euer since 2. Resist and crush euery exorbitant thought which drawes to sinne at the very first rising Encounter it with this dreadfull Dilemma Say vnto thy selfe If I commit this sinne it will cost mee vnvaluably more heart-breake and spirituall smart before I can purchase assurance of pardon and peace of conscience then the sensuall pleasure is worth If I neuer repent it will bee the death and damnation of my soule See what a world of misery man brings vpon himselfe by giuing way to the first wicked thought Disc. of true Happinesse pag. 150. 3. Entertaine euer with all holy greedinesse and make exceedingly much of all good motions put into thy heart by the blessed Spirit howsoeuer occasioned whether by the Ministery of the Word mindfulnesse of death Christian admonition reading some good Booke some speciall crosse extraordinary mercy any way at any time Feede enlarge and improoue them to the vtmost with Meditation Prayer and Practise So thou shalt preserue thine heart in a soft holy comfortable temper and heauenward which is a singular happinesse 3. Eleuation and often lifting vp of the heart towards heauen What Christian heart can indure to discontinue its sweet familiaritie and humble entercourse with God for one day Let thy broken heart therefore euery day besides solemne and ordinarie eiaculations Euening and Morning and vpon other speciall occasions bee sure 1. To bathe it selfe deliciously in the blisfull depths of Gods boundlesse mercies in Christ that it may bee happily kept spiritually merry thankefull and in heart to all holy duties 2. To kisse sweetly the glorified Body of our crucified Lord with the lips of infinitely dearest and vnexpressably affectionate loue though the distance bee great yet the hand of Faith will bring them easily together that it may be preserued in peace puritie and reuengefull opposition vnto sinne for as the application of his meritorious Blood is a soueraigne Plaister to heale the wounded conscience to turne Crimsin and Scarlet into snow and wooll so me-thinkes a serious and compassionate commemoration of the deare effusion thereof should bee both a precious corrosiue to eate out the heart of corruption and a speciall preseruatiue to keepe from sinne sith sinne was the principall in slaughtering the Lord of life 3. To cast the eye of hope vpon the glory euerlastingnesse and vnutterable excellencies of that immortall shining Crowne aboue which after this life and this life is but a bubble a smoake a shadow a thought shall be set vpon thy head by the hand of God a very glimpse of the goodly splendour and rauishing beauty whereof is able both to sweeten the bitterest villanies and basest wrongs from the world and wicked men and to dispell those mists of fading vanities and hurtfull fumes of honours riches and earthly pleasures which this great dunghil of the world heated by the fire of inordinate lusts is wont to euaporate and interpose betwixt the sight of mens soules and the blisse of Heauen VI. Be very watchfull ouer thy most predominant and troublesome passion whether it be feare sorrow loue anger c. All of them are vnruly and raging enough but yet commonly one ouer-rules all the rest and playes Rex as they say in the vnregenerate man nay too often offers to rise in rebellion euen against the most sanctified soule Whatsoeuer it be 1. In thy priuate morning sacrifice be sure to lay on loade of deepest groanes and strongest cries for mortifying grace against it and comfortable conquest ouer it Let that period and passage of thy prayers bee enforced and enlarged with an extraordinarie pang of feruencie and feelingly sealed as it were with the most Seraphicall Selah 2. Cut off all occasions whatsoeuer it cost thee which may any wayes stirre awaken and kindle it Withdraw the fewel that ministers food vnto that passionate flame though it should bee as painefull vnto thee as the plucking out of thy right eye or the cutting off of thy right hand Assuredly the pleasures of inward quiet and sweet spirituall calmnesse of thy so vnderstanding Soule will infinitely recompence any paines in oppositions and resistances in that nature 3. Consider seriously before-hand what a deale of disturbance and vnsettlednesse the visible exorbitancy and breaking of it out will breede and bring vpon thy inward man It will be like a dead Flie in a boxe of precious oyntment disgrace all thy graces and full foully darken the glory of thy profession It will be like fire in the Thatch and for the while cast into combustion as it were the whole frame of thy spiritual building and turne the heauenly peace of thy appeased conscience into a bitter tempest Tell mee whether after a lawlesse transgression of those bonds of moderation to which thy Christian resolution hath confinde it and that it hath preuailed against thee with any notorious excesse I say whether at night thou finde not thy spirit quite downe and much deaded to the exercise of prayer or any other euening duty And if vpon thy waking in the night there should be any terrible winde dreadfull thunder or other affrighting accident whether thy heart would not smite thee vpon that occasion with much more feare and apprehensions of horrour I will suppose thy raigning or rather rebelling passion for I speake to the Christian to be choler and anger and then first listen to the counsell which the very morall Sages minister against this spirituall maladie and to the rules and remedies which the light of reason leades vs vnto 1. Cut off say they the causes and the effect wil vanish Quench the firebrands which enrage this fury and thou shalt be at quiet They are such as these 1. Weakenesse of spirit vnmanlinesse of minde Hence it is that old men infantâ—… and sicke folkes are commonly more cholericke then others Impotency and excesse of passion euer argues the disgrace and inferiority of the vnderstanding part the noblest power of the soule And therefore if we would be armed against the sallies and assaults of this domineering raging distemper we must suffer the hiest and heauenliest part of our soule to know and exercise its place and strength Wee must not make our vnderstandings vnder-lings but giue reason his right and regiment 2. Selfe-loue a foolish doting vpon and adoring our selues which springs from the cursed root of Selfe-ignorance and quite puts out that light of Natures law in our consciences Doe as thou wouldest be done by If before thou lose the reines to that short phrensie thou wouldst suppose and set thy selfe in the place of the party with whom thou art angry and then say and doe no more then if thine owne person were the patient it would bee a notable meanes to curbe thy choler and keepe the credit of dipassionatenesse and moderation and make thee patiently suffer that which perhaps thou hast often confidently offered to others 3. An ouertendernesse and delicate nicenesse in bearing wrongs an impetuous impatiencie for being abused Whereas insensibilitie and
which is common in carnall worldlings to rage with extreme folly and basenesse against thy wife children seruants cattell or any thing that comes in thy way for euery crosse accident worldly losse domesticall miscarriage nay many times to torture thine owne heart and trouble others in this kinde vpon meete mis-takings groundlesse surmizes and misconstructions but rather take this gracious lesson from the Lord Iesus his owne mouth Math. 11. 29. Learne of mee for I am lowly of heart and an example of patience from his first Martyr Act. 7. 60. Lord lay not this sinne to their charge 3. Let the sweet experience of Gods patient and mercifull dealing with thee soften thine heart with a compassionate sence of other mens weakenesses and a melting forwardnesse to forgiue If hee out of the riches of his mercy hath remitted vnto thee ten thousand Talents what a base wretchednesse were it to fly in the face of thy fellow-seruant and to take him by the throat for an hundred pence If he intreated thee of all loues and with all long-suffering to come into his stretched out armes of mercy when thou layst wallowing abominably in the gore-blood of thy many scarlet and crimsin sinnes foughtest on the Deuils side to the losse of the very life-blood of thy soule and euery time thou camest to the Lords Supper shedst the precious blood of his blessed Sonne what a shame is it vnto thee to fall a raging and swell with anger for the meere ouer-sight many times vnwilling miscarriage and vnpurposed errour of those perhaps which otherwise obserue thee with obsequiousnesse and loue 4. If a man will not bee mooued with more faire and ingenuous motiues to master and mortifie this Bedlam rage I speake in this passage to him that hates to be reformed let him bee amazed and amend for shame sith the holy Ghost hath charged euery man not to meddle or make any league of friendship with him while he nourisheth and giues the reines to this bosome-Rebell Make no friendship with an angry man and with a furious man thou shalt not goe Pro. 22. 24. What a monster is a man of anger that Salomon should set such a brand vpon him whereby euery one is warned to beware of him and fly from him as from a nettling dangerous vnsociable creature A word or two of another passion before I passe out of the point and that is Feare which I had not toucht at this time had it bin only a Rack wheron the hearts of couetous ambitious and carnall men are wofully rent and torne tortured all their life long and not also a cruell engrosser of too much golden time euen from Gods children not without impressions of much fruitlesse sadnesse and vnnecessarie discontent The vanitie and tyrannie of this passion is specially seene and exercised 1. In putting all reall stings into imaginarie euils and drawing true and bitter sorrowes from supposed sufferings 2. In an ouer-greedy apprehension and anticipation of sorrowes to come so that a man by too much forethoughtfulnesse and painefull preconceit doth suffer them many times before they seize vpon him 1. For the first who feeles not the phantasticalnesse of opinion to forge and fasten vpon him many dreadfull obiects which of themselues haue no vigour to vexe because no reall being and existence yet truely torture and afflict by the onely strength of imagination Thus one eates his owne heart with griefe for losse of those riches and that superfluous wealth which if hee had euer still possessed hee would neuer haue vsed Another lies vnder the continuall slauerie of restlesse feare lost fire or robbery some alteration in the State or desolation of warre should disperse his hoard or hazard his temporall happinesse One is haunted with much thoughtfulnesse and carking what shall become of his children after his death what men will say of him when hee is gone lest his wife should marrie after his departure For naturally our minds are so vaine that besides the abundance and burden of present cares they will transport our desires and affections beyond our selues and being Another frettingly feares that hee shall be vndone in a deare yeere or the next Rot of sheepe and tires himselfe with varietie of plots for commings in for many yeeres to come when many times he dies in the meane time Some take vp too much precious time from present and more profitable meditations by troubling their hearts lest if the times turne they should not be able to endure the fierie triall whereas afterward perhaps they end their life in the peacefull noone-tide of the glorious Gospel Others vpon thought or talke of death are ready to entertaine fearefull apprehensions lest they should disgrace their Christian life with an vncomfortable end and by some extraordinarie temptation rauing furious carriage lye open to the worlds interpretation sinister censures misconstructions of their former courses when as after it may be they conclude their dayes calmely in good memory to the last gaspe without any storme or cloud of feared horrour and discomfort except former distrustfull feares iustly bring vpon them that which they feared For sith euery one whose life hath been consecrated to Gods glory with truth of heart doth certainely passe thorow those dreadfull pangs and last paine into pleasures endlesse and vnspeakeable hee ought also to submit with all patience and quiet to glorifie him and to be seruiceable to his secret ends with what kind of death he please whether it be 1. Glorious and vntempted 2. Discomfortable by reason of bodily distemper and by consequent interpretable by vndiscerning spirits 3. Mingled of temptations and triumphs 4. Or ordinarie and without any great shew or remarkeable speeches after extraordinarie singularities of an holy life which promised an end of speciall note and obseruation 2. For the second besides these vtterly vnnecessarie and meerely imaginarie miseries many fearefull spirits especially haunted with the humour of melancholy will not suffer also certaine and ineuitable euils which at length must needs befall them to sleepe and keepe in their stings vntill the time appointed but many times awake them by the cry of Feare like so many sleeping Lyons and cowardlily prouoke them with timorous expectation to rent their hearts and sting terribly before the time Thus our vaine mindes torment vs more with the feare of euils then with the euils which we feare spurre vs on with much vnmanly folly to meete in the mid-way nay to ouertake out-run sorrowes to come and make vs a thousand times miserable with one indiuiduall misery For instance Thou hast a child and perhaps but one which thou louest most dearely for that affection which would be seuerely strong towards ten or how many soeuer is vnited in it alone Thou enioyest a wife whose death would be vnto thee as the losse of halfe thy heart and so proportionably of any worldly comfort Now certaine it is thou must at length part from all these or what else soeuer most deare and
meane time his Royall Throne here vpon Earth Isai. 57. 15. what can Man or Deuill or any distrustfull heart say against it And why shouldest thou being such an one be so vnmannerly and vnthankfull nay so vnnecessarily cruell to thine owne heauy heart as not to open the euerlasting doore of thy soule by the key of Faith to let the King of glory knocking with his hand of mercy come in and crowne it with grace and glory with comfort and euerlasting peace II. But alas sayes hee my sinnes are moe then any mans Now when I am searching into the sinke of them I can finde neither banke nor bottome Vnnumbred swarmes of grosse impieties and iniquities thorow my whole life of abominable impurities and pollutions which haue continually defiled my mind heart and affections armed with seuerall stings of terrour doe so restlesly presse vpon my wounded conscience and oppresse it that I cannot I dare not thinke vpon or looke towards any comfort Let them bee what they are and adde thereunto all the sinnes which haue are and shall bee committed by all the sonnes and daughters of Adam from the Creation to the end of the World excepting sinne against the holy Ghost and yet in an hart truly humbled vnder them heartily hating them all cōming with a sincere spirituall hunger at Christs Call to bee disburdened of them they can make no more resistance against the mercies of God then a little sparke of fire against the mighty Sea rhrowne into the midst of it nay infinitely lesse For all these sinnes would still be finite both in nature and number but Gods mercies are euery way infinite Now betweene that which is finite and that which is infinite there is no proportion and so no possibilitie of resistance Whence it is that the Prophet inuiting his people to repentance Esa. 55. 7. by assuring them of Gods sweet mercifull and gracious disposition lest any too fearefull and deiected spirit vndervaluing Gods mercy should thinke thus within it selfe Bee it so yet alas my sinnes are so many and such a sonne of Belial haue I been and so endlesly prouoked the glory of his pure eye that I can expect no mercy the pollutions of my youth haue been so prodigious and infectious that I haue no face to presse vnto his Throne of Grace c. God himselfe doth there purposely preuent the obiection and speaking to our capacitie which cannot comprehend infinity replyes to this sence Oh say not so Stay all such despairefull thoughts doe not cast the incomprehensiblenes of my mercy in the narrow mould of thy finite shallow conceite doe not so vnworthily abridge and confine the vnlimited and boundlesse compassion of the mighty Lord of Heauen and Earth For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes For as the Heauens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts Many a bruised reede would not exchange the comfort which the weakest faith may extract out of this sweetest place for all the Kingdomes of the earth For he saith not that his wayes and thoughts of knowledge and wisdome but his wayes and thoughts of mercy are as farre aboue ours as the Heauens are aboue the Earth Indeed as himselfe is aboue man which is infinitely But take notice by the way that the mercies of God doe exercise this infinite vnresistable power onely in truly humbled beleeuing soules heartily hating and sincerely set against all sinne I say so lest any impenitent should peruert this precious point or trample vpon this Pearle For as in such a soule no sinnes either for number or notoriousnesse can possibly withstand or stand before Gods infinite mercies so not one drop of all those infinite merceis belongs vnto any that goes on willingly and delightfully hating to bee reformed in any one knowne sinne or that he might know and wilfully forbeares to bee informed As the vnualuable blood of Christ turnes the very scarlet sinnes of the truly broken beleeuing heart into whitest snow so it will neuer wash away the least sinfull staine from the proud heart of any vnhumbled Pharise Let none therefore that goes on still in his trespasses take vp any vaine confidence or mis-grounded conclusion of false comfort from hence by misconceiuing thus Is it so that the infinitenesse of Gods mercy cannot bee resisted by the greatnesse or multitude of sinnes being euer finite both in their number and nature how is it possible then that I should misse of those infinites mercies Why may not I comfortably hope that my sinnes also shall be swallowed vp in that bottomlesse Sea I will tell thee why As the power of God though it be infinite yet is limited by his will so the mercies of God though they bee infinite are regulated by his truth He is able to make millions of Worlds moe but yet wee see his Will was but to create one His mercies transcend with immeasurable distance the height of Heauen and depth of Hell and are indeed as Himselfe infinite but his Truth hath told vs that none shall haue part in them but those alone who repent and beleeue Gods Truth reuealed in his Word must euer confine the current of his compassions and is the touchstone to try and qualifie those to whom his mercies belong See then what kind of people are partakers of Gods infinite mercies by the testimony of that Word of Truth by which we must be iudged at the last Day Prou. 28. 13. Luke 4. 18. Isai. 61. 1 2 3. Psal. 15. Ezek. 18. 21. Psal. 147. 3. Isai. 55. 7. Psal. 34. 18. Salomon saith in the cited place Hee that confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes shall haue mercy How then can he expect any mercy who takes them not to heart but lyes in them still III. Of the pardonablenesse of my other sinnes saith another I could bee reasonably well perswaded but alas there is one aboue all the rest which now vpon discouery and remorse I finde to be full of ranke and hellish poyson of such a deepe and damnable die to haue strooke so desperately in the dayes of my lewdnesse at the very face of God himselfe and farre deepelier into the heart of Iesus Christ then the speare that pierced him bleeding vpon the Crosse and thereupon at this present stares in the eye of my newly awaked and wounded conscience with such horror and grieslinesse that I feare mee diuine iustice will thinke it fitter to haue this most loathsome inexpiable staine rather at length fired out of my soule with euerlasting flames if it were possible that eternall fire could expiate the sinfull staines of any impenitent damned soule then to bee fairely washed away in the meane time with His blood whom I so cruelly and cursedly pierced with it Oh! this is it that lies now vpon my heart like a mountaine of Lead farre heauier then Heauen and Earth and enchaines it with inexplicable terrour to the dust and
owne heart they are no better then the cutting off of a Dogges necke or the sacrifice of a foole Ill gotten goods are for restitution not for distribution Lest any couetous cauiller thinke the point too harsh precise heare what the ancient Fathers say to this purpose Bernard God receiueth not any almes at the hands of an oppressor or vsurer Hierome Significantly saith the Prophet His owne bread lest men should turne bread gotten by oppression and Vsury into a worke of Mercy Austin When God shall begin to iudge those that liue now by fraud and giue almes of the spoyles of the oppressed will say Lord we haue kept thy Commandements and in thy name wee haue done workes of mercy we haue fed the Hungry we haue clothed the Naked and entertained Strangers To whom God will reply You tell me what you haue giuen but you tell me not what you haue taken away You recount whom you haue fed but why remember you not whom you haue vndone They reioyce whom you haue clothed but they lament whom you haue spoyled c. A man is filled with bread whom thou feedest with spoyle but the Lord will blesse not thee but him whom thou hast vndone c. Chrysostome But what is the excuse of many I haue indeed been an Vsurer say they but I haue also been good to the poore A sweete piece of matter sure But God accepts not such sacrifices It were farre better to giue nothing to the poore at all then giue in that manner That wealth which is wonne by thy iust labours is many times quite mard with such wicked mixtures c. The very Heathen man tells vs That the poore are not to be fed like the Whelpes of wilde beasts with blood and murther rapine and spoile but that which is most acceptable to the receiuers they should know that that which is giuen vnto them is not taken from any body else Nay one of the bloodiest men that euer breathed Selymus a Turkish Emperour yet vpon his bed of death replyed thus to his Bassa moouing him with the wealth taken from the Persian Merchants to build an Hospitall for reliefe of the poore Wouldest thou Pyrrhus that I should bestow other mens goods wrongfully taken from them vpon workes of charitie and deuotion for mine owne vaine glory and praise Assuredly I will neuer doe it nay rather see they bee againe restored vnto the right owners Which was done forthwith accordingly to the great shame saith the Author of many Christians who minding nothing lesse then restitution but making ex rapina holocaustum doe out of a world of euill gotten goods cull out some small fragments to build some poore Hospitall or mend some blinde way A poore testimony of their hot charitie Wretchedly then doe they delude the World and deceiue their owne soules who vainely thinke that some workes of mercy at last when they must needs leaue all will expiate and recompence the cruelties and vnconscionable dealings of their whole life before Zacheus penitent Proclamation consisted of two branches Luk. 14. 8. As well for restitution as distribution He that would find the same mercy must follow the same methode 3. Let thy desire and delight neuer fall or be fastened immoderately vpon any earthly thing though neuer so excellent delicious or amiable For exorbitancy and errour this way brings many times 1. A losse of the thing so doted vpon 2. Sometime a crosse 3. Euer a curse 1. For the first our righteous and holy God when hee â—…ees the current of his creatures affections to bee carried inordinately and preposterously from the Fountaine of liuing waters vpon boken Cisternes that can hold none from the bottomlesse treasury of all sweetest beauties dearest excellencies amiable delights vpon painted shadowes from the Rocke of eternitie vpon a staffe of Reede I meane from the Creator vpon the creature He wisely and seasonably in the equitie of his Iustice and out of the iealousie of his owne Glorie takes away that earthly Idoll that the occasion of such irregular affection remoued he may draw the heart in which he principally takes pleasure to his owne glorious Selfe the onely Load-Starre of all sanctified loue and boundlesse Ocean of happinesse and blisse Nay it may be said in the sweetenesse of his mercy also when he sees vs distracted and as it were desperately mad with making too much of any transitorie thing so that our mind doth still runne and rest vpon it as our onely heauen vpon earth He snatches the edge toole out of our hands lest we make away our selues spiritually and withdrawes the beloued vanitie from before our eyes lest we grow starke blind in the mysteries of Faith and matters of Heauen by too much gazing vpon the fading beauty of any baser earthly obiect Thus the immoderate partiall affection of Parents may become many times occasionall and accessary to the vntimely taking away of a sweete faire and towardly child Whereby our gracious God iustly intimates vnto them their intolerable vnthankefulnesse of his mercy and extreme indignitie to his Maiesty in wickedly preferring in their loue a creature before their Creator and mercifully teaches them that the flowre and seruour of their best and dearest affection is onely due and should bee wholly deuoted to the greatest Good God himselfe and those truest vnutterable euer-during delights prepared for the Blessed in his Word here and in the World to come hereafter 1. Cor. 2. 9. Conceiue proportionably of other things immeasurably desired and delighted in If thou dotest vpon a good wit thou mayest be stricken with distraction if vpon abundance of learning or much worldly wisedome thou mayest be infatuated at least at some speciall times when thou wouldest gladly doe the best or in some important businesse which most concernes thee if vpon some highplace thou mayst with Haman Shebna and thousands moe be throwne down into the gulph of calamitie and woe contempt and scorne if vpon a faire house it may be leuelled with the ground by the flames of Gods wrath if vpon a beautifull face it may bee disfigured with the Poxe or other deformities if vpon a hoard of gold it may be disperst by fire robbery desolations of warre nay if euen vpon thy graces with an ouerweening conceit of selfe-excellency selfe-opinion selfe-sufficiency if they be onely generall graces thou mayst bee quite stript of them if sauing thou mayst bee cast into a dampe and desertion for a time in respect of all comfort sense vse and exercise c. 2. For the second though God may permit thee to possesse still that outward worldly comfort vpon which the fury of thine affection is so fastened and thine heart graspes with such greedinesse and excesse yet in this case thou mayest iustly expect a crosse either 1. In the thing doted vpon With what a deale of cutting discomfort and gashes of bitter griefe did Absalom dandled in Dauids affection with too much indulgence rent his Fathers
for our dealing in the world and ciuill affaires V. Now concerning workes of mercy which springing from an heart melting with sense of Gods euerlasting mercy to it selfe quickened with a liuely faith in the Lord Iesus and shining with sauing graces are an odour of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable well pleasing to God Philippians 4. 18. Hebr. 13. 16. Conceiue first there be two sorts of them 1. Spirituall 2. Corporall 1. Spirituall flow from the fountaine of truest mercy and compassion of greatest tendernesse and consequence euen to relieue repaire and refresh the pouerty wants and miseries of the soule 1. By instructing the Ignorant Prou. 10. 21. and 15. 7. 2. By giuing counsell to them that need or seeke it Exod. 18. 19. c. Ruth 3. 1 c. 3. By reducing the erroneous Exo. 23. 4. 4. By labouring the conuersion of others Psalm 51. 13. Luk. 22. 32. 5. By exhorting one another Heb. 3. 13. 6. By reproouing the offendor Leuit. 19. 17. 7. By admonishing them that are out of order 1. Thes. 5. 14. 8. By considering one another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes Hebr. 10. 24. 9. By comforting the heauy heart and afflicted spirit 1. Thes. 5. 14. 10. By forgiuing from the heart our brethren their trespasses Matth. 18. 35. 11. By chastising delinquents Prou. 22. 15. 12. By raising those which are fallen by infirmity with much meekenesse and tendernesse of heart Gal. 6. 1. 13. By mutuall encouragements against the cruelty and confusions of the times in the way to Heauen Mal. 3. 16. 14. By supporting and mercifully making much of weake Christians 1. Thes. 5. 11. 15. By patience towards all men 1. Thes. 5. 14. 16. By praying one for another Iam. 5. 16. 2. Corporall spring from a compassionate heart and fellow-feeling affection yerning ouer the temporall wants and necessities of our brethren whereby we are stirred vp as occasion is offered according to our ability to succour and support their outward extremities and distresses To feede the Hungry To giue drinke to the Thirsty To clothe the Naked to entertaine the Stranger To visit the sicke To goe to those that are in Prison Math. 25. 35. To put to an helping hand for raising our Brethren fallen into decay Leuit. 25. 35. To lend hoping for nothing againe c. Luke 6. 35. Thus Christians ought to be ready to distribute willing to communicate in all kindes to the outward necessities also 1. First Of those of the houshold of faith the principall and most moouing obiect to draw bounty from a truly charitable heart Gal. 6. 10. 2. In the next place Of the lame the blind the sicke the aged the trembling hand or any that God hath made poore 3. Thirdly Of any whosoeuer in a case of true necessitie and extremity whatsoeuer the party hath bin before For there thou relieuest not his notoriousnesse but his nature though thou abhorre the man for his former villany yet vpon poynt of perishing doe good vnto the common state of humanity Now of these two kindes Fathers Schoolemen Casuists all concurre and conclude that spirituall almes caeteris paribus as they say are more excellent and acceptable then corporall Because 1. The gift is more noble in its owne nature 2. The obiect more illustrious Mans immortall soule 3. The manner transcendent being spirituall 4. The charity more heauenly which aimes at our brothers endlesse saluation Let then euery Christian conscionably and constantly endeauour to improoue to the vtmost vpon all occasions and seasonable offers all his spirituall abilities heauenly endowments illuminations of learning morall wisedome prouidence discretion c. all his skill in the Mystery of Christ Word and waies of God all his experience in temptations cases of conscience spirituall distempers his spirit of counsell comfort courage or what other gift or grace soeuer he is illightened and endowed with to relieue and refresh euery way the soules to procure and promote by all meanes the eternall saluation of others Let the sauing light of thy diuine knowledge spirituall wisedome heauenly vnderstanding or what other excellencies and perfections of the minde shining in thy soule resemble in all fruitfull improouement and free communicating it selfe that bountifull light in the body of the Sunneâ—… That 1. first illighteneth that goodly Creature wherein iâ—… originally dwels and makes it the fairest and beautifulleâ—… thing in the world 2. Next it illuminates and beautifiâ—… all the Orbes and heauenly bodies about it 3. Thirdly bâ—… the proiection of his beames it begets all the beauty glory sweetnesse wee haue here below on the earth 4. Fourthly it insinuates into euery chinke and crany of the earth and concurres to the making of those precious metals which lye in her bowels 5. Fiftly his beames glide by the sides of the earth and illighten euen the opposite part of Heauen with all those glorious Starres we see shining in the night 6. Sixthly it is so communicatiue and greedy of dooing good in its kinde that it strikes thorow the firmament in the transparent parts and seekes to bestow its brightnesse and beauty euen beyond the Heauens and neuer restraines the free communication of its influence and glory vntill it determine by naturall and necessarie expiration Euen so proportionably let the fruitfull light of thy diuine knowledge and heauenly counsell especially be still working shining spreading to doe all possible good 1. Let it First make thine own soule all glorious within fairely enlighten it with an humble reflection of selfe-knowledge with puritie peace and spirituall prudence to guide constantly thine owne feete with all vprightnesse and patience in the path that is called holy 2. Secondly Let it shine vpon thy family and those that are next about thee with all seasonable instructions in conuincing them of the truth and goodnesse of the wayes of God either for their conuersion or inexcusablenesse 3. Thirdly let it bee spent and imployed vpon thy neighbours kindred friends acquaintance visitants of all sorts when they come towards thee to warme their hearts all thou canst with heauenly talke and to winne their loues to the life of grace 4. Fourthly let it insinuate also amongst strangers and into other companies vpon which any warrantable Calling shall cast thee and intimate vnto them especially if it finde acceptation and entertainment That one thing is necessarie That all impenitents shall bee certainly damned That vpon this moment dependeth eternitie c. 5. Nay let it offer it selfe with all meekenesse of wisedome and patient discretion euen to opposites and labour to conquer if it bee possible the contrarie minded if their scornefull carriage and furious visible hate against the mysterie of Christ hath not set a brand of Dogges and Swine vpon them 6. Lastly when vpon all occasions in all companies by all meanes it hath done all the good it can yet let it still retaine that constant propertie of all Heauenly Graces an edge
sweete voice of Christ Iesus rather then the murthering sophistry of Satan if in good maners thou wilt come when thou art called and not retire in a sinfull and cruell modesty thou shalt be presently lightened Yea but saith the Tempter thy heart hath been so strangely hardened and soakt in sinne heretofore now such an heâ—…sh cloud of darkenesse hath seized vpon it that there is no hope nor possibility But what saith the Word Seeke him that maketh the seuen starres and Orion and turneth the shadow of death into the morning It is hee alone that can most easily change the dismall midnight of thy present spirituall misery into the glorious midday of sweetest peace and lightsomnesse of heart Yea but saith he further thou hast lien long vpon the Rocke of guilty horrour had much counsell and been vnder the hands of many spirituall physicians and yet no comfort comes And what then Heare what the Spirit of truth tels vs Since the beginning of the world men haue not heard nor perceiued by the eare neither hath the eye seene O God besides thee what Hee hath prepared for him that waiteth for him Isa. 64. 4. Waiting patiently for the Lords comming to comfort vs either in temporall or spirituall distresses is a right pleasing and acceptable dutie and seruice vnto God which hee is woont to crowne with multiplyed and ouerflowing refreshings when he comes See Isa. 40. 31. Nay and shouldest thou die in this state of waiting if thy heart in the meane time sincerely hate all sinne heartily thirst for the mercy of God in Christ and resolue truely vpon new vniuersall obedience for the time to come thou shalt bee certainely saued because the Holy Ghost saith Isaiah 30. 18. Blessed are all they that waite for him 6. That defects distractions failings in our spirituall exercises and vndertakings groaned vnder grieued for and striuen against by an vpright heart are so farre from nullifying grace that they should not bereaue vs of peace of conscience or interrupt our sweet communion and comfortable walking with our God 7. Not to confine vnderualue and extenuate the mercies of God promises of life the holy Spirits sauing worke vpon thy soule and the present graces thou possessest in truth c. These cautions premised let vs come to the examining and answering of some complaints and counterpleas against entertainement of comfort which are wont to arise in troubled consciences out of ignorance and misconceite of the mercifull wayes of God and the mysterie of his free loue through Christ and doe thou conceiue that proportionable soueraigne Antidotes and counter-comforts may bee collected also in abundance out of Gods blessed Booke against the rest or any reply whatsoeuer And to begin with the first cryes of a Christian in the pangs of his New birth I. A poore soule hauing wallowed long in vanity of villanies and vanities of lust and licentiousnesse is now by diuine blessing at this or â—…e other Sermon struck thorow by the Sword of the Spirit with penitent remorse and his heart broken into pieces by the hammer of the Law In this depth of heauiest distresse and bleeding case he casts his eyes vpon Iesus Christ lifted vp in the Ministerie as an Antitype â—…o the brazen Serpent for his comfortable binding â—…p and euerlasting cure Those Messengers of God who are able to declare vnto Man his vprightnesse assure him in the Word of life and truth and charge him in His name who was anointed by the Lord for that purpose and appointed by the Father of mercies to comfort all Mourners in Sion that now being truly cast downe vnder Gods mighty hand thirsting for the blood of Christ and sincerely resoluing vpon a new course for the time to come He would turne his legall terrours into Euangelicall weeping ioy put on beauty for ashes the garment of praise for the spirit of heauinesse That he might be called a Tree of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord that hee might bee glorified Oh no saies he out of the deepe sence of his bottomelesse vilenesse The newes is too good to be true to wit that now the blessed Sonne of God and all the precious rich purchases of his vnualuable passion should belong vnto mee the sinfullest wretch that the earth beares who haue desperately spent my dayes and strength so long in the furious seruice of Satan and mine own sensuall lusts c. whereupon he refuses comfort and chooses rather to sinke againe and languish vnder the horrours of guiltinesse and feare Whereas he should incomparably more honour and please the God of all comfort by trusting his mercy sealing to his truth then by vnseasonable suspecting his iustice and power Here then hee wofully failes and forgets himselfe in a distrustfull vnder-prizing Gods incomprehensible greatnesse Almightie mercy vnlimited liberalitie and freenesse of his loue He is in this case not so much to consider what is fit for him to receiue as conuenient for the ability and bounty of so great and good a God as the mighty Lord of Heauen and earth to giue who as I told you before vpon other occasion doth all things like Himselfe If hee build he makes a world If he be angry with the world hee sends a floud ouer the face of the whole earth If hee goes out with the Armies of the Saints hee makes the Sunne stand still the Starres to fight the Seas to swallow vp the most dreadfull Armadoes If hee loue the precious hearts blood of his owne Sonne is not too deare If he deliuer any man Hee puls him out of the hand of the Prince of darknesse and frees him from euerlasting flames If any become his Fauourite through Christs mediation He wil make him a King giue him a Paradise and set a Crowne of eternitie vpon his head Earthly Princes at their pleasures ennoble those they loue with Dukedomes Marquesdomes Earledomes What then doe you thinke shall be done vnto the man whom the King of Heauen desires and delights to honour Let vs then I say in such cases consider not so much what is fit for vs silly wormes to receiue as for so great a God to bestow If wee can once bring hearts bruised and broken with the burden of our sinnes bleeding and weeping vnto his Mercy-seate Hee will thinke all the meritorious sufferings of his Sonne all the promises in his Booke all the comforts of his Spirit all the pleasures in his Kingdome little enough for vs. If wee looke vpon our selues sinful wretches we might iustly feare the extremest torments fiercest flames and lowest dungeon in hell infinitely rather then expect a Kingdome But Hee loues vs freely Hos. 14. 4. It is his pleasure to giue vs a Kingdome Feare not little flocke saith Christ for it is your Fathers good pleasure to giue you the Kingdom Luk. 12. 32. If it be the good pleasure of the King of Kings to bestow a Kingdome vpon a truely humbled soule which hee makes in the
of a compleate Christian 1. Honestie 2. Vprightnesse 3. Pietie And they receiue much excellency and lustre from a circumstance of time In his generations which were many and mainly corrupt Without any further vnfolding my Texts coherence and dependance vpon either precedent or following parts for Historicall passages are plainer and doe not euer exact the length and labour of such an exact resolution as other Scriptures doe I collect from the first point wherein I finde Gods free grace to bee the prime and principall cause of Noahs preseruation this Note Doct. The free grace and fauour of God is the first moouer and fountaine of all our good Consider for this purpose such places as these Ier. 31. 3. Hos. 14. 4. Deut. 7. 7 8. Rom. 9. 11 12 13. Ioh. 3. 16. Ios. 24. 2 3. Ephes. 1. 5. And it must needs bee so For it is vtterly impossible that any finite cause created power or any thing out of Himselfe should primarily mooue and incline the eternall immutable increated omnipotent will of God The true originall and prime motiue of all gracious bountifull expressions and effusions of loue vpon His Elect is His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His merum beneplacitum The good pleasure of His will And therefore to hold that election to life is made vpon foresight of faith good workes the right vse of free-will or any created motiue is not only false and wicked but also an ignorant and absurd Tenent To say no more at this time it robs God of his All-sufficiencie making Him goe out of Himselfe looking to this or that in the creature vpon which His will may bee determined to elect The Schoole-men tho otherwise a rotten generation of Diuines yet are right in this 1. That distinction which I learne from my Master in his heauenly Sermons published since his death doth leade vnto aright and truely inlighten this Head-spring of all our good 1. Some actions of Gods loue vnto vs saith he are so in Christ that they are wholly suspended on Him and His merits are the onely procuring cause of them For example Forgiuenesse of sinnes is an action of Gods loue vnto vs and yet this wholly depends vpon Christ and his merits so that His precious Blood must either procure this mercy for vs from God else they will neuer bee forgiuen and this and the like loue of God is both in Christ and for Christ. 2. There are some other actions of Gods loue which arise meerely and onely out of the absolute will of God without any concurrence of Christs merits As the eternall purpose of God whereby Hee hath determined to chuse some men to saluation this is an action of Gods loue meerely rising out of His absolute will without Christs merits For Christ is a Mediatour and all his merits are the effects of his loue not the cause of it And yet this loue though it be not for Christ yet is it in Christ Ephes. 3. 11. According to the eternall purpose which hee wrought in Christ Iesus our Lord that is in regard of the execution of it for euen this eternall purpose and all the actions of Gods loue which arise from his absolute Will are effected and brought to passe in and through Christ. 3. Wee may take an estimate of the absolute and infinite frankenesse of this vnconceiueable loue of God to his which reacheth from euerlasting to euerlasting by looking vpon that goodly faire sweete amiable creature described Ezechiel 16. In the beginning of the Chapter shee lies most filthy and foule tumbling in her owne blood pittied by no eye abhorred of all which loathsomnesse should rather haue begot loathing then loue auersion and hate then affection and liking yet God Himselfe doth there professe out of a melting pang and ouer-flowing abundance of His free grace that that time was vnto Him the time of loue Hee spred his skirt ouer her and couered her nakednesse In a word after she was dressed and adorned with Gods most skilfull mercifull hand she became a most louely thing First washed with water cleansed from blood anointed with oyle then cloathed with broidered worke shod with Badgers skinne girded about with fine linnen couered with silke decked with ornaments of siluer and gold with bracelets vpon her hands a chaine on her necke a iewell on her forehead earerings in her eares and a beautifull Crowne vpon her head fedde with fine flower honie and oyle so that she became exceeding beautifull and renowned through the whole World for her perfect comelinesse euen mine owne comelinesse which I put vpon her saith the Lord God Uses 1. All praise then is due vnto Iehoua the Author of all our good the Fountaine of all our blisse the Well-spring of immortalitie and life whereby we liue and moue and haue our being our naturall being the beeing of our outward state our gracious being the euerlastingnesse of our glorious state Were the holiest heart vpon earth enlarged to the vast comprehension of this great Worlds widenesse nay made capable of all the glorious and magnificent Hallelu-iahs and hearty praises offered to Iehoua both by all the militant and Triumphant Church yet would it come infinitely short of sufficiently magnifying admiring and adoring the inexplicable mysterie and bottomles depth of this free independant mercy and loue of God the Fountaine and first Moouer of all our good We may and are bound to blesse God for all the meanes instruments and second causes whereby it pleaseth God to conferre and conuey good things vnto vs but we must rest principally with lowliest thoughts of most humble and heartiest praisefulnesse at the Well-head of all our welfare Iehoua blessed for euer Wee receiue a great deale of comfort and refreshment from the Moone and Starres but wee must chiefly thanke the Sunne from the greater Riuers also but the maine Sea is the Fountaine Angels Ministers and Men may pleasure vs but Iehoua is the principall Let vs then imitate those Lights of Heauen and Riuers of the Earth do all the good wee can with those good things God hath giuen vs by his instruments and then reflect backe towards and returne all the glory and praise vnto the Sunne of righteousnesse and Sea of our saluation The beames of the Moone and Starres returne as farre-backe to glorifie the face of the Sunne which gaue them their beauty as they can possibly vntill they be reflected or determine by necessarie expiration the Sunnes eiaculatorie power being finite Let vs semblably euer send backe to Gods owne glorious Selfe the honour of all His gifts by a fruitfull improouement of them in setting forth His glory and by continuall feruent eiaculations of praise to the vtmost possibilitie of our gracious hearts And here I cannot hold but must needs most iustly complaine of the hatefull intolerable vnthankefulnesse of vs in this Kingdome the happiest people vnder the Cope of Heauen had we hearts enlarged to conceiue aright of Gods extraordinary loue and such miraculous mercies
Duels c And was not the discouery and deliuerance from the Powder-plot that great astonishment of Men and Angels one of the most vnparalelled and mercifull Miracles that euer the Church of God tasted Is it not admirable in the eyes of all Christendome that the only Daughter of our King vnworthily hunted vp and downe like a Partridge in the Mountaines should with such Heroicall height of spirit passe thorow so many insupportable dangers difficulties and indignities impossible to be forced vpon Ladies by generous spirits and as impossible to bee borne and ouercome but by an inuincible spirit and that Shee and all her Royall little Ones should bee still safe in the golden Cabinet of Gods sweetest prouidence And to crowne all with a wonder of greatest astonishment doe not we all that are the Kings faithfullest Subiects almost feare still lest we be in a dreame that Prince Charles the Flowre of Christendome should returne home so To say no more Away then with all sowre melancholike causelesse sinfull discontent And Praise ye the Lord sing vnto the Lord a new song and his praise in the congregation of the Saints Let Israel reioyce in him that made him let the children of Zion be ioyfull in their King For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people Hee will beautifie the meeke with saluation Let the Saints be ioyfull in glory let them sing aloud vpon their beds In a word let vs of this Iland as we haue iust cause aboue all the Nations of the earth and aboue all Ages of the Church from the very first creation of it praise Iehoua most heartily infinitely and for euer 2. Neuer hit any in the teeth with deformity of bodie dulnesse of conceit weaknesse of wit poorenesse in outward state basenesse of birth c. For who makes thee to differ from another Either In naturall gifts as comelines of body beauty feature stature wit strength c. See Iob 10. 10 11. Psal. 139. 13 14 15. In ciuill endowments or any artificiall skill vntill it come euen vnto matters of Husbandry See Esay 28. 26. In outward things see Psalm 127. More particularly in preferment and promotion see Psal. 75. 6 7. In children 1. Sam. 1. 27. Psal. 127. 3. In a good wife see Prou. 19. 14. In spirituall things see Ezech. 16. In any thing thou canst name We are all framed of the same mold hewed out of the same Rocke made as it were of the same cloth the sheares as they say onely going betweene it is therefore onely the free loue and grace of God which makes all the difference Whereupon it was an excellent speech of the last French King as his Chronicler reports When I was borne there were a thousand other soules more borne what haue I done vnto God more then they It is his meere grace and mercie which doth often bind me more vnto his iustice for the faults of great men are neuer small Let none then I say ouer-looke disdaine or brow-beate their brethren by reason of any extraordinarinesse of gifts eminency of parts singularitie of Gods speciall fauour or indulgence towards him in any good thing which he denies to others Especially thy selfe being vouchsafed the mercy of conuersion neuer insolently and imperiously insult ouer those poore soules who are beside themselues in matter of saluation who like miserable drudges damne themselues in the Deuils slauery and suffer their corrupt nature to carrie them to any villanie lust or lewd course Alas our hearts should bleed within vs to behold so many about vs to imbrew their cruell hands in the bloud of their owne soules by their ignorance worldlinesse drunkennesse lust lying scoffing at profession hating to be reformed c. What heart except it be hewed out of the hardest rocke or hath suckt the brests of mercilesse Tygers but would yerne and weepe to see a man made of the same mold with himselfe wilfully as it were against the Ministery of the Word a thousand warnings and Gods many compassionate inuitations to cast himselfe body and soule into the endlesse easelesse and remedilesse miseries of Hell And the rather should we pittie and pray for such an one who followes the swinge of his owne heart to his owne euerlasting perdition because as I said before there went but the sheares betweene the matter whereof we were all made onely the free mercy goodnesse and grace of God makes the difference If he should giue vs ouer to the vnbridled current of our corrupt nature wee might be as bad and run riot into a world of wickednesse as well as he if the same God visit him in mercy he might become euery way as good or better then we 3. If the free loue of God bee the fountaine of all our good away then with that fained fore-sight of faith right vse of free-will good workes which should mooue God to elect before all eternitie and that Luciferian selfe-conceite of present merit fit monstrous broode of that Beast of Rome who opposeth and exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God For workes meritorious fore-seene are equally opposite to Grace as workes meritorious really existing Here you must cal to mind those eight considerations which I opposed against that wicked Tenent of Merit which doth iustly merit neuer to taste of Gods free mercy From the second point in these words These are the generations of Noah whereas the fame and memoriall of all the Families vpon Earth besides lay buried and rotting in the gulfe of euerlasting obliuion as their bodies in the vniuersall graue of Waters the family of Noah a righteous and holy man is not onely preserued in safetie from the generall Deluge but his generations registred and renowned in the Booke of God and conueyed along towards the Lord Iesus as his Progenitors and precedent Royall Line I obserue this point Doct. Personall goodnesse is a good meanes to bring safety honour and many comfortable blessings vpon posteritie see Deut. 5. 29. Exod. 20. 6. Psal. 37. 26. Prou. 20. 7. and 11. 21. Psal. 112. 1 3. Act. 2. 39. Reas. 1. Parents professing Religion in truth make conscience of praying for their children before they haue them as did Isaac Hannah When they are quicke in the wombe as did Rebeckah When they are borne as did Zachariah In the whole course of their life as did Iob At their death as did Isaack And prayers we know are for the purchasing of all fauour at the hands of God either for our selues or others the most vndoubted soueraigne meanes we can possibly vse 2. Godly Parents doe infinitely more desire to see the true feare of God planted in their childrens hearts then if it were possible the Imperiall Diadem of the whole Earth set vpon their heads And therefore their principall care is and the Crowne of their greatest ioy would bee by good example religious education daily instruction louing admonitions seasonable reproofes restraint from wicked company the
and cunning traine of Satan may bee haled backe to commit his sweete sinne againe especially if it bee of some nature though it be a very heauy case and to bee lamented if it were possible with teares of blood yet hee neuer doth nor can returne to wallow in it againe or allow it After such a dreadfull relapse his heart bleeds afresh with extraordinarie bitternesse of penitent remorse hee abhors himselfe in dust and ashes as exceedingly vile cries more mightily vnto God in a day of humiliation for the returne of his pleased countenance repaires and fortifies the breach with stronger resolution and more inuincible watchfulnesse against future assaults and all assayes of re-entry But now the temporarie I talke of after his formall enforced forbearance engulphs himselfe againe with more greedinesse into the pleasures and sensualitie of his bosome sinne lies and delights in it againe as the very life of his life and hardens himselfe more obstinately in it as a thing impossible to leaue and liue with any comfort Vpon his returne the vncleane spirit râ—…ges more then before Thus to lend thee some light for a more full discouerie and thorow disintanglement out of its pleasing snares I haue intimated briefly what a beloued sinne is what thine may bee and how thou mayest bee deceiued about it For if thou wouldest truely taste how gracious and glorious the Lord is in a sweet communion with His blessed Maiestie if thou wouldest be intimately acquainted with the mystery of Christ wherein are hid infinite heauenly treasures and such pleasures as neither eye hath seene nor eare heard neither hath entred into the heart of man if thou wouldest euer bee fitly qualified to walke humbly with thy God in the way which is called Holy as thou must fall out for euer with all finne so must thou principally and impartially improoue all thy spirituall forces and aide from heauen vtterly to demolish and beate to the ground the deuils Castle to dethrone and depose from its hellish tyrannie ouer thee that grand impoisoner of thy soule and strongest barre to keepe out grace all acquaintance and sweetest entercourse with God thy bosome sinne Take notice by the way that sith wee concurrently and constantly teach that iustifying Faith doth purifie the heart from the raigne allowance of any lust or lewd course and plants by the power of the holy Ghost a sincere vniuersall new obedience and regular respect to all Gods commandements to all good workes of Iustice Mercy and Truth and that wee neither doe nor dare giue any comfort to any man of his being iustified and assured of Gods loue that goes on impenitently in any one knowne sinne against his conscience hating to be reformed I say sith it is thus take notice how vnworthily wrongfully the Antichristian Doctors hauing receiued foreheads from the Whore of Babylon deale with vs in this point Heare them speake So that their iustification meaning ours saith Fitzhâ—…rbert may according to their opinion stand with all wickednesse These words saith Arnoux meaning of the French Confession are set downe to assure the wickedst man that is of the righteousnesse of the Sonne of God By the application of Christs satisfaction by faith saith Lessius he meaning the Protestant is reputed iust before God though he finde no change of will at all within The skarlet Fathers in the Trentish Conuenticle say that Luther from iustification by faith alone collected not onely that good workes are not necessarie but also that a dissolute libertie in obseruing the Law of God and of the Church will serue the turne Bellar. also comes in with his videntur They seeme saith he altogether to thinke that a man may be saued although hee doe no good workes nor obserue Gods Commandements Which hee there onely seemes and assayes to proue but indeed playes the calumniating Sophister The iustifying faith of the Aduersaries saith hee in another place takes clearely away Prayer Sacraments Good workes and whatsoeuer God hath instituted for our saluation The Protestants saith Stapleton will haue certainty of grace to be in a man not onely without any respect necessitie consequence presence or conueniencie of good workes but also whatsoeuer sinnes being present The Rhemists also most slanderously affirme that wee condemne Good workes as vncleane sinfull hypocriticall Arnoldus also swels with malicious Popish poison and the rancour of a slanderous spirit when hee fathers vpon vs such falshoods as these as though we should teach that all men are bound to beleeue that they are elected to eternall life that we bid all wicked men be secure as those who can fall from saluation by no villanies Now the Lord rebuke thee Satan who â—…ittest with such extreme malice falshood in the foule mouthes of the Popish Proctours and Rabshakehs of Rome that they should with such prodigious lies and villanous slanders reuile the Lords Champions and traduce the glorious heauenly truth of our most holy and righteous Religion But to my purpose and to conclude the point Thou must either with a resolute and euerlasting diuorce abandon and abominate thy bosome sinne thy darling delight to the pit of hell whence it hath formerly receiued much enraged sensuall poison to the wofull wasting of thy conscience and the stronger and longer barring thee from grace or else thou must continue an euerlasting stranger from all communion and conuersing with God thou shalt neuer be able to meet him in his Ordinances with true reuerence and delight or looke him in the face with comfort at the last day II. Scorne with an infinite and triumphant disdaine to serue the mighty Lord of heauen and earth seruilely slauishly or formally for by-respects priuate ends or any thing saue his owne sweet gracious glorious Selfe Hate hypocrisie from the very heart-roote Which foule fiend painting her selfe more vnobseruedly in the warme Sun and shining prosperitie of the Gospels flourishing estate with an outward gilt and superficiall tincture doth with greater varietie and stronger imposture deceiue both mens owne soules and others in the glorious noone-tide thereof Nay this great Agent for the Prince of darknesse is so politicke and pragmatical that he preuailes too much many times euen in the declination of that glorious Sunne in the disacceptation and dampe of profession and forwardnesse For though at this day Professours of the gracious Way bee in greatest disgrace with the most and a drunkard a swaggering Good-fellow an Vsurer a sonne or daughter of Belial shall finde more fauour applause and approbation with the world then a man which makes conscience of his wayes so that it may seeme the greatest madnesse that may bee to make profession of Religion hypocritically yet euen in these times there are some causes in which the deuill takes occasion to cause some to play the Hypocrites notoriously 1. Some there may be who being weake and worthlesse yet vaine-glorious and ouer-greedy of reputation finding
take delight in the cruell tormenting of a dumbe creature Is it not too much for thee to behold with dry eyes that fearefull brand which only thy sinne hath imprest vpon it but thou must barbarously also presse its oppressions and make thy selfe merry with the bleeding miseries of that poore harmelesse thing which in its kinde is much more and farre better seruiceable to the Creator then thy selfe Yet I deny not but that there may bee another lawfull vse of this Antipathy for the destroying of hurtfull and enioying of vsefull creatures so that it be without any taint or aspersion of cruelty on our parts or needlesse tormenting of the silly beasts 3. Ingrossers of time Thousands there are who plunge themselues ouer head eares in courses of pleasure which they call recreations wherein they very vnworthily and wofully waste the fat and marrow as it were of deare and precious time the flower of their age the strength of their bodies emasculate and melt the vigour of their spirits into effeminatenesse sensualitie and lust drowne the faire and goodly hopes of their education the honour of their Families the expectation of the Countrey the improouement of their parts in froth and folly As though they were placed vpon earth as Leuiathan in the Sea onely to take their sport and pastime therein Louers they are of pleasures Mirth-mongers men of this world sworne Vassals to carnall loosenesse and riotous excesse They haue their fooles Paradise heere and therefore in the equitie of a iust and holy proportion must with the Rich man looke for their payment and torment hereafter But Gods children must make conscience of meddling at any time with recreations without true cause and a iust calling thereunto and hold them of the same account and consequence with sleepe and other temperate refreshings which serue onely to quicken the minde reuiue the body enlarge the breath that wee may returne with more lightsomenesse and alacritie to our worke and Callings The season then of comfortable recourse vnto these repaires and restoratiues is when wee haue truely wearied our bodies with some honest imployment or tired our minds in worthy and noble exercises or both And as we must not presse vpon them at our pleasure and preuent true need out of an hankering humour after sportfull vanities old haunts good-fellow meetings conformitie to the times or some such sensuall and inordinate attractiue so in the entertainment of them wee must receiue them as men doe honey with the tip of the finger not with a full hand By no meanes ought we to engage and as it were to engulfe our affections into their excesses and immoderation not suffer them so to insinuate as to steale away our hearts into a pleasing insensible thraldome so creating necessities of recreations which is an extreme misery and intolerable slauery wherein notwithstanding many truly vnworthy and vnnoble Gallants miserably languish and come to nothing prooue onely vnprofitable burthens of the earth and in stead of a blessing the very bane of the Countrey that bred them Let such considerations as these serue as so many curbes to restraine vs from an vnseasonable intrusion vpon them and so many keene spurres to poast vs out of them before we be limed and entangled by them 1. Time is short Our life is but a span long a bubble a thought a smoake a shadow a dreame the very dreame of a shadow or if you can name any thing more fading and fraile and yet vpon this moment depends eternitie As wee behaue our selues heere vpon earth either in conformitie to the wayes of God walking with him selfe-denyall c. or in fashionablenesse to the world seruing the times and our owne turnes c. so shal we fare euerlastingly in another life And either become most glorious and happie creatures crowned with an exquisite confluence and quintessence as it were of sweetest vnmixed eternall pleasures a very shadow whereof not the largest naturall hearts of deepest vnderstanding men from the Creation to the last day were they all vnited into one exactest height and excellency of conceit could possibly comprehend nay in this one circumstance at the least the Saints shall surpasse euen Angelicall felicitie they shall behold with incredible ioy their owne nature in that respect honoured and aduanced aboue the brightest Cherub shining for euer with infinite beauty and glorified splendour in the sacred Person of the Sonne of God or else fall irrecouerably into the mouth of inexplicable and remedilesse horrour and so become the forlorne and wofull Obiects vpon which shall bee exercised and executed the vnquenchable wrath of God and fiercest torments in hell with extremitie and euerlastingnesse nay and in this point more vnhappy than the very Deuils For since their Apostacie there was no meanes or possibilitie vouchsafed vnto them of recouery and returne to those euerlasting Mansions of glorie But the sonnes and daughters of Adam since their fall haue had the very Sonne of God himselfe with the deare and vnualuable cry of his owne hearts blood to meditate vnto and sollicite the Father of all compassions and mercy for restitution into fauour and plantation into the Angels roome And therefore as this thought Oh what vnhappy and accursed creatures were we who being crowned with the matchlesse transcendency of all felicities and glory would not hold our station and haue shined still I say as this thought will endlesly haunt the damned angels with vnconceiueable byting and anguish so not onely an answerable selfe-fretting torture from this conceit Alas that wee kept not Paradise will rent and teare the wofull hearts of the wicked in hell but also a further sting of that neuer-dying Worme not incident to the Apostate angels will extremely enrage them with restlesse gnawings of conscience and gnashing of teeth when out of the horrour of their hideous wofull yellings they shall cry out against themselues What wretches What beasts What madded Deuils were we who when the glorious Blood of Christ Iesus was so mercifully tendered vnto vs in the Ministery of the Word all our life long we turned our backes against such blessed and bleeding imbracements and cruelly cut the throates of our owne poore soules by impenitent continuance in sinne so loosing for a few bitter-sweet pleasures in this vale of teares for an inch of time fulnesse of ioy at Gods right hand thorow all eternitie 2. Time is precious If all this great massie bodie of the whole earth whereupon we tread were turned into a lumpe of gold it were not able to purchase one minute of time And were there no other circumstance to set an impression of high valuation vpon it yet this very one doth much ennoble it That all these faire and shining bodies aboue our heads and principally the Prince of all the lights of heauen that glorious and mighty Giant the prime and crowne of all corporall creatures doe tire waste as it were their celestiall vigours with the incredible swiftnesse
the most worthy Saints are wofully haunted with too many distractions and violent intrusion of idle vaine and impertinent thoughts euen in holy duties religious exercises and solemne vse of the ordinances which without extraordinarie watchfulnesse and wrastling on their parts would vtterly bereaue and robbe them of all the sweetnesse power and profit of those blessed meanes and by little and little quite transforme them into forme and perfunctorinesse If in the best then and heauenliest businesses the vanity of our owne mindes and malice of the Deuill presse vpon vs with such importunitie and restlesse assaults with what furious and impetuous incursions and vastations of conscience are they like to oppresse vs in our idle houres ill spent time and pursuit of pleasures Consideration whereof me thinkes should cause Christians who alone are truely sensible of the interruption and discontinuance of their sweet communion and societie with Christ and smart many times for the estrangement of their thoughts and affections from God onely to haue recourse to recreations in case of true neede for necessitie I say and seasonably euen as they vse physicke so may they expect Gods gracious protection from the hurtfull preuailing of those sensuall distempers and licentious ranging of their thoughts which are wont to enrage and empoyson the mindes and affections of carnall men all the while and to make account so often as they are haled by the cunning ensnarement of old companions the tyrannie of former custome or vnmortified yeeldingnesse of their owne deceitfull hearts to immoderation and excesse in this kinde so often to expose their hearts by Gods iust permission as a prey to temptation and vanitie Whereby they may bee in continuall danger either by little and little to bee drawne backe and drowned againe in the froth and fooleries of their disauowed pleasures which were an horrible thing or else at least to bring vpon themselues from time to time as they transgresse in this kinde much vnnecessarie discomfort and dissettlednesse in their Christian course dis-rellish in Religious exercises deadnesse of heart disacquaintance with heauenly comforts losse of that dearest Thing and earthly Paradise peace of Conscience which perhaps they shall hardly with much adoe recouer a long time after 6. Sixthly consider Chrysostomes precisenesse against wasting time this way The present time saith he is not for melting into 〈◊〉 but for lamentation and mourning And yet doest thou vainely mis-spend it in merry conceits The Deuill gnasheth the teeth roares and foames and flashes out fire against thy saluation and doest thou sit still and Iouially iest it out Doe wee play and sport our selues Beloued Wilt thou learne the conuersation of the Saints Heare what Paul saies Act. 20. 31. By the space of three yeeres I ceased not to warne euery one night and day with teares 2. Cor. 2. 4. Out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote vnto you with many teares 2. Cor. 11. 29. Who is weake and I am not weake Who is offended and I burne not 2. Cor. 5. 4. For we that are in this Tabernacle doe groane being burdened And the Apostle desiring that I may so speake euery day to depart this life Doest thou laugh and play Our time here is a time of warre of fight of watch and ward of harnessing of standing in the face and fury of the enemy and doest thou demeane thy selfe like a dauncer Doest thou not see the faces of Souldiers in the fight how sad they are how contracted how terrible with frownes how full of horrour Doest thou not behold the austore piercing intention of their eyes an extraordinarie excitation of heart leaping and panting in their brests c. His meaning imports thus much Doth an ordinarie Souldier in the field against a mortal man earthly enemy recollect and vnite all the spirits and powers of body and soule with all efficacie and earnestnesse for the encounter And shall a Christian Souldier that wrastles not against flesh and blood but against Principalities against Powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this world against spirituall wickednesses in high places who is euery moment furiously assaulted and hunted euen like a Partridge in the Mountaines by the deuils open rage the ambushment of the World and the endlesse treacheries of his owne false heart trifle away his time and turne aside to toyes 4. No incrochers vpon heauenly comforts no diminishers of our delight in God no deuourers of spirituall ioy For this is a very deare and diuine thing to bee prized and preserued as a sweet and celestiall Iewell far more worth then heauen and earth which the world can neither giue nor take from vs neither must any stranger meddle with it Wee may take an estimate of its excellency by casting our eyes vpon 1. The intolerable bitternesse of the contrary I meane spirituall horrour which we see sometimes by wofull experience doth enrage the guilty consciences of some forlorne wretches with such restlesse furies and vnutterable anguish that at length extremest I know not whether madnesse or cruelty they lay violent and villanous hands vpon themselues In which case such an hell vpon earth is horrour of conscience they care not a button for the sweetnesse of life the rufull cries of their owne deare children the heauy lookes of their yoke-fellowes the abhorred infamy they bring vpon their owne names families kindred buriall posteritie Oh how they spurne at with a vile disdainefull contempt Pleasures Riches Honours Crownes Kingdomes Worlds of gold any thing euery thing as miserable comforters Nay it is so stinging that they will rather venture vpon that other Hell to which they are posting in a Coffin of blood a thousand thousand times more horrible then endure it any longer If sence then of diuine indignation taking secret vengeance vpon the guilty conscience of an impenitent Rebell puts him as it were into hellish flames aboue ground what an heauen vpon earth is a sweet feeling of Gods reconciled face and his euerlasting mercies through Christ sealed and set on by the holy Ghost and testimonie of a good conscience And how deliciously doth an humble soule so honoured with a foretaste and first-fruits as it were of eternall ioyes graspe the Lord Iesus in his ordinances and blisfully sunne it selfe in the loue and light of His countenance 2. The practise of the prophane in their insatiable restlesse pursuite of false ioyes and painefull pleasures which at best are but as crackling of thornes vnder a pot and flashes of lightning before euerlasting fire They hunt after them euen into hell and light a candle at the Deuill for lightsoâ—…nesse of heart by haunting Ale-houses Tauerneâ—… Brothel-houses Play-houses Conuenticles of good-fellowship sinfull and vnseasonable sports a thousand kinds of vanities and fooleries which are nothing but the Deuils Wakes and reuellings of Hell And all this little poore carnall mirth is purchased many times with much shame losse misery beggery rottennesse of body discredit damnation At what an high
and eagernesse to doe more good still and rather want matter and meanes then readinesse and resolution to propagate it selfe And this way now may the poorest Christians bee plentifull in workes of mercy and enrich the richest with spirituall almes Which in the meane time may comfort the bountifull hearts of those who are true of heart to whom the Lord out of his best wisedome hath denied this earthly drosse But yet for all this I would haue you know that I know none not the poorest excepted or exempted from seasonable ministring to the corporall necessities also of their brethren We haue a Precept from blessed Paul Ephe. 4. 28. That we must worke with our own hands that we may haue to giue to him that needeth And a noble president in the poore Widdow Mark 12. 44. who cast her two mites into the Treasurie which was all shee had euen all her liuing And if any heere make a counterplea of their pouertie I would know if there bee any so poore which is not able to giue a cup of cold water onely and yet this from a sincere heart shall bee both graciously accepted and certainly rewarded Matth. 10. 42. And therefore in a second place I infinitely desire and intreate and this is that which in this point I would specially presse and perswade with deepest impression that euery one which hath giuen his name vnto Christ rich or poore according to his power and proportion would with singular care and conscience addresse himselfe to a fruitfull affectionate and constant discharge of this much honoured dutie of almes-giuing in this kinde also properly so called 1. For we are bound to abound in this grace also Therefore saith Paul 2. Cor. 8. 7. As yee abound in euery thing in faith c. see that you abound in this grace also There is no religious Professour of any reputation vpon good ground with the Church of God but takes to heart and desires to bee exact in all commanded Christian duties euery day as Prayer reading Scriptures c. Vpon thy secret then and solitarie reuise and suruey of the day past call thy selfe to a strict account as for others so concerning this dutie also of doing good vnto all men especially vnto them who are of the houshold of faith Gal. 6. 10. for the discharge of this dutie ought also to bee daily if thy abilitie will beare and the necessities of the poore shall require In the morning sowe thy seed and in the euening withhold not thy hand Giue a portion to seuen and also to eight Eccles. 11. 6 2. and let the sense and consciousnesse of any omission neglect or sloth in performing it wound thy conscience also humble thy soule and quicken thine heart with new life of resolution and more liuely endeuour to mend euery morning and perfume as it were thine euery dayes walking with God and this sweet smelling sacrifice also of mercifulnesse bounty and loue Phil. 4. 18. Let this duty likewise with the rest fall within the compassâ—… of thy seuerest search penitent melting renued vowes in all thy more solemne selfe-examinations before the Sabbath Sacraments vpon dayes of humiliation c. It is a profitable consideration to thinke that a customary grosse neglect of any one Christian dutie in its season of which the conscience is or may be conuinced may iustly dampe and dead the lightsome and fruitfull performance of all the rest For example A willing knowne omission of priuate Prayer or set reading the Word euery day may intercept and restraine the sweet influence of Gods woonted refreshing mercy and the fructifying beames of his pleased countenance from thine heart in the vse of all the other ordinances an affected idlenesse and dis-imployment of any one grace in the soule when seasonable occasion calleth for improouement may blast the comfortable exercise and sensible comfort of all the rest For example If thou suffer thy patience ordinarily to sleepe when thy disauowed passions begin to breake in vpon thee like a torrent and heate thine heart with their swelling poyson or when some crosse doth nettle thy desire of ease no maruaile though thou finde a faintnesse also to seize vpon thy faith brotherly kindnesse loue zeale ioy and peace in beleeuing c. Why then when thou feelest thine inward man to begin to languish and the whole body of Christianitie to grow as it were towards a consumption amongst other inquisitions why doest thou not also feare out of a godly iealousie and labour to finde out whether the coldnesse of thy charity and too much neglect of releeuing the poore members of Iesus Christ may occasion thy spirituall dampe It is the duty and property of euery true-hearted Nathaneel as to haue respect to all Gods Commandements Psal. 119. 6. so though they cannot in perfection and height yet with truth and sincere endeauour to haue respect to a conscionable vse of all the ordinances to the performance of all holy duties and exercise of all spirituall graces in their due seasons 2. If the world hath locked vp thine heart and congealed the bowels of thy compassions towards the poore let the blaze of thine outward profession shine neuer so faire manage the heartlesse representations of externall holinesse neuer so demurely keepe the times and taskes of daily duties with neuer so great austeritie nay though thou bee able to amuse weaker Christians with some affected straines and artificiall feruency in Prayer for by the meere power or rather poyson of hypocrisie and vaineglory a man may pray sometimes to the admiration of others especially lesse iudicious hauing cunningly collected the most moouing passages for that purpose from the best-gifted in that kinde and then giuing an enforced action and life vnto them in the deliuerie as some in other cases act other mens inuentions to the life I say for all this if the holy heate of brotherly loue doth not warme thine heart and vpon occasion worke affectionately and effectually I dare say thou art rotten at the heart-roote there is no true loue of God in thee no grace no hope of saluation Let that terrible and flaming place against all couetous Pharises 1. Ioh. 3. 17. dissolue thy frozen-heartednesse this way and enlarge the bowels of pitie towards the poore brethren of Christ Iesus or else neuer looke hereafter to looke him in the face with comfort or to finde mercy at that Day Marke it well and meditate vpon it Whoso hath this worlds good and seeth his brother hath need and shutteth vp his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him 3. But aboue all other motiues of mercifulnesse to the poore which in the Booke of God are very many and most quickening methinkes that argument which Paul presseth to this purpose 2. Cor. 8. 9. should melt the most flinty heart For yee know saith he the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes hee became poore that yee
wrangling fellow should lay claime vnto thy land thou wouldest not in such a case and controuersie consult with an ignorant neighbour hee perhaps out of his weakenesse and want of skill might raise doubts and dangers where there were none and put thee into a greater fright but thou wouldest haue recourse to some learned at the Law who vnderstandingly searching and surueying thine Euidences and finding no flaw would put thee out of all feare When in time of temptation thou art terrified and affrighted with renewed scruples and distractions about thy spirituall well-being doe not in any wise aduise with carnall reason which is starke blinde in the mystery of Christ much lesse with that euill One who is a sworne enemy to thy soule and father of lyes They may tell thee thou hast no sence no feeling therefore all is naught but to the Word and to the Testimonie let thy trembling heart cleaue to the impregnable truth of those sweetest promises Matth. 11. 28. Reuel 21. 6. Ioh. 7. 37. Isa. 55. 1 c. and thou art safe for euer For a more full impression of this comfortable point I would haue you to refresh your memories with a reuise of those foure estates of faith which I haue heretofore distinguished vpon purpose for the weakest Christians sake and know that the reflexed act of the lowest degree and least measure then mentioned might vpon good ground if hee doe not wilfully and wickedly refuse to be comforted fill his fearefull spirit as full with vnspeakeable glorious ioy as the Sunne is of light and the sea of waters These things laid together and well weighed may confect a precious and soueraigne Antidote against the slauish terrours causelesse feares and heauy walking of many which are true of heart distressed in conscience about their spirituall state who while they labour and long with insatiable greedinesse and I blame them not for a sensible assurance and feeling apprehension of Gods fauour doe too much neglect and disregard that comfort which their faith might affoord them vpon good ground in that notwithstanding their present distracting amazements and perplexity of spirit they are able still to commit their soules vnto Christ as a faithfull Redeemer and their euerlasting strength In this point I haue let some passages fall by the way which may serue to discouer and dissolue the vanity and weakenesse of that Dilemma wherein Bellarmine playes the wilfull egregious Sophister it runs thus The Protestants teach saith he that a man is iustified by speciall faith whereby he perswadeth himselfe that he is iust Now then he reasoneth thus When I begin to beleeue that I am iust I am either iust or vniust If iust then I am not iustified by faith by which I beleeue my selfe to bee iust because this faith is after my iustification If vniust then this faith is false and so a man should be iustified by a lye To this horned Argument wee answer thus There are sundry acts of speciall faith for my purpose at this time take notice of two 1. A fiduciall assent resting vpon the merit of Christ an affiance dependance adherence reliance or if there bee any other word expressing that act of an humbled soule whereby it casteth and reposeth it selfe onely vpon Gods promise in Christ for the obtaining of remission of sinnes and euerlasting life In this act the poore soule illightened and affrighted with sight and sence of its sinne and misery and seeing an infinite impossibility of satisfying God for the one or freeing it selfe from the other by any meanes or merit in heauen or earth but onely by the propitiatory mediation of Iesus Christ it throwes it selfe into his armes grasping fast about him hides it selfe in the clifts of this Rocke from the stormes of Gods fiercest and fiery indignation apprehends in him plentifull redemption and all-sufficiencie of saluation and therefore plyes him with strong cryes and teares for mercy bespeakes him in all termes of confidence and affiance My Lord and my God my hope my fortresse my rocke my strength my saluation saue me or I sinke hold mee fast or I am lost for euer You may see sometimes a little infant vpon apprehension and approach of some sudden danger how heartily and hastily it runnes into the mothers armes for succour and safety euen so a truely wounded soule pursued by the terrours of the Law and frighted with the dreadfull sight of Gods frowning countenance flyes with speed into the bosome of its blessed Redeemer clings inseparably vnto his bleeding wounds for euerlasting protection and there rests vpon the freenesse of his Loue merit of his Passion and truth of his Promise as vpon a Rocke of Eternitie neuer to bee remooued not the concurrent rage of all the Deuils in hell or powers of darknesse being euer able to make a diuorce By this act wee are accepted for iust before the Throne of Grace for Christs sake and sufferings 2. An act of certification which quickned by the Spirit of Grace when God pleaseth for his own glory and good of his Child reflecteth vpon the soule with a comfortable assurance that we are already in the armes of Christ and His for euer The least glimpse whereof a true heart would not exchange for all the Kingdomes vpon earth The first act makes vs iust The second findes vs iust and so certifies truely not by a lye as lying companions and Satans Sophisters calumniate It is the saying of an excellent Diuine both for depth of learning and height of Holinesse To beleeue that my sinnes are now pardoned and that I am saued this is not the first act of faith but followes when now a man doth see himselfe to be iustified in Christ. 2. By a secret application of the promises of the Gospell in forme of an experimentall Syllogisme thus Whosoeuer beleeues and repents is the Child of God But I beleeue and repent therefore I am the Child of God The maior or first proposition is cleare and euident in the very letter and by the immediate sense of Scripture See Iohn 3. 36. Acts 10. 45. 13. 39 c. But how doe you know the minor or second proposition to be certainely so By the certainty of internall vision whereby we as clearely see our faith as our life will thought knowledge c. as appeares in the forecited place of Austin In his opinion I say Faith is as visible to the internall eye of a sanctified mind as is a mans life and will Nay we are woont to discerne with a more eager eye and obseruation a Stranger then an ordinary Domestick Our life and will are inbred faith is aduentitious By the testimony of a renewed conscience which is as a thousand witnesses Now had I a thousand honest witnesses at the barre before an vpright Iudge to prooue my cause and iustifie my right against the outfacings and periuries of a Knight of the Poast as they say well knowne to be an infamous stigmaticall
forgerer and murtherer I would little doubt but to get the day It is proportionably so in this present point I meane betweene my regenerate illightned conscience and Satan Nay in this case should all the Deuils in Hell sweare the contrary did carnall reason naturall distrust or any other aduersary power cauill and contradict with neuer such irksome tediousnesse yet by the mercy of God I will not withstand that heauenly light standing in my conscience like an armed man I will neuer take away mine innocency from my selfe vntill I die But how do you know that you truly beleeue We may know perhaps that we haue some kind of faith but not that we haue the true liuely faith which will serue the turne for saluation I answer Saint Paul bids vs try and prooue our selues whether we haue that Faith by which Christ dwelleth in our hearts which is the faith of such as are accepted with God 2. Cor. 13. 5. Now it were strange if the blessed Spirit should bid vs examine and search for that which could not possibly be found out Againe if a man cannot be certaine that he beleeues with all his heart that is truly and sincerely Philips interrogatorie to the Eunuch Act. 8. 37. had beene in vaine and the Eunuchs reply rash and vnaduised Austin was cleerely of this mind that a man may be acquainted with the sincerity of his faith There is saith he a kind of glorying in the conscience when thou knowest thy faith is sincere thy hope certaine thy loue without dissembling But many say they beleeue and are deceiued thinking they haue that which they haue not How then can a man be certaine Answer So thousands amongst vs by the false spectacles of presumption making the bridge of Gods mercy broader then it is and larger then his truth which confines it onely to broken hearts are wofully deluded and ready euery moment to be drowned in the dungeon of fire and brimstone must therefore those few who are sincerely humbled for their sinnes truly beleeue and vpon good ground haue part in it be also deceiued Because mad men and men asleepe know not well that they are asleepe and rage must therefore men truly waking and wise not know certainely they are awake and in their wits The common people generally conceiue of the Sunnes magnitude that it is not past a foote round must therefore the certainetie of knowledge that it is many times bigger then the Earth be denied to the skilfull Astronomer Some men dreame that they are rich tumble themselues amongst their golden heapes and it is not so indeed when they awake doth no man therefore certainely know whether he be rich or no Conceiue proportionably of repentance an inseparable companion and effect of true faith which is then sauing when it is serious sincere and without hypocrisie and that may be manifest and cleerely discerneable to the heart that hath it Doe you thinke the seriousnesse of the Niniuites repentance was not certaine vnto them We haue receiued the Spirit of God saith Paul that we might know the things that are freely giuen vs of God which are not onely life euerlasting c. but iustification sanctification and such like I say sauingnesse of repentance as of faith consists not in the measure and muchnesse but in the sincerity and truth of which the true penitent may bee certaine as well as of his sorrow But now whereas the Popish Doctors being blind guides leade their hoodwinkt followers into such perplexed mazes of vncertainties and indeed impossibilities about contrition in respect of extension intension appretiation equiualence to sin no maruell though they pleade pertinaciously for the point and purgatory of doubting 3. By the effects and fruits growing from the roote of grace in the heart But there may be in the hypocrite an exact outward conformity and obedience I answer true it is that for the outside and carkasse as it were the workes of vnsactified men may be like to those of the godly but they are without the soule life and spirit which is in the worke of a true beleeuer to which he is no lesse priuy in his heart then to the outward worke which passeth thorow his hands And wee hold that workes done in vprightnesse of heart onely are they which truly testifie in this case Let euery true-hearted Nathaneel then comfortably conclude pardon and peace vnto his owne soule from all such fruits so qualified For instance in one Wee know that we haue passed from death to life because wee loue the Brethren 1. Ioh. 3. 14. I loue the Brethren therefore I am translated from death to life But is it possible for a man to know that he loues his Brethren as he ought and as the Apostle requires Saint Iohn makes it a signe of our being so translated therfore it may be knowne For signes manifesting other things must themselues be more manifest And Austin tels vs that a man knowes more the loue with which he loues then his brother whom he loues Thus may the Christian infallibly collect the sanctifying Spirit iustifying Faith sauing Grace to dwell in his heart by all good deeds holy duties inward or outward fruits springing from an vpright heart For as it followes and may be inferred infallibly and demonstratiuely from the effect to the proper cause in other things For example It is day therefore the Sunne is risen because day cannot be caused but by the Sunnes rising so in this point also explained as before If wee pursue and ply with true hearts the whole Trade of Christianity If we be sincerely exercised in the workes of holinesse iustice mercy and truth and walke humbly with our God we may build vpon it that we are truly blessed All such sound fruits of Faith are euident signes and demonstrations of our spirituall safety and standing fast for euer If ye doe these things saith Peter yee shall neuer fall 4. By the testimony of the Spirit which sometimes as in the time of more feruent prayer holy retyrednesse of mind heauenly meditation or in some quickning exercises of extraordinary humiliation or after some speciall important seruice done to God and his Church with humble sincerity and in true zeale or vpon the soule-searching passage of some well grounded Sermon of comfort and seasonable application of mercy or in the beginning of spirituall and end of naturall life as most needfull times or in the time of martyrdome and sincere sufferings for the Name of Christ c. I say at such times the Spirit may suggest and testifie to the sanctified conscience with a secret still hart-rauishing voice thus or in the like manner Thou art the Child of God Thou art in the number of those that shall be saued Thou shalt inherit life euerlasting And that as certainely and comfortably as if that Angell from Heauen should say to thee as he did to Daniel Greatly beloued And why should any Popish cauiller contradict this sith
member They had more store of grace then I but I haue my measure and therefore sure of glory It is strange then that any true-hearted Nathanael hauing such good ground of reioycing sinning in that he doth not reioyce and ioy being so sweet and welcome a guest to the heart of man should weare out a few and wretched dayes in vnnecessarie heauinesse and sinfull sadnesse whereby he highly dishonours Gods free loue hinders others from the wayes of life hurts full sore his owne soule and onely gratifies Satan 3. It is a constant marke of euery regenerate man to make conscience of all Gods Commandements Psal. 119. 6 Now the holy Ghost doth not onely in many seuerall places giue vs charge to reioyce but is very earnest vpon vs in this poynt Nay doth so often double and treble with extraordinary emphasis and elegant gradation his entreatie and importunitie in the same place Let the Saints saith he be ioyfull with glory Psal. 149. 5. Let all those that seeke thee reioyce and be glad in thee Psal. 40. 16. Reioyce in the Lord O ye righteous Psalm 33. 1. Reioyce euermore 1. Thes. 5. 16 Reioyce in the Lord alway and againe I say Reioyce Phil. 4. 4. Let all those that put their trust in thee reioyce let them euer shout for ioy Psalm 5. 11. Let the righteous be glad let them reioyce before God yea let them exceedingly reioyce Psalm 68. 3. Bee glad in the Lord and reioyce yee righteous and shout for ioy all yee that are vpright in heart Psal. 32. 11. It is not an arbitrarie or indifferent thing as some may suppose to reioyce or to be sad But a comfortable commandement is sweetly enforced vpon vs by the fountaine of all comfort to reioyce and we breake a commandement if we reioyce not And therefore we are bound in conscience to shake our selues from the dust to plucke vp our spirits to expostulate and bee angry with our hearts if they grow heauy as Dauid did Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted within mee For wee must answer as well for not reioycing as for not praying for breaking this commandement Reioyce euermore as that other Thou shalt not kill I know full well there are difference and degrees in sinne But here a weake Professor being pressed to the intertainment and excellency of this ioy may be troubled and tempted vpon the suruey of the definition and nature of it For this spirituall Christian ioy is a delicious motion of the minde stirred vp by the holy Ghost from the presence and possession of Christ Iesus our Soueraigne God dwelling in the soule by faith whereby the heart is extraordinarily rauished and refreshed with a sweet holy vnspeakeable delight Now saith he if it be so I must tell you I find and feele no such sensible grasping of Iesus Christ in the armes of my faith or assured possession of him that I dare admit of this ioy or meddle with it But know that in the time of thy spirituall infancy temptations desertions and other dampes and deiections of soule especially let thy feeling or acknowledgement be what it will thou dost most certainely enioy the Lord Iesus euen by a sincere hunger and thirst after him and his righteousnesse and by thine vpright hearts adhering and cleauing vnto him as thy onely and chiefest ioy and by consequent art vpon good ground and by true right interessed to all that ioy which the blessed Spirit doth so importunately presse vpon thee inso many places Here refresh thy memory with the reuise of my former distinction of assurance of euidence and adherence 4. What canst thou thinke vpon or what can possibly befall thee out of which thou being turned vnto God and true of heart maiest not collect matter of comfort and by the mighty helpe of faith extract some ioyfull meditation 1. If thou suruay thy graces with which the free mercy of God hath glorified thy soule thou shalt see in them a sacred heauenly sun-shine which is able to illighten the darkest midnight of all thine outward miseries to disperse dissolue the blackest and most tempestuous clouds of temporall troubles Thou shalt feele in thē such an inexplicable excessiue sweetnesse which were the world aboue thee a Sea of bitternesse and gall might turne it all into sugar Thou shalt find in them such an impregnable mortall vigour that will most certainly vphold thy spirit vnconquerably at thy dying houre and before that last dreadfull barre when all impenitent wretches shall roare like wilde Bulls in a net full of the terrours of God and cry vpon the Hills and rocks to hide them from his vnquenchable wrath which they shall neuer bee able either to auoide or abide Hence springs that abundant and vnexhausted matter of ioy that the ioy of Haruest of diuiding great spoiles and that which is of such rauishing temper that wee thinke wee are but in a dreame is but a toy and trifle a type and shadow to it and which euer predominates and incomparably transcends all matter of mourning 2. If thou looke out vpon thine outward state vpon thy wife children friends health goods good name Orchards Gardens possessions honours or whatsoeuer thou hast attained or dost enioy with good conscience and sanctifiedly thou art bound to reioyce in them as temporall tokens of Gods eternall loue notable encouragements to doe more nobly in his glorious seruice and comfortable additions to thine hope of heauen but so and in such order that as thy cloathes first receiue heate from thy body before they can comfortably warme it so some inward ioy of reconcilement to the Creator must first warme thine heart before thou canst take any kindly comfort from the creatures 3. Concerning crosses afflictions troubles persecutions which are wont to present themselues to the apprehension of carnall men with much horror euen in the very bitternesse and extremitie of them if thou cast the illightned eye of thy soule vpon such places and promises as these 1. Cor. 10. 13. Heb. 13. 5. Rom. 8. 28. Heb. 12. 6. 2. Cor. 4. 17. Esay 63. 9. and the 43. 2. and then reflect vpon thy afflicted selfe thou mayest by the marueilous worke of faith draw a great deale of ioy from them A patient submission vnto and fruitfull exercise vnder Gods visiting hand is an vnfallible demonstration that thou art a sonne and not a bastard Is there then not more sweetnesse in those afflictions which are euident markes thou art in the right way to Heauen then in worldly pleasures which clearely remonstrate to thy conscience that thou art posting towards Hell Hence it was that the Apostles reioyced being beaten that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name of Iesus that Paul and Sylas sung in prison at midnight that Ignatius cryed Let Fire Rackes Pullies yea all the torments of Hell come on mee so I may winne Christ. 4. Nay euen contumelies and contempt reproaches
Fatlings ready prepared and now reuealed to the Beleeuer by the Spirit For the third Heare the voice of sweetenesse and peace Esa. 27. 2. Sing vnto her A Vineyard of red Wine Sing sounds nothing but ioy lightsomnesse and mirth Unto her the sexe of more amiablenesse tendernesse and loue A Vineyard Vineyards Orchards Gardens and such inclosed Plots are as it were the flowers starres and Paradises of the earth Of Wine as though the Vine-trees of this Inclosure brought not foorth the grosser and vncrushed Grapes but more immediately the refined and pure blood of the Grape Red The most generous sparkling delicious wine A Vineyard is as it were the Diamond of the Ring wine the sparkle red the splendour of the sparkle all excellencies sweetenesses transcendencies where God opens expresses his heart and loue to his Church or any of his Chosen For the fourth Let thy faith peruse with enlarged Meditations those precious passages of gracious inuitation and bountifull entertainement Mat. 22. 3 4. Isa. 55. 1 2. Pro. 9. 2 3. Cant. 2. 3 4. Thou shalt sucke and be satisfied euen with the brests of consolations Thy dearest and most glorious Mother which is clothed with the Sunne treads vpon the Moone and weares on her head a Crowne of twelue Starres shall sweetly and tenderly beare thee vpon her sides and handle thee vpon her knees Isa. 66. 11 12. For the fifth It is compared to a wedding Feast and that of a Kings sonne which is woont to be honoured and crowned with height and variety of all magnificence and Maiestie ioy and triumph mirth and musicke When an humbled soule is first made sure to the Sonne of God the ioyfull harmony of all good hearts that heare of it and the triumphant Halleluiahs of the blessed Angels in heauen concurre in consort as it were of congratulation for so happy a match in gladnesse and ioy for so holy a change This Feast begins at thy first betrothing when thou receiuing a Ring as it were beset with fiue precious stones 1. Righteousnesse 2. Iudgement 3. Louing kindnesse 4. Mercies 5. Faithfulnesse It is afterward continued with many gracious passages of loue and sweetest entertainements on both sides euen in this life as appeares in Solomons Spirituall Loue-song It shall at last be crowned with an euerlasting Iubilee and pleasures moe then the Starres of the firmament in number when the Lambe receiues his wife into his neerest and dearest embracements euen into full possession of the most blessed neuer-ending Kingdome of heauen bought for her full dearely with his owne hearts blood Then our Feast of grace ends in the endlesse fruition of Glory How merry then ought wee to be in the meane time who are admitted and enrighted to this gracious and glorious Feast Of expressing which to the life the finest fare and most exquisite delicates of all earthly feasts come as farre short as the dull earth comes short of the glistering heauen a grosse mortall body of the preciousnesse of an euerliuing soule An inch of time of the length of eternity For corporall dainties fat a fraile body for a span of time with earthly food accompanied with a little poore vanishing delight of sence But spirituall food fills an immortall soule with heauenly Maâ—…na out of the mysterie of Christ attended with purest ioy and sincerest pleasures through all eternity 6. As thou doest honour Gods Iustice in trembling at his threats and throwing thy selfe into the dust as extremely vile and fewell for hell vnder his mighty hand and the piercing Maiesty of his pure Word representing clearely vnto thy conscience and pressing terribly vpon it the hainousnesse of all thy lusts iniquities abominable prouocations of the eyes of his glory and diuine indignation flaming against them so when thou findest and feelest thy heart truly wounded by the sword of the Spirit with remorse and sorrow for thy sinnes weary with the heauy weight and burthen of them possessed with sincere hatred and lothing of euery euill way thou oughtest and are bound in conscience and by the commandement of the holy Ghost to glorifie Gods truth in his promises of mercy by throwing thy selfe into the blessed armes and bleeding embracements of the Lord Iesus dying vpon the Crosse in whom they are all yea and Amen with much assurance and peace with vnspeakeable and glorious ioy And the rather because the speciall season and onely opportunity of thy magnifying and honouring the sweet influence of Gods dearest mercies tender-heartednesse and truth vpon humble soules through the precious promises of life is in this life In the world to come they shall all bee accomplished vpon thee to the vtmost and crowned with a cleere vision and full fruition of that euer-blessed and most glorious Maiesty Then faith for euer expires and we see face to face These things being so and most sure let euery true-hearted Nathaneel be heartily intreated nay iustly charged in the name of Iesus Christ by the blessed Spirit the fountaine of all comfort as hee will answer it at the glorious Throne of Mercy erected in heauen vpon purpose to make him euerlastingly merry that hee henceforth most resolutely and for euer cast out of his conscience sprinkled with the Blood of the Lambe and out of the Kingdome of Christ ouerflowing with Peace and Ioy now comfortably established in his soule those intruding vsurpers Tyrants onely naturall Lords ouer naturall men I meane horrours of guiltinesse false feares slauish terrours damps and droopings all vncomfortable pensiuenesse deiections and feare And leauing such Harpies as these and heart-eaters onely to the grumbling and guilty consciences of all those that hate to be reformed and Satans slaues as their proper furies let him with an holy violence against the deuils cruell assaults and contradictions of his owne distrustfull heart and with a cheerefull spirit lay hold vpon his iust inheritance and euerlasting portion purchased for him by the bitter and painefull sufferings of the Sonne of God euen floods and fresh successions of sweetest ioyes shed and showred downe continually from the Throne of Grace vpon his vpright heart in great abundance if hee will but onely vouchsafe to open the doore by the hand of faith that the blessed beames of such lightsomnesse and comfort shining from the face of Christ may come in Let his soule full fairely arayed with its heauenly roabes to which the beauty of the morning brightnesse of the Moone and glory of the Sunne are but a shadow and listning sweetly to that melodious Song composed all of Peace and Ioy Pleasures and Pardon of finne which the mercy of God makes in the eare of its faith fall to and fill it selfe at the Wedding Feast of the Kings Sonne with those euer-springing riuers of spirituall refreshing out of the bottomlesse depth of Gods free loue reuealed in the mysterie of Christ by the ministery of the Word and Sacramentall grace as with marrow and fatnesse Let it sucke aboundantly and be satisfied with the