Iesus Christ c. But who doe you thinke now are the true and great fooles of the world And who are likeliest one day to groane for anguish of Spirit and say within themselves This was hee whom wee had sometimes in derision and a Proverbe of reproch Wee fooles accounted His life madnesse and His end to bee without honour Now is hee numbred among the Children of God and His Lot is among the Saints Therefore haue we erred from the way of truth and the light of righteousnesse hath not shined unto us and the Sun of righteousnesse hath not rose upon us wee wearied our selves in the way of wickednesse and destruction yea wee have gone through deserts where there lay no way But as for the way of the Lord wee have not knowne it What hath pride profited us Or what good hath riches with our vanting brought us All those things are passed away like a shadow and as a post that hasted by c. Nay and yet further besides the extraordinarinesse of the iniquity folly in refusing Christ freely offered it shall most certainely bee hereafter plagued with extremest tormenting fury and most desperate gnashing of teeth For with what infinite horrour and restlesse anguish will this conceit rent a Mans heart in pieces and gnaw upon His Conscience when Hee considers in Hell that Hee hath lost Heaven for a lust and whereas Hee might at every sermon had even the Son of God His husband for the very taking and have lived with Him for ever in unspeakeable Blisse yet neglecting so great salvation must now crying out therefore continually against Himselfe as the most raging Bedlam that ever breathed lie in unquenchable flames without remedy ease or end It is the highest honour that can be imagined and a Mystery of greatest amazement that ever was that the Sonne of God should make sute unto sinfull Soules to be their Husband And yet so it is Hee stands at the doore and knocks if you will give Him entrance Hee will bring Himselfe and Heaven into your hearts We are Christs Ambassadours as though God did beseech you by us Wee pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled to God Wee are Christs spokes-men that I may so speake to Wooe and Winne you unto Him Now what can you say for your selves that you stand out Why come you not in If the Divell would give you leave to speake out and in plaine termes One would say I had rather bee damned then leave my drunkennesse Another I love the world better then Iesus Christ A third I will not part with my easie and gainefull trade of Vsury for the treasure hid in the field And so on So that upon the matter you must needs all confesse that you hereby judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life that you are wilfull bloody Murderers of your owne Soules that you commit such a wickednesse that all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth cry shame upon you for it Nay and if you go on without repentance you may expect that the Hellish gnawing of Conscience for this one sinne of refusing Christ may perhaps hold scale with the Vnited horrors of all the rest What is the matter I marvell that you will not entertaine the Match If wee stand upon honour and noble family Hee that makes love and sute unto our soules hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords If upon beauty Heare how hee is described Cant. 5. My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand His head is as the most fine gold his lockes are bushie and blacke as a Raven His eyes are as the eyes of Doves by the rivers of water washed with milke and fitly set His cheekes are as a bed of Spices as sweet flowers His lips like Lillies dropping sweet smelling myrrhe His hands are as the gold rings set with the Berill His belly is as bright Ivory overlaid with Saphires His legs are as pillars of marble set upon Sockets of fine gold His countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars His mouth is most sweet yea hee is altogether lovely Now you must understand that the Spirit of God by these outward beauties and braveries labours in some measure to shadow out and represent unto us the incomparable excellency of inward graces the dignity the glory the spirituall fairenesse of Iesus Christ that wee may know that Hee is wholly and altogether lovely delectable and precious If upoâ— ease and contentment Hee can lead us to fulnesse of joy and pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore If wee desire honorable Alliance Hee will bring us to an innumerable company of Angels to the generall assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in heaven and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect If we stand upon wealth we shall haue all things with him which is a large Possession If we respect love Greater love hath no Man then this that a Man lay downe His life for his friends And hee being the brightnesse of His Fathers glory and the expresse image of his person came downe from his bosome the well-spring of immortality and blisse the fulnesse of joy and that unapprocheable light into an House of flesh upon this base and miserable earth Hee passed thorow a life full of all manner vexations miseries persecutions indignities slanders speaking against of Sinners c. He was so prodigiously slandered that they said Hee had a divell Whereas the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelled in him bodily Hee was cunningly hunted long and at last violently haled by a Packe of Hell-hounds to a cruell and bloody death which for the extremity and variety of paines for the enraged spight of the executioners for the innocency and excellency of the Person suffering the like never was shall or can bee endured His passions were such so bitter and unsupportable that they would have made any meere creature to have sunke downe under the burden of them to the bottome of Hell Hee was tortured extremely and suffered grievous things both in Body and Soule from Heaven Earth and Hell His blessed Body was given up as an Anvile to bee beaten upon by the violent and villanous hands of wretched Miscreants without all measure or mercy untill they had left no one part free from some particular and speciall torment His skin and flesh were â—ent with scourges His hands and feet pierced with nailes His head with thornes His very heart with the speare point All His senses all his parts indeed His whole sacred body was made a rufull spectacle to Angels and to Men of all the most base and barbarous vsage which malice could devise and cruelty execute But all this yet was but a shadow of His suffering the substance of His suffering was the Agony of His Soule Give mee any affliction save the affliction of the mind
Debitors while they have any doings as they say and are in trading in policy let them alone and say nothing but if once downe the winde in sicknesse poverty disgrace c. Then comes Sergeant after Sergeant Arrest upon Arrest Action upon Action All their sinnes are set in order before them and fall full foule upon the now distressed Soule as Ravens upon the fallen Sheepe to picke out the very eyes and heart of it and to keepe it downe in the Dungeon of despaire for ever 5. Nor others because they cousen themselves with a formall false conceite of a comfortable spirituall state as did the Phariâ—ie Luk. 15.11 with a groundlesse presumption that they are in Gods favour as did those Matth. 7.22 And the five foolish Virgins Matth. 25. When as God knowes they are meere strangers to the Mysterie of Christ and farre enough from any sound Humiliation Thus the blindnesse security searednesse slumber Selfe-deceite or some other such distemper of the Conscience conceales and keepes in the stings of those sins in sensuall men which without turning unto the Lord in truth while it is called To Day will hereafter torment with intolerable and restlesse terrour thorow all eternity 3. A third reason why thy unlamented and unpardoned sinnes tho every one of them bee armed with a severall bloody and fiery sting and of their owne nature so heavy with horrour that they are able to sinke Thee into the bottome of Hell doe not as yet stirre nor presse upon thy Soule with the insupportable weight of divine vengeance is this They are in their native soyle where they were borne bred and brought up in their owne Element as they say I meane in a carnall heart soaking in sensualitie and not resolved to bee reformed Wee say in Philosophy An Element is not heavy in it's owne Place One Bucket full of water upon the Earth would bee burdensome to the Backe of that Man who were Hee in the bottome of the Sea would feele no weight at all from all the water there tho it were three miles high over His head A sensuall heart settled upon it's lees can beare without sense or complaint a world of wickednesse which out of it's Element and humour would bee crusht into Powder and tremble with horrour upon the sad apprehension of the least sinne especially set out by Gods just indignation While Belshazzar was in His Element revelling and rioting amongst His Lords His Wives and His Concubines drinking wine swaggeringly and contemptuously in the golden and silver Vessels of the Temple Hee felt no touch in point of conscience or terrour at all But put out of His humour by the hand-writing upon the plaister of the Wall His countenance was presently changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the joynts of His loynes were loosed and His knees smote one against another 4. Fourthly The never-dying worme that naturally breeds and growes bigge in every unregenerate conscience which beates backe still the searching power of the Word and secret warnings of the Spirit is like a Wolfe in the foot Feede it continually with fresh supply of raw flesh and it will let the Body alone but with-draw that and it devoures upward While the Sonnes and daughters of pleasure and all those who have their portion and Paradise in this life stoppe the mouth of this hellish worme with variety of carnall delights they doe well enough and finde pretty ease and exemption for a time from the rage and bitings thereof But they may assure themselves in evill times when the dayes are come upon them wherein there is no pleasure when the Play is done when all worldly comforts and comforters like run-away servants and drunken Serving-men are to seeke when they have most use and need of them I say that then the time and turne is come that the worme of conscience destitute now â—or ever of any further satisfaction from sensuall sweetnes will ragingly turne upon the Soule devoure like a Lion knaw like a Vulture vex eternally 5. Fifthly If the weight of the whole world were now laid upon any of these Bodies here lately buried it would not stirre or groane And why Because it is naturally dead Proportionably Tho the burthen of sinne farre heavier then a mountaine of Lead then this mighty and massie earth under our feete lyes upon every impenitent Soule ready every houre to presse and plunge it into the lowest Pit yet wretched and bewitched Thing it neither feeles any smart nor feares any hurt it is neither sensible of the present weight nor troubled for the future wrath And what is the reason It is spiritually dead It is starke dead in trespasses and sinnes The strong man is gone away with all And there is no stirring nor sense of this cursed Burden untill Either a stronger then Hee lay hands upon this Hellish Tyrant disarme Him and throw downe His Holds and a mightier voyce of the Sonne of God then that which made Lazarus come out of the Grave put life into it Or else that the dreadfull thunder of Gods fierce and finall wrath the Day of visitation beeing expired awake it to everlasting woe 6. Tho in the meane time thou bee extreamely miserable and if thou dyest in thine impenitent state this day thou must most certainely lodge this night in the Lake of fire and brimstone amongst the damned yet thy sinnes for the present doe not represent to the eye of thy conscience those formes of foulenesse and terrour of which they are naturally full and which without timely repentance thou wilt hereafter find and feele in them to thine endlesse griefe because thou lookest upon them in the false Glasse of vaine-glory ignorance selfe-love selfe-conceitednesse painted over by the Divels dawbing with whorish intising colours of pleasure profit preferment worldly applause and other such goodly and golden out-sides Whereas a true and effectuall beholding them in the cleare Christall of Gods pure Law hunted continually at the heeles with divine vengeance all the curses in this Booke and plagues innumerable internall externall eternall and in the bitter Passion of Iesus Christ without whose hearts-blood not the least sinne that ever was committed could ever have been remitted were able to â—right and fire a very Blackamore out of His blacke skinne and a Leopard from His spots And thou something easest thine heart also against the terrour of the Lord for thy sinnes by looking upon Gods mercy with false spectacles and so enlarging it beyond the limits of His Truth But heare what that excellent discoverer of the Depths of our Selfe-cousoning hearts tells thee in such a case As a man passing over a bridge saith Hee which his false spectacles make to seeme broader then in deed it is being thereby deceived goes besides the bridge and so is drowned so is it with those whose deceitfull hearts make the bridge of Gods mercy larger then it is they are in danger of falling beside it into
prejudice against the power of godlinesse and pestilent perswasions of Pillow-sowers under their elbowes that in so doing they shal bee utterly undone and never have good day afterward But to speake in their owne language fall presently into the hands of the Puritanes into the strict tortures and Hypocriticall miseries of precisenesse into fowrenesse vnsociablenesse dumps of Melancholy and indeede into a state not past a step short of distraction and madnesse And these therefore cast about to get out of trouble of minde and sense of divine terrour with as great impatiency and precipitation as the former onely more plausibly and with seemingly fairer but truly false satisfaction to their owne Soules For the former rush with furious indignation out of these spirituall dejections of Conscience as unmanly feares not fit for worthy spirits and men of Ioviall resolution into greater excesse and variety of worldly delights and sensuall loosenesse and so ordinarily become afterward very notorious and more desperate enemies to the Kingdome of Christ Because the power of the Word hath once stung their carnall hearts with some remorsefull terrour they ever after heartily hate the sound and searching Ministry and managers thereof the Inflicters of their smart for no other reason in the world but that they tell them the truth and thereupon torment them before their time that so if they be not wanting unto themselves they may escape the torments of eternity hereafter And they set themselves against godly Christians with incompatible estrangement and implacable spite onely because they are Professours of Selfe-deniall holy strictnesse inconformity to the world repentance mortification c. the entertainement and exercise whereof they furiously more detest and flie from then the death of their Bodies and damnation of their Soules But these latter passe more plausibly out of trouble of conscience and take a fairer course of the two tho it proove but an imaginary and counterfeite Cure For they labour to close up their spirituall wound with comfort out of the Word and promise peace to their troubled hearts from the promises of life But herein they faile and fearefully deceive themselves in that they conceive the first fits and qualmes as it were of Legall terrour to bee saving repentance a generall speculative apprehension of Christ's Passion to procure a speciall pardon for all their sinnes fruitlesse speculations of Faith to prevent and secure them from the wrath that is come a meere verball profession to be forwardnesse enough except a Man would bee too precise Vpon the first fright and feeling the smart of a confused remorse and horrour for sinne without any further penitent wading into Particulars or thorow-search into their hearts lives consciences and Callings without suffering the worke of the spirit of Bondage to drive them to Christ and a resolution to sell all c. They presently hand over-head apply by the strong delusion of their owne idle groundlesse conceite all the gracious promises and priviledges of Gods Childe to their un-humbled Soules and enforce their understandings by a violent greedy error to think they are justified by such an artificiall heartles Notion which they falsely call Faith and so resting in a counterfeite perswasion that they are true Converts ordinarily turne carnall Professours Who are a kind of people who have no more spirituall life then a dead Faith can infuse into them No more comfort in the communion of Saints then an outward correspondence in Profession speculative Discourses of religion and meetings at the Meanes can yeeld No more interest or right to Heaven then a bold presumptuous confidence built first upon their owne wilfull fancy and seconded with Satans lying suggestion can give them Whose sorrow for sinne at the most is commonly no more then afflicting their Soules for a Day and bowing downe their heads like a Bul-rush without loosing the bands of wickednesse or departing from iniquity Whose conversion is nothing but onely a speculative Passage from a confused apprehension of sinne to a generall application of Christ without any sensible or saving alteration in their waies Whose New-obedience consists onely in a formall conformity to outward exercises of Religion without all true Zeale life heartinesse holinesse or indeed honest dealing with their Brethren But these men are to know that Christs blood never pardoned any mans Soule from sinne whose spirit the power thereof did not purge from guile It never saves any one from Hell whom it doth not first in some good measure season with holinesse and heavenly life In vaine doe they build comfort upon his Passion who doe not conscionably conforme to the practise of his Word And let them further bee informed for a more cleare discovery of their grosse and damnable Selfe-deceit that howsoever a dead Faith according to it's name and nature enters if it hath any entitie at all into the understanding without any remarke-able motion sense and alteration yet that Faith which truly justifies pacifies purifies mortifies sanctifies and saves is evidently discernable by first Many stirring Preparatives Sight and sense of a Mans miserable state by nature of his sinfulnesse and cursednesse Humbling himselfe in the sight of the Lord fearefull apprehensions wrought by the spirit of bondage Illumination conviction Legall terrours c. Secondly Violent affections about the infusing of it which are wont to bee raised in the humbled heart by the Holy Ghost extreme thirst inflamed desires vehement longings un-utter-able groanings of spirit prizing and preferring the Person and Passion of Christ before the Possession of infinite Worlds willingnesse to sell all to part with any thing for Him tho neuer so deare or so much doted upon heretofore with pleasure riches preferments a right hand a right eye liberty life c. Nay if in such a Case if even Hell it selfe should stand betweene Iesus Christ and a poore Soule He would most willingly passe thorow the very flames thereof to embrace His blessed crucified Lord in the armes of a lively Faith Thirdly inseparable consequents and companions first an hearty and everlasting falling-out with all sinne secondly sanctification thorowout in Body Soule Spirit and Calling and in every power part and passage thereof tho not in perfection of degrees as they say yet in truth and effectually thirdly A set and solmne course of New-obedience spent principally in Selfe-sobriety righteousnesse towards our Brethren and holinesse towards God Many unfaithfull men in the Ministry both in their publike teaching and private visitations of the sicke have much to answer-for in this Point who for want of skill in that highest Art of saving soules of familiarity with God and secret workings of his Spirit of experience in their owne change and of the spirit of discerning c. many times concurre with such miserable men to marre all in stife-ling the very first stirrings of Legall remorse by healing the wounds of their conscience with sweet words before they be searcht and sounded to the bottome and by an unseasonable and
to take His own only deere Son especially sith thou takes with Him the excellency and variety of all blessings both of Heaven Earth a Discharge from every moment of the everlasting paines of Hell Deeds sealed with His own blood of thy Right to the glorious Inheritance of the Saints in light In a word even all things the most glorious Deity it self blessed for ever to bee enjoyed thorow Him with unspeakeable and endlesse pleasure thorow all eternity Prodigious madnesse cruelty to thine owne Soule or something at which Heaven and Earth Man and Angell and all Creatures may stand amazed That thou shouldest so wickedly and willfully forsake thine owne mercy and neglect so great salvation 6. Lastly lest He should let passe any meanes or be any waies wanting on His part to drive us to Christ and settle our Soules upon Him with sure and everlasting confidence He also o threatneth And to whom sware Hee that they should not enter into His rest but to them that believed not Heb. 3.18 Wherein Hee expresseth extremest anger unquenchable and implacable indignation Hee sweares in his wrath that no unbeleever shall ever enter into His rest In the Threats of the Morall Law there is no such Oath but a secret reservation of mercy upon the satisfaction of divine justice some other way But herein the Lord is peremptory and a third way shall never bee found or afforded to the Sonnes of Men. Neglect of such a gracious Offer of so great salvation must needes provoke and incense so great a God extraordinarily For with prodigious ingratitude folly it flings as it were Gods free grace in His face againe and sinnes against His mercy Suppose a mighty Prince passing by all the royall and noble blood in Christendome many brave and honorable Ladies should send to a poore maide bred in a base Cottage borne both of beggerly and wicked Parents offer her marriage to make Her a Princesse and shee then should foolishly refuse and reject so infinitely undeserved and unexpected advancement As shee might thereupon bee justly branded for a notorious Bedlam so would not so great a Prince thinke you bee mightily enraged at such a dunghill indignity and peevish affront The Prince of peace upon whosâ— thigh is written King of Kingâ— and Lord of Lords passing by more excellent and noble creatures sends unto Thee whose Father is corruption and the worme thy mother and thy sister and who in respect of thy spirituall state lies polluted in thine owne blood c. And offers to betroth Thee unto Himselfe in righteousnesse and in iudgement and in loving kindenesse and in mercies To Crowne Thee with all the riches both of His kingdome of grace and glory c. Now if thou shouldest stand off which God forbid as thereupon out of perfection of madnesse thou forsakest thine owne salvation so thou most justly enforcest that blessed Lord to sweare in his wrath that thou shalt never bee saved Thus thou hast heard how First Hee keepes open house to all such hungry and thirsty soules Rev. 22.17 Secondly Hee invites Mat. 11.28 Thirdly Invites with an awakening and rouzing compellation Isa. 55.1 Fourthly Intreats 2. Cor. 5 20. Fifthly Commands 1. Ioh. 3.23 Sixthly And threats Heb. 3.18 How cruell then iâ— that Man to His owne wounded conscience who in his extreme spirituall thirst will not bee drawne by this sixfold mercifull Cord to drinke His fill of the Fountaine of the water of life to cast Himselfe with confidence and comfort into the armes of the Lord Iesus Which is more then infinitely able to tie the most trembling heart and that which hangs-off most by reason of pretended doubts scruples and distrusts to that blessed Saviour of His with all full assurance and perfect peace How is it possible but that all or some of these should bring in every broken heart to believe and cause every one that is weary of his sinnes to relie upon the Lord of life for everlasting Wellfare But that which I desire principally to presse for my purpose in the Pâ—int at this time is this Thy conscience is now awaked terrifyed and troubled and therefore as I suppose tender and very sensible at least for a time of the least sinne â—very sinne lies now upon thy Soule as heavy as a mountaine of leade and therefore thou wouldest not willingly adde unto thy already insupportable burden any more waight All thy youthfull lusts and abominations stare in the face of thy conscience with griesly and horrible lookes and therefore for the present especially thou art notably scared from a willing provocation of Gods anger and wounding it afresh with any new sinne Well it beeing thus then If it appeare unto Thee that by thy standing off in the Case I have supposed thee from taking Christ as thine owne applying the promises as most certainely belonging unto â—hee and so putting to thy seale that God is true Thou dishonours Him extraordinarily in many respects Mee thinkes then thou shouldest bee mightily mooved without any more adoe to cast thy selfe presently upon the Lord Iesus with comfort and much assurance Especially sith thy so yeelding to the Law of faith is for thy infinite good And assure thy Selfe thou offendest in the meane time many waies 1. By a sowre and selfe-will'd unmanerlinesse towards Christ in not comming when Hee calls theo Mat. 11.28 It is pride and high pride saith a worthy Divine not to come when thou art called It is rudenesse and not good manners not to doe as thou art bidden to doe yea so often and earnestly charged to doe It would be a foule fault and unmannerly disobedience for any subject in this kingdom tho never so ragged tatter'd or pretending never so much His unfitnesse and unfinenesse to presse into so great a presence not to come unto the King if Hee should please earnestly to call upon Him Disobedience to the Law of faith and reiecting Gods gracious Offer of his Sonne freely is the greatest and an inexpiable sinne He hath sworne in his wrath that such a Refusant shall never enter into His rest 2. By a saucy prescribing unto Him upon what termes Hee shall take thee Ho sayes Hee every One that thirsteth come yee to the waters and Hee that hath no money Come yee buy and eate yea come buy wine and milke without money and without price Nay saist Thou I will either bring something in mine hand or I will none Whereas it appeares in the cited Place that Christ calls not onely those that are thirsty but also such as have no money 3. By undervalewing the unvalewable worth of his pretious blood As tho thy sinnes had exceeded the price that hath been paid for them Whereas it is called Act 20.28 Gods owne blood And therefore no want in it to wash away any sinne and for ever 4. By offering disparagement to all the promises in Gods blessed Booke Every one whereof doth now sweetly
in the nearest and most immediate passive disposition if I may so speake to receive the whole Sunne of righteousnesse Reach but out thy hand in this Case to Iesus Christ offering Himselfe freely unto Thee as a Saviour and Lord and thou shalt presently take possession of the Kingdome of Grace and undoubted Right to the everlasting Kingdome of Glory The Prophet Amos 5.8 presseth this Argument of power for some such purpose And it may serve excellently against all pretences and counter-pleaes for a supposed impossibilitie of being illightened and refreshed in the depth of spirituall darkenesse and distresse It may bee Thou mayest say unto Mee You advise mee indeed to seeke Gods face and favour c. But alas Mine is not an ordinary heart it is so full of guilty sadnesse and horror for sin that I have little hope c. Yea but consider He that I counsell Thee to seek made the seven Starres and Orion and turneth the shadow of death into the Morning and will doe fargreater wonders for thy Soule if thou wilt believe the Prophets that thou mayest prosper If thou will trust in Him He will quickly turne the tumultuous roarings of thy conscience into perfect peace Thou wilt keepe Him in perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee because Hee trusteth in Thee Isai. 26. 3. The Prophet therefore to prevent all scruples and exceptions in this kinde calles upon them thus Seeke him that maketh the seven Starres and Orion c. 2. Secondly lay these two together To bring hony out of the Rocke and oyle out of the flinty Rocke Deut. 32.13 And to mollifie thine heart even to thine owne hearts desire in which there is already some softnesse else thou couldest not sensibly and syncorely complaine of it's hardnesse And thou must needs acknowledge that they are both equally easie to the same Almightie arme 3. Thirdly thou mayst well consider that it is a farre greater worke to make Heaven and Earth then to put spirituall life and lightsomnesse into thy truly humbled and thirsty Soule to which so many pretious Promises are made And Hee with whom Thou hast to doe and from whom thou expectest helpe is He that made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that therein is which keepeth truth for ever Which openeth the eyes of the blind and raiseth them that are bowed downe Psal. 146.6 Which healâ—th the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds Who taketh pleasure in them that feare Him in those that hope in His mercy Psal. 147.3.11 4. In such an extremity of helpe-lesnesse and hope-lesnesse In this trembling and terrour of thy heart thou shouldest call to minde for thy comfort That Hee who establisheth all the Ends of the Earth Prov. 30 4. and hath hung that mighty and massie Body upon Nothing Iob 26.7 can most easily stay and stablish the most forlorne and forsaken Soule even sinking into the mouth of despaire Hee that said at first to the Earth Stand still upon Nothing and it never stirr'd out of it's place since the Creation can easily uphold fortifie and refresh thine heart in the depth of the most grievous spirituall misery Even when in the bitternesse of thy spirit thou cries My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord Lament 3.18 4. Even his Iustice. Christs blood is already payed as a price for the pardon of the sinnes of thine humbled Soule and thou wilt needs pay it over againe or else thou wilt not enter upon the Purchase As tho God did expect and exact the discharge of the same debt twice which to imagine were a monstrous intolerable indignity to the most just God You know full well what conceit wee should hold of that Man who having a debt fully discharged by the Surety should presse upon the Principall for the payment of the same againe Wee should indeed thinke HIm to bee a very cruell hard-hearted and mercilesse Man wee should call Him a Turke a Cut-throate a Canniball farre fitter to lodge in a Den of Tygers then to live in the society of men What a fearefull dishonour then is iâ— to the mercifull and mighty Lord of Heaven and Earth To the righteous Iudge of all the World to conceive that having received an exact and full satisfaction for all our sinnes by the hearts-blood of His owne deare Sonne should ever require them againe at our hands Farre bee it then from every One who would not offer extraordinary disparagement even to Gods glorious Iustice to entertaine any such thought Especially sâ—th wee have His Word His Oath and the Seale of His Sonnes blood for security And assuredly wee may build upon it as upon a Rocke of eternall truth that when wee come unto Christ weary of all our sinnes thirsting syncerely for Him and throwing our selves upon Him as Salvation it selfe resolved to take upon us His sweet and easie yoke for the time to come Hee doth presently as Hee hath promised take off the burden and free us everlastingly from the guilt and staine damnation and reigne of all our sinnes But now if thou wilt cast thy self upon Iesus Christ role thy selfe upon the Promises beeing so humbled spiritually thirsty and resolved as thou hast said and I supposed at the first For wee who are Gods Messengers comfort and assure of pardon in such Cases onely upon supposition that the heart and speeches all the Promises and protestations of the Party and Patient we deale with bee syncere every way I say if thou thus cast thy selfe upon the Lord Iesus and the promises of life having a well-grounded strong and seasonable calling thereunto beeing as appeares before invited intreated commanded c. The Case will be blessedly altered Thou shalt then doe as God would have Thee and mightily honour the un-valew-able and infinite dignity of His Sonnes Passion and blood the pretious freenesse of all the Promises His free love sweet Name Truth Mercy Power Iustice c. Thou shalt also cut off and defeate the Divels present fiery darts and Projects of further cruelty dis-intangle and unwinde thy selfe out of the irkesome Maze of restlesse terrours and trouble of minde crowne thine owne soule in the meane time with peace that passeth all understanding with ioy unspeakeable and full of glory with Evangelicall pleasures such as neither eye hath seene eare heard or have entred into the heart of Man and hereafter be most certainely received by that sweetest Redeemer of thine into those glorious Mansions above where nothing but light and blessed immortalitie no shaddow for matter of teares discontentments griefes and uncomfortable passions to worke upon but all ioy tranquillity and peace even for ever and ever doth dwell 2. Yea but may an other say I in the Case proposed have cast my selfe according to your counsell upon Iesus Christ and there by the mercy of God am I resolved to sticke come what come will and yet no comfort comes What doe you thinke should I thinke of my selfe in this Case
and lead in the rocke for ever For I know that my Redeemer liveth c. chap. 13. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him did so strengthen and stay his spirit with a divine might that he bore valiantly and stood upright under the heaviest weight and greatest variety of extreame afflictions that ever were laid upon any meere man But now on the other side the tyth nay the tenne hundreth part of Iobs troubles caused graâ—elesse Achitophell to saddle his Asse get himselfe home put his houshold in order and hang himselfe So true is that which the blessed Prophet tels us Ier. 17.5 c. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For Hee shall be like the heath in the desert and shall not see when good commeth but shall inhabite the parched places in the Wildernesse in a saltland and not inhabited Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is For hee shall be as a tree planted by the waters and that spreadeth out her rootes by the river and shall not see when heate commeth but her lease shall be greene and shall not be carefull in the yeere of drought neither shall cease from yeelding fruite This impregnable comfort springing from grace and a good conscience even in evill times did steele the spirit of blessed Luther with such spirituall stoutnesse and so hardened his fore head against a world nay an horrible hell of most reproachfull and raging oppositions that he became a Spectacle a Miracle of rarest Christian fortitude and invincible courage to the whole world and to all posterity I am perswaded that holy truth of God which hee so gloriously proâ—est and that power of godlinesse which hee so faithfully practised did infuse into the heart of that Man as much unconquerablenesse of resolution and fearelesnesse of the face of Man as ever dwelt in any mortal brest since the Apostles time Witnesse amongst the rest that one extraordinary expression of His imcomparable magnanimity when his friends were earnest and eager upon Him not to venture Himselfe amongst a number of Perfidious Papists and bloud-thirsty Tigers He replied thus As touching mee saith He since I am sent for I am resolved and certainly determined to enter Wormes in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ yea tho I knew there were as many Divells to resist me as there are tiles to cover the Houses in Wormes This Man of God did upon the two Pillars of His Heroicall heart courage and patience most nobly sustaine the malice and hatred almost of the whole world The Divell and the Pope did concurrently countermine with all their cruelty and cunning against this victorious Champion of Heaven and mighty underminer of their darke and damned kingdomes Almost all the Princes Priests and people of Christendome did breed breathe out nothing but thoughts of indignation and threats of Death against Him Millions of lasie and lustfull Monkes having like so many pestilent Locusts of the infernall Pit seizd upon the face of Europe with their envenomed swarmes and lying at ease encloistered in Sodomy and bloud gnashed their teeth at Him with Hellish fury and like true Frends spet fire in His face And yet for all this this holy Saint which I more admire and prize higher then the victories of a thousand Caesars or the most renowned valour of the greatest Alexander having so many incarnate Divels continually roaring about Him with open mouth ready every houre and enraged with implacable thirst to drinke up His bloud and swallow Him up quicke yet I say enioyed such a triumphant tranquillity of minde and unshaken presence of spirit that like a mightie Son of thunder by His constant and powerfull preaching for the space of nine and twenty yeares so shooke the pillars of Popery that I am perswaded the Beast will never stand upon His foure legs any more And writ eloquently and excellently almost if not as many volumes as Austin did that great glory of the Christian World in former times A petty crosse many times will so emasculate and weaken the elevations of the greatest Wit that His conceite invention stile will fall to a farre lower streine then ordinary which contentment calmnesse would raise to their highest pitch possibility But the terrible earthquake as it were of all Europe and contrary commotions of Christendome some did never a whit dis-animate or shake the heart of this heavenly man fitly honoured by the name of a third Elias But now Francis Spira on the other side having out of his inordinate love to the things of this life wofully wounded his conscience by that infamous 〈◊〉 of the blessed Truth which He formerly professed became a spectacle of such spirituall misery and woe to the whole world that there is not any thing left unto the memory of man more remarkeable Vpon the very first revise of his recantation and serâ—ouâ— consideration in cold bloud what he had done he acknowledged himselfe utterly undone and for ever His spirit suddenly smitten with the dreadfull sense of divine wrath for his Apostasie and split in pieces as it were with so grievous a bruise fainted fearefully faild him quite and fell a sunder in his brest like drops of water Heare some rufull expressions of his desperate state from his owne mouth Oh that I were gone from hence that some body would let out this weary Soule I tell you there was never such a Monster as I am never was man alive a spectacle of such exceeding misery I now feele Gods heavy wrath that burnes like the torments of hell within me and afflicts my soule with pangs un-utterable Verily desperation is Hell it selfe The gnawing worme of unquenchable fire horrour confusion and which is worst of all desperation it selfe continually tortures me And now I count my present estate worse then if my soule separated from my body were with Iudas and therefore I desire rather to be there then thus to live in my body The truth is never had mortall man such experience of Gods anger and hatred against him as I have If I could conceive but the â—east sparke oâ— hope in my heart of a better state hereafter I would not refuse to endure the most heavy wrath of the great God yea for 2000. yeeres so that at length I might attaine out of misery He professed that his pangs were such as that the damned wights in Hell indure not the like misery That his state was worse then that of Cain and Iudas and therefore desired to die O that God would let loose his hand from me and that it were with me now as in times past I would scorne the threats of the most cruell Tyrants beare torments with invincible resolution and glory in the outward profession of Christ till I were choaked in the flame and my body turned into ashes Vses 1. If it be so then that
an heavenly hoard of grace good conscience Gods favour c. happily treasured up while it is called Today hath the sole and sacred property and priviledge to hold up our hearts In times of horrour inabling us in the meane time patiently and profitably to master all miseries passe thorow all persecutions conquer all Commers and at length by the helpe of God to pull the very heart as it were out of Hell with confidence and triumph to looke even death and the Divell in the face and to stand with boldnesse before the terrour of the last Day like an unmooveable Rock when the Sonnes and daughters of confusion who have slept in harvest and mispent the gratious Day of their visitation shall intreate the mountaines and Rockes to fall upon them I say it being thus let every one of us like Sonnes and daughters of wisedome in this short Sommers Day of our abode upon earth and in this glorious Sun-shine of the Gospell and pretious seasons of grace imploy all meanes improove all oportunities to gather in with all holy greedinesse and treasure up abundantly much spirituall strength and lasting comfort against the evill Day To which let us be quickned by such considerations as these 1. This wise and happy treasuring up of heavenly hoards and comforts of holinesse afore hand will sweetely mollisie and allay the bitternesse and smart of that heavinesse and sorrow of those fearefull amazements and oppressions of spirit naturally incident to times of trouble and feare which ordinarily doe very grievously sting and strike thorow the hearts of carnall and secure Worldlings with full rage and the very slashes and fore-tastes of Hell Of all other passions of the Soule sadnesse and griefe grates most upon the vitall spirits dries up soonest the freshest marrow in the bones and most sensibly suckes out the purest and refinedst bloud in the heart All the Obiects of lightsomnesse and ioy are drowned in an heauy heart even as the beauty of a Pearle is dissolved in vineger Now the onely Cordiall and Counter-poyson against this dampe of light-heartednesse and Cut-throate of life is the secret sweetenesse and shining pleasure of that One pearls of great price three orient raies whereof are righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost treasur'd up in the Cabinet of a good conscience The glory pretiousnesse and power of which hidden treasure purchased with the sale of all sinne doth many times shine faireliest upon the Soule in the saddest times inspires for the most part into the hearts of the owners the greatest courage and constancy of spirit even in the dayes of adversity and vexation inables them to digest and beare without any great wound or passion those crosses and cruelties which would breake the backe and crush the heart of the stoutest Temporizer Was there not a great deale of difference thinke you betwixt the heart of Hezekiah who had walked before God in truth and with a perfect heart when He heard the newes of death from the mouth of the Prophet and the heart of Belshazzar when he saw the hand-writing upon the wall Giue me a great man who carries a way the credit and current of the times with all bravery and triumph wallowes and tumbles himselfe in the glory and pleasures of the present Throw Him from the transitory top of His heaven upon earth upon His last bed present unto His eye at once the terrible paÌ„gs of approaching death the ragefull malice of the powers of Hell the crying wounds of His bleding conscience the griesely fourmes of His innumerable sinnes His finall farewell with all worldly delights the pit of fire and brimstone into which He is ready to fall And I tell you true I would not endure an houres horrour of His wofull heart for His present Paradise to the worlds end But on the other side let me be the man whom the corruptions of the time confine to obscuritie who mournes in secret for the horrible abominations and crying sinnes that raigne amongst us who thinkes that day best spent wherein Hee hath gathered most spirituall strength against that last and sorest combate and by the mercies of God and humble dependance upon His omnipotent arme I will looke in the face the cruellest concurrence of all those former terrors with â—â—â—fidence and peace 2. Secondly By this spirituall hoarding of comfortable provision against the Evill day we may prevent a great deale of impatiency dependance upon the Arme of flesh base feares sinkings of heart un-manly deiections of spirit desperate resolutions and many passionate distempers of such raging and distracted nature which are woont to seize upon and surprise unholy and unprepared hearts when the Hand of God is heavy upon them How bravely and Heroically did patient Iob beare and breake thorow a matchlesse variety and extremity of calamities and conflicts The softest of whose sufferings would have strucke full cold to the heart of many a Carnalist and made it to dye within Him like a stone as Nabals did One of the least the losse of His goods I am perswaded would have caused many covetous worldlings to have laid violent and bloudy hands upon themselues For instance Ahitophel onely because the glory of his state-wisedome was obscur'd and overtopt at the counsell-Bord sadled His Asse gate Him Home put His houshold in order and hanged Himselfe The onely cause of His fainting in the day of disgrace and dis-acceptation was His false and rotten heart in matters of religion While the Crowne sate with security and safety upon Davids head He walked with Him as a companion unto the House of God But when the winde begun to blow a little another way and upon Absoloms side like a true Temporizer He followes the blast and turnes his sailes according to the weather And therefore His hollow heart having made the Arme of flesh His Anchor and a vanishing Blase of honour His chiefest blessednesse shrinkes at the very first sight and suspition of a tempest and sinkes this miserable Man into a Sea of horrour But now on the contrary what was the cause that Iobs heart was not crusht into pieces under the bitter concurrence of such a world of crosses of which any one severally was sufficient to have made a Man extreamely miserable The true reason of His patient resolution amid so many pressures was the spirituall riches He had hoarded up in the time of His happines Amongst which the divinest and dearest Iewel lay nearest unto His heart as a counterpoyson to the venome and sting of the Divels deadliest malice I meane a sound and strong faith in Iesus Christ the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world which now began to shine the fairest in the darkest Midnight of His miseries and sweetly to dart out many heavenly sparkles of comfort and such glorious eiaculations as these Though he slay me yet will I trust in Him Cap. 13.15 And that cap. 19 23 c. Oh that my words were
other hereafter in the meane time every day spent so sensually is a true Purgatory And every day passed in the contrary Christian course is an earthly Paradise 2. Secondly Let them marke well the different Ends of these men Tho the one now carries away the credite and current of the times and with all bravery and triumph tumbles Himselfe in the pleasures riches and glory of the world and the other is kept as they say under batches neglected and contemptible to carnall eyes trampled upon with the feete of pride and malice by the prouder Pharisees and hunted with much cruelty and hate by Men of this World Yet watch but a while and you shall see the End of this upright man whatsoever his sorrowes and sufferings troubles and temptations have beene in this life to be most certainly peace at the last Marke the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Psal. 37.37 He either passeth fairely and calmely thorow the Port of Death to the Land of everlasting rest and reioycing or else if a tempest of extraordinary temptation seize upon Him in the Haven when He is ready to set foote into heaven which is the Lot of many of Gods dearest Ones for ends seeming best to the ever-blessed Majesty as perhaps to harden those aboue Him that hate to be reformed c. Yet all the hurt he hath thereby is upon the matter besides serving Gods secret holy pleasure an addition to His happinesse for an immediate translation from the depth of temporary horrour as in Maister Peacocke and Mistris Bretlergh to the height of endlesse joy makes even the joyes of Heaven something more joyfull Hee feeles those never-ending pleasures at the first entrance more delicious and ravishing by reason of the suddaine change from that bitternesse of spirit in the last combate to the excellency and eternity of heavenly blisse His Soule in this case after a short eclipse of spirituall darkenesse upon His Bed of death enters more lightsomly into the full Sunne of immortall glory But what doe you thinke shall bee the end of the other Man He is in the meane time it may be in great power and spreading Himselfe like a greene Bay tree revelling in the ruffe and top of all worldly jollity and wealth wallowing dissolutely in choisest delights and vamest pleasures yet waite but a while and you shall see him quickely cut downe like grasse and wither as the greene herbâ— For God shall suddenly shoote at Him with a swift arrow It is already in the bow even a bow of steele shall send forth an arrow that shall strike Him thorow and shall shine on his gall His power and his pride shall bee overthrowne in the turne of an Hand All his imperious boisterousnesâ—e shall melt away as a vaine foame The eye which saw Him shall â—â—e him no more neither shall hiâ— place any more behold him He must downe into the grave naked and stript of all power and pompe all beauty and strength a weaker and poorer worme then when he fâ—â—st came out of the wombe Here further for this purpose and fuller exprâ—ssion of my meaning in this point how a worthy friend of mine instancing in the exemplary and dreadfull downe-falls of Haman Shebnah and others labours to fright gracelesse great Ones out of their luxury and pride security and sinfull pleasures by consideration of their Ends. Oh then saith he ye rich and great ye proud and cruell Ambitious and honourable take from their wofull examples the true estimate of your riches and your power your pleasure and your honour wherein ye trust and whereof yee boast but as Israell in Aegypt of a broken reede Consider that like sinnes will have like ends That God is to day and yesterday and the same for ever That the pride and cruelty oppression and luxury of these times have no greater priviledge then those of the former But when for a while you have domineered farre and neare Had what you would and done what you liâ—t dispeopled Parishes and plaines for your Orchards and walkes pulld downe many houses to set one up from betweene whose battlements and turrets at the top you can see no end of your meadowes your fields and your lands the measuring whereof as the Poet speakes would weary the very wings of the kite When your Clientary traine hath bin too long for the streete and your bare respect hath shooke the hat from the head and bent the knee afarre off when you have clapt whole Manours on your backs or turnd them downe your throates when you have scoured the plaineâ— with your horses the fields and woods with your bounds and the heaven with your hawkes when with pheasantâ— tongues you have furnisht whole feasts and with the Queene of Aegypt drunke dissolved pearle even fifty thousand pounds at a draught and then laide your headâ— in Dalilaâ—s lappe When if it were possible yoâ— have spent your whole lives in all that royall pompe and pleasure which that most magnificent King and Queeâ—â— did Hist. 1. for an hundred and fourescore dayes 〈◊〉 word when you have wallowed in all delights and stood in pleasures up to the chin Then even then the pit is digged and death of whom you dreame not stands at the doore Where are you now Or what is to bee done Come downe saith Death from your pleasant Prospects Alight from your Iades Hood your kites Cupple up your curres bid adew to pleasure out of your beds of lust Come naked forth and downe with mee to the chambers of death Make your beds in the dust and lay downe your cold carkasses among the stones of the pit at the roots of the Rockes And you great and delicate Dames who are so wearied with pleasure that you cannot rise time enough to dresse your heads and doe all your trickes against dinner To wash your bodies with muske and dawbe your faces with vermilion and chalke To make ready your pleasant baites to poyson mens eyes and their soules You whorish lezabels thinke you now you are meate for men Nay come head-long downe to the dogs If not suddenly so yet dispatch and put off your caules eare-rings and round tyres your chaines bracelets and mufflers your rings wimples and crisping pinns your hoods vailes and changeable sutes your glasses sine linnen with all your Mundus muliebris Isa. 3. And put on stinke in stead of sweete smell baldnesse in stead of well-set haire burning in stead of beauty Wormes shall make their nests in your brests and shall eate out those wanton windowes and messengers of lust Yea rottennesse and stinch slime and filth shall ascend and sit downe in the very Throne of beauty and shall dwell betweene your eie-browes All this is very wofull and yet there is a thousand times worse Besides all this Thou that now laies about the for thee world and wealth for transitory pelfe and rotten pleasures that lies soaking in luxury and pride vanity and all
unconquerablenesse in torment then affected with the raging paines of a most terrible execution 2. In others from a strong stirring perswasion and consciousnesse of the honesty and honour of some civill cause for which they suffer But fortitude in this case doth not arise from any inspired religious vigour or heavenly infusions but from the severer instigations of naturall conscience and acquired manhood of a meere morall Puritane Many such morall Martyrs have beene found amongst the more generous and well-bred heathen It is storied of a brave and valiant Captaine who had long manfully and with incredible courage with-stood Dionysius the elder in defence of a Citie that Hee sustained with strange patience and height of spirit the mercilesse fury of the Tyrant and all his barbarous cruelties most unworthy of Him that suffered them but most worthy him that inflicted the same First the Tyrant told him how the day before hee had caused his son and all his kinsfolkes to be drown'd To whom the Captaine stoutly out staring Him answered nothing but that they were more happy then himselfe by the space of one day Afterward hee caused him to be stripped and by his executioners to be taken and dragged through the Citty most ignominiously cruelly whipping Him and charging Him besides with outragious and contumelious speeches All which notwithstanding as One no whit dismaide Hee ever shewed a constant and resolute heart And witâ—â— cheerefull and bold countenance went on still lowdly recounting the honourable and glorious cause of His death which was that Hee would never consent to yeeld his Countrey into the hands of a cruell Tyrant With such stoutnesse did even meere morall vertue steele the antient Romane spirits that in worthy defense of their liberty for preservation of their Countrey or other such noble ends They indifferently contemned gold silver death torture and whatsoever else miserable worldlings hold deare or dismall 3. In some from an extreme hardnesse of heart which makes them senselesse and fearelesse of shame misery or any terrible thing This wee may sometimes obserue in notorious malefactours A long rebellious and remorselesse continuance and custome in sinne raging infections from their roaring companions a furious pursuite of outrages and blood Satans hoâ— iron searing their consciences and Gods iust curse upon their fearefull and forlorne courses so fill them with foole-hardinesse and with such a ferall disposition that they are desperately hardned against all affronts and dis-asters So that tho such savage-minded and marble-hearted men be to passe thorow the streetes as spectacles of abhorrednesse and scorne as hatefull monsters and the reproach of Mankind to be throwne into a Dungeon of darknesse and discomfort and there to be loaden with cold irons coldnes and want from thence to bee hurried to that loathed Place of execution and there to die a Dogs death as they say and finally to fall immediately and irrecoverably into a Lake of fire yet I say for all this out of a desperate hard-heartednesse they seeme still to bee in heart and to represent to the beholders a great deale of undauntednesse and neglect of danger in their carriage and countenances O the prodigious Rocke into which the stone in a gracelesse heart may grow both in respect of desperatenesse in sinning and sense-lesnesse in suffering 4. In others from an enraged thirst after humane praise and immortall fame as they call it Which may be so prevalent in them and transport them with such a vaine-glorious ambition this way that it may carry them with much seeming insensibility affected patience and artificiall courage thorow the terrors and tortures of a very violent and Martyr like death Heare what Austin saith to this Point Thinke yee there never were any Catholikes or that now there may not bee some that would suffer onely for the prayse of men If there were not such kind of men the Apostle would not haue said Though I give my body to be burned and have not charity I am nothing Hee did know right well that there might bee some which would doe it out of vaine-glory and selfe-love not for divine love and the glory of God O the bottomlesse depth of Hellish Hypocrisie which lyes hid in our corrupt hearts O the blind and perverse thoughts of foolish men O the murderous malice of that old red Dragon which exerciseth such horrible crueltie both upon our bodies and soules 5. In some from false grounds of a supposed good estate to Godward from an unsound perswasion of their present spirituall well-beeing and future wellfare Such Pharisies foolish Virgines and formall Professours are to bee found in all Ages of the Church especially in the fairest and most flourishing daies thereof and when the Gospell hath the freest passage who thus many times in the greate it of all earthly extremities even upon their Beds of death represent to all about them from a groundlesse presumption of being reconciled unto God a great deale of confidence resolution and many glorious expectations Vpon a partiall survay and perusall of their time past not stain'd perhaps with any great enormities notoriousnesse or infamous sinne out of a vaine-glorious consciousnesse unto themselues of their many good parts generall graces good deedes and plausiblenesse with the most by reason of a former obstinated distaste and prejudice against sincerity and the power of godlinesse as tho it were unnecessary singularity and peevishnesse and it may bee confirmed also unhappily in their spirituall selfe-cousenage by the unskilfull and unseasonable palliations I meane mis-applications of some abused promises unto their un-humbled Soules from some dawbing Ministers a generation of vilest men excellent Ideots in the mystery of Christ and mercifull Cut-throates of many miserable deluded Soules to whom they promise life and peace when there is no peace towards but terrible things even at hand tumbling of garments in blood noise of damned Soules and tormenting in Hell for ever I say from such false and failing grounds as these they many times in that last extremity the Lord not revealing unto them the unsoundnesse of their spirituall estate and rottennesse of their hopes demeane themselues chearefully and comfortably as tho they were presently to set foote into Heaven and to lay hold upon eternall life but God hee knowes without any iust cause or true ground For immediately upon the departure of the Soule from the Body shall they heare that wofull doome from Christs owne mouth as Himselfe hath told us before-hand Depart from mee I never knew you Such men as these having been formerly acquainted with and exercisde in the outward formes and complements of Religion are woont at such times to entertaine their visitants and By-standers with many goodly speeches and Scripture-Phrases representing their contempt of the World Willingnesse to dye readinesse to forgive all the World Hope to bee saved desire to bee dissolved and bee in Heaven c. They may cry aloude with much formall confidence Lord Lord open to
calmnesse of a good conscience is grounded upon a Rocke upon which tho the raine descends the floods come the windes blow the tempests beate yet it stands like Mount Zion sure sober strong lasting impregnable Nay it is of that heavenly metall and divine temper that it ordinarily gathers vigour and puissance from the worlds rage and growes in strength and resolution together with the encrease of all iniust oppositions Persecutions and resistance serue as a provocation and seasoning to it's sweetnesse It is not enforced formall artificiall affected furious desperate misgrounded ambitious upon an humour in the face onely onely in hot blood out of a vaine-glorious pang c. Such may bee found in Aliens and resolute reprobates It were nothing worthy if strangers might meddle with it If Men or Divels or the whole World could take it from us If it were sustained onely by any created power or arme of flesh This Pearle that I praise and perswade unto is of an higher price and more transcendent power then any unregenerate Man can possibly compasse or comprehend It hath for it's seate a sanctified Soule for the Fountaine of it's refreshing the Spirit of all comfort for it's foundation the favour of God for it's Warrant the promises of Amen the faithfull and true Witnesse for it's object an immortall Crowne for it's continuance the prayers of all the Saints for it's companions inward peace invincible courage an holy security of minde for it's end and perfection fulnesse of ioy and pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore In a word this couragious comfort and true noblenesse of spirit which dwells in the heart of the true-hearted Christian doth differ as much from and as farre surpasses all the groundlesse confidences of what carnall men or religious counterfeits soever as the reall possession of gold an imaginary dreame of gold as the true naturall lively Grape which glads the heart a painted juycelesse Grape which onely feedes the eye as a strong and mighty Oake rooted deepely in the earth which no storme or tempest can displant or overthrow a Stake in a dead hedge or Staffe stucke lightly into the ground which every hand may snatch away or blast of winde supplant and overthrow Secondly the trouble of a wounded conscience is further amplified by it's Attribute intolerablenesse But a wounded Spirit who can beare Whence note Doctr. That the torture of a troubled Conscience is intolerable Reas. 1. In all other afflictions onely the Arme of flesh is our adversary wee contend but with Creatures at most wee have to doe but with Man or at worst with Divels but in this transcendent misery wee conflict immediately with God Himselfe Fraile Man with Almighty God sinfull Man with that most holy God Whose eyes are purer then to behold evill and who cannot looke upon iniquity Who then can stand before his indignation Who can abide in the fiercenesse of his anger When his fury is powred out like fire and the Rocks are throwne downe by Him When hee comes against a man as a Beare that is bereaved of her Whelpes torent the very caule of His heart and to devoure him like a Lion No more then the driest stubble can resist the fierest flame the ripe Corne the Mowers sharpest sythe or a garment the Moath no more nay infinitely lesse can any power of Man or Angell withstand the mighty Lord of Heaven and Earth when Hee is angry for Sinne. When thou saith David with rebukes correctest man for iniquity thou as a Moath makest his beauty to consume Alas when a poore polluted wretch upon some speciall illumination by the Word or extraordinary stroke from the rod doth once begin to behold Gods frowning face against Him in the pure Glasse of His most holy Law and to feele divine iustice by an invisible hand taking secret vengeance upon his conscience His heavy heart immediately melts away in his brest and becomes as water Hee faints and failes both in the strength of his body and stoutnesse of his minde His bones the pillars and Master-timber of his earthly Tabernacle are presently broken in pieces and turn'd into rottennesse His spirit the eye and excellency of his Soule which should illighten and make lightsome the whole Man is quite put out and utterly overwhelm'd with excesse of horrour and flashes of despaire O this is it which would not onely crush the courage of the stoutest sonne of Adam that ever breath'd upon earth but even breake the backe of the most glorious Angell that did ever shine in Heaven should Hee lift up but one rebellious thought against his Creatour This alone is able to make the tallest Cedar in Lâ—banon the strongest Oake in Basan I meane the highest looke and the proudest heart the most boisterous Nimrod or swaggering Belshazzar to bow and bend to stoope and tremble as the leaves of the forrest that are shâ—ken with the winde 2. In all other adversities a man is still a friend unto himselfe favours himselfe and reaches out his best considerations to bring in comfort to his heavy heart But in this Hee is a scourge to Himselfe at warre with Himselfe an enemy to Himselfe Hee doth greedily and industriously fetch in as much matter as hee can possibly both imaginary and true to enlarge the rent and aggravate his horrour Hee gazes willingly in that false glasse which Satan is woont in such Cases to set before Him wherein by his Hellish malice Hee makes an infinite addition both to the already un-numbred multitude and to the too true hainousnesse of his sinnes and would faine if Hee will be lead by his lying cruelty mis-represent to his affrighted imagination every Gnat as a Camell every Moate as a Mole-hill every Mole-hill as a Mountaine every lustfull thought as a Sodomiticall villany every idle word as a desperate blasphemy every angry looke as an actuall bloody murder every intemperate passion as an inexpiable provocation every distraction in holy duties as a damnable rebellion every transgression against light of conscience as a sinne against the holy Ghost c. Nay in this amazednesse of spirit and disposition to despaire Hee is apt even of his owne accord and with great eagernesse to arme every severall sinne as it comes into his minde with a particular bloody sting that it may strike deepe enough and sticke fast enough in His already grieved Soule Hee imployes and improoves the excellency and utmost of His learning understanding wit memory to argue with all subtilty with much Sophistry against the pardonablenes of his sins and possibilitie of salvation Hee wounds even his wounds with a conceit they are incurable and vexes his very vexations with refusing to bee comforted Not onely crosses afflictions temptations and all matter of discontentment but even the most desirable things also in this life and those which minister most outward comfort Wife Children Friends Gold Goods Great mens favours Preferments Honours Offices even Pleasures themselves every
thing whatsoever is within Him or without Him or about Him whatsoever He thinkes upon remembers heares sees turne all to his torment No marvaile then tho the terrour of a wounded conscience bee so intolerable 3. As the exultations of the Soule and spirituall refreshments doe incomparably surpasse both in excellency of Object and sweetnesse of apprehension all pleasures of seâ—se and bodily delights so afflictions of the Soule and spirituall pangs doe infinitely exceede both in bitternesse of sense and intension of sorrow the most exquisite tortures can possibly bee inflicted upon the Body For the Soule is a spirit very subtile quicke active stirring all life motion sense feeling and therefore farre more capable and apprehensive of all kinds of impressions whether passions of pleasure or inflictions of paâ—â—e 4. This extremest of miseries a wounded spirit is tempered with such strong and strange ingredients of extraordinary feares that it makes a man a terrour to himselfe and to all his friends To flee when none pursues at the sound of a shaken leafe To tremble at his owne shadow to bee in great feare where no feare is Besides the insupportable burthen of too many true and causefull terrours it fills His darke and dreadfull Fancy with a world of fained horrours gastly apparitions and imaginary Hells which notwithstanding have reall stings and impresse true tortures upon his trembling and wofull heart It is empoysoned with such restlesse anguish and desperate paine that tho life bee most sweete and Hell most horrible yet it makes a man wilfully to abandon the one and willingly to embrace the other that Hee may bee rid of it's rage Hence it was that Iudas preferred an Halter and Hell before his present horrour That Spira said often what heart quakes not to heare it that Hee envied Cain Saul and Iudas wishing rather any of their roomes in the Dungeon of the damned then to have his poore heart so rent in pieces with such raging terrors fiery desperations upon his Bed of death Whereupon at another time beeing asked Whether Hee feared more fearefull torments after this life Yes said Hee But I desire nothing more then to bee in that place where I shall expect no more Expectation as it seemes of future did infinitely aggravate and enrage His already intolerable torture 5. The Heathens who had no fuller sight of the foulenesse of sinne or more smarting sense of divine vengeance for it then the light of naturall conscience was able to afford and represent unto them yet were woont in fiction to shadow out in some sort and intimate unto us the insufferable extremities of a minde troubled in this kinde by hellish furies following malefactors with burning fire-brands and flames of torture What understanding then is able to conceive or tongue to report in what case that sinfull conscience must needs bee when it is once awakened which besides the notions of naturall light hath also the full Sun of Gods sacred Word and that pure Eye which is ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne and cannot looke upon iniquity to irradiate and enrage it to the height of guiltinesse and depth of horrour Both heart and tongue Man and Angell must let that alone for ever For none can take the true estimate of this immesurable spirituall misery but hee that can comprehend the length and breadth of that infinite unresistable wrath which once implacably enkindled in the bosome of God burnes to the very bottome of Hell and there creates the extremity and endlesnesse of all those un-expressable torments and fiery plagues which afflict the Diuels and damned Soules in that horrible Pit 6. Not onely the desperate cries of Cain Iudas Latomus and many other such miserable men of forlorne hope but also the wofull complaints even of Gods owne deare Children discover the truth of this Point to wit the terrours and intolerablenesse of a wounded Conscience Heare how rufully three ancient Worthies in their times wrastled with the wrath of God in this kinde I reckoned till morning saith Hezekiah that as a Lion so will hee breake all my bones Even as the weake and trembling limbes of some lesser neglected Beast are crusht and torne in pieces by the unresistable Paw of an unconquerable Lion so was His troubled Soule terrified and broken with the anger of the Almighty Hee could not speake for bitternesse of griefe and anguish of heart but chattered like a Crane or a Swallow and mourned like a Dove Thou writest bitter things against mee saith Iob and makest mee to possesse the iniquities of my youth The arrowes of the Almighty are within mee the poyson thereof drinketh up my spirit the terrours of God doe set themselves in aray against mee O that I might have my request And that God would grant mee the thing that I long for Even that it would please God to destroy mee that Hee would let loose his hand and cut mee off Nay yet worse Thou scarest mee with dreames and terrifiest mee through visious So that my Soule chuseth strangling and death rather then my life Tho God in mercy preserves his servants from the monstrous and most abhorred Act of selfe-murder yet in some melancholike moode horrour of minde and bitternesse of spirit they are not quite freed from all impatient wishes that way and sudden suggestions thereunto My bones waxed old saith David through my roaring all the day long Day and night thy hand was heavy upon mee my moysture is turned into the drought of Summer Thine arrowes sticke fast in mee and thy hand presseth mee sore There is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sinne For mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for mee I am troubled I am bowed downe greatly I goe mourning all the day long I am feeble and sore broken I have roared by reason of the disqujâ—tnesse of my heart Heare also into what a depth of spirituall distresse three worthy servants of God in these later times were plung'd and pressed downe under the sense of Gods anger for sinne Blessed Mistris Brettergh upon Her last Bed was horribly hemmed in with the sorrowes of death the very griefe of Hell laid hold upon Her Soule a roaring Wildernesse of woe was within Her as She confessed of Her selfe She said her sinnes had made Her a prey to Satan And wished that she had never been borne or that shee had been made any other creature rather then a Woman Shee cryed out many times Woe woe woe c. A weake a wofull a wretched a forsaken woman with teares continually trickling from her eyes Master Peacock that man of God in that His dreadfull visitation and desertion recounting some smaller sinnes burst out into these words And for these saith Hee I feele now an Hell in my conscience Vpon other occasions Hee cryed
hast shamefully abused whose anger patience and pure eye thou hast villanously provoked all thy life long Alas what wilt thou doe then What wings of the morning will then carry Thee out of the reach of Gods revenging hand What Cave shall receive thee What Mountaine canst Thou get by entreaty to fall upon Thee What darkest Mid-night or Hellish Dungeon shall hide thee from that wrath which Thou shall bee neither able to abide or to avoide In this case I would not have thy heart in my Brest one houre for the riches glory and pleasures often thousand worlds Neither blesse thy Selfe in the meane time because Thou hast neither feare fore-tast or feeling of the wrath which is to come the vengeance which hangs over thine Head and the horrour which dog's Thee at the heeles For that is the very complement of thy misery and perfection of thy madnesse To bee sicke and senselesse of it is the sorest sicknesse To have Satan slash thy Soule with so many sinnes one after another and to feele no smart is a most desperate securitie To have all this misery towards and to bee confident and fearelesse is the misery of miseries The reasons why thou art at rest from their guilty rage in the meane time and that so many sleeping Lions I meane all thine unpardoned sinnes doe not yet awake and stirre terrific and teare in pieces are such as these 1. Satan is suttle that Hee will not meddle much or molest thee extreamely untill Hee bee able to doe thee an irrecoverable mischiefe Hee is woont not to appeare in His true likenesse and so terribly not so much to disquiet and trouble any of His owne before Hee have them at some dead lift and desperate advantage as under some extraordinary Crosse great disgrace grievous sicknesse In time of some deepe Melancholy un-avoidable danger universall confusion When Hee conceives in all probabilitie that they have out-stood the Day of their visitation hardned their hearts that they cannot repent received the sentence of death against themselves And at such other like times when hee hopes Hee shall bee able to crush and confound them suddenly utterly and for ever And then hee playes the Divell indeed and shewes Himselfe in His colours For Hee then infinitely endeauours with all cunning and cruell industry after Hee hath wafted them a while downe the current of the times with as much carnall peace and pleasure as Hee could possibly to cast them upon the Rocke of a most dreadfull ruine and swallow them up quicke in the gulphe of calamity and woe of despaire selfe-destruction everlasting perdition of Body and Soule But you must know that in the meane time untill Hee can spie such an opportunity Hee labours might and maine to keepe them in as merry a moode as may bee Hee laies about Him by all wayes and meanes Hee can devise to plot and provide for them and that with great variety and curiosity fresh successions and supplies continually of pleasures contentments the countenance and favours of the times sensuall satisfactions all earthly prosperities If Hee can helpe it and have his will they shall wallow still in all worldly felicity and bee attended upon with all the delights their hearts can desire And all this to continue them with more easinesse and irresistance in the damned way And lest otherwise they should grow weary of His slavery sensible of their guilded fetters and so labour after liberty and enlargement from His Hellish bondage For Hee knowes full well that if thy endured much hardship in His service they might perhaps thinke of seeking after a new Master that want of comfort in the world might draw their hearts to delight in the Word Not finding happinesse upon earth might make them enquire after that which is in heaven That crosses and crossing their courses being sanctified for that purpose may happily helpe to breake their hearts and bring them to remorse for sin which Hee mainely feares and opposeth with all the craft and power Hee can possibly lest thereupon they breake out of His fooles-Paradise into the Garden of Grace out of the warme Sunne into Gods blessing In managing this maine policy for the more secure detainement of His Vassals in the invisible chaines of darkenesse and damnation and in an everlasting distast and dis-affection to the good way by holding up their hearts in His sinfull service and wooing them to go on quietly towards Hell without any grumbling Hee workes many wayes 1. Hee plots all Hee can to procure them successe in their wicked enterprises and unlawfull attempts especially against the faithfull Ministers and people of God for that doth infinitely confirme harden and encourage them in their prophane courses and opposition to grace Herein Hee doth many times mightily prevaile by improving the oportunities pressing the advantages which hee gaines by the executions of Gods iustice and rebellions of his Children The sinnes even of His owne people doe many times provoke Gods just indignation against them and enforces Him to raise up their adversaries as scourges and to give them successe for the humiliation and chastisement of his chosen See Psal. 81.14.15 Isai. 10.5 6. c. Ezech. 22.19.20 Whereupon Satan fills the hearts of the wicked so prevailing and conquering with a great deale of pride selfe-applause insolency contempt of godlinesse selfe-conceitednesse of their owne righteousnesse and worth and so hardens them extraordinarily and holds them with much obstinated resolution in the wayes of death and prejudice against the holy Path. 2. Hee helpes all hee can to have them thrive and prosper by oppression usury simony sacriledge bribery covetousnesse cousoning Machiavellian tricks c. That so His service may seeme more sweete and gainefull unto them To the effecting whereof Hee receives notable assistance and speciall advantage from the corruptions of the times and conscionable simplicity of the Saints For the first These worst and ulcerous times wherein so many Vines Olive-trees and Figge-trees wither away in obscurity and so many Brambles brave it abroad in the world tumbling themselves in the pleasures splendour and glory of the present wherein so many brave Princes are walking as servants upon the earth and too many servants of luxurie and pride are mounted on horse-backe I say they are the onely season for Satan to gratifie all His gracelesse Ones and to hoist them up by the common but accursed staires and stirrops of bribing basenesse temporising ill offices to humour greatnesse and other such vile meanes and accommodations into eminency in the world and high roomes where hee keepes them in a golden captivity with great contentment and lockes them full fast in the Scorners chaire with much securitie to their owne sensuall hearts and notorious service to Himselfe Whereas indeed and truth to men that have eyes in their Heads the ascent is slippery the Top shaking the downefall desperate For the second It is incredible to consider what a deale of advantage in worldly dealings
with the Divels painting and false luster carries away captive all carnall men and detaines in a Fooles-Paradise indeed an hellish prison a world of deluded Ones Yet those few illightened Soules whose eyes have been happily opened by spirituâ—ll Eye-salve to turne from darkenesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God behold a double deformity and ouglines in so foule a monster deceitfully dressâ—d in the Divels counterfeite colours and guilded over garishly in His personated Angelical glory 3. It is most filthy Farre filthier then the most stinking confluence of all the most filthy fulsome nasty loathsome things in the world And it must needs bee so For whatsoever a Man can conceive to bee most contrary distant and opposite to the infinite clearenes purity sweetnesse beauty and goodnesse of God all that and much more is sinne in the highest degree Hence it is that in the Scriptures it is compared to the filthiest myre in which a Sow will lie downe to coole and cover her selfe To the loathsome vomite not of a man but of a Dog To the unsavoury poysonfull dampe which rotten Carkases exhale out of opened graves To menstruous filth To the dirt under the nailes or the stinking sweat of the Body or the putrified matter of some pestilent ulcer To the very excrements which Nature having severed froÌ„ the purer part of the meate thrusts out of the stomack casts into the draught To the filthinesse pollutions and impurities of the world so called by a singularity for sin is the transcendent filth of the world To all the uncleannesses for which the Purifications cleansings washings and sprinklings were appointed in the Leviticall Law To abomination it selfe c. Nay and yet further which makes for the further detestation of sinne Whereas all outward filth defiles onely the Body this of sinne by the strength and contagion of it's insinuating poyson soakes thorow the flesh and the bone and enters and eates into the very minde and conscience Tit. 1.15 defiles the pure and immortall Soule of Man How long might wee cast dirt into the Aire before wee were able to infect the bright shining beames of the Sunne Yet so filthy is sinne that at once with a touch it infects the Soule a clearer and purer essence then it and that with such a crimsin and double-â—â—ed staine that the Flood of Noah when all the World was water could not wash it off Neither at that last and dreadfull Day when this great Vniversall shall bee turned into a Ball of fire for the purifying and renewing of the Heaven and the Earth yet shall it have no power to purge or cleanse the least sinne out of the impenitent Soule Nay the fire of Hell which burnes night and day even thorow all eternity shall never bee able to raze it out 4 It is most infectious Spits venome on all sides farre and wide corrupts every thing it comes neare By reason whereof it is fitly resembled to Leaven to a Gangreene to the Leprosie which filthy disease quickly over spreads the whole Body Numb 12.10 Infects the clothes the very Walles of the House Levit. 14.37 c. Posterity 2 King 5.27 The first sinne that eveâ— the Sunne saw was so pregnant with Soule-killing poyson that it hath already damnably polluted all the Sonnes and Daughters of Adam that were ever since and will still by the un-resistable strength of the same contagion empoysâ—n all their natures to the Worlds end Nay at the very first breaking out it suddenly blasted as it were both Heaven and Earth And so stained the beauty of the one the brightnesse of the other and the originall orient newly burnisht glory of the whole Creation that from that houre it hath groaned under the burden of that vanity and deformity to which this first sinne hath made it subject and will travaile in paine under the bondage of the same corruption untill it bee purged by fire in the great Day of the Lord. It but one sinne bee doted upon delightfully and impenitently like a lumpe of Leaven it soures all the Soule defiles the whole Man and every thing that proceeds from Him His thoughts desires affections words actions and that of all sorts naturall civill recreative religious It doth not onely unhallow his meate drinke carriage His buying selling giving lending and all His other dealings in the world even His plowing The plowing of the wicked is sinne Prov. 21.4 But also turnes all his spirituall services and divinest duties His prayer hearing reading receiving the Sacrament c. into abomination If but one raging corruption in a Minister Magistrate Master of a Family as lying swearing filthy-talking scoffing at Religion opposition to godlinesse Sabbath-breaking an humour of Good-fellowship or the like represent it selfe to the eye of the World in His ordinary carriage and hang out as a rotten fruite in the sight of the Sunne it is woont fearefully to infect or offend by a contagious insinuation and ill example all about Him to diffuse it's venome to His Family amongst His Sonnes and Servants over the Parish where Hee lives all companies where hee comes the whole Country round about especially if Hee bee a Man of eminency and Place 5. It is extremely ill A farre greater ill then the eternall damnation of a Man For when Hee hath Ilen many millions of yeeres in the Lake of fire and under the dominion of the second death He is never the nearer to satisfaction for sinne Not all those Hellish â—lames thorow all eternitie can possibly expiate the staine or extingvish the sting of the least sinne Nay the very destruction of all the creatures in the world of Men and Angels Heaven and Earth is a great deale lesse ill then to offend God with the least transgression of His lawes For all the creatures of ten thousand worlds were they all extant come infinitely short in excellency of worth of the Hearts-blood of Iesus Christ. And yet without the effusion of it no sinne could ever have been pardoned nor any Soule saved A man would thinke it a lesser ill to tell a lie then to lie in Hell But heare Chrysostome Altho many thinke Hell to bee the supreame and sorest of all evils yet I thinke thus and thus wil I daily preach That it is farre bitterer and more grievous to offend Christ then to bee tormented with the paines of Hell 6. It is full of most fearefull effects 1. It deprives every Impenitent 1. Of the fauour and love of God the onely Fountaine of all comfort peace and happinesse which is incomparably the most invalue-able losse that can be imagined 2. Of his portion in Christs blood of which tho the drops waight and quantity bee numbred finite and measurable yet the Person that shed it hath stampt upon it such height of price excellency of merit un-value-ablenes of worth that hee had infinitely better have his portion
thirsty desire earnest entreaty is that every one into whose hands by Gods providence this Book of mine shall fall after the perusall of them would pause a while upon purpose that Hee may more solemnly vow and resolve that ever hereafter when he shal bee set upon and assaulted by allurement to any sinne Hee wil first have recourse unto these twenty Considerations I have here recommended unto Him to helpe in such cases and with a punctuall seriousnesse let them sinke into His heart before Hee proceede and pollute Himselfe I could bee content if it were pleasing unto God that these lines which thou now readest were writ with the warmest blood in mine heart to represent unto thine eie the deare affectionatenesse of my Soule for thy spirituall and eternall Good so that thou wouldest be throwly perswaded and now before thou passe any further sincerely promise so to doe 3. Thirdly The point may serve to set out the excellency of that high and heavenly Art of coÌ„forting afflicted consciences The more dangerous and desperate the wound is the more doth it magnifie and make admirable the mysterie and method of the Cure and recovery Which were it wel knowne and wisely practised what a world of vnnecessary slavish torture in troubled minds would it prevent So many thousands of poore abused deluded Soules should not perish by the damning flatteries and cruel mercies of unskillfull Dawbers what an heaven of spirituall light-somnesse and ioy might shine in the hearts and shew it selfe in the faces of Gods people Vntill it please the Lord to mooue the hearts of my learned and holy Brethren in populous Cities and great congregations who must needs have much imploiment and variety of experiments this way or some speciall men extraordinarily endowed and exercised herein put to their hâ—lping hands and furnish the Church with more large and exact discourses in this kinde take in good part this Essay of mine Wherein I first desire to discover and rectify some ordinary aberrations about spirituall Cures Which fall out when the Physition of the Soule 1. Applies unseasonably the Cordials of the Gospell and coÌ„forts of Mercy when the Corrosives of the Law and comminations of Iudgement are convenient and sutable Were it not absurd in Surgery to poure a most soveraigne Balâ—am of exqvisite composition and inestimable price upon a sound part It is farre more unseemely and senselesse of an infinitely more pestilent consequence in any Ministeriall passages to profer the blood of Christ and promises of life to an unwounded conscience as belonging unto it as yet It is the onely right everlasting Method to turne men from darknes to light from the power of Satan unto God and all the Men of God and master-Builders who have ever set themselves sincerely to serve God in their Ministery and to save Soules have followed the same course to wit First to wound by the Law and then to heale by the Gospâ—ll Wee must bee humbled in the sight of the Lord before Hee lift us vp Iam. 4.10 Wee must bee sensible of our spirituall blindnesse captivity poverty before wee can heartily seeke to bee savingly illightned enlarged from the Devils slavery and enriched with grace There must bee sense of misery before shewing of mercy Crying I am uncleane I am uncleane before opening the Fountaine for vncleannesse stinging before curing by the Brasen Serpent smart for sinne before a Plaister of Christs blood Brokennesse of heart before binding up God himselfe opened the eies of our first Parents to make them see and bee sensible of their sinne and misery nakednesse and shame c. Gen. 3.7 Before Hee promised Christ. vers 15. Christ Iesus tells us that Hee was annointed by the Lord to preach good tydings But to whom To the poore To the broken hearted To the captives To the blind To the bruised Isai. 61.1 Luk. 4.18 That the whole neede not the Physition but they that are sicke And Hee came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Matth. 9.12.13 That is poore Soules sinners with a witnesse even in their owne apprehension and conceit And not selfe-conceited Pharisees who tho they bee meere strangers to any wound of conscience for sinne yet they will not be perswaded that they shall bee damned but in the meane time contemne and condemne all others in respect of themselves sinfull Publicanes are to grosse sincere Professours are too godly Whereas notwithstanding in true iudgemeÌ„t Harlots are in a farre happier case then they Math. 21.31 That Hee will give rest but to whom To those that labour and are heavy laden Matth. 11.28 That the Spirit which Hee would send should convince the world First of sinne and then of righteousnesse to wit of Christ It is ordinary with the Phrophets First to discover the sinnes of their people and to denounce iudgements And then to promise Christ upon their comming in to illighten and make them lightsome with raising their thoughts to a fruitfull contemplation of the glory excellency and sweetnesse of His blessed kingdome Isaiah in his first chapter from the mouth of God doth in the first place behaue Himself like a Son of Thunder pressing vpon the consciences of those to whom Hee was sent many hainous sinnes horrible ingratitude fearefull falling away formality in Gods worship cruelty and the like afterward vers 16.17 He invites to repentance And then followes vers 18. Come now and let us reson together saith the Lord Though your sins bee as scarlet they shal bee as white as snow though they bee red like crimsin they shal bee as wooll Nathan to recover even a regenerate man convinceth Him first soundly of His sin with much aggravation and terrour and then upon remorse assures Him of pardon 2. Sam. 12.13 Consider further for this purpose the Sermons of our blessed Saviour Himselfe who taught as one having authority and not as the Scribes With what power and piercing did our Lord and Master labour to open the eies search the hearts and wound the consciences of His Hearers to fit them for the Gospell and His owne deare Hearts blood See Mat. 5. c. And 23. And 25 c. Of Iohn Baptist who by the mightinesse of His Ministerial spirit accompanied with extraordinary strength from Heaven did strike thorow the hearts of those that heard Him with such astonishment about their spirituall state with such horrour for their former waies and feare of future vengeance that they came unto Him thicke and threefold as they say And the people asked Him saying what shall wee doe then Then came also Publicans to be baptized and said unto Him Master what shall wee doe And the Souldiers likewise demanded of Him saying And what shall wee doe Luk. 3.10.12.14 Of Peter who Act. 2. beeing now freshly inspired and illuminated from aboue with large and extraordinary effusions of the holy Ghost shadowed by cloven fiery tongs in the very prime and flower
of His Ministeriall wisedome bends Himselâ—e to breake the hearts of His Hearers Amongst other pieâ—ciâ—g Passages of His searching Sermon Hee tells them to their faces they standing before Him stained with the horrible guilt of the dearest blood that ever was shed upon earth most worthy to have beene gathered up by the most glorious Angels in vessels of gold that they had crucified and slaine that iust and holy One the Lord of life Iâ—sus of Nazareth vers 23. And againe at the close and conclusion vers 36. leaves the same bloody sting in their consciences which restlesly wrought and boild within them untill it begot a great deale of compunction terrour and tearing of their hearts with extreme amazement and anguish Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart v. 27. Whereupon they came crying vnto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall wee doe And so beeing seasonably led by the counsell of the Apostles to beleeve on the Name of Iesus Christ to lay hold upoÌ„ the promise to repent Evangelically They had the remission of sinnes sealed vnto them by Baptisme and were happily received into the number of the Saints of God whose Son they had so lately slaughtered Of Paul who tho Hee stood as a Prisoner at the Barre and might perhaps by a generall plausible discourse without piercing or particularizing have insinuated into the affections and wonne the favours of His Hearers who were to be His Iudges and so made way for His enlargement and particular wellfare yet Hee for all this very resolutely and unreservedly crosseth and opposeth their greedy lustfull and carelesse humours with a right searching terrifying Sermon of righteousnesse temperance and iudgement to come Acts 24.24.25 That vnhappy Felix was a fellow polluted with abominable adultery and very infamous for his cruell and covetous oppressions and by consequent unapprehensive and fearelesse of that dreadfull Tribunall and the terrors to come Whereupon Paul hauing learned in the Schoole of Christ not to feare any mortall man in the discharge of His Ministry drawes the sword of the Spirit with undantednesse of spirit and strikes presently at the very face of those fearefull sinnes which raâ—gned in His principall and most eminent Hearers tho Hee stood now before them in bonds at their mercy and devotion as they say Hee shrewdly galls the Conscience of that great Man by opposing righteousnesse to His brybing cruelties temperance to his adulterous impurities the dreadfulnes of Iudgement to come to His insolent lawlesse outrages desperate security Hâ—d Paul addreâ— Himself to haue satisfyed their curiosities as many a rising temporizing treâ—char-Chaplaine would have done very industriously and to entertaine thâ—â—ime with a generall discourse of the wonderfull bâ—â—â—h 〈…〉 Christ now so much talk't of 〈…〉 in the world with â— pleasing discovery onely 〈…〉 and glorious things purâ—â—◠〈…〉 by His Bloodshed not 〈…〉 delights 〈…〉 lust and other sinnes O then they had listned unto Him with much acceptation and delight all things had been carried faire and favourably Paul had not been interrupted and so suddainly silent Nor Felix so frighted and distempered But this Man of God knewfull well that that was not the way neither best for them nor for His Masters honor nor for the comfort of His owne conscience And therefore Hee takes a course to cause the Tyrant tremble that thereby Hee might either bee sitted for Christ which was best of all or at least made inexcusable but howsoever that in so doing His duty might bee discharged and Soule delivered holding it farrre better that His Body should bee in bonds then His Soule guilty of blood Orthodox Antiquity was of the same minde and for the same methode Austen that famous Disputer in His time counselleth to this purpose in this Point I expresse the sense and summe and no more then may bee collected and concluded from the Place I will not ever tie my selfe grammatically and pedantically to the words precisely and to render verbatim save only in some cases as of Controversie or some other such like necessity of more Punctuall quotation The Conscience is not to bee healed if it bee not wounded Thou preachest and pressest the Law comminations the Iudgement to come and that with much earnestnesse and importunity Hee which heares if Hee bee not terrified if Hee bee not troubled is not to bee comforted Another heares is stir'd is stâ—ng takes on extremely Cure His contritions because Hee is cast downe and confounded in Himselfe After that Iohn Baptist saith Chrysostome had thorowly frighted the minds of His Hearers with the terrour of iudgement and expectation of torment and with the name of an Axe and their rejection and entertainement of other children and by doubling the punishment to wit of beeing hewed downe and cast into the fire when Hee had thus every way tamed and taken downe their stubbornnesse and from feare of so many evils had stir'd them up to a desire of deliverance then at length Hee makes mention of Christ. God powres not the oyle of His mercy saith Bernard save into a broken vessell So also are all our moderne Divines who are instructed unto the Kingdome of Heaven Peter Martyr magnifies Nathans method of preaching and commends it to all the Ministers of God Hee first proposeth a Parable as wee doe Doctrines for the illumination and conviction of the understanding Then Hee applies it more particularly and to the presentâ— where Hee doth notably exagitate and aggravate the Sinne by recounting and opposing Gods extraordinary bounty and most mercifull dealing with David by the cause of it contempt of the Lords commandement and dreadfull things ensuing thence Afterward that Hee might strike the heart thorow with astonishment and dread Hee threatens terribly At last upon compunction and crying I have sinned He sweetly comforteth and rayseth to the assurance of Gods favour againe If this course must bee taken with relapsed Christians why not much more with those who are starke dead in trespasses and sinnes Christ is promised to them alone saith Calvin who are humbled and confounded with sense of their owne sinnes Then is Christ seasonably revealed faith Musculus when the hearts of men beeing soundly pierced by preaching Repentance are possest with a desire of His gratious righteousnesse The way to Faith saith Beza is penitence Legall compunction because sicknesse enforceth men euen unwilling to slie unto the Physician Men are ever to bee prepared for the Gospell by the preaching of the Law A Sermon of the Law said Tilenus while hee was yet Orthodoxe must go before the Doctrine of the Gospell that the Oyle of mercy may bee powred into a contrite vessell In our exhortations to follow Christ saith Rolloc the minds of men are ever to bee prepared with a sense of misery and their darke estate and afterward with a desire of enlargement and light It
there must bee a third thing To take them to our selves to beleeve they are ours and there needes a worke of the Spirit for this For tho the promises bee never so cleare yet having nothing but the promises you shall never bee able to apply them to your selves But when the holy Ghost shall say Christ is thine All these things belong to Thee and God is thy Father when that shall witnesse to our spirit by a worke of His owne Then shall wee beleeve c This is the order observed in our iustification 1. First There is a sight of our misery to which wee are brought by the Law 2. Secondly There is by the Gospell an holding forth of Christ as our redemption from sin and death 3. Thirdly there is a working of Faith in the heart to rest on Christ as the ransome from sinne and death Now when a man is come hither Hee is truly and really iust Wee teach that in trve conversion a man must bee wounded in his conscience by the sense of his sinnes His contrition must bee compungent and vehement bruising breaking renting the heart and feeling shee throwes as a woman labouring of Childe before the new-Creature bee brought forth or Christ truly formed in Him It is not done without bitternesse of the Soule without care indignation revenge 2. Cor. 7.11 But as some Infants are borne with lesse paine to the mother and some with more so may the new-man be regenerated in some with more in some with lesse anxiety of travell But surely grace is not infused into the heart of any sinner except there bee at least so great affliction of Spirit for sinne foregoing that He cannot but â—eele it c. This bruising is required before conversion 1. That so the Spirit may make way for it selfe into the heart by levelling all proud high thoughts c 2. To make vs set an high price upon Christs death This is the cause of relapses and Apostasies because men never smarted for sin at the first They were not long enough under the lash of the Law Hence this inferiour worke of the Spirit in bringing downe high thoughts is necessary before conversion By this time it doth most clearly and plentifully appeare what a foule and fearefull fault it is for men either in the managing of their Publike ministery or more private Passages of conference visitations of the sicke consultations about a good estate to Godward and other occasions of like nature to apply Iesus Christ and the promises to promise life and safety in the evill Day to Soules as yet not soundly illightned and afflicted with sight of sinne and sense of Gods wrath to consciences never truly wounded and awaked I insisted the longer upon this Point because I know it full well to bee a most universall and prevailing Policy of the Devill whereby hee keepes many thousands in His cursed slavery and from salvation To confirme as many Pastours as Hee can possibly willing enough to drive their Flocks before them to damnation in an ignorant or affected Preiudice and forbearance of that saving method of bringing Soules out of Hell mentioned before and made good with much variety of evidence And to nourish also in the hearts of naturall men a strong and sturdy disconceite opposition raging against downe-right dealing and those men of God able as they say but falsely and furiously against their owne Soules by their terrible teaching to drive their hearers to distraction Selfe-destruction or despaire who take the only right course to convert them and to bring them to Iesus Christ as Hee Himselfe invites them to wit labouring and heauy laden with their sinnes Matth. 11.28 Dawbers then who serue Satans craft in this kinde and all those who dispence their ministery without all spirituall discretion and good conscience of whom there are too many as great strangers to the right way of working grace in others as to the worke of grace in themselves I say they are a generation of dangerous men Old excellent as they say in an accursed Art of conducting poore blinded Soules merrily towards everlasting miserie and setting them downe in the very midst of Hell before they bee sensible of any danger or discovery of their damnable state Great men they are with the men of this world with al those wise fooles and sensuall great ones who are not willing to bee tormented before their time or rather who desire impossibly to live the life of pleasures in the meane time and yet at last to die the death of the righteous They have still ready at hand hand over head mercy and pardon Heaven and salvation for all commers and all they come neere without so much as a desire to put any difference or divide the pretious from the vile Which is a prodigâ—â—usly-arrogant folly pernicious in the highest degree both to their own soules and those they delude Heâ—â—e 〈◊〉 they are branded in the Booke of God calling them 〈◊〉 Sâ—wers under mens elboes Ezek. 1â— 1â— That 〈◊〉 laid soft and lockt fast in the Cradle of security thâ—â— may sinke suddenly into the Pit of destruction before they be aware Criers of peace peace when no peace is towards Ier. 6.14 but horrible stirs tumbling of garments in bloud burning and devouring of fire A â—â—n-pleasers â—alat 1.10 who chuse rather to tickle the itching eares of their carnall hearers with some fâ—othy Frier-like conceits out of Dung-hill 〈◊〉 And so smooth Great Ones in their humours by their cowardly flatteries especially if they any waies depend upon them for countenance rising and preferment rather then conscionably to discharge that trust 〈◊〉 upon them by their great Lord and Master in Heaven upon answerablenes for the bloud of those Soules which shal perish by their temporizing silence and flattering vnfaithfulnesse Healers of the hurt of their Hearers with 〈◊〉 words Ier. 6.14 while their Soules are 〈◊〉 by the wounds of sinne unto eternall death Preachers of smooth things Isa. 30.10 which kinde of Men the greatest part and all worldlings wonderfully affect and applaud tho to their owne everlasting vndoing They swell under such Teachers with a Pharisaicall conceite that they are as safe for salvation as the precisest of them all but alas their hope is but like a hollow wall which beeing put to any stresse when the tempest of Gods searching wrath begins to shake it in the time of a finall triall of it's truth and soundnesse it shatters into pieces and comes to naught Heare the Prophet Now go write it before them in a table and note it in a booke that it may bee for the time to come for ever and ever That this is a rebellious people lying children children that wil not heare the Law of the Lord which say to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie not unto us right things speake unto us smooth things prophesie deceits Get you out of the way turne aside out
anguish as tho many fiery Scorpions stings stuck fast in them Either lead us to the sight of that blessed Anti-type of the Brazen Serpent to coole and allay the boyling rage of our guilty wounds or we are vtterly undone Either bring us to the Blood of that just and holy One which with execrable villany wee have spilt as water upon the ground that it may bind up our broken hearts or they will presently burst with despaire and bleed to eternall death Give us to drinke of that soueraigne Fountaine opened by the hand of mercy for all thirsty Soules or else wee dye There is nothing you can prescribe and appoint but wee will most willingly doe Wee will with all our hearts pluckâ— out our right eyes cut off our right hands We meane part with our beloved lusts and dearest sinfull pleasures abominate and abandon them all for ever from the heart root to the Pit of Hell If wee can bee rid of the Devills setteâ—â— welcome shall bee Christs sweete and easy yoke In a word wee will sell all even all our Sinnes to the last â—ilthy ragge of our heretofore doted vpon minion delight So that wee may injoy our blessed Iesus whom you have told us and wee now beleeve God hath made both Lord and Christ c. Now when wee shall see and find in some measure the hearts of our Hearers and spirituall Patients thus prepared both by legall dejections and terrours from the spirit of bondage and also possessed with such melting and eager affections wrought by the light of the Gospell and Offer of Christ When their Soules once begin to feele all sins even their best beloved One heauy and burdensome to prize Iesus Christ far before all the world to thirst for Him infinitely more then for riches pleasures honours or any earthly thing to resolue to take him as their husband and to obey Him as their Lord for ever and all this in truth I say then and in this case wee may haue comfort to minister comfort Then upon good ground wee may goe about our Masters command Isa. 40.1 which man-pleasers many times pittifully abuse Comfort yee Comfort yee my people I meane in respect of spirituall bondage Speake yee comfortably to Ierusalem and cry unto Her that Her warre is accomplished that Her iniquity is pardoned Wee may tell them with what a compassionate Pang and deare compellation God Himselfe labours to refresh them Isa. 54.11 Oh thou afflicted and tossed with tempest that hast no comfort behold I will lay thy stones with faire colours and lay thy foundations with Saphirs c. Wee may assure them in the word of life and Truth that Iesus Christ is theirs and they are His And compell them as it were by an holy violence not without a great deale of just indignation against their lothnesse to beleeue and holding off in this case to take his Person His merit His blood all His Spirituall riches priviledges excellencies And with Him possession of all things even of the most glorious Deity it selfe blessed for ever See 1. Cor. 3.21.22.23 Ioh. 17.21 But now in the meane time untill sense of Spirituall misery and poverty raise an hunger and thirst after Iesus Christ before such like preparations and precedent affections as have been spoke of be wrought in the hearts of men by pressing the Law and proclaiming the Gospell and that in Sincerity for the degree and measure wee leave it to God as a most free Agent in some they may bee stronger in some weaker the preaching or promising of mercy as already belonging unto them is farre more unseasonable and unseemely then Snow in Summer raine in harvest or honour for a foole It is upon the matter the very Sealing them up with the Spirit of delusion that they may never so much as thinke of taking the right course to bee converted What sottish and sacrilegious audaciousnesse then is it in any Dawber to thrust his prophane hand into the treasury of Gods mercy and there hand over head without any allowance from his highest Lord to scatter His dearest and most orient pearles amongst Swine To warrant salvaon to any unhumbled Sinner To strengthen the hands of the wicked who never yet tooke sinne to heart to any purpose and thirst farre more such true Gadarens are they after gold satisfying their owne lusts and perking above their brethren then for the blood of Christ by promising them life To assure meere civill men and Pharises who are so farre from the sense of any spirituall poverty that they are already swolne as full as the skin will hold with a selfe-conceit of their owne rotten righteousnesse that they shall bee saved as well as the most puling precisian Especially sith there is such a cloud of witnesses to the contrary as you have heard before Besides all which upon this occasion take two or three moe Heare a most faithfull and fruitfull workman in the Lords harvest of great skill experience and successe in the most glorious Art of converting Soules which makes mee more willing to vrge his authority and esteeme His judgement in Points of this nature None saith hee can prove or shew president that faith was wrought in an instant at first without any preparation going before Nor can it bee conceived how a man should beleeve in Christ for salvation that felt not himselfe before in a miserable estate and wearied with it and desired to get out of it into a better As the needle goes before to pierce the cloth and makes way for the threed to sew it So is it in this case Afterward Hee tells us how and in what manner order these predispositions and preparative Acts required for the plantation of faith and so securing us of the right season and a comfortable calling to assure men of Spirituall safety are wrought in such as God is drawing unto Iesus Christ. Hee requires from the law First Illumination Secondly Conviction Thirdly Legall terrour From the Gospell by the helpe of the Spirit First Revealing the remedy Secondly Beliefe of it in generall Thirdly Support in the meane time from sinking under the burthen and falling into despaire Fourthly Contrition Which is attended with some kind of First Desire Secondly request Thirdly Care Fourthly Hope Fiftly Ioy. Sixthly Hungring and thirsting after mercy and after Christ. Seventhly Resolution to sell all to wit all sins not to leave an hoofe behind c. And thus saith hee God brings along the man that Hee purposeth to make His. And when he is at this passe God seales it up to him inables him to beleeue And saith Sith thou wilt haue no Nay Bee it unto thee according to thy desire And God seales him up by the Spirit of promise as surely as any writing is made sure by sealing of it Then he beleeves the word of God and rests and casts himselfe vpon it And thus hee finds himselfe discharged of
empoysoner of mens soules which beeing the glorious issue of thine owne infinite understanding was purposely created as a most pretious Panacea an universall medicinall store-house for the cure of all spirituall maladies an inexhausted treasury of all sound comfort true joy peace and refreshing Now the Lord rebuke thee Satan and returne as dung upon thine owne face this villanous base and wicked slaunder which by thy gracelesse instruments thou labourest to cast upon the glorious face of Christianity the incomparable sweetnesse of the wayes of grace and that One necessary thing I have knowne when the onely wise God hath suffered for ends seene and seeming good to his heavenly wisedome the hideous and raging humour of melancholie to darken the native clearenes of the animall spirits in the braine requisite to a due discretion of things apprehended and to blunder and disorder the objects and operations of the phantasie in his dearest child even to distraction and breaking out into that inordinate passion against reason I say then the concurrent cry and clamour of the enemies to the power of Godlines to bee This it is now to bee so bookish to follow preachers so much to be more holy then their neighbours never to have done in serving of God Her so much reading the scriptures and such poring upon precise bookes so they call those which most pierce the conscience and guide the cleerliest in the holy path hath made her starke mad The Puritan is now besides her selfe c. Now I say againe the Lord rebuke thee Satan who sits with such extreme malice and soule-killing folly in the hearts heads of such miserable men whom thou so sottishly hood-winkes and hardens to the height for a most desperate downefal and horrible confusion at last Were now the glorified soule of that blessed Saint consulted with and asked Diddest thou ever receive hurt by reading Gods blessed book by searching sweetly into the great mystery of Christ crucified by meditation upon heavenly things Did the sacred sense of those divine Oracles dissettle thy noble faculties or ever make sad thy heart c. Oh! with what infinite indignation would it sly in the face of such cursed Cavillers and wranglers against the truth Is it possible for the sole and soveraigne Antidote sent from heaven by God himselfe against the sting and venome of all heart-griefe and horror the sacred Sun of saving truth which is onely able to ennoble and glorifie our understandings with wisedome from the brest of the everlasting counsell of Iesus Christ should become the cause of discomfort and dissettlement of the soule No no. There is such a quickening healing and mighty efficacy and vigour shed into it from the Father of lights and shining in it from the face of Christ that by the helpe of the blessed spirit it can turne darkenes into light death into life hell into heaven the deepest horrour into height of joy Tell mee of any misery upon the body soule outward state or good name any calamity felt or feared in this life or the life to come and if thou wilt bee converted and counselled I can send thee to some both Promise and Precedent in this book of God which may upon good ground fill thine heart as full with sound comfort as the Sun is of Light and the Sea of Waters Nay give mee a wounded spirit with all it 's inexplicable terrors and bitternesse which is the greatest misery extremest affliction of which an understanding Soule is capable in this life And let first all the physitians in the world even the Rose-knights as they call themselves lay all their heads skill and experience together for the cure Let all the highest Monarchs upon earth shine upon it with their Imperiall favours for comfort Let the depth of all humane wisedome and the height of the most excellent oratory bee improoued to perswade it peace Let all the creatures in heaven and earth contribute their severall abilities and utmost to still it 's rage And when all these have done and have done just nothing I will fetch a cordiall out of Gods owne booke which shall mollifie the anguish expell the venome and bind it up with everlasting peace which passeth all understanding that the broken bones may rejoyce and the poore soule groaning most grievously under the guilty horrour of many foule abominations and ready to sink into the gulph of despaire bee sweetly bathed and refreshed in the fountaine opened by the hand of mercy for sinne and for uncleannesse Christs dearest bloud the glorious wel-spring of all lightsomnesse and joy Heare how precisely for this purpose and how punctually against such pestilent cauillers some of the ancient Fathers doe Puritanize There is no malady saith Chrysostome either of body or soule but may receive a medicine out of Gods booke One comes oppressed with sadnesse and anxiety of businesses overwhelmed with griefe But presently hearing the Prophet saying Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee Hope thou in God for I will yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Hee receives abundance of comfort and abandons all heavines of heart Another is pinched with extreme poverty takes it heavily and grieves seeing others flowing in riches swelling with pride attended with great pompe and state But hee also heares the same Prophet saying Cast thy burden upon the Lord and hee shall sustaine thee And againe Be not afraide when one is made rich when the glory of his house is increased For when hee dieth hee shall carry nothing away His glory shall not descend after him There is another which assaulted with insidiations and calumnies is much troubled thinkes his life uncomfortable finding no helpe in man Hee is also taught by the same prophet that in such perplexities wee must not resort to the arme of flesh Heare what hee saies They slandered and I prayed The mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitfull are opened against mee They have spoken against mee with a lying tongue They compassed mee about also with words of hatred and fought against mee without a cause For my love they are my adversaries But I give my selfe to prayer Another is slighted and contemned by some base contemptible underlings and forsaken of his friends And that is it which most troubles his mind goes nearest to his heart But hee also if hee will come hither doth heare that blessed man saying My Lovers and my freinds stand aloofe from my sore and my kinsmen stand afarre off They also that seeke after my life lay snares for mee and they that seeke my hurt speake mischeivous things and imagine deceipts all the day long But I as a deafe man heard not and I was as a dumbe man that openeth not his mouth Thus I was as a man that heareth not and in whose mouth are no reproofes for in thee O Lord do I hope thou
can readily tell you the particular sinnes the crying abomination the legall hammer and ministeriall hand that made it bleed His trouble is everâ—pâ—â—â—â—aâ—se cleare and evident and the greatest that ever brought misery upon mankinde waight of sinne and the wrath of God A melancholike man will ride many miles walke many houres and at length bee able to giue no account of the exercise and discourse of his minde or what his thoughts have beene all the while But hee that is troubled in mind for sinne can for the most part tell right well and recount exactly to his spirituall physitian the severall temptations suggestions and injections the hideous conflicts with Satan His objections exceptions replies Methods Devises and depths which have afflicted his heavy Spirit since the first illightening convincing and affrighting his awaked and working Conscience 3 The soule may bee seized upon with terrour of conscience and spirituall distemper the body being sound and in good temper In excellency of health purity of bloud symmetry of parts vivacity of spirit c. But the horrors of melancholy are woont to haunt corrupted constitutions where obstructions hinder the free passage of the humours and spirits the blood is over-grosse and thick c. 4 Melancholy makes a man almost mad with imaginary feares strange Chymaraes of horror which have no Beeing but only in the monstrous compositions of a darkened and distempered Braine He is many times by the predominancy of that cowardly humour afraid of every man of every thing of any thing of a shadow of the shaking of a leafe of his owne hands of his owne heart Hee feares where no feare is where there is no probabilitie no possibility even in the very middest of security His feare sometimes is so extremely foolish that hee can heare of no fearefull thing fallen upon others but hee thinkes verily the very same thing shall befall him so prodigious that some of them thinking their feete to bee of glasse have beene afraid to walke Others imagining themselves to bee noted for lepers durst not come into any company c. But now a troubled conscience is ordinarily fearelesse of any thing but the anger of God Bodily tortures outward trouble tyrants threats even the Prince of terrour death it selfe in his apprehension and eie would bee as nothing to the guilty glance of one cursed lust Hee would not care or feare though all the creatures in Christendome were turned into Beares or Divels about him so that all were well at home If hee could get into his bosome that sweete peace which passeth all understanding Oh! then would hee bee more then conqverour over the whole world and ten thousand hells 5. Melancholy may bee something abated the braine cleared the heart eased by the aide and excellency of the art of physicke But in the case of a wounded conscience there is no helpe under heaven to bee had No friends or physicke no mirth or musicke no princely favour or dainty fare c. can possibly give any ease at all Nay they will all farre rather enrage the wound then weaken the rage It is Christ Christ and nothing but Christ which can comfort in this confusion of spirit 3. When complaint of sinne is confusedly onely and in generall Many deale with God and his ministers in confession of their sinnes saith a good Divine as Nebuchadnezzar with his Inchanters about his dreame that hee had dreamed hee told them and desired an interpretation But what his dreame was hee could not tell So many confesse themselves sinners and cry out that they are greiuous offenders and desire pardon But wherein they have sinned and what their sinnes are they cannot or will not tell And how is it possible the physitian should help him who only saies he is not well but will not tell him where I have sometimes visited those who being pressed to a sight and sense of their sinnefulnesse and cursednesse upon purpose to fit them for Christ have acknowledged in generall that they were sinners but descending to the particulars of the Law which was horrible to heare iustified themselves thorow out Of which extreme spirituall misery and prodigious madnesse Ignorance Tho I know Satan mannageth that and all other advantages with all the malice and cunning hee can possibly to the overthrow of soules is the principall ground the prime but pestilent occasion I say Ignorance which though it bee not perhaps so much talked of taxed and taken to heart as others yet is a loude-crying sinne of the Kingdome For it is a most incredible thing and of infinite amazement how universally it raignes in this glorious noone-tide of the Gospell And therefore musts needs prouoke God mightily and hasten the remooving of our candlesticke And in the meane time besides many moe and that dreadfull doome at last 2. Thes. 1.7.8 it brings upon most more is the pitty and shame especially so glorious beames of a blessed ministry shining about us these two speciall mischeifes which at this time I onely mention because they serve fitliest for illustration of the point First ignorant people sticking fast in his clutches stand all as they say at the Divels mercy and devotion to do with them what he will even as a poore helpeles Lambe in the bloody paw of a Lyon or asilly Wren in the ravenous claw of a Kite to slash and mangle their woful soules at his pleasure with a cursed variety of innumerable sinnes they in the meane time which is the perfection of their misery neither fearing or feeling any hurt at al by reason of the hellish mists and miserable lethargie of spirituall blindnesse which makes them sightlesse and senselesse Secondly when times of sorrow come upon them when melancholy old age growes on and they say unto the world upon which they have doted all their life long I have no pleasure in thee when losses crosses and heavie accidents befall them when hideous injections temptations to selfe-murder despaire c. presse them full sore and they thereupon begin to cast about seriously and to conceive with great terrour and anxiety of spirit what is like to become of them in the other world Then in such extremity and forced by necessity they are wont to have recourse to Ministers for ease and helpe and alas then we are at our wits end as they say and in much perplexity how to deale and what to doe with them For upon the first entrance into a discovery of their spirituall state wee see evidently with griefe of heart that their ignorance hath betraied them to the Divell and now in the evill day exposed them to his mercilesse cruelty and cunning even as if a man should commit a ship without sailes rudder pilot c. to the rage and roaring of the tempestuous devouring sea or put a poore weake naked man into the field against an implacable mighty adversary compleatly armed from top to toe Wee tell
yet at last with everlasting kindnesse will Hee have mercy on Him And that Hee will never utterly and finally forsake any of His. Thus died those blessed Servants of God Mistris Bretergh Master Peacock c. Mistris Bretergh in the heate of temptatioÌ„ wished that she had never bin borne or that she had bin made any other creature rather then a woman But when that Hellish storme was over-blowne by the returne of the glorious beames of the Sun of righteousnesse into Her Soule She turnd her tune and triumphed thus Oh happy am I that ever I was borne to see this blessed Day I confesse before the Lord his loving kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sons of men For hee hath satisfied my Soule and filled my hungry Soule with goodnesse Master Peacocke in the height of His dreadfull Desertion told those about Him that hee converst with Hell-â—ounds That the Lord had cursed him That Hee had no grace That it was against the course of Gods proceeding to save Him c. But when that horrible tempest of spirituall terrours was happily disperst and the light of Gods comfortable countenance begun to shine againe upon His most heavy and afflicted spirit Hee dis-avowed all inconsiderate speeches as hee called them in his temptation and did humbly and heartily aske mercy of God for them all And did thus triumph What should I extoll the magnificence of God which is unspeakeable and more then any heart can conceive Nay rather let us with humble reverence acknowledge His great mercy What great cause have I to magnifie the great goodnesse of God that hath humbled Nay rather exalted such a wretched miscreant of so base condition to an estate so glorious and stately The Lord hath honored mee with his goodnesse I am sure hee hath provided a glorious Kingdome for mee The joy which I feele in my heart is uncredible 4. Some of Gods worthiest Champions and most zealous servants doe not answere the unreprooveable sanctity of their life and unspotted current of their former conversation with those proportionable extraordinary comforts and glorious Passages upon their beds of death which in ordinary congruity might be expected as a conuenient conclusion to the rare and remarkeable Christian cariages of such blessed Saints So bottomlesse and infinitely un-fathomable by the utmost of all created vnderstandings are the depths of Gods most holy waies and His inscrutable Counsells quite contrary many times to the probable conclusions of Man's best wisdome But every one of His sith he certainly passes thorow those pangs into pleasures and joyes endlesse and unspeakeable must be content to glorifie God to be seruiceable to His secret ends with what kinde of death Hee please whether it bee glorious and untempted or discomfortable because of Bodily distempers and consequently interpretable by undiscerning spirits or mingled of temptations and Triumphs or ordinary and without any great shew or remarkeable speeches after extraordinary singularities of an holy life which promised an end of speciall note and admiration Why may not some worthy heavenly-minded Christians sometimes by strong mortifying meditations and many conquering fore-conceits of death in their life time make it before-hand so familiar and easie unto them an by continuall conversing above and constant peace of conscience taste so deepely of spirituall ioyes that that dreadfull Passage out of this life as it may breede no great sense of alteration in themselves so no extraordinary matter of speciall observation to others Of the wicked and those who were ever strangers to the mystery of Christ and truth of godlinesse Some die desperately Tho thousands perish by presumption to One of these who despaire yet some there are to whom upon their beds of death all their sins are set in order before them and represented to the eie of their awaked consciences in such griesly formes and so terribly that at the very first and fearefull sight they are presently struck starke dead in soule and spirit utterly over-whelmed and quite swallowed up with guilty and desperate horrour So that afterward No counsell or comfort no consideration of the immeasurablenesse of Gods mercy of the unvaluablenesse and omnipotency that I may so speak of Christs bloud shed of the variety excellency of gracious promises of the losse of their owne immortall soules can possibly drive and divert from that infinitely false conceite and cursed Cry My sinnes are greater then can bee pardoned Whereupon most miserable and forlorne wretches they very wickedly and willfully throw themselves into Hell as it were upon earth and are damned above ground Thus the Lord sometimes for the terror of others glorifying his owne iustice bringing exemplary confusion upon impenitent obstinacy in sinne and willfull opposition to grace doth in greatest indignation by the hand of divine vengeance unclaspe unto them the Booke of their owne Conscience and of His owne holy Law In one of which they find now at length all their innumerable iniquities transgressions and sinnes engraven with the Point of a diamond enraged with Gods implacable wrath aggravated with the utmost malice of Satan And never to bee razed out or remitted but by the bloud of the Son of God in which they peremptorily professe themselves to have no part In the other they see the fiercenes and fulnesse of all the curses plagues and torments denounced there and due unto all impenitent sinners ready to bee poured upon their bodies and soules for ever And no possibility to prevent them no waies to decline them but by Gods infinite bounty thorow Iesus Christ in which they also utterly disclaime all right and interest And therefore they are now finally and desperately resolved to looke for no mercy But in their owne judgement and by their owne confession stand reprobates from Gods covenant and voide of all hope of His inheritance expecting with unspeakeable terrour and amazement of spirit the consummation of their miserie and fearefull sentence of eternall damnation They are commonly such as have been grosse Hypocrites like Iudas and lien in some secret abomination against the knowledge of their hearts all their life long that have followed still their owne sensuall wayes and course of the world against the light of the Ministry standing like an armed man in their consciences to the contrary who have been Scorners and Persecutours of the power of godlinesse and the good way who have abjured the Gospell of Iesus Christ and forsaken the Truth for honour wealth or worldly happinesse To whom the Lord in their life-time vouchsafed many mercies much prosperity great meanes of salvation long forbearance c. And yet they stood out still they still hated to bee reformed set as naught all His counsell and would 〈◊〉 of His â—â— proofe Wherefore the Day of gratious visitation beeing once expired a thousand Worlds will not purchase it againe Heaven and Earth cannot recall it No mercy no comfort no blessing can then bee had tho they seeke it with teares
provision for his soule untill his last sicknes should for that sin alone bee snatcht out of the world in great anger even suddenly so that there bee scarce a moment betwixt the height of His temporall happinesse and depth of his spirituall misery That His foolish hope may bee frustrated and His vaine purpose come to nothing Hee may bee cut off as the Top of an care of corne and put out like a candle when hee least thinkes of death and dreames of nothing lesse then departure from His earthly Paradise They are exalted for a little while saith Iob but are gone and brought low they are taken out of the way as all other and cut off as the tops of the eares of corne Fifthly a long continued custome is not woont to bee shaken off in an instant Is it like that a Blackamore should change his skinne and a Leopard his spots in three or foure dayes which they have contracted in forty or threescore yeeres Therefore I marvell that any should bee so blindfolded and baffeld by the Divell as to embolden Himselfe to drive off untill the last by that Place before Confession At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sinne from the bottome of his heart I will put all his wicked out of my remembrance saith the Lord Especially if Hee looke upon the Text from whence it is taken which Mee-thinkes beeing rightly understood and the conditions well considered is most punctuall and precise to fright any from that desperate folly The words runne thus Ezech. 18.21.22 But if the wicked will turne from all his sinnes which hee hath committed and keepe all my Statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right hee shall surely live hee shall not die All his transgressions c. Hence it appeares that if any man expect upon good ground any portion in this pretious promise of mercy and grace Hee must leave all his sinnes and keepe all Gods Statutes Now how performest thou the condition of leaving all thy sinnes when as in this last extremity having received the sentence of death against thy selfe Thy sinnes leave Thee and not Thou thy sinnes that I may speake in the Phrase of an ancient Father And what space is left to come to comfort by keeping all Gods Statutes when thou art presently to passe to that highest and dreadfull Tribunall to give an exact and strickt account for the continual breach of all Gods Lawes all thy life long Sixthly many seeme to bee passingly penitent and promise exceeding faire in the evill day and upon their sicke Beds who beeing recovered and restored to their former state are the very same they were before if not worse I never knew nor heard of any un-wrought upon under conscionable meanes who after recovery performed the vowes and promises of a new life which Hee made in his sicknesse and times of extremity For if Hee will not bee mooved with the Ministry God will never give that honour unto a crosse to doe the deede Nay Father Abraham saith the rich Glutton but if one went unto them from the dead they will repent And hee said unto him If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neither will they bee perswaded the one rose from the dead Luke 16.30.31 It would amaze thee much if one of thy good-fellow companions should now rise from the dead and tell thee that Hee who was thy Brother in iniquity is now in Hell and if thou follow the same sensuall courses still thou must shortly most certainely follow Him to the Place of torment And yet even this would not worke at all if thou bee a despiser of the Word It may bee while the dead Man stood by Thee Thou wouldst be extraordinarily mooved and promise much but no sooner should He bee in His Grave but thou wouldst bee as gracelesse as thou wast before Seventhly what wise man seeing a fellow who never gave his name to religion in his life time now only troubled about sinne when hee is sure Hee must die will not suspect it to be wholly slavish and extorted for feare of Hell My sentence is saith Greenham that a man lying now at the Point of death having the snares of death upon him in that straite of feare and paine may have a sorrow for His life past but because the weakenesse of flesh and the bitternesse of death doth most commonly procure it wee ought to suspect c. Eighthly painefull distempers of body are wont to weaken much and hinder the activenes and freedome of the Soules operations nay sometimes to distract and utterly over-throw them Many even of much knowledge grace and good life by reason of the damp and deadnesse which at that time the extremity and anguish of their disease brings upon their spirits are able to doe no great matter if anything at all either in meditation or expression How then doest thou thinke to passe thorow the incomparably greatest worke that ever the Soule of Man was acquainted with in this life I meane the new-birth at the Point of death It is a wofull thing to have much worke to doe when the power of working is almost done When wee are come to the very last cast our strength is gone our spirits cleane spent our senses appalled and the powers of our Soules as numbe as our senses when there is a generall prostration of all our powers and the shadow of death upon our eyes then something wee would say or doe which should doe our Soules good But alas How should it then bee 3. When the spirituall Physition powres the baulme of mercy and oyle of comfort into a wounded conscience 1. Too soone The Surgeon that heales up a dangerous Sore and drawes a skinne over it before His corrosives have consumed the dead flesh before Hee hath opened it with his Tents ransackt it to the roote and rent out the Core is so farre from pleasuring that hee procures a great deale of misery to His Patient For the rotten matter that remaines behind will in the meane time rankle and fester underneath and at length breake out againe perhaps both with more extremity of anguish and difficulty of cure They are but Mountebankes as they call them Smatterers in Physicke and Surgery upon the matter but plaine Cheaters and Couseners who are so ready and resolute for extemporary and palliate Cures Sudden recoveries from rooted and old distempers are rarely sound If it be thus in bodily Cures what a deale doe you thinke of extraordinary discretion heavenly wisedome precise and punctuall ponderation of circumstances well-advised and seasonable leasure both speculative and experimentall skill heartiest ejaculations wrastlings with God by Prayer for a blessing is very convenient and needfull for a true and right methode in healing a wounded conscience Which doth passe immeasurably all other maladies both in exquisitenesse of paine tendernesse of touch deceitfulnesse of Depth and in highest and greatest consequence either for the
everlasting health or endlesse horrour of an immortall Soule Hence it was that that One of a thousand and learned Doctour in this heavenly Mystery did so farre differ from all Dawbers with untempered Mortar and the ordinary undoing-courses in this kind But now comming to the salving of this Sore saith Hee I shall seeme very strange in my cure and so much the more bee wondred at by how much in manner of proceeding I differ from the most sort of men herein I am not ignorant that many visiting afflicted consciences cry still Oh comfort them O speake ioyfull things unto them Yea there bee some and those of the most learned who in such Cases are full of these and such like speeches Why are you so heavy my Brother Why are you so cast downe my Sister Bee of good cheare Take it not so grievously What is there that you should feare God is mercifull Christ is a Saviour These bee speeches of love indeed but they often doe the poore soules as much good herein as if they should powre cold water into their bosomes when as without further searching of their Sores they may as well minister a Malady as a Medicine For as nutritive and cordiall medicines are not good for every sicke Person especially when the Body needeth rather a strong Purgation then a matter restorative and as in carnative medicines may for a time allay the paine of the Patient but after the griefe becommeth more grievous So the comfortable applying of Gods promises are not so profitable for every One that is humbled especially when their Soules are rather further to be cast downe then as yet to bee raised up so those sugred consolations may for a while over-heale the conscience and abate some present griefe but so as afterwards the smart may bee the sorer and the griefe may grow the greater Hereof ensueth this effect that comfort seemeth to cure for a while but for want of wisedome in the right discerning of the cause Men minister one Medicine for another and so for want of skill the latter fit grindeth sorer then the former Calvine also that great Pillar and glory of the Christian World for syncere and sound Orthodoxe doctrine concurres in judgement with this blessed Man of God and so I doubt not doe all the faithfull Ministers of Iesus Christ Let this bee the first degree of Repentance when Men feele that they have been grievous offenders and then the griefe is not to bee immediately cured as Impostors deale flatteringly and nicely with Mens consciences that they may favour themselves as much as may bee and bee notably deceived with superficiall dawbing The Physition will not forthwith asswage the paine but will consider what may bee more expedient Perhaps hee will increase it because a sharper Purge will bee necessary Even so doe the Prophets of God when they see trembling Consciences doe not presently apply sweet consolations but rather tell them that they must not dally with God and stirre up those who are so forward of their owne accord that they would propose unto themselves the terrible iudgement of God that they may yet bee more and more humbled Another excellent and skilfull Work-man in the great mystery of saving Soules tells us truly That the promise of salvation is not straight belonging to one terrified in conscience but to one that is not onely terrified for His punishment but is contrite-hearted for sinne which is the worke of the Gospell Let not these bee weary of the yoke of God and the Law and make over much haste out of this state for so may they undoe themselves For some withstanding their terrour have withstood their salvation c. Even as an impatient Patient gets the Chirurgion to pull out the Tent and Corrosive or pâ—ls it off himselfe as soone as it begins to smart a little and so thinkes it is searcht enough and now layes saith Hee on healing plaisters But afterward breakes out againe worse then ever whereas if the Corrosive had been let lie on till it had eaten out the corruption indeed then it might have been whole long agoe If Dawbers in this kind did rightly understand and acknowledge or had ever had any experimentall feeling in their owne Soules of Christs Rule and the Holy Ghosts method which is first To convince of sinne to deject and humble in the sight of the Lord with apprehension and sense of a most abominable and cursed state before there follow a conviction of the righteousnesse of Christ to raise up See Ioh. 16.8 or of the necessity of the worke of the spirit of bondage to fit and prepare for Christ and comfort I say then they would not deale so ignorantly and overly in a matter of so deare and everlasting importance They would not so hastily hand over-head without all warrant and wisedome without any further search discovery or dejection offer mercy pardon and all the promises to a man formerly wicked onely for some faint and enforced confession of sinnes or because now beeing overtaken by the evill day Hee howles upon his bed not for any true hatred of sinne but for present smart and expected horror c. But would labour to let the spirit of bondage have it's full work and lay Him open more at large in the true colours of his skarlet sinnes and not onely cause a bare confession of them but such a conviction which may stop his mouth that Hee hath not a word to speake but trembles to see such a sinke Sodom and Hell of sinne and abomination in Himselfe c. O how oft have I heard many a poore ignorant soule in the Day of sorrow beeing mooved to humble Himselfe in the sight of the Lord that Hee might lift Him up first to get His heart broken with the abhorred burden of all His sinnes and then to bring it thus bleeding to the Throne of Grace that Christ might binde it up I say beeing thus intreated To answer Yes yes with all my heart I am sorry for my sinnes with all my heart I trust in Iesus Christ with all my heart and thus whatsoever you can counsell or advise Hee doth it with all His heart Whereas alas Poore heart as yet His understanding is as darke as darkenesse it selfe in respect of any I say not onely saving knowledge but almost of any knowledge at all and his heart in respect of any true remorse as hard as a Rocke of flint Now those unskilfull Physitions of the Soule who in this and the like cases will needs without any more adoe without any further illightning or labour threape mercy and comfort upon them are like those foolish sheapherds as Marbury calls them who when they want skill to helpe their poore sheepe out of the ditch are driven to play the miserable comforters and to take some other indirect course as many use to doe in such cases to cut the sheepes throate in time to make him Mans meate lest it should
of death Then because wee take our farewell of Repentance we should take our fill of it because it is the last time wee shall looke upon our sinnes for that purpose we should dismisse them with utmost and extremest loathing At such times and upon such occasions as these and the like when thou art called to a more solemne strict and severe search and review of thy old sinnes and former life Thou must renue this present repentance of thy New-birth make thine heart breake againe and bleed afresh with the sight of thy heretofore much doted-upon but now most abhorred abominable courses And so often also as thou lookes backe upon them Thou must labour to abominate and abandon them with more resolute aversion and new degrees of detestation Thoâ—e may bee by the mercies of God they shall never bee able to â—â—ng thee againe with the same slavishnesse of guilty horrour yet thou mâ—st still endeavour in thy cold blood to strangle utterly thy former delight in them with more hearty additions of deadly hatred and to bee more and more humbled for them untill thy ending houre It is a very high happinesse and blessing above ordinary to bee able to looke backe upon thy choisest youthfull pleasures and pollutions without either sensuall delight or slavish horrour with syncere hatred holy indignation and hearty mourning Now for the time to come and those sinnes which hereafter the rebelliousnesse of thy naughty nature and violence of the Divels temptations may force upon thee if thy heart bee now truly toucht and conscience savingly illightned Thou shalt find much matter necessity and use of continuing thy Repentance so long as thy life lasts In a leaking ship there must bee continuall pumping A ruinous house must be still in repairing These bodies of death wee beare about us are naturally liable to so many batteries and breaches by the assaults of originall sinne and other implacable enemies to our soules that there is extreme need of perpetuall watch and ward repenting and repairing lest the Newman bee too much opprest and too often surprized by the many and cunning encounters of the old Adam When thou art in company solitary busied about thy particular Calling there may suddenly arise in thine heart some greedy wish some grosse conceite some vaine uncleane ambitious revengefull thought ejaculate presently a penitent â—igh and â—ervent prayer for pardon of it in the Passion of Christ. In thy family perhaps amongst thy children and servants by reason of some crosse-accident thou mayst breake out into some unadvised passionate speech and disgrace thy selfe and Profession by over hasty intemperate heate not without some danger of hurting and hardening those about thee thereby Get thee presently upon it into thy Closer or some place for that purpose Throw thy selfe downe with a truly-grieved and humbled Soule before the Trone of grace and rise not untill thou bee reconciled unto thy God If at any time which God forbid Thou bee over-taken with some more publike scandalous sinne or dangerously haunted with some enormous secret lust appoint for thy selfe a solemne Day of humiliation and then cry unto the Lord like a woman in travaile and give him no rest untill Hee returne unto Thee with the wonted favour and calmnesse of His pleased countenance If Christians would constantly take to heart and ply this blessed businesse of immediately rising by repentance after every relapse and fall into sinne they should find a further Paradise and pleasure in the wayes of God then they ever yet tasted This course continued with present feeling and after-watchfulnesse would helpe excellently by the blessing of God and excercise of Faith the onely Conduit of all spirituall comfort to keepe in their bosomes that which they much desire and often bewaile the want of a chearefull bold and heavenly spirit Neither let any here bee troubled because I presse the exercise and use both of renewed and continued Repentance all our life long as tho thereupon the Christians life might seeme more uncomfortable For wee are to know that sorrow according to God Evangelicall mourning is mingled with abundance of spirituall joy which doth infinitely surpasse in sweetnesse and worth all worldly pleasures and delights of sense Nay whereas all the Ioviall good-fellow-mirth of carnall men is but a flash of Hellish folly This is a very glimpse of heavenly glory Let mee tell you againe how sweetly and truly that excellent Divine of Scotland speakes of it There is saith He more lightnesse of heart and true delight in the sorrow of the Saints then in the Worlds loudest laughter For unspeakeable ioy is mingled with un-utterable groanes The ancient Fathers are of the same minde with this Man of God Godly sorrow saith Chrysostome is better then the ioy of the World Even as The ioy of the World is ever accompanied with sorrow so teares according to God beget continuall and certaine delight Againe Such a man as this now meaning Him whose heart is inflamed with an heavenly heate despising all things here below doth presevere in continuall compunction pouring out abundance of teares every day and taking thence a great deale of pleasure Let the Repentant saith Austin be alwaies sorrowfull for sinne and alwaies reioyce for that sorrow 3. Beware of two dangerous errours 1. Either to conceive that thou mayst not admit of any comfort or apply the promises comfortably because Thou still finds in thy selfe more matter of mourning and further humiliation 2. Or to thinke When Thou hast onâ—â— laid hold upon Christs Person and pretious sufferings for the pardon of thy sinnes and quieting of thy Soule that then Thou must mourne no more 1. For the first know That were our heads Seaes and our eyes Fountaines of teares and poured out abundantly every moment of our life Should our hearts fall asunder into drops of blood in our breast for anguish and indignation against our selves for our transgressions yet should wee come infinitely short of the sorrow and hearts-griefe which our many and hainous lusts and pollutions justly merit and exact at our hands Therefore wee cannot expect from our selves any such sufficiency of sorrow or worthinesse of weeping for our sinnes as by the perfection and power thereof to win Gods favour and draw his mercy upon us Such a conceit were most absurd senselesse and sinfull and would rather discover and taste of naturall pride then true humility as they perhaps mistake tend unhappily to the disgrace of Gods mercies and gracing our owne merits True it is Had wee a thousand eyes it were too little to weep them all out for the very vanity of that one sinfull sense Had we a thousand hearts and they should all burst with penitent griefe and bleed to death for the sinnes of our soules it were more then immeasurably unconceiveably insufficient For were al this so yet were it not this but the hearte-blood of Iesus Christ could make the Fathers heart to yerne
mighty Lord of Heaven and Earth to have Hee offers to us in the Ministry His owne blessed Sonne to be our deare and everlasting Husband His Person with all the rich and royall endowments thereof the glory and endlesse felicities above His owne thrice glorious and ever-blessed Selfe to bee enjoyed thorow all eternity which is the very soule of heavenly Blisse and life of eternall life c. Doe you thinke it then reasonable or likely that Hee will ever accept at our hands an heartlesse formall outwardnesse a cold rotten carcasse of religion That wee should serve our selves in the first Place and Him in the second That wee should spend the prime and flower of our loues ioyes services upon some abominable bosome-sinne and then proportion-out to the everlasting God mighty and terrible Creator and Commander of Heaven and Earth only some outward religious formes and conformities and those also so farre onely as they hurt not our temporall happinesse but may consist with the entier enjoyment of some inordinate lust pleasure profit or preferment Prodigious folly nay fury to their owne soules This very one most base and unworthy conceit of so great a God and His due attributions meriteth justly exclusion from the Kingdome of Heaven with the foolish Virgins for ever My Counsell therefore is when the spirituall Patient hath passed the tempestuous Sea of a troubled conscience and is now upon termes of taking a new course That by all meanes Hee take heed that Hee runne not upon this Rocke It is better to bee key-cold then luke-warme and that the milke boile over then bee raw 7. Tho it bee an ordinary yet it is a dangerous and utterly un-doing errour and deceite To conceive that all is ended when the afflicted Party is mended and hath received ease and enlargement from the terrible pressures of his troubled conscience To thinke that after the tempest of present terrour and rage of guiltinesse bee allayed and over-blowne there needes no more to bee done As tho the New-birth were not ever infallibly and inseparably attended with new-obedience As tho when once the soule is soundly and savingly strucke thorow humbled and prepared for Christ by the terrifying power of the Law revealing the foulenesse of sinne and fiercenesse of divine wrath which set on by the spirit of bondage is able like a mighty thunder to breake and teare in pieces the iron synewes of the most stubborne and stony-heart there followed not hearty shewers of repentant teares never to bee dried up untill our ending houre as I taught before when all teares shall bee everlastingly wiped away with Gods mercifull hand And that the Sunne of righteousnesse did not presently breake forth upon that happy Soule to dispell the Hellish clouds of sensuality lust lying in sinne c. and to illighten inflame and fill it with the serenity and cleare sky as it were of sanctification and purity a kindly fervour of Zeale for Gods glory good causes good men keeping a good conscience and fruitfull influence of sobriety righteousnesse and holinesse for ever after And therefore if upon recovery out of trouble of conscience there follow not a continued exercise of Repentance both for sinnes past present and to come as you heard before an universall change in every power and part both of Soule and Body tho not in perfection of degrees as the Schooles speake yet of Parts an heart-rising hatred and opposition against all sinne a shaking-off old companions brethren in iniquity all Satans good-fellow Reuellers a delight in the word waies services Sabbaths and Saints of God a conscionable and constant endeavour to expresse the truth of protestations and promises made in time of terrour as I told you before c. In a Word if there follow not a new life if all things doe not become new there is no New-birth in truth all is naught and to no purpose in the Point of salvation They are then miserable Comforters Physicions of no value nay of notorious spirituall blood-shed who having neither acquaintance with nor much caring for the manner meanes methode any heavenly wisedome spirituall discretion or experimentall skill in managing aright such an important businesse if any waies they can asswage the rage and still the cries of a vexed guilty Conscience they thinke they have done a worthy worke Tho after their dawbing there bee nothing left behind in it but a senselesse skarre Nay and perhaps more brawnednesse benummednesse brought upon it because it was not kindlily wrought-upon in the furnace of spirituall affliction and rightly cured I feare mee many poore soules are fearefully deluded who beeing recovered out of terrours of Conscience too suddenly unseasonably or one way or other unsoundly conceive presently they are truly converted tho afterward they bee the very same men of the same company and conditions they were before or at best blesse themselves in the seeming happinesse of an halfe conversion For a more full discovery of this mischiefe and prevention of those miseries which may ensue upon this last miscarriage Let mee acquaint you with foure or five Passages out of Pangs of Conscience which still leade amisse and leave a man the Divel 's still And for all his faire warning by the smart of a wounded spirit drowne Him in the workes of darkenesse and waies of death 1. Some when by the piercing power and application of the Law their consciences are prest with the terrible and intolerable waight of their sinnes and the worme that neuer dies which hath been all this while dead-drunke with sensuall pleasures is now awaked by the hand of divine justice and begins to sting They presently with unspeakeable rage and horrour fall into the most abhorred and irrecoverable Dungeon of despaire The flames of eternall fire seize upon them even in this life They are in Hell upon Earth and damned as it were above ground Such they are commonly who all their life long have been contemners of the conscionable Ministry Scorners of the good way Quenchers of the Spirit Revolters from good beginnings and Profession of grace Harbourers of some secret vile abominable lusts in their hearts against the light of their conscience close Agents for Popery and Prophanenesse plausible Tyrants against the power of godlinesse and such other like notorious Champions of the Divell infamous Rebels to the highest Majestie Whom sith they have bin such and have so desperately and so long despised the riches of His goodnes and forbearance and long-suffering leading them to Repentance God most justly leaves now in the evill day when once the hot transitory gleame of worldly pleasures is past and His judgements begin to grow upō their thoughts like a tempestuous storme and death to stand before them unresistable like an armed Man and sinne to lie at the doore like a Bloodhound and the guilty conscience to gnaw upon the heart like a Vulture c. I say then Hee leaves them in His righteous iudgement
to sinke or swimme to eate the fruit of their owne waies to the fulnesse of that unquenchable wrath which by their innumerable sinfull provocations impenitency and unbeliefe they have treasured up against this Day and wrath That raging worme which never dies in the damned and naturally breeds in every gracelesse conscience by their insatiable surfet in sinne and greedy drinking-in iniquitie like water growes so strong and to such a strange bignesse that taking advantage especially in the time of terrour of their weakenesse and confusion of spirit upon the Bed of death at some dead lift and irrecoverable danger it surprises them upon the sudden with unexpected Hellish armies of guiltinesse and horror and over-throwes them quite horse and man never to rise againe in this world or the world to come Then would those wofull wretches who would never bee warned betime give tenne thousand Worlds if they had them for one moment of that mercifull time of grace which they have cursedly long abused for the benefit of the Ministry which they have insolently scorned for a drop of that precious blood which by their desperate villanies and hatred to bee reformed they have trampled under foote But alas no mercy no blessing no comfort will then bee had tho with prophane Esau they seeke it with teares and throw their rufull and piercing cries into the aire with hideous groanes and yelling And therefore turning their eye upon their torments will roare out like those sinfull Hypocrites Isai. 33.14 with un-utterable angvish of spirit Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire Who amongstus shall dwell with everlasting burnings In the Morning they shall say Would God it were Even and at Even they shall say Would God it were Morning for the feare of their hearts wherewith they shall feare and for the sight of their eyes which they shall see In their life-time they behaved themselves like cruell Beasts and bloody Goades in the sides of the Saints and against their syncerity and how at last themselves are caught with a witnesse and lie upon their Beds of extremity and terrour like wilde Bulls and Beasts in a net full of the fury of the Lord. 2. Others there are who finding their sinnes discovered and their consciences wounded by the light and power of the Word and now feeling sadnesse heavy-heartednesse uncouth terrours much perplexity and anxiety of spirit comming upon them addresse themselves presently and have speedy recourse to the Arme of flesh outward mirth carnall contentments and such other miserable comforters They falsely suppose and to their owne utter and everlasting overthrow that these spirituall pangs that are now upon them which if rightly managed might proove an happy preparative and Legall Petard as it were to breake the iron barres and open the everlasting doores of their Soules that the King of glory might come in bee nothing but fits of Melancholy or sowre and unseasonable effects and compressions of some Puritanicall Ministry dangerous temptations to despaire And therefore they hie out of them as fast as they can by posting after worldly pleasures Pastimes Plaies Musicke Gaming merry Company Ioviall meetings of good-fellowship Tavernes Ale-houses Visites Entertainements improovement of their chiefe carnall contentment c. If not to Wisards and even to light a candle at the Divâ—â—â— for lightsonmesse of heart Thus I know not whether with more sinne or folly they endeavour to come unto themselves againe by the mirth and madnesse of wine earthly joy carnall counsell c. Wherein they are not unlike those bloody Israelites who while they burnt up their children in sacrifice to Molech filled their eares with noise of Instruments lest by the rufull cries of their little Babes they should bee moved to pitie and so staied in the cruell service of that blood-sucking Idoll Iust so these Men of pleasure and perdition doe sinfully seeke to stop the guilty clamours of their vexed consciences with the comforts of this life and sensuall joy while their soules are sacrificing to Satan and making fit fewell for the fire of Hell lest by listning to their cryes and controlements they should bee stirred up to take compassion of their owne poore immortall Soules and stopt in the pursuite of their fugitive follies and delights of sense But alas in so doing they are also like a Man in a burning â—ever who lets downe cold drinke eagerly and mâ—rrily because in the extremity of thirst it cooles Him a little But after a while Hee shall finde the heat the paine and the danger all doubled upon Him Earthly pleasures may for the presens still the noyse of in accusing conscience and seeme somewhat to allay it's guilty â—â—ge but assuredly they will afterward kindle such a fire in the Bowels of these miserable men that will burne even to the very bottome of Hell and blow them up Body and Soule with irrecoverable ruine for ever Hee that goes about to cure the wound of his conscience for sinne with sensuall delight is as if to helpe the tooth-ake Hee should knocke out his braines or when hee is stung with a Waspe should rub with a Nettle the smarting place or finding no good by Physicke should runne 〈◊〉 Wise-men as if in extremity of thirst hee should drinke ranke poyson to quench it apply a venemous plaister to his sore and prop up his falling Roofe with burning fire-brands Remedies farre worse and more pestilentiall then the Malady For they either plunge them deeper into the Dungeon of Melancholy and heavy-heartednesse or else draw a skinne onely over the spirituall wound whereby it festers and rankles underneath more dangerously For thus stopping the mouth of that never-dying worme that insatiable Wolfe in the meane time doth make it when there is no more supply of carnall pleasures whereupon it feeds for a while to fall more furiously upon the conscience that bred it and to gnaw more ragingly by reason of it's former restraint and enforced diversion I know full well Satan is right-well pleased and doth much applaud this pestilent course of theirs and therefore Hee helpes forward this accursed businesse all hee can of abandoning and banishing all trouble of minde for sinne with worldly toyes For ordinarily out of his cruell cunning thus He proceeds in these Cases 1. In the first Place and above all hee labours might and maine to detaine men in that height of hard-heartednesse that they may not bee mooved at all with the Ministry or suffer the Sword of the Spirit to pierce And then like a strong man armed Hee possesseth their Bodies and Soules which are his Palace with much peace and disposeth them wholly in any hellish service at his pleasure Thus Hee prevailes with a world of men amongst us They heare Sermon after Sermon Iudgement upon Iudgement and yet are no more stirr'd with any penitent astonishment for sinne or saving worke of the Word then the very Seates whereon they sit the Pillars to which they leane or
Come life come death come Heaven come Hell come what come can here will I sticke for ever And if ever I perish they shall plucke mee out of the hands and rent mee from betweene the armes of this mighty glorious and dearest Redeemer of mine 6. And having now taken Christ as a Saviour to free him from the miseries of sinne hee is willing also to take him as a Lord Husband and King to serve love and obey him For every one that is truly Christs doth as well thirst heartily and syncerely indeavour after mortification conquest over corruptions sanctification purity new-obedience ability to do or suffer any thing for Christ as for pardon of sinne and salvation from hell And therefore he willingly takes upon him his yoake which tho so called yet is easie and light enters in earnest into the narrow way which tho it bee every where spoken against as it was in Pauls time Act. 28.22 yet in truth and upon triall is most pretious profitable and pleasant See Prov. 3. Happy is the man that findeth wisedome to wit in the word to walke in the wayes of God Shee is more pretious then rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her Length of dayes is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour Her wayes are wayes of pleasantnesse and all her pathes are peace Hee now for the short remainder of his abode in this vale of teares vowes and gives up the flower and prime of all his abilities loves joyes endeavours performances in any kinde to the highest Majesty and consecrates all the powers and possibilities of body and soule to doe him the best and utmost service hee can any wayes devise unto his dying day And still grieves and walkes more humbly because hee can doe no better For then hee casts his eyes upon God the Fathers free love and Christs deare passion hee thinks with himselfe and so hee well may that if hee were able to doe him as much service as all the Saints doe both in this and the Church above with addition of all Angelicall obedience it were all infinitely lesse then nothing towards the discharge of his debt and incomprehensible everlasting obligation 7. And being thus incorporated into Christ he presently associates himself to the brotherhood to the Sect that is every where spoken against For so is profession accounted Act. 28.22 After that Peters hearers were pricked in their hearts they were counselled to repent believe be baptised c. and to save themselves from that untoward generation He now beginnes to delight himselfe in them whom hee heartily hated before I meane the people of God Professours of the truth and power of religion and that as the most excellent of the earth the only true Noble Worthies of the World worthy for ever the flower fervency and dearenesse of his most melting affections and intimate love And hee labours also might and maine to ingratiate himselfe into their blessed communion by all ingagements and obligations of a comfortable fruitfull and constant fellowship in the Gospell By an humble mutuall entercourse and communication of holy conference heavenly counsell spirituall encouragements consideration one of another confirmation in grace and in assurance of meeting in heaven c. resolved to live and die with these neglected happy Ones in all faire and faithfull correspondence sweetest offices of Christianity and constant cleaving to the Lord Iesus and his glorious cause Nay assured to raigne with them hereafter everlastingly in fullnesse and height of all glory joy and blisse For if once this divine flame of brotherly love bee kindled by the Holy-ghost in the hearts of true hearted Christians one towards another it hath this propertie and priviledge above all other loves that it is never after put out or quenched but burnes in their brests with much affectionate fervor with mutuall warmth of dearest sweetenes here upon earth and shall blaze eternaly with Seraphicall heate in the highest heavens hereafter In the meane time he makes cōscience of sympathizing both with their felicities and miseries His heart is enlarged with lightsomenesse or eclipsed with griefe as hee heares of the prosperity or oppression of Gods people I the rather here mention this marke of the true convert because it is so much required nay infinitely exacted at our hands in these heavy times of the Church And therefore may bee to every one of us an evident Touch-stone to try whether our profession bee vitall or formall If those terrours which I have heretofore many times threatned out of Gods Booke against all those pittilesse and hard-hearted Caniballs which take not the present troubles of the Church to heart upon purpose to breake in pieces those flinty Rockes which dwel in some mens brests and to drive us all to compassionatenesse prayer dayes of humiliation and parting from our evill wayes I say if they have beene thought by any to have been pressed too precisely and peremptorily heare what I have since seene in Austin and what a peremptory censure hee doth passe upon those who want a fellow-feeling in such a case If thou hast this fellow-feeling thou art of that blessed body and brotherhood if not thou art not And here can I hardly hold but were it incident I should desire to cry out with a voice lifted vp like a trumpet against all those prophane Esaus swinish Gadarens senselesse Earth-wormes who all this while that so many noble limbes of that great blessed body of the Reformed Churches have laine in teares and bloud did never take to heart to any purpose or trouble themselves at all with their grievous troubles but have sottishly and securely laine at ease in Zion liable to that horrible curse denounced against Meroz Curse yee Meroz sayd the Angell of the Lord curse yee bitterly the Inhabitants thereof because they came not to the help of the Lord against the mighty Iudg. 5.23 They have not helped the people of God so much as with any hearty fellow-feeling wrastling with God in praier set daies to seeke the returne of Gods face and favour c. Men they are of the World which have their portiō in this life who feele nothing but worldly losses know nothing but earthly sorrowes rellish nothing but things of sense If they be stung with a deare yeare rot of cattel losse by surety-ship ship-wrack robbery fire c. they houle and take-on immoderately But let Ioseph bee afflicted Gods people in disgrace the Ministry hazarded Christ spouse sit in the dust the Daughter of Zion weepe bitterly and have none to comfort her c. And these mercilesse mē are no whit moved They have not a teare a groane or sigh to spend in such a ruful case Whereby they infallibly remonstrate unto their owne consciences that they are no living members of Christs mysticall body have no part in the holy fellowship of the Saints no spark of spiritual
heavenly Father deale withal that are upright-hearted in all their troubles trials and temptations For the dearest love of the most affectionate Father or Mother to their Childe is nothing to that which hee beares to those that feare him Isa. 49.15 Psal. 103.13 Deut. 8.5 3. Thirdly there is a pretious Principle in the mysterie of salvation which as a comforting Cordiall-water serves to quicken and revive in the sownings and faintings of the Body defection of the spirits and sinking of the heart So it may bee soveraigne to support and succour in afflictions and dejections of Soule and weakenesses of our spirituall state It is thus delivered by Divines A constant and earnest desire to bee reconciled to God to believe and to repent if it bee in a touched heart is in acceptation with God as reconciliation Faith repentance it selfe A weake faith shewes it selfe by this grace of God namely an unfained desire not onely of salvation for that the wicked and gracelesse man may have But of reconciliation with God in Christ. This is a sure signe of Faith in every touched and humbled heart and it is peculiar to the elect Those are blessed who are displeased with their owne doubting and unbeliefe if they have a true earnest desire to bee purged from this distrust and to believe in God through Christ. Our desire of grace faith and repentance are the graces themselves which wee desire at least in Gods acceptation who accepteth of the will for the deede and of our affections for the actions Hungring and thirsting desires are evidences of a repenting heart True desire argues the presence of things desired and yet argues not the feeling of it It may not bee dissembled that there are in the world many definitions or descriptions of faith such as doe not comprehend in them that onely thing which is the chiefe stay of thousands of the deare servants of God and that is desires which may not bee denyed to bee of the nature of Faith I expresse my meaning thus That when a Man or woman is so farre exercisâ—d in the spirituall seeking of the Lord his God That hee would bee willing to part with the world and all things thereof if hee had them in his owne possession so that by the Spirit and Promises of God hee might bee assured that the sinnes of his former life and such as presently doe burthen his Soule were forgiven him and that hee might believe that God were now become his God in Christ I would not doubt to pronounce that this Person thus prising remission of sinnes at this rate that hee would sell all to buy this pearle did undoubtedly believe Not onely because it is a truth though a Paradoxe that the Desire to believe is Faith But also because our Saviour Christ doth not doubt to affirme that they are blessed that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse because they shall bee satisfied And to him that is a thirst I will give to drinke of the water of life freely And David doubted not to say The Lord heareth the desire of the humble I thinke whensoever the humbled sinner sees an infinite excellency in Christ and the savour of God by him that it is more worth then all the world and so sets his heart upon it that hee is resolved to seeke it without ceasing and to part withall for the obtaining it now I take it is Faith begun What graces thou unfainedly desirest and constantly vsest the meanes to attaine Thou hast There is no rocke more sure then this truth of God That the heart that complaineth of the want of grace desireth above all things the supply of that want useth all holy meanes for the procurement of that supply cannot be destitute of saving grace Such are wee by imputation as wee bee in affection And he is now no sinner who for the love he beareth to righteousnesse would bee no sinner Such as we be in desire and purpose such we be in reckoning and account with God who giveth that true desire and holy purpose to none but to his Children whom hee justifieth We must remember that God accepts affecting for effecting willing for working desires for deedes purposes for performances pence for pounds and unto such as doe their endeavour hath promised His grace enabling them every day to doe more and more If there be in thee a sorrow for thine unbeliefe a will and desire to believe and a care to increase in Faith by the use of good meanes there is a measure of true Faith in thee and by it thou maist assure thy selfe that thou art the Child of God It is a great grace of God to feele the want of Gods graces in thy selfe and to hunger and thirst after them If you desire healing of your nature groane in desire to grace perceive your foulenesse unto a loathing of your selfe feare not sinne hath no dominion over you Sense of Want of grace complaint and mourning from that sense desire setled and earnest with such mourning to have the want supplyed vse of good meanes with attending upon Him therein for this supply is surely of grace What graces thou unfainedly desirest and constantly usest the meanes to attaine Thou hast Take it in short from mee thus A true desire of grace argues a saving and comfortable estate The truth of which appeares clearely By Scriptures Reasons Both ancient and moderne Deuines Proofes Mat. 5.6 Blessed are they which doe hunger and thirst after righteousnâ—sse for they shall bee filled Here to a desire of grace is annexed a Promise of Blessednesse which comprehends all the glory and pleasures of Christs Kingdome here and all heavenly joyes and everlasting blisse hereafter Ioh. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come unto mee and drinke Psal. 10.17 The Lord heareth the desire of the humble Psal. 145.19 Hee will fulfill the desire of them that feare Him Luk. 1.53 The Lord filleth the hungry with good things Reu. 22.17 Let him that is athirst come And whosoever will let Him take the water of life freely Isa. 55.1 Hâ— every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters c. And Cap. 44. vers 3. I will poure water upon Him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground O Lord I beseech thee saith Nehemiah let now thine eare bee attentive to the prayer of thy servant and to the prayer of thy servants who desire to feare thy Name Here those who desire to feare the Lord are stiled His servants and proposed as men qualified and in a fit disposition to have their praiers heard their petitions granted their distresses relieved their affaires blessed with successe And no doubt thâ—s Man of God would make speciall choise of such Attributes and affections which might proove powerfull and pleasing Arguments to draw from God compassion favour and protection And therefore a true-hearted desire to feare the Lord is a signe of His servant
number of His Elect is so small and the sway of the multitude sinke downe under the burden of their iniquities transgressions and sinnes into the Pit of endlesse Perdition How comes it to passe that out of the great heape and masse of all man-kinde there are made but so few vessells of mercy and that so many vessels of wrath are justly for their sinnes filled brim-full with the vialls of everlasting vengeance See Matth. 7.13.14 and 20.16 Some matter of Answer to this Point would yee thinke it may bee taken even from the Schoolemen If we consider first The unconceiveable eminency and unvalewable worth of the Crowne of glory which doth so far and disproportionably surpasse transcend the common state and condition of our nature Secondly The pretiousnesse of the effusion of the blood of the deare and only Son of God for the purchasing of that so glorious a Crowne Thirdly The necessary and inevitable defectibility of the Creature Fourthly The most free and wilfull Apostacy of Adam and in Him of all his Posterity Fifthly The abominable and villanous nature and staine of sinne c. Why should wee not rather wonder at the unsearcheablenesse of Gods mercy for advancing one Soule to that endlesse blisse in Heaven then to repine at the equity of His justice if He should have suffered all the polluted and sinnefull sonnes of Adam to passe from the Masse of corruption into which they freely fell on their owne accord and cursed choise thorow a rebellious life into the endlesse miseries of their deserved confusion Would it not have been a greater marvaile to have seene any one clearely convinced and found guilty of that most horrible villany that ever was bred in Hell or heard-of in the World I meane the Popish Powder-Treason pardoned then all those desperate Assasins to have justly perished in their so abhorred and execrable rebellion And it is utterly un-imaginable either by Man or Angell what a deale of mercy doth flow out of the Bowels of Gods dearest compassions thorow the hearts-blood of his onely Sonne to the washing and salvation but of one Soule 3. A third Reason may bee taken from it's part and interest in the Fountaine of salvation and Rivers of living water Hee that thirsts after grace is already enrighted to the Well of life and fullnesse of heavenly blisse by a promise and protestation from Gods owne mouth Revel 21.6 I will give to Him that is athirst of the Fountaine of the Water life freely In that Place after God himselfe had confirmed and crowned the truth and certainty of the gloriousnesse of the holy City and the happinesse of the Inhabitants thereof with a solemne asseveration of his owne immutability and everlastingnesse It is done I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end He then notifies and describes the persons to whom the promise and possession of so great and excellent glory doth appertaine and those also which shall bee eternally abandoned from the presence of God and burned in the Lake of fire and brimstone for ever Inhabitants of Heaven Elect are 1. Humble Soules thirsting after grace Gods favour and that blessed Fountaine opened to all broken hearts for sinne and for uncleannesse I will give to him that is athirst of the Well of the water of life freely vers 6. 2. Christs champions here upon earth against the powers of darkenesse and conquerers of their owne corruptions Hee that overcommeth shall inherit all things and I will be his God and hee shall bee my sonne vers 7. But the fearefull c. are mark't out for Hell verse 8. For all that cursed crue and slaves of sinne are overcome of Satan and their owne lusts and so carried away captives into everlasting misery and woe Cast not away thy confidence then Poore heart No not in the lowest langvishings of thy afflicted soule If thou bee able to say syncerely with David Psal. 143. My Soule thirsteth after Thee as a thirsty Land If thou feele in thy affections an hearty hunger after rightousnesse both infused and imputed as well after power against as pardon of sinne Bee assured the Well of life stands already wide open unto thee and in due time Thou shalt drinke thy fill Thy soule shall bee fully satisfyed with the excellencies of Iesus Christ Evangelicall joyes as with marrow and fatnesse and Thou shalt bee abundantly refreshed out of the river of his pleasures 4. That which Paul tells us in the Point of communicating to the necessities of the Saints to wit If there bee first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a Man hath and not according to that Hee hath not 2. Cor. 8.12 holds true also in all other services and divine duties So that wee are accepted with the Lord according as wee are inwardly affected altho our actions be not answerable to our desires Hee that hath a ready and resolved minde to doe what Hee may would undoubtedly doe a great deale more if ability were ministred God saith Paul worketh both to will and to doe If both bee His owne workes the desire as well as the deede Hee must needs love and like both the one and the other both in respect of acceptation and reward David did but conceive a purpose to build God an house and Hee rewarded it with the building and establishing of his owne House 2. Sam. 7.16 Hee did but conceive a purpose to confesse His sinne and Gods eare was in his heart before Davids confession could bee in His tongue Ps. 32.5 To the poore Beggeâ—s that wanted food for themselves Christ shall say at the last day Yee have fed me wheÌ„ I was hungry only in regard of their strong affections if they had had meanes The Prodigall Child when He was but conceiving a purpose of returning was prevented by His Father first comming to Him Nay running towards Him Luk. 15.20 God will answer us before wee call Isa. 65 24. That is in our purpose of praier c. Besides Scripture and reasons I add ancient and moderne authority not for any further confirmation but onely to shew consent To desire the helpe of grace is the beginning of grace saith Austin Onely thou must will and God will come of his owne accord saith Basil. Hee that thirsts let him thirst more and hee that desires let him yet desire more abundantly Because so much as Hee can desire so much He shall receive Bernard Christ saith Luther is then truly omnipotent and then truly raignes in us when wee are so weake that wee can scarce give any groane Againe The more wee finde our unworthinesse and the lesse wee finde the promises to belong unto us the more wee must desire them beeing assured that this desire doth greatly please God who desireth and willeth that His grace should bee earnestly desired When I have a good desire saith Kemnicius tho it doth scarcely shew it selfe in some little and
refresht with that pretious blood of His c. 6. It is growing from appetite to endeavour from endeavour to action from action to habite from habite to some comfortable perfection and tallnesse in Christ. If it bee quite quencht and extingvished when the spirituall angvish and agony is over or stand at a stay never transcending the nature of a naked wish it is to bee reputed rootelesse heartlesse gracelesse There are Christians that lie as yet as it were strugling in the wombe of the Church who for a time at the least live spiritually onely by grievings and groanes by hearty desires eager longings affectionate stirrings of spirit c. There are also Babes in Christ young men in Christ strong men in Christ old Christians A perpetuall infancy argues a nullity of sound and saving Christianity The Childe that never passeth the stature and state of an Infant will proove a Monster Hee that growes not by the syncere milke of the Word is a true Changeling not truly changed Hee that rests with contentment upon a desire onely of good things never desired them savingly But here lest any tender conscience bee unnecessarily troubled I must confesse It is not so growing as I have said or not so sensibly at certaine times as while the pangs of the New-birth are upon us in times of desertion temptation c. Tho even then it growes in an holy impatiency restlesnesse longing c. Which is well-pleasing unto the Father of mercies in the meane time and which Hee accepts graciously untill Hee give more strength The Point thus cleared is very sweet and soveraigne but so that no carnall Man must come neere it no stranger meddle with it much lesse Swine trample upon it It is a Iewell for the true-hearted Nathanaels wearing alone Nay the Christian himselfe in the time of his Soules health height of feeling and flourishing of His Faith must hold off His hand Onely let Him keepe it fresh and orient in the Cabinet of His memory as a very rich Pearle against the Day of spirituall distresse As pretious and cordiall waters are to bee given onely in swounings faintings and defection of the spirits so this delicious Manna is to bee ministred specially and to bee made use of in the straits and extremities of the Soule At such times and in such Cases as these In 1. The strugglings of the New-birth 2. Spirituall Desertions 3. Strong temptations 4. Extraordinary troubles upon our last Bed 1. For the first When thou art once come so farre as I intimated before To wit that after a thorow conviction of sinne and sound humiliation under Gods mighty hand upon a timely and seasonable revelation of the glorious Mystery of Christ His excellencies invitations His truth tender-heartednesse c. For the desire I speake of is an effect and affection wrought ever immediately by the Gospell alone I say when in this Case thine heart is filled with vehement longings after the Lord of life If thou bee able to say with David My soule thirsteth after thee as a thirstie Land If thou feele in thy selfe an hearty hunger and thirst after the favour of God that Fountaine opened for sinne and for uncleannesse and fellow-ship with Christ Assuredly then the Well of life is already opened unto thee by the hand of thy faithfull Redeemer and in due time thou shalt drink thy fill He that is Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End the eternall and unchangeable God hath promised it And amid the sorrowes of thy trembling heart and longings of thy thirsty soule thou mayst even challenge it at His hands with an humble sober and zealous confidence As did that Scottish Penitent a little before his Execution Hee freely confessed his fault to the shame as Hee said of Himselfe and to the shame of the Divell but to the glory of God Hee acknowledged it to bee so hainous and horrible that had hee a thousand lives and could he die ten thousand deaths Hee could not make satisfaction Notwithstanding said hee Lord thou hast left mee this comfort in thy Word that thou hast said Come unto mee all ye that are weary and laden and I will refresh you Lord I am weary Lord I am heavily laden with my sinnes which are innumerable I am ready to sinke Lord even to Hell without thou in thy mercy put to thine hand and deliver mee Lord thou hast promised by thine owne word out of thine owne mouth that thou wilt refresh the weary soule And with that Hee thrusts out one of his hands and reaching as high as Hee could with a louder voyce and a strained cryed I challenge thee Lord by that Word and by that Promise which thou hast made that thou performe and make it good unto mee that call for ease and mercy at thine hands c. Proportionably when heavy-heartednesse for sinne hath so dryed up thy bones and the angry countenance of God so parched thine heart that thy poore soule begins to gaspe for grace as the thirsty Land for drops of raine thou mayst tho dust and ashes with an holy humility thus speake unto thy gracious God O mercifull Lord God thou art Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end Thou sayest It is done of things that are yet to come so faithfull and true are thy decrees and promises And thou hast promised by thine owne word out of thine owne mouth that unto Him that is athirst thou wilt give of the Fountaine of the water of life freely O Lord I thirst I faint I langvish I long for one drop of mercy As the Hart panteth for the water brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God and after the yerning bowels of thy woonted compassions Had I now in possession the glory the wealth and the pleasures of the whole World Nay had I ten thousand lives ioyfully would I lay them all downe and part with them to have this poore trembling soule of mine received into the bleeding armes of my blessed Redeemer O Lord and thou onely knowest it my spirit within me is melted into teares of blood my heart is shivered into peeces Out of the very place of Dragons and shaddow of death doe I lift up my thoughts heavy and sad before Thee the remembrance of my former vanities and pollutions is a very vomite to my soule and it is full sorely wounded with the grievous representation thereof The very flames of Hell Lord the fury of thy just wrath the scorchings of mine owne conscience have so wasted and parched mine heart that my thirst is insatiable My bowels are hot within mee my desire after Iesus Christ pardon and grace is greedy as the grave the coles thereof are coles of fire which hath a most vehement flame And Lord in thy blessed Booke thou calls and cries Ho every One that thirsteth come yee to the waters c. In that great day of the Feast Thou stood'st and cryed'st with thine owne mouth saying
Christ calls Him and set to His seale that God is true which not to doe shall ever bee an unmannerly madnesse and willfull cruelty to a mans owne conscience Hee is then quite gone out of His kingdome of darkenesse and an immortall Soule is pulld out of His Hellish Paw for ever This is the true reason why Hee so rageth when Hee sees a weary Soule make towards Iesus Christ for rest I have often foretold you of Satans methode and malice in managing His temptations in this kinde that beeing fore-warned yee may be fore-armed He plots first and prevailes with most amongst us to keepe them from terrour and trouble for sinne But if they bee once happily wounded that way then His next plot is to allay and take away the smart by outward mirth or dawbe and draw over a skinne onely with unsound and superficiall comfort But if Hee find that it bleeds still and will not bee stanched but onely by the blood of Christ and that no earthly pleasure can any whit asswage the paine then in a third Place doth Hee cast about and contend with all cruelty to keepe the poore Soule in a perpetuall sad slavish trembling that it may not dare to meddle with any comfort or apply the promises but cherishing the bruise against the counsell of the Prophets bleede inwardly still And this Point Hee plies with more eagernesse and fury because the very next step to wit but even reaching out of this spirituall Gulfe and griefe for sinne towards the mercifull hand of Christ holden out to helpe Him up is the next and immediate Act by which a man is quite and for ever puld out of His power and put into the Paradise of grace Or in a word and shorter thus Tho thou commest freshly out of an Hell of hainous sinnes and hitherto hast neither thought or spoke or done any thing but abominably yet if now with true remorse thou groans under them all as an heavy burden and syncerely longest for the Lord Iesus and newnesse of life thou art bound presently ipso facto as they say immediatly after that Act and unfained resolution of thy Soule to take Christ Himself and all the promises of life as thine own for ever All delaies demurres exceptions objections pretexts standing out scruples distrusts contradictions to the contrary are dishonourable to Gods mercy and free grace disparagement to the Promises derogatory to the Truth tender-heartednes of Iesus Christ an unnecessary detainement of the Soule in terrour and onely a gratification of that roaring Lion whose trade is to teare soules in peeces and torture them all Hee can For as soone as wee are poore in spirit we are presently blessed Mat. 5.3 As soone as we are weary of our sins the Hand of Christ is ready to take off the burden Mat. 11.28 As soone as wee thirst in the sense I have said the Fountaine of the water of life is set wide open unto us Rev. 21.6 As soone as we have got contrite and humble spirits wee become royall Thrones for the High and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity to dwell in for ever Isa. 57.15 And now come and take abundantly mighty Arguments and invincible motives which neither Man nor Divell nor natural distrust can ever any waies possibly disable Not to lie any longer being in the proposed and supposed state upon the racke of terror but to lay hold upon the Rock of eternity I meane to rest and establish thy trembling heart upon the Lord Iesus with everlasting peace and safty and after walke watchfully and fruitfully in the holy way untill thine ending houre 1. And first take notice that Iesus Christ God blessed for ever keeps an open house for all such hungry and thirsty soules Let him that is athirst come And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Rev. 22.17 Whosoever will In whose heart soever the holy Ghost hath wrought an effectuall earnest hearty will that supernaturall syncere desire described before which prizeth the Well of life before the whole world and is ever accompanied with an unfained resolution to sell all for the Pearle of great price I say such an One may come and wellcome and that without bidding and drinke his fill of the Rivers of all spirituall pleasures If there were no more but this this is more then enough to bring Thee to Iesus Christ. If a Proclamation should bee made that such or such a great Man kept open house for all commers there need no more to bring-in all the poore hungry people in the Countrey without any further waiting or inviting But heere above all degrees of comparison the hunger is more importunate and important the Feast-maker more faithfull and sure of his word the fare more delicious and ravishing And why doest thou refuse Thou hast a warrant infinitely aboue all exception The Lord of life keepes open house for all that will come And thou knowest in thine owne Conscience and canst not deny but that Hee hath already honored Thee with that singular favour as to plant in thy Soule a will this way with a witnesse as they say For what wouldest thou not part with to have assurance of thy part in Iesus Christ What wouldest thou not give if it might be bought to heare Him speake peace unto thy Soule and say sweetly unto it I am thy salvation And therefore if thou come not in presently and take the comfort of this pretious Place and Promise setting to thy seale that God is true Consider by the premisses whether thy terrours and temptations bee not justly upon thee in the meane time 2. If this will not serve which God forbid then in a second Place Thou art invited solemnly by the Feast-Maker as it were Himselfe with his owne mouth which is an infinite mercy honour and comfort Come unto mee all yee that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Mat. 11.28 Here is no exception of sinnes times or Persons And if thou shouldest reply Yea but alas I am the unworthiest man in the world to draw neere unto so holy a God to presse into so pure a presence to expect upon the sudden such glorious spirituall and heavenly advancement most impure abominable and beastly wretch that I am readier farre and fitter to sinke into the bottome of Hell by the insupportable waight of my manifold hainous sins I say then the Text tells thee plainely that thou mightily mistakes For therefore onely art thou fit because thou feeles so sensibly thy unfitnesse unworthinesse vilenesse wretchednesse The sorer and heavier thy burden is the rather shouldest thou come In a word it appeares by thine owne words expressing such a penitent apprehension of thy spirituall poverty that thou art the onely man and such as thou alone which Christ here specially aimes-at invites and accepts 3. Thirdly Hee knowing our frame our sluggish dull and heavy disposition our spirituall lazinesse naturall neglect of our owne
alwayes observed for a speciall difference betwixt good and bad men that the one hated sinne for the love of vertue the other only for the feare of punishment The like difference doe our Adversaries make betwixt Contrition and Attrition That the hatred of sin in the one proceedeth from the love of God and of righteousnesse in the other from the feare of punishment And yet teach for all this that Attrition which they confesse would not otherwise suffice to iustifie a man being ioyned with the Priests absolution is sufficient for that purpose Hee that was attâ—ite being by vertue of this Absolution made contrite and iustified that is to say hee that was led only by a servile feare and consequently was to bee ranked among disordered and evill persons being by this meanes put in as good a Case for the matter of the forgivenesse of his sinnes as hee that loveth God syncerely For they themselves doe grant that such as have this servile feare from whence Attrition issueth are to bee accounted evill and disordered men c. But leaving these blind Pharisies in the endlesse Maze of their inextricable errours untill it please the Lord to illighten them and by a strong hand pull them out which I heartily desire and will ever pray I come to prosecute mine owne Point 2. Secondly If you aske mee when trouble for sinne is saving I would answer when it is true If you further demand when it is true I would say when it drives Thee utterly out of thy Selfe and to sell all in the sense I have said before and brings thee with a syncere thirst and setled resolution to Iesus Christ to live and die with Him as a Saviour and a Lord and is accompanied with an universall change in Body Soule and Spirit 3. Thirdly take notice of such considerations as these 1. God beeing a most free Agent doth not tie Himself constantly unvariably to ordinary expected set and the same formes measures times proportions of his waies and workings upon his Children For Hee is wise without limit and above measure and therfore hath many secret and glorious ends and aimes which according to His good pleasure much diversifie the meanes serviceable and subordinate thereunto From whence may spring these three Conclusions 1. Hee may for the most part create in the heart of the true Convert terrours and troubles of Conscience amazements and mourning answerable in some good measure to the varietie vanity and villany of His former wicked waies and lewd life As appeares before in Manasses the sinnefull Woman Idolatrous Israelites Hearers of Peter and many in these dayes if it were convenient to name them For the most part saith a great Divine the violence of humiliation in the Calling of a sinner is according to the continuance and greatnesse of His actuall transgressions According to the same is the rent in the conscience and Soule Therefore if there bee any who hath been a great and grievous sinner and hath not with violence been pulled from his sinne Hee may doe well to suspect and search Himselfe soundly 2. Hee may sometimes suffer a notorious sinner â—â— passe something more easily and unterribly thorow thâ— Pangs of the New-birth But then such a One is woont to walke more humbly before God all His life after for that Hee was not humbled with more remarkeablenesse of penitent remorse and spirituall angvish in His conversion And so extension and continuance of Godly griefe that Hee was not more grieved makes up as it were that desired intension and extremity of pangs which might justly have pained Him in His passing from death to life Every hearty and sensible complaint that the Pangs of the New-birth were not more painefull and proportionable to the pollutions of His youth is as it were and in the sense I have said a Pang of the New-birth Or else upon some occasion afterward in His Christian course Hee may bee revisited and vexed afresh with more terrour and trouble of conscience then in His first change As in such Cases as these first If Hee should which God forbid by some volent enticement and snaring opportunity bee entangled againe and re-infected with any former sensuall pleasure of His unregenerate time or by neglect of His care and watchfulnesse over His waies bee suddenly surprised with some new scandalous sin Secondly upoÌ„ the assault of some extraordinary frighting temptation or pressing of hideous thoughts upon his melancholick imagination Thirdly when some heavy crosse or sicknesse after many prosperous daies shall seize upon Him which may lye sore and long Fourthly upon His Bed of death especially if Hee fall upon it immediately after some relapse backsliding or new wound of Conscience There is a kinde of naturall power besides Gods speciall hand in sicknesse sorrow darknesse melancholy the night extraordinary crosses the Bed of death to represent the true number and hainousnesse of sinnes with greater horror and more unto the life Whereas prosperity health and daies of peace doe rather delude the eyes of the conscience and like false and flattering glasses make those foule Fiends seeme fairer then they are indeede And therefore the christian especially that I speake of beeing outwardly distressed cast upon His Bed of death or any waies extraordinarily visited by Gods hand seeing his sinnes upon the sudden marshalled and marching against Him moe in number and more fiercely then heretofore may for the while bee surprised and exercised with unexpected terrour untill by meditation upon Gods former speciall mercy unto Him in spirituall things upon the markes and effects of His Change upon the uprightnesse of His heart towards God in the daies of health upon those testimonies and assurances which His ChristiaÌ„ friends can give Him of His beeing in a gracious state with such like holy helpes And so in cold blood and above all resolving to sack so ever fast to the Lord Iesus tho He kill Him Hee bee raised againe from such dejections of spirit to the â—oonteâ— confidence and comfort of His interest in Christ and salvation of His Soule Here by the way let none think it strange that even the dearest servants of Christ may bee re-visited with more horrour of conscience afterward then at their first turning on Gods side As appeares in Iob Ezechiah David in Miâ—â— Brettergh Mr. Peacock c. See before pag. 84. l 21. 31. Besides the proposed Cases this revisitation may befall them also Fifthly For their owne triall This was the end as it may seeme why Iob was set up as a marke for the envenomed Arrowes of the Almighty to aime at and whole armies of terrours to fight against Hee approoved Himselfe to be steele to the backe as they say by that victorious ejaculation Cap. 13.15 Though He slay mee yet will I trust in Him Whereby God was mightily honoured Satan utterly confounded that controversie whether Iob feared God for nought or no gloriously ended on Gods
grace are such as God never repenteth of or taketh away Secondly His sanctifying Spirit which Hee gives unto Him Thirdly The habits of graces created in his heart by that blessed Spirit justification regeneration adoption Fourthly The feeling exercises and Acts of those graces with many sweet and glorious refreshings of spirituall joy springing thence The three first after wee bee once Christs are ours for ever The last may be suspended and surcease for a time 3. By way of interpretation in the latter part of the verse Hee calleth the creation of the grace of Sanctification in his heart a renovation and raysing thereof to the same degree wherein it was in former time 4. Hee cries unto the Lord Not to take His holy Spirit from Him vers 11. And therefore that blessed spirit was not gone It were very absurd and incongruous to desire the not taking away of that thing which wee have not Hee certainely hath the holy Spirit which heartily desires Hee may not bee taken from Him Davids desire then of a cleane heart did not argue that it was utterly uncleane and wholly turned into a lumpe of filth Sanctity and cleannesse of heart is never cleane extingvished in any One once truly Sanctified it was not in David in Peter But He was so earnest after it First Because that little which was left was scarce or not at all sensible in His spirituall distresse where the glory of the Sunne hath lately been the succession of a candles light is little worth Secondly And because now Hee vehemently thirsteth after a great deale more then He presently had Learned and Rich men thinke themselves not learned and rich in respect of what they desire When the Sunne begins to peepe up wee gaze no longer at starres Gods comforting Spirit began a little to warme His heart againe whereupon Hee grew so eager and greedy of that heavenly heate that Hee thinkes his heart Key-cold except it â—lame to the height That dampe and darkenesse of Spirit into which He was fallen by reason of His grievous Fall had So frozen His affections with disconsolate deadnes and heavines of heart that a little glimpse of spirituall life and lightsomenesse is presently swallowed up as it were and devoured and serves but onely to Set an edge to his desire to whet his stomack and stirre up His appetite after a more full and further fruition of those comfortable graces and woonted communion with His God a re-tast and returne whereof is so sweet and deare unto His Soule Take heede then that you doe not mistake When I speake of a spirituall desertion I meane it not either in respect of a totall or finall dereliction and forsaking on Gods part or a totall and finall falling away on the Saints side to hold such an Apostacy were a fearefull Apostacy But onely in respect of the exercise and operation of grace of present sense and feeling as I said before Life lies still in the roote and upon the first breaking out of the heavenly and healing beames upon the Soule from the Sun of righteousnes returning in mercy puts forth againe and prospers David being astonied as they say with a mighty blow of temptation As Bernard resembles it lay for a time as it were in a Swoune But upon the voyce of the Prophet sounding in his eare Hee awaked and came to Himselfe As wee see in heated water the aire 's blowing upon it doth recover and reduce it to it 's former naturall coldnesse by the aide of that little remainder of refrigerating power which is originally rooted in that Element So by the awaking of the North wind and comming of the South I meane the blessed Spirits breathing afresh upon Davids heart Scorched dangerously with the fire of lust by stirring up and refreshing the retired and radicall power of grace that immortall Seede of God never to be lost did sweetly and graciously bring it againe to it's former spirituall comfortable temper and constitution 2. Sometimes the Lord may for a time retire the light of His countenance and sense of His graces from His Child that Hee may bee driven thereby to take a new and more exact revise a more serious thorow-survay of His youthfull sinnes of that darke and damned time which Hee wholly spent upon the Devill and so put againe as it were into the pangs of His New-birth that Christ may bee more perfectly formed in Him That Hee may againe behold with feare and trembling the extreme loathsomnesse and aggravated guilt of His old abominable lusts and so renewing His sorrow and repairing repentance grow into a further detestation of them a more absolute divorce from His insinuating Minion-delight and bee happily frighted afresh and fired for ever from the very garment spotted of the flesh and all appearance of evill That upon this occasion Hee may make a new inquisition and deeper search into the whole state of His conscience severall passages of His conversation and every corner of His heart and so for the time to come more carefully cut off all occasions of sinne and with more resolution and watchfulnesse oppose and stand at staves end with every lust passion distraction in holy duties entisements to relapse spirituall lazinesse lukewarmenesse worldlinesse c. with greater severity to crucifie our corruptions and ever presently and impartially execute the law of the Spirit against the rebellions of His flesh This it may seeme was one end of Iobs spirituall affliction in this kind In cap. 13.23 He is earnest and importunate with God to know what be those iniquities transgressions and sins which had turned His face and favour from Him in that fearefull manner as tho Hee was a meere stranger or rather a profest enemy unto His Majesty And Hee presently apprehends the burden and bitternesse of the iniquities of His youth Thou writest saith Hee bitter things against mee and makes mee possesse the iniquities of my youth At all such times when God thus hides His face from us and leaves us to the darkenesse of our owne Spirits the sins of our youth are woont to lie most heavy upon our hearts exact at our hands a more speciall renewing increase and perfecting of penitent sorrow For they are acted with the very strength of corruption in the heate of sensuality and height of rebellion Hence it was that even David Himselfe cries out Remember not the sinnes of my youth and so doth many moe many times with much bitternesse of Spirit It is so then that God may deale â—hus in mercy even with His dearest Servants Especially if penitent griefe and trouble of conscience in their conversation were not in some good measure answerable to their former abominable liâ—e and sinnefull provocations if they have been extraordinary sinners and but ordinary sorrowers for sinne if they were formerly furious in the service of Satan and now but something faint-hearted in standing on Gods side If heretofore they marched impetuously
〈◊〉 state Hee is readier out of His spirituall diâ—emper to spill as water upon the ground the golden vialls of the water of life and soveraigne oyles of Evangelicall joy tendered unto Him by the Physition of His Soule then to receive them with woonted thirst and thankfulnesse into the bruised bosome of His bleeding Conscience Tho they assure Him in the Word of life and truth having had for that I suppose true and sound experience of His conversion and former sanctified courses from Isai. 44.22 That as the heate and strength of the Summers Sunne doth disperse and dissolve to nothing a thicke Mist or foggy Cloud so the inflamed zeale of Gods tender love thorow the bloodshed of His owne onely deare Sonne hath done away all his offences His iniquity transgression and sinne as tho they had never been And Mich. 7.19 That that God which delighteth in mercy Vers. 18. hath cast all his sinnes into the bottome of the Sea never to rise againe either in this World or in the World to come The Prophet alludes to the drowning of the Egyptians in the Red Sea And therefore they assure Him that as that mighty Host sunke downe into the bottome like a stone Exod. 15.5 Or as Lead Vers. 10. So that neither the Sunne of Heaven nor Sonne of Man ever saw their faces any more So certainely all his sinnes are so swallowed up for ever in the Soule-saving Sea of His Saviours blood that they shall never more appeare before the face of God or Angell Man or Divell to His damnation or shame Yet for all this lying in a spirituall Swoune Hee findes His heart even key-cold and as it were starke dead in respect of relishing or receiving all or any of these incomparable comforts The Case thus proposed may seeme very deplorable and desperate yet consider what good Davids experience might doe in such distresse What a deale of life and light were it able to put into the very darkest Dampe and most heartlesse faintings of such a dying 〈…〉 have such an One as David even a Man after Goâ—â— owne heart remarkeably inriched and eminent with heavenly endowments One of the highest in the Booke of life and favour with God to assure it that Himselfe had already suffered as grievous things in His Soule if not greater and passed thorow the very same passions and pressures of a troubled Spirit if not with more variety and sorer pangs That proportionably to his present perplexities Hee cryed out with a most heavy heart First Will the Lord cast off for ever And will hee bee favourable no more Is His mercy cleane gone for ever Doth his promise faile for evermore Hath God forgotten to bee gracious Hath hee in anger shut up His tender mercies Vers. 7.8.9 Secondly That when Hee remembred God Hee was troubled Vers. 3. Thirdly That when He prayed unto God and complained His spirit was overwhelmed Ibid. Fourthly That Hee was so troubled that Hee could not speake Vers. 4. Fifthly That His Soule refused to be comforted Vers. 2. Which painefull passages of His spirituall desertion answer exactly to the comfortlesse Case of the supposed Soule-grieved Patient Nay and besides assurance of the very samenesse in apprehensions of feare and thoughts of horrour David also out of his owne experience and precedency might sweetly informe and direct such a poore panting Soule in a comfortable way to come out of the Place of Dragons and depths of sorrow by teaching and telling Him the manner and meanes of his rising and recovery Meditation of Gods singular goodnesse and extraordinary mercy to Himselfe his Church and Children aforetime gave the first lift as it were to raise his drooping Soule out of the dust And no doubt ever since the same consideration by the blessings of God hath brought againe many a bruised spirit from the very Gates of Hell and brink of despaire And in his happy per-usall of ancient times and Gods compassions of old it is very probable that â—is memory first met with Adam a right wonderfull and matchlesse Patterne of Gods rarest mercies to a most forlorne Wretch For Hee was wofully guilty by His transgression of casting both Himselfe and all his Sonnes and Daughters from the Creation to the Worlds end out of Paradise into the Pit of Hell and also of empoysoning with the cursed contagion of originall corruption the Soules and Bodies of all that ever were or shall bee borne of Woman the Lord Iesus onely excepted And yet this Man as best Divines suppose tho Hee had cast away Himselfe and undone all Mankind was received to mercy Let never poore Soule then while the World lasts upon true and timely repentance suffer the hainousnesse and horrour of His former sinnes whatsoever they have been to hinder his hopefull accesse unto the Throne of Grace for present pardon of them all or at any time afterward confound His comforts and confidence in Gods gracious Promises Thus no doubt the weary Soule of this Man of God waded further into those bottomlesse Seas of mercies manifested and made good from time to time upon His servants His heavy heart might sweetly refresh and repose it selfe upon the contemplation of Gods never-failing compassions in not casting off Aaron everlastingly for His fall into most horrible Idolatry In not suffering the murmuring and rebellious Iewes to perish all and utterly in the Wildernesse considering their many prodigious provocations and impatiencies c. But at length as wee may see in the forecited Psalme His Soule sets it triumphant Selah upon that great and miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea one of the most glorious and visible Miracles of mercy that ever shone from Heaven upon the Sonnes of Men and also a blessed Type of the salvation of all truly penitent and perplexed Soules from the Hellish Pharaâ—â— and all infernall powers in the red Sea of our Savioâ—â— blood How fairely now and feelingly might theâ—e experimentall instructions and this Passage of proofe troden and chalked out by this holy Man illighten and conduct any that walkes in darkenesse and hath no comfort out of the like distracted horrour of a spirituall desertion Let Him in such a Case first cast backe His eye upon Gods former manifold mercifull dealings with Himselfe If His God made His Soule of the darkest nooke of Hell as it were by reason of it's sinfulnesse and cursednesse as faire and beautifull as the brightest Sun-beame by that soveraigne blood which gusht out of the heart and those pretious graces which shine upon it from the face of His Sonne that never-setting Sunne of righteousnesse He will undoubtedly in due season dispell all those Mists of spirituall misery which over-shadow the glory and comfort of it for a time If Hee upheld Him by his mercifull hand from sinking into Hell when Hee was an horrible transgressour of all his Lawes with greedinesse and delight Hee will most certainely Tho perhaps for a small moment Hee hide his face from Him binde up
His soule in the Bundle of the living for ever now especially when Hee preferres the love and light of His countenance before life and would not willingly offend Him in the least sinne for all the World c. Let Him yet proceede further in Davids foot-steps and strengthen His fainting Soule with all that heavenly Manna of richest mercy which Hee hath heard read or knowne to have been showred downe at any time from the Throne of Grace into the heavy humble and hungry hearts of His afflicted hidden Ones Let Him refresh His memory with consideration of Davids deliverance by this meanes from deeper distresse Of that most memorable and triumphant resurrection as it were and recovery of those three worthy Saints of God Master Glover Mistris Bretâ—ergh Master Peacocke from greatest â—â—tremitie in this kinde into most un-utterable joyfull exultations of spirit And so of others within the Register of His observation remembrance and reading But principally and above all Let Him live and die Let Him rest and recreate Himselfe for ever with surest hold fast and sweetest thoughts upon that heavenly and healing Anti-type of the Red Sea the pretious Blood of the Lord Iesus And let Him ground upon it that tho Satan with all His hellish Hosts and utmost fury pursue his fearefull Soule like a Partridge in the mountaines even to the very brinke of despaire and mouth of Hell yet even then when all rescue and deliverance is neerest to bee utterly despaired of For it is the Crowne of Gods glorious mercy to save when the Case seemes desperate and there is no hope of humane helpe or possibility of created power to comfort I say then that Soule-saving Sea of His Saviours hearts-blood will most certainely and seasonably open it selfe wide unto Him as it did to those above-named blessed Saints and swallow up into victory Hell Death the Grave Damnation the present wofull desertion with all other adversary power and at length make Him a faire and pleasant passage thorow the sweetned pangs of death into the heavenly Canaan which flowes with joyes and pleasures un-mixed and endlesse more then either Tongue can tell or heart can thinke 9. Ninthly a spirituall desertion may seeme a proportionable fit and most proper punishment and meanes to correct and recover the Christian which out of infirmity and feare deserts the Lord Iesus and the Profession of His blessed Truth and Gospell If any bee ashamed of Him refuse to doe or suffer any thing for His sake who hath given unto us His owne hearts-blood it is most just that in such a Case Hee withdraw Himselfe in respect of all sense and feeling of divine favour and fruites of grace or any comfortable influence at all upon the Consciences of such Cowardâ—â— that so they being left to the darkenesse of their owne spirits and by consequent to the taste even of Hellish horrour for the time they may bee brought againe to themselves and taught by such terrours to returne and become infinitely more willing to embrace the Stake if the times should bee so cruell and kisse the instruments of death then langvish any longer in the despairing extremities of such a desertion to acknowledge it incomparably better to passe thorow the temporary bitternesse of Popish fire then to bee abandoned to everlasting flames Nay and that which is the greater Hell to bee robbed of and rent from Him in whose glorious presence alone is not onely life and all lightsomnesse even in this life but also fulnesse of ioy and pleasures for evermore in the life to come This Point appeares and is prooved by Gods dealing with some of our Martyrs in Qveene Maries time Thomas Whittell a blessed Martyr of Iesus was by the wicked suggestions of some Popish incarnate Divels drawne to subscribe to their Hellish Doctrine But considering in cold blood what Hee had done was horribly vexed and as Hee reports of Himselfe felt Hell in his conscience and Satan ready to devoure him Which terrible desertion and trouble of minde made Him quickly returne with great constancy and fortitude and turne a most invincible and un-mooveable Martyr Heare some passages from His owne Pen. The night after I had subscribed I was sore grieved and for sorrow of conscience could not sleepe For in the deliverance of my Body out of bonds which I might have had I could finde no ioy nor comfort but still was in my conscience tormented more and more c. And I said to Harpesfield sc. That my Conscience had so accused mee through the iust iudgement of God and His Word that I had felt Hell in my Conscience and Satan ready to devoure Mee And therefore I pray you Master Harpsfield said I let mee have the Bill againe for I will not stand to it When the Lord had led Mee to Hell in my Conscience through the respect of His fearefull iudgements against mee for my fearefulnesse mistrust and crafty cloaking in such spirituall and weighty matters yet Hee brought mee from thence againe c. See also the Story of Iames Abbes and Thâ— Benbridge Gentleman Act. and Monuments pag. 1864.2246 10. Tenthly God is many times forced by their frowardnesse luke-warmenesse worldly-mindednesse cowardlinesse Selfe-confidence falling from their first-love and other such spirituall distempers to visite and exercise His Children with variety and sometimes severity of crosses and corrections as losses in their outward state afflictions of Body disgraces upon their good name oppression by great Ones discomforts in Wives Neighbours Friends Children c. upon purpose to put life quicknesse fruitfulnesse and forwardnesse into them that thereby they may bee more gloriously serviâ—cable to Himselfe more profitable to others and more provident to treasure up peace unto their own Soules against an evill Day God humbleth us saith a worth Divine by afflictions and pricketh the swelling of our pride Hee cutteth and loppeth us to the end wee may bring forth the more fruit Hee filleth us with bitternesse in this life to the end wee might long for the life to come For those whom God afflicteth grievously in this World leave it with lesse griefe Hee who hath formed us to feare Him knoweth that our praiers are slacke and cold in prosperity as proceeding from a spirit that is cooled by successe and which are endited by custome The cries which our owne will produced are feeble in comparison of those which griefe expresseth Nothing so ingenious to pray well as sorrow which in un instant formeth the slowest tongues to an holy eloquence and furnisheth us with sighes which cannot be expressed c. But now many times this Physicke which pincheth onely the Body and wasteth us but in things of this World doth not so worke as Hee would have it and therefore Hee is constrained in love and for our good to proceede to more sharpe and searching Medcines to apply more strong and stirring Purges which immediately vexe the Soule As horrible and hideous injections A spirituall Desertion and
deale and converse with for recovery and cure This secret and saving influence I speake of might bee evidently discerned in Master Peacocke even at the worst Some reverend Ministers standing by his bed of sorrow asked him if they should pray for him Marke well his answer Take not the Name of God in vaine said hee by praying for a Reprobate Which words well weighed seeme to imply and represent clearely to a spirituall discerning judgement some good measure even of the highest degree of divine love preferring the glory of God before the wellfare of his owne soule rather willing to have the meanes of his salvation neglected then the Lord dishonoured One asking another time whether hee loved such an One meaning a godly man Yes saith hee Why For his goodnesse Another comming to him upon the Lords day willed him to put his hand to a note of certaine debts This is not a day for that said hee And at the same time hee would hardly suffer any to stay with him from the Sermon Beeing told of suffering plaisters out of Gods Word to rest upon his wounded soule Hee brake out thus Oh! if I had Oh! if it would please God I had rather then any thing in this or other three thousand Worlds By these we may see and other passages to the same purpose that our blessed God had a secret working and saving influence upon his soule even in the depth and hideous darkenesse of his most grievous desertion Here is love first unto God in a high degree secondly deare affection unto his Children and that for his Image shining in them thirdly love unto his Sabbaths and salvation of others fourthly vehement desires after grace and Gods favour All which were undeniable demonstrations of an undamned state to every understanding eye Nay unquestionable arguments of spirituall life and designation to eternall blisse Whereupon my resolution was then and protestation upon good ground That if all the powerfull eloquence which rested with in the reverent bosome of mine owne deare Mother the famous Vniversity of Oxford managed by the Sâ—raphicall tongue of the highest and most glorious Angell in heaven had been industriously set on worke for that purpose except I had heard my blessed Redeemer say I will rend a member from my Body and throw it away The holy Spirit say I will pull my seale from that Soule which I have savingly sanctifyed my gracious and mercifull Father say I wil this once faile forsake One of mine I could never have been possibly perswaded that that soule of his so richly laden with heavenly treasure and gifts of God never to be repented of so syncerely exercised in the waies of God and opposition to the corruption of the times c. should possibly perish 2. Secondly suppose thou shouldest walke in darkenesse and have no light in the sense of the Prophet for the residue and remainder of thy few and evill dayes in this vale of teares nay and dye so before comfort comes yet be not discomforted For fearing God and being upright-hearted thy Soule shall most certainely bee preserved in spirituall and eternall safety by staying upon thy God tho thou bee without any sense of joy and peace in believing This life tho never so long is but a moment to the life to come But the kindnesse is everlasting with which hee will have mercy on thee Thy sufferings are but short whatsoever they bee But thou hast eternity of joyes in the World above purchased and prepared for thee by the hearts-blood of that blessed Saviour of thine upon whom thy soule relies It is the Divels policy say Divines to procure for his slaves all the favours honours and advancements all the prosperities and pleasures hee can possibly lest if hee should not follow and fullfill their humours this way they might thinke upon seeking after and serving a new Master Noâ— caring to vexe or molest them in this World because hee knowes full well hee shall have time enough hereafter to torment them in Hell And wilt not thou contrarily be content if God so please to passe thorow this vale of teares even with Hemans horrour Psal. 88.15 Sith Heaven is so neare at hand and thou hast a little before thee an everlasting time to row in the bottomlesse and boundlesse Ocean of all glory and blisse in an endlesse variety of new and fresh delights infinitely excellent and sweet aboue the largest created conceite 6. Let us suppose a Christian in these three states And it is no uncouth thing to those who obserue or feele Gods secret and unsearchable dealings with his Children 1. First in a faire and comfortable calme and Sun-shine after the tempestuous troubles and travaile in the pangs of the New-birth when the light of Gods countenance the first refreshing warmth of his sanctifying Spirit the fresh sweetnesse and vitall stirrings of grace the ravishing consciousnesse of his happy conversion doe fill his soule as with marrow and fatnesse and feede it with a kindly and more lively disposition to all good and godly dueties 2. Secondly in a spirituall Desertion when the sense of Gods favour love and woonted presence the comfortable vse and exercise of the Ordinances graces and spirituall affaires langvish and leave him for a time 3. Thirdly In the state of recovery and restitution from such a fearefull Dampe and deprivation of divine comfort unto former ioyfull feelings and re-enjoyment of his Beloved so that his revived soule may sweetly sing My Beloved is mine and I am his Now I doubt not But that the middle of these three estates being accompanied with hearty griefe and groanes for Christs absence restlesse pantings and longings after a new resurrection as it were of the sensible and fruitfull operations of grace renewed desires and endeavours for regainement of accustomed surer hold by the hand of Faith patient and praierfull waiting for the returne of Gods pleased face c. is as pleasing and deare if not more to our mercifull Father as either of the other two Doe you not thinke that the Fathers of our flesh are as lovingly affected and meltingly mooved to heare the obedient Child sigh and sob cry out and complaine because they looke not kindly upon him but for triall of his affection have hid for a time the much desired beames of their fatherly favour under some affected angry frownes as when things are carried more currently and comfortably betwixt them without any great distast and discontentment or occasion to discover the mutuall impatiency of their loves one unto another And shall not the Father of our Spirits who loves us with the same love with which he loves the Lord Iesus himselfe surpasse as farre in affectionate compassion towards us in the like Case as an Almighty God doth a mortall Man He cannot chuse because the word is already gone out of his mouth Like as a Father pittieth his Childe so the Lord pittieth them that feare him Psa. 103.13 I am
perswaded Gods bowels of compassionate tender-heartednesse and love did yearne within him towards Iob with more dearenesse and delight at that cry Tho he slay mee yet will I trust in him then at any time else even in the Spring of his spirituall prosperity or fullest tide of most heavenly feelings Here then is comfort more then thy heart can hold if thou wilt bee counselled by the Prophets that thou maist prosper For when thou thinkest that all is gone that thou art a lost man and utterly forsaken even in the depth of thy spirituall darkenesse thou being so spiritually disposed as I have said and which thou canst not deny I say even then and thou oughtest so to apprehend and believe the love of God is as it were doubled towards thee much more endeared by reason of thy distresse and cannot hold but breakes out many times into extraordinary pangs and expressions thereof As wee may see Isa. 54.11 Oh! thou afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted c. And into profession of resolution and waiting to do us good which he will super-abundantly performe in the best time Behold I will lay thy stones with faire colours and lay thy foundations with Saphires Ibid. And therefore will the Lord waite that hee may bee gracious unto you and therefore will hee bee exalted that he may have mercy upon you For the LORD is a God of iudgment Blessed are all they that wait for him Isa. 30.18 Retiring the effects and exercise of our love from him whom wee love dearely makes it returne with redoubled fervour into our owne bosomes and there growes into a more vehement flame which never rests untill it breake out againe with dearer pangs upon the beloved Party Even as when the Sunne suffers an Eclipse and it's beames are driven backe and reflected from the face of the Moone interposed directly betweene it and our sight so that they shine not upon us then is the heate and light thereof multiplied and much intended toward the Fountaine which afterwards is shed downe upon us againe more amiably and acceptably when the darkenesse is done And let us further take notice that Christ our eldest Brother blessed for ever deales with us in such Cases as Ioseph a type of him in many respects dealt with his brethren hee frown'd upon them handled them roughly and frighted them extremely onely to humble them thorowly but in the meane time and midst of his menacing carriage his heart was so full of naturall affection that hee was enforced by the excesse thereof to turne aside and weepe and so returne to them againe And hee turned himselfe about from them and wept and returned to them again Gen. 42.24 So the Sonne of God as well as God the Father thorow him tho sometimes in a little wrath hee hide his face from us yet as hee will certainely after a small moment gather us with great mercies so in the meane time Hee is afflicted and most tenderly affected towards us in all our afflictions See Isa. 63.9 7. Seventhly Thinke it not strange that thou art fallen into this kinde of spirituall affliction as tho some strange thing or that which doth or may not befall the dearest servants of God had happened unto thee For herein thou becomes conformable to as holy Men as ever the world had Iob David Heman Luther c. Nay to the Sonne of God himselfe From whose example and precedency let the Christian even in the darkest horror of a spirituall desertion when hee is afraid lest God hath forsaken him fetch abundance of comfort and support out of such considerations as these 1. Christ himselfe was in the same Case Besides a numberlesse variety of most barbarous cruelties inflicted upon his blessed body by the mercilesse and implacable malice of the Iewes and by consequent sympathy upon his glorious soule Hee suffered also in soule immediately intolerable and save by himselfe unconquerable torments and paine Hee grapled with the fiercest wrath of his Father for our sins and sweat blood under the sense of his angry countenance Nay this Crosse upon his soule infinitely more waighty then that which hee carried upon his shoulders toward Calvarie did not onely cause streames of great bloody drops to fall downe to the ground but also prest from him that heavy groane Mat. 26.38 My soule is exceeding sorrowfull even unto death and that last rufull bitter cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee cap. 27.46 If Christ Iesus himselfe then blessed for ever the Son of the Fathers love the Prince of glory Nay the glory of heaven and earth the brightnesse of everlasting light c. In whom hee professeth himselfe to bee well-pleased and for whose sake onely hee loves all the sonnes of Men which shall be saved was thus plunged into a matchlesse Depth of unknowne sorrowes and most grievous desertion Let no Christian cry out in the like spirituall desolation but ever immeasurably short of his and in his feare of being forsaken that his Case is singular desperate irrecoverable For the onely deare innocent Sonne of God was farre worse in this respect and in greater extremity then hee is can or ever shall bee 2. Secondly Amongst other ends for which the Lord Iesus drunke so deepe and the very dregs of that bitterest Cup of his dearest Fathers heaviest indignation this was one That by a particular and personall passing thorow that infinite Sea those extremest dreadfull horrours of divine wrath for our sinnes which we all most justly deserved and would have caused any meere Creature to have sunke downe under it into the bottome of hell and by an experimentall feare and feeling of that bitter and bloody Agony which melted as it were his blessed soule into that mournefull Cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee The comfortable influence of the Deity being for the time in some sort restrained and retired from the humane nature that it might bee capable and sensible of that anger and angvish which would have holden both Men and Angels and all created Natures under everlasting calamity and woe I say that by his owne sense and experience of such painefull passages hee might learne and know with a more fellow-feeling and pittifull heart to commiserate his poore afflicted Ones in their spirituall desertions and with a softer and more compassionate hand to bind up their bleeding soules with his sweetest Balme of tender-heartednesse and love when in such horrible depths they shall thirst and long and gaspe for drops of mercy and his Fathers pleased face For in that hee himselfe hath suffered being tempted hee is able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2.18 A woman which hath her selfe with extraordinary torture tasted the exquisite paines of Childe-birth is woont to bee a great deale more tenderly and mercifully affected to an other in like case then she that never tried what it is to be terrified with the suddennesse
un-avoidablenes and terrible pangs of a womans travaile and is more skilfull ready and forward to relieve in such distresse And so also all others who have been most afflicted either with outward troubles or inward terrours or both are ever most fit and feeling to speake unto the heart to put to their helping hand and make much of comfortlesse and miserable men troubled and tempted as they have been And such was the Case of our blessed Saviour in his sufferings for our sakes Hee was exercised all his life long with variety and extremitie of cruelties indignities and all manner of vexations beyond measure grievous bitter and intolerable Hee drunke full deepe of the Worlds disgrace the Divels malice the rage of great Ones the contempt and contumelies of the vilest the scornefull insultations of his enemies sorest sufferings from all things in Heaven Earth and Hell Of those pinching passions hunger thirst wearinesse of bodily tortures hideous temptations agonies of Spirit even of the full Cup of his Fathers fiery wrath and horrors of soule for our sinnes to the very last drop which went as farre beyond his other outward extremities as the Soule goes beyond the body Gods utmost anger the malice of men Whereby hee is now blessedly fitted and enabled excellently to succour them that are tempted Consciousnesse of his owne Case in the daies of his flesh is a keene incentive to his holy and heavenly soule more sensibly and soone to take pitty upon and ease the severall necessities troubles sorrowes and soule-afflictions of all his Children 3. Thirdly As this ever-blessed Redeemer of ours was in himselfe more then infinitely free and more then farre enough from all sinne so by consequent from any inherent cause of the least crosse or any shadow in the World of his dearest Fathers displeased countenance For originally He was of a most pure harmelesse and holy nature all his life long kinde sweet and gracious to every Creature offending none doing good unto all In his death incomparably patient brought as an innocent Lambe to that bloody slaughter not opening his mouth for all those base and barbarous provocations of the cruell and mercilesse Miscreants about him swimming in blood burning in zeale wrastling in prayer even for the salvation of his enemies So that his guiltlesse and unspotted soule had no neede at all of any passion or expiation All his sorrowes and sufferings were voluntarily under-gone onely for our sakes and sinnes Had not the pretious hearts-blood of the only deare naturall eternall Sonne of God been poured out as water upon the ground where at the whole Creation was astonished the Earth trembled and shooke her Rocks clave asunder her Graves opened the Heavens with-drew their light as not daring to behold this sad and fearefull spectacle never had the soule of any sonne or daughter of Adam been saved It was not the glory and treasures of the whole Earth not any streaming sacrifices of purest Gold not the life of Men and Angels no not the power and prostration of all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth or of ten thousand Worlds besides could have prevail'd satisfied and served the turne in this Case Either the Heire of all things must die or we had all been damned Is the heart then of any Mourner in Zion heavy and ready to breake for sorrow because hee hath lost the light of Gods face feeling of his love and consolations of grace So that the darknesse of his Spirit thereupon frights him with re-possession of his pardoned sinnes temptations to despaire and feares lest hee bee forsaken O then let him hie and have speedy recourse unto this heavenly Cordiall when our Lord and our Love felt the curse of our sinnes and his Fathers hottest wrath comming upon him in the Garden without any outward violence at all onely out of the paine of his owne thoughts bled thorow the flesh and skinne not some faint deaw but even solid drops of blood and afterwards in the bitternesse of his soule cried out upon the crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee And none of all this for himselfe For no staine at all did cleave to his sacred soule But all this the least of which wee can no more expresse then wee could undergoe for thy sake and salvation alone who loves our Lord Iesus Christ in syncerity And therefore ground upon it as upon the surest Rocke even in the height of thy heavie-heartednesse and depth of a spirituall desertion that those depths of sorrow whereof our conceits can finde no bottome thorow which hee waded in his bloody sweat cry upon the Crosse and painfull sufferings in soule did most certainly free thee everlastingly from the guilt venome and endlesse vengeance of all terrours of conscience Agonies of Spirit temptations to despaire and damnations of Hell The righteous Iudge of all the World will never expect or exact at the hands of any of his Creatures double paiment a double punishment Our dearest Saviour hath satisfied to the utmost with his owne blood the rigour and extremity of his Fathers Iustice in thy behalfe and therefore it is utterly impossible that thou shouldest ever finally perish Inward Afflictions and troubles of minde may for a time presse thee so sore that thou maist bee ready to sinke for 1 chastisement 2 triall 3 prevention of sinne 4 perfecting the pangs of the New-birth 5 example to others c. But in despite of the united rage and policy of all infernall Powers Thou shalt in due time be raised again by that victorious and triumphant hand which bruised the Serpents head and burst the heart of Hell even out of an horrible pit bee set upon a Rocke farre above the reach of all hellish hurt or sting of horrour In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse wil I have mercy upon thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Isa. 54.8 5. There is another terrible fierie dart dipt full deep in the very rankest poyson of the infernall pit which though it bee not much talked of abroad nor taken notice of by the World yet is secretly suggested and managed with extremest malice and cruelty in the silent bosomes of Gods blessed Ones The most holy hearts are many times most haunted with this foulest fiend Strangers to the wayes of God bee not much troubled in this kinde nor ordinarily vexed with such horrours Satan as I said before makes as much of his in this World as hee can possibly knowing that hee hath time enough even eternity to torment them in the World to come And therefore hee is not woont to weld this terrifying weapon against them save only at some dead lift or upon some speciall advantage as under some extraordinary misery or in excesse of melancholy to drive them thereby to distraction selfe-destruction or despaire Or it may bee God may suffer him to afflict thus hideously some grievous sinner which hee is
recovery of our soule-sickenesses distempers and declinations How wisely to proportion and mercifully moderate in respect of measure time and working and when His hand is heavie upon us in one kinde tenderly to take care that wee bee not opprest with other extremities also As appeares by that sweet observation of Master Foxe in the story of the two Glovers God in his holy providence seeing his old and trusty servant so many yeeres with so extreme and many torments broken and dried up would in no wise heape too many sorrowes upon one poore silly wretch neither would commit him to the flames of fire who had been already baked and scorched with the sharpe fires of inward affliction and had sustained so many burning darts and conflicts of Satan so many yeeres God therefore of his divine providence thinking it too much that one man should bee so much over-charged with so many plagves and torments did graciously provide that Robert his brother being both stronger of body and also better furnished with helpes of learning to answer the Adversaries should sustaine the conflict It may bee our onely wise God purposeth to exercise us extraordinarily with spirituall conflicts and troubles of conscience and therefore doth mercifully give us more prosperity and comfort in our outward state Or perhaps to afflict us with variety of worldly crosses and therefore doth sweetly and compassionately give us more peace and comfort at home in our owne hearts Or it may bee Hee meanes to make us ominent Objects of disgrace reproach and slander in the World and even from those who sit in the gate for our forwardnesse and excellency of zeale and therefore out of a gracious tender-heartednesse gives us both more calmenesse in conscience and contentment in outward things Or perhaps Hee may lay all these upon us suffer us to bee tried with ill tongues with troubles without and terrours within why then undoubtedly his grace shall bee sufficient for us So wise and so mercifull is our blessed God Only first let us take heed tho in our owne apprehensions and misdeeming wee may pretend and except never so plausibly that wee never prescribe unto him How in what kind or measure hee should afflict us Secondly That wee never ward or put off any blow from his owne heavenly hand Men or Creatures with the wound of Conscience never decline any ill by ill meanes Thirdly That wee learne and labour to profit by and make the right use of all his corrections Fourthly And ever magnifie the glory of his mercy and wisdome in sparing us any way his tender-hearted taking notice where wee are weakest and not so able to beare his severer visitations but specially that hee ever pitches upon that affliction which doth our soules most good and serves most punctually to procure protect and promote the soundnesse safety and flourishing of our spirituall state Well then for my purpose and thy support sith our most holy God deales thus with all that are not damned to wit sorts out unto them those severall crosses and corrections which out of his unsearchable wisdome and spirituall necessity of their soules hee sees most fit to keepe them humble obedient and in awe Take thou up and in good part this crosse of thine while it pleaseth God to exercise thee with it as thy portion Others tho free from this yet have their proportion and proper Potion and that perhaps in a bitterer Cup and from a more smarting Rod. It may bee it goes well with thee in other respects in which were thou yet crossed the physicke would not take nor work so kindlily Our all-wise heavenly Physition knowes this dreadfull dart will onely doe it Who knowes whether if thou wert not haunted with these foule Furies I meane furious injections of the Divels owne Forge thou mightest grow worldly luke-warme too passionate proude secure or something which God would not have thee and would bee infinitely for thy hurt Be Thou therefore patient under them humbled by them make a holy and profitable use of them comfort thy selfe in them by these considerations commended unto thee for that purpose and learne how to behave thy selfe about them by the following counsels 4. As at their first approach and offer thou oughtest to stirre up and steele thy heart to improve the strength and stoutnesse of all the powers of thy soule to make a mighty and forcible resistance lifting up at the same instant thy heart in a bitter complaint against the cruelty and malice of the adversary a strong cry for the rebuking of him and restraint of his hellish spight with extreme detestation of all such divellish filth so take heede that thou never revolve in thy mind or muse upon those his blasphemous temptations But say with Luther a Kite or Cormorant may fly over my house but sure shall never rooust or nestle there Or as another a ravenous and hatefull Bird may begin to build in mine Arbour I cannot hinder it but I will never faile to pull it downe as often as shee beginnes The Divell will inject whether thou wilt or no But resolve to suffer them by no meanes to have any rest or residence in thine imagination If thou bee a Minister and the holiest men are Satans speciall marke that hee would gladliest hit with his fierie darts take advise which hath proved soveraigne and helpefull to beat backe and banish these temptations of blasphemie The minde of every man of God instructed to the Kingdome of heaven is as I suppose still digging into the rich Mines of divine truth diving into the great mystery of Christ ever discoursing in it selfe for or doing something for the advancement of the worke of the Lord their Ministeriall affaires and welfare of Soules Temporizers indeed seldome and selfe-Preachers are not much troubled this way neither take these things so to heart They seeke more to advance themselves then save soules their chiefe study is if they be not downe-right Good fellowes as they call them either to grow rich or rise and so they are still negotiating industriously about the one or plotting ambitiously for the other But were they of Pauls minds Woe is unto mee if I preach not the Gospell of Chrysostom's temper who was woont to tremble when hee tooke into consideration those words Hebr. 13.17 For they watch over your soules as they that must give account Of Austins resolution for not meddling in worldly matters wherein to deale he deemed a very tiring and tedious vexation and was never wel but when he was wading in the depths of Christian Religion and busied about the things of God I say if they were thus affected they would bee such as they ought and as I now suppose to wit have many webs as it were of their holy work in their heads all at once many in Misteriall Taskes in agitation and on foote still Some part of the day they would perhaps search and pierce into the
pith and marrow of some Scripture-text at another time wraflle with the difficulties and knotty distinctions of some Popish or Neo-pelagian controversie At another discusse and drive unto a resolution some perplexed and intricate Case of Conscience c. Well then for my purpose this supposed Vpon the very first Proposall of these monstrous and hideous thoughts presently divert and resort to the hardest of all those irons thou hast in the fire if I may so speake and that which hath neede of most hammering I meane to the most difficult and waighty Points of all those severall spirituall businesses thou hadst last in thy braine and single out that particular which did most puzzle and put thy understanding to it Where-abouts when the strength heat and intension of thy whole soule is spent and improoved not onely other impertinent wandrings and vagaries but these idle and irkesome injections also will more easily vanish and bee gone Let others also proportionably upon such occasions besides other helpes have recourse to the most troublesome and over-mastering part of their honest imploiments to the chiefest and needefullest affaire of their lawfull Callings 5. In temptations of this nature never set thy selfe to dispute with the Divell hee is an old Sophister of above five thousand yeares standing in the Schoole of hideous temptations and hellish policies and thou art but a Novice Hee hath many Methods Devices and Depths which thy shallow fore-cast cannot possibly fathome Direct opposition by reasons and replies stirreth up the out-ragious Blasphemour to grow more furious And hereby we give him greater advantage more matter of molestation and mischiefe and may so plunge our selves further into an intricate maze of horrour and confused distractions Our blessed Captaine Christ Iesus may bee a patterne for us in this Point When hee was tempted to fall downe and worship Satan hee reasoneth not the Case but repells him with vehement extraordinary detestation and disdaine Avoid Satan It will therefore bee our best wisedome at such a time to turne from him and as Hezekiah spread his blasphemous letter so to lay open his fury before the Lord crying mightily unto him and intreating him even for his owne honours sake to vindicate the purity of his great Majesty and excellency of his unspotted glory from this hellish filth and horrible villany of his damned vilest Creature That he would cast it as dung upon the Tempters face and in the Passion and Blood of Christ free fully and for ever our poore soules trembling under the hideousnesse of his malice and cruelty from the guilt staine terrour and assault of all such abhorred and pâ—â—odigeous blasphemie In that other terrible temptation also to Selfe-murther many much wrong themselves this way In managing this fierie dart the Adversary deales by way of argument too and presses reasons such as they are upon the temted sometimes extremely absurd especially if the party bee something more simple and ignorant sometimes exceedingly suttle if hee bee of better understanding and capacity As thus It is soone done and the paine quickely past Thou art like thus to languish and lie in misery all thy life long The longer thou livest the larger will bee the score of thy sinnes and so thy torments in hell more horrible hereafter If it be once done it will appeare to have bin Gods decree and I hope thou wilt not oppose the accomplishment of that Do what thou canst thou wilt bee damned when all is done c. Now in this Case if thou debate the matter with the Divell and begin to confer thou art like enough to be more and more confounded and intangled with inextricable astonishments and danger to bee utterly undone and suddenly blowne up by the mine of his soule-murdering sophistry But if according to the precedency and practise of thy Lord Master who hath begun unto thee in this bitter Cup is afflicted in all thy afflictions and ever stands by thee as a victorious commander and conquerour in all such assaults first abominate and beate backe this base and bloody motion with infinite indignation and loathing Avant Satan And then immediately lay hold on the sword of the Spirit and keepe him at the point of it and then assuredly all the Divells in Hell cannot hurt thee Tell him that against his vile and villanous suggestion and all the subtilties and sophistry with which hee seconds it this is thy onely answere even the precise holy and everlasting countermand of his and thy Creatour the mighty Lord of heaven and earth Thou shalt not kill Now if it bee a crimson and crying sinne the most deadly opposite and desperate cut-throate of charity to kill an other and fastneth such a deepe and inexpiable staine upon the face of a whole Kingdome that it cannot bee razed out but by the blood of him that shed it How execrable and hainous then is this and what depth of Hell and height of horrour doth that abhorred Miscreant deserve and may expect who makes away himselfe For the Rule of charity whereby wee love one another is proportioned by that charity whereby a man loues himselfe If the Divell bee able to dissolve and disanull the most absolute perfect and just Law of the most High who tho all other things besides are something in possibilitie which as yet they are not in act yet himselfe is actually and everlastingly whatsoever hee may bee and cannot hereafter be that which now hee is not and so by consequent is with out all variablenesse or shadow of turning I say if the Prince of darkenesse can reverse this Law of the Father of Lights Thou shalt not murder thou maist well say thou wilt then thinke of an other answer But till that bee which is more then infinitely impossible ever to come to passe thou wilt rather lie in the miseries of Hell upon earth which indeed were incomparably better then breaking Gods blessed Law goe downe into the grave in a bloody coffin made by thy owne hands onely at the Divels bidding Can this madnesse ever bee matched for a man besides Selfe-severing the soule from his body before the time by a more hainous and un-naturall villany then murthering of his owne father for every man is naturally next unto himself and sending it suddenly all goare-blood by becomming his owne Butcher and hangman unto the dreadfull Tribunall of the all-powerfull God the most certaine and severe Revenger of all bloodshed to bring also abundance of unnecessary shame griefe and hopelesse mourning upon Friends Kindred Husband ChildreÌ„ Parents a reproachfull staine and brand upon House Name Buriall Posterity c. And that meerely at the instance and upon the most absurd ridiculous and senselesse suggestion of the Arch-murtherer thy mortall and immortall enemy against sense reason nature religion Scripture Gods direct command to the contrary even Heathen Philosophy Heaven and Earth 6. Avoid idlenesse solitarinesse and too much secrecy three maine advantages for the adversary which
True some one or two of a thousand and ten thousand that have How then Shall wee not therefore follow our instruction and seeke Him before Some going a journey have sound a Purse by the way It were mad counsell to advise us to leave oâ—â— money behind upon hope of like hap in ours c. Winchesters Serm. pag. 180. Si mille homines perussent ex cibi aliâ—uius â—enenali perceptione uno duntoxat miraculose servito 〈◊〉 cibum illum gustares Harmon Evang. cap. 15. pag. 18â— d We digest not them that call on us for the seeking of God but seek our selves as the Apostle speakes Magistros secundum desideria that may entertaine us with speculations of what may be done by Miracle at the houre of death that may give us daies elbow-roome enough to seek other things and to shrinke up his seeking into a narrow time at our End and tell us time enough then Winchesters Sermons pag. 179. e Dyke upon Repentance cap. 17. f Inebriatus es Ventri indulsisti Rapuisti Siste iam gradum verte te in diversum conficere Deo gratiam quòd non in medijs peccatis te abstulit ne quaere aliud privilegium ut malè opereris Multi quum iam alijs dimnum fraudulentèr facerent subitò periérunt ad manifestum iudicium abiérunt Time ne in hoc patiare inexcusabilis Sed multis inquis dedit Deus hoc privelegium ut in ultimâ senectâ consiterentur Quid igitur An tibi quoque concedet Concedet fortasse inquis Quidais sortasse interdum c. Cogita quòd dâ— animâ deliberas proinde etiam de contrario cogita dic Quid autem si non det c. Tuni bellum egressus non dicis non est opus ut testamentum condam fortassis redibo Neque de nuptijs deliberans dices uxorem egentem accipiam multi enim sic praeter spem ditati sunt Neque domum extruens subijciam fundamenta putria multae enim sic constitére domus De anima autem agens apprehendis magis putria dicens fortassis sapiùs â—venit contingit aliquando téque incertis tradis Chrysost. Hom. 22. in 2. ad Cor. 10. g Tempore mortes sâ—euiùs maiorÃque dolo â—entat consligit sâ—â—ens si tunc defecerit penitùs se frustratum Gerson de temptationibus diver h Iob 14.14 i Repentinam insperatam corum mortem quâ opprimantur innuit Merc. in Loc. Elevati sunt ad modicum non subsistent Iniquorum potentia â—oeni â—loribus comparatur quia nimirùm carnalis gloria dum nitet cadit dum apudse extollitur repentino intercepta sine terminatur Sic aurarum statu in altum stipula rapitur sed casu concito adima revocatur Sic ad nubila sumus attollitur sed repentè in nihilum tumâ—scendo dissipatur Sic ab insimis nebula descendendo se erigit sed exortus hanc solis radius ac si non suerit abstergit Sic in herbarum supersicie noctâ—rni roris humor aspergitur sed diurni luminis subito calore siâ—catur Sic spumosae aquarum bullae inchoantibus pluvijs excitaâ—ae abintimis certatim prodeunt sedeò celeruis diruptae depereunt quò instatae citiùs extenduntur cumque excrescunt ut appareant cresâ—endo peragunt ne subsistant Gregor Ibid. k Nemo nec post centum peccata nec post misle crimina de misericordiâ divinâ desperet Sic tamen non desperet ut sinc ullâ morâ Deum sibi repropitiari festinet ne fortè si consuetudinem fecerit etiam sivelit de Diabolilaqueis liberari non possit August de tâ—mpore Serm. 58. l Viste de dubio liberare vis quod incertum est evadere Age pâ—â—nitentiam dum sanus es Sienimagis veram poenitentiam dum sanuses invenerit te novissimus dies securus es Ergo curre ut reconcilieris si sic agâ—s securus es Quare securus es Quâ—â— egisti poenitentiameo tempore quo peccare potuisti Sâ— autem vis agere poenitentiam ipsam tunc quando peccare non potes peccata te dimiserunt non tu illa August Tom. 10. De vere Poenitentibus Hom. 41. ex 50. Ambros Exhort ad Porniâ—ent m This time is the time when all Hypocrites Atheists tagge and ragge come in and seeke Him in a sort And shall not wee bee confounded to see our selves in their number Winchesters Serm. pag. 181. n What is our seeking theÌ„ Is it not to lie still on our Beds and suffer a few words to bee spoken in our eares Have a little opiate Divinitie ministred to our Soules and so sent away Winchesters Sermons pag. 181. Is this it Would wee then seeke Him when wee are not in case to seeke any thing else Would wee turne to Him then when wee are not able to turne our selves in our Bed Or rise early to seeke Him when we are not able to rise at all Or enquire after Him when our breath faileth us and wee are not able to speake three words together No houre but the houre of death No time but when Hee taketh time from us Idem Ibid. pag. 180. o Oportet Dei sacerdotem non obsequijs decipientibus faâ—ere sed remedijs salutaribus providere Imperitus est medicus qui tumentes vulnerum sinus manu parcente contrectaâ— in altis recessibus viscerum virus inclusum dum servat exaggerat Aperâ—endum vulnus est secandum putaminibus amputatis mâ—delâ sortiore curandum Vociseretur clamet licâ—t conqueratur aeger impatiens per dolorem gratias agit postmodum cum senserit sanitatem Cyprian de Lapsis Medicus crudelit est qui exaudit hominem parcit vulneri putredini August in Psal. 34. Soothing Preachers are like unskilfull chirurgions who softly touch the wound on the outside thereby making it to fester the more dangerously in the inside Who observeth not that the smooth tongue of the Preacher maketh an impostumed heart of the Hearer Squire in his Assize Sermon pag. 12. out of Cyprian p The true Ministers of Christ never cure and comfort the sicke hastily as Wizards and Impostors doe Greenham having to deale with divers humbled Consciences Hee would mislike them that would not abide to tarry the Lords leisure but they must needs bee helped at once even by and by as soone as they heard Him speake or else they would then thinke farre worse of Him then ever before notwithstanding the good opinion conceived of Him For besides Hee that beleeveth maketh not hast This is a comming rather as it were to a Magitian who by an incantation of words makes silly soules looke for health then to a Minister of God c. In His grave Counsels and godly observations pag. 5. q Greenham in His Treatise for an afflicted Conscience pag. 136. r For mine owne part saith Hooker I thinke Calvin incomparably the wisest man that ever the French Church did
enioy since the houre it enioyed Him In His Preface pag. 3. Tho thousands were debters to Him as touching Divine knowledge yet hee to none but onely to God the Author of that most blessed Fountaine the Booke of life and of the admirable dexterity of wit together with the helpes of other learning which were his guides Ibid. Wee should bee iniurious unto vertue it selfe if wee did derogate from them whom their industry hath made Great Two things of principall moment there are which have deservedly procured Him honour throughout the World the one His exceeding paines in composing the Institutions of Christian Religion the other His no lesse industrious travailes for exposition of holy Scripture In which two things whosoever they were that after Him bestowed their labour Hee gained the advantage of preiudice against them if they gaine-said and of glory above them if they consented Ibid. pag. 9. The more learned and holy any Divine is the more heartily Hee subscribes to Paulus Thurias his true censure of His Institution Praeter Apostolicas post Christi tempora chartas Huic peperereliâ—râ—saeculae nulla parem Besides the holy Writ No booke is like to it Or No Age since Christ brought forth A booke of so great worth No marvaile then that a learned Bishop of London in Queene Elizabeths time begun His Speech thus against a lewd fellow which had railed against Calvinâ— Quod dixisti in virâ—m Dei Calvinum tuo sanguine non potet redimere c. s Sit igitur hic primus poenitâ—tiae gradus dum homines sentiunt quà m gravitèr deliquerint illic non statim curandus est doler quemadmodum impostoâ—es deliniunt conscientias ita ut sihi indulgeant se â—allant inaâ—iâ—us blanditijs Medicus enim non statim lâ—niet dolorem sed videbit quid magis expediat fortè magis augebit quia necessaria erit acrior purgatio Sic etiam faciunt Prophetae Dei quum vident trepidas conscientias non statìm adhibeÌ„t blandas consoâ—â—â—tones sed potiùs ostendunt non esse ludendum cum Deo solicitant sponte currentes ut sibi proponant terribile Dei iudicium quò magis ac magis humilientur Calvin in Ioel cap. 2. t Master Rogers of Dedham Doctrine of Faith pag. 108.109.110.111 u In his Expos. upon Psal. 32. pag. 5. x As in the worke of Creation so in the worke of Redemption God would have the praise of all his attributes Hee is much honoured when they are acknowledged to bee in Him in highest perfection and their infinitenesse and excellency admired and magnified In the former there appeareth gloriously His infinite Wisedome Goodnes Power Iustice Mercy c. â—nd yet in the worke of Redemption which was the greater they seeme â—o shine with more â—â—eetnesse amiableâ—â—sse and excellency 〈◊〉 in it appeared all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge c. And in conveying it to the Church first His Wisedome there appeareth infinite wisedome in finding out such a meanes for the redemption of MaÌ„kind as no â—â—eated understanding could possible imagine or 〈◊〉 of Secondly 〈◊〉 immeasurably sweet and admirable in not sparing His owne Sonne the Sonne of His loue that Hee might spare us who had so grievously transgressed against Him Thirdly His Iustice in it's highest excellency in spaâ—ing us not to spare His owne onely Sonne laying as it were His head upon the blocke and chopping it off renting and â—eaâ—ing that blessed Body even as the Vaile of the Temple was rent and making His Soule an Offering for sinne c. This was the perfection of Iustice. y A man who otherwise would not cry nor shed a teare for any thing despiseth death and would not feare to meete an host of men I say such an One now having at the last instant a pardon brought from the King it worketh wonderfully upon him and will cause softnesse of heart and teares to come many times where nothing else could Hee is so strucke with admiration of so great mercy so sweet and seasonable in such an extremity that Mee stands amazed and knowes not what to say but many times falles a weeping partly for ioy of His deliverance and partly also out of indignation against Himselfe for His barbarous behaviour towards so pittiful a Prince This was to bee seene in some great men at the beginning of King Iames His Reigne condemned for treason and pardoned at the Blocke z Exaudime Domine quoniam suaviâ— est misericordia tua tantundem valet ac si dixisset I am noli differre exauditionem in taâ—t â tribulatiâ—ne sun ut suavis mihi sit misericordia tua Ad hoc enim subvenire differebas ut mibi dulce esset quòd subveniebas August Concione 2. in Psal. 68. Luke 8.43 a Christus â—oâ—ine instatâ—m terret comminatioue exclusionis è regnâ— coelorum Nam qui nondùm conversi sunt ad inferos iam priuiâ—â— detrudendi sunt ad hoc ut inspectâ poenâ peccati discant ab co abhorrere quo tempore naturâ sese oblectaâ—â— Rolloc in Iohan. cap. 3. pag. 133. b Dike of Repentance cap. 2. c Quando peccati quod divinae legis est violatio conseâ—â—ntia stimulamur atque convincimur intelligimusque nos per peccatum in execrationem acerbissimum odium gravissiâ—â—amque Divini numinis offensiontem atque indignationem incurrisse mercedemque atque stipendium quod peccatum meretur esse ut non solùm omnibus calamitatibus atque miserijs â—uins vitae morbisque morte corporis afficâ—amur verum etiam ut damnatiâ—â—e atque interitu sempiterno mulitemur simul atque ex lege agnoscimus nos per peccatum in â—unc condemnatorâ—m statum quo nibiltetrius cogitari potest pervenisse toto pectore totâ mente toto corde animo que cohorremus contremiscimus atque ita ut casum nostrum salutariter doleamus ut nosmet nostri poeniâ—eat Lex efficit impellÃtque ut peccatorum veniam iustitiam vitam sempiternam quae ex lege adipisci non possumus a Christo servatore tantùm per Christum expetamus expectemus Alex. Nowellus Inst. Christian. Pietatis De Legis usu Hoc loco docent Poenitentiam esse quae ex peccatorum irae divinae agnitione nascitur quae per legem Dei primum dolores terrorem conscientiae incutiat Scilicet cum verbo Dei intâ—s argu untor peccata redditur mens malè conscia sibi inquieta praetristâ—s desperabunda cor anxium confractum pavidum ut homo per se nullâre prorsùs erigi possit aut consolationem nancisci sed totus afflictissimus est spiritu deiecto ac trepidante ingenti â—orrore concussus à conspectuirae Dei c. Súnt que sic affectis divinae promissiones 〈◊〉 c. Harmon Confess p. 2. Bohaemica Confess Art 5. pag. 240. d I grant the Lord who is the most free Agent takes liberty and workes as it pleaseth him and there is ods
At poenae animae erant à nobis commeritae Ergo poenae animae Christus toleravit Certè antequam corpus pateretur Christus ipse testabatur suam animam esse perturbatam quidem usque ad mortem Chamier that great glory of France and the Whole Christian World in whose hands Bellarmine that Goliah of Rome is but a very Childe Tom. 2. Lib. 5. Cap. 12. Quis tam caecus ut nunc saltem non videat huius argumenti certitudinem Si Christus naturali illo sensu magis horruit mortem quà m ullus unquam hominum Tum vel mollior fuit reliquis omnibus vel in morte apprehendit aliquid praeter mortem At ille vehementius horruit tamen non fuit mollior reliquis imò verò constantier ergò apprehendit in morte suâ aliquid gravius morte corpored Idem Ibid. Cap. 13. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 1.13 h Iram in silium ne nos quidem dicimus nisi per accidens sed iram inpeccata pro quibus se pati Christus sentiebat Iram quidem non meruit Christus perfectè iustus proindéque innocens sed effecta tamen eius irae sensit ut vadem peccatorum oportuit Ibid. cap. 14. * Here was an amazed feare for millions of Men to despaire was not so much as for him to feare Never Man was so afraid of the torments of Hell as Christ standing in our roome of His Fathers wrath Hall in his Passion Sermon pag. 45. i Christ was not forsaken any of these foure wayes First The essence of the God-head was never severed or excluded from Christ the Man but it dwelt in him at all times fully Coloss. 2.9 Secondly the personall union of the two Natures was never dissolved and so the person of the Sonne never forsooke the humanity of Christ. Thirdly the power of the God-head also was alwayes present with him enabling him to beare the full viall of Gods wrath Fourthly The gracious assistance of Gods Spirit was never wanting inabling Christ without the least impatiency distrust c. to beare whatsoever was inflicted upon him for our sinnes But hee was forsaken First Positively In that God the Father poured upon him the infinite Sea of his wrath which hee now felt Secondly Privatively In that hee was berest and forsaken of all comfortable presence the God-head for a season shadowing it selfe under the Cloud of Gods wrath that the Man-hood of Christ might feele the intolerable burden thereof And thus Christ being destitute of consolation complaineth that hee was forsaken But Christ being thus forsaken hee sustained the wrath of God strived with it and subdued it that is He delivered both himself and us from it and so perfectly finished the worke of our Redemption The bright Morning Starre pag. 51 c. k 1. Deus existimatur à nobâ—â— recessisse nósque deserüisse c. 2. Hinc proiecti sumus in abyssum irae iudicij divini quam sentientes terremur quasi planè simus irae iustitiae divinae fluctibus atque procellis demergend horribili velut voragine absorbendi 3. Ex hac abysso praecipitamur in profunditatem dolorum conscientiae quae propter peccata irae divinae sensum nos contra testatur accusat flagelâ—at torquet damnat mole poenarum obruta Causas habet conscientia doloruÌ„ multas prospiciens aeternas poenas doloribus certè excruâ—iatur Inde ipsi abyssus vorago formidabilis 4. Ex hac demùm profunditale in aliam diabolicam abyssum dilabimur telis sugati vulnerati Diaboli ignitis quibus solicitamur ad Deum blasphemandum fugiendum abnegandum Inde prosiliunt ab quà m profandae in imis animi sedibus latitantes cogitationes quas Satan instillat ut impellat miseros homines ad blasphemiam desperationem ad odium Dei ad fremitum adversus Deum Casm Schol. 2. cap. 2. pag 51.56 l Could hee indure the scorching flames of the wrath of his Father the curse of our sinnes those tortures of Body those horrours of Soule and doth hee now shrinke at his thirst No no c. The now Bishop of Exeâ—er in his Passion-Sermon pag. 12 m Hee saw the burden of all particular sinnes to bee laid upon him every dram of his Fathers wrath was measured out unto him ere he toucht this Potion this Cup was full and he knew that it must bee wring'd not a drop left Idem Ibid. pag. 51. n That what the infinite sinnes of almost infinite men committed against an infinite Majesty deserved in infinite continuance all this in the short time of his Passion did hee sustaine Ibid p. 43. o Non est ergò indignum redemptori nostro quòd tentari voluit qui venerat occîdi Iustum quippe erat ut sic tentationes nostras suis tentationibus vinceret sicut mortem nostram venerat suâ morte superare Greg. Hom. 16. in Evangel p Metaphorica est descriptio victoriae Christi de Satana In capite Serpentis est virus robur vita Ergò caput serpentis notat diaâ—oli potentiam saevitiam regnum c. Par. in Locum * Psal. 40.2 q Quantò districtiùs non exhibet membra sua arma iniquitatis peccato tantò strictius buiusmodi spiritu quatitur pulsatur Bern. Lib. de conse De multip variet cogitat q Huius nequissimi hostis est illa vel prima caelliditas ars doli plena â—atigare cogitationibus rudes animas novellis in proposito mentibus de ipsâ interdum conversatione afferre moerorem ut facilè ab huius rei profectu deterreatur animus cuius initia amara cognoverit Itáque solet tam sordidas nonnunquam impias cogitationes inferere menti ut qui tentatur dum suum illud putat esse quod cogitat deterioreÌ„ se per spiritum immundum proposito suo arbitretur effectum multóque puriorem animam habuisse se credat cùm adhuc res seculi amaret vult enim ijs quibus invidet callidissimus inimicus horrorem propositi ex desperatione sacere sanctitatis ut eos obsidente tristitiâ et si à proposito non revocat certè retineat à profectu August Epist. 142. * Cogitat homo plerumque terribilia de fide horribilia de divinitate per phantasmata corporearum imaginum transrotatus illa sentit quae vel in confessione evomere peccator onâ—ratus exhorret Bernar. loco suprà citato Revel 15.3 Coloss. 2.9 r Blasphemous thoughts not consented to by us are not our sinnes but the Divels Men must not feare those kinde of thoughts over much Because though indeed they bee their crosses yet are they not their personall sinnes for which they shall incurre the wrath and displeasure of God Perkins Cases of Conscience Lib. 1. Cap. 10. Sect. 2. Wee are to know and consider that they are not our owne thoughts but Satans suggestions and therefore they shall not bee laid to our charge as being our