day-labour will helpe him to heauen and serue his turne for saluation And if any of these sottish cauillers be questioned challenged for the vnsoundnesse of his spirituall state he will be ready with absurd rudenesse and irkesome clamour to breake out into such brags as these What tell you mee of these high points or trouble mee with this new learning I was neuer asked thus much before in all my life and yet the time is to come that euer our Parson threatned to keepe me from the Communion I doe no man wrong I pay euery man his owne I am neither thiefe nor drunkard nor whoremaster I liue peaceably amongst my neighbours c. I know as much as the Preacher can tell me though he preach out his heart That I must loue God aboue all and my neighbour as my selfe and that I hope I doe c. whereas poore blinded soule hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pride ignorance prophanenesse and impenitencie as the skin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is â—…moothly carried hoodwinckt by the diuell to hell without all noyse or any contradiction 7. The worke of Gods restraining Spirit Which sometimes by its power and terrour keepes in and confines a mans inward corruption that it breakes not out into such open outrages and outward villanies as in some other wicked Ones And that for the good and quiet of his owne people or some other secret ends seene and seeming good to his heauenly Highnesse Now this restraint by the delusion of the deuill and deceit of a mans owne heart may bee apprehended as a great conquest ouer corruption and so a conuersion thence vainely concluded 8. Education in a religious family thus Some in such a place being onely outwardly warmed with the heate of holy exercises about them and by custome and for company growne conformable to religious duties with some contentment depart thence with a â—…aineglorious conceit and vnsound perswasion that they are also of the right stampe because they were so long amongst spirituall tooles and at the fire which might indeed haue truly melted their yet too frozen and flinty hearts Put a Sow into a greene medow and shee will keepe her selfe as faire as the Sheepe but let her breake out and she will wallow againe in the mire as filthily as before so it is with too many such 9. Much knowledge and noble defence of that blessed Orthodoxe Truth which wee professe without a kindly sauing impression of goodnesse and grace in the heart Many great men and great Schollers more is the pitie are empoysoned with this conceit they are selfe conceited that if they be zealous Patrones and protectours of true Religion they are safe enough for saluation though alas they be meere strangers nay too many times opposites to the power and practise thereof 10. The benefit of a better nature and a constitution not so precipitant and prone to some corruptions For instance A man hereby may see others lâ—…e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most abominable beastly sinne of drunkennesse when his heart riseth against such swinish filth others transported with furious and fiery passions when as his milder temper knowes no such rage others hunting after high roomes with the hazzard of their soules and certaine ship wracke of a good conscience when as his solitary disposition affects retirednesse and home Thus when it is many times the infirmity impotencie or deformity of nature or at best but the naturall moderation of a better complexion that dis-inclines and disables him from the acting of some grosser euils hee fondly conceiues that it is the power and soueraignetie of grace which makes the difference betwixt himselfe and other sons of Belial who by natures impetuousnesse are more prone and prouoked thereunto 11. The heartlesse effects of slauish feare which sometimes will curbe some kinde of men from committing some notorious sinnes and spurre them forward to the outward performance of some holy duties yet they not marking the motiues manner or end nor taking to heart at all the grosse exorbitancy of any of them but onely eying the worke wrought may causlesly bee too well conceited of themselues and so coozen their owne soules But let no true-hearted Nathaneel heere mistake I know some of Gods dearest Children who make conscience of all sinne and to please God in all things yet in darkenesse of their melancholy or heate of temptation may feare all is naught with them because they feare they doe all for slauish feare But their feares iealousies hearty complaints and holy desires to the contrary may minister comfort enough if they will be counselled vntill they come out of temptation 12. Euen the blessed Word of God misunderstood and wretchedly abused to the deuils aduantage and damnation of mens soules For instance Some sucke poyson out of that heauenly flower Rom. 10. 13. Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued collecting and concluding thence that if they can say Lord Lord though they bee meere strangers to the life of Grace yet they shall liue for euer But such should know that euery one who in that sauing sence calleth vpon the Name of the Lord must depart from iniquity 2. Tim. 2. 19. and must sauingly beleeue Rom. 10. 14. Now such a fruitfull faith euer purifies the heart Acts 15. 9. and is inseparably attended with a glorious traine of heauenly graces vertue knowledge temperance patience godlinesse brotherly kindnesse charity 2. Pet. 1. 5 6 7. I haue heard with mine owne eares that place Rom. 12. 1. sottishly peruerted to the maintenance of lukewarmenesse coldnesse in Religion and goodfellowship When purity in heart holinesse of life vniuersall obedience and other requisites to saluation haue beene pressed it hath beene replyed in good earnest I pray you why are you so hote what needs all this what needs so much adoe when a reasonable thing will serue the turne Is it not said which is your reasonable seruice Now I often wonder what such men as these meane who are Proctors and pleaders for this Leodicean reserued mediocritie and politike moderation in matters of heauen what worship and seruice they would proportion out for the All-powerfull God Doth any man of braine conceiue that the mighty dreadfull Lord and Iudge of all the world who offers vnto vs by the Ministerie in the meane time his owne deare Sonne with all the rich purchases of his hearts blood and would giue vs the full fruition of himselfe heereafter with all the glory and endlesse felicities aboue will be bobd off if I may so speake with an heartlesse formall outwardnesse with a cold rotten carkasse of religion It cannot be He is a Spirit and must be worshipped in Spirit and truth If men will needs harden themselues in bitternesse and blasphemies against the purity and power of godlinesse if they will still browbeate and beare downe their brethren for their zeale and feruencie in the affaires of God let them teare those sacred leaues out of Gods blessed Booke that sparkle out vnto vs
iudgements and the spirit of the Prophets I conceiue that a sanctified man may be assured of his spirituall safety and sound estate to Godwards diuers wayes 1. By the euidence and single act of internall Vision Wee haue receiued saith the Apostle not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that wee might know the things that are freely giuen to vs of God that is to say say our Country-men of Rhemes Christs Incarnation Passion presence in the Sacrament and the incomprehensible ioyes of heauen But it is cleare in the Text that the Apostle speakes of all the gifts generally that are giuen vs of God whither serueth the argument of comparison that as a mans spirit teacheth him to know all his thoughts that are in him at the least in some measure so also the Spirit of God teacheth the Beleeuers to know all that God hath giuen them Hee doth not say that we know Gods gifts but that we know the gifts that God hath giuen vnto vs. See further to this point and purpose 1. Ioh. 5. 13. 2. Tim. 1. 12. By a secret and sacred irradiation of the Spirit of faith the sanctified soule is ascertained of its personall and particular dependance and reliance vpon the promises of life and Gods mercies through Christ by which it knowes it hath eternall life Ioh. 3. 36. As certainely as he that hath a corporall eye knoweth that he sees so certainely he that is illuminated with the light of faith knowes that he beleeues The glorious splendour of such an orient and heauenly Iewell cannot but shew it selfe and shine clearely to the heart wherein it dwels Like a bright lampe set vp in the soule it doth not onely manifest other things but also it selfe appeareth by its owne light when I see and rely vpon a man promising me this or that I know I see and rely vpon him shall I by faith behold my blessed Redeemer lifted vp as an Antitype to the brazen Serpent for the euerlasting cure of my wounded conscience and rest vpon him and yet know no such thing Heare how cleare learned Austin is for this internall vision Our faith saith hee is conspicuous to our owne minde Faith it selfe is seene in the minde although that which is beleeued by faith is inuisible A man holds his faith by most certaine knowledge and plaine attestation of conscience Euery man sees his Faith in himselfe c. Euen Durandus taking vpon him to expound one of those passages in the fore-cited place of Austin tels vs That he which hath faith is so certaine that hee hath it as hee is of any other thing for hee that beleeues feeles that hee beleeues and by consequent that hee hath faith and there is nothing more certaine then experience c. * Vegaes words also in the Councell of Trent sound this way As hee that is hote is sure he is so and should want sense if he doubted so he that hath grace in him doth perceiue it and cannot doubt yet it is by the sence of the minde not by diuine reuelation Ob. But if these things be so how comes it to passe that Gods dearest children complaine sometimes that they haue neither sight nor sence of their faith Answ. I speake of that which is ordinary not euer The Sunne in a cleere sky discouers and manifests it selfe with a witnesse though sometimes it bee ouercast with clouds or eclipsed with the Moone This heauenly lampe of Faith shines and shewes it selfe clearely enough to the sanctified heart in the calmenesse of a Christian course and serenitie of the soule especially freshly cleared and purged with showres as it were of penitent teares though in the dampe of spirituall disertion darkenesse of some stronger temptation eclipse of earthly-mindednesse it may lye hid and obscured for a time And yet for all this if Christians would bee counselled and beleeue the Prophets if they would not vnderualue Gods infinite mercie by looking vpon him through a slauishly deiected and melancholike humour which is wont to represent him as terrible fierce and inexorable whereas in his owne nature and sweetest disposition hee is indeed euer most compassionate tenderhearted and melting ouer the bleeding miseries of a truly broken heart I say if they would not thus mistake but conceiue aright of that most adored mystery and bottomlesse depth of his free loue Hos. 14. 4. Ezek. 16. 8. Ier. 31. 3. Cant. 2. 4. Ioh. 3. 16. 17. 23. they might euen in times of desertions temptations spirituall afflictions of soule sweetely vphold their hearts with assurance of Adherence though for the present they want the assurance of Euidence For such an assurance is intimated Psal. 22. 1. 42. 5 11 43. 5. For instance many a faithfull soule making conscience of all sinne sincerely following the best things resolued without reseruation to doe or suffer any thing for Christ would giue a world to be sensibly assured of Gods fauour and fully perswaded that his sinnes were pardoned By reason of the want of sence and feeling whereof hee slauishly languishes vpon the racke of tormenting feares and terrours vtterly without all cause neither onely so but thereby also gratifying the deuill dishonouring Gods free mercy disabling himselfe for a comfortable discharge of both his callings and that which he little thinkes on lying in the sinne of not receiuing comfort and of not accepting his owne proper legacie which Christ left him Ioh. 14. 27. For in the meane time his heart doth cleaue vnto Christ as to the surest rocke Hee cries and longs after him and would not part with him for all the world Hee would infinitely rather haue his body rent from his soule then his soule from his Sauiour Aske his affection and resolution this way and for all his feares and sorrowes he will tell you that he will still rest and relye vpon his Lord and euer-blessed Redeemer let him doe with him as hee please hee will trust in him though he kill him Now the internall vision consciousnesse reflexed act that I may speake in the phrase of the Schooles of this sincere adherence vnto Christ and those exceeding precious promises of life sealed with his Blood might and ought to assure him of the euerlasting safetie and happinesse of his soule and so by consequent to comfort him infinitely more then if hee had the Crowne of the whole worlds soueraigntie set vpon his head Iustifying faith which giues infallible interest to eternall life is not to speake properly and punctually to be assured of pardon but to trust wholly vpon the mercy of God through Christ for pardon If there arise question in thy fearefull heart about thy spirituall state sence and feeling is no substantiall ground whereon to build being a separable accident to the graces of saluation but the truth and tender heartednesse of Christ in the promises which can neuer faile being as sure as God himselfe If some
forgerer and murtherer I would little doubt but to get the day It is proportionably so in this present point I meane betweene my regenerate illightned conscience and Satan Nay in this case should all the Deuils in Hell sweare the contrary did carnall reason naturall distrust or any other aduersary power cauill and contradict with neuer such irksome tediousnesse yet by the mercy of God I will not withstand that heauenly light standing in my conscience like an armed man I will neuer take away mine innocency from my selfe vntill I die But how do you know that you truly beleeue We may know perhaps that we haue some kind of faith but not that we haue the true liuely faith which will serue the turne for saluation I answer Saint Paul bids vs try and prooue our selues whether we haue that Faith by which Christ dwelleth in our hearts which is the faith of such as are accepted with God 2. Cor. 13. 5. Now it were strange if the blessed Spirit should bid vs examine and search for that which could not possibly be found out Againe if a man cannot be certaine that he beleeues with all his heart that is truly and sincerely Philips interrogatorie to the Eunuch Act. 8. 37. had beene in vaine and the Eunuchs reply rash and vnaduised Austin was cleerely of this mind that a man may be acquainted with the sincerity of his faith There is saith he a kind of glorying in the conscience when thou knowest thy faith is sincere thy hope certaine thy loue without dissembling But many say they beleeue and are deceiued thinking they haue that which they haue not How then can a man be certaine Answer So thousands amongst vs by the false spectacles of presumption making the bridge of Gods mercy broader then it is and larger then his truth which confines it onely to broken hearts are wofully deluded and ready euery moment to be drowned in the dungeon of fire and brimstone must therefore those few who are sincerely humbled for their sinnes truly beleeue and vpon good ground haue part in it be also deceiued Because mad men and men asleepe know not well that they are asleepe and rage must therefore men truly waking and wise not know certainely they are awake and in their wits The common people generally conceiue of the Sunnes magnitude that it is not past a foote round must therefore the certainetie of knowledge that it is many times bigger then the Earth be denied to the skilfull Astronomer Some men dreame that they are rich tumble themselues amongst their golden heapes and it is not so indeed when they awake doth no man therefore certainely know whether he be rich or no Conceiue proportionably of repentance an inseparable companion and effect of true faith which is then sauing when it is serious sincere and without hypocrisie and that may be manifest and cleerely discerneable to the heart that hath it Doe you thinke the seriousnesse of the Niniuites repentance was not certaine vnto them We haue receiued the Spirit of God saith Paul that we might know the things that are freely giuen vs of God which are not onely life euerlasting c. but iustification sanctification and such like I say sauingnesse of repentance as of faith consists not in the measure and muchnesse but in the sincerity and truth of which the true penitent may bee certaine as well as of his sorrow But now whereas the Popish Doctors being blind guides leade their hoodwinkt followers into such perplexed mazes of vncertainties and indeed impossibilities about contrition in respect of extension intension appretiation equiualence to sin no maruell though they pleade pertinaciously for the point and purgatory of doubting 3. By the effects and fruits growing from the roote of grace in the heart But there may be in the hypocrite an exact outward conformity and obedience I answer true it is that for the outside and carkasse as it were the workes of vnsactified men may be like to those of the godly but they are without the soule life and spirit which is in the worke of a true beleeuer to which he is no lesse priuy in his heart then to the outward worke which passeth thorow his hands And wee hold that workes done in vprightnesse of heart onely are they which truly testifie in this case Let euery true-hearted Nathaneel then comfortably conclude pardon and peace vnto his owne soule from all such fruits so qualified For instance in one Wee know that we haue passed from death to life because wee loue the Brethren 1. Ioh. 3. 14. I loue the Brethren therefore I am translated from death to life But is it possible for a man to know that he loues his Brethren as he ought and as the Apostle requires Saint Iohn makes it a signe of our being so translated therfore it may be knowne For signes manifesting other things must themselues be more manifest And Austin tels vs that a man knowes more the loue with which he loues then his brother whom he loues Thus may the Christian infallibly collect the sanctifying Spirit iustifying Faith sauing Grace to dwell in his heart by all good deeds holy duties inward or outward fruits springing from an vpright heart For as it followes and may be inferred infallibly and demonstratiuely from the effect to the proper cause in other things For example It is day therefore the Sunne is risen because day cannot be caused but by the Sunnes rising so in this point also explained as before If wee pursue and ply with true hearts the whole Trade of Christianity If we be sincerely exercised in the workes of holinesse iustice mercy and truth and walke humbly with our God we may build vpon it that we are truly blessed All such sound fruits of Faith are euident signes and demonstrations of our spirituall safety and standing fast for euer If ye doe these things saith Peter yee shall neuer fall 4. By the testimony of the Spirit which sometimes as in the time of more feruent prayer holy retyrednesse of mind heauenly meditation or in some quickning exercises of extraordinary humiliation or after some speciall important seruice done to God and his Church with humble sincerity and in true zeale or vpon the soule-searching passage of some well grounded Sermon of comfort and seasonable application of mercy or in the beginning of spirituall and end of naturall life as most needfull times or in the time of martyrdome and sincere sufferings for the Name of Christ c. I say at such times the Spirit may suggest and testifie to the sanctified conscience with a secret still hart-rauishing voice thus or in the like manner Thou art the Child of God Thou art in the number of those that shall be saued Thou shalt inherit life euerlasting And that as certainely and comfortably as if that Angell from Heauen should say to thee as he did to Daniel Greatly beloued And why should any Popish cauiller contradict this sith
graue Gods strict Tribunall the last Iudgement and endlesse miseries of the other world the sting poyson and terrors of which he shall neuer be able either to auoide or abide I say Shall such a fellow fleere in the face And shall not a true hearted Nathanael to whom Iesus Christ hath bequeathed a legacy of peace whom the Spirit of God bids reioyce euermore and who which way soeuer he lookes if he open his eye of faith shall see nothing but matter of sweetest contemplation infinite cause of truest ioy and spirituall rauishment If he looke backward vpon the time whilest he yet lay vnder the â—…yranny of the Diuell and dominion of the first death hee shall see the Catalogue of all his former sinnes should it be as blacke as hell as soule as Sodom as red as scarlet fairely and for euer washed away in that fountaine opened for sinne and for vncleannesse euen the precious blood of that immaculate Lambe Iesus Christ the Holy and the righteous If hee looke vpon his present state he shall finde himselfe preserued as a Iewell most safe in the precious Cabinet of Gods dearest prouidence enuironed with a glorious guard of mighty Angels kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation ready to be reuealed in the last time If hee looke forward hee shall see death indeed but the stâ—…g taken out of it by the death of Christ the graue perfumed to his hand by his Sauiours blessed Buriall wherein hee may lye downe as in a bed of Downe fenced with the omnipotent arme of God for the glory of the Resurrection the Throne of grace in Heauen standing vpon pillars of mercy and loue where Iesus Christ sits as Iudge who shed his hearts bloud for him and is his Aduocate while he yet abides in this vale of teares the bosome of Abraham the armes of God Almighty wide open and stretched out to receiue him at the end of his Pilgrimage into his Masters ioy I say shall such a happy soule not haue an Heauen in his heart but be heauy-hearted Shall a vassall of the Diuell laugh and an hâ—…ire of Heauen looke heauy Monstrous absurditie 2. Euery Christian after his new creation hath euer incomparably more matter of mirth theÌ„ mourning infinitely greater cause to bee rauished with spirituall ioy then to bee deiected by griefe Though this may seeme a paradox to the clearest eye and best apprehension of worldly wisedome yet in truth it is a true principle in the mysterie of Christ. I doe thus manifest it and make it good to the saddest mourner in Sion if hee doe not giue more care to the lying malicious dictates of the Diuell and distrusts of his owne heart then to the well-grounded counsell of the Prophets and impregnable truth of Gods blessed Word In the right estimate and valuation all the afflictions and sufferings of this life whether of soule bodie outward state or any way are but dust in the ballance in respect of that exceeding excessiue eternall weight of glory purchased and prepared for him by the bloud of his dearest Lord. In the originall it is as a worthy Diuine sayes well a superlatiue transcendent phrase of speech which farre passeth the height of all humane Oratory and all the Râ—…toricke of the most eloquent Heathens because they neuer treated vpon such a Theame they were not inspired with such a spirit Whereupon saith the Apostle in another place Ireckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall bee reuealed in vs. Whence it followeth that a very fore-imagination of that most vnconceiueable happinesse to bee had hereafter to wit the shining splendour and sun-like glory of our bodies the vnspeakeable perfections and excellencies of our soules the admirable beauty of the place the glorious comfort of our heauenly company the beatificall fruition of the most blessed Trinity c. and that which crownes our blisse with impossibility of further addition endlesnesse of all these I say a serious preconceit hereof illightened and strengthened by saith is able to hold vp the Christians heart with infinite strength and to refresh it with a secret vnutterable gladnesse euen amidst varietie and extremiâ—…ie of all worldly troubles and doth minister as farre more matter of reioycing then these of mourning as that forementioned exceeding excessiue euerlasting weight of glory is to bee preferred before a little momentany light affliction Hence it is that the holy Martyrs of Iesus were so merry and sweetly contented in the middest of all their outward miseries pressures persecutions and Martyrdome it selfe I was in prison saith one of them till I goe into prison I feele no more paine saith another in the fire then if I were in a bed of Downe it is as sweet to me as a bed of Roses I beleeue saith a third there is not a 〈◊〉 heart in the world at this instant then mine it To One obiecting to a fourth Christs agâ—…ny and sadnesse to his cheâ—…refulnesse Yea saith he Christ was sad that I might be merry He had my sinnes and I haue his merit and righteousnesse But specially let vs looke vpon Paul a blessed and precious patterne for vs to imitate in this point He was troubled on euery side Without were fightings within were feares He was in stripes aboue measure in prisons more frequent in deaths â—…t Of the Iewes fiue times receiued he forty stripes saue one Thrice was hee beaten with rods Once was hee stoned Thrice hee suffered Shipwracke A night and a day was hee in the deepe In iourneying often in perils of water in pâ—…ils of robbers in perill by his owne countrymâ—…n in perils by the heathen in perils in the Citie in perils in the Wildernessâ—… in perils in the Sea in perils amongst false brethren In wearinesse and painefulnesse in watchings often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and nakednesse He was called a pestilent fellow He was accounted as thâ—… filth of thâ—… world and off scouring of all things And yet for all this he professeth of himselfe that hee tooke pleasure iâ—… infirmities in reproches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake Nay which is more and more punctuall for my purpose hee saith in another place That he was filled with comfort and exceeding ioyfull in all his tribulation Now euery sincere-hearted Professor is bound to ouer-abound exceedingly in this ioy as well as Paul Not so saith the weake Christian for Paul had a stronger faith then I and more grace It is true but yet thy faith is as true as his And it is not so much the muchnesse as the truth of faith which giues right and interest to a Crowne of life comfort in all afflictions and euerlasting lightsomenesse Therefore well said a worthy witnesse to the truth Paul and Peter were more honorable members of Christ then I but I am a
brests of euerlasting consolations And sith hee is incorporated into Iesus Christ and vpon all assayes hath the wings of faith in a readinesse to outsoare the height of all humane miseries let him for euer stand like Mount Zion inexpugnable and vnshaken with the most furious incursions of the floods and tempests of all worldly troubles pressures and persecutions Let all those monstrous and most abhorred iniections filthy temptations and fiery darts pointed with the very malice of hell ordinarily offered to the imagination of the best bee resolutely repelled by the shield of faith and retorted as dung vpon the Tempters face Let all vngodly oppositions from man or deuill or fearefull distrust be but as so many proud and swelling waues dashing against a mighty Rocke which the more boisterously they beate vpon it the more are they broken and turned into a vaine foame and froth But to descend with thee more punctually to some particulars Tell mee truly thou which hast giuen thy name to Christ in truth what it is that troubles thee what is it that still detaines thine heauy heart in the chaines and fetters of horrour and sadnesse and lockes it vp so long from the entrance and entertainement of spirituall lightsomenesse and ioy And if I bee not able to confront and confound it by some well-grounded counter-comfort and Antidote out of the Oracle of truth if I be not able to discouer it to bee a selfe-created crosse and to dissolue it into an imaginary and groundlesse fancie by the light of the Word then walke heauily still Onely beleeue the Prophets and thou shalt prosper Thou must then bee contented to be counselled by the faithfull Physicions of thy soule who can shew vnto man his vprightnesse and are instructed vnto the kingdome of heauen especially fetching all their prescriptions receits and counterpoysons out of the rich Treasurie of the Booke of Life Thou must learne 1. To put a difference betweene nullity of grace and imperfection of grace Many good soules desire sincerely that their hearts were broken in pieces and bled at the root for their many and hainous sinnes grieuing much that they can grieue no more They hunger and thirst for Christs righteousnesse more then for the wealth of the whole world They groane mightily in spirit for Gods fauour pardon of sinne power ouer their corruptions ability to pray better c. But yet because they feele not that measure of sensible smart and anguish of heart in lamenting their former life as they desire because they haue not their wished ioy and peace in beleeuing because they cannot now pray as feruently and feelingly as they perhaps were formerly woont not with that freedome and heartinesse as they would in a word because they are yet but smoaking flaxe and bruised reedes not full shining lampes and strong Pillars in the House of God they will needs haue all to be nought Whereby they I will not say belie the Spirit but most vnworthily deny and in their conceites nullifie his already wonderfull glorious worke vpon their soules to their I know not how great spirituall hurt and hinderance For such intolerable vnthankefulnesse may bee iustly punished and paide home with longer detainement vpon the Racke of distrustfull slauish feare and vnder the bondage of Legall terrours It is a speciall point then of spirituall wisedome and of singular consequence for the soules quiet and welfare to discerne weakenesse of grace from want of grace Christ Iesus declaring in his heauenly Sermon who are blessed doth not instance in the perfections excellencies and heights of Christianity though all that are true of heart sincerely pray for and presse after them but in the least and lowest degrees lest the smoking flaxe should bee quenched and bruised reedes bee broken He doeth not say Blessed are the stong in Faith the full assured Blessed are those that take on for their sinnes as for their onely sonne and for their first borne but Blessed are they which doe hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Blessed are the poore in spirit c. 2. Not alwayes to make sence and feeling the Touchstone for the truth of thy spirituall state A man in a swoone or a sleepe feeles not his life and yet is a liuing man It is one thing to haue grace another to feele grace One thing the life of faith another the life of sence 3. Not to disgrace thy owne graces by casting thine eye too deiectedly vpon other Christians perfections and precedencies Let it not fare with thee in this case as it doth with one gazing too much vpon the Sunne who looking downewards againe can see iust nothing whereas before he cleerely discerned all colours about him Looke vpon them for imitation and quickning not for slauish deiection and selfe-blinding 4. To acknowledge and expect that heauenly graces as Faith c. while they inhabite these earthly houses ebbe and flow waxe and wane faint and flourish by reason of the combate betweene the flesh and the Spirit So that if a man should tell mee that he hath euer prayed alike without temptation or dampes without any sence at any time of deadnesse or spirituall distempers that he hath euer beleeued alike without those doubts and scruples that faintnesse and feare of which most Christians so much complaine I durst confidently reply that then he neuer either prayed acceptably or beleeued sauingly The Fathers fitly resemble the state of the Church to the variable condition of the Moone which sometimes shines more gloriously sometimes not so It is so also with euery true member thereof in respect of the exercise of grace comfort in holy duties sence of Gods fauour spirituall feeling 5. To beleeue the Spirit of Truth the Word of God and voice of Christ before the father of lies dictates of naturall distrust and suggestions of flesh and blood To which methinks thou shouldest be easily perswaded and then all the mists of thy spirituall miseries would be quickly dispersed It is a mighty worke if not a great miracle to get any softnesse at all or true remorse for sinne into the heart of a man it is naturally so stony and impatient of griefe and the deuill such a stirrer against it so that the most are meere strangers vnto it yet for all that when this penitent sorrow is once sincerely on foote in an afflicted soule so endlessely and on euery side are wee prest with the policies of Hell it is too often too forward to feede vpon teares still and still too wilfull in refusing to bee comforted Satan then will bee ready to say Thou seest now thy conscience being illightened thy sinnes are so horrible and haiâ—…ous that they are too heauy a burden for thee to beare there is no way with thee but to sinke into horrour and despaire But what saith Christ Nay now is the season Come vnto me thus weary and heauy laden with thy sinne and I will refresh thee Here now if thou wilt beleeue the
vnconscionable Criticke and cenfurer Hee reprooues Gods faithfull Ones for reproouing when himselfe full often amongst his companions out of a pang of imperious choler and implacable hatred to holinesse condemnes for Counterfeits without all ground or truth those whom the Lord himselfe iustifies for true-hearted Nathaneels and passes sentence of guiltinesse and grosse hypocrisie after they bee cast by a iury of Ale-knights vpon those whom the Highest Tribunall doth mercifully acquit To illighten a little and rectifie thy iudgement in this point of priuate iudging conceiue with me 1. First that all iudging and censuring is not censurable and condemned But that when a man with an euill minde iudgeth amisse and vncharitably of others for some euill end We may iudge the tree by his fruit If wee see a fellow constant and incorrigible in his lewd rebellious courses euidently infamous for rotten fruits hanging out in the open fight of the Sunne as drunkennesse swearing vsury whoredome persecuting the power of godlinesse scoffing Religion vnrighteous dealing c. Wee may leauing his finall doome to the Searcher of all hearts iudge and censure him for the present to be Gods enemy and in a most wretched estate But in such cases besides iust cause be sure of a warrantable calling conscionable end and no beame in thine owne eye 2. Secondly let vs take notice of some differences betweene the true Professours and prophane mans censuring It differs in respect 1. Of the Obiect The principall aime and obiect of carnall mens cruell disconceits and bitterest censures is the zealous Professour Dogged they are enough many times amongst themselues about worldly affaires and maliciously enter-teare one another like wild beasts mutuall brawlings about earthly things wrongs encrochments vnderminings coozening ouer-reaching ambitious contentions c. fill their hearts with much gall and greedinesse of reuenge their mouthes with mutuall barking at and byting one another But to the people of God in their Bedlam fits they are not only Dogs but euen enraged Deuils and swell with the very venome of Hell the ouerflowing whereof doth drowne all priuate discords Herod Pilate behaued themselues before like two angry Mastiues one against another but when opportunitie was offered they pursued Christ with reconciled malice and vnited forces Put vp an hare before two Greyhounds snarling about a bone and they will both doggedly concurre in the pursuite of that harmelesse beast It is iust so with gracelesse men against Gods Child and euer the more forward he is in the narrow way the more furiously is he persecuted by the spite of tongues The most resolute for Gods glory and in good causes is ordinarily most rayled against and reuiled The foule spirit of good-fellowship as they call it is still foaming out against Gods chiefest Fauourites the foulest censures That they are hypocrites humorists factionists traitors pestilent fellows and all that naught is Dauid was so charged by Saul and his Courtiers Ieremie by the prophane Nobles the godly Iewes by Haman Nay Christ himselfe by the Scribes and Pharises Paul by Tertullus the Primâ—…tiue Christians by the Heathens and all that will liue godlily in Christ Iesus must looke for the same portion the same persecution amongst the men of this world euen to be most vile and contemptible in their conceits and construction There is no creature that euer God made not Satan himselfe excepted which is more maliciously set against and censured then good men Neither should any haue so bad a name as they could the hellish mists of virulent tongues obscure and staine the glory of their reputation If sentence should passe vpon the godly at that last and great Day according to the verdict of them that are not friends or parties wee should certainly all be cast and condemned not a man freed and acquit But blessed be God the Searcher of all hearts the Almightie Protectour of all innocencie who to the shame and confusion of all spitefull opposites will witnesse for vs at that highest Tribunall and then at the furthest before men and Angels will bring forth our righteousnesse as the light and our iudgements as the Noone-day Oh that I had some to heare me saith Iob Behold my signe that the Almightie will witnesse for mee though mine aduersaries should write a booke against mee c. And in this itching humour of mis-censuring the seruants of God the wicked are so wilfull and eager that rather then they will want matter they will most basely and vnworthily snatch it from the enuenomed tongue of a Tale-bearer from the slanderous folly of some seurril Iester the frothy rauing of a greasie drunken Ale-house-haunter nay rather then faile forge it out of a suspicious selfe-guiltinesse in their owne prophane fancies and suck it as they say out of their owne fingers But let them know that when a son of Belial censures a sincere Professor it is as if the darkest nooke in Hell should finde fault with the Moone that great Light of Heauen for those little spots in her face whereas otherwise shee is a faire and goodly creature as if the most loathsome dunghill should challenge the fairest garden for vnsauourinesse because there is here and there a weed amidst varietie of other frâ—…grant flowers as if a worthlesse lumpe of drosse should censure an angell of gold for want of a graine or two in weight as if a fellow almost eaten vp with the filthy French disease should cry out of the danger of a growing Ague in another For in this case hee who as yet is nothing but an accursed lumpe of sinne and lust damnation and hell loades with censorious lyes that happy soule which in the fountaine of Christs meritorious blood is made farre whiter then the Snow in Salmon and fairer then the wooll of the sheepe comming vp from washing though some spots and staines of infirmities and frailties cleaue vnto it while it yet dwels in an house of flesh and tabernacle of clay But now on the other side the ordinarie obiect of the Christians Censure is according to Christs rule those trees which discouer themselues to be stark naught by the rotten fruits which hang vpon them in the sight of the Sunne And yet that also must bee seasoned with charitie discretion seasonablenesse freedome from spleene humour passion personall hatred insolencie or any other exorbitant distemper Those professours prooue too often either vtterly vnsound or not so thorowly humbled who vnmercifully insult either ouer the damnable estate of those which are without or vncharitably blaze abroad the infirmities and failings of the brethren which they ought to conceale and as the hand 〈◊〉 a salue vpon any sore part of the body and then couers it so to apply a plaister of a gentle and milde reproofe that it may secretly heale and the World be neuer the wiser Ordinarily so farre as some men are fierce boysterous and master-like in searching out censuring and secret insulting ouer the falls fraileties difference from them
as vpon the vnblessed grounds of their Antichristian doctrine cannot possibly build any true perswasion of being in Gods fauour so they are bound out by the tenour of their hereticall Tenent from thinking it lawfull to entertaine any vnwauering certainety that way 6. Nay further some out of a Pharisaicall pretence of humility and modesty but in truth from the secret suggestion of a guilty conscience which ministers vnto them more then matter enough of true and iust doubting are notable wranglers for Papisticall doubting Thus you see some there are also who doe not assure themselues of future happinesse either vpon true or false grounds Yet I am perswaded the greatest part of those who liue within the sound of the Gospell are ordinarily confident without cause and secure of their saluation when as in truth triall They haue no surer interest or better claime to the kingdome of heauen then the foolish Virgins and the rest of that deluded ranke which I mentioned a little before Let a Minister of some great Congregation wherein there are very few Professors which is no hard thing to find and where there is no profession especially the Gospell being peaceably preached there can ordinarily be no power of Christianity shewes there may be indeed without substance but not the power of godlinesse without visible appearance as appeares in the Preparatiues I say let him interrogate and aske the rest of his people one after another bee they hundreths or thousands what conceits they hold of themselues for the world to come what they thinke will become of them after this life what their present iudgement is of their spirituall estate And I thinke he shall scarce meet with any who will not in some kinde or other discouer some groundlesse confidence of his wellbeing that way Their answer ordinarily would be to this purpose We thanke God we haue a good faith to Godwards We haue beleeued in Christ euer since we may remember We hope God will be mercifull though we be not Scripture-men nor so forward as others or such followers of Sermons c. yet we looke to be saued aswell as the best of them all c. Vpon the matter and in summe Wee doubt not but wee shall goe to heauen And if their Minister should reply But I pray you tell mee you that are so confident Doe you beleeue and repent and make conscience of all our wayes c Yea would they say with all our hearts else it were pittie we should liue When as God knowes it is neither so nor so their poore frozen flinty hearts neuer yet melted before the Ministery of the Word were neuer truely touched with remorse for their innumerable sinnes neuer warmed with any sauing worke of the holy Ghost but euer thus farre meere strangers to the mysterie of Christ. Those that are true of heart are not woont to contest for the integrity but euer to complaine of the naughtinesse and vntowardnesse of their hearts And therefore if they become not new men in the meane time the vaile of their selfedelusion and vaine confidence will most certainely at last be frighted and fired from their blinded mindes with that terrible and dreadfull doome Depart from me I know you not Chrysostome in one of his homilies to his people of Antioch teaching them not to trust in multitude speakes thus vnto them How many doe you thinke are there in our citie which be in the state of saluation It will vexe which I am about to speake yet I will speake it There cannot amongst so many thousands an hundred bee found which are in that state Nay and I doubt whether all those Now had this good Father at the same time demanded of those many thousands besides what they conceiued of themselues for saluation doe you not thinke he would haue found them all well conceited of themselues Would not they with much bitternesse and heate haue exagitated his censure as too peremptory and vnmercifull and beene ready to retort Howsoeuer you dote vpon the Disciples you draw after you and onely approoue and applaud the Ioanites for so they were called because his name was Iohn yet we hope to doe as well as they and come to heauen as soone as the precisest of those you haue in so high esteeme Heere then let me a little illighten and open in a word as I promised the Mystery of this spirituall Selfe-deceit For which purpose know that Satan first discouers in our corrupt nature and crooked dispositions a very pregnant ground whereupon to practise this notable imposture I meane the originall poyson of naturall presumption whereby we are all apt to bee fearelesse and sencelesse of our present spirituall misery and hand ouer-head to catch at any vaine shadow of counterfeit confidence for our future welfare Secondly hee obserues in the partie he intends to delude the most plausible matter and selfe-pleasing apprehensions which may make the fittest medium to mis-inferre a false conclusion for his spirituall safety Lastly by some flashes of his personated Angelicall light he sets vpon it the glimmering flourish of a presumptuous impression and so seales vp the deceiued soule with the spirit of slumber and groundlesse security Now the insufficient matter rotten grounds false mediums as we call them in the Schooles which Satan by his Sophistry doth cunningly and cruelly abuse to cast many thousands into a pleasing golden dreame of imaginary spirituall safetie and Selfe-deceit and into a fooles Paradise of a soule-coozening conclusion are such as these 1. Measuring a mans selfe by himselfe himselfe perhaps formerly grosly ignorant and notoriously lewd by himselfe now growne ciuill somewhat illuminated with diuine knowledge but yet neither holy nor euer truely humbled 2. Comparing himselfe with others who are Satans outragious reuellers in respect of his morall moderation and something more ciuill carriage 3. Arguing Gods speciall loue and sauing fauour from his outward prosperous state and blessings in temporall things So the fatting Oxe might thinke with himselfe I shall surely liue because I feed in this greene rich Pasture 4. Concluding from crosses that hee is a sonne and not a bastard that he hath his punishment heere as they say c. whereas they are but the iust effects of Gods secret curse blowing vpon his counsels dealings and vndertakings for his couetousnesse vnconscionablenesse hatred to bee reformed and except hee truly turne in the meane time will prooue the very foretastes and pieces as it were of hellish torments 5. Sometimes nothing but selfeloue serues the deuils turne to locke vp a carnall heart in this security and causelesse confidence especially in some extremely ignorant people who easily beleeue that which they desire and haue no other ground of their going to heauen but because they would haue it so 6. Common conceits and corrupt Notions compounded of grosse ignorance and Popish folly that a mans good meanings and good doings as they ignorantly speake nay and as some haue said his
euen Bellarmine himselfe speakes proportionably in another case Vpon a passage in Austin acknowledging the interior efficacy of Gods Spirit giuing testimony to our hearts concerning the truth of that which is contained in the Scriptures saith he This light of faith is a certaine testimonie of God by which it is said to the secret cogitations of our hearts That is true thou needest not to doubt thereof Here is an immediate testimony of the Spirit granted for the confirmation of the truth of the Word why may not the like bee expected for an assurance of the worke of the Word Mighty and remarkeable was the worke of the Spirit this way vpon the heart of that Noble Martyr Robert Glouer vpon the first sight and representation of the Stake so sweetely seasonable is God in all his refreshings For two or three dayes before his death hee was full heauily oppressed with the spirituall miseries of a dead heart and spirituall desertion In which time no doubt hee cried mightily vnto God and often reflected the eye of his renewed conscience vpon a truly beleeuing penitent humble holy and heauenly heart resolued to sacrifice its warmest blood in the mercilesse fire for the testimony of Iesus and yet no comfort would come But in the very nicke and needfull time as you may see in the Story the blessed Spirit did suddenly shine into his darke and desolate soule with the glorious beames of his owne immediate comfort and so sensibly filled it with such ouerflowing Riuers of spirituall ioyes that no doubt they mightily abated and quencht the ragefull fury of those Popish flames wherein hee sweetely fell asleepe It was a speciall and immediate springing of the holy Ghost in his heart which made Master Peacock after many dayes of extremest horrour professe that The ioy which be felt in his conscience was incredible We feele and acknowledge by daily experience that Satan doth immediately iniect and shall not the blessed Spirit after his holy and heauenly manner immediately also suggest sometimes Neither is this to bee reputed an extraordinary reuelation or Enthusiasme without or beside the Word of God I heartily abominate all Anabaptisticall fooleries and phrensies For that which the Spirit so reueiles vnto our consciences we our selues may collect and conclude out of Gods Word vpon the conscience of our faith repentance other sauing endowments and holy graces shining in our soules and vprightly exercised in our whole conuersation When wee by these meanes haue assured our soules that we are the children of God which is the testimony of our owne renewed spirits the Spirit of God as another witnesse secondeth and confirmeth this assurance by diuine inspiration and by sweet motions and feelings of Gods speciall goodnesse and glorious sauing presence and so acording to the Apostles phrase Rom. 8. 16. beareth witnesse with our spirits Wherefore if any man presume vpon or pretend any immediate suggestion or reuelation for his spirituall safetie and euerlasting well-beeing and yet want vtterly the testimony of 〈◊〉 renewed conscience to the same purpose the testimony of vniuersall obedience of not lying willingly and delightfully in any one knowne sin of crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts c. I can giue him none but this cold comfort hee is cursedly coozened by the Deuils counterfeit glory of an Angell casting into his abused imagination such groundlesse conceits which in time of triall will vanish into nothing and flye away as a dreame By the way let me tell you that though this last manner of assurance bee more immediately from the Spirit yet conceiue that the other also are not effectuall vpon the heart without the excitation illumination and assistance of the same blessed Spirit For the first consider that forecited place 1. Corinth 2. 12. For the second when the conscience through the ministrie of the Law doth testifie to a man his state in sinne and vnder the curse it is through the spirit of bondage that it doth testifie then when it doth testifie to him his state of grace and freedome from the curse it is much rather from the Spirit of Adoption No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost For the third I doubt not but the blessed Spirit as a comfortable Remembrancer refreshed Hezekias memory when he cryed to the Lord Remember now O Lord c. Isai. 38. 3. But how shall a man discerne and difference a true perswasion and the testimony of the Spirit from a groundlesse presumptuous conceit and the Deuils delusion If Bellarmine aske me I will easily stop his mouth First by demanding him how his Saint Francis and S. Antony knew assuredly that their reuelations of the certaine remission of their sinnes were from the Spirit of God especially sith with him they were reuelations quite besides and without the Word For he holds that this proposition Francis is truly iustified Antony hath his sinnes forgiuen and so of other particular men is not to be found in the Word either immediately or by euident consequence which we vpon good ground contradict if the particular men be true beleeuers Secondly by that saying of Ambrose vrged by Catarinus in the Councell of Trent The holy Ghost doth neuer speake vnto vs but doth make vs know that it is Hee that speaketh But if the doubtfull Christian truly troubled about it would be taught and informed in the point or if it be possible that the Pharise the deluded One should heartily desire to be illightened I aduise that they would consider vpon these following markes of difference 1. A sound perswasion vpon good ground by the Spirit is euer agreeable and answerable exactly to the Word The inward testimony of the Spirit and outward testimony of the Word doe alway sweetely accord and one answeres to the other as face to face in water And therefore if that thy present state wherein thou conceiuest thy selfe to bee sure and safe inough for saluation bee disabled and condemned by Gods Word thy confidence is vaine and Satan deludes thee The Scripture tels vs That whosoeuer is borne of God doth not commit sin 1. Ioh. 1. 3 9. which is not to be vnderstood simply of the act of sinning For who can say My heart is cleane But in this sence He makes not a trade of sinning he sinneth not with purpose pleasure and perseuerance he doth not liue lie and delight in sinne he suffers it not to reigne in him If then thou allowest any lust in thy heart or goe on in the willing practise of any one knowne sinne or sensuall course and yet bee well conceited of thy selfe for comfort in the World to come the Deuill coozens thee God will not heare the prayers but wound the hairie scalpe of euery such a one For instance If thou lyest in lying for it s one thing to be ouertaken that way out of feare or ere thou be aware another thing to continue in
meane time his Royall Throne here vpon Earth Isai. 57. 15. what can Man or Deuill or any distrustfull heart say against it And why shouldest thou being such an one be so vnmannerly and vnthankfull nay so vnnecessarily cruell to thine owne heauy heart as not to open the euerlasting doore of thy soule by the key of Faith to let the King of glory knocking with his hand of mercy come in and crowne it with grace and glory with comfort and euerlasting peace II. But alas sayes hee my sinnes are moe then any mans Now when I am searching into the sinke of them I can finde neither banke nor bottome Vnnumbred swarmes of grosse impieties and iniquities thorow my whole life of abominable impurities and pollutions which haue continually defiled my mind heart and affections armed with seuerall stings of terrour doe so restlesly presse vpon my wounded conscience and oppresse it that I cannot I dare not thinke vpon or looke towards any comfort Let them bee what they are and adde thereunto all the sinnes which haue are and shall bee committed by all the sonnes and daughters of Adam from the Creation to the end of the World excepting sinne against the holy Ghost and yet in an hart truly humbled vnder them heartily hating them all cōming with a sincere spirituall hunger at Christs Call to bee disburdened of them they can make no more resistance against the mercies of God then a little sparke of fire against the mighty Sea rhrowne into the midst of it nay infinitely lesse For all these sinnes would still be finite both in nature and number but Gods mercies are euery way infinite Now betweene that which is finite and that which is infinite there is no proportion and so no possibilitie of resistance Whence it is that the Prophet inuiting his people to repentance Esa. 55. 7. by assuring them of Gods sweet mercifull and gracious disposition lest any too fearefull and deiected spirit vndervaluing Gods mercy should thinke thus within it selfe Bee it so yet alas my sinnes are so many and such a sonne of Belial haue I been and so endlesly prouoked the glory of his pure eye that I can expect no mercy the pollutions of my youth haue been so prodigious and infectious that I haue no face to presse vnto his Throne of Grace c. God himselfe doth there purposely preuent the obiection and speaking to our capacitie which cannot comprehend infinity replyes to this sence Oh say not so Stay all such despairefull thoughts doe not cast the incomprehensiblenes of my mercy in the narrow mould of thy finite shallow conceite doe not so vnworthily abridge and confine the vnlimited and boundlesse compassion of the mighty Lord of Heauen and Earth For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes For as the Heauens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts Many a bruised reede would not exchange the comfort which the weakest faith may extract out of this sweetest place for all the Kingdomes of the earth For he saith not that his wayes and thoughts of knowledge and wisdome but his wayes and thoughts of mercy are as farre aboue ours as the Heauens are aboue the Earth Indeed as himselfe is aboue man which is infinitely But take notice by the way that the mercies of God doe exercise this infinite vnresistable power onely in truly humbled beleeuing soules heartily hating and sincerely set against all sinne I say so lest any impenitent should peruert this precious point or trample vpon this Pearle For as in such a soule no sinnes either for number or notoriousnesse can possibly withstand or stand before Gods infinite mercies so not one drop of all those infinite merceis belongs vnto any that goes on willingly and delightfully hating to bee reformed in any one knowne sinne or that he might know and wilfully forbeares to bee informed As the vnualuable blood of Christ turnes the very scarlet sinnes of the truly broken beleeuing heart into whitest snow so it will neuer wash away the least sinfull staine from the proud heart of any vnhumbled Pharise Let none therefore that goes on still in his trespasses take vp any vaine confidence or mis-grounded conclusion of false comfort from hence by misconceiuing thus Is it so that the infinitenesse of Gods mercy cannot bee resisted by the greatnesse or multitude of sinnes being euer finite both in their number and nature how is it possible then that I should misse of those infinites mercies Why may not I comfortably hope that my sinnes also shall be swallowed vp in that bottomlesse Sea I will tell thee why As the power of God though it be infinite yet is limited by his will so the mercies of God though they bee infinite are regulated by his truth He is able to make millions of Worlds moe but yet wee see his Will was but to create one His mercies transcend with immeasurable distance the height of Heauen and depth of Hell and are indeed as Himselfe infinite but his Truth hath told vs that none shall haue part in them but those alone who repent and beleeue Gods Truth reuealed in his Word must euer confine the current of his compassions and is the touchstone to try and qualifie those to whom his mercies belong See then what kind of people are partakers of Gods infinite mercies by the testimony of that Word of Truth by which we must be iudged at the last Day Prou. 28. 13. Luke 4. 18. Isai. 61. 1 2 3. Psal. 15. Ezek. 18. 21. Psal. 147. 3. Isai. 55. 7. Psal. 34. 18. Salomon saith in the cited place Hee that confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes shall haue mercy How then can he expect any mercy who takes them not to heart but lyes in them still III. Of the pardonablenesse of my other sinnes saith another I could bee reasonably well perswaded but alas there is one aboue all the rest which now vpon discouery and remorse I finde to be full of ranke and hellish poyson of such a deepe and damnable die to haue strooke so desperately in the dayes of my lewdnesse at the very face of God himselfe and farre deepelier into the heart of Iesus Christ then the speare that pierced him bleeding vpon the Crosse and thereupon at this present stares in the eye of my newly awaked and wounded conscience with such horror and grieslinesse that I feare mee diuine iustice will thinke it fitter to haue this most loathsome inexpiable staine rather at length fired out of my soule with euerlasting flames if it were possible that eternall fire could expiate the sinfull staines of any impenitent damned soule then to bee fairely washed away in the meane time with His blood whom I so cruelly and cursedly pierced with it Oh! this is it that lies now vpon my heart like a mountaine of Lead farre heauier then Heauen and Earth and enchaines it with inexplicable terrour to the dust and
place of Dragons This alone stings desperately keepes mee from Christ and cuts mee off from all hope of Heauen I am afraid my wilfull wallowing in it heretofore hath so reprobated my mind seared my conscience and hardened my heart that I shall neuer be able to repent with any hope of pardon And why so Is this sinne of thine greater then Manassehs familiaritie with wicked spirits Then Pauls drinking vp the blood of Saints Then any of theirs in that blacke Bill 1. Cor. 6. 10. 11. who notwithstanding were afterward vpon repentance washed sanctified and iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God Then Eâ—…s transgression who opened the floodgate to al the sins which shall bee committed from the Creation to the end of the World and to all those torments which shall flame in Hell thorow all eternitie Then that horrible sin of killing Christ Iesus And yet the murderers of that Iust and holy One vpon their true compunction of heart were saued by that precious blood which they had cruelly spilt as water vpon the ground But be it what it will a scarlet sinne a crimsin sinne a crying sinne and adde vnto it Satans malicious aggrauations and all that horrour which the deiectednesse of thy present afflicted spirit and darkenesse of thy melancholike imagination can put vpon it yet Pauls precious Antidote Rom. 5. 20 holds triumphantly Soueraigne aswell against the hainousnesse of any one sinne as the confluence of many Where sinne abounded grace ouer-abounded It is indeed a very heauy case and to bee deplored euen with teares of blood that thou shouldest euer haue so highly dishonoured thy gracious God with such an horrible sinne in the dayes of thy vanitie and thou oughtest rather chuse to bee â—…orne in pieces with wilde Horses then commit it againe yet if thy heart now truely wounded with horrour and hate of it will but cleaue to the truth and tenderheartednesse of Iesus Christ in his promises and fall into his blessed and bleeding armes stretched out most louingly to â—…ase and refresh thee as the hainousnesse of it hath abounded heretofore His grace will now abound to the same proportion and much more Nay I will shew thee a Pearle In this case by accident Gods mercies shal be extraordinarily honoured in pardoning such a prodigious prouocation because they are thereby as it were put into it and their dearenesse sweetnesse and infinitenesse improoued to the greater height and excellency and the blood of Christ made as it were more orient and illustrious and the honour and preciousnesse of it aduanced by washing away such an hainous hellish spot If we bring broken beleeuing hearts towards his Mercy-seate it is the Lords Name to forgiue all sorts of offences iniquitie transgression and sinne Exod. 34. 7. It is His Couenant to sprinkle cleane water vpon vs that we may be cleane and to cleanse vs from all our filthinesse and from all our Idols Exek 36. 25. euen from Idolatry the highest villany against the Maiestie of Heauen So that a Papist vpon repentance may be saued It is His promise not onely to pardon ordinary sinnes but those also which be as scarlet and red like crimsin Isai. 1. 18. It is his free compassion to cast all our sinnes into the depths of the sea Mich. 7. 19. Now the sea by reason of his vastnesse can drowne as well Mountaines as Molehills the boundlesse Ocean of Gods mercies can swallow vp our mightiest sinnes much more It is his mercifull power to blot out our sinnes as a cloud Isai. 44. 22. Now the strength of the Summers Sunne is able to scatter the thickest Fog as well as the thinnest Mist nay to driue away the darkest midnight the vnresistable heate of Gods free loue shining thorow the Sun of Righteousnes vpon a penitent soule to dissolue to nothing the desperatest worke of darkenesse and most horrible sinne farre more easily But this mysterie of mercy and miracle of Gods free loue is a Iewell onely for truely humbled soules and the sealed Fountaine Let no stranger to the life of godlinesse meddle with it Let no Swine trample it vnder his feete FINIS a Haec iustorum simplicitas deridetur quia ab hâ—…ius mundi sapientibus puritatis virtus â—…atuitas câ—…editur Greg. in â—…ap 12. Iob cap. 16. b Et quid diuitiae perâ—…untes transitoriae facultates nisi 〈◊〉 aeter na diligentibus sunt â—… Greg. in 1 Reg. cap. 2. c Non debet pro magno habeâ—…i honor humanus quia nullius est ponderis fumus August de Ciâ—…it Dei lib. 5. cap. 17. d Cùm coeperit Deo quisque viâ—…ere mundum contemnere iniurias suas nolle vlcisci nolle hîc diultias non hîc quaerere foelicitatem terrenam contemnere omnia Dominum solùm cogitare viam Christi non deserere non solùm à Paganis dicitur insanus sed quod magis dolendum est quia intus multi dormiunt vigilare nolunt à suis à Christianis audiunt Dictum est de ipso Domino quod insaniret August in Psal. 84. e Nobilitas Heroica est eminentia quaedam notabilis c. per quam homo fiâ—… per adoptionem Filius Dei fit Sponsa Christi sit Templum Spiritus Sancti sine quâ nobilitates caetâ—…rae nihil sunt nhiil proficiunt Gers. Tractat. De nobilitate Psal. 11. 6. f Cùm coeperit homo Christianus cogitare proficere incipit pati linguas aduersaâ—…tium Quicunque illas nondum passus est nondum proficit quicunque illas non patitut nec conatur proficere August in Psal. 119. g Heb. 11. 36 38. h Isa. 6. 2 3. i Ezech. 16. 14. zech 13. 11. g Lib. 5. Sect. 1. Prou. 3. 17. a Câ—…los 1. 1â—… b Rom. 12. 11. c 1. Iob. 3. 3. d Phil. 3. 20. Colos. 3. 2. e Ephes. 5. 15. f Iob 30. 8 9. Psal. 35. 15 16. and 69. 12. I am verò illud quale quà m sanctum quòd si quis ex Nobilibus ad Deum conuerti coeperit statim hâ—…norem nobilitatis amittit aut quantus in Christiano populo honor Christi est vbi religio ignobilem facit Statim enim vt quis melior esse tentauerit de eâ—…ioris abiectione calcatur ac per hoc omnes quodammodo mali esse coguntur ne vises habeantur Ita seculum totum iniquitatibus plenum est vt aut mali sint qui sunt in illo aut qui boni sunt multotum persecutione crucientur Si honoratior quispiam religioni se applicueâ—…it illicò honoratus esse defistit Si fuerit splendidissimus fit vilissimus Si fuerit totus honoris fit totus iniuriae Si bonus est quispiam quasi malus spernitur Si est maluâ—… quasi bonus honoratur Nihil itaque mirum si deteriora quotidâ—…è patimur qui deteriores quotidiè fumus Saluianus De verâ—… iudicio prouidâ—… tia Dei Lib 4. pag. 128 129. g
sweete voice of Christ Iesus rather then the murthering sophistry of Satan if in good maners thou wilt come when thou art called and not retire in a sinfull and cruell modesty thou shalt be presently lightened Yea but saith the Tempter thy heart hath been so strangely hardened and soakt in sinne heretofore now such an heâ—…sh cloud of darkenesse hath seized vpon it that there is no hope nor possibility But what saith the Word Seeke him that maketh the seuen starres and Orion and turneth the shadow of death into the morning It is hee alone that can most easily change the dismall midnight of thy present spirituall misery into the glorious midday of sweetest peace and lightsomnesse of heart Yea but saith he further thou hast lien long vpon the Rocke of guilty horrour had much counsell and been vnder the hands of many spirituall physicians and yet no comfort comes And what then Heare what the Spirit of truth tels vs Since the beginning of the world men haue not heard nor perceiued by the eare neither hath the eye seene O God besides thee what Hee hath prepared for him that waiteth for him Isa. 64. 4. Waiting patiently for the Lords comming to comfort vs either in temporall or spirituall distresses is a right pleasing and acceptable dutie and seruice vnto God which hee is woont to crowne with multiplyed and ouerflowing refreshings when he comes See Isa. 40. 31. Nay and shouldest thou die in this state of waiting if thy heart in the meane time sincerely hate all sinne heartily thirst for the mercy of God in Christ and resolue truely vpon new vniuersall obedience for the time to come thou shalt bee certainely saued because the Holy Ghost saith Isaiah 30. 18. Blessed are all they that waite for him 6. That defects distractions failings in our spirituall exercises and vndertakings groaned vnder grieued for and striuen against by an vpright heart are so farre from nullifying grace that they should not bereaue vs of peace of conscience or interrupt our sweet communion and comfortable walking with our God 7. Not to confine vnderualue and extenuate the mercies of God promises of life the holy Spirits sauing worke vpon thy soule and the present graces thou possessest in truth c. These cautions premised let vs come to the examining and answering of some complaints and counterpleas against entertainement of comfort which are wont to arise in troubled consciences out of ignorance and misconceite of the mercifull wayes of God and the mysterie of his free loue through Christ and doe thou conceiue that proportionable soueraigne Antidotes and counter-comforts may bee collected also in abundance out of Gods blessed Booke against the rest or any reply whatsoeuer And to begin with the first cryes of a Christian in the pangs of his New birth I. A poore soule hauing wallowed long in vanity of villanies and vanities of lust and licentiousnesse is now by diuine blessing at this or â—…e other Sermon struck thorow by the Sword of the Spirit with penitent remorse and his heart broken into pieces by the hammer of the Law In this depth of heauiest distresse and bleeding case he casts his eyes vpon Iesus Christ lifted vp in the Ministerie as an Antitype â—…o the brazen Serpent for his comfortable binding â—…p and euerlasting cure Those Messengers of God who are able to declare vnto Man his vprightnesse assure him in the Word of life and truth and charge him in His name who was anointed by the Lord for that purpose and appointed by the Father of mercies to comfort all Mourners in Sion that now being truly cast downe vnder Gods mighty hand thirsting for the blood of Christ and sincerely resoluing vpon a new course for the time to come He would turne his legall terrours into Euangelicall weeping ioy put on beauty for ashes the garment of praise for the spirit of heauinesse That he might be called a Tree of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord that hee might bee glorified Oh no saies he out of the deepe sence of his bottomelesse vilenesse The newes is too good to be true to wit that now the blessed Sonne of God and all the precious rich purchases of his vnualuable passion should belong vnto mee the sinfullest wretch that the earth beares who haue desperately spent my dayes and strength so long in the furious seruice of Satan and mine own sensuall lusts c. whereupon he refuses comfort and chooses rather to sinke againe and languish vnder the horrours of guiltinesse and feare Whereas he should incomparably more honour and please the God of all comfort by trusting his mercy sealing to his truth then by vnseasonable suspecting his iustice and power Here then hee wofully failes and forgets himselfe in a distrustfull vnder-prizing Gods incomprehensible greatnesse Almightie mercy vnlimited liberalitie and freenesse of his loue He is in this case not so much to consider what is fit for him to receiue as conuenient for the ability and bounty of so great and good a God as the mighty Lord of Heauen and earth to giue who as I told you before vpon other occasion doth all things like Himselfe If hee build he makes a world If he be angry with the world hee sends a floud ouer the face of the whole earth If hee goes out with the Armies of the Saints hee makes the Sunne stand still the Starres to fight the Seas to swallow vp the most dreadfull Armadoes If hee loue the precious hearts blood of his owne Sonne is not too deare If he deliuer any man Hee puls him out of the hand of the Prince of darknesse and frees him from euerlasting flames If any become his Fauourite through Christs mediation He wil make him a King giue him a Paradise and set a Crowne of eternitie vpon his head Earthly Princes at their pleasures ennoble those they loue with Dukedomes Marquesdomes Earledomes What then doe you thinke shall be done vnto the man whom the King of Heauen desires and delights to honour Let vs then I say in such cases consider not so much what is fit for vs silly wormes to receiue as for so great a God to bestow If wee can once bring hearts bruised and broken with the burden of our sinnes bleeding and weeping vnto his Mercy-seate Hee will thinke all the meritorious sufferings of his Sonne all the promises in his Booke all the comforts of his Spirit all the pleasures in his Kingdome little enough for vs. If wee looke vpon our selues sinful wretches we might iustly feare the extremest torments fiercest flames and lowest dungeon in hell infinitely rather then expect a Kingdome But Hee loues vs freely Hos. 14. 4. It is his pleasure to giue vs a Kingdome Feare not little flocke saith Christ for it is your Fathers good pleasure to giue you the Kingdom Luk. 12. 32. If it be the good pleasure of the King of Kings to bestow a Kingdome vpon a truely humbled soule which hee makes in the