be vrged of vs without our owne labour and will be accessary which if it be what doth our doctrine of the condition differ from Popery and her dispsitions I answer The reason of this darknesse is because men cannot be beaten from this that in seeking these conditions they must seek first their owne good and welfare This is the maine ayme of most hearers if they haue faith they are sure to scape hell and if they haue the conditions of faith wrought faith will follow hence the condition is so laid at by people euâ—n as men couet mony for wares for their vse But poore soule tell me if this be thy ayme wherein differest thou from a drunkard or swearer Is any man so forlorne as not to desire to dye the death of the righteous Oh say men but drunkards vse not the meanes and wee doe I answer Yes now all sorts vse means none are so vile but they will be religious but I will grant thee it Is the question whether thou be lesse ill then such or whether thy ayme bee sound in seeking the condition or no! If so then I say thou in ayming finally that it may goe well with thee differs not in kinde from such an one No the honest soule sets vp God in his own way of Christ in his owne ends the glory of all his attributes that he may be admired in working faith in such a wretch the freedome of his working that in all these her owne thoughts affections and zeale might stinke as Peters nets did when Christ so strangely had fished for him and the truth is her scope is as much to abhorre her selfe and looke into an higher cause as thine is to get Heauen for thy selfe She seeks the glory of His wisedome power mercy and freedome who sought out such a deliuerance workes it in her and all that concerne it faith and the conditions of it the thought of the Asses is turned to the thought for the Sonne shee sees that diuine purity and excellency in being Gods instrument to these ends that she looses her selfe and all in the meditation thereof and suffers the Lord to saue her while her soule is set to adore him in his owne ends as most precious And setting this ayme aside her seeking the condition of faith is but as a morall worke with her sauoring of her selfe Some will alledge Doe ye thinke euery weake beginner to bee so holy as to preferre Gods glory to his owne Saluation I answer No not all but I take them to be in forwardnesse to it and not farre from it And secondly I say it s one thing to aske such a question of a weake beginner who would perhaps stagger at it another thing to say what God workes in such a one although he know it not For sure it is such is Gods worke in his as to conuince them by experience that all seeking of grace for a mans owne happinesse is poore seeking for the present till God worke better and all seeking for selfe must be from selfe and by selfe But when the boate is tyed to the ship of Gods glory shee needs no more rowing of herselfe then the boate doth it s enough for her that she is set vpon such a streame and tyed to such a ship as can carry her of it selfe and drowne all her owne welfare in the Lord. Sweet was that speech of honest Mophibosheth of Zilha Yea let him take all 2. Sam. 13.30 forasmuch as my Lord the King is come home in peace The losse of his owne lands was forgot in Dauids happinesse The greater pity that he should so requite an innocent but howeuer he fared at Dauids hands doe thou so and try if the Lord can faile thee Oh say thus Lord so farre am I from seeking the condition of faith for faith and my selfe that I desire to say If Lord thou see that a broken heart mourning brokennesse pouerty of spirit yea faith it selfe may tend to the glory of the working them in me Oh worke them Eâ—se Lord what ioye should I find in them as they come from my selfe What were Heauen it selfe if it were not to glorify thee there Lord I would desire to haue none rather then in hauing all to want an heart to admire thee in thy wayes of mercy and truth or cease to be rauisht with the sight of thy glory For without this its impossible but eyther I must mixe my stuff with thinee or which is worse fret and rage at the freedome of thy working And his I desire may bee weighed and so much for this first Article Q. What is the second Article of this second part A. That the onely happy meane and instrument ordeind by GOD for the foundation of his election and the purchasing or making good this his purpose of deliuerance was the Lord Iesus the eternall Word of the Father made Emanuel Ephes 1.3 GOD with vs. No other name vnder Heauen is giuen to saue vs by way of mediation or instrument but he Act. 4.12 And this Iesus eternally intended to the Church the LORD in the fulnes of time sent into the world to make open declaration of this worke Rom. 3.25 God set him forth as a Propitiation that all might see the saluation of God And although it be needlesse for vs to descant whether the Lord out of his deepe wisdome could haue found out any other way but this to saue vs yet this we may say that seeing this is the Lordes way it behooues vs to thinke it the best Nay seeing we cannot conceiue any other way in congruity how an infinite offended Maiesty could bee satisfied saue by an equall person and payment to his iustice it were an infinit derogation to his wisdome and predestination to thinke that this was not the onely way not onely which is but which could be deuized to this end For seeing a greater and fuller could not be what iniustice were it for God to put that vpon his Sonne which might haue bin put vpon an inferior mediator Therefore the Scripture runs vpon it as the onely necessary and full way as Rom. 8.3 When through the infirmity of flâ—sh the Law could not saue God sent his Sonne c. Now as hee was that onely full necessary way so yet he could not effect this satisfaction by euery act or suffering of his Not his incarnation or vnion onely not some reproaches or some act of his offices as Prophet or King or Priest no not some effusion of blood but such an one as the powring out of his soule to death euen that accursed death must effect it because till there was a full content giuen to iustice mercy was locked vp from discouering it selfe Read Esay 53.12 Esay 53. vlt. Now as without this last and chiefe worke nothing could helpe vs neyther miracles teares preaching or praying so all the acts and preparations of his life standing in order and respect to these are ioyntly meritorious and
to the 42. pitching places of this way to Canaan leaue mee not to my own wisdome but guide me by thy counsell till thou receiue me to glory Lord enable me to doe what thou biddest and bid me doe what thou wilt Giue me to draw from thy fountaine for all these vses of conuersation The Wel is deepe but thy Bucket is able to fetch out this water Let mee deriue it from the Lord Iesus his example and draw grace for grace from thence And not onely set me in this conuersation but hold mee in it and let experience make me say it is best and I am neuer happy when I am out Till it become my meate and drinke on earth to doe thy will as in heauen And so much for this second Article The third Article Q. VVWhat is the third Article A. That the eternall platforme after which this Conuersation of the next Creature is to bee framed is onely the law of God in the tenne Commandements See 1 Tim. 1.5 the end of the Law is Loue. What end meanes he surely not the end of the Lawes begetting power for Christ doth that but of the directing power of it Thus Saint Iames calles it a Royal Law Iam. 2.8 as being the Scepter whereby Christ our King rules vs. And he termes it a Glasse of libertie meaning to all beleeuers in that it shews forth the will of God fully in the point of moral obedience as a glasse represents the face So the Psalmist Ps 19. Thy Law is perfect giueth light to blind eyes by it thy seruant is forewarned c. and Ps 119. Thy word is a light and lanterne to my feete and steps And thy Commandements are to mee instead of Councellors And of this part of the Word is that of Peter meant The sure Word of Prophets shining in darke place Q. How comes this direction to be put into the word and how comes it to be conueyed vnto the soule A. To the former I answere the Lord God hath breathed into it this light and direction himselfe put it into it no creature being able in so few words as ten Dut. 10.4 to contriue so perfect a view of all duty and hauing out of the depth of his wisedome so doe God spake these words although deliuered by the Ministery of Angels in point of attendance and terror Heb. 1.7 He maketh his Ministers a flame of fire hee himselfe as the Lord of the Creature vttered them And both deuised and vttered this Law for this especiall and last end to bee a direction vnto his Church For the latter I say That as in the Law he tooke order that not onely the Priests and Leuites at Ierusalem in the Temple but in the Tribes should reade it each Sabbath Act. 13.27 and expound it Ezra 8.4 so still he requires that the Ministers of the Gospell doe dispence and open it to the people in the speciall parts and scopes thereof for a patterne of life For although such common notions of dim light remaine in a corrupt nature as may serue to condemne the contemners yet no such as might leade on to godlinesse and salvation cleerely that is a mystery and must be vnfolded And further the Lord hath added the ministery of the Spirit to the voyce of man to write this Law in the soule he hath promised it Ier. 1.33 and doth dayly performe it so that to the beleeuer his Law is not a commanded one as to all but a commanding one in their spirit and conscience Q. But this seemes contrary to the Apostle 1 Tim. 1. for he affirmes the Law was not given to the righteous but to the disobedient c. A. This is answered by the same place verse 5. as in the first question I said the sunne is It is not giuen to the righteous as to the vngodly for the righteous need it not so howbeit it 's giuen to the godly also for another end Gal. 3.19 euen to direct them For the Law in Gods purpose serued for two ends The for transgressions to conuince the wicked to scare them out of their selfe-conceit and to driue them to Christ The other to guide such as are come to Christ how to lye vnder his Gouernment This latter the Lord looked at more mainely for his elect sake that they should not bee left to themselues But the former also hee intended to the drawing of them out of their ignorance For as we see that the Law was giuen in all terror and not as a messenger of good things so the Lord taught thereby that it ought to speake sadly as a minister of death to the vngodly and so it did in some sort with such as were saued among the Iewes the Ministry of it conuinced them of an impossibility of performance of it and sent them to the blessed seed who should bring in righteousnesse and breake the Serpents head and to such this Law ceased to be a killing letter and began to be a Cirection to life In which sence we here treate of it as in the first part of the Catechisme of the former Q. But what needes this Law-direction Doe wee not by this teach people to serue in the old letter and destroy that Law of liberty in Christ which ought to be set vp and restore the couenant which ought to be abolished A. To answere both first the Lord hath not giuen his Church to Christ nor giuen them any such liberty in Christ as to deuise a way to themselues feuerall either for measure or number or matter of obedience from his owne way neither will trust man with any such no nor giue the least hint to mans corrupt inuentions But that Law of obedience which hee first himselfe deuised hee meant it for those that should beleeue both before at and after the comming of Christ and meant not to alter it How Christ rules by it â—e shall heare anon but hee rules by no other And its worth our noting that the first Sermons he euer preached Mat. 5. and 6 and 7. hee vrgeth nothing more than this Thinke yee I am come to destroy the law No but to fulfill it and to settle it For the second point I say that it must be explayned what it is to serue in the letter and secondly what it is to restore that which is worne out To serue in the letter then is to bee mistaken in the scope of the Law Doe this and liue to thinke that the Law giues life to the obeyers of the letter of it and to thinke a man may of himselfe obey it and bee saued by it whereas the Law imports no such thing but vrges an obedience exactly Gal. 3.21 â—atter part which is impossible now to serue thus is to serue like a slaue without reward Thus doe not wee affirme the Law to be serued Secondly to restore a Law to bee abolished is to maintaine this error that by the Law of Moses a man may be iustified and needes no other
if Balack would giue him an house full of gold hee would not goe one inch from this charge or when he smote and answered his dumbe Asse in the depth of his lethargy yet to say If thou be displeased I will returne See vers 29.34 As wee would auoid such a plague so let vs beware of such hipocrisie Thirdly if the Law be the director of our Conuersation let Vse 3 it be vse of exhortation to all Gods people to embrace it and to submit to this scepter of Christ to establish his Law in our soules and to lift vp him in the honour of our hearts who hath honoured vs with this royall Law to bee our direction Let vs desire information in it let vs beware least we shrug at the naked inward and spirituall truths of it as afraid to know that which we are lother to obey but let vs concurre with him and say Lord thy Scepter is a Scepter of righteousnesse Heb. 1.8 I desire no obedience ouer or vnder against or beside thy Laws I count that no sinne which thou neuer forbaddest nor duty which thou neuer requiredst but esteeme thy sacred will my rule of righteousnesse It is one maine piece of the trade of an honest heart to search out the Lawes of the Lord Iesus that it might obey Many teachable hearts who would faine obey yet faile in knowledge and many that haue knowledge faile in a good heart the latter is worst yet makes not the former excusable The Iewes in the point of the Law were so curious that they knew how many words were in Moses his bookes They wrote these tenne words vpon parchment phylacteries that is preseruatiues and pind them to their sleeues fringes and frontlets in reuerence If they did so who for the most part little gained thereby but sinned with their parchments about them what should wee doe whom the Lord Iesus hath made them easie yokes vnto and a light burden If they did so who yet in their so doing looked for an erroneous iustification by them and were but meere slaues loosing their rewards what should our zeale be who know our selues to be free from this bondage and to obey with assurance of heauen Oh! let vs not bee worse then good common-wealths-men we shall see perhaps in a great towne some one among forty housholds buy the Statutes of the land and verse them well ouer and be able to tell their neighbours what is law and what not and these are counted men of good vse among ignorant ones But how would God esteeme vs for good subiects if these Lawes of his kingdome were well conned if as we teach our children to say them so wee our selues vnderstood them If the Lord would so honor his royall Law that hee would haue the King himself who made lawes to their subiects yet to be learners of his Lawes and not to suffer his to depart from them in the gouernment of others how farre greater cause haue meane persons to carry it with them into each part of their owne conuersation and to rise vp walke into the trade of their life lye down with it It is reported by Master Fox of one Crow a sea-man that beeing in shipwrake and hauing cast all his tacklings and wares and fiue pounds of mony into the sea hee kept his new Testament about his necke so swimming vpon his broken mast and after foure dayes all his company being drowned yet he was at length by passengers discouered and taken vp all frozen numb'd and steruen but yet his booke he held close to him If we in the shipwraks of this world would keepe our soules from wracke what course should we take Surely keepe this law to vs close and not suffer it to depart from vs loose money wares ship and all ere we forgoe that least we loose our conscience and disorder our conuersation And in all our doubtfull cases whither vowes oathes marriages dealings with men entercourse with God or any difficulty go to the Law testimony Esa 8.20 for resolution If our own skill serue not to find out the will of God then let vs go to the Priest whose lips should preserue knowledg by that rule proceed Many will do so but either they desire to misinforme the Minister that they may peruert the iudgment or else first vow and then enquire Pro. 20.25 both which are odious But let vs for euer count the Law as an Oracle from heauen being glad that the Lord hath found out a way to cast the wauering scale and to direct our conuersation Fourthly and lastly because before in the second Article in Vse 4 the life of faith in duties I promised here to insert it let all that finde themselues to come short of this platforme I say let them live the life of faith in duties for the enabling of them hereunto in each part of their course to God men themselues in solitarinesse company calling in Sabbaths subjection to superiours and common life Say thus Lord these duties are above me I can doe nothing to purpose Enable me to doe as thou biddest and bid what thou wilt else the number and weight of them will tyre and clogge me Thou hast eased me oh Lord of the burden of Moses but still even in my liberty from Christ I carry old Adams burden about me therefore write these thy Lawes in my heart I beseech thee If all that thus speake at Church when the Law is read praid in faith how happy were they Say thus and plead Is it not thy promise Lord where is it then where is the Lord God of Elia where is an humble heart where is meeknesse love the distressed service of the time providence without covetousnesse bounty without wasting wisedome without subtilty simplicity without foolishnesse vertue without extremities Lord fetch life for me from the fountaine of duties from him who never failed in duties never did any without knowledge never faulted either in overdoing or under-doing neither in the purenes of manner nor fulnesse of measure nor uprightnesse of ayme who fulfilled all righteousnesse and obeyed upon earth better then Angels or Saints in heaven looke upon me in my loggish uncheerefull spirit in my crazie limbs lame joynts feeble hands nay rusty tooles and reviue my heart within and scoure up my weapons without That I may delight in the Law in my inner man and that I may run thy commandements with cheerefulnesse And this also for this third Article may be sufficient The fourth Article Q. VVHat is the fourth Article of this third part A. That the most wise and louing God foreseeing how manifold and large a Conversation of duties his Church is to walke in hath sutably ordained helpes means for her better upholding and growth therein till shee be perfect in her measure Read 1 Pet. 1.3 Eph. 4.11 Mat. ult ult Ioh. 14.26 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6 7. In which Scriptures we have all the order of this provision of God and that in foure
our iustification and that else God cannot in Iustice acquite vs. They say The elect doe sustaine one person with Christ in all his acts and suffrings and they are all made theirs But thus they make Christ serue to no other ends but to become our owne Mediator and to destroy his owne The error of this conceit arose from a confounding of the valor or worth of this righteousnesse with the substance of righteousnesse it selfe For although wee cannot be iustified without imputation of the fulnesse of the merit yet wee are not capable of that which merited except wee will become infinite Branch 3 Thirdly it confutes those Sectaries who affirme that God seeth no sin in any of his if hee haue once imputed Christs righteousnesse to them This error arizes from not distinguishing these two Imputation of perfect righteousnesse and perfect imputing or accepting of imputed righteousnesse No man is iustified without the former but our faith fayling in the acceptance must needs bee looked vpon by God I confesse hee sees no sinne but hee pardons it to his in Christ vpon Faith and Repentance but hee punishes it for their good in mercy Againe what if we grant God sees no sinne in them in respect of their iustification Is therefore their sanctification perfect Why then did Dauids adultery displease the Lord Or why doe we pray Forgiue vs our debts or why saith our Sauiour Say when all is done yee are vnprofitable Fourthly it confutes all such as cut off the Actiue obedience Branch 4 of Christ from the satisfaction 2 Sam. 10.4 as they cut the garments of Dauids seruants by the middle I blame them not as Papists for denying Christ to bee our price but for their curious diuiding of one member of it from another It may bee granted them that the Passiue is the more immediate coÌ„summation of the satisfaction but to conclude the Actiue is most audacious They say Christ was bound to the obeying of the Law as a man made vnder it I answere Yea but except hee had beene so made purposely for vs hee needed neuer to bee so at all therefore his willing being so made the merit the greater and although being a man he must obey yet seing his being a man was that hee might obey for vs it must bee of greater desert Againe as the Passiue is the neerer merit in respect of the estate in which we stood accursed So the Actiue is as essentiall in respect of recouering that Image of righteousnesse which makes vs like GOD and in which wee were created Neither was it Hell could haue hurt vs without sinne Besides to say truth if Adam after his sinne had not beene accursed yet in sinning onely he had beene miserable It is therefore as essentiall to Iustification that hee bee made iust as rid of guilt and brought to Heauen as rid of Hell But of this before Q. Bee there any other vses bâ—sides confutation Vse 3 A. Yea. And first to teach all Gods people to abhorre the slauery of hypocrites who if they could shun Hell would neuer care for righteousnesse Gods people although they could sinne vnseene and vnpunished yet would loath it They take as deep thought for God as for their owne welfare 2 Sam. 14.30 When Absalon was pardoned yet he set Ioabs corne on fire because hee might not bee admitted to the Kings presence chuzing rather to dye then to hang in such suspence And shall a beleeuer rest in his pardon more then in the righteousnesse of God which may make them accepted and beloued Eph. 1.5 No the liuery they weare is The Lord our righteousnesse Oh till I be restored to my blood to my dignities to stand before the Lord to please him to feele his Spirit of peace ioy and righteousnesse and my Conscience purged to serve God in holinesse I can feele no comfort Vse 4 Secondly let it raise the price of the Lord Iesus his loue in the hearts of all his children Should he that was glory and holinesse bee content not onely to become a worme base and vile to his enemies but to lose the repute of holinesse and become sinne rather then sinne should not become righteousnesse and glory how great is this loue then and how deare should he be in the taking of our imputed sinne and blemish vpon him Vse 5 Thirdly to touch his Passion a little how should it teach vs to abhorre all enemies of the Crosse Atheists Papists Iewes and Pagans to whom it is eyther a stumbling block or foolishnesse yea all such as hold vpon a Christ in profession but farre from an humbled suffring and crucified Christ carrying themselues rather so in their haire fashions and oathes the loftinesse of their stomacks as if their Christ were rather some great Epicure Libertine or Champion of the world Fourthly If this death of the Lord Iesus be our satisfaction Vse 6 and the freedome from sinne and curse our pardon peace and Heauen where is the dwelling of our hearts vpon it the delight of our soules in it Commonly wee will weare our choise Iewell neerest our heart and why is this Iewell which cost the blood of the Sonne of God so farre off it Surely except this be our soules crowne more then the crowne of the aged are their children or the Ministers crowne his people or the husbands his deare wife not to speake of gold pleasures or outward welfare how can it bee well with vs If the perfection of loue be ioy and the perfecter the obiect is the greater the loue How is it that each base shadow of ioy can affect vs when this can not If our hope were heere onely in Christ of all others 1 Cor. 15.19 we were most miserable Nothing heere can keepe thee from misery what is then thy happinesse This satisfaction onely Let it be all in all to thee the seasoning of thy blessings supply of all wants if thou wert left as an owle in the desart Hab. 3.17 if no calf were left in the stall yet let God be thy saluation Let thy life be bound vp in it as Iacobs in Beniamin Fifthly and especially let the chiefe streame of this points Vse 7 vse be this To all Ministers to teach it and the people to apply it to themselues in all their feares yea the greatest agony yea death it selfe whatsoeuer thou forgoest hold this For Ministers let them remember their office as hee to Archippus and fulfill it Paul presses it compare 2 Cor. 5.21 with 20. Him that knew no sinne hee made sinne that wee might bee his righteousnesse And what of this We being Embassadors of God as if Christ by vs did entreate you so we vrge Bee reconciled to God Be no Idols non Preachers bee no Preachers of any thing before this Preach not with a veile as Moses stand with open face and hold this mirror to poore sinners that they may behold The Lord their righteousnesse 2 Cor. 3 1â— If the worth of a
third part of the Catechisme such a conuersation also which is rare to finde such as no Pharise or hypocrite shall bee euer able to reach because hee neuer felt or tasted how good the Lord Iesus is How should Simon kisse anoynt wipe the feete of Iesus without his forgiuenesse Hee had little to forgiue and therefore little loue he made a dinner to Christ in courtesie but kissed him not nor anoynted him Looke vp to God now and see in what this whole view of the Catechisme stands Surely by the way of sinne and the Law to carry thee to fayth in the Lord Iesus The scope of this Treatise weigh well 1 Tim. 3. vlt. that the truth of Iesus may lead thee to an holy conuersation this is Christ Iesus the mystery of Godlinesse to feele such perswasion of vndecaying sweetnesse and such presence of this perswasion of loue as might tell thy deerest lusts Rom. 6.21 What fruit haue I had of ye yea make thee stinke before them as he sayd of Dauid that thou mightst bee Christs seruant for euer and that hee might pray reade meditate heare doe suffer obey in thee in his strength walke in all holy conuersation Endeauor it then and the more thou hast toyled with thine owne hands and skill and catcht nothing the more fall downe in the deepe experience of thy vtter nothing those nets of thine owne which thou hast sacrificed so long vnto lay them by and see the vanity of them saying Lord depart from me a sinfull wretch Cast thou out Lord on the right side of the Shiâ— Thou that hast all the fish in the lake at command to bâ—ing â—hem together all duties the whole worke of Conuersation to go through with ease and delight O Lord Iesus do thou all my workes in me Esay 26.12 Secondly to this end be admonished not to rest onely Vse 3 in this that thou hast fayth suppose it be true except also thou haue learned the truth of fayth as it is in Iesus As thou hast receaued from the Lord Iesus so walke Remember to stirre vp that spirit of Christ in thee which was once giuen thee let it not lye dead in thee I dispute no questions 2 Tim. 1.14 how farre the abilities of the regenerate reach in point of concurrence with the Grace of the Spirit I dare not thinke that the Spirit puts the reyne out of his owne hand and sway into ours or that he is euer tyed to worke in vs he may desert vs for a time to abase vs much lesse that our principle is actiue from vs as our selues It s enough that he as our actiue principle must worke the will and the deed in vs and do all for vs and that he hath betrusted vs with such an instrumentall ability and influence from himselfe as is endued with fitnes to this Holy conuersation and more then so hath giuen vs the hand of faith to iogge his arme continually to assist vs binding himselfe by promise till wee giue him ouer not so forsake vs in his assistance if we will plead our liberty Oh happy they that can he will not be wanting to vs If when we sought him not he found vs and finding Esay 65.1 reconciled vs to himselfe by his death how much more shall he by his life saue vs and giue vs the hand to helpe vs ouer this great hill of conuersation that so wee reape the fruit of holines eternall life Oh let vs put forth our soules to this worke It is the workeman that must make the Sawe to cut Rom. 5.9 10 Rom. 6.22 by framing it to such a power and cut with it when he hath done Both are his yron cannot make it selfe sharpe alone and beeing sharpe cannot cut alone nor apply it selfe to the wood or stone so heere yet remember he that hath put an instrumentall power into ours soule to obey hath also created the life of fayth in vs to stirre this arme of the Spirit to draw this Sawe ouer our wood and stone that wee may 〈…〉 performe obedience Oh that any who euer sought the Lord for fayth should hang it vp till it rust and neuer set it on worke by prayer selfe deniall and diligence Let vs not bee of the mind of them who thinke themselues safe if once they haue fayth they doubt not but she will set her selfe on worke whether wee be sleeping or waking No no he that will not saue thee for thy obedience will yet saue thee by it and he that doth neyther of both for thee will yet do neyther without thee but he will so bow thy soule to a sweet liberty of loue and delight to obey and to such a confidence in his promise to be enabled yea such a perswasion within thy selfe to encourage that beeing mooued and acted thou shalt act and worke together with his grace thy owne saluation Be not wanting then to such a principle of life and motion in thee Vse 3 Lastly watch to thy selfe duly and dayly and to this worke of conuersation and way that God hath chalked out for thee Do as those Numb 9.19 who attended the watch of the Lord day and night ready vpon the least wauing of the Cloud or fire from the Tabernacle to remooue and vpon the first rest hereof to stand still As the Apostle neuer thinkes himselfe to haue pressed a duty well when he vrges to pray or read or heare or bee armed except hee adde this too Watch thereto Eph. 6.18 1. Pet. 5.8 1. Cor. 16.13 So say I Obey and watch to it walke with GOD in this wheele of thy course and watch to it be aware of each turne of the wheele each duty occasion liberty seruice else it will be in vaine to know it if thy loines bee not girt and thy lampe alway burning to it If GOD haue once purged thy foule heart and seasoned it for thee keepe it so he did it not with much adoo that thou shouldst vndoo it all at once by thy ease and sloth world pleasures wearinesse and the like Let the wise Virgins take heed of nodding in this night of the age we liue it Let them watch to their worke let them see how they grow downeward in rooting and setlednesse vpward in fruitfulnesse skill ease and experience resolution and full purpose of heart to cleaue to God And by so doing wee shall watch to the comming also of our Lord Iesus to translate vs from this our poore walking with him to be with him and to be rid of all our clogs which hinder vs from so doing and goe from this our doing Gods will as it is in heauen to doe it in Heauen Neuer was greater cause for vs to long for this comming then in these times wherein not only we are letted by Satan and the world from our duties I meane the seruice of the time and the grace of our conuersation Oh how well shall it be the when not onely Goates and Sheepe shall for euer be parted but the sad carriage and strangenesse of sheepe to sheepe bee both forgiuen and remoued where Luther and Zuinglius as one sayd where Cranmer and Hooper where Ridley and Sandeâ—s shall accord for euer in perfect amity Come Lord Iesus come quickly Amen Giue God the praise FINIS LONDON Printed by I. N. for SAMVEL MAN dwelling at the signe of the Swanne in Pauls Church-yard 1632.
A PRACTICALL CATECHISME OR A view of those principall truths according to Godlinesse which are contayned in the Catechisme Diuided into three parts and seruing for the vse as of all so especially of those that first heard them By D. R. B. of Divin Minister of the Gospell ROM 7.9 For I was once aliue without the Law But when the Law came sinne reuyued and I dyed ESAY 12.3 Therefore with ioy draw ye waters out of the wells of Saluation 2 COR. 7.1 Hauing therefore such precious promises let vs clense our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit and finish our holinesse in the feare of the Lord. LONDON Printed by I. N. for SAMVEL MAN dwelling at the signe of the Swanne in Pauls Church-yard 1632. To the Christian Reader and in especiall to my beloued Auditors and neyghbours Greeting Good Reader IT is no new thing for stuffe and substance which I offer to thee in this ensuing tract how can I in an Argument of this nature wherein the obiect determines the minde and pen of the Writer If therefore nouelty be thy ayme saue thy labour Onely for the manner and order of expression this I would say That as the Ancients looke what they desired to fasten vpon themselues or their children they were wont to conueigh it in the familiarity of a Song or Rime that it might become their owne with ease So doe I heere vnder the ease and familiarnesse of Catechisme which is no other then a forme of godlinesse reach out to thee and thine a direction to Heauen so that if hereby the truth as it is in Iesus may be emplanted in thy spirit in any measure I haue my desire Thou wilt say Who-euer denyed but Catechisme serues to this end I answere I wish that the practice of all that catechize and are catechized did approue it The slight answer of men betrayes them who being asked If their Minister did preach to day answere No hee did but Catechize If the Preaching of a Catechist were conceaued as his best worke could men so speake No surely were Catechizing vsed to such solemne ends none but barbarous and blynd ones could be ignorant of the eminency and fruit thereof I taxe none I onely adde As I blesse God that Catechizing is so frequent and that there are many able Preachers who ayme at a profitable course So I wish that all who do not would follow such examples As touching you my Christian Auditors You know one full third part of my poore labors hath beene thus and in this order and ayme to Catechize And whereas Iob serued in the preaching hereof that the particulars grew to a larger extent then I looked for you know that once a yeere at least I gaue you a briefe view of all the parts in a few Sermons Which course because I saw to be profitable then therefore bethinking my selfe now in this my priuacy how I might witnes the continuing care of my heart for your good I haue conceaued the reuiuing of that Method to be the best way to recommend my loue vnto you Written copies I saw would prooue so chargeable that few would haue enioyed any benefit heereof and threfore I yeelded for your ease to that which my selfe would haue shunned to print the Copy I proceeded you know in my Ministery towards the end of the Satisfaction being the second Branch of the second part I haue by my labor since with Gods blessings added the rest of the Parts and their Articles to the end handling both one and other for the most part according to the proportion of my larger course at least few points of Substance omitted Your losse in a sort becomes your gaine in this That wereas scarce in 2 yeeres you should haue heard that which is heere added Lo now you haue it presented to you at once Let not in any case this gaine of yours become your losse by carelesnesse but let it rather by our diligence become a double gaine to you and yours Now to the intent that this view of Catechisme may be profitable in few words conceaue it thus Three words containe all my scope in this Tract Sinne Grace Obedience Sinne in the first part that each vnregenerate man may know how to get out of his false peace seeing himselfe in the glasse of the Law to be that cursed one Grace in the second that each humbled one vnder his burden may in the mirror of the Gospell and the offer of Reconciliation behold and embrace the hearty and vnfeigned meaning of the Lord to forgiue and saue him Obedience in the third that each forgiuen soule may know that God in shewing him mercy aymes not onely at the ease of the soules burden but at his owne honor in laying on another burden though eazy and sweet of liuing by faith and obeying his Cōmandements Set these three then before thy eye as the scope of the whole And so each part shall not onely profit thee in the seuerall branches but much more in the connexion of the scope thereof all tending to make the soule happy here and heereafter If then thou meet in the first part with many Articles heads of weight rest not in the doctrine of the things but conceaue them from first to last as steps and degrees to conuince thee of sinne that the sence of thy naturall estate may make thee and leaue thee such an one in thine owne eyes as thou art in the LORDS If in the second thou meete with sundry discourses of the way and meane of Deliuerance dwell not vpon the points themselues but consider their scope that GOD in offring thee Christs Righteousnes to bee thine speakes as truly and according to his purpose in this as hee did in the first that hee might conuince thee of his Righteousnes Likewise in the third so reade and mediate of the grounds therein contained as remembring that all of them tend to this one marke That the truth as it is in Iesus must conuince thee of as great a necessity of putting off the old and putting on the new man as before it did of thy Righteousnesse And thus thy reading ouer and ouer this Treatise with meditation and prayer may through the Grace of Gods Spirit lead thee towards Heauen And now behold I would euen desire that as Ieremy dealt with his Prophecies Iere. 36.2 he wrote them in a Role that they might be in daily view and better beleeued So those of my people for I accuse but some who would neuer by the preaching of these poynts vnderstand the coherence and vse of this Summe of Godlinesse might now stand vpon this Pisgah Deut. vlt. 1. and behold this Canaan of Practicall Religion and that goodly Lebanon thereof especially I meane the Doctrine of fayth in reconciliation and the new Creature The vse of the whole Posie of al the Flowers herein bound together is That yee bee better grounded in knowledge and heare Sermons dayly with better vnderstanding
of sinne As concerning those notions which were left in them and were in stead of a law they were onely enough to condemne them not otherwise The most ignorant and vicious among them easily blew out that dimme sparke they had by the blast of their strong lusts and were giuen vp to a reprobate sence and horrible lusts Their most morall Philosophers although to the shame of Christians it may bee spoken hatcht vp their sparkles of dimme light to some measure yet as touching the true knowledge of sinne they had it not they thought some sins no sins some sins vertues and some vertues vices and the sinnes they saw they neuer saw them by a word or in the curse due to them they saw a dimme twilight of an vnknowne GOD vertue vice punishment or reward and therefore were farre from any true enlighting Q. But what doth the Law worke in particular A. Two distinct things Knowledge and conviction For the first reade Rom. 7. I had not knowne sinne if the Law had net said Thou shalt not lust In which respect sinne is said to raigne from Adam to Moses yea and vnder the old Law in respect of any conuincement But since the Ministery of the Word of reconciliation came the Lord hath enlarged the power of the Ministery of the Law as a preparatiue thereto in the hearts of men As Paul saith 1 Cor. 10. Those that heare the word plainly preached and by name the Law in the true spiritâ—all sence and sauor of it they fall downe and say that God is in you of a truth Not that the Ministery of Christ is properly Legall for we are Ministers of reconciliation but not excluding it Christ came not to destroy the Law in the doctrine of it for it leades to Christ saue in the rigour and dominion of it The Law then first searches the soule it s the candle of the Lord and pierces the bowels of the spirit those secret windings corners shifts and euasions of it bee they neuer so colourable and subtill It is as a great torch-light in the dead time of night in the hand of an Inquisitour which searches an house for Papists and Iesuites and finds them in their Masse and takes them with all their bookes and trinkets As the persecutors of the Saints searched all vaults and priuy doores barnes and mowes of hay and corne with speares sharp spits and swords so is the Law acted by that spirit of conuincement and search Ioh. 9. the discouerer of the thoughts and Heb. 4.12 pierceth between the ioynts and marrow The Lord hath giuen it authority ouer the conscience as his owne Bayliff to hunt out and discerne sinne in the colours in the kinds of it open secret thoughts affectioÌ„s yea concupiscence not the bare letter of the Law but the spirit for Paul notwithstanding al Gamaliels teaching knew it not And the conscience of the vnregenerate being once thus stirred is as the light of the Law to bring God into ech priuy part Not a dimme twilight but a Sunne at noonetide which shines froÌ„ East to West all ouer the spheare of Heauen and makes euery soule come out as Adam from the bushes by the voyce of God so cleerly bewraying a man to himselfe that for the time hee thinkes all other men see him pointed at by the finger of GOD. Q. How is it that the Law of GOD is the reuealer of sinne A. That most Holy and wise God who first contriued and vttered it put the light of his owne pure Maiesty into it and enabled it to discouer sinne to the soule not as other Lawes to speake to the eare but to the conscience and although there is no commandement in the whole booke of God Psal 19 Psal 119. Heb. 4.12 Eph. 5.10 11. Ioh. 3.20 which comes not from the same Author and spirit of light and truth yet the Lord hath more peculiarly put this power of Enlightening into this his morall Law as conteyning a more full exact and cleer view of all sinne both in the Nature and penalties of the same and according to his ordinance so it worketh not by the bare ten words syllables but the effectuall Ministery thereof accompanyed with the Spirit And looke what I say of light the same I adde of coâ—uiction also and her worke both are put into the Law by the same GOD whose fingers wrote it Q. Is vnbeleefe of the Gospell discouered by it A. No The Law is a modell of the righteousnes of Creation in which there was no need of fayth therefore it onely reueales those sinnes which make vs guilty without a remedy that it might dryue vs to seeke a remedy Yet we must not thinke it an imperfect light for this cause For as no man calles the Rules of Grammar imperfect because the Rules of Rhetorique are not in it so none can call the discouery of the Law insufficient because it reueales not the sinnes against the Gospell Q What sinnes doth the Law discouer A. All sorts by name Actuall and originall Q. What need any more be sayd of thiâ— haue we not heard enough of the nature of Misery in the third Aâ—ticle both in Sinne and death A. Euen that we spake there flowes from no other spring then the Law of God onely heere we adde this Article to that for this cause In that we onely bounded misery within her Compasse shewing wherein it lyes simply considered But when wee adde The Law reueales sinne wee meane as sinne and the curse lyes vpon vs as we are guilty of it and cursed by it the Law doth set the saddle vpon the right horse and so shewes sinne in her colours to the soule that it might apply the knowledge of it to thee and me in particular and this is a further worke Q. Well proceed to the enlightning worke of the Law about Actuall sinne what is it A. First the Law in the spirituall Ministery thereof doâ—h disperse those mysts and skales of the blindeye that suffer not light to enter Secondly It opens and giues light to the eyes to see sinne in her true colors For the first According to the sorts of sinners so doth the Law take away their lets of knowledge Take three or fore Instances Put case CHRIST had purpozed to enlighten a Pharise in the knowledge of sinne he would haue remmooued all the corruptions of the Law and darknes of the text They had establisht a Corban which might free a child from the fifth Commandement as their heires the Papists at this day dispence with any murthers or villanies if for their Catholique cause and ends They had curtolled the law in point of her extent confining her to some grosse crimes and taken away the key of light from the people about particulars They had set vp an exposition of their owne inuention they had made what they listed to bee sinne and what they pleased to be none they had soothed the people vp in this course and sowed pillows vnder
to make God the Father the most free and soueraigne worker and applyer of this deliuerance to the soule For what else should it profit vs that hee hath deuised such a way as Christ and such meanes as the Gospell beleeued except hee tooke it vpon him to possesse the soule of it also And the Holy Ghost is frequent in Scripture to proue GOD the Father to be the onely free agent in this worke calling him the begetter of vs of his owne free will Iam. 1.17 Phil. 2.13 Heb. 10.23 the worker of both will and deede in vs of his owne good pleasure the faythfull beginner and finisher of his owne worke Especially that it is neyther of the willer or runner Rom 9.16 Ioh. 6.44 but meerely of his mercy that we be called effectually No man can come to Christ except God draw him God is as soueraigne in his applying as in the finding out of this way And why Surely because as in the way so in the working the soule to it hee seekes his owne glory and the deepe riches of his grace to bee magnified and himselfe to be adored in the ioynt meeting of his iustice mercy power and truth in one that through IESVS CHRIST praise may be giuen to GOD the Father and that as all things are from him Col. 3.17 and by him Rom. 11.36 so they all may bee to him and to the prayse of his glory This point well weighed would leade vs as by a thred through each branch or Article of this second part with light and sauour when we conceiue the Lord Iesus himselfe onely as a Seruant of this souereigne will of GOD who is therefore called Gods Christ 1 Cor. 11.3 read 2 Cor. 3. vlt. when we conceaue the offer of Grace his the benefits offred his yea and not onely fayth but also the conditions of it an humble and hungring soule his gift his preparations and so throughout all this second part looke vpon GOD as that free principle in whose meere will it is to enlarge or restreine the heart of a man as he sees good A point of speciall consequence and properly belonging to this place 2 Cor 5.17.18 hee beeing at the root of all and beeing in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing the sinnes till which great worke be effected this deliuerance is not effected in vs. And therefore Psal 32.1 the Lord is sayd to impute no sinne and 2 Cor 5.21 to make vs his righteousnes And although I refer the point of Imputation to the second Article of Christ as presupposing his merit of necessity yet for the Worker it s properly a consequent of this Article God doing all his workes perfectly and as I said freely for the attaining of his owne ends in vs that he who boasteth might boast of the Lord. Q Doeth this point tend to any vse A. Yea and that such as I wish euery good hearer and reader of the points following to lay it to heart For first this will teach vs to conceaue in what sence the Lord doth offer vs his Christ command vs to beleeue and promise to ease vs if we hunger mourne be poore in spirit To wit that he is farre from intimating any power or will in vs to concurre with him in any the least of these or to ascribe ought to him that willeth or runneth But rather to shew what those excellent graces are which he freely worketh in all whom hee will saue Hee for his honour sake will effect all these meanes in whomsoeuer hee hath appointed to the end it selfe of Redemption Sweet is that place 2 Thess 1.9 10. That he may be admired in all such as beleeue because they haue receiued our word in that day He saith not that al they may be admired who haue themselues beleeued but he admired in them For what Surely not for their working grace in themselues but for the works sake of God that hath wrought it Secondly this will helpe vs to iudge who those parties are in all likelyhood whom God wil concurre with assist in the vse of meanes tending to deliuerance Such is the base slauery of man that he distrusts him sooner in no one thing than in that wherein God offers himselfe to the soule As in Manoa's example and Gedeons appeares Iudg. 13.22 6.13 Oh saith a fearefull heart God is free and need not worke saue wheâ—e he list and therefore he is bound to none and I feare he will worke in 100. ere he worke in me Oh poore wretch hath hee not shewed his will in whom hee will worke Euen in those that seeke his end more then their owne in the vse of meanes If thou knowing what God only aymes at in all his Redemption viz. the glory of his rich grace and all his holy Attributes and not at thine or my saluation for our ends shalt yet goe to worke heere thine own way then know God neuer did or will crosse his owne ends nor blesse any such as set vp other ends of their owne against with or aboue his But this followeth soundly That all such as in meanes vsing doe fixe their eye vpon Gods purpose and abase themselues in the sight of their owne sillinesse to reach such a thing as deliuerance is and adore his free souereigne working as the onely able effecter hereof all such I say as thus worke with God and vnder God may know that the Lord will assist them for why he assists and seconds his owne way in them who seeke his glory aboue their owne saluation And although he be so free that he is tyed to none yet I say with reuerence hee tyes himselfe graciously to such as doe seeke him not themselues for else should he contradict his owne ends which is blasphemous And this point I desire to be marked For whoso they are who will not see this truth of Gods free working for his owne glorious ends I affirme its vnauoidable but either they must most murmuringly and repiningly reiect the way of God to Heauen as contrary to flesh which is the greatest signe of a castaway or else mixe themselues their wits wisedome policy and deuices in the getting of heauen with Gods grace and mercy and so make Christ onely a Stalking horse to their owne parts and to serue themselues Thirdly this point doth most liuely instruct vs how wee may so goe to worke in the vse of meanes as our owne Conscience may not accuse vs for taking Gods office of freedom and souereignty out of his hands It troubleth many to instance in one particular how they should so goe to worke in hearing praying and Sacraments for the attayning of the Condition of faith that is mourning and hunger c. that they might not seeke faith vpon their owne termes They see the Word full of promises of ease and comfort to such as do mourne and they would gladly seeke Heauen in Gods way onely they cannot see how a condition to faith can
his deity alway in a manner restrained so that hee appeared not to bee that hee was to his dearest friends And therefore hee concealed his glory further then it made for the discharge of his Office of Mediator as a Prophet or a King for then hee stept out of his basenesse See Matth. 11.12 Luke 1â— 3â— Q. And what may bee said touching the Passion it selfe A. Somewhat touching the parcels of it and yet somewhat also touching the necessity of moderation For the parts first he endured the forsaking of his dearest Disciples to be taken by his owne seruant Iudas by his own special Officers at the hands of his own Deputies to suffer most intolerable indignities to be accused arraygned endited and sentenced as the vilest malefactor and that at the Gaole deliuery of felons and murtherers After that besides their barbarous spitting vpon buffeting mocking with a Robe Crowne of thornes and reeden Scepter to be put to that shamefull accursed death of the Crosse a death for such as not onely men compted villains but God himselfe in a sort held accursed To which adde the greatest of all both in the Garden and vpon the Crosse that most bitter Cup of wrath which hee dranke from the hand of his Father which made him in an agony of Spirit to sweat drops of blood to pray That the cup might passe from him from feare of drinking it and to cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee And so in that deep anguish of his Spirit to giue vp the Ghost all the Diuels in Hel banding themselues in that houre of darknesse to pull him from his stedfast confidence Q. What meane you by the moderation of it A. That in all this abasement yet that measure was impozed and no more which suted to the dignity of the person suffring and to such a one as in suffring merited and could not be ouer come by suffring Hence was it that hee had intermissions of his agony and feares so that he could goe to and fro to his Disciples to admonish them was vpholden in his sences vnderstanding memory affections in the midst of his dolours shewed his power and God-head euen then in the consternation of his enemies conuersion of the theef his loue and prouidence for his Mother and Disciple receâ—ved comfort by the Angels in the want of self-support was dispenced with as touching the measure of torments not being capable of those which reprobates in Hell suffer because they can neuer satisfie the Duration the Disorder and disguisement of these Hellish terrors being accidentall to his Passion and to dying the death onely infinite displeasure of GOD and true separation of Soule and Body which were essentials he endured So also it was impossible the graue should hold him Act. 2.24 Yea and the period of three daies nights of 72. houres were abridged to 40. Q. What did he effect heereby A. Hee being our surety in all this did for vs purchase a full satisfaction of which in the question after and withall first all those benefits Article fourth Then the ratification of his Legacies and Testament Heb. 9.16 17. Col. 2.14 Ephe. 2.16 Heb. 10 2â— abolishing of enmity by Law Sinne Satan VVrath Hell and Death As wee know if a Court bee quite put downe all the Officers belonging to it are downe also So also liberty to enter Heauen by a liuing way not the blood of a beast with sundry others Q. Why doth the Scripture so much dwell vpon the Passiue and so little vpon the Actiue obedience in point of our satisfaction A. As I intimated before the Holy Ghost doth more vsually not alwaies See Phil. 2.7 8. Esa 53.11 Mat. 20.28 Rom. 5. ver 18 expresse it this way First because in this curse taken away all the whole satisfaction began to take effect as wee say that the effect of a Prisoners release is deliuery from prison not as if that were all his release yet thence it s denominâ—ted because though the debt bee paid before yet this must follow Secondly because the end of a thing is better then the beginning and the consummation of a thing is from the end Perseuerance hath wee know the preeminence of all obedience not as if it were any more then a part of it but itâ— the finishing and making all out of question Each moment of a Glasses course is part of the houre though the last dust of it be the houâ—es end Bâ—t Thirdly and especially becaâ—se the P ssiâ—n waâ— the greatest hardest and fullest part of the whole satisfaction As fortitude carrieth the name of vertue not â—xâ—â—uding any Q. Well I am satisfied Proceed to the fifth branch and so to the vse of both ioyntly A. The fiâ—th â—s the Passiue obedience of the LORD Iesus not in other passions and penal ies of his whoâ—e life onely but especially that one vpon the câ—osse the most immediate obâ—ation and sacrifice of himselfe â—or sinne and it consists in the free yeelding vp himselfe to the wrath of his Father in his soule and body in the one bearing the incomprehensible anger of GOD though according to the limitations requâ—site for a person that was GOD and merited and in the other the exhaustion of his life-â—lood and separation of body and soule by that accursed death that heereby sinne with all the penalties inward outward and eternall with all the power which the Law and enemies had against vs thereby death and Hell not excepted might perfectly be abolished aâ—d the iustice of God infiniâ—ly satisfied Râ—ad Rom. 3.25 Heb. 9. â—3 14 1. Pet. 1.19.1 Ioh. 17. Heb. 12.24 Q What are the vses of the Actiue and Passiue obedience A. Fâ—rst the doctrine heereof may affoord vs a swerâ— meditation which as there are few aâ—cient or godly writers â—uch aue obserued so it is pitty we should neglect viz. Tâ—e excellency of the grace of the Gospell purchased by â—his Satisfaction which will appeare by a comparison of â—he woâ—ke of Creation with this of Redemption The formâ—r I graâ—t was a solemne worke when the Eternall Word made of Earth the body of Adam inspiring it with the the breath of GOD not onely to be a liuing Creature buâ— to beare the Image of God in holinesse And the truth is Moses describes euen this worke more solemnely then the Creation of any of the other to shew the emiâ—ency thereof â—boue them But when the same eternall Word creates man the â—econd time Lo not a breath not a fâ—w words will serue himselfe rather must be made a worme and no man God himselfe must empty himselfe of his fâ—lues and gloâ—y his loue his teares his miraclâ—s his prayers the basenesse of his condition will not all serue the turne no other price will bee accpted for this saue both the actuâ—ll fulfilling of all righteousnes and the shedding not of drops or ounces of other blood but thâ— last heare and life blood that was in his Holy Body the blood of the
gaine and price of grace wich they haue oft gotten from God doth whet their desire to couet more of them and to bee better acquainted with the Lord in them As Moses could not be content till he had seene God in his glory This is one effect of our Sauiours prayer that they may be one with vs and that thou wouldst keepe them from euill and from the world so the faithful trade with God for more faith vnion hope loue patience and when they can get in with the Lord for any addition of these they thinke themselues in the suburbes of heauen Secondly In the reioycing in the groth and encrease they haue had No mizer doth so oft visit his bagges as these ioy in their treasure The lesse they see of these iewels in the world the more they prize them and flesh their hearts with them as the Apostle saith The God of peace fill yee with all ioy by beleeuing And againe we reioyce with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious Thirdly and especially their trading is in heauen by that precious hope which is an earnest-penny of their inheritance and therefore they neuer think of it but it glads their hearts This is that heauen vpon earth and the treasure which their hearts are set vpon which in a sort makes them also to be heauenly minded makes them vse these things as if not and despile the image of these vanities yea makes their crosses slight in comparison while they looke not vpon things temporall but eternall And by this their trading although they bee absent from the Lord yet are they in a sort present and lay hold of immortall life to make their condition below the more tolerable And so much of the conversation with God Q. What is the outward converse of the soule with God A. It is that holy correspondency which it holds with God in outward seruices Q. What are those A. Some are ordinary some are occasionall The ordinary are many I will giue a taste of a few and they are an ordinary and dayly walking with God in religious duties for the increase of Communion It is not the wheele of duties doing which can support the soule it must bee a due keeping of quarter with the Lord and a survey of her estate towards God which must doe that Of this sort are these First A satisfying of the soule with the Lords image at our awaking with a saluting of his promise for renewed pardon and grace Psal 17. vlt. for Iesus Christ is yesterday and to day and the same for euer Heb. 13.8 not changing Secondly a seeking of his face as oft in the day as may bee for renewed humiliation and for keeping the heart open dayly for pardon of renewed sinnes grace to purge and season the soule thankes for renewed compassions Thirdly a reuiuing of couenant with him for closer purpose and bent of heart towards him Act. 11.23 Fourthly a dayly recording of Gods peculiar administrations and prouidence to vs in patience blessings deliuerances speciall redresses of our decayes in soule and body and what vse we haue made of them Fifthly a finishing of each day so as we viewing it ouer may be humbled or comforted and so lye downe in peace Q. What is the occasionall A. The seruice of the time Act. 13.36 by which wee rest not onely in our ordinary seruing God but reach our soules to the condition of the times we liue in accordingly carrying our selues either in affliction of soule or thanksgiuing as occasion requires Q. Conclude the Article with the latter branch what is our conuersation with men in common life A. The same which the Psalmist 50. vlt. calles the ordering of conuersation aright And it is a wise accommodation of a Christian to the seuerall passages that befall vs vnauoydably in this our common course of life In the which although there be a world of euill committed this being the element of worldlings and the stage whereon the Deuill acteth his parts yet euen in these common matters the Lord teacheth his people to carry themselues as men of another world Q. But how shall rules be giuen touching this part of conuersation it beeing so infinite A. By culling out some of the chiefe passages of the rest and giuing a briefe view of their due ordering wee shall the easilier guesse at the rest Q. Name some of them shew of what nature they are and what ordering they must haue A. Such as these Marriage Company liberties solitarinesse earthly businesse calling family gouernment and the tongue or common talke Which although they bee out of the boundes of Gods worship yet are so to be conuersed in as remembring the name of God may bee blasphemed therein whout especiall caution euen as in the vse of oathes and vowes Q. Seeing diuers treatises ar extant about them and they haue been handled in the Ministry by sundry occasions giue onely a briefe view of the ordering thereof A. Generally touching all note this that God abhorres all common prophane vsages of the world in these things and will haue his people caâ—ry about them the cognizance of new Creatures and holy ones that they may not make religion odious by their corrupt behauiour and making vse each of other therein for their owne ends but that the graces of God may breake out and shine in the order of this part of conuersation to the glory of our profession Then particularly there is required a stayed setled spirit not vaine light frothy and inconstant so that each occasion accidentally offering it selfe should vnsettle vs and put vs out of our course of life as sometimes sudden ill newes driue vs into melancholy and frowardnesse successe in our affaires carry vs into endlesse lightnesse and iollity shrewd turnes in family worke vs to disguizement and impatience Wee see how it is with some disordered men thaâ— for a weeke or fortnight together they will ply their callings but if company draw them to the Ale-house they will spend whole dayes and nights in a quite contrary course Such basenesse the Lord abhorres and will haue all to set their soules in order to an holy sobernesse and equalnesse of heart wisely framed to entertaine the changeable passages of life which the well-ordered Spirit neither in the excesse or defect but as the obiect requires Q. And what speciall directions are there and first for the married condition A. That they loath to make it a common thing for the vse each of other and prophaning the Ordinance but first improuing it chiefly for God and the mutuall good of their soules Worshipping God together making him umpire of all their differences powring out their hearts into his bosome by humiliation prayer and thanks-giuing Nourishing matrimoniall loue as a sacred knot and to that end obseruing each others graces for the strengthening thereof Cutting off all iarres in the beginning and yet not agreeing together for base ends but for holy Tendering the weakenesses of the weaker sexe concealing her defects and
perfect freedome yea meate and drinke Ier. 31.33 Eze. 36.27 according to that Ierem. 31. I will write my Law in their hearts and cause them to walke in my Statutes that is put strength of mine owne into them to agree with my Rule and stoope to my Scepter Kings command their people but serue themselues upon their strength cannot put any into them but Christ is serued by his owne Q. What hath he done for vs as our Prophet A. His Prophecy commeth yet neerer to the matter in hand for although all that I have said be to be supposed ere the Law can direct vs yet the actuall worke of direction issueth from his Prophecie And first by a Declaring and secondly by a Reuealing Worke. The Declaring worke is a witnessing to the soule that he is the true Lord and Comman-of his People Esay 55.4 that he rules his law as by his scepter that all his Preisthood and merit ends in his kingdome and obedience that it is his honour that all knees bow to him and that they kisse the Sonne that hee is the obiect of it through whom the Father is honoured that true Liberty stands not in hauing our wil but in putting on this yoke and who so doth otherwise deceives himselfe But secondly by his Reuealing worke by this hee directs the soule and sets the steps of it as Luk. 1.79 in peace by this he vses the tenor of his Law to be a liuely finger to point out duty for euery occasion and to frame the soule to draw his Law to euery need and vse in the life according to that 1 Ioh. 2 20.27 Ye haue an vnction from the Holy one who telleth you all things And in Esay 30.21 Their eares shall heare a voyce behinde them saying This is the way walke in it This is a Revealing with direction by which the soule sees the vse of Christ in euery Commandement and is led on by him as her Guide thereby as if an Oracle should speake from heauen Esay 55. A Leader and Commander to his people vers 4. And thus a Christian may see how the Commandements of the Morall Law are the directions of Christ and how he is the Law-giver of the soule in them all and till this bee conceiued it is no wonder if we account them as a strange thing Hos 8.12 But by this meanes familiar Q. I conceiue now how Christ hath made his Law a direction to godly life now come to the directions themselues what are they A. They concerne either God himselfe in the 1. Table as his inward worship of feare confidence and setting him vp to be our God alone in the first Or our outward reasonable seruice and worship of him in pure manner in the second Or our faithfull abearing our selues in all holinesse in such actions of common life as are not immediate worship in the third for I referre oathes and vowes to the second which I desire wise Readers to thinke of or the set day of our Worship vpon one day of seuen since the eighth day was turned into Gods day or the Christian Sabbath and that in the fourth Or else our neighbour and our selues in the other six Subiection to all Superiority in the fifth Maintaining his pretious life as being better than all that follow in the sixth Of his Chastity in the seuenth His Estate in the eighth His Name in the ninth The tenth forbidding not onely that Concupiscence which reaches to the detriment of our neighbor but vnder that as most sensible to vs all that wicked propension and bent of nature before actuall sinne whereby originally we are prone to all vnâ—ustice and impiety and intemperance Concerning which as hauing said enough in the second Arâ—icle of Conuersation and it being no part of my purpose to repeat what hath been written by so many learned faithful Writers I omit to say any more only contenting my selfe to lay downsome briefe rules how the Law is to be conceiued the Minister of Christ for righteousnesse and so to conclude the Article with breefe vses Q Mention then some of these Rules A. First that all the Lawes of Christ must be vnderstood to be of another manner of force and authority than the Lawes of men euen the greatest for they are limited with exceptions in all kindes and doe but reach to the outward man and penalties thereof But these doe reach to the conscience and they binde the inner man God whom wee haue to doe with seeing the soule in her vtmost retirednesse as a thing naked Heb. 4.13 and his word being pure as himselfe and piercing betweene the ioynts and marrow Heb. 4.12 and therefore there he sets vp his Throne and there is no evasion from him Secondly Let vs know that his Commands are not idle things and arbitrary which we may obey at our curtesie or if not yet God is as a weake King for whom his Subjects are too strong as Ioab and Abisâ—ai for David but reall Lawes from an authority that both knowes offenders and can punish them yea which accurseth all transgressours and will not hold them guiltlesse Heb. 12. ult a consuming fire as the manner of his uttering them Exod. 20. in earthquakes and thunder shewed and therefore be we afraid to provoke him and yet he is a God able to gratifie his obedient ones in ample manner even to a thousand generations and it s not to be neglected that both kind of sanctions are expressed in so short a view Thirdly obserue that the commands of the second Table are the edicts of the same God whose the first are Iam. 12.11 and therefore in which the Lord takes himselfe as much either honoured or not as the first which I speake lest any should cavill and thinke that 1 Sam. 2.25 If man sinne against man a man may iudge but if against the Lord who shall entreat to be meant of morall offences No but onely of common discurtesies and offences or breaches which are in mens power to release For even those sinnes of Eli's Sonnes were against women and yet he tels them the Lord tooke them as against himselfe So that although men be the object of the second Table yet not the last into which the morrall offence is carried and therefore it is not in man to release any more of it then his owne damage the rest the Lord onely can remit as the sinne is of equall guilt so the forgiver must be of equall power Fourthly the Law must be alwayes understood according to the scope even as every other part of the Word as promises and threats Wee must not rest in the bare letter and so destrow the life and spirit of the Law How shoud ten words include all our conversation except the letter of the Law be enlarged to the meaning of the Law-giver The Law then rests in the true intent of it Therefore as for all Pharisaicall licentious or prophane wretches who doe limit this Law and acknowledge no more
in him Saying thus Oh Lord I am thine save mee Psal 119.94 Of thee I am who art made vnto me not onely Righteousnesse but Sanctification with growth and encrease in it I come therefore to plead my right in all humility If I had neuer come to birth or to the light I had so bin at an end but seeing thou hast not denied me the life of a child of thine doe not leaue mee to shift but Lord bring mee vp at thy cost and let mee haue my portion from thy Table and my daily bread from thy hand And as a good Parent thinkes it little to keepe the life of his childe that it sterue not but hee allowes all things for comfort as well as neede if hee be able that it may liue and prosper and grow vp and be like in him and enioy what hee hath to giue it when the due time is come so O Lord deale thou much more with thy seruant in Grace till Glory My Baptisme I already enioy in the death and life of Christ to make methine O Lord let also his Bloud Grace and Spirit run in the veines of my soule to strengthen me in the inner man with all long-suffering and well-pleasing and ioyfulnesse all grace of thy new Creature let it be mine As thou art in the Father so let mee bee thine as thou art Gods let mee be Christs dwell thou in mee and let mee dwell in thee by thy Spirit and grow vprighter stronger and holier while I haue a day to liue Let thy Sacrament of the Supper nourish mee also to eternall life Secondly Prepare thy soule to this feast of the mountains Esay 25. as oft as thou commest which must be oft 1 Cor. 11.29 30. and come not without thy feast Apparell And let this be one Rule vnto thee Doe not catch vp this Robe on the sudden but weare it daily betweene Sacrament and Sacrament Thy father is a King who can beteeme and maintaine thee to weare thy best clothes each day of the weeke and make thy Friday better than the poore mans holiday That faith in the Lord Iesus thou walkest or wouldest come with to the Supper liue by it daily Christ is the same in the promise and the Seale That Repentance thou walkest with to the Sacrament practise it daily better is a Souldier taken out of a Garrison than new prest That broken heart thou wouldest faine haue in the searching and lamenting of thy sinnes nourish daily he that in a great frost would keepe the yee thin must keepe it broken euery day So thou thy soule-issues lest thine heart harden That desire thou hast after Christ Sacramentall or wouldest nourish in the promise daily hunger and thirst each houre after him else it will not be with thy soule as with thy body that many hungry meales will make the next a glutton but rather thy emptinesse will make thee senselesse of it If thou wouldest not thinke it a burthen to doe thus Oh how sweet should preparation to the Supper bee to thee which now is tedious Thirdly Being thus come to the Supper set thy faith on worke say thus I know no Deuill in hell can seuer Iesus Emanuell my meat and drinke from these Elements but his Word hath vnited them for euer Why oh my soule hath the Lord care of Bread and Wine Or is it that by Sacramentall vnion with them as sensible he might vnite himselfe with me spiritually and really in this Seale of his that my impatient worldly dead distrustfull heart might bee purged and I filled with the Lord Iesus my Food and Restauratiue in all graces of Regeneration and that in a full festiuall manner Lord if I by vnbeleefe doe not no diuill can diuorce thy Christ Sacramentall from me Fourthly Seeing him there thine take him eat and drinke him and enioy him let thy soule apply him to thee for that thou lackest and hee serueth that is to supply thy wants where the hedge is lowest with thee to pare off thy superfluous part to fill vp and supply thy decayes and voydnesse I meane such gifts or graces as concerne thee either in thy particular calling or in thy generall beware thou doe not streighten this feast bring not thy owne browne bread in thy pocket scant not his bounty but take it as hee offers it by so much the more meet for him to giue by how much more thou unworthy And how much this feast seemes in thy eye to come short of Popish Masse-Christ for they giue him to God and take none of him from God by so much the more let it be to thee a spirituall Banquet of all refined Wines and fat things and if thou canst feed with the Saints thou needst care for Papists whom if thou didst sup with they would robbe thee of thy drinke which were to choke thee with thy meat Fifthly Lest thou shouldst stagger about thy right and part herein remember the end of the Sacrament is to rid thee of this feare For why it is Gods seale to the Couenant of his Grace to make thee his Sonne and Daughter and to sanctifie thee it s his vttermost security for any outward one nay it s his Instrument of conveying the greatest measure of his Spirit vnto thee Distrust him not in his cheefe euidence As a man when hee hath sealed up deliuered his writings and giuen vp the possession of all to thee can doe no more so this is Gods vttermost evidence whereby he hath made Iesus thy Sanctification and grouth in it as sure as heauen can make it Sixthly Hauing so receiued it liue by him depart as one well satisfied enlarge him both for number and measure of grouth to all parts of thy life all estates graces duties And in the strength of this Cake and Water 1 King 19.6 7. goe to thy iourney euen 40 dayes till thou come to the Horeb of heauen hold this thy comfort by prayer and watching and till thou come to a new bait liue vpon this and from one to another till thou grow to thy measure And so doing who can deny the Supper to be a cheefe helpe to goodnesse Q. May the like be said of the rest either publike or priuate as reading singing of Psalmes conference prayer meditation if yea then shew how and first of prayer A. For Prayer in a word to touch it and gather one or two eares out of an haruest of matter let me be conceiued to speak of it in each kind sauing due respects for breuity sake First then Retaine this heauenly ordinance of God in that due esteeme which the Lord hath graced it with for all ends both of humiliation and supplication The Lord and thy soule by experience doe know it to bee the key of all the coffers oâ— God and that High Priests liuing way made by the bloud of Christ whereby thou hast accesse daily yesterday to day and euer the oftner the welcomer to the holy of Holies to the seat of Mercy
boisterous that there is no time to resist but they come as if they were vnanswerable and the soule must yeeld no remedy Corruption commonly is more leisurely and more graduall abhorring violence and hidiousnesse as wee in some that haue in their heat rauished Children and others who deuoure themselues Fifthly The insulting and fury of temptation which followes the fourth that it comes with a trampling of the soule vnder feete with a disdaine as past all resistance If these markes bee in our temptations wee may by the messengers knocking ghesse the Masters feet not to bee farre behinde Oh what should such a point teach but this what wee are if God leaue vs how cursed a spirit and sky of evill we carry within vs and therefore as to be comforted that they are not wholly our owne so yet to begge of the Lord mercy to stop the rage of our enemy who if hee be let alone is crueltie it selfe Q. Well come to the temptations themselues how many things consider we in them A. These two The properties of the Tempter and the substance of the Temptations Q. What are these properties A. These First Malice euer sets him on worke against the body and soule of the Creature Secondly Vigilancy and attention alway doe assist his Temptations Thirdly Mischiefe and woe is euer in the end thereof to pull the soule from vnion and Communion with God Fourthly the Method and manner of his tempting which is to bee weighed according to the parties tempted If weake and vnable to resist he treads downe the low hedge neuer troubling himselfe further needlesly And thus hee is himselfe a Lyon as Act. 16 27. the Iaylor being under terror easily surprized and as if the prisoners fled for so he thought would haue desperately stabd himselfe The Deuill behind him tels him As good so as be executed but by this hee would haue preuented his conuersion But if hee finde other obiects and strength of grace to resist sinne as sinne he goes another way to worke to wit by deuices and cunning as Eph. 4.14 As first to anticipate the counsell of the heart in preuenting sinne by the suddennesse of iniection Thus Mat. 4. in the twinckling of an eye he had darted in his glorious bait of honour into our Saviour Secondly to assault iudgement and conscience both at once in blinding the one and in binding the other Thus he blinded Eve in that speech God knoweth that your eyes shall be open and ye made as Gods What was this save to make obedience base and sinne sweet that is In obeying ye shall but serve the envy of an enemy And your eating were to make ye better So he did bleare Davids eye in Mephibosheths case knowing that else he had never preuailed by Ziba therfore he presenting him as a Traitor makes Dauid say Why tellest thou me of thy matters 2 Sam. 19. Secondly by his binding the will in poynt of her resistance and that by the excessiue sweet of the bait Thus to Dauid in Bathsheba Oh! Who would thinke a woman so goodly so alluring to be dangerous A companion so fine spoken and complementall to bee so sinfull This beares all downe Sampson went to see her who was precious in his eyes that bleared him Thirdly by putting on the person of one vnsuspected as sometime pursuers of a man will praise him to get others to betray him and Iaâ—l to deceive Sisera brought him Creame in a lordly dish And thus hee becomes an Angell of light as holy as a Preacher Thus hee tempts Christ to leape downe and to make stones bread out of a godly end forsooth that Gods power might be glorified in a miracle Thus he tempts good men you are well knowne to keepe good conscience to doe such or such a thing for so good an end oh who will see it Avoid Deuill God needs not my sinne to honour himselfe I sinne too much vnavoydably I need not adde sinne to sinne Q. But when he knowes he cannot finally preuaile it seemes foolish for him to tempt A. Yea If his wisedome were from aboue but it is earthly sensuall and divellish Therefore hee goes against the edge of his wisedome euen as his instruments doe defiling themselues in the things they know If euer hee knew any he knew our Sauiour to bee out of gun-shot yet out of his fulnesse of malice he assaulted him bitterly If he cannot keep the people of God from heauen yet let it availe as it may he will see if he can make them halt to heauen And yet I may adde that he hopes well to get many to himselfe who as yet some farre enough off his hopes are impudent Mat. 12.44 hee saith I will returne and bring seuen spirits worse c. Hee knowes not but he may doe so with any but to be sure hee will not faile to try Q. Proceed to the temptations themselues A. These concerne the godly for of the other I speake not here but in the first part since that these are Temptors both to themselues and to others and they are ruled by the Prince of the ayre who rules in all the children of disobedience Eph. 2.2 and leads them as the Ox to the slaughter out of their fat pastures and according to his will 2 Tim. 2.26 Therefore to return these concern them either in the point of their calling to be the Lords or in poynt of their estate being called Q. In how many respects about their first Calling A. Either in Gods preuenting call or his assisting or his perfecting Touching his preuenting thus No sooner doth hee see any sinner make toward the voyce of God to looke into his old course or hearken after a new but presently hee sets upon them euen in their entrance First By presenting old sinnes with all their circumstances order of them number haynousnesse continuance long contempt c. to dismay them from possibiltty of conversion If they answer him they had more need to seeke mercy hee tells them It s too late God will not take the leauings they should haue giuen him their best strength courage time c. Or hee assaults them with their weaknesse of capacity or memory gifts or parts that they shall neuer compasse such great things Learned Wise men are too little for them Or hee discourages them with their husbands ill will the losse of fathers loue and land the worlds disdaine the reproach of their old companions yea perhaps brethren and kindred Or that the things they must forgoe both in liberties and lusts are more than they can beare that they shall neuer endure the trouble of Repentance and change of heart or at least they will be of another minde when charge and trouble comes and shall neuer perseuere to the end But O Satan avaunt The Lord hath preuented me and drawne mee out of darkenesse shall he suffer me to perish in light No as thy first assaults so his grace will be most eager in my entrance to hold
me out of thy clawes and from reuolting Q. How tempts he in the Assisting grace A. Especially in the first workes of the Law which some referre to the former hee corrupts the minde and spirit both in the enlightning part and the terrifying The former hee abuseth to multiply the fearefull view of sinne The latter to make terrour intolerable Hee tempts to bee weary of this Discipline tels them some good people neuer had terror that it will spoile their natures and so it will that they were best to put it by for Mellancholly and these Preachers will kill them let them be merry and sport themselues with pleasures with ease and liberty and then their senses will be fresher themselves fitter for good Now they are but dulled and the Preacher will cast downe ten ere comfort one and therefore leaue off with small trouble rather than great and terror is not repentance neither it can doe no good but kill And when many are thus snared they destroy themselues by violence despairing of any helpe But if they grow to some hope by the Gospell and not to make their hell another heauen then hee tempts them about the condition of the Promise either for kinde or measure that they neuer saw that sweetnesse in Christ which should break their hearts they neuer mourned enough nor hungred nor tooke paines aright nor prized the Promise or if they did yet for necessity or else out of selfe-loue alas they haue despised the Gospel it selfe and can grace saue them that haue hardned themselues as well against it as the Law besides they see others called home long since themselues behinde they are so vile hardened vnworthy cannot pray meditate and therefore God may doe much but they are daily worse rather than better and so in the rest it is not condition can saue them but faith Q. And how in the worke of Beleening A. Here he labours to hold them vnder especially by their irkesome bondage Oh saith he Faith is onely of the Elect and thou art none it 's the free gift of God and he may deny it as well as grant it Many haue come to the birth and haue dyed so and to beleeue is a greater thing than to talke of Sometimes hee makes it lesse than it is to puffe vp the heart with presumption Or hee hides the vertuous savour and strength of the Promise the Simplicity the Faithfulnesse of the Promiser and the offer Hee tells them if they beleeve they must be changed which is hardest of all yea rather than faile hee will seeke to pull downe the whole frame of God ouer their head fill them with temptations about the truth of the Scriptures as if they were but fables and Ministers preacht their owne fancies Hee poysons them with melancholicke distempers and feares askes them how they know this word which they so cleaue to is the Word or not puts worse temptations into them namely whether there be any God or no. And most vsually keeps them betweene the doubt of the Condition and the doubt of the Promise to bee at uncertainties But oh poore soule how shalt thou know thy Election saue by beleeuing or what is that freedome of God saue his bounty to the miserable and who are worthy Revel 3.4 saue those who are made so Looke backe to that I haue written in Part 2. Article the last and God stay thee Q. Proceed to his temptations of them that are called A. These concerne them either in point of their faith and as touching the former he tempteth two waies either about the being or the life of faith or else secondly their obedience Q. How about the being A. Thus he takes aduantage of the weake setling at the first and by that vnrenewednesse of nature which opposes this spirituall grace he seekes to ouerthrow them in the holding of their confidence He knowes this is their onely prop and therefore sometime by shewing them how poore their fruits are or how small their humblings were or what selfe-loue is mixed with their faith or how deadly and dully they walke or that they cannot appropriate Christ in each part of his merit or by the like hee concludes their faith is but temporary and no faith of the elect And at such a bay he holds some for lacke of knowledge that they yeeld and are ready vpon the least Sermons touch or obseruing of other mens confidence for many are too confident or vpon the occasion of any meanes to be vsed or duty to bee done or crosse suffered or the vrging of any priuiledge of a beleeuer to start and say yea if I had faith But I haue none Poore Creature if thou euer hadst it thou yet hast it and therefore hold that thou hast got 2 Iob. 8. Q. How about the life of faith A. Exceedingly For in truth this prooues the other Hee therefore knowing what aduantages he hath in this by either that naturall ease sloth and aweknes to enlarge the truth of one promise to all and partly that willing want of Christians in this point who chuse rather to soder with God in duties then obey him in nourishing their faith daily hee doth very much prevaile and by the small life seekes to destroy the beeing of faith If thou hadst but faith as a grayne of mustard seed thou mightst remoue mountaines But alas what faith hast thou who canst not beare the such a slight crosse a pette fillip of the finger an ill word for thy prosession the losse of a little matter Cow or horse Nay many that want can beare more than thou If thou liuedst by faith either in states meanes graces or duties thou wouldest bee otherwise then thou art not so soone vnsetled not so little growing not so defectiue in the measure of grace in vprightnesse integrity c. But iet the reader reade of this in the second Article of the life of faith Take from Satan his chiefe weapon thy carelesse neglect and the Lord shall sticke to thee in point of weakenesse Q. How doth he assault in point of obedience A. Either he tempts them about it or against it Q. How tempts he them about it A. Thus he buffets them in their comfort therein For whereas it's Gods will that he that walkes vprightly should walke safely and sweetly lo Satan separates the end from the meanes An hipocrite seperates the meanes from the end looking for peace where there is no vprightnesse But heere the stratagem of the Deuill contrary and therefore either he hides that from his eye which should bee his maine comfort in all failings or else takes vantage by that which should bee his humiliation to bee his vtter discouragement And indeed he is rightly himselfe in this for as in the former point he belyes God to the soule as if he could not support it for euer by his promise in the life of faith as Heb. 13.8 so here hee belyes the soule to it selfe and holds it in bondage And although he