to thy hart Certaine effects whereby we may know if wee haue faith and cast thine eye on it If thou hast a desire to pray a desire to craue mercy for thy sinnes to call vpon Gods holy Name for mercy and grace if there be such a thing in thy hart as a desire to pray if thy hart be inclined and hath a thirst to seeke after mercie and grace though the greatest part of thine hart repine would drawe thee from prayer yet assuredly that desire that thou hast in any measure to praier is the true effect of the right faith If thou haue a hart to pray to GOD though this desire be but slender assure thy selfe thy soule hath life for prayer is the life of the soule and maketh thy faith liuelie And why Prayer is Gods ovvne gift it is no gift of ours for if it vvere ours it vvould bee euill but it is the best gift that euer God gaue man and so it must bee the gift of his owne holy Spirit and beeing his owne gift it must make our faith liuely Without this thou art not able nor thou darest not call vpon him in whom thou belieuest not as the Apostle saith Rom. 10.14 For if I intreat him by prayer I must trust in him Then prayer is a certaine argument of iustifying faith and beliefe in GOD for I cannot speake to him much lesse pray to him in whom I trust not And though the hart be not fully resolued and well disposed yet if there be any part of the heart that inclineth to prayer it is a sure gage that that part belieueth The second effect wherby thou shalt knowe whether faith be in thee or not is this Obserue aduise with thy selfe if thy hart can be content to renounce thy rancour to forgiue thy grudges and that freely for Gods cause Canst thou doe this And vvilt thou forgiue thy neighbour as freely as God hath forgiuen thee Assuredly this is an effect of the right spirit for Nature could neuer giue that There is nothing wherevnto Nature bendeth it selfe more then to rancour and enuy and there is nothing wherein Nature placeth her honour more greedily then in priuy reuenge Now if thy heart bee so tamed and brought downe that it will vvillinglie forgiue the iniurie for Gods cause this is the effect of the right spirit This is not my saying it is the saying of Christ himselfe in the Euangelist Math. 6.14 where hee thus speaketh If yee doe forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly Father vvill also forgiue you And in the fifteenth verse But if yee doe not forgiue men their trespasses no more will your heauenly Father forgiue you your trespasses So that Christ saith Hee that forgiueth wrongs shall haue wrongs forgiuen him but hee that will reuenge his wrongs wrong shall be reuenged vpon him Therefore as thou wouldest bee spared of thy wrongs done vnto the mightie GOD spare thou thy neighbour I will not insist examine vvhether yee haue faith or not examine it by prayer examine it by the discharge of your owne priuie grudges for if yee want these effects a hart full of rancor a hart voide of prayer is a hart faithless and meet for hell The third effect of faith is compassion Thou must bow thy hart extend thy pitty vnto the poore members of Christ his body and suffer them not to want if thou haue for except yee haue this compassion yee haue no faith Examine your selues by these three effects and if yee finde these in any measure though neuer so small you haue the right faith in your harts the faith that ye haue is true and liuely and assuredlie GOD vvill be mercifull vnto you This faith of ours Our faith must be cōtinually nourished because it is ioyned with doubting though it be liuely yet it is not perfect in this world but euery day euery houre it needeth a continuall augmentation it craueth euer to be nourished for the which increase the Apostles thēselues Luk. 17.5 said Lord increase our faith And Christ himselfe commandeth vs to pray and say Lord increase our faith I belieue Lord help my vnbeliefe Then by Christ his own commaund we plainly see that this faith needeth continually to be nourished helped and it cannot be helped but by prayer therefore should we alwaies continue in prayer That this faith should be helped and that we should be perpetually vpon our guarde in feare trembling to get it augmented the terrible doubtings the wonderfull pits of desperation into the vvhich the dearest seruants of GOD are cast doe dailie teach For the best seruaunts of GOD are exercised with terrible doubtings in their soules with wonderfull stammerings and they shal be brought at some times as appeares in their owne iudgement to the very brinke of desperation These doubtings stammerings le ts vs see that this faith of ours would be perpetually nourished and that wee haue need continually to pray for the increase of it It pleaseth the Lord at somtimes to let his seruaunts haue a sight of them-selues to cast them dovvne and to let them see how vgly sinne is It pleaseth him to let them fall into the bitternesse of sinne And to what end Not that hee will deuoure them and suffer them to be swallowed vp of destruction Though Hezekiah cryeth out That like an hungry Lyon the Lord is like to deuoure him and bruise him in pceces yet the Lord suffers him not to despaire And though Dauid cry I cannot away with this consuming fire I cannot endure the fire of the Lords Ielousie yet hee despaireth not But the Lord casteth his seruants very lowe To what end To the end that they may feele in their harts consciences what Christ suffered for them on the Crosse in soule and body Yea we would think that there had been plaine collusion betwixt the Father and the Sonne that his sufferings had been no suffering except we felt in our soules in some measure the hell vvhich hee sustained in full measure So to the end that wee might cleerly vnderstand the bitternesse of sinne that vvee might knovve how farre wee are indebted to Christ who suffered such torments for our sinnes and that vvee may be the more able to thank him and to praise his holie Name hee suffers his owne seruants to doubt but not to despaire hee forgiues their doubtings he forgiues their stammerings and in his owne time hee supports them brings vs vnto the waters of life These doubtings Doubting and faith may lodge in one soule as I haue often said may lodge in one soule with faith for doubting and faith are not directlie opposite onely faith and despayre are opposite and therefore faith and despaire cannot both lodge in one soule For despaire ouerthroweth the pillars of hope and where there is no hope there can be no faith But as for doubting it may lodge it vvill lodge and hath lodged in the soules of the best seruaunts that
was in the wombe of the Virgin His flesh is not called spirituall in respect it is glorified in the heauens at the right hand of the Father be not deceiued with that for suppose it be glorified yet it remaineth true flesh that same verie flesh which hee tooke out of the wombe of the blessed Virgine Neither is it spirituall because thouseest it not in the Supper if thou wert where it is Answere thou mightest see it But it is called spirituall in respect of the spirituall ends wherunto it serues to my body soule because the flesh bloud of Christ serueth to nourish me not to a temporall but to a spirituall heauenly life Now in respect this flesh is a spiritual foode seruing me to a spirituall life for this cause it is called a spirituall thing if it nourish mee as the flesh of beasts doth but to a temporall life it should be called but a temporall thing but in respect it nourisheth my soule not to an earthly and temporall life but to an heauenly celestiall and spirituall end In respect of this end the flesh of Christ and Christ in respect of his flesh is called the spirituall thing in the Sacrament It is called also the spiritual thing in the Sacrament in respect of the spirituall instrument whereby it is receiued The instrument whereby the flesh of Christ is receiued is not a corporall instrument is not the teeth and mouth of the body but it is spirituall it is the mouth of the soule which is faith and in respect the instrument is spirituall therefore Christ who is receiued is also called spirituall In respect also that the manner of receiuing is a heauenly spirituall and internall manner not a naturall nor externall manner in respect that the flesh of Christ which is giuen in the Sacrament is receiued by a spiritual secret maner which is not seene to the eyes of men In all these respects I call Christ Iesus the heauenly and spirituall thing which is signified by the signes in the Sacrament Now The thing signified must be applyed I say in the end the thing signified must bee applyed to vs. What auaileth it me to see my medicine in a box standing in an Apothecaries shop what can it worke toward me if it be not applyed What auaileth it mee to see my saluation afarre of if it be not applied to mee Therefore it is not enough for vs to see Christ but he must be giuen vs or else he cannot worke health and saluation in vs. And as this saluation is giuen vs wee must haue a mouth to take it What auaileth it mee to see meat before me except I haue a mouth to take it So the thing signified in the Sacrament must be giuen vs by God by the Three persons of the Trinitie one GOD by Christ Iesus who must giue himselfe as he giues himselfe so wee must haue a mouth to take him Suppose he present and offer himselfe yet he can profit and auaile none but them who haue a mouth to receiue him Then ye see what I call the thing signified whole Christ applyed to vs and receiued by vs vvhole Christ God and man without separation of his natures vvithout distinguishing of his substance from his graces All applyed to vs. Then I say seeing we come to the Sacrament to be fed by his flesh and refreshed by his bloud to be fed to an heauenly and spirituall life and seeing there is no profit to be had at this Table without some kinde of preparation therefore let no man prease to come to this holy Table except in some measure hee be prepared Some will be prepared in a greater measure then others alwayes let no man presume to go to it except in some measure his heart be sanctified therefore my exhortation concerning the way whereby euery one of you ought to prepare your selues that yee may fit you the better to this Table is this there is not one of you that commeth to the Table of the Lord that may bring before the Lord his integritie iustice and vprightnes but whosoeuer goeth to the Table of the Lord hee ought to goe with the acknowledging confession of his misery he ought to goe with a sorrowfull hart for the sinnes wherin he hath offended God he ought to goe with a hatred of those sinnes Not to protest that hee is holy iust and vpright but to protest and confesse that he is miserable and of all creatures the most miserable and therefore hee goeth to that Table to get support for his misery to obtaine mercy at the throne of Grace to get remission and forgiuenes of his sinnes to get the gift of repentance that more more he may study to liue vprightly holily and soberly in all time to come Therfore except yee haue entred into this course and haue a purpose to continue in this course to amend your life past to repent you of your sinnes and by the grace of God to liue more vprightly and soberly then yee haue done for Gods cause goe not to the Table For where there is not a purpose to doe well and to repent of necessity there must be a purpose to doe ill and whosoeuer commeth to that Table with a purpose to doe ill and without a purpose to repent he commeth to mock Christ to scorne him to his face to eate his owne present-condemnation So let no man come to that Table that hath not in his hart a purpose to doe better that hath not a hart to sorrow for his sinnes past and thinketh not his former follie and madnesse ouer-great Let no man come to that Table without this vnder the paine of condemnation But if yee haue in your hart a purpose to doe better suppose your former life hath been dissolute and loose yet if yee be touched in your harts with any feeling or remorse of your life past goe not from the Table but come vvith a protestation of your misery and wretchednesse and come with a heart to gette grace if vvith a dissolute life I meane not of open slaunders thou haue also a purpose not to amend but to doe vvorse for Gods sake abstaine Thus farre of the thing signified Vnto this generall consideration there remaineth these things yet to bee made plaine vnto you First how the signes and the thing signified are coupled together and how they are conioyned Next it restes to be told you how the signe is deliuered and hovv the thing signified is deliuered and hovv both are receiued as vvell as they are deliuered This beeing done I shall speake briefely of the other part of the Sacrament vvhich is the vvord And last of all I shall let you see what sort of faults they are that peruert the Sacrament and make it of no effect And if time shall serue I shall enter in particular to this Sacrament which wee haue in hand Then to come back againe In the third place How the signe the
to doe thou must not be giuen to the seruice of thine affections and of thine appetite to put them in execution as thou hast formerly done But in-case thine affections or lust commaund thee to doe any thing what is thy part Thou must try how far this may stand with the good will of God and how far that affection which commaunds thee may agree with the law of God Is there such a harmonie as that that thing which thine affection commaunds thee may stand with Gods law and holy will Then no question it is a sanctified affection thou maist put it in execution But after this tryall if thou finde thine affections to be exorbitant out of rule carying thee from God against his law beware of it resist it put it not in execution for if thou fulfill the will of thine affections what pleasure can it bring with it It may well bring a flattering pleasure in the entrie but it closeth euer with a bitter remorse in the end Then to eschew this bitter remorse should yee not all try your affections Yee must examine and try them by the square of Gods lavv yee must see how farre they agree with his law and how fatre they dissent from it so farre as they are dissonant from that law let euery man deny himselfe renounce his affections and so this triall beeing taken in this manner by thy selfe it sanctifieth thine affections maketh Christ to lodge in thy soule maketh thy conscience to be at rest And the holy Spirit this way maketh both bodie and soule to bee in good health and to reioyce Then flie from sinne This is the second lesson The third lesson is this Studie to doe well Wouldest thou keepe health in thy soule Study to do better and better continually At the least haue a purpose in thy soule hart to doe better daily which is the last lesson Seeing that when we studie to do best that the iust man that is the most holy man falleth so often as 7. times a day yea rather 70. times seauen times what is thy part in these slips and snares Though thou fal as thou canst not eschew to fall lie not still there sleepe not there where thou hast faln it is a shame to sleepe there therefore arise againe And hovv shouldest thou rise By lifting vp thy soule and running to the Fountaine of grace and mercy by repayring to Christ Iesus to obtaine mercy for thy soule and to craue that hee would send out of himselfe that measure of peace that may put thy conscience at rest restore thy soule to health So lie not where thou fallest but incontinent arise craue mercy and in obtayning mercy thou shalt repaire thy fal thou shalt amend thy life by repētance by repentance thou shalt get peace thou shalt haue thy conscience at rest and get health to thy soule Now keep this rule if thou desirest to keepe thy soule in health look that thou sleep not in sinne as Dauid did lie not still vvhen thou art faln and so fall from one sinne to another as from adultery to murther from murther to the next c. As commonly if a man sleepe in sin and rise not in time one sin wil draw on another for there is no sin alone but alwaies the greater and more heynous that the sinne is it hath the greater and worse sinnes wayting on it Therefore when yee fall delay not to arise but repaire to the fountaine of mercie and seeke grace in time runne to prayer run to the Church of God wheresoeuer it be whether in the fielde or in the towne runne to Christ Iesus and craue mercy of him that yee may haue peace in your consciences and so by these meanes euery one of you shall preserue health in your soules By these meanes ye shall learne what difference is betwixt this liuing word of mercy and grace which sounds in our religion and that slaying letter that kills the soule of euery one that heares it I meane that Idolatrous doctrine of that dumbe Mass I mention this vnto you because I see that many in these dayes are fallen to it and the Lord is beginning to abstract his grace and mercy from this Country for the contempt of this quickning vvord which hath so cleerely sounded heere which our country-men for the greatest part running headlong to the diuell in a dumbe guise trauaile vtterly to banish Is not this a miserable thing that so fevv of you haue eyes to consider and discerne of the time of peace mercy and grace which is so aboundantly offred The Lord of his mercy giue you eyes in time Thus far concerning the reasons wherefore euery one of you should try and examine your owne consciences and this triall ought not to be for a day or for a yeere but it ought to be euery day and euery yeere of thy whole life For that conscience that should rest for euer with the liuing God that conscience which must euer behold the face of the Sonne of God it cannot be ouer-well cleansed wee cannot looke ouer-narrowly to it The more curious we be in searching out of this conscience we are the better occupied I speak of our own consciences I speak not of our neighbours Thirdly I come to the points In what points wee should examine our consciences wherein euery one of you should try and examine your selues Euery one of you ought to try examine your cōsciences in two things First whether thou be at peace with God who is the Lord of heauen or not Next examine thy conscience whether thou art in loue amity with thy neighbor or not Wouldest thou know whether thy conscience be at vnity peace with God or not Thou shalt know it this way The God of heauen can haue no societie nor company with that soule which is alwaies vncleane that is euery way defiled no hee cannot Now I speake not so precisely that I make a soule to be fully sanctified perfectly holy in this life no in this life there are wonderfull iniquities grosse sinnes great faults where-with euen the righteous are defiled but this is my meaning There is no soule can be at any peace with God or wherewith the Lord can haue any societie but in some measure it must bee sanctified and made holy For God cannot make residence in a soule that is alwaies as a slinking dunghill and therfore of force in some measure it must be sanctified there must be so much made cleane in one corner or other of that soule wherin the Lord of heauen by his holy Spirit may make his residence Now let vs see wherby the soule is sanctified Peter Act. 15.9 saith That the soule of man is purified by faith that the hart of man is purged by faith So faith openeth and purgeth the hart By faith in Chr. Iesus and in the merits of his bloud we haue peace with God Beeing iustified by faith we haue
inward and renewed vnderstanding whereby wee get the first apprehension of Christ Now if this first apprehension of Christ like vs well then the next followeth Wee beginne to cast the affection of our harts on him we haue good will to him for all our affections proceed from our will and our affections beeing renewed and made holy wee sette them wholly vpon Christ We loue him and if we loue him we take hold on him we eate him and digest him that is we apply him to our soules and so of this loue and liking of him the second apprehension doth follow But if we haue no will to him if wee haue no loue nor liking of him what doe we Then we reiect him and preferre our owne Idol and the seruice of our own affections to him and so the second apprehension followeth not Wee cannot digest him and if wee digest him not that spirituall life cannot growe in vs for marke in vvhat place the eye serues to the bodie in the same roome serueth knowledge and vnderstanding to thy soule and looke in vvhat place thy hand and thy mouth thy taste and thy stomack serue vnto thy body in that very place serue the hart and affections to thy soule So that as our bodies cannot be nourished except our hands take and our mouthes eate the meate whereby the second apprehension may follow likewise our soules cannot feede on Christ except we hold him and imbrace him hartilie by our wills and affections For we come not to Christ by any outward motion of our bodies but by an inward motion and apprehension of the hart For God finding vs all in a reprobate sense he brings vs to Christ by reforming the affection of our soules by making vs to loue him And therefore the second apprehension wherby wee digest our Sauiour will neuer enter into our soules except as hee pleaseth the eye so he please the will and the affection also Now if this come to passe that our wills affections are wholly bent vpon Christ then no doubt vvee haue gotten this Iewell of faith Haue yee such a liking in your minds and such a loue in your harts of Christ that ye will prefer him before all things in the world then no question faith is begun in you Now How faith is nourished and entertained in vs. after a thing is begunne there is yet more required for though this faith be formed in your mindes in your harts and soules yet that is not enough but that which is formed must be nourished and hee who is conceiued must be entertained and brought vp or else the loue that is begunne in mee by the holy spirit except by ordinary meanes it be daily entertained and nourished it will decay except the Lord continue the working of his holie Spirit it is not possible that I can continue in the faith And how must we nourish and continue faith in our soules Two manner of waies First wee nourish faith begunne in our soules by hearing of the word not of euerie word but by hearing of the vvord of God preached and not by hearing of euery man but by hearing the word preached by him that is sent For this is the ordinarie means wherunto the Lord hath bound himselfe hee will work faith by the hearing of the word and the receiuing of the Sacraments And the more that thou hearest the vvord and the oftner that thou receiuest the Sacraments the more thy faith is nourished Now it is not onely by hearing of the word receiuing of the Sacraments that we nourish faith The word and the Sacraments are not able of themselues to nourish this faith in vs except the working of the holy Spirit be conioyned vvith their ministery But the word and the Sacraments are said to nourish faith in our soules because they offer and exhibite Christ vnto vs who is the meat the drink and life of our soules and in respect that in the word and Sacraments wee get Christ who is the foode of our soules therefore the word and Sacraments are said to nourish our soules As it is said Acts 2.42 The Disciples of Christ continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowshippe and breaking of bread and prayers by these means entertaining augmenting and nourishing the faith that was begunne in them Then the holy Spirit begets this faith works this faith creates this faith nourisheth and entertaineth this faith in our soules by hearing of the word preached and by the receiuing of the Sacraments which are the ordinary meanes whereby the Lord nourisheth vs and continueth this spirituall foode with vs. For obserue by what meanes the spirituall life is begun by the same meanes it is nourished and entertained as this temporall life is entertained and nourished by the same meanes whereby it is begun Then seeing by these meanes Conclusion with an exhortatioÌ„ the holy Spirit begets this vvorke of faith in our soules It is our dutie to craue that hee would continue the worke which hee hath begunne And for this cause we should resort to the hearing of the vvord when it is preached and to the receiuing of the Sacraments when they are ministred that we may be fedde in our soules to life euerlasting But alas wee are come to such a loathing disdaine or reiecting of heauenly foode in this Countrey that where men in the beginning would haue gone some twentie miles some fortie miles to the hearing of this vvord they vvill scarcelie novv come from their houses to the Church and remaine there but one houre to heare the vvord but rather abide at home VVell I say too much vvealth vvith-drawes their hearts and the aboundance of this vvord ingenders such a loathsomnesse that it is a rare thing to finde out any that haue that thirst and desire to heare the vvord as they vvere wont to haue in the beginning And for those that are in higher places they will heare it sildome or not at all for they cannot indure to heare the thing that accuseth them and conuicts them and therefore they auoyde it But they should not doe so they should not shunne Christ nor abstaine from â—is vvord that accuseth them but they should heare the vvord and as the vvord accuseth them they should accuse themselues also that thereby they may come to a confession of their sinne and obtaine mercy for the same So vvhen Christ accuseth thee thou shouldest not runne from him but thou shouldest draw neere to him thou shouldest threaten kindnesse of him and as it vvere make a breach and forcible entry into his kingdome It is not the way vvhen thy sinnes touch thee and when Christ accuseth thee to runne from him no thou shouldest then turne to him thou shouldest confesse thy sinne cry Peccaui and seeke mercy and after that thou hast obtained mercy this word shal becom as pleasant to thee and thou shalt take as great delight to come to the hearing of it as euer thou delightedst to flie from it before
But alas our lothsomnesse and disdaine is growen to such an height that truly I am moued to belieue firmly that the Lord hath concluded that we shal not enter into his rest that onely for the great contempt of his mercy and grace which is now so richly offred For why God can not deale otherwise with vs then hee dealt with our fore-fathers the Israelites for the negligence of his vvord vvhich was but then obscurely preached for then it was farre from the incarnation of Christ and the farther that it was from his incarnation the vvord was euer the more obscurely preached vnder darke types and shadowes Yet notvvithstanding the Fathers that heard that word preached and belieued it not they perished all in the Wildernesse except two as ye haue sometime heard out of this place And if they for the contempt of so dark a light perished much more must yee that are their children perish for the contempt of the sunne of righteousnes who is risen so plainely and shineth so cleerely now in the preaching of the Gospell except the Lord in his mercy preuent you and except ye preuent his Iudgements by earnest seeking and except ye seeke a feeling and seeke inward senses that ye may see feele the grace that is offered craue againe that he will sanctifie your harts by repentance that yee may repent you of your sinnes and lead an honest a godly conuersation in all time to come that both body and soule may be saued in the great day of the Lord. The Lord worke this in your soules that ye may seeke mercie and seeking mercy yee may obtaine mercy and in mercy ye may lay hold on Christ and that for his righteous merits To whom with the Father and the holie Ghost be all honour praise and glorie both now and euer Amen THE FIFT AND last Sermon vpon the preparation to the Lords Supper 1. Cor. 11.28 Let euery man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this Bread and drinke of this Cup c. IN the doctrine of our triall and due examination the Apostle as ye haue heard vvel-beloued in Christ Iesus gaue vs a speciall commaund that euery one of vs should try and examine narrowly our selues that is that euery man should condiscend and enter into his owne conscience try and examine the estate of his own conscience in what estate he findes it with God and in what estate he findes it with his neighbour Hee inioynes this triall to our selues and coÌ„mands that euery one of vs should take pains vpon the true examination of our consciences Hee inioynes this work to vs why Because no man knoweth so much of me as I doe my selfe because no man can be sure of the estate of my conscience but I my selfe because no man can so diligently nor so profitably try my conscience as I my selfe Therefore chiefely it behooueth euery man and woman before they enter to the hearing of the word before they giue their eare to the vvord or their mouth to the Sacrament it behoueth them to try and examine their owne consciences Not that the Apostle vvould seclude the triall of other men for as it is lawfull for mee to try my selfe so no doubt it is lawfull for my Pastor to try mee It is lawfull for other men that haue a care ouer mee to try and examine me but no man can doe this so profitably to mee as I my selfe And though wee had neuer so many tryers and examiners all is nothing if wee try not our selues So whether there be a second or a third tryer and examiner let our selues be one and the first And no doubt the Apostles minde was this To let vs see clearlie that hee that commeth to that Table and hath not that knowledge â—or is not of that ability to try him-selfe is a profane commer coÌ„meth vncleanly and therefore must needs come to his owne destruction Let euery man therefore growe in knowledge growe in vnderstanding growe in the spirit that hee may be the more able to try and examine his owne conscience To the end that ye may goe forward proceed in the worke of this triall with the better speed and with the better fruits in this examination we laid down this order First of all I shewed what that is which we call a conscience and what is meant thereby Next I declared for what causes yee should put your consciences to this triall and narrow examination And thirdlie so farre as time suffered I entred into the points wherein euery one of you should try and examine your owne consciences As for conscience that yee may call that definition to your memory I will resume it shortlie We call a conscience a certain feeling in the hart resembling the righteous Iudgement of GOD following vpon a deed done by vs flowing froÌ„ a knowledge in the mind A feeling accompanied with a motion in the hart a motion either of feare or ioy trembling or reioycing I leaue the opening vp of these parts to your memories and I pray God that they may be well sanctified I come next to the causes wherefore euerie one of you should bee carefull in trying and examining your owne consciences The first cause is because the Lord of heauen hath his eye continually vpon the conscience the eye of God is neuer from the conscience and heart of man as I proued to you by diuerse places Next because this God hath chosen his lodging and hath set downe his throne to make his residence in the conscience Therefore that hee may dwell in cleanenesse yee ought to haue a regard to his dwelling place Thirdly he is the Lord yea the only Lord of this conscience who hath power onely to controle who only hath power to saue or to cast away therefore that it may doe good seruice to thy owne Lord thou oughtest to take heed to thy conscience And last of all in respect that the health of thy soule standeth in the estate of thy conscience and if thy soule be in good health thy bodie cannot bee ill Therefore in respect that the soule and bodie depend vpon the estate of the conscience euery one of you should carefully looke to your consciences I will not amplifie this but leaue it to your memories how the health of the soule and welfare of the soule should be kept Next I come in the third and last place to the points in the which euerie one of you should trie and examine your consciences And as yee may remember I set downe two points wherein ye ought to put your consciences in triall First to know whether your consciences were at peace with God or not Secondly whether your consciences were in loue in charitie and in amitie with your neighbour or not In these two points cheefly yee must trie and examine your selues To know whether ye bee at peace with God or not ye must first trie whether yee be in the faith or not as the Apostle
your hearts and consciences for the holy Spirit hath his chiefe residence in your hearts I will declare vnto you the first effect that euer the holy spirit bringeth forth in the heart in framing it in mollifying it and in bowing it vnto the obedience of God You shall knowe the working of the holy spirit by this effect namely if your mindes see and behold what is ill see and behold what is good perceiue and discerne your owne miserie and your sinnes which haue brought this miserie vpon you and withall perceiue and beholde the riches of the mercie of God in Christ Iesus If as your mindes see these two your hearts be reformed prepared to loue the sight of them and as you see in your mindes the mercy of God and that in Christ if yee haue hearts to desire mercy if ye haue a thirsting and earnest desire to be partakers of mercy where this desire and thirst is there the holy spirit is hee hath no doubt opened the heart On the other side if as thou seest mercie thou seest thy miserie if as thy mind seeth thy miserie it seeth also the fountaine from whence thy miserie floweth to wit from thine owne sinnes if then thy hart also hate this the holy spirit is there if as thou seest sinne which is the cause of thy miserie with the eye which is giuen thee in the minde thou hatest this sinne with thy heart no question the holy spirit is there And as thou hatest it if also thou sorrowe for it for it is not enough to hate it if thou lament not the committing of it and with a godly sorrowe deplore it the holy spirit is there And thirdly if with thy lamenting thou hast a care and a study to eschew that sin for what auailes it to lament if like a dogge returning to his vomit thou fall into that same gulfe againe Therefore where there is an hatred of sinne a sorrow for sinne a care and a studie to eschewe sinne no question the holy spirit hath opened the heart and is working out that pretious instrument Obserue all this in a word all the operation of the holy spirit and working in the hart and by this examine thine heart See and perceiue if the holy spirit hath entred so farre in thee to worke in that hard heart of thine an earnest and a diligent studie a carefull solicitude continually to bee reconciled with the great God whom thou hast offended Is there such a thing as a thirst as a desire to bee at amitie with him whom thou hast offended to bee reconciled with the God of heauen whom thou hast offended by thy manifold transgressions where this care and study of reconciliation is if this care and study of reconciliation bee in the heart there is no doubt but the heart that thirsteth for this reconciliation is heartily content not onely to renounce sinne to renounce all the impieties that separated thee froÌ„ God but the heart that is indued with this thirst wil be hartily content to renounce it selfe to cast downe it selfe as stubborne as it was before to cast downe it selfe at the feete of the mightie God and be wholly content at all times after to be ruled by his holy will Not to follow it owne lust it owne will and appetite as it did before but to resigne it selfe wholly into the handes of the mightie God to bee ruled by his will at his pleasure and to obey his commaundes And except yee finde this disposition in your owne hearts To acquite your selues to renounce your selues it is a vaine thing for you to say that yee haue a thirst to bee reconciled So the greater thirst of reconciliation that we haue the more that the care study ther of groweth the greater that the apprehension of my miserie of the deep gulfes and very hels whereunto my soule is subiect increaseth in my soule the more earnest would would I be to bee reconciled And to bee reconciled I would not stand for the renouncing of the lusts of my heart but I wold renounce my hart the obedience of the wil desire why Because I see I must die for euer except the Lord reconcile himself with me I see the huge deepes and oceans of all miserie into the which I shall â—al in the ende except in mercie the Lord reconcile himselfe with me To eschewe these miseries and inconueniences is there any question but the hart that hath any sense and is touched with them will most willingly endeuour to acquite it selfe Againe seeing the Lord hath taken paines to deliuer mee out of that deepe miserie in the which I had drowned my selfe and hath purchased my redemption by so deere a price not with golde nor with siluer or any drosse on the earth but by such a wonderfull means by such a pretious price and rich ransome Looking to the greatnesse of our misery and to the greatnes of the price whereby hee hath redeemed vs What heart is it but would willingly renounce it selfe to get a part of that redemption and to be deliuered out of that hell wherein wee are presently and wherein wee shall be in a greater measure heereafter except wee bee reconciled So then with this there is ioyned a diâ—position in the heart whereby the heart is willing in some measure to renounce it selfe This lesson is often taught vs by our Sauiour Christ wee must both take vp the crosse and renounce our selues also before that wee canne follow him The more that this thirst groweth in the heart the more this renouncing of our selues groweth in the heart the more that this thirst decayeth and is diminished in the heart the more wee cleaue to the world the more wee loue the flesh and the more are wee ruled and guided by them So eyther wee must nourish a thirst of righteousnesse a hunger of life euerlasting a thirst of mercie a hunger after that iustice that is in Christ or it is not possible that in any measure wee can bee his disciples Now to proceede The heart that after this manner is prepared that with a thirst to bee reconciled is resolued also to renounce it selfe This heart in the which there remaineth so earnest a thirst is neuer frustrate of the expectation is neuer disappointed But as the Lord hath imprinted in it an earnest studie to be reconciled and to lay hold on Christ So in his mereie hee grants vnto that heart the possession of mercie hee puts that heart in some measure in possession of mercy which it seeketh in possession of Christ Iesus himselfe whom it seeketh The which apprehension which it hath of Chr. the heart sensiblie feeleth and apprehendeth in that peace which hee giueth to the conscience So that the conscience which was terrified exceedingly gnawen and distracted before by the approching of this peace of Christ with his graces incontinent it is quieted and pacified there commeth a calmenesse and soundnesse into the heart and all troubles
and stormes are remoued with this peace is conioyned a taste of the powers of the world to come The heart gets a taste of the sweetnesse that is in Christ of the ioy which is in the life euerlasting which tast is the onely earnest pennie of that full and perfect ioye which soule and bodie in that life shall inioye And the earnest penny as yee know must bee a part of the summe of the nature of the rest of the summe And therefore that earnest penny of ioy assures vs that when wee shall get possession of the whole summe it it shal be a strange ioy And these documents lift vp the heart and make it not to linger nor wearie in the expectation of that life but being refreshed now and then therewith by so many earnest pennies they assure vs of the full fruition of that ioye for the which in patience wee will sustaine all troubles So as the holy spirit worket a thirst in vs to bee with Christ a thirst of mercy and reconciliation with him The same holy spirit disappointeth not that same expectation and thirst but putteth the soule and heart in possession of Christ by the which the conscience is pacified the heart is reioyced and we get a taste of the sweetnes and of the powers of that life to come The sensible feeling of the which taste that passeth all naturall vnderstanding what doth it in my heart and conscience It worketh a wonderfull assurance and perswasion that God loueth mee The feeling of his mercie in the bowels of my heart in the bottome of my conscience worketh a certaine assurance and perswasion that he is my God that he will saue me for Christs cause that the promise of mercie which I durst not apply vnto my consciēce before now by the feeling of mercy I dare boldly applie and say mercie appertaineth to me life saluation belongeth to me For the conscience being exceedingly terrified and seeing nothing in God but fire and wrath it is not possible but it must she from him it cannot approche to a consuming fire But from the time that the conscience getteth a taste of this peace mercy and sweetnes how fast soeuer it fled from the presence of God before now after this reconciliation it will runne as fast to him and will possesse him more and more fully So the assurance and perswasion of mercie ariseth from the feeling of mercie in the hart and conscience And except the heart feele it and taste it in some measure no conscience dare apply God and his mercie to it selfe I may be sure in generall that all my sinnes are remissible and that I may obtaine mercie before I feele it But to applie this mercy particularly to my selfe vntill I feele a taste of it I dare not So this particular application whereby wee claime God and Christ as a propertie to vs as if no man had title to him but wee and to call him my God my Christ and to claime his promises as if no man had interest in them but wee This commeth of the sence and feeling of mercie in the hart and the more that this feeling grovveth and the greater experience that we haue in our owne harts of this peace and mercy the more increaseth our faith and assurance Our perswasion becommeth so strong that wee dare at the last say with the Apostle What can separate vs from the loue of GOD Neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come shall be able to separate me from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. This particular application which ariseth no doubt vpon the feeling and sense of mercie is the speciall difference the chiefe mark and proper note wherby our faith vvho are iustified in the bloud of Christ is discerned from that generall faith of the Papists Our faith by this particular application is not onely discerned from the generall faith of the Papists but it is discerned from all the pretended faiths of all the Sects in the world For the Papist dareth not apply the promise of mercie to his owne soule he accounteth it presumption to say I am an elect I am saued and iustified And from whence floweth this Onely from hence That in their consciences they haue neuer felt mercie they haue neuer tasted of the loue fauour and sweetnes of God For looke hovv fast the conscience flieth from GOD before it gette the taste of his sweetnesse it runneth as diligently to him and threatneth loue on him after that it hath gotten that taste So they miserable men content themselues with this generall faith which is no other thing but an historicall faith which groundeth onely on the truth of GOD whereby I knowe that the promises of God are true But the Papists dare not come and say They are true in mee Why Because they haue not felt it and their harts are not opened But our iustifying faith as I told you consecrateth the whole soule vnto the obedience of God in Christ So that it resteth not onely vpon the truth of GOD nor it resteth not onely vpon the power of God though these be two chiefe pillars of our faith also but especially and chiefely it resteth vpon the mercy of God in Christ It resteth also vpon the truth and power of God but especially vpon the promise of grace and mercy in Christ The soule of the Papist beeing destitute of the feeling and taste of mercy dare not enter into this particular application so he cannot be iustified Yea no doubt so many of them as are iustified in the mercy of God get a taste of this mercy kindnesse before they depart this life Thus farre concerning the effects Then yee haue onely this to remember The opening of the hart the pacifying quieting of the conscience they worke an assurance a strong perswasion of the mercy of God in Christ The more that the hart is opened the more that the conscience is pacified the more that the taste of that sweetnes continueth and remaineth the more art thou assured of Gods mercy So then wouldest thou knowe whether thy faith be strong or not vvhether thy perswasion of Gods mercy be sure or not Looke to thy conscience If thy conscience be wounded assuredly thou vvilt doubt and if thou doubtest thou canst not haue such a strong perswasion as otherwise thou wouldest haue if thy doubting were remooued Not that I will haue faith to be so perfect in this life that there be alwaies no doubting ioyned with it I require not that perfection but I say that a wounded conscience must euer doubt and the more wee doubt the lesse is our perswasion So the more that thou woundest thy conscience the lesse faith thou hast Then thou must come to this poynt Keepe a sound conscience entertaine peace in thy conscience thou shalt keepe faith and shalt haue thy perswasion in that same measure that thou hast of
euer God had Mark the speech of the Apostle Wee are alwaies in doubt saith hee but wee despaire not So doubting and faith may lodge in one soule And from whence floweth this doubting VVee knowe that in the regenerate man there is a remnant corruption for we haue not our heauen in this earth though wee beginne our heauen heere yet we get it not fully heere And if all corruption vvere avvay vvhat should there vvant of a full heauen heere So it is onely begunne in this life and not perfected therefore there remaines in the soule a great corruption which is neuer idle but continually occupied This corruption is euer bringing foorth the birth of finne more or lesse euery sinne hurts the conscience a hurt conscience impaireth the perswasion and so comes in the doubting For there is not a sinne that we commit but it banisheth light and casteth a myst ouer the eye of our faith whereby wee doubt and stagger in our sight and were it not that the Lord in his mercy taketh vs vp giueth vs the gift of repentance and maketh vs euery day as oft as wee sinne to cry as oft for mercy and so to repaire the losse that wee haue of faith to repayre the losse that vvee haue of the feeling of mercie we would wholly put out that same light But it pleaseth the Lord though wee be euery day sinning to giue vs the gift of repentance and by repentance to repaire our faith to repaire the sense and feeling of mercie in vs and to put vs in that same state of perswasion wherein wee were before Therefore if GOD beginne not continue not and end not with mercie in that very moment that hee abstracts his mercy from vs wee will decay So wee must be diligent in calling for mercy wee must be instant continually in seeking to haue a feeling of mercie Thus much for the doubting Novv howsoeuer it be sure and certaine A doubting and weake faith is faith shal neuer decay that the faith of the best children of GOD is often subiect to doubting yet it is as sure and certaine that it is neuer wholly extinct albeit it were neuer so vveake yet it shall neuer vtterlie decay and perish out of the hart wherein it once maketh residence This comfort consolation the Spirit of God hath sette downe in his vvord to support the troubled hart That hovvsoeuer faith be weake yet a weake faith is faith and where that faith is there will euer be mercie Yee haue in Romans 11.29 that The gifts and calling of GOD are vvithout repentance But among all his gifts that are of this sort faith is one of the chiefest therefore it cannot be reuoked againe Yee haue in Iude 3. That faith vvas once giuen vnto the Saints Once giuen that is constantly giuen neuer to be changed nor vtterly taken from them The Lord will not repent him of this gift but the soule which he hath loued once he will loue perpetually It is true and certaine that the sparkles of faith which are kindled in the hart by the Spirit of GOD may be obscured smothered for a long time they may be couered with the ashes of our owne corruption and with our own ill deedes and wickednes into which we daily fall It is true that the effects of a liuely faith will be interrupted and that thy lusts and affections will preuaile for a long time so that when thou lookest on thy selfe vpon the Iudgements of God that hang ouer thy soule and body and when thou lookest vpon thy dissolute life and on the anger of God against this dissolute life In the minde in the hart and conscience of him that hath so smothered and oppressed his faith it will oft times come to passe in his owne iudgement hauing his eyes fixed on himselfe onely that hee vvill thinke himselfe to be a reprobate to be an out-cast and neuer able to recouer mercy Where this corruption bursteth forth in this grosse maner after that the Lord hath called thee looke how soone the Lord beginneth to vvaken thee againe incontinent thou fixest thine eyes vpon thine owne life and entrest into a deepe consideration as well of the weight of thy sinne as of the weight of the wrath of GOD which thou seest following thereupon and art loath to remit these cogitations to thinke vpon the deepenesse of the mercie of God Resting on these considerations it cannot but come to passe that in thine owne iudgement thou art an out-cast And yet GOD forbidde it were so for though these sparks of the Spirit be couered by the corruption that is vvithin thy soule yet these sparkles are not wholly put out And to let you see that they are not extinguished The sparkles of faith though they be smothered they are not wholly put out nor are idle though they break not forth in the outward effects that the world may knowe thee to be a faithfull man as heeretofore yet these sparkles are not idle and thou shall finde them not to be idle in thee As for confirmation of my Argument that howsoeuer our bodies are let loose to all dissolution after our effectuall calling within vs in our soules that yet the sparkles are not idle ye see that though the fire be couered with the ashes yet it is a fire there is no man will say that the fire is put out though it be couered No more is faith put out of the soule though it be so couered that it neither giue heat â—or light outwardly An example of this we haue cleerely in the Prophet Dauid after his lamentation in that Psalme of Repentance Psalme 51.11 hee prayeth to GOD in these words Cast me not away from thy presence And what addeth he And take not thy holy Spirit from mee Had he not lost the Spirit by his adultery and murther No for he would not haue said then Take it not from mee But Restore it to mee It is true that he vseth the like in the verse following Restore mee to the ioy of thy saluation Not that hee wanted the spirit wholly but that the spirit lacked force in him and needed strengthening and fortification it would be stirred vp that the flame of it might appear Therfore I say in that Dauid speaketh so plainely after his adultery and murther Take not that Spirit from mee it is a certaine argument that the faithfull haue neuer the spirit of God alwaies taken from them in their greatest dissolutions The second point is this How proue I that these sparkles are not idle though the outward effects be interrupted As Dauid felt this in his conscience so euery one of you may feele it in your owne consciences The Spirit of God in mans hart can not be idle but these sparkles during the time that the body is let loose to all dissolutions these sparkles are accusing thy dissolution are finding fault vvith thy manners these sparkles suffer thee not to take the pleasure of thy bodie
rest and peace in thy conscience and the more that thy conscience is at peace and rest the greater shal thy faith and perswasion be So this ground is certaine A doubting conscience causeth a weake faith and the more the doubting in thy conscience is the weaker is thy faith Then true it is that the Apostle faith That faith dwelleth in a good conscience that faith is locked and closed vp in a good conscience So that if yee keepe a good conscience ye shall keepe a strong faith and if yee wound your consciences yee shall wound your faith Novv to make this more sensible How can I be perswaded of his mercie whose anger I feele kindled against me and against whom my conscience sheweth me that I am guilty of many offences No question so long as the sense of his anger feeling of my offences remaineth I cannot haue a sure perswasion that hee will be mercifull vnto mee but when I get accesse vnto his presence and a sight that hee hath forgiuen mee then I begin to be surely perswaded So then keepe a good conscience and thou shall keepe faith and the better that thy conscience is the surer vvill thy faith be Then Exhortation the whole exhortation that we gather from this point dependeth vpon this That euery one of you in vvhat rank soeuer ye be take heed vnto your consciences for losing it yee lose faith and losing faith yee lose saluation Are ye in the ranke of great and rich men yee ought to take heed vnto your consciences especially in respect that the Lord hath placed you in a higher calling Ye haue many things wherein yee ought to controle your consciences ye ought to craue the aduise of your consciences before yee attempt any great worke in respect that yee are bound in manifold duties to God to your inferioure And no doubt if some great men had aduised well with their consciences such dissolutions had not fallen out in their owne houses such oppressions of the poor deadly feudes with men of their own rank would not haue burst forth in so high a measure But the Lord seeing them take so little care vnto their consciences depriueth them of faith and of the hope of mercy and their end will be miserable Yee shall see that the GOD of heauen will make those who liue so dissolutely spectacles of his iudgements vnto the world for the Lord leaueth not such men vnpunished By their examples it vvere very necessarie that men of inferiour ranke should take heede vnto their consciences and therefore iet euery man according vnto his calling examine his calling by the rule of his conscience Let the Iudges before they giue and pronounce foorth Iudgement aduise vvith their consciences the lavv thereof and in Iudgement not to follow their affections but to follow the rule of their consciences Likevvise they that are of inferiour degree vnto Iudges let them controle their dooings by their consciences and giue not the poore subiects iust cause to complaine on them Let them not terrifie them from the pleading of Iustice by exorbitant prices and extraordinarie kinde of dealings but let them moderate all their actions so that they agree vvith the rule of their consciences that so far as in them lyeth Iustice cease not Likewise the Merchants let not them looke so much to this or that as to the conscience that is in them what in conscience they may doe according vnto the measure of knowledge that GOD hath placed in them and whatsoeuer they doe let them beware that they doe not against their knowledge I grant their knowledge will not be so learned as it should be and this maketh many deformed actions yet let no man doe against his knowledge but let euery man doe according vnto the measure of knowledge wherewith God hath indued him And though it be not well reformed yet do not any thing by guesse but aduise well with thy conscience and follow thy knowledge for that which is done doubtingly is sinne So whatsoeuer thou doost let not thy eye thy hand nor any member of thy body doe against thy knowledge for this is a steppe to that high sinne against the holie Ghost This is the ready way to put all knowledge out of your mindes for if men do against knowledge and continue in doing against knowledge at the last they will become a masse of darknesse the Lord will scrape out all knowledge out of their mindes and all feeling of mercy out of their harts Therefore let euery man follow his knowledge and according to the measure of his knovvledge let his actions proceed It hath pleased the Lord Faith is the free gift of God to poure this liquor this precious ointment into vs though we be earthly and fraile vessels miserable creatures yet it hath pleased our gracious God to poure such a precious liquour into our harts and minds and to credit such a Iewell in our keeping that by vertue thereof wee may take hold on Christ who is our iustice our wisedome sanctification redemption Though vvee be miserable creatures yet the Lord of his mercy hath a respect to vs in Christ in giuing vs this precious liquour whereby our soules may be seasoned to life euerlasting In this that he poures it into our harts we see cleerly that it growes not in our harts nor breedes not in our nature No this gift of faith is not at mans commaund nor vnder his arbitrement as if it were in his power to belieue or not to belieue as hee pleaseth It is the gift of God poured downe freely of his vndeserued grace in the riches of his mercie in Christ That it is a gift yee see clearlie 1. Cor. 12.9 vvhere the Apostle saith And to another is giuen faith by the same spirit As also Philip. 1.29 For vnto you it is giuen for Christ that not onely yee should belieue in him but also suffer for his sake So faith is the gift of the holie Spirit and this gift is not giuen to all men and women as the Apostle plainly declareth All haue not faith This gift though it be giuen it is not giuen to all but is onely giuen to the Elect that is to so many as the Lord hath appointed to life euerlasting This gift where-euer it is and in what hart soeuer it be it is neuer idle but perpetuallie working and working well by loue and charitie as the Apostle affirmeth Galat 5.6 This gift vvhere-euer it is is not dead but quick and liuely as the Apostle Iames testifieth in his second chapter And to let you knowe whether it be liuely and working or not there is no better meanes then to looke vnto the fruites and effects that flowe from it And therefore that yee by your owne effects may be the more assured of the goodnesse of your faith I will giue you three speciall effects to obserue by the which yee may iudge of the goodness of your faith First looke