Of this Saint Paul speaks to the Corinths Iudge ye what I say 1. Cor. 10. 15. The second is the iudgement of the Prophet or minister And this is a surer kind of iudgement then the former proceeding from a greater measure of Gods grace The third is the iudgement of the Holy Ghost in scripture and this is soueraigne and absolute For the Holy Ghost iudgeth all and is iudged of none These three kinds of iudgment are set in this order The first depends vpon the second the second vpon the third and the third is absolute and iudged of none Vpon this caueat two things doe follow First that a priuate hearer though he may iudge of doctrine deliuered yet he may not censure the Teacher or his ministrie Ministers are to be iudged but their spirit is not subiect to euery priuate man but to the prophets For the spirit of the prophet that is the doctrine which the prophets bring beeing inspired by the Holy Ghost is subiect to the Prophets 1. Cor. 14. 32. Secondly a priuate man is not to publish or broach any point of doctrine but that which is plainly propounded in the word and taught by the ministers thereof This is a necessarie rule and the want of obseruation thereof is the cause of many scismes and haeresies in the Church The Lord commands the people Mal. 2. 7. to require the law at the mouth of the priest in all maine points of faith and manners The second Rule to be obserued in hearing Euery hearer must haue care that the word of God be rooted and grounded in his heart like good feede in good ground which Saint Iames expresseth Iam. 1. 21. Receiue with meekenes the ingrafted word Here generally it is to be remembred that not onely ignorant people but euen the most learned ought to be hearers of the word preached For the preaching thereof serues not onely for the increasing of knowledge but also for the reformation of the affection which may be inordinate where knowledge doth abound Now for the rooting of the word of God in our hearts sundry things are required First a true right vnderstanding therof Secondly it must be mingled with faith Heb. 4. 1. For the word is as wine or water of life our faith is the sugar that sweetneth it and giues it a pleasant relish The word therfore must be tempered and mixed with our saith that it may become profitable vnto vs. Now in this mixture there is required a double faith the first generall whereby we beleeue the doctrine deliuered to be true so as we neuer call the same into question Our Gospell to you saith Paul was in much assurance 1. Thess. 1. 5. The second special whereby we apply the word preached vnto our selues for the humbling and comforting of our hearts Thirdly we must labour to be affected with the word Thus Iosiah his heart is said to melt at the reading of the law 2. Chro. 34. 27. And the people reioyced greatly because they vnderstood the word which the Leuites had taught them Neh. 8. 12. The hearts of the two disciples that went to Emmaus burned within them when Christ opened vnto them the scriptures Luc. 24. 32. And the Iewes at Peters sermon were pricked in their hearts and said Men and brethren what shall we doe Act. 2. 37. Fourthly the word of God must dwell plenteously in vs Coll. 3. 16. This is doth when it rules and beares the greatest sway in the heart and is not ouerruled by any corrupt affection III. The duties to be performed after hearing are these First the doctrine deliuered must be treasured vp in the heart and practised in life Psal. 119. 11. I haue hid thy word in my heart that I might not sinne against thee Secondly a man must meditate on the word which he hath heard with lifting vp of his heart vnto God The beasts that were clouen footed and chewed the cudde were fittest both for meate vnto man and for sacrifice to God Levit. 11. It was the olde and auncient opinion of the Church that this chewing the cudde signified holy meditations And he that heares the word must doe as the beast doth fetch vp the meate out of his bellie againe and chewe it ouer a new The man that doth so is the fittest for the Lords vse Thirdly he must haue experience of the word of God in himselfe Psal. 34. 8. Tast and see how gracious the Lord is Fourthly he is to examine himselfe after he hath heard the word Thus Dauid saith of himselfe Psal. 119. 59. I haue considered my wayes and turned my feete vnto thy testimonies Fiftly he must be obedient vnto it and testifie his obediēce though not at all times yet whensoeuer occasion is offered Iam. 1. 22. Be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing your owne selues II. Question touching hearers is How are they to be comforted who after long hearing of the word either profit very litle or not at all For resolution of this Question the Causes of not profiting are distinctly to be considered And they are of two sorts The first sort of Causes are the sinnes of the hearers And that sinnes are the causes of not profiting it will appeare by this signe if the memorie vnderstanding and other parts of the minde in common matters be strong and pregnant but dull and weake in apprehending and retaining the doctrine taught Now these sinnes are principally two First Hardnes of heart when a man is not inwardly mooued and affected with the word preached but remaines in the same state he was before This is set forth by the hard ground that is by the high way side and by the stonie ground Math. 13. 4 5. And such is the heart that is not mooued nor affected either with ioy sorrow feare or consolation The hardnes of heart ariseth from a custome in sinning and from that the deceitfulnesse of sinne Heb. 3. 13. Secondly worldly Cares that is a heart possessed with desire of profits pleasures honours preferments and such like which be as thornes that choake the seede of the word and suffer it not to grow and fructifie yea that fill the heart full of wandering imaginations which steale away the mind from attending to the word preached Those that are thus hindred from profiting are rather to be reprooued then comforted for that the cause of their non-proficiencie is in from themselues They are therefore to vse all good meanes for the remooueall of their sinnes that of hard hearted and carnall they may become good and profitable hearers of the word The meanes are these First they must labour to be touched in heart with sense and feeling of their spirituall pouertie and want of Gods fauour and mercie in the pardon of their sinnes The reason is giuen of Dauid Psal. 25. 9. The Lord teacheth the humble his waies And by Marie in her song Luk. 1. 35. He hath filled the hungrie with good things and the rich he hath sent
the breaking and the powring Applying are those that doe appropriate the same as the giuing and receiuing of the bread and wine The first sort serues properly to renew our knowledge The second to confirme the saine by application Now answerable to the scope of the Sacrament must be our right Receiuing which consisteth in renewing of our knowledge and faith in the mysterie thereof Our Knowledge is renewed principally by meditation in the vse of the Supper after this manner First when we see two signes to be receiued we must call to minde that Christ is our perfect Sauiour that is both bread and water of life Secondly when we behold the bread and wine set apart by the Minister and consecrated by repeating the promise and praiers made for that ende we must remember that Christ was ordained and appointed by God to be our Mediatour and Sauiour Ioh. 6. 27. Act. 2. 23. 36. Thirdly when we see the bread broken and wine powred out we are to meditate of Christ that was crucified for vs and broken both by the first death and paines of the second whereby life and righteousnesse was procured vnto vs. Fourthly the giuing of the elements into the receiuers hands offers vnto our meditation thus much That God doth truly and really giue Christ with his merits and efficacie to euery beleeuing receiuer On the otherside our Faith is renewed by apprehension and application in this manner When the Minister giues the bread and wine and the communicant receiues them at the same time are we to lift vp our hearts to heauen to apprehend Christ by faith beleeuing him with all his benefits to be ours that he was made man for vs that he suffered and died for the remission of our sinnes For these outward symbolicall or sacramentall actions serue to no other end but to signifie vnto vs these inward actiōs of the mind and will whereby we apprehend and receiue Christ to our saluation Here by the way two Cases are propounded I. Case What is to be done if a man after often receiuing still doubteth whether he hath faith or no Ans. He must striue against doubting and indeauour to beleeue being heartily sory for the weakenes and infirmitie of his faith And let him withall consider and remember that God hath not onely giuen his promise but set apart this Sacrament to be a special signe and pledge of his mercie contained in the promise for the vpholding strengthening of mans faith But some man will say Mine indeauour is nothing if doubting preuaile Ans. It is not so For if a man can be heartily sorie for his infirmitie if he striue to beleeue if in heart he hungreth and thirsteth after Christ faith is begunne and he in some sort doth apprehend Christ. The poore begger by the high way side enioyeth the almes that is giuen him though he receiue it with a lame and leprous hand The stomacke that lothes physicke if it receiues into it at the first but one droppe of the potion prescribed and that in very weake and fainting manner it will be able at length to take benefit by a greater quantitie and in the meane time it receiues good The man that is in close prison if he sees but one little beame of the Sunne by a small crevisse by that very beame he hath vse of the Sunne though he seeth not the whole body of the Sunne In like manner though our faith the hand of our soule be mingled with weakenes and corruption though we feele neuer so little measure of Gods grace in vs yea though our knowledge be neuer so small yet it is an argument that the Spirit of God beginnes to worke in our harts and that we haue by Gods mercie begunne to lay hold on Christ. It will be said further If I feele not Christ giuen vnto me by God I doe not nay I cannot beleeue Answ. In Nature it is true that Experience beginnes first and then followes Assurance but in Spirituall and Diuine things there is a contrary course to be taken For here we must beginne with faith and in the first place simply beleeue Gods promises and afterward we come by the goodnes of God to feele and haue experience of his mercie This point was notably practised by Iehosaphat who beeing in a great extremity and seeing no way to escape practised his faith in the first place and said Lord we know not what to doe but our eyes are towards thee 2. Chro. 20. 12. And the like he taught the people at the same time ver 20. Put your trust in the Lord and ye shall be assured Thus Abraham is said aboue hope to beleeue vnder hope the promise of God euen against sense reason and experience Rom. 4. 18. II. Case If in the very instant of receiuing a man feele his heart so hard that he cannot lift it vp vnto God what is then to be done Ans. First hardnes of heart is two fold sensible and insensible The Insensible hardnes of heart is a great and dangerous iudgement But the Sensible and felt hardnes which is in Gods children and which they feele and bewaile in themselues is rather a blessing then a curse Of this the people of God complained Esay 63. 17. And it must not discourage any Communicant but rather comfort him because it is a signe of grace For if ther were no grace in the heart corruption hardnes could not be felt Secondly I answer that the benefit of the Sacrament is not tied to the very instant of receiuing but if before and after a man lift vp his heart to God he shall find comfort though for the present he hath not so liuely sense and feeling thereof as he desireth This alway provided that the same partie be displeased with himselfe that he cannot doe that which he would and ought nor in that measure that is required And such a one must consider this to his cōfort that though he doe not apprehend Christ yet Christ apprehendeth and accepteth him Sect. 3. In the Third place After the receiuing of the Sacraments two things are required First that Thankes be giuen vnto God not onely in word but in euery action of our life for Christ and all his benefits Secondly that not onely for the present but euer afterward still we renue our faith repentance and obedience But what is a man to doe if after receiuing he finde no cōfort Ans. First he must examine whether he hath truly beleeued and repented yea or no If he hath not then the fault is in himselfe and not in Gods ordinance If he hath let him not be dismaied for the ioy of the Spirit is sowne in his heart and though it lie hidde for a time yet at length it will shewe it selfe Psal. 97. 11. CHAP. XI Of Adoration THe Fourth Head of the outward worshippe of God is Adoration wherein we consider two things First what it is Secondly what be the Questions propounded concerning it Sect. 1.
offered First choise must be made of the most fitte and present remedie and that must be vsed in the first place Now the most fit and present remedie is to bring the partie troubled to the personall exercises of faith and repentance by and in himselfe For this ende he must examine his conscience most straightly and narrowly of all the sinnes of his heart and life Secondly he must humbly confesse against himselfe all his knowne sinnes and withall acknowledge the due condemnation that he thereby hath deserued Thirdly he must crie to heauen for mercie intreating the Lord most instantly for pardon and for the restraint of his wrath due vnto him for his sinne Dauid beeing in this distresse performed all these duties as we may read in the 6. Psalme and he saith further of himselfe that whilst he concealed his sinnes the hand of God was heauie vpon him but vpon his earnest confession and deprecation he receiued mercie And if we read the booke of Iob we shall finde that the principall scope thereof is this namely to shew vnto vs that Iob was throughly exercised with this temptation and that in the ende hauing beene rebuked both by his friends and by God himselfe his recouerie was made by humbling himselfe when he saith Behold I am vile againe now I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes Some may here demand If it fall out that the person himselfe cannot performe any good dutie of himselfe by reason of his distraction in soule and bodie what must then be done Ans. If the partie can but sigh and sobbe vnto God for mercie and comfort it is no doubt a worke of Gods spirit and a practise both of faith and repentance We know not saith Saint Paul what to pray as we ought namely in our distresses but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes that cannot be expressed and therein lies our comfort Thus Moses at the redde sea beeing in great distresse and not knowing what to say or doe sighed and groned inwardly in his soule vnto the Lord for helpe and protection and his very desire was in stead of a loud crie in the eares of the Lord. The second thing is that triall must be made whether the partie hath in him any tokens of grace or not These tokens are the small beginnings of grace which before I haue declared As for example a griefe because we cannot grieue for sinne as we should a serious will and desire to beleeue and repent a purpose to sin no more and such like If these be found in the partie then by them as by sure pledges he may bee assured of the fauour of God towards him and where any of these be found the saying of God to Saint Paul must be vrged My grace is sufficient for thee and therewith must the distressed partie stay his minde Yea we are to be content with any condition in this life be it neuer so miserable so long as we are in the fauour of God though he should lay vpon vs euen the paines of hell till the time of our death So did Dauid who when he was pursued by his owne sonne vttered these words vnto God Behold if I please thee not do with me what thou wilt And the like was the mind of Paul who being assured of the fauour of God was content for his glorie the saluation of the Israelits if it had beene possible to be separated 〈◊〉 Christ and to indure the very pangs of hell The third thing in this cure is to Applie to the said distressed partie such promises of God made vnto afflicted persons as are most large and comfortable For example that The Lord is neere to them that are of a contrite heart and will saue such as be afflicted in spirit Psal. 34. 18. Againe I came not saith our Sauiour Christ but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Matth. 15. 24. He saies not to the straying sheepe but to such as are now in the pitte readie to be drowned or in the Lyons mouth readie to be deuoured Againe The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me therefore he hath annointed me that I should preach the Gospell to the poore that is to such as are distressed in consciēce and poore in spirit he hath sent me that I should heale the broken hearted that I should preach deliuerance to the captiues These many other such like promises are in this case to be vrged and the partie mooued to endeauour to beleeue them to hold to them and rest himselfe vpon them though he loose all things els Fourthly the partie must be brought to a serious consideration of his owne life past and of Gods mercifull dealing with him others in his case in former times and therwith is he to be comforted for the time present For if aforehand he hath receiued any tokens of the fauour and loue of God by them he is now to stay and to settle his minde The reason is plaine the gifts of god are without repentāce whom he loueth once he loueth to the ende whom he chooseth he calleth iustifieth and sanctifieth and will also in time glorifie Dauid beeing in such affliction that he could hardly thinke vpon God yet he tooke this course praied to the Lord for comfort communed with his owne heart and called to remembrance how God had formerly dealt with him and with this meditation of the continuall course of Gods mercie in his preseruation he confirmed his faith and staied his heart in his greatest troubles Sect. 5. The fifth and last thing to be done is the remooueall of such reasons and doubts as the partie distressed vsually makes against himselfe for his owne ouerthrow For it is the manner of those that are troubled in minde to dispute against themselues and commōly they are woont to alleadge three things First beeing instructed how to humble themselues and to depend on Gods mercie they will graunt that all these indeede are good things but they belong not to them for they neither do nor can feele any thing but the tokens of Gods anger and that they are alreadie entred into some degrees of condemnation This obiection may be taken away by informing them of the manner of Gods dealing in all his workes For commonly he workes all things in his creatures in and by cōtraries if we could know the whole frame of them Thus in the Creation euery creature had his beeing of that which had no beeing and something was made not of something but of nothing After the flood the signe of Gods coueuant for the preseruation of the world from destruction by raine is the Rainbow which indeed is a naturall signe of raine When Elias was to prooue the Lord to be the onely true God against the Idolatrous priests of Baal and that by burnt offerings he powred water vpon the sacrifice fills a trench with water round about and in this contrarie
Chaldeans slaine that is the very night wherein those 70. yeares came to their full period And as there are set times allotted by God for the execution of his threatning senteÌ„ces so also hath he determined certenly the accomplishment of all and euery of his promises An example hereof we haue in the Israelites of whom the Lord said to AbrahaÌ„ that they should be in affliction in a strange land 430. yeres and then be deliuered This promise of God was expressely fulfilled as we read in the booke of Exodus For before the ende and tearme of these yeares they had no deliuerance at all but when that time was expired euen that selfe same day departed all the hosts of Israel out of the land of Egypt And though Moses fourtie yeares before this time tooke in hand the worke of their deliuerance yet he did it without successe and vpon a certaine accident beeing himselfe constrained to flie into Madian he liued there as a stranger with Iethro his father in law till the saide time of foure hundred and thirtie yeares was accomplished toward the ende whereof being called of God to that office he prospered and not before And in the same manner hath God set downe a certaine period of time within which he will exercise his children more or lesse and at the end wherof and not before he will releeue and comfort them againe Now as the certentie of the accomplishment of Gods threatning word serues to terrifie all wicked liuers from sinne so the vnchangeable performance of his promises at the very time prefixed not before teacheth the children of God sundrie things First that when they are in any distresse haue not present or speedie deliuerance according to their desire they should waite the Lords leisure and expect with patience till the time come which is appointed by him for their ease and releefe and in the meane while stay their hearts by hope and affiance in his mercie Reason is plaine God is sure in his word therefore though heauines may indure for a night yet ioy will returne in the morning Psal. 30. 5. Thus the Lord comforteth the Iewes in a particular distresse as we may read in the prophecie of Habbakuk where the Prophet in the name of the Iewes complaineth and expostulateth the matter with God why his owne people should be so lamentably afflicted by a terrible and furious nation and why they should be led away captiues by the Chaldeans the enemies of God To this the Lord makes answer that as he had certenly determined that iudgemeÌ„t to come vpon them so certenly had he appointed a set time wherein they should be deliuered In the meane while he bids them to comfort themselues in this that though the affliction should rest vpon them for a season yet vndoubtedly they should be eased at the length and therefore that they should in patience waite for the vision that is the accoÌ„plishment of the vision touching their deliuerance Secondly hence we learne that we must not onely beleeue the promises of God in generall that God is true and faithfull in them and that he is able willing to fulfil them euen as he made them but we must beleeue them in particular that is with application to their proper and seuerall circumstances which are the particular meanes places and times whereby and wherein he hath giuen his word as touching our freedome and exemption from the crosse Take an instance hereof in the Prophet Daniel who knew well by the spirit of Prophecie that the Lord had determined to bring vpon the Iewes 70. yeares captiuitie in Babylon He knew also that God had promised to put an ende to that captiuitie at the end and tearme of those yeares Now what did Daniel in this case Vpon knowledge of the will of God in that point during the said time he praied not vnto the Lord for deliuerance of his people But when he vnderstood that the time drewe neere wherin it was the wil of God that the Iewes should returne out of captiuitie then by faith applying the promise of God to that particular time he besought the Lord in praier and supplications with fasting in sackcloth and ashes and the Lord gaue eare vnto his praiers and yeelded him a gratious answer II. The second point is that God when he deferres deliuerance doth it vpon great and weightie causes and considerations best knowne to himselfe The first wherof is that thereby he might humble men throughly and bring them to an vtter deniall of themselues and consequently cause them to learne patience in affliction which they would not learne if they might be their owne caruers and haue speedy deliuerance from the crosse at their own wills and pleasures Secondly that beeing afflicted they may acknowledge whence their deliuerance comes yea whence they doe receiue not onely that but euery other good benefit which they inioy namely not from theÌ„selues or any creature but onely from the Lord and accordingly may learne to value and prize his gifts at their deserued excellencie For it is a true saying and often verified in affliction want that benefits easily obtained are lightly regarded and sooner forgotten Thirdly that by the continuance of the crosse without intermission he may make them to distaste the world and consequently drawe them to the meditation of the life to come wherein all matter of mourning shall cease and all teares shall be wiped from their eies Fourthly the Lord deâ—erreth deliuerance from affliction that he might preuent greater euils and dangers whereinto those that are afflicted might runne if they had their heartes desire and were eased not at his will but at their owne wishes When the childreÌ„ of Israel came into Canaan they were informed that they should dwell together with the Canaanites and Moses rendreth a reason thereof Least saith he the wild beasts of the field multiply against thee And for the preuenting of this euill the Israelites must indure some annoyance by the Canaanites Euen so the Lord keepeth his seruants vnder the crosse for the preuenting of greater sins offences This should stay the mindes of men make them content to wait vpon God for deliuerance when they are afflicted III. The third and last point is that God alwaies hath and doth exercise his best seruants with long and continued crosses Abraham was childlesse till he was 70. yeares of age and at those yeares the Lord promised him issue But this promise was not accoÌ„plished til a long time after when he was an hundred yeares old Dauid had a promise to be king of Ierusalem and Iuda but the Lord exercised him by many and grieuous afflictions before he came to the crowne in so much that he saies of himselfe that his eies failed with waiting vpon his God Zacharie Elizabeth praied to god both of theÌ„ in their youth many yeares after for issue but the Lord granted not their request til
when a man knowes not the Law of god writteÌ„ nor the law of nature This ignorance may somewhat lessen the sinne but it excuseth no man because it is naturall and euery man is bound to know the Law Ignorance of the thing the Law requireth is the Ignorance of the fact and that is either with the fault of the doer or without the fault Faultie ignoraÌ„ce is the ignorance of a fact which he might haue preueÌ„ted As wheÌ„ a maÌ„ in his drunkeÌ„nes killeth another in this fact not knowing what de doth he also knoweth not that he hath offended yet because he might haue preuented his drunkennes therfore he is faultie and sinneth Faultlesse ignorance is when a fact is done which could not be either knowne or auoided before hand For example if a man be â—opping a tree and his axe head fall from the helve out of his hand and kills another passing by here is indeede manslaughter but no voluntarie murther because it was a thing that could not be auoided and did not fall out through his default And this ignorance is excusable The second Fountaine of Sinne is the Will from whence arise these three differences of sinnes some are from the will immediately some besides the will and some are mixt partly with the will and partly against the will Sinnes proceeding from the will are properly tearmed voluntarie such as the doer mooued by his own wil commits though he know them to be euill And here the more free the wil is the greater is the sinne for wil added to knowledge makes the sinne the greater Vnder voluntarie sinnes are comprehended all such as proceede from stirred affections as when a man tells a lie for feare or striketh another in anger and the reason is because these offences though they are not done vpon deliberation but arise from the violence of affection yet they doe not exclude Consent Hither also we may referre sinnes committed by compulsion as when a man is forced to denie his religion his offence in deede and in truth is voluntarie though some otherwise think it to be a mixt action For compulsion doth not reach to the will but to the outward man and serues to draw forth a consent and and when consent is yeelded he denies his religion voluntarily for the will cannot be constrained In the next place sinnes beside the will are such as are neither directly from the wil nor against it Of this sort are the first sudden motions vnto sinne conceiued in the heart with some inward pleasure and delight and these are truly sinnes though in respect little sinnes condemned in the last commandement And they are not from the will because they goe without and before consent neither yet are they against the will because then the heart would not take delight in them Here by the way we are to note against the doctrine of the Papists that all sinnes are not voluntarie for whatsoeuer wanteth conformitie to the law of God is sinne whether it be with consent of will or no. But many such desires and delights arise suddenly in the heart of man which are not according to the law of God and haue no consent or approbation of will In like manner wheÌ„ one man kils another thinking that he killeth a wild beast if the same man remembreth afterwards what he hath done and is not grieued for the fact in this case he hath sinned because his not grieuing is offensiue vnto God though the fact were meerely besides his will Mixt sinnes are partly from the will partly against it Of this sort are the workes of the man regenerate which are done partly with his will and partly against his will beeing partly good and partly euill The reason hereof is this There are in man after regeneration two contrarie grounds or beginnings of actions to wit naturall corruption or the inclination of the minde wil and affections to that which is against the Law called the Flesh and a created qualitie of holines wrought in the said faculties by the holy Ghost tearmed the Spirit And these two are not seuered but ioyned and mingled together in all the faculties and powers of the soule Now betweene these there is a continuall combate corruption fighting against grace grace against corruptioÌ„ Hence it is that there beeing euen in one the same wil trarie inclinatioÌ„s there must necessarily flow from the man regenerate contrary actions the flesh in euery action willing that which is euill and the Spirit on the otherside that which is good This Paul confessed and acknowledged vpon his owne experience after his conuersion when he said To will is present with me but I find no meanes perfectly to do that which is good Again I delight in the law of God concerning the inner man but I see an other law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue to the law of sinne which is in my members The third Ground or fountaine of sinne in man is Affection from whence doe proceede two kinds namely sinnes of Infirmitie and sinnes of Presumption Sinnes of Infirmitie are such as proceede from the sudden passions of the minde and the strong affectioÌ„s of the heart as from hatred griefe anger sorrow such like These sinnes are commonly thought to be in all men but the truth is they are properly incident to the regenerate For infirmitie cannot be said properly to be in them in whome sin hath firmitie or strength and where there is no power of grace at all Againe the man that is regenerate sinneth not neither when he would because he is restrained by the grace of God that is in him nor in what manner he would partly because he sinneth not with al his heart the strength of his flesh beeing abated by the Spirit and partly for that beeing fallen he lies not still but recouers himselfe by speedy repentance An euident argument that the sinnes whereinto he falleth are not presumptuous but are ordinarily of weaknes and infirmitie Sinnes of PrésumptioÌ„ are such as proceed from pride arrogancy wilfulnes and hautines of mans heart Against these Dauid praieth saying Let not presumptuous sinnes haue dominion ouer me And of them there be three degrees The first is when a man wilfully goeth on in his sinnes vpon an erronious perswasion of Gods mercie and of his owne future repentance this is the sinne of most men The second is when a man sinneth wilfully in contempt of the law of God this is called by Moses a sinne with a high hand the punnishment thereof was by present death to be cut off from among the people The third when a man sinneth not onely wilfully and contemptuouslly but of malice spight against God himselfe and Christ Iesus And by this we may conceiue what is the sin against the holy Ghost which is not euery sinne of presumption or against knowledge and conscience but such a kind of
so much for their sinne committed as for their lying therin without repentance And this is the manner of Gods dealing with those that haue liued within the precincts of the church they shall be condemned for the very want of true faith and repentance This should admonish euery one of vs to take heed least we lie in any sin and that being any way ouertaken we should speedily repent least we aggrauate our sinne by continuance therein and so bring vpon our selues swift damnation Thirdly the same sinne is made greater or lesser foure waies according to the number of degrees in the committing of a sinne noted by S. Iames Temptation Conception Birth and Perfection Actual sinne in the first degree of tentation is when the minde vpon some sudden motion is drawne away to thinke euill and withall is tickled with some delight thereof For a bad motion cast into the mind by the flesh and the deuill is like vnto the baite cast into the water that allureth and delighteth the fish and causeth it to bite Sin in conception is when with the delight of the minde there goes consent of will to doe the euill thought on Sinne in birth is when it comes forth into an action or execution Sin in perfection is when men are growne to a custome and habit in sin vpon long practise For the often committing of one and the same sinne leaues an euill impression in the heart that is a strong or violent inclination to that or any other euill as hath bin taught before And sinne thus made perfect brings forth death for custome in sinning brings hardnes of heart hardnes of heart impenitencie and impenitencie condemnation Now of these degrees the first is the least the last is the greatest One and the same sin is lesser in tentation then in conception lesse in conception then in birth and greater in perfection then in all the former Sect. 11. Now from this doctrine of the increasing and lessening of Sin in these respects we may gather that all sins are not alike or equall as the Stoicks of auncient times and their followers haue falsely imagined For it hath bin prooued at large by induction of sundrie particulars that there are degrees of sinnes some lesser som greater some more offensiue and odious to God man some lesse And â—hat the circumstances of time place person and manner of doing doe serue to enlarge or extenuate the sinne commited If it be here alleadged that Sin is nothing but the doing of that which is vnlawfull to be done and that this is equall in all men that sinne and therfore by consequent offences are equall I answer that in euery sin meÌ„ must not consider the vnlawfulnes thereof onely but the reason why it should be vnlawfull and that is properly because it is a breach of Gods law and repugnant to his will reuealed in his word Nowe there is no breach of a diuine Law but it is more or lesse repugnant vnto the will of the Lawgiuer God himselfe And many transgressions are more repugnaÌ„t thereunto then fewer for the more sin is increased the more is the wrath of God inâ—lamed against the sinner vpon his due desert If it be said againe that the nature of Sin stands onely in this that the sinner makes an aberration from the scope or marke that is set before him and doth no more then passe the bondes of dutie prescribed by God and that all are alike in this respect The answer is that it is a falshood to affirme that he which makes the lesse aberration from the dutie commanded is equall in offence to him that makes the greater For the same sin for substance hath sundrie steps and degrees in respect whereof one man becommeth a more heinous offender then another For example in the seauenth commandemeÌ„t when God forbiddes the committing of Adultery he forbiddeth three degrees of the same sinne to wit adulterie of the heart consisting of inordinate and vncleane affections adulterie of the tongue in corrupt dishonest and vnseemely speeches and the very act of vncleannesse and filthinesse committed by the bodie Now it cannot be said that he which breakes this commandement onely in the first degree is as great a transgressour as he that hath proceeded to the second and so to the third And therefore it remaines for an vndoubted truth that Sinnes committed against the Law of God are not equall but some lesser some greater Sundrie other Distinctions there are of sinnes as namely That the main sinnes of the first Table are greater then the maine sins of the second Table And yet the maine sinnes of the second are greater then the breach of ceremoniall duties against the first table But this which hath beene said shall suffice The vse of this doctrine is manifold First by it we learne what the heart of man is by nature namely a corrupt and vncleane fountaine out of which issueth in the course of this life the streames of corruptions infinite in number noysome in qualities hainous in degrees daÌ„gerous in effects For from thence doe flow all the differences of sinnes before named with their seuerall branches and infinite many more that cannot be rehearsed This must mooue vs humbly to sue vnto God earnestly to entreat him to wash vs throughly from our wickednes clense vs from our sinnes yea to purge and to rinse the fountaine thereof our vncleane and polluted hearts And when by Gods mercie in Christ apprehended by faith our hearts shall be purified theÌ„ to set watch ward ouer them and to keep them with all diligence Secondly it teacheth vs that miserable mortal man is not guiltie of one or more sinnes but of many sundrie corruptions both of heart and life Who can vnderstand his faults saith Dauid Now the alowance of sinne beeing death by gods ordinaÌ„ce God being iustice it selfe answerably to the number of our offences must we needes be lyable to many punishments yea to death it selfe both of the bodie and of the soule This beeing our wofull estate little cause is there that any man should thinke himselfe to be in good case or presume of Gods mercie in regard of the small number of his sinnes And much lesse cause hath he falsly to imagine with the Popish sort that he can merit the fauour of God by any worke done by him aboue that which the Law requireth considering that it is impossible for him to know either the number or the nature or the measure of his sinnes Lastly the consideration of this point must be a barre to keepe vs in that we be not too secure or presumptuous of our owne estate for as much as we learne out of the word of god that in respect of the multitude of our corruptions this our life is full of much euill and many difficulties that wee haue whole armies of enemies to encounter with all not onely out of vs in the world abroad but within vs
a twofold relation to God or to Man As he stands in relation to God he beares the name of a Christian that is a member of Christ or a sonne of God whose dutie is to know and to worship God according to his will reuealed in his word As he stands in relation to man he is a part of a bodie and a member of some societie Now the Questions that concerne him as a member of a societie are of three sorts according to three distinct kinds of societies For euery man is either a member of a Familie or of the Church or of the Common-wealth And answerably some Questions concerne mā as a member of a familie some as he is a member of the Church some as he is a member of the Commonwealth In a word therefore all Questions touching man may be reduced to three generall heads The first whereof is concerning man simply considered as he is a man The second touching man as he stands in relation to God The third concerning man as he is a member of one of the three societies that is either of the Familie or of the Church or of the Commonwealth QVestions of the first sort concerning man simply considered in himselfe as he is a man are especially three The first What a man must doe that he may come into the fauour of God and be saued The second How he may be assured in conscience of his owne saluation The third How he may recouer himselfe when he is distressed or fallen Of these in order CHAP. V. Of the first maine Question touching Man I. Question What must a man doe that he may come into Gods fauor and be saued FOR answer to this Question some Groundes must be laid downe before-hand The first is this That we must consider and remember how and by what meanes God brings any man to saluation For looke how God saueth others so he that would know how to be saued must vse the meanes whereby God saueth them Sect. 1. In the working and effecting of Mans saluation ordinarily there are two special actions of God the giuing of the first grace and after that the giuing of the second The former of these two works hath X. seuerall actions I. God giues man the outward meanes of saluation specially the Ministerie of the word and with it he sends some outward or inward crosse to breake and sub due the stubbornnesse of our nature that it may be made plyable to the will of God This we may see in the example of the Iaylour Act. 16. and of the Iewes that were conuerted at Peters sermon Act. 2. II. This done God brings the minde of man to a consideration of the Law and therein generally to see what is good and what is euill what is sinne and what is not sinne III. Vpon a serious consideration of the Law he makes a man particularly to see and know his owne peculiar and proper sinnes whereby he offends God IV. Vpon the sight of sinne he smites the heart with a Legall feare whereby when man seeth his sinnes he makes him to feare punishment and hell and to despaire of saluation in regard of any thing in himselfe Now these foure actions are indeede no fruits of grace for a Reprobate may goe thus farre but they are onely workes of preparation going before grace the other actions which follow are effects of grace V. The fifth action of grace therefore is to stirre vp the minde to a serious consideration of the promise of saluation propounded and published in the Gospel VI. After this the sixt is to kindle in the heart some seedes or sparks of faith that is a will and desire to beleeue and grace to striue against doubting dispaire Now at the same instant when God beginnes to kindle in the heart any sparkes of faith then also he iustifies the sinner and withall begins the worke of sanctification VII Then so soone as faith is put into the heart there is presently a combat for it fighteth with doubting dispaire and distrust And in this combate faith shews it selfe by feruent cōstant earnest inuocatiō for pardon and after inuocation followes a strength and preuailing of this desire VIII Furthermore God in mercie quiets and settles the Conscience as touching the saluation of the soule and the promise of life where vpon it resteth and staieth it selfe IX Next after this setled assurance perswasion of mercy followes a stirring vp of the heart to Euangelicall sorrow according to God that is a griefe for sinne because it is sinne and because God is offended and then the Lord workes repentance wherby the sanctified heart turnes it selfe vnto him And though this repentance be one of the last in order yet it shewes it selfe first as when a candle is brought into a roome we first see the light before wee see the candle and yet the candle must needs be before the light can be X. Lastly God giues a man grace to endeauor to obey his commaundements by a new obedience And by these degrees doth the Lord giue the first grace The second worke of God tending to saluation is the giuing of the second grace which is nothing else but the continuance of the first grace giuen For looke as by creation God gaue a beeing to man all other creatures and then by his prouidence continued the same beeing which was as it were a second creation so in bringing a man to saluation God giues the first grace for example to beleeue repent then in mercie giues the second to persevere continue in faith and repentance to the end And this if we regard man himselfe is very necessary For as fire without supply of matter wherby it is fedde continued would soone goe out so vnlesse God of his goodnesse should followe his children and by new and daily supplies continue his first grace in thē they would vndoubtedly soone loose the same finally fall away The second Ground for the answere of this Question is taken from some speciall places of Scripture where the same is mooved and resolued The men that were at Peters sermon being touched with the sense of their owne miserie vpon the doctrine which had beene deliuered as the Holy Ghost saies were pricked in their hearts and cried one to an other Men brethren what shall we doe Peter mooued by the spirit of God answers them Repent and be baptized for the remission of your sinnes The like was the case of the Iaylor who after that the stubbornnesse of his heart was beaten downe by feare of the departure of the prisoners he came trembling and fell downe before Paul and Silas and mooued this question vnto them Sirs what must I doe to be saued to whome they gaue answer Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thine houshold The young man in the Gospel sues to Christ and askes him What shall I doe to be saued Christs answers him Keepe
the Commandements When he replied that he had kept them from his youth Christ tels him that he must goe yet further and sell all that he hath and giue to the poore And Iohn tells the Scribes and Pharises who came vnto his Baptisme and confessed their sinnes that if they would flie from the wrath to come they must repent and bring forth fruits worthie amendment of life From these places then I frame this answer to the Question in hand The man that would stand in the fauour of God and be saued must doe foure things first humble himselfe before God secondly beleeue in Christ thirdly repent of his sinnes fourthly performe new obedience vnto God Sect. 2. For the first Humiliation is indeode a fruit of faith yet I put it in place before faith because in practise it is first Faith lieth hid in the heart and the first effect whereby it appeares is the abasing and humbling of our selues And here we are further to consider three points first wherein stands humiliation secondly the excellencie of it thirdly the Questions of conscience that concerne it Touching the first point Humiliation stands in the practise of three things The first is a sorrow of heart whereby the sinner is displeased with himself ashamed in respect of his sinnes The second is a confession to god wherin also three things are to be done first to acknowledge all our maine sinnes originall and actuall secondly to acknowledge our guiltinesse before God thirdly to acknowledge our iust damnation for sinne The third thing in Humiliation is supplication made to God for mercie as earnestly as in a matter of life and death and of these three things we haue in Scripture the examples of Ezra Daniel and the prodigall sonne Ezra 9. Dan. 9. Luk. 15. 18. The second point is the excellencie of Humiliation which stands in this that it hath the promises of life eternall annexed to it Esa. 57. 15. I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to giue life to them that are of a contrite heart Psal. 51. 17. A contrite and a broken heart O God thou wilt not despise Prov. 28. 13. He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde mercie 1. Ioh. 1. 9. If we acknowledge our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes By all these and many other places it is manifest that in the very instant when a sinner beginnes truly in heart and conscience to humble himselfe he is then entred into the state of saluation So soone as Dauid said I haue sinned Nathan pronounceth in the name of the Lord that his sinnes were put away And Dauid himselfe saith alluding to the former place I said I will confesse my sinne and loc thou forgauest the wickednes of my sinne When the Prodigall sonne had but said I will goe to my father c. euen then before he humbled himselfe his father meetes him and receiues him The third point is touching the Questions of conscience concerning Humiliation all which may be reduced to foure principall Cases I. Case What if it fall out that a man in humbling himselfe cannot call to minde either all or the most of his sinnes I answer A particular humiliation indeed is required for maine and knowne sinnes but yet there are two cases wherein generall repentance will be accepted of God for vnknowne sinnes One is when a man hath searched himselfe diligently and by a serious examination passed through all the commaundements of God and yet after such examination and search made his particular offences are yet hidden and not reuealed vnto him so as he cannot call them to remembrance then the generall repentance is accepted For this is answerable to the practise of Dauid who after long search when he could not attaine to the knowledge of his particular slippes then he addresseth himselfe to a generall humiliation saying Who knoweth the errours of this life clense me Lord from my secret faults and vpon this he was no doubt accepted Againe when a man humbleth himselfe and yet is preuented by the time so as he cannot search his heart and life as he would his generall repentance will be taken and accepted of God The truth hereof appeares in the theefe vpon the crosse who hauing no time to search himselfe made no speciall humiliation yet vpon his generall confession he was accepted Now the ground of this doctrine is this He that truly repents of one sinne in this case when he is preuented is as if he repented of all II. Case What must a man doe that findes himselfe hard hearted and of a dead spirit so as he cannot humble himselfe as he would Answ. Such persons if they humble themselues they must be content with that grace which they haue receiued For if thou be truly and vnfainedly grieued for this that thou canst not be grieued thy humiliation shall be accepted For that which Paul saith of almes may be truly said in this case that if there be a readie minde a man shall be accepted according to that he hath and not according to that he hath not III. Case Whether the party that is more grieued for losse of his friend then for offēce of God by his sinne doeth or can truly humble himselfe Answ. A man may haue a greater griefe for an earthly losse then for the other and yet be truly greiued for his sinnes too The reason is because that is a bodily naturall and sensible losse and accordingly sorrow for it is naturall Now the sorrow for the offending of God is no sensible thing but supernaturall and spirituall and sensible things doe more affect urge the minde then the other Dauid did notably humble himselfe for his sinnes and he did exceedingly mourne for the losse of his sonne Absolom yea and more too then for his sinnes Would God I had died for thee Absolom O Absolom my sonne my sonne c. Againe I answer that the sorrow of the minde must be measured by the intention of the affection by the estimation of the thing for which we sorrow Now sorrow for sinne though it be lesse in respect of the intention thereof yet is it greater in respect of the estimation of the mind because they which truly mourn for their sins grieue for the offence of God as the greatest euill of all and for the losse of the fauour of God as for losse of the most excellent pretious thing in the world IV. Case Whether it be necessarie in Humiliation that the heart should be smitten with a sensible sorrow Answer I. In sorrow for sinne ther are two things first to be displeased for our sinns secondly to haue a bodily moouing of the heart which causeth crying and teares The former of these is necessarie
is a good beginning of true conuersion and repentance I thought saith Dauid I will confesse against my selfe my wickednes vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne And to this is added Selah which is not onely a musicall note but as some thinke a note of obseruation to mooue vs to marke the things that are set downe as beeing of speciall weight and moment And surely this is a matter of great consequence that vpon the very vnfained purpose of confession of sinne God should giue a pardon thereof Take a further proofe of this in the prodigall sonne whome I take not for one that was neuer called or turned to God though some doe so and seeme to haue warrant for their opinionâ— but rather for him that is the Child of God and afterward fals away Now this man beeing brought by some outward crosses and afflictions to see his owne miserie purposeth with himselfe to returne to his father againe and to humble himselfe and confesse his iniquitie and vpoÌ„ this very purpose wheÌ„ he had said I will goe to my father and say vnto him father I haue sinned c. at his returne a farre off his father receiues him as his child againe and after acceptation followes his confession The like is to be seene in Dauid who beeing reprooued by the Prophet Nathan for his sinnes of adulterie and murther presently made confession of them and at the very same time receiued by the prophet sentence of absolution euen from the Lord himâ—elfe wherein he could not erre The fourth Ground To loue any man because he is a Christian and a child of God is a sensible and certaine note of a man that is partaker of the true loue of God in Christ. Hereby saith S. Iohn we knowe that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Loue here is not a cause but onely a signe of gods loue to vs. And our sauiour Christ saith He that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receiue a Prophets reward Nowe that we be not deceiued in these grounds it must be remembred that these beginnings of grace be they neuer so weak must not be â—littering and fleeting but constant and setled not stopped or staied in the way but such as daily growe and increase and then they are indeed accepted of God And he that can finde these beginnings or any of them truly in himselfe he may assure himselfe thereby that he is the child of God Sect. 5. Hauing thus laid downe the Groundes of comfort I come now to the Way by which the party in distresse may be brought within the compasse of the promise of saluation This way standes in two things in making Triall and in Applying the promise First then Triall must be made whether the person distressed haue in him as yet any of the forenamed grouÌ„ds of grace or not This triall may be made by him that is the comforter in the moouing of certaine Questions to the said person And first let him aske whether he beleeue and repent The distressed partie answers no he cannot repent nor beleeue Then he must further aske whether he desire to beleeue and repent to this he will answer he doth desire it with all his heart in the same sort is he to make triall of the other groundes When a man is in the fitte of tentation he will say resolutely he is sure to be damned Aske him in this fitte of his loue to God he will giue answer he hath none at all but aske him further whether he loue a man because he is a Christian and a child of God then will he say he doth indeed Thus after triall made in this manner some beginnings of faith and repentance will appeare which at the first lay hid For God vseth out of the time of prosperitie by and in distresse and affliction to work his grace The second point followeth After that by triall some of the foresaid beginnings of grace be found out then comes the right Applying of the promise of life euerlasting to the partie distressed And that is done by a kind of reasoning the first part whereof is taken from Gods word the second from the testimonie of the distressed conscience the conclusion is the applying of the promise on this manner He that hath an vnfainod desire to repent and beleeue hath remission of sinnes and life euerlasting But thou hast an earnest desire to repent and beleeue in Christ. Therefore remission of sins and life euerlasting is thine And here remember that it is most conuenient this Application be made by the Minister of the Gospell who in it must vse his ministeriall authority giuen him of God to pronounce the pardon For in distresse it is as hard a thing to make the conscience yeild to the promise as to make fire and water agree For though men haue signes of grace and mercie in them yet will they not acknowledge it by reason of the extremitie of their distresse In this manner vpon any of the former grounds may the troubled and perplexed soule be assured that mercie belongs to it And this I take to be the onely generall and right way of comforting a distressed conscience Nowe that the promise thus applyed may haue good successe these sixerules must necessarily be obserued I. One is that the comfort which is ministred be alaied with some mixture of the Law that is to say the promise alone must not be applyed but withall mention is to be made of the sinnes of the partie and of the grieuous punishmeÌ„ts due vnto him for the same The reason is because there is much guile in the hart of man in so much as oftentimes it falleth out that men not throughly humbled beeing comforted either too soone or too much doe afterward become the worst of all In this respect not vnlike to the yron which beeing cast into the fire vehemently hot and cooled againe is much more hard then it would haue bin if the heate had bin moderate And hence it is that in the ministring of comfort we must somewhat keepe them downe and bring them on by litle and litle to repentance The sweetenesse of comfort is the greater if it be delaied with some â—artnesse of the Law II. An other rule is this If the distressed partie be much possessed with griefe of himselfe he must not be left alone but alwaies attended with good companie For it is an vsuall practise of the Deuill to take the vantage of the place and time when a man is solitarie and depriued of that helpe which otherwise he might haue in societie with others Thus he tempted Eue when shee was apart from her husband And in this regard Salomon pronounces a woe to him that is alone But herein doth his malice most appeare in that he is alway readiest when a man is in great distresse and withall solitarie then vpon the
Afflictions serue to humble men in their soules before God The young vnthrift in the Gospel called the Prodigall childe while his portion lasted he spent liberally and was grieued for nothing but when he came to be pinched with hunger and that through his owne follie then he humbled himselfe before his father returned home vnto him Dauid saith of himselfe that in his prosperiâ—te be thought he should neuer be mooued because the Lord of his goodnesse had made his mountaine to stand strong but saith he thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled then cried I vnto the Lord. III. They serue to worke Amendment of life No chastising saith the Author to the Hebrewes for the present seemeth to be ioyous but afterward it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse to them that are thereby exercised that is afflictions and chastisments that seaze vpon Gods children doe leaue after them amendment of life as the needle passeth thorough the cloath and leaueth the threed behinde it When we are iudged saith the Apostle we are nurtered of the Lord that we might not be condemned with the world And Dauid confesseth Psal. 119. It is good for me that I haue beene afflicted that I might learne thy statutes And the good husbandman purgeth and pruneth the vine that it may bring forth more and better fruit IIII. They cause men to denie themselues and to relie wholly on the mercie of God Thus Paul receiued the sentence of death in himselfe that he should not trust in himselfe but in God that raiseth the dead V. The fift is Invocation For afflictions make vs to crie heartily and feruently vnto God to bring our selues into his presence and there to abase our selues before him Thus the Lord said of the olde Israelites that when he slew them then they returned sought him earely Psal. 78. 34. And els where he saith of his children that in their affliction they will seeke him diligently VI. The sixth is Patience Affliction bringeth forth patience patience experience c. As if he should say because the loue of God is shed in our hearts therefore in afflictions we are patient Now whilst we patiently heare the crosse we haue experience of the mercie and loue of God towards vs and hauing once in some notable deliuerance tried and tasted the mercie of God we doe by hope as it were promise to our selues the saide fauour and mercie for time to come VII The last fruit is Obedience This the holy Ghost teacheth to haue beene the fruit of the suffering of Christ when he saith Though he were the sonne yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered In the next place Afflictions are good in regard of their qualitie and condition which is that they are tokens and pledges of our adoption when we make the best vse of them If ye indure chastening saith the holy Ghost God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes that is he comes to you in the crosse not as a iudge and reuenger but as a kind and louing father and the crosse imposed is as it were his fatherly hand wherewith the chastiseth vs and therefore Iob praiseth God for his affliction saying God hath giuen and God hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. The fifth Ground of comfort is that the partie distressed hath partners in the crosse For first he hath Christ to be his partner because he hath fellowship with him in that he is afflicted and is willing to obey God therein Paul accounteth it happines to knowe the fellowship of Christs afflictions and to be made conformable vnto his death Phil. 3. 10. And Saint Peter exhorteth beleeuers to reioyce in as much as they are partakers of Christes sufferings 1. Pet. 4. 13. Secondly if the partie afflicted repent Christ communicateth with him in al his crosses accounts them as his owne The Apostle in this regard would haue no man thinke it strange no not when he is in the fierie triall but rather to reioyce because he is partaker of Christs sufferings 1. Pet. 4. 12. And Christ saith to Saul persecuting his Church Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Thirdly he that is afflicted hath other seruants of God partakers with him in all his afflictions The Apostle Peter wisheth the Church of God to resist Sathan by faith knowing saith he that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brothren that are in the world 1. Pet. 5. 9. Thus much generally of Afflictions and of Comfort in them It were a long and tedious worke to set all downe in particular together with their proper and distinct Comforts therefore I will passe them ouer and speake only of three kinds of Afflictions with their Remedies Sect. 2. The first is the Deferring of deliuerance a great afflictioÌ„ if it be considered And touching it I propound one Question namely How the minde of the partie distressed may be staied when as the Lord deferres deliuerance For the answer hereof three especiall points are to be considered I. First that God hath in his wisdome set downe certen and unchangeable times for the accomplishment and issue of all things that are Ther is a time appointed to euery thing vnder the sunne Eccl. 3. 1 The speech of Salomon is generall and the meaning of it is this Whatsoeuer there is in the world either done or suffered or enioyed by man whether it be of the number of naturall things or of those which are voluntarily vndertaken or necessarily endured God hath in his prouidence sorted vnto them a set time and season whereof dependeth the successe of them all And this time himselfe most freely ordereth and ruleth at his owne good pleasure which as no maÌ„ can hinder or stay so is it not in the power of any to hasten or preueÌ„t This point the Holy Ghost in Scripture prooueth by two instances of the threatnings and promises of God which himselfe accomplisheth at some certaine and vnchangeable times When the old world in the daies of Noah had growne to much impietie and wickednes the Lord appointed a certaine space of 120. yeares for their repentance and conuersion at the very ende and tearme whereof he brought the flood vpon them and not before For if we compare the particular circumstances of time noted in the 7. of Genesis with that which S. Peter writeth 1. Pet. 3. 20. ee shall find that the inundation of waters came vpon the earth at the very point of time before determined Againe God threatned by Ieremie that the Iewes for their sins should be led captiue and serue the king of Babel 70. yeares Now if we take the iust computation of time it will appeare that so soone as euer those yeres were expired the foresaid threat was accomplished And therefore Daniel alluding to Ieremies prophecie exactly setteth it downe when he saith The same night was Belshazzarking of the
euill spirit could not goe forth to deceiue Ahab vntill the Lord had said vnto him Goe and thou shalt preuaile 1. King 22. 22. Thus the Deuill could not touch the bodie children goods or friends of righteous Iob whilest he was fenced and fortified by the power and prouidence of God But when the Lord in regard of Iobs outward estate had giuen leaue and said Loe all that he hath is in thine hand then did he exercise his power to the vtmost yet so farre onely as he was permitted and no further Iob. 1. 12. The consideration of this first point that Satans power is determined by God will serue to stay the minds of those whose persons houses or friends are molested by him For hereupon it followeth that God who hath the Deuill bound vp as it were in chaines will not suffer his power to be inlarged against his owne children to their destruction and confusion but so farre forth alone as shall be expedient for their good and saluation Againe that God beeing their father in Christ Iesus they may in the time of such affliction haue accesse vnto him call vpon him for the restraint of Satans power and malice and consequently for the deliuerance of them and theirs A second Rule is this Such persons must haue recourse to God in his word in which he promiseth his presence and protection to his children in their greatest dangers And namely that there shall no euill come vnto them neither any plague shall come neere their dwelling because he will giue his Angels charge ouer them to keepe them in all their waies Againe that he will be a wall of fire round about his people Zach. 2. 5. that he will extend peace ouer his Church like a flood Isa. 66. 12. And that there shal be no sorcery against Iacob nor soothsaying in rael Numb 23. 22. And yet if God sees it to be good for his children to be tried by possessions or witchcraft in this case the promise frees them not For all temporall blessings are promised conditionally so farre forth as they may stand with Gods good will and pleasure and withall may make for the good of his children Howbeit herein lies the comfort that though such calamities befall them yet they shall turne to their good rather then to their hurt This point well considered by the way bewraieth the great presumption of some who are not afraid to say their faith is so strong that the Deuill cannot touch them Thirdly it must be considered that the best seruants of God haue beene in their times molested by the Deuill Christ in his second temptation was carried by the Deuill from the wildernessé to a wing of the Temple of Ierusalem The children of Iob were destroied by the Deuill he himselfe was filled with boâ—ches and sores A certaine woman euen a daughter of Abraham that is one following the faith of Abraham was troubled with a spirit of infirmitie eighteene yeares together And the daughter of the woman of Canaan was grieuously vexed with a Deuill Math. 15. 21 22. Fourthly men in this case ought by faith to lay fast hold vpon the promise of life euerlasting and wait the Lords leisure not limiting him in respect of time or meanes of deliuerance This was the practise of Iob Though he kill me yet will I trust in him And of holy Abraham who did not limit God but was content to doe with Isaac what the Lord would and though it was in likelihood a meane to bereaue him of all posteritie yet still he kept himselfe to the promise Lastly men must in this case seeke and sue vnto God by praier either for deliuerance if it may stand with his good will and pleasure or els for patience that they may meekly and patiently beare that particular affliction II. In the molestation and annoyance of houses by spirits two things are to be remembred First men must not consort together and abide there where it is certenly knowne that the Lord hath giuen the Deuill power and libertie least in so doing they tempt the Lord. Our Sauiour Christ did not of his owne priuate motion and will betake himselfe into the wildernes but by the direction of the Holy Ghost Math. 4. 1. Paul in like manner did not of his owne head goe to Ierusalem but vpon the motion of the Spirit Act. 20. 22. In the light of these examples men arc taught not to cast themselues into any places of apparant danger much lesse to frequent those which God hath deliuered vp into the power of Satan And this condemneth the rash and headie conceits of some persons who vpon confidence of their owne strength doe put themselues into needelesse dangers hauing neither extraordinarie calling from God nor any sufficient warrant out of his word If it be asked what men are to doe in this case I answer First that they ought rather to flie to God by praier and to draw neere vnto him in their hearts and he in mercie will draw neere vnto them Secondarily that which we doe in meats and drinkes is also to be done in the houses and places where we dwell And what is that we must sanctifie them to our vse by the word and prayer Noah at Gods commandement went into the Arke abode in it and came out againe and when he came forth of it into the earth afterward it is said of him that he built an Altar gaue thaÌ„ks to God for his deliuerance and praied the Lord to vouch safe him the vse of the earth as he had before Though Abraham had a promise of the land of Canaan to him and his posteritie for euer yet he went not out of his countrey toward it till the Lord commanded him and when he was come thither he built an Altar for the worship and seruice of God The like he did afterward at Bethel And many yeares after did Iacob offer sacrifice vnto God in the same Bethel when he came to dwell there And for this very end in the law by a speciall ordinance the first fruites of the haruest were offered to sanctifie the rest of the corne And so much touching the second distresse CHAP. X. Of the third Speciall Distresse arising of the Tentation of Blasphemie THe third kind of trouble of mind is that which ariseth of the Tentation of Blasphemie which in regard of the vilenes and vglinesse thereof is not amisse tearmed by some the foule Tentation And it is when a man is troubled in his minde with blasphemous cogitations and thoughts directly against the Maiestie of God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost As for example to thinke that God is not iust or mercifull that he accepteth mens persons that he hath not knowledge of things that are done here below or at least that de doth not regard them that God cannot doe this or that that he is iniurious to some men and partiall to others c. These
and such like blasphemous thoughts there be which are not fit to be vttered amongst meÌ„ forasmuch as they are most horrible and execrable as any can be conceiued Sect. 1. That we may the better know this Temptation let it be considered what are the forerunners thereof and by what meanes it takes place in the heart possessed of it Sometimes it commeth meerely and onely of the suggestion of the Deuill which troubleth the phantasie euen of those which are in that regard innocent and casteth into their hearts impure and vngodly thoughts Sometimes againe it comes vpon men by an euill custome when as they willingly lend their eares to leude and cursed speeches that immediately tend to the dishonour of God or the wilfull abuse of his word his iudgements and mercies and vpon the hearing either giue their applause and approbation though not expressely or doe not hinder or stay them as much as in them lyeth Otherwhiles it creepes into the heart of man by degrees when he beginnes to waxe cold in Gods seruice to make little conscience of those duties that immediately concerne his worship consequently inures himselfe to the taking of the name of God in vaine by often and causelesse swearing forswearing cursing c. By these and such like meanes is this foule and horrible tentation conuaâ—ed into the minde of man Now the danger of it whether it ariseth from these or any other causes is exceeding grieuous specially to those that haue begun to chuse the way of truth and to applie their hearts to serue God and to feare his name For it bringeth forth strange and fearfull effects as namely desperation and manifold horrors troubles of minde Yea diuers persons haue hereupoÌ„ bin astonished in such sort that they haue bin mooued to make dispatch of themselues beeing in their owne iudgement no better then the very firebrands of hell Sect. 2. Now for the Curing of this wonderfull trouble and distraction of Conscience two things are to be done to wit Inquirie must be made into the next causes whence this Tentation should arise and after that the Remedie is to be applied For the first Inquirie is to be made whether the present distresse had his beginning from the thoughts of a mans owne minde or from the suggestion of the Deuill For this is in all likelyhoode the next way to minister Comfort to the afflicted partie It may be said How shall a man discerne the thoughts that are from the Deuill from his owne thoughts Ans. He shall know them by sundrie notes First by the entrance of theÌ„ into the mind For those that coâ—e from the Diuill come speedily as lightning into a house and they are after a sort forced into the minde by violence so as the partie cannot auoide them and they come into the minde againe and againe yea a thousand times in a day so as by their often comming they weaken the memorie dull the senses wearie and confound the braine These are thoughts that come from the Deuill and by him are coâ—…uaied from without into the minde of man And if such cogitations were from a mans own self they would not come with so great vehemeÌ„cie and celâ—ritie but with leisureâ— and they would rise with more moderation and lesse violence Yea further the frequent vse of them would not produce so many and so fearfull effects as it doth Secondly such thoughts may be discerned to come from the Deuil by this signe because they are directly against the very light of nature the sparkes whereof are not quite extinct in vs by sinne For euery man thinkes reuerently of God by nature But these cogitations are most wicked and deuilish fastning vpon God things that are most vile and monstrous whereas commonly the thoughts that arise from our selues are not against the light of nature though they be most corrupt The third signe is that at the first conceiuing of them the partie 〈◊〉 smitten with an extraordinarie feare his flesh is troubled and oftentimes sicknes and faintings doe follow But the thoughts that men conceiue of theÌ„selues cause neither feare nor fainting nor sicknes Fourthly blasphemous thoughts cannot come ordinarily from the hart of any saue of those alone that are of reprobate mindes But the parties that are thus distressed are honest ciuill and such as professe the Gospell at least in shew yea sometime they befall such as are the true members of Christ. Therefore it is manifest that they come from without euen from the Deuill casting them into the minde and not from within a mans owne selfe In the next place Inquirie must be made whether the partie doth approoue loue and like these and such like thoughts or no To this he will answer if he be asked that he abhors them as the Deuill and Hell it selfe Thus euen naturall men will answer that truly After Inquirie thus made the Remedie is to be applied And the first and principall remedie pertaines to doctrine and instruction in which the partie is to be informed of his or her estate namely that the foresaid blasphemies are not his sinnes but his crosses For they are the Deuils sinnes and he shall answer for them and they are not ours till we intertaine receiue approoue and giue consent vnto them For proofe hereof let this be considered That vncleane thoughts which haue their residence in the minde of man are of two sorts Inward and Outward Inward are such as haue their originall from the flesh and arise of the corruption of mans nature though stirred vp by the Deuill And these at the very first conceiuing are our sins though they haue no long abode in our mindes and they are directly forbidden in the tenth commandement Outward thoughts are those which haue relation to an outward cause or beginning of which sort are those euill thoughts that be conueied into the minde by the Deuill and if we take no pleasure in them nor yeeld consent vnto them they are not to be accounted our sinnes but the Deuills by whome they are suggested The truth hereof appeares in Christs example into whose minde the deuill cast this blasphemous tentation thereby moouing him to infidelitie coâ—etousnes and idolatrie which neuerthelesse were not his sinnes because his holy-heart gaue not the least approbation to them but abhorred and repelled them and therefore was free from any taint of sinne in or by them This distinction of thoughts must be remembred For hence it followes that blasphemous thoughts not consented to by vs are not our sinnes but the Deuills Euen as in like case wheÌ„ one wickedly disposed sollicites another to treason or murder if the said partie listen not nor yeild thereto he cannot be holden guiltie of those crimes Therfore men must not feare those kind of thoughts ouermuch at lest if they please not theÌ„selues ouermuch in them because though they be indeede their crosses yet are they not their personall sinnes for which they shall incurre the wrath and displeasure
which is the cause of this violent distresse And here we are to know by the way that it is an vsuall thing with the parties thus distressed to dissemble and cloake their sinnes and therefore they will alleadge that their trouble ariseth from some euill thoughts from wicked affections and from the corruption of nature whereas commonly men are not distressed in violent manner for euill thoughts affections c. but the violent distresse commeth from soâ—…e actuall and odious sinne or sinnes done which wound the conscience and are the causes of great distraction of minde and they are many which hauing bin vpon occasion before rehearsed I will not now repeat them Onely this must be remembred that the greater sinns against the third sixt and seuenth commandements are the maine and proper causes of violent distresses and the more secret the sinne is in regard of the practise thereof the greater horror of Conscience it bringeth and open offences doe not giue so deepe a wound vnto it as secret and hidden sinnes SecoÌ„dly the particular sinne being known Inquirie must be made as much as possibly may be by signes whether the partie distressed repenteth yea or no. For except he hath repented he cannot be fitted to receiue comfort vnlesse he be first fitted to receiue coÌ„fort he cannot be releeued in Conscience Now if it be found that the partie hath repented then care must be had in the next place that his repentance may be renued for the particular sinne committed Thirdly hauing thus done the comfort must be ministred for the moderating or taking away of the distresse And here remember by the way that the comforts ministred vsually and ordinarily must not goe alone but be mingled and tempered with some terrors of the Law that beeing thereby feared with the consideration of sinne and of the wrath of God due vnto the same the comfort may appeare to be the sweeter The ministring whereof in case of this distresse would not be direct and present but by certaine steppes and degrees except onely in the point of death for then a directer course must be vsed These degrees are two First the partie is to be informed of a possibilitie of pardon that is that his sinnes are pardonable and though in themselues they be great and hainous yet by the mercie of God in Christ they may be remitted Now put the case that the afflicted apprehendeth onely the odiousnesse of his sinnes and the wrath of God due to the same and in this fitte puts off the pardon from himselfe and cannot be perswaded that his sinne may be forgiuen what then is to be done Ans. Then for the effecting of this first degree certaine Grounds are to be laid downe whereupon assurance in that case may be built vp in his heart The first Ground of possibilitie of pardon is That the mercie of God is infinite yea ouer all his works Psal. â—45 9. That the death of Christ is of infinite price merit and value before God That God is much in sparing Isa. 55. 7. That with the Lord is mercie and with him is plenteous redemption Psal. 130. 7. That Christs satisfaction is not onely a price but a counterprice 1. Tim. 2. 6. able to satisfie for the sinnes of all men yea for them that haue sinned against the holy Ghost For that sinne is not therefore vnpardonable because the offence thereof is greater then the merit of Christ but because thâ— partie offending neither doth nor can applie the merit of Christ vnto himselfe An ancient father vpon Cains wordes My punishment is greater then I can beare saith Thou liest Cain for Gods mercie is greater then the sinnes of all men The mercie of God was very great to Manasses to Salomon to Peter and to many others though they were great offenders The second Ground Men of yeares liuing in the Church of God and knowing the doctrine of saluation shall not be condemned simply for their sinnes but for lying in their sinnes Vpon this ground I say that men distressed must be grieued not so much for committing of sinne as for lying and continuing in sinnes committed A third Ground It pleaseth God many times to leaue men to themselues and to suffer them to commit some sinne that woundeth conscience It is true and cannot be denied But we must withall remember that sinnes committed doe not vtterly take away grace but rather make it the more to shine and shew it selfe For God in mercie turneth all things euen sinne it selfe to the good of them that be his and therefore sinne committed cannot either waste or extinguish grace receiued but by diuine dispensation serueth to amplifie and inlarge the same so as where sinne aboundeth there grace aboundeth much more Rom. 5. 20. And the Lord saide to Paul beeing in great extremitie 2. Cor. 12. 9. My grace is sufficient for thee for my power is made perfect through weakenes Hence it appeareth that the grace of God is not vtterly lost but appeareth liuely in the time of distresse The fourth Ground is this The promises of God touching remission of sinnes and life eternall in respect of beleeuers are generall and in regard of all and euery man indefinite that is they doe not define or exclude any person or any sinner or any time onely they admit one exception of finall impenitencie Here a question may be mooued How long he that ministreth comfort must stand vpon the possibilitie of pardon I answer vntill he hath brought the partie distressed to some measure of true repentance and this beeing done then he is to proceede to the second degree of comfort The Second degree of comfort is to teach that the sinne or sinnes of the partie distressed are indeede pardoned But it may be asked vpon what signes may this comfort be applyed I answer vpon these two First if the partie distressed confesse that he or shee is heartily grieued that by their sinne or sinnes they haue offended so louing and so mercifull a God Secondly if they professe that they desire with all their heart to be reconciled vnto God in Christ and at least doe desire to repent for their sinnes and withall doe carrie in heart a purpose to sinne no more but in all things as much as in them lieth to performe new obedience vnto god Luc. 15. 11. c. Now for the better enforcing of this comfort some textes of Scripture fitting this purpose must be rehearsed aâ— for example Matth. 9. 12 13. I came not to call the righteous that is to say those that iudge themselues righteous but sinners that is those which are grieued because in their owne conscience they are vile and hainous offenders to repentance Againe Matth 11. 28. Come vnto me all ye that are wearie and heauie laden and I will refresh you And Christ saith it was the end of his coÌ„ming to preach deliuerance to the captiues and to set at libertie them that are bruised Luk. 4. 18. To
conclude this point there remaines yet a further question to be resolued and that is this A man after repentance for some greiuous sinne falls into it againe and is distressed more then before It is a cause somewhat grieuous For we knowe that if a man be recouered of an ague and through distemper in diet or otherwise makes a relapse into it againe his case is often desperate and he hardly scapeth with his life In the same maÌ„ner it is a dangerous case if after repentance men make a relapse into the same sinne againe It may then be asked how such persons may be recouered after a relapse I answer though we find not any one particular example in scripture of any one person that was restored againe after a relapse yet neuerthelesse there is some comfort for such persons Vpon what grounds may some say Ans. Men that haue not so much as a drop of mercie in comparison of God must forgiue ther brethren often and many times yea as our Sauiour Christ saith to Peter till seuenty times seuen times if they returne and say it repents them Now god is infinite in all his attributes He is much in sparing with him is plenteous redemption and therefore he will questionlesse vpon true repentance often forgiue and forget euen the same sinne iterated againe and againe Nowe these persons are to be releiued in this sort First they must haue their Consciences setled in this point that their relapse is pardonable though very dangerous For proof hereof read Esay 2. 18. Where mention is made of diuers Apostataes that were by God called to repentaÌ„ce with promise of don if they turned vnto him And in Luk. 15. the prodigall child by whome I vnderstand one that after grace receiued fell from his repentance and obedience to God when he did but purpose in his heart to returne again was pardoned and receiued into fauour In the 2. Cor. 5. 20. Paul saith to the Corinths that were fallen away We pray you in Christs steade that ye be reconciled vnto God Secondly beeing thus setled in conscieÌ„ce they must againe repent them of their sinnes Thirdly and lastly they are to be comforted with the promise of remission of sinnes after that some signes of renewed repeÌ„tance for sinnes past haue beene giuen Sect. 2. The Second kinde of this Tentation or trouble of minde which is more common lesse violent befalls the Children of God and it is a griefe of heart more or lesse whereby men are troubled in respect of the want of grace in their hearts and defects of obedience in their liues Paul the deere seruant of God was possessed with this trouble of minde as we may read Rom. 7. 23. And indeede there is no child of God but more or lesse one time or other he feeles the stings of sinne and the buffetings of Satan which cause griefe in his heart But this griefe is a notable grace of God and therefore they which want it must labour to haue it and they which haue it must not seeke to put it out but to keepe it in measure and order And the Grounds of comfort whereby the heart may be staâ—ed in this sorrow that it be not immoderate may be these I. Ground It is Gods will that the worke of sanctification or regeneration should be imperfect in this life and remaine vnfinished til death This point needs no proofe it is manifest both in the word of God and in daily experience The reasons for which God will haue it to be so may be these First of all God giues grace according to the measure and manner of our receiuing of it which in this life is imperfect Some giftes of God in Christ bestowed on his seruants as remission of sinnes by his death and iustification by his obedience are not put into vs but are only applied and made ours by imputation Some other giftes there be which are infused and put into vs as namely sanctification regeneration the loue of God and man and by one of these two meanes to wit either by imputation or infusion are all the giftes of God in Christ made ours Yet before we can haue them we must receiue theÌ„ and the meanes whereby we receiue them is faith which God hath ordained to be the hand of our soules to receiue his benefits bestowed on vs. Which faith because it is weake and imperfect in this life therefore the gifts which we receiue thereby are also imperfect For though Gods benifits be like a bottomlesse sea yet the faith wherby we lay hold of them is like vnto a vessell with a narrow necke which though it be cast into the great Ocean receiues but a little water at once and that by degrees droppe by droppe according to the widenesse of the mouth And hence it is that though the gifts of God without vs which are ours by imputation be perfect yet all such graces as are put into vs are weake and imperfect Secondly if any seruant of God should be perfectly regenerate and made absolutely holy in this life then he should fulfill the morall lawe and so become a Sauiour to himselfe and by the tenour of the law haue life and so should not Christ be a Sauiour properly but only an instrumeÌ„t to dispose vs to the keeping of the law whereby we might saue our selues But there is one only all sufficient Sauiour Christ Iesus and the beginning the middle and the accomplishmeÌ„t of our saluation is to be ascribed to him alone Thirdly it is the wil God that his owne children with whome he is well pleased in Christ should be brought to nothing in themselues that they might be all in all out of themselues in Christ being as it were emptied of selfe-loue and of all confidence in their owne goodnesse But if sanctification should be perfect at the first then a man should not goe out of himselfe but would rather stay as he is and rest contented in his owne goodnesse For this cause Paul after his exaltation was buffeted by Satans temptations that he might not be exalted out of measure 2 Cor. 12. 7. but should content himselfe with this that he was in the loue and fauour of God in Christ. II. Ground is To consider what makes a man professing Christ accepted of God and howe much he himselfe must doe for this end The substance of all things to be done of vs for this ende that we may become the children of God may be reduced to three heads First of all we must heartily bewaile our sinnefull liues past and seriously humble our selues in regard of our owne sinnes both of heart and life and if by occasion wee fall into any sinne we must not lie therein but by speedie repentance recouer our former estate Secondly in regard of the sinnefulnesse of our hearts and liues in times past we must rest our selues on Gods mercie alone â—lying to the throne of mercie for the pardon of them all Thirdly we must
sense Hence followes the first effect strange imaginations conceits and opinions framed in the minde which are the first worke of this humour not properly but because it corrupteth the instrument and the instrument beeing corrupted the facultie cannot bring forth good but corrupt actions Examples hereof are well knowne I will onely touch one or two One is called the Beastiall or Beastlike Melancholie a disease in the braine whereby a man thinkes himselfe to be a beast of this or that kind and carries himselfe accordingly And here with haue all those beene troubled which haue thought themselues to be wolues and haue practised woluish behauiour Againe it is said of Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4. 30. that he was driuen from men and did eate grasse as the oxen that is behaued himselfe and fed as a beast Now some are of opinion that his humane shape was taken from him and that he was transformed into a beast at least that he had the soule of a beast in stead of an humane soule for a time But they are deceiued For there is no such transportation of soules into bodies either of men or beasts Others thinke that Nebuchadnezzar was smitten in the braine with this disease of beastlike Melancholy whereby he was so bereft of his right minde that he carried himselfe as a beast And this interpretation is not against the text for in the 31. verse of that chapter it is said that his minde came to him againe and therefore in the disease his vnderstanding and the right vse of his reason was lost And the like is true in historie by diuers examples though it were not true in Nebuchadnezzar Againe take another example that is common and ordinarie Let a Melancholike person vpon the sudden heare or see some fearfull thing the strength of his imagination is such that he will presently fasten the thing vpon himselfe As if he see or heare that a man hath hanged himselfe or is possessed with a Deuil it presently comes to his mind that he must doe so vnto himselfe or that he is or at least shall be possessed In like manner vpon relation of fearefull things presently his phantasie workes and he imagineth that the thing is alreadie or shall befall him And this imagination when it enters once and takes place it brings forth horrible and fearefull effects The second effect or worke of Melancholy is vpon the heart For there is a concord and consent betweene the heart and the braine the thoughts and the affections the heart affecting nothing but that which the minde conceiueth Now when the minde hath conceiued imagined and framed within it selfe fearefull thoughts then comes affection and is answerable to imagination And hence proceede exceeding horrours feares and despaires euen of saluation it selfe and yet the Conscience for all this vntouched and not troubled or disquieted 3. Thirdly it may be demanded whether there be any difference betweene the trouble of Conscience and Melancholy for many hold that they are all one Ans. They are not all one but differ much Affliction of Conscience is one thing trouble by Melancholy is an other and they are plainly distinguished thus First when the Conscience is troubled the affliction it selfe is in the Conscience and so in the whole man But in Melancholy the imagination is disturbed and not the Conscience Secondly the Conscience afflicted hath a true and certen cause whereby it is troubled namely the sight of sinne and the sense of Gods wrath but in Melancholy the imagination conceiueth a thing to be so which is not so for it makes a man to feare and despaire vpon supposed and fained causes Thirdly the man afflicted in Conscience hath courage in many other matters but the Melancholike man feares euery man euery creature yea himselfe and hath no courage 〈◊〉 all but feares when there is no cause of feare Fourthly imaginations in the braine caused by Melancholy may be cured taken away and cut off by meanes of Physicke but the distresse of Conscience cannot be cured by any thing in the world but one and that is the blood of Christ and the assurance of Gods fauour 4. Fourthly the way to cure Melancholy is this First the person troubled must be brought to this that he will content himselfe to be aduised and ruled by the iudgement of others and cease to rest vpon himselfe touching his owne estate and by this shall he reape much quiet and contentation Secondly search and triall must be made whether he hath in him any beginnings of grace as of faith and repentance o◠no. If he be a carnall man and wanteth knowledge of his estate then meanes must be vsed to bring him to some sight and sorrow for his sinnes that his melancholy sorrow may be turned into a godly sorrow If he want faith and true repentance some good beginnings thereof must be wrought in his heart Thirdly when he is brought to faith in Gods mercie and an honest purpose not to sinne any more then certaine mercifull promises of God are to be laid before him and he must be exhorted to rest vpon these promises and at no time to admit any imagination or thought that may crosse the saide promises Now the promises are these and such like Psal. 34. 9. No good thing shall be wanting to them that feare God Psal. 91. 10. No euill shall come neere the godly man 2. Chr. 15. The Lord is with you while you are with him and if you seeke him he will be found of you Iam. 4. 8. Draw neere to God and he will draw neere to you And the best meanes to cause any man thus diseased to be at peace with himselfe is to hold beleeue and know the truth of these promises and not to suffer any bythought to enter into his heart that may crosse them Moreouer though the former promises may stay the mind yet will they not take away the humour except further helpe be vsed Therefore the fourth and last helpe is the arte of Physick which serues to correct and abate the humour because it is a meanes by the blessing of God to restore the health and to cure the distemper of the bodie And thus much touching the trouble of mind caused by Melancholy Sect. 3. The Second meanes whereby the bodie annoies the minde is when it occasions trouble to the minde by strange alterations incident to the body When a man beginnes to enter into a Phrensie if the braine admit neuer so little alteration presently the minde is troubled the reason corrupted the heart terrified the man distracted in the whole bodie Thus from the trembling of the heart come many fearefull imaginations and conceits whereof a man knowes not the cause The same is procured by the swelling of the splene by the rising of the entrals by strange crampes convulsions and such like The remedie hereof is this First it is still to be considered whether the partie thus troubled hath the beginnings of true faith repentance or
spirit He also that praies for the same to God the Holy Ghost must pray that he would assure vnto him the remission of his sinnes from the father by and for the merit of the Sonne CHAP. V. Of the second part of Religion touching the worship of God and first of the inward worship II. Question How God is to be worshipped and serued FOr the full answer hereof we must remember that the worship of God is twofold inward or outward Inward is the worship of the mind the heart the conscience will and affections for man by all these ioyntly and seuerally performeth worship and seruice to his creator The outward is that worshippe whereby the inward is testified outwardly in the speach and actions The former of these two is the spirituall worship of the inward man and the very ground and foundation of all true worship of God for God is a spirit and therfore must be worshipped in spirit that is in the the minde conscience will and affections Indeede all the worshippe of God is spirituall euen that which we call outward yet not of it selfe but by vertue of the inward from which it proceedeth Sect. 1. The heades of Inward worship are two Adoration of God and cleaving to God For as they are two different actions of the heart so they may fitly be termed two distinct parts of Gods worship This distinction is in some part propounded by Moses where he exhorteth the Israelites to feare Iehovah their God to adore him to cleaue vnto him and to swear by his name Adoration is that part of Gods worship whereby a man vpon a vile and base estimation of himselfe as beeing but dust and ashes submits subiects his soule to the glorie and Maiestie of God This hath two principal groundes in the heart which if they be wanting there can be no true worship of God The first is Abnegation or deniall of our selues when we esteem our selues to be meerely nothing The second is exaltation or Advancemēt of Gods maiesty aboue all the things in the world Exāples of these we haue many in the scriptures as of Abraham who called God his Lord and himselfe dust and ashes of the Angels whome in a vision the Prophet sawe standing before God with one wing couering their feete which signified the abasing of themselues and with another couering their faces which betokened their adoration of the maiestie of God Of Daniel when he confesseth To thee O Lord belongeth righteousnes it selfe but to vs shame and confusion of face Lastly of the woman of Canaan who calls Christ Lord and her selfe a dogge Now in Adoration there are foure Vertues Feare Obedience Patience Thankefulnesse Feare is a great part of the worship of God which I prooue by two places laid together Esa. 29. 13. Matth. 15. 8 9. wherein Feare and Worship are taken for one and the same thing for that which Esay calls Feare Matthew calls Worship Now in this feare there be two things that serue to distinguish it from all other feares First it is absolute for by it God is reuerenced absolutely Saint Paul exhorteth to yeelde tribute feare and honour to the Magistrate not for himselfe but for God whose minister he is And our Sauiour saith Feare ye not them which kill the bodie and are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule and bodie in hell As if he should say I allow and command you to feare men onely for God who hath set them ouer you but feare God for himselfe Secondly it makes a man first of all to feare the offence of God and then the punishment and iudgement For it is not a feare of the offence alone but of the offence and punishment together and of the offence in the first place Mal. 1. 6. If I be a Lord where is my feare And where it is saide in Matthew but rather feare him that is able to cast bodie and soule into hell fire there is commanded a feare of God in regard of his anger We feare the sword of man and that lawfully why then may we not feare the punishment of God If it be said this is a seruile feare to feare the punishment and agrees not to Gods children I answer slauish feare is when a man only fears the punishment not the offence of God or at least the punishment more then the offence The second vertue of Adoration is inward Obedience of the hidden man of the heart The Lord preferres this obedience before all sacrifice 1. Sam. 15. 22. This standeth in two things First in yeelding subiection of the Conscience to the commaundements threatnings and promises of God so as we are willing that it should become bound vnto them Secondly when the rest of the powers of the soule in their place and time performe obedience vnto God And by this meanes doe we bring into captiuitie euery thought vnto the obedience of Christ as Paul speaketh 2. Cor. 10. 5. The third vertue of Adoration is Patience which is when a man in his afflictions submitteth his will to the will of God and quieteth his heart therein because God sendeth afflictions This was Dauids counsell Be silent before the Lord and alwaies waite vpon his pleasure And his practise when in trouble he resigned himselfe into the hands of God and said Lord if I please thee not loe I am here doe with me as seemeth good in thine eyes This patience is a part of Gods worship because it is a kind of obedience The fourth vertue of Adoration is Thankfulnesse to God which shewes it selfe in two things First in an acknowledgement of the heart that our selues and whatsoeuer we haue is Gods and proceedeth from his blessing alone Secondly in a consecration of our bodies soules liues callings and labours to the honour and seruice of God Thus much of the first head of Inward worship or the first action of the heart standing in Adoration Sect. 2. The second Action of the heart in Inward worship or the second part thereof is Cleauing vnto God Now we cleaue vnto God by foure things by Faith Hope Loue and inward Inuocation By Faith I meane true iustifying faith whereby we rest vpon Gods mercie for the forgiuenes of our sinnes and life euerlasting and vpon his prouidence for the things of this life Thus Abraham beeing strengthened in this faith and relying by it vpon Gods promises made vnto him gaue glorie vnto God Rom. 4. 20. This Sauing faith is the very roote and beginning of all true worship For Loue which is the fulfilling of the Law must come from it 1. Tim. 1. 5. The second is Hope which followes and dependes vpon faith and it is that grace of God whereby with patience we waite the Lords leisure for the performance of his promises especially touching redemption and life eternall If we hope saith Paul for that we haue not we
vpon defect of memory and vtterance c. vse a set forme of prayer Sect. 2. The second Circumstance is the Gesture Concerning which it is demanded what kind of gesture is to be vsed in praier whether kneeling standing sitting or the holding vp the hands or head to heauen or bowing the body to the earth Answ. God in his word hath not prescribed any particular gesture of the body and therfore our consciences are not bound to any in particular Besides that Religion stands not properly in bodily actions and gestures Yet touching gesture the word of God giues certaine generall rules to be obserued in prayers both publicke and priuate In Publicke praier these rules of Gesture are prescribed First when publicke praier is made in the congregation our gesture must alwaies be comely modest decent SecoÌ„dly all gesture vsed publickely must serue to expresse as much as may be the inward humility of the hart without hypocrisie Now these kinds are manifold Some concern the whole body as the bowing thereof the casting of it downe vpon the ground some againe concerne the parts of the body as lifting vp of the head the eies the hands bowing the knees c. Touching these the scripture hath not bound vs to any particulars but in them all we must haue regard that they serue alway to expresse the humilitie of our hearts before God Thus haue the Holy men of God behaued themselues yea the Holy Angels standing before the Arke doe couer their faces in token of reuereÌ„ce of the maiestie of God Esay 6. 2. Thirdly we must in publicke praier content our selues to followe the laudable fashion and custome of that particular Church where we are For to decline from customes of particular Churches in such cases often causeth scisme and dissensions In priuate praier done in priuate and secret places there is more liberty For in it we may vse any gesture so it be comely and decent and serue to expresse the inward humility of our hearts An auncient writer is of opinion that it is an vnreuerent and vnlawfull thing to pray sitting But both the learned before in and after his time haue iudged his opinion superstitious specially considering that Religion stands not in the outward gesture of the body and it skills not much what that is so the inward humility of a syncere heart be expressed therby Sect. 3. The third Circumstance is the place Where Question is made In what place we must pray Answ. In regard of conscience holines and religion all places are equal and alike in the New Testament since the comming of Christ. The house or the field is as holy as the Church And if we pray in either of them our prayer is as acceptable to God as that which is made in the Church For now the daies are come that were foretold by the Prophet wherein a cleane offering should be offered to God in euery place Mal. 1. 11. which Paul expoâ—…ds 1. Tim. 2. 8. of pure and holy praier offened to God in euery place To this purpose Christ said to the woman of Samaria Ioh. 4. 25. that the tyme should come when they 〈◊〉 not worship in Ierusalem or in Samaria but the true worshippers of God should worship him in spirit and in truth wheresoeuer it be Yet neuerthelesse for order decency and quietnes sake publicke prayer must be made in publicke places as Churches and Chappels appointed for that vse And priuate praier in priuate houses and clozets Mat. 6. 5. Now the opinion of the Papist is otherwise For he thinkes that in the new TestameÌ„t hallowed Churches are more holy then other places are or can be and doe make the prayers offered to God in them more acceptable to him then in any other and herevpon they teach that priuate men must pray in Churches and priuate prayers must be made in Churches if they will haue them heard For proofe hereof they alleadge the practise of some particular persons in the Scriptures Of Anna who praied priuately in the temple Luk. 2. 37. Of Dauid who in his exile desired greatly to haue recourse vnto the temple And of Daniel who is saide to looke out at the window toward the temple and pray Dan. 6. 10. Answ. These places are abused by the Popish Church For there is great difference betweene the temple at Ierusalem in the old Testament and our Churches in the new That was built by particular commandemeÌ„t from God so were not our Churches That was a type of the very body and manhood of Christ. Heb. 9. 11. And of his misticall bodie Col. 2. 7. Againe the Arke in the temple was a pledge and signification of the couenant a signe of gods presence a pledge of his mercie and that by his owne appointment for it was his will there to answere his people but the like cannot be shewed of our Churches or Chappell 's It will be saide that the Sacrament is a signe of Gods presence for in it God is present after a sort Ans. It is true Christ is present in the Sacrament but when not alwaies but then onely when the Sacrament is administred And the Administration beeing once ended Christ is no more present in the Elements of bread and wine And in the very act of celebration he is not carnally but spiritually present Sect. 4. The fourth Circumstance is the Time Quest. What are the times in which men are to make prayers vnto God For answer to this question it is first to be considered that there is a twofold manner of praying and consequently two kindes of prayer The first is the secret and sudden lifting vp of the heart to God vpon the present occasion The second is set or solemne prayer The first sort of praiers haue of auncient time beene called Eiaculations or the darts of the heart And the time of this kind of prayer is not determined but is and may be vsed at any time without exception This point I make plaine by these reasons The first is the commandement of God 1. Thess. 5. 17. Pray without ceasing Eph. 6. 18. Pray alwaies with all manner of prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watch thereunto with all perseuerance for all Saints In both these places by praier and supplications Paul vnderstandeth the sudden lifting vp of the heart vnto God Secondly whatsoeuer we speake thinke or doe we must doe all to the glorie of God Now God is glorified when we doe in all things from our hearts acknowledge his power wisdome iustice mercie prouidence and goodnes And these we doe acknowledge when we daily and howerly lift vp our hearts to him in petition for some blessings and in thanksgiuing for his mercies Thirdly we are subiect to innumerable infirmities frailties and wants so as we cannot of our selues so much as thinke one good thought therefore we are euery day and hower to lift vp our hearts to God partly in praier partly in giuing of thankes that he would
your selues to the practise of iniustice and oppression and thereby you desile your selues and all your actions For redresse hereof I propound you this Rule Practise Charitie in giuing of your almes let your outward good actions proceede from the inward syncere affection of your hearts towards your brethren and then shall you attaine to a holy and pure vse of your goods The counsell of Daniel to King Nebuchadnezar Dan. 4. 24. to breake off his sinnes by the practise of iustice and his iniquities by mercie to the afflicted may be a good Commentarie to this Text. In the words I consider two things A remedie Therefore giue almes of those things you haue and the fruit that followes vpon the remedie and behold all things shall be cleane vnto you Sect. 1. The Remedie is the vertue of Christian Liberalitie consisting principally in the practise of Loue and mercie in giuing of Almes For the better vnderstanding whereof fiue Questions are briefly to be propounded and resolued I. Question Who or what persons must giue Almes Ans. There be two sorts of men that are and ought to be giuers of Almes The first sort are Rich men who besides things necessarie haue superflâ—â—tle and abundance yea much more then things necessarie These are such as haue the worlds good as S. Iohn saith whereby they are inabled to giue and bestow releefe vpon others out of their abundance Thus Saint Paul saith that the abundance of the Corinthians must supplie the want of other Churches 2. Cor. 8. 14. Many other proofes might be brought but these are sufficient in a knowne and confessed truth A second sort of giuers are men of the poore sort that haue but things necessarie and sometime want them too And because this point is not so easily graunted therefore I will prooue it by the Scriptures The man that liues by his work is commaÌ„ded to labour in his calling that he may haue something to giue to them that want â—ph 4. 28. The poore widow that cast into the Lords treasurie of her penurie but two mites that is the eight part of a pennie is commended and Christ preserreth her almes before the great gifts of the richer sort luk 21. 2. The Church of Macedonia beeing poore and in extreame necessitie doth yet send reliefe to other Churches and is commended for it by Paul 2. Cor. 8. 2. Their povertie excused them not froÌ„ liberalitie but they were liberall not onely according to but even beyond their abilitie Our Sauiour Christ himselfe liued of almes for Ioanna the wife of Chuza Herods steward SusaÌ„na ministred vnto him of their substance Luk. 8. 3. Where by the way we note that he did not liue by begging as the Papists affirme but by the voluntarie ministration and contribution of some to whom he preached Now though he was so poore himselfe yet he vsed to giue aimes of that he had Ioh. 13. 29. The oblations of the Old Testament for the maintenance of the Altar were a matter of great cost and charge in sacrifices such like ceremonies yet al were charged with them the poore as well as the rich Now in the new Testament the materiall Altar is taken away yet we haue something in the roome therof namely those that are poore and destitute which all men are bound in conscience to releeue and maintaine as once they were to maintaine the Altar Saint Iohn commends vnto vs Charitie not that which consisteth in words onely but which shewes it selfe in actions 1. Ioh. 3. 18. teaching that the one is no way sufficient without the other Lastly all mankind is distinguished into these two sorts some are givers some are receiuers of aimes there is not a third kind to be found in the Scriptures Yet here an exception must be added that this doctrine be not mistakeÌ„ There are some persons exempted from this dutie they be such as are in subiection to others and are not at their owne disposition Of this sort are children vnder the gouernement of their parents and seruants subiect to the authoritie and dominion of their Masters For the goods which they haue are not their owne neither may they dispose of them as they list they therefore must not be giuers It may be asked whether the wife may giue almes without the consent of her husband considering that she is in subiection to another and therfore all that she hath is anothers not her own Ans. The wife may giue almes of some things but with these cautioÌ„s as first she may giue of those goods that she hath excepted from marriage Secondly she may giue of those things which are commoÌ„ to them both provided it be with her husbands consent at least generall and implicite Thirdly she may not giue without or against the consent of her husband And the reason is because both the law of nature and the word of God commands her obedience to her husband in all things If it be alleadged that Ioanna the wife of Chuza Herodes steward with others did minister to Christ of their goods Luk. 8. 3. I answer It is to be presumed that it was not done without all consent Againe if it be said that Abigail brought a present to Dauid for the releife of him and his young men whereof she made not Nabal her husband acquainted 1. Sam. 25. 19. I answer it is true but marke the reason Nabal was generally of a churlish and vnmercifull disposition wherevpon he was altogether vnwilling to yeeld releife to any in howe great necessitie soeuer whence it was that he â—ailed on the young men that came to him and droâ—e them away ver 14. Againe he was a foolish man and giuen to drunkennesse so as he was not fitte to gouerne his house or to dispense his almes Besides that Abigail was a woman of great wisedome in all her actions and that which she now did was to saue Nabals and her owne life yea the liues of his whole family for the case was desperate and all that they had were in present hazard That example therefore is no warrant for any woman to giue almes vnlesse it be in the like case II. Question To whome must almes be giuen Ans. To them that are in neede Eph. 4. 28. For the better conceiving of this answer we must remember that there be three degrees of need The first is extreame necessitie when a man is vtterly destitute of the meanes of preseruation of life The second is great need when a man hath very little to maintaine himselfe and his The third is common necessitie when he hath something but yet not sufficient or competent Now those that are in the first and second degree of neede they are the persons that must be sâ—â—coured and releeued For proofe hereof consider these places Mat. 25. 35. 36. I was hungry and ye gaue me meat I thirsted ye gaue mâ— drinke I was naked and ye clothed mee I was sicke and ye visited me I was
you Here first I will speake of the false and then of the true and right fruit of Liberalitie The false Fruit is this that giuing of almes doth merit forgiuenes of sinne and satisfie the iustice of God for the temporall punishment thereof That we may the better see the errour of this doctrine I will answer their arguments Obiect I. First they alleadge out of this text that giuing of almes makes all things cleane vnto vs. Ans. We must vnderstand the text thus If we turne to God beleeue in Christ and leaue all our sinnes then are we cleane and all our actions and consequently our almes-giuing shall be cleane vnto vs for to the pure all things are pure Now almes and other things are then said to be cleane vnto a man when he beeing himselfe pure maketh and hath a pure vse of them Obiect II. Dan. 4. 24. Redeeme thy sinnes by giuing of al◅ Ans. This place maketh against the Papists for by sinnes the Prophet vnderstandeth both the guilt also the punishment Whereas they affirme that the guilt of sinne cannot be redeemed but by Christ alone and man onely is to satisfie for the temporall punishment of sinne Secondly the word which they translate redeeme doth properly signifie as it is in the Chalde paraphrase to breake off As if the Prophet should haue said Thou art O King a mightie Monarch and thou hast vsed much iniustice and crueltie therefore now repent thy selfe and breake off the course of thy sinnes and testifie thy repentance by doing iustice and giuing almes to the poore whom thou hast oppressed Thirdly the word in the ancient Latine translations signifieth to amende and then it beareth this sense Amend thy selfe and the course of thy life and let thine iniustice be turned into iustice thy crueltie into mercie Obiect III. Make you friends with the riches of iniquitie that when ye shall want they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations Luk. 16. 9. Ans. Receiuing here mentioned is not by way of merit as though a man could deserue it by giuing almes but either by way of heartie praiers made by the poore that they may be receiued or els because their almes shall be vnto them a pledge and earnest of their receiuing into Gods kingdome Obiect IV. Prou. 16. 6. By mercie and truth iniquitie is redeemed Ans. 1. Salomons meaning is that by Gods goodnes and not ours iniquity is pardoned 2. If by mercie is meant mans mercie then are we to vnderstand it thus that mercie and truth are euident signes vnto vs that our sinnes are forgiuen and not the working causes of remission Obiect V. Luk. 14. 14. And thou which giuest releefe shalt be blessed because they can not recompense thee therefore almes doe merit Ans. When God promiseth reward to the giuing of almes the promise is not made to the worke but to the worker and that not for the merit of his person or worke but onely for Christ his sake in whome he is by whose meanes he stands reconciled vnto God And so men that practise charitie in giuing of almes are rewarded with blessednes not for their almes but according to the mercie of God in Christ. Now followeth the Right fruit of Almes-giuing and it stands in foure things First they are the way in which we must walke to life euerlasting I say the way not the cause either of life or any other good thing that God hath promised Secondly they are effects and fruits of our faith yea the signes and seales of Gods mercie to vs in Christ. To this purpose S. Paul wisheth Timothie 1. Tim. 6. 17 18 19. to charge them that be rich in this world that they doe good and be rich in good workes and be readie to distribute laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may obtaine eternall life Now where is this foundation to be laide vp not in heauen for that is impossible for vs and it is laide vp for vs there alreadie by Christ but in our owne consciences and that is our assurance of Gods fauour in this world and life euerlasting in the world to come of which assurance this and other good works are signes and seales vnto vs. Thirdly almes comes in the way of restitution of those goods that haue beene gotten fraudulently though from whome we know not Thus Zacheus at his conuersion for wrongs that he had done he knew not to whome gaue halfe his goods to the poore and proclaimed restitution to those that could come forth and chalenge him Lastly aimes are a notable remedie against couetousnesse For he that hath a mercifull heart to bestow vpon the poore shall easily be content with that he hath and auoid that sinne whereby otherwise he falls into tentations and snares of the Deuill 1. Tim. 6. 9. CHAP. VI. Of Iustice. Psal. 15. 2. He that walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnes THe substance of the whole Psalme is a Question and an Answer The Question is who are the members of Gods Church vpon earth that shall come to life eternall in heauē ver 1. The Answer is made in the rest of the Psalme And in this answer is contained a description of the parties by their properties and markes The first marke is walking vprightly that is in truth and sinceritie of religion which standeth in the sinceritie of faith and a good conscience The second note is the practise of Righteousnes Now Righteousnes or Iustice is twofold the Iustice of the Gospel and the Iustice of the Law Evangelicall iustice is that which the gospell reveales and not the Law to witte the obedience of Christ in his sufferings and fulfilling of the law imputed to them that beleeue for their iustification and this is not here meant Legall iustice is that which the law revealeth and withall requireth And it is either vniuersall or particular Vniuersall iustice is the practise of all vertues or that whereby a man obserues all the commandements of the law Of this Paul speaketh Rom. 10. 5. in which place he opposeth it to the righteousnes which is by faith And Zacharie and Elizabeth are said to be iust before God Luk. 1. 6. namely by this vniuersall iustice because they walked in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord indeauouring in althings to please him Particular iustice is that whereby we giue to euery man his right or due and of this Dauid here speaketh The reason is because if it were not so then this second marke should comprehend vnder it all the rest and so there would be no good distinction of these properties one from the other Particular iustice is two-fold in distribution or in exchange and contract Iustice in distribution is that which keepes a proportion in giuing to euery man that honour dignitie reuerence reward or punishment that is due vnto him Of this there are mooued principally two Questions I. Question What is that iudgement which men are to giue and hold one to