promises from them But rather in admiration of Gods wonderfull goodnesse mercy and compassion upon such unworthy wretches to give glory unto God in Believing and accepting this mercy so freely offered which they must â—oe before they shall see such a thorow change of heart and life in them as they earnestly dâ—sirâ— and for want wâ—â—â—eof they thinke 〈…〉 not to be 〈…〉 is to such if 〈…〉 onely yet 〈…〉 let and 〈…〉 in faith 〈…〉 son it by these his 〈…〉 draw them 〈…〉 tho weakly yet tâ—â—ly to stay 〈◊〉 â—poÌ„ Gods great 〈◊〉 so revealed to 〈◊〉 then assuredly shall they see and 〈◊〉 this change in their 〈◊〉 that they know not what to say or thinke of Gods mercy in pardoning such as they feele themselves to bee This cannot but breed an unfained love in them to God with an earnest desire and true purpose to glorifie Him which bee the chiefe â—arts of an holy life and surest proofes of saving Faith which can no more want these then true fire can want heate tho too many carnall Gospellers thinke otherwise and so miserably perish Culverw Of Faith pag. 220. d 2. Chro. 6.27 e I must bring unto the receiving of Christ an empty hand That it may be of grace God will make us let fâ—ll every thing before wee shall take hold of Him Tho qualified wiâ—â— humiliation I must let all fall not trusting unto it as to make mee worthier to receive Christ as some thinke I say when thus at first for my justification I receive Him I must let fall any thing I have to lay hold on Him that so Hee may finde mee in my sâ—â—t as it were in my blood D. O. f Matth. 11.28 1. Ioh. 3.23 Revel 3.18 g Thou wilt keepe Him in perfect peace whose 〈◊〉 is stayed on thee because Hee trusteth in Thee Isai. 26 3. Is stayed on Thâ—e or leaneth upon Thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nixus innixus fuit incuâ—uit Buxtorf Fides illa proprie 〈…〉 quâ incumbimus in ChristuÌ„ ad remissionem peccatorum salâ—tem Amesius Medal Theolog. lib. 1. cap. 27. Sect. 27. Credere in Deum est credendo 〈◊〉 rere Deo inniti Deo ac qui esâ—ere in Deo tanquam in vitâ ac salute nostrâ omnisuffiâ—iente Deut 30.20 Adhaerendo â—i Nam ipse est vita tua Idem Lib. 1 Cap. 3. Sect. 15. Adhaerendo A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haesit adhaesit Buxtor Quòd verò fiducia dicitur fructus fidei verum id est de fiduciâ— pro ut râ—spiciâ— Deum in futurum est spes firma sed pro ut respicit Deum in Christo in praesentiâ— se offerentem est ipsa fides Idem Ibid. Sect. 21. h Many despaire of helpe because of their owne unworthinesse as tho there were no hope of Gods mercy except wee bring in our gift and pawne in our hands to Him But this were to discredit the Lords mercies and to bring into credit our merits and rather to binde the Lord unto us then us unto Him But if our sinnes bee great our redemption is greater Tho our merits bee beggerly Gods mercy is a rich mercy c. Greenham in his Grave Counsels pag. 9. * Ioh. 1.12 Ephes. 3.19 Ioh. 1.16 11.25 a Faith and the purpose of sinning can never stand together Perkins Graine of Muster-seed Conclu 6. b Si tùm pendeat ex nudo quast Dei verbo promissione sanè quà m potest maximè Deum honorat id quod â—ecisse Abrahamum legimus qui contra spem subspe credidit Deum quod promiserat potuissè etiam sacere ac proindegloriam Deo tribuisse dicitur Voluit hominem ex sensu imperfectionis insâ—mitatis ac miseriae suae perpetuò per fidem Christi confugere ad gratuitas ili â—â— promissiones in Christo Iesu ab illis prorsùs pendere eâ quippe re existimavit sese quà m maxime gloriâ—icari Iâ—llitiailla Christi aeterna nobis imputata maior est iustitiâ hominem Angelorum omnium vita quae est ex iliá nâ—stitiâ maior est vitâ câ— quae fuisset ex institiâ operum si fing as Adamum perstitisse in illo statu innocentiae in quo tumprimùm creatus est Rolloc in Iohan. cap. 3. c Impios extremae blasphemiae reos facit quia Deum mendacij arguunt Certè Deo nihil pretiosius est quà m sua veritas quare nùlla illi atrocior iniuria fieri potest quà m dum hoc honore spoliatur Ergò ut nos ad credendum incitet argumentum à contrario sumit Nam si Deum facere mendacem horribilis est execranda impietas quia tunc quod illi maximè proprium est eripitur quis non horreat fidem Evangelio derogare in quo Deus unice verax fidelis vult haberi Mirantur aliqui cur tantoperè Deus fidem commendet cur tam severè damnetur incredulitas Atqui hîc vertitur summa Dei gloria Nam cum praecipuum veritatis suae specimen in Evangelio edere voluerit nihil illi faciunt reliquum quicunque oblatum illic Christum respuunt Calv. in loc Insignitèr Deum iniurijs contumelijs afficiunt qui de verbis eius dubitant credere morantur Magnus Dei cultus fides magna in Deum blasphemia incredulitas Naogeor Ibid. d Deus est misericors suâ aeternâ simplici essentiâ non autem qualitate aliquâ non affectu non passione Polan Syntag. Theol lib. 2. cap. 23. Quia Deus naturaliter diligit clementiam ideò tam facilis est ad ignoscendum peccatoribus Calv. in Michaeam cap. 7. e Misericordia Dei melli iustitia verò aculeo comparatur Bern. f Cogita scintillam si in mare ceciderit non poterit stare aut apparere Quantum scintilla ad mare se habet tantum hominis malitia ad Dei clementiam pictatémque imò verò non tantum modò sed lonè suprà Nam pelagus tamet si magnum sit mensuram recipit Dei verò clementia pictas mensuram non habet Haec dicam non quò vos desidiores sed promptiores reddam Chrys. Tom. 5. De Poenit. g Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem Vide quà m citò dicitur quantum valet Deus est Pater est Deus potestate Pater bonitate Quà m felices samus qui Dominum nostrum Patrem invenimus Credamus ergò in cum omnia nobis de ipsius â—â—sericordiâ promittamus Quia oâ—nipotens est ideò in Deum Patrem omnipotentem credimus Nemo dicat non potest mihi dimittere peâ—â—ata Quomodo non potest omnipotens Sed dicis ego multum peccavi Et ego dico sed ille omâ—ipotens est Et tu Ego taâ—a peccata com nisi unde liberari mundari non pussum Respoâ—â—ieo sed ille omnis oteâ—â— est Ad hec nobis est erus omnipotentia necessaria August De temp Scrip. 119. h Quemadmodum igitur si quis in carâ—eris
way and walke in the holy Path To associate Himselfe to that sect which is so spoken against everywhere c. I say when it is thus with the afflicted Party and most happy is Hee when it is thus with Him yet notwithstanding because God alone is the Searcher of the heart and the heart of Man is deceitfull above all things wee can assure mercy and pardon but onely conditionally Tho by the mercy of God wee doe it many and many times with strong and undeceiving confidence Wee must ever adde either expressedly or impliedly such formes of speech as these If all this which you professe bee in truth If you bee thus resolved indeed If these things bee so as you have said c. Why then wee assure you in the word of life and truth your Case is comfortable you may sweetly repose your troubled and truly-humbled soule upon Iesus Christ as your wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption upon all the Promises of life Gods free grace c. as truly belonging unto you and certainely yours for ever Heare two Master Builders upon the matter confirming the present Point 1. To think that it lyeth in the power of any Priest truly to absolve a man froÌ„ his sins without implying the condition of his believing and repenting as he ought to doe is both presumption and madnesse in the highest degree 2. In the Pardon whereby a Priest pardoneth a sinner for an offence by Him committed against God there are two things to bee considered One that there is no pardon if the sinner doth not earnestly repent The other that hee himselfe which pardoneth hath need of pardon Of these two Points the first is the cause that the Priests pardon is conditionall because Hee knoweth not the heart The other is a cause that the Priest should consider of himselfe that hee is rather a Delinquet then a Iudge and to teach him to feare lest that after hee hath pardoned others Hee himselfe may not obtaine pardon It is a thing certaine that if a sinner seriously converting and beleeving in Iesus Christ cannot obtaine absolution of his Pastor which is passionate or badly informed of the truth God will pardon him On the contrary if a Pastor that is indulgent an winketh at vices or that is deceived by appearance of repentance absolveth an hypocriticall sinner and receiveth him into the communion of the faithfull that â—ypocriticall sinner remaineth bound before God and shall bee punished notwithstanding For God partaketh not with the errours of Pastors neither regardeth their passions nor can be hindred from doing iustice by their ignorance 3. Let mee adde Cyprian who at the first rising of the Novatian heresie wrote thus to Antonianus We doe not preiudice the Lord that is to iudge But that hee if Hee finde the repentance of the sinner to bee full and iust hee may then ratifie that which shall bee here ordained by us But if any one doe deceive us with the semblance of repentance God who is not mocked and who beholdeth the heart of man may iudge of those things which wee did not well discerne and the Lord may amend the sentence of his servants Neither let this Truth to wit that our assuring of mercy and pardon must bee conditionall upon such like termes as these If thou doest beleeve and repent as thou oughtest to doe If these things bee in truth as you promise and professe c. discourage or trouble any that are true of heart For it should not prejudice or hinder their application of the promises taking Christ as their owne assurance of mercy and comfort because they are conscious to themselves of the syncerity of their owne hearts And therefore Looke how the Prophet Esay was comforted when the Angell said unto Him Thine iniquity is taken away and thy sinne purged and the poore Woman in the Gospell when Iesus said unto Her Thy sinnes are forgiven The like consolation doth the distressed sinner receive from the mouth of the Minister when hee hath compared the truth of Gods Word faithfully delivered by Him with the worke of Gods grace in His owne heart According to that of Elibu If there bee an Angell or a Messenger with him an Interpreter One of a thousand to declare unto man his righteousnesse then will God have mercy upon Him and say Deliver him from going downe to the pit I have received a reconciliation 2. Too much A little Aqua vita may happily revive and refresh the fainting spirits of a swouning Man but too much would kill A spoone-full of Cinnamon-water mingled with twelve spoone-fulls of Spring-water and one spoonefull of Rose-water c. may bee soveraigne against the sinking of the heart But poure at once a Pint into the Stomack and it might unhappily choake the naturall heate waste the Radicall moysture and burne up a Mans Bowels Mercy being wisely administred in the right season and mingled with convenient Counsels and Caveats may by Gods blessing binde up a broken heart with a leasurable and kindly Cure It may mollifie in the meane time with an healing and heavenly heate the smarting anguish of a wounded conscience and at length seasonably close it up with sound and lasting comfort But poured out hand over head by an unsteady and in-discreet hand It may by accident dangerously dry up penitent teares too soone and stifle the worke of the spirit of Bondage in the beginning But here let none either out of ignorance or malice mistake or bee troubled with this Too much The same Phrase in the same sense is to be found in Master Perkins a great Master in the deepe mystery of dealing with afflicted consciences For wee must know that Too much is by no meanes to bee meant of any wayes restraining or confining the infinitenesse of Gods mercy It were execrable blasphemy to dis-roabe Gods most glorious Attribute of it's immensity but in respect of not mingling some Coolers and Caveats to keepe from presumption as shall appeare in the ensuing Counsells I shall commend for that purpose Vpon this ground I reason thus A man may presse and apply Gods justice and the terrours of the Law Too much therefore also mercy and the comforts of the Gospell too much The consequent is cleare For as the former may plunge into the Gulphe of despaire so the other may cast upon the Rocke of presumption Nay it is more then un-answerably strong Because wee are farre readier to apprehend and apply unto our selves mercy then judgement And thousands are endlesly overthrowne thorow presumption for one by despaire And the Antecedent who will deny It is rather so preposterously applauded and prest that most if a Minister even with his best discretion reveale the whole Counsell of God and tell them That none shal bee refreshed by Christ but onely those who labour and are heavy laden That they must humble themselves in the sight of the Lord if they would have him
dead Bodies upon which they tread They are ordinarily such as these First Ignorants of two sorts first Vnskild both in the Rules of reason and religion Such are our extremely sottish and grossely ignorant people which swarme amongst us in many places to the great dishonour of the Gospell by reason of the want of Catechising and other discipline secondly Led by the light of naturall conscience to deale something honestly but Ideots in the great mystery of godlinesse Such are our meerely civil honest men Secondly Those that are wise in their owne conceits Isai. 5.21 Beeing strongly perswaded of their good estate to God-ward whereas as yet they have no part at al in the first resurrection Such as those Matth. 7.22 and 25.11 Thirdly all such as are resolved not to take sinne to heart See Isai. 28.15 These either first make God all of mercy secondly or preserue a secret reservation in their hearts to repent hereafter thirdly or have so prodigiously hardened their hearts that they feare not the iudgement to come fourthly or with execrable villany desire to extinguish the very notions of a Deity by a kind of an affected Atheisme and beeing drowned in sensuality labour not to beleeve the Word of God that they may sinne without all checke or reluctation 2. But if it fall out so by Gods blessing that the Word once begin to get within a Man and to worke terrour and trouble of minde for sinne so that He sees him grow sensible of His slavery weary of His former waies and like enough to breake the Prison and bee gone then doth Hee seriously observe and attend which way the Partie enclines and how hee may bee easiliest diverted that hee may thereafter proportion His Plots and Attempts against Him the more prosperously First if hee find Him to have been an horrible sinner of a sad and Melancholike disposition much afflicted with outward crosses c. Hee then laies load upon His affrighted Soule with all his cunning and cruelty that if it bee possible Hee may drive Him to despaire For this purpose Hee keen's the sting of the guilty conscience it selfe all he can sharpens the empoysoned Points of his owne fierydarts addes more grisselinesse to his many hatefull transgressions more horrour to the already flaming vengeance against sin c. That if God so permit Hee may bee sure to strike desperately home and sinke Him deepe enough into that abhorred Dungeon Secondly But if hee perceive Him not to have been infamous and noted for any notorious sinnes By naturall constitution to bee merrily disposed impatient of heavy-heartednesse and formerly much addicted to good fellowship If hee spie him to strive and struggle for dis-intanglement out of these uncouth terrours and re-injoyment of his former worldly delights and Ioviall companions I say then Hee is most forward to follow and feede His humou◠〈◊〉 way also that so He may stifle and utterly extinâ—â—â—sh the worke of the spirit of bondage in the very beginning And to this end he blunts with all the cunâ—â—â—â— he can the sting of a Man 's owne Conscience and quite remooves his owne Hee procures and offers all occasions of oâ—â—ward contentment Hee furnishes His Fellowes in iniquity and the Divels proctors with pernicious eloquence and store of entisements to bring him backe againe to their bent and beastly courses He ministers his owne delicious 〈◊〉 of carnall pleasure to cast His conscience asleepe 〈◊〉 In briefe He leaves no Policy plot or practise un-assayed un-attempted to make the power of the Law unprofitable unto Him and to drowne all his sorrow for sinne in sensuall drunkennesse This then I make the second pestilent Passage out of pangs of conscience to wit when a man to decline them is driven by the subtilty of Satan and perversenesse of his owne flesh if not to Wisards and Wisemen as they call them and other such Oracles of the Divell yet at best to humane Helpes to worldly wisedome to outward mirth Good-fellowship pleasant company His heapes of gold hoards of wealth riches Pastures variety of choisest Pastimes nay for ease to any thing even to Drinking dancing dicing Masking Mis-rule revelling roaring c. or any other such ribald bedlam and raging fooleries 3. Some there are who passe out of trouble of mind for sinne and Legall terrours into a kind as it were of an artificiall enforced unsound untimely and counterfeit peace of conscience I meane it thus when a Mans carnall heart wounded by the terrifying power of the Word with sight and horrour of his former wicked wayes but weary of the wound impatient of spirituall heavinesse wilfully set and resolved obstinately against the holy severities of the Schoole of Repentance mortification godly stricktnesse walking with God c. And withall meeting with some Dawber with untempered mortar who is very ready to heale his heart with sweet words saying Peace peace when there is no peace I say in this case snatches hold of comfort and applies the Promises of mercy and salvation before they belong unto Him Before Hee bee searched to the quicke sounded to the bottome and soundly humbled Before the spirit of Bondage hath as it were it 's perfect worke and Hee kindlily fitted for Iesus Christ. For this purpose they are wont to wrest abuse and misapply many places in the Booke of God The unskilfull Physicions in application and the deluded Patients in apprehension of them Even such as these Come unto mee all yee that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Matth. 11.28 Yea but they are not weary of all their sinnes but onely troubled with the present terrour nor willing to take upon them the Crosse of Christ Well enough content they are to take Him as a Saviour to preserve them from Hell but not as a Lord a King and an Husband to serve obey and love Him Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall bee saved Rom. 10.13 Yea but they doe not consider that many also shall cry Lord Lord Matth. 7.22 and 25.11 and yet bee excluded from eternall blisse and therefore all that call savingly upon the Name of Christ must depart from iniquity 2. Tim. 2.19 But they upon recovery will by no meanes depart from their darling delight Hee that beleeveth on the Sonne hath everlasting life Ioh. 3.36 Yea but justifying Faith purifies the heart Acts 15.9 fills it with deare affections unto heavenly things deads it to the World and divorces it quite from all former carnall pleasures and companion-ship I will giue to Him that is athirst of the Fountaine of the Water of life freely Reu. 21.6 Yea but they thirst onely for salvation not for sanctification for mercy not for grace for happinesse not for holinesse c. These men as well as the second sort will by no meanes thorow the pangs of the New-birth into the holy Path. They wickedly misconceiue out of the rotten Principles of their owne worldly wisedome
heavenly Father deale withal that are upright-hearted in all their troubles trials and temptations For the dearest love of the most affectionate Father or Mother to their Childe is nothing to that which hee beares to those that feare him Isa. 49.15 Psal. 103.13 Deut. 8.5 3. Thirdly there is a pretious Principle in the mysterie of salvation which as a comforting Cordiall-water serves to quicken and revive in the sownings and faintings of the Body defection of the spirits and sinking of the heart So it may bee soveraigne to support and succour in afflictions and dejections of Soule and weakenesses of our spirituall state It is thus delivered by Divines A constant and earnest desire to bee reconciled to God to believe and to repent if it bee in a touched heart is in acceptation with God as reconciliation Faith repentance it selfe A weake faith shewes it selfe by this grace of God namely an unfained desire not onely of salvation for that the wicked and gracelesse man may have But of reconciliation with God in Christ. This is a sure signe of Faith in every touched and humbled heart and it is peculiar to the elect Those are blessed who are displeased with their owne doubting and unbeliefe if they have a true earnest desire to bee purged from this distrust and to believe in God through Christ. Our desire of grace faith and repentance are the graces themselves which wee desire at least in Gods acceptation who accepteth of the will for the deede and of our affections for the actions Hungring and thirsting desires are evidences of a repenting heart True desire argues the presence of things desired and yet argues not the feeling of it It may not bee dissembled that there are in the world many definitions or descriptions of faith such as doe not comprehend in them that onely thing which is the chiefe stay of thousands of the deare servants of God and that is desires which may not bee denyed to bee of the nature of Faith I expresse my meaning thus That when a Man or woman is so farre exercisâ—d in the spirituall seeking of the Lord his God That hee would bee willing to part with the world and all things thereof if hee had them in his owne possession so that by the Spirit and Promises of God hee might bee assured that the sinnes of his former life and such as presently doe burthen his Soule were forgiven him and that hee might believe that God were now become his God in Christ I would not doubt to pronounce that this Person thus prising remission of sinnes at this rate that hee would sell all to buy this pearle did undoubtedly believe Not onely because it is a truth though a Paradoxe that the Desire to believe is Faith But also because our Saviour Christ doth not doubt to affirme that they are blessed that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse because they shall bee satisfied And to him that is a thirst I will give to drinke of the water of life freely And David doubted not to say The Lord heareth the desire of the humble I thinke whensoever the humbled sinner sees an infinite excellency in Christ and the savour of God by him that it is more worth then all the world and so sets his heart upon it that hee is resolved to seeke it without ceasing and to part withall for the obtaining it now I take it is Faith begun What graces thou unfainedly desirest and constantly vsest the meanes to attaine Thou hast There is no rocke more sure then this truth of God That the heart that complaineth of the want of grace desireth above all things the supply of that want useth all holy meanes for the procurement of that supply cannot be destitute of saving grace Such are wee by imputation as wee bee in affection And he is now no sinner who for the love he beareth to righteousnesse would bee no sinner Such as we be in desire and purpose such we be in reckoning and account with God who giveth that true desire and holy purpose to none but to his Children whom hee justifieth We must remember that God accepts affecting for effecting willing for working desires for deedes purposes for performances pence for pounds and unto such as doe their endeavour hath promised His grace enabling them every day to doe more and more If there be in thee a sorrow for thine unbeliefe a will and desire to believe and a care to increase in Faith by the use of good meanes there is a measure of true Faith in thee and by it thou maist assure thy selfe that thou art the Child of God It is a great grace of God to feele the want of Gods graces in thy selfe and to hunger and thirst after them If you desire healing of your nature groane in desire to grace perceive your foulenesse unto a loathing of your selfe feare not sinne hath no dominion over you Sense of Want of grace complaint and mourning from that sense desire setled and earnest with such mourning to have the want supplyed vse of good meanes with attending upon Him therein for this supply is surely of grace What graces thou unfainedly desirest and constantly usest the meanes to attaine Thou hast Take it in short from mee thus A true desire of grace argues a saving and comfortable estate The truth of which appeares clearely By Scriptures Reasons Both ancient and moderne Deuines Proofes Mat. 5.6 Blessed are they which doe hunger and thirst after righteousnâ—sse for they shall bee filled Here to a desire of grace is annexed a Promise of Blessednesse which comprehends all the glory and pleasures of Christs Kingdome here and all heavenly joyes and everlasting blisse hereafter Ioh. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come unto mee and drinke Psal. 10.17 The Lord heareth the desire of the humble Psal. 145.19 Hee will fulfill the desire of them that feare Him Luk. 1.53 The Lord filleth the hungry with good things Reu. 22.17 Let him that is athirst come And whosoever will let Him take the water of life freely Isa. 55.1 Hâ— every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters c. And Cap. 44. vers 3. I will poure water upon Him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground O Lord I beseech thee saith Nehemiah let now thine eare bee attentive to the prayer of thy servant and to the prayer of thy servants who desire to feare thy Name Here those who desire to feare the Lord are stiled His servants and proposed as men qualified and in a fit disposition to have their praiers heard their petitions granted their distresses relieved their affaires blessed with successe And no doubt thâ—s Man of God would make speciall choise of such Attributes and affections which might proove powerfull and pleasing Arguments to draw from God compassion favour and protection And therefore a true-hearted desire to feare the Lord is a signe of His servant
and priviledges and of the chiefest that were executed of the Nobilitie none was in the whole Countrey more affected to that Religion then was the most noble and valiant Count of Egmond the very glory of that Countrey who neither for His singular Victories in the service of the King of Spaine can bee forgotten in the true Histories nor yet for the cruelty used for His destruction to bee but for ever lamented in the hearts of the naturall people of that Countrey See a Booke intituled A Declaration of the causes mooving the Queene of England to give aide to the defence of the people afflicted and oppressed in the Low-Countries pag. 5.6 l Phalaris and His fellow tyrants come far short of these Blood-hounds Heylyn p. 52. m Philip the second of Spaine after many preceding vastations and pressures did lastly by strong hand and maine force attempt not onely to make himselfe an absolute Monarch over the Hollanders but Turke-like to tread under His feete all their Nationall and fundamentall Lawes Priviledges and ancient Rites To effect which after Hee had easily obtained from the Pope a dispensation of His former oathes which dispensation was the true cause of the warres and blood-shed since then c. S.W.R. in his Preface n The King of Spaine hath paid above an hundred Millions and the lives of above foure hundred thousand Christians for the losse of all those Countries which for beauty gave place to none and for revenew did equall His West Indies for the losse of a Nation which most willingly obeyed Him and who at this day after forty yeares warre are in despight of all his forces become free Estates and farre more rich and powerfull then they were when Hee first begun to impoverish and oppresse them Idem Ibid. o Obey the commandement which commands thee to believe against all unbeliefe and above all beliefe and to hope above hope that is in infinite doubtings to believe in all despaires to hope and when all reasons grounds meanes and hopes are wanting yet to believe onely because God commands thee so to doe Tho nature reason sense and thy owne heart and faithlesse feares and all creatures forbid thee so to doe saying That thy strength and hope is perished from the Lord Lam. 3. Yet obey and believe none of these but Gods Commandement commanding thee to believe his promise against them all and so to honour Him as God above them all in power mercy truth and faithfulnesse Throgmorton of Faith pag. 194. p 1. Cor. 3 22. q Nullum genus insipientiae infidelitate ut sic loquar insipientâ—us Bern. de consid o Dicitur inquit Deus etiam iurâssè hoc est iureiurando interminatus esse non ingressuros esse in suam requiem Quibusnam verò Non sanè omnibus sed solis illis contumacibus Cogitate igitur vobis iuratam hanc Dei interminationem incumbere si non obediat is Deo per Evangelium vos hodiè vocanti Par. in Loc. s The state of Mankinde is happy in respect of the Angels which fell for none of them are or shall over bee restored to their former state As He who falleth from a steepe and high Rocke into a deepe Pit or Gulfe cannot possibly escape death whereas one whose fall is lesse may have hope of life so it is with these wicked Angels whose sin we may truly call that unpardonable sin coÌ„mitted against the holy Ghost If it 's objected that the Angels may repent and so obtaine salvation We answer First that it is impossible by reason of the nature of their sinne being the sinne against the Holy Ghost that they should ever truly repent and secondly that if they could after some sort â—epent yet they are altogether uncapable of salvation because God hath not taken unto Himselfe the nature of Angels as Hee hath done the nature of Man and so joyning it to Himselfe who is life it selfe made it a living and holy nature Morton Of the threefold state of Man cap. 1. Sect 3. t Hos. 2.19 u Isai. 6. â— * Ward in His Life of Faith Isai. 55.1 x Vivo ego dixit Dominus Ienova c. Iurans per vitam suam id est Deitatis suae aeternam essentiam omnipotentiam divinam Maiestatem ac naturam Quasidicat quà m certum immotuÌ„ hoc est quod vivam ego sim verus aeternus vivus omnipotens Deus tam infallibili támque irrefragabili certitudinis argumento nititur haec promissio Laurent Adversus desperationem y Vt vivo dictum Domini Iehovae non delector morte improbi sed delector quum revertitur c. Iun. Piscat Si quaeritur genuinus Prophetae sensus tantùm spem veniae vitae resipiscentibus facit sic ut illis non sit dubitandum quin Deus paratus sit ignoscere c. Polan in loc z Matth. 11.28 a Revel 21.6 b Beati sumus quorum causâ Deus iurat sed miseri detestabiles si ne iuranti quidem oredimus Tertull. * See Luke 4.18 a Sicut illi qui morbum nec agnoscunt nec sentiunt medicinam nec curant nec quaerunt nec applicant ita gratuâ—am misericordiam Dei quae in Christo proponitur nemo satis curat nemâ— seriò rectâ— quaerit amplectitur nisi qui agnitione sen su pavore peccatorum iâ—ae Dei adversus peccata contritus perterrefactus est Lex enim paedagogus est urgens impellens ad quaerendam gratiam Dei in Christo. Et ordo divinus est quòd vult quidem Evangâ—lizare sed pauperibus vulâ— sanare sed contritos vâ—lt praedicare dimissionem sed 〈◊〉 vult educere liberare sed â—â—nctos hoc est sub pecâ—atis conclusos vult consolari sed contriâ—aâ—os lâ—gentes vult respicere sed ad contritum spiritu Beâ—e plâ—citum est Domino sed super timentes â—um in eis qui sperant super misericordiâ eius vult resâ—ceâ—e sed laborantâ—â— â—nâ—ratos â—â—lt coronare misericordiâ miserationibus sed caput humiliatum non turgidum vult inâ—undere oleum misericordiae sed vulneratis c. Chemnit Exam. p. 2. De contrit b Sive meo volueris expolâ—ri ornatu sive armis meis armari 〈◊〉 mea 〈…〉 meis delitiari sive iter meum peragere sive in 〈…〉 art sex condâ—tor ipse sum sive in regione meà domum aedificare 〈◊〉 omnia facere potes ut non modò 〈◊〉 abs te harum rerum omnium mercedem exigam sed ipse tibi magnae velim esse mercedis debitor dummodò uti rebus meis non abomineris Quid huic liberalitati aequale unquam inveniri potest In cap. Matth. 24. Homil 77. c As for thy doings thou must have that power from God after thy Believing Therefore Believe first and thou shalt doe after Rogers Dedham Doctrine of Faith pag. 150. They may not for any thing they see in themselves put these
gratiae sensus evanescit laetitia Interim Deus peccantes filios non penitùs abijcit non odit non abdicat electionis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed castigationibus in viam revocat corrigil reconciliationis sensum laetitiam paulatim reddit procantibus Si enim nemo Pater terrenus hoc facit ut filium gravitèr delinquentem mox domo eliminet exhaeredem faciat quantò minus id Pater coelestis facit filijs quos anto iacia mundi fundamenta in Christo elegit adoptavit Par. Ibid. Sect. Ad tertium a Creating to speake properly is to make of nothing But is used here improperly the Prophet speaketh according to His owne feeling and present iudgement of Himselfe as tho Hee had lost all and had no goodnesse in Himselfe No doubt the Prophets heart was in part cleane tho not so much as Hee desired Estey Ibid. b Et Spiritum fanctum tuum ne auferas à me Est enim Spiritus sanctus in confitente Nam ad donum Spiritus sancti pertinet quâ—al bi displicet quod fecisti Immundo spiritui peccata placent Sancto displicent Quamvâ—â— ergò adhuc venam depreceris tamen ex aliá parte quâ tibi displicet malum quod commisisti Deo coniungeris Hoc enim tibi displicet quod illi Nec ait Spiritum sanctum tuum da mibi sed ne auseras à me August in Psal. 50. c Renati prorsùs non excidunt à sanctitate adoptione Suffra Colleg. de Art 5. Thes. 6.7 Vâ—de Syn. Dorâ—â—echt But what say you then to â—rt 16 Answ. When the Article saith wee may depart â—â—em grâ—ce the meaning of it is that the elect of God called according to purpose may swerve fâ—om the directions of graâ—e in some particular things and fall into grievous sinnes out of which they are to be raysed by Repentance and not that they totally fall from it Doctor Field Append. p. 1. Ad fin pag 131.132 In fidei Articulis in Hybernâ—â—e regno authoritate regiâ promulgatis expâ—nitur neque totalâ—er neque finaliter posse fiers Epise Sarisburiens In Thoms Diatribam cap. 27. d About the same time one Bertius a Scholeâ— of the late Armimus who was the first in our age that iâ—â—ected â—eyâ—en with Heresie was so impudent as to send a letter to the Arch Bishop of Canterbury with a Booke intituled De Apostasiâ Sanctorum The title whereof onely were enough to make it worthy the fiâ—e King Iames in his declaration against Vorstius And a little after thus What need wee make any question of the arrogancy of these Heretikes or rather Atheisticall Sectariâ—â— amongst you when one of them at this present remaining in your Towne of Leyden hath not onely presumed to publish of late a blasphemous Booke Of the Apostasie of the Saints but hath besides been so impudent as to send the other day a Copy thereof as a goodly present to our Archbishop of Canterbury together with a Letter wherein he is not ashamed as also in his Booke to lie so grossely as to avow that His Heresies contained in the said Booke are agreeable with the Religion and Profession of our Church of England Ibid. e Spiritus Sanctus deâ—ituit in Davide cum admisit adulterium homicidium sicut vita in plantâ tempore hyemali Et si suas vires non exeruit nec tamen prorsus fâ—it oâ—iosâ—s impedijt enim quò minus David toto aniâ—i studio in haec incumberet horrenda slagitia Doctor Holland Divinity Professour in Oxford moderating in this question holden negatively Anâ—usti fides potest ad tempus amiâ—â—i aut finaliter desincre The Lords chosen may fall from their outward prerogatives and from the fruites but that divine nature still abideth in them And it is onely with their grace as it is with the â—inde in distempers of Melancholy and Phrensie with the Sunne in Ecclipses with the tree when leaves and fruites fâ—ils its with the naturall life when it mooveth not ne yet breatheth sensibly which in diseases of the Mother is often discerned Their â—aith iâ— a never-failing Faith their life an eternall life their seede a seede abiding in them P. Baine Triall of a Christians state pag. 4. f Petrus cum peccavit charitatem non amisit quta peccavit potâ—us in veritatem quà m in charitatem Sic David cum peccavit charitatem non peratdit sed obstupuit quodammodò in eo charitas ad vehementem tentationis ictum Et charitatis in eo nequaquam facta est abolitio sed quasi quaedam soporatio quae mox ut ad vocem arguentâ—s Prophetae â—v gilavit continuò in illam ardentissimae charitatis confessionem â—rupit Peccavi Domino De nat dignit Amoris divini cap. 6. h Vna causa cur de peccatis suae pueritiae loquatur est quòd in illâ aetate vehementiores sint cupiditates propterea dicitur in Psalmo Quinam diriget adolescens viam suam Si custodiat verbum tuun Cur de iuvenibus potiùs quà m de alijs sit mentio nempe quia natura humanâ— quae semper est vistosa prava tunc maxime ebullit c. Calv. Conc. 52. in Iob. * Psal. 25.7 i He meaning Christ makes as tho Hee heard not to wit the Woman of Canaan that the precious graces lockt up in the Cabinet of Her heart might bee brought forth to light Doctor Worship in his Sermon upon Mat. 15.22 c. pag. 18. k Iam. 5.11 * Iob 13.15 Isaâ— 50 1â— If Christians had not somtimes dead harts they would have proud hearts Hart. pag. 64. Iam. 5.16 Cant 5.2 Vers. 3. * Let no Christian then afflict his Soule with any catking or vexing fore-thought of fiery times Assure thy selfe if God call thee to suffer in that kinde Hee will graciously give unto Thee a Martyrs Faith a Martyrs patience and a Crowne of Martyrdome Act 7 55.56 a In hac cogitatione non dubium est primum 〈…〉 qui suo 〈…〉 critatem 〈…〉 mortem 〈…〉 tâ—â—tm conâ—â—â—â—â—at tamen receptus est ille ia gratiam restitutuâ— Posteà reliqua etiam exempla liâ—erationum conquirebat uâ— quod solus Noc cum suà familià servatur in diluvio quòd pâ—pulus Israeliticus ingenti miraculo educitur ex-Aegypto servatâ—â— in marirubro quòd Aaron autor horrendae Idololatriae non aâ—ijcitur nec absorbetur ab irâ livinà quòd populus Israeliticus morae impatiens fremens in dâ—serto adversus Deum et eius ministros non totus consumitur in deserto sed tandem introducitur in terram promissam Postremò suas quoque liberationes in quibus antehaec praesentiam amorem Dei erga se conspexerat meâ—oriâ repetivit Moller In Psal. 77. Recogitavi diâ—s antiquos Priorum tuorum inquit beneficiorum memoriam renotavi cogitavìque quan ta sint à te maiores nostri beneficia consequnti quomodò è servitute Aegyptiacâ liberati sint quomodò mare rubrum
flames of the raging fire over the roaring furie of the most hungry Lions over the varietie and extremitie of exquisitest tortures temptations persecutions all outward miseries euen over cruell mockings It unresistably beares downe or blowes up the strongest Bulwarkes and thickest walles puts to flight the mightiest Armies and conquers the most invincible Kingdomes And when all is done Oh blessed Faith at the very last and deadliest lift she triumphantly sets her foote upon the necke of the Prince of terrors I meane death the last and worst the end and summe of all feared evills And even in the middest of those dying and dreadfull pangs beares a glorious part with Iesus Christ the Conquerour in that sweetest Song of victory O death where is thy sting In a word it can doe all things All things are possible to him that beleeveth Fifthly and lastly and in a word Grace in its owne nature being the most glorious Creature of the Father of liâ—hts and flowing as it were more immediately and sweetly from his blessed face is of such a divine invincible and lightsome temper and hath such an anti-patheticall vigour and ability against all spirituall darkenesse and dampes whether of affliction temptation troublesome confusions of the times the valley of the shadow of death the Grave Hell it selfe that it is ever able either to dispell it or dissolve it or support it selfe strongly and triumphantly even in the midst of it Suppose a soule beautified with Grace to be seated if it were possible in the very center of that hellish Kingdome yet would it by its Heavenly strength and glory in despite of all infernall powers keepe off at some distance all the darkenesse torments and horrour of that damned place Whence it is that it is so often in the holy Scriptures compared to light Now what power and prevalent antipathy our ordinary light doth exercise against his most abhorred Opposite darkenesse you well know and it is elegantly and punctually for my purpose expressed by One in this manner We see and prove saith he by dayly experience how powerfull and dreadfull a thing the darkenesse of the night is For when it falleth it covereth and muffleth up the face of the whole world It obscureth and hideth the hue and the fashion of all creatures It bindeth up all hands and breaketh off all imployments The night commeth saith our Sauiour wherein we cannot worke It arresteth and keepeth captive all living wights men and beasts that they must be still and rest there where it arresteth them yea it maketh them fearefull and faint-hearted full of fancies and much subiect to frights It is of all others such a powerfull and unconquerable Tyrant as no man is able to withstand And yet neverthelesse it is not of that might that it is able to overwhelme or to quench the least light in the World For we see the darken the night is the clearer the Starres shine Yea the least candles light that is lighted withstandeth the whole night and not onely suffereth not the darkenesse to cover or to smoother and oppresse it but it giveth light also even in the middest of the darkenesse and beateth it backe for some space and distance on every side of it so that which way soever it is borne or wheresoever it commeth there must darkenesse depart and give place unto the light all the power and the dreadfulnesse of it cannot helpe or prevaile ought against it And tho the light be so weake that it cannot cast light farre about or drive the darkenesse farre from it as in the sparke of an hot coale yet cannot the darknesse cover or conceale and much lesse quench it but it giveth light to it selfe alone at least so that it may be seene a farre off in the darke and it remaineth unconquered of the darke tho it cannot helpe other things nor give light unto them Yea that which is yet more wonderfull a rotten shining peece of wood which hâ—th the faintest light that can be found yet remaineth invincible of all the power of darkenesse and the more it is compassed about with darkenâ—sse the clearer light it giveth So little is darkenesse able to overcome or kâ—epe downe anâ— light but that it ruleth and vanquisheth and expelleth the darkâ—nâ—ssâ— which else overwhelmeth and â—â—areth and fettereth and putteth all things in feare Now if this naturall light be so powâ—â—full and so able to prevaile against the darkenesse of the night why should not that spirituall Light that Gods Spirit doth kindle and set up in the hearts of Gods Children be able to afford them light in darkenesse and to minister sound ioy and sweete comfort unto them in the very midst of their heaviest and most hideous afflictions Assuredly it must needes be unconquerably able with farre greater power and in an higher proportion For our visible light doth spring but from a finite and materiall Fountaine the Sunne it selfe a creature but the Spirituall light I speake of flowes immediately from the glorious face of the onely true incomprehensible and eternall Light the Sunnes creatour who dwelleth in the light that no man can approach unto and is an everlasting well-spring of all Life and Light which it doth so farre represent and resemble in Divine excellencie and mightinesse that it thence receives by a secret and sacred influence fresh successions still of an infinite triumphant power and prevailing against all spirituall darkenesses for ever Suppose all the men that dwell within the compasse of our Hemisphere should addresse themselues with all their wit and weapons with all their power and policie to keepe backe that universall darkenesse which is woont to seize upon the face of the earth at the setting of the Sunne yet by all this strong and combined opposition they should but beate the ayre But now upon the very first approach of that Princely light but peeping up in the East it would all â—ly away in a moment and vanish into nothing Semblablely if all the understandings upon earth and all the Angels in Heaven should contribute all their abilities and excellencies to illighten with cheerefulnesse and ioy a guilty conscience surprised sometimes with hellish darkenesse and cloudes of horrour upon sight of sinne and sense of divine wrath yet all would not doe they should all the while but wash a Blackamoore as they say but now let but the least glimpse of the light of Grace shine into that sad and heavy Soule and it would farre more easily and irresistably chase away the very darkest midnight of any spirituall misery then the strongest Summers Sunne the â—hinnest Mornings mist. Give me if you will Iudas his heart or Spiraes horrour or a vexed spirit torne and rent in peeces with the raging guilt of both those wofull men and let that supposed rufull Soule weary of its hellish burden and thirsting sincerely for the water of Life but cast it selfe upon the mercy truth and power of
an heavenly hoard of grace good conscience Gods favour c. happily treasured up while it is called Today hath the sole and sacred property and priviledge to hold up our hearts In times of horrour inabling us in the meane time patiently and profitably to master all miseries passe thorow all persecutions conquer all Commers and at length by the helpe of God to pull the very heart as it were out of Hell with confidence and triumph to looke even death and the Divell in the face and to stand with boldnesse before the terrour of the last Day like an unmooveable Rock when the Sonnes and daughters of confusion who have slept in harvest and mispent the gratious Day of their visitation shall intreate the mountaines and Rockes to fall upon them I say it being thus let every one of us like Sonnes and daughters of wisedome in this short Sommers Day of our abode upon earth and in this glorious Sun-shine of the Gospell and pretious seasons of grace imploy all meanes improove all oportunities to gather in with all holy greedinesse and treasure up abundantly much spirituall strength and lasting comfort against the evill Day To which let us be quickned by such considerations as these 1. This wise and happy treasuring up of heavenly hoards and comforts of holinesse afore hand will sweetely mollisie and allay the bitternesse and smart of that heavinesse and sorrow of those fearefull amazements and oppressions of spirit naturally incident to times of trouble and feare which ordinarily doe very grievously sting and strike thorow the hearts of carnall and secure Worldlings with full rage and the very slashes and fore-tastes of Hell Of all other passions of the Soule sadnesse and griefe grates most upon the vitall spirits dries up soonest the freshest marrow in the bones and most sensibly suckes out the purest and refinedst bloud in the heart All the Obiects of lightsomnesse and ioy are drowned in an heauy heart even as the beauty of a Pearle is dissolved in vineger Now the onely Cordiall and Counter-poyson against this dampe of light-heartednesse and Cut-throate of life is the secret sweetenesse and shining pleasure of that One pearls of great price three orient raies whereof are righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost treasur'd up in the Cabinet of a good conscience The glory pretiousnesse and power of which hidden treasure purchased with the sale of all sinne doth many times shine faireliest upon the Soule in the saddest times inspires for the most part into the hearts of the owners the greatest courage and constancy of spirit even in the dayes of adversity and vexation inables them to digest and beare without any great wound or passion those crosses and cruelties which would breake the backe and crush the heart of the stoutest Temporizer Was there not a great deale of difference thinke you betwixt the heart of Hezekiah who had walked before God in truth and with a perfect heart when He heard the newes of death from the mouth of the Prophet and the heart of Belshazzar when he saw the hand-writing upon the wall Giue me a great man who carries a way the credit and current of the times with all bravery and triumph wallowes and tumbles himselfe in the glory and pleasures of the present Throw Him from the transitory top of His heaven upon earth upon His last bed present unto His eye at once the terrible paÌ„gs of approaching death the ragefull malice of the powers of Hell the crying wounds of His bleding conscience the griesely fourmes of His innumerable sinnes His finall farewell with all worldly delights the pit of fire and brimstone into which He is ready to fall And I tell you true I would not endure an houres horrour of His wofull heart for His present Paradise to the worlds end But on the other side let me be the man whom the corruptions of the time confine to obscuritie who mournes in secret for the horrible abominations and crying sinnes that raigne amongst us who thinkes that day best spent wherein Hee hath gathered most spirituall strength against that last and sorest combate and by the mercies of God and humble dependance upon His omnipotent arme I will looke in the face the cruellest concurrence of all those former terrors with â—â—â—fidence and peace 2. Secondly By this spirituall hoarding of comfortable provision against the Evill day we may prevent a great deale of impatiency dependance upon the Arme of flesh base feares sinkings of heart un-manly deiections of spirit desperate resolutions and many passionate distempers of such raging and distracted nature which are woont to seize upon and surprise unholy and unprepared hearts when the Hand of God is heavy upon them How bravely and Heroically did patient Iob beare and breake thorow a matchlesse variety and extremity of calamities and conflicts The softest of whose sufferings would have strucke full cold to the heart of many a Carnalist and made it to dye within Him like a stone as Nabals did One of the least the losse of His goods I am perswaded would have caused many covetous worldlings to have laid violent and bloudy hands upon themselues For instance Ahitophel onely because the glory of his state-wisedome was obscur'd and overtopt at the counsell-Bord sadled His Asse gate Him Home put His houshold in order and hanged Himselfe The onely cause of His fainting in the day of disgrace and dis-acceptation was His false and rotten heart in matters of religion While the Crowne sate with security and safety upon Davids head He walked with Him as a companion unto the House of God But when the winde begun to blow a little another way and upon Absoloms side like a true Temporizer He followes the blast and turnes his sailes according to the weather And therefore His hollow heart having made the Arme of flesh His Anchor and a vanishing Blase of honour His chiefest blessednesse shrinkes at the very first sight and suspition of a tempest and sinkes this miserable Man into a Sea of horrour But now on the contrary what was the cause that Iobs heart was not crusht into pieces under the bitter concurrence of such a world of crosses of which any one severally was sufficient to have made a Man extreamely miserable The true reason of His patient resolution amid so many pressures was the spirituall riches He had hoarded up in the time of His happines Amongst which the divinest and dearest Iewel lay nearest unto His heart as a counterpoyson to the venome and sting of the Divels deadliest malice I meane a sound and strong faith in Iesus Christ the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world which now began to shine the fairest in the darkest Midnight of His miseries and sweetly to dart out many heavenly sparkles of comfort and such glorious eiaculations as these Though he slay me yet will I trust in Him Cap. 13.15 And that cap. 19 23 c. Oh that my words were
and truely examine what it hath reserved either of beauty and youth or fore-gone delights what it hath saved that it might last of his dearest affections or of whatever else the joviall Spring-time gave his thoughts contentment then unvaluable and he shall finde that all the art which his elder yeeres have can draw no other vapour out of these dissolutions then heavy secret and sad sighs He shall finde nothing remaining but those sorrowes which grow up after our fast-springing youth â—vertake it when it is at a stand and overtop it utterly when it begins to wither in so much as looking backe from the very instant time and from our now being the poore diseased and captive creature hath as little sense of all his former miseries and paines as he that is most blest in common opinion hath of his forepassed pleasures and delights For whatsoever is cast behind us is just nothing To ponder also profitably upon eternity that we may apply our hearts unto wisedome and so improove this short moment upon earth that it may goe well with us for ever let us take notice of and sensibly to heart this one quickning passage confidently averred by a great Writer If God saith He should speake thus to a damned Soule Let the whole world be filled with sand from the earth to the Empyrean heauen and then let an Angell come euery thousandth yeere and fetch only one graine from that mighty sandy mountaine when that immeasurable Heape is so spent and so many thousand yeeres expired I will deliver Thee out of Hell and those extreamest horrours that most miserable forlorne wretch notwithstanding that he were to lie thorow that unconceiveable length of time in those intollerable Hellish torments yet upon such a promise would infinitely rejoyce and deeme himselfe not to be damned But alas when all those yeeres are gone there are thousands upon thousands moe to be endured euen thorow all eternitie and beyond How heavy and horrible is the waight of everlastingnesse in that burning Lake and those tormenting flames when a damned man would thinke himselfe in Heaven in the meane time if he might have but hope of comming out of them after so many infinite millions of yeeres in them 3. That it would not profit a man tho he should gaine the whole world if he lose his owne Soule and that a man can give nothing in exchange for his Soule Christ himselfe said so Suppose thy selfe crowned with the confluence of all worldly felicities to have purchased a Monopoly of all pleasures honours and riches upon the whole earth to be attended with all the pompe and state thy heart could desire Yet what were this momentany golden dreame to a reall glorious eternitie How stinging would the most exquisite delight be curiously extracted out of them all accompanied with this one conceite the Soule is lost everlastingly All these painted vanities might seeme perhaps a gaudy Paradise to a spirituall Foole who hath his portion in this life But what true pleasure can a Man in his right wits but morally and illightned no further then with Philosophy take in them sith setting other respects aside they are so fading and He so fraile For the first God hath purposely put a transitory and mortall nature into all things here below They spring and flourish and die Even the greatest kingdomes and strongest Monarchies that ever were haue had as it were their infancy youthfull strength Mans state old age and at last their grave See the end of the mightiest states that ever the Sun saw shadowed by Nebuchadnâ—zzars great Image Dan. 2. 35. There was never Empire upon earth were it never so flourishing or great was ever yet so assured but that in revolution of time after the manner of other worldly things it hath as a sicke body bin subject to many innovations and changes and at length come to nothing Much more then the pride and pompe of all other inferiour earthly glory hath fallen at last into the dust and lies now buried in the grave of endlesse forgetfulnesse For the second Imagine there were constancy and eternity in the forenamed earthly bables yet what Man of braine would prize them worth a button sith His life is but a bubble and the very next houre or day to come He may utterly be cut off from them all for ever To day hee is set up and to morrow he shall not be found for he is turned into dust and his purpose perisheth Take them both together thus Set upon the head of the Worthiest Man that the earth beares yet wanting grace in His Soule all the most orient imperiall Crownes that ever highest ambition aimed at or attain'd unto put upon Him the royallest roabes that ever enclosed the body of the proudest Lucifer fill Him with all the wisedome and largest comprehensions which fall within the wide compasse and capacitie of any depths of policy or mysteries of state furnish Him to the full with the exactnesse and excellency of all naturall morall and metaphysicall learning put Him into the sole possession and command of this and the other golden world In a word crowne Him with the concurrence of all created earthly excellencies to the utmost and highest straine And lay this Man thus qualifyed and endowed upon the one scale of the ballance and vanity upon the other and vanity will overweigh Him quite Men of high degree are a lye to be laid in the ballance they are altogether lighter then vanitie Psal. 62.9 The rich Foole in the Gospell teacheth us that there is no man so assured of his honour of his riches health or life but that he may be deprived of either or all the very next night Besides by a thousand other causes meanes and wayes He may also be suddainely snatched away from the face of the earth in anger for setting his heart and rest upon such rotten staves of reede transitory shadowes and indeed that which is nothing Wilt thou cast thine eyes upon it which is nothing for riches conceive the same of all other worldly comforts taketh her to her wings as an Eagle and flieth into the heaven Prov. 23.5 How truely then is that mad and miserable Man a Sonne of confusion who spends the short Span of his mortall life in wooing the world who was never true to those that trusted in her ever false-hearted to all Her Favorites and at length most certainely undoes spiritually and everlastingly every Wretch that is wedded unto Her who passeth thorow a few and evill daies in this vale of teares in following feathers pursuing shadowes raising bubbles and balls like those which Boies out of spittle and sope in their pastimes blowing up with their quills ere they be tossed three times burst of themselues I meane worldly vanities but in the meane time suffers His immortall Soule more worth then many mateâ—â—all worlds and for which He can give nothing in exchange to abide all naked destitute and empty utterly unfurnished
thing whatsoever is within Him or without Him or about Him whatsoever He thinkes upon remembers heares sees turne all to his torment No marvaile then tho the terrour of a wounded conscience bee so intolerable 3. As the exultations of the Soule and spirituall refreshments doe incomparably surpasse both in excellency of Object and sweetnesse of apprehension all pleasures of seâ—se and bodily delights so afflictions of the Soule and spirituall pangs doe infinitely exceede both in bitternesse of sense and intension of sorrow the most exquisite tortures can possibly bee inflicted upon the Body For the Soule is a spirit very subtile quicke active stirring all life motion sense feeling and therefore farre more capable and apprehensive of all kinds of impressions whether passions of pleasure or inflictions of paâ—â—e 4. This extremest of miseries a wounded spirit is tempered with such strong and strange ingredients of extraordinary feares that it makes a man a terrour to himselfe and to all his friends To flee when none pursues at the sound of a shaken leafe To tremble at his owne shadow to bee in great feare where no feare is Besides the insupportable burthen of too many true and causefull terrours it fills His darke and dreadfull Fancy with a world of fained horrours gastly apparitions and imaginary Hells which notwithstanding have reall stings and impresse true tortures upon his trembling and wofull heart It is empoysoned with such restlesse anguish and desperate paine that tho life bee most sweete and Hell most horrible yet it makes a man wilfully to abandon the one and willingly to embrace the other that Hee may bee rid of it's rage Hence it was that Iudas preferred an Halter and Hell before his present horrour That Spira said often what heart quakes not to heare it that Hee envied Cain Saul and Iudas wishing rather any of their roomes in the Dungeon of the damned then to have his poore heart so rent in pieces with such raging terrors fiery desperations upon his Bed of death Whereupon at another time beeing asked Whether Hee feared more fearefull torments after this life Yes said Hee But I desire nothing more then to bee in that place where I shall expect no more Expectation as it seemes of future did infinitely aggravate and enrage His already intolerable torture 5. The Heathens who had no fuller sight of the foulenesse of sinne or more smarting sense of divine vengeance for it then the light of naturall conscience was able to afford and represent unto them yet were woont in fiction to shadow out in some sort and intimate unto us the insufferable extremities of a minde troubled in this kinde by hellish furies following malefactors with burning fire-brands and flames of torture What understanding then is able to conceive or tongue to report in what case that sinfull conscience must needs bee when it is once awakened which besides the notions of naturall light hath also the full Sun of Gods sacred Word and that pure Eye which is ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne and cannot looke upon iniquity to irradiate and enrage it to the height of guiltinesse and depth of horrour Both heart and tongue Man and Angell must let that alone for ever For none can take the true estimate of this immesurable spirituall misery but hee that can comprehend the length and breadth of that infinite unresistable wrath which once implacably enkindled in the bosome of God burnes to the very bottome of Hell and there creates the extremity and endlesnesse of all those un-expressable torments and fiery plagues which afflict the Diuels and damned Soules in that horrible Pit 6. Not onely the desperate cries of Cain Iudas Latomus and many other such miserable men of forlorne hope but also the wofull complaints even of Gods owne deare Children discover the truth of this Point to wit the terrours and intolerablenesse of a wounded Conscience Heare how rufully three ancient Worthies in their times wrastled with the wrath of God in this kinde I reckoned till morning saith Hezekiah that as a Lion so will hee breake all my bones Even as the weake and trembling limbes of some lesser neglected Beast are crusht and torne in pieces by the unresistable Paw of an unconquerable Lion so was His troubled Soule terrified and broken with the anger of the Almighty Hee could not speake for bitternesse of griefe and anguish of heart but chattered like a Crane or a Swallow and mourned like a Dove Thou writest bitter things against mee saith Iob and makest mee to possesse the iniquities of my youth The arrowes of the Almighty are within mee the poyson thereof drinketh up my spirit the terrours of God doe set themselves in aray against mee O that I might have my request And that God would grant mee the thing that I long for Even that it would please God to destroy mee that Hee would let loose his hand and cut mee off Nay yet worse Thou scarest mee with dreames and terrifiest mee through visious So that my Soule chuseth strangling and death rather then my life Tho God in mercy preserves his servants from the monstrous and most abhorred Act of selfe-murder yet in some melancholike moode horrour of minde and bitternesse of spirit they are not quite freed from all impatient wishes that way and sudden suggestions thereunto My bones waxed old saith David through my roaring all the day long Day and night thy hand was heavy upon mee my moysture is turned into the drought of Summer Thine arrowes sticke fast in mee and thy hand presseth mee sore There is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sinne For mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for mee I am troubled I am bowed downe greatly I goe mourning all the day long I am feeble and sore broken I have roared by reason of the disqujâ—tnesse of my heart Heare also into what a depth of spirituall distresse three worthy servants of God in these later times were plung'd and pressed downe under the sense of Gods anger for sinne Blessed Mistris Brettergh upon Her last Bed was horribly hemmed in with the sorrowes of death the very griefe of Hell laid hold upon Her Soule a roaring Wildernesse of woe was within Her as She confessed of Her selfe She said her sinnes had made Her a prey to Satan And wished that she had never been borne or that shee had been made any other creature rather then a Woman Shee cryed out many times Woe woe woe c. A weake a wofull a wretched a forsaken woman with teares continually trickling from her eyes Master Peacock that man of God in that His dreadfull visitation and desertion recounting some smaller sinnes burst out into these words And for these saith Hee I feele now an Hell in my conscience Vpon other occasions Hee cryed
whole world and all the creatures in Heaven and Earth have offered themselves to bee annihilated before His angry face Had all the blessed Angels prostrated themselves at the foote of their Creator yet in the Point of redemption of Mankind and purgation of sin not any nor all of these could have done any good at all Nay if the Sonne of God Himselfe which lay in His bosome should have supplicated and solicited I meane without suffering and shedding His blood the Father of all mercies Hee could not have been heard in this case Either the Sonne of God must die or all Mankind be eternally damned Even then when thou art provoked to sinne thinke seriously and sensibly of the price that upon necessity must bee paied for it before it bee pardoned 11. Sinfull pleasures are attended with a threefold bitter sting Whereof see my Directions for walking with God pa. 171. Which though the Divell hides from them in the heate of temptation yet in His seasons to serve his owne turne Hee sets them on with a vengeance 12. Compare the vast and unvalu-able difference betweene yeelding to the entisement and conquering the temptation to sinne For which purpose looke upon Ioseph and David two of Gods dearest servants And consider the consequents what a deale of honour and comfort did afterward crowne the head and the heart of the one And what horrible mischiefes and miseries fell upon the family and grisly horrours upon the conscience of the other Survay also the distinct Stories of Galeacius Caracciolus and Franciscus Spira then which in their severall kinds there is nothing left to the memory of the latter times more remarkeable And you shall find in them as great a difference as betweene an Heaven and Hell upon earth The one withstanding unconquerably variety of mighty entisements to renounce the Gospell of Iesus Christ and returne to Popery besides the sweet peace of His Soule attained that honour in the Church of God that Hee is in some measure paralleld even with Moses and recommended to the admiration of Posterity by the Pen of that great and incomparable glory of the Christian World blessed Calvin The other conquered by an unhappy temptation to turne from the Truth of God and our true Religion to the Synagogue of Satan and abominations of the scarlet Whore besides the raging and desperate confusion hee brought upon His owne spirit became such a spectacle to the eye of Christendome as hath been hardly heard of 13. Compare the poore short vanishing delight of the choisest sensuall worldly contentment if thou wilt of thy sweetest sinne with the exquisitnesse and eternity of Hellish torments Out of which might an impenitent reprobate wretch bee assured of enlargement after Hee had endured them so many thousand thousand yeeres as there are sands on the Sea-shore haires upon His head starres in the firmament grasse piles upon the ground Creatures both in Heaven and Earth Hee would thinke Himselfe happy and as it were in Heaven already See before pag. 39. But when all that time is past and infinite millions of yeeres besides they are no neerer end then when they begun nor Hee neerer out then when Hee came in The torments of Hell are most horrible yet I know not whether this incessant desperate cry in the conscience of a damned Soule I must never come out doth not outgoe them all in horrour What an height of madnesse is it then to purchase a moment of fugitive follies and fading pleasures with extremity of never ending paines 14. When thou art stepping ouer the threshold towards any vile act lewd House dissolute company or to do the Divel service in any kinde which God forbid suppose thou seest Iesus Christ comming towards Thee as Hee lay in the armes of Ioseph of Arimathea newly taken downe from the Crosse wofully wounded wanne and pale His Body all gore-blood the beauty of His blessed and heavenly face darkned and disfigured by the stroke of death speaking thus unto Thee Oh! Goe not forward upon any termes Commit not this sinne by any meanes It was this and the like that drew mee downe out of the armes of my Father from the fulnesse of joy and Fountaine of all blisse to put on this corruptible and miserable flesh to hunger and thirst to watch and pray to groane and sigh to offer up strong cries and teares to the Father in the dayes of my flesh To drinke off the dregs of the bitter cup of His feirce wrath to wrastle with all the forces of infernall powers to lay downe my life in the gates of Hell with intolerable and saue by my selfe vnconquerable paine and thus now to lie in the armes of this mortall Man all torne and rent in peices with cruelty and spite as thou seest What an heart hast thou that darest goe on against this deare entreaty of Iesus Christ 15. When thou art unhappily mooued to breake any branch of Gods blessed Law let the excellency and variety of His incomparable mercies come presently into thy minde a most ingenuous sweet and mighty motive to hinder and hold off all gracious hearts from sin How is it possible but a serious survay of the riches of Gods goodnes forbearance long-suffering leading thee to repentance to more forwardnes and fruitfulnes in the good Way The publike miracles of mercy which God hath done in our daies for the preservatioÌ„ of the Gospel this kingdome ourselves and our posterity especially drowning the Spanish invincible Armado discouering and defeating the Powder-plot sheilding Q. Elizabeth the most glorious Princesse of the world from a world of Anti-christian cruelties saving us from the Papists bloudy expectations at Her death c. The particular and private Catalogve of thine owne personall favours from Gods bountifull hand which thine owne conscience can easily leade Thee unto and readily run over from thine infancy to the present wonderfull protections in thine unregenerate time that miracle of mercies thy conversion if thou be already in that happy state all the motions of Gods holy Spirit in thine heart many checks of conscience fatherly corrections excellent meanes of sanctification as worthy a ministry in many Places as ever the world enjoyde Sermon upon sermon Sabbath after Sabbath bearing with thee after so many times breaking thy covenants Oportunities to atâ—aine the highest degree of godlinesse that ever was c. I say how can it bee but that the reuise of these and innumerable mercies moe should so mollify thy heart that thou shouldest haue no heart at all nay infinitely abhorre to displease or any way dishonour that High and dreadfull Majesty whose free grace was the well-Head and first Fountaine of them all Let this meditation of Gods mercies to keepe from sinne bee quickned by considering 1. That thou art farre worthier to bee now burning with the most abominable Sodomite in the bottome of Hell then to bee crowned with any of these loving kindnesses That if
was annointed to preach the Gospell to the poore to heale the broken hearted c. Ob. Many have believed who never grieved for their misery as Lidia c. Answ. Who can tell that these greeved not It followeth not that they had no greife because none is recorded All particular actions and circumstances of Actions are not recorded It is enough that the greefe of some as of the Iewes of the Iaylour of the woman that washed Christs feete with Her teares and of others is recorded Lidia might bee prepared before she heard Paul For shâ—e accompanied them which went out to pray and shee worshipped God Or else Her heart might be then touched when she heard Paul preach The like may bee said of those which heard Peter when Her preached to Cornelius And of others Certaine it is that a man must both see and feele Hiâ— wretchednesse and bee wounded in Soule for it before Faith can be wrought in Him Yet I deny not but there may be great difference in the manner and measure of greeving c. The heart is prepared for faith and not by faith Iustifiâ—ation beeing the worke of God is perfect in it selfe but our hearts are not fit to apply it untill God have humbled us brought us to despaire in our selves The whole preparation beeing legall wrought by the Spirits of bondage to bring us to the Spirit of Adoption leaves us in despaire of all helpe either of our selves or the whole world that so beeing in this wofull plight wee might now submit our selves to God who infusing a lively faith into our hearts gives us His Son and our iustification with Him None ever had conscience truly pacifyed that first felt not conscience wounded The preparation to repentance Hee meanes Evangelicall are those legall sits of feare and terrour which are both in nature and time too before Faith As there can bee no birth without the paines of the travell going before so neither no true repentance without some terrours of the Law and streights of Conscience The reason is plaine None can have repentance but such as Christ cals to Repentance Now Hee cals only sinners to Repentance Mat. 9.13 even sinners heavy laden with the sense of Gods wrath against sinne Mat. 11.28 Hee comes onely to save the lost sheepe that is such sheepe as feele themselves lost in themselves and know not how to finde the way to the fold It is said Rom. 8.15 Yee have not received the spirit of bondage againe to feare which shewes that once they did receive it namely in the very first preparation vnto conversion that then the spirit of God in the Law did so beare witnes unto theÌ„ of their bondage and miserable slavery that it made them to tremble Now there vnder the person of the Romans the Apostle speakes to all Beleevers and so shewes that it is every Christians common case the law hath His use to worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poenitentiam The Gospell His force to worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resipiscentiam and both are needfull for Christians even at this Present as formerly they have ever bin Gods mercy may not bee such whereby His Truth in any sort should bee impeached As it should if it be prostituted indifferently and promiscuously to all as well the insolent and impenitent as the poore humble and broken hearted sinner For unto these latter onely is the promise of mercy made And if to others the gate of mercy should bee set open Gods mercies as Solomon saies of the wicked's that they are cruell mercies should be false and uniust mercies But God never yet learned so to bee mercifull as to make Himselfe false and unfaithfull The first thing that drawes unto Christ is to consider our miserable estate without Him Therefore wee see that the Law drives men to Christ And the Law doth it by shewing a Man His sin and the curse due unto the same Wee must know that nothing performed of us can give satisfaction in this matter of humiliation Yet it is such a thing without which wee cannot come to Christ. It is as much as if a man should say the Physitian is ready to heale Thee but then it is required that Thou must have a sense of the disease c No Man will come to Christ except He bee hungry Onely those that are troubled receive the Gospell No Man will take Christ for his Husband till Hee come to know feele the Waight of Satans yoke Till that time Hee will never come to take upon Him the yoke of Christ. To all you I speake that are humbled Others that minde not this Doctrine regard not the things of this nature But you that mourne in Zion that are broken-hearted you that know the bitternesse of sin to you is the salvation sent Vnder the causes I comprehend all that worke of God whereby Hee worketh Faith in any which standeth especially in these three things 1. That God by His word and Spirit first illightneth the understanding truly to conceive the Doctrine of Mans misery and of His full recovery by Christ. 2. Secondly by the same meanes Hee worketh in His heart both such sound sorrow for His misery and fervent desire after Christ the remedy that Hee can never bee at quiet till Hee enioy Christ 3. Thirdly God so manifesteth His love in freely offering Christ with all His benefits to Him a poore sinner that thereby hee drawes Him so to giue credit to God therein that Hee gladly accepts Christ offered vnto Him These three works of God whosoever findeth to have bin wrought in Himselfe Hee may thereby know certainly Hee hath Faith But without these what change of life soever may bee conceived there can bee no certainty of Faith The Law first breakes us and kills us with the sight and guilt of sin before Christ cures us and binds us up The holy Ghost worketh and maketh Faith effectuall by these three Acts 1. First it puts an efficacy into the Law and makes that powerfull to worke on the heart to make a man poore in spirit so that hee may bee fit to receive the Gospell The Spirit of bondage must make the Law effectuall as the Spirit of adoption doth the Gospell c. 2. The second worke is to reveale Christ when the heart is prepared by the spirit in the first worke then in the next place Hee shewes the unsearchable riches of Christ what is the hope of His calling and the glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints what is the exceeding greatnesse of His power in them that beleeve I say wee neede the Spirit to shew these things c. 3. The third Act of the Spirit is The testimony which hee gives to our spirit in telling us that these things are ours When the heart is prepared by the Law and when these things are so shewed unto us that wee prize them and long after them yet
our owne wee shal bee Pastours feeding our Selves not our flocke The Authour of the imperfect commentary in Chrysostome sorted by some Body into Homilies upon Matthew seemes to intimate that the cause of the overflowing and rankenesse of iniquity is the basenesse of these Self-preaching men-pleasers Tolle hoc vitium de Clero saith Hee Take this fault from the Clergy to wit that they bee not men-pleasers and all sinnes are easily cut down But if they blunt rebate the edge of the Sword of the Spirit with dawbing slattery temporizing or strike with it in a scabberd garishly and gaudily embroiderd with variety of humane learning tricks of wit frier-like conceits c. it cannot possibly cut to any purpose it kills the Soule but not the sinne They are the onely men howsoever worldly wisedome raue and unsanctified learning bee besides it selfe to beate downe sinne batter the Bulwarks of the Deuill and build vp the Kingdome of Christ who setting aside all private ends and by-respects all vaine glorious covetous and ambitious aimes all serving the times proiects for preferment hope of rising feare of the face of Man c. addresse themselves with faithfulnesse and Zeale to the worke of the Lord seeking sincerely to glorify Him in converting mens Soules by the foolishnesse of that Preaching which God hath sanctified to save them that beleeve In a word who labour to imitate their Lord and Master Iesus Christ and His blessed Apostles in teaching as men having authority in demonstration of the Spirit and power And not as the Scribes By embroidered Scabberd I meane the very same which King Iames not long before His Death did most truly out of His deepe and excellent wisedome conceive to bee the Bane of this Kingdome To wit A light affected and unprofitable kinde of preaching which hath been of late yeeres taken up in Court Vniversity City and Country Heare something more largely what reason led His royall iudgement to this resolution and desire of reformation His Maiesty beeing much troubled and grieved at the heart to heare every day of so many defections from our religion Both to Popery and Anabaptisme or other Points of separation in some parts of this Kingdome And considering with much admiration what might bee the cause thereof especially in the Raigne of such a King who doth so constantly professe Himselfe an open adversary to the superstition of the One and madnesse of the other His Princely wisedome could fall upon no One greater probability then the lightnesse affectednesse and vnprofitablenesse of that kind of preaching which hath been of late yeares too much taken up in Court Vniversity Citty and Country The usuall scope of very many Preachers is noted to bee a soaring vp in Points of Divinity too deepe for the capacity of the people or a mustring vp of much reading or a displaying of their own wits c. Now the people bred up with this kinde of teaching and never instructed in the catechisme and fundamentall grounds of religion are for all this aiery nourishment no better then abrasae Tabulae meere Table Bookes ready to bee filled up either with the Manualls and Catechismes of the Popish Preists or the Papers and Pamphlets of Anabaptists c. In another place hee resembles with admirable fitnesse the vnprofitable pompe and painting of such Selfe-seeking discourses patched together and stuft with a vaineglorious variety of humane allegations to the redde and blew flowers that pester the corne when it stands in the fields where they are more noysome to the growing crop then beautifull to the beholding eye They are King Iames his owne words Whereupon a little after hee tells the Cardinall That it was no decorum to enter the Stage with a Pericles in his mouth but with the sacred Name of God Nor should his Lordship Saith his Maiesty have marshalled the passage of a Royall Prophet and Poet after the example of an heathen Oratour These things being So how pestilent is the Art of Spirituall Dawbing What miserable men are Men-pleasers who being appointed to helpe mens Soules out of hell carry them headlong and hoodwinkt by their vnfaithfulnesse and flatteries towards euerlasting miseries Oh how much better were it and comfortable for every man that enters upon and undertakes that most waighty and dreadfull charge of the ministery a burden as Some of the Ancients elegantly amplify it able to make the shoulders of the most mighty Angell in heaven to shrinke under it to tread in the steps of blessed Paul by vsing no flattering words nor a cloake of covetousnesse nor seeking glory of men but preaching in season and out of season not as the Scribes but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power Keeping nothing backe that is profitable declaring unto their hearers all the counsell of God holding the Spirituall children which God hath given them their glory ioy and crowne of reioycing still watching for the Soules of their flocks as they that must giue account Heb. 13.17 The terrour of which place Chrysostome professeth made his heart to tremble I say by such holy and heavenly behaviour as this in their ministery To be able at least to say with him in sincerity not without vnspeakeable comfort I take you to record this Day that I am pure from the blood of all men Let us bee moved to this course and frighted from the contrary by consideration of the different effects and consequents of plaine dealing and dawbing in respect of comfort or confusion Faithfulnesse this way 1. Begets those which belong unto God to grace and new obedience See Peters piercing Sermon Act. 2.23.37 2. Recovers those Christians which are fallen by remorse and repentance to their former forwardnesse and first loue See Nathans downe-right dealing with David 2. Sam. 12.7.13 3. Makes those which will not be reformed inexcusable See Pauls Sermon to Foelix Act 24.26 How strangely will this fellow be confounded more then vtterly without all excuse when hee shall meet Paul at that great Day before the highest Iudge 4. It is right pleasing and profitable to vpright hearted men and all such as happily hold on in a constant and comfortable course of Christianity Doe not my words do good to him that walketh vprightly Micah 2.7 It makes them still more humble zealous watchfull heavenly minded c. 5. Hardens the rebellious and contumacious See Isa. cap. 6. In which faithfull ministers are also unto God a sweet savour of Christ 2. Cor. 2.15 6. And the Man of God himselfe shall hereafter blessedly shine as the brightnes of the firmament and as the Starres for ever and ever And all those happy Ones which hee hath puld out of Hell by his downe-right dealing shall raigne and reioyce with Him in unknowne and vnspeakeable Bliste through all eternity But now on the otherside the Effects of Dawbing and men-pleasing are most accursed and pestilent in
anguish as tho many fiery Scorpions stings stuck fast in them Either lead us to the sight of that blessed Anti-type of the Brazen Serpent to coole and allay the boyling rage of our guilty wounds or we are vtterly undone Either bring us to the Blood of that just and holy One which with execrable villany wee have spilt as water upon the ground that it may bind up our broken hearts or they will presently burst with despaire and bleed to eternall death Give us to drinke of that soueraigne Fountaine opened by the hand of mercy for all thirsty Soules or else wee dye There is nothing you can prescribe and appoint but wee will most willingly doe Wee will with all our hearts pluckâ— out our right eyes cut off our right hands We meane part with our beloved lusts and dearest sinfull pleasures abominate and abandon them all for ever from the heart root to the Pit of Hell If wee can bee rid of the Devills setteâ—â— welcome shall bee Christs sweete and easy yoke In a word wee will sell all even all our Sinnes to the last â—ilthy ragge of our heretofore doted vpon minion delight So that wee may injoy our blessed Iesus whom you have told us and wee now beleeve God hath made both Lord and Christ c. Now when wee shall see and find in some measure the hearts of our Hearers and spirituall Patients thus prepared both by legall dejections and terrours from the spirit of bondage and also possessed with such melting and eager affections wrought by the light of the Gospell and Offer of Christ When their Soules once begin to feele all sins even their best beloved One heauy and burdensome to prize Iesus Christ far before all the world to thirst for Him infinitely more then for riches pleasures honours or any earthly thing to resolue to take him as their husband and to obey Him as their Lord for ever and all this in truth I say then and in this case wee may haue comfort to minister comfort Then upon good ground wee may goe about our Masters command Isa. 40.1 which man-pleasers many times pittifully abuse Comfort yee Comfort yee my people I meane in respect of spirituall bondage Speake yee comfortably to Ierusalem and cry unto Her that Her warre is accomplished that Her iniquity is pardoned Wee may tell them with what a compassionate Pang and deare compellation God Himselfe labours to refresh them Isa. 54.11 Oh thou afflicted and tossed with tempest that hast no comfort behold I will lay thy stones with faire colours and lay thy foundations with Saphirs c. Wee may assure them in the word of life and Truth that Iesus Christ is theirs and they are His And compell them as it were by an holy violence not without a great deale of just indignation against their lothnesse to beleeue and holding off in this case to take his Person His merit His blood all His Spirituall riches priviledges excellencies And with Him possession of all things even of the most glorious Deity it selfe blessed for ever See 1. Cor. 3.21.22.23 Ioh. 17.21 But now in the meane time untill sense of Spirituall misery and poverty raise an hunger and thirst after Iesus Christ before such like preparations and precedent affections as have been spoke of be wrought in the hearts of men by pressing the Law and proclaiming the Gospell and that in Sincerity for the degree and measure wee leave it to God as a most free Agent in some they may bee stronger in some weaker the preaching or promising of mercy as already belonging unto them is farre more unseasonable and unseemely then Snow in Summer raine in harvest or honour for a foole It is upon the matter the very Sealing them up with the Spirit of delusion that they may never so much as thinke of taking the right course to bee converted What sottish and sacrilegious audaciousnesse then is it in any Dawber to thrust his prophane hand into the treasury of Gods mercy and there hand over head without any allowance from his highest Lord to scatter His dearest and most orient pearles amongst Swine To warrant salvaon to any unhumbled Sinner To strengthen the hands of the wicked who never yet tooke sinne to heart to any purpose and thirst farre more such true Gadarens are they after gold satisfying their owne lusts and perking above their brethren then for the blood of Christ by promising them life To assure meere civill men and Pharises who are so farre from the sense of any spirituall poverty that they are already swolne as full as the skin will hold with a selfe-conceit of their owne rotten righteousnesse that they shall bee saved as well as the most puling precisian Especially sith there is such a cloud of witnesses to the contrary as you have heard before Besides all which upon this occasion take two or three moe Heare a most faithfull and fruitfull workman in the Lords harvest of great skill experience and successe in the most glorious Art of converting Soules which makes mee more willing to vrge his authority and esteeme His judgement in Points of this nature None saith hee can prove or shew president that faith was wrought in an instant at first without any preparation going before Nor can it bee conceived how a man should beleeve in Christ for salvation that felt not himselfe before in a miserable estate and wearied with it and desired to get out of it into a better As the needle goes before to pierce the cloth and makes way for the threed to sew it So is it in this case Afterward Hee tells us how and in what manner order these predispositions and preparative Acts required for the plantation of faith and so securing us of the right season and a comfortable calling to assure men of Spirituall safety are wrought in such as God is drawing unto Iesus Christ. Hee requires from the law First Illumination Secondly Conviction Thirdly Legall terrour From the Gospell by the helpe of the Spirit First Revealing the remedy Secondly Beliefe of it in generall Thirdly Support in the meane time from sinking under the burthen and falling into despaire Fourthly Contrition Which is attended with some kind of First Desire Secondly request Thirdly Care Fourthly Hope Fiftly Ioy. Sixthly Hungring and thirsting after mercy and after Christ. Seventhly Resolution to sell all to wit all sins not to leave an hoofe behind c. And thus saith hee God brings along the man that Hee purposeth to make His. And when he is at this passe God seales it up to him inables him to beleeue And saith Sith thou wilt haue no Nay Bee it unto thee according to thy desire And God seales him up by the Spirit of promise as surely as any writing is made sure by sealing of it Then he beleeves the word of God and rests and casts himselfe vpon it And thus hee finds himselfe discharged of
judgement Nay why not more Proportionably to that which Divines hold That the privation and losse of heavenly joyes and beatificall presence of God is far bitterer then the torments of sense and positive paines of Hell But to tell you their true meaning and their very hearts Their aime in so complaining and calling for mercy from our Ministry is to have it so and in such a manner proposed and preached that they may thence collect and conceive that they are in state good enough to goe to Heaven as they are though in truth they bee meere strangers to the life of God and holy strictnesse of the Saints were never truly humbled with sight of sinne and sense of wrath nor experimentally acquainted at all with the Mysterie of the New birth That they may conclude and say within themselves Howsoever some Ministers of the purer and preciser streine fright us continually with nothing but judgement terrour damnation and will not suffer us to bee quiet no not so much as in One sinne yet it is our good hap sometimes to meet with some mercifull men who will help us to Heaven without so much adoe and upon easier termes c. In a word they would upon the matter have just so much mercy as might assure and warrant them to carry securely their sinnes in their bosome to Heaven with them to live as they list in this life and to dye the death of the righteous Which is a conceit most ridiculous absurd and more then utterly impossible What a hatefull tricke then is this and horrible imposture which they suffer Sathan to put them upon In proposing of Christ Let the Man of God set out as much as Hee can possibly the excellency of His Person the unvaluable pretiousnesse of His blood the riches of His heavenly purchases the gracious sweetnesse of His invitations the generality and freenesse of His offers the glorious Priviledges Hee brings with Him reconciliation to God Adoption forgivenesse of sins justification righteousnesse wisedome sanctification redemption c. Possession of all things For all things are yours Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come All are yours And yee are Christs and Christ is Gods 1. Cor. 3.22.23 Let Him tell His Hearers that the blood of Christ is called the blood of God Act. 20.28 and therfore of infinite merit and unvaluable price It sprang out of His humane nature and therefore finite in it's owne nature and lost upon the ground But the Person that shed it being the Sonne of God did set upon it such an excellency and eternity of vertue and value that the infinitenesse of its merit and inestimablenesse of its worth lasts everlastingly It will bee as fresh orient and effectuall to wash away the sinnes of the last man that shall bee called upon earth as it was those of the Penitent Thiefe who saw it with His bodily eies gushing out of his blessed side upon the crosse or the first man who did first savingly apprehend that first Promise The seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head Let him assure them it is so soveraigne That in a truly broken humbled and thirsty soule it turneth the most Scarlet and Crimson sinnes into snow and wooll That upon compunction and comming in it washed away that horrible and bloody guilt from the soules of them that spilt it Act. 2. Let them know also in how high a degree and hainously they offend from time to time who refuse to take Iesus Christ offered most freely without exception of any person every Sabbath every sermon either in plaine and direct termes or implyedly at the least Oh! Litle doe people thinke who sit under our Ministry unwrought upon by the word what a grievous and fearefull sinne they commit and carry home from the House of God day after day in neglecting so great salvation in forsaking their owne mercy and in judging themselves unworthy of everlasting life I meane by chusing upon a free Offer of his Soule-saving blood to cleave rather to a Lust Horrible indignity then to Iesus Christ blessed for ever rather to wallow in the mire and mudde of earthly pelfe in the filth and froth of swinish pleasures In idlenesse pride worldlinesse whoredome drunkennesse strange fashions scorning Professours contempt of the power of godlinesse railing against religion revelling Selfe-uncleannesse c. then abandoning these filthy harlots to take the Sonne of God for their deare and everlasting Husband This not Beleeving This refusing Christ This not taking Him in the manner and sense as I have said is such a sinne though not so thought upon and taken to heart that Divines speake of it as of a most transcendent sinne the greatest sinne the sinne of sinnes the onely sinne as it were from such Places as these But when the King heard thereof Hee was wroth and Hee sent foorth His armies and destroyed those murderers and burnt up their City Mat. 22.7 Hee meanes those who were invited to the Sons marriage and made light of it Hee that beleeveth not is condemned already because hee hath not beleeved in the Name of the onely begotten Sonne of God Ioh. 3.18 When the Comforter is come Hee will convince the world of sinne because they beleeve not on mee Hee meanes this sinne alone saith Austin As though not beleeving on the Sonne of God were the onely sinne It is indeed the maine and master sinne because as the same Father speakes truly This remaining the guilt of all other sinnes abides upon the soule this removed all other sinnes are remitted Nay and besides the horriblenes and hainousnes of the sin what height and perfection of madnesse is it That whereas a Man but renouncing his base rotten transitory sinfull pleasures dogged continually at the heeles with vengeance and horror And only taking Iesus Christ in whom are hidden and heaped up the fulnes of grace and treasures of all perfection might have therevpon to say nothing of the excellency of his person purchases of his passion and possessiō of the most blessed Deity a full free discharge thereby at the hands of so happy an Husband from every moment of the everlastingnesse of Hellish torments and a Deed presently sealed with His owne hearts-blood for an undoubted right to every minute of the eternity of heavenly joyes yet should in cold blood most wickedly and willingly after so many intreaties invitations importunity onely for the good of His poore immortall Soule refuse the change Heaven and earth may be astonished Angels and all Creatures may justly stand amazed at this prodigious sottishnes and monstrous madnesse of such miserable men The world is wont to call Gods people precise fooles because they are willing to sell all they have for that One pearle of great price to part with profits pleasures preferments their right hand their right eye every thing any thing rather then to leave
empoysoner of mens soules which beeing the glorious issue of thine owne infinite understanding was purposely created as a most pretious Panacea an universall medicinall store-house for the cure of all spirituall maladies an inexhausted treasury of all sound comfort true joy peace and refreshing Now the Lord rebuke thee Satan and returne as dung upon thine owne face this villanous base and wicked slaunder which by thy gracelesse instruments thou labourest to cast upon the glorious face of Christianity the incomparable sweetnesse of the wayes of grace and that One necessary thing I have knowne when the onely wise God hath suffered for ends seene and seeming good to his heavenly wisedome the hideous and raging humour of melancholie to darken the native clearenes of the animall spirits in the braine requisite to a due discretion of things apprehended and to blunder and disorder the objects and operations of the phantasie in his dearest child even to distraction and breaking out into that inordinate passion against reason I say then the concurrent cry and clamour of the enemies to the power of Godlines to bee This it is now to bee so bookish to follow preachers so much to be more holy then their neighbours never to have done in serving of God Her so much reading the scriptures and such poring upon precise bookes so they call those which most pierce the conscience and guide the cleerliest in the holy path hath made her starke mad The Puritan is now besides her selfe c. Now I say againe the Lord rebuke thee Satan who sits with such extreme malice and soule-killing folly in the hearts heads of such miserable men whom thou so sottishly hood-winkes and hardens to the height for a most desperate downefal and horrible confusion at last Were now the glorified soule of that blessed Saint consulted with and asked Diddest thou ever receive hurt by reading Gods blessed book by searching sweetly into the great mystery of Christ crucified by meditation upon heavenly things Did the sacred sense of those divine Oracles dissettle thy noble faculties or ever make sad thy heart c. Oh! with what infinite indignation would it sly in the face of such cursed Cavillers and wranglers against the truth Is it possible for the sole and soveraigne Antidote sent from heaven by God himselfe against the sting and venome of all heart-griefe and horror the sacred Sun of saving truth which is onely able to ennoble and glorifie our understandings with wisedome from the brest of the everlasting counsell of Iesus Christ should become the cause of discomfort and dissettlement of the soule No no. There is such a quickening healing and mighty efficacy and vigour shed into it from the Father of lights and shining in it from the face of Christ that by the helpe of the blessed spirit it can turne darkenes into light death into life hell into heaven the deepest horrour into height of joy Tell mee of any misery upon the body soule outward state or good name any calamity felt or feared in this life or the life to come and if thou wilt bee converted and counselled I can send thee to some both Promise and Precedent in this book of God which may upon good ground fill thine heart as full with sound comfort as the Sun is of Light and the Sea of Waters Nay give mee a wounded spirit with all it 's inexplicable terrors and bitternesse which is the greatest misery extremest affliction of which an understanding Soule is capable in this life And let first all the physitians in the world even the Rose-knights as they call themselves lay all their heads skill and experience together for the cure Let all the highest Monarchs upon earth shine upon it with their Imperiall favours for comfort Let the depth of all humane wisedome and the height of the most excellent oratory bee improoued to perswade it peace Let all the creatures in heaven and earth contribute their severall abilities and utmost to still it 's rage And when all these have done and have done just nothing I will fetch a cordiall out of Gods owne booke which shall mollifie the anguish expell the venome and bind it up with everlasting peace which passeth all understanding that the broken bones may rejoyce and the poore soule groaning most grievously under the guilty horrour of many foule abominations and ready to sink into the gulph of despaire bee sweetly bathed and refreshed in the fountaine opened by the hand of mercy for sinne and for uncleannesse Christs dearest bloud the glorious wel-spring of all lightsomnesse and joy Heare how precisely for this purpose and how punctually against such pestilent cauillers some of the ancient Fathers doe Puritanize There is no malady saith Chrysostome either of body or soule but may receive a medicine out of Gods booke One comes oppressed with sadnesse and anxiety of businesses overwhelmed with griefe But presently hearing the Prophet saying Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee Hope thou in God for I will yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Hee receives abundance of comfort and abandons all heavines of heart Another is pinched with extreme poverty takes it heavily and grieves seeing others flowing in riches swelling with pride attended with great pompe and state But hee also heares the same Prophet saying Cast thy burden upon the Lord and hee shall sustaine thee And againe Be not afraide when one is made rich when the glory of his house is increased For when hee dieth hee shall carry nothing away His glory shall not descend after him There is another which assaulted with insidiations and calumnies is much troubled thinkes his life uncomfortable finding no helpe in man Hee is also taught by the same prophet that in such perplexities wee must not resort to the arme of flesh Heare what hee saies They slandered and I prayed The mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitfull are opened against mee They have spoken against mee with a lying tongue They compassed mee about also with words of hatred and fought against mee without a cause For my love they are my adversaries But I give my selfe to prayer Another is slighted and contemned by some base contemptible underlings and forsaken of his friends And that is it which most troubles his mind goes nearest to his heart But hee also if hee will come hither doth heare that blessed man saying My Lovers and my freinds stand aloofe from my sore and my kinsmen stand afarre off They also that seeke after my life lay snares for mee and they that seeke my hurt speake mischeivous things and imagine deceipts all the day long But I as a deafe man heard not and I was as a dumbe man that openeth not his mouth Thus I was as a man that heareth not and in whose mouth are no reproofes for in thee O Lord do I hope thou
wilt heare O Lord my God Hee concludes thus Thou hast seene how that any misery pressing our mortality a convenient Antâ—ote may be taken out of Scripture and all the carking of this life may bee cured neither need wee to bee greived for any thing which befals us Therefore I beseech you that henceforward you would come hither and listen diligently to the reading of divine writ And not onely when you come hither but also take the bible into your hands at home and receive with great affection the profit to bee found in it For from thence springs much gaine First that the tongue may bee reformed by it The soule also takes wings soares aloft and is gloriously illightened with the beames of the Sunne of righteousnesse and that while is freed from the entisements of impure thoughts enioying much calmenesse and contentment Furthermore that which corporall food doth for encreasing bodily strength the same doth reading performe to the soule All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable and writ by the spirit of God for this purpose saith great Basil that in it as a common Mart of soule-medicines every one of us may chuse a medicine proper and fit for his spirituall malady Jerome writing to many even of Her sexe whom as I told you before much reading of Scriptures and other good bookes made mad if the extremest malice of the most mortall enemies to the waies of God may bee credited doth stirre them up with extraordinary earnestnesse to a diligent industrious and fruitfull reading of Gods Booke in many Passages of His Epistles In that to Gaudentius about bringing up a young Maiden Hee would have Her at seaven years old and when she begins to blush learne the Psalmes of Dauid without Booke and untill twelue make the Books of Salomon the Gospels the Apostles and Prophets the treasure of Her heart To One Hee speakes thus This one thing about all others I would fore advise Thee and inculcating it I will admonish againe and againe That thou wouldest possesse thy minde with love of reading Scriptures To an other Let the Booke of God bee ever iâ— thy hands And after the holy Scriptures reade also the Treatises of learned men To another Let the sacred Scriptures bee ever in thine hands and revolved continually in thy minde Reading Scripture saith Origen daily prayers the word of Doctrine nourish the Soule even as the Body is strengthened by dainty fare The Spirit is nourished growes strong and is made victorious by such foode Which because you doe not ply doe not complaine of the infirmity of the flesh Doe not say wee would but cannot c Those reverend men that made the Homilies seeme to apprehend themselves and they commend to us the excellent sweetnesse which may bee suckt from the breasts of consolations in meditating upon the Scriptures by this their emphaticall and effectuall expression Let us ruminate say they and as it were chew the cudde that wee may have the sweet juyce spirituall effect marrow hony kernell tast comfort and consolation of them I have said all this upon purpose least melancholike men should be miss-led or disheartened by the cursed counsell of carnall freinds and wicked clamours of the world from turning their sadnesse into sorrow for sin and from plying Gods blessed booke and the powerfull ministry thereof the onely wellspring of all true lightsomnesse and ioy and able as I said before if they wil bee converted and counseled to dispell the very darkenesse of hell out of their hearts Mee thinkes they rather above others should bee encouraged hereunto 1. Because they have a passive advantage that I may so speake when it pleaseth God to sanctifie for that purpose and set on worke the spirit of bondage by reason of their sad dispositions and fearefull spirits to bee sooner affrighted and dejected by comminations of judgements against sinne more feelingly to take to heart the miseries and dangers of their naturall state more easily to tremble and stoope under the mighty hand of God and hammer of his Law Guiltinesse and horrour damnation and hell beget in their timerous natures stronger impressions of feare whereupon they are woont to tast deeplier of legall contrition and remorse and so proportionably to feel and acknowledge a greater necessity of Iesus Christ to thirst after him more greedily to prize him more highly and at length to throw their trembling soules into his blessed bosome with more eagernesse and importunity And having once entred into the holy path their native fearefulnesse beeing rectified and turned the right way they many times walke on afterward with more feare to offend and happy is the man that feareth alway more watchfulnesse over their wayes tendernesse of conscience impatiency of losing spirituall peace sensiblenesse of infirmities and failings awfulnes to Gods word c. 2. And because of all others such men have most neede of lightsomnesse and refreshing which when carnall counsellers flattering mountebanks of the Ministry labour to introduce into their darke heads and heavy hearts by the arme of flesh outward mirth and such other meanes they onely palliate and dawbe and are so farre from doing any true good that thereby they drowne them many times deeper and more desperately into the dungeon of melancholy afterward So that a melancholicke man let him turne him which way hee will is like without the light of grace to live a very miserable life upon earth and as it were in some part of hellish darkenesse to which also at length shal bee added the torment if hee dye impenitently But now let them addresse themselves to the booke of life and thence onely they may sucke and bee satisfied with the breasts of consolation Let them leane their sorrowfull soules improoving naturall sadnesse to mourne more heartily for sinne upon the promises there and every severall one will shine upon them with a particular heavenly and healing light with sound and lasting joy All those then are starke mad either with ignorant or learned malice who beare the world in hand that reading scriptures plying the powerfull ministry taking sinne to heart c. will make melancholike men mad If you desire to know before I passe out of the point the differences betweene the heavines of a melancholike humour and affliction of conscience for sinne take notice of such as these 1 Terrour for sinne springs out of the conscience and from the smart of a spirituall wound there Melancholy dwels and hath his chiefe residence in the phantasie uncomfortably ouercasts and darkens the splendour and lightsomnesse of the animall spirits in the braine 2 The melancholike man is extremely sad knowes not why Hee is full of feare doubts distrust and heavinesse without any true and just ground arising onely from the darkenesse and disorder of the phantasie the griesly fumes of that blacke humour in the braine But a broken heart a thousand to one
particulars It is a principle in the mysterie of Christ resolved upon by best Divines rightly instructed to the Kingdome of Heaven That a confused acknowledgement and generall repentance onely for knowne sinnes is never sound and saving But onely common formall perfunctory and that of counterfeite Converts not truly touched with sense of their sinnes nor heartily resolved to forsake their pleasures If they can bee first brought to the sight sense and acknowledgement of some one speciall notorious sinne which hath most reigned in their heart life o◠calling and bee in some good measure illightened convinced and terrified about the hainousnesse and horrible guilt of it it may bee a good meanes by Gods blessing to bring in the rest For ordinarily true repentance is first occasioned by some one speciall sinne laid to heart The Apostles Act. 2. doe specially presse the murder of Christ upon the Iewes Christ himselfe adultery upon the Woman of Samaria Ioh. 4. Samuel Idolatry upon the Israelites 1. Sam. 7. The sin of asking a King chap. 12. Ezra taking strange wives Ezra 10. Nehemiah usury chap. 5. c. To further the worke of a more particular setting their sinnes in order before their eyes it were much to bee wished and a very happy thing if all the wounded consciences and troubled in minde wee meete with were furnished before-hand with a competent speculative knowledge at the least of the particulars in Gods Law exorbitant passages of their life and grosse corruptions of their hearts Wee might so by Gods helpe more easily bring them to particular remorse and fit them sooner and more seasonably for comfort We find a most hard and right heavy taske to encounter the Divels devises wiles and depths in a poore distressed tempted Ignorant 4. When the party is dejected for some notorious sinne onely It is sometimes seene in meere civell men that having a long time preserved their reputations entire and unstained in the eye of the world from grosse and notable enormities and yet after foulely shaming themselues in the sight of men by some infamous fall seeme to take on much as tho they were truly troubled with the remorse whereas perhaps the present hearts-griefe ariseth rather from losse of credit then wound of conscience tho to favour their credit they cunningly father it upon conscience Or let them bee indeed affrighted very grievously for a time with the horrour of that one sin yet stay the cry and abate the rage of that One with some superficiall comfort and they are healed and put into an happy case in their owne conceite and in the opinion also perhaps of their unskilfull Physition tho they search no further and dive no deeper into the loathsome Dunghill of those many abominable lusts and corruptions in their heart and life of which they are as full as the skinne will hold Now it is a foule and fearefull over-sight in a Minister nay it may proove an errour stained with spirituall bloodshed to promise pardon to such partiall Penitents Suppose a man sicke of a Plurisie should send to a Physition and tell Him Hee is sore troubled with a Cough and intreate His help concealing other signes and symptomes which ordinarily accompany that disease as His short and difficult breathing the stinging stitch in His side c. The Physition may addresse Himselfe to cure the Cough and yet the Patient die of an inflammation seized upō the membrane girding the ribs and side It is proportionably so in the present Point A man may complaine and cry out houle and take on extremely for some one horrible hainous sinne and that may bee well but except hee proceede to a further discovery and sorrow proportionable for his other knowne sinnes they will bee the destruction and death of His Soule If a dozen Theeves bee entred into thy house it is not enough for Thee to lay hold on the Captaine Thiefe onely and thrust Him out at doores If Thou suffer but one of them to lurke in any corner undiscovered and not turned out Hee will serue the turne to cut thy throate and take away thy treasure Crying out of one capitall sinne onely is not sufficient wee must confesse and forsake all if wee looke to find mercy Prou. 28.13 And yet here I would have no true Penitent dejected or mistake the bare omission of some particular sinnes in this case is not ever damnable For wee must know that if a man deale truly with his owne heart in a sincere acknowledgement confession and repentance for discovered and knowne sinnes and Hee ought to labour by clearing the eye of naturall conscience and industrious inspection into Gods pure Law to know as many as may bee and for all those that come into His minde when Hee sets himselfe apart solemnely to humble and afflict His Soule before God and Hee ought to remember as many as Hee can possibly I say if so then for secret and unknowne sinnes which are committed in weakenesse and ignorance the Lord accepteth a generall confession as wee see in Davids practise Psalm 19.12 Who can understand His errours Cleanse thou mee from secret faults Sinnes there are many and that in the best men which are not onely unnoted of others and free from the worlds observation but even unknowne to a mans owne selfe and invisible to the watchfullest eye of the most waking conscience which notwithstanding are clearely subject to the search of Gods All-seeing eye and to the censure of His pure Majesty For Hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more the secretest waies of the sonnes of men Sinnes there are also which even in the zealous exercise and holy worke of Repentance may not come into the consideration and remembrance of one truly Penitent which if Hee could recover into his memory Hee would heartily and with much indignation acknowledge bewaile and detest So un-numbred are the cursed by-paths of mens crooked wayes But for both these sorts of sinnes I must say thus much for the comfort of the true Convert that both those unknowne sins which Hee commits of ignorance if He truly repent for all His knowne sinnes and labour with sincerity and zeale for further illumination of conscience and fuller revelation of every corrupt Passage both in heart life in judgement and practise and those sins of knowledge also which came not into his minde if with diligence and without dissimulation with hearty prayer and best intention of spirit He endeavour to recover them into His memory that Hee might also mourne for and mortifie them with the rest carrying ever in His heart this resolution that as any sinne shall bee discovered to His conscience or returne into His mind Hee will abominate and abandon it I say both these kinds of sinnes it is a Pearle for the true Penitent let no stranger meddle with it to such an one upon such conditions are most certainely washed away by Christs blood and Gods free mercy upon His generall
confession and repentance Davids Petition O cleanse thou mee from my secret faults did assuredly prevaile with God for the forgivenesse of all His unknowne sinnes and shall bee powerfull for that end to the worlds end to all those that so pray with Davids spirit and sincerely Besides these two cases first want of knowledge and secondly want of remembrance in the sense I have said There is also a third and that is thirdly want of time which if truly so doth also sometimes excuse the omission of some particular sinnes As wee may see in the Thiefe upon the Crosse. For want of leisure Hee could not possibly punctually revise His vile abominable life nor peruse with remorse all the particulars of His former wicked and abhorred courses But He had infused into His Soule by Iesus Christ an habituall grace of true Repentance which if Hee had lived would have carried Him faithfully along over all the notorious Passages of His lewd and lothsome life with a truly contrite broken and bleeding Soule So that if Hee had had space I doubt not but Hee would have prooved a very eminent extraordinary and exemplary Penitent And therefore the Lord in mercy did gratiously accept the desire and purpose the inclination and preparation of His heart that way But to returne to the Point and give my advise in the Case proposed Let the Party who so takes on for some notorious sin only and there takes up His rest be told That tho He dwell with deepest sighes heaviest heart and saltest teares upon some of His greatest and most speciall sinnes yet the rest must by no meanes bee neglected That which is most crying and crimson must serve as a Cryer that I may so speake to summon the rest into the Court of Conscience and as a Remembrancer to bring them to minde and remorse As Davids murder and adultery brought even His Birth-sinne into His memory Psalm 51. And that sinne of strange wives many other sinnes to Ezra's minde Ezra 9. When a father beates His childe for some one speciall fault He is wont to remember unto Him and reckon with Him for many former mis-demeanours also When a Bankrout is once clapt up for one principall debt the rest of His Creditours ordinarily come thicke and threefold upon Him When once Thou begins to reckon with thy conscience for some one extraordinary rebellion never cease untill thou hast searcht thorowly and ransackt it to the bottome that it may smart soundly before Thou hast done with penitent anguish and true remorse for all thy other sinfull corruptions also When horror for some one hainous sinne hath seiz'd upon thy heart follow Gods blessed hand leading thee to conversion and thorow the Pangs of the New-birth to unspeakeable and glorious joy by giving way to all the rest to bring in their severall inditements against thy Soule And bee not afraid thus to arraigne cast and condemne thy Selfe as guilty of innumerable sinnes and worthy ten thousand Hells before Gods just Tribunall For then shalt thou there most certainely find a gracious Advocate at His right hand To whom if Thou make sute and seeke in truth Hee will by the plea and price of His owne pretious blood sue out a pardon for thine everlasting peace When the guilty rage of thy raigning corruption begins to presse upon thy conscience lay on loade and more weight still by a penitent addition and painefull apprehension of all thy other sinnes that growing very sensible of thy spirituall slavery weary of the Dungeon of lewdnesse and lust sensuality and death wherein the Divell hath kept Thee long and thine heart being happily broken and bruised to the bottome and scorch'd as it were in some measure with Hellish flames of guilty horrour Thou mayst see and feele the greater necessity of Iesus Christ set Him at an higher price with more eagernesse and impatiency thirst for His righteousnesse and blood long for spirituall enlargement more then for worlds of pleasures glory or wealth rellish the hidden Manna of the promises most kindlily and cast thy wounded and bleeding Soule with more delight and sweetnesse into His blessed armes of mercy and love For O how acceptable is the Fountaine of living waters saith a worthy Divine to the chased Hart panting and braying The blood of Christ to the weary and tired Soule To the thirsty conscience scorched with the sense of Gods wrath Hee that presents Him with it How welcome is Hee Even as a speciall choise man One of a thousand The deeper is the sense of misery the sweeter is the sense of mercy The Traytour laid downe upon the blocke is more sensible of His Soveraignes mercy in pardoning then Hee who is not yet attached In our dead security before conversion God is faine to let the Law Sinne Conscience Satan a deepe sense of our abominable and cursed state loose upon us and to kindle the very fire of Hell in our soules that so wee might bee rouzed and afterward more sweetly and soundly raised and refreshed For after the most toylesome labour is the sweetest sleepe after the greatest tempests the stillest calmes Sanctified troubles and terrours establish the surest peace And the shaking of these windes makes the trees of Gods Eden take the deeper roâ—ting I confesse that commonly true Converts at the first touch and turning and after too cry out most of and are extraordinarily troubled with some One capitall sin and that which in their dayes of darknesse and vanitie wasted their conscience most and detained them with strongest entisements and hold-fast in the Divels bondage Hence it was that Zacchaeus was so ready and willing to restore fourefold that so Hee might bee rid of the sting and horrour of His former raigning sinne Luk. 19.8 That blessed Paul as it seemes amongst other dreadfull apprehensions of His former unregenerate courses was so much vexed and wounded in heart for that Hee had been a Persecuter 1. Timoth. 1.13 1. Cor. 15.9 But yet should they take-on never so much houle and roare for that one sinne if besides they did not by the conduct of the blessed Spirit descend also to a more particular acknowledgement confession and repentance of all other knowne sinnes and they ought by clearing the eye of naturall conscience industrious inspection into the pure Cristall of Gods Law discover as many as they can possibly all were nothing Hee which is grieved say Divines for one sinne truly and unfainedly from His heart will proportionably bee grieved for all the sinnes that Hee knoweth to bee in Himselfe If wee favour any one sinne in our heart or life or calling wee cannot enjoy Gods favour If there bee any sensuall lust or secret corruption which a man purposely labours to cover and conceale from Gods pure eye the search of His Word and mortifying grace what hope can Hee have that it is covered with the blood of Christ from the wrath that is to come or warranted by any promise of grace from
the damnation of Hell In a true Penitent there ought to bee an utter cessation from all grosse abandonable sinnes and at least dis-allowance dis-affection and all possible opposition even to un-avoidable infirmities and inseparable frailties of the flesh 5. Fiftly when the Physition of the Soule promiseth mercy and pardon hand over head without that spirituall discretion which is convenient for a matter of so great consequence and requiring such a deale of dexterity in discerning to a man upon His Bed of death who hath formerly bin notorious or onely civill howsoever a meere stranger to the power of godlines and the truth of Profession because now in the evill Day He takes on extremely by reason of His extremity cries out of his sins O I am an hainous horrible and grievous sinner If I were to live againe what would not I doe A World for comfort now and to die the death of the righteous because Hee Howles vpon His bed as the Prophet speaketh and breakes out oftentimes into a roaring complaint of sinne and cry for pardon by reason Hee now begins to feare and feele the revenging hand of God ready to seize upon Him for his former rebellions c. Or when Hee assures Him having been a formall Professour onely and foolish Virgine of blisse and glory because out of a former habituated spirituall Selfe-deceite Hee cries Lord Lord seemes to by-standers very confident that He shal presently receive a Crowne of life thankes God that nothing troubles Him Professes to every one that comes to visite Him that Hee believes and repents with all His heart forgives all the world makes no doubt of Heaven c. Here by the way wee must take notice that many having out-stood the day of their gratious visitation having neglected so great salvation forsaken their owne mercy and iudged themselues unworthy of everlasting life all their life long by standing out against the Ministry of the Word in respect of any saving worke upon their soules and now at length beeing overtaken after the short gleame of worldly prosperity with the boysterous winter-night of death and darkenesse of the evill day may keepe a great stirre upon their dying-Beds or in some great extremity with grievous complaints of their present intolerable misery and former sinfull courses procuring it with incessant cries for ease and deliverance being now caught like wilde Bulls in a Nâ—t full of the wrath of God with earnest and eager â—uing and seeking for pardon and salvation now when worldly pleasures are past and yet bee not truly penitent not soundly and savingly humbled not rightly fitted for Christ and comfort Consider for this purpose Prov. 1.24.28 In the day of visitation God called upon them and stretched out His hands but they refused did not regard set at naught all His counsell and would none of His reproofe And therefore in the Day of vexation when extremity and anguish shall come upon them like a Thiefe in the night a whirle-winde travaile upon a woman suddenly extremely un-avoidably Hee professeth before-hand that then they shall call upon Him but Hee will not answer They shall seeke Him early but they shall not find Him Psal. 78.34.35.36.37 When Gods hand was upon them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God c. Neverthelesse they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto Him with their tongues For their heart was not right with Him c. Hos. 7.14 They howled upon their Beds Will not a Dog or a Beast or any unreasonable creature when they are pinched when they are in extremity will they not cry will they not mourne for helpe c. Their cries in the evill Day were not hearty prayers but Howlings upon their Beds Their earnestnesse in such a case is ordinarily like the teares prayers and cryes of a malefactour newly condemned Hee is very earnest with the Iudge to spare Him Hee roares out sometimes and takes on extremely yet not heartily for his former lewdnesse but horribly because Hee must now loose His life Hee seemes now when Hee sees His misery to relent and to bee toucht with remorse but it is onely because hee is like to bee hanged Againe many there are who satisfying themselves and others with a goodly shew of a Forme onely of godlines may upon their last Bed discover and represent to By-standers a great deale of fearelesnesse about their spirituall state much confidence many ostentations of Faith and full assurance and behave themselves as tho they were most certainely going to everlasting blisse when as God knowes their Answer at His just Tribunall must bee I know you not And in truth and triall they have no more part in Christ nor other portion in Heaven then the foolish Virgins and those Luk. 13.26.27 They are so confident not because they have escaped the danger but because they never saw the danger And hence it is that many of them die with as much confidence as the best Christians they have no more trouble then holy men To bee sure I am free from danger and not to know it may beget equall confidence Now concerning the present Case I must tell you that for my part I would not much alter my censure and conceite of a Man's spirituall state whom I have thorowly knowne before for the manner of His death The end of Gods dearest servant after an holy life and unblame-able conversation may not appeare in the eye of man so calme and comfortable as was expected by reason of much tendernesse of conscience some strong temptation spirituall desertion violent distemper of Body or because God would have the manner of His death serue the glory of His justice in hardning those about him who were so farre from being won by His godly life that they heartily hated it or for some other secret and sacred end seene and seeming good to Divine wisedome who ever disposeth every circumstance even of the least affaire most sweetly and wisely And yet this as it doth not prejudice His salvation neither should it His Christian reputation Heare that great Doctor in the Art of rightly comforting afflicted consciences But what if you should die in this discomfort For my part as I my selfe looke for no great things in my death I would not thinke more hardly of you neither would I wish any to iudge otherwise of Gods Childe in that state of death For wee shall not bee iudged according to that particular instant of death but according to our generall course of life not according to our deede in that present but according to the desire of our hearts ever before And therefore wee are not to mistrust Gods mercy in death bee wee never so uncomfortable if so bee it hath been before sealed in our vocation and sanctification On the otherside a notorious wretch which hath swumme downe the current of the times and wallowed in worldly pleasures all his life long may seeme to die
yet at last with everlasting kindnesse will Hee have mercy on Him And that Hee will never utterly and finally forsake any of His. Thus died those blessed Servants of God Mistris Bretergh Master Peacock c. Mistris Bretergh in the heate of temptatioÌ„ wished that she had never bin borne or that she had bin made any other creature rather then a woman But when that Hellish storme was over-blowne by the returne of the glorious beames of the Sun of righteousnesse into Her Soule She turnd her tune and triumphed thus Oh happy am I that ever I was borne to see this blessed Day I confesse before the Lord his loving kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sons of men For hee hath satisfied my Soule and filled my hungry Soule with goodnesse Master Peacocke in the height of His dreadfull Desertion told those about Him that hee converst with Hell-â—ounds That the Lord had cursed him That Hee had no grace That it was against the course of Gods proceeding to save Him c. But when that horrible tempest of spirituall terrours was happily disperst and the light of Gods comfortable countenance begun to shine againe upon His most heavy and afflicted spirit Hee dis-avowed all inconsiderate speeches as hee called them in his temptation and did humbly and heartily aske mercy of God for them all And did thus triumph What should I extoll the magnificence of God which is unspeakeable and more then any heart can conceive Nay rather let us with humble reverence acknowledge His great mercy What great cause have I to magnifie the great goodnesse of God that hath humbled Nay rather exalted such a wretched miscreant of so base condition to an estate so glorious and stately The Lord hath honored mee with his goodnesse I am sure hee hath provided a glorious Kingdome for mee The joy which I feele in my heart is uncredible 4. Some of Gods worthiest Champions and most zealous servants doe not answere the unreprooveable sanctity of their life and unspotted current of their former conversation with those proportionable extraordinary comforts and glorious Passages upon their beds of death which in ordinary congruity might be expected as a conuenient conclusion to the rare and remarkeable Christian cariages of such blessed Saints So bottomlesse and infinitely un-fathomable by the utmost of all created vnderstandings are the depths of Gods most holy waies and His inscrutable Counsells quite contrary many times to the probable conclusions of Man's best wisdome But every one of His sith he certainly passes thorow those pangs into pleasures and joyes endlesse and unspeakeable must be content to glorifie God to be seruiceable to His secret ends with what kinde of death Hee please whether it bee glorious and untempted or discomfortable because of Bodily distempers and consequently interpretable by undiscerning spirits or mingled of temptations and Triumphs or ordinary and without any great shew or remarkeable speeches after extraordinary singularities of an holy life which promised an end of speciall note and admiration Why may not some worthy heavenly-minded Christians sometimes by strong mortifying meditations and many conquering fore-conceits of death in their life time make it before-hand so familiar and easie unto them an by continuall conversing above and constant peace of conscience taste so deepely of spirituall ioyes that that dreadfull Passage out of this life as it may breede no great sense of alteration in themselves so no extraordinary matter of speciall observation to others Of the wicked and those who were ever strangers to the mystery of Christ and truth of godlinesse Some die desperately Tho thousands perish by presumption to One of these who despaire yet some there are to whom upon their beds of death all their sins are set in order before them and represented to the eie of their awaked consciences in such griesly formes and so terribly that at the very first and fearefull sight they are presently struck starke dead in soule and spirit utterly over-whelmed and quite swallowed up with guilty and desperate horrour So that afterward No counsell or comfort no consideration of the immeasurablenesse of Gods mercy of the unvaluablenesse and omnipotency that I may so speak of Christs bloud shed of the variety excellency of gracious promises of the losse of their owne immortall soules can possibly drive and divert from that infinitely false conceite and cursed Cry My sinnes are greater then can bee pardoned Whereupon most miserable and forlorne wretches they very wickedly and willfully throw themselves into Hell as it were upon earth and are damned above ground Thus the Lord sometimes for the terror of others glorifying his owne iustice bringing exemplary confusion upon impenitent obstinacy in sinne and willfull opposition to grace doth in greatest indignation by the hand of divine vengeance unclaspe unto them the Booke of their owne Conscience and of His owne holy Law In one of which they find now at length all their innumerable iniquities transgressions and sinnes engraven with the Point of a diamond enraged with Gods implacable wrath aggravated with the utmost malice of Satan And never to bee razed out or remitted but by the bloud of the Son of God in which they peremptorily professe themselves to have no part In the other they see the fiercenes and fulnesse of all the curses plagues and torments denounced there and due unto all impenitent sinners ready to bee poured upon their bodies and soules for ever And no possibility to prevent them no waies to decline them but by Gods infinite bounty thorow Iesus Christ in which they also utterly disclaime all right and interest And therefore they are now finally and desperately resolved to looke for no mercy But in their owne judgement and by their owne confession stand reprobates from Gods covenant and voide of all hope of His inheritance expecting with unspeakeable terrour and amazement of spirit the consummation of their miserie and fearefull sentence of eternall damnation They are commonly such as have been grosse Hypocrites like Iudas and lien in some secret abomination against the knowledge of their hearts all their life long that have followed still their owne sensuall wayes and course of the world against the light of the Ministry standing like an armed man in their consciences to the contrary who have been Scorners and Persecutours of the power of godlinesse and the good way who have abjured the Gospell of Iesus Christ and forsaken the Truth for honour wealth or worldly happinesse To whom the Lord in their life-time vouchsafed many mercies much prosperity great meanes of salvation long forbearance c. And yet they stood out still they still hated to bee reformed set as naught all His counsell and would 〈◊〉 of His â—â— proofe Wherefore the Day of gratious visitation beeing once expired a thousand Worlds will not purchase it againe Heaven and Earth cannot recall it No mercy no comfort no blessing can then bee had tho they seeke it with teares
to lift them up That none shall have mercy but such as confesse and forsake their sinnes That the meere ciuill man and luke-warme formall Professour without holinesse and zeale can never bee saved That all the wicked shal bee turned into Hell c. In a word if Hee take the right course to bring men from darkenesse to light from Satan to the living God by first wounding with the Law before Hee heale with the Gospell I say the most in this Case are ready to cry out and complaine that hee throwes wild-fire Brimstone and Gunpowder into the consciences of men Conceive therefore I pray you That there is in God first His justice and secondly His mercy both infinite and equall Onely in regard of Man there is an inequality For God may bee said to bee more mercifull unto them that are saved then just to them that are damned For of damnation the just cause is in Man but of salvation it is wholly from grace In Himselfe and originally they are both equal and so are all his Attributes But in respect of the exercise and expression upon His creatures and abroad in the world there is some difference But for my purpose and our Ministeriall emploiment and Commission take notice That as the revealed effects of Gods mercy are love tender-heartednesse compassion His owne deare Sons pretious hearts-blood pardon of sinnes peace of conscience unspeakeable and glorious joy thereupon Evangelicall pleasures comfortable presence of the Spirit even in this life and in the other World pleasures infinitely moe then the Starres of the firmament in number even for ever and ever And all these vpon all true Penitents So the revealed effects of His Iustice are indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish that Sword which will devoure flesh those arrowes that drinke blood that fiery anger which will burne unto the lowest Hell and set on fire the foundations of the Mountaines That comming against which is with fire and charets like a whirlewinde to render anger with fury and rebuke with flames of fire that meeting which is as of a Beare bereaved of her whelps to rent the cauâ—e of the heart and devoure like a Lyon c. All plagues with the extremity temporall spirituall eternall all the curses in this Booke of His all the torments in Hell to the utmost sparke of those infernall flames And all these upon all impenitent sinners Now God will bee glorified both waies and by them both Give us leave then to give them both their due Wee are most willing and ready as our great Master in Heaven would have us Isa. 40.1.2 and our blessed Saviour by his example doth teach us Luk. 4.18 To convey by our Ministry into every truly-broken heart and bleeding Soule the warmest bloud that ever heated Christs tender heart and to keepe backe from the true Penitent not any one graine of that immeasurable Mine of all the rich mercies purchased with that pretious blood Bee content therefore on the otherside that wee open the Armory of Gods justice and reveale his wrath from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of Men That indignation and wrath Tribulation and anguish shal be upon every soule of man that doth evill c. As wee are ever ready to binde vp the bruised spirit with the softest oyle of Gods sweetest mercy So let us I pray you have leave in the equity of a just and holy proportion to wound with the Hammer of the Law the haâ—ry Pate of every One that goes on in His sinne Let us deale faithfully even with wicked men lest wee answere for the blood of their soules By telling them That as certainely as all the glorious comforts and blessed consequents of Gods infinite mercy shall crowne the heart and heade of every true-hearted Nathanael for ever so all the dreadfull effects of his angry Iustice will at length seize upon the Soules and confound the consciences of all un-holy men with extremest severity and terrour Let it bee thus then and let our Ministeriall dispensation bee in this manner If thou bee an impenitent Person I would tell Thee That the vtmost wrath of God vnquenchable and everlasting vengeance all earthly and infernall plagues are thy certaine Portion But I would mollify and sweeten the bitternesse of this sentence with assurance of mercy upon Repentance to prevent the assaults of despaire On the other side If the Ministry of the Word hath wrought upon Thee effectually and now thy truly-humbled soule thirsts after Christ with a syncere hatred and opposition against all sinne I would assure thy troubled and trembling heart in the Word of life and truth of all those most pretious blessings and sweetest comforts which the Booke of God doth promise and the blood of Christ hath bought But withall I would commend unto thee some Coolers and Counterpoisons against presumption and falling to Pharisaisme For which purpose and for prevention of danger and spirituall undoing by unskilfull and undiscreet dawbing in the Case proposed I come now to tender such Counsels and Caveats as these or the like which the faithfull Physition of the Soule according to occasions circumstances and present exigents may thinke fit to bee mingled with administration of mercy and wisely propounded to the afflicted Party It may not proove unseasonable to speake thus or in some such manner to thy spirituall Patient 1. If these things bee truly and soundly so If thou finde and feele indeed such a mollified and melting spirit such broken and bleeding affections in thy bosome Thou art certainely blessed If that sorrowfull soule of thine doth renounce from the very heart-roote with speciall distaste and detestation all manner of sinne insatiably thirst after righteousnesse unfainedly resolve for the short remainder of a few and evill dayes to bend it selfe towards heaven in all New-obedience I say if this bee syncerely the holy disposition and resolution of thine heavy heart notwithstanding all thy present terrour and trouble of minde Thou art truly and everlastingly happy Onely take notice lest my ministring of mercy bee mistaken or thy conceiving of comfort mis-carry that the heart of man is deceitfull above all things A bottomlesse depth it is of Falshoods dissemblings hypocrisies An endlesse Maze of windings turnings and hidden passages No eye can search and see it's center and secrets but that All-seeing One alone which is ten thousand times brighter then the Sun to which the darkest Nooke of Hell is as the Noone-day And therefore not I nor any man alive can promise pardon or apply the promises but conditionally upon supposition If these things bee so and so as thou hast said And the syncerity of thy heart and truth of these hopefull protestations which wee now heare from thee in this extremity and I must tell thee by the way such like may be enforced by the slavish sting of present terrour not fairely and freely flow from a true touch of conscience for sinne I say this may
of death Then because wee take our farewell of Repentance we should take our fill of it because it is the last time wee shall looke upon our sinnes for that purpose we should dismisse them with utmost and extremest loathing At such times and upon such occasions as these and the like when thou art called to a more solemne strict and severe search and review of thy old sinnes and former life Thou must renue this present repentance of thy New-birth make thine heart breake againe and bleed afresh with the sight of thy heretofore much doted-upon but now most abhorred abominable courses And so often also as thou lookes backe upon them Thou must labour to abominate and abandon them with more resolute aversion and new degrees of detestation Thoâ—e may bee by the mercies of God they shall never bee able to â—â—ng thee againe with the same slavishnesse of guilty horrour yet thou mâ—st still endeavour in thy cold blood to strangle utterly thy former delight in them with more hearty additions of deadly hatred and to bee more and more humbled for them untill thy ending houre It is a very high happinesse and blessing above ordinary to bee able to looke backe upon thy choisest youthfull pleasures and pollutions without either sensuall delight or slavish horrour with syncere hatred holy indignation and hearty mourning Now for the time to come and those sinnes which hereafter the rebelliousnesse of thy naughty nature and violence of the Divels temptations may force upon thee if thy heart bee now truly toucht and conscience savingly illightned Thou shalt find much matter necessity and use of continuing thy Repentance so long as thy life lasts In a leaking ship there must bee continuall pumping A ruinous house must be still in repairing These bodies of death wee beare about us are naturally liable to so many batteries and breaches by the assaults of originall sinne and other implacable enemies to our soules that there is extreme need of perpetuall watch and ward repenting and repairing lest the Newman bee too much opprest and too often surprized by the many and cunning encounters of the old Adam When thou art in company solitary busied about thy particular Calling there may suddenly arise in thine heart some greedy wish some grosse conceite some vaine uncleane ambitious revengefull thought ejaculate presently a penitent â—igh and â—ervent prayer for pardon of it in the Passion of Christ. In thy family perhaps amongst thy children and servants by reason of some crosse-accident thou mayst breake out into some unadvised passionate speech and disgrace thy selfe and Profession by over hasty intemperate heate not without some danger of hurting and hardening those about thee thereby Get thee presently upon it into thy Closer or some place for that purpose Throw thy selfe downe with a truly-grieved and humbled Soule before the Trone of grace and rise not untill thou bee reconciled unto thy God If at any time which God forbid Thou bee over-taken with some more publike scandalous sinne or dangerously haunted with some enormous secret lust appoint for thy selfe a solemne Day of humiliation and then cry unto the Lord like a woman in travaile and give him no rest untill Hee returne unto Thee with the wonted favour and calmnesse of His pleased countenance If Christians would constantly take to heart and ply this blessed businesse of immediately rising by repentance after every relapse and fall into sinne they should find a further Paradise and pleasure in the wayes of God then they ever yet tasted This course continued with present feeling and after-watchfulnesse would helpe excellently by the blessing of God and excercise of Faith the onely Conduit of all spirituall comfort to keepe in their bosomes that which they much desire and often bewaile the want of a chearefull bold and heavenly spirit Neither let any here bee troubled because I presse the exercise and use both of renewed and continued Repentance all our life long as tho thereupon the Christians life might seeme more uncomfortable For wee are to know that sorrow according to God Evangelicall mourning is mingled with abundance of spirituall joy which doth infinitely surpasse in sweetnesse and worth all worldly pleasures and delights of sense Nay whereas all the Ioviall good-fellow-mirth of carnall men is but a flash of Hellish folly This is a very glimpse of heavenly glory Let mee tell you againe how sweetly and truly that excellent Divine of Scotland speakes of it There is saith He more lightnesse of heart and true delight in the sorrow of the Saints then in the Worlds loudest laughter For unspeakeable ioy is mingled with un-utterable groanes The ancient Fathers are of the same minde with this Man of God Godly sorrow saith Chrysostome is better then the ioy of the World Even as The ioy of the World is ever accompanied with sorrow so teares according to God beget continuall and certaine delight Againe Such a man as this now meaning Him whose heart is inflamed with an heavenly heate despising all things here below doth presevere in continuall compunction pouring out abundance of teares every day and taking thence a great deale of pleasure Let the Repentant saith Austin be alwaies sorrowfull for sinne and alwaies reioyce for that sorrow 3. Beware of two dangerous errours 1. Either to conceive that thou mayst not admit of any comfort or apply the promises comfortably because Thou still finds in thy selfe more matter of mourning and further humiliation 2. Or to thinke When Thou hast onâ—â— laid hold upon Christs Person and pretious sufferings for the pardon of thy sinnes and quieting of thy Soule that then Thou must mourne no more 1. For the first know That were our heads Seaes and our eyes Fountaines of teares and poured out abundantly every moment of our life Should our hearts fall asunder into drops of blood in our breast for anguish and indignation against our selves for our transgressions yet should wee come infinitely short of the sorrow and hearts-griefe which our many and hainous lusts and pollutions justly merit and exact at our hands Therefore wee cannot expect from our selves any such sufficiency of sorrow or worthinesse of weeping for our sinnes as by the perfection and power thereof to win Gods favour and draw his mercy upon us Such a conceit were most absurd senselesse and sinfull and would rather discover and taste of naturall pride then true humility as they perhaps mistake tend unhappily to the disgrace of Gods mercies and gracing our owne merits True it is Had wee a thousand eyes it were too little to weep them all out for the very vanity of that one sinfull sense Had we a thousand hearts and they should all burst with penitent griefe and bleed to death for the sinnes of our soules it were more then immeasurably unconceiveably insufficient For were al this so yet were it not this but the hearte-blood of Iesus Christ could make the Fathers heart to yerne
compassionately over us or purchase pardon and acceptation at his hands Tender therefore unto that poore troubled soule who beeing sorely crushed and languishing under the burden of his sinnes refuses to bee raised and refreshed endlesly pleading and disputing against himselfe out of a strong fearefull apprehension of his owne vilenesse and unworthinesse putting off all comfort by this mis-conceit that no Seaes of sorrow no measure of mourning will serve the turne to come comfortably unto Iesus Christ I say presse upon such an One this true Principle in the high and heavenly Art of rightly comforting afflicted consciences So soone as a Man is truly and heartily humbled for all his sinnes and weary of their waight tho the degree of his sorrow bee not answerable to his owne desire yet Hee shall most certainely bee welcome unto Iesus Christ. It is not so much the muchnesse and measure of our sorrow as the truth and heartinesse which fits us for the promises and comforts of mercy Tho I must say this also Hee that thinkes Hee hath sorrowed enough for His sinnes never sorrowed savingly 2. For the second which is more properly and specially pertinent to our purpose Take notice That the blood of Christ beeing seasonably and savingly applyed to thine humbled Soule for the pardon and purgation of sinne must by no meanes damne and dry up thy well-spring of weeping but onely asswage and heale thy wound of horrour That pretious Balme hath this heavenly property and power that it rather melts softneth and makes the heart a great deale more weeping-ripe If these bee truly the pangs of the New-birth wherewith thou art now afflicted Thou shalt find that thy now cleaving with assurance of acceptation unto the Lord Iesus will not so much lessen hinder or cease thy sorrow as rectifie season and sweeten it If thy right unto that Soule-saving Passion bee reall and thou cast thine eye with a beleeving hopefull heart upon Him whom thou hast therein pierced with thy sins and those sinnes alone are said properly to have pierced Christ which at length are pardoned by his blood Thou canst not possibly containe but excesse of love unto thy crucified Lord and sense of Gods mercy shed into thy Soule thorow his merits will make thee weepe againe and faâ—ely force thine heart to burst out abundantly into fresh and filiall teares See how freshly Davids heart bled with repentant sorrow upon His assurance by Nathan of the pardon of His sinne Psal. 51 Thou canst not chuse but mourne more heartily Evangelically and that which should passingly please Thee and sweetely perpetuate the spring of thy godly sorrow more pleasingly unto God Take therefore speciall notice and heede of these two depths of the Divell that I have now disclosed unto thee 1. When thou art truly wrought upon by the Ministry of the Word and now fitted for comfort Beleeve the Prophets those Ones of a thousand learned in the right handling of afflicted consciences and thou shalt prosper As soone as thy Soule is soundly humbled for sinne open and enlarge it joyfully like the thirsty ground that the refreshing dew and Doctrine of the Gospell may drop and distill upon it as the small raine upon the parched grasse Otherwise 1. Thou offers dishonour and disparagement as it were to the dearenesse and tendernesse of Gods mercy who is ever infinitely more ready and forward to bind up a broken heart then it to bleed before Him Consider for this purpose the Parable of the prodigall Sonne Luk. 15. Hee is there said to goe but the Father ran 2. Thou maist by the unsettlednesse of thy heavy heart unnecessarily unsit and dis-able thy selfe for the duties and discharge of both thy Callings 3. Thou shalt gratifie the Divell who will labour mightily by his lying suggestions if thou wilt not bee counselled and comforted when there is cause to detaine thee in perpetuall horrour here and in an eternall Hell hereafter Some find him 〈◊〉 furiously and maliâ—iously busie to keepe them from comfort when they are fitted as from fitnesse for comfort 4. Thou art extremely un-advised nay very cruell to thine owne Soule For whereas it might now be filled with unspeakable and glorious ioy with peace that passeth all understanding with Evangelicall pleasures which are such as neither eye hath seene nor eare heard neither have entred into the heart of Man by taking Christ To which thou hast a strong and manifold Calling Isai. 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters c. Matth. 11.28 Come unto mee all yee that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Ioh. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come unto mee and drinke Revel 22.17 And let him that is a thirst come And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Yea a Commandement 1. Ioh. 3.23 And this is his commandement that wee should beleeve on the Name of his Sonne Iesus Christ And yet for all this Thou as it were wilfully stand'st out wilt not beleeve the Prophets forsak'st thine owne comfort and liest still upon the Racke of thy unreconcilement unto God 2. On the other hand when the angvish of thy guilted Conscience is upon sure ground something allayed and suppled with the oyle of comfort and thy â—â—unded heart warrantably revived with the sweetnesse of the Promises as with marrow and fatnesse Thou must not then either shut up thine eyes from further search into thy sins or dry them up from any more mourning But comfort of remission must serve as a pretious Eye-salve both to cleare their sight that they may see moe and with more detestation and to enlarge their Sluces as it were to poure out repentant teares more plentifully Thou must continue ripping up and ransacking that hellish Heape of thy former rebellions and pollutions of youth still dive and digge into that Body of death thou bearest about thee for the finding out and furnishing thy selfe with as much matter of sound humiliation as may bee that thou mayst still grow viler and viler in thine owne eyes and bee more and more humble untill thy dying Day But yet so That as thou holdest out in the one hand the cleare Cristall of Gods pure Law to discover the vilenesse and variety of thy sinnes all the spots and staines of thy Soule so thou hold out in the other hand or rather with the hand of Faith lay hold upon the Lord Iesus hanging bleeding and dying upon the Crosse for thy sake The one is soveraigne to save from flavish stings of conscience bitternesse of horrour and venome of despaire The other mingled with faith will serve as a quickning preservative to keepe in thy bosome aâ— humble soft and lowly spirit which doth ever excellently fit to live by Faith more chearefully to enjoy God more neerely to apply Iesus Christ more feelingly and to long for his comming more earnestly In a word to climbe up more merrily those staires of joy which are
as upon an unsavoury rotten Carrion Thou and the World must bee as two dead carcasses upon one Beere without any delightfull mutuall commerce or enter-course strangers and starke dead one unto another in respect of thy any further trading with the vanities thereof For keeping a good conscience standing on Gods side and Christs sake Thou must deny thy Selfe Thy worldly wisedome carnall reason corrupt affections Thy acceptation with the World favour of great Ones credit and applause with the most Thy passions profit pleasures possibility of rising and growing great Thy nearest friends dearest companions ease liberty life and grow by little and little into Hesters most noble and invincible resoluâ—ion ever when doing Gods will threatneth any earthly danger And if I perish I perish But not to perish so is everlastingly to perish and so to perish is to bee saved for ever Thou must thus resolve upon this Selfe-deniall when Thou first enters into Profession or else thou wilt never bee able to hold out in thy spirituall Building or conquer in the Christian Warfare See and consider the occasion and how earnestly Christ enioynes it Matth. 16.24 c. Luk. 14.24 c. and presses it with two Parables But all will come to naught and thou cursedly conclude in open Aposâ—acy grosse Hypocrisie or Selfe-deceiving Formalitie Consider the young Man in the Gospell Hee came hastily unto Iesus Christ and would needs bee His Disciple and follower upon the sudden But alas Hee did wofully mistake Little did he know neither indeed would know what belonged unto it That the servant of such an heavenly Master must bee no earth-worme That every one of his Disciples must take up their crosse and follow him For his sake part with any thing every thing bee it riches honours credit pleasures c. And therefore when once Christ for the triall of his heart had bid Him go and sell that he had c. Hee had soone done Hee was quickly gone Now had this young Man gone away without this Lesson Hee had gone away a Disciple as well as any other and perhaps as iolly a Professour as the forwardest of them all and that both in his owne strong opinion and charitable mis-conceite of the rest who were true of heart As Iudas did a long time and the foolish Virgines all their life long Too many such Professours as Hee would have prooved are to bee found even in this Noone-tide of the Gospell abroad in the World who beeing at their first entrance into Profession not soundly humbled nor laying a sure foundation not resolved upon an universall Selfe-deniall nor weighing with due fore-cast what it will cost them doe afterward behave themselves thereafter upon any gainefull occasion greater triall and temptation or beeing put to it indeed They are wont from time to time to discover their rottennesse open the mouthes of the prophane and shame all They are like unto Reeds which in a calme stand bolt upright and seeme stiffe and strong but let a tempest breake-in upon them and they bend any way While their temporall state is untoucht their outward happinesse unhazarded they seeme resolute thorow and couragious but let a storme of persecution bee raised against them Let them bee put into a great fright that if they stand to it they may bee undone c. And then they cowardlily hide their heads pull in the hornes as they say and shamefully shrinke in the wetting unhappily holding it better to sleepe in a whole skinne then with a good conscience Like the Eagle they soare aloft with many goodly religious shewes and representations but they still keepe their eye upon the Prey and therefore when advantage is offered they will basely stoope from forwardnesse honesty generosity humanity any thing to seize upon a worldly commodity office honour some earthly pelfe and transitory Nothing Some of these after Profession for some time fall quite away from it and turne Epicures or Worldlings if not Scorners and Persecutors Others hold-on in a plodding course of formall Christianity all their life long and at last depart this life like the foolish Virgins and in that formall manner I told you of before Neither be thou dis-heartned with this counsell of leaving all for Christ. For thou shalt bee no loser but a great gainer thereby Besides eternall life in the World to come Thou shalt receive an hundred-fold now in this time as Christ Him selfe tells thee Mark 10.30 If thou part with worldly ioies thou shalt have quiet in the holy Ghost spirituall joy unspeakable and glorious neerer familiarity with God deerer coÌ„munion with Iesus Christ c. To which the pleasures of ten thousand Worlds were they all extant were but extremest paine If thou lose thine Husband He that made thee will be in his stead unto Thee Thy Maker is thine Husband the Lord of Hosts is his Name If thou lose thy Father The Al-sufficient Iehouah blessed for ever will pitty thee as a Father pittieth his Children If thou lose thy friends and the worlds favour Thou shalt have all and the onely excellent upon earth to love Thee dearely and to pray heartily for Thee In a word If thou lose all for Christs sake Hee will bee unto Thee All in All And in Him all things shall be thine in a farre more sweet and eminent manner All things are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come All are yours and yee are Christs and Christ is Gods 6. When the spirituall Physition shall see the soile of his Patients heart well softned with sorrow for sinne comfortably warmed with refreshing beames of fauour from the face of Christ and so seasonably fitted for to enter a Christian course and to bring forth fruits meete for repentance let him throw-in some timely seedes of Zeale holy precisenesse undaunted courage and unshaken resolution about the affaires of Heaven and in the cause of God from such quickning Scriptures and excellent examples as these Luk. 13.24 Rom. 12.11 12. Ephes. 5.15 Phil. 1.10.11 Matth. 11.12 Revel 3.16 Ruth 4.11 Esth. 4.16 Nehem. 6.11 1. King 22.14 Heb. 11.24.25 1. Sam. 20.32 Acts 21.13 c. That it may bee happily preserved from the ranke and flourishing but rotten and fruitlesse weede of formality and luke-warmenesse Which pestilent Canker if it once take roote in the heart it will never suffer the Herbe of grace if I may so speake the heavenly unfading flowers of saving grace to grow by it while the world stands Nay and will proove one of the strongest bolts to barre them out and the most boysterous cart-rope to pull-downe extraordinary vengeance upon the head of the Party For as a loathsome vomite is to the stomacke of him that casts it out so are luke-warme Professours to the Lord Iesus Reuel 3.16 I marvaile many times what such men meane and what worship service and obedience they would have the
hee was upon the earth called thy blessed Lord and Saviour Divell See Matth. 10.25 Ioh. 7.20 which passeth all I am perswaded that any drunken Belial ever yet fastned upon thee Contemne thou therefore for ever and trample upon with an humble and triumphant patience all their contumelies and contempts Passe-by nobly without touch or trouble without wound or passion the utmost malice of the most scurrill tongue the basest gibe of the impurest Drunkard Doth the World carnall men thine owne friends ormall Teachers suppose and censure thee to be a dissembler in thy Profession and will needes concurrently and confidently yet falsely fasten upon thee the imputation of hypocrisie An heavy charge Yet for all this Let thy truly-humble heart conscious to it selfe of it's owne syncerity in holy services like a strong pillar of brasse beate backe all their impoysoned arrowes of malice and mistake this way without any dejection or discouragement Onely take occasion hereby to search more thorowly and walke more warily Iob may bee a right noble patterne to thee in this point also He had against him not onely the Divell his enemy pushing at him with his poysoned weapons but even his owne friends scourging him with their tongues His owne wife a thorne pricking him in the eye yea his owne God running upon him like a Gyaâ—â— and his terrours setting themselves in aray against himâ— Powerfull motives to make him suspect himselfe of former halting and hollow-heartednesse in the wayes of God yet notwithstanding his good and honest heart having been long before acquainted with and knit unto his God â—â— truth makes him breake out boldly and resolutely protest Till I die I will not remove my integrity from mee My righteousnesse I hold fast and will not let it goe Chap. 27.5.6 Behold my Witnesse is in Heaven and my record is on high Cap. 16.19 Art thou a loving and tender-hearted mother unto thy children and hast thou lost the dearest The greatest outward crosse I confesse that ever the sonnes and daughters of Adam tasted and goeth nearest to the heart Yet thy sorrow is not singular but out-gone in this also For the blessed Mother of Christ stood by and saw her owne onely deare innocent sonne the Lord of life most cruelly and villanously murdred upon the Crosse before her eyes Ioh. 19.25 Hast thou lost thy goods or children Doth thy wife that lies in thy bosome set her selfe against thee Doe thy nearest friends charge thee falsely Art thou pained extremely from top to toe Doe the Arrowes of the Almighty sticke fast in thy soule Thy affliction is grievous enough if thou taste any of these severally But doe they all in greatest extremity concurre upon thee at once Hast thou lost all thy children and all thy goods Doth thy wife afflict thy afflictions c. If this bee not thy Case and rufull condition thou commest yet short of Iob a most just man and one of Gods dearest Iewels 4. The exceeding greatnesse and pretiousnesse of the promises In every one of which it is incredible to consider what abundant matter of unspeake-able and glorious joy lies wâ—rpâ— up Oh how sweet are they to a thirsty soule in the â—â—me of angvish and trouble They are like a cloud of raine that commeth in the time of a drought They are very glimpses of Heaven shed into a heart many times as darke as hell They are even rockes of eternity upon which every bruised reed may sweetly repose with impregnable safety A truly humbled spirit relishing spirituall things would not exchange any one of them for all the riches and sweetnesse of both the Indies Tell me deare heart thou that in thy unregenerate time though now happily changed lay soaking in sinnes of cruelty and blood whether that mercifull promise Isai. 1.18 Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord Though your sinnes bee as skâ—rlet they shall bee as white as snow though they bee red like crimson they shall bee as wooll bee not farre dearer unto thee then thousands of gold and silver Or thou who formerly pollutedst thy selfe villanously with such secret execrable lusts which now thou canst not remember without horrour tell mee if it were utterable by the Tongue of man with what dearest sweetnesse and blessed peace thy broken heart was bound up and revived when thou cast thine eye considerately and beleevingly upon that pretious place Ezech. 36.25 I will sprinkle water upon you and you shall bee cleane and from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you c. There was beyond the Seas as my Author reports Christian Matrone of excellent parts and piety who langvishing long under the horrible pressure of most furious and fiery temptations wofully at length yeelded to despaire and attempted the destruction of her selfe After often and curious seeking occasion for that bloody fact at last having first put off her apparrell threw her self head-long from an high Promontory into the Sea But having received no hurt by her fall shee was there by a Miracle and extraordinary mercy strangely preserved for the space of two houres at the least though all the while shee laboured industriously to destroy her selfe Afterward drawne out with much adoe and recovered shee yet still did conflict with that extremest desperate horrour almost a whole yeere But by Gods good providence which sweetly and wisely ordereth all things listening on a time though very unwillingly at first to her husband reading amongst other places that Isa. 57.15 Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones For I will not contend for ever neither will I bee alwaies wroth for the spirit should faile before mee and the soules which I have made I say listening to these words the Holy Ghost drawing her heart shee begun to reason thus within her selfe God doth here promise to revive and comfort the heart of the contrite and spirit of the humble and that hee will not contend for ever neither bâ— alwayes wroth But I have a very contrite heart and a spirit humbled 〈◊〉 to the dust one of the acknowledgement and sense of my sinnes and divine vengeance against them Therefore peradventure God will vouchsafe to revive and comfort my heart and spirit and not contend with 〈◊〉 for ever nor bee wroth against mee still c. Hereupon by little and little there flowed by Gods blessing into her darke and heavy heart abundance of life lightsomnesse spirituall strength and assurance In which she continued with constancy and comfort many a yeere after crowned those happy dayes and a blessed old age with a glorious and triumphant death and went to Heaven in the yeere 1595. What heart now but Hers that felt it can possibly conceive the depth of that extraordinary un-utterable
refreshing which sprung out of that promise upon her forlorne and fearefull soule or the excesse of that love which shee bore ever after to those blessed lines to the mercy that made them and to the blood that sealed them An other terrified in conscience for sinne resolves to turne on Gods side but the crie of his good-fellow companions strength of corruption and cunning of Satan carrie him backe to his former courses A good number of yeares after hee was so throughly wounded that whatsoever came of him he would never returne againe unto folly Then comes into his minde the first of the Proverbes whence hee thus reasoned against himselfe So many yeares agoe God called and stretched out his hand in mercy but I refused and therefore now thâ— I call upon him hee will not answer though I seeke him early I shall not finde him Whereupon was his heart filled with much griefe terrour and slavish feare But the Spirit of God leading him at length to that place Luke 17.4 If thy brother trespasse against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turne againe to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgiue him He thence happily argued thus for himselfe Must I a silly sinnefull man forgive my brother as often as hee repents and will not then the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort entertaine mee seeking againe in truth his face and â—avour God forbid From which hee blessedly drew such a deale of divine sweetnesse and secret sense of Gods love that his trembling heart at first received some good satisfaction and afterward was setled in a sure and glorious peace An other godly man passing through his lâ—st sicknesse with such extraordinary calmâ—nesse of conscience and absolute freedome from temptation that some of his Christian friends observing and admiring the singularity of his soules quiet at that time especially questioned him aboue it He answered that he had stedfastly fixed his heart upon that sweetest promise Isa. 26.3 Thou wilt keepe him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because hee trusteth in thee And his God had graciously made it fully good unto his soule And so must every Saint doe who would sound the sweetnesse of a promise to the bottome make it the arme of God unto him for sound thorow-comfort Even settle his heart fixedly upon it and set his Faith on worke to broode it as it were with it's spirituall heate that quickenesse and life may thence come into the soule indeed For God is woont to make good his promises unto his children proportionably to their trust in them and dependance upon his truth and goodnesse for a seasonable performance of them Now all these promises in Gods blessed Booke which addes infinitely to their sweetnesse and certainty are sealed with the blood of Iesus Christ Heb. 9.16 and confirmed with the Oath of Almighty God Heb. 6.17.18 God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heires of promise the immutability of his counsell confirmed it by an oath That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie wee might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Oh what a mighty and pretious invitation is this to beleeve perfectly The speciall Aime of Gods oath whereas his promise had been more then infinitely sufficient was to strengthen our consolation And therefore every heart true unto Christ ought hence to hold fast not a faint wavering inconstant but a strong stedfast and unconquerable comfort Otherwise it sacrilegiously as it were robs God of the glorious end for which hee swore 5. The free love of God Which how rich and glorious how bottomlesse and boundlesse a treasure it is of all gracious sweetnesse abundant comfort and endlesse bounty appeares in this that Iesus Christ blessed for ever that unvalew-able incomparable Iewell came out of it For God so loved the World that hee gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Ioh. 3.16 And therefore every syncere servant of Christ when upon a serious and sad survay of his Christian waies finds himself to come so far short of that which God requires and himselfe desires That his prayers are very faint his sorrow for sinne very scant his love unto the brethren too cold His spending the Sabbaths very unfruitfull His spirituall growth since he gave his name to Christ very poore His profiting by the meanes hee enjoyes most unanswerable to the power and excellency thereof His New-obedience almost nothing c. For so hee is wont to vilifie himselfe Whereupon hee is much cast downe and out of this apprehension of his manifold unworthinesse concludes against himselfe that hee hath little cause to bee confident in the promises of life or to presume of any part and interest in Iesus Christ and so begins to retire the trembling hand of his already very-weake Faith from any more laying-hold of comfort I say in such a Case being true-hearted he may safely and upon sure ground have recourse to this ever-springing Fountaine of immeasurable mercy and raise up his drooping soule against all contrary oppositions with unspeake-able and glorious refreshing from such places as these Hos. 14.4 I will love thee freely Isai. 55. Ho every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and hee that hath no money come yâ—e buy and eate yea come buy wine and milke without money and without price And Chap. 43.25 I even I am hee that blotteth one thy transgressions for my owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes Revel 21.6 I will give unto him that is athirst of the Fountaine of the water of life freely c. God never set the Promises on sale or will ever sell his Sonne to any Hee never said Iust so much sorrow so much sanctitie so much service or no Christ But Hee ever gives Him freely Every truly humbled heart which will take him at the hands of Gods free love as an Husband to bee saved by him and to serve him in truth may have him for nothing Yet I must adde this there was never any who received the Lord Iesus savingly but hee laboured syncerely to sorrow as much for sinne to bee as holy to doe him as much service as hee could possibly And when hee reflected upon his best hee ever desired it had been infinitely better 6. The sweete Name of the Lord. Which hee proclaimes Exod. 34.6.7 wherein he first expresseth his essence in one word The Lord The Lord. Which doubled is effectuall to stirre up Moses attention Secondly three Attributes first His power in one word Strong Secondly His justice in two formes of speech not making the wicked innocent visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon childrens children unto the third and fourth generation Thirdly but his speciall goodnesse and good affection towards repentant and beleeving sinners in seven
slender sigh I must bee assured that the Spirit of God is present and worketh His good worke Faith saith 〈◊〉 sin in the most holy men in this life is imperfect and weake yet neverthelesse whosoever feeles in his heart an earnest desire and a striving against his naturall doubtings both can and must assure Himselfe that Hee is indued with true Faith If thou shalt feele thy selfe saith Rolloc to beleeve in Christ and that for Christ or at lâ—ast if thou canst not forthwith attaine that If thou feele thy selfe willing to beleeve in Christ for Christ and willing to doe al things for Gods sake and syncerely Thou hast certainely a very excellent argument both of perseverance in Faith and of that faith which shall last for ever Our faith may bee so small and weake saith Tassin as it doth not yet bring forth fruits that may bee lively felt in us but if they which feele themselves in such estate desire to have these feelings namely of Gods favour and love if they aske them at Gods hands by prayer this desire and prayer are testimonies that the spirit of God is in them and that they have Faith already For is such a desire a fruit of the flesh or of the spirit It is of the holy Spirit who bringeth it forth onely in such as He dwells in c. Is it possible saith Hooker speaking of Valentinian the Emperour out of Ambrose that He which had purposely the Spirit given Him to desire grace should not receive the grace which that spirit did desire Where wee cannot doe what is inioyned us God accepteth our Will to doe in stead of the Deede it selfe I am troubled with feare that my sinnes are not pardoned saith Careles They are answered Bradford For God hath given thee a penitent and beleeving Heart that is an heart which desireth to repent and beleeve For such an One is taken of Him Hee accepting the Will for the Deede for a penitent and beleeving heart Before I come to the vse of this comfortable Point lest any coozen themselves by any mis-conceites about it As the notorious Sinner the meere Civill Man and the formall Professour may all doe very easily take notice of some Markes of this saving Desire It is 1. Supernaturall For it followes an effectuall conviction of sinne and co-operation of the spirit of bondage with the preaching and power of the Law for a thorow casting a Man downe in the sight of the Lord shewing and convincing Him to bee a Sinke of sinne abomination and curse to bee quite undone lost and damned in Himselfe Which preparative worke precedent to the desire I speake of is it selfe above nature Whereupon the Soule thus illightened convinced and terrified being happily lead unto and looking upon the glorious mystery of the Gospell the excellency and offer of Iesus Christ the sweetnesse and freenesse of the Promises the heavenly splendour and riches of the Pearle of great price c. doth conceive by the helpe of the holy Ghost this desire and vehement longing Which you may then know to bee saving when it is joyned with an hearty willingnesse and unfained resolution to sell all to part with all sinne to bid adiew for ever to our darling-delight c. It is not then an effect onely of selfe-love not an ordinary wish of naturall appetite like Baalams Numb 23.10 Of those who desire to bee happy but are unwilling to bee holy who would gladly bee saved but are loth to bee sanctified 2. It ever springs from an humble meeke and bruised spirit very sensible both of the horrour of sin and happinesse of pardon both of it 's owne emptinesse and of the fulnesse in Christ Never to bee found in the affections of a Self-ignorant Selfe-confident unhumbled Pharisie 3. It must be constant importunately greedy after supply and satisfaction Not out of a Pang or passion onely or begot by the tempest of some present extremity like a flash of lightning and then quite vanishing away when the storme of terrour and temptation is over For if a syncere thirst after Christ be once on foote and takes roote in an heart truly humbled it never determines or expires in this life or the life to come 4. It is ever enlinckt and enlived with a continued and conscionable use and exercise of the meanes and drawes from them by little and little spirituall strength and vigour much vitall efficacy and increase Not idle ignorant un-exercised It were very vaine and absurd to heare a Man talke of His desire to live and yet would neither eate nor drinke nor sleepe nor exercise nor take Physicke nor use those meanes which are ordinary and necessary for the maintenance of life It is as fruitlesse and foolish for any one to pretend a desire of grace after Christ and to bee saved and yet will not prize and ply the faithfull Ministry the Word preached and read prayer meditation conference vowes dayes of humiliation the use of good company and good bookes and all divine Ordinances and blessed meanes appointed and sanctified by God for the procuring and preserving a good spirituall state 5. It is not a lazy cold heartlesse indifferent desire but earnest eager vehement extremely thirsting as the parched earth for refreshing shewers or the hunted Hart for the Water-brookes Never was Ahab more sicke for a Vine-yard Rachel more ready to die for children Sisera or Samson for thirst then a truly humbled Soule after Iesus Christ after bathing in His blood and hiding it selfe in His blessed righteousnesse This desire deads the heart to all other desires after earthly things gold good-fellow-ship pleasures fashions even the delights of the bosome-sinne c. All other things are but drosse and dung vanity and vile in respect of that object it hath now found out and affects As Aarons Rod managed miraculously by the hand of divine power swallowed up all the other Rods of Pharaohs Sorcerers So this spirituall desire planted in the heart by the holy Ghost eates up and devoures as it were all other desires and over-eager affections after worldly contentments as worthlesse vaine transitory as empty Clouds Welles without water Comforters of no valew Wee that deale with afflicted consciences heare many times some expressions of this impatient violent desire in troubled minds I have borne nine children said One with as great paine I thinke as other women I would with all my heart beare them all over againe and passe againe thorow the same intolerable pangs every day as long as I live to bee assured of my part in Iesus Christ. Complaining another time that shee had no hold of Christ it was said unto Her But doth not your heart desire and long after Him Oh! sayes she I have an Husband and Children and many other comforts I would give them all and all the good I shall ever see in this World or in the World to come to have my poore thirsty Soule
confidence as it was woont So that for a time Thou mayst lie under the torture of an heavy heart uncheerfullnesse in all thy waies and some degree of horrour because thou canst get no better hold-fast But more is thy fault For never did dearest Father so lovingly entertaine into His greedy armes a penitent Sonne returning from going astray then our mercifull God upon thy renewed humiliation is willing to shine upon thee againe with the refreshing beames and blessings of his woonted favour Yet tell mee true deare Heart Tho for the present that precious and happy prayer of Paul for the Romanes The God of hope fill you with all ioy and peace in beleeving be not fulfilled upon thy Soule Tho thy former joyfull feelings bee turned into distrustfull feares yet doth not that heavy heart of thine desire farre more to bee re-comforted with the presence and pleased face of thy Beloved then crowned with the glory and pleasures of many worlds Wouldest thou not much rather feele the hand of thy Faith fastned againe with peace and full perswasion upon the Person Passion and promises of the Lord Iesus then graspe in thy bodily hand the richest Imperiall Crowne that ever sate upon any Caesars head If Satans spitefull craft taking a cruell advantage of thy present dejection of spirit doe not hinder thy trembling heart from telling the truth I know thou canst not deny this And then I must tell Thee These hearty longings and longing desires in the meane time untill God give more strength be right deare to that tender-hearted Father of thine which doth infinitely more esteeme one groane or sigh from a broken spirit then a thousand rammes or tenne thousand rivers of oyle and are most pretious and piercing to that compassionate heart that poured out it's warmest and dearest blood to purchase the salvation and refresh the sadnesse of every truly-humbled Soule Ground upon it then and bee of good cheere If thy troubled spirit fild with the sense of the want of it's former sweet and joyfull feelings finde in it selfe a true and hearty longing after the supply of that want a constant and conscionable pursuite of all holy meanes for the procurement of that supply I can assure Thee in the Word of life and truth in Gods season Thou shalt bee satisfyed Hee will fullfill the desires of them that feare Him Hee also will heare their cry and will save them And this blessed promise for the accomplishment of thy desire is as surely thine as the breath in thy Body Hee must sooner cease to bee God and deny Himselfe which is more then infinitely impossible and prodigious blasphemy to imagine then faile in the least circumstance or syllable of all His love and promises of life to any One that heartily loves Him All the sacred Sayings in His holy Booke and all those promises of salvation are signed with the hand of Truth it selfe and sealed with the blood of His beloved Sonne And so are farre surer then the Pillars of the Earth or Poles of Heaven For Heaven and Earth must passe away before any title of His Word fall unto the ground And therefore as Hee will most certainly poure upon the hairy Pate of every One which hates to bee reformed all the plagues and curses threatned there even to the least sparke of the flames of Hell and the last drop of the full vials of His infinite endlesse unquenchable wrath so will Hee abundantly make good to every upright Soule syncerely thirsting after Iesus Christ in the best time all the promised good in His blessed Booke and that aboue all expectation expression conceit 4. Fourthly Thou mayst bee diversly distressed upon thy Bed of death 1. Casting thine eye backe upon thy whole life all thy sinnes from Adam to that houre and willing as thou must now take thy farewell so to take thy fill of repentance They appeare to the eie of thy conscience farre moe in number and more ougly then ever before And no marvaile for beeing now sequestred for ever from all worldly comforts and company distractions and diversions and the cloudes of naturall feare raised by the dreadfull circumstances of approaching dissolution uniting as it were and collecting the sight of thy Soule which imploiments in the world commerce amongst men and Sunne-shine of outward prosperity did before too much disperse dazle and divert they are represented farre more to the life and in their true colours Whereupon comparing the poore weake nothingnesse as thou now apprehends of thy godly sorrow hatred and opposition against them with thy present apprehension of their hainousnesse hatefulnesse and horrible number Thou begins to bee dejected and knowest not well what to thinke of thy Selfe I say then for thy comfort consult with thy sanctified heart and thou shalt finde and feele an infinite hearty desire that thy repentance for them detestatiō of them and heart-rising against them had been and now were as thorow sound and resolute as ever was in any penitent Soule that breathed the life of grace upon earth 2. Secondly Revising now thy whole Christian conversation spending of Sabbaths pouring out prayers reading Scriptures hearing the Word love of the Brethren dayes of humiliation workes of mercy receiving the Sacrament godly conference living by Faith in all estates c. Thou mayst see them in this last impartiall cleare retired examination of thy conscience to have been pestered with so many failings imperfections deadnesse of spirit distractions distempers that thou begins to feare and conceive As well never a whit as never the better as they say c. In this case also reflect upon the holy habituall disposition of thy heart and thou shalt feele it thirsting and longing unfainedly that all the holy duties and good deeds that ever passed thorow thy heart and hands had been done in answerable exactnesse to the rules of divine Truth and if it had so pleased God with absolute freedome from all infirmities 3. Thirdly Thou mayst bee troubled at that time because beeing perhaps as yet but of little standing in Profession thou hast done God so little service and in that short time hast not stood on Gods side with that courage and life nor walked in his holy wayes with that watchfulnesse and Zeale as thou mightest And it cuts thy heart the more because thou spent so much of thy time in serving thy selfe and Satan and expectest now to enjoy immortall joyes and a Crowne of endlesse blisse But here is thy comfort It is the unfained desire and resolution of thine heart If the Lord would bee pleased to allow Thee a longer time in this life and adde many moe yeeres unto it Thou wouldest double thy diligence and improove all oportunities to doe thy God every way farre more glorious service then heretofore all the daies of thine appointed time Oh! then thou wouldest doe so and so c. Assure now thy selfe in these three cases and troubles upon thy last Bed this syncere desire of thine
upright Soule wil be graciously accepted of our mercifull God in the Name of Iesus Christ As tho first Thy repentance had been to the full Secondly Thy obedience to the height Thirdly Thy present promises vowes and resolutions for future forwardnesse and fruitfulnesse performed to the vtmost For when all is done Iesus Christ is All in All Hee alone is the onely Sanctuary and Tower of everlasting safty for every truly humbled Soule to fly unto both in life and death Hee is made unto us wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption I come now as I promised to some speciall Cures and particular application of comfortable Antidotes to divers spirituall Maladies of which Christians specially complaine to those terrours and temptations which are woont most to afflict sin-troubled and truly-humbled Soules 1. I will suppose Thou art effectually and savingly wrought-upon by the Preaching and power of the Word illightned and convinced to acknowledge and feele thy selfe to bee a most sinnefull and cursed wretch by nature lost and forlorne damned and utterly undone in thy selfe c. And upon the opening of the glorious Mysterie of the Gospell and offer therein of the Person and pretious merits of Iesus Christ for the present binding-up of thy broken heart and endlesse blessednesse Thou art ravisht with extraordinary admiration and affection after that hidden Treasure and Pearle of great price holding thy selfe happy that ever thou wast borne and made for ever if thou canst get possession of it but a gone-man if thou canst not get it and an everlasting Cast-away Most willing therefore art Thou to sell all that thou hast prizing it infinitely before the riches glory and pleasures of the whole earth c. In which state thou hast a strong direct and speciall Calling to fill thine hungry Soule with Iesus Christ to lay hold upon his Person Sufferings promises and all the rich purchases of his dearest blood as thine owne for ever To take Him as thy wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption that so unspeakeable ioy and full of glory peace which passeth all understanding Evangelicall pleasures which neither eye hath seene nor eare heard neither have entred into the heart of Man might abundantly flow into thine heart from the Fountaine of all comfort But yet so it is alledging that thou art the unworthiest upon earth the vilest of Men No heart so hard as thine thy sinnes farre above ordinary of an abominable and most abhorred streine of a scarlet and crimson die for thou hast done so and so sinned many and many a time against that Divine nay and even naturall light which stood in thy Conscience like an armed Man persecuted the Saints liued in Sodom c. And that which troubles thee most of all for all these sinnes thy sorrow is very poore and scant in no proportion to thy former hainous provocations I say upon these and the like mistaken grounds Thou very unadvisedly professes but against thine own Soule That as yet Thou canst not thou dares not Thou wilt not meddle with any mercy apply any promise or bee perswaded that Iesus Christ belongs unto Thee What Such a vile unworthy abominable wretch at thou to expect such glorious things to come neare so pure a God to lay violent hands upon the Lord of life and looke for everlasting blisse Alas Say what you will saist thou as yet I cannot I dare not I will not Whereupon Thou willfully as it were lies still upon the Racke of much spirituall terrour and trouble of minde And which is a miserable addition and mischiefe for which Thou maist thanke thy selfe art all the while farre more liable and lies much more open to Satans most horrible injections and cruellest temptations to selfe destruction despaire plunging againe into former pleasures of Good-fellowship and the like It grieves mee to consider how fearefully and falsly thou deceives thine own heart in a point of so great importance to thy much spiritual hurt and further horror Why therefore art thou most welcome to Iesus Christ because thou art so sensible of thy spirituall misery and beggery because thou art so vile so abominable so unworthy and wretched in thine own conceit Those that bee whole need not a Physician but they that are sicke Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners And in this respect He is said to iustifie the ungodly and to die for the uniust And to seeke those that finde themselves lost And therefore that which thou makes thy greatest discouragement to come unto Christ should bee and in truth is the greatest encouragement to cast thy selfe with confidence into the bosome of His love But before I come to speake more fully to the Point Let mee premise this Principle When a Man is once syncerely humbled under Gods mighty hand with sight of sinne and sense of divine wrath so that now all his former wicked wayes pollutions and provocations of Gods pure eye lie so heavy upon His heart that Hee is truly weary willing to bee rid of them all unfainedly thirsting after the blood and holinesse of Christ And therefore as well content to take upon him His sweet and easy yoke for to please Him in New-obedience for the time to come as to partake of the merit of His Passion for the present pardon of His sinnes I say then Hee must conceive that Hee hath a sound seasonable and comfortable Calling to lay fast hold upon Iesus Christ and to bee undoubtedly perswaded that Hee hath his part and portion in Him And besides that Gods blessed Word determines it Hee may the rather assent unto the season and the more boldly believe Because Hee hath now found and feeles by his owne experience the practise of that double policy of the Divell so often discovered unto Him heretofore by Gods faithfull Messengers to wit That whereas Hee was a long time most industrious to â—eepe His heart resolutely stubborne and unstird against the might and piercing of the most powerfull Ministry and when at any time Hee once perceived it to begin to worke upon Him raised all possible oppotion against His yeelding So now when Hee is truly toucht indeed and resolute to abandon His Hellish slavery for ever Hee labours might and maine with all restlesse cruelty and malice to keepe His conscience continually upon the Racke To this purpose He objects and urgeth to the utmost the hainousnesse of his former sinnes the fiercenesse of Gods wrath which Hee cunningly concealed before the littlenesse of His sorrow His unworthinesse to meddle with any promise and the like And what 's the reason thinke you that Hee who was so dawbing before is now so downe-right Hee that was so indulgent before is now so desperately bloody and for nothing but despaire and damnation It is easie to tell For that foule Fiend knowes full well if a poore Soule in the supposed case and such a truly-humbled state shall but come now when
Christ calls Him and set to His seale that God is true which not to doe shall ever bee an unmannerly madnesse and willfull cruelty to a mans owne conscience Hee is then quite gone out of His kingdome of darkenesse and an immortall Soule is pulld out of His Hellish Paw for ever This is the true reason why Hee so rageth when Hee sees a weary Soule make towards Iesus Christ for rest I have often foretold you of Satans methode and malice in managing His temptations in this kinde that beeing fore-warned yee may be fore-armed He plots first and prevailes with most amongst us to keepe them from terrour and trouble for sinne But if they bee once happily wounded that way then His next plot is to allay and take away the smart by outward mirth or dawbe and draw over a skinne onely with unsound and superficiall comfort But if Hee find that it bleeds still and will not bee stanched but onely by the blood of Christ and that no earthly pleasure can any whit asswage the paine then in a third Place doth Hee cast about and contend with all cruelty to keepe the poore Soule in a perpetuall sad slavish trembling that it may not dare to meddle with any comfort or apply the promises but cherishing the bruise against the counsell of the Prophets bleede inwardly still And this Point Hee plies with more eagernesse and fury because the very next step to wit but even reaching out of this spirituall Gulfe and griefe for sinne towards the mercifull hand of Christ holden out to helpe Him up is the next and immediate Act by which a man is quite and for ever puld out of His power and put into the Paradise of grace Or in a word and shorter thus Tho thou commest freshly out of an Hell of hainous sinnes and hitherto hast neither thought or spoke or done any thing but abominably yet if now with true remorse thou groans under them all as an heavy burden and syncerely longest for the Lord Iesus and newnesse of life thou art bound presently ipso facto as they say immediatly after that Act and unfained resolution of thy Soule to take Christ Himself and all the promises of life as thine own for ever All delaies demurres exceptions objections pretexts standing out scruples distrusts contradictions to the contrary are dishonourable to Gods mercy and free grace disparagement to the Promises derogatory to the Truth tender-heartednes of Iesus Christ an unnecessary detainement of the Soule in terrour and onely a gratification of that roaring Lion whose trade is to teare soules in peeces and torture them all Hee can For as soone as wee are poore in spirit we are presently blessed Mat. 5.3 As soone as we are weary of our sins the Hand of Christ is ready to take off the burden Mat. 11.28 As soone as wee thirst in the sense I have said the Fountaine of the water of life is set wide open unto us Rev. 21.6 As soone as we have got contrite and humble spirits wee become royall Thrones for the High and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity to dwell in for ever Isa. 57.15 And now come and take abundantly mighty Arguments and invincible motives which neither Man nor Divell nor natural distrust can ever any waies possibly disable Not to lie any longer being in the proposed and supposed state upon the racke of terror but to lay hold upon the Rock of eternity I meane to rest and establish thy trembling heart upon the Lord Iesus with everlasting peace and safty and after walke watchfully and fruitfully in the holy way untill thine ending houre 1. And first take notice that Iesus Christ God blessed for ever keeps an open house for all such hungry and thirsty soules Let him that is athirst come And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Rev. 22.17 Whosoever will In whose heart soever the holy Ghost hath wrought an effectuall earnest hearty will that supernaturall syncere desire described before which prizeth the Well of life before the whole world and is ever accompanied with an unfained resolution to sell all for the Pearle of great price I say such an One may come and wellcome and that without bidding and drinke his fill of the Rivers of all spirituall pleasures If there were no more but this this is more then enough to bring Thee to Iesus Christ. If a Proclamation should bee made that such or such a great Man kept open house for all commers there need no more to bring-in all the poore hungry people in the Countrey without any further waiting or inviting But heere above all degrees of comparison the hunger is more importunate and important the Feast-maker more faithfull and sure of his word the fare more delicious and ravishing And why doest thou refuse Thou hast a warrant infinitely aboue all exception The Lord of life keepes open house for all that will come And thou knowest in thine owne Conscience and canst not deny but that Hee hath already honored Thee with that singular favour as to plant in thy Soule a will this way with a witnesse as they say For what wouldest thou not part with to have assurance of thy part in Iesus Christ What wouldest thou not give if it might be bought to heare Him speake peace unto thy Soule and say sweetly unto it I am thy salvation And therefore if thou come not in presently and take the comfort of this pretious Place and Promise setting to thy seale that God is true Consider by the premisses whether thy terrours and temptations bee not justly upon thee in the meane time 2. If this will not serve which God forbid then in a second Place Thou art invited solemnly by the Feast-Maker as it were Himselfe with his owne mouth which is an infinite mercy honour and comfort Come unto mee all yee that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Mat. 11.28 Here is no exception of sinnes times or Persons And if thou shouldest reply Yea but alas I am the unworthiest man in the world to draw neere unto so holy a God to presse into so pure a presence to expect upon the sudden such glorious spirituall and heavenly advancement most impure abominable and beastly wretch that I am readier farre and fitter to sinke into the bottome of Hell by the insupportable waight of my manifold hainous sins I say then the Text tells thee plainely that thou mightily mistakes For therefore onely art thou fit because thou feeles so sensibly thy unfitnesse unworthinesse vilenesse wretchednesse The sorer and heavier thy burden is the rather shouldest thou come In a word it appeares by thine owne words expressing such a penitent apprehension of thy spirituall poverty that thou art the onely man and such as thou alone which Christ here specially aimes-at invites and accepts 3. Thirdly Hee knowing our frame our sluggish dull and heavy disposition our spirituall lazinesse naturall neglect of our owne
comest with thy cost Whereas God ever gives His Sonne freely and bids thee come and welcome and buy without money and without price Obiect 2. But will it not bee presumption in mee having no good thing in mee at all to bring with mee but comming now as it were fresh out of Hell from a most wicked impure abominable life to take Christ as mine owne and all those rich and pretious promises sealed with his blood Answ. Enough hath been already said to meete with this objection It is not presumption but good manners to come when thou art called How can Hee bee said to presume who is both invited and intreated commanded and threatned to come in c. Of which see before Thou must now in this extreme spirituall thirst of thine drinke of the water of life so freely offered that thou mayst receive some heavenly strength to bee good and power to become the Sonne of God Thou must throw thy sinfull Soule upon Iesus Christ bleeding and breathing out his last upon the Crosse as the Body of the Shunamites Childe was applyed to the Prophet stretching himselfe upon it That thou mayst thereby bee quickened with desired fruitfulnesse filled by little and little with all the fulnesse of God receiving grace for grace I am the resurrection and the life saith Christ Hee that believeth in me tho He were dead yet shall Hee live It were execrable presumption for any Man who purposeth to goe on in the willing practise or allowance of any one knowne sinne to believe that Christ is His righteousnesse and sanctification But where all sin is a Burden every promise as a world of gold and the heart syncere for a new way there a Man may be bold For thee to have pretended part in Christ wallowing yet in thy sinnes had been horrible presumption indeed and for mee to have applyed the Promises and preached peace unto thy remorselesse conscience before the Pangs of the New-birth had seazed upon thee had been damnable dawbing But in the Case I now suppose Thee to bee it is both seasonable and surely grounded for mee to assure thee of acceptation and pardon and for thee to receive Iesus Christ without any more adoe into the armes of thy humbled Soule 2. His sweet Name Exod. 34.6.7 Wherein is prevented whatsoever may any wayes bee pretended for standing out in this Case as appeares fully before pag. 415. line 25. 3. His glorious Attributes 1. His Truth Hee that believeth hath set to His Seale that God is true Ioh. 3.33 He that labours and is heavy laden with the burden of sin comes to Christ for case when Hee is called takes Him for his Saviour and His Lord and thereupon grounds a resolute unshaken and everlasting confidence that hee is His for ever puts to his Seale that Christ is true that His pretious promise Come unto mee all yee that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Mat. 11.28 is inviolable Whereby Christ Iesus blessed for ever is mightily honoured His truth glorified and thine owne soule with extraordinary blessednesse everlastingly enlived But Hee now that retires in this Case and holds off makes Him who is Truth it selfe a lyar Hee that believeth not God hath made Him a Lyar 1. Ioh. 5.10 Now what a fearefull indignity is this against the Lord God of Truth Wee see too often how miserable mortall men wormes of the earth take such an affront at the hands one of another For many times for the Lie given them they throw themselves desperately upon the irrecoverable ruine of their lives states soules and posterity by chalenging the field and killing each other Which dishonour to the mighty Lord of heaven and earth is the greater and is much aggravated by the infinite infallibility of the promises For besides His Word which were more then immeasurably sufficient Hee hath added a most solemne Oath for our sakes that wee might have greater assurance and stronger consolation 2. His Mercy most directly and specially And to say nothing of the freenesse of His mercy which springs onely out of the riches of his infinite bounty and the good pleasure of His will of his readinesse to forgive otherwise the death of Christ should bee of none effect His blood shed in vaine the greatest worke lost that ever was done of His delight in mercy Mich. 7.18 Mercy in man is a quality in God it is His nature and essence Now what wee doe naturally wee doe willingly readily unweariedly As the eye is not weary of seeing the eare with hearing c. A Bee gives honey naturally never stings but provoked When God is angry it is but as it were by accident upon occasion drawne unto it by the violent importunity of our multiplied provocations but Hee delights in mercy c. I say to say nothing of these this one consideration may convince us of extreme folly in refusing mercy in such a Case for all the hainousnesse or number of our sinnes to wit That no sinnes either for number or notoriousnesse in a truly broken heart can make so much resistance to Gods infinite mercies as the least sparke of fire to the whole Sea and that is little enough Nay as infinitely lesse as an infinite thing exceedes a finite Betweene which there is no proportion 3. His Power For thou art very like thus or in the like manner to reason within thy selfe and cavill cruelly against thine owne Soule Alas what talke you of taking Christ the promises of life and heavenly lightsomnesse my poore heart is as darke as the very middle of Hell much harder then a Rocke of Adamant as cold and dead as the senselesse Center of the earth as uncomfortable and restlesse almost as desperation it selfe c. It is more then infinitely impossible that such a darke hard dead comfortlesse Thing should ever bee enlightened softened quickened and established with joy c. But marke how herein thou unadvisedly under-valewes and unworthily sets bounds to the unlimited power of God Whereas thou shouldest imitate Abraham the Father of all them that believe who staggered not at the Promise of God through unbeliefe but was strong in faith giving glory to God And beeing fully perswaded that what Hee had promised Hee was able also to performe Rom. 4.20.21 Bee advised in this Case 1. To compare these two things together The making of the seven Starres and Orion and turning the shadow of death into the morning And the infusion of heavenly light into thy darke and heavy heart And doest thou not think that the second is as easie as the first to the same Omnipotent hand Nay it is easier in our conceit to the Divine Majesty nothing is difficult or un-easie For those glorious shining Constellations were created of nothing and nothing hath no disposition to any Beeing at all much lesse to any particular existence But a Soule sensible and weary of it's spirituall darknesse is
I think in such a Case it may be convenient and that such an One hath thereupon some cause and Calling seriously and impartially to search and trie His spirituall state For which purpose ponder seriously upon such considerations as these some of which may discover unsoundnesse Others His unadvisednesse 1. It may bee the Party is not yet come in truth to that sound humiliation contrition spirituall thirsting resolution to sell all c. required by the reverend Author in that most profitable and piercing Doctrine of Faith quoted before but onely hath passed over them overly not soundly superficially not syncerely and then no marvell tho no true and reall comfort come Informe thy selfe further in this Point and that thou mayst more fully know my meaning in it and be guided aright in a marter of so great waight Ibid. Cap. 2. Of the Author and meanes of Faith And Cap. 5. Of the difficulty of Faith pag. 284 c. 2. Or it may bee howsoever Hee protest otherwise and for all His partiall Legall terrour and trouble of minde His deceitfull heart may still secretly harbour and hanker after some sweet sinne as Pride Revenge strange Fashions Worldlinesse Lust Playes Gaming Good-fellowship as it is call'd c. From which it doth not heartily yeeld resolve and endeavour to make an utter and finall cessation and divorce And assuredly that false heart which regards and allowes any wickednesse in it selfe howsoever it may be deluded with some Anabaptisticall flashes yet shall never bee truly refreshed with ioy in the holy Ghost 3. It may bee tho there was some probable and plausible shewes that the Party was principally cast downe and affected with the heavy waight of sin and horrour of Gods wrath for it yet the true predominant cause of His heavinesse harts-griefe and bitterest complaint was some secret earthly discontentment the restlesse biting of some worldly sting And in such Cases remove this and you remove His paine Comfort Him about his Crosse and you set Him where Hee was And therefore as in all this He continues a meere stranger in affection to the sweetnesse amiablenesse and excellency of Iesus Christ so it is impossible that Hee should bee acquainted with any sound spirituall comfort But I will suppose all to bee syncere and as it should bee Let mee advise Thee then to take notice of thine unadvisednesse 1. Thou art perhaps so full of the want of feeling such a stranger to so much expected and desired ioy and peace in believing and by consequent so drowned in the unnecessary distractions and distempers of a sad heart that thou utterly forgets to give thankes and magnifie Gods singular and incomprehensible mercy for illightening convincing and terrifying thy conscience offering his Sonne raising in thine heart an insatiable thirst after Him and giving Thee spirituall abilitie to rest thy weary Soule upon Him And who knowes not that unthankfulnesse keepes many good things from us and is an unhappy blocke in the way to intercept and hinder the comfortable influence and current of God favours and mercies from being showred downe so frankly and plentifully upon His people And Hee is more likely to bee the more provoked in this Case because thou suffers thine heart to bee lockt up and thy Tongue tied by Satans cunning and cruell malice from praysing the glory of Gods free grace for such a worke of wonder I meane that mighty Change of thine from nature to grace in extolling of which were all the hearts and tongues of all the Men and Angels in Heaven and Earth set on worke industriously thorow all eternitie they would still come infinitely short of that which is due and deserved 2. Or it may be when some One of a thousand upon thy complaint that no comfort comes doth seriously labour to settle thine heart in peace pressing upon Thee for that purpose invincible and unanswer-able Arguments out of the Word of Truth to open it wide that over-flowing Rivers of Evangelicall joyes which may spring to Him that is advised and believes the Prophets abundantly even from the weakest Faith to refresh and comfort it Telling thee that as thine humbled Soule learning upon Christ drawes much heavenly vertue mortifying power and sanctifying grace from him so it may and ought also to draw abundance of spirituall lightsomnesse from that ever-springing Fountaine of life c. Yet notwithstanding all this thou suffers some malicious counter-blasts and contrary suggestions of the Divell to disperse and frustrate all these well-grounded and glorious Messages And therefore it is just with God that thou fare the worse at his hands and fall short of thine expectation because thou gives more credit to the Father of Lyes then the Lord of Truth Sith thou spills all the Cordials that are tendered unto thee in the Name of Christ by His faithfull Physicions thou art deservedly destitute of comfort still Many in such Cases while Gods Messenger who can rightly declare His wayes unto them stands by opening and applying the rich treasures of Gods free mercy in the mysterie of the Gospell and with present replies repelling Satans cavils are reasonably well cheared and revived But when Hee is gone they very weakely and unworthily give way againe to that foule lying Fiend to cast a dis-comfortable mist over the tender eye of their weake Faith and to domineere as Hee did before Tell mee true If thou wert in doubt and distresse about thy temporall state Tenure of thy Lands soundnesse of thy evidence Wouldest thou advise with and take counsell from a Foole a Knaue and an enemy or wouldest Thou make choise of an honest wise understanding Friend I doubt not of thine Answer And wilt thou then so farre disparage divne truth gratifie Hell and hurt thine owne heart as in that waightiest Point of thy spirituall state to consult and resolve with the Divell a Liar a Murtherer and sworne enemy to Gods glory and thy Soules good And neglect God Himselfe blessed for ever speaking unto Thee out of His Word by that Minister which in such a Case durst not falsify or flatter Thee for a World of gold Shall many thousands of worldly-wise men give credit very readily and roundly to Dawbers with untempered morter upon a false and rotten foundation to the most certaine and eternall ruine of their Soules And shall not an humble and upright-hearted Man believe the Prophet upon good ground that the bones which the heavy burden of sinne hath broken may reioyce God forbid 3. Nay but suppose the Party bee truly humbled very thankefull resolute against all sinne labour to believe the Prophets c. And yet no comfort come I say then there is an other Duty expected at thy hands right pretious and pleasing unto God And that is waiting By which God would 1. Set yet a sharper edge and eagernesse more hungring and thirsting greater longing and panting after the ravishing sweetnesse of His comfortable presence with which melting earnest crying dispositions Hee
is very much delighted 2. Cause us with peace and patience to submit unto and depend upon His mercifull wisedome in disposing and appointing times and seasons for our deliverances and refreshings For Hee well knowes that very Point and Period of time first when His mercy shall bee most magnifyed secondly His childrens hearts most seasonably comforted and kindlily enlarged to poure out themselves in praisefulnesse thirdly His and our spirituall enemies most gloriously confounded 3. Quicken and set on worke with extraordinary fervency the spirit of prayer fright us further from sinne for the time to come fit us for a more fruitfull improovement of all Offers and opportunities to doe our Soules good to make more of ioy and peace in believing when we enioy it And to declare to others in like extremity Gods dealing with us for their support c. Wee must learne then to expect and bee content with Gods season And hold up our hearts in the meane time with such considerations as these first we performe a very acceptable service and a Christian Duty right pleasing unto and much prevailing with God by waiting See Isa. 40.31 and 64.4 And 49.23 Lam 3.25 Secondly By our patient dependance upon God in this kinde wee may mightily encrease and multiply our comfort when His time is come For He is woont to recompence abundantly at last His longer tarrying with excesse of ioy and over-flowing expressions of His love Thirdly wee must ever remember that all the while Hee exerciseth us with waiting that season is not yet come which in His mercifull wisedome Hee holds the meetest to magnify the glory of His mercy most and wiseliest to advance our spirituall good Fourthly And that which is best of all If the true Convert resting His weary Soule upon the Lord Iesus and Promises of life should bee taken away before Hee attaine His desired comfort Hee shall bee certainely saved and undoubtedly crowned with everlasting blessednesse For Blessed are all they that waite for Him Isa. 30.18 A Man is saved by Believing and not by ioy and peace in Believing Salvation is an inseparable companion of Faith But ioy and peace accompany it as a separable accident As that which may be remooved from it yea there is cause why it should bee remooved The light would never bee so acceptable were it not for that usuall entercourse of darkenesse c. Take here notice upon this occasion That as a truly humbled Soule receiving Christ in the sense I have said hath power given Him thereby to become the Sonne of God so Hee doth draw also from that glorious obiect of Faith so full of all amiablenesse excellency and sweetnesse 1. Sometimes by the mercy of God a very sensible stirring and ravishing ioy unspeakeable and full of glory which tho it be many times very short yet is unutterably sweet 2. If not so yet an habituall calmenesse of conscience if I may so call it Which tho wee doe not marke it so much or magnifie Gods mercy for it as we ought yet it makes us differ as far by a comfortable freedome from many slavish guilty twitches an universall contentednesse in all our courses and Passages thorow this vale of teares from the worlds dearest Minion and most admired Favourite as the highest region of the Aire from the restlesse and raging Sea Especially if that unhappily happie wretch have a waking conscience 3. Or at least ever a secret heavenlie vigour whereby the Soule is savingly supported in what state soever though it be under the continued pressures of most hideous temptations The tyth of the terrour whereof would make many a wordling make away Himselfe because Hee wants this stay And suppose they should last unto the last gaspe even unto thine ending houre Nay entrance into Heaven yet notwithstanding thy spirituall state is not thereby prejudiced but thy salvation is still most sure and thy first taste of those eternall ioyes shal bee the sweeter by how much thy former temptations and trials have been the sorer For wee must ever hold fast this blessed Truth That wee are justified by casting our selves upon Christ not by comfort by Faith not by feeling by trusting the sure Word of God not by assurance But I desire to come yet neerer to thy Conscience and to presse comfort upon thee with such strong and unresistable Arguments which all the subtilety of the infernall powers will never bee able to dissolve Thou sayest and I suppose so That thou art weary of all thy sinnes hungers and thirsts after the righteousnesse of Christ prizes Him before all the world hast cast thy selfe upon His Truth and tender-heartednesse for everlasting safty And yet Thou feeles no speciall sensible joy in thine heart thereupon Bee it so yet upon this occasion Take my counsell and at my request addresse thy Selfe again and have recourse afresh unto the Promises Settle thy Soule upon them seriously with fixed meditation and fervent prayer Set thy selfe purposely with earnestnesse and industry to sucke from them their heavenly sweetnesse And then how is it possible that thine humble upright heart should make resistance to those mighty torrents of spirituall joyes and refreshings which by a natural and necessary consequence spring abundantly from the ensuing comfortable Conclusions grounded upon the sure Word of God and thine owne inward sense and most certaine un-deniable experience Whosoever hungers and thirsts after righteousnesse is blessed from Christs owne mouth Mat. 5.6 And this blessednesse compriseth an absolute and universall confluence of all excellencies perfections pleasures and felicities in this World and in the World to come begun in some measure in the Kingdome of Grace and made compleate in the Kingdome of Glory thorow all eternity But I mayst thou say out of evident feeling and experience finde my selfe to hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Therefore I am most certainely blessed and inter-essed in all the rich purchases of Christs dearest blood and merit which is the full price of the Kingdome of Heaven and all the glory thereof c. Whosoever is athirst hath his Part in the Fountaine of the water of life Rev. 21.6 and 22.17 Ioh. 7.37 Isa. 55.1 But I mayst thou say cannot deny dare not belie my selfe but that my poore heart thirsts unfainedly to bee bathed in the heavenly streames of Gods free favour and Christs soveraigne blood Therefore undoubtedly I have my part in the Well of life everlastingly Whence what delicious streames of dearest joy doe sweetly flow Whosoever labours and is heavy laden may justly chalenge at the hands of Christ rest and refreshing Mat. 11.28 But I feele all my sinnes an intolerable burden upon my wounded Soule and most willingly take Him as a Saviour and a Lord Therefore I have my portion in His spirituall and eternall rest The High and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity whose Name is Holy and who dwells in the High and holy Place dwelleth also in every humble and contrite spirit
as in a royall Throne Hee hath as it were two Thrones One in the Empyrean Heaven the other in a broken heart Isa. 57.15 But my heart lies groveling in the dust humbled under the mighty hand of God and trembling at his feete c. Therefore it is the mansion of Iehova blessed for ever Whosoever confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes shall have mercy Prov. 28.13 But I confesse and abominate all sinne resolved never to turne againe to folly Therefore mercy is most certainely mine Hee in whose heart the holy Ghost hath enkindled a kindly heate of affection to the Brethren hath passed from death to life 1. Ioh. 3.14 But by the mercy of God my heart is wholy set upon the Brother-hood which I heartily hated heeretofore Therefore I have passed from death to life These and the like Conclusions are in themselves as full of sound joy and true comfort as the Sunne of light or Sea of waters Open but the eye of thine humbled soule and thou maist see many glorious things in them Crush them but a little with the hand of Faith and much delicious sweetnesse of spirituall peace may distill upon thy Soule Lastly such considerations as these may contribute some matter of comfort and support to Him of weakest apprehension in this Case 1. If Hee consult with His owne Conscience Hee shall happily finde in His present syncere resolution an impossibility to turne backe againe to His former sinnefull life pleasures goodfellow-ship sensuall courses company Hee sayes and thinkes it that Hee will rather die then lie sweare prophane the Sabbaths put to usury doe wrong keepe any ill-gotten goods in his hands Haunt Ale-houses Play-houses Gaming-houses or willingly put His heart or hand to any kind of iniquity as Hee was formerly wont And doth nature thinke you keepe Him backe or grace and Gods Spirit 2. If Hee should now heare and have his eares fill'd with oathes blasphemies ribald talke rotten speeches filthy songs railing at Gods people scoffing at religion jesting out of Scriptures c. His heart would rise Hee would either reproove them or bee rid of them as soone as Hee could whereas heretofore Hee hath been perhaps a delightfull Hearer of them if not a notorious Actour Himselfe And whence doe you thinke doth this arise but from the seede of God remaining in Him 3. Thirdly If when you heare Him complaine That howsoever Hee hath cast Himselfe upon Christ as the Prophets have counselled Him yet sith thereupon Hee feeles no such comfort and peace in Believing as other Christians doe Hee begins to doubt whether Hee hath done well or no and to conceive that Hee hath layd hold upon the Promises too soone Nay and it may bee upon this discontent doth thus further enlarge His complaint Alas my sinnes have formerly been so great my heart is at this present so hard my sorrow so scant my failings so many c. that I know not what to say to my Selfe Mee thinkes I can neither pray conferre love the Brethren sanctifie the Sabbath rejoyce in the Lord c. as I see other of Gods Children doe And therefore I am affraid all is naught What heart can I have to hold on I say if to such a speech thou shouldest for triall give this reply Well then if it bee so even give over all strive no more against the streame trouble thy selfe no longer with reading prayer following sermons forbearing good fellowship and thine old companions And sith no comfort comes by casting thy selfe upon Christ cast thy selfe againe into the current of the times course of the world and merry company For there yet is there some little poore pleasure to bee had at least Oh! No No No would Hee say That will I never doe whatsoever comes of mee I will trust in my Christ tho Hee should kill mee for all these discouragements I will by no meanes cast away my confidence I have been so freshly stung with their guilt that I will rather be pull'd in peeces with wild horses then plunge againe into carnall pleasures I will put my hand to all holy duties in obedience to God tho I performe them never so weakely I will by the mercy of God keepe my face towards Heaven and backe to Sodome so long as I breath come what come will c. And whence doe you thinke springs this resolution but from a secret saving power supporting Him in the most desperate temptations and assaults of distrust Now this first secret saving power by which an humble Soule leaning upon Christ is supported when it is at the lowest secondly The seed of God and thirdly presence of grace doe every one of them argue a blessed state in which thou shalt bee certainely saved and therefore thou mayst lift up thine heart and head with comfort unspeakeable and glorious 3. Thirdly Many there are who much complaine of the great disproportion betweene the notorious wickednesse of their former life and their lamentable weakenesse of an answerable be wailing it Betweene the number of their sinnes and fewnesse of their teares the hainousnesse of their rebellions and little measure of their humiliation And thereupon because they did not finde and feele those terrours and extraordinary troubles of mind in their turning unto God those violent passions and pangs in their New-birth which they have seene heard or read of or knowne in others perhaps farre lesse sinners then themselves they are much troubled with distractions and doubts about the truth and soundnesse of their conversion Whereby they receive a great deale of hurt and hindrance in their spirituall state For Satan gaines very much by such a suggestion and grounds many times a manifold mischiefe upon it For by keeping this temptation on foot these doubts and troubles in their mindes whether they bee truly converted or no Hee labours and too often prevailes 1. To hinder the Christian in His spirituall Building With what heart can Hee hold on who doubts of the soundnesse and sure-laying of the foundation What progresse is Hee like to make in Christianity who continually terrifies Himselfe with fearefull exceptions and oppositions about the truth of His conversion A man in a long journey would jogge on but very heavily if Hee doubted whether Hee were in the right way or no. 2. To abate lessen and abridge His courage in standing on Gods side patience under the Crosse spirituall mirth in good company To keepe Him in dulnesse of heart deadnesse of affections distractions at holy exercises and under the raigne of almost a continuall sadnesse and uncomfortable walking To make Him quite neglect and never looke towards those sweete commands of the blessed Spirit Reioyce evermore Reioyce and I say againe Reioyce Bee glad in the Lord reioyce and shout for ioy all yee that are upright in heart 3. To fasten a great deale of dishonour upon God when He can make the Christian dis-avow as it were and nullifie in conceit so great a worke of mercy and grace
the disease is dangerously upon us for recovery There was given unto Paul a Thorne in the flesh c. If wee will take the interpretation of some learned Divines A wound in the spirit the sting of Conscience pressing Him downe to the nethermost Hell in His sense that was erst taken up to the highest Heaven upon purpose lest Hee should swell with spirituall pride bee puft up and exalted aboue measure with the abundance of revelations If wee well weigh the admirable story of that gracious and holy servant of Christ Mistris Bretâ—ergh wee may probably conceive that a principall end why those most grievous spirituall afflictions of Soule upon Her last Bed were laide upon Her was in Gods just judgement to blind yet more those bloody Papists about Her and because they wilfully shut their eies against that glorious Light of true religion which shee so blessedly and fruitfully exprest in her godly life to let them thereby sincke yet deepelier into strong delusion that they might sticke still more stiffely to Popish lies According to that Prophecy of the Antichristians a Thess. 2.10.11.12 Because they received not the love of the truth that they might bee saved For this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie That they all might bee damned who believed not the truth c. Which wee see at this day verified with a witnesse in Popish Doctours even their greatest Schollers as Bellarmine and other Polemicall Writers And therefore let us never marvaile that tho they bee loaden with much learning yet that they should lie â—gregiously and defend with infinite obstinacy and clamour the Doctrine of Divels that accursed Hydra of Heresies in their voluminous Dunghils Now Gods judgement in hardning them hereby as I have said was the more iust because they were so farre from beeing wrought upon and wonne by Her heavenly conversation that they were extraordinarily enraged against Her goodnesse and Profession of the Gospell As appeares in that besides their continuall rayling and roaring against Her as an eminent Light like so many furious Bedlams they barbarously wreckt their malice and spite upon the dumbe and innocent creatures by killing at two severall times Her Husbands Horses and Cattell in the night That her fiery Triall thorow which shee passed as purest gold into Abrahams bosome did thus harden them is manifest by the Event For as the reverent Pen-man of that story reports Those of the Romish faction bragged as though an Oracle had come from Heaven to proove them Catholicks and us Hereticks Prodigious folly Damnable delusion It is so then that God in His inflicting of afflictions doth not ever aime at sinne as at the principall end And yet doe not mistake Tho Hee punishes sometimes and not for sinne yet never without sinne either inherent or imputed There is ever matter enough in our sinnefull Soules and Bodies and lives to afflict us infinitely The best of us brought with us into this world that corruption which might bring upon us all the plagues of this and the other life Every man hath in Himselfe sufficient fewell for the fire of Gods wrath to worke upon still if it pleased Him in justice to set it on flame As in the present Point of spirituall terrours and troubles of minde if God should out of His just and causefull indignation put the full sting but into the least sinne it were able to put a man into the very mouth of Hell But I speake of Gods more ordinary wayes and dealings with the Sonnes of men And so I say God may sometimes for some hidden and holy ends seene and seeming good to His heavenly wisedome bring a lesse hainous sinner thorow extraordinary horrour out of his naturall state into the good way 2. Aggravation of horrour is occasioned terrours and troubles may bee multiplyed and enlarged in our enlargement from the state of darkenesse and Chaines of the Divell by 1. Some precedents and preparatives which God sometimes in His unsearchable wisedome doth immediately premise or suffer to fall out As 1. Some heavy crosse and grievous affliction to make the power of the Law more passable and fall more heavily upon our stubborne and stony hearts This wee see in Manasses who was as it were fired out of His bloody and abomiable courses by the heavinesse and horrour of His chaines And so was humbled greatly before the God of His Fathers Gods extraordinary angry visitations make men many times cry with troubled and grieved hearts Come Let us turne unto the Lord Hee hath wounded us c. a. Strange terrours sometimes arising from externall Accidents yea hidden naturall causes uncouth visions and apparitions full of amazement and feare Bodily distempers horrible injections hideous thoughts c. Whereby they are mightily affrighted before hand and prepared to passe thorow the Pangs of the New-birth more terribly 3. Some hainous and crying sinne which He suffers some to fall into and immediately upon it awakes the Conscience That Almighty Physition who is able to bring health out of poison death out of life Light out of darkenesse Heaven out of Hell may by accident as they say prepare One to conversion by giving Him over to the height of some One or moe abhorred abominations and crimson sinnes As wee may see in Peters Hearers Act. 2. Paul Manasses the sinnefull Woman Publicans and Harlots left to the killing of Christ spilling the blood of the Saints those horrible out-rages extreme filth extorsions pollutions Physitions by ripening diseases make way to heale them For sicke matter is never more easily removed then when it exceedeth in ripenesse and quantity 4. Lying long in ignorance sensuality dissolute life without profitable and powerfull meanes In this Case upon the first awaking and affrighting the Conscience for sinne it may bee exposed to many terrible perplexities and longer continued terrours For the light of Naturall Conscience bred with them in their owne bosomes may in the meane time serve to enrage and torture as wee see in many guilty Heathens but there is no naturall light to leade us to Christ and Evangelicall comforts The commandements have ground in nature but the mysterie of the Gospell is wholly supernaturall Wee finde it by manifold experience what an hard and heavy Taske it is to undertake a poore ignorant Soule troubled in minde The Cure is many times very difficult dangerous and long The darkenesse of their ignorance beeing now distressed in Conscience is very fit and fearefull matter for Satan to worke in hideously and to play his pestilent prankes of most grosse impostures and much Hellish cruelty His malicious maine Plot against such ordinarily is and His utmost endeavour to drive them to Selfe-destruction if it bee possible before they get understanding in the waies of God of wee can get any competent light and comfort into their consciences 2. Some concurrent circumstances As 1. The melancholike and sad constitution of the Party That
against all sinne true griefe because thou art not more grieved Thou art by no meanes to cast away thy confidence or bee discomforted therefore as tho Thou wer 't not truly converted but onely bee advised to take occasion thereupon to walke more humbly before thy God with syncerity constancy to oppose all things which may hinder and pursue all meanes that may further the more kindly melting of thine heart sensible sorrow and hearty mourning over Him whom thou hast so cruelly pierced with thy youthfull lusts and abominations 4. Fourthly lest any true-hearted Christian lying in no sinne against Conscience and labouring syncerely to please God in all things should bee unnecessarily troubled and dejected with slavish feares and jealousies lest Hee bee not truly turned unto God because He feeles not in Himselfe that boysterous vehement conversion that extremity of pangs and horrour in the New-birth which sometimes are to bee found in some others Let Him ponder upon these resemblances 1. Thou mayst have thy Bile or Botch opened with the Point of a Needle whereas another Man endures the slashing of a Surgeons Lancer yet if the corruption and putrified matter bee let out by this easier meanes and thy selfe thereby thorowly cured I hope thou hast no great cause to complaine It may bee so in the present Point 2. Two Sonnes are punished for their offence The One cries and roares and takes on extraordinarily The Other makes no great noise but resolves silently with Himselfe and in syncerity upon a new course as well as the former Is not the change and reformation of them both equally welcome and accepted of the Father who onely aimes at and expects their amendment 3. Two Malefactors equally guilty of high treason both apprehend their danger acknowledge that they are utterly undone hold themselves for dead Men c. To the One a Pardon comes not yet cast cōdemned or carried to the Place of execution To the other ready to lay downe His head upon the Blocke There is great difference in all likely hood of their terrours and dejections But they have equall parts in the Pardon and both their lives are saved 4. Two Men are arrived at their wished Port The One was tossed with many roaring tempests and raging waves The Other hath a reasonable calme Passage Howsoever they now stand both safe upon the shore and have both escaped destruction and drowning in that great mercilesse devouring Gulfe 5. Suppose a Man dead for some dayes and then reviv'd Hee perceives His Change with a Witnesse An Other is not so but Himselfe onely alive walkes amongst a multitude of dead men Hee also may clearely enough see the difference and both acknowledge and praise God for His life Yet for conclusion let all those who have passed thorow the Pangs of the New-birth not so terribly but more tolerably especially having been formerly notorious take counsell and bee advised to ply more carefully the great and gracious worke of humiliation still to humble themselves in the sight of the Lord yet more and more unto their dying day The humblest Christians are ever highest in favour and neerest in familiarity with Almighty God They are as it were His second royall Throne wherein Hee sweetly dwells and delights See Isai. 57.15 and 66.1 2. Psal. 34.18 and 51.17 And they are also of the most sweet amiable and in-offensive carriage amongst the people of God Heare that excellent Artist in the spirituall Anatomy of Mans deceitfull heart Humiliation is the procurer of all other graces God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble And it is the preserver of grace procured And therefore compared to a strong foundation upholding the building against the force of winde and weather Onely those streames of grace hold out that flow out of the troubled Fountaine of a bruised spirit An humbled Professour quickly starts backe even as a broken Egge or Ches-nut leapes out of the fire Grace is no where safe but in a sound and honest heart Now onely the humble heart is the honest heart Onely a rent and broken heart is a whole and sound heart The drosse cannot bee purged out of the gold but by melting Crooked things cannot bee straightned but by wringing Now humiliation is that which wrings and melts us and makes us of drossy pure of crooked straight and upright and so sound durable and persevering Christians And let them consider and examine whether neglect of this holy endeavour I now exhort them to may not bring upon them much spirituall misery Whether they may not therefore bee the rather exposed First To many irksome intrusions of very vexing doubts and feares and something slavish questionings of the truth and soundnesse of their conversion all their life long Secondly To much deadnesse of affection and listlesnesse many dampes and distempers in the performance of holy duties use of the Ordinances and religious exercises Thirdly To greater variety of Crosses and a heavier hand upon their outward states purposely to bring the eye of their Conscience to looke backe more heavily and with heartier remorse upon the loathsomnesse and filth of their youthfull folly Fourthly To more easinesse of re-entry and surprise by the assaults and insinuation of old sinnes in their un-regenerate time especially that of the bosome which is an horrible Thing For the lesse sinnes are sorrowed for the sooner doe they re-insnare us with their sensuall delight and re-pollute with renewed Acts. Fifthly To the entertainement at least for a time of uncomfortable and scandalous giddinesse and some Phantasticall Tenents of new and naughty opinions which many times fearefully infect our chiefest Citty and some proud companions and ignorant Lozels there and els-where are ever ready to lay hold upon whom you may ordinarily discerne by their Luciferian pride and lewd Tongues to the great hurt and hinderance of the power of godlinesse holy obedience to the blessed Law of God and humble walking with Him if any will be so miserable and mad as to listen to such petty and paltry trash idle and cheating dreames contrary to the doctrine which they have learned or should have learned for these fellowes were never well catechised if Professours will bee Children still tossed to and fro and carried about with every winde of doctrine by the sleight of Men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in waite to deceive which God forbid For if it bee possible that any true heart bee entangled I hope Hee will quickly in cold blood dis-insnare Himselfe As these Tare-sowers themselves are ordinarily very superficiall in Ministeriall abilities so for the most part their disciples are onely the foolish Virgins and unsound Professours of the Places thorow which they passe Sixthly To danger of some future grievous desertion extraordinary temptations or re-visitation with farre greater terrours then they tasted at their first turning into the wayes of God c. 4. In a fourth Place I come to spirituall desertion which puts
the Christian for the present into a most dark and dis-cōfortable condition I meane when the most wise God for some holy ends seeming good unto Himself retires for a time with-holds from the heart of his Childe the light of His countenance the beames of His favour and sense of His love Whereupon tho the roote of spirituall life the Habite of Faith and fundamentall power of salvation and eternall safty remaine still and sure in His Soule never to bee shaken or prevailed against no not by the very gates of Hell or concurrent forces and fury of all the powers of darknesse yet for the time Hee findes and feeles in Himselfe a fearefull deprivation and dis-continuance of the feeling and fruition of Gods pleased face exercise of Faith pardon of sinne inward peace joy in the holy Ghost cheerefulnesse in wel-doing and godly duties confidence in praier assurance of beeing in a saving state c. So that Hee may judge Himselfe to have been formerly an Hypocrite and for the present can very hardly or not at all difference and distinguish His wofull condition from that of a Cast-away This secret and wonderfull work of spirituall desertion doth God much exercise and practise upon His Children in many Cases for many Causes 1. Sometimes upon a re-ensnarement in some secret bosome-lust which was their Darling and delight in the daies of their rebellion Relapse into which Satan labours industriously to procure with much adoe by all His Devises For Hee gaines greatly thereby For so the New-Convert considering in cold blood what Hee hath done may be cast upon such complaints as these Alas what have I done now This pestilent old pollution which so wofully wasted my conscience in time past hath fearefully re-infected my newly washed Soule I have againe Woe is mee fallen into the abhorred Sodome of this foule sinne I have grieved that good spirit which was lately come to dwell in me All the former horrours charge afresh upon my heart from which I was happily freed even by some glimpses of heavenly joy I have wretchedly let goe my hold lost my peace broke my vowes and blessed communion with my God c. Ah! wretch that I am what shall I now doe And thereupon may fall upon a temptation of returning to His dis-avowed sensuall Delights out of this conceit As well over bootes as over shoes Doe what I can I see I can never hold out c. Or Hee may plunge into this slavish perplexity I dare not goe to God I have used Him so villanously after such immeasurable kindenesse and provoked the eies of his glory with such prodigious impurity after I was purged I dare not fall againe to good-fellowship and former courses lest I draw some remarkeable vengeance upon mee in the meane time and bee certainely damned when I have done So that Hee can neither take pleasure upon the right hand or the left Or which is most for my purpose and that which the Divell specially desires God therefore may hide His face from Him and leave Him to the darknesse of His own spirit so that He may for a long time walke on heavily starke lame in respect of those comfortable supporters of the Soule affiance hope spirituall joy peace of Conscience sense of Gods favour boldnesse in His waies courage in good causes delight in the company of the Saints c. Such a dampe also and desertion may come upon the Soule especially after a Fall into some new open scandalous sinne whereby not onely their owne Consciences within are grievously wounded but also for their sakes and sinne the Profession of Gods truth abroad scandalized and disgraced the common state of goodnesse questioned and traduced the heart and glory of Christianity hurt and distained David was thus dealt with in Gods just judgement after His monstrous and matchlesse fall Gods good Spirit had richly crowned His royall heart with abundance of sanctification and purity and had graciously filled Him aforetime with the fruits and feeling thereof and thereupon many heavenly deawes no doubt of spirituall joyes had many times sweetly refreshed His blessed Soule But by the hainous scandalousnesse of His hatefull fall Hee so grieved that good Spirit and turned the face of God from Him that Hee had neither sense of the comforts of the one nor of the favour of the other The spirituall life of his Soule the eie of His judgement light of conscience lightsomnesse in the holy Ghost and the whole grace of sanctification were so wasted dazeled confounded weakened raked under the ashes as it were and runne into the roote that hee speakes as if He had utterly lost them and so stoode in neede of a new infusion and creation thereof Psal. 51.10 But by the way conceive aright of Davids spirituall condition at this time Tho in his owne feeling and present apprehension Hee so complaines and cries out for a New creation as tho all were gone yet even when Hee was at the lowest and worst the Soule and substance that I may so speake of saving grace and salvation did abide still rooted and resident in his heart Which once emplanted by Gods omnipotent mercifull hand in an humble Soule and taking roote it there sticks fast for ever far more un-mooveable then a thousand Mount Zyons The blossoms buds and fruits may sometimes bee fouly cankerd as it were by our owne corruptions shrewdly nipt by the frost of some earthly affections blasted by sharper tempests of Satans temptations But the foundation standeth sure grounded and founded upon the unchangeable Nature of God and immutability of His counsell and therefore mauger the malice of all both mortall and immortall rage there is still life in the roote which in due season will spring out againe and grow up unto everlasting life To the present Instance All purity and cleannesse of heart was not utterly extinguisht and abolisht in David For 1. Some little at least was left which descried and discovered those spots and pollutions of filthinesse and impurity which had lately over-growne it For grace discovers corruption not nature A sensible complaint of hardnesse of heart and an earnest desire after softnesse is a Signe that the heart is not wholly hard A syncere crying out against impurity and hearty endeavour after purity argues the presence of the purifying Spirit 2. And how was this holy ejaculation Create in mee a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit within mee created but by the Spirit of grace and supplications Which blessed sanctifying Spirit was all the while rooted and resident in Davids heart by a saving existence there tho not so fully by an effectuall operation and exercise Divines about this Point consider First The infinite free and eternall love and favour towards His Childe with which whom Hee loves once Hee loves for ever The gifts and calling of God that is as best Interpreters affirme the Gifts of effectuall calling effects of His free
Dove my undefiled For my head is filled with dew and my lockes with the drops of the night yet for all this full loth they are to leave their Beds of ease and therefore frame many shifts excuses and delaies to passe by and put off those compassionate calls of love and mercifull importunities I have put off my coatâ— how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I deâ—ile them Whereupon their blessed Spouse so unworthily repell'd with such notorious unkindnesse and ingratitude scattering onely in their hearts some sense and glimmerings of his spirituall sweetnesse and beauty to breede the more shame and sorrow for so foule neglect departeth from them for a time withdrawes the life and lightsomnesse of His gratious presence hides as it were in an angry cloud the comfortable beames of His former favour and so leaves them to the darknesse of their owne spirits and in the comfortlesse Dampe of a justly deserved desertion That thereby they may bee schooled to prize Iesus Christ before gold and silver and to preferre as is most meete one glimpse of His pleased face before the splendour of all earthly Imperiall Crownes To listen with more reverence cheerefulnesse profit and holy greedinesse to His heavenly voice in the ministry of the Word and to make more deare account of godly comforts when they shall recover and re-injoy them For the purpose Wee may finde Cant. 5. The christian Soule laid too soft and lazily upon the â—ed of case and earthly mindednesse and slipt into a slumber of security and selfe-love vers 2. Her wellbeloved knocks and calls upon Her Nay be speakes and intreats upon all the termes of dearest love and for his painefull sufferings-sake to rise open unto Him Ibid. But she most unworthily puts him off with some slight excuses and delaies of sloth vers 3. whereupon Hee drops into Her heart some taste of His sweetest ointments to set Her affections on edge and eagernesse after Him vers 4.5 And so departs and leaves Her in Her sad and solitary dumps for driving away Her Dearest by such intolerable unkindnesse and shamefull neglect vers 6. Which perplexity and trouble of spirit for His departure begets in Her a great deale of zeale fervency and patience to follow after Him vers 7.8 An extraordinary admiration of His amiable excellencies and heavenly fairenesse vers 10 c. And no doubt a farre nearer embracement and dearer esteeme of Him upon His returne and enjoyment of a more full blessed coÌ„munion with Him againe Cap. 6.3 6. Sixthly The graces of salvation are the most pretious and worthfull things that ever issued out of the hands of God by creation The dearest of His infinite mercies the hearts-blood of His Sonne the noblest worke of His blessed Spirit doe all sweetly concurre moovingly meritoriously efficiently to the production of them No mervaile then tho it bee right pleasing unto God that such rare and inestimable Iewels should bee rightly prized and holden in highest esteeme by those that have them That they should still appeare and present themselves to those Soules wherein they shine in their true excellency orient fairenesse and native beauty Now privation of excellent things hath speciall power to raise our imaginations to an higher streine of estimation of them and to cause us at their returne to entertaine them with much more longing farre dearer apprehensions and embracement Absence and intermission of the most desirable comforts adde a great deale of life to the love of them and waight of pretiousnesse to their valewation The goodnesse of whatsoever we enioy is better perceived by vicissitude of want then continuall fruition Sleepe is more sweet after the tediousnesse of some wakefull and wearysome nights Liberty and enjoyment of the free aire and faces of men after restraint and imprisonment The glory and fairenesse of the Sunne after a blacke day or boisterous storme c. So Gods favourable aspect is much more acceptable after an angry tempest and hiding his face for a season And the graces of salvation farre more amiable and admirable to the eie of His humbled Childe after the darkenesse of a spirituall desertion Wherefore our gracious God doth many times in great mercy and wisedome deprive His dearest servants for a time of the presence of their Spouse the assurance of His love and sense of those graces that the absence thereof may represent the glory of such an incomparable happinesse and those heavenly Pearles more to the life and discontinuance of their enjoyment may inflame and affect their hearts with more holy greedinesse and eager pursuite after them and stirre up in them that height of esteeme and heate of love which may in some good measure bee answerable to their unvalewable excellency and sweetnesse Such dulnesse of heart deadnesse of affections and declination to the World may grow sometimes upon a good man that Hee may finde little more contentment in communion with Iesus Christ then in the prosperity of His outward affaires which is infinitely unworthy an Heire of Heaven But now in such a Case Let God make Him but to repossesse the iniquities of His Youth and fight against Him with His terrours for a while and the same Man with all His heart will preferre the reconciled face of God and peace of conscience before the Soveraignty and sole command of all the Kingdomes upon Earth While wee have a free and un-interrupted recourse unto the Throne of Grace wee are apt to under-valew and to conceive of that mighty grace of prayer but as of an ordinary gift But if once the Lord please to leave us to that confusion and astonishment of Spirit that our ejaculations doe sadly rebound upon our heavy and un-heated hearts without answer or encouragement from Heaven wee shall easily then acknowledge the Spirit and power of praier to bee one of the fairest flowers in the Garland of all our graces the very arme of God to doe Miracles for us many times and ever to settle our troubled Soules in sweetest peace and patience amidst the greatest pressures and persecutions either of Hellish or earthly enemies 7. Seventhly Iesus Christ Himselfe blessed for ever drunke full deepe of the extremity and variety of sorest sufferings in many kinds not only to deliver His from the vengeance of eternall fire but also lovingly to learne out of the sense of that sympathy and self-feeling to shew Himselfe tender hearted kind and compassionate unto them in all their extremities and never to suffer them to sinke in any trouble or affliction though never so full of desperate representations or apprehensions of impossibility to escape or to bee tempted at any time above their power and patience And many are the meanes and Methods by which Hee is woont to ease and mitigate their many painefull miseries especially that extremest of Martyrdome First Somtimes He rescues them by His own mighty and immediate arme out the mouth of Lyons and pulls them by strong hand
His soule in the Bundle of the living for ever now especially when Hee preferres the love and light of His countenance before life and would not willingly offend Him in the least sinne for all the World c. Let Him yet proceede further in Davids foot-steps and strengthen His fainting Soule with all that heavenly Manna of richest mercy which Hee hath heard read or knowne to have been showred downe at any time from the Throne of Grace into the heavy humble and hungry hearts of His afflicted hidden Ones Let Him refresh His memory with consideration of Davids deliverance by this meanes from deeper distresse Of that most memorable and triumphant resurrection as it were and recovery of those three worthy Saints of God Master Glover Mistris Bretâ—ergh Master Peacocke from greatest â—â—tremitie in this kinde into most un-utterable joyfull exultations of spirit And so of others within the Register of His observation remembrance and reading But principally and above all Let Him live and die Let Him rest and recreate Himselfe for ever with surest hold fast and sweetest thoughts upon that heavenly and healing Anti-type of the Red Sea the pretious Blood of the Lord Iesus And let Him ground upon it that tho Satan with all His hellish Hosts and utmost fury pursue his fearefull Soule like a Partridge in the mountaines even to the very brinke of despaire and mouth of Hell yet even then when all rescue and deliverance is neerest to bee utterly despaired of For it is the Crowne of Gods glorious mercy to save when the Case seemes desperate and there is no hope of humane helpe or possibility of created power to comfort I say then that Soule-saving Sea of His Saviours hearts-blood will most certainely and seasonably open it selfe wide unto Him as it did to those above-named blessed Saints and swallow up into victory Hell Death the Grave Damnation the present wofull desertion with all other adversary power and at length make Him a faire and pleasant passage thorow the sweetned pangs of death into the heavenly Canaan which flowes with joyes and pleasures un-mixed and endlesse more then either Tongue can tell or heart can thinke 9. Ninthly a spirituall desertion may seeme a proportionable fit and most proper punishment and meanes to correct and recover the Christian which out of infirmity and feare deserts the Lord Iesus and the Profession of His blessed Truth and Gospell If any bee ashamed of Him refuse to doe or suffer any thing for His sake who hath given unto us His owne hearts-blood it is most just that in such a Case Hee withdraw Himselfe in respect of all sense and feeling of divine favour and fruites of grace or any comfortable influence at all upon the Consciences of such Cowardâ—â— that so they being left to the darkenesse of their owne spirits and by consequent to the taste even of Hellish horrour for the time they may bee brought againe to themselves and taught by such terrours to returne and become infinitely more willing to embrace the Stake if the times should bee so cruell and kisse the instruments of death then langvish any longer in the despairing extremities of such a desertion to acknowledge it incomparably better to passe thorow the temporary bitternesse of Popish fire then to bee abandoned to everlasting flames Nay and that which is the greater Hell to bee robbed of and rent from Him in whose glorious presence alone is not onely life and all lightsomnesse even in this life but also fulnesse of ioy and pleasures for evermore in the life to come This Point appeares and is prooved by Gods dealing with some of our Martyrs in Qveene Maries time Thomas Whittell a blessed Martyr of Iesus was by the wicked suggestions of some Popish incarnate Divels drawne to subscribe to their Hellish Doctrine But considering in cold blood what Hee had done was horribly vexed and as Hee reports of Himselfe felt Hell in his conscience and Satan ready to devoure him Which terrible desertion and trouble of minde made Him quickly returne with great constancy and fortitude and turne a most invincible and un-mooveable Martyr Heare some passages from His owne Pen. The night after I had subscribed I was sore grieved and for sorrow of conscience could not sleepe For in the deliverance of my Body out of bonds which I might have had I could finde no ioy nor comfort but still was in my conscience tormented more and more c. And I said to Harpesfield sc. That my Conscience had so accused mee through the iust iudgement of God and His Word that I had felt Hell in my Conscience and Satan ready to devoure Mee And therefore I pray you Master Harpsfield said I let mee have the Bill againe for I will not stand to it When the Lord had led Mee to Hell in my Conscience through the respect of His fearefull iudgements against mee for my fearefulnesse mistrust and crafty cloaking in such spirituall and weighty matters yet Hee brought mee from thence againe c. See also the Story of Iames Abbes and Thâ— Benbridge Gentleman Act. and Monuments pag. 1864.2246 10. Tenthly God is many times forced by their frowardnesse luke-warmenesse worldly-mindednesse cowardlinesse Selfe-confidence falling from their first-love and other such spirituall distempers to visite and exercise His Children with variety and sometimes severity of crosses and corrections as losses in their outward state afflictions of Body disgraces upon their good name oppression by great Ones discomforts in Wives Neighbours Friends Children c. upon purpose to put life quicknesse fruitfulnesse and forwardnesse into them that thereby they may bee more gloriously serviâ—cable to Himselfe more profitable to others and more provident to treasure up peace unto their own Soules against an evill Day God humbleth us saith a worth Divine by afflictions and pricketh the swelling of our pride Hee cutteth and loppeth us to the end wee may bring forth the more fruit Hee filleth us with bitternesse in this life to the end wee might long for the life to come For those whom God afflicteth grievously in this World leave it with lesse griefe Hee who hath formed us to feare Him knoweth that our praiers are slacke and cold in prosperity as proceeding from a spirit that is cooled by successe and which are endited by custome The cries which our owne will produced are feeble in comparison of those which griefe expresseth Nothing so ingenious to pray well as sorrow which in un instant formeth the slowest tongues to an holy eloquence and furnisheth us with sighes which cannot be expressed c. But now many times this Physicke which pincheth onely the Body and wasteth us but in things of this World doth not so worke as Hee would have it and therefore Hee is constrained in love and for our good to proceede to more sharpe and searching Medcines to apply more strong and stirring Purges which immediately vexe the Soule As horrible and hideous injections A spirituall Desertion and
their beauty and magnitude which in their continuall and contrary motions are neither repugnant intermixt or confounded By these potent effects wee approach to the knowledge of the Omnipotent cause and by these motions their Almighty mover Whensoever therefore that most implacable and everlasting enemy to Gods glory and the good of his Children shal go about to pervert and crosse by his blasphemous injections these sober and sacred conceptions of the thrice glorious ever-blessed Deity planted in thy minde by his owne Word and this visible World bid him by the example of thy Lord and Master avoide and avant trample upon his hellish spite appeale unto Gods righteous Throne with protestation of thine innocency damning them unto the Pit of Hell in thy Iudgement and hating them not without horrour from the very heart-roote and so truly resisting them crying mightily unto God for pardon wherein soever thou shalt faile about them and for power against them and then possesse thy humble soule in patience and peace 8. Being humbled by them making an holy use of them perusing and applying the considerations and counsels in hand for comfort in them and conquest over them doe not by any meanes continue to afflict and torture thy spirit about them Let them now passe away and bee packing abandon them with an holy detestation contempt and slighting without any such dismayednesse and terrour as most unworthy of any longer taking to heart or notice of much lesse of that carking and trouble as to terrifie in-dispose dis-able thee for a chearefull discharge of either of thy Callings particular or generall Divines hold even godly sorrow unseasonable when it unfitteth the body or minde to good duties or to a good and chearefull manner of doing them how much more would they not have these hellish distractions and intrusions to dishearten thee in this kinde But least of all of that pestilent prevailing as to fill thine heart with extraordinary astonishment horrour and doubting whether such monstrous injections bee incident to sanctified soules a saving state and habitation of the holy-Ghost and so to put thee into a habit of heavy walking and secret sadnesse by reason of continuall questioning the soundnesse of thy conversion the constancy of Gods love unto thee former assurance of an immortall Crowne and whether it bee possible that Iesus Christ should dwell in a soule hanted with such horrible thoughts Procurement of which miseries molestations is the Adversaries only aime For so immesurably malicious is He that if he cannot plunge thee into the pit of hell and everlasting flames in the World to come yet will be labour might and maine to keep thee upon the Rack and in as much terrour as hee can possibly all thy life long in this vale of teares Suffer then this advise to sinke seriously into thy heart Being illightned rightly informed and directed about them let them no longer astonish thy spirit detaine thee in horrour hurt thy heart or hinder thee in any duty to God or man or in an humble comfortable and confident walking with thy God as thou art woont or of thy former sweet communion with Iesus Christ. And the rather because First It is the Tempters earnest end only out of pure spite to put this imposture and unnecessary vexing perplexities upon thee Secondly The more thou art troubled with them and takes them to heart for that is it hee would have the more violently and villanously will he presse them upon thee and terrifie Thirdly They are not thine but his fearefull sinnes Hee alone must answer for them at that great and last Day and thou goe free It is his malicious madnesse of such a prodigious nature and notoriousnesse as is beyond conceit and above all admiration onely fit for a Divell That Hee may trouble thee temporally Hee mightily aggravates his owne eternall torment In a second place let mee tender unto thee an Antidote which hath been found soveraigne and succesfull this way The summe of it is this Let the tempted Christian labour to worke and extract by the blessings of God some spirituall good out of the horrible hell of these most hatefull abominable blasphemous suggestions And if Satan once see that thou sâ—cks honey out of his poyson comfort out of his cruelty medicine out of his malice hee will have no heart or hope to goe on no courage or contentment to continue the temptation Take it in the sense if not in the same wordes without any variation or enlargement as it was applied and prosper'd Spitefull and malicious Fiend cursed enemie to heaven and earth by the mercies of God hough thy purpose be most pestilent yet thou shalt not hurt or have any advantage against mee hereby Thy base and dunghill injections tending to the dishonour of my God and my Christ c. shall make mee 1. More hate thine infinitely hatefull and revengefull malice against that thrice-glorious and ever-blessed Majesty above 2. With more feeling and dearenesse to adore and love the glory and sweetnesse of my God and my Redeemer For the more excessive and endlesse I feele thy spite against Him the more I know is his incomprehensible excellency and worth 3. To pray oftner and more fervently that my God would rebuke thee and cast this extreme malice of thine as dung upon thine owne face 4. To bee still more humbled under the hand of my mighty Lord because I cannot bee more humbled and with more resolution and abhorrence abominate and abandon such prodigiously-senselesse and hellish blasphemies of His for I am sure they are none of mine into the bottomlesse bottome of that darkest Dungeon In the blackest horrour whereof they were most maliciously and monstrously hatched 5. To take up a strong argument and answer against an other of thy cursed injections tending to Atheisme and the not Being of those endlesse joies above Because I most plainely and palpably feele thee an invisible spirit casting into my imagination such horrid absurd and ridiculously impious thoughts which cannot possibly spring ordinarily or naturally from any power or possibilitie of mine own soule I know thereby and assure my self that there is also an infinite most wise and glorious Spirit which created both me and thee And will in due time chaine Thee up for ever in the Pit of Hell and bring mee at length by the blessed merit of his only dearest Sonnes bloodshed into the bosome of his owne glory and everlasting blisse 6. To confirme mine owne heart with stronger assurance which is no meane benefit that I undoubtedly belong unto God and am in a gracious state For thou well knowest and so doth mine owne Soule that thou never troubledst me to any purpose with these ougly blasphemous thoughts while I yet lay starke dead in sinnes and trespasses and drown'd full deepe in vanity and lust in carnall loosenesse and sensuall courses Then thou being the strong Man possessedst mee wholly and all was quiet because all was
non corda hominum sed sacta pensaret Iniqui enim ideò tunâ— cum sine deliquerunt quia cum sine vixerunt Vnâ—uissent quippe sine sine â—iveâ—e ut sine sine potuissâ—nt in iniquitatibus permancre Nam magis appetunt 〈◊〉 quam vicere Et ideò hiâ— semper vivere cupiunt ut nunquam desinant pecâ—are cum 〈◊〉 Ad 〈◊〉 ergo judicis justitiam pertinet ut nunquam careant supplicijs quoruâ— mâ—ns in hac vâ—ta nunquam voluit carere peccato nullas detur iniquo terminus â—l 〈◊〉 qui quamdiu valuit habere noluit terminum criminis Greg. Expos. Mor. l. 34. cap. 16. in cap. 41. Iob. s Tunâ— temporis dâ—â— Luminarâ—â— sacâ—â—â—â— dâ—stantâ—iiâ—â—â— Naâ— Sâ—â— erat in graâ—â— 10. Artetis 〈…〉 10. 〈…〉 lâ—qâ—â—â— non su◠〈◊〉 ex naturali Solâ—â— delâ—quâ—o obâ—â—d quò 〈…〉 tâ—mplenâ—◠〈…〉 non poteâ—â—â— t Cum dicimus â—lium 〈…〉 naâ—uram 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—â—epto vâ—lpotuâ—â—â—â—◠〈…〉 quam 〈◊〉 sâ—se morti nan sabâ—â—â—â—â—eâ— sed ji eternum Dâ—◠〈…〉 silâ— tuâ—â— ex hac hypotâ—â—i 〈…〉 Chriâ—◠〈◊〉 redemptionem huâ—nâ—nam Nam imâ—o 〈…〉 Davennantius Expoâ— Epist. ad 〈…〉 Iâ—co non 〈…〉 an Dâ—us alio moâ—lo quà â—◠〈…〉 c. Respens Anthâ—â— Wallâ—â—â—â—â— censuram â—â—an Arnoldi â—orvini cap. 25. Quâ—◠〈…〉 salâ—â—â— homiâ—â—â—â— sed 〈◊〉 vâ—luit nec â—â—â—i hoc Chamieâ—â—â— Tom. 2. â— 10. â— Cap. 12. Sect. 6. u Ps. 51.3 My sinne is eveâ— before mee x See the life of Galeaciâ—s Caracciâ—lus containing the Story of His admirable conversion from Popery and his forsaking of His Marquesdome for the Gospels sake written first in Italian translated into Latine by Beza and into English by Mast. Crâ—shâ—â— And the History of Franciscus Spira sâ—t out by severall men and thus intituled by the first Francisci Spine Cicitatulani borrendus Casus qui ob negaâ—am in judicio cogniâ—am Evangelij veritatem in miseram incidit desperationem y See Crashaw in His second Dedicatory Epistle before the Booke z Calvin in His Dedicatory Epistle before His Commentary upon the first to the Corinthians Non 〈◊〉 Hominem prâ—mariá familliá natum honore opibus florentem nobiâ—ssimá caltissimi uâ—ore numerosa sobole domesticâ qujete concordiâ totoque vitae slatuâ—â—atun 〈◊〉 ut in Christi castra migraret patriá cessisse ditioâ—â—fertilem onoenam 〈◊〉 petiâ—â—oniuâ—a conâ—odam non minus quà voluptuosam balatatâ—â—â—m neglexisse exâ—â—sse 〈◊〉 domesticum Patre conjuge liberis cognatis affinibus sise 〈◊〉 c. a Quòd si tantum â—oâ—upâ— as esset quid â—à â—â—liâ—s quid â—bjectius Que â—mul eâ— veâ—â—◠〈…〉 â—â—gitque 〈◊〉 quam compreâ—endatu◠〈…〉 Chrysâ—in loan 〈…〉 quod deleâ—â—◠〈…〉 manet sine sine quod cruciat Sub momâ—nto libinâ—s impetus transit permanet sin 〈…〉 Heâ— misâ—â—â—â—mo nesâ—â—s quò 〈◊〉 bore punâ—â—o vulâ—â—s acâ—ipiâ—â—◠〈…〉 prijtâ—nam 〈◊〉 August â—om 9. pag. 1328. b 〈…〉 toties pone 〈…〉 Deus 〈…〉 â—â—datraditus 〈…〉 zatur condemnatur 〈…〉 verò contumâ—lus 〈…〉 inter duos 〈…〉 derisus 〈…〉 perâ—foratus ex omnibus 〈…〉 c. Bern. Lib de conse Call to minde o sinfull creature and set before thine eyes Christ crucified Thinke thou seest His â—â—ody streâ— hâ—â— out in length upon the Crosse His Head crowned with sharpe thrones His Hands and His beete pierced with nailes His Heart opened with a long speaâ—e His flesh tent and torne with whips His Browes sweating water and blood Think thou hearest Him now crying My God My God why hâ—â— thou forsaken Me. O my Brethten let this Image of Christ crucified bee alwaies printed in our hearts let it stirre us to the hatied of sinne c. hoâ—â—pon G.F. c Nonne Dei filius cuns esset in sinu Patris aregalibus sedibus pro animâ descondit ut eam liberaret à potestate Diaboli Quam cum vidisset peccatorum â—unibus irretitam jam jamque daemonibus tradendam ut morte perpetuá damnaretur sievit superillam quae flere se nesciebat Nec solism flevit sed etiam occidi se permisit ut pretioso sanguinis suâ— pretio cam redimereâ— Bern. de dignitate â—â—nimae Revel 21.8 Heb. 13.4 1. Thessal 4.6 d Iniquitates tuae omnibus populis nudabuntur cunctis agminibus patebunt uâ—iversa scetera tua non solâ—m aâ—tuum verùm cogitationum locutionum Bern. lib. de Consc. * Prov. 28.13 e Pensant sancti viri quant ailla sit verecundia tâ— conspectu tunc humani generis â—agelorum omnium Archangelorumque confundi f Ego sic censeâ— sic aâ—iâ—uè praedicaho 〈◊〉 acerbius esse Câ—risâ—um offendere quam Gehennae malâ—â— vexaâ— In Mat. 9. Hom. 37. g Nilin munao quantum peâ—care timebat Conscientiá meá te ie non mentioâ— quia saepè illâ—m â—â—b veritatis testimonio profitentem aâ—diâ—imus Quòd si hine peccati horrorem hinc â—â—serni lolorem corporaliter cerneret necessariò uni corum immergideberet priùs infernum quà m peccatum appeterei Aliud quoque non minùs forsan aliquibus mirum dicere solebat videlicet malle se purum à peccato innocentem gehennam habere quà m peccatisorde pollutum câ—loruâ— regna tenere De vitâ Anselmi lib. 2. In oper Anselmi h Aliuâ— juveniliaetate sâ—orentem in amoenissimâ—s hortulos praecepit abduci Ibique inter 〈◊〉 candentia rubentes rosas cum leni juxta murmure aquarum serperet riâ—us mollifihilo arborum folia ventus perstringeret super extructam plumis lecâ—â—m re supinari Et ne se inde posset excutere blandis serico noxibus irretitum relinqui Quò cum recedentibus cunctis moretrix speciosa venisset capit delicatis constringere colla amplexibus Et quod dictu quoque sâ—elus eft manibus attrectare virilia ut corpore in libidinem concitato se victrix impudica superjaceret Quid ageret miles Christi quò se verteret nesciebut Tandem coelitùs inspiratus praecisam morsu linguam in osculantis se faciem expuit ac sic libidinis sensum succedens doloris magnitudo superavit Hieronym p. 3. Tract 8. Epist. 37. a De utraque apertionâ— oculorum intelligatur hic locus 〈◊〉 de conscientià sensiâ—iâ— terne nuditatis hoc est amissa imaginis Dei illiâ—ò obortae in mente caecitatis in voluâ—â—ale averstonis in sensualitate motibus internis omnimodae pravitatis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deâ—nde de aspectu eâ—i am externae nuditatâ— quae prius fueâ—at dâ—â—o ra c. Statim audiverunt vocem Dei hoc est statim hec tristis cogitatio divexavit coruÌ„ animos Heu quid sâ—cimus â—â—rborem vetitam gustavimus Despraeciptis contempsimus Diabolo obtemperavimus tuâ—â—iter decepti sumus vestem innocentiae amisimus pudendam nuditatem in nobis cernimus Hoc parum est Deus verax justus est dixit Morte moriemini manetigitur miscros jam inevitabile mortis supplicium Par. in 3. c. Gen. b
talionis God himselfe answers them Nay their owne hearts answere themselves Go whom you haue spent your life in seeking seeke to them now Let them save you at this whom yee sought at all other times As for mee it shall come to passe as I cryed and you would not heare So you shall cry and seek and shall not find or bee heard saith the Lord Yes they found Him but with a dore shut betweene Him them But what found they The Parable of the ten Virgins tells us a Nescio vos Hoe knoweth them not they tooke too short a time to breede acquaintance in Nescio vos they find that so seeke Profectò ad hoc tonitru c. At this clap Hee that waketh not is not asleepe but dead Winchesters Sermons pag. 181. I demand Will any time serue to seeke God Is God at all times to bee found It is certain Not The very limitation of Dum inveniri potest sheweth plainely that other times there bee wherein Seeke Him you may but find him you shall not Idem Ibid. pag. 178. d Quanquam Deus ipsos mundavit hoc est tum verbo suo praecepit ut se mundarent toties ac tamdiu per prophetas imperavit 2. Cro. 36.15 Iesa 1.16 tum aquâ sapone afflictionum abluere baculo calamitatum sordes excutere studio habuit tamen impuri manserunt Iesa 1.5 sequentibus Polan in Locum e 2. Cor. 7.10 f Quid autem est seclidiâ—m mundum Quandò contristaris propter divitias propter gloriam propter mortuum omnia haec secundum munduâ— idâ—ò mortem faâ—â—t Nam qui propter gloriam contristatur inviâ—et saepe perire cogitur Qualis erat tristitia Cain Esau hanc tristitiam voâ—at secundum mundum quae trisiibus perniciosa Chrysost. in 2. Cor. cap. 7. Sicut tinea comedit vestimentum sicut vermis rodit lignum ita tristitia nocet cordi Bern. de modo benè vivendi cap. 11. It pierceth even to the marrow of the bone it maketh bitter our whole life and poysoneth all our actions Char. lib. 1. cap. 31. Worldly sorrow worketh a change in the body it brings gray haires on the head and furrowes and wrinkles in the face It turnes youth into old age and strength into weakenesse and so causeth death Dike of repentance cap. 1. g Tristitia enim sic est quomodo stercus Stercus non loco suo positum immunditia est Stercus non loco suo positum immundam facit domum loco suo positum fertilem facit agrum Inveni nescio quem tristem stercus video locum quaero Dic amice unde tristis es Perdidi inquit pecuniam Locus immundus fructus nullus Audiat Aposiolum Tristitia mundi mortem operatur Non solum fructus nullus sed magna pernicies Sic de caeteris rebus ad gaudia secularia pertinentibus quas res longum est enumerare Video alium tristantem gementem flentem multum stercorâ—s video ibi locum quaero Et cum viderem tristem flentem inspexi orautem Orans nescio quid mibibonae significationis ingessit Sed adhuc locum quaero Quid enim si iste oraus gemens magno fletu mortem roget inimicis suis. Etiam sic jam plorat jam rogat jam orat Locus immundus fructus nullum Inspexialium rursus gementem flentem orantem stercus agnosco locum quaero Intenâ—di autem orationi ejus audito dicentem ego dixi domine miserere mei sana animam meam quia peccavi tibi Geâ—it peccatum agnosco agrum expecto fructum Deo gratias Bono loco est stercus non ibi vacat fructum parturit August de temp Serm. 151. h Tristitia illa solùm ad peccata utilis est quod hinc manifestatur Qui pro amissis divitijs contristatur damnum non solvit Qui pro mortuo contristatur jacentem non excitat Qui propter morbum contristatur non solùm non curatur sed etiam auget morbum Qui verò in peccatis contristatur hîc solùm utilitatis aliquid ampliùs à tristitiâ accepit absumit enim evanescere facit peccata Chrysost. in 2. Cor. cap. 7. Mortem lugere omittens luge peccata ut ipsa deleas propter hoc enim tristitia facta est non ut in morte nec in vllâ aliâ re tali doleamus sed ut ipsâ ad delenda ut amur peccata Et quòd hoc verum sit exemplosacio manifestum Remedia medicinalia propter illos tantùm morbos facta sunt quos tollerâ— possunt non propter illos quos nihil ad juvare possunt c. Mulctatus est quispiam pecunijs tristatus est mulctam non emendavit silium amisit doluit mortuum non resuscitavit nec defuncto prâ—fuit Flagellatus est quis alapis caesus contumelijs affectus doluit non revocavit contumcliam c. Vides horum nulli prodesse tristitiam Peccavit quis tristatus est peccatum delevit Idem ad Popul Antiochenum Hom. 5. i I meane both repentances Legall which is bred by beleeving the threats of the Law and by accident leades unto Christ. Evangelicall which springs from Faith in the promises of the Gospell after wee have taken Christ. For Faith must goe before this repentance as the ground and roote thereof In time Faith and Evangelicall repentance are both together but in the order of nature Faith is first k Quid enim quispiam sacere possit quo genero sum virum cogat contristari Auseret pecunias Sed habet in Coelis divitias Patriâ eijciet Sed in coelestem civitatem mittet Vincula inijciet Sed habet Conscientiam solutam exteriorem non sentiet catenam Sed interficiet corpus At iterum resurget Et sicut cum umbrâ pugnans aërem verberans perculere poterit neminem Sic cum justo pugnans cumumbrâ tantùm pugnat vires suas dissolvit nullam illi plagam valens infligere Itaque da mihi de Coelorum râ—gno confidere sâ—vis me hodie jugula caedis gratias tibi habeo quòd me celeriter ad illa hona transmattis Chrysost. ad Pop. Antioch hom 5. l Igitur postquà m manifestè oratio demonstravit quòd neque pecuniarum mulctam neque contumeliam neque calumniam neque flagella neque valetudinem neque mortem neque aliud quid talium inducta tristitia iastaurare posset sed solùm delere peccatum bujus est destructiva certum quò à propter hanc solam causam facta est Ne amplius igitur pecuniarum jacturam doleamus sed cum peccamus tantùm doleamus multa enum hic exâ—riâ—â—â—iâ utilitas Mulâ—laâ—us es ne doleas neque enim proderit Peâ—cuâ—â—â— Dole utile namque est Ibid. m 2. Sam. 17.23 Achitophel ita ratiocinatur Absolom aut vincet auâ— non sinoâ— vincat incidam in manus Davidis Si vicerit adhuc ego inglorius vivam Chusat
leave nothing undone that his wit serves him to thinke of for the atchievement of victory Whately Gods Husb. cap. 15. e Psal 92.12.13.14 Acts 21.16 Psal. 143.6 f See the Preface written by G. Abbot Doctor of Divinitie before the Examinations Arraignement and conviction of George Sprot Notary in Ayemouth pag. 23. Revel 21.6 Isai. 55.1 Iohn 7.37 Matth. 5.6 u Tamet si sensus omnes nostri dolore occupati sint et prae moestitiâ sint praclusae fauces Dominus tamen corda nostra pervidet pia suspiria exaudit Imò plus efficient quà m expressae diserta voces modò spiritus adsit qui excitet in nobis gemitus illos inenarrabiles de quibus loquitur Paulus ad Rom. cap. 8. Ac nemo piorum est qui non experiatur ubi maior aliqua tristitia animum constringit se inter orandum vel balbutire vel propemodum obmutescere Calv. in Isai. cap. 38. Plerunque hoc negotium plus gemitibus quà m sermonibus agitur plus stetu quà m affatu Aug. Epist. 121. Cogitatio tua clamorest ad Dominum Idem in Psal. 141. Psal. 103.13 x Si nos qui secundum naturam diligimus filios satis tamen profectò eos diligimus multò magis ille diligit qui diligit ultra naturam Chrysost. in Matth. Hom. 23. Rom. 15.13 Psal. 145.19 1. Cor. 1.30 1. Cor. 1.30 1. Pet. 1.8 Philip. 4.7 1. Cor. 2.9 a Though it bee a Truth clearer then the Sunne-beames that a broken-hearted sinner ought to embrace mercy so strongly enforced yet there is no Truth that the heart shutteth it selfe more against then this especially in sense of misery c. Doctor Sibbes in his Preface to the B.K. b Vt quisque abiectissimus erit tantum abest quin desperationis causa sit suae paupertas ut inde potiùs debeat animum colligere ad Christum quaerendum Sed meminerîmus non alios censeri pauperes nisi qui sibi ipsis tales sunt hoc est qui suae inopiae sensu oppressi iacent Musc. in Mat. cap. 11. * Mat. 9.12.13 c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est eos qui sibi iusti videntur sive qui se iustos esse somniant quod fait Pharisaeorum dogma quibus opponuntur peccatores id est Qui suorum pectatorum sensu vulnerati ad unam Dei misericordiam confugiunt Beza in Loc. d Rom. 4.5 e 1. Pet. 3.18 f For our encouragement to a thorow worke of bruising and patience under Gods bruising of us let us all know that none are fitter for comfort then those that thinke themselves furthest off Men for the most part are not lost enough in their owne feeling for a Saviour A holy despaire in our selves is the ground of true hope Doctor Sibbes Bruised R. pag. 43. a Quomodò dicit qui vult quum alibi dicat Christus Nemo venit ad me nisi Pater qui misit me traxerit cum Ioh. 6.44 Et Paulus dicit non est volentu noque currentis sed miserentis De. Rom. 9.16 Resp. Sic loquitur Iohannes non quòd in hominis arbitris situm sit propriâ sponte accedere haurire aquam vitae sed quia ille idem qui invitat ad vitae aquas etiam sitis indit ardorem animum vires suppeditat ut veniamus imò verò essicit ut ex nolentibus volentes siamus quò omnis gloria ad ipsumâ— edeat non penes nos resideat Deus est qui agit in vobis ut velitis ut efficiatis pro bonâ voluntate Phil. 2.13 Marlorat in Loc. Christ together with bidding Lazarus come out of his grave inspired into Him power to rise b Whosoever will It may bee here said Who is it that would not bee saved Men indeed love to walke in wicked wayes but they love not damnation willingly would they bee saved How then is it said here Let Him that will take of the waters of life freely Surely here is no more then that Hee saith before Hee will give to Him that is athirst of the waters of life freely Cap 21. For Hee that thirsteth hath a Will and Hee that thirsteth not hath not a Will For this yee must know that the Will is not here put for every light desire or for every wish that a Man doth wish in His heart when as I said before Hee walketh in the way of destruction and committeth the things that deserve damnation and yet would bee saved c. Gissard in Loc. c Hee that willeth then even hee that is athirst for the waters of life let Him give all the prayse to God who hath endued him with that grace and let him know that were it not for the grace of God Hee should never have had any will to come to those waters Idem Ibid. d O quà m stupenda pietas Quà m intra Dei dignatio Quem rogare debuimus ut nos recipere dignaretur ab ipso rogamur ut ad cum venire dignemur Gers. De Verbis Domini venite c. e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Heus vocandi Ies. 55.1 Buxtorf f Et est particula exclamandi Zechar. 2.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O ó Fugite è terra Aquilâ—nis Iesah 55.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O omnis sitiens Pagnin Exclamat Propheta veluticontentâ voce Heus quia tantus est hominum torpor ut difficile sit admodùm cos excitari Stuporem istum magnis clamoribus assiduis excuti necesse est quò turpior magÃsque stupenda est corum pigrities qui ad hanc exbortationem sur disunt vel tam acritèr stimulati torpori suo ad huc indulgent Calv. in Loc. f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quod est multiplicare g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gratia è Coelo tantâ copiâ suit effusa ut peccatum non aequârit modò sed etiam infinitis partibus superârit Beza i See Prov. 3.14.15.16.17 k These Spaniards being meere strangers having no natural regard in their government to the maintenance of those Countries and people in their ancient and naturall manner of their peaceable living as the most Noble and wise Emperour Charâ—es yea and as His Son Philip Himselfe had whilest Hee remained in those Countries and used the Counsels of the States and Natives of the Countries not violating the ancient liberties of the Countries but contrariwise these Spaniards beeing exalted to absolute government by ambition and for private lucre have violently broken the ancient Lawes and Liberties of all the Countries and in a tyrannous sort have banished and destroyed without order of Law within the space of few moneths many of the most ancient and principall Persons of the naturall Nobility that were most worthy of government And howsoever in the beginning of these cruell persecutions the pretence whereof was for the maintenance of the Romish Religion yet they spared not to deprive very many Catholickes and Ecclesiasticall Persons of their Franchises
cusâ—odiam 〈◊〉 nammos ob dâ—â—edâ—â—entem conijciaâ— neque â—osum solum sed cum illa propter illum simâ—lâ—â—orem liberos fâ—mâ—los vâ—mâ—is verò aliuâ— qui â—ptam qui non solu solâ—at dicem illos nummâ—â— sâ—â—t iâ—â—â—mera 〈◊〉 talenta largiatur vinctâ—mque in regâ—lem auâ—am inducat in 〈…〉 honoâ—â—◠〈…〉 is â—â—eneâ—ator 〈…〉 â—â—gere iâ—a 〈◊〉 factum 〈…〉 siquiten 〈…〉 debeamus Christus pronobis solvit tantoque plura quanto guttâ—hâ—m exigâ—am pâ—lâ—gus excilli â—m ensum Noli itaque dissidere O homo cùm 〈◊〉 honorum aâ—râ—â—ias vtaeâ—s nâ—que solâ—â—tas inquiras quomodò scintillula illa mortis atque peccati toâ—tosit donorum sâ—perinducto maâ—i soluta extincia Chrys. Hom. â—1 in 5. and Rom. Satanta inaequalitus prelij redempâ—â— quanta immensi maris umus guttulae quorsùm supplemtatum meritorum c Chamiâ—â— Tom. 3. pag. 249. i Concedimus satisfactionis dignitatemoriâ—i à Personá satisfaciente ideo â—ue satisfactionem Christi maximae imò infinitae dignitatis esse Idem Ibid. pa. 245. Philip. 4.7 1. Pet. 1.8 1. Cor. 2.9 * Master Rogers of Dedham k Sed videte qualis debet esse poenitentia quia multi assidâ—è se duâ—nt esse peccatores tamen adhuc illos delectat peccare Professio est non emendatio Accusatur anima non sanatur Pronunciatur Offensa non tollitur Poetentiam certam non facit nisi odium peccati amor Dei. Quandosiâ— poeâ—â—tes ut tibi amarum sapiat in animo quod ante dulâ—e fuit in vitâ quod te prius oblectabaâ— in corpore ipsum te cruciat in mente c. August de Temp. Serm. 7. * QuantuÌ„ inter tranquillissimuÌ„ interest portum mare tempestuosum atque incommodum Chrysost. ** Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth 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 Isai. 50.10 Here it appeares that one which truly feares God may walk in darkenesse and have no light of coâ—fort And that such an One may bee certainely saved by staying upon â—is God By leaning upon Him as One leanes upon a staâ—fe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 niti inniti incumbere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Incumbebat hastae suae nitebatur super hastam suam 2 Sam. 1.6 Bâ—xtor l Those that are afflicted in conference because they want assuâ—rance of salvation have no cause of despaire or of discouragement as long as with an heavy loaden soule hungring for mercy they trust in Christ and cast themselves wholly upon His merits for salvation according to the Gospell For the condition of the Gospell required of sinners to salvation is not a comfort but a Duty not an assurance that they are saved but a trust in Christ that they shall be saved So that as long as they rest on Christs merits seeke to no other meanes but with such an heart as hath been said to seeke to Christ for salvation as soone as they have believed in Christ they are justified sinners tho they doe not presently feele by the witnesse of the Spirit a full assurance that they are saved Chibald in his Triall of Faith lib. 2. cap. 4. pag. 185 Wherefore comfort yourselves O ye that are tender-hearted and troubled-minded Christians because you feele not the assurance of your salvation in as much as the condition of the Gospell is not That Hee that believes in Christ shall bee assured of salvation but that Hee shall bee saved so that though thou never have in thine owne Soule a feeling of assured perswasion that thou art saved yet as long as with a heart mourning after Christ and gasping for Him as the barren Land for water thou casts thy selfe upon Him and hangs on Him still for salvation with trust unto the merits of His death and obedience thou shalt in the end and event certainely bee saved Idem Ibid. pag 187. There bee that doe truly believe in Christ and that to salvation if they should then die that yet are not come to bee perswaded that Christ is theirs c. Rogers of Dedham in His Epistle to the Reader pag. penult m Exultemus in Domino gaudeamus cum fletu Memores simus dignationis divinae captivitatis nostrae August de temp Serm. 3. * See the Properties of a saving Thirst beâ—â—â—e pa. 377. lin 31 c. a In desiderio illo pij animi suspiria inenarâ—abilia gaudium ineffabile mirisiâ—è coadunantur suspiria inquam gaudium quae ne ipse quidem qui ea sentit potest plenè enarrare Rolloc in Iohan. cap. 8. pag. 556. 1. Pet. 2.17 d Many are still questioning of their beginnings and though they came to Faith and comfort by these steps yet are still fearing that they have not begun in truth or that they are not in the right way or took comfort ere it belonged unto them And this because their corruptions bee so strong and that they cannot doe as they would But corruptions felt hated and striven against are no Markes that wee are not the Lords but the contrary It is the subtilty of Satan to keepe them ever at the beginning that they may never get forward True it is good to bee very carefull in laying the foundation of our house But if we be ever pulling up after it is laide wee shall never finish the Building Moster Rogers of Dedham Doctr. of Faith cap. 2. pag. 177. For a true Christian to denie the work of Gods grace in Himselfe doth no good to Him But interrupts His prayers hinders his humiliation estrangeth Him from God and turneth godly sorrow for His sinne into desperate sorrow for the punishment of sinne Master Whately Gods Husbandry cap. 12. e Take heed of false reasoning As because our fire doth not blaze out as others therefore we have no fire at all and by false Conclusions to sinne against the Commandement in bearing false witnesse against our selves The Prodigall would not say Hee was no sonne but that hee was nâ—t worthy to bee called a Sonne Wee must neither trust to false evidence nor deny true for so wee should dishonour the Worke of Gods Spirit in us and lose the helpe of that evidence which wâ—uld cherish our love to Christ and arme us against Satans discouragements Some are so faulty this way as if they had been hired by Satan the Accuser of the Brethren to pleade for Him in accusing themselves Doctor Sibbes Bruised Reed pag. 94. f Homil. of Repentance pag. 1. g Dike of Repentance cap. 4. h Secundum conscientiae molem exhibenda est poenitentiae magnitudo Ambr. ad Virg. â—orr cap. 8. i Qui culpam exaggeraverit exaggeret etiam poenitentiam Idem de Poenit. lib. 1. cap. 2. k Quà m magna deliquimus tam graviter desâ—eamus Cypr. de Lapsis ad sin l Vniuscuiusque mens tantum poenitendo coÌ„punctionis suae bibat lachrymas