this point that death which he calleth poenam vitiorum and supplicium peccator is the iust paine of wickednes punishment of sinners should become as hee calles it arma virtutis and iusti meritum the armour of vertue and merit or happines of a righteous man hee saith this commeth thus to passe non quia mors bonum aliquod facta est quae antea malum fuit not because death is now become a good blessing that before was an euill curse Sed tantam Deus fidei praestit it gratiam vt mors quam vitae constat esse contrariam instrumentum sieret per quod transiretur in vitam that is but God did afford so much grace vnto faith in his Son that death which is knowne to be contrarie to life should be made the instrument or way by which we might passe into life So that death comming by the order of God to a man prepared by faith in Christ that neither through impatience hasteneth death before his time nor through loue of this world or ignorance of his future happinesse cowardly shrinketh desiring to liue beyond his time death comming to such a man in this maner deliuering him from his present short and sufferable troubles leaueth him in a blessed and happy condition absolutely freed from all troubles for the second death hath no power ouer him and he is presently receiued into glorie To him pertaine these words of Christ He that heareth my wordes and beleeueth in him that sent mee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death vnto life As the beleeuing thiefe passed from the Crosse to Paradise and as soone as he was deliuered from his present trouble entred into eternall glorie and neuer felt eternall troubles so euery beleeuer when God calles him out of this world from earth passeth to heauen as Lazarus did from his houell into Abrahams bosome and death leaueth him in a most happy state For Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord euen so saith the spirit for they rest from their labours No more trouble no more dāger no more sorrow shal come to them But death doth not prooue so beneficiall to all For when a wicked man dies whether hee perish by fire as did the Sodomites or perish by water as did Pharao and his Egyptians or be swallowed vp of the gaping earth as was Korah and his company or were stoned to death as was Achan or be slaine with the sword as was Ioab or perish of some foule disease as did Herod or die a faire death in his bed as the greatest number do or fall by his owne hand as Achitophel and some other did howsoeuer he come to his end with honour or reproach with ease or with paine the wicked man by death though deliuered frō the troubls of this life yet is left in a most wofull estate being ledde into the depth of all miseries For from the earth they passe to hell from short to eternall from tollerable to vnsufferable crosses from trobles mixed with comforts which also in their bitterest condition may bee indu◅ed and ouercome with some little patience to troubles mixed with no comforts making euen the remembrance of that sweet name of comfort to be a new addition of discomfort and which giue no place for the least measure of patience to abide with them Of the end and endlesse condition of the wicked when death hath fetched them from hence the Prophet speaketh in the Psalme Surely thou hast set them in slippery places and castest them downe into desolation How suddenly are they destroied perished and horribly consumed as a dreame when one awaketh O Lord when thou raisest vs vp thou shalt make their image despised There prosperity before death is slippery as Ice there is no firme standing vpon it and when death commeth that seemeth to giue ease and end of some intermixed troubles they fall with violence and there fall is remedilesse they perish in it and remaine miserable for euer whatsoeuer conceit they nourished of lasting and continued ease it becommeth like a dreame which proueth idle when the dreamer awaketh Iob speaketh excellently of the wretched condition vnto which death bringeth the wicked saying How oft shal the Candle of the wicked be put out and there distruction come vpon them Hee will deuide their liues in his wrath they shall be as slubble before the wind and as chaffe that the storme carrieth away God will laie vp the sorrow of the father for the children when hee rewardeth him he shall know it his eies shall see his distruction and he shall drinke of the wrath of the almighty for what pleasure hath he in his house after him when the number of ◅is moneths is cut off This good man Iob knew something in what condition death leaueth a wicked man when it hath fetcht him out of this world then is he deliuered vp to the violent storme of Gods iust indignation the stubble is not more easily nor more confusedly scattered then hee then commeth the reward of all his wickednesse hee was a doer before from that time hee becommeth meerely a sufferer then the fury of the almighty ceazeth vpon him his daily drinke shall bee nothing else but the wrath of God his pleasure after his death is altogether ended and eternall woe lighteth vpon him Let vs not stand onely vpon sentences which may perhaps bee esteemed as lawes which great men easily breake thorow and delude Let vs looke into the acts of God and consider his reall proceeding wee haue a notable example commended vnto vs by our Sauiour Christ to whom the father hath committed all iudgement and therefore hee should not bee ignorant of Gods carriage He remembreth a great man a rich man which was cloathed in Purple and fine linnin and fared wel and dilicately euery day His welth and great estate could not protect him from the stroke of death that made an end of him and so of the troubles of his life if his life were acquainted with any But in what case did death leaue him our Sauiour telleth vs in these words The rich man died and was buried and being in hell in torments hee lift vp his eies and saw Abraham a farre off and Lazarus in his bosome then he cried and said father Abraham haue mercy vpon me and send Lazarus that hee may dippe the tip of his finger in water and coole my tongue for I am tormented in this flame but Abraham said sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasure and contrariwise Lazarus paine now therfore is he comforted and thou art tormented Ther was his answer stoping his mouth leauing no place for any further hope of any good While he liued he was wel if any thing were a little amisse it was fully recompenced with many pleasures in the end he died and in that death his troubles if he had any ended and his
but thou thy selfe thinkest absurd for others and yet thou thinkest it reason for thy selfe But God himselfe denieth this argumēt to be of any strēgth while he saith or commandeth the prophet in his name to say Say vnto them As I liue saith the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue turne you turne you from your euill waies for why will you die O yee house of Israel Is not God the Iudge Is it not hee against whom thou saiedst thou hast sinned and deserued death and therefore must die It shall be granted that thou hast sinned It shall be granted that by that sinne thou hast deserued death but where is that must where is that necessity of dying that thou speakest of when God saith it and sweares it by his life who liueth euer that hee desireth not the death of a sinner Thou dreamest of some inexorable seuerity in God and some ineuitable necessity of death in the sinner God saith no to both There is no such seueritie in God Hee is farre from vrging that desires not the death of a sinner And there is no such vnauoidable danger to man while God doth offer him the way of life euen then when he hath by this sinne deserued death saying As I liue I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue Seest thou not the vanitie of this first Argument where of trueth afforded the premisses for thou hast sinned against god and thy sinne deserueth death But errour danger death and the diuell drew in the conclusion against trueth for there is no necessitie seeing God the Iudge requires no such death As I liue I desire not the death of the wicked and contrary to that conclusion sheweth a way of life to his mind more ag◅eeable to the sinner more safe But that the wicked turne from his way and liue returne this argumēt to the diuel that lent it thee it may be retorted vpon him in full strength For he hath sinned against God and by his sinne deserued death and therefore must die for God desireth the death of wicked angels hauing shut them vp in euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse vnto the iudgement of the last day and hath not shewed vnto them any way of life But for thy selfe learne to argue better and frame thy argument so that God may allow of it I haue sinned against God therefore I must repent I must turne from my waies vnto God and learne to walke in his waies And againe my sinne hath deserued death therefore I must turne from my waies that I may liue for God hath sworn◅ that he desires not the death of a sinner but that the sinner turne from his wicked way and liue These Conclusions are inferred according to Gods will who desireth both thy conuersion from thy former sinnes and also thy saluation contrary to the merit of thy sinnes saying Turne you turne you from your euill waies for why will you die Oyee house of Israel These conclusions haue holinesse in them agreeable to all the commandements of God whereas thy former conclusions inuite to murder contrarie to GODS commandements and these conclusions containe life and saluation in them according to all the promises of God whereas thy former conclusions containe death and destruction contrarie to his promises If by thy former sinnes thou hast incurred the iust displeasure of God This manner of reasoning that I haue taught thee shews thee how to recouer his loue and liking and if thy former sinnes haue brought thee into the danger of death this maner of reasoning that I haue taught thee shewes thee how to recouer life and saluation Throw therefore thy foolish reason I haue sinned and therefore must die in the face of him that framed it for thee and remember euer that comfortable speech of God As I liue saith the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way liue And frame thy Arguments by the direction of this word I haue sinned against God therefore I must turne from my wicked waies And my sinne against God hath deserued death Therefore I must turne from my wicked waies so shal I liue this māer of arguing being as thou seest agreeable to Gods word is both pleasing vnto God and safe for thy selfe Thy second reason grounded as thou thinkest vpon iustice is this I haue loden and ouer charged the earth with the burden of my sinnes it groneth vnder that burden and can no longer beare it therefore it must bee eased by the remouing of me And forasmuch as I haue beene the man that haue laied this load vpon the earth it is meete I should also be the man to remoue it This latter part of thy reason that thou shouldest be the man to remoue the burden that hast beene the man to lay on the burden I hold to be most reasonable he that did the wrong ought to make the mends But let vs agree of the true burden that hath beene laid on by wrong and must be remoued by right That burden thou speakest of in the first part of thy reason wherein thou arguest thus I haue loaden the earth with the burden of my sinnes which it can no longer beare therefore I must by death be remoued Doest thou not behold and see an error in this arguing yea a wicked and most deceitful fraud of Satan seeking subtilly to destroy thee while in the antecedent of thy argumēt thou speakest of the burden that presseth the earth thou namest thy sins and they indeed make the earth to grone and when thou commest in the conclusion of thy argument to speake of remouing this burden thou ◅aiest nothing of remouing the sinne but speakest altogether of remouing thy selfe thy sinne is the burden and thou concludest not to remoue the sinne but to remoue thy selfe If a man wounded by another and desirous to be healed should apply his meanes to the party that made the wound and not to the wound it selfe doest thou not see that man that made the wound may bee remoued and the wound remaine still as dangerous as it was at the first but if he apply his meanes to the wound that was made the wound shal be healded and so remoued the man that made it remaining still Thy case is altogether like it thou hast giuen the earth a wound by the burden of thy sinnes if the meanes for the easing of the earth be applied not to the sinne to take away it but vnto thee to take away thee thou maiest be remoued but the guiltines of thy sinnes shall remaine vnto iudgement But if meanes be rightly applied to take away the sinne the earth is eased of her burden and thou also remainest in safetie thy argument therefore should be framed thus The earth groneth vnder the burden of my sinnes therefore these sinnes must be remoued Hee
So did the Apostle Paul wish vnto himselfe when hee expressed his minde in these words Desiring to be loosed and to bee with Christ which is best of all And the same Apostle speaking of the death of all the faithfull saith in this wise Wee know that if our earthly house of this Tubernacle be destroied wee haue a building giuen of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens Here is the change of the soules dwelling from a ruinous house on earth to an eternall house in heauen Afterward the same Apostle saith Wee are bold and loue rather to reâ—…one out of the body and to dwell with the Lord. Here is the change of the soules company on earth it conuerseth with mortall men in heauen it dwelleth euer with the immortall God This is all the hurt that death can doe vnto vs if this were to be called hurt it bringeth the body to rest in the graue and it bringeth the soule to present glorie with God and all the dangerous deadly and killing power that originally it had by any confederacie with sinne all that is taken away by the death of Iesus Christ. And if it were sometime to be feared as a poisoned serpent of the olde serpents brood yet it is so spoiled by that serpent that was lifted vp vpon the crosse that it hath neither tooth nor sting nor any poison left to hurt any beleeuer Heare to this purpose the words of Saint Paul O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law but thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. Death therefore cannot be hurtfull to the beleeuer And if while he liue he take such order and find such fauour that God will be pleased in Iesus Christ to send him a discharge of his sinnes by faith in his sonne he hath no cause after death to feare the reuiuing of his accusation though the legions of lying diuels whose malice makes them accusers of the Saints before God should altogecrie out against him as Saint Paul teacheth vs saying Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs. Thou hast no cause to feare death or any thing that followeth death if while thou liue thou returne to God and recouer his fauour in Iesus Christ for there is full discharge against accusation condemnation both in this life and after this life in the free loue of God and most meritorious intercession of our Lord Iesus Christ. CHAP. XXXI THE storme is ouer our afflicted sinner by this time seeth no cause any longer to dreame of terrifiing death and were it not that one dâ—…am of bitternes disseasoneth the comforts of life that God hath lent vnto him he should grow to some reasonable temper But one thing hee hath cause to complaine of and let vs heare him that we may vnderstanding his griefe be the better able to helpe him Hee telleth vs of a heauie case his sleepe he saith is not quiet but mixt with fearefull dreames at his table his minde taketh in more sad thoughts then his mouth doeth bits of meate the voice and face of his old acquaintance and former friends doeth now reuiue his greefe so oft as he doeth either see them or heare them the fairest roomes of his house which he had trimmed vp for his delight if hee come into them doe strike him with grieuous terrour and all those things that hee delighted in before are new matter of sorrow and heauines vnto him and it is his onely content though without to sit alone in darknesse This hee taketh to be some curse of God folowing him and an euident signe of Gods iust and fearefull anger following him for what should make Gods good creatures other mens comforts to be discomforts to him but the onely displeasure of God To this I answer that it is very likely that it is so and will continue to bee so with him so long as this burden of accusing thoughts lies heauy remaining vpon his wounded conscience It is a very kindly effect of it that hath growen out of it and wil vanish with it Thou sleepest catest with a wounded heart and hence it is that while thou sleepest and eatest thou still feelest the smart of thy wounded heart Thy ancient friends and former woonted delights appeare vnto thee now when thou art not fit to take pleasure in them as before time thou didst and that maketh thee at the present to be the more troubled thinking vpon thine old liberty now lost And the things prepared for thy pleasure while thou wert capable of pleasure in the contrary disposition of thine heart bent altogether to feare and sorrow doe now bring â—…orth a contrary effect vnto thee euen increase of sorrow And a desire of shaddow and solitarienesse though they be hurtfull doth follow a grieued minde as Ieremy saith of the man that beareth the yoke in his youth Hee sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath borne it vpon him And this desire of darknesse and solitarinesse either is an effect of mortification in him that is crucified to the world seeing the world crucified to him or else it groweth partly out of shame and partly out of anger that things are in no better tune and vpon the recouering of thy peace and ceasing of thy temptation this trouble will certainly vanish away In the meane time giue place to this griefe as little as thou canst and striue to reioyce in the Lord and in the good blessings hee hath bestowed vpon thee pray him that bestowed good things vpon thee to giue thee a free heart to take comfort in his guiftes that thou maiest be prouoked to praise his name And withall craue and vse the counsell and helpe of some learned and skilfull Physician for there is somthing in this griefe that hath neede of his iudgement and diligence And the God of hope fill thee withal ioy and peace in beleeuing that thou maiest abound in hope thorow the power of the holy Ghost Amen And now after some delay in answering such obiections as the vnquiet soule hath made out of his grieuous feare let vs grow vnto a conclusion concerning this burden of accusing thoughts and let vs gather together briefly orderly the scatterd grounds of hope that this burden may be cast off when God shall be pleased to giue his blessing and the scattered rules of aduice that teach how to cast it vpon God And for grounds of hope that this burden of accusing thoughts may bee cast off vpon God for the sinners â—…ase it hath beene shewed and proued First that his sinne not being that
continue in health and that they may continue to deale iustly honestly and dutifully This triple imploiment for thy praier thou hast iâ—… the time of thy domesticall trouble for thy selfe that art troubled or grieued for them by whose meanes thou art troubled or for whose sake thou art grieued and for the rest This is the second common rule of casting thy burdon vpon God in domesticall troubles namely that thou fall to praier according to the saying of S. Iames is any among you afflicted let him pray Now let vs see what other rules as more particular are to be added to patience and praier CHAP. IX THese domestical troubles being of diuers sorts let vs first distinguish them into two rankes because it is either sicknesse death or some calamity that is happend to thy selfe or to some other neighbour 〈◊〉 â—…d kinsman or of thy family for which thou art out of thy loue and compassion to others and out of sence of thine owne euill greeued Or else it is some wrong offered vnto thee by others in their vnthankfulnesse disobedience vniustice or forwardnesse out of which springeth â—…vnquietnesse and vexation to thee with this latter member of wrongs let vs first begin and see what it is to cast this burden vpon God First here let the wronged person that beareth the burden consider whether the occasion of these burdens grew of himselfe or no. For so it oftentimes commeth to passe that the vnkindnesse of tâ—…e husband prouoketh the wife to some such course as turneth after to the husbands trouble And likewise the disobedience of the wife may driue the husband vnto that course that after becommeth her heauy burden Can the party that first did wrong without prouocation be offended with the party that in the second place did amisse being prouoked somtimes the fondnesse and negligence of parents that wil not instruct nor when needess correct their children nor in any thing restraine them of their owne will or else the euill example of the parents makes them become wanton disordered and euill conditioned as it fell out in Hell his children and in the end the parents see and heare things of their children that grieue their hearts and out of their disobedience and insolency they are wronged and it cannot be otherwise folly cleaning to the soule of the childe but that when the soule is not husbandly tilled by the discipline of the parents it must bring forth weedes of euill behauiour sometime the child that complaineth of the vnkindnesse of parents hath by his owne folly by his disobedience and riotous courses giuen vnto his parents of themselues tender and louing inough cause to be vnkind to change their countenance to shorten their allowance yea to shut the dore against him and to settle his inheritance vpon some other So likewise the mâ—…ster sometimes hath no care at home to teach his seruants to know and feare God and if he goe to the house of God himselfe he careth not to bring his seruants with him or if he bring them with him hee looketh not whether they stay there or no or if they stay whether they marke and learne any thing or no these are not the studies of his heart He suffereth them also to exceede decorum and comelinesse of seruants in their apparel and to be abroad at vnseasonable times with other yong persons and what youth and liberty wanting an ouerseer will doe wise men know also by his owne euill example of riot and vnthristinesse hee becomes vnto his seruants a plaine corrupter they thinking themselues out of danger of reproofe while they tread in the steppes of their masters and gouernours or else an euill master dealeth vniustly and vnkindly with a faithfull seruant and being so brought vp and so prouoked no maruell if at length they breed their Masters trouble Sometime the seruant being both well taught and well intreated and hauing no iust exception against the gouernment and vsage of his Master out of the lewdnesse of his owne euill heart or harkening to the counsell of ill company becommeth disobedient and vnfaithfull and prouoketh his master to take strait courses with him Sometime also an vndiscreet man dwelling by a neighbour of peaceable disposition presumeth vpon his neighbours softnesse and offereth him wrong in such manner as ouercommeth patience and makes the quiet man to stir againe and then hath he trouble in his habitation and feeles himselfe compassed with troubles more then he looked for in all these and like cases the grieued man is the occasion of his owne burden in these domesticall troubles When he findeth this then to cast his burden vpon the Lord for his case is to reforme the errours of his owne misgo uernment and to looke better to the waies of his family and to reforme the errours of his owne life that hee giue better light vnto his owne houshold and draw them backe to goodnesse by his example whom hee had corrupted before and to giue satisfaction to his neighbour whom hee had wronged and to abstaine from after-wronging of him Thus stopping the fountaine of cause giuen by himselfe the streame of offence takeÌ„ by others wil soone drie vp the common rules of patience and harty praier to God withal not neglected If thy vnkindnesse to thy wise and thy bad husbandry made hir vnquiet vse her more kindly and proue a better husband and she shall be quiet So let the wife by more dutifull and modest behauiour recouer hir husbands loue If neglect of discipline with too much remisnesse in gouerning children and seruants and thine owne euill example among them were cause of their disorder vse thy fatherly and masterly authority better and giue a better example and thou shalt haue them in better obedience The child also and seruant becomming more obedient and more faithfull shall soone recouer the loue and fauour of their Parents and Masters And if thy neighbour were prouoked to vex thee because thou hadst first iniuriously vexed him make thy peace with him for the first wrong and abstain from offering a second and hee will liue in peace with thee Surely if the occasion of a mans domesticall trouble grew from himselfe this is to cast his burden vpon God for his owne ease in the feare of God to remooue the occasion to reforme the disorder in himselfe to giue satisfaction to seeke reconciliation and to hold a better course afterward and to doe this in patience ioyning withall praier vnto God that he wil giue both to himselfe and to them that were his troublers wisdome and grace that hee may no more giue and they may no more take any such offence But if a mans domesticall troubles grow not from himselfe giuing the occasion but onely from their owne euill heart that troubled him so that he can say as Samuel did Whom haue I done wrong to Or whom haue I hurt And as Dauid said O Lord my God if I haue done this thing if
not out of any hatred that they did beare against such vile sinnes but onely for feare of the peoples speech and rather for want of meanes and opportunity to accomplish them then for want of any good will if time place and other things had been answerable And if thou finde that thine is such a generall and confused tentation as namely that thou diddest neuer rightly know nor loue nor feare God and that thine heart was alwaies or now is an euill an hypocritical heart thine estate is so much the more easie that in the dayes of thy security while thou diddest walke according to the course of this world and after the prince that ruleth in the ayre euen the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience God suffered not the Diuell to thrust thee into presumptuous sinnes after the manner of others and into grosse and desperate sinnes against all rules of honesty wherewith hee might now in this time of temptation torment thy conscience This affordeth much aduantage vnto thee that the diuell can finde no grosse particular sinne to vrge and presse thee withall Here let the afflicted man first consider that hitherto his case is no whit worse then the case of euery man that commeth into the world For Dauid doth tell vs that the best man euen he that prooueth afterwards a man after Gods owne heart yet out of his mothers wombe yea out of his fathers loines proceedeth a sinnefull creature with an euill heart empty of the loue of God and continueth so till God bestow some particular grace vpon him for the conuersion of him And he maketh himselfe an instance heereof speaking thus Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me He was from the wombe and loines a sinner taken in generall termes for a man in whom there was an euill heart not knowing not louing not fearing God And Saint Paul doth tell vs that the holiest man euen he that was from the beginning a chosen vessell to beare witnesse to the name of Iesus Christ before kings and nations yet in his originall estate and first yeares hee is the childe of wrath and dead in trespasses and sinnes as all other men till God in mercy looke vpon him and renew him And hee maketh himselfe among others an instance thereof while hee thus speaketh You hath be quickened that were dead in trespasses and sinnes wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world and after the Prince that ruleth in the ayre euen the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom wee also had our conuersation in times past in the lusts of our flesh in fulfilling the will of the flesh and of the minde and were by nature the children of wrath as well as others Paul was a bad as the Ephesians and the Ephesians as bad as all other men til God in mercy conuerted both him them And the Prophet Ieremy telleth vs that there is both generally and particularly in all men and in euery man a heart both wicked and hypocritical wicked to do that which is euill deceitfull and hypocriticall to dissemble in the doing of it and to make shews pretences and excuses that it might be thought not to doe euill And this wickednesse and hypocrisie ro be so deepe and cunning that it deceiueth not onely other men but euen the wicked man himselfe that flattereth and pleaseth himself with his owne pretences and perswadeth his owne soule that all is well and onely God is able to finde out his hypocrisie for thus hee saith The heart of man is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things who can know it I the Lord search the heart c. Other men cannot know it and search it out For the apostle saith What man knoweth the things of a man saue the spirit of a man which is in him A manâ—… owne heart may bee acquainted with his owne thoughts but another man cannot discerne them a man himselfe oft times is not able to discerne his owne wickednesse a vaine and false opinion misleading his blinded iudgement but God searcheth it out because as the Apostle saith There is not any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open to his cies with whom we haue to doe Such is the depth of the wickednesse of mans heart such is his deceitfull hypocrisie that no eye but the all-seeing eye of God no iudgement but his that neuer erreth can see the same And Salomon telleth vs that there is no man iust vpon the earth that doth good and sinneth not And knowing this to be generaly true he challengeth euery man that thinkes that he can say any thing to cleere eyther himselfe or any other saying Who can say I haue made my heart cleane I am cleane from my sinne So that this is the condition of all men till God in his mercy mould them anew by his grace till then they are altogether such as thou in thy troubled heart art charged to be men of an euill heart full of wickednesse and hypocrisie that neither know God nor loue God nor feare God Therefore when thou art charged with such a generall and confused tentation yeeld it to be true that thou art charged withall and stand not to make thy selfe better then thou art withall say vnto thy soule for that I haue no more cause to dispaire of Gods mercy then Dauid had that was such a one in his birth then Paul had that was such a one vntill the day of his conuersion then any other and all other of Gods elect and best beloued children that were euery way such conceiued in sinne borne in iniquitie children of wrath full of vnsearchable wickednesse and hypocrisie neither knowing nor liuing nor fearing God till he was pleased to looke vpon them in his fauour and to conuert them by creating a new heart and renewing a right spirit in them And now that mine eyes are opened by this affrighting of my soule to see my bad condition which I saw not before I will make hast vnto the Lord and will craue that grace at his hands that I now want neither can I nor will I vnderstand this worke of his in letting me see by this fearefull temptation my sinfull estate which in the daies of my peace I did not see to be any other then the fruit of his loue by making me to see my misery to stir vp my soule long drowned in former securitie to seeke with all earnestnes of â—…eale for his help When a sicke man feeleth paine in his flesh he doeth not faintly yeeld to death because he is sicke but from the feeling of his weakenes he taketh occasion to seeke out some learned Phisition craueth his help the more sicke he is the more he desireth and the more earnestly he sueth for his helpe spares no cost and putteth himselfe into
of his heart First thou maiest haue all these things and yet not know it and therefore it is great rashnes to say thou hast them not For as before this time thou wilt confesse that there was in thee wickednes of life enuie against thy neighbour and infidelitie against God and yet then when it was so thou didst not thinke it to be so nor couldest be induced to beleeue it to be so so at this time there may be in thee repentance and charitie and faith and yet in this astonishment of thy soule thou canst not see it to be so Securitie at that time suffred thee not to see what was amisse in thee and feare at this time suffreth not thee to see what is good and orderly in thee Againe if thou haue them not yet thou art in the way of them and thou art not far from them Thou art grieued to finde thy selfe guiltie of so much sinne and thy heart is pricked and thy soule is wounded to thinke that thou art so laden with thine iniquitie Surely this is the beginning of true repentance when a man is grieued at the sight of his sinne Indeed it is loue that commendeth vnto God our repentance and conuersion to him but it is feare that first openeth the heart vnto God whom being once entred we doe after intertaine with loue so was it with Peters hearers in the Acts. After he had brought them to the fight of their sinne in crucifying the Lord of life it is said of them When they heard it they were pricked in their heartes and said vnto Peter and the other Apostles men and brethren what shall we doe Then began they to haue care of amending their life when they saw the errour of it and were afraid at the fight of it And it is a true saying of Saint Gregorie Sancta electorum ecclesia simplicitatis suae et rectitudiuis vias timore inchoat sed charitate consummat The holy Church of Gods elect beginneth the waies of her simplicitie and vprightnes in feare but doth perfect them in loue So that euen this feare that thou art in by reason of thy sinnes is the beginning of repentance giuing thee to vnderstand that it is not good nor safe to continue in them Proceed in the feare of God for thou art not far from repentance And thou thinkest other men to be happy in their peace of conscience and desirest to haue fellowship with them in the fruition of Gods fauor And is not this loue or at leastwise a preparation to loue to haue in admiration the saints of God to thinke them to be happy that are in his fauour aboue the condition of other men that inioy the glorie of the world without Gods loue and to desire to be vnited vnto them No man can thinke well and honorably of them whom hee hateth no man can desire to bee ioined in condition and fellowship with them whom he doth not loue or at least thinke well of and therefore this opinion that thou holdest of them and of their happines sheweth that thou art not far from loue When Balaam hauing considered the condition of the people of God both in their life and death speake these words Let me die the death ◅f the righteous and let my last end be like his Hee began to loue the Israelites and though after hee shewed fruites of hatred against them yet at that time when hee spake those words he loued them his change of mind grew from his owne couetousnes he desired Balaks reward and therefore sel from his loue as Gregorie noteth of him that there was Nequaquam perseue ra◅tia continui amoris no perseuering in continued loue He began to loue thē but the couetousnes of his heart brake off his loue Continue thou in loue and striue to increase Thy present good opinion that thou holdest of them and of their happines is an euidence that thou louest or art not far from loue And thou hast a longing desire to recouer the loue of God thou gladly hearkenest to the report of his mercy and wouldest thinke thy selfe an happy man if thou couldest grow to any comfortable perswasion thereof and doth not the man thus minded follow after faith was there any more in the man that came to Christ for his son that was possessed of a diuell when he said vnto him Lord I beleeue help my vnbeliefe Hee freely confessed that all the faith he had was no other no better then vnbeliefe yet his desire of faith was esteemed for faith or obtained faith for the effect of faith followed Christ that said vnto him If thou canst beleeue it all things are possible to him that beleeueth healed his child because he beleeued and shall not thy desire of faith in like manner either be esteemed for faith or obtaine faith that the effect of faith in the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes may follow Surely that desire of thine sheweth that thou art not farre from God But be it granted that thou art altogether without them and at this time most farre from them doth it therefore follow that thou canst not obtaine forgiuenesse of sinnes for the present want of them Not so for though now thou haue them not yet thou maiest obtaine them and then forgiuenesse of sinnes now seeming impossible will easily bee obtained They that were borne without them die with them and reape the fruit of them bearing the testimonie of them into the graue in the sweet peace of their conscience that neuer brought them not any preparation vnto them out of the wombe And therefore hope in the Lord and pray vnto him and practise all the good councell that was giuen thee when these conditions were first remembred vnto thee Repentance is the gift of God and he is the Lord most holy that reneweth our hearts by the spirit of Sanctification He it is that made this promise I will poure water vpon the thirstie hee meaneth him that thirsteth after righteousnesse and stonds vpon the drie ground he meaneth barren hearts that bring forth no good I will poure my spirit vpon thy seed and my blessing vppon thy buds By the name of Spirit he giues vs to vnderstand what hee meant by Water and Flouds mentioned before euen the graces of his renewing and sanctifying Spirit this promise is made to the Church whereby GOD doth assure her that he will blesse all her children how drie and barren soeuer they be with that grace the moisture whereof shall make them fruitfull of all good workes And thou art a child of the church bred and brought vp in the bosome thereof thou art the seed thou art one of the buddes of the righteous pray vnto God that giueth repentance and hath largely promised and in ti◅e thou shalt find fauour Also charitie is the gift of God hee is loue and it is he that maketh men to be of one mind in an house that is in
by Esay When you shall stretch out your hands I will hide mine eies from you and though ye make many praiers I will not heare for your hands are full of bloud By bloud he meaneth soule and bloudie sinnes my hands are full of this bloud for my sins are many therefore if I should lift vp my hart with my hands vnto god in the heauens he will neither behold the stretching out of my hands nor heare the desires and grones of my heart Also I find this saying of the Prophet set down as a rule that shall stand Your iniquities haue seperated betweene you and your God and your sinnes haue hid his face from you that he will not heare Iniquitie seperateth between God and vs I am full of iniquitie therefore there is a wall of seperation shutting him out from mee and mee from him And sinne causeth him so to turne away his face that hee will not heare but I am guiltie of innumerable sinnes therefore God hath hid his face from me and â—…ee will not heare How then can I pray seeing I haue no God that will lend any eare to my praier Secondly I haue no mediator in whose name to pray and for whose sake I may hope to be heard when I pray For men and Angels whom some do make their mediators are no mediators the Apostle saith There is one God and one mediator betweene God and man which is the man Christ Iesus This saying excludeth all other mediators And the only mediator the man Iesus is no mediator for me for I haue denied him and he hath said Whosoeuer shall denie me before men him will I also denie before my father which is in heauen And I am sure that I haue denied him before men if not in words because these daies of peace haue giuen me no cause so to doe which I know I should haue done if daâ—…es of persecution had vrged me yet I haue denied him by my deedes The Apostle hath this saying of the men of his time which is most true in mee They professe they know God but by workes they denie him Hee may bee denied by vngodly workes but I am ful of vngodly workes therefore haue I denied him before men And hauing thus denied him hee must and will denie me before God So haue I no mediator Thirdly if I should offer to pray I must pray without any promise but so to doe were to pray idly for then only doe men pray according to the will of God and with comfort to be heard in their praiers when they ground their praiers vpon the promises of God But I neuer tooke heede to the promises of God and at this time I cannot call them to remembrance and if I could call them to remembrance I were neuer the better for God is not bound to performe his promises to any but to them alone that out of their loue to him striue to keepe his commandements For Moses thus speaketh of him Thou maiest know that the Lord thy God he is God the faithfull God which keepeth couenant and mercy vnto them that loue him and keepâ—… his commandements euen to a thousand generations If any loue not the Lord out of his loue to keepe the commandements of the Lord hee can make no claime to the couenant of God or to any promise of his neither is God bound in his truth and faithfulnesse to performe any promise to him but such a one am I that haue not loued the Lord nor out of loue studied to keepe the commandements of God but haue broken them all therefore I haue no promise to ground my praiers vpon and for that cause I cannot pray Fourthly I know not how to pray how to begin and how to make any proceeding and if at any time I incline my heart to pray I am disturbed I know not how and other thoughts draw away my minde While I thinke to aske forgiuenesse of sinnes my minde runneth out into a wilde remembrance of my sinnes with much pleasure to thinke vpon them While I thinke to pray for grace to assist mee against the power of sinne the lusts of my heart call backe my thoughts and I am deuising how I may compasse it to commit sinne and my will wholy inclineth that way While I thinke to pray for the inheritance of heauen my loue to this world carieth away my minde and I am studying how I may winne the pleasures and preferments thereof And euer my good desires that should lead my minde are crossed and put downe by my bad desires and I cannot raise vp or if I raise it I cannot hold vp my heart to God and holy things with any staiednes I know what is requisite vnto praier by the Apoâ—…les words Pray alwaies with all maner supplication in the spirit and watch there unto with all perseuerancâ—… If I pray it is with my lips I doe not make supplication in the spirit and to watch vnto praier that is diligently to attend with all the powers of my soule without either drowsinesse fainting or wandering of my thoughts is most farte from me And being so vnskilfull and so vnable to pray how can I pray to preuaile by my praiers And lastly which is my greatest mischiefe when I thinke to pray or when I doe pray or when I haue praied there is something within mee that giueth mee my answer assoone as I haue praied and sometime before I haue praied and I am farre from attending vpon God till hee doe giue mee answer as if I did not pray vnto God but rather vnto my self The Prophet Dauid saith Wait patiently vpon God and hope in him the meaning whereof I take to be this when we haue shewed our desire vnto God in praier and supplication that then we should hope in him to receiue a gracious answer and wait patiently for that answer till it please God to shew vs mercy in his appointed time I doe not so I haue neither hope nor patience to wait vpon his hand but mine owne heart maketh answer without God And that answer is alwaies a negatiue answer a flat deniall a plaine repulse So that I haue lesse hope and lesse comfort in and after my praier then before I praied and where others finde themselues much eased in heart after they haue by praier powred out their desires into the lap of God I am much more troubled esteeming euen my praier to be turned into sinne all these things together make me most vnable to pray This is a grieuous obiection but in framing this obiection the troubled sinner fareth like a blinde man in an vnknowen house who wandering without â—…guide goeth hee knoweth not whether and stumbleth often vpon the same threshold so doth he in seuerall branches of this obiection stumble at the same offences that haue beene answered and taken away before But let vs lend â—…and to bring him into the way First he aâ—…th he cannot pray because
a thing is it that the professed Christian should faile to put his trust in Christ his Sauiour a greater error then this into which thou runnest it is not possible for any man to fall into this is to say to the iudge whom we haue offended I will indure no chastisment at thy hands this is to say to the redeemer that is readie to saue vs I despise thy saluation rather make choice to perish There is a madnes of the bodie when the braine is distempered but verily this is the madnes of the soule running into ruine and while thou art yet sober wilt thou wittingly run mad foreseeing the mischiefe that will follow Besides consider whose thy life is who quickned thee at the first who preserued thy life heitherto who hath numbred thy dayes and appointed thy time to whom the seruice of thy life belongeth to vse while he pleaseth to whom the issues of death doe appertaine and who hath the keyes of Hell and of Death and in whose handes the rule of all these things remaine thâ—… so shâ—…lt thou discerne whether thou haue any power authorite or no to meddle in this busines Didst thou appoint the beginning of thine owne life Didst thou fashion and quickeÌ„ thy selfe in thy mothers wombe doeth not the Prophet say speaking vnto God Thine hands haue made me and fashioned me He confesseth god to be the work master himselfe to be Gods work wherein hee did no more then the pot doeth that taketh not his owne shape but receiues it from the potter Hereof he speaketh more fully in another place Know yee that euen the Lord he is God he â—…th made vs. and not we our selues And wilt thou pull downe the building that God hath set vp go to then and pull downe heauen which God hath spread â—…owle it vp in a bundle and cast it into the deepe scatter in the ayre the water of the sea and fling abroad the drops of it till it be drie pound the earth into â—…st and raise a mightie winde to scatter the same that the place of it may bee sound no more If thou haue a purpose to destroy that God hath made and wouldest oppose thy hand in destroying against the hand of God in building attempt some of these things and try thy strength that thou maiest suruiue thy fact and liue to reape the glory of it If these things be to great for thee then cease to hold this conceit to attempt the pulling downe of that which God hath built vp oppose not thy selfe against his worke especially in pulling downe the frame of thine owne life where thou must needes perish with thine owne worke not liue to glorie in that that thou hast done And as God made thee at the first a liuing wight so it is he that hath preserued thee all thy time in the feeblenes of thy insancie in the carelesnes of thy youth in the rashnes of thy riper yeares all which seasons of thy life made thee subiect to many decaies thorough their proper frailties But God made thy feeble infancie strong with his strength he made thy ignorant and carelesse youth aduised and wise by his wisdome he made thy rash and hold manhod to be safe through his prouidence He that keepeth Israel and neither slumbreth nor sleepeth it is he that hath kept thee The Prophet speaketh thus vnto God in one of the Psames Thou didst draw me out of the wombe thou gauest me hope euen at my mothers breastes I was cast vpon thee euen from the wombe thou art my God from my mothers belly By which words hee giueth vs to vnderstand that the same God that gaue vs life in our mothers wombe is hee that keepeth vs from the wombe to the graue he preuenteth dangers he giueth â—…oode hee healeth our sicknes hee disapointeth our enemies he is our guard to defend vs he is our shield and buckler to saue vs from all hurt He hath done this for thee for thy conception vnto this day and wilt thou in one hower attempt to ouerthrow and destroy that which with so much care God hath cherished so long wilt thou be hatefull to oppose thy selfe against his loue wilt â—…ou be maliciously vnthankefull to oppose thy selfe against the worke of his fatherly care while hee is desirous to keepe thee in safetie wilt thou striue more then all the world besides to worke thine owne decay The Angels in heauen vnderstanding the care of God for thee doe willingly pitch their â—…ents about thee and refuse not for thy safety to be are thee in their hands and keepe thee in thy wars The diuels of hell by Gods prouidence are kept off from thee as with a strong hedge which they can neither clime ouer nor breake thorow whereby they impeach not thy safety And while the creator of all things remaineth thy keeper the creatures are in league with thee and thou liuest in pace among them and while the worke of God that preserueth thy life hath this power among all creatures that the creatures of heauen will not attempt thy hurt the creatures of earth doe not attempt it and the creatures of hell cannot Wilt thou alone vnmercifully seeke to crosse the care of God in working thine owne woe Then thou art worthy whom the heauenly creatures should abhorre whom the earthly creatures should forsake and the hellish creatures imbrace receiued into their company with this greeting this is he whom God would haue kept but against the loue of the Angels of heauen against the peace of the creatures of the earth and beyond the malice and power of vs Angels of darknes hee hath destroied himselfe Besides it is God that hath assigned to euery one of vs the measure of our time he hath appointed the number of our daies our life did not begin till he appointed the first day of it and so long it must last vntill hee say this is the last day of it No man did set downe for himselfe when he would come into the world and no man must set downe for himselfe when he will goe out of the world God sent vs in giuing vs life when we came into the world and God must call vs out of the world taking away our life when wee goe hence It is the saying of Iob Is there not 〈◊〉 appointed time to man vpon earth and 〈◊〉 not his daies as the daies of an hireling Man hath his time appointed to him when it shall begin when it shall end he cannot lengthen it when the end comâ—…th and he ought not to shorten it before the time be come His daies are as the daies of an hireling an hireling is entertained for so many daies longer theÌ„ his couenant he may not stay shorter then his couenant he ought not to stay such is the life of man hee is Gods hireling for so many daies and yeares God â—…ath hired him in this world as in Gods vineyard to worke in some
the ancient murderer hath beene thy counseller the giuer of life neuer perswaded there vnto the very fact bewraies from what head the aduice came euen from him that desireth the destruction of man Lay these things togither and I hope the thing that thou art resolued to doe wil appeare so foule and odious before thee that thy resolution will vanish and sâ—…de away This sinne of selfe-murdering is so abhominable that in the first age of the world when abhominations were so multiplied that the most patient God was iustly prouoked with a generall floud to destroy from the face of the earth euery thing in whose nosthrils was the breath of life and among other abhominations murder crept in and that betimes in a greeuous manner the brother murdering the brother yet this sinne could find no entertainement The Diuell was not then so impudent to tempt thereunto and men were not so wicked to yeeld therevnto In the next long age of the world from the floud vnto Christs comming in the flesh for more then three and twenty hundred yeares all sinne increasing this sinne also crept in but in all the sacred historie among the people that had knowledge of the liuing God there were not found aboue foure or fiue that yeelded to this cruell sinne monsters they were among men monsters among sinners their raâ—…enes shews them so to bee And after the daies of Christ for seauenty yeares the Sacred history reaching no further there was found but one Iudas the traitour the thiefe the diuell that betraied his Maister the Sonne of God into the handes of his enemies a monster whom the world hath not equalled nor can equall with a match so that in more then foure thousand yeares among the people that knew God though there were many idolaters many blasphemers many giuen to witchcraft and other diuellish hearts many traitors many murderers many whoore masters many oppressors thieues false witnesses and sinners of all kinds yet there were not aboue six selfe murderers And with these monsters wilâ—… thou ioyne considering also that in this sinne there is no mixture of loue in all other sinnes there is some mixture of loue if not to any other yet vnto him selfe but he that committeth this sinne shewes no loue neither to God to his neighbour nor to himselfe His sinne is totally hate himselfe totally hatefull and whereas the vertues of Christianitie pertaining chiefly to the daies of affliction when God maketh his elect like vnto the Image of his Sonne that suffeâ—…ing with him in this world they may after reigne with him in heauen whereas the vertues of christianitie pertaining to this time are patience to suffer the will of God and faith to trust to Gods mercie this sinne is the banishment of all patience it is nothing else then fury in the highest degree and it is the ouerthrow of all faith hastening and pulling on destruction where it should pray and wait for deliuerance it is a violent opposition against the worke of God it is a violent intrusion and inuasion vppon the right of God For life is the gift of God he made vs liuing creatures aâ—…d this sinne violently ouerthrowes the worke of God And God being the Lord of life and hauing all authoritie ouer life to giue it to continue it and to end it at his pleasure and for his seruice this sinner inuadeth vpon Gods right and without leaue from God without any aduice or authority from him yea directly against the commaundement of God forbidding murder hee presumeth to cut off his owne life And he that neuer could find in his heart to lay downe his life for God and for his glorie though God gaue him the life that hee hath and when that is lost in his seruice and for his sake hath promised to giue him life eternall yet in this mad and desperate resolution is ready to step into the place of the tyrant the persecuter the executioner and hangman and for the diuells pleasure not to lay downe but to take away euen his owne life and to make himselfe with his owne murtherous hands a sacrifice to Belzebub who did not giue vnto him the life that yet hee holdeth but was euer an enemie to the safetie of it and when that life is lost shall reward him with eternall death and hell torments for euer such is the act thou resoluest to doe the wofull effect of damned despaire throwing thee into intollerable and eternall torments And therefore with all care to be auoided And the most mightie Preseruer change thy mind and keepe thee from this ruine CHAP. XXVIII WHen our sinner signified his resolution to this act he signified withall the reasons by which he was induced to be so resolute Those reasons I will now examine and shew the weaknesse of them that the sinner seeing his deceiued iudgement may repent him of his wicked purpose in time and stay his hand from doing that mischiefe which once done can neuer be helped the reasons were fixe in number The first three seeming to prooue it a matter of iustice and the last three seeming to prooue it a matter of aduantage The first three pretending iustice were these First he hath sinned against God and deserued death and therefore must die this being a thing of necessity hee holdeth it as good to die now as to tarry longer and to die by his owne hand as to expect the stroke of another Secondly hee hath loaden and ouercharged the earth the place of his present life with the burden of his sinnes it groaneth vnder that burden and can no longer beare it it must be eased and he that hath laied this burthen vpon the shoulders of the earth is the most fitte to remooue the same he hath hands wherewithall to doe iâ—… and his heart serues him And with this second reason hee inuolueth and wrappeth another foolish conceit that seeing hee is vnworthy of mortall life vppon earth it were follie and madnesse in him yea it were shamelesse presumption to hope to obtaine immortall life in Heauen Thirdly hee saith his life hath beenâ—… loathsome to heauen and earth in heauen to God and his Angells in earth to the Church and all the true members thereof And so great an offence must needes be remooued that God and his Angells the Church and her children may receiue content These things prooue it iust that hee should die And that it should be a part of his inioyned penance to see the thing done himselfe Now because my speech is intended for the health of the sinner I will direct it to the sinner Thy first reason is thou hast sinned against God thou deseruest to die This reason is no reason to infer that which thou wouldest inferre That therefore thou must die and especially by thine owne hand For all men sinne against God all men deserue to die must all men therefore die especially must they die by their owne hands This I doubt not