go for another usefull consideration to move us by all meanes to keepe from the lust of uncleannesse And lastly the sinne many times weakens the body and pines away that darkens ones semes shortens ones life and then comes in a huge cry that wee have rotted away our life are guilty of hastning our own death and much adoe there is to quiet the storme which comes in this way Wherfore for this cause also abstain from fleshly lusts We see then that it leaves the greater brand on the conscience because of the dishonour and blot of this sin as well as by reason of the dishonesty of it as also for that there is a degree of uncleannes in this sin over there is in any else which foulenesse the heart of man doth rise against and this cannot but touch us with some degrees of terrour also and that this sinne doth carry some speciall staine of dishonour with it read it in Solamon A wound dishonour shall he get and his reproch shall not be wiped away And in Paul Who cals chastity a mans honour Vpon these grounds and considerations it was that Saint Peter saith That fleshly lusts doe warre against the soule These are the devils Captaines and doe meaning to kill us smite at the head war against the soule other lusts doe war against the soule too but there is some speciall matter in it that these fleshly lusts are said to warre against the soule shall I say that it is because that the other lusts doe warre as much against the graces of the soule yet there is not any that doe war more no nor in some respects so much against the peace of the soule and therefore in Peters words we are to be beseeched of all lusts to abstaine from fleshly lusts Wee will now enter into a particular discovery of such speciall branches as may make the matter the plainer Lust of uncleannesse are committed either First with ones selfe Secondly with others First we will begin with that committed with ones selfe which are greater in themselves abtract them from all other circumstances than with any other as selfe-murther is worse than the murther of another so in and of it selfe this sin is worse than of another For the rule is that the sin that doth breake the order of love is the worst love being the keeping of the Commandement I must not defile my neighbour because I am to love my neighbours chastity but I am to love my selfe and mine owne chastity before the chastity of any else and this is a foule sinne much against nature and therefore the worse for the more unnaturall the sin is the greater the guilt is still in that respect and whereas it is thought that there is not that wrong in it as is in taking away the chastity of another I urge that there is most wrong when a man doth wrong himselfe and as the theefe doth in the candle so these selfe defilements doe rot and weaken the body by the curse of God exceedingly And as in all such inordinate practises there is a secret kinde of murther what if not in the intention of the doer yet in the condition of the thing done God is much displeased with these kinde of sins they are execrable in his sight pay the conscience home when they are set before us in their true and right colours make people unfit for mariage without the great mercy of God ever after I could wish people to marry on ever so poore termes rather than to fall into such illicite darke and abominable practises which doe grieve the very principals of nature say let the worst come that can for outward things it is better to beg than burne in hell I will trust in God I will follow him he that feeds the Ravens he will provide I will rather bring trouble on the outward man than on the soule it is wisdome to look to the soule what ever becomes of the body whatsoever comes it cannot bee worse than sinne nay whatsoever it be it cannot bee bad with us so long as we obey For howsoever there may bee some difference of Estates in the generall yet sure it is that is the best for us in the particular which God cals us unto there lyes our peace our joy our comfort 2. With others and here comes many kindes we will begin with the worst first and that is Beastiality forbidden in the Word and therefore our corrupt nature and originall sin is capable of it and when once in too too prone unto it The worst things when the law of nature is suppressed yeeld strongest delight such as it is this must be looked unto it turnes man into a very beast makes a man a member of a bruite creature a sinne that man would soone fall into if the Lord shold let sin and Satan alone with us what one man doth that another may possibly doe wee being all of the same masse and cloth and that since the law was given men have run upon this horrible abomination Stories and experience and law have shewed and doe show wherefore by all meanes this soule corruption must be avoided over familiar usage of any bruite creature is to bee abhorred And the Iewish Doctors doe charge their novices by no meanes to feed their eyes with staring on the generation of beasts for feare of the worst It is a pit out of which those few that do fall into it do hardly recover it is like a winter plague some doe recover but in comparison of those that perish a poore few 2. The next is Sodomy Iud. v. 7. A going after strange flesh not onely strange in the law of God as in fornication it is but strange in nature a sin to which our law of nature hath no great minde unto at first but if our corrupt lust our originall sin bee let out wee see how it carries too many after this abomination God would never have forbidden it in the law but that our nature is subject to it we see how it did over-run Sodome and Gomorrah when it once takes how doth the sinfull flesh of man runne after it Lots daughters were young fresh and maides too and yet they would not serve they must have the men And Ro. 1. they forsooke the naturall use of the women therefore it is spoken of such as had wives else how could it bee said that they forsooke the naturall use of the women and it is said that such doe burne or scald and not only men with men working that which is unseemely but women also when given up to this unnaturall passe doe as Paul said change the naturall use into that which is against nature that is so against nature that posterity which is natures end is utterly lost by it and such as are acquainted with Stories and Poets know that this sin hath beene too much
such a sin and I may fall againe Now where this full point lyes that a man may be able to speake it thus much I must and have grieved and am now come to the height of sorrow that is required and now I know I shall never fall the same fall againe These bee strange riddles the heart of man I know must come down it must melt and breake but yet a little sorrow doth it in one when a great deale doth but do it in another some mens hearts after sin are like hard wax great heate is required to melt it but others like soft wax a little will supple it as we finde that at mans first conversion some men turne to it without much adoe with legall sorrowes and the sinne before regeneration I hope hardens the heart more than the sinne after for before there is nothing but a stone nothing but sin and flesh but after be the sin committed never so great yet there is some spirit some grace abiding and so some softnesse with all We Divines doe use to teach that it is the love of God and not the sorrow for sinne which is the cause to keepe us from relapsing and that too much sorrow doth hurt and drive us from Christ We all agree that a man may goe too far when there is so much as doth bring us to Christ it is sufficient and that sometimes a lesser degree of humbling and mourning will doe that GOD doth not delight to see us in our ashes no further than he may heare of us and t is not terror of the law but the peace of God which doth garrizon and keepe our hearts and mind and therfore this reason is of no force it hangs the conscience on uncertainty and no man can determine when his sorrow is come to bee enough and serve the turne in this Divinity besides who sees not that wicked men doe grieve over and above out of feare or shame or both for some sins and more than godly men doe for the same or the like sinnes and yet who dares say that by reason of this their griefe they could never offend in the same againe Iudas did grieve and sob extraordinary for killing Christ yet I do not thinke but had the case come in his way hee would have murthered him againe no trusting him who presently after killed himselfe and we finde some who for murther fall into those flats of sorrow that they doe run upon their owne deaths and cause themselves for very remorse of conscience to dye a dogs death Let us then say that it is a dāgerous case for a godly man to sinne the same great sin after repentance what if it doe not put him out of Christ what if it do not hang him Yet it burnes him in the hand whips him up and down the towne my meaning is that it doth cast him into a bed of miserable sorrow but withall we must say that it may possibly be that after true hearty repentance for such a fault a child of God may chance to fal into the same sin againe and again how often I cannot tel but this I can tell that how often soever hee sinneth let him repent and returne and his pardon is ready They wrong GOD in his mercy and men in their comfort who doe say the contrary 3. The third duty that wee are to looke to after the tentation is that in case we do not finish the sin not act the fault but doe drive away this fury that then wee bee very thankefull to God t is his doing only t is his grace that moved him to stand for us when we were in danger to cast away our comfort it is a great mercy to rise againe but a greater too when God comes and stands betwixt us and the fall Of the two it is better not to sin the sin than to bee recovered after wee are down as it is in it self for a man to bee preserved from a disease than to be cured of the disease I confesse that wee have a greater experimentall taste both of the love and power of GOD when wee are recovered but yet as touching our peace and comfort I hope wee all see it is better not to sin the sin than having sinned to be healed we save a great deale of inward paine and bitter sorrow by the bargaine Christ I know tels us most Divinely and sweetly that to whom much is forgiven such doe love much but yet we must not sin many sins that so much may bee forgiven us and wee love much this were to turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and that which Augustine hath up and downe in his Tomes answers all that those also are to love much who have beene preserved by the providence and power of God from doing such and so many transgressions as some others have for why saith hee have we not sinned those sins was the cause in our nature Is the reason in our will No but only in the goodnesse of God wee are then to thanke him and love him for the sins we have committed and have had our pardon for them and for those many more which wee should have done had not the Lord beene all one as though wee had done them and had found a pardon of them and one degree more and that is that by reason of his meere mercy we have beene strongly preserved from so sinning against our God from so troubling the quiet of our owne hearts and in some particulars from so scandalizing the Church and people of GOD. 4. The fourth duty after the tentation is to make a good use of it to get some good out of it wee must come to some fruit after wee have beene so handled with such bitter plunges The Earth after Winter becomes fruitfull so must wee be now the good that comes by tentation is manifold 1. A sight of some corruption wee saw not before the beginning of all our comfort ariseth from an humble sight of our corruptions and t is fit that when we will not see them and abhor them by what we finde in the word we should have the experience of them in our selves then we say till now little did I thinke I had beene thus and thus given to such rebellions then wee cry ah wretched man that I am what a Beast what a divell am I This doth mightily empty us of our selves and then we quickly fill with God with Christ this is amends enough for all our toile that wee are made to see somewhat in our selves which wee never thought to bee in our hearts 2. The second is to see that ther is some sin not sufficiently and thorowly mortified that as yet wee have not gone to the quick of it and what that sin is and now to take it in hand againe and never give over till wee breake the heart of it lest it lye in the winde and doe us some spight against
their sin of blasphemy against God too great for him to pardon as though it were possible for man to sinne a sinne which Gods mercy being simply infinite had not enough in it to forgive it This their errour is worse than the first to thinke so meanly of the rich and high and boundlesse mercy of the most Eternall and Infinite GOD we must now learne better to prize the mercy of God and say I cannot once repent of a sin bee it ever so great and maine but the mercy of God is ready to forgive it Could the Blasphemer against the Holy Ghost repent he must have his pardon conceive wee hope of pardon and then we will returne to the Lord by repentance and the Lord will take away the guilt and wash away the staine of this great sin The third tentation is of perjury Here we must take great heed that we doe not forsweare our selves chiefly in open Court where if any where a man should shew himselfe a religious a true a just and an honest man a fruit it is of deep Atheisme to perjure ones selfe and perjured persons bee hated of God and man wherefore the conscience will deepely and bitterly accuse for this sinne of perjury I could wish all men who love their owne quiet and have a desire to sleep in a whole conscience that they would take heed that they do not take a false oath come what will rather dye a thousand deaths it is much against the light of nature and more against the light of Scripture and these two will flye in our faces with wild fire and except God bee mercifull to us make us weary of God and of our selves And me thinkes by the way Women may comfort themselves against the infirmities and troubles which have ever bin afflicted on their sex since they were first in the transgression I say that sex may see a mercy that they are not so subject to this sinne of formall perjury as men are they serve not in Iuries grand or petty they are not brought in Courts to take oathes in Homages and the like they serve not the office of Church-wardens and so are not sworne and deposed any thing so often as men hence they have a great freedome from sinning this vexing sinne over men have which I would have them thanke God for and amongst other matters take this as a recompence for those many inflictions and revenges which God at first laid on that sex so that in respect of this sin and some other tentations that they are free from over men bee they may when they doe thinke of it even thanke God that they were made women and not men let not then Satan bring us into this brake it is hard getting out of it Feare an oath and of all such oathes wherein wee doe wrong and hurt to men for though there be sometimes some corruption in it as tasting of selfe-love to our selves yet for certaine sins wherein wee wrong men whom we see doe so much the more torment and racke the conscience of man and many men have mightily miscarried for this offence and sin of perjury wherefore beware and now to provide for the worst we must tell the man who hath done this sin that there is hope in Israel concerning this sinne also David himselfe was not still as good as his oath as in the case of Mephibosheth hee fell short of that oath of the Lord which hee made to Ionathans house and family and because instances work easier on weake spirits than Rules I would have such to thinke of Peter who did forsweare and renounce the person of Christ and when But in his troubles and where But in the High Priests Hall and who Why Peter a chiefe Apostle in the love and favour of Christ his master and is not Peter in heaven Teares of repentance will fetch out the deepest staine that this sinne of perjury can possibly make but it is the Rule must settle us at last and it is that if wee repent of any sin bee it never so great in substance in circumstances it is as no sinne to us I said I will acknowledge my sin he was but about to doe it and God forgave the iniquity the guilt of his sin If we confesse our sins indefinitely set downe our sins without exception GOD is faithfull and just to forgive them it stands upon him in respect of his Iustnesse to be as good as his word to forgive all repentant sinners all their sins S. Iob 33. 27. If one say I have sinned hee will deliver his soule say peccavi and cry GOD mercy and we shall saith Salomon have mercy mercy presently in pardoning of our sins and mercy now some and then some in healing our iniquities Never did any man confesse his sin to God but hee went away with his pardon wicked men may confesse to their fellowes and to good men they may as Saul did to David but it is an harder matter than so for a man to confesse to God except it be for company or for outward glory but for a man to take God aside to confesse alone to him I thinke a wicked man cannot doe that I finde no instance in the Word that ever any unregenerate man did it A man had need have hope of pardon to confesse to the Iudge Adam did flye from God fell to shifting and so wee doe all while wee are as hee then was out of the state of grace I meane not the grace of election no man can have hope of pardon but by faith and by that I doe hold that it is a signe of a godly man to confesse all alone to God and then I can never beleeve that a man will confesse his sin honestly and ingeniously betwixt GOD and his owne soule except he hate that sinne Now how a wicked man can come to the hatred of his sinne is past my skill to understand To come backe I say despaire not it is worse than perjury it makes GOD a lier or worse than a lier it accuseth him of a kinde of perjury for a man to say there is no hope no pardon to be had repent we never so much sith God hath not only said it but sworne it that he will not the death of a repentant sinner repent and bee pardoned The fourth is breaking of Vowes a vow broken doth crack the comfort of mans conscience exceedingly A vow is defined to bee a religious promise made to God I say that every vow is such a promise but al such promises are not vowes for a vow properly and strictly taken is when a promise is made to GOD of this or that within our power with condition of obtaining some what at Gods hands other promises are simply made and absolutely without any such condition of getting any thing from the hands of God and thus Baptisme is soundly and learnedly denied to bee formally
in many Nations And many particular persons have doted wonderfully after this preposterous lust and have taken more bruitish and hellish delight in it than in those passions which are according to nature This then must be avoided by all meanes and all occasions of it warily eschewed he sinne is great it is a corrupting and a rotting of the very rudiments of nature in all things looke what corrupts the foundation and principall of things must needs be worst The punishment was great in that utter overthrow of Sodome In the Deluge water from heaven drownds here as in their sinne they had over-turned the law of nature so in their punishment there was an inversion of the course of nature for not water but fire came from heaven and burned them whose lusts were thus set on fire of hell It is used as a type of hell it is a crying sin The cry of Sodome and Gomorrah is great Gen. 18. 20. There is no sin but hath a voice but this amongst many and above most other sins hath a lowd and a crying voice it is heard to heaven it hath a lowd mouth to accuse which cry is nothing else but the guilt of conscience and the justice of God the conscience being full of matter and ready to accuse and God to heare As a man through importunity is drawn to execute justice against his minde so this sin doth so put God to it that hee must needs proceed except we come with hearty repentance hee cannot res nor be just till hee have sorely and sharpely punished it The thing I urge then sith the sin and the guilt is so great and will make such a noise in the conscience is by all meanes to keepe from the sin and from all spice of it to shun all occasions of it to take heed of that which Quintilian puts off in a Schoole-Master which is Nimium est quod intelligitur and he is so strict this way that he will not have bigger and lesser youths sit much together We may see what wrought Sodome to this sin Idlenesse pride fulnesse of bread these must be heedfully avoided and such sins as wee read Rom. 1. were in the justice of God punished with and by this passion of dishonour we must be thankfull to God for the light we have and in some measure walke according to the truth wee see They made God like a foure-footed beast and GOD gave them up to a sin which did abase them into a worse condition than of beasts and for such as are unmaried and have not the gift and by the use of al the meanes cannot get it such must know that it is better to marry than to burne and if they will rather burne than marry they are in a foule way to fall into this scalding sin which sin if they commit brings with it a world of misery and after when such shall happen to marry by the just hand of God they are suffered for a punishment of the former wickednesse to forsake as Paul saith the naturall use and run into that which is unnaturall and these are most monstrous lusts when all is done by way of preparation disposition of our hearts and thoughts against these corruptions that which will save us from the staine of these filthy puddles must be the pure and holy Word of God Set the Word against the sin and the sin is laid set the Word against Satan in this his tentation and â—atan cannot abide by it Satan 〈◊〉 no more abide the light of 〈◊〉 Word than an Owle can 〈◊〉 â—â—ining of the Sun say I 〈…〉 doe it I may not I 〈◊〉 it is forbidden in such 〈◊〉 place and againe in such a place It is called not onely a sinne but which shewes an height of sinning abomination both of them have committed abomination saith the text The punishment of it by Gods own Law was death no lesse than death present death they shall surely bee put to death their bloud shall bee upon them and the law was flat and peremptory that no Sodomite must bee amongst the sons of Israel and in that never the like reformation Iosiah brake downe the houses of the Sodomites which were by the house of the Lord 2 Kings 23. 7. Asa the father and Iehosaphat the sonne had swept away those unclean nests in their dayes but we see they grew on againe till Iosiah came and made a ful purgation These and such other places show that this sin is strong â—â—â—den and severely 〈◊〉 to which adde the wrath 〈◊〉 God on such in hell 1 Cor. â— These are the best medicines that bee which being rightly used and applied doe ever doe the cure Next to provide against the worst say a man be a sinner in this great wickednesse yet he must not run away from his father that will marre all There be I know degrees in this sinne but say it bee at the worst yet there is mercy with God repentance will make it up againe it is good to make all hast to returne sith lasciviousnesse is a sin which useth to seare up the conscience till the time of reckoning for al comes and God doth sometimes after a while shut up his gates of mercy and then as Chrysostome notes often though Noah Iob Moses Samuel and Daniel shold intercede it would bee to no purpose They were men of God who in their times did by their prayers do great things and compasse marvellous matters for particular persons for Families for Countries and yet when the glasse is out and the decree determined is past when the time is over wherein God may be found their prayers for others come in too late it is good then to bee at it with the soonest I meane not that ever it is too late to repent or that if we repent we can misse of mercy No no the fountaine stands open alwayes open in the house of David for sin and for uncleannesse and this unclean person as Paul cals him if he repent he shall finde mercy God forbid we should have such a thought as though this sin could staine so deepe that the bloud of Christ could not fetch it out our meaning is that whilst the conscience is awake and we have a faire offer made us by the Word and Spirit knocking at our hearts it is good wisdome to take Gods offer delaies be dangerous for if we will not know the day of our visitation God may and what if in justice he shall refuse to give us to repent then let our friends move for us God will not heare were they as good at praying as ever Iob Daniel Noah and Samuel were Let such then who are in this offence come in by all meanes in all hast to the Lord and when the Angell moves the water step into this Bath this Fountaine know that GOD would never
once caught to turne the eye away but the object of the eye must bee out of sight that it may be out of mind and then when another comes be before hand prevent the cunning of Sathan by keeping the eye off Iob as honest and as chast a man as lived yet he did make a covenant with his eyes that hee would not thinke on a maid by the course of the letter he shold have said that hee made a covenant with his eyes that hee should not looke on a maid but in stead of saying looke hee saith thinke because â—ooking usually brings thinking and thinking worse A maid hath an inclination in it in one sense and a cut loafe a covered cup carries strong poyson in it in another sense whether maid or maried hee doth best who binds his eyes from such looking that he be not overtaken and when the fire is once in he doth next best who puts the object out of sight and out of mind Some cry out on their eyes and doth even wish their eyes out and in this sense they may as well wish their hands off their feet off their eares off and member after member til al were off this is but to complain of God who made us these meÌ„bers and senses this is not the way it doth not please God and were it as we wish it would not please us for were we blinde all would bee one as long as the fire is unquenched within and our passions are suffered to bee up Wee know what Christ saith I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of this world but that thou wouldst sanctifie them through thy truth so we are not to wish our eyes out but our sin out and to pray him to sanctifie our hearts and eyes by his truth and then away out of doores with that which wee being led by our lust have made the object and occasion and it will mend and grow better It is true that if the object be removed the tentation for the time may cease and no victory as keepe a Sow from mire in a Meddow and the Sow wallowes not take away the Load-stone and the Iron moves not here is no reall change the intention of the minde is not changed nor the affection of the heart neither Such have a minde and a desire to the old lust still but if a man can remove the occasion of his owne proper motion not another take it away but hee himselfe put it away not be kept from it but keepe ones selfe of ones owne will from it this is from grace and here is a victory Vse these and the like means and hold on for a competent time in using of them and wee shal conquer the tentation must and will away Dis-may not though the conquest come not presently what Give over because the physick doth not heale at once taking Be out of heart because all is not done in a day It is not so easie to untie a knot in a silken thread the conscience is of a fine spinning and knots knit there and such as have bin long a knitting too will not bee undone on a sudden have patience give it time and now some and then some Gods medicines will heale and when wee finde the cure done and wee get some strength of grace by all meanes remember to be thankefull lest the tentation come againe and bring seven worse than its selfe But what if the ease I finde be onely because sin and Satan in skill doe cease to tempt if so then our danger remaines we keepe our weapon about us wee may know if it be onely a ceasing to tempt and the lust is onely for a time asleepe First if it bee done without using GODS meanes in Gods feare Secondly if we finde that the lust is only left not hated but if the sinne be hated then it is more than a bare ceasing from the sinne for Satan forbearing and sinne sleeping cannot bring us to an hatred of the sinne I speake not onely of a disapproving of the sin for so a civill man may doe and because it did molest us we may thence be brought to a dislike of it but if wee finde that we can hate it this proves that there is grace in us a divine nature which is contrary to that lust and that chastity is now in the place of the tentation and this cannot come onely from Satans ceasing and forbearing To cease is but a negative thing but chastitie is a positive qualitie which meere negative ceasing and giving over to solicite and tempt can never worke in us Thus when our chast affections are had out of the fire and we have attained this power by spirituall meanes used and waiting upon God for the successe Dispute nor say I have gotten the victory and the God of heaven hath eased mee of the vexation given mee a chast minde to my content and my comfort with body and soule both wee must exceedingly rejoyce in this vertue It is a grace which doth not onely sanctifie but grace and beautifie us all the paint in the world cannot cast such a shining vernish on the very body of a man as chastitie doth Thus much to shew the readie way how to prevent the tentation of lust and uncleannesse The last of all is in a word to helpe us out in case wee doe goe too far we must take heed of both the extreames 1. That we doe not run upon the Rocks of Despaire there is nothing got by discouragement during the time of huge and mightie terrors it may bee wee shall have no minde nor heart to tamper with those lusts againe but yet for other sinnes every way worse worse to God and worse to us we lye all open to them when we are in great dejection as Discontent Distrust a secret rising against God Vnthankefulnesse A finding fault with all that God either saith or doth No care of the Word to reckon no other of the Scripture than of our very Neck-verse and a world of mischiefes more which are the greatest sinnes indeed in these occasions wee are very apt to fall off from Gods mercie to frie in hellish sorrow no sins doe so fire the conscience of a man as these lusts of uncleannesse doe they stare in our faces looke upon our consciences as it were with the eyes of so many devils and in this respect wee must take great heed that wee be not quite out of heart when a man is past hope hee is in his own sense past grace and when a man is made a terrour to himselfe great danger is at hand and therefore when frights doe come and such doe finde themselves too to apt to joyne with the motion to despaire looke upon Gods love beare up in an apprehension and application of his mercie Looke upon instances in the Word of better men than wee are who in the same or the like have seene a good end of all and are now
continueth untill his crowne be put upon him in the meane time our comfort is that ere long wee shall bee out of the reach of all tentation the God of peace will tread downe Satan under our feet A carnall mans life is nothing but a strengthning and feeding of his enemie a fighting for that which fighteth against his soule Since Satan hath cast this seed of the Serpent into our soules there is no sin so prodigious but some seed of it lurketh in our nature It should humble us to heare what sins are forbidden by Moses which if the Holy Ghost had not mentioned we might have beene ashamed to heare of they are so dishonourable to our nature the very hearing of the monstrous outrages committed by men given up of God as it yeelds matter of thanks to God for preservation of us so of humility to see our common nature so abused and abased by sinne and Satan Nay so catching is our Nature of sin that the mention of it in stead of stirring hatred of it often kindles Fancie to a liking of it the discovery of divellish policies and stratagems of wit though in some respects to good purpose yet hath no better effect in some than to fashion their wits to the like false practises and the innocencie of many ariseth not from love of that which is good but from not knowing of that which is evill And in nothing the sinfulnesse of sin appeares more than in this that it hindereth all it can the knowledge of it selfe and if it once be knowne it studieth extenuation and translation upon others sin and shifting came into the world together in Saint Iames his time it seemes there were some that were not afraid to father their temptations to sinne upon him that hateth it most God himselfe whereas God is only said to try not to tempt Our Adversaries are not far from imputing this to God who maintaine Concupiscence the mother of all abominations to be a condition of Nature as first created onely kept in by the bridle of originall righteousnesse that from hence they might the better maintaine those proud opinions of perfect fulfilling the Law and meriting therby This moved Saint Iames to set downe the true descent and pedegree of sin wee our selves are both the Tempters and the Tempted as Tempted wee might deserve some pity if as Tempters wee deserve not blame in us there is both fire and matter for fire to take hold on Satan needs but to blow and often times not that neither for many if Concupiscence stirre not up them they will stirre up to Concupiscence So long as the soule keepes close to God and his truth it is safe so long as our way lieth above we are free from the Snares below all the danger first riseth from letting our hearts loose from God by infidelity for then presently our heart is drawn away by some seeming good whereby we seeke a severed excellencie and contentment out of God in whom it is only to be had After we have once forsaken God God forsakes us leaving us in some degree to our selves the worst guides that can be and thereupon Satan joynes forces with us setting upon us as a friend under our owne colours hee cannot but miscarry that hath a Pirate for his guide This God suffereth to make us better knowne to our selves for by this meanes corruption that lay hid before is drawne out and the deceitfulnesse of sinne the better knowne and so wee are put upon the daily practice of repentance and mortification and driven to fly under the wings of Iesus Christ Were it not for temptations we should be concealed from our selves our graces as unexercised would not bee so bright the power of God should not appeare so in our weaknesse we would not be so pitiful and tender towards others nor so jeâ—lous over our owne hearts nor so skilfull of Satans method and enterprises we should not see such a necessity of standing alwayes upon our guard but though by the over-ruling power of God they have this good issue yet that which is ill of it selfe is not to be ventured on for the good that commeth by accident The chiefe thing wherein one Christian differs from another is watchfulnesse which though it require most labour yet it bringeth most safety and the best is no farther safe than watchfull and not onely against sinnes but tentations which are the seeds of sinne and occasions which let in tentations the best by rash adventures upon occasions have beene led into temptations and by temptation into the sin it selfe whence sin and temptation come both under the same name to shew us that we can bee no farther secure from sinne than we be carefull to shun temptations And in this every one should labour so wel to understand themselves as to know what they finde a temptation to them that may be a temptation to one which is not to another Abraham might looke upon the smoake of Sodome though Lot might not because that sight would worke more upon Lots heart than Abrahams In these cases a wise Christian better knowes what to doe with himselfe than any can prescribe him And because God hath our hearts in his hand and can either suspend or give way to temptations it should move us especially to take heed of those sins wherby grieving the good Spirit of God wee give him cause to leave us to our owne spirits but that he may rather stirre up contrary gracious lustings in us as a contrary principle There is nothing of greater force to make us out of godly jealousie to feare alwayes Thus daily working out our salvation that God may delight to goe along with us and be our Shield and not to leave us naked in the hands of Satan but second his first Grace with a further degree as temptations shall encrease it is he that either removeth occasions or shutteth our hearts against them and giveth strength to prevaile over them which gracious providence you cannot be too thankfull for it is a great mercy when temptations are not above the supply of strength against them This care onely taketh up the heart of those who having the life of Christ begun in them and his Nature stampt upon them have felt how sweet communion and acquaintance with God in Christ and how comfortable the daily walking with God is these are wary of any thing that may draw away their hearts from God and hinder their peace And therefore they hate temptations to sin as sin it selfe and sinne as hell it selfe and hell most of all as being a state of eternall separation from all comfortable fellowship with God A man that is a stranger from the life of God cannot resist tentation to sin as it is sin because hee never knew the beauty of holines but from the beauty of a civill life he may resist tentations to such sins as may weaken respect and from love of his owne quiet may abstaine from
those sins that will affright conscience And the cause why civil men feele lesse disturbance from temptations is because they are wholly under the power of temptation til God awaken their heart What danger they see not they feare not the strong man holds his possession in them and is too wise by rowzing them out of their sleepe to give them occasion of thoughts of escape None more under the danger of tentation than they that discerne it not they are Satans stales taken by him at his pleasure whom Satan useth to draw others into the same snare therefore Satan troubleth not them nor himselfe about them but a true Christian feares a temptation in every thing his chiefe care is that in what condition soever hee bee it proves not a temtation to him Afflictions indeed are more ordinarily called temptations than prosperity because Satan by them breedeth an impression of sorrow and feare which affections have an especiall working upon us in the course of our lives making us often to for sake God and desart his cause yet snares are laid in every thing we deale with which none can avoid out those that see them none see but those whose eyes God opens and God useth the ministery of his servants for this end to open the eyes of men to discover the net and then as the Wiseman saith in vain is the net spred before the sight of any bird This moved this godly Minister my Christian friend to take paines in this usefull argument as appeareth in this Treatise which is written by him in a cleare quicke and familiar stile and for the matter and manner of handling solid judicious and scholler-like and which may commend it the more it is written by one that besides faithfulnesse and fruitfulnesse in his ministry hath beene a good proficient in the schoole of temptation himselfe and therefore the fitter as a skilfull Watch-man to give warning and aime to others for there be spirituall exercises of Ministers more for others than for themselves If by this he shall attaine in some measure what hee intended God shall have the glory thou the benefit and he the incouragement to make publike some other Labours Fare-well in the Lord. R. SIBBS Faults escaped PAge 40. line 20. for sinne this reade this sinne p. 123. l. 7. for who can say r. who can say p. 183. l. 23. for stake r. slake p. 212. l. 9. for blame r. flame p. 225. l. 5. after againe put in who can say p. 380. l. 22. for manner r. Manour p. 416. l. 18. for we keep r. keep we p. 549. l. 23. for alienated r. alienum p. 203. l. 17. for freed once r. freedome p. 58. l. 24. for will r. would p. 65. l. 8. after not put in only In the Epistle to the Reader for desart r. desert p. 18. l. 20. r. armand p. 387. l. 18. for thoughts r. faults p. 239. l. 21. r. sinfull affections p. 240. l. 18. for both r. back p. 238. l. 20. for grave r. growne p. 190. l. 17. for we r. he p. 191. l. 10. for the sure r. sure the. p. 136. l. 15. for doth God r. God doth p. 137. l. last for from r. for p. 108. l. 21. put out and. p. 75. l. 23. for reproved r. approved p. 61. l. 18. after certaine put in of all sinnes p. 138. l. 10. for suffer r. chuse p. 290. l. 18. put out Art p. 342. l. 19. after man put in may 362. l. 7. in the margent after they dranke put in they married p. 84. l. 9 r. liking p. 376. l. 8. r. convenient p. 384. l. 3. put out the point at heard p. 337. l. 7. put out to p. 377. l. 25. the point at not put at will p. ibid. l. 22. first of Timothy 5. 11. put in the margent the first 227. must be 225. THE TABLE A ADams first sinne from himselfe Page 〈◊〉 How sinne came first into the Angels 〈◊〉 Adam deprived himselfe of righteousnesse 〈◊〉 We must keepe all our Armour about us 〈◊〉 An Angell without God serves not 〈◊〉 Afflictions no proofe that God loves us not 〈◊〉 Atheisme how tempted to it and how cured of 〈◊〉 Satan neither is nor can be an Atheist 〈◊〉 Adultery a great sinne how prevented and how cured 〈◊〉 B TEntations of Blasphemy what and how cured 270 Blasphemy against the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 Baptisme properly no vow â—88 Beastiality Tentations that way and their 〈◊〉 3â—6 The Body a great occasion of uncleannesse 〈◊〉 Helps against such as have hurt their Bodies by the sinnes 〈◊〉 C COnscience simply is not our Iudge 309 Sinnes the worse or lesse for that they trouble the Conscience how and why 370 D DEceits of sinne 22 Men doe wrong the Devill 39. 40. Wee must not lay our faults on the Devill 44 Dispute not with sinne and Satan 96 Desertion in it selfe no sinne 137 Discontent is caused by sinne not by crosses 337 Despaire in lusts of uncleannesse prevented 419 F FVlnesse of sin what and when 75 Fly not in tentations 97 Faith our weapon in Tentations 100 Fight and conquer 104 Friends to be chosen to helpe us in tentations 188 After Fals rise againe 212 Feare a meanes to prevent hurting ones selfe G GOd to bee our God wee must hold in Tentations 131 H Sinne against the Holy Ghost not in the old Testament 40 Sinne against the Holy Ghost a part of Originall sinne 41 Sinners in Hell doe not demerit 146 I INclosure a great sinne 27 28 Infirmities what and how knowne 118 K KIndred must take heed one of another in the lusts of uncleannesse 40â— L LVst unconsented forbidden in each Commandement 17 Long-suffering a great meanes to helpe in Tentations 166 Love of God keepes us from relapsing 226 M FIrst Motions to sinne are great sins 12 Abuse of Mercies brings Tentations 81 Tentations of Murther and their cure 322 Selfe Murther discovered and the cure of it 324 â—â—ch as have the gift ought not to Marry 375 Marriages are to be provided for children in due time 375 Marriage not appointed to make men rich but chaste 383 Rules how to Marry and how to order our selves in the married estate 386 N SInnes against Nature 53 Law of Nature no part of originall sin 55 How men become inclinable to sinnes against Nature 63 O ORiginall sinne is properly a sinne 11 Originall sinne for bidden by the Law 14 Originall sinne is virtually every sinne 38 Originall sinne equall in all men 41 Old Christians most tempted 51 Occasions of sinne to be avoyded 83 The helpe of Others in tentations 183 Avoyding Occasions of sinne a signe of grace 205 Old people must see they avoyd lusts of youth 400 No Ordinary conquest against sinne without putting away the occasions 411 Opinion prevailes too much in judging of sins 350 P THe Pharisies held all inward motions to bee no sinnes 20 Spirituall Pride makes worke for tentations 79 Pride the master sinne in all 88 Prayer brings
be held by great Divines amongst them as by Tapper in art To cast all into a briefe I say that God is not bound to give place of repentance unto dispisers and breakers of his covenant 2. Hee may in Iustice absolutely deny it them and many times doth as to Caine Gen. 4. 11. to Esau Heb. 11. 17. to Corah and his complices Num. 16. 27. to Ananas and Zaphira Acts 5. 5. and infinite others 〈◊〉 saith Aquinas God if he will may doe it for no sin but for to punish Originall sinne onely 3. God doth give place and time and the grace of repentance to most indurate sinners and to such as for the just guerdon of some former sins have bin given up to a reprobate minde and albeit such bee farre spent yet they are not past cure the disease doth admit of a remedy the sin is not the sin against the holy Ghost it is pardonable by a kinde of violent worke of the Law and Gospell by a strong and compacted force of the Spirit of God such hurts are sometimes cured and such sinnes are healed and therefore to avoide the blow of Satans tentations that we are in a reprobate mind and therefore past all remedy Let us say yet there is hope in Israel concerning this sin repent wee and returne and God will shew us mercy For though God may leave such a man utterly in his sins yet that he must and will give men up when their sins are come to such or such a passe is a Doctrine fit for none to teach but Papists whose religion was and is as Luther once noted a Slaughter-house of the conscience of man Quest What be the remedies against tentation They are either Generall or else Particular for some certaine cases as for the Generall there are Rules to be observed some before some in others after the tentation Generall Rules and Remedies for prevention before All I cannot neither would I if I could the chiefe are 1. Beware of spirituall pride the disease of such as have something to be proud of for when men grow into a big conceite of themselves then there needs a tentation to pricke the bladder Swelling in the body is a dangerous Symptome t is no lesse ominous to the soule for if once wee come to please our selves with our well doing the heart presently swels up into a puffe of spirituall pride which is the greatest enemy to the free grace of God that is which spirituall pride is usually cured w th a spirituall fall See in the stories of the Saints in the blessed Bible and we shall finde that their pride of spirit hath ever likely had a fall it was for the pride of wit that those Rom. 1. were given over to passions of dishonour walke humbly with thy GOD and feare nothing What was in Adam is rife in us still yee shall bee as gods was his disease and it is ours ever after 2. The next thing wee must see to is Security and here the precept is Watch When men thinke there is least danger then the danger is greatest sin and Satan are ever watching their oportunities which is when we watch not and is it not fit sin and Satan should bee let loose upon us to feare us out of our security and chiefly such lusts as fire the conscience A man in a swoone must wee know bee rubbed and chafed and some staring lusts which will trouble the spirits of a man and chafe his very soule are a fit of burning fever to cure this spirituall Lethargie Security will rust us undoe us and eate out all that good is out of us and if the word will not doe it nor a crosse will not worke it then comes a sharpe tentation to see what that will doe and if any thing will first awake and then humble the drowsie and sleepy heart of a man it is some vexing sin or other 3. Wee must not abuse any mercy what ever it be for that bringes in a tentation hee that will not use lawfull things lawfully it is just with God that hee should and ten to one hee shal fal into the unlawfull act of the thing abused Bee it Wife or Name or Goods or any mercy if wee abuse it and doe not use it aright the next is to bee set upon with some act of sin in the matter it selfe What ever wee enjoy if we enjoy it not holily and thankefully we shall bee sore tempted about it in one sinfull veine or other 4. Looke not disdainefully on any sin in another bee the sin what it will bee the sinner who he will our nature stands not free from the same we are subject to that very malady and to punish us for looking upon the fals and faults of others with scornes first or last wee are like to bee tempted to and with the same offence that we may learne to know our selves and to bee more mercifull to others against another time A common thing for a man out of passion not compassion to let flye at anothers sins to day and to fall or bee ready to fall into the selfe same sin to morrow We find that we are sollicited to a sinne that we never yet from our youth felt any motion too till now to let us see that we beare about us not only the rootes of those sins which our complexion hath enclined us unto but also of those sinnes wee never thought of nor dream'd of that so wee may learn to consider others in their corruptions with meekenesse to day sith it may bee our case to take their turne to morrow 5. Keepe off from us and our selves off from all occasions of any sinne to rush into harmes way is to tempt our selves and to tempt Satan to tempt us He that will dare to runne into the mouth of any sin he doth conceit that hee is free from that sinne and the next newes hee heares is to heare of that very sin that he may know by experience what a creature man is keepe and doth not he who ventures on occasions of sin take himself free from the danger of that sin whereas the very deed is that the man who doth dare to venture on the occasion of sinne shewes that there was in the heart an implicite likening of that sinne though hee neither thinke it nor feele it but rather dreame the contrary for when the occasion is once afoot then presently comes in mighty provocations to that sin and then the hidden corruption opens and manifests it selfe it is our wisdome as we would shun sin to avoid all occasions of all sins whatsoever For if wee will not keepe our selves from the occasion God will not keepe us from the sin and if God do not keep us we cannot be kept we cannot we will not choose but fall 6. Keep all our armour about us and put sin and Satan out of hope the divell is wiser than usually to tempt where he
of impatient patience why should not wee beare what others beare what are wee is our nature better than others here must bee a kinde of content else it is like it will be worse yet else as yet we are neither truly nor sufficiently humble it must teach us to thinke better of others than of our selves and wee must learne to render thanks to God considering what our deserts are and what our nature is that we are no worse that wee are broken out no more 3. The last use is that we must consider a providence in it in that we are kept from sinning by being tempted for sin God doth suffer us to fall into the thoughts and affections that so we might not fall into the outward deed and action of sinne better have a motion in the wil than the will and the deed too the will is taken for the deed in good things but not in sinne for that Gods accepting and rewarding our good deeds comes out of his grace and favour it is a matter of mercy drawes out of the merits of Christ and therefore God may and doth many times take the hearty will and desire for the deed but in sin it is not so for there the punishment is according to the desert and merit of the sin it is more or lesse as the desert of the sin is more or lesse now there is more guilt in the act and will too than is in the will alone evill workes really deserve punishment and the punishment is never more than the guilt that is in the sin and therefore the will is not so bad as the deed There be more degrees of malice and evilnesse in the act than in the purpose alone and therefore of the two it is better to have it in the affection within than in the act without too chiefly when the thoughts be such as we cannot abide doe not allow but abhor we fall soonest into the outward act of that sin which thrusts in upon us on a sudden whereof wee felt not the drawing tentation first within had David bin haunted with pestilent and violent suggestions motions to adultery and murther he had then felt those corruptions to have beene strong in his flesh his care then would have been to have beene earnest with God by prayer to be pardoned healed and preserved and so hee had found such strength that hee would not nor should not have done those faults what if we finde that wee doe loath such lusts when they begin to fire yet we must not stay there as though it were impossible that wee should ever fall into the sinnes themselves David would have taken it in as much scorne as another had one spoken before to him as touching adultery and murther our disliking the inward motion is not thorow enough except it bring us on our knees and beg of God that it proceed no further and so we see by accident it is a mercy to be held under some such profitable tentations and wee must make this mercy of it that the tentation drive us to God to keepe us from finishing the sin it selfe our tentation must bee a meanes of our prevention we must take it as a warning peece to arme us against falling into the foule fault it selfe The second maine branch is how we should get the tentation off and draw our selves out of the snare and here we are to show what wee must not doe and then what we must doe 1. We must not dispute with sin nor Satan Satan when they came to arguing was too hard for our first parents in their innocency when they had wit at will and their reason at command and now that wee are as we are we loose all if once wee begin to enter into disputation with such an old Sophister and crafty fox as Satan is and our owne lust is the greatest both deceiver and distembler in the world He as one saith shootes with Satan in his owne Bow who thinkes by disputing and reasoning to put off Satan our reason is corrupt and on his side and it will betray us into his hands 2. Wee must not flye away from Satan a run-away never makes a good conclusion of his tentations from Idolatry and from Adultery and Fornication wee must flye such sins are best conquered by flying and we are to hold our selves from all occasions of all sins whatsoever when and where we may doe it without offending of God but from the divell it is neither possible nor lawfull to flye from him not possible because the divels are exceeding many and they are spirits and there can bee no flying from them nor lawfull because wee are bid to resist him and therefore forbid to flye from him and then againe because it is a kinde of service done to Satan a yeelding to him some kinde of worship sith that it is to feare him and we are commanded to feare GOD and not the divell A feare there is granted so as to send us to God and to the use of Gods meanes but such a feare as to make us run a fainting feare is unlawfull and dangerous and after a sort a serving of Satan the deadly enemy of the Lord Iehovah Make the case thus a man is on just occasion alone by himselfe aye in the darke too and hath reason so to be now sinne and Satan let flye at him with their fiery bloudy dartes here wee must not runne not avoid the place it is a kind of serving Satan and a yeelding to the divell God is angry with it and it is often the way to great danger what if by this shifting the roome we finde ease for the present yet it is but his skill like a lightening before death it leades us securely into the hands of the same or some other tentation what must wee doe Even stand it out hold there as we have a calling to be there what if wee quake better quake than serve Satan better tremble every veine than sin better dye in the place than flye from the place because it is a flying from Satan and hee that in this sense flyes from Satan for feare seemes to distrust Gods providence on him for that particular Thus far for what wee must not doe now next is what we must do and here we have many things the heads are these 1. The first thing is beleeving get faith saith Paul and then wee shall quench all the fiery darts of the Divell Our faith will doe wonders if wee apply the victory that Christ hath made over Satan for us what if wee bee Cowards yet Christ did not play the Coward His victory Mat. 4. was ours and for us Hee stood in our place plaid our prize beate Satan to our hands His glorious triumph over Satan is a kinde of satisfaction for all our yeelding so much aye too too much to the divell what
we must hold our owne and keep in this perswasion to dye for it that wee are the children God Say we have ever so many afflictions desertions corruptions yet that ought not to shake us out of our assurance for David had as many afflictions as any of us and more and for desertions wee finde him all over the Psalmes making heavy complaints that way He that runs may reade all over that Book many a dolefull song and for corruptions and such corruptions too as use to pay us home sins great sins I meane committed after his calling and conversion hee laid hands on another mans wife hee defiled her her husband loving David as his own soule and then fell upon an horrid plot of murther he did art it with hellish skill and shed the bloud of sundry that hee might be the death of one and did hee not number the people against all reason and stood it out too say all the Captaines what they could And yet I hope David added not this sin to all the rest to wit to question it whether God were his God or not I have saith hee done foolishly I have sinned and that greatly Lord forgive what The infirmity No the iniquity of whom Of thy Servant He holds this fast that for all his sins his great sinnes yet hee was Gods servant still let go this and though our sins were but a few or but ordinary yet Satan will sinke us with one tentation or other but now keepe wee our ground in this point never deny the conclusion that God is our God and say our corruptions were more were worse than they are well may Sathan shake his chaine at us but we stand on a rock and the flouds of his tentations cannot come so much as at our feet For we know that our sins are but the sinnes of a creature his mercies are the mercies of an infinite Creator without either banke or bottome keepe wee the maine chance that he is our father and then well may our sins humble us but Satan with all his setting on shall never be able to discourage us we know that Christ died for sinners and for the chiefe of sinners no man was ever kept out of heaven for his confessed badnesse but many are for their supposed goodnesse In a word this only point that hee is our father kept up in our consciences will make us fit and able to dash and blow off al the powers of darknes and push away all the darts of the divell therefore sith it is his method to lay all upon this point hold this fast and wee hold all fast If the Enemy assault one way and the Garrison defend another way the Towne is lost the Enemy will carry the strongest peece We must not bee taken up about other matters and lye open here here Satan will try his skill and doe his utmost to bring us out of conceit with God and to make us think that God hath no love unto us no care of us and then we are gone Live and dye then with this in thy heart and mouth Hee is my God and I am his servant and so we shall bee able to lay all the divels in hell Say God hath confirmed his love to mee so much so often that now I hope I shall never call that matter into question againe And next for afflictions we must frame a new Bible ere we can with any colour finde any thing out of Gods afflicting us to prove that hee doth not love us of the two abundance and plenty and outward peace would yeeld matter to say that God doth not care for us and yet it would be long ere a Christian will come to a Minister and say I have such a deale of wealth of health and so many friends and so much friendship that I feare mee I am not in the right but when afflictions comes and stormes arise then wee come and make a pitious moane sure God is not my father I am not his child and grow we doe into hard conceits concerning God and heavy thought as touching our selves now all this comes out of our fancy who doe so highly prize the things of this life that sure if God did love us we should not bee in such and such wants A very foolery the Text is cleere he correcth every son whom he receiveth let the word bee heard speake and then we may conclude the contrary and say thus doth God afflict me and hee doth withall make mee to make a right use of his afflictions say but of one and by this I am sure that he is mine and I am his for affliction is a part of the curse in its owne nature and God doth never chang the nature of it and turne it to a mercy but onely to those hee loves it should it would hurt me I finde it did me doth mee good and therefore I am a son of his love And lastly for desertion that is but a mist before our eyes Desertion is in it selfe no sin for Christ was without sense aye he was so deepe in it that when he dyed he said why hast thou forsaken me A totall a finall desertion ours is not partiall the best have had and have GOD turnes away his face David himselfe is troubled The just doth live by faith and not by feeling and in that very Psalme where hee complaines that his spirit was over-whelmed within him and that his very heart within him was desolate I say in that selfesame Psalme David saith Thou art my God I passe not whether this Desertion bee for sinne or from sin a chastisement of sin or an effect of sin all comes to one for our dispute it hath is and may bee the case of a right godly man Looke up then and if from want of sight and feeling wee doe say Why hast thou forsaken me yet then let us by faith withall say my God my God and we are safe Sith then this is the order Satan useth to follow us in his tentations to make us to distrust our being in Christ and our standing in grace we must make that our method too and rather suffer to dye at Gods feet than to suffer our assurance to be taken away from us Lose this and lose all our comfort hold this and all is ours let Satan say and doe his worst I confesse it is a heavy hand when a man is put to it to walke without his feeling David was a man for naturall and spirituall cheerefulnesse both above men yet hee had his heart full and say his case were ours that for very sorrow of heart arising from the absence of the light of his countenance wee be like a bottle in the smoak we doe shrim away to nothing become a very Sceleton a bagge of bones an Anatomie of a man yet then our faith must shew it selfe and we must hold up our heads above water no great thankes
tempter will come and bring seven worse with him than before and our lust will come againe and take us at some advantage and doe us a spoile in case wee thinke the tentation ended when there is a politike giving over to bite for a season onely What must wee doe to know when the ceasing is because the tentation is conquered and when it is onely by withdrawment for a time Many things might here bee said that which satisfies is to affirme that if wee have taken paines used Gods meanes waited Gods time then the worke is done as it should be but if meanes or all ordinary meanes to bee had have not beene used wee have not set God and prayer against the motion if we find that the lust is gone we know not how on a sudden no sooner come almost but gone hereis cause of suspicion to feare that all is but a practise of our great enemy a purpose to rock us in security that he may come and take us in the sinne or some other when we least thinke of it and and stand unprepared Againe if wee finde no good fruits and effects to follow no good to come of it to our heart and life that wee are no more humble no more if not lesse spirituall than before here is great doubt that the tentation is gone the wrong way for if we do drive this Divell away by GODS meanes which are spirituall as prayer reading watching spirituall seed-corne will leave behind it some spirituall fruit prayers and holy exercises use not to bee lost they fall not in the dust but mortifie and sanctifie they both must and doe and therefore if wee finde ease but not grace some quiet but not the quiet fruit of righteousnesse for all that I know as good the tentation had stayed as depart thus But if we finde that we have not onely a bare freed once from the stirre and power of the tentation but the tentation is over and good is left behind more modest humble fearefull of sin carefull of God then the worke is done by God and we have our comfort when a man then doth finde some respit by turning his thoughts over to thinke of the world that this or that is to be got or saved be set or sold here or there is a purchase to bee made this is not Gods cure but if the liberty we now have over we had be made ours by turning to God and his wayes then wee may boldly tell our selves and bid our consciences rest upon it that we have gone the right way to worke and that there is no mistake in the matter and as wee must not thinke wee have it when wee have it not so wee must not think we have it not when indeed and in truth we have Satan doth play on both sides and his devices to coozen us of our comfort this way are many what saith hee all that is nothing but a forbearing of old and wonted occasions and a wicked man may doe this indeed we must not lay the fault on the occasion as the Tipler doth on drinke that it is made so strong and the Glutton on his fare it is so choice that who can choose but feed by the belly for the creatures are no kind of cause Before the Floud when men did as great Divines conceive drinke water and feed upon plants wee see there was a world of abominations and therefore we must lay the fault on our lusts within not on the occasions without yet this I say that if a man finde that by the use of prayer and the word a man doth in conscience and with constancy shun all the occasions of that sin which heretofore hee neither could nor would there is a cure wrought for a brunt in some fit an unregenerate man may but to doe it still alwayes forever hereafter thus to doe is a signe of power of grace and after constancy we must see that wee doe it in conscience that we do not avoid the thing or person which were to us occasions of sinning out of hatred to the person or to the thing but to the sin that our stomack doth not rise at them as they are such or such things materially but formally as they are to us occasions of offending and that by reason of coruption not in them but in us He that can doe that that man may say that Sathan lyes when hee tels him that a wicked man may surcease by hiding himselfe from his old occasions for in this sense nothing but grace and the spirit and some power of the Holy Ghost can make a man shake off his old occasions a man in his sins will be so far from refusing occasions when they come in his way that hee will look and make after them and have them he will if hee may have them for love or money An hungry man will thorow stone wals for meate so where the love and raigne of sin is there a man will and must breake thorow fire and water to have his desires finished the occasions of that sin hee must and will follow what ever come of it I say it that nothing but grace can make a man abstain from the occasions of sinne when hee is tempted when not tempted the matter is not so much and some men without the strength of grace may forbeare but when the tentation is up and the passion is on fire though a man dye and without Gods mercy damne in the place he cannot possibly forbeare without the force of the spirit I dare affirme it that hee that can and doth in the order and manner I have set down either put the occasion from him or himselfe from the occasion of a sin he hath been and is tempted unto that man hath made an acceptable conquest of that lust and wee doe wrong our selves I cannot say how much when we suffer Satan to perswade us the contrary The next thing wee are to looke to is that we doe not coozen and deceive our selves so as to thinke we have not overcome the tentation why Because we are not rid of evill thoughts it is conquest enough that evill thoughts are borne as a burthen and that lust and Satan for their hearts are not able to bring it any further than thoughts I know God could if he would and would if hee saw it good and fit take away the swarme of evill thoughts but for our good they are suffered to flye up and down in our imaginations not onely to humble us for as the thoughts are so we should be if we were let alone they show our nature and when wee are come to some practise and growth wee are then apt to heave up with conceits of our selves above what is written to thinke that wee are not as other men are and therefore to prevent and discure the malady evill thoughts are left in us to remember us what wee are of our selves as also that by feeling the thoughts
stirring within and praying against them we may be kept from acting the sin in it selfe in the deed This must be borne for wee must know that our inward lust ever foameth out a loathsome fume loathsome I say even to the naturall conscience of a man and would if it were possible defile as one notes the very regenerate part sin is to be in us till we dye and therefore evill motions suggestions and delusions of Satan must be borne withall the help is that wee doe delight in the law of God as touching the Inner man and what if we see them to bee more than they were before yet it is because our light is more our sight is cleerer our spirituall sense quicker so that if wee have by prayer wonne then delight and consent away from sinne the more grace we have the more sinnes wee have not but the more sins wee see for that if God should let us see the sinnes heretofore when we had little or no grace wee see now wee then must needs have despaired we could not have borne it it being a great worke and power of grace to be able to stand before the sight of our sins and againe wee can discerne more corruption now than we could then because our eyes are now more open wee must not goe about then to conclude against the haire that sure the victory is not got because wee see and feele perhaps more evill thoughts or our evill thoughts to stir more than before alas did we not feele them and the burthen of them we would never care to come to God to have them done away and therefore it is rather an argument that the conquest is comfortably made and that the Lord doth intend us a good turne even to helpe us away with our lust more and more every day for that wee finde that our lusts doe burthen us and appeare in their odious colours more and more every day make not that then an argument against us which is rather for us say that I find it and feele it more and worse I hate it more I delight in it lesse I consent not at all this is sufficient for our comfort for the present and that man who hath gone thus far may well be said to overcome the tentation 2. The second thing to bee considered of after the tentation is that in case we do catch a fall and the tempter without lust within doe blow and push us downe yet wee must not make the matter worse by despairing for to despaire is a greater fall than the fall it selfe this were to leape into the fire to save our selves from the blame I know a godly man can never utterly despaire there is still a seed in him and where faith is there is some hope where hope is there is not a totall despaire but doubt wee doe saith Paul yet not despaire and such doubtings we have as do make our life uncomfortable and some degrees of despaire we do admit and for every degree of despaire that wee doe suck in wee doe suffer the losse of a degree of comfort wherefore wee must hold out against thoughts propositions tending to despaire rise with David rise with Peter and grow better after-than before the maine push is given because we sin after knowledge so did these two Worthies and they are in heaven and dyed for all that in peace and honour Davids conscience when hee came to dye was troubled about a lesser matter I meane the cases of Shimei and Ioab as for his bloud and murther not a word why Because hee had made a thorow-peace with God for those sins in his life and health-time he had compounded with his Iudge let us doe so in any hand resist hold out doe and suffer any thing rather than sin but if Satan hath gone beyond us lye not in sin up againe it is not death to commit sin but it is to lye in sinne repentance doth give the soule a vomit up comes all againe it showes great love in God and great faith in us to rise up againe out of great fals and when up once then fortifie our selves we must against relapses there is a seâ— depth of trouble in minde will follow if after our rising we fall againe into the same or the like offence this will cost deare but yet by the way I affirme that this may befall the child of God In the story of the Iudges the Church up and downe did sin the sin of Idolatry repented and yet fell againe and againe and this were to unchurch the Church of the Iewes to say that Gods people cannot doe that sin after repentance which they did doe before And who can thinke that Abraham did not repent of that his sin in the matter of Sarah yet the next occasiâ—n he sinned the very sinne againe and was not that a grosse sinne to tell a tale as hee did to lay his wife open to adultery to save his life which many heathens would rather have lost their lives than have endured and what to make a bargain that not for once or so but where ever we come doe thou say thou art my sister If this were not in substance in circumstance a grosse sin I know not what is they did as it were consent unto it and that Abraham finding so strange a deliverance by God as he did repented not were straying and yet after he fell into the very same sinne againe and one dares say that David committed adultery often because he took Bethsheba and had six wives besides and ten Concubines and for murther deny it who can that David went far when hee said and swore that he would be the death of Nabal and all his innocent family wherein was a godly and right vertuous wife and some religious servants this was a grosse sin and what if hee did not act the deed No thankes to him he was resolved if ever man were and yet after hee fell into the foule murther of Vriah the Church in Nehemiah and Ezre fell the second time after solemne repentance into the grosse fact of having many wives and for the word wee have nothing against it God will forgive us seventy times that is infinite times a certaine number being put for an uncertain me thinks it is a sinfull limiting the holy one of Israel in his free and infinite mercies of Christ our redeemer in his merits to say the contrary as though GOD did forgive us because wee have done the grosse sin but once after wee are in Christ and for reasons I propose but these 1. What ever sin wee may repent of that God may and will pardon but the sinne of falling againe after repentance into the selfesame great offence is a fault that a man may repent of which I thus prove because it is not the sin against the Holy Ghost or there is no sinne but that sinne which doth exclude repentance and that every
grosse sin done after true repentance could not be the sinne against the Holy Ghost I need not prove because no mā can or wil affirme it 2. T is on al hauds granted that a man may fall into some other grosse sinne but not say they into the same But of this they neither can nor doe give good reason there being no place in the word nor no ground in the nature of faith or of repentance but that a man may as well fall into the same grosse sin as another as great because that another sinne as great is as contrary to the habit of grace and act of repentance as the same 3. What may stand with the grace of God that a godly man may do but to sin the same grosse sin after repentance is not incompatible with the grace of God as now it is in us for what may stand with Christ may stand with grace It is written that one act of sinne cannot destroy the habit of grace as though many might indeed one act of a great and foule fault hath done it as we see the Angels fell in heaven and the fall of Adam in Paradise in whom one act did cast out grace there grace being not the grace of Christ the grace of justification and Philosophers hold it in some ferall vices but now as the case stands with us to double that act againe and often and I cannot say how often cannot of it selfe thrust a man out of Christ why Because wee are kept in him and his graces in us by the power of God and the spirit of Christ now for a man to say to sin such a sin wee treat of cannot stand with grace in us sith that grace is kept in by the power of God and of Christ is to me uncomfortable divinity 4. That Doctrine cannot hold which leaves the conscience of man without a stay and so doth this when a man shall be set on the rack for ever that he is not in Christ why Because hee doth sinne the same grosse sin after true repentance or at least that his repentance was not true and if I were not a true Christian I know not when I shall be and if this my repentance were not true I feare I shal never repent aright It must bee held against all true repentance or else there can be no state of the question made for true repentance hath a breadth with it and doth admit of degrees and if they say that when a man hath attained to a great measure of repentance then it will carry it for him that he shall never sin the same grosse sin againe Here the heart of a man can finde no sooting because by this their assertion no man can possibly set downe when a man hath attained to the point and degree of true repentance and therefore they must affirme it of any true repentance that whosoever hath truly in the least degree and measure repented for a grosse sinne shall never while hee lives commit the same againe and if hee doe then as yet he is not nor never yet was in Christ which is a tenet very uncomfortable and no way agreeable with the sweet principles of the covenant of grace and the free and infinite mercies of God proposed to us in the Gospell Lastly this cannot stand because no man can satisfie the conscience of man when the sin he hath committed is or is not a grosse sinne They say that a man may sinne smaller sins of infirmity againe and again after repentance and I say that there can be no sound reason why a man may not after his repentance doe the same grosse sin againe as well as an infirmity humbled for and repented of But to passe that the thing I urge is that it passeth the skill I thinke of any man living to set me downe a limit that so farre I may goe and my sin is but an infirmity but if I goe a point further that then it is a grosse sin for if I may step one degree and point further and yet my sin be an infirmity still then I say why not another degree further and so why not another and so another and who can say when and where we must stay The conscience of a man in perplexity must have a rock to settle upon but when it is a grosse sin and when it is not cannot be punctually defined circumstances after the case and many sins of the first table are grosse and great enough which yet to many of us are accounted of as no such sins many determine a grosse sin from the matter but the forme is it that chiefely gives name and nature to a sin and the manner is the forme of a sin rather than the matter and hence somtimes when the matter is not so great yet the manner may be such that it may well goe for a grosse sin the only reason that ever I heard is for that after a man comes to repent of a foule fault a mans sorrow is so great hee feeles such smart that hee will never come there againe because hee will drinke of that bitter cup no more T is true that such a man will goe his wayes and doe so no more if hee can doe withall but I hope our Divinity tels us that what ever our sorrowes hath been how much soever the griefe was yet except God doe keepe us the remembrance of former compunctions cannot preserve us when the winde and Sun the occasion and tentation doe meet Now show mee a place that hath in it a promise that when our greefe hath beene so great that then God will preserve us from ever falling into the same fault I know GOD doth so tender us that he useth not to let us come to that passe againe and he makes our fits of former sorrow a meanes thorow his blessing for to preserve us but that a godly man shall ever be so preserved is besides the Text I thinke Againe I desire proofe that still an end a regenerate man doth when ever hee repents of a grosse crime entertaine his heart with a great deale of sorrow some I know doe and many and if you will the most but that ever it is so that we never after conversion repent truly of a grosse sinne but our sorrow is much and great I thinke there is no such thing in the word of God many have that initiall repentance brought about by the pricking of a pin without a Lance by the sweet musicke of the Gospell without any great noise of the law and so I say there after repentance too when they by occasion and tentation fall into some foule fact and then againe how much this sorrow must bee that will keepe one from relapsing and ever doing so againe is past my wit to conceive the quantity of it and the conscience must be able to spell it out and to say thus much I must grieve else my repentance is not right for
another time 3. A third is to grow acquainted with the wiles and depths of Satan A godly man should bee well acquainted with the divell so as to know and to finde him out in his stratagems and this is done more by tentation than by all the reading in the world 4. To be acquainted with the goodnesse and mercy of God to bee able to finde out somewhat to purpose in the mystery of godlinesse how God doth make sin to cure sin one theefe one corruption to cut the throat of another one corruption to prevent a worser fetch heaven out of hell to learne to speake it by experience and to say I had sinned except I had sinned I had gone to hell except I had gone to hell that the worst pride comes out of our graces that our best grace the grace of humility which makes roome and way for all the rest comes out of our sins Now then we should not finde our selves or Satan or the Lord out were we not taught it by our tentations This made Fox to say that his graces did him most hurt and his sins most good a Paradox but by our owne tentations we know his meaning this made Luther to say that these three things make a good Divine 1 Prayer 2. Meditation 3. Tentation this good we have by our tentations that wee come to know our selves to know Satan and to know GOD such is our estate that the furthest about is the neerest way to heaven we cannot goe to heaven by Geomitry we must fetch a compasse by the gates of hell and see what newes with Satan ere we can relish the sweetnesse and goodnesse of the promise we cannot else take God for Gods sake and have heaven on Gods tearmes we cannot come to God but we must follow Christ and follow Christ we cannot except we deny our selves and deny our selves we will not were it not for the crosse and man would do any thing rather than take up his crosse were he not buffeted and beaten to it by some tentation or other and therefore thanke yee tentation that ever we come to heaven what ever it is to beare a crosse when God doth lay it on I am sure it is an hard and an hard thing for a man to take up his Crosse and yet by tentatioÌ„s we are brought to this wherefore wee must do our selves this good by our tentations when they are gone and over that now against another time we know the better how to doe with Satan that he shall not put such tricks upon us and coozen us out of our comfort and that cheefest of all by his art and skill 5. We must learne for ever after to pitty others and out of pitty and mercy to do them in their spirituall sorrowes all the helpe that possibly wee can let us mourne with them and have a feeling of their case and the rather because once or often it hath beene our case Paul doth not say to the incestuous Corinthians thou art puffed up but turnes himselfe to the standers by and saith not hee is but ye are puffed up and have not rather mourned now the sense the fresh remembrance of this that but the other day wee our selves were as sick as they and by the meere mercy of God we got our selves out should and it will bring us to shew all mercy to them to mourne over them and not to pride it over them as though wee were free from ever suffering the like lust whereas by our owne experience wee rather learn to walke humbly before God and man remembring what hath bin and considering what may be if wee our selves should bee tempted This then is a golden lesson which our owne tentations ought to teach us without booke to restore such an one with the spirit of meekenesse do saith the Greek text there as Surgeons do who use all tendernesse in handling armes and joynts when they are out of joynt let 's do what we can to set them in joynt againe with all love meekenesse pitty and compassion you would not beleeve what good it will doe a sick soule to see another pitty his case to weepe with them that weepe it furthers the cure exceedingly and wee doe become the more willing by ods to set our hand to helpe because we doe remember how it stood with us when we were in the same or the like case say I may thanke my tentation for this that I have either such will or skill to restore my poore brothers soule so much the rather are we to study mercy and meekenesse because wheÌ„ we go about to fetch men out of their sins men are subject to fret and snarle it is like wakening one out of sleep and then wee see how out of quiet they be ready to braule at their best friends so here and therfore we have need of meeknesse and patience which our owne experience in our owne assaults and tentations will learne us sooner than all the teaching in the world 6. And lastly by the bitter taste of our tentative corruptions we must now out of our owne sense learne to loathe and to abhorre them that our corrupt nature may bee an ugly sight in our owne eyes we see in the word that grave Christians have bin the men who have come to loathe themselves in dust and ashes so Abraham so Iob when old they did by reason of their sin abhorre themselves in dust and in that which is worse than durt in ashes and this wee shall never come so thorowly to doe till we come by reason of tentation to be as Paul was a very crucifix of mortification Ah this selfe-love how it makes us carry a moneths minde to our lusts we have a doting humour after our corrupt lusts still and therefore al is little enough to bring them out of request with us they had need sting us and that home too say we have a running sore in our bodies which none else can well abide to come neere yet such is our Philovety and selfelove that wee can abide the sight and smell of it well enough right so wee are so inward with our owne selfe-affection that albeit our lusts are a corrupt matter and doe stinke like any carrion and would make one sick to see them yet wee can abide them well enough our nature is altogether by Adams fall and our fals become filthy the Hebrew is stinking wee stinke horribly and yet because we have an ill and a stinking nostrill of our owne we can away with the smell well enough Now comes a tentation stirres the wound makes it stinke and smell wee are so peppered with the sorrow woful fruit of it that we come to take our sins as they are in their kinde and at last wee are so changed and altered that what we lâ—ved rather than our life that wee come to hate as any death this
for feare lest hee be out who could say perfect till hee came to say and a girle being threatned and terrified breaks the glasse only for feare of breaking it so when we are in feare joyned with discouragement Satan hath a great advantage and those sinnes amplified and set up doe mightily faint and discourage the heart and spirits of men and who can fight with any heart against an enemy that hee hath little or no hope to conquer Now when we doe make our sins worser than they are then it doth secretly steale away our hope and so we make no great hast to resist nor have no great heart to fight we then must learne not to make it lesse lest we be too slothful nor more lest we be too fearefull but just as the matter is as neere as we can that so wee may bee fitted and prepared to fight the good fight of faith with diligence and watchfulnesse 2. Wee must not suffer the thoughts of these horrible tentations to tarry in our mindes they are Gods and our greatest enemies and we must shut the doore against them what if we dislike and distaste them yet as one notes this rowling of them up and downe in our heads doth show that there is an insensible likening of them in our hearts we must set our hatred against them and thrust them away presently and hold it a dangerous thing to thinke of them God cannot take it well if wee mislike a thing in judgement and doe not set against it with the meanes God hath appointed and sanctified to that use Satan will coozen us as though that our very misliking of them were enough in things foule and that there were no feare of danger wheras nature it selfe doth looke sadly at these tentations and the mislike we feele may well come from the influence of the law and light of nature I have learned that we are never the further off from a tentation for our misliking it onely but the nearer except withall in affection we humble for it as well as distaste it in our judgments what if the dislike be not because it is a sin but because there is some feare or shame This is selfe-love and pride and this will worke in the sin if we goe no further and that by Gods just judgement our duty then is not to suffer the thoughts of such wounding and terrifying tentations to tumble up and downe in our mindes though we have no minde to them for either by discouraging us or enticing us they will get further hold but wee must cast them off set the word against them and turne our thoughts to some better subject and chiefly to thinke on those two great Dayes the day of Death and the day of Iudgement 3. Wee must of all see that we set not against those of our owne strength we can doe nothing by our owne power against any lust but least in these because what through feare horror in som what through the swinge and violent torrent of these two passions of anger and lust a man hath but little use of that reason he hath and so the more he strives this way the worse it is it doth but encrease our desires to the sinne our strength is here to pray and expect and laying all naturall and carnall weapons aside let God alone to doe all and out of grace it is that hee doth doe for us what he doth in our trials and conflicts and therefore Paul had his answer that all was to bee done by the grace and mercy of God and so we finde that the Lord said not to him my power but my grace is sufficient for thee wherefore we must put al upon the power and grace of God turne Satan to God to Christ for his answer set the grace of God against our sins when comming to prevent them when come to pardon them set the power of God against the strength of them all beleeve it that the grace of God is sufficient either to prevent us or preserve us He is in great danger who in any but of all in these potent tentations goes by his owne wit or reason or worth or strength Hee is in safe case who can say I deserve nothing I can doe nothing but hurt my selfe and make worke for sinne and Satan I meane to put all upon GOD who will worke mightily in me and for me but the grace of God which is with me he is all in all hee will doe all or nothing that he may have all the praise of his grace The helpes which serve in severall for every particular assault might be many some we will propose and first for those tentations which are in things of God then in things of man for God we are much assaulted to Atheisme and Blasphemy to Atheisme as the greatest sin that is in that it smites at the roote of all for to say the truth all sin is from Atheisme for who would sin did he then verily thinke that there were a God that saw all and would punish all and such a God God must be or no God and to Atheisme for when we have sinned sinne doth draw towards Atheisme exceedingly wipes out all notions of a Deity as much as it can and when wee are in sin wee must bee either willing to get out of it by repentance or else wee shall bee willing to turne Atheists the best of our play then being to feed our selves with a conceit that all is but talke to hold men in awe and that there is indeed neither heaven nor hell no place of torment that when wee dye all is gone no otherwise than with a Beast when the conscience will not get quiet by turning to God by repentance then it will seeke to quiet it selfe by unbeliefe bearing it selfe in hand that there is no such thing as hell to torment men in consider withall that Sathan doth all he can to make men Atheists because when there is no feare of God before mens eyes they will sinne all manner of sinnes that the divell would have them sin So Psal 14. The foolish hath said in his heart there is no God what followes They are corrupt they have done abominable works thus then when once men take to Atheisme they grow most corrupt and doe abominable workes there is no hoe in sinning then for what shold or can keep the wit and wil of man in when once wee conceit that there is no such thing as God the divell cannot bee a flat Atheist for he beleeves trembles and were it nothing but the sence he hath of the wrath of God tormenting why That is enough to prove that Satan doth fully undoubtedly acknowledge a Divine power He is not an Atheist because he cannot because he shall not but yet he beares good will to Atheisme because that sin doth much advantage his kingdome Saint Iames doth prove that God tempts no man
like before yet it was no fruit of Gods hatred Iacob had sore and heavy afflictions yet it went ever for truth Iacob have I loved hee loved him when When hee afflicted him Esau had more outward matters to his minde than ever Iacob saw and many great Lords were of his family and yet Esau have I hated hold it then that God doth love us and when wee have this perswasion in us all the divels in hell and all the lusts in Originall sin can never make us blaspheme our GOD whom we love and of whom wee have this minde that hee doth love us say then he loves me and I love him then one cannot be brought to sin the sin of Blasphemy 2. We must get the pardō of our sins repent we of all our iniquities and then the Crosse can never wring frō us words of blasphemy when we are in great sorrowes Satan will tempt very strongly that way and we feare what we shal doe in times and cases of great extremity I feare me saith the poore Christian what I shall do in great afflictions repent wee of our sins and feare nothing it is not the greatnesse of the Crosse but it is the guilt of sin working with the sting of the Crosse which makes men in their tribulation to blaspheme Rev. 16. 11. we read that the fifth Angell powred down his viol on the seat of the Beast and it is written that they gnawed with their tongues for pain and blasphemed the GOD of heaven because of their paines and their sores now marke repented not of their deeds Here wee see that it was not for their paine so much as for that they repented not of their deeds that they blasphemed Have we repented or have we not If wee have not then though our pain be not so much we are in danger to blaspheme but if we have repented be our paine ever so much wee need not feare wee shall not blaspheme 3. Say the worst have wee blasphemed Yet we must repent of our blasphemy and hope in God to despaire is to put our selves out of Gods mercy and protection to despaire by reason of Blasphemy is a worse sinne than Blasphemy they are both against the goodnesse of GOD but yet despaire is against his goodnesse his mercy and his truth I confesse it is an horrible crime to blaspheme against God and so much the worser because it is a sin somewhat like the impardonable blasphemy against the Holy Ghost neither is it in the wil of every man to say where the difference lies betwixt them Besides other sinnes are against God in his Greatnesse Governement but this of Blasphemy doth speake against the Goodnesse of God and God as he is represented to us stands more on his Goodnes than his Greatnesse and therefore also this sin of Blaspeming hath beene ever held amongst the greatest of sins all which must teach us by all meanes to beware of this sin and we may the easier take heed of it and save our selves from it because it being against our naturall inbred principle of a Deity Nature it selfe is afraid of this sin which is a great meanes to stay us from the sin-it selfe Satan I know is a great blasphemer and he will assay hard to it to make us to blaspheme but wee must set the Word Spirit of God against it and let the Law of nature doe all it can against it too And if at any time we have bin to blame this way yet we must know that there is a pardon to bee had I was saith Paul a blasphemer and Paul is in heaven and which is worse he compelled men to blaspheme yet on his true repentance all went well with Paul and so it may and will with us if we returne as Paul did Christ hath it Mat. 12. 31. That blasphemy against God is a sin which may on the same termes that any the least sinne that is shall and must bee forgiven I meane on our repentance There is a blasphemy against the Holy Ghost which is a sin unto death and there is no repentance for this sin nor no hope the cause is because no man can repent unto life except God give him the grace and wee have it revealed that there is a decree passed in heaven that the Lord will never afford this sinner the grace to repent Divers other sinners never have this favour done to them as to repent but all sinners of this sort are past all hope for ever There is a difference betwixt this blasphemy against the Holy Ghost and this blasphemy against God and Christ not onely in the measure but in the very kinde I know Satan would faine put it upon us that we have sinned against the Holy Ghost when it is no such matter on ignorant Christians hee layes this that when they sin against their knowledge and conscience that then it is the sin against the holy Ghost when the Spirit hath bin at them not to sin yet they sin and grieve and vex the Spirit of God then Satan makes his advantage oh saith he this is to sin against the Holy Ghost that it is a sin against the Holy Ghost I doe not deny but that it is the sinne against the Holy Ghost is false I prove it to be false because this sin is pardoned Moreover we speake of Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost now that every sinne against the Holy Ghost must needs be Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost cannot be proved and when we goe so farre as to blaspheme God then we make a cry now it is too late to thinke of repenting this is saith he that unrepentable and unpardonable sinne against the Holy Ghost Our answer must be by denying this to bee that sin our reason must be because we are sorry for it and were it to doe againe wee would not doe it for a world but the sinner against the Holy Ghost is no whit sorry for his sinne his heart never akes for his offence but would have all do it as well as himselfe and is desirous to have hell as full as hee could and he doth even wish withall his heart that wife that children that parents that brethren that neighbours that all might blaspheme the Holy Ghost as well as himselfe It is then nothing but a policy of Satan to play upon the ignorance of men as touching the nature and effects of this sinne and to beare them in hand that when they have blasphemed God they have blasphemed the Holy Ghost but wee must hold a maine difference to lye betwixt this blasphemy against God the Father and the Holy Ghost that as the persons differ so doth the sins against the severall persons As long then as our blasphemy is against the first and not against the third we may be safe it is but to repent and all is well they doe not prize the infinite mercy of God according to the infinite worth of it who thinke
with the Lord. 2. The other extreame is to grow senselesse to be past feeling wee are apt in these cases to feele too much or too little for if our terrours overcome us wee despaire if wee overcome them by faith wee take comfort if wee put them off by the flesh we grow secure and it is common out of great feares to runne into great want of feeling and so we finde it in the Apostle that lasciviousnesse breeds in us a senselesnesse it feares up the conscience and such come to be past feeling To open this there is a partiall want of feeling when wee commit sinnes and aile nothing in some particulars Thus wee finde that otherwise good people breake out into excesses in buying and selling doe they care not what in matters of profit and feele nothing the conscience sees all saith nothing or as good as nothing one would wonder how men can sell day I speake not against giving day but selling of it let out their money to use hoard up corne directly against the Word of God in the very letter make up some peeces of workes on the Lords day are told of it in the ministry and yet nothing come of it why Because custome in them and in others hath taken away their feeling covetousnesse hath made them in most matters of commodity to bee past feeling yet this is but partiall we meane not to say that those allow those sins for the point is that though the Word be plaine yet custome doth so dazle their eyes that they cannot in the particulars see the right so David and Salomon did multiply wives against that Text Deut. 17. 17. The like did the Patriarches for Polygamie And the beleeving Gentiles saw not single fornication to be more than a thing indifferent Act. 15. 20. 21 25. Rev. 2. 15. 20. Yet this fornication is forbidden in the Word So great is the force of custome But should these men meddle halfe so much in forbidden lusts of uncleannesse oh what pangs rise in their conscience they feele it with a witnesse But now the passions of lasciviousnesse when once men have broken thorow the terrours of it which usually come first then they bring a man to a total senselesnesse to be past feeling not only in these and the like affections but in all universally to make conscience of nothing to commit any sinnes that comes to hand with all greedinesse devoure any thing like some stomackes and be never troubled with it it is so sensuall a sinne and gives such a blow to the naturall conscience too that like a sound knocke on the head it takes away all sense and feeling let Satan propose what he will nothing comes amisse for this sinne of uncleannesse fights against both light of nature and grace and if the naturall conscience speake and wee will not heare and the spirituall conscience crie and we will not hearken the conscience will grow speechlesse and speake no more and hence it is that such as come to a custome in some covetous practises are past feeling in some things for some time but such as come to a custome in the lust of uncleannesse are soone made to be past feeling simply and totally scruple at nothing whatsoever Sith then the danger is as great as a seared conscience comes to such as have broken the peace with God must returne and make all haste to repentance the crie is so great and the sight of it is so odious and the sense of it is so grievous at first and so palpable that we may with the more ease come to repent It is a sinne that doth convince it selfe to bee a sinne till a man hath lost his judgement and his spirituall taste while it is a doing the judgement cries shame and there is little to doe because our worke lyes in a manner onely with our affection whereas many passions of anger and pride and covetousnesse are such that the offender is long ere hee can bee brought to see the thing to be a sin the fact to be a fault But in pollutions of uncleannesse they are so direct against the principles of reason and so flat against al shew of Religion that they carry their conviction in their mouthes which makes the heart the more ready to entertaine the work of repentance unto life Iudah repented David repented Lot repented and so did Thamar and so did others and they were taken into speciall favour and honour as we see them upon record in the first of Matthew Those sinnes which much humble doe much honour none humble more than such base lusts David died in honour Mary Magdalen is in great honourin the Church of God Christ to comfort and honour her appeared first and foremost to her what ever heales the soule heales the name repentance doth both The truth of our repentance wil best appeare if wee goe away as Iudah did and doe so no more come not neere the garment spotted with the flesh affections of another nature are more apt to bring a relapse than these passions they leave such a sting and sent behind them goe away but with a smart have such a tast and are such a base sight that few relapse such as are by Gods mercy cured of these diseases are commonly ever after very chast Become as children in all purity and chastity when wee fetch out a great staine the cloth is after whiter than ordinary and so after this staining sin is washed away such must be very holy passing chast beware of the least sparke of sin this is the meaning of that of Iohn the Baptist Bring forth fruits meet or worthy of repentance how worthy of repentance It is that when a man hath beene at it in the worke of repentance his workes and deeds must afterwards be better than ordinary hee must looke like a true penitent that as a Physitian can judge by the colour of the face that his patient is recovered so must our workes shine and carry such a lustre and colour with them that one of skill may read it as written in our faces that there is amendment of life that now all is well and sound within And say by intemperate courses one have bin the occasion of hastning our owne end before the time I grant that there is just cause as Salomon speakes to mourne at the last when the flesh and the body are consumed and we are accidentally guilty of hastening our owne death before the time of Natures Period but never before the time of Gods councell mourne here spare not but yet not as men without hope repentance will mend this also First hardly one man in a thousand but one way or other more or lesse cuts off some of his dayes Had it not bin for one thing or other hee might have lived a day a yeere longer as I thinke is plaine enough in David who was bed-rid at or about the age his father begat him either