greater crosses and corrections for euery sinne séeing it is committed against an infinite Maiestie doth in it owne nature deserue death and therefore wee must the more patiently endure smaller crosses Fifthly we by impatiency highly offend our God and cause him to handle vs more roughly then he would otherwise doe Lastly if wee constantly waite Gods leasure and entreate his helpe hee will either encrease our strength or decrease our crosse he wil either amend vs by it or else end it Q. What heauenly nepenthes or doctrine haue you against the Crosse A. First it procéedeth from the speciall prouidence and heauenly disposition of God for he createth euill namely of punishment who is he then that saith and it commeth not to passe and the Lord commandeth it not Secondly the crosse is the ensigne and ornament of Gods children their cup their part and portion and the rode way to heauen Thirdly the crosse doth dead and destroy sinne in vs and mortifieth euill affections It is like lightning and thunder to purge the corrupted aire of our hearts and minds It is a file to scoure away rust from our soules a purgation to expell ill humors and like the gold smiths fire to consume the drosse of vanity in vs. Fourthly it doth exercise and cause to grow and encrease the fruits of the spirit and the precious graces of faith hope loue repentance patience for as snow and frost by containing the inward heat in the earth and increasing it causeth the séede cast into it to spring more prosperously so the gifts and graces of Gods children the more that by the crosse they séeme to be smothered and suppressed the more they breake foorth and are encreased Fifthly God will heereby trie the faith of his children towards his maiesty their loue towards their afflicted brethren and their patience towards themselues Sixthly God is with his in trouble in fire and water hee comforteth and strengthneth them he perfecteth his power in their infirmities and at length turneth their sighes into singing their mourning into mirth and their trouble into triumph Lastly the afflictions of this present life are not worthy of the glory that is to be reuealed Q. What duties are we to performe vnder the Crosse A. They either respect God or our afflicted brethren Q. What duties must wee performe towards God A. First we must submit our selues patiently vnto his discipline and correction otherwise if we striue and struggle against God we offend him and so encrease our paine and trouble no otherwise then he that strugleth with a burden on his shoulders doth the more afflict and disease himselfe Secondly we must repose our whole confidence in him and waite his leasure vntill he haue mercy on vs. Lastly when God hath deliuered vs we must returne vnto him all the glory and praise of it for this is the tribute that we owe vnto him and the impoâ—â— that he requireth at our hands Q. What duties must we performe to our afflicted brethren A. First we must neither iudge wiâ—ked and vngodly men to be blessed and happy because they liue for the present in pompe pleasure and prosperity nor falsely and foolishly censure condemne the nation and generation of Gods children that sincerely serue him and are deare vnto him by reason of their preseÌ„t aduersities maladies and miseries for ordinarily the wicked in whoÌ„ God hath no portion receiue all their pleasure and comfort in this life the godly here feele all their paine and suffer all their miseries that the wicked in the world to come may inherit vengeance and the godly eternall ioy and happinesse Secondly farre be it from vs to disdaine despight or despise Gods children in tribulation much lesse let vs aggrauaâ— their afflictions but let it be our practise to coÌ„dole with them to pity pray for and refresh reléeue them Heb. 13.3 Am. 6.6 CHAP. IIII. Of common crosses and particularly of warre forraine and domesticall Question HOw are crosses to be diuided and distinguished A. They are either such publicke and priuate euils which are common to Gods children with the wicked or such temptations crosses and troubles that are proper and peculiar to Gods seruants Q. Which are those publicke euils to which good men and euill are indifferently subiect A. Warre plague famine oppression losses pouerty cosenage or deceit it Q. With what comfortable perswasions shall wee solace and support our selues in time of warre A. Albeit hostility and warre is a sore iudgement and the sword be more grieuous theÌ„ either famine or pestilence yet Gods children want not their consolations For first the sword of the enemy commeth not by chance but by Gods direction and appointment and that not onely for the triall and exercise of Gods children but for the punishment and destruction of his enemies Secondly the enemies rage and fury is not of a boundlesse extent but limited restrained ordered by the diuine prouidence for our good Thirdly though our enraged enemies doe or may sometimes yet not without Gods permission kill our bodies yet they cannot kill our soules nor depriue them of Gods fauour and his kingdome Fourthly neither sword war nor persecution can part the godly from their indissoluble vnion with Christ nor take them out of Gods handes and protection Fiftly if our cause bée good if the defence of our selues be vndertaken by aduise and counsell and withal we call vpon God for valour wisedome and victorie the successe cannot be but good neither néed wee feare the great multitude against vs for the battell is not ours but the Lords Sixtly though God sometimes to shew his iustice that he doth not winke at sinne but punish it vseth the enemies malice in the temporall ouerthrow of his children yet he doth withall shew his mercy in rescuing and sauing many and in turning the punishment of sinne in his children into a medicine and soueraigne salue Lastly God by the euils of warre wil cause vs more to desire peace and quietnesse and when wee haue obtained it the more to estéeme it and to bée thankefull to God for it For as the nights darkenes maketh the light of the Sunne more desirable as vallies set out the mountaines the champion country commendeth the woodland so doth warre declare and make knowne the excellency of peace Q. But what if in a lawfull war and in a good quarrell we now and then bee foiled and ouerthrowne how shall wee comfort our selues and what course shall we take A. First wee must know that by reason of Achans sinne that had stollen a Babylonish garment two hundred shekels of siluer and a wedge of gold the Israelites were put to flight by thâ— men of Ai and the Beniamites twice ouercame the Israelites that had a good cause because they fought not in faith nor repented them of their sins as they did afterwards wherefore wée must
rooted in the heart and it continueth for euer Lastly it causeth vs to loue looke and long for the life to come Q. How a man must imprint and ground these meditations in his heart A. Hee must abstaine from all impiety and vnrighteousnesse and practise the duties of holines and righteousnes for God will reueale his secrets to the humble and to them that feare him Psal. 25.11 Gen. 18.10 Secondly hee must be frequent and feruent in the holy vse of the Word Sacraments and Prayer for hereby faith and hope are wrought maintained encreased Q. Why doe Gods children die seeing that their sinnes are not imputed to them and the image of God which consisteth in the knowledge of the sauing truth and in true holinesse and righteousnesse is repaired in them A. I answere first though sinne bee not imputed to them and so they cannot be condemned for it yet all sinne is not wholy taken away Secondly regeneration is onely in this life begun and in dayly progresse Thirdly God will haue the godly to die the temporary death as well as the wicked that they acknowledging the seuerity of Gods anger against sin may learne to hate it Fourthly that they may lay downe the remnants of sinne and the adherâ—nt miseries And lastly that they may haue experience of the power of God who raiseth vp the dead Q. Whether that death may be desired and wished for A. It may not simply and absolutely be desired for it is an euill and against nature and therefore not to be desired but conditionally we may lawfully desire death Q. In what respects may it be desired A. In two respects principally First as it is a way and means to deliuer vs wholy from the burden bondage and slauery of all sinne and to free vs from all the maladies and miseries of this wretched life Secondly as it is a meanes and instrument to bring vs to the manifest and glorious vision and sight of God to the immediate and euerlasting fellowship and communion of the whole Trinity the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Q Whether that a Christian may lawfully desire life A. Yes in some respect namely iâ— we desire to doe further good before wée die and make the glory of God the end and scope of our life for God will bee glorified in vs so long as we liue in this earthly Tabernacle And therefore euery man must obediently walke in his calling vntill it shall please God to remoue and translate him hence and hee must rather séeke to honour God and do seruice to his Church then respect his heauenly aduancement Ob. But the longer that we liue the more we multiplie sinne and offend our God and therefore wee may not lawfully desire life A. The Argument is not good For first Gods children sinne not wittingly and willingly nor make a trade of sinne as wicked men doe Secondly their sinnes are couered and not imputed vnto them Lastly the good that they be examples and instruments of is much more pleasing and acceptable to God and to good men then their infirmities and imperfections are distastfull Q. What is required that a man may die well and blessedly A. Two things First a preparation against death Secondly a right disposition in death Q. Is preparation against death necessarie A. Yea for first we must néeds die for sinne hath deserued and procured it and God thereupon hath imposed it Secondly in what state soeuer the day of death leaueth vs in the same state the day of iudgement shall find vs. Thirdly this preparation cutteth off and preuenteth much sinne in vs which wee would otherwise designe and commit Fourthly death is our enemy and our last greatest enemy and therefore we must by faith in our Lord Iesu labour and striue to subdue quell him Lastly this is our last iourney and if we dispatch it happily and according to Christ our Captaines direction it will forthwith after our death conuey vs into heauen Q Wherein doth this preparation consist A. In sundry meditations and duties Q. What must wee principally meditate vpon A. First we must before hand thinke on our latter end and not foolishly accuse old age or nature for death commeth is inflicted from God Secondly me must betimes thinke on on the right composing and ordering of our liues namely whether that wee haue ceased to doe euill and haue done what good we could for otherwise death will ouertake vs we wil wish that we had done it when it is too late Luk. 13. v. 35. Thirdly we must know that Christ hath abolished eternall death and made our temporary death an entrance to the Father Fourthly we must contemplate and muse vpon the glorious resurrection of the body which will much comfort and refresh vs. Lastly we must cast our thoughts vpon that most excellent and eternall waight of glory reserued for vs in the heauens which doth infinitely surpasse and ouerway all temporall afflictions whatsoeuer Q. What duties must the sicke man performe in generall A. Thrée duties First towards God Secondly towards his neighbour and lastly towards himselfe Q. What duties is he to perform towards God A. He must séeke to be reconciled vnto God and for this end he must repaire and renue his faith and repentance partly because many times in temptation hee looseth somthing and partly because hee daily slippeth or committeth new sinnes which require a new act of faith and repentance Secondly he must constantly confesse Christ and proclaime and publish how many wayes God hath beene good to his soule and body Lastly hee must by the eyes of faith view contemplate looke vpon Christ the brazen serpent and then death shall neuer sting him Q. Why must hee performe these duties towards God A. Because ordinarily sicknesses paines and diseases are sent and inflicted of God for a punishment and for our reformation and amendment as most clearely appeareth in many places of holy Scriptures Lament 3.39 Math. 9.2 Joh. 5.74 Q. What seruices oweth the sickeman to his neighbour and what duties is he to performe towards him A. Hee must performe all duties of piety loue and righteousnes and Magistrates and Ministers must not onely commaund and exhort their people subiects hearers to listen to and obey sound doctrine and Christ his blessed Gospell but also they must by all possible means endeauour that they after their death may leaue them in as holy and happy estate as they found them Act. 20.28 2. Pet. 1. v. 5. Q. What duties is he to performe to his wife children family A. First he must aduise and perswade them to constancy and to obedience of the sauing truth for his words spoken at such a time leaue the greatest impression in the minds of them that heare him Secondly he must for the peace of his owne soule and for the preuenting and cutting of many néedlesse suites and contentions in law that might arise after his death in equity
their tenâ—s about them and to preserue their soules and bodies from the power and practises of Satan and his instruments namely so far forth as is expedient for them Q. How may a man be certified that he is in the couenant of grace A. By a liuely faith applying to himselfe the sauing promises of God in Christ and by the fruits of it in true repentance and obedience Q Deliuer some generall restauratiues and remedies against the practises of witchcraft A. They that are annoied by witches and the practises of withcraft must practise thrée duties First they must note that sinne is the true and proper cause of it as may appeare in Saul vexed with an euill spirit in Hymeneus and Alexander for their pestilent errors giuen vp vnto Satan and in the incestuous Corinthian 1. Cor. 5.5 And therefore they must neuer rest vntill that they haue found out this sinne and withall wounded and slaine it Secondly they must shew forth by hearty praier and fasting their faith whereby they rely on Gods méere mercy and herein they must pray absolutely for the pardon of their sinnes but conditionally for deliuerance from the hurts and torments of witches and sorcerers for they are but temporall euils Lastly they must comfort themselues in this that the diuell and his instruments are but Gods executioners who directeth their practises to his childrens good and that he being a most wise God and a louing father in Christ will not suffer them to be tried and exercised aboue their ability but will in his good time either in this life or in the end of this life by death eternally deliuer them and put them in present possession of euerlasting ease and happinesse Q. What is possession A. It is when the diuell is manifestly present either in the whole body or in some part of it so that he hath the power and gouernment of it As for examples sake when he possesseth the instrument of the voice as the tongue and withall maketh the party possessed to speake strange languages which formerly he neuer either heard or vnderstood and when he causeth the party possessed to giue notice of secrets and of things done farre off Q. Whether is there any possession in thâ—se daies or no A. Though possession by euill spirits is in these daies of truth but rare and of few noted yet there is and will be such And this the Writers of the Centuries doe record to haue fallen out in euery age and frequent experience in our own kingdome doth also confirme it Secondly the causes of possession namely sinne as the meritorious cause of it and the demonstration and execution of Gods iustice as the finall cause cease not for sinne is as rife yea more raging then euer heretofore and God is as iust to punish sinne as at any time and then why should there not be possession an effect of it Thirdly the proper signes and symptomes of possession namely lowd crying of the party possessed renoing of his body and his lying dead at the point of his dispossession are in these daies descried and obserued and why is there not then the thing signified Lastly the ordinary meanes of expelling Satan namely praier and fasting remaine and why not possession Obiection Q But the miraculous and extraordinary gift of eiecting euill spirits out of the possessed is now altogether ceased Ergo there is now no reall and bodily possession A. The argument followeth not for though possession in our daies be farre more rare then in Christ and the Apostles times the miraculous gift of casting them out by miracle be ceased yet there is an ordinary course remaining and left to the Church namely praier and fasting and not without good reason for there is no temptation but God hath prouided a remedy for it and much more for such an extraordinary affliction â—nd hereupon when the Disciples of Christ hauing iointly receiued power and authority to cast out diuels and when they assaying to cast out Satan out of one of the Scribes sonnes and because satan yéelded not at first and they beganne to doubt of the sufficiencie of their authority they had no successe for the gift of miraculous faith was for the time interrupted hereupon Christ referreth them to the ordinary meanes namely praier and fasting Obiection But God hath made promises to his children that Satan shal haue no power ouer them A. All temporall blessings whereof this is one are promised with condition namely so farre forth as may stand with Gods good pleasure and the good of his children and not otherwise but it is his decrée and for his childrens profit sometimes to be bewitched and annoied by Satans instruments Q Whether those that were vexed by euill spirits in the time that Christ liued on the earth or in any age sithence were onely obsessed and outwardly tormented by Satan or possessed by the substantiall inherence of him in their bodies A. No doubt they were tormented both waies Touching obsession there is no question and touching possession it is apparant by these and the like arguments First by a distinct voice heard out of the person possessed differing from his owne naturall voice Secondly by the speaking of the hardest languages which the party possessed neuer formerly vnderstood Thirdly our blessed Sauiour Christ cast out a diuell out of a man and bad him enter in no more Fourthly the vncleane spirit being gone out of a man and finding no test elsewhere purposeth and endeuoureth to returne into his house from whence he came Ergo he was formerly in it Lastly a few words satisfie men not conceited or contentious the experience of most ages and the iudgement of the most Orthodox Diuines proueth it Q. Whether that Gods children may be at any time or are in these daies possessed by euill spirits A. Yea truly first in these outward things al may fall alike to the good bad Secondly Satan by Gods permission had power ouer the blessed body of our Sauiour Christ and transported it from place to place viz. from the wildernesse to a wing of the temple in Ierusalem Thirdly Satan infected Iobs body with lothsome and pestilent botches and boiles yea and ouerturned the house wherein Iobs children were vpon them and so crushed and squéesed them in péeces Fourthly holy and blessed Paul was buffeted by satan Fifthly a daughter of Abraham was troubled eightéene yéeres with a spirit of infirmity for Satan so bowed her that she could not lift vp her head Sixthly the woman of Canaan her daughter was vexed with a diuell Seuenthly the child of a true beléeuer was by satan possessed Eighthly the experience of all ages and times more or lesse verifieth and iustifieth the truth of this assertion Lastly fatherly and temporary chasâ—isements yet remaine but possession is to Gods children but a temporary fatherly chastisement Q. What generall comforts and directions are there against possession A. First
faith and sanctification in particular Q. What is distresse of mind A. A liuely â—éeling of Gods displeasure for sinne committed whereupon the person distressed is in suspense of Gods fauour and of his saluation and doth further expect the increase of the same distresse Q. Why is it put in the first place A. Because it is the most bitter and grieuous crosse of all others Q. Render some reasons of your assertion A. First because they that are hereby tried exercised and buffeted striue not with men who are weake and mortall but with God almighty who is highly offended with them and is a reuenging God Secondly no outward act physicke counsell medicines might or meanes can possibly relieue and cure such but onely the word and spirite of God reuealing and applying the bloud and obedience of Christ vnto the party afflicted Thirdly such distressed soules are more tormented by the coueting and remoouing all sense and feeling of his graces then if they should be put to all the racks and gibbets in the world insomuch that in their symptomes they are moued and drawne sometimes not onely to complaine of God but to blaspheme him and to crie out that they are damned Lastly these temptations and distresses doe of all torments most néerely resemble the paines of the damned and hereupon Dauid saith that the paines of hell gat hold on him Q. For what ends and purposes doth God oftentimes so tâ—ouble and afflict the minds and consciences of his children A. For diuers ends First that they finding to their griefe how odious sinne is in Gods sight may bee the more stricken downe yea and confounded in themselues and so be the more mightily stirred vp to godly sorrow Secondly God will hereby checke correct spirituall pride in them by reason of illumination reuelation graces acts done c. Hereupon Paul saith of himself that lest he should be exalted out of measure by spiritual reuelations God sent the messenger of Satan to buffet him and the pricke in the flesh to humble and exercise him God hereby like a good Physitian letteth them bloud and easeth them of all ill humors of pride worldlines loosenesse of life security c. and estrangeth them from the friendship and familiarity of wicked men Thirdly God will hereby trie and proue that is make knowne to themselues and others their faith and a traine of most excellent vertues that follow and attend vpon it Fourthly they hereby when they are once deliuered shall be more compassionate to their brethren in the like extremitie For as one péece of yron cannot be souldred and fastened to another vnlesse both péeces bee made red hote and beaten together so one Christian member cannot bee soundly affected to another vnlesse both haue had experience of the same or the like misery Q. What if temptations and afflictions bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of long durance how then shall a Christian man hold out and lose no ground A First by considering that besides the long afflictions of Iob Dauid Hanna a daughter of Abraham that was bowed by Satan 18. yeares and the distresses of particular persons in all ages the children of Israel were long in captiuity in Egypt in Caldea in Babylon the ten generall persecutions were of long continuance but the end and issue of all were happy and blessed Secondly God by the long continuance hereof doth cure many desperate sins in them and preuent many euils into which otherwise they would cast themselues headlong these long continuing plasters will fall off as soon as the wounds are cured Thirdly the lenger that the deliuerance is deferred the more comfortable will it be when it commeth Lastly if processe of time rid them not away yet death will end them Vse Wherefore let vs humble our selues vnder Gods mighty hand let vs séeke his face and desire his mercy which being obtained let vs sinne no more lest a worse thing befall vs let vs then beware an after-clap Q. From what speciall causes doth distresse and anguish of minde arise A. From two the one inward originall namely a déepe apprehension or rather an ouerrating of sinne committed and the other outward and occasionall namely crosses calamities dangers distresses persecutions and troubles Q. What meditations are good for our restitution and for the regaining of Gods fauour once felt and enioied A. We must remember and weigh diuers things First that in these desertions the Saints of God in all ages share and are copartners with vs. Secondly that they are finite momentany and sufferable Thirdly that if they bee weyed in a ballance either with the horrours and torments of the damned from which Christ hath deliuered vs or with the glorious ioyes of heauen wherein our Lord hath slated vs they are as nothing and therefore wee are more patiently and ioyfully to vndergoe them 2. Cor. 4.17 Heb. 10.37 Fourthly if these temptations bee great grieuous then they like strong purgations will worke our greatest peace at length Fifthly we must note that the way to heauen is not strawed with flowers and roses but set with thornes and therefore we ought to be well shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace Eph. 6. Sixtly God will not long leaue vs comfortlesse but as the temptation aboundeth so shall the consolation much more and the euent shall bee alwaies good Seuenthly God doth sometimes forsake vs so that wee sinne greatly and sometimes that we are hopelesse in our troubles that Gods fauour recouered should be more estéemed of vs. For as the morning light is more comfortable after the darkenesse of the night as walking after sléepe health after sicknes a calme after a storme and peace after war so is Gods loue more admired after and his fauour more desirable acceptable when sundry temptations and desertions haue gone before Lastly God in due season will bring these dolefull desertions to an excellent issue and to a blessed conclusion Q. What vse are wee to make hereof A. First we must bée héedfull that wee doe not rashly and vncharitably censure any of Gods afflicted children as though they were finally forsaken For whom God loueth most hee chastiseth most and he putteth his chiefest Champions and Worthies to the greatest hazards Secondly wee must neuer promise to our selues any immunity from these troubles and trials but arme and prepare our selues against them Lastly we must not pine away in our troubles nor despaire but wee must liue by faith and waite vpon our God vntill he gloriously deliuer vs. Q. With what comfortable directions and rules are the consciences of Gods children to bee relieued that are vexed in soule by reason of some grieuous sinne committed A. First they must know that God in the matter of our saluation worketh by the contraries and turneth the poison of the sinne of his children into excellent preseruatiues and restoratiues therefore hee sometimes so leaueth them to
themselues that they commit some great sinne that woundeth the conscience that his grace may be more conspicuous and apparant in their recouery and that they hauing felt the waight of Gods displeasure may be more watchfull and wary for the time to come Secondly they must remember that Christ his satisfaction to Gods iustice is of infinite value and worth and that if they doe by the hand of a liuely faith apply it to their soules it will cure the wounds of their soules be they neuer so great Thirdly if they debase themselues before God and strip themselues of all opinion of their own worthines withall truely desire to be reconciled vnto God then God will giue grace to the humble and accept the will for the deede Fourthly that doubting and desperation is like the great monster Golias that defieth the liuing God and therefore we must not yeeld to it but resist it and with the fling and sword of Gods word slay it Lastly they must meditate vpon Gods swéet mercies past present to come laye his pretious promises close to their harts and they will be so many flagons of wine and apples of comfort to reuiue their fainting soules Q. With what considerations shall Gods children comfort themselues wheÌ„ God for the time delayeth either to remoue or to mitigate inward or outward afflictions A. First that God is the author of them and not man onely or principally and that he turneth them in the end vnto the speciall good of his children Rom. 8.18 Secondly that Gods children of all times are subiect to this temptation and are our companions and copartners herein 1. Pet. 5.9 Thirdly that the longer that our temptations endure the more easie will they be and that the more violent they bee like the blustering and stormie windes the sooner they will end for nullum violentum est perpetuum and God will not such is his tender compassion and indulgence haue his children tempted aboue their measure and strength Fourthly that the Lord Iesu hath long sithence drunke vp the poisoned dregges of affliction and hath sanctified and swéetned the remainders of it vnto them Fifthly God is present with his in trouble he by his spirit doth instruct direct comfort and strengthen them and â—ill in good time graciously and gloriously by life or death frée and deliuer them Q. What is a second though an accidentall and occasionall cause that causeth and encreaseth distresse of mind A. Melancholy Q. What is melancholy A. It is in regard of the outward matter and original of it a kind of earthy and blacke bloud especially in the splene corrupted distempered which when the splene is stopt conueieth it selfe to the heart and braine and there what by his corrupt substance and infectious quality and what by corrupt spirits annoieth both braine and heart the seats and instruments of reason vnderstanding and affections Q. How doth melancholly breed and nourish distresse of mind and conscience A. By furthering euill and fearefull conceits for when the mind of the melancholick person hath imagined conceiued and presented to it selfe dreadfull things then affection worketh vpon it and then iointly from the mind and affection disturbed and distempered procéed feares horrours desperations Q How is distresse and griefe of mind to be distinguished from melancholy A. Many waies First melancholy may beare sway and preuaile when the conscience is in a slumber and no whit disquieted Secondly distresse of conscience perplexeth the whole man but melancholy troubleth the imagination only Thirdly distresse of conscience ariseth from the knowledge of sinne and from the feare and féeling of Gods indignation but the feare and distresse that is occasioned by melancholy ariseth from pretended and supposed causes Fourthly he that is distressed in conscience may and hath courage in all other things but the melancholick person feareth misdoubteth euery thing Lastly melancholy is curable by physicke but distresse of conscience can by no other meanes be remoued but by faith in Christ his merits and mediation Q. How is melancholy to be cured A. First the melancholick person must be brought not only to an acknowledgement of his sinnes in generall but of some speciall sinne in particular that so his melancholike sadnes may be turned into a godly sorrow Secondly hee must bee distinctly acquainted with the precious promises of God made to repentant sinners Psal. 97 10. Thirdly hee must touching the outward state of his body suffer himselfe to be gouerned by his friends and men of skill or else he must be contained in order by violence Fourthly he must suffer nothing to enter into his heart that may vex and disquiet him Lastly the ordinary meanes of physicke must be vsed for it serueth to abate the euill humor of the body and to cure the distemper of it Q. What are the principall and vsuall effects of distresse of soule and conscience A. Six especially first sadnesse and heauinesse secondly troublesome and vnquiet dreames thirdly wearisomenesse of this present life by reason of daily discontentments fourthly desperation of saluation fifthly feare of the last iudgement lastly feare and expectation of hell fire Q. What comforts and remedies are there against this sadnes and heauinesse A. First in this temptation a Christian man must by the feet of his faith and the wings of his affection come yea and flie vnto Christ and take vpon him the yoke of his fatherly correction and then he shall finde rest vnto his soule Secondly let him looke and long for the Lords gracious and fauourable presence no otherwise then the sea-beaten traueller longeth and looketh for the hauen and euen as the eies of seruants looke vnto the hands of their masters and as the eies of a maiden vnto the hands of her mistresse so his eies must wait vpon the Lord his God vntill hee haue mercy vpon him Thirdly he must with Iacob wrestle with God by praier and not cease to vrge and importune him vntill he blesse him and then he shall at length preuaile with him and haue his quietus est Fourthly he must consult and be aduised by the Ministers and Preachers of Gods word to whom he hath giuen the tongue of the learned that they should know how to minister a word in season to the weary and comfort the foeble minded Fifthly the greater that his vnquietnesse is the more must he fasten and fixe his minde vpon Christ in whom alone he shall finde peace For as he that climeth vp a ladder the higher that hee ascendeth the more fast hold he taketh so the more that a man is oppressed with heauinesse the more earnestly should he fix and fasten his mind vpon the Lord Iesu. Sixthly hee must turne and transchange his worldly sorrow into a godly sorrow for then his sadnes shall end in gladnes and his sorrow in singing no otherwise then after raine commeth faire weather and after stormes calmes Seuenthly he
blessed truth yet we must be Martyrs in desire and affection and then God will accept the will for the deed for there is Martyrium sine flammâ— i. a martyrdome without a fagot Secondly we must not estéeme nor thinke the firie tryall as some strange thing but reioyce in as much as wee are hereby made partakers of Christ his sufferings that when his glory shall appeare wee may bée gladde and reioice Thirdly wee must comfort and stay our selues in the expectation of the fearefull end that abideth Gods enemies they shall soone be cut off their pompe shall be despised and soon vanish away Psal. 73.19 They are Gods rods to correct and disciplinate his children by who when they haue done their office must bée cast into the fire and consumed Lastly there is no persecution so generall and grieuous but many shall bée preserued in it and from it and after long wrestling God will grant a breathing time Q. What if Gods children cannot be suffered to bee buried when they are dead what shall wee iudge of them or how shall we comfort our selues against this euill A. Their dead bodies are members of Christ temples of the holy Ghost and they shall rise againe in glory to eternall life therefore we may not iudge them accursed Secondly the want of buriall doth nothing hurt them as the performance of it doth nothing profite the wicked as for these funerall solemnities they are rather viuorum solatia quam mortuorum auxilia id est Comforts for the liuing then helps for the dead Thirdly many of Gods Saints yea some most blessed Martyres haue wanted buriall Psal 79.2 and yet haue béene receiued vp into glory Apoc. 11. ver 12. Fourthly other euils as death by drowning by fire by earthquakes by the fall of houses by the cruell rage of wild beasts c. are as much if not more to be feared Fifthly Tegitur coelo qui non habet vrnam The skie is to them in stead of a coffin Sixthly though some Personages be neuer so sumptuously entombed and gloriously buried yet must the worms in the body consume the bodies of such Seuenthly the want of buriall though it is a curse to Gods enemies who perish both in soule and body yet it is but a fatherly and fauourable chasticement to his children and can neuer part nor diuorce them from him and his loue Lastly though sometimes the dead bodies of Gods Saints want buriall yet they féele no smart and their soules in glorie cannot and do not behold the lothsomnes of their vnburied bodies Q. What vse is to bee made hereof A. First we must not so much trouble our selues about this matter but commit the disposition of our dead corps to Gods prouidence and the care of the liuing Secondly let vs bury our sinnes in Christ his graue and sepulchre and then the want of buriall and funerall solemnities shall neither shame vs nor harm vs. Lastly if in the heate of personall persecution the bodies of Gods saints knowne vnto vs and neare vs do want buriall wee must after the manner of those deuoute brethren that buried Stephen enterre them for hereby we do not onely testifie our loue and reuerence towards them but also declare our good hope of their glorious resurrection Q. By what speciall considerations are we to arme and hearten our selues against persecutions A. First wee know it is the lot of Gods children to bee persecuted of the wicked in euery generation but most notably in the raigne and rage of Antichrist For they that are borne after the flesh will persecute them that are borne after the spirit and therefore why should wee bee so offended at persecutions hauing so many compartners and companions herein Secondly that we are hereby made conâ—ormable vnto Christ our Captaine leader and guide and therefore if wee suffer with him we shal raign with him Thirdly that Gods power and his goodnes doth as much appeare in priuatiue blessings as in positiue for God is with vs in trouble he when it pleaseth him represseth the power checketh the malice of the enemy reformeth and refineth vs and giueth a ioyfull issue euasion and euent to our afflictions Fourthly that persecution is a badge ensign and ornament of the true church for hereby open enemies take occasion to oppose themselues against Gods seruants and hypocrites and time seruers are discouered Fifthly that persecution is a schoole-master to make vs vnderstand Gods will and a plaine commentary of Gods word for wee learne that by experience which we heard by the publik ministery Lastly persecution is good for Gods children whether they escape it or die by it for God doth order it for their profite and happines and they are gainers by it many wayes Luk. 18.28.29.30 Q. What duties are wee to performe in persecution A. First we are to prepare our selues against it by daily mortification and by the experience of the swéet and heauenly societie that wee haue with our blessed God that dwelleth in vs and so we shal learne to die daily Secondly let vs be assured that we suffer as Christians and not as malefactors and then wée are not to bee ashamed but to glorifie God in that behalfe For we are Gods Worthies and his champions placed in the theatre of the world and if we fight stoutely wisely in our Lords quarrell and cause he wil honour and aduance vs accordingly both here and hereafter Thirdly because persecution is not onely a triall but also a correction for our sinnes wee must entreat the Lord to pardon them and then the flame of affliction shall brighten vs but not burne vs scoure vs but not consume vs. Fourthly we must possesse our soules and the graces of God by our patience we must seeke the Lord in our trouble and he will be found of vs and it is our dutie with Moses for our encouragement more to looke vnto the infinite and transcendent measure of reward in the kingdome of heauen then eyther the Sunne-shine of present prosperity or the blustering windes of persecution Fifthly persecution doth only touch the vestment and garment of our body but cannot reach vnto the fort of our faith nor the hold of our heart and therefore it ought the lesse to astonish and distract vs. Sixthly let it bee our wisedome and practise in the blustering tempests and the weltering waues of the worlds persecutions to adhere vnto and stand fast vpon Christ the rocke and then wee shall not néede to feare the waues vnder vs much lesse dread drowning Lastly if it please God temporally to deliuer vs let vs receiue Gods precious word with greater ioy for when men and outward meanes faile vs it wil be a staffe and stay to vs in all our tribulations and fill vs full of comfort and hope for the law of the Lord is perfite conuerting the soule the testimony of the Lord is sure and giueth