the strong man Sathan and cast him out and dwell in thee himselfe Thirdly hee which is no Christian is in danger of al the iudgements of God so that euery moment some of them may befall him He may perish sodainly by water with the olde world he may bee consumed with fire and brimstone with Sodome and Gomorrha hee may bee swallowed vp of the earth with Core Dathan and Abyram hee may hang himself with Iudas he may haue his braines dashed against the grounde and bee eaten vp of dogs with Iesabell he may die in the hardnes of heart with Pharao he may dispaire with Caine and Iudas he may be stricken with sodaine death with Ananias and Saphira his wife he may be eaten of wormes with Herode hee may bee smitten with trembling that he cannot heare Gods worde with Foelix hee may voide his guts at the stoole with Arius he may crie at his death that he is damned with Latomus he may bee left vnto himselfe to mocke blaspheme and renounce Christ with Iulian and hee may suffer manie more fearefull iudgements whereof the Lord hath great store and all tende to the confounding of them which will not be humbled vnder his hand Contrariwise the true Christian is so farre out of the reach of Gods iudgements that they cannot hurt him Christ is a couering and a cloude against the heat and tempest of Gods iudgementes when a mans heart is sprinkled with the bloud of this immaculate Lambe all the plagues of God passe ouer him In the destruction of Ierusalem the righteous beare a marke in their foreheads and are saued Therefore let him that hath regard to his owne safetie become a Christian Thirdly the man which is no Christian is in danger of eternall death and damnation in hell fire and they which fall into this estate it had beene ten thousand folde better for them if they had neuer beene borne for they are quite separated from the presence of God and from his glorie al the company they haue is with the Diuell and his Angels Their bodies and soules are tormented with infinite horrour and anguish arising of the feeling of the whole wrath of God in which as into a bottomlesse sea they are plunged Thus they are alwaies dying and yet are neuer deade Furthermore the length of this torment must bee considered which greatly aggrauates the paine If a man might be deliuered from the panges of hell when he had suffered them so many yeares as there be droppes in the sea or little sands in the whole earth it were some comfort but after that those yeares be expired there shall come no release but the damned shall continue in shriking yelling and gnashing of teeth enduring the consuming heate of Gods wrath without any ende for euer and euer Yea to goe further a wicked man carrieth an hell about him in this life namely an euill conscience which if it bee neuer so litle touched with any of Gods anger a mā shall feele himselfe to haue euen the panges of hell in his heart Nowe therefore all they that woulde escape out of this hellish and damnable estate while they haue time let them pray for the pardon of their sinnes in Christ and walke according to the spirite in newnes of life and then they may assure themselues that there is no condemnation can belong to them And it must be alwaies remembred that he which would liue when he is dead must die while he is aliue namely to sinne And againe he which would rise to eternall life in the daie of iudgement must rise from sin before he die vnto newnes of life The fourth reason God hath appointed vnto euerie man that liueth in the Church a certaine time of repentaunce and of comming to Christ. And hee which mispendeth that time and is not made a Christian then can neuer bee saued This made our Sauiour Christ weepe for Hierusalem and say O if thou hadst knowne at the least in this thy daie those things which belong to thy peace but now are they hidden from thine eies And further signifieth the destruction of Hierusalem because she knew not the time of hir visitation Againe the neglecting of this time is one cause why not one or two but manie shall seek to enter into the kingdome of heauen and yet shall not be able It is a maruailous thing that they which seek to be saued should perish but the fault is theirs which seeke when it is too late Nowe therefore thou secure worldling thy conscience telleth thee that thou hast not yet repented and that thou art not as yet a liuely member of Iesus Christ. And thou knowest further that howsoeuer thou art aliue at this time yet thou hast no lease of thy life God may call thee foorth of this worlde the next yeare the next weeke the next howre Yea he may strike thee with sodaine death at this very present And in very truth if thou goest foorth of this world beeing no Christian thou goest damned to hell Wherefore delaie not one minute of an hower longer but with all speede repent and turne vnto God and bring forth fruites worthie of amendment of life that all thy sinnes may be done away when the day of death or the day of iudgement shal be And doe not thinke with thy selfe that it shall be sufficient to differre thy turning vnto God till the last ende For late repentance is seldome true repentance And he which continueth long in any sinne is in a dangerous case If a man lie long in any disease he will scarce recouer his former health and hee which is growen in the custome of any sin and the sinne is become ripe in him it is a thousand to one he is neuer saued according to that of saint Iames sinne being perfected bringeth forth death The fift reason Eternall life is a thing desired of all men yet none shall be made partakers of it but the true Christian and the glorious estate of this life woulde mooue any man to be a Christian. First of all they which haue eternall life are freed from all pains sickenesses infirmities hunger thirst cold wearines from all sin as anger forgetfulnes ignorance from hell death damnation Sathan from euery thing that causeth miserie according to that of saint Iohn And God will wipe away all teares from their eies there shall be no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither shall there be anie more paine for the first things are passed Secōdly the faithful shall be in the presence of Gods Maiesty in heauen there to behold his face that is his glorie as our Sauiour Christ saith Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am that they may beholde my glorie which thou hast giuen me And Dauid saith In thy presence is fulnes of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Thirdly they
disobedience of the law in sinne the third is the root and fountaine of sinne originall corruption These are three deadly woundes and three running sores in the hearts and consciences of all sinners Now Christ Iesus is perfectly righteous and in him a sinner may find three inestimable benefits answerable to the three former euils First the suffringes of Christ vpon the Crosse sufficient for all mens sinnes Secondly the obedience of Christ in fulfilling the law Thirdly the perfect holines of the humane nature of Christ these are three soueraigne medicins to heale all wounded consciences and they are as three running streames of liuing water to bathe and to supple the bruised and contrite heart Now commeth faith and first laieth hold of the sufferinges of Christ and so a sinner is freed from the punishment and guilt of sinne and from eternall damnation and thus the first deadly wounde is cured Againe faith laieth hold of the perfect obedience of Christ in fulfilling the lawe thus the second wound is cured Thirdly faith applieth the holines of Christs humane nature to the sinner then his nature is accepted of God as perfectly sanctified and so his third deadly wound is cured Thus a sinner is made righteous by the righteousnes of Christ imputed to him XXV From true iustification proceede manie other benefits and they are either outward or inward Outwarde benefites are three The first is Reconciliation by which a man iustified is perfectly reconciled to God because his sinne is done awaie and he is arrayed with the perfect righteousnes of Christ. The second is that afflictions to the faithfull are no punishments for sin but only fatherly and louing chastisements For the guilt and punishment of sinne was borne of Christ. Now therefore if a Christian bee afflicted it is no punishment for then God shoulde punish one fault twise once in Christ and the seconde time vpon the Christian which thing doth not agree with his iustice it remaineth therefore that afflictions are only corrections in the faithfull The third benefite is that the man iustified doth deserue and merite at Gods hands the kingdome of heauen For being made perfectly righteous in Christ he must needs merite eternall life in and by Christ. And therefore Paul called it the iustification of life Rom. 5. 18. XXVI Inward benefites proceeding from iustification are those which are inwardlie felt in the hart and serue for the better assurance of iustification and they are principallie fiue The first is Peace and quietnes of conscience As al men naturallie in Adam are corrupt so all men naturallie haue corrupt and defiled consciences accusing them arraigning them before Gods iudgement for their sinnes in such wise that euerie suspition of death and feare of imminent danger maketh a naturall man stand agast at his wits end knowing not what to doe but by faith in Christ the Christian is perswaded of remission of his sins and so the disquietnes of his conscience is appeased and hee hath an inwarde peace in all extremities which cannot be taken from him XXVII The slumbring dead conscience is much like to the good conscience pacified manie through ignorance take the one for the other But they maie be seuered and discerned thus First let the beleeuing Christian examine himselfe whether his conscience was afflicted with the sense of Gods iudgements and pressed downe with the burden of his sinne before hee came to that quietnes for then he may be in good hope that it was the Spirit of God who brought that peace because God hath promised That he will dwell with the humble and contrite to reuiue and quicken them But if hee haue alwayes had that peace from the beginning of his dayes he maie easilie deceiue himselfe by taking the numnesse and securitie of a defiled conscience for true peace of coÌ„science Secondly let him search from whence this peace of his conscience proceedeth For if it come from anie thing else but from the certaintie of the remission of sinne it is no true peace as manie flattering themselues in sinne and dreaming of a pardon are therevpon quieted and the Deuill is readie enough to put this into their mindes but this can bee no true peace Thirdlie let him examine himselfe if he haue a care to keepe a good conscience which if hee haue he hath also reciued from the Lord a good and a quiet conscience For if God bestowe vpon anie man a gift concerning his saluation he giueth him also a care to keepe it XXVIII The seconde inwarde benefite is An entrance into Gods fauour and a perseuerance in it which is indeede a wonderfull benefite When a man commeth into fauour with his Prince then hee is bolde to come vnto his Prince and hee maie haue free accesse vnto his presence and he may sue to his Prince for anie benefite or preferment whereof he standeth in neede and may obteine it before anie other so they which are in Gods fauour by reason that they are freely pardoned and iustified in Christ do boldlie approach into Gods presence and they are readie to aske and sure to obteine anie benefite that is for their good The third is a spirituall ioy in their harts euen then when they are afflicted because they looke certainely to obtaine the kingdome of heauen The fourth is that the loue of GOD is â—hed in the hartes of the faithfull by the holie Ghost that is that the holie Ghost doth make the faithfull verie euidentlie to feele â—he loue of God towards them and doth as it were fill their harts with it XXIX The second maine benefite is Adoption whereby they which are iustified are also accepted of God as his owne children FroÌ„ Adoption proceed many other benefits First the elect child of God hereby is made a brother to Christ. Secondly he is a King and the kingdom of heauen is his inheritaÌ„ce Thirdly he is Lord ouer all creatures saue Angels Fourthly the holie Angels minister vnto him for his good they garde him and watch about him Fiftlie all things yea greeuous afflictions and sin it selfe turne to his good though in his owne nature it bee neuer so hurtfull threfore death which is most terrible vnto him is no entrance into hell but a narow gate to let him into euerlasting life Lastly being thus adopted he may look for comfort at Gods hand answerable to the measure of his afflictioÌ„ as God hath promised XXX The inward assurance of Adoption is by two witnesses The first is our spirit that is an heart and conscience sanctified by the sprinckling of the bloud of Christ. Now because it commeth to passe that the testimonie of our spirit is feeble and weake God of his goodnes hath giuen his owne spirite to bee a fellow witnes with our spirit for the
acknowledge the truth of it and confesse it if need require be a defender of it As Iudas was Iulian the Apostata X The reprobate may haue a feeling of his sins so acknowledge them the punishment due vnto them as Saul did who said I haue sinned come againe my sonne Dauid for I will doe thee no harme because my soule was pretiou◠in thy eies this day Behold I haue done foolishly and haue erred exceedingly Thus did Cain when he said my punishment is greater then I can beare Galerius Maximinus a vile persecutor of Christiās had his bowels rotting within him so that an infinite number of wormes continually craulled foorth of his bodie and such a poysoning stinke came from him that no man could abide him being thus plagued with the hand of God hee began to perceiue his wickednes in persecuting Christians and he confessed his sins to the true God and assembling the chiefe about him he commaunded that all within his Dominions shoulde cease to trouble Christians and in all hast he made a law for the peace and liberty and the publike meetings of Christians XI The reprobate hath oftentimes feare and terror of conscience but this is onely because he considereth the wrath and vengeance of God which is most terrible When Paul preached before Foelix by the maiestie of Gods spirit did as it were thunder from heauen against his sinnes doubtlesse he made his heart to ake and euery ioint of him to tremble Ecebolius a Philosopher of Constantinople in the daies of Constantius professed Christian religion and went beyond all other in zeale for the same religion yet afterward vnder Iulian he fell from that religion vnto Gentilisme But after Iulians death making meanes to bee receiued into the Church againe ouerwhelmed with the horror of his owne conscience for his wicked reuolting hee cast himselfe downe on the ground before the dores of the Church crying aloude Calcate me salem insipidum trample on me vnsauerie salt And the Diuel beleeueth the word of God and at his owne damnation he trembleth These seruile feares though they harden the heart of the reprobate as heate doth the yron after it hath beene in the furnace yet these feares in the children of God are very good preparations to make them fitte to receiue grace like as wee see the heedle which soweth not the cloth yet it maketh a passage and enterance for the threede which serueth for this vse to sowe cloth together XII A reprobate before he commit a sinne is often vexed within himselfe and feareth to commit it not because hee hateth and disliketh the sinne for it selfe but because he can not abide the punishment due vnto the sin When the daughter of Herodias daunced before Herode and pleased him that hee might doe her a pleasure hee bad her aske what shee woulde shee asked Iohn Baptists head in a platter Herode did graunt her request but yet hee had a grudging in heart and he was sore grieued at it In like maner Pilate was very much troubled inwardly before he condemned our Sauiour Christ. XIII After he hath committed a sinne he sorroweth and repenteth yet this repentance hath two wants in it First hee doth not detest his sinne and his former conuersation when he repenteth he doth bewaile the losse of many things which he once enioyed he cryeth out through very anguish and through the perplexities which God in his iudgement layeth on him yet for his life he is not able to leaue his filthy sinne and if he might be deliuered he would sinne as before Esau wept before his father with great yelling crying but after hee was gone from his fathers presence hee hated his brother who had got his blessing and in contempt of his father chose him a wife against his fathers liking Pharao as oft as the Lorde laide any calamitie on him he euermore desired to bee deliuered from it yet afterward alwaies hee returned to his olde bias againe Foelix trembled before Paul for all that he coulde not leaue his couetousnes but euen then he sought for a bribe Secondly the repobate when he repenteth hee can not come vnto God and seeke vnto him he hath no power no not so much as once to desire to giue one little sobbe for the remission of his sins if hee would giue all the worlde hee cannot so much as giue one rappe at Gods mercie gate that he may open to him He is very like a man vpon a Racke who cryeth and roreth out for very paine yet cannot desire his tormentor to ease him of his paine Caine would haue been voide of his trembling but hee coulde not aske pardon of his sinne from his heart neither coulde Saul or Iudas or now can the Diuel XIIII The reprobate may humble himselfe for some sinnes which he hath committed and may declare this by fasting teares When Eliah reproued Ahab for his Idolatrie and threatned him from the Lord it is said that when hee had heard these wordes hee rent his clothes and put sackcloth vpon him and fasted and went softly in token of mourning and this humiliation staied Gods wrath for a time XV. He may confesse his sinnes euen his particular sinnes before men but this is onely then when his soule is tormented for them and can find no ease For then hee sticketh not to vtter his secret filthinesse to the hearing of all men and to the open shaming of himselfe When God smote all that was in the fieldes of AEgypt with hayle then Pharao sent and called for Moses Aaron sayd vnto them I haue now sinned the Lorde is righteous but I and my people are wicked pray ye vnto the Lord for it is enough that there be no more mightie thunders c. So Iudas when he saw that Christ was condemned and felt an hell in his conscience brake out and said I haue sinned in betraying the innocent bloud And the experience of these dayes giueth fearefull examples for the proofe of this point XVI He hath often a desire to be like the children of God and to be saued not becaus◠he hath anie loue to the kingdome of God but because he is afraide of hell As Balaa◠ouerpressed with a feare of gods iudgemēt prayed thus Oh that my soule might die the death of the righteous and that my last ende might be like his XVII The wicked in their distresse may pray to God and God may heare their prayers and graunt them their request as the Israelites wickedly murmuring against God desired flesh in the wildernes God heard their crie and rained Quailes among them But God heareth the wicked after one sort and them that feare him after an other thē that feare him he graunteth their requestes of loue mercie to the other of indignation and anger As may appeare in the Israelites who when they were in eating of their Quayles and the
plucked out their eies to haue done him good yet they fell from the doctrine which hee had taught them to iustification by the works of the Lawe which flat ouerthroweth iustification by faith alone The same appeareth in Iehu who was very zealous for Gods cause and for the defacing of Idolatrie and thereupon God blessed him in his children yet neuerâ—helesse he was a wicked man and followed â—ha vile sinnes of Ieroboam his father XXVI After that hee hath sinned hee doth in many things in which he is faultie amende and reforme his life and doth professe great holines outwardly Herode hee did manie thinges which Iohn Baptist in preaching moued him vnto Saule when he was to be chosen king professed great humilitie Sam. 9. 21. They may represse their vices corruptions and so moderate themselues that they breake not out as did Haman of whom it is written that when he was full of indignation against Mardocheus yet he refrained himselfe And herein the elect and the reprobate differ for the elect are somewhat reformed in euerie one of their sinnes But the reprobate though hee be amended in manie faults yet some one fault or other he cannot abide to haue it reformed and by that in a vile manner the diuel wholly possesseth him As Herode who did manie thinges yet woulde not leaue his brothers wife And no doubt in Iudas most of his sinnes in appearance were mortified and yet by couetousnes the diuel possessed him and held him fast chained in bondage vndâ— him For one sinne is sufficient to him thâ— by it he may bring a man to damnation XXVII Beside this he may haue the gift of woâ—king miracles of casting forth diuels of heâ—ling and such like And this power of dâ—ing strange miracles shall be vsed as an eâ—cuse of some of the reprobates in the day â— iudgement XXVIII Ofrentimes vnto him is giuen the gift of the holie Ghost to discharge the moâ— waightie calling that can bee in anie Common wealth And this is meant when Goâ— is saide to giue Saule another heart that is such vertues as were meete for a King XXIX A reprobate may haue the word of Goâ— much in his mouth and also may be a preacher of the word for so prophesying in Christâ— name shall bee vsed as an excuse of reprobates and we know that among the twelue Apostles Iudas was a reprobate And this may bee well perceiued in the resemblance of tasting which the Author to the Hebrewes vseth We know that Cookes commonlie which are occupied in preparing of banquets haue as much feeling and seeing of the meate as anie other and yet there is none that eateth lesse of it than they for their stomacks are cloied with the smell and tast of it So in like manner it may come to passe that the Minister which dresseth and prouideth the spirituall foode may eate the least of it himselfe and so labouring to saue others he may be a reprobate XXX When as a reprobate professeth thus much of the Gospel though in deede he be a Goate yet hee is taken for one of Gods sheepe hee is kept in the same pastures and is foulded in the same fould with them He is counted a Christian of the children of God so he taketh himself to be no doubt because through the dulnes of his heart he cannot trie and examine himself and therfore truely cannot discerne of his estate whether hee be in Christ or not and it may be thought that Satan is readie with some false perswasion to deceiue him For this is his property that vpon whom God threatneth death there Satan is bolde to pronounce life and saluation as on the contrarie to those to whom God pronounceth loue and mercie to those I say he threateneth displeasure and damnation such malice hath he against Gods children XXXI And hereby it commeth to passe that an hypocrite may be in the visible Church and obey it in the word and discipline and so bee taken for a true member of Christ when as a man in deede regenerate may be excommunicate and end his life before he be receiued againe for this is the end of excommunication that the flesh that is the part vnregenerate may be destroied and the spirit that is the part regenerate may be kept aliue in the daie of the Lord. Nowe the man in whom is spirite and flesh must needes be the child of God because this argueth that he hath the sanctifying spirite of Christ. Againe Paule when he biddeth the Corinthians to comfort the incestious man least through the sleight of Satan he should be ouerwhelmed of ouermuch heauines giueth men to vnderstand that he might haue ended his life in great extremitie of sorrowe before hee had been visiblie receiued into the Church againe XXXII Though God will neuer adopt any reprobate yet by the adoption of the elect they may receiue profite For they finde â—he blessing of God to be on them by reaâ—on that they dwell together and haue sociâ—tie with the children of God For Nohes â—ake euerie one in his familie is saued in the â—lood For Lots cause the men of Zoar are â—reserued from the fire And God woulde haue spared Sodome if there had beene but ten good men in it For Rahabs cause her familie and kindred are at libertie in Ierico When Ioseph was in Putiphars house all thinges prospered well For Samuels cause the Israelites were deliuered from the Philistines And for Paules cause they which were with him in the ship were preserued And againe a reprobate by meanes of the faith of either of his parents may be within Gods couenant and so may be made partaker of Baptisme one of the seals of the couenant Forso God made his couenant with Abraham that he woulde be not only his God but also the God of his seede after him which Paule expoundeth not of a fewe but of all nations Also he saith manifestly that those children either of whose parents are beleeuers or holie which holines is not inherent in their persons but onely outwarde and it is a spirituall prerogatiue graunted them of God in that he vouchsafeth them to be in his couenant whereby they are distinguished from the wicked and prophane men of the world XXXIII Besides this reprobates haue some prerogâ—atiues of God as that he is patieÌ„t towards them that before he will destroy them he vseth many meanes to winne them that they commonly spend all the daies of their liues in prosperitie insomuch that it is saide of them in the Psalme that they goe in continuall prosperitie vnto their death and pine not away as the children of God doe But after a certaine time God in his iust iudgement hardeneth their harts blindeth the eies of their minds he maketh their heads giddie with a spirituall drunkennes and by the strength of their inward lusts as also by the effectuall
them pliable that hee draweth them that he openeth their senses heartes eares vnderstandinges that the holie Ghost is their anoyntment and their eye-salue to cleare the eies of their minde to conteine the misteries of Gods word And the difference of illumination in them is threefolde 1. First the knowledge which the reprobate hath concerning the kingdom of heauen is onelie a generall confused knowledge but the knowledge of the elect is pure certaine sure distinct and particular for it is ioined with a feeling and inwarde experience of the thing knowne though indeede the minde of man is able to conceiue more than anie Christian heart can feele and this is to bee seene in Paul who vseth not onelie to deliuer the pointes of Gods word in generall manner but also setteth them downe speciallie in his owne experience So that the enlightning of the reprobate may be compared to the sight of the blind man who sawe men walking like vnto trees that is in motion like men but informe like trees and the elect are like the same blind man who afterward sawe men a far off cleerely 2. Secondlie the knowledge of the wicked puffeth them vp but the knowledge of the godlie humbleth them 3. Lastlie the Elect besides the knowledge of Gods word haue a free franke heart to performe it in their liues and conuersations which no reprobate can haue for their illumination is not ioyned with true and sincere obedience By this it is easie to discerne of the illumination of Anabaptistes or familistes and manie other which brag of the spirit VIII The second is the sight of sinne arising of the knowledge of the lawe To this Ieremie exhorteth the Iewes of his time saying know thine iniquitie for thou hast rebelled against the Lord thy God c. The chiefe cause of the sight of sinne is Christ by his holie spirit who detecteth the thoughts of manie harts and iudgeth the world of sinne The manner of seeing our sinnes must be to knowe them particularlie for the vilest wretch in the world can generallie and confusedlie saie he is a sinner but that the sight of sin may be effectuall to saluation it must bee more speciall and distinct euen in particular sins so that a man may saie with Dauid my sins haue taken such holde of me that I am not able to looke vp they are more in number then the haires of mine heade therefore my heart hath failed me Againe a man must not barely see his particular sins but hee must also see the circumstances of them as namely the feareful curses and iudgements of God which accompanie euerie sinne for the consciences of many tell them of their sinnes in particular yet they cannot bee humbled for them and leaue them because they haue not seene that vgly taile of the curse of God that euerie sinne draweth after it IX The meanes to attaine to the sight of sin is by a diligent examination of a mans owne self This was the practise of the children of Israell in affliction Let vs trie saie they and search our waies and turne again to the Lord. And Dauid giueth the same counsell to Saules Courtiers Tremble and sinne not examine your owne heart on your bed and bee still This examination must bee made by the commandements of the lawe but specially by the tenth which ransacketh the heart to the verie quicke and was the meanes of Paules conuersion For he beeing a proude Pharisee this commaundement shewed him some sinnes which otherwise hee had not knowen and it killed him that is it humbled him If so be it that after examination a man cannot finde out his sinnes as no man shall finde out all his sinnes for the heart of man is a vast gulf of sinne without either bottome or banke and hath infinite hidden corruptions in it then hee must in a godly iealousie suspect himselfe of his vnknowen sinnes As Dauid did saying Who can vnderstande his faultes cleanse mee from my secrete faults And as Paule did I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified And good reason it is why men should suspect themselues of those sinnes which as yet they neuer saw in themselues for that which is highlie esteemed amongst men is abhomination in the sight of God and the verie Angels are not clean in his sight X The third is a sorrow for sinne which is a paine and pricking in the heart arising of the feeling of the displeasure of God and of the iust damnation which followeth after sinne This was in the Iewes after Peters first sermon and in Habacucke at the hearing of Gods iudgments When I heard saith he my bellie trembled my lips shooke at the voice rottennes entred into my bones and I trembled in my selfe that I might rest in the daie of trouble This sorrow is called the spirite of bondage to feare because whē the spirit hath made a mā see his sins he seeth further the curse of the law so he finds himselfe to be in bondage vnder Satan hel death damnatiō at which most terrible sight his heart is smitten with feare and trembling through the consideration of his hellish and damnable estate This sorrowe if it continue and increase to some great measure hath certain Symptomes in the bodie as burning heat rowling of the intrals a pining and fainting of the solide partes XI In the feeling of this sorrow three things are to be obserued The first all men must look that it be seriously soundly wrought in their hearts for looke as men vse to break hard stones into many small pieces and into dust so must this feeling of Gods anger for sinne bruse the heart of a poore sinner and bring it to nothing And that this may so be sorrow is not to be felt for a brunt but very often before the ende of a mans life The Godly man from his youth suffereth the terrors of God Iacob wrestling with the Angel gets the victory of him but yet hee is faine to goe halting to his graue and trale one of his loines after him continually The paschal Lamb was neuer eaten without sowre hearbes to signifie that they which will bee free from the wrath of God by Iesus Christ must feele continually the smart of their owne sinnes The second all men must take heede least when they are touched for their sinnes they besnare their own consciences for if the sorrow be somewhat ouer sharpe they shall see themselues euen brought to the gates of hell and to feele the pangues of death And when a man is in this perplexitie he shall finde it a most hard matter to be freed from it without the maruelous power and strength of Christ Iesus who onely is able to helpe him and comfort him yea many when they are once plunged in this distresse and anguish of soule shall neuer escape it
Christian in this temptation is this 1 At the first his heart is vsually dulled â—nd made secure with sinne 2 Yet after a while there ariseth in his hart a godlie sorrow which is when hee is greued for the only cause that by his sin he hath displeased God who hath bene to him so louing mercifull a father whose fauor he would be content to purchasse so hee might haue it and obtaine it euen with the damnation of his owne soule 3 TheÌ„ he begins to repent himself of his sins renewing a fresh his former repentaÌ„ce 4 u This repentaÌ„ce he sheweth by 7. signes 1 A care to leaue that sin into which he is falleÌ„ As they which crucified our sauior Christ wheÌ„ they were pricked in their harts at Peters SermoÌ„ they shewed this care in saiing men brethren what shal we do to be saued 2 An Apologie which is wheÌ„ a man in the heauines of his hart shall not excuse or defend his sin but coÌ„fesse it to the lord vtter ly condeÌ„ne himselfe for it acknowledging withal y t there is no way to escape y t wrath of god but by hauing gods fre pardoÌ„ in christ 3 Indignation which is an inward anger and fretting against his owne selfe because he was so carelesse in looking to his owne waies Peter wheÌ„ he had denied his maister he wept that bitterly which sheweth y t with sorow he had also an anger against himself 4 A feare rising not so much froÌ„ the iudgments of God as froÌ„ this lest he shold hereafter fall into the same sin againe and by so doing more greeuouslie displease God 5 A desire euer after more carefully to plese god 6 Zeale in the seruice of God 7 Reuenge vpon himselfe for his former offences for example if a man sin in surfetting and dronkennes if he euer repent hee will bring vnder his corrupt nature by sparing and moderating himselfe LVIII The sixt temptation is outward afflictioÌ„s which the godly in this life must suffer If any will go after Christ he must denie himself take vp his owne crosse follow him And S. Peter saith that iudgment begins at Gods house And Paul that we must enter into the kingdome of heauen through manifold temptations The exercise of a Christian in afflictions is this 1 At the first they are very heuie bitter 2 He suffereth theÌ„ with great lenitie and patience submitting himselfe vnder the hand of God Yet if they bee in any great measure they will driue him to impatience 3 If they continue he shall feele according to his owne iudgement the wrath displeasure of his hart 4 His old sinnes wil come a fresh into his remembrance and trouble him Hee is sleepie and in his sleepe hee hath visions and dreames and anxietie of spirit 5 In this miserie God supports his faith that it faile not and he then forsake Christ. 6 He feling thus gods power to strengthen him hath experience of it in himselfe 7 From experience proceeds hope that the grace of God shall neuer bee wanting vnto him in anie afflictions to come and as he hopeth so it comes to passe 8 With this hope is ioyned a serious humiliation before the Lord with the fruit of peace and righteousnes If the afflictions bee for Christes cause vnto death then he in more speciall maner is filled with the ioy of the holie ghost and he is then stablished with the greatest measure of the strength of Christ that no torment is able to foyle him and to bring him froÌ„ Christ though the Christian should die a thousand times for it According to that of Paul To you it is giuen for Christ not onelie to beleue in him but also to suffer for his sake And this is grounded vpon the promise of God WheÌ„ thou passest through the waters I wil be with thee through the flouds that they do not ouerflow thee when thou walkest through the very fire thou not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle vpoÌ„ thee LIX Hence ariseth a notable differeÌ„ce betwen the godly the wicked in the suffering of afflictions A reprobate the more the Lord laieth his hand on him the more hee murmureth rebelleth against God it is contrary with the true christian None feeleth more the power rebellion of sin then he none is more assalted by sathan then he often times it cometh to passe that God withdraweth the signes of his fauor from him lets him feele his wrath And this is the greatest temptation of all other when a man shall see the Lord to be his enimie to his thinking to arme himself against him to his destruction As Ezechias did who saith that the Lord did crash his bones like a Lion Or as Iob saith that the arrowes of the almightie were in him the venime thereof drunke vp his spirit the terrors of god did fight against him Yet the true Christian when the world the flesh the deuill God himself too are against him doth euen then most of al rest in the Lord by faith cleue to him Though God should destroy me yet would I trust in him saith Iob. And Dauid saith my God my God why hast thou forsaken me When he saith that God had forsaken him it may seeme to be the complaint of a desperate maÌ„ not hauing so much as one spark of faith yet then he saith my God my God which words contain a confession proceeding froÌ„ true faith so y t in Dauid it appeareth that the faithful wheÌ„ they feele theÌ„selues forlorne vtterly reiected of god according to y e sense iudg ment of y e flesh yet by faith they can apprehend his hiddeÌ„ mercy behold it a far off in the glasse of his promise And so they do often shew contrary affectioÌ„s in their praiers as Dauid doth Iacob when he wrastled with the Angel for life death neuer gaue ouer wheÌ„ he was foild he wold not cease before the Lord had blessed him This his wrastling is a type of the coÌ„flicts which the faithful are to haue with y e lord himself who vseth to bring his own children as it were to the field he assaileth theÌ„ with the one hand with the other he holdeth them vp that so he may proue exercise their faith And for this cause the Church is called Israel by the name of Iacob An exaÌ„ple may be had in the woman of Canaan First our sauior Christ gaue hir faith by y t faith she was moued to seeke to him But when sheâ— was once come to him he gaue hir three repulses First by saying nothing Secondly by denying hir thirdly by calling hir dog Thus Christ in apperance made shew as though he wold neuer haue granted hir request But she at euery repulse was more instaÌ„t crying more earnestly vnto him
she plainly opposed hir self to him wold take no denial for such is the nature of true faith Wherefore the faithfull when they feele theÌ„selues ouerwhelmed with sin turmoiled with coÌ„flicts of satan wheÌ„ they feele y e anger of god offended with theÌ„ yet they can euen theÌ„ lift vp their eie lids giue a glimps at the braseÌ„ Serpent Iesus Christ can fling theÌ„selues into the armes of gods mercy catch hold of the hand of god buffetting theÌ„ kisse it XL. By these teÌ„tatioÌ„s it coms to pas that a ChristiaÌ„ though he cannot fall finally froÌ„ Christ yet he may fall very dangerously froÌ„ his former estate First the graces of god may be by his defalt lessned in him else Paul wold not haue giuen out these exhortatioÌ„s quench not the spirit Grieue not the holy spirit of God by whoÌ„ ye are sealed vnto the day of redemptioÌ„ Secondly the graces of God may be buried in him couered for a time so that he may bee like a man in a traunse who both by his own sense by the iudgement of the phisition is takeÌ„ for dead This was the estate of Peter who though he coÌ„fessed that Christ was the son of the liuing Lord yet he denied him forswore him at the voice of a Damsel Thirdly he may fal againe into the same sin after repentance Indeed this is a dangerous fal yet it may befal a true christian Otherwise wheÌ„ as the Israelits gods people had fallen away froÌ„ him by their sins idolatries he wold not stil haue offered theÌ„ mercie as he doth by his prophets And Paul praieth the Corinthians in Christs stead that they would be recoÌ„ciled to God who neuertheles had once before bene reconciled to God Fourthly he may commit a sinne of presumption which is a fearefull sinne being done wittinglie of knowledge and willinglie and with some wilfulnesse Therefore Dauid prayed keepe thy seruant presumptuous sinne and to shewe himselfe to be in danger of it hee prayeth further let them not haue dominion ouer mee Lastly hee may fall into dispaire of Gods mercie for a time and this is a dangerous sinne For he which dispaires makes all the promises of God to bee false and this sinne of all other is most contrarie to true sauing faith In this estate was Dauid wheÌ„ being in trouble hee said this is my death And Paul shewes that the incestuous man might haue fallen into desperation when hee sayth Comfort him least hee bee swallowed vp of ouermuch heauinesse And it must bee remembred that the Church of Rome erreth in this that she teacheth desperation to bee a sinne against the holie Ghost This sinne against the holie Ghost is a blasphemie spoken against the knowen truth of Gods worde of a wilfull and obstinate malice But desperation may arise through ignorance of a mans owne estate through horror of conscience for sinne through an often relapse into some sinne through the ouerdeepe consideration of a mans owne vnworthines Lastly by abiuration of the truth through compulsion feare This befell Frances Spira who after his Apostasie dispaired Yet they are much ouerseene that write of him as of a damned creature For first who can tell whether hee dispaired finally or not Secondly in the verie middest of his desperation he complained of the hardnes of his heart which made him that he could not praie no doubt then he felt his hardnes of heart and the feeling of corruption in the heart is by some contrarie grace so that he was not quite bereft of al goodnes though he neither felt it then nor shewed it to the beholder LXI The cause why a ChristiaÌ„ caÌ„not fall away froÌ„ grace is this after that he is sanctified he receiueth froÌ„ god another special grace which may be called CorroboratioÌ„ For he hath in him not only the sanctifying but also the strengthning power of Christ. Therfore Paul praieth for the EphesiaÌ„s that they may be strengthned in the inner maÌ„ for the CollossiaÌ„s that they might be strengthned with the glorious power of Christ. And of himself he saith that he is able to do al things through the power of Christ that streÌ„gthen him Dauid saith that God renueth theÌ„ that fear him as the Eagle renueth hir decaied strength And Iob shewes worthily that they which by preaching of the word are reconciled vnto God are restored againe and gather new strength so that their flesh becomes as the flesh of yong children From hence as from a special cause ariseth patience perseuerance vnto the end for when a man is supported by the power of Christ hee may be able to beare many crosses patieÌ„tly with a coÌ„â—ented mind perseuer in bearing of it how long so euer the crosse endureth Thus much of the estate of a Christian in this life Now I wil ad some reasons in the way of perswasion to all meÌ„ but especially to worldlings to loose professors of the Gospell that they woulde vtterly deenie themselues vse all meanes to become true ChristiaÌ„s by being made new creatures in Christ and by leading such a life as may adorne the Gospell of Christ. My first reason is this the man that liueth in this world nor beeing a true Christian is farre more vile then the basest creature of all euen the Dogge or Toade For first he is nothing els but a filthy dunghill of all abhomination and vncleannes the stinke whereof hath infected heauen and earth and no perfumes coulde euer delaie it in the nostrils of God but onely the suffering of Christ beeing a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour to God Wee make it very daintie to come nere a lazar man that is full of botches blaines sores but much more are those men to bee abhorred which haue lien many yeares starke dead in sins and trespasses therfore now do nothing els but rot stinke in theÌ„ like vgly lothsome carrions SecoÌ„dly he which is no ChristiaÌ„ is vnder the power of darknes hauing Sathan for his Prince and God and giuing vnto him in token of homage his best partes euen his minde and conscience to bee his dwelling place and his whole conuersation is nothing else but a perperuall obedience to Sathan If Atheists worldlings carnal gospelers were perswaded of the truth of this as it is most true it would make them howle cry though now they liue at ease without feeling any prick of conscience for sinne And if they had but the least sense of it in the worlde it woulde make their flintie hearts to bleede and it woulde make them shedde riuers of teares But how long shall they continue in this vile estate Truely vntill they come to Christ awake therefore thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light Open thine heart to receiue Christ and then hee will come binde
to dwell in the store-houses to horde vp his heauenlie graces in doth otherwhilesvse a milde and gentle remedie maketh the law to looke vpon vs though with no louing gentle yet with no feareful countenance otherwhiles in some he setteth a sharp edge vpon the law maketh it to wound the hart very deepe and as a strong corasiue to torment them to frette gnawe vpon their consciences And we see by experience that a botch or a bile in a mans bodie is as wel eased of the corruptioÌ„ that is in it by the pricking of the point of a small needle as by the launcing of a great raser Wherfore if God by his spirit haue wrought in you sorrowe for sinne in anie small measure though not in as great measure as you desire you haue no cause to complaine and in that you are greeued sorrowfull for your sinnes it is a good token of the grace of God in you Timoth. Surelie this is a great comforte â—ou giue mee God make mee thankefull â—or it And I praie you more plainely shew me the state of your life till this houre that I and all other may take warning by it Euseb. That which may doe good vnto other men I will neuer conceale though it be to my perpetuall shame As I was conceiued born in sin so my PareÌ„ts brought me vp in ignoraÌ„ce neuer shewed me my shame and miserie by Gods law I liued a long time euen as a man in a dead sleepe or trance and in truth I liued as though there were neither heauen nor hell neither God nor Diuel And the Diuel himself as now I perceiue did often perswade my secure conscience that I was the child of God and shoulde be saued as well as the best man in the world and I yeelded to this perswasion and did verilie thinke it so that when the preacher for wickednesse and securitie denounced Gods iudgementes and hell fire I haue saide vnto my neighbours that I hoped I should be saued and he should goe to hell and when I was asked whether I could keepe all the commandements of the lawe I saide that I coulde and being asked whether I neuer sinned I saide I thought that otherwhiles I did marrie for them which were but fewe I hoped God woulde haue mercie and haue me excused And all my neighbors were glad of my company they spoke well of me and I was taken for an honest man when as indeed before God I was a vile beast the childe of wrath inspired with the spirite of the Diuell continuallie Well afterward I heard the law preached and I sawe and remembred manie fearefull iudgements of GOD vpon men whom I in reason thought were as good men as I then I beganne to consider mine owne estate and to perceiue my sinnes and my cursednesse and vpon a time aboue all other the curse of the lawe made mee inwardlie afraide and my flesh then beganne to tremble and quake then I could not sleepe in the night season I was afraide of euerie thing If I were in my house I thought the house would fall on my head if abroade I thought euerie crannie of the earth would open it selfe wider and swallow me I started at euerie strawe and at the moouing of a flie my meate was lothsome vnto me and I thought I was not worthie of so good a creature of God and that God might iustlie turne it to my bane the greefe of my heart for my life past made me shed abundance of tears and vpon that I remembred that I had heard read in the Church in Dauids Psalmes that his teares were his drinke and that hee did wette his bed with teares And now the Deuill changed both his coate and his note in fearefull manner cryed in my eares that I was a reprobate his childe that none of Gods children were as I am that this griefe of my soule was the beginning of hell And the greater was my paine because I durst not open my minde vnto anie for feare they shoulde haue mocked mee and haue made a iest of it Wherefore I was fayne to go to a godlie learned Preacher I shewed myne estate vnto him after I had continued with him the space of two or three daies I receiued comfort both by the promises of mercie which hee shewed mee in the booke of God and by his feruent godlie and effectuall prayers and I thanke God euer since I haue had some assurance in spite of the Deuill that I doe apperteine to the kingdome of heauen and am nowe a member of Iesus Christ and shall so continue for euer Timoth. How know you that God hath forgiuen your sinne Euseb. Because I am a sinner he is both able and willing to forgiue me Timoth. I graunt that hee is able to forgiue you but how know you that he will you know your sinnes are very great Euseb. I graunt but Christs passion is far greater and although my sinnes were as red as scarlet and as purple yet they shall be as white as snow and as soft as wooll Timoth. Oh but you haue sinned verie often Euseb. Tell mee not I pray you what I haue done but what I will doe Timoth. What will you doe Euseb. By Gods grace it is my full purpose and my earnest praier to God is hereafter to take better heede and to amend my former life Timoth. Is that inough thinke you Euseb. What lacketh Timoth. The fauour and mercie of God that may cleane forsake you Euseb. Nay that I will neuer graunt for I am certainly perswaded of the fauour mercie of God euen to the saluation of my soule Timoth. Oh shewe mee that that is the thing I earnestly desire to bee assured of Gods speciall goodnes euen by your feeling Euseb. According as God hath giuen me to feele the same so will I shewe it you And first of all the dealing of God towards me is a good argument to mee In the first commandement God hath commaunded me to take him to bee my God and in the Lords praier he teacheth me to call him father he hath created the world generallie and euerie creature particularlie for man so for me to serue for my commoditie necessity and admonition Also he hath made me after his owne image hauing a reasonable soule body shape where he might haue made me a Toad a Serpent a Swine deformed frantick Moreouer he hath woÌ„derfullie preserued me in my infancie childhood youth middle age hitherto from manifold daÌ„gers perils all which do confirm in me a perswasion of Gods fatherlie loue that I should not doubt hereof where I might haue beene borne of Turks lo it was the wil of God that I should be borne of Christian PareÌ„ts be brought into Gods Church by Baptisme which is the Sacrament of adoption requireth faith as wel of the remission of my sins as of sanctification and holines to bee wrought of God in mee by
the assumption wherefore I prooue 〈…〉 thus The Sacrament of Penaunce as they all it is one of the chiefe thinges in the â—…ligion of the Church of Rome for it is such a sacrament that by the power efficacie of it the bloude of Christ is deliuered to vs to washe awaie our sinnes and they saie it hath such vertue that the kingdome of heauen is promised to it in the scriptures and that it is not regeneration but an healing of a man regeneration but an healing of a man regenerate that it pardoneth sin as Baptisme And as touching Contrition Papistes write it hath power to do away sinne and to obtein pardon at Gods hand the same they speake oâ— Confession which they saie deliuereth from death openeth Paradise and giueth hopâ— of saluation and hereby it maie appeare that Penance is one of the greatest pointe of the popish religion But a reprobate maie be truely made partaker of the popish sacrament of Penance indeed performe all in it There be three partes of Penaunce Contrition of the heart Confession of the mouth Satisfaction in thâ— deed All these three Iudas performed firâ— he had Contrition for when he saw that oâ— Sauiour Christ was condemned then he saw his owne sinne and was striken with griefe for his owne treacherie repenteâ— and presentlie after he confessed his sinâ— openly vnto the chiefe Priestes and Elder Also he made Satisfaction when he brought againe the thirtie peeces of siluer which he tooke to betraie his maister Again Contrition of the hart is the ground of Penaunce Papists saie it is not an act of the holy ghost but an act of mans freewil proceding froÌ„ it therfore a reprobate may haue it And as for Satisfaction if a reprobate caÌ„not do it by himself yet he may performe it by another for so they saie that one may satisfie by an other wherfore for anie thing I caÌ„ see a reprobate may haue al that is coÌ„teined in the popish sacrameÌ„t of penance Faith is an other of the chiefest points that is the religioÌ„ of the Church of Rome for they saie it is the foundatioÌ„ ground-work of IustificatioÌ„ But reprobats may haue that faith which they meane For they say that it is nothing els but a gift of God a certain light of the mind wherwith a maÌ„ be ing enlightned giueth sure certain assent to y e reuealed word of god And the Rhemists say it is onely an acte of the vnderstanding and Andradius saith that Faith is onely in generall actions and can not come to the particular applying of anie thing now all this reprobates maie haue for their minds are englightened to know the trueth and to be perswaded of it and therfore they haue this acte of the vnderstanding and this generall faith yea the Diuell himselfe can do thus much who beleeueth trembleth And the implicite faith which saueth the laye man what reprobate cannot haue it for there is nothing else required but to beleeue as the Church beleeueth though he know not howe the Church beleeueth And the Papistes themselues say as much for their Councels hold that a wicked maÌ„ and an heretike maye haue confidence in Christ and that an heathen man by the naturall knowledge of God and by the works of creation might haue faith and in a generall manner beleeue in Christ. The second Argument THat religion whose precepts are no directions to attaine peace of conscience leaueth a maxâ—still in a damnable case but the precepts of the religion of the church of Rome are no directions to attaine peace of conscience therefore it leaueth a man in a damnable case which if it be true a reprobate may bee as sound a professor of it as anye other The proofe THe proposition is certaine because as long as any man hath his conscience to accuse him of sinne before God hee is in state of damnation as S. Iohn saith If our hart condemne vs God is greater than our hart and knoweth all things And this is peculiar and proper to the elect children of God to receiue these gifts and graces froÌ„ God the enioying of which bringeth peace of conscience True it is indeed that reprobates receiue many graces and giftes at Gods hand but they are no other then such as may be ioyned with the trembling of the conscience as the deuill is said to beleeue but withall to tremble The Assumption namely that the religion of the Church of Rome cannot pacifie the conscience may be easily prooued on this wise A man whose conscience must be truely quieted must first of all be truely humbled Come vnto me saith our Sauiour Christ all yee which are wearied and burdened and I will ease you Whereby it appeareth that they who are to haue their consciences refreshed in Christ must first of all be afflicted with the sense of Gods iudgement yea they must be pressed down to helward with the weight burden of their sins that they may see it from their hearts confesse it that in theÌ„selues there is no way to escape damnation The good Phisition Christ Iesus cannot heale vs before he hath laÌ„ched our wounds to the very bottom he neuer can find any of his sheepe before they be quite lost hee neuer powreth into vs the liuing waters of his spirit before we be barren dry ground voide of all moisture that maÌ„ must condeÌ„ne himself that wold not haue Christ to pronounce senteÌ„ce of daÌ„natioÌ„ against him Now this true humiliation of a sinner caÌ„ not be wrought in any mans hart by the religion of the Church of Rome True souÌ„d humiliation is wrought by two meanes first by making a man to see the greatnes of his sinne and wickednesse secondly by making him to acknowledge that he is destitute quite bereft of all goodnes For if a man either see not the greatnes of his sin or haue confideÌ„ce of any thing in himself he caÌ„not be humbled but neither of these 2. things are performed in the Church of Rome As touching the first the Romish relâ—gion is so farre froÌ„ amplifying enlarging the greatnes of mens sins that it doth extenuate theÌ„ and lessen them out of measure for it maketh some sinnes to be veniall when as the least sinne that can bee against Gods lawe deserueth damnation it teacheth that lesser sinnes are doone away by an humble accusation of a mans self by saying the Lords praier by knocking vpon the breast and by such like that greater sinnes may be doone away by almes deeds and such like satisfactions But how can any sinne be great that may bee doone awaie with such easie and sleighr meanes Furthermore it teacheth that euill thoughts desires and motions of the heart without consent are no sinnes and this opinion cutteth off all true humiliation for Paule neuer repented before he vnderstood the meaning
this case in which thou art at this present Christian. Heerein thou prouest thy selfe to be a lying spirite for the Prophet Dauid â—aith of himselfe that he was foolish and as a beast before God and yet he euen then trusted in God And Paule was so led capâ—iue of sinne that he was not able to do the good he would but did the euill which hee â—ated and so in great pensiuenes of heart desired to be deliuered from this world that â—ee might bee disburdened of his corrupt â—â—esh Sathan Thou miserable wretch doest â—â—ou feele thy selfe gracelesse and wilt thou â—eare the face of a Christian and by thy â—ypocrisie offend God as thou art so shew â—â—y selfe to the world Christian. Auoide Sathan Christe hath anquished and ouercome thee for my â—ause that I might also triumph ouer thee â— am no hypocrite for whereas I haue had â—eeretofore some testimonie of my faith at his time I am lesse mooued though faith â—â—eme to be absent like as a man may seeme 〈◊〉 bee dead both in his owne sense and by the iudgement of the Phisition and yet maie haue life in him so faith maie bee though alwaies it doe not appeare Sathan But thou art a man starke dead in sin God hath now quite forsaken thee hee hath left thee vnto me to be ruled hee hath giuen me power ouer thee to bring thee to damnation he will not haue thee to trust in him anie longer Christian. Strengthen me good Lord remember thy mercifull promises that thou wilt reuiue the humble giue life to them that are of a contrite heart Sathan These promises concerne not thee which hast no humble and contrite but a froward and a rebellious heart Christian. Good Lorde forget not thy former mercies giue an issue to these temptations of mine enemie Satan And you my bretheren which know my estate praie for me that God woulde turne his fauourable countenance towards me for this I know that the ptaier of the righteous auaileth much if it be feruent Howe a man should applie aright the word of God to his owne soule I EVerie Christian containeth in himselfe two natures flat contrarie the one to the other the flesh and the spirite and that he may become a perfect man in Christ Iesus his earnest indeuour must bee to tame and subdue the flesh to strengthen and confirme the spirit II Answerable to these two natures are the two parts of Gods worde First the Lawe because it is the ministerie of death it fitlie serueth for the taming and maistering of the rebellious flesh and the Gospell containing the bountifull promises of God in Christ is as oile to powre into our wounds and as the water of life to quench our thirstie soules it fitlie serueth for the strengthening of the Spirite III Well then art thou secure Art thou prone to euill Feelest thou that thy rebellious flesh carrieth thee captiue vnto sinne Looke nowe onelie vpon the lawe of God applie it to thy self examine thy thoughts thy words thy deedes by it pray vnto God that he would giue thee the Spirit of feare that the law maie in some measure huÌ„ble terrifie thee for as Salomon saith blessed is the man that feareth alwaies but cursed is he that hardeneth his heart IIII In the Law these are most effectuall meditations to humble and bridle the flesh which follow First meditate on the greatnes of thy sinnes and of their infinite number and if it may be gather them into a Catalogue set it before thee and looke vnto it that thou think no sinne to be a small sin no not the bare thoughts and motions of thy heart Often with diligence consider the strange iudgements of God vpon men for their sinnes which thou shalt find partlie in the Scriptures partlie by dailie experience Doubtlesse thou must thinke that euerie iudgement of God is a sermon of repentance Thinke oft on the fearefull curse of the law due vnto thee if thou shouldest sin neuer but once in al thy life and that neuer so litle Remember that whensoeuer thou committest a sin God is present and his holie Angels that he is an eie witnes that he taketh a note of thy sin registreth it in a booke Thinke dailie of thy ende and know that God maie strike thee with sodain death euerie moment and that if then thou haue not repented before that time there is no hope of saluation Thinke on the sodain comming of our Sauiour Christ to iudgement let it moue thee continually to watch and praie If these will not moue thee think on this that no creature in heauen or in earth was able to pacifie the wrath of God for thy sins but his owne Sonne must come downe from heauen out of his Fathers bosome and must beare the curse of the lawe euen the full wrath of his Father for thee V When by these meanes thou art feared and thy minde is disquieted in respect of Gods iudgement for thy sin haue recourse â—o the promises of mercie contained in the â—ld and new Testament Is thy conscience stung with sin And doth the law make theâ— feele it With all speede runne to the braseâ— Serpent Christ Iesus look on him with the eie of faith and presently thou shalt be healed of thy sting or wound VI When thou doest meditate on the promises of the Gospell diligentlie consideâ— these benefites which thou enioiest by Christ. Through Adam thou art condemned to hell by Christ thou art deliuereâ— from it Through Adam thou hast transgreâ—sed the whole law in Christ thou hast fulfilled it Through Adam thou art before Goâ— a vile a lothsome sinner through Chriâ—â— thou doest appeare glorious in his eies Bâ— Adam euerie litle crosse is the punishmenâ— of thy sin and a token of Gods wrath by Christ the greatest crosses are easie profitable and tokens of Gods mercie By Adam thou diddest loose all thinges in Christ aâ— things are restored to thee again By Adam thou art dead by Christ thou art quickneâ— and made aliue againe By Adam thou art slaue of the Diuel and the childe of wratâ— but by Christ thou art the child of God 〈…〉 Adam thou art worse than a Toade moâ—… detestable before God but by Christ thoâ— art aboue the Angels For thou art ioined vnto him and made bone of his bone misticallie Through Adam sinne and Sathan haue ruled in thee and led thee captiue by Christ the spirite of God dwelleth in thee plenteouslie By Adam came death to thee it is an entrance to hel by Christ though death remain yet it is onelie a passage vnto life Lastlie in Adam thou art poore and blinde and miserable In Christ thou art rich and glorious thou art the King of heauen and earth fellow heire with him and shalt as sure be partaker of it as he is euen now Adam when he must needs tast