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
those sinnes in which thou didst deny him are done away Yea thy sins are so farre from making him no Mediator no Reconciler that for thy sinnes he is thy Mediator and thy Reconciler The Euangelist Iohn saith If any man 〈◊〉 wee haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the iust and hee is the reconciliation for our sinnes and not for 〈◊〉 sinnes onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world Wee haue an aduocate with the Father to pleade our cause When If any man sinne And he is our reconciliation that brings vs againe into fauour and makes our peace For what For our sinnes And who is this Aduocate with God the father who is this reconciliation for our sinnes Iesus Christ the Iust. Where is now the deniall of thy workes that should make Iesus Christ to be no Mediator for thee that should make him deny thee before his Father in heauen Hee taketh away those sinnes Hee is thy reconciliation for those sinnes Repent of those thy sinnes and feare not to pray to God in the name of Iesus Thirdly he saith hee hath no promises where on to ground his praiers And without promise to pray vnto GOD were to make idle and vnstable praiers That is most true But who told him that Gods promises which are made to all belong not vnto him This point was handled before when he obiected that Gods promise for the forgiuenes of his sinnes belonged not to him that was no Israelite And it was then prooued that all Gods promises belong to the seed of the righteous the Apostle Peter saying The promise is made vnto you and to your children So that if it were a prooued trueth that thou thy selfe wert vnrighteous and in thine owne right thou couldest make no claime to any promise of God yet seeing thou art a child of the righteous a child of beleeâ—…rs in the right of thy parents thy progenitors thou maiest make claime to the promises of God and vpon thy repentance and conuersion they shal be performed to thee And if this title contents thee not claime them in the right of Iesus Christ of whom the Apostle saith All the promises of God in him are yea and are in him Amen That is to euery one that commeth humbly and reuerently vnto GOD in the name of Iesus Christ seeking mercy and grace mercy and grace shal be granted according to the promises of God whose truth pertains to them that are in Christ Iesus and come vnto God by him But thou dost not now remember any of Gods promises neither didst thou heretofore take heed vnto them when thou â—…rdst them to lay them vp in the treasury of thy heart against the times of need Indeed this was thy fault which being now seene must heereafter be aâ—…ended Hence foorth hearken vnto them and when thou hearest lay hold vpon them and treasure them vp more carefully for hee is the happy man and blessed that heares the word of God and keepes it But though thou hast them not in the store-house of thine heart and canst not find them there yet there is an other store-house wherein they are laied vp and where thou maiest readily finde them and that is the booke of holy Scriptures Iacob in Canaan had his priuat store-house wherein prouision was laid vp for him and his familie and other men likewise had their priuate store-houses for their priuate prouision but when the yeares of famine came and prouision failed in mens priuat store-houses then the publique store-houses of Ioseph in Egypt were opened and al men fetched thence what they needed and especially Iacob and his family was from thence supplied Euen so for euery mans priuate comfort his owne heart is his store-house in which he that is wise wil treasure vp the promises of Gods mercie to saue the necessities of soule in times of feaâ—…e but if there come such yeares of famine such daies of distresse that the â—…ouision in the priuat store house of the â—…eart will not serue the turne send to the store-houses of the Scripture The Lord Iesus saith Search the Scriptures for in them you thinke to haue eternall life â—…d they are they that testifie of me There â—…lt thou finde the large promises of Gods mercie vpon which thou maiest with much comfort ground thy praiers all holie Scripture is written for our instruction and comfort and it should be thy sinne and vnthankfulnesse to God aâ—…d treason against thine owne soule to â—…eglect in this time of feare to search for these promises in the Scriptures And whereas thou saiest that Gods promises belong to them that loue him and keepe his commandements and to no other and thou hast not loued him â—…ou hast not kept his commandements learne to amend this errour of thine heart and of thy life Amend the error of thy heart and loue the Lord amend the error of thy life and keep the commandements of God so shall all this feare weare away and thou shalt with â—…uch strength of faith ground thy prayers vpon Gods promises Fourthly he saith he knowes not how to pray I beleeue it oft-times Gods deare children are so astonished with the burden of their trouble and euen with this burden of sinne affirighting their soule that they know not how to pray Hezekiah saith of his astonished soule in the time of his sicknesse Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter I did mourns as a Doue mine eies were lift vp on high O Lord it hath oppressed mee comfort mee The sorrow of his heart did so oppresse his soule that though he remembred God and looked vp vnto him and had all his desires waiting vpon the hand of God yet he was not able to pray in any distinct manner like a wel aduised man his praying was all out of order it was more like the mourning of a Doue and more like the chattering of a Swallow then like the holy and orderly praiers of a wise and godly man And Saint Paul doth affirme it to be a more common thing and vsuall withall the seruants of God in times of affliction saying Wee know not what to pray as wee ought They know not what to aske nor in what order to aske And this being so common among Gods children shalt thou bee afraid to be a suitor vnto God 〈◊〉 thou knowest not how to pray shalt thou therefore be out of comfort if thou canst not pray distinctly and orderly yet lifting thine eles vp on high with Hezekiah charter like the Swallow mourne like the Doue Weepe with the Apostle Peter We read not in what words hee praied but wee read in what bitternesse of heart hee wept Let thy teares flow where thy words can finde no free passage Saint Barnard calleth the teares of sinners the wine of Angels And concerning the true vigour of praier Saint Augustine in one place saith it stands more in tearee then in words for instructing a certaine
bluddie handes cruell hearts and cunning and deceitfull heades But such an one am I I haue wrought wickednes I haue done euill I haue through the foolishnes of mine heart committed much iniquitie I haue beene a lyar my handes are full of bloud I haue beene cruell deceitfull therefore I am depriued of Gods loue I shall not dwell in his kingdome not be able to stand before him in iudgement I am iustly hated of him and shall bee iustly destroied by him and hee must needes abhor me as a thing most vile Who can speake against these things grounded on such authoritie must not the seuere iustice of heauen condemne such sinnes as mine are must not the pure holines of heauen exclude such vile sinners as I am surely it may be called prodigall mercy if such sinnes as mine escape vnpunished and if such a sinner as I may euer be saued This obiection seemeth to consist of two parts inregard of iustice that cannot suffer sin to escape vnpunished in regard of holines that will admit no vncleane person to haue fellowship and cohabitation with it But they ioyne together in one to increase this poore mans feare yet let vs helpe him with our answere It is a comely thing to to thinke reuerently of the iustice and holines of heauen for certainely iustice will not suffer the least sinne to escape vnpunished neither will holines euer suffer any vncleane thing to enter into the kingdome of heauen Yet that cannot hence be concluded that thou gatherest namely that therefore mercy can find no free passage to forgiue thy sinnes and to bring thee to glory for the wisdome and power and loue of heauen which are able to worke wonders aboue the reach of mans vnderstanding will find yea haue found out a way to satisfie iustice by the punishing of sinne and to satisfie holines by the purging of sinne and yet to saue the sinner that committed that sinne Lift vp thine heart and eares and harken to that that shal be deliuered thou shalt find an helmet of the hope of saluation to couer and saue thy head withall The glorious Trinitie by an eternall decree ordained defore all time and effected in the fulnes of time sent downe the eternall word the second person called the sonne who being conceiued by the holy Ghost tooke flesh and was borne of the virgin Mary of the linage of Dauid and was made man true man the sonne of man the sonne of Adam of Abraham and of Dauid in all things like vnto vs yet without sinne and him the father gaue vnto vs to be our mediator and to be the Lord our righteousnes and to the satisfying of the iustice of heauen God laied vpon him our sinnes and he willingly submitted himselfe to the burden of our sinnes to the curse of the law to the death of the crosse and to the wrath of his father for those sinnes of ours Excellent to this purpose is the testimonie of Esaie speaking more like an Euangelist or an apostle then like a Prophet saying He was wounded for our transgressions hee was broken for our iniquities the chastisment of our 〈◊〉 was vpon him and with his stripes are we healed all we like sheepe haue gone astray we haue turned euery one to his owne waiâ—… and the Lord hath laied vpon him the iniquitie of vs all We are the men that haue sinned and gone astray from God stripes woundes and death were due to vs for sinnes God imputed to him our sinnes and he was contented to stand before God a sinner in our name The stripes the woundes the death that we deserued hee receiued sustained and indured for vs. Thus iustice is satisfied our sinnes being in him punished it were iniustice to punish the same sinnes againe in them that plead the suffringes of Iesus for them Thus are his stripes our cure his woundes our health and his death our life Vnto that saying of Esaie let vs ad another of the Apostle Saint Paul Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law when hee was made a curse for vs for it is written cursed is euery one that hangeth on tree that the blessing of Abraham might come vpon the gentiles through Iesus Christ. The law curseth euery one that abideth not in all that is written in that booke to doe it and we haue failed in all or in most and the sentence of the curse did lie vpon vs then it pleased the Lord Iesus Christ by yeelding himselfe to the cursed death of the crosse to take vpon him the curse that should haue fallen vpon vs. So was iustice executed according to that sentence of the law iustice so satisfied giueth waie to mercy for the curse being borne by Iesus Christ the blessing promised to Abraham is our inheritance Here the one halfe of thy feare is remoued because in the death of Iesus Christ iustice hath receiued satisfaction for thy sinnes if thou plead this satisfaction by what iustice art thou to be punished for thy sinnes The other halfe of thy feare is this that the holines of heauen will neuer suffer such an vncleane sinner as thou art to enter into the kingdome of God to remoue this feare vnderstand that the same Lord Iesus Christ that bare ouâ—… sinnes imputed to him and suffered for them to satisfie iustice doeth also inuest and cloth vs with his perfect righteousnes both originall and actuall impuâ—…ed to vs that all our vnrighteousnes and vncleanenes both originall and actuall being therewith hidden and couered from the view of God most holy wee might appeare cleane spotles in him to the satisfying of the holines of heauen Therefore is it that Paul saith speaking of Iesus God hath made him to be sinne for vs which knew no sinne that we should be made the righteousnes of God in him This place plainely sheweth that God made an exchang betweene Iesus Christ and vs. He knew no sinne that is he had no acquaintance nor fellowship with sinne in him was no sinne to deserue death That sinne abounded in vs and God laied it vpon Iesus and he died for it On the other side we had no righteousnes no righteousnes of God that is no such pure and perfect righteousnes as God requireth and as might commend vs vnto God to be admitted for it into heauen That righteousnes was in Iesus Christ who fulfilled all righteousnes keeping the law bearing perfect loue both to God man and performing all offices pertaining to that loue and that righteousnes of his doth God impute vnto vs making vs righteous in him Therefore is it that the Prophet Ieremie calleth him the Lord our righteousnes And this is the name whereby they shall call him the Lord our righteousnes Not our iustifier that pardoning our sinâ—… pronounceth vs righteous by holding vs excused which thing also verely he doeth for vs but our righteousnes because in him we are accepted and his righteousnes
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
Lord to tell him of his fault that if hee be curable he may amend And because thou knowest not but that it may please God to ease thy burden of domesticall troubles making them of short continuance by reforming the troubler it is a speciall point of casting this burden vpon God to pray for the amendment of thy neighbour and to put thy helping hand thereto by gentle and neighbourly admonitions But this liberty of telling thy neighbour his fault giues no allowance of rayling and reproaching and publique disgracing of men by casting their infirmities and faults in their teeth A christian man must abhorre all such bitter courses remembring what the Apostle Peter saith Loue couereth a multitude of sinnes That is a right charitable man though hee seeke to reforme his neighbour by telling him of his sinne yet he will not disgrace or shame his neighbor by publishing his sinne It may please God to ease thee of the burden of thy domesticall trouble by weakening the power and crossing the malice and abating the pride of thy troubler that either hee shall not dare or shall not be able to proceede any further in thy vexation as he daunted the Pride of Laban when he pursued Iacob for hee meant euill to Iacob but by the way God came to Laban the Arnmiteâ—… a dreame by night and said vnto him take heede that thou speake not tâ—… Iacob aught saue good And by this threatning of the Lord Labans stomake was taken down as hee confessed to Iacob the next day saying I am able to doe you euill but the God of your Father spake vnto mee yester night saying Take heed that thou speake not to Iacob aught saue good And GOD crossed the fury and violence of Saul when hee thought to haue slaine Dauid Saul intended to sâ—…ite Dauid to the wâ—…ll with the speare but he turned asiâ—… out of Sauls presence and he â—…ote the speare against the wall but Dauid siâ—…d and escaped c. In this case it is not lawful foâ—… thee to pray vnto God for the death the sickenesse the impouerishing or any way the hurt of thine enemy leaue him to the iudgement of God and pray vnto God to forgiue him his wicked malice Yet is it lawfull for thee to pray vnto God that hee will be pleased to confound the deuices and to crosse the attempts and to scatter the prepared power of thine aduersaries So we reade that Dauid in the time of Absoloms treason when he vnderstood that Ahitophel that great politician tooke part with him he feared his counsell and first prayed vnto God saying O Lord I pray thee turne the councell of Ahitophel into foolishnesse And afterward sent his wise and faithful friend Hushai the Aâ—…chite to bee an opposite vnto Ahitophel by whose meanes indeede Ahitophels counsell was reiected to the danger of Absolom and safetie of Dauid and many like prayers wee haue in the Psalmes In one place Vp Lord let not man preuaile In another place Let not them that are mine enemie vniustly reioyc ouer mee neither let them winke with the eâ—…e that hate mee without a cause And in another place Let not the wicked haue his desire O Lord performe not his wicked thought lest they be prowd Thus wee see that the Saints haue made their prayer vnto God against the malice power and cunning of their aduersaries that God would be pleased to abate their pride to asswage their malice to confound their deuices and delude their cunning that they might not preuaile to doe the mischiefe that they intended And so far it is lawfull for thee to pray for their disappointing And because sometime the seruants of God haue made request vnto him against the persons of their enemies praying for their destruction as Eliâ—… did against the messengers of the King of Israel saying If that I be a man of God let fire come downe from heauen and deuoure thee and thy fifty As Dauid in diuers places of the psalmes let them bee confounded and put to shame that seeke after my soule let them be turned backe and brought to confusion that imagine mine hurt And in another place set thou the wicked ouer him and let the aduersarie stand at his right hand when he shal bee iudged let him be condemned and let hâ—… praier be turned into sinne As Peter tâ—…e Apostle praied against Simon Magus thy mony perish with thee that is both thou and thy mony perish And Paul the Apostle against Alexander the Copper-smith saying Alexander the Copper-smith hath done me much euill the Lord reward him according to his workes Let none of vs thinke that for the procuring our ease and deliuerance from our neare troubles it is lawfull for vs to bend the force of our pâ—…aiers against the persons of our aduersaries and to desire their destruction or hurt For those whose examples are before remembred were the Prophets of God and Apostles of the Lord Iesus Christ who knew the reprobation of those against whom they praied and so rather pronounced the knowen iudgements of God then the priuate affections of their owne hearts and if they pronounced their owne affections they were affections conformed to the known iudgements of God not contending to guide moue Gods iudgements So doth S. Austin affirme of all such praiers saying those things which are spoken in the forme of wishing are things opened by a spirit of prophecying and when they say let that be done and let that be done it is no other then if they had said such and such a thing shall come vnto them Noâ—… we haue no such knowledge of any mans reprobation he may prooue a sheep of Christ whom as yet by his fruits we find and therfore esteem a wolfe And we haue no such spirit of prophecy by which we can foretell what wrath from God shall fall vpon them And also our Sauiour hath giuen vnto vs this rule which we must follow Pray for them which hurt you and persecute you Therefore if God be pleased to ease vs of the burden of our troubles by weakning the power asswaging the pride and malice and by disappointing and scattering the purposes and counsel of out enemies we in seeking this grace at his hands may pray against their deuises but not a against their persons And therefore by this rule is no countenance giuen to the dire imprecations and bitter curses that many vncharitable men powre out against their troublers Perhaps it may please God to ease thee of this burden of domesticall troubles making them short either by remoouing thy troubler from thee or by remouing thee from thy troubler And this remoue all may be made either by death or by some other course And thereto some rules pertaine in the right obseruation whereof a wise man for his ease casteth his burden vpon God If the remoue be to be made by death this is a thing
of God and seeking to establish their owne righteousnes haue not submitted themselues to the righteousnes of God A single good intent without knowledge is the deuotion of fooles it hath no true comfort tied vnto it it saueth not from destruction it leadeth men blindefolde and sleeping into hell But when men haue learned out of the word of God what hee requireth and what is their duety vnto that knowledge ioyne a true desire to doe their duetie then vnfained desire is before God esteemed a perfect worke Therefore doth Saint Paul say That loue is the fulfilling of the Law And in another place The end of the Law is loue out of a pure heart and a good conscience and of faith vnfained The Law requireth no more but loue which will neuer be idle and that obtained the Law hath attained his true end in vs. And to him that thus loueth as much is due as vnto him that perfectly fulfilleth the commandement Thirdly to him that thus in heart desireth while he liueth here full perfect and absolute holinesse being grieued that the lusts of his flesh should stand vp in his way with such strength as they doe that which hee desireth shall in due time be granted with increase of grace in the meane while For when death comes in which hee pulleth off sinfull flesh he shal put off sin al corruption togither with the flesh and thenceforth hee shall offend his God no more nor be in any danger of offending him For the Apostle truely saith He that is dead is freed from sinne both from the act of sinne and from all lusting after sinne And when he shall receiue his bodie againe in the resurrection hee shall receiue it cleansed and purged from that corruption that was in it before For so doth Saint Paul testifie saying The body is sowne in corruption and is raised in incorruption By which incorruption he vnderstandeth not onely an estate of strength and health whereby it shall be freed from that decaying that it was subiect to before in regard whereof we haue relieued it with daily food to repaire the daily decaies and also freed from sicknesse and paine that it suffred here before in regard whereof wee take much physicke to ease the paine of it and to maintaine the health of it but he vnderstandeth rather by incorruption an estate of purenesse holinesse whereby it shall bee freed from sinning and offending God and shall stand and remaine for euer purged and cleansed from all sinfulnesse and in as perfect sanctitie as the blessed Angels of God And our true holinesse begunne heere shall be consummated and become perfect holinesse there These are matters of comfort to cheere his heart that is grieued with the burthen of his owne corruptions not suffering him to serue God as hee would his defaults displeasing him shall not bee laid to his charge His loue and true desire shall be accepted as if his life were without fault and hereafter in due time he shall be wholly freed from all corruptions And these comforts are some ease of his burthen that though his lusts be still as strong as they were yet his g◅iefe for them is not so much as it was But let vs see further how a man may cast this burthen vpon God to be eased of it and get masterie ouer his lusts For the casting of this burthen vpon God these are good rules and profitable seruing to procure case and whereby strength against the corruptions and lusts of the flesh is obtained First let him be diligent in the study of the word of God which Dauid calleth A lanterne vnto our feete and a light vnto our paths Because in the spirituall darkenesse which ouershadoweth our souls in this world so that of our selues wee cannot see nor finde out the paths of righteousnesse wherein wee should walke if wee take vnto vs the word of God it like a shining light will reueale vnto vs the old way which is the good way that we may goe forward in it It will teach vs what to doe and what to leaue vndone and will guide vs aright against the dangerous seducings of our owne euill lusts And great force it hath to keep vs in our way euen in those men in whom their lusts and corruptions are most strong As for example in yong men in whom there is more pride of wit and more stubbornnesse of wil then in men of other ages in them the word of God is powerfull to make them aduised and to humble them Dauid asketh this question Wherewith all shall a yong man redresse his wayes and hee giueth answer in the next words saying In taking heed there to according to Gods word Such an excellent help against the seducing lusts of the flesh is the word of God for the redressing of our waies So that if a man burdened with his corruptues desiring to obtain strength against them doe giue himselfe to study the word of God and do take heed vnto it though he were as prowd witted and as stubbornely wilfull as were those yong men the sonnes of Iacob that cōmitted the outrage at Shechem yet the word of God will bring downe his prowd wit reclaime the forward wils of the very dissolute gallants of the world And this doth Dauid being yet but a yong man out of experience in himself affirme saying By thy commandements thou hast made mee wiser then mine enemies for they are euer with me that is I am a continuall student in thy commandements I haue more vnderstanding then my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation that is my minde is alwayes vpon thy testimonies I vnderstand more then the ancient because I haue kept thy precepts that is age teacheth much by obseruation and experience but Gods word teacheth more So that while a man is carefull to study the Scriptures as Dauid was and maketh them his meditation hee shall soone become more wise then his teachers and more able to direct himselfe then the ancient that think themselues able to giue councell There shall not moue nor stir a corrupt lust in his heart attempting to draw him aside to sin but he being exercised in the study of Gods word shal presently be able with iudgement to checke that desire of his heart to oppose against it Gods owne will Secondly let him frequent the company of good men in whom hee seeth great power to subdue keepe vnder disordered lusts then is in himselfe and let him obserue imitate their behauiour this will helpe him much For if the word of God on the one side giue him a rule how to keepe vnder his raging lusts these men on the other side will be vnto him an example patterne shewing him how to doe it and a very simple workman when he hath not onely rules giuen him to direct his iudgment but a patterne also laid before him to direct his hand will very
easily with this double helpe learne to doe his worke in some reasonable good manner and vnto this helpe vnder God the Apostle Paul doeth send vs saying Brethren be followers of me and looke on them which walks so as you haue vs for an example A man merrily ignorant of his way if he follow carefully step for step a skilfull guide going before him will very safely come to the place that he desireth so shalt thou doe in the way of godlines if thou keepe company with the godly and marke their behauiour to doe thereafter Augustin hauing respect of Saint Paul saith in one place If thou faile in the precept be strengthned in the example that is if by looking onely to the precept thou canst not bring to passe to keepe it looke to the example of them that doe after it and their example shall much strengthen thee Men are very apt to be led by examples and are easily transformed into the manners of those whom they keepe company with neither will their fellowship hold long that doe not conforme themselues to the manners of their company Dauid in one place hath this saying With the godly thou wilt shew thy selfe godly with the vpright man thou will shew thy selfe vpright with the pure thou will shew thy selfe pure and with the froward thou will shew thy selfe froward The Prophet speaketh these words of God and we may safely speake them of men among the godly thou must shew thy selfe godly learning and practising their godly behauiour else they will haue small pleasure in thy company and among the wicked thou must doe as they doe else they will soone be weary of thee and sly thy fellowship The company therefore of the godly cannot but be a great helpe vnto thee vnder God to learne by them to subdue and keepe vnder thy vnruly lusts if thou conuerse with them and daily striuest to conforme thy selfe to their manners This is a good degree of casting this burden vpon God Thirdly let him shun all occasions that may aâ—…lure and prouoke him vnto these sinnes that by the corrupt lusts of his heart he findeth himselfe most subiect vnto For example if his infirmitie be pronenesse to anger wrath let him auoid the company of contentions and froward persons that are apâ—… to prouoke let him not take knowledge of euery petâ—…y wrong that is done vnto him nor harken vnto them that will tell him this or that tale what other men say of him lest suddenly he be distempered If his infirmitie be a pronenesse to drunkenes as thâ—…re are but too many that when they are at it can keepe no measure let him fly the company of pot companions let him shun the places and â—…bhorre the ceremonies of great drinking and let him not delight himselfe to behold the colour and sparkling of the Wine If his infirmitie be a pronenesse to adulterie and such vncleannes let him shun the haunt of Harlots and their houses all wanton company and let him not cast his eye vpon deceitful and bewitching beautie and so concerning all other sinnes that his heart lusteth after This rule the holy Ghost giues vs in many places Salomon saith Keepe thee from the wicked woman and from the slattery of the tongue of the strange woman desire not her beauty in thine heart neither let her take thee with her eye-lid Her coÌ„pany her countenance and her wordes all these are inticing occasions and all these Salomon warneth him to shun that world not be betrayed by his owne frailty to commit whoredome In another place he saith Make no friendship with an angry man neither goe with the furious man least thou learne his waies and receiue destruction to thy soule Company and fellowship with the froward will draw thee whether thou wilt or no into many brawles and quarrels and otherwise also breedes danger vnto thee therefore to be shunned of him that feareth his owne euill nature too prone vnto anger Againe Looke not thou vpon the Wine when it is red when it sheweth his colour in the cup and goeth downe pleasantly in the end thereof it will bite like a Serpent and hurt like a Cockatrice The beautifull colour and pleasant mouing of the Wine in the cup are prouocations to drinking hee that would not be ouertaken with drunkennes knowing his owne appetite and weakenes must shun these prouocations Generally this is a veriy good rule for him that feareth the violence of his owne sinfull lustes to sly all occasâ—…ions alluring and prouoking vnto sinneâ—… he that would not be strangled with the hooke let him not play with the bait and lie nibling at it the Diuell and the world deceiue by such meanes he that is hurdened with thâ—… lustes of his flesh desireth case to his guâ—…ed soule by casting his burden vpon God let him shun these occasioâ—…s diligâ—…ntly he that would not be huâ—…t with the Lyons clawes let him not come neare vnto his foote In the fourth place let him often think vpon the iudgements of God threatned against sinne and executed vpon sinners that yeeld and suffer themselues to be led away by their lusts the threatnings he shal finde euery where in Gods word and the executions he may see abroad in the world Let him also meditate vpon the mercies of God promised vnto vertue and performed vnto the vertuous that walke in the spirit and putting vpon them the Lord Iesus Christ doe take no care for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof the promises hee shall meete with euery where in Gods word and the performances he may see abroad in the world but especially in the church and among the godly whose company he was before aduised to frequent These things obserued 〈◊〉 breede in him the feare of Gods power and the loue of Gods mercy which two will be vnto him helps of great seruice against the lusts of his owne heart while on the on side the feare of God will make him walke in humility and on the other fide the loue of God will make him to serue God with gladnesse This is a very good way of casting this burden vpon God Fiftly and lastly but continually and feruently let him pray vnto God for his grace to be giuen continued and increased to him For as the flesh that is corruption â—…n vs lusteth against the spirit so the spirit that is the grace of God in vs lusteth against the flesh So Paul incumbred with the messenger of SataÌ„ buâ—…eting him by which name he vnderstood the burden of his troublesome corruptions praied vnto God if it might bee to be freed from it For all power to preuaile against sinne and to get the mastery ouer corruptions is obtained by the gift of God and by the worke of his grace in vs. Therefore doth Dauid pray to God in this manner Teach mee o Lord the way of thy statutes and I will keepe it vnto the end giue mee
of God bestowed vpon him whatsoeuer in minde in body or in estate hee waâ—…led them vainly without any fruit either to the praise of God or good of his saints yea wickedly to the dishonour of God and great offence and hurt of his saints His elder brother said truly of him to his father He hath deuoured thy goods with Harlots He was a deuourer rather then a spender because he followed wholy the flatterings and intice ments of the flesh and of the world hee pursued earnestly and greedily the pleasures of sinne he polluted the whole man both body and soule in carnall and spirituall fornication and hee dishonoured his mercifull Father while to his sinfull courses for the furthering thereof he conuerted all the gfits and graces that hee had receiued of God This was his behauiour being departed from his father In the end by misery iustly fallen vpon him hee was touched ashamed and confounded as thou art seest thou not thine estate liuely described in the estate of this prodigall man yet after all this wandering and wicked behauior and much misery that hee indureth hee remembreth his fathers house he repenteth he returneth and humbly praieth and the successe was he is gratiously receiued into fauour Take this example vnto thee and view it well dwell vppon it with holie meditation Such as he was in his wandering in his wickednesse in his trouble of minde such thou art such as he was in his repentance in his returne home to his Fathers house and in his humble praier vnto God such be thou and such fauorable intertainment as hee found at his Fathers hands thou also shalt find Are not these things written for our learning that wee through patience and consolation of the Scriptures might haue hope And because thou dost not yet resemble God either in the vertues of thy mind or the actions of thy life say not therefore that he is not thy Father and that thou art not his Child Why wilt thou adde this to the former discomfort of thy soule and to the former errours of thy life and wrong either God in his goodnes or thy selfe in the grounds of thy hope Thou knowest the words of Moseâ—… to the people of Israel if thou know them not heare and let thine heart vnderstand them Is not he thy Father thâ—… bought thee he hath made thee and proportioned thee If he be thy Father that made thee and proportioned thee theâ—… surely God is thy Father for hee and none but he that made heauen and earth made thee The Prophet saith of God It is he that hath made vs and not we 〈◊〉 selues And if he be thy Father that hatâ—… bought thee and purchased thee then whether thou approoue iâ—… or no God is thy Father for hee hath bought vs with a price not of corruptible things as siluer and gold but with the price of the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lamb vndefiled without spot Therfore the Apostle saith to the Corinthians Yee are not your owne for yee are bought with a price And beeing once his all thy wanderings cannot weaken his right in thee but hee still shall remaine thy Father that bought thee If a sheepe runne astray from the fold and wander long in vnknowne pastures doth it therefore cease to be his that is Lord and owner of the flocke and if it returne or be brought home with the fleece lost and left behind hanging vpon euery hedge and with the skin and flesh also torne will hee not acknowledge it and receiue it Yes he will receiue it with ioy Reade the fifteenth chapter of Saint Luke and meditate vpon that thou readest So farre off is it that the indignation of heauen should reiect thee that as it is there said There is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God for one sinner that conuerteth Make ioyfull the angels of heauen by thy returne to God and that ioy shall shine vpon the face of thy conscience And not to forget what we haue in hand to proue God thy father consider some words of the apostle to the Hebr. We haue had the fathers of our bodies that corrected vs and we gaue theÌ„ reuerence should we not much rather be in subiection vnto the Father of spirits that wee might liue He calleth men that begat vs fathers of our bodies and hee calleth God that created vs the Father of our spirits because in the generation of our bodies men are vsed but in the creation of our spirits God only worketh who is also the principal ageÌ„t in the framing of our bodies and men are but instrumentall agentâ—… therfore while there is a spirit dwelling in thy body quickning and mouing it thou canst not deny God to be thy Father whose gloâ—…ous habitation being in heauen as he saith by Esay I dwell iâ—… the high holy place Thou hast a Father in heauen And therfore by the commaÌ„dement of Iesus Christ willing vs to say to God forgiue vnto vs our sins thoâ—… hast both leaue giuen thee to aske forgiuenesse of sins and hope giuen thee to obtaine forgiuenes Vse therfore cheerfully but withall reuerently and thankfully this leaue obey duetifully and gladly this commandement for God is thy Father And thy seruice in calling vpon him shall not be fruitlesse And say not bicause as yet thou neither seest the fruits of the holy Ghost iâ—… thy reformed life nor feelest the testimony of it in thy cheereful conscience that therefore that blessed Spirit is not in thee When thou speakest of the fruits of the Spirit thou makest the Spirit to be as seed sowne in the heart that should bring forth fruit And so indeed the holy Ghost within vs is the seed of our regeneration and new life as the Lord Iesus teacheth vs saying Except that a man be borne of watâ—… the spirit the water of Baptisme spirit of Sanctification And Iohn plainely giueth the name of Seed to the Holy-Ghost saying His seed remaineth in him And when thou speakest of the testimony of the Spirit thou makest the Spirit to be as a witnesse that testifieth the fatherly loue of God vnto vs. And so indeed the Holy-Ghost within vs is vnto our hearts a true witnes of Gods loue Paul to this purpose saith Yee haue receiued the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that wee are the children of God And Saint Peter in his speech before the Priest and Captain of the Temple calleth the holy-Ghost a Witnesse saying Wee are his witnesses concerning these things which we say yea and the holy-Ghost whom God hath giuen to them that obey him For the Lord Iesus hath two sorts of witnesses to confirme to the consciences of men the truth of his death and resurrection and his power of sanctifying and sauing The one sort is the Apostles and Ministers who by their doctrine doe beare witnesse
the power of God to saue that is the instrument by which hee powerfully saueth Though therefore thou hast not power to settle thine own hart by giuing saith vnto thy selfe yet thou hast no cause to be discomforted for by praier vnto God and by study in the word of GOD it is obtained at his hands These are the conditions betweene God and man which God requireth where he forgiueth sins three in number One that concerneth most directly thy selfe that is repentance renewing thy heart to hate sinne and to loue vertue and reforming thy life to slie sinne and practise vertue A second that concerneth most directly thy brother that is charitie and compassion to forgiue vnto him the wrongs done vnto thee to comfort him and to doe good to him as thou wouldest that God should forgiue vnto thee the wrongs that thou hast done vnto him that God should comfort thee and doe good vnto thee A third that concerneth most directly God himselfe reuealed vnto vs in his sinne Iesus Christ namely our faith that wee neither thinke basely of the mercy of God nor of the merite of Iesus Christ as if there were some person that it could not releeue and thy selfe that person and some sinne that it could not do away and thy sinne that sinne And now maiest thou vnderstand what it is that causeth so many to perish in their sinnes and how it commeth to passe that so few are saued when yet without exception of any sinne the Lord Iesus commandeth and by commandement giueth leaue to aske and hope to obtaine forgiuenesse of sinne and likewise without exception of anie sinne God the â—…ather of our Lord Iesus Christ promiseth to forgiue sinne First they haue no caâ—…e of repentance to forsake sinne yea with delight they dwell in it liue in it and die in it and they will rather forsake God and renounce heauen then leaue their pleasant and gainfull sinnes Secondly they haue no care of charitie and compassion to their neighbour they regard not the rest the credit the prosperitie the peace and safetie of their neighbour and being full of pride of wrath and furie they prosecute the least wrong till they be reuenged Thirdly they regard not to know how ample the Lords mercie is and the death of Christ and doctrine of saluation are foolishnesse to them they pray not for faith and they stoppe their cares against the word of God And hereby it commeth to passe that they perish in their sinnes not that their sinnes are so great that they cannot bee pardoned or God so mercilesse that he will not pardon them or Iesus Christ so defectiue in his mediation that he hath not done and suffered enough to discharge them but themselues are so carelesse so prowd so contemptuous so desperate that they will not leaue to sinne they will not loue their neighbours they will not know God but they will goe on in their courses like them whom Ieremie complaineth of saying They are all adulterers and an assembly of rebels and they bend their tongues like their bowes for lies but they haue no courage for the trueth vppon the earth for they proceed from euill to worse they haue not known me saith the Lord. This is the cause why they perish And here maiest thou vnderstand how to reape the benefit of the leaue that Christ hath giuen thee by his commandement to aske forgiuenesse of thy sins how to reape the benefit of the promise that God hath giuen thee to grant forgiuenesse of sinnes First forsake the sinnes that haue been so chargeable vnto thee and hauing already found the reckoning to be so heauy vnto thee diet no more at the Ordinarie of fleshly lusts where the soule must pay for it in hell and the inheritance waste that God hath dearely bought for thee And finding how great need thou hast of mercie and forgiuenesse to keep thee from being eternally miserable Learne to bee tender hearted toward thy brother and afford him thy forgiuenesse that thou maist obtain the same measure of mercy at the hands of God And let it bee the chiefe of thy daily studies to vnderstand more cleerely then yet thou dost how infinite and boundlesse the mercie of God and the merit of Christ his bloud is In the word of God thou shalt finde these things And while thou are occupied with desire in these studies faith in the mercies of God will grow apace and in a short time bring thy conscience to that happy quietnesse that S. Paul speaketh of saying Being iustified by faith wee haue peace toward God through our Lord Iesus Christ. Thus is thy feare growing from the multitude of them that perish and from the small number of them that are saued notwithstanding the commaundement of Christ giuing leaue to aske forgiuenes and the promise of GOD offering forgiuenesse shewed to bee an idle feare if thou wilt haue care of these conditions vpon which God granteth forgiuenesse of sinnes CHAP. XXII BVT heare againe the afflicted conscience breaketh out into grieuous complaintes and faith If these be the conditions required where sinnes are to be forgiuen I must neuer looke to grow vnto any agreement with God for the forgiuenes of mine for I haue not one of these three things in me For first I want repentance sinne aboundeth in me and whether I hate it or no I cannot tell though I know I haue no cause to loue it that proueth now so grieuous vnto me And secondly I hold my selfe to be void of loue to my neighbour I feare least I shall enuie other men their happy peace of conscience and their happy hope of saluation and that standeth not with loue And sure I am that I haue hurt them oft with the vniust act of my sinne and haue grieued and offended them with the vngodly example of my sinne And these things haue no agreement with loue And as for faith of all three it is furthest off If dispaire could obtaine forgiuenes of sinne I should soone speed for I am not far from that but if saluation must be apprehended by saith I am most far from it for I haue litle or no faith the present feare that I am in is directly opposite to faith This is the miserable condition of this burden that they which are pressed with it doe quickly apprehend and too well remember any thing that may increase their feare but they are dull too apprehend and doe soone forget any thing that might giue them comfort If this troubled sinner could but remember while the three conditions were spoken of what was said vnto him why hee should not be discomforted at the hearing of these conditions as if they or any one of them did breed impossibilitie of obtaining forgiuenes of sinnes he would not now make this fâ—…uolous obiection But let vs helpe his memorie that when God shall be pleased to looke gratiously vpon him his feare may be remoued for the ease
all societies hee knitteth mens hearts together in loue and maketh them to keepe the vnitie of the Spirit in the band of peace It is he that hath promised in the Church of Christ and kingdome of the Messias the rod of the stocke of Ishai to do this The wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the leopard shall lie with the kidde and the calfe and the lion and the fat beast together and alittle childe shall leade them and the cowe and the beare shall feed their yoong ones shall lie together and the lion shall eate straw like the bullocke and the sucking child shall play vppon the hole of the aspe and the weaned child shall put his hand vppon the cockatrice hole By the wolfe the leopard the lion the beare the aspe the cockatrice he vnderstandeth men of prowd cruell minds apt to do al hurt bicause they are void of al loue by the lamb the kid the calfe the fat beast the cow the bullocke the sucking child the new weaned child he vnderstādeth men of an humble mild heart apt to do good vnwilling to doe hurt because they are full of loue by the harmelesse society of these so vnlike people he giueth vs to vnderstand that he wil take away from men their pride their fiercenesse their cruelty their vnmercifulnesse and in place thereof he will giue them humilitie mildenes loue and mercie This is a worke that hee doth and this hee will doe pray therfore vnto God who is loue it selfe and he wil giue thee a heart to loue thy brother Faith likewise is his gift and hee himselfe is a most faithfull God worthy to be trusted the God of truth that neither can nor will deceiue them that according to his couenant and promise of mercy doe trust in him The Apostle telleth vs that faith is his gift saying By grace are yee saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God Euery good gift and euery perfect giuing commeth from him who is the Father of lights pray him therefore to giue a beleeuing heart vnto thee and hee will not faile thee So that if thou haue neither repentance charitie nor faith which are the conditions vppon which God giueth forgiuenesse of sins yet thou maiest haue them for GOD doth giue them pray then vnto God and thou shalt in due time obtain them For the want of this triple grace thou hast a triple commandement to call for grace with a triple promise to obtaine all grace The Lord Iesus saying Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and ye shal finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Then aske repentance and it shall be giuen thee seeke for charitie and a mercifull heart and thou shalt find it and knocke at the gate of heauen for faith and it shall be set wide open vnto thee Wherefore is it that God at this time doth make thee see thy want but because he would haue thee to call for his help CHAP. XXIII BVt still obiections arise in a trobled conscience and the poore burdened sinner complaineth that his estate must needs be desperate For saith he I feele a continuall swarme of euill thoughts in extreame disorder stirring in my heart Thoughts against the maiesty of the most glorious Trinitie thoughts against the veritie of the diuine and humane natures personally vnited in the Lord Iesus Christ thoughts against all the Articles of the Christian saith thoughts rebellious against authoritie and seditious against peace thought malicious against my neighbour and vnnaturall against my selfe thoughts vnchristian vnciuill inhumane thoughts monstrous and fearefull I tremble to thinke that I haue such thoughts And these must either spring and arise out of mine owne heart and then wo vnto so wicked heart It is like vnto the Inne vnto which the virgine Mary came with the Lord Iesus in her wombe there was no roome for her in the Inne all the Chambers were filled with other guests she was glad to creep into the stable and there shee brought forth her first begotten So if any come to bring Christ or any christian thoght into my heart there is no roome in the Inne all the corners of my heart are taken vp with other thoughts they must seeke a resting place else-where and not with mee Or if they spring not from mine owne heart then are they thrust into my heart by Satan who did thrust the thought of treason against his master into the heart of Iudas then surely the diuell hath alreadie possession of my heart and either hee sendeth these thoughts as new inhabitants to dwell there and to keepe possession of my heart to his vse as the king of Ashur sent new inhabitants into Samari◅ to keepe the Citie and Countrie to his vse or else he sendeth them as so many hagges and furies what should I call them so may executioners with firebrandes to torment me and being so fully in his power it is too late to thinke of deliuerance Now the Lord of hosts help thee poore afflicted soule and case thee of this burden that presseth downe so heauily And for thy comfort vnderstand that if these thoughts arise out of thine owne heart as they are in thy heart and grow in the field in which they spring they are yet but as the first graffe of sinne and haue neither blade nor eare nor fruit to poison and kill withall if wee take not liking of them nor suffer our iudgement to be corrupted by them taking them for rules of truth and intertaining them as imbraced opinions nor suffer our will to be seduced by them interpreting them as rules and directions to leade vs into action Iames the Apostle hath an excellent saying to this purpose Euery man is tempted when hee is drawne away by his owne concupisence and is intised then when lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death By concupisence he vnderstandeth the first flattering thoughts the first euill motions that stir in our hearts that make the first proposition to our iudgement and will to trie whether they will take holde or no and howsoeuer the feeblest euill thought be sinfull in Gods sight who loueth trueth in our inward affections and it is an euidence of that sinfull nature that wee bring into the world with vs deserued vnto vs from our first parents through all the interceding generations and howsoeuer the same euill thought being sinfull deserueth in the iustice of God eternall death yet the Apostle Iames looking vnto rules of mercy and speaking according to those rules telleth vs that it is not dangerous vnto vs neither bringeth forth sinne vnto death except a man be inticed and drawne away by it For when the iudgement yeeldeth and is corrupted by it approuing as good that that is euill and approuing as true that that is false and when the will yeeldeth and is seduced by it intertaining the
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
the night before Then Dauid seeing that this deuice would not helpe him resolued vpon a more wicked and cruell course and sends Vriah to the Campe and writes by him to Ioab the Generall that hee should place Uriah in the forefront of the battell and in the time of danger should with-draw all helpe from him and leaue him alone in the middest of the enemies that he might be smitten and die by their hands And this commandement was by Ioab fulfilled at the next assault made vpon the City Rabbah Vriah was there slaine Then was his wife a widdow and free from all men and Dauid takes her home to him and shee became his wife And thus he couered the shame of his first sinne with a second as bad if not much worse And what honest man that knoweth how he ought to keepe his vessell in holinesse and honour and not in the lust of concupiscence as the Gentiles doe which know not God can frame any reasonable excuse for his adultery And what sober man that hath learned to walke honestly as in the day time not in surfeting and drunkennesse can excuse his fact in making Uriah drunke and what charitable man that tendereth the life of his neighbour and knowes Gods ordinance that he that sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed can by any good words extenuate the sinne of his rraiterous murder It may be that wantons that riotous persons and bloudy-minded-mercilesse men will say it was brauely done but no man of continency of temperancy and of charity can excuse him Surely the sinne of Saul and Dauid compared together it appeareth to vs that Dauid sinned more vilely then Saul in the act of their disobedience howsoeuer for the heart yeelding to sin much may be said for Dauid that cannot be said for Saul Which difference of their hearts appeared presently when they were put in mind of their disobedience by the Prophets Samuel and Nathan For when Saul was challenged by these words of Samuel Wherefore hast thou not obe◅ed the voice of the Lord but hast turned to the pray and hast done wickedly in the sight of the Lord He denied the fact maintained his deniall with argument and lastly being inforced to confesse himselfe a transgressour yet hee did it faintly and neuer repented But assoone as Nathan had said vnto Dauid Wherefore hast thou despised the commandement of the Lord to doe euill in his sight thou hast killed Variah the Hittite with the sword hast taken his wife to be thy wife and hast slaine him with the sword of the childrē of Ammon He confessed it freely grew into displeasure with himselfe for it and heartily repented making his humble praier vnto God for forgiuenes thereupon penned the one fiftieth Psalme in testimonie of his repentance his heart was not so wicked as was the heart of Saul but in the outward face his sinne to the eies of the world was more vile then the sinne of Saul Shall Dauid therefore say I am a reprobate for I haue sinned more vilely then Saul that was a reprobate this were first to step too presumptuously into to the throne of Gods iudgement Secondly it were to be vnthankfull vnto God for that faithfull and most constant loue of his that euen with such sinnes was not extingushed Thirdly it were to be vnkind and iniurious to his owne soule denying vnto himselfe the hope comfort that he might and ought to seeke in the infinite mercy of God therefore though our afflicted sinner haue sinned more vilely then many reprobates it followeth not that hee himselfe must therefore be a reprobate and though they that be reprobates doe by their sinnes after committed deserue the damnation whereunto by the decree of reprobation they are appointed yet hee and others committing sinnes worthy of condemnation are not therefore to be iudged reprobates and his sinne though grieuous as he affirmeth it truely to be is no signe nor euidence of reprobation Secondly hee alledgeth the wrath of God now heauie vpon him for his sinne to be another euidence of his reprobation which likewise must not be granted For if this should bee a true rule that wheresoeuer Gods iust wrath falleth vpon men for their sins they vpon whom this wrath falleth should be reprobates then would these great absurdities follow First that all that suffer with Christ in this world should be reprobates For there is no calamitie that falleth vpon men in bearing whereof they become sufferers but it falleth vpon them for their sinnes And the calamitie so falling is a stroke of Gods wrath For the first thing that the calamities that make vs sufferers fall vpon vs for our sinnes the words of Ieremie are plain saying Wherfore is the liuing man sorrowfull man suffereth for his sin we suffer no calamitie but our sinnes deseruing more hath brought that vpon vs. And for the second thing that the same calamitie comming vpon vs for our sinnes is a stroke of the wrath of God that is of his holines abhorring sin of his iustice correcting for sin appears by the words of the Prophet Micha speaking thus of God Hee retaineth not his wrath for euer because mercy pleaseth him he will turne againe and haue compassion vpon vs he will subdue our iniquities and cast all their sinnes into the bottome of the sea That is for a while he punisheth in wrath the sinnes of his people and after some short affliction indured he forgiueth their sinnes and receiueth them againe into fauour In that saying of the Prophet the worke of God in laying calamitie vpon his seruants for their sinnes is called his wrath So that all the euils that fall vpon men which suffer with Christ in this world come vpon them for their sinnes and are the stroke of Gods wrath against sinne not to destroy but to correct therefore if it were a true rule which our afflicted sinner speaketh that where Gods wrath falleth vpon men for their sinnes that wrath should be an euidence of the reprobation of the person vpon which it is fallen then those men which suffer with Christ in this world should bee reprobates which is most absurd and vntrue for that suffering is rather an euidence of their election vnto saluation because it is written It is a true saying for if we be dead with Christ wee shall liue with him if we suffer wee shall also raigne with him But no reprobate shall reigne with Christ that is the blessed prefermēt of them onely that are the elect of God Secondly if all that beare the wrath of God for sinne were reprobates and that wrath an euidence of their reprobation then this absurditie would follow that God should neuer bee displeased with his elect whatsoeuer they doe should neuer lay any iudgement vpon them that might be interpreted to be an euidence of his wrath and iust displeasure against their sinnes Whereas the contrary is most
true and God often lets his wrath fall heauily vpon his elect for their sinnes To that end heare the words of Gods Church speaking to the malignant company of her enemies that reioice at her trouble I will look vnto the Lord I will wait for God my Sauiour my God will heare me Reioice not against me O mine enemie though I fall I shall arise when I shall sit in darknes the Lord shall be alight vnto me I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him vntill he plead my cause and execute iudgment for mee then will hee bring mee forth vnto the light I shall see his righteousnes The Church confesseth that she bare the wrath of God shee confesseth that that wrath fell vpon her for her sinnes and therefore promiseth to beare it patiently because she bare it iustly and she takes not that wrath of God for any euidence of reprobation neither ceaseth to esteeme her selfe the chosen of the Lord that shall inherit his fauour And therefore she exerciseth her faith in looking vp vnto the Lord and out of faith promiseth her selfe all gratious respect with God in her praiers shewes her selfe rich in hope that God himselfe will in due time plead her cause and bring her out of the darknes of her trouble into the light of ioy and so magnifie his loue and fauour to her that her aduersarie the malignant congregation shal be ashamed Therefore certainly God doeth often let his wrath fall vpon the elect for their sinnes and the manifest strokes of Gods wrath cannot bee said to be infallible euidences and signes of reprobation as our afflicted sinner affirmeth to his owne great hurt And if hapily vpon hearing of these things thus spoken his diseased mind should begin to cauill and to say that if other iudgements and strokes of Gods wrath be not euidences of reprobation yet that iudgement and stroke of wrath that is fallen vpon him is a plaine euidence of reprobation his iudgement being accusing thoughts a wounded conseience the most heauie of all Gods iudgements whereof Salomon saith A wounded spirit who can beare it For that stroke is the beginning of intolerable punishment it is the very gate of hâ—…ll iâ—… is that worme that shall liue euer in the bosome of the damned it is euen no other then hell vpon earth And why shold God set a mans sinnes against him in so terrible a manner as hee doeth in this temptation but because his meaning is to condemne vs for our sinnes aforehand to let vs see that hee shall doe it most iustly our sinnes being so many and solothsome against this cauill and for the remouing of this offence from his heart I will adde this vnto that that hath been already spoken that God doeth lay euen this particular stroke of his wrath namely a wounded conscience in the sight of sinnes vpon his elect and therefore that wrath is no euidence of reprobation The prophet Dauid bore this stroke of Gods wrath whereof he speaketh thus Thine arrowes haue light vpon 〈◊〉 and thine handlyeth vpon me there is nothing sound in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there rest in my bones by reason of my sinnes for mine iniquities are gone ouer my head and as a weighty burden they are too heauie for me Here was a stroke of the wrath of God fot he complaineth that Gods hand was heauie vpon him and that Gods arrowes had pierced him and it was not a weake stroke or slight touch but forcible and fearefull so that it made the whole man languish and for the anguish of his soule his body also was consumed and oppressed with paine and feeblenes so that neither in his flesh nor in his bones remained any soundnes And what stroke of Gods wrath was it but euen this particular stroke of accusing thoughts and of a wounded conscience by reason of sinnes that were so heauie a burdthen that the vexation of them was his consumption and was Dauid vpon whom this stroke of wrath fell was hee a reprobate if he were he was such a reprobate as the Lord Iesus Christ was and no other nor otherwise whom the builders refused cast aside as vnfit for the building but God made him the cheefe corner stone as Peter saith This is the stone cast aside of you builders which is become the head of the corner So in the kingdome of Israel Saul Doeg and other busie doers despised and cast aside the sonne os Ishai but God did chuse him to build the kingdome of Israel This therefore is most certaine that euen this stroke of Gods wrath when hee setteth our sinnes in order against vs is no more a signe of reprobation then any other stroke of Gods wrath whatsoeuer This part therefore of his obiection when he calleth himselfe a reprobate is a bold and desperate speech wherein he shews himselfe presumptuous against GOD and vncharitable against himselfe and whether he be a reprobate or not hee ought not to pronounce himselfe to be one the name of reprobation hauing reference vnto the vnknowne and secret counsell of God not vnto the knowne and manifest sinne of man And though our sinnes deserue reprobation Gods wrath falleth vpon them that are reprobate yet neither the sinne that wee are guiltie of nor the wrath that is fallen vpon vs for that sinne though it be this particular stroke of a wounded conscience can be said to be arguments of reprobation And whereas he saith that we deuise answers to his obiections that cary shew of strength among men but those his obictions are vnanswerable before God and our deuised answers before him will be of no vertue Let him know that the answers which wee haue made to his obiections are all grounded vpon the word of God by which word hee shall iudge all men and all the causes of all men As the Lord Iesus saith The word that I haue spoken it shall iudge in the last day And therefore our answers being grounded vpon that word shall stand as rules of trueth before the iudgement seat of God when all the obiections that he hath made growing onely from feare and from a weake heart distempered with a temptation of vnbeleefe shal be found to bee of no force And with this assurance of the sufficiencie of our answers wee waite to heare what he can further obiect why he may not hope for the forgiuenes of pardonable sins seeing Iesus Christ by his commandement hath giuen him leaue to aske forgiuenes of sinnes and God the father of our Lord Iesus hath promised to grant forgiuenes of sinnes as hath before out of the word of God beene truely declared CHAP. XXVII A Fresh assault this afflicted sinner maketh vpon vs and against himselfe for this fierie dart is not easily quenched And againe he obiecteth most vnkindly saying My sinne deserueth death and I must die I haue wronged the Lord of life
is most profane and his Armour-bearer was not vnlike 〈◊〉 for commonly such as the master is such wil the seruant be such as the King 〈◊〉 such wil the Courtier be As for Achitophel he was a great states-man but he was also a great traitor hee was very wise in matters pertayning to rule but he was also very wicked He assisted the subiect against the King that was treason he assisted the sonne against the father that was vnnaturall treason he assâ—…sted a wicked sonne proud and bloudy 〈◊〉 against a godly father euen against religious and holy Dauid this was impious treason Zimri likewise was a traitour against his Master Elah whom he â—…lew in the second yeare of his reigne and inuaded the kingdome of Israel Such were the men with whom the ancient murderer preuailed in three and twenty hundered yeeres few in number and men of most wicked hearts and liues And shal our afflicted sinner thinke to match himself with such forlorne meÌ„ In wickednesse so rare will he be so forward and with men so vile will hee ioyne for the time after the comming of the Lord Iesus in the flesh wee haue record in holy Scripture onely for seauenty yeares In these yeares we read of much wickednesse of the rage of the Iewes in crucifying the Lord Iesus of the persecution of Saul wherein Steuen was stoned of the persecution of Herod wherin Iames was slaine with the sword Of the malice of the Iews in euery place forbiding the Apostles to preach the Gospell to the Gentiles And of their endlesse malice against Paul being now conuerted and become a witnesse of Iesus And among all the inraged sinners of this time in whom the prince of this â—…orld exercised his power most impeâ—…ously We neade but of one â—…hat 〈◊〉 â—…iolent â—…ands vpon himselfe euen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle and hee is marked out â—…y the â—…nes of â—…â—…raitor a 〈◊〉 â—…nd 〈◊〉 child of perâ—…ion so 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 qâ—…itie in comparâ—…son of other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so incurably â—…nd not or 〈◊〉 â—…uill 〈◊〉 these men in comparison of other 〈◊〉 And shall our poore sinner 〈◊〉 to increase this number â—…nd to 〈◊〉 if not to 〈◊〉 these mâ—…n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the sinne wherein the 〈◊〉 â—…eemeth to haue some modestie 〈◊〉 â—…ring to all 〈◊〉 many to such 〈◊〉 wickednesse and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inquiâ—…e of the 〈◊〉 as if the 〈◊〉 thoughâ—… iâ—… 〈◊〉 to tempt any to a great wickednesse but such as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out â—…unne his allurements by 〈◊〉 owne forwardnesse in sinne let 〈◊〉 things stay the resolution of our 〈◊〉 and make him feare to execute 〈◊〉 iniustice vpon himselfe In which fact to make al hearts deâ—… there is the extreamest height of all cruelty without all mixture of charitie on mercy the thiefe that murdereth by the high-way side is cruell yet in his cruelty there iâ—… mixture of some charity for â—…e intendeth his owne supposed good in seeking spoyle to to maintaine his life More cruell is the tyrant that sheddeth innocent bloud and presenteth vnto death Gods Saintâ—… As 〈◊〉 shâ—…d innocent bloud exceeding much â—…ill 〈◊〉 replenished Ierusalem from corner to corner And â—…s Herod stretched forth his hands â—…exe certaine of the Church and hee killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword Greatâ—… this cruelty that is maintained by power and countâ—… by authoritie and false show of iustice Yet is there in this â—… mixture of charitie For such tyrants suppose them whom they kill to bâ—… enemies either to their religion or to their rule for defence whereof they vse their cruelty Greater is the cruelty when vnder pretences of loue peace murders are committed As when those two seruants of Ishâ—…oseth pretending trade as Merchants Rehab and Baanah his brother came into the middest of the house as if they would haue wheate and they 〈◊〉 him vnder the fift robbâ—… and 〈◊〉 For when they came into the house 〈◊〉 slept on his bed in his bed-chamber and they smote him and slew him and 〈◊〉 â—…eaded him and tooke his head and 〈◊〉 them away through the plaine all the â—…ght And when Ioab tooke Aâ—…er a side iâ—… the gate to speake with him peaceably 〈◊〉 smote him vnder the fift ribbe that he bed for the bloud of Asael his brother Heere was great treason heere was cruelty couered with pretences of loue and â—…eare Yet in this cruelty there was some mixture of loue For the two breâ—…ren that slew Ishboseth did it for Daâ—… sake as they affirmed For when they had slaine him They brought the head of Ishboseth vnto Hebron and said iâ—… the King behold the head of Ishboseth Sâ—…uls sonne thine enimy who sought after thy life and the Lord hath auenged my Lord the King this day of Saul and of his â—…ede And either they bare this loue to Dauid to free him from an enemy as they pretended or else they did it out of loue vnto themselues hoping to receiue some reward at Dauids hand for their seruice And the fact of Ioab in murdering Abner was out of loue tâ—… Asaâ—…l his brother whome Abner had killed before This their crueltie was exceeded by the murder committed by Cain in killing his brother Abel wherin it cannot be denied but there was loue vnto himselfe for this was the quarrell it grieued him that his brother was accepted in his sacrifice and hee refused Heerein hee held himselfe wronged and intended that way to doe himselfe right We reade of a crueltie exceeding this in a degree against nature aboue the murder of brothers For when Senacherib was returned from the land of Israel to Niniue on a day when he entred into the Temple of Misroch his god Adramelech and Sharezer his sons slew him with the sword The sonnes of his loines that should haue beene the staffe of his age and the guard of his person against his enemies became his mortall enemies they that receiued their life by propagation from him and had not beene if he had not first beene they vnnaturally requited him and spoiled him of his life and did to their vttermost extinguish his being What heart of man abhorreth not these cruelties and yet in all these there is a mixture of some loue I confesse a wicked loue yet some loue and some purpose they haue to benefit some by making their life more happy themselues at least and their owne life if no others But in the fact of Saul Achitophel and Iudas and such like persons that lay violent hands vpon themselues there is no intent of doing good to others no noâ—… of making their owne life more comfortable or happie they are no friends to other men and they are greatest enemies to themselues where no other loue remaineth in wicked men yet selfe loue remaineth and perswadeth them things beneficiall to themselues But in this finne where no loue to other men appeareth there is loue least of al to themselues while they worke their owne
destruction What could thy enimy desire to doe more vnto thee then thou dost vnto thy selfe What could iustice by the hand of the Magistrate in â—…nishing What could violence by the hand of the cruel in reuenging do more â—…nto thee then thou dost vnto thy selfe Could the Philistims haue done anie more to Saul then kill him to escape their violence he killed himself seeking no other remedy of the mischiefe then by throwing himself into the mischiefe could Dauid preuailing against Absolom haue done any more to Achitophel then to take away his life and to escape the stroke of Dauids iustice he tooke away his owne life himselfe preuenting the iudgemeÌ„t of another that he feared by pronouncing executing the same iudgement himselfe vpon himselfe If wee iudge of the affections by the actions of men and guesse what the heart desired by that which the hand hath done and there is no surer rule for the Lord Iesus saith By their fruits yee shall know them yea may we say that where hatred made the Philistims enemies to Saul and Iustice gaue power to Dauid in all seueritie to take away Achitophels life neither hatred in the Philistims nor iustice in Dauid could make them to be greater enemies and more dangerous then Saul and Achitophel were vnto themselues for they made haste to doe the euill vnto themselues that the others came more slowly to doe for though the Philistims made hast to kill Saul yet Saul made more hast to doe it then the Philistims could and whereas Dauid perhaps in his mildenes might haue bin intreaded to spare Achitophels life Achitophel like a cruell iudge hating himselfe made hast by speedy execution to preuent all pardon whom loueth hee that loueth not himselfe whose friend can he be that in this manner and measure is his owne merciles enemie Goe then and be more cruell then euer was murdering theefe oppressing tyrant bloudy Cain or Senacheribs vngracious impes goe and be more cruel then any cruel beast that though it be an enemie to the life of other creatures yet is a resolut defender of it owne life if thou striue for the name and shame of most cruel yea more cruel then man or beast I will ad also or then diuel for the diuels studie not to doe themselues hurt then goe and doe that violence that thou intendest against thy selfe but if thou be willing to let the cruellest of men the fiercest of beastes yea the diuels themselues to goe before thee in merciles crueltie then preserue 〈◊〉 owne life if thou or any for thee say thou doest it out of loue to thy selfe intending thereby to preuent future euils The vanitie of this speech shall be shewed when we come to the last reason whereupon thou groundest thy godles resolution There is not onely merciles crueltie in this sinne of selfe murder But there is also totall want of those two cardinal ChristiaÌ„ vertues that belong to the time of affliction namely of patience faith the Lord Iesus requirs no more in vs for our aduantage at that time then these two remembring faith before patience and saying Come vnto me all yee that are wearie and laden take my yoke on you and learne of me that am meeke and lowly in heart Hee requireth faith in the first words come vnto me He would haue vs come Non pede sed fide Not with our foote but with our faith And nonpassus sed precibus not with our shifting steppes but with our constant praiers His meaning is not that wee should set our feete within his courtes but rather that we should with hope present our desires before the throne of his grace for this is the work of faith to draw neere to Gods mercy seate And he requires patience in the next words Take my yoake on you Let there be no murmuring nor grudging against the yoake that God offreth to lay vpon your shoulders spurne not against it but take it meekely vpon you learn to submit your selfe vnto it And Saint Paul requires no more in time of troubles but these vertues of patience faith remembring patience before faith saying Let your patiente minde be knowen vnto allmen the Lord is at hand and saith in the next words be nothing carefull but in althings let your request bee shewed vnto God in praier and supplication with giuing of thankes He requireth patience in the first words plainely Let your patient mind be knowen vnto all men and he requireth faith in the next words describing faith by her effects and saying Bee nothing carefull but let your requestes in all things be shewed vnto God in praier Vnto these vertues of patience and faith continued and practised in the time of trouble when we are wearied with our long and laden with our heauie burdens both Iesus the Lord and Paul his minister doe promise and assure all deliuerance and case The Lord Iesus in these words I will refresh you and yee shall find rest vnto your soules And the Apostle Paul his minister in these words The peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding shall preserue your hearts and mindes in Christ Iesus What canst thou require more in thy hottest conflictes then to be refreshed by Iesus Christ What canst thou desire in the greatest load of thy soule but to be eased of thy burden what canst thou wish and long for more then this in thy greatest vexation that the peace of God that passeth vnderstanding should preserue thy heart and mind in Iesus Christ and this is promised by Christ the trueth and by Paul the witnes of trueth to them that in their troubles doe suffer with patience pray in faith But thou in this thy desperate resolution hast lost all patience and cast away thy faith for if thou hadst patience thou wouldst not bee vnwilling to indure Gods visitation and to suffer his good pleasure and if thou hadst any faith in God thou wouldest trust to his helpe and with much comfort waite for the day of saluation Consider the qualitie of this sinne and thou shalt see that it doeth more spoile thee of thy helps and makes the more naked of all good couering if more may be then were our first parents spoiled and made naked by the fraud of the serpent in the Garden For patience and faith beeing the couering of the soule for such stormie times thou hast lost all this cloathing thou refusest to bee refreshed by Iesus Christ while thou refusest to hold the course wherein hee promiseth to refresh thee thou refusest to be eased by the help of his strong hand whilst thou refusest the course in which he promiseth â—…ase Thou â—…stest from thee that peace of God of inestimable price by which thy heart and mind should bee preserued in Iesus Christ while thou refusest the meanes by which that peace is to be obtained how â—…comely is it for the creature to be impatient at the worke of his Creator how disordered
willing to lay downe and loose their liues in the seruice of God they did not kill themselues to be deliuered from the fury of tyrants but they yeelded themselues to the cruell will of tyrants As Ieremy saying to them that went about to kill him for preaching as god had commanded him As for me behold I am in your hand doe with me as you thinke good and right It was all one to him and equally welcome to die or liue so that he might faithfully doe his office of the like minde was S. Paul the Apostle saying to the elders of Ephesus Behol◅ I goe bound in the spirit to Ierusalem and know not what things shall come vnto me there saue that the holy Ghost witnesseth in euery Citie saying that bands and afflictions abide mee But I passe not at all neither is my life deare vnto my selfe so that I may fulfill my course with ioy and the minstration which I haue receiued of the Lord Iesus to testifie the Gospell of the grace of G◅d Heere was a godly contempt of fraile life with resolution to vse the benefit of it while it lasted in setting forward the seruice committed to him and to let it goe without shrinking whensoeuer the rage of men by the sufferance of God should by violent hands take it from him in the Lords quarrell If thou haddest resolution in any like quarrell to yeelde thy life when there should be any attempt made to take it from thee thou hast the Prophets of God and the Apostles of Christ thy example and thou hast also the promise of the Lord Iesus to recompence that losse of life with the gaine of eternall life saying He that will saue his life shall loose it and he that looseth his life for my sake shall saue it That is i◅ any shall to saue his life deny to confesse me before men his life shall bee taken from him by some such iudgement of God as that he shall haue no comfort in the losse of it and he shall after die eternally But if any constantly confesse mee putting his life in danger either God shall miraculously deliuer him and hee shall saue his life in this world or for the losse of his life here in which losse hee shall haue abundant comfort hee shall haue eternall life in the kingdome of heauen Here are comforts for thee if thou haue come or shalt come in these cases into danger if thou retaine this resolution to laie downe thy life for God and his glory for Iesus Christ and his truth But there was neuer in thee any such resolution thou diddest not loue God so well and thy selfe so ill to die for vertue to die for truth to die for the glory of God to die for the name of Iesus thou diddest neuer esteeme the Gospell true religion and righteousnesse at so high a price O vile man O vnworthy sinner wouldest thou not gratifie God with contempt of life and wilt thou gratifie the Deuill with it wouldest thou not loose it for him that is the truth wilt thou loose it for the father of lies was not he worthy in thy sight to be serued with this manly resolution that gaue thee this life and for the losse of it is ready to recompence thee with eternall life and is he worthy to be serued with it who was euer an enemy to thy life and when hee hath spoiled thee of this life makes thee ◅mēds with a higher mischife to plunge thee in eternall death O monstrous absurdity to be admitted among the professours of Christianity Pause a while and consider of this point that if it be possible thou maiest be recouered from this desperate purpose Thinke what it is to haue held God off at the staues end and neuer to haue yeelded in thy heart die for his loue though he gaue thee life to loose one drop of bloud for his sake though he filled thy vein◅s to haue thy breath stopped for his glory though it was hee that breathed into thy nostrels the breath of life and made thee a liuing soule and now to imbrace the deuill in thy bosome as if hee were thy God to tell him that he shall haue thy life thy bloud shall flowe for his sake if thou get a sword or knife and thou wilt strangle thy selfe and stopthy breath for his loue if thou canst get a halter Where is thy wisdome that resoluest so foolishly where is thy iustice that resoluest so iniuriously where is thy loue either to God or to thine owne soule to whom thou owest thy loue to God to procure his glory to thy soule to procure the saluation of it that resoluest so hatefully for more foolishly for himselfe more iniuriously against God and more hatefully both against himselfe and God did any man euer conclude and resolue in any thing then thou doest in this Most foolishly thou determinest for thy selfe that runnest into that destruction from which thou shouldst flie with all possible speed as the Israelites fled from the tents of Korah his company when the earth swallowed them vp And most vniustly thou dealest with GOD to take that is his without his leaue for we are his and not our owne They are the words of the Apostle Paul Yee are not your owne And a little after speaking of our bodies and spirits hee saith they are Gods and before his face without any reuerence and feare of him to destroy them both at once for thou destroyest the body in killing it thou destroyest the soule that must perish for that murder And most hatefully thou proceedest both against God thy self in this resolutiō hatefully against God in destroying his creature and hatefully against thy selfe in destroying thy selfe The fact of the Philistims stopping vp with earth the wells that Abraham had digged to the end that Isaac his sonne should not vse them for his ca◅tell is interpreted to be an euidence of their hatred Isaac saying vnto them Wherefore come yee to mee seeing yee hate mee c. How much more must thy fact be interpreted to be an euidence of hatred both against God and thine owne soule that fillest vp and choakest the well of life that God digged and opened for thine vse and desirest to water at the piece of death and hell where thou shalt not obtaine one droppe of water to coole thy tongue when thou art in torments How commeth it to pas◅e among deceiued men that when as in the case of suffring for God where death is accompanied with comfort and rewarded with glorie they shrinke and feare withdrawing themselues shifting for their liues which then are sweet vnto them and death is bitter vnto them and in this case of laying violent hands vpon themselues where death is accompanied with terrour and shall be rewarded with eternal damnation heere they step foorth and are desperately bolde life now is bitter vnto them and death is sweet This is a dangerous errour wherein
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
confession of thine vnworthines therein we all Gods children wil ioine with thee and euery man confesse that wee are not worthy of the least of Gods mercies because we haue beene vnthankefull for the comfort that wee haue reaped by them and haue also beene vnfaithfull not improueing them to the praise of God we will say with Iacob vnto God I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and all the trueth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant We will confesse vnto Christ with the Centurion and say I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe And with the prodigall childe priuie to his owne riotous courses we will say to God as he said to his father Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne If vnthankefulnes can make thee vnworthy we cannot be worthy that haue beene as vnthankefull and if vnfaithfulnes can make thee vnworthy wee must stand by thee and confesse as much against our selues if any mans sinne may make him vnworthy then are wee as vnworthy as any man for wee also haue sinned and iustly displeased our God But the error is in this that because thou doest iudge thy selfe vnworthy of the good giftes of God therefore thou shouldest forbeare to vse them alas what should become of the creatures of God if all should forbeare to vse his guiftes that are vnworthy of his guiftes This must needes produce a generall decay of all Gods creatures Vnderstand therefore these things following First God doeth allow his blessings not to the worthy onely but to the vnworthy also Of him the Prophet saith The Lord is good vnto all and his mercies are ouer all his workes Because the creatures are the worke of his hands therefore without regard whether they be worthy or not worthy hee will extend his mercy vnto them Of him the Lord Iesus saith He maketh his Sunne to arise vpon the euill and the good and sendeth raine on the iust vniust God is not ignorant either of the worthines of the good and iust or of the vnworthines of the euill and vniust but hee regardeth the necessities of all and therefore because their grounds equally haue neede in time of droght of the dew of heauen and in time of winters cold of the refreshing warmth of the sunne therefore he giues the heate of the sunne and moisture of his clowdes to make all their groundes fruitefull be the owners of those groundes good or euill yet hee will bee good vnto them Secondly those men that haue in iudgement found and acknowledge their owne vnworthines yet in their necessities haue made suite vnto God for those good things which they wanted and haue thankefully receiued and cheerefully vsed the good things that God sent them Iacob that acknowledged his vnworthines euen then made request vnto God for his mercy to bee shewed him saying I pray thee deliuer mee from the hand of my brother from the hand of Esaâ—… for I feare him least he will come and smile mee and the mother vpon the children for thou saidst I will surely doe thee good and make thy seede as the sand of the sea c. Hee earnestly craueth grace and mercy at Gods hands and that he may obtaine what he desireth he is bold to remember vnto God his gracious promise and he doeth all this euen when hee had in the same praâ—…er ackdowledged his vnworthines The Centâ—…rion that held himselfe so vile that he was not worthy to receiue Christ into his house yet euen then intreated mercy at his hand for his seruant saying Speake the word onely and my seruant shal be healed And his faithfull praier found fauour for his seruant was healed yea that prodigall child that is the patterne of all penâ—…tent sinners when hee did acknowledge his vnworthines yet euen then he made request for his fathers louing fauour saying Make me as one of thy hired seruants And his praier was heard himselfe was â—…eceiued into grace and hee obtained at his fathers hand whatsoeuer blessing a sonne might looke for so that neuer any well aduised childe of man howsoeuer â—…nowing himselfe vnworthy of the loue â—…nd mercies of God did yet either reâ—… to vse them when God did grant them or to intreat God for them when 〈◊〉 felt want of them Thirdly the good blessings of God by him giuen vnto vs are therefore giuen that wee should vse them that by the vse of them wee being refreshed 〈◊〉 see therein the fatherly â—…are of God for vs and his continuall â—…ountie and loue to vs and might so be â—…oued to giue him thankes and to trust in his mercy and being so giuen they ought not to be refused yea they canâ—…ot without our great sinne be refused for in refusing them we refuse God and the free offer of his mercy that he giueth his blessings to be vsed of vs Saint Paul teacheth vs saying Trust not in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God which giueth vs ubundantly all things to inioy He giueth all things he giueth all things abundantly and hee giueth that aboundance to be vsed and inioied Therefore doeth the Prophet Dauid say Hee causeth grasse to grow for the cattell and herbe for the vse of man that he may bring forth bread out of the earth and wine that maketh glad the heart of man and oâ—…e to make the face to shine and bread that strengtheneth mans heart All this increase of Gods blessings the Prophet affirmeth to be giuen for mans vse and also in some sort limiteth that vse shewing vs what good God intendeth that wee should reape of his guiftes and hee intendeth his owne praise in this bountifull giuing of his blessings And therefore is it that Saint Paul at Listra commendeth to those gentiles the God that made the heauen earth commending him by his bountie in giuing those things so to make his goodnes knowen And therefore he speaketh thus of him He left not himselfe without witnes in that he did good and gaue vs raine from heauen and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with foode and gladnes This good did God for the Gentiles he gaue them the dewe of heauen and fatnes of the earth with his guiftes hee filled their hearts that is satisfied their desires and made them to reioyce in the vse of those guiftes And all this he did for them to this ende that they might know the boundles goodnes of this God and that his blessings as so many faithfull witnesses might preach and declare this goodnes of his if by this meanes at the last they would turne backe from their idols to serue and please him and to this purpose serue the words of Moses vnto the people of Israel saying When thou hast eaten filled thy selfe thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath giuen thee In these words be
but thou hast beene able in body to stand vnder thy burden and to performe many good seruices in thy calling and he hath not smitten thee in thy children friends and goods with the rod of patient Iob but thy estate remaineth safe thy friends are cheerefull about thee such mercies of God haue accompained thy affliction and ministred comfort vnto thee in the time of it And in these things one part of that promise deliuered in Gods name by the Apostle hath beene performed vnto thee God will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you be able He himselfe that sent the temptation gaue thee strength to beare the temptation and vnto this day thou bearest it though not without griefe yet not without hope Why then shouldest not thou withall cheerefulnes hope and pray that God would performe vnto thee graciously the other part of that promise but will giue the issue with the temptation c Doth not the Apostle when he giues vs that promise in Gods name vse a preface to perswade our hearts to hope for it and pray for it commending God in whose name hee giues it by the title of faithfull saying God is faithfull that will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that yee be able Hope then in that faithfull God pray vnto that faithful God who hath already approued his faithfulnesse in performing vnto thee theone part of his promise and as he is true and faithful he will hauing freely bound himselfe performe his whole promise and giue an issue of thy temptation and thou shalt liue to ouercome it And heere I will acquaint thee with an holy rule which God obserueth in the temptations of his seruants which rule offereth hope of deliuerance from thy greeuous temptation before death The rule is found in Deuteronomie where Moses speaking to the people of Israel and remembring their wearie wandring through a roaring and terrible wildernesse and the many heauie accidents that in that wildernesse came vnto them saith that God led them that way to humble them and to prooue them that he might doe them good in the latter end Gods meaning was after a hard beginning to bring them to a comfortable end when they were first humbled and prooued And very meete it is that Gods seruants should bee humbled and it is right in God to prooue his servants whether they loue the Lord with all their heart and will indure with patience his good pleasure and whether they will cleaue vnto him in danger and put their trust in his mercies and this proofe is best made by crosses and troubles for this cause doth God send troubles to his seruāts whom he loueth but alwayes with a reseruation in his good purpose to do them good in the latter end Apply this vnto thy selfe It was fit that thou shouldest be humbled to acknowledge thy selfe before God to be dust and ashes and laden with iniquitie to humble thee in this sort God hath sent this crosse doe thou therefore humble thy selfe vnder the mightie hand of God that hee may exalt thee in due time It was fit that thou shouldest be prooued that thou mightest see thine owne strength to bee but rotten◅es and dust and that thou mightest shew thy loue thy patience thy faith in God that it might appeare whether God or thine owne case were dearer vnto thee and whether thou wilt glorifie him in aduersitie as thou ma◅ kest shew to doe in dayes of peace and prosperitie and thus to prooue thee he hath sent this temptation therefore now shew thy selfe a man shew thy selfe a Christian shrinke not from God murmure not at his visitation suffer with patience and pray in faith and be constant vnto the end And hee that hath brought thee into this temptation as it were into a roaring wildernesse to humble thee and to prooue thee will surely doe thee good in the latter end Surely this rule offereth vnto thee comfortable assurance that before the end of thy dayes thou shalt see an end of thy temptation and such an end as shall bring thee more ioy then thy affliction doth now breed thee griefe But say that death do take thee away before thou hast ouercome this temptation and thou fearest it may doe so grounding thy feare vpon two reasons one is the possibilitie of it thou maiest die presently the other is the danger of it thou thinkest that then thou shalt die in infidelitie and without faith if this danger were not the possibilitie of dying and death it selfe whensoeuer comming could bee no iust ground of thy feare for the Patriarks and Prophets yea Christ himselfe the Sonne of God and his holy Apostles died and all the Saints of God die And it can not bee hurtfull to any that is so common to all except there be some speciall danger annexed to it that makes it hurtfull to one that is not hurtfull to an other This danger thou saiest is thine infidelitie And thine infidelitie and want of faith thou proouest by the qualitie of thy temptation which thou takest to be directly opposite to faith and the banisher of all faith If therefore it shall appeare that though thou die before thou hast ouercome this temptation to thy liking yet thou wātest not faith in Christ euen faith vnto saluation then there is no cause of feare Indeede this temptation argueth a roote of infidelity to remaine in thee for seeing the Lord Iesus hath borne our sinnes in his body vpon the tree and in bearing them hath taken them away and hath washed and cleansed vs in his bloud and seeing God the father of our lord Iesus Christ receiuing satisfaction in the sacrifice of his Sonne hath by an irreuocable word promised to forgiue our sinnes and to remember our iniquities no more and these things both concerning the meritorious sacrifice of Christ and concerning the faithful promise of God are knowne and haue been made knowne vnto thee Surely this temptation of accusing thoughts would long since haue receiued an answere if there had not beene some roote of infidelitie remaining in thee to giue continuall nourishment vnto it But because there is some infidelitie in thee doth it therefore follow that there is no faith That is not so there may be both together either in his measure and degree Doth not Saint Paul tell vs that in himselfe at the same time there was one power which he calleth the Lawe of his minde leading him to God and to the loue of his lawe and an other power which hee calleth the lawe of his members leading him from God and leading him to sinne his words are I delight in the law of God concerning the innerman but I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind and leading mee captiue vnto the lawe of sinne which is in my members Can anie things bee more opposite one to an other then these two lawes of the mind and of the members either striuing to draw
the man in whom they remaine a contrary way the one to God the other to sin and yet they continue in the same man at the same time for his exercise so long as hee liueth The same Apostle telleth vs concerning euerie renewed seruant of GOD that in him at the same time there remaineth both naturall corruption which he calleth flesh and infused grace which he calleth Spirit and either worketh striuing each against other His words are The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrarie one to the other so that yee can not doe the same things that yee would The spirit in them that is infused grace lusteth against corruption to draw them vnto goodnesse and the flesh in them that is naturall corruption lusteth against grace to draw them vnto wickednesse Faith and infidelitie the one being the worke of the spirit the other the worke of flesh are not more contrary one to another then the flesh and spirit from whence they grow and yet they are present together therefore with thy infidelitie there may be faith in thee The condition of a Christian man in his holy calling from darknesse vnto light is like vnto the appearing of day after a darke night It is a similitude much vsed by the holy Ghost in the Scriptures Paul saith The night is past the day is at hand That is the time of darkenesse in which you erred altogether is past and God hath sent his word among you by which as by the light of the day you may see the way to walke in And in another place Yee are all the children of light and the children of the day wee are not of the night neither of darkenesse That is we liue not in ignorance we walke not in ignorance but God hath called vs to knowledge and by the light thereof wee see the way before vs and walke on safely in it Now we all know that when the day beginneth to breake there is remaining a shadow of darkenesse a long time and that first growing light is farre from the cleare and ful light that shineth at noon day But will any man say that because of the remainder and mixture of darkenesse in the beginning of the day that therefore there is no light at all euery man would controule that assertion Euen so God shewing mercie to them that were shut vp in infidelitie giueth them faith which beginneth to growe like the day light in the first breaking forth of it and with some faith there remaineth much infidelitie Shall any man therefore say that because there is some infidelitie still remaining there is no faith at all that saying were iniurious to the new conuerted and weake Saint and it were an vnthankefull censure of Gods gracious worke begun Remember what thou hast read in the Gospel of the honest man that came vnto the Lord Iesus to intreat for his sonne that was possessed with a diuell he said vnto our Sauiour Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe He professed his faith while hee confessed his infidelity he doubteth not of the presence of the one because hee saw and felt the presence of the other but knowing his faith to be tender and young and his infidelitie to be old and strong hee craueth the help of the Lord Iesus to weaken his infidelitie and to strengthen his faith Such altogether is thy case at this time weake faith oppressed by strong infidelitie strong infidelitie keeping the vpper hand of weake faith say vnto the Lord Iesus as that man did Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe And if thou thinkest his prayer to be defectiue because hee onely craueth helpe against infidelitie and desireth not increase of his faith vnto the words of his petition ioyne the words of the petition that the Apostles together made vnto the Lord saying Lord encrease our faith These words put together make a perfect praier for this peculiar grace that the Lord Iesus of whose fulnesse wee receiue grace for grace will bee pleased to increase our faith which we finde to bee weake and to weaken our infidelitie which wee finde to bee strong This doe and by the mercy of God and goodnesse of our most milde Sauiour thou shalt finde an happy alteration in good time growing and thou shalt haue no cause to feare to die without faith whensoeuer death shall come yea though thou shouldest bee taken away before the full vanishing of this temptation because he dieth not without faith in whom at his death there is remaining some infidelitie neither dieth he without hope in whome at his departure there is remayning some feare and vnto God thy couered and almost smotherd faith wil appeare when the same is hidden from thine owne feeling But thou fearest death not onely this way least it should come before thou haue wholy ouercome this temptation but thou fearest it also though there should be a ceasing of the temptation before namely that after death this accusation may be renued because as thou saiest the right time of preferring accusations against sinners is when after death they appeare before the Lord in iudgement and if the accusation now while there is yet time of repentance and hope of forgiuenes ◅e so heauie and fearefull as thou doest finde it and feele it it must needes be then much more heauie and fearefull when there is left no time of repentance nor any new course to be taken for the obteining of forgiuenes To this I answere that if once thou ouercome this temptation before death thou needest not to feare the returne of it after death if now it be ouercome and quenched rightly by such meanes as God hath appointed for the quieting of consciences whereof it behoueth thee to be very carefull for if thy temptation be ouercome by the knowledge and faith of the infinite mercy of God toward humble and contrite spirits and of the vertuous mediation of Iesus Christ that lambe of God that taketh away the sin of the world gathered by harkening to the doctrine of the Gospel which is the power of God to saluation and if this knowledge and faith be accompanied with the loue of God that is so mercifull a father and of Iesus Christ that is so gratious a redeemer and with the loue of thy brother and with the hatred of sinne that is offensiue both to God and to thy brother assure thy selfe that these accusing thoughts so silenced and quenched shall not be reuiued after death and thy peace so growen by knowledge and saith so accompanied is not a deferring of this temptatiō vnto a fitter time but a totall abolishing of it for euer He that in this manner ouercommeth his accusing thoughts on earth shall neuer heare of them before God in heauen Wherefore else doeth the Lord Iesus say of the determination and censure of his seruants to whom he hath committed the word of reconciliation either assuring forgiuenes to the penitent beleeuer
fall into misery is of infinite variety no man can number the seuerall miseries and troubles that sinne hath made our life subiect vnto yet they may be reduced to two generall heads for either they are iudgements vpon the inward man inward miseries and afflictions vpon the soule or else they are outward iudgements vpon the outward man in outward things that touch not the peace of the soule The inward iudgements and miseries which follow the fall into sin and wherinto for sinne man falleth are either the blinding of our vnderstanding and the hardening of our heart often inflicted as punishments of foregoing sinnes and such was the iudgâ—…ment of God vpon Pharao whose heart God hardened and such a iudgement and misery the Apostle Paul telleth vs the Gentiles fell into as a punishment of precedent sins when he saith Wherefore also God gaue them vp to their hearts lusts vnto vncleannesse to deâ—…ile their owne bodies betweene themselues And in many more words he recordeth that iudgement or they are those feares and terrours of heart that cast vs downe from hope that empty our soules of comfort fill them with feares and make vs as it were to stagger shrinke and fall in our faith of this kind is that iudgement that God threaâ—…neth by Moses in these words the Lord shall simite thee with madnesse and with blindnesse and astonishment of heart when a man is amased and confounded with his feares that hee knoweth not which way to turne him for comfort and helpe and deepe fallen into this miserie were they whom Esay speaketh of saying The sinnes in Sion are afraid a feare is come vpon the hipocrites who among vs shall dwell with the deuouring fire who among vs shall dwell with the euerlasting burnings They conceiued no otherwise of God then of a consuming fire and therefore feare possessed altogither their hearts hope vanished faith had no abiding there And all these inward miseries falling immediately vpon the soule and the facultie thereof tend chiefely to this to ouerthrow our faith by decay of it to ouerthrow vs for faith is the firme standing of our soule grounded vpon the assurance of Gods mercy Therefore doeth the Apostle vse this phrase Watch you stand fast in the faith quit you like men and be strong Because he that hath the stronger faith standeth the more strong and steadfast and hee that hath the weaker faith standeth more weakely and loose and thoug the faith of the Saints of God once giuen vnto them neuer totally decaieth for as the Lord Iesus saith hee praied for the continuance and confirmation of Peters faith to whom he said I haue praied for thee that thy faith faile not So he praied for all his chosen ones that beleeue in him when he said to his father I pray not for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue in mee thorough their word Yet the faith of the Saintes suffereth sometimes an eclipse or deceasing at some other times an increasing whereby as in the increasing of their faith they stand fast and are full of comfort so in the deceasing of their faith their footing becommeth slipperie and they take many sore falles feele their hearts oppressed with feare as it was with Dauid when he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee and art so far from my health and from the words of my roaring And when he complained at another time saying Mine heart trembleth within mee and the terrors of death are fallen vpon mee feare and trembling are come upon mee and an horrible feare hath couered mee In this manner their faith at that time being in the wane the righteous oppressed with a weight of anguish and feare doe often fall through the shrinking of their faith and feele themselues sore bruised in their soules But yet such is the mercy of God that he doeth not suffer the righteous being fallen into these inward iudgements and miseries to fall for euer And if it be a blinded vnderstanding or a hardned heart that they are fallen into he raiseth them vp out from a blinded vnderstanding by sending the knowledge of the 〈◊〉 As the Lord Iesus sent Paul among the ignorant Gentiles with this commission I send thee to open their 〈◊〉 that they may turne from darkenes to light c. And he raiseth them vp from hardnes of heart by mollifying their hearts as hee promiseth by Ezekiel saying I will take away the stonâ—…e heart out of your body and I will giue you an heart of flesh And if they be fallen into any feare and terror of conscience he raiseth them vp by repairing their faith and by reuiuing their comfort To that end he bringeth to their remembrance the large promises of his grace the boundles measure of his mercy the riches of his free vnchangeable loue and then doeth hee make them remember that they haue a mediator that died for their sinnes and rose againe for their iustification and ascended into heauen to prepare a place for them and sitteth on the right hand of his father in highest fauour and greatest authoritie to make intercession for them continually vrging the vertue of his death and bloudshedding that hath taken away the sinne of the world who is the prince of peace that hath made their peace and is that beloued sonne in whom the father is well pleased making vs accepted in that his beloued To the same end doeth he spread the beames of his louing countenance and cause the light thereof to shine within their consciences sending downe the spirit of adoption into their hearts to beare witnes with their spirits that they are the sonnes of God so raking together the sparkes of their almost smothered faith from among the cold ashes of anguish and feare where it lay deepe couered giuing heate and life vnto it with the warming fire of his comfort so that they begin to lift vp their heads and to reioice their hearts and to shake of their their sorrow and feare and to glorie in God saying with the blessed virgin My soule magnifieth the Lord and my spirit reioiceth in God my Sauiour And with the Prophet Dauid Thou hast tnrned my mourning into ioy thou hast loosed my sacke and girded mee with gladnes And that God doeth thus not suffring the righteous to fall and languish in these inward miseries for euer besides the experience of Gods elect daily renewed with light and grace and daily refreshed with comfort and peace the scriptures also doe testifie it to be the gracious manner of Gods dealing with his chosen The Prophet saith of him Hee healeth those that are broken in heart and bindeth vp their soares These words can be referred to no other worke of God for the more sure and full performance whereof God sent his sonne into the world who came to call sinners vnto repentance and to seeke and saue them that