cogitare Hier in Ep. ad Dem. whatsoever is unlawfull to bee done or spoken is as unlawfull to bee thought and I am sure this is as true that such as make no conscience of thoughts will make no conscience of what they doe or speake this fancied liberty of thoughts hath opened the flood-gate and occasioned the letting in of multitude of vaine thoughts into men 2. The subjecting of thoughts unto passions and affections thoughts were ordained to moderate and take off passions there being a naturall influence from the thoughts to the affections but if men give way unto passionate distempers these will breed distraction and division of thoughts if fire bee stirred there flie up a multitude of sparkles and if passions sway they raise up a variety of disordered thoughts within us the soule thereby is no sooner delivered of one thought but it is in labour and paine with another 3. The neglecting and suppressing of the good motions of the Spirit the holy Spirit is blowing and breathing and filling the heart with good meditations which must not bee 1 Thes 5. 19. quenched if that wee will free our selves from ill thoughts 4. Looking on Satans warres my meaning is that when Satan shall inject his thoughts into us wee must not take them up and gaze upon them giving them a walking roome within us if they stay within us they will either defile us or els soone become ours 5. Evill company which doth either find us or will make us bad I say the evill discourses and examples of wicked persons will corrupt good manners and strangely alter the minde both to the evillnes of thoughts and delights 6. Idlenesse this brings forth thoughts of Atheisme and all kinde of impieties he who takes off his hand from labour doth teach his heart to think evill for the mind will still bee working though the man bee idle 't is good therefore to bee upon the duties of our calling bee made wise by David 2 Sam. 11. 1 2 3. 7. Worldlinesse there is a strong efficacie in an earthly treasure to steale away the soule both from it selfe and God the world and gaine begets a world of thoughts in the heads and hearts of men who are more full of vaine and wandering thoughts in hearing and praying then such whose hearts are set upon the riches of this world thick and foggie ayre doth darken the earth and worldly engagements do stuffe and stifle the minde stirring up many plottings and contrivements 4. Labour for strength of affections unto God the more we can keepe up spirituall affections within us setting them upon God and duty and Heaven the more we shall keep out and keepe downe carnall and sinfull thoughts it is an excellent thing to fill the head and heart with God and to be zealously affected in good things these things have a strong power over man and will make him to be thinking aright see it in David O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day Psal 119. 97. 5. Watch and observe the heart duly taking an account of thoughts let no thoughts come in unespied but keepe watch ward within the soule and that with much diligence and feare and learne to examine all your thoughts most strictly by the rule say often what and whence are these thoughts of mine can and doe these agree with the Word and Law of God be not too favourable unto them in your selves and you Pro. 4. shall the better suppresse them and keepe them out 6. Commit your waies unto God by faith Commit thy way Pro. 16. 3. unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall bee established I know no better way to keep out the confusion and vexation of sinnefull thoughts then by setting up faith in exercise this is a grace which will 1. Fence the minde with divine arguments against all carnall reasonings and selferesolutions 2. Answer Satan in all his reasonings and suggestions 3. Raise up the minde to quite contrary things to those which Satan puts within us and 4. When Satan doth urge his horrible thoughts upon us it will make us to flie to God with our complaints against Satan and to spread our condition before the Lord saying Lord behold mee and my condition I cannot be quiet for Satan and mine owne stirring corruptions they are still casting up evill thoughts within mee contrary to thy Word thy glory and my will Lord leade mee not into these temptations or deliver mee from the evill of these thoughts that they may not prevaile over mee Lastly know that there may be much comfort to a Christian in doing duty notwithstanding he finde many wandring and impertinent thoughts within him in dutie wee may not give over duties publique and private because of some distractions accompanying us prayer is to be used as a meanes to cure our wandrings in prayer if dirt Simile be cast into a spring men will not damme it up and for sinfull thoughts we are not to cast off spirituall performances looke upon three things which must stay the heart in dutie Three â—hings incouraging â—o duty â—nder vvandring â—houghts 1. Resolution against all sinnefull thoughts in duty when a Christian doth finde the bent of his heart to bee against them before he begin the duty he is to goe on in duty 2. Sincerity and humility in the doing of duties he that can with a sincere and humble heart goe thorough duty may take comfort in performing dutie duties must not be judged of by accidentall and involuntary imperfections but by the temper and disposition of the heart which God lookes at 3. Acceptance of duties in Christ all a Christians duties have their immediate ground of acceptance in Christ and not in the strength and setlednesse of mans performance To conclude all that at this time I meane to speake of in this Argument know that Satan in injecting of evill thoughts into the godly dealeth with them as many wicked men doe with the names of Gods children wee find that the children of others begetting are many times laid at honest mens doores and unto honest mens charge and who can stop the mouth of iniquitie yet in this case a cleare conscience is the ablest comforter and confuter just so Satan begets and stirres up within us evill thoughts and then hee would father them on us and trouble us by them but our pure hearts rising up against them and bewailing them makes us cleare of them before God who is the judge of uprightnesse and the rewarder of innocencie Deo Gloria The Table A. ABusing of conscience in 1 2. things Page 55. Abasing of conscience what page 61. Accusations of conscience page 98. Application of the plaister p. 144. Absence of Gods love page 152. Assurances for acceptance under unworthinesse 2 8. B. Labour for a Bearing spirit â— 46. Benefits by spirituall wounds p. 6. p. 85. A twofold Bearing the wound page 104. The Burden of the spirit to good and bad page
have done when the spirit is wounded it is most in agitation and in a manner taken up wholly with reflexive acts it is ofttimes with a troubled conscience as it is with troubled waters the troubling of which fetcheth up that mud and filth which lay sunke and buried below men doe begin to see more clearely what they have done by what they suffer let God trouble Iosephs brethren and this presents unto them their long past guilt in selling their brother Gen. 42. 21. and when Israel was troubled with Gods wrath and mortality they could now read their sinnes in Gods countenance Psal 90. 7 8. 4. Confession and acknowledgement 4. Confession of sin of sinne deepe wounds provoke unto vomiting and although we are naturally as apt to conceale as to commit sinne yet spirituall wounds will not long bee hid David like a childe had hurt himselfe and hee hides it hee had taken downe poyson and keepes silence but at last the wound festred and his heart was too heavie for his body so as hee roareth for the disquietment of his spirit and he is made most freely and humbly to acknowledge his sinne unto God Psal 32. 3 4 5. 5. Detestation of sin spirituall 5. Hatred of sin wounds doe worke in the godly deepe hatred against sinne O this lying under the sense of wrath this racking under the strong and piercing accusations of conscience for sin doth incense the soule with the deepest loathing of sinne that may be so that the broken sinner saith unto it get thee hence Esa 30. 22. 6. Reformation of life endeavours 6. Change of life of obedience for the future with watchfull feare against sinne is the fruit of the spirituall wound in Gods children such doe say now I finde and feele what it is to venture on stollen waters and what it is to taste the pleasures of sinne for a season O I am now in the flames I have found a dart striken thorough my liver and what have I to doe any more with idols Hosea 14. 8. If God will once heale my soule and pardon me my sin J will not sinne against him as I have done in time past but I will take him for my God and doe unto him all the possible service for his honour that I can For the grounds occasioning Causes of the vvound in mans spirit 9. the wound of the spirit in men J finde them very different and they are more generall or speciall and particular I shall name some of them 1. Sinne committed 1. The wound in mans spirit is caused by sinne if any thing dishearten feare and distresse the soule it is sinne every sinne committed and lying upon the conscience is a wound to conscience Now when you sin so against the brethren yee wound their conscience saith Paul 1 Cor. 8. 12. whence I inferre if another mans sinne will wound another mans conscience then much more a mans owne sinne will wound his owne conscience this is true * Maluâ—â— culp◠〈◊〉 bit maluâ—â— poenae that all mans miserable and penall evills whether inward or outward doe follow his sinfull evills had there beene no sinne there had beene no wound and thus man is the entire cause of his owne wounding if we bee Hosea 1â— 9. tasting of the forbidden fruit sucking at the pleasures of sin and doe swallow downe the secret poyson thereof no marvaile if it cast our soules and and spirits into paine and vexation and unspeakeable stretchings and strainings Note that as it is all sin in generall so it is What sins do most of all wound conscience the greatnesse aggravations and repetitions of some sins in particular which doe greatly wound conscience within man I meane unnaturall sins such as are sinnes of blood and sins of uncleannesse unreasonable sins committed contrary to the cleare light of reason as sinnes of Rebellion and Treason found in Achitophel and Iudas formall sins which is the slubbering over Gods services out of custome and for fashion when a man knoweth he ought to doe them with holinesse of affection and highnesse of reverence locall sins the sinnes of a mans calling and place such as are idlenesse unfaithfullnesse and unrighteousnesse in buying selling borrowing lending restoring and the like sins against vowes solemnely made against sin yea and sins of repetition men going over the same sins often all these and other the like sinnes doe not a little wound conscience in men 2. The wound is caused by â— Sin fel. the sensible apprehension of the debt and guilt of sin guilt apprehended in depth is the greatest wounding of conscience that may bee when a man comes to know his transgressions and to possesse the sinnes of his youth finding the fastning of sin in the venome of it upon his soule this is the great maladie and disease of the soule there is nothing so mortall and deadly as sin is and there is nothing more terrible and troublesome then for a man to see himselfe a sinner without a Saviour and to reade his own sins unto himselfe in an unpardonable manner it is one thing to reade a sin in the Word and another thing for the Word and conscience to make us to reade it in our selves in all the offence and danger and damnation of it Psal 51. 3. Iob 13. 25 26. The wound is caused by the The Law over pressed or over applied over-taking of the threats and enforcements of the Law unto a mans selfe the Law is terrible and causeth the bondage of the spirit putting a man to his deepest distresses when as sinne and conscience doth meete and mingle with it There are two things about Two things about the Law the Law causing the wound of spirit in man 1. One is The unskilfull managing of it by the Ministers they preaching it without reference to the Gospell as it was delivered on Mount Sinai 2. Another is The overfastning of the Law in its terror and execration upon a mans selfe the Law hath an extreame curse written in it selfe it renders up a man a sinner to the severity of Gods justice and irresistibility of his wrath it powers in the fiery indignation of the Almighty and acknowledgeth no Saviour at all Now when a man shall write downe after the Law that he is a man every way under the execration and exaction of the Law this is the sadnesse and sicknesse of his spirit Rom. 7. 9. When the Law came sinne revived and I died 4. The wound is made by the tasting of divine wrath when God is not felt in his love but that there is a folding Tasting of divine wrath up the former intimations from the soule there is a mighty wound in the spirit as we may see in David Psal 77. the first 10. verses how much more horrible and wounding to the spirit is the apprehension of the angry and wrathfull face of God setting it selfe against a man Iobs mind was exercised with this
then I could be comforted and setled but I feare that God did never love mee Sol. Beloved you see how scruple begets scruple as wave doth wave and to give a short 4. Signes of the former feelings of Gods love answer unto this case there are these signes of a mans former enjoyment of Gods love 1. Continued temptations about the love of God unto a mans selfe in particular and that not onely in the times of affliction and hower of death but at such times when a Christian sets himselfe to try his owne standing in grace and to settle himselfe in the assurance of Gods love unto him I say the more interest any man hath into Gods love the more spite shall he have from Satan and the more feeling any man hath of divine love the more shall such a man bee followed with strong suggestions and horrible temptations drawne from divine wrath shall wee imagine that if Satan hearing the proclamation from heaven of Gods love to Christ Mat. 3. 17. would notwithstanding seaze upon him and tempe him to doubt of his Sonship and Fathers care and love that now any member of Christ in and under the assurance of Gods love shall be free from his malicious molestations and hideous temptations the divell hates where God loves and 't is strange to behold how Note Gods children doe many times those things to bee arguments of discouragements which are or need to be none at all O say they Satan doth molest and tempt me daily and tells me of divine wrath that is towards me well suppose he say so wilt thou beleeve him was he not alyer and a murtherer Iob. 8. 44 from the beginning is not his name the accuser of the Brethren before God day and night Revel 12. 10. are not all the testimonies of Satan directly or obliquely against the truth of God and comfort of Christians tell me O Christian what is it hurtfull or prejudiciall to Satan if God doe hate a man him whom God indeed doth hate is the proper subject of Satan and no wise Prince will make warre on his own subjects conclude that wert thou not in Gods favour Satan would let thee alone and not trouble thee in the setling oâ— under thy not feeling of his love unto thee 2. Miserablenesse of soule under the want of the apprehension of divine love we now can grieve and grow sad because wee faile of our once enjoyed feelings all cloudings and ecclipses in the assurance of divine love ar terrible to Christians the hiding of the Sun is discomfortable and the withdrawments of divine love is a cause of just trouble men that never felt divine love make nothing of its absence but to have it called back from one that hath found and felt it it maketh a sad and a darke day it is impossible for thy soule of man to be humblingly and sorrowfully sensible of the want of Gods love but there hath been some former feelings of divine love within his soule Psal 30. 5. 3. Risings of the desires after the sense and degrees of divine love if a man hath tasted of Gods love unto him hee shall finde stirrings and longings in his soule after further and greater sense now saith such a one O that God would shine forth in much love unto my soule O that I could see his face as the face of a reconciled God unto mee time was when I enjoyed his love and it was better then wine O that I could now enjoy it once more then should my life bee full of comfort and content unto mee can true desires rise up after divine love if it were never formerly apprehended and felt by the soule assuredly it is because there are some sparkles of Gods love in the soule that men doe eagerly and sincerely desire the same Let him kisse mee with the kisses of Cant. 1. 2. his mouth for thy love is better then wine the Church had found the love of Christ to bee better then wine and hereupon shee doth desire him to kisse her 4. Endeavours after the sense of Gods love they that have once tasted of Gods love in the enjoyment of it are readie to maintaine and hold it up within Note in them yea and to keepe it with the losse of all outward sensible comforts accounting that one day spent though with much conflict of corruption and temptation in the true taste and sense of Gods love in Christ is farre beyond all the contentments which the world can affoord and if at any time they are at a losse and doe misse of their former feelings they give not off their hope and diligence but doe set themselves into the waies of assurance will leave no stone unrolled to get their former sense of love if it may bee whence doth this arise is it not from some former touch of the soule by the love of God when Elijahs mantle was once cast upon Elisha hee could not but follow him and certaine when Gods love hath beene seene and felt a man shall follow on to know more and more the waies of love 8. When men for the present can find no sense of Gods love within them they must support themselves upon the foundation which is this The foundation stands in 2. things 1. That all upright and beleeving persons have a loving God who is the fullnesse and fountaine of love unto them how ever their feelings and apprehensions are of it say Yet God is good to Israel and beares a Psal 77. 1. loving heart to the upright beloved know that changes in us doe not conclude any change in God he is a constant and unchangeable God in his love to his whom he once loveth hee Joh. 13. 2. loveth unto the end 2. That Christians are saved because God loveth them not because they doe perceive and feele the love that God hath toward them our feeling makes to comfort but the being of love unto happinesse CASE II. Of doubtings arising and continuing in the soule THere are two sorts of Two sorts of men 1. Men of no doubtings men that are of contrary opinions about the matters of doubtings the one concludes an unwarranted happinesse unto themselves because they finde within them selves a freedome from all doubts they blesse God that they never doubted in all their lives but have gone on alwaies in a setled and peaceable way never scrupling or questioning their own present standing or future happinesse a very strange temper from religion for though doubtings bee not the essence of a Christian yet he cannot be a sound and setled Christian that never doubted it cannot be but that such who in the state of nature did not feare to sinne will when they are brought into the state of grace doubt of themselves by reason of sinne would you not wonder at that man who should Simile passe over many unknowne countreys and crosse many parting paths and waies and yet should tell you that in all his
105 The Bent of the heart in duty page 263. C. Comfort of the Spirit page 15. Contentment page 17. Clearenesse of conscience page 49 Care for conscience page 55. Content of conscience p. 67 68. Confession of sin page 88. Change of life page 89. Compassion due to the wounded in spirit page 121. Considerations to pity such p. 123. Continuance under wounds caused 6. waies p. 133. Clearing of warrants what p 173 Causes of Gods suspending his love page 177. D. Desperation two fold page 79. Degrees of wounding page 81. Differences in the wounding p 82 Detestation of sin page 89. Dresse the wound page 145. Danger by sinning page 168. Darkning of warrants page 175. Doubtings in their nature causes differences and sorts page 195. Difference betweene Christians and others in doing duties page 266. E. Enquire after sin page 87. Fruitlesse Endeavours page 280. F. Faith doth foure things to strengthen the spirit page 19. It doth foure waies relieve the soule page 23. Fearing of trouble twofold p. 28 29. Faintnesse page 31. A case about Fainting of spirit p. 33. Faith in operation page 54. Feeding of conscience what p. 64 Sin Felt three waies page 85. The Failing of conscience what page 97. To Feare the wounding of spirit page 126. Former feelings of love foure signes of it page 185. Foundations of divine love to the soule page 192 Faith and doubtings go together page 207. Faith to be cherished and advanced page â—27 Failings in duties page 260. G. A Good cause for suffering p 41. A Good carriage under suffering in seaven things page 45. The Goodnesse of spirit seene in seaven things page 48. Graces two waies considerable page 254. H. Humiliation an effect of the wound page 43. Hope page 44. Humility page 86. Harkning to Satan page 138. Humbling necessary for three things page 162. I Infirmity double p. 3. Selfe Iealousie p. 99. Illnesse of diet p. 136. K. Six rules for Keeping off wounds from the spirit p. 128 The Knowledge of the wound of the spirit necessary p. 114. L. Liberty of spirit p. 49. The Law and two things about it p. 94 95. The Life of sense p. 137 225. Three things about Love and duty p. 170. Love one for kind different in degree p. 184. Littlenesse of faith causeth doubts p. 206. Little grace apprehended p. 245. M. Meanes of making conscience good p. 51. The Misery of conscience in silence in three things p. 97. Mistaking about the wound of conscience p. 115. Melancholy is not this wound p. 117 118. Motives to pittie wounded spirits p. 124. Meanes to get off the wounds of spirit three p. 140. Misplacing of warrants p. 174. Motives and meanes against doubtings p. 216. N. New risings of old sins p. 102. Spirituall Nicenesse 137. O. Overlading of conscience what and how p. 63. Operation of melancholy p. 116. Opening of the wound needfull p. 142. P. Patience of the spirit p. 16. Prevention p. 69. Rules for Preserving the spirit from wounds p. 6 128. Provision p. 147. Promises the ground assuring love p. 185. Q. Quietnesse of conscience p. 48. A Question about the inequality of graces p. 256. R. Religion expressed under the crosse p. 43. The Remoovall of sin p. 64. Seven Reasons proving the burden of conscience insupportable p. 106. Releevements under the suspension of Gods love p. 159. For the Regaining of Gods love in sense foure things p. 167. Ten Releevements against doubtings p. 204. Ten Releevements under imperfection of graces p. 248. Five Releevements against failings in duties p. 261. Relapses afâ—er resolutions p. 286. Causes of Relapses nine p. 288. The misery of Relapses p. 296. The kindes of Relapses p. 301. S. A twofold Spirit p. 6. Conscience called a Spirit p. 8. Mans Spirit considered two waies Ibid. Strength of Spirit graduall p. 36. Sinking of Spirit double p. 37. Sleighting of crosses evill p. 39. Sins that are most wounding p. 92 A Seared spirit p. 114. Sense of love graduall p. 167. To Settle the soule in assurance of love p. 176. Sin to be subdued p. 231. T. Thankefullnesse p. 43 125. Tendernesse of spirit p. 49. Tempting of conscience of what p. 58. To Taste divine wrath p. 96. Testimony of Satan put by two waies p. 219. Thoughts 1. In their sorts p 319. 2. In their trouble 3. In their triall 4. In their cure V. Vprightnesse of conscience p. 48. Vse conscience p. 65. Conscience Vexed p. 58. Vnstedfastnesse in walking p. 163 Vnworthinesse p. â—34 W. Weakenesse of spirit p. 28. Wound of spirit p. 73. Want of good p. 103. Willing of cure p. 141. Wash the wound p. 143. Gods Wages p. 281. Waiting must be added to doing page 283. FINIS A Post-Script to the Reader THou hast a promise of Cases in the Epistle unto thee I had no sooner made it but it was called for by desiring and needing Christians time and leasure also serving it is brought forth as fitly agreeing with the subject handled and deemed by men more judicious then my selfe very comforting and setling unto perplexed soules I. S. Errata Page 116. for are the next instruments reade or Page 323. for formerly reade formally