euen so a man that hath long been taken for a good Christan is very backward to see and confesse that all his Christianitie was in formes and that he is not the man hee was taken for but an errand dissembler For why the heart of man is loath either to perceiue himselfe so wretched as he cannot but confesse himselfe to be in case he be but an hypocrite or else to take the paines which hee must needs take to make his estate better for doubtlesse it cannot but proue a painefull piece of worke to weede out a vice so deepely settled and so farre ouer-spreading But brethren vntill hypocrisie be plainely discerned it can neuer be reformed neyther this nor any other vice will cuer be conquered if it be not espied He shall for euer remaine an hypocrite that being so will not confesse himselfe so to be For when a man is ignorant of his vnhappinesse he will neuer set himselfe with all diligence to redresse it and certainely sinne will neuer be ouercome without striuing against it This and this alone is the true cause of our earnest plainnesse in this matter Wee would shew you your disease that you might in time seeke remedy and not perish by it Wee would lay open your sores that you might procure a playster and not be destroyed for want of healing And therefore returning againe to the matter we were about we doe now certifie euery person amongst you in whom that vniuersall care of knowing and accomplishing the whole will of God in each point of it and that out of the loue he beareth to him and for the honour and glory of his holy name that he I say in whom this care is not to be found though hee haue liued neuer so honestly to the world though he come to the Church neuer so duly though hee haue bin constant in frequenting Sermons though he haue beene very kinde to the Ministers of Gods Word though hee haue prayed many times with great feeling though he haue fits of great sorrow for diuers sinnes though he repeate Sermons and pray in his family though he haue obtained great credit amongst godly men and goe in the name of a most worthy Christian yet for all this and more than this if more may be without the fore-named generall endeauour is but a flat hypocrite a ranke dissembler a cousener of the world a beguiler of himselfe a whited sepulcher a picture of a Christian and not a Christian indeede This is thy case whatsoeuer thou hast heretofore deemed this and none other is thy condition if thou beest destitute of that fruitfulnesse which hath been plainely described vnto thee Open thine eyes now and see thy wretchednesse now suffer thy soule to bee wrought vpon and begin to seele thy misery that thou mayest be capable of helpe CHAP. XVIII Containing the third vse THirdly We must labour to be fruitfull let all men be now exhorted to get this fruitfulnesse by which they may approoue themselues to bee the true members of IESVS CHRIST Men do many times delight to norish in their Orchyards trees that beare no fruit onely for the comfort of their shade in hot seasons It is not so with God he likes not any tree that can doe nothing else but yeeld a shaddow if you will finde fauour in his sight you must be trees of righteousnesse you must be trees that yeeld some good fruit and be not wholly barren Learne I beseech you not to satisfie your selues with shewes with formalities with bare leaues but shew your faith by the fruites and let the grapes and figgs that may bee gathered of you testifie for you before God and your owne consciences that you be trees of Gods owne planting Content not your selues with a forme of religion applaude not your selues in your hearing and receiuing in your talking and seeming and your outward good dealing but O let your liues your whole liues and the tenour of all your whole conuersation be vniformerly constantly and in all things conformeable to the doctrine and example of our Lord Iesus Christ walke as he hath walked and hath commanded you to walke Let me vrge vpon you the words of Iohn Baptist to the Pharisies men that went for as deuoute holy and religious persons in their times till Christ the heart-searcher came to deale with them as any of you likely can be taken now begin not saith he to say with your selues we haue Abraham to our father but bring forth fruites worthy amendment of life Satisfie not your selues in hauing Abraham for your father I meane in the externall formalities of religion but looke to the course of your liues and see that it be such as may beseeme repentance Why will you loose your labour why will you die O house of Israel why will you rest your selues in that that will not profit Labour now to leade a godly conuersation in Christ Iesus let the common streame and current of your actions fauour of the holinesse of that Word of God which you say you beleeue and of the vertues of that Lord Iesus Christ in whom you say you place your confidence Assure your selues you shall neuer attaine the benefits of Christs death and resurrection vnlesse you shew forth the power of both in your liues that is to say vnlesse the serious consideration of the loue and goodnesse of God shewed in these two and of the hatefulnesse and filthinesse of sinne manifested in the former of them doe leaue so deepe an impression in your soules that here-hence you grow both resolute and able in some degree to cast away all the former lusts of your ignorance and now to turne your feete into the pathes of righteousnesse to fight against all the corrupt lusts of your hearts to labour to forbeare all wicked actions to endeauor to plant in your soules all vertues and to be abundant in religious mercifull iust temperate and all other godly actions that you may shew forth the vertues of him that hath translated you from darkenesse to light and be holy in all good conuersation euen as hee is holy Vrge and presse your selues therefore to this fruitfulnesse and make the constant carriage of your whole man inward and outward euen depose for you that yon are truly ingraffed into the true vine This fruitfulnesse shall arise for you in the day of tentation as it did for Iob and inable you to stand for your vprightnesse against all accusations of men and diuels and against all feares and doubtings of your owne hearts When a man is cast into the fornace ot aduersitie then will the leaues be blowne off as in the winter they be from trees then if the grapes of a good conuersation doe not lye by him to witnesse that he was a true branch in Christs body nothing will remaine for him but horror and amazement and a fearefull expectation of vengeance to befall him for all his shewes Be you therefore prepared for the day of triall which
An exhortation to growth in goodnesse to approue himselfe a true branch by indeuouring after this increase in fruitfulnesse for nothing doth more infallibly argue life then growth I meane a sutable and proportionable growth of each part Be not therefore satisfied with what you haue already gotten but striue to get more Make your selues euen vnsatiably couetous after grace account your selues neuer to haue enough but for this matter imitate the Horse-leach and the graue and be alwayes saying Giue giue for no grace is further sound then it is ioyned with an hungring after more O then trauell forward in the paths of righteousnes daily Labour to be each weeke more holy more heauenly minded more patient more temperate more contentfull more prayerfull more abundant and affectionate in holy cogitations and to doe all good things more sincerely and more heartily with a more particular and actuall intending of Gods glory in each of them and with a more feeling attractiue of loue inducing you to them Grow I say continually either bigger or better or both Let these words put wings to your soules and let this exhortation as it were a good gale of wind to a ship carry you more swiftly towards the hauen of perfection You cannot glorifie God or profit your selues or edifie your brethren more or better you cannot make a better preparation for death or the day of affliction nor make your assurance of eternall happinesse more large and vndeceiuable then by making a continuall progresse in the vertues of Christ Iesus Faint not therfore nor grow weary let not your hands fall from this worke slow not your pace in this iourney but prouoke your selues and let the Word of God prouoke you to be yet more and more godly righteous sober and to proceed from faith to faith from vertue to vertue till you be made at last fully conformable to the Image of Christ Let there bee no going backe in any hand no flying no reuolting By going backe you shall as much as proclaime to all the world that you account Gods seruice an ill seruice and his worke an vnprofitable worke not worth the while to imploy your selues in it By going backe you should giue occasion of discouragement to others and lay vp matter of griefe and shame for your selues Offer not God this iniury doe not such hurt to your selues and to your brethren But as the God of heauen reneweth his mercies daily and inlargeth his bounty so doe you daily renew your obedience and let your graces be still on the thriuing hand But that my words may not bee fruitlesse in perswading you to grow let me also declare vnto you what it is that you must doe to the intent you may grow Growth you know doth presuppose life Meanes of growing and that wee must take for granted to bee in all those that shall be fruitfull hearers of this exhortation And yeelding a man to liue with a spirituall life in Christ the meanes of growth to his soule may not vnfitly be resembled to those that concerne his body The body will grow if it be of a good constitution and haue a good stomacke good diet and good digestion so will the soule also and therefore wee will speake a word or two of each of these First then as the body 1. To preserue the good constitution of the soule so the soule must inioy the benefit of a good constitution Now as the good constitution of the body consists in a right mixing together and tempering of the foure first and chiefe qualities so the good constitution of the soule standeth in a right and due ordering of the principall faculties of the minde towards the different obiects thereof I meane the iudgement the will and the affections when the iudgement entertaineth an high and excellent esteeme of God and things diuine but a meane and base esteeme of ones selfe and all things earthly when the will most vehemently and earnestly inclineth it selfe to God the chiefe Good and carefully withdraweth it selfe from fained or inferiour good things when the affections are inflamed towards God and heauen and cooled towards earth and the things of the earth This is a sweet and happy constitution of the soule and if this constitution be not preserued by a diligent watching ouer the mouing and working of our mindes and a daily striuing to pull them from things below and set them on things aboue there is no possibility of growing but if this constitution bee carefully preserued the meanes following will infallibly procure a proceeding in all the fruits of good liuing And the second thing required 2. To keepe a good appetite is to keepe a good stomack or appetite that is a continuall desire of more grace feeling its wants and longing for a supply Wee must tell our selues often how farre short we come of that wee might attaine and others haue attained and wee must earnestly prouoke our selues to desire a supply of what we feele our selues to want Wee should often say to our selues Alacke how poore a quantity of faith patience hope charity temperance heauenly-mindednesse haue I gotten how slender are all graces in mee If I compare my selfe with those of Gods Saints whose examples are commended in Scripture for mine imitation I come so short of them that it may almost bee a question whether I haue any goodnesse or none at all What a little meeknesse haue I in comparison of Moses what a little zeale of Gods glory in comparison of Dauid what little patience to beare affliction for Christs sake in comparison of Paul what little faith in Gods promises in comparison of their faiths that the Apostle to the Hebrewes commendeth to mee O how farre did Iob surpasse mee in patience in bounty in religiousnesse in the feare of God How farre did Nehemiah goe beyond me in loue to the Church and people of God and zealous desire of promoting the worship of God So weigh thy selfe in the ballance against the godly men which are famous in holy Writ and seeing how much thou wantest of what they had gotten and yet that which they had commeth farre shorter of what they should haue had then what thou hast doth come short of what they had then moue thy desire to an increase and thinke thus Ah that I could get at least a little more grace Ah that my graine of faith were made two graines Ah that my one talent were made two talents my two fiue What might I doe to get more grace what course might I take to fil vp that which is wanting to my faith patience temperance confidence and other like vertues To whet a mans appetite in this manner and to sharpen his desires towards vertues doth exceedingly helpe to make him capable of them and is as one may terme it a great inducement to the Lord to bestow more vpon him for the Lord as once Iob doth loue to feed the hungry and to giue drinke vnto them that thirst
But some man may haply demand How shall one get his soule a good stomacke To this question I answere that the bodily appetite is stirred vp by two things sharpe sawce and due exercise The way to get a good appetite 1. Sharpe sawce that is the renewing of godly sorrow for sinnes past and so is the appetite of the soule after grace Now the sawce of the soule in which by dipping its morsels it may prouoke its desires after holinesse and vertue is the renewing of sorrow for sinnes past and present And when a good man findeth himselfe to grow dul in holy desires if he will set a little time apart to call himselfe to account for his sinnes past and to consider the greatnesse and multitude of them the heauy punishment he hath deserued and Christ hath suffered for them the exceeding great dishonour he hath done to God by them and how exceeding vile and base they haue made him and heerehence to inforce himselfe to be sad and heauy and to sigh and grone for these offences of his This will quicken his spirituall desires this will reuiue and stirre vp his longings and make him earnestly couetous after grace But exercise is needfull to get a stomacke 2. Exercise that is a setting our selues to practise what we learne and the soules exercise is to set it selfe on worke about good duties to stirre vp frequent acts of vertue within it selfe often bending his heart in loue to God-ward melting it in compassion toward the afflicted inlarging it in congratulation to those of Gods Saints that are in good estate and so in other vertues especially when we haue been taught any good worke in the Word to watch the next opportunity of doing that duty and to set our selues for some good space of time together principally to looke to the practice of some principall vertue the loue and feare of God ioy in the holy Ghost godly sorrow confidence in God and the like This addressing ones selfe to the practice of good duties will beget a desire of grace And this is the second thing necessary to cause an increase of grace The third is good food 3. Good food will make one grow and Christ is our food and other things so farre as they leade to Christ And the food of our soules is Christ Iesus offered vnto vs in the Word and in the Sacraments and in some sort also in the workes of God that wee may feede vpon him and grow strong in him and in the power of his might Christ Iesus is the bread of life when by the Word and Sacraments and workes of God wee are moued and drawne to goe out of our selues to rest cleaue stay vpon him for grace life saluation strength all good things then we doe euen fill our soules with him and then we are sure to waxe strong In all the ordinances of God we must bee directed to Christ neither can they doe vs any good further then they guide vs to Christ and to a depending vpon him If you remaine in me saith our Sauiour by and by after you shall bring forth much fruit Lo our food In the Word and in each part of it we must seeke Christ in the Sacraments wee must seeke Christ All the workes of Gods hand must leade vs vnto Christ I meane to looke to him for grace to stay vpon him for all good things when the Word teacheth any good thing it must cause vs to rest on the Lord Iesus for strength to performe it when it discouereth any sinne it must driue vs to Christ for power to amend it and fauour to pardon it when it promiseth good it must still draw vs to the same Christ in him to obtaine the promises when it threatens euill it must driue vs to Christ that we may trust by him to escape it So the Sacraments must conduct vs to Christ and settle our soules in assurance of attaining all good things in him When we receiue blessings of any kind at Gods hand they must make vs taste the sweetnesse of his loue in Christ when we feele the sharpenesse of his chastening hand it must spurre vs forward to a more earnest seeking of our reconciliation with him in Christ and thus all that God doth to vs and all his ordinances that wee inioy by leading vs vnto the true Bread of life shall happily confirme and strengthen vs in the inner Man For if wee abide in Christ and Christs Word in vs then shall we be surely fruitfull The last thing to helpe growth 4. Good digestion is needfull to growth and our digesting is serious pondering and meditating of good things is good digestion when the bodily food is conueyed into the stomacke and there concocted by the natiue heate then it becomes fit to be dispersed abroad to the strengthening of euery limme and ioynt so the Word of God the Commandements the promises the threats and the workes of God both of mercy and iustice must be mused meditated pondered vpon A man must set himselfe seriously to consider how true those promises be and how much they concerne him and so settle his heart more and more in the imbracing of them He must tel himselfe how holy those Commandements be how much he is bound to obey them and so euen inforce his heart to a resolued purpose of following the direction of them A light perfunctory hearing and speaking of the diuine truths of the Word concerning God Christ our selues and our duty and the like will affoord little or no strength but if a man will bestow paines and time to consider of these things seriously and to make his thoughts dwell vpon them some good while together striuing to beate them into his heart and to frame his affections accordingly this would be as sure a means of strength vnto his soule as good and wholesome concoction of good food vnto his body And thus my brethren so many of you as are liuing and true branches in Christ may see what is required of you that you may bring forth more fruit in him Lay to heart that which you formerly heard consider the profit possibility necessity of this growth and be not a sluggard for thy soule Thou seest how the worldly-minded man doth toyle his head and body in seeking to grow in riches thou seest how the ambitious man bestirres himselfe in getting more preferment thou seest with what an eager and vnsatisfiable greedinesse the voluptuous man doth pursue his pleasures why shouldest not thou that art a Christian and a spirituall man with at least some measure of the like diligence addresse thy selfe to thriue in the goods of the soule to get an higher degree of this best promotion and to inioy more and more of these most pleasant of all pleasures No profit is so profitable no honour so honourable no pleasure so pleasurefull as to bee fruitfull in good workes and to abound more and more in the vertues of the inward man
euill zeale as Paul taxeth them seeking to ingrosse the people to themselues and endeauouring to exclude Paul that they might wholly be admired And did not the flaunting fellowes at Corinth plainely preach themselues as being couetous of applause and followers And so Diotrephes loued to be had in principall account in the Church he desired to be reputed the onely man which is the louing of first-hood 2. Iohn as the Apostle calles it The hypocrite if he be a Preacher doth labour as with childe of a longing desire to be counted the best or one of the best Preachers in the country if he be onely a priuate man he desireth to be esteemed one of the forwardest professors and pleaseth himselfe well in such fancies yea he hath a sensible edge and a kinde of kore against those that stand betwixt him and this reputation Neyther can he well away with such as beare away the credit and applause from him as you may perceiue plainely in Diotrephes and in the Pharisies so his religiousnesse hath a tacke of the same fault that his ciuill righteousnesse hath But the true-hearted Christian serueth God in humility of spirit not heeding what men deeme of him further than their want of respecting him will bee an impediment to his doing of good 1. Thes 2.6 He seekes not praise of men neither of you nor others as Paul sayth to his Thessalonians Wherefore he doth not things of contention whetting himselfe on and putting an edge vpon himselfe with a hope and desire of doing better than such an one or putting downe such an one but purely out of a longing desire to glorifie God sets himselfe to doe the best hee can reioycing with his whole heart to see the wel-doing of others yea glad at the soule to see them farre exceede himselfe and wishing with Paul that all men were like him yea beyond him in all graces And if contentious vain-glorious emulatory conceits arise within him hee knits his browes against them with as true heate of anger against himselfe as Moses had once against Ioshua when hee chode him sharply saying Dost thou enuy for my sake Numb 11.29 But happily it may fall out that the hypocrite will be driuen from seruing himselfe in this vaine-glorious fashion yet then hee looketh to himselfe with a more sinister eye if more may be for he becomes a seruant to his owne heart superstitiously as those great sacrificers in the Prophet Micah 6 6 7. that would faine come before God with thousands of Rammes and with Riuers of Oyle yea that would giue their children for their sins the fruit of their body for the faults of their soules refusing no cost nor hardnes to earne pardon and deserue remission or make satisfaction or redeeme to themselues an hope of libertie to sinne in some other kinde They would pay GOD for their euill deeds with such good deeds and after the custome of men cut scores with him and therefore they doe not likely that are so disposed content themselues with enioyned seruices but seeke some deuice of their owne or some other sect master whereby they haue great hope to winne God vnto them Now the true Christian he is of a farre other minde he cotuits all dung and all drosse yea he reputeth all losse so that he may get Christ vpon him he relyeth to him hee cleaueth and neuer dreames of other merits than those that he findes in him for hee renounceth himselfe being the true circumcision that puts no confidence in the flesh And hence it is that hee doth not dare to tolerate himselfe the more in any sinne because of his deuotion and zealousnesse in other points So the scope of the sound and hollow is opposite the ones eye lookes heauen-ward the others is bent still to himselfe The matter also wherein their deuotions shew themselues will manifest whence they come from truth The hypocrite most forward in publike seruices that others may know of the Christian in secret that none cā know of but himselfe or from guile For the hypocrite his greatest deuotion vnlesse it be when superstition like as a bree doth the poore beast doth pricke him forward is in duties that may be and are done with a witnesse as for those that are priuate or rather secret he is key-cold in them at least vsually neither in truth doth he trouble his Closet often with priuate meditations and prayers Hence it is that our Sauiour correcting the mis-intended deuotion of the Pharisies doth confine them to their Closet where God alone beholdeth and heareth intimating that they had little lust to pray in secret where God that saw in secret should be their sole rewarder So you may know if you dissemble yea or no. The dissembling man can preach well to others hee cannot digest what himselfe hath cooked and preach it to himselfe in his priuy meditations He can pray when others stand by but most times vnlesse he be whipped forward by a crosse for a fit he is tongue tied and dumb-stricken in his chamber So he loues to heare Sermons and to repeate them in company but he loueth not to get alone and concoct the Sermon in his owne meditation considering and remembring what he hath heard and how it concerneth himselfe But now the true Christian is rather more vehement in priuate than in publike prayers and can much rather omit the calling vpon God with others than those secret and inward communications with God wherein he may freely powre his whole soule forth vnto the Lord and hee satisfieth not himselfe in hauing heard the Sermon vnlesse hee haue chewed the cud and considered if those things were so and examined himselfe by that rule He is constant also in priuate seruices as well as publike and the most secret as well as those that must haue companions Moreouer for the matter or rather manner of their performing these duties of pietie The hypocrite rests himselfe satisfied in the act formally done the true Christian is not well vnlesse he finde the inward power of it The hypocrite doth rest himselfe satisfied in the formality of religion in the externall act in a good and formall fashion discharged not greatly heeding the power of religion in his soule and the secret disposition of his heart If hee haue framed a good prayer in fit words and vttered it in conuenient gestures he is well apaide and hopes the seruice shall be accepted though hee had not any working of feruour in his heart any life any feeling any true touch of the things which his tongue did vtter If he haue sayd good words with a good intent all is well though his affections had not the impression of the matter of his words setled in them So if hee heare the Word with decent intention and can carry away a good part of it to speake of afterwards if occasion serue it is well hee is herein satisfied and contented though his soule hath not beene stirred with
loue of God constrayned him to preach the Gospell for thus did he iudge that seeing one died for al therefore all were dead and that hee dyed for all that they which liue should hereafter liue not to themselues but to him that dyed for them The holy Ghost at what time it incorporateth the Christian into Christs body and maketh him a true branch of this Vine doth ground in his soule a setled and firme perswasion of the vnspeakeable loue of God vnto him in Christ his Mcdiatour And though he haue not alwaies a sence of this loue yet the perswasion of it doth alwayes take such deepe roote in him that it euidently shewes it selfe in drawing his soule to be one with God making his heart still to hang towards him and to bee affected with great good will vnto him Now loue is an affection that tendeth to vnite the things loued and because there can be none vnion betwixt the Creature and the Creator vnlesse the Creature do euen resigne and yeeld vp his will to Gods will to bee carried mooued and guided by it hence it is that the soule louing God must needs subiect its will vnto him and therefore be carefull to know and do his will because it is his will that he should so endeuour to know and doe And so is the Christian heart allured forward to obedience for wee loue God because he loued vs first 1. Iohn 4.19 faith the Apostle and then must our loue needs bring foorth this obedience And this thing is of so absolute necessitie in the point of good liuing that without it no seeming goodnesse can bee acceptable vnto GOD. 1. Cor. 13.2 For so we haue the Apostle plainly affirming vnto vs that though a man giue his body to be burned and though he giue all his substance to the poore yet if he haue not loue all is of no worth or reckoning Whatsoeuer therefore doth not arise out of his fountaine and grow from this roote it is not to bee called fruit vnlesse you will meane rotten and worme caten fruit And we may say assuredly that vnlesse the thing inducing vs to the care of knowing and doing Gods will bee a deare and hearty affection which wee beare in our soules to him out of a perswasion that we haue of the great and tender compassion that hee bare vnto vs in Christ and an apprehension of the infinite riches of his grace and wisedome shewed in his Sonne our indeauour is not accepted neyther can be called holy But the people of GOD doe find themselues so linked and tied vnto God in regard of that his most wise gracious and fauourable dealing with them in his sonne and those insinite excellencies which from the sight of this goodnesse they begin to discerne in him that out of the sweete and gentle motions of this loue they are fully resolued to obey him Thus there is a joynt operation of faith and loue in their obedience it being vtterly impossible that the creature should loue God but out of some true perswasion of Gods loue to him Wherefore how godly or good soeuer any mans life be in shew and appearance if the maine motiue to that goodnesse bee the loue of men alone or the loue of himselfe or any such like and not the loue of God springing from an inward and grounded apprehension of Gods grace towards him in the face of Christ it is not to be called Goodnesse indeed neither is so in Gods account Let vs instance in one or two particulars A man meeting with a miserable person is liberall towards him with money for his reliefe The thing that induced him thereto was the entreaty of the party or a kind of naturall compassion or the labour of some friend but he neuer considered that God who so infinitely loued him as to make his onely Sonne poore that hee might be made rich hath required such duties of loue and bounty at his hands towards his brethren for his sake neyther did prouoke and stirre vp himselfe to exercise this bounty with lifting vp his mind to Gods commandement and good pleasure and to the goodnesse and kindnesse of God towards him to whom it were a shame of all shames for him to deny so small a matter as the bestowing of a little pittance of his owne wealth at his appoyntment This almes-deed this act of liberalitie is not a fruit of piety it is not a fruit of Faith it is not a fruit of Christianity it is not in him and to him a good deede or an act of obodience to the Lord but another meeting with the like person is pronoked by the forenamed meditations to helpe and comfort him and by the stirring of such thoughts in his mind hath his heart inclined to giue him what hee needeth or if the sodainenesse of their meeting or some other like occasion cause that hee hath not these thoughts presently stirring in his minde yet they haue been in him often before to beget in him an habite of liberality this now is a fruit of grace this is to bring forth fruit in Christ this is a true good worke and such as God himselfe accepteth and accounteth good So in going to Church to heare the Word or to receiue the Sacraments in labouring in a mans calling in doing of iustice and in all other particular points of goodnesse if we be not moued to these by loue to God in obedience to his Commandement out of faith to his gradious promises in Christ but by considerations taken meerely from our selues whether in regard of the present life or that that is to come we cannot say that wee be fruitfull branches neither doe wee indeed serue God in such duties but when our minde doth lift it selfe vp to God and by the consideration of his good will and pleasure doth stirre vp it selfe to doe good because wee know hee would haue it to be done whom we so loue that we cannot but desire that his will should be satis fied and accomplished for he that loueth any person doth also carefully binde himselfe to fulfill his will whom he loueth vnlesse his will be to haue that done which would be for his owne hurt which can neuer befall the Lord of heauen because of his perfect and infinite wisedome when I say our mindes do thus stirre vp themselues to doe good or auoyde euill then doe wee truly serue God and this is such obedience as God doth take pleasure in as it were in grapes of good taste that grow vpon the Vine of his owne planting Furthermore The end of fruitfulnesse is Gods glory the end of our doing Gods will must be Gods glory or which is all one that wee may please him for in seeking to please him wee glorifie him and these two things are alwayes coincident 1. Cor. 10.31 So the Apostle directeth saying Whatsoener you do Ephes 1.12 let all be done to the glorie of God And againe That we may be to
will surely come vpon all the inhabitants of the earth Striue to be fruitful stirre vp your selues to consider seriously of the Lords infinite bounty in Christ shew to your selues the sweetnes and goodnesse of the diuine Maiesty in that worke so admirable inconceiueably gratious Prouoke your selues to make high account of him to loue him with the most vehement and feruent of all loue that your hearts being knit-vnto him and set vpon him you may euen for his sake set your selues to know the good the euill that pleaseth and displeaseth him to shun the last imbrace the first Vrge your selues not to dally with-him not to offer him a parcell of obedience an halting goodnesse but inlarge your desires and endeauors to the knowing and keeping of his whole will in all things Let none obiection none inclination of flesh and bloud make you to giue way to the sinfulnesse of your hearts in any thing but still continue and persist to fight against the sinnes which you cannot wholly subdue and to mortifie that by the spirit whereof you cannot quite be rid Prouoke and annimate your selues to the doing of these things say within your selues O that I could doe so Iong for grace and strength so to doe and call vpon thy selfe to be more and more carefull of bearing fruite in this Vine The Vine it selfe is a most sappy and iuyeefull Vine abundantly stored with that heauenly verdure and moysture that may serue to make the branches fruitfull The husbandman is no way defectiue either in skill or paines hee is neither ignorant nor heedlesse of any thing that may further the branches in their fruitfulnesse There is no want either on Gods part or on Christs part but all on ours No man is vnfruitfull but for lacke of will and care to be so I pray you be not wanting to your selues but striue to be fruitfull for in this Vine euery branch might be fruitfull if he were not either wilfull or slothfull or both But that mine exhortation may not be bootelesse I shall direct you how you may doe to be fruitfull and declare those things vnto you by the doing of which you shall be sure to attaine power to liue holily and these directions shall be both so few that you may remember them and so easie that you shall not neede to complaine of difficultie in performance The meanes therefore to become fruitfull The meanes of becomming fruitfull are these First a man must see lament his former vnfruitfulnesse freely confessing that of himselfe he is drie and barren and vtterly vnable to bring forth fruite Whosoeuer would liue godlily 1. To see and lament former vnfruitfulnesse must with sorrow obserue and confesse that his life hath beene farre short of that godlinesse which hee should and might haue obtained and that in him as of himselfe there remaineth no power to make himselfe godly and to make his conuersation holy for the time to come Yea this must be a meanes of making him heauy in heart and base and vile in his owne eyes as that he hath been fruitlesse so that he shall remain fruitlesse stil vnlesse he haue a supernaturall worke of Gods Spirit to make him fruitfull And for want of this sence acknowledgement of their owne wants it comes to passe that most men still remaine and still will remaine vnfruitful They thinke théy do already liue a godly life they thinke they can turne themselues when they lust to a godly life they are ouer highly conceited of their own sufficiency they dreame they haue gone further than they haue But would you not be fruitlesse barren for heereafter see then with sorrow that you haue been so at least in some measure heretofore and know that it must not be a power dwelling in your selues which must make you better but a borrowed power deriued from aboue And when you haue bin drawne to this acknowledgement then giue your selues with all diligēce 2. Attend to the word read and preached to attend vnto the Word of God both read and preached be attentiue I say to the Scriptures both in reading and hearing them for this is that good seed which if it be not receiued no fruit can grow if it be there is a possibility of being fruitful Remember that the Lord hath appointed to deriue the graces of his Spirit into your hearts by meanes of his Word and that he hath appoynted men as instruments and fellow-labourers to make you of euill good and of good better and therefore you must submir your selues vnto the will of God and giue your mindes to an heedefull attendance vpon his ordinance But remember that we doe not require your bare bodily presence at the Church and in the ordinances of God a man may be present in body and absent in minde this his presence shall but prouoke God against him because it is but a direct mocking of God Yea you must bring your soules to the Church as well as your bodies and marke hearken and obserue and consider what is spoken to you in Gods name A man must come to the Word of God as to the Word of God knowing it to be Gods power to his saluation and a meanes that God hath appointed by the commandements reproofes exhortations comforts thereof to plant and water all graces in him to beate downe his sinnes to build vp his new man and to translate him into the image of Iesus Christ Most people that come to the Word for want of esteeming it as an institution of God for so happy a purpose haue no care at all of themselues in hearing neuer looke to their thoughts neuer incline their eares neuer listen neuer heede what is spoken They sit there it may be quietly and stilly for their position of body but are shaken vp and downe in their soules with a world of idle or euill imaginations which stop out all that that should bee conueighed into their minds to doe them good so they giue Satan leaue to fill vp their minds with vanitie that there may be no roome for the grace of God To such hearers we can promise no blessing but it is the attentiue marking and obseruing the Word out of a good opinion of it and an honourable esteeme as a sauing instrument appointed of God to make men holy which we prescribe vnto you as a meanes of changing your barrennesse into fruitfulnesse by the lips of his faithfull seruants will Iesus Christ drop vertue into the hearts of those that come to seeke it there But Thirdly 3. Meditate vpon it after wards after hearing and reading you must meditate and consider of that which you haue heard you must apply it to your selues you must trie your selues by it you must duly consider whether you performe the things which it declareth vnto you yea or no and if you haue beene failing prouoke your selues to more carefulnesse you must vrge your selues to giue credit vnto the
make him shame thee before the whole world at the last Iudgement or make thee shame thy selfe to no purpose before many on thy death-bed Euery secret thing must be made open euery hidden thing must bee brought to light O now drag this corner-seeking and light-shining vice into the open view by a free and plaine confession as thou hast beene exhorted that it may not at that day remaine to bee laid open to thine eternall confusion If thou tellest me that thou hast bin long time a professour of religion hast long accounted thy self the child of God therfore if the matter be brought to that passe that after all this while thou must be faine to take vpon thee the name of an Hypocrite thou canst not see any hope of euer being true I answere thee that this is a vaine feare with which Satan seekes to hinder thee from doing that that is absolutely needfull to thy saluation for this is one and a principall cause that thou wast neuer yet true because thou wouldest neuer yet be made to see thy felse false But remoue this impediment by the much perswaded confession I call for at thine hands and whatsoeuer thou hast been and how long soeuer thou shalt bee made true for God comes hither now in this his ordinance to make thee true if thou doe not make thy selfe vncapable of truth by refusing to acknowledge thy want of truth wherefore breaking thorow all vnwillingnesse and delayes and laying aside all shifts and defences fall vpon thy knees in thy secret chamber and there say vnto thy selfe and in more words complaine against thy selfe vnto God that thou art as yet an Hypocrite a barren branch that standeth euery houre in perill of being cut off This done 2. A constant lamenting of his hypocrisie in the second place frame thy selfe to mourning and sorrow for thine hypocrisie and ferret out thy guile by lamenting it For there is no sinne or corruption in the heart of man so tyrannous and ouer-ruling but that godly sorrow will fetch it downe and ouer-master it Indeed a little whimpering griefe a sigh or two a teare or two a sad countenance for a Sermon time or so will not preuaile The best medicine that is will not heale a sore if there bee not a sufficient quantity of it applyed if it bee not constantly applyed and followed close He that will be content to grieue a little at Church or so for his guile and out of the present euidence of the Spirit working with the Word will perhaps yeeld to see and to lament his hollownesse but lets the matter passe quickly and takes no more paines about it shall anger the sore as it were and not heale it and by carelesse neglecting of Gods grace in such motions offered hee shall cause his hypocrisie to fester more and grow more incurable for euen this weake worke of the Word will helpe out of his owne erronious disposition to coozen him and to make him too soone thinke himselfe vpright and so he shall neuer become vpright But the sorrow I speake of must be a settled and constant sorrow which a man must let rest vpon his soule and willingly entertaine within himselfe many a day together though not in a violent manner to hinder his other occasions yet in a still quiet maner to make his thoughts in the middest of all other occasions as well they may without offering any wrong vnto such occasions be still running vpon the matter of his guile and in an inward and silent manner continuing to bemone the same within himselfe A spirit of griefe will not change an Hypocrite into a true Christian a constant griefe will This then doe as he that hath a grieuous sore or wound applies the curing of that wound aboue all things vntill it be whole set thy selfe for a good space of time together to make it thy principal worke to obserue the working of thine hypocrisie and to bewaile the same Sometimes be earnest with thy selfe and in thy solemne and secret prayers and confessions labour to rend and breake thine heart with grieuous sorrow and to bee wonderfull vile in thine owne eyes because of thy long continued hypocrisie and striue to doe as Peter did for his denying his Master for a counterfeit following him is little better then a denyall of him euen to get alone and weepe at least grieue which may well be without weeping very bitterly and when thine other occasions call thee from thy chamber yet hold thy thoughts still on worke and let the plaister lye to the sore all the day Be thinking Ah wretched creature I that haue so great a space of time continued an Hypocrite a professor of Religion not changed in heart not washed in the inner man not made a new creature O how great cause hath God to abhorre me haue I to abhorre my selfe that haue so long gone about to coozen God and to mocke mine owne soule And so whatsoeuer thou beest doing let thine heart bee feeding on this bitter herbe of inwardly bemoning thy guile and thine irreformednesse and vnchangednesse of heart Bid these cogitations welcome as thou sittest at meate and count them as the best sawce for thy meat yea as the best dish on thy table In company let these cogitations be thy most esteemed companions and in solitarinesse giue thy selfe ouer to them and so continue to doe till thou find a plaine change of thine heart a manifest alteration and so euident a framing thee to be another then thou wast before that at last thou mayest be able which if thou wilt not be weary of striuing within no long space of time thou shalt be able to say Now I finde and feele that I am made new Brethren if any of you had a very sore leg or arme he would be content to goe to some Chirurgion to dresse the same euery morning and euening and let perhaps a smarting plaister lye vpon it all day long and all night too for three weekes or a moneths space together that he might be healed and not lose his ioynt O why should not he that hath an heart diseased with that grieuous fistula of hypocrisie be contented as it were to dresse it twice a day by some solemne secret and earnest lamenting it before God and to let the plaister of griefe lye at it all day by frequent renewing of his sorrowfull thoughts for it that this foule and festered sore may be healed and he may not lose his soule and body both by it Wilt thou not bestow as much time paines care in healing thy soule as thy leg or arme Doubtlesse this care would goe happily forward for God himselfe would be the Chirurgion and health would follow without faile for the medicine is soueraigne and hath been tryed by many and prescribed by an excellent and skilfull person Saint Iames bids wauering-minded and double-hearted men hee meaneth Hypocrites to turne their laughter into teares and to afflict themselues and
without endeuour to practise Me thinkes it should not be possible that any amongst you should haue an heart so desperately hardened as not to obserue an exhortation so neerly concerning him and so much and earnestly beaten vpon him Me thinkes it cannot be that any marking it should possibly settle himselfe in a wilfull obstinacy of going on as he hath begun and not mending so damnable a sinne All the way that Satan hath to make you lose the fruit of this exhortation is to nuzzle you in a good conceit that sure you bee not Hypocrites but already true-hearted and therefore the exhortation though needfull yet is to you impertinent But thou must vnderstand that though thou beest not a ranke Hypocrite yet the things deliuered concerne thee and are needfull for thee also as well as for him that is For there is none of all Gods Saints so perfectly renewed but that a great deale of the leauen of hypocrisie may be found in him though not so much as by quite ouercomming him should giue him the name of an Hypocrite yet so much as by often breaking foorth in him may iustly cause him to take heed and beware of hypocrisie as our Sauiour Christ biddeth Now the same things that are auailable to beate downe any vice from bearing rule in the heart the same things are also needfull for the further and further weakening of it that it may bee lesse and lesse noysome to the heart Wherefore howsoeuer the case goe with thee thou hast a portion in this worke if thou knowest thy selfe to haue been but an Hypocrite most of all doth it appertaine to thee to practise it that thou maist no longer stand in hazard of being cast into hell euery houre If thou canst not tell whether thou beest an Hypocrite it beseemeth thee to put it in practice that thou maist in such a degree subdue hypocrisie as to bee able to know and say that thou art none Hypocrite If thou beest already so sincere The siue forenamed things doe also pertaine to the vpright that be may grow more vpright that thou canst truly and assuredly affirme thy selfe to be no dissembler yet thou also must doe the things perswaded that by more preuailing against guile thou maist haue more comfort and lest if thou doe not thus continue to mortifie this corruption it get head against thee againe so farre as almost to lay its yoke vpon thee the second time for a man that is now so true and vpright as that he is well assured the power of guile is broken within him shall yet if hee fore-slacke the performing of the things I haue formerly prescribed by little and little haue guile so apt to grow in him as weeds in a garden that hee shall bee little lesse then quite ouer-run with it in a short space Wherefore though the things be somewhat tedious to flesh and blood and though corruption hath no mind to set about them for when did any man whose body was wounded come otherwise then vnwillingly to be searched tented plaistered and who euer tooke a potion but with some rising against it of his stomacke yet inforce thy selfe vrge the necessity of doing vpon thine owne soule so much till thou haue made thine heart resolute to doe them and so mayest not alone cease to bee an Hypocrite but daily more and more cast out this sowre leauen and keepe the feast of an holy conuersation in the vnleauened bread of sincerity and truth Brethren be not deafe to the voyce of the liuing God frustrate not his ordinances disappoynt not your selues of the good his Word would doe you by neglecting its directions but now consider what course hath been prescribed vnto you for the healing of hypocrisie and put it in practice and bee healed And O Lord of heauen thou that knowest who they be that haue but dissembled hitherto vouchsafe so to worke with thy Word now that they may bee made to see bewaile and resist their guile henceforward that so thou maist winne glory to thy selfe in making them fruitfull rather then in cutting them off And so much for the first part of Gods Husbandry his iust seuerity against Hypocrites CHAP. VI. Containing the second Doctrine viz. that the best branches haue need of pruning LEt vs now goe forward to consider his Fatherly goodnes towards the vpright Euery branch that bringeth forth fruit he purgeth or pruneth that it may bring forth more fruit It should seeme then that they haue need of purging and therefore haue some things amisse about them For it were an idle labour and a matter deseruing reproofe and reproch in a gardener to be paring a branch that hath nothing about it which would doe more hurt then good and surely the Lord of heauen need not to remoue any thing from his branches if he did not meet with some things euill superfluous vpon them Know you then Doct. 2 The fruitfull branch needs pruning the best man hath his faults that the most fruitfull branch that growes vpon this Vine hath something in it that will require the vse of a pruning knife that is to say the truest hearted Christian that euer was in this world hath had his faults and whiles he liueth in this house of clay shall haue them Euen those boughes that are hanged with large clusters of ripe and pleasant Grapes haue yet some superfluous leaues some out-growing sprigs some dry and rotten twists that were better away then there and that cause the Grapes to beneither so many nor faire nor sweet as else they would be Doth not Saint Iames tell vs that In many things we offend all Lo the expresse plainnesse of this text for there is great force in the words many and we and all for who shall exempt himselfe from that confession wherin Saint Iames himselfe found cause to beare a part Iames 3.2 and that so as he includeth in it with himselfe all the number of the Saints of God then liuing and who shall come after and say that himselfe or such and such in his time offend in nothing or in few things when of all the Saints in the Apostles time it is confessed by the holy Apostle and the holy Spirit that guided him not alone that they formerly haue offended but also that they presently did offend in many things 1. King 8.46 and 2. Chr. 6.36 Salomon also is plaine and saith that there is no man which liueth and sinneth not If in the old Testament there were none which liued sinlesse and vnder the new Testament they did all acknowledge themselues offenders in many things I hope then it is plaine enough what hath been and in all ages will be the state of good Christians and true-hearted euen that they shall bee troubled with sinnes and with many sinnes Dauid saith also Psal 19.12 by way of confession to God Lord who can know his errours not alone confessing of himselfe but of all that they haue not alone some
but from gracious acceptation of them in that blood by dipping wherein the spots of them are done away For there is I thinke none of vs which denyeth but that God accepting our workes as perfect in Christ doth reward vs for them as if they were perfect but seeing the reward becomes due in Christ and not by the workes themselues wee thinke it a foolish pride to maintaine the stately name of merit of workes when wee are faine to beg the reward for anothers sake and cannot chalenge it simply for the workes sake Thus this truth inforceth them after much turning and winding in effect to confesse it though the truth is they would not haue it seeme so for feare of a sore losse that might follow thence vnto their Clergies kitchin and manger I meane their liuing and pompe But let them passe There is a second errour of heretickes 2. Of perfection of holinesse in this life dreamed of by the ancient Puritans so they may well be called no lesse dangerous yea verily I suppose much more dangerous then the former of old condemned vnder the name of Puritans from a conceited and imaginary purity or absolute freedome from all sinne whereof they boasted and now as the speech goes reuiued in some parts of this Land This is that the Saints of God in this life may attaine to such perfection as not at all to commit any sinne with such gay fancies they please to seed themselues and their seduced followers Now it is most certaine that these men are the most abominable and dissembling hypocrites in all the world or else the most besotted and benummed spirits for their owne whole carriage and continuall experience doth confute them euen to themselues and yet they will not see themselues confuted If euer any of you meet with any foolish Hypocrite offering to tel you a tale of such perfection that he hopes to get or that he hath gottē or that may be gotten by any in this life as neuer to sinne any more neuer any more to need repentance doe no more but turne him to Saint Iohns Epistle and tell him that he that saith he hath no sinne deceiueth himselfe and the truth is not in him Bid him consult with Salomon againe who propoundeth the question as of a thing impossible Who can say his heart is pure and tell him againe that the same Salomon knew what he said when he said that there is a generation which is pure in their owne eyes but are not cleansed from their filthinesse and tell him that those branches in Christ which need no pruning are sure like a branch ouerladen with Grapes through the conceit of their much fruitfulnesse broken off from him for he saith that euery one remaining in him needeth and receiueth pruning which were not needfull if he were faultlesse And so leaue the fond deceiued and selfe-conceited Hypocrite vnto himselfe and haue no more to doe with him For either he speaketh altogether against his owne heart or else his heart is nought worth as Salomon saith of the wicked yea more hope is there of the saluation of the most desperate sinner aliue then of such an one For Christ alwayes 〈◊〉 the full empty away and pronounceth a 〈◊〉 vpon these spiritually rich persons Seest thou a man wise in his owne eyes saith Salomon there is more hope of a foole then of him Surely he is wise in his owne eyes that thinketh he hath no sinne wherefore we can haue little hope of him This errour is so contrary to all the feeling and sense of all Gods Saints who are faine still to say with Dauid Lord who can know his errors as that a man would maruel how any man in whom there was euer any knowledge of the Word and any shew and beginning of goodnesse should bee so farre seduced and drawne away as to entertaine such an opinion But the cause is manifest hypocrisie is alwayes accompanied with pride and the growth of hypocrisie breeds also a growth of pride and pride swels out the eyes that a man cannot see the cleerest truthes And thus haue we briefly discouered vnto you these errours to rectifie your iudgements For if the words of Christ be true these opinions that are directly opposite vnto the truth contained in them must needs be false Now heare some other vses to rectifie your practice also CHAP. VIII Containing a second vse of the poynt stirring vp the seruants of God to an holy longing for death Vse 2 SEE heere 〈◊〉 how great cause wee haue to follow the Apostle Paul We should long for the time of our dissolution when we shall be perfectly freed from sinne and to long that wee were once dissolned and perfectly vnited vnto Christ that as hee prayes for vs being where he is and seeing his glory we might be perfectly like him in a spotlesse purity and holinesse Impatient folkes are many times so tormented with worldly crosses made so troublesome vnto them alone by their owne folly and pride whereby they neglect to see God and to stoope vnto him in crosses that they are euen altogether weary of their liues because of them and our of a kind of stomackfull sullennesse against God as once Ionas or else a feeble sinking vnder the burthen of misery as once Eliah they euen thinke with themselues I would I were dead and are bold to trouble God with that vnsauoury petition of making an end of their daies that they may be rid of their crosses which they haue neither patience enough to beare for the present nor hope enough to looke for a good issue out of for the time to come But my brethren consider Haue you not other and worse things to be weary of then crosses and for which if for any thing to be weary of life also as of a burthen which you long to be remoued from off your shoulders Hast thou not pride passion worldlinesse ambition lust enuie vaine-glory blindnesse hollownesse deadnesse of heart and a thousand more besides these corruptions within thee which giue thee farre iuster cause of panting for the period of thy dayes and wishing that thy life heere might bee but short then the frowardnesse of a yoke fellow the stubbornnesse of a child the meannesse of thine estate the falsenesse of thy friends the power and fury of thine enemies or any other crosse if any be worse then these Ah wee haue not sufficiently informed our selues of the loathsomnesse of sin neither are we sufficiently heauie laden with the sense thereof if the cumbersomnesse of this doe not cause vs euen in the time of our greatest immunity from other miseries to couet our departure hence If sicknesses make men cry for death because they be terrible to the body how should not the sicknesses of the soule make vs much rather to seeke for it seeing wee shall not cease to suffer the fits of this disease till death be sent to seuer our soules from our bodies and both from our
corruptions But death at once with a most happy paricide as I may terme it kils both it selfe our last foe and sinne its mother our first foe and sorrow its sister our daily foe That one pang which puls away the soule from the body doth also pull away sinne both from the soule and the body O most desireable pang and worthy to be thirsted after more then any earthly thing Iob when his body was full of botches could say with much vehemency of passion Why dyed I not from the wombe why gaue I not vp the ghost when I came out of the belly then should I haue lyen still and beene quiet I should haue slept then had I been at rest Hee could in elegancy of speech commend death and say There the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary be at rest there the prisoners rest together and heare not the voyce of the oppressour yea hee saith that a miserable man would long for it and dig for it more then for hid treasures and would reioyce exceedingly and be glad if he could find it This impatiency of life is no way worthy commendation it sauours too much of selfe loue to be good and allowable But if out of an holy impatiency of sinne wee could as feelingly take vp speeches of a like nature O how truly might it witnesse with vs that we did hate sinne that we were enemies to the lusts of our hearts that our corruptions were to vs as imprisonment sicknesse paine captiuity and so that wee were sure of our part in Christs goodnesse who comes to preach liberty vnto the captiues Verily our soules are as full of hotches many of them as Iobs body and it will hardly bee better with many of vs so long as we abide in these earthly tabernacles were we as full of spirituall life as hee of naturall and our soules as truly indued with holinesse as his body with sense we should complaine of this burthen with much bitternesse and say O that I could tell where to seeke death O that I might finde the graue and come to those quiet regions where worldlinesse and pride and wrath shall no more torment mee and where my will shall be no more carryed away with any fleshly perturbation I confesse that this is the least part of the good that death bringeth vnto the Saints that it doth vtterly dismisse them from the seruitude of the flesh but were we so thorowly spirituall as we should be this would seeme of so great worth with vs as wee would preferre it before all that the world counts delightfull The Bridegroome would rather go to his graue then to his bride-chamber the traueller would rather lye downe in his bed of earth then in a bed of downe and euery man would bee of Salomons minde and count the day of death better then the day of birth I confesse that wee must so farre resigne our willes to Gods will as with all contentednesse of minde to weare out the dayes of our apprentiship and pilgrimage For so long as God hath any seruice for vs to doe any where though the place and company be full of troublesomnesse yet should wee force our willes to doe him seruice with our owne disquietment but yet a vertuous desire of being separated from this vnhappy condition of life wherein wee shall neuer fully be separated from the sinne that cleaueth so fast would be very commendable and very profitable The gavvdes of this vvorld vvould not so easily beguile vs the cumbers of this vvorld vvould not so frettingly gawle vs if wee did dis-sweeten the one with making our selues to taste the bitternesse of our sinne and dis-imbitter the other with feeling the far greater bitternesse of that which is as farre more harmefull then it as lead is heauier then corke Then should wee proue our selues to bee men and women of a discerning spirit that can know of things what is good what is bad and of bad things what is more what is lesse bad Then should we shew our selues to approch neere that height of grace which the blessed Apostle had who in relating of bonds imprisonment hunger thirst nakednesse whipping stocking shipwrack and daily dying neuer bursts forth into lamentations but rather recounts with ioy that which was so painfull to suffer and seemeth to bee glad of life for nothing else but that by suffering more of those troubles hee might doe more seruice to the Church and honour to Christ but when he hath occasion to declare his sinfulnesse the body of death the law of his members the rebellion of his flesh then onely is heard bewailing and crying out O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body Let therefore the feeling of sinne make our desires so earnest after full freedome from it that we may for this cause euen breathe after death when there are none other aduersities to distaste the comforts of this life vnto vs that by it wee shall be set at liberty from the diuels tentations the worlds affrightments allurements but specially from the corrupt lusts which we both doe and whilest we lodge in this dungeon shall carry about with vs. And let each of vs say often to himselfe O that I were parted from husband and wife from children from friends from lands and goods and from this world and all that in this world is counted worth hauing so that I might also bee parted from my corruptions and neuer more hereafter stand in need of pruning Fasting and prayer will purge the Word and Sacraments will cleanse and all Gods ordinances and all our Christian indeuours will helpe to lop off these disordered passions that are within vs. But this is alone a cleansing in part a paring off some euill and leauing much behind onely the last blow of death will make a full riddance of all that is euill in vs and after that blow giuen there shall nothing remaine behinde that may call for any more purging This is the soueraigne medicine that will consummate the cure of our diseased soules which till then shall neuer bee deliuered from all diseases though wee bee in Christ as the Vine and haue God the Father for our Husbandman O then Lord send thou this last enemy which may doe mee more good then all the former friends I meet with can doe euen worke a dissolution of my soule from my body and of my sinne from them both Let it come Lord let it come speedily doe thou hasten it in due season and take away all sinne by taking away this life of nature to make way for a farre more excellent life of glory Desire of death is then only warrantable when a desire of Gods full presence and of sinnes perfect absence be the causes mouing that desire CHAP. IX Containing the third vse of the poynt viz. an exhortation and direction how to keepe downe our corruptions whilest wee liue Vse 3 BVt as wee should moderately wish for death We
must double and redouble the desires and grones of our heart thinking within our selues O heauenly Father thou seest I am weake and I feele I am yeelding and sinne is ready to get the vpper hand O strengthen me with grace strengthen me with thy power and let thy Spirit rule in me crush downe these foule passions for thy mercy sake and if yet the euill thought follow him as oft it will he must not be weary of renewing the same requests saying O I must not yeeld I will not yeeld but Lord without thee I cannot resist Lord beat downe for me these wicked desires and inclinations according to thy promise and so still though it cannot be without exceeding much wearisomenesse of Spirit continuing to raise vp holy wishes and holy affections seeking and taking the first opportunity of getting alone to his solemne prayers he shall be made strong in Iesus Christ and in the power of his might and shall bee a conqueror ouer the tentation For brethren we must conceiue the case to stand thus with all the members of Christ without him they can doe nothing and all their sufficiency is of him he doth indeed implant in their soules at their first regenerating an ability of turning away their wills from euill things and of departing from iniquity but yet so that there is necessary to their performing of these holy actions a speciall cooperation of his sanctifying Spirit and they must know that they doe good and shunne euill by a borrowed power not a power originally in themselues and by a borrowed power giuen of grace aboue nature not dwelling in their nature of it selfe And whilest they doe acknowledge this dependance vpon the Lord by making him their refuge in the time of tentation and therefore doe not alone stirre vp their owne strength and set their owne good affections and desires on working but withall send to heauen for aid and as vtterly distrusting themselues implore present assistance from God because they doe indeed giue honour vnto God they seldome faile to get the victory but when in these spirituall encounters they satisfie themselues with their owne endeuours and thinke it sufficient to set their owne spirituall strength on worke forgetting to beg helpe of Gods holy Spirit because this is a manifest demonstration of selfe-confidence and of a spirituall kind of selfe-conceitednesse therefore the Lord to make them know themselues doth withdraw his speciall grace and so after a few faint resistances because they renew not their strength by running vnto him their strength they are in some degrees or other plainly foyled and ouerthrowne Wherefore we must know that when wee finde the flesh to abate nothing of his forwardnesse to euill by our opposing good purposes and thoughts against it yea rather that it seemeth to grow more violent as water the current of which is stopped then I say we must know that the Lord doth now of purpose turne Satan with our corruptions vpon vs that we might find our frailty and betake ourselues wholly to him and his might and then as hauing a speciall calling to seeke to God we must as I said aboue not waxe faint but double and redouble our desires and if that will not serue so soone as wee can possibly get opportunity addresse our selues to solemne inuocation Thus doing wee follow the example of the Apostle Paul who when he was molested with a thorne in his flesh me thinkes that should denote some troublesome corruption of his owne heart which is said to be giuen vnto him because euen poyson may be giuen in a receit by the skilfull Physician did presently apply himselfe to God in prayer for the remouall of it and so was answered that Gods grace should bee sufficient for him Wherefore neither let thy thoughts and first motions of thy soule passe away vnobserued or vnresisted neither yet resist them alone in thine owne strength but spy them out speedily and presently oppugne them partly by setting on worke the grace already receiued partly by requiring a new supply of grace and hee that will make this practice familiar and easie to himselfe by vse of doing shall finde by proofe the vnspeakeable good that will come of it to his soule Lastly 4. Deny to our selues things otherwise lawful that doe occasion our corruptions to grow strong the Christian man that would preuaile against his corruptions must deny to himselfe those things which being otherwise in themselues lawfull doe yet become vnto himselfe through his corruption occasions of euill in any kinde For such is the finfulnesse of mans euill heart that euen that which is not in it selfe sinfull may giue an aduantage to his sinfulnesse and draw him to the committing of sinne These things when his experience hath discouered vnto him hee must carefully shunne and auoyd and not suffer his ouer-free vse of his liberty to become a snare vnto him Diuers exercises sports meetings times places and other like there are of which a man cannot say precisely that they bee sinnes yet they doe so strongly worke vpon the naughtinesse of the heart that they doe euen tempt and draw the heart vnto euill these hee that will not restraine himselfe from shall neuer be able to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world but shal be euen with a kind of force violence haled to the committing of wickednesse against his firmest resolution to the contrary In vsing thē a man doth euen lay himselfe open tempt lust and Satan to tempt him and tempt the Lord of heauen through his vnbridlednesse of heart to deliuer him vp into the hands of tentation and then how shall he chuse but bee vanquished and ouercome thereof Wherefore our Sauiour tels vs that if our hand or foot offend vs we must cut them off and cast them from vs yea if the very eye offend vs we must pull it out and fling it away His meaning seemeth to be not alone that all euen the dearest things that are sinnes must be abandoned but euen also that things which allure prouoke and sollicite vs to sinne because of the weakenesse of our soules must bee likewise renounced and forsaken for all their delightfulnesse or profit For hee that doth not so much loue holinesse and innocency that for the attaining thereof hee can be content to abridge himselfe of some part of his lawfull liberty shall neuer reach to any soundnesse and perfection of holinesse Euen as a weake and crazie body if hee make no choyce of his food but will indifferently fill his stomack with any kind of meate that liketh his appetite shall so increase the ill humours of his body and so strengthen his naturall diseases that it will bee impossible for him to escape diuers terrible pangs of them as experience shewes vs in bodies subiect to the Gowt or Collick or to a consumption or to the like malady so rightly fareth it with our infirme and sicke soules some sinlesse sports some company not in it selfe
of Nathan the Prophet And now are you clean saith our Sauiour anon after the text by the word that I haue spoken vnto you And as all the exhortations and admonitions of the Word of God doe serue to rub off the rust from the soules of his people so chiefly the doctrine of the Gospell by vertue of the blood of Christ which it offereth and giueth vnto them is a most cleansing doctrine This leaueth in the will of the truly iustified man such a deepe impression of the bitter death of Christ for sinne as worketh in it a loathing detestation of sinne and maketh it to turne it selfe away from a thing so abominably euill And this is to crucifie our sinnes vpon the Crosse of Christ when the consideration of the extreme foulenesse and vnvtterable odiousnesse of sinne which is cleerly manifested in the sufferings of our Lord for it and of the most excellent beauty and brightnesse of the tender mercy and kindnesse of God shining forth in the same passion is so seriously receiued and doth so deeply sinke into the very heart-root of a man that it mightily draweth him to set downe and inact this conclusion in himselfe of sinning no more In this meaning it is said that faith purifieth the heart and that hauing this hope wee purge our selues as Christ is pure and therefore the Word of God chiefly the Gospell being applyed to the working and increasing of our faith and hope becomes a blessed instrument of our purging And with these proper and naturall meanes Some accidentall are vsed also certaine accidentall meanes that are made so beyond their owne nature These are chiefly three Afflictions Tentations and falls into sinne for euen by poyson oftentimes is poyson cured and by iron is iron driuen out For the first 1. Chastisements the seruants of God are and must often be chastised that they may be whited These corrections are fit to stirre vp sorrow in those to whom they befall which sorrow by grace is turned into godly sorrow the most effectuall corrosiue to eate out the dead flesh of the soule and so the fruit of them is as the Prophet speaketh the taking away of sinne Afflictions make vs to feele the dangerousnesse of sinne they testifie Gods dislike of wickednesse they manifest our owne frailty and basenesse they conuince vs of the vanity of the world they pull downe the pride of our stomacke so eating out the proud flesh that growes within vs that the medicine of the Word may come neere the sore they quicken vs to prayer they driue vs to examine our selues and inforce vs to consider of our wayes that at last wee may be able to professe with the Prophet Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keepe thy righteous iudgements There is scarce any thing more needfull for Gods children then these Fatherly chastisements they doe breake open the heart to make a free passage for the Spirit of God to enter in at They doe plough vp the heart to make it capable of the seed of life the holy doctrine of the Word of God that is spoken to them In prosperity many times the soule is dull of hearing and scorneth to bee reproued It is sated with outward contents and takes no delight in remembring the death and blood-shedding of Iesus Christ It taketh pleasure in vanity and cannot haue while to thinke of things spirituall and most profitable But afflictions awaken the heart out of the deepe sleepe of security they distaste the sweet meates of the world and bore the eare and couer the pride of heart and make a man in whom the Spirit of God is to hearken and attend vnto the motions of the Word and of the Spirit The truth is that afflictions of themselues and in their owne nature as being fruits of sinne and euill are not of this force to purge the heart but through the wisedome of him that is able to turne all things to the best and by the working of the Spirit which taketh aduantage of all seasons and opportunities they doe become most happy instruments of our cleansing and there is scarce any one of all the Saints of God but may from his owne experience affirme that it hath been a great part of his happinesse to take and drinke these potions from the hand of his wise and louing Father for they haue purged out of his soule those noysome and euill humours which would otherwise haue made him little lesse then deadly and desperately sicke But moreouer 2. Satans bitter tentations the Lord doth make the diuell himselfe an vnwilling instrument of pruning his seruants by meanes of those fierce tentations wherewith hee doth mightily assault them Euen Satans violent buffettings are by Gods goodnesse turned into most excellent purgations When the diuell is let loose vpon a Christian man as the shepheards dog vpon the sheepe and with fury and craft striues to bring him to vtter despaire making him beleeue that the very pit of hell it selfe stands gaping before him ready to swallow him vp or when he doth worke mightily vpon his sinfull affections with a kind of excessiue violence haling him to the practice of those detestable sinnes which his soule hateth and making none end to lye at him with vncessant and vehement sollicitations to commit such and such foule deeds Oh this cuts this woundeth this vexeth and tormenteth this sets them on praying on weeping on crying on bleeding this doth so shame him and disgrace him to himselfe this makes him so farre out of loue and conceit with himselfe and so extremely vile and odious in his owne eyes that he thinkes no name nor vsage bad enough for himselfe this also maketh him with a blushing and confounded face and with a most deiected and a broken spirit to runne and cry vnto the Lord his God for helpe and strength Thus the more Satan striueth to stirre corruption the better it is purged for stirred it must bee before it can bee purged and by his tentations being brought to see and feele a number of corruptions which else we would neuer see and feele wee finde his sinfull malice by Gods goodnesse made an excellent furtherance to our cleansing of our selues And not onely so 3. Their owne slips and faults but in the third and last place our owne sinnes faults and slips doe become instruments of our making cleane from sinne euen as a man doth better scowre his foule hands hauing first smeared them with some foule thing that helpeth more to rub off the foulenes that cleaueth fast vnto the skinne not that the Children doe or may at any time of purpose commit sinne to this end for it is quite besides and against the nature of them to bring forth this effect yea euery sinne is apt to leaue as a filthy spot behind the committing of it a greater pronenesse to commit it then before but that the Lord doth please diuers times to giue them ouer to be foyled of