1 From self 1 By denying the fact 8 2 Telling some artificial story 9 10 3 Pleading Ignorance 10 4 It is my Nature 11 5 A Custom I have got 13 6 It was in Drink 16 7 Passion 19 8 In my Childhood 20 9 My good Nature 21 10 I was in Jest 25 11 Against my will 26 12 Necessity put me upon it 27 13 Besides my Intention 28 14 Was surprised with fear 29 15 It was in a matter of moment 30 16 To cover and prevent shame 33 17 It was not my act but others 36 Eight wayes whereby we are partakers of others Sins 37 18 It was in pure Zeal 40 19 My Conscience 2 or under a Vow 3 Oath 4 Curse 42 20 It is but a small Sin 44 21 The first time 45 22 It is all the fault I have 46 23 It was to save my life 47 24 My Negative Goodness 47 25 Many good Deeds done 48 26 I have a good Heart strong Faith 51 27 Little did I think it 52 CHAP. III. Excuses from others are taken from other Persons 2 Things 54 1 From other persons 1 Men 2 God 3 Satan Men distinguished into 3 Classes 1 Superiors Equals Inferiors 2 Men considered as Good Bad. 3 as Friends Foes Strangers 1 Excuses taken 1 from Superiours 54 1 Their Example 54 2 Counsel 55 3 Commands 55 4 Promises or Threats 56 2 Excuses from Equals 58 3 From Inferiors 58 2 Excuses taken 1 from good men 60 2 from bad men 65 Excuses taken 1 from friends 66 2 foes 69 3 strangers 71 CHAP. IV. 4 Excuses taken 1 from God 72 1 His Providence 72 2 His Decrees 74 3 His Permission 78 4 His pretended Austerity 81 5 His Mercy 83 6 His denegation of Grace 84 7 That God owed them a shame 85 2 From Satan 86 CHAP. V. Excuses taken from other things 1 Ignorance 90 2 My Place and Office 91 3 Example of Predecessors 92 4 I am not the first nor shall be the last 94 5 The best in the place do so 95 6 Good Intention 96 7 Antiquity 96 8 Tradition 99 9 Vniversality 100 10 Singularity 101 11 The Law of the Land 102 12 It is my own and I may do with it what I will 105 13 It is lawful in it self 109 14 Christian Liberty 111 15 Our Calling 113 16 Manner of our Country Society c. 116 17 The odious names put upon Virtue 116 18 The honourable Titles upon Vice 117 CHAP. VI. Excuses taken from some Doctrines and Scriptures misapplyed and some observations likewise 119 1 The Doctrine of Election and Reprobation 119 120 2 That all are Sinners 122 3 That Christ died to save Sinners 124 4 That we are saved by Grace 126 5 That we are justifyed by faith 127 6 The Saints imperfections 129 7 That we are not under the Law but Grace 132 8 That we are to try all things 134 9 That it is but repenting at last 135 The Case of the Thief on the Cross 138 Sundry observations 1 the peaceable End of some wicked men 140 2 The weak parts of the Godly 142 3 The low estate of the Godly 144 4 Divisions among Christians 145 5 Scandalous lives of some Preachers 148 CHAP. VII Excuses as to Duty 1 I am a Child 149 2 I am unlearned 153 3 Want competent abilities 154 4 Our Calling 155 5 I will hereafter 158 6 Want of Company 7 Sufferings 161 8 Terms of Honour 163 9 We are well already 165 10 It is no part of our Calling 165 11 Despair of success 166 12 Excess of Humility 171 CHAP. VIII Excuses as to Faith and Believing 173 1 From the greatness of the thing promised 171 2 The things promised too good 175 3 Our selves too bad 175 4 Sad misgivings of Heart 177 5 The means unlikely 179 6 Present Providences unlike former Presidents 181 7 Providences cross promises 182 8 That time is past and now too late 183 9 It is above all reason imaginable 185 10 I am under so many afflictions 186 11 Fear I have committed the Sin against the Holy Ghost 187 12 Relapses into Sin again 194 13 Fear of Reprobation 195 CHAP. IX The Causes and Reasons of Excuses 198 1 Causa prima Man's fall 199 2 A primâ orta Our corruption by the fall 200 3 Causae assistentes 1 Principal Satan 200 2 Secundary Man 201 4 Deficient causes 1 Want of due consideration of Gods omniscience c. 202 2 Not considering the Latitude of Gods Law 203 3 Not remembring the last Judgement 204 4 Want of Conscience 205 2 Ends of Excuses 1 To avoid shame 205 2 To gain a repute of Religiousness 207 3 To stop the Mouth of Conscience 208 4 To spare greater pains 209 CHAP. X. The sinfulness vanity and frivolusness of Excuses 210 1 Sinfulness because the greatest hinderers of good 210 2 The greatest Nursery of Evil. 212 3 They are oftentimes no other than flat Refusals and Denyals 213 2 Their vanity 1 In that they cannot stand before any approach into Gods presence 214 2 Nor before the light of Gods word 215 3 Nor a strict Examen of Conscience 215 4 Nor bear up in a day of trial 216 5 Least of all in the day of Gods Judgment 217 CHAP. XI The Application of the whole 218 1 By way of Lamentation 218 2 By way of Humiliation 229 Excuses 1 charged with a breach of all the 10 Commandement 231 232 Instances in each Commandement 2 With Sins against the Gospel 239 3 Against Christ 239 4 Against the Holy Ghost 240 3 They turn all things unto Sin 241 4 They do harden men in Sin 242 3 Several uses of Information 242 1 Informing what a shifting Creature Man is 242 2 Whence so little true Piety Faith Obedience and Conscience in the world 245 3 The folly of that Proverb Better a bad Excuse than none at all 246 4 The sad difference of Gods care of Man's Salvation and Man's carelesness 247 5 The wide difference between the sincere Christian and the unsound in respect of Excuses 248 249 6 The difference between Gods Judgement of man and Mans concerning himself 249 7 The difference between man in his day of Sin and of Gods Visitation 249 8 The difference between Man's sense of his Excuses now and in the day of Judgement 250 9 Informs that men may be shut out of Heaven notwithstanding much fair Carriage and good Language 255 10 Informs Heaven may be lost in pursuance of things in themselves Lawfull 255 11 Performing Relative Duties is not all required of Christians 256 4 Vse of Examination 257 5 And last Vse of Exhortation or rather Dehortation 261 Four Removals of Excuses 262 1 By ready Obedience 262 2 By Repentance 262 3 Flying to Christ by faith 265 4 To remove sinfull Excuses by making use of safe Excuses whereof 267 5 Instances out of the Old Testament 268 5 Out of the New Testament 272 to the end ANTAPOLOGIA OR A DISCOURSE OF EXCUSES CHAP.
Malice as Ananias his lye Acts 5. 9. Not repented of but sin unrepented of as the two Theeves are Examples 10. Not sin confessed but covered and smothered Prov. 28. 13. Lastly Sin forsaken never damns sin not forsaken ever damns Prov. 28. 13. Ezek. 18. 21. Manasseh an example of the one Pharaoh of the other 1. We must distinguish of Righteousness 1. There is a Legal and Evangelical Righteousness 2. A Righteousness before God and before men Before God there is none Righteous according to the strictness of the Law But Zachary Elizabeth Abel and Lot and all truly godly are called and counted righteous by an Evangelical righteousness while they endeavour to fulfil all righteousness though in many things fall short But though they dare not plead their righteousness before God in whose Eyes the Heavens are not pure yet can they before men say Ye are witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblamably 1 Thess 3. Po. we have had our Conversation among you Whose Oxe or Asse have I taken or whom have I defrauded There are sins Quotidianae Incursionis as Tertullian calls them some over-sights which the best are not free from but bewail and they consist with Grace But there are other gross sins Vastantia Conscientiam which make foul work with Conscience and denominate a man unrighteous in a high measure these shut out of Heaven 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. A third Doctrine much abused to strengthen Doct. 3. Christ died for Sinners men in sin is That Christ dyed to save Sinners which is the most comfortable Doctrine in all the Bible a saying worthy of all acceptation and due consideration But what use doth the presumptuous Sinner make of it Then saith he shall I do well enough though I live in sin for I can't out-sin the Merits of Christ's Blood which is said to cleanse from all sin And thus would he make Christ the Minister and Maintainer of sin as if he came not to destroy the Works of the Devil but to Patronize 1 John 3. 8. them But if thou wilt understand know That Jesus Christ came not to save us in and with but from our sins Matth. 1. 21. that is from the practice love and dominion of sin He gave himself for us to redeem us from all Iniquity and to Tit. 2. 14. purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good Works Every word of which Text speaks life to the Sinner but death to his sin Christ came indeed to reconcile God and the Sinner not the Sinner and Sin He pulls down the partition-wall between God and the Believer but sets up a partition-wall between the Believer and his Sin But many deal with Christ said a worthy Dr. Hall Bishop as some do with their Prince or some great noble man they care not how much they take up and how far they run in debt and when payment should be made they get a Protection to elude the course of Justice So do many fly to Christ for his Protection saith he and this is a common cheat 4. There is no Doctrine more abused then Doct. 4. We are saved by grace that of free grace That we are saved by Grace not Merit The Scripture ascribeth all to Grace we are justified by Grace Rom. 3. 28. Saved by Grace not Works Ephes 2. 8. Where Sin aboundeth Grace superaboundeth Rom. 4. 20. Hence the Libertine assumeth I will rely on the Grace of God and not doubt of Salvation though I am such a Sinner The Apostle easily foresaw that such an Antinomian and Antievangelian Inference would be made by some ungodly ones as Jude calls them who would turn grace into wantonness therefore doth twice obviate and refute it in one Chapter Rom. 6. 1. Shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound And verse 15. Shall we sin because we are not under the Law but under Grace And knocks down both with the same short answer of defiance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God forbid Shall Grace act against it self and destroy Grace shall gratia gratis data become Ingratum faciens 1. These do quite and clean corrupt the Doctrine of Grace which teacheth to deny Vngodliness and worldly Lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Tit. 2. 11. 2. These do pervert the use of Grace set down Rom. 6. 14. Sin shall not have dominion over you because ye are not under the Law but under Grace 3. These frustrate the main end of Grace which is set down Rom. 5. ult That as Sin hath reigned unto Death Grace might reign by Righteousness to eternal life To abuse Grace is the greatest Sin imaginable and to despight the Spirit of Grace is the Sin unpardonable Heb. 10. 29. And if any are ungodly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in God's Black-Book as destined to condemnation Jude verse 4. they are such as turn the Grace of God into wantonness A fifth Doctrine much abused is That Doct. 5. That we are saved by Faith we are justified and saved by Faith alone which is most true and consonant to Scripture Rom. 3. 28. Gal. 2. 16. Ephes 2. 8. I will therefore believe saith the careless Christian and then hope I shall do well enough though I have no good works which I hear are excluded in those fore-cited Scriptures in the matter of Justification But know O vain man That Faith and Works are only opposed in the matter of Justification but are never separated and parted As the Eye and Ear are opposed in the matter of seeing the Eye only sees not the Ear but where God gives Eyes he gives Ears also So to whom Grace is given to believe it is given to obey Faith is not an idle but active and operative Grace It works by love Gal. 5. 6. Is of a heart purifying nature Acts 15. 9. It unites the Soul to Christ so that Christ is said to dwell in the Soul by Faith Ephes 3. 16. And to live in the Soul Gal. 2. 20. The right Epithete of true Faith is most holy Faith Jude verse 20. His right property is sanctifying Acts 26. 28. True Faith is never solitary but attended and known by her good many Companions Vertue 2 Pet. 1. 5. Love Ephes 1. 15. Fear Heb. 11. 7. Repentance Mark 1. 15. Righteousness 2 Tim. 2. 22. Obedience Heb. 11. 8. Patience Heb. 6. 12. Sanctification 2 Thess 2. 13. Good Works Tit. 3. 8. Her Exercises are holy Duties Therefore we read of the Prayer of Faith James 5. 15. Living by Faith Heb. 11. 28. Walking by Faith 2 Cor. 5. 7. And as to our spiritual warfare it is of singular use we read of the fight of Faith 1 Tim. 6. 22. Resisting the Devil quenching his fiery Darts overcoming the World and all by Faith So that such know little of the nature of Faith who dream that Faith hath nothing to do but to look on a Promise and sit still Faith hath Promises Conditions Precepts Threats
glory So again when we call upon men to duty to come in and receive Christ How do all with one consent make Excuse my Calling Oxen Farm Merchandize will not permit and give me time the work is good I confess I speak not against it but the time is not yet I am a Child ignorant an unlearned person I have a full purpose hereafter when more at leasure when out of debt settled in the world when I have buried my aged Father and my self my own man and my estate in my own hand but let me alone till then or till I am old sick dying and then I will do what you will have me So again when we perswade men to believe how backward and slow of Heart are many to embrace the Promises rejecting and in as much as in them is frustrating the grace of God with such like put-offs the Promise is good and too good for me I too bad altogether unworthy neither holy nor humble enough the means are unlikely c. or I fear it is now too late the day of Grace is past the Decree is gone forth Providences are dark Promises delayed my sins afflictions fears doubts temptations great and dreadful Satan assaults dogs insults triumphs and which is saddest of all God hath forsaken me my Prayer are not heard the Vision doth not speak my Flesh fails my Heart fails and my Hope is even giving up the Ghost I might go on Reader thus to enlarge and multiply particulars but must crave thy pardon for this tediousness if either thou desirest more or art not at leisure to read the whole let me advise thee to turn to Chap. 9 10 11. and seriously consider what thou there readest of the veariety vanity sinfulness and danger of Excuses But here thou seest enough to convince thee how common and frequent Excuses are and how justly to be spoken against All the world is undone by them nothing but Excuses Excuses every where Every man hath his Omer full So that call for what you will and put men upon what you will all you must look for is to be put off with an Excuse As he said once To will is present to perform I find not so to Excuse is present to perform I find not an inclination To fly from repent of and turn from sin requireth pains to perform the duties of Sobriety Righteousness and Godliness requires pains to exercise Faith and Patience requireth pains and so the whole of Real Christianity but an Excuse is easie cheap and costeth little I shall trouble thee no longer Reader but desire God to give us all his grace to avoid all sinful and destructive Excuses and that in stead of these we may get our selves furnisht with some of those Better Excuses recommended in the end of this Discourse in particular these five I would commend at present in stead of all others First that of a good Conscience then thou needest no other of which Saint Bernad saith well Optima Câ—ique Excusatio est Testimonium Conscientiae The best Excuse of all is an Excusing Conscience This was St. Paul's Excuse Our rejoycing is this The testimony of our Conscience 2 Cor. 1. 12. It is above a thousand Witnesses we say and I may add above ten thousand Excuses Saint Peter calls it the saving answer of a good Conscience and prefers the vertue of it above that of Baptisme alone 1 Pet. 3. 21. 2. Next to that ready sincere and universal obedience then no need of any devised Excuse when thou canst say with Jacob My righteousness shall answer and speak for me Gen. 30. 33. and with the Apostle we have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftiness as Excuse-makers do 2 Cor. 4. 3. 3. Because Conscience may yet accuse and our Obedience falls short the next good Excuse is Humiliation and Repentance timely and true Shemei after all his foul-mouthed rayling and cursing sped better at David's hands by his making hast to humble himself and crying mercy 2 Sam. 19. 20. then that less guilty Amalekite who brought a Crown coming in his confidence of good Service 2 Sam. 1. 5. And the self-condemning Publican at Gods hands than the self-justifying Pharisee Neither were any received to mercy at Josuah's hands but the self-humbling mercy-begging Gibeonites all that stood upon their defence were cut off 4. With humble Confession and Prostration joyn fervent Prayer This was David's Excuse or Relief Against thee have I sinned turn thy face from my sins and the Lord answered I have taken away thy Sin Self-accusation and Repentance with Prayer obtains absolution and remission This is the Apology or self-clearing mentioned 2 Cor. 7. 11. If we therefore cannot come in with the elder Brothers Apology I have served thee these so many years neither transgressed at any time then come in with the younger Brothers confession and supplication Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son c. 5. Lastly above all fly to Christ by Faith that he may make thy Excuse by interceding for thee His Office is to mediate reconcile and plead for us as our Advocate to undertake for us our Surety to take away Sin as our Propitiation then what need of Excuses wheas Sin is taken away through him we shall be presented unblamable unchangeable before God Col. 2. 22. Ar thou therefore overwhelmed with Sin Guilt Fear and Dismaydness cry to him as Hezekiah did Esay 38. 14. Lord I am oppressed undertake for me and with the words of the expiring Thief Lord remember me now thou art in thy Kingdom Luke 23. 42. And now I have no more to do but to commend thee to God and to the word of his Grace and to intreat thy favourable acceptance of this Discourse such as it is and to pray that thou maist make thy best of it This I hope thou wilt find at leâ—st as St. Austin said of his Writings while he was taken up in writing that he was kept from being Idle or worse employed so while thou art Reading thou art kept from spending thy time more unprofitably unless thou bast in thy hand some more profitable Book of which blessed be God our present age is well stored and therein I would by no means be thy hinderance only desire thy Prayers for a Blessing upon this and all the Endeavours of other Godly Men whether Preaching or Writing whose aim is next to the glory of God and the declaring his Will to seek and further the Peace and welfare of his Church and to contribute their utmost to the furthering of the salvation of Souls In which number is The meanest of Gods servants Io. Sheffield THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. THe Text opened and Observation raised Page 1 CHAP. II. Several kinds of Excuses 1 Good 2 Bad. 7 Evil Excuses referr'd to three heads 1 Sin 2 Duty 3 Faith 8 1 Excuses as to Sin are 1 fetcht from self 2 from others
are ready to plead God's unchangeable Decrees they who are elected shall be saved endeavours are to no purpose all our Works cannot merit If not elected it is in vain to strive against the stream Faith Repentance and Obedience will come to nothing God giveth Grace and Salvation where he pleaseth and none else can have it These are the Excuses about Sin 2. In the next place when we are call'd upon to duty instead of saying Speak Lord 1 Sam 3. 10. thy Servant heareth as Samuel or Lord what wilt thou have me to do with Paul Acts 9. 6. How many put-offs I have put off my Cant. 5. 3. Coat how shall I put it on I have much indisposition at present It is unseasonable mid-night come again some other time trouble me not now Luke 11. 7. Or if we yield at any time it is with no good will as the unjust Judge not out of fear of God or regard to man relieved the Widow only to be rid of her so do some perform Duty not out of love to God or Duty but to be rid of the clamours and importuâ—ity of Conscience and to be more at ease and quiet Good God! what a world of Excuses have the Sons of men devised to shift off thy holy Commands Some have confessed the Duty is good the Command just but I must be excused I am a Child I have no competency of parts my insufficiency may excuse me Others cry out What a weariness it is what strictness difficulty unpleasantness is in the way to Heaven my Ignorance want of breeding unaccustomedness to such courses may excuse me others again I am for it like Hag. 1. 2. well the work but the time is not yet fit for it I will acquaint my Friends and fairly bid them farewell and take my leave of Lu. 9. 61. them or to be sure will after my Fathers decease when my Estate is come into my own hand I have now a busie Calling saith another a full Employment little spare-time for Soul matters But I fully purpose when my Children are grown up and provided for at least when I am old or sick and I trust all will be well others again in such cases will plead It is not my Calling the rich may the Minister must I may be dspensed with lastly some will say I fear all is too late I despair of acceptance and success 3. When we are invited to believe and exercise Faith how is it we have so many Excuses the Promise is too good I too bad altogether unworthy not holy not humbled enough the means unlikely Providences are dark Promises delayed the Vision doth not speak it is not with us now as with former Presidents God withdraws Satan insults my Heart misgives me my Flesh and my Heart my Faith and Hope fail me my Sins are too great my Repentance too little for so many heinous reiterated Sins against Knowledge Conscience Vows Promises Corrections Deliverances Experiences c. how should I believe Thus we see there is nothing but Excuses Excuses at every turn Excuses for Sin for Duty for Faith for every thing And if we enquire into the cause doth not this plainly discover the face of the Soul to be wofully smutched our native Beauty deformed God made man upright but he hath sought out many Inventions ratiocinia Junius renders it Reasonings strange Reasonings Computationes Ar. Montan. Reckonings strange Reckonings doth not this plainly shew our Nature is tainted Bloud corrupted Inwards infected doth not this demonstrate that we are acted instructed and beguiled by the Serpent that we have strayed from God and are estranged towards him that we are unsensible of his Purity forgetful of his Presence unacquainted with the work of the Spirit and the Inside of his holy Law Besides that we are little versed in Conscience-work and self-examination and that we are extream forgetful of the Day of Judgement Again consider are not the Ends as base and sordid To avoid the worlds shame to gain the repute of some Religiousness to flap Conscience in the mouth and muzzle it and to procure some little ease to the Flesh by saving the labour of through conversion and sin-mortification Again what is the fruit of all is not that as bad as bad can be to hinder all intended good frustrate Gods gracious Tenders and Promises as much as in us is to obstruct the way to Heaven and to make the strait Gate yet straiter to gratifie Satan to make our selves utterly uncapable of mercy what doth more confirm and harden in Sin what doth discover more gross hypocrisie than these Excuses which in word seem to express a good inclination and willingness when indeed they are flat Denyals Yet once again consider will these bring thee into Gods presence with any chearfulness when thou art to draw nigh to him will these cause thee to lift up thy face with joy and confidence to God will they not make thy Spirit to faulter thy Faith to flag thy Hands to hang down Can these stand before the light of Gods Word duly perused or endure a through search of an awakned Conscience when affliction comes will not these increase thy trouble adding inward to outward and when Death comes will not these put another sting into it and put more poyson into that Cup And where wilt thou appear at the day of Judgement with these thy Excuses but be confounded as he that stood speechless having nothing Mat. 22. 12. to say for thy self And consider lastly if it be not through these that millions of Souls do daily miscarry and are shut out of Heaven having by them shut themselves out of Grace before Now lay all these together and tell me seriously if here be not just matter of Lamentation Sit thee down therefore good Christian and before thou passest from this consider if this be not or hath not been thy case and that these many Excuses have not left thee without Excuse at the last 2. From this use of General Lamentatation 2 Use of Humiliation we may proceed to Particular Humiliation and may not each of us take up the words of the faulty and forgetful Butler and say I call to mind my Sin this Gen. 41. 9. day and say this concerneth me I have been wont to excuse my faults sometimes by flat Denyal sometimes laying the blame on my Ignorance forgetfulness my Nature Custome Passion c. And when called to Duty have we not made such slight put offs as are mentioned before or worse may be such as Corah we will not come We will not have this Man Num. 16. 14. Lu. 19. 14. Psal 12. 4. Rule over us our Tongues are our own we will speak As for the Word of the Lord we will not do it but do as our Fathers Kings c. have done before us shall Moses or the Minister put out our Eyes it is not the Lord nor shall we see Sword or Famin Hell or
day and night that he surprized his Enemies and was upon them before they could make resistance and the like did Scanderbeg And the two former fought only for corruptible Crowns the later for to save and deliver his Country Why should we not use the same diligence setting aside all dangerous delays to save a Soul and gain a Crown incorruptible 6. Others must be excused that they 6. Want of Company are not so forward in wayes of holiness and strictness from want of Company at least such as they most desire should go along with them This was Barak's excuse to Jud. 4. 8. Deborah If thou wilt go with me I will go but if thou wilt not go with me I will not go It is true good company is ever good and it were much to be wisht that as the wicked joyn hand-in-hand so the godly did joyn heart-in-heart-in-heart As the one assemble themselves by troops in Harlots Houses so that the godly did flock together as Doves to their Windows But the World is not yet so good God grant it may mend that the strait way to Heaven should be over-thronged Holy Jeremy Jer. 15. 17. 1 Kings 19. 10. was fain to sit alone And before him holy Elias walked alone not a Prophet or a godly Person that he knew of left But the Saints must not look to march and move in a Military posture all move stand stir turn and go together as one man when the Word is given But must be content to move as the Sun in his own proper Orb when there is not a Star to be seen accompanying it This made Noah so shine in the old World and Lot in Sodom He that will not be content to go to Heaven alone will hardly ever come thither 7. And not a few in such times and 7. Fear of sufferings places where the Church is under Persecution desire to be excused though they think well of Christ and his way from the Discouragements they must meet with and fear of Persecution And blame us not if we love not Persecution say they Life Liberty and Estates are sweet This was the Sluggards old note There is a Lyon in the way Prov. 22. 13. I shall be torn in the Streets But thus did not Daniel say nor those Primitive Christians when it was no more but so Christianos ad Leones ad Flammas Away with these Christians these Fanaticks Contemners of our Laws Disturbers of our Peace for so they were then accounted away with them to the Lyons They feared not Death but Hell not to Burn but Sin They feared not loss of Places Dignities Honours or Life but of Heaven Jovinian Valentinian and some others resigned up their Commissions and places of Command rather then they would comply with that Apostate Julian in his Idol-worship Neither were those holy Martyrs in Queen Marie's dayes so tender of their Skin their Ease Liberty Life and all when the World began to wander after the Beast again They loved not their life unto the death that they Rev. 12 11. Heb. 11. 35. might obtain a better Resurrection Those words of Christ sounded lowder in their Ears If any will come after me Let him take up his Cross and follow me He that will Luke 9. 23. save his life by denying or being ashamed of me shall lose it But he that shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospel the same shall save it What that noble Ittai the Gittite said once to David in a day of general Revolt they have said to Christ In what place my Lord the King shall be whether 2 Sam. 15. 21. in life or death there will we thy Servants be 8. Some other haply may be deterred 8. Terms of Honour from relinquishing his former wayes upon point of Reputation and little Punctillices of Honour his name should now be blasted This was Zedekiah's excuse when Jeremy did so earnestly obtest and press him to submit to the Caldean and so save Life City Kingdom and all Obey I beseech Jer. 38. 17 19. thee the Voice of the Lord and thou shalt surely live and thy House and this City shall not be burnt c. Oh saith he I cannot do it in point of Honour for I fear the Jews which are fallen away to the Caldeans that they will mock me Thus in a Bravado he chose rather to persist in his obstinacy and perish then save himself by any shew of relenting and submission And a much better man then he tells us what it was that stuck with him when he was so backward to engage in that Service the Lord put him upon viz. Jonah the Prophet Jonah 4. 2. Was not this my saying said he when I fled to Tarshish for I knew thee to be a gratious God and merciful slow to anger and ready to forgive and repentest of the evil q. d. I must go and tell the Ninevites God will destroy them and may be they may repent and then be spared what shall then become of my Honour I shall be branded for a false Prophet Therefore Lord destroy either them or me them that my Honour may be salved or me that I may not out-live my own Reputation Poor passionate Jonah that couldst be more content that God should lose the Glory of his Mercy then thou the Honour of thy Ministery But whosoever thou art that canst not be content to lay thine Honour in the dust and break in pieces this golden Calf stamping it to powder know thou art not one whose deservest thy name to be listed among Christ's Schollars whose very first Lesson they must learn is Humility and Self-denial 9. Again there is that think themselves 9. They are well already excused from any further pursuit of holiness upon this supposition that they are well already Such was the young man's case who said to our Saviour All these Mat. 19. 20. have I kept from my youth that was â—his conceit of himself who knew but a little of the out-side of the Law and nothing of the in-side of his own Heart Thus the Pharisee justified himself for his external Luke 18. 11 1â— Performances condemning the Publican notwithstanding his inward Contrition Laodicea was sick of this Disease Who Rev. 3. 17. reckoned her self Rich increased with Goods and wanting nothing when indeed she was poor miserable blind and naked This is as dangerous a case as any Vbi dixti sufficit periisti said St. Austin When thou sayest I am well enough thou art gone There is more hope of a Fool then of this man so wise in his own conceit Prov. 26. 12. 10. Another excuseth himself from performing 10. It is no part of my Calling some part of his Duty alledging It is no part of his Calling And if it be so indeed it is a just Excuse It was Cain's plea once Am I my Brothers Keeper So Gen. 4 9. do others when in their company they
Heaven shall hear of me I will perish repenting believing praying so as never any man did yet Thou hast at least as good ground to encourage thee to pray and hope as Nineveh had who when under such Comminations and Threats of destruction at hand said Who knows but if we repent cry to God mightily and reform throughly the Lord Jonah 3. 8 9. will repent and have mercy on us that we perish not CHAP. IX The Causes and Reasons of Excuses THus have I wearied the Reader and my self too in seeking to hunt out this subtile Soul-Deceiver out of his Subtersuges and Lurking-holes If we could catch those Foxes that marr our Vines and bind this Destroyer of our Country as they call'd Sampson it were time well spent We will sit down now and see if we can discover the Reasons of those so many and various Excuses Them we shall reduce to two heads 1. Enquiring the Causes whence they come 2. The Ends why they are taken up 1. For the first If we enquire whence Causes of Excuses they come it will lead us back as far as Original Sin there then thence they had their Original They came in with the first Sin As Satan was a Destroyer and Murderer from the beginning and abode not in the Truth so was this Sin a Deceiver 1. Man's Fall Causa prima and Lyer from the beginning when Integrity went out Excuses came in An old Date and memorable Year Primo mundi The first year of the Conquest Anno libertatis deperditae The first year of man's slavery under Satan And as with a Conqueror many new Usages are brought in so is it here God made man upright there was none of these in his prime Constitution but man faln sought Eccl. 7. ult out many Inventions This was Causa prima The first Cause There and then did this Black Art commence which ever since the Children of men have studied and improved The ancientest Art or Science in the World and most practised Young and Old Learned and Unlearned all verst in it no need of these in Integrity He that Joh. 3. 20 21. doth good cometh to the light but he that doth evil flyeth it lest his deeds should be made manifest Then did Adam and Eve lay their heads together to cover their Bodies with Fig-leaves and their Sin with Excuses The harmless Fowls of the Air build their Nests on the tops of Trees in the sight of the Sun but the Beasts of Prey have their Dens Caves and Holes wherein they hide themselves and steal not out but in the dark 2. The second is near akin A primà 2. A Prima orta Our Corruption by the Fall Jam. 1. 13. orta Original Corruption Peccatum Originatum flowing thence hath filled the World with Excuses ever since Now is man led aside of himself and enticed now is every Imagination of the Heart evil from his youth And man busieth himself about Gen. 6. 5. these two Imaginations chiefly 1. How to devise and contrive Evil. 2. How to conceal and cover it As the Fox and Badger first earth themselves under ground then do what they can to stop up the mouths of their Dens that they may not be discovered Thus doth man busie his Brains night and day how to defend Sin and to prove Darkness to be Light 3. Nor could the World be so full of 3. Causae assistentes 1. Priacipal Satan Excuses as it is if there were not some assisting Causes to set them forward Of which there be two sorts The one Principal viz. Satan and he to be sure is never far off to lend his assistance And hence you may see with wonder how prompt and ready some are at this Art as if they had been trained up in Loyola's School that you may know whose Children and Schollars they are by their Language and Evasions He that is the Father of the Lyer is the Father of the Excuse-maker He that taught man to lye taught him to make an Excuse He that taught Eve to entice and Adam to sin taught both to make excuses The Devil first put into Judas heart to betray his Master then taught him to wipe his mouth and say Is it I He first taught Ananias to tempt the Holy Ghost then puts Acts 5. a lye in his mouth to excuse it Know therefore Man or Child when thou tellest a lye to make an excuse the Devils stands at thy Elbow Speak the truth and shame the Devil 2. The second and less principal is Man 2. Secondary Father Master or what ever other It is not possible else that many so young should be so dexterous and ready at this Art if they had not been taught Parents sometimes put a lye into the Childs mouth and bid him say He is not at home Thus the High Priests instructed the Souldiers to say Christ was stollen out of his Sepulchre Mat. 28. 13 while they slept and they would take it upon them Profound Casuists the Jesuits Predecessors who have since so improved See the mystery of Jesuitism this Art to such a perfection that they must be acknowledged the only Masters of it who can find a cover for every Dish and an excuse for every Sin 4. There be other Causes Concomitant 4. Deficient causes 1. Not considering God's Omniscience which I may call Causae deficientes Deficient or defective Causes 1. Want of due sense and consideration of God's Omniscience Omniprescence Purity and his other Perfections of searching the Heart weighing the Spirit that he is a strict Observer of all our Actions a severe Discoverer Detecter and Detester of all Deceit and that will bring to light all the hidden works of Darkness otherwise they would stop and say Will not God find this out They consider not saith the Lord that I remember all Hos 7. 2. their wayes how their own doings have beset them about they are before my face They forget how he fetcht out Adam out of his Thicket and singled out Achan from the Croud Jacob knew his Fathers sight was bad and the Wife of Jeroboam that Ahijah's 1 Kings 14. 4. Eyes were set or he would not have been so bold to deceive his Father or she to disguise her self to amuse the Prophet Had Gehazi known his Masters spirit had gone along with him and that he should have been so immediately examined and taken tripping in his Tale he would have let Naaman and his two Bags alone If the Prophet knew what the King of Syria did in his Bed-Chamber The Lord that revealed that to him knows all thou dost in the Chambers of thy Imagery He compasseth thy Bed and thy Path knoweth Psal 139. 3. thy down-lying and up-rising and is throughly acquainted with all thy ways 2. A second deficient Cause is Men consider 2. Or the extent of the Law not the latitude extent purity and spiritualness of God's Law That it requireth truth
thy Excuse is our Reproach and leaves us without Excuse Here is a Pattern for you Youths that are all for Play and Sports remember your Saviour in the morning of his Youth before he was yet entred into the Teens when but twelve Years old was found not in the streets among Play-fellows but in the Temple among the grave Doctors nor as a spectator of them or Gazer on the Structure and Ornaments of the Temple but an attentive Auditor and as a great Proficient was able both to propound and answer with so much understanding as was admirable about matters of Religion Learn thou the way to the Temple and the place where the Teachers meet to reverence and attend to them that thy profiting may appear by thy understanding and answers and enable thy self for holy Conference Here is an Example also for Gentlemen and those of highest Birth your High born Lord was not found among his Kinsfolks and Friends as if his Business was to pay Civilities to friends and acquaintance to give and receive Visits and Treatments which is all the account some can give of their time spending nor was he ever found in the Tavern or Theater but now and after constantly in the Temple But alas how many are there whom you may seek long enough ere you find them in the Temple in the Tavern every day at the Temple seldom at the Theater they never miss among they Players among the Doctors or Teachers seldom specially expressing any reverence or devotion but as if they came rather to scoff than learn But let such consider seriously can they say if asked what makest thou here I am about my Fathers Business Yea this may be an Example to all men to attend their Callings and to mind the Business which God sets them to do Minister Verbi es hoc age was famous Perkins's Motto that wheresoever thou art found thou mayst be found so doing And this will be thy best discharge I must be about my Fathers Business 2. We must obey God rather than men is a just Excuse when God commands one thing and man another as was the case of the Apostles Peter and John when Acts 5. 28 29. they returned that answer to the High Priests Charge of Preaching no more in the Name of Christ But be sure the thing thou stickest at be so indeed and not in thy Imagination lest whilst thou sufferest for not obeying man thou mayst also sin in disobeying God too whose Command is Superiours should be obeyed in all Lawfull things 3. That was an excellent Excuse which Saint Paul made being in Bonds pursued by many enraged Enemies and charged with heavy Crimes Men and Brethren Act. â—3 1. I have lived in all good Conscience and that before God to this day The only Excuse in the world Saint Bernard calls it Perfecta absoluta cuique Testimonium Conscientiae suae Saint Peter calls it the answer of a 1 Pet. 3. 21. good Conscience Saint Paul had as many heavy Adversaries as ever man had had as many grievous Crimes laid to his charge as the great Incendiary and Pest in the State and an Haeresiarcha Arch Heretick in the Church a mover of Sedition and a Ring-leader of the new Sect of the Nazarens alias Christians or true Believers as Tertullus laid to his charge yet stands he like a Brazen Wall and as easily acquits himself of all their Accusations as he did once his Hand of the Viper which he shook off with this I have lived in all good Conscience before God An accusing Conscience is the worst Accuser and the Excusing Conscience the best Excuser Exercise thy self therefore in this Art of Christianity to have alway a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards man Act. 24. 16. If thou hast God and a good Conscience on thy side thou needest not care who is against thee thou hast Compurgators enough it will be with thee as it was with that famous Cato who had many Accusers and many Tryals but quoties accusatus toties absolutus it was said of him he had as many Judicial Absolutions as he had unjust Accusations and so came off ever with honour 4. See if thou canst make the same Apostles Excuse or Excuses Rom. 7. from verse 14. to the end When in the Review of thy spiritual state thou seest so much for which to condemn or abhor thy self as that thou fallest short of the Law that spiritual thou carnal short in thy performances the good I would I do not that thou art pestered with such a depraved nature that when thou wouldst do good evil is still present c. see if thou canst find the same temper of a gracious Spirit under these conflicts in three respects which was in him 1. As to Evil. 2. As to Good 3. As to the Law prescribing good forbidding Evil. 1. As to Evil canst thou say That there is no Evil thou dost allow thy self in v. 15. 2. No beloved Sin The Evil which I hate v. 15. 3. No voluntary wilful Sin That which I would not v. 16. and. 19. 2. As to good 1. though I fail in doing I fail not in desiring in indeavouring My will is good though performance poor to will is present with me though how to perform what is good in such a manner as I would I find not 2. Of all good he saith It is that he loves it is the good he would v. 19. 3. As to the Law prescribing Good and forbidding Evil canst thou say as he did 1. That the Law is holy and the Commandement holy just and good v. 12. A wicked man will say the Commandement is holy and just it may be too holy and too just but how to call it good he can hardly tell it doth so meet with him and cross his Lusts 2. Canst thou say thou consentest and subscribest to the Equity and Purity of the Law v. 16. I consent to the Law that it is good I tell you it is a gracious Heart that can say so I like not the Law the worse for its strictness and purity I find no fault with Gods holy Law all the fault I find is with my own unholy Heart I wish not for a better Law but a better Heart 3. And canst thou say further Thou delightest in the Law of God and in thy Inner Man v. 22. That thou dost heartily close with that though it make against thee and command more and better obedience then thou dost perform and reprove and threaten Sin I say this is a fair conflicting man's Excuse and doth clear thee from being a Hypocrite The fift and last Excuse and that which is simply and absolutely the best and fittest for us in our frail and imperfect estate to fly unto with which I shall conclude this Discourse and with which I heartily wish thou and I may conclude our Lives is to fly to Christ This is our ultimum refugium our last refuge when all