were once glorious on earth and are now triumphing in Heaven did look upon the mercy of God as the most powerfull argument to preserve them from sin and to fence their souls against sin and not as an encouragement Psal 26. 3 4 5 6. to sin Psal 26. 3 4 5 6. For thy loving kindnesse is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy truth I have not sat with vaine persons neither will I goe in with dissemblers I have hated the Congregation of evill doers and will not sit with the wicked So Joseph strengthens himselfe against sin from the remembrance of mercy How then can I saith he doe this great Gen. 39. 9. wickednesse and sin against God He had fixt his eye upon mercy and therefore sin could not enter though the irons entred into his soul his soul being taken with mercy was not moved by his Mistrisses impudency Satan knock't oft at the door but the sight of mercy would not suffer him to answer or open Joseph like a Pearle in a Puddle keeps his vertue still So Paul Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound God Rom. 6. 1 2. The stone called Pâ—ntaurus is of that vertue that it preserves him that carries it from taking any harm by poison the mercy of God in Christ to our souls is the most precious stone or Pearleâ— in the world to preserve us from being poysoned with sin forbid how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein There is nothing in the world that renders a man more unlike to a Saint and more like to Satan then to argue from mercy to sinfull liberty from Divine goodnesse to licentiousnesse this is the Devils Logick and in whom ever you find it you may write This soul is lost A man may aâ— truly say the Sea burns or fire cools as that free grace and mercy should make a soul truly gracious to doe wickedly So the same Apostle I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service So John These things I write unto you that you sin not What was it that he wrote He wrote that we might have fellowship with the Father and his Son 1 John 2. 1 2. and that the Blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin and that if we confesse our sins he is just and faith full to forgive us our sins and that if we doe sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous These choyce favours and mercies the Apostle holds forth as the choycest means to preserve the soul from sin and to keep at the greatest distance from sin and if this won't doe it you may write the man void of Christ and grace and undone for ever The sixt Device that Satan hath to 6 Device draw the soule to sin is by perswading the soul that the work of Repentance is â—n easie work and that therefore the soul need not make such a matter of sin why suppose you do sin saith Satan 't is no such difficult thing to return and confesse and be sorrowfull and beg pardon and cry Lord have mercy upon me and if you doe but this God will cut the score and pardon your sins and save your souls c. By this Device Satan draws many a soul to sin and makes many millions of souls servants or rather slaves to sin c. Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy is seriously to consider 1 Remedy Fallen man hath lost imperium suum and imperium sui the command of himselfe and the command of the creatures and certainly he that cannot command himselfe cannot repent of himselfe Da poenitentiaÌ„ postea indulgentiam said dying Fulgentius that Repentance is a mighty work a difficult work a work that is above our power There is no power below that power that raised Christ from the dead and that made the world that can break the heart of a sinner or turn the heart of a sinner thou art as well melt Adamant as to melt thine owne heart to turn a flint into flesh as to turn thine own heart to the Lord to raise the dead and to make a world as to Repent Repentance is a flower that growes not in Natures garden Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may yee also doe good that are accustomed to doe evill Jer. 13. 23. Repentance is a gift that comes down from above men are not born with Repentance in their hearts as they are borne with tongues in their mouths Acts. 5. It was a vain brag of King Cyrus that caused it to be written upon his Tomb-stone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I could doe all things So could Paul too but it was through Christ which strengthned him 31. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give Repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sins So in that 2 Tim. 2. 25. In meeknesse instructing them that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth 'T is not in the power of any mortall to repent at pleasure Some ignorant deluded souls vainly conceit that these five words Lord have mercy upon me are efficacious to send them to Heaven but as many are undone by buying a counterfeit Jewell so many are in Hell by mistake of their Repentance many rest in their Repentance though it be but the shadow of Repentance which caused one to say Repentance damneth more then sin The second Remedy against this Device 2 Râ—medy of Satan is solemnly to consider of the nature of true Repentance Repentance is some other thing then what vain men conceive Repentance is sometimes taken in a more strict and narrow The Hebrew word for Repentance is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to returne implying a going back from what a man had don it notes a returning or converting from one thing to another from sin to God The Greeks have two words by which they expresse the nature of repentance one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to be carefull anxious solicitous after a thing is done the other word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is resipiscentia after-wit or after-wisdom the minds recovering of wisdome or growing wiser after our folly Ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dementia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 post it being the correction of mens folly and returning ad sanam mentem True repentance is a thorough change both of the mind and manners optima aptissima poenitentia est nova vita saith Luther which saying is an excellent saying Repentance for sin is nothing worth without repentance from sin If thou repent with a contradiction saith Tertullian God will pardon thee with a contradiction thou repentest and yet continuest in
is of wrought gold it makes men looke gloriously and speak gloriously and walke and act gloriously so that vaine souls shall be Acts 4. vers 8. to vers 15. forced to say that these are they that have seen Jesus as grace is a fire to burn up and consume the drosse and filth of the soule so it is an ornament to 2 Cor. 5. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a new creation new Adam new Covenant new Paradise new Creation new Lord new Law new hearts new natures go together beautifie and adorn the soule True grace makes all new the inside new and the out-side new If any man be in Christ he is a new creature but temporary grace doth not this True grace changes the very nature of a man morall vertue doth only restrain or chain up the outward man it doth not change the whole man a Lion in a grate is a Lion still he is restrained but not changed for he retains his Lion-like nature still so temporary graces restraine many men from this and that wickedness but it doth not change and turn their hearts from wickednesse but now true grace that turnes a Lion into a Lamb as you may see in Paul Acts 9. and a notorious strumpet into a blessed and glorious Penitent as you may see in Mary Magdalen c. Luke 7. 2. The objects of true grace are supernaturall true grace is conversant about the choisest and the highest objects 2 Cor. 4. 18. chap. 11. Hebr. 15. Prov. 14. A Saint hath his feet where other mens heads are Matth. 6. about the most soul-enobling and soul-greatning objects as God Christ precious promises that are more worth then a world and a Kingdome that shakes not a Crown of glory that withers not and Heavenly treasures that rust not The objects of temporary grace are low and poor and alwayes within the compasse of reasons reach 3. True grace inables a Christian when he is himselfe to do spirituall actions with reall pleasure and delight To souls truly gracious Christs yoke is Mat. 11. 30. 1 John 5. 3. Rom. 7. 22. easie and his burden is light his commandements are not grievous but joyous I delight in the law of God after the inward man saith Paul the blessed man is described by this that he delights in the law Psal 1. 2. of the Lord 'T is joy to the just to doe judgment Prov. 21. 15. saith Solomon To a gracious soul all the wayes of the Lord are pleasantnesse and his paths are peace But to souls that have but temporary grace but morall vertues religious services are a toile not a pleasure a burden and not a delight Wherefore have we fasted say they Isa 58. 3. and thou seest not wherefore have wee afflicted Mal. 3. 14. our soules and thou takest no knowledg c. Yee have said say those in Malachi it is vaine to serve God and what profit is it that wee have kept his Ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts When will the new Moone be gone say those in Amos that Amos 8. 5. we may sell corne and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat making the Epha small and the shekell great and falsifying the balances by deceit Fourthly True grace makes a man most carefull and most fearfull of his owne heart it makes him most studious about his owne heart informing that examining that and P 〈…〉 51. 10. Psal 119. 36. 80. Psal 139. 23. Psal 86. 11. Matth. 23. watching over that but temporary grace morall vertues make men more mindfull and carefull of others to instruct them and counsell them and stir up them and watch over them c. which doth with open mouth demonstrate that their graces are not saving and peculiar to Saints but that they are temporary and no more then what Judus Demas and the Pharisees had c. 5. Grace will work a mans heart to love and cleave to the strictest and hâ—liest wayes and things of God for their purity and sanctity in the face of all dangers and hardships Thy word is very Psal 119. 140. pure therefore thy servant loveth it others love it and like it and follow it for the credit the honour the advantage that they get by it but I love it for the spirituall beauty and purity of it So the Psalmist All this is come upon us Psal 44. 17 18 19. Grace is a panoply against all troubles a paradise of all pleasures yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant Our heart is not turned backe neither have our steps declined from thy way Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadowes of death But temporary grace that will not beare up the soule against all oppositions and discouragements in the wayes of God as is cleare by their apostacie in that sixt Mat. 13. 20 21. of John and by the stony grounds falling away c. 6. True grace will inable a man to step over the worlds Crown to take up Christs Crosse to preferre the crosse of Christ above the glory and bravery of this world It inabled Abraham and Moses and Daniel with those other Heb. 11. Worthies in the 11. of the Hebrews to do so Godfrey of Bullen first King of Jerusalem refused to be crowned with a Crown of Gold saying that it became Few are of Hieroms mind that had rather have St. Pauls coate with his heavenly graces then the purple of Kings with their Kingdoms 2 Tim. 4. 10. Mat. 19. 20 21 22. The King of Navarr told Beza that in the cause of Religion hee would launch no further into the Sea then he might be sure to return safe to the Haven not a Christian to weare a Crowne of Gold where Christ had wore a Crown of thornes oh but temporary grace cannot work the soul to prefer Christs crosse above the worlds Crowne but when these two meet a temporary Christian steps over Christs crosse to take up and keep up the worlds crown Demas hath for saken us to embrace this present world So the young man in the Gospel had many good things in him he bid fair for Heaven and came neer to Heaven but when Christ set his Crosse before him he steps over that to enjoy the worlds Crown When Christ bid him goe and sell all that he had and give to the poor c. He went away sorrowfull for he had great possessions If Heaven be to be had upon no other terms Christ may keep his Heaven to himselfe hee 'l have none c. Then in the seventh place consider this that sanctifying grace renewing grace puts the soule upon spirituall duties from spirituall and intrinsical motives as from the sense of divine love that doth constrain the soul to wait on As what I have if offered to thee pleaseth not thee oh Lord without my selfe
our graces the preserver of our mercies and the great promoter of holy duties Humility cannot finde three things on this side Heaven it cannot find fulnesse in the creature nor sweetnesse in sinne nor life in an Ordinance without Christ An humble soule always finds three things on this side Heaven the soule to be empty Christ to be full and every mercy and duty to be sweet wherein God is injoyed Humility can weep over other mens weaknesses and joy and rejoyce over their graces Humility will make a man 1 Thes 1. 2 3. quiet and contented in the meanest condition and 't will preserve a man from envying others prosperous condition Humility honours those that are strong in grace and puts two hands Ephes 3. 8. under those that are weak in grace Humility makes a man richer then other men and it makes a man judge himselfe the poorest among men Humility will see much good abroad when it can see but little at home Ah Christians though faith be the champion of grace and love thee nurse of grace yet humility is the beautifier of grace it casts a generall glory upon all the graces in the soule ah did Christians more abound in humility The humble soul is like the violet which grows low hangs the head downwards and hides it selfe with his own leaves and were it not that the fragrant smel of his many vertues discover him to the world he would choose to live and die in his self contenting secresie they would be lesse bitter froward and sower and they would be more gentle meek and sweet in their spirits and practises Humility will make a man have high thoughts of others and low thoughts of a mans selfe it will make a man see much glory and excellency in others and much basenesse and sinfulnesse in a mans selfe it will make a man see others rich and himself poor others strong and himself weak others wise and himself foolish Humility will make a man excellent at covering others infirmities and at recording their gracious services and at delighting in theâ—â— graces it makes a man joy in every light that out-shines his owne and in every winde that blowes others good Humility is better at beleeving then 't is at questioning other mens happinesse I judge saith an humble soul 't is well with these Christians now but it will be far better with them hereafter they are now upon the borders of the new Ierusalem and 't will be but as a day before they slide into Ierusalem An humble soule is willinger to say Heaven is that mans then mine and Christ is that Christians then mine and God is their God in Covenant then mine ah were Christians more humble there would be lesse fire and more love among them then now is c. Lastly as Satan hath his Devices Last Device to destroy gracious soules so he hath his devices to destroy poore ignorant soules and that sometimes BY drawing them to affect ignorance and to neglect slight and Hos 4. 6. Prov. 22. 29. despise the means of knowledg ignorance is the mother of mistake the of trouble error and of terrour Mat. 22. 29. 't is the high way to hell and it makes a man both a prisoner and a slave to the Devill at once Ignorance unmans a Ignorants have this advantage ut mitius ardeant they have a cooler hell man it makes a man a beast yea it makes him more miserable then the beast that perisheth there are none so easily nor so frequently taken in Satans snare as ignorant souls they are easily drawn to dance with the Devill all day and to dreame of supping with Christ at night c. Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedie against this Device 1 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that an ignorant heart is an evill heart without knowledge the minde is not good Prov. 19. 2. As an ignorant heart is a naughty heart 't is a heart in the dark and no Ignâ—â—at sane improbus omnis saith Aririsâ—otle Mâ—â— 6. 22. good can come into a dark heart but it must passe through the understanding and if the eye be darke all the body is dark A leprous head and a leprous heart are inseparable companions ignorant hearts are so evill that they let flye on all hands and spare not to spit their venone in the very face of God as Pharaoh did when thick darknesse was upon him The second Remedie against this Device 2 Remedie of Satan is to consider that ignorance is the deformity of the soule As blindnesse is the deformity of the face so is ignorance the deformity of the soule as the want of fleshly eyes spoils the beauty of the face so the want of spirituall eyes spoils the beauty of the soule A man without knowledg is as a work-man without his hands as a painter without his eyes as a traveller without his legs or as a ship without sailes or a bird without Wings or like a body without a soule The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that ignorance makes men the objects of Gods hatred and wrath It is a people Heb. 3. 10 11. They must needs eâ—re that know not Gods wayes yet cannot they wander so wide as to misse of hell Isa 27. 11. 2 Thes 1. 8. that do erre in their hearts and have not knowne my wayes Wherefore I sware in my wrath they should never enter into my rest My people are a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will have no mercy on them Christ hath said that he will come in flaming fire to render vengeance on them that know not God Ignorance will end in vengeance When you see a poor blind man here you doe not loath him nor hate him but you pity him oh but soul-blindness makes you abhominable in the sight of God God hath sworn that ignorant persons shall never come into Heaven Heaven Hos 4. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cut off Rome saith Ignorance is the mother of devotion but the Scripture faith 't is the mother of destruction 4 Remedy it selfe would be a hell to ignorant soules My people are destroyed for want of knowledge because thou hast rejected knowledge I will reject thee Chilo one of the seven Sages being asked what God had done answered he exalted humble men and suppressed proud ignorant fooles The fourth Remedie against this device of Satan is to consider that ignorance is a sin that leads to all sins All sins are seminally in ignorance You doe Mat. 22. 29. erre not knowing the Scriptures It puts men upon hating and persecuting the Saints They shall hate you and put you Iohn 16. 2 3. out of the Synagogues yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that Aristotle makes ignorance the mother of all the misrule in the world 1 Tim. 1.
golden cup and hide the poison to present the sweet the pleasure and the profit that may flow in upon the soule by yielding to sin and by hiding from the soule the wrath and misery that will certainly follow the committings of sin By this Device he took our first Parents Genesis 3. 4 5. And the Serpent said unto the woman yee shall not surely die For God doth So to reduce D. Taylor Martyr they promised him not onely his pardon but a Bishoprick Act. and Mon. folio 1386. Inest peccatum cum delectaris regnat si consenâ— serâ— August in Psal 50. know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evill Your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods here is the baite the sweet the pleasure the profit Oh! but he hides the hook the shame the wrath and the losse that would certainly follow There is an opening of the eyes of the mind to contemplation and joy and there is an opening of the eyes of the body to shame and confusion He promiseth them the former but intends the latter and so cheats them giving them an Apple in exchange for Paradise as he deales by thousands now adayes Satan with ease puts fallacies upon us and then by his golden baites leads us and leaves us in a fools Paradise he promises the soule honour pleasure and profit c. but paye's the soule with the greatest contempt shame and losse that can be by a golden bait he laboured to catch Christ This world at last shall be burnt for a witch sayeth one Multi amando res noxias sunt miseri habendo miseriores August in Psa 26. Many are miserable by loving hurtfull things but they are more miserable by having them Men had need pray with Bernard Da domine ut sic possideamus tempora lia ut non perdamus aeterna Grant us Lord that wee may so partake of temporall felicity that we may not loose eternall in the 4 of Mat. 8. 9. he shewes him the beauty and the bravery of a bewitching world which doubtlesse would have taken many a carnall heart but here the devils fire fell upon wet tinder therefore took not these tempting objects did not at all win upon his affections nor dazle his eyes though many have eternally died of the wound of the eye and fallen for ever by this vile Strumpet the world who by laying forth her two faire breasts of profit and pleasure hath wounded their soules and cast them downe into utter perdition she hath by the glistering of her pomp and preferment slaine millions as the Sâ—rpent Scytale which when she cannot overtake the fleeing passengers doth with her beautifull colours astonish and amaze them so that they have no power to passe away till she have stung them to death Adversity hath slain her thousand but prosperity her ten thousand Now the Remedies against this Device of the Devil are these FIrst keep at the greatest distance from 1 Remedy sin and from playing with the golden bait that Satan holds forth to catch you for this you have the 12 Rom. 9. v. Abhor that which is evill cleave to that which is good when we meet with any thing extreamly evill and contrary to us nature abhors it and retires as far as it can 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The simple verb imports extreame detestation which is aggravated by the composition Chrysost from it The Greek word that is there rendred abhor is very significant it signifies to hate it as Hell it selfe to hate it with horror Anselm used to say that if he should see the shame of sin on the one hand and the pains of hell on the other and must of necessity chuse one he would rather be thrust into Hell without sin then goe into Heaven with sin so great was his hatred and detestation of sin 'T is our wisest and our safest Prov. 5. 8. 1 Thess 5. 22. course to stand at the furthest distance from sin not to goe neer the house of the Harlot but to flie from all appearance of evill the best course to prevent falling into the pit is to keep at the It was a divine saying of a Heathen that if there were no God to punish him no Devil to torment him no Hell to burne him no man to see him yet would he not sin ser the ugliness and filthiness of sin and the griefe of his owne Conscience Seneca greatest distance he that will be so bold as to attempt to dance upon the brink of the pit may find by wofull experience that 't is a righteous thing with God that he should fall into the pit Joseph keeps at a distance from sin and from playing with Satans golden baites and stands David drawes near and playes with the bait and falls and swallowes bait and hook with a witnes David comes neer the snare and is taken in it to the breaking of his bones the wounding of his conscience and the losse of his God Sin is a plague yea the greatest and the most infectious plague in the world and yet ah how few are there that tremble at it that keep at a distance from it 1 Cor. 5. 6. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump As soon as one sin had seised upon Adams heart all sin entred into his soul and over-spread Sinne is like those Diseases that are called by Physitians Corruptio totius substantiae it How hath Adams one sin spread over all mankinde 5. Rom. 12. ver Wherefore as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Ah! how doth the Fathers sin infect the child the Husbands infect the Wife the Masters the Servant The sin that is in one mans heart is able to infect a whole world 't is of such a spreading and infectious nature The story of the Italian who first made his enemy deny God and then stab'd him and so at once murthered both body and soule declares the perfect malignity of sin and Oh! that what hath been spoken upon this head may prevaile with you to stand at a distance from sin The second Remedy is to consider 2 Remedy When the golden bait is cast forth to catch us wee must say as Demosthenes the Oratour did of the beautiâ—ull Lais when he was asked an excessive sum of money to behold her I will not buy repentance so dear I am not so ill a merchant as to seleternals for temporals that sin is but a bitter-sweet that seeming sweet that is in sin will quickly vanish and lasting shame sorrow horrour and terrour will come in the room thereof 20. Job 12 13 14. Though wickednesse be sweet in his mouth though he bide it under his tongue though he spare it and forsake it not but keep it still within his mouth yet his meat in
the justifying of beastiality as many have done in these dayes of vertue the more dangerous 't is to the souls of men this we see evident in these days by those very many souls that are turned out of the way that is holy and in which their souls have had sweet and glorious communion with God into wayes of highest vanity and folly by Satans neat colouring over of sin and painting forth vice under the name and colour of vertue this is so notoriously knowne that I need but name it the most dangerous vermine is too often to be found under the fairest and sweetest Flowers and the fairest glove is often drawn upon the foulest hand and the richest robes are often put upon the filthiest bodies so are the fairest and the sweetest names upon the greatest and the most horriblest vices and etrors that be in the world ah that we had not too many sad proofs of this amongst us The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remedy is to look on sin with that eye Tacitus speaks of Tiberius â—hat when his sins did appâ—ar in their own colours they did so terrifie and torment him that he protested to the Senate that he suffered death daily which within a few hours we shall see it ah souls when you shall lye upon a dying bed and stand before a judgement seat sin shall be unmaskt and its dresse and robes shall then be taken off and then it shall appear more vile filthy and terrible then Hell it self then that which formerly appear'd most sweet will appear most bitter and that which appear'd most beautifull will appear most ugly and that which appear'd most delightful will then appear most dreadfull to the soul ah the shame the paine the gall the bitternes the horrour the hell that the fight of sin when its dress is taken off will raise in poor souls Sin will surely prove evill and bitter to the soul when its robes are taken off A man may have the Stone who feels no fit of it Conscience will work at last though for the present one may feele no fit of accusation Laban Satan that now allures thee to sin will ere long make thee see that Peccatum est deicidium sin is a murthering of God and this will make thee murther two at once thy soule and thy body unlesse the Lord in mercy holds thy hand shewed himself at parting sin will be bitternes in the latter end when it shall appear to the soul in its own filthy nature The Devil deals with men as the Panther doth with Beasts he hides his deformed head till his sweet sent hath drawn them into his danger till we have sinned Satan is a Parasite when we have sinned he is a Tyrant Ah souls the day is at hand when the Devil will pull off the paint and garnish that he hath put upon sin and present that monster sin in such a monstrous shape to your soules that will cause your thoughts to be be troubled your countenance to be changed the joynts of your loines to be loosed and your knees to be dashed one against another and your hearts to be so terrified that you will be ready with Achitophel and Judas to strangle and hang your bodies on earth and your soules in Hell if the Lord hath not more mercy on you then he had on them oh therefore looke upon sin now as you must look upon it to all eternity and as God Conscience and Satan will present it to you another day The fourth Remedie against this device 4. Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that even these very sins that Satan paints and puts new names and colours Vâ—a guttula plus valet quam coelum terra Luther i. e. one little drop speaking of the blood of Christ is more worth then Heaven and Earth upon cost the best blood the noblest blood the life-blood the heart-blood of the Lord Jesus that Christ should come from the eternall bosome of his Father to a Region of sorrow and death that God should be manifested in the flesh the Creator made a Creature that he that was cloathed with glory should be wrapped with raggs of flesh he that filled heaven and earth with his glory should be cradled in a manger that the power of God should flie from weak man the God of Israel into Aegypt that the God of the Law should be subject to the Law One of the Rabbins when he read what bitter torments the Messias should suffer when he came into the world cryed out Veniat Messias at ego non videam i. e. Let the Messias come but let not me see him Dionysius being in Aegypt at the time of Christs suffering and seeing an Eclipse of the Sun and knowing it to be contrary to nature cryed out aut Deus naturae patitur aut mundi machina dissolvitur Either the God of Nature suffered or the frame of the world will be dlssolved the God of Circumcision circumcised the God that made the Heavens working at Josephs homely trade that he that bindes the Devills in chaines should be tempted that he whose is the world and the fulnesse thereof should hunger and thirst that the God of strength should be weary the Judge of all flesh condemned the God of life put to death that he that is one with his Father should cry out of misery my God my God why hast thou forsaken mee that he that had the keyes of Hell and death at his girdle should lie imprison'd in the sepulcher of another having in his life time no where to lay his head nor after death to lay his body that that head before which the Angels doe cast down their Crowns should be crowned with thornes and those eyes purer then the Sun put out by the darknesse of death those eares which hear nothing but Hallelujahs of Saints and Angels to hear the blasphemies of the multitude that face that was fairer then the Sons of men to be spit on by those beastly wretched Jewes that mouth and tongue that spake as never man spake accused for blasphemy those hands that freely swayed the Scepter of Heaven nailed to the Crosse those feet like unto fine brasse nailed to the Crosse for mans sins each sense annoyed his feeling or touching with a speare and nailes 'T is an excellent saying of Bernard quanto pro nobis vilior tanto nobis charior the more vilde Christ made himself for us the more dear he ought to be to us his smell with stinking savour being crucified about Golgatha the place of Skulls his taste with vinegar and gall his hearing with reproaches and sight with his mother and Disciples bemoaning him his soule comfortlesse and forsaken and all this for those very sins that Satan paints and puts fine colours upon oh how should the consideration of this stir up the soule against it and worke the soule to flie from it and to use all holy meanes whereby sin may be
subdued and destroyed After Julius Caesar was murdered Antonius brought forth his coat all bloody and cut and laid it before the people saying look here you have your Emperours coat thus bloody and torne whereupon the people were presently in an uproar and cryed out to slay those murderers and they tooke their tables and stooles that were in the place and set them on fire and ran to the houses of them that had slam Caesar and burnt them so when we consider that sin hath slaine our Lord Jesus ah how should it provoke our hearts to be revenged on sin that hath murdered the Lord of Glory and Nolo vivere sine vulnere cum te video vulneratum Oh my God! as long as I see thy wounds I will never live without wound saith Bonaventure hath done that mischief that all the Devills in Hell could never have done 'T was good counsell one gave never let goe out of your mindes the thoughts of a crucified Christ let these be meat and drinke unto you let them be your sweetnesse and consolation your honey and your desire your reading and your meditation your life death and resurrection The third device that Satan hath to 3. Device draw the soul to sin is by extenuating and lessening of sin ah saith Satan 't is but a little pride a little worldlinesse a little uncleanness a little drunkennesse c. As Lot said of Zoar Gen. 19. 20. it is but a little one and my soule shall live ahlas saith Satan 't is but a very little sin that you stick so at you may commit it without any danger to your soule 't is but a little one you may commit it and yet your soul shall live Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these FIrst solemnly consider that those 1. Remedy sins which we are apt to account small hath brought upon men the greatest wrath of God as the eating of an Apple gathering a few sticks on the Sabbaoth day and touching of the Ark oh the dreadfull wrath that these sinnes brought down upon the Draco the Rigid Law-giver being asked why when sins were not equall he appointed death to all Answered he knew that sins were not all equall but he knew the least deserved death So though the sins of men he not all equall yet the least of them deserves eternall death heads and hearts of men the least sin is contrary to the Law of God the nature of God the being of God and the glory of God and therefore t is often punished severely by God and doe not we see daily the vengeance of the Almighty falling upon the bodies names estates Families and soules of men for those sins that are but little ones in their eyes Surely if we are not utterly left of God and blinded by Satan we cannot but see it Oh! therefore when Satan saies t is but a little one doe thou say oh but those sins that thou callest little are such that will cause God to raine Hell out of Heaven upon sinners as he did upon the Sodomites The second Remedy against this device 2. Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that the giving way to a lesse sin makes way for the committing of a greater he that to avoide a greater sin will yeild to a lesser ten thousand to one but God in Justice will leave that soule to fall into a greater if we commit one sin to avoid another 't is just we should avoid neither we having not law nor power in our own hands to keep off sin as we pleas and we by yeilding to the Psal 137. ver 9. Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones Hugho's Glosse is pious c. Sit nihil in te Babylonicum Let there be nothing in thee of Babylon noâ— onely the grown men but the little ones must be dashed against the stones not onely great sins but little sins must be killed or they will kill the soul for ever lesser doe tempt the tempter to tempt us to the greater Sin is of an incroaching nature it creeps on the soule by degrees step by step till it hath the soule to the very height of sin David gives way to his wandring eye and this led him to those foule sins that caused God to breake his bones and to turne his day into night and to leave his soule in great darknesse Jocab and Peter and other Saints have found this true by wofull experience that the yeelding to a lesser sin hath been the ushering in of a greater the little thief will open the doore and make way for the greater and the little wedge knock't in will make way for the greater Satan will first draw thee to sit with the drunkard and then to sip with the drunkard and then at last to be drunke with the drunkard he will first draw thee to be unclean in thy thoughts and then to be unclean in thy looks and then to be unclean in thy words and at last to be unclean in thy practises he will fiâ—st draw thee to looke on the golden wedge and then to like the golden wedge and then to handle the golden wedge and then at last by wicked wayes to gaine the golden wedge though thou runnest the hazard of loosing God and thy soul An Italian having found his enemy at an advantage promised him if he would deny his faith he would save his life he to save his life denyed his faith which having done he stab'd him rejoycing that by this he had at one time taken revenge both on soule and body for ever as you may see in Gehazi Achan and Judas and many in these our dayes Sinne is never at a stand Psal 1. v. 1. First ungodly then sinners then scorners here they goe on from sin to sin till they come to the top of sin viz. to sit in the seat of scorners or as ris in the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to affect the honour of the chair of Pestilence Austin writing upon John tells a story of a certaine man that was of an opinion that the Devill did make the flye and not God saith one to him if the Devill made flies then the Devill made wormes and God did not make them for they are living creatures as well as flies true said he the Devil did make wormes but said the other if the Devil did make wormes then he made birds beasts and man he granted all thus saith Austin by denying God in the fly he came to deny God in man and to deny the whole Creation by all this we see that the yeelding to lesser sins drawes the soul to the committing of greater Ah! how many in these dayes have fallen first to have low thoughts of Scripture and Ordinances and then to slight Scripture and Ordinances and then to make a nose of wax of Scripture and Ordinances and then to cast off Scripture and Ordinances and then at
last to advance and lift up themselves and their Christ-dishonouring and soul-damning opinions A young man being long tempted to kill his Father or lie with his mother or be drunk he thought to yeeld to the lesser viz. to be drunk that he might be rid of the greater but when he was drunk he did both kill his Father and lie with his Mother above Scripture and Ordinances Sinne gaines upon mens soules by insensible degrees Ecclesiastes 10. v. 13. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishnesse and the end of his talking is mischievous madnesse Corruption in the heart when it breaks forth is like a breach in the Sea which begins in a narrow passage till it eat through and cast down all before it The debates of the soul are quick and soone ended and that may be done in a moment that may undoe a man for ever When a man hath begun to sin he knowes not where or when or how he shall make a stop of sin usually the soule goes on from evill to evill from folly to folly till it be ripe for eternall misâ—ry men usually grow from being nought to be very nought and from very nought to be starke nought and then God sets them at nought for ever The third Remedy against this third 3. Remedie device that Satan hath to draw the soul to sin is solemnly to consider that 't is sad to stand with God for a trifle Dives would not give a crum therefore Luk 16. 21. he should not receive a drop 't is the greatest folly in the world to adventure the going to hell for a small matter I tasted but a little honey said Jonathan 1 Sam. 14. 43. and I must dye it is a most unkinde and unfaithfull thing to break with God for a little little sins carry with them but little temptations to sin It was a vexation to King Lysimachus that his staying to drink one small draught of water lost him his Kingdome and so it will eternally vex som souls at last that for some one little sin compared with great transgressioâ—s they have lost God Heaven and their soules for ever and then a man shewes most viciousnesse and unkindnesse when he sins on a little temptation 'T is divelish to sinne without a temptation 't is little lesse then divelish to sin on a little occasion the lesse the temptation is to sin the greater is that â—inne Saul's sin in not staying for Samuel was not so much in the matter but it was much in the malice of it for though Samuel had not come at all yet Saul should not have offered Sacrifice but this cost him dear his Soul and his Kingdome 'T is the greatest unkindnesse that can be shewed to a friend to adventure the complaining bleeding and grieving of his soule upon a light and slight occasion so 't is the greatest unkindnesse that can be shewed to God Christ and the Spirit for a soul to put God upon complaining Christ upon bleeding and the Spirit upon grieving by yeelding to little sins therefore when Satan sayes 't is but a little one doe thou answer that often times there is the greatest unkindnesse shewed to Gods glorious Majesty in the acting of the least folly and therefore thou wilt not displease thy best and greatest friend by yielding to his least enemy The fourth Remedy against this Device 4 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that there is great danger yea many times most danger in the smallest sins 1 Cor. 5. 6. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump if the Serpent wind in his head he will draw his whole body after Greater sins doe sooner startle the soule and awaken and rouse up the soul to repentance Caesar was stab'd with bodkins then lesser sins doe little sins often slide into the soule and breed and work secretly and undiscernably Pope Adrian was choaked with a Gnat. in the soule till they come to be so strong as to trample upon the soule and to cut the throat of the soule there is oftentimes greatest danger to our bodies in the least Diseases that hang upon us because we are apt to make A Scorpion is little yetable to sting a Lion to death a Mouseis but little yet killeth an Elephant if he gets up into his trunck light of them and to neglect the timely use of means for the removing of them till they are grown so strong that they prove mortall to us so there is most danger often in the least sins we are apt to take no notice of them and to neglect those heavenly helps whereby they should be weakned and destroyed till they are grown up to that strength that we are ready to cry out the Medicine is The Leopard being great is poysoned with a head of Garlick too weak for the Disease I would pray and I would hear but I am afraid that sin is growne up by degrees to such a head that I shall never be able to prevaile over it but as I have begun to fall The smallest errors prove many times most dangerous It is as much treason to coyne pence as bigger pieces so I shall utterly fall before it and at last perish in it unlesse the power and free grace of Christ doth act gloriously beyond my present apprehension and expectation The Viper is killed by the little young ones that are nourished and cherished in her belly so are many men eternally killed and betrayed by the little One little miscarriage doth in the eyes of the world over-shaddow all a Christians Graces as one little cloud doth sometimes overshadow the whole body of the Sun sins as they call them that are nourished in their own bosomes I know not saith one whether the maintenance of the least sin be not worse then the commission of the greatest for this may be of frailty that argues obstinacy a little hole in the Ship sinks it a small breach in a Sea-bank carries away all before it a little stab at the heart kills a man and a little sin without a great deale of mercy will damn a man The fift Remedy against this Device 5 Remedy Melius mori fame quam Idolothys is vesci August It is better to dye with hunger then to eat that which is offred to Idols of Satan is solemnly to consider that other Saints have chosen rather to suffer the worst of torments rather then they would commit the least sin i. e. such as the world accounts so as you may see in Daniel and his Companions that would rather chuse to burne and be cast to the Lions then they would bow to the Image that Nebuchadnezzer had set up when this peccadillo in the worlds account and a hot fiery furnace stood in competition that they must either fall into sin or be cast into the Many Heathens would rather dye then cozen or cheat one another so faithfull were they one to another
Satan is seriously to consider that sins against mercy will bring the greatest and the sorest judgements upon mens heads and hearts Mercy is Alpha Justice is Omega David speaking of these Attributes placeth Mercy in the foreward and Justice in the rereward saying My Song shall be of Mercy and Judgement Psal 101. 1. when Mercy is despised then Justice takes the Throne God is like a Quantò gradus altior tantò casus gravior the higher we are indignity the more grievous is our fall and misery Prince that sendeth not his Army against Rebels before he hath sent his Pardon and proclaimed it by a Herauld of Arms. He first hangs out the white Flag of Mercy if this wins men in they are happy for ever but if they stand out then God will put forth his red Flag of Justice and Judgement if the one be despised the other shall be felt with a witnesse see this in the Israelites Deus tardus est ad iram sed tarditatem gravitate â—â—nae compensat God is slow to anger but he recompenceth his slownesse with grievousnesse of punishment he loved them and chose them when they were in their blood and most unlovely he multiplied them not by means but by miracle for from seventy souls they grew in few years to six hundred thousand the more they were oppressed the more they prospered like Camomile the more you tread it the more you spread it or to a Palme tree the more it is pressed the further it spreadeth or to fire the more it is raked the more it burneth their mercies came in upon them like Job's Messengers one upon the neck of another If we abuse mercy to serve our lusts then in Salvians phrase God will rain hell out of Heaven rather then not visit for such sins He put off their sackcloath and girded them with gladnesse and compassed them about with songs of deliverance he carried them on the wings of Eagles he kept them as the Apple of his eye c. But they abusing his mercy became the greatest objects of his wrath as I know not the man that can reckon up their mercies so I know not the man that can sum up the miseries that are come upon them for their sins for as our Saviour prophesied concerning Jerusalem That a stone Vespasian brake into their City at Cedron where they took Christ on the same Feast day that Christ was taken he whipped them where they whipped Christ he sold twenty Jews for a penny as they sould Christ for 30 pence 8. Andr. cat should not be left upon a stone so it was fulfilled forty years after his Ascension by Vespasian the Emperour and his Son Titus who having besiâ—ged Jerusalem the Jewes were oppressed with a grievous famine in which their food was old shooes old leather old hay and the dung of Beasts thene died partly of the Sword and partly of the Famine eleven hundred thousand of the poorer sort two thousand in one night were imbowelled six thousand were burned in a porch of the Temple the whole City was sacked and burnt and laid levell to the ground and ninety seven thousand taken Captives and applied to base and miserable service as Eâ—sebius and Josephus saith and to thiâ— day in all the parts of the world are they not the off-scouring of the world none lesse belov'd and nonâ— more abhor'd then they And so Caparnaum that was lifted up to Heaven was threatned to be Men are therfore the wors because they ought to be better and shall be deeper in Hell because Heaven was offered unto them but they would not Ingentia beneficia flagitia supplicia good turnes aggravate unkindnesses and mens offences are increased by their obligation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shift off disregard thrown down to Hell No souls fall so low into Hell if they fall as those souls that by a hand of mercy are lifted up nearest to Heaven you flight souls that are so apt to abuse mercy consider this that in the Gospel dayes the plagues that God inflicts upon the despisers and abusers of mercy are usually spirituall plagues as blindnesse of mind hardnesse of heart benumednesse of conscience which are ten thousand times worse then the worst of outward plagues that can bâ—fall you and therefore though you may escape temporall Judgements yet you shall not escape spirituall Judgements How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation saith the Apostle Oh! therefore when ever Satan shall present God to the soul as one made up all of mercy that he may draw thee to doe wickedly say unto him that sins against mercy will bring upon the soul the greatest misery and therefore whatever becomes of thee thou wilt not sin against mercy c. The fourth Remedy against this Device 4 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that though Gods generall mercy be over all his works yet his speciall mercy Augustus in his solemn Feasts gave trifles to some but gold to others that his heart was most set upon so God by a hand of generall mercy gives these poore trifles outward blessings â—o those that he least loves but his gold his speciall mercy is onely towards those that his heart is most set upon is confined to those that are divinely qualified so in Exod. 34. 6 7. And the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed the Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 20. 6. And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandements Psal 25. 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies Psal 32. 10. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked but he that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compasse him about Psal 33. 18. Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy Psal 103. 11. For as the Heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy to as ard them that feare him Ver. 17. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that feare him When Satan attempts to draw thee to sin by presenting God as a God all made up of mercy oh then reply that tho Gods general mercy extends to all the works of his hand yet his speciall mercy is confined to them that are divinely qualified to them that love hâ—m and keep his Commandements to them that trust in him that by hope hang upon him and that fear him and that thou must be such a one here or else thou canst never be happy hereafter thou must partake of his speciall mercy or else eternally perish in everlasting misery notwithstanding Gods generall mercy The fifth Remedy against this Device 5 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that those that
thy sin God will pardon thee and yet send thee to Hell there 's a pardon with a contradiction Negative goodnesse serves no mans turn to save him from the axe It is said of Ithacus that the hatred of the Priscillian Heresie was all the vertue that he had The evill servant did not riot out his Talent Those Reprobates Mat. 25. robbed not the Saints but relieved them not for this they must eternally perish sense for godly sorrow sometimes Repentance is taken in a large sense for Amendment of Life Repentance hath in it three things viz. the Act the Subject and the Termes 1. The formall Act of Repentance is a changing and converting 't is often set forth in Scripture by Turning Turne thou me and I shall be turned saith Ephraim after that I was turned I repented saith he 't is a turning from darknesse to light 2. The Subject changed and converted is the whole man 't is both the sinners heart and life first his heart then his life first his person then his practice and conversation Wash yee make you cleane there 's the change of their persons put away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to doe evill learne to do well there 's the change of their practises So Cast away saith Ezekiel all your transgressions whereby you have transgressed there 's the change of the life and make you a new heart and a new spirit there 's the change of the 3. The Tearmes of this change and conversion from which and to which both heart and life must be changed from all sin to God the heart must be changed from the state and power of sin the life from the acts of sin but both unto God the heart to be under his power in a state of grace the life to be under his rule in all new obedience as the Apostle speaks To open their eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of satan unto God so the Prophet Isaiah saith Let the wicked forsake their wayes and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne unto the Lord. Thus much of the nature of Evangelicall Repentance Now soules tell me whither it be such an easie thing to repent as Satan doth suggest besides what hath been spoken I desire that you will take notice that Repentance doth include a turning from the most darling sin Ephraim shall say What have I to doe any more with Idols Yea it 's a turning from all sin to God Ezek. 18. 30. Therefore I will judge you O House of Israel every one according to his wayes saith the Lord God repent and turne your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruine Herod turn'd from many but turn'd not from his Herodias which was his ruine Judas turn'd from all visible wickednes yet he would not cast out that golden Devil Covetousnesse and therefore was cast into the hottest place in Hell He that turnes not from every sin turnes not aright from any one sin every sin strikes at the Honour of God the Being of God the Glory of God the Heart of Christ the Joy of the Spirit and the Peace of a mans Conscience and therefore a soul truly penitent strikes at all hates all conflicts with all and will labour to draw strength from a crucified Christ to crucifiâ— all a true penitent knowes neither father nor mother neither right eye nor right hand but will pluck out the one and cut off the other Saul spared but one Agâ—g and that cost him his soul and his Kingdome besides Repentance is not onely a turning from all sin but also a turning to all good to a love of all good to a prizing of all good and to a following after all good Ezek. 18. 21. But if the wicked will turne from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my Statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live be shall not die that is onely negative righteousnesse and holinesse is no righteousnesse nor holinesse David fulfilled all the wills of God and had respect unto all his Commandements and so had Zacharias and Elizabeth 'T is not enough that the Tree bears not ill fruit but it must bring forth good fruit else it must be cut downe and east into the fire So 't is not enough that you are not thus and thus wicked but you must be thus and thus gracious and good else Divine Justice will put the Axe of Divine Vengeance to the root of your souls and cut you off for ever Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn downe and cast into the fire besides Repentance doth include a sensiblenesse of sins sinfulnesse how opposite and contrary 't is to the blessed God God is light sin is darknesse God is life sin is death God is Heaven sin is hell God is beauty sin is deformity Also true Repentance includes a sensiblenes of sins mischievousnesse how it cast Angels out of Heaven and Adam out of Paradise how it laid the first corner-stone in hell and brought in all the curses crosses and miseries that be in the world and how it makes men liable to all temporall spirituall and eternall wrath how it hath made men Godlesse Christlesse hopelesse and heavenlesse in this world further true repentance doth include sorrow for sin contrition of heart it breaks the heart with sighes and sobs and groans for that a loving God and Father is by sin offended a blessed Saviour a fresh crucified and the sweet Comforter the Spirit True repentance is a sorrowing for sin as it is offensivum Dei aversivum à Deo this both comes from God drives a man to God as it did the Church in the Canticles and the Prodigall Ezek. 20. 22 23. grieved and vexed Again Repentance doth include not onely a loathing of sin but also a loathing of our selves for sin as a man doth not onely loath poyson but he loaths the very dish or vessel that hath the smell of the poyson so a true Penitent doth not onely loath his sin but he loaths himselfe the vessel that still smels of sin So Ezek. 20. 43. And there shall ye remember your wayes and all your doings wherein yee have been defiled and ye shall loath your selves in your owne sight for all your evills that ye have committed true Repentance will work your hearts not onely to loath your sins but also to loath your selves Againe true Repentance doth not onely work a man to loath himself for his sins but it makes him asham'd of his sin also What fruit have ye of those things whereof ye are now ashamed saith the Apostle so Ezekiel And thou shalt be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord God When a penâ—tentiall soul sees his sins pardoned the anger of God pacified and Divine Justice satisfied then
he sits down and blushes as the Hebrew hath it as one ashamed yea true Repentance doth Quantum displicet Deo immunditia peccaâ—â— in tantum placet deo eruhiscentia poenitentis Ber. i. e. So much the more God hath been displeased with the blacknesse of sin the more will he be pleased with the blushing of the sinner They that do not burn now in zeale against sin must ere long burne in Hell for sin work a man to crosse his sinfull self and to walk contrary to sinfull selfe to take a holy revenge upon sin as you may see in Paul the Jaylor Mary Magdalen and Manasses this the Apostle shewes in that 2 Cor. 7. 10 11. For godly sorrow worketh repentance never to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death for behold the selfesame thing that ye sorrowed after a Godly sort what carefullnesse it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what feare yea what vehement desire yea what zeale yea what revenge Now souls sum up all these things together and tell me whether it be such an easie thing to repent as Satan would make the soul to beleeve and I am confident your hearts will answer that 't is as hard a thing to repent as 't is to make a world or to raise the dead I shall conclude this second Remedy with a worthy saying of a precious holy man Repentance saith he strips us stark naked of all the garments of the old Adam and leaves not so much as the shirt behind in this rotten building it leaves not a stone upon a stone As the Flood drowned Noa'hs own friends and servants so must the flood of repenting tears drown our sweetest and most profitable sins The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that Repentance is a continued act the word Repent implies the continuation of it True Repentance inclines a mans Anselme in his Meditations confesseth that all his life was either damnable for sin committed or unprofitable for good omitted and at last concludes Quid restat o peccatâ—r nisi ut in tota vita tua deplores totam vitam tuam Oh what then remaines but in our whole life to lament the sins of our whole life heart to perform Gods Statutes always even unto the end a true Penitent must goe on from Faith to Faith from strength to strength he must never stand still nor turne back Repentance is a grace and must have its daily operation as well as other graces true Repentance is a continued spring where the waters of godly sorrow are alwayes flowing My sins are ever before me a true penitent is often casting his eyes back to the dayes of his former vanity and this makes him morning and evening to water his couch with his tears Remember not against me the sins of my youth saith one blessed Penitent and I was a blasphemer and a persecuter and injurious saith another Penitent Repentance is a continued act of turning a Repentance never to be repented of a turning never to turne again to folly a true penitent hath ever something within him to turn from he can never get near enough to God no not so near him as once he was and therefore he is still turning and turning that he may get nearer and nearer to him that is his chiefest good and his onely happinesse optimum 'T is truly said of God that he is omnia super omnia maximum the best and the greatest they are every day a crying out O wretched men that we are who shall deliver us from this body of death They are still sensible of sin and still conflicting with sin and still sorrowing for sin and still loathing of themselves for sin Repentance is no transient act but a continued act of the soul and tell me oh tempted soule whether it be such an easie thing as Satan would make thee believe to be every day a turning more and more from sin and a turning nearer and nearer to God thy choicest blessednesse A true Penitent can as easily content himselfe with one act of faith or one act of love as he can content himselfe with one act of Repentance A Jewish Rabbie pressing the practice of Repentance upon his Disciples exhorting them to be sure to Repent the day before they dyed one of them replyed that the day of any mans death was very uncertaine Repent therefore every day said the Rabbin and then you shall be sure to repent the day before you dye you are wise and know how to apply it to your own advantage The fourth Remedy against this Device 4 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that if the work of Repentance were such an easie work as Satan would If thou be backward in the thoughts of Repentance be forward in the thoughts of Hell the flames whereof onely the streams of the penitent eye can extinguish Tertul. make it to be then certainly so many would not lye roaring and crying out of wrath and eternall ruine under the horrours and terrours of conscience for not repenting yea doubtlesse so many millions would not goe to hell for not Repenting if 't were such an easie thing to repent Ah! doe not poor souls under horrours of conscience cry out and say were all this world a lump of gold and in our hand to dispose of we would give it for the least dram of true Repentance and wilt thou say it is an easie thing to repent When a poor sinner whose Conscience is awakened shall judge the exchange of all the world for the least dram of Repentance to be the happiest exchange that ever sinner made tell me oh soul is it Oh how shalt thou â—ear and rend thy self how shalt thou lament fruitlesse repenting what wilt thou say woe is me that I have not cast off the burden of sin woe is me that I have not washed away my spots but aâ— now pierced with mine iniquities now have I lost the surpassing joy of Angels Basil good going to hell is it good dwelling with the devouring fire with everlasting burnings Is it good to be for ever seperated from the blessed and glorious presence of God Angels and Saints And to be for ever shut out from those good things of eternall life which are so many that they exceed number so great that they exceed measure so precious that they exceed all estimation we know 't is the greatest misery that can befall the sons of men and would they not prevent this by Repentance if it were such an easie thing to repent as Satan would make it well then doe not run the hazard of loosing God Christ Heaven and thy soul for ever by hearkening to this Device of Satan viz. That it is an easie thing to Repent c. If it be so easie why then doe wicked mens hearts so rise against them that presse the Doctrine of repentance in the sweetest way
and companions with thee hast thou not often purposed promised vowed and resolved to enter upon the Repentanceis a work that must be timely done or men are utterly undone for ever Aut poenitendum aut pereundum practice of repentance but to this day couldest never attain it Surely 't is in vain to strive against the streame where it is so impossible to overcome thou art lost and cast for ever to hell thou must to hell thou shalt ah souls he that now tempts you to sin by suggesting to you the easinesse of repentance will at last to work you to despaire present repentance as the hardest work in all the world and a work as far above man as Heaven is above Hell as light is above darknesse Oh! that you were wise to break off your sins by timely repentance Now the seventh Device that Satan 7 Device hath to draw the soul to sin is by making the soul bold to venture upon the occasions of sin Saith Satan you may walk by the Harlots door though you won't goe into the Harlots bed you may sit and sip with the drunkard tho you won't be drunk with the drunkard you may look upon Jezabels beauty and you may play and toy with Daliloh though you doe not commit wickednesse with the one or the other you may with Achan handle the golden wedge though you doe not steale the golden wedge c. Now the Remedies against this Device are these that follow THe first Remedy is solemnly to 1 Remedy dwell upon those Scriptures that doe expressly command us to avoid the occasions of sin and the least appearance of evill 1 Thess 5. 22. Abstaine from all Epiphanius saith that in the old Law when any dead body was carried by any house they were injoyn'd to shut their doors and windows appearance of evill whatsoever is heterodox unsound and unsavory shun it as you would doe a Serpent in your way or poyson in your meats Theodosius tare the Arrians Arguments presented to him in writing because he found them repugnant to the Scriptures and Augustine retracted even Ironies onely because they had the appearance of lying When God had commanded the Jewes to abstain from Swines flesh they would not so much as name it but in their common talk would call a Sow another thing To abstain from all appearance of evill is to doe nothing wherein sin appears or which hath a shadow of sin Bernard glosseth finely Quicquid est male celoratū Whatever is of an ill shew or of ill report that he may neither wound conscience nor credit we must shun and be shie of the very shew and shadow of sinne if either we tender our credit abroad or our comfort at home It was good counsell that Livia gave her Husband Socrates speaketh of two young men that flung away their belts when being in an Idols Temple the lustrating water fell upon them detesting saith the Historian the garment sported by the flesh Augustus it behoveth thee not onely not to doe wrong but not to seeeme to doe so c. So Jude 23. v. And others save with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by the flesh 'T is a phrase taken from legall uncleanesse which was contracted by touching the houses the vessells the garments of uncleane persons Under the Law men might not touch a menstrous cloath nor God would not accept of a spotted peace-offering So we must not onely hate and avoid grosse sins but every thing that may carry a savor or susprition of sin we must abhor the very signes and tokens of sin so in Proverbs 5. ver 8. Remove thy way far from her and come not nigh the doore of her house He that would not be burnt must dread the fire Hee that would not heare the bell must not meddle with the rope To venture upon the occasion of sin and then to pray lead us not into One said as oft as I have been among vaine men I returned home lesse a man then I was before temptation is all one as to thrust thy finger into the fire and then to pray that it might not be burnt So in the 4. Prov. 14. 15. you have another command Enter not in the path of the wicked and goe not in the way of evell men avoid it and passe not by it turne from it and passe away This triple gradation of Solomon sheweth with a great Emphasie how necessary it is for men to flee from all appearance of sin as the Sea-man shuns sands and shelves and as men shun those that have the plague-sores running upon them as weeds doe endanger the corne as bad humor◠doe endanger the bloud or as an infected house doth indanger the neighbourhood so doth the company of the bad endanger those that are good intirenesse with wicked conforts is one of the strongest chaines of hell and bindes us to a participation both of sin and punishment The second Remedie against this device 2 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that ordinarily there is no conquest over sin without the soule turnes from the occasion of sin 't is impossible for that man to get the conquest of sin that playes and sports with the occasions of sin God will not remove the tentation except The Fable saith that the Butterflie asked the Owle how he should deale with the fire which had singed her wings who counsel'd her not to behold so much as its smoak we turne from the occasion It is a just and righteous thing with God that he should fall into the pit that will adventure to dance upon the brink of the pit and that he should be a slave to sin that will not flee from the occasions of sin As long as there is fuell in our hearts for a temptation we cannot be secure he that hath gun-powder about him had need keep far enough off from sparkles to rush upon the occasions of sin is both to tempt our selves and to tempt Satan to tempt our souls 't is very rare that any soule playes with occasions of sin but that soul is insnar'd by sin 't is seldome that God keeps that soul from the acts of sin that will not keep off from the occasions of sin he that adventures upon the occasions of sin is as he that would quench the fire with Oyle which is a fuell to maintaine it and increase it Ah souls often remember how frequently you have been overcome by sin when you have boldly gon upon the occasions of sin look back souls to the days of your vanity wherein you have been as easily conquered as tempted vanquished as assaulted when you have played with the occasions of sin and therefore as you would for the future be kept from the acting of sin and be made victorious over sin oh flee from the occasions of sin The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider
of God upon them They send forth their little ones like a flock and their children dance They take the Timbrell and Harp and rejoyce at the Men that injoy all worldly comforts may truly say Omnes humanae conjolationes sunt desolationes sound of the Organ they spend their dayes in wealth their eyes stand out with fatnesse they have more then heart can wish And they have no bands in their death but their strength is firme They are not in trouble as other men as David and Job speak yet all this is nothing to what they want they want interest in God Christ the Spirit the Promises the Covenant of Grace and everlasting Glory They want acceptation and reconciliation with God They want Righteousnesse Justification Sanctification Adoption and Redemption They want the pardon of sin and power against sin and freedome from the dominion of sin They want that favour that is better then life and that joy that is unspeakable and full of glory and that peace that passes understanding and that Nec Christus nec coelum pati tur hyperbolen Neither Christ nor Heaven can be hyperbolized grace the least spark of which is more worth then Heaven and Earth They want a House that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God they want those riches that perish not that glory that fades not that Kingdome that shakes not Wicked men are the most needy men in the world yea they want those two things that should render their mercies sweet viz. The blessing of God and content with their condition and without which their Heaven is but Hell on this side Hell When their hearts are lifted up and grown big upon the thoughts of their abundance if conscience do's but put A crowne of gold cannot cuâ—e the head ach nor a velvet slipper cannot ease the Gout no moâ—e can honour or riches c. quiet and still the Conscience The heart of man is a three square triangle which the whole round circle of the world cannot fill as Mathematicians say but all the corners will complaine of â—mptines and hunger for somâ—hing else in a word and say 't is true here is this and that outward mercy oh but where is an interest in Christ Where is the favour of God Where are the comforts of the holy Ghost Where are thy evidences for Heaven c. This word from Conscience makes the mans countenance to change his thoughts to be troubled his heart to be amazed and all his mercies on the right hand and left to be as dead and withered Ah! were but the eyes of wicked men open to see their wants under their abundance they would cry out and say as Absalom did What are all these to me so long as I cannot see the Kings face What 's honour and riches and the favour of Creatures so long as I want the favour of God the pardon of my sins an interestin Christ and the hopes of glory O Iod give me these or I dye give me these or else I shall eternally dye The fift Remedy against this Device 5 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to confider that outward things are not as they seem and are esteemed they have indeed a glorious outside but if you view their insides you will easily find that they fill the head full of cares and the heart full of feares what if the fire should consume one part of my estate and the sea should be a grave to swallow up another part of my estate what if my servants should be unfaithfull abroad and my children should be deceitful at home ah the secret fretting vexing and gnawing that doth daily yea hourly attend those mens souls whose hands are full of worldly goods 'T was a good speech of an Emperour you said he gaze on my purple Robe â—nd golden Crown but did you know what cares are under it you would not take it up from the ground to have it 'T was a true saying of Augustine on the 26 Psalm many are Multi amando res noxias sunt miseri habendo miseriores August miserable by loving hurtfull things but they are more miserable by having them It is not what men injoy but the principle from whence it comes that makes men happy much of these outward things doe usually cause great distraction great vexation and great condemnation at last to the posessors of them if God gives them in his wrath do not sanctifie them in his love they will at last be witnesses against a man and racks to torture and torment a man and milstones for ever to sink a man in that day when God shall call men to an account not for the use but for the abuse of mercy The sixt Remedy against this Device 6 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider the end and the designe of God in heaping up mercy upon the heads of the wicked and in giving them a quietus est rest Valerian the Roman Emperour fell from being an Emperour to be a foot-stool to Sapor King of Persia Dionysius King of Sicily fell from his Kingly glory to be a School-master The brave Queen Zenobia was brought to Rome in golden chaines and quiet from those sorrows and sufferings that others sigh under David in that 73 Psal 17 18 19 20 verses shews the end and designe of God in this saith he When I went into the Sanctuary of God then I understood their end Surely thou diddest set them in slippery places thou castedst them downe into destruction How are they brought into desolation as in a moment they are utterly consumed with terrors As a dreame when one awaketh so O Lord when thou awakest thou shalt despise their image So in the 92 Psal 7. When the wicked spring as grasse and when all the workers of iniquity doe flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever Gods setting them up is but in order to his casting them down his raising them high is but in order to his bringing them low Exod. 9. 16. And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up for to shew in thee my power and that my name may Valens an Emperour Belisarius a famous general Henry the 4th Bajazeth Pythias Great Pompey and William the Conqueror these from being very high were brought very low they all fell from great glory and majesty to great poverty and misery Da Domine ut sic possideamus temporalia ut non perdamus aeterna Bern. Grant us Lord that we may so partake of temporall felicity that we may not lose eternall be declared throughout all the earth I have constituted and set thee up as a But-mark that I may let flie at thee and follow thee close with plague upon plague till I have beaten the very breath out of thy body and got my self a name in setting my feet upon the neck of all thy pride power pomp and glory Ah soules what man in his wits would be lifted up
that he might be cast down would be set higher then others when 't is but in order to his being brought downe lower then others There is not a wicked man in the world that is set up with Lucifer as high as Heaven but shall with Lucifer be brought down as low as Hell Canst thou think seriously of this oh soul and not say O Lord I humbly crave that thou wilt let me be little in this world that I may be great in another world and low here that I may be high for ever hereafter Let me be low and feed low and live low so I may live with thee for ever let me now be cloathed with rags so thou wilt cloath me at last with thy Robes let me now be set upon a dunghill so I may at last be advanc'd to sit with theâ— upon thy Throne Lord make me rather gracious then great inwardly holy then outwardly happy and rather turn me into my first nothing yea make me worse then nothing rather then set me up for a time that thou mayest bring me low for ever The seventh Remedy against this Device 7 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that God doth often most plague and punish those whom others think he doth most spare and love that is God do's plague and punish them most with spirituall judgements which are the greatest the sorest and the heaviest whom he least punishes with temporall punishments there are no men on earth Psal 81. 12. Psal 78. 26 27 28 29 30 31. Psal 106. 15. He gave them their request but sent leannesse into their soule 'T is a heavy plague to have a fat body and a lean soul a house full of gold and a heart full of sin so internally plagued as those that meet with least externall plagues Oh! the blindnesse of mind the hardnesse of heart the searednesse of Conscience that those souls are given up to who in the eye of the world are reputed the most happy men because they are not outwardly afflicted and plagued as other men Ah souls 't were better that all the temporall plagues that ever befell the children of men since the fall of Adam should at once meet upon your souls then that you should be given up to the least spirituall plague to the least measure of spirituall blindnesse or spirituall hardnesse of heart c. nothing will better that man nor move that man that is given up to spirituall judgements let God smile or frowne stroke or strike cut or kill he minds it 'T is better to have a sore then a seared conscience 'T is better to have no heart then a hard heart no mind then a blind mind not he regards it not let life or death heaven or hell be set before him it stirs him not he is made up on his sin and God is fully set to doe Justice upon his soule this mans preservation is but a reservation unto a greater condemnation This man can set no bounds to himselfe he is become a brat of fathomlesse perdition He hath guilt in his bosome and vengeance at his back where-ever he goes neither ministry nor misery neither miracle nor mercy can mollifie his heart and if this soul be not in hell on this side hell who is who is 8 Remedy The eigth Remedy against this Device of Satan is to dwell more upon that strict account that vain men must make for all that good that they doe injoy In this day men shall give an account De bonis commissis de bonis dimissis de malis commissis de malis permissis of good things committed unto them of good things neglected by them of evils committed by them and of evills suffered by them then upon the outward good they doe injoy Ah! did men dwell more upon that account that they must ere long give for all the mercies that they have injoyed and for all the favours that they have abused and for all the sins they have committed would make their hearts to tremble and their lips to quiver rottennesse to enter into their bones it would cause their soules to cry out and say oh that our mercies had been fewer and lesser that our account might have been easier and our torment and misery for our abuse of so great mercy not greater then we are able to bear O cursed be the day wherein the Crown of honour was set upon our heads and the treasures of this world were cast into our laps O cursed be the day wherein the sun of prosperity shin'd so strong upon us and this flattering world smil'd so much upon us as to occasion us to forget God to slight Jesus Christ to neglect our souls and to put far from us the day of our account Philip the third of Spaine whose life was free from grosse evills professed that he would rather loose all his Kingdome then offend God willingly yet being in the Agony of death and considering more throughly of his In die judicii plus valebit conscientia pura quam marsupia plena Bernard Then shall a good conscience be more worth then all the worlds good account he was to give to God feare struck into him and these words brake from him Oh! would to God I had never reigned oh that those years I have spent in my Kingdome I had lived a life in the wildernesse oh that I had lived a solitary life with God! how much more securely should I now have dyed how much more confidently should I have gone to the Throne of God What doth all my glory profit me but that I have so much the more torment in my death God keeps an exact account of every penny that 's laid out upon him and his and that is laid out against him and his and this in the day of account men shall know and feel though now they wink and Hierome still thought that that voyce was in his ears Surgite mortui venite ad judicium Arise you dead and come to judgement As oft as I think on that day how doth my whole body quake and my heart within me tremble will not understand The sleeping of vengeance causeth the overflowing of sin and the overflow of sin causeth the awaking of vengeance abused mercy will certainly turn into fury Gods forbearance is no quittance the day is at hand when he will pay wicked men for the abuse of new and old mercies if he seem to be slow yet he is sure he hath leaden heels but iron hands the farther he fetcheth his blow or draweth his arrow the deeper he will wound in the day of vengeance Mens actions are all in print in heaven and God will in the day of account read them aloud in the ears of all the world that they may all say amen to that righteous sentence that he shall passe upon all the despisers and abusers of mercy The ninth Device that Satan hath to 9 Device draw the soule to sin
Heaven-wards and Holinesse-wards in the midnight of adversity Againe afflictions serve to keep the hearts of the Saints humble and tender Lam. 3. 19 20. Remembring my affliction and my misery the wormwood and the gall My soule hath them still in remembrance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is humbled in me or bowed downe in me as the Originall hath it So David when he was under the rod could say I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou diddest it I have read of one who when any thing fell out prosperously would read over the Lamentations of Jeremiah Gregory Nazianzen and that kept his heart tender humble and low prosperity doth not contribute more to the puffing up of the soul then adversity doth to the bowing down of the soule this the Saints by experience find and therefore they can kisse and imbrace the Crosse as others doe the worlds Crowne Againe they serve to bring the Saints nearer to God and to make them more importunate and earnest in prayer with God Before I was afflicted I went astray Psal 119. 67. 71. Hos 5. 14 15. Ch. 6. 1. 2. but now have I kept thy word It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learne thy statutes I will be to Ephraim as a Lion and as a young Lion to the house of The more precious odours and the purest spices are beaten and bruised the sweeter sent and savour they send abroad so doe Saints when they aâ—â— afflicted Judah I even I will teare and goe away I will take away and none shall rescue him I will goe and returne to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face in their affliction they will seek me early and so they did Come say they and let us returne unto the Lord for he hath torne and he will heale us he hath smitten and he will bind us up After two dayes he will revive us in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight So when God had hedg'd up their way with thorns then they say I will goe and returne Hes 2. 6 7. to my first husband for then was it with me better then now Ah the joy the peace the comfort the delight and content that did attend us when we kept close communion with God doth bespeak our return to God We will returne to our first Husband for then was it with us better then now When Tiribazus a noble Persian was arrested he drew out his sword and defended himselfe but when they told Most men are like atop that will not goe unlesse you whip it and the more you whip it the better it goes you know how to apply it They thaâ— are in adversâ—â—y saith Luther doe better understand Scripture but those that are in prosperity read them as a vers in Ovid. Bees are kill'd with honâ—y but quickned with vineger The honey of prosperity kills our graces but the vineger of adversity quickens our graces him that they came to carry him to the King he willingly yielded so though a Saint may at first stand a little out yet when he remembers that afflictions are to carry him nearer God he yields and kisses the rod. Afflictions are like the prick at the Nightingales breast that awakes her and puts her upon her sweet and delightfull singings Again afflictions they serve to revive and recover decayed graces they infame that love that 's cold and they quicken that faith that is decaying and they put life into those hopes that are withering and spirits into those joyes and comforts that are languishing Musk saith one when it hath lost its sweetnesse if it be put into the sink amongst filth it recovers it so doe afflictions recover and revive decayed graces The more Saints be beaten with the hammer of afflictions the more they are made the Trumpets of Gods praises and the more are their graces revived and quickned Adversity abases the lovelinesse of the world that might intice us it abates the Iustinesse of the flesh within that might incite us to folly and vanity and it abets the spirit in his quarrell to the two former which tends much to the reviving and recovering decayed graces Now suppose afflictions and troubles doe attend the wayes of holinesse yet seeing that they all work for the great profit and singular advantage of the Saints let no soul be so mad as to leave an afflicted way of holinesse to walk in a smooth path of wickednesse The second Remedy against this Device 2 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that all the afflictions that doe befall The Christian souldier shall ever be master of the day Mori posse vinci non posse said Cyprian to Cornelius he may suffer death but never conquest the Saints doe onely reach their worser part they reach not they hurt not their noble part their best part all the arrowes stick in the Target they reach not the Conscience And who shall harme you if you be followers of that which is good saith the Apostle that is none shall harm you they may thus and thus afflict you but they shall never harm you It was the speech of a Heathen when as by the Tyrant he was commanded to be put into a morter and be beaten to pieces with an iron pestell he cries out to his persecutors you doe but beat the vessell the case the â—usk of Anaxarchus you doe not beat me his body was to him but as a case a husk he counted his soul himself which they could not reach you are wise and know how to apply it Socrates said of his enemies they may kill me but they cannot hurt me so afflictions may kill us but they cannot hurt us they may take away my life but they cannot take away my God my Christ my Crown The â—â—ird Remedy against this Deviâ—â— 3 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that the afflictions that doe attend the Saints in the wayes of holinesse are but short and momentary Sorrow may abide for a night but joy comes in the morning There are none of Gods afflicted ones that have not their lucida intervalla intermissions respits and breathing whiles under their short aâ—d momenâ—â—â—â— afflictioâ—s Whâ—n Gods hand is on thy back let thy hand be on thy mouth for though the affliction be sharp it shall be but short this short storm will end in an everlasting calm this short night will end in a glorious day that shall never have end 'T is but a very short time betweene grace and glory between our title to the Crown and our wearing the Crown between our right to the heavenly inheritance and our possessing of the heavenly inheritance Fourteen thousand years to the Lord is but as one day what is our life but a shadow a bubble a flower a post a span a dream c. yea so small a while doth the
upon thee and the favours of the Lord are flowing in on thee The seventh and last Remedy against 7. Remedie this device of Satan is solemnly to consider that the afflictions wrath and miserie that doe attend the wayes of wickednesse are far greater and heavier then those are that doe attend the wayes of holinesse Oh! the gauling girding lashing and gnawings of Conscience that doe attend soules in a way of wickednesse The wicked saith Isaiah are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest whose waters Sin oftentimes makes men insensible of the wrath of the Almighty Sin transformes many a man as it were into those beats in Pliny that could not be stirred with the sharpest prickles or those fishes in Aristotle that though they have speares thrust into their sides yet they awake not cast up mire and dirt There is no peace to the wicked saith my God There are snares in all â—heir mercies and curses and crosses doe attend all their comforts both at home and abroad what is a fine sute of cloathes with the plague in it and what 's a golden cup when there is poyson at the bottome or what 's a silken stocking with a broken leg in it the curse of God the wrath of God the hatred of God and the fierce indignation of God doe alwayes attend sinners walking in a way of wickednesse Turne to that 28. of Deuteronomie and read from the 15. verse to the end of that chapter and turne to the 26. chapter of Leviticus and read from the 14. verse to the end of that chapter and then you shall see how the curse of God haunts the wicked as it were a fury in all his wayes In the City it attends him Sin brings in sorrow and sicknesse c. The Rabbins say that when Adam tasted the forbidden fruiâ— his head aâ—ed in the Country it hovers over him coming in it accompanies him going forth it followes him and is travell it is his Comrade it fills his store with strife and mingles the wrath of God with his sweetest morsell It is a moth in his wardrope murren among his cattle mildew in his field rot among sheep and oft-times makes the fruit of his loynes his greatest vexation and confusion There is no solid joy nor lasting peace nor Sirens are said to sing curiously while they live but to rore horribly when they dye So doe the wicked pure comfort that doth attend sinners in their sinfull wayes There is a sword of vengeance that doth every moment hang over their heads by a small thread and what joy and content can attend such soules if the eye of Conscience be but so far open as to see the sword ah the horrours and terrours the tremblings and shakings that attend their soules The tenth Device that Satan hath 10. Device to draw the soules of men to sin is by working them to be frequent in Non vulnera sed munera ostendit He shewes not his want but his worth and stands not onely upon his conparisons but upon his disparisons I am not as this Publican They are very good that are not very bad and they that are very bad doe alwayes prize themselves above the market comparing themselves and their wayes with those that are reputed or reported to be worse then themselves By this device the devill drew the proud Pharisee to blesse himselfe in a cursed condition God I thanke thee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican c. Why saith Satan you sweare but petty oaths as by your faith and troth c. but such and such sweare by wounds and bloud you are now and then a little wanton but such and such doe daily defile and pollute themselves by actuall uncleannesse and filthinesse you deceive and over-reach your neighbours in things that are but as toyes and trifles but such and such deceive and over-reach others in things of greatest concernment even to their ruine and undoings you doe but sit and chat and sip with the drunkard but such and such sit and drinke drunk with the drunkard you are onely a little proud in heart and habit in looks and words c. Now the Remedies against this Device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy against this device 1. Remepy of Satan is solemnly to consider this that there is not a greater nor a clearer argument to prove a man an History speaks of a kinde of witches that stirrin abroad would put on their eyes bâ—t returning home they boxed them up again So doe Hypocrites hypocrite then to be quick-sighted abroad and blinde at home then to see a mote in another mans eye and not a beame in his own eye then to use spectacles to behold other mens sins rather then looking-glasses to behold his owne then to be alwayes holding his finger upon other mens sores then to be amplifying and aggravating other mens sins and mitigating of his own c. The second Remedy against this device 2 Remedie of Satan is to spend more time The nearer we draw to God and his word the more rottennesse we shall finde in our bones The more any man looks into the body of the Sâ—n the lesse he seeth when he lookes down again It is said of the Basilisk that if he look into a glasse he presently dieth so will sin and a sinner in a spirituall sence when the soule look into the word which is Gods glasse c. in comparing of your internall and externall actions with the Rule with that word by which you must be judg'd at last then in comparing of your selves with those that are worse then your selves that man that comparing his selfe with others that are worse then himselfe may seeme to himselfe and others to be an Angel yet comparing himselfe with the word may see himselfe to be like the devill yea a very devill Have not I chosen twelve and one of you is a Devill Such men are as like him as if they were spit out of his mouth Satan is called the God of this world because as God at first did but speake the word and it was done so if the Devill doth but hold up his finger give the least hint they will doe his will though they undoe their soules for ever Ah! what monsters would these men appeare to be did they but compare themselves with a righteous Rule and not with the most unrighteous men they would appeare to be as black as Hell it selfe The third Remedy against this device 3. Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that though thy sins be not as great as others yet without sound repentance on thy side and pardoning mercy on Gods thou wilt be as certainly damned As in Heaven one is more glorious then another so in Hell one shall be more miserable then another Augustine as others though not equally tormented with others what though hell
'T is not he that receives most of the truth into his head but he that receives most of the truth affectionately into his heart that shall injoy the happinesse of having his judgement sound and clear when others shall be deluded and deceived by them who make it their businesse to infect the judgements and to undoe the souls of men Ah soules as you would not have your judgements polluted and defiled Col. 3. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. indwell in you as an ingrafted word incorporated into your souls so concocted and digested by you as that you turn it into a part of your selves They must needs erre that know not Gods wayâ—s yet can they not wander so wide as to misse of hell Veritas vincit truth at last triumphs with errour let the word of the Lord that is more precious then gold yea then fine gold dwell plenteously in you 'T is not the hearing of truth nor the knowing of truth nor the commending of truth nor the talking of truth but the indwelling of truth in your souls that will keep your judgements chaste and sound in the middest of all those glistering errours that betray many souls into his hands that can easily transforme himselfe into an Angel of light that he may draw others to lye in chaines of darknesse with him for ever Oh! let not the word be a stranger but make it your choicest familiar then will you be able to stand in the day wherein many shall fall on your right hand and on your left by the subtilty of those that shall say loe here is Christ and loe there is Christ There was more wit then grace in his speech that counselled his friend not to come too nigh unto truth least his teeth should be beaten out with its heels Ah souls if truth dwell plenteously in Veritas stat in aperto campo Truth stands in the open fields I and it makes those souls stand in whom it dwels when others â—all as stats from Heaven 3 Remedie you you are happy if not you are unhappy under all your greatest felicity It is with truth saith Melancton as 't is with holy water every one praised it and thought it had some rare vertue in it but offer to sprinkle them with it and they will shut their eyes and turne away their faces from it The third Remedy against this Device of Satan is solemnly to consider that error makes the owner to suffer losse All the paines and labouâ— that men take to defend and maintain their errours to spread abroad and infect the world with their errours shall bring no profit nor no comfort to them in that day wherein every mans Errour as a glass is bright but â—rittle and cannot indâ—râ— the hamâ—er or fire as goâ—d can which though 〈◊〉 or melted remaines 〈◊〉 and oâ—ient work shall be made manifest and the fire shall try it of what sort it is as the Apostle shewes in that remarkable Scripture the 1 Cor. 3. 11 12 13 14 15. Ah that all those that rise early and goe to bed late that spend their time their strength their spirits their all to advance spread abroad God-dishonouring and soul undoing opinions would seriously consider of this that they shall loose all the pains cost and charge that they have bin or shall be at for the propagating of errour and if they are ever sâ—ved it shall be by fire as the Apostle there shewes Ah sirs is it nothing to lay out your money for that which is not bread and your strength for that which will not which cannot profit you in the day that you must make up your accounts and all your works must be tried by fire Ah! that such soules would now at last buy the truth and sell it not Remember you can never over buy it whatsoever you give for it you can never sufficiently sell it if you should have all the world in exchange for it It is said of Caesar * Major fuit cura Caesari libellorum quam purpurae that he had greater care of his Bookes then of his royall Robes for swimming thorough the waters to escape his enemies he carried his bookes in his hand above the waters but lost his Robes ah what are Caesars books to Gods bookes well remember this that one day yea one houre spent in the study of truth or spreading abroad of truth will yeeld the soule more comfort and profit then many thousand years spent in the study and spreading abroad of corrupt and vaine opinions that have their rice from Hell and not from Heaven from the God of this world and not from that God that shall at last judge this world and all the corrupt opinions of men The fourth Kemedie against this device 4. Remedy of Satan is to hate reject and abominate all those doctrines and opinions that are contrary to godlinesse and that open a doore to prophanenesse One old peice of Gold is worth a thousand new counters and one old truth of God is mâ—re worth then a thousand new errours True hatred is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the whole kinde 't is sad to frowne upon one errour and smile upon another Gideon had seventy sons and but one â—astard and â—eâ— that â—astard destâ—oyed all the rest Judge 8. 13. one turâ—e may â—riâ—g a man quite out of the 〈…〉 and all such doctrines and opinions that require men to hold forth a strictnesse above what the Scripture requireth And all such Doctrines and opinions that doe advance and lift up corrupted nature to the doing of supernaturall things which none can doe but by that supernaturall power that raised Christ from the grave And all such opinions that doe lift up our own Righteousnesse in the Roome of Christs Righteousnesse that place good works in the Throne of Christ and makes them co-partners with Christ c. And all those opinions and Doctrines that doe so set up and crie up Christ and his Righteousnesse as to cry down all Duties of Holinesse and Righteousnesse And all those Doctrines and opinions that doe make the glorious and blessed priviledges of beleevers in the dayes of the Gospell to be lesser fewer and weaker then they were in the time of the Law Ah! did your soules arise with a holy hatred and a strong indignation against such Doctrines and opinions you would stâ—nd when others fall and you would shine as the Sun in her glory when many that were once as shining stars may goe forth as stinking snufs The fift Remedy against this device 5. Remedy of Satan is to hold fast the truth as men take no hold on the arme of flesh till they have let goe their hold on Jer. 17. 5. v the arme of God so men take no hold on errour till they have let goe their hold of truth therefore hold fast the truth truth is thy Crown hold fast thy Crown and let no man take thy Crown from thee hath
not God made 2 Tim. 1. 13. 1 Titus 9. The Priests of Mercurie when they eat their figs and honey cried ou◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sweet is truth truth sweet to thy soule yea sweeter then the honey or the honey combe and wilt thou not goe on â—o Heaven feeding upon truth that heavenly honey-comb as Samson did of his honey-comb Ah soules have you not found truth sweetning your spirits and cheering your spirits and warming your spirits and raising your spirits and corroborating your spirits have you not found truth a guide to leade you a staffe to uphold you a cordiall to strengthen you and a plaister to heale you and will you not hold fast the truth hath not truth been your best friend in your worst dayes hath not truth stood by you when friends have forsaken you hath not truth done more for you then all the world could doe against you and will you not hold fast the truth is not truth your right eye without which you cannot see for Christ and your right hand without which you cannot doe for Christ and your right foot without which you cannot walke with Christ and will you not hold fast truth oh hold fast the truth in your judgements and understandings in your wills and affections in your profession It is with truth as with some plants which live and thrive not but in warme climates and conversation Truth is more precious then gold or Rubâ—es and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her Truth is that heavenly glasse wherein we may see the luster and glory of divine wisdome power greatnesse love and mercifulnesse In this glasse you may see the face of Christ the favour of Christ the riches of Christ and the heart of Christ beating and working sweetly towards your soules Oh! let your soules cleave to truth as Ruth Ruth 1. v. 15 16 17. Though I cannot dispute for the truth yet I can die for the truth said that blessed Maâ—â—yr did to Naomi and say I will not leave truth nor returne from following after truth but where truth goes I will goe and where truth lodgeth I will lodge and nothing but death shall part truth and my soule What John said to the Church of Philadelphia I may say to you Hold thâ—â— fast which thou hast that no man take thy Crowne the Crowne is the top of royalties such a thing is truth let Tit. 1. v. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no man take thy Crown Hold fast the faithfull word as Titus speaks you were better let goe any thing then truth you were better let goe your Hold fast as with tooth and naile against those that would snatch it from us honours and riches your friends and pleasures and the worlds favours yea your nearest and dearest relations I your very lives then to let goe truth Oh! keep the truth and truth will keep you safe and happy for 6. Remedy I have read of one who seeing in a vision many snares of the devill spread upon the earth he sate downe mourning and said within himselfe Quis periransiet ista who shall passe thorough these whereunto he heâ—d a voice answering humilitas periransiet humility shall passe thorough them ever blessed are those soules that are kept by truth The sixt Remedy against this device of Satan is to keep humble humility will keep the soule free from many darts of Satans casting and erronious snares of his spreading As low trees and shrubs are free from many violent gusts and blasts of winde which shake and rend the taller trees so humble soules are free from those gusts and blasts of errour that rend and teare proud lofty soules Satan and the world hath least power to fasten errours upon humble soules The God of light and truth delights to dwell with the humble and the more light and truth dwells in the soule the further off darknesse and errour will stand from the soule The God of grace poures in grace into humble soules as men poure liquor into empty vessells and the more grace is poured into the soule the lesse errour shall be able to over-power the soule or to infect the soule That 's a sweet word in the Psa 25. v. 9. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnanavim from gnanah which signifies the humble or afflicted The high tide quickly ebs and the highest Sun is presently declining you know how to apply it 25. Psal 9. v. The meek or the humble will he guide in judgement and the meeke will he teach his way and certainly soules guided by God and taught by God are not easily drawn aside into wayes of errour Oh! take heed of spirituall pride pride fills our fancies and weakens our graces and makes roome in our hearts for errour there are no men on earth so soone entangled and so easily conquered by errour as proud soules Oh! 't is dangerous to love to be wise above what is written to be curious and unsober in your desire of knowledge and to The proud soule is like him that gazed upon the Moon but fell into the pit trust to your own capacities and abilities to undertake to prie into all secrets and to be puffed up with a carnall minde soules that are thus a soaring up above the bounds and limits of humility usually fall into the very worst of errours as experience doth daily evidence The seventh Remedy against this device 7. Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider the great evills that errours have produced errour is a fruitfull mother and hath brought forth such monstrous Errours in conscience produce many great evills not onely ad intra in mens own soules but also ad extra in humane affaires children as hath set Towns Cities and Nations on fire Errour is that whorish woman that hath cast down many wounded many yea slaine many strong men and many great men and many learned men and many professing men in former times and in our own time as is too evident to all that are not much left of God destitute of the truth and blinded by Satan Oh the graces that errour hath weakned and the sweet joyes and comforts that errour hath clouded if not buried oh the hands that errour hath weakned the eyes that errour hath blinded the judgements of men that errour hath perverted the mindes that errour hath darkned the hearts that errour hath hardened the affections that errour hath cooled the Consciences that errour hath sâ—ared and the lives of men that errour hath polluted ah soules can you solemnly consider of this and not tremble more at errour then at hell it selfe c. The twelâ—th Device that Satan hath 12. Device to draw the soule to sin is to affect wicked company to keep wicked society and oh the horrid impieties and wickednesses that Satan hath drawn men to sin by working them to sit and associate themselves with vaine persons Now the Remedies against this device of
bed Is it honours riches or friends c. that can comfort thee when thou comest to die or is it not rather faith in the blood of Christ the witnesse of the Gregory the great used to say he is poor whose soule is void of grace not whose cofers are empty of money spirit of Christ the sense and feeling of the love and favour of Christ and the hopes of eternall reigning with Christ Can happinesse lie in those things that cannot give us health or strength or ease or a good nights rest or an hours sleep or a good stomack why all the honours riches and delights of this world cannot give these poor things to us therefore certainly happinesse lies not in the injoyment of them c. And surely happinesse is not to be found in those things that cannot satisfie the soules of men now none of these things can satisfie the soul of man He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver nor he that loveth abundance Anima rationalis caeteris omnibus occupari potest impleri non potest The reasonable soule may be busied about other things but it cannot be filled with them with increase this is also vanity saith the wise man The barren womb the Horse-leeches daughter the grave and Hell will as soon be satisfied as the soule of man will by the injoyment of any worldly good Some one thing or other will be for ever wanting to that soule that hath none but outward good to live vpon You may as soone fill a bag with wisdome a chest with vertue or a circle with a triangle as the heart of man with any thing here below A man may have enough of the world to sinke him but he can never have enough to satisfie him c. The eighth Remedie against this device 8. Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider of the dignity of the soule oh the soul of man is more wotrh then a thousand worlds 't is the greatest abasing of it Plutarch tells of Themistocles that he accounted it not to stand with his state to stoop down to take up the spoiles the enemies had scattered in flight but saith to one of his followers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you may for you are not Themistocles Oh what a sad thing is it that a Heathen should set his feet upon those very things that most Professors set their hearts and for the gain of which with Balaam many run the hazard of sing their immortall souls for ever that can be to let it dote upon a little shining earth upon a little painted beauty and fading glory when it 's capable of union with Christ of communion with God and of enjoying the eternall vision of God Seneca could say I am too great and born to greater things then that I should be a slave to my body oh do you say my soule is too great and born to greater things then that I should confine it to a heap of white and yellow clay I have been the longer upon the Remedies that may help us against this dangerous device of Satan because hee doth usually more hurt to the soules of men by this device then he doth by all other devices for a close I wish as once Chrysostome did that that sentence Eccles 2. v. 11. Then I looked on all the workes that my hands had wrought and on the labour that I had laboured to do and behold all was vanity and vexation of Spirit and there was no profit under the Sun were engraven on the door posts into which you enter on the tables where you sit on the dishes out of which you eate on the cups out of which you drinke on the bedsteads where you lie on the walls of the houses where you dwell on the garments which you weare on the heads of the horses on which you ride and on the foreheads of all them whom you meet that your soules may not by the beautie and braverie of the world be kept off from those holy and heavenly services that may render you blessed while you live and happy when you die that you may breath out your last into his bosome who lives for ever and who will make them happy for ever that prefers Christs spiritualls and eternals above all temporall transitory things The second Device that Satan hath to draw soules from holy duties and to keepe them off from religious services is BY presenting to them the danger 2 Device the losses and the sufferings that do attend the performance of such and such religious services by this device Satan kept close those that beleeved on Christ from confessing of Christ in that 12. John 42. Neverthelesse among the chief Rulers also many believed on him but because of the Pharisees they did not confesse him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue I would walke in all the wayes of God I would give up my selfe to the strictest wayes of holinesse but I am afraid dangers will attend me on the one hand and losses and happily such and such sufferings on the other hand saith many a man Oh! how should we helpe our selves against this temptation and device of Satan Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy against this Device 1 Remedie of Satan is to consider that all the troubles and afflictions that you meet with in a way of righteousnesse shall never hurt you they shall never harm you And who is he that shall harme Nemo proprie lâ—dâ—ur nisiâ— a seipso No body is properly hurt but by himselfe and his own fault you if you be followers of that which is good saith the Apostle i. e. none shall harme you naturall conscience cannot but doe homage to the image of God stamped upon the natures words workes and lives of the godly as we may see in the carriage of Nebuchadnezzar and Gordius that blessed Martyr accounted it a losse to him not to suffer many kinds of tortures he saith tortures are but tradings with God for glory The greater the combate is the greater is the following reward Darius towards Daniel All the afflictions and troubles that do attend men in a way of righteousnesse can never rob them of their treasure of their jewels they may rob them of some light slight things as the sword that is by their side or the stick that is in their hand or of the flowers or ribbons that be in their hats The treasures of a Saint is the presence of God the favour of God union and communion with God the pardon of sin the joy of the spirit the peace of Conscience which are Jewels that none can give but Christ nor none can take away but Christ Now why should a gracious soule keep off from a way of holinesse because of afflictions c. when no afflictions can strip a man of his heavenly jewels which are his ornaments and his safety here and will be
those that are drawn from the consideration of the great and glorious things that Christ hath done for you and if such arguments will not take yee and win upon yee I doâ— think the throwing of hell fire in your faces will never do it The third Remedie against this device 3. Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that those precious souls which Jesus Christ The Saints Motto in all ages hath been Laboremus let 's be doing hath done and suffered as much for as he hath for you have been exceeding active and lively in all religious services and heavenly performances he did as much and suffered as much for David God loves curristas not quaristas the runner not the questioner or disputer saith Luther aâ— for you and yet who more in praying and praysing God then David seven times a day will I praise the Lord who more in the studying and meditating on the word then David Thy law is my meditation day and night The same truth you may run and read in Jacob Moses Job Daniel and in the rest of the holy Prophets and Apostles for whom Christ hath done as much for as for you ah how have all those Worthies abounded in works of righteousnesse and holinesse to the praise of free grace Certainly Satan hath got the upper hand of those souls that do argue thus The day is at hand when God will require of men non quid legerint sed quid egerint nec quid dixerint sed quomodo vixerinâ— He that talks of heaven but doth not the will of God is like him that gazed upon the Moon but fell into the pit Christ hath done such and such glorious things for us therefore wee need not make any care or conscience of dâ—ing such and such religious services as men say the word calls for if this Logick be not from Hell what is ah were the holy Prophets and Apostles alive to heare such Logick come out of the mouths of such as professe themselves to be interested in the great and glorious things that Jesus Christ hath done for his chosen ones how would they blush to look upon such souls and how would their hearts grieve and break within them to heare the language and to observe the actings of such soules The fourth Remedy against this device 4. Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider this that those that doe not walk in ways of righteousnesse and holines that do not wait upon God in the several duties and services that are commanded by him cannot have that evidence to their own soules of their righteousnesse before God of their fellowship and communion Certainly 't is one thing to judg by our graces another thing to rest or put our trust in them There is a great deal of difference betwixt declaring and deserving on with God of their blessednesse here and their happinesse hereafter as those soules have that love and delight in the wayes of the Lord that are always best when they are most in the works and service of the Lord. Little children saith the Apostle let no man deceive you he that doth righteousnesse is righteous even as he is righteous In this saith the same Apostle the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devill whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither hee As Davids daughters were known by their garments of divers colours so are Gods children by their piety and sanctity that loveth not his brother If ye know that he is righteous saith the same Apostle ye know that every one that doth righteousnesâ— is born of him He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandements is a lyer and the truth is not in him But who soever keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected hereby know we that we are in him He that saith he abideth in him ought himselfe also to walke even as he A Christians embleme should be an house walking towards Heaven High words surely make a man neither holy nor just but a vertuous life a circumspect walking makes him deare to God A tree that is not fruitful is for the fire Christianity is not a talking but a walking with God who will not be put off with words if he misse of fruit he will take up his axe and then the soul is cut off for ever walked If wee say that we have fellowship with him and walk iâ— darknesse we lie and doe not the truth but if we walk in the light as he is in the light wee have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin saith the same Apostle So James in his second chapter What doth it profit my brethren though a man say he hath faith and have no workes can faith save him i. e. it cannot for as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead To looke after holy and heavenly works is the best way to preserve the soule from being deceived and deluded by Satans delusions and by sudden flashes of joy and comfort holy works being a more sensible and constant pledge of the precious spirit begetting and maintaining in the soule more solid pure clear strong and lasting joy Ah souls as you would have in your selves a constant and blessed evidence of your fellowship with the Father and the Sonne and of the truth of grace and of your future happinesse look that you cleave close to holy services and that you turne not your backs upon religious duties The fifth Remedy against this device 5 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that 'T is a precious truth never to be forgotten Quod non actibus sed finibus pensantur officia that duties are esteemed not by their acts but by their ends there are other choice and glorious ends for the Saints performance of religious duties then for the justifying of their persons before God or for their satisfying of the Law or justice of God or for the purchasing of the pardon of sin c. viz. to testifie their justification a good tree cannot but bring forth good fruit to testifie their love to God and their sincere obedience to thâ— commands of God to testifie their deliverance from spirituall bondage to evidence the indwellings Finis moveâ— ad agendum the end moves to doing of the spirit to stop the mouths of the worst of men and to glad those righteous souls that God would not have sadded These and abundance of other choise ends there be why those that have an interest in the glorious doings of Christ should notwithstanding that keep close to the holy duties and religious services that are commanded Tene mensuram respice sinem keep thy selfe within compasse and have an eye always to the end of thy life and actions was Maximimilians the Emperours Motto by Christ And if these considerations will not prevail with you to wait upon God in
so the good things we have from thee though they may refresh us yet they satisfie us not without thy self Ber. It is an excellent speech of Bernard bonus es domine animae quaerenti quid invenienti Good art thou oh Lord to the soule that seeks thee what art thou then to the soul that finds thee God and to act for God and the sense of the excellency and sweetness of communion with God and the choise and precious discoveries that the soule hath formerly had of the beauty and glory of God whilst it hath been in the service of God The good looks the good words the blessed love-letters the glorious kisses and the sweet embraces that gracious soules have had from Christ in his service do provoke and move them to waite upon him in holy duties ah but restraining grace temporall grace that puts men upon religious duties only from externall motives as the eare of the creature the eye of the creature the rewards of the creature the keeping up of a name amongst the creatures and a thousand such like considerations as you may see in Saul Jehu Judas Demas and the Scribes and Pharisees c. The Abbot in Melancton lived strictly and walked demurely and look'd humbly so long as hee was but a Monke but when by his seeming extraordinary sanctity he got to be Abbot hee grew intollerable proud and insolent and being asked the reason of it confessed that his former lowly look was but to see if he could find the keyes of the Abbie Such poore low vaine motives work temporary soules to all the service they do perform c. 8. Saving grace renewing grace wil cause a man to follow the Lord fully in the desertion of all â—in and in the observation of all Gods precepts Joshua and Numb 14. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath fulfilled after me a metaphor taken from a ship under saile that is strongly carried with the wind as fearing neither rocks nor sands Luke 1. 5 6. Rev. 14. 4. Mat. 23. 23. Caleb followed the Lord fully Zacharias and Elizabeth were righteous before God and walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse The Saints in the Revelation are described by this that they follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes but restraining grace temporary grace cannot enable a man to follow the Lord fully all that temporary grace can enable a man to do is to follow the Lord partially unevenly and haltingly as you may see in Jehu Herod Iudas and the Scribes and Pharisees who paid tithe of Mint and Anise and Cumming but omittted the weighty matters of the Law Judgement Mercy and faith c. True grace works the heart to the Psal 119. 104. 128. I had rather goe to hell pure from sin then to Heaven polluted with that filth saith Anselm hatred of all sin and to the love of all truth it works a man to the hatred of those sins that for his blood he cannot conquer and to loath those sins that he would give all the world to overcome So that a soule truly gracious can say though there be no one sinne mortified and subdued in mee as it should and as I would yet every sinne is hated and loathed by me So a soule truly gracious can say though I doe not obey any one command as I should and as I would yet every word is sweet every command of God is precious dearly prize and greatly love those Da quod jubes jube quâ—d vis give what thou commandest and command what thou wilâ— Psal 119. 119. 127. 167. verses commands that I cannot obey though there be many commands that I cannot in a strict sense fulfill yet there is no command I would not fulfill that I do not exceedingly love I love thy commandements above gold above fine gold My soule hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly 9. True grace leads the soule to rest in Christ as in his summum bonum chiefest good it works the soul to center in Christ as in his highest and ultimate end Whether should we goe thou hast 〈◊〉 6. 68. Cant. 5. 10. Cant. 3. 4. Grace is that star that leads to Christ 't is that cloud pillarâ— of fire that leads the soule to that heavenly Canaan where Christ siâ—s chiefe the worlds of eternall life My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand I found him whom my soule loved I held him and would not let him goe That wisdome a Beleever hath from Christ it leads him to center in the wisdome of Christ and that love the soule hath from Christ it leads the soule to center in the love of Christ and that Righteousnesse the soule hath from Christ it leads the soule to rest and center in the Righteousnesse of Christ 1 Cor. 1. 30. Phil. 3. 9. True grace is a beame of Christ and where it is it will naturally lead the soul to rest in Christ The streame doth not more naturally lead to the fountain nor the effect to the cause then true grace leads the soule to Christ But restraining grace temporary grace works the soule to center and rest in things below Christ Sometimes it works the soule to center in the prayses of the creature sometimes to rest in Mat. 6. 1 2. Zach. 7. 5 6. the rewards of the creature verily they have their reward saith Christ and so in a hundred other things c. 10. True grace will inable a soule to sit down satisfied and contented with the naked enjoyments of Christ The Cui cum paupertate bene convenit pauper non est saith Seneca A contented man cannot be a poor man enjoyment of Christ without honour will satisfie the soule the enjoyment of Christ without riches the enjoyments of Christ without pleasures and without the smiles of creatures will content and satisfie the soule 'T is enough Joseph is alive So saith a gracious soule though honour is not and riches are not and health is not and Charles the great his Motto was Christus regnat vincit triumphat And so 't is the Saints friends are not c. It is enough that Christ is that he reigns conquers and triumphs Christ is the pot of Mannah the cruice of oyle a bottomlesse ocean of all comfort content and satisfaction hee that hath him wants nothing he that wants him enjoys nothing having nothing saith Paul and yet possessing 2 Cor. 6. 10. Saint Austine upon Psal 12. brings in God rebuking a discontented Christian thus what is thy faith have I promised thee these things what wert thou made a Christian that thou shouldst flourish here in this world all things Oh! but a man that hath but temporary grace that hath but restraining grace cannot sit downe satisfied and contented under the wanâ— of outward comforts Christ is good with honours saith such a soule and Christ is good with riches and Christ is good with pleasures and he is
houre to have A pardon given unexpectedly into the hand of a malefactor when he is on the last stâ—p of the ladder ready to be turn'd off will cause muâ—h joy rejoycing the newnesse and suddennesse of the change of his condition will cause his heart to leap and rejoyce yet in proces of time much of his joy will â—e abaâ—ed tho his liâ—e be as dâ—aâ— to him still as ever it was his night turn'd into day his darknesse turn'd into light his bitter into sweet Gods frownes into smiles his hatred into love his hell into a Heaven must greatly joy and comfort him It cannot but make his heart to leap and dance in him who in one houre shall see Satan accusing him his owne heart condemning him the eternall God frowning upon him the gates of Heaven bar'd against him all the creation standing armed at the least beck of God to execute vengeance on him and the mouth of the infernall pit open to receive him Now in this hour for Christ to come to the amazed soule and say to it I have trod the Winâ—-presse of my Fathers wrath for thee I have laid down my life a ransome for thee by my blood I have satisfied my Fathers Justice and pacified his anger and procured his love for thee by my blood I have purchased the pardon of thy sins thy freedom from hell and thy right to Heaven c. Oh! how wonderfully will this cause the soule to leap for joy The fifth Remedy against this Device 5 Remedie of Satan is to consider that God will restore and make up the comforts of his people though thy candle be put out Hudson the Martyr deserted at the stake went from under his chain and having prayed earnestly was comforted immediately and suffered valiantly So Mr. Glover when he was within sight of the stake cryed out to his friend he is come he is come meaning the comforter that Christ promised to send yet God will light it againe and make it burn more light then ever though thy sun for the present be clouded yet he that rides upon the clouds shall scatter those clouds and cause the sun to shine and warm thy heart as in formâ—r dayes as the Psalmist speakes a Ps 71. 20 21. Thou which hast shewed me great and sâ—re troubles shalt quicken me againe and shalt bring me up againe from the depths of the earth Thou shalt increase my greatnesse and comfort me on every side God takes away a little comfort that he may make room in the soule for a greater degree of comfort This the Prophet Isaiah sweetly shewes b Isa 57. 18. I have seen his wayes and will heale him I will lead him also and restâ—re comforts unto him and to his mourners Bear up sweetly oh precious soule thy storme shall end in a calm and thy dark night in a sun-shine day thy mourning shall be turn'd into rejoycing and the waters of consolation shall be sweeter and higher in thy soule then See also the 126 Psal 6. v. and the 42 Psal 7 8. ever the mâ—rcy is surely thine but the time of giving it is the Lords wait but a litâ—le and thou shalt find the Lord comforting thee on every side The seventh Device that Satan hath to keep souls in a doubting and questioning condition is BY suggesting to the soule his often 7 Device relapses into the same sin which formerly he hath pursued with particular sorrow grief shame and tears and prayed complained and resolved against Saith Satan thy heart is not right with God surely thy estate is not good thou dost but flatter thy selfe to think that ever God will eternally owne and embrace such a one as thou art who complainest against sin and yet relapsest into the same sin who with teares and groanes confessest thy sin and yet ever and anon art fallen into the same sin c. I confesse this is a very sad condition for a soule after he hath obtained mercy and pity from the Lord after God hath spoken peace and pardon to him and wip't the tears from his eyes and set him upon his legs to returne to folly ah how doe relapses lay men open to the greatest afflictions and worst A backslider may say opera impensa periit all my paines and charge is lost temptations How doe they make the wound to bleed afresh How doe they darken and cloud former assurances and evidenceâ— for Heaven How doe they put a sword into the hand of conscience to cut and slash the soule They raise such feares terrours horrours and doubts in the soule that the soule cannot be so frequent in duty as formerly nor so fervent in duty as formerly nor so confident in duty as formerly nor so bold familiar and delightfull with God in duty as formerly nor so constant in duty as formerly they give Satan an advantage to triumph over Christ they make the work of repentance moâ—e difficult they make a mans life a burden and they render death to be very terrible unto the soule c. Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedie against this device 1 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that there are many Scriptures that doe clearly evidence a possibility of the St. falling into the same sins whereof they have formerly repented c Hos 14. 4. I will heale their backsliding I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from them saith the Lord by the Prophet Hosea so the Prophet Jeremiah speaks d Ier. 3. 12. 14. Goe and proclaime these words towards the North and say returne thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am mercifull saith the The sin of backsliding is a soul-wounding sin I will heale their backsliding you read of no arms for the back though you doe for the breast Lord and I will not keep anger for ever Turne oh backsliding Israel saith the Lord for I am married unto you And I will take you one of a City and two of a family and I will bring you to Zion So the Psalmist They turned back and dealt unfaithfully like their Fathers they were turned aside like a deceitfull bow And no wonder for tho their repentance be never so sincere and sound yet their graces are but weak and their mortification imperfect in When a souldier bragged too much of a great scar in his forehead Augustus Caesar in whose time Christ was borne asked him if he did not get it when he looked back as he fled this life though by grace they are freed from the dominion of sin and from the damnatory power of every sin and from the love of all sin yet grace doth not free them from the seed of any one sin and therefore 't is possible for a soule to fall againe and againe into the same sin if the fire be not wholly
put out who would thinke it impossible that it should catch and burne againe and againe The second Remedy against this Device 2 Remedie of Satan is seriously to consider that God hath no where ingaged himselfe by any particular promise that soules converted and united to Christ shall not fall againe and againe into the same sins after conversion I cannot find in the whole Book of God where he In some cases the Saints have found God better then his word he promâ—sed the Children of Israel onely the Land of Canaan but besides that he gave them two other Kingdomes which he never promised And to Zachary he promised to give him his speech at the birth of the child but besides that he gave him the gift of Prophecy hath promised any such strength or power against this or that particular sin as that the soule shall be for ever in this life put out of a possibility of falling againe and againe into the same sins and where God hath not a mouth to sâ—eak I must not have a heart to believe God will graciously pardon those sins to his people that he will not in this life effectually subdue in his people I would goe far to speak with that soule that can shew a promise that when our sorrow and grief hath been so great or so much for this or that sin that then God will preserve us from ever falling into the same sin the sight of such a promise would be as life from the dead to many a precious soule who desires nothing more then to keepe close to Christ and feares nothing more then backsliding from Christ The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that the most renowned and now crowned Saints have in the dayes of their being on earth relapsed into one and the A sheep may often slip into a slough as well as a swine same sin Lot was twice overcome with wine John twice worshipped the Angel Abraham did often dissemble and Iay his wife open to adultery to save his owne life which some Heathens would not have done And it came to Gen. 20. 13. â—h 12. passe when God caused me to wander from my Fathers house that I said unto her this is thy kindnesse which thou shalt shew unto me at every place whether we shall come say of me he is my brother David in his Perhaps the Prodigall sets out unto us a Christian relapst for he was a son before and with his Father then went away from him and spent all and yet he was not quite undone but returned againe wrath was resolved if ever man was that he would be the death of Nabal and all his innocent Family and after this he fell into the foule murther of Vriah Though Christ told his Disciples that his Kingdome was not of this world yet againe and againe and again three severall times they would needs be on horse-back they would faine be high great and glorious in this world their pride and ambitious humour put them that were but as so many baggars upon striving for preheminence and greatnesse in the world when their Lord and Master told them 3 severall times of his sufferings in the world and of his going out of the world Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 18. ch 1. 2. 3. 30 31. though a godly man yet joynes affinity with wicked Ahab and though he was saved by a miracle yet soon after he fals into the same sin and joynes himself with ch 20. 35. 36 37. Ahaziah King of Israel who did very wickedly Sampson iâ— by the Spirit of the Lord numbred among the faithful worthies Heb. 11. 32. and yet he fell often into one gross sin as is evident in the book of Judges Jud. 14. 15. 16. ch Peter you know relapst often and so did Jonah and this comes to passe that they may see their owne inability to stand to resist or overcome any temptation or corruption And that they may be taken off from all false confidences and rest wholy upon God and onely upon God and alwayes upon God and for the praise and honour of the power wisdome skill mercy and The Prodigal saw the compassion of his Father the greater in receiving him after he had run away from him goodnesse of the Physitian of our souls that can heale help and cure when the disease is most dangerous when the soule is relapst and growes worse and worse and when others say there is no help for him in his God and when his owne heart and hopes are dying The fourth Remedy against this Device 4 Remedie of Satan is to consider that therâ— are relapses into enormities and there are relapses into infirmities now 't is not usuall with God to leave his people Relapses into enormities are peccata vulnerantia divistantia wounding wasting sins Therefore the Lord is graciously pleased to put under his everlasting arms and stay his chosen ones from frequent falling into them frequently to relapse into enormities for by his spirit and grace by his smiles and frownes by his word and rod he doth usually preserve his people from a frequent relapsing into enormities yet he doth leave his choicest ones frequently to relapse into infirmities and of his grace he pardons them in course as idle words passion vaine thoughts c. Though gracious soules strive against these and complaine of these and weep over these yet the Lord to keep them humble leaves them frequently to relapse into these and these frequent relapses into infirmities shall never be their bane because they be their burden The fift Remedy against this Device 5 Remedy of Satan is to consider that there are There is a great difference betwen a sheep that by weaknesse fals into the mire a swine that delights to wallow in the mire between a woman that is forced though she strives and cries out and and an alluring adultress involuntary relapses and there are voluntary relapses involuntary relapses are when the resolution and full bent of the heart is against sin when the soul strives with all its might against sin by sighes and groans by prayers and tears and yet out of weaknesse is forced to fall back into sin because there is not spirituall strength enough to overcome Now though involuntary relapses must humble us yet they must never discourage nor deject us for God will freely and readily pardon those in course Voluntary relapses are when the soule longs and loves to return to the flesh-pots of Egypt when 't is a pleasure and a pastime to a man to return to his old courses such voluntary relapses speak out the man blinded hardned and ripened for rulne c. The sixth Remedie against this Device 6 Remedy of Sathan is to consider that there is no such power or infinite vertue in the Christ upbraded his Disciples for their unbelief and hardnesse of heart who