I haue prouoked him to anger and by his iust sentence I must not liue Also I haue spent the daies of my life on earth so wickedly that I must liue no longer There the earth is ouer-loaden with my transgressions and refuseth to beare the burden of them And as for the life of heauen it were folly and madnes in mee yea it were shameles presumption in me to hope for any fruition of iâ—… I know no other place of life but these two earth where life is mortall and heauen where life is immortall and heauen will not admit me to liue there and the earth hath indured my life too long Therefore I must die This is the sentence of God The Prophet Ezekiel saith The soule that sinneth it shall die And the Apostle Saint Paul saith The wages of sinne is death Who can controule this iudgement of God who shall open his mouth against it I doe my selfe approue it And therefore I am become my selfe an enemie to mine owne life yea heauen doeth abhor it the earth doeth loath it it must not continue to the offence of God and his Angels to the greefe of the Church and all true members of it And therefore I â—…hat heitherto haue had no care to serue and glorifie God wiâ—…h the continuance of my life will yet at the least and at the last serue and glorifie God with the end of my life intending to be the executioner of Gods holy sentence vpon my selfe So shall I cease to sinne any longer against God As the dead cannot praise him so the dead can not blaspheme him and as they haue no place to doe well so I thinke they haue no place to doe euill and by such course I shall deliuer my selfe from this violent temptation I shall obtaine an end of my feare Doth not Iob say of death and of the graue The prisoners rest together and heare not the voice of the oppressor there are small and great and the seruant is free from his master There shall Ireâ—… hauing put off this heauy burden What greater oppressour can there be then an accusing and condemning conscience And there he saith I shall not heare the voice of the oppressor O place to be desired O sweet graue I long to be laied vp in thee and am I not a seruant and a slaue to sinne is it not now a most cruell and tyrannous master to me and there I shall be freed from his tormenting power This being so iust in regard of God so full of aduantage and ease vnto my selfe it must be done it shall be done and I must doâ—… it yea I wil doe it disswade mee not from so iust and so gainefull a course wherein I am resolued O malice of Satan this is thy voice this is thy counsell in all the former obiections wherein thou hast beene a medler thou hast shewed thy selfe but in this thou exceedest thy selfe Hee that knew thee not before by this obiection may know thee to be as saint Peter calls thee A roaring lion that walketh about seeking whom hee may deuoure Heereby thou maiest be knowne to be as S. Iohn calls thee the great dungeon that olde serpent called the diuell and Satan which deceiueth all the world In this temptation thou seekest to deuoure but the prey shall be plucked out of thy iawes in this thou thinkest to deceiue but thy dangerous falshood shall be discouered and auoyded The victorious Lion of the tribe of Iudah the roote of Dauid shall rescue and deliuer his seely sheepe The Serpent that was lifted vp vpon the crosse shall bâ—…uise thine head and heale the wound that thou like a fiery serpent hast made The Lord rebuke thee Satan The Lord tread thee downe vnder the feete of this afflicted sinner and that shortly But thou O sorrowfull sinner hearken to the councell of God let not the serpent that deceiued our first parents deceiue thee stoppe thine eare against his lying words and be ready to heare what shall be taught thee in the name of God God saith by the Prophet Heare your soule shal liue Heare that thy soul may liue Thou art vrged to desire deser ued death thou art vrged yeldest with thine owne hands to hasten his death Thy resolution to hasten it seemeth to be grounded vpon these reasons First thou hast wronged and prouoked to anger the Lord of life and therefore deseruest in his iustice to die Secondly thou hast burdened the earth the place of mortall life with thy sinnes and art not worthy to liue any longer vpon the face thereof and then to thinke that thou maiest liue in heauen the place of immortal life thou holdest to be shamlesse presumption Thirdly thou holdest thy life to be loathsome it is so to thy selfe because it is offensiue to God and to his Angels to the church and members thereof Fourthly because thou hast not serued and glorified God by the continuance of thy life thou wilt serue and glorifie him by hastening the end of it Fistly thou hast multiplied sinne all the daies of thy life and thou thinkest that thou shalt cease to sin if once thou be dead Lastly whereas thy life is full of feare sorrow and bitternesse thou thinkest by death to be freede at once from all These are the reasons vpon which thou groundest thy resolution to hasten thy death with thine owne hands they may preuaile as reasons with them whom God hath left in the power of him whom the Lord Iesus calleth a murtherer from the beginning But whosoeuer remaineth in the protection of the Lord and giuer of life to him these allegations cary not the estimation of perswading reasons oâ—… if they beare any such estimation with them yet God wil nâ—…uer suffer them so to preuaile that they shal take effect but he will preuent their execution as â—…e did with the affrited Gaoler of Philippiâ—…â—…hom â—…hom being ready to fall vpâ—… his sword when he perceiued the effects of the earth-quake and feared that his prisoners were â—…led the mercifull GOD preserued him by the voice of Paul My heart trembleth to thinke of this obiection and it breaketh out beyond the bounds of my conceit that thought the precedent obiection to haue beene the height of Sathans malice and of this poore afflicted sinners danger But this exceedeth all height heere is extremity of malice in the tempter heere is extremity of danger in the tempted If the Deuill preuaile in this temptation hee xedeth not to vse any other And if the â—…ner giue place to this temptation it is â—…othing worth to 〈◊〉 and ouer come â—…lother In answering this temptation â—…il first examine the point that he saith â—…is resolued vpon and then the reaâ—…ons vpon which hee groundeth his resolution The thing that he is resolued vpon is â—…o cut the threed of his own life in plain â—…ords he intendeth to kill himselfe In the whole history of the Bible that conâ—…neth the
So did the Apostle Paul wish vnto himselfe when hee expressed his minde in these words Desiring to be loosed and to bee with Christ which is best of all And the same Apostle speaking of the death of all the faithfull saith in this wise Wee know that if our earthly house of this Tubernacle be destroied wee haue a building giuen of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens Here is the change of the soules dwelling from a ruinous house on earth to an eternall house in heauen Afterward the same Apostle saith Wee are bold and loue rather to reâ—…one out of the body and to dwell with the Lord. Here is the change of the soules company on earth it conuerseth with mortall men in heauen it dwelleth euer with the immortall God This is all the hurt that death can doe vnto vs if this were to be called hurt it bringeth the body to rest in the graue and it bringeth the soule to present glorie with God and all the dangerous deadly and killing power that originally it had by any confederacie with sinne all that is taken away by the death of Iesus Christ. And if it were sometime to be feared as a poisoned serpent of the olde serpents brood yet it is so spoiled by that serpent that was lifted vp vpon the crosse that it hath neither tooth nor sting nor any poison left to hurt any beleeuer Heare to this purpose the words of Saint Paul O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law but thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. Death therefore cannot be hurtfull to the beleeuer And if while he liue he take such order and find such fauour that God will be pleased in Iesus Christ to send him a discharge of his sinnes by faith in his sonne he hath no cause after death to feare the reuiuing of his accusation though the legions of lying diuels whose malice makes them accusers of the Saints before God should altogecrie out against him as Saint Paul teacheth vs saying Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs. Thou hast no cause to feare death or any thing that followeth death if while thou liue thou returne to God and recouer his fauour in Iesus Christ for there is full discharge against accusation condemnation both in this life and after this life in the free loue of God and most meritorious intercession of our Lord Iesus Christ. CHAP. XXXI THE storme is ouer our afflicted sinner by this time seeth no cause any longer to dreame of terrifiing death and were it not that one dâ—…am of bitternes disseasoneth the comforts of life that God hath lent vnto him he should grow to some reasonable temper But one thing hee hath cause to complaine of and let vs heare him that we may vnderstanding his griefe be the better able to helpe him Hee telleth vs of a heauie case his sleepe he saith is not quiet but mixt with fearefull dreames at his table his minde taketh in more sad thoughts then his mouth doeth bits of meate the voice and face of his old acquaintance and former friends doeth now reuiue his greefe so oft as he doeth either see them or heare them the fairest roomes of his house which he had trimmed vp for his delight if hee come into them doe strike him with grieuous terrour and all those things that hee delighted in before are new matter of sorrow and heauines vnto him and it is his onely content though without to sit alone in darknesse This hee taketh to be some curse of God folowing him and an euident signe of Gods iust and fearefull anger following him for what should make Gods good creatures other mens comforts to be discomforts to him but the onely displeasure of God To this I answer that it is very likely that it is so and will continue to bee so with him so long as this burden of accusing thoughts lies heauy remaining vpon his wounded conscience It is a very kindly effect of it that hath growen out of it and wil vanish with it Thou sleepest catest with a wounded heart and hence it is that while thou sleepest and eatest thou still feelest the smart of thy wounded heart Thy ancient friends and former woonted delights appeare vnto thee now when thou art not fit to take pleasure in them as before time thou didst and that maketh thee at the present to be the more troubled thinking vpon thine old liberty now lost And the things prepared for thy pleasure while thou wert capable of pleasure in the contrary disposition of thine heart bent altogether to feare and sorrow doe now bring â—…orth a contrary effect vnto thee euen increase of sorrow And a desire of shaddow and solitarienesse though they be hurtfull doth follow a grieued minde as Ieremy saith of the man that beareth the yoke in his youth Hee sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath borne it vpon him And this desire of darknesse and solitarinesse either is an effect of mortification in him that is crucified to the world seeing the world crucified to him or else it groweth partly out of shame and partly out of anger that things are in no better tune and vpon the recouering of thy peace and ceasing of thy temptation this trouble will certainly vanish away In the meane time giue place to this griefe as little as thou canst and striue to reioyce in the Lord and in the good blessings hee hath bestowed vpon thee pray him that bestowed good things vpon thee to giue thee a free heart to take comfort in his guiftes that thou maiest be prouoked to praise his name And withall craue and vse the counsell and helpe of some learned and skilfull Physician for there is somthing in this griefe that hath neede of his iudgement and diligence And the God of hope fill thee withal ioy and peace in beleeuing that thou maiest abound in hope thorow the power of the holy Ghost Amen And now after some delay in answering such obiections as the vnquiet soule hath made out of his grieuous feare let vs grow vnto a conclusion concerning this burden of accusing thoughts and let vs gather together briefly orderly the scatterd grounds of hope that this burden may be cast off when God shall be pleased to giue his blessing and the scattered rules of aduice that teach how to cast it vpon God And for grounds of hope that this burden of accusing thoughts may bee cast off vpon God for the sinners â—…ase it hath beene shewed and proued First that his sinne not being that
the man in whom they remaine a contrary way the one to God the other to sin and yet they continue in the same man at the same time for his exercise so long as hee liueth The same Apostle telleth vs concerning euerie renewed seruant of GOD that in him at the same time there remaineth both naturall corruption which he calleth flesh and infused grace which he calleth Spirit and either worketh striuing each against other His words are The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrarie one to the other so that yee can not doe the same things that yee would The spirit in them that is infused grace lusteth against corruption to draw them vnto goodnesse and the flesh in them that is naturall corruption lusteth against grace to draw them vnto wickednesse Faith and infidelitie the one being the worke of the spirit the other the worke of flesh are not more contrary one to another then the flesh and spirit from whence they grow and yet they are present together therefore with thy infidelitie there may be faith in thee The condition of a Christian man in his holy calling from darknesse vnto light is like vnto the appearing of day after a darke night It is a similitude much vsed by the holy Ghost in the Scriptures Paul saith The night is past the day is at hand That is the time of darkenesse in which you erred altogether is past and God hath sent his word among you by which as by the light of the day you may see the way to walke in And in another place Yee are all the children of light and the children of the day wee are not of the night neither of darkenesse That is we liue not in ignorance we walke not in ignorance but God hath called vs to knowledge and by the light thereof wee see the way before vs and walke on safely in it Now we all know that when the day beginneth to breake there is remaining a shadow of darkenesse a long time and that first growing light is farre from the cleare and ful light that shineth at noon day But will any man say that because of the remainder and mixture of darkenesse in the beginning of the day that therefore there is no light at all euery man would controule that assertion Euen so God shewing mercie to them that were shut vp in infidelitie giueth them faith which beginneth to growe like the day light in the first breaking forth of it and with some faith there remaineth much infidelitie Shall any man therefore say that because there is some infidelitie still remaining there is no faith at all that saying were iniurious to the new conuerted and weake Saint and it were an vnthankefull censure of Gods gracious worke begun Remember what thou hast read in the Gospel of the honest man that came vnto the Lord Iesus to intreat for his sonne that was possessed with a diuell he said vnto our Sauiour Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe He professed his faith while hee confessed his infidelity he doubteth not of the presence of the one because hee saw and felt the presence of the other but knowing his faith to be tender and young and his infidelitie to be old and strong hee craueth the help of the Lord Iesus to weaken his infidelitie and to strengthen his faith Such altogether is thy case at this time weake faith oppressed by strong infidelitie strong infidelitie keeping the vpper hand of weake faith say vnto the Lord Iesus as that man did Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe And if thou thinkest his prayer to be defectiue because hee onely craueth helpe against infidelitie and desireth not increase of his faith vnto the words of his petition ioyne the words of the petition that the Apostles together made vnto the Lord saying Lord encrease our faith These words put together make a perfect praier for this peculiar grace that the Lord Iesus of whose fulnesse wee receiue grace for grace will bee pleased to increase our faith which we finde to bee weake and to weaken our infidelitie which wee finde to bee strong This doe and by the mercy of God and goodnesse of our most milde Sauiour thou shalt finde an happy alteration in good time growing and thou shalt haue no cause to feare to die without faith whensoeuer death shall come yea though thou shouldest bee taken away before the full vanishing of this temptation because he dieth not without faith in whom at his death there is remaining some infidelitie neither dieth he without hope in whome at his departure there is remayning some feare and vnto God thy couered and almost smotherd faith wil appeare when the same is hidden from thine owne feeling But thou fearest death not onely this way least it should come before thou haue wholy ouercome this temptation but thou fearest it also though there should be a ceasing of the temptation before namely that after death this accusation may be renued because as thou saiest the right time of preferring accusations against sinners is when after death they appeare before the Lord in iudgement and if the accusation now while there is yet time of repentance and hope of forgiuenes ◅e so heauie and fearefull as thou doest finde it and feele it it must needes be then much more heauie and fearefull when there is left no time of repentance nor any new course to be taken for the obteining of forgiuenes To this I answere that if once thou ouercome this temptation before death thou needest not to feare the returne of it after death if now it be ouercome and quenched rightly by such meanes as God hath appointed for the quieting of consciences whereof it behoueth thee to be very carefull for if thy temptation be ouercome by the knowledge and faith of the infinite mercy of God toward humble and contrite spirits and of the vertuous mediation of Iesus Christ that lambe of God that taketh away the sin of the world gathered by harkening to the doctrine of the Gospel which is the power of God to saluation and if this knowledge and faith be accompanied with the loue of God that is so mercifull a father and of Iesus Christ that is so gratious a redeemer and with the loue of thy brother and with the hatred of sinne that is offensiue both to God and to thy brother assure thy selfe that these accusing thoughts so silenced and quenched shall not be reuiued after death and thy peace so growen by knowledge and saith so accompanied is not a deferring of this temptatiō vnto a fitter time but a totall abolishing of it for euer He that in this manner ouercommeth his accusing thoughts on earth shall neuer heare of them before God in heauen Wherefore else doeth the Lord Iesus say of the determination and censure of his seruants to whom he hath committed the word of reconciliation either assuring forgiuenes to the penitent beleeuer
or denouncing iudgement to the impenitent and vnbeleeuers Whatsoeuer yee binde on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer yee loose on earth shal be loosed in heauen Wherefore doeth hee speake thus of their determination and of their word but that according to that good hope which thou hast gathered vnto thy soule from the word of God in the writings of his Prophets and Apostles and in the mouthes of his faithfull witnesses on earth according to that good hope hee will doe vnto thee in heauen And in his iudgement both at thy last day and in the worlds last day he will not varie one iot from the straight rule of his word whereon thy recouered peace is grounded Indeede if thou shouldest recouer thy peace and remoue thy accusing thoughts with the remedie of Atheists that like Dauids foole Say in their hearts there is no God that is there is no diuine power gouerning the world in iustice and rewarding euery man according to his workes If thou shouldest shake off thy temptation with that conceit of wicked men recorded in the booke of wisedome that say Wee are borne at all aduenture and wee shal be â—…ereafter as though we had neuer beene for the breath is a smoke in our nosthrilles and the words are a sparke raised out of our heart which being extinguished the body is turned into ashes and the spirit vanisheth as the soft aire our life shall passe away as the trace of a cloud and come to â—…ought as the mist that is driuen away with the beames of the Sun and cast downe with the heate thereof That is no hand of God made vs at the first to be serued with the obedience of our life and when we leaue the world we shall not appeare before the face of any God to giue account for our liues for wee were borne by no prouidence and appointment of any higher power but euen as it happened such a man to beget such a boy such a mother to beare such a child and when wee die wee returne into earth and aire ourbodies become dust our spirits vanish as a puffe of winde there is no difference after death betweene man and beast both vanish and come to nothing as we were not before we were borne so wee shall not be when we are dead Iâ—… with these wicked conceites we seeke to stifle and choke our owne conscience or falsely flatter our selues with the securitie of contemners despising all the threatnings of God So that when they heare the words of the curse they blesse themselues in their heart saying we shall haue peace although we walke according to the 〈◊〉 of our owne hearts that is the threatnings of Gods displeasure are not to be regarded I esteeme them no more then the winde that breatheth ouer mine head and I shal be well inough whatsoeuer God say and I will hold on my course without any feare of God If vpon any such sandie and deceitfull ground thou shouldest builde thy peace and by such deuice should make dull rather then quiet thy troubled conscience verily thy accusing thoughts would returne like so many furies after death charging thee with all thine impieties before the face of thy Iudge The Atheist shall knowthat there is a God as it is said in the Psalme Doubtles there is a God that iudgeth the earth The Sadduce shall know that there is a life after this when he shall be called to answere as it is said of the â—…uill steward Giue accounts of thy stewardship for thou maist bee no longer steward And the contemner shall know the power of Gods displeasure when the wrath of the Lord and his iâ—…alousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses written in Gods booke shall light vpon him But if thy accusing thoughts be put to silence by the knowledge and faith of Gods mercy and of Christ his merit accompanied with repentance and true conuersion to God as hath beene said if by the promises and rules of Gods word thy peace while thou liuest be recouered assuerdly thy sinnes shall neuer be laid to thy charge after death for otherwise there were no faithfulnes in God nor trueth in his word wherein he hath thus spoken I will rememher their sinnes no more And in another place All his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned vnto him Theresore if it shall please God by the meanes that is applied vnto thee out of his word to deliuer thee froÌ„ the storme of this temptation whilest thou liuest thou hast no cause to feare the renewing of it after death nor in that name to feare death And because thou art troubled with such fantasticall feares of death that indeed is naturally fearefull to all men let â—…e acquaint thee with the condition thereof to a Chistian it came indeede into the world by the sinne of our first parents and by the holy and iust iudgement of God it was imposed vpon vs as a punishment of sinne depriuing vs of all present good things and plunging vs into eternall euils But when the sonne of God suffred death for our sinnes and by his suffring gaue satisfaction to the iustice of God he then slew destroied death it selfe by that death of his and tooke away all deadly killing power from that dissolution of ours which we call death and made it vnto all beleeuers a gate and passage into life putting an end vnto all their present troubles â—…nd bringing them to the possession of endles happines So that it is to them as the euening is to the labourer when he both resteth from his former wearie worke and also receiueth the reward for which he wrought For the body henceforth is laied vp in the graue as vpon a bed of ease where it shall â—…euer after either shake for colde or faint for heate where it shall neuer after feele either hunger or sicknes or be wearied any more with painfull labour That is it that the Prophet meaneth when hee saith Peace shall come they shall rest in their beds euery one that walketh before him That is the righteous man that treading in the paths of Gods commandements walketh with him in his holy obedience heâ—… at his iournies end in his body shall lie downe to rest in his graue as on his bed and much peace shall be his portion and as for the soule from thenceforth being vnclothed of his earthly couering and remoued out of his Tabernacle and house of clay it ascendeth vp vnto Iesus Christ and being clothed with glory it hath an happy abiding with him in heauen where it inioyeth the most comfortable presence of Christ his redeemer and the desired fellowship of those redeemed that are alreadle passed out of the wildernes of this wicked world into the paradice of eternall delight So did the Lord Iesus promise to the dying theese when hee said vnto him This day thou shalt bewith mee in paradice
THE Strong Helper OFFERING TO BEARE EVERY MANS BVRTHEN OR A TREATISE TEACHING in all troubles how to cast our burden vpon God but chiefly deliuering infallible grounds of comfort for quieting of troubled consciences By IOHN HAIVVARD The second Edition corrected and inlarged PSAL. 31. 22. Though I said in my haste I am cast out of thy sight yet thou heardest the voice of my praier when I cried vnto thee ¶ Imprinted at London by IOHN BEALâ—… for William Welby 1614. TO THE VVOR shipfull and his most kind and louing friends Master Israel Owen and M is Bathshaba Owen his wife IN the first publication of this Treatise the argument whereof is more agreeable to the hungry desires of a troubled soule then to the dainty appetite of them that seeke to haue their eares delighted with fine inuention I commended it to none but vnto such as had the only neede thereof euen to them that are weary and laden which grone vnder that burden whereof none can ease them but only he that beareth vp all things by his mighty word Heb. 13. And healeth those that are broken in heart and giueth medicine to heale their sicknesse Psal. 147. 3. At this second edition I haue been bold to publish it vnder your Worships name not that I haue any higher conceit of it now then at the first to thinke it now worthier then at that time to beare it in the forehead thereof thename of any worshipfull patron For though it bee in some places altered and in some enlarged yet our bookes grow not vnder our hands as our children doe to become fairer stronger and wiser by continuance of yeeres but they retaine with little alteration their first proportion and members And this little booke as it was at the first so it remaineth no other then a knitting together in one continud discourse of those obseruations which in my publike exercise I deliuered in many Serâ—… mons when I intreated of that text of Scripture which I haue put downe in the beginning as the argument of the whole worke But finding my selfe inde bted vnto your loue in a greater measure then I am able to make satisfaction for which loue of yours to me hath continued now aboue twenty yeeres and aboue all other proofes thereof hath lately declared it selfe in a most free and kinde offer of extraordinary fauour I haue been bold in this dedication to testifie vnto you as I was able my thankefull heart which is the best recompence that my weake estate is able to affoord And with this little booke which I offer vnto your Worshippes I offer vnto Almighty God my most hearty praiers that the father of mercy God of all consolations will euer continue vnto you and your posterity the abundance of his grace both for a long and happy life in this world and for a seasonable and christian departure hence that after your yeeres bee compleate on earth you may raigne with Christ for euer in Heauen From my house in Woolchurch this thirteenth of Nouember 1613. Your Worships wel-willer Iohn Hayward To him that is wearie and laden SALOMON in the Prouerbs affirmeth that he that is full despiseth a hunnie combe And one wiser then Salomon telleth vs in the Gospell that the whole haue no neede of the Phisition Idlely therefore should I offer my labour in this treatise to them that are full and liue at ease who bearing no burden or in their strength not feeling what they beare would reiect my offer as a mocke say vnto me Brach ia da lasso potius prendenda natanti offer your hand to him that is ready to sinke in the sloud we haue no neede we sit safe vpon the shore If these mens securitie be sound I wish it may be durable vnto them and as they haue no desire vnto so I wish they may neuer stand in neede of the counsell conteined in this booke this I wish them out of loue though out of iudgement e know if they belong to Christ the tim will come when they must beare a crosse and follow him But with hope of better acceptation I offer my counsell here following vnto thee that seeâ—…est the burden that thou bearest and gronest vnder the burden that thou feelest Salomon in the forenamed place telleth vs that to the hungry soule euery bitter thing is sweete And the Lord Iesus affirmeth the sicke to stand in neede of the Phisitions helpe Thy burden maketh thee as fainting labourer to long for releese and the crumes of Gods mercy easing thy ouercharged soule would be acceptable to thee and the paine of thy diseased spirit more sicke of thy tentation then of a burning feauer maketh thee desirous of the Phisions helpe thou criest in thy griefe Rebus succurrite lesis helpe my greeued estate and the offer and assurance of helpe and health cannot but bee ioyfull vnto thee If thy greefe and wearines be occasioned by any troubles of this life if it grow from any secular worldly cause I haue reduced all such burdens vnto fower heades Because either it is some want in our worldly estate which commonly is the burden and trouble of the multitude or if wee bee that way well stored it is some trouble domesticall and neare vnto vs either in our selues or in our house habitation or kinred or if we haue peace in our habitation ioy in our kinred friends and seruants with life and health as we desire then there is some more remoued person or more remoued accident that is the cause of greese care and feare vnto vs or â—…f abroad aswell as at home and among strangers aswell as among friends and neighbours we liue without disturbance yet we often finde difficulties in the duties of our callings or we meete with oppositions and are wronged with mistakings are euill rewarded for our well deseruing Within the compasse of one of these foure heads fall all such secular and worldly burdens and in the first place I haue giuen aduice concerning these perhaps not altogether such as some wise men well seene and traded in worldly causes would giue but surely such as an honest man should giue and such as he must obserue that looketh to obtaine ease and helpe from God If thy trouble and greefe be of another kinde if thy burden be spirituall and tâ—…e whole busines lieth more directly betweene God and thee and either as an honest man thou art greeued that thou canst not serue him as thou shouldest or so humbled that thou art greeued that thou hast sinned against him as thou shouldest not and fearest punishment for that sin these troubles I haue reduced to two heades for either the lustes of our flesh fighting against our soules doe crosse vs in the waies of trueth and righteousnes so that we cannot doe the good we would and the euill we woud not that we doe and our desires being as the desires of the children of light our deedes become as the deedes of the sonnes of
his iust iudgement into hell This burden is prepared by bold and contemning sinners by men that rise early to follow drunkennesse and are strong to drinke strong drinke by men that commit adultery and assemble themselues by companies in harlots houses and rise in the morning like fed horses euery man neighing after his neighbours wife by men that lay wait as he that setteth snares and maketh pits to catch men and fill their houses with the fruit of deceit as cages are filled with birds by men that haue two kinds of waights and measures and vse to sweare falsly by men that say desperatly we will doe whatsoeuer thing goeth out of our owne mouth and our strength shall bee the law of vnrighteousnesse by mockers that say where is the hope of his comming and as the Prophet Esay testifieth of them draw iniquitie with cords of vanity and sinne as with Cart-ropes Of which audacious men that neither feare God nor man and are neither religious to regard conscience nor ciuill to regard good name the world is full These are the two kinds of burdens the ceremonious worship of God without truth and piety prepared and throwen vpon God by dissembling hypocrits and the bold transgression of all law and order prepared and cast vpon God by wicked contemners these are those particular burdens which by way of caueat I thought fit to warne you of that you meddle not with casting these vpon God least he cast both you and your burdens into eternall destruction in hell But our heauy burdens that presse our soules and breed feare care and griefe vnto our mindes whereof we desire to be eased those wee may and must cast vpon God and are not onely allowed but allured also to turne them off vpon him CHAP. VII OF these burdens some are secular concerning this world and no way touching Heauen or Hell and some are spirituall meerely concerning our soules and the life and death thereof and the seruice and fauor of God Of the secular there be foure kindes The first secular burden is worldly cares when a mans charge is great and his maintenance small the common burden of the poore though somtimes also wringing the backe of the rich This burden groweth heauy sometimes by the worke of Gods hands sending more charge lesse gaines deare times and vnexpected losses sometimes by the malice of other men some oppressing by power some deceiuing by fraud and some wasting by riot whom thou didst trust and sometime by thine owne fault as by sloth by sumptuous courses in apparrell diet building and by foolish bargaines This burden makes men grone out these words what shall wee eate what shall we drinke wherewith shall we be clothed how shall I pay my debts maintaine my credit and answer the charges of my place To cast this burden vpon God is to proceed by these rules First to consider the bounty of God that giueth to all both life and breath and all things Secondly vpon consideratiō of this bounty to fall to praier that he will be pleased to extend that bounty vnto thee Thirdly to apply thy selfe diligently and faithfully in some honest calling wherein God may blesse thy hand to fill thy mouth fleeing all vnlawfull shifts Fourthly and lastly to take heede of excesse This excesse is double first the excesse of desire which we calcouetousnes when a man is not content with that that is sufficient secondly the excesse of spending which we cal riot when a man hath a humour to waste intemperatly The first rule is to acquaint our selues with the bounty of God that we may cōceiue hope of help from his hand wherof the Prophet saith thou openest thine hand and fillest al things liuing of thy good pleasure this boūty of God wil appeare vnto vs partly by the testimony of the Prophets partly by the euidence of his own works liberal deling with his cretures His bounty is testified by the Prophets other holy men Dauid thus speaketh of it He causeth grasse to grow for the cattel and hearbes for the vse of man that he may bring forth bread out of the earth and wine that maketh glad the heart of man oile to make the face to shine bread that strengthneth mans heart This is a maruelous work of Gods prouidence an euidence of great bounty that out of the drie earth he bringeth forth food for vs. Of his special care among men to deale bountifully with them that feare him the Prophet Esay giueth testimony saying thus saith the Lord God behold my seruant shal eate you that is the wicked for to them he speaketh shal be hungry my seruants shall drinke you shal be thirsty my seruants shal reioice you shal be ashamed When the wicked shal want and in their want be confounded the righteous shal abound and in their abundance reioyce Excellent is the testimony of our Sauior Christ in the Gospel of S. Math. saying Behold the fowles of heauen for they sowe not neither reap nor cary into the barns yet your heauēly father feedeth them are ye not much better then they if God extend his bounty to creatures of so smal regard to whom also the means of prouiding their food by sowing reaping reseruing is denied that notwithstanding he sendeth them sufficiency how much more wil he prouide for the children of men that are of better regard with him to whom he hath giuē means of prouiding their own food by sowing by reaping by reseruing their store Excellent is the testimony of Saint Paul among the vnbeleeuing Gentiles at Listra vnto whom hee commendeth the true God that made the world before the vaine Idols which they serued saying hee left not himselfe without w◅nesse in that hee did good and gaue vs raine from heauen and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with foode and gladnesse Such was his bounty euen toward them that worshipped idols and being his creatures he failed not to supply them with necessaries◅ how much more wil he not faile his own children which worship him in spirit and truth Such testimony do the Prophets and other holy men giue of the bounty of God that openeth his hand and filleth all things liuing with his goodnesse And the euidence of his works is very cleare to approue vnto vs the same goodnesse He giueth daily and yearely store of foode and nourisheth life in all his creatures that participate life But because the worke of God in his ordinary prouidence is not obserued and esteemed as it ought to bee let him that is burdened with the cares of this life by reason of want consider the records of Gods bounty making prouision by myracle when ordinary prouision failed How he prouided for Israel in the wildernesse forty yeares sending them bread from heauen euery mourning How he prouided for Elias in a time of dearth causing the Rauens to bring him bread and flesh
domesticall troubles some are more priuate fitting for this or that domesticall trouble In this chapter I will set down those rules that are common to all these troubles And first of all it is a common rule in all these troubles pertaining to the right casting of them vpon God that we arme our soules with patience and quietly beare whatsoeuer God is pleased to lay vpon vs. For shall we be willing only to receiue good things at the handes of God things agreeable to our hearts wish and when he is pleased eyther for our triall or for our correction or for any other holy cause to lay vpon vs euill and hard things vnpleasant to flesh and bloud shall wee then murmure against his worke God forbid Iob iustly reprooueth such a course saying to his wife Shall wee receiue good things at the hands of God and not receiue euill As when good things come it is fitte to acknowledge Gods free mercie and to be thankefull so when euill things come it is fit to acknowledge Gods holy iustice and to be patient And this course of casting our burden vppon the Lord our blessed Sauior the Lord Iesus Christ commends vnto vs and a sure way of finding ease saying vnto vs Take my yoake on you and learne of mee that I am meeke and lowly of heart and you shall find rest vnto your soules that is whatsoeuer burden falles vpon any of you either after my example or for my sake which I account to be my burdens for I labor in him that labors vnder those burdens let him not murmure let him not spurne impatiently against it but let him take it meekely vnto him as I did my death This shal bring ease to his soule for this is to cast his burden vpon God while for Gods sake he is willing to beare his good pleasure This patience a while continued will make thy yoake easie and thy burthen light and whilest others crie and complaine thou shalt reioyce in God therefore haue the Apostles both in their practise and in their doctrine ioyned together patience and reioycing in the times of trouble because continued patience breedeth ioy Of their practise ioyning patience and reioycing together Paul speaketh thus Also we reioyce in tribulations knowing that tribulation bringeth foorth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed Such was their practise Which while hee reporteth doeth hee not there with all deliuer that troubles patiently borne doe giue experience of Gods fauour giue hope in Gods mercie and breede a confident and vndaunted spirit ◅ and these three experience hope and confidence are the grounds and true supporters of ioy Of their doctrine preached to others Iames the Apostle shewes vs what it was saying My brethren count it exceeding ioy when yee fall into diuers tentations knowing that the trying of your faith bringeth foorth patience and l◅t patience haue her perfect worke that yee may be perfect and intire lacking nothing In their practise could this course be kept in wisedome In their doctrine could this rule bee giuen in soundnesse if the patient bearing of all our troubles were not a readie and very soueraigne way of casting our burdens vpon the Lord for our ease therefore haue care of this in the first place to possesse thy soule in patience And if it seeme to any man a hard thing to bee patient in trouble let him not feare to attempt euen by this course of patience to cast his burden vpon the Lord. For there are many reasons that perswade thereunto First the burden while it continueth is a sure testimonie of Gods loue vnto thee Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews saith My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth hee scourgeth euerie sonne whom hee receiueth The chastisement of the Lord by these troubls is an euidēce of his fatherly loue and therfore we ought with the patience of children to beare it Secondly while God out of his loue continueth the burden of this trouble vpon thee he doeth it only for thy good As the same Apostle teacheth vs in the same Epistle saying Hee chasteneth vs for our profit that wee may be partakers of his holiness◅ The effect of those troubles intended of God is our benefit that wee may bee brought to haue neerer fellowship with God in holinesse and therefore they are to bee borne with patience Thirdly though God seem to continue our burden long and in the meane time to shew small kindnesse vnto vs yet sure the end of them will be with a blessing As Moses saith of the worke of God leading the children of Israel for many yeres together through a wearie wildernes that he did it to prooue them that he might doe them good in the latter end And if the cōclusion of our trouble like the wrestling of Iacob shall be with a blessing it is to be born with all patience A fourth reason there is to be regarded aboue all other reasons of force to make a man patient euen in the fire namely that if wee suffer with Christ wee shall raigne with Christ and when we haue indured patiently a while on earth we shal be rewarded honourably for euer in heauen Hereof the Apostle Paul thus speaketh Our light affliction which is but for a season causeth vnto vs a furre most excellent and an eternall weight of glorie Affliction shall bee rewarded with most excellent glory light affliction with a weight of glory and momentanie affliction with eternall glorie therefore to bee borne with all patience He that considereth these things that if God do send trouble it is of his fatherly loue vnto vs as vnto sonnes that in these troubles he onely intendeth our good to bring vs to haue fellowship with him in holinesse that our troubles shal bring peace and a blessing in the end and lastly that GOD will bring vs from a Crosse to a Kingdome and turne our Crowne of thornes into a crowne of glory He that considereth these things will bend his heart to beare his burthen patiently Whereby hee certainly turneth his burden vpon God for his great ease making a heauy burden to be light which while it is patiently borne melteth and falleth off from the heart like raine falling from the high grounds so that after a while he despiseth the troubles that at the first were fearefull vnto him and they seeme vnto him moale hils that at the first shewed a farre off like mountaines This is the first common rule of casting our burden vpon God alwayes to be obserued By this rule if it be Husband or Wife that causeth vnquietnesse we are taught to suffer their vnquietnesse whome wee can neyther reforme nor remooue and not to make a great flame of a small sparke by prouoking the vnquiet to more vnquietnesse If it bee Parents or Children that
Lord to tell him of his fault that if hee be curable he may amend And because thou knowest not but that it may please God to ease thy burden of domesticall troubles making them of short continuance by reforming the troubler it is a speciall point of casting this burden vpon God to pray for the amendment of thy neighbour and to put thy helping hand thereto by gentle and neighbourly admonitions But this liberty of telling thy neighbour his fault giues no allowance of rayling and reproaching and publique disgracing of men by casting their infirmities and faults in their teeth A christian man must abhorre all such bitter courses remembring what the Apostle Peter saith Loue couereth a multitude of sinnes That is a right charitable man though hee seeke to reforme his neighbour by telling him of his sinne yet he will not disgrace or shame his neighbor by publishing his sinne It may please God to ease thee of the burden of thy domesticall trouble by weakening the power and crossing the malice and abating the pride of thy troubler that either hee shall not dare or shall not be able to proceede any further in thy vexation as he daunted the Pride of Laban when he pursued Iacob for hee meant euill to Iacob but by the way God came to Laban the Arnmiteâ—… a dreame by night and said vnto him take heede that thou speake not tâ—… Iacob aught saue good And by this threatning of the Lord Labans stomake was taken down as hee confessed to Iacob the next day saying I am able to doe you euill but the God of your Father spake vnto mee yester night saying Take heed that thou speake not to Iacob aught saue good And GOD crossed the fury and violence of Saul when hee thought to haue slaine Dauid Saul intended to sâ—…ite Dauid to the wâ—…ll with the speare but he turned asiâ—… out of Sauls presence and he â—…ote the speare against the wall but Dauid siâ—…d and escaped c. In this case it is not lawful foâ—… thee to pray vnto God for the death the sickenesse the impouerishing or any way the hurt of thine enemy leaue him to the iudgement of God and pray vnto God to forgiue him his wicked malice Yet is it lawfull for thee to pray vnto God that hee will be pleased to confound the deuices and to crosse the attempts and to scatter the prepared power of thine aduersaries So we reade that Dauid in the time of Absoloms treason when he vnderstood that Ahitophel that great politician tooke part with him he feared his counsell and first prayed vnto God saying O Lord I pray thee turne the councell of Ahitophel into foolishnesse And afterward sent his wise and faithful friend Hushai the Aâ—…chite to bee an opposite vnto Ahitophel by whose meanes indeede Ahitophels counsell was reiected to the danger of Absolom and safetie of Dauid and many like prayers wee haue in the Psalmes In one place Vp Lord let not man preuaile In another place Let not them that are mine enemie vniustly reioyc ouer mee neither let them winke with the eâ—…e that hate mee without a cause And in another place Let not the wicked haue his desire O Lord performe not his wicked thought lest they be prowd Thus wee see that the Saints haue made their prayer vnto God against the malice power and cunning of their aduersaries that God would be pleased to abate their pride to asswage their malice to confound their deuices and delude their cunning that they might not preuaile to doe the mischiefe that they intended And so far it is lawfull for thee to pray for their disappointing And because sometime the seruants of God haue made request vnto him against the persons of their enemies praying for their destruction as Eliâ—… did against the messengers of the King of Israel saying If that I be a man of God let fire come downe from heauen and deuoure thee and thy fifty As Dauid in diuers places of the psalmes let them bee confounded and put to shame that seeke after my soule let them be turned backe and brought to confusion that imagine mine hurt And in another place set thou the wicked ouer him and let the aduersarie stand at his right hand when he shal bee iudged let him be condemned and let hâ—… praier be turned into sinne As Peter tâ—…e Apostle praied against Simon Magus thy mony perish with thee that is both thou and thy mony perish And Paul the Apostle against Alexander the Copper-smith saying Alexander the Copper-smith hath done me much euill the Lord reward him according to his workes Let none of vs thinke that for the procuring our ease and deliuerance from our neare troubles it is lawfull for vs to bend the force of our pâ—…aiers against the persons of our aduersaries and to desire their destruction or hurt For those whose examples are before remembred were the Prophets of God and Apostles of the Lord Iesus Christ who knew the reprobation of those against whom they praied and so rather pronounced the knowen iudgements of God then the priuate affections of their owne hearts and if they pronounced their owne affections they were affections conformed to the known iudgements of God not contending to guide moue Gods iudgements So doth S. Austin affirme of all such praiers saying those things which are spoken in the forme of wishing are things opened by a spirit of prophecying and when they say let that be done and let that be done it is no other then if they had said such and such a thing shall come vnto them Noâ—… we haue no such knowledge of any mans reprobation he may prooue a sheep of Christ whom as yet by his fruits we find and therfore esteem a wolfe And we haue no such spirit of prophecy by which we can foretell what wrath from God shall fall vpon them And also our Sauiour hath giuen vnto vs this rule which we must follow Pray for them which hurt you and persecute you Therefore if God be pleased to ease vs of the burden of our troubles by weakning the power asswaging the pride and malice and by disappointing and scattering the purposes and counsel of out enemies we in seeking this grace at his hands may pray against their deuises but not a against their persons And therefore by this rule is no countenance giuen to the dire imprecations and bitter curses that many vncharitable men powre out against their troublers Perhaps it may please God to ease thee of this burden of domesticall troubles making them short either by remoouing thy troubler from thee or by remouing thee from thy troubler And this remoue all may be made either by death or by some other course And thereto some rules pertaine in the right obseruation whereof a wise man for his ease casteth his burden vpon God If the remoue be to be made by death this is a thing
and said vnto me Goe prophecie to my people Israel That is I haue in those sermons which you call Conspiracie faithfully followed the commandement of the God of Israel So also did Ieremy when the Priestes and false Prophets and the multitude of the people had laid hands vpon him in the Temple and went about to kill him for his preaching he protested his innocencie saying The Lord hath sent me to prophecie against this house against this Citie all the things that you haue heard And thine innocency being thus protested made knowne then secondly turne thee vnto God appeale to his iudgemē◅ rest vpon him He is the true discerner of all mens doings to whō it is manifest both what things are done and with what mind they are done and he is the iudge of all men and of their doings and he will reward them that truly serue him therefore taking no discomfort at the vniustice and vnthankfulnes of men pray God to iustifie thy well doing against misreporters Thou hast a promise of such mercie made by the Prophet saying He shall bring forth thy righteousnes as the light and thy iudgement as the noone day and pray him to remember thee and giue thee thy reward in heauen because on earth good seruices are not worthily valowed and in expectation of that reward at Gods hands comfort thy soule in this case And thus haue we spoken of the fower secular burdens wherein immediately we haue to doe with men in matters concerning this life and shewed how the burdens may be ought to be cast vpon God for the ◅ase of our soules CHAP. XII THere are diuers troubles wherein the man that is troubled hath to doe immediatly and at the next hand with God and the things wherin he hath to doe with God and looketh directly vpon him do concerne our soule and inward man and the good estate therof for holinesse and happinesse both now and hereafter And in regard hereof those troubles I call spirituall troubles And those I reduce to two heads The first of these spirituall burdens is the powerful lusts of the flesh enemies to the holinesse of the soule The second is the feareful accusing thoughts that are enemies to the happinesse of the soule The first is the burden of the lusts of the flesh fighting against the soule The multitude of our corruptions and the law of sinne in our members so potent and strong that we cannot doe the good we would in doing whereof God should be serued and the euil we would not that we doe by doing whereof the diuell is serued This is a grieuous burden to an honest minded man that is desirous to please God and keepe a good conscience Hee considereth who made him and desireth to glorifie his creator He considereth the manifold mercies of God towards him and desireth to approue himselfe a thankfull man He respecteth the end both of his creation and of his regeneration and desireth to come neare vnto God and to haue fellowship with his redeemer and to resemble him in holinesse and righteousnesse hee seriously thinketh vpon the end of vertue and reward of vice the first to be eternall life the other to be eternall destruction and with his whole heart and soule he desireth and striueth to auoid euill which hee abhorreth and to do good which he loueth And while he striueth to goe on in this course nothing hindereth him more then the root of sin that is deeply fastened in his owne flesh The Diuell offereth a temptation and his false flesh yeeldeth presently vnto it The flattering world presenteth showes of vanity and the flesh greedily imbraceth them Occasions are offered and presented to our eies and our traiterous flesh suddenly apprehendeth them and our actions fall out to be sinfull and euill sometime at vnawares before wee haue leisure to consider what we ought to doe Sometime against fore-fight yea against repugning will For that corruption that is in our flesh which for the authority that it vsurpeth and for the power that it exerciseth in vs the Apostle calleth the law in our members that corruption rebelleth against the law of our minde and leadeth vs captiue into all actuall sinne And wee are compelled in the campe of our enemies to serue against our beloued Lord. And this is no small griefe vnto a sanctified soule that desireth to serue and worship God in spirit and truth How heauy this burden is the Apostles words doe teach vs crying out by reason of it in this manner O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body of death It was vnto him more bitter then death that sinne was of such power in his mortall body Vpon men groaning vnder this burden compassion ◅is to be taken both in regard of God whom it grieueth them to offend and dishonour and also in regard of themselues so intangled and indangered not by any fo◅aine malice but by their owne inbred sinfulnesse Therefore for the case of such ouercharged soules to giue them some comfort notwithstanding the continuance of their burden these things are to be considered First that where God hath giuen an heart grieued for these infirmities he neuer imputeth vnto them the sinnes that they so vnwillingly and grieuedly commit their broken and displeased hearts being a pleasing sacrifice to him According to the saying of the Prophet The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a contrite a broken heart O God thou wilt not despise So that God taketh more pleasure to see them sorrow for their committing sinne then he doth displeasure for the sinne that they commit for to commit sinne is common to all mankinde and we cannot chuse but to doe amisse while we liue in this flesh but to mourne and to be grieued for sin to striue against it and not to commit it but with dislike offence taken for it is proper onely to them that truely loue the Lord. Secondly though they cannot attaine vnto such perfect holinesse vppon earth as they desire nor vnto such an absolute conquest ouer their corruptions and such a full measure of mortification that sin shal haue no life nor power of mou◅ng in them yet their good wil being true and vnfained and their holy desire beeing sound and not dissembled is before God as well accepted as if they were altogether without sinne Therefore is it that God requireth the heart saying My sonne giue me thine heart and let thine eies delight in my wayes He that can by the mercie of God attayne vnto this to delight in in the wayes of God and to haue a sound heart within his weake bodie he hath attained vnto as great perfection of holinesse as this present life is capable of if that desire and delight of his be ioyned with knowledge and vnderstanding so that hee be free from their errour whom the Apostle speaketh of saying They being ignorant of the righteousnesse
honest calling when we haue serued out our time here we may stay no longer and till we haue serued out our time we must serue so long Thou wilt therefore be found to bee a fugitiue seruant from God if thou depart his seruic before thy time be full out And that belongeth to God and not to thee to set downe The Prophet Dauid saith of God in one of the Psalmes To the Lord God belong the issues of death To God it belongeth and not to man to set downe and determine who shall die when he shall die and by what meanes he shall die he vseth sometime the hand of the magistrate sometime the hand of the violent and so endeth one mans life as we thinke by counsell and worke of another man but neuer did he giue licence to any man to kill himselfe Hee hath forbidden murder by his commandement Thou shalt not kill He condemned it in C◅ine from the beginning of the world to whom hauing slaine Abel his brother he said What hast thou done the voice of thy brothers bloud cries vnto me from the ground Now therefore thou art cursed from the earth which hath opened her mouth to receiue thy brothers bloud from thine hand And after the floud when hee began againe to replenish the earth with inhabitantes he made a law against murder to restraine both man and beast from committing it saying Surely I will require your bloud wherein your liues are at the hand of euery beast will I require it and at the hand of man euen at the hands of a mans brother will I require the life of man Who so sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed for in the image of God hath hee made man So oftensiue vnto God it is for a man without warrant and authoritie to kill any because man was made in the image of God a creature of vnderstanding indued with excellent vertues of knowledge and righteousnes with resemblance in these vertues to God himselfe in the making of whom it pleased God to shew his excellent power his wisedome and his mercy No man no beast can destroy this creature and bee innocent before God It belongeth onely to him that gaue life to take it away where he takes it away who can giue it and where he◅ hath giuen it who shall take it away So that the whole rule of life must remaine in the hands of the Lord of life who of himself saith I kill and giue life Except thou canst doe both attempt to doe neither First make a liuing man if thou canst and then kill him whom thou gauest life vnto thou shalt hurt no worke therein but the worke of thine owne hands But if thou canst not giue life presume not to take away life thou shalt therein violate the worke of another and if thou maist not kill any other thou maiest not kill thy selfe one God made thee and them and if thou shalt be guiltle of bloud in killing thy neighbour thou shalt be guiltie of bloud in killing thy selfe if thou maiest not touch the life of thy neighbour thou maiest not touch the life of thy selfe When Elias was weary of his life being persecuted by Iezabel hee said vnto God It is inough O Lord take my soule for I am no better then my fathers Hee desired to be out of this present euill world hee was wearie of the trauels and dangers of it did he therefore kill himselfe did he lay violent hands vpon his body let out his soule before his time No such thoughts were far from him he remembred that God had placed his soule in that earthly Tabernacle and he intreateth God to set his soule at libertie Hee held his hands howsoeuer his heart was affected So doe thou hold thy hands from any fact of violence and lift them vp with thy heart vnto God in heauen and desire him to take thy soule when hee thinkes good When the Apostle Paul was in a streight betwene two and wist not whether he should desire life to continue in the world or death to goe out of the world because his life should be profitable to the Church but his death gainefull to himselfe he expressed the inclining of his heart to death for his owne aduantage in these words Desiring to be loosed and to bee with Christ which is best of all His reward was in heauen he desired to obtaine it his redeemer was in heauen hee desired to be with him and because hee could not come to inioy his reward and to be with his redeemer except by death he should passe out of the world therefore he was willing to depart and to that end to be loosed and set at libertie from his flesh But did hee incline to set himselfe at libertie to loose the bands of his owne life by which his soule was tied and fast bound to the fellowship of his body no he desired to bee a patient not an agent to be a sufferer not a doer in this business his words are Desiring to be loosed Not desiring to loose my selfe This he longed and this he waited for and in time obtained it In these men behold and see how to craue and demeane thy selfe learne of Elias Paul learne of them that feare God learne not of Saul and Iudas learne not of wicked men mē that went astray intheir doings And tell mee if at any time thy life was so vile in thy sight and the pleasure and glory of God so deare vnto thee that thou wert content and desirous to giue thy life vnto God to put it in hazard for his name and for his trueths sake Where hast thou despised the threatning of tyrants where hast thou contemned the sword the fire the halter or any other death hast thou beene cast into the fierie furnace with Ananias Azarias and Misael rather then thou wouldest commit idolatrie and worship any God but the Lord Hast thou at any time with Daniel bin cast into the Lions den for a prey to their teeth rather then thou wouldest giue ouer and cease to pray vnto thy God Hast thou beene whipped with Peter and Iohn hast thou beene imprisoned with Paul and Silas hast thou been stoned with Steuen or hath thy necke beene vnder the stroke of the sword with Iames the brother of Iohn hast thou suffred rebuke or any losse of goods or any linnen for the name of Iesus thy Sauiour In these cases if thy life had beene vile in thy fight it had beene a commendable thing in thee to prefer the pleasure honor of God the trueth and glory of Iesus Christ before the safety of thy life for in this course thou seruest with thy life him that is the God of thy life thou yeeldest it vp being called for into the hands of him that gaue it And thou hast the examples of the Prophets of God and the Apostles of Iesus Christ to be thy patterne who were euer ready and
the ancient murderer hath beene thy counseller the giuer of life neuer perswaded there vnto the very fact bewraies from what head the aduice came euen from him that desireth the destruction of man Lay these things togither and I hope the thing that thou art resolued to doe wil appeare so foule and odious before thee that thy resolution will vanish and sâ—…de away This sinne of selfe-murdering is so abhominable that in the first age of the world when abhominations were so multiplied that the most patient God was iustly prouoked with a generall floud to destroy from the face of the earth euery thing in whose nosthrils was the breath of life and among other abhominations murder crept in and that betimes in a greeuous manner the brother murdering the brother yet this sinne could find no entertainement The Diuell was not then so impudent to tempt thereunto and men were not so wicked to yeeld therevnto In the next long age of the world from the floud vnto Christs comming in the flesh for more then three and twenty hundred yeares all sinne increasing this sinne also crept in but in all the sacred historie among the people that had knowledge of the liuing God there were not found aboue foure or fiue that yeelded to this cruell sinne monsters they were among men monsters among sinners their raâ—…enes shews them so to bee And after the daies of Christ for seauenty yeares the Sacred history reaching no further there was found but one Iudas the traitour the thiefe the diuell that betraied his Maister the Sonne of God into the handes of his enemies a monster whom the world hath not equalled nor can equall with a match so that in more then foure thousand yeares among the people that knew God though there were many idolaters many blasphemers many giuen to witchcraft and other diuellish hearts many traitors many murderers many whoore masters many oppressors thieues false witnesses and sinners of all kinds yet there were not aboue six selfe murderers And with these monsters wilâ—… thou ioyne considering also that in this sinne there is no mixture of loue in all other sinnes there is some mixture of loue if not to any other yet vnto him selfe but he that committeth this sinne shewes no loue neither to God to his neighbour nor to himselfe His sinne is totally hate himselfe totally hatefull and whereas the vertues of Christianitie pertaining chiefly to the daies of affliction when God maketh his elect like vnto the Image of his Sonne that suffeâ—…ing with him in this world they may after reigne with him in heauen whereas the vertues of christianitie pertaining to this time are patience to suffer the will of God and faith to trust to Gods mercie this sinne is the banishment of all patience it is nothing else then fury in the highest degree and it is the ouerthrow of all faith hastening and pulling on destruction where it should pray and wait for deliuerance it is a violent opposition against the worke of God it is a violent intrusion and inuasion vppon the right of God For life is the gift of God he made vs liuing creatures aâ—…d this sinne violently ouerthrowes the worke of God And God being the Lord of life and hauing all authoritie ouer life to giue it to continue it and to end it at his pleasure and for his seruice this sinner inuadeth vpon Gods right and without leaue from God without any aduice or authority from him yea directly against the commaundement of God forbidding murder hee presumeth to cut off his owne life And he that neuer could find in his heart to lay downe his life for God and for his glorie though God gaue him the life that hee hath and when that is lost in his seruice and for his sake hath promised to giue him life eternall yet in this mad and desperate resolution is ready to step into the place of the tyrant the persecuter the executioner and hangman and for the diuells pleasure not to lay downe but to take away euen his owne life and to make himselfe with his owne murtherous hands a sacrifice to Belzebub who did not giue vnto him the life that yet hee holdeth but was euer an enemie to the safetie of it and when that life is lost shall reward him with eternall death and hell torments for euer such is the act thou resoluest to doe the wofull effect of damned despaire throwing thee into intollerable and eternall torments And therefore with all care to be auoided And the most mightie Preseruer change thy mind and keepe thee from this ruine CHAP. XXVIII WHen our sinner signified his resolution to this act he signified withall the reasons by which he was induced to be so resolute Those reasons I will now examine and shew the weaknesse of them that the sinner seeing his deceiued iudgement may repent him of his wicked purpose in time and stay his hand from doing that mischiefe which once done can neuer be helped the reasons were fixe in number The first three seeming to prooue it a matter of iustice and the last three seeming to prooue it a matter of aduantage The first three pretending iustice were these First he hath sinned against God and deserued death and therefore must die this being a thing of necessity hee holdeth it as good to die now as to tarry longer and to die by his owne hand as to expect the stroke of another Secondly hee hath loaden and ouercharged the earth the place of his present life with the burden of his sinnes it groaneth vnder that burden and can no longer beare it it must be eased and he that hath laied this burthen vpon the shoulders of the earth is the most fitte to remooue the same he hath hands wherewithall to doe iâ—… and his heart serues him And with this second reason hee inuolueth and wrappeth another foolish conceit that seeing hee is vnworthy of mortall life vppon earth it were follie and madnesse in him yea it were shamelesse presumption to hope to obtaine immortall life in Heauen Thirdly hee saith his life hath beenâ—… loathsome to heauen and earth in heauen to God and his Angells in earth to the Church and all the true members thereof And so great an offence must needes be remooued that God and his Angells the Church and her children may receiue content These things prooue it iust that hee should die And that it should be a part of his inioyned penance to see the thing done himselfe Now because my speech is intended for the health of the sinner I will direct it to the sinner Thy first reason is thou hast sinned against God thou deseruest to die This reason is no reason to infer that which thou wouldest inferre That therefore thou must die and especially by thine owne hand For all men sinne against God all men deserue to die must all men therefore die especially must they die by their owne hands This I doubt not
is vnwise that cannot he is vniust that will not discerne betweene the man that sinned and the sinne by him committed It is a true saying of Saint Gregorie Man is the worke of God sinne is the worke of man let vs therefore discerne what God hath made and what man hath done and neither for the error that man committed let vs hate man whom God made nor for the man that is Gods worke loue the sinne that man hath committed According to this rule discerne betweene thy selfe that art the worke of Gods hands and thy sinne that is the fruite of thine owne inuention I hope thou wilt not say that the worke of Gods hands is a burden to the earth and for the ease of the earth must be remoued then thou as thou art a man and a liuing creature of Gods making art not the earthes burden neither is it the remedie to take the man away But the sinne that thou hast committed is the burden of the earth and the remedie of this euill is to take the sinne away which is done on thy pâ—…rt by repentance by ceasing from sin and by working righteousnes as Esaieâ—…eacheth â—…eacheth saying in the person of God to the people of Israel take away the â—…il of your workes from before mine eies â—…ase to doe euill learne to doe well Then on the part of the sinner is his sinne remoued when hee repenteth him of his sinne ceaseth to doe euill and sets his heart to worke righteousnes And one Gods part our sin is taken away by forgiuenes which alwaies accompanieth mans true repentance as Ezakiel teacheth vs saying if the wicked will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely liue and shall not die all his transgressions that hee hath committed they shall not bee mentioned vnto him c. Sinne is remoued on mans part by repentance on Gods part by forgiuenes and thy sin not thy person being the burden of the earth if thou wilt dâ—…e a worke of iustice and ease the earth of the burden vnder which she groneth by remouing the same then remoue the sinne wherewith thou hast oppressed her and let thy selfe alone repent of thy sinnes past amend thy way for the time to come and thy sin is done away So saith Saint Peter Amend your liâ—…es and turne that your sinnes may be put away Amend therefore the first speech iâ—… this second reason frame the argumeÌ„t thus I haue loden and ouercharged the earth with the burden of my sinnes it groneth vnder that burden can no longer beare it therefore it must be eased by the remouing of my sins then ad on Gods name the second part of thy speech in that reason say Forasmuch as I haue beene the man that haue laide this load vpon the earth it is meete I should also be the man to remoue it now become as resolute to ease the earth of the true load which is thy sin as before thou didst professe to bee in remouing thy selfe which art not the load And as for the conceit which thou didst infold in this reason or infer vpon this reason that seeing thou hadst oppressed the earth with thy sinnes and wert vnworthy to liue any longer in the earth which is but the place of mortall life it should be folly madnes in thee yea shamelesse presumption euen to thinke to liue in heauen which is the place of euerlasting life Indeed he that 〈◊〉 vnworthy of mortall life of a place on earth is much more vnworthy of immortall life and a place in heauen But let this thought vanish together with the â—…raudulent reason For he that is worthy of neither may by the fauour of God inioy both Iacob confesseth himselfe vnworthy of all Gods blessings saying I am not worthy of the least of all the mercy and all the trueth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant Hee confesseth his vnworthines yet confesseth with all that God shewed him that mercy and trueth that he held himselfe so vnworthy of and vnto this vnworthy man so considering himselfe did God make promise of his free fauor in these words I will not forsake thee vntill I haue performed that that I haue promised thee So that it is not the worthines of the receiuer but the promise of God that hee respecteth in shewing mercy and bestowing his blessings And if thou wilt take order by repentance as hath beene taught thee to remoue the burden of thy sinnes wherewith all thou hast oppressed the earth thy vnworthines with thy sinnes shall be done away and after the daies of thy mortall life on earth finished thou shalt inioy immortalitie with God in the kingdome of heauen The third reason perswading this cruell act as a worke of iustice is this My life is lothsome both to heauen and earth in heauen to God his Angels in earth to the Church and her children and therefore it must not to bee continued This is not a new reason but the first inlarged with addition of the names of the Angels in heauen of the Church and her children on earth For in the first thou didst affirme that thou â—…adst offended God that is made thy life to be loathsome in his sight And now thou adâ—…est further mention of his Angels aâ—…oue and Saints beneath thou hast also â—…en offence vnto them indeed vpon â—…e loue and hatred of God dependeth â—…e loue and hatred of all his seruants in â—…auen and earth If by thy wickednes â—…ou make thy life loathsome to God â—…ou makest it also loathsome to them â—…d if againe by repentance thou make 〈◊〉 life pleasing to God thou makest iâ—…â—…o pleasing to men For as Salomonâ—…ith â—…ith When the waies of a man please the lord he will make also his enemies to be at â—…ace with him So that if thou repent â—…ee of thy former lewd life if thou cease to doe euill learne to doe well â—…ou hast reconciled thy selfe to God â—…d he will make all his creatures to be â—…iendes with thee euen them which â—…ere most offended before and for â—…ine owne good consider what it is that â—…th made thy life so loath some to heaâ—…n and earth to God to his Angels to â—…e Church and to the children of it is it â—…ot thy sinne is it any thing but thy â—…ne then if thou wilt be carefull as thou hast beene taught to put away sinne by repentance all the offence is remoued heauen doeth no longer hate thee and the earth hath not cause any longer to be an enemie vnto thee what they loathed before is now done away and that succedeth in place which they haue cause to loue and doe loue That the offence which God tooke is done away by thy repentance appeareth by that which is said in the Gospell Ioy shall be in heauen for one sinner that converteth
more then for ninetie and nine iust men that neede no amendment of life And when he saith there shall be ioy in heauen he doeth not exclude the God of heauen for what ioy can be in heauen and among the cratures of heauen if the God of heauen remaine displeased therfore thy repentance remoueth all cause of loathing from God and receiueth therein all content and in particular it giueth content to the Angels of heauen All cause of loathing offence is taken from them and in place thereof they reioice and are glad for thy conuersion It is said in the same place of the Gospel Likewise I said vnto you there is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God for one sinner that conuerteth See how thy conuersion altereth the case thy sinne maketh the Angels to loath thee as a filthy and abominable creature thou art no sooner conuerted and changed by thy repentance but they which loathed thee before doe now loue thee they which held the abomminable before doe now esteeme thee as honorable What neede is here of taking away of life to take away and remoue the offence of the Angels repent and it is done amend thy â—…se and thou hast their loue and as thy â—…epentance recouereth loue and grace iâ—… heauen so doeth it in the earth in the Church and among her children What else is the Church but the number of them that by the calling of God are turâ—…ed from their wickednes and infidelitie And can the Church hate the children that by repentance and regeneration are borne againe vnto her the Church inuiteth and calleth to repentance saying Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Lacob and he will teach vs his â—…ies and we will walke in his pathes The Church altogether calleth to repeÌ„tance the watchmen and pastors in the Church lift vp their voice as a trumpet and reproue the sinne of the people and teach them the way and will of God and call by doctrine the people and flocke set vp the example of their life according to the commandement of our Sauiour Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen And they call by example all that are truly turned vnto God doe desire that all other may truely turne to God And how then can it he if thou repent thee of thy sinne and turne to the Lord in amendment of life but that the Church and her children that lothed thee before should now loue thee and what is then become of this great and fearefull obiection what neede haue we of killing and murdering the sinner mortifie thy earthly members war against thy fleshly lusts cease from thy sinne and doe that which is right in the sight of God and these reasons that seemed iniustice to vrge a necessity of thy death are vanished away And thou maiest liue to glorifie God and finishing thy daies on earth with comfort and maiest and shalt liue hereâ—…fter in heauen Al which is ouerthrown with thy wicked resolution Besides these reasons that seemed to proue it a matter of iustice when yet â—…othing can bee deuised more vniust â—…ou hast other reasons that seeme to â—…ooue it a matter of aduantage when â—…deed it were the greatest of all losses 〈◊〉 can hoppen vnto thee First thou â—…kest by doing execution vpon thy 〈◊〉 that thou shalt glorifie God in thy â—…th whom thou neuer haddest care to â—…lorifie all the daies of thy life and this cannot but turne to thy aduantage to 〈◊〉 found so zealous of Gods glory that 〈◊〉 art willing to furder it with the 〈◊〉 of thy life Secondly thou thinkest 〈◊〉 by cutting of thine owne life thou 〈◊〉 then cease to sinne which during 〈◊〉 life thou hast not done but hast continued to multiply iniquity euery day And indeed he that is dead is freed from â—…ning after the manner of the liuing â—…or when Achan was stoned hee could â—…eale no more When Zimri was thrust â—…orow the body by Phinâ—…as hee could commit fornication no more When Achitophel had hanged himselfe and Ioab had smitten Absolom they could conspire in treason no more And this cannot but turne to thy aduantage that thou shalt no more sinne against God Thirdly thou thinkest that thy death shall 〈◊〉 with it an end of all thy troubles of all thy paine of all thy feare and indeed it bringeth with it an end of all the momentary troubles of this life both past present and to come Famine hauing once killed the famished shall hunger no more the sword hauing once slaine the dead shal neuer feare wounds any more If sicknesse haue deuoured and brought to the graue the consumed parts shall grone and languish no more The fire the water the prison the racke the tyrant the hang-man can torment and kil no more And in one word death deliuereth from all the labours troubles dangers and euils of this life if there be not other troubles and euils of another world it freeth from all and this thou esteemest so great an aduantage as that euen the most fearefull should for it desire seeke and imbrace death These reasons also let vs examine that thou maiest not bee deceiued and perish The first reason seeming to proue it a â—…atter of aduantage is this thou thinkest by doing this execution that thou â—…alt glorifie God by thy death whom thou hast had no care to glorifie all the daies of thy life And some beneficiall reward must needs be due vnto thee for so great care of glorifying God I might wonder iustly to heare this reason come from thee for they which intend to doe 〈◊〉 such thing vnto themselues haue little care or thought of Gods glory and I am sure they haue no rule for it that by destroying themselues they do gloryfie God and may thinke that God would haue them by any such course seeke to glorifie him This was a tricke of the prince of darknesse cunningly â—…ut vpon thee who turning his selfe into an Angell of light when he goeth about both to destroy thee and to dishonour God by this vngodly fact would make thee beleeue that it were a holy and vertuous action seruing greatly to the glory of God And with this cunning the subtill Serpent hath preuailed too far with many weake ones God deliuer thee from him Indeed God is honoured greatly by the destruction of the wicked as he saith to Moses When the children of Israel going out of Aegypt were directed to goe by the way of the Red-sea through the Wildernesse Pharao will say of the children of Israel they are tangled in the land the Wildernesse hath shut them in and I will harden Pharaos heart that hee shall follow after you So I will get me honour vpon Pharao and vpon all his host And after when Pharao with his host was come forth after Israel and God
this point that death which he calleth poenam vitiorum and supplicium peccator is the iust paine of wickednes punishment of sinners should become as hee calles it arma virtutis and iusti meritum the armour of vertue and merit or happines of a righteous man hee saith this commeth thus to passe non quia mors bonum aliquod facta est quae antea malum fuit not because death is now become a good blessing that before was an euill curse Sed tantam Deus fidei praestit it gratiam vt mors quam vitae constat esse contrariam instrumentum sieret per quod transiretur in vitam that is but God did afford so much grace vnto faith in his Son that death which is knowne to be contrarie to life should be made the instrument or way by which we might passe into life So that death comming by the order of God to a man prepared by faith in Christ that neither through impatience hasteneth death before his time nor through loue of this world or ignorance of his future happinesse cowardly shrinketh desiring to liue beyond his time death comming to such a man in this maner deliuering him from his present short and sufferable troubles leaueth him in a blessed and happy condition absolutely freed from all troubles for the second death hath no power ouer him and he is presently receiued into glorie To him pertaine these words of Christ He that heareth my wordes and beleeueth in him that sent mee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death vnto life As the beleeuing thiefe passed from the Crosse to Paradise and as soone as he was deliuered from his present trouble entred into eternall glorie and neuer felt eternall troubles so euery beleeuer when God calles him out of this world from earth passeth to heauen as Lazarus did from his houell into Abrahams bosome and death leaueth him in a most happy state For Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord euen so saith the spirit for they rest from their labours No more trouble no more dāger no more sorrow shal come to them But death doth not prooue so beneficiall to all For when a wicked man dies whether hee perish by fire as did the Sodomites or perish by water as did Pharao and his Egyptians or be swallowed vp of the gaping earth as was Korah and his company or were stoned to death as was Achan or be slaine with the sword as was Ioab or perish of some foule disease as did Herod or die a faire death in his bed as the greatest number do or fall by his owne hand as Achitophel and some other did howsoeuer he come to his end with honour or reproach with ease or with paine the wicked man by death though deliuered frō the troubls of this life yet is left in a most wofull estate being ledde into the depth of all miseries For from the earth they passe to hell from short to eternall from tollerable to vnsufferable crosses from trobles mixed with comforts which also in their bitterest condition may bee indu◅ed and ouercome with some little patience to troubles mixed with no comforts making euen the remembrance of that sweet name of comfort to be a new addition of discomfort and which giue no place for the least measure of patience to abide with them Of the end and endlesse condition of the wicked when death hath fetched them from hence the Prophet speaketh in the Psalme Surely thou hast set them in slippery places and castest them downe into desolation How suddenly are they destroied perished and horribly consumed as a dreame when one awaketh O Lord when thou raisest vs vp thou shalt make their image despised There prosperity before death is slippery as Ice there is no firme standing vpon it and when death commeth that seemeth to giue ease and end of some intermixed troubles they fall with violence and there fall is remedilesse they perish in it and remaine miserable for euer whatsoeuer conceit they nourished of lasting and continued ease it becommeth like a dreame which proueth idle when the dreamer awaketh Iob speaketh excellently of the wretched condition vnto which death bringeth the wicked saying How oft shal the Candle of the wicked be put out and there distruction come vpon them Hee will deuide their liues in his wrath they shall be as slubble before the wind and as chaffe that the storme carrieth away God will laie vp the sorrow of the father for the children when hee rewardeth him he shall know it his eies shall see his distruction and he shall drinke of the wrath of the almighty for what pleasure hath he in his house after him when the number of ◅is moneths is cut off This good man Iob knew something in what condition death leaueth a wicked man when it hath fetcht him out of this world then is he deliuered vp to the violent storme of Gods iust indignation the stubble is not more easily nor more confusedly scattered then hee then commeth the reward of all his wickednesse hee was a doer before from that time hee becommeth meerely a sufferer then the fury of the almighty ceazeth vpon him his daily drinke shall bee nothing else but the wrath of God his pleasure after his death is altogether ended and eternall woe lighteth vpon him Let vs not stand onely vpon sentences which may perhaps bee esteemed as lawes which great men easily breake thorow and delude Let vs looke into the acts of God and consider his reall proceeding wee haue a notable example commended vnto vs by our Sauiour Christ to whom the father hath committed all iudgement and therefore hee should not bee ignorant of Gods carriage He remembreth a great man a rich man which was cloathed in Purple and fine linnin and fared wel and dilicately euery day His welth and great estate could not protect him from the stroke of death that made an end of him and so of the troubles of his life if his life were acquainted with any But in what case did death leaue him our Sauiour telleth vs in these words The rich man died and was buried and being in hell in torments hee lift vp his eies and saw Abraham a farre off and Lazarus in his bosome then he cried and said father Abraham haue mercy vpon me and send Lazarus that hee may dippe the tip of his finger in water and coole my tongue for I am tormented in this flame but Abraham said sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasure and contrariwise Lazarus paine now therfore is he comforted and thou art tormented Ther was his answer stoping his mouth leauing no place for any further hope of any good While he liued he was wel if any thing were a little amisse it was fully recompenced with many pleasures in the end he died and in that death his troubles if he had any ended and his
confession of thine vnworthines therein we all Gods children wil ioine with thee and euery man confesse that wee are not worthy of the least of Gods mercies because we haue beene vnthankefull for the comfort that wee haue reaped by them and haue also beene vnfaithfull not improueing them to the praise of God we will say with Iacob vnto God I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and all the trueth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant We will confesse vnto Christ with the Centurion and say I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe And with the prodigall childe priuie to his owne riotous courses we will say to God as he said to his father Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne If vnthankefulnes can make thee vnworthy we cannot be worthy that haue beene as vnthankefull and if vnfaithfulnes can make thee vnworthy wee must stand by thee and confesse as much against our selues if any mans sinne may make him vnworthy then are wee as vnworthy as any man for wee also haue sinned and iustly displeased our God But the error is in this that because thou doest iudge thy selfe vnworthy of the good giftes of God therefore thou shouldest forbeare to vse them alas what should become of the creatures of God if all should forbeare to vse his guiftes that are vnworthy of his guiftes This must needes produce a generall decay of all Gods creatures Vnderstand therefore these things following First God doeth allow his blessings not to the worthy onely but to the vnworthy also Of him the Prophet saith The Lord is good vnto all and his mercies are ouer all his workes Because the creatures are the worke of his hands therefore without regard whether they be worthy or not worthy hee will extend his mercy vnto them Of him the Lord Iesus saith He maketh his Sunne to arise vpon the euill and the good and sendeth raine on the iust vniust God is not ignorant either of the worthines of the good and iust or of the vnworthines of the euill and vniust but hee regardeth the necessities of all and therefore because their grounds equally haue neede in time of droght of the dew of heauen and in time of winters cold of the refreshing warmth of the sunne therefore he giues the heate of the sunne and moisture of his clowdes to make all their groundes fruitefull be the owners of those groundes good or euill yet hee will bee good vnto them Secondly those men that haue in iudgement found and acknowledge their owne vnworthines yet in their necessities haue made suite vnto God for those good things which they wanted and haue thankefully receiued and cheerefully vsed the good things that God sent them Iacob that acknowledged his vnworthines euen then made request vnto God for his mercy to bee shewed him saying I pray thee deliuer mee from the hand of my brother from the hand of Esaâ—… for I feare him least he will come and smile mee and the mother vpon the children for thou saidst I will surely doe thee good and make thy seede as the sand of the sea c. Hee earnestly craueth grace and mercy at Gods hands and that he may obtaine what he desireth he is bold to remember vnto God his gracious promise and he doeth all this euen when hee had in the same praâ—…er ackdowledged his vnworthines The Centâ—…rion that held himselfe so vile that he was not worthy to receiue Christ into his house yet euen then intreated mercy at his hand for his seruant saying Speake the word onely and my seruant shal be healed And his faithfull praier found fauour for his seruant was healed yea that prodigall child that is the patterne of all penâ—…tent sinners when hee did acknowledge his vnworthines yet euen then he made request for his fathers louing fauour saying Make me as one of thy hired seruants And his praier was heard himselfe was â—…eceiued into grace and hee obtained at his fathers hand whatsoeuer blessing a sonne might looke for so that neuer any well aduised childe of man howsoeuer â—…nowing himselfe vnworthy of the loue â—…nd mercies of God did yet either reâ—… to vse them when God did grant them or to intreat God for them when 〈◊〉 felt want of them Thirdly the good blessings of God by him giuen vnto vs are therefore giuen that wee should vse them that by the vse of them wee being refreshed 〈◊〉 see therein the fatherly â—…are of God for vs and his continuall â—…ountie and loue to vs and might so be â—…oued to giue him thankes and to trust in his mercy and being so giuen they ought not to be refused yea they canâ—…ot without our great sinne be refused for in refusing them we refuse God and the free offer of his mercy that he giueth his blessings to be vsed of vs Saint Paul teacheth vs saying Trust not in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God which giueth vs ubundantly all things to inioy He giueth all things he giueth all things abundantly and hee giueth that aboundance to be vsed and inioied Therefore doeth the Prophet Dauid say Hee causeth grasse to grow for the cattell and herbe for the vse of man that he may bring forth bread out of the earth and wine that maketh glad the heart of man and oâ—…e to make the face to shine and bread that strengtheneth mans heart All this increase of Gods blessings the Prophet affirmeth to be giuen for mans vse and also in some sort limiteth that vse shewing vs what good God intendeth that wee should reape of his guiftes and hee intendeth his owne praise in this bountifull giuing of his blessings And therefore is it that Saint Paul at Listra commendeth to those gentiles the God that made the heauen earth commending him by his bountie in giuing those things so to make his goodnes knowen And therefore he speaketh thus of him He left not himselfe without witnes in that he did good and gaue vs raine from heauen and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with foode and gladnes This good did God for the Gentiles he gaue them the dewe of heauen and fatnes of the earth with his guiftes hee filled their hearts that is satisfied their desires and made them to reioyce in the vse of those guiftes And all this he did for them to this ende that they might know the boundles goodnes of this God and that his blessings as so many faithfull witnesses might preach and declare this goodnes of his if by this meanes at the last they would turne backe from their idols to serue and please him and to this purpose serue the words of Moses vnto the people of Israel saying When thou hast eaten filled thy selfe thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath giuen thee In these words be
of the Philistims a mighty man named Goliah of the town of Gath and defied Israel from whom al the people fled then Dauid accepted the Philistims challenge and slew him and put away the shame from Israel for which honorable fact the women praised him in their Song sayâ—…ng Saul hath slaine his thousand and Dauid his tenne thousand Fourthly Saul made him a captaine ouer a thousand men and whithersoeuer Dauid led them forth he behaued himselfe wisely and valiantly for the Lord was with him and made him to prosper and all Israel loued him Lastly Saul gaue him one of his daughters to wife and hee became the Kings sonne in lawe and hee did eate meate at Sauls Table and Ionathan Sauls sonne made a true league of amitie with him and all the gallants of the Court regarded him Such had beene the standing of Dauid in a loftâ—… height of honour And now from this height of honour he was fallen low into contempâ—… before his enemies For from his house his wife his deare 〈◊〉 Ionathan from the Court the Cittie and the Tabernacle from his honourable office companie and estate hee was glad to she and to slie into the wildernesse into woods and caues and holes to hide his head where the company that he had resembled the place in basenesse For besides those of his fathers house there gathered vnto him men that were in trouble for their euill deeds that brought them within danger of law men that were in debt and owed more then they were worth and durst not shew their heads men that were troubled in mind oppressed with sorrow affrighted with feares this was his companie as it were the skumme of the people a rout of lawlesse ones He was in the Kings displeasure and the Kings eares were euer open to all malicious and slanderous reports made against Dauid and vpon euery discouerie of Dauids abiding in any place Saul was euer running forth with his armie against him Thus was he fallen from that height of honour in which sometimes hee stoode And the promise of Gods helpe and of ease from God that hee giueth to them that cast their burden vpon GOD hee deliuereth and putteth downe in such words as are fitly answerable to his owne present condition fallen into such disgrace hee will not suffer the righteous to fall for â—…uer that while he giueth to other men a rule how to recouer comfort in their afflicted estate hee might withall confirme his owne conceiued comfort more strongly CHAP. XXXIII BVT forasmuch as he deliuereth this promise for the incouragement of others let vs so handle it as that others may see their interest in it And hee shall nourish thee he will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer This promise falleth of it selfe into two parts the first is in these words And he shall nourish thee the seis in these words He will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer The first part of this promise meeteth with the burden of pouertie and want in this present world and therefore may be called the poore mans promise who doeth not looke high about the point of nourishment and doeth not complaine except he feele some want thereof In the poore mans house are not heard the complaint that great men make as that the King frowneth vpon him and hee is forbidden to come into his presence that his child is stollen from him and meanely maried against his liking that hee hath lost a great estate by the wracke of such a ship by the breaking of such a tradesman and by the falsehood of such a seruant These â—…nd such like are the complaints of great men and neuer heard in poore mens houses but their complaints are commonly these I am not able to pay my debt I am not ready to pay my rent and I feare to be cast into prison for the one and to be throwen out of my house for the other I haue no prouision against the colde winter nor money in my house to make prouision the raine beates in at euery corner of my house and I am not able to repaire it my wife my selfe and children want both meate and clothes and winter comes on vpon vs and these hard times affoord much expence and little getting charitie is become cold and her benummed hands now giue no almes Iustice also is growen very sleepie and scarce holdes vp her head to reckon with the labourer and to giue him his hire and how wee shal be fed clothed and nourished I can not tell These are the poore mans complaints and this promise meeteth with these complaints and assureth nourishment and therefore it may very well be called the poore mans promise For the truth of this promise that God will nourish them that cast their burden of want vpon him that is attend reuerently in well doing vpon his hand for maintenance it appeareth plainely by the Lords bountie hee gaue vnto Adam and vnto his posteritie all the fruites of the earth and all the hearbes of the field hee gaue vnto Noah and to his sonnes all liuing things that breede and liue either in the aire or vpon the land or in the sea this large grant is registred by Moses saying The feare of you the dread of you shall be vpon euery beast of the earth and vpon euery foule of the heauen on al that moueth on the earth and vpon all the sishes of the sea into your hands are they deliuered euery thing that moueth and liueth shall be meate for you as the greene hearbe haue I giuen you all things Heere is prouision inough feare not want the great depths of the sea the spread plaines of the earth and the vast compasse of the aire are Gods store houses filled with foode and prouision of all kindes for thee so that there must be no fish in the sea no fowles flying through the aire neither hearbe fruit nor beast vpon the face of the earth if there be no foode for thee Yea all liuing creatures must want foode before man can want foode because euen all those other creatures are appointed and giuen to man to be his foode But thy present pouertie maketh thee to say thou fearest not but God will alwaies send inough for all but thou seest that craft couetousnes and oppression gather such superfluous aboundance into some mens hands that thou art afraid lest that out of that sufficient store that God doeth send for all thou shalt not be able to get a sufficient portion for thee and thine Thou confessest that God in this world as a great Lord in his familie maketh prouision and allowance fully and plentifully but men as vnfaithfull stewards make vnequall diuisions and some haue to much to serue euen their intemperate and immoderate lusts and others haue too little to serue euen their necessarie vses and therefore though thou fearest not but God will send yeâ—… thou fearest how thou shalt get sufficiencâ—… To
lost Luke 19. 10. Mat. 15. 24. Luke 18. 11 Iere. 7. 10. The estate of a Christian how it is in himselfe Mat. 1. â—… And how it is considered in Christ by vertue of his holy calling Thou canst not affirme thy selfe to be a reprobate seeing it depends vpon the vnknowne counsell of God Rom. 9. 22. The sinner secketh to proue by orgument that hee is 〈◊〉 reprobate His argument answered and taken away Sinne though déseruing yet no argumet of reprobation The sinnes of the elect may bee more vile then the sinnes of the reprobate in our eies Dauids sin and Sauls compared together Mâ—…ch may be said to exâ—…us Saul that will seeme reasonable Dauids sin declared Exo. 20. 17 Exo. 20. 14 No excuse can be made to extenuate the sin of Dauid 1. Sam. 15. 19. 2. Sam. 12. 9. Dauid was not therefore a reprobate because he sinned more vilely then a reprobate Gods wrath vpon me for sinne is no euidence of reprobation Lam. 3. 39. Mica 7. 1â—… 2. Tim. 2. 11 Micah 7. 7. Pro. 18. 14. The particular stroke of a wounded conscience is no signe of reprobation Psal. 38. 2. Acts. 4 11. Our answers are such as will stand before Gods iudgment seate Iohn 12. 48 An eleuenth obiection His sinne deserueth death hee must die must doe the execution vpon himselfe Ezeki 18. 4 Rom. 6. 23 Iob. 3. 18. An appostro phe to Satan 1. Pet. 5. 8. Reue. 12. 9. Answer to this obiection Esay 55. 3. Iohn 8. 44. The iniquity of the thing that he intendeth to doe It is rare as being the height of al wickednesse Gen 4. 23. Gen. 6. 2. Gen. 6. 11. 1. Sam. 31. 4. 2 Sam. 17. 23. 1. King 16. 18. Iud. 16. 30. 2. Mach. 14. 41. 1. Sam. 22. 9. c. 1. Samuel 2â—… 19. 1. Sam. 28. 7. It is the excesse of crueltie without all mixture of charitie â—… 〈◊〉 21. 16 Acts 1â—… 1 â—… Sâ—…m 4. 6 2. Sa. 3. 27. 2. Sam. 4. â—… â—… Kâ—… 19. 37. Matt. 7. 20 It is the losse of all patience of faith Mat. 11. 28 Phi. 4. 5. Mat. 11. 28. Phil. 4. 7. It is against the right of God who onely is Lord of life to whom onely the issue of death appertaine Psal. 19. 73. Psal. 100. 3. Psal. 22. 9. Iob. 7. 1. Psal. 68. 20 Exo. 20. 13. Gen. 4. 10. Gen. 9. 5. Deu. 32. 39 1. King 19. 4. Phil. 1. 23. Will thou loose thy life for thy owne pleasure that neuer wert willing to loose it for Gods sake Iere. 26. 14 Iere. 26. 14 Acts â—…0 â—… Mat. 10. 39 1. Corin 6 19 20 Gen. 26 27 Conclusion concerninâ—… the act that bee intendeth to do The vanity weaknes of the reasoâ—…s by which he is drawne to intend this act Three reasons seruing to prooâ—…e it a matter of iâ—…stice 1 2 3 The weakeness of his first reason â—…zec 33. 12 Ezec. 33 11 Ezec. 33 11 The weaknes of his second reason Lib. 4. Epist. 80. Esay 1. 16 Eze. 18. 21 Acts 3. 19. Being vnworthy of lâ—…fe on earth he is more vnworthy of life in heauen aswered Geâ—… 3â—… 1â—… The weaknes of his third reason Prou. 16. 7 Luke 15. 7 Luke 15. 10. â—…say 2. 3. Mat. 5. 16. Three reasons seeming to â—…roue iâ—… a matter of aduantage 1. 2. The vanity and weaknesse of the first of these reasons Exo. 14. 3. Exo. 14 17. Exo 14 17 The vanity and weaknesse of the second of these reasons How the dead may be said not to sinne The wicked continue to sinne euen when they are dead Eccle. 9. 3. Maâ—…t 16. 9 If they doe comâ—… it no new sin yet they must perish â—…r the old vnpardoned Mat. 25. 41 Mat. 25. 41 2. Cor. 5. 10 The vanity weaknes of the third of these reason There are â—…vo kâ—…des of 〈◊〉 oâ—…â—… in this life another after this life Psâ—…l 34. 19 Reu. 20. 14 From what troublâ—…s death doth deliuer In what case death leaueth theÌ„ that are de liuered so from troubles It leaueth the godly iâ—… a blessed estate De Ciuitat DeiÌ„ lib. 13. cap. 4. Iohn 5. 24. Reu. 14. 13 It leaueth the wicked in a most wicked estate Psal. 73. 18 Iob. 21. 17 Lu. 16. 22. The sinners misery that by killing himselfe seckes to be free from trouble Esa. 66. 24. A twelâ—…th obiection be iâ—… vnworthy of life and must not nourish it be is vnworthy of good things and must not vse them Mat. 25. 28 Luk. 16 2 Answere to this twelfth obiection Gen. 32. 11 Mat. 8. 8. Luke 15. 21. Wherein the error of this obiâ—…ction heth God alloweth his blessings to the vnworthy Psal. 145. 9 Mat. 5. 45. The vnworthy craue obtaine vse Gods blessings Gen. 32. 11 Mat. 8. 8. Luke 15. 19 God giueth his blssingâ—… that they should be vsed to his praise 1. Tim. 6. 17 Psal. 104. 14. Acts. 14. 17 Deu. 8. 10. Ioel. 2. 24. This abstinence is 〈◊〉 dangerous to thy life as violence can be Lam. 49. Portuis latro Eratosthenes The conclusion of the answere to this obiection 1. Tim. 4. 4 A thirtenth obiection He feareth death for two causes Gen. 3. 19. First least he die before this temptation cease that were to die without faith Ioh. 3. 18. Secondly least the accusation be renewed after death Heb. 9. 27. Answer to this obiection There is hope that thy temptation shall end before death come vpon thee Psal. 68 20. Acts 1. 1. Cor. 1â—… 13 Deut. â—… 16 1. Pet. 5. 6. If death com before yet there is faith euen where this temptation is strong In this teÌ„ptation ther is infidelity But where there is infidelitie there may be faith Rom. 7. 22 Gala. 5. 1â—… Ro. 13. 12. 1. Thes. 5. 5 Mar. 9. 24. Luke 17. 5 If the temptation hee once rightly ouercom it shall not returne after death Mat. 18. 18. Psal. 14. 1. Wis. 2. 2. Deu. 29. 19 Psal. 58. 1â—… Luke 16. 2. Deu. 29. 20 〈◊〉 31. 34 Ezeâ—… 8 2â—… Death iâ—… not to be feared for anything of a good man Esay 57. 2. Luke 23. 43 Phil. 1. 23. 2. Cor. 5. 1â—… 2. Cor. 85. 1. Cor. 15. 55. Rom. 8. 33. A fourteenth obiection all things are grieuous to him that are pleasant to other men Answere to this obiection I. am 3. 28. Rom 15. 13 Conclusion concerning this burden of accusing thoughts Grounds of hope that iâ—… may be cast off vpon God Mark 3. 28 Luk 11. 〈◊〉 Ier. 31. 34. Eze. 18. 21 Math. 〈◊〉 14 Ioâ—… 16. 23. Rulâ—… of aduiâ—… how to caâ—…l this burden vpon God Psal. 51. 4 Pro. 28. 13. Mic. 7. 9. Psa. 18. 26. 1. Pet. 5. 6. Act. 3. 19. Psa. 11. 5. Col. 3. 13. Mat. 6. 15. Ioh. 20. 31. Heb. 11. 6. Hos. 14. 1. Psal. 53. 4. The promise of recompence Luk. 10. 28 Esay 1â—… 19. Iob 21. 14. Mala. 3 24 Mala. 3. 18 Psa. 19. 11 The words of the promise are fitted to his owne present burdens Which were two one was pouerty and waâ—… 1. Sa. 25. 5. His other burdeÌ„ was a fall from his former honour 1. Sa 17. 7. The first part of this promise is the poore mans promise God will nourish his poore that attend vpon his hand He sendeth inough for all in generall Gen. 9. 2. God sendeth inough for all but couetousnes intercepteth it and the pâ—…ore cannot get their part God giueth his gifts by â—… particular prouidence to euery one 1. Sam 2. 7. Esay 65. 13 Psal. 37. 19. Luke 1. 53. Mat. 6. 15. Mat. 6. 26. Mat. 6. 28. Mat. 6. 31. The second part of the promise How many kinds of saâ—… there be Pro. 24. 16. One kinde of â—…all 〈◊〉 to fall by sin Hos. 14. 1â—… This kind of fall is most dangerous 1. Cor. 10. 12 Iam. 3. 2. He raiseth by repentance them that are fallen by sinne Phi. 2. 13. Psa. 32. 8. Ieâ—… 31. 33. Eze. 36. 25. The second kind of fall is to fall into miserie for sinne These miseries are of two sortes inward aâ—…d outward What are these inward miseries and iudgements Rom. 1. 24. Deu. 2 28. Esay 33. 14. 1. Cor. 16. 13. Luke 22. 32. Iohn 17. 20. Psal. 22. 1. Psal. 55. 4. He raiseth them vp that are fallen into these inward miseries Acts. 26. 18 Eze. 36. 26. 〈◊〉 Luke 1. 46 Psal. 30. 11. Psal. 147 3. What are the outward miseries whereunto men fall God raiseth them that are fallen into these outward miseries 2. Cor. 1. 8 Iob. 5. 1â—… Psal. 34. 19. If not in this life yet most certainly after this life Esay 57. 1 Lu 16 22 25 Reuel 21 Psal. 16. 11 The conclusiâ—…n of all Psa 9. 10. Psa. 34. 10. Esay 55. 1.