diseases of the soule no man abateth his sleepe no man abridgeth his diet no man prepareth Phisicke for it no man knoweth when to be ful and when to be emptie how to want and how to abound Others carried away with the loue of riches and verie nigh to fall into pouertie will not sticke to rise early to take sleep lately to fare hardly to teare taw their flesh in labour by lande and by water in faire soule weather by rockes and by sands from far from nere and yet to fall into spirituall decaies to auoyd the pouertie of conscience no man taketh such paines as though saluation and peace of mind were not a thing worthy the labouring for Some ambitiously hunting after honor not easilye digesting reproaches behaue themselues neither sluggishly nor sleepely but are actiue in euerie attempt by loue and by counsell by prudence and prowesse by wit and by practise by labour and learning by cunning and diligence to become famous and to shun a ciuill reproach yet to bee glorious in the sight of God and his Angells to fall before the heauens and in the presence of the Almightie to bee couered with shame and confusion of conscience we make none accompt as they who neyther vse anye meanes to obteyne the one nor auoyde those Occasions which maye bring the other Others verie vnwilling to come within the reache and daunger of the Lawe that they may by reading get experience howe to escape imprisonment of bodye or confiscation of goods wyll be painfull in penall statutes skilful in euery branch of the ciuill law and especially will labour to keepe themselues from treasons murthers fellonies and such like offences of life and death yet where the Lord God threateneth the seazure both of soule bodie the attaching of our soules the confiscating of our consciences the banishing of vs from heauen the hanging of vs in hell the suspending of our saluation the adiudging of vs to condemnation for the breache of his Commaundements few men sercheth his eternall Lawe few men careth for the Gospell neither the sentence of euerlasting diuorsement from the Lord neither the couenant of reconciliation is esteemed of vs. And to reache our Complaint one Degree farther The more we seek outward pleasures to auoyde the inward trouble of minde the more we hast and runne into it and wee speedely plunge our selues in a wounded spirite or wee be a ware Who posteth more to becom rich than the merchant man who hopeth lesse to become pore than hee that aduentureth great treasures who hazardeth his goods who putteth in ieoperdie of his life and yet suddenly he either rusheth vpon the rocke of hardnesse of heart or else is swallowed vp of the gulphe of a despairing mind from which happely he cannot be deliuered with a ship full of golde Woful proofe hath confirmed how some men whollie set on plesures such as could not away to be sad and hedged vp alwaies of godly sorrowe haue had their tables made snares and euen theyr excesse of pleasures hath brought excesse of sorrowes and whilest they laboured to put the euill daye farre from them they haue vsed follyes that haue beene the most bitter and speedie hang-men of their fearfull trembling consciences There be some of another sort who neuer dreaming of a troubled minde haue had their harts set on nothing but howe they might get some great fame and renowme therfore haue slipt into such vaineglorious attempts and foule flatteries as they haue not onely lost the peace of their Consciences but also fallen most deeply into reprochfull shame which they sought to shun Now therefore as the peace of conscience and ioy of minde is such a treasure as the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard nor the tung expressed but passeth al vnderstanding as they only knowe what the peace of minde meaneth that feele it so they alone can in trueth speake of a troubled minde that haue tasted of it by experience But let vs shew what way is to be vsed to keepe vs from this wound of the spirit It is the vse of Phisicke as to cure vs of diseases when wee are faln into them so to preserue vs from sicknes before it hath takē hold of vs it is the power of the Word as to asswage the trouble of Conscience when it doth once presse vs so to preuent it before it hath ouertaken vs. It is a chiefe point of worldly wisedome not to tarie for the vse of phisicke vntil we be deadly sick but to bee acquainted wyth Gods mercifull preseruation to defend vs from it likewise it is a chiefe pollicie of a godly Christian not only to seek comfort when the agonie is vpon him but also to vse all good helpes to meet with it before it comes And if we condemn them of folly who will not as well labor to keep themselues out of debt as to pay the debt when they owe it so it is a madnes not to bee circumspect to auoyd all occasions which maye bring trouble of mind vpon them as wee would bee prouident to enter euerie good waye which maye drawe vs out of this trouble when wee haue once entred into it These remedies preseruatiue are first the searching of our sinnes the examining of our faith The examining of our sins is either the due acknowledging of our sinnes or the true sense and feeling of our sinnes The acknowledging of our sinnes is eyther of those that bee past whether wee haue vnfeinedlye repented vs of them or of those which bee present whether wee be truely greued for them Thirdly of those secret corruptions which in the course of our life are likely to come whether wee are reuerently afraide of them and resolue to suppresse them with all our indeuour Concerning sinnes past we must call to minde the sinnes done of old in our youth in our middle age in our olde age iudging our selues we maye not bee iudged of the Lorde that accusing of our selues sathā haue no occasiō to accuse throwing down our selues before the Lord he may lift vs vp For manie going quietly away and sleeping in carnall securitie notwithstanding the sins of their youth neglecting to make conscience of their sinnes done long ago sodainly haue falne into such horrour of minde that the violent remembrance of all their sins surcharging them they haue been ouerwhelmed This Examination then dooth rightlye proceede when it doth reach to the errors of this life to the sins of our youth because many men euen from their childhood by a ciuill righteous life hauing escaped grose sins wherewith the world could neuer charge them haue not withstanding caried the burthen of more secret sins done in their youth Dauid Psal. 25. 7. prayeth the Lord not to remember the sinnes of his youth Iob 23. 6. the man of God confessing that the Lord writeth bitter things against him saith he made him to possesse the iniquities of his youth What shall
when the bodye needeth rather a strong purgation than a matter restoratiue and as incarnatiue medicines for the time allaye the payne of the patient but after the greefe becommeth more greuous so the comfortable applying of Gods promises are not so profitable for euerie one that is humbled especiallye when their soules are rather to be cast downe than as yet to bee raised vp so the sugred consolations may for a time ouer-heale the conscience and abate some present greefe but so as afterwardes the smart will be the sorer the grief may grow the greater whereof insueth this effect that comfort seemeth to cure for a while but throgh want of wisdome in the right discerning of the cause wee minister one medicine for another and so for want of skil the latter fitte grindeth them sorer than the former Some there be who without precept and practise wilbe theyr owne Phisitions and these so soone as the fit commeth vpon them thinke it the best to chastise and to chase awaye their sorrowe by drinking at tauernes by minstrelsie in merrie companie by purging melancholy in phisicke all which seeme to weare away the paine for a while but yet after it byteth more deeplye when the burning feauer of the spirit shaketh them wyth a seconde recourse and for that before they were not truly searched purged seared and launced it commeth to passe that the seconde relaps is more dangerous than the first To come to our purpose wee must knowe that all griefes are either confused or distinct and sure it is that the minde is appalled eyther for some cause verye well knowen to vs as certaine or for something vnknowen to vs and vncertaine To them which are troubled with such blinde griefes whereof they can see no reason as often it happeneth to Gods Children who either neuer knew God or had but a general knowledge of him I answere that as I denie no Phisicke to bee ministred if it in part proceed from a naturall cause so I require the word especially to shew the principall and originall cause to begin in the soule And this I doo the rather because I would haue wisedome both in considering the state of the bodie if need so require and in looking chiefly to the soul which so few thinke of If a man troubled in conscience come to a Minister it may be he will looke all to the soule and nothing all to the bodie if hee commeth to a Phisition hee onely considereth of the bodie neglecteth the soul for my part I would neuer haue the Phisitions counsell seuered nor the Ministers labour neglected because the soule and bodie dwelling together it is conuenient that as the soule should be cured by the word by prayer and by fasting by threatening or by comforting so the bodye also should bee brought into some temperature by Physicke by purging by dyet by restoring by musike and by such like meanes prouyding alwayes that it bee styll done so in the feare of God and wisedome of his spirite as we thinke not by these ordinarie meanes to smoother or smoake out our troubles but as purposing to vse them as preparatiues whereby both our soules and bodyes may bee made more capable of the spirituall meanes to follow after As we require these things to bee the matter of our Ministerie in such a perplexitie so I would wish the persons ministring to be men learned and of sounde iudgement wise and of Godlye experience meeke and of most louing spirites for when the troubled patient shal be perswaded of our knowledge and discretion and therewithall shall perceiue vs to come in tender and louyng affections I thinke an enteraunce is in a manner made and all preiudice is taken away so as wee may the more freely woorke vppon the greeued Conscience first bringing them to the sight of sinne as to some cause of their trouble Heerein wee must labour to put awaye all confusion and blindnesse of sorrowe endeuoring by wisedome to bring the parts wounded to some certaine obiect matter of their trouble and so drawe out of them the confession of some especiall secrete and seuerall sinne I say secrete and seuerall sinnes because I know how manie through a palpable blindnes or disordered discerning of sinne talke nothing so much as of sinne and yet they eyther discrie seuerall sinnes or they will not bee brought to acknowledge theyr secrete sinnes whereof the one proceedeth of the ignorance of the Lawe of God the other of selfe loue which maketh vs loath in our trauel of mind to shame our selues Now that the confession of perticular sinnes is requisite it maye appeare by the two and thirtieth Psalme wherein beeing a Psalme of instruction concerning the forgiuenesse of sinnes the Prophet by his owne experience teacheth vs that hee could finde no reliefe of hys sicknes vntill he had remembred and made confession of his sinnes What shal we thinke that the Prophet of God taught so wonderfully by the word and by the spirite did not see his sinnes before Be it farre from vs. Rather let vs know that he had not seuerally and perticularlye ripped vp hys sinnes before the Lorde in a seuerall confession of them Which things the Lord knoweth farre better than wee our selues yet such kinde of sacrifice is most acceptable vnto him Now if in this trouble the persons humbled can not come to the perticular sight of sinne in themselues it is good to vse the help of other vnto whom they maye offer their hearts to bee gaged and searched and their liues to bee examined more deeply by hearing the seuerall Articles of the law laid open before them wherby they may square the whole course of their actions For as we said before the grosest hypocrite will generally complaine of sinne and yet deale wyth them in perticular poynts of perticular precepts proue them in applying of things to bee done or vndone to their owne consciences and wee shall see manie of these poore soules tossed too and fro now floting in ioies now plunged in sorrowes not able to distinguish one sin frō another Now when we see the wound of the spirit arise of any known sin it is eyther for some sinne alreadie committed wherein wee lie or els for some sinne as yet not committed whereunto wee are tempted For the former It pleaseth God oftentimes to bring old sinnes to minde when wee not truely repented of them before that so as it were representing them to vs afresh we might fal into a more misliking of them And yet herein is not all to mislike our selues for some perticulars although it bee good to bee occupied about some speciall sinnes for as it is not enough for the auoyding of hypocrisie to see some generally so it is not enough to eschue the deceauablenes of the heart euer to bee poaring busily in one perticuler and to be forgetfull of the great and generall sinnes And let vs learne by the perticulers to passe by the generalls When anye such
stab most monstrously their owne bodies with Daggers or such like instruments of death all which men woulde seeme to haue great courage in susteining many harmes so long as their mindes were not ouermastred But when the diuine and supreame Essence which they acknowledged did by his power crosse and ouerturne their witty deuises and headstrong attempts so as without hope of remedie they were hampered in pensiuenes and sorow of minde then beeing not able to turne themselues vnder so heauy a burthen they shrunke down and by violent death woulde ridde themselues of that disquietnes and impatiencie of their troubled mindes But let vs come nearer and whether wee behold the Papists or the Familie of loue or the common sort of Christians wee shall see they will passe quietly through many afflictions whether for that they haue a spirite of slumbring or numbers cast vppon them or whether because they haue brawned themselues through some senceles blockishnes as men hewen out of hard Oakes or grauen out of marble stones I know not But yet when the Lord shall let loose the cordes of their consciences and shall set before their faces their sinnes committed see what a fearfull end they haue whilst some of them by hanging themselues some by casting themselues into the water some by cutting their owne throates haue rid themselues out of this intollerable griefe Nowe wherein is the difference that some dye so sencelesly and some dispatch them selues so violently Surely the one feeling no sinne depart like brutish Hogs the other surcharged with sinne dye like barking Dogs But let vs come to the children of God who haue in some degree felt this wound of minde and it will appeare both in the members and in the heade of all burthens to bee a thing most intollerable to susteine a wounded Conscience And to begin with let vs set in the first ranke Iob that man of God coÌ„mended vnto vs by the holy Ghost for a myrrour of patience who although for his riches hee was the wealthiest man in the land of Huz for his authoritie might haue made afraid a great multitude and for his substance was the greatest of all the men in the East Yet when the Shabeans violently tooke away his cattell when the fier of God falling from heauen burnt vp his sheepe and his seruaunts when the Chaldeans had taken away his Cammels when a great winde smote down his house vpon his children although indeed he rent his garments which was not so much for impatiencie as to shewe that he was not vnsensible in these euils Yet it is saide that hee worshipped and blessed the name of the Lorde saying Naked came I out of my mothers vvombe and naked shall I returâ—e thither againe The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh away Blessed be the name of the Lord. Howbeit beholde when at the strange conference of his comfortles friends his minde began to be agast which was not so in all his former tryall when his conscience began to be troubled when he saw the Lord fasten on him sharp arrowes and to set him vp as as a Butte to shoote at when hee thought God caused him to possesse the sinnes of his youth this glorious patterne of patience coulde not beare his griefe he is heauy now may commende to all the Image of a wounded spirite that shall come after Dauid a man chosen according to the Lords owne hart Ezekiah a pure worshiper of God and carefull restorer of pure Religion Ieremiah the Prophet of the Lorde sanctified and ordained to that Office before hee was formed in his mothers wombe were rare and singular in the graces fauour of God yet when they felt this wound piercing them with griefe of hart they wer as Sparrows mourning as Cranes chattering as Pellicans casting out fearefull cries they thought themselues as in the graues they wished to haue dwelt solitarily they were as bottels parched in the smoke they were as Doues mourning not able without sighes and grones to vtter their words their harts cloue to the dust and their tongues to the roofe of their mouths But aboue all if these were not sufficient to perswade vs in this doctrine there remaineth one example whom we affirme to be the perfect anatomie of an afflicted Conscience This is the Lord Sauior IESVS CHRIST the Image of the father the head of the body the myrror of all graces the wisedome righteousnes holines and redemption of all the Saintes who susteined the Crosse euen from his youth vpward and besides pouerty basenes hunger did willingly goe vnder the great trouble of contempt and reproch and that among them where he shuld haue had a right deserued honor in respect of the Doctrine he taught them and in regard of the manifolde myracles wroght among them as the healing of the sicke the giuing sight to the blinde the restoring of life to the deade This vnkindnes neuertheles did so much strike him as at what time hee was set as a Sacrifice for al when he was to beare our infirmities carry our sorrowes at what time hee was plagued and smitten of God humbled and wounded for our transgressions when hee should be broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him then he cryed out My soule is heauie euen vnto the death Then hee prayeth Lord if it be possible let this Cup passe from mee But how prayeth hee euen with sweating howe sweateth hee euen droppes of blood how long prayeth hee Three times when ends his agony not vntill he was dead What saide hee beeing ready to depart My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Was this for his humane death as some haue imagined No no wicked men haue died without coÌ„plaint whose patience them might seeme to exceede his it was his suffering in his humane Spirite which incountred with the wrath of God his Godhead suppressing it self for a while he suffred indeede many torments in body but the wrath of God did much more lye vpon his soule If this consideration of an afflicted spirit in these examples doe not sufficiently shew what a grieuous thing it is to susteine a wounded Conscience Let us proceede to the comparing of this with other euills which fall into the nature of men There is no sickenes but Phisicke prouideth for it a remedy there is no sore but Chirurgery will affoorde it a salue Friendship helpeth pouertie There is no imprisonment but there is hope of libertie Suite and fauour recouer a man from banishment Authoritie and time weare away reproch But what Phisicke cureth what Chirurgerie salueth what riches ransome what countenance beareth out what authoritie asswageth what assault dismaieth a troubled Conscience All these banded togeather in league though they wold conspire a confederacie cannot help this one distresse of a troubled minde And yet this one comforte of a quiete minde doth wonderfully cure and comfortably asswage al other griefes whatsoeuer For if our assistance were as an host of