the spirit of a man saith Salomon will sustaine all His other infirmities but a wounded spiâ—rit who can beare Yet His soule though Hee was the Prince of glory and Lord of Heaven and earth upon the Crosse was even as a scorched Heath without so much as any drop of comfort either from heaven or earth The grievous weight of all the sinnes of all his Children the least of which had bin enough to have pressed them downe into the bottome of Hell lay now heavy upon him The powers of darkenesse were let loose to afflict Him Hee wrastled even with the fierce wrath of His Father and all the forces of the infernall kingdome with such anguish of heart that in the Garden it wrung out of his pretious Body a Sweat as it were great drops of blood falling downe to the ground with such agony of spirit that upon the Crosse Hee cryed My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee And the measure of all these sufferings and sorrowes were so past all measure that all the creatures save sinfull Men onely both in heaven and earth seemed to bee amazed and moved with them The Sun in the heavens drew in his beames unwilling as it were to see the spotlesse blood of the Son of God spilt as water upon the ground The Earth it selfe shrunk and trembled under it The very Rocks rent asunder as if they had sense and feeling of His intolerable and save by Himselfe vnconquerable paines The whole frame of Nature seemed astonished at the mournefull Complaint of the Lord of the Whole World These and farre more then these or then can bee exprest our blessed Saviour being Son of the most high God endured for no other end but to ransome us from the bondage of Sathan and of Hell in a thirsting desire of saving all Penitent sinners And to offer himselfe freely a most glorious and everlasting Husband to all those who with broken and beleeving hearts cast themselves into His bosome Such admirable and unutterable perfections beauties indowments sufferings and inflamed affections as these in the heavenly Suter unto our sinnefull Soules doth mightily aggravate the hainous and horrible sinne of refusing Him Thus and in this manner would I have the Men of God to magnifie inlarge and represent to the hearts of their Hearers all the excellencies of Iesus Christ with the worth merit and efficacy of His blood To set out to the utmost they can possibly the glory of the Gospell with all the riches of mercy goodnesse and free grace revealed and offered therein c. So that they tell them withall That Iesus Christ takes none but such as are willing to take upon them His yoke That hee gives himselâ—e to none but such as are ready to sell all in the sense I have said that they may enjoy his blessed selfe That the glorious grace of the Gospell shines savingly to none but such as deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and live soberly righteously and godlily in this present World That those whose Soules are cleansed by the blood of Iesus Christ from all sinne are onely such as walke in the light as God is in the light who make conscience of detesting and declining all sins and workes of darkenesse discovered to them by the light of Gods holy Booke and sincerely set their hearts and hands with love and carefull endeavour to every duty injoyned therein In a word That as that Fountaine opened to the house of David for sinne and for uncleanesse I meane the blood of that immaculate Lambe Iesus Christ the holy and the righteous doth turne all the sinnes even the very scarlet and crimson of a truly broken heart and every true Mourner in Zion into snow and wooll so it will never wash away the least sinfull staine from the proud heart of any unhumbled Pharisee That hereby no strangers unto the love and life of godlinesse may bee deceived by appropriating unto themselves any of these glorious things which are onely proper to the sealed Fountaine but onely conceive of them as excellent motives to cause them to come in I would have the Preaching of Christ fill the soule of every true harted Nathanael every time with unspeakeable and glorious joy with all those Euangelical pleasures which neither eye hath seene nor eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man But I would have it onely make every unregenerate Man sensible of what infinite blessednesse Hee bereaves Himselfe by continuing a Rebell that thereupon Hee may bee moved to make hast out of His present Hell into this new heaven so fairely opened and freely offered unto Him Besides pressing the law promising mercy proposing Christ c. to stirre men in their naturall states to make them entertaine thoughts of comming in to humble them in the sight of the Lord under the heavy burden of all their sinnes assure them also of pardon in case they will leave Sathans service and so prepare them for Christ Let Gods Ministers lay hold upon all warrantable wayes which they shall find and feele out of their Ministeriall experience and holy wisedome to be availeable and prevaile for that purpose So that the worke bee done in truth And that they doe not like the Divels dawbers deceive them to the eternall ruine and damnation of their Soules by telling them that they have Christ already and are safe enough for salvation whereas indeed as yet there is no such matter Such points as these are woont to make attentive naturall men to startle in their seates to looke about them something more then ordinarily To wit to divide the precious from the vile To distinguish that One true happy state of grace from all states of unregeneratnesse and all kinds of Hypocrisie to tell them out of the Booke of God How farre a Man may goe in generall graces and doing many things c. and yet come short of Heaven To deliver Markes of sincere Professours of a saving Faith of true repentance of a sound conversion c. But I would have this done with a great deale of spirituall wisedome and heavenly understanding with much godly discretion and caution least thereby either the formall Professour may bee incouraged or the weakest Christian disheartned To discourse of the fewnesse and scarcity of those which shall bee saved and that even under the light and within the sound of the Gospell See Math. 20.16 Many are called but few chosen Consider the Parable of the Sower Mat. 13. There is but one good soile upon which the seed of the word falls prosperously but three reprobate grounds as it were upon which it is lost as water upon the ground See my first Doctr. upon Gen. 6.8 c. Thus let the Men of God acquaint themselves with such Points as they conceive the likeliest and most pregnant to pierce their Hearers hearts and come closest to their Consciences that so by the helpe of God they may pull them out of Hell And there are some
comest with thy cost Whereas God ever gives His Sonne freely and bids thee come and welcome and buy without money and without price Obiect 2. But will it not bee presumption in mee having no good thing in mee at all to bring with mee but comming now as it were fresh out of Hell from a most wicked impure abominable life to take Christ as mine owne and all those rich and pretious promises sealed with his blood Answ. Enough hath been already said to meete with this objection It is not presumption but good manners to come when thou art called How can Hee bee said to presume who is both invited and intreated commanded and threatned to come in c. Of which see before Thou must now in this extreme spirituall thirst of thine drinke of the water of life so freely offered that thou mayst receive some heavenly strength to bee good and power to become the Sonne of God Thou must throw thy sinfull Soule upon Iesus Christ bleeding and breathing out his last upon the Crosse as the Body of the Shunamites Childe was applyed to the Prophet stretching himselfe upon it That thou mayst thereby bee quickened with desired fruitfulnesse filled by little and little with all the fulnesse of God receiving grace for grace I am the resurrection and the life saith Christ Hee that believeth in me tho He were dead yet shall Hee live It were execrable presumption for any Man who purposeth to goe on in the willing practise or allowance of any one knowne sinne to believe that Christ is His righteousnesse and sanctification But where all sin is a Burden every promise as a world of gold and the heart syncere for a new way there a Man may be bold For thee to have pretended part in Christ wallowing yet in thy sinnes had been horrible presumption indeed and for mee to have applyed the Promises and preached peace unto thy remorselesse conscience before the Pangs of the New-birth had seazed upon thee had been damnable dawbing But in the Case I now suppose Thee to bee it is both seasonable and surely grounded for mee to assure thee of acceptation and pardon and for thee to receive Iesus Christ without any more adoe into the armes of thy humbled Soule 2. His sweet Name Exod. 34.6.7 Wherein is prevented whatsoever may any wayes bee pretended for standing out in this Case as appeares fully before pag. 415. line 25. 3. His glorious Attributes 1. His Truth Hee that believeth hath set to His Seale that God is true Ioh. 3.33 He that labours and is heavy laden with the burden of sin comes to Christ for case when Hee is called takes Him for his Saviour and His Lord and thereupon grounds a resolute unshaken and everlasting confidence that hee is His for ever puts to his Seale that Christ is true that His pretious promise Come unto mee all yee that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Mat. 11.28 is inviolable Whereby Christ Iesus blessed for ever is mightily honoured His truth glorified and thine owne soule with extraordinary blessednesse everlastingly enlived But Hee now that retires in this Case and holds off makes Him who is Truth it selfe a lyar Hee that believeth not God hath made Him a Lyar 1. Ioh. 5.10 Now what a fearefull indignity is this against the Lord God of Truth Wee see too often how miserable mortall men wormes of the earth take such an affront at the hands one of another For many times for the Lie given them they throw themselves desperately upon the irrecoverable ruine of their lives states soules and posterity by chalenging the field and killing each other Which dishonour to the mighty Lord of heaven and earth is the greater and is much aggravated by the infinite infallibility of the promises For besides His Word which were more then immeasurably sufficient Hee hath added a most solemne Oath for our sakes that wee might have greater assurance and stronger consolation 2. His Mercy most directly and specially And to say nothing of the freenesse of His mercy which springs onely out of the riches of his infinite bounty and the good pleasure of His will of his readinesse to forgive otherwise the death of Christ should bee of none effect His blood shed in vaine the greatest worke lost that ever was done of His delight in mercy Mich. 7.18 Mercy in man is a quality in God it is His nature and essence Now what wee doe naturally wee doe willingly readily unweariedly As the eye is not weary of seeing the eare with hearing c. A Bee gives honey naturally never stings but provoked When God is angry it is but as it were by accident upon occasion drawne unto it by the violent importunity of our multiplied provocations but Hee delights in mercy c. I say to say nothing of these this one consideration may convince us of extreme folly in refusing mercy in such a Case for all the hainousnesse or number of our sinnes to wit That no sinnes either for number or notoriousnesse in a truly broken heart can make so much resistance to Gods infinite mercies as the least sparke of fire to the whole Sea and that is little enough Nay as infinitely lesse as an infinite thing exceedes a finite Betweene which there is no proportion 3. His Power For thou art very like thus or in the like manner to reason within thy selfe and cavill cruelly against thine owne Soule Alas what talke you of taking Christ the promises of life and heavenly lightsomnesse my poore heart is as darke as the very middle of Hell much harder then a Rocke of Adamant as cold and dead as the senselesse Center of the earth as uncomfortable and restlesse almost as desperation it selfe c. It is more then infinitely impossible that such a darke hard dead comfortlesse Thing should ever bee enlightened softened quickened and established with joy c. But marke how herein thou unadvisedly under-valewes and unworthily sets bounds to the unlimited power of God Whereas thou shouldest imitate Abraham the Father of all them that believe who staggered not at the Promise of God through unbeliefe but was strong in faith giving glory to God And beeing fully perswaded that what Hee had promised Hee was able also to performe Rom. 4.20.21 Bee advised in this Case 1. To compare these two things together The making of the seven Starres and Orion and turning the shadow of death into the morning And the infusion of heavenly light into thy darke and heavy heart And doest thou not think that the second is as easie as the first to the same Omnipotent hand Nay it is easier in our conceit to the Divine Majesty nothing is difficult or un-easie For those glorious shining Constellations were created of nothing and nothing hath no disposition to any Beeing at all much lesse to any particular existence But a Soule sensible and weary of it's spirituall darknesse is
with the wrath of God and left to the horrour of some hideous temptation 4. Heare Master Hooker a man of great learning and very sound in this point I varie some words but keepe the sense entire Happier a great deale is that mans Case whose soule by inward desolation is humbled then hee whose heart is through abundance of spirituall delight lifted up and exalted above measure Better is it sometimes to goe downe into the pit with him who beholding darknes and bewailing the losse of inward ioy and consolation crieth from the bottome of the lowest hell My God My God why hast thou forsaken mee Then continually to walke arme in arme with Angels to sit as it were in Abrahams bosome and to have no thought or cogitation but of peace and blessing himselfe in the singularity of assurance above other men to say I desire no other blisse but only duration of my present comfortable feelings and fruition of God I want nothing but even thrusting into heaven and the like For in the height of spirituall ravishments thou art in great hazard of being exalted above measure and so may bee justly exposed to a Thorne in the flesh the Messenger of Satan to buffet thee which is a very heavie case But now on the other side the lowest degree of humiliation under Gods mighty hand is the nearest step to rising and extraordinary exultation of spirit The extremest darknesse of a spirituall desertion is wont to go immediately before the glorious Sun-rise of heavenly light and un-utterable lightsomnes in the soule David securely pleasing and applauding himselfe in his present stability and strong conceit of the continuance of his peace brake out thus I shal never be moved Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountaine to stand strong But hee was quickly throwne downe from the top of his supposed unmoveable hill taken off from the height of his confidence and lay trembling in the dust Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled But now that sweetest rapture of incredible joy for so he spake The ioy which I feele in my conscience is incredible did arise in Master Peacocks heart when hee was newly come as it were out of the mouth of Hell Mistris Bretterghs wonderfull reioycing followed immediately upon her returne out of a roaring wildernesse as she called it What large effusions of the Spirit and overflowing rivers of heavenly peace were plentifully showred downe upon Robert Glovers troubled spirit after the heaviest night in all likelyhood that ever he had in this world by reason of a greivous Desertion 5. Nay heare the Spirit of all truth and comfort Himselfe immediately Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his servant that walketh in darkenesse and hath no light Let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Whence wee may draw a double comfort in time of Desertion first Because in thy present apprehension thou finds and feeles thy selfe in darkenesse and to have no light thou art ready therupon to conceive and conclude un-necessarily against thy owne soule that Gods favour Iesus Christ grace salvation and all are gone for ever And this is the most cutting sting sorest pang which grievously afflicts and rents the heart in pieces with restlesse angvish in such Cases Out of what depth of horrour doe you thinke did these heavie groanes and almost if not altogether for the time despairing speeches spring in those blessed Saints mentioned before Will the Lord cast off for ever And will hee be favourable no more Is his mercy cleane gone for ever Doth his promise faile for evermore While I suffer thy terrours I am distracted I am amazed confounded and almost mad with feare least my soule should bee swallowed up with the horrours of eternall death I am afraid lest the Lord hath utterly withdrawne his wonted favour from me Woe woe woe c. A weake a wofull a wretched a forsaken woman I have no more sense of grace then these curtaines Oh! how wofull and miserable is my estate that must thus converse with hell-hounds It is against the course of Gods proceedings to save mee c. But now herein the deserted in the sense I have said are much deceived and extremely wrong their owne soules in such extremities not considering that their walking in darkenesse and having no light may most certainely consist with a saving estate and a Beeing in Gods favour tho for the present not perceived Which appeares plainely by the quoted place Wherein Hee that walketh in darkenesse and hath no light is such an one as feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voice of his servant Now the feare of God and obedience to the Ministery are evident markes of a gracious man Hence it is that when the servants of God are something come againe unto themselves they see and censure their owne unadvisednesse in that respect disavow and disclaime all termes tending that way which they let hastily fall from them in heate of temptation And I said faith David this is my infirmity but I will remember the yeeres of the right hand of the most High Truly said Master Peacocke my heart and soule have been far led and deepely troubled with temptations and stings of conscience but I thanke God they are eased in good measure Wherefore I desire that I bee not branded with the note of a forlorne reprobate Such questions Oppositions and all tending thereto I renounce Here then is a great deale of comfort in the greatest darkenesse of a spirituall desertion for wee may assure our selves that God by his blessed Spirit hath a secret influence and saving worke upon the soule of his Child when there is no light or feeling of his favour at all The Sun we know tho hee leaves his light upon the face of the earth yet notwithstanding descends by a reall effectual influence into the bosome and darkest bowels thereof and there exerciseth a most excellent work in begetting mettals Gold Silver and other pretious things It is proportionably so in the present Point A poore soule may lie groveling in the dust afflicted tossed with tempest and in present apprehension have no comfort and yet blessedly partake still of the sweet influence of Gods everlasting love of a secret saving worke of grace and almighty support of the sanctifying Spirit Let us looke upon the Lord Iesus himselfe His holy soule though hee was Lord of Heaven and Earth upon the Crosse was even as a scorched heath-ground without so much as any drop of deaw of comfort either from Heaven or Earth and yet at the same time hee was gloriously sustained by an omnipotent influence And God was never nearer unto Him than then neither Hee ever so obedient unto God And I make no doubt but that the judicious eye of the well-experienced Physition may many times easily observe it in those troubled tempted and deserted soules which they
have parted with the magnificent state and pompe of Pharaohs Court where Hee might have wallowed in varietie of all worldly delights and to take part with His afflicted Brethren of a world of miseries in a vast and roaring Wildernesse There was never carnall man since the Creation but in such a Case would have followed the Court and forsaken Gods people Hester a weake Woman could never possibly have holden out against the fury of so mighty a Favourite the hazarding of Her high Place the favour of so great a King and even life it selfe had She not been upholden by an extraordinary strength from Heaven No great Woman in the World wanting Grace would ever have runne such an hazard but have suffered the servants of God to sinke or swimme so that She might swimme downe the Current of the times without crossing and enjoy the present without perill It was a 〈◊〉 temptation 〈◊〉 â—â—nathan and a very 〈…〉 Dilemma Either leave to adhere to David or resolve to lose a Kingdome But the hope of an earthly Crowne could not hire Him to hold His peace and betray the innocency of His heavenly Friend And Ionathan answered Saul his Father and said unto Him Wherefore shall Hee bee slaine What hath Hee done The dread of dis-countenance from two angry Kings whose indignation is as the roaring of a Lyon was a terrible Motive to have made Michajah temporize not a Server of the Times and His owne turne in the World but would in this Case have tuned His Pipe to Ahabs pleasure especially encouraged by the flattering concurrence of so many false prophets But the sight of the mighty Lord of Heaven and Earth sitting upon His Throne and all the Host of Heaven standing by Him infused such an holy fortitude into the spirit of this Man of God that no greatnesse terrour or Majesty of any crowned Potentate could possibly daunt His courage or dash Him out of countenance And therefore Hee answeres with a resolution as high as Heaven and out of a sacred pang of seraphicall zeale As the Lord liveth whatsoever the Lord saith unto mee that will I speake So that Hee may discharge a good conscience and doe as God would have Him Hee is at a Point That Message which thâ—â—lmighty had put into His mouth must 〈…〉 Him to a centur◠〈…〉 from so 〈…〉 owne Coate to a suspicion of dis-loyalty for crossing so peremptorily the Kings Plot to smiting both with the fist of wickednesse and taunts of the tongue from His fellow Seers Nay tho His faithfull dealing throw Him into a Dungeon there to bee fed with the Bread of affliction and Water of affliction untill the full wrath of an enraged prophane King fall upon Him to the uttermost Thus let the World say what it will whatever flesh and blood suggest to the contrary Howsoever unsanctified great Ones storme and disdaine yet assuredly every true Friend to Iesus Christ must bee content farre rather to bee dis-courted then desert a good cause or not to defend the innocency of a gracious Man tho in disgrace and to speake for Gods people tho Haman rage to roote them out quite as a company of singular exorbitant fellowes who serve God as they list and keepe not the Kings Lawes As is unanswerably evident by the precedency of these newly named noble and holy Saints I confesse this may seeme precise Doctrine and a divine Paradox to all the great Masters of pleasure and Minions of luxury and pride whose blood runnes fresh in their veines and marrow is yet strong in their bones Nay who having attained the height of their ambitious aimes sit now aloft in the very top of their un-blessed bravery and greatnesse drunke with the pleasant wine of worldly prosperitie and holding in scorne the holy preaching of the good way the syncerity of the servants of Christ and society of the Brotherhood Yet I can assure them in the Word of Life and Truth the now embracement and practise of precise walking will incomparably more comfort them upon their Dying-Beds in that great and last encounter with all infernall powers about the immortality blisse and glory or the endlesse and unsupportable paines and misery of their Soules then if they had been the sole and soveraigne Commanders of all the Kingdoms of the Earth all their life long But no marvell in the meane time that as the Spirit of truth tells us and punctually to my purpose Not many Wise men after the flesh nor many Mighty not many Noble are called Not for any impossibility For the irresistable might of the Spirit worketh upon whom it will and some Great Men are good but by reason of the difficulty Being beset with such variety and strength of temptations they are rarelier and hardlier wrought upon by the Word and woone out of Satans en-snarements High roomes temporary happines abilities above ordinary so puffe them up and transport them beyond themselves with such a deale of Selfe-love Selfe-opinion Self-prizing that their proud and obstinated spirits will by no meanes stoope to the simplicity of the Gospell â—â—gularitie of the Saints and the foolishnesse of preaching But if at any time they heare of a Nathan Ieremy Amos Chrysostome Latimer c. They are very loth to lend their attention lest thereby they should bee made Melancholike put in mind of the Evill day tormented before their time But if they have the patience They are ready to startle in their seates and whisper One to an Other You see now these preciser Fellowes would damne us all to Hell Let us breake their bonds asunder and cast away their Cordes from us Such adoe there is and a world of worke to bring such noble Bedlams into their right minds and to fright such Idolizers of their owne sufficiencies and wilfull graspers of their gilded Fetters from their admired follies and honorable servitude 3. Thirdly a gracious Man about a Royall Person is a goodly Sight full well worth even a Kings Ransome For never any except himself truly feare the great God of Heaven can possibly bee cordially and conscionably serviceable to any of our earthly Gods A Principle so cleare and unquestionable that no Man of understanding and Master of his owne Wits except himselfe be notoriously obnoxious can have the face to deny it Please they may bee politically plausible flatter extremely and represent themselves to ordinary observation as the onely Men for loyalty and love But if wee could search and see their hearts wee should find them then most laborious to serue themselves and advance their owne ends when they seeme most zealous for their Soveraignes service Ahitophel in the Sunne-shine of peace and calmenesse of the Kingdomes time did accommodate himselfe to the present both in Consultations of State and religious conformitie But no sooner had this hollow-hearted man espied a dangerous tempest raysed by Absoloms un-naturall treachery but Hee turned Traytor to his naturall Lord when Hee
and truely examine what it hath reserved either of beauty and youth or fore-gone delights what it hath saved that it might last of his dearest affections or of whatever else the joviall Spring-time gave his thoughts contentment then unvaluable and he shall finde that all the art which his elder yeeres have can draw no other vapour out of these dissolutions then heavy secret and sad sighs He shall finde nothing remaining but those sorrowes which grow up after our fast-springing youth â—vertake it when it is at a stand and overtop it utterly when it begins to wither in so much as looking backe from the very instant time and from our now being the poore diseased and captive creature hath as little sense of all his former miseries and paines as he that is most blest in common opinion hath of his forepassed pleasures and delights For whatsoever is cast behind us is just nothing To ponder also profitably upon eternity that we may apply our hearts unto wisedome and so improove this short moment upon earth that it may goe well with us for ever let us take notice of and sensibly to heart this one quickning passage confidently averred by a great Writer If God saith He should speake thus to a damned Soule Let the whole world be filled with sand from the earth to the Empyrean heauen and then let an Angell come euery thousandth yeere and fetch only one graine from that mighty sandy mountaine when that immeasurable Heape is so spent and so many thousand yeeres expired I will deliver Thee out of Hell and those extreamest horrours that most miserable forlorne wretch notwithstanding that he were to lie thorow that unconceiveable length of time in those intollerable Hellish torments yet upon such a promise would infinitely rejoyce and deeme himselfe not to be damned But alas when all those yeeres are gone there are thousands upon thousands moe to be endured euen thorow all eternitie and beyond How heavy and horrible is the waight of everlastingnesse in that burning Lake and those tormenting flames when a damned man would thinke himselfe in Heaven in the meane time if he might have but hope of comming out of them after so many infinite millions of yeeres in them 3. That it would not profit a man tho he should gaine the whole world if he lose his owne Soule and that a man can give nothing in exchange for his Soule Christ himselfe said so Suppose thy selfe crowned with the confluence of all worldly felicities to have purchased a Monopoly of all pleasures honours and riches upon the whole earth to be attended with all the pompe and state thy heart could desire Yet what were this momentany golden dreame to a reall glorious eternitie How stinging would the most exquisite delight be curiously extracted out of them all accompanied with this one conceite the Soule is lost everlastingly All these painted vanities might seeme perhaps a gaudy Paradise to a spirituall Foole who hath his portion in this life But what true pleasure can a Man in his right wits but morally and illightned no further then with Philosophy take in them sith setting other respects aside they are so fading and He so fraile For the first God hath purposely put a transitory and mortall nature into all things here below They spring and flourish and die Even the greatest kingdomes and strongest Monarchies that ever were haue had as it were their infancy youthfull strength Mans state old age and at last their grave See the end of the mightiest states that ever the Sun saw shadowed by Nebuchadnâ—zzars great Image Dan. 2. 35. There was never Empire upon earth were it never so flourishing or great was ever yet so assured but that in revolution of time after the manner of other worldly things it hath as a sicke body bin subject to many innovations and changes and at length come to nothing Much more then the pride and pompe of all other inferiour earthly glory hath fallen at last into the dust and lies now buried in the grave of endlesse forgetfulnesse For the second Imagine there were constancy and eternity in the forenamed earthly bables yet what Man of braine would prize them worth a button sith His life is but a bubble and the very next houre or day to come He may utterly be cut off from them all for ever To day hee is set up and to morrow he shall not be found for he is turned into dust and his purpose perisheth Take them both together thus Set upon the head of the Worthiest Man that the earth beares yet wanting grace in His Soule all the most orient imperiall Crownes that ever highest ambition aimed at or attain'd unto put upon Him the royallest roabes that ever enclosed the body of the proudest Lucifer fill Him with all the wisedome and largest comprehensions which fall within the wide compasse and capacitie of any depths of policy or mysteries of state furnish Him to the full with the exactnesse and excellency of all naturall morall and metaphysicall learning put Him into the sole possession and command of this and the other golden world In a word crowne Him with the concurrence of all created earthly excellencies to the utmost and highest straine And lay this Man thus qualifyed and endowed upon the one scale of the ballance and vanity upon the other and vanity will overweigh Him quite Men of high degree are a lye to be laid in the ballance they are altogether lighter then vanitie Psal. 62.9 The rich Foole in the Gospell teacheth us that there is no man so assured of his honour of his riches health or life but that he may be deprived of either or all the very next night Besides by a thousand other causes meanes and wayes He may also be suddainely snatched away from the face of the earth in anger for setting his heart and rest upon such rotten staves of reede transitory shadowes and indeed that which is nothing Wilt thou cast thine eyes upon it which is nothing for riches conceive the same of all other worldly comforts taketh her to her wings as an Eagle and flieth into the heaven Prov. 23.5 How truely then is that mad and miserable Man a Sonne of confusion who spends the short Span of his mortall life in wooing the world who was never true to those that trusted in her ever false-hearted to all Her Favorites and at length most certainely undoes spiritually and everlastingly every Wretch that is wedded unto Her who passeth thorow a few and evill daies in this vale of teares in following feathers pursuing shadowes raising bubbles and balls like those which Boies out of spittle and sope in their pastimes blowing up with their quills ere they be tossed three times burst of themselues I meane worldly vanities but in the meane time suffers His immortall Soule more worth then many mateâ—â—all worlds and for which He can give nothing in exchange to abide all naked destitute and empty utterly unfurnished
us mercy mercy in the name of Christ Lord Iesus receive our spirits c. which last eiaculations did they spring from a truly broken penitent and heavenly heart and were they the periods and conclusions of a well-spent life might blessedly breake open with unresistable power the gates of Heaven unlocke the rich treasures of immortality and fill the departing Soule with the shining beames of Gods glorious presence but unto them such goodly and glorious speeches are but as so many catchings and scrablings of a Man over head in water Hee struggles and strives for hold to save Himselfe but Hee graspes nothing but water it is still water which Hee catches and therefore sinkes and drownes 6. In others from a mis-guided head-strong Zeale in will-worship an impotent peremptory conceit that they suffer in the cause of God and for the glory of Religion This unhallowed fury possessed many Hereretikes of old Vpon this false ground the Donatists in the fourth Century after Christ offered themselues willingly and suffered death most couragiously And so did the Euphemites who for the multitude of their supposed Martyrs would needs be called Martyrians Stories also tell us that Turkes Tartars and Mores both fight and dye most bravely and resolutely for the blasphemous opinions of Mahomet And that the Assasins a company of bloody Villaines and desperate Cut-throates who would without all scruple or feare undertake to dispatch any Man whom their Generall commanded them to murther dyed oftentimes with great constancy and un-dismaiednesse And this they accounted a speciall point of Religion But especially at this Day the Popish Pseudo-martyrs indeed true Traytors are starke mad with this superstitious rage First they drinke full deepe of the golden cup of abominable fornication in the hand of the great Whore Immediately whereupon they grow into an unsatiable and outragious thirst after the blood of Soules empoysoning them with the doctrine of Divels And also after the blood of whomsoever withstands their accursed superstitions even tho they weare Imperiall Crownes upon their Heads by plotting and practising treasons parricides assasinates empoysonings ruines of whole Nations barbarous Massacres blowing up of Parliaments and a world of bloody mischiefes which cast an inexpiable staine and obloquy upon the innocency of Christian Religion At last they come to Tyburne or some other Place of iust execution and then they will needes beare the world in hand that they are going towards Heaven to receive a Crowne of Martyrdome They seeme there already to triumph extraordinarily and to contemne tortures with an affected bravery they trample upon the Tribunals of Iustice kisse the instruments of death in signe of happinesse at hand and throw many resolute and reioycing speeches amongst the people as tho they had one foote in Heaven already When alas poore blind mis-guided Soules while they thus wilfully and desperately abandon their lives upon a groundlesse and gracelesse conceite that they shall become crowned Martyrs they are like a Man who lying asleepe upon an high and steepe Rock dreames that Hee is created a King guarded with a goodly traine of ancient Nobles furnished with many princely Houses and stately Palaces enriched with the Revenewes Majesty and Magnificence of a mighty Kingdome attended with all the pleasures His heart could desire c. But starting up upon the sudden and leaping for ioy falls headlong and irrecoverably into the raging Sea and so in liew of that imaginary happinesse Hee vainely grasped in a dreame Hee destroies Himselfe and looseth that little reall comfort Hee had in this miserable life That damned paire of incarnate Divels the English Fawkes and French Ravillac the one after that in the Popes cause Hee had embrued His hands in the Royall blood of a mighty King and the greatest Warriour upon Earth The other having done His utmost to blow up at once the glory power wisedome the Religion peace and posterity of the most renowned State under the Heavens were both prodigiously bold confident peremptory But was this courage thinke you inspired into them by the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah already triumphant in the Heavens or by that roaring Dragon of the bottomlesse Pit A man of an understanding impartiall discerning spirit would scarcely wish a clearer demonstration of the Truth and Orthodoxnes of our Religion then to marke the different Ends of our blessed Martyrs in Q. Maries time those Popish Traytors which are sometimes executed amongst us They both ordinarily at their Ends expresse a great deale of confidence But in the Pseudo-Catholicks Antichristian Martyrs it is so enforced artificiall ambitious affected Their speeches so cunning and composed upon purpose to seduce the simple Their last behaviour â—o plotted before-hand and formally acted Their prayers so unhearty plodding and perfunctory Their whole carriage so unspirituall and unlike the Saints of God discovering neither former acquaintances with the mysteries of true sanctification nor those present feeling elevations of spirit which are woont to fill the Soules which are ready to enter into the Ioyes of Heaven that to a spirituall eye to a man verst in the purity and power of godlinesse it is most cleare that their comfort in such cases is of no higher straine nor stronger temper then the morall resolution of an Heathen and head-strong conceit of Heresie can represent or reach unto It is otherwise with the true Martyrs of Iesus slaine most cruelly by that great Whore the MOTHER of HARLOTS drunken with a world of innocent blood as with sweet Wine As we may see and feele in that glorious Martyriology of our Saints in the mercilesse times of Queene Mary The constant profession and power of our most true and ever-blessed Religion did create such an holy and humble Maiesty in their carriages such a deale of Heaven and sober undantednesse in their countenances such ioyfull springings and spirituall ravishments in their hearts such grace and powerfull peircings in their speeches such zeale and hearty meltings in their prayers such triumphant and heavenly exultations amid the flames that it was more then manifest both to Heaven and Earth to Men and Angels that their Cause was the Cause of God their Murtherer that Man of sinne their blood the seede of the Church their Soules the Iewels of Heaven and their present passage the right and ready way to that unfading and most glorious Crowne of Martyrdome That which in fiction was fathered upon Father Campion was most true of every one of our true Martyrs That every one might say with heavy heart that stood Here speakes a Saint here dies a Lambe here flowes the guiltlesse blood Thus you haue heard upon what weake props and sandy foundations that confidence stands and is built which carnall men seeme to lay hold upon with great bravery in times of trouble and distresse But the comfort which sweetely springs from that spirit I speake of supported out of speciall favour and interest by the hand of God All-sufficient and the unconquerable
the clouds are the dust of His feete c. The Lord of hostes is his name whose power and punishments are so infinitely vnresistable that Hee is able with one word to turne all the creatures in the world into Hell nay even with the breath of His mouth to turne Heaven and Hell and Earth and all things into nothing How darest thou then so base and vile a wretch prouoke so great a God 8. Let the consideration and compassion upon the immortality and dearenesse of that pretious Soule that lies in thy bosome curbe thy corruptions at the very first sight of sinne and make thee step backe as though thou wert ready to treade upon a Serpent Not all the bloudy men upon earth or desperate Devils in Hell can possibly kill and extingvish the Soule of any man it must needs live as long as God Himself and run parallell with the longest line of eternity Onely sinne wounds mortally that immortal spirit brings it into that cursed case that it had infinitely better never have bin then be for ever For by this meanes going on impenitently to that last Tribunall it becomes immortally mortall and mortally immortall as one of the Ancients speakes It lives to death and dies to life never in state of life or death yet ever in the paines of death the perpetuity of life It 's death is ever-living it's end is ever in beginning Death without death End without end Ever in the pangs of death never dead not able to dye nor endure the paine Paine exceeding not only all patience but all resistance No strength to sustaine nor ability to beare that which heareafter whilst God is God for ever must bee borne What a prodigious Bedlam cruelty is it then for a maÌ„ by listning to the Syren-songs of this false world the lewd motions of His own treacherous heart or the Divels desperate counsel to embrew His hands in the bloud of His own everlasting soule to make it die eternally For a little paltry pleasure of some base rotten lust sleeting vanity which passeth away in the act as the tast of pleasant drink dieth in the draught to bring upon it in the other world torments whithout end and beyond all compasse of conceit And his madnesse is the more because besides it's immortality His Soule is incoÌ„parably more worth then the whole world The very sensitive Soule of a little slie saith Austin truly is more excellent then the Sun How ought wee then to prize and preserve from sinne our vnderstanding reasonable Soules which make us in that respect like unto the Angels of God 9. Ninthly What an horrible thing is sinne whose waight an Omnipotent strength which doth sustaine the whole Frame of the world is not able to beare Almighty God complaines Isa. 1.14 even of the Sacrifices and other services of his owne people when they were performed with polluted hearts and professes that He was weary to beare them And how vile is it that stirs up in the dearest and most compassionate bowells of the All-mercifull God such implacable anger that threw downe so many glorious Angelicall spirits who might have done Him so high honour for ever in the highest Heauens into the bottome of Hell there most iustly to continue Devils and in extremest torment everlastingly Cast all mankinde out of His fauour and from all felicity for Adams sin caused Him who delighteth in mercy to create all the afflicting miseries in Hell eternal flames streames of brimstone chaines of darknesse gnashing of teeth a Lake of fire the bottomlesse Pit and all those horrible torments there And that which doth argue and yet further amplifie the implacablenes and depth of divine indignation the infinitenesse of sinnes prouocation and desert Tophet is said to bee ordeined of old Everlasting fire to be prepared for the Devill and His Angells As if the All-powerfull wisedome did deliberate and as it were sit downe and devise all stâ—â—ging terrible ingredients a temper of greatest torture to make that dreadfull fiâ—e hellish paines most fierce and raging and a fit instrument for the iustice of so great and mighty a God to torment eternally all impenitent reprobate Rebels God is the Father of Spirits our Soules are the immediate Creation of His Almighty Hand and yet to every one that goeth on impenitently in his trespasses Hee hath appointed as it were a threefold Hell There are three things considerable in sinne 1. Aversion from an infinite soveraigne unchangeable good 2. Conversion to a finite mutable momentany good 3. Continuance in the same To these three severall things in sinne there are answering three singular stings of extremest punishment To aversion from the chiefest Good which is objectively infinite there answereth Paine of losse as they call it Privation of Gods glorious presence and separation from those endlesse joyes above which is an infinite losse To the inordinate conversion to transitory things there answereth Paine of sense which is intensively finite as is the pleasure of sinne And yet so extreme that none can conceive the bitternesse thereof but the Soule that suffers it nor that neither except it could comprehend the Almighty wisedome of Him that did create it To the eternity of sinne remaining for ever in staine and guilt answereth the eternity of punishment For wee must know that every impenitent sinner would sinne ever if he might live ever and casteth himselfe by sinning into an impossibility of ever ceasing to sinne of Himselfe as a Man that casteth himselfe into a deepe Pit can never of Himselâ—e rise out of it againe And therefore naturally eternity of punishment is due to sinne How prodigious a thing then is sinne and how infinitely to bee abhorred and avoided that by a malignant meritorious poyson and provocation doth violently wrest out of the hands of the Father of mercies and God of all comfort the full vials of that unquenchable wrath which brings caselesse endlesse and remedilesse torments upon His owne creatures and those originally most excellent 10. Tenthly The height and inestimablenesse of the price that was paid for the expiation of it doth clearely manifest nay infinitely aggravate the execrable misery of sinne and extreame madnesse of all that meddle with it I meane the hearts-blood of Iesus Christ blessed for ever which was of such pretiousnesse and power that beeing let out by a Speare it amazed the whole Frame of Nature darkened the Sunne miraculously for at that time it stood in direct opposition to the Moone shooke the Earth which shrunke and trembled under it opened the Graves clave the Stones rent the Vaile of the Temple from the bottome to the top c. Now it was this alone and nothing but this could possibly cleanse the filth of sinne Had all the dust of the earth been turned into silver and the stones into pearles Should the maine and boundlesse Ocean have streamed nothing but purest gold would the
whole world and all the creatures in Heaven and Earth have offered themselves to bee annihilated before His angry face Had all the blessed Angels prostrated themselves at the foote of their Creator yet in the Point of redemption of Mankind and purgation of sin not any nor all of these could have done any good at all Nay if the Sonne of God Himselfe which lay in His bosome should have supplicated and solicited I meane without suffering and shedding His blood the Father of all mercies Hee could not have been heard in this case Either the Sonne of God must die or all Mankind be eternally damned Even then when thou art provoked to sinne thinke seriously and sensibly of the price that upon necessity must bee paied for it before it bee pardoned 11. Sinfull pleasures are attended with a threefold bitter sting Whereof see my Directions for walking with God pa. 171. Which though the Divell hides from them in the heate of temptation yet in His seasons to serve his owne turne Hee sets them on with a vengeance 12. Compare the vast and unvalu-able difference betweene yeelding to the entisement and conquering the temptation to sinne For which purpose looke upon Ioseph and David two of Gods dearest servants And consider the consequents what a deale of honour and comfort did afterward crowne the head and the heart of the one And what horrible mischiefes and miseries fell upon the family and grisly horrours upon the conscience of the other Survay also the distinct Stories of Galeacius Caracciolus and Franciscus Spira then which in their severall kinds there is nothing left to the memory of the latter times more remarkeable And you shall find in them as great a difference as betweene an Heaven and Hell upon earth The one withstanding unconquerably variety of mighty entisements to renounce the Gospell of Iesus Christ and returne to Popery besides the sweet peace of His Soule attained that honour in the Church of God that Hee is in some measure paralleld even with Moses and recommended to the admiration of Posterity by the Pen of that great and incomparable glory of the Christian World blessed Calvin The other conquered by an unhappy temptation to turne from the Truth of God and our true Religion to the Synagogue of Satan and abominations of the scarlet Whore besides the raging and desperate confusion hee brought upon His owne spirit became such a spectacle to the eye of Christendome as hath been hardly heard of 13. Compare the poore short vanishing delight of the choisest sensuall worldly contentment if thou wilt of thy sweetest sinne with the exquisitnesse and eternity of Hellish torments Out of which might an impenitent reprobate wretch bee assured of enlargement after Hee had endured them so many thousand thousand yeeres as there are sands on the Sea-shore haires upon His head starres in the firmament grasse piles upon the ground Creatures both in Heaven and Earth Hee would thinke Himselfe happy and as it were in Heaven already See before pag. 39. But when all that time is past and infinite millions of yeeres besides they are no neerer end then when they begun nor Hee neerer out then when Hee came in The torments of Hell are most horrible yet I know not whether this incessant desperate cry in the conscience of a damned Soule I must never come out doth not outgoe them all in horrour What an height of madnesse is it then to purchase a moment of fugitive follies and fading pleasures with extremity of never ending paines 14. When thou art stepping ouer the threshold towards any vile act lewd House dissolute company or to do the Divel service in any kinde which God forbid suppose thou seest Iesus Christ comming towards Thee as Hee lay in the armes of Ioseph of Arimathea newly taken downe from the Crosse wofully wounded wanne and pale His Body all gore-blood the beauty of His blessed and heavenly face darkned and disfigured by the stroke of death speaking thus unto Thee Oh! Goe not forward upon any termes Commit not this sinne by any meanes It was this and the like that drew mee downe out of the armes of my Father from the fulnesse of joy and Fountaine of all blisse to put on this corruptible and miserable flesh to hunger and thirst to watch and pray to groane and sigh to offer up strong cries and teares to the Father in the dayes of my flesh To drinke off the dregs of the bitter cup of His feirce wrath to wrastle with all the forces of infernall powers to lay downe my life in the gates of Hell with intolerable and saue by my selfe vnconquerable paine and thus now to lie in the armes of this mortall Man all torne and rent in peices with cruelty and spite as thou seest What an heart hast thou that darest goe on against this deare entreaty of Iesus Christ 15. When thou art unhappily mooued to breake any branch of Gods blessed Law let the excellency and variety of His incomparable mercies come presently into thy minde a most ingenuous sweet and mighty motive to hinder and hold off all gracious hearts from sin How is it possible but a serious survay of the riches of Gods goodnes forbearance long-suffering leading thee to repentance to more forwardnes and fruitfulnes in the good Way The publike miracles of mercy which God hath done in our daies for the preservatioÌ„ of the Gospel this kingdome ourselves and our posterity especially drowning the Spanish invincible Armado discouering and defeating the Powder-plot sheilding Q. Elizabeth the most glorious Princesse of the world from a world of Anti-christian cruelties saving us from the Papists bloudy expectations at Her death c. The particular and private Catalogve of thine owne personall favours from Gods bountifull hand which thine owne conscience can easily leade Thee unto and readily run over from thine infancy to the present wonderfull protections in thine unregenerate time that miracle of mercies thy conversion if thou be already in that happy state all the motions of Gods holy Spirit in thine heart many checks of conscience fatherly corrections excellent meanes of sanctification as worthy a ministry in many Places as ever the world enjoyde Sermon upon sermon Sabbath after Sabbath bearing with thee after so many times breaking thy covenants Oportunities to atâ—aine the highest degree of godlinesse that ever was c. I say how can it bee but that the reuise of these and innumerable mercies moe should so mollify thy heart that thou shouldest haue no heart at all nay infinitely abhorre to displease or any way dishonour that High and dreadfull Majesty whose free grace was the well-Head and first Fountaine of them all Let this meditation of Gods mercies to keepe from sinne bee quickned by considering 1. That thou art farre worthier to bee now burning with the most abominable Sodomite in the bottome of Hell then to bee crowned with any of these loving kindnesses That if
many respects 1. In respect of Gods word and messages first not dividing it and dispensing them aright Secondly Dishonouring the Majesty and weakening the power of them many times with the vnprofitable mixture of humane allegations ostentations of wit fine frier-like conceits digged with much adoe out of Popish postills c. Even as wee may see at haruest time a land of good corne quite choaked up with red blew and yellow flowers As King Iames doth excellently allude in the forecited place Thirdly Fearefull prophaning them by mis-application against Gods will Making the heart of the righteous Sad whom God would not have made Sad and strengthening the hands of the wicked that hee should not returne from his wicked way by promising him life Fourthly Villanous perverting and abusing them to their owne advantage applause rising revenge and such other private ends 2. In respect of the flattering and unfaithfull Ministers themselves First Extreme vilenesse Isa. 9.15 Secondly Guiltinesse of spirituall bloudshed Ezech. 3.18 Thirdly Liablenesse to the fierce wrath of God in the Day of visitation Ier. 14.15 1. King 22.25 3. In respect of their hearers who delight in their lies in their smooth and silken sermons Suddaine horrible and unavoidable confusion Isa. 30.13.14 4. Burning both together in hell for euer without timely and true repentance banning there each other continually and crying with mutuall hideous yellings O thou bloody Butcher of our Soules hadst thou bin faithfull in thy Ministery wee had escaped these eternall flames O miserable man that I am Woe is mee that ever I was Minister for now besides the horrour due unto the guiltinesse of mine owne damned Soule I have drawen vpon mee by my unfaithfull dealing the cry of the bloud of all those soules who have perished under my Ministery to the everlasting enraging of my already intollerable torment Give mee leave to conclude this point with that patheticall and zealous passage of reuerend and learned Greenham against negligent pastors amongst whom I may justly ranke and reckon also all Dawbers for as well never a whit as never the better Men-pleasers For selfe preachers are for the most part seldom-preachers Heare His words Were there any love of God from their hearts in those who in stead of feeding to salvation starve many thousands to Destruction I dare Say and say it boldly that for all the promotions under Heaven they would not offer that iniury to one Soule that now they offer to many hundred Soules But Lord how doe they thinke to give up their reckoning to thee who in most strict account will take the answere of every Soule committed unto them one by one Or with what eares doe they often heare that vehemâ—nt speech of our Saviour Christ Feede Feede Feede with what eyes doe they so often readâ— that piercing speech of the Apostle Feede the slocke committed unto you But if none of these will move them then the Lord open their eyes to heare the grievous groanes of many Soules lying under the griefly altars of destruction and complaining against them O Lord the revenger of blood behold these men whom thou hast set over us to give us the bread of life but they have not given it us Our tongues and the tongues of our children have stucke to the roofe of our mouths for calling and crying and they would not take pitty on vs Wee have given them the tenths which thou appointedst us but they have not given us thy truth which thou hast commanded them Reward them O Lord as they have rewarded us Let the bread betweene their teeth turne to rottennesse in their bowells Let them be clothed with shame and confusion of face as with a garment Let their wealth as the Dung from the earth bee swept away by their executours And upon their gold silver which they have falsely treasured up let continually bee written the price of blood the price of blood For it is the value of our blood O Lord. If thou didst heare the blood of Abel being but one man forget not the blood of many when thou goest into judgement I now returne to rectify and tender a remedy against the first aberration Which I told you was this When mercy Christ the promises salvation heaven all are applied hand overhead and falsely appropriated to vnhumbled sinners whose Soules were never rightly illightened with sight of sinne and waight of Gods wrath nor afflicted to any purpose with any legall wound or hearty compunction by the Spirit of bondage In whose hearts sense of their spirituall misery and want hath not yet raised a restlesse and kindly thirst after Iesus Christ In this case mine advise is that all those who deale with others about their Spirituall states and undertake to direct in that high and waighty affaire of mens Salvation either publikly or privatly in their ministry visitations of the sicke or otherwise that they would follow that course of which I largely discoursed a little before taken by God himselfe his Prophets his Sonne the Apostles and all those men of God in all ages who have set themselves with Sincerity faithfulnesse and all good Conscience to seeke Gods glory in the salvation of mens Soules to discharge aright their dreadfull charge and to keepe themselues pure from the blood of all men To wit That they labour might and maine in the first Place by the knowledge power and application of the Law to illighten convince and terrify those that they have to doe with concerning conversion with a sensible particular apprehension and acknowledgement of their wretchednesse and miserable estate by reason of their sinfulnesse and cursednesse To breake their hearts bruise their Spirits humble their Soules wound and awake their Consciences c. To bring them by all meanes to that Legall astonishment trouble of minde and melting temper which the Ministry of Iohn Baptist Paul and Peter wrought upon the Hearts of their hearers Luk. 3.10.12.14 Act. 16.30 And 2.37 That they may come crying feelingly and from the heart to those Men of God who happily fastened those keene arrows of compunction and remorse in the sides of their Consciences and say Men and Brethren what shall wee do Sirs what must wee doe to bee saved c. As if they should have said Alas wee see now wee have bin in Hell all this while and if wee had gone on a litle longer wee had most certainely lien for ever in the fiery Lake The Devill and our owne lusts were carrying us hood-winkt and headlong towards endlesse perdition Who would have thought wee had bin such abominable beasts and abhorred Creatures as your Ministry hath made us and in so forlorne wofull estate Now you blessed Men of God helpe us out of this gulfe of spirituall confusion or wee are lost everlastingly By your discovery of our present sinfull and cursed estate wee â—eele our hearts torne in pieces with extreme and restles
empoysoner of mens soules which beeing the glorious issue of thine owne infinite understanding was purposely created as a most pretious Panacea an universall medicinall store-house for the cure of all spirituall maladies an inexhausted treasury of all sound comfort true joy peace and refreshing Now the Lord rebuke thee Satan and returne as dung upon thine owne face this villanous base and wicked slaunder which by thy gracelesse instruments thou labourest to cast upon the glorious face of Christianity the incomparable sweetnesse of the wayes of grace and that One necessary thing I have knowne when the onely wise God hath suffered for ends seene and seeming good to his heavenly wisedome the hideous and raging humour of melancholie to darken the native clearenes of the animall spirits in the braine requisite to a due discretion of things apprehended and to blunder and disorder the objects and operations of the phantasie in his dearest child even to distraction and breaking out into that inordinate passion against reason I say then the concurrent cry and clamour of the enemies to the power of Godlines to bee This it is now to bee so bookish to follow preachers so much to be more holy then their neighbours never to have done in serving of God Her so much reading the scriptures and such poring upon precise bookes so they call those which most pierce the conscience and guide the cleerliest in the holy path hath made her starke mad The Puritan is now besides her selfe c. Now I say againe the Lord rebuke thee Satan who sits with such extreme malice and soule-killing folly in the hearts heads of such miserable men whom thou so sottishly hood-winkes and hardens to the height for a most desperate downefal and horrible confusion at last Were now the glorified soule of that blessed Saint consulted with and asked Diddest thou ever receive hurt by reading Gods blessed book by searching sweetly into the great mystery of Christ crucified by meditation upon heavenly things Did the sacred sense of those divine Oracles dissettle thy noble faculties or ever make sad thy heart c. Oh! with what infinite indignation would it sly in the face of such cursed Cavillers and wranglers against the truth Is it possible for the sole and soveraigne Antidote sent from heaven by God himselfe against the sting and venome of all heart-griefe and horror the sacred Sun of saving truth which is onely able to ennoble and glorifie our understandings with wisedome from the brest of the everlasting counsell of Iesus Christ should become the cause of discomfort and dissettlement of the soule No no. There is such a quickening healing and mighty efficacy and vigour shed into it from the Father of lights and shining in it from the face of Christ that by the helpe of the blessed spirit it can turne darkenes into light death into life hell into heaven the deepest horrour into height of joy Tell mee of any misery upon the body soule outward state or good name any calamity felt or feared in this life or the life to come and if thou wilt bee converted and counselled I can send thee to some both Promise and Precedent in this book of God which may upon good ground fill thine heart as full with sound comfort as the Sun is of Light and the Sea of Waters Nay give mee a wounded spirit with all it 's inexplicable terrors and bitternesse which is the greatest misery extremest affliction of which an understanding Soule is capable in this life And let first all the physitians in the world even the Rose-knights as they call themselves lay all their heads skill and experience together for the cure Let all the highest Monarchs upon earth shine upon it with their Imperiall favours for comfort Let the depth of all humane wisedome and the height of the most excellent oratory bee improoued to perswade it peace Let all the creatures in heaven and earth contribute their severall abilities and utmost to still it 's rage And when all these have done and have done just nothing I will fetch a cordiall out of Gods owne booke which shall mollifie the anguish expell the venome and bind it up with everlasting peace which passeth all understanding that the broken bones may rejoyce and the poore soule groaning most grievously under the guilty horrour of many foule abominations and ready to sink into the gulph of despaire bee sweetly bathed and refreshed in the fountaine opened by the hand of mercy for sinne and for uncleannesse Christs dearest bloud the glorious wel-spring of all lightsomnesse and joy Heare how precisely for this purpose and how punctually against such pestilent cauillers some of the ancient Fathers doe Puritanize There is no malady saith Chrysostome either of body or soule but may receive a medicine out of Gods booke One comes oppressed with sadnesse and anxiety of businesses overwhelmed with griefe But presently hearing the Prophet saying Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee Hope thou in God for I will yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Hee receives abundance of comfort and abandons all heavines of heart Another is pinched with extreme poverty takes it heavily and grieves seeing others flowing in riches swelling with pride attended with great pompe and state But hee also heares the same Prophet saying Cast thy burden upon the Lord and hee shall sustaine thee And againe Be not afraide when one is made rich when the glory of his house is increased For when hee dieth hee shall carry nothing away His glory shall not descend after him There is another which assaulted with insidiations and calumnies is much troubled thinkes his life uncomfortable finding no helpe in man Hee is also taught by the same prophet that in such perplexities wee must not resort to the arme of flesh Heare what hee saies They slandered and I prayed The mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitfull are opened against mee They have spoken against mee with a lying tongue They compassed mee about also with words of hatred and fought against mee without a cause For my love they are my adversaries But I give my selfe to prayer Another is slighted and contemned by some base contemptible underlings and forsaken of his friends And that is it which most troubles his mind goes nearest to his heart But hee also if hee will come hither doth heare that blessed man saying My Lovers and my freinds stand aloofe from my sore and my kinsmen stand afarre off They also that seeke after my life lay snares for mee and they that seeke my hurt speake mischeivous things and imagine deceipts all the day long But I as a deafe man heard not and I was as a dumbe man that openeth not his mouth Thus I was as a man that heareth not and in whose mouth are no reproofes for in thee O Lord do I hope thou
Mercifull and 2 Gracious 3 Long-suffering and abundant in 4 Goodnesse and 5 Truth 6 Keeping mercy for thousands 7 Forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne In which there are implyed un-answerable replies to all the scruples doubts exceptions objections which may arise in a troubled soule 1. Thou sayest perhaps that thou art plunged into the depth of extremest spirituall misery both in respect of sâ—â—fulnesse and cursednesse The present sense whereof is ready to sinke thee into despaire Be it so Then take my counsell in this Case Cast thine eye upon the first and fairest flowre in this heavenly-glorious Garland of divine goodnesse And thou shalt finde a fame greater depth of mercy ready to swallow up thy depth of misery The mercy of God and misery in this kind are relatives No misery no mercy much misery much mercy transcendent misery transcendent mercy the onely difference is the mercy of God is infinite thy misery finite And therefore how much spirituall misery soever thou bringest in a broken heart to the Throne of grace Gods bountifull hand will weigh out to thee a proportionable measure of mercy nay a measure without measure super-abundant running-over For where misery in a truly humbled soule aboundeth there mercy doth much more abound 2. Or suppose that at thy first turning unto God tho truly humbled yet thou art tempted not to take Christ out of this ccoÌ„eit because thou art but euen now come out of hell and horrible courses and as yet hast no good thing in thee at all Or after some progresse in Christianity reflecting in time of temptation upon thy whole carriage since conversion and finding it to have been so fruitlesse and full of failings Thou concludest thy selfe in thy present feeling to be extremely vile of a very doubtfull state for thy soule if not stark naught That no Professour upon earth walkes so unworthily and if Ministers knew thy heart and weake performance of holy duties they would not bee so forward to presse comfort upon thee c. I say in these two cases and the like it is a great happinesse and sweetest comfort that the mighty Lord of Heaven and Earth hath proclaimed himselfe to bee Gracious which imports thus much to poure out abundance of extraordinary bounty upon a most undeserving partie To place dearest affection and desire of doing good there where there is no desert at all As if a King to make his royall favours more illustrious should raise a worthlesse Wretch a most contemptible Vassal to be his worthiâ—â—â— Favorite highest in his love And therefore bring 〈◊〉 to the Throne of Grace but a true sense of thy misery a syncere thirst for mercy an humble acknowledgement of thine unworthinesse and God hereupon for his Christs sake will thinke thee worthy of the riches of his grace the righteousnesse of his Son all the promises in his Booke all the comforts of his Spirit a Crowne of immortality and blisse For hee is gracious and an universall glorious confluence of blessednesse in all kinds is promised to poverty in spirit and shal most certainely to the vtmost bee made good unto it for ever 3. But alas I saith an other have most wretchedly mis-spent the flower and strength of mine age in vanity and pleasure in lewdnesse and lust The best of my time hath been wofully wasted in Satans notorious service and sensuall serving my selfe c. And therefore tho I bee now weary of my former waies and looke backe upon them with a trembling heart and grieved spirit yet I am affraid that God hath given over looking after mee that His patience towards mee is expired and my day of visitation out-stood And that he will not vouchsafe to cast his eye of compassion upon such a Blackamore Leopard as I am so overgrowne with corruption and growne old in sinne especially having so long neglected so great salvation forsaken mine owne mercy so long and so unthankefully despised the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance leading mee to repentance I confesse it is something rare to see men gone-on so long and growne old in sinne to returne and give way to any saving worke of the Ministry because too often in the meane time they so harden their hearts that they cannot repent yet notwithstanding bee thou assured in the Word of life and truth if now at length thou be truly touched indeed and will come-in in earnest the Father of mercies will receive thee freely to mercy and embrace thy bleeding soule in the armes of his everlasting love through Christ. For it is a title of highest honour unto him to be long-suffering Hee all this while waited that hee might bee gracious unto thee And now undoubtedly upon thy first resolution to returne in truth hee will meete thee with infinitely more compassionate affectionatenesse then the Father in the Gospell his Prodigall who when hee was a great way off his Father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neckâ— and kissed him c. 4. Yea but saith an other Though I have been a Professour long yet many times my heart is full heavy and more loth to beleive when I seriously and sensibly call to minde the hainousnesse of my unregenerate time and see in my selfe besides since I was illightned and should have behaved my selfe in forwardnesse and fruitfullnesse for God answerably to my former folly and furiousnesse in evill so many defects and imperfections every day and such weake distracted discharging of commanded duties both to God and man Take then counsell and comfort in this Case by casting thine eye upon Gods kindnesse He is abundant in kindnesse which hath these foure pretious properties First To bee easily intreated Secondly To be intreated for the greatest Thirdly to passe by involuntary infirmities Fourthly to accept gratiously weake services Even â— fraile man if of a more noble generous and kind disposition will bee easily appeased for the unpurposed offences errours and over-sights and well pleased with the good will syncere indeavours and utmost especially of those who hee knowes to bee true-hearted unto him and desire heartily if they were able to doe all hee desires even to the height of exactnesse and expectation How much more then will our heavenly Father deale so with his children who is in himselfe essentially kinde and infinitely 5. Yea but saist thou many times when I reach 〈◊〉 the hand of my faith to fetch some speciall promise into my soule for refreshing and comfort and weighing them well and comparing advisedly my owne nothingnesse worthlesnesse vilenesse with the riches of mercy grace and glory shining in it and marking the dis-proportion I am overwhelmed with admiration and astonishment and to tell you true say sometimes to my selfe Is it possible that this should be so That so glorious things should belong to such a wretch and worme as I am But turning thine eye from a distrustfull and too much dejected dwelling upon thine owne
Abraham as you know Gen. 22. did not indeede when it came to the Point sacrifice his Son An Angell from Heaven stayed his hand Onely Hee had a will purpose and resolution if the Lord would so have it even to shed the blood of his onely Childe Now this desire to please God was graciously accepted at his hands as tho the thing had been done and thereupon crowned with as many blessings as there are starres in Heaven and sands upon the Sea-shore By my selfe have I sworne saith the Lord because Thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thine onely Sonne and yet Hee spilt not a drop of his blood save onely in purpose and preparednesse to doe Gods will Therefore will I surely blesse thee and greatly multiply thy seede as the starres of the Heaven and as the sand which is upon the Sea-shore vers 16.17 Rich men Marke 12. cast into the Treasury large Doles and royall offerings no doubt For it is there said Many that were rich cast in much vers 41. And yet the poore Widowes two mites receiving worth and waight from her holy and hearty affection in Christs esteeme did out-valew and over-weigh them all Verely saith Christ I say unto you that this poore widow hath cast more in then all they which have cast into the Treasury Reasons 1. One argument may bee taken from the blessed noblenesse of Gods nature and the incomparable sweetnesse of his divine disposition Which by infinite distance without all degree of comparison and measure of proportion doth surpasse and transcend the ingenuousnesse of the noblest spirit upon earth Now men of ingenuous breeding and generous dispositions are wont to receive sweetest contentment and rest best satisfied in prevailing over and winning the hearts good wills and affections of those who attend or depend upon them Outward performances gratifications and visible effects are often beyond our strength and meanes many times mingled and quite mard with Hypocrisies disguisements famed accommodations and flatteries with selfe-advantages by-respects and private ends But inward reverence and love kind and affectionate stirrings of the heart are ever and alone in our power and ever by an uncontrole-able freedome exempted from enforcement dissembling and formality No marvaile then tho the most royall and Heroicall spirits prize most and bee best pleased with possession of Mens hearts and beeing assured of them can more easily pardon the want of those outward Acts of sufficiency and service most minded by basest men which they see to be above the reach of their ability and power Now if it be so that even ingenuous and noble natures accept with speciall respect and esteeme the affectionatenesse and hearty well-willing of their followers and Favourits tho thâ—y want dexterity and meanes to expresse iâ— actually in visible effects and executions answerable to their affection How much more are spirituall longings holy affections thirsty desires graciously accepted of that God in respect of whose compassions the bowels of the most mercifull man upon earth are cruelty In respect of whose immeasurably amiable melting sweetest disposition the ingenuousnesse of the noblest spirit is doggednesse and disdaine Especially sith Mens good Turnes and Offices of love turne many times to our good and benefit to our advancement profit preferment But our well-doing extendeth not unto God That infinite essentiall glory with which the highest Lord alone to bee blessed adored and honoured by all for ever was is and shall bee everlastingly crowned can neither bee empaired by the most desperate rebellions or enlarged by the most glorious good deeds Can a man saith Eliphaz to Iob bee profitable unto God As Hee that is wise may bee profitable unto himselfe Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous Or is it gaine to Him that thou makest thy waies perfit And Cap. 35.6 7 8. If thou sinnest what doest thou against Him Or if thy transgressions bee multiplyed what doest thou unto Him If thou bee righteous what givest thou to Him Or what receiveth he of thine hand Thy wickednesse may hurt a man as thou art and thy righâ—eousnesse may profit the Sonne of Man Were all the wicked men upon earth turned into humane beasts desperate Belials nay incarnate Divels and the whole world full of those out-ragious Giants of Babell and those also of the oâ—â— World And all with combined force and fury should bend and band themselves against Heaven yet they could not hurt God The Lord is King be the people never so impatient Hee sitteth between the Cherubins be the earth never so unquiet Or Were all the Sonnes of men Abrahams or Angels and as many in number as the Starres in Heaven and as shining both with inward graces and outward good deeds as they are in visible glory yet could they make no addition unto that incomprehensible Majesty above They could not conferre so much as one drop to that boundlesse and bottomlesse Sea of goodnesse or the least glimpse unto that Almighty Sunne of glory All nations before Him are as nothing and they are counted to Him lesse then nothing and vanity Our sinnes hurt Him not Our holinesse helpes Him not It is onely for our good that God would have us good No good no gaine accrewes unto Him by our goodnesse For what good can come by our imperfect goodnesse to that which is already infinitely good What glory can bee added by our dimnesse to Him which is already incomprehensibly glorious Every infinite Thing is naturally and necessarily uncapable of addition Possibility of which suppos'd implies contradiction and destroyes the nature of Infinity If it bee so then that good turnes doe good unto Men and yet out of their ingenuousnesse they most esteeme good wills true heartednesse kind affections And can well find in their hearts to passe-by failings where there is heart and good will as they say To pardon easily want of exactnesse in performance where there are unfained purposes How much more will our gracious God who gaines nothing by all the good workes in the world out of the depth of His dearest compassions kindly interpret and accept in good part the holy longings and hungry desires of a panting and bleeding Soule How dearely will Hee love the love of a true-hearted Nathanael How willingly will Hee take the will for the deede the groanings of the Heart before the greatest Sacrifice But lest you mistake take notice here of a two-fold Glory 1. Essentiall infinite everlasting It is impossible that this should either receive disparagement and diminution or addition and encreasement by any created power And this I meant in the precedent Passage 2. The other I may call Accidentall finite temporary This ebbs or slowes shines or is over-shadowed as Goodnesse or Gracelesnesse prevailes in the world As the kingdom of Christ or powers of darknes get the upper hand amonst the Sonnes of Men. In this regard indeede Rebellious wretches dishonour God upon Earth I confesse And Godly men
by their holy Duties good workes and gracious behaviour make his Name more illustrious in the world But what is this to that essentiall infinite everlasting glory which was as great and full in all that former eternity before the world was When God blessed for ever enjoyed onely His glorious Selfe Angels Men and this great Vniverse lying all hid as yet in the darke abhorred Dungeon of Nothing as now it is or ere shall bee 2. A second reason may bee taken from Gods proportionable proceeding in his courses of justice and mercy In his executions of Iustice and inflictions of punishment He interprets and censures desires for the deeds affections for Actions Thoughts for the things done Whosoever saith Christ looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart In Gods interpretation in the search and censure of divine justice Hee that lusts after a Woman in his heart is an adulterer and without true and timely repentance in the meane time shall bee so taken and proceeded against at that great and last Day Whosoever hateth his Brother saith Iohn is a man-slayer An hateful thought of our Brother murthers Him and spils his blood by the verdict of the blessed Spirit And a malicious man at the Barre of God goes for a Man-slaier If this then bee Gods property and proceeding in justice wee may much more confidently expect Nay with reverent humility challenge way beeing made by the mediation of Christ the same proportionable measure in those His most sweet and lovely inclinations and expressions of mercy Shall a lewde desire after a woman fall under the Axe of Gods justice as if it were the grosse Actâ— of lust And shall not a longing desire after grace bee graciously embraced in the armes of mercy as the grace it selfe Shall an angry thought invisible immaterial hurtfull only to the heart which harbours it be charged with actuall bloodshed And shall not a panting thirst of a broken and bleeding Soule after Christs saving and sanctifying blood bee bath'd and refresht in his pretious blood Yes certainely and much rather For Gods tender mercies are over all his workes Psal. 145.9 And mercy with an holy exultation triumpheth and reioyceth against iudgement Iam. 2.13 His mercy is great unto the Heavens Psal. 57.10 Hee doth with much sweet contentment and as it were naturall propension encline to the gracious effusions of mercy Hee delighteth in mercy saith Micah Cap. 7.18 Hee is passingly pleaâ—ed and exalted most gloriously when Hee is pardoning of sinnes purging of Soules pulling out of the Divels Paw pouring in of grace shining into sad and uncomfortable hearts saving from Hell c. This makes Him so passionate in an holy sense when Hee hath no Passage for his love Deus 5.29 Psal. 81.13 Isa. 48.18 Mat. 23.37 Luk. 19.41.42 But now on the other side Hee is hardly drawne not without much reluctancy delaies forbearance and as it were some kinde of violence offered by excesse of multiplyed rebellious provocations to exercise His justice and to punish for sinne See 2. Chron. 36.16 Hos. 6.4 c. It appeares Zeph. 2.2 by the emphasis of the Original that in this respect in a right and sober sense God is like a woman with Childe When the cry of our sinnes comes first to Heaven Hee doth not presently poure upon our heads fire and Brimstone according to our desert But as loth to enter into judgement with us Hee then but begins to conceive as it were wrath which Hee beares or rather forbeares full many and many a moneth still waiting when upon our repentance Hee might bee gracious unto us untill it come to that ripenesse by the fullnesse and intolerable waight of our sinnes that Hee can possibly beare no longer And then also when Hee is about to bee delivered of his justly conceived and long-forborne vengeance Marke how Hee goes about it Ah! saies Hee c. Isa. 1.24 This aspiration argues a compassionate Pang of griefe speaking after the manner of men to proceede against His owne people tho they had provoked Him as enemies How shall I give thee up Ephrâ—im How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zebâ—im Mine heart is turned within mee my repentings are kindled together Hos. 11.9 When Hee came against Sodome and Gomorrah the most prodigiously wicked people that ever the Earth bore What a miracle of mercy was it that He should be brought so low as to say I will not destroy it for tennes sake Gen. 18.32 So it is then that mercy flowes naturally and easily from God and he is most forward and free-hearted in granting Pardons and receiving into grace and favour But justice is ever as it were violently with cart-ropes of iniquity pul'd from Him He is pressed with our sinnes as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaues before wee wring from Him the vials of just wrath and wrest out of His hands the Arrowes of deserved indignation That you erre not in this Point conceive that both Gods mercy and iustice are originally and fundamentally as God Himselfe infinite Both of the same length height bredth and depth that is equally endlesse boundlesse botomlesse unsearchable Yet if wee consider the exercise and execution of them amongst the creatures and abroad in the world Mercy that sweetest Attribute and most pretious baulme to all bruised hearts doth farre surpasse and out-shine the other tho incomparable excellencies of His divine nature and all the perfections which accompany the greatnesse of God As appeares Exod. 20.5.6 Gen. 18.32 Ioel. 2.43 Ionah 4.2 Psal. 36. and 103. 2. Chron. 21.13 His influences and beames of mercy are fairely and plentifully shed into the bosome of every Creature and shine gloriously over all the earth even from one end of Heaven to the other The whole world is thicke set and richly embroidered as it were with wonderfull variety of impressions and Passages of his goodnesse and bounty In this great Volume of Nature round about us wee may runne and reade the deepe Prints and large Characters of kindnesse and love which His mercifull and munificent hand hath left in all Places in every leafe and Page and line of it If mercy then bee so graciously magnified over all his workes we may more strongly build upon it That if the hand of Iustice seize upon an hatefull thought as a murtherer and stained with blood and arraigne a lustfull conceite as guilty of adultery and actuall pollution His armes of mercy will most certainely embrace and accept of a syncere desire for the deed done of hearty affections for the Actions and of a grieved spirit for the grace it groanes for Yea but may some say If mercy bee so faire a flower in the garland of Gods incomprehensible greatnesse if it so farre excell his other Attributes in amiablenesse amongst His creatures How comes it to passe That the
in the nearest and most immediate passive disposition if I may so speake to receive the whole Sunne of righteousnesse Reach but out thy hand in this Case to Iesus Christ offering Himselfe freely unto Thee as a Saviour and Lord and thou shalt presently take possession of the Kingdome of Grace and undoubted Right to the everlasting Kingdome of Glory The Prophet Amos 5.8 presseth this Argument of power for some such purpose And it may serve excellently against all pretences and counter-pleaes for a supposed impossibilitie of being illightened and refreshed in the depth of spirituall darkenesse and distresse It may bee Thou mayest say unto Mee You advise mee indeed to seeke Gods face and favour c. But alas Mine is not an ordinary heart it is so full of guilty sadnesse and horror for sin that I have little hope c. Yea but consider He that I counsell Thee to seek made the seven Starres and Orion and turneth the shadow of death into the Morning and will doe fargreater wonders for thy Soule if thou wilt believe the Prophets that thou mayest prosper If thou will trust in Him He will quickly turne the tumultuous roarings of thy conscience into perfect peace Thou wilt keepe Him in perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee because Hee trusteth in Thee Isai. 26. 3. The Prophet therefore to prevent all scruples and exceptions in this kinde calles upon them thus Seeke him that maketh the seven Starres and Orion c. 2. Secondly lay these two together To bring hony out of the Rocke and oyle out of the flinty Rocke Deut. 32.13 And to mollifie thine heart even to thine owne hearts desire in which there is already some softnesse else thou couldest not sensibly and syncorely complaine of it's hardnesse And thou must needs acknowledge that they are both equally easie to the same Almightie arme 3. Thirdly thou mayst well consider that it is a farre greater worke to make Heaven and Earth then to put spirituall life and lightsomnesse into thy truly humbled and thirsty Soule to which so many pretious Promises are made And Hee with whom Thou hast to doe and from whom thou expectest helpe is He that made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that therein is which keepeth truth for ever Which openeth the eyes of the blind and raiseth them that are bowed downe Psal. 146.6 Which healâ—th the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds Who taketh pleasure in them that feare Him in those that hope in His mercy Psal. 147.3.11 4. In such an extremity of helpe-lesnesse and hope-lesnesse In this trembling and terrour of thy heart thou shouldest call to minde for thy comfort That Hee who establisheth all the Ends of the Earth Prov. 30 4. and hath hung that mighty and massie Body upon Nothing Iob 26.7 can most easily stay and stablish the most forlorne and forsaken Soule even sinking into the mouth of despaire Hee that said at first to the Earth Stand still upon Nothing and it never stirr'd out of it's place since the Creation can easily uphold fortifie and refresh thine heart in the depth of the most grievous spirituall misery Even when in the bitternesse of thy spirit thou cries My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord Lament 3.18 4. Even his Iustice. Christs blood is already payed as a price for the pardon of the sinnes of thine humbled Soule and thou wilt needs pay it over againe or else thou wilt not enter upon the Purchase As tho God did expect and exact the discharge of the same debt twice which to imagine were a monstrous intolerable indignity to the most just God You know full well what conceit wee should hold of that Man who having a debt fully discharged by the Surety should presse upon the Principall for the payment of the same againe Wee should indeed thinke HIm to bee a very cruell hard-hearted and mercilesse Man wee should call Him a Turke a Cut-throate a Canniball farre fitter to lodge in a Den of Tygers then to live in the society of men What a fearefull dishonour then is iâ— to the mercifull and mighty Lord of Heaven and Earth To the righteous Iudge of all the World to conceive that having received an exact and full satisfaction for all our sinnes by the hearts-blood of His owne deare Sonne should ever require them againe at our hands Farre bee it then from every One who would not offer extraordinary disparagement even to Gods glorious Iustice to entertaine any such thought Especially sâ—th wee have His Word His Oath and the Seale of His Sonnes blood for security And assuredly wee may build upon it as upon a Rocke of eternall truth that when wee come unto Christ weary of all our sinnes thirsting syncerely for Him and throwing our selves upon Him as Salvation it selfe resolved to take upon us His sweet and easie yoke for the time to come Hee doth presently as Hee hath promised take off the burden and free us everlastingly from the guilt and staine damnation and reigne of all our sinnes But now if thou wilt cast thy self upon Iesus Christ role thy selfe upon the Promises beeing so humbled spiritually thirsty and resolved as thou hast said and I supposed at the first For wee who are Gods Messengers comfort and assure of pardon in such Cases onely upon supposition that the heart and speeches all the Promises and protestations of the Party and Patient we deale with bee syncere every way I say if thou thus cast thy selfe upon the Lord Iesus and the promises of life having a well-grounded strong and seasonable calling thereunto beeing as appeares before invited intreated commanded c. The Case will be blessedly altered Thou shalt then doe as God would have Thee and mightily honour the un-valew-able and infinite dignity of His Sonnes Passion and blood the pretious freenesse of all the Promises His free love sweet Name Truth Mercy Power Iustice c. Thou shalt also cut off and defeate the Divels present fiery darts and Projects of further cruelty dis-intangle and unwinde thy selfe out of the irkesome Maze of restlesse terrours and trouble of minde crowne thine owne soule in the meane time with peace that passeth all understanding with ioy unspeakeable and full of glory with Evangelicall pleasures such as neither eye hath seene eare heard or have entred into the heart of Man and hereafter be most certainely received by that sweetest Redeemer of thine into those glorious Mansions above where nothing but light and blessed immortalitie no shaddow for matter of teares discontentments griefes and uncomfortable passions to worke upon but all ioy tranquillity and peace even for ever and ever doth dwell 2. Yea but may an other say I in the Case proposed have cast my selfe according to your counsell upon Iesus Christ and there by the mercy of God am I resolved to sticke come what come will and yet no comfort comes What doe you thinke should I thinke of my selfe in this Case
un-avoidablenes and terrible pangs of a womans travaile and is more skilfull ready and forward to relieve in such distresse And so also all others who have been most afflicted either with outward troubles or inward terrours or both are ever most fit and feeling to speake unto the heart to put to their helping hand and make much of comfortlesse and miserable men troubled and tempted as they have been And such was the Case of our blessed Saviour in his sufferings for our sakes Hee was exercised all his life long with variety and extremitie of cruelties indignities and all manner of vexations beyond measure grievous bitter and intolerable Hee drunke full deepe of the Worlds disgrace the Divels malice the rage of great Ones the contempt and contumelies of the vilest the scornefull insultations of his enemies sorest sufferings from all things in Heaven Earth and Hell Of those pinching passions hunger thirst wearinesse of bodily tortures hideous temptations agonies of Spirit even of the full Cup of his Fathers fiery wrath and horrors of soule for our sinnes to the very last drop which went as farre beyond his other outward extremities as the Soule goes beyond the body Gods utmost anger the malice of men Whereby hee is now blessedly fitted and enabled excellently to succour them that are tempted Consciousnesse of his owne Case in the daies of his flesh is a keene incentive to his holy and heavenly soule more sensibly and soone to take pitty upon and ease the severall necessities troubles sorrowes and soule-afflictions of all his Children 3. Thirdly As this ever-blessed Redeemer of ours was in himselfe more then infinitely free and more then farre enough from all sinne so by consequent from any inherent cause of the least crosse or any shadow in the World of his dearest Fathers displeased countenance For originally He was of a most pure harmelesse and holy nature all his life long kinde sweet and gracious to every Creature offending none doing good unto all In his death incomparably patient brought as an innocent Lambe to that bloody slaughter not opening his mouth for all those base and barbarous provocations of the cruell and mercilesse Miscreants about him swimming in blood burning in zeale wrastling in prayer even for the salvation of his enemies So that his guiltlesse and unspotted soule had no neede at all of any passion or expiation All his sorrowes and sufferings were voluntarily under-gone onely for our sakes and sinnes Had not the pretious hearts-blood of the only deare naturall eternall Sonne of God been poured out as water upon the ground where at the whole Creation was astonished the Earth trembled and shooke her Rocks clave asunder her Graves opened the Heavens with-drew their light as not daring to behold this sad and fearefull spectacle never had the soule of any sonne or daughter of Adam been saved It was not the glory and treasures of the whole Earth not any streaming sacrifices of purest Gold not the life of Men and Angels no not the power and prostration of all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth or of ten thousand Worlds besides could have prevail'd satisfied and served the turne in this Case Either the Heire of all things must die or we had all been damned Is the heart then of any Mourner in Zion heavy and ready to breake for sorrow because hee hath lost the light of Gods face feeling of his love and consolations of grace So that the darknesse of his Spirit thereupon frights him with re-possession of his pardoned sinnes temptations to despaire and feares lest hee bee forsaken O then let him hie and have speedy recourse unto this heavenly Cordiall when our Lord and our Love felt the curse of our sinnes and his Fathers hottest wrath comming upon him in the Garden without any outward violence at all onely out of the paine of his owne thoughts bled thorow the flesh and skinne not some faint deaw but even solid drops of blood and afterwards in the bitternesse of his soule cried out upon the crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee And none of all this for himselfe For no staine at all did cleave to his sacred soule But all this the least of which wee can no more expresse then wee could undergoe for thy sake and salvation alone who loves our Lord Iesus Christ in syncerity And therefore ground upon it as upon the surest Rocke even in the height of thy heavie-heartednesse and depth of a spirituall desertion that those depths of sorrow whereof our conceits can finde no bottome thorow which hee waded in his bloody sweat cry upon the Crosse and painfull sufferings in soule did most certainly free thee everlastingly from the guilt venome and endlesse vengeance of all terrours of conscience Agonies of Spirit temptations to despaire and damnations of Hell The righteous Iudge of all the World will never expect or exact at the hands of any of his Creatures double paiment a double punishment Our dearest Saviour hath satisfied to the utmost with his owne blood the rigour and extremity of his Fathers Iustice in thy behalfe and therefore it is utterly impossible that thou shouldest ever finally perish Inward Afflictions and troubles of minde may for a time presse thee so sore that thou maist bee ready to sinke for 1 chastisement 2 triall 3 prevention of sinne 4 perfecting the pangs of the New-birth 5 example to others c. But in despite of the united rage and policy of all infernall Powers Thou shalt in due time be raised again by that victorious and triumphant hand which bruised the Serpents head and burst the heart of Hell even out of an horrible pit bee set upon a Rocke farre above the reach of all hellish hurt or sting of horrour In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse wil I have mercy upon thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Isa. 54.8 5. There is another terrible fierie dart dipt full deep in the very rankest poyson of the infernall pit which though it bee not much talked of abroad nor taken notice of by the World yet is secretly suggested and managed with extremest malice and cruelty in the silent bosomes of Gods blessed Ones The most holy hearts are many times most haunted with this foulest fiend Strangers to the wayes of God bee not much troubled in this kinde nor ordinarily vexed with such horrours Satan as I said before makes as much of his in this World as hee can possibly knowing that hee hath time enough even eternity to torment them in the World to come And therefore hee is not woont to weld this terrifying weapon against them save only at some dead lift or upon some speciall advantage as under some extraordinary misery or in excesse of melancholy to drive them thereby to distraction selfe-destruction or despaire Or it may bee God may suffer him to afflict thus hideously some grievous sinner which hee is
recovery of our soule-sickenesses distempers and declinations How wisely to proportion and mercifully moderate in respect of measure time and working and when His hand is heavie upon us in one kinde tenderly to take care that wee bee not opprest with other extremities also As appeares by that sweet observation of Master Foxe in the story of the two Glovers God in his holy providence seeing his old and trusty servant so many yeeres with so extreme and many torments broken and dried up would in no wise heape too many sorrowes upon one poore silly wretch neither would commit him to the flames of fire who had been already baked and scorched with the sharpe fires of inward affliction and had sustained so many burning darts and conflicts of Satan so many yeeres God therefore of his divine providence thinking it too much that one man should bee so much over-charged with so many plagves and torments did graciously provide that Robert his brother being both stronger of body and also better furnished with helpes of learning to answer the Adversaries should sustaine the conflict It may bee our onely wise God purposeth to exercise us extraordinarily with spirituall conflicts and troubles of conscience and therefore doth mercifully give us more prosperity and comfort in our outward state Or perhaps to afflict us with variety of worldly crosses and therefore doth sweetly and compassionately give us more peace and comfort at home in our owne hearts Or it may bee Hee meanes to make us ominent Objects of disgrace reproach and slander in the World and even from those who sit in the gate for our forwardnesse and excellency of zeale and therefore out of a gracious tender-heartednesse gives us both more calmenesse in conscience and contentment in outward things Or perhaps Hee may lay all these upon us suffer us to bee tried with ill tongues with troubles without and terrours within why then undoubtedly his grace shall bee sufficient for us So wise and so mercifull is our blessed God Only first let us take heed tho in our owne apprehensions and misdeeming wee may pretend and except never so plausibly that wee never prescribe unto him How in what kind or measure hee should afflict us Secondly That wee never ward or put off any blow from his owne heavenly hand Men or Creatures with the wound of Conscience never decline any ill by ill meanes Thirdly That wee learne and labour to profit by and make the right use of all his corrections Fourthly And ever magnifie the glory of his mercy and wisdome in sparing us any way his tender-hearted taking notice where wee are weakest and not so able to beare his severer visitations but specially that hee ever pitches upon that affliction which doth our soules most good and serves most punctually to procure protect and promote the soundnesse safety and flourishing of our spirituall state Well then for my purpose and thy support sith our most holy God deales thus with all that are not damned to wit sorts out unto them those severall crosses and corrections which out of his unsearchable wisdome and spirituall necessity of their soules hee sees most fit to keepe them humble obedient and in awe Take thou up and in good part this crosse of thine while it pleaseth God to exercise thee with it as thy portion Others tho free from this yet have their proportion and proper Potion and that perhaps in a bitterer Cup and from a more smarting Rod. It may bee it goes well with thee in other respects in which were thou yet crossed the physicke would not take nor work so kindlily Our all-wise heavenly Physition knowes this dreadfull dart will onely doe it Who knowes whether if thou wert not haunted with these foule Furies I meane furious injections of the Divels owne Forge thou mightest grow worldly luke-warme too passionate proude secure or something which God would not have thee and would bee infinitely for thy hurt Be Thou therefore patient under them humbled by them make a holy and profitable use of them comfort thy selfe in them by these considerations commended unto thee for that purpose and learne how to behave thy selfe about them by the following counsels 4. As at their first approach and offer thou oughtest to stirre up and steele thy heart to improve the strength and stoutnesse of all the powers of thy soule to make a mighty and forcible resistance lifting up at the same instant thy heart in a bitter complaint against the cruelty and malice of the adversary a strong cry for the rebuking of him and restraint of his hellish spight with extreme detestation of all such divellish filth so take heede that thou never revolve in thy mind or muse upon those his blasphemous temptations But say with Luther a Kite or Cormorant may fly over my house but sure shall never rooust or nestle there Or as another a ravenous and hatefull Bird may begin to build in mine Arbour I cannot hinder it but I will never faile to pull it downe as often as shee beginnes The Divell will inject whether thou wilt or no But resolve to suffer them by no meanes to have any rest or residence in thine imagination If thou bee a Minister and the holiest men are Satans speciall marke that hee would gladliest hit with his fierie darts take advise which hath proved soveraigne and helpefull to beat backe and banish these temptations of blasphemie The minde of every man of God instructed to the Kingdome of heaven is as I suppose still digging into the rich Mines of divine truth diving into the great mystery of Christ ever discoursing in it selfe for or doing something for the advancement of the worke of the Lord their Ministeriall affaires and welfare of Soules Temporizers indeed seldome and selfe-Preachers are not much troubled this way neither take these things so to heart They seeke more to advance themselves then save soules their chiefe study is if they be not downe-right Good fellowes as they call them either to grow rich or rise and so they are still negotiating industriously about the one or plotting ambitiously for the other But were they of Pauls minds Woe is unto mee if I preach not the Gospell of Chrysostom's temper who was woont to tremble when hee tooke into consideration those words Hebr. 13.17 For they watch over your soules as they that must give account Of Austins resolution for not meddling in worldly matters wherein to deale he deemed a very tiring and tedious vexation and was never wel but when he was wading in the depths of Christian Religion and busied about the things of God I say if they were thus affected they would bee such as they ought and as I now suppose to wit have many webs as it were of their holy work in their heads all at once many in Misteriall Taskes in agitation and on foote still Some part of the day they would perhaps search and pierce into the
tempests raised by all the powers of Hell are presently calmed for ever doing him any deadly hurt All the creatures then pull in their hornes retire their stings bite in their poyson sâ—ib'd and awed by those divine impressions of their Creators blessed image stamped upon them by the Spirit of grace and dare no more offer any violence or vexation to him except upon particular dispensation for his spirituall good and quickening then to the Apple of Gods owne eye Heare the promise from Gods owne mouth And in that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowles of Heaven and with thâ— creeping things of the ground and I will breake the bow and the sword and the battell out of the earth and will make them to lye downe safely Hos. 2.18 Nay they are so farre from charging their seuerall stings upon the Saints that they will change their very natures to doe them service They will rather become an astonishment and horror to the whole Creation then they be hurt How often have they suspended and put off their native power and properties for the protection and good of Gods people The very Sea that most raging and roaring creature must stay his course and current to give passage and preservation to a true Israelite The Starres must fight and the Sunne stand still for the ayde and advantage of Gods armies The Lions must leave their savage rage and trade of blood and become Lambes and loving unto a Daniel The Crowes will feed an Elijah The flames of fire must hold in their heate from burning a Shadrach Meshach or Abednego The devouring belly of a dreadfull fish must be turned into a Sanctuary of safty to a Ionah A popish Furnace heated with the very malice of Hell shall become a bed of doune and Roses to a Martyr of Iesus The very dead lines of an ordinary Letter must represent to a Royall conceite a meaning quite contrary to the naturall sense and all Grammaticall construction before a blessed Parliament be blowne up with Popish Gun-Powder A brittle Glasse must rebound unbroken from the hardest stone to helpe to bind up a broken heart bleeding with griefe for absence of her Spouse and wanâ— of the assurance of his love c. Nay the divell himselfe though hee walkes about like a roaring Lion seeking with restlesse rage and desiring infinitely to devoure the Lords inheritance yet cannot possibly adde one linke to the chaine in which by the mercifull and mighty hand of God he is hampered nor goe an haires bredth beyond his commission Though it bee utterly impossible that that damned Angell should so farre change his divellish nature as to doe any of Gods chosen directly any true good yet he is everlastingly musled by an Almighty arme from ever doing them any deadly hurt He may be suffered sometimes to shake his chaine at them and roare upon them hideously to drive them nearer unto God and fright them from sinne But he shall never either in this world or the world to come have his full swinge at them or fasten his hellish fangs upon their redeemed soules 3. Besides all that other excellent compleate impenetrable armour of proofe mentioned Ephes. 6. which is able to beate backe victoriously all earthly oppositions and the very Ordnance of Hell every one of Gods Favourites is also blessedly furnished with a mighty spirituall Engine which is able to batter downe all the Bulwarkes of the Divell to shake the whole kingdome of darkenesse and all hellish powers nay to offer an holy violence to the very Throne of God himselfe witnesse His most mercifull intreating Moses To let him alone Exod. 32.10 As though the mediation of a man could binde as it were I speake it with lowliest reverence to that highest Maiestie the hands of his Omnipotency from doing his people any hurt and were able to extingvish that unquenchable wrath in the conception which once on foote would burne unto the lowest Hell and set on fire the foundations of the Mountainâ—s I meane that most pretious and almost if not altogether omnipotent Grace of Prayer This great Master of miracles hath wrought from time to time many and very remarkeable wonders both in Heaven and Earth It made the Sun that mighty creature the Prince of all the Lights in Heaven to stay and stand still upon the suddaine in the heat of his swiftest course It landed Ionah safely upon the shore out of the bellie of the Whale and bowels of the Sea It drew refreshing streames out of a dry bone for the saving of Samsons life It turned the Heaven into brasse for three yeeres and a halfe and afterward turned the selfe-same brasse into fruitefull clouds and fountaines of raine It killed an hundred fourescore and five thousand of the enemies of Gods people in one night For the freeing of Elisha from a straite and dangerous siege It filled a mountaine in a moment as it were full of Horsâ—s and Charets of â—ire It turned the swords of a mighty Army into the Bowells of one another when Iehoshaphat knew not which way to turne himselfe but was so helpelesse and hopelesse that he cryed unto the Lord wee know not what to doe only our eyes are upon thee It loosed Peter out of prison shoke his chaines off from his hands and made an Iron gate to open of its owne accord It eâ—raged and inlarged the English Seas to swallow up the Spanish invincible Armado And which is none of the least wonders It brought Prince Charles out of Spaine But you instance may some say in extraordinary examples of extraordinary men endowed with an extraordinary spirit Yet sure I am they are registred by the holy Ghost to represent unto us and to all generations of the Church to the Worlds end the Almighty and wonder-working power of Prayer And I am as sure that the Petitioners were men subiect to like passions as we are Perhaps if thou be a true-hearted Nathanael since thy new birth thou wast never so extraordinarily passionate as Ionah was when out of a pang of strange distemper hee thus answered the mighty Lord of Heaven and Earth I doe well to bee angry even unto death Fourthly Gods Favourite is further furnished with an other spirituall weapon of impregnable temper and incredible might I meane Faith the very Power and Arme of God for all true ioy sound comfort and light somnesse at the heart-roote in this life This crowned Emperesse of all those Heavenly graces that dwell in the Soule of a sanctified man and which in a right sense may be said vertually to comprehend all the beautie strength excellency and power of Christ himselfe is truely victorious and triumphant over all the World over the very gates of Hell and all the powers of darkenesse over the Divels fieriest darts over the devouring
flames of the raging fire over the roaring furie of the most hungry Lions over the varietie and extremitie of exquisitest tortures temptations persecutions all outward miseries euen over cruell mockings It unresistably beares downe or blowes up the strongest Bulwarkes and thickest walles puts to flight the mightiest Armies and conquers the most invincible Kingdomes And when all is done Oh blessed Faith at the very last and deadliest lift she triumphantly sets her foote upon the necke of the Prince of terrors I meane death the last and worst the end and summe of all feared evills And even in the middest of those dying and dreadfull pangs beares a glorious part with Iesus Christ the Conquerour in that sweetest Song of victory O death where is thy sting In a word it can doe all things All things are possible to him that beleeveth Fifthly and lastly and in a word Grace in its owne nature being the most glorious Creature of the Father of liâ—hts and flowing as it were more immediately and sweetly from his blessed face is of such a divine invincible and lightsome temper and hath such an anti-patheticall vigour and ability against all spirituall darkenesse and dampes whether of affliction temptation troublesome confusions of the times the valley of the shadow of death the Grave Hell it selfe that it is ever able either to dispell it or dissolve it or support it selfe strongly and triumphantly even in the midst of it Suppose a soule beautified with Grace to be seated if it were possible in the very center of that hellish Kingdome yet would it by its Heavenly strength and glory in despite of all infernall powers keepe off at some distance all the darkenesse torments and horrour of that damned place Whence it is that it is so often in the holy Scriptures compared to light Now what power and prevalent antipathy our ordinary light doth exercise against his most abhorred Opposite darkenesse you well know and it is elegantly and punctually for my purpose expressed by One in this manner We see and prove saith he by dayly experience how powerfull and dreadfull a thing the darkenesse of the night is For when it falleth it covereth and muffleth up the face of the whole world It obscureth and hideth the hue and the fashion of all creatures It bindeth up all hands and breaketh off all imployments The night commeth saith our Sauiour wherein we cannot worke It arresteth and keepeth captive all living wights men and beasts that they must be still and rest there where it arresteth them yea it maketh them fearefull and faint-hearted full of fancies and much subiect to frights It is of all others such a powerfull and unconquerable Tyrant as no man is able to withstand And yet neverthelesse it is not of that might that it is able to overwhelme or to quench the least light in the World For we see the darken the night is the clearer the Starres shine Yea the least candles light that is lighted withstandeth the whole night and not onely suffereth not the darkenesse to cover or to smoother and oppresse it but it giveth light also even in the middest of the darkenesse and beateth it backe for some space and distance on every side of it so that which way soever it is borne or wheresoever it commeth there must darkenesse depart and give place unto the light all the power and the dreadfulnesse of it cannot helpe or prevaile ought against it And tho the light be so weake that it cannot cast light farre about or drive the darkenesse farre from it as in the sparke of an hot coale yet cannot the darknesse cover or conceale and much lesse quench it but it giveth light to it selfe alone at least so that it may be seene a farre off in the darke and it remaineth unconquered of the darke tho it cannot helpe other things nor give light unto them Yea that which is yet more wonderfull a rotten shining peece of wood which hâ—th the faintest light that can be found yet remaineth invincible of all the power of darkenesse and the more it is compassed about with darkenâ—sse the clearer light it giveth So little is darkenesse able to overcome or kâ—epe downe anâ— light but that it ruleth and vanquisheth and expelleth the darkâ—nâ—ssâ— which else overwhelmeth and â—â—areth and fettereth and putteth all things in feare Now if this naturall light be so powâ—â—full and so able to prevaile against the darkenesse of the night why should not that spirituall Light that Gods Spirit doth kindle and set up in the hearts of Gods Children be able to afford them light in darkenesse and to minister sound ioy and sweete comfort unto them in the very midst of their heaviest and most hideous afflictions Assuredly it must needes be unconquerably able with farre greater power and in an higher proportion For our visible light doth spring but from a finite and materiall Fountaine the Sunne it selfe a creature but the Spirituall light I speake of flowes immediately from the glorious face of the onely true incomprehensible and eternall Light the Sunnes creatour who dwelleth in the light that no man can approach unto and is an everlasting well-spring of all Life and Light which it doth so farre represent and resemble in Divine excellencie and mightinesse that it thence receives by a secret and sacred influence fresh successions still of an infinite triumphant power and prevailing against all spirituall darkenesses for ever Suppose all the men that dwell within the compasse of our Hemisphere should addresse themselues with all their wit and weapons with all their power and policie to keepe backe that universall darkenesse which is woont to seize upon the face of the earth at the setting of the Sunne yet by all this strong and combined opposition they should but beate the ayre But now upon the very first approach of that Princely light but peeping up in the East it would all â—ly away in a moment and vanish into nothing Semblablely if all the understandings upon earth and all the Angels in Heaven should contribute all their abilities and excellencies to illighten with cheerefulnesse and ioy a guilty conscience surprised sometimes with hellish darkenesse and cloudes of horrour upon sight of sinne and sense of divine wrath yet all would not doe they should all the while but wash a Blackamoore as they say but now let but the least glimpse of the light of Grace shine into that sad and heavy Soule and it would farre more easily and irresistably chase away the very darkest midnight of any spirituall misery then the strongest Summers Sunne the â—hinnest Mornings mist. Give me if you will Iudas his heart or Spiraes horrour or a vexed spirit torne and rent in peeces with the raging guilt of both those wofull men and let that supposed rufull Soule weary of its hellish burden and thirsting sincerely for the water of Life but cast it selfe upon the mercy truth and power of
the Lord Iesus so sweetly offering himselfe in that pretious promise Matth. 11.28 resoluing to take him for an everlasting husband and ipso facto as they say it might be put into a very Heaven upon Earth For this glorious grace of Faith the Prince of all spirituall light and lightsomnesse in the truely humbled Soule thus shed into such a darke and grieved spirit doth enkindle and set on shining all those gracious heavenly Starres that are woont to beautifie the hearts of holy men hope love zeale son-like feare humility patience selfe-deniall vniversall obedience fruitfulnesse in all good workes c. Which make them light it selfe to walke in the light towards the infinite and unapproachable light And therefore they never neede to want lightsomnesse but have perpetuall pregnant matter of spirituall mirth and mightinesse of spirit The point appeares and is further prooved by manifest and manifold experience David having bin formerly wofully wasted with great varietie and extremitie of dangers and distresses was at last plunged into a most desperate perplexity 1. Sam. 30 6. Which had bin able to have swallowed up into despaire the manliest vigour of the greatest spirit upon earth not supported with grace The like or a lesse caused King Saul to fall upon his owne sword yet He blessed man by the power of his spirituall peace and the beames of Gods pleased face-shining upon his Soule did patiently and sweetly comfort Himselfe in the Lord His God and stood like an impregnable Rocke unshaken with the raging assaults of any tempestuous sourges He was at this time hunted by Saul like a Parâ—ridge in the Mountaines cashierd by the Princes of the Philistines as a fâ—llow of suspected fidelity robd by the Amalekites of His wiues His sonnes and His daughters The Towne to which He returned for safety was burnt with fire And to make his calamity compleate and most cutting even His owne men were ready to stone Him Now in this great distresse upon the first apprehension whereof He wept as the story saith untill He had no more power to weepe yet comming to Himselfe and recollecting His spirituall forces His heavy heart ready to sinke and fall asunder in His bosome did fetch by the hand of faith comfortably fortified by sense and experience of former fauours such heavenly strength from Iehova whom He had made His portion that thereupon His courage was revived and raised to that height that He presently pursued his enemies with extraordinary valour and resolution cut them off quite and recovered all And David saith the text was greatly distressed for the people spake of stoning Him because the Soule of all the people was grieued every man for His sonnes and for His daughters but David encouraged Himselfe in the Lord his God c. What a bitter Sea of unmatched miseries did breake out upon blessed Iob which with a sudden unexpected violence bearing downe that Hedge of protection which God had set about Him the raines purposely let loose by divine dispensation to Sathans malice in the meane time did fearefully overflow him to that height and horrour that He stands registred in Gods Booke as an unparalled Instance of extraordinary sufferings and sorrowes calamities and conflicts to all succeeding ages no story being able to afford the like The naturall death of one deare childe strikes sometimes so heavy to a mans heart that for griefe he growes into a consumption but all Iobs children were suddenly taken away at once by a violent stroke some petty crosse upon his outward state and cutting off but part of his goods causes sometimes a couetous worldling to cut his oÌ„wne throate But Iob was robd of all so that it is a prove be to this day As poore as Iob Many wives are passionate and peevish in time of prosperity whose hâ—arts notwithstanding will melt in compassion and kindenesse over their husbands in any kinde of misery but Iobs wife tho dearely intreated by Her most distressed Husband even for their childrens sake the mutuall common pledges of sweetest loue yet would not come neare Him My breath saith He is strange to my wife though I entreated for the childrens sake of mine owne body Chap. 19.17 Satan I confesse is woont to roare and rage fiercely enough about Gods blessed Oâ—es to doe them all the mischiefe Hee can possibly but rarely hath hee so large a reach and his chaine so lengthned as he had against Iob. The painefull anguish of some one part would not onely deprive a Man of the pleasure of the worlds Monarchy if he had it in possession but also make Him weary of His life In what a taking then was Iob who from the sole of his foote unto his Crowne had no part free from â—ore bâ—les and horribly iâ—flâ—med ulcers exasperated and enraged with the stiâ—ging smart of Satans extremest malice who had power given Him to inflict them God himself frownes many times and withdrawes beames of His pleased face from the soules of His seruants to their great griefe tho for their spirituall good But seldome doth he set them up for His Marke hunt them as a fierce Lion set His terrours in array against them and command the poyson of his arrowes to drinke up their spirit as Iob complaines It is no strange thing neither should it much moove but only make us walke more watchfully to heare men of the world and drunken Belialls to belch out from their rotten hearts upon the Ale-bench such base slanders as these These Professors for all their faire shewes are certainely all of them notorious Hypocrites Tho they looke never so demurely they are not the men they are taken for c. But to have a Mans nearest familiar understanding Christian friends to charge Him with Hypocrisie is a most cruell cut to a troubled conscience And this was Iob. case So thus as â—ob was singular in the universality of His afflictions so there was a singularity of bitternesse above ordinary in eâ—very particular aâ—fliction And what of all this And yet for all this this holy man by the helpe of that pretious hoard of grace which his heavenly heart had treasured up in the time of prosperitie out of that spirituall strength which He had gotten into His soule by his former humble acquaintance and conversation with His God and knowing full well that tho all was gone yet He still possessed Iesus Christ as fully if not more feeliâ—gly as ever before He becomes hereupon as rare and admirâ—ble a Patterne of Patience to all posterity as He was an extraordinary astonishing speâ—â—acle of adversitie and woe Consciousnesse of His fore-spent righteous life which he peruseth Chap. 31. The clearenesse of a good conscience Chap. 16 19 Behold my witnesse 〈◊〉 in heaven and my record is on high And his invincible faith Chap. 19.23 24 25 Oh that mâ— words were now written Oh that they were priâ—ted in a hunke That they were graven with an Iron pen
ever the Obiect Now what a miraculous mercy was this that passing by such an un-numbred variety of incomparably inferiour creatures He should make Thee an everlasting Soule like an Angell of God capable of grace and immortality of incorporation into Christ and fruition of Iehova Himselfe blessed for ever Nay and yet further tho thou wast to haue the Being of a reasonable creature yet there was not an houre from the first moment of time unto the worlds end but God might have allotted that to Thee for thy comming into this world And therefore Thy time might have bin within the compasse of all those foure thousand yeares or there abouts from the Creation untill the Comming of Christ in the flesh when as all without the Pale and Partition-wall were without the Oracles and Ordinances of God and all ordinary meanes of salvation Or since the Gospell revealed under the raigne of Anti-Christ And then a thousand to One thou hadst beene choakt and for ever perisht in the damned mists of his Devillish Doctrines What an high honour was this to have thy birth and abode here upon earth appointed from all eternity in the very best and blesseddest time upon the fairest Day of peace and which is infinitely more in the most glorious Light of Grace that ever shone from Heaven upon the Children of men And so of the place Bee it so that Thou must needes bee in this golden Age of the Gospell and gracious Day yet thy lot of living in the world at this time might have lited for any part of the earth might have received Thee where Thou couldest have set but thy two feete amongst Turkes Pagans Infidels a whole world to Christendome Or if thine appearing upon Earth must necessarily bee within the confines of Christendome yet Thou mightest have sprung up in the Popish parts of it or in the scismaticall or persecuted Places of the true Church in it It was a very singular favour That thou shouldest be borne and bred and brought up in this little neglected Nooke of the world yet very illustrious by the presence of Christ in a mighty Ministry where Thou hast or mightest have enioyed in many Parts thereof the glorious Gospell of our blessed God and all saving Truth with much purity and power Now put all these together and tell me in cold bloud and after a sensible and serious ponderation thereupon Doest thou thinke that all this adoe was about Thee all this honour done unto Thee and when all is done Thou art to doe nothing but seeke Thy selfe serve Thine owne turne and live sensually Camest Thou out of Nothing into this world to doe iust nothing but eate and drinke and sleepe to game goe in the fashion and play the good fellow to laugh and be merry to grow rich and leave tokens of thy pleasure in every place c. If any after so much illightning bee so prodigiously mad as to continue in such a conceite I have nothing to say to Him but leave Him as an everlasting Bedlam abandon'd to that folly which wants a name to expresse it Turne then thy course for shame nay as Thou hast any care to be saved and to see the glory of the new Ierusalem as Thou desirest to looke the Lord Iesus in the face with comfort at that great Day as Thou fearest to receive thy portion in Hell-fire with the Devill and His Angells even most intolerable and bitter torments for ever and ever at least in this thy day in this heate and height of Thy spirituall Harvest awake out of thy sensuall sleepe come to thy selfe with the Prodigall strik◠upon thy thigh and for the poore remainder of a few and evill dayes addresse thy selfe with resolution and constancy to pursue the One necessary Thing and to treasure up much heavenly strength and store against thine ending houre Get thee under conscionable Meanes and quickning Ministery and there gather grace as greedily as the most gryping Vsurer graspeth gould contend with an holy ambition as earnestly for the keeping of Gods favour and an humble familiarity with His heavenly Highnesse by keeping faith and a good conscience as the proudest Haman for an high Place and pleased face of an earthly Prince And why not infinitely more This was the end for which thou wast sent into this World This onely is the way to endlesse blisse And this alone will helpe us and hold out in the Euill day 2. That upon the little ynch of time in this life depends the length and breadth of all eternity in the World to come As we behave our selves here we shall fare everlastingly hereafter And therefore how ought we to ply this moment and prize that eternity To decline all entanglement in those inordinate affections to the possessions and pleasures of the Present which hinder a fruitfull improovement of it to the best advantage for the spirituall good of our Soules Let us be mooved with such reasons as these which may be collected from the words of a worthy Writer which run thus with very little variation 1. If we could afford our selues but so much leasure as to consider That he which hath most in the world hath in respect of the world nothing in it and that he which hath the longest time lent him to live in it hath yet no proportion at all therein setting it either by that which is past when we were not or by that time in which we shall abide for ever I say if both to wit our proportion in the world and our time in the world differ not much from that which is nothing it is not out of any excellency of understanding saith Hee but out of depth of folly say I that we so much prize the one which hath in effect no being and so much neglect the other which hath no ending coveting the mortall things of the world as if our Soules were therein immortall and neglecting those things which are immortall as if our selues after the world were but mortall 2. Let adversity seeme what it will to happy men ridiculous who make themselves merry with other mens miseries and to those under the crosse grievous yet this is true That for all that is past to the very instant the portions remaining are equall to either For be it that we have lived many yeeres and according to Salomon in thē all we have reioyced or be it that we have measured the same length of time and therein have ever-more sorrowed yet looking backe from our present being we finde both the one and the other to wit the joy and the woe sayled out of sight and death which doth pursue us and hold us in chace from our infancy hath gathered it Whatsoever of our age is past death holds it So as whosoever he be to whom Prosperitie hath bin a servant and the Time a friend let him but take the accompt of his memory for we haue no other keeper of our pleasures past
other hereafter in the meane time every day spent so sensually is a true Purgatory And every day passed in the contrary Christian course is an earthly Paradise 2. Secondly Let them marke well the different Ends of these men Tho the one now carries away the credite and current of the times and with all bravery and triumph tumbles Himselfe in the pleasures riches and glory of the world and the other is kept as they say under batches neglected and contemptible to carnall eyes trampled upon with the feete of pride and malice by the prouder Pharisees and hunted with much cruelty and hate by Men of this World Yet watch but a while and you shall see the End of this upright man whatsoever his sorrowes and sufferings troubles and temptations have beene in this life to be most certainly peace at the last Marke the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Psal. 37.37 He either passeth fairely and calmely thorow the Port of Death to the Land of everlasting rest and reioycing or else if a tempest of extraordinary temptation seize upon Him in the Haven when He is ready to set foote into heaven which is the Lot of many of Gods dearest Ones for ends seeming best to the ever-blessed Majesty as perhaps to harden those aboue Him that hate to be reformed c. Yet all the hurt he hath thereby is upon the matter besides serving Gods secret holy pleasure an addition to His happinesse for an immediate translation from the depth of temporary horrour as in Maister Peacocke and Mistris Bretlergh to the height of endlesse joy makes even the joyes of Heaven something more joyfull Hee feeles those never-ending pleasures at the first entrance more delicious and ravishing by reason of the suddaine change from that bitternesse of spirit in the last combate to the excellency and eternity of heavenly blisse His Soule in this case after a short eclipse of spirituall darkenesse upon His Bed of death enters more lightsomly into the full Sunne of immortall glory But what doe you thinke shall bee the end of the other Man He is in the meane time it may be in great power and spreading Himselfe like a greene Bay tree revelling in the ruffe and top of all worldly jollity and wealth wallowing dissolutely in choisest delights and vamest pleasures yet waite but a while and you shall see him quickely cut downe like grasse and wither as the greene herbâ— For God shall suddenly shoote at Him with a swift arrow It is already in the bow even a bow of steele shall send forth an arrow that shall strike Him thorow and shall shine on his gall His power and his pride shall bee overthrowne in the turne of an Hand All his imperious boisterousnesâ—e shall melt away as a vaine foame The eye which saw Him shall â—â—e him no more neither shall hiâ— place any more behold him He must downe into the grave naked and stript of all power and pompe all beauty and strength a weaker and poorer worme then when he fâ—â—st came out of the wombe Here further for this purpose and fuller exprâ—ssion of my meaning in this point how a worthy friend of mine instancing in the exemplary and dreadfull downe-falls of Haman Shebnah and others labours to fright gracelesse great Ones out of their luxury and pride security and sinfull pleasures by consideration of their Ends. Oh then saith he ye rich and great ye proud and cruell Ambitious and honourable take from their wofull examples the true estimate of your riches and your power your pleasure and your honour wherein ye trust and whereof yee boast but as Israell in Aegypt of a broken reede Consider that like sinnes will have like ends That God is to day and yesterday and the same for ever That the pride and cruelty oppression and luxury of these times have no greater priviledge then those of the former But when for a while you have domineered farre and neare Had what you would and done what you liâ—t dispeopled Parishes and plaines for your Orchards and walkes pulld downe many houses to set one up from betweene whose battlements and turrets at the top you can see no end of your meadowes your fields and your lands the measuring whereof as the Poet speakes would weary the very wings of the kite When your Clientary traine hath bin too long for the streete and your bare respect hath shooke the hat from the head and bent the knee afarre off when you have clapt whole Manours on your backs or turnd them downe your throates when you have scoured the plaineâ— with your horses the fields and woods with your bounds and the heaven with your hawkes when with pheasantâ— tongues you have furnisht whole feasts and with the Queene of Aegypt drunke dissolved pearle even fifty thousand pounds at a draught and then laide your headâ— in Dalilaâ—s lappe When if it were possible yoâ— have spent your whole lives in all that royall pompe and pleasure which that most magnificent King and Queeâ—â— did Hist. 1. for an hundred and fourescore dayes 〈◊〉 word when you have wallowed in all delights and stood in pleasures up to the chin Then even then the pit is digged and death of whom you dreame not stands at the doore Where are you now Or what is to bee done Come downe saith Death from your pleasant Prospects Alight from your Iades Hood your kites Cupple up your curres bid adew to pleasure out of your beds of lust Come naked forth and downe with mee to the chambers of death Make your beds in the dust and lay downe your cold carkasses among the stones of the pit at the roots of the Rockes And you great and delicate Dames who are so wearied with pleasure that you cannot rise time enough to dresse your heads and doe all your trickes against dinner To wash your bodies with muske and dawbe your faces with vermilion and chalke To make ready your pleasant baites to poyson mens eyes and their soules You whorish lezabels thinke you now you are meate for men Nay come head-long downe to the dogs If not suddenly so yet dispatch and put off your caules eare-rings and round tyres your chaines bracelets and mufflers your rings wimples and crisping pinns your hoods vailes and changeable sutes your glasses sine linnen with all your Mundus muliebris Isa. 3. And put on stinke in stead of sweete smell baldnesse in stead of well-set haire burning in stead of beauty Wormes shall make their nests in your brests and shall eate out those wanton windowes and messengers of lust Yea rottennesse and stinch slime and filth shall ascend and sit downe in the very Throne of beauty and shall dwell betweene your eie-browes All this is very wofull and yet there is a thousand times worse Besides all this Thou that now laies about the for thee world and wealth for transitory pelfe and rotten pleasures that lies soaking in luxury and pride vanity and all kinde
unconquerablenesse in torment then affected with the raging paines of a most terrible execution 2. In others from a strong stirring perswasion and consciousnesse of the honesty and honour of some civill cause for which they suffer But fortitude in this case doth not arise from any inspired religious vigour or heavenly infusions but from the severer instigations of naturall conscience and acquired manhood of a meere morall Puritane Many such morall Martyrs have beene found amongst the more generous and well-bred heathen It is storied of a brave and valiant Captaine who had long manfully and with incredible courage with-stood Dionysius the elder in defence of a Citie that Hee sustained with strange patience and height of spirit the mercilesse fury of the Tyrant and all his barbarous cruelties most unworthy of Him that suffered them but most worthy him that inflicted the same First the Tyrant told him how the day before hee had caused his son and all his kinsfolkes to be drown'd To whom the Captaine stoutly out staring Him answered nothing but that they were more happy then himselfe by the space of one day Afterward hee caused him to be stripped and by his executioners to be taken and dragged through the Citty most ignominiously cruelly whipping Him and charging Him besides with outragious and contumelious speeches All which notwithstanding as One no whit dismaide Hee ever shewed a constant and resolute heart And witâ—â— cheerefull and bold countenance went on still lowdly recounting the honourable and glorious cause of His death which was that Hee would never consent to yeeld his Countrey into the hands of a cruell Tyrant With such stoutnesse did even meere morall vertue steele the antient Romane spirits that in worthy defense of their liberty for preservation of their Countrey or other such noble ends They indifferently contemned gold silver death torture and whatsoever else miserable worldlings hold deare or dismall 3. In some from an extreme hardnesse of heart which makes them senselesse and fearelesse of shame misery or any terrible thing This wee may sometimes obserue in notorious malefactours A long rebellious and remorselesse continuance and custome in sinne raging infections from their roaring companions a furious pursuite of outrages and blood Satans hoâ— iron searing their consciences and Gods iust curse upon their fearefull and forlorne courses so fill them with foole-hardinesse and with such a ferall disposition that they are desperately hardned against all affronts and dis-asters So that tho such savage-minded and marble-hearted men be to passe thorow the streetes as spectacles of abhorrednesse and scorne as hatefull monsters and the reproach of Mankind to be throwne into a Dungeon of darknesse and discomfort and there to be loaden with cold irons coldnes and want from thence to bee hurried to that loathed Place of execution and there to die a Dogs death as they say and finally to fall immediately and irrecoverably into a Lake of fire yet I say for all this out of a desperate hard-heartednesse they seeme still to bee in heart and to represent to the beholders a great deale of undauntednesse and neglect of danger in their carriage and countenances O the prodigious Rocke into which the stone in a gracelesse heart may grow both in respect of desperatenesse in sinning and sense-lesnesse in suffering 4. In others from an enraged thirst after humane praise and immortall fame as they call it Which may be so prevalent in them and transport them with such a vaine-glorious ambition this way that it may carry them with much seeming insensibility affected patience and artificiall courage thorow the terrors and tortures of a very violent and Martyr like death Heare what Austin saith to this Point Thinke yee there never were any Catholikes or that now there may not bee some that would suffer onely for the prayse of men If there were not such kind of men the Apostle would not haue said Though I give my body to be burned and have not charity I am nothing Hee did know right well that there might bee some which would doe it out of vaine-glory and selfe-love not for divine love and the glory of God O the bottomlesse depth of Hellish Hypocrisie which lyes hid in our corrupt hearts O the blind and perverse thoughts of foolish men O the murderous malice of that old red Dragon which exerciseth such horrible crueltie both upon our bodies and soules 5. In some from false grounds of a supposed good estate to Godward from an unsound perswasion of their present spirituall well-beeing and future wellfare Such Pharisies foolish Virgines and formall Professours are to bee found in all Ages of the Church especially in the fairest and most flourishing daies thereof and when the Gospell hath the freest passage who thus many times in the greate it of all earthly extremities even upon their Beds of death represent to all about them from a groundlesse presumption of being reconciled unto God a great deale of confidence resolution and many glorious expectations Vpon a partiall survay and perusall of their time past not stain'd perhaps with any great enormities notoriousnesse or infamous sinne out of a vaine-glorious consciousnesse unto themselues of their many good parts generall graces good deedes and plausiblenesse with the most by reason of a former obstinated distaste and prejudice against sincerity and the power of godlinesse as tho it were unnecessary singularity and peevishnesse and it may bee confirmed also unhappily in their spirituall selfe-cousenage by the unskilfull and unseasonable palliations I meane mis-applications of some abused promises unto their un-humbled Soules from some dawbing Ministers a generation of vilest men excellent Ideots in the mystery of Christ and mercifull Cut-throates of many miserable deluded Soules to whom they promise life and peace when there is no peace towards but terrible things even at hand tumbling of garments in blood noise of damned Soules and tormenting in Hell for ever I say from such false and failing grounds as these they many times in that last extremity the Lord not revealing unto them the unsoundnesse of their spirituall estate and rottennesse of their hopes demeane themselues chearefully and comfortably as tho they were presently to set foote into Heaven and to lay hold upon eternall life but God hee knowes without any iust cause or true ground For immediately upon the departure of the Soule from the Body shall they heare that wofull doome from Christs owne mouth as Himselfe hath told us before-hand Depart from mee I never knew you Such men as these having been formerly acquainted with and exercisde in the outward formes and complements of Religion are woont at such times to entertaine their visitants and By-standers with many goodly speeches and Scripture-Phrases representing their contempt of the World Willingnesse to dye readinesse to forgive all the World Hope to bee saved desire to bee dissolved and bee in Heaven c. They may cry aloude with much formall confidence Lord Lord open to
calmnesse of a good conscience is grounded upon a Rocke upon which tho the raine descends the floods come the windes blow the tempests beate yet it stands like Mount Zion sure sober strong lasting impregnable Nay it is of that heavenly metall and divine temper that it ordinarily gathers vigour and puissance from the worlds rage and growes in strength and resolution together with the encrease of all iniust oppositions Persecutions and resistance serue as a provocation and seasoning to it's sweetnesse It is not enforced formall artificiall affected furious desperate misgrounded ambitious upon an humour in the face onely onely in hot blood out of a vaine-glorious pang c. Such may bee found in Aliens and resolute reprobates It were nothing worthy if strangers might meddle with it If Men or Divels or the whole World could take it from us If it were sustained onely by any created power or arme of flesh This Pearle that I praise and perswade unto is of an higher price and more transcendent power then any unregenerate Man can possibly compasse or comprehend It hath for it's seate a sanctified Soule for the Fountaine of it's refreshing the Spirit of all comfort for it's foundation the favour of God for it's Warrant the promises of Amen the faithfull and true Witnesse for it's object an immortall Crowne for it's continuance the prayers of all the Saints for it's companions inward peace invincible courage an holy security of minde for it's end and perfection fulnesse of ioy and pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore In a word this couragious comfort and true noblenesse of spirit which dwells in the heart of the true-hearted Christian doth differ as much from and as farre surpasses all the groundlesse confidences of what carnall men or religious counterfeits soever as the reall possession of gold an imaginary dreame of gold as the true naturall lively Grape which glads the heart a painted juycelesse Grape which onely feedes the eye as a strong and mighty Oake rooted deepely in the earth which no storme or tempest can displant or overthrow a Stake in a dead hedge or Staffe stucke lightly into the ground which every hand may snatch away or blast of winde supplant and overthrow Secondly the trouble of a wounded conscience is further amplified by it's Attribute intolerablenesse But a wounded Spirit who can beare Whence note Doctr. That the torture of a troubled Conscience is intolerable Reas. 1. In all other afflictions onely the Arme of flesh is our adversary wee contend but with Creatures at most wee have to doe but with Man or at worst with Divels but in this transcendent misery wee conflict immediately with God Himselfe Fraile Man with Almighty God sinfull Man with that most holy God Whose eyes are purer then to behold evill and who cannot looke upon iniquity Who then can stand before his indignation Who can abide in the fiercenesse of his anger When his fury is powred out like fire and the Rocks are throwne downe by Him When hee comes against a man as a Beare that is bereaved of her Whelpes torent the very caule of His heart and to devoure him like a Lion No more then the driest stubble can resist the fierest flame the ripe Corne the Mowers sharpest sythe or a garment the Moath no more nay infinitely lesse can any power of Man or Angell withstand the mighty Lord of Heaven and Earth when Hee is angry for Sinne. When thou saith David with rebukes correctest man for iniquity thou as a Moath makest his beauty to consume Alas when a poore polluted wretch upon some speciall illumination by the Word or extraordinary stroke from the rod doth once begin to behold Gods frowning face against Him in the pure Glasse of His most holy Law and to feele divine iustice by an invisible hand taking secret vengeance upon his conscience His heavy heart immediately melts away in his brest and becomes as water Hee faints and failes both in the strength of his body and stoutnesse of his minde His bones the pillars and Master-timber of his earthly Tabernacle are presently broken in pieces and turn'd into rottennesse His spirit the eye and excellency of his Soule which should illighten and make lightsome the whole Man is quite put out and utterly overwhelm'd with excesse of horrour and flashes of despaire O this is it which would not onely crush the courage of the stoutest sonne of Adam that ever breath'd upon earth but even breake the backe of the most glorious Angell that did ever shine in Heaven should Hee lift up but one rebellious thought against his Creatour This alone is able to make the tallest Cedar in Lâ—banon the strongest Oake in Basan I meane the highest looke and the proudest heart the most boisterous Nimrod or swaggering Belshazzar to bow and bend to stoope and tremble as the leaves of the forrest that are shâ—ken with the winde 2. In all other adversities a man is still a friend unto himselfe favours himselfe and reaches out his best considerations to bring in comfort to his heavy heart But in this Hee is a scourge to Himselfe at warre with Himselfe an enemy to Himselfe Hee doth greedily and industriously fetch in as much matter as hee can possibly both imaginary and true to enlarge the rent and aggravate his horrour Hee gazes willingly in that false glasse which Satan is woont in such Cases to set before Him wherein by his Hellish malice Hee makes an infinite addition both to the already un-numbred multitude and to the too true hainousnesse of his sinnes and would faine if Hee will be lead by his lying cruelty mis-represent to his affrighted imagination every Gnat as a Camell every Moate as a Mole-hill every Mole-hill as a Mountaine every lustfull thought as a Sodomiticall villany every idle word as a desperate blasphemy every angry looke as an actuall bloody murder every intemperate passion as an inexpiable provocation every distraction in holy duties as a damnable rebellion every transgression against light of conscience as a sinne against the holy Ghost c. Nay in this amazednesse of spirit and disposition to despaire Hee is apt even of his owne accord and with great eagernesse to arme every severall sinne as it comes into his minde with a particular bloody sting that it may strike deepe enough and sticke fast enough in His already grieved Soule Hee imployes and improoves the excellency and utmost of His learning understanding wit memory to argue with all subtilty with much Sophistry against the pardonablenes of his sins and possibilitie of salvation Hee wounds even his wounds with a conceit they are incurable and vexes his very vexations with refusing to bee comforted Not onely crosses afflictions temptations and all matter of discontentment but even the most desirable things also in this life and those which minister most outward comfort Wife Children Friends Gold Goods Great mens favours Preferments Honours Offices even Pleasures themselves every
hast shamefully abused whose anger patience and pure eye thou hast villanously provoked all thy life long Alas what wilt thou doe then What wings of the morning will then carry Thee out of the reach of Gods revenging hand What Cave shall receive thee What Mountaine canst Thou get by entreaty to fall upon Thee What darkest Mid-night or Hellish Dungeon shall hide thee from that wrath which Thou shall bee neither able to abide or to avoide In this case I would not have thy heart in my Brest one houre for the riches glory and pleasures often thousand worlds Neither blesse thy Selfe in the meane time because Thou hast neither feare fore-tast or feeling of the wrath which is to come the vengeance which hangs over thine Head and the horrour which dog's Thee at the heeles For that is the very complement of thy misery and perfection of thy madnesse To bee sicke and senselesse of it is the sorest sicknesse To have Satan slash thy Soule with so many sinnes one after another and to feele no smart is a most desperate securitie To have all this misery towards and to bee confident and fearelesse is the misery of miseries The reasons why thou art at rest from their guilty rage in the meane time and that so many sleeping Lions I meane all thine unpardoned sinnes doe not yet awake and stirre terrific and teare in pieces are such as these 1. Satan is suttle that Hee will not meddle much or molest thee extreamely untill Hee bee able to doe thee an irrecoverable mischiefe Hee is woont not to appeare in His true likenesse and so terribly not so much to disquiet and trouble any of His owne before Hee have them at some dead lift and desperate advantage as under some extraordinary Crosse great disgrace grievous sicknesse In time of some deepe Melancholy un-avoidable danger universall confusion When Hee conceives in all probabilitie that they have out-stood the Day of their visitation hardned their hearts that they cannot repent received the sentence of death against themselves And at such other like times when hee hopes Hee shall bee able to crush and confound them suddenly utterly and for ever And then hee playes the Divell indeed and shewes Himselfe in His colours For Hee then infinitely endeauours with all cunning and cruell industry after Hee hath wafted them a while downe the current of the times with as much carnall peace and pleasure as Hee could possibly to cast them upon the Rocke of a most dreadfull ruine and swallow them up quicke in the gulphe of calamity and woe of despaire selfe-destruction everlasting perdition of Body and Soule But you must know that in the meane time untill Hee can spie such an opportunity Hee labours might and maine to keepe them in as merry a moode as may bee Hee laies about Him by all wayes and meanes Hee can devise to plot and provide for them and that with great variety and curiosity fresh successions and supplies continually of pleasures contentments the countenance and favours of the times sensuall satisfactions all earthly prosperities If Hee can helpe it and have his will they shall wallow still in all worldly felicity and bee attended upon with all the delights their hearts can desire And all this to continue them with more easinesse and irresistance in the damned way And lest otherwise they should grow weary of His slavery sensible of their guilded fetters and so labour after liberty and enlargement from His Hellish bondage For Hee knowes full well that if thy endured much hardship in His service they might perhaps thinke of seeking after a new Master that want of comfort in the world might draw their hearts to delight in the Word Not finding happinesse upon earth might make them enquire after that which is in heaven That crosses and crossing their courses being sanctified for that purpose may happily helpe to breake their hearts and bring them to remorse for sin which Hee mainely feares and opposeth with all the craft and power Hee can possibly lest thereupon they breake out of His fooles-Paradise into the Garden of Grace out of the warme Sunne into Gods blessing In managing this maine policy for the more secure detainement of His Vassals in the invisible chaines of darkenesse and damnation and in an everlasting distast and dis-affection to the good way by holding up their hearts in His sinfull service and wooing them to go on quietly towards Hell without any grumbling Hee workes many wayes 1. Hee plots all Hee can to procure them successe in their wicked enterprises and unlawfull attempts especially against the faithfull Ministers and people of God for that doth infinitely confirme harden and encourage them in their prophane courses and opposition to grace Herein Hee doth many times mightily prevaile by improving the oportunities pressing the advantages which hee gaines by the executions of Gods iustice and rebellions of his Children The sinnes even of His owne people doe many times provoke Gods just indignation against them and enforces Him to raise up their adversaries as scourges and to give them successe for the humiliation and chastisement of his chosen See Psal. 81.14.15 Isai. 10.5 6. c. Ezech. 22.19.20 Whereupon Satan fills the hearts of the wicked so prevailing and conquering with a great deale of pride selfe-applause insolency contempt of godlinesse selfe-conceitednesse of their owne righteousnesse and worth and so hardens them extraordinarily and holds them with much obstinated resolution in the wayes of death and prejudice against the holy Path. 2. Hee helpes all hee can to have them thrive and prosper by oppression usury simony sacriledge bribery covetousnesse cousoning Machiavellian tricks c. That so His service may seeme more sweete and gainefull unto them To the effecting whereof Hee receives notable assistance and speciall advantage from the corruptions of the times and conscionable simplicity of the Saints For the first These worst and ulcerous times wherein so many Vines Olive-trees and Figge-trees wither away in obscurity and so many Brambles brave it abroad in the world tumbling themselves in the pleasures splendour and glory of the present wherein so many brave Princes are walking as servants upon the earth and too many servants of luxurie and pride are mounted on horse-backe I say they are the onely season for Satan to gratifie all His gracelesse Ones and to hoist them up by the common but accursed staires and stirrops of bribing basenesse temporising ill offices to humour greatnesse and other such vile meanes and accommodations into eminency in the world and high roomes where hee keepes them in a golden captivity with great contentment and lockes them full fast in the Scorners chaire with much securitie to their owne sensuall hearts and notorious service to Himselfe Whereas indeed and truth to men that have eyes in their Heads the ascent is slippery the Top shaking the downefall desperate For the second It is incredible to consider what a deale of advantage in worldly dealings
with the Divels painting and false luster carries away captive all carnall men and detaines in a Fooles-Paradise indeed an hellish prison a world of deluded Ones Yet those few illightened Soules whose eyes have been happily opened by spirituâ—ll Eye-salve to turne from darkenesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God behold a double deformity and ouglines in so foule a monster deceitfully dressâ—d in the Divels counterfeite colours and guilded over garishly in His personated Angelical glory 3. It is most filthy Farre filthier then the most stinking confluence of all the most filthy fulsome nasty loathsome things in the world And it must needs bee so For whatsoever a Man can conceive to bee most contrary distant and opposite to the infinite clearenes purity sweetnesse beauty and goodnesse of God all that and much more is sinne in the highest degree Hence it is that in the Scriptures it is compared to the filthiest myre in which a Sow will lie downe to coole and cover her selfe To the loathsome vomite not of a man but of a Dog To the unsavoury poysonfull dampe which rotten Carkases exhale out of opened graves To menstruous filth To the dirt under the nailes or the stinking sweat of the Body or the putrified matter of some pestilent ulcer To the very excrements which Nature having severed froÌ„ the purer part of the meate thrusts out of the stomack casts into the draught To the filthinesse pollutions and impurities of the world so called by a singularity for sin is the transcendent filth of the world To all the uncleannesses for which the Purifications cleansings washings and sprinklings were appointed in the Leviticall Law To abomination it selfe c. Nay and yet further which makes for the further detestation of sinne Whereas all outward filth defiles onely the Body this of sinne by the strength and contagion of it's insinuating poyson soakes thorow the flesh and the bone and enters and eates into the very minde and conscience Tit. 1.15 defiles the pure and immortall Soule of Man How long might wee cast dirt into the Aire before wee were able to infect the bright shining beames of the Sunne Yet so filthy is sinne that at once with a touch it infects the Soule a clearer and purer essence then it and that with such a crimsin and double-â—â—ed staine that the Flood of Noah when all the World was water could not wash it off Neither at that last and dreadfull Day when this great Vniversall shall bee turned into a Ball of fire for the purifying and renewing of the Heaven and the Earth yet shall it have no power to purge or cleanse the least sinne out of the impenitent Soule Nay the fire of Hell which burnes night and day even thorow all eternity shall never bee able to raze it out 4 It is most infectious Spits venome on all sides farre and wide corrupts every thing it comes neare By reason whereof it is fitly resembled to Leaven to a Gangreene to the Leprosie which filthy disease quickly over spreads the whole Body Numb 12.10 Infects the clothes the very Walles of the House Levit. 14.37 c. Posterity 2 King 5.27 The first sinne that eveâ— the Sunne saw was so pregnant with Soule-killing poyson that it hath already damnably polluted all the Sonnes and Daughters of Adam that were ever since and will still by the un-resistable strength of the same contagion empoysâ—n all their natures to the Worlds end Nay at the very first breaking out it suddenly blasted as it were both Heaven and Earth And so stained the beauty of the one the brightnesse of the other and the originall orient newly burnisht glory of the whole Creation that from that houre it hath groaned under the burden of that vanity and deformity to which this first sinne hath made it subject and will travaile in paine under the bondage of the same corruption untill it bee purged by fire in the great Day of the Lord. It but one sinne bee doted upon delightfully and impenitently like a lumpe of Leaven it soures all the Soule defiles the whole Man and every thing that proceeds from Him His thoughts desires affections words actions and that of all sorts naturall civill recreative religious It doth not onely unhallow his meate drinke carriage His buying selling giving lending and all His other dealings in the world even His plowing The plowing of the wicked is sinne Prov. 21.4 But also turnes all his spirituall services and divinest duties His prayer hearing reading receiving the Sacrament c. into abomination If but one raging corruption in a Minister Magistrate Master of a Family as lying swearing filthy-talking scoffing at Religion opposition to godlinesse Sabbath-breaking an humour of Good-fellowship or the like represent it selfe to the eye of the World in His ordinary carriage and hang out as a rotten fruite in the sight of the Sunne it is woont fearefully to infect or offend by a contagious insinuation and ill example all about Him to diffuse it's venome to His Family amongst His Sonnes and Servants over the Parish where Hee lives all companies where hee comes the whole Country round about especially if Hee bee a Man of eminency and Place 5. It is extremely ill A farre greater ill then the eternall damnation of a Man For when Hee hath Ilen many millions of yeeres in the Lake of fire and under the dominion of the second death He is never the nearer to satisfaction for sinne Not all those Hellish â—lames thorow all eternitie can possibly expiate the staine or extingvish the sting of the least sinne Nay the very destruction of all the creatures in the world of Men and Angels Heaven and Earth is a great deale lesse ill then to offend God with the least transgression of His lawes For all the creatures of ten thousand worlds were they all extant come infinitely short in excellency of worth of the Hearts-blood of Iesus Christ. And yet without the effusion of it no sinne could ever have been pardoned nor any Soule saved A man would thinke it a lesser ill to tell a lie then to lie in Hell But heare Chrysostome Altho many thinke Hell to bee the supreame and sorest of all evils yet I thinke thus and thus wil I daily preach That it is farre bitterer and more grievous to offend Christ then to bee tormented with the paines of Hell 6. It is full of most fearefull effects 1. It deprives every Impenitent 1. Of the fauour and love of God the onely Fountaine of all comfort peace and happinesse which is incomparably the most invalue-able losse that can be imagined 2. Of his portion in Christs blood of which tho the drops waight and quantity bee numbred finite and measurable yet the Person that shed it hath stampt upon it such height of price excellency of merit un-value-ablenes of worth that hee had infinitely better have his portion
in that sweetest well-spring of life and immortality then enjoy the riches pleasures and glory of the whole World everlastingly For a bitter-sweet taste of which for an ynch of time Hee villanously trampleth under-foote as it were that blessed blood by wilfully cleaving to His owne wayes and furious following the swinge of His owne sensuall heart even against the check and contradiction of His grumbling conscience 3. Of the most blissefull presence freedome and communication of the Holy Ghost and all those divine illuminations spirituall feastings sudden and secret glimpses and glances of heavenly light sweeter then sweetnesse it selfe wherewith that good Spirit is woont to visit and refresh the humbled hearts of holy men 4. Of the fatherly providence and protection of the blessed Trinity the glorious guard of Angels the comfortable communion with the people of God and all the happy consequents of safety deliverance and delight that floweth thence 5. Of the unknowne pleasures of an appeased conscience a Iewell of dearest price to which all humane glory is but dust in the balance Not the most exquisite extraction of all manner of Musicke Sets or Consorts vocall or Instrumentall can possibly conveigh so delicious a touch and taste to the outward eare of a Man as the sound and sense of a Certificate brought from the Throne of mercy by the blessed Spirit seal'd with Christs blood to the eare of the Soule even amidst the most desperate confusions in the evill Day when Comfort will bee worth a World and a good Conscience ten thousand earthly Crownes 6. Of all true contentment in this life of all Christian right and religious interest to any of the Creatures For never was any sound ioy or sanctified enjoyment of any thing in the world found in that Mans heart which gives allowance to any lust or lyes delightfully in any sinne 7. Of an immortall Crowne the un-speakeable ioyes of Heaven that immeasurable and endlesse comfort which there shall be fully and for ever enioyed with all the children of God Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Martyrs Christian friends yea with the Lord Himselfe and all His Angels with Christ our Saviour that Lambe slaine for us the Prince of glory the glory of Heaven and Earth the brightnesse of the everlasting Light c. In a word of all those inexplicable nay unconceiveable excellencies pleasures perfections felicities sweetnesses beauties glories eternities above 2. It doth every houre expose Him to all those evils which a Man destitute of grace divine may commit and unprotected from above endure It brings all plagues 1. Internall Blindnesse of minde Hardnesse of heart deadnesse of affection searednesse of conscience a reprobate sense strong delusions the spirit of slumber slavery to lust estrangednesse from God bondage under the Divell desperate thoughts horrour of heart confusion of spirit c. And spirituall mischiefes in this kind moe and more dreadfull then either Tongue can tell or heart can thinke Least of which is farre worse then all the plagues of Egypt 2. Externall See Deut. 28.15 c. 3. Eternall See my Sermon of the foure last things 3. By it 's pestilent damning Property and poyson it turnes Heaven into Hell Angels into Divels Life into death Light into darknesse sight into blindnesse Faith into distrust hope into despaire Loue into hate humility into pride mercy into cruelty security into feare liberty into bondage health into sicknesse plenty into scarcenesse a Garden of Eden into a desolate Wildernesse a fruitfull Land into barrennesse Peace into war quietnesse into contention Obedience into rebellion Order into confusion vertues into vices blessings into curses c. In a word all kind of temporall and eternall felicities and blisse into all kinds of miseries and woe 7. What heart except it bee all Adamant and turn'd into a Rocke of flint but possessing it selfe with feeling thoughts and a sensible apprehension of the incomprehensible greatnesse excellency and dreadfulnesse of the mighty Lord of Heaven and Earth would not tremble and bee strangely confounded to transgresse and breake any one branch of His blessed Lawes especially purposely and with pleasure or to sinne against Him willingly but in the least ungodly thought For alas Who art thou that liftest up thy proud heart or whettest thy prophane tongue or bendest thy rebellious course against such a Majesty Thou art the vilest wretch that ever God made next unto the Divell and His damned Angels A base and an unworthy Worme of the Earth not worthy to licke the dust that lyeth under His feete A most weake and fraile creature Earth ashes or any thing that is naught the dreame of a shadow the very Picture of change worse then vanity lesse then nothing Who when thy breath is gone which may fall out many times in a moment thou turnest into dust nay rottennesse and filth much more loathsome then the Dung of the Earth and all thy thoughts perish But now on the other side if thou cast thine eyes seriously and with intention upon that thrice glorious and highest Majesty the eyes of whose glory thou so provokest with thy filth and folly thou mayest most justly upon the commission of every sinne cry out with the Prophet O Heavens bee astonished at this bee afraid and utterly confounded Nay thou mightest marvaile and it is Gods unspeakeable mercy that the whole frame of Heauen and Earth is not for one sinne fearefully finally dissolued and brought to nought For He against whom thou sinnest inhabiteth eternity and unapprochable light The Heauen is His Throne and the earth his footstoole Hee is the euerlasting God mighty and terrible the Creatour of the ends of the earth â—c The infinite splendour of his glory and maiesty so dazles the eyes of the most glorious Seraphims that they are glad to adore Him with couered faces The Diuell and all the damned spirits those stubborne Feinds tremble at the terrour of His countenance All the Nations before Him are but as the drop of a bucket but as the small dust of the balance nay they are nothing to Him saith the Prophet yea lesse then nothing Hee fitteth upon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers The Iudges and Princes when Hee blowes upon them are but as stubble before the Whirle-winde And Hee taketh vp the Iles as a very litle thing At His rebuke the Pillars of Heauen doe shake the Earth trembleth and the foundations of the hills are mooued His presence melts the mountaines His voice teares the Rocks in pieces The blast of the breath of His nostrils discouers the chanells of waters and foundations of the world when Hee is angry His Arrowes drinke bloud His sword deuoures flesh and the fire of his wrath burnes unto the lowest Hell The Heauen is but His span The Sea His handfull The wings of the wind His walke His garments are light His Pauilion darknes His way in the whirlewind and in the storme and
thou wert able to doe Him all the honour service and worship which all the Saints both militant and triumphant doe it would come infinitely short of the merit of the least of all His mercies unto Thee in Iesus Christ. 2. How unkindelylie God takes the neglect of His extraordinary kindenesses unto vs. 2. Sam. 12.7 c. 1. Sam. 27.28.31 Ezech. 16. 16. Marke well and be amaz'd of thine owne fearefull and desperate folly when thou fallest deliberately into any sinne Thou lajest as it were in the one scale of the Balance the glory of Almighty God the endles ioies of Heaven the losse of thine immortall Soule the pretious blood of Christ c. And in the other some rotten pleasure earthly pelf worldly preferment fleshly lust sensuall vanity And suffers this prodigious madnes Bee astonished O yee Heavens at this and bee horribly afraid to out-weigh all those 17. Vpon the first assault of every sinne say thus unto thy self If I now yeeld and commit this sin I shall either repent or not repent If I doe not repent I am vndone If I doe repent it will cost mee incomparably more hearts-greife then the pleasure of the sinne is worth 18. Consider that for that very sinne to which thou art now tempted suppose lying lust ouer-reaching thy Brother c. many millions are already damned and even now burning in Hell And when thy foote is upon the brinke stay and thinke upon the wages And know for a truth that if thou falelst into that sinne thou art fallen into Hell if God helpe not out 19. Never bee the bolder to giue way unto any wickednes to exercise thine heart with covetousnesse cruelty ambition revenge adulterjes speculative wantonnesse selfe-uncleannesse or any other solitary sinfulnesse because thou art alone and no mortall eie lookes upon Thee For if thine heart condemne thee God is greater then thine heart and knoweth all things and will condemne thee much more If thy conscience bee as a thousand witnesses God who is the Lord of thy conscience will be more then a million of witnesses And thou mayst bee assured Howsoever thou blessest thy selfe in thy secrecy that what sin soever is now acted in the very retyredst corner of thine heart or any waies most solitarily by thy Selfe tho in the meane time it bee concealed and lie hid in as great darknesse as it was committed untill that last and great Day yet then it must most certainly out with a witnesse and bee as a legible on thy forehead as if it were writ with the brightest Sun-beame upon a Wall of Christall Thou shalt then in the face of Heaven and Earth bee laide out in thy colours and without confessing and forsaking while it is called to Day bee before Angels Men and Diuels vtterly universally and everlastingly shamed and confounded 20. Consider the resolute resistance and mortifyed resolutions against sinne and all entisements thereunto of many upon whom the Sun of the Gospell did not shine with such beauty and fullnesse as it doth upon vs neither were so many heavenly discoveries in the kingdome of Christ made knowne unto them as our daies have seene For vpon our times which makes our sins a great deale more sinfull hath happily fallen an admirable Confluence of the saving light and learning experience and excellency of all former Ages besides the extraordinary additions of the present which with a glorious Noonetide of united illuminations doth abundantly serve our turne for a continued further and fuller illustration of the great mystery of godlinesse and Secrets of sanctification Heare Chrysostome But I thinke thus and this will I ever preach that it is much bitterer to offend Christ then to bee tormented in the paines of Hell Hee that writes the life of Anselme saith thus of Him Hee feared nothing in the world more then to sinne My conscience bearing mee witnesse I lie not For we haue often heard Him professe That if on the onâ— hand He should see corporally the horrour of sinne on the other the paines of Hell and might necessarily bee plunged into the one Hee would chuse Hell rather then sinne And an other thing also no lesse perhaps wonderfull to some Hee was woont to say To wit That Hee would rather haue Hell beeing innocent and free from sinne then polluted with the filth thereof possesse the kingdome of Heaven It is reported of an other ancient holy Man that He was woont to say Hee would rather bee torne in peeces with wilde horses then wittingly and willingly commit any sin Ierome also in one of His Epistles tells a story of a young Man of most invincible courage and constancy in the Profession of Christ under some of the bloody Persecuting Emperours to this sense They had little hope as it seemes to conqver Him by torture and therfore they take this course with Him They brought Him into most fragrant Gardens flowing with all pleasure and delight there they laid Him upon a Bed of Downe softly enwrapped in a net of silke amongst the Lillies and the Roses the delicious murmure of the streames and the sweet whistling of the leaves they all depart and in comes a beautifull strumpet and vseth all the abominable tricks of Her impure Art and whoâ—sh villanies to draw Him to her desire Whereupon the yong Man fearing that Hee should now bee conqvered by folly who was Conqverer over fury out of an infinite detestation of sinne bites off a peece of His Tong with His owne teeth and spits it in the face of the whore And so hinders the hurt of sinne by the smart of his wound I might haue begun with Ioseph who did so bravely and blessedly beate backe and trample under His feete the sensuall solicitations of His wanton and wicked Mistris Hee had pleasure and preferment in His eye which were strongly offered in the temptation but Hee well knew that not all the offices and honours in Egypt could take off the guilt of that filth and therefore Hee resolved rather to lie in the dust then rise by sinne How can I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God I might passe along to the Mothâ—â— and seven brethren 2. Mac. 7. who chose rather to passe thorow horrible tortures and a most cruell death then to eate swines â—lesh against the Law And so come downe along to that noble Army of Martyrs in Q. Maries time who were contented with much patience and resolution to part with all wife children liberty livelihood life it selfe even to lay it downe in the flames rather then to submit to that Man of sinne or to subscribe to any one Point of His Devillish Doctrine Thus as you haue heard I haue tendred many reasons to restraine from sinne which by the helpe of God may serve to take off the edge of the most eager temptation to coole the heat of the most furious entisement to embitter the sweetest baite that drawes to any sensuall delight Now my most
there must bee a third thing To take them to our selves to beleeve they are ours and there needes a worke of the Spirit for this For tho the promises bee never so cleare yet having nothing but the promises you shall never bee able to apply them to your selves But when the holy Ghost shall say Christ is thine All these things belong to Thee and God is thy Father when that shall witnesse to our spirit by a worke of His owne Then shall wee beleeve c This is the order observed in our iustification 1. First There is a sight of our misery to which wee are brought by the Law 2. Secondly There is by the Gospell an holding forth of Christ as our redemption from sin and death 3. Thirdly there is a working of Faith in the heart to rest on Christ as the ransome from sinne and death Now when a man is come hither Hee is truly and really iust Wee teach that in trve conversion a man must bee wounded in his conscience by the sense of his sinnes His contrition must bee compungent and vehement bruising breaking renting the heart and feeling shee throwes as a woman labouring of Childe before the new-Creature bee brought forth or Christ truly formed in Him It is not done without bitternesse of the Soule without care indignation revenge 2. Cor. 7.11 But as some Infants are borne with lesse paine to the mother and some with more so may the new-man be regenerated in some with more in some with lesse anxiety of travell But surely grace is not infused into the heart of any sinner except there bee at least so great affliction of Spirit for sinne foregoing that He cannot but â—eele it c. This bruising is required before conversion 1. That so the Spirit may make way for it selfe into the heart by levelling all proud high thoughts c 2. To make vs set an high price upon Christs death This is the cause of relapses and Apostasies because men never smarted for sin at the first They were not long enough under the lash of the Law Hence this inferiour worke of the Spirit in bringing downe high thoughts is necessary before conversion By this time it doth most clearly and plentifully appeare what a foule and fearefull fault it is for men either in the managing of their Publike ministery or more private Passages of conference visitations of the sicke consultations about a good estate to Godward and other occasions of like nature to apply Iesus Christ and the promises to promise life and safety in the evill Day to Soules as yet not soundly illightned and afflicted with sight of sinne and sense of Gods wrath to consciences never truly wounded and awaked I insisted the longer upon this Point because I know it full well to bee a most universall and prevailing Policy of the Devill whereby hee keepes many thousands in His cursed slavery and from salvation To confirme as many Pastours as Hee can possibly willing enough to drive their Flocks before them to damnation in an ignorant or affected Preiudice and forbearance of that saving method of bringing Soules out of Hell mentioned before and made good with much variety of evidence And to nourish also in the hearts of naturall men a strong and sturdy disconceite opposition raging against downe-right dealing and those men of God able as they say but falsely and furiously against their owne Soules by their terrible teaching to drive their hearers to distraction Selfe-destruction or despaire who take the only right course to convert them and to bring them to Iesus Christ as Hee Himselfe invites them to wit labouring and heauy laden with their sinnes Matth. 11.28 Dawbers then who serue Satans craft in this kinde and all those who dispence their ministery without all spirituall discretion and good conscience of whom there are too many as great strangers to the right way of working grace in others as to the worke of grace in themselves I say they are a generation of dangerous men Old excellent as they say in an accursed Art of conducting poore blinded Soules merrily towards everlasting miserie and setting them downe in the very midst of Hell before they bee sensible of any danger or discovery of their damnable state Great men they are with the men of this world with al those wise fooles and sensuall great ones who are not willing to bee tormented before their time or rather who desire impossibly to live the life of pleasures in the meane time and yet at last to die the death of the righteous They have still ready at hand hand over head mercy and pardon Heaven and salvation for all commers and all they come neere without so much as a desire to put any difference or divide the pretious from the vile Which is a prodigâ—â—usly-arrogant folly pernicious in the highest degree both to their own soules and those they delude Heâ—â—e 〈◊〉 they are branded in the Booke of God calling them 〈◊〉 Sâ—wers under mens elboes Ezek. 1â— 1â— That 〈◊〉 laid soft and lockt fast in the Cradle of security thâ—â— may sinke suddenly into the Pit of destruction before they be aware Criers of peace peace when no peace is towards Ier. 6.14 but horrible stirs tumbling of garments in bloud burning and devouring of fire A â—â—n-pleasers â—alat 1.10 who chuse rather to tickle the itching eares of their carnall hearers with some fâ—othy Frier-like conceits out of Dung-hill 〈◊〉 And so smooth Great Ones in their humours by their cowardly flatteries especially if they any waies depend upon them for countenance rising and preferment rather then conscionably to discharge that trust 〈◊〉 upon them by their great Lord and Master in Heaven upon answerablenes for the bloud of those Soules which shal perish by their temporizing silence and flattering vnfaithfulnesse Healers of the hurt of their Hearers with 〈◊〉 words Ier. 6.14 while their Soules are 〈◊〉 by the wounds of sinne unto eternall death Preachers of smooth things Isa. 30.10 which kinde of Men the greatest part and all worldlings wonderfully affect and applaud tho to their owne everlasting vndoing They swell under such Teachers with a Pharisaicall conceite that they are as safe for salvation as the precisest of them all but alas their hope is but like a hollow wall which beeing put to any stresse when the tempest of Gods searching wrath begins to shake it in the time of a finall triall of it's truth and soundnesse it shatters into pieces and comes to naught Heare the Prophet Now go write it before them in a table and note it in a booke that it may bee for the time to come for ever and ever That this is a rebellious people lying children children that wil not heare the Law of the Lord which say to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie not unto us right things speake unto us smooth things prophesie deceits Get you out of the way turne aside out
and Orient Mines of all those sweetest mercies folded vp within the Bowells of Gods dearest compassions and of the Mysterie of his free grace and love through the Sonne of his lous vpon purpose to invite and allure those that are without to come in and to stirre vp our Hearers to bring broken hearts bruised Spirits bleeding Soules unto the Throne of grace upon the same ground but infinitely more gracious that incouraged the Seruants of Benhadad to addresse themselves towards the King of Israel And his Servants said unto Him Behold now wee have heard that the Kings of the House of Israel are mercifull Kings Let vs I pray thee put Sackecloth upon our loines and ropes upon our heads and goe out to the King of Israel peradventure hee will save thy life The most desperate Rebels heretofore upon present true remorse for their former rage in sinne resolving sincerely to stand on Gods side for ever hereafter may safely and upon good ground thus reason within themselves Alas wee have done very villanously we have served Satan a long time we walk up downe as condemned men ripe for destruction long agoe Hell it selfe even groanes for us wee may justly look every moment for a Mittimus to cast us headlong into the dungeō of Brimstone and fire and yet we will trie we will goe and throw downe our selves before the Throne of grace in dust and ashes and cry as the Publican did unto the great God of heaven for Hee is a mercifull God gracious long suffering abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne And then not onely peradventure but most certainely they shall bee received to mercy and hee will save the life of their Soules I say for this Point of Preaching mercy onely to hearten Men to come in and to nourish in them a hope of pardon in Case of penitency c. See my discourse of true happines p. 173. And I will only adde and advise at this time this one thing of great importance in the Point That after a plentifull magnifying and amplifying the mercy of God by its infinitenesse eternity freenesse and imcomparable excellency every way onely upon purpose to assure the greatest sinners of most certaine acceptation and pardon if they will presently turne with truth of heart from Sathan to the living God from all sinne to his holy Seruice I say that wee then take heed and make sure as much as in us lies that no impenitent unbelieving wretch none that goes on in his trespasses or lies willingly and delightfully in any one sinne receive any comfort by any such discourse as though as yet Hee had any part or interest at all in any one drop of all that boundlesse and bottomlesse Sea of mercy that were a meanes to naile Him fast to His naturall estate for ever But onely thence conceive that if Hee will presently lay downe armes against the Majesty of Heaven and come in with a truly penitent humbled soule thirsting heartily for Iesus Christ and resolve vnfainedly to take His yoke vpon Him there is no number or notoriousnesse of sinne that can possibly hinder his gracious entertainement at Gods mercy-Seate For this end let vs tell all such that though the mercies of God be infinite yet they are dispensed according to His Truth Now the Oracles of Divine Truth tell us that those who shall find mercy are such as confesse and forsake their sinnes Who so confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes shall have mercy Proverb 28.13 Those then who doe not confesse and forsake them shall haue no mercy That the Parties to whom good tidings of mercy and comfort are to bee preached are the poore the broken hearted them that are bruised those that labour and are heavy laden All that mourne c. Luk. 4.18 Mat. 11.28 Isa. 61.2.3 That the man to whom the Lord lookes graciously is even Hee that is poore and of a contrite Spirit and trembleth at his word Isa 66.2 That whosoever by his free mercy through Christ is borne of God doth not commit sin 1. Ioh. 3.9 I meane with allowance purpose perseverance No sinne raignes in such a One c. And yet alas How many miserable men will needs most falsely perswade themselves and others that they have a portion in the mercies of God and hugge with extraordinary applause and embracement the formall flattering messages of Men-pleasers and Time-servers to dawbe over such rotten hopes who yet notwithstanding goe on still in their trespasses who were never yet sensible of the burden of their corruptions and spirituall beggery never wounded in conscience or troubled in minde to any purpose for their sinnes never mourned in secret and sincerely for the abominations of their youth could never yet find in their hearts to sell all for the buying of that one pearle of great price nor ever yet so prized Iesus Christ as to leave their darling pleasures though very base and abominable to enjoy the unspeakeable and glorious pleasures of His gratious kingdome Nay such as heartily serve some Captaine and Commanding sinne in heart or life or calling as their owne consciences if they consult with them impartially in cold blood can easily tell them as Lust the world ambition the times the fashion their pleasures their profits their Passions their ease selfe love pride revenge the dunghill delight of good fellow-ship or the like And here then Let mee discover a notable depth of Sathan whereby hee doth baffle and blind fold His slaves most grossely you know full well and heare often the common Cry of all carnall men especially under any conscionable Ministery against preaching of judgement and for preaching of mercy See the causes why they cannot downe with downeright dealing and powerfull application of the law Disc. of true Happinesse pag. 179 c. But what doe you thinke is the reason that they gape so greedily after Preaching of mercy Not that they can endure the preaching of it as I now have taught and as it onely ought to those that are without To wit To have first the dearenesse the sweetnesse the freenesse the full glory of Gods immeasurable mercy revealed unto them onely as a motive and incouragement to come in but ever at the Close and conclusion to bee made to understand and know certainely that not so much as one drop of all that bottomlesse depth of mercy and bounty in Iesus Christ doth as yet belong unto them lying in any state of unregeneratnes or in any kind of Hypocrisy whilest they regard any wickednesse in their heart and are not willing to plucke out their right eyes and cut off their right hands I meane to make an everlasting divorce from their former dearest sensuall delights and sinnes of their bosome for onely they who confesse and forsake their sinnes shall have mercy Pro. 28.13 This way of preaching mercy would nettle and gall them as much perhaps as pressing of
to lift them up That none shall have mercy but such as confesse and forsake their sinnes That the meere ciuill man and luke-warme formall Professour without holinesse and zeale can never bee saved That all the wicked shal bee turned into Hell c. In a word if Hee take the right course to bring men from darkenesse to light from Satan to the living God by first wounding with the Law before Hee heale with the Gospell I say the most in this Case are ready to cry out and complaine that hee throwes wild-fire Brimstone and Gunpowder into the consciences of men Conceive therefore I pray you That there is in God first His justice and secondly His mercy both infinite and equall Onely in regard of Man there is an inequality For God may bee said to bee more mercifull unto them that are saved then just to them that are damned For of damnation the just cause is in Man but of salvation it is wholly from grace In Himselfe and originally they are both equal and so are all his Attributes But in respect of the exercise and expression upon His creatures and abroad in the world there is some difference But for my purpose and our Ministeriall emploiment and Commission take notice That as the revealed effects of Gods mercy are love tender-heartednesse compassion His owne deare Sons pretious hearts-blood pardon of sinnes peace of conscience unspeakeable and glorious joy thereupon Evangelicall pleasures comfortable presence of the Spirit even in this life and in the other World pleasures infinitely moe then the Starres of the firmament in number even for ever and ever And all these vpon all true Penitents So the revealed effects of His Iustice are indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish that Sword which will devoure flesh those arrowes that drinke blood that fiery anger which will burne unto the lowest Hell and set on fire the foundations of the Mountaines That comming against which is with fire and charets like a whirlewinde to render anger with fury and rebuke with flames of fire that meeting which is as of a Beare bereaved of her whelps to rent the cauâ—e of the heart and devoure like a Lyon c. All plagues with the extremity temporall spirituall eternall all the curses in this Booke of His all the torments in Hell to the utmost sparke of those infernall flames And all these upon all impenitent sinners Now God will bee glorified both waies and by them both Give us leave then to give them both their due Wee are most willing and ready as our great Master in Heaven would have us Isa. 40.1.2 and our blessed Saviour by his example doth teach us Luk. 4.18 To convey by our Ministry into every truly-broken heart and bleeding Soule the warmest bloud that ever heated Christs tender heart and to keepe backe from the true Penitent not any one graine of that immeasurable Mine of all the rich mercies purchased with that pretious blood Bee content therefore on the otherside that wee open the Armory of Gods justice and reveale his wrath from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of Men That indignation and wrath Tribulation and anguish shal be upon every soule of man that doth evill c. As wee are ever ready to binde vp the bruised spirit with the softest oyle of Gods sweetest mercy So let us I pray you have leave in the equity of a just and holy proportion to wound with the Hammer of the Law the haâ—ry Pate of every One that goes on in His sinne Let us deale faithfully even with wicked men lest wee answere for the blood of their soules By telling them That as certainely as all the glorious comforts and blessed consequents of Gods infinite mercy shall crowne the heart and heade of every true-hearted Nathanael for ever so all the dreadfull effects of his angry Iustice will at length seize upon the Soules and confound the consciences of all un-holy men with extremest severity and terrour Let it bee thus then and let our Ministeriall dispensation bee in this manner If thou bee an impenitent Person I would tell Thee That the vtmost wrath of God vnquenchable and everlasting vengeance all earthly and infernall plagues are thy certaine Portion But I would mollify and sweeten the bitternesse of this sentence with assurance of mercy upon Repentance to prevent the assaults of despaire On the other side If the Ministry of the Word hath wrought upon Thee effectually and now thy truly-humbled soule thirsts after Christ with a syncere hatred and opposition against all sinne I would assure thy troubled and trembling heart in the Word of life and truth of all those most pretious blessings and sweetest comforts which the Booke of God doth promise and the blood of Christ hath bought But withall I would commend unto thee some Coolers and Counterpoisons against presumption and falling to Pharisaisme For which purpose and for prevention of danger and spirituall undoing by unskilfull and undiscreet dawbing in the Case proposed I come now to tender such Counsels and Caveats as these or the like which the faithfull Physition of the Soule according to occasions circumstances and present exigents may thinke fit to bee mingled with administration of mercy and wisely propounded to the afflicted Party It may not proove unseasonable to speake thus or in some such manner to thy spirituall Patient 1. If these things bee truly and soundly so If thou finde and feele indeed such a mollified and melting spirit such broken and bleeding affections in thy bosome Thou art certainely blessed If that sorrowfull soule of thine doth renounce from the very heart-roote with speciall distaste and detestation all manner of sinne insatiably thirst after righteousnesse unfainedly resolve for the short remainder of a few and evill dayes to bend it selfe towards heaven in all New-obedience I say if this bee syncerely the holy disposition and resolution of thine heavy heart notwithstanding all thy present terrour and trouble of minde Thou art truly and everlastingly happy Onely take notice lest my ministring of mercy bee mistaken or thy conceiving of comfort mis-carry that the heart of man is deceitfull above all things A bottomlesse depth it is of Falshoods dissemblings hypocrisies An endlesse Maze of windings turnings and hidden passages No eye can search and see it's center and secrets but that All-seeing One alone which is ten thousand times brighter then the Sun to which the darkest Nooke of Hell is as the Noone-day And therefore not I nor any man alive can promise pardon or apply the promises but conditionally upon supposition If these things bee so and so as thou hast said And the syncerity of thy heart and truth of these hopefull protestations which wee now heare from thee in this extremity and I must tell thee by the way such like may be enforced by the slavish sting of present terrour not fairely and freely flow from a true touch of conscience for sinne I say this may
mighty Lord of Heaven and Earth to have Hee offers to us in the Ministry His owne blessed Sonne to be our deare and everlasting Husband His Person with all the rich and royall endowments thereof the glory and endlesse felicities above His owne thrice glorious and ever-blessed Selfe to bee enjoyed thorow all eternity which is the very soule of heavenly Blisse and life of eternall life c. Doe you thinke it then reasonable or likely that Hee will ever accept at our hands an heartlesse formall outwardnesse a cold rotten carcasse of religion That wee should serve our selves in the first Place and Him in the second That wee should spend the prime and flower of our loues ioyes services upon some abominable bosome-sinne and then proportion-out to the everlasting God mighty and terrible Creator and Commander of Heaven and Earth only some outward religious formes and conformities and those also so farre onely as they hurt not our temporall happinesse but may consist with the entier enjoyment of some inordinate lust pleasure profit or preferment Prodigious folly nay fury to their owne soules This very one most base and unworthy conceit of so great a God and His due attributions meriteth justly exclusion from the Kingdome of Heaven with the foolish Virgins for ever My Counsell therefore is when the spirituall Patient hath passed the tempestuous Sea of a troubled conscience and is now upon termes of taking a new course That by all meanes Hee take heed that Hee runne not upon this Rocke It is better to bee key-cold then luke-warme and that the milke boile over then bee raw 7. Tho it bee an ordinary yet it is a dangerous and utterly un-doing errour and deceite To conceive that all is ended when the afflicted Party is mended and hath received ease and enlargement from the terrible pressures of his troubled conscience To thinke that after the tempest of present terrour and rage of guiltinesse bee allayed and over-blowne there needes no more to bee done As tho the New-birth were not ever infallibly and inseparably attended with new-obedience As tho when once the soule is soundly and savingly strucke thorow humbled and prepared for Christ by the terrifying power of the Law revealing the foulenesse of sinne and fiercenesse of divine wrath which set on by the spirit of bondage is able like a mighty thunder to breake and teare in pieces the iron synewes of the most stubborne and stony-heart there followed not hearty shewers of repentant teares never to bee dried up untill our ending houre as I taught before when all teares shall bee everlastingly wiped away with Gods mercifull hand And that the Sunne of righteousnesse did not presently breake forth upon that happy Soule to dispell the Hellish clouds of sensuality lust lying in sinne c. and to illighten inflame and fill it with the serenity and cleare sky as it were of sanctification and purity a kindly fervour of Zeale for Gods glory good causes good men keeping a good conscience and fruitfull influence of sobriety righteousnesse and holinesse for ever after And therefore if upon recovery out of trouble of conscience there follow not a continued exercise of Repentance both for sinnes past present and to come as you heard before an universall change in every power and part both of Soule and Body tho not in perfection of degrees as the Schooles speake yet of Parts an heart-rising hatred and opposition against all sinne a shaking-off old companions brethren in iniquity all Satans good-fellow Reuellers a delight in the word waies services Sabbaths and Saints of God a conscionable and constant endeavour to expresse the truth of protestations and promises made in time of terrour as I told you before c. In a Word if there follow not a new life if all things doe not become new there is no New-birth in truth all is naught and to no purpose in the Point of salvation They are then miserable Comforters Physicions of no value nay of notorious spirituall blood-shed who having neither acquaintance with nor much caring for the manner meanes methode any heavenly wisedome spirituall discretion or experimentall skill in managing aright such an important businesse if any waies they can asswage the rage and still the cries of a vexed guilty Conscience they thinke they have done a worthy worke Tho after their dawbing there bee nothing left behind in it but a senselesse skarre Nay and perhaps more brawnednesse benummednesse brought upon it because it was not kindlily wrought-upon in the furnace of spirituall affliction and rightly cured I feare mee many poore soules are fearefully deluded who beeing recovered out of terrours of Conscience too suddenly unseasonably or one way or other unsoundly conceive presently they are truly converted tho afterward they bee the very same men of the same company and conditions they were before or at best blesse themselves in the seeming happinesse of an halfe conversion For a more full discovery of this mischiefe and prevention of those miseries which may ensue upon this last miscarriage Let mee acquaint you with foure or five Passages out of Pangs of Conscience which still leade amisse and leave a man the Divel 's still And for all his faire warning by the smart of a wounded spirit drowne Him in the workes of darkenesse and waies of death 1. Some when by the piercing power and application of the Law their consciences are prest with the terrible and intolerable waight of their sinnes and the worme that neuer dies which hath been all this while dead-drunke with sensuall pleasures is now awaked by the hand of divine justice and begins to sting They presently with unspeakeable rage and horrour fall into the most abhorred and irrecoverable Dungeon of despaire The flames of eternall fire seize upon them even in this life They are in Hell upon Earth and damned as it were above ground Such they are commonly who all their life long have been contemners of the conscionable Ministry Scorners of the good way Quenchers of the Spirit Revolters from good beginnings and Profession of grace Harbourers of some secret vile abominable lusts in their hearts against the light of their conscience close Agents for Popery and Prophanenesse plausible Tyrants against the power of godlinesse and such other like notorious Champions of the Divell infamous Rebels to the highest Majestie Whom sith they have bin such and have so desperately and so long despised the riches of His goodnes and forbearance and long-suffering leading them to Repentance God most justly leaves now in the evill day when once the hot transitory gleame of worldly pleasures is past and His judgements begin to grow upō their thoughts like a tempestuous storme and death to stand before them unresistable like an armed Man and sinne to lie at the doore like a Bloodhound and the guilty conscience to gnaw upon the heart like a Vulture c. I say then Hee leaves them in His righteous iudgement
prejudice against the power of godlinesse and pestilent perswasions of Pillow-sowers under their elbowes that in so doing they shal bee utterly undone and never have good day afterward But to speake in their owne language fall presently into the hands of the Puritanes into the strict tortures and Hypocriticall miseries of precisenesse into fowrenesse vnsociablenesse dumps of Melancholy and indeede into a state not past a step short of distraction and madnesse And these therefore cast about to get out of trouble of minde and sense of divine terrour with as great impatiency and precipitation as the former onely more plausibly and with seemingly fairer but truly false satisfaction to their owne Soules For the former rush with furious indignation out of these spirituall dejections of Conscience as unmanly feares not fit for worthy spirits and men of Ioviall resolution into greater excesse and variety of worldly delights and sensuall loosenesse and so ordinarily become afterward very notorious and more desperate enemies to the Kingdome of Christ Because the power of the Word hath once stung their carnall hearts with some remorsefull terrour they ever after heartily hate the sound and searching Ministry and managers thereof the Inflicters of their smart for no other reason in the world but that they tell them the truth and thereupon torment them before their time that so if they be not wanting unto themselves they may escape the torments of eternity hereafter And they set themselves against godly Christians with incompatible estrangement and implacable spite onely because they are Professours of Selfe-deniall holy strictnesse inconformity to the world repentance mortification c. the entertainement and exercise whereof they furiously more detest and flie from then the death of their Bodies and damnation of their Soules But these latter passe more plausibly out of trouble of conscience and take a fairer course of the two tho it proove but an imaginary and counterfeite Cure For they labour to close up their spirituall wound with comfort out of the Word and promise peace to their troubled hearts from the promises of life But herein they faile and fearefully deceive themselves in that they conceive the first fits and qualmes as it were of Legall terrour to bee saving repentance a generall speculative apprehension of Christ's Passion to procure a speciall pardon for all their sinnes fruitlesse speculations of Faith to prevent and secure them from the wrath that is come a meere verball profession to be forwardnesse enough except a Man would bee too precise Vpon the first fright and feeling the smart of a confused remorse and horrour for sinne without any further penitent wading into Particulars or thorow-search into their hearts lives consciences and Callings without suffering the worke of the spirit of Bondage to drive them to Christ and a resolution to sell all c. They presently hand over-head apply by the strong delusion of their owne idle groundlesse conceite all the gracious promises and priviledges of Gods Childe to their un-humbled Soules and enforce their understandings by a violent greedy error to think they are justified by such an artificiall heartles Notion which they falsely call Faith and so resting in a counterfeite perswasion that they are true Converts ordinarily turne carnall Professours Who are a kind of people who have no more spirituall life then a dead Faith can infuse into them No more comfort in the communion of Saints then an outward correspondence in Profession speculative Discourses of religion and meetings at the Meanes can yeeld No more interest or right to Heaven then a bold presumptuous confidence built first upon their owne wilfull fancy and seconded with Satans lying suggestion can give them Whose sorrow for sinne at the most is commonly no more then afflicting their Soules for a Day and bowing downe their heads like a Bul-rush without loosing the bands of wickednesse or departing from iniquity Whose conversion is nothing but onely a speculative Passage from a confused apprehension of sinne to a generall application of Christ without any sensible or saving alteration in their waies Whose New-obedience consists onely in a formall conformity to outward exercises of Religion without all true Zeale life heartinesse holinesse or indeed honest dealing with their Brethren But these men are to know that Christs blood never pardoned any mans Soule from sinne whose spirit the power thereof did not purge from guile It never saves any one from Hell whom it doth not first in some good measure season with holinesse and heavenly life In vaine doe they build comfort upon his Passion who doe not conscionably conforme to the practise of his Word And let them further bee informed for a more cleare discovery of their grosse and damnable Selfe-deceit that howsoever a dead Faith according to it's name and nature enters if it hath any entitie at all into the understanding without any remarke-able motion sense and alteration yet that Faith which truly justifies pacifies purifies mortifies sanctifies and saves is evidently discernable by first Many stirring Preparatives Sight and sense of a Mans miserable state by nature of his sinfulnesse and cursednesse Humbling himselfe in the sight of the Lord fearefull apprehensions wrought by the spirit of bondage Illumination conviction Legall terrours c. Secondly Violent affections about the infusing of it which are wont to bee raised in the humbled heart by the Holy Ghost extreme thirst inflamed desires vehement longings un-utter-able groanings of spirit prizing and preferring the Person and Passion of Christ before the Possession of infinite Worlds willingnesse to sell all to part with any thing for Him tho neuer so deare or so much doted upon heretofore with pleasure riches preferments a right hand a right eye liberty life c. Nay if in such a Case if even Hell it selfe should stand betweene Iesus Christ and a poore Soule He would most willingly passe thorow the very flames thereof to embrace His blessed crucified Lord in the armes of a lively Faith Thirdly inseparable consequents and companions first an hearty and everlasting falling-out with all sinne secondly sanctification thorowout in Body Soule Spirit and Calling and in every power part and passage thereof tho not in perfection of degrees as they say yet in truth and effectually thirdly A set and solmne course of New-obedience spent principally in Selfe-sobriety righteousnesse towards our Brethren and holinesse towards God Many unfaithfull men in the Ministry both in their publike teaching and private visitations of the sicke have much to answer-for in this Point who for want of skill in that highest Art of saving soules of familiarity with God and secret workings of his Spirit of experience in their owne change and of the spirit of discerning c. many times concurre with such miserable men to marre all in stife-ling the very first stirrings of Legall remorse by healing the wounds of their conscience with sweet words before they be searcht and sounded to the bottome and by an unseasonable and
life come death come Heaven come Hell come what come can here will I sticke for ever And if ever I perish they shall plucke mee out of the hands and rent mee from betweene the armes of this mighty glorious and dearest Redeemer of mine 6. And having now taken Christ as a Saviour to free him from the miseries of sinne hee is willing also to take him as a Lord Husband and King to serve love and obey him For every one that is truly Christs doth as well thirst heartily and syncerely indeavour after mortification conquest over corruptions sanctification purity new-obedience ability to do or suffer any thing for Christ as for pardon of sinne and salvation from hell And therefore he willingly takes upon him his yoake which tho so called yet is easie and light enters in earnest into the narrow way which tho it bee every where spoken against as it was in Pauls time Act. 28.22 yet in truth and upon triall is most pretious profitable and pleasant See Prov. 3. Happy is the man that findeth wisedome to wit in the word to walke in the wayes of God Shee is more pretious then rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her Length of dayes is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour Her wayes are wayes of pleasantnesse and all her pathes are peace Hee now for the short remainder of his abode in this vale of teares vowes and gives up the flower and prime of all his abilities loves joyes endeavours performances in any kinde to the highest Majesty and consecrates all the powers and possibilities of body and soule to doe him the best and utmost service hee can any wayes devise unto his dying day And still grieves and walkes more humbly because hee can doe no better For then hee casts his eyes upon God the Fathers free love and Christs deare passion hee thinks with himselfe and so hee well may that if hee were able to doe him as much service as all the Saints doe both in this and the Church above with addition of all Angelicall obedience it were all infinitely lesse then nothing towards the discharge of his debt and incomprehensible everlasting obligation 7. And being thus incorporated into Christ he presently associates himself to the brotherhood to the Sect that is every where spoken against For so is profession accounted Act. 28.22 After that Peters hearers were pricked in their hearts they were counselled to repent believe be baptised c. and to save themselves from that untoward generation He now beginnes to delight himselfe in them whom hee heartily hated before I meane the people of God Professours of the truth and power of religion and that as the most excellent of the earth the only true Noble Worthies of the World worthy for ever the flower fervency and dearenesse of his most melting affections and intimate love And hee labours also might and maine to ingratiate himselfe into their blessed communion by all ingagements and obligations of a comfortable fruitfull and constant fellowship in the Gospell By an humble mutuall entercourse and communication of holy conference heavenly counsell spirituall encouragements consideration one of another confirmation in grace and in assurance of meeting in heaven c. resolved to live and die with these neglected happy Ones in all faire and faithfull correspondence sweetest offices of Christianity and constant cleaving to the Lord Iesus and his glorious cause Nay assured to raigne with them hereafter everlastingly in fullnesse and height of all glory joy and blisse For if once this divine flame of brotherly love bee kindled by the Holy-ghost in the hearts of true hearted Christians one towards another it hath this propertie and priviledge above all other loves that it is never after put out or quenched but burnes in their brests with much affectionate fervor with mutuall warmth of dearest sweetenes here upon earth and shall blaze eternaly with Seraphicall heate in the highest heavens hereafter In the meane time he makes cōscience of sympathizing both with their felicities and miseries His heart is enlarged with lightsomenesse or eclipsed with griefe as hee heares of the prosperity or oppression of Gods people I the rather here mention this marke of the true convert because it is so much required nay infinitely exacted at our hands in these heavy times of the Church And therefore may bee to every one of us an evident Touch-stone to try whether our profession bee vitall or formall If those terrours which I have heretofore many times threatned out of Gods Booke against all those pittilesse and hard-hearted Caniballs which take not the present troubles of the Church to heart upon purpose to breake in pieces those flinty Rockes which dwel in some mens brests and to drive us all to compassionatenesse prayer dayes of humiliation and parting from our evill wayes I say if they have beene thought by any to have been pressed too precisely and peremptorily heare what I have since seene in Austin and what a peremptory censure hee doth passe upon those who want a fellow-feeling in such a case If thou hast this fellow-feeling thou art of that blessed body and brotherhood if not thou art not And here can I hardly hold but were it incident I should desire to cry out with a voice lifted vp like a trumpet against all those prophane Esaus swinish Gadarens senselesse Earth-wormes who all this while that so many noble limbes of that great blessed body of the Reformed Churches have laine in teares and bloud did never take to heart to any purpose or trouble themselves at all with their grievous troubles but have sottishly and securely laine at ease in Zion liable to that horrible curse denounced against Meroz Curse yee Meroz sayd the Angell of the Lord curse yee bitterly the Inhabitants thereof because they came not to the help of the Lord against the mighty Iudg. 5.23 They have not helped the people of God so much as with any hearty fellow-feeling wrastling with God in praier set daies to seeke the returne of Gods face and favour c. Men they are of the World which have their portiō in this life who feele nothing but worldly losses know nothing but earthly sorrowes rellish nothing but things of sense If they be stung with a deare yeare rot of cattel losse by surety-ship ship-wrack robbery fire c. they houle and take-on immoderately But let Ioseph bee afflicted Gods people in disgrace the Ministry hazarded Christ spouse sit in the dust the Daughter of Zion weepe bitterly and have none to comfort her c. And these mercilesse mē are no whit moved They have not a teare a groane or sigh to spend in such a ruful case Whereby they infallibly remonstrate unto their owne consciences that they are no living members of Christs mysticall body have no part in the holy fellowship of the Saints no spark of spiritual
life no acquaintance at all with the waies of God but continue cursedly carelesse what becomes of the Gospell or Gods children so that they may rise grow rich and sleepe in a whole skinne 8. By this time now is he become the drunkards song table-talke to those that sit in the gate Musicke to great men at their feasts a By-word to the children of fooles and the children of villaines men viler then the earth whose fathers hee would have disdained to have set with the doggs of his flocke And what then Even thus they dealt with David Iob Ieremie Nay they told the Sonne of God himselfe in whom the Godhead dwelt bodily that he was a Samaritane and had a Devill What man of braine then that gives his name to Christ and lookes to bee saved will looke for exemption Especially sith all the contumelies and contemptes all those nick-names of Puritan Precisian Hypocrite Humorist Factionist c. with which lewd tongues are woont to load the Saints of God are so many honourable badges of their worthy deportment in the holy path and resolute standing on the Lords side Some noble Romans having done some singular service to the state and after troubled and handled violently in some privat Cases were woont to bare their bodies and to shew in open court the scars and impressions of those woundes which they had received in their Countries cause as characters of speciall honour and strongest motives to commiseration So many lying imputations unworthy usages and persecutions in any kinde for profession of godlinesse which the faithfull Christian shall bring to the Iudgement seate of Christ so many glorious and roiall representations of excellency of spirit and height of courage in Christian causes shall they bee accounted in the sight and censure of almighty God and the blessed Angels and make him more amiable and admirable in the face of heaven and earth Thus much of the Theorie as it were I come now to the Practicke part To a particular application of some speciall soveraigne Antidotes to the most grievous ordinary maladies incident to the soules of the Saints But first give mee leave to premise some generall well-heads out of which do spring abundance of comfort and overflowing rivers of refreshing for all intents and effects in point of temptation and trouble of minde 1. And first take a fruitfull cluster and heavenly heape of them together those twelve heads of extraordinary immeasurable comfortable matter for spirituall medicines which I have heretofore erected as so many invincible bulwarkes against all assaults of despaire oppositions of Satan exceptions of distrust 1. The infinitenesse of Gods mercy sweetely intimated Isa. 55.6.7.8 The mercy of God is like himselfe infinite All our sinnes are finite both in number and nature Now betweene finite and infinite there is no proportion and so no possibility of resistance And therefore bee thy sinnes never so notorious and numberlesse yet in a truly broken heart thirsting for and throwing it selfe upon Christ unfainedly resolving upon new-obedience and his glorious service for the time to come can no more withstand or stand before Gods mercies then a little sparke the boundlesse and mighty Ocean throwne into the midst of it nay infinitely lesse If all the sinnes that all the Sonnes and daughters of Adam have committed since the Creation to this time were all upon one soule yet so affected as I have sayd and put into such a new penitent gracious temper it should be most certainly upon good ground and everlastingly safe I speake not thus to make any secure for any one sinne pleasing and raigning will ruine a soule for ever But to assure of mercy enough how great or many so ever the sinnes haue been if the heart bee now truly humbled for them all and wholly turned heaven-ward 2. The unvaluablenesse of Christs meritorious blood Which is call'd the blood of God and therefore of inestimable price Vnderstand mee aright It was the blood of God not of the God-head but of him who was both God and man For the man-hood of Christ was received into the union of the second person And so it may bee called the blood of God for so speakes S. Paul Act. 20.28 God purchased his Church with his owne blood that is Christ God incarnate Our Devines expresse it thus It was the Sonne of God and Lord of life that died for us upon the Crosse but it was the nature of man not of God wherein he died and it was the nature of God and infinite excellency of the same whence the price valew and worth of his passion grew This blessed blood then is of infinite efficacie and therefore if thou be now turning to the Lord assure thy selfe whatsoever thy sinnes have beene they have not out-gone the price that hath been payd for them This blood upon repentance did take off the transcendent scarlet guilt from the soules even of those that shed it Act. 2. c. 3. The riches of the Word in affording precedents of the Saints and of the Sonne of God himselfe who have surpassed thee and that perhaps very farre in any kinde of miserie thou canst name Thou art perhaps consulting with the Prodigall to come-in but there comes terribly into thy minde the extraordinary hainousnesse of thy former sinnes and that hinders Cast thine eie then upon Manasses a man of prodigious impiety and matchlesse villany Hee shed innocent blood very much till hee had filled Ierusalem from one end to another Hee did that which was evill in the sight of the Lord like unto the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel Hee caused his children to passe through the firâ—â— in the valley of the sonne of Hinnom also Hee observed times and used inchantments and used witch-craft and dealt with a familiar spirit and with wizzards Hee wrought much evill in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger c. And yet this great sinner humbling himselfe greatly before the God of his Fathers was received to mercy Suppose which yet were a horrible thing that after conversion by extraordinary violence of temptation strong in-snarement of some sudden sensuall offer and opportunity treacherous insinuation of thy owne false heart and furious re-assault of thy former bosome-sin Thou shouldest be overtaken grossely with some grievous sin and scandalous fal and then upon illumination remorse and meditation of returne reason thus within thy selfe Alas what shall I doe now I have undone all I have wofully againe defiled my soule so fairely washed in my Saviours blood with that dis-avowed sinne of my unregenerate time I have shamed my profession disgraced religion for ever I have broke my vowes lost my peace and my woonted blessed communion with my God c. And therefore what hope can I have of any acceptation againe at the Throne of grace I say in this case to keepe thee
desert to what Christ hath done for thee and to the Almightinesse and All-mercifullnesse of him that promiseth consider with all that God is also abundant in truth Every promise in his Booke is as sure as Himselfe sealed with his Sons Blood and confirmed with his owne Oath Hee must sooner cease to bee God and deny himselfe which is more then infinitely impossible and prodigious blasphemie to imagine then faile in the least circumstance or syllable of his immeasurable love and promises of life to any one that heartily loves him and is true of heart And therefore when thy thirsty soule makes towards the Well of life by vertue of that promise Rev. 21.6 I will give to him that is athirst of the fountaine of the water of life freely And upon survey of the overflowing Rivers of pleasures and blisse which everlastingly spring thence begins to retire from it as too-good newes to bee true I say then steele thy Faith and comfort thy selfe gloriously by consideration of that abundant truth with which hee hath crowned every word of His stronger then a Rocke of brasse far surer then the Pillars of the Earth or Poles of Heaven Nay I speake an admirable thing and of unutterable consolation which cannot bee violated without Destruction of the Deity most blessed and glorious for evermore And let this ever banish and beat backe all scruples doubtes seares which at any time offer themselves and oppose thy unspeakeable joy and peace in believing 6. Well saith an other I easily acknowledge the incomprehensible goodnesse in this Name of God and hold them most blessed who have their part and portion therein But for my part I am affraid I come too late For I have observed the course of the Ministery amongst us and the dispensation of Gods mercy in it At first comming our Towne being full of Ignorance prophanesse and much superstitious follies having never before injoyed the Word with any life or power wee all stood amazed a good whle at the Majesty and Mysterie of this new heavenly Light The first messages of the Ministry sounded in our eares as the voyce of many waters mighty and great but confused not working in us either joy or terrour but onely an extraordinary wonder and secret acknowledgement of a strange force and more then humane power But afterwards when our Watchman was better acquainted with our waies and had more fully discovered the state of our soules the Word was unto us as a voice of a great thunder more distinct and particular breeding not only admiration but feare also not filling our eares onely with an uncouth sound but our hearts also with a terrible searching For the Sermons of every Sabbath came-home to our consciences singling out our severall reigning corruptions beating punctually upon our bosome-sinnes manifesting clearely our spirituall misery and certaine liablenesse to the extremest wrath of God and endlesse woe Whereupon wee were all at our wits end what to doe grew weary of our lives wished with all our hearts that such a Puritane-Preacher had never come amongst us told every man almost wee met that wee had a Fellow at our Towne would drive us all to despaire distraction selfe-destruction or some mischiefe or other That wee heard nothing from him but of damnation and hell and such horrible things c. Now in this second worke of the Word there was a good number even some out of that cursed crue and knot of Good-fellowship wherein I have been insnared so long wonne unto Iesus Christ. For beeing illightned convinced and terrified in conscience for their former sinfull courses the continued piercing of the Word and worke of the spirit of bondage keeping them upon the Racke under the dreadfull sense of divine wrath and their damnable state a good while at last they happily resolved without any more delay diversion by-path or plunging againe into worldly pleasures to passe on directly by the light and guidance of the Gospell into the holy path And so undertooke and hitherto have holden out in Profession and a blessed conformity to the better side But I and the greater part a great deale more was the pitty hating heartily to bee reformed and abhorring that precise way so much spoken against every where into which woe conceived such severe Ministeriall counsell would have conducted us I say wee wickedly wrested out of our vexed consciences those keene arrowes of truth and terrour with great indignation wee unhappily hardned our hearts and foreheads against the power of the Word which particularly pursued us every Sabbath Nay alas we persecuted the very meanes which should sanctifie us and men which would have saved us Here then is my Case and complaint neglecting that blessed season when I was first terrified and troubled in minde when the Angell from Heaven as it were troubled the water and when some even of mine owne Companions in iniquity were converted I am affraid I now come too late that the mercy of God to doe mee spirituall good is already expired and that the Ministry which I have so wretchedly opposed is the very same to mee that it was to the obstinate Iewes Isa. 6.9.10 Nay but yet say not so though it bee with thee as thou hast sayd For our gracious God keepeth mercy for thousands Here you must know that a finite number is put Synecdochecally for an infinite and an infinite indeed And therefore if thou now bee in earnest and willing to come-in in truth and those thine other brethren in Good fellowship and hundreds thousands millions moe or any whosoever to the worlds end God hath mercy in store for you all and being all weary of all your sinnes unfainedly thirsting for the Well of life resolving for the time to come upon new courses company and conversation you shall all be most welcome to Iesus Christ. Even the last man upon earth bringing a truly broken heart to the Throne of grace shall bee crowned as richly and with as large a portion of Gods infinite mercy and Christs un-valew able merit as Adam and Eve or whosoever layd first hold of that first promise The seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head 7. Yea but alas I have been no ordinary sinner My corruptions have carried mee beyond the villanies of the vilest you can name Not only variety but the notoriousnesse also and enormity of my wicked waies have set an infamous brand upon mee even in the sight of the world beside those secret pollutions and sinfull practices which no eie but that which is ten thousand times brighter then the Sun ever beheld Had I not been extremely outragious stayned with abominations of deepest die and gone on thus with a high hand I might have had some hope But now I know not what to say Take notice then to the end that nothing at all may possibly hinder or any way discourage any poore soule that syncerely seekes for mercy desires to turne truly on Gods side from assurance of
and soulelesse earth upon which wee tread may teach us to rest and depend upon God in such a Case It is a mighty and massy body planted in the middest of the thinne aire and hangs upon just nothing in the world but only upon Gods Word By that alone it is there established unmooveably keepes his place most steadily never stirs an ynch from it It hath no props or pillars to uphold it no barres or beames to fasten it nothing to stay and support it but the bare Word of God alone Hee upholdeth all things by the Word of his power saith the Apostle Heb. 1.3 And yet not all the creatures in the world can shake it or make it tremble Bee it so then that thy Faith hath lost it's hold-fast that for the present thou findest no feeling no encouragements of joy and peace in beleeving no sensible pawnes and pledges of Gods wonted favour c. Yet for all this cast thy selfe upon the sure Word of that mighty God who hath established all the ends of the earth and reared such a great and goodly building where there was no foundation and questionlesse thou shalt bee more then infinitely everlastingly safe and setled like mount Zion which cannot bee removed but abideth for ever 3. In failings of new-obedience Thou puts thy sonne into imploiment sets him about thy businesses He improves the utmost of his skil strength and indeavour to doe thee the best service hee can and please thee if it were possible to perfection But yet comes short of what thou desires and failes in many particulars and therefore he weepes and takes-on and is much troubled that hee can give no better contentment Now tell mee thou whose heart is warmed with the tendernesse of a Fathers affection whether thou wouldest not bee most ready and willing to pardon and passe-by all defects and failings in this kinde Nay I know thou wouldest rejoyce and blesse God that hee had given thee a Child so obedient willing and affectionate Proportionably thy heavenly Father sets thee on worke To beleeve repent pray read the Scriptures heare the Word conferre meditate love the Brethren sanctifie his Sabbaths humble thy selfe in daies of fasting and praier poure out thy soule day and night as the times require in compassion fellow-feeling and strong cries for the Afflictions of Ioseph the destruction of the Churches and those Bretheren of thine which have so long laine in blood and teares to bee industrious and serious in all workes of justice mercy truth c. And thou goest about these blessed businesses with an upright heart and in obedience unto God but the several performances comes far short of what his Word requires and thy heart desires and thereupon thou mournes and grieves and afflicts thy soule in secret because thou canst not come-off with more power and life nor bring that glory unto God in thy Christian walking which so many mercies meanes and such a ministery may exact at thy hands In this case now of these involuntary failings and humble disposition of thy heart therefore bee most assured thy All-sufficient Father will spare thee as a man spareth his owne sonne that serveth him Nay and with so much more kindnesse and love as the heavens are higher then the earth and God greater then man 4. In case of a spirituall Desertion A Father solacing himselfe with his little Child and delighting in it's pretty and pleasing behaviour is woont sometimes to step aside into a corner or behind a dore upon purpose to quicken yet more it 's love and longing after him and try the impatiency and eagernesse of it's affection In the meane time hee heares it cry run about and call upon him and yet hee stirres not but forbeares to appeare not for want of compassion and kindnesse which the more it takes-on the more abounds but that it may dearelier prize the Fathers presence that they may meete more merrily and rejoyce in the enjoyment of each other more heartily Conceive then and consider to thine owne exceeding comfort that thy heavenly Father deales just so with thee in a spiritual desertion He sometimes hides his face from thee and withdrawes his quickning and refreshing presence for a time not for want of loue for hee loves thee freely He loves thee with an everlasting love hee loves thee with the very same love with which He loves Iesus Christ And that deare Son of his loves thee with the same love his Father loves him But to put more heate and life into thine affections towards him and heavenly things To cause thee to relish communion with Iesus Christ when thou enjoyest it more sweetely to preserve it more carefully to joy in it more thankefully and to shunne more watchfully whatsoever might rob thee of it To stirre up all the powers of thy soule and all the graces of God in thee to seeke his face and favour againe with more extraordinary and universall seriousnesse and industry For we finde with pleasure possesse with singular contentment and keepe with speciall care what we have sought with paine Wee may see this in the Spouse Cantic 3.1 c. under the pressure of a grievous Desertion Ponder every particular By night on my bed I sought him whom my soule loveth I sought him but I found him not I will rise now and goe about the Citty in the streetes and in the broad wayes I will seeke him whom my soule loveth I sought him but I found him not The Watchmen that goe about the city found mee to whom I said Saw yee him whom my soule loveth It was but a little that I passed from them but I found him whom my soule loveth I held him and would not let him goe untill I had brought him to my mothers house and into the chamber of her that conceived mee I charge yee O yee daughters of Ierusalem by the Roes and by the Hindes of the field that yee stirre not up nor awake my Love till hee please And lastly that when the comfortable beames of Gods lightsome countenance shall break out againe upon thy soule and thy Beloved is returned thou maist sing that triumphant song of Faith most joyfully I am my Beloveds my Beloved is mine Desertions then delaies of this nature are fruites of thy heavenly Fathers love and ought to bee no discouragements unto thee at all holding thy integrity His love thereby is intended towards thee by the restraint of the influence as it were and sense of it from thy soule as a Brooke growes big by damming it up for a while And thy love is more enflamed towards him when thou now feeles by the want of it what an heaven upon earth it is to have his face shine upon thee with it's quickning refreshing presence and that a sensible embracement of Iesus Christ in the armes of thy Faith is the very life of the soule as the Soule is the life of the Body the Crowne of all sweet
number of His Elect is so small and the sway of the multitude sinke downe under the burden of their iniquities transgressions and sinnes into the Pit of endlesse Perdition How comes it to passe that out of the great heape and masse of all man-kinde there are made but so few vessells of mercy and that so many vessels of wrath are justly for their sinnes filled brim-full with the vialls of everlasting vengeance See Matth. 7.13.14 and 20.16 Some matter of Answer to this Point would yee thinke it may bee taken even from the Schoolemen If we consider first The unconceiveable eminency and unvalewable worth of the Crowne of glory which doth so far and disproportionably surpasse transcend the common state and condition of our nature Secondly The pretiousnesse of the effusion of the blood of the deare and only Son of God for the purchasing of that so glorious a Crowne Thirdly The necessary and inevitable defectibility of the Creature Fourthly The most free and wilfull Apostacy of Adam and in Him of all his Posterity Fifthly The abominable and villanous nature and staine of sinne c. Why should wee not rather wonder at the unsearcheablenesse of Gods mercy for advancing one Soule to that endlesse blisse in Heaven then to repine at the equity of His justice if He should have suffered all the polluted and sinnefull sonnes of Adam to passe from the Masse of corruption into which they freely fell on their owne accord and cursed choise thorow a rebellious life into the endlesse miseries of their deserved confusion Would it not have been a greater marvaile to have seene any one clearely convinced and found guilty of that most horrible villany that ever was bred in Hell or heard-of in the World I meane the Popish Powder-Treason pardoned then all those desperate Assasins to have justly perished in their so abhorred and execrable rebellion And it is utterly un-imaginable either by Man or Angell what a deale of mercy doth flow out of the Bowels of Gods dearest compassions thorow the hearts-blood of his onely Sonne to the washing and salvation but of one Soule 3. A third Reason may bee taken from it's part and interest in the Fountaine of salvation and Rivers of living water Hee that thirsts after grace is already enrighted to the Well of life and fullnesse of heavenly blisse by a promise and protestation from Gods owne mouth Revel 21.6 I will give to Him that is athirst of the Fountaine of the Water life freely In that Place after God himselfe had confirmed and crowned the truth and certainty of the gloriousnesse of the holy City and the happinesse of the Inhabitants thereof with a solemne asseveration of his owne immutability and everlastingnesse It is done I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end He then notifies and describes the persons to whom the promise and possession of so great and excellent glory doth appertaine and those also which shall bee eternally abandoned from the presence of God and burned in the Lake of fire and brimstone for ever Inhabitants of Heaven Elect are 1. Humble Soules thirsting after grace Gods favour and that blessed Fountaine opened to all broken hearts for sinne and for uncleannesse I will give to him that is athirst of the Well of the water of life freely vers 6. 2. Christs champions here upon earth against the powers of darkenesse and conquerers of their owne corruptions Hee that overcommeth shall inherit all things and I will be his God and hee shall bee my sonne vers 7. But the fearefull c. are mark't out for Hell verse 8. For all that cursed crue and slaves of sinne are overcome of Satan and their owne lusts and so carried away captives into everlasting misery and woe Cast not away thy confidence then Poore heart No not in the lowest langvishings of thy afflicted soule If thou bee able to say syncerely with David Psal. 143. My Soule thirsteth after Thee as a thirsty Land If thou feele in thy affections an hearty hunger after rightousnesse both infused and imputed as well after power against as pardon of sinne Bee assured the Well of life stands already wide open unto thee and in due time Thou shalt drinke thy fill Thy soule shall bee fully satisfyed with the excellencies of Iesus Christ Evangelicall joyes as with marrow and fatnesse and Thou shalt bee abundantly refreshed out of the river of his pleasures 4. That which Paul tells us in the Point of communicating to the necessities of the Saints to wit If there bee first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a Man hath and not according to that Hee hath not 2. Cor. 8.12 holds true also in all other services and divine duties So that wee are accepted with the Lord according as wee are inwardly affected altho our actions be not answerable to our desires Hee that hath a ready and resolved minde to doe what Hee may would undoubtedly doe a great deale more if ability were ministred God saith Paul worketh both to will and to doe If both bee His owne workes the desire as well as the deede Hee must needs love and like both the one and the other both in respect of acceptation and reward David did but conceive a purpose to build God an house and Hee rewarded it with the building and establishing of his owne House 2. Sam. 7.16 Hee did but conceive a purpose to confesse His sinne and Gods eare was in his heart before Davids confession could bee in His tongue Ps. 32.5 To the poore Beggeâ—s that wanted food for themselves Christ shall say at the last day Yee have fed me wheÌ„ I was hungry only in regard of their strong affections if they had had meanes The Prodigall Child when He was but conceiving a purpose of returning was prevented by His Father first comming to Him Nay running towards Him Luk. 15.20 God will answer us before wee call Isa. 65 24. That is in our purpose of praier c. Besides Scripture and reasons I add ancient and moderne authority not for any further confirmation but onely to shew consent To desire the helpe of grace is the beginning of grace saith Austin Onely thou must will and God will come of his owne accord saith Basil. Hee that thirsts let him thirst more and hee that desires let him yet desire more abundantly Because so much as Hee can desire so much He shall receive Bernard Christ saith Luther is then truly omnipotent and then truly raignes in us when wee are so weake that wee can scarce give any groane Againe The more wee finde our unworthinesse and the lesse wee finde the promises to belong unto us the more wee must desire them beeing assured that this desire doth greatly please God who desireth and willeth that His grace should bee earnestly desired When I have a good desire saith Kemnicius tho it doth scarcely shew it selfe in some little and
confidence as it was woont So that for a time Thou mayst lie under the torture of an heavy heart uncheerfullnesse in all thy waies and some degree of horrour because thou canst get no better hold-fast But more is thy fault For never did dearest Father so lovingly entertaine into His greedy armes a penitent Sonne returning from going astray then our mercifull God upon thy renewed humiliation is willing to shine upon thee againe with the refreshing beames and blessings of his woonted favour Yet tell mee true deare Heart Tho for the present that precious and happy prayer of Paul for the Romanes The God of hope fill you with all ioy and peace in beleeving be not fulfilled upon thy Soule Tho thy former joyfull feelings bee turned into distrustfull feares yet doth not that heavy heart of thine desire farre more to bee re-comforted with the presence and pleased face of thy Beloved then crowned with the glory and pleasures of many worlds Wouldest thou not much rather feele the hand of thy Faith fastned againe with peace and full perswasion upon the Person Passion and promises of the Lord Iesus then graspe in thy bodily hand the richest Imperiall Crowne that ever sate upon any Caesars head If Satans spitefull craft taking a cruell advantage of thy present dejection of spirit doe not hinder thy trembling heart from telling the truth I know thou canst not deny this And then I must tell Thee These hearty longings and longing desires in the meane time untill God give more strength be right deare to that tender-hearted Father of thine which doth infinitely more esteeme one groane or sigh from a broken spirit then a thousand rammes or tenne thousand rivers of oyle and are most pretious and piercing to that compassionate heart that poured out it's warmest and dearest blood to purchase the salvation and refresh the sadnesse of every truly-humbled Soule Ground upon it then and bee of good cheere If thy troubled spirit fild with the sense of the want of it's former sweet and joyfull feelings finde in it selfe a true and hearty longing after the supply of that want a constant and conscionable pursuite of all holy meanes for the procurement of that supply I can assure Thee in the Word of life and truth in Gods season Thou shalt bee satisfyed Hee will fullfill the desires of them that feare Him Hee also will heare their cry and will save them And this blessed promise for the accomplishment of thy desire is as surely thine as the breath in thy Body Hee must sooner cease to bee God and deny Himselfe which is more then infinitely impossible and prodigious blasphemy to imagine then faile in the least circumstance or syllable of all His love and promises of life to any One that heartily loves Him All the sacred Sayings in His holy Booke and all those promises of salvation are signed with the hand of Truth it selfe and sealed with the blood of His beloved Sonne And so are farre surer then the Pillars of the Earth or Poles of Heaven For Heaven and Earth must passe away before any title of His Word fall unto the ground And therefore as Hee will most certainly poure upon the hairy Pate of every One which hates to bee reformed all the plagues and curses threatned there even to the least sparke of the flames of Hell and the last drop of the full vials of His infinite endlesse unquenchable wrath so will Hee abundantly make good to every upright Soule syncerely thirsting after Iesus Christ in the best time all the promised good in His blessed Booke and that aboue all expectation expression conceit 4. Fourthly Thou mayst bee diversly distressed upon thy Bed of death 1. Casting thine eye backe upon thy whole life all thy sinnes from Adam to that houre and willing as thou must now take thy farewell so to take thy fill of repentance They appeare to the eie of thy conscience farre moe in number and more ougly then ever before And no marvaile for beeing now sequestred for ever from all worldly comforts and company distractions and diversions and the cloudes of naturall feare raised by the dreadfull circumstances of approaching dissolution uniting as it were and collecting the sight of thy Soule which imploiments in the world commerce amongst men and Sunne-shine of outward prosperity did before too much disperse dazle and divert they are represented farre more to the life and in their true colours Whereupon comparing the poore weake nothingnesse as thou now apprehends of thy godly sorrow hatred and opposition against them with thy present apprehension of their hainousnesse hatefulnesse and horrible number Thou begins to bee dejected and knowest not well what to thinke of thy Selfe I say then for thy comfort consult with thy sanctified heart and thou shalt finde and feele an infinite hearty desire that thy repentance for them detestatiō of them and heart-rising against them had been and now were as thorow sound and resolute as ever was in any penitent Soule that breathed the life of grace upon earth 2. Secondly Revising now thy whole Christian conversation spending of Sabbaths pouring out prayers reading Scriptures hearing the Word love of the Brethren dayes of humiliation workes of mercy receiving the Sacrament godly conference living by Faith in all estates c. Thou mayst see them in this last impartiall cleare retired examination of thy conscience to have been pestered with so many failings imperfections deadnesse of spirit distractions distempers that thou begins to feare and conceive As well never a whit as never the better as they say c. In this case also reflect upon the holy habituall disposition of thy heart and thou shalt feele it thirsting and longing unfainedly that all the holy duties and good deeds that ever passed thorow thy heart and hands had been done in answerable exactnesse to the rules of divine Truth and if it had so pleased God with absolute freedome from all infirmities 3. Thirdly Thou mayst bee troubled at that time because beeing perhaps as yet but of little standing in Profession thou hast done God so little service and in that short time hast not stood on Gods side with that courage and life nor walked in his holy wayes with that watchfulnesse and Zeale as thou mightest And it cuts thy heart the more because thou spent so much of thy time in serving thy selfe and Satan and expectest now to enjoy immortall joyes and a Crowne of endlesse blisse But here is thy comfort It is the unfained desire and resolution of thine heart If the Lord would bee pleased to allow Thee a longer time in this life and adde many moe yeeres unto it Thou wouldest double thy diligence and improove all oportunities to doe thy God every way farre more glorious service then heretofore all the daies of thine appointed time Oh! then thou wouldest doe so and so c. Assure now thy selfe in these three cases and troubles upon thy last Bed this syncere desire of thine
and upon good ground invite thee as it were to repose upon it as upon a sure Word of God with everlasting rest and safty But thou giving too much way to the Divels lies and the dictates of thine owne distrustfull heart keepes off and retires as tho they were too weak to support thy now troubled and trembling Soule especially loaden with so many and hainous sinnes Whereby consider how great indignity thou offers to such pretious promises and Places as these Isa. 1.18 Ezek. 36.25 Isa. 55.7.8.9 And 57.15 Especially beeing so strongly backt by Gods blessed Oath God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heires of promise the immutability of His counsell confirmed it by an Oath That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie wee might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Heb. 6.17.18 What a mighty strength may that most glorious speech of our all-mercifull God infuse into our Faith Ezek. 36.11 As I live c. As if Hee should have said As sure as I am the True Eternall Living and Omnipotent God c. so certainely I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked But I have pleasure that Hee should come in take my Sonne and bee my servant Vnderstand the same proportionably of every promise As sure as I have an eternall Essence and Beeing of a God-head c. So certainely will I give freely to every One that is truly weary of all His sins and thirsts unfainedly for mercy and grace eternal rest and refreshing in the ever-springing Fountaine of all spirituall and heavenly pleasures And so of the rest In a word what an unworthy thing is this That all the pretious promises in the Booke of God confirmed with his owne Oath and sealed with His Sonnes blood should suffer dishonour and disparagement as it were by thy distrust As tho so many mighty Rocks of mercy and truth were not able to susteine a poore bruised Reede 5. By disabling and dis-honouring 1. Gods free love See Hos. 14.4 Ier. 31.3 Ezech. 16. Deut. 7.7.8 Ioh. 3.16 Eph. 1.5 If God would not give us Christ without some matter and motives in us without something done by our selves first it were something to stand out in such a case But he gives him most freely without any respect or expectation at all of any precedent worke or worth on our part Onely there is required a predisposition in the Partie to take Christ legall dejection sight sense and burden of sinne we must bee truly wounded sensible of the Divels yoke feele our owne misery wee must prize Him above and thirst for Him more then the whole world c. A man will not seriously seeke after a Physition before Hee feele Himselfe to be sicke for ease before Hee bee prest with the waight of His burden for a plaister before Hee bee wounded for heavenly riches before Hee bee sensible of His spirituall beggery for enlargement and pardon before Hee finde himselfe in prison for mercy before Hee smart with sense of His misery Such dispositions then as these serve onely to drive us unto Christ and to let us see and feele a necessity of Him But they are infinitely with more then an utter impossibility disabled by any worthinesse to draw on Christ. Hee is a Gift Rom. 5.16 Ioh. 3.16 And what is freer then Gift Nothing is required at our hands for receiving Him but emptie-handednesse and sensiblenesse of our owne nothingnesse Our Heavenly Father never did or ever will fell His Sonne unto any Iustitiarie or any that will needes bee something in Himselfe Hee ever did and ever will give Him to every poore Soule thas is vile in His owne eyes nothing in himselfe labours and is heavy laden and willing to take Him as a Saviour and a Lord. A full hand can hold nothing Either it must bee empty or wee cannot receive Christ. First thirst and then buy without money and without price Isa. 55.1 Mee thinkes Chrysostome doth somewhere set out sweetly the admirable and adored frankenesse of this divine bounty b If thou wilt be adorned with my comlinesse or bee armed with my weapons or put on my garments or bee fed with my dainties or finish my iourney or come into that City whose Builder and Maker I am or build an House in my Countrey Thou maist so doe all these things that I will not onely not exact of thee any price or paiment for any of these things but I my selfe would bee a Debtour unto thee of a great Reward so that thou wouldest not disdaine to use my things my strength gifts graces What can be ever found equall to this bounty If God then bee so infinitely good as to offer His Sonne so freely And thou so fitted to receive Him by sensiblenesse of thy spirituall miserie thirsting for his blood resolving upon His service for the time to come c. How unad-visedly cruell art thou to thine owne conscience and unmannerlily proud that wilt needs stand off still from taking the Lord Iesus and suffer still thy poore trembling Soule to lie unnecessarily upon the Racke of terrour Sith thou gets and gaines nothing thereby but first Gods dishonour secondly Thine owne willfull torture thirdly Gratification of Satans malicious cruelty Obiect 1. But were it not fitter for mee maist thou say first to amend my life to doe some good workes to have experience of the Change of my conversation to grieve legally longer c. Before I bee so bold as to lay hold upon Christ and apply the Promises Answ. Thou must first bee alive before thou canst worke Thou must have spirituall ability inspired before thou canst walke in the good way Thou must be justified before thou bee sanctified Now spirituall life is onely then and never before or by any other meanes infused but when wee reach out an empty hand and take Iesus Christ into our humbled Soules When a 〈…〉 wearie of all sinne according to His Call Commandement and counsell roles itself as it were and â—â—anes upon the Lord Iesus then is spirituall life first breaâ—hed into it The vitall operations of grace in â—ll holy duties good deeds amendment of life holy walking universall obedience c. must appeare afterward Zacheus received Iesus Christ first into His heart and house before Hee was able to restore and distribute Casting ouâ— selves upon that Lord of life with truth of heart as our onely Iewell and Ioy we have in heaven or in earth 〈◊〉 whom we are resolved to live and die drawes frâ—m Him into our soules that heavenly vertue and vigour whereby we are afterward inabled to exercise all the functions of spirituall life and to die to the world and all wordly pleasures for ever Herein is thy fault and failing thou conceives not a right of Gods free grace but thinkes thou shalt not bee welcome except thou
stampt upon His Soule by an Almighty hand A worke for wonder and power answerable if not transcendent to the Creation of the World To the production whereof the infinite mercies of the Father of all mercy the warmest hearts-blood of His onely Sonne the mightiest Moouing of the blessed Spirit were required Now what an indignity and disparagement is offered unto so glorious a Workeman and blessed a worke to assent and subscribe unto the Divell a knowne Liar that there is no such Thing 4. To double and aggravate upon the Christian the grievous sinne of unbeliefe Not to believe the Promises as they lie in His Booke is an unworthy and wicked wrong unto the Truth of God But for a Man to draw backe and deny when they are all made good upon His Soule makes Him worse then Thomas the Apostle For when He had thrust His hand into Christs side Hee believed But in the present Case a Man is ready to renounce and disclaime Tho Hee have already graspt in the armes of His Faith the crucified bleeding Body of His blessed Redeemer The sacred and saving vertue whereof hath inspired into the whole Man a new spirituall sanctifying life and a sensible un-deniable change from what it was 5. To discontinue or detaine the heart lock't up as it were in a perpetuall barrennes from giving of thanks which is one of the noblest and most acceptable Sacrifice and service that is offered unto God Now what a mischiefe is this that an upright heart should bee laced up and His Tong tied by the Divels temptation from magnifying heartily the glory of Gods free grace for such a worke I meane the New-Creation at which Heaven and Earth Angels and Men and all Creatures may stand everlastingly amazed So sweet it is and admirable and makes an immortall Soule for ever But to keepe my selfe to the Point Those who complaine as I have said That because the pangs of their New-birth were not in that proportion they desire answerable to the hainousnesse of their former pestilent courses and abominablenesse of their beastly life before many times suspect themselves and are much troubled about the truth of their conversion may have their doubts and scruples encreased by taking notice of such propositions as these which Divines both ancient and moderne let fall sometimes in their Penitentiall Discourses Ordinarily men are wounded in their Consciences at their conversion answerably to the wickednesse of their former conversation Contrition in true Converts is for the most part proportionable to the hainousnesse of Their former courses The more wicked that thy former life hath been the more fervent and earnest let thy Repentance or returning bee Sorrow must bee proportionable to our sinnes The greater our sinne the fuller must bee our sorrow According to the waight of sinne upon the conscience ought penitent sorrow to bee waighty He that hath exceeded in sinne let Him exceede also in sorrow Looke how great our sinnes are let us so greatly lament them Let the minde of every One drinke up so much of the teares of penitent compunction as Hee remembers Himselfe to have withered from God by wickednesse Grievous sinnes require most grievous lamentations The measure of your mourning must bee agreeable and proportionable to the sinne And wee may see these rules represented unto us in the practise of Manasses who beeing a most grievous sinner 2. Chron. 33.6 Humbled Himselfe greatly before the God of His Fathers vers 12. In the Woman who is called a Sinner Luk. 7.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they say by a kinde of singularity and therefore takes on extraordinarily vers 38. So that she wipes Christs feete with teares In the idolatrous Israelites upon their turning unto the Lord 1. Sam. 7.4.6 who drew water and poured it out before the Lord. In the Hearers of Peter who having their consciences all bloody with the horrible guilt of crucifying the Lord of life Act 2.33.36 were pricked in their hearts vers 37. with such horrour and raging angvish as tho so many empoisoned daggers and Scorpions stings stucke and were fastned in them punctually In Paul who having been an hainous offender a grievous Persecuter Act. 9. whereas the other Apostles as One sayes had been honest and sober fisher-men tasted deeper of this cup then they For Hee tells us Rom. 7.11 That the Law slew Him Hee was strangely amazed with a voyce from Heaven strucke downe to the earth and starke blinde He trembled and was astonished For three daies Hee did neither eate nor drink c. Act. 9. And there is good reason for it For ordinarily the newly-illightened eye of a fresh-bleeding Conscience is very sharpe and cleare piercing and sightfull greedy to discover every staine and spot of the Soule To dive even to the heart-roote to the blackest bottome and ougliest nooke of a Mans former Hellish courses to looke backe with a curious survay thorow the pure Perspective of Gods righteous Law over his whole life to His very Birth-sinne and Adams rebellion And in this sad and heavy search it is very inquisitive after and apprehensive of all circumstances which may adde to the hainousnesse of sin and horrour to his heart It is quick-sighted into all aggravating considerations and quickly learnes and lookes upon all those wayes degrees and circumstances by which sins are made more notorious and hatefull And what the spirit of bondage in a fearefull heart may inferre hereupon you may easily iudge Now to the Case proposed I say first 1. That betweene sinne and sorrow wee cannot expect a precise adequation not an Arithmeticall but a Geometricall proportion Great sinnes should bee greatly lamented yet no sinne can bee sufficiently sorrowed for Tho it may bee savingly When wee say the pangs of the New-birth must bee answerable to our former sinnefull provocations wee meane not that wee can mourne for sinne according to it's merit that is impossible But great sinnes require a great deale of sorrow Wee must not thinke that wee have sorrowed enough for any sinne tho wee can never sorrow sufficiently Before I proceede to a further and fuller satisfaction in the Point let mee tell you by the way how discomfortable and doubtfull the Popish doctrine is here about that the truth of our Tenet may appeare the more pretious and taste more sweet Their Attrition and Contrition as I take it differ as our Legall and Evangelicall repentance 1. In respect of the object Contrition as they say is sorrow for sinne as an offence to God Attrition is a griefe for sinne as liable to punishment 2. In respect of the cause Contrition ariseth from sonne-like Attrition from servile feare See Valent. Disp. 7. Q. 8. De contrit punct 2. This Contrition is the cause of the remission of sinnes Bellar. lib. 2. de poenit cap. 12. Arb. At Catholici alij passim Well then thou art a Papist and troubled inconscience Thou knowest well that without
humour doth naturally give extraordinary entertainement and edge to terrours and sorrowes 2. The crabbednesse and crookednesse of His naturall disposition which must be tamed and taken downe with more adoe with much violence and renting An hard and knotty Block must have an hard wedge An angry word or frowne will worke more with some dispositions then many sore blowes upon a crosse and sturdy spirit God is here woont sweetly and wisely to apply Himself to the severall natures conditions and dispositions of His Children 3. Height of Place and Happinesse to have for this life â—hat heart can wish Whereby it comes to passe that men are so deepely drowned in sensuality Epicurisme and earthly mindednesse that for a thorow Change they have need many times to be taken down thorowly with a deepe sense of legall terrours 4. Excellency of naturall or acquired Parts and endowments as wit learning courage wisedome c. wretchedly abused and long mis-imploied upon wrong and wicked Objects Much adoe many times and a great measure of humiliation will hardly fright such vaine over-valewers of themselves and Idolizers of their owne sufficiencies from their admired follies And here also Satan interposeth most furiously and hinders this happy worke all Hee can possibly For Hee well knowes That if such noble and worthy Parts should bee sanctified to the Owners and turned the right way His Kingdome would fare the worse and Hee should bee a great looser Suppose a Christian Prince should with his Army breake into the Turkes dominion Would not the Turkes fortifie those Castles best out of which beeing wonne the enemy might doe Him most harme So whom the Divell seeth to bee the likeliest Instruments for the overthrow of his kingdom if once they become Temples of the Holy Ghost those Hee is lothest to loose and labours mightily â—o keepe in His slavery still And therefore He opposes with all His power and policy raysing as many tempests of terrour as Hee is able that Hee might either drive them backe in their Passage to the holy Path or swallow them up into the abhorred gulphe of despaire by the way 5. A more searching and piercing Ministry which is ordinarily woont to awake the conscience with more terrour to irradiate and fill it with more universall and clearer light to quicken it with more apprehension and so proportionably to affect and afflict it with a more feeling and fearefull sense of Gods most just and holy wrath against sinne Whereupon they become excellent and everlasting Christians 6. Byting it in as they say and not opening the wound of Conscience betime to some skillfull Soule-Physition may bee an unhappy meanes much to enlarge both the continuance and extremity of a Mans spirituall trouble Shame bashfulnesse pretence of want of opportunity hope to get thorow by Himselfe c. are ordinary keies to lock up his tongue at such a time But sure I am Satan hath a chiefe stroke and principall part to perswade concealement For alas Hee winnes by it wofully All the while Hee plies with great advantage and much subtilty his hideous temptations to Selfe-killing despaire of mercy returning againe to folly c. And it is to bee feared which is a most grievous thing that sometimes by this cruell silence Hee conquers casts some poore soules upon the bloody and most abhorred villany of Selfe-perishing Let such an One then be ever sure most resolutely to break thorow the Divels accursed snare in this kinde and to powre out His Soule-secrets betime into some faith full holy bosome I have heard many after they have escaped tell what strange tricks and variety of devises Hee practised to discourage divert and dis-able them to discover their mindes as they purposed even when they were come with much adoe into the presence of the spirituall Physition 3. The ends to which God prepares and fits some by their sore travaile in the New-birth and longer langvishing under His visiting hand in this kinde God may purpose sometimes in such cases 1. To imploy them as Christs most resolute and undanted Champions in more worthy services In managing whereof remembrance of their having beene once as it were in the mouth of Hell and scorched with flames of terrour serves as a continuall spurre and incentive unto them to doe nobly and to supply them from time to time with mightinesse of courage height of resolution and eminency of Zeale in those glorious waies As wee may see in those renowned pillars of the Church Austin Luther c. The higher and greater the building is the deeper must the foundation be laid in the earth 2. To make them afterwards of excellent use and speciall dexterity out of their former experience to speake unto the hearts of their Brethren ready to sinke into the same gulphe of horrour and danger of despaire out of which the good hand of Gods gracious providence hath by such and such meanes so mercifulLy pulled and preserved them The same keyes which dip open the locks and loose the fetters which Satan hung upon their heavy hearts may happily undoe those also which Hee hath fastned upon the Soules of others 3. To render them to the Church as remarkeable Precedents and Mirrours of mortification Selfe-denial heavenly mindednesse and holy walking with God for others to looke upon and imitate Mindfulnesse of their former wrastling with the wrath of God despaire and the horrours of Hell makes them for ever after more mindlesse of earthly things weaned from the world startling at every appearance of evill greedy of godlinesse conversing in Heaven excellent Christians indeede Master Iohn Glover after five yeeres horrible afflictions of Soule was framed thereby saith Master Foxe to such mortification of life as the like lightly hath not been seene in such sort as Hee beeing like one placed in Heaven already and dead in this World led a life altogether celestiall c. See Acts and Monuments pag. 1885. 3. In sound contrition and saving Repentance let us for the present take notice Of first a sensible smart and angvish of the heart Secondly a dislike hatred and aversion in the Will Thirdly a change of the minde illightened and now enabled to give stronger reasons out of Gods Booke love of Christ c. against any sinne then carnall reason the Divell Himselfe or the drunken eloquence of His old Good fellow companions can suggest to the contrary Fourthly an universall opposition and constant endeavour against all manner of iniquity Fifthly an hearty sorrow that wee are not more sorrowfull Now say I If thou shouldest not feele in thine heart that stirring griefe and violent renting for those many rebellions and horrible filth of thy naughtie heart and former wicked life which thou heartily desires their hamousnesse exacts at thine hands and many lesser sinners then thy selfe have endured yet if thou findest an unfained hatred and displeasednesse in thy Will a settled resolution in thy minde a watchfull striving in all thy wayes
and feeling of his favour by cutting off as it were for a time those streames of comfort which were woont to distill upon his soule by use ordinary influence of the meanes Meditation Prayer Conference publike Ministry Sabbaths Sacraments Daies of humiliation such like doth mercifully force him to have recourse unto at length with much longing and thirst to repose upon with more reverence and acknowledgement the everlasting Fountaine and Founder of all graces comforts compassions and life even his owne glorious mercifull and Almighty self See this in the beginning of the third Chapter of the Canticles at the latter end of Cap. 2. The christian soule is sweetely crowned with a glorious over-flowing confluence of all spiriuall consolations rapt extraordinarily with un-utterable and joyfull ravishments of Spirit upoÌ„ the nearer embraceÌ„ment of her dearest Spouse and more sensible grasping of refreshing graces She lies so peacefully in His armes of mercy and under the Banner of His love that shee sweetly sings unto Her selfe My beloved is mine and I am His. But in the beginning of the third For the daies of Gods child after conversion are like the daies of the yeere Some faire and shining Some tempestuous and cloudy Some happy with heavenly Hony-dewes as it were of unspeakeable joy and unconceivable peace others more dismall and dis-astrous if I may so speake for want of an amiable aspect from the Throne of graces I say a little after the case is fearefully altred with Her For she lies strugling and distressed in the irkesome and comfortlesse desolations of a spirituall desertion Her Spouse is gone the very heart and life of all Her lightsomnesse in this World and the World to come No sense now of the Savour of His good ointments no feeling of the assurance of His favour Nothing left of all that former heaven but onely a sad and wofull heart which had been happy In this infull Case She casts about for recovery of Her woonted comfort Assaies those meanes which were accustomed to convey unto Her with joy fresh streames and strength from time to time out of the Wells of Salvation 1. First shee seekes her Spouse and former refreshings of Spirit by secret praier meditation experimentall considerations calling to Minde former assurances of his love reflecting upon the foot-steps of a saving worke unfained change and sweete communion with Him aforetime and other silent Selfe-inquisitions and inward exercises of the heart But shee found Him not vers 1. 2. Secondly She enquires abroad and hath recourse unto godly christians especially such as have been most exercised and best acquainted with trials temptations and mysteries of the holy way to see if Shee can get any comfort any new hold and hope by their counsell prayers instructions out of their owne experience For in such Cases Gods Children may and ought to confesse their sinnes and Gods dealing with them one unto another and pray one for another But shee finds none vers 2. 3. Thirdly She addresses Her selfe and resorts to faithfull Ministers Gods publike Agents in the Church about the affaires of Heaven and Salvation of Soules to receive from them some light and direction to regaine Her Love But it will not yet bee vers 3. No comfort comes by all or any of these meanes No feeling of Gods favour and former peace for all this various and sollicitous seeking and pursuite For God may sometimes upon purpose restraine His quickning influence from the meanes and recall as it were to the Well-head those refreshing Rivers of comfort which ordinarily flow thorow His owne holy Ordinances as so many blessed Conduits of grace into humble hearts That wee may fetch them more immediately from the Fountaine the boundlesse Sea of all heavenly treasures and true peace and so with more humility Sense of self-emptinesse reverence and praise-fulnesse acknowledge from whence wee have them It was but a little that I passed from them saith the deserted Soule But I found Him whom my soule loveth vers 4. When no meanes would bring Him but that Shee had past thorow the use and exercise of them all and Hee would not bee found Hee after at length comes upon his own compassionate accord and illighteneth Her darke and disconsolate state with the shining beames of His glorious presence and fills Her plentifully with ioy and believing againe That so no vse variety and excellency of meanes but His owne free mercy and goodnesse might bee crowned with the glory of it Let every christian by the way take notice of and treasure up this point it may steed him in some spirituall extremity hereafter God may sometimes withdraw and delay His comfort to draw His children thorow all the meanes which when they have passed without prevailing Hee after and immediately when Hee please puts to His helping hand that they may not attribute it to the meanes tho never so excellent but to the mercies of God the onely Well-spring both of the first plantation continuance and everlastingnesse of all spirituall graces and true comforts in all those happy Ones which shall bee saved Why doth the Lord let us use all the meanes and yet not finde Him in them That wee may know Hee only commeth when Hee will nothing mooving Him but His owne good pleasure 5. Fifthly The world sometimes that mighty enemy to the Kingdome of Christ aided under-hand by the covetous corruption of our false hearts and the Divels craft For ordinarily in all spirituall Assaults and overthrowes Satan is the Bellowes the World the Wild-fire our corruptions the Tinder and the pretious Soules of men those goodly Frames which are fearfully set on fire and blowne up doth wrastle so desperately even with some of Christs Champions that surprising their watch cooling the fervour of their first love and stealing away by little and little their spirituall strength it supplants them at length and throwes them upon the earth Whereon it labours might and maine to keepe them downe and doting that so they may roote in the mud and mire thereof with immoderation and carking to the great disgrace of divine pleasures their high and excellent Calling and so raising the spirit of railing in unregenerate men to cast unworthy aspersions upon the glory of profession for their sakes Nay too often by it's suttle insinuations and Sirens Songs it lulls them so long upon Her lap that they are cast into a heavy slumber even of carnall security And that so deepe and dangerously that tho the Lord Iesus the Beloved of their Soule cry aloud in their eares by the shrill and piercing sound of His spirituall Trumpetters and by the more immediate and inward motions of His holy Spirit intreate them fairely upon all loves for His owne deare passions sake and all those bloody sufferings to shake off that carnall drouzinesse and to delight againe in God to â—et the earth fall out of their mindes and againe to minde heavenly things Open to me my Sister my Love my
Dove my undefiled For my head is filled with dew and my lockes with the drops of the night yet for all this full loth they are to leave their Beds of ease and therefore frame many shifts excuses and delaies to passe by and put off those compassionate calls of love and mercifull importunities I have put off my coatâ— how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I deâ—ile them Whereupon their blessed Spouse so unworthily repell'd with such notorious unkindnesse and ingratitude scattering onely in their hearts some sense and glimmerings of his spirituall sweetnesse and beauty to breede the more shame and sorrow for so foule neglect departeth from them for a time withdrawes the life and lightsomnesse of His gratious presence hides as it were in an angry cloud the comfortable beames of His former favour and so leaves them to the darknesse of their owne spirits and in the comfortlesse Dampe of a justly deserved desertion That thereby they may bee schooled to prize Iesus Christ before gold and silver and to preferre as is most meete one glimpse of His pleased face before the splendour of all earthly Imperiall Crownes To listen with more reverence cheerefulnesse profit and holy greedinesse to His heavenly voice in the ministry of the Word and to make more deare account of godly comforts when they shall recover and re-injoy them For the purpose Wee may finde Cant. 5. The christian Soule laid too soft and lazily upon the â—ed of case and earthly mindednesse and slipt into a slumber of security and selfe-love vers 2. Her wellbeloved knocks and calls upon Her Nay be speakes and intreats upon all the termes of dearest love and for his painefull sufferings-sake to rise open unto Him Ibid. But she most unworthily puts him off with some slight excuses and delaies of sloth vers 3. whereupon Hee drops into Her heart some taste of His sweetest ointments to set Her affections on edge and eagernesse after Him vers 4.5 And so departs and leaves Her in Her sad and solitary dumps for driving away Her Dearest by such intolerable unkindnesse and shamefull neglect vers 6. Which perplexity and trouble of spirit for His departure begets in Her a great deale of zeale fervency and patience to follow after Him vers 7.8 An extraordinary admiration of His amiable excellencies and heavenly fairenesse vers 10 c. And no doubt a farre nearer embracement and dearer esteeme of Him upon His returne and enjoyment of a more full blessed coÌ„munion with Him againe Cap. 6.3 6. Sixthly The graces of salvation are the most pretious and worthfull things that ever issued out of the hands of God by creation The dearest of His infinite mercies the hearts-blood of His Sonne the noblest worke of His blessed Spirit doe all sweetly concurre moovingly meritoriously efficiently to the production of them No mervaile then tho it bee right pleasing unto God that such rare and inestimable Iewels should bee rightly prized and holden in highest esteeme by those that have them That they should still appeare and present themselves to those Soules wherein they shine in their true excellency orient fairenesse and native beauty Now privation of excellent things hath speciall power to raise our imaginations to an higher streine of estimation of them and to cause us at their returne to entertaine them with much more longing farre dearer apprehensions and embracement Absence and intermission of the most desirable comforts adde a great deale of life to the love of them and waight of pretiousnesse to their valewation The goodnesse of whatsoever we enioy is better perceived by vicissitude of want then continuall fruition Sleepe is more sweet after the tediousnesse of some wakefull and wearysome nights Liberty and enjoyment of the free aire and faces of men after restraint and imprisonment The glory and fairenesse of the Sunne after a blacke day or boisterous storme c. So Gods favourable aspect is much more acceptable after an angry tempest and hiding his face for a season And the graces of salvation farre more amiable and admirable to the eie of His humbled Childe after the darkenesse of a spirituall desertion Wherefore our gracious God doth many times in great mercy and wisedome deprive His dearest servants for a time of the presence of their Spouse the assurance of His love and sense of those graces that the absence thereof may represent the glory of such an incomparable happinesse and those heavenly Pearles more to the life and discontinuance of their enjoyment may inflame and affect their hearts with more holy greedinesse and eager pursuite after them and stirre up in them that height of esteeme and heate of love which may in some good measure bee answerable to their unvalewable excellency and sweetnesse Such dulnesse of heart deadnesse of affections and declination to the World may grow sometimes upon a good man that Hee may finde little more contentment in communion with Iesus Christ then in the prosperity of His outward affaires which is infinitely unworthy an Heire of Heaven But now in such a Case Let God make Him but to repossesse the iniquities of His Youth and fight against Him with His terrours for a while and the same Man with all His heart will preferre the reconciled face of God and peace of conscience before the Soveraignty and sole command of all the Kingdomes upon Earth While wee have a free and un-interrupted recourse unto the Throne of Grace wee are apt to under-valew and to conceive of that mighty grace of prayer but as of an ordinary gift But if once the Lord please to leave us to that confusion and astonishment of Spirit that our ejaculations doe sadly rebound upon our heavy and un-heated hearts without answer or encouragement from Heaven wee shall easily then acknowledge the Spirit and power of praier to bee one of the fairest flowers in the Garland of all our graces the very arme of God to doe Miracles for us many times and ever to settle our troubled Soules in sweetest peace and patience amidst the greatest pressures and persecutions either of Hellish or earthly enemies 7. Seventhly Iesus Christ Himselfe blessed for ever drunke full deepe of the extremity and variety of sorest sufferings in many kinds not only to deliver His from the vengeance of eternall fire but also lovingly to learne out of the sense of that sympathy and self-feeling to shew Himselfe tender hearted kind and compassionate unto them in all their extremities and never to suffer them to sinke in any trouble or affliction though never so full of desperate representations or apprehensions of impossibility to escape or to bee tempted at any time above their power and patience And many are the meanes and Methods by which Hee is woont to ease and mitigate their many painefull miseries especially that extremest of Martyrdome First Somtimes He rescues them by His own mighty and immediate arme out the mouth of Lyons and pulls them by strong hand
〈◊〉 state Hee is readier out of His spirituall diâ—emper to spill as water upon the ground the golden vialls of the water of life and soveraigne oyles of Evangelicall joy tendered unto Him by the Physition of His Soule then to receive them with woonted thirst and thankfulnesse into the bruised bosome of His bleeding Conscience Tho they assure Him in the Word of life and truth having had for that I suppose true and sound experience of His conversion and former sanctified courses from Isai. 44.22 That as the heate and strength of the Summers Sunne doth disperse and dissolve to nothing a thicke Mist or foggy Cloud so the inflamed zeale of Gods tender love thorow the bloodshed of His owne onely deare Sonne hath done away all his offences His iniquity transgression and sinne as tho they had never been And Mich. 7.19 That that God which delighteth in mercy Vers. 18. hath cast all his sinnes into the bottome of the Sea never to rise againe either in this World or in the World to come The Prophet alludes to the drowning of the Egyptians in the Red Sea And therefore they assure Him that as that mighty Host sunke downe into the bottome like a stone Exod. 15.5 Or as Lead Vers. 10. So that neither the Sunne of Heaven nor Sonne of Man ever saw their faces any more So certainely all his sinnes are so swallowed up for ever in the Soule-saving Sea of His Saviours blood that they shall never more appeare before the face of God or Angell Man or Divell to His damnation or shame Yet for all this lying in a spirituall Swoune Hee findes His heart even key-cold and as it were starke dead in respect of relishing or receiving all or any of these incomparable comforts The Case thus proposed may seeme very deplorable and desperate yet consider what good Davids experience might doe in such distresse What a deale of life and light were it able to put into the very darkest Dampe and most heartlesse faintings of such a dying 〈…〉 have such an One as David even a Man after Goâ—â— owne heart remarkeably inriched and eminent with heavenly endowments One of the highest in the Booke of life and favour with God to assure it that Himselfe had already suffered as grievous things in His Soule if not greater and passed thorow the very same passions and pressures of a troubled Spirit if not with more variety and sorer pangs That proportionably to his present perplexities Hee cryed out with a most heavy heart First Will the Lord cast off for ever And will hee bee favourable no more Is His mercy cleane gone for ever Doth his promise faile for evermore Hath God forgotten to bee gracious Hath hee in anger shut up His tender mercies Vers. 7.8.9 Secondly That when Hee remembred God Hee was troubled Vers. 3. Thirdly That when He prayed unto God and complained His spirit was overwhelmed Ibid. Fourthly That Hee was so troubled that Hee could not speake Vers. 4. Fifthly That His Soule refused to be comforted Vers. 2. Which painefull passages of His spirituall desertion answer exactly to the comfortlesse Case of the supposed Soule-grieved Patient Nay and besides assurance of the very samenesse in apprehensions of feare and thoughts of horrour David also out of his owne experience and precedency might sweetly informe and direct such a poore panting Soule in a comfortable way to come out of the Place of Dragons and depths of sorrow by teaching and telling Him the manner and meanes of his rising and recovery Meditation of Gods singular goodnesse and extraordinary mercy to Himselfe his Church and Children aforetime gave the first lift as it were to raise his drooping Soule out of the dust And no doubt ever since the same consideration by the blessings of God hath brought againe many a bruised spirit from the very Gates of Hell and brink of despaire And in his happy per-usall of ancient times and Gods compassions of old it is very probable that â—is memory first met with Adam a right wonderfull and matchlesse Patterne of Gods rarest mercies to a most forlorne Wretch For Hee was wofully guilty by His transgression of casting both Himselfe and all his Sonnes and Daughters from the Creation to the Worlds end out of Paradise into the Pit of Hell and also of empoysoning with the cursed contagion of originall corruption the Soules and Bodies of all that ever were or shall bee borne of Woman the Lord Iesus onely excepted And yet this Man as best Divines suppose tho Hee had cast away Himselfe and undone all Mankind was received to mercy Let never poore Soule then while the World lasts upon true and timely repentance suffer the hainousnesse and horrour of His former sinnes whatsoever they have been to hinder his hopefull accesse unto the Throne of Grace for present pardon of them all or at any time afterward confound His comforts and confidence in Gods gracious Promises Thus no doubt the weary Soule of this Man of God waded further into those bottomlesse Seas of mercies manifested and made good from time to time upon His servants His heavy heart might sweetly refresh and repose it selfe upon the contemplation of Gods never-failing compassions in not casting off Aaron everlastingly for His fall into most horrible Idolatry In not suffering the murmuring and rebellious Iewes to perish all and utterly in the Wildernesse considering their many prodigious provocations and impatiencies c. But at length as wee may see in the forecited Psalme His Soule sets it triumphant Selah upon that great and miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea one of the most glorious and visible Miracles of mercy that ever shone from Heaven upon the Sonnes of Men and also a blessed Type of the salvation of all truly penitent and perplexed Soules from the Hellish Pharaâ—â— and all infernall powers in the red Sea of our Savioâ—â— blood How fairely now and feelingly might theâ—e experimentall instructions and this Passage of proofe troden and chalked out by this holy Man illighten and conduct any that walkes in darkenesse and hath no comfort out of the like distracted horrour of a spirituall desertion Let Him in such a Case first cast backe His eye upon Gods former manifold mercifull dealings with Himselfe If His God made His Soule of the darkest nooke of Hell as it were by reason of it's sinfulnesse and cursednesse as faire and beautifull as the brightest Sun-beame by that soveraigne blood which gusht out of the heart and those pretious graces which shine upon it from the face of His Sonne that never-setting Sunne of righteousnesse He will undoubtedly in due season dispell all those Mists of spirituall misery which over-shadow the glory and comfort of it for a time If Hee upheld Him by his mercifull hand from sinking into Hell when Hee was an horrible transgressour of all his Lawes with greedinesse and delight Hee will most certainely Tho perhaps for a small moment Hee hide his face from Him binde up
other affrighting and stinging temptations Hee deales with them in this Case as Absalom with Ioab when Hee would not come at Him by sending once and againe Hee causes his servants to set His field of barley on fire and then there was no neede to bid him hie When inferiour miseries and other meanes will not doe it God sets as it were their Soules on fire with slames of horrour in one kinde or other and then they looke about them indeede with much care and feare searching and syncerity They seeke Him then with a Witnesse earnestly and early For afflictions of Soule are very soveraigne and have singular efficacy to stirre and quicken extraordinarily to weane quite from the world and keepe a Man close and clinging unto God How many tho perhaps they thinke not so would grow proud worldly Luke-warme cold in the use of the Ordinances Selfe-confident or something that they should not bee if they were not sometimes exercised with iniections of terrible thoughts By this fiery dart the Divell desires and endeavours to destroy and undoe them quite But by the mercy of God it is turned to their greater spirituall good It is in this Case as it was with Him who thrusting his enemy into the Body with â—ull purpose to have killed Him lanceâ— the ulcer which no Physition was able to 〈◊〉 and let out that corrupt mâ—tter that would have cost Him his life By representation of such horrour out of Satans cruellest malice they are happily kept more humble watchfull earnest in praier eager after the Meanes weaned froÌ„ the World compassionate to others c. Hiding of Gods face from Him and leaving Him to the darknesse of His owne spirit did put and preserve Master Iohn Glover in a most zealous holy and heavenly life for ever after Heare the story This gentleman being called by the light of the holy Spirit to the knowledge of the Gospell and having received a wondrous sweet feeling of Christs heavenly Kingdome His minde after that falling a little to some cogitation of his former affaires belonging to His vocation began by and by to misdoubt himself upoÌ„ occasion of those words Heb. 7.4 For it is impossible c. Vpon considerations of which words Hee was so farre deserted as to bee perswaded that Hee had sinned against the holy Ghost even so much that if Hee had been in the deepest Pit of Hell Hee could almost have despaired no more of His salvation Beeing young saith Foxe I remember I was once or twice with Him whom partly by his talkâ— I perceived and partly by mine owne eies saw to be so wornâ— and consumed by the space of five yeares that neither almost any brooking of meate quietnesse of sleepe pleasure of life yea and almost no kinde of senses was left in Him Who in such intolerable griefes of minde altho Hee neither had nor could have any ioy of His meate yet was hee compelled to eate against His appetite to the end to deferre the time of his damnation so long as Hee might thinking with Himselfe no lesse but that Hee must needs bee throwne into Hell the breath being once out of the Body Albeit Christ hee thought did pitty his case and was sorry for Him yet hee could not as Hee imagined helpe because of the verity of the word which said It is impossible c. But what was the happy issue and effect of these extraordinary spirituall terrours and terrible desertion The same blessed Man of God who writes the Story and was himselfe with the Party tells us Albeit Hee suffered many yeares so sharpe temptations and strong buffetings of Satan yet the Lord who graciously preserved Him all the while not onely at last did rid Him out of all discomfort but also framed Him thereby to such mortification of life as the like lightly hath not been seene In such sort as Hee beeing like one placed in Heaven already and dead in this World both in word and meditation led a life altogether celestiall abhorâ—ing in His minde all prophane doings Thus a spirituall desertion or some other affliction of spirit doth that alone many times which variety and a long continued succession of ordinary outward crosses one upon the Necke of an other is not able to effect For troubles of Soule sooner take and are of a quicker and stronger operation then those which afflict the Body The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmity But a wounded spirit who can â—eare Prov. 18.14 All other afflictions are nothing to this They are but flea-bitings to this fiery Scorpion The stoutnesse of a Mans spirit will stand under a world of outward miseries many times But if the eie which is the light of the Body bee in darkenesse how great is that darkenesse If the spirit it selfe bee crusht which should support the whole man how great is the confusion Hence it was that faithfull David waded thorow a world of troubles yet all that time no malice of Saul no hatred of the Philistines no rebellion of Absalom no treachery of Ahitophel no grapling with a Lion no fighting with a Beare no threatning of a vaunting Goliah could so much discourage Him But when at any time Hee suffered immediately in His soule under the wrath of God O! then his very bones the master-timber of His Body are broken in peeces Hee roares all the day and His moysture is turned into the drought of Summer Then Hee speakes thus unto God When thou with rebukes doest correct man for iniquity thou makest his beauty to consume away like a Moath Thus having discovered the Cases and Causes of spirituall Desertion I come now to the comforts and the Cure 1. And let us first take notice of a double desertion first Passiue when God withdrawes Himselfe from us secondly Active when wee with-draw our selves from God And they are both two-fold first Temporary and secondly Finall 1. Passive desertion temporary As in David Psal. 77. Heman the Ezrahite Psal. 88. Iob. Both the Glovers See their story Acts and Monuments 1885. 1891. Mistris Brettergh Master Peacocke And many moe of Gods Children 2. Finall In many after a wofull and willfull abuse of many mercies meanes of salvation and generall graces As Saul Iudas c. Such as have out-stood all opportunities and seasons of grace and all those Prov. 1.24 1. Active desertion temporary As in Solomon c. 2. Finall as in those Heb. 10. Now in the present Point I understand onely a Passive temporary Desertion And therefore in that Man which is truly ingraffed into Christ by a justifying Faith and regenerated who can never possibly either forsake finally or be finally forsaken of God Of whom Hooker thus speakes Blessed for ever and ever be that Mothers Childe whose Faith hath made Him the Child of God The earth may shake the Pillars of the World may tremble under us The countenance of the Heaven may be appaled the Sunne may loose his light the Stars their glory But
fullnesse and constant fruition is reserved for the next life Here wee are trained as it were in a spirituall warfare against the World the Flesh and the Divell wee are exercised unto New-obedience by manifold crosses troubles and temptations Satan is sometimes set upon us to afflict us with His owne immediate Hellish suggestions Sometimes our owne sinnes grievously affright us with renewed representations of horrour Sometimes our owne God frownes upon us Himselfe with His displeased and angry countenance and in love leaves us a while to the terrours of a spirituall desertion Hee sometimes laies His visiting 〈◊〉 upon our Bodies and casteth us downe 〈…〉 of sicknesse Sometimes Hee sends heavy crosses upon our outward States and breakes the Staffe of our prosperity Continually almost Hee suffers many malicious Currs to barke at us with slanders lies disgracefull imputations and all the enemies of grace to pursue us bitterly with much malice and disdaine Thus are wee trained and entertained in this world Our Crowning comes in the World to come Ninthly To cause thee to have recourse with more reverence thirst and thankfull acknowledgement to the Well-head of refreshings if God once withdraw the light of His countenance and comfortable quickning of His Spirit wee shall find no comfort at all in any Creature no life in the Ordinances no feeling of our spirituall life and therefore wee must needs to the ever-springing Fountaine of All-sufficiency c. Which blessed ends and effects when the good hand of our God hath wrought Hee will as certainly returne as ever the Sunne did after the darkest Mid-night and that with abundance of glory and sweetnesse proportionable to the former dejection and darknesse of our spirits The lowest ebbe of a spirituall desertion brings the highest tide of spirituall exultation As wee may see before in Mistris Brettergh and Master Peacocke pag. 84. 2. What is the reason thou art so sad and sore afflicted for the absence of thy Beloved and with want of the woonted gracious and comfortable workings of the Spirit It is because Thou hast formerly grasped the Lord Iesus sweetly and savingly in the armes of thy Soule been sensibly refreshed with the savour of His good ointments ravished extraordinarily with the beauty of His Person dearenesse of His blood riches of His purchase and glory of his kingdome And hast heretofore holden Him as the very life of thy Soule and chiefest and onely treasure ejaculating with David unfainedly from the heart-roote Whom have I in Heaven but Thee And there is none upon Earth that I desire besides Thee Earth is an Hell and Heaven no Heaven without Iesus Christ I say the present griefe that thy well-beloved is now gone argues evidently this former enjoyment of His gracious presence And then build upon 't as upon the surest Rocke Once Christs and His for ever The gifts and calling of God are without repentance Whom Hee loveth once Hee loveth unto the end Hee is no changeling in his love I am the Lord faith Hee I change not therefore yee sonnes of Iacob are not consumed Once elected ever beloved Once New-borne and borne to eternity If once the sanctifying Spirit hath seizd upon Thee for Iesus Christ thou art made sure and lockt fast for ever in the armes of his love with everlasting barres of mercy and might from any mortall hurt and adversary power Thou maist then cast downe the gauntlet of defiance against the Devill and the whole world and take up with Paul that victorious chalenge unto all created things I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other Creature shall bee able to separate mee from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord Hee may hide His face from Thee for a while but thou hast His owne sure and inviolable Word from His owne mouth That Hee will returne and with everlasting kindnesse have mercy on thee Hee may frowne upon Thee I confesse for a season and so fright thee with his terrours as tho in thy present apprehension thou wert a lost Man But Hee never will Hee cannot possibly forsake thee finally I have sworne once by my holinesse that I will not faile David Psal. 89.35 And in the meane time thy former feelings of the motions of the Spirit and grace doe give cleare evidence and assurance that spirituall life is still resident in thy Soule tho runne as it were into the roote and tho it 's more lively operations and effects bee suspended for a time The Woman that hath once felt the Child stir in Her wombe is most assured that shee is with-Child that an immortall Soule and naturall life is infused into it by the omnipotent hand of God though at other times shee perceive no motion at all It is so in the present Point And thy grieving also groaning and panting after Christ is an unanswerable argument that thou art alive spiritually Lay the waight of the whole world upon a man that is starke dead and Hee can neither stirre cry or complaine 3. Consider that some graces are more substantiall in themselves more profitable to us and of greater necessitie for salvation as Faith repentance love New-obedience active and passive Selfe-deniall vilenesse in our owne eyes humble walking with God c. Others are not so or absolutely necessary but accompany a saving state as separable accidents as ioy and peace in believing sensible comfort in the holy Ghost comfortable feelings of Gods favour rejoycing in hope a lively freedome in prayer assurance of evidence c. And from hence mayest thou take comfort in two respects First Desertion deprives thee only of these comfortable accessarâ—es but thou art still possest of the Principall and substantialls of salvation Of which not the utmost concurrence of all hellish and earthly rage can possibly rob thee And therefore thou art well enough in the meane time and as safe as safety it selfe can make thee 2. Secondly Losse of these lesse principall graces which by accident is a singular advantage and gaine drives thee nearer unto Iesus Christ at least by many unutterable groanes every one whereof is a strong cry in the eares of God and causeth thee better to prise and plie to exercise and improove more fruitfully those other more necessary graces without which thou canst not bee saved It is a wise and honest passage in Mistris Iuxons Monument pag 60. Shee continued faithfull to the ende in the most substantiall graces For howsoever shee mourned for the want of that degree of ioy which shee had felt in former times yet she continued in repentance in the practise of holinesse and righteousnesse in a tender love of God and to his Word and Children in holy zeale and fruitfulnesse even to the last period of her daies And indeede her want of full ioy was so
deale and converse with for recovery and cure This secret and saving influence I speake of might bee evidently discerned in Master Peacocke even at the worst Some reverend Ministers standing by his bed of sorrow asked him if they should pray for him Marke well his answer Take not the Name of God in vaine said hee by praying for a Reprobate Which words well weighed seeme to imply and represent clearely to a spirituall discerning judgement some good measure even of the highest degree of divine love preferring the glory of God before the wellfare of his owne soule rather willing to have the meanes of his salvation neglected then the Lord dishonoured One asking another time whether hee loved such an One meaning a godly man Yes saith hee Why For his goodnesse Another comming to him upon the Lords day willed him to put his hand to a note of certaine debts This is not a day for that said hee And at the same time hee would hardly suffer any to stay with him from the Sermon Beeing told of suffering plaisters out of Gods Word to rest upon his wounded soule Hee brake out thus Oh! if I had Oh! if it would please God I had rather then any thing in this or other three thousand Worlds By these we may see and other passages to the same purpose that our blessed God had a secret working and saving influence upon his soule even in the depth and hideous darkenesse of his most grievous desertion Here is love first unto God in a high degree secondly deare affection unto his Children and that for his Image shining in them thirdly love unto his Sabbaths and salvation of others fourthly vehement desires after grace and Gods favour All which were undeniable demonstrations of an undamned state to every understanding eye Nay unquestionable arguments of spirituall life and designation to eternall blisse Whereupon my resolution was then and protestation upon good ground That if all the powerfull eloquence which rested with in the reverent bosome of mine owne deare Mother the famous Vniversity of Oxford managed by the Sâ—raphicall tongue of the highest and most glorious Angell in heaven had been industriously set on worke for that purpose except I had heard my blessed Redeemer say I will rend a member from my Body and throw it away The holy Spirit say I will pull my seale from that Soule which I have savingly sanctifyed my gracious and mercifull Father say I wil this once faile forsake One of mine I could never have been possibly perswaded that that soule of his so richly laden with heavenly treasure and gifts of God never to be repented of so syncerely exercised in the waies of God and opposition to the corruption of the times c. should possibly perish 2. Secondly suppose thou shouldest walke in darkenesse and have no light in the sense of the Prophet for the residue and remainder of thy few and evill dayes in this vale of teares nay and dye so before comfort comes yet be not discomforted For fearing God and being upright-hearted thy Soule shall most certainely bee preserved in spirituall and eternall safety by staying upon thy God tho thou bee without any sense of joy and peace in believing This life tho never so long is but a moment to the life to come But the kindnesse is everlasting with which hee will have mercy on thee Thy sufferings are but short whatsoever they bee But thou hast eternity of joyes in the World above purchased and prepared for thee by the hearts-blood of that blessed Saviour of thine upon whom thy soule relies It is the Divels policy say Divines to procure for his slaves all the favours honours and advancements all the prosperities and pleasures hee can possibly lest if hee should not follow and fullfill their humours this way they might thinke upon seeking after and serving a new Master Noâ— caring to vexe or molest them in this World because hee knowes full well hee shall have time enough hereafter to torment them in Hell And wilt not thou contrarily be content if God so please to passe thorow this vale of teares even with Hemans horrour Psal. 88.15 Sith Heaven is so neare at hand and thou hast a little before thee an everlasting time to row in the bottomlesse and boundlesse Ocean of all glory and blisse in an endlesse variety of new and fresh delights infinitely excellent and sweet aboue the largest created conceite 6. Let us suppose a Christian in these three states And it is no uncouth thing to those who obserue or feele Gods secret and unsearchable dealings with his Children 1. First in a faire and comfortable calme and Sun-shine after the tempestuous troubles and travaile in the pangs of the New-birth when the light of Gods countenance the first refreshing warmth of his sanctifying Spirit the fresh sweetnesse and vitall stirrings of grace the ravishing consciousnesse of his happy conversion doe fill his soule as with marrow and fatnesse and feede it with a kindly and more lively disposition to all good and godly dueties 2. Secondly in a spirituall Desertion when the sense of Gods favour love and woonted presence the comfortable vse and exercise of the Ordinances graces and spirituall affaires langvish and leave him for a time 3. Thirdly In the state of recovery and restitution from such a fearefull Dampe and deprivation of divine comfort unto former ioyfull feelings and re-enjoyment of his Beloved so that his revived soule may sweetly sing My Beloved is mine and I am his Now I doubt not But that the middle of these three estates being accompanied with hearty griefe and groanes for Christs absence restlesse pantings and longings after a new resurrection as it were of the sensible and fruitfull operations of grace renewed desires and endeavours for regainement of accustomed surer hold by the hand of Faith patient and praierfull waiting for the returne of Gods pleased face c. is as pleasing and deare if not more to our mercifull Father as either of the other two Doe you not thinke that the Fathers of our flesh are as lovingly affected and meltingly mooved to heare the obedient Child sigh and sob cry out and complaine because they looke not kindly upon him but for triall of his affection have hid for a time the much desired beames of their fatherly favour under some affected angry frownes as when things are carried more currently and comfortably betwixt them without any great distast and discontentment or occasion to discover the mutuall impatiency of their loves one unto another And shall not the Father of our Spirits who loves us with the same love with which he loves the Lord Iesus himselfe surpasse as farre in affectionate compassion towards us in the like Case as an Almighty God doth a mortall Man He cannot chuse because the word is already gone out of his mouth Like as a Father pittieth his Childe so the Lord pittieth them that feare him Psa. 103.13 I am
esse maledictos Prae 〈◊〉 poenitentiâ—e 〈◊〉 â—nitionis peccatorum necessario praenitti debet si fides de reconciliatione locum habere debeat Harmo Evang cap. 73. d Doctrina legis proponenda est impijs ad terrorem incutiendum ad demonstrandam justam illorum damnationem ni resipiscant ad Christum Mediatorem consugiant In cap. 1. â—d Coloss. c Of the nature and practise of Repentance Cap. 3. Rom. 8.15 Act. â— 37 f See Isa. 57.15 Mat. 11.28 9.13 Zech. 13.1 g Of Repentance Sern 7. h The Preachers 〈◊〉 pag 201.202.203.204 Mat. 13. Ier. 4.3 2. Cor. 5. â—â— 1. â—â—g 19 12.12 Habak 3.16 Prou. 27.7 Eph. 3.18 Act. 7.51 Prov. 26.1.3 Marke 3 17. i In His Commentarie upon the Revel c. 14. Mark 1.22.27 Luk. 1.32 Ioh. 7.46 k The whole Armour of God pag 237.238 Mâ—t. 9.12 Luk. 4.18 Acts 16 4. Acts 2.37 16 29. Luk. â— 38. Acts 16.13 14. Act. 10.41.45 l Yates 〈…〉 against the 〈…〉 of Gods wiâ—l 〈…〉 5. Rom. 8.15 m Sclater The sicke Soules Salve pag. 5. n Dike of Repentance cap. 1. pag. 11. o Ibid. cap. 2. p. 23.24 * Quid sunt dolores ut parturientâ—â— nisi dolores pâ—â—â—â—entis August in Psal 48. p Hinde of the Oâ—â—ice and vse of the morall Law of God in the dayes of the Gospell pag. 104. Hee quotes in the Margent Matth. 27.3.2 Timoth. 2.25 Bez. in Mat. 3.2 and in Act. 5.31 I the rather name this Booke because I could wish all those who are ignorantly and lewdly tampering and medling about an utter abrogating and abolishing the whole Law of Moses since the death of Christ would reade it over and returne unto their right minde q Dike of the Deceitfulnes of Mans Heart cap. 15. p. 190. D. P. r Câ—lverwell in His Treatise of Faith p. 45 s Throgmorton in His Treatise of Faith pag. 149. D. P. t P. Baine in his Serm. upon Ioh 3.16 p. 39. u Cade in his Iustific of the Church of Engl. Lib. 1. Cap. 5. Scâ—â— 1. x D.S. in his Bruised Reede pag. 13.14.15 y a 〈…〉 See Ezek. 13.13.15 Ier. 14.15.16 Isa. 30.13.14 b They are equally transported with admiration and doting vpon such Dawbers and with indignation and heart-rising against Plaine-Dealers holding them out of a wicked and Soule killing Mis-conceite to bee too terrible Teachers and their Ministery intolerable * Isai. 30.8 c. c Populus nihil adversi sibi nunciari volebat proptered infestus erat Prophetis quòd dum vitia ejus accusarent acrâ—â—èr pungerent simul propinquae Dei vindictae tesâ—es erant Huc pertinent ejusmodi verba nolite videre nolite prospicere recta Non quod ita loquerentur sed quod ita affecti essent moderationem requirerent in prophetis nec tam acerbas eorum objurgationes aequo animo ferre possint Calv. in loc Impios vis efficaciae verbâ— acuit et exasperat ut tanquaÌ„ immanes belluae ferociam truculentiam suam promant Libenter quidem eluderent sed velint nolint Deum loquentem audire ejusque Majestatem reform dare coguntur Hanc amarulentiam sequitur odium Prophetaerum insidiae terrores persecutiones exilia cruciatus mortes quibus doctrinam cum doctoribus summoneri ac deleri posse existimant Cupiunt enim homines sibi potiê° narrari somnia futiles nugas quam fideliter doceri Ibid. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 metaphoricè caementum lateritium sine stramine dicitur id est non rectè confectum temperatum quo si quid aedisicetur structura parum firma sit durabilis Pagn Non dubito quin significet arenam absque calce Calv. Lutum absque paleis quibus firmatur stringitur nil roboris potest praebeâ—e parieti Hieron Matth 7.22 25.11 Ezech. 13.11 c. d Sunt etiam apud nos qui bene alioqui ciuilitèr vivunt qui tamèn nullo desiderio verbi tenentur istos homines nunquam ego sanctificatos diâ—â—rim neque eorum virtutes esse existimarim sed virtutum umbras duntaxat simulachra cum sine sanctisicatione participatione divinae naturae nulla possit esse vera virtus Rolloc In Ioh. cap. 8. Time hath been perhaps when wee have thought civill honesty to be regeneration God forgive us It must be more then civilitie that brings to Heaven more then formalitie that makes a Christian c. Dr. Sclater Sicke Soules Salve pag. 21. e 1. King 18.17 f 1. King 9.11 g 1. King 22.24 h Acts 24.5 i Ioh. 7.48.49 Haec est sententia Concilij Sacerdotalis Pharisaici contra plebem à Christo pendentem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inquiunt hoc est Sub maledicto sunt execrabiles ideoque excommunicandi Haec est infamia Evangelicae doctrinae quaÌ„fere cogitur apud potentes ac prudentes hujus seculi quòd sectatores habeat homines plebeios obscuros imperitos qui si docti essent haudquaquam illi adhaererent Musc. k Dicimur sceleratissimi de sacramento insanticidij pabulo inde post convivium incesto quòd eversores luminum canes lenones scilicet tenebrarum libidinum impiarum inverecundia procurent Tertul. Apolog. cap. 7. Sed quod omni cruciatu gravius erat insignia de eis mendacia spargebantur Incusabatur eos humanis câ—rnibus vesci infantes dijs suis immolare incestibus sese polluere nefandissima quaeque perpetrare â—unc Com. in Chron. Lib. 6. l Inceâ—â—uosus sum cur non requirunt Insantiâ—ida Cur non extorquent In Caesares aliquid comitto cur noÌ„ audior c. Tert. Apolog cap 4. Haec coitio Christianorum meritò sane illicita si illicitis par meritò dananda si quis de caÌ„ quaeritur eo titulo quo de sactionibus querela est In cujus perniciem aliquando convenimus Hoc sumus congregati quod dispersi Hoc universi quod singuli neminem Laedentes neminem contristantes Cum probi cum boni cocunt cum piâ— cum casti congregantur non est factio dicenda sed curia At è contrario illis nomen factionum accommodandum est qui in odium â—oâ—orum proborum conspirant qui adversum sanguinem innocentium coâ—elâ—â—ant preteâ—entes sanè ad odij defensionem illam quoque vanitatem quod existiment omnis publicae clâ—dis omnis popularis incommodi Christianes esse causam Idem ibid. cap 39. m Coimus in coetum aggregationem ut ad Deum quasi manu factâ— precationibus ambiamus orantes Haec vis Deo grata est Oramus etiem pro imperatoribus pro ministris eorum 〈◊〉 potestatibuâ— pro statu seculi pro rerum quiete Coimus ad literarum divinarum commemorationem si quid praesentium temporum qualitas aut praemonere cogit aut recognoscere Certè â—idâ—m sanctis vocibus pascimus spem erigimus fiduciam sigimus disciplinam praeceptorum nihilominus iâ—culcationibus densamus Ibidem etiaÌ„ exhortationes castigationes censura
tartnesse of the Law Cases of Conscience Lib. 1. Cap. 7. Sect. 5. Here remember by the way that the comforts ministred usually and ordinarily must not goe alone but bee mingled and tempered with some terrours of the Law c. The ministring of comfort in this distresse would not bee direct and present but by certaine steps and degrees Except only in the Point of death for then a directer course must be used Iâ—id Cap. 11. Sect. 1. Matth. 11.28 Iames 4.10 Prov. 28.13 Heb. 12.14 Revel 3.19 Psal. 9.17 n Proprietates Dei essentiales sunt realitèr ip samet Dei essentia nec ab essentiâ Dei nec inter se reipsâ differunt Non ab essentiâ quia sic sunt in essentiâ ut sint ipsa essentia Non inter se quia quicquid in Deo est unum est à primâ autem unitate omnis prorsus differentia omnisque numerus abesse debet Polan Syntag. Theol. Lib. 2. Cap. 7. o Proprietates Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sunt aequales 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inaequales Alsted Theol. Didactico Scholast Sect. 1. Cap. 15. * Now wee his Ministers His Almoners to distribute his comforts even as many as bee in the Scripture dare not lavish them out and promise them to such lazy indifferents as these But if wee see any ready to faint for want saying Give mee drinke or else I die then wee reach the cup of salvation to him and bid him drinke of it neither dare wee to give it to any other Rogers of Dedham Doctr. of Faith pag. 186. Tit. 2.11 12. Zech. 13.1 p As concerning sorrow seeing the causes still remaine namely corruption and affliction therefore this sorrow must continue to our lives end Tho in a different manner now mingled with comfort whereas the former before Faith could have none Whereas on the other side the sorrow that quite drieth up was never sound as it is to bee seene in many who beeing once deepely afflicted and in great heavinesse for their miserable state afterward comming to some comfort are growne so secure and senselesse that having no true griefe or remorse for their daily corruptions content themselves that they were once cast downe whose lives as they bee foule and full of blots so their ends bee oft fearefull either senselesse or uncomfortable so dangerous is it to quench the spirit in any pat Culverwell in his Treatâ—se of Faith pag. 46.47 Certum est sine sensu peccati miseriae primùm deinde â—iberationis in Christo Iesu â—â— eadem illá miseriá nullam in Christo esse veram consolationem Nos quidem hodierno die expectamus non primumillum sed secundum Christi adventum Vt igitur eum cum aliquâ consolatione expectemus danda nobis opera est in totâ vitâ ut magis magisque in sensu peccati miseriae nostrae proficiamus alioqui proâ—ectò tantum aberit ab eo ut cum consolatione gaudio â—um Christi adventum expectemus ut è contrà cum horroribus aâ—iâ—i conscientiae nâ—n tam expectemus illum diem quà m eum aversemur Rolloc in Iohan pag. 346. Perpetuò resipiscamus In perpetuâ luctâ perpetuâ resipiscentiâ simus Idem Ibid. pag 337. Some are onely slightly humbled and having got comfort are never more grieved whereas a true Beleever even after Faith grieves still for his daily sinnes but these thinke it enough that they were once grieved and therefore now grieve no more for their foule sinnes Rogers of Dedham Doctr. of Faith pag. 367. Cum sèmper nobis agnoscenda sint peccata nostra credendum quòd remittantuâ— nobis peccatâ— propter Christum senâ—imus semper etiam in hâ—c vitâ nobis agendam esse poenitentiaâ— Harmon Confess p. 2. Wirtenbergica Confess de poenit pag. 153. Wee are to note that repentance is a continuall course of sorrow and if wee have this in truth then may wee boldly seeke for comfort out of Gods Word and from His Ministers and looke what comfort they give us on Earth the same shall bee sealed also in Heaven Wherefore as it is requisite continually to till the ground if wee will have fruit and daily to eate if wee will live so in spirituall things wee must bee humbled with continuall sorrow that wee may bee refreshed with daily comfort in Christ. Greenham Serm. 7. Of Repentance I the rather quote these Divines for this Point to oppose the wicked and ignorant folly of some ill-tong'd Anti-nomists and other peevish and proud Phantasticks q â— Sam. 7.6 Hauserunt aquas è puâ—eo cordis sui abundè lachrymati sunt coram Domino resipiscentes Chald. Paraph. Est quadam precum omnipotentia Luth. r Quntum prinâ—us ego lum Hoc ergo apud beatum Paulum siduciae consolationis accipite fratres ut ad Dominum iam conversos non nimis criâ—ciet praeteritorum coâ—scientia delictorum sed tantùm bumâ—lieâ— vos sicut ipsum Ego sum inquit minimus Apostolorum qui non sum dignus vocari Apostolus qui sum persecutus ecclesiam Dei. Ita nos humiliemur sub potenti manâ— Dei c. Bern. Col. 225. * Et si preces quotidiè quotidiè poenitentiam agaâ— quod in antiquis domibus facere solemus cum fuerint putrefactae putrida subtrahimus supponimus nova à continuâ curâ nunquam desinimus Chrysost. Ad pop Antioch Hom. 80. * If any doubt how godly sorrow and spirituall ioy may consist together at the same time in the same Subiect let them take satisfaction even from Philosophy De dolore gaudio dupliciter loqui possumus uno modo secundum quod sunt passiones appetitus scusitivi Et sic nullo modo possunt essè simul eò quòd sunt omâ—inò contrariae Velex parte obiecti put à cum sunt de eodem vel saltem ex parte motus cordis Nam gaudium est cuiâ— dilstatione cordis tristitia verò cum constrictione Et hoc modo loquitur Philosophus Eth. 9. â—â—io modo possumus loqui de gaudio tristitiâ secundum quod consistunt in simplici actu voluntatis cui aliquid placet vel displicet Et secundum hoc non possunt babâ—â—â— contrariâ—tateâ—â— nisi ex parte Obiect putà cum sunt de codem secundum idem 〈◊〉 non possunt 〈◊〉 esse gaudium tristitia quia non potest simulideâ—s secundum idem placene displiâ—â—re 〈◊〉 verò gaudiuâ—â— tristitia sic accepta non sint de eodem sâ—â—â—â—dumidem sed vel de diversis vel de eodem secundum diversa sic non est contrarietas gaudij tristitia Vnde nihil probebeÌ„t hominem simul gandere tristari putà si videamus iustum affligi 〈◊〉 placet nobis eiâ—â— iustitia displicet aâ—flictio Et hoc modo simul potest alicui displicere quòd peccavit placere quòd hoc ei displicet cum spe veniae ita quòd ipsa tristitia sit
bonum esset aeternum illud esset si aeternum infinitum si infinitum non homo Angelus aut creatura esset sed Deus Deus autem si solus unus bonus infinitus non est Deus non est Cum de alio quà m de Deo uno infinitum intelligi non possit Nec diminuitur omnipotentia eius sed astruitur Quî enim ille esset omnipotens qui sibi aliquid simile aequale habere aut sacere posset Quî autem infinitus si extra se non solùm aliquid sed alia infinita innumera haberet Immò quinam ille infinitus qui infinitum faciendo nihil ulteriùs facere posset cùm in infinito sintomnia Et nunquid Omnipotens Deus in aliud Omnipotens quod potentiâ sibi aequale foret omnipotentiam suam exercere possit In Thesi meâ Oxon. confirmatâ Peccatum provisum non est causa reprobationis h Ad executionem decreti quod ita factum in aeternâ praedestinatione in utramque partem concurrunt meâ—ia quae ipsa non possunt non subijci praedestinationi Hîc ergò vera iusta est damnationis causa peccatum nempè quia nemo aut damnatus sit unquam aut damnetur aut damnandus sit nisi propter peccatum ac proinde re actúque praecedente peccato quod invasit omne genus humanum ita ut si libêret possèt Deus absque ullâ iniustitiae notâ omnes homines nullo penitùs excepto in aeternum ignem praecipitare Quo iure egisse manifestum in omnes Angelos malos Chamier Tom. 3. lib. 8. cap. 1. Dicit ei Iudas non ille Iscariotes Miratur quodammodò quòd cùm tanta sit gratia Domini is non extendat eam ad universum mundum sed ad paucos duntaxà t aliquos Sic mirantur homines quotidiè cùm hoc admiratione sit dignum potiùs quòd Dominus vel unius alicuius misâ—reatur cùmomnes in eodem sint reatu Ipsi Angeli admirantur tantam Dei misericordiam dum intuâ—ntur mysterium salutis humanae pij omnes magis ad id obstupescunt quòd videant Deum ergase misericordem quam quòd videant sciant reiectos essè alios complures Rolloc in Iohan. cap. 14. vers 22. Philip. 2.13 i I said or thought That is I purposed I resolved Taylor in his Way to true Happinesse Pag. 117. Pronunciabo adversum me injustitias meas Domine tu remisisti impietatem cordis mei Non iam pronunciat sed promittit se pronunciaturum ille iam dimittit Attendite fratres magna res dixi pronunciabo non dixi pronunciavi tu dimisisti Dixi pronunciabo tu dimisisti quia eo ipso quod dixit Pronunciabo ostendit quòd nondùm pronunciaverat sed corde pronunciaverat Hoc ipsum dicere pronunciabo Pronunciare est ideò tu remisisti impietatem cordis moi Confessio verò mea ad os nondùm venerat Dixeram enim pronunciabo adversum me ver untamen Deus audâ—â—t vocem cordis mei Vox mea in ore nondum erat sed auris Dei iam in corde erat August in loc Remisisti impietatem peccati mei Attende quanta sit indulgentiae vitalis velocitas quanta miseriâ—ordiae Dei commendatio ut confitâ—ut â— desâ—lerium comitâ—tur veâ—â— aâ—tè remissio ad eâ—r per veniat quà m confeâ—sio in vocem crumpat Greg. Ibid. k Desiderare auxilâ—um gratie est initium gratiâ— Lib. de correptione gratiâ cap. 1. Nihil tam â—acile est bonâ—e voluntati quà m ipsa sibi haec sufficit Deo De te â—p Serm. 48 Coronat Deus totus honam voluntatem ubi non invenit facultatem In Psal. 104. l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tantummodò voles 〈◊〉 Deus ulâ—rò 〈◊〉 Serm. de Poeâ—â—tentiâ m Beati qui esuriunt sitiunt justitiam c. â— Qui esurit esuriâ—t ampliùs qui desi lerat abundantius adhuc desideret quo niam quantumâ—â—mque desiderare potâ—erit tantum est accepturus Imò verò non secundum imperfectionem modúve desiderij c. De Lectione Evangelicâ Serm. 1. n Tom. 4. pag. 124. o Ibid. fol 300. p Loc. Com. par 1. * Catechis * Si senseris iam te credere in Christum etiam propter Christum aut saltèm si non poteris id statim assequi ut omnes naturâ nobis ipsis sumus addicti si senseris velle te credere in Christum propter Christum velle te omnia sacere Dei gratiâ ex animo habes profectò egregium imprimis argumentum perseverantiae in fide fidei quae perpetua sit futura In Iohan. cap. 5. q In His Markes of Gods Children r Lib. 5. Sect. 60. s Ibid. t Acts and Monum in Bradsords letter to Careles In the Story of Careles pag. 2105. a In a twinge of conscience or in a fit when Hee is told of Heaven Hee could be content to leape out of his skin to get Heaven and to get out of Hell But after this is over Hee cannot away with this confessing of his sinnes in secret with this rending of his Soule with this earnest contending with God and with this crossing of his owne nature and fighting against the lusts of His flesh even with this labouring for the righteousnesse of God above all things Whately Gods Husb. cap. 15. b Longè aberit à siti satietas longè à satietate fastidium quia sitientes saturabimur satiati sitiemus August de Sper. cap. 29. c Then will Hee say I have discerned mine owne misery my poverty and nakednes and I have found a Treasure Christ Iesus and his righteousnessâ— It shall goe hard but I will get it Yea but there is a price put upon it It must cost thee deare a great deale of sorrow trouble and other crosses Tush tell mee not of any price speake not of that whaâ—soever I have shall goe for it I will doe any thing for it Why wilt thou curbe thine affections Wilt thou give up thy life Wiâ—t thou bee content to sell all that thou hast c. I will doe it with all my heart I am content to sell all that I have Nothing is so deare unto mee but I will part with it my right hand my right eye Nay if Hell it selfe should stand between Mee and Christ yet would I passe thorow the same unto Him This is that violent affection that God puts into the hearts of those who seek Him in truth that they will have Christ whatsoever it cost them D.V. d It is not a poore faint wishing and woulding But a mighty and effectuall desire that doth bring forth an endeavour It makes a Man put forth Himselfe to effect the thing desired Hee wisheth to obey as a resolute Souldier wisheth victory so as He will fight for it and draw his weapon and meet his enemy in the face and hazard limme and life and give and receive blowes and leave
hee was upon the earth called thy blessed Lord and Saviour Divell See Matth. 10.25 Ioh. 7.20 which passeth all I am perswaded that any drunken Belial ever yet fastned upon thee Contemne thou therefore for ever and trample upon with an humble and triumphant patience all their contumelies and contempts Passe-by nobly without touch or trouble without wound or passion the utmost malice of the most scurrill tongue the basest gibe of the impurest Drunkard Doth the World carnall men thine owne friends ormall Teachers suppose and censure thee to be a dissembler in thy Profession and will needes concurrently and confidently yet falsely fasten upon thee the imputation of hypocrisie An heavy charge Yet for all this Let thy truly-humble heart conscious to it selfe of it's owne syncerity in holy services like a strong pillar of brasse beate backe all their impoysoned arrowes of malice and mistake this way without any dejection or discouragement Onely take occasion hereby to search more thorowly and walke more warily Iob may bee a right noble patterne to thee in this point also He had against him not onely the Divell his enemy pushing at him with his poysoned weapons but even his owne friends scourging him with their tongues His owne wife a thorne pricking him in the eye yea his owne God running upon him like a Gyaâ—â— and his terrours setting themselves in aray against himâ— Powerfull motives to make him suspect himselfe of former halting and hollow-heartednesse in the wayes of God yet notwithstanding his good and honest heart having been long before acquainted with and knit unto his God â—â— truth makes him breake out boldly and resolutely protest Till I die I will not remove my integrity from mee My righteousnesse I hold fast and will not let it goe Chap. 27.5.6 Behold my Witnesse is in Heaven and my record is on high Cap. 16.19 Art thou a loving and tender-hearted mother unto thy children and hast thou lost the dearest The greatest outward crosse I confesse that ever the sonnes and daughters of Adam tasted and goeth nearest to the heart Yet thy sorrow is not singular but out-gone in this also For the blessed Mother of Christ stood by and saw her owne onely deare innocent sonne the Lord of life most cruelly and villanously murdred upon the Crosse before her eyes Ioh. 19.25 Hast thou lost thy goods or children Doth thy wife that lies in thy bosome set her selfe against thee Doe thy nearest friends charge thee falsely Art thou pained extremely from top to toe Doe the Arrowes of the Almighty sticke fast in thy soule Thy affliction is grievous enough if thou taste any of these severally But doe they all in greatest extremity concurre upon thee at once Hast thou lost all thy children and all thy goods Doth thy wife afflict thy afflictions c. If this bee not thy Case and rufull condition thou commest yet short of Iob a most just man and one of Gods dearest Iewels 4. The exceeding greatnesse and pretiousnesse of the promises In every one of which it is incredible to consider what abundant matter of unspeake-able and glorious joy lies wâ—rpâ— up Oh how sweet are they to a thirsty soule in the â—â—me of angvish and trouble They are like a cloud of raine that commeth in the time of a drought They are very glimpses of Heaven shed into a heart many times as darke as hell They are even rockes of eternity upon which every bruised reed may sweetly repose with impregnable safety A truly humbled spirit relishing spirituall things would not exchange any one of them for all the riches and sweetnesse of both the Indies Tell me deare heart thou that in thy unregenerate time though now happily changed lay soaking in sinnes of cruelty and blood whether that mercifull promise Isai. 1.18 Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord Though your sinnes bee as skâ—rlet they shall bee as white as snow though they bee red like crimson they shall bee as wooll bee not farre dearer unto thee then thousands of gold and silver Or thou who formerly pollutedst thy selfe villanously with such secret execrable lusts which now thou canst not remember without horrour tell mee if it were utterable by the Tongue of man with what dearest sweetnesse and blessed peace thy broken heart was bound up and revived when thou cast thine eye considerately and beleevingly upon that pretious place Ezech. 36.25 I will sprinkle water upon you and you shall bee cleane and from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you c. There was beyond the Seas as my Author reports Christian Matrone of excellent parts and piety who langvishing long under the horrible pressure of most furious and fiery temptations wofully at length yeelded to despaire and attempted the destruction of her selfe After often and curious seeking occasion for that bloody fact at last having first put off her apparrell threw her self head-long from an high Promontory into the Sea But having received no hurt by her fall shee was there by a Miracle and extraordinary mercy strangely preserved for the space of two houres at the least though all the while shee laboured industriously to destroy her selfe Afterward drawne out with much adoe and recovered shee yet still did conflict with that extremest desperate horrour almost a whole yeere But by Gods good providence which sweetly and wisely ordereth all things listening on a time though very unwillingly at first to her husband reading amongst other places that Isa. 57.15 Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones For I will not contend for ever neither will I bee alwaies wroth for the spirit should faile before mee and the soules which I have made I say listening to these words the Holy Ghost drawing her heart shee begun to reason thus within her selfe God doth here promise to revive and comfort the heart of the contrite and spirit of the humble and that hee will not contend for ever neither bâ— alwayes wroth But I have a very contrite heart and a spirit humbled 〈◊〉 to the dust one of the acknowledgement and sense of my sinnes and divine vengeance against them Therefore peradventure God will vouchsafe to revive and comfort my heart and spirit and not contend with 〈◊〉 for ever nor bee wroth against mee still c. Hereupon by little and little there flowed by Gods blessing into her darke and heavy heart abundance of life lightsomnesse spirituall strength and assurance In which she continued with constancy and comfort many a yeere after crowned those happy dayes and a blessed old age with a glorious and triumphant death and went to Heaven in the yeere 1595. What heart now but Hers that felt it can possibly conceive the depth of that extraordinary un-utterable
refreshing which sprung out of that promise upon her forlorne and fearefull soule or the excesse of that love which shee bore ever after to those blessed lines to the mercy that made them and to the blood that sealed them An other terrified in conscience for sinne resolves to turne on Gods side but the crie of his good-fellow companions strength of corruption and cunning of Satan carrie him backe to his former courses A good number of yeares after hee was so throughly wounded that whatsoever came of him he would never returne againe unto folly Then comes into his minde the first of the Proverbes whence hee thus reasoned against himselfe So many yeares agoe God called and stretched out his hand in mercy but I refused and therefore now thâ— I call upon him hee will not answer though I seeke him early I shall not finde him Whereupon was his heart filled with much griefe terrour and slavish feare But the Spirit of God leading him at length to that place Luke 17.4 If thy brother trespasse against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turne againe to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgiue him He thence happily argued thus for himselfe Must I a silly sinnefull man forgive my brother as often as hee repents and will not then the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort entertaine mee seeking againe in truth his face and â—avour God forbid From which hee blessedly drew such a deale of divine sweetnesse and secret sense of Gods love that his trembling heart at first received some good satisfaction and afterward was setled in a sure and glorious peace An other godly man passing through his lâ—st sicknesse with such extraordinary calmâ—nesse of conscience and absolute freedome from temptation that some of his Christian friends observing and admiring the singularity of his soules quiet at that time especially questioned him aboue it He answered that he had stedfastly fixed his heart upon that sweetest promise Isa. 26.3 Thou wilt keepe him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because hee trusteth in thee And his God had graciously made it fully good unto his soule And so must every Saint doe who would sound the sweetnesse of a promise to the bottome make it the arme of God unto him for sound thorow-comfort Even settle his heart fixedly upon it and set his Faith on worke to broode it as it were with it's spirituall heate that quickenesse and life may thence come into the soule indeed For God is woont to make good his promises unto his children proportionably to their trust in them and dependance upon his truth and goodnesse for a seasonable performance of them Now all these promises in Gods blessed Booke which addes infinitely to their sweetnesse and certainty are sealed with the blood of Iesus Christ Heb. 9.16 and confirmed with the Oath of Almighty God Heb. 6.17.18 God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heires of promise the immutability of his counsell confirmed it by an oath That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie wee might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Oh what a mighty and pretious invitation is this to beleeve perfectly The speciall Aime of Gods oath whereas his promise had been more then infinitely sufficient was to strengthen our consolation And therefore every heart true unto Christ ought hence to hold fast not a faint wavering inconstant but a strong stedfast and unconquerable comfort Otherwise it sacrilegiously as it were robs God of the glorious end for which hee swore 5. The free love of God Which how rich and glorious how bottomlesse and boundlesse a treasure it is of all gracious sweetnesse abundant comfort and endlesse bounty appeares in this that Iesus Christ blessed for ever that unvalew-able incomparable Iewell came out of it For God so loved the World that hee gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Ioh. 3.16 And therefore every syncere servant of Christ when upon a serious and sad survay of his Christian waies finds himself to come so far short of that which God requires and himselfe desires That his prayers are very faint his sorrow for sinne very scant his love unto the brethren too cold His spending the Sabbaths very unfruitfull His spirituall growth since he gave his name to Christ very poore His profiting by the meanes hee enjoyes most unanswerable to the power and excellency thereof His New-obedience almost nothing c. For so hee is wont to vilifie himselfe Whereupon hee is much cast downe and out of this apprehension of his manifold unworthinesse concludes against himselfe that hee hath little cause to bee confident in the promises of life or to presume of any part and interest in Iesus Christ and so begins to retire the trembling hand of his already very-weake Faith from any more laying-hold of comfort I say in such a Case being true-hearted he may safely and upon sure ground have recourse to this ever-springing Fountaine of immeasurable mercy and raise up his drooping soule against all contrary oppositions with unspeake-able and glorious refreshing from such places as these Hos. 14.4 I will love thee freely Isai. 55. Ho every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and hee that hath no money come yâ—e buy and eate yea come buy wine and milke without money and without price And Chap. 43.25 I even I am hee that blotteth one thy transgressions for my owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes Revel 21.6 I will give unto him that is athirst of the Fountaine of the water of life freely c. God never set the Promises on sale or will ever sell his Sonne to any Hee never said Iust so much sorrow so much sanctitie so much service or no Christ But Hee ever gives Him freely Every truly humbled heart which will take him at the hands of Gods free love as an Husband to bee saved by him and to serve him in truth may have him for nothing Yet I must adde this there was never any who received the Lord Iesus savingly but hee laboured syncerely to sorrow as much for sinne to bee as holy to doe him as much service as hee could possibly And when hee reflected upon his best hee ever desired it had been infinitely better 6. The sweete Name of the Lord. Which hee proclaimes Exod. 34.6.7 wherein he first expresseth his essence in one word The Lord The Lord. Which doubled is effectuall to stirre up Moses attention Secondly three Attributes first His power in one word Strong Secondly His justice in two formes of speech not making the wicked innocent visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon childrens children unto the third and fourth generation Thirdly but his speciall goodnesse and good affection towards repentant and beleeving sinners in seven 1
pith and marrow of some Scripture-text at another time wraflle with the difficulties and knotty distinctions of some Popish or Neo-pelagian controversie At another discusse and drive unto a resolution some perplexed and intricate Case of Conscience c. Well then for my purpose this supposed Vpon the very first Proposall of these monstrous and hideous thoughts presently divert and resort to the hardest of all those irons thou hast in the fire if I may so speake and that which hath neede of most hammering I meane to the most difficult and waighty Points of all those severall spirituall businesses thou hadst last in thy braine and single out that particular which did most puzzle and put thy understanding to it Where-abouts when the strength heat and intension of thy whole soule is spent and improoved not onely other impertinent wandrings and vagaries but these idle and irkesome injections also will more easily vanish and bee gone Let others also proportionably upon such occasions besides other helpes have recourse to the most troublesome and over-mastering part of their honest imploiments to the chiefest and needefullest affaire of their lawfull Callings 5. In temptations of this nature never set thy selfe to dispute with the Divell hee is an old Sophister of above five thousand yeares standing in the Schoole of hideous temptations and hellish policies and thou art but a Novice Hee hath many Methods Devices and Depths which thy shallow fore-cast cannot possibly fathome Direct opposition by reasons and replies stirreth up the out-ragious Blasphemour to grow more furious And hereby we give him greater advantage more matter of molestation and mischiefe and may so plunge our selves further into an intricate maze of horrour and confused distractions Our blessed Captaine Christ Iesus may bee a patterne for us in this Point When hee was tempted to fall downe and worship Satan hee reasoneth not the Case but repells him with vehement extraordinary detestation and disdaine Avoid Satan It will therefore bee our best wisedome at such a time to turne from him and as Hezekiah spread his blasphemous letter so to lay open his fury before the Lord crying mightily unto him and intreating him even for his owne honours sake to vindicate the purity of his great Majesty and excellency of his unspotted glory from this hellish filth and horrible villany of his damned vilest Creature That he would cast it as dung upon the Tempters face and in the Passion and Blood of Christ free fully and for ever our poore soules trembling under the hideousnesse of his malice and cruelty from the guilt staine terrour and assault of all such abhorred and pâ—â—odigeous blasphemie In that other terrible temptation also to Selfe-murther many much wrong themselves this way In managing this fierie dart the Adversary deales by way of argument too and presses reasons such as they are upon the temted sometimes extremely absurd especially if the party bee something more simple and ignorant sometimes exceedingly suttle if hee bee of better understanding and capacity As thus It is soone done and the paine quickely past Thou art like thus to languish and lie in misery all thy life long The longer thou livest the larger will bee the score of thy sinnes and so thy torments in hell more horrible hereafter If it be once done it will appeare to have bin Gods decree and I hope thou wilt not oppose the accomplishment of that Do what thou canst thou wilt bee damned when all is done c. Now in this Case if thou debate the matter with the Divell and begin to confer thou art like enough to be more and more confounded and intangled with inextricable astonishments and danger to bee utterly undone and suddenly blowne up by the mine of his soule-murdering sophistry But if according to the precedency and practise of thy Lord Master who hath begun unto thee in this bitter Cup is afflicted in all thy afflictions and ever stands by thee as a victorious commander and conquerour in all such assaults first abominate and beate backe this base and bloody motion with infinite indignation and loathing Avant Satan And then immediately lay hold on the sword of the Spirit and keepe him at the point of it and then assuredly all the Divells in Hell cannot hurt thee Tell him that against his vile and villanous suggestion and all the subtilties and sophistry with which hee seconds it this is thy onely answere even the precise holy and everlasting countermand of his and thy Creatour the mighty Lord of heaven and earth Thou shalt not kill Now if it bee a crimson and crying sinne the most deadly opposite and desperate cut-throate of charity to kill an other and fastneth such a deepe and inexpiable staine upon the face of a whole Kingdome that it cannot bee razed out but by the blood of him that shed it How execrable and hainous then is this and what depth of Hell and height of horrour doth that abhorred Miscreant deserve and may expect who makes away himselfe For the Rule of charity whereby wee love one another is proportioned by that charity whereby a man loues himselfe If the Divell bee able to dissolve and disanull the most absolute perfect and just Law of the most High who tho all other things besides are something in possibilitie which as yet they are not in act yet himselfe is actually and everlastingly whatsoever hee may bee and cannot hereafter be that which now hee is not and so by consequent is with out all variablenesse or shadow of turning I say if the Prince of darkenesse can reverse this Law of the Father of Lights Thou shalt not murder thou maist well say thou wilt then thinke of an other answer But till that bee which is more then infinitely impossible ever to come to passe thou wilt rather lie in the miseries of Hell upon earth which indeed were incomparably better then breaking Gods blessed Law goe downe into the grave in a bloody coffin made by thy owne hands onely at the Divels bidding Can this madnesse ever bee matched for a man besides Selfe-severing the soule from his body before the time by a more hainous and un-naturall villany then murthering of his owne father for every man is naturally next unto himself and sending it suddenly all goare-blood by becomming his owne Butcher and hangman unto the dreadfull Tribunall of the all-powerfull God the most certaine and severe Revenger of all bloodshed to bring also abundance of unnecessary shame griefe and hopelesse mourning upon Friends Kindred Husband ChildreÌ„ Parents a reproachfull staine and brand upon House Name Buriall Posterity c. And that meerely at the instance and upon the most absurd ridiculous and senselesse suggestion of the Arch-murtherer thy mortall and immortall enemy against sense reason nature religion Scripture Gods direct command to the contrary even Heathen Philosophy Heaven and Earth 6. Avoid idlenesse solitarinesse and too much secrecy three maine advantages for the adversary which
he watchfully apprehending and plying industriously workes a world of mischiefe upon afflicted soules in their spirituall miseries Idlenesse laies a man open to all hellish snares and temptations makes the heart like unmanured ground fit for nothing but the wildest and rankest weedes of lust luxury lewd company the universall inordinatenes of Originall corruption to domineere rage and doe what it will Like standing Pooles naturally prepared and pregnant to breed and feed the vermine and venome of vilest thoughts and un-naturall filth Like Thorow-faires for Satans most hideous and horrible injections to wander and walke up and downe in without restraint or remedy Solitarinesse besides it's native propertie and power to make sad increase melancholy and aggravate feares doth in this Case more then any bring an heavie Woe Woe to him that is alone For if the weake Christian fall hee hath not another to help him up He may there be surprised yeeld and foil'd before he get into such company which might happily have prevented it or supported him in the temptation Too much secrecy and concealement may cause the wound of a terrified conscience to bleed inward rankle fester and grow desperate whereas seasonable discovery might have cured and comforted it Horrour arising from the apprehension of such uncouth and monstrous thoughts kept close and dam'd up in the mans owne brest may swell so high that the poore soule may bee in great danger to bee wofully drowned and over-whelmed by it which had it had vent be time eased and emptied it selfe into some holy and faithfull bosome might by divine and discreete counsell by little and little dried up quite I have knowne him who did bite in and keepe close in his bosome this temptation of blasphemie the space of about twenty yeares All which while the Divell did tyrannize extremely and keep him almost in continuall terrour Hee thought there was never man had such vile and prodigious thoughts as hee And if the World knew what they were hee should bee abhorr'd as a monster of men and the loathsommest creature upon earth most worthy to bee utterly exterminated and rooted out of the society and confines of Mankinde And hereupon many and many a time when hee apprehended any opportunity or had any meanes offered to make himself a way he was tempted there unto principally upon this ground that it was pitty such an horrible Blasphemer for so he supposed should any longer breathe But at last hearing the nature manner and remedy of these hideous injections discovered by the Ministery afterward privately informing himselfe further and more fully from Gods Messenger was happily taken of the racke for the time to come and most wonderfully refreshed And therefore take heede of keeping the Divels counsell The tempted in this kinde may doe well to bee still conversant in religious duties honest workes of their lawfull Callings company of skillfull experienced Soule physitions or one or other comfortable imploiment 7. Settle in thy heart a peremptory impregnable resolution never to entertaine any conceit of that great Majesâ—y and glory above of the most holy and ever-blessed Trinity or any thing there-about but such onely as is revealed and represented unto thee in Gods Booke Whatsoever is objected by carnall reason to the contrary or injected by the Divell any wayes to deprave the divinenesse of that glorious Truth ought to bee rejected as cursed false and execrable And therefore when that hellish Nimrod shall at any time hunt and chase thine affrighted soule with these blasphemous Hell-hounds bee sure ever to take Sanctuary in the Oracles of God and keepe thee close and safe under this Covert Whatsoever is not comprehended within the Confines of that sacred Pale warranted by holy Writ the soveraigne Touch-stone of all heavenly Truth let it bee abhorred and retorted as dung upon the face of the Tempter That sense and apprehension of the Deity and divine things which is not suckt from the brests of the two Testaments is in this regard to bee reputed ranke poyson repelled and abominated with infinite indignation and disdaine And for further helpe herein when thou findest thy selfe thus followed with the violent and incessant incursions of this furious folly call often and seriously to minde that accursed brand which the Booke of God hath set upon the Adversary that hee is the Father of lies and let that still continue a more resolute rejection and contempt of whatsoever comes from him Suppose a raging Bedlam should follow thee up and downe all the day long and tell thee that thy father or speciall friend were a Stone a Bird a Tree a Toade or whatsoever is viler or more absurd would'st thou hereupon entertaine and harbour in thy minde any mis impression or monstrous perswasion of the party I trow not onely his senselesse clamour and restlesse raving would be very â—â—kesome troublesome and un-welcome especially sith thou art furnished with a cleare demonstrative light out of naturall Philosophy that hee is a reasonable Creature and thy selfe sees in him the face and favour the shape and proportion of a Man Proportionably Satan that bloody Bedlam of Hell out of that madnes at which Heaven and Earth may stand amazed solicites thee to admit such and such horrible and hideous conceits of thy dearest Lord his Sonne and sacred Word Ah cursed Fiend that ever thou shouldest discover such prodigious malice against thy glorious Maker Now God infinitely forbid that this should cause the least alteration or any diminution at all of thy lowliest most reverent adoring and divinest thoughts of so great a God For have but recourse to the holy Records of all sound supernaturall and saving knowledge I meane the Word of life with which thou oughtest to consult and to which onely thou art confind in this Case and thou shalt finde him to bee Onely one living and true God everlasting without body parts or passions of infinite power wisdome and goodnâ—sse the maker and preserver of all things both visible and invisible And in unitie of this Godhead there to bee three persons of one substance power and eternity the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost And besides thou mayst graspe as it were and feele betweene thy fingers as they say even in every Creature His greatnesse and goodnesse Majesty and might power and providence In the glorious Lights of heaven saith a noble Writer wee perceive a shaddow of his divine countenance in his provision for all that live his manifold goodnesse And lastly in creating and making existent the World universall by the absolute Art of his owne Word his power and Almightinessâ— which Power Light Vertue Wisdome and Goodnesse being alâ— but Attributes of one simple Essence and one God wee in all admire and in part discerne per speculum creaturarum that is in the disposition order and variety of Celestiall and Terrestriall bodies Terrestriall in their strange and manifold diversities Celestiall in