to bee your God Examining your selfe by this and so in the other Commandements thinke thus with your selfe Doe I know and acknowledge the onely true GOD to be such a one as hee hath revealed himselfe in his Word works namely One onely Infinite Immateriall Immutable Incomprehensible Spirit and Everlasting Lord God having beeing and All-sufficiencie in and from himselfe One who is simply full of all perfections and uncapable of the least defect being Wisedome Goodnesse Omnipotencie Love Truth Mercy Iustice Holinesse and whatsoever is originally and of it selfe Excellent The only Potentate King of Kings Lord of Lords of whom through whom and to whom are all things The Father Sonne and holy Ghost God blessed for ever Amen Doe I Beleeve his Word in all things related commanded promised and threatned therein and that his holy and wise Providence is in all things Have I Him and his Word in continuall remembrance Doe I esteeme and exalt God in my heart above all so that it doth humbly adore him at the very mention and thought of him making my selfe to be nothing in mine owne eyes yea esteeming all creatures to bee nothing in comparison of him Have I given religious worship to him onely Have I beleeved in him and in him onely Have I sworne by him as there hath beene cause and by him alone Have I prayed onely unto him and have I sought to him and to obtaine helpe of him only by such meanes as he hath appointed giving the glory and thanks of my being and well-being and of al other things which are good unto him Is my Conscience so convinced of the truth Authority of God that it holdeth it selfe absolutely bound to obey him in all things that it doth incite to that which is good restrain from that which is evill encourage me in well-doing and check me when I doe ill Is my will resolved upon absolute and unfained obedience to doe whatsoever God commandeth to forbeare whatsoeuer hee forbiddeth to subscribe to whatsoever he doth as well done and have I borne patiently all which either by himselfe or by any of his creatures hee hath inflicted upon me Have mine affections beene so for God that I have loved him with al my heart loving nothing more than him nothing equally to him Doe I hate every thing that is contrary to him Hath my Confidence beene onely in him and my expectation of good from him Have my desires beene to him and for him longing above all things to have communion with him Hath it beene my greatest feare to offend him or to be severed from him Hath it beene my greatest griefe and shame that I have sinned against him Have I reioyced in God as in my chiefe Good Hath mine anger risen against whatsoever I saw crosse to his glory Have I beene zealous for God And have I made him the utmost end of all mine actions Hath my whole outward man as tongue senses and all other active powers of my body been readie to professe the true God and to yeeld obedience to his will Or contrariwise Am I not guilty of denying of God in word in workes or at least in heart
but chiefly considering that by this his passion he hath made full satisfaction for you and withall seeing God and Christ himself by the hand of his Minister truely giving Christs â—…ery body and bloud sacramentally to signifie and seale it unto you it should raise your heart â—o an holy admiration of the love of God and of Christ and it â—hould stirre you up in the very â—ct of taking the bread and wine 〈…〉 a reverend and thankefull reâ—â—iving of this his body and bloud 〈…〉 faith discerning the Lords boâ—…e gathering assurance hereby â—…at now all enmitie betweene â—…od and you is done away and â—…at you by this as by spirituall â—…od and life shall grow up in â—…m with the rest of his mystiâ—…ll body unto everlasting life After that you have received untill you bee to joyue in pubâ—…ke prayse and prayers affect â—…ur heart with ioy and thankefulness in the assurance of the pardon of all your sinnes and of salvation by Christ yea more than if you being a bankrupt should receive an acquittance sealed of the Release of all your debts and with it a Wil and Testament wherein you should have a Legacie of no lâ—sse than a Kingdome sâ—aled with such a seale as doth give cleare proofe of the fidelitie ability and death of the Testator or then it having been a traitour you should receive a free and sulâ— pardon from the King seaâ—ed with his own seale together with an Assurance that â—â—â—aâ—h adopted you to bee his câ—ild to be married to his sonne the hâ—ire of the Crowne This is your case when by faith you receive the bread wine the body and bloud of the Lord. Thinkâ— thus therefore with joy and rejoycing in God oh how happiâ—… am I in Christ my Saviour Gâ—… who hath given him to death foâ—… me and also given him to me how shal he not with him give me all things also even whatsoever may pertaine to life godlinesse and glory Who shall lay any thing to my charge c Who or what can separate me from the love of CHRIST c Resolve withall upon a constant and an unfained endevour to performe all duties becomming one thus acquitted thus redeemed pardoned and advanced and this in token of thankfulnesse even to keepe covenants required to be performed on your part undoubtedly expecting whatsoever God hath covenanted and sealed on his part Ioyne in publike prayse and prayer heartily and in a liberall contribution to the poore if there be a Collection After the Sacrament If you feele your faith strengthned and your soule comforted nourish it with all thankfulnesse If not yet if your Conscience can witnesse that you endevoâ—ed to prepare as you ought and to receive as you ought be not discouraged but wait for strength and comfort in due time Wee doe not alwaies feele the benefit of bodily food presently but stirring of humors and sense of disease is sometimes rather occasioned yet in the end being well digested it strengthnetâ—â— so â—â— is oft with spirituaâ—l food corruption may stirre and temptations may arise more upon the receiving then before especially sith Satan if it be but to vexe a tender-hearted Christian will â—ereupon take occasioÌ„ to tempt with more violence But if you resist these and stand resolved to obey and to rely upon Gods mercy in Christ this is rather a signe of receiving worthily so long as your desires and resolutions are strengthned and you thereby are made more carefully to stand upon your Watch. Endeavour in this case to digest this spirituall food by further meditation improving that strength you have praying for more strength remembring the Commandement which biddeth you to be strong and you shall be strengthned Lastly If you finde your selfe worse indeed or doe feele Gods heavy hand in speciall sort upon you following upon your receiving and your Conscience can witnesse truly that you came not prepared or that you did wittingly and carelesly faile in such or such a particular in receiving it is evident you did receive unworthily In which case you must heartily bewaile your sin confesse it to God aske and beleeve that he will pardon it and take heed that you offend not in that kinde another time Vpon the Lords day you must likewise bee readie to visit and relieve the distressed Take some time also this day to looke into your by past life and chiefly to your walking with God the last weeke asbeing in freshest memory and bee sure to set all straight betweene God and you Last of all on every opportunitie take good time to consider Gods workes what they are in themselves what they are against the wicked what they are to the Church and to your selfe and to yours And in parricular take occasion from the Day it selfe to thinke fruitfully of the Creation of your Redemption Sanctification and of your eternall Rest and glory to come For God in his holy wisedome hath sâ—t such a divine print upon this our Lords day that at once it doth minde us of the greatest workes of God which either make for his glory or his Churches good As of the Creation of the World in six dayes hee resting the seventh which specially isattributed to the Father And of mans redemption by Christ of whose resurrection this Day is a remembrance which is specially attributed to the Sonne Also of our sanctification by the Spirit for that the observation of the Sabbath is a signe and meanes of holinesse which worke is specially attributed to the holy Ghost Lastly of your and the Churches glorification which shall be the joynt work of the blessed Trinity when we shal ceasefrom al our works and shall rest and bee glorious with the same glory which our Head Christ hath with the Father to whom be glorie for ever and ever Amen Doe all these with delight raising up your selfe hereby to a greater measure of holinesse and heavenly mâ—naeâ—nesse Doe all this the rather because there is not a clearer signe to distinguish you from one that is prophane than this of conscionable keeping holy the Lords Day Neither is there any ordinarie means of gaining strength and growth of grace in the inward man like this of due observing the Sabbath For this is Gods great Mart or Faire day for the soule on which you may buy of Christ wine milke bread marrow and fatnesse gold white raiment eye-soelve even all things which are necessary and which will satisfie and cause the soule to live It is the speciall day of Gods hearing of suites and receiving petitions It is his speciall day of proclaiming and sealing of Pardons to penitent sinners It is Gods speciall day of publishing and sealing your Patent of eternall life It is a blessed day sanctified for all these blessed purposes Now lest this urging of the moralitie of the Sabbath and so strict an observation of the Lords day in spending the whole day in holy
Ministers cannot say yea and that such an instruction and such a promise in the Word did helpe him then you conclude that you are incurable But last of all let it be supposed that your case is worse than any bodies else Is there not a soveraigne Balme in Gods Word a Catholicon that will heale all spirituall diseases Gods Word is like himselfe to a beleever an Omnipotent Word Is any thing too hard for the LORD Neither is there any spiritual disease too hard for his Word When Christ healed the people with his Word did it not heale even such the like whereof were never knowne to be cured before They made no question whether he cured the like before Indeede Martha failed in this for she said of her brother Lazarus being dead LORD he stinketh for he hath beene dead foure dayes she conceived her brothers case to be desperate and that none in his case could be raised But Christ did blame her for want of faith and by his Word hee did as easily raise Lazarus from being dead so long as hee did cure Peters wiues mother sicke but of an ague It is not greatnesse of any mans distres whatsoever that can hinder from helpe and comfort but onely as then in curing mens bodies so now in curing and comforting mens soules nothing hinders the cure but the greatnesse of the unbeliefe of the party to be cured for all things are possible to him that beleeveth You will yet Reply indeed here lyeth the difficultie in the unbelife Well be it so If unbeliefe be your disease and trouble doe you thinke that God cannot cure you of unbeliefe as well as of any other sinne But know that if with him in the Gospell you feele your unbeliefe and complaine of it and confesse it unto GOD saying Lord I have cause to beleeve Lord I doe I would beleeve helpe thou my unbeliefe if withall you will waite untill GOD give you power to beleeve and to enjoy comfort in beleeving for faith maketh no haste this same is both to beleeve in truth and is a certaine meanes to increase in beleeving Wherefore let not Sathan nor yet a fearefull heart make you to judge your case to be desperate and remedilesse either in respect of Gods power or will though you yet be in distresse and doe feele in you much feare and unbeliefe Seeke to God and with patience waite the good time of deliverance and comfort and in due time you shall have helpe and comfort as well as any other There are yet some that feare God doth not love them because they have prayed oft and much but God rejected their prayers and hath not heard them There are many just causes why God may reject or at least not grant your prayers and yet may love your persons For first It may be you aske amisse either asking things unlawfull or asking things inconvenient for the present or in asking to have good things temporall or spirituall in that quantity degree which GOD doth not hold fit for you as yet or you aske good things to an ill end as to satisfie some lust as pride voluptuousnesse covetousnesse or some other or it may bee you might aske onely with a naturall desire or if with spirituall yet you did it but faintly without fervor or lastly though you failed in neither of the former yet you failed in this you were doubtfull you did not aske in faith you did not beleeve you should have the things so asked Whosoever doe thus faile in asking let them not thinke ever to receive any thing in favour from the LORD And it is a fruit of Gods love when he doth not answer prayers so made For it will cause you to seeke him and to pray to him in a better manner that you may be heard Secondly God doth many times in love and mercy heare his childrens praiers when they thinke he doth not God heareth prayers many wayes you must observe this else you will judge that he doth not heare your praiers when yet indeed he doth Sometimes yea alwaies when it is good for you he giveth the vâ—râ— thing which you pray for Someâ—â—â—â—s hee giveth not that thing which you aske but some thingâ—s good nay much better As when you aske corporall and temporall good things he denyeth to grant them but in stead therof doth give you things spirituall and eternall likewise when you aske grace in some special degree such as joy or comfort in God or the like it may please him not to let it appeare that hee giveth the same unto you but in stead thereof he doth enlarge your desires and he giveth humility and patience to wait his leisure which will doe you more good than that which you prayed for So likewise when you pray that GOD would rid and ease you of such or such a temptation God doth not alwayes rid and ease you of it but he in stead thereof giveth you strength to withstand it and keepeth you that you are not overcome by it thus Christ was heard in that which he feared so he said to the Apostle My grace is sufficient for thee Which is better than to have your particular request For now GODS power is seene in your weakenesse and God hath the glory of it and you hereby have experience of GODS power which experienceis of excellent use Likewise you may desire to have such or such a crosse removed yet God may suffer the crosse to remaine for a time but he giveth you stâ—ength and patience to beare it wisedome and grace to be lesse earthly and more heavenly minded by reason of it There was never any that with an holy and humble heart made lawfull requests according to the wil of Christ beleeving he should be heard but though he were a man of many failings in himselfe and did discover many weaknesses in his prayer was heard in that hee prayed either in what he did ask or in what he should rather have asked either in that very thing or in a better I would have you leave objecting and questioning whether God love you Consider this Hath hee not loved you that hath given his onely be gotten Sonne for you and to you who hath washed you with his bloud having given him to dye for your sinnes and to rise againe for your iustification and hath hereby translated you into the kingdome of his deare Sonne having also given unto you to beleeve in his Name hereby making you his children inheritours with the Saints in light What greater signe can there be of greater love of God towards you And what better evidence can you have of Gods love in justifying of you then the evidence of your faith whereby you are iustified SECTION 5. A removall of false feares rising from doubtings whether they have faith and are Iustified ALL men will grant that if they were sure that they
it were with a forced wil and constrained yeelding against the will but howsoever it may be with much opposition and conflict yet you must so beat downe the opposition that when you give consent you bring your will to doe it readily and freely with thankfull acknowledging your selves much bound to CHRIST all the dayes of your life for that he wil vouchsafe to make you such an offer When consent is rash faint and not free this will not hold for good any long time but when your consent is advised compleate and free out of true love to CHRIST as well as for your owne benefit the knot of marriage betwixt Christ and you is knit so fast that all the lusts of the flesh all the allurements of the world and all the powers of Hell shall not be able to breake it By this which hath beene said touching the nature of Faith many who thought they had faith may see that yet they have none For they onely beleeve in generall that there is a Christ and a Saviour who offereth grace and salvation to mankinde and hereupon they presume This generall faith is needfull but that is not enough it must be a perswasion of Gods offer of Christ to a man in particular that the will in particular may be induced to consent There must likewise be that particular consent of will and accepting of CHRIST upon such tearmes as he is offered They that receive Christ aright enter into the marriage covenant resolving to forsake all other and obey him and to take up his crosse and to indure all hardnesse with him and for him as shame disgrace povertie hatred and spite in the world and all manner of misusages this they consent to and resolve upon for the present and from this time forward for the whole time of their life which things many neither did nor intended to doe when they gave their names to Christ they onely received him as their Iesus one by whom they did looke to be saved and honored looking that he should endow them with a faire ioynture of heaven but they did not receive him as their Lord. In doing thus they erred in the essentials of marriage For they erred in the Person taking an Idoll Christ for the true Christ They erred in the forme of marriage they tooke him not for the present nor absolutely for better for worse as we speake in sicknesse and health in good report and ill report in persecution and in peace forsaking all other never to part no not at death Wherefore Christ doth not owne these foolish Virgins when they would enter the Bride-chamber but saith I know you not For because there was no true consent on their part they had no faith and their contract or marriage with Christ was only but in speech but was never Legall nor consummate By this which hath beene said others who have Faith indeed may know they have it namely if they so beleeve the Covenant of Grace established in Christ that with all their harts they accept of him and it so that they will stand to it on their parts as they are able and rest on it so farre as it concernes Christ to fulfill it For this is Faith Vnto this some fearefull soules will reply If we have not Faith except unto assent to the truth we doe also receive Christ offered with a deliberate entire and free consent to rest on him to be ruled by him and to take part with him in all conditions then we doubt that we have no Faith because wee have so hardly brought our selves to consent and finde our selves so weake in our consent and have beene so unfaithfull in keeping promise with Christ Truth fulnesse and firmenesse of consent of will to receive Christ may stand with many doubtings and with much weakenesse and sense of difficultie in bringing the heart to consent For so long as there is a law in your members warring against the law of your minde you can never doe as you would If you can bring your hearts to will to consent and obey in spite of all oppositions this argueth heartie and full consent and a true Faith Nay if you can bring the heart but to desire to receive Christ and to enter into Covenant with GOD made mutually betweene God and you in Christ and that it may stand according to the offer which he maketh unto you in his Word even this argueth a true and firme consent and maketh up the match betweene Christ and you Even as when Iacob related the particulars of an earthly Covenant into which he would have Laban enter with him Labans saying I would it might be according to thy word gave proofe of his consent and did ratifie the Covenant betwixt them If you can therefore when God tenders unto you the Covenant of Grace willing you to receive Christ in whom it is established to enter into this Covenant If I say you can with all your heart say to GOD I would it might be according to thy word The Covenant is mutually entred into and the match is made betwixt CHRIST and you And whereas it doth trouble you that you cannot be so faithfull to Christ as your Covenant doth binde you it is well you are troubled if you did not with all make it an argument that you have no Faith for in that it heartily grieveth you that you cannot beleeve nor performe all faithfulnesse to Christ it is an evident signe that you have faith You must not think that after you are truly married to Christ you shall be free from evil solicitations by your old lovers Nay sometimes a kinde of violence may be offered by spirituall wickednesses unto you so that you are forced to many evils indeede against your will as it may befall a faithfull wife to be forced by one stronger then she yet if you give not full consent unto them and give not your hart to follow them your husband CHRIST will not impute these rapes unto you Yet let none by this take liberty to oftend Christ in the least thing for though Christ love you more tenderly and more mercifully than any husband can love his wife yet know ye he doth not doâ—e on you he can see the smallest faults and sharply though kindly rebuke and correct you for them if you doe them presumptuously But he esteemeth none to breake spirituall wedlocke so as to dissolve marriage but those whose hearts are wholy departed from him and are set upon and given to something else If you thus looke into the nature of faith I speake to a soule troubled for sinne you may know and feele that you have it 3. You may know a lively faith likewise by most certaine consequents and effects I meane not comfort and joy which are sometimes felt and through your fault sometimes not but by such effects which are more constant and more certaine and may be no lesse felt than
joy and comfort if you would feele for them Amongst many I will reckon these First you may know you have Faith by your feeling and opposing of the contrary if you feele a fight and conflict betweene beleeving and doubting fearâ— and distrust and in that combat you take part with beleeving hope and confidence or at least desire heartily that these should prevaile and are grieved at heart when the other get the better If you feele this doe not say you haue no feeling Doe not say you have no faith This conflict and desire to have faith gaue proofe that the man in the Gospel who came to Christ to cure his child had faith I beleeve Lord saith hee Lord helpe my unbeliefe Doe not say as I have heard many this man could say I beleeve but we cannot say so I tell you if you can heartily say Lord helpe my unbeliefe I am sure any of you may say I beleeve For whence is this feeling of unbeliefe and desire to beleeve but from Faith Secondly You may know you have Faith I speake still to an afflicted soule which dareth not sinne wittingly for that you wil not part with that Faith which you have upon any termes I will aske you that have given hope to others that you doe beleeve that yet doubt you have not truth of faith hope in God only these questions and as your heart can answer them so you may judge Will you part with that faith and hope which you call none for any price Would you change present states with those that presume they have a strong Faith whose consciences do not trouble them but are at quiet though they live in all manner of wickednesse Or at best are meerely civilly honest Nay would you if it were possible forgoe all that faith and hope and other graces of the Spirit which you call none at all and returne to that former state wherein you were in the dayes of your vanity before you did indevor to leave sinne and to will to indevour to settle to Religion in earnest Would you lay any other foundation to build upon then what you have already layd Or is there any person or thing wheron you desire to rest for Salvation and direction besides Christ Iesus If you can answer no but can say with Peter To whom shall wee goe Christ onely hath the words of eternall life you know no other foundation â—o lay then what you have laid and have willed and desired to lay it right you resolve never to pull downe what you have built thogh it be but a little It is your griefe that you build no faster upon it By this answer you may see that your conscience before you are aware doth witnesse for you and will make you confesse that you have some true faith and hope in GOD or at least hope that you have For let men say what they will to the conttary they alwaies thinke they have those things which by no meanes they can be brought to part with Thirdly If you would have feeling and proofe of your faith and Iustification feele for it in the most certaine effect which is the exercise of your Sanctification Doe you feele your selves loaden and burthened with sinne Doe you feele your hearts â—ke with sorrow for sinne And with all do you feele your selves to be altered from what you were Doe you now beare good will to Gods Word and Ordinances And doe you desire the pure word of God that you may grow in grace by it Doe you affect Gods people therefore because you thinke they feare God Is it your desire to approve your selves to God in holy obedience And is it your trouble that you cannot doe it Then certainly you have Faith you have an effectuall Faith For what are all these but the very Pulse breath and motions of faith If you feele grace to be in you it is a better feeling then feeling of comfort for grace in men of understanding is never severed from effectuall Faith but comfort many times is for that may rise from Presumption and false Faith Grace onely from the Spirit and from true Faith SECTION 6. A removall of feares rising from doubting of Sanctification IT is granted by all that if they be truly Sanctified then they know that they have Faith anâ— are iustified But many feare they are not Sanctified and that foâ— these seeming reasons First some feare they are noâ— Sanctified because they doe noâ— remember that ever they fâ—â— those wounds and terrours of conscience which are first wroughâ— in men to make way to Conveâ—sion as it was in them who weâ—â— priâ—â—â— aâ— heart at Peters Seâ—… mon and in S. Paul and the Iaylor Or if they felt aâ—â— terrâ—… they feare they we but certaine flashes and for runners of Hellish â—â—â—ments liâ—â— those of Cain and Iudas As it is in the naturall birth with the mother so it is in the spirituall birth with the childe There is no birth without some travell and paine but not all alike Thus it is in the new birth with all that are come to yeares of discretion Some haue so much griefe feare horror that it is intolerable and leaveth so deepe an impression that it can never be forgotten others have some true sense of griefe and feare but nothing to the former in comparison which may easily be forgotten There are causes why some have or at least feele some more some lesse 1. Some have committed more grosse and more hainous sinnes than other therefore they have more cause and neede to have mâ—re terrour and heart-breaking than others 2. God doth set some apart for greater imployments than others such as will require a man of great trust and experience wherefore GOD to prepare them doth exercise such with greatest tryals for their deepe humiliation and for their more speedy and full reformation that all necessary graces might bee more deeply and more firmely rooted in them 3. Some have beene religiously brought up from their infancie whereby as they were kept from grosse sinnes so their sinnes were subdued by little and little without any sensible impression of horror Grace and comfort being instilled into them almost insensibly 4. Some by naturals constitution and temper of body are more fearefull and more sensible of anguish than others which may cause that although they may bee alike wounded in conscience for sinne yet they may not feele it all alike 5. There may be the like feare and terror wrought in the conscience for sinne in one as well as another yet it may not leave the like lasting sense and impression in the memory of the one which it doth in the other Because God may shew himselfe gracious in discovering a remedy and giving comfort to one sooner than to the other As two men may be in perill of their lives by enemies the one as soone as hee seeth his danger seeth an impregnable
their fault but never with bitternes in rating and reviling them by tearmes of disdaine and base contempt There should bee alwayes more strength of reason in your words to convince them of their sinne and to make them see their danger and to know how to be reformed then heat of anger in uttering your owne displeasure 1 If admonitions and words will reclaime them then proceed not to corrections and blowes but if they regard not your reproofes then according to the nature of the fault and condition of the person and the limits of your authoritie you must in mercie to their soule give them sufficient but not excessive punishment 10 When you have done thus and have waited a convenient time for their amendment but finde none then when they declare themselves to bee rebellious you must crave the helpe of higher authority That you may governe according to these directions Consider well and oft first that those whom you governe are such whom you must not oppresse neither may you rule over them with rigour because they now are or may be heires of the same grace together with you Secondly Remember oft that you have a Superiour in heaven that you are his servant and deputie governing under him that all your authority is from him and that all you doe in governing must be for him and how at last a time will come when you must give account to him of your Government As you are under Authoritie 1 You must honour and reverence all whom God hath set over you 2 You must obey them in all such their lawfull commands as are within the compasse of their Authoritie and commission and that with fidelitie and singlenesse of heart for the Lords sake 3 You must submit to their reproofes corrections and just restraints with patience without murmuring muttering and answering againe or resisting For if you doe not submit to the powers that be ordained of God or if you resist them you rebell against God and doe resist the ordinance of God which who so doth shall receive to himselfe damnation But if you not onely for wrath but chiefly for Conscience to God doe submit your selves to every ordinance of man doing therein the will of God from the heart then whether men requite you or not you shall be sure of the Lord to receive the reward of inheritance for thus obeying men you serve the Lord Christ SECTION 3. Touching Repasts and Recreations THe constitution of mans soule and body is such that they cannot long endure to bee imployed and stand bent with earnestnesse upon any thing wherefore refreshing is needful First the whole man is refreshed by eating and drinking In which you must be first holy secondly iust thirdly temperate 1. It was their sin which fed themselves without all feare of God Meats and drinkes are not good to a man if he be not pure and holy and if they be not received with prayer and thankesgiving 2. You must not eat bread of deceit or ill gotten food every man must eat his owne bread God would have no man to eat the bread of wickednesse nor yet drinke the wine of violence 3. Moreover you must not eat for gluttony and drunkennesse to please the pallate and to glut the appetite but for health and strength 2. A man when he is wearie may bee refreshed likewise by varietie and interchange of the duties of his particular and generall calling And the best Recreation to a spiritual mind when it is wearie of worldly imployments is to walke into Christs garden and there by reading and meditating singing of Psalmes and holy conference you may solace your selfe with the sweet comforts of the holy Spirit and may worke your heart to joy in God even to ioy in the holy Ghost and to a delight in the Commandements and Word of God This is the most profitable most ravishing and most lasting delight of all other Now by as much as the soule is of a better and of a more heavenly constitution by so much it more contenteth and satisfieth it selfe in these delights Yet sith Sports even bodily and naturall delights are part of our Christian libertie therefore taking heed that you abuse not your libertie you may when you have need recreate your selfe with them Now that you may sport as in Gods sight follow these directions 1. The matter of your sports must bee of a common nature and of things of indifferent use Things holy are too good and things vicious are too bad to be sported or played with 2. Sports must bee seasonable for time Not on the Sabbath day in which time God forbiddeth all men to seeke their owne pleasures Ordinarily sports must be used not before but after the body or mind hath beene throughly imployed in honest businesse Not over-long to the expence and losse of your precious time which you should study to redeâ—me not to passe away 3. Sports must alwayes bee kept within the lists of Charity both to your selfe and to your neighbour If your sports doe impeach or hazzard your owne or your neighbours name life estate or comfortable living your sport is unlawfull 4. Although Sports may bee used yet they must not be loved or used immoderately to fill your selfe with earthly delights looking at no further or higher end For as he that eateth and drinketh that hee may enlarge his appetite that he may yet eate and drinke so he that sporteth that he may sport is brutish and sensuall It is very Epicurisme God hath threatned that he that loveth sports shall be a poore man and he that loveth wine and oyle shall not be rich 5. Whatsoever your sport be you must so recreate the outward man that you be no way worse but rather better in the inward man For God hath set such a blessed order in all lawfull things that the meanest being lawfully used shall not hinder but further the best things 6. In all sports you must propound the right end the next and immediate end is to revive your weary body and to quicken your dull minde but your furthest and principall end is that with this your refreshed body and quickned spirit you may the better serve and glorifie God For whether you eate or drinke or whatsoever you doe else let all be done to the glory of God saith the Apostle Thus much shall serve for direction how you should walke with God upon any of the sixe dayes except there be speciall cause of setting a day apart for holy use as for fasting and prayer CHAP. V. Of Religious Fasting SECTION 1. I Forbeare to write of the many kinds of Fasts and of keeping Wednesday Friday and Lent Fasts Onely thus much It is evident both by the profession and practise of our Church and State in England that with us they are held to be
Civill observed for the good of the Common-weale For choise hath beene oft made of Wednesdayes and Fridayes both in and out of Lent for to be kept for Religious Fasts which needed not to haue been if the Fasts kept before upon those daies had beene judged to be Religious Yet they have their lawfull use so farre forth as they conduce to their civill end and are freed from Popish abuse and superstition And I doe advise you and all good Subjects according as it will stand with your health for to observe them The Fast which I mentioned in the end of the former Chapt. of which I am to treat in this is a Religious Fast Which is A sanctifying a day to the Lord by a willing abstinence from me atâ— and drinke and from delights worldly labours that the whole man may be more thorowly humbled before God and more feruent in prayer This Fast hath two parts the one outward the chastening the body the other inward the afflicting of the soule under which are contained all those Religious acts which concerne the setting of the hart straight to Godward and the seeking helpe of God for those things for which the Fast is intended Take Fasting strictly for bodily abstinence so it is an indifferent thing and is no part of Gods worship But take it as it is joyned with the inward part and is referred to a religious end being a profession of an extraordinary humiliation and a great furtherance to a mans spirituall reasonable service of God giving a stronger and speedier wing to prayer which must alwaies goe with it so it is more then an ordinary worship It hath the name from the outward part it being most sensible But hath its excellency and efficacy from the inward it being that for which the outward is observed It is called Publicke when a whole State or when any one publike Congregation doth fast Private when one alone one family or some few together do fast God commanded a set Fast to be observed yearely of the Iewes By which they forbearing onely the Sacrifices and publike Solemnities did learn to keepe the private according as they had cause Publike and private haue their warrant from the new Testament as well as from the Old Which sheweth that religious Fasts were not peculiar to the Iewes but are a Christian dutie belonging to all fitly qualified for them In the times of the government of Iudges and Kings before the Captivitie and of the Rulers of the Iewes after the Captiuitie we have manifold examples of private Fasts and examples commandement for publike Our Lord and Saviour said that his Disciples after his departure from them should fast giveth direction unto all touching priuate fasts The Apostle speaketh of the husbands and wiues abstaining from the marriage bed that they might giue themselvs to fasting and prayer And wee haue the practise of the Apostles againe and again for publike fasts All which prove fasting to be a Christian duty The case of a mans selfe of others yea of the Church and Common-wealth may be such that ordinary humiliation and prayer will not suffice For as there were some Divels that could not be cast out but by fasting and prayer so it may be that such hardnesse of heart may be grown upon a man or some sinfull lusts â—ay have gotten so much streÌ„gth â—at they will not be subdued â—ome evils private and publike â—hich cannot be prevented or â—â—moved some speciall graces â—â—d blessings which shall not be â—â—tained or continued but by â—â—e most importunate seeking of â—od by Fasting and Prayer Fasting is contrary to that fulâ—…sse of bread which maketh â—…th body and soule more prone â—…vice and indisposed to religiâ—…s duties through drowsinesse â—…head heavinesse of heart dulâ—…sse and deadnesse of spirit â—…ow these being removed and â—…e pamprednesse and pride of 〈…〉 flesh taken down by fasting 〈…〉 body will be brought into â—…jection to the soule and both â—…dy and soule to the will of â—…d more readily then otherâ—…e they would be A day of Fast is a great furâ—…rance to the soule for the better performing of holy duties such as Meditation Reading and Hearing the Word Prayer Examining Iudging and Reforming a mans selfe both because his spirits are better disposed when he is fasting to serious and sad devotion by reason of so large a time wherein the minde is taken wholly off froÌ„ the thoughts cares and pleasures of this life he may be more intent more wholly taken vp in seeking of God Fasting is an open profession of guiltinesse before God and an expression of sorrow and humiliation it being a reall acknowledgement of mans unworthinesse even of the common necessaries of this present life But it is not enough that the body be chastned if that the souls be not withall afflicted because 1 it is else but a meere bodily exercise which profiteth little nay it is but an by pocriticall fast abhorred condemned of God frustrating a chiefe end of the outward fast which is that the soule may be afflicted Afflicting the soule worketh Repentance another chiefe end and companion of Fasting For godly sorrow causeth repentance never to be repented of When the soule is afflicted and heavie laden with sinne then a man will readily and earnestly seeke after God even as the sick will to the Physitian for Physicke and as a condemned man to the King for a Pardon In their affliction saith God they will seeke me diligently If this be true of the outward then much more of inward affliction The afflicted soule is a fit obiect of Gods mercy to him doth God looke that is poore and of a contrite spirit that trembleth at his word yea the bowels of his fatherly compassion are troubled for him that is troubled and ashamed for his sin Moreover upon a day of humiliation if a man deale sincerely this affliction of his soule driveth him quite out of himselfe to seeke helpe of God in Christ and maketh him endevour to bring his soule into such good frame that hee may truely say that he doth noâ— regard iniquity in his heart and haâ— his unfained purpose is and endevour shall be to keep a good â—onscience toward God and man 〈…〉 Whence followeth boldnesse and assurance that God will be found of him and that in Gods owne time and in the best manner he shall have all his holy desires fulfilled All whom lawfull Authority enjoyneth are to keepe a publik Fast so farre as health will permit These onely may keepe a private Fast Such as are of understanding els how can they search out their wayes judge theÌ„selves or pray In publike Fasts if Authoritie thinke fit little children may be caused to fast that the Parents and others of understanding may as by objects of misery be stirred up to a
questioning the truth of his being and of his Word denying his Providence Power or some other of his Divine Attributes Have I not been ignorant of God and of his will and erroneous and mis-beleeving if not hereticall in my conceits concerning God the Father Sonne or holy Ghost Have I not beene over-curious in prying into the nature and secret counsels of God beyond the rule of the revealed wil of God Have I not set up false Deities or put my selfe or any other creature in the place of God through pride preferring and resting upon mine owne way and will before Gods or by making my selfe mine utmost end professing God and his Religion onely to serve mine owne ends or by seeking to the creature as to Angell Saint Devill or Witch instead of the Creator Have I not beene forgetfull of God and of his will Is not my Conscience impure blinde deluded or seared and my will perverse obstinate impatient and murmuring against God and ful of dissimulation Have I not set mine affections upon the World rather than upon God loving that which is evill hating that which is good yea God himselfe if not directly yet in his Holines shining in his Ordinances and in his children or as hee is a severe inflicter of punishment Fearing man more than God trusting in the Creature making something besides God my chiefe joy Have I not presumed when I had cause to despaire and despaired after that I had cause to hope Have I not â—empted God many wayes And have I not in the matters of God beene either cold lukewarme or blindely or preposterously zealous Hath there not beene a pronenesse in my whole outward man to rebell against God The second Commandement concerneth all such lawfull worships of God which he onely hath appointed whereby he communicateth himselfe to man and man againe maketh profession of him forbidding under one kinde all such as are not by him ordained Thinke thus Have I worshipped God in spirit and truth in all the kindes and parts of his Worship publike or private ordinary or extraordinary as by hearing reading and meditating of his Word by praying praising and giving thankes to him by a right use of his Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper and by Religious Fasting Religious Feasting and making of vowes according as I have had speciall occasion And have I done what did belong to me for the setting forth and maintaining of Gods true Worship and have I according to my place executed aright or submitted unto the government and discipline of the Church Or besides the omission of the former duties Am I not guilty some way or other of Idoll-worship conceiving of GOD in my mind or representing him to my sense in the likenes of any creture Have I not added to or detracted from any part of Gods Worship Have I not run into the appearances and occasions of Idolatry as by presence at Idoll-service by marriage and needlesse â—amiliarity with Idolatrous persons by reserving undefaced monuments of Idolatry At least is â—ot my heart guilty of not hating but rather lingering after Idolatrous worship Have I not been guilty of superstition or Will-worship c. The third Commandement concerneth the glory of Gods holy Name shining forth in his Titles Attributes Religion Word Ordinances People or any thing that hath in it any print of his holinesse or excellency forbidding the taking of it in vaine and that in all actions religious or common Have I glorified God by answering my holy profession with an holy and unblameable conversation by performing all holy duties with due preparation knowledge and devotion also by thinking and speaking of the Names and holy things of God with holy reverence and in particular by fearing an Oath Or have I not caused the Name Religion and People of God to be ill thought of and dishonoured by my evill course of living or at least by committing some grosse sinâ— Am I not guilty of rash unprepared heedlesse forgetfull and fruitlesse reading hearing receiving the Sacraments or performance of any other the worships of God Have I not thought or spoken blasphemously or contempiuously of God or of any the things of God Have I not used the Name of God needlesly rashly wickedly or falsly in swearing or lightly in my Salutations Admirations or otherwise in my ordinary communication Have I not abused the Name of God his Scriptures his Ordinances and Creatures using them for other purposes then hee alloweth as for sports spels charms or any sorcery luxury or the like Have I not passed by the great workes of Gods power mercy and judgements without due observation and acknowledgement of God therein The fourth Commandement concerneth the ordinary solemne time of the service and worship of God requiring that the seventh day now our Lords day be kept with an holy rest Have I upon the six dayes Remembred the Lords day that I might dispatch all my worldly businesse and prepare my heart that when it came I might keep an holy Sabbath to the Lord according to the Commandement Did I according as my health would permit rise early on that day Have I performed my daily both morning and evening exercises of Religion alone and with my family that day in private Have I caused all under my authority according to my power to rest from all manner of workes and worldly sports also my selfe not onely from the labour of my body but of my mind in all worldly businesse except about the things that concerne common honestie and comelinesse workes of mercy and such workes of necessitie as could not be done before or stay to be done afterwards Have I alwayes prepared my heart before I went into the house and presence of God by meditation of Gods Word and Workes and in particular by examination and reformation of my wayes also by prayer thankesgiving and holy resolution to carry my selfe as in Gods presence and to heare and obey whatsoever I should bee taught out of the Word of God Have I caused my family to goe with me to the Church And did I with them come in due time and being there did stay the whole time of prayer reading and preaching of the Word singing of Psalmes receiving and administring the Sacraments even that of Baptisme when others are Baptised and did attend diligently and joyne with the Minister and the rest of the Congregation in all those holy exercises Did I spend the day after the Morning and Evening Prayers Sermons or Catechisings in meditation and as I had opportunitie in conference and repetition of what I had heard also in visiting the sicke and other workes of mercy and so from the beginning to the end of the day have beene imployed in holy thoughts words and deeds and all this with spirituall delight Or Am I not guiltie of forgetting it before it came and of neglecting and prophaning it when it came as by meere idlenesse or by taking opportunity of leisure from busines of my calling to be
their Covenant with God Now unlesse wee doe joyne the inward with the outward we may fast but the Lord seeth it not wee may afflict our selves but hee taketh no notice wee may cry and boule but cannot make our voyce be heard on high But when God seeth the workes of them that fast that they turne from their evill way yea that they strive to turn and seek him with all their heart then hee will turne to them his bowels of compassion doth yerne towards them and I will have mercy on them saith the Lord. After the time of the Fast is ended eat and drinke but moderately For if you then shall glut your selfe it will put your body and soule much out of order Secondly your Fast being ended hold the strength which you not that day as much as you can keepe your interest and holy acquaintance which you have gotten with God and with the holy exercises of Religion Though you have giveÌ„ over the exercises â—â— the day yet unloose not the â—ent of your care and affections against sinne and for God It is a corruption of our nature and it â—â— a policie of Satan to helpe it forward that like some unwise â—arriours when they have got the day of their enemies wee â—ow full of presumption and severity by which the enemy taketh advantage to recollect his forces and comming upon us â—â— looked for giveth us the fosse not the overthrow we are too apt after a day of humiliation to fall into a kinde of remissenesse as if then we had gotten the mastry whereas if Satan fly from us if sinne be weakned in us it is but for a season and but in part and especially if we stand not upon our watch Satan will take occasion to returne and sin will revive in us I 〈…〉 few Cautions â—ouâ—… excellent but neglected duty â—â— Fasting 〈…〉 body although it must be 〈…〉 downe yet it must not buâ— destroyed with Fasting It musâ— not be so weakened as to be disabled to performe the workes 〈…〉 your ordinary Calling In private Fasts you must 〈…〉 be open but as private as conveniently you may â—ever not the inward from 〈…〉 outward Thinke not to merit by yoâ—… Fasting aâ— Papists doe Presume not that presently up on the worke done God must grant your asking as Hypocrites doe that say to him we have fasted and thou dost not regard it You may and must expect a gracious hearing upon your unfained humiliation but as for when and how you must wait patiently faith secureth you of good successe but neither prescribeth unto God how nor yet doth it make hast but waiteth his leisure when in his wisedome hee shall judge it most seasonable CHAP. VI. Of the Sabbath IF it bee the Sabbath or Lords day you must remember to keep it holy according to the Commandement For this cause First put a difference betweene this and the other six dayes even as you put difference betweene the bread and wine in the Sacrament and that which is for common use And that because it is set apart for holy use by divine institution For as the Seventh day from the beginning of the Creation untill the day of Christs blessed Resurrection so our Lords Day which is the day of the Resurrection iâ— morall and by divine institution The Commandement to keepe an holy rest upon the Seventh day after six worke dayes which is the â—…stance of the fourth Commandement remâ—â—neth the same And Adam â—o doubt by the instinct of incorrupted nature which yeeldethâ— time for Gods honour and â—o lemne worship he knowing thaâ— God finished the Creation in six daâ—es and rested on the seventh might by discourse of his reason have judged one day in seven the fittest time to bee dedicated to his service But certaine hee could not bee either that God would have one day in Seven or which of those dayes he would have set apart for rest and for holy use Wherefore it pleased the Lord of the Sabbath by a positive institution to determine that the Sabbath should bee one day in Seven and that from the beginning of the world unto the Resurrection of Christ it should be the Seventh from the Creation but as it shall appeare by the change of the day under the Gospell after the Resurrection hee appointed it to be kept the Seventh from thence by vertue whereof wee now keepe the Lords day a holy Sabbath to the Lord So that to keepe a day holy to the Lord and to keepe that day which the Lord should appoint is absolutely morall as all the other Commandements are according to the light and Law of nature And in particular the keeping the Seventh from the Creation till the Resurrection and the Seventh from the Resurrection ever since to the end of the world was to them and is to us a morall duty immediately binding the conscience and is no way alterable by man because it is set apart by Diuine institution That there was such an Institution I shall evidently prove For the Sabbath was sanctified by God and was to be observed by his people from the beginning of the world when there was no distinction of Iew and Gentile untill the writing of the morall Law I know some deny this but without good ground For wee haue reason to thinke that ever since the Creation Time hath beene divided by weeks whereof the seventh day is the boundary as well as by Moneths and Yeares And this reason of the Commandement He blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it importing the prime institution did concerne Adam and all before the Law as well as since This was a received opinion amongst the ancient Iewes that this Feast did belong to all Nations from the beginning of the world And the Fathers observed it before Moses And though there be no mention of the Saints observing of it before Israels going out of Aegypt yet where there is an Institution there it must in charitie be presupposed that it was observed of the godly except the Scripture deny it which it doth not but doth imply the contrary For the Sabbath day is spoken of before the re-delivering of it in the Mount as of a solemne day ordained before and wel known to the Iewes Tomorrow saith Moses is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord. And againe he saith The seventh day which is the Sabbath Moreover the Apostle doth intimate that the rest of the Sabbath was kept from the beginning of the world This be said of the Sabbath before the pronouncing and writing of the Law And when it was written God wrote and placed it in the heart of the ten Commandements as that which by the holy exercise thereof and keeping it holy should give life to the keeping of all the rest The reasons of the fourth Commandement doe as well urge the observing of it to all men at
your selfe in Covetous Adulterous Revengefull Ambitious or other wicked thoughts you act that in your minde and phantasie which either for feare or shame you dare not or for want of opportunity or meanes you cannot act otherwise 4. When you are alone be sure that you ordinarily be well and fully exercised about something that is good either in the works of your calling or in reading or in holy meditation or prayer For whensoever Satan doth find you idle and out of imployment in some or other of those works which God hath appointed he will â—ake that as an opportunity to garnish you for himselfe and to imploy you in some of his works But if you keepe alwaies in your place and â—o some or other good worke of your place you are under Gods speciall protection as the Bird in the Law was while she face upon heregs or yong ones keeping her owne nest in which case no man might hurt her I have already shewed how you should behave your selfe as in Gods sight both in prayer and in the works of your calling I wil write some thing for your direction touching reading and Meditation SECTION 2. Of Reading BEsides your set-times of reading the holy Scriptures you shall doe well to gaine some time from you vacant houres that you may read in GODS Booke and in the good bookes of men First when you read any part of the word of God you must put a difference betweene it and the best writings of men preferring it farre before them To this end 1 Consider it in its properties and excellencies No word is of like absolute authority holinesse equity truth wisedome true elegancie power and eternity 2 Consider this Word in its ends and good effects No booke that aimeth at Gods glory and the salvation of mans soule like this none that concerneth you like to this It discovereth your misery by sinne together with the perfect remedie It propoundeth perfect happinesse unto you affordeth means to worke it out in you for you It is mighty through GOD to prepare you for grace It is the immortall seed to beget you unto Christ It is the milke and stronger meate to nourish you up in Christ It is the onely soulephysicke to recover you and to rid you of all spirituall evils By it Christ giveth spiritual sight to the blind hearing to the deafe speech to the dumbe strength to the weake health to the sicke yea by it he doth cast out Divels and raise men from the death of sinne they beleeving it as certainly as he did all those for the bodies of men by the word of his power while he lived on the earth This Book of Goâ— doth containe those many rich Legacies be queathed to you in that last Will and Testament of God sealed with the bloud of Iesus Christ our Lord. It is the Magna Charta and Statute-booke of the Kingdome of heaven It is the booke of Priviledges and Immunities of Gods children It is the word of grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified For it will make you wise to salvation through Faith in Christ â—esus making you perfect throughly furnished unto all good workes Wherefore as when you heare this Word preached so when at any time you read it you must receive it not as the word of man but as it is in truth the Word of God then it wil worke effectually in you that beleeve Secondly when you read this Word lift up the heart in prayer to God for the Spirit of understanding wisedome that your minde may be more and more enlightned and your heart more more strengthned with grace by it For this Word is spiritual containing the secrets hidden things of GOD in a mysterie which as the bare letter doth signifie is as a booke sealed up in respect of discovery of the things of God in it to al that have not the helpe of Gods Spirit so that none can know the inward and spirituall meaning thereof powerfully and savingly but by the Spirit of God Thirdly read the Word with an hunger and thirst after knowledge and growth of grace by it with a reverent humble teachable and honest heart beleeving all that you reade trembling at the threats judgements against sinners reioycing in the promises made unto and the favours bestowed upon the penitent and vpon the godly willing and resolving to obey al the Commandements Thus if you read blessed shall you be in your reading and blessed shall you be in your deede The holy Scriptures are thus to be read of all of every sort and condition and of each sex for all are commanded to search the Scriptures as well the Laytie as the Cleargie women as well as men yong as well as old all sorts of all Nations For though the Spirit of GOD is able to worke conversion and holinesse immediately without the Word as he doth in all those infants that are saved yet in men of yeares the holy Ghost will not where the Word may be had worke without it as his instrument using it as the hammer plow seed fire water sword or as any other instrument to pull downe build up plant purge cleanse For it is by the Word both read and preached that Christ doth sanctifie all that are his that he may present them to himselfe and so to his Father without spot or wrinkle a Church most glorious And whereas it is most true that those which are unlearned and unstable doe wrest not onely hard Scriptures but all other also to their destruction Yet let not this as Papists would inferre cause you to forbeare to read no more then because many surfeit and are drunke by the best meats and drinkes you doe forbeare to eate and drinke But to prevent misse-understanding and wresting of Scriptures to your hurt doe thus 1 Get and cherish an humble and honest heart resolved to obey when you know Gods will If any man will doe his will saith Christ he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God 2 Get a cleare knowledge of the first Principles of Christian Religion beleeve them stedfastly And indevor to frame your life according â—nto those more easie known â—criptures where on these prinâ—iples and first Oracles of God â—â—e grounded For these give â—ight even by the first entrance â—nto the very simple This doe â—â—d you shall never be unlearned 〈…〉 the mysteries of Christ nor â—et unstable in his wayes 3 Be â—uch in hearing the Word inâ—â—preted by learned and faithfull â—inisters 4 If you meet with place of Scripture too hard for 〈…〉 presume not to frame a sense it of your owne head but take â—tice of yourignorance admire â—e depth of Gods wisdome susâ—nd your opinion
and take the first opportunity to ask the meaning of some or other whose lips should preserve knowledge Let no colourable pretence keepe you from diligent reading of Gods Booke for hereby you shall be better prepared to heare the Word preached For it layeth a ground-worke to preaching making way to a better understanding thereof and to â—…ter â—eeping it in memory â— also to enaâ—le you to try the Spirits and Doctrines delivered even to try all things and to keepe what is good 1. In reading mens writings reade the best or at least those by which you can profit most 2. Reade a good booke thorowly and with due consideration 3. Reject not hastily any thing you reade because of the mean opinion you have of the authoâ— Beleeve not every thing yoâ— reade because of the great opinâ— on you have of him that wrote it But in all bookes of faith and manners try all things by the Scriptures Receive nothing upon the bare testimony or judgement of any man any further then hee can confirme it by the Canon of the word or by evidence of reason or by undoubted experience alwayes provided that what you call reason and experience be according unto not against the Word If the meanest speake according to it then receive and regard it but if the most judicious in your esteeme yea if he were an Angell of GOD should speake or write otherwise refuse and reject it Thus much for privat reading Onely take this Caution You must not thinke it to be sufficient that you read the Scriptures and other good Bookes at home in private when you shall by so doing neglect the hearing of the Word read and preached in publike For God hath not appointed that reading alone or preaching alone or prayer or Sacraments should singly and alone save any man where all or more then one of them may be had but he requireth the joynt use of them all in their place and time And in this variety of means of salvation God hath in his holy wisedome ordained them to be such that the excellency and sufficiencie of the one shall nâ—t in its right use keepe any from but leade him unto a due performance of the other each serving to make the other more effectuall to produce their common effect namely the Salvation of mans soule Indeed when a man is necessarily hindred by persecution sicknesse or otherwise that he cannot heare the Word preached then God doth blesse reading with an humble honest heart without hearing the Word preached But where hearing the Word preached is either contemned or neglected for reading sake or for prayer sake or for any other good private dutie there no man can looke to bee blessed in his reading or in any other private dutie but cursed rather Witnesse the evill effects which by experience we see doe issue thence viz. Selfe-conceitednesse Singularity in some dangerous opinions many times a rending away from the Church by Schisme yea too oft a falling away into damnable Heresies and Apostacie SECTION 3. Of meditation VVHen you are alone then also is a fit season for you to be taken up in holy meditation For according to a mans meditations such is the man The liberall man deviseth liberall things the Churle the contrary The godly man studieth how to please God the wicked how to please himselfe In meditation the minde or reason of the soule stayeth it selfe upon some thing conceived or thought upon for the better understanding thereof and for the better application of it to a mans selfe for use In meditating a right the mind of man exerciseth two kind of acts the one direct upon the thing meditated the other reflect upon himselfe the person meditating The first is an act of the contemplative part of the undâ—rstanding the second is an act of Conscience The end of the first is to enlighten the mind with knowledge the end of the second is to fil the heart with goodnesse The first serveth I speake of morall actions to finde out the rule whereby you may know more clearely distinctly what is truth what is falshood what is good what is bad whom you should obey what manner of person you should be and what you should doe and the like The second serveth to direct you how to make a right and profitable application of your selfe and of your actions to the Rule In this latter are these two acts First an examination whether you and your actions bee according to the Rule or whether you come short or are severed from it giving true judgment of you according as it doth finde you The second is a perswasive and commanding act charging the soule in every faculty understanding will affections yea the whole man to reforme and conforme themselves to the Rule that is to the will of God if that you finde your selfe not to be according to it which is done by confessing the fault to God with remorse praying for forgivenes returning to God by repentance reforming the fault through new obedience This must be the resolution of the soule And all this a man must charge upon his soule peremptorily commanding himselfe to endevour the doing of them When you meditate joyne all these three acts else you shall never bring your meditation unto a profitable issue For if you onely muse and studie to finde out what is true what is false what is good what is bad you may gaine much knowledge of the head but little goodnesse to your heart If you onely apply to your selfe that wheron you have mused and no more you may by finding your selfe to bee a transgressour lay guilt upon your conscience and terrour upon your heart without fruit or comfort but if to these two you lay a charge upon your selfe to follow GODS counsell touching what you should beleeve doe when you have offended him if you with all bring your heart to a resolution through GODS grace to be such an one as you ought to be and to live such a life for hereafter as you ought to live then unto science you shall adde conscience and to knowledge you shall joyne practice and shall fill your selfe full of comfort Observe Davids meditations you shall finde they come to this issue His thoughts of God and of his wayes made him turne his feete unto Gods testimonies The meditation of Gods benefits made him resolve to take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord and to pay his vowes When he considered what God had done for him and thence inferred what he should be to God againe he saith to his soule My soule and all that is in mee prayse his holy Name When hee in his meditation found that it was his fault to have his soule disquieted in him through distrust he chargeth it to wait on GOD and raiseth up himselfe unto confidence I will meditate on thy precepts saith
spite all good company and good conference he will cast in matters of jarres difference and discord And because the best men differ in opinion though not in fundamentals yet in Ceremonies and lesse necessary points of Religion and for that they all have infirmities and while the reliques of corrupt nature are in them are subject and apt to mistake and misconstrue one anothers actions and speeches as also the ends of their actions and speeches you will need that this bond of love be strong that it be not broke asunder by any of these or any other meanes but that you remain fast and sweetly knit together in the unitie of the Spirit through this bond of peace I commend this Christian society in brotherly love the rather because 1. there is nothing giveth a more sensible evidence of your conversion and translation from death to life than this 2. Nothing doth more further the increase and power of godlinesse in any place or person then this For let it be observed though there be never such an excellent Ministrie in any place you shall see little thriving in grace amongst the people untill many of them become of one heart shewing it by consorting together in brotherly fellowship in the Communion of Saints 3. Nothing bringeth more feeling joy comfort and delight next the communion with God iâ— Christ then the actuall communion of Saints and the love of brethren It is the beginning of that our happinesse on earth which shal be perfected in Heaven It is for kind the same that onely differeth in degrees And to conciude this subject after that you have beene in company good or bad it will be worth your while to examine how far forth you have hindred any evill in other have preserved your selfe from evill how farre you have endevoured to doe good to others and how much you haue bettered your selfe in knowledge good affection zeale or any other good grace by your company and according as you find let your heart checke or cheare you CHAP. X How a man should carry himselfe as in Gods sight when things goe well with him SECTIONI VVHen at any time you prosper in any thing and have good successe that you may therein walke according to God First Take heed of committing those sinnes whereto man is most apt when his heart is fatted with prosperity Secondly be carefull to produce those good effects which are the principal ends why God giveth good successe The sinnes especially to bee shunned are 1 Denying of God by forgetting him and his wayes departing from him when you are fat like Iesurun taking the more licence to sin by how much you shall prosper more in the world 2 Ascribing the prayse of successe to your selfe or to secondarie causes sacrificing to your owne net 3 High mindednesse thinking too well of your selfe because you have that which others have not and despising and thinking too meanly of those which have not as you have 4 If riches increase or if you thrive in any other earthly thing set not your heart thereon either in taking too much delight therein or intrusting thereupon Holy Iob and good David were in some particulars over-taken with this latter When Iob was warm in his nest he did hatch this secure conceit that he should dye in his nest and multiply his dayes as the sand And David in his prosperity said he should never bee moved But the LORD by afflictions taught them both to know by experience how vaine all earthly things are to trust unto and ingeniously to confesse their error I reduce the good effects which are the principall ends why God giveth good successe unto these two heads 1 professed prayse and thankes to God 2 Reall proofes of the said thanks in well using and imploying this good successe for God First prayse and thanke God For 1 it is the chiefe and most lasting service worship which God hath required of you 2 It is most due and due to him onely he onely is worthy for of him are all things and he is called the God of prayses 3 It is the end why God doth declare his excellency and goodnesse both in his Word and Workes that it may be matter of prayse and thankes also why he hath given man an hart to understand and a tongue to speake that for them and with them as by apt instruments they might acknowledge his goodnesse and excellencie thinking and speaking to his prayse and glory wherfore David speaking to his heart or tongue or both when hee would give thankes saith Awake my glory and I will give praysâ— 4 There is not any service of God more beneficiall to man than to bee thankefull For it maketh those gifts of God which are good in themselves to be good to you and they are the best continuers of good things to you yea Thanks are reall requests and the best security you can have for God will not withdraw his goodnesse from the thankefull This Prayse and Thankes is a religious service wherein a man maketh knowne to God that hee acknowledgeth every good thing to come from him and that he is worthy of all prayse and glory for the infinite excellencie of his Wisedome Power Goodnesse and of all his other holy and blessed Attributes manifest in his Word and Workes and that he for his part standeth wholly beholding to God for all that he hath had now hath and which hereafter hee hopeth to have Prayse and Thankes goe together and doe differ only in some respect The superabundant excellency in God shewed by his Titles and Workes is the obiect of prayse The abundant goodnesse of God shewed in those his Titles and Workes to his Church to you or to any person nothing to which you have reference is the obiect and matter of your thankes These things concerning praise and thankes are needfull to be knowne and observed First Who must give prayse and thankes Namely you and all that have understanding and breath must praise the Lord. Secondly To whom praise and thanks are due Only to God Not to us not to us saith the Church but to thy Name give glory Thirdly By whom must this Sacrifice of thankes be offered Even by Christ onely the onely high Priest of our Profession out of whose golden Censer our prayers and praises ascend and are sweet-smelling to GOD as Incense Fourthly For what must wee praise God and give him thanks Wee must praise him in all his workes be they for us or against us we must thanke him for all things spirituall and temporall wherein he is any way good unto us Fifthly With what must wee prayse and thanke him Even with our soules and all that is within us and with all that we have We must praise and thanke GOD with the inward man praise him with the
for joy before ever they have made a legge and shewn any signe of thankfulnes you will easily be overtaken in this kinde and neglect God that gave it The furtherances of thankfulnesse are most of them directly contrary to the former hindrances of many take these First Get sound knowledge of God and of his infinite excellencies and absolutenesse every way of his independency on man or any other creature whence it is that he needeth not any thing that man hath or can doe neither can he be beholding to man But know that you stand in need of God and must be beholding to him for al things Know also that whatsoever God doth by whatsoever meanes it be hee doth it from himselfe induced by nothing out of himselfe being free in all that he doth Know likewise that whatsoever was the instrument of your good God was the Author both of the good and of the instrument Next Fill your selfe with a due knowledge of the full worth and excellent use of Gods gifts both common and speciall Wealth honour libertie health life senses limmes wit and reason c. considered in themselves and in their use wil be held to be great benefits but if you coÌ„sider them in their absence when you are sensible of poverty sicknesse and the rest or if you be so blessed that you know not the want of them then if you shall advisedly and humbly looke vpon the poore base imprisoned captives sicke deafe blind dumbe distracted c. Putting your selfe in their case you will â—ay that you are unspeakeably beholding to God for these corporal and temporall blessings But chiefely learne to know aâ—d consider well the worth of spirituall blessings One of them the peace of God passeth all understanding To enjoy the Gospell upon any tearmes to have â—â—â—vation such a salvation offered by Christ to have faith hope love and other the manifold saving graces of the Spirit though but in the least measure in the very first seed of the Spirit though no bigger then a grain of Mustard-seed with never so much outward affliction is of such value and consequent that it is more then eye hath seene eare hath heard or ever entred into the heart of man For besides that the least grace is invaluable in it selfe it doth give proof of better gifts namely that God hath given his Spirit hath given Christ and in him hath given himselfe a propitious and gracious God hath given all things also When you know God aright his gifts aright knowing all things in God and God in all things then you will be full of praises and thankes Secondly Be low and base in your owne eyes Let all things be base in your eyes in comparison of God account them worthlesse and helpelesse things without him Iudge your selfe to be as indeed you are lesse then the least of Gods mercies For what are you of your selfe but a compound of dust and sinne unworthy any good worthy of all misery You stand in need of God â—he not of you It is his mercy that you are not consumed When you can be thus sensible of your owne neede and that helpe can come onely from God and that you are worthy of no good thing then you will be glad and thankefull at heart to God for any thing An humble man will be more thankfull for a peny then a proud man will for a pound Thirdly Call all the forementioned knowledge of God and of his gifts into fresh memory Commune with your soule and cause it to represeÌ„t lively to your thoughts what God is in himselfe what to his Church and to you how precious his thoughts are to you-ward Tell your selfe oft what God hath done and what he will doe for your soule Call to minde with what varietie of good gifts he doth store his Church blesse you you will find that they will passe all account and number When withal you call to minde that God is free in all his gifts to you who are unworthy the least of them If you would cause your selfe to dwell upon these and the like thoughts they would worke in you an holy rapture and admiration out of which you shall with David break out into these or the like prayses Oh Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth I thanke thee I praise thee I devote my selfe as my best sacrifice to thee I will blesse thy Name for ever and ever Fourthly Be perswaded of Gods love to you in these good things which he giveth unto you First he loveth you as his creature and if onely in that regard he doth preserve you and doe you good you are bound to thanke him Secondly you cannot know but that he loveth you with a speciall love to Salvation Gods revealed will professeth as much you must not meddle with that which is secret I am sure he maketh proffer of his love and you daily receive tokens of his love both in means of this life and that which is to come Did not he love you when out of his free and everlasting good will towards you He gave his Sonne to die for you that you beleeving in him should not dye but have everlasting life What though yet you be in your sinnes Doth hee not bid you turne and hath hee not said â—hee will love you freely What though you cannot turn to him nor love him as you would yet endevour these in the use of all good meanes to be and doe as God will have you then doubt noâ— but that GOD doth love you and you must wait till you see it in the performance of his gracious promises unto you But if you would consider things aright you may know certainly that the good things you have received of God are bestowed in love to you I will onely aske these Questions Hath Gods mercie made you to bethinke your selfe of your dutie and obedience to God have you had a will to be thankefull upon the thoughts thereof or if you finde a defect and barrennesse herein hath not this unfruitfull and unthankefull receiving of good things from God beene a great burden and griefe of heart to you If yea this is an evident signe that God gave those good things to you in love because this holy and good effect is wrought in you by them Againe Dâ—â— you love God would you love God and his wayes and Ordinances yet more This provetâ— that God loveth you for 〈…〉 man can love God till God have first loved him Likewise doe you love the children of God Theâ— certainly you are Gods childe and are loved of God By these you have proofe of your calling and election how that you are now translated from death to life after which time though God may give you many things in anger as a father giveth correction yet he never giveth any thing
exercises of Religion and the company of those that be religious ignorantly judging all of that Religion to be such Besides Hypocrisie is high treason against God for it is a guilding over and setting the Kings stampe upon base mettall It is tempting and mocking of God to his face A sinne so abominable that his holy justice cannot indure it Fourthly Gods judgements on such hypocrites are manifold For this cause God giveth them over to beleeve lyes even Popery or any other damnable error or heresie Hence it is that God giveth them over many times to fall from good in seeming to evill in profession and thence from evill to worse even unto finall Apostasie And at last when God taketh away an Hypocrites soule he is sure not onely to lose his Hope which addeth much to his Hell but to be made to feele that which he would not feare being ranked with those Sinners which shal be punished with the greatest severity in the eternall vengeance of Hell-five For after that an hypocrite hath played the civill and religious man for a while upon the Stage of this World his last Act when his life is ended is to be in deed and to act to the life the part of an incarnate and tormented Devill He shall have his portion with the Divell and his Angels When feare hath surprised the Hypocrites who shall dwell with devouring fire Who shall dwell with everlasting burning Saith the Prophet Happy were it for them if this warning might fright them out of this their sinne Consider likewise that Hypocrisie doth much harme even there where it doth not raigne and that more or lesse according as it is more or lesse mortified For first it bringeth the soule into a generall consumption of grace no sinne more Secondly it blindeth the minde and insensibly hardeneth the heart no sinne more Thirdly it maketh a man slight and overt in the best actions Fourthly it causeth fearefull declinations and falling backe Fifthly it deprives a man of peace of Conscience in such sort that a spirituall Physician can hardly fasten any hope or comfort upon him on whose Conscience doth lye the guilt of hypocrisie yea hardly upon him that doth but feare he is guilty For he putteth off al the remembrances of his good affections and actions saying all that I did was but in hypocrisie Sixthly and lastly Besides that it bringeth many temporall iudgements it causeth that a man loseth many of his good workes done in Hypocrisie though through Gods mercie hee lose not himselfe which not losing himselfe is because he is found in Christ Christs Spirit of uprightnesse raigning in him Now to induce you to love Vprightnesse and to labour to be upright Consider the good which accompanieth uprightnesse First temporall and outward but secondly and chiefly that which is spirituall eternall and inward Vprightnesse hath the promises of this life It is a meanes to keepe off Iudgements or in due time to remove them If affliction like a darke night overspread the upright for their correction and tryall for a time yet light is sowne for them and in due time will arise unto them The upright caÌ„not want health wealth friends or any thing that can be good for them Moreover this uprightnesse doth not onely provide well for a mans selfe but if any thing can leave a blessing and a good portion to his Children and to his Childrens Children Vprightnes will The holy Ghost saith the generation of the upright shall be blessed The spirituall blessings which belong to the upright are manifold The upright man is Gods faverite even his delight Hee is hereby assured of his Salvation For although an upright man may fall into many grievous sinnes yet presumptuous sinnes shall not reigne over him he shall be kept from the great transgression he shal never sinne the sinne unto death Yea hee shall be kept from the dominion of every sinne By uprightnes a man is strengthened in the inward man it being that Girdle that buckleth and holdeth together the maine peeces of the complete armor Nay it is that which giveth proofe to every piece of that armour it strengthneth the backe and loynes yea the very heart of him that is begirt with it Hee that is upright is sure to haue his prayers heard and to be made able to profit by the Word of God and by all his holy Ordinances Doe not my words saith God doe good to him that walketh uprightly The upright mans services to God in prayer hearing receiving Sacraments c. though performed with much weakenesse and imperfections shal through Christ bee accepted of God Nay where there is not power the will of an upright man is taken for the deed and where there is power and deed both even there the uprightnesse and readines of the will is taken for more than the deed according to that commendation of them who were said not onely to doe but to be willing a yeare agoe For many do good things which yet doe them not with an upright will and ready minde 6 The upright man hath alwayes matter â—f boldnesse before men He can make an Apologie and Defence for himselfe against the slanders of wicked men and against the accusations of Satan who are ready upon every slight occasion to hiâ— him in the teeth and say he is an hypocrite and that all which he doth is but in hypocrisie but hee can gave all them thelyâ— that charge him with dissimulation or hypocrisie He knoweth more of his hypocrisie than they can tell him he findeth fault with it and accuseth himselfe for it more than they can doe yet this he can say hee alloweth it not he hateth it and his hart is upright towards God He careth not though adversariâ—t write a booke against him Iob 19. 2â— 24 25. He hath his defence if men will receive it they may if not he dareth to appeale to Heaven For his Record is on high Hee hath alwayes a witnesse both within him and in Heaven for him 7. Vprightnesse is an excellent Preventer and Curer of despaire arising from accusations of Conscience even of a wounded Spirit of which Salomon saith Who can beare it For either it keepeth it off Iob 27 5 6. Or if it be wounded this Vprightnesse in beleeving and in willing to reforme and obey is a most soveraigne meanes to cure and quiet it or at least it will allay the extremitie of it Not but that an upright man may have trouble of minde and that in some extremitie but he may thanke himselfe for it because he will not see acknowledge that Vprightnesse which he hath and doth not apply it nor cherish it which if he wold doe there is nothing would answer the accusations of his accusing Conscience nor bring more feeling comfort to the soule soo ner or better than this will 8
and hope in him whence as by Conduit-pipes you shall more and more partake of his fulnesse even grace answerable â—…ace in kinde though not â—…sure for though yoâ—…apable of the fulnes â—…ghtnesse of Christ in whose mouth was found no guile Yet you shall have a measure of uprightnesse proportionable to your faith For as the branch partaketh more of the vine so it draweth more sappe and beareth more good fruit Eightly You must with an holy jealousie of the deceitfulnesse of your hearts examine your selfe often not onely of what you have done and now doâ— but of the manner how what moveth you and why as you may see before in the marks of uprightnesse Lay your selfe oft to the rule of uprightnesse scil the will of God and finding your selfe faulty study and assay to amend and be upright and that to the utmost of your power Ninthly Exercise that measure of uprightnesse which you have and be more thankefull for the little you have than discouraged as many are because they have no more If you finde your selfe upright be abundantly thankefull and resolve to keepe and increase it by all meanes Keep your heart thus with all diligence then as all other graces so this of uprightnesse will increase in the using Tenthly and lastly use the meanes of all meanes the Catholicoâ— for all graces which is Prayer Thinke not to gaine uprightnesse by the power of your own might but in the sense of your insufficiencie repaire oft to God by praier even to him who made your heart in whose hands your heart is who best knoweth the crooked windings and turnings of your heart who onely can amend set straight your heart Who because he delighteth in an upright hart and hath commanded you to seeke it in the humble use of his meanes will assuredly give it Thus David Renew O Lord a right spirit within me And Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes CHAP. XIII Of lawfull care and of freedome from taking thought SECTION 1. NOw when you have had a holy care to walke with GOD in uprightnesse according to the foregoing directions It remaineth that you free your selfe of all other care and that you rest holily secure in God enioying your most blessed peace with him according to that golden saying of the Apostle Be carefull in nothing c. Philip. 4. 6 7. For understanding hereof know that the Greeke Noune and Verbe which signifie care or to take care are taken indifferently in Scripture either for lawfull or unlawfull care Now because unlawfull care is more care than GOD requireth Our last Translators of the Bible whensoever there was neede to expresse a difference betweene it and lawfull care doe render it Carefulnesse to bee carefull or to take thought As in this place and Matth 6. 25. Matth. 10. 19. Luk. 10. 41. 1 Cor. 7. 32. and elsewhere But when these words must be understood of a Lawfull care they are translated Care not carefulnesse or to be carefull As 1 Cor. 12. 25. 2 Cor. 11. 28. Phil. 2. 20. 1 Pet. 5. 7. and elsewhere The Care which is Commanded and Carefulnesse which is forbidden differ thus Care is an act of wisedome taking up the understanding facultie chiefly whereby after that a man hath rightly iudged what hee ought to doe what not what good hee is to pursue and what evill is by him to be shunned or removed he accordingly with more or lesse intention and eagernesse of minde as the things to be obtained or avoyded are greater or lesse is provident to finde out and diligent to use lawfull and fit meanes for the good and against the evill and that with all warinesse and circumspection that hee may omit nothing that may further him nor commit any thing that may hinder him in his lawfull designes Which when hee hath done he resteth quiet and careth no further castall care of successe vpon God to whom it belongeth expecting a good issue vpon the vse of good meanes yet resolving howsoever to submit his will to Gods will whatsoever the successe shall be Carefulnesse is an act of feare and distrust taking up not onely the head but chiefly the heart to the very dividing and disturbance thereof causing a man inordinately and over-eagerly to pursue his desires perplexing himselfe likewise with doubtfull and fearefull thoughts about successe Lawfull care may be called a provident care and care of the head Carefulnesse may bee called â— distrustfull care a carking â—are or a taking thought of the â—eart This prevident care is not only â—awfull but necessary For without it a man cannot possibly be â—ecure nor can have hope of â—ood successe This provident care is commended to you in the examples of the most industrious and most â—rovident brute creatures and â—â— the examples of the most pruâ—ent men As of Iacobs care of his safetie how to escape the rage of his brother Esau Of David and Salomon in preparing and building the Temple Of Saint Pauls care of the Churches of the Corinthians care and study to reforme themselves of the good Noble womans care to entertaine the good Prophet of the Good wives and good houswives care of well ordering and maintaining her Family The like you have in the examples of the care of godly unmarried men and women whose care was how to please God and that they might be holy both in Body and Soule and of Mary who cared for that one thing needfull Moreover you are Commanded this provident care namely To study to bee quiet to be no busie body not idle but to labour iâ— a lawfull calling the thing that iâ— good Also to Walke honestly towardes them that are without To indevor so to walke towardâ— Gods people that you keepe the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace To provide for your owne To give diligence to make your calling and election sure To study to maintaine good workes But amongst all you are commanded chiefly to seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse as the best meanes to rid you out of all unlawfull care The properties of prouident care are these First the subiect or seat wherein provident lawfull care resideth is the head for that is the seat of understanding wisdome discretion fore-cast But carefulnesse is chiefly seated in the heart Secondly provident godly care is alwayes about good and lawfull things it hath a good object and good matter to worke upon and to be conversant about propounding alwayes some good thing to bee the end which it would compasse It is not a care about evill as how to make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof like the Carefulnesse of Amnon to defile his Sister Tamar nor like Ahabs and Iesabels carefulnesse for Naboths Vineyard and life Nor yet like Absoloms carefulnesse how to usurpe his Fathers Kingdome nor like Hamans how
unconceivable so the time of it is indeterminable it is everlasting and hath no end Consider this with the former and it cannot be denyed but that the peace of God doth every way passe understanding CHAP. XV. Touching the removing of presumption an impediment to Peace IF you would enjoy this happy Peace you must first remove and avoyd the impediments Secondly you must use all helps and furtherances which serve to procure and keepe it I reduce the impediments unto two heads First A false opinion and hope that all is well with a man and that all shall be well with him in point of his Salvation when yet indeed God is not reconciled to him Hence will follow a quietnesse of heart somewhat like to peace of Conscience which yet is but a false peace Secondly Causelesse doubting and false feare that a mans estate touching his salvation is not good albeit God be indeed at peace with him Hence followeth trouble and anguish of heart some-what like unto that of Hellish despaire disturbing his true peace Either of these doe hinder peace The first hindereth the having The second hindereth the feeling and comfortable enioying of peace It hath beene an old device of Satan when he would keepe any man from that which is true to obtrude upon him that which shall seeme to be true but is false Thus he did in the first calling of the Iewes and to mee is more than probable will doe at their second calling When hee saw they had an expectation of the true Christ he to divert and seduce them from the true Christ setteth up false Christs Even so in the matter of peace If he can so delude men that they shall content themselves with a false Peace hee knoweth that they will never seeke for that which is true It is a common practice with the Devill to endevour to make all that are not in state of grace to presume that they are Also such is his cunning and malice that when any man is in the state of grace he will cast all the doubts and perils hee can to make that estate doubtfull and discomfortable to vexe and to wearie him if hee cannot drive him to despaire knowing that if he could drive him into hold him in utter despaire he were as certainly in his power as if hee did presume Now the Heart of man so farre as it is Vnsanctified being deceitfull above all things is most apt to yeeld to Satan in both these cases Whence it is that there are very many which bragge of much peace and yet have least of it And many feare they have no peace who yet have much of it Wherfore the Rule is Beleeve not either your deceitfull heart or the Devill when they tel you either that you are in state of salvation or in state of damnation But beleeve the Scripture what it saith in either You may know when these perswasions come from your deceitfull heart or from the Devil thus First If the meanes to perswade you to either be from false grounds or from misapplication of true grounds Secondly If the conclusions inferred from either perswasion be to keep you in a sinful course and to keep you or to drive you from God as to make you think that you need not be so strict in godlinesse or that now it is in vaine or to late too turne seek unto GOD then it is from Satan and from a deceived heart and you must not beleeve them But if these perswasions be from a right applicatioÌ„ of true grounds and doe produce these good effects to drive you to God in prayse or prayer and unto a care to please God they are from his gracious Spirit The false Peace and evill quiet Conscience doth arise from these three causes First from Grosse ignorance of the danger wherein a man lyeth because of sinne whence followeth a blind Conscience Secondly from Groundlesse security and presumption that all shall be well with him not withstanding that hee knoweth hee hath sinned and knoweth that sinne is damnable whence hee hath a deluded Conscience Thirdly from Obstinacy through delight and custome in sin whence commeth senslesnesse of Conscience which is a seared Conscience Wheresoever any of these evils raigne albeit God hath said there is no peace to the wicked that is no true peace yet such feare no evill but promise to themselves peace and safetie like those of whom the Prophet spake who had made a covenant with death and with Hell were at an agreement Yea though they heare all the Curses against Sinners which are in Gods booke denounced against them yet will blesse themselves in their owne heart and say they shall have peace though they walke in the stubbornnesse of their hearts But whosoever is thus quiet in himselfe through a false peace it is a signe that the strong man keepeth the house and that he continuing in this fooles Paradise is not farre from sodaine and fearefull destruction from the Almighty Whosoever therefore would have true peace of GOD must beware of these three impediments First Hee must know and be throughly convinced that by nature by reason of Adams first transgression which is justly imputed to him and because of his owne inherent wickednesse of concupiscence and of actuall sinnes of omission and commission both inthought word and deed he is in state of sinne and condemnation having God for his enemie yea is an heire of wrath and of eternall vengeance of Hâ—lâ— fire According to that of the Apostle All have sinned and are become guiltie before GOD and have come short of the glorie of God Ignorance of danger may give quiet to the mind for a time but it can give no safetie Is not he foolishly secure that maketh himselfe merry in a ruinous house not knowing his danger untill it fall upon him Whereas if he had known it he should have had more feare and disquiet but should haue beene in lesse perill Secondly let no man presume upon weake and false grounds that he shal escape the vengeance of hell or attaine to the joyes of heaven Now how weakely and vainely many doe ground their hopes and from thence their peace shall appeare by that which followeth 1. Some thinke that because God made them surely hee will not damne them True if they should have continued good as hee made them God made the Devil good yea an excellent creature yet who knoweth not that he shall be damned If God spared not his holy Angels after that they became sinfull shall man thinke that hee will spare him A sinfull man shall be judged at the last day not according to what he was by Gods first making but as hee shall bee found marred and made naught by the Devill and by his owne lusts When Iudah became a people of no understanding it is said He that made them will shew
heaven Meere Oratory in some patheticall Preachers when they speake of matters dolefull and terrible will move the affection and draw teares from some hearers Likewise a plaine powerfull downright conviction of the certainty of Gods wrath denounced and sense of some just judgement of God may wring forth some teares some humiliation yea some kind of reformation Did not Felix tremble when Saint Paul reasoned of Righteousnesse Temperance and Iudgement to come Did not Ahab humble himselfe when the Prophet denounced Gods iudgements against him and against his house Did not the Israelites oft when they were in distresse and when God did not onely warne them with his Word but smote them also with his rod returne and seeke earely after God And whereas they say they tasted of the heavenly gift of the good Word of God and of the powers of the world to come they may know that such is the sweetnesse of Gods promises and such is the evidence and goodnesse of Gods truth in the glad tydings of Salvation that the common gift of the Spirit going with it all the forementioned feelings may be wrought in men altogether destitute of saving grace For did not the seede sowen in stony and thoâ—nie ground goe thus far Did not those mentioned in the Hebrewes who notwithstanding all this might fall away irrecoverably attaine to thus much Now if men not in state of grace may goe so farre as hath been proved then it must not be marvelled that even such with Herod may also reforme many things For an hypocrite may have not onely a kinde of illumination but a kinde of sanctification which may for the time worke a kinde of change in him so that hee may leave many evils and may doe many good things hee may forsake bad company and keepe good yet this man may be in no better estate then hee out of whom the evill spirit did goe which returned with seven other more wicked than himselfe or then the Sow that was washed A Pharaoh also and a Simon Magus in their feare may desire a Moses and a Peter to blesse them and pray for them That cursed Balaam could wish that hee might dye the death of the righteous he would seeme not to transgresse for an house full of gold and though faintly telleth God that if it did seeme evill in his eyes hee would goe backe againe Yea further it is possible for a man without saving grace even out of meere selfe-love either when hee smarts or is ashamed for some foule sinnes or is afraid of Hell or when by the sweete allurements of the Gospell hee is affected with an admiration of heauen and heavenly things I say it is possible for him not onely to wish freedome from punishment and enjoyment of eternall glory as the end but may desire power against sinne and grace to doe well as the meanes but how onely as from a flash of lightning suddenly come and as suddenly gone like the sluggards longing but when he commeth to be taught the mystery of godlinesse and is put upon the spirituall workes of holinesse as the cutting off the right hand and the denying himselfe for Christ then he will none of it he conceiveth like those Discipies in Iohn that they are hard sayings Who can heare them For their good wishes were not from a setled deliberate will out of true hatred of sinne and out of love to God and goodnesse therefore they were but slight and unconstant Moreover the best men yea the best Ministers may have a very good opinion of an hypocrite David esteemed highly of Achitophel the Disciples never suspected Iudas For they seeing a good outside being also charitable and not able to see the heart doe alwayes judge the best and thinke men to be changed renewed when sometimes it proveth otherwise They mistake when they say they are changed and reformed if still they retaine any bosome and beloved sinne as Herod did To change-sinnes one sinne into another is no change of the man for hee that changeth the prodigality of his youth into Covetousnesse in old age remaineth a notorious sinner before God as well now as then conceive the like of all other likewise to forbeare the act of any sinne because they have not the like power occasions temptations or meanes to commit sinne as in former time this is no change sin in these respects hath left them not they it For true conversion and repentance doth consist of a true and through change of the whole man as well in one part as another whereby not onely some actions are changed but first and chiefly the whole frame and disposition of the heart is changed and set straight to God ward from evill to good as well as from darknesse to light And whereas naturally a man is earthly minded and maketh himselfe his utmost end so that either he onely mindeth earthly things or if hee mind heavenly things it is in an earthly manner and to an earthly end as did Iehu if this man have truely repented and is indeede converted he becommeth heavenly minded he maketh GOD and his glory his chiefe and furthest end in so much that when he hath cause to minde earthly things his will and desire is to minde them in an heavenly manner and to an heavenly end If you would judge more fully and clearely of this true change See at large the description and signes of uprightnesse before delivered Chap. 12. Last of all there are many presume that although as yet they have no saving faith in Christ nor sound repentance that God will give them space and grace to repent and beleeve before they dye Whence it is they have peace for the present These must give mee leave to tell them that they put themselvs upon a desperate hazard and adventure First who can promise unto himself one minute of time more than the present sith every mans breath is in his nostrils ready to expire every moment Besides the Spirit saith God doth bring wicked men to desolation as in a moment And againe Hee that being often warned hardeneth his necke shall suddenly be destroyed without remedy 2 Suppose they may have time yet whether they shall have grace to beleeve and repent is much to be doubted For the longer repentance is deferred the heart is more hardned and more indisposed to repentance through the deceitfulnesse of sinne And it is a just judgement of God upon such as are not led to repentance by the riches of Gods goodnesse forbearance and long-suffering that he should leave them to their impenitent hearts that cannot repent so treasuring up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath Custome in sinne doth so root and habituate it in man that it will be as hard for him by his owne will and power to repent hereafter hee neglecting GODS present call and
finite his sinne being the erring act of a creature cannot every way be infinite Wherefore such an act or transgression cannot in it selfe be unpardonable by a Creator a God who is every way infinite SecoÌ„ndly Consider that the price to satisfie GODS justice namely the death of CHRIST even the precious bloud of God the onely begotten Sonne of God doth exceed all sinne in infinitenesse of satisfaction of GODS justice and wrath due for sinne For if Christs death be a sufficient ransome for the sinnes of all Gods Elect in generall then much more of thine in particular whosoever thou be and how great and how many sins soever thou hast committed Thirdly Know that the mercy of God the forgiver of sinnes is absolutely and every way infinite For mercy in God is not a qualitie but is his very nature as is cleare by the description of his Name proclaimed Exod. 34. Which rightly understood and beleeved taketh away all the objections which a fearefull heart can make against himselfe from the consideration of his sinnes First He is mercifull that is he is compassionate and to speake after the manner of man is one that hath bowels of pittie which yerne within him at the beholding of thy miseries not willing to punish and put thee to paine but ready to succor and doe thee good But I am so vile and so ill deserving that there is nothing in mee to move him to pittie mee and doe me good 2. Hee is Gracious whom he loveth hee loveth freely of his owne gracious disposition who saith I even I am hee that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes And when God saith hee would sprinkle cleare water upon sinners and that hee would give them a new heart c. hee saith not for your sakes doe I this saith the Lord God That you should be sensible of your owne misery and then in the sense thereof that God may be enquired after and sought unto for mercy is al which he looketh for in you to move him to pitty and mercy and such is his graciousnes that he will worke this sense and this desire in you that he may have mercy But I have a long time prouoked him 3. He is long-suffering to you-wards nÌ„ot willing that you should perish but that you should come to repentance but waiteth still for your repentance and reformation that you may be saved Yea But I am destitute of all goodnesse and grace to turne unto him or doe any thing that may please him 4. He is abundant in goodnesse and kindnesse he that hath beene abundant towards others heretofore in giving them grace and making them good his store is no whit diminished but he hath all grace and goodnesse to communicate to you also to make you good Yea but I feare though God can yet God will not forgive me and give me grace 5. Hee is abundant in truth not onely the goodnesse of his gracious disposition maketh him willing but the abundance of his truth bindeth him to bee willing and doth give proofe unto you that he is willing He hath made sure promises to take away your sinne and to forgive it and not yours onely but reserveth mercie for thousands Beleeve therefore that God both can and will forgive you Yea but my sinnes are such and such and such bred at the bone â—â—numerable hainous and most â—â—ominable I am guilty of sins 〈…〉 all sorts 6. He forgiveth iniquity transâ—ession and sinne He is the God â—hat will subdue all your iniâ—uities and cast all your sinnes â—â—to the bottome of the Sea Yea but I renew my sins daily 7. I answer out of the Psalm His mercy is an everlasting mercie his mercy endureth for ever He biddeth you to aske forgivenesse of sinne daily therefore hâ— can and will forgive sinne daily yea if you sinne Seventie time seven in a day and shall confess it to God with a penitent heart he will forgive for he that biddeth you be so mercifull to you brother will himselfe forgive much more when you seeke unto him I But I have not onely committed open and grosse sinnes both before since I had knowledge of GOD but I have been a very Hypocrite making profession of GOD and yet daily commit grievous sinnes against him 8. What then Will you say your sinnes are unpardonable God forbid But say I will follow the Counsell which GOD gave to such abominable Hypocrites I will wash mee and make me cleane I will by Gods grace wash my heart from iniquitie and my hands from wickednesse by washing my selfe in the Laver of regeneration bathing myselfe in Christs bloud and in the pure water of the Word of truth applying my selfe to them and them to me by faith Say in this case I will heare what God will speake And know that if you will follow his counsell Isa 1 18. If you wil hearken to his reasoning and embrace his gracious offer made to you in Christ Iesus the issue will be this though your sins have beene most grosse reiterated double dyed even as crimson and sear let they shall be as wooll even as white as snow God will then speak peace unto you as unto other his Saints onely he will forbid you to returne to folly For not onely those which committed grosse sins through ignorance before their conversion as did Abraham in Idolatry and S. Paul in persecuting noâ— yet onely those which committed grosse sinnes through infirmitie after their conversion as did Noah by drunkennesse and Lot by incest also and Peter by denying and forswearing his Master Christ Iesus obtained mercy because they sinned ignorantly and of infirmity But also those that sinned against Knowledge and Conscience both before after conversion sinning with an high hand as Manasses before and in the matter of Vriah David after conversion they obtained like mercy and had all their sinnes forgiven Why are these examples recorded in Scripture but for patterns to sinners yea to most notorious sinners of all sorts Which should in after times beleeve in Christ Iesus unto eternall life Be willing therfore to be beholholding to God for forgivenes beleeve in Christ for forgivenes which when you doe you may be assured that you never yet committed any sin which is not and which shal not be forgiven For was it not the end why Christ came into the world that he might save sinners yea chiefe of sinners as well as others Was he not wounded for transgressions viz. of all sorts Is it not the end of his comming in his Gospell to call sinners to repentance What sinners doth hee meane there but such as you are who are laden and burdened with your sinne Doth hee not say if any man sinne marke if any man we have an advocate
kinde of the sinne if you wel observe it it being a wilfull and malicious refusing of pardon upon such tearmes as the Gospell doth offer it scorning to be beholding unto God for it You may perceive what it is by this description The sinne against the holy Ghost is an utter wilfull and spitefull reiecting of the Gospell of Salvation by Christ together with an advised and absolute falling away from the profession of it so farre that against former knowledge and conscience a man doth maliciously oppose and blaspheme the Spirit of Christ in the Word and Ordinances of the Gospel and motions of the Spirit in them having resisted reiected and utterly quenched all those common and more inward gifts and motions wrought upon their hearts and affections which sometimes were intertained by them in so much that out of hatred of the Spirit of life in Christ they crucifie to themselves a-fresh the Sonne of God and doe put him both in his Ordinances of Religion and in his members to open shame â—reading underfoot the Sonne of God counting the bloud of the Covenant wherewith they were sanctified an unholy thing doing despight to the spirit of grace If you shall heedfu'ly looke into these places of the Scripture which speake of this sinne and withall doe observe the opposition which the Apostle maketh betweene sinning against the Law and sinning against the Gospell you shall clearely finde out the nature of this sinne But to resolve you of this doubt if you be not overcome with Melancholy for then you will answer you know not what which is to be pittied rather than regarded I would aske you that thinke you have committed the sinne against the holy Ghost these Questions Doth it grieve you that you have committed it Could you wish that you had not committed it If it were to be committed would you not forbeare if you could choose Would you take your selfe beholding to God if hee would make you partakers of the bloud and Spirit of his Sonne thereby to pardon and purge your sinne and to give you grace to repent Nay are you troubled that you cannot bring your heart unto a sense of desire of pardon and grace If you can say yea then albeit the sinne or sinnes which trouble you may be some fearefull sinne of which you must be exhorted speedily to repent yet certainly it is not the sinne against the holy Ghost It is not that unpardonable sinne it is not that sinne unto death For he that committeth this sinne cannot relent neither will he be beholding to GOD for pardon and grace by Christs bloud and spirit he cannot desire to repent But he is given over in Gods just judgement unto such a reprobacy of minde pollution and deadnesse of conscience perversnesse and rebellion of will and to such an height of hatred and malice that he is so blasphemously despitâ—fully bent against the Spirit of holinesse that â—t much pleaseth him rather than any way troubles him that hee hath so maliciously and blasphemously rejected or fallen from persecuted and spoken blasphemously against the good way of Salvation by Christ and against â—he gracious operations of the Spirit and against the members â—f Christ although he was once convinced clearly that this is the â—nely way of Salvation and that those graces and gifts were from God that they were the deare children of God whom he doth â—â—w despight Others if not the same object â—â—us God will certainely conâ—â—mne them because S. Iohn â—â—th said if their hearts condemne â—em God is greater than their â—arts hence they in ferre God will condemn them much more For they say their hearts doe condemne them There is a double judgement by the heart and conscience It â—â—â—gâ—â—h a mans state or person â—â—â—theâ—â—e be in state of grace â—â—â—â—â—â—o Also it judgeth a mans â—…lar actions whether they be good oâ— no. I take it that thâ—i place of Iohn is not to be understood of judging or condemning the person For God in his finall judgement doth not judge according to what a mans weaâ— and erroneous conscience judgeth for so it cannot choose buâ— be more or lesse in this life making it the square of his judgement to condemne or absolve any For many a man in his presumption iustifieth himselfe iâ— this life when yet God will condemne him in the world to comâ— and many a distressed soule liâ—â— the Prodigall and humble Puâ—â— liâ—an coÌ„demneth himselfe wheâ— yet God will absolve him For a man may have peace with God yet God for reasons best known to his wisedome doth not presently speake peace to his conscience as it was with David in which case man doth judge otherwise of his estate than God doth This place is to be understood of iudging of particular actions namely whether a man love his brother not in word and tongue onely but in deed and truth according to the exhortation ver 18. Which if his Conscience could testifie for him then it might assure his heart before God and give it boldnesse to pray unto him in confidence to receive whatsoever hee did aske according to his will But if his owne conscience could condemne him of not loving his brother in deed and truth then God who is greater thaÌ„ his hart but wherein greater greater in knowing mans heart and the truth of his love knowing all things must needs condemn him therein much more Even as Peter in the question whether hee loveth Christ or no he appeales to Christs omniscience whereby he proveth his love towards him saying Thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee This is the full scope of the place Yet this I must needs say that the holy Ghost hath instanced in such an act namely of hearty loving the brethren which is an infallible signe of being in state of grace whereby except in case of extreame melancholy or phrensie and in the brunt of a violent temptation a man may judge whether at that present he be translated from death to life yea or â—o If any shall think the place to be understood of judging the person he must distinguish between that judgement which the heart doth give rightly and de iure and that which it giveth erroneously But suppose that you trying your selves by this your hearts doe condemne you of not loving the brethren can you conclude hence that you shall be finally damned God forbid All that you can inferre is this you cannot have boldnesse to pray unto him untill you love them nor can you assure your selves that you shal have your petitioÌ„s granted And the worst you can conclude is that now for the present you are not in state of grace or at the least you want proofe of being in state of grace You must then use all Gods meanes of being ingrafted into Christ and must love the children of GOD that you may have proofe thereof Did Paul love
that if hee offer grace to day who can tell whether he wil offer it to morrow Or whether he will offer it again Who knoweth whether God will take him from the meanes of Salvation or will take the meanes of Salvation from him All this our holy and wise God hath revealed in his Word to make men wise to take the opportunity and time of grace while it is offered Wherfore whosoever have let slippe their first times offers of grace have sinned plaied the fooles egregiously for which they have cause to be much humbled But for you to conclude hence that the date and time of your conversion is out hath no sufficient ground For it is not possible for you to know that your time of conversion is past all recoverie But you shold rather for the present time beleeve and hope that it is not past Indeed to presume to put off receiving grace untill to morrow is foolish and dangerous but if God give you time till to morrow that you live and it can be said to day so long as you yet live and the externall meanes of Salvation are not taken from you either in their exercise or out of your remembrance but you doe yet live to heare what God hath commanded you to doe and to heare what good things hee yet offereth unto you with Christ or if the meanes be taken from you or you are detained from them by sicknesse c. so long as you yet live to call to remembrance what God hath commanded you to beleeve and doe you cannot say the time is too late If you would yet condemn your selves for refusing grace heretofore and would be now willing and desirous to accept of it Moreover would you now with all your heart use the meanes of Salvation and indevour to beleeve and repent if you thought it were not too late And doth it grieve you that you have let slip the opportunitie And would you gaine and redeeme that lost time if you knew how Then I dare in the name of God assure you that the date of your conversion is not out It is not too late for you to turne unto the Lord. While it is to day I may boldly say harden not your heart which if you doe not you must know that now is an acceptable time now is the day and time of your Salvation At what time soever GOD doth send his Minister unto you by whom GOD doth beseech you they intreating you as now I doe in Christs stead that you would be reconciled to GOD this is the acceptable day if you will be intreated by them The day wherein GOD will accept of you is not past Moreover at what time soever and by what meanes soever any man shall humble himselfe for sinne and aske grace the date of Gods acceptance of him is not out Learne this in the example of Manasses and many other who had refused grace in their yongertime yet were converted in their age You have Gods expresse words for it who saith From the dayes of your fathers that is for a long time Yee are gone away from mine ordinances and have not kept them Returne unto me and I will returne unto you saith the Lord of Hoasts That place in the Proverbes rightly understood doth not contradict any thing which I have said nor yet serve for that for which it is alledged For by refusing there he meaneth a constant and obstinate refusing of wisedomes counsell untill such time that God hath broughtsome misery on them theÌ„ they should call upon him By calling upon him in that place is not meant a hearty praying with godly sorrow for sin making request for pardon and for grace but a crying or howling rather like those in Hosea under the sense of Gods judgements praying in truth onely to be eased of it For at what time soever a sinner shall repent GOD will turne to him And whosoever looketh towards Christ the true Temple shadowed forth by the materiall Temple at Ierusalem and confesseth his sinne and asketh pardon God will pardon for so hath he promised But may not a man pray too late and seek repentance in vain as Esau did who found no place of repentance though he sought it carefully with teares Did not the foolish Virgins seeke to enter into the Bride-chamber but were not admitted And doth not our Saviour say many shall strive to enter in and shall not be able No man can aske grace and forgivenesse of sinnes too late if he aske for grace and power against sin heartily But a man may aske a temporall blessing or the removall of a temporall evill when it may be too late As for Esaus carefull seeking of repentance you must understand it not of his owne repentance from his prophanenes and from other dead workes but of his Father Isaacks repentance he would have had his father to change his minde and to have given him the birth-right which was already bestowed upon Iacob Read Gen. 27. 34. 38. Whereas the foolish Virgins did assay to enter into the Bride-chamber when the doore was shut know that this is a parable and must not be urged beyond its generall scope which is to shew that formall professors of Christianitie such as have onely a forme of godlinesse without the power of it they although they will not live the life of the righteous yet they could wish their end might be like theirs And because of their outward profession of Christs Name in this life they securely expect eternall life but because before their death they did not provide the oyle of truth and holinesse therefore at the day of Iudgement they shall be disappointed of entering into Heaven which in the time of their life they did so much presume of The like answer may be given unto that place alledged out of Luk. 13. 24. Yet unto that place more may be said You mistake when you say that Christ saith many shall strive to enter and shall not be able He saith Strive to enter in at the straight gate for many I say to you shall seeke to enter in and shall not be able he doth not say many shall strive to enter There is great difference in the signification of the Greeke words and so there is betweene striving and seeking signified by them Seeking imports onely a bare professing of Christ such as is shewed in giving the name to Christ comming to Church hearing the Woâ—d and receiving the Sacraments For thus did the men spoken of by our Saviour who are said not to be able to enter But to strive to enter is to doe all these and more it is to strive in seeking for him that they take up their crosse and follow him they give their hearts to him as well as their names they are heartie and sincere in Praying Hearing Receiving they strive to subdue their lusts which offend Christ
they renew their griefe and repentance yet they doe not fall into an allowed course of sinne any more Thus much in answer to the first doubt of Sanctification Secondly There are many which doubt they are not sanctified because of those swarmes and multitude of evill thoughts which are in them some whereof which is fearefull for them to thinke or speake are blasphemous unnaturall and inhumane calling Gods being truth power and providence into question doubting whether the Scripture be the word of God and many moe of this nature having also thoughts of laying violent hands upon themselves and others with many moe of that and other sorts such as they never felt at all or not so much in their knowne state of unregeneracy before they made a more strict profession of godlinesse such as they thinke none that are truly sanctified are troubled withall To resolve this doubt know that evill thoughts are either put into men from without as when Satan doth suggest or men doe solicite evill thus Iobs wife Curse God and dye Or they doe arise from within out of the evill concupiscence of a mans owne heart And sometimes they are mixt comming both from within and without Those which come onely from Satan may usually be knowne from them that arise out of mans heart by their sodainenesse and uncessantnesse namely when they are repelled they wil somtimes returne againe an hundred times in a day Also they are unreasonable and unnaturall and withall are strange and violent in their motions taking no nay but by violent resistance Wheras those which altogether or in great part are from mans owne corrupt heart they usually arise by occasion of some externall object or from some naturall cause and are not so sudden and incessant nor are so unnaturall inhumane and violent Now all those evill thoughts or thoughts of evill rather which are from Satan or from mans putting them into you if you consent not unto them but doe abhorre and resist them with detestation they are not your sinnes but Satans and theirs that did put them into you They are your crosses because they are matter of trouble to you but they are not your sinnes because they leave no guilt upon you They are no more your sinnes then these thoughts Cast thy selfe downe headlong and fall downe and worship me viz. the Divell were Christs sinnes if you consent not but resist them as CHRIST did You should heedfully observe this For if the Divell was so malicious and presumptuous as to assault our blessed Saviour with such divellish temptations casting into his head such vile blasphemous notions and thoughts should you thinke it strange that he doth pester you with the like And if for all this you have no cause to doubt whether Christ were the Sonne of GOD or no though the Divell made an if of it and it was the thing the Divel aimed at why then should it be doubted that any of Christs members may be thus assaulted and yet have no cause for this to question whether they be sanctified or in state of grace For these in them are so far from being abhominable evils that being not consented to they as I said are not their sinnes It is a peece of the Divels cunning first to fill a man full of thoughts for matter abhominable and then to be the first that shall put in this accusation and doubt viz. Is it possible for any childe of God for any that is sanctified with Gods holy Spirit to have such thoughts But consider well that an innocent Beniamin may have Iosephs cup put into his sacks mouth without his privity or fault by him who for his owne ends intended to make matter thereof wherby to accuse Beniamin of theft and ingratitude Was Beniamin any whit the more dishonest or ingrateful for all this A malicious Cutpurse having tempted a neighbour to jayn with him in cutting of purses being denyed by him doth craftily plot how to doe him a mischiefe and meeting the said neighbor in a throng of people cutteth another mans purse and closely conveigheth it into his neighbours pocket and presently asketh if none have lost their pâ—â—se which being missed hee poâ—â—â—eth at his neighbour saying that â—e suspecteth him who being taken and searched the purse is found about him yet you will judge this neighbour to be innocent Sathan doth not want malice or craft in this kinde to play his â—â—ates Where he cannot corrupt men yet there he wil veâ— and perplexe them But let it be granted that these blasphemous and abhominable thoughts which trouble you are indeede your sinnes either because they arise from your owne evill heart or because you did consent to them they being cast in by others If so then you have much cause to grieve and to repent but not to despaire or to say you are not Gods childe For it is possible for a sanctified man to be made guilty either by outward act or by consent and approbation or by some meanes or other of any one sinne except that against the holy Ghost yea of any blasphemy except that now albeit a man be guilty of these vile or blasphemous thoughts and doubtings yet if he confesse and bewaile his sinne even his blasphemy if his heart ake at the thoughts thereof if hee repent beleeve and aske mercy it shall be forgiven him For he hath our Saviours word for it And whereas you say you were not troubled with such abominable thoughts before that you made profession of an holy life I answer this is not to be woÌ„dred at For before that time the Devil and you were friends then hee thought it enough to suffer you to be proud of your civill honesty or it may bee to content your selfe with a meere forme of godlinesse suppose that you were free from notorious crimes as adultery lying swearing c. For when hee could by these more plausible wayes lead you captive at his will he saw you were his sure enough already what need was there then that hee should solicite you any further or to disturbe your quiet But now that you have renounced him in earnest and that hee and you bee two you may bee sure that he will attempt by all meanes to reduce you into your old state or if he faile of that yet as long as you live so farre as God shall permit hee will doe what hee can to disturbe your peace by vexing and molesting you Moreover GOD doth permit this for divers holy purposes 1. To discover the Devils malice 2. To chastise his children and to humble them because they were too well conceited of the goodnesse of their nature in their unregeneracy or might be too uncharitable and censorious of others and too presumptuous of their owne strength since they were regenerate 3. God likewise permitteth these buffetings and winnowings of Satan as to prevent pride and other sinnes so to exercise and make
your selves against blasphemous and vile thoughts and temptations In the second place When you are thus armed whensoever these blasphemous and fearefull thoughts rise in you or are cast into you Take heed of two extremities First doe not contemne them so as to set light by them for this giveth strength to sinne and advantage to Satan Secondly Be not discouraged nor yet faint through despaire of being rid of them in due time or of withstanding them in the meane time For then Satan hath his end and his will of you But carry your selves in a middle course Plod not too much on them dispute not too much in your selfe with them presume not of your owne strength but by lifting up of your hearts in prayer call in GOD Sayd to resist and withstand them present some pregnant Scripture to your mind such as is direct against them whereby you may with an holy detestation resist them according to CHRISTS example with It is written Now when you have done all this then if it bee possible thinke on them no more Thirdly Indevour at all times to make Conscience in the whole course of your life of your thoughts even of the least thoughts of euill yea of all thoughts and this will be a good meanes to keepe out all evill thoughts If it cannot prevaile thus farre yet you shall have this benefit by it when your heart can tell you that you would in every thing please God and that you make conscience of lesse sinfull thoughts than those vile ones with which you are troubled then you may be sure that you may be and are Gods children and are sanctified notwithstanding those blasphemous thoughts and Devilish temptations Againe Some doubt they are not sanctified because they have fallen into some of those grosse sinnes yea it may be into worse then those which they committed in their state of unregeneracie I answer such You are in very ill case if you doe not belye your selves and if so you are in ill case because you belye your selves I advise you that have thus sinned in either to repent speedily and to aske forgivenesse God by his Spirit doth as wel cal you to it as he did Israel saying Returne to the Lord thou hast fallen by thine iniquitie take with you words and turne unto the Lord and say unto him take away all our iniquitie and receive us graciously then will God answer I will heale your back-sliding I will love you freely You say that you are backeslidden suppose it were so he saith I will heale your backsliding c. reade Ier. 3. 12. 13. Mic. 7. 18. 19. You must not doubt but that grosse sinnes committed after a man is effectually called are pardonable It is the Devils policie to cast these doubts into your heads wholly to take you up by shutting out all hope of grace and mercie that you might have no thoughts of returning and seeking unto God for mercie But beleeve him not he is a Lyar. For it may befall one that is in state of grace to commit the same grosse sinnes after Conversion which he did before if not greater than the same Did not David by his adultery and murther exceed all the sinnes that ever he committed before his Conversion Did not Salomon worse in his old age then even in his yonger dayes Did Peter commit any sinne before his conversion like that of denying and for swearing his Master Why were the fals of these Worthies written but for examples to us on whom the ends of the earth are come First That every one that standeth should take heede left he fall Secondly That if any be fallen into any sinne by any occasion that he might rise again as they did and that they may not despaire of mercy No man though converted hath any assurance except hee himself be in special sort watch full and except hee have speciall assistance of Gods grace to be preserved from any sinne except that against the holy Ghost But if he be watchful over his waies and doe improove the grace of God in him after Conversion seeking unto God for increase of grace then he as well as the Apostle Paul may be kept from such grosse sinnes as are of the foulest nature otherwise not Indeede they that are borne of God have received the most sweet annointing of the Spirit the seed of grace which ever remaineth in them Whence it is that they sinne otherwise in state of regeneracie then they did in state of unregeneracie in so much that the Scripture of truth notwithstanding the regenerates particular grosse sinnes saith that whosoever is borne of God sinneth not not that they are free from the act and guilt of sinne for in many things wee sinne all saith Saint Iames but because they sinne not with full consent They are not servants to sinne They doe not make a trade of sinne as they did in their unregeneracie Neither doe they sinne the sinne unto death which all unregenerate men may and some do yet for all this it may and oft doth come to passe that partly from Satans malice and power and partly from the remaines of corrupt nature partly from Gods iust iudgements on many because they stood not on their watch or because they were presumptuous of their owne strength or because they were over-censorious and unmercifull to them that had fallen that true converted soules may fall into some particular grosse sinne or sinnes for matter greater then ever before Conversion Others yet complaine and say they feare they have never repented they feele that they cannot repent for they cannot grieve as they ought They can poure out flouds of teares more then enough for crosses but many times they cannot shead one teare for sinne They do nothing as they ought to doe They live in their sinnes still How then can they bee said to have repented and to be sanctified If by doing as you ought you meane perfectly well in every point and circumstance of the Law never any meere man did thus If you could so doe as you ought What need have you of CHRIST to supply your defects and to redeeme you But if by doing as you ought you meane a doing according as God now qualifying the rigour of the Law by the graciousnesse of the Gospell doth require of you and in Christ will accept of you namely to will and endevour in truth to doe the whole will of God then if you will desire and endevour to mourne for sinne to repent and obey as you should you may truly bee said to doe as you ought and as you should And in this case whatsoever is wanting to the perfection of deed Faith in Christ Iesus who kept the lawfully and as he ought for you doth supply the defect thereof For the righteousnesse of the Law is fulfilled in all though not fully by any which walke not after the
flesh but after the Spirit And as for weeping at crosses sooner and more than for sinnes this doth not alwaies argue more griefe for one than for the other For weeping is an effect of the body following much the temper thereof also sense apprehendeth a naturall object or matter of bodily griefe in such sort that the body is wrought upon more sensibly then when a spirituall object of griefe is onely apprehended by Faith Wherefore bodily teares flow easily from sense of crosses and more hardly from thoughts of sinne For spirituall obiects doe not ordinarily worke passions in the body so soone or so much as bodily and sensible obiects doe Griefe for a crosse is more outward and passionate thence teares but spirituall griefe is more inward sad and soaking in which cases teares lye so farre off and the organs of teares are so much contracted and shut up that they cannot be fetcht or wrung out but with much labour When you are bidden in Scripture to mourne and weep for your sins nothing else is meant but to grieve much and to grieve heartily as they doe who weepe much at outward calamities Besides it is not unknowne that even in naturall griefe dry griefe is many times greater than that which is moistned and overfloweth with teares And some softer effeminate spirits can weep at any thing when some harder spirits can weepe at nothing As the greatest spiritual ioy is not expressed in laughter so neither is the greatest spirituall griefe expressed in teares God regards the inward sighing of a contrite heart more then the outward teares of the eyes An Hypocriticall Saul being overcome with kindenesse and a false-hearted Ahab being upon the racke of feare may in their quames and passions weepe and externally humble themselves and that in part for sinne when a deare child of God may not be able to command one teare The time when Gods Children have most plentie of teares is when the extremitie and anguish of griefe is well over namely When their hearts beginne to melt through hope of mercy Zach. 12. 10. And as for leaving sinne altogether Who ever did in this life Who ever shall Sith there is no man that liveth and sinneth not But mistake not you may through GODS grace have left sinne when yet sinne hath not left you For whosoever hateth sinne and resolveth against it and in the Law of his minde would not commit it but is drawne to it by Satan and by the law of his members and after it is done doth not allow it but disclaimes it with griefe this man hath left sinne And if this bee your case It may be said of you as the Apostle said of himselfe It is not you that doe evill but it is sinne that dwelleth in you that doth it Many yet complaine They cannot Pray Reade Heare Meditate nor get any good by the best Companies or best conference which they can meete with They are so dull so forgetfull so full of distractions and so unfruitfull when they goe about or have beene about any thing that is good that they feare they have no grace at all in them yea it maketh them sometimes to forbeare these duties and for the most part to goe about them without heart It is not strange that it should be so with you so long as there is a Satan to hinder you and so long as you carry about the old man and body of sinne in you Moreover Doe you not many times goe about these holy duties remissely negligently onely cursorily and customarily without preparation thereunto not looking to your feete and putting off your shooes before you approach unto Gods holy things and holy presence Doe you not many times set upon these holy duties in the power of your owne might and not in the power of Gods might or have you not beene proud or too well conceited of your selves when you have felt that you have performed good duties with some life or are you sure that you should not be spiritually proud if you had your desirein doing al these Further doe you not mis-call things calling that no Prayer no Hearing c. or no fruit because you doe them not so well nor bring forth so much as in your enlarged spiritually covetous desires you long to doe and have If it bee thus with you then first mend all these faults confesse them to GOD and aske mercie Next bee thankefull for your desires to Pray Reade Heare c. And for your longing to doe all these as you should Prosecute these desires but alwayes in the sense of your owne insufficiencies and in the power of Gods might then all the forementioned duties shall bee performed with lesse difficultie and with more fruit and comfort Yet because in all these duties you travell to heaven-ward against the hill and your passage is against Winde and Tyde and with a strong opposition of enemies in the way you must never looke to performe them without sense of much difficulty and little progresse in comparison of what you aime at in your desires It concernes you therefore to plye your Oares and to apply your selves by all meanes to worke out your Salvation with feare and trembling I meane with feare to offend in any the aforementioned duties not in feare that you have no grace because you cannot performe them as well as you should and would For sith that you feele and bewaile your dulnesse deadnesse and unprofitablenesse in holy services it argueth that you have life because no man feeleth corruption and disliketh it by corruption but by grace I am sure that such as have no true grace can and doe daily faile in all these duties but either they find not their failings or if they doe yet they complaine not of them with griefe and dislike If you heartily grieve because you doe no better your desires to doe as you should doe are a true signe of grace in you For that dutie is alwaies well done in Gods account where there is truth of indevour to doe it well and true griefe that it is done no better And whereas you say that by reason of want of spirituall life in holy duties you have beene made to neglect them altogether I pray what have you got thereby but much griefe â—â—d unrest But tell me how is â—â— with you are you pleased with your selfe in your neglect or is it so that you can have no peace in your hearts untill you set your selves diligently to do those duties again as well as you can If so it is a signe that you are not quite destitute of saving grace Others when they have beene at holy exercises and in good company have felt joy and sweet comfort therein but afterward oft-times much dulnesse hath suddenly seazed upon them Which maketh them fear they have not root in themselves and that their joyes and comforts were not sound This dulnesse after fresh-feeling-comforts
was felt witnesse your owne experience for before the hammer and fire of the Word was applyed to your hearts you had no sense of it and never complained thereof You must not call a heavie heart a hard heart you must not call a heart wherein is a sense of an indisposition to good a hard heart except onely in â—omparison of that softnesse which is in it sometimes and which it shall attaine unto when it shall bee perfectly sanctified in which respect it may bee called hard Whosoever hath his will so wrought upon by the Word that it is bent to obey GODS will if he knew how and if he had power this man whatsoever hardâ—esse hee feeleth his heart is soft not hard The Apostle had a heart held in and clogged with the flesh and the law of his members that it made him to thinke himselfe wretched because hee could not bee fully deliverd from it yet wee know his heart was not an hard heart Amongst those that are sanctified there remaineth more hardnesse in the heart of some than in others and what with the committing of grosse sinnes and a cursorie and slight doing of good duties and through neglect of meanes to soften it the same mens hearts are harder at one time than at another of which they have cause to complaine and for which they have cause to bee humbled and to use all meanes to soften it But it is false and dangerous hence to conclude that such are not in state of grace because of such hardnesse in the heart For as GODS perfectest Children on earth know but in part and beleeve but in part So their hearts are softened but in part SECTION 7. Removall of feares rising from doubts about falling from Grace THere yet remaine many who though they be driven up into so narrow a corner that they cannot reply to the answers given to take away their false feares and doubts but they are inforced to yeeld that they find that they now are or at least have beene in state of grace they now see they have beleeved and have beene and it may bee now are sanctified yet this they feare that they either are already fallen or shall not persevere but shall fall away before they dye Touching falling away from grace first know that of those that give their names to Christ in outward profession there are two sorts The first sort are such who have received onely the common gifts of the Spirit as first illumination of the mind to know the mystery of Salvation by Christ and truâ—y to assent unto it Secondly Together with this knowledge is wrought in them by the same spirit a â—â—â—hter impression upon the affections which the Scripture calleth a taste of the heavenly gift and of the good Word of GOD and of the powers of the world to come By these gifts of the Spirit the souâ—es of these men are raised to an abilitie to doe more than nature and meere education can helpe them unto carrying them further then nature or art can doe by working in them a kinde of spirituall change in their affections and a kinde of reformation of their lives But yet all this while they are not ingrafted into Christ neither are deepely rooted as the Corne in good grouÌ„d nor yet are throughly changed and renewed in the inward man they have at best only a formâ— of godlinesse but have not the power thereof Now these men may and oft doe fall away not onely into some particular grosse sinnes of which they were sometimes after a sort washed but into a course of sinning falling from the very forme of godlinesse and may so utterly loose thoâ—e gifts received that they may turne Papists Anabaptists or may fall into any oâ—her Heresie and in the end become very Apostates yet this is not properly a falling from grace It is onely a falling away from the common graces or gifts of the Sâ—irit and from those graces which they did seeme to have and which the Church out of her charitie did judge them to have but they fall not from true saving grace for they neuer had any For if ever they had beene indeed incorporated into Christ Iesus and had beene sound members of his body and in this sense had ever beene of us as the Apostle Iohn speaketh then they should never have departed from us but should no doubt have continued with us The second sort of such as have given their names to Christ are such as are indued with true iustifying faith and saving knowledge and are renewed in the spirit of their minde whereby through the gracious and powerful working of the sanctifying Spirit the Word maketh a deeper impression upon the will and the affections causing them not onely to taste but which is much more to feed and to drinke deepe of the heavenly gift and of the good word of GOD and of the powers of the world to come so as to digest them unto the very changing and transforming them by the renewing of their mindes and unto the sanctifying of them throughout in their whole man both in spirit soule and bodie so that CHRIST is indeed formed in them and they are become new creatures being made partakers of the divine nature Now concerning these It is not possible that any of them should fall away either wholly or for ever Yet it must bee granted that they may decline and fall backe so farre as to grieve the good spirit of GOD and to offend and provoke God very much against them and to make themselves guiltie of eternall death They may fall so farre as to interrupt the exercise of their faith wound their Conscience and may loose for a time the sense of Gods favour and may cause him like a wise and good father in his iust anger to chide correct threaten them making them beleeve hee will turne them out of doores never to receive them into his heavenly Kingdome untill by renewing their faith and repentance they returne into the right way and doe recover GODS lo-ving countenance towards them againe That you may understand and beleeve this the better consider what grace God giveth unto his elect and how and from what they may fill also you must observe well the difference that is betweene the sinning of the regenerate and unregenerate together with their different condition wherin they stand while they are in their sinnes In the first act of Conversion I speake of men of yeeres and discretion GOD by his Word through his holy Spirit doth infuse an habit of holinesse namely an habit of Faith and all other saving graces this every childe of GOD receiveth when he receiveth that holy annointing of the spirit that which the Scripture calieth the Seede remaining in him Secondly God by his gracious meanes and ordinances of the Gospell doth increase this habit and these graces Now because every man
present note this When was it knowne that an Hypocrite did so see his hypocrisie as to have it a burden to him and to be weary of it and to confesse it and bewaile it to aske forgivenesse thereof hartily of God and above all things to labour to be upright If you finde yourselves thus disposed against Hypocrisie and for uprightnesse although I would have you humbled for the remainder of hypocrisie which you feele to be in you yet chiefly I would have you to be thankfull to God and to take comfort in this that you feele it dislike it thank God therfore for your uprightnes comfort your selves in it and cherish and nourish it in you and feare not Moreover consider this How can it justly bee conceived that hee should be an Hypocrite that from an inward principle from the inward motions of his owne heart shall with a setled and deliberate will out of love to God and goodnesse chiefly and out of hatred of sin resolve to his power to abstaine from all sinne and to doe whatsoever he shall know to bee his duty and withall prayeth heartily unto God for grace to that end truly endevouring the same having a carefull eye not onely to the matter of what he doth but to the manner and truth of it being truly grieved when he faileth in either You being such a one how dare you at once offer wrong to your selfe and to Gods grace in you by judging your selfe to be an Hypocrite Others object that they are already fallen farre backe from what they were They doe not feele so much zeale and fervencie of affection to goodnesse nor against wickednesse nor yet doe they now feele those comforts and cleare apprehensions of GODS favour towards them as they did in their first Conversion It may be that you are fallen back and have lost your first love whence all which you have objected will follow but may it not befall a particular childe of GOD to have lost his first love as well as a whole Church the Church of Ephesus You could not for that conclude that Ephesus was no Church neither can you hence conclude that you are none of Gods children or that you shall not hold out unto the end But if it be so be willing to see your sinne and to be humbled and repent heartily of it follow the Counsell of Christ Remember whence you are fallen repent and doe your first workes and certainely Gods childe shall have grace to repent then you enduring to the end shall not bee hurt of the second death notwithstanding that sinne of yours in losing your first love But it may and it oft doth happen that a true child of God doth in his owne feeling thinke he hath lesse grace now than at first when yet it is not so The reasons of his mistake may bee these At the first a truly regenerate man doth not see so much as afterward hee doth At first you had indeed the light of the Sunne but as at the first spring and dawning of the day whereby you saw your greater enormities and reformed many things yea as you thought all but now since the Sunne being risen higher towards the perfect day shining more clearely it commeth to passe that in these beames of the Sunne as when it shineth into an house you may see many motes and very many things amisse in your heart and life which were not discovered nor discerned before you must not say you had lesse sinne then because you saw it not or more sinne now because you see more For as the eye of your minde seeth every day more clearely and as your hearts grow every day more holy so will sin appeare unto you every day more and more for your constant humiliation and daily reformation For a Christian if he goe not backeward seeth in his latter time more clearely a far off what is yet before him to be done and with what an high degree of affection hee ought to serve God to what an height of perfection he ought to raise his thoughts in his holy ayme which in the infancie of his Christianitie hee could not see Hence his errour Even as it is usuall for a novice in the Vâ—iversitie when hee hath read over a few Systemes and Epitomes of the Arts to conceit better of himselfe for Scholarship than when hee hath more profound knowledge in those Arts afterwards for then he seeth knottie difficulties which his weake knowledge being not able to pry into passed over with presumption of knowing all Secondly Good desires and feelings of comforts are sudden strange and new at first which suddennesse strangenesse and newnesse of change out of state of corruption and death into the state of grace life is more sensible and leaveth behinde it a deeper impression than can possibly be made after such time that a man is accustomed to it or that can be added by the increase of the same grace A man that commeth out of a close darke and stinking Dungeon is more sensible of the benefit of a sweet aire of light and libertie the first weeke than he is seven yeares after he hath enjoyed all these to the full Let a meane man be raised suddenly and undeservedly unto the estate and glory of a King he will be more feeling of the change and will be more taken and exalted in his conceit with the glory of his state for the first weeke or moneth than at ten yeares end wheÌ„ he is accustomed to the heart and state of a King yea more than if at ten yeares end he happen to have the accession of another Kingdome unto him and though double power and glory bee conferred on him Thirdly GOD for special causes doth tender his Scholars when they first enter into Christs Schoole In like manner doth he deâ—dle and deale with his Babes in CHRIST before they can goe alone Doe not wise Schoole-masters the better to enter and encourage their young and fearefull Scholars shew more outward expressions of affection kindnesse towards them and forbeareth to exercise Schoole-discipline on them the fâ—ist weeke that they come to Schoole yea it may bee shew more countenance and familiarity towards them their first weeke then ever after untill the time that they send them to the Vniversitie And hath not a young chilae more attendance and fewer falls in his or her infancie while it is carried in the arms or led in the hands of his father or mother then when it goeth alone But when it goeth alone it receiveth many a fall and many a knocke yet this doth not argue lesse love in the parents or lesse strength in the child now then when it was but one or two yeares old Fourthly Albeit Gods trees planted in his Courts alwayes should and usually doe in their age beare more and better fruit then they did or could doe in their youth yet these through a false apprehension of things
which also doth minister unto you matter of assured hope and comfort Another will say I doe even faint in my troubles and in my feares and I am ready to give over all what shall I doe What would you have me to doe Your case is not singular many other have beene and are in this case It is no otherwise with you than it was with the Psalmist and Ionah Doe as they in that their fainting did First give not over but remember God call upon him give him no rest Secondly trust on him and wait untill you have comfort That holy man of GOD said My flesh and my heart faileth but GOD is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Likewise Ionah â— said I am â—ast out of thy sight yet I will looke againe toward thine holy Temple And againe when my soule fainted within mee I remembred the Lord and my prayer came up unto thee into thine holy Temple that is as if he had said unto God I prayed unto thee in the name of Christ and thou didst heare me When you walke in the darkenesse of affliction and inward discomfort Hee to whom God gave the tongue of the learned to speake a word in due season to him that is wearie giveth you counsell and whose wil you in this state of yours follow if not his his counsel is this saying Who is among you that feare the Lord and obey the voyce of his servant that walketh in darkenesse and hath no light Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Marke it He that feareth and obeyeth yet may bee in darkenesse and have no light what darknesse is this but that spoken of vers 4. viz. an afflicted wearie soule without light of comfort And men thus distressed must trust in the Lord and stay on their God Yet these poore soules who whether they should be sharply reproved or pitied more is hard to say I am sure they deserve both will yet object strongly It is true they that feare God and obey him may trust in the Lord and stay upon God And he hath made most rich promises to theÌ„ that know him that doe feare and obey him See here is promise with condition saith one I must feare the Lord I must obey him I know God will doe his part if I could doe mine but these I doe not what warrant then or ground have I to looke for comfort or any thing at Gods hand for his promises belong not to me I know well that with this doubt the Devill doth much perplexe the afflicted soules of many of Gods dearest children and by it keepeth off all the remedies which Gods Word can afford so that they cannot fasten and doe them good For the propositions of the Word are easily assented unto but all the matter lyeth in the application of them to the wound It is still put off and keepe his Commandements there he promiseth with Condition here he absolutely promiseth those on whom hee intendeth to bestow these blessings that he will put his feare in their heart that they may be capable of them And which is more to the end that men might repent beleeve and live godly which is the Condition to which the promise of forgivenesse and Salvation is made God declareth that he hath raised Christ and exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give this faith and repentance that their sinnes may be forgiven and their soules saved by him I pray consider well whether al these promises of this sort be not made absolutely on GODS part and without any Condition on mans part Wherefore whereas God hath made many excellent promises of free and great rewards as to heare the prayers and to fulfill the desire of them that feare him and to give life and glory to them that beleeve obey him and that do hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing to the end you see that here are promises of the first sort made with a kinde of Condition But that GOD will give his people both to will and to doe these things required in the condition he hath absolutely promised as hath beene clearely proved If you yet reply and say are not these latter promises made under condition of our well using the outward meanes thereof such as hearing of the Word prayer c. GOD indeede commandeth these meanes to be used and if we performe them aright God will not faile to blesse the good use of these meanes but this well using them is not in our owne power neither is it a Condition for which God is necessarily bound to give Faith and to plant his feare in our harts any otherwise than by his promise but it is a Condition by which he hath ordained ordinarily to give these graces to al which in the use of them shall waite upon him for them For both the giving of his word and the giving us minds to heare the Word and the opening of the heart to attend and the convincing and alluring the heart to obey hang all upon those absolute promises They shall be all taught of God and the rest before mentioned Wherefore let none of yeares thinke that without hearing praying and the right using of Gods ordinances they shall ever have faith and the feare of God wrought in them or shall ever come to Heaven For wee are commanded to pray heare c. and that in Faith or else we can never looke to receive any thing of the LORD And doing what lieth in manspower in the right using the meanes of Saluation is of great consequence although it be not a sufficient cause to move GOD necessarily to give grace For I am perswaded that the best should have more grace if they would doe what in them lay continually to make good use of the outward meanes of grace and the worst should be guilty of lesse sinne if they would doe what in them lay to profit by the good use of the said meanes And the neglect or abusing of the means is sufficient cause why God should not onely withhold grace but condemn men for refusing it But some will yet say let all which hath beene said be granted I finde that God hath not fulfilled these his absolute promises to me for I doe not yet feare God and obey How can I hope How can I choose but feare my estate Let this for the time be granted that God hath not planted his feare in your heart c. as yet May hee not doe it hereafter Sith hee hath made unto you such excellent promises to fulfil them without condition on your part but that you should onely use the meanes and waite Will you not give him leave to fulfill them in his owne time And will you not waite and be glad if they may be fulfilled at any time Times and seasons of Gods communicating his graces are reserved
to be at his owne disposing not at ours It should be your care onely to be present at GODS Ordinances and when you reade or heare the Word or will of God to indevour to beleeve and obey it As when hee saith Thou shalt love the Lord thy GOD with all thy heart Thou shalt beleeve in the name of the Lord thy God and trust in his Name Thou shalt obey the voyce of the Lord thy God and serve him and such like Attend to the Word heedfully and because this Word is infallibly true and excellently good bring your thoughts and heart to beleeve and to approve it and say within your selves these are true these are good this I ought to doe this I would beleeve and doe Lord helpe mee and I will doe it O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy statutes In such like agitations and reasonings of the reasonable soule it pleaseth GOD to give his grace both to will and to doe his Commandements But secondly doe not say that you have not faith and the feare of God and love to him all which God of his free grace promised as you heard to you absolutely which graces are indeed the conditions fore-going the reward promised when as in truth you have them For what kinde of duties be these thinke you Are they Legall which require perfect exact and full degrees of faith feare and love Or are they not Evangelicall Such as doe require truth in all these and doe not exact ful perfection in degrees If you have desire if you can desire to feare him which is the scantling of the feare of Gods people as Nehemiah calleth it so if you desire to beleeve and will to obey in the inmost longing of your soul according to the measure and strength of grace in you this according to the Tenour of the blessed Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ is true and acceptable through Christ for whose sake GOD doth accept the will for the deede in all such cases wherein there is truth of will and endevour but not power to doe Furthermore if you thinke that it is your well doing that must make you acceptable to God you are in a proud and dangerous errour Indeede God will not accept of you if you doe not indevour to doe his will but you must propound to your selfe another end than to be accepted for your well-doing You must doe your dutie to shew your obedience to God and to shew your thankfulnes that God hath pleased and doth please to accept you in his Sonne Christ and that it is your desire to be accepted through him But I would have you which are pressed with the load of your sinnes looke neerely judiciously and impartially into your selfe it may be you have more faith feare of God and obedience then you are aware of or then you will be knowne of Can you grieve and doth it trouble you that you have so little faith so little feare of GOD and that you doe shew so little obedience and is it your desire and indevor to have more and to doe as well as you can though you cannot doe so well as you should then you have much faith feare and â—bedience For to grieve for little â—aith feare and obedience is an â—videntsigne of much faith feare â—nd obedience For whence is â—his trouble and griefe but from Gods saving graces And to â—rieve for little sheweth that you â—ong for and would have much Let this suffice to be a full answer to the principall doubts whereof fearefull hearts will â—ake no answer Never yeeld to your feares waite on God still â—or resolution of your doubts in â—is best time For it is not man that can but it is God that both â—an and will speake peace to his people not onely outward but inward peace In the meane time though you can have no feeling comfort in any of GODS promises yet consider God in the Lord and that Christ is Lord of all you are his creature you owe to him all obedience wherefore you will as much as you can keepe your selfe from iniquity and you will strive to doe his will let him do with you as hee pleaseth yea though he kill you or though he give you no comfort till death you will trust in him and will obey him and it is your desire to rest and hope in him as in your Redeemer then whether you know that God is yours or no I am sure he knoweth you to be his this is an argument of strong faith And you are upon a sure ground The foundation of God remaineth sure The Lord knoweth his and who be they Even all that professing his name depart from iniquitie And whosoever in his heart would he in truth doth depart from iniquity Something remaineth yet to be answered Many say that doe what they can they are assaulted still so thicke with temptations that they cannot have one houres quiet What of that Doth this hinder your peace with God that the Devill the World and your lusts Gods sworne enemies are not at peace with you So long as you have peace of Sanctification in this degree that the faculties of soule and body doe not mutinie one against the other but hold a good correspondencie in joyning together against their fleshly lusts which fight against the soule you are in good case I meane when the Vnderstanding Conscience Will and Affections are all willing to doe their part against sinne their common enemy Not but that you shall find a sensible warring opposition in all these while you live here even when you have most peace in this kinde but how The unsanctified part of the understanding is against the sanctified part of the understanding and unsanctified will against the sanctified will and so in all other faculties of the soule flesh in every part lusteth against spirit in every part spirit in every part lusteth against flesh in every part For as every sanctified part hath the spirit so it hath likewise the remaines of the flesh fighting one against the other Now if that your faculties and powers be ruled all by one spirit you have a good agreement and good peace within you notwithstaÌ„ding that the flesh doth so violently warre against this spirit For this warring of sinne in your members against the spirit the warring of the spirit against sinne argueth clearely that you have peace with God and this warre continued will in time beget perfect peace But let no man ever looke to have peace of sanctification perfect in this life For the best are sanctified but in part Wherefore let no man professing Chrisâ— think that he shal be freed from temptations and assaults risinâ— from within or comming from without so long as he liveth in this world Are not Christians called to be Souldiers Wherefore wee must arme our selves that we may stand by the power of Gods might and quit our selves like
your actions to the Rule though rightly propounded The Scripture must also rectifie you in this For many a one erreth in this also saying my actions and condition are according to the Rule or not according to the Rule When indeede they are otherwise than they judge For every mans owne spirit so farre as it is sinfull is apt to give a false Testimony of it selfe David said he was cut off from God when hee was not The Laodiceans thought themselves in good state when Christ saith they were wretched and miserable Now that you may not erre either in the Rule or application of your selfe to the Rule you must use all good meanes to have your judgement rightly informed in either point and then be willing to judge of your selfe as you are and of your peace with God as it is I told you that the holy Scripture must bee your guide in judging what you should be and what you are I meane the Scripture rightly understood Now to attaine a right understanding of the Scripture and abisitie to judge your selfe by it whether you bee in state of grace from the knowledge whereof commeth peace looke backe unto Chapter 8. Se ion 2. taking unto them these following directions 1. Observe a difference and distinction in true Christians both in their different manner of calling estate after calling Some called in infancie as Samuel and Iohn Baptist Some in middle and old age as Abraham and Zacheus Some called without sensible terrors of coÌ„science as those before mentioned Some with violent heart-ache and anguish as S. Paul and the lay our In some these terrors abide longer in some a shorter time And after Conversion all are not of like growth and strength Some babes weake in judgement and affections Some strong men strong in grace generally but strong also in corrupâ—ion insome particular Some old men so well grounded in knowledge and confirmed in resolution that no lust getteth a head to prevaile in them Also one and the same man may be sometimes in spirituall health and strong somtimes under a temptation weake and feeble sometime can pray c. and have comfort sometime not Now none must conclude he is no Christian because hee is not in every thing like others noâ— at all times like himselfe 2. Trust not your owne iudgement of sense in your owne ease whosoever would understand and be wise according to Scripture must deny himselfe and not leane to his owne sense or wisedome but must be a foole that he may be wise you must bring your conceits to be ordered and framed by the Scriptures You must not presume to put a sense of your owne into the Scripture but alwayes take the sense and meaning out of it It is presumption of a mans owne opinion and stiffenesse in his owne conceits which marreth all in this case And whence is this but from his folly and pride Oh if you who are troubled in Conscience could be every way nothing in your selves you would quickly be something in God and you should quickly know it If you would be humbled and not nourish this pride in you you should quickly know your state with comfort I know many of you will wonder that I should charge you with pride you judging your selves to be so base and vile Wel for all that I will now prove to your faces that it is humility you want and if it were not that you were proud you would judge of things otherwise than you doe For first you cannot beleeve in CHRIST you say because you cannot obey him and bee dutifull as a good wife to him If you could obey then you could beleeve that he were yours and you his whereas you must first beleeve in Christ and take him for your husband and beleeve he is your husband before you can obey him Can a woman or should a woman obey a man and carry her selfe towards him as to her husband before that shee beleeve that hee is her husband If you could obey as you should Oh then you thinke CHRIST would love you It were well if you could love CHRIST and obey him it is your dutie But to thinke he will not save you because you have no goodnesse or worth in you to cause him to love you is not this from hence you would be some thing in your selfe for which Christ should cast his love upon you Christ marrieth you not because you were good but that hee might make you good that you might know him c. But you doe not see this his worke in you that he hath made you good therefore you doubt I answer though it may be in you yet Christ will not let you see it because you will not beleeve that hee is yours and you his Bring your heart to this and you have reason for it for the Father giveth him and he giveth himself to you in the Word and Sacraments then you will love him and obey him abundantly Is not she a proud and foolish woman that may have a Kings sonne upon Condition that shee will strip her selfe of all her own proper goods and let him endow her at his pleasure yet still shee will be whining and discontented with her selfe because shee hath nothing of her owne to bring to him for which hee should love her But you will still say Christ hath not endued you with so much grace as to be able to doe as you should Content your selves If you would but see that he hath married you to himselfe you then would use the meanes which hee hath appointed whereby he giveth his graces you would be thankfull for what you have you would pray wait his pleasure for more relying on his wisedome for how much and when If you doe not thus then in this you shew your selves proud in that you preferre your owne wisdom before his Let it be supposed that you are not proud standing upon termes of having any goodnesse in you for which Christ should love you but you would with all your hearts bee all that you are in him and would be beholding to him for taking you poore and â—asâ— as you are Is there no other pride thinke you but when you doe thinke well of your selves or would bee thought well on for your goodnesse Yes there is another pride which is as daÌ„gerous in this case of causlesse doubting and that is to bee too well conceited of and to bee wedded to your owne knowledge and to your owne opinion in judging your selves Vnderstand it in this particular The holy Scriptures give you to understand I speake still to such onely as with all their soules would please GOD yet can feele no comfort that your state in point of Salvation is good And Gods experienced children yea his faithfull Ministers who dare not lye for God much lesse to ease you they according to the Scriptures doe assure you that your state is not as you say
understand aright in what state you stand Which if you will observe it it will be an excellent furtherance towards the obtaining of peace Now I will shew by what meanes you may havâ—… cause and mattâ—… your judgement to worke upon whence it may give you peace and comfort If you would have peace and comfort in your soules then first and chiefly you must get and cherish the Spirit of God in you that it may speake peace to you and may give you matter for your spirit to worke upon whereby you may conclude you are in Gods favour For though I grant that you can have no feeling witnesse to your selfe say whatsoever can besaid untill your spirit can witnesse that you are Gods children yet your spirits are not to bee trusted in their witnessing but onely so far forth as the Spirit of God doth witnesse to your spirits that it is so that you are indeed his children Whatsoever comfortable conceits a man may have in himselfe of his good estate in grace heâ— an have no true joy and 〈…〉 by the holy Ghost whose proper work it is to comfort and is therefore called the Comforter For by him only a man can know and by him a man may know the things which are given him of God But it will be said the Spirit bloweth where it lusteth how is it possible for any man by any meanes to get it In respect of mans owne abilitie it is as unpossible for him to get the spirit to come into and to move in his hart as it was for those impotent folke which lay waiting at the Poole of Bethesda for the Angels comming to move the waters to cause the said moving of the waters yet they wayting the waters were moved and ever and anon they that waited and gave not over waiting at the Poole were benefited Thus if men will wait in the use of the meanes wherein and whereby GOD doth give and continue his holy Spirit to men they may looke to have it The first meanes to get the spirit is to be an empty soule sensible of the losse of that holy Spirit which once you had in Adam you must mourne and hunger and thirst after the Spirit If you will doe thus you may expect the receiving of the Spirit For God saith that hee will powre water upon him that is thirstie c. I will powre my spirit upon thy seed saith he to the Church Secondly that your heart may be stirred up to long for the Spirit you must know that there is an holy Ghost and not onely so but must know him to bee God and you must beleeve him to bee the comforter And as it is in our Creede give him this honour and glory as to beleeve in him and conceive of him as the proper Author of sanctifi atten and comfort this is the way to have the Spirit and to be sure of it that you have it Our Saviour saith that the not knowing or beleeving hereof is the cause why the World receive not the Spirit Thirdly bee constant and diligent in waiting for the having and for the increase of the gifts of the Spirit in the holy exercises of Religion as reading hearing and meditating of the Word of God especially of the blessed Hystory and promises of the Gospell c. You must wait for it in the motions and stirring of GODS Word in you by Gods meanes then as Cornelius and his company received it at Peters Sermon and as the Galathians at the hearing of saith so may you For the Gospell is called the Ministery of the Spirit Fourthly Pray for the Spirit and though you cannot pray wel without the Spirit yet sith it is Gods will that you should pray for it set about Prayer for it as well as you can then God will enable you to pray for the spirit and you shall have it For Christ saith If yee that are evill know how to give good gifts to your children How much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that aske him As these are means to get the spirit so they are meanes to continue nourish and increase the graces of the Spirit Fifthly If you would keepe and nourish this Spirit you must take part with it in its lusting against the flesh you must not resist but willingly receive the comforts and motions of the spirit and must doe your best to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit you must take heed that you neither grieve nor quench the spirit It is grieved when it is resisted crossed or opposed any way It is quenched as fire is two wayes first by throwing on water all sinfull actions as they be greater or smaller are as water they doe accordingly more or lesse quench and abate the Spirits operations Secondly fire may bee quenched and put out by with-drawing of wood and fewell All neglect or negligent using of the Word Sacrament Prayer Meditation and holy conference and communion of Saints doe much chill and quench the spirit Whereas the daily and diligent use of all these doth much increase strengthen stirre up and inflame it whence must needs follow much peace and comfort Now when you have gotten this holy Spirit and have any proofes of the holy Spirits being in you then you ought to rest satisfied in the Spirits witnesse to your spirit your spirit should doubt no more For even in this that God hath given you his spirit the very being of it in you is a reall proofe and the greatest confirmation that can be of your being instate of grace For when you have this Sâ—â—â—it I You are annointed what greater confirmation would you have of being made Kings and Priestâ— to God 2 You are also by this spirit sealed to the day of Redemption what greater confirmation can there be of Gods Covenant and of his Will and Testament towards you 3. It is likewise the Earnest of your inheritance which giveth present being and beginning to the Covenant and bindeth to the perfect fulfilling it in its time wherefore you are so surely Gods when he hath given you his Spirit that unlesse you can thinke he will lose his Spirit the earnest which he gave you you can have no cause to thinke that hee will lose you or not fulfill the promise of Salvation maâ—â— unto you whereof his Spirit is the earnest and part of the Covenant This Spirit doth witnesse to a man that he is the child of God two wayes First by immediate witnesse suggestion Secondly by necessary inferences by signs from the infallible fruits of the said spirit by which later witnes you may know the former to be a true testimony from Gods spirit the spirit of Adoption and not from a spirit of errour and presumption For this spirit of Adoption is a spirit of grace and supplication it is a spirit of godly sorrow and it is a