rooted in the heart and it continueth for euer Lastly it causeth vs to loue looke and long for the life to come Q. How a man must imprint and ground these meditations in his heart A. Hee must abstaine from all impiety and vnrighteousnesse and practise the duties of holines and righteousnes for God will reueale his secrets to the humble and to them that feare him Psal. 25.11 Gen. 18.10 Secondly hee must be frequent and feruent in the holy vse of the Word Sacraments and Prayer for hereby faith and hope are wrought maintained encreased Q. Why doe Gods children die seeing that their sinnes are not imputed to them and the image of God which consisteth in the knowledge of the sauing truth and in true holinesse and righteousnesse is repaired in them A. I answere first though sinne bee not imputed to them and so they cannot be condemned for it yet all sinne is not wholy taken away Secondly regeneration is onely in this life begun and in dayly progresse Thirdly God will haue the godly to die the temporary death as well as the wicked that they acknowledging the seuerity of Gods anger against sin may learne to hate it Fourthly that they may lay downe the remnants of sinne and the adherâ—nt miseries And lastly that they may haue experience of the power of God who raiseth vp the dead Q. Whether that death may be desired and wished for A. It may not simply and absolutely be desired for it is an euill and against nature and therefore not to be desired but conditionally we may lawfully desire death Q. In what respects may it be desired A. In two respects principally First as it is a way and means to deliuer vs wholy from the burden bondage and slauery of all sinne and to free vs from all the maladies and miseries of this wretched life Secondly as it is a meanes and instrument to bring vs to the manifest and glorious vision and sight of God to the immediate and euerlasting fellowship and communion of the whole Trinity the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Q Whether that a Christian may lawfully desire life A. Yes in some respect namely iâ— we desire to doe further good before wée die and make the glory of God the end and scope of our life for God will bee glorified in vs so long as we liue in this earthly Tabernacle And therefore euery man must obediently walke in his calling vntill it shall please God to remoue and translate him hence and hee must rather séeke to honour God and do seruice to his Church then respect his heauenly aduancement Ob. But the longer that we liue the more we multiplie sinne and offend our God and therefore wee may not lawfully desire life A. The Argument is not good For first Gods children sinne not wittingly and willingly nor make a trade of sinne as wicked men doe Secondly their sinnes are couered and not imputed vnto them Lastly the good that they be examples and instruments of is much more pleasing and acceptable to God and to good men then their infirmities and imperfections are distastfull Q. What is required that a man may die well and blessedly A. Two things First a preparation against death Secondly a right disposition in death Q. Is preparation against death necessarie A. Yea for first we must néeds die for sinne hath deserued and procured it and God thereupon hath imposed it Secondly in what state soeuer the day of death leaueth vs in the same state the day of iudgement shall find vs. Thirdly this preparation cutteth off and preuenteth much sinne in vs which wee would otherwise designe and commit Fourthly death is our enemy and our last greatest enemy and therefore we must by faith in our Lord Iesu labour and striue to subdue quell him Lastly this is our last iourney and if we dispatch it happily and according to Christ our Captaines direction it will forthwith after our death conuey vs into heauen Q Wherein doth this preparation consist A. In sundry meditations and duties Q. What must wee principally meditate vpon A. First we must before hand thinke on our latter end and not foolishly accuse old age or nature for death commeth is inflicted from God Secondly me must betimes thinke on on the right composing and ordering of our liues namely whether that wee haue ceased to doe euill and haue done what good we could for otherwise death will ouertake vs we wil wish that we had done it when it is too late Luk. 13. v. 35. Thirdly we must know that Christ hath abolished eternall death and made our temporary death an entrance to the Father Fourthly we must contemplate and muse vpon the glorious resurrection of the body which will much comfort and refresh vs. Lastly we must cast our thoughts vpon that most excellent and eternall waight of glory reserued for vs in the heauens which doth infinitely surpasse and ouerway all temporall afflictions whatsoeuer Q. What duties must the sicke man performe in generall A. Thrée duties First towards God Secondly towards his neighbour and lastly towards himselfe Q. What duties is he to perform towards God A. He must séeke to be reconciled vnto God and for this end he must repaire and renue his faith and repentance partly because many times in temptation hee looseth somthing and partly because hee daily slippeth or committeth new sinnes which require a new act of faith and repentance Secondly he must constantly confesse Christ and proclaime and publish how many wayes God hath beene good to his soule and body Lastly hee must by the eyes of faith view contemplate looke vpon Christ the brazen serpent and then death shall neuer sting him Q. Why must hee performe these duties towards God A. Because ordinarily sicknesses paines and diseases are sent and inflicted of God for a punishment and for our reformation and amendment as most clearely appeareth in many places of holy Scriptures Lament 3.39 Math. 9.2 Joh. 5.74 Q. What seruices oweth the sickeman to his neighbour and what duties is he to performe towards him A. Hee must performe all duties of piety loue and righteousnes and Magistrates and Ministers must not onely commaund and exhort their people subiects hearers to listen to and obey sound doctrine and Christ his blessed Gospell but also they must by all possible means endeauour that they after their death may leaue them in as holy and happy estate as they found them Act. 20.28 2. Pet. 1. v. 5. Q. What duties is he to performe to his wife children family A. First he must aduise and perswade them to constancy and to obedience of the sauing truth for his words spoken at such a time leaue the greatest impression in the minds of them that heare him Secondly he must for the peace of his owne soule and for the preuenting and cutting of many néedlesse suites and contentions in law that might arise after his death in equity
wisedome to the simple the statutes of the Lord are right and reioice the heart the commaundement of the Lord is pure giueth light to the eyes Let vs praise and magnifie God for our gratious deliuerance let vs remember Ioseph his afflictions and helpe our persecuted brethren by our goods and money if wee can and at least by our praiers and intercessions for this euidently proueth that we are feeling members of the same mysticall body wherof Christ is the head CHAP. XI The generall vse and application of the whole Treatise THe quintessence of all that hath beene formerly and at large in this treatise handled may be aptly and pithily reduced to these â—ew conclusions folâ—owing First that man by his first creation was pure holy innocent and liued in a most happy and blissefull estate Secondly that hee by his voluntarie fall and apostasie from God and from his former integrity hath in soule and body corrupted himselfe and all his posterity and not onely depriued himselfe all his sucsessours of all originall holinesse and happinesse but also wholly subiected them himselfe to all plagues and miseries both temporall and eternall Thirdly that sinne is very distastefull odious and stinking in Gods taste sight and nostrils for otherwise the most iust Lord would neuer so grieuously nor with such variety of plagues and punishments execute his indignation not only vpon men of yéeres but also vpon the very infants that haue committed no actuall transgression Fourthly the Lord that draweth light out of darknesse life out of death and in iudgement remembreth mercy hath giuen his onely sonne Iesus Christ to die to make a perfect satisfaction to his iustice for the sinnes of all the elect and to be a perpetuall intercessour for them so that they are not onely freed from the guilt dominion and euerlasting punishment of sinne but also entitled vnto and shall in time certainely possesse euerlasting and vnspeakable glorie and holinesse Fifthly that Christ hath by vertue of faith in his death and merits transnatured and changed to all his elect the temporarie and eternall plagues and punishments of sinne into certaine gentle momentanie fatherlie corrections and chastisments Sixthly that God hath not left his people in their crosses temptations and afflictions without hope helpe and remedie but hath giuen them the sacred and all sufficient Scriptures to instruct direct and to confirme and comfort their soules and cosciences in all distresses inward and outward in all afflictions and against all scandals persecutions whatsoeuer Seuenthly God hath prouided for his people Ministers by their pure preching and iudicious writings to resolue them in all doubts and christian friends and acquaintance to solace and support them Wherefore wée must daily blesse God for his infinite mercy in Christ attend vnto and consult the Scriptures our pastours and christian brethren Eighthly wée must make vse of the treatises and volumes of godly learned men who haue trauelled to good purpose in this kind Ninthly wée must in our afflictions and distresses find out confesse and bewaile our particular sinnes and earnestly entreat God for Christ his sake to pardon them for they are the meritorious causes of all our miseries Tenthly we in our miseries and troubles must not murmurre and repine against God nor vse any vnlawfull meanes of ease and deliuerance much lesse despaire of Gods gracious mercy helpe but wée ought to commend our soules bodies and outward state to Gods blessed gouernment and promises wee must desire direction and the spirit of strength and constancie from God and in hope patience waite vpon him vntill hée haue mercy vpon vs. Eleuenthly wée in our prosperity must prepare our selues against aduersity and wee must with such a sympathy and fellow féeling remember them that are in affliction and so endeauour to reléeue and resolue them as if we were also afflicted in the body Heb. 13.3 Lastly when we are recouered out of any temptation or deliuered out of any trouble we must giue God all the glory of it and in our rest and prosperity gâ—ther grace and strength so hearten our selues against the next temptation Now the God of all grace and consolation for Christ Iesus his sake so direct and instruct vs by his blessed spirit to performe all these duties that his Maiestie may haue all the glorie his Church and children good examples of imitation and we our selues haue ioy and comfort in this world and eternall Saluation in the next Amen A LARGE TABLE CONtaining the chiefe points heads and particulars that are handled and applied in both the Bookes of this CHRISTIAN ARMORIE The first Booke CHAP. I. THe originall of mans sinne and miserie What sinne is Who is the subiect of it What be the kinds of it What is originall sinne The titles and names of it The parts causes and vses of it Why the corruption of it remaineth in Gods children What was Adams fall What was the obiect of it Why the eating of an Apple was so grieuously punished The instrumentall and formall cause of his fall How God did forsake our first parents Why did God permit their fall How it can stand with Gods iustice that all Adams posterity should smart for his sinne How can Adams personall sinne be imputed to his posterity How can parents deriue corruption vnto their children The parents doe not beget the soules of their children how can they then infuse corruption into them What vse are we to make hereof What is actuall sinne The oâ—iginall of it The inward and outward causes of it The difference betweene originall and actuall sinne CHAP. II. What followeth sinne Whether afflictions and temporall euils be properly curâ—es and satisfactions to Gods iustice How are they qualified to the beleeuers The sinnes of Gods elâ—ct are forgiuen and why are not the chastisements with aâ—l remoud The vse of the point CHAP. III. What the crosse is Why no â—eruant of God is freed from it What is to bee thought of them that feele no crosse The vse of the point Whether that the crosse be good or not For what ends God doth crosse and afflict his câ—ildren Whâ— doe not the same ends effects and euents appeare in the wicked Arguments to mooue vs to patience vnder the crosse Comfortable conclusions and meditations against the crosse What duties are to bee performed towards the afflicted CHAP. IIII. How the Crosse is to bee diuided and distinguished What comforts are there against warre Comfoâ—ts and holy counsaile for them that are foiled in battaile What duties are to be performed in time of war Comforts against ciuill warre What duties are then to be performed CHAP. V. Whether that the plague be infectious or not Whether a Christian may lawfully flee iâ— the time of the plague Certain obiections answered The duty of them that flee The duties of them that abide at home Why God somtimes doth by the pestilence cut downe and destroy so many thousands Heauenly meditations against
and conscience make his last Will and Testament and bequeath his goods lands liuing to his wife children kinsfolke friends and to the poore as the law of God and man requireth Q. What duties is hee bound to performe towards himselfe A. He must by faith in the Lord Iesu arme himselfe against satans assaults and against the feare of death and the last iudgement and he must not so much feare death as looke on euerlasting life Secondly touching the body he must be carefull to vse physicke and all other good meanes to preserue and continue life and health vntill it shall please God to take it away Lastly hee must continually resigne himselfe and commend his soule and spirit into Gods blessed hands Q. Jf all these duties be performed in good conscience what good wil come thereof A. First God will honour such as feare and honour him he I say will honour them as well in life as in death 1. Sam. 2.30 Secondly he will make the name and memory of them pretious after death for the iust shall be had in an euerlasting remembrance Q What is a right dispotion in death A. A religious and an holy behauiour of a mans selfe especially towards God Q Is it necessary A. Yes for first now it is the very time to practise it Secondly without this disposition and behauiour our death cannot be pleasant and acceptable in Gods sight Q. What are the parts of it A. Thrée namely to die in faith to die in obedience and to resigne or surrender vp our soules into Gods hands Q What is it to die in faith A. To take notice of and lay hold of Gods gracious promises in Christ touching remission of sinnes and euerlasting life and wholly to rely vpon them as they are reuealed and set forth in the scriptures Q. What benefit shall a man haue who dieth in true faith A. He shall be able to kéepe himselfe safe and sound against the temptations and pangs of death and shall forthwith after he hath giuen vp the Ghost bee made partaker of eternall life and happinesse Q. How is our faith to be expressed A Two maner of waies the one inward the other outward First inwardly by déepe sighes sobs and groanes after a mans redemption Secondly and that outwardly by praier thanksgiuing and good exhortations and often communications touching God and godlinesse Q. What is it to die in obedience A. It is willingly and gladly to submit our selues to Gods will in bearing the crosse Mat. 27. and without murmuring or grudging to goe to God who in death respecteth vs and will vndoubtedly receiue vs. Q. What are they to be compared vnto that die vnwillingly A. They if they belong to God doe as if a prisoner should delight in his prison and dungeon and would not goe forth to a glorious palace and perfect liberty when he lawfully might either forgetting the slauery and defilements which he leaueth or the good things to which he goeth Q. How is this duty to bee performed A. By learning to die daily and not through any impatiency or through the tediousnes of trouble to wish death as Elias did for then we discouer pride and disobedience in that we will not wait on Gods leasure but follow our owne corrupt affections Q. How shall we learne to die daily A. By taking vp Christ his crosse daily and if we doe with patience and méeknes buckle with affliction For euery affliction is a petty death and if we can endure to vndergo this petty death we shall the more comfortably vndergoe the great death of all which is the disiunction or dissolution of the soule from the body Q What is it to surrender our soules into Gods hands A. To yéeld them vp into his hands as vnto a faithfull creator in certaine hope of our present glorification Q. What generall comforts are there against death A. First the sting thereof is taken away by Christ his death and the power abolished death to the godly is like a drone Bée that kéepeth a buzzing and humming but hath lost her sting and cannot hurt Secondly death is to Gods children a gaile deliuery from all sinne and the miseries of this life and a passage vnto the euident and manifest sight and presence of God Thirdly in death God is not only present with his children by his spirit to instruct comfort and assist them but also sendeth his holy Angels to attend vpon them and to saue them from the violence and vexation of euill spirits and to carry their soules into heauen forthwith after that they are separated from their bodies Lastly by death the soules of the godly shall bee made infinitely more holy and happy glad and glorious then euer they were when they were inclosed in the sinfull subiect prison of the body and as for their bodies they after that they haue slept a while in the earth shall be raised vp againe immortall incorruptible and farre more bright and beautifull then they had euer béen if man had neuer sinned Q. What is the quintessence of these conclusions A. First we are taught hereby not to feare to depart out of the ruinous house of our bodies whensoeuer God doth call vs knowing that a better life shall follow after death for they only are blessed that die in the Lord and of this point wee must much thinke and study Secondly we are aduertised hereby not to be cast downe nor discouraged at bodily diseases dolours deformities for the resurrection shall put an end hereunto Lastly we must not vnmeasurably mourne for those that sléepe in the Lord seeing their soules which are the better part of them liue with God and their bodies being bought with a price namely the precious bloud of Christ and being made the temples of the holy Ghost shall at the last day rise againe in glory and incorruption CHAP. XIIII Of certaine particular euils defects and deformities in the body and also crosses in the outward state Question OF how many sorts are these particular euils A. Of two sorts to wit ordinary and extraordinary Q. What are the ordinary euils A. They are either such as are in and about the body or that haue a mans outward state for their obiect Q. What are those euils and defects that are in and about the body A. Deformity lamenes blindnes deafnes dumbnes c. Q. How shall we comfort our selues against the lothsome deformity of the body A. By marking and meditating vpon these conclusions following First bodily deformity doth nothing preiudice the estate of Gods Saints before God as the examples of Iob Dauid Mephibosheth Ezechias Aza Lazarus c. and of innumerable besides 〈◊〉 demonstrate Secondly they endure but for a time and at the furthest end and determine with this life Thirdly though the bodies of Gods Saints be for the time neuer so lothsome and deformed yet are their sinnes couered by the roiall roabes of Christ his
of peace and the entrance into paradise to all beleeuers Q. Why doe holy and regeneraâ—â— men die seeing that their sins are forgiuen them A. First because the remainders of sinne are left in them which cannot be abolished but by changing corruption into incorruption and this cannot be performed before the last day Secondly the law of nature must bèe fulfilled as well in them as in any other Lastly the quality of death is changed in the beléeuers for it is not death but a sleepe and not a punishment but a fatherly correction yea and a spéedy passage to eternall life Q. Seeing that the soules of the Saints are immediately after their departure out of the body glorified why are the bodies so long kept vnder the power of death and not iointly glorified with their soules A. First the body did sinne last and therefore is glorified last for this standeth with the proportion of iustice Secondly God in detaining the body for a time in the earth which is the first death doth hereby declare his mercy in deliuering both soule and body froÌ„ the second death Thirdly wee must by death bee made conformable to Christ our Sauiour that wee may raigne with him Fourthly God will hereby shew the truth of that his threatning Thou art dust and to dust shalt thou returne Fifthly Christ their head and King who is the resurrection and the life and the first fruits of the dead must of necessity be glorified before the members Lastly the bodies of the Saints though lying in the graue and consumed there yet are without sinne and sense of paine and they shall arise againe in glory at the last day and be reunited to their soules c. and both together inherite eternall happines through the power of God Ob. But the bodies of Henoch before the law and of Elias in time of the law neuer died but were rapt and translated into heauen A. First these examples are extraordinary and therefore they are no common rule to others For God did not onely hereby signifie to the world in what account he had them though the world distasted and despised their persons and blessed doctrine but hee made them types and figures of the generall resurrection Secondly some Diuines hold that their bodies though rapt vp into the aire were coÌ„sumed in the aire because Christ in regard of his bodily ascension is said to be the first fruits of the dead Lastly they died an extraordinary death such as we the Saints that shal be found aliue at Christ his comming shall tast of for their bodies were in a moment changed from mortality to immortality and from corruption to incorruption Q. But why doe Infants that are called Innocents die seeing that they doe not and cannot sinne with consent of will nor of knowledge as doe men of yeares A. Albeit they want as yet the power meanes instruments to commit Actuall sinne yet they haue the bitter and poisonfull root of originall sinne in them and in it they were conceiued and borne and the wages euen of it is death Secondly God will sometimes temporally punish or châ—sten the parents in the death of their children because they are flesh of their flesh and bone of their bones and who perhaps would if God granted them longer life match and equall their parents in sinne Q What are we further to consider in prosecuting this argument of death A Foure chiefe branches or partes First some of the principall reputed and supposed euils of it Secondly the benefites of it both Priuatiue and Affirmatiue or Positiue Thirdly the right preparation against it Lastly a right disposition in death it selfe Q What are some of the principall and so reputed euils A. Thrée First the suddennes of it in many Secondly the violent death of many Thirdly the vncomfortable and lamentable effects of it in that it bereaueth vs of the benefite company gifts prayers gouernment of many notable and worthy persons in Church common-wealth and family Q. Now to handle euery member of the diuision in his right place and order is sudden death simply euill and a curse A. I must néeds distinguish of suddeÌ„ death for qui non distinguit destruit artem First in it selfe it is not euill but because it commonly taketh men vnrepentant and vnprepared otherwise the last iudgement should be simply euill because it is sudden seeing that the sonne of man will come in an houre when wee looke not for him but this sudden comming of Christ is not euil but good and happy for Gods children Againe the manner and time of euery mans death is not in his own dispositioÌ„ but in Gods power and hands onely Secondly we must distinguish of it according to the persons vpon whom it seazeth they are either irrepentant persons and thus die and to these death is hel-mouth the beginning of euerlasting torment or repentant and to these it is no curse for Christ hath by his death and passion taken away the curse but it is a short and vnsensible crosse and correction which freeth them from the feare of death and doth speedily conuey them into the hauen of eternall rest Secondly it is not sudden to the godly that long before foresaw it and waited for it Thirdly the sooner that they die the sooner are they blessed for they rest from their labours and their works follow them Lastly many of Gods children haue died suddenly yet they were not hereby defrauded of eternall glory of this number were Iobs children Mephâ—hosheth the infants that the bloudy butcher Herode caused to bee massacred Iohn the Baptist suddenly beheaded c. But as for wicked vnbeléeuing and vnrepentant persons they liue not out half their dayes but sudden yea ordinary death is to them a curse and a swift posting of them into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone as we may see in Pharaoh Nabal and the rich churle whereof we reade in the 12 of Luke Q. What vse are wee to make hereof A. Seeing that death many times stealeth and encrocheth vpon vs so vnlooked for wée ought daily to prepare ourselues against it by prayer repentance and the practise of good works and to thinke euery day to be the last for as an ancient Father saith vtiliter latet vltimus dies vt obseruentur omnes dies that is the last day is for our profite kept vnknowne that all the rest may be obserued Secondly being prepared and resolâ—ued before hand let vs not feare the circumstances of death more then death it selfe but let vs for our comfort know and be assured that the sting of euery kind of death is taken away by Christs death from the true beleeuers and no manner of death can diuert and diuorce them from Christ their Sauiour Lastly wee must daily commend our soules and spirits into Gods hands as vnto a faithfull Creator not doubting but that hee will receiue and glorifie them but
we haue begun to doe some worthy acts as Dauid did when he made preparation for the building of the Temple c. God the righteous Iudge will regard and reward not onely our action but our affection and our desire as well as our déed Lastly let vs laying aside all other works intend and study this one thing which is to die well for this is instar omnium that is this instead of all for according to the antient Prouerbe All is well that ends well Q. How shall we comfort our selues when death hath depriued vs of very good benefactors friends fauorites A First you haue not lost them but sent them before to God for death hath not consumed them but eternity shall receiue them Secondly they liue in their better part for though death hath taken away his body yet not his friendship past nor our friends who are forth comming and whom we shall see know and conuerse with after the day of iudgement 1. Cor. 13.12 Thirdly their vertues are immortall and for thy practise and imitation and the remembrance of them is swéete delightsome and comfortable vnto vs. Fourthly it may be when we enioied them we did not as our duty required honour reuerence and esteeme or them Fifthly if our friends be remooued hence and translated into heauen we must labour by our godlinesse humility and weldoing to gain get new friends Lastly if all our chiefe friends and benofactors on earth be flowen vp into heauen it must abundantly suffice and content vs that the whole holy and vndiuideable Trinity God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are our friends fauorites benefactors vpholders for they are all in all and therefore let vs as well trust in God when our friends faile as when they abound CHAP. XII Particular comforts for them that haue sustained particular losses by the death of kinsfolks c. Question HOw shall a Christian man comfort and resolue himselfe that hath by death parted with a vertuous and kind wife A. Indéed thy losse is great and it is as it were the cutting away of one halfe of thée but thou must remember that she was borne mortal and that frō Adam to the worlds end all must die and therefore thou must take it patiently Secondly all things come to passe by Gods prouidence and appointment who turneth all things to the best to them that loue him Thirdly God will hereby either correct thy vnthankfulnesse or try thy patience Fourthly if she had liued longer she might perhaps haue growne worse and haue béen a crosse and vexation vnto thée Fifthly thou art hereby fréed from ielosie suspition to which good women are sometimes subiect Sixthly God can make thée a gainer by thy losse and procure thee a second as good as shee as when Michal was taken away from Dauid God afterwards prouided for him faire and wise Abigail Seuenthly if thou vnder God wast an instrument to make her good thou maiest make the second good by thy instruction and holy example for though thy wife be gone yet thou the workman art aliue Eighthly thanke God that thou so long time and to thy great contentment didst inioy so good a wife and therefore now thou must be content to receiue some chastisement from God as well as good things in former times Lastly preserue and honour her memory after her death and speake well of her and if thou bee inclined to match againe pray vnto God that thy second choice may bee matchable to thy first and God will heare thy praier Q What comfortable meditations and directions can you bring forth for a Christian wife that hath lost a good and a godly husband A. First she is wedded to Christ and therefore she is no widow nor can want any necessary help and protection Apoc. 12.1 Apoc. 19 7. Secondly death hath not parted husband and wife for euer but for a time for they shall one day if they both feared God sée and know one the other albeit all respects of marriage shall then wholly cease Thirdly God hath a speciall care of widowes as may appeare by miracles done in their behalfe and for their reléefe in the old and new Testament and he laieth a strait charge vpon Magistrates Rulers and Iudges to sée them righted and prouided for Fourthly if she truly feare God and intend a second marriage he that prouided her a good husband before can prouide her a second as good as he prouided faire vertuous and wise Abigail for Dauid Lastly it may be either she did not respect him according to his worth and therefore God hath iustly corrected her vnthankfulnes or else she too much doated vpon him and was too fond of him and therefore God by his death will heale this sinne in her and cause her to depend vpon him onely when the staffe of her outward state is taken away Q. Let vs heare some comforts for parents that by death are bereaued of godly and dutifull children A. First we must alwaies remember that sinne hath deserued death and that God hereupon in the time appointed inposeth death vpon young as well as the aged and his decrée cannot bee preuented or resisted Secondly herein the Saints of God beare their parts with thée and therefore thou must endure these common euils with the greater patience Thirdly children and young men are but as flowers in God his garden and we must suffer God the soueraigne Lord of it and them to crop and gather them when he will Fourthly the yonger that they died they were the lesse defiled with corruption and they departed being not laden with the burthen of many sinnes which longer continuance of time would haue drawne them into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fifthly if there be a decay mortality and change in Okes and Cedars much more in man that hath rebelled against his Creator Sixthly it may be that when wee inioyed them that either wee were too tender and fond ouer them and so would haue corrupted them or else were not contented with them nor thankfull to God for them and therefore God to remedy and correct both these extremities hath bereaued vs of them Seuenthly if our children led a godly life and so died then they are in safetie and forth comming their life is not vanished but changed and though we haue lost them yet God hath found them and at the generall resurrection we shall finde them know and acknowledge them wherefore let vs in the meane time rest content and comfort our selues in this blessed expectation and therefore wee must be so farre from murmuring and repining against God for depriuing vs of them that we must blesse and praise God for their perfection and glorification Lastly by their death wee are fréed from infinite feares of their mis-doing and from many carking cares of prouiding for their outward estate and maintenance but if our children proue vntoward and vngodly then our losse is the lesse to
righteousnesse and the soule in the meane time is most holy perfect beautifull Fourthly at the general resurrection this vile body of ours shall be made conformable to Christs glorious body it shall be no more mortall but immortall no more vise but honourable no more weake but alwaies strong no more heauie but light and nimble no more sinfull but holy and in a word no more earthly and néeding these outward meanes and helps of meat drinke apparell rest sléepe physicke recreation marriage c. but they shall be alwaies spirituall i. immediately supported by Gods omnipotent power and absolutely subiect and obedient to the spirit Fifthly God doth not hate the deformity of the body but of the soule by reason of sinne contracted and committed by it and in it Lastly we must remember that our bodies are earthly and mortall and not heauenly and eternall and therefore we must not be discontent if rottennes enter into them onely let vs prouide that as the outward man dieth so the inward man may be renewed daily Q. What comforts against lamenesse A. First lamenesse is naturall and is caused by sicknes old age or otherwise and therefore it is to be endured with the greater patience Secondly the children of God as Mephibosheth Aza the créeple whereof we reade in the fifth of S. Iohns Gospell and a daughter of Abraham haue béen are and shall be subiect hereunto as much as the prophane and irreligious Thirdly though the bodies of Gods Saints for their correction trial and exercise be subiect hereunto yet are their soules holy sound and nothing impeached by the lame body Psal. 92. Fourthly death and the last iudgement which is the time of the restitution of all things will put an end to it and the body shall rise againe in farre greater integritie then euer it appeared in when it was in the best plight Fifthly physicke or surgery may possibly in time recouer the body and therefore the meanes are not to be neglected Lastly let our faith hope be in God and our soules purified in obeying the truth through the spirit and lamenesse shall not hurt vs. Q. Wherein shall a blind man comfort and solace himselfe A. In many things First that blindnes is a great part of innocency for the eies since Adams fall are the windowes of concupiscence and the porters to let in all vices from which enticements vnto euill and blind are fréed Secondly the blind sée nothing to distaste their stomackes to offend their eies or to grieue their minds whereas iust Lot endued with the sense of seeing vexed his righteous soule from day to day in séeing the vnlawfull deeds of the Sodomites c. And so it fareth with Gods children that are blind who sée not the euill obiects nor wickednes of the world Thirdly blindnes is naturall and contracted by old age sicknes and the like infirmities and therefore Isaac Bartimaeus and the blind man in the ninth of Iohns Gospell and diuers Saints of God in all generations haue borne their parts herein therefore this correction is so much the more patiently to be borne Fourthly though the godly haue no bodily eies to behold the heauens the earth and the creatures which eies the beasts birds and creeping creatures haue common with them yet they haue spirituall and Angelical eies whereby they behold God their Creator and looke vpon Christ sitting on the right hand of God his Father in heauen Fifthly the eies are not simply necessary for godlinesse for God requireth the heart and vnderstanding and yet notwithstanding they shall be restored yea and glorified at the generall resurrection Wherefore let vs cléere the eies of our vnderstanding and cast out of them all beames of selfe conceit and all dust of error And because our memories are then most sharpe and retentiue hauing no outward obiect to blunt their edge let vs apply them to the learning of the best things and with patience wait the time of the restitution of all things Q Propound some comfortable meditations for a deafe man A. First the deafe person cannot be infected with lies and errors he cannot be deceiued and gulled by flatterers nor bee possessed with the ingredients of griefe he cannot be prouoked to wrath he séeth nothing to disturbe and disquiet him and that which most contenteth him he cannot heare Gods blessed name blasphemed Secondly by reading the scriptures sermons treatises catechismes he heareth God speake vnto him for God hath no néed of eares but only requireth a deuout mind Thirdly that which he formerly learned the holy Ghost bringeth to his remembrance Lastly his perfect hearing shall if not before be restored vnto him at the day of iudgement and his deafenesse in the mean time cannot separate him from Gods loue Q What vse must a man make of his deafnesse A. First whiles we inioy the benefit of our hearing let vs attend to Gods voice in the scriptures preached vs and let vs treasure vp the word of God in our hearts to bestead vs in time of néed Lastly though we cannot heare nor discerne the notes of musicke and the sounds of men and birds yet we haue the vse of our eies to behold the creatures and God the Author of them Comforts for a dumbe man A. Men by reason of this want and affliction are kept from many sinnes euils dangers which many that cannot temper and gouerne their tongue runne into for they cannot lie slander deceiue they cannot blaspheme God nor stirre vp the coales of conâ—ention the séeds whereof an euill tongue doth cherish Secondly they are not vndone by their rash vntemperate words much lesse are they in danger to lose their liues as many lewd and slanderous speakers are Thirdly it is a labour to speake truly and in silence there is rest Fourthly if thou hast lost an il tongue thou art a great gainer by it Fifthly if thou canst not speake with thy tongue then speake to God in thy heart for God can and doth heare as well when thou art silent as when thou speakest Lastly if thou doe but groane sigh and cry vnto God he heareth thée and that thou shalt féele and finde For as he that heareth God speake and answer is not deafe so likewise he whom God heareth is not dumbe CHAP. XV. Of ordinary particular euils from without vs whether at home or abroad The crosses of euill and bad husbands wiues parents children masters seruants and of a shrewd mother in law Question HOw are good women to comfort themselues when they are matched with euill husbands A. First they are not alone For Abigail was crossed by Nabal her husband and many innocent wiues in Moses time by reason of the crueltie and vnreasonablenes of their husbands were diuorced from them Secondly if their husbands in the flesh be euill and shrewd yet Christ their spirituall husband will alwaies intreat them kindly and louingly visit them
of Gods Saints as Ioseph Paul c. haue beene wrongfully imprisoned and haue herein been kept in safety from the enemies rage as Paul was who had a souldier tending on him and who in prison two whole yeares receiued all that came in vnto him and preached Gods kingdome and taught those things that concerned the Lord Iesu with all boldnes no man forbidding him Secondly many in their imprisonment haue not onely beene preserued from the great euils of the sword famine and penurie but haue wrote many famous Epistles and works as Paul then endited most of his Epistles yea they haue conuerted many to the Lord and some haue from hence as Ioseph béen exalted to great honour and dignity Eccles 4.14 Thirdly their mothers wombe was once their prison and the graue shall be their second prison and why then do they so much feare the Magistrates prison Fourthly many of deuotion to God and because they would be crucified and mortified to the world haue spent ended their mortall liues in dens caues cloisters dungeons and therfore they in prison must carry the same mortified affections and all will be well Lastly the day of death and the day of iudgement wil put an end to it at the furthermost therefore they must take their false imprisonment most patiently and with Paul and Silas pray vnto God and sing Psalmes and wait also Gods good leasure for their deliuerance Q. How shall we comfort them that are heauy hearted and afflicted because they are borne downe and oppressed in their lawfull suite A. First we must possesse their minds and hearts with this that nothing befalleth them but by Gods prouidence and for their good for hee suffereth this wrong to be done hee seeth it and will in time require it Secondly Salomon in his time saw a righteous man perish in his iustice and why may not the like happen in our declining dayes There are righteous men to whom it commeth according to the work of the wicked Thirdly God will hereby haue the aduersaries of the iust mans cause whether Iudges or Iustices Lawyers Procters or Apparitors c. to fulfill the measure of their sins and so if they betimes repent not to engulfe themselues into the lake of eternall damnation Fourthly God will haue his people to suffer many wrongs by the wicked that they should not be corrupted with the flatterie of the world and so should be condemned with it Lastly let vs truely and constantly serue our good God and he will partly in this world and abundantly in the world to come comfort right and aduance vs. CHAP. XVII Of the extraordinary euilles which euen the bodies of Gods Saints are in this world many times subiect vnto Question WHat are the extraordinarie euils vnto which the bodies of men are subiect and liable A. Two especially to wit witchcraft and possession Q. What is withcraft A. It is a wicked Art or practise seruing for the working of wonders by the assistance of Satan so farre forth as God shall in iustice permit Q Whether that Gods children can be annoied or hurt by the practises of witches and enchanters A. Yes why not For first as shall be afterwards more particularly shewed in the doctrine of possession Sâ—tan transported the holy body of Christ from place to place hee smote Job with sore boiles from the sole of the foote vnto the crowne of his head he slew his religious children Job 1.19 and he bowed together a daughter of Abraham eightéene yéeres so that she could not lift vp her selfe Secondly all outward things may come alike both to the good and to the bad Thirdly God will let his children haue a taste of satans might and malice that they should beware of his subtill practises and should desire strength from God and depend vpon his power and prouidence only Lastly God doth hereby either manifest and correct spirituall pride or some hidden sinne in his seruants or else hee doth quicken and reuiue the latent and hidden graces of the heart that they may be thankfull to God for them and féele them increased and confirmed in themselues Q What vse is to be made hereof A. First hereby it is apparant that they are wholly deceiued who haue a strong imagination that their faith is so mighty and perfect that all the witches in the world and all the diuels in hell cannot hurt them nor shake it Secondly it behoueth Gods children neuer to presume of outward security from any temptation but to prepare and arme themselues against it and if Satan by his instruments at any time by Gods permission afflict and torment them they must know that it is onely for the triall of their faith and patience and therefore the end cannot but be good and glorious Q. Why doth God suffer his children thus to be tormented A. First that he may for the time try their faith and likewise exercise their patience Secondly that he may at length either by life or death wholly deliuer them and then giue Satan the greatest soile when he looketh for the greatest victory and aduantage Q. What vse and application is to be made of this point A. First we must beware that we doe not censure all or any thus tormented with the blacke note and marke of a reprobate séeing that Gods children are liable sometimes to the hurt of witchcraft as well as the wicked and profanâ— people Secondly we must be content that Satan should goe about to winnow vs as wheat for he shal not preuaile against our faith well may the chaffe be parted and diuided from the wheat but the wheat and the sauing grace of God shall neuer be driuen out of our hearts Lastly the more Satan bestirreth himselfe to annoy and displeasure vs let vs the more vâ—liantly and vehemently by the word of God by faith and praier resist him then he will flie from vs and we shall foile him Q Why doth Satan by his instrumeâ—ts endeuor rather to annoy Gods children then those that are wicked A. Because he hath the wicked fast in his hold and if he should ordinarily torment them he might possibly estrange them from him and so lose them But as for the godly they haue escaped his hands and therefore he laboureth to recouer them they are as the Merchants ship fraught and laden with great riches and pretious commodities and therefore he striueth either to take them or else to drowne and sinke them Q. What meanes and remedies are there to preuent and cure the practises of witchcraft A. There is one soueraigne and principall preseruatiue and thâ—â— is to bee within the couenant of grace made and confirmed in the Gospel by the bloud of Christ touching remission of sinnes and euerlasting life for to such on one appertaine the promises of the blessed presence of Gods spirit and of the presence and speciall protection of his holy Angels to pitch
must not so muse and thinke vpon sorrowfull and displeasing obiects much lesse yéeld vnto that sorrow whereof he can render no certaine cause for then his sorrowes will become vncureable and kill him but it is his part to study and ponder vpon the swéete promises of God in Christ made to humbled and repentant sinners he must also ioy in and be thankefull for Gods graces and gifts conferred vpon him which will feast and refresh his soule Eightly he must vse and take comfort in Gods good creatures of meate drinke herbs plants and especially solace himselfe in the greene and most delectable spring of the glorious resurrection daily approching when God shall wipe all teares from his eies and fill him with vnutterable pleasure Lastly when he is recouered he must be truely thankefull to God and pity and kindly entreate them that are in like extremity Q What comforts are to be applied to them that are disquieted with fearefull dreames A. First few dreames are true because they are either equiuocall or ordinarily false and therefore not to bee bebeléeued and as for all Propheticall dreames they are now ceased Secondly it is better to dreame of things that are dreadful vnto vs then those that are delectable and desireable for the deceit of a dreadful dreame is pleasant and the issue of a delightsom dreame is many times sorrowful Thirdly Iob Dauid and others haue beene this way afflicted Fourthly if wee dreame of any euill that may befal vs as we may not credit it because it is a dreame so it is good we should beware of it and the occasions thereof and preuent it by praier Lastly disquiet and feareful dreames procéed ordinarily from cares vexation and distraction of mind in the day time and therefore wee must disfurnish and vnlade our selues of them Q. What practises are necessary to preuent fearfull dreames A First moderate and spare diet for from a full stomack arise noisome fumes which trouble the braine Secondly a quiet disposition and the following of quiet studies in the day time which will be the cause of quiet repose in the night Thirdly a carefull and conscionable execution of the works of our Christian and ciuill calling Fourthly before we goe to sléepe a diligent examination of our selues and a sorrow for sinne committed and good omitted and the exercise of reading conference praier Lastly if our dreames be troublesome terrible and from Satan wee must by earnest praier resist him and bid him anaunt and we shall finde maruellous comfort after it Q. How much a Christian quiet and pacifie himselfe that is weary of this present life by reason of many crosses toils troubles and discontentments A. First hee must remember that euery man is borne to many crosses and that no calling is fréed from them and therefore he must learne to take vp his crosse daily and to follow Christ. Secondly he must as well looke to be chastised of God as cherished and to be as well crossed as comforted for he must by many afflictions enter into Gods kingdome and therefore hee must encounter with these euils and vse no vnlawfull euasion to ease himselfe of them Thirdly hee must reade much yea muse and meditate vpon the swéete and sugred promises of God contained in the scriptures if he delight herein hee shall not perish in his troubles Psal. 119.92 but be reuiued Lastly hee must be often conuersant with Gods children and desire their aduice praiers counsell direction and then they will be like so many Ionathans to comfort him and so many Simons to helpe him to beare his Crosse. Q. What is desperation A. It is when a man in his owne sense and féeling is without all hope of saluation Q. How doth this come to passe A. Thus when a man being preuented falleth into some offence which satan doth maruellously aggrauate both by accusing the offender and affrighting him with the iudgements of God Matt. 27.3 4 5. Q. With what comforts and perswasions shall Gods children arme and furnish themselues against this temptation A. First that Gods mercies in Christ are of an infinite extent and doe by many degrées excéed and goe beyond all their sinnes whatsoeuer Psal. 103.10 11 12. Secondly that Christ came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance and that they that sée not might sée and that they which sée namely in their owne opinion and conceit might be made blind and to séeke and saue that which was lost namely in their owne sense and estéeme and therefore afflicted sinners haue no cause of doubting much lesse of despaire Thirdly the greater that our sinne is the greater is Gods mercy to them that depend vpon him so that where sinne aboundeth grace aboundeth more Fourthly Christ is a continual intercessor for them to God his Father and God heareth him alwaies Iohn 11. Fifthly that to call Gods goodnesse truth and power into question is a great sinne and that thereby they offend him as much as by any other sinne Sixthly that many of Gods déerest saints and seruants haue béen in a sort emplunged and engulfed in the pit of despaire as Dauid Iob the Church in the Canticles c. yet by praier by meditating vpon their former experience of Gods mercies Ps. 77.10.11.12 1. Sam. 17.37 and by waiting Gods leasure with patience they haue happily recouered themselues and haue béen more confirmed for the time to come Seuenthly that God when his children séeme vtterly forsaken and doe conflict with Gods wrath are not wholly nor finally forsaken but are inwardly with the woman of Canaan supported by Gods power who doth in his good time bring iudgement vnto victory or truth that is he wil so iudge and raigne that at length hee will bee a conquerour Eighthly that God in this case accepteth the will for the déede and a desire of reconciliation for reconciliation it selfe so that this our desire bee matched with a setled purpose and a full resolution to forsake all sin and to turne vnto God Luke 15.18 Ninthly that in the beginning of a mans conuersion and in the time of some gréeuous temptation God accepteth of a desire to beléeue for faith it selfe Mat. 8.25.26 Tenthly that desperation in Gods children is but temporary and therefore curable for God teacheth them he loueth them with an eternall loue he enlightneth and guideth them by his spirit and hauing begun in them the worke of grace he will finish it vntill the day of Christ. Lastly that all the rules and principles of Christian religion are demonstratiue and certain both in themselues and also in the minds and vnderstandings of Gods children Q. What vse is to be made of all these propositions A. First séeing that desperation is the high way to hell yea and the mouth of it let vs not nourish it and so hereby increase our sinne and lessen and discredit Gods
rich and roiall mercies but rather let vs build and bind vpon them for the hauen of mercy is prepared for the repentant Secondly it is our part to beware of doubting distrusting and vnbeliefe for hereby we stop the current of Gods mercy and shut the doores of our hearts that the sunneshine of his grace cannot enter in vnto vs. Lastly wee in this case must not cast our eies vpon our owne vnworthinesse as though we should bring a pawne in our hands and bind God vnto vs by our owne works but wee must take notice of the infinite extent of Gods mercy and compassion and striue to beléeue and apply all the promises of saluation Q. How are they to bee comforted that tremble at and are sore afraid at the remembrance of the last iudgement A. First their feare of the last iudgement so that it bee not vnmeasurable and vnreasonable is a notable alarum to awaken them out of and to kéepe them from the slumber of security Hereupon Saint Paul by the terror of it endeuoured to perswade men to repentance And Saint Ierome whether he did eat drinke sléepe study thought that he heard alwaies sounding in his eares Arise ye dead and come to iudgement Secondly Gods children being in Christ and hauing him for their Sauiour friend mediator and Iudge shall neuer come into the iudgement of condemnation but shall heare that comfortable sentence Come ye blessed of my Father inherit ye the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world Q. What vse in a word is to be made hereof A. We must spiritually imitate the last iudgement by arraigning our selues before the barre of Gods iudgement we must indite and condemne our selues for our sinnes and then the last iudgement shall not minister vnto vs matter of terror but of triumph Q. Js it peculiar to Gods children thus to bee sometimes perplexed with doubting of Gods fauor and their owne saluation A. Yes for first the wicked and prophane man is not sensible of his owne wants but is presumptuous and confident though he be notwithstanding deuoid and destitute of faith and inward holinesse Secondly that the child of God is subiect to such doubtings and wauerings it thus appeareth First satan desireth to sift them only and to spoile them of the rich treasure of grace in their minds and hearts Secondly whosoeuer truly beléeueth féeleth findeth in himselfe many doubtings and distrustings as the whole and sound man perceiueth in himselfe many grudgings of diseases which if he had not health he could not féele Hereupon we reade how many of Gods most worthy seruants haue doubted yea and almost despaired The man in the Gospel whose sonne was possessed with a diuel doubted when he praied Christ to helpe his vnbeliefe Iob 3. 13. Dauid Psal. 77.8 9 10 11. and Psal. 116.1 Ezechias Esay 38. and many others haue béene brought vnto the pit of desperation Thirdly Gods children onely complaine of abhorre and resist doubtings and wauerings yea and pray against them and therefore they must néeds be subiect vnto them Q. What are the principall meanes to suppresse these or the like doubtings A. The consideration of these meditations following First it is Gods commandement that we should beléeue his manifold and precious promises which if wee refuse to doe wee iustly defraud our selues of Gods fauour and of our owne saluation Hebr. 3.18 19. Secondly the promises of grace are generall to all Gods children and shut out no particular person and therefore when such offers of mercy and grace are made vnto vs and confirmed by the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper let vs by the hand of faith apply them to our owne soules and consciences Lastly that by doubting of and calling the truth of Gods goodnesse swéet promises into question we offend God as much almost as by any other sinne for hereby we rob God of the glory of his mercy and make him what in vs lyeth a lyer because we will giue no credite to his promises nor apprehend lay hold on them Q. What practise is necessary for our helpe and recouery A. Wee must retire our selues into some secret place humble our selues before God make known our wants vnto him and entreat him to worke faith and suppresse vnbeliefe in vs and he wil heare vs. Q. Comforts and counsell for them that stand in feare and expectation of hell fire A. It is good and profitable euen for the regenerate oftentimes to speake thinke of and stand in feare of hell that they may hereby bee preserued from euill and confirmed in goodnes Hereupon our blessed Sauior thus armeth exhorteth his Disciples against persecution Feare not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him that is able to destroy both body and soule in hell fire Secondly there is no hell to the beleeuers for the sting of death is taken away by Christ the godly haue eternall life and are already viz. in beginning and hope passed from death to life 1. Ioh. 3.14 Joh. 5.24 Thirdly Christ did not onely many hundred yeares sithence by his death and soule-sufferings satisfie his fathers iustice for vs but alwayes sitteth on his Fathers right hand to make continuall and effectuall intercession for vs Rom. 8.34 and how then can we possibly perish Lastly our soules forthwith after that they are loosed from our bodies are carried by the blessed Angels into heauen and our bodies shall be raised in glory at the general resurrection how then can we slauishly feare hell CHAP. II. Of doubting of Gods fauour and loue toward vs. Question WHether it be incident to any of Gods children to doubt of his loue and fauour A. Yes verily and that sundry times Q. For what ends A. First that he should know that faith and a ful perswasion of Gods mercies is not naturall or procéeding from the power of a mans owne frée will but spirituall and inspired of God by his spirite Secondly that a Christian séeing his owne weakenesse and how busie Satan is to take the aduātage of his infirmity should by prayer entreat the Lord to strengthen his faith and to ease him of scruples and doubts Lastly that hereby God might traine and exercise his elect in the spirituall battel for they seeing their manifold doubts and ignorances are hereby prouoked to search the scriptures and to take notice of Gods promises that by the due application hereof their faith might bee fortified and strengthned and the remainders of ignorance and doubting be by degrees abolished Q. How shall Gods children comfort themselues when by reason of the number and heinousnesse of their sins they cannot be perswaded that they are Gods children A. By remembring and laying close to their consciences these or the like rules and directions following first it is a great part of our perfection to learne out
our selues that it will reuiue in the spring of Gods graces CHAP. III. Of the distresse of mind that ariseth from the sense and seeling of a Christians weaknesse and imperfectioâ— in sanctification and first of all in praier Question WHat course must a Christian take to relieue and ease himselfe that findeth and â—eeleth many imperfections in his praiers A. First hee must acknowledge and bewaile his wants and failings Secondly he must desire from God a further addition of zeale Thirdly when he cannot pray as he desireth let him then sob and sigh vnto God in his praiers for God who searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of his owne spirit and no maruel for these groanes are effects of Gods spirit in him and are as it were so many glorious beames breaking out from it and God accepteth and approueth of them as may appeare in the examples of Moses of the children of Israel of Ezechias of Iehosaphat and others Fourthly he must remember that the power of Christ remaineth to cure his infirmities and to remoue his imperfections Lastly the more imperfections that he findeth and perceiueth in his praiers the more earnestly must hee labour for the remouall and reformation of them Q. What vse is to be made hereof A. First hereby are met withall and condemned all such who ignorantly count them the best proficients in praier who neuer knew what these wants and imperfections meant Secondly no man must cease from this exercise of praier because of his wants for so long as any man liueth here hee is but in the beginning of perfection Q. But I feele my selfe cold dull and drousie in my praiers how then can I haue any true sanctification A. Yes thou maiest well assure thy selfe of the truth of thy sanctification so thou loue God and delight to commune with him by praier Secondly it is good that thou shouldeâ—t sometimes discouer and discerne the dulnes and deadnes in praier that thou mightest more earnestly desire this gift otherwise thou wouldest thinke it naturall and wouldst attribute the glory of it not to thy God but to thine own selfe for thus thou wouldest offend if thou couldst alwaies pray according to thine owne satisfaction Lastly if we can but sigh and sob for wee preuâ—ile more by sighes then by words God will heare and helpe vs. For shall an earthly father pitie and regard the groanes and sobs of his sicke sonne and will not our heauenly father much more regard and pitie vs Q What vses are we to make hereof A. First when we haue an ability to pray and a will thereunto we must be thankfull to God for it Secondly if the spirit of praier bee weake in vs we must call and cry vnto God for further grace and we shall obtaine it Lastly we must by all good meanes stirre vp the spirit of praier in our selues Obiection I in my praiers am troubled and disturbed with many euill idle worldly and carnall thoughts and therefore J doubt that I haue not the spirit of praier A. Déerely beloued brother though these vaine and sinfull thoughts are so many sparkles of corruption that proceed from the furnace of our vncleane heart and are like the birds that defiled and disturbed Abrahams sacrifice yet note for thy comfort that the most regenerate man in earth cannot sound out all the corruptions in his heart much lesse is hee able to remooue them For his new birth is onely begunne and tending towards perfection but not complete and then no wonder though some dregs of corruption yet remaine Q. What course shall we take for our helpe and redresse herein A. Séeing that prayer is so heauenly an exercise and so preualent with God and so offensiue to Satan let vs stirre vp our zeale herein and for our furtherance heerein it is good for vs before wee pray to talke and conferre reuerentlie of heauenlie things to reade the Scriptures diligentlie and meditate in them and then wee shall be possessed with better thoughts Lastly we must not yéeld to but resist and earnestly pray against euill thoughts yea and intreat the Lord of his grace to purge and purifie our hearts and then these vaine and idle thoughts shall lesse vex and annoy vs. Obiection I haue long importuned the Lord by prayer and the Lord will not vouchsafe to attend vnto my praier therefore I feare I haue not the spirit of praier A. You haue no cause thus to doubt For God doth not deferre you because he purposeth to deny you but to cause you to haue his gifts in more high estéeme and to make you more sound sincere and more earnest and instant in praier Secondly it may be that the thing that you desire of God if it were granted you would not profit you but turne to your hurt and therefore God in his mercy refuseth to spéed your yéeres Thirdly Dauid Job the people of God in captiuity and the Church in the Canticles that sought Christ in her bed by praier and that consulted her Christian acquaintance the Ministers of Gods word were long delaied but at last graciously heard Fourthly God by putting off your praiers will exercise and set on worke your faith patience constancie and when he prospereth your petition he wil replenish you with the greater ioy Lastly though God heare you not according to your wil yet he heareth you for your wealth and though he heare you not according to your expectation yet he heareth you to your saluation and therefore you must take all in good part Q. When God delaieth and deferreth to grant our praiers what duties then behoueth it vs to performe A. We must not faint in our praiers but persist therein and cry vnto God day and night and then God will heare vs and we shall preuaile with him as Iacob did Our petition shall not be returned non inuentus est but we shall haue corpus cum causa Secondly we must look that the things we beg and craue bee lawfull and conuenient for vs and then if wee with patience wait Gods leasure he wil spéed our desires Obiection But I feare that I haue committed that vnpardonable sinne against the holy Ghost because I commit so many sinnes against knowledge A. Thou déere brother hast no cause thus to doubt because thou art sory and grieued for thy sinnes Secondly thou repentest of them but he that committeth this sinne neuer sorroweth nor repenteth for so doing Secondly they that sinne against the holy Ghost tread vnder foot the Sonne of God they count the bloud of the new Testament as an vnholy thing they despite the spirit of grace they fâ—ll away wholly and finally from the reueâ—led truth of the doctrine of Christ and of their redemption yea they incessantly blaspheme deride and persecute it but thou continuest in the approbation profession and practise of the truth and remainest sound in iudgement and sincere in affection therefore thou art farre from this sinne
to feare any false or abused excommunication Q. What if wee in the country or kingdâ—me where we dwell see the poore oppressed and innocency defaced how shall wee then keepe and preserue our selues from being scandalized A. First if we sée in a country the oppression of the poore and the defrauding of iustice we must not be astonied at the matter for the highest séeth and regardeth it Secondly if we looke for a Church or State without spot taint of error and iniustice we must seek it in â—eauen only where all things are established in an absolute and eternall order and perfection or else we must get vs into Mauqsun or Sir Thomas More his Vtopia where we shall finde such a state and policie Thirdly in this distresse wee must haue recourse vnto the magistrate his helpe and when one faileth or neglecteth vs we must séeke to another Lastly if we sée all outward meanes to faile we ought to call and cry day and night vnto our God we must make him our iudge and reuenger and wait vpon him vntill he right vs and then though hee seeme to vse long patience towards our aduersaries he will auenge vs and that quickly Q. Why doth God so sharpely censure and so roughly handle his iust and innocent children A. First no man is innocent before God for there is no man that sinneth not if God straitely marke mans iniquity who shall stand and no flesh by his owne workes can be iustified in Gods sight so that the all-piercing eye of the almighty that is tenne thousand times brighter then the sunne and clearer then crystall can if it please him find sufficient matter to condemn them in their begunne iustice and innocency wherefore we must not thinke them to be altogether vncorrupt in this wicked world as the fish that liue in the salt sea their own element nothing sauour of the saltnes of it but that they in part are tainted with the worlds corruption Secondly God will not haue his children peruerted with the worlds sinnes much lesse perish with them and therfore hee doth thus seuerely and that sundry times scourge and chastice them for he would haue them with this salt water of trouble to wash out the spots of sinne Thirdly man is no equall Iudge of mens sinnes and so of their afflictions but wee must reserue the censure and iudgement hereof to God onely for hee onely eyeth mans secret sinnes and can and doth righteously censure and punish them but man is so farre from finding out the number and nature of secret sinnes that hee in the cloudy myst of his owne ignorance can hardly discerne the quality and desert of notorious offences and those that are already brought to light but onely taketh notice of certaine outward tracks impressions and actions And therefore wee must not thus without cause complaine nor picke quarrels with God Almighty Lastly God would hereby affright the wicked if not reforme them for if iudgement begin at the house of God what shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospell and if the righteous bee scarsely saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare Q. What vse are we to make of Gods proceedings herein A. We blind sinners must not take vpon vs to iudge of the guilt and to determine of the circumstances of mens sinnes and of their estate before God but we must referre the iudgement hereof to Gods all-séeing eye and to his sincere iustice Secondly in such hidden and intricate causes and cases that are vnknowne vnto vs wee must shut our mouthes and suspend our iudgementes for who are we that condemne an other mans seruant for he standeth or falleth to his owne master Lastly if God seem to deale extreamly with vs we our selues then must sâ—â— the remouall of this imputation searchâ—â— sift into our owne wayes and call tâ— our remembrance what duties commaunded we haue omitted and what euill things forbidden we haue committed and how that God in his strict iustice might condemne vs for the least offence and then wee shall admire God patience that hée handleth vs so gently and doth in his bottomlesse mercy passe by and pardon so many imperfections and offences in vs. Q. But forward men in religion and many noted professors by their loose life and practises of iniustice offend many simple hearted men and weake yet well affected Christians what preseruatiue is now to be vsed A. The due meditation and practise of these Canons and conclusions following as namely First many professors are not so bad as the world would make them a mole hill in them is made a mountaine and a moat is made a beame their infirmities like spots in white paper or fine linnen are soone espied and noted but prophane people are not obserued and their grosse sinnes are silenced and suppressed Secondly if any or many vnder the cloake and maske of zeale labour to couer their practises of deceit couetousnes and iniustice c we must know that the visible Church of Christ is compared to a field wherein is not onely wheate but tares to a garden wherin are both good herbes and also wéeds and to an house wherein are not only vessels of gold and siluer but also of wood and earth and therefore if wee looke that all professors should be without fault or infirmity and all should be good and none euil we must looke for them in heauen onely and not in earth where are more euill then good men Thirdly the diseases and sins of the soule are not contagious as those of the body are for the soule is not infected vnlesse it giue a consent and allowance to other mens sinnes and therefore let vs keepe our selues frée from their sins and then we néede not to bee scandalized at their euill dealings which wee cannot helpe Lastly euery man must beare his owne burden and answere for his own sinnes and therefore let vs rather correct our owne sinnes then be scandalized at other mens faults and let vs striue to bee perfect in an euill generation Q. What practises are necessary in such a case A. First we must beware that wee doe not without cause censure and condemne such and if we find them faulty and hereupon reproue them that we bée not as bad and worse our selues Secondly if many vary much from their sacred profession and bee workers of iniquity for the preuention of this offence wee must know that we are to walke rather by rule then by example rather by the Canon of Gods word then by custome Lastly it is our duty to reproue pitty and pray for such offensiue professors Q. How shall poore and weake christians confirme themselues in the faith or preserue themselues from defection when many noted and notable persons that seemed pillars reuolt from the sincere truth of Religion A. First they that fall away from the substance of true religion and
Catastrophe or conclusion all men that sée it shall say that it is Gods doing Q. But why doth God punish sometimes with visible and manifest punishment some euill doers and not all A. First God is an absolute Lord and his will is iustice it selfe and therefore wee must rather reuerence and adore Gods iudgements then rashly to require a reason of them for shall an earthly Prince disdaine to be accountable to his subiects concerning all his procéedings and shall a Master of a family scorne that his seruant shall exact an account of him how much more will the diuine Maiesty refuse that his actions and counsels should bee called into question Secondly a few punished are a purgation for and a warning to the rest so that it is a mild iustice towardes many which séemeth cruelty to a few Thirdly if God should visibly and manifestly punish all euill doers then nothing would bée thought to bée reserued to the last iudgement and if none should bee here punished men would thinke that either there were no God or at least no iustice and prouidence Q. How shall Gods children in the execution of publike iudgement iustifie the equity of Gods proceedings or practise patience when they temporally smart for the sinnes aud idolatries of their fore-fathers A. Many wayes they are to stay and comfort themselues First to speake properly God doth punish the idolatry and sinnes of the children and not of the parents for if they tread in the footesteppes of their parents and doe not repent of their sinnes it standeth with Gods iustice no longer to put off their correction Secondly though in the vniuersall deluge and in the destruction of Sodome and in the sacking of Cities the very Infants perished with their Parents yet wee must note that they were not sinnelesse and innocent before God but borne and conceiued in sinne the children of wrath subiect to euerlasting damnation Thirdly albeit God correct good men for the bads sake inuolue them in the common calamities of warre famine pestilence shipwracke fires c. yet these afflictions are rather preseruatiues then punishments for as Physitians doe by bitter medicines preserue and restore a mans health so God doth turne the punishments that they haue deserued into a medicine a trial a preseruation Fourthly Gods children though they resist sinne and wickednes yet they in hearing Gods word in praier and in the performance of the duties of pietie iustice charity faile and are vnperfect and therefore they cannot say that God offereth them any wrong if they with the wicked be included in the same outward and publike euils as Jonathas Iosias c. were Fifthly we are all of vs the children of rebellious and traiterous Adam who hath tainted our bloud and forfeited his and our estate to God almighty there is a chaine of faults reaching from Adam to vs which though wee repent of yet God may in his iustice punish the remainders of them in our posterity Sixthly there is if not alwaies a deriuation of speciall fins from the forefathers to the posterity yet there is a deriuation of punishment and therefore God doth afflict herein the Parents and their posterity as one body Seuenthly as in one and the same person a fault committed in youth is iustly punished in old age So God in kingdomes empires persons doth punish old and inueterate sinnes for they are before God ioyned together by an outward fellowship both in time and parts Lastly if wee will bee heires to the commodities and rewards which are due to our ancestors it is no reason that we should refuse their burdens and afflictions CHAP. IX Heauenly Meditations and Conclusions against generall and particular persecution Question WHat is persecution A. It is the state and condition either of the Church in generall or of any member in particular whereby the one or the other in Gods euerlasting counsell and dècrée are appointed and marked vnto diuers dangers troubles for the name of Christ and for righteousnes sake Q. Is not the Church of God at any time or in any age wholy rooted out and subuerted by the enraged violence of persecutors A. No for first God will alwayes reserue to himselfe a people that shall serue him yea and some that shall openly and publikely maintaine and confesse his truth in one place or other Secondly as in the time of Elias there were 7000 holy worshippers of God that neuer bowed their knées to Baal and yet they were not visibly known to the enemies and persecutors so God hath a latent Church sometimes and the church is faine to flie into the wildernes and that partly that she should not be corrupted partly that she should be preserued from the enemies rage malice Lastly it appeareth by the diuers things to which the Church is compared and resembled that shee neuer ceaseth to bee nor is euer wholy extinct for it is compared to a shippe tossed with waues and surges but not sunke to Moses Bush burning but not consumed to a City daily besieged but not taken or wonne to the moon which is soone eclipsed and often in the waâ—e but yet often renued to Noahs Arke tossed in the waters but not drowned and to a woman in trauell whom the Dragon séeketh to deuoure together with her child and yet both are preserued Q. For what ends doth God suffer his children to bee persecuted A. First that holy and pure doctrine might bee maintained otherwise all would in persecution disclaime and forsake it Secondly that the graces of his children should be encreased and exercised and that they like spices pouned in a morter and like swéet wood burnt in the fire should yéeld a more sweete swell Thirdly that they by their constancy in the profession and defence of the truth might be distinguished from hypocrites who like Sodome apples if a man crush them fall into chaffe and like vnto spunges wet in the water which if a man presse them let out all the liquour contained in them Fourthly God will haue his children to denie themselues and their own abilities and to depend wholy vpon his power and promises for their strengthning or deliuerance Fifthly hée will hereby make them so many lights and guides to direct the blind world in the roade way to Heauen Lastly GOD will hereby increase their reward and glorie in heauen Q. Who are Gods instruments herein A. Satan and wicked men in the world namely Tyrants Heretikes Atheists Q. Why doth God in the punishment and persecution of his children vse the ministerie of wicked men A. First to shew his absolute and vnlimited liberty for hee is a free agent and he may correct his children by whom he will For as a naturall Father doth sometimes make the Schoolemaster or one of his seruants the instruments to correct his sonne though hee perhaps is not ignorant that they may intermingle their priuate affections
So God and that without any mans iust controlement maketh wicked men who haue their priuate ends and aimes the rods to whip and correct his children withall Secondly God suffereth the wicked to stumble at the life or profession of his children and to runne themselues out of breath that they may fulfill the measure of their iniquities and so incur the waight of his displeasure Thirdly God by the patience of his children and by their constant death sufferinges appalleth and inwardly tormenteth the minds and consciences of the persecutors and leaueth them without all excuse and defence of their doings before his iudgement seat Fourthly he sometimes by the singular patience and sufferings of his saints ouercommeth the enemies harts and gaineth them to himself and so they that séemed conquerors are happily conquered to Christ and of his foes are made his friends Lastly God against the wicked mens intentions turneth their persecutions to the good of his children for as an arrow attaineth vnto the Archers mark without any sense of his owne so the wicked though blindfolded execute Gods secret decree they are Gods Fullers to whiten his children God vseth them as the Goldsmith doth lead to melt and purifie his gold for hereby God doth perfite them and purge them from the drosse and dregs of earthly corruption Q. Why doe wicked men so persecute Gods children A. First because there is a continuall enmity betweene the wicked who are the seede of the Serpent and betwixt the godly who are the blessed séed of the woman Secondly the godly are not of the world id est they are contrary to it in profession life and practise and God hath chosen them out of the world and therefore the world hateth and abhorreth them Thirdly Gods children professe preach and confesse Gods sincere truth which the wicked men doe distast and detest and doe also by the light of their holy life and example checke the deedes of darkenes in the wicked Fourthly the godly weaken the diuels kingdome hence he by his imps and instruments purposeth and practiseth continually their death and destruction Q. Is it not lawfull for the godly to vse all lawfull meanes of preseruing their liues in persecution A. Yes for first they are not bound to make confession of their faith to all persons as namely to scorners open enemies that haue no authority to demaund a reason of our profession nor to ignorant persons that are contemners of good counsell Secondly it is lawfull to flée from the persecutors or to auoide our habitations Thirdly wee may decline the danger of persecution by modest answeres by concealing part of the truth when wée are not required thereunto yea sometimes by our mony and goods by the change of our apparrell by the cutting of our haire and by setting our aduersaries and enemies at difference amongst themselues Q. Is persecution gainefull commodious to Gods children A. Yea and that many waies First hereby Gods Church groweth and is much enlarged for being watered by the bloud of Martyrs which is the séed of the Gospell it more flourisheth and it is like Camomiâ—l the which the more that it is troden vpon the more it groweth Secondly Christians in their dispersion and banishment sow the séeds of the Gospell in other parts and prouinces Countrries and Kingdomes Act. 11. Rom. 15. Thirdly Reprobates in such a time descrie themselus and powre forth their venome and as for hypocrites who were taken for true professors they being indéede nothing but chaffe as the euent sheweth are by the fanne of persecution separated from the wheat of Martyrs Fourthly Gods power and grace is prooued and perfited in the faithfulls infirmity and the aduersaries are confuted and confounded 2. Cor. 12.9 Lastly the godly are hereby humbled and mortified they are weaned from the loue of this vaine world and are brought to mind and muze on a better life and so they obtaine peace of conscience and holinesse of life Heb. 12.11 Psal. 78.38 Hos. 5.15 Ioh. 15.2 Q. What good inducements and perswasions are there to moue vs to constancy in persecution A. These following or the like First that God exacteth and requireth it at our hands which if wee doe not accordingly performe we are altogether vnworthy the name of Christians and altogether vnméet for the kingdome of God Secondly if we fall away from the profession loue and practise of the sacred Gospell of Christ all our former good beginnings shall nothing bestead vs and all the righteousnesse that wée haue done shall not be mentioned but we shall die and perish in our sinne and apostasie Heb. 10.26.27 Thirdly the truth is victorious and triumphant and like the Sunne the more that it is clouded the more gloriously it will shine out and therefore wee must not betray it Fourthly we haue a cloud and infinite company of witnesses confessors martyrs for our lights lampes guids and directors whose holy examples if we follow we shall be partakers of their glory and happines Fifthly shall Iewes Heretikes Schismatikes yea Turks Panyms and Pagans that haue no promise of eternall life be so stout and stedfast in their profession and shal not wee Christians that haue such comfortable promises of Gods assistance and of euerlasting happines be much more couragious and constant in defence of Gods immortall truth Lastly we shall by our patience suffering innocency if not as sometimes it commeth to passe conuert yet wee shall daunt and confound the enemies of the Gospell in that they cannot possibly remoue vs from our confident confession and in that our persecution gaineth many vnto God Q. What practises are herein necessarie A. First wee must in persecution depend vpon God implore his helpe and then hee will at the very instant suggest vnto vs what to speake and enable vs to suffer and perfite his power in our infirmity Secondly we must be perswaded of the truth of the doctrine for which wee suffer Thirdly we must neuer make open confession of our faith but either when wee are called and vrged by publicke authority so to doe or at least when there is some hope of doing good for wee must not betray our selues nor cast holy things before dogs and pearles before swine Lastly if wee would march valiantly we must not presume but suspect all our wayes and wee must rather feare our selues then flatter them and we must chearefully entertaine and diligently put in execution the motions of the spirit Q. What duties are we to performe to persons afflicted and persecuted A. First wée must haue a fellowlike féeling of their misery and sympathize with them otherwise we cannot effectually comfort them for as iron cannot be ioyned and fastened to iron vnlesse both of them bée made red hote and beaten together so one Christian can yéeld no comfort to another vnlesse both suffer together if not in action yet in