tartnesse of the Law Cases of Conscience Lib. 1. Cap. 7. Sect. 5. Here remember by the way that the comforts ministred usually and ordinarily must not goe alone but bee mingled and tempered with some terrours of the Law c. The ministring of comfort in this distresse would not bee direct and present but by certaine steps and degrees Except only in the Point of death for then a directer course must be used Iâ—id Cap. 11. Sect. 1. Matth. 11.28 Iames 4.10 Prov. 28.13 Heb. 12.14 Revel 3.19 Psal. 9.17 n Proprietates Dei essentiales sunt realitèr ip samet Dei essentia nec ab essentiâ Dei nec inter se reipsâ differunt Non ab essentiâ quia sic sunt in essentiâ ut sint ipsa essentia Non inter se quia quicquid in Deo est unum est à primâ autem unitate omnis prorsus differentia omnisque numerus abesse debet Polan Syntag. Theol. Lib. 2. Cap. 7. o Proprietates Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sunt aequales 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inaequales Alsted Theol. Didactico Scholast Sect. 1. Cap. 15. * Now wee his Ministers His Almoners to distribute his comforts even as many as bee in the Scripture dare not lavish them out and promise them to such lazy indifferents as these But if wee see any ready to faint for want saying Give mee drinke or else I die then wee reach the cup of salvation to him and bid him drinke of it neither dare wee to give it to any other Rogers of Dedham Doctr. of Faith pag. 186. Tit. 2.11 12. Zech. 13.1 p As concerning sorrow seeing the causes still remaine namely corruption and affliction therefore this sorrow must continue to our lives end Tho in a different manner now mingled with comfort whereas the former before Faith could have none Whereas on the other side the sorrow that quite drieth up was never sound as it is to bee seene in many who beeing once deepely afflicted and in great heavinesse for their miserable state afterward comming to some comfort are growne so secure and senselesse that having no true griefe or remorse for their daily corruptions content themselves that they were once cast downe whose lives as they bee foule and full of blots so their ends bee oft fearefull either senselesse or uncomfortable so dangerous is it to quench the spirit in any pat Culverwell in his Treatâ—se of Faith pag. 46.47 Certum est sine sensu peccati miseriae primùm deinde â—iberationis in Christo Iesu â—â— eadem illá miseriá nullam in Christo esse veram consolationem Nos quidem hodierno die expectamus non primumillum sed secundum Christi adventum Vt igitur eum cum aliquâ consolatione expectemus danda nobis opera est in totâ vitâ ut magis magisque in sensu peccati miseriae nostrae proficiamus alioqui proâ—ectò tantum aberit ab eo ut cum consolatione gaudio â—um Christi adventum expectemus ut è contrà cum horroribus aâ—iâ—i conscientiae nâ—n tam expectemus illum diem quà m eum aversemur Rolloc in Iohan pag. 346. Perpetuò resipiscamus In perpetuâ luctâ perpetuâ resipiscentiâ simus Idem Ibid. pag 337. Some are onely slightly humbled and having got comfort are never more grieved whereas a true Beleever even after Faith grieves still for his daily sinnes but these thinke it enough that they were once grieved and therefore now grieve no more for their foule sinnes Rogers of Dedham Doctr. of Faith pag. 367. Cum sèmper nobis agnoscenda sint peccata nostra credendum quòd remittantuâ— nobis peccatâ— propter Christum senâ—imus semper etiam in hâ—c vitâ nobis agendam esse poenitentiaâ— Harmon Confess p. 2. Wirtenbergica Confess de poenit pag. 153. Wee are to note that repentance is a continuall course of sorrow and if wee have this in truth then may wee boldly seeke for comfort out of Gods Word and from His Ministers and looke what comfort they give us on Earth the same shall bee sealed also in Heaven Wherefore as it is requisite continually to till the ground if wee will have fruit and daily to eate if wee will live so in spirituall things wee must bee humbled with continuall sorrow that wee may bee refreshed with daily comfort in Christ. Greenham Serm. 7. Of Repentance I the rather quote these Divines for this Point to oppose the wicked and ignorant folly of some ill-tong'd Anti-nomists and other peevish and proud Phantasticks q â— Sam. 7.6 Hauserunt aquas è puâ—eo cordis sui abundè lachrymati sunt coram Domino resipiscentes Chald. Paraph. Est quadam precum omnipotentia Luth. r Quntum prinâ—us ego lum Hoc ergo apud beatum Paulum siduciae consolationis accipite fratres ut ad Dominum iam conversos non nimis criâ—ciet praeteritorum coâ—scientia delictorum sed tantùm bumâ—lieâ— vos sicut ipsum Ego sum inquit minimus Apostolorum qui non sum dignus vocari Apostolus qui sum persecutus ecclesiam Dei. Ita nos humiliemur sub potenti manâ— Dei c. Bern. Col. 225. * Et si preces quotidiè quotidiè poenitentiam agaâ— quod in antiquis domibus facere solemus cum fuerint putrefactae putrida subtrahimus supponimus nova à continuâ curâ nunquam desinimus Chrysost. Ad pop Antioch Hom. 80. * If any doubt how godly sorrow and spirituall ioy may consist together at the same time in the same Subiect let them take satisfaction even from Philosophy De dolore gaudio dupliciter loqui possumus uno modo secundum quod sunt passiones appetitus scusitivi Et sic nullo modo possunt essè simul eò quòd sunt omâ—inò contrariae Velex parte obiecti put à cum sunt de eodem vel saltem ex parte motus cordis Nam gaudium est cuiâ— dilstatione cordis tristitia verò cum constrictione Et hoc modo loquitur Philosophus Eth. 9. â—â—io modo possumus loqui de gaudio tristitiâ secundum quod consistunt in simplici actu voluntatis cui aliquid placet vel displicet Et secundum hoc non possunt babâ—â—â— contrariâ—tateâ—â— nisi ex parte Obiect putà cum sunt de codem secundum idem 〈◊〉 non possunt 〈◊〉 esse gaudium tristitia quia non potest simulideâ—s secundum idem placene displiâ—â—re 〈◊〉 verò gaudiuâ—â— tristitia sic accepta non sint de eodem sâ—â—â—â—dumidem sed vel de diversis vel de eodem secundum diversa sic non est contrarietas gaudij tristitia Vnde nihil probebeÌ„t hominem simul gandere tristari putà si videamus iustum affligi 〈◊〉 placet nobis eiâ—â— iustitia displicet aâ—flictio Et hoc modo simul potest alicui displicere quòd peccavit placere quòd hoc ei displicet cum spe veniae ita quòd ipsa tristitia sit
life freely Revelat. Chap. 21. Vers. 6. And let him that is a thirst come whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Rom. 22.17 Wee must therefore by no meanes conceive of the forenamed preparatiue humiliations and precedent workes of the Law and Gospell as of any meritorious qualifications to draw on Christ for hee is given most freely but as of needfull predispositions to drive us unto Christ. For a Man must feele Himselfe in misery before Hee will goe about to find a remedy bee sicke before Hee will seeke the Physition bee in Prison before Hee will sue for a pardon bee wounded before Hee will prize a Plaster and pretious balsam A sinner must bee weary of His former wicked wayes and tired with legall terrour before Hee will haue recourse to Iesus Christ for refreshing and lay downe His bleeding Soule in his blessed Bosome Hee must bee sensible of His Spirituall poverty beggery and slavery under the Deuill before Hee thirst kindly for heavenly righteousnesse and willingly take up Christs sweet and easy yoke Hee must bee cast downe confounded condemned a cast away and lost in Himselfe before Hee will looke about for a Saviour Hee must cry heartily I am uncleane I am uncleane before Hee will long and labour to wash in that most soveraigne and Soule-saving Fountaine opened to the house of David and to the Inhabitants of Ierusalem for sin and for uncleannesse he must sell all before hee will be willing and eager to buy the Treasure hid in the field Now thus to prepare wound afflict and humble the Soule that it may bee fitted for Iesus Christ and so for comfort upon good ground let ministers or whosoever meddle in matters of this nature publickely or privatly vse all warrantable meanes faire and foule as they say let them presse the law promise mercy propose Christ c. Doe what they will seasonably and wisely Let them improve all their learning wisedome discretion mercifullnesse experience wit eloquence Sanctified unto them for that purpose So that the worke bee done In pressing the law besides other dexterities and directions for managing their ministry in this Point succesfully by Gods Blessing let them take notice of this Particular which may prove very availeable to begin this Legall worke It is a Principle attended upon with many a Probatum est Pressing upon Mens consciences with a zealous discreet powerfullnesse their speciall principall fresh-bleeding Sins is a notable meanes to breake their hearts and bring them to remorse That most hainous and bloudy sinne of killing Iesus Christ in which they had newly imbrued their hands pressed upon the Consciences of Peters hearers breakes and teares their hearts in pieces Act. 2.23.36.37 So Adultery secretly intimated by Christs words unto the woman of Samaria Ioh. 4.18 Seemes to have strucke her to the heart vers 19. So the Iewes having Idolatry pressed upon their consciences by Samuel 1. Sam. 7.6 The sin of asking a king ibid. 12.19 Vsury by Nehemiah 5.12 Strange wives by Ezra cap. 10.9 were therevpon mightily moved and much mollified in their hearts as appeares in the cited Places Consider for this purpose that worke upon Davids heart by Nathans Ministry And Felix trembling when Paul strucke Him on the right veine The reasons why this more particular discovery and denouncing of judgement against a Mans principall sinne is like God assisting with the Spirit of bondage to put such life into the worke of the Law are such as these 1. The Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God being welded by the hand of the holy Ghost and edged as it were with the speciall power of Gods blessing for the cutting asunder of the iron-Sinewes of a stubborne and stony heart doth crush and conquer strike through and breake in pieces with an unresistable puissance proportioned to the insolency or easinesse of resistance My meaning is this As Philosophers say of the Lightning that by reason of the easinesse of the passage weakenesse of resistance porosity of the parts it pierceth through the Purse Scabberd and Barke without any such scorching and visible hurt but melts the mony the sword rents and shivers the tree because their substance and solidity doth more exercise and improve its activenes and ability So this Spirituall Sword tho it strike at every sinne and passeth thorow even to the diuiding asunder of Soule and Spirit and of the joynts and marrow yet the hairy pate of the maine corruption and Master sinne it wounds with a witnesse it there tortures and teares in pieces with extraordinary anguish and smart Searching and sence for that opposeth with the most flinty iron-Sinew to blunt and rebate its edge if it were possible 2. In Consciences regularly and rightly wounded and awaked sinnes are wont to bite and sting proportionably to their hainousnesse and the exorbitancy of their former sensuall impressions Some like a Mastife some like a Scorpion some like a Wolfe in the Evening But vnderstand that spirituall anguish surpasseth immeasurably any corporall paine therefore conceiue of them with a vast dis-proportion Now the Minion delight or Captaine sinne frighting the heart with greatest horrour and stinging with extremity proportionable to its former vastation of Conscience doth by an accidentall power God blessing the businesse give a great stroke to drive a man to deepest detestation of Himselfe to throw Him downe to the lowest step of penitent dejection to eneager His thirsty greedinesse after pardon and grace and at length to fire Him out of His naturall estate 3. A Mans principall and most prevailing sinne is Sathans strongest Hold. When Hee is in danger to be dislodged and driven by the power of the word out of the other parts of the Soule as it were and from Possession of a Man by all other sinnes Hee retires Hither as to His Castle and most impregnable Fort. And therefore if this bee soundly beaten upon by the Hammer and Horrour of the Law and battered about His eares hee will bee quickly enforced to quit the Place quite It may bee good counsell then and often seasonable to say unto those Men of God who desire to drive the Devill out of Others in some sort as the King of Syria said to his Captaines Fight neither with small nor great save onely with the King of Israel My meaning is Let them addresse the sharpest edge of their spirituall Sword yet as well with an holy charitable discretion as with resolute downeright dealing against those sinnes which beare greatest sway in them they have to deale with Bee it their covetousnesse ambition Lust drunkennesse Lukewarmenesse monstrousnesse of the fashion sacriledge oppression vsury Back-sliding murder luxury Opposition to the good way Hatred of the Saints or what other sinne soever they discover in them to minister greatest advantage to Satan to keepe them fastest in his clutches No sinne must bee spared but let the raigning sin be paid home especially For opening of the most rich
most compassionate and tender-hearted to others afflicted with the same wofull terrours and troubles of conscience A woman which hath herselfe with extraordinary paine tasted of that exquisite torture of child birth is wont to bee more tenderly and mercifully disposed towards another in the like torment then she that never knew what that miserie meant And is more ready willing and skillfull to relieve in such distresses It is proportionably so in the present Case But the Alien beeing tainted in some measure with the Divels hatefull disposition is by the heate of his slavish horrour rather enraged with malice then resolved into mercy Hee is rather tickled with a secret content then touched with true commiseration to see and heare of others plunged into the same gulphe of misery and plagued like Himselfe Hee is much troubled with his solenesse in suffering and the singularity of any sorrowfull Accident Companion-ship in crosses doth something allay the discomforts of carnall men So that sometimes they secretly but very sinfully reioyce such is their dogged divelish disposition even to see the hand of God upon their neighbours Neither can hee in such extremeties minister any meanes of helpe or true comfort at all either by prayer counsell or any experimentall skill because the evill spirit of his vexed conscience was not driven away by any well-grounded application of Gods mercies and Christs blood but as Saules was by Musicke worldly mirth carnall advise Soule-slaying flatteries of Man-pleasing Ministers plunging desperately into variety of sensuall pleasures c. 7. Hee which after the boisterous tempest of Legall terrours hath happily arrived at the Port of Peace I meane that blessed peace which passeth all understanding made with God himselfe in the blood of his Son enters presently thereupon into the good way takes upon Him the yoke of Christ and serues him afterward in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of his life And ordinarily His deeper humiliation is an occasion of his more humble precise holy and strickt walking and of more watchfulnesse over his heart and tendernesse of conscience about lesser sinnes also all occasions of scandall appearances of evill even aberrations in his best actions holiest duties c. But Aliens whē once they bee taken off the Racke and their torture determine either become just the same men they were before or else reforme onely some one or other grosse sin which stuckē most upon their consciences but remaine unamended and unmortified in the rest or else which often comes to passe grow a great deale worse For they are as it were angry with God that hee should give them a taste of Hell fire before their time and therefore knowing their time but short fall upon earthly delights more furiously engrosse and graspe the pleasures of the World with more greedinesse and importunitie These things thus premised I come to tell you that for the rectifying of the fore-mentioned Errour and prevention of the danger of dawbing and undoing for ever in a matter of so weighty importance I would advise the Spirituall Physition to labour with the utmost improovement of all his divine skill heavenly wisedome best experience heartiest praiers most piercing persuasions prest out of the word for that purpose wisely to worke and watchfully to observe the season when hee may warrantably and upon good ground apply unto the woundedst soule of his spiritually-sicke Patient assured comfort in the promises of life and that soveraigne blood which was spilt for broken hearts and assure him in the Word of truth that all those rich compassions which lie within the compasse of that great Covenant of everlasting mercy and love sealed with the painefull sufferings of the Sonne of God belong unto Him Which is then when his troubled heart is soundly humbled under Gods mighty hand and brought at length to first a truly penitent sight sense and hatred of all sinne secondly a sincere and unsatiable thirst after Iesus Christ and righteousnesse both imputed and inherent thirdly an unfained and un-reserved resolution of an universall New-obedience for the time to come c. Here I had purposed to have been large but I am prevented by that which hath been said already and therefore to avoide repetition I must remit you to the consideration of those Legall and Evangelicall preparations for the entertainement of Christ and true comfort which I handled before which may give some good direction and satisfaction in the Point Yet take notice that in the meane time before such fitnesse bee fully effectuated I would have the Man of God ply his Patient with his best perswasions and Proofes seasonably mingled with motives to humiliation of the pardonablenesse of his sinnes possibility of pardon damnablenesse of despaire danger of ease by outward mirth c. And to hold out to the eye of the troubled conscience as a prize and Lure as it were the freenesse of Gods immeasurable mercy the generall Offer of Iesus Christ without any exception of persons times or sinnes the pretiousnesse and infallibilitie of the promises in as faire and lovely a fashion in as orient and alluring formes as Hee can possibly But it is One thing to say If these things bee so I can assure you in the Word of life of the promises of life and already-reall right and interest to all the riches of Gods free grace and glorious purchase of Christs meritorious blood Another thing to say If you will suffer your understandings to bee illightened your consciences to bee convinced your hearts to be wounded with sight sense and horrour of sin If you will come-in and take Iesus Christ His Person his Passion his yoke If you will entertaine these and these affections longings and resolutions c. Then most certainely our mercifull Lord will crowne your truly humbled soules with his dearest compassions and freest love Lastly bee informed that when all is done I meane when the Men of God have their desire That the Patient in their perswasion is soundly wrought upon and professeth understandingly and feelingly and as they verily thinke from His heart first that Hee is heavy laden with the grievous burden of all His sinnes secondly That Hee is come by his present spirituall terrour and trouble of minde to that resolution to doe any thing which wee find the Hearers of Iohn and Peter Luk. 3. Act. 2. Thirdly That Hee most highly prizeth Iesus Christ farre above the riches pleasures and glory of the whole earth thirsts and longs for Him infinitely Fourthly That Hee is most willing to sell all To part with all sinne with His right eye and right hand those lusts and delights which stucke closest to His bosome Not to leave so much as an hoofe behind Fifthly That hee is content with all his heart to take Christ as well for a Lord and Husband to serue love and obey Him as for a Saviour to deliver Him from the miseries of sinne To take upon Him His yoke To enter into the narrow
comest with thy cost Whereas God ever gives His Sonne freely and bids thee come and welcome and buy without money and without price Obiect 2. But will it not bee presumption in mee having no good thing in mee at all to bring with mee but comming now as it were fresh out of Hell from a most wicked impure abominable life to take Christ as mine owne and all those rich and pretious promises sealed with his blood Answ. Enough hath been already said to meete with this objection It is not presumption but good manners to come when thou art called How can Hee bee said to presume who is both invited and intreated commanded and threatned to come in c. Of which see before Thou must now in this extreme spirituall thirst of thine drinke of the water of life so freely offered that thou mayst receive some heavenly strength to bee good and power to become the Sonne of God Thou must throw thy sinfull Soule upon Iesus Christ bleeding and breathing out his last upon the Crosse as the Body of the Shunamites Childe was applyed to the Prophet stretching himselfe upon it That thou mayst thereby bee quickened with desired fruitfulnesse filled by little and little with all the fulnesse of God receiving grace for grace I am the resurrection and the life saith Christ Hee that believeth in me tho He were dead yet shall Hee live It were execrable presumption for any Man who purposeth to goe on in the willing practise or allowance of any one knowne sinne to believe that Christ is His righteousnesse and sanctification But where all sin is a Burden every promise as a world of gold and the heart syncere for a new way there a Man may be bold For thee to have pretended part in Christ wallowing yet in thy sinnes had been horrible presumption indeed and for mee to have applyed the Promises and preached peace unto thy remorselesse conscience before the Pangs of the New-birth had seazed upon thee had been damnable dawbing But in the Case I now suppose Thee to bee it is both seasonable and surely grounded for mee to assure thee of acceptation and pardon and for thee to receive Iesus Christ without any more adoe into the armes of thy humbled Soule 2. His sweet Name Exod. 34.6.7 Wherein is prevented whatsoever may any wayes bee pretended for standing out in this Case as appeares fully before pag. 415. line 25. 3. His glorious Attributes 1. His Truth Hee that believeth hath set to His Seale that God is true Ioh. 3.33 He that labours and is heavy laden with the burden of sin comes to Christ for case when Hee is called takes Him for his Saviour and His Lord and thereupon grounds a resolute unshaken and everlasting confidence that hee is His for ever puts to his Seale that Christ is true that His pretious promise Come unto mee all yee that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Mat. 11.28 is inviolable Whereby Christ Iesus blessed for ever is mightily honoured His truth glorified and thine owne soule with extraordinary blessednesse everlastingly enlived But Hee now that retires in this Case and holds off makes Him who is Truth it selfe a lyar Hee that believeth not God hath made Him a Lyar 1. Ioh. 5.10 Now what a fearefull indignity is this against the Lord God of Truth Wee see too often how miserable mortall men wormes of the earth take such an affront at the hands one of another For many times for the Lie given them they throw themselves desperately upon the irrecoverable ruine of their lives states soules and posterity by chalenging the field and killing each other Which dishonour to the mighty Lord of heaven and earth is the greater and is much aggravated by the infinite infallibility of the promises For besides His Word which were more then immeasurably sufficient Hee hath added a most solemne Oath for our sakes that wee might have greater assurance and stronger consolation 2. His Mercy most directly and specially And to say nothing of the freenesse of His mercy which springs onely out of the riches of his infinite bounty and the good pleasure of His will of his readinesse to forgive otherwise the death of Christ should bee of none effect His blood shed in vaine the greatest worke lost that ever was done of His delight in mercy Mich. 7.18 Mercy in man is a quality in God it is His nature and essence Now what wee doe naturally wee doe willingly readily unweariedly As the eye is not weary of seeing the eare with hearing c. A Bee gives honey naturally never stings but provoked When God is angry it is but as it were by accident upon occasion drawne unto it by the violent importunity of our multiplied provocations but Hee delights in mercy c. I say to say nothing of these this one consideration may convince us of extreme folly in refusing mercy in such a Case for all the hainousnesse or number of our sinnes to wit That no sinnes either for number or notoriousnesse in a truly broken heart can make so much resistance to Gods infinite mercies as the least sparke of fire to the whole Sea and that is little enough Nay as infinitely lesse as an infinite thing exceedes a finite Betweene which there is no proportion 3. His Power For thou art very like thus or in the like manner to reason within thy selfe and cavill cruelly against thine owne Soule Alas what talke you of taking Christ the promises of life and heavenly lightsomnesse my poore heart is as darke as the very middle of Hell much harder then a Rocke of Adamant as cold and dead as the senselesse Center of the earth as uncomfortable and restlesse almost as desperation it selfe c. It is more then infinitely impossible that such a darke hard dead comfortlesse Thing should ever bee enlightened softened quickened and established with joy c. But marke how herein thou unadvisedly under-valewes and unworthily sets bounds to the unlimited power of God Whereas thou shouldest imitate Abraham the Father of all them that believe who staggered not at the Promise of God through unbeliefe but was strong in faith giving glory to God And beeing fully perswaded that what Hee had promised Hee was able also to performe Rom. 4.20.21 Bee advised in this Case 1. To compare these two things together The making of the seven Starres and Orion and turning the shadow of death into the morning And the infusion of heavenly light into thy darke and heavy heart And doest thou not think that the second is as easie as the first to the same Omnipotent hand Nay it is easier in our conceit to the Divine Majesty nothing is difficult or un-easie For those glorious shining Constellations were created of nothing and nothing hath no disposition to any Beeing at all much lesse to any particular existence But a Soule sensible and weary of it's spirituall darknesse is