heart trow you after that his sinne to heare the enumeration of Gods many fauours and benefits towards him mentioned by Nathan to him 2 Sam. 12 7 8. as in the person of God Enough of it selfe to wring from Dauid's gaulled and grieued heart a confession with teares I haue sinned against the Lord. Answ. True it is we haue no sweeter nor stronger tyes to serue and obey God then his benefites towards vs which as they are moe in numâ—er as he that hath fewest hath so many more then euer hee deserued or more excellent in their nature So when at any time wee sinne against this our liberall Benefactour all those benefits stand vp as witnesses against vs vpbrayding vs with extreme ingratitude and vnkindnesse as in the former example of Dauid And consequently in the Soules humiliation for sin Gods benefits comming into remembrance doe so accumulate and heape themselues vpon the Soule that as Tarpeia T. Liuius Lib. 1. the Romane Damosell was pressed to death with those Iewels cast vpon her which the Sabines wore on their left armes the price contracted for betraying to them the Capitoll of Rome shee is now pressed downe beyond all measure That speech Et tu Brute vttered by Caesar to Brutus might haue beene a sharper Dart to pierce Brutus his vnkind heart then his Poinado was to stabbe Caesar. When Ioseph was tempted by his wanton Mistrisse to folly with her Gen. 39 he answers her what obligations of fidelity his Master had layd vpon him in that he had intrusted him with all his goods taking no account of him and should hee not bee faithfull not to violate that one Iewell which alone hee had reserued to himselfe So that if Gods many benefits he hath trusted vs withall if the liberall allowance of all the Trees in the Garden will not cannot as they should restraine vs from the one and onely forbidden fruit of sinne as certainly they would Gen. 2â— if wee tooke but heed in any temptation to set Gods innumerable and inestimable blessings towards vs before our eyes which would make vs say as Ioseph How shall I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God But alas wee are too forgetfull Surely then if we doe sinne all the other Trees in the Garden will be readie to fall vpon vs and presse vs downe not affording vs so much as their shaddow to hide vs if possible from the wrath of Gods angry countenance Math. 9. much lesse to refresh vs therewith Yet in the midst of the presse of Gods benefits wherewith the Soule is now oppressed Faith with her finger touching vpon and pointing vnto that euerliuing Fountaine of the grace and mercie of God in Christ formerly experienced finds cure for the issue of the bleeding Conscience euen then when it seemes to be quite spent and cast behind Christ. So that I say not Math. 16 23. that to the afflicted Conscience the memorie of Gods temporall benefits will bring comfort no nor simply of those Spirituall mercies on our Soules formerly felt sith all of them may iustly vpbraid vs for our vngratious vsing of them But least the Soule in this conflict of the apprehension of Gods wrath deserued should bee swallowed vp her readie way is to haue recourse to the stabilitie of Gods loue mercie and grace in Christ towards vs which hauing once and often formerly felt and inioyed we may recollect our Faith and rest assured that wayting with patience a while the Cloud will passe ouer and the Sun-shine of Gods fauour will returne vpon vs. And thus wee may reckon Gods promises and our spirituall experiences of his mercies as two preseruatiues more Onely this must bee remembred withall that the more experience we haue had of Gods fauours the more it ought to driue vs to a greater measure of repentance which will follow fitly here as a fourth Preseruatiue The fourth preseruatiue then of the Conscience from perishing vnder the apprehension of Gods wrath 2 Cor. 7.10 is godly sorrow so called 1. because it is a spirituall grace gift of God 2. because as it commeth from God so it goeth tendeth vnto and endeth in God sorrowing not so much that his iustice is prouoked as his mercy abused and his glory prophaned by our sinnes Herein it is opposite to worldly sorrow which as it springeth from a guilty conscience conuicted by the euidence of Gods law reflected vpon it So it respecteth onely the worldly estate of a man that he may still inioy the same and preuent temporall iudgements 1 King 21. This worldly sorrow was in wicked Ahab and so may bee in all Reprobates But the godly sorrow is so farre from regarding the punishment deserued that if the godly Penitent had it put to his choyce hee would rather suffer the very torments of hell then to haue committed the least sin against God This is true godly sorrow which chusing rather to dye the death and to fry in hell then to sinne against God hereby it becomes a strong antidote against despaire For what power can euen the flames of hell fire haue ouer that soule which is so drenched in the flood of this godly sorrow one drop whereof that poore Diues had not to coole his tongue So that to despise hell torments in comparison of sinne this giues a Supersede as to Despaire and seales to the penitent soule a Quietus est from all feares For how shall he now be any whit appalled with the apprehension of Gods wrath that willingly would rather suffer his wrath in hell 2 Cor. 11 31. Filiusi staroum â—aâ—hrymaruÌ„ perire non potest as Ambrose comforted Monica Augst mother weeping that he was a Manicheâ— then by sin incurre it on earth Thus iudging ourselues wee shall not be iudged Impossible it is that a sonne of this sorrow should perish Had that seuentimes heated furnace any power at all somuch as to scinge the outer garments of those three noble Confessors while they preferred the suffering in that flame before they would once bow to the Tyrants Idol such a conflict is godly sorrow Againe as godly sorrow looks primarily to Gods glorie so secondarily it reflects vpon the soules speciall good namely saluation For godly sorrow worketh repentance vnto saluation not to bee repented of 2 Cor. 7.10 But as for any temporall end or corporall benefit or the sauing of this present life godly sorrow takes the least care The difference in this point betweene godly and worldly sorrow is liuely set forth in those two Theeues crucified with Christ which two Theeues on each hand of Christ were a Type of all mankind of the Elect on Christs right hand and of the Reprobate on the left All were Theeues in Adam's fall And to redeeme effectually all his Elect Christ is numbred crucified with for Theeues Now the one of these Theeues belieuing confessing Christ vpon the Crosse what was the thing he aymed at His temporall life A
the height of my holy calling the deeper I must bee plunged in the verie gulfe of griefe and humiliation for the same Considering that as great a Sacrifice was offered for the Priest's sinne alone Leui. 4.3 14. as for the whole Congregation though each sinned alike in the same kind Dauid Salomon Peter all smarted for their sinne And who would buy sinne at so deare a rate as they payd for it But yet they found mercie and fauour at Gods hand This was their comfort And their example is my comfort also For why should any man beholding such examples of Gods super-abundant mercy in pardoning sinnes of highest nature hee hauing sinned not by the patronage of their example but by the imprudence of his own impotent passions Why say I should any man out of a comfortlesse deiection shut himselfe out from all hope of Gods mercie as an abiect or out-cast and not rather with the hand of Faith and repentance which neuer knew how to be repulsed knocke at that gate of Grace which so easily was opened to them yea which of its owne accord more readily then that yron gate did to Peter will open to euerie faithfull penitent sinner Yea for this cause for our sakes are those examples written and left as euerlasting monuments that no Adulterer no Idolater no denyer of Christ should despaire of mercie vpon repentance And though these examples are written for all yet are they most proper for Gods Ministers when they are humbled for any sinne or offence against God or his people least the checke of their holy calling might altogether amate them and leaue them comfortlesse and so expose them as a prey to the Destroyer But blessed be God who hath prouided such Treacle made of the Mummy of his dead Saints to cure his liuing ones of the Serpents mortall Sting Yet the while I ascribe no more to these examples but as excellent adiuuants to faith it being the principall instrument whereby the Soule in her deepest thirst as with a bucket drawes the waters of comfort out of the Wells of Saluation the head Fountaine whereof is Christ. In this Poole of Bethesda in this Fountaine set open for Israel whosoeuer are washed are cured of all their maladies So that if the Adulteresse had neuer an example of a penitent Mary Magdalen Acts. nor the Abiurer of Christ a penitent Peter nor the Coniurer of those penitent Magitians nor the Persecuter of Christ in his Members of a penitent Paul nor the Idolater of a penitent Salomon or Manasses nor the Sacrilegious person of a penitent Achan If an Extortioner or cunning Cauiller had neuer an example of a penitent Zacheus making restitution nor a whole sinfull State of a penitent Niniueh nor the cowardly or sleepie Minister of a penitent Ionah nor the Theefe of that penitent on the Crosse Yet if all all kind of sinners looke but vpon Christ with the eye of sauing Faith vpon him they shall find all their iniquities layd all their burthens borne all their debts discharged all their bills cancelled all their stripes healled Those stung with the fiery flying Serpents some more Num. 21. some lesse all mortally some in the head some in the feet some in the eies some in the hands some in the brest or else-where yet all that looked on the brazen Serpent liued So all sinners stung by the old fierie flying Serpent some after one manner or measure some after another but all mortally the least sting of sinne wounding to death whether it bee in the eye of lust or in the feet of affections or in the hand of action or in the head of inuention or in the brest of conception or the like none liue but such as with the eye of a liuing Faith look vpon Christ Ioh. 3.14 15. lifted vp vpon the Pole of his Crosse. There thou mayest see all thy sinnes nayled all punished in thy Sauiour no lim of his body was free no one facultie of his Soule vntormented to satisfie and heale all thy wounds which sinne hath made in any member of thy body in any facultie of thy Soule or in all together Yet I say out of the super-abundancie of Gods care that no meanes should be wanting vnto his Saints to preserue them from perishing it hath pleased him to leaue vnto vs the most notable examples of his mercie to his dearest and greatest of his Saints offending for the help of our weake Faith in Christ that no temptation no not sin it selfe armed with all the power of Hell should be able to pull vs out of his hand The seuenth Preseruatiue to comfort the Conscience in the apprehension of Gods wrath for sinne is the exercise of outward afflictions which falling vpon Gods Child after his sinne committed they are the tokens of our heauenly Fathers loue who leaueth vs not to our selues to follow our follies but mercifully chastizeth vs to our betterment So the Lord saith If my Children forsake my Law Psal. 89. and walke not in my Iudgments c. Then will I visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquitie with stripes Neuerthelesse my louing kindnesse will I not vtterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile Lo heere a speciall marke of Gods fatherly loue to his Children in correcting them with his Rod. Thus God dealt with Dauid when after hee had pardoned his sinne yet he spares not to lay load of afflictions vpon him Supplicia peccatoruÌ„ post remissioneÌ„ certamina esse exercitationesque iâ—storum Aug de Peccat mer. remiss li. â— c. 33 Not that afflictions are penall satisfactions for sinne but paternall corrections and medicinall applycations and exemplarie instructions and admonitions euen to warne the vngodly also For if God spare not his owne Child How shall the rebellious Seruant escape Yet out of this eater came meat out of this strong and bitter came sweetnesse vnto Dauid's Soule Psa. 23. For he saith Thy rod and thy staffe comfort mee as well the rod of thy correction as the staffe of supportation and protection comfort me Hast thou sinned then and doth God by and by not deferre to correct thee Be so farre from imputing this to the anger of God towards thee as rather hence gather assurance that this affliction is from the verie bowels of a louing and wise Father who will not pamper thee in thy childish folly but will humble thee to doe thee good at thy later end that thou mayst glorifie him in that quiet fruit of righteousnesse which affliction bringeth forth in all those who are his true-bred Children Aug. de serbis Domini ser. 37. Magnae misericordiae est nequitiae impunitatem non relinquere ne cogatur in extremo Gehennae damnare modò flagello dignatur castigare It is Gods great mercie not to leaue sinne vnpunished and that hee vouchsafeth now to chastise with the whip that hee may not bee compelled to condemne in the extremitie of
polluted lips had no heart to prophecie to others before the Seraphim had touched his lips with a coale from the Altar saying Lo this hath touched thy lips and thine iniquitie is taken away and thy sinne purged Whereupon Esay now can say Here I am send me Esa. 6.7 So that a Ministers peace with God giues him comfort and courage to preach to others that grace and mercie whereof himselfe hath had particular experience As Paul saith For this cause I obtained mercie 1 Tim. 1.16 that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering for a patterne to them which should hereafter belieue on him to life euerlasting But on the contrarie I see not with what confidence or courage a Minister can stand in the presence of God and in the face of his Congregation either to instruct others in righteousnesse which himselfe followeth not or to reproue them of sinne whereof himselfe repenteth not Famous is that example of Origen Centur. 3. cap. 10 who for his offering of Incense to the Idoll being excommunicated from the Church of Alexandria and comming to Ierusalem and there intreated yea and in a manner inforced to preach vnto them hee going vp to the Pulpit as if hee would preach recited those words in the Psalm But to the wicked saith God what hast thou to doe to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldst take my Couenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee Hee no sooner had read these words but closing the Booke fell into a sad and bitter weeping and that so abundantly that as a stream it carried the affections of the whole assembly with it to weepe for companie and that out of a fellow-feeling of those compunctions of heart which so stopped his mouth and opened the flood-gates of repentance for his late sacrificing to the Idol and for other his errours whereinto he was said to fall after that his fall Such an insupportable burden is sinne vnrepented vpon a Ministers Conscience that till by the mercie of God hee be well lightened of it vneath he shall beare the Lords burthen vnto the people But vpon his humble repentance being at peace with God and hauing obtained the comfort of his Spirit and the assistance of his grace to settle him in the state of a good Conscience and of a holy life hereupon he becomes imboldened to preach of mercy to others whereof himselfe hath so plentifully tasted and wherby sinners may be conuerted vnto God Thirdly The Minister as hee hath offended his Flocke any way iustly he must labour to make them satisfaction And this stand sin foure things especially First In dubbling his labour and diligence in the faithfull discharge of his Ministry that what he hath formerly lost by any kind of neglect either in life or Doctrine hee may endeuour to regaine Secondly In labouring so much the more to set forth himselfe as a patterne of a true belieuer in faith in patience and other vertues wherby the calling not onely of a Christian but of a Minister and Pastour of Gods people is adorned So that the constant example of his carriage and course for the time to come may be as a mouth to signifie to all his exceeding humiliation and sorrow for his sinnes past his hatred and detestation of all sinne in himselfe and others and his earnest care and purpose of hart expressed in his practise vtterly to abandon and auoid the like and all sinne for the time to come setting himselfe with all boldnesse to reproue sinne in others which now they may behold so hatefull to himselfe turning also his people that setting themselues to speedie repentance they need not to doubt of Gods mercie towards them seeing that the sinne of their Pastour was not denyed it Thirdly To be continually exercised in feruent prayer for his people that from henceforth they may reape infinitely more profite by his Ministry and example of life then formerly they haue receiued hurt by any his neglect or occasion This will be a meanes through Gods speciall blessing cooperating to reconcile and reunite the peoples hearts to their Pastour and to cause all things to succeed happily betweene them Lastly He must practise the Spirit of meekenesse towards the weake labouring to restore such considering his owne selfe who hath beene and lest hee may be yet tempted And to bee patient towards all that if he meet with any vnkind affronts or closse biting malicious frumpes hee either answer not at all remembring that God hath layd that burthen vpon him or else lest the malicious may thus being let goe perish in his sinne hee is to admonish him either priuatly or if occasion require publickly before all the companie so as they may learne to feare God lest they turne the fall of their brother through weakenesse now repented now recouered into their own presumptuous ruine irrecouerable But neuer to retort or returne rebuke for rebuke euen as Dauid would shew no reuenge vpon cursing cursed Shimei hoping God would doe him good for his cursing that day and knowing that God would not hold Shimei guiltlesse but without repentance without peace bring him to the graue as it befell Shimei Thus may the afflicted and humbled Conscience of Gods Minister bee through Gods grace and mercie inabled in some good mâ—asure to beare vp against such winds and waues of tryall and in time to ouercome them Although when he hath done his best and suffered much yet hee must make account neuer to bee quit of his paine altogether till death but as a hurt or bruise in the body in youth it will become an ach and symptome of old age accompanying him to his graue As Dauid in his old age complaines of the aches of those sinnes in his youth still sticking in his bones when hee said Psa 7. Remember not the sinnes of my youth c. So that he must conclude and resolue with Hezechiah Esa 15. I shall goe softly all my yeeres in the bitternesse of my Soule And say with Dauid My sorrow is continually before me And euer to make this vse of his former sinnes euen to bee humbled in his best graces and most beautifull actions and prouoked to aspire to all perfection therin not fearing now to be proud who hath such cause to be humbled CHAP. V. The third Conflict arising from the Sacred societie of the Ministry offended IT was no small griefe to the Spouse when she said My Mothers children were angry with me Cant. 1.6 and 5.7 And againe The Watchmen that went about the Citie found me they smote me they wounded me the Keepers of the Walls tooke away my vaile from me The least offence giuen by a Minister if it shall be taken to heart of the whole Sacred fraternitie and made theirs when the Delinquent considereth it what a torment is it to his Conscience when hee shall now see their countenances auerse full of high indignation and
will goe cut his own throat because his Master against his will cut his finger Fourthly Why should better taught Christians bee like those vntaught Lystrians who either Idolatrously will sacrifice to the Apostles or hearing them professing to be men of like passions with them in the turning of a hand stone them Yet if no remedie Let him that is without sinne cast the first stone Fifthly For the common Aduersarie of all grace nothing will stop his Serpentine two forked tongue If a Minister bee altogether blamelesse hee heares A Puritan But if in the least casuall errour obnoxious Worse then a Publican Lastly It is the glorie of the Gospell to make the least sinnes vile in the eyes of the true Professours thereof to the confusion of Babel with all her Crimsin Criminall Capitall yet Veniall yea Meritorious Meretricious Sinnes And it shall euer bee the glorie of the Ministers of the Gospell as an euidence of true grace in their hearts when they shall with a meeke yet magnanimous Spirit bee able to digâ—st the sower hearbes of malicious exprobrations cast in their dish by the profane Aduersarie and to answer them as Dauid did mocking Micol with a noble resolution I will yet bee more vile then thus will be base in mine owne sight In a word if any shall beare himselfe bigge vpon such instances as this of a man made nothing in his owne eyes thinking to purchase some opinion of sanctitie to blaunch his monstrous lurking lusts by how much his mouth shall vent the more venemous Censures against it let such learne of the Heathen Poet Qui ne tuberibus proprijs offendat amicum Postulat ignoscat verrucis illius aequum est Poscentem veniam peccatis reddere rursus Who would bee glad not to offend With his swolne bunches his deare friend His warts must pardon This is iust Who pardon craues hee pardon must But why stand we thus to answer euerie Obiecter Let this Booke answer for all Read it And if it will not satisfie thee Yet I hope it will aboundanâ—ly satisfie him for whom it is specially written Yet one obiection more is That in these loosse and licentious times it had beene more necessary to reach men the way to repentance humiliation for sinne then how to find comfort being humbled For most men though neuer so sinnefull are apt enough to lay hold on Gods mercie which yet neuer trod the way of true repentance thinking it sufficient as the Thiefe that trusts to his Neck-verse if at the verie end of the Race they can worke force in but one foote and with a Peccaui crowd in at Heauen Gate For such Ben-onies most will bee to assume the name of Sonnes of Sorrow but not before the giuing vp of the Mothers ghost that bare them As the Phenix is not bred but of the dead ashes of the Damme Most men being as loth to see their sinne dye as Hagar her bond sonne How many Iudasses will neuer repent confesse restore but with the Halter in their hands Or at the best as the Aramites going with Halters about their Hypocriticall neckes to the King of Israel to flatter God for a pardon The Vsurer builds no Hospitals relieues no poore till he dy nor many times then choosing rather to dye then make his Will Balaam will but dye the death of the righteous as loth to forgoe his wages of vnrighteousnesse while hee liueth Hee that liues a Theef would dye a Martyr though wee read but of one that did so Dicique beaâ—us Ante obituÌ„ nemo in the worst sense Euerie one would be happy but not till death In this regard then it had beene more requisite to show men their folly in deferring their repentance till either sinne or sicknesse haue made them senselesse of their sinnes or in putting off the payment of their debts till the score grow greater and greater and they lesse able to pay turning at length quite Banckrupts That so repenting in time they may enter in at the Gate of Mercie before it be quite shut vp with an I know you not Depart yee workers of iniquitie Answ. This obiection I confesse is of some moment Too many alas are readie with Ioab flying to lay hold on the Hornes of the Altar when yet they haue not made their peace with King Salomon the King of peace But in case any inordinate liuer shall be brought to a sight and sense of his sin while hee is yet meat-whole as we say here he may by Gods grace find comfort And as for that other taske to teach men the way to repentance others haue bestowed profitable pains therein and especially of late a learned and reuerend Predecessour of mine M. Mason in his Tribunall of Conscience Wherein for the point of moralitie in the examination of a mans life he hath taken worthy paynes Onely I could wish if his leasure did serue that hee would bee pleased to add thereunto a Rule how to examine a mans Errours in point of Faith and of the sound knowledge of the Mystery of Christ. For where this foundation of sound and sauing knowledge is not rightly layd in the heart as the foundation whatsoeuer repentance a man goes about to frame or erect it either falleth as built on the Sand or vanisheth away in an ayerie imagination For the purpose How can a man that either is ignorant of the grace of Christ of the Gospell of God and of the nature of sauing Faith or else is arrogant in the singularitie of his owne opinion wherein he ouerturneth the whole foundation of Grace euer come to true repentance for his sinne For true repentance is a speciall gift of Grace It is an immediate fruit of sauing Faith illuminating and sanctifying the heart and whole man and God giues this grace to no malicious enemie of Grace but to such as hauing receiued it are thankefull for it as a gift of Gods free grace in Christ flowing from the Fountaine of Gods eternall loue in electing vs in Christ before the World was So that it may seeme a worthy worke and necessarie if any for the aduersaries of grace swelling to a great height in these last times as if they would bring another Deluge vpon the Earth to show the way how such may come if it be possible to the acknowledgement of the Truth to repentance and amendment of their Errours and Sins that they may be saued Onely it is a question whether their Errours vphold them in their Lusts especially Ambition and Loue of the World or these their Lusts hold them fast in their Errours But I will not ouer bouldly presse this Taske vpon any it being both touchy and tedious In the meane time if any shall reape either Consolation or Instruction by this poore Worke to the furtherance of their Saluation and the aduâ—ncement of the glory of him who set me on worke it is the Fruit of all my Labour and I reioyce therein yea and I will reioyce THe Proeme
against despaire it selfe I should vtterly haue fainted vnlesse I had belieued to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the Liuing Obiect But how can a man both belieue and doubt at the same instant about the same thing Answ. There is in the Regenerate the Old man doubting and the New man belieuing It is against the propertie of Faith to doubt Doubting comes of the Flesh and belieuing of the Spirit and these two are contrarie one to the other they fight one against the other in one Soule as Iacob and Esau in one Wombe So that euen then when the Soule is like to bee ouer-borne with the tempest of carnall distrust the seed of Faith by a secret and insensible working for the present being fast rooted and riuetted into Christ as the Ankor in the Rocke or the Tree-root in the firme ground preserues it from either wracke or wind-fall Thus Dauid comforts and cheeres vp his deiected Soule Psal. 43· Why art thou cast downe O my soule And why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet prayse him who is the health of my countenance and my God Againe Faith hath two strong supporters to stay it from fainting The first is the promises of God the second experience of former feelings of mercie First Gods promise is the proper obiect and pillar of hope This promise is not a word of course but a word of Gods solemne Couenant a word not transient but permanent a word written in a more lasting monument then Lead and Stone Yea this promise is confirmed with Gods Hebr. 6.17 Oath and ratified with his Seale with the Priuie Rom. 8.16 Seale of his Spirit in euerie faithfull mans heart and with the Broad Seales his two Rom. 4. Sacraments This promise of God in Christ for saluation Faith * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est veraefidei Chrys. Gen. 13. Ser. 35. appropriates to the belieuers own selfe concluding Faithfull is he who hath promised who will also doe it And as Satan on the one side is busie to buzze into a mans head places of Scriptures by him peruerted and mis-applyed so Faith on the other side opposes against him the sweet promises of God Math. 11 28. as Come vnto me all ye that are wearie and laden and I will refresh you I came not to call the righteous Math. 9.13 but sinners to repentance Nor doe these promises belong onely to those who haue not yet beene effectually called but to those who after their effectuall calling haue through humane infirmitie fallen into some sinne As children 1 Ioh. 2.1 I write vnto you that you sinne not And if any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the Propitiation for our sinnes These and the like promises of God Faith laying hold vpon are like the hand of Christ reached out to sinking Peter staying the Soule from perishing in the Floods of Spirituall perturbations Ps. 119.92 and ve 49.50 Except thy Law saith afflicted Dauid had beene my delight I should then haue perished in mine affliction By Law there hee meaneth the Gospel with the promises of it For else Gal. the Law causeth wrath and can minister no consolation to the wounded Conscience but onely sends the Patient to the good Physitian Christ. It is one of Sâ—tans vsuall stratagemâ— to hide Gods promises all hee can from Gods child in time of Spirituall temptation and to present him Qui statuit aliquid parte inaâ—dita altera Aequum licet statuerit haud â—quus fuit Senec and wholly take him vp with Iudgements thereby to driue him to despaire Therefore as a Iudge that heareth one partiâ— and reserueth neuer an eare for the aduerse partiâ— must needs bee vniust yea although hee haply pronounce right iudgement So the sinfull Soule looking altogether vpon the iudgement of God and reseruing neuer an eye to looke vpon his mercie and promise is like to proceed vniustly against himselfe though therby hee pull vpon his Soule a iust condemnation But to preuent this It stands not with the condition of the Children of the Promise the blessed Seed Rom. 9.8 23. those Vessels of mercie which God hath afore ordained vnto glorie that in them he might make knowne the riches of his glorie verse 22. It stands not I say with their condition to bee as the vessels of wrath swallowed vp of wrath being selfe-fitted to destruction But in the Children of the Promise mercie shall triumph against iudgement when Faith in Gods promises of life shall ouercome all difficulties The second pillar and prop of Faith in the Soules fainting is experience of former fruition of mercie This was Dauids practise Ps. 77. I haue considered the dayes of old c. I call to remembrance my Song in the night Thus in his distresse hee cals to mind what sweetnesse and comfort hee found formerly in God by those familiar Soliloquies which his Soule did sing vnto God by night in the gratefull remembrance of his benefits And Psalme 143 complaining My spirit is ouerwhelmed within me my heart within me is desolate Yet he comforts himselfe with the meditation and memorie of Gods former gratious dealing towards him verse 4 5. And Psalme 27 he euen challengeth God vpon formâ—r mercies verse 9. saying Hide not thy face from me put not thy seruant away in anger Thou hast beene my helpe leaue me not neither forsake me oh God of my saluation Thus vpon this experience Dauid gathers such assurance that though his Father and Mother forsake him And can a Mother forget forsake her sonne yet though shee should bee so vnnaturall yet saith God I will not forsake thee yet saith Douid Euen then the Lord taketh me vp So that for the Conscience afflicted to recollect the experiments of former mercies which the Soule once sweetly inioyed is a solid ground of comfort whereon to cast the Anchor of Hope in a present storme yea and the secure Harbour also wherein to repose her selfe in a setled assurance of Gods loue for the time to come and for euer And the reason is Whom God loueth once in Christ hee euer loueth The gifts and calling of God are without repentance His blessing vpon his Children is like that of Isaac vpon Iacob I haue blessed him and he shall be blessed Balaam told Balack that there was no reuersing of Gods blessing on his people God is not as man Num. 23.1920 that he should lye or repent Hath he said it and shall he not doe it Behold I haue receiued commandement to blesse and he hath blessed and I cannot reuerse it Obiect But the memorie of former mercies inioyed may serue to minister to the afflicted Soule for sinne rather matter of more griefe then of any ioy and rather to aggrauate our sinne and so our sorrow then to redintegrate or renouate our comfort What a corrosiue was it to Dauid's
subministreth to the Soule when plunged in the deepth of perplexed dolours As Dauid in that short but pithy Penitentiall Out of the deepes haue I cryed vnto thee Ps. 130.1 O Lord. Ionas prayed vnto the Lord his God out of the Fishes belly Yea Out of the belly of Hell cryed I and thou heardest my voyce And when Dauid said in his hast I am cut off from before thine eyes Neuerthelesse saith hee thou heardest the voyce of my supplycations when I cryed vnto thee Prayer is of force to bring againe the dead Child to rayse dead Lazarus euen the stinking Soule out of the Graue No place no case of calamitie Spirituall or Corporall whence Prayer may not procure deliuerance Onely out of Hell is no deliuerance Why They pray not there to God In the Parable Diues prayed but to Abraham to a Saint not to God enough to cause his prayer to be reiected as not worth a drop of cold water A good example for all such Clyents as inuocate Saints for their Aduocates A practise learned from Diues in Hell but which findeth neither Precept nor Promise in the Scriptures and so can hope for no better successe Now among the many admirable vses and effects of prayer two are of singular note the first that prayer is a most effectuall antidote to preuent the committing of sinne What neede I speake of the infinite experiments my selfe haue found in this kinde Let euery child of God but take notice of his owne proofes herein For my part how many forcible temptations prouocations inuitations occasions to sinne haue made battery vpon this weak Fort when it hath beene ready to hang out the flagg of parle and of yeelding and onely prayer steps betweene working a suddaine strange alteration in the affections it bringeth a fresh supply of of grace fortifieth the weakest places repaireth the breaches repulseth the batteries causeth the enemy for that time to retreat I could produce strange instances in my selfe but I forbeare Nor is there any lawfull affaire of this life but if prayer haue an oare in it it makes the better way to arriue at the wished port But for the preuenting of sinne and restraining of our inordinate passions it is in a manner the onely effectuall meanes Neuer hath any temptation further preuailed but as prayer hath beene neglected I am sure this is true in mine owne experience And surely where the daily practise of prayer is not there it is no maruaile if Sathan keepe his reuels Dauid noting the many corruptions and abominations of wicked men and persecuting Tyrants hee renders the reason of all They call not vpon the Lord. Psa. 14·4 But doe not such men pray Yes they may but as the Pharisees in an outward formalitie and vnder a colour of long prayer they deuoure widdowes houses Who are more for a ceremonious and solemne formalitie of endlesse and superstitious prayers then the Church of Rome which yet the Holy Ghost styleth the great Whore Can such blind prayers be effectuall but to pull down vengeance vpon their heads which by their pompous solemnitie haue vndermined the verie ground-worke and Pillar of all true Religion and deuotion the preaching of the Word now turned into Masse and Matins But no maruaile if the Seuen-branched golden Candlesticke be there remoued and turned into an Idoll-Altar where the verie * Prayer in an vnknowne tongue Light of Deuotion is quite put out and the Oyle dryed vp The second principall vse of Prayer is after a man hath beene ouertaken with a temptation in any degree tending at least to the actuall committing of sinne and to the fulfilling of it in the lust thereof to rayse vp the humbled Conscience to a hopefull expectation to a constant affiance and in fine to a comfortable fruition of Gods mercie We see what strong cryes Dauid all along the most peerelesse patterne of practick pietie in this kind lifted vp when his soule was cast downe for his sinne as all his Penitentials but specially the 51 doe witnesse And surely had not the sinne-burthened Soule accesse to the Throne of Grace and Mercie by the meanes of Prayer what hope were there But Prayer is like Noah's Doue which returning brings the poore sinner tidings that the Deluge of Gods wrath is asswaged and in token thereof presents him with the Oliue-branch of peace and reconciliation Or as when God is on his March against vs with his great Army of terrible Iudgements Prayer is the Herald sent to make an humble treaty for truce And therefore in all Spirituall conflicts there is no dutie which Satan goes about more to diuert from or disturbe in then this of Prayer Yea he is readie to present a man with and to foist in a thousand by-occasions or cogiâ—ations either about our profits or pleasures thereby to diuert the Soule from praier perswading a man he may doe that as well another time as now And it is more then proaable that Dauid was thus carried away when for almost a yeeres space that sinne of his in the matter of Vriah and Bathshabe lay as a charmed Serpent sleeping in his bosome vnrepented of till Nathan came and by his Riddle vncharmed it and so rowsed him from his Lethargie Obiect But did not Dauid all that while exercise the dutie of Prayer Had he not at least the Arke in his Court and there his morning and euening Sacrifices of Prayer Answ. No doubt But it is likely hee contented himselfe with the publike solemn Seruice and Sacrifice of Prayer neglecting in the meane time his more intimous and priuate deuotion wherein hee should haue more punctually humbled his Soule cast himselfe downe naked in Gods presence and made speciall supplication for the pardon of his sinne and so haue demeaned himselfe in his holy wrastling with God in secret as he could not doe in publike with any decorum or without beeing censured by men of indiscretion or folly As Hannah for her zeallous prayer was thought of Eli to haue beene drunke or madde Or at leastwise not intermitting his times of priuate prayer yet hee remitted of that feruour and zeale of that extraordinarie sorrow and teares requisite for obtaining the pardon of such a sinne Or if among other his sinnes hee bewayled this sinne yet hee went not to the quicke hee searched not the wound to the bottome His repentance as yet was but an ordinarie and euerie-day-repentance whereas his extraordinarie sin required an extraordinarie sorrow Hee might also the while pray for mercie and pardon but not so effectually and heartily for such a measure of mercie as his sinne required And the reason that his repentance and consequently his praier for pardon at the best was not yet so sound as it ought which was the cause that as yet he found not that comfortable fruition of Gods fauour and mercie as afterwards vpon his more serious repentance was his want of due consideration in waighing the horriblenesse and hugenesse of his sinne For
his sinnes are lesse then they be that so hee may neuer come soundly to repent of them or else when the sinner begins to be humbled and to be ouer-shooes in sorrow the diuell is ready to push him ouer boots yea to plunge him ouer head and cars he presents him with a false glasse wherein he beholds his sinnes beyond all measure monstrous and aboue all example But herein he lyeth There is no sinne incident to the condition of Gods childe wherein some of Gods dearest Saints haue not gone before whereof ye haue examples of highest nature of sundry kinds For we speake not here of diabolicall sinne committed with a high hand and such for which a man finds no place for repentance as prophane Esau or Iudas or those Pharisees and high Priests which sinned against the holy Ghost Heb. 12.9 But we speake of the sinnes incident to Gods Saints which for the outward act are not inferiour to the greatest sinnes of reprobates but they differ mainely in the inward affection Iudas for loue of mony betraid his Master Peter for feare of his life denied him both repented but the halter sent Iudas to his place mercy receiued Peter to his Apostleship Ahab committed murther for a field Dauid for a wife both repented But as their hearts mainly differed in the committing of sin so in their repentance so that Dauid vpon his harty repentance obtained remission of his sinne but with temporall iudgements to his further humiliation saluation Ahab vpon his hypocriticall repentance obtained an intermission or adiournment of temporall punishment to his vtter condemnation and perdition For Ahab as all such reprobates committed sinne with his whole heart but repented by halfes Dauid as the Regenerate on the contrary they sinne by halfes but repent with their whole heart For the reprobate is all flesh all the old man but the regenerate is diuided betweene the old man and the new It is no more I that sinne saith Paul in the person of the regenerate but sinne that dwelleth in me In the reprobate in the seruice of sinne the flesh is wholly taken vp but in spirituall duties it is altogether lame and vntoward as the fish out of his element But in the regenerate it is the flesh onely that sinneth but the spirit only that repenteth And though we cannot so sensibly discerne this difference of sinne by the outward act suffice it that God who seeth not as man seeth clearely beholdeth to put a maine difference betweene the sinnes of the one and of the other to giue repentance or to deny pardon Now to bring this downe to euery mans heart In what degrees of men shall we finde a waightier instance then among the Ministers of the Gospell who are persons of highest note of holiest calling and such as if they sinne against the Lord as Eli said to his sonnes the Priests who shall intreat for them 1 Sam. 2.25 Yet God forbid that such hauing sinned should despaire Non itaque c. as one in Saint Augustine saith Although the Priest haue sinned hee ought not therefore to despaire De vera falsa paenit lib. cap. 5. iâ— the 4. tom of S Aug. morkâ—s notwithstanding it be written who shall intreat for him Tota namque Ecclesia c. For the whole Church and some other Priest and the whole order of the Saints shall pray for him and Christ himselfe who offereth himselfe to God for vs Sed ideo considerandum c. But therfore a Priest must be heedfull least he easily fall whose sinne is noted to be the more grieuous Dicat apud se c. Let him say with himselfe If the people empty of the word of God shal offend I must beare part of the burthen I dare not lay heauy loads vpon them and not moue them with mine owne finger But if I sinne what shall I doe I shall not so easily escape I must bewaile my misery For I am of a higher condition then the people vnder me Sic Sacerdos timeat peccare sed magis timeat desperare So the Priest let him both feare to sinne but much more feare to despaire So that of all examples the Ministers sinne is most dangerous and difficultest to be pardoned either of God or man Now because I cannot be so bold with any to make instances of as with my selfe being a Minister of the Gospell what though my hart cannot check me of committing the like actuall sinne of Adultery as Dauid or of fornicaâ—ion as Salomon and blessed be God whose onely grace and not any godnesse or power in my selfe hath preserued me from committing any such sinne actually so much as once in all my life Or much lesse of Murther or of abiuration of the Lord â—esus Christ my mercifull Redeemer Or least of all of any habttuall raigning affections as couetousnesse ambition and the like Yet being sensible of â—y many corruptions sundry â—â—berations in life absurd and wicked follies which might be veniall in others but become mortall in me as being such which haue brought a wound not onely to my Soule before God but to my good name in the world insomuch as neither the world can bee otherwise perswaded of me but that I am a sonne of Belial some prophane hypocrite loose person or the like nor yet mine owne conscience can be otherwise satisfied but that the least degree of sinne in me may stand in comparison with the greatest enormities that euer any of Gods children haue of frailty fallen into What shall I doe in this case whether shall I turne mee when I may sit mee downe in sad solitarinesse and thus debate deplore my forlorne estate What such a one as I commit the least folly A Minister of Christ was â—uer any so absurd euer any of Gods Prophets or Priestes or Apostles or Ministers I meane not traiterous Iudasses or couetous Demasses or ambitious Dioâ—repheses or adulterous Hophnies and Phineasses or such like which continuing in their sinnes vnrepented vnreformed haue nothing of the sacred calling but the bare name what comfort can these examples minister to a faithfull Minister ouertaken with any fault whereas themselues perished in their sins But I meane the better the best sort Yes I finde Dauid committed adulterie Murther yet a holy Prophet and repented and was receiued to mercie Salomon had many Concubines many Idoll-gods yet a holy Type of Christ and repented and was receiued to mercie Peter denyed forswore his Master Christ yet a holy Apostle and repented and was receiued to mercie What then Haue my sinnes euer-topped theirs that I should despaire of their mercie Or is my person or calling holyer or higher then theirs that it should so aggrauate a lesse sinne in mee as to make it equiualent or transcendent to theirs Farre bee it Beeing so then here is comfort for me Onely this account I must make withall that the higher reckoning my least sinne amounts vnto beeing racked vp to the highest pin by