saluation And the principall grounds of assurance which are there laid downe may be reduced to three heads The first is this He that hath communion or fellowship with God in Christ may be vndoubtedly assured of his saluation This conclusion is propounded Chap. 1. v. 3 4. Where the Apostle tels the Church that the end of the preaching of the Gospell vnto them was that they might haue fellowship not onely mutually among themselues but also with God the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ. And further that hauing both knowledge assurance of this heauenly communion to be begun in this life and perfected in the life to come their ioy might be full that is they might thence reape matter of true ioy and sound comfort vnto their soules and consciences Now whereas it might be haply demaūded by some beleeuers how they should come to this assurance S. Iohn answeres in this Epistle that the certainty therof may be gathered by foure infallible notes The first is Remission of sinnes For though God be in himselfe most holy and pure and no mortall man being vncleane and polluted by sinne can haue fellowship with him yet God hath shewed his mercy to those that beleeue in him and hath accepted of the blood of Iesus Christ his sonne whereby they are clensed from all their corruptions v. 7. If here it be asked how this pardon and forgiuenes may be knowne It is answered by two signes One is Hūble and heartie Confession of our sins vnto god for so saith the Apostle If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sins and to clense vs from all iniquitie v. 9. The other is the pacified Conscience for being iustified by faith we haue peace with God and If our heart condemne vs not that is if our conscience in respect of sinne doth not accuse vs then haue we boldnesse towards God Chap. 3. v. 21. The second note of fellowship with God is the sanctifying Spirit wherby we are renewed in holines righteousnes Hereby we know that he abideth in vs euen by the Spirit which he hath giuen vs Chap. 3. v. 24. The third is holinesse and vprightnes of heart and life To this end the Apostle saith If we say that we haue fellowship with him and walke in darkenes we lie and doe not truly but if we walke in the light as he is in the light we haue fellowship one with an other c. Chap. 1. 6 7. The fourth is perseuerance in the knowledge and obedience of the Gospel So the same Apostle exhorteth the Church Let therefore abide in you that same doctrine concerning Christ which ye haue heard from the beginning If that which ye haue heard from the beginning remaine in you that is if ye beleeue and obey it you also shall continue in the same and in the father Chap. 2. 24. The second Ground He that is the adopted sonne of God shall vndoubtedly be saued This point the Apostle plainly declareth when he saith Be loued now are we the sonnes of God And we knowe that is we are vndoubtedly assured by faith that when Christ shall appeare in glory we shal be like vnto him for wee shall see him as he is That the latter part of these words is thus to be expounded I gather out of Chap. 2. 28. as also by comparing this text with that of S. Paul where he saith When Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we also appeare with him in glorie And againe If we be sonnes we are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him Nowe put the case that the conscience of the beleeuer will not rest in this but desires to be further resolued touching the certaintie of his adoption Then I answer that he must haue recourse vnto the signes wherby a sonne of God may be discerned from a child of the deuill and these are principally three First is truly to beleeue in the name of the sonne of God for those that haue God for their father are made the sonnes of God by faith in Iesus Christ. And this faith snewes it selfe by obedience For hereby we are sure that we knowe Christ that is that we beleeue in him and apply him with all his benefits vnto our soules If we keepe his commandemēts Nay further He that saies I know him and keepes not his commandements is a liar and the trueth is not in him chap. 2 3 4. The second signe is a heartie desire and earnest in deauour to be cleansed of his corruptions Euery sonne of God that hath this hope purifieth himselfe euen as Christ is pure chap. 3. vers 3. The third is the loue of a Christian because he is a Christian for hereby saies the Apostle are the children of God knowne from the children of the deuill because the sonnes of Satan doe hate their brethren as Cain did his brother Abel euen for the good workes which they doe On the other side Gods adopted sonnes may hereby know themselues to be translated from death to life because they loue the brethren Chap. 3. 10 11 12 c. The third Ground They that are assured of the loue of God to them in particular may also be certainly assured of their owne saluation This doctrine follows necessarily vpon the Apostles words chap. 4. v. 9. For those whome God hath loued from all eternitie to them he hath manifested his loue by sending his onely begotten Sonne into the world that they might liue through him eternally But how may a man be assured of Gods speciall loue and fauour The same Apostle answers by two notes The first is the loue of our brethren and that according to Gods commandement wherein it is commanded that he that loues God should loue his brother also 4. 21. And if any man say I loue God and hate his brother he is a liar For how can he that loueth not his brother whome he hath seene loue God whome he hath not seene 4. 20. Now that a man deceiue not himselfe in the loue of his brother Saint Iohn giues three rules One that Christian brotherly loue should not be for outward respects or considerations but principally because they are the sonnes of God and members of Christ Euery one that loueth him which did beget that is God the father loueth him also which is begotten of him 5. 1. Another is that it must not be outward in shew onely but inward in the heart Let vs not loue in word or in tongue onely but in deede and in truth 3. 18. Lastly that it be not onely in time of prosperitie but when hee stands in most neede of our loue For whosoeuer hath this worlds good and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp the bowels of cōpassiō from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him 3. 17. The second note
is a good beginning of true conuersion and repentance I thought saith Dauid I will confesse against my selfe my wickednes vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne And to this is added Selah which is not onely a musicall note but as some thinke a note of obseruation to mooue vs to marke the things that are set downe as beeing of speciall weight and moment And surely this is a matter of great consequence that vpon the very vnfained purpose of confession of sinne God should giue a pardon thereof Take a further proofe of this in the prodigall sonne whome I take not for one that was neuer called or turned to God though some doe so and seeme to haue warrant for their opinionâ— but rather for him that is the Child of God and afterward fals away Now this man beeing brought by some outward crosses and afflictions to see his owne miserie purposeth with himselfe to returne to his father againe and to humble himselfe and confesse his iniquitie and vpoÌ„ this very purpose wheÌ„ he had said I will goe to my father and say vnto him father I haue sinned c. at his returne a farre off his father receiues him as his child againe and after acceptation followes his confession The like is to be seene in Dauid who beeing reprooued by the Prophet Nathan for his sinnes of adulterie and murther presently made confession of them and at the very same time receiued by the prophet sentence of absolution euen from the Lord himâ—elfe wherein he could not erre The fourth Ground To loue any man because he is a Christian and a child of God is a sensible and certaine note of a man that is partaker of the true loue of God in Christ. Hereby saith S. Iohn we knowe that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Loue here is not a cause but onely a signe of gods loue to vs. And our sauiour Christ saith He that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receiue a Prophets reward Nowe that we be not deceiued in these grounds it must be remembred that these beginnings of grace be they neuer so weak must not be â—littering and fleeting but constant and setled not stopped or staied in the way but such as daily growe and increase and then they are indeed accepted of God And he that can finde these beginnings or any of them truly in himselfe he may assure himselfe thereby that he is the child of God Sect. 5. Hauing thus laid downe the Groundes of comfort I come now to the Way by which the party in distresse may be brought within the compasse of the promise of saluation This way standes in two things in making Triall and in Applying the promise First then Triall must be made whether the person distressed haue in him as yet any of the forenamed grouÌ„ds of grace or not This triall may be made by him that is the comforter in the moouing of certaine Questions to the said person And first let him aske whether he beleeue and repent The distressed partie answers no he cannot repent nor beleeue Then he must further aske whether he desire to beleeue and repent to this he will answer he doth desire it with all his heart in the same sort is he to make triall of the other groundes When a man is in the fitte of tentation he will say resolutely he is sure to be damned Aske him in this fitte of his loue to God he will giue answer he hath none at all but aske him further whether he loue a man because he is a Christian and a child of God then will he say he doth indeed Thus after triall made in this manner some beginnings of faith and repentance will appeare which at the first lay hid For God vseth out of the time of prosperitie by and in distresse and affliction to work his grace The second point followeth After that by triall some of the foresaid beginnings of grace be found out then comes the right Applying of the promise of life euerlasting to the partie distressed And that is done by a kind of reasoning the first part whereof is taken from Gods word the second from the testimonie of the distressed conscience the conclusion is the applying of the promise on this manner He that hath an vnfainod desire to repent and beleeue hath remission of sinnes and life euerlasting But thou hast an earnest desire to repent and beleeue in Christ. Therefore remission of sins and life euerlasting is thine And here remember that it is most conuenient this Application be made by the Minister of the Gospell who in it must vse his ministeriall authority giuen him of God to pronounce the pardon For in distresse it is as hard a thing to make the conscience yeild to the promise as to make fire and water agree For though men haue signes of grace and mercie in them yet will they not acknowledge it by reason of the extremitie of their distresse In this manner vpon any of the former grounds may the troubled and perplexed soule be assured that mercie belongs to it And this I take to be the onely generall and right way of comforting a distressed conscience Nowe that the promise thus applyed may haue good successe these sixerules must necessarily be obserued I. One is that the comfort which is ministred be alaied with some mixture of the Law that is to say the promise alone must not be applyed but withall mention is to be made of the sinnes of the partie and of the grieuous punishmeÌ„ts due vnto him for the same The reason is because there is much guile in the hart of man in so much as oftentimes it falleth out that men not throughly humbled beeing comforted either too soone or too much doe afterward become the worst of all In this respect not vnlike to the yron which beeing cast into the fire vehemently hot and cooled againe is much more hard then it would haue bin if the heate had bin moderate And hence it is that in the ministring of comfort we must somewhat keepe them downe and bring them on by litle and litle to repentance The sweetenesse of comfort is the greater if it be delaied with some â—artnesse of the Law II. An other rule is this If the distressed partie be much possessed with griefe of himselfe he must not be left alone but alwaies attended with good companie For it is an vsuall practise of the Deuill to take the vantage of the place and time when a man is solitarie and depriued of that helpe which otherwise he might haue in societie with others Thus he tempted Eue when shee was apart from her husband And in this regard Salomon pronounces a woe to him that is alone But herein doth his malice most appeare in that he is alway readiest when a man is in great distresse and withall solitarie then vpon the
they were olde To adde no more examples by these we see the Lords dealing euen with holy men and women his owne deare seruants that he doth not alwaies grant their requests nor condescend to their desires at the first but as it were holds them off and suspends his grace and fauour for a time And therefore if it shall please him thus to deale with any of vs we must from these examples be taught to possesse our soules with patience resting contented in his will and waiting on his good pleasure to the ende To conclude this point Suppose that the condition of Gods seruants be such as that they finde no ende of their afflictions but that they doe continue euen vnto death what shall they doe in this case Ans. Besides that which hath beene said before for the resolution of this Question I answer further that first they must still euen vnto death liue by faith and say with holy Iob Lord though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee Secondly they must stay and releeue their soules in the meane time with these and such like meditations I. That it is the will and pleasure of God that we should through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God Act. 14. 22. Now it is the propertie of a true child of God to rest content in his fathers good will and pleasure euen when he is afflicted Prov. 3. 11. My sonne be not grieued at my correction that is let it not be tedious vnto thee be content to beare it Our dutie therefore is meekely to subiect our selues vnto the hand of God as the child doth vnto the correction of his father II. That though afflictions be long and tedious yet God will at length giue a ioyfull and comfortable issue For so himselfe hath promised Math. 5. 4. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Psal. 34. 19. Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord wil deliuer him out of them all Psal. 37. 73. Marke the vpright man and behold the iust for the ende of that man is peace III. Afflictions be they neuer so heauie in regard of continuance yet they are in no sort comparable to those eternall ioyes that God hath prepared for them that loue him This was Pauls meditation who indured the crosse euen to his dying day Our light affliction saith he which is but for a moment worketh vnto vs an excellent and eternall waight of glorie And else where he professeth that he did not count the afflictions of this present time answerable in value to the glorie which shall be reuealed vnto Gods children Rom. 8. 18. Saint Peter tells them to whome he wrote that in regard of their assured hope of eternall life they should reioyce though now for a season they were in heauines through manifold tentations 1. Pet. 1. 6. Lastly the Author to the Hebrewes comforteth the Church by this reason because it is yet a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarrie IV. Though God withholdeth his hand in respect of deliuerance euen to death yet his loue is constant and vnchangeable and the crosse which we vndergoe cannot separate vs from that loue wherewith he hath loued vs in Iesus Christ Rom. 8. 35. And thus much of the first particular distresse of minde arising of outward afflictions Sect. 3. The Second particular distres is bodily and temporarie Death which consisteth in the separation of the soule from the bodie And touching this affliction it is demanded How any seruant of God may be able to indure with comfort the pangs of death For the answer hereof two things are required a preparation to death and helps in the time of death Concerning preparation there are three duties to be performed The first and most principall is commended vnto vs in the booke of Psalmes where Dauid praies vnto God Lord make me to know mine end and the measure of my daies And Moses in like manner Lord teach me to number my daies that I may applie my heart vnto wisdome In which places is remembred a notable dutie of preparation to wit that a man should resolue himselfe of death continually and before-hand number his daies This is done by esteeming of euery day as the day of his death and accordingly doing alwaies that which he would doe if he were now to giue vp the ghost Secondly in way of preparation we must endeauour to disarme and weaken death who is as an armed man that hath his weapons whereby he seekes to destroy vs. And in this case we must deale with death as the Philistims dealt with Sampson They saw by experience that he was a mightie man and by his power and strength had giuen them many foyles and therefore they laboured to know in what part of his bodie his strength did lie And after inquirie finding it to be in the haire of his head they neuer rested till they had spoiled him thereof And questionlesse the time will come when we all must encounter with this strong powerfull Sampson Death In the meane while it is a point of wisdome to inquire wherein his power and might consisteth When this search hath bin made we shall finde that his weapons are our manifold sinnes and corruptions both of heart and life For as Paul saith The sting of death is sinne Therefore that we may spoile him of this his furniture we must exercise our selues in the practise of two duties First vse all meanes for the cutting off of the locke of our sinnes whereby alone Satan hath the vantage of vs and these means are the duties of humiliation inuocation and true repentance We must therefore humble our selues before God be instant in praier for the pardon of our sinnes past and present and in this point giue the Lord no rest vntill we haue obtained in our consciences the sweet certificate of his fauour and mercie in Christ whereby our mindes may be staied and comforted This done it stands vs in hand to turne vnto God to be carefull to leaue sinne to entertaine in our hearts a resolued purpose and intention of new obedience and conformitie to the will and commandement of God in all things And this is the onely way in the world to bereaue this our enemie of his armour to pull the sting out of the mouth of this serpent and consequently euen in death to prèuaile against him Thirdly in way of preparation our dutie is euen before-hand while we liue in this world to indeauour to haue some true taste of life euerlasting and the ioyes of heauen The due consideration whereof will be of great vse For it will stirre vp in our hearts a desire and loue of perfect happines in heauen yea a feruent expectation of Christs comming to iudgement and it will further cause vs to say with Simeon Lord now let thy seruant depart in peace and with the Apostle I desire to
of Gods loue vnto vs is our loue of God For those whom God loueth in Christ to them he giues his grace to loue him againe And this louing of him againe is an euident token of that loue wherewith he loueth them So saith the Apostle We loue him beâ—ause he loued vs first 4. 19. If it be demaunded howe a man may be assured that he loueth God the answer is hee may knowe it by two things First by his conformitie to him in holines The child that loues his father will be willing to tread in the steps of his father and so in like manner he that loueth God will indeauour euen as hee is so to be in this world 4. 17. But howe is that not in equalitie and perfection but in similitude and conformitie striuing to be holy as he is holy and indeauouring to doe his will in all things Secondly by the weaning of his affection from the things of this world yea from all pleasures and delights of this present life so farre forth as they are seuered from the feare and loue of God Loue not this world nor the things that are in the world if any man loue this world the loue of the father is not in him 2. 15. Sect. 4. The Fourth place is in the second of Timothie 2. 19. The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his and let euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie In these wordes Paul goeth about to cut off an offence which the Church might take by reason of the fall of Hymenaeus and Philetus who seemed to be pillars and principall men in the Church And to confirme them against this offence he saith The foundation of God that is the decree of Gods election stands firme and sure so as those which are elected of God shall neuer fall away as these two haue done And this he declares by a double similitude First of all he saith the election of God is like the foundation of an house which standeth fast though all the building be shaken Secondly he saith that election hath the seale of God and therefore may not be changed because things which are sealed are thereby made sure and authenticall Nowe this seale hath two parts the first concerns God in that euery mans saluation is written in the booke of life and God knoweth who are his And because it might be said God indeede knowes who shall be saued but what is that to vs we know not so much of our selues Therefore Saint Paul to answer this sets downe a second part of this seale which concerns man and is imprinted in his heart and conscience which also hath two branches the gift of invocation and a watchfull care to make conscience of al and euery sin in these words And let euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie Wherby he signifieth that those that can cal vpon God giue him thanks for his benefits and withall in their liues make conscience of sinne haue the seale of Gods election imprinted in their hearts and may assure themseles they are the Lords Sect. 5. A Fift place of scripture touching this question is 2. Pet. 1. 10. Giue all diligence to make your election sure for if you doe these things you shall neuer fall Which words containe two parts First an exhortation to make our election sure not with God for with him both it and all other things are vnchangeable but to ourselues in our owne hearts consciences Secondly the Meanes whereby to come to this assurance that is by doeing the things before named in the 5. 6 and 7. verses and that is nothing else but to practise the vertues of the morall Lawe there set downe which I will briefly shewe what they are as they lie in the text To faith adde vertue by faith he meaneth true religion and that gift of God whereby we put our trust and confidence in Christ. By vertue he meaneth no speciall vertue but as I take it an honest and vpright life before men shining in the vertues and workes of the morall Law By knowledge he meanes a gift of God wherby a man may iudge how to carrie himselfe warily and vprightly before men By temperance is vnderstood a gift of God whereby we keepe a moderation of our naturall appetite especially about meat drinke attire By Patience is ment a vertue whereby we moderate our sorrowe in induring affliction Godlines is an other vertue whereby we worship God in the duties of the first table Brotherly kindnesse is also that vertue whereby we imbrace the Church of God the members thereof with the bowels of loue And in the last place Loue is that vertue whereby we are well affected to all men euen to our enemies Now hauing made a rehersal of these vertues in the tenth verse he saith If ye doe these things ye shall neuer fall that is to say If ye exercise your selues in these things you may hereby be well assured and perswaded of your election and saluation CHAP. VII Of the third maine Question touching distresse of minde and generally of all distresses and their remedies III. Question How a man beeing in distresse of minde may be comforted and releeued Ans. Omitting all circumstances considering that much might be spoken touching this Question I will onely set downe that which I take to be most materiall to the doubt in hand Sect. 1. DIstresse of minde which Salomon calls a broken or troubled spirit is when a man is disquieted and distempered in conscience and consequently in his affections touching his estate before God This distresse hath two degrees the lesse and the greater The lesse is a single Feare or griefe when a man standeth in suspence and doubt of his owne saluation and in feare that he shall be condemned The greater distresse is Despaire when a man is without all hope of saluation in his owne sense and apprehension I call Despaire a greater distresse because it is not a distinct kind of trouble of minde as some doe thinke but the highest degree in euery kind of distresse For euery distresse in the minde is a feare of condemnation and comes at length to desperation if it be not cured All distresse of minde ariseth from temptation either begunne or continued For these two doe so necessarily follow and so inseparably accompanie each the other that no distresse of what kinde soeuer can be seuered from temptation And therefore according to the diuers sorts of temptations that doe befall men must the distresses of the minde be distinguished Now Temptations be of two sorts either of triall or seducement Temptations of triall are such as doe befall men for the triall and proofe of the grace of God which is in them The Temptations of triall are twofold the first is a combate of the conscience directly and immediately with the wrath of God which beeing the
offered First choise must be made of the most fitte and present remedie and that must be vsed in the first place Now the most fit and present remedie is to bring the partie troubled to the personall exercises of faith and repentance by and in himselfe For this ende he must examine his conscience most straightly and narrowly of all the sinnes of his heart and life Secondly he must humbly confesse against himselfe all his knowne sinnes and withall acknowledge the due condemnation that he thereby hath deserued Thirdly he must crie to heauen for mercie intreating the Lord most instantly for pardon and for the restraint of his wrath due vnto him for his sinne Dauid beeing in this distresse performed all these duties as we may read in the 6. Psalme and he saith further of himselfe that whilst he concealed his sinnes the hand of God was heauie vpon him but vpon his earnest confession and deprecation he receiued mercie And if we read the booke of Iob we shall finde that the principall scope thereof is this namely to shew vnto vs that Iob was throughly exercised with this temptation and that in the ende hauing beene rebuked both by his friends and by God himselfe his recouerie was made by humbling himselfe when he saith Behold I am vile againe now I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes Some may here demand If it fall out that the person himselfe cannot performe any good dutie of himselfe by reason of his distraction in soule and bodie what must then be done Ans. If the partie can but sigh and sobbe vnto God for mercie and comfort it is no doubt a worke of Gods spirit and a practise both of faith and repentance We know not saith Saint Paul what to pray as we ought namely in our distresses but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes that cannot be expressed and therein lies our comfort Thus Moses at the redde sea beeing in great distresse and not knowing what to say or doe sighed and groned inwardly in his soule vnto the Lord for helpe and protection and his very desire was in stead of a loud crie in the eares of the Lord. The second thing is that triall must be made whether the partie hath in him any tokens of grace or not These tokens are the small beginnings of grace which before I haue declared As for example a griefe because we cannot grieue for sinne as we should a serious will and desire to beleeue and repent a purpose to sin no more and such like If these be found in the partie then by them as by sure pledges he may bee assured of the fauour of God towards him and where any of these be found the saying of God to Saint Paul must be vrged My grace is sufficient for thee and therewith must the distressed partie stay his minde Yea we are to be content with any condition in this life be it neuer so miserable so long as we are in the fauour of God though he should lay vpon vs euen the paines of hell till the time of our death So did Dauid who when he was pursued by his owne sonne vttered these words vnto God Behold if I please thee not do with me what thou wilt And the like was the mind of Paul who being assured of the fauour of God was content for his glorie the saluation of the Israelits if it had beene possible to be separated 〈◊〉 Christ and to indure the very pangs of hell The third thing in this cure is to Applie to the said distressed partie such promises of God made vnto afflicted persons as are most large and comfortable For example that The Lord is neere to them that are of a contrite heart and will saue such as be afflicted in spirit Psal. 34. 18. Againe I came not saith our Sauiour Christ but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Matth. 15. 24. He saies not to the straying sheepe but to such as are now in the pitte readie to be drowned or in the Lyons mouth readie to be deuoured Againe The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me therefore he hath annointed me that I should preach the Gospell to the poore that is to such as are distressed in consciēce and poore in spirit he hath sent me that I should heale the broken hearted that I should preach deliuerance to the captiues These many other such like promises are in this case to be vrged and the partie mooued to endeauour to beleeue them to hold to them and rest himselfe vpon them though he loose all things els Fourthly the partie must be brought to a serious consideration of his owne life past and of Gods mercifull dealing with him others in his case in former times and therwith is he to be comforted for the time present For if aforehand he hath receiued any tokens of the fauour and loue of God by them he is now to stay and to settle his minde The reason is plaine the gifts of god are without repentāce whom he loueth once he loueth to the ende whom he chooseth he calleth iustifieth and sanctifieth and will also in time glorifie Dauid beeing in such affliction that he could hardly thinke vpon God yet he tooke this course praied to the Lord for comfort communed with his owne heart and called to remembrance how God had formerly dealt with him and with this meditation of the continuall course of Gods mercie in his preseruation he confirmed his faith and staied his heart in his greatest troubles Sect. 5. The fifth and last thing to be done is the remooueall of such reasons and doubts as the partie distressed vsually makes against himselfe for his owne ouerthrow For it is the manner of those that are troubled in minde to dispute against themselues and commōly they are woont to alleadge three things First beeing instructed how to humble themselues and to depend on Gods mercie they will graunt that all these indeede are good things but they belong not to them for they neither do nor can feele any thing but the tokens of Gods anger and that they are alreadie entred into some degrees of condemnation This obiection may be taken away by informing them of the manner of Gods dealing in all his workes For commonly he workes all things in his creatures in and by cōtraries if we could know the whole frame of them Thus in the Creation euery creature had his beeing of that which had no beeing and something was made not of something but of nothing After the flood the signe of Gods coueuant for the preseruation of the world from destruction by raine is the Rainbow which indeed is a naturall signe of raine When Elias was to prooue the Lord to be the onely true God against the Idolatrous priests of Baal and that by burnt offerings he powred water vpon the sacrifice fills a trench with water round about and in this contrarie
rooted in the heart that it cannot be remooued thence Your ioy shal no man take from you saith Christ. It must needes therefore be true and sound yea able to swallow vp all matter of griefe and heauinesse whereas the other is neuer sincere but with the sweetnes thereof hath alwaies mingled some bitternes Euen in laughter saith Salomon speaking thereof the heart is heauie When the face of the wicked man shineth and his countenance is pleasant euen then is he inwardly sorrowfull and his minde is troubled Lastly the ioy of the Spirit is eternall abiding in the mind of man not onely for the terme of this life but for euer in the world to come So is not the reioycing of the world in earthly things for it is fading and deceitfull as the things themselues be wherein it is placed it hath the beginning in corruption and endeth with this present life The examples of the two rich men in the Gospel doe manifest this truth And to this purpose is the speech of Zophar in the booke of Iob that the reioycing of the wicked is very short the ioy of hypocrites is but a momeÌ„t c. By these fiue properties may we put a true difference betweene earthly and heauenly reioycing and consequently discerne of them euen in our seleues And if we perceiue this ioy of the Spirit rightly conâ—ceiued and grounded in the right vse of the word and Sacraments as also in the exercises of inuocation faith and repentance to take place in our soules and consciences we shall finde it of force to moderate and alay the very terrours of death And so much for Preparation Now the helpes to be vsed in the time of death are manifold the summe of all may be reduced to two heads Meditations and Practises Touching Meditations we must in the first place consider Death in a double respect one as it is in it owne nature and another as it is changed and qualified by the death of Christ Death in it owne nature is a Curse or fore â—…er of comdemnation the very gates and suburbs of Hell it selfe but beeing qualified by Christ it is a blessing an end of all miseries a full freedome from all dangers a short passage vnto ioy an entrance into euerlasting life a quiet sleepe voide of all annoyance by dreames and fantasies And the graue a resting chamber yea a bed perfumed by the death of Christ for the bodies of all the Elect out of which when they awake they shall be admitted receiued into the presence of God in heauen Secondly we are to consider that there be three degrees of eternall life The first whereof is in this world before we die and it is then wheÌ„ we begin to repent beleeue in Christ and to be assured in conscience that God the father is our father Christ our redeemer the holy Ghost our comforter For this is eternall life to know God and him whome he hath sent Iesus Christ. The next degree is in death for death cuts off al sin originall actuall death frees vs from al wordly miseries death prepareth the bodie that it may be fit to enter into eternall happinesse together with the soule which is alreadie in heauen The last degree is when bodie soule reunited goe both together into eternall and euerlasting glory Our third meditation is that that there is a mysticall vnion and coniunctioÌ„ betweene Christ and euery beleeuer that not onely in regard of soule but of bodie also which beeing once knit shall neuer be dissolued but is eternall Wherevpon the dying dead rotten and consumed bodie remaineth still a member of Christ abideth within the couenant and is and shall be euer a temple of the Holy Ghost Thus Adam and Abraham which are dead so many thousand yeares agoe yea euery true beleeuer from them to the end of the world shall arise at the last day in body to glory by the power of their coniunction with Christ. In the winter season we see the most trees voide of leaues buddes and blossomes so as they seeme to vs to be dead and yet neuerthelesse there is a sappe in the roote of them which in the Spring wil ascend reuiue the decaied braÌ„ches Euen so it is with our bodies which though they be corrupted rotten burnt or eaten with wormes or deuoured by wild beasts so as they may seeme to be vtterly perished yet there is as it were a secret and hidden sap in them by reason of their vnion with Christ by which they shall be raised reuiued and quickned being made like vntothe glorious bodie of Christ their head with whome they shall raigne and liue for euermore Helpes in practise are two First he that will beare with comfort the pangs of death must labour that he may die in faith and that is done by laying hold of the promise of God touching forgiuenes of sinnes and life euerlasting by Christ. All these saith the holy Ghost died in faith namely Abel Enoch Noâ— Abraham and Sarah all laying hold of the promise of life by Christ. When Iacob on his death-bed was blessing of his children he brake forth into this heauenly speach O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation In which words it is plaine that his faith rested on the mercie of God and by hope he waited for his saluatioÌ„ our Sauiour Christ saith As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him might not perish but haue life euerlasting Out of which words the forenamed duty may be learned that looke as the childreÌ„ of Israel being stung with fiery serpeÌ„ts that vnto death weâ— healed by looking vp to the braseÌ„ serpeÌ„t erected by Moses so wheÌ„ we are stuÌ„g with sin death we must euer remeÌ„ber by faith to looke vpon Christ. But specially when we are dying then it is our part to sixe the eies of our soules by faith vpon him and thereby shall we escape death and be made partakers of eternall life and happinesse Notable is the example of Christ who as he was man alwaies fixed his trust and considence in his fathers word especially at his end For when he was dying and the pangs of death seazed vpon him he cries vnto the Lord My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and againe Father into thy hands I commend my spirit which words are full of faith and doe bewray what great affiance he placed in his fathers loue c. When Dauid in an extremitie saw nothing before his eies but present death the people in tending to stone him at the very instant as the text saith he comforted himselfe in the Lord his God but how by calling to minde the mercifull promises that God had made vnto him and by applying them vnto his heart by faith And Paul saith of himselfe the rest of the faithfull that they receiued the
conclude this point there remaines yet a further question to be resolued and that is this A man after repentance for some greiuous sinne falls into it againe and is distressed more then before It is a cause somewhat grieuous For we knowe that if a man be recouered of an ague and through distemper in diet or otherwise makes a relapse into it againe his case is often desperate and he hardly scapeth with his life In the same maÌ„ner it is a dangerous case if after repentance men make a relapse into the same sinne againe It may then be asked how such persons may be recouered after a relapse I answer though we find not any one particular example in scripture of any one person that was restored againe after a relapse yet neuerthelesse there is some comfort for such persons Vpon what grounds may some say Ans. Men that haue not so much as a drop of mercie in comparison of God must forgiue ther brethren often and many times yea as our Sauiour Christ saith to Peter till seuenty times seuen times if they returne and say it repents them Now god is infinite in all his attributes He is much in sparing with him is plenteous redemption and therefore he will questionlesse vpon true repentance often forgiue and forget euen the same sinne iterated againe and againe Nowe these persons are to be releiued in this sort First they must haue their Consciences setled in this point that their relapse is pardonable though very dangerous For proof hereof read Esay 2. 18. Where mention is made of diuers Apostataes that were by God called to repentaÌ„ce with promise of don if they turned vnto him And in Luk. 15. the prodigall child by whome I vnderstand one that after grace receiued fell from his repentance and obedience to God when he did but purpose in his heart to returne again was pardoned and receiued into fauour In the 2. Cor. 5. 20. Paul saith to the Corinths that were fallen away We pray you in Christs steade that ye be reconciled vnto God Secondly beeing thus setled in conscieÌ„ce they must againe repent them of their sinnes Thirdly and lastly they are to be comforted with the promise of remission of sinnes after that some signes of renewed repeÌ„tance for sinnes past haue beene giuen Sect. 2. The Second kinde of this Tentation or trouble of minde which is more common lesse violent befalls the Children of God and it is a griefe of heart more or lesse whereby men are troubled in respect of the want of grace in their hearts and defects of obedience in their liues Paul the deere seruant of God was possessed with this trouble of minde as we may read Rom. 7. 23. And indeede there is no child of God but more or lesse one time or other he feeles the stings of sinne and the buffetings of Satan which cause griefe in his heart But this griefe is a notable grace of God and therefore they which want it must labour to haue it and they which haue it must not seeke to put it out but to keepe it in measure and order And the Grounds of comfort whereby the heart may be staâ—ed in this sorrow that it be not immoderate may be these I. Ground It is Gods will that the worke of sanctification or regeneration should be imperfect in this life and remaine vnfinished til death This point needs no proofe it is manifest both in the word of God and in daily experience The reasons for which God will haue it to be so may be these First of all God giues grace according to the measure and manner of our receiuing of it which in this life is imperfect Some giftes of God in Christ bestowed on his seruants as remission of sinnes by his death and iustification by his obedience are not put into vs but are only applied and made ours by imputation Some other giftes there be which are infused and put into vs as namely sanctification regeneration the loue of God and man and by one of these two meanes to wit either by imputation or infusion are all the giftes of God in Christ made ours Yet before we can haue them we must receiue theÌ„ and the meanes whereby we receiue them is faith which God hath ordained to be the hand of our soules to receiue his benefits bestowed on vs. Which faith because it is weake and imperfect in this life therefore the gifts which we receiue thereby are also imperfect For though Gods benifits be like a bottomlesse sea yet the faith wherby we lay hold of them is like vnto a vessell with a narrow necke which though it be cast into the great Ocean receiues but a little water at once and that by degrees droppe by droppe according to the widenesse of the mouth And hence it is that though the gifts of God without vs which are ours by imputation be perfect yet all such graces as are put into vs are weake and imperfect Secondly if any seruant of God should be perfectly regenerate and made absolutely holy in this life then he should fulfill the morall lawe and so become a Sauiour to himselfe and by the tenour of the law haue life and so should not Christ be a Sauiour properly but only an instrumeÌ„t to dispose vs to the keeping of the law whereby we might saue our selues But there is one only all sufficient Sauiour Christ Iesus and the beginning the middle and the accomplishmeÌ„t of our saluation is to be ascribed to him alone Thirdly it is the wil God that his owne children with whome he is well pleased in Christ should be brought to nothing in themselues that they might be all in all out of themselues in Christ being as it were emptied of selfe-loue and of all confidence in their owne goodnesse But if sanctification should be perfect at the first then a man should not goe out of himselfe but would rather stay as he is and rest contented in his owne goodnesse For this cause Paul after his exaltation was buffeted by Satans temptations that he might not be exalted out of measure 2 Cor. 12. 7. but should content himselfe with this that he was in the loue and fauour of God in Christ. II. Ground is To consider what makes a man professing Christ accepted of God and howe much he himselfe must doe for this end The substance of all things to be done of vs for this ende that we may become the children of God may be reduced to three heads First of all we must heartily bewaile our sinnefull liues past and seriously humble our selues in regard of our owne sinnes both of heart and life and if by occasion wee fall into any sinne we must not lie therein but by speedie repentance recouer our former estate Secondly in regard of the sinnefulnesse of our hearts and liues in times past we must rest our selues on Gods mercie alone â—lying to the throne of mercie for the pardon of them all Thirdly we must
doe with patience expect it Rom. 8. 25. The third is Loue of God which hath two effects in the heart First it makes the heart to cleaue vnto God and to be well pleased with him simply for himselfe In this manner God the father louing Christ testifieth that he was well pleased in him Matth. 3. 17. Secondly it mooues the heart to seeke by all meanes possible to haue true fellowship with God in Christ. This the Church notably expresseth in the Canticles The fourth is Inward praier or Inuocation of the heart and it is nothing els but the lifting vp of the heart vnto God according to his will by desires and grones vnspeakable Or it is a worke of the heart whereby it flies vnto God for help in distresse makes him a rocke of defence When the children of Israel were afflicted They remembred that God was their strength and the most high God their redeemer Psal. 78. 35. Of this kinde of prayer Paul speakes when he saith pray continually 1. Thess. 5. 17. For solemne prayer conceiued and vttered in forme of words cannot alwaies be vsed but we are to lift vp our hearts vnto God vpon euery occasion that by inward and holy motions and affections they may be as it were knitte vnto him Now to conclude this point touching Inward worship we must remember that it alone is properly simply and of it selfe the worship of God and the Outward is not simply the worship of God but onely so farre forth as it is quickned by the Inward and grounded vpon it For God is a Spirit and therefore the true worship that is done vnto him must be performed in spirit and truth Ioh. 4. 24. CHAP. VI. Of the outward worship of God and the first head thereof Prayer THus much of the Inward worship of God The Outward is that which is performed by the bodie externally eitherin word or deede To this belong many particulars which I will reduce to eight seuerall heads I. Prayer II. The hearing of the word preached III. The vse of the Sacraments IV. Outward Adoration V. Confession VI. An Oath VII Vowes VIII Fasting Touching Praier conceiued and vttered by the voice there are many Questions of Conscience the principall whereof are foure I. Question How shall a man make a lawfull and acceptable praier to God Ans. The word of God requires many conditions in making praier to God they may all be brought to three heads Some of them goe before the making of praier some are to be performed in the act of praier some after praier is ended Sect. 1. Conditions to be obserued before praier are three First he that would make such a praier as God may be pleased to heare must repent Esa. 1. 15. God would not heare the praiers of the Iewes because their hands were full of blood that is because they had not repented of their oppression and crueltie Ioh. 9. 31. God heares not sinners that is such as liue and lie in their sinnes and turne not vnto God by true repentance 1. Ioh. 3. 22. By this we know that God heares our prayers if we keepe his commandements I adde further that the man which hath before-time repented must againe renew his repentance if he desire that his praiers should be accepted For the very particular sinnes of men whereinto they fall after their repentance doe hinder the course of their praiers from hauing accesse vnto God if they be not repented of And for this cause the worthie men of God the Prophets in the old Testament doe vsually in the beginning of their praiers still humble themselues and confesse their sinnes as we may see in the example of Daniel chap. 9. v. 5 6 c. and of Ezra chap. 9. v. 6. c. Secondly before a man make a praier he must first if neede require be reconciled vnto his brother If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thine offering and goe thy way first be recōciled to thy brother then come and offer thy gift Matt. 5. 23. When ye shall stand and pray forgiue if ye haue any thing against any man c. Mark 11. 25. Thirdly he that is to pray must prepare himselfe in heart and mind as one that is to speake familiarly with God In this preparation foure things are required First the mind is to be emptied of all carnall worldly thoughts Secondly there must be in the minde a consideration of the things to be asked Thirdly a lifting vp of the heart vnto the Lord Psal. 25. 1. Fourthly the heart must be touched with a reuerence of the maiestie of God to whome we pray Eccl. 5. 1. Be not rash with thy mouth nor let thy heart be hasty to vtter a thing before God For the neglect herof the Lord threatneth to bring a iudgment vpon the Israelites Esay 29. 13. 14. Sect. 2. The second sort of Conditions are those that are required in praier and they are in number eight I. Euery petition must proceed from a liuely sense and feeling of our owne wants and of our spirituall pouertie For without this no praier can be earnest and hartie and consequently become acceptable vnto God For example when we pray that Gods name may be hallowed we must in making that petition haue in our harts a sense of the corruption of our nature wherby we are prone to dishonour the name of God II. Our praier must proceede from an earnest desire of that grace which we want and this desire is indeede praier it selfe Moses vttering neuer a word but groning in the spirit vnto God in the behalfe of the Isralites is said to crie vnto the Lord. Exod. 14. 15. We know not saith Paul what to pray as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sights that cannot be expressed Rom. 8. 26. III. The petition must proceede from sauing and true iustifying faith The reason is because without that faith it is impossible that either our persons or our praiers or any other action we doe should please God Heb. 11. 6. IV. Euery petition must be grounded vpon the word of God and not framed according to the carnall conceit and fansie of mans braine And this is the assurance that we haue in him that if we aske any thing ACCORDING TO HIS WILL he heareth vs. 1. Ioh. 5. 14. Now we haue a double ground of our praier in Gods word a commandement to make the praier either generall or particular and a promise that our requests shal be granted Here we must remember two rules First Things to be asked are either spirituall or temporall Spirituall are such as concerne God whereof some are more necessarie to saluation as remission of sinnes faith repentance and such like some are lesse necessarie as hope ioy in the feeling of Gods mercie in distresse c. Temporall things are such as belong to this life as meate drinke clothing
the want thereof Gods glorie is directly impeached the saluation of men hindered and our neighbour offended And then we are necessarily to confesse though no examination be made If it be here asked How we may be able to discerne of this time The answer is by Christian wisdome which teacheth vs that when by our silence wicked men are emboldened to speake euill of Gods word and weake ones occasioned to fall from the faith then is the fittest time to stand in the defence and maintenance of the truth Out of these two times and cases Christians haue libertie not to confesse but may lawfully conceale their faith nay which is more their persons by changing their habit and attire vppon this ground because the affirmatiue commandement doth not alwaies binde Here it is obiected First that we are saued onely by faith and therefore confession is not necessarie Ans. We must consider faith two waies First as an instrument created in the heart whereby we apprehend and apply Christ with his benefites to our selues for our iustification and saluation Secondly faith must be considered more largely as it is a way to bring vs to life euerlasting Nowe in the first acceptiō it may truly be said that we are saued by faith alone For there is no grace of God where by we take hold of Christ but faith But if we take it in the second sense as a way to life then we may truly say that it alone saueth not but hope loue repētance good works and all diuine vertues In this sense Paul saith we are saued by hope Rom. 8. 24. because by it we wait for our saluation and hope is the way in which all must walke that looke to be saued Againe he saith Momentany afflictions doe work vnto vs an eternall waight of glory 2. Cor. 4. 17. But how Not as causes but as waies signes and markes that giue vs direction to our iourneies ende And thus The woman is said to be saued by bearing of Children 1. Tim. 2. 15. Which bearing and bringing vp of children is no cause but onely a way wherein she must constantly walke to glory And though in mans iudgement that may seeme a way of misery and death yet indeede it is otherwise if the Children continue in faith loue and holinesse with modestie Againe the Apostle Iames saith that Abrahams faith wrought together with his workes Iam. 2. 2. which are likewise not to be vnderstood as working causes but as testmonies and euidences declaring and manifesting that he was iust in the sight of God Secondly it is obiected that confession of our faith to God is sufficiēt For so Saint Paul seemes to say Rom. 14. 22. Hast thou faith haue it with thy selfe before God Therefore confession before man is not needefull Ans. The Apostle speakes not of that faith wherby we are iustified and saued but of that which standeth in a perswasion of the vse or not vse of things indifferent And this a man may keepe to himselfe that is he may so vse it as he shall not thereby offend his brother That commandement was giuen by Paul for those times when men were not fully perswaded of the vse of God creatures as meates drinkes c. but to these times it is not II. Question Whether it be lawfull for a man being vrged to goe to Idol-seruice and heare Masse so as he keepe his heart to God Ans. It is not and I proue it by the scope of the eigth and tenth Chapters of the first Epistle to the Corinthians where the Apostle disputes the Question whether the Corinthians might goe into the temples of Idols and eate of meat offered vnto them in the meane time not partaking with Idolaters in the worship of the Idols This he auoucheth to be vtterly vnlawfull for that purpose tells the Corinthians That they cannot drinke of the cuppe of the Lord and of the cuppe of Deuills Now as this was vnlawfull for them so it is vnlawfull for any Protestant to goe to any Popish assembly to heare Masse Again God is the Creator of the Body and Soule therefore he is to be worshipped in both cōsequently we robbe him of his due when we reserue our hearts to him and giue our bodies to Idolls To this purpose Paul exhorteth the Romanes to giue vp their bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God Rom. 12. 1. Which place vtterly condemneth the errour of some who thinke that God wil be content with the soule and that they may bestowe there bodie in the seruice of the Devill But against this Doctrine sundrie things are alledged The first is the example of Naaman 2. Kings 5. 18. 19. who said to the Prophet when I bowe my selfe in the house of Rimmon the Lord be mercifull to me in this thing To whom Elisha answered goe in peace Here say some the Prophet giues leaue to Naaman to worshippe in an Idols Temple To this there be sundrie answers giuen Some affirme that Naaman speakes only of Ciuill and Politique worship and not of Religious For his office was to kneele down in the Temple that the King might leane vpon his shoulder when he worshipped the Idoll And Naaman makes open protestation v. 7. that he will worshippe no God but the God of Israel Others answere and that more truly that Naaman doth acknowledge it a sinne to goe to the house of Rimmon and therefore he craues pardon for it at the hands of God twice togither ver 18. and withall makes a vowe that he will thenceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice to any other God saue onely to the Lord and hereunto Elisha answereth Goe in peace Yet further it is answered that Naaman requesteth the Prophet to pray for him that he might be constant in the seruice of the true God And in case he were drawne against his purpose by humane frailtie to bow againe before Rimmon with his King that the Lord in mercie would pardon his offence And to this the Prophet yeeldeth saying Goe in peace As if he should say Goe to I will pray for thee to this ende and purpose This text therefore giues no warrant for bodily presence in Idolatrous assemblies The second Obiection Iehu openly professed the worship of Baal and yet he dissembled meaning nothing lesse 2. king 10. 18. And the Lord commends him for his diligent execution of that which was right in his eies vers 30. Ans. Iehu is commended not for his dissembling but for his diligence in destroying Achabs house his religion the Priests with all that belonged vnto them though in other matters belonging to the seruice of God he departed not from the sinnes of Ieroboam The third obiection Dan. 3. 6. Nebuchad-nezzar made a decree that whosoeuer would not fall downe and worshippe the golden Image should the same houre be cast into the middest of an hotte fierie furnace Now we doe not read that any moe refused to obey but three and therefore it seemes that
imitate God in all things therefore besides them consider further the examples of some of the seruants of God Moses when the people murmured at him did not answer them againe by murmuring but cried vnto the Lord what shall I doe to this people for they be almost readie to stone me Exod. 17. 4. And Steuen when he was stoned praied for his enemies Lord lay not this sinne to their charge Act. 7. 60. IV. Meditation is concerning the goodnes of God towards vs an argument whereof is this that he doth euery day forgiue vs farre more offences then it is possible for vs to forgiue men V. Meditation All reuenge is Gods right and he hath not giuen it vnto man Rom. 12. 19. Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. And man by reuenging his own quarell makes himselfe both the iudge the witnesse the accuser and the executioner VI. Meditation is touching Christs death He suffered for vs the first death and the sorrowes of the second death much more then ought we at his commandement to put vp small wrongs and iniuries without reuenge His commandement is Resist not euill but whosoeuer shall smite thee on the right cheeke turne to him the other also Matth. 5. 39. Againe Destroy not him with thy meate for whome Christ died Rom. 14. 15. The Meditations concerning our neighbour are two The first is the condition of him with whome we are angrie namely that he is a brother Let there be no strife betweene me and thee for we are brethren Gen. 13. 8. Againe he is created in the Image of God we must not therefore seeke to hurt or destroy that Image The second is concerning that Equitie which we looke for at the hands of all men If we wrong any man we desire that he would forgiue vs and therefore we must forgiue him the iniurie that he doth vnto vs without vniust anger This is the very Law of nature Whatsoeuer ye would that men should doe vnto you euen so doe you vnto them Matth. 7. 12. Meditations concerning our selues are sixe First he that conceiueth rush anger makes himselfe subiect to the wrath of God if he cherish the same without relenting Matth. 6. 15. If ye doe not forgiue men their trespasses no more will your father forgiue you your trespasses And Matth. 7. 2. Iudge not that ye be not iudged Yea when we pray to God to forgiue vs and doe not resolue to forgiue our brethren we doe in effect say Lord condemne vs for we will be condemned Secondly we are commanded to loue one another euen as Christ hath loued vs Eph. 5. 2. It is the propertie of loue to suffer and to beare and not to be prouoked to anger 1. Cor. 13. And it is a marke whereby Gods children are discerned from the children of the Deuill that they loue their brethren 1. Ioh. 3. 10. Thirdly we are ignorant of mens mindes in speaking and doing we know not the manner and circumstances of their actions And experience teacheth that much anger comes vpon mistaking and misconstruing them Whereas contrariwise if they were throughly knowne we would not be so much incensed against men as commonly we are Fourthly in rash anger we can doe no part of Gods worshippe that is pleasing to him We cannot pray for he that praies must lift vp pure hands without wrath 1. Tim. 〈◊〉 8. We cannot be good hearers of the word for S. Iames wisheth vs to be swift to heare and slow to wrath because the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnes of God Iam. 1. 20 21. Fiftly we must consider what are the fruits and consequents of vniust anger For first it greatly annoies the health It annoies the braine and pulses it causes the gall to flow into the stomacke and the bowells it killeth and poisoneth the spirits and it is the next way to procure distemper of the whole bodie and consequently losse of health Secondly it makes a man captiue to the Deuill Eph. 4. 27. which we see to be true in Sauls example who beeing a man full of wrath and giuing place to his owne rage and furie an euill spirit entred into him by the iust iudgement of God Sixtly we must consider the Causes of vniust anger It is commonly thought that Anger is nothing but the flowing of choler in the gall and in the stomacke But the truth is anger is more then choler For it riseth first of a debilitie of reason and iudgement in the minde secondly from euill affections as from enuie and selfe-loue thirdly from the constitution of the bodie that is hote and drie Againe we read in histories that men hauing no gall haue notwithstanding beene full of anger and choler indeede is a furtherance but no cause of anger Sect. 2. The Remedies of vniust anger that stand in Practise are especially fiue The first is in the time of anger to conceale the same both in word and deede The indignation of a foole saith Salomon Prou. 12. 16. will be knowne the same day but the wise man couereth his shame that is he restraines his anger which if it should presently break forth wold be a reproch vnto him Answerable to this notable speech of Salomon was the wise counsell of Ambrose to Theodosius that after senteÌ„ce giuen he should take 30 daies respite before execution And not vnlike hath been the practise of the very Heathen in their time Socrates said I had beaten thee but that I was angrie Aâ—â—enodoruâ— gaue Augustus this rule that when he was angrie he should first say ouer the whole Alphabet before he put in execution his anger Secondly we must depart from them with whoÌ„ we are angry For this affectioÌ„ is as a fire take the matter away from fire and it will cease to burne so let a man depart and employ himselfe for the time some other way and he shall soone cease to be angrie Thus did Ionathan depart out of his fathers presence 1. Sam. 20. 34. Abraham in his anger withdrew himselfe from Lot Gen. 13. Iacob in wrath departed from Esan Gen. 27. 43 44. Thirdly we must auoide the occasions thereof as contentions and contentious persons Doe nothing through contention Phil. 2. 3. Make no friendship with an angrie man neither goe with a furious man least thou learne his waies and receiue destruction to thy soule Prou. 22. 26. We must for this purpose be carefull to auoid all meanes that may serue to further the heate of the temperature of such a bodie as is apt and disposed to this vnruly passion Fourthly we are to consider that we sinne against God not once or twise but often yea euery day and therefore the course of our anger must be turned against our own selues for our sinnes For this is one propertie of true repeÌ„tance to work in vs a reuenge vpon our selues in regard of our sinnes committed against God and our brethren 2. Corinth 7. 11. Fiftly we must accustome our selues to the daily exercises
and of another Ans. Iudgement is of two sorts publicke and priuate Publicke which is giuen and administred by a publicke person in a publicke place Such is the iudgement of the Magistrate when he acquitteth or condemneth men as their deserts are to temporal punishment Of which we may read 2. Cron. 19. 6. Psal. 58. 1. Such also is the iudgement of the Prophet or Minister whereby he doth openly pronoūce to mē that beleeue repent that their sinnes are remitted or retained 1. Cor. 14. 24. or that whereby he delivereth obstinate sinners vp vnto Satan by the censure of Excommunication or Suspension 1. Cor. 5. 3. 4. 5. Priuate iudgement is that whereby one man giues iudgement privately of another And touching it we are to consider two points First of what things iudgement must be giuen Secondly how we are to giue iudgement For the first we must giue iudgement of three sorts of things of mens facts of their doctrines and of their persons Touching facts the Apostle Paul would not haue vs to haue fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenes Eph. 5. 11. but rather to reprooue them because they are subiect to our iudgement and being reprooued by vs they are iudged of vs. And our Sauiour doth therefore command vs when our brother trespasseth against vs to goe and reprooue him because his actions are liable to our censure Secondly the doctrines of men are to be iudged by vs. Try the Spirits whether they are of God or no 1. Ioh. 4. 1. The spirituall man iudgeth all things that is all doctrines 1. Cor. 2. 15. And our Sauiour saith You shall know them by their fruits that is partly by their doctrine partly by their liues being iudged according to the rule of Gods word Mat. 7. 20. Thirdly we may iudge of the persons of men Now men are of two sorts either in the Church or out of the Church The members of the Church must be iudged by the iudgement of charitie not of infallibility They that are out of the Church we must suspend our iudgements concerning them and leaue it to God For what haue I doe saith the Apostle to iudge those that are without 1. Cor. 5. 12. We may try and examine the person but we must reserue the iudgement of condemnation to God alone The second point is How we are to iudge one of another Ans. The right manner of iudging according to the word of God I will lay downe in sixe Rules The first is If we know any good thing by any man whether vertue or action we are willingly to speake of it to commend it and glorifie Gods name in it and for it Thus Paul affirmeth that the Churches of Iudaea when they heard the word which he preached glorified God for him Gal. 1. 23. The second Rule If we know any euill sinne vice or offence by any man there is a time when we may and a time when we may not speake of it and that with good conscience For the better keeping of this Rule foure cautions are to be remembred First he that will giue sentence of another man must in the first place purg and reforme himselfe To this purpose Christ commandeth first to plucke the beame out of our owne eie and then shal we see clearely to cast out the more out of our brothers eie Matth. 7. 5. And he that will not doe this in iudgeing another he condemneth himselfe Rom. 2. 1. Secondly we must be rightly and truly informed in the matter before we giue iudgement This was Gods owne practize who came downe to see whether the sinne of Sodome was answerable to the crie Gen. 18. 21. Thirdly our loue and charitie must order and direct both our speech and our iudgement of others that we speake not of them without deliberation For he that vpon hatred reports the euill he knoweth by another is a backebiter When Doeg the Edomite came shewed Saul that Dauid was gone to the house of Abimelech he tolde no more then the truth and yet because it proceeded from an euill minde therefore Dauid accuseth him of hatred backebiting slaundering and vnrighteousnes Psalm 52. 1. 2. Fourthly he that speakes the euill he knowes by his neighbour must haue the testimonie of his owne conscience to assure him that he hath a calling to doe it Now a man is called by God in three cases First when he is commanded by the Magistrate to testifie what he knoweth Secondly when an euill that is in his neighbour is to be redressed by admonition Thirdly when an euill is to be preuented that it spread not abroad to the infection of others These caueats obserued we may speake the euill we know by others truly and with an vpright conscience But if they cannot be concealed rather then a man should blaze abroad the faults of others wherevnto he is privie he ought to be silent remembring alwaies the saying of Salomon that it is the glory of a man to passe by an infirmitie and not to take notice therof but by loue to couer a multitude of sinnes Prov. 19 11. The third Rule When a mans speech or action is doubtfull and may be taken either well or ill we must alwaies interpet it in the better part When Christ was brought before Caiphas the high priest there came two witnesses against him who affirmed something of him which he had spoken but because they changed and misconstrued his words turning them to a wrong sense therfore they are called by the Holy Ghost to their perpetuall shame and reproch false witnesses Mat. 26. 90. Againe the Apostle saith that Loue thinkes no euill 1. Cor. 13. 5. therefore loue takes euery speech and action in the better sense The fourth Rule Touching secret offences of our neighbour we must suspend our iudgement of them The reason is because loue alwaies hopes the best and thinkes no euill 1. Cor. 13. 5. And our Sauiours rule is If thy brother trespasse against thee first reprooue him priuately betweene thee and him and goe no further if that will preuaile Mat. 27. 15. The fift Rule Against an Elder receiue not an accusation vnder two or three witnesses 1. Tim. 5. 19. By an Elder vnderstand ministers civill gouernours and all superiours And if we must not receiue then much lesse may we frame an accusation against them This may be a lesson for all inferiours to learne who take libertie to themselues to speake what euill they please of their gouernours The sixt Rule is concerning ministers The Spirit of the Prophets is subiect to the Prophets and not to priuate persons 1. Cor. 14. 32. Indeede priuate persons haue power to examine and try their doctrine and ministry but they must goe no further for they haue no power to giue iudgement either of their ministers doctrin or persons The doctrine manners of teachers are subiect to the censure of Prophets onely For example A priuate man saies that he may excommunicate at his pleasure those