of sinne As concerning those notions which were left in them and were in stead of a law they were onely enough to condemne them not otherwise The most ignorant and vicious among them easily blew out that dimme sparke they had by the blast of their strong lusts and were giuen vp to a reprobate sence and horrible lusts Their most morall Philosophers although to the shame of Christians it may bee spoken hatcht vp their sparkles of dimme light to some measure yet as touching the true knowledge of sinne they had it not they thought some sins no sins some sins vertues and some vertues vices and the sinnes they saw they neuer saw them by a word or in the curse due to them they saw a dimme twilight of an vnknowne GOD vertue vice punishment or reward and therefore were farre from any true enlighting Q. But what doth the Law worke in particular A. Two distinct things Knowledge and conviction For the first reade Rom. 7. I had not knowne sinne if the Law had net said Thou shalt not lust In which respect sinne is said to raigne from Adam to Moses yea and vnder the old Law in respect of any conuincement But since the Ministery of the Word of reconciliation came the Lord hath enlarged the power of the Ministery of the Law as a preparatiue thereto in the hearts of men As Paul saith 1 Cor. 10. Those that heare the word plainly preached and by name the Law in the true spiritâ—all sence and sauor of it they fall downe and say that God is in you of a truth Not that the Ministery of Christ is properly Legall for we are Ministers of reconciliation but not excluding it Christ came not to destroy the Law in the doctrine of it for it leades to Christ saue in the rigour and dominion of it The Law then first searches the soule it s the candle of the Lord and pierces the bowels of the spirit those secret windings corners shifts and euasions of it bee they neuer so colourable and subtill It is as a great torch-light in the dead time of night in the hand of an Inquisitour which searches an house for Papists and Iesuites and finds them in their Masse and takes them with all their bookes and trinkets As the persecutors of the Saints searched all vaults and priuy doores barnes and mowes of hay and corne with speares sharp spits and swords so is the Law acted by that spirit of conuincement and search Ioh. 9. the discouerer of the thoughts and Heb. 4.12 pierceth between the ioynts and marrow The Lord hath giuen it authority ouer the conscience as his owne Bayliff to hunt out and discerne sinne in the colours in the kinds of it open secret thoughts affectioÌ„s yea concupiscence not the bare letter of the Law but the spirit for Paul notwithstanding al Gamaliels teaching knew it not And the conscience of the vnregenerate being once thus stirred is as the light of the Law to bring God into ech priuy part Not a dimme twilight but a Sunne at noonetide which shines froÌ„ East to West all ouer the spheare of Heauen and makes euery soule come out as Adam from the bushes by the voyce of God so cleerly bewraying a man to himselfe that for the time hee thinkes all other men see him pointed at by the finger of GOD. Q. How is it that the Law of GOD is the reuealer of sinne A. That most Holy and wise God who first contriued and vttered it put the light of his owne pure Maiesty into it and enabled it to discouer sinne to the soule not as other Lawes to speake to the eare but to the conscience and although there is no commandement in the whole booke of God Psal 19 Psal 119. Heb. 4.12 Eph. 5.10 11. Ioh. 3.20 which comes not from the same Author and spirit of light and truth yet the Lord hath more peculiarly put this power of Enlightening into this his morall Law as conteyning a more full exact and cleer view of all sinne both in the Nature and penalties of the same and according to his ordinance so it worketh not by the bare ten words syllables but the effectuall Ministery thereof accompanyed with the Spirit And looke what I say of light the same I adde of coâ—uiction also and her worke both are put into the Law by the same GOD whose fingers wrote it Q. Is vnbeleefe of the Gospell discouered by it A. No The Law is a modell of the righteousnes of Creation in which there was no need of fayth therefore it onely reueales those sinnes which make vs guilty without a remedy that it might dryue vs to seeke a remedy Yet we must not thinke it an imperfect light for this cause For as no man calles the Rules of Grammar imperfect because the Rules of Rhetorique are not in it so none can call the discouery of the Law insufficient because it reueales not the sinnes against the Gospell Q What sinnes doth the Law discouer A. All sorts by name Actuall and originall Q. What need any more be sayd of thiâ— haue we not heard enough of the nature of Misery in the third Aâ—ticle both in Sinne and death A. Euen that we spake there flowes from no other spring then the Law of God onely heere we adde this Article to that for this cause In that we onely bounded misery within her Compasse shewing wherein it lyes simply considered But when wee adde The Law reueales sinne wee meane as sinne and the curse lyes vpon vs as we are guilty of it and cursed by it the Law doth set the saddle vpon the right horse and so shewes sinne in her colours to the soule that it might apply the knowledge of it to thee and me in particular and this is a further worke Q. Well proceed to the enlightning worke of the Law about Actuall sinne what is it A. First the Law in the spirituall Ministery thereof doâ—h disperse those mysts and skales of the blindeye that suffer not light to enter Secondly It opens and giues light to the eyes to see sinne in her true colors For the first According to the sorts of sinners so doth the Law take away their lets of knowledge Take three or fore Instances Put case CHRIST had purpozed to enlighten a Pharise in the knowledge of sinne he would haue remmooued all the corruptions of the Law and darknes of the text They had establisht a Corban which might free a child from the fifth Commandement as their heires the Papists at this day dispence with any murthers or villanies if for their Catholique cause and ends They had curtolled the law in point of her extent confining her to some grosse crimes and taken away the key of light from the people about particulars They had set vp an exposition of their owne inuention they had made what they listed to bee sinne and what they pleased to be none they had soothed the people vp in this course and sowed pillows vnder
the more dangerous and cursed It s like bread of deceit and stollen waters which are sweet And this appeares if it bee crossed it rages and fâ—â—ts As Rachel Giue mee children or I dye so heere giue this old man this lust children and store of ill fruit or else she is mad for shee is a fruitfull harlot aboue all other Fifthly The Bondage of it It bindes vp the soule in death hardnesse insensiblenesse incapablenesse of any good auersenesse to all meanes of Grace As wee say of sleep it cheynes vp all the sences so this all the powers and members in vtter feeblenesse and vnablenesse to make towards GOD Mind Iudgement Will Affections all asleep Ephes 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest It s the sleepe of all other parts and the Nurse that rockes them also and the Cradle they all sleepe in yea brings in an vtter disability languor and decay of all parts loth to stirre and compting the anguish of their bondage by custome another Heauen As the Israelites cared sot no Sauiour because so saped in slauery And lastly Not onely an vtter impotency to any obedience vrged by the law but so rooted a languor as reiects whatsoeuer GOD might impose in which respect euen the vnablenesse to beleeue is chargeable vpon originall sin in respect of that opposite contradiction of it to all not actuall charges lying vpon the creature by law onely but possible to be imposed by the Gospell And this for a briefe view of the laws discouery of originall sin especially in her properties Q What vse is there to be made hereof A. Manifold First Touching the sin of Ignorance blesse GOD that hath freed vs from the darkenesse and corruption of Popery whose principles doe for euer keep soules farre from the possibility of sound knowledge of their naturall estate by either actuall or originall sin their rotten grounds of which suprà are direct against it Secondly Beware of nouzeling thy selfe in places vnder ignorance or to abide ignorant vnder the vse of meanes bring not God a Sacrifice that wants this eye of knowledge of thy sin Else no conuiction no terror no need of Christ can follow Beware of foule sins lusts of ignorance resolution to hold them lest God smite out the eye of knowledge 1 Cor. â— â— Had they knowne the Lord of life they would neuer haue crucified him Ignorance is a necessity of Misery If thou knewst the gift of God c. Iohn 4.10 Oh that thou hadst knowne the things of thy peace But alas hidden Thinke not by ignorance to sleep sweetly vnder all terrors Luke 19.42 Such a sheep will haue a sad walking Psalm 58.4 5. Bee not as the deafe Adder Psalm 32.9 Bee not as the Horse and Mule Beware lest GOD leaue thee to thy selfe Hee that is ignorant let him be so still Remember although knowledge is not conuiction yet conuiction cannot bee without it Admonition to all sinners to goe to worke aright to get sound knowledge of their estate Consult not with dead teachers goe not to blind guides to such as thy selfe to deceyuers consult not with thy wits and carnall wisedome thy corrupt hopes blind deuotions Refuse no informations for feare of losing thy liberty in sinne Esay 8.19 Should men goe from the liuing to the dead Oh yee silly ones go to the law and the testimony The Lord that made the Law hath put this gift into it to be a Schoolmaster to send ye by the eight of sin to Christ Refuse not the Lords discipline in this first kinde else neuer seeke further Oh how many poore wretches that knew not the right hand from the left if they knew sin what it were to breake a Sabbath to play the drunkards Ion 1.4 c. How glad would they be Oh shalt thou neglect the meanes thou hast and stand vp to the chin in waters and and dye of thirst Prou. If without knowlâ—dge the heart be naught what is it when men wilâ— not come to the light lest they should see it and shun the net lest they be taken Oh beware both of Pharisaicall making more sinnes then God euer made or cutting off those which he hath made from his roll and Law Oh â— its now come to this passe that except the Lord put some bitter reall roddes of affliction vpon men the Lâ—w is made as a Scarecrow in a field to the birds out of the nose whereof they will picke strawes But know it no affliction without the Law can discouer sinne Vse 3 Exhortation to all that would be kindly conuicted to come to the light sor sound information of sin The want of this will be a slaw for euer in thy religion they who neuer knew themselues Psal 119. â—18 neuer were humbled ones nor beleeuers I discourage none for measure That light which makes all manifest is enough be it neuer so little if sound Read Act. 2.37 Those Iewes had pierced CHRIST vpon the Crosse but saw nothing amisse till Peters Sermon that was aboue all Crosse or Crucifix and truly enlightned and conuinced them Zech. 12.10 GOD hath blessed his Law with better light then the Pope can blesse all his Agnus Deis or graynes or the like to gage and search the conscience Oh! do not kicke against it but Speake LORD for thy seruant heares Let this light of GOD bee attended yea dressed by thee morning euening that no sin may escape thee This Aquila as meane as it seemes I meane this Law of God must teach great ones Apolloes learned Doctors and all sorts to become fooles that they may be wise Act. 18.26 1 Cor. 3 1â— Especially be able to say with Paul in Holy prayse to God I had neuer knowne lust had not GODS Law sayd Thou shalt not lust Oh! let hypocrites curse it to the pit of hell for a Puritane Law but know except they be her Disciples hell must bee their portion for shee hath chaynes to bynd the proudest despizres Oh! blesse God that euer so cleared the Coast and the troubled waters of thy owne conscience that thou camest to see this Nature of thine to the bottome For the want whereof I dare say thousands band vpon the land of self-loue neuer comming to know what an enemy shee is to conuiction and to eaâ—â—h Q. Before yee proceede What is the vse of this branch A. First that euery one who seekes the true end of this first part of the Catechisme doe willingly open himselfe and the doore of hâ—s conscience to the light of this Law comming into it Yet I haue said no one of the former fiue Articles can be knowne to a man saue by the Word and especially the law so to yeeld vp the soule to the cleere displaying of thiâ— ordinance For although nothing can be hid from it yet it may still bee hid to vâ— if wee stop our owne conscience and keep some beloued iust in a cloyster which will see no light Let the Law haue her honour
hee should so much as thinke of a recouery much lesse be able to comprehend any way to get out of it Q. What vse is to be made hereof A. Still each staire must bring this wofull soule lower and lower till it can fall no further These Articles serue to plucke out each of them one or other and all of them all those false crootches and props which corrupt self-holds vpon to keep her from catching this deadly fall vnder her misery If there bee any evasion for flesh and blood any starting hole to get out at shee will bee sure to find it This is the last stoppe of all which should quite sinke the proud heart of a sinner though he carry his chin all this while aboue water To all the former this one of vtter irrecouerablenesse and desperate impossiblenesse to get out should euen kill the hopes of a wretched heart and burst the belly of it Hopelesse misery should make an helplesse soule lying panting at the mercy of a Sauiour and gasping for breath that if there bee no more for her out of her selfe then within her shee may giue ouer all And while shee sees no hope in her selfe shee may despaire in her selfe Till this last Lecture be read and beleeued by the soule in vaine is Christ offred to her while she hath a wing of her owne to fly ouer him with neglect Those that come to Christ must bee wholly beaten out of all holds and those strong holdes of selfe-hopes and self-loues either of nature meere or mixt with some helpe supernaturall Christ will neuer bee sought to if any other can bee deuised Sleidan reports that when some souldiers were surprized in their Castle and all throwne downe from the top of it to bee dasht in pieces one of them among the rest falling through the bowes of a mulbery tree clasping thereon with both Armes stuck by it and saued himselfe from death Wee may conceaue hee was loth to dye Much more are wee From the top of the first Article of this first Part to this last and lowest stayre the Lord throwes downe the soule of a sinner to kill his spirit and humble him but so long as the least crootch lasts the soule that loues her owne corrupt life abhorres to bee killed But in Gods feare let this put an end to all fancies and corrupt conceits of flesh and let it bring the soule to the earth and cast downe euery high thing and strong hold which sets vp it selfe against the need of a Christ and the necessity of faith Giue vp now all weapons and say If it bee thus Lord thou hast ouercome I am bereft of all and I must stand to the mercy of a Conqueror I haue nothing to merit or help mee it remaines now that vtter misery prouoke mercy at the hands of a mercifull God with whom the fatherlesse shall find it To conclude put case the Angels should mediate for vs yea if a man were for his owne part as free of sin as Adam yet for that which is past the offence of an infinite Maiesty he could not say any thing to it it is a matter of higher nature Q. What vse of this A. It quasheth all Popish pride and arrogancy all Pelagian and Popish conceit of the remnant of free will in vs towards our owne recouery Not onely in deuising or feeling need of any help but accepting it beeing offred by the helpe of supernaturall light and grace presented Man is as truely blind in himselfe as in a dungeon of darkenesse Though lâ—ght bee offered hee is as impotent to see it as vnable to procure it in the want of it The very roote of all errour and euill heresy and profanenesse being nothing else haue their Ignorance of originall thraldome vnder sin It should greatly abase vs that wee are thus hurt and know not how much lesse how to outgrow it This vse our age greatly needeth wherein formality is ready to blot out the impression of all truths of this kind and nouzle it selfe in an easie religion void of power Secondly it teacheth what a mystery grace is It is true which Paul saith Great is the mystery of godlinesse which Christ manifested When Christ came and brought light foure thousand yeeres after the Creation it was as strange as at first And now when grace findes any man how doth it preuent him euen as the light comes vpon the drunkard in the depth of his snorting and surfet Oh the sweet peace the sinner findes in his misery As Israel made their bondage an ease so wee hell it selfe our Heauen by custome Wee adde delusions to our blindnesse and senslesnesse by false errours of our owne and others Wee sleepe as Peter betweene foure quaternions of our keepers Deuill Sinne Law and Wrath. The Prouerbe is verified The life of an idiot is the sweetest of all for hee hath nothing to trouble him So heere the life of a man dead in sinne is not to bee aware of it pinch burne wound him it s nothing to him threaten allure all is one preach terror or hope woe or weale hee is dead The Law curse Christ and grace hope of Heauen are indifferent Nay such a fearefull offence is the Word to a dead sinner that euen that which should occasion conuincement and feare works confidence in him the Iewes tooke the Law a killing letter to bee the way and obiect of iustification Nothing can worke the soule to humiliation saue wofull experience when all is too late Thus much for this Q. Is there any way then from the LORD to come to the reuealing of this misery A. Yea and that is the morall Law of GOD Art 6 soundly preached to the Conscience See 1 Tim. 1.5 The Law is not giuen to the righteous but to the disobedient c. where the Apostle diuides the Worke of the Law into two sorts by implication One is vpon the righteous as its an eternall patterne and direction of righteousnesse and so it concernes the third Part of the Catechisme but in this sence it belongs not to this place Secondly as its a meane to vrge the vngodlie and to reueale to them their sinfull and cursed condition Note this double vse of the Law to auoyde confuzion which thousands runne into both in writing and hearing the Word preached Q. What say you then of such as want this Law A. They are of many sorts yet truly it may bee said of all They are withouâ— the true knowledge of the Law Touching Heathens Turkes and Infidels the question will bee the lesse because they wholly want the reuealing of the Law and therefore of them it s verified That although sinne reigneth among them in the guilt and curse of it on Gods part yet not on their part by vertue of any light from God For sinne is not imputed without a Law that is Rom. 5.14 not laid to their charge by Gods enlighting their conscience concerning the true obiect roote nature or fruit
do fearfully lay forth this corruption to be that which men little thinke for For why What a tame still close and harmelesse thing seemes this sinne beeing yet if once stirred a raging Tyger and wild monster What do these termes imply â—â—ue that this sinne is the Doe-all in the soule as she will so it must be and in a word she is al sinne both the length and depth of it all that is in sinne is in her And therefore except the Lord Iesus had bene made siâ—ne note the word 2 Cor. 5.21 for vs aswell as sinfull he had neuer satisfied his expiation beeing chiefly for sinne in her Nature and for the Acts by Consequenceâ— in which respect he is truly called the second Adam made the sin of Nature by imputation that he might by his nature of Righteousnes suffring both satisfie for it the losse of Godâ— Image and then restore it Looke vpon these texts and meditate of them Secondly by comparison For when the soule hath had the view of actuall sinnes beâ—ore as most yrkesome and now comes to see greater abomination then these as the Lord tells Ezekiel Chapter 8.15 Oh! how out of measure sinfull seemes it to the soule how doth she cry out miserable man for market thus she speakes Although actuall sins were enough to sinke me into misery yet I see they were but euill in respect of their part but now I see a body of all parts and members a King in his throne I see now my selfe curâ—ed double and treble No sooner do I get out of one actuall sin or set good duties agaiâ—st bad with some hope of ease that way but the Lord beates me downe by my inward nature of sinne yea when I would faine comfort my selfe in my duties and suffring and prayers Lo then my very clothes this venomed shirt vpoÌ„ my skin Iob 9.31 defiâ—es me turnes al hony into the gall of aspes Indeed God hath freed mee from beeing a worldling whose hope is below from a covetous mizer Phil. 3.18 whose God is his Mammon I am free from open vncleanenesse and inward hypocrisy and profanenesse of heart but Oh LORD the nature of these things dogges mee sometimes the wolfe of my nature makes me feele small difference betweene my selfe and these vices The nature of louing pleasures more then God the nature sauor of a proud vaine heart of distrust of worshipping God vnsauourily and for forme of selfe-loue and ends doth so dogge me that its worse ten fold then the breaches themselues Yea and the more I seeme to affect the contrary the more Satan dogs me with them thoughts desires and endeauors after them if it be so be glad yea and selfe-loue with them so blindfoldes me that often they seeme to please me and make me be as I would be and by the suddainenesse of the darts and assaults preuent my armor and so foile mee and leade me captiue So that we see the sting of nature if duely weighed is farre greater then of actions Q. Proceed to the third How doth the Law present the properties of originall sin to the soule A. By ripping vp the body of this death and shewing it what is lust Rom. 7.7 c. First Shewing it to be sin in an eminency of being It s more sin then other sins whatsoeuer is in any of them is here more notoriously whatsoeuer filth and base quality may be spied in all sin or any as impudency vanity pride resolution disdaine is heere more singularly as light and heate is in our fire or the ayre or the Moone but eminently in the Sun the first subiect and seate of it That wherein a quality is first that is eminently worst As coldnesse in the earth drynesse in fire heate in the ayre and moysture in the water So when a Iudge is vniust in the place of equity hee is eminently vniust Euen so heere All ill qualities are first planted heere and its sinne in the Spirit in the place of excellency euen of Gods Image That whereby another thing is qualified so or so that it selfe is much more so qualified As we say Those wofull desperate Traytors in Gun-powder treason were so and so desperate rebellious cruell fierce but by whom were they made so by their father Garnet and grandfather the Pope Garnet and the Pope then must be much more so So all the poizon of actuall euils is seated in the originall after whose copy they write Secondly The predominancy of this sin both in matter of fulnesse and force for fulnesse it hath all sin vnder it and in it as the perfect body hath all the members so this dead rotten body containes fully all dead members of hypocrisie vncleannesse c. in it As the word vsed by Diuines prooves they call it the * Fomiteâ—â— Fewell meaning of the fire of sinnefull acts Great farmes haue and keep great fires because of the plenty of wood they haue to nourish them This is the fewell that maintaines all fires in the soule in hall kitchin and parlour sins of pride sins of common formality sins of base lust all are kept vpon the altar burning with this fewell which is set on fire it selfe by hell So of forciblenesse also therfore Paul cals it a Law Princes rule strongly by their lawes they are as a soule wholly in all and in each part Nothing so forcible there is a necessity in a law It breakes downe and carries before it all opposites word threats dangers all counsell perswasion cannot heare is incorrigible vnchangeable as the Law of Medes and Persians It carries the soule to her trade with courage force resolution and irresistiblenesse being the piller of Satans kingdome ruling as a strong man in sinners Luk. 11. â—1 and keeping all in deep peace Thirdly it is perpetuall Wee say The King hath a perpetuall patrimony that is not alienable so hath a sinner by his originall sin He may faile in his spending money as in his policy and strength and industry to oppresse to defile his body but his stocke and patrimony neuer failes If it bee so in the best of Gods seruants Luther himselfe little molested with couetousnesse yet he had this stock still within how much more is it true of each sinner Fourthly It s an ouerflowing and yet a cruell euill as necessary as it is as forcible Fyre water are ill masters but they burne and ouerflow naturally euen so here As in breaches of the Sea we see tops of Steeples and of Towers vnder water so this ouerflowes all the Image of God in vs This sinne goes in the haire and streame of nature and therefore it s called Concupiscence and Lust Iames 4.5 The spirit that is in vs lusts to enuy it pleases vs because it is naturalâ— and hath a self-louing perswasion which carries it smoothly and vnsuspiciously and by priviledge It is my nature to smite when I am angry iâ—s my nature to be soone hoâ— it s therefore
Act. 9. hearing that voice I am Iesus whom thou peâ—secutest he fell downe and asked True Lord what wilt thou haue me to do Thus the murtherers of Christ were conuinced by Peter they were pricked in their hearts This followed they beleeuing the fact Surely wee haue pierced the Lord of life This was tipified in the handling of the Leper after the due view of the Priest Leuit. 1â— 45 he was to lay it to his heart and cry out Vncleane vncleane To this purpose Paul speaketh 1. Cor. 14.28 But iâ— yee speake in a knowne tongue if an Idiot come in hee is conuinced of all and cryes out God is in you of a truth I am a wofull wretch Thus Peter was in speciall conuinced of his basenesse Luke 5.8 Lord depart from me a sinfull man And Dauid by Nathan 2 Sam. 12.13 I haue sinned â—o 1 Cor. 4.2 4. We manifest our selues to the consciences of all men that is preach so that we conuince you of the truth So Iohn 16.8 The spirit meaning in the ministers of the law shall conuince the world of sinne their conscience shall not be able to resist the truth of it Q. How doth the Law effect this conuiction A. As in the former worke it remoued darknesse so in this it remoues three lets especially first Deadnesse of spirit Secondly Sâ—oth and caâ—e Thirdly Subtilty and hollownesse And contrarily puts a quickning and a diligent and playne consent to the light into the soule These it doth by a further power of the ordinance by the benefit of the key of light grappling with the spirit of the mind and wrestling with it to vnlocke the barre of it and set it Wide open that it may confesse her selfe to bee this party Q. What causeth this deadnesse and hardnesse in the spirit to be conuinced A. Loue of lusts and custom therein with delight doth defile and besot the powers of the minde that as one busie in his game doth not listen to a sad tale so neyther doth this mind the end of the Law in enlightning That which our Sauiour Ioh. â— 19 20. speaks of euill works that They will not come at the light may be as truly sayd of this also They will not suffer the sight to come home to them in the reflex application and seasure of conscience It is as if an vnhappy boy while one is grafting a tree should throw a little pebble betweene the clift thaâ— the sier and the stocke might warp asunder So heere corrupt lusts by the sweetnesse doe let the Word although clearely knowâ— from closing with the conscience so that the Law and the soule are two and come not home one to the other Q. What is sloth and ease A. Loose incogitancy and carelesnesse by which men run vp and downe with light as the dog with his chaine broken loose So doth a slothfull heart euen cut its owne throat as Salomon sayth Pro. 1.32 Iam. 1.24 Ease slayeth the foole To this purpose St. Iames sayth Hee is as a foole that beholds his naturall face in the Glasse and the spots of it but forgets that they are his spots If he did mynd them he would bee afrayd to shew them and would go wash them off The obedience to this hard conuincing Master is harsh men are content to forget it at least that goeth out of mind alone through lothnesse to fall to it and then comes the Deuill and puts in busines that must be done pleasures company when yet the heart sayth There is a better worke would be done and indeed if it were pleasing to the flesh it would plead to be done But now ease and liberty plead against it and put it off saying One day I wil be serious but the heart is dayly worse and worse to it For why All other worke should be set aside to follow this while the heart is vpon kindling of thoughts and desires to it lest the quenching of this spirit do make the heart vtterly vnsauory to it Thus Math. 13.7 Cares of the world and pleasures choke the Word that it dyes Oh men say They cannot dwell vpon a thing so long But it is your giddines and vanity which sees not what a Iewell they forgoe for a shadow which after will sting them without remedy As the Prophet sayd to him who let his prisoner go which was to be kept excusing it That while he was talking of this and that 1 King 20.40 he slipt froÌ„â—im Thy life shal go for his so I say This vanity ease wil slay the foole Q. What is subtilty and slynesse A. The worse of the three viz. when men pretend that they haue receyued the light to beleeue it but they lye and their false hearts are defiled with some secret roote of bitternesse Heb. 12.15 Num. 22.21 which will not suffer them to bee playne Examples are plentifull When Baalam would needes go with the men against Gods charge the Lord set his asse to conuince his folly and againe the Angell stopt his way so that he dasht his foote against the wall And thirdly the Lord oppozed him but he was so set vpoÌ„ his wages that he answerd his very asse and smote her What was the cause but a false heart pretending to do no other theÌ„ God bad him but in truth meaning nothing lesse The like estate are all hypocrites it who haue their pangs and deuotions oft promising that they will do as thâ— light calls for but in secret keepe a false measure and sooth vp themselues as they are wanting truth to do it And there is nothing more perilous then this to dally with sinne vnder pretext of religion and zeale when yet the heart is vtterly loth to take the point of this knife into it Q How doth the Ministery of the Law grapple with these A. By iogging the soule and not suffring her to be any of these but being more forcible in setting the Word home to the soule and breaking open that locke which will not shoote of her selfe Some view of this briefly I will giue to the Reader and so come to the vse Thus then the Lord doth ayme at this where he will conuince not to suffer the soule to lye in her halfe conuincings but beats her off from all her subtill shifts washes off her Colours and puts her to silence that she hath no more to gainesay and this hee doth many waies First By entring into a solemne iudiciall course with the soule and applying the light to her by particular euidence giuing in against her that shee is this childe of death Take an example While the Thiefe heares the Iudge giue his charge to the Country and enlighten the Country in the Law of the Land hee giues way to all but is no whit troubled because it s not brought home to himselfe but in generall spoken against all theeues murtherers c. But when the sayle is deliuered this Thiefe called and examined how then will his pleading not guilty
sit heere we are but dead men and wee can bee no worse by the Aramites then by famine So they made into their Campe. Thus doth a cast-downe troubled sinner resolue to doe If there bee a way of possible escape the matter is not now whether I shall find it but I know I shall surely perish without it and sure I cannot be worse then I am I may be better I will venture the triall The vse briefly is First To obserue how God preuents a sinner by this Wisedome For what is all the complaint of a poore soule when the promise is offred Oh it s true if I were loden I doubt not of ease Thou lyest against thy selfe thou dost doubt of ease by the promise for of the former thou canst not doubt hauing been enlightned cast downe and conuinced by the Law That then which is the more easie to grant the Lords workes first as part of the condition of Grace for euen legall bondage is the first part of it that is to be loden that when the harder comes to bee vrged that is Faith then the Condition already wrought might bee ready to comfort the poore soule Secondly Wonder therefore at this wisedome which by contraries most sitly to the soules condition doth euen worke by contraries life out of death and order out of confusion Thirdly and lastly in all the Ministery of the Word let the Minister and people of GOD still fixe their eye vpon the scope of GOD moouing onwardes with him and going euen pase with his ordinance for the effecting of his owne ends and the glory of his Grace in our saluation Let vs both so teach and so heare that still the Starre may guide vs and then our iourney shall not be tedious to vs. Q. Conclude with the extremities and abuses of this legall worke A. First for the extremities they are two legall presumption and finall despaire Touching the first I call it legall because there is another and more dangerous one by the Gospell Secondly this presumption is twofold One this when the sinner waxes bold and ventrous to shake off this yoke of the Law before his spirit be conuinced and cast downe And this is that solemne caueat Deut. 29. If any shall applaud himselfe hearing the curse and say I shall haue peace adding drunkennesse to thirst the wrath of GOD sâ—all smoke agâ—â—◠〈◊〉 man Such there are then yea surely bondage is of it seâ—fe yrkesome but when it meets with a bold heart and is not set home by the Law commonly it prouokes wearines and then seeing that GOD seconds not his Word alway with plagues and death and curses indeed the deferring of sentence sets the heart on gog to euill and perhaps worse then before Thus Psalm 50. the hypocrite growes to thinke God to be like himselfe This sinne made Adam and all vs cursed presumption against threats Oh when wee thus fall to our old trade the Deuill falls to his finding the soule thus swept returnes with seuen worse then himselfe Let vs tremble at it and learne to inure our selues to heare all threats with feare Learne to beleeue this doctrine which I haue at large described I speake not now of sauing faith but against presumptuous boldnesse against the Law To credit the Word to be Gods who cannot lye may fall into a supernaturall conuiction although not yet sauing The second presumption is When the consternation of the Law ceazing without the addition of the Gospell causes the soule to waxe confident of it owne welfare because it hath beene humbled and perhaps holds some impression of it still not daring to resist her light But this is rare and dangerous for its a signe that the heart is secretly false and vnpurged Rest in no checkes of conscience where conscience her selfe is not first purged both to check and also to excuse and comfort the soule in the Satisfaction of CHRIST Q. What is Desperation A. The other contrary offending as much on the left hand through the excesse of terror Thus Saul and Iudas And it commonly growes from the first Satan neuer seeking more to poizon with presumption and dallyance with the Law then where he meanes to snare with the contrary of despaire How oft was Saul conuinced of his malice and persecution But returinng to his vomit brought soule and body to a desperate end So Cain and Iudas by their hidious sinnes brought themselues to this that mercy and Christ were not able to doe them good their sinnes were growne beyond forgiuenes A wofull fruit of boldenesse And yet iust for he who will vndervalue grace in the worth thereof is iustly left to ouerualue sinne in the merit of it He that neuer can find season to beleeue the Word beeing offred is iustly left to seeke it with violence when the season is ouer And so eyther its neuer time with them as he spake of marriage or else past time Many compare these sinnes with great adoe but the wiser way is to preuent both and the latter in the former Doubtles it is the sinne of the damned to liue in the perpetuall despaire of release and in perswasion that Grace is vnable to do them good Let vs know farre worse sinnes then these may destroy let vs neuer presume to venture so farre as to dye by these Vse And for vse of the point learne wee dayly to roote this cursed Roote of bitternes out of vs by two â—hings eâ—suing First A spirit of humility and feare to keepe ouâ—selues vnder the bondage of ouâ— Schoole-master rather then to affâ—ct the liberty of presumers and in so doing to beseech the LORD o proportion out our stripes according to ouâ— strength aâ—d to keepe our despaire within the compasse of our seluâ—s and any thing in vs but to bee farre from the least thought of inlarging our basenesse aboue the infinitenesse of mercy Secondly To nourish in our hearts aboue all those Meditations of Mercy and Grace in CHRIST which may set vs vpon a Rocke about our selues and all fearefull distrust and carry vs in the streame thereof with holy irresistiblenesse Frequent holy and louing thoughts of God are the surest remedies against this hidious monster Q. What lastly is the abuse of this worke of the Law A. Double ech contrary to the other First On the right hand many not of the worst abuse it when they nourish themselues in a needlesse bondage whereas they know that they are in case to hearken after the remedy and will not pretending they haue not yet beene cast downe or troubled enough What madnesse is this to nourish a disease against Physick or to thinke that our trouble pleaseth GOD or to thinke that to bee of substance of Grace which onely is for preparation vnto it And yet many sullen and Melanchoâ—â—que ones are thus abuzed by Satan to thinke their Babel and captiuity yea their Hell another Heauen Let them rather hast themselues out of it when God calles them and know the Lord
hinder or crosse it No it ended the strife and scared away all the traytors Oh! beware then that thou crosse not the Lord in his promise to make him a lyer Q. These are strong grounds How should the soule rely on them Are there any directions for this A. Fayth should in these respects doe these things First shee ought to ponder well and muse vpon the promise Secondly be thorowly conuinced thereby in her heart of all these grounds Thirdly she should cleaue close to the promise against all obiections Fourthly she should humbly and wholy obey and consent to the promise And lastly she ought to plead the promise and improoue it to her owne peace Q. These are sweete duties What is the first of them A. To ponder a promise Pondering is when a man lifts any thing to esteeme what weight it beares so ought fayth to doe with the promise And that in these three kinds First to marke it Men giue no heed to Gods promises they lye hid in the Word and are made no otherwise of then as other common passages It is long before an hearer remember one of forty till some crosse driue them in as with an hammer and then perhaps he remembers some one A fearefull sinne read Esay 8.8 Ahaz slighted the promise of GOD the Prophet tels him Is it not enough for yee to slight a Prophet but God in a Prophet not marking what he promises Lo I will therefore make a promise to my Church and it shall bee marked A Virgin shall conceaue a Sonne c. Lo the cause of vnbeliefe in many is their giddinesse they are so full of froth that holy promises are as a vaine thing to them as the Law was a vaine thing in Hse 8.12 And the Word to them in Iames Doe the Scriptures speake in vaine noting the wildnesse of the heart and how the foole hauing seene this glasse forgets the Lords face Oh! the giddinesse of minde euen the wild-goose chase of the most of vs in hearing promises But beware Heb. 2.1 that ye set suâ—h a marke vpon a promise and offer of God that it may be the fayrest flower in the garden of God in your eyes The eye of the soule must guide the heart in beleeuing Set a starre vpon the margin of a speciall promise Buy that booke that culs out promises of note in this kinde Euen as euery spoonefull put into a full vessell runnes ouer though the vessell bee sound so heere looke therefore that your vessels bee empty also if ye would marke the promise lest GOD bee speaking in your cast and yee bee not aware I speake to you of my owne Congregation not without cause lest the precious promises ye haue heard leake out and this of Reconciliation in Christ and the offer of it The second is Musing of a promise chewing vpon the end of it as the cleane beast hauing obserued some of the choyce texts of Gods offer or promise annexed dwell vpon it â— the heart is the arme which must weigh a promise duely Therefore it s sayd of Mary She pondred the Angels words in her heart So did they Iona. 3.9 Oh! if God turne from his anger we shall not perish but liue in his sight This is the taking of Gods perswasions and allurements and benefits offred vs in the promise into our consideration as the Merchant Math. 12.44 he went aside and hid the pearle nourishing the gaine of mercy pardon heauen as a child would hold a sweete thing vnder the palate It is the putting of Gods cords rags vnder our armeholes that the Spirit may draw vs out of our dungeon with ease Oh! this is a riddle to men Many will marke for the time present who can not bee brought further but sticke at the birth and haue no strength to bring forth The common answer is Oh! wee cannot meditate No for the diuell knowes if ye could doe so yee might meete the Lord to settle you vpon the promise Let them whom this concernes weigh it well lest they lay heapes vpon heapes and dye of thirst Rid your soules of other scurffe get matter of promises about yee separate your selues Prou. 18.2 for this is a part of Gods worship and cannot bee done in the workes of our calling the throng of other businesse The Lord blesse this to vs And lastly make the Word of the promise familiar by frequency get it by heart till it be eazy As a man hauing many friends yet hath some one hee makes his bosome friend to whom he powres out his whole heart as Ionathan Dauid did 1 Sam. 20.41 So did Dauid make the promise his Counceller and companion Ps 119.24 And so should we do As if a man that hath a suit or a crazy body will powre out all into the bosome of a Surgeon or Doctor of Phisicke he will hide nothing but tell them his whole heart Oh! wee boast that the Minister of God knowes least of our minde But if we deale so with Gods promises we are like to fare worse Oh how seldome are our doubts and feares powred into the bosome of this companion How would it stay vs and speake to our hearts In the feare of God let not the offer and promise of God be strangers to vs. Q. What is the second worke of the soule A. To bee conuinced of whatsoeuer hath beene sayd of the wisedome strength and truth of God in offring and promising pardon to a sinner See Ioh. 16.9 The Gospell shall conuince the heart of righteousnes This followeth the former Due weighing will cause the soule to see the whole heart and meaning of God in a promise and to bee vnder the authority and euidence thereof Else no beleeuing Heb. 11.1 fayth is called an euidence and demonstration as light at midday conuinces the eye of it selfe So heere the soule must see God nakedly in his promise as in a mirror see 2 Cor. 3. last Ver. As the virgin is conuinced that her husband is the man aboue all other layde out for her As it s sayd of Laban Gen. 24.57 when hee saw how matters stood betweene the seruants message and Rebeccas affection sayd Wee can say neyther more nor lesse against it for this thing is of the Lord. This grace is the worke of the Spirit making the soule to begin to thinke Surely I am the partie whom GOD meanes for I haue the condition wrought and I see hee is plaine and hath no subtilty but is as he seemes hence a secret insinuation of heart arizes I may bee the soulâ— whom GOD will pardon for whom should hee meane but such a one as I Open it a little by the like At the Assises when prisoners are examined by the Iudge the euidences are called forth to declare against theÌ„ for thâ—ft or murder now when they are sworne and witnessed the Iudge telles them they are but dead men Why The Iudge saw them not rob or kill No but he lyes vnder thâ— conuiction of
to the 42. pitching places of this way to Canaan leaue mee not to my own wisdome but guide me by thy counsell till thou receiue me to glory Lord enable me to doe what thou biddest and bid me doe what thou wilt Giue me to draw from thy fountaine for all these vses of conuersation The Wel is deepe but thy Bucket is able to fetch out this water Let mee deriue it from the Lord Iesus his example and draw grace for grace from thence And not onely set me in this conuersation but hold mee in it and let experience make me say it is best and I am neuer happy when I am out Till it become my meate and drinke on earth to doe thy will as in heauen And so much for this second Article The third Article Q. VVWhat is the third Article A. That the eternall platforme after which this Conuersation of the next Creature is to bee framed is onely the law of God in the tenne Commandements See 1 Tim. 1.5 the end of the Law is Loue. What end meanes he surely not the end of the Lawes begetting power for Christ doth that but of the directing power of it Thus Saint Iames calles it a Royal Law Iam. 2.8 as being the Scepter whereby Christ our King rules vs. And he termes it a Glasse of libertie meaning to all beleeuers in that it shews forth the will of God fully in the point of moral obedience as a glasse represents the face So the Psalmist Ps 19. Thy Law is perfect giueth light to blind eyes by it thy seruant is forewarned c. and Ps 119. Thy word is a light and lanterne to my feete and steps And thy Commandements are to mee instead of Councellors And of this part of the Word is that of Peter meant The sure Word of Prophets shining in darke place Q. How comes this direction to be put into the word and how comes it to be conueyed vnto the soule A. To the former I answere the Lord God hath breathed into it this light and direction himselfe put it into it no creature being able in so few words as ten Dut. 10.4 to contriue so perfect a view of all duty and hauing out of the depth of his wisedome so doe God spake these words although deliuered by the Ministery of Angels in point of attendance and terror Heb. 1.7 He maketh his Ministers a flame of fire hee himselfe as the Lord of the Creature vttered them And both deuised and vttered this Law for this especiall and last end to bee a direction vnto his Church For the latter I say That as in the Law he tooke order that not onely the Priests and Leuites at Ierusalem in the Temple but in the Tribes should reade it each Sabbath Act. 13.27 and expound it Ezra 8.4 so still he requires that the Ministers of the Gospell doe dispence and open it to the people in the speciall parts and scopes thereof for a patterne of life For although such common notions of dim light remaine in a corrupt nature as may serue to condemne the contemners yet no such as might leade on to godlinesse and salvation cleerely that is a mystery and must be vnfolded And further the Lord hath added the ministery of the Spirit to the voyce of man to write this Law in the soule he hath promised it Ier. 1.33 and doth dayly performe it so that to the beleeuer his Law is not a commanded one as to all but a commanding one in their spirit and conscience Q. But this seemes contrary to the Apostle 1 Tim. 1. for he affirmes the Law was not given to the righteous but to the disobedient c. A. This is answered by the same place verse 5. as in the first question I said the sunne is It is not giuen to the righteous as to the vngodly for the righteous need it not so howbeit it 's giuen to the godly also for another end Gal. 3.19 euen to direct them For the Law in Gods purpose serued for two ends The for transgressions to conuince the wicked to scare them out of their selfe-conceit and to driue them to Christ The other to guide such as are come to Christ how to lye vnder his Gouernment This latter the Lord looked at more mainely for his elect sake that they should not bee left to themselues But the former also hee intended to the drawing of them out of their ignorance For as we see that the Law was giuen in all terror and not as a messenger of good things so the Lord taught thereby that it ought to speake sadly as a minister of death to the vngodly and so it did in some sort with such as were saued among the Iewes the Ministry of it conuinced them of an impossibility of performance of it and sent them to the blessed seed who should bring in righteousnesse and breake the Serpents head and to such this Law ceased to be a killing letter and began to be a Cirection to life In which sence we here treate of it as in the first part of the Catechisme of the former Q. But what needes this Law-direction Doe wee not by this teach people to serue in the old letter and destroy that Law of liberty in Christ which ought to be set vp and restore the couenant which ought to be abolished A. To answere both first the Lord hath not giuen his Church to Christ nor giuen them any such liberty in Christ as to deuise a way to themselues feuerall either for measure or number or matter of obedience from his owne way neither will trust man with any such no nor giue the least hint to mans corrupt inuentions But that Law of obedience which hee first himselfe deuised hee meant it for those that should beleeue both before at and after the comming of Christ and meant not to alter it How Christ rules by it â—e shall heare anon but hee rules by no other And its worth our noting that the first Sermons he euer preached Mat. 5. and 6 and 7. hee vrgeth nothing more than this Thinke yee I am come to destroy the law No but to fulfill it and to settle it For the second point I say that it must be explayned what it is to serue in the letter and secondly what it is to restore that which is worne out To serue in the letter then is to bee mistaken in the scope of the Law Doe this and liue to thinke that the Law giues life to the obeyers of the letter of it and to thinke a man may of himselfe obey it and bee saued by it whereas the Law imports no such thing but vrges an obedience exactly Gal. 3.21 â—atter part which is impossible now to serue thus is to serue like a slaue without reward Thus doe not wee affirme the Law to be serued Secondly to restore a Law to bee abolished is to maintaine this error that by the Law of Moses a man may be iustified and needes no other
A PRACTICALL CATECHISME OR A view of those principall truths according to Godlinesse which are contayned in the Catechisme Diuided into three parts and seruing for the vse as of all so especially of those that first heard them By D. R. B. of Divin Minister of the Gospell ROM 7.9 For I was once aliue without the Law But when the Law came sinne reuyued and I dyed ESAY 12.3 Therefore with ioy draw ye waters out of the wells of Saluation 2 COR. 7.1 Hauing therefore such precious promises let vs clense our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit and finish our holinesse in the feare of the Lord. LONDON Printed by I. N. for SAMVEL MAN dwelling at the signe of the Swanne in Pauls Church-yard 1632. To the Christian Reader and in especiall to my beloued Auditors and neyghbours Greeting Good Reader IT is no new thing for stuffe and substance which I offer to thee in this ensuing tract how can I in an Argument of this nature wherein the obiect determines the minde and pen of the Writer If therefore nouelty be thy ayme saue thy labour Onely for the manner and order of expression this I would say That as the Ancients looke what they desired to fasten vpon themselues or their children they were wont to conueigh it in the familiarity of a Song or Rime that it might become their owne with ease So doe I heere vnder the ease and familiarnesse of Catechisme which is no other then a forme of godlinesse reach out to thee and thine a direction to Heauen so that if hereby the truth as it is in Iesus may be emplanted in thy spirit in any measure I haue my desire Thou wilt say Who-euer denyed but Catechisme serues to this end I answere I wish that the practice of all that catechize and are catechized did approue it The slight answer of men betrayes them who being asked If their Minister did preach to day answere No hee did but Catechize If the Preaching of a Catechist were conceaued as his best worke could men so speake No surely were Catechizing vsed to such solemne ends none but barbarous and blynd ones could be ignorant of the eminency and fruit thereof I taxe none I onely adde As I blesse God that Catechizing is so frequent and that there are many able Preachers who ayme at a profitable course So I wish that all who do not would follow such examples As touching you my Christian Auditors You know one full third part of my poore labors hath beene thus and in this order and ayme to Catechize And whereas Iob serued in the preaching hereof that the particulars grew to a larger extent then I looked for you know that once a yeere at least I gaue you a briefe view of all the parts in a few Sermons Which course because I saw to be profitable then therefore bethinking my selfe now in this my priuacy how I might witnes the continuing care of my heart for your good I haue conceaued the reuiuing of that Method to be the best way to recommend my loue vnto you Written copies I saw would prooue so chargeable that few would haue enioyed any benefit heereof and threfore I yeelded for your ease to that which my selfe would haue shunned to print the Copy I proceeded you know in my Ministery towards the end of the Satisfaction being the second Branch of the second part I haue by my labor since with Gods blessings added the rest of the Parts and their Articles to the end handling both one and other for the most part according to the proportion of my larger course at least few points of Substance omitted Your losse in a sort becomes your gaine in this That wereas scarce in 2 yeeres you should haue heard that which is heere added Lo now you haue it presented to you at once Let not in any case this gaine of yours become your losse by carelesnesse but let it rather by our diligence become a double gaine to you and yours Now to the intent that this view of Catechisme may be profitable in few words conceaue it thus Three words containe all my scope in this Tract Sinne Grace Obedience Sinne in the first part that each vnregenerate man may know how to get out of his false peace seeing himselfe in the glasse of the Law to be that cursed one Grace in the second that each humbled one vnder his burden may in the mirror of the Gospell and the offer of Reconciliation behold and embrace the hearty and vnfeigned meaning of the Lord to forgiue and saue him Obedience in the third that each forgiuen soule may know that God in shewing him mercy aymes not onely at the ease of the soules burden but at his owne honor in laying on another burden though eazy and sweet of liuing by faith and obeying his Cōmandements Set these three then before thy eye as the scope of the whole And so each part shall not onely profit thee in the seuerall branches but much more in the connexion of the scope thereof all tending to make the soule happy here and heereafter If then thou meet in the first part with many Articles heads of weight rest not in the doctrine of the things but conceaue them from first to last as steps and degrees to conuince thee of sinne that the sence of thy naturall estate may make thee and leaue thee such an one in thine owne eyes as thou art in the LORDS If in the second thou meete with sundry discourses of the way and meane of Deliuerance dwell not vpon the points themselues but consider their scope that GOD in offring thee Christs Righteousnes to bee thine speakes as truly and according to his purpose in this as hee did in the first that hee might conuince thee of his Righteousnes Likewise in the third so reade and mediate of the grounds therein contained as remembring that all of them tend to this one marke That the truth as it is in Iesus must conuince thee of as great a necessity of putting off the old and putting on the new man as before it did of thy Righteousnesse And thus thy reading ouer and ouer this Treatise with meditation and prayer may through the Grace of Gods Spirit lead thee towards Heauen And now behold I would euen desire that as Ieremy dealt with his Prophecies Iere. 36.2 he wrote them in a Role that they might be in daily view and better beleeued So those of my people for I accuse but some who would neuer by the preaching of these poynts vnderstand the coherence and vse of this Summe of Godlinesse might now stand vpon this Pisgah Deut. vlt. 1. and behold this Canaan of Practicall Religion and that goodly Lebanon thereof especially I meane the Doctrine of fayth in reconciliation and the new Creature The vse of the whole Posie of al the Flowers herein bound together is That yee bee better grounded in knowledge and heare Sermons dayly with better vnderstanding
respects First the thoughts p. 32. Secondly affections p. 33. Thirdly Actions p. 36. The third is the obiect of it eyther God himselfe and that both inward in the life of fayth p. 40. and the exercise of graces p. 43. And outward both ordinary p. 44 or occasionall p. 45. Lastly toward men eyther generall p. 45. or speciall as in marriage p. 46. Callings p. 47. trading ibid. Common life ibid. Liberties ibid. Family gouernment p. 49. the tongue p. 50. the vses 51. Artic. 3. The platforme by which this conuersation is to be framed is the Morall Law p. 56. Explication of it p. 57. Obiections answered p. 58 59 How the Law is made our direction By Christ as First our Priest p. 60. Secondly our King p. 61. Thirdly our Prophet p. 62. The directions themselues or Rules p. 63. the vses p. 66. Artic. 4. God hath ordained variety of excellent meanes sutable for the vpholding of our conuersation p. 70. Explication of it p. 71. their names and distinctions ordinary extraordinary publike priuate p. 74. How wee may grow by each of these in particular p. 76. the vses p. 88. Artic. 5. that the conuersation of the new Creature is beset with manifold lets and encumbrances p. 92. Explication p. 93. their seuerall sorts p. 94. First Sinne. Explication p. 95. Secondly Satan p. 96. Explication ibid. The particular kinds thereof and first the Temples properties p. 99. then the temptations themselues p. 100. The third world Explication p. 107. The sorts eyther the dead world p. 108. or the liuing p. 112. The vse 113. Standing in remedies Eyther against sinne p. 115. or Satan and world p. 118. Artic. 6. God hath prouided for his people manifold priuiledges to encourage them to holy conuersation p. 122. Explication ibid. The sorts of them eyther temporall Their names ibid. or spirituall Their sorts p. 126. The vses 127. Artic. 7. The vse of the whole part thorowout to the end GEntle Reader the Author hauing sent his Copy afterward sent sundry Additions the insertings whereof in their due place was not easy Therfore place them aright thus Page 86. line 19. after these words of the Law begin the A. to the Q. thus A. Paul doth in that place c. Also in l. 22. the beginning blot out these words A. Both may be together Page 130. after the 34 l. ere thou r. the Q. bring in 17. l. in P. 134. from l. 7. to l. 28. thus well I am satisfyed c. Page 157. after l. 24. ere thou r. that Q. beginning thus The Doctrine of c. bring in all that Section conteind from P. 46 l. 29. till P. 48 l. vlt. In Page 135. set the Q toward the end of the p. all the A. of it 7. l. after before the 25th l. of p. 134. Page 187. l. 26 r. this all following to p. 207. l. 7. I say r it after l. 21. of p. 234 If in some place after sundry vses handled thou meet with the next Q. in this tenor what vse make you of this correct it thus what further vse make you of this to auoyd confusion The order of this view FIrst I will chuse such Scriptures as doe naturally and in briefe containe the summe of each of the three parts premising a text to each part that we may heare God and not man to speake Then in the second place I will more fully subioyne the seuerall Articles of each part which belong thereto with the proofes openings and vse thereof And both these in forme of Catechizing The text for the first part TITVS 3.3 For we also were in times past vnwise disobedient deceaued seruing the lusts and diuers pleasures liuing in maliciousnesse and enuy hatefull and hating one another Question WHat is the connexion of this text A. The Cretians to whom Paul writes hauing receiued the profession of the Gospell vpon them teaching them to beleeue in Christ the Lord of all and to stand fast in the liberty by him purchased to the conscience began to thinke themselues too good to serue their Superiours Princes Magistrates or Masters But the Apostle presseth them to a close obedience and walking with God both in this and all other commandements And hee vrgeth this point of obedience to GOD and man which is the summe of the third part of the Catechisme by a comparison of the first and second parts of the Catechisme viz. Sinne and grace thus It were a shame for Christians to walke vnder grace as they did before during the tyme of sinne and ignorance But of this latter sort were ye Cretians sometimes viz. foolish disobedient deceaued c. Now since the Grace of God appeared ye are saued and vnder grace Bee ashamed therefore to liue now as then and become obedient Thus we see by this Argument the three parts of the Catechisme are couched together Q. What is the meaning of the third verse in which the Doctrine of the first part is conteined A. He describes the misery vnder which these Cretians lay in their vnregeneracy In which although all be not sayd which other Scriptures conteine yet so much is sayd as may be a ground-worke to the rest The order is this First hee layes downe the misery of their mindes they were Foolish that is void of all sound knowledge in Gods matters or their owne good meere spirituall fooles in the midst of their carnall wisdome This foolishnes is partly Originall partly actuall Originall is the deprauednes of the vnderstanding and the guilt thereof As in fooles there is a naturall disability of the powers and Organs of nature and so an vtter impotency to reach the truth of things euen so in all naturall men whether vnder meâ—ues or without them they are fooles in respect of wisdome to saluation And as Law strips fooles of all right to an estate making them obnoxious to a kind of misery so doth spirituall ignorance robbe the soule of Heauen Secondly this foolishnes is actuall standing in the natural defilement of the mind with all idle and erroneous thoughts of God themselues with pollution of iudgement and vnderstanding issuing thence Q. What else doth the Apostle adde A. The next is Corruptednes of the heart or will expressed in the terme of Disobedience which is also Originall or Actuall Originall is the vtter losse of true freedome of the will in point of Subiection to the mind So that as the mind is wholy blynd so is the will wholy rebellious and vnsubiect voide of all submission to any Commands of God quite auerse from any thing which hee doth or can impoze And the guilt heerof is lyablenes to wrath or Iustice Secondly hence issue all Actuall habits of Rebellion as Impiousnes vnrighteousnes intemperancy and the like Q. Is this all which Paul describes sinne by A. No hee vseth three other descriptions first he sayth they were deceaued that is As a foole is cheated easily by euery one so is a spirituall foole this toucheth
is the chayn of the law and so are the words couched together that being by one and the same spirit ordained he that brakes one violates all as he that breaks any linke of a golden chaine breakes the coherence Men thinke otherwise But as hee who breakes his neighbours fence trespasses him aswel as if he ranged all ouer his ground because the bond is broken so heere It were strange to tell a drunkard he broke more then the seuenth Commandement But to tell him that he had broken all as indeed he hath were strange to him Not perhaps in actuall deed but yet in power and effect because he hath broken the bond of that God who hath made all the rest And yet there is a further thing in it then so for in a sort some actuall sinne breakes all As one hath described it in couetousnesse so might I doe it in drunkennesse For what drunkard makes not his cup and companions an Idoll what cares he for Gods worship daring to bee drunke in an Ale-house within the sound of the Preacher What conuersation toward man looks hee at in family neighborhood oathes vowes to God or men What Sabbaths doth he not breake What parents and Magistrates doth he care for but rather vndoes the estate of the one and contemnes the censure of the other What cares hee in his cups to breake the head of yea to stabbe his fellow What vncleannesse and bastardy is hee not guilty of What booty by the high way will he balke and perhaps with bloodshed to get money to drinke What lyes and slanders what colors and shifts to defend his villanies and couer his sin will he forbeare This is meet to thinke of to open the harmony of a law But howeuer this bee sure it is there is no sinner not onely grosse but euen secret who is not guilty of all the Law in the breach of any Commandement because his vndue carriage fights against the Lord of the whole Law The discouery of this light might bee as much as some mens soules are worth for what is the speech of men As for vnrighteousnesse I aske GOD no mercy As for stealing saith one or for adultery saith a second or slander or murther or vsury I neuer feare what GOD can alledge against mee Indeed such or such a sinne I aske him mercy for Well said but in the meane time it s no thanke to thee GOD and prouidence suffred thee not for thâ—â— wouldst haue broken all aswell as one thy heart was bad enough if hee had not limited thee Oh this light well receiued prepares way for conuiction Q. How thirdly A. The Law discouers it selfe to the soule in the point of her Royalty So Saint Iames cals it Chap. 2.8 That as a King is not prescribed against by the quality of any subiect offending why hee may not hold him guilty so in this No person is accepted with GOD in this kind Oh! it s a great discouery of errour the hearâ— of man is proud and soone exempts and dispenseth with it selfe by some priuiledge But this Royal Law is impartiall As a glasse will shew a Queene her spots aswell as a poore woman Paul labors this point Rom. 2. against the Iewes priuiledges No difference with God All both bond and free Barbarian Scythian Iew Gentile none excepted God hath shut vp â—ll vnder one disobedience Oh it s a great abating of a proud heart One sin one hell one wrath one Tophet for Princes for subiects for learned for idiots for noble and base for Pharises and Publicanes This cuts the combe of the sinner Psalm 149.8 He bindeth Kings in Cheynes and Nobles in fetters of yron Neither can the poorest scape at a little mash nor the richest at a great Againe his Lawes are no copwebs Apply this as it is the scope of the fourth Article supâ—Ã to thy selfe Q. How fourthly A. It discouers it selfe to the sinner in the point of integrity and soundnesse of her light That is opens sinne to the soule in one kinde aswell as another Such is the corruption of Adam that it will suffer much of the body of sin to vanish in the suruey If sinne bee either of knowledge or ignorance although knowledge shall bee of some note yet ignorance will vanish If other sinnes bee of omission or commission omission sinnes will faile in the reckoning If againe sin bâ—e of presumption or infirmity Sinnes of infirmity are nothing If presumptuous sins be either of particular presumption or or totall reuolt Particulars seeme nothing to a selfe-louing rotten heart But where God enlightens lo he discouers sin in all her sexes male and female strong and weake remembred forgotten ignorance or knowledge and in a word one and other And this also is a great discouery for want of which many a soule neuer comes to the bar of Gods conuiction But now this rule will not onely tell the soule the differences of these to wit that one is of greater crime then other one may both omit and commit sin and yet know neyther he may sin of knowledge yet not of presumption necessarily because he may be preuented by feare Satan violent lust and not voluntarily consent he may also presume with a different heart yet the least of these in their nature is damnable Q. How fiftly A. The Law reaches forth to the soule her key of knowledge in the poynt of her extent She who hath her Ladyes keyes knowes all and can fetch out of ech boxe So cannot the poor droile in the kitchin So this is the priuiledge of one that hath the Law to be hers It is a great piece of the light of the Law to extend it selfe in the soule to al parts and degrees of sinne First in poynt of Spiritualnes of the Law teaching vs not to rest onely in open grosse morall offences but to goe to spirituall wickednesses The Law is spiritually morall aswell as externally Thus Paul Rom. 7.12 The Law is holy and good I sold vnder sinne And 1 Tim. 1.5 The end of the Commandement is loue out of a pure heart good Conscience and fayth vnfeined Then it must be very spirituall and aswell meet with infidelity hypocrisy vnthankfulnes impiousnes profanenesse of spirit security hardnes of heart contempt of Word Sabbaths c. as open leudnes of life riot stealth or adultery And so also it enlarges the chiefe breach of a Law to all lesser degrees and steps to it As the seuench commandement reaches not onely to grosse incontinenty but to intemperancy drunkennes riot voluptuousnes of sences c. Secondly her Inquisition and Search For the Law Heb. 4.12 is very searching and piercing diuides betweene the ioynts and marrow dare and can go to any part of the whole man and fetch out any poizon out of any corner hath an vnlimited Commission from the Law-giuer to fetch out and bind any malefactor not onely seene and manifest words and deeds but also the most retyred and close
in our hearts that we do truly and sauingly see whatsoeuer the former fiue Articles said of sin consenting to all That they are true Chap. 1.24 Saint Iames saith A foole seeing his face goeth and forgetteth him Beware wee doe not so but if euer wee would come to the mirror of the Gospell in which we behold the face of God plainly let vs make way to it by S. Iames his Glasse Diuide not the things which GOD hath put together Although the Law haue no Christ in it yet the Maker of it vses it as a Schoole-dame to him Let her then point at euery lâ—tter in the Crosse-row and rip vp euery error and distemper Gal. 3 2â— do not abuse the rule nor crooke it wilfully as Pharises to mistake the sence to hide to descant vpon and to diminish or excuse any euill but let it be the Lords light set vp for the ends that follow Detaine not this part of the Word in vnrighteousnesse lest thou neuer come to the next step but perish in a twilight for want of a cleere discouery Wee are loth to bee informed of that which when we know wee are loth to renounce Grace begins at the roote of enlightening Examine thy selfe in thy vprightnesse heerein Secondly it layeth open the vnspeakeable iustice of God in suffering such darkenesse to spread ouer the world for so many ages and still in many nations who sit in the valley of darknesse Wee haue many trauellers into those Indian parts who in the beholding of the faces of sauages should tremble to thinke that the Lord for so long should not regard their ignorance when yet hee suffred a great part of the other Asia Affrike and all Europe to see light Oh poore wretches what can the dimme light of common conscience helpe to discouer darknesse how merry are they in assured destruction and how should it yerne the hearts of Christians to behold them As for the state of thousands vnder the gouernement of Protestant Kings who hauing Baptisme end the Bible in English yet neuer had the blessing of a searching Ordinance what shall wee ascribe it to saue the wrath of GOD vpon a woefull Nation kept and content to bee kept in darknesse because their workes are euill Both the leaders and the ledde must fall into the ditch The last vse thereof may bee instruction to teach vs how deepe a blindenesse is cast vpon the soule in poynt of discerning her owne sin and danger Nothing is further off then the reflex of our owne corruption vpon conscience nothing more teadious then to bee it formed of sin in the kinde Hee that comes to tell vs what we are is our deadly enemy and many professors haue gone many miles to get them a Preacher whom they haue persecuted when hee hath taught them the mystery of iniquity in themselues their priuy pride hypocrisie spirituall wickednesse of vnbeliefe ignorance and loue of the world but especially their old Adam placking their mufflerâ— from them and laying them naked and awake to their owne conscience Oh! it is the ioy of the vnregenerate man when hee can make himselfe beleeue hee is not the man hee yet knowes or may that hee is Ier. 1â— Alas sinne lyes deepe and Who can gage the deceit of the heart sâ—ue onely the Lord and the spirit of the Law which diuides betweene the spirit and the soule Therefore how should this teach vs both Ministers and people to loath all generalities and to learne the Law in the true sence and the through-enlightning of it It is a foolish speech of some who desire that they might fall into some grosse sinne to humble them by But howsoeuer the Lord awaken some by the lowd cry of their foule sins as drunkennesse blasphemy or the like surely that which is likest to preuaile with the ciuill and morall sort is the enlightening of the tenth CoÌ„mandement For they can wash off actuall sinne which colours as fast as they offend laying good against euill but when the spring of their cursed nature appeares which runnes vpon them continually I say then this body of death will doe it Rom. 7.24 Q What is the second worke of the Law A. This conuiction which I call the second worke of the Law is twofold partly concerning the iudgement and partly the soule or whole man the former I call simple conuiction the latter conuiction with terror Touching the difference whereof note well When once the soule is throughly enlightened if the Law proceed in her worke she comes to apply her light to this conuincing of the soule and first by causing the conscience to ioyne against it selfe and to say Thou art the man this differs from light be it neuer so particular because it is light with application to the soules selfe in speciall Againe hauing been thus conuinced in conscience I am this sinner if the Law still worke it proceedes to the second degree of conuincing Which is not onely an application of sinne to her selfe but a due yeelding of the soule to lye vnder the bondage and feare of punishment belonging to such a sinners wofull estate A man may heare and not so much as bee enlightned Hee may haue great light and yet neuer bee conuinced in conscience Hee may bee conuinced and yet neuer bee duly held vnder any true bondage as wee see in Saul and others But the Law workes all Q. What then is this worke of Conuiction by the Law A. It is the second worke of the Ministery of the Law by the efficacy whereof the soule beleeues her selfe to bee that which she knowes to wit this sinfull and cursed one A most powerfuâ—l worke yet no other then the poore Minister of GOD enabled by the auâ—hority of the Law may and doth performe For why when the poore soule sees that the LORD hath reacht her out the Key of light to see the wonders of his Law to â—o idle endes but that hereby she might go further and apply it to her selfe confessing her selfe to be â—he party what hath she to do saue to let all other guilty ones passe and to passe sentence vpon her selfe confessing She is this miserable sinner Neyther can any thing hâ—nder this proceeding except it be a lewd heart that is vnwilling to put her necke in the coller and so detaines the truth â—ight of the Law in vnrighteousnes But if the Law can preuaile this light shall prooue beleeuing and conuiction See Ephe. 5.13 where the Apostle sayth The light doth argue or conuince For that disputes thus That soule which is thus sinfull and cursed is truly miâ—erable and so abydes of her selfe But I am thus sinfull and cursed Therefore c. The assumption is conuiction The conclusioÌ„ is terror ConuictioÌ„ argues so strongly against her selfe that she reflects the light of the Law vpon her conscience making it her accuser and Iudge and stopping the mouth of the heart from gaynsaying or kicking against the pricks Thus was it with Paul
voice and as much as our matter We should labour to be so honest in our way sinceâ—e louing faithfull tender to soules denying our selues and hauing a sensible stampe of conuiction in our selues that wee might not wrong the Word we teach It is not the rolling of speech our lowd words but sincerity and simplenesse of our scope that must preuaile as Paul saith 2 Cor. 4.2 3. Oh tell men 2 Cor. 4. â— Deut. 29. If any heare the Words of this Law and blesse themselues with peace Gods wrath shall smoke against such Doe not blanch doe not dawbe with bad morter sow no piâ—lowes but rather pluck off mens mufflers and vizors and cry as those Boanorges did Awake oh dead slothfull suotill heart Bee not beaten off from this by the peoples vnthankfulnesse and repining plow we with Gods heifer and he shall teach our tongues this logique Study we our selues first then the Scriptures and the Spirit of conuincement shall follow vs wh ch the wâ—â—ld shall not resist We shall be a sweet sauor to God in all Eze. 33.3 4 1 King â— 224 both who are saued and who perish if we doe thus else we shall pay for their blood Suffer no Sycophant to disswade vs as hee did offer to Michaiah Though the wicked will say Wee are informed and haue plowed with other mens heyfers and we â—eâ—er speake well to them yet in the end faithfull witnesses shal be honoured Secondly the people must bee warned to shake off their Branch 2 lets of conuiction Let the righteous smite you it shall bee as balme The poore man whose impostume was let out by an enemy fared better by him then by all his Physicians Hunt out those three enemies before and adde a fourth of selfe-loue It is an Adder which will not heare the voice of the charmer The sweetnesse of vsury pleasures lawfull liberties ease will be as a Delila to keep off the least conuiction of the Law How can I want such a sinne Who can prooue such a gainfull lost to be so sinfull Surely he will sting thee with it as Delila did Samson when the sweet is past who now so enchants thee and then most of all when thou cryest The bitternesse of death is past Againe thinke not cch pâ—ng or glimpse of light or holding of a truth to be conuiction For so the Deuill will betray thee if euer thou be called to suffer Nay in thy ordinary course thou wilt confesse a Christ but deny him before a Papist Thou wilt say Thy soule is more worth then the World but stake it for a groate Conviction is no opinion but the ouerpowring of the Conscience If the truth bee no stronger then the Soules resistance there is no Conuiction The Martyrs gaue their blood for Transubstaâ—tiation Which they had neuer done had they not seene and beene conuinced of the issue of it Thirdly Examine â—hâ—y selfe about this weighty worke of the Law that thou maist hope to go on more safely Try it by these markes First By the loue of a conuincing Ministery and loathing of the contrary Secondly A cleering of God and the righteousnesse of his Law call thy selfe the slaue sold under sin As he to Achan Giue glory to God! Hug the Chirurgion that lanced thee Thirdly Shame and confusion for sin Dan. 9. The Publicane durst not looke vp Peter bids Christ depart for he was vtterly confounded at the power of Christ Thus they in Ezra 10. vnder the raine of Heauen so thou vnder this showre Rom. 6 21. What fruit Fourthly By thy thanks to God 1 Cor. 14.25 God is in you of a truth Fifthly Vnder thy confusion till God raise thee vp Habac. 3. let rottennesse enter into bones that peace may be in the day of trouble Crust not ouer thy sore waxe not weary of this work of God as most doe A man once throughly shamed and confessing is hardly after defiled Lastly let it end in true consternation of soule and terror for thy sin of which we are to speake Q. What is the second worke of Conviction A. The second is of the whole soule callâ—d terror and bondage For when the former worke of conuiction hath prevailed it works thus that such a soule is as vnder an arrest and seeing it selfe this sinner this cursed one hee is thereby killed and the spirit brought into terror and bondage And this the Lord sees meet to adde to the former for else as a dog with his chayne loose so the conscience runs riot with the worke of bare knowledge of sinne But if the dogge be fastned to his chayne hee is vnder custody And this is that which is so oft spoken of in Rom. 7. when Paul saith When the Law came I dyed Meaning in spirit and conscience That selfe of iollity ease and security which sinne afforded was nipt and quasht and in stead of it a sad item giuen to the soule taking away the taste of her morsels mixing the gall of aspes with her drinke and stinging her as an Adder and stabbing her to the heart as a sword for her conuinced villanies yea and none more then this body of death which still dogges her and wounds her as fast as she licks her selfe whole with all her duties or abstinences and works and shifts proouing her a slaue sold vnder misery and shewing her a nature a world of sinne and woe to beare downe all her morality and hypocrisie An heart vnder this bondage cannot be stild with Rattles the Spring comes so fast that there is no stopping it by the wit of man till a stronger streame turne it backe The like speech is that Sinne by the Law slew mee Hee meanes not any mortification but hee touches vpon that point of the iolâ—inesse of a sinner who that sinne might bee out of measure sinfull prides himselfe in his estate This pride the law resists le ts out the rankenesse of it and abases it with terror of hel and wrath And that in so great measure of times that when God leaues them from hope they wickedly bereaue themselues of life And yet this is not grace but in the elect a seed of it without which the Lord were no more fit to treat with them about saluation then a Smith to meddle with a wild horse but when hee hath cast him hee can handle him at pleasure This worke in Scripture is called the Spirit of feare or Bondage not bondage to sinne but by it whereby as they who are prisoners vnder chaynes doe lye in sorrow and horror without escape or hope so doe these Their spirit is enslaued to feare their conscience to guilt accusation to the whip of wrath and iustice yea crusht downe to Hell by the torment of such a spirit as cannot sustaine it selfe for the restlesse anguish thereof Q. Seeing this point of legall terrour is one of the maine points of this first Part tell me how many things make for the vnderstandâ—ng of it A. Three things especially First
The difference Secondly The nature the effects and end of it Thirdly The extremitiâ—s or abuse of it Q What is the difference of it from the former legall workes A. The worke of enlightning casts out ignorance the worke of conuincing resists deadnesse and insensiblenesse But this third of consternation or terror resists that pride and iollity of a sinner ouerbearing himselfe and lifting vp himselfe in his sinne without checke or remorse And this latter is of all other the most proper worke of the Law to tame and beate downe the lofty heart of man setting vp a Law to it selfe to walke as it listeth without law or feare Q. What is the nature of it A. It is a presenting more or lesse of the wrath and penaâ—ties due â—o sin vnto the whole man by the conscience for the casting of it downe at the feete of God Marke these heads First It s a presenting for the dead bare letter of the ten Commandements cannot doe this by any magicall power No it s the worke of the Powerfull Ministery of the Law which can doe it The Lord who put the former gift or conuiction into it puts this also of subduing and casting downe into â—his Law Ministery Although in appearance it be weake yet God setting it on worke with the authority of his Spirit with power to carry his errand into the soule it shall be able without feare or flattery to doe it and to doe that which no Law of Princes can effect euen to flait and gaster the conscience Lawes of men are absent but this law is pâ—esented by God to the soule From him it first came and by him it was giuen in terror and earth quakes by strong Angels to master the proud heart of man and is still pronounced and presented to the same vpon the mount Ebal of the legall Ministery in the open assembly as it came therefore from God so it is supported in her power by God and serues for his vse in all places to arrest and cast downe all sinners and carry them to prison vnder sentence at the Iudges pleasure Secondly It doth present the wrath and penalties of sinne especially Till these come sinne is at peace Euen as while the Iudge is reading his Commission or giuing his charge or calling a Iury or hearing the crime debated but when the thiefe sees more that hee hath power to giue oath take euidence and verdict and pronounce sentence of death presenting the messengers of it to the eare the knife the hatchet the fire the halter then his courage comes downe The law in her Ministery is this voice of God and Iudge of a sinner Rom. 4.15 therefore called the Ministery of the letter the messenger of wrath the Law of sinne and death Rom. 8.2 Not of the wrath of a man against a man but of God against a sinner not able to kill the body but to cast body and soule into hell This law curseth from Gods mouth euery stale sinner soked in his lees Cursed be euery one that abides not in all things to doe them cursed from God be euery lyer swearer adulterer hypocrite worldling Desolation and destruction tribulation and anguish be vpon euery soule that sinnes high and low without baile or main prise and if God curse cursed they are and who shall blesse them It is no curse of a sinne vpon a sinner no Popes curse with booke bell and candle which yet made Kings to tremble and made them as blacke as soote in the opinion of fooles no not the curse of a father which may turne to a blessing as Iacobs did to Simeon and Leui but the curse of the eternall God whose wrath is the messenger of death and blasteth indeed wheresoeuer it lighteth and whatsoeuer resists it This wrath I say marke well in the penalties of it temporall spirituall and eternall the law presents to a sinfull soule Temporall in this life Leu. 26.24 2 Cor. 15.6 read Deut. 29. setting God against the soule in all hâ—r course walking contrary to her because she hath walked so to him vexing her withall aduersity and suffering nothing to goe currant either in one kinde or other marriage crosse children cursed state vntoward successe naught God against me in all Spirituall and farre worse penalties in the soule deserting it and leauing it to her owne impenitency security hardnesse obstinacy which is Gods curse vnder seale Lam. 3.65 as a Baylif holding vnder arrest euen till hell eternall at death euen a separation from the presence of God and a tormenting of it for euer in hell in the fulnesse of this wrath which indeed is the dying the death and yet neuer dead without hope ease or remedy Thirdly Ceazing vpon the whole man by the Conscience for as the law is the worker so the conscience is the immediate obiect of this wrath God hath made it the lawes obiect created it with a marueilous power of sensiblenesse aboue all parts to record and to apprehend all sin and wrath for it if God had not so ordeined it could neuer receiue into it selfe so infinite wrath of Gods Iustice as now it can It exceedes the apprehension of any the tendrest part when it s stung with an Adder scalt with water or boyling oyle burnt with fire cut with a sword the sence of conscience ceazed with this wrath of God is vnspeakeable and cannot be vttered by man it cannot enter into man that feeles it not to conceaue the sting and vexation of conscience being thus wounded for sinne in which it s differenced from all other consciences eitheâ— first Ignorant erroneous and superstitious conscience not fearing or fearing amisse Secondly defiled conscience dallying with God halfe conuinced and halfe whole hypocritically feeling God in some of his Law but preuailing by subtilty against the rest that so it might shunne the dint â—hereof Thirdly Seared and hardned conscience which by long rebellion and resistance of the Law hath got the mastry of the Law and is waxen senslesse and vselesse forgetting her office I say these are cursed neither shall they auoid the dint of this law at the length earlier or later their dog shall awake one day and howeuer they sleep yet 2 Pet. 2.6 Their damnation sleepes not Onely this conscience of which Salomon speakes Who can beare the load of it this wounded conscience differs from all these and is the obiect of the Law thus presenting wrath to it that by how much the more it seemes in worse case then the other three yet by this feeling of God she might in due time prooue better then the best of them And I say conscience is so the next obiect that yet the whole man thereby partakes of this wrath As Iob speakes of himselfe Thy feares are vpon mee day and night The arrowes of the Almighty stick fast in me Thou scarest mee with dreames and visions no rest in my flesh for thee And chap. 33. My bones clatter and stick out all dainty meat is
loathsome and he is chastned with paine in the multitude of his bones his life abhorres bread his flâ—sh is consumed his soule drawes neere the graue v. 19 20 21 22. Oh thus body and soule by sympathy must stoop vnder wrath when God frownes all parts haue sinned and all must smart Psal 39.11 When thou art angry for sin man is made as a garment moth-eaten The Lord Iesus himselfe could not escape it his soule was heauy to death he sweet drops of blood he thought God quite gone from him And yet this at the worst is better then any other of the three I spake of And this we haue seene and daily do in men in spite of these hardned times the Lord breakes in vpon some and makes the sins of youth and age before them Oh that we could see the fruit of it after To this I adde The Lord doth this more or lesse in the soule I purposely say so because God is not tied in his course to any set measure hee can restraine or enlarge as hee pleaseth Many vnder a good Ministry or teaching hauing little felt this way of God doubt of their humiliatioÌ„ but if they can prooue that the Lord hath hidden the violeÌ„ce of terror by long frequent trayning that heere there the Lord hath reuealed himselfe more or lesse to them with fruit to be desired let it not trouble theÌ„ More vsually the Lord deales thus with soked sinners that they might vomit the morsels which they haue long taken in that by this course their change might be more apparant and for euer these markes of God might abide in their flesh to awe and bridle them yet I say God is not tyed I haue noted greater terrors in the choisest educations as the case hath stood then in openest Profanenesse Fourthly and lastly I say the act of this law is in all this to cast downe the soule at the feet of God For as I said there is in nature an intolerable bearing vp of a mans selfe in his estate a priding of himselfe boldnesse boasting of his sinne he is so farre from being ashamed that till the Law come home to him thus he is aliue read Rom. 7.9 that is iolly iocant meâ—râ— as the foole that casts arrowes darts and saith Am not I in sport A sinners Crowne is not his bare sin in corners and by stealth that his woe his law but his crown is his liberty of spirit in it to doe what he list to run ride talke practise to drinke sweare lye coozen and no man controll him This is to be aliue note the phrase and to say My selfe am my owne my tongue my own I am bond to none see Ioh. 8. ver 33 a free man to go and do as I list as he said liberty is to liue as a man list The crown of a drunkard or adulterer is to reuell and tosse and defile himselfe without feare as the Pope who may carry innumerable soules to hell with him and who shall say What dost thou Now I say this iollity and boldnesse and pride in sin the Lord in his Ministery of the law resists and that he doth when by all I haue spoken hee pulles downe this sinner vpon his knees cast his crown in the dirt dismounts him as he did Saul from his palfrey Act. 9. and the desperate Iaylor in his profanenesse and cruelty Act. 16.27 and those killers of Christ Act. 2. saying Lord what wilt thou haue me to doe Oh then hath wrath ceazed vpon the soule when it hath killed this iollity and let out this pleurisy out of it And hence it s cald the sacrificing knife sharper then any two-edged sword the killing letter Rom. 7.11 that which slew Paul not by mortification but by shedding the blood and bowels of sins iollity to the ground Oh when God comes thus into the conscience lo all is turned vpside down now I feel the vilenes of my pride now the wrath of God is vpon me for my couetousnesse now I feele this fire in my bones this sting of a serpent now I feele what it is to dare heauen and to liue like a masterlesse hound in the world â— King 22.25 Oh when that is verified which Micay told Zidkia Thou shalt be glad in that day to run from chamber to chamber to hide thee then thy pushing hornes thy scorne and pride shall be farre from thee When the Lord shall make him that durst act his parts vpon any stage now not to know what ground to stand vpon to become as if a mans body should hang in the ayre vnsusteined restlesse in it selfe not to be able to weild himselfe for the anguish confusion and agonies of a wounded spiriâ— Oh then the law hath done her part indeed and tamed former liberty and iollity in euill Examples are not wanting hereof in al places where this great Minister the law hath become But in the vse I shall apply it Q. And what secondly are the effects hereof vsually A. Among others these three apparantly First Stoppage of a course in euill openly SecoÌ„dly Inward vnsettling of a rotten peace Thirdly Holding downe the soule vnder bondage The first stopping in a course of euill This differs fâ—â—â— that effect of Prouidence whereby the Lord doth limit the number and measure of sin in the wicked for the preseruation of peace ande ciuill society for though that be a diuine work yet it s not the immediate worke of the law but either a Prouidence without a word or else by the generall power of the Word restraining sin but this is a speciall kind of restraint issuing from the work of the Law for the good of the soule so restrained And it is a lothsomnes of the soule finding no ioy in old courses beholding them with repenting and yrking of thoughts wishing them vndone and abhorring to returne to them through the terror of conscience being vnder this whip of the Law When horror lay vpon Saul Act. 9. his letters in his pocket and commission from the Priests and trade it self of pursiuantship was bitter no more of that for the present As the ague stirring the diseased humors makes that stomack loath a Partridge which before could haue eaten resty bacon so heer this terror makes the sweetest sin lothed which before deuoured all And although this be not grace yet the Lord is laying a beginning therof heerby in the soule which in due season may come to somewhat I remember a pretty speech of an Heathen in one of his Epistles who being sicke dare do as while he is well who then guzzles or is vncleane or railes or is couetous That is much truer of this soule sicknesse in which the stomack hath more list to vomit then to eate Now the reason of this worke is because while the soule is in her hurry shee hath no care to heare God speaking to her she is so busie with her trade that all is spoken as it were in her
Sonne of GOD. Heere was a worke indeed of some dâ—fficulty at which not onely the deepest conceit of mortall man but euen the Angels themselues may stand and wonder and vanish Oh! â—hat he view of this might rauish our soules with the worth of grace to say The least dramme of grace is more worth then the whole worke of Nature who is carried by this meditation aboue whatsoeuer this world is in respect of the New Creature to compt the whole creation as vanity Dauid Psal 8. admireth man in that first workmanship of his as aboue aâ—l others in the world what then may be sayd of man renued and restored to a second Image of God if the breath oâ— Creation were such a thing what is Regeneration that cost not a breath but so greaâ— a workmanship of this Actiue and passiue satisfaction Q. â—eeing all this is doubtlesse the maine Satisfaction goe to the vses o bâ—th these in due order first tell me why you do put them together A. For the latter I answer Because as one saith this price is like the price of a Diamond payd for ten malefactors which is nâ—yâ—her all payd â—or any one nor any seuerall part for one and â—notheâ— for the other but generally the whâ—le for them al and eâ—ch hâ—uing shaâ—e in the whole Let thâ—reâ—ore whatsoeuer is spoken dstinctly of the benefit hereof bee inclusiuely taken as that which issueth froÌ„ the insparable merit of both ioyntly Now for the vses First let vs abhorre the cocceit of such Sectaries as imagine that there was no necessity at all of any such price paying to Iustice nor any barre in Gods Iustice at all why hee might not haue shewed mercy to sinners without any such satisfaction made at all It s an horrible derogation to the Scriptures and to the wisdome of GOD and sauoreth of a profane audacious spirit making sinne and grace of small esteeme Rather let it present to vs the hideous nature of sinne and iustice Salomon bids vs behold the drunkard in his rednes of colour bluenesse of wounds that wee might loath his sinne But rather behold it in this glasse of the Lord Iesus his satisfaction Esay 63.1 Who is he that commeth from Bozra with his red garments I haue trod the wine presse of the wrath of the Lord c. If the glasse of the Law haue not done it let this do it yea behold the sinnes which we count most veniall in this obiect of Iustice Not the pettyest oath or least of our vaine wordes could be payd for with the price of a lesser thing then the blood of Christ Iustice would admit of no other And the Father spared not his onely Sonne in this point but would haue him drinke the dregs of his wrath What shall become of such wretches then as despise this price How shall they struggle with this infinite wrath of GOD which the Lord Iesus had bin crusht vnder as vnsupportable if his Godhead had not held him vp Now while sinne is in her element it s counted as light as feathers but being vnder the weight of iustice and the sence of wrath it will prooue intolerable Let vs count it so now whiles wee may get it shrowded vnder the Lord Iesus let vs sweat water and blood and feele that in vs which caused those outcryes My GOD my GOD why hast thou forsaken mee Not to become Mediators to our selues but to driue vs to him that ouercame this anguish Hebr. 5. and was heard in that he feared If sin in our selues will not breake our hearts let it breake them in the view of CHRIST broken by them let vs Zach. 12.10 See him whom we haue pierced and mourne Not as Papists who whip their bodies and cry out of them that betraied accused scourged and crowned Christ and crucified him but as those who were the Actors of this Tragedy our selues Act. 2.38 that if by any meanes our hearts may be pricked as theirs who heard Peter vrge the killing of the Lord of Life Oh vnspeakable loue to be willing to be pierced for Murtherers that they might escape To say Oh Father heere is the surety lay no debt or punishment vpon these debtors I haue taken all vpon me if thou wilt needs haue the vttermost powre out thy wrath vpon him that can satisfie not vpon them that cannot Try whether there be any drop of mourning in thee by this due sight of sinne and iustice and say Oh Lord if I were left to bee my owne satisfier if thou shouldst haue said to Christ as once to Moses Them that sinne against mee I will punish of thee I will require nothing Oh how terrible had our condition beene Secondly let this doctrine confute Vse 2 First all Sectaries who that they might be singular to say Branch 1 no more teach heere of late among vs that Christ had no guilt of sinne cast vpon him by iustice for then hee could haue beene no satisfier confounding sinne imputed and sinne inherent that Christ suffred nothing in his soule from Gods wrath seazing vpon him nor yet in either body or mind but that which man could inflict by eyther paiâ—â— or discontent But God keepe them that are the broachers of such stuffe from such a satisfaction as this in the day of their distresse And whereas they adde Gods Iustice accepted this for an equall price of sinne I answer Who hath taught them to dreame of an acceptance of that which is not equivalent to Iustice Might they not aswell ouerthrow any necessity of a satisfying Iustice as teach Iustice to accept that which is not Iustice Is it not well for vs that the Lord will accompt a truly iust satisfaction of a surety to answer our debt which was more then he ought vs but wee must goe about to corrupt the price it selfe and dreame of an imputing of equall satisfaction to an vnequall price Let vs abhorre such nouelties and know if Christ suffred no more then the malice of man there remayneth a necessity of a second suffring for vs from iustice Let vs beware while we goe about to minse and lessen the suffrings of Christ lest we destroy the truth of a Mediator and bereaue the soule of that which should vphold her in her conflict with Iustice Not to speake of vnsauory dallyance with those Texts which are brought to confute them Esay 53. 2 Cor. 5.21 and others To conclude except Christ suffred more then from man we may say that many Martyrs exceeded him in their patience of whom we read no such outcryes as Christ made Branch 2 Secondly let it teach vs to abhorre the opinion of those Lutherans who teach that our Iustification stands in the so applying of Christ righteousnesse to a sinner that hee may pleade it from the tenor of the Law Doe this and liue Meaning that wee must be possessed with the very selfe-same righteousnesse wherewith Christ obeyed and suffred And this they imagine to be the matter of
quckening worke of the spirit of which more in the third part and the last is Glorification Q Let vs proceed to the opening of their seuerall natures and vses breefly so farre as serueth for our purpose A. It were endlesse to wade into all onely to shew the realnesse of them and the vse of them to the soule that it may see how richly Christ is offred to the soule I will touch euery one of them The first of them is Vocation See texts Esay 55.5 Rom. 8 30.1 Cor. 1.2 Now this calling is a worke of the Spirit issuing from election whereby whom the Lord hath chozen to be his he brings to know it And that by the voyce and call of the outward word and inward spirit cryâ—ng to their soules thus Come out of her my people and returne to me Come out from thy former corrupt estate of sinne subiection to Satan curse misery lewd customes error of the wicked hell and returre to that blessednes which thou hast lost So then calling is that whole workmanship of GOD whereby he pulles the soule from a bad estate to a good be it longer in working or shorter darker or cleerer easier or harder it s the drawing of it from darknes to light Act. 16.18 That from whence it s drawne is an vnregenerate estate That whereto is faith Between these thee whole work of God is calling Q. Can you not breefly summe vp the parts of it A. Yes it may bee conceaued to stand in these two parts Eyther the preparing worke of calling or the finishing The former is that by which the Lord finding the heart vncapable of a promise brings it and prepares it to be such an one as may see it selfe capable and vnder condition of beleeuing such an one as may beleeue For as for the opinion of such as imagne that GOD breeds faith all at once without preparing the heart they ouerthrow that grace in respect of a soules triall of her selfe and in respect of Gods Glory which they would seeme to magnify And they strengthen the hand of sinful men in their error thinking there is no difference betweene men al may beleeue in Christ This by the way The latter is that by which the Lord doth finish the worke of faith and power which is the Condition of the Gospell without which no man can partake any of the priuiledges following Note For it succeeds the condition of the Law and in stead of Do this fayth Beleeue this and liue Note well these termes Preparation is the condition of faith and faith the condition of the couenant Q. What are those preparatiues A. Partly legall partly Euangelicall in a word when the Spirit of God by both leaues such an impression in a troubled soule vnder the spirit of bondage of which in part that it comes by the sight of the Gospell to so much hope as workes the heart to mourning and brokennes to desire of mercy to esteeme it and to bee nothing in its owne eyes in comparison of it together with diligent vnweariednes till it haue obteyned it All which are the preuentions and assistance of the spirit of calling drawing the soule home to God by the steps and degrees that the soule is capable of Q. And what is the finishing worke A. That wherein Calling is perfected and wherein true conuersion of the soule begetting of it and bringing of it home to God for all these are the same doth consist For when the soule thus prepared sees that the promise belongs to her and she may and must beleeue it then the spirit stampes this gift of faith vpon the soule to receaue and tak it to her selfe from the promise Q. Passe by the vse of this now because wee shall come to it in the last Article and proceed to the second A. The second is Vnion Which is the first benefit in order I meane for else all are together in respect of the soules title and right to Christ and this oppozeth the cutting off of the sinner from GOD and all influence and Communion with his grace and by faith so bringeth the soule vnto God that its vnited made one and incorporated againe into him by the flesh of Christ vnited to his Godhead as Article 2. And it s the worke of the Spirit of Christ making the Lord and the soule one spirit and causing the soule to partake by vertue thereof all that power of this both in priuiledges and graces which follow And therefore I set it in the forefront of the rest for its sure the soule can no more receaue ought from God till it bee one with him by Christ then Christ could merit any thing for vs till the Deity and flesh were really vnited no more then the body and soule can impart or receaue to or fro till they be one See texts Eph. 5.31 32. Ioh. 17. often In all which its euident that till wee bee one with God in Christ wee are without him in the world the Lord abhorring all relations that want vnion But if once vnited then he is in vs wee in him Eph. 2.2 Iohn 1â— vlt. hee dwels in vs we in him as an inhabitant in his house and the soule in the body he is one with vs he is marryed to vs Hosc 2. Eph. 5. and we are his spouse and therefore hence issâ—â—th â—ll vertue vigor anâ— power into vs that is meete for our support eyther earthly or spirituall till our vnion bee perfected in glory To this that belongeth that is sayd we are ingrafted into him as a scien into a stocke which fetcheth all her nourishment thence As the two Seales of Baptisme and the Supper doe tipifie there being no possibility of the Communion of the latter without the vnion of the first Q. Proceede to the third Benefit A. The third is Iustification which is the second benefit of the poore beleeuer opposite to the estate of her guilt and punishment by sinne by which the soule stands in a full and perfect pardon of sin quietnesse and peace toward God through his discharging her from all guilt and punishment and esteeming her as fully cleared and acquitted therefrom as if she had neuer offended See texts Rom. 8.30 Rom. 5.18 Q. Why say you fully and perfectly can wee be perfect in this life A. No but for speciall cause to difference the benefit of Iustification from Sanctification the one being Christ made ours wholy for we cannot else stand before God except perfect by our selues or another the other in part our Sanctification being in this life imperfect But of this in second Article see more Q Seeing wee ayme onely at a view of the Article and cannot discourse about euery thing goe to the fourth and so wee will conclude all with the vses afterward together A. The fourth is Reconciliation which is oppozed to our estate of enmity and brings vs into amity and fauour with God as Eph. 1.5 Paul calls it our acceptation and belouednesse with
to a well a bearing of it selfe towards God man or selfe Of these I speake no more onely I would adde one thing That graces of the spirit serve not onely to take up the residence within and no more but mightily to strengthen the soule to all spirituall or externall conversation see that Col. 1.11 Strengthned by the might of his power unto all long-suffring with joyfulnesse and well pleasing c. Hence it is that Eph. 6. Paul reckons up speciall graces of the spirit as the compleat harneis of a Christian I will open this by a similitude I told yee that Conversation is like a wheele Note then As in a Wheele there be three parts the nave the spokes and the round so here the nave is compared to the spirit of regeneration or the new creature of which in Article 1. the spokes are these graces I have named issuing from the nave and fastned to the round for as these staves doe unite the strength of the nave to the round and carry the strength thereof to each part of the wheele which else would breake and split in sunder so these graces of the spirit of Christ are the staffe of our life and the very support of our conversation and wheele of our course As for example Take away knowledg from the use of our liberties faith from the Sacraments or Word love from visiting the sicke mercy from almes where shall these parts of conversation become And thus much of this first part of the substance of conversation in graces Q. What is the second part of the substance hereof A. It is the consideration of the Subject who is to lead this conversation that is the regenerate person Now looke what the severall instruments are by which a Christian doth and must ordinarily converse those are the subject in which it stands and therefore had neede to be accordingly qualified Q. What are they and how many A. Three Thoughts Affections and Actions Q. What are the Thoughts and what rules are there for the frame of their conversation A. Thoughts are the first movers in the soule and from them issueth either good or bad life see Pro. 4.23 so our Saviour That which defiles a man comes from within as evill thoughts Mat. 15.19 They are the master-wheele If a man be envious and malicious Psal 36.4 his thoughts devise mischiefe upon his bed if the course be covetous the thoughts first set them on fire they pierce them through with cares 1 Tim. 6.10 So in the rest Therefore it being granted that we speake of the new Creature who hath purified already his soule to obedience let these rules serve to frame his commonwealth of thoughts aright First let our continuall care be to keepe the through-fare of the soule free from them as by pardon of them Acts 8.22 so by purging of them daily from that vanity prophanenesse disorder endlesnesse and other sins thereof which makes the conversation vaine 1 Pet. 1.18 Eph. 4.24 put off the old man of deceitfull lusts Secondly Iere 4.14 Mica 6.5 labour to season thy imagination and the doores of thy sences eyes and eares with holy meditations of God his Church his Will and Promises Psal 1.2 In the Law of God he meditates day and night Psal 19. ult Let the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be alway acceptable Thirdly watch over these thoughts as men doe for theeves and aske whence they come and whither they will ere they passe yea keepe the whole prison the streighter for the sake of thy thoughts because if the ringleaders breake loose all the rest follow them Pro. 4.23 And the doore of the thoughts had neede be kept as well as the tongue Psal 141.3 yea and keepe in holy thoughts that they goe not out as fast as they come in Eze. 46.9 So fourthly attend seriously upon holy objects to fixe the imagination upon good things Esay 26.3 which is the way to beat off the swarme of these flyes Above all looke to the maine worke of Renuing and let all thy springs be in the Lord Psal 87.7 even the root of thy whole conversation which is the spring of thy thoughts and this will cause the branches and streames to be holy and cause thee to dwell upon meditation and to be heauenly minded Q. How is the wheele of Affections to be guided A. The Affections are the wheeles of the soule indeed anâ— upon them the soule is either hurried to evill or led to good Little doe most men thinke how they are carried by these their passions by each object Sometime by love by joy by hope on the right hand otherwhiles by feare by sorrow by anger pitty or the like rare is that man who venters not upon the sea of conversation with the broken barke of Affections It may be said of them as of that ancient Where they doe well none better where ill none worse Heathens were faint to abandon them quite the Stoicks I meane for the pudder they found by them and to deny all affection and so put out their eyes and cut off their hands and feete for feare of offending them But the Scriptures afford more grace than so therefore first weigh well how hardly the best escape the violence of them Note how Dauid disguizeth himselfe suddenly in swearing Nabals death vpon his defeate 1. Sam. 25.13 Ioh. 18.10 how soone Malchus his eare is smitten off by Peter in his passion how soone fire from heauen is sent for by the discontenâ—ed disciples Luk 9.54 So also Dauids rashnesse to Nathan 2 Sam. 12.5 which he must needes blush for So by the beholding of Bathsheba how soone was a fire kindled but long in quenching How suddenly Iosh 7. did the babilonish garment fire the heart of Achan The newes of Absoloms death pierce and disguise Dauid 2 King 5.20 Not to speake of Gehazi his sudden following Naaman Felix his hope of a bribe from Paul the disciples excesse of sorrow vpon a word speaking by Christ that foolish pity of Ahab vpon the men of Benhadads errand the extreame feare of the women vpon the Angels words All these Cloudes of witnesses shew the vnbridlednes of the passions and therefore should prepare vs with earnestnesse to preuent them Secondly yet note how affections are as soone vp in armes if the heart be well seasoned and stablished with grace How soone was Peter mooued with holy feare vpon the draught of fishes Luk. 5.8 How easily was the poore blind man rayzed vp in the depth of loue to the Lord Iesus how soone was sorrow wrought in the hearts of three thousand murtherers at once by Peters preaching how presently was compassion mooued in Peter and Iohn toward the cripple Act. 3.4 how quickly was zeale stirred vp in Phineas against Zimri and Cosbi Numb 25.11 and so may bee said of the rest Thirdly therefore let vs nourish the fire of the holy Ghost kindled in vs in our first regeneration and apply it
couert for their hollownesse bearing the world in hand that they beleeue loue God feare him are very renewd ones and new Creatures yet cast dung in the face of God and religion liuing still vnreformed in their conuersation What thinke ye to bleare the eyes of men because they cannot gage your hearts hath not the Lord once for all said it By your fruits ye shall know them Doe men gather Grapes of thornes or Figs of thistles can a rush grow without mire Can a man vnrenued in his course still an old man walke with God in an holy conuersation And who so walks in a rotten one can he be a new creature Oh! if yee be such new creatures if ye haue slaine the Agag of old Adam What meane the bleating of the sheepe and lowing of the oxen how is it that your tongues your marriages families liberties companies haue shaken off Gods yoke where is your inward or outward conuersation with God either in the life of faith or of communion and duty where is your integrity and sincerity Oh! that yee would no longer cast dung into the face of God and cease to blaspheme him before prophane ones Psa 50.20 Why take ye the Word of God into your mouthes and eares hating to be reformed Why doth this generation swarme so in these dayes of powerlesse profession hauing a forme of godlinesse but hating to be reformed This easie religion of yours shall one day scare ye ye shaâ—l wish your portion might fal into the lot of Sodom and Gomorra and such as neuer knew God! Hell shall be seuen times more hot for ye then others and when yee shall cry Haue not wee preached and professed thy Name the Lord shall answer Depart from me ye workers of iniquity Consider this ye that forget God! think that ye see the Lyon of the tribe of Iuda rending hypocrits in peeces with more fiercenesse than Publicans and then conclude with Dauid He that prayseth me glorifies me To him that orders his Conuersation aright thou wilt shew the saluation God Who would not then see this saluatirn thou in the meane season walke in this conuersation Vse 3 Thirdly it should be Vse of Instruction to all Gods new creatures to bethinke them of their worke and to stirre up the grace of God bestowed upon them in their renuing Oh! the dayes we live in are not for such a conversation as is here laid out Since the Scriptures taught this the world hath found out a breadth in Gods narrow scarse is the image of it to be seene any where in the world At Church men seeme to give way to heare it and will not deny it but still they hold their owne course the Minister cannot follow them up and downe their houses their marquets and businesse to see what conversation they lead and being left to themselus the law of a new creature is forgotten they know a farre easier way to walke this is an hard way beset with thornes they have no joy in it Oh! hast thou received the spirit of renewing into thee Then the yoke of God is easie and his burden is light Cast off thy owne mixtures doe not pullbacke thy shoulder desire no more ease then others of Gods people have felt It s Gods way the way that Abraham Isaac and Iacob David Peter Paul walked the way which Iesus Christ himselfe hath chalked out if it be tedious it is so to thy old man to whom thou art no debtor thou art redeem'd from him and his old conversation thy thoughts affections members tongue feet fences are not thine owne except thou be the old mans still but his that thou mightst now serve in the newnesse of the spirit not the oldnesse of the letter Therefore be not thine owne take some time goe into thy closet and parlee with thy soule whose am I if old Adams still the Lord requires no such cost at my hands as this no man can yeelde to this conversation that is not renewed I were a foole to bereave my selfe of my lusts and liberties if I be no new creature But am I one truely then I must walke in all this conversation uprightly and entirely though never so weakly Lord Iam. 3.13 read it let it finde favour in mine eyes let it not seeme tedious thou canst make it easie and sweet let mee trust thee but to divide the things and remove those bounds which thou hast ioyned and pitched and no good man none but an hypocrite durst ever seperate Lord let me not do it Lastly Let it provoke each good heart to seeke to excell in Vse 4 this fruit of a new creature Now in this dead time in which it is out of date wherein rather it s a reproach and burden to walke thus then otherwise yet let us labour to excell when even wise Virgins some of them remove this image of â—od into the back-roomes of their heart and suffer it not to rule their spirit as formerly but serve the Lord as the time will suffer not as the rule of conversation teaches oh now beare witnesse to the Lord and dance before the Arke of this his truth and if this be to be vile be more vile trust God for credit and parts and employments and content of life and cleave to the conscience of conversation And if it be hard in such a world to hold out this power of religion beg first of the Lord that he would direct thee diminish not Ier. 19.13 Ps 119.133 nor adde to his rule but deny thy selfe say Lord the worke is great it is not in man to order his way doe thou O Lord order it for me All thy Disciples are regulars and no seculars although no Papists and therefore let not me walke as a Masterlesse person but by rule Shall Jesuits teach their novices such exact obedience and cannot the Lord teach it thee yes if thou wilt sit at his feet and learne If all that I haue said will rauish thy heart with this frame of God and make thee cry out with the Queene of Sheba beholding the order of Salomons household and conuersation 1 Lin. 10 4 5 6. Oh! how happy are those thy seruants who dayly stand before thy face to see thy wisedome Oh! but a greater than Salomon is here and an order of far greater buty Oh that it could beat thee out of concelt with the disorder of thy old course in which thou neuer foundest peace but confused and let it vrge thee in thy vtter inability hereunto Pfal 119. Psa 143.5 to goe to God with Dauid and pray Direct me Oh Lord in the paths of thy Testimonies Lead me into the good way and let thy good Spirit conduct mee into the land of righteousnesse send forth thy light and truth shew mee the view and order of this conuersation make it sweet to my mouth as honey and let thy Angel of the Couenant go before and guide mee by the Piller of fire and Cloud
perfect freedome yea meate and drinke Ier. 31.33 Eze. 36.27 according to that Ierem. 31. I will write my Law in their hearts and cause them to walke in my Statutes that is put strength of mine owne into them to agree with my Rule and stoope to my Scepter Kings command their people but serue themselues upon their strength cannot put any into them but Christ is serued by his owne Q. What hath he done for vs as our Prophet A. His Prophecy commeth yet neerer to the matter in hand for although all that I have said be to be supposed ere the Law can direct vs yet the actuall worke of direction issueth from his Prophecie And first by a Declaring and secondly by a Reuealing Worke. The Declaring worke is a witnessing to the soule that he is the true Lord and Comman-of his People Esay 55.4 that he rules his law as by his scepter that all his Preisthood and merit ends in his kingdome and obedience that it is his honour that all knees bow to him and that they kisse the Sonne that hee is the obiect of it through whom the Father is honoured that true Liberty stands not in hauing our wil but in putting on this yoke and who so doth otherwise deceives himselfe But secondly by his Reuealing worke by this hee directs the soule and sets the steps of it as Luk. 1.79 in peace by this he vses the tenor of his Law to be a liuely finger to point out duty for euery occasion and to frame the soule to draw his Law to euery need and vse in the life according to that 1 Ioh. 2 20.27 Ye haue an vnction from the Holy one who telleth you all things And in Esay 30.21 Their eares shall heare a voyce behinde them saying This is the way walke in it This is a Revealing with direction by which the soule sees the vse of Christ in euery Commandement and is led on by him as her Guide thereby as if an Oracle should speake from heauen Esay 55. A Leader and Commander to his people vers 4. And thus a Christian may see how the Commandements of the Morall Law are the directions of Christ and how he is the Law-giver of the soule in them all and till this bee conceiued it is no wonder if we account them as a strange thing Hos 8.12 But by this meanes familiar Q. I conceiue now how Christ hath made his Law a direction to godly life now come to the directions themselues what are they A. They concerne either God himselfe in the 1. Table as his inward worship of feare confidence and setting him vp to be our God alone in the first Or our outward reasonable seruice and worship of him in pure manner in the second Or our faithfull abearing our selues in all holinesse in such actions of common life as are not immediate worship in the third for I referre oathes and vowes to the second which I desire wise Readers to thinke of or the set day of our Worship vpon one day of seuen since the eighth day was turned into Gods day or the Christian Sabbath and that in the fourth Or else our neighbour and our selues in the other six Subiection to all Superiority in the fifth Maintaining his pretious life as being better than all that follow in the sixth Of his Chastity in the seuenth His Estate in the eighth His Name in the ninth The tenth forbidding not onely that Concupiscence which reaches to the detriment of our neighbor but vnder that as most sensible to vs all that wicked propension and bent of nature before actuall sinne whereby originally we are prone to all vnâ—ustice and impiety and intemperance Concerning which as hauing said enough in the second Arâ—icle of Conuersation and it being no part of my purpose to repeat what hath been written by so many learned faithful Writers I omit to say any more only contenting my selfe to lay downsome briefe rules how the Law is to be conceiued the Minister of Christ for righteousnesse and so to conclude the Article with breefe vses Q Mention then some of these Rules A. First that all the Lawes of Christ must be vnderstood to be of another manner of force and authority than the Lawes of men euen the greatest for they are limited with exceptions in all kindes and doe but reach to the outward man and penalties thereof But these doe reach to the conscience and they binde the inner man God whom wee haue to doe with seeing the soule in her vtmost retirednesse as a thing naked Heb. 4.13 and his word being pure as himselfe and piercing betweene the ioynts and marrow Heb. 4.12 and therefore there he sets vp his Throne and there is no evasion from him Secondly Let vs know that his Commands are not idle things and arbitrary which we may obey at our curtesie or if not yet God is as a weake King for whom his Subjects are too strong as Ioab and Abisâ—ai for David but reall Lawes from an authority that both knowes offenders and can punish them yea which accurseth all transgressours and will not hold them guiltlesse Heb. 12. ult a consuming fire as the manner of his uttering them Exod. 20. in earthquakes and thunder shewed and therefore be we afraid to provoke him and yet he is a God able to gratifie his obedient ones in ample manner even to a thousand generations and it s not to be neglected that both kind of sanctions are expressed in so short a view Thirdly obserue that the commands of the second Table are the edicts of the same God whose the first are Iam. 12.11 and therefore in which the Lord takes himselfe as much either honoured or not as the first which I speake lest any should cavill and thinke that 1 Sam. 2.25 If man sinne against man a man may iudge but if against the Lord who shall entreat to be meant of morall offences No but onely of common discurtesies and offences or breaches which are in mens power to release For even those sinnes of Eli's Sonnes were against women and yet he tels them the Lord tooke them as against himselfe So that although men be the object of the second Table yet not the last into which the morrall offence is carried and therefore it is not in man to release any more of it then his owne damage the rest the Lord onely can remit as the sinne is of equall guilt so the forgiver must be of equall power Fourthly the Law must be alwayes understood according to the scope even as every other part of the Word as promises and threats Wee must not rest in the bare letter and so destrow the life and spirit of the Law How shoud ten words include all our conversation except the letter of the Law be enlarged to the meaning of the Law-giver The Law then rests in the true intent of it Therefore as for all Pharisaicall licentious or prophane wretches who doe limit this Law and acknowledge no more
if Balack would giue him an house full of gold hee would not goe one inch from this charge or when he smote and answered his dumbe Asse in the depth of his lethargy yet to say If thou be displeased I will returne See vers 29.34 As wee would auoid such a plague so let vs beware of such hipocrisie Thirdly if the Law be the director of our Conuersation let Vse 3 it be vse of exhortation to all Gods people to embrace it and to submit to this scepter of Christ to establish his Law in our soules and to lift vp him in the honour of our hearts who hath honoured vs with this royall Law to bee our direction Let vs desire information in it let vs beware least we shrug at the naked inward and spirituall truths of it as afraid to know that which we are lother to obey but let vs concurre with him and say Lord thy Scepter is a Scepter of righteousnesse Heb. 1.8 I desire no obedience ouer or vnder against or beside thy Laws I count that no sinne which thou neuer forbaddest nor duty which thou neuer requiredst but esteeme thy sacred will my rule of righteousnesse It is one maine piece of the trade of an honest heart to search out the Lawes of the Lord Iesus that it might obey Many teachable hearts who would faine obey yet faile in knowledge and many that haue knowledge faile in a good heart the latter is worst yet makes not the former excusable The Iewes in the point of the Law were so curious that they knew how many words were in Moses his bookes They wrote these tenne words vpon parchment phylacteries that is preseruatiues and pind them to their sleeues fringes and frontlets in reuerence If they did so who for the most part little gained thereby but sinned with their parchments about them what should wee doe whom the Lord Iesus hath made them easie yokes vnto and a light burden If they did so who yet in their so doing looked for an erroneous iustification by them and were but meere slaues loosing their rewards what should our zeale be who know our selues to be free from this bondage and to obey with assurance of heauen Oh! let vs not bee worse then good common-wealths-men we shall see perhaps in a great towne some one among forty housholds buy the Statutes of the land and verse them well ouer and be able to tell their neighbours what is law and what not and these are counted men of good vse among ignorant ones But how would God esteeme vs for good subiects if these Lawes of his kingdome were well conned if as we teach our children to say them so wee our selues vnderstood them If the Lord would so honor his royall Law that hee would haue the King himself who made lawes to their subiects yet to be learners of his Lawes and not to suffer his to depart from them in the gouernment of others how farre greater cause haue meane persons to carry it with them into each part of their owne conuersation and to rise vp walke into the trade of their life lye down with it It is reported by Master Fox of one Crow a sea-man that beeing in shipwrake and hauing cast all his tacklings and wares and fiue pounds of mony into the sea hee kept his new Testament about his necke so swimming vpon his broken mast and after foure dayes all his company being drowned yet he was at length by passengers discouered and taken vp all frozen numb'd and steruen but yet his booke he held close to him If we in the shipwraks of this world would keepe our soules from wracke what course should we take Surely keepe this law to vs close and not suffer it to depart from vs loose money wares ship and all ere we forgoe that least we loose our conscience and disorder our conuersation And in all our doubtfull cases whither vowes oathes marriages dealings with men entercourse with God or any difficulty go to the Law testimony Esa 8.20 for resolution If our own skill serue not to find out the will of God then let vs go to the Priest whose lips should preserue knowledg by that rule proceed Many will do so but either they desire to misinforme the Minister that they may peruert the iudgment or else first vow and then enquire Pro. 20.25 both which are odious But let vs for euer count the Law as an Oracle from heauen being glad that the Lord hath found out a way to cast the wauering scale and to direct our conuersation Fourthly and lastly because before in the second Article in Vse 4 the life of faith in duties I promised here to insert it let all that finde themselues to come short of this platforme I say let them live the life of faith in duties for the enabling of them hereunto in each part of their course to God men themselues in solitarinesse company calling in Sabbaths subjection to superiours and common life Say thus Lord these duties are above me I can doe nothing to purpose Enable me to doe as thou biddest and bid what thou wilt else the number and weight of them will tyre and clogge me Thou hast eased me oh Lord of the burden of Moses but still even in my liberty from Christ I carry old Adams burden about me therefore write these thy Lawes in my heart I beseech thee If all that thus speake at Church when the Law is read praid in faith how happy were they Say thus and plead Is it not thy promise Lord where is it then where is the Lord God of Elia where is an humble heart where is meeknesse love the distressed service of the time providence without covetousnesse bounty without wasting wisedome without subtilty simplicity without foolishnesse vertue without extremities Lord fetch life for me from the fountaine of duties from him who never failed in duties never did any without knowledge never faulted either in overdoing or under-doing neither in the purenes of manner nor fulnesse of measure nor uprightnesse of ayme who fulfilled all righteousnesse and obeyed upon earth better then Angels or Saints in heaven looke upon me in my loggish uncheerefull spirit in my crazie limbs lame joynts feeble hands nay rusty tooles and reviue my heart within and scoure up my weapons without That I may delight in the Law in my inner man and that I may run thy commandements with cheerefulnesse And this also for this third Article may be sufficient The fourth Article Q. VVHat is the fourth Article of this third part A. That the most wise and louing God foreseeing how manifold and large a Conversation of duties his Church is to walke in hath sutably ordained helpes means for her better upholding and growth therein till shee be perfect in her measure Read 1 Pet. 1.3 Eph. 4.11 Mat. ult ult Ioh. 14.26 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6 7. In which Scriptures we have all the order of this provision of God and that in foure
degrees First In our outward ordinances themselues as preaching receiuing Sacraments c. Secondly the instruments or liuely Organes seruing to minister therein as Pastors Teachers Ministers of the Gospell Thirdly gifts and administrations vouchsafed vnto them for the better dispensing and officiating those seruices Fourthly the Spirit of God to assist and enable them to all these performances So that the Lord is no hard Master to his people and Church but tendereth it most fatherly and is not wanting thereto in any furniture which any one member thereof needeth for the building of her vp in grace The Lord is not as Pharaoh who tyrannously exacted the same tale of his Bricke when the Israelites wanted Straw as when they had But rather deales with vs as with his people in their passage from Egypt to Canaan as he would bring them by the way of the Wildernesse farre about and difficult so he stucke close to them in their trauell He brought them by his Angell of the Couenant both into that desert through the Red Sea as it were their baptisme of imitation thence he led them as sheepe Esa 63.11 by Moses and Aaron his guides he went with his two Pillers as it were Law and Gospell before them day and night he prepared each place of their pitching a new vpon their former remoue in 42. of their periods which resembles the going out and in by his Spirit with his Church he gave them his Manna from Heauen and rocke gushing forth miraculously with waters as his two Sacraments now to vs for so Paul expounds them he did in a word spread them a Table in the Wildernesse of Quales a great depth about the host noting the choise dainties of his Table and by sundry miraculous courses annexed to his other directions as deliuerances crosses patience sutable to his wayes of gouernment to vs he did convey them at length into the land of promise So doth he now in spirituall manner so that it is not for nothing that Paul doth so punctually apply them and our Saviour toucheth upon them See 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3. Ioh. 6.31 And great cause for he is the Alpha and Omega the beginner and perfecter of our Sanctification Heb. 12.2 Phil. 2.13 1 Cor. 6.1 Q. Is God tyed to these absolutely A. It is not for us to meddle with his secrets Deut. 29.29 revealed things are for us what hee can doe by an extraordinary power where these helpes are denied we leave to himselfe but in ordinary course we say that the Lord doth tye himselfe to his owne way of working that so wee know where to have him and he doth in like sort tye us in the matter of our calling and building up to these meanes that we might not vanish in other wayes or devises of our owne And wee shall note it that in some texts the holy Ghost doth purposely joyne these with the spirit it selfe when he speakes of the necessity of salvation As in Iohn 3. Except a man be borne againe of water and the spirit he cannot enter And Marke 16. He that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved not excluding all unbaptized ones nor including water equally with the spirit but to awe our spirits to an holy seeking God in and by them and deterring of us from contempt when they may be had Q. Doth he exclude all other wayes to walke by A. Not all other wayes of profiting but all other wayes of revealing himselfe Q. What other wayes doth he exclude A. All wayes of mans devising whereof Popery is full at this day by Masses Images Crucifixes other base and carnall devotions of our owne fancy and spirit as Anabaptists and sectaries doe invent both Ministers doctrines dreames and Revelations of their owne Q. What other wayes of profiting doth he admit A. Any secret administrations by his workes of providence may be blessed to the elect as Gods patience benefits crosses examples preventions and intimations to our conscience but how with and under the word not else except they attend and follow the ordinances there is no wisedome in them Esay 8. because hee hath made no promise unto them They are but as Witches whisperings under the earth and have no lively voyce without the Word they are sanctified by a Word or no way and so they may be coadjutors to the Word and helpe forward the worke we see little good done till God afflict yet crosses are not causes but effects Q. But of what nature are they now are they as those ancient reuealings of God to his Church in the manner thereof Or if not then why A. They doe wholly differ from them I meane from those immediate reuealings of God to the old Fathers and Church as by the Priests Vrim or Ephod Prophets dreames visions fire from heauen Cloud filling Temple sacrifices or the like miraculous courses Heb. 1.1.2 Now the Lord onely speakes by his Sonne and that by no such immediate way but mediate onely Hee auoideth any courses which tend to any visible audible or sensible presencâ— sight or voice of God himselfe nay abhorres so much as resemblances of shapes which now are common in Popery aâ— by the shape of an old man a Rood or a Doue and now hâ—e onely treates with his Church at a distance and absence euen as if a Prince should make loue to a Lady not by any presence or going to her face to face but by spokesmen or Embassadours and so win her loue or by loue letters tokens and his picture sent to her Q. But is not this course to our Detriment A. No for as the way is more obscure to the eye so is it more open to the soule by the ministry of the spirit of God For as those former dealings of God although they were fit to conuince the sences of ignorant and blind ones yet were but weake in the concurrence of the spirit as appeares by that infinite sottishnesse and infidelity of such as had them so now the Lord doth supply the darkenesse of these by the powerfull presence of his grace as the phrase imports Heb. 1.2 But now by his sonne that is there is more of the Lords reuealing in these then was in all theirs at the best Q. What store hath he giuen vs of these A. He is neither abounding in superfluous ones for a pompe and Popish state nor yet yet wanting in necessary ones as appeares by this hee hath not giuen vs any more waies then Couenant and seale and no more of thâ— former then which might call vs to Christ as the Law and Gospell and hold vs in him nor more seales than two one CHRIST to bee seed and food none but ordinary for common and extraordinary for speciall vse and in a word as he is spary in clogging so yet plentifull in prouiding variety for vs because he knowes wee need as well in priuate as in publike and being soone weary of either wee had neede of variety to keepe vs occupied with delight
meere Idol God iustly blasting that which opposes his glory Vse 2 Secondly how precious and adored should the Wisedome of our God bee in appointing so many and neither more of these nor lesse than the need of his Church required neither pampering nor steruing them but nourishing them Oh I say how should these lift vs vp to God As once an holy man riding by the Meddowes in the Spring seeing and smelling such variety of flowers said Oh sweet Creatures but how sweet then is your Creator If this foot-stoole bee so set forth what is his Throne So let vs say Oh sweet Ordinances oh beautifull Assemblies oh vsefull varieties but then how sweet is your Ordainer Could we thus meditate hereof for euen the workes of God deserue it how much more these how should that harmony which riseth out of them rauish vs What compound of odours what consort of Musicke should be like them Who should keepe vs from them or what lustre of a Princes Treasure and Wardrobe or sight of exquisit beauties should draw from vs those words which Dauid vpon this Meditation vttered Psal 84.1 Oh how amiable are thy Tabâ—rnacles If we be held from them how should our soules mourne for them till the Lord gather vs to them Zephan 3.18 and how should our spirits and flesh both together loâ—g for them desiring the Lord to restore them to vs with more power aâ—d vs to them with more thanks than euer Nay how ought this wisdome of God to teach us holy wisedeme to discerne and make vse of each flower in this garden of Ordinances How lamentable is it that to this day most of vs are so blinde in this point Who sees the vse which the Law serues for apart from the Gospell to be as a needle to draw the thread after it Who blesses God for the seuerall power of the Word conuerting and building vp the soule Who perceiues the difference of Baptisme the Seed and the Supper the food of the Church or maketh vse of both in their diuers temptations Who knoweth with the Bee how to flye to each of these flowers for the vertue of euery one Who goeth to singing of Psalmes when hee is merry or to pray when afflicted or to fasting in his streights or against such Deuils as no other will expell Oh how were this wisedome to be desired that seeing these manifold graces we might in nothing be wanting So wee sing or read we doe the worke and all salues serue for one sore we see not but reading may conuert as well as preaching and so any thing be walking what care we Not to speake of those phantasticke spirits who forsaking Gods Ordinances blessed by his month runne into their owne corners to compasse themselues with the sparkes of their owne fancies and reuelations Let such know there is no wisedome in them Esay 8. Thirdly let this bee exhortation to all beleeuers first to vse secondly to liue by faith in the use of the meanes First Vse 3 to vse them all closely constantly wisely despise not the sillinesse simplicity of them iudge them not by man or outsides of appearance seuer not the things which God hath vnited hee hath ordained both their coherence and vse seeke him in all if by any meanes Phil. 3.11 we may attaine our desire not knowing in what box our cheefe health consisteth let not one eclipse and staine the other affect not priuate to exclude publike honour not publike to weaken the esteeme of priuate extraordinary to despise ordinary or ordinary to exclude them These are the vsuall humors of men if they take a toy in their head no other Ordinances shall bee in price saue such as they list Let not the difficulty of meditation of hasting dismay thee from it but be afraid that any one of Gods Ordinances should be a stranger to thee Reiect none as thou wouldest be sorry to want the vse of any the contempt of any will accurse all because the charge equally concernes all And for the neglect of the publike which is a common sinne with most to hunker at home when the Word or Sacrament might be enioyed I say it is an ill marke of a thriuing Christian Grace is as fire it must haue fuell else it vanishes No meanes no grace little vse of them little grace great vse of them as before qualified great grace I will speake boldly The Lord in this case sells grace for labour to an honest heart If thy conuersation be so poore and thou so barren in the vse of all meanes standing vp to the chinne what wouldst thou proue if thou shouldst quite neglect them Euen stinke where thou goest Set not any Ordinance aboue God but tempt not God in refusing or scant vsing of any Looke not to grow alone without Word and Sacraments And lastly to remember my promise in the point of the life of faith in the second Article let this teach vs to liue by faith in the vse of his Ordinances I haue already vrged it in euery of the particulars almost Fasting Hearing Sacraments c. This in generall I adde Therefore the Lord hath not trusted vs with outward shewes and glory of the world but with meane and foolish Ordinances to the eye of man that our senses might not pore vpon the face of things but diue into the substance and flye aboue them to him that made them and filled them with Spirit and Life that wee might sucke it out by a promise As once an old man being asked if hee grew in goodnesse said Yea doubtlesse I beleeue it to be so for God hath said it So let the Ordinances be no obiect of our sense but of faith and let vs say Lord I beleeue thy Word can helpe me to beare my crosses thy Sacraments will leaue mee better than I came to them strengthen mee in the inner man not because I feele it as I would but because thou hast said it Therefore by faith let vs cry out as the Church in the Canticles Arise O North-wind and blow vpon these flowers and spices that they may come into my nostrils Else thou maist bee in the midst of the Garden and sauour nothing onely that breath which put in this smell into them can draw it forth againe and let it in to thee that so thou mayst say The word which others heard as the sound of many waters hath beene the savour of life to me to breed me to a liuely hope Not the words vttered not the bare Elements but the promise belonging to both is the obiect of my soule He that saith I will bee in the midst of two or three Mat. 18.20 and Mica 2.7 My Spirit is not streightned but my Word is good to them that walke uprightly The Word is pure as the Lord himselfe yea piercing the soule c. is still able to make good his promise And so I may say of all promises made to the Sacraments My Flesh is meat indeed and my Bloud is drinke
their elbowes thinking the law was giuen them to obey and not to enlighten or conuince oâ— sinne They had taken away foure or fiue sinnes from the Law as the Papists now doe the second Commandement as yee see in point of adultery and diuorce of oaths and periury of iustice and reuenge of loue and charity Mat. 5. ver 27 33 38 and 43. What was this but to call light darkenesse and darkenesse light If then Christ had meant to giue them true light hee would haue scattered those false and base conceits and corruptions as indeed his Sermon on the mount was chiefly to that purpose Secondly come lower to those that liue in the Church of GOD many are ignorant by meere want of meanes as thousands of Congregations at this day are though baptized I remember the speech of a Reuerend man that once on the Sabbath lighting vpon a Company as hee was going to preach neere-by who were some at foot-ball some dancing the Morris others quaffing in the Ale house asked them Sirs why doe yee thus prophane the Sabbath They answered him Alas good Sir wee know not that wee doe ill in our dancing or drinking which drew teares from his eyes If then GOD meane to enlighten such hee will giue them a Ministery of light to teach them what is good and what is euill So to come further put case a third soft hath some kind of light yet still mainteining a ciuill prophane or hypocriticall course what will the Lord doe to enlarge them with cleere knowledge Hee will take away their barres also Q. What are they A. These or the like First Their preiudice against the light and the meanes of light and instruments of light which hinders them from knowledge They haue perhaps a conceit that its a needlesse thing curious and vnprofitable a new fangled toy of some men or very difficult to get if not impossible These Ministers and their preachings are but noveltyes and might bee spared keepe people from their callings trouble the peoples braines and fill them with fancies These and the like false principles of preiudice Act. vlt. 22. The LORD will remoue Secondly Their custome in darknesse they haue liued as their forefathers and done wel enough new matters are yrksom also custome in profanenesse which holds them from comming where any light is for men are loth to know that which should vnsettle them in their loue See Ioh. 3.19 20. Men that loue darkenesse hate light lest their euils bee discouered Thirdly Their hardnesse of heart and purpose to liue in their lusts still For although order of law may compell them to Church yet when they see that knowledge robs them of their lusts they fare as a beare robbed of her whelpes and fight against the light of the Law as Pharaoh against the returning waters because their free-hold is toucht lose their lusts cosenage in buying and selling deceit lying pride reuenge they lose their life Fourthly That wofull dulnesse of edge and bluntnesse of spiâ—it by which they make themselues incapable of knowledge Heb. 5. Especially of any maine and material points Fifthly Generalnesse or slightnesse by which they please themselues to know the meer common sins which euery one may read in great letters runningâ— and through eâ—sâ— seeke no further because indeed knowledge is not their ayme but their policy to auoyd the shame of grosse ignorance A man that hath no more vse of a Map then to see the breadth or situation of Essex will content himselfe with the generall Map of that Shire but if a man would haue a due suruey of some Towne what breadth it hath what such a Lordship therein situate is what lands woods pastures hopgrounds hee will get a Draught of that Towne or a Suruey of those particulars So heere If God meane to enâ—ighten a carnall generall and formall professor or hee will take from him his generall Map and subtill generalities whereby hee detaines the truth in vnrighteousnessâ— and reach him a more speciall Map of sin to study vpon Sixtly He will remooue his sefeloue by which hee is loth to bee informed in truths his partiality and subtilty which suffers him not to heare such Truths as are like to oppose his personall precious and beloued euils whereby hee is loth to heare of any sins saue other mens not his owne and so he shunnes particular light of things which might prooue either against his luâ—ts ease credit or course in euil to vnderstand If a man bee a good Iustice hee is willing to know the Statutes and bee informed in them well that hee may be able to punish sinne to purpose If not hee is willing not to bee informed of them So is it heere but if the Lord will enlighten him hee will enlarge his Law to him and him to his Law that hee shall bee gladdest when hee meet vs with the most distinct and cleere light And so I might be infinite let this view be sufficient for this sormer Q How doth the Law giue light to the eies in knowing Actuall sins A. Both in themselues and in their penalties Q. In themselues how A. Sundry waies some of which and the cheefe I will note by them desiring the wise Reader to iudge of the rest First The Law doth present the soule with the authority of GOD in commanding and sets vp her selfe not in the sences or back parts of man but in his conscience the most priuy chamber of the soule This no law of man can doe No nor can any destitute of the law be truely seazed in conscience by any sinne But the Law sets vp the Lawgiuer in the conscience presenting him to her in all his Souereigne Iustice wisedome and Power that so she may esteeme of sin not as touching man but trenching vpon God in all his attributes This is a great discouery and causes sin to bee conceaued as it is not as the passing act seemes which begins and ceases with time but this is infinite in time merit extent and scope because against an infinite God For example An ignorant man hauing hurt his neighbour lookes at the sad consequent of the fact onely how hee hath hurt him in his name cattell wife goods and so the damage is the sin to him But the enlightned conscience lookes at the Lawgiuer knowing that not man but God hath made the Law against hurting man man is the next but God is the chief and last obiect of his sinne And therefore God must bee agreed with or else conscience will keep it vpon Gods record to appeare in due time And put case man would be appeased yea is satisfied yea perhaps mans Law is satisfied by the death of the offendor yet GOD still must be compounded with as chiefly offended Q. How secondly A. It presents it selfe to the soule in the coherence and consent of the law This no man can see except enlightned S. Iames cleeres this Iam. 2.10 Hee that breakes one is culpable of all Meaning that such