and pure and no mortall man being vncleane polluted by sinne can haue fellowship with him yet God hath shewed his mercy to those that beleue in him and hath accepted of the blood of Iesus Christ his sonne whereby they are clensed from all their corruptiōs v. 7. If here it be asked how this pardon and forgiuenes may be known It is answered by two signes one is Hūble heartie Confession of our sins vnto god for so saith the Apostle If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sins and to clense vs from all iniquitie v. 9. The other is the pacified Conscience for being iustified by faith we haue peace with God and If our heart condemne vs not that is if our conscience in respect of sinne doth not accuse vs then haue we boldnesse towards God Chap. 3. v. 21. The secōd note of fellowship with God is the sanctifying Spirit whereby we are renewed in holines and righteousnes Hereby we know that he abideth in vs euen by the Spirit which he hath giuen vs Chap. 3. v. 24. The third is holines vprightnes of heart life To this end the Apostle saith If we say that we haue fellowship with him and walke in darknes we lie doe not truely but if we walke in the light as he is in the light we haue fellowship one with another c. Chap. 1. 6. 7. The fourth is perseuerāce in the knowledge and obedience of the Gospel So the same Apostle exhorteth the Church Let therfore abide in you that same doctrine cōcerning Christ which ye haue heard from the beginning If that which ye haue heard from the beginning remaine in you that is if ye beleeue and obey it you also shall continue in the same and in the father Chap. 2. 24. The second Ground He that is the adopted sonne of God shall vndoubtedly be saued This point the Apostle plainely declareth when he saith Beloued now are we the sonnes of God And we knowe that is we are vndoubtedly assured by faith that when Christ shal appeare in glory we shal be like vnto him for we shall see him as he is That the latter part of these words is thus to be expounded I gather out of Chap. 2. 28. as also by comparing this text with that of S. Paul where he saith When Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we also appeare with him in glory And againe If we be sonnes we are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him Nowe put the case that the conscience of the beleeuer will not rest in this but desires to be further resolued touching the certainetie of his adoption Then I answer that he must haue recourse vnto the signes whereby a sonne of God may be discerned from a child of the deuill and these are principally three First is truely to beleeue in the name of the sonne of God for those that haue God for their father are made the sonnes of God by faith in Iesus Christ. And this faith shewes it selfe by obedience For hereby we are sure that we knowe Christ that is that we beleeue in him and apply him with all his benefits vnto our soules If we keepe his commandements Nay further He that saies I knowe him and keepes not his commandements is a liar and the trueth is not in him chap. 2 3 4. The second signe is a heartie desire and earnest indeauour to be clensed of his corruptions Euery sonne of God that hath this hope purifieth himselfe euen as Christ is pure chap. 3. vers 3. The third is the loue of a Christian because he is a Christian for hereby saies the Apostle are the children of God known from the children of the deuill because the sonnes of Satan doe hate their brethren as Cain did his brother Abel euen for the good workes which they doe On the other side Gods adopted sonnes may hereby know themselues to be translated from death to life because they loue the brethren Chap. 3. 10 11 12 c. The third Ground They that are assured of the loue of God to them in particular may also be certainely assured of their owne saluation This doctrine followes necessarily vpon the Apostles words chap. 4. v. 9. For those whome God hath loued from all eternitie to them he hath manifested his loue by sending his onely begotten sonne into the world that they might liue through him eternally But howe may a man be assured of Gods speciall loue and fauour The same Apostle answers by two notes The first is the loue of our brethren and that according to Gods commandement wherein it is commanded that he that loues God should loue his brother also 4. 21. Andif any man say I loue God and hate his brother be is a liar For howe can he that loueth not his brother whome he hath seene loue God whome he hath not seene 4. 20. Nowe that a man deceiue not himselfe in the loue of his brother Saint Iohn giues three rules One that Christian brotherly loue should not be for outward respects or considerations but principally because they are the sonnes of God and members of Christ Euery one that loueth him which did beget that is god the father loueth him also which is begotten of him 5. 1. Another is that it must not be outward in shew onely but inward in the heart Let vs not loue in word or in tongue onely but in deede and in trueth 3. 18. Lastly that it be not onely in time of prosperitie but vvhen hee stands in most neede of our loue For whosoeuer hath this worlds good and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp the bovvels of compassion from him howe dvvelieth the loue of god in him 3. 17. The second note of Gods loue vnto vs is our loue of god For those whome God loueth in Christ to them hee giues his grace to loue him againe And this louing of him againe is an euident token of that loue wherewith he loueth them So saith the Apostle We loue him because hee loued vs first 4. 19. If it be demaunded howe a man may be assured that he loueth God the answer is hee may knowe it by two things first by his conformitie to him in holinesse The child that loues his father will be willing to tread in the steppes of his father and so in like manner he that loueth God will indeauour euen as hee is so to be in this world 4. 17. But howe is that not in equalitie and perfection but in similitude and conformitie striuing to be holy as he is holy and indeauouring to doe his will in all things Secondly by the vveaning of his affection from the things of this world yea from all pleasures and delights of this present life so farre forth as they are seuered from the feare and loue of
of the minde and whole man in affection life conuersation And this standeth in a constant purpose of the mind and resolution of the heart not to sinne but in euery thing to doe the will of God Hereupon Paul exhorteth them to whome he wrote to continue in the loue of God and in the obedience of his word Barnabas when he came to Aâ—tioch and had seene the grace of God was glad and exhorted all that with purpose of heart they should cleaue vnto God or continue with the Lord. So the Prophet Ezekiel saith If the wicked will turne from all his sinnes and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely liue and shall not die In this purpose stands the very nature of repentance and it must be ioyned with humiliation and faith as a third thing availeable to saluation and not to be seuered froÌ„ them For a man in shew may haue many good things as for exaÌ„ple he may be huÌ„bled seeme to haue some strength of faith yet if there be in the said man a want of this purpose resolutioÌ„ not to sinne the other are but dead things vnprofitable and for all them he may come to eternall destruction Furthermore we must distinguish this kind of purpose from the minde and purpose of carnall men theeues drunkards harlots vsurers for they will confesse their sins and be sory for them yea and shed some teares wishing they had neuer sinned as they haue In these men indeede there is a wishing will for the time but no setled purpose And it is a propertie of nature to auoid euill but to haue a constant resolution of not sinning is a gift of grace and for this it is that we must labour otherwise our repentance is no true and sound repentance The fourth last dutie is to performe Newe obedience vnto God in our life and conuersation In this newe obedience three things are required First it must be a fruit of the spirit of Christ in vs for when we doe any good thing it is Christ that doeth ' it in vs. Paul saith that good which I doe I doe it not but Christ that dwelleth in me Secondly this new obedience must be the keeping of euery commandement of God For as Saint Iames saith He that breaks one commandement is guiltie of all that is he that doeth willingly and wittingly breake any commandement and makes not conscience of some one maketh not conscience of any and before God he is as guiltie of all as if he had broken all Thirdly in newe obedience the whole man must endeauour to keepe the whole law in his minde will affections and all the faculties of soule and bodie As it is said of Iosiah that he turned to God according to all the lawes of Moses with all his heart There are yet three other things required in him that must performe new obedience first he must not liue in the practise of any outward sinne Secondly there must be an inward resisting and restraining of the corruption of our nature and of our hearts that we may truely obey God by the grace of the spirit of God The heart of Ioseph was readie prest to resist the euill request of Potiphars wife And Dauid staid his affection from revenging himselfe vpon Shemei when he cursed him Thirdly he must stirre vp and exercise the inward man by all spirituall motions of Faith Ioy Loue Hop eand the praise of God Here a necessarie Question is mooued CoÌ„sidering that all good workes are the fruits of a regenerate person are contained vnder newe obedience How a man may doe a good worke that may be accepted of God please him For resolutioÌ„ wherof it is to be carefully remeÌ„bred that to the doing of a good worke sundrie things are required Wherof some in nature do goe before the worke to be done some doe accompany the doing thereof and some againe doe followe the worke being required to be done when the worke is done Before the worke there goes reconciliation for the person must be reconciled vnto God in Christ and be pleasing to him for if the person of the worker doe not please God the worke it selfe cannot neither are workes of what dignitie soeuer to be esteemed by the shevv and outvvard appearance of them but by the mind and condition of the doer Againe before vve doe any good vvorke vve must by praier lift vp our hearts vnto God and desire him to inable vs by his spirit to doe it to guid vs by the same in the action vvhich vve are about to doe This did the Prophet Dauid oftentimes as vve may read in the Psalmes but especially in Psal. 143. 10. when he saith Teach me to doe thy will O God for thou art my God let thy good spirit lead me vnto the land of righteousnesse In the doing of the worke we are to consider two things the matter the manner or forme of doing it For the matter it must be a worke commanded in the word of God Christ saith of the Pharises that they worshipped him in vaine teaching for doctrines the commandements of men He therefore that will doe a worke tending to the worshippe of God must doe that which God commandeth And here we must remember that a thing indifferent in the case of offâ—nce comes vnder a commandement of the morall lawe To which purpose Paul saith If eating flesh will offend my brother I will eate no flesh while the world standeth His meaning is that though his eating of flesh was a thing indiffereÌ„t in it selfe yet in case of offence his minde was to abstaine from it as much as from the breach of the Law of God Againe if an action indifferent comes within the case of furthering the good of the Common wealth or Church it ceaseth to be indifferent and comes vnder commandement and so all kind of callings and their workes though neuer so base may be the matter of good workes Now for the forme of the worke there must be first a generall faith whereby we must be perswaded that the thing to be done may lawfully be done for what soeuer is not of faith is sinne Secondly a particular or iustifying faith which purifieth the heart and maketh it fit to bring forth a good worke for it giues a beginning to the worke also couers the wants and defects thereof by apprehending and applying vnto vs Christ and his merits Thirdly it must be done in obedience for knowing the thing to be doâ—e to be commanded of God we must haue a minde and intention to obey God in the thing we doe It will be here demanded seeing workes must be done in obedience how and to what part of the word we must direct our obedience I answer to the Law but howe not considered in his rigour but as it is qualified mollified and tempered by the gospel for according to the rigour of the
God Loue not this vvorld nor the things that are in the world if any man loue this world the loue of the father is not in him 2. 15. The Fourth place is in the second of Timothie 2. 19. The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his and let euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie In these wordes Paul goeth about to cut off an ofsence which the Church might take by reason of the fall of Hymenaeus and Philetus who seemed to be pillars and principall men in the Church And to confirme them against this offence he saith The foundation of God that is the decree of Gods election stands firme and sure so as those which are elected of God shall neuer fall away as these two haue done And this he declares by a double similitude First of all he saith the election of God is like the foundation of an house which standeth fast though all the building be shaken Secondly he saith that election hath the seale of God and therefore may not be chāged because things which are sealed are thereby made sure and authenticall Nowe this seale hath two parts the first concerns God in that euery mans saluation is written in the booke of life and God knoweth who are his And because it might be said God indeede knowes who shall be saued but what is that to vs we knowe not so much of our selues Therfore Saint Paul to answer this sets downe a second part of this seale which concerns man and is imprinted in his heart and conscience which also hath two branches the gift of invocation and a watchfull care to make conscience of all euery sinne in these words And let euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie VVhereby he signifieth that those that can call vpon God giue him thanks for his benefits and withall in their liues make conscience of sinne haue the seale of Gods election imprinted in their hearts and may assure themselues they are the Lords A Fift place of scripture touching this question is 2. Pet. 1. 10. Giue all diligence to make your election sure for if you doe these things you shall neuer fall Which words containe two parts first an Exhortation to make our election sure not with God for with him all things are knowne but to ourselues in our owne hearts and consciences Secondly the Meanes whereby to come to this assurance that is by doing the things before named in the 5 6 and 7. verses that is nothing else but to practise the vertues of the morall law there set downe which I will briefly shewe what they are as they lie in the text To faith adde vertue by faith he meaneth true religion and that gift of God whereby we put our trust and confidence in Christ. By vertue he meaneth no speciall vertue but as I take it an honest and vpright life before men shining in the vertues and workes of the morall law By knowledge he meanes a gift of God whereby a man may iudge how to carrie himselfe warily and vprightly before men By temperance is vnderstood a gift of God whereby we keepe a moderation of our naturall appetite especially about meate drinke and attire By Patience is meant a vertue whereby we moderate our sorrowe in induring affliction Godlines is another vertue whereby we worship God in the duties of the first table Brotherly kindnesse is also that vertue whereby we imbrace the Church of God the members thereof with the bowels of loue And in the last place Loue is that vertue wherby we are well affected to all men euen to our enemies Now hauing made a rehearsall of these vertues in the tenth verse he saith If ye doe these things ye shall neuer fall that is to say If ye exercise your selues in these things you may hereby be well assured and perswaded of your election and saluation III. Question THe last generall Question touching man as he is a Christian is How a man beeing in distresse of minde may be comforted and releiued Ans. Omitting all circumstances considering that much might be spoken touching this Question I will onely set down that which I take to be most materiall to the doubt in hand DIstresse of mind which Salomō calls a brokē or troubled spirit is whē a mā is disquieted and distempered in conscience and consequently in his affections touching his estate before God This distresse hath two degrees the lesse and the greater The lesse is a single feare or griefe when a man standeth in suspense and doubt of his owne saluation and in feare that he shall be condemned The greater distresse is Despaire when a man is without all hope of saluation in his owne sense and apprehension I call dispaire a greater distresse because it is not a distinct kind of trouble of minde as some doe thinke but the highest degree in euery kinde of distresse For euery distresse in the minde is a feare of condemnation and comes at length to desperation if it be not cured All distresse of minde ariseth from temptation either begunne or continued For these two doe so necessarily followe and so inseperably accompany each the other that no distresse of what kind soeuer can be seuered from temptation And therfore according to the diuers sorts of temptations that doe befall men must the distresses of the minde be distinguished Now Temptations be of two sorts either of triall or seducement Temptations of triall are such as doe befall men for the triall and proofe of the grace of God which is in them The Temptations of triall are twofold the first is a combate of the conscience directly and immediately with the wrath of God which beeing the most grieuous temptation that can be it causeth the greatest and deepest distresse of conscience The second is the Triall of the Crosse that is of outward affliction whereby God maketh proofe of the faith of his children and not only that but of their hope patience and affiance in his mercie for their deliuerance Temptations of seducement be such as wherin men are entised to fall from God Christ to any kind of euil And these are of three kinds The first is the temptation of Blasphemies or the Blasphemous temptation which is from the Deuill immediately The second is from a mans owne sinnes originall and actuall and this also hath sundrie branches as we shall see afterward The third proceeds from Imagination corrupted and deceiued Now answerable to these seuerall kinds of temptations are the seueral kinds of distresses and as all temptations may be reduced to those fiue which haue beene before named so may all distresses be reduced to fiue heads arising of the former temptations Before I come to handle them in particular we are to consider in the first place what is the best most sure generall Remedie which may serue for all these or any other kind of
in Dauid who beeing reprooued by the Prophet Nathan for his sinnes of adulterie and murther presently made confession of them and at the very same time receiued by the prophet sentence of absolution euen from the Lord himselfe wherein he could not erre The fourth Ground To loue any man because he is a Christian and a child of God is a sensible and certaine note of a man that is partaker of the true loue of God in Christ. Hereby saith S. Iohn we knowe that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Loue here is not a cause but onely a signe of Gods loue to vs. And our Sauiour Christ saith He that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receiue a Prophets reward Now that we be not deceiued in these grounds it must be rememebred that these beginnings of grace be they neuer so weak must not be flittering and fleeting but constant setled not stopped or staied in the way but such as daiely growe and increase and then they are indeed accepted of God And he that can finde these beginnings or any of them truely in himselfe he may assure himselfe thereby that he is the child of God Hauing thus laid downethe Groundes of cōfort I come now to the way by which the party in distresse may be brought within the compasse of the promise of saluation This way standes in two things in making triall and in applying the promise First then triall must be made whether the person distressed haue in him as yet any of the forenamed grounds of grace or not This triall may be made by him that is the comforter in the moouing of certaine Questions to the said person And first let him aske whether he beleeue and repent The distressed partie answers no he cannot repent nor beleeue Then he must further aske whether he desire to beleeue and repent to this he will answer he doeth desire it with all his heart in the same sort is he to make triall of the other groundes When a man is in the fit of tentation he will say resolutely he is sure to be dāned Aske him in this fit of his loue to God he will giue answer he hath none at all but aske him further whether he loue a man because he is a Christian and a child of God then will he say he doth indeed Thus after triall made in this manner some beginnings of faith and repentance will appeare which at the first lay hid For God vseth out of the time of prosperitie by in distresse and affliction to work his grace The second point followeth After that by triall some of the foresaid beginnings of grace be found out then comes the right applying of the promise of life euerlasting to the partie distressed And that is done by a kind of reasoning the first part whereof is taken from Gods word the second from the testimonie of the distressed conscience and the conclusion is the applying of the promise on this manner He that hath an vnfained desire to repent and beleeue hath remission of sinnes and life euerlasting But thou hast an earnest desire to repent and beleeue in Christ. Therefore remission of sinnes and life euerlasting is thine And here remember that it is most conuenient this application be made by the Minister of the Gospell who in it must vse his ministeriall authoritie giuen him of God to pronounce the pardon For in distresse it is as hard a thing to make the conscience yeild to the promise as to make fire and water agree For though men haue signes of grace mercie in them yet will they not acknowledge it by reason of the extremitie of their distresse In this manner vpon any of the former grounds may the troubled and perplexed soule be assured that mercie belongs to it And this I take to be the onely generall and right way of conforting a distressed conscience Nowe that the promise thus applyed may haue good successe these rules must necessarily be obserued I. One is that the comfort which is ministred be delaied with some mixture of the Law that is to say the promise alone must not be applyed but withall mention is to be made of the sinnes of the partie and of the grieuous punishments due vnto him for the same The reason is because there is much deceipt in the heart of man in so much as oftentimes it falleth out that men not throughly humbled beeing comforted either too soone or too much doe afterward becom the worst of all In this respect not vnlike to the iron which being cast into the fire vehemētly hot cooled againe is much more hard then it would haue bin if the heat had bin moderate And hence it is that in the ministring of cōfort we must somwhat keep thē down bring them on by litle litle to repentance The sweetnesse of comfort is the greater if it be delayed with some tartenesse of the Law II. Another rule is this If the distressed partie be much possessed with griefe of himselfe he must not be left alone but alwaies attēded with good company For it is an vsuall practise of the Deuill to take the vantage of the place time when a man is solitarie and depriued of that helpe which otherwise he might haue in societie with others Thus he tempted Eue when she was apart from her husband And in this regard Salomon pronounces a woe to him that is alone But herein doeth his malice most appeare in that he is alway readiest when a man is in great distresse and withall solitarie then vpon the sudden to tempt him to dispaire and to the making away of himselfe III. Thirdly the partie in distresse must be taught not to rest vpon his owne iudgement but alwaies to submit himselfe and be content to be aduised by others that are men of wisedome iudgement and discretion A thing to be obserued the rather because the very neglect thereof hath caused sundrie persons to remaine vncomforted for many yeres IV. Fourthly the partie distressed must neuer heare tel of any fearefull accidents or of any that haue bin in like or worse case thē himself is For vpon the very report the distressed conscience will fasten the accident vpon it selfe and therby cōmonly wil be drawn to deeper griefe or dispaire For the mind afflicted will imagine fearefull things and sometime the very bare naming of the Deuil will strike terrour feare into it V. Fiftly The partie that is to comfort must beare with all the wants of the distressed as with their frowardnesse peeuishnesse rashnesse and with their distempered and disordered affections and actions yea he must put vpon him as it were their persons beeing affected with their miserie and touched with their sorrowes as if they were his owne grieuing when he seeth them to grieue weeping when they doe weepe and lament VI. Sixtly he that is the comforter must not be
hearts therefore in afflictions we are patient Now whilst we patiently beare the crosse we haue experience of the mercie and loue of God towardes vs and hauing once in some notable deliuerance tried and tasted the mercie of God we doe by hope as it were promise to our selues the said fauour and mercy for time to come VII The last fruit is obedience This the holy Ghost teacheth to haue beene the fruit of the suffering of Christ when he saith Though he were the sonne yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered In the next place Afflictions are good in regard of their qualitie and condition which is that they are tokens and pledges of our adoption when we make the best vse of them If ye indure chastening saith the holy Ghost God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes that is he comes to you in the crosse not as a iudge and reuenger but as a kind and louing father and the crosse imposed is as it were his fatherly hād where with he chastiseth vs and therefore Iob praiseth God for his affliction saying God hath giuen and God hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. The fifth Ground of comfort is that the partie distressed hath partners in the crosse For first he hath Christ to be his partner because he hath fellowship with him in that he is afflicted and is willing to obey God therein Paul accounteth it happines to know the fellowshippe of Christs afflictions and to be made conformable vnto his death Phil. 3. 10. Secondly if the partie afflicted repent Christ communicateth with him in all his Crosses and accounts them as his owne The Apostle in this regard would haue no man thinke it strange no not when he is in the fierie triall but rather to reioyce because he is partaker of Christs sufferings Phil. 4. 31. And Christ saith to Saul persecuting his Church Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Thirdly he that is afflicted hath other seruants of God partakers with him in all his afflictions The Apostle Peter wisheth the Church of God to resist Sathan by faith knowing saith he that the same afflictions are accōplished in your brethren that are in the world 1. Pet. 5. 9. Thus much generally of Afflictions and of Comfort in them It were a long and tedious worke to set all downe in particular together with their proper and distinct Comforts therfore I will passe them ouer and speake onely of three kinds of Afflictions with their Remedies The first is the Deferring of deliuerance a great affliction if it be considered And touching it I propound one Question namely How the minde of the partie distressed may be staied when as the Lord deferres deliuerance For the answer hereof three especiall points are to be considered I. First that God hath in his wisdome set downe certen and vnchangeable times for the accomplishment and issue of all things that are There is a time appointed to euery thing vnder the sunne Eccles. 3. 1. The speech of Salomon is generall and the meaning of it is this Whatsoeuer there is in the world either done or suffered or enioyed by man whether it be of the number of naturall things or of those which are voluntarily vndertaken or necessarily endured God hath in his prouidence sorted vnto them a set time and season whereof dependeth the successe of thē all And this time himself most freely ordereth and ruleth at his owne good pleasure which as no man can hinder or stay so is it not in the power of any to hasten or preuēt This point the holy Ghost in Scripture prooueth by two instances of the threatnings and promises of God which himselfe accomplisheth at some certaine and vnchangeable times When the old world in the daies of Noah had growne to much impietie and wickednes the Lord appointed a certaine space of 120 yeares for their repentance and conuersion at the very ende and tearme whereof he brought the flood vpon them and not before For if we compare the particular circumstances of time noted in the 7. of Genesis with that which S. Peter writeth 1. Pet. 3. 20. we shall find that the inundation of waters came vpon the earth at the very point of time before determined Againe God threatned by Ieremie that the Iewes for their sinnes should be led captiue and serue the king of Babel 70 yeares Now if we take the iust computation of time it will appeare that so soone as euer those yeares were expired the foresaid threat was accomplished And therefore Daniel alluding to Ieremies prophecie exactly setteth it downe when he saith The same night was Belshazzer king of the Chaldeans slaine that is the very night wherein those 70 yeares came to their full period And as there are set times allotted by God for the execution of his threatning sentences so also hath he determined certenly the accomplishment of all and euery of his promises An example hereof we haue in the Israelites of whome the Lord said to Abraham that they should be in afflictiō in a strange land 430 yeres then be deliuered This promise of God was expressely fulfilled as we may read in the booke of Exodus For before the ende and tearme of these yeares they had no deliuerance at all but when that time was expired euen that selfe same day departed all the hosts of Israel out of the land of Egypt And though Moses fourtie yeares before this time tooke in hand the worke of their deliuerance yet he did it without successe and vpon a certaine accident beeing himselfe constrained to flie into Madian he liued there as a stranger with Iethro his father in law till the saide time of foure hundred and thirtie yeares was accomplished toward the end whereof being called of God to that office he prospered and not before And in the same manner hath God set downe a certen period of time within which he will exercise his children more or lesse and at the end whereof and not before he will releeue and comfort them againe Now as the certentie of the accomplishment of Gods threatning word serues to terrifie all wicked liuers from sinne so the vnchangeable performance of his promises at the very time prefixed and not before teacheth the children of God sundrie things First that when they are in any distresse and haue not present or speedie deliuerance according to their desire they should wait the Lords leisure and expect with patience till the time come which is appointed by him for their case and releefe and in the meane while stay their hearts by hope and affiance in his mercie Reason is plaine God is sure in his word therefore though heauines may indure for a night yet ioy will returne in the morning Psal. 30. 5. Thus the Lord comforteth the Iewes in a particular distresse as we may read in the prophecie of Habbakuk where the Prophet in the name of the Iewes complaineth and expostulateth
to his dying day Our light afflictioÌ„ saith he which is but for a moment worketh vnto vs an excellent and eternal waight of glory And elswhere he professeth that he did not count the afflictions of this present time answerable in value to the glorie which shall be reuealed vnto Gods children Ro. 8. 18. Saint Peter tels them to whome he wrote that in regard of their assured hope of eternall life they should reioice though now for a season they were in heauinesse through manifold tentations 1. Pet. 1. 6. Lastly the author to the Hebrewes comforteth the Church by this reason because it is is yet a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarrie IV. Though God with-holdeth his hand in respect of deliuerance euen to death yet his loue is constant and vnchangeable and the crosse which we vndergoe cannot seperate vs from that loue wherewith he hath loued vs in Iesus Christ Rom. 8. 35. And thus much of the first particular distresse of minde The Second kind of afflictioÌ„ is bodily temporarie Death which consisteth in the seperation of the soule from the bodie And touching this affliction it is demanded How any seruant of God may be able to indure with comfort the pangs of death For the answer hereof two things are required a preparation to death and helpes in the time of death Concerning preparation there are three duties to be performed The first and most principall is commended vnto vs in the booke of Psalmes where Dauid praies vnto God Lord make me to know mine ende and the measure of my daies And Moses in like manner Lord teach me to number my daies that I may apply my heart vnto wisedome In which places is remembred a notably dutie of preparation to wit that a man should resolue himselfe of death continually and afore-hand number his daies And this is done by esteeming of euery day as the day of his death and accordingly doing alwaies that which he would doe if he were now to giue vp the ghost Secondly in way of preparation we must indeauour to disarme and weaken death who is as an armed man that hath his weapons whereby he seekes to destroy vs. And in this case we must deale with death as the Philistims dealt with Sampson They saw by experience that he was a mightie man and by his power and strength had giuen them many foyles and therefore they laboured to knowe in what part of his bodie his strength did lie And after inquirie finding it to be in the haire of his head they neuer rested till they had spoiled him thereof And questionlesse the time wil come when we all must encounter with this strong and powerfull Sampson Death In the meane while it is a point of wisdome to inquire wherein his power might consisteth When this search hath bin made we shall finde that his weapons are our manifold sinnes and corruptions both of heart and life For as Paul saith The sting of death is sinne Therefore that we may spoile him of this his furniture we must exercise our selues in the practise of two duties First vse all meanes for the cutting off of the locke of our sinnes whereby alone Satan hath the vantage of vs and these meanes are the duties of inuocation and true repentance We must therefore be instant in praier for the pardon of our sinnes past and present and in this point giue the Lord no rest vntill we haue obtained in our consciences the sweete certificate of his fauour and mercie in Christ whereby our minds may be staied and comforted This done it stands vs in hand to turne vnto God to be carefull to leaue sinne to entertaine in our hearts a resolued purpose and intention of newe obedience and conformitie to the will and commandement of God in all things And this is the onely way in the world to bereaue this our enemie of his armour to pull the sting out of the mouth of this serpent and consequeÌ„tly euen in death to preuaile against him Thirdly in way of preparation our dutie is euen afore-hand while we liue in this world to indeauour to haue some true taste of life euerlasting and the ioyes of heauen The due consideration whereof will be of great vse For it will stirre vp in our hearts a desire and loue of perfect happinesse in heauen yea a feruent expectation of Christs comming to iudgement and it will further cause vs to say with Simeon Lord now let thy seruant depart in peace and with the Apostle I desire to be dissolued and be with Christ. Touching this spirituall ioy and comfort in the holy Ghost these Questions of Conscience are mooued First how may we in this life haue and nourish in our hearts a true tast of eternall happinesse and of the ioyes of the world to come Ans. First by a serious consideration of the euills that doe hinder or preiudice our happines and they are principally foure One is the Miserie of our liues in respect of sinne and the consequenâ—s thereof For there is no man in the world be he neuer so righteous that can truly say of himselfe I am cleane from my sinne Prou. 20. 9. Yea euen the regenerate that haue receiued grace to beleeue to â—urne vnto God and to liue according to the Spirit doe finde by experience corruption and rebellion in their minds wills and affections which daily affordeth matter of sinning against God and on the other side hindreth and quencheth all the good motions of the Spirit that are in them Againe such is the irreconciliable malice of Satan that he taketh vantage of mans corruption and neglecteth no time or opportunitie to intrappe the children of God in the snares of his temptations And hence it is that man by reason of his owne corruption and the wicked suggestions of the Deuill is at continuall strife with himselfe hath daily occasion of sorrow worketh out his saluation with feare and trembling wading as it were euen while he liueth in a sea of many miseries The second euill is the Vanitie of all things that are in the world For whether we consider the world it selfe or the things therein contained done or suffered there is nothing so sure and steadie whereunto man hauing attained can possibly rest fully satisfied and contented or which in the ende will not prooue to be most vaine vanitie And the truth hereof appeareth in the experience of Salomon himselfe who beeing king ouer Israel wanted neither authoritie nor abilitie opportunitie to take knowledge and triall of all worldly things in all estates and conditions And hauing euen of set purpose carefully and earnestly searched into them all at length he concludes that the issue of all was vnprofitable vanitie and vexation of minde as we may read in his Ecclesiastes The third euill is the Changeable condition of our life in this world whereby it comes to passe that we are alway in a fleeting and
transitorie state For we are as S. Peter speaketh but strangers and Pilgrimes that wander to and fro in the earth as in a strange countrey and still are making forward to our owne home We haue here no abiding citie the houses wherein we dwell are but Innes in which we soiourne for a time yea the bodies which we haue are but tents and tabernacles alway readie to be shifted and our selues to be traÌ„slated into another place Fourthly by remembring that Christ our Head beeing now in heauen and we his members vpon the earth during our life we are in presence separated from our Head and consequently from that happie and glorious fellowship which we shall inioy with him and all the Saints our fellow-members in the kingdome of heauen This S. Paul noteth when he saith whilst we are at home in the bodie we are absent from the Lord and thereupon himselfe desired to be dissolued and to be with Christ. Hauing thus entred into the due consideration of the aforesaid euills we must in the second place exercise our selues in the frequent meditation of the blessed estate of Gods chosen in the kingdome of glorie who beeing translated out of this life into the bosome of Abraham are fully and perfectly freed from sinne from Satan from vanitie and misâ—â—ie haue all teares wiped from their eyes doe behold the face of God are made like vnto Christ in holines and honour and doe with him inheâ—it the kingdome prepared for them from the fouÌ„dations of the world In the third place hauing throughly considered of these things we must Compare the estate of this present life in the respects before named with the estate of that which is to come in the kingdome of heauen and laying them in a paralell together we shall find the one infinitely farre to excell the other in regard of true ioy and comfort And this will make vs though liuing in the world yet to vse it as if we vsed it not to haue our conuersation in heauen to thinke with Paul that to be loosed and be with Christ is best of all for vs to haue a tâ—ue liuely tast of the ioyes of the world to come and accordingly with Abraham Isaac and Iacob to looke for a citie that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Secondly it is demanded how a man may truly discerne whether this ioy of the Spirit be in him yea or no For answer hereunto it is to be remembred that there are sundrie properties whereby it differeth from carnall ioy And these are principally fiue First this ioy is brought forth as it were of sorrow for sinne and for the want of Christ. Ye shall sorrow saith our Sauiour Christ to his Disciples meaning for his departure but your sorrow shall be turned into ioy These words are not onely meant of his Disciples but of all beleeuers who vpon consideration of their sinnes and the spirituall want of Christ Iesus doe mourne and lament For not only they but all true beleeuers are there opposed vnto the World Againe blessed are they that mourne that is beeing touched with causes of exceeding griefe doe withall mourne for their sinnes for they shall be comforted On the other side carnall ioy as it hath his beginning from the flesh and ariseth of things pleasing thereunto so it ends in sorrow heauines In the end reioycing is turned into mourning saith Salomon And Woe be to you that now laugh for ye shall weepe Secondly the ioy of the Spirit is a fruit of righteousnes that is it issueth and floweth from Christ knowne and beleeued to be made vnto vs of God wisdome righteousnes sanctification and full redemption For from hence follows peace of conscience and from peace comes ioy in the holy Ghost Contrariwise the ioy of the flesh ariseth onely from the sudden feeling of some worldly delight and therefore cannot bring any sound peace vnto the conscience oâ— the man possessed of it Thirdly spirituall ioy is founded in the holy vse of the Word Sacraments Praier and in the practise of Christian duties of mercie loue iustice c. The other is not so For the world conceiueth a ioy besides the word out of the exercises of inuocation and repentance which stands in the practise of crueltie malice oppression iniustice and all manner of impietie And hence it is that hauing spent their daies in such matter of reioycing at length in a moment they goe downe to hell Fourthly heauenly ioy is so fixed and rooted in the heart that it cannot be remooued thence Your ioy shall no man take from you saith Christ. It must needes therefore be true and sound yea able to swallow vp all matter of griefe and heauinesse whereas the other is neuer sincere but with the sweetnes thereof hath alwaies mingled some bitternes Euen in laughter saitl Sâ—lomon speaking thereof the heart is heauie When the face of the wicked man shineth and his countenance is pleasant euen then is he inwardly sorrowfull and his minde is troubled Lastly the ioy of the Spirit is eternall abiding in the mind of man not onely for the terme of this life but for euer in the world to come So is not the reioycing of the world in earthly things for it is fading and deceitfull as the things themselues be wherein it is placed it hath the beginning in corruption and endeth with this present life The examples of the two rich men in the Gospel doe manifest this truth And to this purpose is the speech of Zophar in the booke of Iob that the reioycing of the vicked is very short and the ioy of hypoerâ—â—es is but a moment c. By these fiue properties may we put a true difference betweene earthly and heauenly reioycing and consequently discerne of them euen in our selues And if we perceiue this ioy of the Spirit rightly receiued in our hearts and grounded in the right vse of the word and Sacraments as also in the exercises of inuocation faith and repentance to take place in our soules and consciences we shall finde it of force to moderate and delay the very terrours of death And so much for Preparation Now the Helpes to be vsed in the time of death are manifold the summe of all may be reduced to two heads Meditations and Practises Touching Meditations we must in the first place consider Death in a double respect one as it is in it owne nature and another as it is changed and qualified by the death of Christ. Death in it owne nature is a Curse or forerunner of condemnation the very gates and suburbs of hell it selfe but beeing qualified by Christ it is a blessing a short passage vnto ioy an entrance into euerlasting life a quiet sleepe voide of all annoyance by dreames and fantasies And the graue a resting chamber persumed by the death of Christ for the bodies of all the Elect our