of some in hell shall be more tollerable then of some others but thereby they vnderstand rather those gripes of conscience that prouoke prayers supplications strong cryings and teares out of a heart beset and straightned with fierce accusations a conuinced conscience feared condemnatioÌ„ these assaults they say shall be more hard against the conscience of him that siuned against knowledge in a presuming manner then against the conscience of him that sinned of ignorance in a weaker manner that is yeelding rather out of his weaknes then daring out of his pride for it may be alledged for the ignorant man that if he had knowne such a thing to be euill in the sight of God he would not haue done it No such thing can be said for him that presumed against knowledge for such an one sheweth contempt of God and of his reuealed will which the ignorant man cannot be charged with all hee groneth only vnder the burden of humane errour and frailty but the other lieth vnder the burden of malice and presumption Therefore when our afflicted man pressed distinctly with some particular sinnes findeth that they were the sinnes of his ignorance let him not thinke himselfe thereby free for to be ignorant of that which is our duty required of God is of it selfe a great sinne and if his ignorance be affected ignorance as in them that refuse to be taught and contemne the meanes of knowledge when God doth offer them such ignorance differeth little or nothing from malice But let him pray vnto God in hope and let him plead before God his ignorance not as an excuse much lesse as a iustification of his fault but as a motiue by which the Lord is often led in his free mercy to forgiue sinnes And for the incouraging of his heart let him remember the examples of them to whom vpon their â—…epentance and conuersion to God mercy to the forgiuenesse of their sinnes of ignorance hath beene granted Peter in a sermon of his made vnto the multitude that came together to see the lame man whom he and Iohn had healed chargeth them with a grieuous sinne saying You denied the holy one and the iust and desired a murà erer to be giuen you and killed the Lord of life whom God raised from the dead where of we are witnesses This was a great sinne to kill the sonne of God and to make more reckoning of and to shew more fauour vnto a knowen murderer then to the Lord of life that came to saue them But this their fact he saith was of ignorance And now brethren I know that through ignorance you did it as did also your gouernors For though the lews were very maliciously bent against Iesus yet many of them knew him not to be the Lord of life and to be the holy one of God neither did they persecute him in that name Therefore doth Saint Peter saâ—…e vnto them in the same Sermon Amend your liues and turne that your sinnes may be done away Heere is mercy offered and assured vnto them that amend their liues and turne to God namely this mercy that all their enormious sinnes and euen among the rest their sinne in refusing the Lord Christ and putting him to a shamefull death should be forgiuen and the rather because they did it ignorantly And memorable is the example of the blessed Apostle Paul His sinne was persecutioÌ„ against the name of Iesus Christ his proceeding in it was furious without all compassion raging both against men and women that called vpon that name and casting them into prison in all places where he could finde them and had power against them In such sort that hee became famous or to speake more truely infamous for his cruelty so that Ananias in Damascus could say to the Lord Iesus of him Lord I haue heard by many of this man how much euil he hath done to thy Saints in Ierusalem moreouer here hee hath authority of the high Priests to bindâ—… all that call vpon thy name And yet this man had his sinnes forgiuen and was receiued into fauour and had all the degrees of holy honour done vnto him that can be done vpon earth to any among the followers of the Lord Iesus For first he was called to the knowledge and faith of the Lord Iesus and was made a true beleeuer Secondly he had honour not only to belieue in him but also to suffer for his sake and was made a true confessour and marter Thirdly he was also an excellent instrument to draw other men to the knowledge and faith of Iesus and was made a teacher and an Apostle And all this was the more freely done to him because when hee was a persecurour hee finned of ignorance and knew no other but that it was lawfull and holy for him to doe so Heare what himselfe saith of that matter I thanke him that hath made mee strong that is Christ Iesus our Lord for he counted me faithfull and put me in his seruice when before I was a blasphemer and a persecutor an oppressor but I was receiued to mercie because I did it ignorantly through vnbeliefe Ignorance and vabeleese are not things pleasing ro God by their vertue and merit obtaining forgiuenes of all the sins growing out of them neither doth the Apostle remember his ignorance and vnbeleefe obtaining his pardon as out of worthinesse of them rather know them in themselues to be grieuous sins deseruing hell as fully as any notorious sinne that issueth from them but he that sinneth out of ignorance more easily findeth fauour then hee that sinneth against knowledge For the sinne of the ignorant man hath not in it like euidence of rebellion against the reuealed will of God as the sin of him that hath knowledge As the words of the Lord Iesus shew spoken to some of the Pharisies If ye were blind ye should not haue sinne that is if yee wanted knowledge and were blind in your vnderstanding your fault should not bee so great so notorious so blame-worthy as now it is by reason of your knowledge There is therefore though no merit of fauour yet much hope for him that can say truely in his heart vnto GOD Lord thou knowest that blindly and ignorantly I ranne into this sinne not knowing that it was against thy will and so odious in thy sight And this is for him that is distinctly charged with particular sinnes and findes that hee committed them out of ignorance a doore of hope in which these examples may incourage him to digge by prayer wherein if hee doe truely and with a right penitent heart humbly and earnestly trauell he casteth the burthen of his sinnes vpon God and shall finde case CHAP. XV. BVT say it was sinne against knowledge and thou hadst warning giuen thee many times to take heede of that same sinne and warning by the word of God so that thou couldest not but know that to doe so as thou didst was a
offered vnto God for vs is accepted as our righteousnes and the reward of it is giuen vnto vs. His righteousnes is our righteousnes yea hee himselfe is our righteousnes and in him we are righteous not without reference vnto that place of the Prophet Ieremie doeth the Apostle Paul say thus of him You are of him in Iesus Christ who of God is made vnto vs wisdome and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption First he is made vnto vs wisdome that is in him and by the knowledge of him wee attaine vnto that wisdome which only is worthy of that name which philosophie and all the religions in the world the Gospell of Iesus Christ excepted could neuer afford vs for this wisdome maketh vs wise vnto saluation secondly he is made vnto vs righteousnes that is by the imputation of his righteousnes vnto vs we are accepted as righteous and holy and are in him righteous and holy Thirdly he is made vnto vs sanctification that is in him and by the vertue of his death and resurreotion we are recouered out of the dominion of sinne and haue power giuen vs to keepe vnder suppresse mortifie our earthly members and carnall lusts and doe euen in this sinfull world make beginning to serue God in holines and righteousnes with sinceritie and truth of heart Lastly he is giuen to be vnto vs redemption that is when we are once made wise by the knowledge of him and are iustified by his imputed righteousnes sanctified by his quickning grace we shall in the end vndoubtedly come to full redemption in heauen by him And by his meanes thou which of thy selfe art an vncleane person such an one as the holines of heauen may iustly denie entrance vnto art made in Iesus Christ a most holy and pure person worthily admitted by the holines of God to enter into glory And this other part of thy feare and so thy whole obiected feare is remoued the iustice of God that will haue sinne punished and the holines of God that will suffer no vncleane thing to stand before him both hauing receiued full satisfaction in the mediation of Iesus Christ Iustice in his death suffred for vs and holines in his perfect obedience and righteousnes imputed vnto vs so free way is made for the mercy of God which thou foolishly callest prodigall mercy For nothing euer was with more wise prouision bestowed to come vnto thee to forgiue thy great and abominable sinnes and to saue a great and an abominable sinner Now therefore fall to praier in the name of so gracious a mediator intreat the most merciful louing God to forgiue thy sins to receiue thee to fauor And for thy incouragement first vnderstand that without exception of any sin whether in time of ignorance or of knowledge vnaduisedly or aduisedly done the Lord Iesus Christ hath giuen thee leaue yea hee hath commanded thee to craue the forgiunes of thy sins teaching and commanding thee to say vnto God Forgiue vs our sinnes Looke then vpon the sinnes that lye so heauie vpon thy conscience marke thē well and if thou findest them to be thine as i◅ most like thou shalt know that thou hast leaue giuen thee and art also commanded to be a suitor for the forgiuenes of them whatsoeuer they be being sins And consider by whom this leaue and this commandement is giuen thee euen by him that is appointed to be the iudge of quicke and dead who while he giueth thee leaue commandement hath also himselfe drawne the petition for thee by which thou art commanded and permitted to craue the forgiuenes And surely it is a beginning of mercy granted to grant thee leaue and to imbolden thee with a commandement to aske for mercy his rule being Aske and it shall be giuen thee And it is not with out hope yea great hope of forgiuenes of sins when the iudge that hath power to grant it doth both permit thee command thee instruct thee how ◅o craue it This being also on of his rulers in the fore remēbred place Seek ye shall find Secondly to incorage thee further vnderstand that without exception of any sinne whether in time of ignorance or of knowledge vnaduisedly or advisedly done almighty God against whom thy sinne is commited and whose heauie wrath for thy sinnes thou art so greatly afraid of hath promised both to forgiue and forget thy sins saying I will forgiue their iniquitie and will remember their sinnes no more And when doeth God giue this promise but when hee maketh a couenant with his people whereby he bindeth himselfe vnto them And what shall we say was not God aduised of his owne meaning and considerate when he made this promise who can say otherwise of the most wise God but that he was aduised Or did he dissemble or promise this fainedly when he had no meaning to performe it who can say otherwise of the God of trueth but that he fully intended to performe his promise or hath hee forgotten now what hee promised then that by this meanes his promise should be as no promise because not remembred to be euer giuen who can imagine this of that God who knew all his owne workes from the beginning to whom all times both past and to come are euer present and of whom the Prophet saith He hath alwaies remembred his couenant and promise that hee made to a thousand generations Looke then againe vpon the sinnes that are so heauie vpon thy conscience and marke them well and if they be thy sinnes which thou canst not denie as the Lord Iesus hath giuen thee leaue by his commandement to aske forgiuenes so God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ hath promised to grant thee forgiuenes of them Here is a dore of mercy set wide open enter confidently but humbly with thy praier in the name of Iesus the mediator Thou hast the promise of the God of trueth of that God whose word is his deed who saith As I haue spoken so will I bring it to passe And what or whome shouldest thou now be afraid of CHAP. XIX BVT the afflicted sinner that cānot easily cast off this cleauing burden to his owne further trouble obiecteth against the incouragment giuen him from the commandement of the Lord Iesus to aske forgiuenesse of sinnes affirming that that gracious commandement giuing so franke leaue and so large hope of asking and obtaining forgiuenesse neither doth nor can pertaine vnto him pleading against himselfe in this manner This commandement of Christ that giueth leaue to aske and hope to receiue forgiuenesse of sins cannot belong vnto me neither haue I any right to the benefit and aduantage of it because that commandement is giuen to them that can call God their father for so beginneth the Lords praier wherein that commandement is comprehended our father which art in heauen But cannot call God my father neither haue I any
that may fall vpon vs as for example Ioseph was sould vnto strangers and imprisoned in Aegypt the men of Zeklag were spoiled of all that they had in their absence with Dauid Abiathar of the house of Eli was cast out by Salomon from being Priest vnto the Lord warre and famine and the anger of Princes yea many inferior causes breed many calamities the only sure way of casting our burden vpon God is to acknowledge the worke of God in our calamity patiently to beare what he laieth vpon vs and heartily to pray vnto him for succour That wee ought to acknowledge Gods worke in our calamity and patiently to beare his pleasure Iob doth teach vs saying Shall we receiue good things at the hand of God and not receiue euill Surely we doe neuer deserue any good at the hand of God and wee doe continually deserue euill what reason then haue we to desire euer to receiue good that we neuer deserue and neuer to receiue euill that we euer deserue Patience therefore in bearing the calamity that God laieth vpon vs doth well become the sonnes of men And that in our calamity wee ought to pray vnto God if wee would haue him to ease vs of our burden is so cleare that wee neede no proofe for it What man is hee religious or profane beleuer or vnbeleuer that doth not in his calamity remember God looke vp to heauen and pray to God the Mariners in the ship whereinto Ionas was entered when he fled from God when the storme vpon the sea was sore and the tempest proued a calamity vnto them so that they threw the wares out of the ship into the sea to lighten the ship for safty of their liues without instruction they could then according to their knowledge of God fall to praier For so it is written The Mariners were affraid and cried euery man vnto his God Though it be not generall with all men being in calamity and misery to beare it patiently yet it is generall with all men in calamity and misery to pray for ease So that a religious man being burdened with any calamity needeth not so much to be taught that it is fit for him to pray as hee needeth to be comforted by being put in hope that God will in due time answer his praier as surely he will if he be called vpon in the name of his beloued sonne For so hath the Lord Iesus assured vs saying Verely verely I say vnto you whatsoeuer yee shall aske the father in my name he will giue it you Let him pray therefore vnto God the father in the name of the Lord Iesus and patiently attend the Lords leisure and in due time he wil haue mercy vpon him This is when any calamity is fallen vpon vs to cast our burden vpon the Lord for our ease If it be the feare of death that is thy burden and perhaps with regard vnto others that shall be in some danger by thy death as wife children seruants and others that haue their education and maintenance vnder thee First the burden of feare of death is made easie to a godly man by many considerations in al which he casâ—…eth his burden vpon the Lord. First hee will consider that it is common to all Adams posteritie Aâ—… Dauid being ready to die saith vnto his sonne Salomon I goe the way of all the earth therefore death ought not to seeme fearefull to thee that is common to all Secondly hee will consider that hee cannot die before the time appoynted of God that gaue him life and assigned from euerlasting the certaine length of it as Iob saith Is there not an appoynted time to man vppon earth And shall any desire longer life then the giuer of life alloweth Or shall any be grieued to resigne his life into the handes of him that gaue it Thirdly hee will consider that the end of life shall bee the end of trouble vnto him that his death shall bring him rest from all troubles as the Spirit of God from heauen hath proclaimed saying ' Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord for they rest from their labor Rest and ease from weary labour is obtained by our death and departure out of this life Fourthly hee will consider that the sting and danger and all bitternesse of death is taken away by the death of Iesus Christ and death vnto the Saints is made the gate of life the Apostle saying O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law But thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. Lastly for his ease of feare in the approach of death yea for the filling of his heart with all true comfort in death that he may rather desire and long for then any way feare the houre of his death he will consider that his death shal be the gathering of him vnto Christ his redeemer as the Apostle saith Desiring to bee loosed and to bee with Christ which is best of all For while we liue in the world we are absent from the Lord and we walke by faith and not by sight But when we depart this world wee are gathered vnto him to dwel for euer with him And that is performed which hee promised saying Though I goe to prepare a place for you I will come againe aud receiue you vnto my selfe that where I am there may ye be also By these considerations is the burden of the feare of death made easie to a beleeuer and in all these considerations doth hee cast his burden vpon the Lord for his ease If hee therefore feare his owne death because others shall want him his wife shal be a widow his children shal be fatherlesse his seruants shal be orphanes and many shall misse him that now haue a helper of him and for their sakes rather then for himselfe hee is afraid to die This burthen is to bee cast vppon God by commending them vnto his prouidence who giueth food to al flesh because his mercy indureth for euer and who is the keeper of Israel that neither slumbereth nor sleepeth And that hee may doe this the more comfortably for the ease of his heart let him remember that the Lord saith All soules are mine both the soule of the father and also the soule of the sonne are mine He that created thee and had a care of thee as the worke of his handes to maintaine thee created also thy wife thy children thy seruants and thy poore friends and therefore hath also a care of them as the worke of his hands to maintaine them And hee that gaue his Sonne for thee to redeeme thee and therefore had a fatherly care for thee to doe all things for thy preseruation and saluation did also giue his Sonne for them to redeeme them and therefore also hath a fatherly care of them to doe all
for reliefe This therefore is a speciall point of casting our burden vpon God in these and in all troubles that men do learne to make humble praier vnto God But from these generall rules let vs consider of the particular and here as I said before of domesticall troubles Iâ—… vs first consider of them that grow vnto vs from enemies that wrong vs. After of our griefe for friends Of these some bend their malice against our estate and by cunning and fraud in bargaining by violence 〈◊〉 power in oppressing by robbery in the high way and by aduantages offered to their couetous and mercilesse hearts seek to inrich themselues by tâ—… spoile or at the least to weaken and ouerthroâ—… thine estate and to scatter thy riches as a spoile Some bend their malice against thy good name and by railing and opeâ—… exclamations to thy face after the manner of Shemei and by slandering close tales behind thy backe after the manner of Doeg by misconstruing and mis-reporting thy iust doings and by imputing vnto thee those bad deeds that thou neuer hadst thine hand in seeke to blemish thy reputation in all places and to bring thee into disgrace Some bend their malice against thy life and either vow and attempt themselues to kill thee as Ioab did Abner or hire and sot on others to murther thee as Absolom set on his seruants to murther Amnon or accuse thee to men of more fury violence then themselues betraying thee into their hands to bee sacrificed to their wrath or stirre vp and arme by false accusations the Magistrate against thee that vnder shew of iustice thou maiest be vniustly ouerthrowne Let vs see how the burden of these troubles is to bee cast vppon God Consider heere first of all whence the occasion grew and if thou findest thy troubles prouoked by any priuate error of thine seek to satisfie them whom thou diddest wrong and be not of the stomacke of them that will maintaine what they haue done be it neuer so iniurious and acknowledge thy fault make reasonable amends seeke reconciliation and by all meanes assure vnto them thy resolution to abstaine from offering like wrongs any more Shemei though none of the honestest nor wisest men yet when hee considered that his wrong done to Dauid might breede him that enmity that might become a burden heauie and daungerous to his peace life for his ease safty his wit serued him to confesse his fault to seek peace submissiuely and to offer better seruice for the time to come when Dauid after the ouerthrow of Absolom came backe ouer Iordan to returne to Ierusalem Shemei came with haste to meete Dauid at the riuers side and hee fell before the King when hee was come ouer Iordan and said vnto the King Let not my Lord impute wickednesse vnto me nor remember the thing that thy seruant did wickedly when my Lord the King departed out of Ierusalem that the King should take it to his heart for thy seruant doth know that I haue done amisse Therefore behold I am the first this day of all the house of Ioseph that am come to goe downe to meete my Lord the King And this submission of his confessing his fault and crauing pardon preuayled with Dauid so that hee did not let his wrath fall as a heauie burden vppon the necke of Shemei though there were some men present that did much prouoke Dauid to reuenge But if thou be free hauing giuen them no occasion and onely sufferest wrong the fault being wholly in thine enemie I tell thee this very testimonie of thy conscience is a great easing of thy burden if thou suffer not for thy sinne but for their malice So did the Lord Iesus suffer among the Priests and Pharisies The greater half of the burden is by this meanes turned off when peace of conscience abideth with thee other griefs and wrongs may be the more easily indured Salomon saith in the Prouerbs A good conscience is a perpetuall feast This is no small pleasure to a good man that hath beene vrged and vexed with vnkindnesse abroad that when hee commeth home hee entreth into his closet and examineth his heart and findeth that hee is in no fault and can plead his innocencie before God it is a feast to him he sitteth downe boldly and cheerfully by the mercie-seate of God and despiseth with a godly scorne both the wrong done and the wrong doer saying in his heart by the mercie of God this wrong shall turne to my good and this wrong doer shall not preuaile against mee and with great confidence of heart he powreth out his desires before God Saint Peter hath a saying that agreeth well with this point that wee haue now in hand Let none of you suffer as a murderer or as a thiefe or as a busie-body in other mens matters but if any man suffer as a Christian let him not bee ashamed but let him glorifie God in this behalfe Heere is right thy case hauing examined thine heart thou findest thaâ—… thou art no murderer nor thiefe noâ—… euill doer nor busie-bodie in the causes pretended by thine enemy as reasons of his violence against thee but thou findest that thou sufferest as a Christian that is thou sufferest without thy desert therefore thou hast cause to glorifie God thou hast no cause to be ashamed This innocencie of thine maketh thy burden to be much lighter And if God haue purposed to shorten thy trouble by conuersion of thine enemie though thou haue not such opportunitie to helpe him with wholesome councell beeing a remote enemy as thou hast to helpe a domesticall yet as opportunitie is offered remember and practise that precept of the Lord Iesus go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone And otherwise let it be the wish of thine heart and pray to God for it that God will be pleased to giue him a better heart Some haue obserued that Saint Stephens prayer helped much the conuersion of Saul after called Paul beeing one of those remote troublers to him a very furious one When Stephen that blessed Martire of Iesus Christ was put to death Saul was a busie doer against him The witnesses to whome it belonged to throw the first stone at the condemned person laied downe their cloathes at a yong mans feete whose name was Saul And Saul consented to his death and otherwise made hauocke of the church and breathed threatnings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord. It pleased the Lord Iesus in his wonderfull mercy to meete this persecuter in the heat of his fury neere to the Citie of Damascus and to conuert him and to make him a disciple And the effect of that conuersion was peace to the Church that had beene oppressed before with a heauie burden of troubles by means of that troubler As it is written Then had the Churches rest through all Iudea and Galile and Samaria and were
hope for the same mercy for the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes which was freely granted to Peter for the forgiuenes of his sins Goe forth therefore with Peter in the sight of thy sins poure out the teares of repentance before God as Peter did and he that receiued Peter to grace wil also receiue thee He was pardoned vpō no peculiar mercy proper to him denied to others but vpon that vniuersall mercy and most ample grace that God is ready to extend to euery cōtrite soule then afforded to Peter that hee out of his experience might after commend it to others Therfore did the Lord Iesus say to him aforehand when thou art conuerted strengthen thy brethrē That is when peace is restored to thy soule vpon assured pardon of thy sinnes past and grace giuen vnto thee to stand more firme for all times following then labour to comfort the hearts of others that haue sinned as thou diddest assure vnto them vpon their contrition the forgiuenesse of their sinne past and the presence of Gods grace for the time to come So that I am not the man but Peter nor Peter out of speculation and from his owne conceit but out of experience and vpon most sure authority from the mouth of his Master the sonne of God the sauior of mankind the Iudg of quicke dead that is warranted to tell thee that there is mercy with God to forgiue thy sinnes committed against knowledge if in this sorrow feare of thine heart thou turne to God and hartily prayest vnto him for pardon with purpose no more to cōmit the like sin I could adde the examples of many of Gods Saints that sinned against knowledge being carried away with a sodaine and violent temptation so that either they had no leisure to thinke what was fittest to doe or they wanted power to withstand the present assault and they after found fauour with God and their sinnes being forgiuen they liue with him in glorie Iacobs lie maintained to his father Isaacs face that hee was not Iacob the yonger but Esau the elder sonne was a sinne of this kind against knowledge but his mothers words as a potent temptation led him to the doing of it Iudaes adultery committed with Thamar his daughter in law though not knowne to be Thamar was a sinne of this kind against knowledge for how could Indah bee ignorant of the Law of God against adulterie written in mens hearts that would haue done execution vpon Thamar when he heard she had played the whoore but the temptation was sodaine and strong fitted with so many opportunities hee was a yong man at that time without a wife shee sate disguised as an harlot it was in the field out of the view of men and shee was soone intreated and yeelded vnto him these opportunities strengthning the temptation made it so potent that Iuda sinned Dauids hastie sentence giuing the estate of Mephibosheth vnto Ziba was a sinne of this kind against knowledge for Dauid could not be ignorant of it that there are many false accusers that a righteous Iudge should giue the accused partie leaue to speake for himselfe before he proceed to sentence but the temptation was strong and sodaine Ziba came with a bribe he brought it in a time when Dauid had need of it The time was troublesome Abs◅lon was vppe in rebellion Why might it not be true that in this trouble of the state Mephibosheth beeing the right heire to Saul might seek to make a faction for him And Dauid had need now of friends and therefore thought fit to make Ziba sure on his side These and like considerations darkening Dauids iudgement gaue strength to the temptation And hee sinned in condemning the innocent and rewarding the wicked accuser and that against knowledge for he was not ignorant of the duety of a Iudge And yet all these haue found fauor and their sinnes haue beene forgiuen vnto them Why then should thy heart faint and thy hope faile because thy conscience tels thee that thou hast sinned against knowledge Repent and turne to God pray and thou shalt be heard This very circumstance that thou we◅ not freely maister of thine owne will but the sodaine or violent temptation led thee captiue is an hole through which hope shineth dig by hearty praier and by true contrition and a doore of mercie shall be opened vnto thee This is in this case to cast thy burden of accusing thoughts vpon God for thine ease CHAP. XVI BVT perhaps thy heart tels thee that the particular sinnes that thou art charged withall were not onely done in thy daies of knowledge whē thou hadst learned before that such things ought not to be done but they were also done in the freedome of thine heart not surprised with sudden feare nor led away captiue by any violent temptation but with full consent of will thy heart at leisure considering and freely chusing against all checke whatsoeuer to do those things venturously boldly presumptuously and as we say desperately casting behind thy backe at that time all feare of God all regard of his law all remembrance of his mercy and all bonds of thy obedience only seeking to satisfie thine owne lusts and preferring the pleasure of sinne and wages of iniquitie before the seruice of God though thou didst know that those pleasures were of that constancie and would breede eternall torments and that the wages and gaine of sinne was of small worth and fading and would breed vnto thee the eternall losse of thy soule This is a hard case indeed and if Sathan haue this aduantage against thee then hath he driuen thee vp into a narrow streight and hemmed thee in very dangerously But yet by the mercy of God there are good and sure meanes by which to escape euen out of this streight though with some difficultie for here hath that saying of the Lord Iesus place That seruant that knew his maisters will and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his will shall bee beaten with many stripes Many and sore gripings shall his conscience feele before he recouer his peace against this accusation it will cost him many teares sighes and grones which I doe the rather remember to make men feare to offend in this manner and to suffer sinne so to raigne in their mortall bodies But yet it is possible for the sinner thus burdened to cast his burden vpon the Lord and to obtaine ease There is yet a hole in the wall of hope wherein if thou dig by humble and hearty prayer it may proue a dore of mercy vnto thee It hath beene so with others For who euer sinned more wilfully and more presumptuously then Manasses though he were yong when he began to raigne being then but twelue yeares of age in that regard all his acts might seme to be grounded in ignorance that had not learned at the first to doe wel after would not learne yet considering the piety
of Hezekiah his father it is likly that he had been carefully taught and that his father did no more leaue him without counsell at his departure out of life then Dauid wheÌ„ he was ready to die did leaue his sonne Salomon When the dayes of Dauid drew neare that he should die he charged Salomon his sonne saying I goe the way of all the earth be strong therefore shew thy selfe a man and take heede to the charge of the Lord thy God to walke in his waies c. Thus out of his care did he not cease while there was life and strength in himselfe to teach his sonne his dutie to God And of Hezekiah it is testified that hee did vprightly iâ—… 3. the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Dauid bad done therefore it is not likely that either in the time of health or in the time of his sickenes hee neglected the instruction of his son that should succeed him It must needes bee therefore that Manasses sin was against knowledge euen in his childhood much more afterward Sure it was with full freedome of his will euen with a high hand of whom it is thus written He did euill in the sight of the Lord like the abhomination of the heathen whoÌ„ the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel for he went backe built the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken downe he set vp Alters for Baalim and made groues and worshiped all the hoast of Heauen and serued them Also he built Alters in the house of the Lord where of the Lord had said in Ierusulem shall my name be for euer And he built Alters for all the hoast of the heaueÌ„ in the two courts of the house of the Lord. And he caused his sonnes to passe through the fire in the vallie of Benhinnom he gaue himselfe here was full sway of his owne will to witchcraft and to charming and to sorcery and he vsed them that had familiar spirits and soothsayers he did very much euill in the sight of the Lord to anger him c. Here was a man violent headstrong yea mad and furious in his sinne and not in small but in the greatest sinnes not onely against the second table but much more against the commandements of the first table in all kindes of idolatry and all vngodly profanations and yet hee found fauour at the hands of God who first brought him to repentance by 〈◊〉 and then forgiuing his sinne restored him to peace The history wherof is thus recorded The Lord brought vpon him the captaines of the hoast of the King of Ashur which tooke Manasses and put him in fetters and bound him 〈◊〉 chaines and caried him to Baâ—…ell And when he was in tribulation he prayed to the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his father and praied vnto him and God was intreated of him and heard his praier and brought him againe to Ierusalem into his kingdome then Manasses know that the Lord was God Now after this he built a wall without the Citie of Dauid on the west side of Gihon in the valley euen at 〈◊〉 entry of the fish-gate and compassed about Ophet and raised it very high and put Captaines of war in all the strong Citties of Iudah And he tooke away the strange Gods and the image out of the house of the Lord all the Alters that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord and in Ierusalem and cast them out of the Citie Also he prepared the Altar of the Lord and sacrificed thereon peace offrings and of thankes and commanded Iudah to serue the Lord God of Israel Consider seriously this example weigh therein on the one side the sinne of the man on the other side the mercy of God In Manasses thou shalt see the height of thy sinne equalled if not exceeded and in God thou shalt see mercy exceeding all sinne And where such mercy appeareth what should make the sinner doubt of finding fauour while he seeketh it with a true purpose of leauing his sinne and true faith and hearty praier I might ad herevnto the example of that theefe that was crucified at the same time with the Lord Iesus vpon his right hand to whom making his paier to Iesus in these words Lord remember me when thou coÌ„mest into thy kingdome The Lord again mâ—…de him this answere ful of most rich mercy this day thou shalt be with me in Paradice This man liuing among the people of Iudah could not be ignorant of the commandement of God forbidding theft therefore his sin was against knowledge And making a trade of theft thereby to maintaine himselfe there was no violence offred to his will but freely willingly and with choyce he followed that course and was euen a couenant seruant of sinne reaping with delight the wages of iniquitie in the spoile that he made of the inocent And yet he found fauour and had his sinne forgiuen him and entred into life Who shall then dispaire of the mercy of God Saint Ambrose calles the historie of this man â—…ulcherrimum affectandae conuersionis exemplum A most Godly example to moue men to turne to God And these examples let our afflicted sinner consider seriously They are writtâ—…n for our instruction in them hee shall espie an hole in the wall of hope which will proue a dore of mercy for him to enter if he dig by hearty paier And for the further confirmation of his hope Let our afflicted sinner know that there is only one kinde of sinne vnpardonable and he shall find the sin that he is charged withall not to be that sin therefore to be pardonable And this is no small incouragmeÌ„t to know his sin how great so euer yet to be pardonable when a sicke man vnderstandeth his disease that will be mortall to him if hee neglect it yet to be curable if he looke to it in time apply apt medicines vnto it hee will take much comfort in that knowledge thenceforth he will diligently seek for remedy And so must our afflicted sinner when he shal vnderstand his sinne to be such as may be forgiuen comfort his soule with that consideration and thenceforth diligently vse the meanes that God our Phisition prescribeth and the effect by the mercy of God wil be health peace saluation Now that sinne that is vnpardonable is called in the Scripture blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Whereof our Sauiour speaketh in these wordes saying Verily I say vnto you all sinnes shall be forgiuen vnto the children of men and blasphemies wherewith they blaspheme but he that blasphems against the Holy Ghost shall neuer haue forgiuenes but is culpable of eternall damnation Which sinne if wee consider the circumstances of the place where the Pharises are charged with it especially as that matter is recorded by Saint Mathew in his twelst
bluddie handes cruell hearts and cunning and deceitfull heades But such an one am I I haue wrought wickednes I haue done euill I haue through the foolishnes of mine heart committed much iniquitie I haue beene a lyar my handes are full of bloud I haue beene cruell deceitfull therefore I am depriued of Gods loue I shall not dwell in his kingdome not be able to stand before him in iudgement I am iustly hated of him and shall bee iustly destroied by him and hee must needes abhor me as a thing most vile Who can speake against these things grounded on such authoritie must not the seuere iustice of heauen condemne such sinnes as mine are must not the pure holines of heauen exclude such vile sinners as I am surely it may be called prodigall mercy if such sinnes as mine escape vnpunished and if such a sinner as I may euer be saued This obiection seemeth to consist of two parts inregard of iustice that cannot suffer sin to escape vnpunished in regard of holines that will admit no vncleane person to haue fellowship and cohabitation with it But they ioyne together in one to increase this poore mans feare yet let vs helpe him with our answere It is a comely thing to to thinke reuerently of the iustice and holines of heauen for certainely iustice will not suffer the least sinne to escape vnpunished neither will holines euer suffer any vncleane thing to enter into the kingdome of heauen Yet that cannot hence be concluded that thou gatherest namely that therefore mercy can find no free passage to forgiue thy sinnes and to bring thee to glory for the wisdome and power and loue of heauen which are able to worke wonders aboue the reach of mans vnderstanding will find yea haue found out a way to satisfie iustice by the punishing of sinne and to satisfie holines by the purging of sinne and yet to saue the sinner that committed that sinne Lift vp thine heart and eares and harken to that that shal be deliuered thou shalt find an helmet of the hope of saluation to couer and saue thy head withall The glorious Trinitie by an eternall decree ordained defore all time and effected in the fulnes of time sent downe the eternall word the second person called the sonne who being conceiued by the holy Ghost tooke flesh and was borne of the virgin Mary of the linage of Dauid and was made man true man the sonne of man the sonne of Adam of Abraham and of Dauid in all things like vnto vs yet without sinne and him the father gaue vnto vs to be our mediator and to be the Lord our righteousnes and to the satisfying of the iustice of heauen God laied vpon him our sinnes and he willingly submitted himselfe to the burden of our sinnes to the curse of the law to the death of the crosse and to the wrath of his father for those sinnes of ours Excellent to this purpose is the testimonie of Esaie speaking more like an Euangelist or an apostle then like a Prophet saying He was wounded for our transgressions hee was broken for our iniquities the chastisment of our 〈◊〉 was vpon him and with his stripes are we healed all we like sheepe haue gone astray we haue turned euery one to his owne waiâ—… and the Lord hath laied vpon him the iniquitie of vs all We are the men that haue sinned and gone astray from God stripes woundes and death were due to vs for sinnes God imputed to him our sinnes and he was contented to stand before God a sinner in our name The stripes the woundes the death that we deserued hee receiued sustained and indured for vs. Thus iustice is satisfied our sinnes being in him punished it were iniustice to punish the same sinnes againe in them that plead the suffringes of Iesus for them Thus are his stripes our cure his woundes our health and his death our life Vnto that saying of Esaie let vs ad another of the Apostle Saint Paul Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law when hee was made a curse for vs for it is written cursed is euery one that hangeth on tree that the blessing of Abraham might come vpon the gentiles through Iesus Christ. The law curseth euery one that abideth not in all that is written in that booke to doe it and we haue failed in all or in most and the sentence of the curse did lie vpon vs then it pleased the Lord Iesus Christ by yeelding himselfe to the cursed death of the crosse to take vpon him the curse that should haue fallen vpon vs. So was iustice executed according to that sentence of the law iustice so satisfied giueth waie to mercy for the curse being borne by Iesus Christ the blessing promised to Abraham is our inheritance Here the one halfe of thy feare is remoued because in the death of Iesus Christ iustice hath receiued satisfaction for thy sinnes if thou plead this satisfaction by what iustice art thou to be punished for thy sinnes The other halfe of thy feare is this that the holines of heauen will neuer suffer such an vncleane sinner as thou art to enter into the kingdome of God to remoue this feare vnderstand that the same Lord Iesus Christ that bare ouâ—… sinnes imputed to him and suffered for them to satisfie iustice doeth also inuest and cloth vs with his perfect righteousnes both originall and actuall impuâ—…ed to vs that all our vnrighteousnes and vncleanenes both originall and actuall being therewith hidden and couered from the view of God most holy wee might appeare cleane spotles in him to the satisfying of the holines of heauen Therefore is it that Paul saith speaking of Iesus God hath made him to be sinne for vs which knew no sinne that we should be made the righteousnes of God in him This place plainely sheweth that God made an exchang betweene Iesus Christ and vs. He knew no sinne that is he had no acquaintance nor fellowship with sinne in him was no sinne to deserue death That sinne abounded in vs and God laied it vpon Iesus and he died for it On the other side we had no righteousnes no righteousnes of God that is no such pure and perfect righteousnes as God requireth and as might commend vs vnto God to be admitted for it into heauen That righteousnes was in Iesus Christ who fulfilled all righteousnes keeping the law bearing perfect loue both to God man and performing all offices pertaining to that loue and that righteousnes of his doth God impute vnto vs making vs righteous in him Therefore is it that the Prophet Ieremie calleth him the Lord our righteousnes And this is the name whereby they shall call him the Lord our righteousnes Not our iustifier that pardoning our sinâ—… pronounceth vs righteous by holding vs excused which thing also verely he doeth for vs but our righteousnes because in him we are accepted and his righteousnes
not pertaine vnto thee because it was made with the house of Israel and thou art neither Israelite in the flesh nor by promise but takest thy selfe rather worthy to be esteemed an Egyptian a Cananite an Edomite And if thou wilt a Dog and what soeuer other name thou canst remember or deuise And yet I will shew and proue that this promise made with the house of Israel pertaineth vnto thee But first to begin withall let me here remember vnto thee an historie recorded in the Gospell A certaine woman of the seed of Canaan dwelling in the coastes of Tyrus and Sidon had at home at hir house a daughter that was possessed with a diuel shee came vnto Iesus crauing mercy at his hands for the healing of hir daughter saying vnto him Haue mercy on me O Lord thou sonne of Dauid my daughter is miserablie vexed with a Diuel The Lord Iesus reiecteth her as a stranger from the common wealth of Israel and as some beast of wilde and fierce nature not fit to be folded vp among his milde sheepe saying vnto her I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Hee pronounced asmuch of her as thou pronouncest of thy selfe shee was no Israelite And when this answere which thou art so much afraid of comming but from thine owne mouth could not though it came from the mouth of Iesus checke that boldnes and confidence of spirit in which she came but that she still continued her sute hee dealt more roughly with her and signified vnto her inplaine words that he made no other account of her then of a Dog in comparison of the children of God to whom the bread of Gods mercy by the hands of the sauiour is to be broken saying vnto her It is not good to take the childrens bread and to cast it to whelpes That is I were not fit to haue the gouernment of Gods house if the mercy which is the portion of his children I should cast away among Dogs such as thou art Tell me what thy heart can obiect against thy selfe to exclude thee from the common wealth and house of Israel and to cut thee off from being partner in that promise for forgiuenesse of sinnes or in any other promise of God what soeuer that is not here obiected by the Lord Iesus Christ against this Cananite to exclude her from all hope of obtaining any mercy at his hands He denies her to be of the house of Israel hee doeth not acknowledge her to bee a sheepe of his fold and in plaine termes to the vnderstanding of all that heare his wordes he placeth her among Dogs rather then among children And this is it that thou chargest thy selfe to be and therefore secluded from hauing any part in that promise But that poore woman would not be answered so but still she persisteth in praier and knowing beleeuing that Iesus the sonne of Dauid was able to infranchise her and make her a Citizen member of the common wealth of Israel and to change her and of a Dog to make her a sheepe of his folde yea a child of Gods familie shee intr◅ateth him to admit her to the portion of an allowed dog saying vnto him Trueth Lord yet in deed the whelpes eate of the crums which fall from their masters table And to maintaine in her such faith and such feruencie shee had no promise so particularly answering the euill that oppressed her heart as that promise doeth particularly and most aptly answere to the euill that lieth so heauily vpon thy conscience onely shee had heard that Iesus had helped others And this her inforced importunitie and as a man would thinke her vnreasonable and vnmannerly soliciting preuailed for her and she obtained all that mercy that her soule desired What shall I say then vnto thee that so foolishly vrgest against thy selfe the shadow of thine owne suspicion and thine owne fantasticall feare and refusest to call for that mercy that God hath alreadie promised to grant a Cananite and a dog neither Israelite nor sheepe nor child preuaileth and thou discouraged onely by thine owne conceit◅ darest not aduenture But it runneth in thy head that thou art no Israelite And according to the naturall signification of the name for a son of Iacobs loynes thou art none thou regardest not to be one because that manner of being an Israelite would nothing benefit thee But thou also thinkest that in the other significatiō of the name thou likewise art none affirmest him in that ◅ence to be an Israelite that is a child of promise an heire of grace a preuailer with God a citizen with saints of the houshold of God which thou art not Thy definition of a true Israelite is good and to be maintained But for thee to denie thy self to be such an one is not good nor to be maintained for art not thou descended of Christian parents and thereby a Cittizen with the Saints and a child borne within the houshold of faith And an holy one from the wombe the Apostle Paul speaking of the children of beleeuing parents hath these words Else were your children vncleane but now they are holy Wherein he doth pronounce them to be holy that is to haue a title to the couenāt of grace and to all the priuileges of the Church and therefore to be of the house of Israel And this is their birth-right their iust inheritance if either the father or the mother be a right beleeuer though the other parent bee an infidell but both thy parents made profession of the faith of Iesus Christ therefore this birth-right on both sides is confirmed to thee and who shal denie him to be a true Israelite that is borne holy being of that Holy nation and peculiar people that Saint Peter speakes of Also thy parents receiued the promises of Gods mercy not onely for themselues but also for thee as the Apostle Peter preached to his hearers saying The promise is made vnto you and to your children and to all that are a farre of euen so many as the Lord our God shall call And this affliction which now lieth so heauie vpon thy conscience is nothing else then the calling of God seeking by this trouble to bring thee home vnto himselfe that hast so long in in thy former securitie gone astray from him and therefore that promise of forgiuing iniquitie and not remembring sinne and all other promises of his mercy are made to thee and doe belong vnto thee as to a true Israelite thou being the child of such parents as did inherite the same promises before thee and thou being also by thy afflictiō called of God And say that thou wert a stranger and forrener and as hard-hearted as the stones in the streete that are nothing fit to receiue the forme of a seruiceable vessell Yet such is the power of the hand of God our Potter that he is able to
God should forgiue vnto thee thy wrongs done against his diuine maiestie But in the fourth place marke well this let it enter into thy froward heart if thy peace were presently setled and thou hadst receiued from God as cleare and as assured discharge of all thy sinnes as Dauid had when Nathan said vnto him from God The Lord hath done away thy sinne thou shalt not die Crueltie against thy brother reuoketh Gods promise which hath euer included in it this condition of shewing mercy to thy brother and forgiuing him It is a true saying of Saint Augustin Redeunt dimissa peccata vbi fraterna charitas non est The sinnes forgiuen returne againe where there is no brotherly charitie And this is plaine in the parable of the king and his seruant that ought him ten thousand talents the king being humbly intreated forgaue him the debt that is promised to forgiue it him this seruant went forth and met with a fellow seruant that owed him an hundred pence and cruelly hee cast him into prison which when the king heard of hee was highly displeased and calling this vnmercifull seruant before him hee said vnto him O euill seruant I forgaue the◅ all that debt because thou praiedst mee oughtst not thou also to haue had pittie on thy fellow euen as I had pitie on thee So his master was wroth and deliuered him to the gailer till he should pay all that was due to him His vnmercifull dealing with his follow to whom he would not forgiue small offences reuoked the liberall promise of Gods most large mercy for the forgiuenes of his many and grieuous sinnes therefore suppresse all frowardnes of thy swelling heart and after the councell of Salomon say not I will do to him as he hath done to me I will recompence euery man according to his worke But be curteous mercifull and tender-hearted forgiuing thy brother and so God will gratiously forgiue thee There is a third condition to bee obserued of them that thinke to obtaine forgiuenes of sinne and that concerneth more directly God and his glory and praise namely faith in God faith in Iesus Christ the sonne of God That is firmely to hold perswasion of the mercy of God that it reacheth to the forgiuenes of sinne without exception of any sinne or any sinner as if for sinne there were any greater then his mercy and therefore such as hee neither would nor could forgiue and for the person that there were any so farre out of fauour that vpon his repentance God would not could not be mercifull vnto him the Prophet Micah saying of God for his mercy in this point Who is a God like vnto thee that taketh away iniquitie and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage hee retaineth not his wrath for euer because mercy pleaseth him he will turne againe and haue compassion on vs. He will subdue our iniquities and cast all their sinnes into the bottom of the sea And firmely to hold perswasion of the merit and vertue of the death and bloud sheding of the Lord Iesus Christ that it is effectuall to take away the sinne of the world as Iohn Baptist saith of him Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Without exception of any sinne or of any sinner as if for the sinne there were any so grieuous that the bloud of Iesus Christ were not able to wash out the staines thereof and for the sinner that there were any so wicked that the sacrifice of the sonne of God were not sufficient to make attonement with God for him the Euangelist Iohn concerning sinne saying The bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne And the Apostle to the Hebrewes concerning sinners saying He is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession to God for them This is faith in God to hold this intire perswasion of the mercy of God without making exception which none can iustly make and this is faith in Iesus Christ the sonne of God to hold this intire parswasion of the merit of his precious bloud and bitter passion without making exception which none can truely make And this intire perswassion without exception includeth particular application for he that excepteth no sinne excepteth not his owne sinne a◅d he that excepteth no sinner excepteth not himselfe Of the vertue of this faith to obtaine forgiuenes of sinne and all other graces at the mercifull hand of God for the merit and by the vertue of Iesus Christ the mediator these and many other places of Scripture doe speake fully and plainely Whatsoeuer ye shall aske in praier if ye beleeue ye shall receiue it And in another place If thou beleeue all things are possible to him that beleeueth These things are spoken by the Lord Iesus himselfe And Saint Paul saith Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued It may bee the remembrance of this third condition breedeth some discomfort vnto thee as threatning vnto thee no forgiuenes because thou thinkest that thou hast no faith thou thinkest that thou hast it neither in possession nor in power whether thou haue faith in possession or no it may be a questiō because thou maist haue it without presēt feeling of it And sure if euer thou hadst it thou hast it still For as the Apostle Iude saith The faith is once giuen to the saints Faith hath his summerly beautie and winterly barrennesse it admitteth increase decrease but as the tree liueth in the winter though it be bare and when colde stormes are past sheweth his life by building in the spring so faith p◅ncht and benummed with the ◅ipping colde of frostie temptations assoone as it pleaseth God to send ease of trouble sheweth it selfe by reioycing and praising God as it were in a spring and then manifestly declareth the continuance of his being when yet it could not be discerned But if thou be indeed without it it is out of question that thou hast no power to command it it is not a matter of that facilitie to beleeue in God vnto saluation that some doe account it who vse to say they can beleeue what they list For to command silence to accusing thoughts and to stop the mouth of Sathan that accuseth thee of thy sinne and to suppresse the sentence of Gods law that condemneth thee for sin and to binde the hands of Gods iustice that is readie to doe execution vpon thee for sinne and to quiet a conscience disturbed and s◅t on fire with the feare of deserued wrath and condemnation and to beleeue in God vnto saluation is to doe all this is a worke of greater difficultie then hee vnderstandeth that saith he can beleeue what he list Credulitie to thinke this or that to be true because some bodie tels vs so or because we haue reade it or because
the power of God to saue that is the instrument by which hee powerfully saueth Though therefore thou hast not power to settle thine own hart by giuing saith vnto thy selfe yet thou hast no cause to be discomforted for by praier vnto God and by study in the word of GOD it is obtained at his hands These are the conditions betweene God and man which God requireth where he forgiueth sins three in number One that concerneth most directly thy selfe that is repentance renewing thy heart to hate sinne and to loue vertue and reforming thy life to slie sinne and practise vertue A second that concerneth most directly thy brother that is charitie and compassion to forgiue vnto him the wrongs done vnto thee to comfort him and to doe good to him as thou wouldest that God should forgiue vnto thee the wrongs that thou hast done vnto him that God should comfort thee and doe good vnto thee A third that concerneth most directly God himselfe reuealed vnto vs in his sinne Iesus Christ namely our faith that wee neither thinke basely of the mercy of God nor of the merite of Iesus Christ as if there were some person that it could not releeue and thy selfe that person and some sinne that it could not do away and thy sinne that sinne And now maiest thou vnderstand what it is that causeth so many to perish in their sinnes and how it commeth to passe that so few are saued when yet without exception of any sinne the Lord Iesus commandeth and by commandement giueth leaue to aske and hope to obtaine forgiuenesse of sinne and likewise without exception of anie sinne God the â—…ather of our Lord Iesus Christ promiseth to forgiue sinne First they haue no caâ—…e of repentance to forsake sinne yea with delight they dwell in it liue in it and die in it and they will rather forsake God and renounce heauen then leaue their pleasant and gainfull sinnes Secondly they haue no care of charitie and compassion to their neighbour they regard not the rest the credit the prosperitie the peace and safetie of their neighbour and being full of pride of wrath and furie they prosecute the least wrong till they be reuenged Thirdly they regard not to know how ample the Lords mercie is and the death of Christ and doctrine of saluation are foolishnesse to them they pray not for faith and they stoppe their cares against the word of God And hereby it commeth to passe that they perish in their sinnes not that their sinnes are so great that they cannot bee pardoned or God so mercilesse that he will not pardon them or Iesus Christ so defectiue in his mediation that he hath not done and suffered enough to discharge them but themselues are so carelesse so prowd so contemptuous so desperate that they will not leaue to sinne they will not loue their neighbours they will not know God but they will goe on in their courses like them whom Ieremie complaineth of saying They are all adulterers and an assembly of rebels and they bend their tongues like their bowes for lies but they haue no courage for the trueth vppon the earth for they proceed from euill to worse they haue not known me saith the Lord. This is the cause why they perish And here maiest thou vnderstand how to reape the benefit of the leaue that Christ hath giuen thee by his commandement to aske forgiuenesse of thy sins how to reape the benefit of the promise that God hath giuen thee to grant forgiuenesse of sinnes First forsake the sinnes that haue been so chargeable vnto thee and hauing already found the reckoning to be so heauy vnto thee diet no more at the Ordinarie of fleshly lusts where the soule must pay for it in hell and the inheritance waste that God hath dearely bought for thee And finding how great need thou hast of mercie and forgiuenesse to keep thee from being eternally miserable Learne to bee tender hearted toward thy brother and afford him thy forgiuenesse that thou maist obtain the same measure of mercy at the hands of God And let it bee the chiefe of thy daily studies to vnderstand more cleerely then yet thou dost how infinite and boundlesse the mercie of God and the merit of Christ his bloud is In the word of God thou shalt finde these things And while thou are occupied with desire in these studies faith in the mercies of God will grow apace and in a short time bring thy conscience to that happy quietnesse that S. Paul speaketh of saying Being iustified by faith wee haue peace toward God through our Lord Iesus Christ. Thus is thy feare growing from the multitude of them that perish and from the small number of them that are saued notwithstanding the commaundement of Christ giuing leaue to aske forgiuenes and the promise of GOD offering forgiuenesse shewed to bee an idle feare if thou wilt haue care of these conditions vpon which God granteth forgiuenesse of sinnes CHAP. XXII BVT heare againe the afflicted conscience breaketh out into grieuous complaintes and faith If these be the conditions required where sinnes are to be forgiuen I must neuer looke to grow vnto any agreement with God for the forgiuenes of mine for I haue not one of these three things in me For first I want repentance sinne aboundeth in me and whether I hate it or no I cannot tell though I know I haue no cause to loue it that proueth now so grieuous vnto me And secondly I hold my selfe to be void of loue to my neighbour I feare least I shall enuie other men their happy peace of conscience and their happy hope of saluation and that standeth not with loue And sure I am that I haue hurt them oft with the vniust act of my sinne and haue grieued and offended them with the vngodly example of my sinne And these things haue no agreement with loue And as for faith of all three it is furthest off If dispaire could obtaine forgiuenes of sinne I should soone speed for I am not far from that but if saluation must be apprehended by saith I am most far from it for I haue litle or no faith the present feare that I am in is directly opposite to faith This is the miserable condition of this burden that they which are pressed with it doe quickly apprehend and too well remember any thing that may increase their feare but they are dull too apprehend and doe soone forget any thing that might giue them comfort If this troubled sinner could but remember while the three conditions were spoken of what was said vnto him why hee should not be discomforted at the hearing of these conditions as if they or any one of them did breed impossibilitie of obtaining forgiuenes of sinnes he would not now make this fâ—…uolous obiection But let vs helpe his memorie that when God shall be pleased to looke gratiously vpon him his feare may be remoued for the ease
those sinnes in which thou didst deny him are done away Yea thy sins are so farre from making him no Mediator no Reconciler that for thy sinnes he is thy Mediator and thy Reconciler The Euangelist Iohn saith If any man 〈◊〉 wee haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the iust and hee is the reconciliation for our sinnes and not for 〈◊〉 sinnes onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world Wee haue an aduocate with the Father to pleade our cause When If any man sinne And he is our reconciliation that brings vs againe into fauour and makes our peace For what For our sinnes And who is this Aduocate with God the father who is this reconciliation for our sinnes Iesus Christ the Iust. Where is now the deniall of thy workes that should make Iesus Christ to be no Mediator for thee that should make him deny thee before his Father in heauen Hee taketh away those sinnes Hee is thy reconciliation for those sinnes Repent of those thy sinnes and feare not to pray to God in the name of Iesus Thirdly he saith hee hath no promises where on to ground his praiers And without promise to pray vnto GOD were to make idle and vnstable praiers That is most true But who told him that Gods promises which are made to all belong not vnto him This point was handled before when he obiected that Gods promise for the forgiuenes of his sinnes belonged not to him that was no Israelite And it was then prooued that all Gods promises belong to the seed of the righteous the Apostle Peter saying The promise is made vnto you and to your children So that if it were a prooued trueth that thou thy selfe wert vnrighteous and in thine owne right thou couldest make no claime to any promise of God yet seeing thou art a child of the righteous a child of beleeâ—…rs in the right of thy parents thy progenitors thou maiest make claime to the promises of God and vpon thy repentance and conuersion they shal be performed to thee And if this title contents thee not claime them in the right of Iesus Christ of whom the Apostle saith All the promises of God in him are yea and are in him Amen That is to euery one that commeth humbly and reuerently vnto GOD in the name of Iesus Christ seeking mercy and grace mercy and grace shal be granted according to the promises of God whose truth pertains to them that are in Christ Iesus and come vnto God by him But thou dost not now remember any of Gods promises neither didst thou heretofore take heed vnto them when thou â—…rdst them to lay them vp in the treasury of thy heart against the times of need Indeed this was thy fault which being now seene must heereafter be aâ—…ended Hence foorth hearken vnto them and when thou hearest lay hold vpon them and treasure them vp more carefully for hee is the happy man and blessed that heares the word of God and keepes it But though thou hast them not in the store-house of thine heart and canst not find them there yet there is an other store-house wherein they are laied vp and where thou maiest readily finde them and that is the booke of holy Scriptures Iacob in Canaan had his priuat store-house wherein prouision was laid vp for him and his familie and other men likewise had their priuate store-houses for their priuate prouision but when the yeares of famine came and prouision failed in mens priuat store-houses then the publique store-houses of Ioseph in Egypt were opened and al men fetched thence what they needed and especially Iacob and his family was from thence supplied Euen so for euery mans priuate comfort his owne heart is his store-house in which he that is wise wil treasure vp the promises of Gods mercie to saue the necessities of soule in times of feaâ—…e but if there come such yeares of famine such daies of distresse that the â—…ouision in the priuat store house of the â—…eart will not serue the turne send to the store-houses of the Scripture The Lord Iesus saith Search the Scriptures for in them you thinke to haue eternall life â—…d they are they that testifie of me There â—…lt thou finde the large promises of Gods mercie vpon which thou maiest with much comfort ground thy praiers all holie Scripture is written for our instruction and comfort and it should be thy sinne and vnthankfulnesse to God aâ—…d treason against thine owne soule to â—…eglect in this time of feare to search for these promises in the Scriptures And whereas thou saiest that Gods promises belong to them that loue him and keepe his commandements and to no other and thou hast not loued him â—…ou hast not kept his commandements learne to amend this errour of thine heart and of thy life Amend the error of thy heart and loue the Lord amend the error of thy life and keep the commandements of God so shall all this feare weare away and thou shalt with â—…uch strength of faith ground thy prayers vpon Gods promises Fourthly he saith he knowes not how to pray I beleeue it oft-times Gods deare children are so astonished with the burden of their trouble and euen with this burden of sinne affirighting their soule that they know not how to pray Hezekiah saith of his astonished soule in the time of his sicknesse Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter I did mourns as a Doue mine eies were lift vp on high O Lord it hath oppressed mee comfort mee The sorrow of his heart did so oppresse his soule that though he remembred God and looked vp vnto him and had all his desires waiting vpon the hand of God yet he was not able to pray in any distinct manner like a wel aduised man his praying was all out of order it was more like the mourning of a Doue and more like the chattering of a Swallow then like the holy and orderly praiers of a wise and godly man And Saint Paul doth affirme it to be a more common thing and vsuall withall the seruants of God in times of affliction saying Wee know not what to pray as wee ought They know not what to aske nor in what order to aske And this being so common among Gods children shalt thou bee afraid to be a suitor vnto God 〈◊〉 thou knowest not how to pray shalt thou therefore be out of comfort if thou canst not pray distinctly and orderly yet lifting thine eles vp on high with Hezekiah charter like the Swallow mourne like the Doue Weepe with the Apostle Peter We read not in what words hee praied but wee read in what bitternesse of heart hee wept Let thy teares flow where thy words can finde no free passage Saint Barnard calleth the teares of sinners the wine of Angels And concerning the true vigour of praier Saint Augustine in one place saith it stands more in tearee then in words for instructing a certaine
God is a mercifull God he will not forsake thee neither destroy thee nor forget the couenant of thy fathers which hee sware vnto them Vnto this I might ad many promises of like nature assuring health and comfor vnto humbled spirits that seekâ—… mercy at the hands of God with teares and sigheâ—… and grones their hearts refusing to take ioy and delight in any thing till they may recouer againe Gods fauour and once againe see the light of his countenance Dauid commendeth God by this gracious propertie of comforting such deiected creatures saying The Lord vpholdeth all that fall and lifteth vp all that are readie to fall And in another place He healeth those that are broken in heart and bindeth vp their sores Pray thou therefore vnto God in the name of Iesus Christ and pray with comfort of heart and when thou hast made request vnto God accept no answere but from God First hee answereth comfortably in his word to all such as thou art comming vnto him With that first answere appease thy troubled minde till God in his rich mercy by his deed of deliuerance giue thee a further answer Obserue these rules and if thou wert at this present in as bad taking as the Ephejians were at the first of whom Paul speaketh 〈◊〉 Yeâ—… were at that time without Christ 〈◊〉 were alines from the commonwealth of 〈◊〉 and were strangers from the coueâ—… of promise and had no hope and were 〈◊〉 God in the world Yet thou shalt â—…ortly become as they became afterward of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is said in the next â—…ords But now in Christ Iesus yee which 〈◊〉 were farâ—… of are made neare by the 〈◊〉 of Christ. And a little after Yee are no more strangers and foreners but Citizens with the saints and all the houshold of God and are built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Iesus Christ himselfe being the cheefe corner stone Here iâ—… a change worthy to be obserued they which were without God without Christ without hope and strangers from the communion of Saints are made the sonnes of God the Disciples of Christ the heires of the promises and Citizens of heauen filled with all hope grounded vpon that foundation of trueth against which the gates of hell shall neâ—…er preuaile Put away therefore all these offences the Lord is thy God his eare will harken vnto thee Iesus Christ is thy mediator pray in his name the promises of God in him are Yea and Amen thou shalt find them in the scriptures And when thou knowest not to pray powre out thy heart vnto God in sigheâ—… and teares and grones repell wandring thoughts when thou praiest and lift vp thy mind vnto God 〈◊〉 trust in him when thou hast praied waiting patiently for his answere These things doe with all cheerefulnes as thou art able and the God of peace shall send thee peace CHAP. XXVI YET is not the mind quiet nor indeed can be till God bring the temptation to an issue remoue his burden In the meane time though he cannot charge himselfe out of any reason yet hee ceaseth not to charge himselfe out of feare and saith that this condition is not doubtfull and questionable whether hee may obtaine mercy or no if it were no worse there were some hope but his condition is certainly euill miserable for saith he I am forsaken of God I am a lost child the very sonne of perdition and I am a reprobate a far more vile sinner then many reprobates and therefore you labour in vaine that offer comfort to me and that take so much paine to answere my obiections you may well deuise answers before me and other men but they are vnanswerable before the iudgement seate of God where I must appeare for my sinne Ah Lord God whereof thou knowest we be made thou vnderstandest that we are but dust wilt thou permit so weak creatures to be assaulted with so strong â—…tion yea Lord thou wilt to thy glory thou wilt that thy power may be made perfect through weaknes and that the sufficiencie of thy grace may be knowne by helping that thou maist be found worthy of that honorable name that the Apostle giues thee calling thee The father of mercies and God of all comfort Helpe therefore with thy mercy helpe with thy comfort instruct me to speake thereof and giue to this afflicted sinâ—…er the powerfull feeling thereof to whoÌ„ now I turne my speech in thy name In this temptation I hope the deuill hath spit his last poison If this brunt may be indured and ouercome I hope peace wil grow speedily by the blessing of the God of peace And for answer vnto this obiection first I say That if these words had beene spoken by the Lord himselfe I would haue stood astonished at the hearing of so fearefull a sentence I would haue kept silence for reuerence of the speaker and without reply I would haue laied my hand vpon my mouth and haue glorified God in his iudgements I would haue said vnto him as Iob said Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand vpon my mouth once haue I spoken but I will answer no more yea twise but I will proceed no further But I doe vnderstand from whence these words doe come from thence I take vnto me comfort of replying for I find them to arise out of that soile that breedeth errors and lies Therefore they are subiect to exception Thou thy selfe art in mine eares the immediate speaker and against thee and this speech of thine I haue iust exception First the thing whereof thou presumest to pronounce is a thing exempted from mans iudgement and whereof no man hath leaue to pronounce till God by some euident tokens doe manifest his owne purpose Three things there are saith one which are exempt from mans iudgement The first is the word of God what hee hath spoken that must stand man hath no power to iudge it otherwise then in humilitie to reuerence it The second thing is Gods eternal counsell which is onely knowne vnto himselfe And no mâ—…n can say it is thus or thus vntill God by his apparant worke do manifest it The third thing is the reprobation of particular men whereof no man is able to pronounce nor indeed ought to iudge either himselfe or any other to be of that number God saueth and condemneth whom he will not whom we assigne and nominate Oft times they are vile in the sight of God whom wee approue and honour and oft times they are honourable and precious in Gods eies whom we thinke meanly of Paul saith of him He hath mercie on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth It resteth wholy in the will of God and it is not as we fancie thinke or iudge Of euery particular man the same Apostle saith Hee standeth or falleth to his owne Master that is as God our Maister shall be
confession of thine vnworthines therein we all Gods children wil ioine with thee and euery man confesse that wee are not worthy of the least of Gods mercies because we haue beene vnthankefull for the comfort that wee haue reaped by them and haue also beene vnfaithfull not improueing them to the praise of God we will say with Iacob vnto God I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and all the trueth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant We will confesse vnto Christ with the Centurion and say I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe And with the prodigall childe priuie to his owne riotous courses we will say to God as he said to his father Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne If vnthankefulnes can make thee vnworthy we cannot be worthy that haue beene as vnthankefull and if vnfaithfulnes can make thee vnworthy wee must stand by thee and confesse as much against our selues if any mans sinne may make him vnworthy then are wee as vnworthy as any man for wee also haue sinned and iustly displeased our God But the error is in this that because thou doest iudge thy selfe vnworthy of the good giftes of God therefore thou shouldest forbeare to vse them alas what should become of the creatures of God if all should forbeare to vse his guiftes that are vnworthy of his guiftes This must needes produce a generall decay of all Gods creatures Vnderstand therefore these things following First God doeth allow his blessings not to the worthy onely but to the vnworthy also Of him the Prophet saith The Lord is good vnto all and his mercies are ouer all his workes Because the creatures are the worke of his hands therefore without regard whether they be worthy or not worthy hee will extend his mercy vnto them Of him the Lord Iesus saith He maketh his Sunne to arise vpon the euill and the good and sendeth raine on the iust vniust God is not ignorant either of the worthines of the good and iust or of the vnworthines of the euill and vniust but hee regardeth the necessities of all and therefore because their grounds equally haue neede in time of droght of the dew of heauen and in time of winters cold of the refreshing warmth of the sunne therefore he giues the heate of the sunne and moisture of his clowdes to make all their groundes fruitefull be the owners of those groundes good or euill yet hee will bee good vnto them Secondly those men that haue in iudgement found and acknowledge their owne vnworthines yet in their necessities haue made suite vnto God for those good things which they wanted and haue thankefully receiued and cheerefully vsed the good things that God sent them Iacob that acknowledged his vnworthines euen then made request vnto God for his mercy to bee shewed him saying I pray thee deliuer mee from the hand of my brother from the hand of Esaâ—… for I feare him least he will come and smile mee and the mother vpon the children for thou saidst I will surely doe thee good and make thy seede as the sand of the sea c. Hee earnestly craueth grace and mercy at Gods hands and that he may obtaine what he desireth he is bold to remember vnto God his gracious promise and he doeth all this euen when hee had in the same praâ—…er ackdowledged his vnworthines The Centâ—…rion that held himselfe so vile that he was not worthy to receiue Christ into his house yet euen then intreated mercy at his hand for his seruant saying Speake the word onely and my seruant shal be healed And his faithfull praier found fauour for his seruant was healed yea that prodigall child that is the patterne of all penâ—…tent sinners when hee did acknowledge his vnworthines yet euen then he made request for his fathers louing fauour saying Make me as one of thy hired seruants And his praier was heard himselfe was â—…eceiued into grace and hee obtained at his fathers hand whatsoeuer blessing a sonne might looke for so that neuer any well aduised childe of man howsoeuer â—…nowing himselfe vnworthy of the loue â—…nd mercies of God did yet either reâ—… to vse them when God did grant them or to intreat God for them when 〈◊〉 felt want of them Thirdly the good blessings of God by him giuen vnto vs are therefore giuen that wee should vse them that by the vse of them wee being refreshed 〈◊〉 see therein the fatherly â—…are of God for vs and his continuall â—…ountie and loue to vs and might so be â—…oued to giue him thankes and to trust in his mercy and being so giuen they ought not to be refused yea they canâ—…ot without our great sinne be refused for in refusing them we refuse God and the free offer of his mercy that he giueth his blessings to be vsed of vs Saint Paul teacheth vs saying Trust not in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God which giueth vs ubundantly all things to inioy He giueth all things he giueth all things abundantly and hee giueth that aboundance to be vsed and inioied Therefore doeth the Prophet Dauid say Hee causeth grasse to grow for the cattell and herbe for the vse of man that he may bring forth bread out of the earth and wine that maketh glad the heart of man and oâ—…e to make the face to shine and bread that strengtheneth mans heart All this increase of Gods blessings the Prophet affirmeth to be giuen for mans vse and also in some sort limiteth that vse shewing vs what good God intendeth that wee should reape of his guiftes and hee intendeth his owne praise in this bountifull giuing of his blessings And therefore is it that Saint Paul at Listra commendeth to those gentiles the God that made the heauen earth commending him by his bountie in giuing those things so to make his goodnes knowen And therefore he speaketh thus of him He left not himselfe without witnes in that he did good and gaue vs raine from heauen and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with foode and gladnes This good did God for the Gentiles he gaue them the dewe of heauen and fatnes of the earth with his guiftes hee filled their hearts that is satisfied their desires and made them to reioyce in the vse of those guiftes And all this he did for them to this ende that they might know the boundles goodnes of this God and that his blessings as so many faithfull witnesses might preach and declare this goodnes of his if by this meanes at the last they would turne backe from their idols to serue and please him and to this purpose serue the words of Moses vnto the people of Israel saying When thou hast eaten filled thy selfe thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath giuen thee In these words be
the man in whom they remaine a contrary way the one to God the other to sin and yet they continue in the same man at the same time for his exercise so long as hee liueth The same Apostle telleth vs concerning euerie renewed seruant of GOD that in him at the same time there remaineth both naturall corruption which he calleth flesh and infused grace which he calleth Spirit and either worketh striuing each against other His words are The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrarie one to the other so that yee can not doe the same things that yee would The spirit in them that is infused grace lusteth against corruption to draw them vnto goodnesse and the flesh in them that is naturall corruption lusteth against grace to draw them vnto wickednesse Faith and infidelitie the one being the worke of the spirit the other the worke of flesh are not more contrary one to another then the flesh and spirit from whence they grow and yet they are present together therefore with thy infidelitie there may be faith in thee The condition of a Christian man in his holy calling from darknesse vnto light is like vnto the appearing of day after a darke night It is a similitude much vsed by the holy Ghost in the Scriptures Paul saith The night is past the day is at hand That is the time of darkenesse in which you erred altogether is past and God hath sent his word among you by which as by the light of the day you may see the way to walke in And in another place Yee are all the children of light and the children of the day wee are not of the night neither of darkenesse That is we liue not in ignorance we walke not in ignorance but God hath called vs to knowledge and by the light thereof wee see the way before vs and walke on safely in it Now we all know that when the day beginneth to breake there is remaining a shadow of darkenesse a long time and that first growing light is farre from the cleare and ful light that shineth at noon day But will any man say that because of the remainder and mixture of darkenesse in the beginning of the day that therefore there is no light at all euery man would controule that assertion Euen so God shewing mercie to them that were shut vp in infidelitie giueth them faith which beginneth to growe like the day light in the first breaking forth of it and with some faith there remaineth much infidelitie Shall any man therefore say that because there is some infidelitie still remaining there is no faith at all that saying were iniurious to the new conuerted and weake Saint and it were an vnthankefull censure of Gods gracious worke begun Remember what thou hast read in the Gospel of the honest man that came vnto the Lord Iesus to intreat for his sonne that was possessed with a diuell he said vnto our Sauiour Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe He professed his faith while hee confessed his infidelity he doubteth not of the presence of the one because hee saw and felt the presence of the other but knowing his faith to be tender and young and his infidelitie to be old and strong hee craueth the help of the Lord Iesus to weaken his infidelitie and to strengthen his faith Such altogether is thy case at this time weake faith oppressed by strong infidelitie strong infidelitie keeping the vpper hand of weake faith say vnto the Lord Iesus as that man did Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe And if thou thinkest his prayer to be defectiue because hee onely craueth helpe against infidelitie and desireth not increase of his faith vnto the words of his petition ioyne the words of the petition that the Apostles together made vnto the Lord saying Lord encrease our faith These words put together make a perfect praier for this peculiar grace that the Lord Iesus of whose fulnesse wee receiue grace for grace will bee pleased to increase our faith which we finde to bee weake and to weaken our infidelitie which wee finde to bee strong This doe and by the mercy of God and goodnesse of our most milde Sauiour thou shalt finde an happy alteration in good time growing and thou shalt haue no cause to feare to die without faith whensoeuer death shall come yea though thou shouldest bee taken away before the full vanishing of this temptation because he dieth not without faith in whom at his death there is remaining some infidelitie neither dieth he without hope in whome at his departure there is remayning some feare and vnto God thy couered and almost smotherd faith wil appeare when the same is hidden from thine owne feeling But thou fearest death not onely this way least it should come before thou haue wholy ouercome this temptation but thou fearest it also though there should be a ceasing of the temptation before namely that after death this accusation may be renued because as thou saiest the right time of preferring accusations against sinners is when after death they appeare before the Lord in iudgement and if the accusation now while there is yet time of repentance and hope of forgiuenes ◅e so heauie and fearefull as thou doest finde it and feele it it must needes be then much more heauie and fearefull when there is left no time of repentance nor any new course to be taken for the obteining of forgiuenes To this I answere that if once thou ouercome this temptation before death thou needest not to feare the returne of it after death if now it be ouercome and quenched rightly by such meanes as God hath appointed for the quieting of consciences whereof it behoueth thee to be very carefull for if thy temptation be ouercome by the knowledge and faith of the infinite mercy of God toward humble and contrite spirits and of the vertuous mediation of Iesus Christ that lambe of God that taketh away the sin of the world gathered by harkening to the doctrine of the Gospel which is the power of God to saluation and if this knowledge and faith be accompanied with the loue of God that is so mercifull a father and of Iesus Christ that is so gratious a redeemer and with the loue of thy brother and with the hatred of sinne that is offensiue both to God and to thy brother assure thy selfe that these accusing thoughts so silenced and quenched shall not be reuiued after death and thy peace so growen by knowledge and saith so accompanied is not a deferring of this temptatiō vnto a fitter time but a totall abolishing of it for euer He that in this manner ouercommeth his accusing thoughts on earth shall neuer heare of them before God in heauen Wherefore else doeth the Lord Iesus say of the determination and censure of his seruants to whom he hath committed the word of reconciliation either assuring forgiuenes to the penitent beleeuer
or denouncing iudgement to the impenitent and vnbeleeuers Whatsoeuer yee binde on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer yee loose on earth shal be loosed in heauen Wherefore doeth hee speake thus of their determination and of their word but that according to that good hope which thou hast gathered vnto thy soule from the word of God in the writings of his Prophets and Apostles and in the mouthes of his faithfull witnesses on earth according to that good hope hee will doe vnto thee in heauen And in his iudgement both at thy last day and in the worlds last day he will not varie one iot from the straight rule of his word whereon thy recouered peace is grounded Indeede if thou shouldest recouer thy peace and remoue thy accusing thoughts with the remedie of Atheists that like Dauids foole Say in their hearts there is no God that is there is no diuine power gouerning the world in iustice and rewarding euery man according to his workes If thou shouldest shake off thy temptation with that conceit of wicked men recorded in the booke of wisedome that say Wee are borne at all aduenture and wee shal be â—…ereafter as though we had neuer beene for the breath is a smoke in our nosthrilles and the words are a sparke raised out of our heart which being extinguished the body is turned into ashes and the spirit vanisheth as the soft aire our life shall passe away as the trace of a cloud and come to â—…ought as the mist that is driuen away with the beames of the Sun and cast downe with the heate thereof That is no hand of God made vs at the first to be serued with the obedience of our life and when we leaue the world we shall not appeare before the face of any God to giue account for our liues for wee were borne by no prouidence and appointment of any higher power but euen as it happened such a man to beget such a boy such a mother to beare such a child and when wee die wee returne into earth and aire ourbodies become dust our spirits vanish as a puffe of winde there is no difference after death betweene man and beast both vanish and come to nothing as we were not before we were borne so wee shall not be when we are dead Iâ—… with these wicked conceites we seeke to stifle and choke our owne conscience or falsely flatter our selues with the securitie of contemners despising all the threatnings of God So that when they heare the words of the curse they blesse themselues in their heart saying we shall haue peace although we walke according to the 〈◊〉 of our owne hearts that is the threatnings of Gods displeasure are not to be regarded I esteeme them no more then the winde that breatheth ouer mine head and I shal be well inough whatsoeuer God say and I will hold on my course without any feare of God If vpon any such sandie and deceitfull ground thou shouldest builde thy peace and by such deuice should make dull rather then quiet thy troubled conscience verily thy accusing thoughts would returne like so many furies after death charging thee with all thine impieties before the face of thy Iudge The Atheist shall knowthat there is a God as it is said in the Psalme Doubtles there is a God that iudgeth the earth The Sadduce shall know that there is a life after this when he shall be called to answere as it is said of the â—…uill steward Giue accounts of thy stewardship for thou maist bee no longer steward And the contemner shall know the power of Gods displeasure when the wrath of the Lord and his iâ—…alousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses written in Gods booke shall light vpon him But if thy accusing thoughts be put to silence by the knowledge and faith of Gods mercy and of Christ his merit accompanied with repentance and true conuersion to God as hath beene said if by the promises and rules of Gods word thy peace while thou liuest be recouered assuerdly thy sinnes shall neuer be laid to thy charge after death for otherwise there were no faithfulnes in God nor trueth in his word wherein he hath thus spoken I will rememher their sinnes no more And in another place All his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned vnto him Theresore if it shall please God by the meanes that is applied vnto thee out of his word to deliuer thee froÌ„ the storme of this temptation whilest thou liuest thou hast no cause to feare the renewing of it after death nor in that name to feare death And because thou art troubled with such fantasticall feares of death that indeed is naturally fearefull to all men let â—…e acquaint thee with the condition thereof to a Chistian it came indeede into the world by the sinne of our first parents and by the holy and iust iudgement of God it was imposed vpon vs as a punishment of sinne depriuing vs of all present good things and plunging vs into eternall euils But when the sonne of God suffred death for our sinnes and by his suffring gaue satisfaction to the iustice of God he then slew destroied death it selfe by that death of his and tooke away all deadly killing power from that dissolution of ours which we call death and made it vnto all beleeuers a gate and passage into life putting an end vnto all their present troubles â—…nd bringing them to the possession of endles happines So that it is to them as the euening is to the labourer when he both resteth from his former wearie worke and also receiueth the reward for which he wrought For the body henceforth is laied vp in the graue as vpon a bed of ease where it shall â—…euer after either shake for colde or faint for heate where it shall neuer after feele either hunger or sicknes or be wearied any more with painfull labour That is it that the Prophet meaneth when hee saith Peace shall come they shall rest in their beds euery one that walketh before him That is the righteous man that treading in the paths of Gods commandements walketh with him in his holy obedience heâ—… at his iournies end in his body shall lie downe to rest in his graue as on his bed and much peace shall be his portion and as for the soule from thenceforth being vnclothed of his earthly couering and remoued out of his Tabernacle and house of clay it ascendeth vp vnto Iesus Christ and being clothed with glory it hath an happy abiding with him in heauen where it inioyeth the most comfortable presence of Christ his redeemer and the desired fellowship of those redeemed that are alreadle passed out of the wildernes of this wicked world into the paradice of eternall delight So did the Lord Iesus promise to the dying theese when hee said vnto him This day thou shalt bewith mee in paradice
sinne that is called blasphemy against the holy Ghost is a pardonable sinne though certainly worthy of a thousand damnations According to that saying of Christ in the gospel Verily I say vnto you all sinnes shal be forgiuen to the children of men and blasphemies wherewith they blaspheme Secondly that the Lord Iesus Christ hath commanded him and by his commandement giuen him leaue to aske forgiuenesse of sinnes and hath drawen for him a forme of petition by which to craue that forgiuenesse of our heauenly Father when he taught him in the Gospel to say Forgiue vs our sinnes for euen wee forgiue euery man that is indebted to vs. Thirdly that God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ who is rich in mercy to all that call vpon him hath promised both to forgiue and to forget all our sinne and iniquity In thosâ—… gracious words recordâ—…d by Ieremy I will forgâ—…ue their iniquity and remember theiâ—… sinnes no more Fourthly the condiâ—…ions to bee obserued on our part which God requireth where hee forgiueth sinnes and vpon which hee doth most assuredly forgiue sinnes haue beene shewed to be these three First repentance bringing forth in vs amendmeÌ„t of life according to that saying oâ—… the Lord in Ezekâ—…el Iâ—… the wicked will returne from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do that which is lawfull and right hee shall surely liue and shall not die all his transgressions that he hath committed they shal no be mentioned vnto him but in his righteousnesse that he hath done he shall liue Secondly loue vnto our brother in forgiuing vnto him whatsoeuer wrong he hath done vnto vs according to that saying oâ—… the Lord Iesus in the Gospel If yeâ—… doâ—… forgiue 〈◊〉 their trespasses your 〈◊〉 Father 〈◊〉 also forgiue you Thirdly saith in God expecâ—…ing at his hands that mercy that he hath promised to grant and exâ—…cting it in and 〈◊〉 his sonne Iesus Christ his sonâ—…e Iesus Christ his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the promises of God are yea and amen According to that most precious saying of the Lord in the Gospel Uerily verily 〈◊〉 to you whatsoeuer yee shall aske thâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my name he will giue it yâ—…u These are grounds of truth giuing hope vnto vs that the burden of accusing thoughts may bee cast off and turned vpon God for the case of the poore sinner The rules of aduiâ—…e in obseruing whereof this burden is cast vpon God and the neglect whereof hindereth the caâ—…ling of this burden vpon God are these First that without deniall excu sing or extenuating of his sinne he doe ingenuously and fully confesse vnto God his sinne saying with the Prophet in the Psalme Against thee against thee onely haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight For hee that seeketh by any meanes to hide extenuate or excuse his sinne before God as if he had not offended or had not deserued wrath by his offence shall not bee pardoned but he that freely confesseth shall finde fauour Salomon saith in the Prouerbs He that hideth his sinnes shal not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shal haue mercy Secondly let him patiently beare and without all murmuring the stroke of Gods hand which his confessed sins conuince him to be most worthy of and let him say with the Church I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him For murmuring impatience prouoketh God more The Prophet saith thus of God With the froward thou wilt shew thy selfe froward But patience winneth fauour at Gods hands for deliuerance The Apostle Peter saith Humble your selues vnder the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time Thirdly he must now hate sinne that hath bin so chargeable vnto him and inquire after the will of God and do it As Saint Peter likewise teacheth vs saying amend your liues and turne that your sinnes may bee done away For hee that continueth with delight in sinne shal neuer finde fauour but heapeth vp more wrath vnto himselfe against the day of wrath the Prophet saith Him that loueth iniquity doth his soule hate A fourth aduice is that hee haue compassion vpon his fellow seruant and forgiue the offences of his brother putting from him all purpose of seeking reuenge for iniuries receiued As Saint Paul aduiseth saying Forbearing one another and forgiuing one another if any man haue a quarrell to another For he that hath no pitty vpon his brother and exacteth satisfaction of him shall finde no pitty with God and shall be solde to pay the vttermost farthing of his owne debt As the Lord Iesus hath plainly said If ye doe not forgiue men their trespasses no more will your father forgiue you your trespasses A fifth aduice is that he inâ—…orme himselfe daily more and more of the mercy of God merits of Iesus Christ by searching the Scriptures that doe beare witnesse therto that he may by this meanes grow to beleeue in God whereunto the written word affordeth great helpe for the saying of Iohn is true of all the Scriptures These things are written that yee might beleeue And without faith that staieth our mindes vpon God in the merit of his son there is no accesse vnto God as wee are taught by the Apostle saying Without faith it is vnpossible to please God Lastly he must with sighes and grones with humble and harty praiers solicite the maiesty of God continually that he will be pleased to respect him with fauour and to forgiue his sinnes as the Prophet Hosea teacheth vs saying O Israel returne vnto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity take vnto you words and turne to the Lord and say vnto him take away all iniquity and receiue vs graciously so will wee render the calues of our lips The neglect of this duty of praying to God is esteemed to be a marke of a wicked man For of them whom he calleth workes of iniquity the Prophet saith They call not vpon God In these â—…ew rules of confession patience repentance loue faith and praier standes the right casting of this burden vpon God These things let him practise constantly and God will ease his wearied conscience And thus haue we declared what burdens are heere meant and what it is to cast euery such burden vpon God Which things vnderstood wee haue the Prophets meaning in this precept of our text Cast thy burden vpon the Lord That is in al thy trouble seeke helpe and deliuerance at 〈◊〉 hand depending vpon him CHAP. XXXII NOvv wee come to the promise of recompence folowing in these words And he shal nourish thee hee will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer The rules of holy counsell giuen vs of God are alwaies inriched with liberall promises of his blessing that wee may know that it is not in vaine to harken to his voice nâ—…r either dangerous or
THE Strong Helper OFFERING TO BEARE EVERY MANS BVRTHEN OR A TREATISE TEACHING in all troubles how to cast our burden vpon God but chiefly deliuering infallible grounds of comfort for quieting of troubled consciences By IOHN HAIVVARD The second Edition corrected and inlarged PSAL. 31. 22. Though I said in my haste I am cast out of thy sight yet thou heardest the voice of my praier when I cried vnto thee ¶ Imprinted at London by IOHN BEALâ—… for William Welby 1614. TO THE VVOR shipfull and his most kind and louing friends Master Israel Owen and M is Bathshaba Owen his wife IN the first publication of this Treatise the argument whereof is more agreeable to the hungry desires of a troubled soule then to the dainty appetite of them that seeke to haue their eares delighted with fine inuention I commended it to none but vnto such as had the only neede thereof euen to them that are weary and laden which grone vnder that burden whereof none can ease them but only he that beareth vp all things by his mighty word Heb. 13. And healeth those that are broken in heart and giueth medicine to heale their sicknesse Psal. 147. 3. At this second edition I haue been bold to publish it vnder your Worships name not that I haue any higher conceit of it now then at the first to thinke it now worthier then at that time to beare it in the forehead thereof thename of any worshipfull patron For though it bee in some places altered and in some enlarged yet our bookes grow not vnder our hands as our children doe to become fairer stronger and wiser by continuance of yeeres but they retaine with little alteration their first proportion and members And this little booke as it was at the first so it remaineth no other then a knitting together in one continud discourse of those obseruations which in my publike exercise I deliuered in many Serâ—… mons when I intreated of that text of Scripture which I haue put downe in the beginning as the argument of the whole worke But finding my selfe inde bted vnto your loue in a greater measure then I am able to make satisfaction for which loue of yours to me hath continued now aboue twenty yeeres and aboue all other proofes thereof hath lately declared it selfe in a most free and kinde offer of extraordinary fauour I haue been bold in this dedication to testifie vnto you as I was able my thankefull heart which is the best recompence that my weake estate is able to affoord And with this little booke which I offer vnto your Worshippes I offer vnto Almighty God my most hearty praiers that the father of mercy God of all consolations will euer continue vnto you and your posterity the abundance of his grace both for a long and happy life in this world and for a seasonable and christian departure hence that after your yeeres bee compleate on earth you may raigne with Christ for euer in Heauen From my house in Woolchurch this thirteenth of Nouember 1613. Your Worships wel-willer Iohn Hayward To him that is wearie and laden SALOMON in the Prouerbs affirmeth that he that is full despiseth a hunnie combe And one wiser then Salomon telleth vs in the Gospell that the whole haue no neede of the Phisition Idlely therefore should I offer my labour in this treatise to them that are full and liue at ease who bearing no burden or in their strength not feeling what they beare would reiect my offer as a mocke say vnto me Brach ia da lasso potius prendenda natanti offer your hand to him that is ready to sinke in the sloud we haue no neede we sit safe vpon the shore If these mens securitie be sound I wish it may be durable vnto them and as they haue no desire vnto so I wish they may neuer stand in neede of the counsell conteined in this booke this I wish them out of loue though out of iudgement e know if they belong to Christ the tim will come when they must beare a crosse and follow him But with hope of better acceptation I offer my counsell here following vnto thee that seeâ—…est the burden that thou bearest and gronest vnder the burden that thou feelest Salomon in the forenamed place telleth vs that to the hungry soule euery bitter thing is sweete And the Lord Iesus affirmeth the sicke to stand in neede of the Phisitions helpe Thy burden maketh thee as fainting labourer to long for releese and the crumes of Gods mercy easing thy ouercharged soule would be acceptable to thee and the paine of thy diseased spirit more sicke of thy tentation then of a burning feauer maketh thee desirous of the Phisions helpe thou criest in thy griefe Rebus succurrite lesis helpe my greeued estate and the offer and assurance of helpe and health cannot but bee ioyfull vnto thee If thy greefe and wearines be occasioned by any troubles of this life if it grow from any secular worldly cause I haue reduced all such burdens vnto fower heades Because either it is some want in our worldly estate which commonly is the burden and trouble of the multitude or if wee bee that way well stored it is some trouble domesticall and neare vnto vs either in our selues or in our house habitation or kinred or if we haue peace in our habitation ioy in our kinred friends and seruants with life and health as we desire then there is some more remoued person or more remoued accident that is the cause of greese care and feare vnto vs or â—…f abroad aswell as at home and among strangers aswell as among friends and neighbours we liue without disturbance yet we often finde difficulties in the duties of our callings or we meete with oppositions and are wronged with mistakings are euill rewarded for our well deseruing Within the compasse of one of these foure heads fall all such secular and worldly burdens and in the first place I haue giuen aduice concerning these perhaps not altogether such as some wise men well seene and traded in worldly causes would giue but surely such as an honest man should giue and such as he must obserue that looketh to obtaine ease and helpe from God If thy trouble and greefe be of another kinde if thy burden be spirituall and tâ—…e whole busines lieth more directly betweene God and thee and either as an honest man thou art greeued that thou canst not serue him as thou shouldest or so humbled that thou art greeued that thou hast sinned against him as thou shouldest not and fearest punishment for that sin these troubles I haue reduced to two heades for either the lustes of our flesh fighting against our soules doe crosse vs in the waies of trueth and righteousnes so that we cannot doe the good we would and the euill we woud not that we doe and our desires being as the desires of the children of light our deedes become as the deedes of the sonnes of
with the balme of comfortable words heale the wounds of our grieued soules It is the saying of S. Austin Good men euen in this life affoord vs no small comforts for if pouerty pinch vs if sorrow make vs sad if paine in our body afflict vs if banishment or any calamity vex vs if good men be present which know how to reioyce with them that reioice and to weepe with them that weepe and in conference to speake healthful things vnto vs those sharpe things are made maruellously gentle those heauy things are made easie and those aduersities are borne and ouercome For in a good man that hath bowels of cōpassion it is most true that one saith aegrotanti animo medicus est oratio his words will heale a grieued mind Thus much of the person instructed CHAP. 4. NOw we come to the instruction Cast thy burden vpon the Lord and he shall nourish thee he will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer This instruction consisteth of two parts the first is a precept of aduice the second is a promise of recompence The precept is in these words Cast thy burden vpon the Lord The promise is in the rest and he shall nourish thee he will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer This promise giueth assurance of mercy from God according to our want and desire and the precept directeth vs a sure course to seeke and speed of that wanting and desired helpe In the precept Cast thy burden vpon the Lord for the better vnderstanding thereof it will be good to consider first what this burden is secondly what it is to cast this burden vpon God These things vnderstood the precept is vnderstood The name of a burden is familiar many poore men liue by bearing burdens and know wel the meaning of that name when they feele the waight vpon their shoulders But here it is vsed in a borrowed sence for any thing that is heauy to the mind breeding feare care and griefe of which burdens there is great plenty in the world and euery man high and low at one time or other is faine to play the porter and beare some of these burdens some more heauy and some more easie but euery man some For order sake we may endeauour to bring these burdens vnto certaine heads vnder which if not all for this fruitfull world breedeth new burdens daily yet the most may be comprehended And because in some of these burdens we haue immediatly and at the next hand to doe with worldly matters and with men in things belonging to this life in others we haue immediatly and at the next hand to doe with spirituall matters and God himselfe in things belonging to our soules and the life to come therefore I will diuide them into secular and spirituall burdens The secular burdens shall againe be reduced to fower rankes whereof the first shall be the burden of worldly cares when a mans charge is great and his maintenance small and he taketh care how to pay his debt how to get meat and clothes and other necessaries for him and his which burden is made heauy vpon vs sometime by the immediate hand of God sending times of dearth and losses by fire and water and other waies sometime by other men as by oppressors deceiuers theeues bad debtors false seruants and riotous children sometime it is increased by our owne fault through idlenesse through plaie through foolish bargains through daintinesse of fare costly apparell and other courses of riot And this burden may be called the burden of the multitude The second ranke shall be of domesticall troubles either in thy selfe thy family thy kindred or thy habitation For where there is wealth at will and that way no cause of care yet Iob may languish being full of diseases Dauid may haue a scornfull Michol to his wife Abigail may haue a churlish Nabal to her husband Rahel may mourn for her children because they are not the sonne may be riotous and disobedient the daughter may be dishonest and between Amaon Absolon and Thamar the father of the family may haue griefe enough seruants may be vnfaithfull and perhaps maintaine factions thy kindred may be vnkind or fall into some calamity and thy next neighbour may bee thy neare and great enemy or thy house may bee visited with sickenesse so that thy trouble shall breed euen in the nest of thy rest in thine house at thy table in thy bed and in thy bones and there and from thence shall thy vexation grow where and from whence thou didst promise thy selfe comfort A third rank of these burdens shall be troubles more remote growing from enemies and occasions further of For many men haue peace at home ioy in their obedient and louing wiues comfort in their dutifull and sober children content in their trusty and faithfull seruants and sweet fellowship with their kind neighbours so that their home and habitation is their happy paradise and yet their estate may be vndermined by oppressors and deceiuers their names may be disgraced by liers and slanderers and their liues brought into danger by blood thirsty and malicious enemies and they touched with the calamities of their brethren abroad A fourth ranke of these burdens shall be the difficulties following the duties of our callings For though it be our honor and our crowne to performe the duties of our callings yet they grow diuersly to be burdens vnto vs sometime when more is required at our hands then wee are able to performe either by the fault of other men when we are called vnto publique seruices before we be ◅ipe and fit for them or by our owne great fault when we either couetously or ambitiously intrude into callings that we are insufficient for seeking the reward and honor of the place without regard of the seruice to be done in it Sometime we are sufficient and also painfull and yet either God denieth successe to exercise vs therby or men oppose against vs as Elimas did against the preaching of Paul Sometime men are sufficient diligent and effect the seruice laudably but enuious men misinterpret and misreport their doings as the Pharisies did the workes of our Lord Iesus Christ and in stead of praise they are rebuked and reprooued and in stead of deserued and expected reward they are in danger of punishment In all these cases the duties of our callings in themselues honorable yet become heauy burdens vnto vs. Vnder these foure heads I suppose all secular and worldly burdens may be comprehended There are other burthens wherein we haue to doe immediatly with God in things that belong to piety to peace of conscience to the life to come Those may be reduced to two heads The first head and ranke of these burdens are our sinfull lusts our inbred corruptions and infirmities and the law of sinne in our members rebelling against the lawe of our mind whereby it commeth to passe that
euen the best regenerate man that feareth God and loueth righteousnesse that hath both his vnderstaÌ„ding enlightned his will sanctified so that he wanteth neither knowledge zeale nor humility yet can neither doe the good that gladly he would nor leaue vndone the euill that his soule abhorreth This is no smal burden to the man that wold please God and doe his dutie that hee becomes his owne troubler against his owne will and crosseth himselfe by corruption in that wherein he taketh pleasure by sanctification This made Paul the Apostle to crie out in these words O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death It was death to him that such corruption was so preualent in his fraile body And in another place he calleth the same law of sinne a pricke in the flesh the messenger of satan to buffet him because it was euer seruiceable to satan and armed his hand against the holy feruant of God so that whensoeuer the Apostle did set his heart to doe well the diuell did beat him with the weapons of his owne corruption This is no small burden to an honest minded man The second ranke of these spirituall burdens are accusing thoughts checkes and terrors of conscience the worme in thy bosome gnawing thine heart This burden often followeth the former as Zophar speaketh When wickednesse was sweet in his mouth he hid it vnder his tongue and fauoured it and would not forsake it but kept it close in his mouth then his meat in his bowels was turned the gal of aspes was in the middest of him That is at first sinne in the committing of it is sweet as ratsbane poison often is goeth downe merrily and is meate and drinke to the sinner and he can not bee wonne from it because it is his delight but at last the time commeth according to the saying of God in the Psalme I wil reprooue thee and set them that is thy sinnes in order before thee According to this saying God mustereth his sinnes together and presenteth a view of them before the soule of the sinner where the diuell as a great officer in that campe setteth them forth in their colours that al the contempt of God and of his commandements all their vnthankfulnesse and forgetfulnesse of their duty all the violence filthinesse fury and disorder that accompanied their sinnes appeareth fresh to the sinners vnderstanding and what wrathin heauen what shame on earth and fire in hell he hath made himselfe worthy of and must now looke for And this turneth the meat in his stomack into 〈◊〉 this is more deadly then the poison of aspes can be then feare increaseth nope decreaseth then the wicked are confounded and could wish â—…illes and mountaines to fall vpon them to couer them from the face of God and thinking to flie deserued destruction they oft times cast themselues into eternall destruction and with Saul Achitâ—…phel and Iudas kil themselues Yea the best seruants of God when it pleaseth him to lay this burden in any tollerâ—…ble measure vpon them are exceedingly affrighted for a time Dauids words being pressed with this burden shew the heauy load of it There is nothing sound in my slesh because of thine anger neither is there rest in my bones because of my sinne For mine iniquities are gone ouer my head and as a waighty burden they are too heauy for me His affliction was great when the griefe of his minde changed the health of his body and left no soundnesâ—…e either in flesh or bones And so was it with the Prophet and the only cause of this so great disease was the remembrance of his sinnes and the feare of Gods angeâ—… by those sinnes deserued Another time laden with this burden as he was before he complained of his load as he had done before saying Innumerable troubles haue compassed me my sinnes haue taken such hold vpon me that I am not able to looke vp yea they are more in number then the haires of my head therefore my heart hath failed me Needes must the assault of innumerable troubles follow the remembrance of innumerable sinnes and these troubles where they lay hold doe depresse the heart that the ouercharged waight cannot looke vp to the mercy feat of God Yea where faith wageth battaile against fear and keepeth the field well strengthened with many promises and in the end preuaileth restoring peace to the conscience yet there for a time vntil the houre and power of darknesse passe ouer terrors are great when the charge of sinne lieth vpon the soule See it in him that had the greatest assurance of all the sonnes of men when the glorious sonne of God our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ for our redemption was to take vp and beare the burden of our sinnes it did put him to vnspeakable paine and was vpon his mighty shoulders a mighty burden Hence came that tripled praier O my father if it be possible let this cup passe from me neuertheles not as I wil but as thou wilt Thence came that agony that Saint Luke speaketh of that being in an open garden and kneeling on the bare ground about the middest of night in a cold season of the yeere he fell into a great sweat and his sweat was like drops of blood trickling downe to the ground Thence came that crie vpon the crosse which was not the singing of a Psalme but the true dittie of sorrow and of a depressed soule speaking as was before prophecied of him My God my God why hast thou forsaken me All these grew from the burden of our sinnes laid vpon him that he bearing our sinnes in his body vpon the tree we might be deliuered from sinne to liue in righteousnesse The burden therefore of sinne when accusing thoughts once presse and charge the conscience citing vs to appeare and answer before God for our offences is a most heauy burden the burden of the humble and broken hearted man these are the two rankes of spirituall burdens Now vnder these six rankes fower of secular burdens two of spirituall I suppose all those burdens may be comprehended which lie heauy vpon vs in this world and cause feare care and griefe vnto vs first care of the world secondly domesticall troubles thirdly troubles more remote fourthly the difficulties that follow the duties of our callings fiftly the sinfull lusts of our flesh fighting against our soules lastly accusing thoughts breeding terrors of conscience CHAP. V. YOu haue heard what the burden is now let vs consider what it is to cast this burden vpoÌ„ the Lord. And hereof I will speake first generally without relation to any particular sort of these burdens and then particularly with relation to the particular sorts of burdens before named and in such order as they were named but first generally What it is to cast our burden vpon the Lord we may see by the words of Saint Peter repeating this
things for their preseruation and saluation so that thou maiest most safely commend them to his mercie And let him remember what the Prophet hath said of God pertaining particularly to this griefe as if it were intended for his ease in this case He is a Father of the fatherlesse and Iudge of the widdowes euen God in his holy habitation So that thou shalt not leaue thy wife without a husband thy children without ◅ father thy seruants without a maister and thy poore friends without a helper when thou commendest them to God He will be all in all vnto all and euery one of them And therefore in this griefe remembring Gods prouidence thou castest thy burthen vppon GOD and easest thine owne heart when thou commendest them vnto him And if it be not thine owne sicknesse death or calamitie that grieueth thee but the sicknesse death or calamitie of some other neere vnto thee as of thy husband or wife thy parents or children thy maister or seruant or some neighbour or friend that was neere and deare vnto thee with commendation of thy compassion that ought indeede to stretch it selfe to all these and further also for the seruants of God must not be without naturall affections This is in the case of their sicknesse and calamitie to cast thy burden vpon the Lord first to minister what help and comfort thou art able vnto them both with good words and also with reall seruices that they recouering the sooner out of their sicknesse and calamitie thy heart may the sooner bee freed of that griefe that thou sustainest for them And in this ministring of comfort and help vnto them thou seruest the Lord and becommest the meanes and instrument of his mercie to the afflicted Therefore it is saide of the woman of Shumem Elishaes good hostesse that her sicke sonne sate on her knees till noone that is shee was grieued for his sicknesse and with a most willing heart gaue him the best help and comfort that shee could Hence grow all those workes of mercy that the Lord Iesus saith hee will remember and reward when hee commeth in his glory Hence commeth the feeding of the hungry the refreshing of the thirstie the clothing of the naked the intertaining of the stranger the visiting of the sicke and releeuing men in bonds Hence grow all these works of mercy namely that men and women of tender hearts which haue bowels of compassion in their bodies are grieued to behold the want the miseries and calamities of others and doe ease their owne hearts by vsing all meanes to ease the others calamity so casting in a most sweete maner the burden of their owne griefe vppon God who will certainely comfort them that labor to comfort his afflicted ones Vnto this rule pertaine all the precepts of ministring to the necessities of the Saints But because while thou art thus casting the burdē of thy griefe vpon God by vsing all good means to relieue them for whom thou art grieued Because I say they are not presently freed from their calamitie nor thou from all thy sorrow conceiued for their sakes therfore vnto this diligence of helping and succouring the miserable if thou wilt soundly and fully cast thy burden vpon God patience must be added and praier patience to beare quietly their sicknesse and calamities whom thou louest for the Lords sake that hath appoynted it so glorifying him in all his workes and prayer to intreat the God of mercie to remember in his mercy those thy miserable friends and to raise them vp whom he cast downe Heere remember Dauid praying for his sicke childe Daniel praying for the returne of the captiuity the Centurion praying for his sicke seruant and the Church praying for Peter imprisoned I will insteed of all examples adde the precept of the Apostle Paul making patience and prayer the chiefe rules of obtaining ease of all burdens saying Let your patient minde bee knowne to all men the Lord is at hand be nothing carefull but in all things let your requests be shewed vnto God in prayer and supplication and giuing of thankes Thine owne diligence in shewing mercy and helping thy patient attendance vppon God with thy faithfull prayer for the asflicted are the mean◅ of casting thy burden vppon God when thou art grieued for the sickenesse and calamities of others But if it bee the death of some deare friend that thou art grieued for wherein perhappes thou thinkest thy griefe remedilesse because thy dead can not liue agayne euen for this verie cause oughtest thou to beare the death of thy friend quietly because thy dead cannot liue againe And herein wee haue Dauid an example of godly fortitude vnto vs who hauing a childe sicke did while it yet liued afflict his soule For it is written Dauid be sought GOD for the childe and fasted and went in and lay all night vpon the earth Then the Elders of his house arose to come vnto him and to cause him to rise from the ground but hee would not neither did hee eate meate with them Thus while there was hope of remedy he gaue way to the sorrow of his heart But it followeth On the seuenth day the child died and the seruants of Dauid feared to tell him that the childe was dead for they said behold while the child was yet aliue we spake vnto him and hee would not bearken vnto our voyce how shall wee say vnto him the childe is dead to vex him more But when Dauid saw his seruants whispered Dauid perceiued that the childe was dead Therefore Dauid said vnto his seruants Is the childe dead And they said hee is dead then Dauid arose from the earth and washed and annoynted himselfe and changed his apparell and came into the house of the Lord and worshipped and after came to his owne house and bade that they should set bread before him and hee did eat His sorrowing ended when hee once sawe that there was no hope of enioying any longer the company of his childe Now this course seemed to his seruants a new and strange kind of philosophie that he should mourne in the danger of death and yet reioyce or at least comfort himselfe with any content in death and therefore his seruants saide vnto him What thing is this that thou hast done thou diddest fast and weepe for the childe while it was aliue but when the child was dead thou didst rise and eate meat And what reason had hee for this strange and vnwonted behauiour Hee said while the childe was yet aliue I fasted and wept for I said who can tell whether God will haue mercy on me that the child may liue but now being dead wherefore shall I now fast can I bring him againe any more I shall goe to him but he shall not returne to me Behold the same thing that maketh thee to mourne namely that thy dead shall not returne to thee the same consideration Dauid made the ground
edified and walked in the feare of the Lord and were multiplied by the comfort of the holy Ghost And this conuersion of Saul with the churches peace growing thereby some haue ascribed vnto Stephens prayer as an intermediate cause who while they stoned him kneeled downe and cryed with a lowd voyce Lord lay not this sinne to their charge Of which prayer of Stephen Austin in his fourth Sermon of the Saints hath this saying If Stephen had not thus prayed the Church should not haue had Paul but therfore was Paul being fallen from his horse raised from the earth because when Stephen with bowed knees was fallen to the ground hee was heard in his prayer Therfore thogh thou hast not oportunitie to admonish thy remote aduersary yet pray vnto God for his conuersion Thou knowest not whether God wil heare thy praier and shorten thy trouble by changing the mind of thy troubler If it be to bewrought by a remoue and that remoue to be made by death therein thou hast nothing to do before-hand but to maintaine that resolution that alwaies ought to be in all Christians namely to yeeld to the wil of God and to approue his worke as well in killing as in giuing life and as well in our selues as in others And if it please God to take away thine enemy then is it thy part to praise his name that suffereth thy peace to out-liue thine enemies fury but neither worke it nor desire it nor reioyce in it as a calamity happened to thine enemy or to his house much lesse offer violence to thy self that may free thee from short troubles but it will surely plunge thee into eternall troubles If God haue appointed to shorten thy troubles by remouing either thy troubler from thee or thee from thy troubler by distance of place that you may be yet further a sunder and the one out of the reach of another as opportunity is offered wisdome will aduise thee what to doe For the departure of an enemie a wise man said A bridge of gold should be made to further his speedy passage rather then to stay him with any impediment And it is at thy liberty flying from the swords point of persecution and malice to remooue from one City to another But if God be pleased to maintaine against thee the enemy that he hath stirred vp thy chiefe casting of thy burden vpon God is by patience to possesse thy soule bearing quietly what thou canst not shake off by hearty praier to sollicite the maiesty of the most high God to free thee from thine enemy when it pleaseth him and in the meane time to giue thee wisdome to suffer as thou oughtest to his pleasure Thus much how to cast the burden of remote troubles vpon God when thy troble groweth from the malice of remote enemies that offer wrong vnto thee Sometimes thou art not hurt by remote enemies but rather art greeued for remote frindes or strangers for whose calamity thou are affected with heauinesse Sometime in regard of common humane nature because they are men as thou art and it grieueth thee that any of thine owne kinde should suffer such calamity sometime in regard of common holy religion because they worship the same God and beleeue in the same Sauiour that thou doest and it greueth thee that any of thy faith and religion and any true worshipper of thy God should indure such misery For direction to cast this burden vpon God there needeth no long discourse because I feare there are not many that beare any such burden of sorrow for others misery or vpon whom it lieth heauy if they sorrow at all or vpon whom it abideth long if it be heauy Selfloue permitteth vs not to mourne for the calamity of other men when we are at case our selues The Butler in Pharaoes court when hee had once recouered his owne place and honour neuer regarded nor was moued with Iosephs imprisonment The chiefe Butlar did not remember Ioseph but forgat him And those wounds neuer enter deepe in our hearts which we only see or heare in others and feele not in our selues and the teares that fall from our eies for other mens miseries quickly drie vp If Amos liued in this selfe-delighting and neighbour contemning age wanton and excessiue one way but wanting and pitilesse another way he would surely crie out againe as before he did saying They drinke wine in bowles and annoint themselues with the chiefe ointments but no man is sorry for the afflictions of Ioseph that is euery man cherisheth himselfe delicately but no man regardeth how other men fare Yet because God hath alwaies his a mercifull father mercifull children because some there are of tender hearts that mourne with them that mourne and haue put on as the Apostle speaketh tender mercy and kindnesse to satisfie them I pray them to call to remembrance the three rules giuen before iâ—… the case of like griefe for frindes most neare First so farre as distance of place betweene thee and them the small acquaintance that thou hast with them and thy weake means will suffer afford them thy best helpe Egypt afforded food to Canaan when famine was sort in that land The King of Moab gaue entertainment to Dauids father and to his whole houshold when Sauls displesure was heauy to them in Israel Dauid had Ziklag giuen him to dwell in when he could not be safe in Iuda Mercy by hospitality succoureth many strangers that by famine warre and other calamities cannot remain in safety at home If thou be grieued for the calamity of them that dwell farre off affourd thy best helpe thou shalt make lesse thy sorrow for their calamity while thou makest lesse their calamity by thy mercy Therefore did the brethren among the belieuing Gentiles make collections to send to the poore Saints at Ierusalem Secondly vse patience in this case and till God put an end to their miseries glorifie thou God in his iudgments that so exerciseth truth humbleth correcteth and punisheth Lastly pray vnto God for them that in his iudgements he will be pleased to remember mercy and to spare the sheepe of his owne pasture if they be true worshippers or at least that he will spare the worke of his owne hands whatsoeuer they be and forgiuing their sinnes that he will giue them repentance that they may come to the knowledge of him and of his truth and in the end be deliuered from his fiery wrath In these three things iâ—… helping mercifully in bearing patiently and in praying fruently consisteth the right manner of casting our burden of griefe and sorrow for other mens calamities vpon God And so haue wee considered of this third secular burden of more remote troubles which hath great affinity with the burden of more nigh and domesticall troubles and differeth onely in respect of the persons by whom thou art wronged and for whom thou art grieued in that they are
easily with this double helpe learne to doe his worke in some reasonable good manner and vnto this helpe vnder God the Apostle Paul doeth send vs saying Brethren be followers of me and looke on them which walks so as you haue vs for an example A man merrily ignorant of his way if he follow carefully step for step a skilfull guide going before him will very safely come to the place that he desireth so shalt thou doe in the way of godlines if thou keepe company with the godly and marke their behauiour to doe thereafter Augustin hauing respect of Saint Paul saith in one place If thou faile in the precept be strengthned in the example that is if by looking onely to the precept thou canst not bring to passe to keepe it looke to the example of them that doe after it and their example shall much strengthen thee Men are very apt to be led by examples and are easily transformed into the manners of those whom they keepe company with neither will their fellowship hold long that doe not conforme themselues to the manners of their company Dauid in one place hath this saying With the godly thou wilt shew thy selfe godly with the vpright man thou will shew thy selfe vpright with the pure thou will shew thy selfe pure and with the froward thou will shew thy selfe froward The Prophet speaketh these words of God and we may safely speake them of men among the godly thou must shew thy selfe godly learning and practising their godly behauiour else they will haue small pleasure in thy company and among the wicked thou must doe as they doe else they will soone be weary of thee and sly thy fellowship The company therefore of the godly cannot but be a great helpe vnto thee vnder God to learne by them to subdue and keepe vnder thy vnruly lusts if thou conuerse with them and daily striuest to conforme thy selfe to their manners This is a good degree of casting this burden vpon God Thirdly let him shun all occasions that may aâ—…lure and prouoke him vnto these sinnes that by the corrupt lusts of his heart he findeth himselfe most subiect vnto For example if his infirmitie be pronenesse to anger wrath let him auoid the company of contentions and froward persons that are apâ—… to prouoke let him not take knowledge of euery petâ—…y wrong that is done vnto him nor harken vnto them that will tell him this or that tale what other men say of him lest suddenly he be distempered If his infirmitie be a pronenesse to drunkenes as thâ—…re are but too many that when they are at it can keepe no measure let him fly the company of pot companions let him shun the places and â—…bhorre the ceremonies of great drinking and let him not delight himselfe to behold the colour and sparkling of the Wine If his infirmitie be a pronenesse to adulterie and such vncleannes let him shun the haunt of Harlots and their houses all wanton company and let him not cast his eye vpon deceitful and bewitching beautie and so concerning all other sinnes that his heart lusteth after This rule the holy Ghost giues vs in many places Salomon saith Keepe thee from the wicked woman and from the slattery of the tongue of the strange woman desire not her beauty in thine heart neither let her take thee with her eye-lid Her coÌ„pany her countenance and her wordes all these are inticing occasions and all these Salomon warneth him to shun that world not be betrayed by his owne frailty to commit whoredome In another place he saith Make no friendship with an angry man neither goe with the furious man least thou learne his waies and receiue destruction to thy soule Company and fellowship with the froward will draw thee whether thou wilt or no into many brawles and quarrels and otherwise also breedes danger vnto thee therefore to be shunned of him that feareth his owne euill nature too prone vnto anger Againe Looke not thou vpon the Wine when it is red when it sheweth his colour in the cup and goeth downe pleasantly in the end thereof it will bite like a Serpent and hurt like a Cockatrice The beautifull colour and pleasant mouing of the Wine in the cup are prouocations to drinking hee that would not be ouertaken with drunkennes knowing his owne appetite and weakenes must shun these prouocations Generally this is a veriy good rule for him that feareth the violence of his owne sinfull lustes to sly all occasâ—…ions alluring and prouoking vnto sinneâ—… he that would not be strangled with the hooke let him not play with the bait and lie nibling at it the Diuell and the world deceiue by such meanes he that is hurdened with thâ—… lustes of his flesh desireth case to his guâ—…ed soule by casting his burden vpon God let him shun these occasioâ—…s diligâ—…ntly he that would not be huâ—…t with the Lyons clawes let him not come neare vnto his foote In the fourth place let him often think vpon the iudgements of God threatned against sinne and executed vpon sinners that yeeld and suffer themselues to be led away by their lusts the threatnings he shal finde euery where in Gods word and the executions he may see abroad in the world Let him also meditate vpon the mercies of God promised vnto vertue and performed vnto the vertuous that walke in the spirit and putting vpon them the Lord Iesus Christ doe take no care for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof the promises hee shall meete with euery where in Gods word and the performances he may see abroad in the world but especially in the church and among the godly whose company he was before aduised to frequent These things obserued 〈◊〉 breede in him the feare of Gods power and the loue of Gods mercy which two will be vnto him helps of great seruice against the lusts of his owne heart while on the on side the feare of God will make him walke in humility and on the other fide the loue of God will make him to serue God with gladnesse This is a very good way of casting this burden vpon God Fiftly and lastly but continually and feruently let him pray vnto God for his grace to be giuen continued and increased to him For as the flesh that is corruption â—…n vs lusteth against the spirit so the spirit that is the grace of God in vs lusteth against the flesh So Paul incumbred with the messenger of SataÌ„ buâ—…eting him by which name he vnderstood the burden of his troublesome corruptions praied vnto God if it might bee to be freed from it For all power to preuaile against sinne and to get the mastery ouer corruptions is obtained by the gift of God and by the worke of his grace in vs. Therefore doth Dauid pray to God in this manner Teach mee o Lord the way of thy statutes and I will keepe it vnto the end giue mee
not out of any hatred that they did beare against such vile sinnes but onely for feare of the peoples speech and rather for want of meanes and opportunity to accomplish them then for want of any good will if time place and other things had been answerable And if thou finde that thine is such a generall and confused tentation as namely that thou diddest neuer rightly know nor loue nor feare God and that thine heart was alwaies or now is an euill an hypocritical heart thine estate is so much the more easie that in the dayes of thy security while thou diddest walke according to the course of this world and after the prince that ruleth in the ayre euen the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience God suffered not the Diuell to thrust thee into presumptuous sinnes after the manner of others and into grosse and desperate sinnes against all rules of honesty wherewith hee might now in this time of temptation torment thy conscience This affordeth much aduantage vnto thee that the diuell can finde no grosse particular sinne to vrge and presse thee withall Here let the afflicted man first consider that hitherto his case is no whit worse then the case of euery man that commeth into the world For Dauid doth tell vs that the best man euen he that prooueth afterwards a man after Gods owne heart yet out of his mothers wombe yea out of his fathers loines proceedeth a sinnefull creature with an euill heart empty of the loue of God and continueth so till God bestow some particular grace vpon him for the conuersion of him And he maketh himselfe an instance heereof speaking thus Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me He was from the wombe and loines a sinner taken in generall termes for a man in whom there was an euill heart not knowing not louing not fearing God And Saint Paul doth tell vs that the holiest man euen he that was from the beginning a chosen vessell to beare witnesse to the name of Iesus Christ before kings and nations yet in his originall estate and first yeares hee is the childe of wrath and dead in trespasses and sinnes as all other men till God in mercy looke vpon him and renew him And hee maketh himselfe among others an instance thereof while hee thus speaketh You hath be quickened that were dead in trespasses and sinnes wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world and after the Prince that ruleth in the ayre euen the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom wee also had our conuersation in times past in the lusts of our flesh in fulfilling the will of the flesh and of the minde and were by nature the children of wrath as well as others Paul was a bad as the Ephesians and the Ephesians as bad as all other men til God in mercy conuerted both him them And the Prophet Ieremy telleth vs that there is both generally and particularly in all men and in euery man a heart both wicked and hypocritical wicked to do that which is euill deceitfull and hypocriticall to dissemble in the doing of it and to make shews pretences and excuses that it might be thought not to doe euill And this wickednesse and hypocrisie ro be so deepe and cunning that it deceiueth not onely other men but euen the wicked man himselfe that flattereth and pleaseth himself with his owne pretences and perswadeth his owne soule that all is well and onely God is able to finde out his hypocrisie for thus hee saith The heart of man is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things who can know it I the Lord search the heart c. Other men cannot know it and search it out For the apostle saith What man knoweth the things of a man saue the spirit of a man which is in him A manâ—… owne heart may bee acquainted with his owne thoughts but another man cannot discerne them a man himselfe oft times is not able to discerne his owne wickednesse a vaine and false opinion misleading his blinded iudgement but God searcheth it out because as the Apostle saith There is not any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open to his cies with whom we haue to doe Such is the depth of the wickednesse of mans heart such is his deceitfull hypocrisie that no eye but the all-seeing eye of God no iudgement but his that neuer erreth can see the same And Salomon telleth vs that there is no man iust vpon the earth that doth good and sinneth not And knowing this to be generaly true he challengeth euery man that thinkes that he can say any thing to cleere eyther himselfe or any other saying Who can say I haue made my heart cleane I am cleane from my sinne So that this is the condition of all men till God in his mercy mould them anew by his grace till then they are altogether such as thou in thy troubled heart art charged to be men of an euill heart full of wickednesse and hypocrisie that neither know God nor loue God nor feare God Therefore when thou art charged with such a generall and confused tentation yeeld it to be true that thou art charged withall and stand not to make thy selfe better then thou art withall say vnto thy soule for that I haue no more cause to dispaire of Gods mercy then Dauid had that was such a one in his birth then Paul had that was such a one vntill the day of his conuersion then any other and all other of Gods elect and best beloued children that were euery way such conceiued in sinne borne in iniquitie children of wrath full of vnsearchable wickednesse and hypocrisie neither knowing nor liuing nor fearing God till he was pleased to looke vpon them in his fauour and to conuert them by creating a new heart and renewing a right spirit in them And now that mine eyes are opened by this affrighting of my soule to see my bad condition which I saw not before I will make hast vnto the Lord and will craue that grace at his hands that I now want neither can I nor will I vnderstand this worke of his in letting me see by this fearefull temptation my sinfull estate which in the daies of my peace I did not see to be any other then the fruit of his loue by making me to see my misery to stir vp my soule long drowned in former securitie to seeke with all earnestnes of â—…eale for his help When a sicke man feeleth paine in his flesh he doeth not faintly yeeld to death because he is sicke but from the feeling of his weakenes he taketh occasion to seeke out some learned Phisition craueth his help the more sicke he is the more he desireth and the more earnestly he sueth for his helpe spares no cost and putteth himselfe into
the Phisitions power to be ordered by him Euen so I feeling feare in my soule crept in by reason of these accusing thoughts that make me too sensibly to feele the dangerous sicknes of my soule will not faintly yeeld vnto death that I confesse I haue deserued and might iustly fall vpon mee but euen from this feare growing from my now reuealed sicknes I will seeke out the Lord that is the onely Phisition of our soules who killeth maketh aliue bringeth down to the graue and raiseth vp And I will intreat him to make me his patient and to take me into his charge and the more I am pained the more I will sue for his helpe and I will spare no cost of praiers of sighes and grones I will poure out my whole heart vnto him and I will put my selfe wholy into his power who hath also commanded mee in such times of distresse to seeke vnto him yea hath promised when wee so seeke him to be foūd of vs saying Call vpon me in the day of troble so will I deliuer thee thou shalt glorifie me This is my day of trouble therefore will I call vpon God that me obtained deliuerance I may glorifie him with praises And seing the Apostle Paul hath said that God hath shut vp all inunbeleese that he might haue mercy vpon all why should I doe so great wrong either to my owne present misery or vnto Gods infinite mercy to beleeue otherwise but that God hath holden me thus long shut vp and fast bound in the prison and fetteres of my owne vnbeliefe and naturall infidelitie and wickednes which now I see to the end that I might the more dearely esteeme of his mercy in freeing mee which I will now call for and that his mercy might bee euen to his owne name the more honorable in conuerting me Thus may the afflicted sinner troubled with this generall confused kinde of accusing thoughts cast his burden comfortably vpon God for in this kind of temptation there is this hole in the wall wherein while hee diggeth by continuall prayer it may will proue a dore of mercy easie to be entred And I further aduise this afflicted man when he feeleth himselfe entred or entring into this feare and confused kind of temptation that he will haue some care of his bodies health and craue the aduice of some godly and learned Physition for such confused feares are not alwaies meerly spirituall temptations but they doe often arise from some naturall decay in our bodily health and from some distemper of humors in vs. Great is the affinitie betweene the soule and the body and the proper passions diseases of the one by reason of that affinitie make the other to be euill affected If therefore the body be crazed it will make the mind also to be diseased and where the humor of Melancholy is predominare is not kept in any euen proportion in vs it naturally driueth vs into deepe and dull into sad heauy and fearefull thoughts and imaginations and causeth doubtings and distrust and with a little helpe of the wicked aduersary it will quench all comfortable hope and breede wofull dispaire in vs and the Diuell is cunning to iudge of our distemperature and where he findeth such weaknes he will worke vpon it as he worketh vpon the sanguine and pleasant mans disposition to make him wanton and careles of God and as he worketh vpon the cholericke and hastie mans disposition to make him wrathfull and sudden in mischeefe as he worketh vpon the fleginaticke to make him slothfull colde and negligent of doing his dutie a louer of sloth idlenes so he will not faile to be busie with the man in whom melancholy aboundeth to make him full of feare and void of hope And lamentable are the effects which often follow where he findeth such matter to worke vpon The wise Christian therefore that is affrighted with this confused kinde of temptation in termes of generall accusation must not neglect to releeue his body and to remoue from Sathans hand that euill humour that he maketh so dangerous vse of This is a thing that the afflicted man often contemneth as carnall counsell indeed it were carnall counsell if it should be required alone without recourse vnto God by prayer but it hath beene found by the mercy of God to haue beene profitable counsell And it is not to be neglected of him that in this confused kind of tentatiō desireth ease to his soule And to take this with the former prescribed course is to cast this burden vpon God CHAP. XIIII BVT if it fall out that thou be charged more distinctly with some particular enormious sinne one or many then hath Sathan espied against thee some especiall aduantage in thy doings It behoueth thee now to looke closely to thy selfe and to marke if thou canst espie any hole in the wall of hope to dig in that a dore of mercy may be opened vnto thee In this case consider whether that or those sinnes were committed in the time of thine ignorance when thou knewest not well what was lawfull or vnlawfull for thee to doe or in the time of knowledge when thine owne heart could tell thee that such things were not lawfull to be done for if they were done in the time of ignorance when perhaps thou mightest thinke it lawfull and free to be done yea perhaps good perhaps also profitable and necessarie as Saul after called Paul thought it lawfull good and necessarie for him to persecute the name of Iesus and to cast into prison them that called vpon that name as hee said before King Agrippa I verely thought in my selfe that I ought to doe many contrary things against the name of Iesus of Nazareth Or if thou didst not thinke it to be lawfull good necessarie for thee yet thou didst not thinke or at the least didst not know it to be euill for thee to doe it and any such danger to hang vpon it with Gods high displeasure as now thou perceiuest then this very circumstance maketh thy burden lighter and in the wall of hope a hole appeareth wherein if thou dig by prayer a dore of mercy wil be opened vnto thee For though ignorance doth not excuse much lesse iustifie our sinnes and the discharge of that sinne will cost thy soule some teares and prayers and other like courses of a contrite heart yet with more ease will the terror of it be ouercome then if it had beene done against knowledge Hereto pertaines that saying of our blessed sauiour That seruant that knew his masters will and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes but he that knew it not and yet did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with fewer stripes By these stripes some of the fathers vnderstand not torments in hell of different rigor though it cānot be denied but the condition
sinne highly displeasing to God Sometime thou wert warned by a publique Sermon sometime thou wert warned by thine owne priuate reading sometime by the louing admonition of some neighbour or friend And thy iudgement was growen to a mislike of that same sinne and thou wert offended at others that committed it aud yet thou hast fallen thy selfe into the same sinne Surely this is a hard case and the tempter hath great aduantage against thee But what must the charged sinner sincke eternally vnder this burthen is there no meanes to cast euen this burthen vpon GOD for the sinners case Yes verily and Sathan hath not yet driuen vs so close vp to the wall but that wee may by Gods mercy slippe safely out of his hands Heere let the sinner consider in what case hee was when hee committed this sinne whether hee were his owne man as wee speake that is whether it were in the choise of his own wil to do it with liking or without liking For great is the weakenesse of our nature and oftentimes the regenerate and best minded serue â—…s of God though they should yeelde to die a thousand deaths with most exquintâ—… torments rather then commit â—…nie sinne to the offence of God yet either sodainely affrighted with the appearance of daunger they commit sinne before they haue time to consider what they should doe and to settle their resolution against it or else weighing at leasure both their duty to God and their present danger pusillanimity and weakenesse of heart maketh them to shrinke and yeelde at the present And must a sentence irreuocable presently come forth against this weake sheepe Is there no balme in Gilead is there no Physition there is there no mercy in heauen for this sinner is there no gracious pardoner there Such a rule must needes haue sent to hell many of Gods beloued Saints that now are with him in heauen who while they liued on earth were sometime vrged with sodaine and sometime with violent temptations and haue yeelded sometime without consideration and sometime with consideration and yet after by the mercie of God haue recouered themselues and haue glorified GOD both in their life and death are now glorified of him in his kingdome And why shouldest not thou if thy sinne be like theirs hauing to do with the same God of mercie hope to finde the same fauour that they found Surely this very circumstance that thou wert surprised by a sodaine or violent temptation led captiue to do euill against thine owne liking that didst take no pleasure in it yea wert exceedingly grieued that thou hadst not strength grace to withstand it is a hole in the wall of hope through which light shineth and wherin if thou dig by humble hearty prayer it may proue a doore of mercy for thee to enter by come neare to God to be eased of thy burdeÌ„ Here consider the example of the Apostle Peter his sin was a grieuous fin for he denied before men his master the Lord Iesus Christ he did so once twice and thrice each time more vehemeÌ„tly then other for first he simply denied him passed it ouer with this saying I know not the man At the second time he augmented his sin with addition of an oath and forsweares him The third time he yet augmented his sinne more with addition of grieuous execrations and cursed himselfe that is wished himselfe accursed if hee know him And he did this in the time of knowledge after he had learned that to do so was sinne and dangerous to his soule For he had heard his Maister openly before speake thus Whosoeuer shall confesse mee before men him will I confesse before my Father in heauen but whosoeuer shal deny me befnre men him wil I deny before my Father which is in heauen And though it were a true saying out of a liars mouth skin for skinne and all that euer a man hath will hee giue for his life Yet this is true also and to be regarded aboue the other that all that a man hath euen skin and life also hee must giue cast away and esteeme as vile that he may follow Christ to glorifie him by true confession Which course only hath power to secure life As Peter also had heard from the mouth of his Lord saying If any man will follow mee let him forsake himselfe and take vp his crosse and follow mee for whosoeuer will saue his life shall loose it and whosoeuer shall loose his lifs for my sake shall saue it This Peter had heard this he knew And besides these general caueats long before giuen Peter was also priuately forewarned of this thing euen the same night a little before he did it when he also took knowledge of that warning and resolued with himselfe not to doe it yea made open vow not to doe it For when the Lord Iesus Christ after his last Supper a little before his apprehension hee tolde the Apostles that they that night should all be offended by him Peter boldely answered and saide vnto him Though all men should be offended yet will not â—… be offended To whom the Lord said in the next words Verily I say vnto thee that this night before the Cocke crow thou shalt deny mee thrice Peter had no meaning to do so but rather a resolued heart not to do so And therefore aunswered presently Though I should die with thee yet will I not deny thee And hee spake no more than hee truely intended hee was no hypocrite onely he considered not his owne weakenesse but was ouer confident in the opinion of his own streÌ„gth And therfore when Iesus was taken and carried to the high Priests houâ—…e Peter followed a farre off and entred into the high Priests hall and put himselfe among the seruants and officers and drew neere to the fire for it was colde and first a maide challenged him to bee one of the followers of Iesus after some of the men seconded her challenge strengthening it by adding 〈◊〉 suspition that his speech bewrayed him to be a Galilean and Iesus came out of Galilee and therefore hee was not vnlikely to be one of his followers At last a coosin of his whose care Peter had smoâ—…e off in the garden flatly affirmed that hee did see him in the garden with him Peter affrighted sodainely with these challenges and being in the middest of them whom hee esteemed his enemies seeing at the present no way to escape yea hauing no leisure to thinke what was fittest for him to doe denyed his Maister and bound his deniall with oaths and curses Was not this a sin against the knowledge of his heart and what hast thou done in the particular sinnes that thou arâ—… charged withall in thine heart that Peter did not in this sinne of his and in what points are thy sinnes greater and more grieuous then his then what letteth thee that thou maiest not pray for and
Commandements howsoeuer committed out of ignorance or out of knowledge out of weakenesse or out of malice suddenly or with premeditation be this sin against the holy-Ghost for that is a malicious striuing to disgrace the name or at the least the Religion of Iesus Christ knowne to be the true Religion rather then any prowd and licentious act in transgressing the precepts of Gods Law It is the sinne that neuer any of Gods Elect fall into though they fall into many particular enormious sinnes as of ◅olatry witchcraft blasphemy contempt of the Sabboth rebellion murder adultery drunkennesse theft lying periury and such like wherein many of Gods deare children fall oft and yet by Gods fauour rise againe by repentance Of that sinne and of the exemption of Gods elect from it is that saying of Saint Iohn to be vnderstood Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seede remaineth in him neither can hee sinne because he is borne of God No man regenerate nor any of Gods elect can fall into this sinne nor euerie reprobate for many of them through their ignorance that neuer come to know the truth of holy Religion cannot possibly become guilty of this blasphemy though for other sinnes wherof they obtaine not grace to repent they iustly perish from God and suffer the paines of eternall death When thou therefore findest that thou hast not sinned that vnpardonable sinne against the holy-Ghost and that thy sinne whatsoeuer and howsoeuer committed though deseruing a thousand Hels is yet by the mercie of God pardonable where he is pleased to giue repentance of that sinne and vppon that repentance to blot out the remembrance of it Dost thou not see a sweet possibility of deliuerance from thy sin fit to bee pursued with all strong desire and diligence of thy soule Dost thou not see a hole in the wall of hope through which some light though very small doth shine Then let it be thy care to digge in that hole by hearty praier and by humble deuotion that God may bee pleased at last to open a dore of mercy vnto thee and by faith and amendment of life to assure thee that thy sinnes shal neuer be laid to thy charge Thou hast his promises in which hee will not be found a falsifier and a couenant-breaker Hee saith by the Prophet If the wicked will returns from all his sinnes that hee hath committed and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right hee shall surely liue and shall not die All his transgressions that hee hath committed they not bee mentioned vnto him but in his righteousnesse that hee hath done he shall liue Make vse of this and such like promises and faint not in thy praiers This is to cast this burden of thine vpon the Lord. CHAP. XVII HItherto in an euē course the sinner is brought to se his sinne be pardonable When hereupon he should addresse himselfe to serue for that that may be obtained and to seeke for that that may be found euen the forgiuenesse of sinne for the quenching of his accusing thoughts and peace of his conscience Behold hee prepareth himselfe being instructed and prompted by the subtile enemie to obiect against the possibilitie of obtaining forgiuenes so weakening his owne hope and drowning his owne comfort Let vs heare his obiections that by answering of them we may at the last if God be pleased help him out of his feare bring him to reioice in God his Sauior First he obiecteth saying Though my sinne that I am in conscience charged withall bee not blasphemy against the holy-Ghost and therefore not vnpardonable Yet seeing I haue sinned notoriously not in time of ignorance but in time of knowledge when I was able to teach my selfe and others that such things ought not to be done and I was neither surprised with a sodaine temptation that gaue me no time to consider what was fit to be done nor forcibly led captiue by a strong temptation whereto my weaknesse was not able to make resistance but I did runne vpon it wilfully wildly furiously striuing to delight my selfe with the pleasures of sin to inrich my self with the wages of iniquity euen with contēpt of God whose iudgemēt at the same time I remēbred yet would not feare him◅ whose mercies and goodnes to me and mine I remembred and yet would not loue him and whose commandements requiring the contrary I remembred yet wold not obey him seeing I haue sinned in this manner so boldly and so prowdly my sin if it bee not that blasphemy against the holy-Ghost yet it comes very neere vnto it and so neare that I feare the angry eye of heauen wil see no diffrence betwixt them then where am I with this possibility secōdly thogh that blasphemy be only vnpatdonable yet I am sure it is not the sin onely vnpardoned it is not the sinne that is onely punishable and that shall onely be punished my sinne is also punishable and may be punished for so it deserueth and then what am I better to heare it is pardonable when I perish in it Lastly I know that lesse sinnes then mine and more easie to bee excused are punished in hell with euerlasting death What then must I looke for but the flames of vnquenchable fire and haue I not already by my abhominable sinne kindled that fire euen the fire of Gods fierce wrath against mee which hath already begun to torment and waste my conscience This obiection consisteth of three branches the first is this that his wilfull sinne comes so neere to the height of that vnpardonable sinne that the angry eye of heauen hee feareth can and will see no difference betweene them This will easily bee answered And to beginne our answer I must intreat this afflicted sinner to remember that it hath been already declared that his sinne though grieuous yet is pardonable And let him to this purpose againe heare the words of our Sauiour Iesus All sinnes shall be forgiuen vnto the children of men and blasphemies wherewith they blaspheme And how neere soeuer his sinne commeth to the vnpardonable sinne yet not being it it remaineth pardonable And this ground of trueth can neuer bee ouerthrowne And the anger of heauen being alwayes iust euen and holie doth neither shaddow the vnderstanding nor disorder the iustice of God that hee should not be able to discerne the difference of things that are not the same or infold them rashly and disorderedly in the same sentence Anger is not in God a disturbing passion as it is in men But it is the most euen and holy carriage of his iustice as becommeth the righteous Iudge of all the world pouring out his plagues vpon sinners and executing vengeance vpon contemners according to the rule of his owne word where with hee hath made vs aforehand acquainted and according to the merites of mens workes against which their owne consciences iustifying God
in his iudgements shall not be able to make any exception to say that in any thing hee hath erred from the streight rule of iustice And this iustice is that which in terms agreeable to our conceit is called his anger His eie therefore cannot bee deceiued in esteeming of mens sinnes I remember a good speech of Saint Ambrose to this purpose God lieth not open to passion that he should be angry seeing hee is subiect to no passion but because hee reuengeth he seemeth to be angrie to vs this seemeth because we vse to reuenge with a troubled minde So that as anger signifieth a disturbed passion of the mind troubling our vnderstanding and peruerting our iustice there is no anger there can by this Fathers iudgement no anger be in God but Gods iust reuenge wee call anger because our reuenge is mingled with anger Away therefore with this conceit that the anger of Heauen should not discerne betweene thy sinne and blasphemy against the holy-Ghost The anger of Heauen is nothing else but the iust reuenge of Heauen A second branch of thine obiection is this that though the blasphemy of the holy-Ghost be the onely sinne vnpardonable yet it is not the only sinne vnpardoned It is not the onely sinne punishable nor onely punished thine also is a sin punishable and may proue a sinne punished I confesse all this to be true what then Doth it follow that needes thou must be punished because thou maiest be punished that consequence must not be granted for then it would follow that there should bee no place for any forgiuenesse at all for sinnes are punishable and deserue eternall death To reason so were to spoile God of his honour that hee obtaineth by forgiuing sinne where of the Prophet Micah speaketh saying Who is a God like vnto thee that taketh away iniquitie and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage c. It is Gods great honour to pardon sins that are punishable And it is an intollerable iniurie offered to the riches of his grace to affirme that hee will not forgiue in mercy because hee may punish in iustice And such reasoning as this would also make false all his promises and make vaine and vnprofitable the hope of all his saints grounded vppon those promises for there is none of them that hath not committed many punishable sinnes which yet they hope shall neuer be punished Yea it would make void the passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ and depriue him of the honour due vnto him by the saying of Iohn Baptist Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world For verily euen those sinnes for which this Lambe was slaine and sacrificed and which by the vertue of that sacrifice of himselfe he taketh away are punishable sinnes sinnes deseruing the most heauy wrath of God and the most cruel torments of hell Away therefore with this idle reasoning my sins are punishable and therefore it helpeth mee nothing to heare that they are pardonable Where sin aboundeth to deserue punishment there grace aboundeth much more to remit punishment The last branch of thy obiection is this that lesse sinnes then thine and sins more easie to be excused are often punished then why not thine There is no reason that this thing should offend thee that smaller sins are punished The Creditor may see reason to forgiue to one debtor many pounds and yet not to forgiue another a few pence The punishment of hell is due to all sinners leaue God the Iudge to the freedome of his owne will to shew mercy where it pleaseth him to shew mercy and to forgiue where and what and how it pleaseth him to forgiue Little sins when men continue them and regard not to repent of them are brought to iudgement as well as great ones And great sins when men forsake them are carefull to repent of them are put out and forgotten as well as the smallest It is not the greatnesse and smallnesse of sins that makes them to be retained or remitted but it is repentance that â—…reeth from al together This is plaine by the words of Esay who hauing called for repentance that the people should cease to doe euill and learne to doe well immediatly addeth saying Come now and let vs reason together saith the Lord Though your sinnes were as crimson they shall be made white as snow though they were red like scarlet they shall be as woll Though the spots of them were neuer so foule and though the staine of them were neuer so deepe yet God will forgiue the sinne and forgiuing it he will cleanse and purge the sinner This great mercy for the forgiuenesse of most great sins is promised to repentance Where repentance is wanting the smallest sins shall bring the transgressour to iudgement but where true repentance is found the greatest sinnes shall be done away Be carefull then to turne from thy former euill waies and bring forth fruit worthy amendment of life and God will free thee from all thy sinnes And thus it appeareth that all the feare that bred this obiection first that thy sinne comes so neere that vnpardonable sinne of blasphemy against the holy-Ghost that the angrie eie of heauen can see no difference betweene them Secondly that thy sinne though pardonable yet is punishable and therefore must bee punished Thirdly that smaller sinnes then thine come to iudgement and therefore thine being greater cannot in iustice be passed by All this feare is needlesse feare and thy sinne still remaineth pardonable and thou maiest comfortably hope for and shalt assuredly obtaine forgiuenesse of thy sins if thou turne to God caâ—…lest vpon him and amendest thy waies CHAP. XVIII BVT feare which is not easily remoued proceedeth to another obiection the afflicted sinnâ—…r pleading thus against his own peace the iustice of heauen is so pure holy withall so strict soe seuere that it wil neuer suffer such sinne as mine is to passe vnpunished and the holynes of heauen is so cleane spotles and vndefiled that it will neuer suffer so vncleane a person as I am to enter into life For this I can alledge the expresse word of God and therefore am sure that my feare is not vaine the Prophet Dauid speaking to God who would soone haue checked his speech if it had not beene true saith Thou art not a God that loueth wickednes neither shall euill dwell with thee the foolish shall not stand in thy sight for thou hatest all them that worke iniquitie thou shalt destroy them that speake lies the Lord will abhorthe bluddie man and deceitfull Here is depriuation of Gods loue expulsion from dwelling with him and from standing before him here is the hatred of God in his hatred destruction threaned to them as to men abhorred of God that worke wickednes that are doers of euill that in the foolishnes of their hearts committed iniquitie that in their talke speake lies that haue
make the hard stones softer then the clay and to worke our hearts as wax to take the impression of his Law he is able to make vs vessels of honour for holy acceptable seruices in his house and hee is able to make vs Abrahams seede and true Israelites You know the words of Iohn the Baptist spoken to the prowd Iewes that gloried so much in this that they were Abrahams seed and in Abrahams right were heires of the Couenant Hee spake thus vnto them Say not within your selues we haue Abraham to our Father for I say vnto you that God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham So that of him that is no Israelite that is no child that is no heire God is able to make an Israelite a child an heire Of Gods goodnesse toward them that were no Israelites and no people the Prophet Hosea speaketh in this manner I will haue mercie vpon her that was not pitied and I will say to them which were not my people Thou art my people and they shall say thou art my God If thou wert therefore of that company that is not pitied thou maiest yet find mercie at GODS hands and if thou wert of that company that is not Gods people thou mayest yet become one of his The feare therfore that thou fainest vnto thy selfe hath no ground Consider him whom thou hast to deale withall and hope in his mercie that is so liberall in his promises and is also most faithfull in the performance of his word Thou hast sinned and hee hath promised to forgiue thy sinnes Appeale vnto his promises he cannot faile to effect that which hee hath giuen his word for of which word of his himselfe saith thus It shall not returne vnto mee void but it shall accomplish that which I will it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it So that hauing sent forth that gracious word of promise to forgiue and forget thy sinnes it shall not returne to him void it shall not be found a false or faulty word but a word of truth and power Pray vnto God for the effect of it and it shall prooue prosperous to thy peace CHAP. XXI ALl that hath hitherto been said is not able to calme the storme that is raised in this poore sinners conscience but his restlesse mind stil replies arguing against himself in this manner If this leaue of asking and this promise of granting forgiuenes of sinnes be so free for euery one borne of beleeuing parents as you would make mee beleeue how commeth it then to passe that so many perish in their sinnes not onely of them who are borne and brought vp of and among vnbeleeuers that know not the true God but of them also that are descended of beleeuers and all their time broght vp in the bosome of the church that can say before the Iudge We haue eaten and drunke in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets Yea they proceeded further in the businesse of the church cā say to the Iudge Lord haue not we by thy name prophecied and by thy name cast out diuels and by thy name done many great works and yet vnto them the Lord wil answer make profession say ing I neuer knew you depart frō me ye that worke iniquitie The way that leadeth to death destruction is broad and easie and many walke in it and perish I am one among others that haue run in that way and I am yet in it But the way that leadeth to life and saluation is a narrow way and few do find it and I am one of them that cānot find it I am now out of it and indeed neuer had any pleasure to seeke it that I might walke in it And yet you make the promise of the forgiuenesse of sinnes to be very large and giuen to al within the church And why may not I notwithstanding so gracious large a promise misse of forgiuenes and fall into condemnation aswel as others yea before many thousands of others hauing deserued condemnation as worthily as any other and moreworthily then many other therefore I think that there is something required to the obtaining of forgiuenesse of sinnes and saluation that I yet know not and not knowing it it is very like I haue it not and not hauing it I remaine still vnder cōdemnation and must perish eternally And I feele it so in the feare of my soule for notwithstanding all that you haue spoken to put life and hope into my soule yet the burden of my sinnes and the feare of damnation is no lesse heauy vpon me then before you began to speake vnto me I confesse indeede that the things that haue beene spoken offer great comfort but I want a right hand to take it withall Help me therefore thorow and shew me what are the conditions vpon which God forgiueth sinnes that hearing them I may know whether I bee capable of that desired happines and if I be not presently that yet I may indeuour in time to be and so at the last obtaine it For though you haue not deliuered me from al my fear yet you haue wrought in mee a great desire to recouer and get out of it not without some hope that it may one day by the mercy of God bee happily effected to my saluation This obiection is tempered with some mildenes and while the storme is something laid hearken and I will teach thee what the conditions are so shalt thou know both why others perish in their sinnes notwithstanding this promise namely by neglecting these conditions and also how thou maiest obtaine forgiuenes of thy sinnes according to this promise by the obedient and carefull keeping of these conditions The conditions required at our hāds if we thinke to obtaine forgiuenesse of sinnes are in number three The first of these three concerneth our selues and our renouation It is called repentance a departure from sinne and a returne to God in holines and righteousnesse for it is meete for him that would haue his sinnes past to be forgiuen him to cease from sinne and hate the works of darknesse wherein he tooke pleasure before Which ought to be hated first in regard of God because they are displeasing to him that is most holy and hee that is most glorious is dishonoured by them Secondly they are to be hated in regard of our selues because they cast vs out of Gods loue into his iust hatred and robbing vs of true peace doe fill our hearts with feare and horrour And for thine owne part I hope thou findest that the workes of darkenesse are to be hated and hast a will also to hate and abhorre them seeing what wofull feare and danger they haue brought thee into And this repentance and turning to God will surely deliuer thee from thine old sinnes so that they shall neuer bee laied to thy charge It is a true saying of Saint Augustine
all societies hee knitteth mens hearts together in loue and maketh them to keepe the vnitie of the Spirit in the band of peace It is he that hath promised in the Church of Christ and kingdome of the Messias the rod of the stocke of Ishai to do this The wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the leopard shall lie with the kidde and the calfe and the lion and the fat beast together and alittle childe shall leade them and the cowe and the beare shall feed their yoong ones shall lie together and the lion shall eate straw like the bullocke and the sucking child shall play vppon the hole of the aspe and the weaned child shall put his hand vppon the cockatrice hole By the wolfe the leopard the lion the beare the aspe the cockatrice he vnderstandeth men of prowd cruell minds apt to do al hurt bicause they are void of al loue by the lamb the kid the calfe the fat beast the cow the bullocke the sucking child the new weaned child he vnderstādeth men of an humble mild heart apt to do good vnwilling to doe hurt because they are full of loue by the harmelesse society of these so vnlike people he giueth vs to vnderstand that he wil take away from men their pride their fiercenesse their cruelty their vnmercifulnesse and in place thereof he will giue them humilitie mildenes loue and mercie This is a worke that hee doth and this hee will doe pray therfore vnto God who is loue it selfe and he wil giue thee a heart to loue thy brother Faith likewise is his gift and hee himselfe is a most faithfull God worthy to be trusted the God of truth that neither can nor will deceiue them that according to his couenant and promise of mercy doe trust in him The Apostle telleth vs that faith is his gift saying By grace are yee saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God Euery good gift and euery perfect giuing commeth from him who is the Father of lights pray him therefore to giue a beleeuing heart vnto thee and hee will not faile thee So that if thou haue neither repentance charitie nor faith which are the conditions vppon which God giueth forgiuenesse of sins yet thou maiest haue them for GOD doth giue them pray then vnto God and thou shalt in due time obtain them For the want of this triple grace thou hast a triple commandement to call for grace with a triple promise to obtaine all grace The Lord Iesus saying Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and ye shal finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Then aske repentance and it shall be giuen thee seeke for charitie and a mercifull heart and thou shalt find it and knocke at the gate of heauen for faith and it shall be set wide open vnto thee Wherefore is it that God at this time doth make thee see thy want but because he would haue thee to call for his help CHAP. XXIII BVt still obiections arise in a trobled conscience and the poore burdened sinner complaineth that his estate must needs be desperate For saith he I feele a continuall swarme of euill thoughts in extreame disorder stirring in my heart Thoughts against the maiesty of the most glorious Trinitie thoughts against the veritie of the diuine and humane natures personally vnited in the Lord Iesus Christ thoughts against all the Articles of the Christian saith thoughts rebellious against authoritie and seditious against peace thought malicious against my neighbour and vnnaturall against my selfe thoughts vnchristian vnciuill inhumane thoughts monstrous and fearefull I tremble to thinke that I haue such thoughts And these must either spring and arise out of mine owne heart and then wo vnto so wicked heart It is like vnto the Inne vnto which the virgine Mary came with the Lord Iesus in her wombe there was no roome for her in the Inne all the Chambers were filled with other guests she was glad to creep into the stable and there shee brought forth her first begotten So if any come to bring Christ or any christian thoght into my heart there is no roome in the Inne all the corners of my heart are taken vp with other thoughts they must seeke a resting place else-where and not with mee Or if they spring not from mine owne heart then are they thrust into my heart by Satan who did thrust the thought of treason against his master into the heart of Iudas then surely the diuell hath alreadie possession of my heart and either hee sendeth these thoughts as new inhabitants to dwell there and to keepe possession of my heart to his vse as the king of Ashur sent new inhabitants into Samari◅ to keepe the Citie and Countrie to his vse or else he sendeth them as so many hagges and furies what should I call them so may executioners with firebrandes to torment me and being so fully in his power it is too late to thinke of deliuerance Now the Lord of hosts help thee poore afflicted soule and case thee of this burden that presseth downe so heauily And for thy comfort vnderstand that if these thoughts arise out of thine owne heart as they are in thy heart and grow in the field in which they spring they are yet but as the first graffe of sinne and haue neither blade nor eare nor fruit to poison and kill withall if wee take not liking of them nor suffer our iudgement to be corrupted by them taking them for rules of truth and intertaining them as imbraced opinions nor suffer our will to be seduced by them interpreting them as rules and directions to leade vs into action Iames the Apostle hath an excellent saying to this purpose Euery man is tempted when hee is drawne away by his owne concupisence and is intised then when lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death By concupisence he vnderstandeth the first flattering thoughts the first euill motions that stir in our hearts that make the first proposition to our iudgement and will to trie whether they will take holde or no and howsoeuer the feeblest euill thought be sinfull in Gods sight who loueth trueth in our inward affections and it is an euidence of that sinfull nature that wee bring into the world with vs deserued vnto vs from our first parents through all the interceding generations and howsoeuer the same euill thought being sinfull deserueth in the iustice of God eternall death yet the Apostle Iames looking vnto rules of mercy and speaking according to those rules telleth vs that it is not dangerous vnto vs neither bringeth forth sinne vnto death except a man be inticed and drawne away by it For when the iudgement yeeldeth and is corrupted by it approuing as good that that is euill and approuing as true that that is false and when the will yeeldeth and is seduced by it intertaining the
with ioy saying Lord euen the deuils are subiect to vs through thy name And he said vnto them I saw Satan like lightning fall downe from heauen The preaching of the Gospel is a ministerie of power it is the strong arme of God to destroy the kingdome of Satan Where it is preached truely and diligently the walles of Satans kingdome are vndermined and when the people hearken vnto it the deuill is cast out of them and he falleth with violence from his soueraignty ouer them euen sodainly as the lightning which breaking forth in the East is sodainely seene in the Weast Therefore if Satan had that full power ouer thee that thou fearest thy diligent attendance to the Gospel preached will surely worke thy freedome Let Iesus Christ therefore find thee a diligent hearer in the Temple and thou shalt find him a mercifull Sauiour in thy heart and thou shalt bee freed from all power of that aduersary And though he trouble thee with many wicked thoughts yet thou shalt be as a prey plucked out of his pawes And it pertaineth to the casting of this burthen vpon God that thou do attend to the preaching of his word And thereto ioyne thy humble and heartie prayer vnto God and in due time hee will giue rest to thy soule from these euill thoughts CHAP. XXIIII YEt hath not our troubled sinner any constāt peace◅ but hauing his eies fixed vpon the Law of God and hauing no power to looke vp to the Gospel of peace out of his feare he makes a new obiection crying saying Doth not the Law of God accurse euery transgressor that abideth not in all that is written in that Booke to do it And haue not I broken all the commandements of the law Yes I haue broken them in thought word deed and not onely out of ignorance weakenesse or vnaduisednesse but I haue broken them boldely prowdly contemptuously therefore sure I am that Gods curse lyeth vpon me I feele the weight and furie of it and I am no heire of blessednesse Indeede here appeares the great malice and subtilty of Satan which it behooueth all men to looke vnto with great care and to take heede of it in the dayes of our peace and securitie he suffereth vs not to looke into the Law of God lest from thence we might take any direction for the well ordering of our liues but then hee driueth vs forward after the line of our owne lusts And then if we haue any remembrance of God he onely suffereth vs to thinke vpon his mercy and goodnes and beareth vs in hand that we cannot do that euill which hee will not forgiue and therefore wee neede not greatly care what we doe we shall repent in time and all shall be passed ouer in mercie so maketh vs to abuse by contempt the riches of the bountie and patience and long-suffering of God And if wee haue any occasion to thinke vpon the word of God he turnes vs away from the Law and presently thrusteth into our mouths the promises of the gospel and driues vs vpon that rocke of destruction that the Apostle Paul speaketh of in these words What shal we say then shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound The Gospel preacheth the mercy of God in Christ to teach that where sinne did abound deseruing damnation there the grace of God in Iesus Christ aboundeth more by the forgiuenesse of that sinne vnto saluation Heereuppon manie that abuse the grace of God vnto wantonnesse doe resolue to commit sinne more abundantly that so grace in the forgiuenesse of their sinne might more abound This wicked resolution of contemptuous sinners hee reciteth with words of detestation saying God forbid how shall wee that are dead to sinne liue yet therein The true condition of a Christian man that shall find grace to the forgiuenesse of his sinnes is to bee dead to sinne and no more to hearken to and to obey the commandement of sinne then a dead seruant can hearken vnto and obey the commandement of his master but to bee aliue vnto God that is readily to hearken vnto and diligently to obey Gods cōmandements as a liuing seruant hearkneth vnto and obeyeth the voyce of his master And if this be the condition of Christians then how shall they that by their profession are dead to sinne liue in sinne presuming that super abounding grace shal deliuer him from all danger But vpon this rocke in the time of our peace and securitie doth the diuell seeke to throw vs keeping vs from all view and consideration of the Law when wee haue most need to be brideled by it and making vs with the wrong hand to take holde of the Gospel when we haue no need of it nor skill how to make anie right and holy vse of it and by this meanes he doth in those dayes of securitie intangle vs in many sinnes And after when he hath vs fast in his bands hauing made vs guiltie of infinit transgressions then hee seeketh leaue to set our sinnes in order against vs and to raise vp stormes of feare and terrour in our soules And this leaue obtained and these stormes raised then hee withdraweth the Gospell from before our eies and suffereth vs onely to gaze in the glasse of the Law that by sight of our owne deformities hee might altogether confound vs and then he suffereth vs to haue no other remembrance of God but of his iustice and seueritie Then hee presents him vnto vs such a one as Moses describes him saying The Lord thy God is a consuming fire and aiealous God And such a one as the hypocrites in Sion in the day of their feare conceiue him to be when they say Who among vs shall dwell with the deuouring fire who among vs shall dwell with euerlasting burnings And then he suffereth vs not to think vpon any word of God but the condemning Law the accu◅sing Law the killing letter then he remoueth from vs all remembrance of the gracious Gospel of the free liberall faithfull promises and of the mercifull mediator and sweet Sauior Iesus Christ. Then he telles vs we haue no right to any of those things they belong to the Saints to the righteous to penitent sinners not to such bold contemners as wee are And then he maketh vs obiect against our owne soules as the troubled sinner heere doth that the Law without fauour accurseth transgressors that wee without measure haue transgressed the Law and that therefore without remedy we are accursed creatures But let vs see how wee may relieue the affrighted soule of this sinner and against this obiection teach him with comfort to cast his burden vpon the Lord. Thine eie is vpon the Law I mislike it not The Law shall make thee a full amends for al this feare that it puts thee into Paul writing to the Galathians speaketh thus of the Law The Law was ◅r Schoolemaister to bring vs to Christ that we might
by Esay When you shall stretch out your hands I will hide mine eies from you and though ye make many praiers I will not heare for your hands are full of bloud By bloud he meaneth soule and bloudie sinnes my hands are full of this bloud for my sins are many therefore if I should lift vp my hart with my hands vnto god in the heauens he will neither behold the stretching out of my hands nor heare the desires and grones of my heart Also I find this saying of the Prophet set down as a rule that shall stand Your iniquities haue seperated betweene you and your God and your sinnes haue hid his face from you that he will not heare Iniquitie seperateth between God and vs I am full of iniquitie therefore there is a wall of seperation shutting him out from mee and mee from him And sinne causeth him so to turne away his face that hee will not heare but I am guiltie of innumerable sinnes therefore God hath hid his face from me and â—…ee will not heare How then can I pray seeing I haue no God that will lend any eare to my praier Secondly I haue no mediator in whose name to pray and for whose sake I may hope to be heard when I pray For men and Angels whom some do make their mediators are no mediators the Apostle saith There is one God and one mediator betweene God and man which is the man Christ Iesus This saying excludeth all other mediators And the only mediator the man Iesus is no mediator for me for I haue denied him and he hath said Whosoeuer shall denie me before men him will I also denie before my father which is in heauen And I am sure that I haue denied him before men if not in words because these daies of peace haue giuen me no cause so to doe which I know I should haue done if daâ—…es of persecution had vrged me yet I haue denied him by my deedes The Apostle hath this saying of the men of his time which is most true in mee They professe they know God but by workes they denie him Hee may bee denied by vngodly workes but I am ful of vngodly workes therefore haue I denied him before men And hauing thus denied him hee must and will denie me before God So haue I no mediator Thirdly if I should offer to pray I must pray without any promise but so to doe were to pray idly for then only doe men pray according to the will of God and with comfort to be heard in their praiers when they ground their praiers vpon the promises of God But I neuer tooke heede to the promises of God and at this time I cannot call them to remembrance and if I could call them to remembrance I were neuer the better for God is not bound to performe his promises to any but to them alone that out of their loue to him striue to keepe his commandements For Moses thus speaketh of him Thou maiest know that the Lord thy God he is God the faithfull God which keepeth couenant and mercy vnto them that loue him and keepâ—… his commandements euen to a thousand generations If any loue not the Lord out of his loue to keepe the commandements of the Lord hee can make no claime to the couenant of God or to any promise of his neither is God bound in his truth and faithfulnesse to performe any promise to him but such a one am I that haue not loued the Lord nor out of loue studied to keepe the commandements of God but haue broken them all therefore I haue no promise to ground my praiers vpon and for that cause I cannot pray Fourthly I know not how to pray how to begin and how to make any proceeding and if at any time I incline my heart to pray I am disturbed I know not how and other thoughts draw away my minde While I thinke to aske forgiuenesse of sinnes my minde runneth out into a wilde remembrance of my sinnes with much pleasure to thinke vpon them While I thinke to pray for grace to assist mee against the power of sinne the lusts of my heart call backe my thoughts and I am deuising how I may compasse it to commit sinne and my will wholy inclineth that way While I thinke to pray for the inheritance of heauen my loue to this world carieth away my minde and I am studying how I may winne the pleasures and preferments thereof And euer my good desires that should lead my minde are crossed and put downe by my bad desires and I cannot raise vp or if I raise it I cannot hold vp my heart to God and holy things with any staiednes I know what is requisite vnto praier by the Apoâ—…les words Pray alwaies with all maner supplication in the spirit and watch there unto with all perseuerancâ—… If I pray it is with my lips I doe not make supplication in the spirit and to watch vnto praier that is diligently to attend with all the powers of my soule without either drowsinesse fainting or wandering of my thoughts is most farte from me And being so vnskilfull and so vnable to pray how can I pray to preuaile by my praiers And lastly which is my greatest mischiefe when I thinke to pray or when I doe pray or when I haue praied there is something within mee that giueth mee my answer assoone as I haue praied and sometime before I haue praied and I am farre from attending vpon God till hee doe giue mee answer as if I did not pray vnto God but rather vnto my self The Prophet Dauid saith Wait patiently vpon God and hope in him the meaning whereof I take to be this when we haue shewed our desire vnto God in praier and supplication that then we should hope in him to receiue a gracious answer and wait patiently for that answer till it please God to shew vs mercy in his appointed time I doe not so I haue neither hope nor patience to wait vpon his hand but mine owne heart maketh answer without God And that answer is alwaies a negatiue answer a flat deniall a plaine repulse So that I haue lesse hope and lesse comfort in and after my praier then before I praied and where others finde themselues much eased in heart after they haue by praier powred out their desires into the lap of God I am much more troubled esteeming euen my praier to be turned into sinne all these things together make me most vnable to pray This is a grieuous obiection but in framing this obiection the troubled sinner fareth like a blinde man in an vnknowen house who wandering without â—…guide goeth hee knoweth not whether and stumbleth often vpon the same threshold so doth he in seuerall branches of this obiection stumble at the same offences that haue beene answered and taken away before But let vs lend â—…and to bring him into the way First he aâ—…th he cannot pray because
he hath no God to pray vnto that will lend an eare of hearing to the praier hee makes because hee hath sinned against God And yet hee was taught before that leaue was giuen him yea that hee was commanded to pray vnto God euen for the forgiuenesse of those sinnes that made the separation betweene him and his God and also that God had promised to forgiue those sinnes yea all sinnes without exception And whereas he obiected against the commandement of praying for forgiuenesse that it pertained not vnto him that could not call God his father and against the promise of forgiuing that it pertained not vnto him that was no Israelite These things were answred and remoued and it was clearely proued vnto him that God was his father and therefore hee might and ought to pray for forgiuesse and that he was an Israelite of the seed of Abraham and of the houshold of faith and therefore God had promised vnto him forgiuenesse of sin And while these things stand good how can he say that he hath no God that will heare him because hee hath sinned against him Let him remember what Dauid saith vnto God in one of the Psalmes Against thee against thee onely haue I sinned and done euill in thy fight that thou maiest be iust when thou speakest and pure when thou iudgest Here is a true confession that he had sinned against God Doth hee therefore thinke that he hath no God to pray vnto that will lend him an eare of hearing What is that whole Psalme but a praier vnto this God In the first verse hee praieth thus Haue mercy vpon mee o God according to thy louing kindnesse according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities In the second verse hee praieth thus Wash mee throughly from mine iniquity and clense me from my sinne In the seauenth verse hee praieth thus Purge me with Hisop and I shal be cleane rash mee and I shall be whiter then snow And so in many other parts of this Psalme So that it appeareth by Dauids practise that our sinners rule faileth pleading that hee hath no God to pray â—…nto that will lend an eare to heare his praier because hee hath sinned against â—…im for Dauid praied vnto that God â—…ot doubting of gracious hearing against whom he freely confessed that he â—…ad sinned and sinned grieuously And whereas in some places of scripture by our afflicted sinner remembred and in diuers other the holy Ghost telleth vs that God will not heare sinners and hideth his face from them they are to be vnderstood as spoken of impenitent sinners that take pleasure in sinne and continue in it refusing to turne from their sinne vnto God and yet presume that all shall be well and that God cannot deny their requests Like them spoken of by leremy the Prophet Will you â—…eale murder and commit adultery and sâ—…tare falsly and burne incense vnto Baal and walke after other Gods whom ye know 〈◊〉 and come and stand before mee in this house whereupon my name is called and say we are deliuered though we haue donâ—… all these abominations And like them spoken of by the Prophet Micha Heare this I pray you ye heads of the house of Iacob and Princes of the house of Israel they abhor iudgement and peruert allequity they build vp Sion with bloud and Ierusalem with iniquity the heads thereof iudge for rewards and the Priests therof â—…each for hier and the Prophets thereof prophecy for mony yet will they leane vpon the Lord and say is not the Lord among vs no euill can come vpon vs. Such men there are in the world that flatter themselues in their sinnes and when they heare the iudgements of God denounced against sinne yet for the pleasure they take in sinne and for the gaine they make of sinne they will continue in it and not leaue it and thinke with praiers and some other outward humiliations to blow away as a fether or some light thing the iudgements and wrath of God These are the men that haue no God because they depart away from God by their owne wickednesse these are the sinners whom God will not heare because they delight more in sin then they do in God But the humble the penitent the broken-hearted sinner to whom his sins are his burden a displeasing burden from which hee desireth to be deliuered as our sinner doth this day He that is grieued for his sins that hateth and abhorreth them and if â—…ee might once get cleere from his sins past intendeth no more to be acquainted with them and esteemeth them as his plague and his death Him the Lord most willingly and with delight hearkneth vnto The Prophet saith The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a contrite and a broken heart O God thou wilt not despise So that thou wert neuer so fit indeede to pray as now thou art with thy contrite and broken heart thy praiers now will be a sweet and pleasing sacrifice to him He is thy God and wil most readily heare thee Secondly hee saith hee hath no Mediator in whose name to pray and for whose sake hee may hope to bee heard And yet remembreth the words of Scripture that call Iesus the Mediator betweene God and man Those verie words prooue thou hast a Mediatour euen the same Iesus except thou wilt deny thy selfe to be a man for hee is Mediator betweene God and man and therefore mediator betweene God and thee if thou be a man So that to say thou hast no mediator in whose name to pray and for whose sake thy praier should be accepted is but an vnthankfull speech put into thy head without any good ground for Paul saith of Iesus that hee euer liueth to make intercession for vs. Yet our afflicted sinner thinketh he hath reason to say so because he hath denied Iesus before men And did not Saint Peter deny the Lord Iesus before men and yet hee after praied and was heard in the Mediators name because hee stoode not in his deniall but repented Yet thou hast not denyed him in words before men as Peter did That thou thinkest to bee no aduantage to thee and referrest it to the daies of peace not vrging thee rather then to the constancie of thine own heart thou louest to bee thine owne accuser and what thou hast not done in words thou thinkest that thou hast done in workes by them thou hast denied him while thou didst not liue like á Christian. But must it therefore follow that he is now â—…o Mediator for thee and will deny thee before his Father in heauen Knowest thou not what Iohn the Baptist faith of him Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world He himself when as an vnspotted Lamb he was sacrificed for thee tooke away and by the vertue of that sacrifice still taketh and euer taketh away thy sinne where is now that reall deniall of thine when
of our Sauiour Iesus Christ who hanging vpon the crosse and being vnder the same temptation for other mens sins which thou art vnder for thine owne sinnes vsed the same words that Dauid did saying My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee I intreat this afflicted sinnet hearing the sonne of God complaine that he was forsaken of his father to tell mee his opinion whether he thinkes he was forsaken eternally or was forsaken onely for a time and whether after this forsaking God did not returne vnto him and deliuer him from all his feare If hee should answer that he thinkes hee was eternally forsaken and that God â—…turned not to deliuer him and that he was neuer deliuered from his feare it â—…ere an absurd answer For the history is plaine and cleare that though he were forsaken vnto the death and lest vnto the will of his enemies and sealed vp in his graue yet as the Prophet in his person had spoken to God before saying Thou wilt not leaue my soule in the graue â—…ither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption So God dealt with him hee was not left in the graue hee did not see corruption for on the third day God raised him vp again to life Forty daies after that hee ascended vp into heauen euen with his body and now in all fulnesse of glory and maiesty he sitteth at the right hand of God So that his folly would fully bewray it selfe if he should answer that Iesus was eternally forsaken and that God returned not to deliuer him from his feare And if hee answer as truth will compell him that he was forsaken onely for a time and after inioyed againe and still inioyeth the fauour of his father then it will follow by his owne confession that all that are forsaken are not eternally forsaken and some are onely left for a time to be tried exercised and humbled and after triall taken of their faith after patience perfected and true humility wrought in them hee that had forsaken them doth gather them againe into his lap he that had left them to themselues doth again receiue them into his charge And why then may not our sinner that crieth out thus that he is forsaken of God suppose himselfe to be onely forsaken for a time And if our sinner complayning that hee is forsaken thinketh otherwise as namely that God hath forsaken him for euer I answer him first that he speaketh foolishly and out of ignorant feare that being a matter of Gods secret counsel where of it is not possible that he should haue certaine knowledge that hath not so much knowledge as hee should of Gods reuealed will Let him goe first and make himselfe better acquainted with Gods reuealed will let him study to learne and know the promises the threatnings the precepts and rules contained in Gods word And as for the secret counsell of the Lord so much as concerneth him to vnderstand God â—…ill in time by his worke make knowen â—…nto him In the meane time let him learne to keepe silence that hath no certaine knowledge of the thing whereof he presumeth to pronounce Secondly I say vnto him that the â—…nner of his temptation argueth and concludeth against his owne saying that hee is not forsaken for euer For if God had purposed to forsake him for 〈◊〉 hee would not haue laied vpon him this temptation to make him thereby to see his sinne and the danger that his sinne bringeth him into for the sight of these things is a very ready way to repentance for it maketh a man to bee truly displeased with his sinne and it â—…aketh him restlesly carefull and desirous to winde himselfe out of the danger and it doth awake him with a witnesse out of his old security But rather if the Lord had intended his eternall reâ—…ection hee would haue rocked him asleep in his security with continual prosperity and much peace after the manner of the world that he might haue had no cause to feare sinne so long as the prodigall sonnes prosperity lasted hee neuer thought of returning home to his fathers house That surely is the way to scale vp sinners in their security and to keepe them from all thought or all desire or at least from all resolution with speede for to leaue sinne And so vseth God to deale with them whom hee forsaketh for euer As Iob obserued saying vnto God Wherfore doe the wicked liue and wax old and grow in wealth their seed is established in their sight with them and their generation before their eies Marke in the next words what followeth Their houses are peaceable without feare and the rod of God is not vpon them They are not troubled with any temptation like thine Their Bullocke gendereth and faileth not their Cow calueth and casteth not her Calfe They send forth their children like sheepe and their sonnes dance They take the Tabret and Harpe and reioyce in the sound of the Organs They spend their daies in wealth and suddenly goe downe to the graue Thus for the most part God dealeth with them whom he meaneth to forsake for euer And this continuall prosperity most kindly locketh vp all the powers of their soule in security as in a dead sleepe that they neuer intend repentance but are confirmed in their sinne and in the contempt of God As Iob in the same place noteth in the very next words saying They say also vnto God depart from vs wee desire not the knowledge of thy waies who is the almighty that wee should serue him and what profit shall we haue if wee should pray vnto him Thus continuall prosperity shuttâ—…th vp the heart in security and bringâ—…th the wicked asleepe in sinne whereas no temptation that can come vnto a man doth so kindly waken the heart and open the eies of a sinner to see his sinne to hate his sinne to forsake his sinne to turne to God and to seeke pardon by repentance as doth this tentatiâ—… of thine Thinke rather that God is gâ—…thering thee to himselfe and laies this burden vpon thee to stay thee from râ—…nning still from him then that hee hath eternally forsaken thee But against this fearefull perswasion oâ—… finall forsaking the best of all arguments is the gracious maner of the Lords merciful dealing with his people whom yet hee dealeth withall no lesse sharply then he hath now dealt with thee The Prophet Esayâ—… sets downe that manner of the Lords dealing and deliuers it in the words of Gâ—…d himself saying For a litlâ—… while haue I forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee For a moment in mine anger I hid my face from thee for a little season but with euerlasting mercy haue I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy redemer This is Gods manner these are his owne words Now let vs compare thy words with these words of God and see how neare thou comest to his truth I hou saist God hath forsaken
my selfe a reprobate This bolde and desperate reason to maintaine his former bold and desperat assertion plainely be wrayes the nature of this temptation and burden of accusing thoughts and terror of conscience it ceaseth not to accuse and to inforce those accusations that it prefers it wresteth all things for euidence to increase feare The things that he hath now last spoken may be granted him to be true that sin hath hitherto raignoâ—… too powerfully in him and that he hath sinned against God most grieuously and that the wrath of God is fallen vpon him for that sinne But the collection that â—…ee maketh and inferreth hereupon as that therefore he is a reprobate these being signes euidences of reprobation that must not be granted vnto him His argument as weake and of no good consequence must be denied For first sin euen powerfully reigâ—…ing is no signe of reprobation though euery child of man that is a reprobate and that is appointed to destruction doth afterward by his sinne deserue his reprobation and destruction yet euery man whose sinne deserueth reprobation and destruction is not a reprobate and appointed to destruction When thou â—…eest a man to wallow in sinne thou maist be bold to pronounce him a wicked man and of a wicked heart for his wicked sinne wherein he liueth with delight prooueth so much But thou maiest not therefore pronounce him a reprobate for God may giue him repentance and vppon repentance forgiue his sinne And what God will doe to him thou canst not tell and thou hast more cause to hope of Gods mercie then pronounce of his iustice so long as this sinner liueth in the Church and vnder the ministry of the Gospel where God doth allow the meanes of repentance and maketh daily offer of forgiuenesse of sinnes God calleth some in their youth and some in their age as the housholder hired laborers to worke in his vineyard some in the morning and beginning of the day some at the eleuenth houre when the Sunne was ready to set Therefore whereas before in his obiection hee had said that hee was a viler sinner then many reprobates that was granted to be true and hee may be so and yet no reprobate For oft-times the elect of God doe sinne more grieuously to the iudgement of man then thereprobate doe and after obtaine repentance which the reprobate doe not To this end let vs compare together the sinnes of an elect child and of a reprobate as the Scripture giues testimony of them Saul was a reprobate his end proued him so to bee Dauid was one of Gods elect for the holy Ghost testifieth that he was a man after the heart of God Looke into the sinnes of their liues and it will appeare vnto our eies that Dauids sinnes were more vile then Sauls Saul was commanded to stay the Amalechites and to destroy them vtterly both man and beast in the execution of this iudgement of God contrary to the commandement giuen him he saued aliue Agâ—…g the King of the Amalechites and the best of their kine and sheepe and brought them home as a pray into the land of Israel For the extenuating of this disobedience how many excuses reasonable in our eies might be alledged First for the sparing of Agags life it may be pleaded Agag was a man and it was humanity to saue a mans life and being an enemy it was noble mercy to saue an enemy the cowardly and tiâ—…erous heart neuer doe so and being a King it was royall mercy to saue him if he did it in reuerence to royall Maiesty If he did out of politike respect either to teach his owne subiects euer to reuerence the person of a King or to inrich himself and his kingdome with the ransome of a King it was a point of commendable wisdome Then for the sparing of the fat cattell it might bee said would you haue had him make war with flockes of sheepe and heards of kine That had been rather to play the part of a mad man then of a noble warriour And if they must be slaine was it not better to kill them some to day and some to morrow so as they might be meate for the people of God then to kill them at once and so to leaue their carkases to rot and stinke aboue the ground and to be meate for dogs and for the fowles of Heauen And was there not many a poore man in Israel that was not worth a Cow and many a poore Widdow in Israel that was not worth a sheepe that might be inriched at least releeued with this pray Further was it not meete that God who had giuen them a notable victory against their enemies should be remembred with sacrifices of praise And this pray would plentifully serue for that holy seruice so that the Altars of God might smoke with burnt offerings and yet the people of Israel not be impouerished or in any measure burdened with the charge These and such other excuses in the iudgement of man reasonable though against an expresse commandement of God nothing worth might be alledged to extenuate the â—…ault of Saul Let vs now heare the recorded sinne of Dauid and consider if any such reasonable excuse may be made to extenuate it and whether his or Sauls will appeare vnto vs to be the viler sinne Dauid rose vp from his bed of sloth whereon he had slept in the heat of the day and walking on the roofe of his Palace from thence hee saw a faire woman washing hirselfe in a Garden Lust that commonly accompanieth sloth seazed vpon his heart and hee began to desire that womans company And inquiring of hir he learned that she was the wife of Vriâ—… a valiant seruant of his that was now abroad in battell in the seruice of Dauid against the Ammonites To hir he sendeth the messengers of his lust she commeth vnto him and notwithstanding Gods commandement whereof Dauid was not ignorant thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife hee did couet hir And notwithstanding the commandement which also he well knew Thou shalt not commit adultery hee committed adultery and did lie with hir Shee conceiued by him in her husbands absence shee sends him word of it Now Dauid fearing the publike reproch among men that might light vpon him for this soule fact studieth how to couer it and sendeth to the Campe for Vriah entertaineth him kindly all the day and sendeth him away at night hoping that hee would goe home to his owne house and lie with his wife and so couer the fault that Dauid had made But Vriah hauing taken leaue of the King went not home but like a souldier takes vp his lodging among the Kings Guard and visits not his wife The King hearing this in the morning staies him also that day and makes him drunke at supper hoping that being heated with wine hee would desire to goe home to his wife but hee againe takes vp his lodging where he did
the night before Then Dauid seeing that this deuice would not helpe him resolued vpon a more wicked and cruell course and sends Vriah to the Campe and writes by him to Ioab the Generall that hee should place Uriah in the forefront of the battell and in the time of danger should with-draw all helpe from him and leaue him alone in the middest of the enemies that he might be smitten and die by their hands And this commandement was by Ioab fulfilled at the next assault made vpon the City Rabbah Vriah was there slaine Then was his wife a widdow and free from all men and Dauid takes her home to him and shee became his wife And thus he couered the shame of his first sinne with a second as bad if not much worse And what honest man that knoweth how he ought to keepe his vessell in holinesse and honour and not in the lust of concupiscence as the Gentiles doe which know not God can frame any reasonable excuse for his adultery And what sober man that hath learned to walke honestly as in the day time not in surfeting and drunkennesse can excuse his fact in making Uriah drunke and what charitable man that tendereth the life of his neighbour and knowes Gods ordinance that he that sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed can by any good words extenuate the sinne of his rraiterous murder It may be that wantons that riotous persons and bloudy-minded-mercilesse men will say it was brauely done but no man of continency of temperancy and of charity can excuse him Surely the sinne of Saul and Dauid compared together it appeareth to vs that Dauid sinned more vilely then Saul in the act of their disobedience howsoeuer for the heart yeelding to sin much may be said for Dauid that cannot be said for Saul Which difference of their hearts appeared presently when they were put in mind of their disobedience by the Prophets Samuel and Nathan For when Saul was challenged by these words of Samuel Wherefore hast thou not obe◅ed the voice of the Lord but hast turned to the pray and hast done wickedly in the sight of the Lord He denied the fact maintained his deniall with argument and lastly being inforced to confesse himselfe a transgressour yet hee did it faintly and neuer repented But assoone as Nathan had said vnto Dauid Wherefore hast thou despised the commandement of the Lord to doe euill in his sight thou hast killed Variah the Hittite with the sword hast taken his wife to be thy wife and hast slaine him with the sword of the childrē of Ammon He confessed it freely grew into displeasure with himselfe for it and heartily repented making his humble praier vnto God for forgiuenes thereupon penned the one fiftieth Psalme in testimonie of his repentance his heart was not so wicked as was the heart of Saul but in the outward face his sinne to the eies of the world was more vile then the sinne of Saul Shall Dauid therefore say I am a reprobate for I haue sinned more vilely then Saul that was a reprobate this were first to step too presumptuously into to the throne of Gods iudgement Secondly it were to be vnthankfull vnto God for that faithfull and most constant loue of his that euen with such sinnes was not extingushed Thirdly it were to be vnkind and iniurious to his owne soule denying vnto himselfe the hope comfort that he might and ought to seeke in the infinite mercy of God therefore though our afflicted sinner haue sinned more vilely then many reprobates it followeth not that hee himselfe must therefore be a reprobate and though they that be reprobates doe by their sinnes after committed deserue the damnation whereunto by the decree of reprobation they are appointed yet hee and others committing sinnes worthy of condemnation are not therefore to be iudged reprobates and his sinne though grieuous as he affirmeth it truely to be is no signe nor euidence of reprobation Secondly hee alledgeth the wrath of God now heauie vpon him for his sinne to be another euidence of his reprobation which likewise must not be granted For if this should bee a true rule that wheresoeuer Gods iust wrath falleth vpon men for their sins they vpon whom this wrath falleth should be reprobates then would these great absurdities follow First that all that suffer with Christ in this world should be reprobates For there is no calamitie that falleth vpon men in bearing whereof they become sufferers but it falleth vpon them for their sinnes And the calamitie so falling is a stroke of Gods wrath For the first thing that the calamities that make vs sufferers fall vpon vs for our sinnes the words of Ieremie are plain saying Wherfore is the liuing man sorrowfull man suffereth for his sin we suffer no calamitie but our sinnes deseruing more hath brought that vpon vs. And for the second thing that the same calamitie comming vpon vs for our sinnes is a stroke of the wrath of God that is of his holines abhorring sin of his iustice correcting for sin appears by the words of the Prophet Micha speaking thus of God Hee retaineth not his wrath for euer because mercy pleaseth him he will turne againe and haue compassion vpon vs he will subdue our iniquities and cast all their sinnes into the bottome of the sea That is for a while he punisheth in wrath the sinnes of his people and after some short affliction indured he forgiueth their sinnes and receiueth them againe into fauour In that saying of the Prophet the worke of God in laying calamitie vpon his seruants for their sinnes is called his wrath So that all the euils that fall vpon men which suffer with Christ in this world come vpon them for their sinnes and are the stroke of Gods wrath against sinne not to destroy but to correct therefore if it were a true rule which our afflicted sinner speaketh that where Gods wrath falleth vpon men for their sinnes that wrath should be an euidence of the reprobation of the person vpon which it is fallen then those men which suffer with Christ in this world should bee reprobates which is most absurd and vntrue for that suffering is rather an euidence of their election vnto saluation because it is written It is a true saying for if we be dead with Christ wee shall liue with him if we suffer wee shall also raigne with him But no reprobate shall reigne with Christ that is the blessed prefermēt of them onely that are the elect of God Secondly if all that beare the wrath of God for sinne were reprobates and that wrath an euidence of their reprobation then this absurditie would follow that God should neuer bee displeased with his elect whatsoeuer they doe should neuer lay any iudgement vpon them that might be interpreted to be an euidence of his wrath and iust displeasure against their sinnes Whereas the contrary is most
the ancient murderer hath beene thy counseller the giuer of life neuer perswaded there vnto the very fact bewraies from what head the aduice came euen from him that desireth the destruction of man Lay these things togither and I hope the thing that thou art resolued to doe wil appeare so foule and odious before thee that thy resolution will vanish and sâ—…de away This sinne of selfe-murdering is so abhominable that in the first age of the world when abhominations were so multiplied that the most patient God was iustly prouoked with a generall floud to destroy from the face of the earth euery thing in whose nosthrils was the breath of life and among other abhominations murder crept in and that betimes in a greeuous manner the brother murdering the brother yet this sinne could find no entertainement The Diuell was not then so impudent to tempt thereunto and men were not so wicked to yeeld therevnto In the next long age of the world from the floud vnto Christs comming in the flesh for more then three and twenty hundred yeares all sinne increasing this sinne also crept in but in all the sacred historie among the people that had knowledge of the liuing God there were not found aboue foure or fiue that yeelded to this cruell sinne monsters they were among men monsters among sinners their raâ—…enes shews them so to bee And after the daies of Christ for seauenty yeares the Sacred history reaching no further there was found but one Iudas the traitour the thiefe the diuell that betraied his Maister the Sonne of God into the handes of his enemies a monster whom the world hath not equalled nor can equall with a match so that in more then foure thousand yeares among the people that knew God though there were many idolaters many blasphemers many giuen to witchcraft and other diuellish hearts many traitors many murderers many whoore masters many oppressors thieues false witnesses and sinners of all kinds yet there were not aboue six selfe murderers And with these monsters wilâ—… thou ioyne considering also that in this sinne there is no mixture of loue in all other sinnes there is some mixture of loue if not to any other yet vnto him selfe but he that committeth this sinne shewes no loue neither to God to his neighbour nor to himselfe His sinne is totally hate himselfe totally hatefull and whereas the vertues of Christianitie pertaining chiefly to the daies of affliction when God maketh his elect like vnto the Image of his Sonne that suffeâ—…ing with him in this world they may after reigne with him in heauen whereas the vertues of christianitie pertaining to this time are patience to suffer the will of God and faith to trust to Gods mercie this sinne is the banishment of all patience it is nothing else then fury in the highest degree and it is the ouerthrow of all faith hastening and pulling on destruction where it should pray and wait for deliuerance it is a violent opposition against the worke of God it is a violent intrusion and inuasion vppon the right of God For life is the gift of God he made vs liuing creatures aâ—…d this sinne violently ouerthrowes the worke of God And God being the Lord of life and hauing all authoritie ouer life to giue it to continue it and to end it at his pleasure and for his seruice this sinner inuadeth vpon Gods right and without leaue from God without any aduice or authority from him yea directly against the commaundement of God forbidding murder hee presumeth to cut off his owne life And he that neuer could find in his heart to lay downe his life for God and for his glorie though God gaue him the life that hee hath and when that is lost in his seruice and for his sake hath promised to giue him life eternall yet in this mad and desperate resolution is ready to step into the place of the tyrant the persecuter the executioner and hangman and for the diuells pleasure not to lay downe but to take away euen his owne life and to make himselfe with his owne murtherous hands a sacrifice to Belzebub who did not giue vnto him the life that yet hee holdeth but was euer an enemie to the safetie of it and when that life is lost shall reward him with eternall death and hell torments for euer such is the act thou resoluest to doe the wofull effect of damned despaire throwing thee into intollerable and eternall torments And therefore with all care to be auoided And the most mightie Preseruer change thy mind and keepe thee from this ruine CHAP. XXVIII WHen our sinner signified his resolution to this act he signified withall the reasons by which he was induced to be so resolute Those reasons I will now examine and shew the weaknesse of them that the sinner seeing his deceiued iudgement may repent him of his wicked purpose in time and stay his hand from doing that mischiefe which once done can neuer be helped the reasons were fixe in number The first three seeming to prooue it a matter of iustice and the last three seeming to prooue it a matter of aduantage The first three pretending iustice were these First he hath sinned against God and deserued death and therefore must die this being a thing of necessity hee holdeth it as good to die now as to tarry longer and to die by his owne hand as to expect the stroke of another Secondly hee hath loaden and ouercharged the earth the place of his present life with the burden of his sinnes it groaneth vnder that burden and can no longer beare it it must be eased and he that hath laied this burthen vpon the shoulders of the earth is the most fitte to remooue the same he hath hands wherewithall to doe iâ—… and his heart serues him And with this second reason hee inuolueth and wrappeth another foolish conceit that seeing hee is vnworthy of mortall life vppon earth it were follie and madnesse in him yea it were shamelesse presumption to hope to obtaine immortall life in Heauen Thirdly hee saith his life hath beenâ—… loathsome to heauen and earth in heauen to God and his Angells in earth to the Church and all the true members thereof And so great an offence must needes be remooued that God and his Angells the Church and her children may receiue content These things prooue it iust that hee should die And that it should be a part of his inioyned penance to see the thing done himselfe Now because my speech is intended for the health of the sinner I will direct it to the sinner Thy first reason is thou hast sinned against God thou deseruest to die This reason is no reason to infer that which thou wouldest inferre That therefore thou must die and especially by thine owne hand For all men sinne against God all men deserue to die must all men therefore die especially must they die by their owne hands This I doubt not
is vnwise that cannot he is vniust that will not discerne betweene the man that sinned and the sinne by him committed It is a true saying of Saint Gregorie Man is the worke of God sinne is the worke of man let vs therefore discerne what God hath made and what man hath done and neither for the error that man committed let vs hate man whom God made nor for the man that is Gods worke loue the sinne that man hath committed According to this rule discerne betweene thy selfe that art the worke of Gods hands and thy sinne that is the fruite of thine owne inuention I hope thou wilt not say that the worke of Gods hands is a burden to the earth and for the ease of the earth must be remoued then thou as thou art a man and a liuing creature of Gods making art not the earthes burden neither is it the remedie to take the man away But the sinne that thou hast committed is the burden of the earth and the remedie of this euill is to take the sinne away which is done on thy pâ—…rt by repentance by ceasing from sin and by working righteousnes as Esaieâ—…eacheth â—…eacheth saying in the person of God to the people of Israel take away the â—…il of your workes from before mine eies â—…ase to doe euill learne to doe well Then on the part of the sinner is his sinne remoued when hee repenteth him of his sinne ceaseth to doe euill and sets his heart to worke righteousnes And one Gods part our sin is taken away by forgiuenes which alwaies accompanieth mans true repentance as Ezakiel teacheth vs saying if the wicked will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely liue and shall not die all his transgressions that hee hath committed they shall not bee mentioned vnto him c. Sinne is remoued on mans part by repentance on Gods part by forgiuenes and thy sin not thy person being the burden of the earth if thou wilt dâ—…e a worke of iustice and ease the earth of the burden vnder which she groneth by remouing the same then remoue the sinne wherewith thou hast oppressed her and let thy selfe alone repent of thy sinnes past amend thy way for the time to come and thy sin is done away So saith Saint Peter Amend your liâ—…es and turne that your sinnes may be put away Amend therefore the first speech iâ—… this second reason frame the argumeÌ„t thus I haue loden and ouercharged the earth with the burden of my sinnes it groneth vnder that burden can no longer beare it therefore it must be eased by the remouing of my sins then ad on Gods name the second part of thy speech in that reason say Forasmuch as I haue beene the man that haue laide this load vpon the earth it is meete I should also be the man to remoue it now become as resolute to ease the earth of the true load which is thy sin as before thou didst professe to bee in remouing thy selfe which art not the load And as for the conceit which thou didst infold in this reason or infer vpon this reason that seeing thou hadst oppressed the earth with thy sinnes and wert vnworthy to liue any longer in the earth which is but the place of mortall life it should be folly madnes in thee yea shamelesse presumption euen to thinke to liue in heauen which is the place of euerlasting life Indeed he that 〈◊〉 vnworthy of mortall life of a place on earth is much more vnworthy of immortall life and a place in heauen But let this thought vanish together with the â—…raudulent reason For he that is worthy of neither may by the fauour of God inioy both Iacob confesseth himselfe vnworthy of all Gods blessings saying I am not worthy of the least of all the mercy and all the trueth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant Hee confesseth his vnworthines yet confesseth with all that God shewed him that mercy and trueth that he held himselfe so vnworthy of and vnto this vnworthy man so considering himselfe did God make promise of his free fauor in these words I will not forsake thee vntill I haue performed that that I haue promised thee So that it is not the worthines of the receiuer but the promise of God that hee respecteth in shewing mercy and bestowing his blessings And if thou wilt take order by repentance as hath beene taught thee to remoue the burden of thy sinnes wherewith all thou hast oppressed the earth thy vnworthines with thy sinnes shall be done away and after the daies of thy mortall life on earth finished thou shalt inioy immortalitie with God in the kingdome of heauen The third reason perswading this cruell act as a worke of iustice is this My life is lothsome both to heauen and earth in heauen to God his Angels in earth to the Church and her children and therefore it must not to bee continued This is not a new reason but the first inlarged with addition of the names of the Angels in heauen of the Church and her children on earth For in the first thou didst affirme that thou â—…adst offended God that is made thy life to be loathsome in his sight And now thou adâ—…est further mention of his Angels aâ—…oue and Saints beneath thou hast also â—…en offence vnto them indeed vpon â—…e loue and hatred of God dependeth â—…e loue and hatred of all his seruants in â—…auen and earth If by thy wickednes â—…ou make thy life loathsome to God â—…ou makest it also loathsome to them â—…d if againe by repentance thou make 〈◊〉 life pleasing to God thou makest iâ—…â—…o pleasing to men For as Salomonâ—…ith â—…ith When the waies of a man please the lord he will make also his enemies to be at â—…ace with him So that if thou repent â—…ee of thy former lewd life if thou cease to doe euill learne to doe well â—…ou hast reconciled thy selfe to God â—…d he will make all his creatures to be â—…iendes with thee euen them which â—…ere most offended before and for â—…ine owne good consider what it is that â—…th made thy life so loath some to heaâ—…n and earth to God to his Angels to â—…e Church and to the children of it is it â—…ot thy sinne is it any thing but thy â—…ne then if thou wilt be carefull as thou hast beene taught to put away sinne by repentance all the offence is remoued heauen doeth no longer hate thee and the earth hath not cause any longer to be an enemie vnto thee what they loathed before is now done away and that succedeth in place which they haue cause to loue and doe loue That the offence which God tooke is done away by thy repentance appeareth by that which is said in the Gospell Ioy shall be in heauen for one sinner that converteth
pleasures also And where did death leaue him in Hell in what estate there in torments with what hope of helpe he had liberty to crie and call but there was no reliefe and it seemeth the man vnderstood and feared so much and therefore in his request he was very moderate if I may call it moderation which was rather the faint request of a despairing heart for hee desired not to be taken out of Hel to be placed in Heauen where Lazarus was he desired not to bee quitted wholy of his torments and to possesse the ioyes of Paradice he knew it was in vain to hope for or craue any such thing And therefore like a saint-harted fearing doubting and despairing creature hee begged a drop of colde water a thing of nothing soone dried vp in the heat of that Fornace of fire where he fried In the measure of his request hee shewed the measure of his hope hee craues a thing of nothing as knowing that nothing was to be obtained This is all the deliuerance from trouble that thy act in killing thy selfe and adding that vnnaturall sinne vnto all thy other sinnes can helpe thee vnto namly to deliuer thee from sicknesse by thy death and that death eternall to deliuer thee from needlesse feare by certain danger and that danger for euer remedilesse to deliuer thee from a little greese by endlesse woe and that we also vnsufferable to deliuer thee from some discontent by eternal vexation heaped vp beyond measure to deliuer thee from the slight offence of a litle sun-burning by casting thee into the flames of Hell fire that neuer shal be quenched to deliuer thee from some disgrace among men by making thee as Esay speaketh to be an abhorring to all flesh This is that sweet aduantage that thou dreamest of that thy death shall bring with it an end of all thy feares troubles and disgraces indeede it is the most sure way to bring vpon thee all feare trouble and disgraces it endeth present and beginneth future troubles It endeth short and beginneth eternal troubles it endeth easie and tolerable euils it beginneth wofull and intolerable euils So that there is no deliuerance to be hoped for this way it turneth in conueniences into mischiefes and turneth offences into hellish torments in one word it turneth a weary life that may bee helped into a wofull death that cannot be helped Hee that hateth thee with a deadly hatred cannot deuise to doe or wish vnto thee a greater mischiefe then this that thou vnwisly concludest against thy self therfore change thy minde while yet thou hast time hurt not thy selfe please not thine enemies offend not thy God quench not the light of life that he hath kindled in thy breast breake not the prison of thy body in which God hath shut vp thy soule as a prisoner for a season it is neither a matter of iustice for thee without commission to punish thy selfe with death neither is it a matter of aduantage for feare of falling into danger to throw thy selfe headlong into danger Beare thy crosse with patience yet a little while and trust in the mercy of God by Christ. So shall thy sinnes be forgiuen thy life shall be saued and in due time peace shall be restored to thy soule CHAP. XXIX THE sinner by this time partly afraid and partly ashamed of his former vniust and dangerous resolution and seeing the iniquity and absurdity of it lets it fall vpon the ground but is not yet won to that care and loue to the preseruation of his owne life that should be in him and therfore obiecteth againe in a lesse violent manner but very vnkindly saying If I may not kill my selfe that haue deserued to die yet why should I cherish my selfe that am not worthy to liue is not life a gift and blessing of God is it not a talent of his welth that he hath committed to our occupying that wee might bee faithfull and hee might bee a gainer by the right vse of it and first of all as it is his gift and blessing bestowed vpon me I haue beene vnthankfull to him for it the vnreasonable beasts the sencelesse trees and plants haue beene more thankfull for a viler and worse-qualified life then I for my life yea the stones and dead earth that haue no life haue beene more thankfull for a bare being then I for my life adorned with excellent qualities And shall so vnthankfull a man thinke to continue the vse of so great a blessing And as it is his goodes and that Talent that hee hath committed to mee to vse to his aduantage that hee might get glory by his owne possession I haue beene very vnfaithfull and haue wasted the daies thereof not onely vnprofitably but also hurtfully many daies haue beene spent in ignorance while I knew not my duty many daies in sloth and idlenesse while I had no care to doe my duty many daies in vanity while I sought my pleasure many in wickednesse while I sought the satisfying of mine owne lusts And shall so vnfaithfull a seruant thinke to haue still in vse such goods of his masters that hee hath done no good withall was it not said if the vnprofitable seruant take thâ—… talent from him and giue it vnto him that hath ten talents And was it not said to the wastfull Steward How is it that I heare this of thee giue an account of thy Stewardship for thou maiest be no longer Steward Such a Steward such a seruant am I I haue made waste of the daies of my life I haue brought no glory to God by them therefore I hold my selfe vnworthy of life and wil not seeke to nourish it besides I am not worthy of meat I wil not eat I am not worthy of drinke I will neuer quench my thirst I am not worthy of my clothes to couer my wicked carcase nor of my bed to rest my vngodly bones vpon I am not worthy of thy company of thy comfort of these mercifull words of counsell that thou giuest mee I am worthy of nothing cast me out to the dung-hill as a crumbe of vnsauory salt speake no more vnto mee doe no more seruice for me giue nothing vnto me let me perish I know how vile I am before God and I am as vile in mine owne sight and let mee be no dearer in your â—…ies my sinnes make me vnworthy of all good things and worthy onely of death and therefore in reuerence to God I will absteine from the vse of all good things and waite for deserued death O poore afflicted soule these words doe much moue my compassion toward thee to see that humilitie should become hurtfull to any poore seruant of God and that the confession of our vnworthines should preiudice our comfort in God and our releefe from God euen then when God doth ofter releefe and in those things wherein God doeth offer comfort Here is an error that must be helped This error is not in thy
but thou hast beene able in body to stand vnder thy burden and to performe many good seruices in thy calling and he hath not smitten thee in thy children friends and goods with the rod of patient Iob but thy estate remaineth safe thy friends are cheerefull about thee such mercies of God haue accompained thy affliction and ministred comfort vnto thee in the time of it And in these things one part of that promise deliuered in Gods name by the Apostle hath beene performed vnto thee God will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you be able He himselfe that sent the temptation gaue thee strength to beare the temptation and vnto this day thou bearest it though not without griefe yet not without hope Why then shouldest not thou withall cheerefulnes hope and pray that God would performe vnto thee graciously the other part of that promise but will giue the issue with the temptation c Doth not the Apostle when he giues vs that promise in Gods name vse a preface to perswade our hearts to hope for it and pray for it commending God in whose name hee giues it by the title of faithfull saying God is faithfull that will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that yee be able Hope then in that faithfull God pray vnto that faithful God who hath already approued his faithfulnesse in performing vnto thee theone part of his promise and as he is true and faithful he will hauing freely bound himselfe performe his whole promise and giue an issue of thy temptation and thou shalt liue to ouercome it And heere I will acquaint thee with an holy rule which God obserueth in the temptations of his seruants which rule offereth hope of deliuerance from thy greeuous temptation before death The rule is found in Deuteronomie where Moses speaking to the people of Israel and remembring their wearie wandring through a roaring and terrible wildernesse and the many heauie accidents that in that wildernesse came vnto them saith that God led them that way to humble them and to prooue them that he might doe them good in the latter end Gods meaning was after a hard beginning to bring them to a comfortable end when they were first humbled and prooued And very meete it is that Gods seruants should bee humbled and it is right in God to prooue his servants whether they loue the Lord with all their heart and will indure with patience his good pleasure and whether they will cleaue vnto him in danger and put their trust in his mercies and this proofe is best made by crosses and troubles for this cause doth God send troubles to his seruāts whom he loueth but alwayes with a reseruation in his good purpose to do them good in the latter end Apply this vnto thy selfe It was fit that thou shouldest be humbled to acknowledge thy selfe before God to be dust and ashes and laden with iniquitie to humble thee in this sort God hath sent this crosse doe thou therefore humble thy selfe vnder the mightie hand of God that hee may exalt thee in due time It was fit that thou shouldest be prooued that thou mightest see thine owne strength to bee but rotten◅es and dust and that thou mightest shew thy loue thy patience thy faith in God that it might appeare whether God or thine owne case were dearer vnto thee and whether thou wilt glorifie him in aduersitie as thou ma◅ kest shew to doe in dayes of peace and prosperitie and thus to prooue thee he hath sent this temptation therefore now shew thy selfe a man shew thy selfe a Christian shrinke not from God murmure not at his visitation suffer with patience and pray in faith and be constant vnto the end And hee that hath brought thee into this temptation as it were into a roaring wildernesse to humble thee and to prooue thee will surely doe thee good in the latter end Surely this rule offereth vnto thee comfortable assurance that before the end of thy dayes thou shalt see an end of thy temptation and such an end as shall bring thee more ioy then thy affliction doth now breed thee griefe But say that death do take thee away before thou hast ouercome this temptation and thou fearest it may doe so grounding thy feare vpon two reasons one is the possibilitie of it thou maiest die presently the other is the danger of it thou thinkest that then thou shalt die in infidelitie and without faith if this danger were not the possibilitie of dying and death it selfe whensoeuer comming could bee no iust ground of thy feare for the Patriarks and Prophets yea Christ himselfe the Sonne of God and his holy Apostles died and all the Saints of God die And it can not bee hurtfull to any that is so common to all except there be some speciall danger annexed to it that makes it hurtfull to one that is not hurtfull to an other This danger thou saiest is thine infidelitie And thine infidelitie and want of faith thou proouest by the qualitie of thy temptation which thou takest to be directly opposite to faith and the banisher of all faith If therefore it shall appeare that though thou die before thou hast ouercome this temptation to thy liking yet thou wātest not faith in Christ euen faith vnto saluation then there is no cause of feare Indeede this temptation argueth a roote of infidelity to remaine in thee for seeing the Lord Iesus hath borne our sinnes in his body vpon the tree and in bearing them hath taken them away and hath washed and cleansed vs in his bloud and seeing God the father of our lord Iesus Christ receiuing satisfaction in the sacrifice of his Sonne hath by an irreuocable word promised to forgiue our sinnes and to remember our iniquities no more and these things both concerning the meritorious sacrifice of Christ and concerning the faithful promise of God are knowne and haue been made knowne vnto thee Surely this temptation of accusing thoughts would long since haue receiued an answere if there had not beene some roote of infidelitie remaining in thee to giue continuall nourishment vnto it But because there is some infidelitie in thee doth it therefore follow that there is no faith That is not so there may be both together either in his measure and degree Doth not Saint Paul tell vs that in himselfe at the same time there was one power which he calleth the Lawe of his minde leading him to God and to the loue of his lawe and an other power which hee calleth the lawe of his members leading him from God and leading him to sinne his words are I delight in the law of God concerning the innerman but I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind and leading mee captiue vnto the lawe of sinne which is in my members Can anie things bee more opposite one to an other then these two lawes of the mind and of the members either striuing to draw
che◅e thy heart against this feare know that God sending his blessings send them not blindely as also when he taketh them away he doeth not take them away blindely but both in giuing and taking away hee appointeth who shall be filled and who shall remaine emptie by a prouidence reaching particularly to euer person both great and small Therefore doeth he challenge it to be his worke when any becommeth rich or remaineth poore when any is filled with his blessings or remaineth emptie and the saithfull doe so acknowledge it Hanna the mother of Samuel ◅aith of him The Lord maketh poore and maketh rich bringeth low and exalteth Yea God doeth challenge it to be the worke of his hand guided by iudgement and mercy for the good of his Saints and seruants that feeling their wants doe seeke their maintenance of him casting this their burden vpon him as they haue before beene taught The Prophet Esay testifieth so much plainely vnto vs hauing these words Thus saith the Lord God behold my seruants shall eate and you shal be hungry he speaketh to idolaters behold my seruants shall drinke and yee shall be thirstie behold my seruants shall reioice yee shall be ashamed So that if thou continue to serue God faithfully in thy place thou shalt bee nourished and hee will fill thy heart with foode and gladnes when wicked men shall want yea the Prophet Dauid knowing the care that God hath of his is bold to say In the daies of famine they shall haue inough Yea God will performe this the godly poore that depend vpon him whē he is rich wealthy that seem to haue the world at will to be Lords of plentie and aboundance shall want and suffer penurie as the blessed virgin Mary the mother of our Lord Iesus out of her obseruation testifieth in her holy song saying Hee hath filled the hungry with good things and sent away the rich emptie Consider these things and thou shalt see that hee that sendeth inough for all in generall will send also inough for thee in particular and he that sendeth it for thee will also conuey it to thee so conuey it that thou shalt receiue it and vse it and shalt be nourished with it and see his goodnesse and haue cause to praise him for thy portion when others of wealthier estate shall want or in their abundance shall not be kindely nourished their abundance prouing vnto them as the dainty Quailes proued to the lusting Israelites wherwith they were choked while they fed vpon them For a perfect conclusion of this discourse that God will nourish them that in their wants doe wait vpon his hand for their food and maintenance I will adde that diuine sermon of our Sauiour Christ in the Gospel of Saint Mathew I say vnto you be not carefull for your life what yee shall eat or what yee shall drinke nor for your bodies what you shall put on is not the life more worth then meat and the body then raiment His Argument is this God hath giuen vs our bodies more worth then clothes and he hath giuen vs our life more worth then meat and finding him bountifull in bestowing the greater things why should wee distrust his goodnesse in the smaller things Then follows in the same place Behold the fowles of heauen for they sow not neither reape nor carry into the barns yet your heauenly father feedeth them are yee not much better then they which of you by taking care is able to adde one cubit vnto his stature His arguments in these words are two the first is this God feedeth those creatures to whom hee hath giuen no skill at all to make prouision for themselues and they are also vile and of no price in his sight then why should we that are precious in his eies and to whom hee hath also giuen meanes and skill to make prouision and to lay vp for our vse why should wee distrust his goodnesse His second argument is this our distracting care can effect nothing therefore it is vaine for vs to take care and it is good and safe quietly to rest vpon him He addeth further in that speech And why care yee for raiment learne how the Lillies of the field doe grow they labour not neither spin yet I say vnto you that euen Salomon in all his glory was not araied like one of these wherefore if God so cloathe the grasse of the field which is to day and tom rrow is cast into the ouen shall hee not doe much more vnto you O yee of little faith For apparrell one part of our care his argument is as before for food God beautifully clotheth the grasse that hath not skill to prouide or fashion apparrell for it selfe and it is also vile in his sight then why should wee that are precious in his sight and haue both meanes and skill to prouide and fashion clothes for our backes why should wee distrust his prouidence Lastly he addeth Therefore take no thought saying what shall we eat or what shal we drinke or wherewith shall we be clothed for after these things seeke the Gentiles for your heauenly father knoweth that yee haue neede of these things but seeke yee first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these things shall bee ministred vnto you His argum◅nts for foode and clothes together to perswade vs to rest vpon God are these it is ◅eathenish to take such care for these thing therefore it is vncomely for Christians to take such care Secondly the giuer of all things that careth for vs knowes our wants therefore wee neede not to afflict our selues with care for them Lastly the sure way of obtaining these things at the hands of God is not to take thought for them but in our calling to obey God in righteousnesse that hee may reigne in our hearts If we take care of this then God without our care will prouide vs of all necessaries Such is the Diuine sermon of our Sauiour Christ assuring vs that God will nourish vs. CHAP. XXXIIII WEE haue considered the first part of the promise in these words And he shal nourish thee which I call the poore mans promise that desireth nourishment and therewith res◅eth contented The second part of the promise followeth in these words He wil not suffer the righteous to fall for euer These words answer aptly to his fall from that height of honor wherein he lately stood in Israel And being by him deliuered to other cares it serueth them more generally to assure them of recouery from euery fall And therefore it may well be called the common promise giuen for the comfort of all men that are born downe by and fallen vnder the weight of any burden For the better vnderstanding of this promise let vs consider of the falls that Gods seruants doe vsually take which are many not onely in number their particular being reckoned but also in kind the
seuerall sorts being counted Salomon saith Aiust man falleth seauen times a day riseth againe not so often falling still in the same kind but diuersly falling in seuerall kinds and obtaining helpe to rise againe from euery fall and these many falles may be reduced vnto two generall heads for either a man falleth into sinne or hee falleth into some misery and trouble that sinne maketh our life to be subiect vnto And vnder these two names of sinne and misery we will speake of these falles and consider how true this promise is that GOD will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer The first of these falles is our falling into sinne For the commandements of God being as so many paths beaten out before our faces for vs to walke in he that keepeth them is as one that walketh vprightly with God and hee that transgresseth and breaketh them is as one that stumbleth in his way and falleth downe flat to his great danger Therefore doe we call Adams sinne the fall of Adam Therefore doe we call the lighter errours of the Saints their slidings and their grosser errours we call their falles And this name of fall is giuen to the sinne that we commit by the Prophet Hosea saying O Israel returne vnto the Lord thy God for thoâ—… hast fallen by thine iniquity This is a dangerous kinde of fall whereof it behoueth vs to take great heede Heli the Priest fell from the seat whereon he sate brake his necke Ahaziah the sonne of Ahab King of Israel fell thorow the Lattisewindow in his vpper chamber and brused his body whereof he died Yet is not such a fall as either of them haue taken any thing neere so dangerous as to fall into sinne This fall of sinne made the Angels fall out of Heauen and out of the fauour of God irrecouerably And it made our first parents fall out of Paradise and from that blâ—…ssed estate of innocency and immortality wherin God created them And many of their posterity by salling into sinne doe fall from God and sinke downe into hell and there perish eternally It behoueth all men therefore to take heed of it as the Apostle aduiseth saying Let him that standeth take heede lest hee fall There is no man of so sure footing that can walke steedily in Gods commandements without sliding and falling for as Sant Iames saith In many things we sinne all And the more weake our footing is the more warily we had need looke vnto our waies that as much as is possible we may escape falles especially considering how dangerous it is in this kind to fall But â—…et such is the mercy of God that he will not suffer the righteous to fal for euer but in due time hee will raise vp them by repentance that are fallen by their sinnes To which end hee giueth vnto vs his word that teacheth vs the way wheâ—…ein we should goe and sendeth vnto vs his messengers with that word in their mouthes that they may be our guides to that end he prepareth our eares for the hearing and our hearts for the vnderstanding of that word that we may learne and profit thereby After this he humbleth our will and bringeth into order all our affections that our knowledge may not be idle for want of willing obedience And because neither knowledge nor willingnesse are able by reason of our weaknesse to effect any thing without him he also strengthneth vs and worketh in vs what hee would haue wrought by vs. As the Apostle speaketh It is God which worketh in you both the will and the deede out of his good pleasure Thus he proceedeth in his good worke to raise vp by true repentance them that were fallen by their sinnes And to assure vs there of that we may with comfort hope for the helpe of his grace when our weaknes hath made vs fall into sinne Hee hath giuen vs many gracious promises For thus hee saith in the Psalme I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt goe and I will guide thee with mine eie Thus hee promiseth in the Prophecy of Ieremy I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts And thus hee speaketh by the Prophet Ezekiel Then will I powre cleane water vpon you and you shall be cleane yea from all your filthinesse and from all your idols will I clense you a new heart also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your body and I will giue you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and yee shal keepe my iudgements and doe them These and many such gracious promises hath God giuen vnto vs to assure vs that when the righteous fall into sinne hee will raise them vp againe by repentance Hence haue issued the calling of the Gentiles and the conuersion of all vnbeleeuers that for many succeeding ages liued in ignorance and sinne and yet in the end obtayned mercy to returne to God by repentance Hence hath issued the regeneration and new birth of the Saints that being originally shut vp in vnbeleefe and naturally dead in trespasses and sinnes haue beene quickned by Gods grace and begotten againe by the word of truth to be the first fruits of his creatures and by his mercifull worke haue been brought out of darknesse vnto his glorious light to liue thenceforth not as children of darknesse and of the night but as children of the light and of the day Hence hath this issued euen that God will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer and from their daily slidings hee doth raise them that when they haue sinned as Adams children they may repent and amend as the children of God The Prophet saith in the Psalme The secret of the Lord is reuealed to them that feare him and his couenant to giue them vnderstanding Let the righteous therefore that either finde their owne ignorance in mischoosing their way or feele their owne weakenesse in walking in their way let them pray vnto God for grace that he will not suffer them to erre and fall for euer and let them say vnto God with the Prophet Teach mee thy way O God and leade me in a right path This is the first kinde of fall to fall into sinne and it is the worst because it draweth with it the second kinde of fall which is to fall into misery CHAP. XXXV THE second kinde of fall in which God will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer is an effect of the former produced by the iust iudgment of God namely a falling into misery This kinde of fall mankinde had neuer beene acquainted withall if they had not taken the first fall for if man had neuer sinned against God God would neuer haue suffered man to haue felt any misery This kind of
fall into misery is of infinite variety no man can number the seuerall miseries and troubles that sinne hath made our life subiect vnto yet they may be reduced to two generall heads for either they are iudgements vpon the inward man inward miseries and afflictions vpon the soule or else they are outward iudgements vpon the outward man in outward things that touch not the peace of the soule The inward iudgements and miseries which follow the fall into sin and wherinto for sinne man falleth are either the blinding of our vnderstanding and the hardening of our heart often inflicted as punishments of foregoing sinnes and such was the iudgâ—…ment of God vpon Pharao whose heart God hardened and such a iudgement and misery the Apostle Paul telleth vs the Gentiles fell into as a punishment of precedent sins when he saith Wherefore also God gaue them vp to their hearts lusts vnto vncleannesse to deâ—…ile their owne bodies betweene themselues And in many more words he recordeth that iudgement or they are those feares and terrours of heart that cast vs downe from hope that empty our soules of comfort fill them with feares and make vs as it were to stagger shrinke and fall in our faith of this kind is that iudgement that God threaâ—…neth by Moses in these words the Lord shall simite thee with madnesse and with blindnesse and astonishment of heart when a man is amased and confounded with his feares that hee knoweth not which way to turne him for comfort and helpe and deepe fallen into this miserie were they whom Esay speaketh of saying The sinnes in Sion are afraid a feare is come vpon the hipocrites who among vs shall dwell with the deuouring fire who among vs shall dwell with the euerlasting burnings They conceiued no otherwise of God then of a consuming fire and therefore feare possessed altogither their hearts hope vanished faith had no abiding there And all these inward miseries falling immediately vpon the soule and the facultie thereof tend chiefely to this to ouerthrow our faith by decay of it to ouerthrow vs for faith is the firme standing of our soule grounded vpon the assurance of Gods mercy Therefore doeth the Apostle vse this phrase Watch you stand fast in the faith quit you like men and be strong Because he that hath the stronger faith standeth the more strong and steadfast and hee that hath the weaker faith standeth more weakely and loose and thoug the faith of the Saints of God once giuen vnto them neuer totally decaieth for as the Lord Iesus saith hee praied for the continuance and confirmation of Peters faith to whom he said I haue praied for thee that thy faith faile not So he praied for all his chosen ones that beleeue in him when he said to his father I pray not for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue in mee thorough their word Yet the faith of the Saintes suffereth sometimes an eclipse or deceasing at some other times an increasing whereby as in the increasing of their faith they stand fast and are full of comfort so in the deceasing of their faith their footing becommeth slipperie and they take many sore falles feele their hearts oppressed with feare as it was with Dauid when he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee and art so far from my health and from the words of my roaring And when he complained at another time saying Mine heart trembleth within mee and the terrors of death are fallen vpon mee feare and trembling are come upon mee and an horrible feare hath couered mee In this manner their faith at that time being in the wane the righteous oppressed with a weight of anguish and feare doe often fall through the shrinking of their faith and feele themselues sore bruised in their soules But yet such is the mercy of God that he doeth not suffer the righteous being fallen into these inward iudgements and miseries to fall for euer And if it be a blinded vnderstanding or a hardned heart that they are fallen into he raiseth them vp out from a blinded vnderstanding by sending the knowledge of the 〈◊〉 As the Lord Iesus sent Paul among the ignorant Gentiles with this commission I send thee to open their 〈◊〉 that they may turne from darkenes to light c. And he raiseth them vp from hardnes of heart by mollifying their hearts as hee promiseth by Ezekiel saying I will take away the stonâ—…e heart out of your body and I will giue you an heart of flesh And if they be fallen into any feare and terror of conscience he raiseth them vp by repairing their faith and by reuiuing their comfort To that end he bringeth to their remembrance the large promises of his grace the boundles measure of his mercy the riches of his free vnchangeable loue and then doeth hee make them remember that they haue a mediator that died for their sinnes and rose againe for their iustification and ascended into heauen to prepare a place for them and sitteth on the right hand of his father in highest fauour and greatest authoritie to make intercession for them continually vrging the vertue of his death and bloudshedding that hath taken away the sinne of the world who is the prince of peace that hath made their peace and is that beloued sonne in whom the father is well pleased making vs accepted in that his beloued To the same end doeth he spread the beames of his louing countenance and cause the light thereof to shine within their consciences sending downe the spirit of adoption into their hearts to beare witnes with their spirits that they are the sonnes of God so raking together the sparkes of their almost smothered faith from among the cold ashes of anguish and feare where it lay deepe couered giuing heate and life vnto it with the warming fire of his comfort so that they begin to lift vp their heads and to reioice their hearts and to shake of their their sorrow and feare and to glorie in God saying with the blessed virgin My soule magnifieth the Lord and my spirit reioiceth in God my Sauiour And with the Prophet Dauid Thou hast tnrned my mourning into ioy thou hast loosed my sacke and girded mee with gladnes And that God doeth thus not suffring the righteous to fall and languish in these inward miseries for euer besides the experience of Gods elect daily renewed with light and grace and daily refreshed with comfort and peace the scriptures also doe testifie it to be the gracious manner of Gods dealing with his chosen The Prophet saith of him Hee healeth those that are broken in heart and bindeth vp their soares These words can be referred to no other worke of God for the more sure and full performance whereof God sent his sonne into the world who came to call sinners vnto repentance and to seeke and saue them that
Heb. 1â—… 10 Deut. 8. 16 2 Goâ—… 4. 17 Vse of this patience in domestic all troubles Mat. 11. 29 The second generall is prayer Psa. 50. 15 Psal. 99. 6. Ge 32. 11. Ezo 14 15 Exo. 14. 30 Ps. 145. 18. Need of praier First for thy selfe Iam. 1. 4. Secondly for them that trouble or grieue thee Mat. 5. 4â—… â—… Sâ—… 6. 18. 2. Sa. 6. 20. Gen. 25. 21 Gen. 49. 48 Ruth 2. 4. Dan. 6. 10. Ex. 15 26 Deut. 32. 39. 2. Sam. 12. 26 Mat. 8. 6. Act. 12. 5. Thirdly for all the rest Ioh. 6. 67. Ioh 17. 12. Iam. 5. 13. Particular rules of casting these troubles vpon God These troubles are wronâ—…s or griefes Wrongs occaâ—…oned sometime by our selues How to cast those wrongs vpon God Not occasioned by our selues 1. Sam. 12. 3 Psal. 7. 3. Prou. 16. 18 How to caâ—… these vpon God 1. Pe. 2. 20. Troubles not continued nor iterated 2. Sam. 16. 22. Troubles continued If for a short time This troâ—…ble may be remoued by reforming the troublers Iob. 2. 10. Pro. 31. 26 1. Pet. 3. 1 â—… Pro. 29. 15 Pro. 29. 17. Pro. 29 19 Pro. 29. 21. Ephes. 6. 4. Coloss. 4. 1 1. Sa. 19. 4. 2 Kin. â—… â—…3 Leu. 19 17 Maâ—… 18. 15 1. Pet. 4. 8. By weakening the power of the trobler Gen. 31. 24 Gen. 3â—… â—…9 1. Sa. 19. 10 How then to cast it vpon God 2. 5â—… 15. 31 Psal. 9. 19. Psal. 35. 19 Psal. 140. 8 2. Kin. 1. 10 Psal. 35. 4. Psal. 109. 6 Act. 8. â—…0 1. Tim. 4. 14. August in Psal. 35. Mat. 5. 44. By remouing the troubler from thee or thee from him If his remoue bâ—… by death Psal. 36. 9 Psal. 68. â—…0 Esai 57. 1. Ezo 20. 13 1. Sa. 26. 10 If it be by shift of place Mat. 10. â—…3 Rulet concerning remoue of children or seruants Mark 9. 43 〈◊〉 thy trouble continue long Consolations to comfort in long troubles Iob 14. 1. 2. Tim. 3. 1â—… Matth. 11. â—…9 Math 25. 42. â—… Acts. 9. 4. 2. Sam. 16. 11. If thy troble be griefe â—… not wrong If griefe grow from sicknesse in thy selfe Deut. 32. 39. 1. Pet. 5. 6. Psal. 32. 4. Esa. 38 2. Esa 38. 18. 2. Chro. 16. 12. If it be any other calamity Iob 2. 10 Ion. 1. 5. Iob. 16. 23. If it be feare of death 1. King 2. 2 Iob 7. 1. Reu. 14. 13 1. Corin. 15 55. Phil. 1. 23. Iohn 14 3. â—…zoc 18. 4 Psal 68. 5. If thâ—…u â—…rt grieued 〈◊〉 others First help to ease theÌ„ what thou caâ—…st â—… Kin. 4. 20 Theâ—… patience and prayer Phil. 4. 5. If it be for the death of others 2. Sa. 12. 16 2. Sa. 12. 18 2. Sa. 12. 21 2. Sa. 12. 22 Esa. 26. 19 1. thes 4 13 The third secular burden is troubles more remote Generally 〈◊〉 patiâ—…ce 1. Ki. 11. 14 Psal. 39. 6. And â—…se praier Particularly for wrongs If thou gauest the occasion â—… Sâ—… 19. 18 If thou giue not the occasion Pro. 15. 15 1 Pet. 4. 15 If God will reforme the troubler Mat 18 15 Acts 7. 58. Acts 8. 1. Acts 9. 31. Acts 7. 60. Aug. Ser. 4. de Sanctis If God will remoue by death If God will remoue by shift of place Themistocles If God will continue thy trouble If thy trouble be griefe 〈◊〉 others Not usuall to be grieued for others Gen. 40. 2â—… Amos 6. 6. What to doe in griefe Col. 3. 1â—… The fourth secular burden difficulties of our callings Rom. 13. 1. If we be insufficient If we be sufficient but are crossed If we doe well and be misconstrued Iâ—… we be insufficient by 〈◊〉 owne fault And be not far from â—… sufficiencie If we be far from sufficiencie Zechar. 13 5. If we be not insufficient by our own faults Psal. 8. 2. 2. Cor. 1â—… 9. Phil. 4. 15. 2. Tim. 4. 15. If we be sufficient but crossed what then to doe 1. Thes. 2. 15. Psal 140. â—… Psal. 108. 12. Psal. 90. 17. If thy deed be misconstrued what to doâ—… Amos. 7. 10. Amos. 7. 15. Iere. 26. 12 Psal. 37 6. â—…urdens of spirituall troubles The first spirituall burdeÌ„ lustâ—… of the flesh Grieuous to the honest man Rom. 7. 23 Rom. 7 24. These men are to be potied Matter of comfort for them Psa. 51. 17 Pro. 23 26. Rom. 10. 3 Rom. 13. 10. 1. Tim. 1. 5. Rom. 6. 7. 1. Corin 15 〈◊〉 This comfort is some case of his burden To cast this burden vpon God first study the Scriptures Psa. 119. 105 Psa. 119. 4 Ps. 119. 98. Secondly vse the company of good men Phil. 3. 17. Psal. 56. Psa. 18. 25 Thirdly sly occasions that may stir thy lusts Pro 6. 24. Pro. 22. 24 Pro. 23. 32 Fourthly thinke vpon iudgements and mercies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praâ—…er Psal. 119. 33. 2. Cor. 12. 9 Two Spirituall burden accusing thoughts A most grieuous burden To cast thiâ—… burden vpon God looke into the circumstances of the sinne Ezec. 8. 7. If thou heâ—… vrged generally Gen. 4. 13. There is ease in that that thou hast not fallen into grosse actuall sinne Such is the originall estate of euery man conceiueâ—… in sinne Psal. 51. 5. Eples 2. 1 Iere. 17. 9â—… â—… Cor. 2. 11 Hebr. 4. 13 Eccles. 7. 22. Prou. 20. 9 Yeeld to be as thou art charged and make it a warning to craâ—…e Gods helpe 1. Sam. 2. 6 Psal 50. 15 Rom 11. 32. And haue care of the body to help the weakenes of it In dâ—…inct and â—…cular â—…sations Consider if in were done in the time of thy ignorance Acts. 26. 9. Ignorance maketh thy sinne the sooner pardonable Luke 12. 47. Examples of then 〈◊〉 that some of ignorance Acts. 3. 14. Acts 3. 17. Acts 3. â—… Acts 9. 13. 1. Tim. 1. 1â—… Iohn 9. 41. If it were done agenst thy knowledge Consider if thy wâ—… was not ouer swâ—…ed by som strong temptation Iere. 8. 12 There is 〈◊〉 hope in this circâ—… Examples of men pardoned that thus sinned in the time of knowledge Mat. 10. 32 Iob 2. 4. Mar. 16. â—…4 Mat. 26. 33 34 35 Luk 22. 32 Gen. 27. 19 Ge. 38. 15 2. 〈◊〉 16. 4 Is it were dâ—…n aâ—…niast knowledge aâ—…d wiâ—… fâ—… consent of 〈◊〉 will This is dâ—…ngerous yet there 〈◊〉 help Luke 1â—… 47. As appeareth in the example of Manasses sinning against knowledge 1 King 2. 1 â—… King 18. And with fâ—…ll course of will 2. Chr. 33. â—… And yet finding fauour 2. Châ—… 33. 11. And in the thâ—…efe that sâ—…ffered with Iesus Luke 23. 42. 43. Lu. 23. 42. 43. Câ—…m in Lu chap. 23. 10. There is one onely sin â—…npardonable Called blasâ—…hemie against the Holy Ghost Mark 3 2â—… â—…at this blasphemie iâ—… Maâ—… 12. 2â—… 24. Iohn 9. 41. Iohn 7. 〈◊〉 Luke 23. 34. Iohn 11. 4â—… Tâ—… sinne â—…nnot bee 〈◊〉 sinne It ' can not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 with general accusation Nor his that sinneâ—… of ignorancâ—… Nor his whoâ—…e 〈◊〉 is ouerruled Nor his that breaketh
rich Widdow how to pray vnto God among other words hee hâ—…th this saying 〈◊〉 hoc negocium plus gemitibus 〈◊〉 sermonibus agitur plus fletiâ—…quam â—…fatu This businesse of praier for the most part is performed rather with gronings then with words with weeping then with speech Let God therfore heare thy sighes and grones let him see thy teares when thou canst not shew him thy desire in words water thy couch with teares as did the Prophet and God will gather vp and put euery drop into his bottell thus doing when thou thinkest that thou hast not praied thou hast praied most powerfully For as Saint Ierâ—…mi saith Oratio deum lenit lacrâ—…na cogit Praier gently moueth God teares forcibly compell him He is allured as it were and won with the words of praier to heare vs but with the teares of a contrite heart he is drawen and inforced to heare and helpe where otherwise hee would not And in this affliction growing vpon thy heart because thou knowest not how to pray heare a notable comfort that the Apostle giues thee saying The spirit helpeth our infirmities for wee know not how to pray as wee ought but the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes that cannot be expressed Where thinâ—… owne strength and wisdome faileth in this seruice of praying vnto God there the wisdome and power of Gods spirit kindletâ—… in thee strong desires and earnest longings after the mercy of God And the meaning of those desires and longings God perfectly vnderstandeth and needs not to bee informed by thy words So 〈◊〉 though thou canst not pray as thou â—…oghtest to doe yet that seruice goeth forward well while thou hartily desirest Gods fauour Of which desire in thee â—…ere needeth no other argument but â—…en the griefe of thine owne heart seeing in thy sin cause of Gods displeasâ—…re and that other thoughts come into thine heart when thou bendest thy selfe to pray maruaile not at it neither therefore be so farre discomforted that thou shouldest giue ouer praying but 〈◊〉 the more to pray and to watch thereunto in the attendance of thy thoughts and lift vp thine heart vnto God and keepe it with all thy care looking still to him These thoughts of thine heart partly arise from thine owne weaknesse and corruption that art more fit for any thing then to attend with setâ—…ed reuerence vpon God And partly they are mustered together and thrust â—…o vnseasonably into thine heart by the wicked enimy that would not haue thee pray because he knoweth that the mercy of God is most easily obtained by harty and constant praier therefore hee seekes to hinder thee in that businesse that thy mind being occupied about other cogitations thou might est let fâ—…ll to the ground the petitions that thou are offering vnto God but the more hee seeketh to trouble thee the more earnest be thou in praier remembring that saying of our blessed Sauiour giuen for a warning to his Discipâ—…es Wateâ—… and pray that yee enter not into temptation Lastly hee is offended and discouraged in his praying by an intruded answer that offereth it selfe presently after his praier and sometime before his praier be either ended or begun not suffering him to wait patiently vpon God and to hope in him and this intruded answer is alwaies vncomfortable It comes euer in the negatiue and â—…pulsiue forme whatsoeuer hee hath praied for or intendes to pray for it tels him he shall not haue he cannot haue hee iâ—… not worthy to haue hee must not looke to haue the iustice of God will neuer grant it vnto him Which answer is nothing else but if I may so speake the smoke of those fiery dartes of Sathan wherby he hath set the poore mans conscience in combustion bringing his sins â—…o remembrance setting before him the â—…ath of God kindled by those sinnes 〈◊〉 from hence extracting and drawing this heauy conclusion looke for no â—…rcy where thou hast deserued so â—…ch wrath It is no other then a very 〈◊〉 of his disease the fruit of his owne 〈◊〉 ouer hastily answering himselfe â—…ot â—…arying to receiue answer of God tâ—…s he must take especial heed off that for as much as hee maketh praier to God and not to himselfe he waite for his answer from God and receiue none from himselfe and if his heart will be foolish to suffer any such vncomfortable answer vnto him that hee reiect it and wait on the hand of heauen About this point the sonnes of men erâ—…e very dangerously and faile in extremities and few or â—…one can keepe the right meane to expect and receiue their answer from God While men liue carelesly in sinne and prouoke God euery day if they chance to offer any petition to heauen or by aâ—…y meanes be occasioned to thinke vpon answer of their hopes from heauen they euer boldly answer themselues with promise of all prosperity though in iustice it cannot be like vnto the man whom God complaineth of saying that Hearing the words of the curse blesseth himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace though I walk according to the stubbornnesse of mine owne heart God giues no such answer to such men It followeth in the same place The Lord will not be mercifull vnto him Blessings belong to them that feare God not to them that conteâ—…ne him He that inqul reth for Gods will reuealed in his word shall finde another answer belonging to the petitions and hopes of such men The threatnings of Gods iudgemeÌ„ts are all denounced against them as in the fore-remembred place of Deuteronomy The wrath of the Lord and his lealousie shall smoke against that man and euery curse that is written in this booke shall light vpon him and the Lord shall put out his name from vnder heauen On the other side when men are humbled in the sight of their sins and haue great remorse in their hearts if they powre out any sighes and grones vnto God in their praier and by any meanes be occasioned to thinke vpon answer of their desires from heauen they euer fearefully answer themselues like those men spoken of by the Prophet Ezechil that say If our transgressions and our sins bee vpon 〈◊〉 and we are consumed because of them 〈◊〉 shall we then liue That is our sins deseruing death and those being now â—…id to our charge and the hand of God being heauy vpon vs for them there is no hope of life God giues no such answer to contrite hearts and to humbled spirits he doth not so reiect the deiected man He that inquireth for Gods will reuealed in his word shall finde another answer of comfort and health appointed for them the promises of mercy runne all vpon their side The Prophet Moses speaketh these words vnto the people When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come vpon thee at the length if thou returne to 〈◊〉 Lord thy God and bee obedient to his voice for the Lord thy