before the hiâ— God shall I comâ— before him with burnt offerings iâ— he hath shewed thee ò man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee surely to doe iustly and to loue mercy and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God that is that thou shouldest set him iâ— thy sight belieuing that he doth guide and gouerne thee Besides the Apostle teacheth vs â— Cor. 3. 18. that we all behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord with open face and are changed into the same image For when we behold the Lord in his promises of reconciliation that he is at peace with vs of sanctification that he will renew vs of safegard and prouidence that for our good he will watch ouer vs and that he is at our right hand with his Angels and on the other hand with his creatures then we behold him as our redeemer as our teacher as our prouident father and as iudge of heauen and earth so we shall with Steuen see Christ and thus beholding God in his word and workes we may be said to walke before the Lord. Whereupon we may easily coniecture how requisite a thing it is often to heare reade and meditate of the word of God to be frequent in prayer whereby we may attaine to a cleerer sight of God his promises which are all yea and Amen in Iesus Christ. Whosoeuer then setteth God before him first as a God of glorious maiestie who will not iustifie the obstinate sinner then as a father of gratious mercie who comforteth the repenting sinner and in euery particular thing is perswaded that God seeth him as a iudge and a Lord of the spirits and God of glory and power it can not be but this will shake from him all drowsie securitie and chase away all vaine imaginations as the bright Sunne beames breake the darke and mistie clowdes And because there is no dealing betwixt God and man but by a Mediatour we must set God before vs in Christ and Christ in God that we may behold his iustice vnder his mercie and his mercie under his iustice And being thus perswaded that we are beloued of God in his beloued we shall doe all in his name which is the end of all happinesse This one lesson of Diuinitie will teach vs the vse of many and wil stand in steed of a thousand both to comfort and instruct vs to comfort vs with pacifying our consciences with a godly securitie in things most open and apparant to instruct vs by charging our consciences to auoide carnall securitie in things most inward and secret Vntill we are brought to walke before the Lord in this obedience all the wisedome of the learned is vanitie Hauing learned this one ruâ—e and made in truth this pedagogie of our actions the simplest soule shall come foorth himselfe in the conscience of vnfained holinesse For he is at my right hand This phrase of speech is borrowed from them who when they take vpon them the patronage defence or tuition of any will set them on their right hand as in place of most safegard Experience coÌ„firmeth this in children who in any imminent danger shrowde and shelter themselues vnder their fathers armes or hands as vnder a sufficient buckler Such was the estate of the man of God as here appeareth who was hemmed and hedged in with the power of God both against present euils and daungers to come Neither doth the Lord hatch Dauid alone vnder the haÌ„d but al other that put their trust in him as Psal. 91. 1. Who so dwelleth in the secret of the most high shall abide in the shadow of the Almightie c. Wherein we see this assurance of God his protection to be common generally to all which flie for succour wholy to him in time of temptation Againe Psalme 121. 4. it is said Behold he that keepeth Israel will neither slumber nor sleepe Vers. 5. â—he Lord is thy keeper the Lord is thy shadow at thy right hand c. Where we see he speaketh of the whole bodie and noâ— of any particular number of the Church We are then to learne thus much out of this straine that when we haue a care to set the Lord continually in our sight he hath a care continually to watch ouer our estate This glorious reioycing of faith is also in other places of the booke of God Psal. 23. throughout the whole Psalme the man of God sheweth that he had so richly and so sweetly tasted of the promises of God that in trouble he neuer wanted helpe The Apostle likewise to the Rom. 8 sheweth the happie estate of all the regenerate although in a more excellent patterne of his owne faith saying vers 31. If God be on our side who can be against vs 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God his chosen It is God that iustifieth 34. who shall condemne c. And afterward vers 38 I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come 35. nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Howbeit we must not thinke that the man of God was not remoued at all For he counteth himselfe a stranger vpon earth and he had many pushes and diuers assaults yet so as he was not finally moued and vtterly ouerthrowne He had many battels but got the victorie many men rose against him but the Lord was on his side still he was vnremoueable as Mount Sion and though he was shaken for a time yet in the end he was safe Now to the verse following Wherefore mine heart is glad and my tongue reioyceth my flesh also doth rest in hope Here are two pestilent opinions of the Papists ouerthrowne The one that we should not boldly reioyce in the vndoubted assurance of our saluation The other that we should douâ—t and be in a mammering of our finall perseuerance In our confession of the faith immediatly after the article of the remission of our sinnes followeth the acknowledging of an happie resurrection and glorious immortalitie wherein we are assured that euen as in this life our sinnes are pardoned so we shall not miscarrie to the very resurrection and our very flesh shall rise againe to most blessed immortalitie Shall I doubt that God watcheth ouer me as a father in loue as almightie in power as a prouident preseruer in gouerning heauen and earth Shall I doubt that Christ true God and true Man died for my sinnes rose for my iustification ascended to take possession of that glorie which he will giue vnto me at his comming Shall I doubt that the spirit of God hath sealed me and sanctified me preseruing me vnblameable in Christ vntill the day of redemption Shall I doubt that I am of the number of the Saints which are ordained to that glorie which is freely giuen of God the Father dearely purchased of
Ministers to be preached sincerely and purely vnto his people And heere we learne by the way that the people must beware that they bee not seduced with false doctrine and mans inuention therefore they must proue the doctrine to accord with the word of God and then be obedient vnto it Secondly besides obedience wee haue learned that they must also reuerence him because they cannot obey his doctrine except they haue a reuerent opinion of him as we see by the woman of Samaria and the people that S. Peter conuerted Thirdly it is requisite that they feare him for where feare is not there honor and reuerence must needes bee absent And thus haue we heard that they ought to feare him not in respect of his person but for his office sake not as he is a man but in that he is the messenger and Minister of God Fourthly they must loue him and that vnfainedly with all their heart being ready to help him in all distresses Fiftly they must prouide for him that he may haue to maintaine himselfe and his familie to entertaine strangers and buy him bookes that he may not with any worldly care bee drawne from doing of his dutie Sixtly they must pray for him continually and for themselues also that hee may be able to teach and they to receiue the word profitably 3 These duties being wel performed bringeth this commoditie The Ministers labour shall be profitable his account acceptable and his soule saued The people shall make their minister ioyfull and louing vnto them willing to labour for their profit and in the end they shall raigne together in the kingdome of heauen Also if the Minister doth his dutie faithfully though the people doe not their yet hee shall saue his soule Likewise if the people doe their dutie and not the Minister the Lord will so prouide that they shall enioy eternall felicitie 4 Last of all if these duties be not performed we haue learned how great dangers they are in that neglect the same if the Minister his labour shall be cursed he shall be called to a streight account and shall answere for euerie soule that hath perished and so become a diuell in hel for euer If the people doe not their dutie they shall grieue their Pastor make him vnprofitable and in the end be tormented in vtter darknes for euer The Lord of all power deale mercifully with vs for his deare Sonne Iesus Christs sake and graunt such grace both vnto the Ministers of his word that they may carefully doe their duties with that feare of his name that reuerēce of his Maiestie that zeale of his glorie and that desire of the saluation of his people that they ought and that the people may so obediently and willingly receiue thy word and Ministers thereof as shall bee most for thy glorie and the profit of their soules that after this life ended wee may dwell together in thy kingdome of glorie with thy Sonne our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to whom with thee and the holy Ghost three persons and one true and most wise God be al honour and glorie for euer Amen OF THE CONFESSION OF SINNES THE FIFTEENTH SERMON Prouerbs 28. vers 13. He that hideth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercie THere are two parts of this verse Hiding of sinnes with punishments and Confessing with mercie It is not my manner to restraine a precept generall but according to circumstances to speake of generall things generally Here both the sinne of hiding sinnes is taught to bee auoided and the vertue of confessing sinnes to be practised A matter not obserued for error hath been much spoken against but truth not so throughly taught which is the cause of the small proceeding of the Gospell Example in Consubstantiation and Transubstantiation in the Sacrament where the true manner of Christs presence is not knowne because it hath not been taught as it should Example in superstitious holidaies the breaknecke of the Lords Sabbaths mē now not sparing to worke on the Lords day also because they haue not been taught to sanctifie it Example of Lent fast wherein the abuse of fasting hauing been checked and the manner of right fasting so little opened it is come to passe that men knowe not how truly to fast Example of the butcherly discipline once entred the truth of discipline not being spoken of it maketh men thinke that now to speake of it is to make euery one a Pope in his owne parish So likewise of Eare confession the grosse abuses whereof hauing been reprooued but the right vse of confession passed ouer vntaught men care not to confesse either to God or men and if they doe either it is rather vpon the commandements of men than vpon the consideration of iudgement and mercies Whereby also all conference and examination is taken from the Minister to whom examinatiō is not to be denied though al things be not to be disclosed And againe acknowledging of sinnes and priuate and publike reconciliation haue vtterly ceased My brethren teach the truth teach the truth for by want hereof it is come to passe that first the peace of mens consciences is not prouided for secondly our winnings are not so great as our losings thirdly God is not glorified The peace of conscience is not looked vnto for when thou knowest what thou shouldest not doe thy conscience straight accuseth thee for doing the euill thou shouldest not but because thou art not taught the good thou shouldest doe thou canst not pursue after it with comfort Our losses haue been greater thā our winnings because the good of men hath not been prouided for by building thē vp For though they heare sinnes spoken against yet seeing godlines and religion to decay the Lords day not being celebrated with reuerence men not prepared for the receiuing of the holy Sacrament neuer fasting neuer confessing c. yet the weake are not staied or drawne on but fal away the aduersaries mouth is not stopped but set wide open because truth is not enough spoken of and practised God is not glorified for they who are wonne are not so truly wonne but become hypocrites and many are not wonne at all because the truth is not fully deliuered for hearing some things spoken against they are led to contrarie heresies by reason they were not grounded in the truth which teacheth it selfe and errors also as good sheweth euil and it selfe also We must then teach loue and practise good things as we must reprooue hate and not doe that which is euill Which manner of teaching because it hath not been in vse we cannot now get credit to peoples mindes being inured with other kinde of teaching Confession is either priuate or publike Priuate first vnto the Lord secondly vnto men first for our owne sinnes secondly for the sinnes of others Publike first vnto God with men and before men secondly vnto God and vnto men That which cannot be done
forsooth we must smile when we doe so and we must laugh vpon them least wee moue choler and giue offence Well for all sinne in equal measure and for the least of all sins Christ Iesus the Sonne of God was faine to shed his pretious blood howsoeuer this seemeth little to vs in committing it was very great to Christ in suffering for it They be small sinnes to vs which are vsuall to all but if they were not vsuall they would seeme prodigious CHAP. III. Of Adulterie and youthfull Affections IF that after often fals in the sinne of Adulterie the Lord giue a man the sight of the grieuousnes and greatnes of this sinne and fill a man with the feares of his iudgements and then this feare cause the power of this sinne to abate in him and cause him to feare all occasions and to loue chaste persons then such a man may be well comforted the Lord will giue him the victory of that sin But yet remember to proceed in affectioÌ„ let that vnclean life be as loath some vnto thee as it hath bin pleasant to the end that thou maist know how to keepe and possesse thy vessell in holines and honour begin to delight in the Lord Christ to vse with feare reuerence the meanes of thy saluatioÌ„ the Word Prayer and Sacraments then the Lord will seale vnto thine heart the pardon of this sin for this is not obtained before we haue thus repented And when thou hast found these effects of Gods grace in thee thou maist reasoÌ„ thus against SathaÌ„ If the Lord would haue destroyed me for this sin he would not haue giuen me a sorrowe or haâ—red of this sin therefore I am now well assured he doth and will accept me for his adopted sonne in his true sonne Iesus Christ. That a man may doe this and learne this sinne with repentance hee is first to consider I say the mercie of God which striueth with vs till we be brought so farre as is aforesaid Secondly wee must consider the iustice of God which will confound those that will resist The mercie of God appeares in fearing thee and punishing others in giuing thee the meanes and not others in punishing thee lightly and confounding others This wil greatly commend the greatnes of Gods mercies especially seeing hee giueth mercie when he might punish and doth as it were hire thee from thy sinnes Thus will the spirituall man gather of the great mercie of God Shall then prouoke him adde rebellion vnto sin Shall I vtterly denie him and become the slaue of sathan So then thus the meditation of the mercies of God in Iesus Christ leades vs to the hatred of this all other sins Luk. 16. But contrariwise Sathan and the flesh conclude If the Lord had hated this sin hee would haue punished it before this time in me In old time he destroyed many for sinne but now vnder grace he is more mercifull O cursed flesh that doth reason so much against reason and grace for there is now a secret curse of GOD vpon euery sinner which will consume a man if it be not preuented for the word gone out of Gods mouth will haue his effect and shall not be changed because God cannot be changed 2 Manie thinke youth as the flower of our age to haue a priuiledge aboue other ages But alas it is an age of great confidence All this haue I done saith the young man in the Gospell So dangerous is their case that they must not do things indifferent for feare they make them sad and we know that ordinary things denied argue an extraordinarie perill The prodigall sonne did walke his foure stations and as Ambrose saith hee had foure prouocations first his portion secondly his fathers indulgencie thirdly ill company but youth more than all Psalme 119. 19. Dauid abruptly with an Apostrophe breaketh off his meditation into this Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his wayes Vpon which place all the Fathers agree that the accent is vpon a young man for he hath fewest means The word which Dauid vseth for clensing is verie effectuall by clensing signifying the clensing of glasse and therefore compareth he young men to glasse which though it be verie cleane yet it will gather filth euen in the Sunne-beames and of it selfe which noteth the great corruption of this age Prou. 22. 13. he hath a buÌ„dle of folly bound close in his hart Eccles. 11. Children and youth are vanitie vanity is not in them but the age it selfe is vanitie Such is the streame of affections in them as the heathen thought it best policie to let them haue their course a little But let vs consider their corruption in one measure further Not onely the common sort but the best wit who is thought to be of an excellent disposition 2. King 22. And not only the best in ciuill gifts but those that are best in spiritual graces finde it hard as Timothie who brought downe his bodie that Paul was faine to write to him to drinke wine and for all that hee wrote Flee new-fangled lusts This Timothie was such a one as that saith Bernard Giue me one Timothie in these dayes and if he will eate gold he shall haue it This maketh me that I cannot subscribe to that saying Whom God loueth he taketh away in teÌ„der yeares For I tell you it is a daÌ„gerous thing to die in youth and surely except the Lord worke marueilously it is dangerous And why Surely in yong men there is a double pronenesse First their naturall corruption and then their age in which their affections be grounded but their reasons be raw Besides these the diuell hath a speciall affection to this age And it is a Prouerbe chapt 22. Set a young man in his way and he will not depart from it when he is olde If you stampe garlike in a new morter it will alwayes smell of it CHRIST saith Suffer little ones to come vnto me If they can sing but Hosannah and know not the meaning It is a good thing to doe as Marie did betimes to lay vp in our hearts such things out of the word as we doe not know while as yet thou art â—ude saith Hillary least then thou begin when thou shouldest ende The seruice of youth how greatly it pleaseth GOD may appeare Moses and Aarons rod was of an Almond tree what this figure meant is taught Ierem. 1. I am but a childe It is no matter saith God What seest thou an Almond tree which in those countreys where it groweth is the first that doth blossome Him that God will haue his rod must bee a branch of the trees that first blossome The first fruites and the first borne are due vnto GOD. And this is the difference betweene the sacrifice of Cain and of Abel Cain offered he cared not what but Abel offered the first fruites and the best and this is the best note to
sinnes this is a tempting of God and this shall be laid to our charge as wee see that the Lord saith to Dauid that he was in all things vpright before him but in the case of Vriah because his other sinnes which he committed both often and grieuously were but of humane infirmitie and this was contrarie to knowledge and againe he sought meanes to hide his sin and was not easily brought from it yet did hee obtaine pardon because this was but once and he was much humbled for it But Saul often doing the same at last asked counsaile of a familiar spirit by a Witch which he before had punished wherein he did cleane contrary to his knowledge euen for this it was said that the Lord did cut him off Wherefore we haue to pray with Dauid Psal. 19. Lord who doth vnderstand the errors of his life then purge vs from our secret sinnes and keepe vs that no presumptuous sinnes doe beare rule ouer vs. so shall we be free c. For if a man sinne against man there may be an arbiter but if a man sinne against the Lord who shall deale for him As Eli saith to his Sonnes q d. If you had done this being ignorant it had beene a small matter but now you that haue beene taught of me the contrary haue now made the sacrifice of the Lord to stincke and so haue tempted the Lord. 9 As it is a great comfort that no temptation doth inuade vs but that which hath taken hold of the nature of man so this ought to make vs with profit to humble ourselues that there is no temptation vppon any man but the same may take hold on vs in time also 10 Wee are neuer the further from temptation for misliking it but the nearer vnlesse as in iudgement we mislike it so in affection we humble our selues in feare and prayer before the Lord as knowing the same in time may inuade vs. 11 Wee must not keepe our hearts too close in dangerous temptation nor denie mercie to others least God denie mercie to vs. 12 If wee be tempted let vs examine it by prayer whether it be contrarie to the word for sinne by the law is reuealed and rebuked if it be sin then it bringeth the curse for the Lawe accurseth the sinner if it bring a curse then must we tremble if we tremble not let vs suspect that our nature liketh the temptation and let vs apply prayer if we tremble in truth we will neuer doe the thing whereunto we are tempted 13 When Satan cannot get vs to omit grosse sinnes hee will assaile vs with spirituall temptations 14 Those temptations are most dangerous which haue most holy ends 15 If wee conceale our temptations long it is the policie of Sathan to make vs keepe his counsell 16 The Lord through grace doth quench in vs those temptations which would quench in vs his spirit 17 Temptations being resisted to bring a proofe of that grace that is in vs temptation being receiued argueth corruption in vs. Adam should not haue been worse for his temptation no more than Christ but that the one yeelded the other did not 18 They that tremble in the temptation shal triumph after the temptation our faith is as a pots mouth which being large receiued much and being narrowe receiueth but little 19 The godly see their temptations oft much and with profit the vngodly see them seldome scant and without profit 20 Being both feeble in body and sicke in minde when hee felt the Lords strength in his sicknesse nourishing him as also that he did cleere his iudgement and more and more giue him a misliking of euill and a liking of good hee knewe his temptation should goe away in the end CHAP. LXXI Of truth and errors sinceritie and contempt of the word THere is no profit in teaching or hearing without application Ephes. 6. Paul speaking of the trueth calleth it a girdle of truth it must not bee a loose truth out of which a man may easily bee shaken it must be a tied truth not a ranging truth if it bee loose about vs it will fall away with the least flaw of winde Rom. 15. The Apostle speaketh of this putting on of Christ wee must not make a broad cloath of him to make him apparel to warme vs at the houre of death or in some time of trouble but wee must presently make him a garment that it may sit as close to vs as our coates Iames saith in his first chapter that the word must be ingrafted in vs it must not hang by vs but as there is no true grafting without the renting of the old stocke that the newe graft may hee fastned and closed vp in the rent so there is no true receiuing of the word vntill our corrupt wisedome bee rent asunder and the word of God closed vp in stead of it So that as there is truth required so a girdle of truth As Christ is our comfort so he must be put on As the word is receiued so it must bee ingrafted in vs. In more sensible things we are familiarly acquainted with this matter What profit is there in a plaister be it neuer so skilfully made vnlesse it be applied Well nothing indeed is good without applying The Sunne is comfortable but what doth it if wee bee shut vp and it neuer come to vs What nourishment is in meate what vse in apparell if we vse and apply them not So Christ and the word not applied are nothing to vs though most profitable in themselues 2 Truth is a thing specially esteemed of the Lord and it is a seruice so acceptable vnto him that he will not be without it and therefore a rent or pension due vnto the Lord. But why doth the Lord so require truth at our hands the Prophet saith The Lord hath magnified his truth and his name aboue all things and he hath put on himselfe as his name to bee called the God of truth And Christ the second person in Trinitie witnesseth his death to this in calling himselfe not the God of truth but truth itselfe and he bare witnesse before Pilate that he especially came into the world to beare witnesse to the truth so greatly he loued it For the holy Ghost we read Ioh. 14 He is said to be the spirit of truth So we see how great a thing this truth is with God for he makes himselfe glorious in this title and makes it the Crowne of his head his Sonne his Spirit his Ministers are glorified by it In a second respect truth is deare for that Adam being charged to beware of the forbidden fruite had his first assault of Sathan against the Lords truth back-sliding from it he lost all his posfession in Paradise Because of this dealing of the Diuell in Paradise euer since the Lord hath beene very iealous of his truth and wils men should whatsoeuer they doe remember to
not see it nor respect it FINIS More speciall directions to be obserued for the comfort of afflicted Consciences ACcording to the measure of Temptations GOD is accustomed to giue graces afterward Belieue that GOD the FATHER doth gouerne your Temptations that the HOLIE GHOST shall and doth assist you that IESVS CHRIST was tempted to ouercome in you that the Saints on earth doe pray for you euen those which neuer knew you but doe pray for the tempted ones Vse the Word Prayer and Sacraments Psalmes Conference Fasting Vowing Nothing must trouble you but God his Word truely vnderstood nor comfort you but the same A false feare doth often trouble and vexe one more then that which is a true one None can iudge of the worke of the Spirit but by the light of the Spirit as none can iudge the light of the Sunne but by it selfe None can say they are asleepe which are so indeede So none can say they are secure which in heart confesse their securitie Leaue off reasoning and complaining of your owne corruption but aboue all things beware you complaine not of God Dispute not with GOD least you be confounded nor with Sathan least you bee ouercome Be still perswaded that your punishment is farre beneath your sinne Beware to say you cannot be helped this is to hinder the worke of God if you haue so said repent you heartily thereof aske God forgiuenes therefore for Christ his sake Thinke not nor speake not that secretly vnlesse it be complaining of your selfe which you would not openly thinke or speake Enuie not the gifts of God in anie neither thinke too hardly of anie for their infirmities fret not your selfe for the prosperity of the wicked Iudge not too hardly of your selfe because you see so manie of Gods graces in others which you cannot finde in your selfe Take not pleasure in hearing or seeing euill in anie or of anie but be grieued rather reioyce in the good of others In such multitude of God his mercies as you enioy maruell not you haue some crosses God sends blessings with crosses least wee should despaire likewise crosses with blessings least we should presume In any outward blessing which you see you cannot haue beseech God you may neuer be vexed for it Any spirituall or corporall inward or outward blessing which you trust God will giue you in time beseech God you may not couet them too much but â—arie his good houre vntill you doe enioy them If you will haue an outward blessing be well content to want it If you would haue a crosse remoued be content to goe vnder it and beare it vntill the Lord remoue it If too greedily you couet any such things it is longer or ere you shall enioy them and more danger to abuse them when you haue them A wiâ—e walking in your calling is a meanes to auoyde Temptations 1. Our neede c. 2. God his goodnes to his creatures 3. His commandements 4. His promises 5. Examples of others 6. The benefits receiued before vnasked 7. The assistance of the holy Ghost 8. The mediation of Iesus Christ. 9. The ministerie of the holy Angels 10. The communion of the Saints 11. Psalmes and prayers made of others read of vs. Thinke nothing so vile as sinne Nothing so precious as Gods mercie Water and bloud were especially vsed in sacrifices water signifieth clensing bloud reconciliation therefore there gushed out of Christs side both water and bloud to declare that by him we haue both sanctification and iustification The bloud of the beasts which were sacrificed was not onely shead but also sprinkled vpon the holy vessels vpon the booke vpon the Tabernacle vpon the Altar to signifie that the shedding of Christs bloud is vnprofitable to vs vnles our harts be sprinkled with it by the holy Ghost and that God accepteth no sacrifice at our hands except his spirit come vpon it to sprinkle it with the blood of Christ. Our Lord Iesus Christ fasting and praying at the entrance of his calling is our instruction first in respect of the greatnes of the calling secondly of gifts needfull thirdly of the grieuous perils which may insue fourthly of the losse of our labours at the least Hee prayed in his own ministerie often and when he sent foorth others Matth 9 and Luke 21. As Abraham feared more so likewise Iob the neerer they came to the presence of God Iob 39. 37. and 42. 5. Gen. 18. 27. Circumcision was neglected in the wildernesse fourtie yeers likewise the Paschal Lamb more yet the Church of God was among them Certaine rules for an afflicted minde concerning seuerall temptations THose temptations shall be laid to your charge whereunto you yeeld c. No motion shall hurt you whereunto you giue not consent in heart You haue no sin Whilest in heart you long to be free from it you want no goodnes which in heart you couet to haue Rom. 7. Where sicknes is at the highest there is hope of diminishing so likewise in temptation It is a great mercie of God to discerne a temptation in time of temptation When you would doe any good or receiue any good offer vp your endeuours actions and meanes in a sacrifice to God in Christ beseeching God to giue his holy spirit to sanctifie his owne sacrifice As you pitie your childe in the fit of an ague so the Lord will pitie you in a temptation If you haue receiued but a little release of temptation giue thankes and you shall haue more It is a sinne as well to denie God his gifts as to presume of them Temptations smothered as fire burne more inwardly Be perswaded alwaies you are in the presence of God and of his Christ. Be more afraid of secret sinnes than of open shame Lay this foundation sure that there is mercie with Christ Iesus Remember the former mercies you haue receiued and thinke your present estate to be none other than the estate of Gods children If you bee grieued pray to God if relieued praise him there is a vicissitude of griefe and comfort as of light and darknes Beware of a discontented minde in any case yea be contented to haue your desires denied you of God and if your prayer be not heard vexe not your selfe too much neither vehemently couet nor be grieued for any thing sauing the hauing or losse of the fauour of God Let nothing pearce your heart deepe either in griefe or feare but sinne and vnbeliefe Labour for meeknes and patience bee readie to kisse the rod and to offer vp all to him of whom you haue receiued your selfe for if you struggle it will fare with you as with a bird in a grinne the more she striueth the faster she is and more twitched Wee must vse the word in troubles and temptations as a sicke man doth
perceiued and felt and of the former that there be two sorts the first which is most fearefull when any doe purposely resist the motions of God his spirit and wilfully refuse the meanes of their saluation Of the which the Prophet Zacharie speaketh chap. 7. vers 11 c. They refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their eares that they should not heare yea they made their heart as an Adamant stone least they should heare the Law and the words which the Lord of hostes sent in his spirit by the ministerie of the former Prophets The outragious sinne of these men the Prophet Esay expresseth in these their owne fearefull tearmes chap. 28. 15. We haue made a couenant with death and with hell are we at agreement though a scourge runne ouer and passe through it shall not come at vs for we haue made falsehood our refuge and vnder vanitie are we hid This was a fearefull estate indeede yet for all that no man can say but some of those hauing so hardened their hearts might be and were afterwards conuerted The other kinde of hardnes of heart which is not felt nor perceiued or if perceiued yet not felt which albeit it is lesse fearefull yet it is dangerous enough is in such as although they wilfully resist not God his spirit in good means yet securely carelesly willingly they lie in sinne without any remorse of it or true taste of good things Such was Dauids state by the space of a yeere before Nathan the Prophet came to proue him and rouse him from his lulled sleepe Both these kindes I am perswaded you are free from otherwaies than in temptation Sathan may sometimes moue you thereunto The other kinde and hardnes of heart which is perceiued and felt is of two sorts the one in them which are desirous of meanes whereby they may be relieued although they do finde small or no ease in themselues for a time Of this kinde the Prophet Esay in the name of some of God his people complained Esay 63. 15. And such was Dauids state after that Nathan had reprooued him and God his spirit began â—â— worke with him yet crieth he out as you heard before of the losse of God his graces and when he saith that God will accept of no sacrifices be they neuer so many or pretious without a contrite heart and broken spirit he sheweth that for a time euen after the Prophet had reproued him he wanted both This is your case and therefore you are in the state of saluation for Dauid was in this case euen after he had confessed his sinne and had receiued absolution pardon from God by the ministerie of Nathan although he neither felt ioy thereof nor true griefe for the other yet because in truth of heart he confessed his sinne as my trust is you doe and was certainely perswaded of the pardonablenes of it by God his mercie as you must be if you will haue mercie although he was far off from feeling it or applying it to his wofull conscience his state was good and very well to bee hoped of And you must knowe and bee perswaded that those things which are written of God his Saints and namely of Dauid and Peter and such others are ensamples for vs if wee will stay our selues vpon the word of God in the ministerie of his seruants and waite vpon the Lords good time vntill he come neerer vnto vs by his spirite neerer I say for he is come already vnto you or it may be he neuer went from you because to be grieued and humbled with blindnes of minde and hardnes of heart to belieue certainely the truth of God his promises in generall and to reuerence the seruants of God which bring the glad tidings of saluation and to long after comfort vsing the meanes of the Word and Prayer the Sacrament of the Supper and the company of God his children contrarie to hope vnder hope yea without any present feeling all this is a certaine argument that God his spirit is with such and therefore with you This estate though it may be very grieuous yet it is neuer dangerous much lesse is it fearfull vnlesse any be so wilfull that they doe perseuere and continue in desperate refusing all good meanes vnlesse they perseuere I say for that through the subtill sleight of the spirituall aduersarie and his forcible power whereby God suffereth him sometimes for a season to winnowe them as Wheate they are so bewitched and intoxicated that they are carried by violent force of temptation to waxe wearie of or to refuse all meanes of comfort by fits yea almost to haue no desire at all vnto them yea sometimes euen to speake euill of them But all this is but in temptation and therefore God will be mercifull vnto them for Christ his sake Thus Iob cursed the day of his birth and wished to be strangled Ieremie also repented that euer he preached in the Name of the Lord both scarcely abstained from blasphemy Dauid moued with the spirit of ambition thogh dutifully admonished wilfully went on in numbring the people Peter also vaingloriously presuming of his owne strength being most wisely and effectually premonished of his weaknes euen by our Lord Iesus yet wittingly rusheth as an horse into the battell and then very cowardly yeeldeth yea doubly denieth yea strengtheneth his sinne with a threefold corde and fasteneth it with banning and cursing And yet all these obtained mercie most bountifully For why as Satâ—aÌ„ had desired to winnow them so our Lord IESVS CHRIST prayed for them that their Faith thogh it were vehemeÌ„tly assaulted yet should not be ouercome although it was battered yet that it should not be destroyed and though it were sore oppressed that it should not be extinguished And heere be you fully perswaded that though Luk. 22. 32. the words seeme to runne as belonging but to Peter viz. I haue prayed for thee that thy Faith should not faile yet that hee prayed as well for the rest of the Apostles yea for all the faithfull For first he saith not Simon Sathan hath desired to winnow thee but you Why then saith he I haue prayed for thee Verily because he should more grieuously offend then the rest although their offence was very great therefore his and our most blessed Sauiour applyed to him the promise but did not impropriate it to him onely and restraine it from the rest Compare with this place Ioh. 17. 20. and you shall see that the heauenly veritie affirmeth that he prayed not only for the Apostles but for all those which should belieue through their word Yea further our Lord Iesus Christ was yesterday is to day and shall be for euer And as the fore-fathers were baptized into him and did eate his Flesh and drinke his bloud so was his prayer effectuall euen vnto them vnder the law much more vnto vs vnder grace And wheÌ„ you can finde testimony of your heart that when you would doe well
such was Dauids state After that Nathan had reproued him and Gods spirit beganne to worke with him yet hee crieth out as yee heard before of the losse of Gods graces and when hee saith that God will accept of no Sacrifices bee they neuer so manie nor precious without a contrite heart and broken spirit he sheweth that for a time euen after the Prophet had reproued him hee wanted both This is your case and therefore you a in the state of saluation For Dauid was in this case euen after he had confessed his sin and had receiued absolution and pardon from God by the ministerie of Nathan although he neuer felt ioy thereof nor true griefe for the other yet because in trueth of heart he confessed his sinne as my trust is you doe and was certainely perswaded of the pardonablenes of it by Gods mercy although he was farre off from the feeling of it or applying it to his wofull conscience his state was good and very well to be hoped of And you must know to be perswaded that those things which are written of Gods Saints and namely of Dauid and Peter and such others are examples for vs if we will stay our selues vpon the word of God in the ministerie of his seruants and waite vpon the Lords good time till he come neerer vnto vs by his spirit neerer I say for he is come alreadie vnto you or it may be he neuer went from you because to be grieued and humbled with blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart to beleeue certainely the truth of Gods promises in generall and to reuerence the seruants of God which bring the glad tidings of saluation and to long after the comforts vsing the meanes of the word and prayer the Sacraments of the Supper and the company of Gods children contrarie to hope vnder hope yea without any present feeling all this is a certaine argument that Gods spirit is with such and therefore with you This estate although it be very grieuous yet it is neuer dangerous much lesse is it fearefull vnlesse any be so wilfull that they perseuere and continue desperate refusing all good meanes vnlesse they perseuere I say for that through the spirituall aduersarie and his forcible power whereby God suffereth him sometime for a season to winnow them as wheate they are so bewitched and intoxicated that they are carried by violent force of temptation to waxe wearie of or to refuse all meanes of comfort by fits yea almost to haue no desire at all vnto them yea sometimes to speake very euill of them but all this is but temptation and therefore God will be mercifull vnto them for Christs sake Thus Iob cursed the day of his birth and wished to be strangled Ieremie almost repented that euer he preached in the name of the Lord both scarcely abstaine from blasphemie Dauid mooued with the spirit of ambition though dutifull admonished wilfully went on in numbring the people Peter also vaingloriously presuming of his owne strength being most wisely and effectually preadmonished of his weakenes euen by our Lord Iesus yet wittingly rushing as a horse into the battaile euen then very cowardly yeeldeth yea doubly denieth yea strengtheneth his sinne with a threefold cord and fasteneth it with bannings and cursings and yet for all these he obtained mercie most bountifully For why as Sathan had desired to winnow them so our Lord Iesus prayed for them that their faith though it was vehemently assaulted yet should not be ouercome although it was bartered yet that it should not be destroyed and though it was oppressed yet that it should not be extinguished And here be you fully perswaded that albeit Luke 22. 31. the words seeme to runne as belonging but to Peter viz. I haue praied for thee that thy faith should not faile yet he prayed for the rest of the Apostles yea for all the faithfull For first he saith not Simon Satan hath desired to winnow thee but you Why then saith he I haue praied for thee Verily because he should more grieuously offend than the rest although their offence was very great therefore his our most blessed Sauiour applied to him the promise but did not appropriate it vnto him onely and restraine it from the rest Compare with this place Iohn 17. 20. and you shall see that the heauenly veritie affirmeth that he prayed not onely for the Apostles but for all those that should beleeue through their word yea further Our Lord Iesus Christ was yesterday is to day and shall be for euer And as the forefathers were baptized into him did eate his flesh and did drinke his blood so was his prayer effectuall euen to them vnder the law much more to vs vnder grace And when you can finde testimonie in your heart that when you would doe well euill is present with you and that you doe the euill you would not then do not you it but sinne in you when it leadeth you captiue much more when Sathan workes withall buffetting you assure your selfe that God hath pitie on you that the vertue of his power shall be perfect in your weakenes If you beleeue according to your faith it shal be done vnto you But you will say you cannot beleeue that this vile crocked hardnes of your heart can be remitted and renewed and euen this was the second point which in the former part of my letter I gaue you to vnderstand was the cause of your excessiue distresse I beseech you I charge you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you will not willingly lie nor offer iniurie to Gods spirit or to your selfe who hath receiued it Tell mee what is the reason why you thinke you haue no faith Verely because you haue no feeling nor any other fruites thereof as you thinke Well first then agree with me herein as you must if you will not disagree with the truth that feeling is but an effect and fruit of faith and therefore there may be faith without feeling as well as the cause may bee without the effect and the tree without any appearance of fruite yea of sappe for a season And as a man sore wounded and diseased may for a season be depriued almost of all operations of the naturall life to the outward shew and to his owne iudgement and feeling so may a spirituall man bee sore wounded by Satan and diseased by the present feeling of his sinfull corruptions specially in temptations that he may thinke yea appeare to others that the life of the spirit is not in him Thus Peters faith did not wholy faile as you haue heard or else the prayer of our Sauiour preuailed not Thus when Dauid declared that his heart was vncleane or his spirit crooked or vnstable and that he had lost the ioy of his saluation and the spirit of libertie or adoption yet hee prayeth that God would not take his holy spirit from him therefore he was not
Dauid prayeth against presumptuous sinnes that they should not reigne ouer him signifying though hee sinned presumptuously yet if hee did not perseuer in presumption obstinately without desire to repent that such sinne or sinnes were pardonable Now the Lords couenant towards his in Iesus Christ is not to deale after their sinnes nor to reward them after their iniquities much lesse will he not regard in wrathfull displeasure their infirmities For if he should so marke what is saide or done amisse who were then able to abide it But with him is mercie in Iesus Christ that he may be feared Therfore lift vp your hands which hang downe and strengthen your weak knees and say vnto your soule Why art thou so cast down and vnquiet within mee I will yet trust in Iesus Christ and waite vpon the mercifull graces of God purchased by his merits Consider that true humilitie ariseth of faith in Iesus Christ and that is true Faith that ingendreth humilitie as we may not diminish our sins so may we not too much aggrauate them nor diminish Christs merits haue euermore in your minde the example of the prodigall sonne who saith not I am not thy sonne but I am no more worthie to be called thy sonne hee saith not Let me be thy bond-slaue Nay hee saith not Let me be thy hired seruant but Let me be as one of thy hyred seruants his Father came and met him and fell on his necke c. So shall it come to you good brother I need make no more application the holy annoynting which you haue receiued will bring the old mercies of God vpon others and vpon your own soule vnto remembrance and leade you into all trueth which shall be requisite for your saluation Put your trust in the Lord and be you assured beleeue his Ministrrs and you shall prosper The Lord Iesus came not to breake the bruisedreede nor to quench the smoking flaxe his grace shall bee euermore sufficient for you and his vertue shal vnto the end manifest it selfe in your weaknesse Now therfore I beseech him to preserue your bodie and soule and spirit vnto his most glorious appearing Faithfull is hee that hath called you and promised who will also performe it Amen From my house in London in Warwicke Lane Annâ— 1591. Feb. 24. Yours in Iesus Christ as he hath bene RICHARD GREENHAM A LETTER CONSOLATORIE WRITTEN TO A FRIEND AFFLICTED IN conscience for sinne Grace and peace in Iesus Christ. MY very good and louing friend in the Lord Iesus I vnderstand by M. H. who oft trauaileth into those parts that you require of me letters of comfort for reliefe of your afflicted and distressed conscience Wherein I could bee glad to performe any dutie that is within the compasse of my poore abilitie But your best and soundest comfort as I take it lieth in those that haue themselues beene exercised with that triall who from the comforts of Christ that haue abounded in them are best able to comfort those that are in like sort afflicted by the hand of God Againe I haue written vnto you many times of this argument if my Letters remaine with you they may alwaies speake for me that which I am able to say to that poynt If you require more than I haue written before this then were it reason you should send me my former letters that I might know where to begin that which remaineth My leisure is not great as you know and there is nothing whereinto I enter more vnwillingly than into this labour of writing Yet that you may vnderstand that I haue not altogether forgotten your old loue towards me nor haue suffered mine affection towards you vtterly to decay I will endeuour at once as briefly as I may to remember vnto you so farre as I can cal to mind the summe of all that I haue written vnto you heretofore The question as I take it that lieth in controuersie betweene your conscience and the enemie is of the assurance of your saluation Wherein I would haue you first to consider what is or at any time past hath beene the testimonie of the spirit of God vnto your spirit and then I doubt not but either from present sense of the same spirit of God crying in your hart Abba Father or from the remembrance of the daies of old wherein you had a comfortable assurance of Gods fauour you shall be able to repell the force of this temptation considering that the holy Ghost cannot lie that God whom he loueth vnto the end he loueth and because his gifts and calling as the Apostle saith are such as whereof he doth not nor cannot repent him Then consider the nature of faith which how weake and vnperfit soeuer it be it cannot be deuided euen by Sathan himselfe to be faith according to that which is said I beleeue Lord helpe thou mine vnbeleefe And if you haue faith euen as much as a graine of mustard seede c that faith apprehendeth Christ Iesus in whom there is all sufficiencie of saluation and in whom we are complete so that whatsoeuer scruple ariseth from our selues or is enforced of the enemie from any imperfection that is in vs it neede not at all to dismay vs because we saue not our selues but are saued by him Who is made vnto vs from God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption that who so glorieth should glorie in him And indeed there is no surer refuge when the enemie distresseth vs than renouncing our selues to professe the onely name of Christ Iesus who dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification For if the enemie shall say we haue sinned our answere is Christ hath dyed for vs yea is risen againe yea is ascended into heauen c. If he say we want the righteousnes of the Law we must answer Christ hath fulfilled the Law that we by him might be made the righteousnes of Christ If he say we are in nature corrupt and therefore both vnworthie and vnfit for the kingdome of heauen we must answere him with the words of Christ himselfe For their sakes haue I sanctified my selfe Finally whatsoeuer shall be obiected against vs by the enemie our answere must be that in Christ all the promises of God are Yea and in him they are Amen That all fulnes dwelleth in him and that in him we are perfected so that we may boldly say with Saint Paul There is no damnation to those that are in Christ Iesus If Sathans importunitie and impudencie will not thus be answered we must end all disputation with him by our selues and send him vnto Christ who amongst other parts of his office towards vs performeth also this for vs both before his heauenly father and against all our aduersaries that he is our aduocate to plead and defend our cause which yet is not so much ours as his owne because the question is not of our merits or satisfactions
vs out of the worlde than that our life should bring any offence to the Church or slander to the Gospell Feare 1 BEe neuer afraide of leauing good vndone least the Lord suffer you to fall into the contrarie euill 2 Hee thought when he had no feare nor griefe he could not profit 3 Beware of immoderate feare which rather hinder the certaintie of saith then beate downe the securitie of the flesh and which be the readiest meanes to pull Gods wrath vpon vs in that they be the fruites of vnbeliefe and such as would tye the grace of God promised to the present danger and deliuerance out of the same The meane and middle path is that wee should feare and forethinke of euils to come not as thinking that of necessitie they must fall vpon vs as though God could not or would not deliuer vs from them but as they who beeing guiltie in this one desire to submit themselues to the hand of God and acknowledge themselues heires of Gods iustice or wrath in this or that euill yet so as we meete with the Lords mercie who is both able and willing euen then most of all to assist and deliuer vs when wee most feare and through this godlie feare are reuerentlie humbled vnder the hand of his Maiestie For if naturall pareÌ„ts know then to mitigate the stripes of their correction to their children when they see in them a milde meeke submission of themselues vnder the hand of their authoritie and yet so fearing them as Gouernours but vpholding with mercie as fathers if they haue that wisedome by so much to make their hand in correction the heauier by howe much the Childe to bee beaten is the stubborner we must then thinke this mercifull wisdome and confideration to bee much more in the Lorde from whose brightnesse the parents haue receiued these sparkes 4 Hee said that to winne anie or to continue anie in the feare of God he would giue no such things which he loued not but such things as he loued most dearely that they might know it to be a gift of loue and not of fashion Feastings 1 IN our meetings and feastings we are to looke to our selues if good speeches be vsed wee must be thankefull if euill sorrowfull if things not meerely euill not greatly to torment our selues Friendship 1 THis aduise he gaue that it was good to discerne of them whom wee much receiue into our companie least we lose the credite of the Church conceiued of vs. For although many seeme and shewe themselues to bee well disposed yet because there be so many corruptions in our nature it is heauenly wisedome to discerne of men wherefore it is good for vs to consider with what soundnesse of iudgement and power of true knowledge they doe speake first looke what sight they haue of inward corruptions This humility teacheth true wisedome and the sight hereof would cause vs to seeke after Christ and him Crucified For manie who haue a little confused knowledge will much bee talking but for want of this knowledge they are not so sound Secondly we must see how ready they are by their soundnesse of knowledge and feeling of inward corruptions to doe good to others with cheerfulnes and to speake of the infirmities of others with compassion and griefe for manie for want of this sanctified knowledge will rather bitterlie and openly declaime against the infirmities of others then either wisely â—dmonish them or brotherly pittie them 2 Hee said the best way to haue comfort in any of our friendes was to pray for them and that hee neuer had more ioy in anie then from them whom hee most prayed for and in them most when he prayed the oftner and vehementer for them present or absent for this is a true token of true loue to pray for them whome we loue 3 Though he was most seuere to his friends and kindred so long as they were not reconciled to God yet once being wearyed with one hee shut vp the matter with this sentence It is wonderfull that diuers hearing the same word of God spoken one should belieue and another should not belieue but I am rather to thanke God that I belieue then to search oâ—t a reason why another doth not belieue and as I am to be thankfull for my selfe so I am to be pitifull to others 4 Like as naturall men doe well by naturall wisedome so wee ought much more to be stirred vp to doe well by spirituall wisedome It is commended â—or sâ—â—ciall wisedome in our Sauiâ—ur Christ Iohn 2. that hee did not committee himselfe vnto â—lâ—â—â—â—â— because hee knewe what was in their hearts So it is a speciall token of wâ—sedome in vs on the contrarie not to commit our selues vnto all men because wee know not what is in their hearts 5 Hee reioyced to see his friends but hee was humbled in tha hee rested so much in that ioy that hee forgate to doe them good to their saluation or to receiue good from them to his saluation which he thought he should doe and to be his dutie 6 His loue euer grewe to a man as he knew the man to grow in godlines he said that if hee had once seene any effectuall worke of Gods spirite in anie man hâ—e could neuer but hope well of him If graces decayed first hee was grieued and then his loue decreased in him Grace of God 1 HE feeling on a time the grace of God assisting him in a thing which of himselfe he despaired of said Oh how easie are the waies of man whilest the Lord doth gouerne him and how is he beset as with a hedge of thornes when the Lord doth not assist him 2 As we are carefull to vse the meanes of our saluation so must we wholy referre the blessing of the meanes to the grace of God neither as some doe thinke that we can obtaine or continue the graces of God in vs without vsing the meanes for that is but a dreame of fantasticall spirits neither as the manner of some is so to trust to the meanes as neglecting to pray for the grace of God in them which is but a preposterours zeale of such as are not rightly instructed in the way of their saluation 3 It is a profitable note to obserue when extraordinarie gifts of God be for our good and when for our hurt If our extraordinarie blessings driue vs more carefully to seeke to the ordinarie meanes then it is of Gods mercie but if they slaken our care in the ordinarie meanes and puffing vs vp with a spirituall pride cause vs to rest in them then they are for our further condemnation as if God blesse vs maruellously without prayer in any thing if we are driuen more to prayer by it then this is of God if it cause vs to leaue prayer it is perilous 4 There is nothing so precious as Gods grace which chaungeth the face of heauen and earth and nothing
meaâ—es but if any at any time shall haue more â—ffectuall feelings by priuate conference let him not neglect the publike reading but with all holy humble thankfulnes yeeld this soueraigntie to the Lord that he is to dispose his gifts to whom by whom where and when it pleasetâ— him 40 We are neuer the further from temptation for misliking it but the neerer vnlesse as in â—udgement we mislike it so in affection we humble our selues in feare and prayer as knowing that in time it may inuade vs. 41 Though oâ—ten we speake of things lawfull yet we want wisedome in examining the tiâ—â—â— plâ—â—e â—â—â— persons when where and with whom wee talke and so Sathan laboureth to mâ—ke vs silâ—nt when wee might speake to Gods glorie For the auoyding of this tempâ—ation wee must speake when GOD giueth vs occasion beeing thankfull for the good moâ—ioâ—s of Gods spirite and humbled for our weakenesse wherby both our speeches are most sâ—ained and we faile in many circumstances Then doing it in singlenes of hearâ— onely for the loue of Gods word and of his glorie let vs wholly commit the succâ—ssâ— whâ—â—h depends not on vs though wee obserue all circumstances to the blessing of God in Iâ—sus Christ. 42 In the regeneration and dying of sinne we come as it were to the best head and triall of our hearts when wee come to those sinnes wherein either nature or custome doth breede delight 43 The meditation of death doth so far moue vs from suffering our delights to dwell on earthly things as reason disswadeth vs from making any cost about a tabernacle where we know we shall dwell but a while 44 Our corruption is like to the wantonnesse of children who will doe either as they list or â—lâ—â— leaue all vndone 45 Wâ—en we thinke that our chiefest care is to glorifie God wee indeed doe seeke our owne glorie 46 It is a gracious thing to vse all our members to Gods worship for that will comfort our coâ—science when we cannot vse them 47 If we â—â— notorious in sinne we shall be notorious in an euill name Many would be loâ—h to be â—â—â—â—ed wicked who can be contented to be wicked but Gods children had rather be good then accounted good as the couetous man c. 48 Maâ—ie oft times desire that which when they haue gotten their conscience is afraid to vse 49 Lord giue me thy grace to remember the bead-row of my sinnes to humble me in prayer Lord teach me the catalogue of thy mercies truely to make me thankfull 50 As God doth rather oftentimes by heaping his benefites then powring his plagues vpon vs shew vs our sinnes so we must rather by courteous dealing then seuere handling shew others how they haue offended vs. 51 Ordinarily when God most comforteth he most humbleth before 52 If God watch ouer vs when we sleepe in vnbeliefe much more he will doe it when we wake in faith 53 The sinne of the master of a familie bringeth sinne ouer the whole familie as wee see in Abâ—melech 54 Wee can marke what men are spared and so flatter our selues but we marke not how they repent least we should disquiet our selues 55 We must not denie mercie to others least God denie mercie to vs. 56 Many meddle and stirre much about a new Church gouernment which are sensles and barren in the doctrine of new birth but alaâ— what though a man know many things and yet know not himselfe to be a new creature in Iesus Christ It is often the policie of Sathan to make vs trauell in some good thing to come when more fitly wee might be occupied in good things present 57 As the creatures were made for man so were they punished for man 58 If mercie must pleade for mercie Maâ—th 5 then mercie cannot pleade for merit 59 It is a mercie to let vs see that by Temptation which wee might feele by wofull action 60 If wee be tempted let vs first examine it by prayer whether it be contrarie to the word if it be a sinne then it bringeth the curse if it bring a curse then must we tremble if wee tremble not let vs suspect that our nature liketh the temptation and let vs applie prayer if wee tremble in truth we will neuer doe the thing whereunto we are tempted 61 The Dâ—uell when he cannot at the first corrupt the action he will begin to corrupt the iudgement and the affection 62 When wee must of necessitie vse inferiour things wee must vse them as readie to want them 63 As the hiding of our sinne with Adam hindreth mercie so to confesse our sinne greater then it is with Câ—ine displeaseth God highly 64 Manie will seeke the kingdome of heauen but not the righteousnes thereof 65 A good thing if it bee let alone it will decay but if an euill thing be let alone it will increase 66 The Prophets hauing regard not what ought to be first in knowledge but first in practise respected not the perfection of order but the corruption of our nature 67 Familiaritie with sinners bringeth the punishment of â—â—ne If the wicked that are without the tuition of God and stand onely vpon his â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 and euery minute of an houre lye open to Gods curse and vengeance if they bee our companions then when they are punished doubtles wee shall not escape 68 Sinne may easily be conquered of vs when it is young wee may easily be conquered of it when it is olde 69 Wee must not so much reioyce for that we haue done as we must be carefull what to doe hereafter For manâ—e are called but few are chosen many begin gloriously which ende ignomiâ—iously 70 When wee deferre to haue that in affection which we haue in iudgement it is the iust iudgement of God to depriue â—â—â—â— that which we had in iudgement 71 When wee haue oftentimes qâ—â—ked at a sinne and afterward although wee like it not yet if we mislike it not with as great indignation as we were woont to do but by little and little wee can well away with it it is to be feared that by degrees wee will fall to that sinne ourselues 72 We must be proud against Sathan in Christ and humble to all men in Christ. 73 The neerer Heresie commeth to the likenesse of the Trueth the more daungerous it is 74 Hee that will dissemble with God in his life will dissemble with him in his death 75 Many will take vp the sword to defend Christs cause with Peter who with Peter will shrinke when persecution commeth 76 Wee shall sometime feele by experience a terror suddenly come vpon vs when we are alone or vehemently to strike vs in the night which is sent to humble vs the Physition will say it is a melancholy passion
you for it is a speciall thing and I know it shall doe you good if God blesse it vnto you for if you be assured in your hearts that it was the Lord who in his gracious prouidence brought you thus together you shall be comforted against all troubles and hindrances that shall by any meanes be raised vp against you For this is the nature of Sathan to bring men and women to this doubt and when they once yeeld vnto it what trouble and what strife doth he worke betwixt them For whereupon ariseth that impatiencie of spirit that we see to be in many in murmuring in chiding in cursed speeches much like vnquietnes doth it not come of this because they haue not a reuerend perswasion that the Lord in his prouidence as by his owne hand ioyned them in that neere bond and coniunction together Therefore my good brother and sister as you would continue and increase in much loue and peace one towards another marke I say this point diligently for it shal be a very comfortable stay vnto you both whatsoeuer should fall out afterwards contrarie to that you looked for as if there should be any disagreement in your seuâ—rall dispositions and natures or if you should fall into sicknesses into any diseases or such like trials you remembring that this was the Lords doing you may be more assured that yet for all this it shall be well in the end if you be coÌ„stant in prayer calling vpoÌ„ God the Father through faith in Iesus Christ. Now that you may prooue vnto your owne harts that the Lord hath knit you thus together you must consider that it must needs be the Lord who hath moued the harts of your Christian parents to giue their lawfull consents vnto you in the same and God in mercie shall giue you greater assurance of it if you marke his dealings with you from time to time Now as touching your faith in Iesus Christ vnderstand that mariage is holy vnto them onely whose hearts are sanctified by faith in his name And although God will alwaies approue his owne ordinance yet it must needs prooue hurtfull in the end vnto them who call not for his blessing vpon the same and without repentance will turne to their further condemnation Therefore you are both to examine your selues diligently herein you brother A. must learne hereby so to loue your wife as Christ Iesus loued his Spouse his Church that is to say euen as our Sauiour Christ is very patient towards it and by little and little purgeth washeâ—h and clenseth away the corruption of it so you must in like manner in all wisedome vse the meanes and with a patient minde waite for the amendment of any thing that you shal finde to be amisse in your wife that the graces of Gods spirit may daily increase in her Therefore I charge you in the sight of God his Angels and as you will answere vnto me and the parents of this my sister before the iudgement seate of Christ that as you receiue her a virgin from her parents so you neglect no dutie whereby her saluation may be furthered that you may present her pure blamelesse as much as in you lieth vnto Iesus Christ when he shall call you to account And doe not thinke that this is a harder charge thaÌ„ is meete for seeing that God hath promised a blessing vnto those husbands that are faithfull to the conuerting of their vnbeleeuing wiues how much more then shall you preuaile with a Christian daughter and one I hope that hath receiued the faith as well as your selfe And you my sister must likewise take heede that you refuse not to obey your husbaÌ„d in all things agreeable to Gods most holy word For you must by his ordinance be subiect vnto him euen as the Church is subiect vnto Iesus Christ. And as the Church should be but a strumpet and be vnworthie of Christ and those blessings which he bringeth with him for her if she should not receiue and acknowledge him as her head so could you not looke for any benefit from your husband vnlesse you should submit your selfe vnto him according to the commandement of God Neither do I thus charge you with any obedience but in the Lord for if he should require any such thing of you as should cause you to depart from Christ I would haue you in any case remember that you are principally espoused vnto Christ. And herein also you must consider that there will be speciall araces of obedience and modestiâ— and goodnesse looked for of you not onely in respect of your good education but also because of that help which is now offered vnto you And when the holie Ghost in the Scriptures telleth you that the belieuing wife may through his blessing winne the vnbeliâ—uing Husband if so be shee walke christianlie in godly conuersation with modestie and scare before him let this encourage you to hope for better successe by all meanes of dealing towards one that is faithfull and I trust will be willing in all good things to comfort you Now thirdly in that you are taught to belieue in God the holie Ghost it admonisheth you to pray for his teaching that you may by him be led into all truth and be further instructed drawne vnto euery Christian dutie froÌ„ time to time The duties are very many to be gathered out of euery article as also out of the seuerall Commandements but I will onely giue you a taste and touch oâ—ely some one dutie required of you in euerie one of them In that you belieue that there is an vniuersall Church and Communion of Saints you must bee diligent to approoue your selues one to each other that you are parts and members thereof and further the graâ—es that God hath bestowed vpon either of you must be common in the vse thereof to each other so againe you must sustaine the infirmities one of another Finallie you must prouoke and stâ—re vp oâ—e another that your Faith may be strengthened and your selues comforted against all other griâ—fes by the assurance you shall haue wrought in you concerning the forgiuenes of sinnes wherein your happines doth consist as also in the hope of the resurrection of your bodies and the continuall meditation of eternall life We will come now to the Commaundements and first for the first commandement which requireth all spirituall seruice of you that is due vnto the Lorde that you stedfastly belieâ—e in him loue him with all your hearts and with feare and reuerence to call vpon his Name in all things giuing thanks as to him which is the author giuer of euery good and perfect gift vnto you You must make the profite of this commandement that if you will looke in truth of heart to be faithfull louing and dutifull one to the other these graces must spring from the other as being the fountaine and well-spring of all life and truth vnto them For
persons loth for to pray know that prayer is not a thing of the mouth but of the minde not a sounding of the voyce but a yerning of the spirit not a labour of the lips but a trauailing of the heart and therefore will confesse giuing God the glorie to their owne shame that they had rather heare the word two houres than thus seriously striue in prayer one quarter of an houre And why It is a small thing to lend the eares in hearing it is easie to feede our delight with hearing a man renewing our knowledge but to set on worke the eye the eare the hands to trauell with the heart to set the whole bodie in a frame of subiection as becommeth them that pray to the Lord which sheweth that prayer is a thing both painfull and laborious we shall proue it to be a very hard thing Prayer bringeth the experience of the things which wee know and without it we haue as little proofe of our knowledge as they haue vse of an hidden treasure which neuer are the better for it The word maketh knowne to vs the treasures of God his wisedome but faith bringeth the experience of them by applying and appropriating these mercies of God to our selues prayer is the instrument whereby this faith is continued in vs. The word telleth vs that God will plague sinners prayer brings an experience of this The word telleth vs that God careth for vs prayer proueth this the word sheweth that the Lord hath both power and mercie to shew to his people prayer obtaineth the triall of this the word reuealeth to vs the wisedome prouidence maiestie and goodnes of God prayer conueieth the certaintie of these things into vs. God will bee glorified wholy and onely and cannot abide that wee should be fellow-partners with him therein If a man come by knowledge faith and repentance by hearing it is rather an infusion into a man than an action from a man and it is the great mercie of God but when the Lord brings a man on his knees and humbles him in prayer and constraineth him to aske all of God that wee might heare rightly and so vse the things heard this breaketh the heart of a man and makes him to say Great is the Lord. This I say humbles a man to acknowledge his wants this calleth downe many blessings both spirituall and corporall from the Lord. We know that though a father is readie and fully hath purposed to leaue an inheritance vnto his children yet to acquaint them with obedience he will haue them aske things of farre lesse value at his hands so God notwithstanding he hath purposed to giue vnto vs an heauenly inheritāce which in Christ is purchased yet to continue vs in faith and obedience he will haue vs to aske it of him If mans wisedome can come thus farre shall we not hereby gather the wisedome of God If man hath this pitie shall we doubt of mercie in God and as prayer bringeth experience of God his loue so also it proueth our knowledge faith and repentance For if we will be suiters at God his hand wee must not willingly displease him For we see that when we would obtaine a suite of a man we will be carefull not to offend him least we should suffer repulse and likewise when we pray we must addresse our hearts to obedience and therefore the Scripture speaketh of clensing our hearts of hypocrisie and vnfaithfulnes If this care be had in suites for things corruptible that willingly we will not offend him to whom we sue then must wee know that God is Lord of the spirits and therefore to pray vnto him without auoyding things displeasing him and doing things pleasing him is but grosse by pocrisie Hee must needes be a godly man then that prayes often and if wee be so bold to pray nourishing some sinne in vs besides that we are dull in prayer wee are inwardly both accused and accursed Hereof comes such plentifull acknowledging of our sinnes in prayer with a purpose to auoide them hereof come such vowes and protestations of obedience so that prayer doth not onely continue repentance but also breedeth thankfulnes For it is our corruption when we know that we obtaiened a thing any other waies than by prayer that then we ascribe it to the meanes but when we see God hath heard our prayers it sealeth our faith it confirmeth our thankfulnes True it is that God giueth many mercies without praying yet this must the more make vs thankfull and nothing slacke vs in vsing the meanes which God hath appointed That prayer further confirmeth loue to God it is manifest alreadie now we must shew how it worketh loue euen to our brethren When a man comes to pray and hath this choake-peare that he must forgiue or else not be forgiuen he must needs be either an hypocrite in his prayer or cease from prayer or forgiue his enemies It is palpable hypocrisie to desire God to forgiue vs many and great sinnes and we will not pardon our brother a few and light offences If we will take a view of the weight height length depth and breadth of our sins we will confesse it hypocrisie to craue pardon for so many sinnes being hardly brought to forgiue others a fewe trespasses And for this cause the Scripture saith If yee forgiue not others yee cannot be forgiuen If then Prayer be such a thing as nature doth least entertaine if it brings such experience of God his loue towards vs if it so confirmeth Faith continueth repentance and causeth loue both to God and man it is good cause that this is set to inferre the other and to make all other parts of God his worship the more effectuall Hee shall be saued That is in the midst of diseases he shall not be taken away in the time of iniquitie he shall not be ouertaken but in all these he shall suffer with Faith and a good conscience Besides by the word of sauing is meant the obtaining of all graces as pledges of our saluation and gages of our inheritance so that it doth not barely betoken an exempting of vs from the former iudgements threatned Will a man then escape the wrath menaced and enioy the grace promised let him vse true and heartie prayer which hath it fruite commended vnto vs both in the chapter going before in the election of an Apostle and also in the beginning of this chapter in that being gathered together in prayer the holy Ghost was sent downe Now let vs speake a little of the circumstances First of the persons it is said Whosoeuer Secondly for the extremitie of the time it is said shall be saued that is from those iudgements and endued with those graces that euen then when there shall be so many opinions that we shall not bee able well to discerne the truth when wickednes shall abound euery where examples of godlinesse be no where when wee shall be able to finde no comfort either in our selues
saued which point is necessarily to be noted For the diuell will tell vs Christ died for others but not for vs True it is that all repentant sinners compared with the number of the vnrepentant are but few Howbeit if I truely abhorre my sinnes and my selfe for my sinnes sake if I purpose to leaue sinnâ— and trauell in the wayes of righteousnes if I loue GOD and hate â—niquitie and depart from it although I want all these solen ne preparations yet I am perswaded I shall be saued And yet remember that here is no such libertie for hard-hearted sinners neither is the Sea of mercie denied to sorrowfull sinners For as no sinner shall be damned that will repent and it truth desireth to be saued so the Lord will not iustifie the wicked and obstinate sinner Whosoeuer therefore hath eares let him heare who so hath eyes let him see who so hath an heart let him consider of this bountifull mercie of God whether hee be in miserie outward or trouble inward and know from the Lord his owne mouth that Whosoeuer calleth on the Name of the LORD hee shall be saued FINIS THE THIRDE PART OF THE WORKES OF THE REVEREND AND FAITHFVL SERVANT OF IESVS CHRIST MAISTER RICHARD GREENHAM MINISTER AND PREAcher of the Word of GOD containing seuenteene Sermons the Titles and Texts whereof appeare in the next Page following PROV 10. 7. The memoriall of the iust shall bee blessed but the name of the wicked shall rotte VERS 11. The mouth of the righteous is as a welspring of life VERITAS VIRESSIT VVLNERE TC AT LONDON Imprinted by Thomas Creede for William Welbie and are to be solde at his shoppe in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Swanne 1611. THE SERMONS FOLLOVVING ARE THESE 1 OF quenching the spirit 1. THES 5. 19. 2 Of murmuring EXOD. 16. 2. 3 Of zeale REVEL 3. 19. 4 Of a good name PROV 22. 1. 5 Of humilitie PROV 18. 12. 6 Of the education of children PROV 17. 21. 7 Of repentance and true sorrow for sinne ACT. 2. 37. 38. 8. 9. Three Sermons of the heauenly purchase on the 13. of 10. Matthew and the 44 verse 11 Of Christian warfare on EPHES. 6. vers 10. 11. 12. 12 Of diuers Christian instructions PSAL. 16. 13 Of flying euill company Idolatrie c. on GEN. 42. vers 9. 12. 14. 15. 21. 14 Of the mutuall duties betweene the Ministers and people on HEB. 13. vers 17. 15 Of the confession of sinne and the necessarie vse thereof on PROV 28. 15. 16 Of the effects of Christ his Crosse c. in two sermons 17 on GALAT. 6. vers 14. 15. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL SIR IVLIVS CAESAR KNIGHT AND TO THE RIGHT VERtuous Lady his wife HENRY HOLLAND wisheth an increase of all prosperitie and the rich grace of Gods spirit vnto life euerlasting THese Sermons right Worshipfull are full of good instruction and consolation I haue endeuoured to giue some view of theâ— al by some short aphorismes on this manner I. The first Sermon is of the quenching of the spirit where hee teacheth vs 1. That albeit those be worthily condemned that nâ—vâ—r tâ—sted nor desire to taste of the spirit of God yet a more iust and fearefull condemnation is like to come on them that hauing once receiued it doâ— after lose the same 2. To knowe whether we haue the spirit he saith like as hee knoweth best that hee hath lâ—fe which feeleth it in himselfe so hee best knoweth whether hee haue the spirit that feâ—eth thâ— spirit working in himselfe Againe he that hath the spirit of Christ hath some thing in him giuen him of God by his word aboue all that can be attained by any naturall gift or humane industrie 3. Tâ—e spirit often in regeneration causeth in the spirituall man a great and generall astonishment for great â—â—d enormous sinnes committed and then it dealeth more particularly smitâ—â—g vs with a speciall griefe for speciall sinnes 4. Then the spirit teacheth how the faculties of the soâ—le are all bent to rebellion against God and specially how reason fighteth against faith and is a great patronâ— of vnbeliefe 5 After all this the spirit saith he bringeth vs to seâ— the vnsâ—â—rchable riches of Christ and worketh in vs that precious faith whereby â—â— apprehend our free iustification in Christ. And then followes the feeling of ioy vnspeakable and that blessed peace of conscience which passetâ— vnderstanding iudgement is reformed affections are cleane altered and there wil appeare in â—ll faculties great forwardnes and readines to performe things acceptable vnto God 6. After some falies of frailtie â—f we continue our former hatred of sinne the oftner wâ— fal conceiue the more dâ—â—dly hatred against sinne if our sorrow for sinne increase if our care continue to preuent and cut off all occasions of sinne albeit we slip and fall often yet wee may not say the spirit is quenched 7. Such as haue the greater and more certaine graces of the spirit of regeneration their knowledge is well grounded and they labour euermore for a good measure of knowledge to direct them in their particular duties the knowledge of the wicked is but coÌ„fused general vncertaine 8. Albeit the spirit can neuer be vtterly taken from the beleeuers yet if they waxe proud secure and fall to sin the graces of the spirit the cleere vnderstanding the feeling the affection and ioy in the holy Ghost may so die decay in them that they may well seeme to themselues and others to haue quenched the spirit These and the like singular doctrines concerning this matter are contained in this Sermon This argument was further inlarged and amplified in other Sermons by him which as yet I cannot finde For he taught also by what degrees the spirit is quenched and they were these 1. By neglecting the meanes of cherishing the grace of the spirit 2. From neglecting the meanes to proceede to the grieuing of the spirit 3. From grieuing to come to vexing and prouoking the spirit 4. Lastly how some after long prouocations haue quenched the spirit and lost all the good light graces of God which they seemed before to haue had These be most dangerous degrees of sinne and steps to perdition And thus farre of the first Sermon II. The second sermon is against murmuring a sinne no lesse dangerous than common in all degrees and conditions of men We be here taught 1. What the nature is of impatiencie for outward things what dishonour it brings to God what a torment to vnbeleeuers in whom â—â—e want of one small thing breedâ— such â—isâ—â—ntâ—ntment â—â— the possâ—ssiâ—on of mâ—â— rich blessâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—ot quâ—â—t them 2. What remedies best sâ—rue to make our hearts calme in aâ—â— such distempred affections and they bee these first most highly to esteeme of Gods fauour and to prâ—ferre that one benefit of the â—ardon of our sinnes before all the riches of this life Secondly to labour for that precious faith iâ— Christ
vs as that it is not onely to bee confessed of vs in words but also in vnderstanding to bee conceiued in affection to bee well liked of and agreed vnto and in life to be expressed For blessed are they that can so thinke of and make vse of this treasure Now where a mans treasure is there is his heart and where his heart is thither are all the powers both of soule and bodie carried headlong For so soone as men giue themselues to like of and to loue pleasures riches credit honour or learning wisedome or glorie so soone they make these as it were their Gods when men begin to be perswaded these things are a treasure when their hearts are once set on these things then wee see presently that all parts both of soule aud bodie bend that way then goeth minde heart and hand and affection and the whole delight to the attaining thereof Therefore if this Word be a treasure then all the powers and faculties of bodie and minde must bee giuen onely vnto it Wherefore euery one must know this that they onely haue this treasure whose hearts are set on the kingdome of God they are the neerest vnto saluation whose hearts are set on the Word and doctrine of saluation who can say from the bottome of their hearts with the man of God Dauid This one thing O Lord haue I desired and that I will require euen that I may dwell in the house of my God all the dayes of my life But what to doe to behold the beautie of the Lord and to see the light of his fauourable countenance in Christ Iesus and to receiue the gifts and graces of the spirit of God which may be sure seales and pledges of his saluation yea saith he I had rather be a doore-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of vngodly men Neither must we desire so much to be present in the house of the Lord in bodie onely but also in spirit that wee may euen behold his fauourable countenance shining vpon vs in Christ Iesus Wherefore we ought to make most precious account of the meanes because they bring much excellent graces By them we are brought into Gods house to behold his face and to enioy his mercies Why then will some say is the preaching of the Word the gates of Heauen are the preachers of the Word the porters of these gates If this be such a treasure why is not the Word more preached why is it not more esteemed Are the graces of the spirit of heauen in earth are they our entranee into heauen how then is it that they are not longed after Why doe not men make more account of them Surely our Sauiour Christ teacheth his children to meete with this obiection when he saith it is hidden This treasure is not apparant but secret not of this world nor knowne to them of this world but hidden and vnknowne of them and therefore not so much regarded and esteemed of And this treasure is hidden whether wee consider the meanes as things of no glorious shew or the graces of the meanes which are not of this world but rather contrarie to this world That the graces of the spirit are hiddeÌ„ from them of this world our Sauiour Christ sheweth vs in Matthew 1â— and 25. verse saying I giue thee thankes O Father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hidden these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto babes That the meanes are hidden Saint Paul witnesseth in the 1. to the Corinth 2. and 7. verse But we saith he speake the wisedome of God in a mysterie euen the hid wisedome which God hath determined before the world vnto our glorie which none of the Princes of this world hath knowne c. And in the 2. of Corinth 4. and 3. verse he saith If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that be lost whose mindes the god of this world hath blinded The Word is hidden in the base meanes of the Ministerie as the Apostle saith 2 Corinth 4 and 7. verse We haue the treasures in earthly vessels c. And therefore it being in earthly vessels is the lesse esteemed of the world Also this treasure is hidden vnder the creatures of Water Bread and Wine I do now speake â—afely of these according vnto the manner of men but I knowe how I doe account of them for vnto God and the godly these meanes are not base but indeede in respect of the graces offered by these meanes they are very base and who would thinke that in a mortall man like my selfe should be hidden the treasure of heauen and earth Who would thinke that by the preaching of a sillie poore man Iesus Christ with all his treasure should be offered vnto vs Who would thinke that in the creatures of Bread and Wine and Water were hid the seales and pledges of the kingdome of heauen These be treasures indeede but they are hidden As a treasure in the field This treasure sure is such a hidden thing as that the eye of the quickest hath not seene it neither hath his eare heard of it neither hath it entred into his heart to conceiue of it Now as in a goodlie field adorned with Grasse Flowers Trees Herbes and such like perhaps there lieth hidden no treasure whereas contrarie in a barren peece of ground wherein no such things are there may be and doe commonly lie hidden treasures very great so there is an inequalitie of meanes and the Lord bestoweth his graces vpon them for the most part which carrie least shew in this world and vseth them as instruments and meanes to set foorth his glorie and so likewise in the Sacraments and in the word of God though they be lesse esteemed of in the world yet in them is the chiefest treasure of all hidden This must teach vs that it is no marueile though fewe of the world come to this treasure because that it is so hidden and therefore this was prophecied of long before of the Prophet Esay in his 25 chap. 1. verse Lord saith he who will beleeue our report And to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed The which prophecie is also repeated againe of Christ Iohn the 12 and also of S. Paul Rom 10. 16. But answere may be made hereunto euen they who are transformed into the image of Christ. Seeing then it was the complaint of the Prophets in old time let not vs be offended that so few seeke this treasure and men doe so little esteeme of it but let the wicked esteeme neuer so ill of it and let it neuer bee reuealed vnto the vngodly yet the godly shall esteeme of it neuerthelesse and vnto them shall this good treasure bee reuealed and made most apparant Let vs therefore pray the Lord that hee would raise vp and send foorth most plentifull and diligent labourers into his haruest and that he would send foorth
our wicked deedes our vnfauorie words but also the fountaine of al these euen our corrupt nature our vnbridled and vntamed affections our heart which is wonderfull faultie may be made knowne vnto vs that we may come to make conscience of our very thoughts because the thoughts are grieuous breaches of the law of God who being a Spirit hath made a law for our heart for our thoughts for our soule and conscience and thus being very loth in the sight of God to offend by thoughts vaine and vngodly to striue with our flesh and to haue our affections subdued to the spirit that so our heart being reformed all our members may bee conformable in euery respect to the will and commandement of Almightie God And thus farre must we be humbled if we will be truly humbled before the Lord. And truly if wee be not rightly humbled before the Lord we can hardly haue any assurance that wee are the children of God For without this humbling of vs hauing had some taste of the promises of God wee for the most part resemble the corne that our Sauiour speaketh of sowen in the stonie groūd which for a time flourished that is made a faire face as many hypocrites can doe now But hauing no roote nor nothing at all in truth they shew themselues how vnable they are to stand because they haue no deepnes of ground the seede of the word neuer begun nor rooted in their hearts So that we must be truly hūbled before the Lord and the word must be permitted to rip and lay open vnto vs the very secrets and thoughts of the heart Now those which see and feele their sinnes and are alreadie humbled more especially are humbled either by preaching of the law vnto them or else by affliction Affliction is either of the body or of the minde of these the Lord sometime to humble vs doth send the one sometime the other sometime both and all to humble vs before his Maiesty when as he seeth by reason of the corruption of our nature that the preaching of the law is not sufficient to humble vs to strike that terror into our hearts which might make vs duely prepared to receiue into our hearts the sweete and comfortable promises made to vs in Christ that it might be so rooted that it might still grow vp euen to the full ripe and perfitage of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ because I say our louing father seeth that the law will not suffice vs therefore it pleaseth him in mercie who will leaue no way vnassayed for the saluation of his children to prepare vs by afflicting vs which can not by the hearing of his law be truly prepared Now if affliction bee such a notable thing and the Lord worketh euen eternall life thereby oftentimes to those whom hee hath elected and called to bee his how louingly ought they to embrace it to whom the Lord so fatherly doth offer it and how patiently and chearefully ought they to beare it in asmuch as they thereby may assure themselues that God hath seuered them from the world and from those on whom he meaneth to shew no mercie in the day of his wrath And as for those whom the Lord as yet hath laid no scourge vpon them let them not long for it but let them lay the law of God and the threatnings thereof vnto their hearts to humble them thereby It is better to be humbled thereby than by affliction and yet better by affliction than not at all To commend affliction and to mislike of preaching of the law is as though one should commend a sore and dangerous purgation and mislike a good diet A good diet is able and it is the ordinarie meanes appointed of God to procure and conserue health which as many of vs as are not vnwise will obserue Now if for want of discretion or for greedie desire we neglect this and so by gathering together of ill and noysome humors within vs we endanger our life yet to saue our life wee will suffer the working of the most strong purgation that the Physition shall prescribe vs so the law that is the ordinarie meanes to make vs apt to heare the word of peace and saluation and ought of vs to be obserued and applied vnto vs that we may thereby be preserued rather than by affliction yet if our mercifull Lord and only Physition of our soule shall with tender compassion looke vpon our sores and shall see the maladie of our soule to bee incurable without the strong purgation of affliction then ought we euen with good courage to take it except we will suffer and see our endlesse vexation So purgation is good but it is more wisedome to obserue diet and affliction is profitable but if the law might take place effectually that were needelesse Let vs take heed therefore we deceiue not ourselues in thinking that affliction is the only meanes to bring vs to God and so neglect the due preparing by the law till time of affliction We see that is the meanes rather than this and affliction indeede is the curse of God Now the curse of God is the verifying of his lawe and though it please God to blesse it as he doth alwayes to his children for all things turne to the best to them that loue him yet ought it not to be the meanes to humble vs rather than the other The end of affliction and of threatning both is to humble vs and therefore it were better to be humbled by threatning than by experience of punishment for the threats of the law may doe this as well as affliction if we be not vnwise In our selues we may haue some testimonie of our true humbling in time of affliction yet is it hard to say for others whether one which now feeleth the hand of God vpon him and neuer felt any token of Gods displeasure before be either truly humbled for his sinnes for which he is afflicted or seemeth to be humbled because of the paine that he abideth Therefore euen he that is afflicted ought to examine his own soule whether he be truly humbled and feele within himselfe euen a griefe that hee hath so diuersly prouoked God to plague him acknowledging Gods vnspeakeable mercie and long suffering that he long ere this did not cleane consumne him least otherwise the diuel deceiue him as he hath done diuers who for a time seemed to bee humbled because of the heate of their griefe but afterwards when the Lord hath staied his hand they shew what their humbling was they turne againe to sinne as a dogge to his vomit and as a sow that is washing to her wallowing in the mire But as for him that feeleth the weight and burthen of his sinnes and Gods displeasure for sinne and euen groneth as it were vnder the burthen of sinne he may finde a heauenly comfort and assurance of the fauour of God for if thou seest a man truly humbled him will I consider saith the Lord.
but there are three especiall plagues which the Lord is readie to powre vpon vs and three manner of waies there be whereby the Lord scareth vs which are verie plaine and manifest and almost euerie childe may perceiue He scareth vs by feare of dearâ—â— and famine whereof this vnseasonable weather these immoderate waters which wee haue had cannot but be fearefull tokens He scareth vs by tokens of a pestilence to come amongst vs which is alreadie laide vpon the necks of many of our brethren in this land not onely farre off as at Yarmouth at Norwich and diuers other places which wee know not but also in this shire at Ely wee knowe not how night it is our owne doores A third way there is whereby he scareth vs and that is more fearefull than all these and that is by the secret deuices of our enemies whom the Lord hath stirred vp euen to threaten a separating of vs from his Maiestie and from his word and the continuance of his gouernment by his word amongst vs and a captiuitie a subduing of vs to false gods and an ignorance of all the lawes and commaundements of our good God whom only to serue is perfit felicitie And this is a sore scaring the other are sore for the time but this punishment if it commeth it shall end at no time We may partly see it I would to God we could as well consider of it and euen yet at the length before we feele the rod as did the brethren of Ioseph acknowledge our sinnes before the Lord whom we haue prouoked to wrath humble our selues before him and call for mercy and euen by prayer stand in the gap and preuent the punishment prepared for vs. Now let vs herein learne one point of wisedome more which is if God sometime shall threaten vs by scaring and shall sit him downe againe a little and it falleth not out presently that wee be punished let vs not thereby get occasion to flatter and deceiue our selues as though Gods rods were then cleane ouerpast as a storme caried away with a clowd but let vs carefully consider what were the causes that moued him to threaten vs and no doubt wee shall finde that euen they were causes sufficient to prouoke him to plague vs and if we will not call them to minde and confesse them while we haue respit giuen vs they wil neuer lin yelling and crying in the cares of the iust and righteous iudge for whole vessels full of vengeance to consume vs vtterly Now as for the godly and those that feare the Lord and haue their hearts vpright before him they are as it were forewarned and fully prepared whatsoeuer plagues come they know that nothing shall come nigh them to hurt them and they can see a glimmering of the thing a great way off and the Lord telleth them before hand what he is minded to doe he told Noah before hand of the great iudgement of waters when the whole world was drowned for sinne he told Lot how hee was minded to burne and boyle vp the filth of Sodom he told Moses before how he would destroy the Aegyptians yea and the Prophet Dauid speaketh truly The Lord reuealeth his secrets to them that feare him and yet notwithstanding the deare children of God when as nothing will serue they must then needes looke for affliction And if it be so that affliction must needes come let vs yet pray to God rather to lay any plague vpon vs than the famine of his word and the subiection to the enemies of his grace yea let vs hartily confesse our sinnes before God as Dauid did at the threatning of the Lord by his Prophet and if the Lord might put vs in choise if it seemed good vnto his Maiestie whether we would flye before our enemies or whether we would wish or chose rather a dearth in the land or a pestilence let vs from our hearts beseech the Lord God that we may rather fall into the hands of the Lord than into the hands of cruell and persecuting men The summe of all is 1 Precepts to flye ill companie which is the plague of our soule Not only to mislike but also to detest from the heart a wicked custome least wee giue consent and reach ouâ— hands vnto sinne as Ioseph and Lot did 2 To beware of swearing by false gods which is idolatry 3 To beware of often swearing for feare of periury 4 How the Lord hath two meanes of humbling vs the law and affliction FINIS THE FOVRTEENTH SERMON Hebr. 13. vers 17. Obey them that haue the ouersight of you and submit your selues for they watch for your soules as they that must giue accounts that they may doe it with ioy and not with griefe for that is vnprofitable for you WHensoeuer it pleaseth the Lord God by his prouidence to call me to preach his word vnto his people as he hath at this present called me vnto you reuerend Fathers and brethren beloued in our Lord Iesus my desire is to intreate of such a parcell of his most holy word as may minister matter both to stirre vp and rouse them out of the denne of ignorance which haue not knowne Iesus Christ nor the sweetnes of his grace and also to pricke forward them which haue receiued some measure of the Spirit of God assuring them of saluation purchased by Iesus Christ to a greater studie and care for to increase this inestimable treasure The Lord of his great mercy therefore hath presented vnto me such a place for my desired purpose as I hope by the assistance of his holy Spirit shall be profitable both to you to my selfe The words are written in the thirteenth chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrues and in the seuenteenth verse Obey them that haue the ouersight of you c. The spirit of God doth most plainly set foorth vnto vs in this place 1 First what duties the Ministers of God doe owe vnto his people declared in these words They watch for your soules 2 Secondly what dutie the people owe vnto them againe expressed herein Obey them that haue the ouersight of you and submit your selues 3 Thirdly the fruites that come of weldoing of these duties to both parts that is both to the Minister and to the people 4 Fourthly what danger it is not to doe them well We must first speake of the duties of Ministers But before we enter into it it is very necessarie that we consider whether it be requisite to haue a Minister or no and also to what vse and end we should haue him For if it were not needfull to haue a Pastor it were in vaine to speake of the dutie of a Minister Whereas the holy Ghost saith Obey them that haue the ouersight ouer you c. It is meant of the Pastors of the Church of the dispensers of the holy word of God For there were placed ouer the Church of God both Pastors Doctors and Elders which were certaine
Philippians as in diuers other places requireth after that hee hath declared the great humility of Iesus Christ in that he became obedient vnto the death of the crosse thereupon taketh occasion of his exhortation Wherefore my beloued as yee haue alwaies obeyed me not as in my presence only but now much more in mine absence so make an end of your saluation with feare and trembling It appeareth by his wordes that the Philippians to whom he wrote had bin very obedient vnto his ministerie from that time wherein it pleased God to touch their heart with a care of their saluatioÌ„ by his preaching yea so obedient were they that not only in his presence among them they vsed great submission vnto his doctrine but much more in his absence they declared their dutifulnes in that with great eate they laboured to make it profitable by practising the same in their life and conuersation whereby it may seeme that the Apostle needed not to haue exhorted them vnto this dutie of obedience being alreadie so forward and prone thereunto but wee may hereby learne how needfull a thing it is that the people be obedient and that in no small measure but so farre forth as they shall be able to frame their liues according to the word of God in all points which he preacheth vnto them sincerely and purely to the feeding of their soules vnto eternall life which they can neuer obtaine vnlesse they become obedieÌ„t to bee taught and instructed at the Ministers hand by the most pure word of God which with the operation of the holy Ghost worketh faith in the children of God whereby they apprehend the merits of Iesus Christ and haue his righteousnes obedience and holinesse imputed vnto them of the free grace and mercie of God as surely as if in their owne persons they had wrought it and so made heires of the kingdome which Christ by his blood hath purschased for them It is necessarie that so many as desire to be saued bee obedient vnto the Minister whom God hath placed ouer them as his instrument to bring them to his heauenly kingdome as before I haue declared vnto you And the rather to stirre them vp vnto a continuall obedience hee addeth this Make an end of your owne saluation with feare and trembling As if he should say Beloued brethren as you haue hitherto submitted your selues to be reformed by the most glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ and haue obeyed vs in the Lord to the increasing of your faith and the assurance of your saluation so I beseech you to continue and euen with feare and trembling make an end of your saluation for if you should waxe obstinate in the end and become disobedient to those that labour in the Lord for your behoofe I tell you truly all your former obedience shal no whit profit you nay your end shall bee worse be lowly therefore and reuerence your Teachers in the Lord that you may with great humilitie as it becommeth the children of God receiue the promises And least the aduersaries should perswade that this your obedience and willing following of the Gospell hath come vnto you of your owne nature that by that meanes he may draw you to disobey the Ministers of God whom you cannot disobey but you must also despise the word and him that sent them and so fall from all grace I tell you therefore plainly that it neuer came of your selues for it is God that worketh in you both the will the deed and that not of your desert but of his own good pleasure We see then that the people must obey their Minister giue diligent heed to be taught by them the whole counsell of the Lord concerning the saluation of their soules which thing also our Sauiour Christ doth manifest in the tenth of Iohn My sheepe saith he heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me c. Our Sauiour Christ giueth vs a notable token here to know the children of God by and that is If they heare his voyce and followe him for they that wil not be obedieÌ„t vnto him are none of his neither yet partakers of those benefits which he hath purchased for his But peraduenture some wil say It is true that if a man will not obey the voice of Iesus Christ he is not for him but where is Iesus Christ that we may heare him and obey him O brother take heed how thou seekest such cauillations to maintaine thine obstinacie for thou canst not so shake of thy dutie to thy Minister but if thou confesse it thy dutie to be obedient vnto Iesus Christ I tel thee plainly thou oughtest no lesse to obey the Minister in that he bringeth the message of Christ tâ—aÌ„ if himselfe were present For he being the very Truth it selfe hath said plainly on the Ministers behalfe He that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth mee despiseth him that sent mee What an hainous thing were it to refuse the Minister and to bee disobedient vnto them when the case standeth so that the disobeying of them is not onely a contempt of Christ but also of God the Father who is a seuere iudge to be reuenged of all his enemies But they that be of the sheepfold of Iesus Christ will be obedient to their shepheard euen as willingly as the sheepe are The reason hereof is drawne from the nature of sheepe which is the simplest of all creatures to shift for it selfe and yet more profitable than any other cattell when one of them is straied out of the way it is caught in the brambles and briers readie to be lost in euery pit or hole yea subiect to a thousand daungers and cannot helpe itselfe in the least of them and when the shepheard hath fetched her home how obedient is shee and glad to bee guided by him for feare of falling into the like danger so is it required of the children of God that they be obedient as sheepe yea if he were the wisest or mightiest in the world he must not take scorne to become as simple as a sheepe if hee will enter into the kingdome of heauen for before such time as the Lord by his instrument the Minister doth bring them home into the sheepfolde of Iesus Christ they wander in innumerable dangers are no more able to deliuer themselues out of them then the silly sheepe is to saue her selfe from the wolfe but when they are brought home then they see their infirmitie and what great neede they haue of a shepheard to preserue helpe them out of so many perils which tend to the destruction both of body and soule then they gladly obey him which is carefull to guide them in the way of saluation with the most holy word of God and to refresh their hungrie soules with that heauenly foode and milke The holy Ghost saith that they must bee borne againe and that not of mortall
and beginne at the least some care of our profession in vs. And to deliuer you from further suspense of minde and musing with your selues what this thing should bee it is the comfortable doctrine of Christ crucified and ioyfull tidings of the passion of Christ whereof because I know none that haue gone with a through stitch in this matter but either if they wrote soundly they did it more sparingly than so excellent an argument doth deserue or if any haue laboured more largely they haue done it more corruptly than the historie of the Gospell will permit them by the grace of God I haue purposed and by the blessing of God I shall performe to write of this matter more at large Now for a preface or preparation hereunto we haue made choise of that holy protestation of Paul Galath 6. 14. But be it farre from mee that I should reioyce but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ whereby the world is crucified vnto mee and I vnto the world 15. For in Christ Iesus neither circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but a new creature 16. And as many as walke according to this rule peace shall be vpon them and mercie and vpon the Israel of God The Apostle hauing written against such corrupt teachers and false Prophets as after he had preached the libertie of the Gospell laboured to bring in againe the politique gouernment of the Iewish ceremonies and to intermingle the beggerly rudiments of the law with the glorious profession of the Gospell and hauing declared alreadie that the firme faith of Christians needeth not the painted pompe of ceremonies sheweth in the two verses immediatly going before these that these false Apostles and bold Doctors of circumcision kept no good course both for that they sought to auoide trouble and persecution because being a menstruous people and monstrous companie of Christians and Iewes they might bee safe on both sides and hurt of neither part as also for that they carnally sought their owne glorie credit and estimation by boasting themselues of the solemne troupe and notable number of disciples whom they schooled and trained after them in their profession Now in this place Paul opposing his sincere ministerie to their carnall gospelling and the pure faith of Christians to the impure reliques of the Iewes saith with a bold emphasis and godly protestation But be it farre from me that I should reioyce but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ c. As if he should say God forbid that I should reioice in any thing sauing in this that I know by the crosse of Christ the forgiuenes of my sins that his righteousnes is imputed vnto me that mine iniquities are nailed on his crosse and buried in his death so that I am not hencefoorth so much tempted to the things of this world neither make I any great matter how basely soeuer the world accounteth of mee For why I know it is not materiall whether we be circumcised or vncircumcised for that I neither finde benefit in being circumcised neither any hurt in being vncircumcised but herein I haue comfort and matter of reioycing in that I am become a new creature in Christ and am freed from all other shewes of Iewish pompe And this I dare boldly affirme that this cause of reioycing is not to me alone but to all other faithfull Ministers teaching and all other godly people willingly and diligently embracing this doctrine of the crosse of Christ. Briefly then we see in these principals first that the crosse of Christ being neuer so obscure is more to be ioyed in than al shewes of ceremonies be they neuer so glorious because it worketh in vs these excellent effects which the other can neuer doe it crucifieth vs to this world and maketh vs to become newe creatures Lastly it is shewed that this is no variable or particular doctrine but generall no priuate passion of Paul but a common ioy to all Ministers and not to Ministers alone but to all the whole Israel and companie of professors that haue their ioy either in soundly teaching or in sincerely learning of Christ crucified so that all shall haue the ioy which Paul enioyed if they will keepe the rule which Paul obserued by which duties both of Pastors people is insinuated that whosoeuer shal wilfully forsake or spitefully reiect this doctrin he is neither of the number of true Ministers nor any member of the true Israelites And if wee shall more deeply consider how many and how great the crosses of Christ were for vs and therewithall shall marke how vnfaithfully they be though of the most part of professors◠if we shall see the little meditation of them the slender thankfulnes for them the small fruites of mortification in being crucified to the world the fewe tokens of sanctification in becomming new creatures which comeby them wee shall easily graunt the necessitie of this doctrine to bee taught and comfort of it to be learned especially seeing in the old age of the Gospell we haue so fewe true reioicers in Christ crucified so many enemies of the crosse of Christ both amōg them that be teachers and them that are taught As for the enemies of Christ his crosse they be either professed enemies or not heartie friends the professed enemies are either such as be without all religion or such as are seduced by a false religion they without religion are Atheists Epicures worldlings vnto whom Christ crucified is a laughing stocke and a matter of scoffing in that Christ is ridiculous in their eyes and absurd in their iudgement those that are corruptly seduced that I omit Turkes and Iewes are either superstitious Papists or erroneous Heretikes The superstitious Papists notwithstanding their woodden crosse and painted banners and for all their Passion Sundaies good Fridaies are the greatest enemies to the passion and crosse of Christ. For wofull experience hath taught that these foolish deuices of mē hauing but once crept ouer the threshold into the doores of the Church did thrust out with the lorhsomnes of their presence the holie ordinances of God in that when men could not brooke the crosses and afflictions which are incident to true Christians they would inuent for a further ease a crosse of wood and when they were wearie of hearing their filthy sinnes laid open to bring them to Christ they prouided for that in stead of preaching they had Masse singing Wherefore it may truly be said of superstitious ceremonies and Christian religion as the Heathen man reporteth of the Hedgehog and the Satyre who entertaining the Hedgehog which he had found for his guest was so prickt with his thornie brissels as he was constrained to goe out of his house A very ill guest displacing his hoste a perilous tenant dispossessing his landlord Howbeit we know that these superstitious worshippers pretended a very great deuotion to Christ on their Passion Sunday in a solemne making of sepulchers in chaunting diuers songs sometime in Pilates
reioyce in any but in Christ crucified because he can present me blamelesse before God his iudgement seate hee hath nailed my sinnes to his crosse he is the immaculate Lambe that was sacrificed for me and will present me as cleare without spot before his father as euer I was created Wherefore Paul knowing the crosse of Christ able to performe all these things good cause there was why he then and we now attaining in some measure to the like knowledge should reioyce in Christ crucified by whoÌ„ we become crucified to the world First we are to note that they that with delight lye in sinne or haue no desire to come out of sinne cannot reioyce in the crosse of Christ. For if thou be filthie and wilt be filthie still in thy flesh how darest thou presume to reioyce in the scourged and torne flesh of Iesus Christ Canst thou ô miser still like and loue this world so much when thou doest more prick and pearce Christ with thy sinnes than euer he was pricked with thornes and nailes or can the thornes of Christ crucified be pretious to thee when the thornes of worldly cares doe so delight and choke thee How canst thou still boyle in thine anger when thou doest remember how mildly Christ crucified suffered the bitter anger of his father for thee Doest thou looke for great matters in this world considering Christ to bee borne for thee so basely to liue so poorely and to dye for thee so painfully Surely thou maist appertaine to Christ in secret election but thy sinnes thus with delight raigning in thee thou hast no assurance of Christ by thy walking Well on the contrarie doest thou thou poore sinner feele the lusts of thy flesh loathsome vnto thee that thou euen quakest to remember the place the time the occasion where sinne ouertooke thee and feelest more terrour to thinke of them than euer thou felâ—st pleasure in doing of them then for thy comfort remember thy sinnes are pardoned the pretious flesh of Christ was torne for thee and that thou seeing the wrath of God due to thy defiled flesh shalt receiue mercie because the crucified flesh of Christ doth acquite the filthines of thy flesh and the punishment due vnto it Againe doth the world begin to be vile in thine eyes and thou art ashamed that thine heart hath been so long set on things below the thornie cares doe now pricke and wound thine heart with sorrow then remember the head of Christ was planted with thornes and Christ for thee despised the world his hands and feete for thee being nailed his side pearced his whole body for thee being crucified Art thou angry with thy selfe that thou hast been so much giuen to anger and canst willingly take iudgement of thy selfe because thou hast abused God his presence and defiled his holy house in comming thither with an angrie heart then remember how Christ for thee sustained the anger of God his wrath to take from thee the imputation of thine anger Canst thou not be content to bee a worme of men and as it were troden on thinkest thou more vilely of thy selfe than of any other art thou now afraid of hypocrisie and feelest thy selfe troubled that thou didst not more earnestly seeke God and neuer didst so much desire the fauour of men as now thou desirest the fauour of God and thinkest it a great mercie to haue one foote in the earth then remember how vile Christ was to make thee pretious to God consider how he was the seruant of all a reproofe of men a worme and not a man troden downe euen of the worst kinde of men that he might free thee from thy vaineglory and secret pride Art thou grieued that thou hast presumed on the mercie of God and doest thou now thinke no more nor so much to be in thee as in other men and that thou art not a sinner alone but a sinner vily infected not resting thy selfe in any opinion of a ciuill life Art thou now as deepely plunged in despaire as before thou wast puft vp with presumption call to minde that Christ was not only reiected of men but of God to bring thee in fauour both with God and men and that he was trobled when he said Father if it bee thy will let this cup passe from mee remember how he laboured in a sweate and agonie not in a cold sweate but so as the warme blood was faine to runne out of their veines behold how hee was hanged betweene heauen earth as spued out of the one and accursed in the other and suffered the heauines of his soule to free thee from presumption by his mightie humilitie to helpe thee from desperation by his painefull crosse To be briefe there are two kinds of men that cannot reioyce in this crosse of Christ the one because they haue an opinion of their own righteousnes the other because they are senselesse for the securitie of their sinnes For the one because the feeling of the sore causeth vs to make much of the salue and the sense of sinne worketh a ioy in the deliuerance from sinne it is sure they cannot reioyce in the forgiuenes of sinne that neuer could lament for the guiltines and grieuousnes of sinne which are the cause of Christ his death Wherefore our Sauiour Christ Luk. 22. seeing certaine women following him with lamentation and mourning that so good a man so innocently should be put to death saith to them weepe rather ô daughters of Ierusalem for your sinnes teaching them that their most speciall cause of weeping was their owne iniquitie which was the cause why now he should suffer death Now then because we are ignorant many see not their sinnes and for that cause cannot mourne for them For they need no ioy that feele no sorrow they neede no comfort that tast no griefe they neede no release that are in no bands and none can truly reioice in the crosse of Christ but they that see their sinnes haue crucified Christ. Wherefore to helpe our blindnes in seeing and numbnes in feeling sinne wee must come to the law of God and to the iudgements of God there with adioyned Why cannot men come to the sight of their sinnes because they know not the lawe Why haue not men a sense of their sinne because they consider not the threatning of the law So that the remedie to make vs see sinne is the knowledge of the law the remedie to make vs feele sinne is the sense of the iudgements of God threatned in the law And why cannot the Papists reioyce in Christ but imagine other histories is it not because they haue imagined a coloured perswasion of the law thinking that the law may bee kept of man measuring the interpretation of the lawe and the obseruation thereof by grosse sinnes and not otherwise as did the Pharisies counting all the spirituall interpretation of the commandements but good counsels not necessarie precepts So that they not seeing the law spirituall nor
the steadinesse stilnesse and mildnesse of our minde in that wee will not dispute with reason against any thing in our regeneration I see that many that wil not deliuer themselues and their reasons to be captiuated vnto the truth and refuse to beleeue the mysticall power of the Gospel are in time carried away by foule and effectuall illusions For there are many who hearing in the word of the wonderful creation redemption and preseruation of man and of the matter of the Sacramēts cannot beleeue them yet afterwards goe to witches and to be caught of the diuell which they cannot vnlesse they professe and practise an euill faith so that they which will no profit by the truth will suffer themselues to be deluded The other kinde of euill in my diuision was of things not apparantly euill As in times past we were carefull for nothing more then with libertie of minde to vse the creatures of God so now adayes nothing is lesse to be taught because loose libertie and licentiousnes serue so for the flesh and we do not by our libertie serue one another in loue We can say outward things are lawful euery man obiecteth outward things cannot desile a man I answere that when outward liberty bringeth inward bondage and the pretence of outward things lawfull hinder the necessary inward things they be made vnlawfull All things are vnlawfull saith Paul but I will not be brought vnder the bondage of any thing Well howsoeuer wee pretend this lawfull vse of outward things which in their owne natures are the good creatures to cloake our wantonnesse withal let vs know that the wickednesse beginneth in wantonnesse and wantonnesse endeth in wickednesse because it is the way of a dangerous downfall of our soules For either the Lord will punish it with present and temporall punishment or else will cast vs into some great sinnes hereafter And though I will not affirme that euery wanton young man is a meere wicked man yet I dare affirme that wantonnesse is the way to further euill Besides this am I sure of wantonnesse maketh vs vnapt to good workes it takes away the comfort of Gods spirit the ioye of the word the sweetnesse of prayer and of the Sacraments Againe as it is certaine that wantons pray not meditate not nor doe any good thing aright because that sinne desireth all euill and hindereth all good things so if the word would teach vs sinne we would learne it if it make for our good wee cannot learne it And that wee may see to how many euils youth and wantonnesse be subiect reade Galath 6. 1. Cor. 6. Eccl. 11. Psal. 25. Iob. 14. Ierem. 21. So now we know what is the meaning of the man of God in this word euill way that is that which is occasion of euill We can say in worldly things because the way is dangerous through ditches theeues pits or such like Oh that the same minde were in vs to preuent the perils of our soules Our Sauiour Christ taught vs that if our eye offend vs we should pull it out if our hand or foote offend vs we should cut them off the meaning whereof is that we should not indeed shred them off but resraine from the corrupt vsing of them and turne them to a better vse We haue shewed hitherto how carefully the man of God vsed the meanes to godlines and also how carefull hee was to auoide all occasions of euill Wee must not then thinke christianity to bee so small a thing if as lingerers wee make such friuolous excuses that it is hard to be a good man we shall surely neuer come to so high a dignitie We haue also shewed that vnles we labour to deny our selues we shall neuer buckle our selues after the graces of God Vers. 102. I haue not declined from thy iudgements for thou diddest teach me AS if he should say I haue seene and obserued that whosoeuer did resraine from euill they were wiser than their enemies they became more learned than their teachers and proued grauer than the ancient and that they which did not resraine were greatly punished plagued and trodden downe and as thou hast punished some so wilt thou also punish others wherefore I haue not declined from thy iudgements Was there euer towne people or person which truly beleeued in Iesus Christ in whose life and death did not appeare plentifully Gods mercy And contrarily how haue the vnbeleeuers bin giuen ouer to hardnes of heart and a reprobate minde many plagues wars and other iudgements of God to them incident Old Protestants are now become rustie because they made no account of Gods word in their youth Esau lost his Birth-right for a messe of pottage hee sought it afterwards with teares but could not haue it whose prophanesse grew by pleasures We see many wanton men to come to fearefull ends and silthie adulteries who beginning to condemne the word fell to spending from spending to rioting from riot to adulterie from that to theft and from stealing to death If we will obserue godly discipline we must first learne Gods doctrine if wee will learne his iudgements we must learne his mercie We attribute too much to fortune to fatall destinies to charmings and such like but no man doth looke vp to the hand of God wherein we take his name in vaine in not vsing aright his iudgements Thou hast taught me that is thou hast besides the ministeriall preaching giuen me an extraordinarie knowledge of thy iudgements Many knowe much who notwithstanding cannot profit by Gods iudgements So that the briefe and plaine meaning of the Prophet is thus much in effect O Lord I haue not had this knowledge in and of my selfe but I receiued it of thy Holy spirite it was thy mercie and thy grace that made mee knowe thy iudgements The man of God then sheweth vs in this verse that hee did alwayes set the iudgements of God before him what made him then so carefull to doe them the considering of them in his mind the occupying his eies to marke them the vsing of his eares to heare how God performed his promises to the obedient executed his fearefull threatnings on the wicked A thing than which nothing is worthie of greater meditation We heare often with our eares but with little profit the glorious promises and wonderfull vengeance of the Lord what is commaunded and what is forbidden but when we consider and see before our eyes how the Lord hath performed these things we are humbled from sinne comforted to obedience This is it that breeds triall proofe experience to see how the Lord hath in his mercy dealt with Abraham Isaac Iacob Ioseph Dauid his faithful seruants and how he hath plagued the Egyptians the Sodomites the olde world and other of his enemies Thy iudgements of old O Lord saith Dauid haue I considered Wee shall neuer effectually obserue the iudgements of old vnlesse we obserue the iudgements of God of late For
latter dayes of sinne and iniquitie wherein heresies haue so corrupted doctrine and vngodlines hath so stained our liues if we had not this constant rule of Gods word among vs Oh what a treasure is it whereby we may see heresie and auoide it whereby we may see truth and follow it Which rule of equitie seeing willingly the wicked depart from they are worthily plunged and plagued in their owne sinnes Vers. 156. Great are thy tender mercies O Lord quicken me according to thy iudgements THat is True it is I am a sinner O Lord but yet I am not a desperate sinner as mine enemies are but such a one as on whom thou wilt shew thy mercies therefore I hope that thou wilt helpe If thou shouldest simply deale with me according to my deseruings I should be condemned for who can stand in thy sight iustified but I compare not my selfe with thee but with them who are become mine aduersaries According to thy iudgements Such is thy fatherly mercy which forgiueth my sinnes and heareth my prayers that thou wilt not reward me according to mine iniquities but wilt fauourably looke vpon me according to the multitude of thy mercies Vers. 157. My persecutors and mine oppressors are many yet doe I not swarne from thy testimonies THis sentence is the same in effect with diuers other in diuers portions of this Psalm As The proude haue had me exceedingly in derision the proude haue digged pits for me the wicked haue laid a snare for me and such like Now in that he saith my oppressors are many he sheweth that he had not to doe with one man or two but with many It is a matter as wee haue shewed before to be godly among the godly but he is a diuel that is euil among Angels and therefore was he worthily cast downe into hell and he is a sinner that will sinne among Saints and therefore iustly was Adam throwne out of Paradise If we liue among the godly what praise is it to be godly nay what an horrible thing were it not to be godly If the Church discipline were truly executed it were a small commendation to do well and to abstaine from sinne yet now in this want it is praise-worthie to abstaine from sinne for feare of God But it may be we taste not of such troubles as the Prophet tasted of because we liue not so carefull of godlinesse as he did which if in truth we did we should haue troubles as he had Well we are in this world as sheepe among wolues to trie vs whether we will be corrupted with the euil examples of this world or whether we will swarue from the Lord our God whilest he proueth vs. Their carnall reasoning commeth to nothing which say the world is set on euill the world was neuer so wicked charitie was neuer so colde a man cannot now professe without taunts scoffes and troubles For we see here that the Prophet in his time had many and great persecutors whom notwithstanding so manifold corruptions could nothing mooue Wherefore we must learne although sometime we are slaundered though sometime we are euill spoken of taunted and troubled our estate is not worse than our forefathers hath bene and the beloued Saints of God haue had before vs. So long as we are well entreated of God and man we will keepe the lawe but when we suffer reproaches taunts iniuries losse or discredit we then run either to euill meanes or to reuengement or to dispaire Where many iniuries haue bene offered many haue bene rendred againe if they haue not requited iniury for iniury with reuenge they haue vsed some ill means to escape out of their trouble if they haue not vsed ill meanes yet they haue secretly begun to mistrust God his promises and prouidence and haue gone to wisards and witches if they could doe nothing in malice they would doe something in policie if they could preuaile with neither they would fall to dispaire But the Prophet of God vseth here no vnlawfull meanes he goeth not in his affliction to Sorcerers hee recompenceth not ill for ill hee did not dispaire in God his promises he did not thinke with himselfe that the Lord would defend his enemies cause and forsake him but hoped still in God his good and appointed time to receiue helpe wherein the man of God is set before vs for our imitation in that neither his faith could bee shaken nor his obedience slaked nor daunted And surely this is Sathans last refuge and most daungerous assault to perswade vs in affliction that therefore the Lord doth plunge vs in miserie because he hath no loue towards vs. But the man of God opposing his faith to all such temptations saith I know O Lord by the records of thy law that thou hast laide vp helpe for mee and that thou art my defender How sweete and comfortable this is they which are humbled and well exercised by temptations know What greater assault vsed the diuell to our Sauiour Christ than this what saith he doest thou thinke if thou werst Gods childe thou shouldest want bread it is not like if thou werst the sonne of God that hee would or could suffer thee to be without food Like are his temptations to vs art thou thinkest thou the childe of God then thou shouldest be helped then thou shouldest not lie in this case This was his last dart which he threw at Christ on the crosse if thou art the childe of God then we doubt there is nothing but thou canst helpe thy selfe Well we see here that the man of God neither mistrusteth Gods promises nor forsaketh his law Neither surely is our faith sound vntill we can beleeue in miserie neither is our obedience pure vnlesse we continue euen when we are oppressed not of a few but of many For then we may perswade our selues to haue true faith when it is wrought in prosperitie and tried in aduersitie and being voide of all helpe of men wee still hope for helpe of God that we may say I will not be afraid often thousands of the people that should beset me round about Psalm 4. 6. Though I walke through the vallie of the shadow of death I will feare no euill for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe doe comfort me Psalm 23. 4. I am perswaded that neither life nor death nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other thing shall be able to separate vs from this loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Verse 158. I saw the transgressors and was greiued because they kept not thy word THis also in substance we had before where the Prophet saith Mine eyes gush out with riuers of water because they kept not thy law my zeale hath euen consumed me because mine enemies haue forgotten thy word The Prophets words in a word haue this meaning Lord as for mine owne things or priuate iniuries I am cōtent to put
members of the body So that the cause why we shew no mercy is because we cannot perswade our selues to be members Of the primitiue Church and the faithfull congregations gathered by the Apostles it is saide there was but one heart one will among them and therefore no doubt but one body for there can be but one heart in one body and it were monstrous in one body to haue two hearts The lawe of members is that looke what one member receiueth is receiues not for it selfe alone but for all the rest too The eye it sees not to defend and helpe itselfe alone but it sees for the hand for the foote and for the other parts of the body And so by the law of members if wee haue any thing wee must bestow it on the whole body and as well on the foote as on the head Euen so doth one member receiue the benefite of another that as the eye seeth so all seeth as the hand writeth so all write and wee knowe the least benefite or hurt which is in any member is ascribed to the whole body as if but the finger ake we say we haue an ach if the naile be hurt we say we are hurt if the foote be whole wee say we are healed Then if this affection be not in vs mercifully to impart one to another as one member is seruiceable to another mercie is not in vs. If we be grieued for any it is but a complaint of the mouth we can giue him a Lord helpe him but Christ did not onely see one so but he wept ouer him he wept not onely but touched the verie leprous yea and he healed them Well if there be no mercie in vs with what face can we come to the Lord and say giue vs a kingdome let thy kingdome come if wee denie to our brethren the gift of so much as of a peece of bread and how can wee looke vp to heauen with any hope to come thither if we haue laid vp no store there before hand God scummeth away the drosse of his Saints by Crosses yet breaketh not his holy couenant with them but performeth it through many tribulations which they deserue and pul vpon themselues When the Lord threatneth we are often driuē into a secret murmuring and impatiencie of spirit but we must know that his minae be as medicinae the meanes of the Lord are medicines And wee are too nice Christians if wee cannot abide to bee threatned seeing God his iudgements are often greater mercies than euen the continual ordinary mercies themselues Nay because the Lord would not destroy vs hee threatneth vs hee hath not delight in the death of a sinner therefore he threatneth death vnto vs because he would not haue death come vpon vs. For as the mercies of God are iudgments to some that abuse his mercies so the iudgments of God are mercies to others because they cause them to obserue his wil and to enter into a new league with him And this is that the Apostle saith all things turne to the best to them that loue God all things the very melancholie of the diuels euen hell fire for the bitternes of threatnings are fore-warnings to the godly that they should not be destroyed with the world in the ende CHAP. XXXIIII Teaching vs why we are specially to keepe watch and ward ouer our hearts SO corrupt is the heart as being the fountaine of all sinfull actions that although wee shoulde neuer haue patternes of impietie yet our owne heart would schoole vs sufficiently to the waye of destruction Reprooued then bee their Doctrine who thinke that a man is not naturally inclined to euill or that nature is not wholie inclined to sinne but that by example and allurement man is corrupted and infected by others The occasion of euill may bee outward but the cause of it is inwarde not of others but in our selues And good reasons there bee therefore that wee should still haue an eye to our hearts First our hearts doth carrie with it most commonly all our senses so that nature taught men of the world that the eye seeth not but the heart it is not the hand that toucheth but a certaine force proceeding from the heart and exercised by the hand and seeing nor sense left in the body From hence it commeth that great sounds and strange noyses are nothing heard of our eares attending vpon our hearts and our hearts being throughly occupied about some other obiect From hence it is that goodly shewes able to rauish the sight with delight are not so much as seen of vs our eies being wholly restrained about other things whereabout the heart is occupied yea from hence it is that wee stumble sometime on the plaine ground and our feet do faile vs in most faire places our feete attending on our hearts and our hearts being carried vehemently vnto some other matter Although then we ought to keepe with great care our eyes our eares our hands with all other parts of the body yet it standeth vs in hand to keepe diligent watch ward ouer our hearts by which all the other partes are moderated and ruled Another reason why wee should haue speciall regard to our heartes is because they make or marre all our actions If the heart be pure all our affections are pure though Christ through some defectes be mixed therewith if our hearts be not sound but corrupt then the things in their owne nature good by vs are made impure corrupt It is without all controuersie that it is our corrupt nature which corrupteth vs either to be slacke in weldoing or to leaue a good thing altogether vndone to be so prone to euil-doing or to rest too securely in it being done And albeit many occasiōs may be pretēded to stay vs from good which may seeme to carrie some shew of good yet they are deceiuing corruptions and full of rottennesse at the core as experiēce prooueth Some are kept backe from catechising of their familie because they would not be made the by-talke of the people they would not men should talke of them and tear me them a precise company Some goe aloofe and walke along from pure zeale in good works that they might retaine their libertie in buying and selling and so better take order for domesticall expences which they thinke would fall to the ground if God should be purely worshipped And indeed euery thing creepeth vnder colour of a good thing and they will turne out nothing naked but with one ragged reason or other although their pretences be of an ill die or their reasons not able to keepe them from any iniurie of the weather whatsoeuer They are carried away with the deceiueablenesse of sinne their corruption deceiueth them they are beguiled with the diuels sophistrie in putting that for a cause which is no cause at al. But this hypocrisie of hart may appeare not onely in not doing of good which we should doe but
out corruption The milke in the breast not strained is pure too hard pressed it is corrupt Thirdly the word worketh by diuers meanes And I hope with Eliah that there be â—oe profit by the word than I see Iohn Baptist came mourning Iesus Christ came piping but few profited For many would follow Iohn vntill he required repentance They would heare Christ vntill he spake of the crosse Great is the wisedome of God in vsing the vehemencie of one the mildnes of another the zeale of another But some will neither profit by Iohn nor by Iesus Christ who will rather be offended at the infirmities of the speaker being few than by his good speeches profit though they be many FINIS A LETTER AGAINST HARDNES OF HEART I Beseech GOD the Father of IESVS CHRIST giue me his good Spirit in writing to giue aduice and you in reading to receiue it Amen Since the time that I receiued Master S. letter wherin he declared his carefull compassion ouer your estate I haue been not a little grieued because partly for want of a conuenient messenger and partly because of my manifolde distractions with the like occurrences and other weightie affaires I haue bene hindered from writing hitherto vnto you And albeit euen still I am in the same case yet conscience towards God and compassion and loue towards you forceth me to ouercome lets which hardly I could otherwaies preuaile against And albeit I cannot write as I would yet of that which I shall write proceeding from the forenamed grounds I looke for some blessing from God through Iesus Christ if you will not too much faint in faith and yeeld to the aduersarie yea if you will but hope so well of yourselfe as in the feare of God I write it I hope of you First whereas it seemeth you are sometimes grieued because you taryed not still at Cambridge according to my aduice you must know that I aduised it not as a thing necessary but more conuenient as I then supposed but yet that I aduised you to obey your father if his pleasure still continued to haue you home whereunto you yeelding I cannot see how you offended it being your fathers pleasure you should so doe And who knowes whether being heere you might not haue bene as much troubled there being no priuiledge for persons and places in such cases And who knowes whether it be the Lords pleasure for the ensample and instruction and I hope the consolation of others in the end And albeit you wil now thinke that here you were neerer the more and stronger meanes yet know you and hee perswaded that GOD can and doth in such cases worke by fewer and weaker according to his good pleasure Besides it is in our corrupted nature to make much of such meanes as we cannot haue and not so to esteeme those which God doth offer vs as we should I beseech you therefore in the Name of Iesus Christ humblie to praise God for those meanes which hee offereth in mercie vnto you and to vse them in faith accordingly and so God shall blesse you by them and then by such conference as you may haue from hence by letters Wherein if I may stand you in any stead rather for the good opinion you haue of me then for any great matter I am able to performe I shall be readie to offer any office of loue vnto you as God shall enable mee and so farre foorth as I shall be instructed in your particular estate by some letters sent from you by conuenient messengers That which I presently perceiue by M. S. letters is that you are afflicted with the blindnes of your minde and hardnes of your heart which cannot be moued either with the promises of God his mercies or feare of his iudgements nor affected with loue and delight of the things which bee good or with hatred and lothing of the euill Great cause you haue of griefe I confesse but no cause of dispaire dare I graunt because I am perswaded that your perswasion is somewhat false partly for want of a sound iudgement of your estate and partly for some defect of faith somwhat through your owne default First therefore know you for a certaintie that this is no other temptation than such as diuers of Gods children haue for a time bin humbled with afterwards haue had good issue out of And if it please God to moue you to credit me I myselfe haue knowne others as deeply this way plunged as you can be Remember therefore that God is faithfull and will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that which you shall be able to beare c. 1. Cor. 10. 13. And yet further to confirme you herein the holy Scriptures doe record that this way God heretofore hath humbled his owne people In whose person the Prophet Esay lamentably thus complained chap. 63. vers 15. O Lord looke downe from heauen and beholâ— from the dwelling place of thy holines and of thy glorie Where is thy zeale and thy strength the multitude of thy mercies and of thy compassions they are restrained from me And afterwards O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy waies and hardened our heart from thy feare And in the next chapter vers 6. We haue beene all as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnes is as filthie cloutes and we all doe fade like a leafe and our iniquitie like the winde doth take vs away and there is none that calleth vpon thy name neither that stirreth vp himselfe to take hold of thee for thou hast hid thy face from vs and hast consumed vs because of our iniquities And afore in the 59. chapter vers 10. We grope for the wall like the blinde and we grope as one without eyes we stumble at the noone day as in the twilight we are in solitarie places like dead men we roare like beares and mourne like doues So complaines Ezechias in the bitternes of his soule Esay 38 14 Like a crâ—ne or a swallow so did I chatter I did mourne as a doue And Psal. 51. 10. c. when Dauid crieth Create in me O God a cleane heart renue in me a right spirit restore to me the ioy of thy saluation establish me with thy free spirit doth he not declare that his heart was vncleane his spirit crooked the ioy of his saluation lost and himselfe subiect to the spirit of bondage so that wanting the spirit of libertie or adoption he could neither crie Abba father nor â—â—ue any power against sinne Thus you see how God his children may be blinded in minde and hardened in hart for a time so that they feele in themselues the graces of the holy spirit to be as it were perished and dead Further to relieue the infirmitie of your iudgement in this point because I know it may much distresse you you must vnderstand that there be two kindes of hardnes of heart the one which is not felt nor perceiued the other which is
seemeth you are sometimes grieued because you taried not stil at Cambridge according to mine aduise you must know I aduised it not as a thing necessarie but more conuenient as I then supposed but I aduised you to obey your father if his pleasure still continued to haue you home whereunto you yeelded I cannot see how you offend it being your fathers pleasure you should so doe And who knoweth whether being there you might not haue beene as much troubled there being no priuiledge for persons and places in such cases And who knoweth whether it bee the Lords pleasure for the example and instruction and I hope the consolation of others in the end And albeit you will now thinke that here you were neerer the moe and stronger meanes yet knowe you and bee perswaded that God can and doth in such cases worke by fewer and weaker according to his good pleasure Besides it is in our corrupt nature to make much of such as we cannot haue and not so to esteeme those which God doth offer vs as we should I beseech you therefore in the name of Iesus Christ humbly to praise God for those meanes he offereth in mercie vnto you to vse them in faith accordingly and so God shall blesse you by them And then by such conference as you may haue from hence by letters wherein if I may stand you in any stead rather for the good opinion you haue of mee than for any great matter I am able to performe I shall be readie to offer any office of loue vnto you as God shall enable mee and so farre forth as I shall bee at any time instructed in your particular estate in some letters sent from you by conuenient messengers That which I perceieue presently by M. S. Letter is that you are afflicted with the blindnesse of your minde and hardnes of your heart which cannot bee moued either with the promises of Gods mercies or feare of his iudgements nor affected with the loue and delight of the things which bee good nor with the hatred and loathing of the euill Great cause you haue of griefe I confesse but no cause of despaire dare I graunt because I am perswaded that your perswasion is somewhat false partly for want of a sound iudgement of your estate and partly for some defect of faith somewhat through your owne default First therefore knowe you for a certaintie that this is no other tentation than such as diuers of Gods children haue beene humbled with and afterward haue had a good issue out of it and if it please God to mooue you to credit me I my selfe haue knowne others as deepely this way plunged as you can be Remember therefore that God is faithfull and will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that which you shall be able to beare And yet further to confirme you herein the holie Scriptures doe record that this way God heretofore hath humbled his owne people in whose person the Prophet Esay lamentably complaineth O Lord looke downe from heauen behold from the dwelling place of thy holinesse and of the glorie Where is thy zeale and thy strength the multitude of thy mercies and of thy compassions They are restrained from mee And afterwards O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes and hardened our hearts from thy feare And in the next Chapter verse 6. Wee haue beene all as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnesse is as filthie clouts and we all doe fade as a leafe and our iniquities as the winde doe take vs away and there is none that calleth vpon thy name neither that stirreth vp himselfe to take hold on thee for thou hast hid thy face from vs and hast consumed vs because of our iniquities And before Wee grope for the wall like the blinde and we grope as one without eyes we roare like Beares and mourne like Doues So complaineth Ezechias in the bitternes of his soule Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter I did mourne as a Doue And when Dauid crieth Create in mâ—e O God a cleane heart renue in me a right spirit Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation establish mee with thy free spirit Doth he not declare that his heart was vncleane his spirite crooked the ioy of his saluation lost and himselfe subiect to the spirit of bondage So that wanting the spirit of libertie or adoption hee could neither crie Abba Father nor haue any power against sinne Thus you see how Gods children may be blinded in minde and hardened in heart for a time so that they feele in themselues the grace of the holie Spirit to bee as it were perished and dead Further to relieue the infirmitie of your iudgement in this case because I know it may much distresse you you must vnderstand that there be two kinds of hardnes of heart the one which is not felt nor perceiued the other perceiued and felt and of the former that there be two sorts the first which is most fearfull when anie doe purposely resist the motions of Gods spirit and wilfully refuse the meanes of their saluation of which the Prophet Zacharie speaketh 7. 11. They refused to hearken and pulled away their shoulder and stopped their eares that they should not heare yea they made their hearts as an Adamant stone least they should heare the Lawe and the words which the Lord of Hostes sent in his spirit by the ministerie of the former Prophets The outragious sinne of these men the Prophet Esay expresseth in these their owne fearefull tearmes Wee haue made a couenant with Death and with Hell wee are at agreement though a scourge runne ouer and passe through it shall not come at vs for we haue made falshood our refuge and vnder vanitie are we hidden This was a fearfull estate indeed yet for all that no man can say but some of these hauing hardened their hearts might bee and were afterward conuerted The other kinde of hardnes of heart which is not felt nor perceiued or if perceiued yet not felt which albeit it is lesse fearfull yet it is daÌ„gerous enough is in such as although they wilfullie resist not Gods spirite in good meanes yet securely carelesly and willinglie they lie in sinne without any remorse of it or true taste of good things Such was Dauid his estate for the space of a yeare before Nathan the Prophet came to reprooue him and rouze him from his lulled sleepe Both these kindes I am perswaded you are free from otherwise then in temptations Sathan may somtimes moue you thereunto The other kind of hardnes of heart which is perceiued and felt is of two sorts the one in them which are desirous of meanes whereby they may be relieued although they doe finde small or no ease at all in themselues for a time Of this kinde the Prophet Esay in the name of some of Gods people complained And
depriued of the spirit of sanctification Here seemeth to be repugnance but there is not any hee was depriued indeede for a time of the graces of the sanctifying spirit but not of the holy Ghost wherwith he was sanctified which graces as God restored vnto him so I am perswaded he will doe vnto you Yea and I doubt whether you are depriued of them but onely that partly Melancholie partly Satan working therewith make you doe iniurie to your selfe and to the graces of the spirt in you which I beseech you to take heede of But the messenger cannot stay and therefore I cannot write as I would either of this or of the remedie which you should vse which hereafter I will as God shall enable me and I pray you let me vnderstand as I requested in the beginning of your estate in particular somewhat more and that by this bearer if you can because he is of your acquaintance and will bring it to me faithfully Onely I adde now vnto that I haue written of hardnesse of heart at large that you must diligently obserue the word Create which Dauid vseth declaring that he had no feeling of hart To this ioyne that which the Prophet Esay speaketh in the person of God I create the fruite of the lips to be peace peace as well to him that is farre off as to him that is neere Therefore in faith you may as well pray with hope to obtaine as did Dauid therefore say with him often and with Gods people O Lord thou art our Father we indeede are clay but thou art our maker and wee are the worke of thy hands c. Know also God can cause Wolues Lyons Leopards c. to dwell louingly with Lambes Calues and Kids c. and that which is vnpossible to men is possible with God euen to cause a cable rope to goe through a needles eye that is to change the hard heart of the vnbeleeuing couetous wretched man much more yours yea know you that all things are possible to him which beleeueth Crie then I beleeue O Lord helpe mine vnbeleefe and I dare promise you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you shal haue your hearts desire in goodnes Thus abruptly I must ende I commend you to God and the word of his grace which is able to build you vp and giue you the right of inheritance among them that are sanctified And the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout that your whole spirit and soule and body may bee kept blamelesse vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Faithfull is he which hath called you which will doe it Amen I pray you pray for me and I trust as I haue so shall I pray for you and much more Yours in Christ Iesus to vse in any neede R. GREENHAM ANOTHER COMFORTABLE LETTER BY MASTER R. G. TO MASTER M. BRother beloued in our LORD IESVS CHRIST seeing you haue had heretofore not onely Knowledge but also experience of Gods gracious and mercifull goodnesse in Iesus Christ of your owne vnbeliefe and of Sathans subtlenesse I could maruell why you should giue such place and not keepe your ground no surer if I were not much acquainted with such occurrences I knowe not therefore whether with wordes of rebuke or of comfort I should seeke to relieue you Because I cannot come vnto you my counsell and desire is that you would come vp to London the next Terme at the farthest that so I might aske of God to frame my speech to your good In the meane season I beseech you to call vnto minde that which you cannot bee ignorant of that in the Lawe Sacrifices were offered for Gods people not onely at their first entrance into couenant with the Lord but also afterwards many times and that not onely for sinnes committed by ignorance but also by error that is Forgetfulnes Frailenes Retchlesnes Carelesnes c. If you haue not Tremelius his Translation by you you must take heed of the English that hath ignorance for they failed that so translated it It is manifest that the sinne of error is there opposed against the sinne committed with an high hand that is a blasphemie with contempt of God and making his Law of no effect but to be in vaine Which sinne I am sure you are most farre off from I would you were as farre off from vnbeliefe and distrust That Gods children may fall after their calling into diuers foule faults may appeare by many proofes First in the Law when the Lord speaketh in his Maiestie and proclaimeth his glorie yet in how manie wordes commendeth he his mercy and for how many seuerall sorts of sinnes Doth not Esay the holy Prophet call the people of his dayes the people of Gomorrah and their Princes the Princes of Sodome Doth not hee accuse them as grieuous transgressours both of the first and second Table and yet doth afterwards promise them that though their sinnes were as crimson they shall be as white as snow though they were red like skarlet they should be as wooll Doth he not charge them that they were sunke deepe in rebellon and yet exhorteth them to returne vnto the Lord Yea doth he not charge them not onely with rebellion but also with vexing the holy Spirit of God And yet reade what is written Pray as there you may learne of Esay chap. 63. vers 7. 15. 16. What doth not the holy Prophet Ieremie shew that Ephraim was as an vntamed calfe c. yet so soone as he mourned and was ashamed of himselfe doth not the Lord shew that his bowels of mercy were troubled for his estate Doth nor the Lord offer mercy vnto the prophane and forgetfull transgressours of his holie couenant Is not this part of the couenant made with all the sonnes of Dauid in Christ Iesus that if they not only omitting many good things but also committing rebellions iniquities that though he may visite them yet it shall be with the rod of his children and that his mercy he will not take from them nor breake off his couenant made with them in Iesus Christ Therefore remember that the holy promises threatnings precepts examples are written that we should not sinne but If any man sinne wee haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the iust and hee is â—he reconciliation of our sinnes and not for our sinnes onely but for the sinnes of the whole world Doth not the blessed Apostle Paul charge the Corinthians whom hee affirmeth to be rich in Christ and destitute of no spirituall gift to bee more carnall than spiriuall yea babes in Christ yea to be fallen into idolatrie committing of euill things fornication tempting not onely of God but of Christ yea murmuring against them yet doth he not herein comfort them that no temptation hath taken hold on them but such as appertaineth to man and that God will be mercifull vnto
our present trouble and torment of minde seeketh to driue vs vnto despayre we are to vse against him his owne weapons for among many testimonies of our estate in grace fauour with God there is none more euident and sensible than is that conflict which we find and feele in our selues of the spirit against the flesh of faith against vnbeliefe of a sanctified minde against that part that is vnregenerated and finally of the new creature against the old man and of Christ himselfe in vs against the power of Sathan If he replie that this is not so but the contrarie we may answere that albeit there haue been many times wherein we had a more present and mightie hand of the Lord vpon vs yet euen now Satan himselfe cannot denie but we hate sinne and loue righteousnes that we loue God and to our power obey his will and flye the baites and occasions of euill whereof if there were for the present no manifest and apparant effects as yet by the grace of God there are notwithstanding the onely affection and desire of the heart thirsting and longing after Gods kingdome and his righteousnes are sufficient arguments of the worke of grace begun in vs which shall so long bee continued by the good hand of our heauenly father vntill it be consummated and perfected in the life to come For if it be God as the Apostle saith that giueth both the will and the deed he that hath giuen vs to desire to obey his will will also enable vs vnto the doing of the same And seeing the worke of sanctification beginneth in the heart and thence floweth into our whole life wee nothing doubt but God who hath giuen vs ioy in the holy Ghost and therby a loue vnto him vnto his law wil further confirme strengthen vs that we may be vessels of honour vnto his name and glorifie the Gospel of our profession with fruites agreeable and according thereunto Yea the thoughts meditations and desires of the heart are deeds before God and principall parts of that obedience which he requireth at our hands And therefore if the faithfull man should bee taken away by death before he hath done any of the outward works of the law yet should not his faith be without fruites in that being sanctified in the inward man hee doth now in soule spirit serue the Lord and desireth abilitie and oportunitie in act to doe his will and to honour his name as appeared in that penitent malefactor that died with our Sauiour Christ. Another thing I am to admonish you of that you bee not as the couetous men of the world who so gape vpon that they further desire as they consider not but rather forget that which they alreadie haue and hauing much indeede in their opinion haue nothing and to all purposes and vses do as well want that which they haue as that which they haue not So it oftentimes happeneth to the deare children of God that whilest they looke and breath after that which they haue not yet attained vnto they forget and neglect that which they haue receiued and vse it not to their comfort and reioycing as otherwise they should This ouerreaching importunitie of theirs Sathan abuseth against them from the opinion of hauing nothing to blind their eyes not to see the present grace and goodnes of God towards them It is true that the Apostle saith that in the course of godlines and religion we may not thinke we haue attained the goale or are come vnto the ende of our race but forgetting that which is behind vs and endeuouring vnto that which is before must contend as to a marke vnto the reward of the most high calling of God in Christ Iesus But he speaketh it not to this end that wee should not in thankfulnes acknowledge the former mercies of God bestowed vpon vs or not vse them vnto our comfort as testimonies of his loue fauour towards vs but that we may not stay in our present profiting but adde daily a new and fresh increase that as from a larger and greater heape oâ— benefits we may more and more assure our selues that we are beloued of God and shall enioy the inheritance of his kingdome When the Apostle saith Worke your saluation c. and labour to make your calling and election sure though the meaning be not that we should put confidence of saluation in workes yet it telleth vs that the works fruits of our faith are testifications of Gods spirit dwelling in our hearts more euident and pregnant than that Satan himselfe can or dare deny them We may not suffer our selues to be so ouerborne of the enemie vnder the colour of zeale and desire to doe well as not to remember wherein the Lord hath already giuen vs some part of wel-doing not so to striue vnto that we haue not as to forget that which by his grace we already haue but rather with all thankfulnesse acknowledging the goodnes of God from thence assure our selues of the continuance finishing of the worke begun In the courses of the world as slownesse getteth nothing so preposterous haste looseth all It is the subtiltie and malice of the enemie when he cannot hold vs with himselfe to hasten and push vs on so fast and so headlong as by rashnesse we may fall into that which by forwardnesse we had escaped Good things to come therefore we must hold them in hope and pursue them in peace but the good we haue alreadie attained vnto we must so farre reioyce and comfort our selues in as from thence we may be able to sustaine and support our cause against the enemie and from that we haue to let him vnderstand that we doubt not of that which remaineth that the Lord will both continue and confirme the worke of his owne hands and not forsake the same vntil it be accomplished in his kingdome of glory Thus I haue in great hast and confusedly set down so much as presently came vnto minde of those things which often heretofore I haue written vnto you humbly beseeching the Father of all mercy and God of all consolation who hath annointed you with the oyle of his grace sealed you with the spirit of adoption and giuen you a sure earnest and pledge of euerlasting saluation to encrease vpon you and in your heart the measure of faith and multiply your fruits in all manner of well doing make you strong against the face of your enemie crowne you with victorie in the day of battaile that you may praise his name in the day of your deliuerance glorifie him in the whole course of your life and finally enioy with the rest of his Saints that eternall kingdome of glory prepared for all those that loue and feare him Amen FINIS MAISTER GREENEHAMS PRAYER O God most mightie glorious and righteous O father most louing gracious and merciful which keepest couenant and mercy in Iesus Christ
for all those which receiuing the first fruites of thy holy spirit walke before thee in vprightnesse of their heart wee thy vnworthy children come vnto thee in the name of thy onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ our Lord beseeching thee to renue and encrease thy holy spirit in vs and to purifie our hearts more and more by faith that we may haue a clearer sight and a surer perswasion of thy fatherly goodnesse vnto vs and that wee may more readily performe our dutifull obedience vnto thee For wee doe acknowledge and confesse vnto thy sacred Maiestie that we haue yet neuer hitherto worthily esteemed thy mercies towards vs nor sufficiently expressed the fruites of our bounden dutie towards thee but that still we remaine ignorant and forgetfull of many good things which wee ought and might know And we confesse Lord wee are slacke vnto those things which thy holy spâ—â—t offereth to our mindes vnapt to doe them soone wearie of wel-doing and wherein we please thee something we please our selues too much Moreouer wee likewise confesse that we are ignorant of many euill things that wee haue done doe or may doe forgetfull of diuers things which sometime wee haue hadde knowledge and remorse of And now the things which come to our remembrance and are in our sight doe not appeare to be soâ—sinfull in any measure as they are and ought of vs to be regarded Yea wee are beguiled ere euer we are aware with our present corruptions and they cleane so fast vnto vs that wee can hardly leaue them but most hardly bee brought to true repentance of them We beseech therefore thy sacred Maiestie to worke in vs by thy holy spirit a wise and carefull searching out of and into our sinnes that by the lawe wee may be conuinced of them awakened by thy threatnings rebuked for them by thy iudgements executed vpon the wicked and exercised toward thy children seruants and friends that so wee may feare and tremble for them And by the serious premeditation of the vncertaine houre of a most certaine death of the day of thy generall ineuitable and dreadfull iudgement of the horrible and euerlasting paines of the wicked in the helles and their losse of the inestimable ioyes of the heauens stirre vp our dead hearts to seeke thee O Father in thy Christ and thy sonne our Lord and Sauiour in the Gospell And finally we pray that we may bee euen confounded in our selues by the fruitfull remembrance of thy blessed sufferings the most precious blood-sheading and death of our Lord Iesus Christ that so we may be humbled after that manner and measure thy children should bee beseeching thee that wee may so aforehand accuse our selues before thy blessed Maiestie that our aduersarie may haue no power hereafter to accuse vs so iudge our selues that we be not iudged by thee so with shame sorrow feare and trembling acknowledge the vilenes of our sinnes wholely before the throne of thy iustice that wee finde it to be a throne of grace and mercie vnto vs in Iesus Christ our Lord. Now O Lord the searcher of the hearts and reynes thou knowing this to be the humble and single desire of our hearts wee flye vnto thee for refuge beseeching thee by thy holy spirit to worke in vs a clearer sight of the wisedome of our Lord Iesus Christ wherby our minds may be further cleared from blindnes and we haue a clearer sight of the whole ministerie of our saluation in him and graunt vs God a fuller perswasion of the discharge of all our sinnes in his death and of the imputation of his righteousnesse vnto vs in his resurrection that the guiltinesse of our conscience may daily more and more goe away from vs and peace of the same be confirmed in vs especially in the time of our temptation and trouble the day of our death and the houâ—e of iudgement And next most mercifull Father graunt vs a more powerfull experience of his death killing sinne in vs and of his resurrection raising vs vp vnto a new life that daily we may be lesse sinful and more holy righteous and sober in this present life that so also wee may haue a more sure and stedfast hope in his redemption and may more strongly resist the vanities of this world in false pleasures profits and glories and more patiently endure all manner of miseries of the same which may befall vs vntill his glorious appearing when hee shall come to be glorious in his Saints and made maruellous in al those which beleeue in him Amen Furthermore O Lord whereas we are priuie to our selues ere it is knowne vnto others or vnto thee that thereby any sinne or sinnes more strange in vs through our corrupt nature or custome or the temptation of others or of the tempter wee beseech thee that there we may labour to finde the precious death of our Lord Iesus Christ more powerfull in subduing the same and whereas through vnabilitie of nature want of meanes or grace we are weaker in any duties of well-doing there we may striue to finde the vertue of his glorious resurrection more effectuall in raising vs vp in meanes of life so that our familiar corruptions being cured and our speciall infirmities being relieued wee may be also endued as with generall graces meete for all Christians so with such peculiar graces as may be meete for our callings and inable vs to glorifie thy holy name build vp others in well-doing and treasure vp the fruites of a good conscience for our selues at all times and especially in our neede And in this behalfe the desire of our heart is that thy holy spirit worke in vs the renouncing of our reason so farre forth as it is blinde and the crucifying of our affections so farre forth as they be corrupt that so we may offer them vp with soule and bodie in sacrifice of humiliation and that hauing receiued these graces we may also offer them vp in sacrifice of obedience vnto thy gracious Maiestie And wherein soeuer we haue doe or shall with thy graces obey thee we desire to offer vp thy graces our obedience and our selues in a sacrifice of thankesgiuing and praising of thy holy and blessed name through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen All thy waies O Lord we acknowledge to bee mercie and truth we beseech thee therfore giue vs the holy fruites of al the good meanes thou hast heretofore wrought our good by as thy holy and sweete promises preached vnto vs read of vs meditated vpon by our selues or conferred of with others the prayers thankesgiuings Psalmes Hymnes of our selues our friends and thy Church thy sacred Sacraments the ministrie of thy holy Angels the communion of thy Saints and admonition which hath beene giuen vs for our good most humbly entreating that wee may haue sanctified vnto vs the remembrance of thy former mercies bestowed vppon thy Church vpon any member therof or vpon our selues either in benefits or in crosses and albeit our nature is
they differ The sins of the people moue God to punish them with euill gouernours c. How Christians should communicate good things Preparation to the hearing of the word All our power in prayer commeth from the word The life of faith very secret and often hardly discerned How we must haue not onely a knowledge by the last commandement of our naturall corruption but also an experience Prophaning of holy exercises Note well Sathans diligence We must be as diligent to serue the Prince of glorie as the 〈◊〉 are the Prince of darknes The 〈…〉 the light law Law â—â— Gospell in â—â—â— ages till Christ came No thriuing in sinne The feare of God the strong bridle of the faithfull The great power of Gods feare Thankesgiuing How feruent prayer preuailes with God A sweete consolation The heart whose it is by right A great mercie not to thriue in sinne Patience Hardnes of heart Simile To suspect our own wisedome in matters of saluation Diuers infirmities of men Admonition How can rebuke kindly A good counsell Iudgement To vse well the graces which God hath giueÌ„ vs. The generall promises of outward things 1. Tim. 4. 8 To learne to obserue inward corruption by the outward sense How some respect neither cursing nor blessing Sinne how terrible An experienced faith Gods prouidence The Church hath a mixture of good and bad Simile Our faith the same with the Fathers How the law and the Gospel is to be preached Of profiting by hearing of sermons Of Gods presence and how to present our selues before him in his worship Heb. 11. 26. 27 Differences of sinning in the godly and godlesse How some can correct the same sin in others which they like in themselues How many couer sinne by example What respect God hath to his children in the execution of his iudgements A good signe of Gods grace when Gods sweete blessings make vs more free in his seruice How God accepteth the will in some for the deede Of our happy communion with Christ how thereby wee haue an assurance of all his insearchable riches Iustification sanctification goe together If we respect Christ his Crosse wee may not continue in the filthines of our sinnes How sinne dwâ—lles in the godly How the diuell chuseth the best wits for his seruice How many sinnes may lie couered vnder one How to preserue a teÌ„der conscience to keepe our hearts from hardning How dangerous to reiect grace and light offered How coÌ„trary the iudgmeÌ„ts of the word worldare How sinne 〈…〉 the qualitie of the Serpent The iudgement day of Gods 〈…〉 day of 〈◊〉 redemption To sit 〈…〉 Note â—â— How profitable â—he crosse it Children and bastards how they differ Priuie pride Matth 4. The hearing of the word preached How corruption â—urneth grace into wantonnes How our own kindred may hinder vs with God How to entertaine and loue the Saints How to labour for contentation if we will profit in godlinesse How to attaine the measure of blessings which God hath appointed for vs. A good note of our loue to vertue Not to proceed rashly in iudgement against any man The ende of the wicked Prayer How to cure contention Prayer Selfe-loue selfe-will Pride Admonition Matrimonie Affliction Doctrine How troubled mindes feare threatnings How greatly God is pleased with faith on his prouidence Admonition How to put difference betweene persons The passions of Christ in his death Obserue well the heart in all things How the diuell malignes the best Memorie Wherefore the Lord bids vs flee Fornication but re sist the diuell The zeale of youth and of age The differeÌ„ce between our feelings in our first conuersion and afterwards Simile Prayer The end tries all To be faithfull in our owne busines Anger The godly mans peace Chaplaines Hardnes Iudgements To seeke first the kingdom of God The Diuels registers Sound profession How to hide our treasure How God rewardeth vs. Not to dwell in sinne To empty our selues of euery one Priuate examination and confession * Or spiritual Differences in sinne Children regenerate Affections Tithe Studies A liuely faith Vehement speeches Admonition Death The coÌ„tempt of the Gospell a signe of wrath How to respect aduisedly the workes of God A coÌ„solation to one afflicted Iob. 7. 15. Act. 16. 27. * The afflicted must flie idlenes Sinne. Mirth Griefe Vehement speeches A graue counsell to Ladies To a man of ciuill life much troubled in minde Teachers 2. Cor. 1. 3. Ioy griefe Sabbath How to â—â—rrie our selves in the temptation Few meanes vsed in truth better than many in ceremonie Faith and feeling How God blesseth and directeth the single and simple heart Isaac was blinde and so was Iacob Sinne. Heretikes To lie in any one sinne how dangerous To walke vprightly To thriue in sinne Deceitfulnes of sinne Iohn 3. 4 All must reade the Scriptures Act. 17. Heb. 3. 12. 1. Pet. 3. Reading the Scriptures in the Church Heb. 4. 2. Preaching Hearing the Word Law Gospell Amoâ— Dei amorem proximi geâ—eâ—at Generall obseruations concerning the Dâ—calogue Rules 1. Preâ—â—pt Euill forbidden Good commanded The second commandement Generall euils Speciall euils Occasions of the breach of the secoÌ„d law What wee must tolerate in a Church which lies not in our power to reforme General good Speciall good thing Occasions of good Sufficient prouision for Godâ— sâ—ruie 3. Precept 4. Precept Publike exercises Priuate exercises 5. Precept Triall of the loue of children to Parents Triall of the loue of Parents to children Triall of the loue of Seruants to their Maisters Triall of the loue of Maisters to Seruants The sixt Precept The seuenth Precept A man may commit adulterie with his owne wife Meanes of Chasti ie 8. Precept Idlenesse Restitution 9. Prccept False witnes Psal. 15. Suspâ—â—ion against any man without any iust cause a sinne against the ninth commandement 1. Cor. 13. Charitie suspecteth no euill 10. Precept Motions What motioÌ„s are forbiddeÌ„ in the tenth Commandement How wee be infected with the motions which come from Sathan the world Who is our Neighbour Ioh. 3. Ephès 2. 3. The Mediator described 1. Cor. 1. Faith defined What Creatiâ—â—â—â— Vse of the first article of the Crâ—eâ—e Christ verie GOD. Christ very Man Vse of holie Conception Vse of Christs Prophesie Vse of his Priesthood Vse of Christs kingdome Christs passion most grieuous in bodie and soule Vse of Christs buriall Phil. 3. 9. 13. Rom. 6. 12. Vse of the article of the Resurrection Iohn â— 14. Vse of Chrstes intercession 1. Thess. 4. 26. 1. Cor. 15. Phil. 3. 10. Rom. 12. 13. Church The holie Ghost alone giueth vs the assurance of the pardon of sinnes * By Faith wee come by degrees to feele to haue a comfortable experience of the pardon of sinnes The comfortable vse of all the articles of the Creede Faith onely iustifieth Rom. 3. 28. A reward to workes is promised of Gods free mercie and not for merit Workes Law and Gospell coÌ„demne sinners which
lie in sinne without repentance Repentance defined Note The faithfull haue a cortinuall repentaence all their life Gospell defined Penitence repentance how they differ Foure differences betweene the law gospel Rom. 3. 2. The combat of the faithfull Flesh defined The motions and lustes of the flesh The spirit rebukes and restraines euill motions in vs. The liues of the world Sathan how he fights To resist the inward motions and outward occasions of sinne Prayer defined Part of Lordsâ— * The wound of the spirit By the often checkes of conscience we may know what sinnes sway most in vs. Like reason like law Strange workes as Iron mils such like must rest on the Sabbath I wish that these two arguments of the Sabbath and of Tithe were more fully handled by some godly learned Diuines * Gâ—â—ealogies Luk â—4 45. The minde cast downe what shall comfort vs Parts to be considered Persons afflicted in minde The courage of heathens not disquieted in minde Papists disquieted in mindâ— Iob. Dauid Hezekiah Ieremiah Christ Iesâ—s an example most comfortable for all afflicted conciences True pâ—ace of minde how comfortable attained Nothing can more disquiet vs if we be at peace with God through Iesus Christ and contrarily c. Vnbeleeuers by violent deaths do not ende but begin their torments A tormented conscience cannot flie from God The second part of the first diuision * Or verieshie that is warie How wise many be to preuent many euils and how few labour to preuent afflictions of minde * Or by law In seeking so greedily for earth and so faintly for heauen we thinke we labour for our peace but we hasten this way into many griefes sorrowes 1. Tim. 6. 7. 8. 9. Ambitious How we may be preserued from the wound of conscience Simile Preseruatiues against afflictions of mind Psal. 25. 1. Cor. 11. 29. Sinnes of youth To glorie in sins of youth Rom. 6. 22. The leauing of sinne is not the repenting of sinne For what causes many leaue sinne Examination of sinnes after our calling Sinnes like soreâ— Simile Couer not thy sinne Sinnes after knowledge A blessed thing to be awaked and grieued by checkes of conscience Remedie Sinnes of omission Note The negligent vse of the meanes of saluation * Or wakened and quickened Secret corruption Iusticiarie Pharisies Affections fighting against iudgement Examination hard Returne to sins to come * Or in resemblance The godly iealousie of Gods children Take heede to our libertie The diuell tempting The diuell accusing Note Boldnes in plague Zeale What perfection we haue in this life A scrupulous feare Remission of sinne and mortification of sinne goe together Sixe points which must be knit together 1 2 3 4 5 6 The third part of the first diuision The godly afflicted Salue of this sore How to proceede in comforting the afflicted The vaine â—â—ifts of some in afflictions of minde Note well Meete comforters Pâ—â—â— â—â— Confession â—â— speciall sins Not to eye one sinne onely and to forget the rest Secret motiones vnto sinnes Doubts * Or streÌ„gth Note Two grouÌ„ds to be remembred in the cures of soules afflicted How to begin with the laâ— incuring consciences afflicted An Arian executed at Norwich 1 Good considerations in vrging the law to some afflicted 2 In afflictions euer looke to the end Some haue but a confused conceit of their sinnes in their afflictions Mockers and scorners of the afflicted * Or warraÌ„t The feeling of our sinnes an earnest of our regeneration Note The froth of sinne in the regenerate To feele that we would faine loue the Lord. Sinne and Sathan haue lost the sting in Christ. Note How to answere SathaÌ„ and sinne in temptations Good feare God as a father pitieth vs. Simile Some vtterly ignorant of the afflictions of minde The state of the wicked which sorrow not for sinne How to speak to our owne hearts in afflictions How greatly to account of our afflictions Prosperitie how dangerous to some Securitie Patience vnder the crosse In prosperitie to remember aduersitie I he crosse sent to exercise our faith Abraham Dauid Ezechias 1 Rom. 8. 2 3 1 Who be righteous and who be not 2 â— Pet. 2. Heb 11. Luke 18. Rom. 4. 3 Psalm 3â— Matth. 11. 28. Phil. 3. Luke 18. Rom. 4. Phil. 3. 2. Heb. 4. Gen. 17. Psal. 32. and 129. and 4. Iam. 2. To haue religion in respect of persons False harted Protestants The second note of a righteous man Note Rom. 7. 2. Cor. 12. 7. Prou 4. 18. Phil. 3 15. Heb. 6. Esaiah 28. Reuel 3. Esaiah 28. Heb. 3. 14. Phil. 3 Gods children sometimes linger rather than goe forward Psalm 51. Psal. 119. 8. 6. 10. Psal. 15. 16. How to loue superiours equals inferiours Matth. 10. â— Cor 5. Rom. 15. 14. Iude 20. Gen. 18. Matth. 23. Iam. 5. Dan. 12. Matth. 25. Matth. 5. Psal. 126. 2. Pet. 2. Ezech. 9. 4. Psal. 119. 5. 3. Mark 3. Rom. 15. Psal. 69. Ierem. 12. Th' espousage or betrothing before full mariage knowne by the light of nature A contract is more than a simple promise of mariage How the parties betrothed must be taught to know their duties Note The contracted must remember that God by his good prouideÌ„ce brought them together Faith in Iesus Christ. The wisedome and loue of a good Christian in the gouernment of his wife The communioÌ„ of Saints The fift commandement The second commandement That loue which breeds by gedly meanes will loÌ„gest endure The third coÌ„ mandement * Amos. 7. 16. 17. 1. Sam. 3. 33. The fourth Commandement The fift commandement The obedieÌ„â—e of the wife to the husband How the husband is to rule his wife The sixt commandement No bitternes between man and wife The seuenth commandement True loue Iealousie Note The eight coÌ„mandement The ninth coÌ„mandement Man wife not to lay opeÌ„ the infirmities one of another The tenth coÌ„mandement Then hee prayed Iudg. 14. 21. 2. Sam. 13. 13. The inconueniences and commodities of keeping or breaking the Sabbath Popish Sabbath How men prophane the Sabbath The Sabbath the Lords market day He that keepeth the Sabbath keepeth the whole 1 The order of setting downe the doctrine of the Sabbath 2 1 2 3 Doctrine to informe the iudgement must goe before exhortation to moue affections What is generally to be obserued in this coÌ„mandement 5. Lax. 10. Precept Wherefore some commandements haue reasons some none Of the reasons and first of the first reason Deut. 5. 1 1 The Patriarks knew the morall law of God 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A ceremonie is more then a shadow * Note the difference Why the law is giuen to all Christians as the posterity of Adam What it is to sanctifie the Sabbath * How the Sabbath is called a signe that is a document and not a figure Adam also in Paradise had the tree of life for a signe not for a bare figure No figures till sinne came into the world The Sabbath was not giuen