refreshing which sprung out of that promise upon her forlorne and fearefull soule or the excesse of that love which shee bore ever after to those blessed lines to the mercy that made them and to the blood that sealed them An other terrified in conscience for sinne resolves to turne on Gods side but the crie of his good-fellow companions strength of corruption and cunning of Satan carrie him backe to his former courses A good number of yeares after hee was so throughly wounded that whatsoever came of him he would never returne againe unto folly Then comes into his minde the first of the Proverbes whence hee thus reasoned against himselfe So many yeares agoe God called and stretched out his hand in mercy but I refused and therefore now thâ— I call upon him hee will not answer though I seeke him early I shall not finde him Whereupon was his heart filled with much griefe terrour and slavish feare But the Spirit of God leading him at length to that place Luke 17.4 If thy brother trespasse against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turne againe to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgiue him He thence happily argued thus for himselfe Must I a silly sinnefull man forgive my brother as often as hee repents and will not then the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort entertaine mee seeking againe in truth his face and â—avour God forbid From which hee blessedly drew such a deale of divine sweetnesse and secret sense of Gods love that his trembling heart at first received some good satisfaction and afterward was setled in a sure and glorious peace An other godly man passing through his lâ—st sicknesse with such extraordinary calmâ—nesse of conscience and absolute freedome from temptation that some of his Christian friends observing and admiring the singularity of his soules quiet at that time especially questioned him aboue it He answered that he had stedfastly fixed his heart upon that sweetest promise Isa. 26.3 Thou wilt keepe him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because hee trusteth in thee And his God had graciously made it fully good unto his soule And so must every Saint doe who would sound the sweetnesse of a promise to the bottome make it the arme of God unto him for sound thorow-comfort Even settle his heart fixedly upon it and set his Faith on worke to broode it as it were with it's spirituall heate that quickenesse and life may thence come into the soule indeed For God is woont to make good his promises unto his children proportionably to their trust in them and dependance upon his truth and goodnesse for a seasonable performance of them Now all these promises in Gods blessed Booke which addes infinitely to their sweetnesse and certainty are sealed with the blood of Iesus Christ Heb. 9.16 and confirmed with the Oath of Almighty God Heb. 6.17.18 God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heires of promise the immutability of his counsell confirmed it by an oath That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie wee might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Oh what a mighty and pretious invitation is this to beleeve perfectly The speciall Aime of Gods oath whereas his promise had been more then infinitely sufficient was to strengthen our consolation And therefore every heart true unto Christ ought hence to hold fast not a faint wavering inconstant but a strong stedfast and unconquerable comfort Otherwise it sacrilegiously as it were robs God of the glorious end for which hee swore 5. The free love of God Which how rich and glorious how bottomlesse and boundlesse a treasure it is of all gracious sweetnesse abundant comfort and endlesse bounty appeares in this that Iesus Christ blessed for ever that unvalew-able incomparable Iewell came out of it For God so loved the World that hee gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Ioh. 3.16 And therefore every syncere servant of Christ when upon a serious and sad survay of his Christian waies finds himself to come so far short of that which God requires and himselfe desires That his prayers are very faint his sorrow for sinne very scant his love unto the brethren too cold His spending the Sabbaths very unfruitfull His spirituall growth since he gave his name to Christ very poore His profiting by the meanes hee enjoyes most unanswerable to the power and excellency thereof His New-obedience almost nothing c. For so hee is wont to vilifie himselfe Whereupon hee is much cast downe and out of this apprehension of his manifold unworthinesse concludes against himselfe that hee hath little cause to bee confident in the promises of life or to presume of any part and interest in Iesus Christ and so begins to retire the trembling hand of his already very-weake Faith from any more laying-hold of comfort I say in such a Case being true-hearted he may safely and upon sure ground have recourse to this ever-springing Fountaine of immeasurable mercy and raise up his drooping soule against all contrary oppositions with unspeake-able and glorious refreshing from such places as these Hos. 14.4 I will love thee freely Isai. 55. Ho every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and hee that hath no money come yâ—e buy and eate yea come buy wine and milke without money and without price And Chap. 43.25 I even I am hee that blotteth one thy transgressions for my owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes Revel 21.6 I will give unto him that is athirst of the Fountaine of the water of life freely c. God never set the Promises on sale or will ever sell his Sonne to any Hee never said Iust so much sorrow so much sanctitie so much service or no Christ But Hee ever gives Him freely Every truly humbled heart which will take him at the hands of Gods free love as an Husband to bee saved by him and to serve him in truth may have him for nothing Yet I must adde this there was never any who received the Lord Iesus savingly but hee laboured syncerely to sorrow as much for sinne to bee as holy to doe him as much service as hee could possibly And when hee reflected upon his best hee ever desired it had been infinitely better 6. The sweete Name of the Lord. Which hee proclaimes Exod. 34.6.7 wherein he first expresseth his essence in one word The Lord The Lord. Which doubled is effectuall to stirre up Moses attention Secondly three Attributes first His power in one word Strong Secondly His justice in two formes of speech not making the wicked innocent visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon childrens children unto the third and fourth generation Thirdly but his speciall goodnesse and good affection towards repentant and beleeving sinners in seven
and lead in the rocke for ever For I know that my Redeemer liveth c. chap. 13. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him did so strengthen and stay his spirit with a divine might that he bore valiantly and stood upright under the heaviest weight and greatest variety of extreame afflictions that ever were laid upon any meere man But now on the other side the tyth nay the tenne hundreth part of Iobs troubles caused graâ—elesse Achitophell to saddle his Asse get himselfe home put his houshold in order and hang himselfe So true is that which the blessed Prophet tels us Ier. 17.5 c. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For Hee shall be like the heath in the desert and shall not see when good commeth but shall inhabite the parched places in the Wildernesse in a saltland and not inhabited Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is For hee shall be as a tree planted by the waters and that spreadeth out her rootes by the river and shall not see when heate commeth but her lease shall be greene and shall not be carefull in the yeere of drought neither shall cease from yeelding fruite This impregnable comfort springing from grace and a good conscience even in evill times did steele the spirit of blessed Luther with such spirituall stoutnesse and so hardened his fore head against a world nay an horrible hell of most reproachfull and raging oppositions that he became a Spectacle a Miracle of rarest Christian fortitude and invincible courage to the whole world and to all posterity I am perswaded that holy truth of God which hee so gloriously proâ—est and that power of godlinesse which hee so faithfully practised did infuse into the heart of that Man as much unconquerablenesse of resolution and fearelesnesse of the face of Man as ever dwelt in any mortal brest since the Apostles time Witnesse amongst the rest that one extraordinary expression of His imcomparable magnanimity when his friends were earnest and eager upon Him not to venture Himselfe amongst a number of Perfidious Papists and bloud-thirsty Tigers He replied thus As touching mee saith He since I am sent for I am resolved and certainly determined to enter Wormes in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ yea tho I knew there were as many Divells to resist me as there are tiles to cover the Houses in Wormes This Man of God did upon the two Pillars of His Heroicall heart courage and patience most nobly sustaine the malice and hatred almost of the whole world The Divell and the Pope did concurrently countermine with all their cruelty and cunning against this victorious Champion of Heaven and mighty underminer of their darke and damned kingdomes Almost all the Princes Priests and people of Christendome did breed breathe out nothing but thoughts of indignation and threats of Death against Him Millions of lasie and lustfull Monkes having like so many pestilent Locusts of the infernall Pit seizd upon the face of Europe with their envenomed swarmes and lying at ease encloistered in Sodomy and bloud gnashed their teeth at Him with Hellish fury and like true Frends spet fire in His face And yet for all this this holy Saint which I more admire and prize higher then the victories of a thousand Caesars or the most renowned valour of the greatest Alexander having so many incarnate Divels continually roaring about Him with open mouth ready every houre and enraged with implacable thirst to drinke up His bloud and swallow Him up quicke yet I say enioyed such a triumphant tranquillity of minde and unshaken presence of spirit that like a mightie Son of thunder by His constant and powerfull preaching for the space of nine and twenty yeares so shooke the pillars of Popery that I am perswaded the Beast will never stand upon His foure legs any more And writ eloquently and excellently almost if not as many volumes as Austin did that great glory of the Christian World in former times A petty crosse many times will so emasculate and weaken the elevations of the greatest Wit that His conceite invention stile will fall to a farre lower streine then ordinary which contentment calmnesse would raise to their highest pitch possibility But the terrible earthquake as it were of all Europe and contrary commotions of Christendome some did never a whit dis-animate or shake the heart of this heavenly man fitly honoured by the name of a third Elias But now Francis Spira on the other side having out of his inordinate love to the things of this life wofully wounded his conscience by that infamous 〈◊〉 of the blessed Truth which He formerly professed became a spectacle of such spirituall misery and woe to the whole world that there is not any thing left unto the memory of man more remarkeable Vpon the very first revise of his recantation and serâ—ouâ— consideration in cold bloud what he had done he acknowledged himselfe utterly undone and for ever His spirit suddenly smitten with the dreadfull sense of divine wrath for his Apostasie and split in pieces as it were with so grievous a bruise fainted fearefully faild him quite and fell a sunder in his brest like drops of water Heare some rufull expressions of his desperate state from his owne mouth Oh that I were gone from hence that some body would let out this weary Soule I tell you there was never such a Monster as I am never was man alive a spectacle of such exceeding misery I now feele Gods heavy wrath that burnes like the torments of hell within me and afflicts my soule with pangs un-utterable Verily desperation is Hell it selfe The gnawing worme of unquenchable fire horrour confusion and which is worst of all desperation it selfe continually tortures me And now I count my present estate worse then if my soule separated from my body were with Iudas and therefore I desire rather to be there then thus to live in my body The truth is never had mortall man such experience of Gods anger and hatred against him as I have If I could conceive but the â—east sparke oâ— hope in my heart of a better state hereafter I would not refuse to endure the most heavy wrath of the great God yea for 2000. yeeres so that at length I might attaine out of misery He professed that his pangs were such as that the damned wights in Hell indure not the like misery That his state was worse then that of Cain and Iudas and therefore desired to die O that God would let loose his hand from me and that it were with me now as in times past I would scorne the threats of the most cruell Tyrants beare torments with invincible resolution and glory in the outward profession of Christ till I were choaked in the flame and my body turned into ashes Vses 1. If it be so then that
Dove my undefiled For my head is filled with dew and my lockes with the drops of the night yet for all this full loth they are to leave their Beds of ease and therefore frame many shifts excuses and delaies to passe by and put off those compassionate calls of love and mercifull importunities I have put off my coatâ— how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I deâ—ile them Whereupon their blessed Spouse so unworthily repell'd with such notorious unkindnesse and ingratitude scattering onely in their hearts some sense and glimmerings of his spirituall sweetnesse and beauty to breede the more shame and sorrow for so foule neglect departeth from them for a time withdrawes the life and lightsomnesse of His gratious presence hides as it were in an angry cloud the comfortable beames of His former favour and so leaves them to the darknesse of their owne spirits and in the comfortlesse Dampe of a justly deserved desertion That thereby they may bee schooled to prize Iesus Christ before gold and silver and to preferre as is most meete one glimpse of His pleased face before the splendour of all earthly Imperiall Crownes To listen with more reverence cheerefulnesse profit and holy greedinesse to His heavenly voice in the ministry of the Word and to make more deare account of godly comforts when they shall recover and re-injoy them For the purpose Wee may finde Cant. 5. The christian Soule laid too soft and lazily upon the â—ed of case and earthly mindednesse and slipt into a slumber of security and selfe-love vers 2. Her wellbeloved knocks and calls upon Her Nay be speakes and intreats upon all the termes of dearest love and for his painefull sufferings-sake to rise open unto Him Ibid. But she most unworthily puts him off with some slight excuses and delaies of sloth vers 3. whereupon Hee drops into Her heart some taste of His sweetest ointments to set Her affections on edge and eagernesse after Him vers 4.5 And so departs and leaves Her in Her sad and solitary dumps for driving away Her Dearest by such intolerable unkindnesse and shamefull neglect vers 6. Which perplexity and trouble of spirit for His departure begets in Her a great deale of zeale fervency and patience to follow after Him vers 7.8 An extraordinary admiration of His amiable excellencies and heavenly fairenesse vers 10 c. And no doubt a farre nearer embracement and dearer esteeme of Him upon His returne and enjoyment of a more full blessed coÌ„munion with Him againe Cap. 6.3 6. Sixthly The graces of salvation are the most pretious and worthfull things that ever issued out of the hands of God by creation The dearest of His infinite mercies the hearts-blood of His Sonne the noblest worke of His blessed Spirit doe all sweetly concurre moovingly meritoriously efficiently to the production of them No mervaile then tho it bee right pleasing unto God that such rare and inestimable Iewels should bee rightly prized and holden in highest esteeme by those that have them That they should still appeare and present themselves to those Soules wherein they shine in their true excellency orient fairenesse and native beauty Now privation of excellent things hath speciall power to raise our imaginations to an higher streine of estimation of them and to cause us at their returne to entertaine them with much more longing farre dearer apprehensions and embracement Absence and intermission of the most desirable comforts adde a great deale of life to the love of them and waight of pretiousnesse to their valewation The goodnesse of whatsoever we enioy is better perceived by vicissitude of want then continuall fruition Sleepe is more sweet after the tediousnesse of some wakefull and wearysome nights Liberty and enjoyment of the free aire and faces of men after restraint and imprisonment The glory and fairenesse of the Sunne after a blacke day or boisterous storme c. So Gods favourable aspect is much more acceptable after an angry tempest and hiding his face for a season And the graces of salvation farre more amiable and admirable to the eie of His humbled Childe after the darkenesse of a spirituall desertion Wherefore our gracious God doth many times in great mercy and wisedome deprive His dearest servants for a time of the presence of their Spouse the assurance of His love and sense of those graces that the absence thereof may represent the glory of such an incomparable happinesse and those heavenly Pearles more to the life and discontinuance of their enjoyment may inflame and affect their hearts with more holy greedinesse and eager pursuite after them and stirre up in them that height of esteeme and heate of love which may in some good measure bee answerable to their unvalewable excellency and sweetnesse Such dulnesse of heart deadnesse of affections and declination to the World may grow sometimes upon a good man that Hee may finde little more contentment in communion with Iesus Christ then in the prosperity of His outward affaires which is infinitely unworthy an Heire of Heaven But now in such a Case Let God make Him but to repossesse the iniquities of His Youth and fight against Him with His terrours for a while and the same Man with all His heart will preferre the reconciled face of God and peace of conscience before the Soveraignty and sole command of all the Kingdomes upon Earth While wee have a free and un-interrupted recourse unto the Throne of Grace wee are apt to under-valew and to conceive of that mighty grace of prayer but as of an ordinary gift But if once the Lord please to leave us to that confusion and astonishment of Spirit that our ejaculations doe sadly rebound upon our heavy and un-heated hearts without answer or encouragement from Heaven wee shall easily then acknowledge the Spirit and power of praier to bee one of the fairest flowers in the Garland of all our graces the very arme of God to doe Miracles for us many times and ever to settle our troubled Soules in sweetest peace and patience amidst the greatest pressures and persecutions either of Hellish or earthly enemies 7. Seventhly Iesus Christ Himselfe blessed for ever drunke full deepe of the extremity and variety of sorest sufferings in many kinds not only to deliver His from the vengeance of eternall fire but also lovingly to learne out of the sense of that sympathy and self-feeling to shew Himselfe tender hearted kind and compassionate unto them in all their extremities and never to suffer them to sinke in any trouble or affliction though never so full of desperate representations or apprehensions of impossibility to escape or to bee tempted at any time above their power and patience And many are the meanes and Methods by which Hee is woont to ease and mitigate their many painefull miseries especially that extremest of Martyrdome First Somtimes He rescues them by His own mighty and immediate arme out the mouth of Lyons and pulls them by strong hand
slippery Place tho you stand in the presence of the mightiest Defender of the true Religion of any Monarch under Heaven For altho Satan bee most solicitous and stirring in all Places and now more then ever the long Day of Mankind drawing fast towards an evening and the Worlds troubles and time neere at an end to doe all the mischiefe Hee can possibly yet you may bee assured Hee reserves his most desperate services ambushments surprises practises and Powder-plots for Kings Courts Because Hee findes there an extraordinary Confiâ—ence of Greatnesse Power Wit Policy noblest Parts and other mighty engines the edge and excellency whereof if Hee shall bee any waies able by improovement of the utmost skill in his old Trade of tempting to turne the Wrong way Hee gaines farre more then if He should win to His side some millions of private Men. If Hee prevailes there Hee knowes himselfe in a faire way to make foule worke and is often woont thereupon to empoison and plagve even a whole kingdome For your support therefore and surer standing in such a Case and that you may trample upon with an holy contempt and noble disdaine the false durelesse pestilent sweetnesse of worldly pleasures and vanishing glister of all earthly glory there is no way in the world but to embrace the Lord Iesus in the armes of your â—umbled Soule fallen out for ever with every sinne and fallen in love unfainedly with all Gods blessed waies For by Faith and Faith alone which how it is brought into the heart by the Holy Ghost you have in the Body of the Booke wee overcome the world And that in all respects Not onely in regard of the furious enticements and keene baites of carnall delights riches and rising but also of comminations of cruelty and torture Nay of the stinging provocations of contumelies and cruell mockings May you please to take notice of the power and property of it this way and in what manner this glorious Princesse conquers and sets her triumphant foote upon the necke of the World as upon Her vanquished Vassall in two or three passages 1. First While as yet the Soule tho never so admirably and universally endowed with rarest illuminations of humane wisedome naturall morall metaphysicall learning Mysteries of State is wholly gvided by the eies of sense and carnall reason it lookes upon the world and worldly things as upon the onely Paradise of sweetest contentments choicest pleasures and chiefest Good of the favour and fruition whereof it would rather bee damned then dispossest But upon the Kingdome of Christ and it 's spirituall glory as upon a thing not worthy searching into and seeking after a sower strict and uncomfortable condition fit onely for some few precise fooles and those scorned contemptible underlings who understand not the world but want Wit and Art to grow rich and rise to render themselves remarkeable to the eies of men and greaten their posterity But let that glorious eie of Faith be once planted in the Soule and the Case is quite altered Those former fading Lights of sense and reason are obscured by the presence of this heavenly Sunne and vanish with all their vanities For now this new beautifull Lampe shining in the face of the Soule doth represent to it's apprehension the World set out in greatest brauery and to the utmost worth as worth nothing as a dead rotten Carion a very Dunghill full of all loathsomenesse deformity and filth Which heated by the fire of mens furious lusts sends up continually such fumes of vanity and he lish Mists which unhappily hide their sight from any glimpse at all of all that incomparable beauty which shineth in the countenance of Christ or glory of the joyes above which last eternally But it now lookes upon the Kingdome of grace as upon a Rock of Diamonds or Crystall Mountaine thicke beset and glistering full faire with variety of richest Pearles and truly orient I meane as upon the most amiable and admirable Object under the Sunne as the best and blessedest thing to bee loved and looked after in this life 2. Secondly Every man is naturally and notoriously greedy of hearts-ease and joy in one kinde or other of which rather then they will misse they doe not sticke many times to light a candle at the Divell himselfe for some joviall lightsom-nesse and mirth such as it is a madnesse above admiration and followed with infinite miseries And therefore untill they lay certainely hold upon and really possesse somthing more pretious surer comforts sounder ioyes which may out-balance the weight of all wordly treasures and over-top the height of all humane happinesses both in excellency and sweetnesse they will by no meanes upon no termes suffer their hearts to bee drawne and divorced from possession of the present and the Bird in hand as they say I meane from that poore little leane imaginary nothing of contentment which they seeme to extract with much adoe and most certaine losse of eternall blisse from earthly things They will in the meane time sticke to the world as fast as Pherecides the Athenian to the ship who held it on the shore with his hands and one of them cut off Hee held it with the other and both beeing cut off Hee held it with His teeth But let once the weary Soules of these former Worldings truly wounded and broken in peeces with weight of sinne and sense of wrath leane upon and lay downe themselves in the bosome of the Lord Iesus bleeding upon the Crosse prizing his purity as well as His Passion and so taking Him upon Gods termes And then reflecting with a sensible and serious contemplation upon that Pearle of great price of which they now stand possest by the worth whereof they have sealed and made sure unto them a full discharge from the endlesnesse of Hellish torments and a most undoubted right to eternitie of Heavenly ioyes Nay possession given them of the thrice glorious and ever-blessed Deitie and all His perfections excellencies felicities so farre as an infinite God-head is conceiveable and a Creature capable I say then and never before will they easily and willingly leave their Hold-fast of the World and bee content for ever after to settle their dearest love seeke their truest comfort and have their heartiest conversation above 3. Thirdly Faith hath many pretious Effects It justifies pacifies purifies mortifies rectifies in all troublesome turnings of our life and also satisfies the heart As the Soule of Man is immortall by nature so it is immeasurable in it's appetite and aspirations edged with an infinite desire The boundlesse capacity whereof can never bee filled untill it apprehend and enjoy as it 's owne an object infinite as well in eminency of good as durability of time And therefore except Faith by bringing the Lord Christ into the Soule give us the infinite God himself and make Him our Portion the heart of Man never will or can possibly bee satisfied in
tempests raised by all the powers of Hell are presently calmed for ever doing him any deadly hurt All the creatures then pull in their hornes retire their stings bite in their poyson sâ—ib'd and awed by those divine impressions of their Creators blessed image stamped upon them by the Spirit of grace and dare no more offer any violence or vexation to him except upon particular dispensation for his spirituall good and quickening then to the Apple of Gods owne eye Heare the promise from Gods owne mouth And in that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowles of Heaven and with thâ— creeping things of the ground and I will breake the bow and the sword and the battell out of the earth and will make them to lye downe safely Hos. 2.18 Nay they are so farre from charging their seuerall stings upon the Saints that they will change their very natures to doe them service They will rather become an astonishment and horror to the whole Creation then they be hurt How often have they suspended and put off their native power and properties for the protection and good of Gods people The very Sea that most raging and roaring creature must stay his course and current to give passage and preservation to a true Israelite The Starres must fight and the Sunne stand still for the ayde and advantage of Gods armies The Lions must leave their savage rage and trade of blood and become Lambes and loving unto a Daniel The Crowes will feed an Elijah The flames of fire must hold in their heate from burning a Shadrach Meshach or Abednego The devouring belly of a dreadfull fish must be turned into a Sanctuary of safty to a Ionah A popish Furnace heated with the very malice of Hell shall become a bed of doune and Roses to a Martyr of Iesus The very dead lines of an ordinary Letter must represent to a Royall conceite a meaning quite contrary to the naturall sense and all Grammaticall construction before a blessed Parliament be blowne up with Popish Gun-Powder A brittle Glasse must rebound unbroken from the hardest stone to helpe to bind up a broken heart bleeding with griefe for absence of her Spouse and wanâ— of the assurance of his love c. Nay the divell himselfe though hee walkes about like a roaring Lion seeking with restlesse rage and desiring infinitely to devoure the Lords inheritance yet cannot possibly adde one linke to the chaine in which by the mercifull and mighty hand of God he is hampered nor goe an haires bredth beyond his commission Though it bee utterly impossible that that damned Angell should so farre change his divellish nature as to doe any of Gods chosen directly any true good yet he is everlastingly musled by an Almighty arme from ever doing them any deadly hurt He may be suffered sometimes to shake his chaine at them and roare upon them hideously to drive them nearer unto God and fright them from sinne But he shall never either in this world or the world to come have his full swinge at them or fasten his hellish fangs upon their redeemed soules 3. Besides all that other excellent compleate impenetrable armour of proofe mentioned Ephes. 6. which is able to beate backe victoriously all earthly oppositions and the very Ordnance of Hell every one of Gods Favourites is also blessedly furnished with a mighty spirituall Engine which is able to batter downe all the Bulwarkes of the Divell to shake the whole kingdome of darkenesse and all hellish powers nay to offer an holy violence to the very Throne of God himselfe witnesse His most mercifull intreating Moses To let him alone Exod. 32.10 As though the mediation of a man could binde as it were I speake it with lowliest reverence to that highest Maiestie the hands of his Omnipotency from doing his people any hurt and were able to extingvish that unquenchable wrath in the conception which once on foote would burne unto the lowest Hell and set on fire the foundations of the Mountainâ—s I meane that most pretious and almost if not altogether omnipotent Grace of Prayer This great Master of miracles hath wrought from time to time many and very remarkeable wonders both in Heaven and Earth It made the Sun that mighty creature the Prince of all the Lights in Heaven to stay and stand still upon the suddaine in the heat of his swiftest course It landed Ionah safely upon the shore out of the bellie of the Whale and bowels of the Sea It drew refreshing streames out of a dry bone for the saving of Samsons life It turned the Heaven into brasse for three yeeres and a halfe and afterward turned the selfe-same brasse into fruitefull clouds and fountaines of raine It killed an hundred fourescore and five thousand of the enemies of Gods people in one night For the freeing of Elisha from a straite and dangerous siege It filled a mountaine in a moment as it were full of Horsâ—s and Charets of â—ire It turned the swords of a mighty Army into the Bowells of one another when Iehoshaphat knew not which way to turne himselfe but was so helpelesse and hopelesse that he cryed unto the Lord wee know not what to doe only our eyes are upon thee It loosed Peter out of prison shoke his chaines off from his hands and made an Iron gate to open of its owne accord It eâ—raged and inlarged the English Seas to swallow up the Spanish invincible Armado And which is none of the least wonders It brought Prince Charles out of Spaine But you instance may some say in extraordinary examples of extraordinary men endowed with an extraordinary spirit Yet sure I am they are registred by the holy Ghost to represent unto us and to all generations of the Church to the Worlds end the Almighty and wonder-working power of Prayer And I am as sure that the Petitioners were men subiect to like passions as we are Perhaps if thou be a true-hearted Nathanael since thy new birth thou wast never so extraordinarily passionate as Ionah was when out of a pang of strange distemper hee thus answered the mighty Lord of Heaven and Earth I doe well to bee angry even unto death Fourthly Gods Favourite is further furnished with an other spirituall weapon of impregnable temper and incredible might I meane Faith the very Power and Arme of God for all true ioy sound comfort and light somnesse at the heart-roote in this life This crowned Emperesse of all those Heavenly graces that dwell in the Soule of a sanctified man and which in a right sense may be said vertually to comprehend all the beautie strength excellency and power of Christ himselfe is truely victorious and triumphant over all the World over the very gates of Hell and all the powers of darkenesse over the Divels fieriest darts over the devouring
the Lord Iesus so sweetly offering himselfe in that pretious promise Matth. 11.28 resoluing to take him for an everlasting husband and ipso facto as they say it might be put into a very Heaven upon Earth For this glorious grace of Faith the Prince of all spirituall light and lightsomnesse in the truely humbled Soule thus shed into such a darke and grieved spirit doth enkindle and set on shining all those gracious heavenly Starres that are woont to beautifie the hearts of holy men hope love zeale son-like feare humility patience selfe-deniall vniversall obedience fruitfulnesse in all good workes c. Which make them light it selfe to walke in the light towards the infinite and unapproachable light And therefore they never neede to want lightsomnesse but have perpetuall pregnant matter of spirituall mirth and mightinesse of spirit The point appeares and is further prooved by manifest and manifold experience David having bin formerly wofully wasted with great varietie and extremitie of dangers and distresses was at last plunged into a most desperate perplexity 1. Sam. 30 6. Which had bin able to have swallowed up into despaire the manliest vigour of the greatest spirit upon earth not supported with grace The like or a lesse caused King Saul to fall upon his owne sword yet He blessed man by the power of his spirituall peace and the beames of Gods pleased face-shining upon his Soule did patiently and sweetly comfort Himselfe in the Lord His God and stood like an impregnable Rocke unshaken with the raging assaults of any tempestuous sourges He was at this time hunted by Saul like a Parâ—ridge in the Mountaines cashierd by the Princes of the Philistines as a fâ—llow of suspected fidelity robd by the Amalekites of His wiues His sonnes and His daughters The Towne to which He returned for safety was burnt with fire And to make his calamity compleate and most cutting even His owne men were ready to stone Him Now in this great distresse upon the first apprehension whereof He wept as the story saith untill He had no more power to weepe yet comming to Himselfe and recollecting His spirituall forces His heavy heart ready to sinke and fall asunder in His bosome did fetch by the hand of faith comfortably fortified by sense and experience of former fauours such heavenly strength from Iehova whom He had made His portion that thereupon His courage was revived and raised to that height that He presently pursued his enemies with extraordinary valour and resolution cut them off quite and recovered all And David saith the text was greatly distressed for the people spake of stoning Him because the Soule of all the people was grieued every man for His sonnes and for His daughters but David encouraged Himselfe in the Lord his God c. What a bitter Sea of unmatched miseries did breake out upon blessed Iob which with a sudden unexpected violence bearing downe that Hedge of protection which God had set about Him the raines purposely let loose by divine dispensation to Sathans malice in the meane time did fearefully overflow him to that height and horrour that He stands registred in Gods Booke as an unparalled Instance of extraordinary sufferings and sorrowes calamities and conflicts to all succeeding ages no story being able to afford the like The naturall death of one deare childe strikes sometimes so heavy to a mans heart that for griefe he growes into a consumption but all Iobs children were suddenly taken away at once by a violent stroke some petty crosse upon his outward state and cutting off but part of his goods causes sometimes a couetous worldling to cut his oÌ„wne throate But Iob was robd of all so that it is a prove be to this day As poore as Iob Many wives are passionate and peevish in time of prosperity whose hâ—arts notwithstanding will melt in compassion and kindenesse over their husbands in any kinde of misery but Iobs wife tho dearely intreated by Her most distressed Husband even for their childrens sake the mutuall common pledges of sweetest loue yet would not come neare Him My breath saith He is strange to my wife though I entreated for the childrens sake of mine owne body Chap. 19.17 Satan I confesse is woont to roare and rage fiercely enough about Gods blessed Oâ—es to doe them all the mischiefe Hee can possibly but rarely hath hee so large a reach and his chaine so lengthned as he had against Iob. The painefull anguish of some one part would not onely deprive a Man of the pleasure of the worlds Monarchy if he had it in possession but also make Him weary of His life In what a taking then was Iob who from the sole of his foote unto his Crowne had no part free from â—ore bâ—les and horribly iâ—flâ—med ulcers exasperated and enraged with the stiâ—ging smart of Satans extremest malice who had power given Him to inflict them God himself frownes many times and withdrawes beames of His pleased face from the soules of His seruants to their great griefe tho for their spirituall good But seldome doth he set them up for His Marke hunt them as a fierce Lion set His terrours in array against them and command the poyson of his arrowes to drinke up their spirit as Iob complaines It is no strange thing neither should it much moove but only make us walke more watchfully to heare men of the world and drunken Belialls to belch out from their rotten hearts upon the Ale-bench such base slanders as these These Professors for all their faire shewes are certainely all of them notorious Hypocrites Tho they looke never so demurely they are not the men they are taken for c. But to have a Mans nearest familiar understanding Christian friends to charge Him with Hypocrisie is a most cruell cut to a troubled conscience And this was Iob. case So thus as â—ob was singular in the universality of His afflictions so there was a singularity of bitternesse above ordinary in eâ—very particular aâ—fliction And what of all this And yet for all this this holy man by the helpe of that pretious hoard of grace which his heavenly heart had treasured up in the time of prosperitie out of that spirituall strength which He had gotten into His soule by his former humble acquaintance and conversation with His God and knowing full well that tho all was gone yet He still possessed Iesus Christ as fully if not more feeliâ—gly as ever before He becomes hereupon as rare and admirâ—ble a Patterne of Patience to all posterity as He was an extraordinary astonishing speâ—â—acle of adversitie and woe Consciousnesse of His fore-spent righteous life which he peruseth Chap. 31. The clearenesse of a good conscience Chap. 16 19 Behold my witnesse 〈◊〉 in heaven and my record is on high And his invincible faith Chap. 19.23 24 25 Oh that mâ— words were now written Oh that they were priâ—ted in a hunke That they were graven with an Iron pen
him and â—ore torments of the inner parts So that the wormes rose up out of the body of this wicked man and whiles hee lived in sorrow and paine his flesh fell away and the filthinesse of his smell was noysome to all his army Herod in the height of his hatred against the Gospell and pride in imprisoning and persecuting the Apostles was eaten up of wormes in a most fearefull prodigious manner Gardiner gaping for newes of the dispatch of those two blessed Martyrs of Iesus Latimer and Ridley at Oxford deferred his dinner untill three or foure of the clocke at afternoone delighting more in drinking the bloud of the Saints then in his ordinary foode But upon the returne of his Post Hee fell merrily to his meate And marke what followed The bloudy Tyrant saith the Story had not eaten a few bittes but the sudden strokâ— of God His terrible hand fell upon him in such sort as immediatly he was taken from the table and so brought to his bed where he continued the space of fifteene dayes in such intolerable anguish tormeÌ„ts that all that â—eane while during those fifteene dayes he could not avoyde by order of urine or otherwise any thing that hee received Whâ—â—eby his body being miserably inflamed within who had inflamed so many good Martyrs before was brought to â— wretched end For further inlargement of this Point looke into the Stories of the primitive Church Acts and Monumentâ— Theater of Gods iudgements 4. A cry farre louder then the noise of many waters or voice of greatest thunder knocks continually with strong importunity at Gods iust Tribunall for a showre of fire brimstone and an horrible Tempest to be rained downe upon their heads I meane a cry of bloud wrongs disgraces and slanders wherewith they have loaden the Saints of God Rev. 6.10 And they cryed with a loud voyce saying How long O Lord holy and true doest thou not iudge and avenge our blood on them that dwell upon the earth 5. They are the principall provokers of Gods wrath against a nation Their hatefull heate overflowing gall and scornefull carriage against Gods people doth ripen apace His fiercest indignation fill up full the vialls of His vengeance and draw downe upon a kingdome a desperate and finall ruine without all remedy But they mocked the messengers of God and despised His words and mis-used Hiâ— Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy 2. Chron. 36.16 6. Their spitefull spirits being once thorowly set on heate with this fire of hell and infernall rage against the grace of God and His people commonly continue in flâ—me and fury untill their fearefull and finall confusion And they being once flesht as it were with the bloud of the Saints at lest by scoffes slanders for even lewd and lying tongues are keene razours and sharpe swords scourges and scorpions that fetch bloud they feede insatiably upon the damned sweetnesse of such supposed cursed revenge untill they be seizd upon with irrecoverable ruine and fall amongst the firers of their malice and Arch-persecutors of all Professours the fiends of Hell This is my meaning This pestilent and crying Sinne of persecution is like the gulfe of drunkennesse which Austin compares to the Pitt of Hell into which when a man is once fallen there is no redemption or returne A Persecutour is rarely or never â—eclaimde Either by miracle or Ministry mercy or misery Fire from Heaven falling upon the first Captaine and His fâ—â—y did not fright the second Captaine and His fifty from pressing upon Elijah to apprehend him 2. Kings 1.10.11 The souldiers who came to take Iesus as soone as Hee had said I am Hee were strangely upon the suddaine stroke downe to the ground Ioh 18.6 and yet this miracle did never a whit mollifie and abate the malice of the Priests and Pharisees against Him Not even the Miniâ—â—ry of Christ Himselfe though He spoke as never Man spake Not that of Stephen whose face appeared to His Hearers as it had beene the face of an Angell not that of the Apostles freshly filled with the holy Ghost from heaven did at all dis-enrage or â—ame those fellowes which were possest with this fâ—ule spirit of scornefull contradiction See Luc. 4.28.29 And 16.14 Act. 7 54. And 2.13 Not all those horrible miraculous plagues of Aegypt were able to quench Pharaohs fury against the people of God untill he was choakt in the red Sea No kindnesse from David though extraordinary and matchlesse 1. Sam. â—4 11. And â—6 9. could turne Saâ—ls heart from hunting him as when One doth hunt a Partridge in the mountaines And no marvaile tho they be not mooved by all or any of these meanes for they scorne persecute and contemne the very meanes which should amend them and the onely Men who should convert them Whether of the two thinke you is likelier to recover That man who being dangerously sicke yet entertaines the Physition kindely and takes patiently what is prescrib'd or Hee who having a Potion presented unto Him very soveraigne for his recovery throwes the glasse against the wall spils that pretious Receipt and drives the Physition out at doores Conceive proportionably betweene the Persecutour and the lesse pestilent sinner who meddles nor maliciously against the Ministry 7. They are already in the pestilent Path and very hie-way that leads to sinne against the Holy Ghost The horriblenesse and height of which dreadfull villany may bring upon them even in this life impossibility of pardon Matth. 12.31.32 and liablenesse to that flaming iudgement â—iery indignation threatned Heb. 10.26 c. And that they are growing towards this sinne if they be not quite gone that way appeares because they despitefully traduce with much malice and mischiefe persecute the very workes of Grace and graces of Gods Spirit shed into the hearts and shining in the lives of the children of light 1. Ioh. 3.12 Psal. 38.20 1. Pet. 4.4 If a man would drinke sweare swagger revell and roare with them If he durst bee an Ignorant an Vsurer a Sabbath-breaker a Worldling a doter upon and defender of heathnish superstitious customes a practiser or Patrone of Old anniversarie fooleries and rotten vanities an incloser gamester good-fellow c. Oh! then Hee should bee the onely Man with them entertain'd into their hearts and houses with all affectionate embracements of kindnesse and acceptation but if the same man by the mercies of God once begin to breake from them and out of the snares of the Devill to dis-rellish and detest his former wayes of nature and naughtinesse to love and reverence the most searching Ministry to reade the Scriptures and best bookes to sanctifie the Lords Day to pray in his family to renounce resolutely His running with them to the same excesse of riot to abandon and abominate their lewd and licentious courses In a word to turne Christian Oh! then Hee is an arrant Puritane a Precision an
of his pride vers 23. The Ecclesiasticall story reports that the loathsome and dreadfull end of Arrius that execrable enemie to Iesus Christ was hastned by the prayers of the good and orthodoxe Bishop Alexander who wrastled with God in earnest deprecations against him all the night before Doe you not thinke that Gardiner went sooner into his Grave for his cruelty towards Professours of the truth by their groanes against him and by the cry of the bloud of that glorious Paire of Martyrs at Oxford which hee so insatiably thirsted after Let all those then that tread in these mens paths tremble at their ends And if no better motive will mollifie their doggednesse yet at least let their love unto the world themselves and sensuall waies take them off and restraine them from this persecuting rage least it set on worke the prayers of Gods people and so they bee taken away before their time and cut off from a temporary supposed heaven of earthly pleasures to a true everlasting Hell of unspeakeable torments sooner then otherwise they should 13. The hearts and tongues of all good men and friends to the Gospell are fill'd with much glorious joy and heartiest songs of thankesgiving at the downefall of every raging incurable Opposite when the revenging hand of God hath at length to the singular advancement of the glory of his justice singled out and paide home remarkeably any impenitent Persecutour and implacable enemie See for this purpose The song of â—oses Exod. 15. Of Deborah Iudges 5. The Iewes feasting after the hanging of Haman Esther 9 17. Psa. 52.6.9 And 58.10 And 79.13 1. Macca 13.51 Onely let the heart of Gods childe be watchfull over it selfe with a godly jealousie in this Point That His reioycing bee because Gods justice is glorified His Church delivered Satans kingdome weakened c. not onely for his owne ease and end for any personall or particular by-respect Now it is an heavy case A man in His short abode upon earth to behave himselfe so like a dogged Curre and incarnate Divell that all good men are and ought to bee passingly glad when hee is gone In this Point I comprise and conclude all sorts of Persecutours Of which some are profest and open as Bonner and Gardiner and many such morning Wolues Some Politicke and reserved who many times are the more pernicious For of all manner of malice and ill will that is most execrable deadly and doth the most hurt which like a Serpent in the faire greene grasse lies lurking in the flatterings and fawnings of a sleering countenance Which kisses with Iudas and kills with Ioab entertaines a man with outward formes of complement and curtesie but would if it durst or might stabbe Him in at the fifth rib that hee should never rise againe When a mans words to thy face are as soft as oyle or butter but his thoughts towards thee composed all of bloud and bitternesse of gall and gunpowder Some are notorious villaines as many times in many places the most desperate blasphemers stigmaticall Drunkards rotten whore mongers cruell usurers and fellowes of such infamous ranke are as so many bloudy Goades in the sides of Gods servants and the onely Men to pursue all advantages against the faithfullest Ministers Some are of more sober carriage faire conditions and seeming devotion Act 13.50 Some are the basest fellowes the most abiect and contemptible vagabonds and the very refuse of all the Rascalls in a Countrey This we may see by Iobs complaint Cap 30. But now saith Hee they that are younger then I have mee in derision whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flocke They were children of fooles yea children of base men they were viler then the earth And now am I their song yea I am their By Word And in Davids Psa. 35. Yea the Abiects gathered themselves against mee c. and I was the song of the drunkards Psal. 69.12 And in the Persecutours of Paul Act. 17. But the Iewes which belâ—eved not mooved with envie tooke unto them certaine lewde fellowes of the baser sort c. Some againe are men of place and parts As the same David complaines in the same place They that sit in the gate speake against mee That is men in high roomes and of great authoritie And as all sorts of Persecutours so I comprehend all kindes of persecution 1. By hand as did Herod Act. 12. Iulian Bonner c. 2. With tongue by mocking Galat. 4.24 compared with Gen. 21.9 See also Psal. 69.20 Hebr. 11.36 By slandering even in reporting true things maliciously to the prejudice of Gods children Psalm 52. By reproaching and reviling Zeph. 2.8 By insulting with insolent speeches Ezech. 36.2 and 26.2 3. In heart by hatred Ezech. 35.5 By rejoycing in the downefall or disgrace of the Saints Ezech. 35.6 4. In gesture Ezech. 25.6 Because thou hast clapped thy hands and stamped with the feete c. Behold therefore I will stretch out mine hand upon thee c. Take heede of so much as looking sowre upon or brow-beating a servant of Christ lest thou smart for it Looke upon the quoted Places and you shall see Offenders in any of these kindes plagued and paide home as Persecutours of Gods people And thus let such extremely Wicked men be frighted from persecuting any way those Men or Meanes which are appointed and sanctified to furnish us with spirituall store and strength against the dayes of evill Ob. But against that which hath beene said in this Point for the singularity and soveraignty of grace and good conscience to support the Spirit of a Man in evill times to keepe it calme in the most tempestuous assaults and conquering over all commers it may bee objected and some may thus cavill Men who never were or ever did desire to bee acquainted with Gods grace or good men expresse sometimes and represent to By-standers an invincible stoutnesse much boldnesse and bravenesse of minde in times of greatest extremitie and under most exquisite tortures and therefore it seemes not to be peculiar to the Saints and the priviledge of Gods Favourites alone to stand unshaken in stormy times undaunted in distresse and comfortable amidst the most desperate confusions Answ. I answere Such confidence is onely in the face not in the heart enforced not kindly affected not effectuall not springing from the sole Fountaine of all sound and lasting comfort in humane Soules sense of our reconciliation to God in Christ but from some other odde accidentall Motives from Weake and unworthy grounds 1. In some from an ambitious affectation of admiration and applause for extraordinary undauntednesse of spirit and high resolution It is reported of an Irish Traitour that lying in horrible anguish upon the Wheele an Engine of cruellest torture with his body bruis'd and his bones broken asked his friend standing by whether he changed countenance at all or no. Affecting more as it seemes an Opinion of prodigious manlinesse and
was annointed to preach the Gospell to the poore to heale the broken hearted c. Ob. Many have believed who never grieved for their misery as Lidia c. Answ. Who can tell that these greeved not It followeth not that they had no greife because none is recorded All particular actions and circumstances of Actions are not recorded It is enough that the greefe of some as of the Iewes of the Iaylour of the woman that washed Christs feete with Her teares and of others is recorded Lidia might bee prepared before she heard Paul For shâ—e accompanied them which went out to pray and shee worshipped God Or else Her heart might be then touched when she heard Paul preach The like may bee said of those which heard Peter when Her preached to Cornelius And of others Certaine it is that a man must both see and feele Hiâ— wretchednesse and bee wounded in Soule for it before Faith can be wrought in Him Yet I deny not but there may be great difference in the manner and measure of greeving c. The heart is prepared for faith and not by faith Iustifiâ—ation beeing the worke of God is perfect in it selfe but our hearts are not fit to apply it untill God have humbled us brought us to despaire in our selves The whole preparation beeing legall wrought by the Spirits of bondage to bring us to the Spirit of Adoption leaves us in despaire of all helpe either of our selves or the whole world that so beeing in this wofull plight wee might now submit our selves to God who infusing a lively faith into our hearts gives us His Son and our iustification with Him None ever had conscience truly pacifyed that first felt not conscience wounded The preparation to repentance Hee meanes Evangelicall are those legall sits of feare and terrour which are both in nature and time too before Faith As there can bee no birth without the paines of the travell going before so neither no true repentance without some terrours of the Law and streights of Conscience The reason is plaine None can have repentance but such as Christ cals to Repentance Now Hee cals only sinners to Repentance Mat. 9.13 even sinners heavy laden with the sense of Gods wrath against sinne Mat. 11.28 Hee comes onely to save the lost sheepe that is such sheepe as feele themselves lost in themselves and know not how to finde the way to the fold It is said Rom. 8.15 Yee have not received the spirit of bondage againe to feare which shewes that once they did receive it namely in the very first preparation vnto conversion that then the spirit of God in the Law did so beare witnes unto theÌ„ of their bondage and miserable slavery that it made them to tremble Now there vnder the person of the Romans the Apostle speakes to all Beleevers and so shewes that it is every Christians common case the law hath His use to worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poenitentiam The Gospell His force to worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resipiscentiam and both are needfull for Christians even at this Present as formerly they have ever bin Gods mercy may not bee such whereby His Truth in any sort should bee impeached As it should if it be prostituted indifferently and promiscuously to all as well the insolent and impenitent as the poore humble and broken hearted sinner For unto these latter onely is the promise of mercy made And if to others the gate of mercy should bee set open Gods mercies as Solomon saies of the wicked's that they are cruell mercies should be false and uniust mercies But God never yet learned so to bee mercifull as to make Himselfe false and unfaithfull The first thing that drawes unto Christ is to consider our miserable estate without Him Therefore wee see that the Law drives men to Christ And the Law doth it by shewing a Man His sin and the curse due unto the same Wee must know that nothing performed of us can give satisfaction in this matter of humiliation Yet it is such a thing without which wee cannot come to Christ. It is as much as if a man should say the Physitian is ready to heale Thee but then it is required that Thou must have a sense of the disease c No Man will come to Christ except He bee hungry Onely those that are troubled receive the Gospell No Man will take Christ for his Husband till Hee come to know feele the Waight of Satans yoke Till that time Hee will never come to take upon Him the yoke of Christ. To all you I speake that are humbled Others that minde not this Doctrine regard not the things of this nature But you that mourne in Zion that are broken-hearted you that know the bitternesse of sin to you is the salvation sent Vnder the causes I comprehend all that worke of God whereby Hee worketh Faith in any which standeth especially in these three things 1. That God by His word and Spirit first illightneth the understanding truly to conceive the Doctrine of Mans misery and of His full recovery by Christ. 2. Secondly by the same meanes Hee worketh in His heart both such sound sorrow for His misery and fervent desire after Christ the remedy that Hee can never bee at quiet till Hee enioy Christ 3. Thirdly God so manifesteth His love in freely offering Christ with all His benefits to Him a poore sinner that thereby hee drawes Him so to giue credit to God therein that Hee gladly accepts Christ offered vnto Him These three works of God whosoever findeth to have bin wrought in Himselfe Hee may thereby know certainly Hee hath Faith But without these what change of life soever may bee conceived there can bee no certainty of Faith The Law first breakes us and kills us with the sight and guilt of sin before Christ cures us and binds us up The holy Ghost worketh and maketh Faith effectuall by these three Acts 1. First it puts an efficacy into the Law and makes that powerfull to worke on the heart to make a man poore in spirit so that hee may bee fit to receive the Gospell The Spirit of bondage must make the Law effectuall as the Spirit of adoption doth the Gospell c. 2. The second worke is to reveale Christ when the heart is prepared by the spirit in the first worke then in the next place Hee shewes the unsearchable riches of Christ what is the hope of His calling and the glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints what is the exceeding greatnesse of His power in them that beleeve I say wee neede the Spirit to shew these things c. 3. The third Act of the Spirit is The testimony which hee gives to our spirit in telling us that these things are ours When the heart is prepared by the Law and when these things are so shewed unto us that wee prize them and long after them yet
and Orient Mines of all those sweetest mercies folded vp within the Bowells of Gods dearest compassions and of the Mysterie of his free grace and love through the Sonne of his lous vpon purpose to invite and allure those that are without to come in and to stirre vp our Hearers to bring broken hearts bruised Spirits bleeding Soules unto the Throne of grace upon the same ground but infinitely more gracious that incouraged the Seruants of Benhadad to addresse themselves towards the King of Israel And his Servants said unto Him Behold now wee have heard that the Kings of the House of Israel are mercifull Kings Let vs I pray thee put Sackecloth upon our loines and ropes upon our heads and goe out to the King of Israel peradventure hee will save thy life The most desperate Rebels heretofore upon present true remorse for their former rage in sinne resolving sincerely to stand on Gods side for ever hereafter may safely and upon good ground thus reason within themselves Alas wee have done very villanously we have served Satan a long time we walk up downe as condemned men ripe for destruction long agoe Hell it selfe even groanes for us wee may justly look every moment for a Mittimus to cast us headlong into the dungeō of Brimstone and fire and yet we will trie we will goe and throw downe our selves before the Throne of grace in dust and ashes and cry as the Publican did unto the great God of heaven for Hee is a mercifull God gracious long suffering abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne And then not onely peradventure but most certainely they shall bee received to mercy and hee will save the life of their Soules I say for this Point of Preaching mercy onely to hearten Men to come in and to nourish in them a hope of pardon in Case of penitency c. See my discourse of true happines p. 173. And I will only adde and advise at this time this one thing of great importance in the Point That after a plentifull magnifying and amplifying the mercy of God by its infinitenesse eternity freenesse and imcomparable excellency every way onely upon purpose to assure the greatest sinners of most certaine acceptation and pardon if they will presently turne with truth of heart from Sathan to the living God from all sinne to his holy Seruice I say that wee then take heed and make sure as much as in us lies that no impenitent unbelieving wretch none that goes on in his trespasses or lies willingly and delightfully in any one sinne receive any comfort by any such discourse as though as yet Hee had any part or interest at all in any one drop of all that boundlesse and bottomlesse Sea of mercy that were a meanes to naile Him fast to His naturall estate for ever But onely thence conceive that if Hee will presently lay downe armes against the Majesty of Heaven and come in with a truly penitent humbled soule thirsting heartily for Iesus Christ and resolve vnfainedly to take His yoke vpon Him there is no number or notoriousnesse of sinne that can possibly hinder his gracious entertainement at Gods mercy-Seate For this end let vs tell all such that though the mercies of God be infinite yet they are dispensed according to His Truth Now the Oracles of Divine Truth tell us that those who shall find mercy are such as confesse and forsake their sinnes Who so confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes shall have mercy Proverb 28.13 Those then who doe not confesse and forsake them shall haue no mercy That the Parties to whom good tidings of mercy and comfort are to bee preached are the poore the broken hearted them that are bruised those that labour and are heavy laden All that mourne c. Luk. 4.18 Mat. 11.28 Isa. 61.2.3 That the man to whom the Lord lookes graciously is even Hee that is poore and of a contrite Spirit and trembleth at his word Isa 66.2 That whosoever by his free mercy through Christ is borne of God doth not commit sin 1. Ioh. 3.9 I meane with allowance purpose perseverance No sinne raignes in such a One c. And yet alas How many miserable men will needs most falsely perswade themselves and others that they have a portion in the mercies of God and hugge with extraordinary applause and embracement the formall flattering messages of Men-pleasers and Time-servers to dawbe over such rotten hopes who yet notwithstanding goe on still in their trespasses who were never yet sensible of the burden of their corruptions and spirituall beggery never wounded in conscience or troubled in minde to any purpose for their sinnes never mourned in secret and sincerely for the abominations of their youth could never yet find in their hearts to sell all for the buying of that one pearle of great price nor ever yet so prized Iesus Christ as to leave their darling pleasures though very base and abominable to enjoy the unspeakeable and glorious pleasures of His gratious kingdome Nay such as heartily serve some Captaine and Commanding sinne in heart or life or calling as their owne consciences if they consult with them impartially in cold blood can easily tell them as Lust the world ambition the times the fashion their pleasures their profits their Passions their ease selfe love pride revenge the dunghill delight of good fellow-ship or the like And here then Let mee discover a notable depth of Sathan whereby hee doth baffle and blind fold His slaves most grossely you know full well and heare often the common Cry of all carnall men especially under any conscionable Ministery against preaching of judgement and for preaching of mercy See the causes why they cannot downe with downeright dealing and powerfull application of the law Disc. of true Happinesse pag. 179 c. But what doe you thinke is the reason that they gape so greedily after Preaching of mercy Not that they can endure the preaching of it as I now have taught and as it onely ought to those that are without To wit To have first the dearenesse the sweetnesse the freenesse the full glory of Gods immeasurable mercy revealed unto them onely as a motive and incouragement to come in but ever at the Close and conclusion to bee made to understand and know certainely that not so much as one drop of all that bottomlesse depth of mercy and bounty in Iesus Christ doth as yet belong unto them lying in any state of unregeneratnes or in any kind of Hypocrisy whilest they regard any wickednesse in their heart and are not willing to plucke out their right eyes and cut off their right hands I meane to make an everlasting divorce from their former dearest sensuall delights and sinnes of their bosome for onely they who confesse and forsake their sinnes shall have mercy Pro. 28.13 This way of preaching mercy would nettle and gall them as much perhaps as pressing of
For the spirit of a man saith Salomon will sustaine all His other infirmities but a wounded spiâ—rit who can beare Yet His soule though Hee was the Prince of glory and Lord of Heaven and earth upon the Crosse was even as a scorched Heath without so much as any drop of comfort either from heaven or earth The grievous weight of all the sinnes of all his Children the least of which had bin enough to have pressed them downe into the bottome of Hell lay now heavy upon him The powers of darkenesse were let loose to afflict Him Hee wrastled even with the fierce wrath of His Father and all the forces of the infernall kingdome with such anguish of heart that in the Garden it wrung out of his pretious Body a Sweat as it were great drops of blood falling downe to the ground with such agony of spirit that upon the Crosse Hee cryed My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee And the measure of all these sufferings and sorrowes were so past all measure that all the creatures save sinfull Men onely both in heaven and earth seemed to bee amazed and moved with them The Sun in the heavens drew in his beames unwilling as it were to see the spotlesse blood of the Son of God spilt as water upon the ground The Earth it selfe shrunk and trembled under it The very Rocks rent asunder as if they had sense and feeling of His intolerable and save by Himselfe vnconquerable paines The whole frame of Nature seemed astonished at the mournefull Complaint of the Lord of the Whole World These and farre more then these or then can bee exprest our blessed Saviour being Son of the most high God endured for no other end but to ransome us from the bondage of Sathan and of Hell in a thirsting desire of saving all Penitent sinners And to offer himselfe freely a most glorious and everlasting Husband to all those who with broken and beleeving hearts cast themselves into His bosome Such admirable and unutterable perfections beauties indowments sufferings and inflamed affections as these in the heavenly Suter unto our sinnefull Soules doth mightily aggravate the hainous and horrible sinne of refusing Him Thus and in this manner would I have the Men of God to magnifie inlarge and represent to the hearts of their Hearers all the excellencies of Iesus Christ with the worth merit and efficacy of His blood To set out to the utmost they can possibly the glory of the Gospell with all the riches of mercy goodnesse and free grace revealed and offered therein c. So that they tell them withall That Iesus Christ takes none but such as are willing to take upon them His yoke That hee gives himselâ—e to none but such as are ready to sell all in the sense I have said that they may enjoy his blessed selfe That the glorious grace of the Gospell shines savingly to none but such as deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and live soberly righteously and godlily in this present World That those whose Soules are cleansed by the blood of Iesus Christ from all sinne are onely such as walke in the light as God is in the light who make conscience of detesting and declining all sins and workes of darkenesse discovered to them by the light of Gods holy Booke and sincerely set their hearts and hands with love and carefull endeavour to every duty injoyned therein In a word That as that Fountaine opened to the house of David for sinne and for uncleanesse I meane the blood of that immaculate Lambe Iesus Christ the holy and the righteous doth turne all the sinnes even the very scarlet and crimson of a truly broken heart and every true Mourner in Zion into snow and wooll so it will never wash away the least sinfull staine from the proud heart of any unhumbled Pharisee That hereby no strangers unto the love and life of godlinesse may bee deceived by appropriating unto themselves any of these glorious things which are onely proper to the sealed Fountaine but onely conceive of them as excellent motives to cause them to come in I would have the Preaching of Christ fill the soule of every true harted Nathanael every time with unspeakeable and glorious joy with all those Euangelical pleasures which neither eye hath seene nor eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man But I would have it onely make every unregenerate Man sensible of what infinite blessednesse Hee bereaves Himselfe by continuing a Rebell that thereupon Hee may bee moved to make hast out of His present Hell into this new heaven so fairely opened and freely offered unto Him Besides pressing the law promising mercy proposing Christ c. to stirre men in their naturall states to make them entertaine thoughts of comming in to humble them in the sight of the Lord under the heavy burden of all their sinnes assure them also of pardon in case they will leave Sathans service and so prepare them for Christ Let Gods Ministers lay hold upon all warrantable wayes which they shall find and feele out of their Ministeriall experience and holy wisedome to be availeable and prevaile for that purpose So that the worke bee done in truth And that they doe not like the Divels dawbers deceive them to the eternall ruine and damnation of their Soules by telling them that they have Christ already and are safe enough for salvation whereas indeed as yet there is no such matter Such points as these are woont to make attentive naturall men to startle in their seates to looke about them something more then ordinarily To wit to divide the precious from the vile To distinguish that One true happy state of grace from all states of unregeneratnesse and all kinds of Hypocrisie to tell them out of the Booke of God How farre a Man may goe in generall graces and doing many things c. and yet come short of Heaven To deliver Markes of sincere Professours of a saving Faith of true repentance of a sound conversion c. But I would have this done with a great deale of spirituall wisedome and heavenly understanding with much godly discretion and caution least thereby either the formall Professour may bee incouraged or the weakest Christian disheartned To discourse of the fewnesse and scarcity of those which shall bee saved and that even under the light and within the sound of the Gospell See Math. 20.16 Many are called but few chosen Consider the Parable of the Sower Mat. 13. There is but one good soile upon which the seed of the word falls prosperously but three reprobate grounds as it were upon which it is lost as water upon the ground See my first Doctr. upon Gen. 6.8 c. Thus let the Men of God acquaint themselves with such Points as they conceive the likeliest and most pregnant to pierce their Hearers hearts and come closest to their Consciences that so by the helpe of God they may pull them out of Hell And there are
wilt heare O Lord my God Hee concludes thus Thou hast seene how that any misery pressing our mortality a convenient Antâ—ote may be taken out of Scripture and all the carking of this life may bee cured neither need wee to bee greived for any thing which befals us Therefore I beseech you that henceforward you would come hither and listen diligently to the reading of divine writ And not onely when you come hither but also take the bible into your hands at home and receive with great affection the profit to bee found in it For from thence springs much gaine First that the tongue may bee reformed by it The soule also takes wings soares aloft and is gloriously illightened with the beames of the Sunne of righteousnesse and that while is freed from the entisements of impure thoughts enioying much calmenesse and contentment Furthermore that which corporall food doth for encreasing bodily strength the same doth reading performe to the soule All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable and writ by the spirit of God for this purpose saith great Basil that in it as a common Mart of soule-medicines every one of us may chuse a medicine proper and fit for his spirituall malady Jerome writing to many even of Her sexe whom as I told you before much reading of Scriptures and other good bookes made mad if the extremest malice of the most mortall enemies to the waies of God may bee credited doth stirre them up with extraordinary earnestnesse to a diligent industrious and fruitfull reading of Gods Booke in many Passages of His Epistles In that to Gaudentius about bringing up a young Maiden Hee would have Her at seaven years old and when she begins to blush learne the Psalmes of Dauid without Booke and untill twelue make the Books of Salomon the Gospels the Apostles and Prophets the treasure of Her heart To One Hee speakes thus This one thing about all others I would fore advise Thee and inculcating it I will admonish againe and againe That thou wouldest possesse thy minde with love of reading Scriptures To an other Let the Booke of God bee ever iâ— thy hands And after the holy Scriptures reade also the Treatises of learned men To another Let the sacred Scriptures bee ever in thine hands and revolved continually in thy minde Reading Scripture saith Origen daily prayers the word of Doctrine nourish the Soule even as the Body is strengthened by dainty fare The Spirit is nourished growes strong and is made victorious by such foode Which because you doe not ply doe not complaine of the infirmity of the flesh Doe not say wee would but cannot c Those reverend men that made the Homilies seeme to apprehend themselves and they commend to us the excellent sweetnesse which may bee suckt from the breasts of consolations in meditating upon the Scriptures by this their emphaticall and effectuall expression Let us ruminate say they and as it were chew the cudde that wee may have the sweet juyce spirituall effect marrow hony kernell tast comfort and consolation of them I have said all this upon purpose least melancholike men should be miss-led or disheartened by the cursed counsell of carnall freinds and wicked clamours of the world from turning their sadnesse into sorrow for sin and from plying Gods blessed booke and the powerfull ministry thereof the onely wellspring of all true lightsomnesse and ioy and able as I said before if they wil bee converted and counseled to dispell the very darkenesse of hell out of their hearts Mee thinkes they rather above others should bee encouraged hereunto 1. Because they have a passive advantage that I may so speake when it pleaseth God to sanctifie for that purpose and set on worke the spirit of bondage by reason of their sad dispositions and fearefull spirits to bee sooner affrighted and dejected by comminations of judgements against sinne more feelingly to take to heart the miseries and dangers of their naturall state more easily to tremble and stoope under the mighty hand of God and hammer of his Law Guiltinesse and horrour damnation and hell beget in their timerous natures stronger impressions of feare whereupon they are woont to tast deeplier of legall contrition and remorse and so proportionably to feel and acknowledge a greater necessity of Iesus Christ to thirst after him more greedily to prize him more highly and at length to throw their trembling soules into his blessed bosome with more eagernesse and importunity And having once entred into the holy path their native fearefulnesse beeing rectified and turned the right way they many times walke on afterward with more feare to offend and happy is the man that feareth alway more watchfulnesse over their wayes tendernesse of conscience impatiency of losing spirituall peace sensiblenesse of infirmities and failings awfulnes to Gods word c. 2. And because of all others such men have most neede of lightsomnesse and refreshing which when carnall counsellers flattering mountebanks of the Ministry labour to introduce into their darke heads and heavy hearts by the arme of flesh outward mirth and such other meanes they onely palliate and dawbe and are so farre from doing any true good that thereby they drowne them many times deeper and more desperately into the dungeon of melancholy afterward So that a melancholicke man let him turne him which way hee will is like without the light of grace to live a very miserable life upon earth and as it were in some part of hellish darkenesse to which also at length shal bee added the torment if hee dye impenitently But now let them addresse themselves to the booke of life and thence onely they may sucke and bee satisfied with the breasts of consolation Let them leane their sorrowfull soules improoving naturall sadnesse to mourne more heartily for sinne upon the promises there and every severall one will shine upon them with a particular heavenly and healing light with sound and lasting joy All those then are starke mad either with ignorant or learned malice who beare the world in hand that reading scriptures plying the powerfull ministry taking sinne to heart c. will make melancholike men mad If you desire to know before I passe out of the point the differences betweene the heavines of a melancholike humour and affliction of conscience for sinne take notice of such as these 1 Terrour for sinne springs out of the conscience and from the smart of a spirituall wound there Melancholy dwels and hath his chiefe residence in the phantasie uncomfortably ouercasts and darkens the splendour and lightsomnesse of the animall spirits in the braine 2 The melancholike man is extremely sad knowes not why Hee is full of feare doubts distrust and heavinesse without any true and just ground arising onely from the darkenesse and disorder of the phantasie the griesly fumes of that blacke humour in the braine But a broken heart a thousand to one
most compassionate and tender-hearted to others afflicted with the same wofull terrours and troubles of conscience A woman which hath herselfe with extraordinary paine tasted of that exquisite torture of child birth is wont to bee more tenderly and mercifully disposed towards another in the like torment then she that never knew what that miserie meant And is more ready willing and skillfull to relieve in such distresses It is proportionably so in the present Case But the Alien beeing tainted in some measure with the Divels hatefull disposition is by the heate of his slavish horrour rather enraged with malice then resolved into mercy Hee is rather tickled with a secret content then touched with true commiseration to see and heare of others plunged into the same gulphe of misery and plagued like Himselfe Hee is much troubled with his solenesse in suffering and the singularity of any sorrowfull Accident Companion-ship in crosses doth something allay the discomforts of carnall men So that sometimes they secretly but very sinfully reioyce such is their dogged divelish disposition even to see the hand of God upon their neighbours Neither can hee in such extremeties minister any meanes of helpe or true comfort at all either by prayer counsell or any experimentall skill because the evill spirit of his vexed conscience was not driven away by any well-grounded application of Gods mercies and Christs blood but as Saules was by Musicke worldly mirth carnall advise Soule-slaying flatteries of Man-pleasing Ministers plunging desperately into variety of sensuall pleasures c. 7. Hee which after the boisterous tempest of Legall terrours hath happily arrived at the Port of Peace I meane that blessed peace which passeth all understanding made with God himselfe in the blood of his Son enters presently thereupon into the good way takes upon Him the yoke of Christ and serues him afterward in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of his life And ordinarily His deeper humiliation is an occasion of his more humble precise holy and strickt walking and of more watchfulnesse over his heart and tendernesse of conscience about lesser sinnes also all occasions of scandall appearances of evill even aberrations in his best actions holiest duties c. But Aliens whē once they bee taken off the Racke and their torture determine either become just the same men they were before or else reforme onely some one or other grosse sin which stuckē most upon their consciences but remaine unamended and unmortified in the rest or else which often comes to passe grow a great deale worse For they are as it were angry with God that hee should give them a taste of Hell fire before their time and therefore knowing their time but short fall upon earthly delights more furiously engrosse and graspe the pleasures of the World with more greedinesse and importunitie These things thus premised I come to tell you that for the rectifying of the fore-mentioned Errour and prevention of the danger of dawbing and undoing for ever in a matter of so weighty importance I would advise the Spirituall Physition to labour with the utmost improovement of all his divine skill heavenly wisedome best experience heartiest praiers most piercing persuasions prest out of the word for that purpose wisely to worke and watchfully to observe the season when hee may warrantably and upon good ground apply unto the woundedst soule of his spiritually-sicke Patient assured comfort in the promises of life and that soveraigne blood which was spilt for broken hearts and assure him in the Word of truth that all those rich compassions which lie within the compasse of that great Covenant of everlasting mercy and love sealed with the painefull sufferings of the Sonne of God belong unto Him Which is then when his troubled heart is soundly humbled under Gods mighty hand and brought at length to first a truly penitent sight sense and hatred of all sinne secondly a sincere and unsatiable thirst after Iesus Christ and righteousnesse both imputed and inherent thirdly an unfained and un-reserved resolution of an universall New-obedience for the time to come c. Here I had purposed to have been large but I am prevented by that which hath been said already and therefore to avoide repetition I must remit you to the consideration of those Legall and Evangelicall preparations for the entertainement of Christ and true comfort which I handled before which may give some good direction and satisfaction in the Point Yet take notice that in the meane time before such fitnesse bee fully effectuated I would have the Man of God ply his Patient with his best perswasions and Proofes seasonably mingled with motives to humiliation of the pardonablenesse of his sinnes possibility of pardon damnablenesse of despaire danger of ease by outward mirth c. And to hold out to the eye of the troubled conscience as a prize and Lure as it were the freenesse of Gods immeasurable mercy the generall Offer of Iesus Christ without any exception of persons times or sinnes the pretiousnesse and infallibilitie of the promises in as faire and lovely a fashion in as orient and alluring formes as Hee can possibly But it is One thing to say If these things bee so I can assure you in the Word of life of the promises of life and already-reall right and interest to all the riches of Gods free grace and glorious purchase of Christs meritorious blood Another thing to say If you will suffer your understandings to bee illightened your consciences to bee convinced your hearts to be wounded with sight sense and horrour of sin If you will come-in and take Iesus Christ His Person his Passion his yoke If you will entertaine these and these affections longings and resolutions c. Then most certainely our mercifull Lord will crowne your truly humbled soules with his dearest compassions and freest love Lastly bee informed that when all is done I meane when the Men of God have their desire That the Patient in their perswasion is soundly wrought upon and professeth understandingly and feelingly and as they verily thinke from His heart first that Hee is heavy laden with the grievous burden of all His sinnes secondly That Hee is come by his present spirituall terrour and trouble of minde to that resolution to doe any thing which wee find the Hearers of Iohn and Peter Luk. 3. Act. 2. Thirdly That Hee most highly prizeth Iesus Christ farre above the riches pleasures and glory of the whole earth thirsts and longs for Him infinitely Fourthly That Hee is most willing to sell all To part with all sinne with His right eye and right hand those lusts and delights which stucke closest to His bosome Not to leave so much as an hoofe behind Fifthly That hee is content with all his heart to take Christ as well for a Lord and Husband to serue love and obey Him as for a Saviour to deliver Him from the miseries of sinne To take upon Him His yoke To enter into the narrow
to lift them up That none shall have mercy but such as confesse and forsake their sinnes That the meere ciuill man and luke-warme formall Professour without holinesse and zeale can never bee saved That all the wicked shal bee turned into Hell c. In a word if Hee take the right course to bring men from darkenesse to light from Satan to the living God by first wounding with the Law before Hee heale with the Gospell I say the most in this Case are ready to cry out and complaine that hee throwes wild-fire Brimstone and Gunpowder into the consciences of men Conceive therefore I pray you That there is in God first His justice and secondly His mercy both infinite and equall Onely in regard of Man there is an inequality For God may bee said to bee more mercifull unto them that are saved then just to them that are damned For of damnation the just cause is in Man but of salvation it is wholly from grace In Himselfe and originally they are both equal and so are all his Attributes But in respect of the exercise and expression upon His creatures and abroad in the world there is some difference But for my purpose and our Ministeriall emploiment and Commission take notice That as the revealed effects of Gods mercy are love tender-heartednesse compassion His owne deare Sons pretious hearts-blood pardon of sinnes peace of conscience unspeakeable and glorious joy thereupon Evangelicall pleasures comfortable presence of the Spirit even in this life and in the other World pleasures infinitely moe then the Starres of the firmament in number even for ever and ever And all these vpon all true Penitents So the revealed effects of His Iustice are indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish that Sword which will devoure flesh those arrowes that drinke blood that fiery anger which will burne unto the lowest Hell and set on fire the foundations of the Mountaines That comming against which is with fire and charets like a whirlewinde to render anger with fury and rebuke with flames of fire that meeting which is as of a Beare bereaved of her whelps to rent the cauâ—e of the heart and devoure like a Lyon c. All plagues with the extremity temporall spirituall eternall all the curses in this Booke of His all the torments in Hell to the utmost sparke of those infernall flames And all these upon all impenitent sinners Now God will bee glorified both waies and by them both Give us leave then to give them both their due Wee are most willing and ready as our great Master in Heaven would have us Isa. 40.1.2 and our blessed Saviour by his example doth teach us Luk. 4.18 To convey by our Ministry into every truly-broken heart and bleeding Soule the warmest bloud that ever heated Christs tender heart and to keepe backe from the true Penitent not any one graine of that immeasurable Mine of all the rich mercies purchased with that pretious blood Bee content therefore on the otherside that wee open the Armory of Gods justice and reveale his wrath from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of Men That indignation and wrath Tribulation and anguish shal be upon every soule of man that doth evill c. As wee are ever ready to binde vp the bruised spirit with the softest oyle of Gods sweetest mercy So let us I pray you have leave in the equity of a just and holy proportion to wound with the Hammer of the Law the haâ—ry Pate of every One that goes on in His sinne Let us deale faithfully even with wicked men lest wee answere for the blood of their soules By telling them That as certainely as all the glorious comforts and blessed consequents of Gods infinite mercy shall crowne the heart and heade of every true-hearted Nathanael for ever so all the dreadfull effects of his angry Iustice will at length seize upon the Soules and confound the consciences of all un-holy men with extremest severity and terrour Let it bee thus then and let our Ministeriall dispensation bee in this manner If thou bee an impenitent Person I would tell Thee That the vtmost wrath of God vnquenchable and everlasting vengeance all earthly and infernall plagues are thy certaine Portion But I would mollify and sweeten the bitternesse of this sentence with assurance of mercy upon Repentance to prevent the assaults of despaire On the other side If the Ministry of the Word hath wrought upon Thee effectually and now thy truly-humbled soule thirsts after Christ with a syncere hatred and opposition against all sinne I would assure thy troubled and trembling heart in the Word of life and truth of all those most pretious blessings and sweetest comforts which the Booke of God doth promise and the blood of Christ hath bought But withall I would commend unto thee some Coolers and Counterpoisons against presumption and falling to Pharisaisme For which purpose and for prevention of danger and spirituall undoing by unskilfull and undiscreet dawbing in the Case proposed I come now to tender such Counsels and Caveats as these or the like which the faithfull Physition of the Soule according to occasions circumstances and present exigents may thinke fit to bee mingled with administration of mercy and wisely propounded to the afflicted Party It may not proove unseasonable to speake thus or in some such manner to thy spirituall Patient 1. If these things bee truly and soundly so If thou finde and feele indeed such a mollified and melting spirit such broken and bleeding affections in thy bosome Thou art certainely blessed If that sorrowfull soule of thine doth renounce from the very heart-roote with speciall distaste and detestation all manner of sinne insatiably thirst after righteousnesse unfainedly resolve for the short remainder of a few and evill dayes to bend it selfe towards heaven in all New-obedience I say if this bee syncerely the holy disposition and resolution of thine heavy heart notwithstanding all thy present terrour and trouble of minde Thou art truly and everlastingly happy Onely take notice lest my ministring of mercy bee mistaken or thy conceiving of comfort mis-carry that the heart of man is deceitfull above all things A bottomlesse depth it is of Falshoods dissemblings hypocrisies An endlesse Maze of windings turnings and hidden passages No eye can search and see it's center and secrets but that All-seeing One alone which is ten thousand times brighter then the Sun to which the darkest Nooke of Hell is as the Noone-day And therefore not I nor any man alive can promise pardon or apply the promises but conditionally upon supposition If these things bee so and so as thou hast said And the syncerity of thy heart and truth of these hopefull protestations which wee now heare from thee in this extremity and I must tell thee by the way such like may be enforced by the slavish sting of present terrour not fairely and freely flow from a true touch of conscience for sinne I say this may
compassionately over us or purchase pardon and acceptation at his hands Tender therefore unto that poore troubled soule who beeing sorely crushed and languishing under the burden of his sinnes refuses to bee raised and refreshed endlesly pleading and disputing against himselfe out of a strong fearefull apprehension of his owne vilenesse and unworthinesse putting off all comfort by this mis-conceit that no Seaes of sorrow no measure of mourning will serve the turne to come comfortably unto Iesus Christ I say presse upon such an One this true Principle in the high and heavenly Art of rightly comforting afflicted consciences So soone as a Man is truly and heartily humbled for all his sinnes and weary of their waight tho the degree of his sorrow bee not answerable to his owne desire yet Hee shall most certainely bee welcome unto Iesus Christ. It is not so much the muchnesse and measure of our sorrow as the truth and heartinesse which fits us for the promises and comforts of mercy Tho I must say this also Hee that thinkes Hee hath sorrowed enough for His sinnes never sorrowed savingly 2. For the second which is more properly and specially pertinent to our purpose Take notice That the blood of Christ beeing seasonably and savingly applyed to thine humbled Soule for the pardon and purgation of sinne must by no meanes damne and dry up thy well-spring of weeping but onely asswage and heale thy wound of horrour That pretious Balme hath this heavenly property and power that it rather melts softneth and makes the heart a great deale more weeping-ripe If these bee truly the pangs of the New-birth wherewith thou art now afflicted Thou shalt find that thy now cleaving with assurance of acceptation unto the Lord Iesus will not so much lessen hinder or cease thy sorrow as rectifie season and sweeten it If thy right unto that Soule-saving Passion bee reall and thou cast thine eye with a beleeving hopefull heart upon Him whom thou hast therein pierced with thy sins and those sinnes alone are said properly to have pierced Christ which at length are pardoned by his blood Thou canst not possibly containe but excesse of love unto thy crucified Lord and sense of Gods mercy shed into thy Soule thorow his merits will make thee weepe againe and faâ—ely force thine heart to burst out abundantly into fresh and filiall teares See how freshly Davids heart bled with repentant sorrow upon His assurance by Nathan of the pardon of His sinne Psal. 51 Thou canst not chuse but mourne more heartily Evangelically and that which should passingly please Thee and sweetely perpetuate the spring of thy godly sorrow more pleasingly unto God Take therefore speciall notice and heede of these two depths of the Divell that I have now disclosed unto thee 1. When thou art truly wrought upon by the Ministry of the Word and now fitted for comfort Beleeve the Prophets those Ones of a thousand learned in the right handling of afflicted consciences and thou shalt prosper As soone as thy Soule is soundly humbled for sinne open and enlarge it joyfully like the thirsty ground that the refreshing dew and Doctrine of the Gospell may drop and distill upon it as the small raine upon the parched grasse Otherwise 1. Thou offers dishonour and disparagement as it were to the dearenesse and tendernesse of Gods mercy who is ever infinitely more ready and forward to bind up a broken heart then it to bleed before Him Consider for this purpose the Parable of the prodigall Sonne Luk. 15. Hee is there said to goe but the Father ran 2. Thou maist by the unsettlednesse of thy heavy heart unnecessarily unsit and dis-able thy selfe for the duties and discharge of both thy Callings 3. Thou shalt gratifie the Divell who will labour mightily by his lying suggestions if thou wilt not bee counselled and comforted when there is cause to detaine thee in perpetuall horrour here and in an eternall Hell hereafter Some find him 〈◊〉 furiously and maliâ—iously busie to keepe them from comfort when they are fitted as from fitnesse for comfort 4. Thou art extremely un-advised nay very cruell to thine owne Soule For whereas it might now be filled with unspeakable and glorious ioy with peace that passeth all understanding with Evangelicall pleasures which are such as neither eye hath seene nor eare heard neither have entred into the heart of Man by taking Christ To which thou hast a strong and manifold Calling Isai. 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters c. Matth. 11.28 Come unto mee all yee that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Ioh. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come unto mee and drinke Revel 22.17 And let him that is a thirst come And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Yea a Commandement 1. Ioh. 3.23 And this is his commandement that wee should beleeve on the Name of his Sonne Iesus Christ And yet for all this Thou as it were wilfully stand'st out wilt not beleeve the Prophets forsak'st thine owne comfort and liest still upon the Racke of thy unreconcilement unto God 2. On the other hand when the angvish of thy guilted Conscience is upon sure ground something allayed and suppled with the oyle of comfort and thy â—â—unded heart warrantably revived with the sweetnesse of the Promises as with marrow and fatnesse Thou must not then either shut up thine eyes from further search into thy sins or dry them up from any more mourning But comfort of remission must serve as a pretious Eye-salve both to cleare their sight that they may see moe and with more detestation and to enlarge their Sluces as it were to poure out repentant teares more plentifully Thou must continue ripping up and ransacking that hellish Heape of thy former rebellions and pollutions of youth still dive and digge into that Body of death thou bearest about thee for the finding out and furnishing thy selfe with as much matter of sound humiliation as may bee that thou mayst still grow viler and viler in thine owne eyes and bee more and more humble untill thy dying Day But yet so That as thou holdest out in the one hand the cleare Cristall of Gods pure Law to discover the vilenesse and variety of thy sinnes all the spots and staines of thy Soule so thou hold out in the other hand or rather with the hand of Faith lay hold upon the Lord Iesus hanging bleeding and dying upon the Crosse for thy sake The one is soveraigne to save from flavish stings of conscience bitternesse of horrour and venome of despaire The other mingled with faith will serve as a quickning preservative to keepe in thy bosome aâ— humble soft and lowly spirit which doth ever excellently fit to live by Faith more chearefully to enjoy God more neerely to apply Iesus Christ more feelingly and to long for his comming more earnestly In a word to climbe up more merrily those staires of joy which are
conscience with putting forth his hand to some outward workes of Christianity and some kinde of conversion which may yet well enough consist with the secret enjoyment of his bosome-sin Or by some other such indirect course unsound cure But now the Other whom the Lord doth purpose to prepare for himselfe by this first worke and to call effectually doth entertaine at the same time by the helpe of God a strong invincible resolution not only never more to returne unto foolishnes whatsoever comes of him never upon any termes to fall back again into his former sinfull pleasures which have now fastned so many fiery Scorpions stings in his conscience but also never to admit of any cure recovery and comfort to his afflicted soule but only by Iesus Christ never to have the bleeding wounds of his bruised spirit bathed bound up and healed but in that Fountaine opened to the house of David and to the Inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for uncleannesse Nay rather then he will doe the one or the other hee will abide upon the Racke of his spirituall torture unto his ending houre Whereupon he directly addresseth and applies himselfe to the only meanes appointed and sanctified by God for working a sure kindly and lasting cure in such a case I meane the Ministery of the Word And if hee may have his will he would hit upon the most skilfull experienced searching and sound-dealing Man amongst all Gods faithfull Messengers 2. And so in a second place without all reservation or any purpose ever to returne or divert hee comes unto the Ministers of God in the same minde and with the same meaning that Peters hearers did Act. 2.37 having his heart pricked and rent in peeces with legall terrour as theirs were Men and bretheren what shall wee doe if there bee any Instruction direction or duty which upon good ground out of Gods blessed Booke you can enjoyne we will willingly follow it embrace it and rather die then not doe it Prescribe any course whereby wee may have the boyling rage of our guilty consciences some what asswaged we wil blesse God that ever we saw your faces Nay that ever hee made you the happy instruments to fasten these keene arrowes of truth and terrour in our amazed and afflicted spirits Alas we see now c. See before p. 135. c. And now here the Ministers of God have a strong seasonable calling to set out in the height the excellencie amiablenes and soule-saving sufficiency of Iesus Christ blessed for ever To amplifie and magnifie to the life the heavenly beauty unvaluablenesse and sweeetnesse of his person passion promises No sinne of so deepe a die bee it scarlet or crimson but his pretious blood can raze it out No heart so darke or heavy but one beame shining from his pleased face can fill it as full of spirituall glory and joy as the Sunne is of light or the Sea of waters No man so miserable but if hee will goe out of himselfe and the Devills slavery quite and come-in when hee is dearely invited he will advance him without money and without price from depth of horrour to height of happinesse c. 3. By this time being thus told and truly informed in the mystery and mercy of the Gospell the poore wounded and weary soule begins to bee deepely and dearely enamored of Iesus Christ. To advance him highest in his thoughts as the only jewell and joy of his heart without which hee hath been heretofore a deade man and shall here after bee a damned miscreant to preferre and prize him farre aboue the pleasures riches and glory of the whole earth to set his eye and longing so upon him as to hold himselfe lost for ever without his love Nay in the case hee now stands hee is most willing for a sound and saving cure to passe through a peece of hell if need were to such a heavenly physition in whose blessed person alone as hee heaâ—es all the riches of mercy goodnesse compassion and comfort is to bee found and in whom are hid and heaped up the fullnesse of grace and treasures of all perfection So that now the current of his best affections and all the powers of his humbled soule are wholly bent and directed toward him as the Sun-flower towards the Sun the iron to the load-stone and the load-stone to the Pole-star To whom the nearer hee drawes the more heartily it grieves him that ever he pierced so sweet and deare a Saviour with such a former impure loathsome life so many abominable now most abhorred provocations 4. Vpon this discovery survay and admiration of this pearle of great price this rich treasure the now truly broken and contrite heart doth cast about by all meanes how to compasse it O! what would he now giue for the sweete fruition and ravishing possession of it Hearts-blood life lying in Hell for a season were nothing in this case The imperiall crownes and command of tenne thousand worlds were they all extant would bee in his conceit but as dust in the Ballance layd in the scale against Iesus Christ c. But these things are not required at his hands At last he happily hitt's upon that which God would have him he even resolves to sell all that he hath to part with all sinne tho it should bee as deare and as much doted upon as that compared to a right eye or right hand bee it that which hath kept him longest in hell most wasted the conscience and stuck closest to his bosome I meane his Captaine corruption Master-lust or Minion-delight he will spare none he will quite out of Sodome hee will not leave so much as an hoofe behind For hee well now remembers what hee hath often heard heretofore tho then hee tooke no heed That the Lord Iesus and any one allowed Lust are never woont to lodge together in the same Soule 5. Fifthly To the party thus legally afflicted evangelically affected and fitted savingly now doe all the promises of life in Gods blessed Booke offer themselves as so many Rockes of eternitie in faithfulnesse and truth for his wearied soule tossed with tempest and full sorely bruised with stormes of terrour sweetly to rest upon with everlasting safety God the Father his bowells of tenderest compassion and bounty already stirring within him runnes that I may so say as the Father in the Gospell to fall upon it's necke and to kisse it with the kisses of his sweetest mercy Iesus Christ opens himselfe as it were upon the Crosse to receive it graciously into his bleeding wounds all which hee beholding with a spiritually illightned eie admiring and adoring can not chuse but subscribe and seale unto them that they are true and so by the helpe of the Holy Ghost casts himselfe with all the spirituall strength hee can at least with infinite longings most thirsty desires and resolution never to part into his blessed bosome saying secretly to himselfe
senselesse and soulelesse earth upon which wee tread may teach us to rest and depend upon God in such a Case It is a mighty and massy body planted in the middest of the thinne aire and hangs upon just nothing in the world but only upon Gods Word By that alone it is there established unmooveably keepes his place most steadily never stirs an ynch from it It hath no props or pillars to uphold it no barres or beames to fasten it nothing to stay and support it but the bare Word of God alone Hee upholdeth all things by the Word of his power saith the Apostle Heb. 1.3 And yet not all the creatures in the world can shake it or make it tremble Bee it so then that thy Faith hath lost it's hold-fast that for the present thou findest no feeling no encouragements of joy and peace in beleeving no sensible pawnes and pledges of Gods wonted favour c. Yet for all this cast thy selfe upon the sure Word of that mighty God who hath established all the ends of the earth and reared such a great and goodly building where there was no foundation and questionlesse thou shalt bee more then infinitely everlastingly safe and setled like mount Zion which cannot bee removed but abideth for ever 3. In failings of new-obedience Thou puts thy sonne into imploiment sets him about thy businesses He improves the utmost of his skil strength and indeavour to doe thee the best service hee can and please thee if it were possible to perfection But yet comes short of what thou desires and failes in many particulars and therefore he weepes and takes-on and is much troubled that hee can give no better contentment Now tell mee thou whose heart is warmed with the tendernesse of a Fathers affection whether thou wouldest not bee most ready and willing to pardon and passe-by all defects and failings in this kinde Nay I know thou wouldest rejoyce and blesse God that hee had given thee a Child so obedient willing and affectionate Proportionably thy heavenly Father sets thee on worke To beleeve repent pray read the Scriptures heare the Word conferre meditate love the Brethren sanctifie his Sabbaths humble thy selfe in daies of fasting and praier poure out thy soule day and night as the times require in compassion fellow-feeling and strong cries for the Afflictions of Ioseph the destruction of the Churches and those Bretheren of thine which have so long laine in blood and teares to bee industrious and serious in all workes of justice mercy truth c. And thou goest about these blessed businesses with an upright heart and in obedience unto God but the several performances comes far short of what his Word requires and thy heart desires and thereupon thou mournes and grieves and afflicts thy soule in secret because thou canst not come-off with more power and life nor bring that glory unto God in thy Christian walking which so many mercies meanes and such a ministery may exact at thy hands In this case now of these involuntary failings and humble disposition of thy heart therefore bee most assured thy All-sufficient Father will spare thee as a man spareth his owne sonne that serveth him Nay and with so much more kindnesse and love as the heavens are higher then the earth and God greater then man 4. In case of a spirituall Desertion A Father solacing himselfe with his little Child and delighting in it's pretty and pleasing behaviour is woont sometimes to step aside into a corner or behind a dore upon purpose to quicken yet more it 's love and longing after him and try the impatiency and eagernesse of it's affection In the meane time hee heares it cry run about and call upon him and yet hee stirres not but forbeares to appeare not for want of compassion and kindnesse which the more it takes-on the more abounds but that it may dearelier prize the Fathers presence that they may meete more merrily and rejoyce in the enjoyment of each other more heartily Conceive then and consider to thine owne exceeding comfort that thy heavenly Father deales just so with thee in a spiritual desertion He sometimes hides his face from thee and withdrawes his quickning and refreshing presence for a time not for want of loue for hee loves thee freely He loves thee with an everlasting love hee loves thee with the very same love with which He loves Iesus Christ And that deare Son of his loves thee with the same love his Father loves him But to put more heate and life into thine affections towards him and heavenly things To cause thee to relish communion with Iesus Christ when thou enjoyest it more sweetely to preserve it more carefully to joy in it more thankefully and to shunne more watchfully whatsoever might rob thee of it To stirre up all the powers of thy soule and all the graces of God in thee to seeke his face and favour againe with more extraordinary and universall seriousnesse and industry For we finde with pleasure possesse with singular contentment and keepe with speciall care what we have sought with paine Wee may see this in the Spouse Cantic 3.1 c. under the pressure of a grievous Desertion Ponder every particular By night on my bed I sought him whom my soule loveth I sought him but I found him not I will rise now and goe about the Citty in the streetes and in the broad wayes I will seeke him whom my soule loveth I sought him but I found him not The Watchmen that goe about the city found mee to whom I said Saw yee him whom my soule loveth It was but a little that I passed from them but I found him whom my soule loveth I held him and would not let him goe untill I had brought him to my mothers house and into the chamber of her that conceived mee I charge yee O yee daughters of Ierusalem by the Roes and by the Hindes of the field that yee stirre not up nor awake my Love till hee please And lastly that when the comfortable beames of Gods lightsome countenance shall break out againe upon thy soule and thy Beloved is returned thou maist sing that triumphant song of Faith most joyfully I am my Beloveds my Beloved is mine Desertions then delaies of this nature are fruites of thy heavenly Fathers love and ought to bee no discouragements unto thee at all holding thy integrity His love thereby is intended towards thee by the restraint of the influence as it were and sense of it from thy soule as a Brooke growes big by damming it up for a while And thy love is more enflamed towards him when thou now feeles by the want of it what an heaven upon earth it is to have his face shine upon thee with it's quickning refreshing presence and that a sensible embracement of Iesus Christ in the armes of thy Faith is the very life of the soule as the Soule is the life of the Body the Crowne of all sweet
contentment in this vale of teares and a piece as it were of everlasting pleasures 5. In times of triall Thou seest sometimes a Father setting downe his little One upon it's feet to trie it's strength and whether it bee yet able to stand by it selfe or no But withall hee holds his armes on both sides to uphold it if he see it incline either way and to preserve it from hurt Assure thy selfe thy heavenly Father takes care of thee with infinitely more tendernesse in all thy trials either by outward Afflictions or inward temptations The thou shouldest fall yet shalt thou not bee utterly cast downe for the Lord upholdeth thee with his hand Psal. 37.24 Never did Gold-smith attend so curiously and punctually upon those pretious mettalls hee casts into the fire to observe the very first season and bee sure that they tarry no longer in the furnace then the drosse bâ—â— wasted they thorowly purified and fitted for some excellent use as our gratious God lovingly waits to take thee out of trouble and temptation when the rust 〈◊〉 removed from thy spirituall armour thy graces shiâ—â— out and thou heartily humbled and happily fitted to doe him more glorious service for the time to come I meane when hee hath attained the end which hee mercifully intended in love and for thy good 6. In conceits of our unworthinesse David commanded Ioab and the other Captaines to entreat the young man Absolom gently for his sake 2. Sam. 18.5 A rebellious traiterous Sonne up in armes against his owne Father gracelesly and unnaturally thirsting out of a furious ambitious humour to wâ—ing the Regall Scepter out of his hand and to set the Imperiall Crowne upon his owne head How dearely and tenderly then will the Father of mercies deale with a poore humbled soule that sighes and seekes for his favour infinitely more then any earthly treasure or the glory of a thousand worlds 7. I will suppose thou hast broke some speciall vow which were a grievous thing made before the Sacrament upon some day of humiliation or such other occasion and so forfeited thy selfe as it were and thy soule into the hands of Gods justice to bee disposed of to the dungeon of utter darkenesse if thou weâ—t served as thy sinne hath deserved And thereupon thou art much afflicted and sore troubled in minde to have suffered thy selfe to be so sottishly ensnared againe in such a dis-avowed sin against so strong a purpose But here consider whether thou being a Father would'st take the forfeiture of a bond and advantage of breaking day especially full sore against his will from thy dearest Childe intreating thee to intreat him kindely Much nay infinitely lesse will thy heavenly Father deale hardly with thee in such a Case if thou complaine at the Throne of Grace with a grieved spirit renew thy covenant and tell him truly that thou wilt by the help of the holy Ghost guard thy heart with a narrower watch and stronger resolution for the time to come If wee confesse our sinnes hee is faithfull and iust to forgive us our sinnes 1. Iohn 1.9 And in such a Case wee have ever a blessed Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous Cap. 2.1 8. A Father sometimes holds his Child over a Pond River or Well to fright him from it lest at some time or other he fall into it But the Child especially if of riper conceit and wiser thoughts laughes perhaps in the Fathers face dreads no danger dreames not of drowning And what 's the reason thinke yee Only because hee knowes hee that holds him is his Father So thy heavenly Father holdes thee as it were over Hell in some strong temptation upon purpose to terrifie thee from tampering so much with the Divels baites so that thou sees nothing about thee for the present but darknesse and discomforts the very horrors of eternall death ready to take hold on thee yet for all this upon the ground of this loving gracious resemblance thou maist be comforted and cry confidently with Iob Tho he slay me yet will I trust in him With David Tho I walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no evill Who is among you saith the Prophet that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darkenesse and hath no light Let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God 9. A Son by the seducement of some dissolute and drunken Belials is drawne into lewd and licentious company and so plunges presently over head and eares into pestilent courses Falls unhappily to swaggering drinking gaming the mirth and madnesse of wine and pleasures And at length to expresse to the life an exact conformity to that compleat character of the professours of Good-fellowship as they call it and Epicurisme both for pursuite of sensuall delights and persecution of true professours Wisd. 2.6 c. 12 c. Whereby he wasts his Patrimony cuts the heart of his Parents wounds his conscience c. His Father mournes and grieves consults and casts about with all love and longing for his recovery and returne At length out of sense and conscience of his base and debosht behaviour vile company dishonouring God banishing good motions c. Hee comes to himselfe intreats his father upon his knees with many teares that hee would bee pleased to pardon what is past receive him into favour againe and hee will faithfully endeavour to displease him no more but redeeme the losse of the former with the improovement of the time to come How willingly and welcomely thinke you would such a Father receive such a son into the bosome of his fatherly affection and armes of dearest embracement And yet so and infinitely more is our heavenly Father mercifull and melting towards any of his relapsed children returning unto his gracious Throne with true remorse and hearty griefe for so going astray Which is an incomparable comfort in case of backe-sliding which yet God forbid 10. A Father indeede will lay heavier burdens upon his son now growne into yeares and strength and puts him to sorer labour and harder taskes But while hee is very young hee is woont to forbeare him with much tendernesse and compassion because he knowes hee is scarce able to carry himselfe out of the mire Even so but with infinite more affectionatenesse and care watchfullnesse and love doth our heavenly Father beare in his armes and forbeare a Babe in Christ. See Isai. 40.11 This may bee a very sweet and pretious cordiall to weake consciences ar their first conversion Who when they cast their eie upon the hainousnesse and number of their sinnes the fiery and furious darts of the Divell the frownes and angry foreheads of their carnall friends the worlds lowring and enmity the rebelliousnesse and untowardnesse of their own hearts pressing upon them all at once and so considering that refraining from evill they make themselves a prey are ready to sinke and faint and
Abraham as you know Gen. 22. did not indeede when it came to the Point sacrifice his Son An Angell from Heaven stayed his hand Onely Hee had a will purpose and resolution if the Lord would so have it even to shed the blood of his onely Childe Now this desire to please God was graciously accepted at his hands as tho the thing had been done and thereupon crowned with as many blessings as there are starres in Heaven and sands upon the Sea-shore By my selfe have I sworne saith the Lord because Thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thine onely Sonne and yet Hee spilt not a drop of his blood save onely in purpose and preparednesse to doe Gods will Therefore will I surely blesse thee and greatly multiply thy seede as the starres of the Heaven and as the sand which is upon the Sea-shore vers 16.17 Rich men Marke 12. cast into the Treasury large Doles and royall offerings no doubt For it is there said Many that were rich cast in much vers 41. And yet the poore Widowes two mites receiving worth and waight from her holy and hearty affection in Christs esteeme did out-valew and over-weigh them all Verely saith Christ I say unto you that this poore widow hath cast more in then all they which have cast into the Treasury Reasons 1. One argument may bee taken from the blessed noblenesse of Gods nature and the incomparable sweetnesse of his divine disposition Which by infinite distance without all degree of comparison and measure of proportion doth surpasse and transcend the ingenuousnesse of the noblest spirit upon earth Now men of ingenuous breeding and generous dispositions are wont to receive sweetest contentment and rest best satisfied in prevailing over and winning the hearts good wills and affections of those who attend or depend upon them Outward performances gratifications and visible effects are often beyond our strength and meanes many times mingled and quite mard with Hypocrisies disguisements famed accommodations and flatteries with selfe-advantages by-respects and private ends But inward reverence and love kind and affectionate stirrings of the heart are ever and alone in our power and ever by an uncontrole-able freedome exempted from enforcement dissembling and formality No marvaile then tho the most royall and Heroicall spirits prize most and bee best pleased with possession of Mens hearts and beeing assured of them can more easily pardon the want of those outward Acts of sufficiency and service most minded by basest men which they see to be above the reach of their ability and power Now if it be so that even ingenuous and noble natures accept with speciall respect and esteeme the affectionatenesse and hearty well-willing of their followers and Favourits tho thâ—y want dexterity and meanes to expresse iâ— actually in visible effects and executions answerable to their affection How much more are spirituall longings holy affections thirsty desires graciously accepted of that God in respect of whose compassions the bowels of the most mercifull man upon earth are cruelty In respect of whose immeasurably amiable melting sweetest disposition the ingenuousnesse of the noblest spirit is doggednesse and disdaine Especially sith Mens good Turnes and Offices of love turne many times to our good and benefit to our advancement profit preferment But our well-doing extendeth not unto God That infinite essentiall glory with which the highest Lord alone to bee blessed adored and honoured by all for ever was is and shall bee everlastingly crowned can neither bee empaired by the most desperate rebellions or enlarged by the most glorious good deeds Can a man saith Eliphaz to Iob bee profitable unto God As Hee that is wise may bee profitable unto himselfe Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous Or is it gaine to Him that thou makest thy waies perfit And Cap. 35.6 7 8. If thou sinnest what doest thou against Him Or if thy transgressions bee multiplyed what doest thou unto Him If thou bee righteous what givest thou to Him Or what receiveth he of thine hand Thy wickednesse may hurt a man as thou art and thy righâ—eousnesse may profit the Sonne of Man Were all the wicked men upon earth turned into humane beasts desperate Belials nay incarnate Divels and the whole world full of those out-ragious Giants of Babell and those also of the oâ—â— World And all with combined force and fury should bend and band themselves against Heaven yet they could not hurt God The Lord is King be the people never so impatient Hee sitteth between the Cherubins be the earth never so unquiet Or Were all the Sonnes of men Abrahams or Angels and as many in number as the Starres in Heaven and as shining both with inward graces and outward good deeds as they are in visible glory yet could they make no addition unto that incomprehensible Majesty above They could not conferre so much as one drop to that boundlesse and bottomlesse Sea of goodnesse or the least glimpse unto that Almighty Sunne of glory All nations before Him are as nothing and they are counted to Him lesse then nothing and vanity Our sinnes hurt Him not Our holinesse helpes Him not It is onely for our good that God would have us good No good no gaine accrewes unto Him by our goodnesse For what good can come by our imperfect goodnesse to that which is already infinitely good What glory can bee added by our dimnesse to Him which is already incomprehensibly glorious Every infinite Thing is naturally and necessarily uncapable of addition Possibility of which suppos'd implies contradiction and destroyes the nature of Infinity If it bee so then that good turnes doe good unto Men and yet out of their ingenuousnesse they most esteeme good wills true heartednesse kind affections And can well find in their hearts to passe-by failings where there is heart and good will as they say To pardon easily want of exactnesse in performance where there are unfained purposes How much more will our gracious God who gaines nothing by all the good workes in the world out of the depth of His dearest compassions kindly interpret and accept in good part the holy longings and hungry desires of a panting and bleeding Soule How dearely will Hee love the love of a true-hearted Nathanael How willingly will Hee take the will for the deede the groanings of the Heart before the greatest Sacrifice But lest you mistake take notice here of a two-fold Glory 1. Essentiall infinite everlasting It is impossible that this should either receive disparagement and diminution or addition and encreasement by any created power And this I meant in the precedent Passage 2. The other I may call Accidentall finite temporary This ebbs or slowes shines or is over-shadowed as Goodnesse or Gracelesnesse prevailes in the world As the kingdom of Christ or powers of darknes get the upper hand amonst the Sonnes of Men. In this regard indeede Rebellious wretches dishonour God upon Earth I confesse And Godly men
by their holy Duties good workes and gracious behaviour make his Name more illustrious in the world But what is this to that essentiall infinite everlasting glory which was as great and full in all that former eternity before the world was When God blessed for ever enjoyed onely His glorious Selfe Angels Men and this great Vniverse lying all hid as yet in the darke abhorred Dungeon of Nothing as now it is or ere shall bee 2. A second reason may bee taken from Gods proportionable proceeding in his courses of justice and mercy In his executions of Iustice and inflictions of punishment He interprets and censures desires for the deeds affections for Actions Thoughts for the things done Whosoever saith Christ looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart In Gods interpretation in the search and censure of divine justice Hee that lusts after a Woman in his heart is an adulterer and without true and timely repentance in the meane time shall bee so taken and proceeded against at that great and last Day Whosoever hateth his Brother saith Iohn is a man-slayer An hateful thought of our Brother murthers Him and spils his blood by the verdict of the blessed Spirit And a malicious man at the Barre of God goes for a Man-slaier If this then bee Gods property and proceeding in justice wee may much more confidently expect Nay with reverent humility challenge way beeing made by the mediation of Christ the same proportionable measure in those His most sweet and lovely inclinations and expressions of mercy Shall a lewde desire after a woman fall under the Axe of Gods justice as if it were the grosse Actâ— of lust And shall not a longing desire after grace bee graciously embraced in the armes of mercy as the grace it selfe Shall an angry thought invisible immaterial hurtfull only to the heart which harbours it be charged with actuall bloodshed And shall not a panting thirst of a broken and bleeding Soule after Christs saving and sanctifying blood bee bath'd and refresht in his pretious blood Yes certainely and much rather For Gods tender mercies are over all his workes Psal. 145.9 And mercy with an holy exultation triumpheth and reioyceth against iudgement Iam. 2.13 His mercy is great unto the Heavens Psal. 57.10 Hee doth with much sweet contentment and as it were naturall propension encline to the gracious effusions of mercy Hee delighteth in mercy saith Micah Cap. 7.18 Hee is passingly pleaâ—ed and exalted most gloriously when Hee is pardoning of sinnes purging of Soules pulling out of the Divels Paw pouring in of grace shining into sad and uncomfortable hearts saving from Hell c. This makes Him so passionate in an holy sense when Hee hath no Passage for his love Deus 5.29 Psal. 81.13 Isa. 48.18 Mat. 23.37 Luk. 19.41.42 But now on the other side Hee is hardly drawne not without much reluctancy delaies forbearance and as it were some kinde of violence offered by excesse of multiplyed rebellious provocations to exercise His justice and to punish for sinne See 2. Chron. 36.16 Hos. 6.4 c. It appeares Zeph. 2.2 by the emphasis of the Original that in this respect in a right and sober sense God is like a woman with Childe When the cry of our sinnes comes first to Heaven Hee doth not presently poure upon our heads fire and Brimstone according to our desert But as loth to enter into judgement with us Hee then but begins to conceive as it were wrath which Hee beares or rather forbeares full many and many a moneth still waiting when upon our repentance Hee might bee gracious unto us untill it come to that ripenesse by the fullnesse and intolerable waight of our sinnes that Hee can possibly beare no longer And then also when Hee is about to bee delivered of his justly conceived and long-forborne vengeance Marke how Hee goes about it Ah! saies Hee c. Isa. 1.24 This aspiration argues a compassionate Pang of griefe speaking after the manner of men to proceede against His owne people tho they had provoked Him as enemies How shall I give thee up Ephrâ—im How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zebâ—im Mine heart is turned within mee my repentings are kindled together Hos. 11.9 When Hee came against Sodome and Gomorrah the most prodigiously wicked people that ever the Earth bore What a miracle of mercy was it that He should be brought so low as to say I will not destroy it for tennes sake Gen. 18.32 So it is then that mercy flowes naturally and easily from God and he is most forward and free-hearted in granting Pardons and receiving into grace and favour But justice is ever as it were violently with cart-ropes of iniquity pul'd from Him He is pressed with our sinnes as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaues before wee wring from Him the vials of just wrath and wrest out of His hands the Arrowes of deserved indignation That you erre not in this Point conceive that both Gods mercy and iustice are originally and fundamentally as God Himselfe infinite Both of the same length height bredth and depth that is equally endlesse boundlesse botomlesse unsearchable Yet if wee consider the exercise and execution of them amongst the creatures and abroad in the world Mercy that sweetest Attribute and most pretious baulme to all bruised hearts doth farre surpasse and out-shine the other tho incomparable excellencies of His divine nature and all the perfections which accompany the greatnesse of God As appeares Exod. 20.5.6 Gen. 18.32 Ioel. 2.43 Ionah 4.2 Psal. 36. and 103. 2. Chron. 21.13 His influences and beames of mercy are fairely and plentifully shed into the bosome of every Creature and shine gloriously over all the earth even from one end of Heaven to the other The whole world is thicke set and richly embroidered as it were with wonderfull variety of impressions and Passages of his goodnesse and bounty In this great Volume of Nature round about us wee may runne and reade the deepe Prints and large Characters of kindnesse and love which His mercifull and munificent hand hath left in all Places in every leafe and Page and line of it If mercy then bee so graciously magnified over all his workes we may more strongly build upon it That if the hand of Iustice seize upon an hatefull thought as a murtherer and stained with blood and arraigne a lustfull conceite as guilty of adultery and actuall pollution His armes of mercy will most certainely embrace and accept of a syncere desire for the deed done of hearty affections for the Actions and of a grieved spirit for the grace it groanes for Yea but may some say If mercy bee so faire a flower in the garland of Gods incomprehensible greatnesse if it so farre excell his other Attributes in amiablenesse amongst His creatures How comes it to passe That the
salvation and loathnesse to believe adds in an other Place to ordinary invitation a stirring compassionate and quickning compellation or rather exclamation Ho saith Hee Isa. 55.1 Every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters c. And lest any thinke Hee shall come to His cost or should bring any thing in His hand Hee calls upon Him that hath no money and thus doubles His cry Come yee buy and eate yea come buy wine and milke without money and without price O most blessed and sweetest lines So full of love and longing to draw us to the Well of life that besides that holy pang of compassion and excitation Ho Hee cries thrice Come Come Come Yea but mayst thou say Alas I am so farre from bringing any thing in my hand that I bring a world of wickednesse upon my heart and that above ordinary both in notoriousnesse and number and therfore I am afraid the hainousnesse of my sinnes will hinder my acceptation tho the invitation bee most sweet and pretious Be it so yet the Spirit of God in the same Chapter doth purposely meet with and remoove that very scruple Let the wicked saith He forsake His way and the unrighteous man His thoughts And this is thy Case Thou art unfainedly set against all sinne both inward and outward and let him returne unto the Lord and Hee will have mercy upon Him and to our God for He will abundantly pardon verse 7. Hee will not onely have mercy upon thee but Hee will also abundantly pardon Hee will multiply His pardons according to thy provocations and that with super-abundance Rom. 5.20 4. If all this will not yet doe Hee descends out of the infinite riches of his grace to a miracle of further mercy For the mighty Lord of Heaven and earth sends Ambassadours unto us dust and ashes wormes and no men to beseech us to bee reconciled unto Him Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us wee pray you in Christs stâ—ad be ye reconciled unto God 2. Cor. 5 20. What man can possibly ponder seriously upon this Place but must bee transported with extraordinary admiration nay adoration of the bottomlesse depth and infinite height of Gods incomprehensible everlasting and free love We most abhorred vile wretches are the Offenders Traitors Rebels enimies and ought to seek and sue unto Him first upon the knees of our soules trembling in the dust and if it were possible with teares of blood and yet He begins unto us intreating us by His owne Son and His servants the Ministers to come in accept His favour and grace enter into the wise and good way which is pretious profitable honorable and pleasant that He may hereafter set upon our heads everlasting Crownes of glory and blisse An earthly Prince would disdaine and hold it in foule scorne to send unto His inferiour for reconcilement especially who had behaved Himself basely unworthily towards Him and justly provoked His royall indignation Would not the King of Spaine thinke you so great a Monarch hold it an inexpiable dishonour and indignity to send Embassadours now and sue unto the Hollanders so farre below Him for reconcilement and peace promising and assuring them of an entire restitution and exercise of all their ancient rights priviledges liberties and fundamentall Lawes that they should not need to feare that greatest tyranny and severest kind of persecution under heaven the Spanish Inquisition that He would resume His former Oath the Popes dispensation for which begun all the trouble c. Rather then He would do it He hath paid already a good while since above an hundred millions and the lives of above foure hundred thousand men And is still spending abundance of gold and blood It is thus indeede with wormes of the earth in whom there is no helpe and whose breath is in their nostrills But it is otherwise with the King of Kings who sitteth upon the Circle of the Earth and the inhabitants thereof are as Grashoppers and the Nations as the drop of a Bucket who bringeth the Princes to Nothing and maketh the Iudges of the Earth as vanitie Hee is content to put up at our hands this indignity and affront if I may so speake He is glad to sue unto us first and send His Ambassadours day after day beseeching us to bee reconciled unto Him O incomprehensible Depth of unspeakeable mercy and Encouragement to come in and trust in his mercy in case of spirituall misery able to trample under foot triumphantly all Oppositions of the most raging Hell or distrustfull heart 5. Nay Hee commands us And this is his Commandement that wee should beleeve on the Name of his Sonne Iesus Christ 1. Ioh. 3.23 This command alone of rhe All-powerfull God should infinitely out-weigh and prevaile against all other counter-maunds of Heaven or Earth flesh and blood Satan nature reason sense the whole Creation all the World It should swallow up all scruples doubts feares despaires Comming to Iesus Christ with broken hearts according to this Commandement It will beare us out against all oppositions accusations weaknesses of faith in the evill times in the houre of temptation upon our beds of death at that last and greatest day It will be a plea at such times utterly above all exception against all allegations terrours and temptations to the contrary to say I was humbled under the burden of sinne and sense of my spirituall misery God in mercy offered mee His Sonne Iesus Christ freely in the Mysterie of the Gospell by the Ministry of the Word I thereupon thirsted infinitely for His Person and pretious blood that I might thereby obtaine pardon and power against my sinnes Hee called upon mee and commanded mee to drinke my fill of the Water of life freely I accepted His gracious Offer and according to His Commandement cast my selfe upon the Lord Christ against all the contradictions of carnall reason and Sophistry of Satan and since that time Hee hath given mee power to serve Him in syncerity of heart This is my ground and warrant even the Commandement of my blessed God Thus to drinke when I was thirsty Against which the gates of Hell can never possibly prevaile In thy Case then who thirsts extremely and upon free Offer yet refusest to drink consider how unworthily thou dishonours God and wrongs thine owne Soule by suffering the Divels cavils and the groundlesse exceptions of thine owne distrustfull heart to prevaile with thee against the direct Command of Al-mighty God which thou oughtest to obey against all reason sense feares doubts despaires and Hellish suggestions Abraham the Father of the Faithfull did readily and willingly submit to Gods Commandement even to kill His owne onely deare Sonne with His owne hand naturally matter of as great griefe as could possibly pierce the heart of a mortall man And wilt thou beeing broken-hearted stand off from believing and refuse when Hee commands Thee
the Christian for the present into a most dark and dis-cōfortable condition I meane when the most wise God for some holy ends seeming good unto Himself retires for a time with-holds from the heart of his Childe the light of His countenance the beames of His favour and sense of His love Whereupon tho the roote of spirituall life the Habite of Faith and fundamentall power of salvation and eternall safty remaine still and sure in His Soule never to bee shaken or prevailed against no not by the very gates of Hell or concurrent forces and fury of all the powers of darknesse yet for the time Hee findes and feeles in Himselfe a fearefull deprivation and dis-continuance of the feeling and fruition of Gods pleased face exercise of Faith pardon of sinne inward peace joy in the holy Ghost cheerefulnesse in wel-doing and godly duties confidence in praier assurance of beeing in a saving state c. So that Hee may judge Himselfe to have been formerly an Hypocrite and for the present can very hardly or not at all difference and distinguish His wofull condition from that of a Cast-away This secret and wonderfull work of spirituall desertion doth God much exercise and practise upon His Children in many Cases for many Causes 1. Sometimes upon a re-ensnarement in some secret bosome-lust which was their Darling and delight in the daies of their rebellion Relapse into which Satan labours industriously to procure with much adoe by all His Devises For Hee gaines greatly thereby For so the New-Convert considering in cold blood what Hee hath done may be cast upon such complaints as these Alas what have I done now This pestilent old pollution which so wofully wasted my conscience in time past hath fearefully re-infected my newly washed Soule I have againe Woe is mee fallen into the abhorred Sodome of this foule sinne I have grieved that good spirit which was lately come to dwell in me All the former horrours charge afresh upon my heart from which I was happily freed even by some glimpses of heavenly joy I have wretchedly let goe my hold lost my peace broke my vowes and blessed communion with my God c. Ah! wretch that I am what shall I now doe And thereupon may fall upon a temptation of returning to His dis-avowed sensuall Delights out of this conceit As well over bootes as over shoes Doe what I can I see I can never hold out c. Or Hee may plunge into this slavish perplexity I dare not goe to God I have used Him so villanously after such immeasurable kindenesse and provoked the eies of his glory with such prodigious impurity after I was purged I dare not fall againe to good-fellowship and former courses lest I draw some remarkeable vengeance upon mee in the meane time and bee certainely damned when I have done So that Hee can neither take pleasure upon the right hand or the left Or which is most for my purpose and that which the Divell specially desires God therefore may hide His face from Him and leave Him to the darknesse of His own spirit so that He may for a long time walke on heavily starke lame in respect of those comfortable supporters of the Soule affiance hope spirituall joy peace of Conscience sense of Gods favour boldnesse in His waies courage in good causes delight in the company of the Saints c. Such a dampe also and desertion may come upon the Soule especially after a Fall into some new open scandalous sinne whereby not onely their owne Consciences within are grievously wounded but also for their sakes and sinne the Profession of Gods truth abroad scandalized and disgraced the common state of goodnesse questioned and traduced the heart and glory of Christianity hurt and distained David was thus dealt with in Gods just judgement after His monstrous and matchlesse fall Gods good Spirit had richly crowned His royall heart with abundance of sanctification and purity and had graciously filled Him aforetime with the fruits and feeling thereof and thereupon many heavenly deawes no doubt of spirituall joyes had many times sweetly refreshed His blessed Soule But by the hainous scandalousnesse of His hatefull fall Hee so grieved that good Spirit and turned the face of God from Him that Hee had neither sense of the comforts of the one nor of the favour of the other The spirituall life of his Soule the eie of His judgement light of conscience lightsomnesse in the holy Ghost and the whole grace of sanctification were so wasted dazeled confounded weakened raked under the ashes as it were and runne into the roote that hee speakes as if He had utterly lost them and so stoode in neede of a new infusion and creation thereof Psal. 51.10 But by the way conceive aright of Davids spirituall condition at this time Tho in his owne feeling and present apprehension Hee so complaines and cries out for a New creation as tho all were gone yet even when Hee was at the lowest and worst the Soule and substance that I may so speake of saving grace and salvation did abide still rooted and resident in his heart Which once emplanted by Gods omnipotent mercifull hand in an humble Soule and taking roote it there sticks fast for ever far more un-mooveable then a thousand Mount Zyons The blossoms buds and fruits may sometimes bee fouly cankerd as it were by our owne corruptions shrewdly nipt by the frost of some earthly affections blasted by sharper tempests of Satans temptations But the foundation standeth sure grounded and founded upon the unchangeable Nature of God and immutability of His counsell and therefore mauger the malice of all both mortall and immortall rage there is still life in the roote which in due season will spring out againe and grow up unto everlasting life To the present Instance All purity and cleannesse of heart was not utterly extinguisht and abolisht in David For 1. Some little at least was left which descried and discovered those spots and pollutions of filthinesse and impurity which had lately over-growne it For grace discovers corruption not nature A sensible complaint of hardnesse of heart and an earnest desire after softnesse is a Signe that the heart is not wholly hard A syncere crying out against impurity and hearty endeavour after purity argues the presence of the purifying Spirit 2. And how was this holy ejaculation Create in mee a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit within mee created but by the Spirit of grace and supplications Which blessed sanctifying Spirit was all the while rooted and resident in Davids heart by a saving existence there tho not so fully by an effectuall operation and exercise Divines about this Point consider First The infinite free and eternall love and favour towards His Childe with which whom Hee loves once Hee loves for ever The gifts and calling of God that is as best Interpreters affirme the Gifts of effectuall calling effects of His free
from between the teeth of bloody persecuting Wolues 2. Tim. 4.17 Secondly Sometimes Hee takes away or lessens the sting and fury of the torment and torturers The fire had no force at all over the bodies of those blessed men Dan. 3.27 And no doubt in Queene Maries dayes of most abhorred memory Hee many times mollified and sweetned the rage and bitternesse of those mercilesse flames for our Martyrs sakes Thirdly Sometimes he supports and supplies them with supernaturall vigour and extraordinary courage over the smart and rigour of the most terrible and intolerable tortures The heart of that holy Proto-Martyr Steven was furnished and filled with those heavenly infusions of spirituall strength and ioy when the Heavens opening He saw the glory of God and Iesus standing on His right hand which were gloriously transcending and triumphant over the utmost of all corporall paine and Iewish cruelty And so graciously dealt He with many other Martyrs in succeeding ages as we may reade in Ecclesiasticall Stories Fourthly Hee may sometimes also out of His mercifull wisdome put into their hearts such a deale of Heaven before-hand and ravishing comforts of the World to come that the excesse thereof doth swallow up and devoure as it were the bitternesse of all bodily inflictions and sufferings of sense Thus mercifully dealt Hee with that worthy Martyr Master Robert Glover even when He was going towards the Stake He poured into His Soule upon the sudden such over-flowing Rivers of spirituall joyes that no doubt they mightily abated and quencht the ragefull fury of those Popish flames wherein Hee was sacrificed for the Profession of the Gospell of Christ and Gods everlasting truth And assuredly that comfortable Sun-shine of unexpresse-able joy which by the good hand of God was shed into Master Peacocks sorrowfull heart in the depth of His darkenesse and desertion a little before the resignation of His happy Soule into the hands of God did make the pangs of death and that dreadfull Passage a great deale lesse painefull and sensible if not very lightsome and pleasant Now in both these men of God a wofull spirituall dereliction was a fit introduction and immediate preparative to the effusion of such a sudden torrent of strange exultations and ravishments of spirit upon their sad and heavy hearts Conceive the Point then thus The Lord sometimes even in tendernesse and love to His owne deare Children whom Hee designes for extraordinary sufferings may purposely possesse them with such a Paradise of divine pleasures as a counter-comfort to the extremity of their paines that besides their owne private refreshing and support their couragious insensibility and victorious patience thereupon may bring a great deale of terrour to their tormentors glory to their Mercifull Maister credit unto the cause and confusion to the enemies of grace And that there may be an addition of more heart and life to such joyfull elevations of spirit and that He may make the excellency of that spirituall joy proportionable to the exquisitnes of their tortures and trouble He may in His unsearchable wisedome make way thereunto by a spirituall desertion As Hee did in the fore-named glorious Martyr Master Glover For want of the sense of the comforts of godlinesse for a season doth make our Soules a thousand times more sensible of their sweetnesse upon their re-infusion 8. Eighthly Thus may the Lord sometimes deale with His best and dearest Children even by withdrawing the light of His countenance leave them for a while to these inward conflicts and confusions of spirit that thereby they may bee fitted and informed with an holy experimentall skill to speake feelingly and fully to the hearts of their Christian Brethren which may afterward bee tempted and troubled as they have been For God is woont at all times in His Church so gracious is Hee purposely to raise up and single out some speciall men whom Hee instructs and enables in the Schoole of spirituall experiments and afflictions of Soule with extraordinary dexterity and Arte to comfort and recover other Mourners in Zion in their distresses of consciences stronger temptations spirituall desertions decaies of grace relapses Eclipses of Gods face and favour wants of former comfortable feelings in case of horrible thoughts and hideous injections darkenesse of their owne spirits and such other Soule-vexations And such a blessed Physition which is able to speake experimentally to a dejected sorrowfull heart out of practise and sense in His owne Soule is farre more worth both for a true search and discovery and sound recovery and cure of a wounded conscience then an hundred meere speculative Divines Such an One is that One of a thousand spoken of by Iob which can wisely and seasonably declare unto His Soule-sicke Patient the secret Tracks hidden Depths of Gods dealings with afflicted spirits Let us take instance in those experimentall abilities which David gained for such a purpose by His passing thorow that most grievous spirituall desertion Psal. 77. The Case of that Christian were most rufull both in His owne fearefull apprehension and to the un-judicious 〈◊〉 the Beholders who having spent a long time 〈◊〉 Zealous professiō of the Truth walking with God and secret communion with Iesus Christ should come to that passe and fall into those wofull straights of spirituall trouble First That Hee should feare not without extraordinary horrour lest the mercies of God were departed from Him for ever and that the Lord would never more bee intreated or ever shine againe with his favourable countenance upon His confounded Soule Secondly that the very remembrance of God which was woont to crowne his heart with a confluence of all desire-able contentments should even rent it asunder and make it fall to pieces in His bosome like drops of water Thirdly That the pouring out of His Soule with pittifull groanes and complaints in secret unto His God which heretofore did set wide open unto Him heavenly flood-gates of gracious refreshing should now quite overwhelme His spirit with much distracted amazement and feare Fourthly That that heart of His which had formerly full sweetly tasted those holy pleasures which farre passe the comprehension of any carnall conceit should now be so brim-full and damm'd up with excesse of griefe that no vent or passage should bee left unto His speech Fifthly And which Mee thinkes is the perfection of His misery in this kinde that amidst all these heavy discomforts His Soule should refuse to bee comforted That tho the Ministers and Men of God stand round about Him bring into His minde and presse upon Him the pregnant evidences and testimonies of His owne godly life the unchangeablenesse of Gods never-failing mercies to His the sweetnesse of His glorious Name the soveraigne power and mighty price of His Sonnes blood the infallible and inviolable pretiousnesse and truth of the promises of life c. Yet in the agony and angvish of His grieved spirit Hee puts them all away from 〈…〉 none of His nor as properly belonging to His
His soule in the Bundle of the living for ever now especially when Hee preferres the love and light of His countenance before life and would not willingly offend Him in the least sinne for all the World c. Let Him yet proceede further in Davids foot-steps and strengthen His fainting Soule with all that heavenly Manna of richest mercy which Hee hath heard read or knowne to have been showred downe at any time from the Throne of Grace into the heavy humble and hungry hearts of His afflicted hidden Ones Let Him refresh His memory with consideration of Davids deliverance by this meanes from deeper distresse Of that most memorable and triumphant resurrection as it were and recovery of those three worthy Saints of God Master Glover Mistris Bretâ—ergh Master Peacocke from greatest â—â—tremitie in this kinde into most un-utterable joyfull exultations of spirit And so of others within the Register of His observation remembrance and reading But principally and above all Let Him live and die Let Him rest and recreate Himselfe for ever with surest hold fast and sweetest thoughts upon that heavenly and healing Anti-type of the Red Sea the pretious Blood of the Lord Iesus And let Him ground upon it that tho Satan with all His hellish Hosts and utmost fury pursue his fearefull Soule like a Partridge in the mountaines even to the very brinke of despaire and mouth of Hell yet even then when all rescue and deliverance is neerest to bee utterly despaired of For it is the Crowne of Gods glorious mercy to save when the Case seemes desperate and there is no hope of humane helpe or possibility of created power to comfort I say then that Soule-saving Sea of His Saviours hearts-blood will most certainely and seasonably open it selfe wide unto Him as it did to those above-named blessed Saints and swallow up into victory Hell Death the Grave Damnation the present wofull desertion with all other adversary power and at length make Him a faire and pleasant passage thorow the sweetned pangs of death into the heavenly Canaan which flowes with joyes and pleasures un-mixed and endlesse more then either Tongue can tell or heart can thinke 9. Ninthly a spirituall desertion may seeme a proportionable fit and most proper punishment and meanes to correct and recover the Christian which out of infirmity and feare deserts the Lord Iesus and the Profession of His blessed Truth and Gospell If any bee ashamed of Him refuse to doe or suffer any thing for His sake who hath given unto us His owne hearts-blood it is most just that in such a Case Hee withdraw Himselfe in respect of all sense and feeling of divine favour and fruites of grace or any comfortable influence at all upon the Consciences of such Cowardâ—â— that so they being left to the darkenesse of their owne spirits and by consequent to the taste even of Hellish horrour for the time they may bee brought againe to themselves and taught by such terrours to returne and become infinitely more willing to embrace the Stake if the times should bee so cruell and kisse the instruments of death then langvish any longer in the despairing extremities of such a desertion to acknowledge it incomparably better to passe thorow the temporary bitternesse of Popish fire then to bee abandoned to everlasting flames Nay and that which is the greater Hell to bee robbed of and rent from Him in whose glorious presence alone is not onely life and all lightsomnesse even in this life but also fulnesse of ioy and pleasures for evermore in the life to come This Point appeares and is prooved by Gods dealing with some of our Martyrs in Qveene Maries time Thomas Whittell a blessed Martyr of Iesus was by the wicked suggestions of some Popish incarnate Divels drawne to subscribe to their Hellish Doctrine But considering in cold blood what Hee had done was horribly vexed and as Hee reports of Himselfe felt Hell in his conscience and Satan ready to devoure him Which terrible desertion and trouble of minde made Him quickly returne with great constancy and fortitude and turne a most invincible and un-mooveable Martyr Heare some passages from His owne Pen. The night after I had subscribed I was sore grieved and for sorrow of conscience could not sleepe For in the deliverance of my Body out of bonds which I might have had I could finde no ioy nor comfort but still was in my conscience tormented more and more c. And I said to Harpesfield sc. That my Conscience had so accused mee through the iust iudgement of God and His Word that I had felt Hell in my Conscience and Satan ready to devoure Mee And therefore I pray you Master Harpsfield said I let mee have the Bill againe for I will not stand to it When the Lord had led Mee to Hell in my Conscience through the respect of His fearefull iudgements against mee for my fearefulnesse mistrust and crafty cloaking in such spirituall and weighty matters yet Hee brought mee from thence againe c. See also the Story of Iames Abbes and Thâ— Benbridge Gentleman Act. and Monuments pag. 1864.2246 10. Tenthly God is many times forced by their frowardnesse luke-warmenesse worldly-mindednesse cowardlinesse Selfe-confidence falling from their first-love and other such spirituall distempers to visite and exercise His Children with variety and sometimes severity of crosses and corrections as losses in their outward state afflictions of Body disgraces upon their good name oppression by great Ones discomforts in Wives Neighbours Friends Children c. upon purpose to put life quicknesse fruitfulnesse and forwardnesse into them that thereby they may bee more gloriously serviâ—cable to Himselfe more profitable to others and more provident to treasure up peace unto their own Soules against an evill Day God humbleth us saith a worth Divine by afflictions and pricketh the swelling of our pride Hee cutteth and loppeth us to the end wee may bring forth the more fruit Hee filleth us with bitternesse in this life to the end wee might long for the life to come For those whom God afflicteth grievously in this World leave it with lesse griefe Hee who hath formed us to feare Him knoweth that our praiers are slacke and cold in prosperity as proceeding from a spirit that is cooled by successe and which are endited by custome The cries which our owne will produced are feeble in comparison of those which griefe expresseth Nothing so ingenious to pray well as sorrow which in un instant formeth the slowest tongues to an holy eloquence and furnisheth us with sighes which cannot be expressed c. But now many times this Physicke which pincheth onely the Body and wasteth us but in things of this World doth not so worke as Hee would have it and therefore Hee is constrained in love and for our good to proceede to more sharpe and searching Medcines to apply more strong and stirring Purges which immediately vexe the Soule As horrible and hideous injections A spirituall Desertion and
fullnesse and constant fruition is reserved for the next life Here wee are trained as it were in a spirituall warfare against the World the Flesh and the Divell wee are exercised unto New-obedience by manifold crosses troubles and temptations Satan is sometimes set upon us to afflict us with His owne immediate Hellish suggestions Sometimes our owne sinnes grievously affright us with renewed representations of horrour Sometimes our owne God frownes upon us Himselfe with His displeased and angry countenance and in love leaves us a while to the terrours of a spirituall desertion Hee sometimes laies His visiting 〈◊〉 upon our Bodies and casteth us downe 〈…〉 of sicknesse Sometimes Hee sends heavy crosses upon our outward States and breakes the Staffe of our prosperity Continually almost Hee suffers many malicious Currs to barke at us with slanders lies disgracefull imputations and all the enemies of grace to pursue us bitterly with much malice and disdaine Thus are wee trained and entertained in this world Our Crowning comes in the World to come Ninthly To cause thee to have recourse with more reverence thirst and thankfull acknowledgement to the Well-head of refreshings if God once withdraw the light of His countenance and comfortable quickning of His Spirit wee shall find no comfort at all in any Creature no life in the Ordinances no feeling of our spirituall life and therefore wee must needs to the ever-springing Fountaine of All-sufficiency c. Which blessed ends and effects when the good hand of our God hath wrought Hee will as certainly returne as ever the Sunne did after the darkest Mid-night and that with abundance of glory and sweetnesse proportionable to the former dejection and darknesse of our spirits The lowest ebbe of a spirituall desertion brings the highest tide of spirituall exultation As wee may see before in Mistris Brettergh and Master Peacocke pag. 84. 2. What is the reason thou art so sad and sore afflicted for the absence of thy Beloved and with want of the woonted gracious and comfortable workings of the Spirit It is because Thou hast formerly grasped the Lord Iesus sweetly and savingly in the armes of thy Soule been sensibly refreshed with the savour of His good ointments ravished extraordinarily with the beauty of His Person dearenesse of His blood riches of His purchase and glory of his kingdome And hast heretofore holden Him as the very life of thy Soule and chiefest and onely treasure ejaculating with David unfainedly from the heart-roote Whom have I in Heaven but Thee And there is none upon Earth that I desire besides Thee Earth is an Hell and Heaven no Heaven without Iesus Christ I say the present griefe that thy well-beloved is now gone argues evidently this former enjoyment of His gracious presence And then build upon 't as upon the surest Rocke Once Christs and His for ever The gifts and calling of God are without repentance Whom Hee loveth once Hee loveth unto the end Hee is no changeling in his love I am the Lord faith Hee I change not therefore yee sonnes of Iacob are not consumed Once elected ever beloved Once New-borne and borne to eternity If once the sanctifying Spirit hath seizd upon Thee for Iesus Christ thou art made sure and lockt fast for ever in the armes of his love with everlasting barres of mercy and might from any mortall hurt and adversary power Thou maist then cast downe the gauntlet of defiance against the Devill and the whole world and take up with Paul that victorious chalenge unto all created things I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other Creature shall bee able to separate mee from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord Hee may hide His face from Thee for a while but thou hast His owne sure and inviolable Word from His owne mouth That Hee will returne and with everlasting kindnesse have mercy on thee Hee may frowne upon Thee I confesse for a season and so fright thee with his terrours as tho in thy present apprehension thou wert a lost Man But Hee never will Hee cannot possibly forsake thee finally I have sworne once by my holinesse that I will not faile David Psal. 89.35 And in the meane time thy former feelings of the motions of the Spirit and grace doe give cleare evidence and assurance that spirituall life is still resident in thy Soule tho runne as it were into the roote and tho it 's more lively operations and effects bee suspended for a time The Woman that hath once felt the Child stir in Her wombe is most assured that shee is with-Child that an immortall Soule and naturall life is infused into it by the omnipotent hand of God though at other times shee perceive no motion at all It is so in the present Point And thy grieving also groaning and panting after Christ is an unanswerable argument that thou art alive spiritually Lay the waight of the whole world upon a man that is starke dead and Hee can neither stirre cry or complaine 3. Consider that some graces are more substantiall in themselves more profitable to us and of greater necessitie for salvation as Faith repentance love New-obedience active and passive Selfe-deniall vilenesse in our owne eyes humble walking with God c. Others are not so or absolutely necessary but accompany a saving state as separable accidents as ioy and peace in believing sensible comfort in the holy Ghost comfortable feelings of Gods favour rejoycing in hope a lively freedome in prayer assurance of evidence c. And from hence mayest thou take comfort in two respects First Desertion deprives thee only of these comfortable accessarâ—es but thou art still possest of the Principall and substantialls of salvation Of which not the utmost concurrence of all hellish and earthly rage can possibly rob thee And therefore thou art well enough in the meane time and as safe as safety it selfe can make thee 2. Secondly Losse of these lesse principall graces which by accident is a singular advantage and gaine drives thee nearer unto Iesus Christ at least by many unutterable groanes every one whereof is a strong cry in the eares of God and causeth thee better to prise and plie to exercise and improove more fruitfully those other more necessary graces without which thou canst not bee saved It is a wise and honest passage in Mistris Iuxons Monument pag 60. Shee continued faithfull to the ende in the most substantiall graces For howsoever shee mourned for the want of that degree of ioy which shee had felt in former times yet she continued in repentance in the practise of holinesse and righteousnesse in a tender love of God and to his Word and Children in holy zeale and fruitfulnesse even to the last period of her daies And indeede her want of full ioy was so
perswaded Gods bowels of compassionate tender-heartednesse and love did yearne within him towards Iob with more dearenesse and delight at that cry Tho he slay mee yet will I trust in him then at any time else even in the Spring of his spirituall prosperity or fullest tide of most heavenly feelings Here then is comfort more then thy heart can hold if thou wilt bee counselled by the Prophets that thou maist prosper For when thou thinkest that all is gone that thou art a lost man and utterly forsaken even in the depth of thy spirituall darkenesse thou being so spiritually disposed as I have said and which thou canst not deny I say even then and thou oughtest so to apprehend and believe the love of God is as it were doubled towards thee much more endeared by reason of thy distresse and cannot hold but breakes out many times into extraordinary pangs and expressions thereof As wee may see Isa. 54.11 Oh! thou afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted c. And into profession of resolution and waiting to do us good which he will super-abundantly performe in the best time Behold I will lay thy stones with faire colours and lay thy foundations with Saphires Ibid. And therefore will the Lord waite that hee may bee gracious unto you and therefore will hee bee exalted that he may have mercy upon you For the LORD is a God of iudgment Blessed are all they that wait for him Isa. 30.18 Retiring the effects and exercise of our love from him whom wee love dearely makes it returne with redoubled fervour into our owne bosomes and there growes into a more vehement flame which never rests untill it breake out againe with dearer pangs upon the beloved Party Even as when the Sunne suffers an Eclipse and it's beames are driven backe and reflected from the face of the Moone interposed directly betweene it and our sight so that they shine not upon us then is the heate and light thereof multiplied and much intended toward the Fountaine which afterwards is shed downe upon us againe more amiably and acceptably when the darkenesse is done And let us further take notice that Christ our eldest Brother blessed for ever deales with us in such Cases as Ioseph a type of him in many respects dealt with his brethren hee frown'd upon them handled them roughly and frighted them extremely onely to humble them thorowly but in the meane time and midst of his menacing carriage his heart was so full of naturall affection that hee was enforced by the excesse thereof to turne aside and weepe and so returne to them againe And hee turned himselfe about from them and wept and returned to them again Gen. 42.24 So the Sonne of God as well as God the Father thorow him tho sometimes in a little wrath hee hide his face from us yet as hee will certainely after a small moment gather us with great mercies so in the meane time Hee is afflicted and most tenderly affected towards us in all our afflictions See Isa. 63.9 7. Seventhly Thinke it not strange that thou art fallen into this kinde of spirituall affliction as tho some strange thing or that which doth or may not befall the dearest servants of God had happened unto thee For herein thou becomes conformable to as holy Men as ever the world had Iob David Heman Luther c. Nay to the Sonne of God himselfe From whose example and precedency let the Christian even in the darkest horror of a spirituall desertion when hee is afraid lest God hath forsaken him fetch abundance of comfort and support out of such considerations as these 1. Christ himselfe was in the same Case Besides a numberlesse variety of most barbarous cruelties inflicted upon his blessed body by the mercilesse and implacable malice of the Iewes and by consequent sympathy upon his glorious soule Hee suffered also in soule immediately intolerable and save by himselfe unconquerable torments and paine Hee grapled with the fiercest wrath of his Father for our sins and sweat blood under the sense of his angry countenance Nay this Crosse upon his soule infinitely more waighty then that which hee carried upon his shoulders toward Calvarie did not onely cause streames of great bloody drops to fall downe to the ground but also prest from him that heavy groane Mat. 26.38 My soule is exceeding sorrowfull even unto death and that last rufull bitter cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee cap. 27.46 If Christ Iesus himselfe then blessed for ever the Son of the Fathers love the Prince of glory Nay the glory of heaven and earth the brightnesse of everlasting light c. In whom hee professeth himselfe to bee well-pleased and for whose sake onely hee loves all the sonnes of Men which shall be saved was thus plunged into a matchlesse Depth of unknowne sorrowes and most grievous desertion Let no Christian cry out in the like spirituall desolation but ever immeasurably short of his and in his feare of being forsaken that his Case is singular desperate irrecoverable For the onely deare innocent Sonne of God was farre worse in this respect and in greater extremity then hee is can or ever shall bee 2. Secondly Amongst other ends for which the Lord Iesus drunke so deepe and the very dregs of that bitterest Cup of his dearest Fathers heaviest indignation this was one That by a particular and personall passing thorow that infinite Sea those extremest dreadfull horrours of divine wrath for our sinnes which we all most justly deserved and would have caused any meere Creature to have sunke downe under it into the bottome of hell and by an experimentall feare and feeling of that bitter and bloody Agony which melted as it were his blessed soule into that mournefull Cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee The comfortable influence of the Deity being for the time in some sort restrained and retired from the humane nature that it might bee capable and sensible of that anger and angvish which would have holden both Men and Angels and all created Natures under everlasting calamity and woe I say that by his owne sense and experience of such painefull passages hee might learne and know with a more fellow-feeling and pittifull heart to commiserate his poore afflicted Ones in their spirituall desertions and with a softer and more compassionate hand to bind up their bleeding soules with his sweetest Balme of tender-heartednesse and love when in such horrible depths they shall thirst and long and gaspe for drops of mercy and his Fathers pleased face For in that hee himselfe hath suffered being tempted hee is able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2.18 A woman which hath her selfe with extraordinary torture tasted the exquisite paines of Childe-birth is woont to bee a great deale more tenderly and mercifully affected to an other in like case then she that never tried what it is to be terrified with the suddennesse
un-avoidablenes and terrible pangs of a womans travaile and is more skilfull ready and forward to relieve in such distresse And so also all others who have been most afflicted either with outward troubles or inward terrours or both are ever most fit and feeling to speake unto the heart to put to their helping hand and make much of comfortlesse and miserable men troubled and tempted as they have been And such was the Case of our blessed Saviour in his sufferings for our sakes Hee was exercised all his life long with variety and extremitie of cruelties indignities and all manner of vexations beyond measure grievous bitter and intolerable Hee drunke full deepe of the Worlds disgrace the Divels malice the rage of great Ones the contempt and contumelies of the vilest the scornefull insultations of his enemies sorest sufferings from all things in Heaven Earth and Hell Of those pinching passions hunger thirst wearinesse of bodily tortures hideous temptations agonies of Spirit even of the full Cup of his Fathers fiery wrath and horrors of soule for our sinnes to the very last drop which went as farre beyond his other outward extremities as the Soule goes beyond the body Gods utmost anger the malice of men Whereby hee is now blessedly fitted and enabled excellently to succour them that are tempted Consciousnesse of his owne Case in the daies of his flesh is a keene incentive to his holy and heavenly soule more sensibly and soone to take pitty upon and ease the severall necessities troubles sorrowes and soule-afflictions of all his Children 3. Thirdly As this ever-blessed Redeemer of ours was in himselfe more then infinitely free and more then farre enough from all sinne so by consequent from any inherent cause of the least crosse or any shadow in the World of his dearest Fathers displeased countenance For originally He was of a most pure harmelesse and holy nature all his life long kinde sweet and gracious to every Creature offending none doing good unto all In his death incomparably patient brought as an innocent Lambe to that bloody slaughter not opening his mouth for all those base and barbarous provocations of the cruell and mercilesse Miscreants about him swimming in blood burning in zeale wrastling in prayer even for the salvation of his enemies So that his guiltlesse and unspotted soule had no neede at all of any passion or expiation All his sorrowes and sufferings were voluntarily under-gone onely for our sakes and sinnes Had not the pretious hearts-blood of the only deare naturall eternall Sonne of God been poured out as water upon the ground where at the whole Creation was astonished the Earth trembled and shooke her Rocks clave asunder her Graves opened the Heavens with-drew their light as not daring to behold this sad and fearefull spectacle never had the soule of any sonne or daughter of Adam been saved It was not the glory and treasures of the whole Earth not any streaming sacrifices of purest Gold not the life of Men and Angels no not the power and prostration of all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth or of ten thousand Worlds besides could have prevail'd satisfied and served the turne in this Case Either the Heire of all things must die or we had all been damned Is the heart then of any Mourner in Zion heavy and ready to breake for sorrow because hee hath lost the light of Gods face feeling of his love and consolations of grace So that the darknesse of his Spirit thereupon frights him with re-possession of his pardoned sinnes temptations to despaire and feares lest hee bee forsaken O then let him hie and have speedy recourse unto this heavenly Cordiall when our Lord and our Love felt the curse of our sinnes and his Fathers hottest wrath comming upon him in the Garden without any outward violence at all onely out of the paine of his owne thoughts bled thorow the flesh and skinne not some faint deaw but even solid drops of blood and afterwards in the bitternesse of his soule cried out upon the crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee And none of all this for himselfe For no staine at all did cleave to his sacred soule But all this the least of which wee can no more expresse then wee could undergoe for thy sake and salvation alone who loves our Lord Iesus Christ in syncerity And therefore ground upon it as upon the surest Rocke even in the height of thy heavie-heartednesse and depth of a spirituall desertion that those depths of sorrow whereof our conceits can finde no bottome thorow which hee waded in his bloody sweat cry upon the Crosse and painfull sufferings in soule did most certainly free thee everlastingly from the guilt venome and endlesse vengeance of all terrours of conscience Agonies of Spirit temptations to despaire and damnations of Hell The righteous Iudge of all the World will never expect or exact at the hands of any of his Creatures double paiment a double punishment Our dearest Saviour hath satisfied to the utmost with his owne blood the rigour and extremity of his Fathers Iustice in thy behalfe and therefore it is utterly impossible that thou shouldest ever finally perish Inward Afflictions and troubles of minde may for a time presse thee so sore that thou maist bee ready to sinke for 1 chastisement 2 triall 3 prevention of sinne 4 perfecting the pangs of the New-birth 5 example to others c. But in despite of the united rage and policy of all infernall Powers Thou shalt in due time be raised again by that victorious and triumphant hand which bruised the Serpents head and burst the heart of Hell even out of an horrible pit bee set upon a Rocke farre above the reach of all hellish hurt or sting of horrour In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse wil I have mercy upon thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Isa. 54.8 5. There is another terrible fierie dart dipt full deep in the very rankest poyson of the infernall pit which though it bee not much talked of abroad nor taken notice of by the World yet is secretly suggested and managed with extremest malice and cruelty in the silent bosomes of Gods blessed Ones The most holy hearts are many times most haunted with this foulest fiend Strangers to the wayes of God bee not much troubled in this kinde nor ordinarily vexed with such horrours Satan as I said before makes as much of his in this World as hee can possibly knowing that hee hath time enough even eternity to torment them in the World to come And therefore hee is not woont to weld this terrifying weapon against them save only at some dead lift or upon some speciall advantage as under some extraordinary misery or in excesse of melancholy to drive them thereby to distraction selfe-destruction or despaire Or it may bee God may suffer him to afflict thus hideously some grievous sinner which hee is
hee was upon the earth called thy blessed Lord and Saviour Divell See Matth. 10.25 Ioh. 7.20 which passeth all I am perswaded that any drunken Belial ever yet fastned upon thee Contemne thou therefore for ever and trample upon with an humble and triumphant patience all their contumelies and contempts Passe-by nobly without touch or trouble without wound or passion the utmost malice of the most scurrill tongue the basest gibe of the impurest Drunkard Doth the World carnall men thine owne friends ormall Teachers suppose and censure thee to be a dissembler in thy Profession and will needes concurrently and confidently yet falsely fasten upon thee the imputation of hypocrisie An heavy charge Yet for all this Let thy truly-humble heart conscious to it selfe of it's owne syncerity in holy services like a strong pillar of brasse beate backe all their impoysoned arrowes of malice and mistake this way without any dejection or discouragement Onely take occasion hereby to search more thorowly and walke more warily Iob may bee a right noble patterne to thee in this point also He had against him not onely the Divell his enemy pushing at him with his poysoned weapons but even his owne friends scourging him with their tongues His owne wife a thorne pricking him in the eye yea his owne God running upon him like a Gyaâ—â— and his terrours setting themselves in aray against himâ— Powerfull motives to make him suspect himselfe of former halting and hollow-heartednesse in the wayes of God yet notwithstanding his good and honest heart having been long before acquainted with and knit unto his God â—â— truth makes him breake out boldly and resolutely protest Till I die I will not remove my integrity from mee My righteousnesse I hold fast and will not let it goe Chap. 27.5.6 Behold my Witnesse is in Heaven and my record is on high Cap. 16.19 Art thou a loving and tender-hearted mother unto thy children and hast thou lost the dearest The greatest outward crosse I confesse that ever the sonnes and daughters of Adam tasted and goeth nearest to the heart Yet thy sorrow is not singular but out-gone in this also For the blessed Mother of Christ stood by and saw her owne onely deare innocent sonne the Lord of life most cruelly and villanously murdred upon the Crosse before her eyes Ioh. 19.25 Hast thou lost thy goods or children Doth thy wife that lies in thy bosome set her selfe against thee Doe thy nearest friends charge thee falsely Art thou pained extremely from top to toe Doe the Arrowes of the Almighty sticke fast in thy soule Thy affliction is grievous enough if thou taste any of these severally But doe they all in greatest extremity concurre upon thee at once Hast thou lost all thy children and all thy goods Doth thy wife afflict thy afflictions c. If this bee not thy Case and rufull condition thou commest yet short of Iob a most just man and one of Gods dearest Iewels 4. The exceeding greatnesse and pretiousnesse of the promises In every one of which it is incredible to consider what abundant matter of unspeake-able and glorious joy lies wâ—rpâ— up Oh how sweet are they to a thirsty soule in the â—â—me of angvish and trouble They are like a cloud of raine that commeth in the time of a drought They are very glimpses of Heaven shed into a heart many times as darke as hell They are even rockes of eternity upon which every bruised reed may sweetly repose with impregnable safety A truly humbled spirit relishing spirituall things would not exchange any one of them for all the riches and sweetnesse of both the Indies Tell me deare heart thou that in thy unregenerate time though now happily changed lay soaking in sinnes of cruelty and blood whether that mercifull promise Isai. 1.18 Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord Though your sinnes bee as skâ—rlet they shall bee as white as snow though they bee red like crimson they shall bee as wooll bee not farre dearer unto thee then thousands of gold and silver Or thou who formerly pollutedst thy selfe villanously with such secret execrable lusts which now thou canst not remember without horrour tell mee if it were utterable by the Tongue of man with what dearest sweetnesse and blessed peace thy broken heart was bound up and revived when thou cast thine eye considerately and beleevingly upon that pretious place Ezech. 36.25 I will sprinkle water upon you and you shall bee cleane and from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you c. There was beyond the Seas as my Author reports Christian Matrone of excellent parts and piety who langvishing long under the horrible pressure of most furious and fiery temptations wofully at length yeelded to despaire and attempted the destruction of her selfe After often and curious seeking occasion for that bloody fact at last having first put off her apparrell threw her self head-long from an high Promontory into the Sea But having received no hurt by her fall shee was there by a Miracle and extraordinary mercy strangely preserved for the space of two houres at the least though all the while shee laboured industriously to destroy her selfe Afterward drawne out with much adoe and recovered shee yet still did conflict with that extremest desperate horrour almost a whole yeere But by Gods good providence which sweetly and wisely ordereth all things listening on a time though very unwillingly at first to her husband reading amongst other places that Isa. 57.15 Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones For I will not contend for ever neither will I bee alwaies wroth for the spirit should faile before mee and the soules which I have made I say listening to these words the Holy Ghost drawing her heart shee begun to reason thus within her selfe God doth here promise to revive and comfort the heart of the contrite and spirit of the humble and that hee will not contend for ever neither bâ— alwayes wroth But I have a very contrite heart and a spirit humbled 〈◊〉 to the dust one of the acknowledgement and sense of my sinnes and divine vengeance against them Therefore peradventure God will vouchsafe to revive and comfort my heart and spirit and not contend with 〈◊〉 for ever nor bee wroth against mee still c. Hereupon by little and little there flowed by Gods blessing into her darke and heavy heart abundance of life lightsomnesse spirituall strength and assurance In which she continued with constancy and comfort many a yeere after crowned those happy dayes and a blessed old age with a glorious and triumphant death and went to Heaven in the yeere 1595. What heart now but Hers that felt it can possibly conceive the depth of that extraordinary un-utterable