to breed spirituall pride in them As namely that being now pluckt out of the common condemnation and separated from the world and wicked ones by their effectuall calling may not the Saints vpon pretence to keepe themselues vnspotted and vndefiled grow to singularitie and so to separation which are very dangerous branches of spirituall pride 3. The execution also of their callings is subiect to much spirituall pride Either they may neglect altogether their ciuill callings as too base and derogatorie from the prouidence of God and their Christian libertie which is a fruit of spirituall pride Eccl. 1.9 seeing the Lord hath imposed these callings to humble them Or else they may so carry themselues in their Christian callings as by their morositie discontent c. they shall not obscurely discouer much spirituall pride 4. The speciall prouidence of the Almightie in leading them to perfection and disposing of his graces diuersly may also through the subtiltie of Satan bee an occasion of much spirituall pride And that 1. Either in regarde of such chastisements which the Lord exerciseth their nature to clense the same in the impatient bearing whereof pride is discouered 2. Or else the prosperitie of the wicked may bee an occasion of spirituall pride as being prouoked by Satan to fret and repine thereat Psal 37.1 Ierem. 12. Iob. 1. 3. Either the fals of others may giue occasion of this pride as prouoking them to the iudging of their brethren and condemning their estates 4. Or the more eminent graces which the Lord bestowes on other may prouoke to enuy and discontent and so discouer pride yea may further occasion a condemnation of themselues as if because we are short of others therefore they are nothing therefore they may doubt of their estates or else 5. This abasing of themselues in comparison of others may tend to affect commendation from others and so bewray this inward Pride 6. Or they may rest in themselues on the sense of their encreasings and so robbing God of his glory shall discouer their pride 7. Or they may bee puffed vp with this that they are low in their owne eyes can despise the world can endure afflictions can reprooue sinne c. 8. Either they may be puffed vp with those wonderfull deliuerances which the Lord in his mercie bestoweth on them in their conduction to glory 2. Cor. 1. ver 9 10. 2. Cor. 12.7 9. Or else they may reioyce at the destruction of their enemies and so be tainted with spirituall pride Iob 31. 10. Either they may be hastie in expecting the reward and so for want of patience discouer spirituall pride Heb. 10. 11. Or else desire death in regard of their continual troubles and so discouer their pride in not wayting the Lords leysure Iob. 3. Ionas 4. 12. Either they may be crossed in their expectations and so preferring their credits before Gods glory bewray their pryde Ionas 4.1.2 13. Or else beyond their hope and expectation they may be endued with extraordinary graces and so are subiect to be exalted aboue measure 2. Cor. 12.7 8. Thus may the Saints bee subiect to spirituall pride and so thereby giue occasion of the losse of their first loue 1. The Lord resisting the proud and bringing low the mountaines emptying the high minded and giuing grace to the humble 1. Pet. 5.5 Or iudging others they are left to iudge themselues Matth. 25. Ephes 4.30 2. Their pride making them secure vncharitable and so not vsing their talents they are for a time taken away 3. The Spirit hereby being grieued ceaseth to worke in them nay happily leaues them to grieuous buffetings Therefore to preuent this tentation and ouercome the same 1. Consider wee whence wee came and if wee did iustly strip our selues of all if we conferred nothing to the attayning of grace but rather were our greatest enemies in wishing the same shall we now be thankfull for the least shall wee not bee humbled in the greatest what haue wee which wee haue not receiued 2. Lay we to heart how we entertaine the graces of God at the best vnprofitable generally colde and carelesse defiling the worke by juncture of our corruptions 3. And yea ouerthrowing the worke by our confidence therein our reioycing and boasting thereof and may we not feare that this dead Fly will corrupt the most pretious oyntment that if we robbe God of his glory he will depriue vs of the comfort either wee loose our labour for the present or shal be stripped of Gods graces that we may labour no longer Hath not Lunacie bene an effect of this sort of sinne in many bountifully endowed Is not barrennesse a common plague hereof in the ordinary Christian 4. Obserue wee the Prouidence of God in the diuerse dispensation of his blessings though hee giue to some more yet is not the least sufficient if it bee in trueth and is it not then in trueth being lodged by a lowly spirit is not the greater measure bestowed on others ours also for vse is it not vsefull for vs to prouoke to perfection is it not auailable to humble vs in our lesser measure to submit our spirits to the spirit of the Prophets to send vs dayly to the tents of the shepheards is it not a meanes to nourish loue doth it not submit vs to the will of our heauenly Father to depend more vpon his mercy to craue his assistance more earnestly to submit to afflictions to hasten after perfection in a better life 5. Discerne wee wisely the prouidence of God in leading vs to perfection and this also will bee a gratious meanes to preuent spirituall pride for seeing the Lord shewes his power in weakenesse that hee may haue the glory seeing he brings light out of darkenes to confound all reioycing in the flesh working out of our very sinnes a way of encrease by humbling vs thereby in our selues and causing vs to deny our own righteousnesse and still sending vs vnto Christ to bee renued by his grace haue we any cause to be proud of our sinnes to rejoyce in our confusion can wee deny our selues truely if wee haue confidence in the flesh can we be enabled in Christ vnlesse wee bee wholly emptied in our selues and seeing affliction followeth sinners and our sinne in Gods justice eternall death If now the Lord shall not only take away the sting of our Troubles but make them comfortable pils to purge our Corruption is not his power wonderfull to bring light out of darkenesse is not his mercy peerelesse that he only may haue the glory shall we be proud of afflictions that are the punishments of sinne at least no way likely of themselues to raise such good vnto vs. And say the Lord should deliuer vs out of greater tribulations seeing yet the sinne remaines with vs may wee not feare that though wee bee made whole yet a worse thing may befall vs are not new afflictions dayly to bee expected and is there here any time to behold the
A FAMILIAR TREATISE laying downe CASES OF CONSCIENCE Furthering to perseuerance in SANCTIFICATION By Thomas Cooper preacher of Gods word Printed at London by Iohn Beale for William Welby and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Swan in Paules Church-yard 1615. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL MY HARTIE Wel-willers the Ladie Rumney Mr. Springham Mr. Slany Mr. Parkhust Mr. Clarke Mr. Vincent Mr. Mosley and Mr. Th aire and the rest of my Christian auditors and louing neighbors grace mercie and peace from God the Father through Iesus Christ our Lord bee multiplied RIght worshipfull and dearely beloued in the Lord Iesus It is the mercie of the Lord that wee are not vtterly consumed because his compassions faile not Hath not our long prosperitie hardened our hearts and lulled vs in securitie And when we say peace and safety may not a sudden destruction come vpon vs as the trauaile vpon a woman with childe and we shall not escape Doe not our impudent and desperate sinnes daily call downe for vengeance against vs in that we put the euill day farre from vs that wee may still approach to the seat of iniquity hardning our hearts yet more and more that we cannot repent And is not the enuious man busie to sow tares now wee are asleepe Are not our aduersaries watchfull and dil gent in their malicious and bloody practises against the Church of God practising daylie the ouerthrow thereof will any thing serue their turne but to roote cut and destroy and are we generally any better then such trees as are able to bee hewen downe and cast into the fire Hath this vnprofitable fig-tree for all this dressing and fencing for all this lopping and donging yet brought forth fruit worthie of repentance Surely though we should neuer so much stand vpon our iustification with Saul that wee haue fulfilled the Commandements of the Lord that we are an holy people the Lord shall finde no iniquity in vs c. yet the bleating of the sheepe and lowing of the oxen the sparing of Agag and reseruing of his offals is a notorious euidence to conuince our hypocrisie And therefore though we flatter our selues with Agag that the bitternesse of death is past because happilie the Lord in great patience hath yet waited vpon vs and put off many desperate blowes that might haue light heauilie vpon vs yet certainly when hee sees a conuenient time he will execute vengeance and wound the hairie scalpe of all those that goe on in their wickednesse And is not this a speciall euidence that we goe on in our sinnes and intend not repentance because we either hate to be reformed and haue cast the word behinde our backes or els heape vp teachers according to our own lusts which may prophecie of new wine and strong drinke to morrow shall be as to day or much more aboundant And is it not a fearefull argument of the wrath of God readie to seaze vpon vs in that wee haue chosen and embraced the world that thirsts after our blood and haue cast out that sword which should stand in the gappe to turne away the vengeance What then is the reason that we are not vtterly consumed that our aduersaries the Papists haue not had their desire Surely they shall not say where is now our God because they shal not blaspheme that great glorious Name of our God which is called vpon of vs And therfore not vnto vs oh Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy Name giue the glory euen for thy truth righteousnes sake Thogh we are not worthy of the least of Gods mercies thogh we haue deserued to be ouerwhelmed with all his plagues yet the Lord is worthy of all praise and glory and therefore he hath deliuered vs that we might glorifie him and shall not the Iudge of al the world do right wil he punish the righteous with the wicked must not Lot be taken out of Sodom before the vengeance be inflicted shall not euen one be a means to spare the Citie for his sake Behold here another ground of the patience of God euen the holy seed that yet remaines the Lord hath a litle flocke which is as deare vnto him as the apple of his eye this hath hee chosen it vnto him in Iesus Christ before the foundations of the world were laid This he hath made glorious through his beautie which he hath set vpon it this he hath promised to bee with vs to the end of the world can any thing be against vs if the lord be with vs shall not he make our enemies our footstool shal not the lord tread Satan vnder our feet blessed be God in Iesus Christ that hath made bare his mighty army in the sight acknowledgment of our enemies Did not the papists once acknowledge that God was become a lutheran do they not feel to this day that he that keeps Israel doth neither slūber nor sleep hath not our God watched ouer vs when wee haue slept in security hath not hee foght for vs when our carnal weapōs haue bin confounded hath he not got himself the glory of al our deliuerāces that so we might at length giue him the glory of his free mercies that so we might not be afraid of any euill tidings that still we might feare and depart from euil while the wicked rage are careles surely howsoeuer the pit is digged for the wicked and the consumption decreed shall passe ouer to the confounding of hypocrites howsoeuer sinner in Sion shal be afraid and feare shall take hold of the hypocrits when Gods wrath approcheth yet shall the vpright heart then lift vp their heads because their saluation draweth neere The purging of the Church of hypocrites shal be the preparing thereof to greater glorie and safetie and the anointed of the Lord shall gaine more honour and securitie when the Lord Iesus shal be more aduanced vpon his holy hill of Sion And are not our enemies hastening hereunto hath not the patience of policie enraged them more and more and doth not their wickednesse so breake out that it can no longer be endured Is it not time together with the safety of our soules to prouide also for the securitie of our liues and states Blessed bee the Lord for the vigilance and courage of the state Oh blessed bee our God for his watchfulnesse ouer vs were not all our building and watching else in vaine And is it not then more then time to keepe our God waking by our prayers and teares Is it not his time to awake out of securitie that so we may make our peace with God that he may stil for his glory preserue the peace of his Churches that he may still preuent and confound the enemies of his Church And could I now hold my peace in this day of good tydings when the Lord hath euen againe giuen vs our liues for a prey and pluckt vs as a prey out of the teeth of the deuourer Haue I not vowed
as before they were fierie rash indiscreet c. Vse 2. Of instruction how to increase Meanes of Apostasie 1. Corrupt iudgement Secondly here is instruction and that first we must labour to increase and grow constant in godlinesse and that by these meanes 1. By auoyding the meanes of Apostasie which are 1. Corruption of iudgement and that First concerning Holinesse 1. We may be too holy 2. That our forefathers were saued with lesse and therefore what need we striue for more 3. That wee haue beene too forward already and therefore it is now wisedome to abate to be more indifferent 4. Or measure the worship of God by prosperitie 5. That seeing we cannot be perfect therefore it is in vaine to labour thereto 6. That there is no time past to serue God If wee can doe it on our death beds it will serue the turne 7. That the best and freest seruice of God is to make no bones of sin because this is true peace of Conscience liberty this argues the abolishing of sinne by his death to commit it greedily without remorse 8. That wee may serue God and the world too Luke 16. 9. That lesse will serue the turne because many doe lesse and we hope are saued Acts 14. 10. That Gods mercie doth more abound in our failings Rom. 6.1 11. That we need not to be so perfect seeing Christ hath finished all for vs seeing Christ hath therefore perfited all things that we might grow to perfection Heb. 12.1 2. Iohn 15. 12. That the seruice of God is a matter of indifferencie if we doeit it is well but if we faile God will be mercifull Secondly Wee must take heed of corrupt iudgement concerning Apostasie And that on the right hand As that 1. Decay in former zeale and measure of sanctification is not Apostasie but rather a reedifying of former rashnesse and ignorance by spirituall wisedome teaching vs more moderation and humility not to presume aboue others to maintaine society and peace by returning rather vnto others then to be so strict as to bring them vnto vs. 2. That it is Apostasie to admit any change of iudgment seeing we know but in part and so are subiect vnto error and therefore we may be and are often deceiued and therefore must change our opinions and this change is not a decay but rather meanes to increase in godlinesse 3. Thar it is Apostasie to differ in iudgement and so in practise from a Church otherwise truely grounded and established seeing the Lord giues not to all a like measure of light neither to all at one time what is necessary And therefore either we may not yet see what is fit and so are not to bee condemned Apostates for what wee know not And can wee consent with good conscience to what we know not or else it may please God to let vs see more then happily is discerned or will be acknowledged Rom. 14. for what Church is without it imperfections And shall we shut our eyes against any light that shineth ought wee not to practize as we are conuinced and being conuerted ought wee not to strengthen the brethren ought wee not to grow vp to perfect holinesse And therefore seeing we forsake not the society for it imperfections but rather walke therewith in the common light and if we differ from it wherein it is short of perfection do we not hereby let it see it imperfection and so by our wise difference lead it to perfection and shall wee then be accounted reuolters from the Church Especially if Bethel become to be Bethauen if in the beginning it was not so if Ephesus haue forsaken her first loue If the faithfull Citie whose faith was once published through the world bee now become an harlot shall wee bee condemned as Apostates from that cursed Synagogue which is so fallen away from it former purity Ought wee not rather to prouoke her to doe the first workes and if shee will not hearken shall wee not still protest against her shall wee now measure our selues by her crooken lines that so being partaker with her in her sinnes wee may bee partaker with her in her plagues But of this more hereafter Secondly Wee must auoyde corrupt iudgement on the left hand concerning Apostasit As 1. That euery fayling in Religion euery breach of Gods holy will is properly Apostasie for then the best must be Apostates all will bee subiest hereunto Because though euery sinne yea the least makes way for Apostasie if we lie therein without repentance and fall to excuse and allow our selues therein yet by the mercy of God the Saints recouer and so their faylings by the speciall indulgence of the Almighty are meanes of their more sound and speedy proceeding in the worke of grace 2. And therefore farre bee it from vs to conclude That any the most grieuous sinne in the Elect is Apostasie That is such as excludes all hope and meanes of repentance seeing though in it selfe it deserue that God should vtterly forsake vs and so giue vs vp vtterly to forsake him and fall away from him yet because God is our father and wil not reward vs after our sins nor deale with vs after our iniquities but howsoeuer he forsake vs for a while leauing vs to these corruptions yea to be chastened for them yet in wrath hee remembers mercy sanctifying these corrections to bring vs to repentance by opening our eyes to see our sin and humbling vs with the sense of them hereby that so wee might deny our selues and hunger after mercy in Christ Iesus Doeth hee not now returne vnto vs in great compassions enabling vs by faith to lay holde vpon Christ in him to apprehend the pardon of former sinne through him to obtaine grace to preuent future sinnes and so to walke more humbly and constantly with our God and so by him to perfect the worke which he hath begun in vs. A second meanes of Apostasie is Corrupt practize 2. Corrupt practize And that on the left hand 1. When either wee liue by examples of the greatest 2. Or by the louer of the word of God Matth. 5. 3. Or by the streame of the time 4. Or onely by the lawes of men 5. Or follow the most in religion Secondly On the right hand 1. When we grow spiritually proud of well doing 2. Or grow to singularitie and so to forsake the fellowshippe vpon pretence of their corruptions that wee may not bee defiled with them Esay 65.5.6 Hebr. 10.23 3. Or affect curious and vnnecessarie knowledge to puffe vp and not to edifie 1. Cor. 8.2 4. Or studie onely to know making no conscience to practize as we know 2. Col. 4. 5. Or stand more vpon trifles and circumstance then many matters 6. Or serue God onely so farre as we gaine thereby auoyding afflictions as hinderances thereto 7. Or pretending because of afflictions that either now we haue no leasure or else it is in vaine or too late to serue him 8. Or
before we are healed And do not our great sinnes require a sharpe corrasiue can we be brought to sound repentance till we be cast out of our selues and but by a sentence of death euen by the terrors of hell must we not haue some sence of what we haue deserued that so we may by repentance auoide the vengeance to come And may it not now so fall out that the Lord will not heare our prayers because we regard iniquity in our hand shall Israel preuaile while the excommunicate thing remaines Are we fit for the comfort and ioy of Gods fauour so long as our sinne stands before him to grieue his spirit must he not goe vnto his place that we may seeke him diligently 8 God knoweth what is fittest for vs and he doth what is best for our present condition to bring vs to repentance And therefore in stead of complaining on God that he hath done vs wrong herein let vs in the name of God complaine against our selues What is it which he could haue done which he hath not done vnto vs And what haue not we done against him which we should not doe how haue we not in all things requited him euill for good And therefore in stead of desiring comfort let vs search and trie our hearts how we haue offended our gratious God let vs iudge our selues that we may not be iudged of him so shall we take Satans office out of his hands in accusing of our selues 9 The way to preuent satans accusation is to accuse and iudge our selues so shall we stop his mouth and confound his malice and making hereby our way vnto the throne of grace we shall find the blood of Iesus to speake better things for vs then the blod of Abel first to wash vs thorowly from our sinnes and then to minister ioy and gladnes vnto our soules 10 That we are not the greatest sinners For our further comfort herein because when we are about this practise of iudging of our selues and the Lord by this inward rod drawes vs thereto It is now Satans policie to keepe vs in these distractions and so to sucke vs in despaire by perswadings that our case herein is singular Either none are so grieuous sinners as we are or else none so deeply plunged in this extremity as our selues Therefore learne we this to resist his fiery darts First though we should be the greatest of all sinners yet shall the mercy of God appeare the greater in pardoning so grieuous a sinner more glory shall redound to his name in being so incomparably mercifull more loue is due from so great a sinner more care to please so bountifull a Father Secondly it will not appeare that we are greater sinners then any so long as we feele our sinnes and desire to be eased of them seeing these two things make vp the measure of sinne Who is the greatest sinner either not to feele sinne at all by reason of hardnesse of heart and the conscience being past seeking or else to despise and reiect the remedy against sinne though we haue some sense thereof either through Pride that we need it not or through despaire that we thinke it will doe no good Thirdly though we are not the greatest sinners in comparison of others 11 It is not vnprofitable to commence our selues to be the greatest sinner yet shall it not be amisse to comence our selues to be such partly because we know our owne estate best and not others and therefore in this respect we may esteem our case more hainous then any other and partly because we are more enflamed with the loue of Christ and so in the abundance of his loue doe discerne our vnworthinesse and corruptions more and more in our selues That so still we may more deny our selues and labour to be found in Christ not hauing our owne righteousnesse ought we not in charity to thinke others better then our selues may we not hope the best of the worst because the Lord may recouer them And is there any outwardly so vile but that our hearts tell vs we find far more fearfull corruptions within vs then possibly we can challenge others by that which appeareth outwardly and shall not our charity to others call vs more into our selues that so we may more narrowly search our owne hearts more iudge our selues that we may not be iudged of the world shall not the sence of our vilenesse make vs more compassionate vnto others that so the Lord may haue compassion on vs And can we be too vile in our eies that so we may hunger more earnestly after the mercy of God And therefore though others may be greater sinners then we yet is it wisedome for vs to feele our selues to be the greatest that so there may be no place left for going further on the score that we may now thinke it sufficient that we haue spent the time past yea too much that we haue already so prouoked our God that we may not differ our repentance any longer that the meanes of God may not be reiected of vs. If we wisely consider the policy of satan herein howsoeuer he lay to vs that we are the greatest of all sinners yet hereby he intends to plunge vs deeper in sinne to driue vs to despaire that so we may despise mercy so depriue our selues of the possibility of it And therefore to admit wee were the greatest sinners though we feele our selues to be in worse case then any this shall be a meanes to be more emptied in our selues the more to faint after the mercy of God in Christ Iesus Nay is it not satans policie by perswading vs that we are of all sinners the chiefe if he cannot plunge vs in despaire yet to make vs secure and carelesse We know the worst and therefore let vs make no bones of sinne let vs not trouble our selues with any such reckoning Gods mercies are greater Christ merit is sufficient doe we what we can Gods purpose can not be altered Thus doth satan play vpon the left hand and on right now vrging to despaire because neuer any so bad as we then prouoking to presumption be we neuer so bad And doth not our wise and gracious God bring light of this darknesse that because we are so vile therefore we not presume any further It is the wonder of Gods loue to tender grace to so great sinners and shal be the glory of our father to giue hope to such castawayes it shall be our greater comfort that he accepts such forlorne wretches It shall be our greater care now to redeeme the time and to labour more abundantly in more powerfull obedience to testifie againe our loue to so exceeding bountifull a Sauiour And shall we then doubt that our God will againe receiue vs into fauour who hath so freely loued vs being his enemies And therefore To this end call to mind former mercies Be we wise now to call to mind the dayes of