Christ being vtterly lost in regard of himselfe Luk. 9.10 and withall heartily to desire yea to hunger and thirst after reconciliation with God in the merite of Christ and that aboue all other things in the world is not onely a beginning of grace but euen grace it selfe by which we may be assured of our adoption and saluation This was in Paul Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death Euen as Iacob when as he and his family were pinched with famine was glad to send and to goe into Egypt for food to releeue him and his so will those that are spiritually hungrie and thirstie be at any paines and breake through any difficulties for the satisfying and refreshing of their fainting soules This desire of grace I say is not only the beginning of grace for how can we desire it till in some measure it bee wrought in vs but also our desire of grace as of faith and repentance are the graces themselues which wee desire of God who accepteth the wil for the deed where there is no power or habilitie to doe the deede and our affections for the actions according to that wee haue not according to that we haue not 2. Cor. 8.12 And therefore if we earnestly desire to repent and beleeue it is accepted in Gods sight 2. Cor. 8.12 So then our hungring desire after grace is not onely to be made partakers of Gods mercies and Christs merits and righteousnesse by which we are iustified reconciled to god and receiue the pardon of our sinnes but also our desire is after the meanes and instrumentall causes whereby the assurance of Gods mercie and Christs merits is deriued vnto vs namely true faith and after vnfained repentance and the rest of the graces of Gods sanctifying spirit This desire in the Scriptures is resembled to hunger and thirst Psal 42.1 Isa 51.1 Psal 143.6 Psal 63.1 noteth two things vnto vs First a sense of our want and secondly an appetite or earnest desire to be satisfied and haue our want supplied And in these spirituall things first we feel the want of Gods graces Christs righteousnesse and then we earnestly desire that we may be filled and satisfied therewith So that to hunger and thirst after the grace of God and righteousnes of Christ and to be wearie and heauie laden Math. 11.28 are much alike and both are blessed of the Lord for as those that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse are blessed because that they shal be satisfied Matth. 5.6 so they are blessed who are weary heauy laden with the burden of their sins for such Christ calleth vnto him and hath promised to ease them that is to giue vnto them the remission of their sinnes and to release them of this burthen by taking it vpon his owne shoulders Further to this earnest desire of grace the Lord hath made the like gracious promises which he hath to those who do find themselues plentifully endued with the graces themselues Luk. 1.53 And calleth vnto him such as thus hunger and thirst promising that he wil satisfie them Ioh. 7.37 Apoc. 21.6 Cap. 22.17 Lastly whosouer findeth and feeleth this desire in himselfe ioyned with a carefull and continuall vse of the meanes of saluation whereby his desire may be satisfied he may assure himselfe that the Lord who hath wrought in him the will to desire will also in his good time work in him the graces which he so earnestly desires Psal 145.19 he will fullfill the desire of them that feare him c. And therefore if in the middest of our afflictions and greuious temptations we can cry out with Dauid Psal 38.9 Lord I powred out my whole desire before thee we may be assured how miserable soeuer we are in out owne sense and feeling that we are in the state of grace and shal haue our desires satisfied Phil. 16. yea whosoeuer hungreth and thirsteth after the grace of God and righteousnesse of Christ whosoeuer is wearie and heauy laden that is whosoeuer hath a true sense and feeling of his sinnes and is vexed and grieued with the burden thereof and with all his heart desireth to bee cased of his load though he thinke himselfe in a most miserable estate yet if hee come vnto Christ and with blind Bartimeus crie out O Son of Dauid haue mercie on me I may answer him as it was said vnto this blind man Be of good comfort for Christ calleth thee Mark 10.46 47. and if Christ calleth vs he will giue vs to drinke of the water of life whereof whosoeuer drinketh shall neuer bee more a thirst Ioh. 4.14 but it shall be in him a well of water springing vp vnto euerlasting life When Dauid would perswade God to bring him againe to the assemblie of the Saints where he might enioy the meanes of comfort and saluation he vseth this as a forcible argument Psal 42.2 My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God Psal 48.2 My soule longeth yea and fainteth for the Courts of the Lord. As none are bidden guests to feast with Christ but such as haue thirstie soules Isa 55.1 so euerie one that thirsteth come ye to the waters Apo. 22.17 Let him that is a thirst come so none else haue any promise of speeding well if they should come for thus goeth the promise Isa 43.3 I wil powre waters vpon the thirstie and floods vpon the drie ground Ioh. 7.37.38 If any man thirst let him come vnto me and drinke So then if wee once come with a longing heart that doth as it were gape and enlarge it selfe to take in the raine of grace as the drie ground doth to receiue the showers that fall vpon it through we be neuer so thirstie we shall be fully satisfied 1. Pet. 2.2 As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word of God that you may grow thereby that is if you be as sharp set for the food of your soules as little children are for their mothers milke you shall get inward growth of grace thereby and still increase in the inward man as children do in the outward and finde a progresse in grace as they doe in nature Now to the end we may haue this spirituall appetite let vs vse all good means for the obtaining of it which are as followeth First for as much as sinne doth annoy our stomake and kill our appetite wee must put away the practise of it and the allowance of all infirmities both great and small This wee are taught 1. Pet. 2.12 Wherefore laying aside all maliciousnes and all guile and dissimulation and enuie and euill speaking as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word of God c. Whence obserue how we are required to put a way a bitter and enuious minde against our brethren a dessembling heart towards God and not to suffer our euill affections to break forth into euill
faith by the author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 To this effect maketh excellently that worthie speach of Christ Matth. 11.12 saying that the violent take the kingdom of heauen by force that is the true Israelites though they endure bitter conflicts yet by faith hold fast God apprehēded in his word and through the same faith and patience obtaine the promises Heb. 6.12 To conclude therefore we are not to build our assurance vpon our owne sense and feeling but vpon Gods vnchangable and gratious promises made vnto vs in Christ Iesus And if at any time our sense and feeling telleth one thing that is that God hath withdrawen his loue from vs Ps 77.7.8.9 and forsaken vs Esa 54.7 and the word of God assure vs of an other thing that is that God will neuer forsake vs Heb. 13.5 but continue his loue vnto vs vnto the end Esa 49.8 wee are not to trust our owne feeling but vnto Gods promise for otherwise what doe wee else but preferre our deceiuing sense before Gods infallible truth and make God a lier because we beleeue not the truth of his written promise 1. Ioh. 5.10 After that we haue attained to faith and haue felt some effectuall working of Gods spirit in vs commonly in many of Gods children succeede not long after some deadnes and dulnes and they think in themselues that they haue lost the spirit of God as we haue before shewed Here we are to search the cause whether it be for some sinne committed or for some present duty not practised for leauing and neglecting the meanes of our saluation or for for some sinne not repented of or for not vsing the meanes of saluation vprightly To which purpose the Lord commandeth vs to take knowledge of our sinnes Ier. 3.13 and to remember from whence we are fallen Apoc. 2.5 The meanes to attaine to a sight of sinne is a diligent examination of a mans own selfe Lament 3.40 and Dauid giueth the same counsell to Sauls courtiers Psal 4.4 examine your hearts This examination must be made principally by the law of God and namely by the ten Commandements which ransaketh the heart to the very quick Rom. 3.20 for by the law commeth the knowledge of sin this was the meanes of Pauls better knowledge of himselfe Rom. 7.7 I knew not sinne but by the law And as this comparing the life with the law of God made the vnbeleeuer 1. Cor. 14.24.25 to fall downe on his face and to worship God and the Psalmist being a man after Gods owne heart to say Psal 130.3 if thou O Lord straitly markest iniquities who shall stand and therefore to begge of God saying Psal 143.2 O Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall none that liue be iustified So will it be the meanes to worke in vs a sight of our sin and to repent of the same as we haue example Acts. 2.37 who vpon Peters sermon being pricked in their hearts said Men and brethren what shal we doe To whom Peter prescribed the remedie ver 38. requiring them to amend their liues Thus by his repentance did Dauid recouer Psal 52.5 and thus Peter recouered weeping bitterly after the Lord looked vpon him Luk. 22.61.62 for if we repent God will forgiue Ier. 18.8 who after he hath spoyled vs will heale vs and hauing wounded vs will bind vs vp Heb. 6.1 for he came to seeke and to saue that which was lost Luc. 19.10 and he came not to call the righteous but the sinners vnto repentance Math. 9.13 to whom he promiseth ease and comfort Cap. 11.28 To him therfore let vs pray and say Hos 14.3 Take away all iniquity and receiue vs graciously so will we render the calues of our lippes Another remedie to recouer and stay vs in this distresse that we sinke not into the gulfe of destruction is in calling to our remembrance the times past in which we haue enioyed the loue mercie and goodnes of God and in which we in token of thankfullnes haue glorified God by a iust holy and sober conuersation Dauid being grieuously afflicted could not receiue in his soule any true comfort Psal 77.3.4 for howsoeuer he did thinke vpon the Lord yet he was still troubled what helpe did he then finde in this his present distresse he tells vs ver 5.6 that he considered the dayes of old and the yeares of auncient times he communed with his owne heart and his spirit searched diligently he remembred the workes of the Lord and his wonders of old Iob apprehending and conceuing of God as of his enemy in respect of his present sense and feeling and being moued by his freinds to doubt of his grace which he had receiued and also to condemne himselfe for an hypocrite comforteth himselfe and strengtheneth his faith in the midst of all these greiuous temptations by calling to his remembrance his fruits of faith works of sanctification which he had discerned in himselfe informer times Iob. 31.1 c. Thus we see that the faithfull feare for a time but they gather their spirits againe and recouer warm'th at the sun-shine of Gods mercies their feete were almost gone Psal 73.2 but not altogether they went into the sanctuary of the Lord ver 17. a proppe to keep them vp at length they confesse against themselues This is my infirmitie they reprooue themselues for their diffidence and howsoeuer they say in their hast that all men are liars and perhaps God himselfe not true yet by leasure they repent it and remembring Gods mercies receiue comfort Psal 119.52 The Apostle doth pithily expresse my meaning 2. Cor. 4.8 Staggering but not wholy sticking Ionah was a prisoner in a strange dungeon without light without companie without comfort in a whales belly where he accounteth himselfe as cast out of Gods sight Ion. 2.4 saying I am cast away out of thy sight but behold presently hee giueth the checke to himselfe hee recouereth in the instant when hee was in the pits mouth readie to sinke eternally and said that he would looke againe towards the Lords holy Temple This then is the fruit of beleeuing and calling to remembrance the sweete mercies of our Sauiour that in the day of sorest triall it is able to keepe vs vpright who else should fall down groueling vnto death This dulnesse and deadnes and doubtfulnesse is commonly incident vnto Gods children beeing at the same time in the estate of grace and is a part of that inbred corruption and fleshly old man which before our calling wholly possessed and ouerruled vs and after also beareth some sway in vs euen when wee are regenerate till with all other corruptions we lay this aside also by death But worldly and carnall men do neuer discerne how dull and drowsie they are in Gods seruice nor feele the huge masse of inbred corruption but fondly flatter thēselues imagining that they are in exceeding good case and verie deuout in Gods seruice which indeede as they performe it
is nothing else but the horrour of conscience apprehension of the wrath of God for the same Now godly sorrow indeed may be occasioned by our sinnes but it springs properly of the apprehension of the grace and goodnesse of God in Christ Iesus 2. Worldly sorrow is a griefe for sinne onely in respect of the punishment but godly sorrow is a liuely touch and griefe of heart for sinne because it is sin though there were no punishment for it 3. This is godly sorrowe when wee loue the man that rebuketh vs Act. 2.37 and reuerence the word the more beeing by it reprooued in our conscience but this is worldly sorrowe when we hate him that reprooueth in the gate 4. If our sorrow doe driue vs to prayer or to seeke comfort in the word of God it is good but when men to put away sorrowe will go sleepe will go play will goe sport themselues get to merry companie and passe away the time and so as they tearme it will purge and driue away the rage of melancholie neuer go to preacher neuer respect praier nor seeke comfort in the word of God this sorrow is not good To conclude S. Paul hath set downe seuen signes whereby this godly sorrow may be discerned 2. Cor. 7.10.11 which when a man doth find in himselfe he hath no doubt godly sorrow in him Signes of godly sorrowe A care to avoide euill past and not to sinne againe Ioh. 5.14 Sinne no more least a worse thing come vnto thee And this care is signified by watching and waking Apoc. 2.2.3 A confession of our sinnes to God and comdemning our selues for them Thus the prophet taught the people Hos 14.2 to say Take away all iniquitie c. and holy Daniel the man beloued of God did practise this rule Dan. 9.18.19 O God incline thine eare open thine eyes and behold c. Prou. 28.13 he that confesseth his sinnes and forsaketh them shall haue mercie A holy and inward anger against our selues for our carelesnes in looking to our owne wayes Iob. 42.6 I abhorre my selfe So when Ephraim repented this was the effect of her repentance Ier. 31.19 She smote vpon her thigh A feare not so much of Gods iudgements as least we fall into the same sinnes againe and so offend our mercifull father Psal 130.4 with thee is mercie that thou mayst be feared Pro. 28.14 blessed is the man that feareth alwaies A desire euer after to please God with all our hearts This was in Dauid Psal 119.11 I haue hid thy promise in my heart that I might not sinne against thee ver 60. I made hast and delayed not to keepe thy commandements ver 106. I haue sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements ver 5. O that my waies were directed to keepe thy statutes A zeale for Gods glorie and worship with sorrow for the defect in himselfe and others Apoc. 3.19 zeale and repentance are coupled as the cause and effect This zeale was in Dauid Psal 119.139 my zeale hath euen cōsumed me ver 135. I saw the transgressors and was greiued because they kept nor thy word ver 136. mine eyes gush out with riuers of water because they keepe not thy law A reuenge or punishing of our selues for our offences committed against God which is when we denie some things vnto our selues to free vs thereby from sin which otherwise we might vse lawfully for our comfort Thus Dauid would not drinke 1. Chro. 11.18.19 of the water of Bethelem and thus hauing offended in gluttony and drunkenesse let vs reuenge our selues by fasting and abstinence Now hast thou found these worthie fruites in thy selfe then certtainly as they said vnto Peter Math. 26.73 that his speach bewrayed him to be a Galilean so these gratious signes will assure thee that thou hast sorrowed with a godly sorrow for thy sinnes Vnto these things I may adde the iudgement of that reuerend Diuine Mr. Grenham whose speach was that the oftner sinne and the lesse greife is a note of the childe of the deuill but contrariwise the oftner sinne and the more greife is a note of the child of God If a man be not troubled for sinne here it is the way to hell if he troubled here it is the way to heauen And as they which haue not beene troubled hauing had a little ioy shall haue eternall paine so they which here haue had a little paine shall afterward haue euerlasting ioy Luk. 16.25 They that are corrected here and profited by it are afflicted of the Lord in mercie but they that be vexed and amend not receiue a token of Gods further wrath Therefore we must not looke to feele comfort in the remission of our sins vnlesse we also haue sorrow for commiting of out sinnes For neuer were any of Gods children comforted throughly but they were first humbled for their sinnes Deut. 32.39 I kill and giue life I wound and make whole saith the Lord. For shal Christ haue his heart pricked with a speare and shall not we haue ours pricked with sorrow we can neuer without the knowledge and feeling of sorrow for our sinnes heartily long for Christ In all their sacrifices of the law wherein Christ was perfigured was also manifested vnder darke signes the contrition of the heart and acknowledgement of their vnworthines Psal 4.5 Tremble and sinne not saith Dauid where he sheweth that this is an effectuall thing to true repentance to quake and tremble for feare of Gods iudgements Therefore we must feare and humble our selues because before terror and quakeing at the iudgements of God we will neuer be brought to offer our selues to Christ alone Dauid Psal 32. intituled a Psalme of instruction concerning the free remission of sinnes teacheth how we shall find the same where he sheweth vntill trouble of minde did driue him to God he found no comfort Manasses 2. Chron. 33.12.13 which did eate the bread of sorrow and drinke the water of griefe vntill he had lamented and sorrowed felt no rest nor peace in his soule This godly sorrow is well pleasing to God Psal 51.18.19 the sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a broken and contrite heart O God thou wilt not dispise Isa 66.2 To him will I looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit Matth. 9.13 I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance not euery sinner but that sinner which condemneth sinne in himselfe and is weary and laden with his sinnes Mal. 11.28 Christ preferreth the harlotts and publicanes before the Pharises Matth. 21.32 for they being pricked for their sinnes and convicted did sorrow So then Christ giueth righteousnesse to them that feele themselues sinners ease to them which are burthened light to them which are in darkenes life to them which are dead and saluation to them that condemne themselues To conclude that we may the better get this holy affection of sorrow into our hearts wee must vse all helps needfull for this purpose
spirituall fight Consider therefore the contrarie affections and actions which plainely shew themselues in this battell for we find our faith assaulted with doubting and infidelitie and these also againe beaten backe after they haue gotten some ground and subdued with the spirit of faith we discerne also our affiance in God shewed by shaken with diffidence and distrust and afterwards this distrust vanquished againe by affiance so as after we haue vttered through the violence of temptation diffident and impacient speeches yet at length we grow to Iobs resolution Iob. 13.15 Loe though he slay me yet will I trust in him We may also discerne our zeale sometime so hot in Gods seruice that it expelleth coldnes and the fruite thereof dullnes and drowzines of spirit and sometimes by them it is cooled and in outward appearance quenched The like may be said of all other fruits of the flesh and the spirit This conflict Christ noted in Peter Ioh. 21.18 when thou wast young thou girdest thy selfe and walkest whether thou wouldest but when thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thine hands and another shall gird thee and lead thee whether thou wouldest not Out of doubt Peter was lead to death willingly in the spirit but in the flesh against his wll he would and he would not dye The spirit was willing but the flesh would not for death was neuer welcome to the flesh In one and the selfe same man conuerted to God so long as he liueth here ther is the old and the new man the spirit is the new man he to be put on this to be put off Eph. 4.22.24 betweene these two there can be no peace what peace saith Iehu 2. King 9.22 so here what peace because their wills are diuerse their desires and endeauours diuerse and their purpose diuerse Here wee may insert two great conflicts 1. betweene faith and reason 2. betweene hope and despaire First this combate betweene faith and reason is touching the doctrine of the Church faith stayeth it selfe vpon Gods word but reason vpon the wisedome of the world faith beleeueth Gods promises reason respects the order of nature faith depends vpon Gods power reason regardeth the strength of nature Exod. 14.11 Hast thou brought vs to die in the wildernesse saith reason ver 13. feare ye not stand still and behold the saluation of the Lord saith faith Numb 11.21.22 Sixe hundred thousand men are there of the people among whom I am and thou saiest I will giue them flesh that they may eat a moneth long shall the sheep and the beeues be slaine for them to find them c. saith reason ver 23. is the Lords hand shortened saith faith 2. Kin. 7.3 Though the Lord would make windowes in heauen could this thing come to passe saith reason behold thou shalt see it with thine eyes saith faith The like places to this effect be these Hest 4.11.13.14 Dan. 3.14.1 Cor. 1.13.24 Secondly this combate betweene hope and despaire is most gricuous in the which the strife is for the crowne of happines after this life For the obtaining whereof hope waiteth but despaire fainteth vtterly In this conflict faith and the spirit ioyne their assistance with hope but the flesh and the conscience takes part with despaire For as despaire by the perswasion of the flesh and conscience obiecteth against hope the greatnes multitude and filthines of our sinnes so hope by the counsell and aduise of the spirit and faith obiecteth vnto despaire the greatnes and multitude of Gods mercies and the price of Christs sacrifice whereby we are purged from the filthines of our sinnes and sanctified by the spirit Psal 42.11 why art thou cast downe my soule and why art thou disquieted within me waite on God Rom. 7.24.25 O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death I thanke God through Iesus Christ c. To this effect are these testimonies Psal 77.7.8.9.10 Psal 130.3.4 Ioh. 2.4.7 Now whence doth all this opposition and contrariety proceede shal I say from the flesh nay it is against all reason for as Saint Iames disputeth Iam. 3.11 doth a fountaine send forth at one place sweet water and bitter or rather as Christ Iesus reasoneth Matth. 7.16 doe men gather grapes of thornes or figges of thistles so may I demaund can the flesh in the which as Saint Paul affirmeth Rom. 7.8 dwelleth no good thing bring forth the fruits of the spirit which are quite contrarie to the nature thereof namely sorrow for sinne hatred of it selfe and the corruptions thereof and an earnest desire of sanctification it is impossible So long as we are destitute of the spirit and a liuely faith we are wholly ouerswaied with the flesh and Sathan like a mighty Tyrant holdeth vs captiue peaceably and without any resistance There is a combate I confesse in the naturall man but it is betweene the naturall conscience and the rebellious affections which is incident to all men that haue in them any conscience or light of reason but this is the checke of conscience which all men find in themselues both good and badde so oft as they offend God But this combate whereof we speake is a fighting and a striuing of the mind will and affections with themselues whereby so far forth as they are renewed they cary the man one way and as they still remaine uncorrupt they cary him flatte contrarie So then the persons in whō this combate is to be found are the beleeuers and they onely Hieron Statim vt oues c. As soone as euer the deuill shall see his sheep to be willing to forsake his flocke he is angry and rageth esteeming that he hath lost whatsoeuer Christ hath gained Greg. Mag. Hostes noster c. Our enemie by how much the more he seeth we rebell against him by so much the more he stirreth to preuaile for he neglecteth whom he quietly possesseth Luk. 22.31 Simon Simon Sathan hath desired to winnow you as wheate Apoc. 12.17 The dragon was wrath with the woman and went and made warre with the remnant of her seed which keept the commaundements of God The blind man Ioh. 9. so long as he continued in his blindnes was neuer called in question but so soone as his eyes were opened not onely himselfe but also his parents were presently conuented The Pirates while they know the shippe to bee emptie let it quietly passe but when it returneth loaden with rich marchandise their manner is to assault it with violence So saith Chrysost in Gen. homil 31. while men are void of vertue the deuil letteth not their voyage but when grace is giuen once then he striueth to robbe vs of that grace The Apostle in the first three chapters of the Epistle to the Ephesians sheweth the misterie of our saluation and the causes thereof for the confirmation of our faith And in the next three chapters he sets downe diuers duties both generally belonging to all Christians and also particulary appertaining to