a twofold relation to God or to Man As he stands in relation to God he beares the name of a Christian that is a member of Christ or a sonne of God whose dutie is to know and to worship God according to his will reuealed in his word As he stands in relation to man he is a part of a bodie and a member of some societie Now the Questions that concerne him as a member of a societie are of three sorts according to three distinct kinds of societies For euery man is either a member of a Familie or of the Church or of the Common-wealth And answerably some Questions concerne mā as a member of a familie some as he is a member of the Church some as he is a member of the Commonwealth In a word therefore all Questions touching man may be reduced to three generall heads The first whereof is concerning man simply considered as he is a man The second touching man as he stands in relation to God The third concerning man as he is a member of one of the three societies that is either of the Familie or of the Church or of the Commonwealth QVestions of the first sort concerning man simply considered in himselfe as he is a man are especially three The first What a man must doe that he may come into the fauour of God and be saued The second How he may be assured in conscience of his owne saluation The third How he may recouer himselfe when he is distressed or fallen Of these in order CHAP. V. Of the first maine Question touching Man I. Question What must a man doe that he may come into Gods fauor and be saued FOR answer to this Question some Groundes must be laid downe before-hand The first is this That we must consider and remember how and by what meanes God brings any man to saluation For looke how God saueth others so he that would know how to be saued must vse the meanes whereby God saueth them Sect. 1. In the working and effecting of Mans saluation ordinarily there are two special actions of God the giuing of the first grace and after that the giuing of the second The former of these two works hath X. seuerall actions I. God giues man the outward meanes of saluation specially the Ministerie of the word and with it he sends some outward or inward crosse to breake and sub due the stubbornnesse of our nature that it may be made plyable to the will of God This we may see in the example of the Iaylour Act. 16. and of the Iewes that were conuerted at Peters sermon Act. 2. II. This done God brings the minde of man to a consideration of the Law and therein generally to see what is good and what is euill what is sinne and what is not sinne III. Vpon a serious consideration of the Law he makes a man particularly to see and know his owne peculiar and proper sinnes whereby he offends God IV. Vpon the sight of sinne he smites the heart with a Legall feare whereby when man seeth his sinnes he makes him to feare punishment and hell and to despaire of saluation in regard of any thing in himselfe Now these foure actions are indeede no fruits of grace for a Reprobate may goe thus farre but they are onely workes of preparation going before grace the other actions which follow are effects of grace V. The fifth action of grace therefore is to stirre vp the minde to a serious consideration of the promise of saluation propounded and published in the Gospel VI. After this the sixt is to kindle in the heart some seedes or sparks of faith that is a will and desire to beleeue and grace to striue against doubting dispaire Now at the same instant when God beginnes to kindle in the heart any sparkes of faith then also he iustifies the sinner and withall begins the worke of sanctification VII Then so soone as faith is put into the heart there is presently a combat for it fighteth with doubting dispaire and distrust And in this combate faith shews it selfe by feruent cōstant earnest inuocatiō for pardon and after inuocation followes a strength and preuailing of this desire VIII Furthermore God in mercie quiets and settles the Conscience as touching the saluation of the soule and the promise of life where vpon it resteth and staieth it selfe IX Next after this setled assurance perswasion of mercy followes a stirring vp of the heart to Euangelicall sorrow according to God that is a griefe for sinne because it is sinne and because God is offended and then the Lord workes repentance wherby the sanctified heart turnes it selfe vnto him And though this repentance be one of the last in order yet it shewes it selfe first as when a candle is brought into a roome we first see the light before wee see the candle and yet the candle must needs be before the light can be X. Lastly God giues a man grace to endeauor to obey his commaundements by a new obedience And by these degrees doth the Lord giue the first grace The second worke of God tending to saluation is the giuing of the second grace which is nothing else but the continuance of the first grace giuen For looke as by creation God gaue a beeing to man all other creatures and then by his prouidence continued the same beeing which was as it were a second creation so in bringing a man to saluation God giues the first grace for example to beleeue repent then in mercie giues the second to persevere continue in faith and repentance to the end And this if we regard man himselfe is very necessary For as fire without supply of matter wherby it is fedde continued would soone goe out so vnlesse God of his goodnesse should followe his children and by new and daily supplies continue his first grace in thē they would vndoubtedly soone loose the same finally fall away The second Ground for the answere of this Question is taken from some speciall places of Scripture where the same is mooved and resolued The men that were at Peters sermon being touched with the sense of their owne miserie vpon the doctrine which had beene deliuered as the Holy Ghost saies were pricked in their hearts and cried one to an other Men brethren what shall we doe Peter mooued by the spirit of God answers them Repent and be baptized for the remission of your sinnes The like was the case of the Iaylor who after that the stubbornnesse of his heart was beaten downe by feare of the departure of the prisoners he came trembling and fell downe before Paul and Silas and mooued this question vnto them Sirs what must I doe to be saued to whome they gaue answer Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thine houshold The young man in the Gospel sues to Christ and askes him What shall I doe to be saued Christs answers him Keepe
offered First choise must be made of the most fitte and present remedie and that must be vsed in the first place Now the most fit and present remedie is to bring the partie troubled to the personall exercises of faith and repentance by and in himselfe For this ende he must examine his conscience most straightly and narrowly of all the sinnes of his heart and life Secondly he must humbly confesse against himselfe all his knowne sinnes and withall acknowledge the due condemnation that he thereby hath deserued Thirdly he must crie to heauen for mercie intreating the Lord most instantly for pardon and for the restraint of his wrath due vnto him for his sinne Dauid beeing in this distresse performed all these duties as we may read in the 6. Psalme and he saith further of himselfe that whilst he concealed his sinnes the hand of God was heauie vpon him but vpon his earnest confession and deprecation he receiued mercie And if we read the booke of Iob we shall finde that the principall scope thereof is this namely to shew vnto vs that Iob was throughly exercised with this temptation and that in the ende hauing beene rebuked both by his friends and by God himselfe his recouerie was made by humbling himselfe when he saith Behold I am vile againe now I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes Some may here demand If it fall out that the person himselfe cannot performe any good dutie of himselfe by reason of his distraction in soule and bodie what must then be done Ans. If the partie can but sigh and sobbe vnto God for mercie and comfort it is no doubt a worke of Gods spirit and a practise both of faith and repentance We know not saith Saint Paul what to pray as we ought namely in our distresses but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes that cannot be expressed and therein lies our comfort Thus Moses at the redde sea beeing in great distresse and not knowing what to say or doe sighed and groned inwardly in his soule vnto the Lord for helpe and protection and his very desire was in stead of a loud crie in the eares of the Lord. The second thing is that triall must be made whether the partie hath in him any tokens of grace or not These tokens are the small beginnings of grace which before I haue declared As for example a griefe because we cannot grieue for sinne as we should a serious will and desire to beleeue and repent a purpose to sin no more and such like If these be found in the partie then by them as by sure pledges he may bee assured of the fauour of God towards him and where any of these be found the saying of God to Saint Paul must be vrged My grace is sufficient for thee and therewith must the distressed partie stay his minde Yea we are to be content with any condition in this life be it neuer so miserable so long as we are in the fauour of God though he should lay vpon vs euen the paines of hell till the time of our death So did Dauid who when he was pursued by his owne sonne vttered these words vnto God Behold if I please thee not do with me what thou wilt And the like was the mind of Paul who being assured of the fauour of God was content for his glorie the saluation of the Israelits if it had beene possible to be separated 〈◊〉 Christ and to indure the very pangs of hell The third thing in this cure is to Applie to the said distressed partie such promises of God made vnto afflicted persons as are most large and comfortable For example that The Lord is neere to them that are of a contrite heart and will saue such as be afflicted in spirit Psal. 34. 18. Againe I came not saith our Sauiour Christ but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Matth. 15. 24. He saies not to the straying sheepe but to such as are now in the pitte readie to be drowned or in the Lyons mouth readie to be deuoured Againe The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me therefore he hath annointed me that I should preach the Gospell to the poore that is to such as are distressed in consciēce and poore in spirit he hath sent me that I should heale the broken hearted that I should preach deliuerance to the captiues These many other such like promises are in this case to be vrged and the partie mooued to endeauour to beleeue them to hold to them and rest himselfe vpon them though he loose all things els Fourthly the partie must be brought to a serious consideration of his owne life past and of Gods mercifull dealing with him others in his case in former times and therwith is he to be comforted for the time present For if aforehand he hath receiued any tokens of the fauour and loue of God by them he is now to stay and to settle his minde The reason is plaine the gifts of god are without repentāce whom he loueth once he loueth to the ende whom he chooseth he calleth iustifieth and sanctifieth and will also in time glorifie Dauid beeing in such affliction that he could hardly thinke vpon God yet he tooke this course praied to the Lord for comfort communed with his owne heart and called to remembrance how God had formerly dealt with him and with this meditation of the continuall course of Gods mercie in his preseruation he confirmed his faith and staied his heart in his greatest troubles Sect. 5. The fifth and last thing to be done is the remooueall of such reasons and doubts as the partie distressed vsually makes against himselfe for his owne ouerthrow For it is the manner of those that are troubled in minde to dispute against themselues and commōly they are woont to alleadge three things First beeing instructed how to humble themselues and to depend on Gods mercie they will graunt that all these indeede are good things but they belong not to them for they neither do nor can feele any thing but the tokens of Gods anger and that they are alreadie entred into some degrees of condemnation This obiection may be taken away by informing them of the manner of Gods dealing in all his workes For commonly he workes all things in his creatures in and by cōtraries if we could know the whole frame of them Thus in the Creation euery creature had his beeing of that which had no beeing and something was made not of something but of nothing After the flood the signe of Gods coueuant for the preseruation of the world from destruction by raine is the Rainbow which indeed is a naturall signe of raine When Elias was to prooue the Lord to be the onely true God against the Idolatrous priests of Baal and that by burnt offerings he powred water vpon the sacrifice fills a trench with water round about and in this contrarie
and erronious Grounds of Doctrine much preiudiciall to the direction or resolution of the Conscience in time of neede as namely I. That a man in the course of his life may build himselfe vpon the faith of his teachers and for his saluation rest contented with an implicite and vn-expressed faith Which doctrine as it is an onely meane to keepe men in perpetuall blindnes and ignorance so it serueth to no other purpose in the time of TemptatioÌ„ but to plunge the hart of man into the pit of despaire it being vncapable of coÌ„fort for want of particular knowledg vnderstaÌ„ding of the word promise of God Iâ— That euery man ought to stand in feare and doubt of the pardon of his sinnes and that no man can be assured by the certentie of faith either of the present fauour of God or of his owne saluation True it is that in respect of our owne vnworthines and indisposition we haue iust cause not onely to doubt and feare but to dispaire and be confounded before the iudgement seat of God Yet that a man should not be certainely resolued by faith of the mercie of God in and for the merir of Christ is a comfortlesse doctrine to a distressed soule and contrarie vnto the sauing word of the Gospel which teacheth that certentie floweth from the nature of faith and not doubting III. That euery man is bound in conscience vpon paine of damnation to make speciall confession of his mortall sinnes with all the particular circumstaÌ„ces therof once euery yere to his Priest This position practise besides that it hath no warrant of sacred writte nor yet any ground of Orthodoxe antiquitie for 800. yeares more or lesse after Christ it maketh notably to the disturbing of the peace of Conscience in time of extremitie considering that is impossible either to vnderstand or remember all many beeing hidden and vnknowne And the minde being in this case informed that forgiuenesse dependeth vpon such an enumeration may thus be brought into doubt and distrust and will not be able to rest by faith in the sole mercie of God the onely soueraigne medicine of the soule Againe the griefe of the mind doth not alwaies arise from all the sinnes that a man hath committed neither doth the Lord set before the sinners eies whatsoeuer euill hath bin done by him but some one or more particulars And these are they that doe lie heavie vpon the heart and to be eased of them will be worke inough though he doth not exhibite vnto the Confessour a Catalogue of all the rest IV. That some sinnes are veniall because they are onely besides the Lawe of God not against it and because they binde ouer the sinner onely to temporal and not to eternall punishments This conclusion first is false For though it be granted that some offences are greater some lesser some in a higher degree others in a lower Againe that sinnes in regard of the euent beeing repented of or in respect of the person sinning beeing in Christ and therefore accounted iust are pardonable because they are not imputed to condemnation yet there is no sinne of what degree soeuer which is not simply and of it selfe mortall whether we respect the nature of the sinne or the measure and proportion of diuine iustice For in nature it is an anomie that is to say an aberration from the perfect rule of righteousnesse therefore is subiect to the curse both of temporarie and eternall death It is an offence against the highest Maiestie and consequently man standeth by it ingaged to euerlasting torment Secondly it is a weake and insufficient ground of resolution to a troubled Conscience For whereas true and sauing ioy is the daughter of sorrow and the heart of man cannot be lifted vp in assurance of Gods fauour to the apprehensioÌ„ and conceipt of heauenly comforts vnlesse it be first abased and by true humiliation brought to nothing in it selfe The remembrance of this that the offence committed is veniall may in some cases too much inlarge the heart and giue occasion to presume when haply there will be reason to the contrary And if not that yet in case of falling by infirmitie after grace receiued the mind beeing forestalled with this erronious conceipt that the sinne is lesse then it is indeede because veniall may in the issue be lesse quieted and more perplexed V. That a man may satisfie the iustice of God for the temporall punishment of his sinnes committed To omit the vntruth of â—â—is position Howe it maketh to the casing of the heart or the asswaging of the griefe of minde in temptation I appeale to common experience For when a man beeing assured of the pardon of his sinnes shall yet consider that there is something more behind to be done on his part how can he in probabilitie rely himselfe wholly vpon Christs satisfaction How can he reape vnto himselfe from thence any assurance of reconciliation to God whome he formerly offended If we may and must doe something in our owne persons whereby to appease the wrath of God why hath our Sauiour taught vs for our hearts releife wholly and onely to make the plea of pardon for our sinnes True it is indeede that Popish Confessours doe teach their Penitents when they feele the wrath of God vpon them for sinne to stoppe the mouth of Conscience by performance of a formall humiliation and repentance yea to offer vnto God some ceremoniall duties in way of satisfaction But when sorrow seazeth vpon the soule and the man falls into temptation then it will appeare that these directions were not currant for notwithstanding them he may want sound comfort in Gods mercie and runne into despaire without recouerie And for this cause vpon experience it hath bin prooued that euen Papists themselues in the houre of death haue bin content to renounce their owne workes yea the whole body of humane satisfactions and to cleaue onely to the mercie of God in Christ for their saluation By these instances and many more that might be alleadged to this purpose it is apparent vpon how weake and vnstable Grounds the Case-diuinitie of the Popish Church standeth and how indirect a course they take for the resolution and direction of the troubled Conscience Now by the benefit and abuse of this Doctrine we see how necessary it is that in Churches which professe ChristiaÌ„ religion it should be more taught and further inlarged then it is And to this purpose it were to be wished that men of knowledge in the Ministerie that haue by the grace of God attained vnto the Tongue of the learned would imploy their paines this way not onely in searching into the depth of such points as stand in bare speculation but in annexing thereunto the grounds and conclusions of practise wherby they might both informe the iudgement rectifie the conscience of the hearers By this means it would come to passe that the poore distressed soule might
the Commandements When he replied that he had kept them from his youth Christ tels him that he must goe yet further and sell all that he hath and giue to the poore And Iohn tells the Scribes and Pharises who came vnto his Baptisme and confessed their sinnes that if they would flie from the wrath to come they must repent and bring forth fruits worthie amendment of life From these places then I frame this answer to the Question in hand The man that would stand in the fauour of God and be saued must doe foure things first humble himselfe before God secondly beleeue in Christ thirdly repent of his sinnes fourthly performe new obedience vnto God Sect. 2. For the first Humiliation is indeode a fruit of faith yet I put it in place before faith because in practise it is first Faith lieth hid in the heart and the first effect whereby it appeares is the abasing and humbling of our selues And here we are further to consider three points first wherein stands humiliation secondly the excellencie of it thirdly the Questions of conscience that concerne it Touching the first point Humiliation stands in the practise of three things The first is a sorrow of heart whereby the sinner is displeased with himself ashamed in respect of his sinnes The second is a confession to god wherin also three things are to be done first to acknowledge all our maine sinnes originall and actuall secondly to acknowledge our guiltinesse before God thirdly to acknowledge our iust damnation for sinne The third thing in Humiliation is supplication made to God for mercie as earnestly as in a matter of life and death and of these three things we haue in Scripture the examples of Ezra Daniel and the prodigall sonne Ezra 9. Dan. 9. Luk. 15. 18. The second point is the excellencie of Humiliation which stands in this that it hath the promises of life eternall annexed to it Esa. 57. 15. I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to giue life to them that are of a contrite heart Psal. 51. 17. A contrite and a broken heart O God thou wilt not despise Prov. 28. 13. He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde mercie 1. Ioh. 1. 9. If we acknowledge our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes By all these and many other places it is manifest that in the very instant when a sinner beginnes truly in heart and conscience to humble himselfe he is then entred into the state of saluation So soone as Dauid said I haue sinned Nathan pronounceth in the name of the Lord that his sinnes were put away And Dauid himselfe saith alluding to the former place I said I will confesse my sinne and loc thou forgauest the wickednes of my sinne When the Prodigall sonne had but said I will goe to my father c. euen then before he humbled himselfe his father meetes him and receiues him The third point is touching the Questions of conscience concerning Humiliation all which may be reduced to foure principall Cases I. Case What if it fall out that a man in humbling himselfe cannot call to minde either all or the most of his sinnes I answer A particular humiliation indeed is required for maine and knowne sinnes but yet there are two cases wherein generall repentance will be accepted of God for vnknowne sinnes One is when a man hath searched himselfe diligently and by a serious examination passed through all the commaundements of God and yet after such examination and search made his particular offences are yet hidden and not reuealed vnto him so as he cannot call them to remembrance then the generall repentance is accepted For this is answerable to the practise of Dauid who after long search when he could not attaine to the knowledge of his particular slippes then he addresseth himselfe to a generall humiliation saying Who knoweth the errours of this life clense me Lord from my secret faults and vpon this he was no doubt accepted Againe when a man humbleth himselfe and yet is preuented by the time so as he cannot search his heart and life as he would his generall repentance will be taken and accepted of God The truth hereof appeares in the theefe vpon the crosse who hauing no time to search himselfe made no speciall humiliation yet vpon his generall confession he was accepted Now the ground of this doctrine is this He that truly repents of one sinne in this case when he is preuented is as if he repented of all II. Case What must a man doe that findes himselfe hard hearted and of a dead spirit so as he cannot humble himselfe as he would Answ. Such persons if they humble themselues they must be content with that grace which they haue receiued For if thou be truly and vnfainedly grieued for this that thou canst not be grieued thy humiliation shall be accepted For that which Paul saith of almes may be truly said in this case that if there be a readie minde a man shall be accepted according to that he hath and not according to that he hath not III. Case Whether the party that is more grieued for losse of his friend then for offēce of God by his sinne doeth or can truly humble himselfe Answ. A man may haue a greater griefe for an earthly losse then for the other and yet be truly greiued for his sinnes too The reason is because that is a bodily naturall and sensible losse and accordingly sorrow for it is naturall Now the sorrow for the offending of God is no sensible thing but supernaturall and spirituall and sensible things doe more affect urge the minde then the other Dauid did notably humble himselfe for his sinnes and he did exceedingly mourne for the losse of his sonne Absolom yea and more too then for his sinnes Would God I had died for thee Absolom O Absolom my sonne my sonne c. Againe I answer that the sorrow of the minde must be measured by the intention of the affection by the estimation of the thing for which we sorrow Now sorrow for sinne though it be lesse in respect of the intention thereof yet is it greater in respect of the estimation of the mind because they which truly mourn for their sins grieue for the offence of God as the greatest euill of all and for the losse of the fauour of God as for losse of the most excellent pretious thing in the world IV. Case Whether it be necessarie in Humiliation that the heart should be smitten with a sensible sorrow Answer I. In sorrow for sinne ther are two things first to be displeased for our sinns secondly to haue a bodily moouing of the heart which causeth crying and teares The former of these is necessarie
place to Timothie God would haue all men to be saued that is now in this last age of the world And thus the same Apostle 2. Cor. 6. expoundes a certaine prophecie of Isay concerning the acceptable time of grace Now saith he is the acceptable time behold Now is the day of saluation meanig the time of the new Testament And Coloss. 1. 26. The mysterie hid from the beginning is now made manifest to the Saints And Rom. 16. 26. The revelation of the secret mysterie is now opened All which and many other places about the same matter hauing this circumstance of time Now must needes be limited to this last age of the world As for the note of vniuersalitie All it must not be vnderstood of all particulars but of all kinds sorts conditions and states of men as may be gathered out of the former words I would that praiers be made for all men not for euery particular man for there be some that sinne vnto death for whome we may not pray but for all states of men as well Princes as subiects poore as rich base as noble vnlearned as learned c. But the saying of Paul is vrged 2. Cor. 5. 18. God was in Christ reconciling the World vnto himselfe therfore the promise in Christ belongs to the whole World and consequently to euery one Ans. The saine Apostle shall againe answer for himselfe Rom. 11. 15. The casting away of the Iewes is thereconciling of the world that is of the Gentiles in the last age of the world for so he said before more plainely The falling away of the Iew is the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles And so must that place to the Corinthes be vnderstood namely not of all and euery man that liued in all ages and times but of them that were by the dispensation of the Gospell to be called out of all kingdomes and nations after the death and ascension of Christ. Thus then the promise of saluation is not vniuersall without exception or restraint therfore application made by the vniuersalitie of the promise admits some falshood Secondly this way of applying is also Vnfit For the reason must be framed thus Christ died for all men but thou art a man therfore Christ died for thee The partie distressed will grant all and say Christ indeede died for him if he would haue receiued Christ but he by his sinnes hath cut himselfe off from his owne Sauiour and hath forsaken him so as the benefit of his death will doe him no good Sect. 4. The right way of ministring Comfort to a party distressed followeth In the handling whereof first I will lay down the Grounds wherby any man that belongs to God may be brought within the Couenant And then I will shew the Right Way how they must be vsed and applied For the first Recourse must not be bad to all graces or to all degrees and measures of grace but onely such as a troubled Conscience may feele and reach vnto For those that be the true children of God and haue excellent measure of grace when they are in distresse feele little or no grace at all in themselues The graces then that serue for this purpose are three Faith Repentance and the true Loue of God which is the fruit of them both And that we may the more easily and truly discerne of them and not be deceiued inquirie must be made what be the Seedes and beginnings of them all The first Ground of grace is this A desire to repent and beleeue in a touched heart and conscience is faith and repentance it selfe though not in nature yet in Gods acceptation I prooue it thus It is a principle graunted and confessed of all men that in them which haue grace God accepteth the will for the deede If there bee a willing minde saith the Apostle it is accepted not according to that a man hath not but according to that he hath Againe God hath annexed a promise of blessednes and life euerlasting to the true and vnfained desire of grace Whence it is that they are in Scripture pronounced blessed which hunger and thirst after righteousnes And who are they but such as feele themselues to want all righteousnes and doe truly and earnestly desire it in their hearts For hunger and thirst argues both a want of something and a feeling of the wāt And to this purpose the holy Ghost saith To him that is a thirst will I giue to drinke of the water of life freely Now this thirstie soule is that man which feeles himselfe destitute of all grace and Gods fauour in Christ and withall doth thirst after the blood of Christ and desires to be made partaker thereof God is wont mercifully to accept of the desire of any good thing when a man is in necessitie and stands in want therof The Lord saies Dauid heares the desire of the poore that is of them that are in distresse either of bodie or minde Yea he will fulfill the desire of them that feare him It will be said that the desire of good things is naturall and therfore God will not regard mens desires I answer Desires be of two sorts Some be of such things as men by the meere light of nature know to be good for example the desire of wisdome of ciuill vertue of honour of happinesse and such like and all these nature can desire Others be aboue nature as the desire of remission of sinnes reconciliation and sanctification and they which seriously desire these haue a promise of blessednes life euerlasting And hence it followes that desire of mercie in the want of mercie is mercie it selfe and desire of grace in the want of grace is grace it selfe A second Ground is this A godly sorrow whereby a man is grieued for his sinnes because they are sinnes is the beginning of repentance indeed for substance is repentance it selfe The Apostle Paul reioyced that he had in the worke of his Ministerie wrought this godly sorrow in the hearts of the Corinthians calling it sorrow that causeth repentance not to be repented of This sorrow may be discerned in this sort The heart of him in whome it is is so affected that though there were no conscience nor deuill to accuse no hell for condemnation yet it would be grieued in it selfe because God by sinne is displeased and offended If it be alleadged that euery one cannot reach to this beginning of repentance thus to sorrow for his sinne then I adde further If the partie be grieued for the hardnes of his heart whereby it comes to passe that he cannot grieue he hath vndoubtedly receiued some portion of godly sorrow For it is not nature that makes vs to grieue for hardnes of heart but grace The third Ground is that A setled purpose and willing minde to forsake all sinne and to turn vnto God though as yet no outward conuersion appeare
means was the sacrifice burnt vp Christ for the curing of a blind man teÌ„pers spittle and clay together which in all reason is a fitter meanes to put out the eyes then to cause the blind to see Thus in the worke of our Redemption Christ giues life not by life but by death and he sendes men to heauen by the gates and suburbs of hell he shewes his greatest power in the greatest weaknes nay his power is made perfect through weakenes He will not build vpon an old foundation but he pulls downe and destroies all that Man may haue no hope at all in himselfe but that all the hope he hath may be in God First he kils and then he makes aliue as Anna speaketh first he woundeth and then he healeth He makes man to sowe in teares that afterward he may reape in ioy And he that knowes Gods dealing to be this must herewith rest content and satisfied because in wrath God vseth to remember his mercy yea his mercie is neuer sweete vnto the palate of the soule vntill it be seasoned with some tast of his wrath The Paschall Lambe was eaten with sowre hearbs to signifie that we can feele no sweetenes in the blood of Christ till wee first feele the smart of our owne sinnes and corruptions Secondly these persons vse to alleadge against themselues that if they could feele any comfort at al then they would stay their minds and yeild to good perswasions and exhortations To this the answer is That there is a Rule of grace which we must follow gathered out of the word of God and the experience of Gods Children contrarie to the rule of nature and aboue the light of reason and it is this that in case of aâ—â—liction we must not liue by feeling but by faith This Rule is grounded vpon the speech of the Lord by the Prophet the iust maÌ„ shall liue by his faith When we haue neither sight nor sense nor any tast of Gods mercie but onely apprehend his wrath euen then we must labour to lay hold of mercie in his word and promise Sense feeling are not alwaies fit directioÌ„s for the time of this life For he may be the deare child of God that in present feeleth nothing but his wrath and indignation This indeede is the true triail of our faith when euen aboue and against reason we relie on the mercie of God in the apprehension of his anger So did Dauid Out of the deepe saith he that is beeing nowe deepely plunged into the pangs of a distressed conscience haue I called vpoÌ„ thee O Lord and Iob in the like case Lord though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee Abraham is commended by the holy Ghost amongst other things for this that he beleeued in God aboue hope that is against all matter of hope that might possibly be conceiued vpon the consideration of the strength of natural causes The thiefe vpon the crosse feeling nothing but woe and seeing nothing in Christ but misery and contempt yet he beleeued in Christ and was saued In a word Christ himselfe when he was sorsaken of all men and voide of all wordly comfort and felt nothing but the depth of the wrath God in his agony and passion yet by the faith of his manhood hestaied himselfe and said My God my God Thirdly they vse to plead that their case is desperate that neuer any was in such a state as they are neuer any touched with the like distresse of mind Answ. It is false For the holy Ghost hath penned three notable places of Scripture the booke of Iob and two Psalmes of Dauid wherein are propounded vnto vs the examples of Iob and Dauid Gods owne deare seruants who were in as great distresse as euer they or any other haue beene And they may not thinke that they euer could be able to indure greater paines then Christ who notwithstanding in the anguish of his soule vpon the Crosse cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And thus much touching the first kind of trouble of conscience called the diuine temptation CHAP. IX Of the second Speciall Distresse arisiâ—g from outward afflictions THe second kind of Distresse is that which ariseth from outward afflictions By Afflictions I vnderstand all manner of miseries and calamities in this life from the least to the greatest from the paine of the little finger to the very pangs of death Nowe the Question is howe the Trouble of minde arising by Afflictions may be remedied For the answer of which question two things are required of the partie distressed Practise and Meditation Sect. 1. The Practise is that which is to be vsed in all distresses of minde what soeuer And it is a diligent examination of the conscience in regard of sinne an earnest and heartie confession thereof vnto God and deprecation that is earnest praier vnto him for the pardon of the same These three things beeing done truly and vnfainedly from the heart are a present remedie against this trouble and bring with them much comfort Manasses the king of Iudah that had coÌ„mitted much wickednesse when he was carried captiue to Babel and there put in chaines he humbled himselfe acknowledged his sinnes and praied earnestly vnto the Lord and the issue was good for God was intreated of him and gaue him deliuerance Iob beeing long in outward affliction humbled himselfe in like manner and at length receiued comfort Daniel humbled himselfe before God for his owne sinnes and for the sinnes of Gods people making request vnto God earnestly for them and euen when he was in the acte of praying the Lord sent his angel Gabriel to giue him notice of deliuerance Lastly the Church of God vnder the crosse performed the like dutie Let vs search and trie our waies and turne to the Lord and God in mercie gaue an eare vnto her mourning and lamentation By all these places it is apparent that there is no better remedie in the world for the minde of man grieued by meanes of outward afflictions then the practise of the duties before named Sect. 2. The next thing vnto Practise is the Meditation of the comfortable doctrines that are set downe in the word of God touching afflictions All which doctrines may be reduced to fiue principall and maine grounds of comfort and shall be laid downe in their order The first Ground is that All afflictions from the least to the greatest doe come to passe not by accident chaunce or fortune but by the speciall prouidence of God I explaine it thus In euery particular crosse and affliction there is the hand of Gods particular prouidence and that in three regards First because God decreeth and foreappointeth euery particular crosse Marke the words of Paul Whome God hath foreknowne them he hath predestinate to be made like vnto the image of his sâ—â—ne and what is this image nothing else but a conformitie vnto Christ in
rooted in the heart that it cannot be remooued thence Your ioy shal no man take from you saith Christ. It must needes therefore be true and sound yea able to swallow vp all matter of griefe and heauinesse whereas the other is neuer sincere but with the sweetnes thereof hath alwaies mingled some bitternes Euen in laughter saith Salomon speaking thereof the heart is heauie When the face of the wicked man shineth and his countenance is pleasant euen then is he inwardly sorrowfull and his minde is troubled Lastly the ioy of the Spirit is eternall abiding in the mind of man not onely for the terme of this life but for euer in the world to come So is not the reioycing of the world in earthly things for it is fading and deceitfull as the things themselues be wherein it is placed it hath the beginning in corruption and endeth with this present life The examples of the two rich men in the Gospel doe manifest this truth And to this purpose is the speech of Zophar in the booke of Iob that the reioycing of the wicked is very short the ioy of hypocrites is but a momeÌ„t c. By these fiue properties may we put a true difference betweene earthly and heauenly reioycing and consequently discerne of them euen in our seleues And if we perceiue this ioy of the Spirit rightly conâ—ceiued and grounded in the right vse of the word and Sacraments as also in the exercises of inuocation faith and repentance to take place in our soules and consciences we shall finde it of force to moderate and alay the very terrours of death And so much for Preparation Now the helpes to be vsed in the time of death are manifold the summe of all may be reduced to two heads Meditations and Practises Touching Meditations we must in the first place consider Death in a double respect one as it is in it owne nature and another as it is changed and qualified by the death of Christ Death in it owne nature is a Curse or fore â—…er of comdemnation the very gates and suburbs of Hell it selfe but beeing qualified by Christ it is a blessing an end of all miseries a full freedome from all dangers a short passage vnto ioy an entrance into euerlasting life a quiet sleepe voide of all annoyance by dreames and fantasies And the graue a resting chamber yea a bed perfumed by the death of Christ for the bodies of all the Elect out of which when they awake they shall be admitted receiued into the presence of God in heauen Secondly we are to consider that there be three degrees of eternall life The first whereof is in this world before we die and it is then wheÌ„ we begin to repent beleeue in Christ and to be assured in conscience that God the father is our father Christ our redeemer the holy Ghost our comforter For this is eternall life to know God and him whome he hath sent Iesus Christ. The next degree is in death for death cuts off al sin originall actuall death frees vs from al wordly miseries death prepareth the bodie that it may be fit to enter into eternall happinesse together with the soule which is alreadie in heauen The last degree is when bodie soule reunited goe both together into eternall and euerlasting glory Our third meditation is that that there is a mysticall vnion and coniunctioÌ„ betweene Christ and euery beleeuer that not onely in regard of soule but of bodie also which beeing once knit shall neuer be dissolued but is eternall Wherevpon the dying dead rotten and consumed bodie remaineth still a member of Christ abideth within the couenant and is and shall be euer a temple of the Holy Ghost Thus Adam and Abraham which are dead so many thousand yeares agoe yea euery true beleeuer from them to the end of the world shall arise at the last day in body to glory by the power of their coniunction with Christ. In the winter season we see the most trees voide of leaues buddes and blossomes so as they seeme to vs to be dead and yet neuerthelesse there is a sappe in the roote of them which in the Spring wil ascend reuiue the decaied braÌ„ches Euen so it is with our bodies which though they be corrupted rotten burnt or eaten with wormes or deuoured by wild beasts so as they may seeme to be vtterly perished yet there is as it were a secret and hidden sap in them by reason of their vnion with Christ by which they shall be raised reuiued and quickned being made like vntothe glorious bodie of Christ their head with whome they shall raigne and liue for euermore Helpes in practise are two First he that will beare with comfort the pangs of death must labour that he may die in faith and that is done by laying hold of the promise of God touching forgiuenes of sinnes and life euerlasting by Christ. All these saith the holy Ghost died in faith namely Abel Enoch Noâ— Abraham and Sarah all laying hold of the promise of life by Christ. When Iacob on his death-bed was blessing of his children he brake forth into this heauenly speach O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation In which words it is plaine that his faith rested on the mercie of God and by hope he waited for his saluatioÌ„ our Sauiour Christ saith As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him might not perish but haue life euerlasting Out of which words the forenamed duty may be learned that looke as the childreÌ„ of Israel being stung with fiery serpeÌ„ts that vnto death weâ— healed by looking vp to the braseÌ„ serpeÌ„t erected by Moses so wheÌ„ we are stuÌ„g with sin death we must euer remeÌ„ber by faith to looke vpon Christ. But specially when we are dying then it is our part to sixe the eies of our soules by faith vpon him and thereby shall we escape death and be made partakers of eternall life and happinesse Notable is the example of Christ who as he was man alwaies fixed his trust and considence in his fathers word especially at his end For when he was dying and the pangs of death seazed vpon him he cries vnto the Lord My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and againe Father into thy hands I commend my spirit which words are full of faith and doe bewray what great affiance he placed in his fathers loue c. When Dauid in an extremitie saw nothing before his eies but present death the people in tending to stone him at the very instant as the text saith he comforted himselfe in the Lord his God but how by calling to minde the mercifull promises that God had made vnto him and by applying them vnto his heart by faith And Paul saith of himselfe the rest of the faithfull that they receiued the
indeauour in the course of our liues afterward to performe obedieÌ„ce to God in all his commandements that thereby we may shew our selues thankefull to him for his mercie and profit in our obedience For proofe hereof First consider the examples of this practise in Gods children All that Dauid that worthie seruant of God could doe after his sinnes committed to bring himselfe againe into the fauour of God whome he had offended consisted of these very heads which haue beene named Repentance Confidence and Affiance in Gods mercie and Performance of new obedience And this his practise was verified amongst many other places specially in the 119. Psalme in all the Psalmes commonly called penitentiall Againe the Prophet Daniel was accepted of God onely for the doing of these things Dan. 9. And in like manner was Paul and the rest of the Apostles Rom. 7. 1. Tim. 1. 12. Againe for further proofe let it be considered what it is that makes a man to become a Christian and seruant of God not this that he is pure from all sinnes and neuer slides or swarâ—es from obedience vnto God but because when he sinneth and falleth he is grieued with himselfe and laboureth euery day to mortifie his corruptions which are the matter of sinne in his heart and life and suffereth not sinne to reigne in his mortall bodie but crucifieth the flesh with the affections and lusts therof Yet here remaines a great difficultie Many a good seruant of God may and doth truly say of himselfe I bewaile my sinnes and doe in some sort rest on Gods mercie and withall I endeauour to performe new obedience but alas here is my griefe I cannot doe these things as I would In matter of sorrow and griefe I am troubled with hardnes of heart in occasions of boldnes and confidence with doubtings 〈◊〉 endeauour to obey with many slippes and sundrie falls For the staying moderating of this griefe these rules may further be remembreâ—… The first Rule If there be in the minde a purpose not to sinne in the will a desire to please God and in the whole man â—n endeauour to performe the purpose of the minde and the desire of the will marke what followes vpon this God in mercie accepteth the purpose and will to obey for obedience it selfe Yea though a man faile in the very act and do not so well as he should the Lord accepteth the affection and endeauour for the thing done Excellent is the saying of an auncient Father God accepteth that which is his and forgiues that which is thine his is the grace whereby we are inabled to endeauour to obey in the want of obedience and that he accepteth ours iâ— the sinne and weakenes in performance of the dutie which he requireth and that he doth in mercie forgiue Herein appeareth the great goodnes of God vnto vs and we can neuer be sufficiently thankfull for the same But yet that we may not here delude our hearts with conceits and blessâ— our selues in vaine we must knowe that God doth not alwaies accept the will for the deede vnlesse there be a constant purpose in heart a true desire in will and some resolued indeauour sutable in the life Malacâ— 3. â—7 God spares them that feare him â—s a father spares his own child How is that though the sick or weake child beeing comâ—…ed some busines goeth about it very vnhandsomly and so the deede be done to little 〈◊〉 no purpose yet the father accepts it as well done if he see the childe yoelde vnto his commandement and doe his indeauour to the vttermost of his power Euen so will God deale with those that be his children though sicke and weake in obedience â—…r how will some say can God accept a worke of ours that is imperfect Ans. So farre forth as the obedience is done in truth so farre forth God accepts it because it is his owne worke in vs and as it is ours he pardons it vnto vs because we are in Christ. A second Rule is laid downe Rom. 7. 19. where Paul saith to this purpose the good which I would doe I doe not and the euill which I would not that do I. In these words is set down the state of all regenerate men in this life and the meaning is this The good things which God hath commanded I doe them but not as I would and the euill forbidden I auoid but not as I would This we shall see to be true by comparing the voices of three kindes of men together The carnall man saith I doe not that which is good neither will I do it and that which is euill I doe and I will doe it Contrariwise the man glorified he saith That which is good I do and will doe it and that which is euill I doe not neither will I doe it The regenerate man in a middle betweene them both he saith The good things commanded I do but not as I would the euill things forbidden I avoid but not as I would And this is the estate of the child of God in this life who in this regard is like vnto a diseased man who loues his health and therfore obserues both diet and physick and yet he often falls into his fit againe though he be neuer so carefull to obserue the rules of the Physitian by reason of the distemperature of his bodie and hereupon is saine to goe to the Physitian the second time for new counsell In like manner Gods children haue indeede in their hearts a care to please and obey God but by reason of sinne that dwelleth in them they â—aile often and so are â—aine to humble themselues again before him by new repentance Againe the seruants of God are like to a man by some suddaine accident cast into the sea who in striuing to saue himselfe from drowning puts to all his strength to swim to the shore and beeing come almost vnto it their meetes him a waue or billow which driues him cleane backe againe it may be a mile or further and then the former hope and ioy conceiued of escape is sore abated yet he returnes againe and still labours to come to the land and neuer rests till he attaine vnto it III. Ground He that is indeede regenerate hath this priuiledge that the corruption of nature is no part of him neither doth it belong to his person in respect of diuine imputation Paul saith of himselfe Rom. 7. 17. It is no more I but sinne that dwelleth in me In which words he distinguisheth betweene his owne person and sinne that is in him For in man regenerate there be three things the bodie the soule and the gift of Gods image restored againe Now touching the corruption of nature that is in his person and so may be said to be his but it belongs not to the man regenerate it is not his because it is not imputed to him and so indeed is as though it were not in him The Apostle 1 Thess. 5. 23. praies
Of this Saint Paul speaks to the Corinths Iudge ye what I say 1. Cor. 10. 15. The second is the iudgement of the Prophet or minister And this is a surer kind of iudgement then the former proceeding from a greater measure of Gods grace The third is the iudgement of the Holy Ghost in scripture and this is soueraigne and absolute For the Holy Ghost iudgeth all and is iudged of none These three kinds of iudgment are set in this order The first depends vpon the second the second vpon the third and the third is absolute and iudged of none Vpon this caueat two things doe follow First that a priuate hearer though he may iudge of doctrine deliuered yet he may not censure the Teacher or his ministrie Ministers are to be iudged but their spirit is not subiect to euery priuate man but to the prophets For the spirit of the prophet that is the doctrine which the prophets bring beeing inspired by the Holy Ghost is subiect to the Prophets 1. Cor. 14. 32. Secondly a priuate man is not to publish or broach any point of doctrine but that which is plainly propounded in the word and taught by the ministers thereof This is a necessarie rule and the want of obseruation thereof is the cause of many scismes and haeresies in the Church The Lord commands the people Mal. 2. 7. to require the law at the mouth of the priest in all maine points of faith and manners The second Rule to be obserued in hearing Euery hearer must haue care that the word of God be rooted and grounded in his heart like good feede in good ground which Saint Iames expresseth Iam. 1. 21. Receiue with meekenes the ingrafted word Here generally it is to be remembred that not onely ignorant people but euen the most learned ought to be hearers of the word preached For the preaching thereof serues not onely for the increasing of knowledge but also for the reformation of the affection which may be inordinate where knowledge doth abound Now for the rooting of the word of God in our hearts sundry things are required First a true right vnderstanding therof Secondly it must be mingled with faith Heb. 4. 1. For the word is as wine or water of life our faith is the sugar that sweetneth it and giues it a pleasant relish The word therfore must be tempered and mixed with our saith that it may become profitable vnto vs. Now in this mixture there is required a double faith the first generall whereby we beleeue the doctrine deliuered to be true so as we neuer call the same into question Our Gospell to you saith Paul was in much assurance 1. Thess. 1. 5. The second special whereby we apply the word preached vnto our selues for the humbling and comforting of our hearts Thirdly we must labour to be affected with the word Thus Iosiah his heart is said to melt at the reading of the law 2. Chro. 34. 27. And the people reioyced greatly because they vnderstood the word which the Leuites had taught them Neh. 8. 12. The hearts of the two disciples that went to Emmaus burned within them when Christ opened vnto them the scriptures Luc. 24. 32. And the Iewes at Peters sermon were pricked in their hearts and said Men and brethren what shall we doe Act. 2. 37. Fourthly the word of God must dwell plenteously in vs Coll. 3. 16. This is doth when it rules and beares the greatest sway in the heart and is not ouerruled by any corrupt affection III. The duties to be performed after hearing are these First the doctrine deliuered must be treasured vp in the heart and practised in life Psal. 119. 11. I haue hid thy word in my heart that I might not sinne against thee Secondly a man must meditate on the word which he hath heard with lifting vp of his heart vnto God The beasts that were clouen footed and chewed the cudde were fittest both for meate vnto man and for sacrifice to God Levit. 11. It was the olde and auncient opinion of the Church that this chewing the cudde signified holy meditations And he that heares the word must doe as the beast doth fetch vp the meate out of his bellie againe and chewe it ouer a new The man that doth so is the fittest for the Lords vse Thirdly he must haue experience of the word of God in himselfe Psal. 34. 8. Tast and see how gracious the Lord is Fourthly he is to examine himselfe after he hath heard the word Thus Dauid saith of himselfe Psal. 119. 59. I haue considered my wayes and turned my feete vnto thy testimonies Fiftly he must be obedient vnto it and testifie his obediēce though not at all times yet whensoeuer occasion is offered Iam. 1. 22. Be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing your owne selues II. Question touching hearers is How are they to be comforted who after long hearing of the word either profit very litle or not at all For resolution of this Question the Causes of not profiting are distinctly to be considered And they are of two sorts The first sort of Causes are the sinnes of the hearers And that sinnes are the causes of not profiting it will appeare by this signe if the memorie vnderstanding and other parts of the minde in common matters be strong and pregnant but dull and weake in apprehending and retaining the doctrine taught Now these sinnes are principally two First Hardnes of heart when a man is not inwardly mooued and affected with the word preached but remaines in the same state he was before This is set forth by the hard ground that is by the high way side and by the stonie ground Math. 13. 4 5. And such is the heart that is not mooued nor affected either with ioy sorrow feare or consolation The hardnes of heart ariseth from a custome in sinning and from that the deceitfulnesse of sinne Heb. 3. 13. Secondly worldly Cares that is a heart possessed with desire of profits pleasures honours preferments and such like which be as thornes that choake the seede of the word and suffer it not to grow and fructifie yea that fill the heart full of wandering imaginations which steale away the mind from attending to the word preached Those that are thus hindred from profiting are rather to be reprooued then comforted for that the cause of their non-proficiencie is in from themselues They are therefore to vse all good meanes for the remooueall of their sinnes that of hard hearted and carnall they may become good and profitable hearers of the word The meanes are these First they must labour to be touched in heart with sense and feeling of their spirituall pouertie and want of Gods fauour and mercie in the pardon of their sinnes The reason is giuen of Dauid Psal. 25. 9. The Lord teacheth the humble his waies And by Marie in her song Luk. 1. 35. He hath filled the hungrie with good things and the rich he hath sent
in heauen glorified doth he by the power of his Deitie raise vp vs his mēbers frō death to life Rom. 6. 4. A certaine pledge whereof he hath giuen vs in this Sacrament Which also affordeth singular comfort and ioy vnto a man euen in his greatest extremity True it is that man by nature is dead in sinne yet God of his mercie sealeth vnto him in baptisme his rising from the death of sinne to newnesse of life True it is againe that all men must die Yet this is our comfort that in baptisme God hath sealed to vs euen our rising from the graue to life euerlasting and all by the vertue and power of Christs resurrection This is a comfort of all comforts able to vphold the soule of man euen in the houre of death The second Vse of Baptisme is that it serues to be a notable meanes of our death vnto sinne and that three waies First by putting vs in minde of mortifying the flesh and crucifying our owne corruptions For if we be baptized into the death of Christ as Paul saith Rom. 6. 3. then ought we not to continue in sinne but to labour by all meanes as by praier by fasting by the word preached and by auoiding all occasions of offence to kill and destroy the corruption of our nature and the wickednes of our hearts Gal. 5. 24. Secondly it causeth vs to dedicate our selues wholly vnto God and Christ remembring that we once offered our selues to be baptized in the presence of the whole congregation in token that we should euer afterward consecrate our soules and bodies vnto the Lord and wholly renounce and forsake the flesh the world and the Deuill Thirdly it causeth vs to labour to keepe and maintaine peace and vnitie with all men but specially with Gods people For Baptisme is a solemne testimonie of the bond of mutuall loue and fellowship both of Christ with his members and of the members one with another To this ende Paul saith that we are all by one spirit baptized into one bodie 1. Cor. 12. 13. yea and Baptisme is one of those things whereby the vnitie of the Spirit is preserued in the bond of peace Eph. 4. 5. V. Question Whether a man falling into sinne after he is baptized may haue any benefit of his Baptisme Answer He may if he repent And the reasons are these First his Indentures and Euidences remain whol in respect of God his name is not put out of the couenant Which is otherwise in the Evidēces of men For if they be once cancelled a man cannot haue his name put into them againe Secondly Baptisme is indeede as hath beene said the Sacrament of Repentance and as it were a plancke or board to swimme vpon when a man is in danger of the shippewracke of his soule Therefore if a man repent and be hartily sorie for his sinnes committed he may haue recourse to his baptisme wherein was sealed vnto him the pardon of all his sinnes past present and to come he standing to the order of his baptisme beleeuing and repenting Thirdly to them that fall euen after Baptisme there is hope of repentance and consequently of the fauour of God if they be touched in hart with true remorse and sorrowe for their offences For hence it was that Paul calls the Galatians fallen after they had beene baptized to the remembrance of the fauour of God promised vnto them in the Couenant and sealed in their Baptisme Gal. 3. 3. 19. 27. In the same manner doth Iohn call the Churches of Asia that had left their first loue to repentance conuersion Apoc. 2. 5. 16. And the said Iohn in Ecclesiasticall historie is said to haue reclaymed a young man who had most grieuously fallen after his Baptisme CHAP. X. Of the Lords Supper THus much concerning the Sacrament of Baptisme Now we come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper concerning the vse wherof there are two principal Questions mooued I. Question How farre forth men haue libertie to vse or not vse the Lords Supper For the answering hereof I propound three Rules The First Euery man of yeares liuing in the Church and beeing baptized is bound in conscience by Gods commandement to vse the Lords supper In the institution of the Supper the Lord gaue a Sacramentall Word whereof there be two parts a Commādement a Promise The Cōmandement is expressed in these termes Take eate drinke doe ye this And it binds all men in the Church that are baptized to the vse of the Lords Supper The second Rule Euery man of yeares baptized is to receiue it often 1. Cor. 11. 26. As oft as ye shall drinke it in remēbrance of me The reason is because we haue need continually to feede on Christ. And herein the Lords Supper differeth from Baptisme because by Baptisme a man is once onely graffed into Christ but being in Christ he hath neede often and continually to be fedde in him to life eternall And this often nourishment of the beleeuer is sealed vnto him by the often vse of this Sacrament The third Rule Euery man is to receiue and vse the Lords Supper according to the laudable custome of that Church whereof he is a member vnlesse there be a iust impediment A iust impediment is that which barres a man from the vse of the Supper as Suspension Contagious and incurable sickenesse Absence vpon a iust and weightie cause as when a man is in his iourney and such like The reason of the Rule is first if any man refuse to receiue it when he may conueniently hauing no iust Impediment so doing he neglects and contemnes the ordinance of God Secondly for a man to abstaine when he is called to receiue it though happily he may be excused in regard of some reason inwardly knowne to himselfe yet his abstinence is a bad example and may giue offence to others Thirdly the man that may receiue and yet will not doth in effect suspend and withhold himselfe from the benefite of this holy Sacrament Now these three Rules as they serue directly to answer the Question in hand so they doe plainly discouer some errours faults in the practise of sundrie persons in these daies Some there be that thinke it sufficient to receiue the Communion once by the yere namely at Easter time Whereas on the contrary it is to be vsed as oft as may be considering that it is nothing but the shewing forth of the Lords death till he come which is not once or twise in the yeare but often yea continually to be remembred Others ther are that take liberty to thēselues to com to this Table abstaine at ther pleasure as if it were a thing arbitrary to themselues which notwithstanding the Lord hath enioyned by expresse commandement as hath beene said But some alledge for this their practise that they are at variance with such and such persons that haue done them wrong and whom they cannot forgiue and in this respect they were better
you Here first I will speake of the false and then of the true and right fruit of Liberalitie The false Fruit is this that giuing of almes doth merit forgiuenes of sinne and satisfie the iustice of God for the temporall punishment thereof That we may the better see the errour of this doctrine I will answer their arguments Obiect I. First they alleadge out of this text that giuing of almes makes all things cleane vnto vs. Ans. We must vnderstand the text thus If we turne to God beleeue in Christ and leaue all our sinnes then are we cleane and all our actions and consequently our almes-giuing shall be cleane vnto vs for to the pure all things are pure Now almes and other things are then said to be cleane vnto a man when he beeing himselfe pure maketh and hath a pure vse of them Obiect II. Dan. 4. 24. Redeeme thy sinnes by giuing of al◅ Ans. This place maketh against the Papists for by sinnes the Prophet vnderstandeth both the guilt also the punishment Whereas they affirme that the guilt of sinne cannot be redeemed but by Christ alone and man onely is to satisfie for the temporall punishment of sinne Secondly the word which they translate redeeme doth properly signifie as it is in the Chalde paraphrase to breake off As if the Prophet should haue said Thou art O King a mightie Monarch and thou hast vsed much iniustice and crueltie therefore now repent thy selfe and breake off the course of thy sinnes and testifie thy repentance by doing iustice and giuing almes to the poore whom thou hast oppressed Thirdly the word in the ancient Latine translations signifieth to amende and then it beareth this sense Amend thy selfe and the course of thy life and let thine iniustice be turned into iustice thy crueltie into mercie Obiect III. Make you friends with the riches of iniquitie that when ye shall want they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations Luk. 16. 9. Ans. Receiuing here mentioned is not by way of merit as though a man could deserue it by giuing almes but either by way of heartie praiers made by the poore that they may be receiued or els because their almes shall be vnto them a pledge and earnest of their receiuing into Gods kingdome Obiect IV. Prou. 16. 6. By mercie and truth iniquitie is redeemed Ans. 1. Salomons meaning is that by Gods goodnes and not ours iniquity is pardoned 2. If by mercie is meant mans mercie then are we to vnderstand it thus that mercie and truth are euident signes vnto vs that our sinnes are forgiuen and not the working causes of remission Obiect V. Luk. 14. 14. And thou which giuest releefe shalt be blessed because they can not recompense thee therefore almes doe merit Ans. When God promiseth reward to the giuing of almes the promise is not made to the worke but to the worker and that not for the merit of his person or worke but onely for Christ his sake in whome he is by whose meanes he stands reconciled vnto God And so men that practise charitie in giuing of almes are rewarded with blessednes not for their almes but according to the mercie of God in Christ. Now followeth the Right fruit of Almes-giuing and it stands in foure things First they are the way in which we must walke to life euerlasting I say the way not the cause either of life or any other good thing that God hath promised Secondly they are effects and fruits of our faith yea the signes and seales of Gods mercie to vs in Christ. To this purpose S. Paul wisheth Timothie 1. Tim. 6. 17 18 19. to charge them that be rich in this world that they doe good and be rich in good workes and be readie to distribute laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may obtaine eternall life Now where is this foundation to be laide vp not in heauen for that is impossible for vs and it is laide vp for vs there alreadie by Christ but in our owne consciences and that is our assurance of Gods fauour in this world and life euerlasting in the world to come of which assurance this and other good works are signes and seales vnto vs. Thirdly almes comes in the way of restitution of those goods that haue beene gotten fraudulently though from whome we know not Thus Zacheus at his conuersion for wrongs that he had done he knew not to whome gaue halfe his goods to the poore and proclaimed restitution to those that could come forth and chalenge him Lastly aimes are a notable remedie against couetousnesse For he that hath a mercifull heart to bestow vpon the poore shall easily be content with that he hath and auoid that sinne whereby otherwise he falls into tentations and snares of the Deuill 1. Tim. 6. 9. CHAP. VI. Of Iustice. Psal. 15. 2. He that walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnes THe substance of the whole Psalme is a Question and an Answer The Question is who are the members of Gods Church vpon earth that shall come to life eternall in heauē ver 1. The Answer is made in the rest of the Psalme And in this answer is contained a description of the parties by their properties and markes The first marke is walking vprightly that is in truth and sinceritie of religion which standeth in the sinceritie of faith and a good conscience The second note is the practise of Righteousnes Now Righteousnes or Iustice is twofold the Iustice of the Gospel and the Iustice of the Law Evangelicall iustice is that which the gospell reveales and not the Law to witte the obedience of Christ in his sufferings and fulfilling of the law imputed to them that beleeue for their iustification and this is not here meant Legall iustice is that which the law revealeth and withall requireth And it is either vniuersall or particular Vniuersall iustice is the practise of all vertues or that whereby a man obserues all the commandements of the law Of this Paul speaketh Rom. 10. 5. in which place he opposeth it to the righteousnes which is by faith And Zacharie and Elizabeth are said to be iust before God Luk. 1. 6. namely by this vniuersall iustice because they walked in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord indeauouring in althings to please him Particular iustice is that whereby we giue to euery man his right or due and of this Dauid here speaketh The reason is because if it were not so then this second marke should comprehend vnder it all the rest and so there would be no good distinction of these properties one from the other Particular iustice is two-fold in distribution or in exchange and contract Iustice in distribution is that which keepes a proportion in giuing to euery man that honour dignitie reuerence reward or punishment that is due vnto him Of this there are mooued principally two Questions I. Question What is that iudgement which men are to giue and hold one to
when a man knowes not the Law of god writteÌ„ nor the law of nature This ignorance may somewhat lessen the sinne but it excuseth no man because it is naturall and euery man is bound to know the Law Ignorance of the thing the Law requireth is the Ignorance of the fact and that is either with the fault of the doer or without the fault Faultie ignoraÌ„ce is the ignorance of a fact which he might haue preueÌ„ted As wheÌ„ a maÌ„ in his drunkeÌ„nes killeth another in this fact not knowing what de doth he also knoweth not that he hath offended yet because he might haue preuented his drunkennes therfore he is faultie and sinneth Faultlesse ignorance is when a fact is done which could not be either knowne or auoided before hand For example if a man be â—opping a tree and his axe head fall from the helve out of his hand and kills another passing by here is indeede manslaughter but no voluntarie murther because it was a thing that could not be auoided and did not fall out through his default And this ignorance is excusable The second Fountaine of Sinne is the Will from whence arise these three differences of sinnes some are from the will immediately some besides the will and some are mixt partly with the will and partly against the will Sinnes proceeding from the will are properly tearmed voluntarie such as the doer mooued by his own wil commits though he know them to be euill And here the more free the wil is the greater is the sinne for wil added to knowledge makes the sinne the greater Vnder voluntarie sinnes are comprehended all such as proceede from stirred affections as when a man tells a lie for feare or striketh another in anger and the reason is because these offences though they are not done vpon deliberation but arise from the violence of affection yet they doe not exclude Consent Hither also we may referre sinnes committed by compulsion as when a man is forced to denie his religion his offence in deede and in truth is voluntarie though some otherwise think it to be a mixt action For compulsion doth not reach to the will but to the outward man and serues to draw forth a consent and and when consent is yeelded he denies his religion voluntarily for the will cannot be constrained In the next place sinnes beside the will are such as are neither directly from the wil nor against it Of this sort are the first sudden motions vnto sinne conceiued in the heart with some inward pleasure and delight and these are truly sinnes though in respect little sinnes condemned in the last commandement And they are not from the will because they goe without and before consent neither yet are they against the will because then the heart would not take delight in them Here by the way we are to note against the doctrine of the Papists that all sinnes are not voluntarie for whatsoeuer wanteth conformitie to the law of God is sinne whether it be with consent of will or no. But many such desires and delights arise suddenly in the heart of man which are not according to the law of God and haue no consent or approbation of will In like manner wheÌ„ one man kils another thinking that he killeth a wild beast if the same man remembreth afterwards what he hath done and is not grieued for the fact in this case he hath sinned because his not grieuing is offensiue vnto God though the fact were meerely besides his will Mixt sinnes are partly from the will partly against it Of this sort are the workes of the man regenerate which are done partly with his will and partly against his will beeing partly good and partly euill The reason hereof is this There are in man after regeneration two contrarie grounds or beginnings of actions to wit naturall corruption or the inclination of the minde wil and affections to that which is against the Law called the Flesh and a created qualitie of holines wrought in the said faculties by the holy Ghost tearmed the Spirit And these two are not seuered but ioyned and mingled together in all the faculties and powers of the soule Now betweene these there is a continuall combate corruption fighting against grace grace against corruptioÌ„ Hence it is that there beeing euen in one the same wil trarie inclinatioÌ„s there must necessarily flow from the man regenerate contrary actions the flesh in euery action willing that which is euill and the Spirit on the otherside that which is good This Paul confessed and acknowledged vpon his owne experience after his conuersion when he said To will is present with me but I find no meanes perfectly to do that which is good Again I delight in the law of God concerning the inner man but I see an other law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue to the law of sinne which is in my members The third Ground or fountaine of sinne in man is Affection from whence doe proceede two kinds namely sinnes of Infirmitie and sinnes of Presumption Sinnes of Infirmitie are such as proceede from the sudden passions of the minde and the strong affectioÌ„s of the heart as from hatred griefe anger sorrow such like These sinnes are commonly thought to be in all men but the truth is they are properly incident to the regenerate For infirmitie cannot be said properly to be in them in whome sin hath firmitie or strength and where there is no power of grace at all Againe the man that is regenerate sinneth not neither when he would because he is restrained by the grace of God that is in him nor in what manner he would partly because he sinneth not with al his heart the strength of his flesh beeing abated by the Spirit and partly for that beeing fallen he lies not still but recouers himselfe by speedy repentance An euident argument that the sinnes whereinto he falleth are not presumptuous but are ordinarily of weaknes and infirmitie Sinnes of PrésumptioÌ„ are such as proceed from pride arrogancy wilfulnes and hautines of mans heart Against these Dauid praieth saying Let not presumptuous sinnes haue dominion ouer me And of them there be three degrees The first is when a man wilfully goeth on in his sinnes vpon an erronious perswasion of Gods mercie and of his owne future repentance this is the sinne of most men The second is when a man sinneth wilfully in contempt of the law of God this is called by Moses a sinne with a high hand the punnishment thereof was by present death to be cut off from among the people The third when a man sinneth not onely wilfully and contemptuouslly but of malice spight against God himselfe and Christ Iesus And by this we may conceiue what is the sin against the holy Ghost which is not euery sinne of presumption or against knowledge and conscience but such a kind of
presumptuous offence in which true religion is renounced and that of set purpose and resolued malice against the very Maiestie of God himselfe and Christ. Heb. 10. 29. Sect. 4. Now follow other Differences of sinne in regard of the obiect thereof which is the Law In respect of of the Law sin is two fold either of CommissioÌ„ or of Omission I say in respect of the Law because God hath reuealed in his Law two sorts of precepts the one wherein some good thing is commanded to be done as to loue God with all our hearts and our neighbour as our selues the other wherin some euill is forbidden to be done as the making of a grauen Image the taking the name of God in vaine c. Now a sinne of CoÌ„mission is when a man doth any thing that is flatly forbidden in the Law and word of God as when one man kills another contrarie to the Law which saith Thou shalt not kill A sinne of Omission is when a man leaueth vnperformed some dutie which the Law requireth as for example the preseruing of his neighbours life or good estate when it lieth in his power so to doe These also are truly sinnes and by them as well as by the other men shall be tried in the last iudgement Sinnes of Omission haue three degrees First when a man doth nothing at all but omits the dutie commanded both in whole and in part as when hauing opportunitie abilitie he doth not mooue so much as one finger for the sauing of his neighbours life Secondly when a man performes the dutie inioyned but failes both in the manner measure therof Thus the Heathen failed in doing good workes in that the things which they did for substance and matter were good and commendable beeing done vpon ciuill and honest respects and referred to the coÌ„mon good yet in truth their actions were no better then sinnes of omission in as much as they issued from corrupted fountaines hearts voide of faith and aimed not at the maine end and scope of all humane actions the honour and glorie of God Thirdly when a man doth things in a right manner but faileth in the measure thereof And thus the children of God doe sinne in al the duties of the lawe For they doe the good things the law commaÌ„deth in louing God their neighbour but they cannot attaine to that measure of loue which the lawe requireth And thus the best men liuing doe sinne in euery good worke they doe so as if God should enter into iudgement deale with theÌ„ in the rigour of his iustice examine them by the strict rule of the Lawe he might iustly condemne them euen for their best actions And in this regard when we pray daily for the pardon of our sinnes the best workes we doe must come in the number of them because we faile if not in substance manner yet at the least in the measure of goodnesse that ought to bee in the doing of them We must also haue care to repent vs euen of these our sins of Omission as well as of the other of Commission because by leauing vndone our dutie we doe oftner offend then by sinnes committed and the least Omission is enough to condemne vs if it should be exacted at our hands Sect. 5. The next difference of Sinnes may be this Some are Crying sinnes some are sinnes of Toleration Crying sinnes I call those which are so hainous in their kind so grieuous that they hasten Gods iudgements and cal downe for speedie vengeance vpon the sinner Of this kind there are sundry examples in the Scriptures principally foure First Cains sinne in murthering his innocent brother Abell whereof it was saide The voice of thy brothers blood crieth vnto me from the earth The next is the sinne of Sodome and Gomorrha which was pride fulnes of bread abundance of idlenesse vnmerciful dealing with the poore and all manner of vncleannesse Ezech. 16. of this The Lord said that the crie of Sodome and Gomorrha waâ— great and their sinnes exceeding grieuous The third is the sinne of Oppression indured by the Israelites in Egypt at the hand of Pharao and his task-masters The fourth is mercilesse Iniustice in wrongfull withholding and detaining the labourers hire Now they are called Crying sinnes for these causes First because they are now come to their full measure and height beyond which God will not suffer them to passe without due punishment Againe the Lord takes more notice and inquires further into them then into others by reason that they exceede and are most eminent where they be committed Thirdly they call for present helpe to the afflicted and wronged and consequently for speedie exequution of vengeance vpon the authors and committers of them And lastly because God is wont to giue â—are vnto the cryes of those that endure so heauie measure at the hands of others and accordingly to helpe them and reward the other with deserued punishment Next vnto these are sinnes of Toleration lesser then the former which though in theÌ„selues they deserue death yet God in his mercie shewes his patience long sufferaÌ„ce vpon the committers thereof either deferring the temporal punishment or pardoning both temporall and eternall to his Elect. Such a sinne was the ignorance of the Gentiles before Christs comming which God deferred to punish and as we say winked at it More especially there be three sorts of sinnes of ToleratioÌ„ the first is Originall sin or concupiscence in the regenerate after regeneration and the fruits thereof for it is not quite abolished by regeneration but remaines more or lesse molesting tempting a man till death And yet if we carrie a constant purpose not to sinne and indeauour our selues to resist all tentations this concupiscence of ours shall not be imputed vnto vs nor we condemned for it And to this purpose the holy Apostle saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ. Yet saith he not There is nothing worthie condemnation in them for Originall sinne remaines till death truly deseruing damnation though it be not imputed The second kind of sinnes of Toleration are secret vnknowne and hidden sinnes in the regenerate For who can tell how ofâ— he offendeth saith Dauid When a man that is the child of God shall examine his heart and humble himselfe euen for all his particular sinnes which he knoweth by himselfe there shall yet remaine some vnknowne sinnes of which he cannot haue a particular repentance and yet they are not imputed when there is repeÌ„tance for knowne sinnes As for example Dauid repents of his murther adulterie and yet afterwards erring in iudgement by reason of the corruption of the times he liued to his death in the sinne of polygamie without any particular repentance that we heare of In like manner did the Patriarkes who may not altogether be excused yet they were not coÌ„demned therof neither were they saued without repentance for
this sinne but God in mercie accepted a generall repeÌ„tance for the same And the like is the case of all the Elect in regard of their secret hidden faults for vnles God should accept of a general repentance for vnknown sinns few or none at all should be saued And herein doth the endles mercy of god notably appeare that he vouchsafeth to accept of our repeÌ„tance wheÌ„ we repent though not in particular as we ought to doe Neuertheles this must not incorage or imbolden any man to liue in his sinnes without turning vnto God For vnlesse we repent in particular of all the sinâ— we know not only our knowne offences but euen our secret sinnes shall coÌ„demne vs. Many sinnes are committed by men which afterwards in processe of time are quite forgotten Others are coÌ„mitted which notwithstaÌ„ding are not knowne whether they be sins or no. And in doing the best duties we can we offend often yet when we offend we perceiue it not all these in the regenerate through the mercy of God are sinnes of ToleratioÌ„ in respect of particular repentance The third kind of sinnes of Toleration are certaine particular facts of men not approved of in Scripture and yet remitted in respect of punishment Such was the fact of Zipporah in circumcising her child in presence of her husband he beeing able to haue done it himselfe and shee hauing no calling to doe that which she did For though the hand of God was against him yet was he not sick as some would excuse the matter neither is there any such thing in the text but it is rather to be thought that she her selfe circumcised her sonne in hast to preuent her husband for the deede was done in some indignation and shee cast the foreskin at his feete And yet because this fact was some manner of obedience in that the thing was done which God required though not in the maÌ„ner that he required God accepted the same staied his hand froÌ„ killing Moses Thus god accepted of Ahabs humility thogh it were in hypocrisie because it was a shew of obedience and for that deferred a temporall punishmeÌ„t til the daies of his posteritie God sent Lyons to destroy the Assyrians that dwelt in Samaria for their Idolatrie yet so soonâ— as they had learned to feare the Lord after the maÌ„ner of the god of Israel though they mingled the same with their own Idolatric God for that halfe obedience suffered theÌ„ to dwel in peace Sect. 6. The Sixt distinction of Sinnes may be this Some are sinnes against God some against men This distinction is grounded vpon a place in Samuel If one man sinne against another the Iudge shall iudge it but if a man sinne against the Lord who shall plead for him Sinnes against God are such as are directly and immediately committed against the maiestie of God Such are Atheisme Idolatrie Blasphemie Periurie Profanation of the Sabboth all the breaches of the first Table Sinnes against men are iniuries hurts losses and damages whereby our neighbour is in his dignitie life chastitie wealth good name or any other way iustly offended or by vs hindred And such actions must be considered two waies First as they are iniuries and hurts done vnto our neighbour and fecondly as they are anomies or breaches of Gods law forbidding vs to doe them and in this second respect they are called sinnes because sinne is properly against God and therefore by sinnes against man we are to vnderstand iniuries losses or damages done vnto them In this sense must that place in Matthew be expounded If thy brother sinne against thee c. Sect. 7. The seauenth Difference of sinnes is noted by S. Paul where he saith Euery sinne that a man doth is without the bodie but he that commits fornication sinneth against his owne bodie In which place it is implyed that some sinnes are without the bodie some against mans owne bodie Sinnes without the bodie are such sinnes as a man committeth his bodie beeing the instrument of the sinne but not the thing abused Such are Murther Theft Drunkennesse for in the committing of these sinnes the bodie is but a helper and onely a remote instrumentall cause and the thing abused is without the bodie For example in drunkennes the thing abused by the drunkard is wine or strong drinke in theft another mans goods in murther the instrument whereby the fact is committed The bodie indeede conferres his helpe to these things but the iniurie is directed to the creatures of God to the bodie and goods of our neighbour And such are all sinnes adulterie onely excepted Sinnes against the bodie are those in which it selfe is not onely the instrument but the thing abused also Such a sinne is Adulterie onely and those that are of that kind properly against the bodie first because the bodie of the sinner is both a furthering cause of the sinne and also that thing which he abuseth against his owne selfe Secondly by this offence he doth not onely hinder but loose the right power and propertie of his bodie in that be makes it the member of an harlot And lastly though other sinnes in their kind doe bring a shame and dishonour vpon the bodie yet there is none that sitteth so nigh or leaueth a blot so deepely imprinted in it as doth the sinne of vncleannes Sect. 8. The eight distinction of sinnes is grounded vpon Pauls exhortation to Timothie Communicate not with other mens sinnes Sinnes are either Other mens sinnes or CommunicatioÌ„ with other mens sins This distinction is the rather to be knowne and remembred because it serues to extenuate or aggrauate sins committed Communication with sinne is done sundry waies First by counsell thus Caâ—phas sinned when he gaue counsel to put Christ to death Secondly by commandement so Dauid sinned in the murther of Vrias Thirdly by consent or assistance Rom. 1. 31. thus Saul sinned in keeping the garments of them that â—â—oned Steuen Act. 22. 20. 7. 58. Fourthly by prouocation thus they sinne that prouokâ— others to sinne and hereof Paul speaketh when he saith Fathers must not prouoke their children to wrath Eph. 6. 4. Fiftly by negligence or silence This is the sinne of the Minister when men are called to reprooue sinne and doe not Sixtly by flatterie when men sooth vp others in sinne Seauenthly by winking at sinnes or passing them ouer by slight reproofe Eph. 5. 11. Thus Eli sinned in rebuking his sonnes and thereby brought a temporall iudgement vpon himselfe and his familie 1. Sam. 2. chap. and 4. Eightly by participation Eph. 5. 7. thus they doe sinne that are receiuers of the eues Ninthely by defending another man in his sinne for he that iustifieth the wicked and condemneth the iust euen they both are an abomination to the Lord. Sect. 9. The Ninth distinction followeth Some mens sinnes saith Paul are open before hand some follow after Which place by some is
so much for their sinne committed as for their lying therin without repentance And this is the manner of Gods dealing with those that haue liued within the precincts of the church they shall be condemned for the very want of true faith and repentance This should admonish euery one of vs to take heed least we lie in any sin and that being any way ouertaken we should speedily repent least we aggrauate our sinne by continuance therein and so bring vpon our selues swift damnation Thirdly the same sinne is made greater or lesser foure waies according to the number of degrees in the committing of a sinne noted by S. Iames Temptation Conception Birth and Perfection Actual sinne in the first degree of tentation is when the minde vpon some sudden motion is drawne away to thinke euill and withall is tickled with some delight thereof For a bad motion cast into the mind by the flesh and the deuill is like vnto the baite cast into the water that allureth and delighteth the fish and causeth it to bite Sin in conception is when with the delight of the minde there goes consent of will to doe the euill thought on Sinne in birth is when it comes forth into an action or execution Sin in perfection is when men are growne to a custome and habit in sin vpon long practise For the often committing of one and the same sinne leaues an euill impression in the heart that is a strong or violent inclination to that or any other euill as hath bin taught before And sinne thus made perfect brings forth death for custome in sinning brings hardnes of heart hardnes of heart impenitencie and impenitencie condemnation Now of these degrees the first is the least the last is the greatest One and the same sin is lesser in tentation then in conception lesse in conception then in birth and greater in perfection then in all the former Sect. 11. Now from this doctrine of the increasing and lessening of Sin in these respects we may gather that all sins are not alike or equall as the Stoicks of auncient times and their followers haue falsely imagined For it hath bin prooued at large by induction of sundrie particulars that there are degrees of sinnes some lesser som greater some more offensiue and odious to God man some lesse And â—hat the circumstances of time place person and manner of doing doe serue to enlarge or extenuate the sinne commited If it be here alleadged that Sin is nothing but the doing of that which is vnlawfull to be done and that this is equall in all men that sinne and therfore by consequent offences are equall I answer that in euery sin meÌ„ must not consider the vnlawfulnes thereof onely but the reason why it should be vnlawfull and that is properly because it is a breach of Gods law and repugnant to his will reuealed in his word Nowe there is no breach of a diuine Law but it is more or lesse repugnant vnto the will of the Lawgiuer God himselfe And many transgressions are more repugnaÌ„t thereunto then fewer for the more sin is increased the more is the wrath of God inâ—lamed against the sinner vpon his due desert If it be said againe that the nature of Sin stands onely in this that the sinner makes an aberration from the scope or marke that is set before him and doth no more then passe the bondes of dutie prescribed by God and that all are alike in this respect The answer is that it is a falshood to affirme that he which makes the lesse aberration from the dutie commanded is equall in offence to him that makes the greater For the same sin for substance hath sundrie steps and degrees in respect whereof one man becommeth a more heinous offender then another For example in the seauenth commandemeÌ„t when God forbiddes the committing of Adultery he forbiddeth three degrees of the same sinne to wit adulterie of the heart consisting of inordinate and vncleane affections adulterie of the tongue in corrupt dishonest and vnseemely speeches and the very act of vncleannesse and filthinesse committed by the bodie Now it cannot be said that he which breakes this commandement onely in the first degree is as great a transgressour as he that hath proceeded to the second and so to the third And therefore it remaines for an vndoubted truth that Sinnes committed against the Law of God are not equall but some lesser some greater Sundrie other Distinctions there are of sinnes as namely That the main sinnes of the first Table are greater then the maine sins of the second Table And yet the maine sinnes of the second are greater then the breach of ceremoniall duties against the first table But this which hath beene said shall suffice The vse of this doctrine is manifold First by it we learne what the heart of man is by nature namely a corrupt and vncleane fountaine out of which issueth in the course of this life the streames of corruptions infinite in number noysome in qualities hainous in degrees daÌ„gerous in effects For from thence doe flow all the differences of sinnes before named with their seuerall branches and infinite many more that cannot be rehearsed This must mooue vs humbly to sue vnto God earnestly to entreat him to wash vs throughly from our wickednes clense vs from our sinnes yea to purge and to rinse the fountaine thereof our vncleane and polluted hearts And when by Gods mercie in Christ apprehended by faith our hearts shall be purified theÌ„ to set watch ward ouer them and to keep them with all diligence Secondly it teacheth vs that miserable mortal man is not guiltie of one or more sinnes but of many sundrie corruptions both of heart and life Who can vnderstand his faults saith Dauid Now the alowance of sinne beeing death by gods ordinaÌ„ce God being iustice it selfe answerably to the number of our offences must we needes be lyable to many punishments yea to death it selfe both of the bodie and of the soule This beeing our wofull estate little cause is there that any man should thinke himselfe to be in good case or presume of Gods mercie in regard of the small number of his sinnes And much lesse cause hath he falsly to imagine with the Popish sort that he can merit the fauour of God by any worke done by him aboue that which the Law requireth considering that it is impossible for him to know either the number or the nature or the measure of his sinnes Lastly the consideration of this point must be a barre to keepe vs in that we be not too secure or presumptuous of our owne estate for as much as we learne out of the word of god that in respect of the multitude of our corruptions this our life is full of much euill and many difficulties that wee haue whole armies of enemies to encounter with all not onely out of vs in the world abroad but within vs
they were olde To adde no more examples by these we see the Lords dealing euen with holy men and women his owne deare seruants that he doth not alwaies grant their requests nor condescend to their desires at the first but as it were holds them off and suspends his grace and fauour for a time And therefore if it shall please him thus to deale with any of vs we must from these examples be taught to possesse our soules with patience resting contented in his will and waiting on his good pleasure to the ende To conclude this point Suppose that the condition of Gods seruants be such as that they finde no ende of their afflictions but that they doe continue euen vnto death what shall they doe in this case Ans. Besides that which hath beene said before for the resolution of this Question I answer further that first they must still euen vnto death liue by faith and say with holy Iob Lord though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee Secondly they must stay and releeue their soules in the meane time with these and such like meditations I. That it is the will and pleasure of God that we should through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God Act. 14. 22. Now it is the propertie of a true child of God to rest content in his fathers good will and pleasure euen when he is afflicted Prov. 3. 11. My sonne be not grieued at my correction that is let it not be tedious vnto thee be content to beare it Our dutie therefore is meekely to subiect our selues vnto the hand of God as the child doth vnto the correction of his father II. That though afflictions be long and tedious yet God will at length giue a ioyfull and comfortable issue For so himselfe hath promised Math. 5. 4. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Psal. 34. 19. Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord wil deliuer him out of them all Psal. 37. 73. Marke the vpright man and behold the iust for the ende of that man is peace III. Afflictions be they neuer so heauie in regard of continuance yet they are in no sort comparable to those eternall ioyes that God hath prepared for them that loue him This was Pauls meditation who indured the crosse euen to his dying day Our light affliction saith he which is but for a moment worketh vnto vs an excellent and eternall waight of glorie And else where he professeth that he did not count the afflictions of this present time answerable in value to the glorie which shall be reuealed vnto Gods children Rom. 8. 18. Saint Peter tells them to whome he wrote that in regard of their assured hope of eternall life they should reioyce though now for a season they were in heauines through manifold tentations 1. Pet. 1. 6. Lastly the Author to the Hebrewes comforteth the Church by this reason because it is yet a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarrie IV. Though God withholdeth his hand in respect of deliuerance euen to death yet his loue is constant and vnchangeable and the crosse which we vndergoe cannot separate vs from that loue wherewith he hath loued vs in Iesus Christ Rom. 8. 35. And thus much of the first particular distresse of minde arising of outward afflictions Sect. 3. The Second particular distres is bodily and temporarie Death which consisteth in the separation of the soule from the bodie And touching this affliction it is demanded How any seruant of God may be able to indure with comfort the pangs of death For the answer hereof two things are required a preparation to death and helps in the time of death Concerning preparation there are three duties to be performed The first and most principall is commended vnto vs in the booke of Psalmes where Dauid praies vnto God Lord make me to know mine end and the measure of my daies And Moses in like manner Lord teach me to number my daies that I may applie my heart vnto wisdome In which places is remembred a notable dutie of preparation to wit that a man should resolue himselfe of death continually and before-hand number his daies This is done by esteeming of euery day as the day of his death and accordingly doing alwaies that which he would doe if he were now to giue vp the ghost Secondly in way of preparation we must endeauour to disarme and weaken death who is as an armed man that hath his weapons whereby he seekes to destroy vs. And in this case we must deale with death as the Philistims dealt with Sampson They saw by experience that he was a mightie man and by his power and strength had giuen them many foyles and therefore they laboured to know in what part of his bodie his strength did lie And after inquirie finding it to be in the haire of his head they neuer rested till they had spoiled him thereof And questionlesse the time will come when we all must encounter with this strong powerfull Sampson Death In the meane while it is a point of wisdome to inquire wherein his power and might consisteth When this search hath bin made we shall finde that his weapons are our manifold sinnes and corruptions both of heart and life For as Paul saith The sting of death is sinne Therefore that we may spoile him of this his furniture we must exercise our selues in the practise of two duties First vse all meanes for the cutting off of the locke of our sinnes whereby alone Satan hath the vantage of vs and these means are the duties of humiliation inuocation and true repentance We must therefore humble our selues before God be instant in praier for the pardon of our sinnes past and present and in this point giue the Lord no rest vntill we haue obtained in our consciences the sweet certificate of his fauour and mercie in Christ whereby our mindes may be staied and comforted This done it stands vs in hand to turne vnto God to be carefull to leaue sinne to entertaine in our hearts a resolued purpose and intention of new obedience and conformitie to the will and commandement of God in all things And this is the onely way in the world to bereaue this our enemie of his armour to pull the sting out of the mouth of this serpent and consequently euen in death to prèuaile against him Thirdly in way of preparation our dutie is euen before-hand while we liue in this world to indeauour to haue some true taste of life euerlasting and the ioyes of heauen The due consideration whereof will be of great vse For it will stirre vp in our hearts a desire and loue of perfect happines in heauen yea a feruent expectation of Christs comming to iudgement and it will further cause vs to say with Simeon Lord now let thy seruant depart in peace and with the Apostle I desire to
of God Againe they must let them goe as they come they are not to striue against them for the more they labour to resist them the more shall they be intangled with them The second thing to be vsed in way of remedy for the staying of the mind in this tentation is that though it should be graunted that the foresaid euill and blasphemous thoughts are our sinnes yet we are to remember that they may through the mercie and goodnesse of God be pardoned if they be heartily and vnfeinedly repented of yea further that neither they nor any other sins except that against the Holy Ghost doe condemne him that praieth against them is heartily sorrie for them It was Pauls complaint Rom. 7. 19. That he did not the good which he would doe speaking of the inward indeauour of his heart and againe that he did the euill which he would not meaning in respect of the corruption of his nature Now vpon this that he indeauoured to doe that which was agreable to the will of God that he loathed and detested the contrarie and stroue against his corruptions how did he comfort himselfe Marke the wordes following v. 20. If I doe that I would not that is to say if against my generall purpose I sinne against God if I be sorrie for it if I be displeased with my selfe because I can not obey God in that perfectiō I desire It is no more I that do it but sinne that dwelleth in me Frō this example of Paul I gather that if any man haue in his minde euill thoughts and doeth as Paul did grieue because he therby offendeth God if he doe abhorre them and pray against them he shall not be condemned for them they shall neuer be laid to his charge The partie then that is troubled with with these thoughts may vpō these grounds stay his minde and comfort himselfe For if he shall not be condemned for them then let him not feare them aboue measure The third point to be remembred is that the partie must not be alone For this Tentation beginnes and is confirmed and increased by solitarinesse and the parties thus distressed loue to be apart by themselues from the societie of others And for that cause in case they be lyable to this distresse they must vse to converse with such company as may afford them matter of speech and conference meete for them and may exercise their mindes with heauenly meditations in the word and singing of Psalmes and such like fitte and conuenient recreations Our first parent Eue was tempted by Satan when shee was apart from Adam and our Sauiour Christ when he was alone out of companie and societie then did the Deuill most malitiously assault him with strong and powerfull tentations in the wildernes The fourth point to be remembred of the partie troubled is that he must as heartily and earnestly repent him of those his euill thoughts as of euill wordes and deedes For the truth is because men are loose-minded and haue no more care of their thoughts then commonly they haue therefore the Lord iustly suffers the Deuill to plague and torment them by conuaying into their hearts most vile and damnable cogitations Furthermore the said partie must labour to be renued in the spirit of his minde that is to haue his minde inlightened by the spirit whereby he may know and vnderstand the will of God in his word After repentance for euill thoughts there must follow watchfulnesse and a carefull circumspection ouer all his waies but principally he must haue an eye vnto his heart the fountaine of all Keepe thine heart with all diligence saith Salomon that is aboue all things see that thou countergard thy thoughts desires motions and affections That the heart of a man may be guarded two rules are to be obserued First that the word of God dwell plentifully in it by daily meditation of the commandements promises and threatnings reuealed in the same It is noted by Dauid as a propertie of a blessed man that he exerciseth himselfe in meditatiō of the Law of God day and night Psal. 1. By this meanes the heart will be clensed and purged from vncleane and polluted motions and so guided directed that it swarue not from God This rule is of speciall vse For therefore doe men hatch and breed euill thoughts in their hearts because they are not taken vp with holy meditations and hence it is that the heart of man is made euen a pray vnto the Deuill because the word of God is not lodged therein Excellent was the practise of Dauid in this case who kept the word of God in his heart that he might not sinne against him The second Rule of the keeping of the heart is to establish our thoughts by counsell It is the wise mans aduise in so many words Prov. 20. 18. wherein he would teach vs that it is the propertie of a worldly wise man in matters of waight not to trust to his owne wit but to follow the direction and counsell of wise and skilfull men And if this be a sound course in matters of the world much more ought it to be taken in the maine matters of religion and conscience concerning the heart and soule of man And therefore by the lawe of proportion it giues vs direction not once to thinke or conceiue so much as a thought but vpon aduice and direction taken at God and his word Thy testimonies saith Dauid are my delight and my counsellers And what benefit had he by taking such a course surely by the word of God which was his continuall meditation he gat vnderstanding he became wiser then the auncient it made him to hate all the waies of falshood it kept him from declining from God either to the right hand or to the left The same rule must be practised of vs in the vse of our senses our speeches and actions and then shall the heart be kept cleane and free from these temptations And seeing this temptation is so daungerous and fearefull as hath beene said doth often befall men our dutie is to make conscience of practising the foresaid rules continually And thus much concerning the third kinde of distresse of Conscience CHAP. XI Of the fourth Speciall Distresse arising from a mans owne sinnes THE Fourth Distresse of minde is that which ariseth from a mans owne sinnes or rather from some one speciall sinne committed And this kind of Tentation is twofold For either it is more violent and lesse common or lesse violent and more common Sect. 1. The violent Distresse of minde shewes it selfe by feares and terrours of the Conscience by doubtings of the mercie of God by lamentable and fearefull complaints made to others Now Question is mooued Howe this violent distresse of minde arising from our owne sinnes is to be cured Answ. That it may be cured by the blessing of God three things must be done First that particular sinne must be known
which is the cause of this violent distresse And here we are to know by the way that it is an vsuall thing with the parties thus distressed to dissemble and cloake their sinnes and therefore they will alleadge that their trouble ariseth from some euill thoughts from wicked affections and from the corruption of nature whereas commonly men are not distressed in violent manner for euill thoughts affections c. but the violent distresse commeth from soâ—…e actuall and odious sinne or sinnes done which wound the conscience and are the causes of great distraction of minde and they are many which hauing bin vpon occasion before rehearsed I will not now repeat them Onely this must be remembred that the greater sinns against the third sixt and seuenth commandements are the maine and proper causes of violent distresses and the more secret the sinne is in regard of the practise thereof the greater horror of Conscience it bringeth and open offences doe not giue so deepe a wound vnto it as secret and hidden sinnes SecoÌ„dly the particular sinne being known Inquirie must be made as much as possibly may be by signes whether the partie distressed repenteth yea or no. For except he hath repented he cannot be fitted to receiue comfort vnlesse he be first fitted to receiue coÌ„fort he cannot be releeued in Conscience Now if it be found that the partie hath repented then care must be had in the next place that his repentance may be renued for the particular sinne committed Thirdly hauing thus done the comfort must be ministred for the moderating or taking away of the distresse And here remember by the way that the comforts ministred vsually and ordinarily must not goe alone but be mingled and tempered with some terrors of the Law that beeing thereby feared with the consideration of sinne and of the wrath of God due vnto the same the comfort may appeare to be the sweeter The ministring whereof in case of this distresse would not be direct and present but by certaine steppes and degrees except onely in the point of death for then a directer course must be vsed These degrees are two First the partie is to be informed of a possibilitie of pardon that is that his sinnes are pardonable and though in themselues they be great and hainous yet by the mercie of God in Christ they may be remitted Now put the case that the afflicted apprehendeth onely the odiousnesse of his sinnes and the wrath of God due to the same and in this fitte puts off the pardon from himselfe and cannot be perswaded that his sinne may be forgiuen what then is to be done Ans. Then for the effecting of this first degree certaine Grounds are to be laid downe whereupon assurance in that case may be built vp in his heart The first Ground of possibilitie of pardon is That the mercie of God is infinite yea ouer all his works Psal. â—45 9. That the death of Christ is of infinite price merit and value before God That God is much in sparing Isa. 55. 7. That with the Lord is mercie and with him is plenteous redemption Psal. 130. 7. That Christs satisfaction is not onely a price but a counterprice 1. Tim. 2. 6. able to satisfie for the sinnes of all men yea for them that haue sinned against the holy Ghost For that sinne is not therefore vnpardonable because the offence thereof is greater then the merit of Christ but because thâ— partie offending neither doth nor can applie the merit of Christ vnto himselfe An ancient father vpon Cains wordes My punishment is greater then I can beare saith Thou liest Cain for Gods mercie is greater then the sinnes of all men The mercie of God was very great to Manasses to Salomon to Peter and to many others though they were great offenders The second Ground Men of yeares liuing in the Church of God and knowing the doctrine of saluation shall not be condemned simply for their sinnes but for lying in their sinnes Vpon this ground I say that men distressed must be grieued not so much for committing of sinne as for lying and continuing in sinnes committed A third Ground It pleaseth God many times to leaue men to themselues and to suffer them to commit some sinne that woundeth conscience It is true and cannot be denied But we must withall remember that sinnes committed doe not vtterly take away grace but rather make it the more to shine and shew it selfe For God in mercie turneth all things euen sinne it selfe to the good of them that be his and therefore sinne committed cannot either waste or extinguish grace receiued but by diuine dispensation serueth to amplifie and inlarge the same so as where sinne aboundeth there grace aboundeth much more Rom. 5. 20. And the Lord saide to Paul beeing in great extremitie 2. Cor. 12. 9. My grace is sufficient for thee for my power is made perfect through weakenes Hence it appeareth that the grace of God is not vtterly lost but appeareth liuely in the time of distresse The fourth Ground is this The promises of God touching remission of sinnes and life eternall in respect of beleeuers are generall and in regard of all and euery man indefinite that is they doe not define or exclude any person or any sinner or any time onely they admit one exception of finall impenitencie Here a question may be mooued How long he that ministreth comfort must stand vpon the possibilitie of pardon I answer vntill he hath brought the partie distressed to some measure of true repentance and this beeing done then he is to proceede to the second degree of comfort The Second degree of comfort is to teach that the sinne or sinnes of the partie distressed are indeede pardoned But it may be asked vpon what signes may this comfort be applyed I answer vpon these two First if the partie distressed confesse that he or shee is heartily grieued that by their sinne or sinnes they haue offended so louing and so mercifull a God Secondly if they professe that they desire with all their heart to be reconciled vnto God in Christ and at least doe desire to repent for their sinnes and withall doe carrie in heart a purpose to sinne no more but in all things as much as in them lieth to performe new obedience vnto god Luc. 15. 11. c. Now for the better enforcing of this comfort some textes of Scripture fitting this purpose must be rehearsed aâ— for example Matth. 9. 12 13. I came not to call the righteous that is to say those that iudge themselues righteous but sinners that is those which are grieued because in their owne conscience they are vile and hainous offenders to repentance Againe Matth 11. 28. Come vnto me all ye that are wearie and heauie laden and I will refresh you And Christ saith it was the end of his coÌ„ming to preach deliuerance to the captiues and to set at libertie them that are bruised Luk. 4. 18. To
conclude this point there remaines yet a further question to be resolued and that is this A man after repentance for some greiuous sinne falls into it againe and is distressed more then before It is a cause somewhat grieuous For we knowe that if a man be recouered of an ague and through distemper in diet or otherwise makes a relapse into it againe his case is often desperate and he hardly scapeth with his life In the same maÌ„ner it is a dangerous case if after repentance men make a relapse into the same sinne againe It may then be asked how such persons may be recouered after a relapse I answer though we find not any one particular example in scripture of any one person that was restored againe after a relapse yet neuerthelesse there is some comfort for such persons Vpon what grounds may some say Ans. Men that haue not so much as a drop of mercie in comparison of God must forgiue ther brethren often and many times yea as our Sauiour Christ saith to Peter till seuenty times seuen times if they returne and say it repents them Now god is infinite in all his attributes He is much in sparing with him is plenteous redemption and therefore he will questionlesse vpon true repentance often forgiue and forget euen the same sinne iterated againe and againe Nowe these persons are to be releiued in this sort First they must haue their Consciences setled in this point that their relapse is pardonable though very dangerous For proof hereof read Esay 2. 18. Where mention is made of diuers Apostataes that were by God called to repentaÌ„ce with promise of don if they turned vnto him And in Luk. 15. the prodigall child by whome I vnderstand one that after grace receiued fell from his repentance and obedience to God when he did but purpose in his heart to returne again was pardoned and receiued into fauour In the 2. Cor. 5. 20. Paul saith to the Corinths that were fallen away We pray you in Christs steade that ye be reconciled vnto God Secondly beeing thus setled in conscieÌ„ce they must againe repent them of their sinnes Thirdly and lastly they are to be comforted with the promise of remission of sinnes after that some signes of renewed repeÌ„tance for sinnes past haue beene giuen Sect. 2. The Second kinde of this Tentation or trouble of minde which is more common lesse violent befalls the Children of God and it is a griefe of heart more or lesse whereby men are troubled in respect of the want of grace in their hearts and defects of obedience in their liues Paul the deere seruant of God was possessed with this trouble of minde as we may read Rom. 7. 23. And indeede there is no child of God but more or lesse one time or other he feeles the stings of sinne and the buffetings of Satan which cause griefe in his heart But this griefe is a notable grace of God and therefore they which want it must labour to haue it and they which haue it must not seeke to put it out but to keepe it in measure and order And the Grounds of comfort whereby the heart may be staâ—ed in this sorrow that it be not immoderate may be these I. Ground It is Gods will that the worke of sanctification or regeneration should be imperfect in this life and remaine vnfinished til death This point needs no proofe it is manifest both in the word of God and in daily experience The reasons for which God will haue it to be so may be these First of all God giues grace according to the measure and manner of our receiuing of it which in this life is imperfect Some giftes of God in Christ bestowed on his seruants as remission of sinnes by his death and iustification by his obedience are not put into vs but are only applied and made ours by imputation Some other giftes there be which are infused and put into vs as namely sanctification regeneration the loue of God and man and by one of these two meanes to wit either by imputation or infusion are all the giftes of God in Christ made ours Yet before we can haue them we must receiue theÌ„ and the meanes whereby we receiue them is faith which God hath ordained to be the hand of our soules to receiue his benefits bestowed on vs. Which faith because it is weake and imperfect in this life therefore the gifts which we receiue thereby are also imperfect For though Gods benifits be like a bottomlesse sea yet the faith wherby we lay hold of them is like vnto a vessell with a narrow necke which though it be cast into the great Ocean receiues but a little water at once and that by degrees droppe by droppe according to the widenesse of the mouth And hence it is that though the gifts of God without vs which are ours by imputation be perfect yet all such graces as are put into vs are weake and imperfect Secondly if any seruant of God should be perfectly regenerate and made absolutely holy in this life then he should fulfill the morall lawe and so become a Sauiour to himselfe and by the tenour of the law haue life and so should not Christ be a Sauiour properly but only an instrumeÌ„t to dispose vs to the keeping of the law whereby we might saue our selues But there is one only all sufficient Sauiour Christ Iesus and the beginning the middle and the accomplishmeÌ„t of our saluation is to be ascribed to him alone Thirdly it is the wil God that his owne children with whome he is well pleased in Christ should be brought to nothing in themselues that they might be all in all out of themselues in Christ being as it were emptied of selfe-loue and of all confidence in their owne goodnesse But if sanctification should be perfect at the first then a man should not goe out of himselfe but would rather stay as he is and rest contented in his owne goodnesse For this cause Paul after his exaltation was buffeted by Satans temptations that he might not be exalted out of measure 2 Cor. 12. 7. but should content himselfe with this that he was in the loue and fauour of God in Christ. II. Ground is To consider what makes a man professing Christ accepted of God and howe much he himselfe must doe for this end The substance of all things to be done of vs for this ende that we may become the children of God may be reduced to three heads First of all we must heartily bewaile our sinnefull liues past and seriously humble our selues in regard of our owne sinnes both of heart and life and if by occasion wee fall into any sinne we must not lie therein but by speedie repentance recouer our former estate Secondly in regard of the sinnefulnesse of our hearts and liues in times past we must rest our selues on Gods mercie alone â—lying to the throne of mercie for the pardon of them all Thirdly we must
spirit He also that praies for the same to God the Holy Ghost must pray that he would assure vnto him the remission of his sinnes from the father by and for the merit of the Sonne CHAP. V. Of the second part of Religion touching the worship of God and first of the inward worship II. Question How God is to be worshipped and serued FOr the full answer hereof we must remember that the worship of God is twofold inward or outward Inward is the worship of the mind the heart the conscience will and affections for man by all these ioyntly and seuerally performeth worship and seruice to his creator The outward is that worshippe whereby the inward is testified outwardly in the speach and actions The former of these two is the spirituall worship of the inward man and the very ground and foundation of all true worship of God for God is a spirit and therfore must be worshipped in spirit that is in the the minde conscience will and affections Indeede all the worshippe of God is spirituall euen that which we call outward yet not of it selfe but by vertue of the inward from which it proceedeth Sect. 1. The heades of Inward worship are two Adoration of God and cleaving to God For as they are two different actions of the heart so they may fitly be termed two distinct parts of Gods worship This distinction is in some part propounded by Moses where he exhorteth the Israelites to feare Iehovah their God to adore him to cleaue vnto him and to swear by his name Adoration is that part of Gods worship whereby a man vpon a vile and base estimation of himselfe as beeing but dust and ashes submits subiects his soule to the glorie and Maiestie of God This hath two principal groundes in the heart which if they be wanting there can be no true worship of God The first is Abnegation or deniall of our selues when we esteem our selues to be meerely nothing The second is exaltation or Advancemēt of Gods maiesty aboue all the things in the world Exāples of these we haue many in the scriptures as of Abraham who called God his Lord and himselfe dust and ashes of the Angels whome in a vision the Prophet sawe standing before God with one wing couering their feete which signified the abasing of themselues and with another couering their faces which betokened their adoration of the maiestie of God Of Daniel when he confesseth To thee O Lord belongeth righteousnes it selfe but to vs shame and confusion of face Lastly of the woman of Canaan who calls Christ Lord and her selfe a dogge Now in Adoration there are foure Vertues Feare Obedience Patience Thankefulnesse Feare is a great part of the worship of God which I prooue by two places laid together Esa. 29. 13. Matth. 15. 8 9. wherein Feare and Worship are taken for one and the same thing for that which Esay calls Feare Matthew calls Worship Now in this feare there be two things that serue to distinguish it from all other feares First it is absolute for by it God is reuerenced absolutely Saint Paul exhorteth to yeelde tribute feare and honour to the Magistrate not for himselfe but for God whose minister he is And our Sauiour saith Feare ye not them which kill the bodie and are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule and bodie in hell As if he should say I allow and command you to feare men onely for God who hath set them ouer you but feare God for himselfe Secondly it makes a man first of all to feare the offence of God and then the punishment and iudgement For it is not a feare of the offence alone but of the offence and punishment together and of the offence in the first place Mal. 1. 6. If I be a Lord where is my feare And where it is saide in Matthew but rather feare him that is able to cast bodie and soule into hell fire there is commanded a feare of God in regard of his anger We feare the sword of man and that lawfully why then may we not feare the punishment of God If it be said this is a seruile feare to feare the punishment and agrees not to Gods children I answer slauish feare is when a man only fears the punishment not the offence of God or at least the punishment more then the offence The second vertue of Adoration is inward Obedience of the hidden man of the heart The Lord preferres this obedience before all sacrifice 1. Sam. 15. 22. This standeth in two things First in yeelding subiection of the Conscience to the commaundements threatnings and promises of God so as we are willing that it should become bound vnto them Secondly when the rest of the powers of the soule in their place and time performe obedience vnto God And by this meanes doe we bring into captiuitie euery thought vnto the obedience of Christ as Paul speaketh 2. Cor. 10. 5. The third vertue of Adoration is Patience which is when a man in his afflictions submitteth his will to the will of God and quieteth his heart therein because God sendeth afflictions This was Dauids counsell Be silent before the Lord and alwaies waite vpon his pleasure And his practise when in trouble he resigned himselfe into the hands of God and said Lord if I please thee not loe I am here doe with me as seemeth good in thine eyes This patience is a part of Gods worship because it is a kind of obedience The fourth vertue of Adoration is Thankfulnesse to God which shewes it selfe in two things First in an acknowledgement of the heart that our selues and whatsoeuer we haue is Gods and proceedeth from his blessing alone Secondly in a consecration of our bodies soules liues callings and labours to the honour and seruice of God Thus much of the first head of Inward worship or the first action of the heart standing in Adoration Sect. 2. The second Action of the heart in Inward worship or the second part thereof is Cleauing vnto God Now we cleaue vnto God by foure things by Faith Hope Loue and inward Inuocation By Faith I meane true iustifying faith whereby we rest vpon Gods mercie for the forgiuenes of our sinnes and life euerlasting and vpon his prouidence for the things of this life Thus Abraham beeing strengthened in this faith and relying by it vpon Gods promises made vnto him gaue glorie vnto God Rom. 4. 20. This Sauing faith is the very roote and beginning of all true worship For Loue which is the fulfilling of the Law must come from it 1. Tim. 1. 5. The second is Hope which followes and dependes vpon faith and it is that grace of God whereby with patience we waite the Lords leisure for the performance of his promises especially touching redemption and life eternall If we hope saith Paul for that we haue not we
church yet the truth is they are not wholly cut off from the societie of the faithfull For the seede of faith remaineth in them and that knits the bond of coniunction with Christ though the sense thereof be lost vntill they repent In this case the partie excommunicate is as a free man in bonds who vntill he get out of prison hath no vse of his freedome and yet continues a free man still though he remaine in prison So also the childrē of God may still be the children of God though excluded from the cōgregation of the church for some offences From this that hath beene said ariseth the Answer to the Question propounded namely that the children of such persons as are excommunicated are notwithstāding their excommunication to be baptised because they are indeede and in the iudgement of charitie true members of the bodie of Christ though in some other regards they are not in present holden so to be Yet further besides the former grounds consider these reasons First children of parents that are professed members of the church though cut off for a time vpon some offence committed haue right to baptisme because it is not in the power of man to cut them off from Christ though they be excommunicated Secondly the personall sinne of the parent may not keepe the blessing from the child and therefore not depriue him of participation of the ordinance of God Thirdly we must alway put a difference betweene them which doe not make separation from the church and yet are grieuous offenders and open Apostataes that ioyne themselues with the enemies of the Church to the ruine and ouerthrow of the truth of the Gospel Fourthly we must put a difference betweene those that haue giuen vp their names to Christ though fallen grieuously and Turks and Infidels that are forth of the Couenant and neuer belonged to the Church Lastly if the mercie of God inlarge it selfe to thousands yea to infinite generations why should man be so hard hearted as to make question whether such Infants belong to the Couenant and consequently keepe them from the Sacrament of Baptisme Out of this Question ariseth a second Whether children borne in fornication haue right to baptisme Ans. They are not to be kept from it For the wickednes of the parent ought not to preiudice the child in things that belong to his saluation Yet in this case some Cautions are carefully to be obscrued as first that the parent hold the true faith and religion secondly that he be by the Minister exhorted to a true humiliation of himselfe and to earnest repentance for his sinne committed and that before the child be baptized Thirdly that their be some appointed to answere for the Infant besides the parents and to make solemne promise openly to the Church that it shall be carefully brought vp and instructed in the faith And the same is to be obserued and practized before the baptizing of the children of parents excommunicate IV. Question How men are to make a right vse of their baptisme when they become to yeares The not obseruing hereof is the cause of many sinnes and corruptions in the liues of men It is commonly holden a great fault in ciuill matters for a man not to keepe his couenants Much more is it a hainous sinne before God not to keepe the promises and pay the vowes made vnto him For answere therefore to the Question wee must first take this for a ground That baptisme both for signification force vse and fruit continues not for a moment of time but for the whole course of a mans life It doth not respect onely the time past or present but that which is to come yea that whole time that a man hath to spend from the very act of his baptisme to his death Againe baptisme is the true Sacrament of Repentance for remission of sinnes which being once receiued remaineth a perpetuall testimonie and pledge of the everlasting couenant of God and of the continuall washing away of sinne in the blood of Christ. This Ground premised I come to the vse of baptisme which is two fold The First is that it serues to be a token and pledge of Gods fauour towards vs and that principally three waies First in that it sealeth and confirmeth to vs the free pardon and forgiuenesse of our sinnes Thus Cornelius was baptized of Peter after he had heard the Gospell preached and receiued the Holy Ghost that it might be vnto him a pledge of the remission of his sinnes Act. 10. 48. And in like manner doth Peter exhort the conuerted Iewes to repent them of their sins to receiue the Sacramēt of Baptisme as a seale and pledge of Gods mercie in the forgiuenes thereof by Christ Act. 2. 38. In regard of this vse baptisme is of great force to releeue the hart in distresse For when any childe of God feeles himselfe loden with the burden of his sinnes the consideration and remembrance hereof that God hath pardoned them all and giuen him a speciall and certaine pledge of his pardon in baptisme will serue to stay and support his soule Yea though his sinnes were of force to make a separation betweene God and him Yet remembring that his name is written in the Couenant of God and that he hath by Gods mercie receiued the seale of the Couenant he shall not neede to be much dismaied When Satan tempteth him to doubt of his owne estate in regard of his corruptions even then let him haue recourse to his baptisme and thinke of the earnest and pledge of Gods fauour which he hath receiued Let him draw out his euidences signed with the seale of Gods couenant made vnto him in Iesus Christ and that shall be sufficient to stoppe the mouth of Satan and to repell his temptations Secondly Baptisme is as a pledge of the vertue of Christs death Doe you not know saies Paul that all we which haue beene baptized into Iesus Christ haue beene baptized into his death Rom. 6. 3. For they that beleeue are by baptisme conformed to Christ their head because they are by it buried together with him into his death vers 4. This point is of excellent vse in our liues For it teacheth a man when his owne corruption mooueth him to sinne and he is now euen in the Combate the Spirit lusting against the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit even then to call to memorie his baptisme wherein it pleased God to seale vnto him the mortificatiō of his sinne by the power of Christs death and consequently to pray earnestly vnto him for the continuance of the same power in his his heart for the continuall crucifiing of the old man and the vtter destroying of the body of sinne Rom. 6. 6. Thirdly baptisme is a pledge vnto vs of the Life of Christ of our Fellowship with him therein For looke as he beeing dead in the graue raised himselfe to life by his owne power euen so and more then so being now
pray and heare the word cheerefully when their stomacks are emptie These persons may eate in the day of a solemne fast so that they obserue the caueats before remembred It is not with vs in these countries as it was with the Iews They could fast one two or three daies together without any inconvenience we cannot doe the like And the reason is plaine Men that liue in those hotte countries haue colde stomackes and so may fast the longer but in colder climates such as ours is in respect of theirs men beeing of hotter stomackes are not able to continue fasting so long as they Sect. 3. The third point is concerning the Right endes of a religious fast and they are foure The first is to subdue the flesh that is to bring the body and so the bodily lusts into subiection to the will and word of God By eating and drinking the body is made heauie the heart oppressed the senses dull and the whole man vnfit for the duties of humiliation praier and hearing of the word Luk. 21. 24. That therfore this vnfitnesse may be taken away not onely the body it selfe but the vnruely lusts of the flesh are to be mortified and subdued by this exercise of fasting The second end is to stirre vp our deuotion and to confirme the attention of our mindes in hearing and in praier To this purpose in the Scripture fasting and prayer are for the most part if not alwaies ioyned togither because when the stomacke is full the body and minde are lesse able to doe any good dutie and contrariwise when abstinence is vsed the heart is lighter the affections in better order the whole man more quicke and liuely in the seruice of God For this very cause Anna is saide to worshippe God night and day with fasting and praier Luk. 2. 37. And the intent of the Holy Ghost there is to commend her for the feruencie of her praier which shee testified in that by such exercises shee stirred vp and increased the attention of her minde The third ende is to testifie the humilitie and contrition of our hearts that is to say our inward sorrow and griefe for sinne and our repentance and effectuall turning vnto God Without this ende the fast is but a vaine ceremonie And therefore the Prophet Ioel calls vpon the people to turne vnto the Lord with all their hearts with fasting weeping and mourning to rent their hearts and not their garments c. Ioel 2. 12 13. The Prophet Esay in like manner reprooveth the Iewes because when they fasted they would afflict their soules for a day and how downe their heads as a buâ—rush and lie downe in sackcloath and ashes But made no conscience to turne from their euill waies Esay 58. 5 6. Therefore their outward humiliation was but hypocrisie The fourth end of a fast is to admonish vs of our guiltines before the Lord and to put vs in mind of the acknowledgement of our sinnes wherby we become vnworthy of any blessing gift or mercie yea vnworthy to goe vpon the ground to breath in the aire to eate drinke sleepe or inioy any other benefit In a word that we haue deserued by our sinnes all the plagues and punishments threatued in the Law against sinners The Malefactor in the day of Assises cannot giue greater testimonie of the true confession of his guiltines then by comming before the Iudge with the rope about his neck neither can we bring a more notable signe of our true humiliation before God then by comming before him in the day of the solemne fast with open confession and Proclamation of our guiltinesse both of sinne and punishment Hence it was that in the fast of Nineueh not onely men but euen the beasts were forbidden to feede or drinke water for this very end that the Niuevites might acknowledge their sinnes to be so great and heinous in the sight of God that in regard therof not onely the reasonable creatures themselues but also the beasts of the field for their sakes were vnworthy of life and nourishment III. Question Whether Popish Fasts be lawfull and approoued of God Ans. They are wicked and therefore neither approoued of God nor to be obserued by man and that for three speciall causes First the patrons maintainers of them doe appoint set times of fasting which are necessarily to be kept vpon paine of mortall sinne And abstinence from flesh with them is made a matter of conscience Now to prescribe set times necessarily to be obserued is contrarie to that libertie which the Church of God and the gouernours thereof haue for this purpose onely vpon speciall occasion When the question was mooued to our Saviour by Iohns Disciples Why they and the Pharises fasted often whereas his fasted not Answer was giuen in this manner Can the children of the marriage chamber mourne as long as the bridegrome is with them But the daies will come when the bridegrome shall be taken away from them and then shall they fast Mat. 9. 15. From whence we may gather that times of fasting must be according to the times of mourning For Christ giues them to vnderstand that they were to fast as occasions of mourning were offered As therefore there can be appointed no set time for mourning no more can there be enioyned a set time for fasting but must be left to the libertie of the Church to be prescribed as God shall giue occasion Againe the Apostle reprooueth the Church of Galatia for obseruing set daies and moneths times and yeares in way of Religion Gal. 4. 10. Montanus the Hereticke is thought in Ecclesiasticall stories to haue beene the first that made lawes for set-fasting And the Churches of God in ancienter times fasted of their own accords freely not inforced by law or commandement but as time and occasion serued It is alleadged that this doctrine seemes to chalenge the Church of England of Heresie for it appointeth and obserueth set times of fast Ans. Nothing lesse For our Church inioyneth and approoueth these times not vpoÌ„ necessity or for religions sake but for ciuill and politicke respects whereas the Romish church holds it a mortal sinne to put off a set fast appointed so much as till the next day following The second reason They of the Church of Rome make a distinction of meates For they wholly forbid flesh to be eaten vpon daies of fast and allow whit-meates onely then to be vsed and that of necessitie Now this difference of meates is partly impious partly absurd and foolish Impious it is because they make it for Religions sake For since the coÌ„ming of Christ there is a libertie giuen to all men whatsoeuer to eate of all kindes of meates without any distinction commanding abstinence froÌ„ nothing which God hath created to be receiued with thanksgiuing It is true indeede we hold a difference betweene meate and meate but how not in way of religion but in regard of temperance health for ciuill and politike
vses and respects As for the other we rest vpon the word of God hold it with Paul a doctrine of Deuills to command forbearance of meates in regard of conscience 1. Tim. 4. 3. But to this place of Paul they giue answer and say that it is spoken of Heretikes such as the Manichees Novatiās c. were that held meats in their own nature vnclean We on the other side reply and say that this text condemnes those that make meates any way vncleane And that the Papists doe put this difference in way of Religion and conscience as appeareth by their strait prohibitions of flesh as vncleane and that for conscience sake And this text they shall neuer be able to shift off for it plainely condemneth any such distinction seeing to the pure all things are pure and euery creature of God is good and nothing to be refused so it be receiued with thanksgiuing 1. Tim. 4. 4. Furthermore this difference of meates is also foolish For first the light of nature and common sense teacheth that in such meates as they permit there is as much delicacie pleasure and contentment yea as much if not more strength for example in some fish fruits and wines as is in flesh by them forbidden Yea S. Paul ascribes flesh vnto fishes 1. Cor. 15. 39. There is one flesh of men an other of beasts an other of fishes c. Secondly I call it foolish because in their set Fasts they forbid flesh but permit diuers wines and the daintiest iuncates that the Apothecaries shoppe can affoarde whereas in a solemne fast all meates drinks and all other delights of what kinde and nature soeuer are to be forborne For this was the practise of the Church in former times to forbeare not onely ordinarie foode but soft apparell sweete oyntments and whatsoeuer it was that serued to refresh and cheare the heart as hath beene shewed The third Reason The Church of Rome giueth to their fastings false and erroneous endes as namely to merit something at the hands of God thereby to satisfie his iustice for sinne and to be true and proper parts of his worship And that these are false and erronious I prooue by these reasons First they do wholly frustrate the death of Christ which is the onely thing in the world appointed by God to be meritorious and satisfactorie Secondly Fasting of it selfe is a thing indifferent neither good nor euill For though it be referred to a religious end which is the humbling of the soule yet it is not good in it selfe but onely in regard of the end Neither is it any part of Gods worshippe beeing so referred but only a proppe and furtherance seruing in the right vse thereof to make a man more fit for the duties of Gods seruice Thirdly these ends if they be well considered cannot be the true ends of fasting as will appeare by this example A begger at our doores entreats an almes we giue it and he receiues it But will any man say that by begging he doth merit or deserue his almes In like manner we are all beggers that haue nothing of our owne neither food nor raiment nor any other blessing we doe inioy but all we haue commeth vnto vs onely from God Well vpon iust occasion we giue our selues to fasting we pray earnestly vnto him for mercie in the pardon of our sinnes In this case is it not great madnesse to thinke that we by begging mercie can merit mercie at the hands of God But praier saith the Papist as it is praier merits nothing but as it is a good worke Ans. Praier as it is a good worke is no other then begging and then it is vnpossible that it should be meritorious vnlesse it be granted that begging is meritorious which cannot be These reasons considered I conclude that Popish fasts which stand in force among them at this day are wicked and damnable and consequently to be abolished if it were no more but for the blasphemous ends which they make of them And thus much touching this point of Fasting as also concerning the other Heades of Gods outward worship CHAP. XVI Of the Sabboth day THe fourth maine Question touching man as he stands in relation to God is concerning the Time of Gods worship Wherein certaine particular questions are to be resolued touching the Sabboth day The First and most principall of all the rest is this Whether it be in the libertie of the Church of God vpon earth to alter the Sabboth day from the seuenth day to any other In answering to this Question I will not resolutely determine but onely propound that which I thinke is most probable First therfore I answer negatiuely That it is not in the Churches libertie to alter the Sabboth from the Seuenth day The reasons are these I. Reason The substance of the fourth commandement is vnalterable Now the sanctifying of a rest vpon the seventh day is the substance of the fourth cōmandement Therfore the sanctifying of the rest of the seuenth day is vnalterable in regard of any creature That the truth of this reason may appeare two things are to be considered First what is changeable and temporarie in the Sabboth and then what is morall and perpetuall Sect. 1. The things which are temporarie and ceremoniall in the Sabboth day are these I. That rigorous and precise rest prescribed to the Iewes which stoode in the strait obseruation of three things First the Iewe might not on the Saboth goe forth or take a iourney any whether for any matter or busines of his owne For of this there was a speciall commandement giuen Exod. 16. 29. Tarry euery man in his place let no man goe out of his place the seuenth day namely to doe any worke or busines of his owne whatsoeuer Secondly the Iewe might not kindle a fire vpon the Sabboth day For so saith the Lord by Moses Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations c. Exod. 35. 3. It will be then said How did they for meate and fire in winter Ans. They prepared and dressed their meat the day before as they were commanded Exod. 16. 24. And for fires in winter if they had any vpon the Sabboth it was necessarie as I suppose that as they drest their meate the day before so they should then beginne their fire also which beeing then begunne might be preserued on the Sabboth Thirdly the Iewe might not carrie a burden This the Lord did expressely forbidde them by the Prophet Ieremie Thus saith the Lord Carrie no burdens vpon the Sabboth day neither bring them in by the gates of Ierusalem c. Ier. 17. 21. And Nehemiah charged the men of Iudah with the prophanation of the Sabboth in that kinde Neh. 13. 15 16 17. In these three particulars stood the strict obseruation of the Iewish rest which is altogether temporarie and doth not concerne the times of the New Testament because it was onely typicall the Sabboth beeing in regard of that manner of
day of the weeke and there will be no neede of appointing a set time for Gods seruice if all daies be equall without any difference or distinctioÌ„ But the fourth CoÌ„mandement for substance is eternall and requireth vpon paine of the curse both rest from labour and a setting apart of the same rest to the duties of holines religion And if it command abstinence from ordinarie abour then much more from pleasures and recreations The third and last Opinion holdes the meane betweene the two former extremities and that I take to be the best and safest The substance hereof consists of these two conclusions 1. That vpon the Sabboth day of the new Testament men are to rest from the ordinarie labours of their callings Thus much is commanded in the fourth commandemeÌ„t For the rest it selfe was not a ceremonie as I said before but the straight precise manner of resting Againe it is most necessarie that religion and the power thereof should be maintained amongst Gods people which cannot possibly be vnlesse men at sometimes set themselues apart vnto it The student that desires learning doth not attaine vnto knowledge vnlesse he doe daily consecrate and devote himselfe to the studie therof In like maner religion cannot be preserved and maintained in the Church except men doe whollie and continually employ themselues in the practise of the same Furthermore it is the libertie that Gods lawe giues to seruants yea and to beasts that they shall not be oppressed with labour by working on the Lords day this liberty is grouÌ„ded vpon the law of nature coÌ„mon equity Here the common sort are wont to reply and say If we must rest from the labour of our callings the whole day we shall not be able to maintaine our selues and our families To which it may be answered that they which gathered Manna onely in the sixe daies had as much as they that gathered it on the seuenth day that which they gathered the seuenth day did not remaine sweete but stanke and perished They therefore which rest on the Sabboth daie must not be distracted with needelesse cares but liue by by faith and depend vpon Gods providence for meate drinke and clothing And the labour of the calling then vsed when it is expressely forbidden by God bringeth rather a curse with it then a blessing Againe such persons must remember that Godlinesse hath the promises of this life and the life to come 1. Tim. 4. 8. and if they will first seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse all things necessarie shall be cast vnto them in way of aduantage Mat. 6. 33. Therefore if they keepe his commandement and rest vpon the seuenth day God will in mercy giue a blessing and they shall no lesse receiue from him their daily bread in that day then in any other II. Conclusion In this Rest sundry kindes of workes may be done and that with good conscience principally two The first are workes both holy and of present necessitie And they are such as cannot be done before or after the Sabboth These are likewise of two sorts The first are those that doe necessarily pertaine to Gods worshippe so as without them God cannot be worshipped Of this kind is the Sabboth daies iourney Act. 1. 12. allowed among the Iewes to the people to goe and heare the word preached Thus we read that the Shunamite went ordinarily vpon the Sabboth and new Moone to the Prophet to heare him For when shee demanded leaue of her husband to goe to the Prophet he askes her Why wilt thou goe seeing it is neither newe Moone nor Sabboth day 2. King 4. 23. Of the same sort were the killing and dressing of sacrificed beastes in the time of the law wherof our Sauiour saith Haue ye not read in the law how that on the Sabboth daies the Priests in the temple break the Sabboth and are blamelesse Mat. 12. 5. The next sort of workes of present necessitie are those that belong immediately to the preseruation of the temporall life of man and beast or that serue to the good estate of them both Such are workes of mercie as the watering of cattell Mark 12. 11. the drawing of a beast out of a pitte Luc. 14. 5. and such like The second kind of workes that may be done vpon the Sabboth are workes of Christian libertie out of the Case of necessitie These were such as the Iewes might not doe and yet we in the new Testament may doe them For example prouision and dressing of meate making fires and carrying of burdens Yet vpon this libertie men ought not to gather that they may doe what they will because they must cease from the ordinarie execution of the works of their callings For the word of God giueth no such warrant men are in this case to submit themselues to his will expressely reuealed and to vse their libertie according to the same Here two Cases are propounded I. Case Whether we may not lawfully vse recreations on the Sabboth day as shooting bowling hunting hawking wrastling c Ans. I take it we are not denied to reioice and solace our selues vpon this day For to some men at some times recreation may be more necessarie then meat in case of weakenes for present preseruation of health And though not in that regard yet beeing well â—sed it may be a furtherance to men in the performance of the duties of godlines as well as in the duties of their calling But this reioycing must be such as was the reioycing of the Iewes Nehem. 8. 12. which was onely spirituall and in the Lord. For they reioyced onely for this that they vnderstood the law of God that was taught them But as for the recreations and pastimes aforenamed as bowling and such like they are not at this time to be vsed My reason is this That which is the more principall and necessarie namely labour in the execution of a mans calling is forbidden recreation therefore which is for labour must cease on that day when labour ceaseth Againe if the duties of the ordinary vocation otherwise lawfull and commendable be therefore forbidden because they destroy the rest commanded and take vp the mind that it cannot be freely emploied in the affaires of God then much more are workes of pleasures forbidden because they doe the same things much more though otherwise in themselues they be not vnlawfull Obiect Seruants must haue recreation otherwise how shall they be able to worke in the weeke day Ans. True but their recreation must be granted them in the daies of labour For recreation pertaineth not to rest but to labour and is therefore vsed that a man by it may be made more fitte to labour II. Case Whether men vpon any occasion may not doe a worke of their callings in the morning or euening of the Sabboth day as Tradesemen for example I answer that they may so be it they obserue foure caveats I. That the worke done be no scandall to
of inuocation of the name of God for this end that he in mercie would mortifie all our affections especially this corrupt violent affection of vniust wrath And this must we doe as at all times so then especially when anger is creeping vpon vs. It will be saide of some Our anger is violent and comes vpon the sudden and therefore these remedies will doe vs no good Ans. Such persons when their mindes be quiet must often read and meditate of the foresaid remedies and by this meanes they shall be able to preuent hastines But what if we be ouertaken with anger what must we then doe Ans. If thou fall into it through infirmitie yet remember thy selfe let not the sunne goe downe vpon thy wrath Eph. 4. 26. Consider with thine owne heart that anger is as a poison if a man drinkes poison he must not suffer it to rest and flow into the bodie veines but with all speede must purge it out and so must anger be dealt withall wheÌ„soeuer we are ouertaken with it CHAP. IIII. Of Questions concerning Temperance TEmperance is a vertue that moderateth appetite or lust And this moderation of appetite stands in foure things I. In the vse of Riches II. In the vse of Meat and Drinke III. In the vse of Apparell IV. In the vse of Pleasures wherein Recreations are to be considered Sect. 1. Concerning the Moderation of Appetite in the vse of Riches there are two maine Questions I. Question How farre a man may with good conscience proceed in the desiring and seeking of Riches The Answer of this Question is the rather to be considered because this doctrine rightly conceiued and vnderstood serues greatly for the direction of the whole course of our liues vnto the ende Here therefore I will first set downe the Ground of the Answer and then the Answer it selfe The Ground of the Answer I propound in fiue Rules I. Rule We must consider that riches and goods are of two sorts some are necessarie some are more then necessarie which the Scripture calls Abundance Goods and riches are two waies necessarie necessarie to nature or necessarie to the person of a man Goods necessarie to nature are those without which nature and life cannot be well preserued and these are most needefull Necessary in respect of a mans person are those goods without which a mans state condition and dignitie wherein he is cannot be preserued Now Riches more then necessarie I terme those without which both the life of man and his good estate may well be preserued And whatsoeuer is besides them is necessary For example To the calling of a Student meat drinke and cloth are necessarie in respect of nature besides these other things as bookes and such like are also necessarie for him in respect of his condition and place II. Rule Things and goods are to be iudged necessarie and sufficient not by the affection of the couetous man which is vnsaâ—â—able but by two other things the iudgement of wise and godly men and the examples of sober and frugall persons III. Rule We must not make one measure of sufficiencie of goods necessarie for all persons for it varieth according to the divers conditions of persons according to time and place More things are necessarie to a publicke man then to a priuate and more to him that hath a charge then to a single man IV. Rule That is to be iudged necessarie which in some short time to come may be needefull though it haue no present vse For example the dowrie that a father giues to his daughter at the day of mariage though it be not presently needefull yet because in short time it may be necessarie therefore it is to be reputed amongst necessarie goods V. Rule We our selues doe often erre in iudgement in determining of things necessarie and sufficient for our selues therfore when men seeke things competent necessarie they must alwaies pray to God to giue them that which he knowes in his wisdome to be meete and necessarie not prescribing a measure vnto him I come now to the Answer of the Question which is twofold The first is this Man may with good conscience desire and seeke for goods necessarie whether for nature or for his person according to the former rules but he may not desire and seeke for goods more then necessarie for if he doth he sinneth The reasons of this answer are these First Deut. 17. 16. 17. the commandement is giuen to the King that hath most neede of abundance that he should not multiply his horses or his siluer or his gold That which the King may not doe the subiects ought much lesse to doe therfore they are not to multiply their goods For this cause it is a great fault in subiects remaining as they be subiects to seeke to attaine to the riches of Princes Againe Paul saith 1. Tim. 6. 8. Hauing foode and raiment let vs be therâ—ith content Besides that in the petition Giue vs this day c. we craue but onely bread for our substance that is meete to preserue vs for nature in that calling wherein we serue God day by day The prayer of Agur is that God would giue him foode conuenient for him or as the wordes signifie bread of his statute that is which God in his counsell had appointed and ordained for him Prov. 30. 8. Secondly seeking of abundance is a hazard to the saluation of the soule by reason of mans corruption Therefore Matth. 13. Riches are called thornes that choke the word of God sowen in the heart And 1. Tim. 6. 9. They that will that is desire to be rich and content not themselues with things necessarie fall into the snare of the Deuill Thirdly seeking of abundance is a fruite of diffidence in the prouidence of God Now all frutes of vnbeleefe must be cut off we must not therefore desire more then necessarie In the next place for the better clearing of this doctrine the Obiections of Couetous men are to be answered Obiect I. Good things are to be sought for but abundance is a good thing and a blessing of God Ans. Good things are of two sorts Some are simply good that is to say good both in themselues and to vs as remission of sinnes holinesse righteousnesse and life euerlasting in the kingdome of heauen and such like these may we desire and seeke for Som again are good onely in part which though they be good in themselues yet are not alwaies good to vs. Of this kind is abundance of riches and store of wealth more then necessarie for nature and person For which cause riches in abundance are as the knife in the hand of a child likely to hurt if it be not taken away because they are in some men occasions of sinne vnlesse God in mercie preuent and hinder them And for our selues what know we whether God will keepe and preserue vs from sinne when we seeke and labour for abundance Obiect II. It is the