be up and down in the world and have much society where men are and yet must not bee maried except some one will come and have her with nothing Examples of any that have so done are so rare that in my experience I never knew any 2. Next when we are to enter our selves and ours into mariage we must see to the chiefe and the principall end which is as the state of man is since the fall to keep a man chast he that maks mariage to be the meanes in his intention to make him rich maries in the flesh and not in the Lord hee cannot with any face invite the Lord to the wedding Mammon not the Lord doth lead the Bride to Church the Apostle saith it is not good for a man to touch a woman but yet saith he to avoid fornication he saith not to pay debts to get money to make one rich let every man have his owne wife but to avoid fornication Matrimony then was ordained to make men and keepe men chast and not to make men rich And we doe finde that many of those who marry to bee rich which is their end and have rich widdowes too after mariage doe attaine neither their owne end nor Gods marry and after are neither rich nor chast and then they fall upon mariage with many heavy complaints and cries and that if there bee any hell above ground it is in mariage We must then be before hand and marry so seasonably for time and so wisely proportionably for age and other convenient circumstances that it may preserve our chastity It is too late to bring water when the house is burnt as soone as the sparkes arise and it begin to grow toward burning and we see the smoke up goe to Physick there must be no time of lusting what ever there bee of woing many complaine of too much trouble in that estate because they bring sin with them thither there bee too many who are afraid to marry but not to sin and at last when it is heard late marry they doe and rue it all daies of their lives did we conceive what the horror of uncleannesse is like to be and that there is in the sinne of fornication a staine above other sins that it makes ones body the member of an harlot it doth defile the soule as in their manner all sins do it doth defile the body in making it an actor in the sin as many other sins doth it doth abuse the body in making it the member of an harlot which no other sin but the sin of uncleannesse doth and this will presse hard on the conscience when time shall serve that in sinning this sin the body is thus made the member of a strumpet 3. When entred into the estate we must be convinced of the greatnesse and foulnesse of the sin of adultery it gives a deadly blow to the 〈◊〉 it selfe it is cried out of exceedingly in the Word it cuts a-sunder the sinews of families we must judge of it by the Word not by the world Once I am sure amongst the Papists it was placed among the lesser sinnes and because too many every where stand guiltie of this sin the world hath not a right â—â—dgement of this sinne it doth corrupt the mind of a man and takes away the use of the power and faculty of discerning it brought Salomon the Wise to run into all idolatry against common sense And Sampson the strong made Iudge of Israel by a miracle from the Lord and therefore no foole though he knew that the harlot would betray him yet when he had once tasted of it hee did so lose his right wits that for his heart he could not forbeare we must not then thinke of this sinne as the world doth but as the LORD doth wee see customs takes away 〈◊〉 and judging exactly of any sin in the very Church it selfe and that a non after Christ we find that by reason of use the Christian Gentiles held fornication to be scarce a sin as we may see in that Synode in the Acts and the second Chapter of the Revelations a tricke of youth it was counted and is amongst too many but for a tricke of youth ye for such tricks God the just will damne men in hell unlesse they repent In 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. we reade that fornicators as distinct from adulterers and adulterers shal not inherit the kingdom of God and againe fornicators adulterers though men doe not as they should yet God wil judge Yea but say a man lye in the least knowne sinne that is he must not inherit the kingdome of heaven and therefore this is no argument to prove these sins to be great because they keepe out of heaven But these sins are named above others to shew that a man cannot be fornicator or adulterer and be in Christ A common practicer of those sinnes one cannot be but he must and shall allow them they are of that nature that they will lord it where they be but other lesser infirmities a man may practice them commonly and yet not allow them and so notwithstanding bee in Christ Iesus These then be sins whose ordinary use cannot stand with grace nor is compatible with ones being in Christ and by that meanes they are said to barre out of heaven over lesser and smaller thoughts and thus the argument is good and firme hence to prove them to be great sins what then love cannot doe let fear doe for God doth puniâ—â— these sins with a chiefly see this in Peter The Lord knoweth how to preserve the unjust to the day of judgement to bee punished but chiefly them that walke after the flesh in the lusts of uncleannesse Being convinced of the hainousnesse of this crime the next is that the mariage-bed must with all care be preserved in all purity the tentation is strong to fornication stronger to adultery for the worser a sin is the stronger is the impulsion of Originall lust unto it and Satan is more eager to make men adulterers after than fornicators before but here is the difference that as I shewed before except a man hath the gift hee that will not take Gods medicine and marry let him doe what he can use any use all other meanes yet he hath no promise it shal do but when married use the meanes and we have a promise and an assurance that we shall be kept undefiled let sin and Satan doe their worst The chiefe and necessary meanes to maintaine conjugall chastitie is for such to-love one another it is not the having but the loving of a yoake-fellow which doth keepe us cleane and chast 2. To keepe in with God in other matters for that man with whom the Lord is angrie for some other former matter shall fall into the hands of a filthy woman We must not then by lying and living in any other crime give God cause
hath no hope to speed Iudah went about an honest businesse yet because hee tooke not his armour with him in the morning he fell ere night we must carry our Antidotes about us because wee walke in places that are infectious and chiefly we must see to our matters in sins wee are given unto if to pride then goe not where fashions are without a commission and weapon if wee be apt to quarrell goe without a sword and when we have not our weapon about us wee shall not bee so tempted to brawle if to the lust of unelcannesse come not neere the doores of her house and that will keepe our hearts free having our hearts still an end full of serious meditation of the presence of God Almighty sith our nature is so apt to be tempted by our lust and we are so soone afoot after every sin that like children wee had rather be in the dirt than in the cleane have wee not cause to looke after these directions and such as these are that we may not be lead into tentation that our lust may not draw us aside frō God and entise unto evill 2. Rules for the remedy in the Tentation To him that would know what hee is best to doe when the tentation is come or comming we prescribe him to follow this order 1. To make a right use of it 2. To get by good meanes out of it For the use to be made of the Tentation doe thus 1. Know that the tentation is suffered to come upon us by God for our humbling whether it bee to commit a sin or to despaire for some sin committed when it is to some fault as in this case most times it is which is against our mindes and to the trouble of our soules God he knowes that if any thing under heaven will humble us this will doe it what else will so gaule and cut the heart of a Christian man what else will so set us a praying a whining a watching a fasting this hee see will even vile a man in his owne eyes and make him base to himselfe this will season and fit us for Gods building and the use wee are to make of it is to see our selves what we are and to looke up to Christ Iesus God sees and wee must see that wee cannot well come to heaven without such a purge and therefore wee must joyne with God make his end our end hee doth it to breake us and humble us and wee must humble our selves humbly our selves saith St. Iames and God will exalt us it is to humble us and doe us good when In the latter end saith the Text this is not done in a day and therefore we must waite Gods time It is a plaster and it must lye on some time if God meane us any good the tentation shall not over straight but hover and hang about us some long time some good space GOD doth drive out one naile with another Pride with a tentation of Lust but this is not done in an houre if it be somewhat long a doing yet it is worth our while Let us stay and waite upon God from whom commeth our humiliation the cause of a tentation is pride the use of the tentation is to take away our pride there is great dispute which is and which is the way to finde out our master-sin but when all is done pride is the master-sin in all Wee all hold of Adam in Capite pride was the first and and great sin in Adam and so it is in all his see wee had our lust from him He his from the Angels the sinne of sins in the Angels was pride it gave them their fall so it was in Adam it gave him his fall and so it is in us There is we say in trees a master-roote and that roote in Originall sinne is no other than pride indeed there is in most some other particular streame and vaine which carries one one way another another arising from Complexion Education Condition and other causes and occasions which often varies as the temper of our bodies and the order of our estate doth change and this yeere it is one sin seven yeere henc as every seven yeere there is a sensible change in the humour of the body it is another when poore it is one when rich it is another sin but that sin of all sins which goes thorow all the race of man kinde is pride the universall and general Captaine Sin in all the world Vnbeleefe may have that name and be well called our master-sin in respect of our Iustification instrumentally taken because it hinders our union with Christ but the chiefe sin which is our greatest morall vice and carries the greatest straine and power with it in respect of sanctification is this same sin of Pride and spirituall pride is the pride of all prides all other sins doe a kind of homage to pride as to their king and Lord. Austine hath it that the Romans did forbeare many vices that carried shame with them and did many commendable acts and all to serve their sin of of vaine-glory and Scipio by name and others did abstaine from that which their nature would have beene right willing to have enjoyed and all to keepe their name and to maintaine their credit and outward reputation amongst men so that all other sins doe as it were vaile to this and therefore God may bee said to resist all other sins but this sin he resists afarre off he cannot abide the sight of it and so wee say that God doth use to give us up for some time in some measure to some base tentations he lets out some vile corruptions and why but all to take down this sin of pride it is say wee all little enough to humble us affliction without the true sight and sound feeling of some of our corruptions will not doe it a man is then humble when hee is humbled before his Originall sin and amonst all the bitter fruites of that cursed lust pride is chiefe and doth play the Rex amongst the rest other sins that wee speaking from feeling doe call our master-sin or sins our predominant lusts are but made use of by God to humble us and to eate out this dangerous sinne of pride and therefore it cleares it selfe my thinkes to say that this sinne of pride is in every man his cheefest sin sith other beloved sins are let to have their swing in men all to master this Master of sins our pride The use then that wee are to put our tentations unto when they come is to humble our hearts to abase us to pluck away the feathers of our pride 2. The next use wee are to make of our tentation is that we see a mercy in it whatsoever it be if wee feele nothing but what is common to man and others have had and have the like we must learne to beare it with a kinde
if Satan beate mee may a Christian say yet I passe not sith my Christ in my stead for my part hath beaten Satan all to peeces In him my head I have long since beaten satan hand to hand hee is then to mee in him my Captaine a very vanquished enemy thus faith makes his victory as touching the price of it ours as though we our selves had in our own proper persons conquered Satan and beate the Divell The next thing that we must doe by our faith is to take Christ Iesus and set him against the Tempter why Because there is scarce any tentation wherein Satan is not the divell hath put some of you in prison Get thee behind mee Satan the divell is usually in it then We are then by faith to set Christ against Satan wee are not of our selves so weake in the hands of Satan as Satan in the hands of Christ turne him then over to CHRIST and let Christ alone with him faith will be satisfied with none else nothing but Christ and faith is said to be our victory which neither hope nor charity are said to be because it doth make Christ ours who is our victory over sin and Satan both Faith is not content with the presence and assistance of an Angell neither except the Lord Iesus be there himselfe for God did promise to send an Angell with his people and to drive out the Canaanite and the rest of that Crue but hee himselfe would not goe the people of GOD were no way content with an Angell they tooke no comfort in this this was saith the Text evill tydings they mourned and put on blacks like a loving wife shee must have her husband what do you tell her of sending a trusty servant along with her nothing will content her but her husband So when our faith is set on worke it makes us but sicke to tell us of an Angell except we may have Christ Iesus also him or none and therefore wee are not safe except we doe and can by faith lay fast hold on Christ Iesus and set up him and his power against the gates of hell and powers of darkenesse Say an Angel bring strength with him yet an Angell brings no merits nor that authority with him Faith must have one to side it with us against Satan who hath absolute command over Satan and merits to make amends and payment to God for all our sins that way now these concurre in none but Christ and so we finde that no substitute no not an Angell will serve but Christ must bee ours by faith and by a living faith wee must take him and make him our Buckler and sword against the Divell and his Angels If Christ doe but say the word the Divell himselfe is said his tentations dye To him then who is our refuge and our strength no creature is to be our refuge because none can be our strength but if wee rest on them say on the Angels themselves they will prove our weakenesse but Christ Iesus the Lord our righteousnesse he will be sure to be our strength Say I of my selfe am as weake as water but in Christ made mine by faith I am strong can doe all things can and shall and will beate downe Satan himselfe like lightening from heaven and treade downe the divell under my feet but when Shortly Through whom Through the God of peace so saith St. Paul Let the divell and his angels be unto us as a Kite yet as long as wee may succour our selves under the wings of the Lord Iesus Christ wee are safe wee are sure The last remedy that wee have by faith is to learne us to rely on that promise that if we fight wee shall conquer The promise is that if we resist Satan stedfast in the faith he will flye Beleeve then that we shal overcome and we shall overcome we are more than Conquerers as the Greeke is We doe over-come other fighters fight first and then conquer but we through faith in Christ are said to overcome before we fight and so we are more than Conquerors this is to be more than a Conqueror to be sure of the victory before one fight Beleeve and prosper doe but by faith say it shall be so and it shall be so A man shall not presently conquer a man he is to fight with though he doth beleeve that he shall conquer him because there is no promise made by GOD that hee shall there is no covenant past betwixt God and us to that end But now GOD hath said the word wee have him fast in a Bond that if wee fight against Satan wee shall conquer Satan resist him and he shall flye war against sin and sin shall dye I speake not of presumption but faith when a man hath grounds for it useth GODS meanes in Gods sight Have wee not a command to pray Lead us not into tentation If a command then it is attended with a promise that he that prayes not to bee lead shall not bee lead into the tentation wee are bound then to beleeve that following Gods wayes wee shall not bee lead into tentation Faith is our victory and nothing but faith because it is not hope but faith which apprehends and applyes the promise Wee see then that Saint Paul speakes to great purpose when he cals upon the Ephesians above all things to get faith and the use of faith to quench not some but all the fiery darts of Satan reason can do nothing as it is naturall it is in vaine and doth no good the tentation is a spirituall thing reason a naturall weapon now a naturall thing can have neither strok nor force against a spirituall and therefore reason is a false weapon and as our reason is carnall it is a secret friend to Satan takes part with him against us good stuffe for a man to thinke to conquer the divell with a wisdome which the Apostle saith is divelish How divelish Because it hath the divell for its damme wee must not then consult with flesh and bloud downe with reason away with our owne wit let faith doe all else faith will do nothing faith never workes so well as when it workes alone And is it no more but beleeve the promise and is Sathan gone No no more and must wee have all we beleeve all and more too All for it is with us according to our faith as Christ said to the beleeving woman of Canaan a beleever shall have what he will More than we beleeve because wee shall have beyond our faith above what wee are able to aske or thinke and that abundantly too How so must we not have a promise and faith for all I answer and say wee have more than wee have faith for in the particulars a world of matters ther be that come to our hand that we did not know of nor thinke of in the
TENTATIONS Their Nature Danger Cure By RICHARD CAPEL Sometimes Fellow of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford To which is added a Briefe Dispute as touching Restitution in the Case of Vsury 1 COR. 10. 13. There hath no Tentation taken you but such as is common to man But God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the Tentation also make away to escape that yee may be able to beare it LONDON Printed by R. B. 1633. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR WILLIAM GUISE Knight Grace and Peace from IESUS CHRIST SIR THose that honour God God will honor and so will godly men God will for he useth not to be behind with any neither will hee with you You have done God much honour in setting up such Lights in our Countrey Ministers who both Doe and Teach They as Christ hath it shall be called great in the Kingdome of heaven and so shall you And so will godly men honour you both Ministers and Others Ministers because you have built us of our coat some Synagogues Others who had it not beene for you might have sate in the Shadow of Darknesse and Death for that they now see best by their present mercie what was their former and what would have beene their future Misery To save one soule fom death is noted in the Word to be an honourable piece of service How great is your Honour and comfort then to whom God hath given an Heart and meanes to set up sundrie Lights of it for the Saving of many soules in many Parishes Now as God and GODS People will honour you for providing that which is Bread indeed So you must conceive that Satan will not fall downe from Heaven like lightning thus without some stirre You doe plucke downe his Kingdom and he will pluck at you and you must and I hope doe provide for his assaults As for your Safety your Name being written in Heaven out of Satans walke you stand sure The Father holds and the Sonne holds and none shall plucke you out of their hands But as touching your inward Quiet by GODS Leave Satan will take his time to winnow you not as Chaffe but as Wheat Expect it he will doe what he can and he can doe something to interrupt your Peace He hath no Peace himselfe and so he cannot abide as farre as he can doe withall that any should have any He durst and did set upon and vex the Lord himselfe with the smoake of an heavie Tentation And will he not Dare he not let drive at us Verily when we come to have those true Riches about us and to be in some spirituall strength which usually is in our later and more experienced age it is usuall that GOD should and he often doth suffer Satan What to beat us No! But yet to buffet us as he did Saint Paul Wherefore after some great things done to GODS honour and Satans undoing we are then chiefest of all to looke for the houre of Tentation and to take the best care we can both for our Safetie and Peace This is to fight not so much with men nor with beasts after the manner of men as with Principalities and Powers His Arrowes are firy and have sorrow enough in them to make the Heart of a Christian man to stoupe We are therefore all of us by all meanes to furnish our selves with such Armes as may fit us in our several occasions And now to helpe the weaker sort of Christians I have here done somewhat that way which what ever it be I doe here make bold to publish it under your Name and Countenance To whom I wish as Saint Iohn did to Gaius the Hoste of the Church in his Time That above all things you may prosper and be in health even as your soule prospereth Yours in our Lord Christ Iesus RICHARD CAPEL To the Christian Reader AFter the Angels left their owne standing they envied ours and out of envie became both by office and practice Tempters that they might draw man from that happy Communion with God unto that cursed condition with themselves And successe in this trade hath made them both skilfull and diligent especially now their time being but short And if neither the first or second Adam could be free from their Impudent Assaults Who then may look for exemption the best must most of all looke to be set upon as having most of Christ in them whom Satan hates most and as hoping by dis-heartning of them to foile others as great trees fall not alone no Age or ranke of Christians can be free Beginners he labours to discourage those that have made some progresse hee raiseth stormes against those that are more perfect he labours to undermine by spiritual pride and above all other times he is most busie when wee are weakest then he doubles and multiplies his forces when hee lookes either to have all or lose all His course is either to tempt to sin or for sinne To sinne by presenting some seeming good to draw us from the true good to seeke some excellencie besides God in the creature and to this end he labours in the first place to shake our faith in the Word thus he dealt with Adam and thus he dealeth with all his posterity And besides immediate suggestions he commeth unto us by our dearest friends as unto Christ by Peter so many tempters so many devils in that ill office though neither they or we are oft aware of it the nearest friend of al our own flesh is the most dangerous traytour and therefore most dangerous because most neare more neare to us than the Devill himselfe with which if he had no intelligence all his plots would come to nothing this holding correspondence with him layeth us open to all the danger it is this inward bosome enemy that doth us most mischiefe When Phocas like another Zimry had killed his Master Mauricius the Emperour he laboured like Cain to secure himselfe with building high wals after which hee heard a voice telling him that though he built his wals never so high yet sinne within the wals would undermine al It is true of every particular man that if there were no Tempter without he would be a Tempter to himselfe it is this lust within us that hath brought an ill report upon the creature This is that which makes blessings to be snares unto us all the corruption which is in the world is by lust which lyeth in our bosome and as an Achitophel or Iudas by familiaritie betrayeth us yea often-times in our best affections and actions Nature will mingle with our Zeale and privie pride will creepe in and taint our best performances with some corrupt aime Hence it is that our life is a continual combate A Christian so soone as New-borne is borne a souldier and so
another time 3. A third is to grow acquainted with the wiles and depths of Satan A godly man should bee well acquainted with the divell so as to know and to finde him out in his stratagems and this is done more by tentation than by all the reading in the world 4. To be acquainted with the goodnesse and mercy of God to bee able to finde out somewhat to purpose in the mystery of godlinesse how God doth make sin to cure sin one theefe one corruption to cut the throat of another one corruption to prevent a worser fetch heaven out of hell to learne to speake it by experience and to say I had sinned except I had sinned I had gone to hell except I had gone to hell that the worst pride comes out of our graces that our best grace the grace of humility which makes roome and way for all the rest comes out of our sins Now then we should not finde our selves or Satan or the Lord out were we not taught it by our tentations This made Fox to say that his graces did him most hurt and his sins most good a Paradox but by our owne tentations we know his meaning this made Luther to say that these three things make a good Divine 1 Prayer 2. Meditation 3. Tentation this good we have by our tentations that wee come to know our selves to know Satan and to know GOD such is our estate that the furthest about is the neerest way to heaven we cannot goe to heaven by Geomitry we must fetch a compasse by the gates of hell and see what newes with Satan ere we can relish the sweetnesse and goodnesse of the promise we cannot else take God for Gods sake and have heaven on Gods tearmes we cannot come to God but we must follow Christ and follow Christ we cannot except we deny our selves and deny our selves we will not were it not for the crosse and man would do any thing rather than take up his crosse were he not buffeted and beaten to it by some tentation or other and therefore thanke yee tentation that ever we come to heaven what ever it is to beare a crosse when God doth lay it on I am sure it is an hard and an hard thing for a man to take up his Crosse and yet by tentatioÌ„s we are brought to this wherefore wee must do our selves this good by our tentations when they are gone and over that now against another time we know the better how to doe with Satan that he shall not put such tricks upon us and coozen us out of our comfort and that cheefest of all by his art and skill 5. We must learne for ever after to pitty others and out of pitty and mercy to do them in their spirituall sorrowes all the helpe that possibly wee can let us mourne with them and have a feeling of their case and the rather because once or often it hath beene our case Paul doth not say to the incestuous Corinthians thou art puffed up but turnes himselfe to the standers by and saith not hee is but ye are puffed up and have not rather mourned now the sense the fresh remembrance of this that but the other day wee our selves were as sick as they and by the meere mercy of God we got our selves out should and it will bring us to shew all mercy to them to mourne over them and not to pride it over them as though wee were free from ever suffering the like lust whereas by our owne experience wee rather learn to walke humbly before God and man remembring what hath bin and considering what may be if wee our selves should bee tempted This then is a golden lesson which our owne tentations ought to teach us without booke to restore such an one with the spirit of meekenesse do saith the Greek text there as Surgeons do who use all tendernesse in handling armes and joynts when they are out of joynt let 's do what we can to set them in joynt againe with all love meekenesse pitty and compassion you would not beleeve what good it will doe a sick soule to see another pitty his case to weepe with them that weepe it furthers the cure exceedingly and wee doe become the more willing by ods to set our hand to helpe because we doe remember how it stood with us when we were in the same or the like case say I may thanke my tentation for this that I have either such will or skill to restore my poore brothers soule so much the rather are we to study mercy and meekenesse because wheÌ„ we go about to fetch men out of their sins men are subject to fret and snarle it is like wakening one out of sleep and then wee see how out of quiet they be ready to braule at their best friends so here and therfore we have need of meeknesse and patience which our owne experience in our owne assaults and tentations will learne us sooner than all the teaching in the world 6. And lastly by the bitter taste of our tentative corruptions we must now out of our owne sense learne to loathe and to abhorre them that our corrupt nature may bee an ugly sight in our owne eyes we see in the word that grave Christians have bin the men who have come to loathe themselves in dust and ashes so Abraham so Iob when old they did by reason of their sin abhorre themselves in dust and in that which is worse than durt in ashes and this wee shall never come so thorowly to doe till we come by reason of tentation to be as Paul was a very crucifix of mortification Ah this selfe-love how it makes us carry a moneths minde to our lusts we have a doting humour after our corrupt lusts still and therefore al is little enough to bring them out of request with us they had need sting us and that home too say we have a running sore in our bodies which none else can well abide to come neere yet such is our Philovety and selfelove that wee can abide the sight and smell of it well enough right so wee are so inward with our owne selfe-affection that albeit our lusts are a corrupt matter and doe stinke like any carrion and would make one sick to see them yet wee can abide them well enough our nature is altogether by Adams fall and our fals become filthy the Hebrew is stinking wee stinke horribly and yet because we have an ill and a stinking nostrill of our owne we can away with the smell well enough Now comes a tentation stirres the wound makes it stinke and smell wee are so peppered with the sorrow woful fruit of it that we come to take our sins as they are in their kinde and at last wee are so changed and altered that what we lâ—ved rather than our life that wee come to hate as any death this
like before yet it was no fruit of Gods hatred Iacob had sore and heavy afflictions yet it went ever for truth Iacob have I loved hee loved him when When hee afflicted him Esau had more outward matters to his minde than ever Iacob saw and many great Lords were of his family and yet Esau have I hated hold it then that God doth love us and when wee have this perswasion in us all the divels in hell and all the lusts in Originall sin can never make us blaspheme our GOD whom we love and of whom wee have this minde that hee doth love us say then he loves me and I love him then one cannot be brought to sin the sin of Blasphemy 2. We must get the pardō of our sins repent we of all our iniquities and then the Crosse can never wring frō us words of blasphemy when we are in great sorrowes Satan will tempt very strongly that way and we feare what we shal doe in times and cases of great extremity I feare me saith the poore Christian what I shall do in great afflictions repent wee of our sins and feare nothing it is not the greatnesse of the Crosse but it is the guilt of sin working with the sting of the Crosse which makes men in their tribulation to blaspheme Rev. 16. 11. we read that the fifth Angell powred down his viol on the seat of the Beast and it is written that they gnawed with their tongues for pain and blasphemed the GOD of heaven because of their paines and their sores now marke repented not of their deeds Here wee see that it was not for their paine so much as for that they repented not of their deeds that they blasphemed Have we repented or have we not If wee have not then though our pain be not so much we are in danger to blaspheme but if we have repented be our paine ever so much wee need not feare wee shall not blaspheme 3. Say the worst have wee blasphemed Yet we must repent of our blasphemy and hope in God to despaire is to put our selves out of Gods mercy and protection to despaire by reason of Blasphemy is a worse sinne than Blasphemy they are both against the goodnesse of GOD but yet despaire is against his goodnesse his mercy and his truth I confesse it is an horrible crime to blaspheme against God and so much the worser because it is a sin somewhat like the impardonable blasphemy against the Holy Ghost neither is it in the wil of every man to say where the difference lies betwixt them Besides other sinnes are against God in his Greatnesse Governement but this of Blasphemy doth speake against the Goodnesse of God and God as he is represented to us stands more on his Goodnes than his Greatnesse and therefore also this sin of Blaspeming hath beene ever held amongst the greatest of sins all which must teach us by all meanes to beware of this sin and we may the easier take heed of it and save our selves from it because it being against our naturall inbred principle of a Deity Nature it selfe is afraid of this sin which is a great meanes to stay us from the sin-it selfe Satan I know is a great blasphemer and he will assay hard to it to make us to blaspheme but wee must set the Word Spirit of God against it and let the Law of nature doe all it can against it too And if at any time we have bin to blame this way yet we must know that there is a pardon to bee had I was saith Paul a blasphemer and Paul is in heaven and which is worse he compelled men to blaspheme yet on his true repentance all went well with Paul and so it may and will with us if we returne as Paul did Christ hath it Mat. 12. 31. That blasphemy against God is a sin which may on the same termes that any the least sinne that is shall and must bee forgiven I meane on our repentance There is a blasphemy against the Holy Ghost which is a sin unto death and there is no repentance for this sin nor no hope the cause is because no man can repent unto life except God give him the grace and wee have it revealed that there is a decree passed in heaven that the Lord will never afford this sinner the grace to repent Divers other sinners never have this favour done to them as to repent but all sinners of this sort are past all hope for ever There is a difference betwixt this blasphemy against the Holy Ghost and this blasphemy against God and Christ not onely in the measure but in the very kinde I know Satan would faine put it upon us that we have sinned against the Holy Ghost when it is no such matter on ignorant Christians hee layes this that when they sin against their knowledge and conscience that then it is the sin against the holy Ghost when the Spirit hath bin at them not to sin yet they sin and grieve and vex the Spirit of God then Satan makes his advantage oh saith he this is to sin against the Holy Ghost that it is a sin against the Holy Ghost I doe not deny but that it is the sinne against the Holy Ghost is false I prove it to be false because this sin is pardoned Moreover we speake of Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost now that every sinne against the Holy Ghost must needs be Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost cannot be proved and when we goe so farre as to blaspheme God then we make a cry now it is too late to thinke of repenting this is saith he that unrepentable and unpardonable sinne against the Holy Ghost Our answer must be by denying this to bee that sin our reason must be because we are sorry for it and were it to doe againe wee would not doe it for a world but the sinner against the Holy Ghost is no whit sorry for his sinne his heart never akes for his offence but would have all do it as well as himselfe and is desirous to have hell as full as hee could and he doth even wish withall his heart that wife that children that parents that brethren that neighbours that all might blaspheme the Holy Ghost as well as himselfe It is then nothing but a policy of Satan to play upon the ignorance of men as touching the nature and effects of this sinne and to beare them in hand that when they have blasphemed God they have blasphemed the Holy Ghost but wee must hold a maine difference to lye betwixt this blasphemy against God the Father and the Holy Ghost that as the persons differ so doth the sins against the severall persons As long then as our blasphemy is against the first and not against the third we may be safe it is but to repent and all is well they doe not prize the infinite mercy of God according to the infinite worth of it who thinke
is towards him albeit for the present wee feele not our hearts and affections to move towards him our affections are usually most deepe when they run on without any noise wherefore what ever Satan puts upon us we must hold our owne that for all him and his tentations and those impulsions of Originall sin we doe love our selves and love our second selves full dearely and would be full loth to suffer any wrong to bee done to them 2 The true and right meanes of helpe in these bloudy tentations are First to labour to bee contented with our selves the peace wee have the comfort wee have the health wee have the meanes we have and considering what we doe deserve to blesse God that it is no worse with us A cheerefull heart is not subject to such malicious motions of the divell he useth to worke on man whom hee takes to bee discontented We are alone thinking on heaven by some Well-side he seeing us alone taking us to bee there in some discontented moode thrusts at us with a tentation to cast our selves into the water here runne not away walke on still proceed in good meditations thrust away these thoughts that are put in by the divell and know that our Originall sin is the receiver worse than the theefe 2. Humble for that wee carry about with us such a corrupt heart as will on such occasions take thought of discontent it is our proud flesh that will not sit downe under some heavey crosse and because we have not al we would have and cannot bee that wee would be we care not to be at all we must have as others have else wee fall a powting presently we must learne to be thankfull for any life downe with the proud humour bee not high minded these thunders and lightnings of tentations are to fright us and by such feare to bring us to walke humbly before the Lord. 3. See what sin wee live in if in any that is a true cause of deepe discontent repent of that doe the contrary duty sin is the proper cause not to the crosse which makes us weary of our lives Satan sets our eyes onely on the crosse for he knowes it is out of our reach to remove that but indeed it is some sinne that doth pinch us and put a sting into the affliction and we have it in our hands by repentance to remove the sin and the crosse will remove it selfe Goe to God to finde out the sinne for us and away with that if there bee any and as when the tooth is once drawne we shall finde ease and peace presently if we bee not weary of sinne it is but fit wee should be made to be weary of our selves if no sin then know it is to humble us and to fit us for some great peece of service that the Lord meanes to imploy us in Waite and joyne with the tentation to rend the heart to bring the minde low and then it will be gone 4. See whether we do not abuse God and our selves in our wives and children perhaps we dote upon them make so many Gods of them and if so then it is reason that they shold by this tentation be made bitter unto us that wee may have wives and children as though wee had none at all or if otherwise we sinne against God in them oâ— for them let this goe for the cause why Satan is set on and let on us with such killing suggestions that we may be corrected in the very thing wherein wee have offended 5. That which must hit it on the head and doe the deed it selfe is to get it off by prayer by a fast if need bee and by the Word There are some which will not off but by prayer and fasting but there are none so terrible so strong but prayer and fasting will give us ease and comfort against them but the matter must bee sanctified to us by the Word wee must bring Scripture not reason To tell Satan or our selves of the shame of the danger to us to ours will not doe the deed that which will worke the worke is to set the word of commandement of promise of the threatning against the powers of Sathan I shall sin if I doe I shall offend God It is written thou shalt not kill if not an enemy then not a friend if not a friend then much lesse my selfe Love to mine enemy is the reason why I must not murther him love doth begin at home and it runs warmest in mine owne veines in mine owne bosome therefore I will not lay hands on my selfe I shall dye the death if I doe The word and prayer will fright him away sin and Satan care for nothing feare nothing but the word they are the Ordinances and the power of God and by his might do extinguish all the fiery darts of the divell 6. Never thinke of making any mends or satisfaction by destroying ones selfe for any sin perhaps Iudas thought by killing himselfe to make some amends for his horrible murther committed against the person and life of Christ Iesus Satan never doth a man more hurt than when hee comes preaching and sets upon us with holy ends that because we have done this or that grand offence and abuse to God that therefore they are to pacifie him or to satisfie him by sacrifising of our selves This corrupt Divinity growes in our flesh as we see by those who fetch their penniworth as they thinke out of themselves by whipping themselves a mad part it is for a man to thinke that by committing murther the greatest of all murthers upon himselfe to make any an ends for their sinfull life and yet so foolish doth the divell make som men Beware of this deceit fire is not put out with fire no satisfaction can possibly bee made but by the bloud of the Lambe that holy Lambe Christ Iesus and I would have men beware how they plead for such as draw their owne bloud because thereby they doe make way for Satan to push hard on the consciences of weake Christians by bearing them in hand that they may ease themselves of some present horrors by killing themselves and yet be saved in heaven for all that such cases perhaps may possibly be but for man to pleade for such to exempt them out of the rule may make foule worke for Satan to play upon the weaknesse of many poore Christians souls I know no medicine next to the Word and prayer of better use to hold such mens hands from their own lives than feare of being damned in hell an indirect plea it is for any to speak for such and full of danger some think thereby to ease perplexed consciences but it is the ready way to perplex the hearts and engulsie the soules of feeble Christians they doe not know what hurt they doe to men under this tentation to vent such unsavory Doctrine that a man do well for the main for all this that
nature would have lasted or might have lasted longer in almost all were it not for some defect excesse or default in our selves and therefore this accusation lies against almost all Secondly this is besides a mans intention to give his yeeres to the cruell The Libidinous intention is to satisfie this sin in the lusts thereof in that there is withall a waste of the radicall moysture and thereby a cutting off of his dayes this is by accident only and a consequent of the thing done not a thing meant by the door Thirdly sith repentance heales the pollution intended by the offender it is against Religion reason both to question whether it will heale the coÌ„sequent consumption not intended Amen OF VSURY Nehemiah 5. 11. Restore to them even thâ—◠〈◊〉 their Lands theiâ—â—â—â—e-yards their Olive 〈…〉 and their houses also the hundred part of the Money the Wine and the Oile that yee exact of them THE matter here is a case of Restitution of Lands Monies gotten froÌ„ the poore by usury so our last translation reades it Ver. 7. The Hebrew is Burden because usury is a great burthen and carries an heavy weight with it The hundred part of the money is meant either of the yeare then it is but one in the hundred or of the moneth as some thinke then it is twelve in the hundred We see that covetousnesse is rightly tearmed the roote of all evill of al wrongs and evill dealings besides other sins else it could not bee imagined that in their bondage the Iewes should thus have grated one upon another The place the time the scandall besides the expresse law of God one would have thought shold have made them forbeare but a covetous heart cannot hold he cares more for money than all reports of God and man The next thing of note is that what comes in by usury aswell as by other extortion must ordinarily be restored out of hand even this day it is not safe to give the heart of man time in any sin but of all not in this wilely sin of covetousnesse if ever Satan bee a fox and a serpent it is here give him but a space to play and angle a little with our hearts with this sin of worldlinesse he will quickly catch us with a golden hook It is great wisdome to be present the wit of man will distinguish else and creepe out by one evasion or other we are too apt to be pleased with any leafe and shift to beare our selves in hand that we may lawfully continue in such practises as feed this greedy humour this eating Wolfe doe it then while it is called to day doe it now lest our hearts deceive us and wee deceive our hearts and so we doe it never Delayes are ever dangerous but in nothing like as in getting out of the hands of sin but of no sin so as to get out of the snare of this sinne of covetousnesse The last thing is that Vsurers are bound by the Law of God to make restitution What ever comes in this way comes in at the wrong doore and it must out againe If the conscience be not â—eared it makes it sick againe there is paine there is no quiet till the conscience take a vomit and up comes all We use to Saint the man who doth but give over this golden trade of usury but the truth is that such come but halfe way our repentance is not thorow our sorrow comes not home except as it is here we doe restore When we leave the practise of usury we doe not properly leave the sin as sin except wee restore and turne the stolne dog home againe when we have not wherwithall there necessity hath no law The King of heaven must and will lose will part with his right where nothing is to be had and there the will doth stand for the deed but where there is no such answer that wee cannot but we see that we ought wee have wherewithall and will not here I say it is right and reason that the Lord should make use of his authority and use us according to law and justice Now as this act of restitution secures our hearts so that the bels ring not backwards in our consciences within in like manner it makes much for the safety of our estate without it sets a marke upon our goods and they are safe thereby under the Kings Seale whereas a little of these ill-gotten profits like fellons goods endanger all a little you know brings all the rest into the tenure of the Crowne and all must bee as it were in capite I am certaine that a golden wedge will fire all the rest of the stuffe and therefore hee that hath been or is an Vsurer he must leave his usury and make all well by restitution as hee meanes good to his soule as he intends safety to his estate and it is his happinesse that his sin lies in such a thing wherein he may make restitution and lick the parties wronged whole againe this makes the conscience quiet helpes us to peace when as in murders adulteries in such and some other the like sins where there is no place left for restitution an hard matter it is to set such in comfort when once the conscience fals a complaining but here let the conscience accuse at the worst yet as it is a sinne godly sorrow makes all well and as it is a wrong repaire is made by restoring repenting takes up the matter as it is to God restoring helpes heales all as it is to men The most that can be said is that the Vsury-taker paies the use willingly and where a man parts with his money willingly restitution is not of force Iudas might have retained the money with the good content of the Priest who gave it willingly yet hee did restore it and was bound to doe it and were this good Divinity then a great deale of that which comes in by bribery and dicery may bee lawfully and comfortably kept Then I say that though it bee not against the will of the borrower that the Vsurer keepe the use yet it should bee what if hee thinke that to take use be no sin in the Vsurer What if he bee not convinced that the fact of the Vsurer herein is a fault in this case he may be willing he should keepe it for want of true light and sound judgement wheras were he aware of what is truth that the Vsurer had no right to take it he would withall thinke that the Vsurer hath no reason to keepe it and this kinde of willingnesse is an interpretative unwillingnes And lastly I say that he seemes many times to be willing because hee cannot tell how to helpe it the Travellor gives his purse to the theefe because hee cannot doe otherwise or at least dares not and there is a morall necessity which is of force to cause a man to