elect haue in themselues the spirit of Iesus Christ testifying vnto them perswading them that they are the adopted children of God For this cause the holie Ghost is called the spirit of adoption because it worketh in vs the assurance of our adoption and it is called a pawne or earnest For as in a bargaine when part of the price is paied in earnest then assurance is made that men will pay the whole so wheÌ„ the child of God hath receiued thus much froÌ„ the holy ghost to be perswaded that he is adopted chosen in Christ he maie be in good hope and he is alreadie put in good assurance fullie to inioy eternall life in the kingdom of heaueÌ„ Indeed this testimonie is weake in most men can scarce bee perceiued because most Christians though they may be old in respect of yers yet they are babes in Christ not yet come to a perfect grouth may find in themselues great strength of sin and the graces of God to be in small measure in theÌ„ And again the children of God being most distressed as in time of triall in the houre of death then the inward working of the holy ghost is felt most euidently But a reprobate cannot haue this testimonie at al though in deede a man flattereth himselfe and the Deuill imitating the Spirit of God doth vsuallie perswade carnall men and hypocrites that they shall bee saued But that deuilish illusion and the testimonie of the Spirite may bee discerned by two notes The first is heartie and feruent prayer to God in the name of Christ. For the same spirite that testifieth to vs that wee are the adopted children of God doth also make vs crie that is feruentlie with grones and sighes filling heauen earth pray to God Now this heartie feruent and loud crying in the eares of God can the Deuill giue to no hypocrite for it is the speciall marke of the Spirite of God The other note is that they which haue the speciall testimonie froÌ„ the Spirite of God haue also in their harts the same affections to God which children haue to their father namelie loue feare reuerence obedience thankefulnes for they call not vpon God as vpon a terrible Iudge but they cry Father Father And these affections they haue not whome Sathan illudeth with a phantasticall imagination of their saluation for it may bee that through hypocrisie or through custome they may call God Father but in truth they cannot doe it XXXI The elect beeing thus assured of their adoptioÌ„ iustificatioÌ„ are indued with hope by which they looke patiently for the accomplishing of all good things which God hath begunne in them And therefore they can vndergoe all Crosses and afflictions with a quiet and contented minde because they knowe that the time will come when they shall haue full redemption from all euils This was the patâ—ence of Paules hope wheÌ„ he said that nothing in the world could seuer him from the loue of God in Christ. And like to this was the patience of Policarpe of Ignatius who when he was coÌ„demned and iudged to be throwne to wilde beasts and now heard the Lyons roring he boldly yet patiently said I am the wheate of Christ I shal be ground with the teeth of wild beasts that I may be founde good breade Also the same was the patience of the blessed Martir saint Laurence who like a meeke Lambe suffred himself to be tormented on a fiery gridiron and when he had beene pressed downe with fire pikes for a great space in the mightie spirit of God spake vnto the Emperor that caused him thus to be tormeÌ„ted on this wise This side is now rosted enough turne vp O tyrant great Assay whether rosted or rawe thou thinkest the better meat XXXII The third maine benefit is inward Sanctification by which a Christian in his mind in his will and in his affections is freed from the bondage and tyrannie of sin sathan and is by litle and litle inabled through the spirit of Christ to desire approue that which is good to walke in it And it hath two parts The first is Mortification when the power of sin is continually weakned consumed diminished The second is Viâ—ificatioÌ„ by which inherent righteousnes is really put into theÌ„ afterward is coÌ„tinually increased XXXIII This sanctification is wrought in al Christians after this manner After that they are ioined to Christ and made misticallie bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Christ worketh in them effectually by his holy spirite and his workes are principallie three First he causeth his owne death to worke effectuallie the death of all sinne and to kill the power of the flesh For it is as a Corrasiue which being applied to the part affected eateth out the venime and corruption and so the death of Christ by faith applyed fretteth out and consumeth the concupiscence the corruption of the whole man Secondly the buriall of Christ is the buriall of sinne as it were in a graue Thirdly his ResurrectioÌ„ sendeth a quickning power into them to make them rise out of their sinne in which they were dead and buried to worke righteousnes to liue in holines of life Lazarus bodie lay foure daies and stancke in the graue yet Christ raised it and gaue him life againe and made him do the same works that liuing meÌ„ do so also Christ dealeth with the soules of the faithfull they rotte and stincke in their sinnes and would perish in them if they were left alone but Christ putteth a heauenlie life into them maketh them actiue and liuely to doe the will of God in the workes of Christianitie and in the works of their callings And this sanctification is throughout the whole maÌ„ in the spirit soule and mind 1. Thes. 5. 23. And here the spirit signifieth the mind and memorie the soule the will and affections XXXIIII The sanctification of the minde is the enlightning of it with the true knowledge of Gods word It is of two sortes either sprituall vnderstanding or spirituall wisedome Spirituall vnderstanding is a generall conceiuing of euerie thing that is to be done or not to bee done out of Gods word Spiritual wisdome is a worthie grace of God by which a man is able to vnderstand out of Gods word what is to be done or not to be done in any particular thing or action according to the circumstances of person time place c. Both these are in euery Christian otherwise Paul would neuer haue praied for the Colossians That they might bee fulfilled with knowledge of Gods will in all wisedome spirituall vnderstanding In both these excelled Dauid who testified of himself that Gods word was a lanterne to his feete and a light to his path and that God by his commandements had made him wiser then his enimies that he had more
into euerlasting life XV For the better vnderstanding of this that God worketh sowing faith in the hart of man after this manner it must bee obserued that a sinner is compared to a sicke man oft in the scriptures And therefore that the curing of a disease fitly resembleth the curing of sinne A man that hath a disease or sore in his bodie before hee can bee cured of it hee must see it feele paine of it and be in a feare lest it bring him into danger of death after this he shall see himselfe to stande in neede of Phisick and he longeth till he be with the Phisitian when he is once come to him he desireth him of all loues to helpe him to shew the best skill he can he will not spare for any cost then he yeeldes himselfe into the Phisitians handes perswading himselfe that by Gods blessing he both can and will helpe him after this he comes to his former health againe On the same manner euerie man is wounded with the deadly wound of sinne at the very heart and he that woulde bee saued and escape damnation must see his sinne bee sorrowfull for it and vtterlie dispaire of his owne strength to attaine saluation thereby furthermore he must see himselfe to stande in neede of Christ the good Phisition of his soule and long after him and crie vnto him with deepe sighes and grones for mercie after this Christ Iesus will temper him a plaister of his owne heart bloud which beeing applied he shall finde himselfe reuiued and shall come to the assurance of the forgiuenes of all his sinnes So it was in Dauid when he repented of his adulterie and murther First God made him see his sinnes for he saith I know mine iniquities and my sinnes are euer before me Secondly he felt Gods anger for his sinnes make me saith he to heare ioy and gladnes that the bones which thou hast broken may reioice Thirdly hee vtterly dispaired of his owne strength in that he said stablish me with thy free spirit signifying therby vnlesse the Lord woulde staie him with his glorious power he should run headlōg to his own cōfusiō Fourthly he comes to see himselfe stand in great neede of Gods fauour one mercie will not content him hee praieth for the whole innumerable multitude of his mercies to bee bestowed on him to doe away his iniquities Fiftly his desire and his praier for the forgiuenes of his sin are set down in the whole Psalme And in his praier hee gathereth some comfort and assurance of Gods mercie towardes himselfe in that he saith the sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a contrite and broken heart O God thou wilt not despise XVI There are diuers degrees and measures of this vnfained faith according as there be diuers degrees of Christians some are yet in the wombe and haue their mother the church traueling of them some are new borne babes feeding on the milk of the word some are perfect men in Christ come to the measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ. XVII The least measure of faith that any Christian can haue is compared to the graine of mustard seede the least of all seedes and to flaxe that hath fire in it but so weake that it can neither giue heate nor light but onely maketh a smoake and is called by the name of a litle faith and it may be thus described when a man of an humble heart doth not yet feele the assurance of the forgiuenes of his owne sinnes and yet hee is perswaded they are pardonable desiring that they might be pardoned And therfore praieth to God that he woulde pardon them and giue him strength to leaue them XVIII A litle faith may more plainly be known by considering these foure points first that it is onely in his heart who is humbled for sinne for the Lord dwelleth with him that is of a contrite and humble spirite to receiue the spirite of the humble and to giue life to them that are of a contrite heart Secondly it is in a man especially at the time of his conuersion and calling to Christ after which hee is to growe from faith to faith Thirdly this faith though it be in the hart yet it is not so much felt in the heart this was in Dauid at some times my God my God why hast thou forsaken me saith he The first wordes my God my God are speeches of faith yet the latter why hast thou forsaken me shewe that then he had no feeling of Gods mercie A little faith then is in the heart of a man as in the spring time the fruit is in the bud which yet appeareth not but only hath his nature and substance in the bud Lastly the beginnings and seeds of this faith are three The first is a persuasion that a mans own sins are pardonable this perswasion though it bee not faith yet it is a good preparation to faith For the wicked cut themselues of quite from Gods mercie in that with Cain they say their sinnes are greater then that they can be forgiuen The second is a desire of the fauor mercy of God in Christ of the meanes to attaine to that fauour This desire is a speciall grace of God and it hath the promise of blessednes and it must be distinguished from that desire which wicked men haue who though they desire life eternal as Balam did yet they cannot desire the meanes as faith repentance mortification c. The third is praier for nothing in this world but onely for the forgiuenes of their sins with great sighes and grones from the bottome of the heart which they are not able to expresse as they feele them Nowe this hearty praying and desire for the pardon of sinne can neuer come from the flesh but onely from the spirite who stirreth vp these heauenly motions of longing desiring sighing after remission of sinne and all other graces of God which hee bestoweth vpon his children And where the spirit of Christ dwelleth there must needs be faith for Christ dwelleth in the harts of the faith full by faith Therfore as Rebecca whē she felt the Twins striue in hir wombe though it pained hir yet shee knewe both that she had conceaued and that the children were quicke in hir so they who haue these motions holy affections in them before mentioned may assure themselues that the spirit of God dwelleth in them cōsequently that they haue faith though a weake faith XIX Examples of this small faith are euident in the Apostles who though they beleeued that Christ was the sauior of the world yet they were ignorant of his death and resurrection which are the chiefe meanes of saluation After his resurrection they were ignorant of his ascention of his spiritual kingdome for they dreamed of an earthly kingdome at his death they
his flesh hee is haled and pulled on to doe wickednesse Paule saith of himselfe that hee was solde vnder sinne that is hee was like a slaue who desireth to escape out of his Maisters handes and yet is faine in great miserie to serue him Thirdly after hee hath sinned hee is sore displeased with himselfe for it and truelie repenteth As Peter before the denying of his Maister had no purpose to doe it but rather to die in his cause In the act hee had a striuing with himselfe as appeareth by this that first hee answered faintly I knowe not what thou saist and yet after when the assault of Sathan more preuailed he fell to swearing cursing and banning After his fall he repented himselfe and wept bitterly for it All was contrarie in Iudas who went to betraâ—e his maister with full intent and purpose for the diuell long tempting him vnto it entred into him that is made him yeelde and resolue himselfe to doe it Afterward when Christ was betraied and condemned Iudas was not sorrowfull for his sinne with a godly sorrow but in dispaire of mercie hanged himselfe XLVI Fruites worthy of amendment of life are such fruites as the trees of righteousnes beare namely good workes for the doing of a good worke there be three things requisite First it must proceede from iustifying faith For the worke cannot please God except the person please him and the person cannot please him without this faith Secondly it is to bee done in obedience vnto Gods reuealed word to obeie is better then sacrifice and to hearken is better then the fatte of Rams Thirdly it is to be referred to Gods glorie Whether ye eate or drinke saith Paule or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glorie of God The speciall workes of Christians which they and none but they truly performe are these fiue which follow XLVII The first is the good hearing of the worde my sheepe saith Christ heare my voice and followe me And againe he which is of God heareth his voice And this was one note of the faithfull in the primatiue Church to assemble to heare the worde This good hearing of the worde is the sauing hearing that bringeth life eternall In this action Christians are vsually thus disposed Before they come to heare the worde of God they make themselues readie to heare it as the men of Berea did who receaued the worde with all readines This preparation standeth in two points First they disburden themselues of all impedimentes that like vnto runners in a race they may be swift to heare these impedimentes are sinne and troubled affections and they come with humble heartes as fooles that they may become wise Secondly they quicken vp themselues and come vnto the assemblies hungring and thirsting after the worde of God as men doe after meate and drinke When they are in hearing Gods worde their minds are fixed and attentiue onely to that which is spoken as Lydias was Thirdly they truly beleue the word of God carefully applie it to their owne souls Fourthly they feel the liuely power of it in theÌ„selues It is as salt in them to drawe out their inward corruption it is to them the sworde of the spirite and as a sacrifising knife in the hande of Gods Minister by which their flesh is killed and they are offered vp in a liuing sacrifice to God it is spirite and life to quicken and reuiue their soules that are dead in sin And the reason of this is plaine The word of God preached is as a cuppe of wine the true Christian is the Lords guest but he hath sauce of his owne He bringeth his suger with him namely his true faith which he tempereth and mingleth with Gods worde and so it becommeth vnto him as a cuppe of sweete wine and as water of life Nowe the hypocrite because hee bringeth no faith with him drinketh of the same but thinketh the wine to bee sowre and tarte and voyde of relishe and in truth it is vnto him as a cuppe of ranke poyson Againe they heare the worde of God as in Gods presence and therefore their hearts are full of feare and trembling And they receiue the worde not as from man but as from Christ Iesus the onely Doctor of the Church And they regarde not so much the Embassadour or his abilitie as the Embassage of reconciliation sent from the king of Heauen After they haue hearde the worde they are bettered in knowledge and in affection and they remember it and meditate vpon it continuallie that they may frame all their doinges by it Worldlie men vse to buie bookes of statutes and to haue them in their houses to reade on that they may knowe howe to auoide daunger of lawe And so the faithfull doe alwaies sette before them Gods worde and in all their dooinges it is their Counseller lest they shoulde come into daunger of Gods displeasure XLVIII The second worke is the receauing of the Sacraments of Baptisme once onely when a man is admitted into the Church and of the Lords Supper often The first sealeth vp to the heart of a Christian that he is vnited vnto Christ and hath true fellowshippe with him in being fullie iustified before God and inwardly sanctified The second serueth to seale vp in the heart of a Christian the continuall growing and increasing of the same graces This thing euerie true beleeuer shall haue often experience of either in or after the receauing of the Sacrament and yet it shall not bee so alwaies for sometimes the Church being brought into Christes wine-celler shall fall into a sounde and not feele any refreshing there Yet the beleeuer is not to bee dismaied if he feele not alwaies comfort presentlie after the Sacrament A sicke man feeles no comfort or nourishment when hee eateth meate and yet it preserueth his life So the weake Christian though hee feele himselfe not nourishe at the Sacrament by Christes bodie and bloud yet hee shall see in time that his soule shall be preserued thereby vnto euerlasting life Furthermore when a Christian feeleth no comforte by the Sacrament let him then humble himselfe before the Lorde more heartily then euer before confessing his sinnes and praying for increase of grace and then hee shall feele the fruite of the Sacrament XLIX The third worke is a relieuing of the poore bretheren in Christ proceeding of a brotherly kindenesse towardes them This is a speciall woorke not to bee done to all men alike as saint Paule saith Doe good to all men but especiallie to them of the housholde of faith Directions for this matter are the faithfull of Hierusalem who were all in one place and had all thinges common namely in vse And they solde their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as euerie one had neede Also the bretheren at Corinth in their extreame pouertie relieued the
Churches of Macedonia liberallie not onelie according to their power but also straining themselues beyonde their power Yea this reliefe must goe further euen to the bestowing of a mans life if neede so require As saint Iohn saith Hereby wee haue perceaued Loue that hee laide downe his life for vs therefore wee ought also to laie downe our liues for the bretheren L The fourth worke is true praier and saint Luke setteth out the faithfull and the children of God by this description That they call on the name of the Lorde As on the contrarie it is saide of the wicked That they call not vpon GOD. The true Christian calleth on the Lorde in truth For the spirite of adoption which is the spirite of Praier is his Schoolemaister to teach him to doe it In Praier hee is thus disposed First before hee praieth hee is stricken with some feare and reuerence in regarde of GODS Maiestie for hee considereth that praier is a familiar talking with God Secondlie hee is inwardlie touched with a liuelie feeling of his owne wants but especially hee is vexed and grieued at his owne sinne and rebellion and this sense of his miserie is as a spurre to quicken his benummed heart Thirdly hee humbleth himselfe before his God and laieth open his heart before the Lorde shewing a feruent and longing desire to obtaine those thinges of which he findeth an extreame want in himselfe as the Prophet Dauid did whose desire was like the yawning of the drie ground and this proceedeth from the spirite of God which stirreth vp groaninges in the heart which a man oftentimes for his life cannot expresse Fourthlie when hee maketh his request hee doubteth not but by faith hee beleeueth that God will graunt his requestes which hee maketh according to his worde The ground of this perswasion is double First Christ Iesus by whose merites as hee hath obtained remission of sinnes so he looketh to obtaine all things else The other ground is the comfortable promises of God which he hath made that he will heare them who truely call vpon him Fifthlie hee praieth not for a brunt or two but hee continueth in praier And although God seeme not to heare him at the first yet hee patiently waiteth on the Lord and still calleth vpon him LI The first worke is to walke in some lawfull calling with painefulnesse and vprightnesse so that in performing all the dueties of it a man may keepe a good conscience before God and men Thus Dauid determined to walke in the gouernement of his house and kingdome I will doe wiselie saith hee in the perfect waie till thou commest to mee I will walke in the vprightnesse of mine heart in the middest of mine house I will sette no wicked thing before mine eies I hate the worke of them that fall awaie it shall not cleaue vnto me This sinceritie of Dauids behauiour in his calling made him bold to offer himselfe to be tried not onely by men but much more by the Lord God himselfe and to bee punished accordingly Iudge mee O Lorde saith hee for I haue walked in mine innocencie prooue mee O Lorde and trie mee examine my reines and mine heart So vpright and cleare was hee in all his doings LII Thus much of faith and the benefites that come by faith Nowe followeth the spirituall exercise of a Christian in his manifolde temptations which are in this life inseparable companions of grace The reason is because the diuell hateth Christ with a deadly hatred and sheweth this hatred in a continuall persecution of his members as saint Iohn saith the Dragon was wroth with the Woman and went and made warre with the remnant of hir seed which kept the commandementes of God and haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ. Now therefore as soone as Christ Iesus beginneth to shewe anie token of his loue to anie man the Deuill contrariwise sheweth foorth his enmitie and stirres vp his fellow champions the flesh and the worlde to war against him for his confusion And furthermore the Lord in great wisedome permits temptations to the last ende of a Christian mans life to trie his faith to purge him of sinne to humble him and to make him depende of his maiestie to quicken and reuiue the graces of his spirit which otherwise would be dead and decay LIII The temptations of a Christian are specially sixe The first is when inwardly in his hart he is drawen away and entised by his owne concupiscence vnto anie sinne The Christians exercise in temptation is fight and battell betwixt the flesh and the spirit And this fighting standeth in foure things First the flesh stirres vp euill thoughtes and desires as a burning furnace continually â—endeth vp smoke and sparkes of fire and it â—ggeth a man forward to euill wordes and deeeds according to that of Saint Marke For from within euen from the hart of man proceed euill thoughts adulteries fornications murders theftes couetousnes wickednes deceite vncleannesse a wicked eye backbiting pride folishnes 2 The flesh hindreth and choketh the good motions desires of the hart as Paul saith I see an other law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind and leading me captiue to the law of sinne which is in my members Again the same flesh mingleth euerie good motioÌ„ and desire with some corruptions so that the godlie mislike the best thing they doe Esay saith of his owne the peoples righteousnes that it is but as a menstruous cloute The prayers of the saintes must be performed with swete odours before they can ascend vp sweete sauorie into the nostrilles of God And Paul said of himself he did that which he disliked not that he was ouertaken with grosse sins but because when hee was to do his dutie the flesh hindred him that he could not do that which he did exactly and soundly according to his wil and desire euen as a man who hath a iorney to go his mind is to dispatch it in all hast yet when he is in his trauel he goes but slowly by reason of a lamenesse in his ioints 3 The spirit on the contrarie kindles in the hart good motions desires puts a man forward to good words and deeds as it was in Dauid I will praise the Lord saith he who hath giuen me counsell my reines also teach me in the night season 4 The spirit rebuks a man for his euil intents desires and represseth the face of them and as it were nips them in the head Thus Esay describeth the inward motions of the spirit And thine eares shal heare a word behind thee saying this is the way walke yee in it when thou turnest to the right hand and when thou turnest to the left And Saint Iohn saith The spirit iudgeth the world of sinne This was in Dauid who when he did
spirite which in me so fight perpetuallie the one against the other that I must goe either backward or forwarde and cannot stand long in one state If the spirite ouercome in tentations then is shee stronger and the flesh weaker But if the flesh get a custome then is the spirit none otherwise oppressed of the flesh then as though she had a mountaine on hir backe and as we sometime in our dreames thinke we beare heauier then a milstone on our breasts or when we dreame nowe and then that wee would runne awaie for feare of some thing our legges seeme heauier then leade Euen so is the spirite oppressed and ouerladen of the flesh through custome that shee strugleth and striueth to gette vp and to breake loose in vaine vntill the God of mercie which heareth my grone through Iesus Christ come and lose hir with his power and put something on the backe of the flesh to keepe hir downe to minish hir strength and to mortifie hir So then no sinner I am if you regard the spirit the profession of my heart toward the lawe of God my repentance and sorrowe that I haue both because I haue sinned and am yet full of sinne looke vnto the promises of mercie in our Sauiour Christ and vnto my faith A sinner am I if you looke to the frailty of my flesh which is a remnant of the olde Adam and as it were the state of the wild oliue tree euer and anone when occasion is giuen shooting forth his branches leaues bud blossome and fruite also which also is as the weakenes of one that is newlie recouered out of a great disease by the reason whereof all my deedes are imperfect and when occasions be great I fall into horrible deeds and the fruit of the sinne which remaineth in my members breaketh out Notwithstanding the spirit leaueth me not but rebuketh mee and bringeth mee home againe vnto my profession so that I neuer cast of the yoke of God from of my necke neither yeelde vp my selfe vnto sinne to serue it but fight a fresh and beginne a new battaile And I had rather you should vnderstande this foorth of the Scriptures by the example of Ionas and the Apostles Ionas was the friende of God and a chosen seruaunt of GOD to testifie his will vnto the worlde Hee was sent from the Lande of Israell where he was a Prophet to goe amongest an Heathen people and the greatest citie of the worlde then called Niniuie to preach that within fortie dayes they shoulde bee destroyed for their sinnes which message the free will of Ionas had as much power to doe as the weakest hearted woman in the worlde had power if shee were commaunded to leape into a tubbe of liuing snakes and Adders as happelie if God had commanded Sara to sacrifice hir sonne Isaac as he did Abraham she would haue disputed with God ere shee had done it or though shee were strong enough Well Ionas hartned by his owne imagination and reasoning after this manner I am here a prophet vnto Gods people the Israelits which though they haue gods worde testified vnto them daylie yet despise and worshippe God vnder the likenesse of Calues after all maner of fashions saue after his owne worde and therefore are of all nations the worst and most worthie of punishment And yet God for loue of a few that are among them for his names sake spareth and defendeth them how then shal God take so cruel vengeaÌ„ce on so great a multitude of theÌ„ to whoÌ„ his name was neuer preached therefore are not the tenth part so euill as these If I therefore shall goe preach I shal lie shame my selfe and God too make them the more to despise God Vpon this imagination hee fledde from the presence of GOD and from the countrie where God is worshipped When Ionas entred into the ship he laide him downe to sleepe for his conscience was tossed betweene the commandement of God which sent him to Niniuie and his fleshlie wisedome which disswaded and counselled him to the contrarie at last preuayled against the commaundement and carried him an otherway as a shippe caught betweene two streames as the Poets faine the mother of Meleager to be betweene diuers affections while to aduenture hir brothers death shee sought to sley hir owne sonne wherevpon for verie payne and tediousnesse shee laye downe to sleep to put the commandement out of minde which did so gnawe and fret hir conscience as the nature of all the wicked is when they haue sinned in earnest to â—eeke all meanes with riote reuell and paâ—time to driue the remembrance of sinne â—oorth of their hearts as Adam did to coâ—er his wickednesse with apperns of figgeâ—eaues But God awoke him out of his â—reame and set his sinnes before his face for when the lott had caught Ionas theÌ„ be sure that his sin came to remeÌ„brance again that his conscience raged no lesse theÌ„ the waters of the sea And then he thought he onely was a sinner and thought also that as verilie as he had fled froÌ„ God as verily God had cast him awaie for the sight of the rod maketh the naturall child not onely to see and acknowledge his fault but also to forget all his fathers old mercie and goodnes And then hee confessed his sinne openlie and of verie desperation to haue liued any longer hee had cast himselfe into the Sea betimes except they woulde bee lost also for all this God prouided a fish to swallow Ionas When Ionas had beene in the fishes bellie a space the rage of his conscience was somewhat quieted and hee came to himselfe againe and had receiued a little hope and the qualmes and panges of desperation which went ouer his heart were halfe ouercome then hee prayed to God and gaue thankes vnto him When Ionas was cast vppon the lande againe then his will was free and he had power to go whether God sent him and to what God commanded him his owne imagination laid apart for he had ben at a new schole in a fornace wher he was purged of much refue drosse of fleshlie wisedom which resisted y e wisedom of God For as far as we be blind in Adam we cannot but seeke and will our own profit pleasure glorie as far as we be taught in the spirit we cannot but seeke and will the pleasure of God only Then Ionas preached to Niniuie and they repented theÌ„ Ionas shewed again his corrupt nature for all his trying in the Whales bellie He was so displeased because the Niniuits perished not he was weary of his life wished death for very sorrow that hee had lost the glory of his prophecying in y t his prophecy came not to passe but hee was rebuked of God as in his prophecy you may read The apostles Christ taught theÌ„ euer to be meek to humble theÌ„selues yet oft they striued among themselues who should be greatest the sons of Zebede would
and quaffing and all such like Galathians 5. 19. 20. 22. All these they cannot proceede from thee Sathan or from my fleshe but onelie from faith which is wrought in me by gods holie spirite Sathan If this were so God would neuer suffer thee to sinne as thou doest Christian. I shall sinne as long as I liue in this worlde I am sure of it because I am taught to aske remission of my sinnes continually But the manner of my sinning now is otherwaies than it hath beene in times past I haue sinned heretofore with ful purpose and consent of will but now doubtles I doo not Before I commit anie sinne I do not go to the practising of it with deliberation as the carnall man doth who taketh care to fulfill the lustes of the flesh but if I doo it it is flat beside my minde and purpose In the doing of anie sinne I woulde not doe it my heart is against it and I hate it and yet by the tyrannie of my flesh being ouercome I doe it afterwardc when it is committed I am grieued and displeased at my selfe and doe earnestlie with teares aske at Gods hands forgiuenesse of the same sinne Sathan Indeede this is verye true in the children of God but thou art solde vnder sinne and with great pleasure doest commit sinne louest it with thy whole heart otherwise thou wouldest not fall to sinne againe after repentance and commit euen one and the same sinne so often as thou doest Thou hypocrite this thy behauiour turneth all the fauour of God from thee Christian. Nay it is the order of the Prophets to call men to repentance which haue fallen from the feare of God and from the repentance which they professed and God in thus calling him putteth them in hope of obtaining mercie And the law had sacrifices offered euery day for the sinnes of all the people and for particular men both for their ignorances and their voluntarie sinnes which signifieth that God is readie to forgiue the sinnes of his children yea if they sinne daily Abraham twise lied and swore that Sara was not his wife Ioseph swore twise by the life of Pharao Dauid coÌ„mitted adulterie often because he tooke vnto him Bathsheba Vriahs wife also kept sixe wiues and ten concubines Gods will is that meÌ„ forgiue till seuentie seuen times and therefore he will shew much more mercie And for my part so oft as I shall fall into the same sin so oft I shall haue Christ my aduocate and intercessour to the father for me who will not damne me for the infirmitie which he findeth in me I will abstaine from externall iniquitie and I wil not make my members seruants vnto sinne and so long I trust my imperfections shall haue no power to damne mee for Christes perfection is reputed to be mine by faith which I haue in his bloud God is not displeased if my bodie be sicke and subiect to diseases no more is he displeased at the disease and sicknesse of the soule A naturall father will â—ot slay the bodie of his childe when he is sicke and abhorreth comfortable meates and my heauenly father will not condemne my soule although through the infirmitie of faith and the weakenesse of the spirit I commit sinne and often loath his heauenâ—y word the food of my soule Nay which â—s a strange thing I know it by experience â—hat God hath turned my filthie sinnes to my great profit and to the amendment of my life like as the good Phisition of ranke â—oison is able to make a soueraigne medicine to preserue life Sathan Well be it that now thou art in the state of grace yet thou shalt not continue so but shalt before death depart from Christ. Christian. I know I am a meÌ„ber of Christs misticall bodie I feele in my selfe the heauenlie power and vertue of my head Christ Iesus and for this cause I cannot perish but shall continue for euer and raigne in Heauen after this life with him The conflicts of Sathan with the weake Christian. Sathan THy minde is full of ignorance and blindnes thy heart is full of obstinacie rebellion and frowardnes against God thou art whollie vnfit for anie good work wherfore thou hast no faith neither canst thou be iustified and accepted before God Christian. If I haue but one drop of the grace of God and if my faith bee no more than a litle graine of mustard seede it is sufficient for mee God requireth not perfect faith but true faith Sathan Yea but thou hast no faith at all Christian. I haue had faith Sathan Thou neuer hadst true faith foâ— in time past when according to thine own opinion thou didst beleeue then thou hadst nothing but a shadow of faith and a foolish imagination which all hypocrites haue Christian. I wil put my trust in god for euer his former mercies shewed mee heretofore strengtheÌ„ me now in this my weaknes 1. He created me when I was nothing 2. He created me a man when he might haue made me an vglie Toade 3. He made me of comelie bodie and of good discretioÌ„ wheras he might haue made me vglie deformed franticke mad 4. I was borne in the daies of knowledg when I might haue beene borne in the time of ignorance and superstition 5. I was borne of Christian parents but God might haue giuen me either Turks or Iewes or some other sauage people for my parents 6. I might haue perished in my mothers wombe but he hath preserued me and prouided for me by his prouidence euen vnto this houre 7. Soone after my birth God might haue cast me into hell but contrariwise I was baptized and so receiued the seale of his blessed couenant 8 I haue had by Gods goodnesse some sorrowe for my sinnes past and haue called on him in hope and confidence that heâ— would heare me 9 God might haue concealed his worâ— from mee but I haue heard the plentifuâ— preaching of it I vnderstand it and hauâ— receiued comfort by it 10 Lastly at this time God might powâ—â— his full wrath on me which he dooth noâ— but mercifully maketh me to feele miâ—… owne wants that I might be humbled aâ—… giue all glorie vnto him for his blessingâ— Wherefore there is no cause why I shouâ—â— bee disquieted but I will trust still in tâ—â— Lord and depend on him as I haue done Sathan Thou feelest no grace of the hâ—… lie Ghoste in thee nor anie true tokens 〈…〉 faith but thou hast a liuely sense of the râ—bellion of thy heart and of thy lewde aâ—â— wretched conuersation therefore thâ— canst not put anie confidence in Christâ— death and sufferings Christian. Yet I will hope against all hopâ— and although according to mine owâ— sense and feeling I want faith yet I will bâ— leeue in Iesus Christ and trust to be sauâ— by him Sathan Though the children of GOD haue beene in many perplexities yet neuer any of them haue bin in
this case in which thou art at this present Christian. Heerein thou prouest thy selfe to be a lying spirite for the Prophet Dauid â—aith of himselfe that he was foolish and as a beast before God and yet he euen then trusted in God And Paule was so led capâ—iue of sinne that he was not able to do the good he would but did the euill which hee â—ated and so in great pensiuenes of heart desired to be deliuered from this world that â—ee might bee disburdened of his corrupt â—â—esh Sathan Thou miserable wretch doest â—â—ou feele thy selfe gracelesse and wilt thou â—eare the face of a Christian and by thy â—ypocrisie offend God as thou art so shew â—â—y selfe to the world Christian. Auoide Sathan Christe hath anquished and ouercome thee for my â—ause that I might also triumph ouer thee â— am no hypocrite for whereas I haue had â—eeretofore some testimonie of my faith at his time I am lesse mooued though faith â—â—eme to be absent like as a man may seeme 〈◊〉 bee dead both in his owne sense and by the iudgement of the Phisition and yet maie haue life in him so faith maie bee though alwaies it doe not appeare Sathan But thou art a man starke dead in sin God hath now quite forsaken thee hee hath left thee vnto me to be ruled hee hath giuen me power ouer thee to bring thee to damnation he will not haue thee to trust in him anie longer Christian. Strengthen me good Lord remember thy mercifull promises that thou wilt reuiue the humble giue life to them that are of a contrite heart Sathan These promises concerne not thee which hast no humble and contrite but a froward and a rebellious heart Christian. Good Lorde forget not thy former mercies giue an issue to these temptations of mine enemie Satan And you my bretheren which know my estate praie for me that God woulde turne his fauourable countenance towards me for this I know that the ptaier of the righteous auaileth much if it be feruent Howe a man should applie aright the word of God to his owne soule I EVerie Christian containeth in himselfe two natures flat contrarie the one to the other the flesh and the spirite and that he may become a perfect man in Christ Iesus his earnest indeuour must bee to tame and subdue the flesh to strengthen and confirme the spirit II Answerable to these two natures are the two parts of Gods worde First the Lawe because it is the ministerie of death it fitlie serueth for the taming and maistering of the rebellious flesh and the Gospell containing the bountifull promises of God in Christ is as oile to powre into our wounds and as the water of life to quench our thirstie soules it fitlie serueth for the strengthening of the Spirite III Well then art thou secure Art thou prone to euill Feelest thou that thy rebellious flesh carrieth thee captiue vnto sinne Looke nowe onelie vpon the lawe of God applie it to thy self examine thy thoughts thy words thy deedes by it pray vnto God that he would giue thee the Spirit of feare that the law maie in some measure huÌ„ble terrifie thee for as Salomon saith blessed is the man that feareth alwaies but cursed is he that hardeneth his heart IIII In the Law these are most effectuall meditations to humble and bridle the flesh which follow First meditate on the greatnes of thy sinnes and of their infinite number and if it may be gather them into a Catalogue set it before thee and looke vnto it that thou think no sinne to be a small sin no not the bare thoughts and motions of thy heart Often with diligence consider the strange iudgements of God vpon men for their sinnes which thou shalt find partlie in the Scriptures partlie by dailie experience Doubtlesse thou must thinke that euerie iudgement of God is a sermon of repentance Thinke oft on the fearefull curse of the law due vnto thee if thou shouldest sin neuer but once in al thy life and that neuer so litle Remember that whensoeuer thou committest a sin God is present and his holie Angels that he is an eie witnes that he taketh a note of thy sin registreth it in a booke Thinke dailie of thy ende and know that God maie strike thee with sodain death euerie moment and that if then thou haue not repented before that time there is no hope of saluation Thinke on the sodain comming of our Sauiour Christ to iudgement let it moue thee continually to watch and praie If these will not moue thee think on this that no creature in heauen or in earth was able to pacifie the wrath of God for thy sins but his owne Sonne must come downe from heauen out of his Fathers bosome and must beare the curse of the lawe euen the full wrath of his Father for thee V When by these meanes thou art feared and thy minde is disquieted in respect of Gods iudgement for thy sin haue recourse â—o the promises of mercie contained in the â—ld and new Testament Is thy conscience stung with sin And doth the law make theâ— feele it With all speede runne to the braseâ— Serpent Christ Iesus look on him with the eie of faith and presently thou shalt be healed of thy sting or wound VI When thou doest meditate on the promises of the Gospell diligentlie consideâ— these benefites which thou enioiest by Christ. Through Adam thou art condemned to hell by Christ thou art deliuereâ— from it Through Adam thou hast transgreâ—sed the whole law in Christ thou hast fulfilled it Through Adam thou art before Goâ— a vile a lothsome sinner through Chriâ—â— thou doest appeare glorious in his eies Bâ— Adam euerie litle crosse is the punishmenâ— of thy sin and a token of Gods wrath by Christ the greatest crosses are easie profitable and tokens of Gods mercie By Adam thou diddest loose all thinges in Christ aâ— things are restored to thee again By Adam thou art dead by Christ thou art quickneâ— and made aliue againe By Adam thou art slaue of the Diuel and the childe of wratâ— but by Christ thou art the child of God 〈…〉 Adam thou art worse than a Toade moâ—… detestable before God but by Christ thoâ— art aboue the Angels For thou art ioined vnto him and made bone of his bone misticallie Through Adam sinne and Sathan haue ruled in thee and led thee captiue by Christ the spirite of God dwelleth in thee plenteouslie By Adam came death to thee it is an entrance to hel by Christ though death remain yet it is onelie a passage vnto life Lastlie in Adam thou art poore and blinde and miserable In Christ thou art rich and glorious thou art the King of heauen and earth fellow heire with him and shalt as sure be partaker of it as he is euen now Adam when he must needs tast
acknowledge the truth of it and confesse it if need require be a defender of it As Iudas was Iulian the Apostata X The reprobate may haue a feeling of his sins so acknowledge them the punishment due vnto them as Saul did who said I haue sinned come againe my sonne Dauid for I will doe thee no harme because my soule was pretiou◠in thy eies this day Behold I haue done foolishly and haue erred exceedingly Thus did Cain when he said my punishment is greater then I can beare Galerius Maximinus a vile persecutor of Christiās had his bowels rotting within him so that an infinite number of wormes continually craulled foorth of his bodie and such a poysoning stinke came from him that no man could abide him being thus plagued with the hand of God hee began to perceiue his wickednes in persecuting Christians and he confessed his sins to the true God and assembling the chiefe about him he commaunded that all within his Dominions shoulde cease to trouble Christians and in all hast he made a law for the peace and liberty and the publike meetings of Christians XI The reprobate hath oftentimes feare and terror of conscience but this is onely because he considereth the wrath and vengeance of God which is most terrible When Paul preached before Foelix by the maiestie of Gods spirit did as it were thunder from heauen against his sinnes doubtlesse he made his heart to ake and euery ioint of him to tremble Ecebolius a Philosopher of Constantinople in the daies of Constantius professed Christian religion and went beyond all other in zeale for the same religion yet afterward vnder Iulian he fell from that religion vnto Gentilisme But after Iulians death making meanes to bee receiued into the Church againe ouerwhelmed with the horror of his owne conscience for his wicked reuolting hee cast himselfe downe on the ground before the dores of the Church crying aloude Calcate me salem insipidum trample on me vnsauerie salt And the Diuel beleeueth the word of God and at his owne damnation he trembleth These seruile feares though they harden the heart of the reprobate as heate doth the yron after it hath beene in the furnace yet these feares in the children of God are very good preparations to make them fitte to receiue grace like as wee see the heedle which soweth not the cloth yet it maketh a passage and enterance for the threede which serueth for this vse to sowe cloth together XII A reprobate before he commit a sinne is often vexed within himselfe and feareth to commit it not because hee hateth and disliketh the sinne for it selfe but because he can not abide the punishment due vnto the sin When the daughter of Herodias daunced before Herode and pleased him that hee might doe her a pleasure hee bad her aske what shee woulde shee asked Iohn Baptists head in a platter Herode did graunt her request but yet hee had a grudging in heart and he was sore grieued at it In like maner Pilate was very much troubled inwardly before he condemned our Sauiour Christ. XIII After he hath committed a sinne he sorroweth and repenteth yet this repentance hath two wants in it First hee doth not detest his sinne and his former conuersation when he repenteth he doth bewaile the losse of many things which he once enioyed he cryeth out through very anguish and through the perplexities which God in his iudgement layeth on him yet for his life he is not able to leaue his filthy sinne and if he might be deliuered he would sinne as before Esau wept before his father with great yelling crying but after hee was gone from his fathers presence hee hated his brother who had got his blessing and in contempt of his father chose him a wife against his fathers liking Pharao as oft as the Lorde laide any calamitie on him he euermore desired to bee deliuered from it yet afterward alwaies hee returned to his olde bias againe Foelix trembled before Paul for all that he coulde not leaue his couetousnes but euen then he sought for a bribe Secondly the repobate when he repenteth hee can not come vnto God and seeke vnto him he hath no power no not so much as once to desire to giue one little sobbe for the remission of his sins if hee would giue all the worlde hee cannot so much as giue one rappe at Gods mercie gate that he may open to him He is very like a man vpon a Racke who cryeth and roreth out for very paine yet cannot desire his tormentor to ease him of his paine Caine would haue been voide of his trembling but hee coulde not aske pardon of his sinne from his heart neither coulde Saul or Iudas or now can the Diuel XIIII The reprobate may humble himselfe for some sinnes which he hath committed and may declare this by fasting teares When Eliah reproued Ahab for his Idolatrie and threatned him from the Lord it is said that when hee had heard these wordes hee rent his clothes and put sackcloth vpon him and fasted and went softly in token of mourning and this humiliation staied Gods wrath for a time XV. He may confesse his sinnes euen his particular sinnes before men but this is onely then when his soule is tormented for them and can find no ease For then hee sticketh not to vtter his secret filthinesse to the hearing of all men and to the open shaming of himselfe When God smote all that was in the fieldes of AEgypt with hayle then Pharao sent and called for Moses Aaron sayd vnto them I haue now sinned the Lorde is righteous but I and my people are wicked pray ye vnto the Lord for it is enough that there be no more mightie thunders c. So Iudas when he saw that Christ was condemned and felt an hell in his conscience brake out and said I haue sinned in betraying the innocent bloud And the experience of these dayes giueth fearefull examples for the proofe of this point XVI He hath often a desire to be like the children of God and to be saued not becaus◠he hath anie loue to the kingdome of God but because he is afraide of hell As Balaa◠ouerpressed with a feare of gods iudgemēt prayed thus Oh that my soule might die the death of the righteous and that my last ende might be like his XVII The wicked in their distresse may pray to God and God may heare their prayers and graunt them their request as the Israelites wickedly murmuring against God desired flesh in the wildernes God heard their crie and rained Quailes among them But God heareth the wicked after one sort and them that feare him after an other thē that feare him he graunteth their requestes of loue mercie to the other of indignation and anger As may appeare in the Israelites who when they were in eating of their Quayles and the
plucked out their eies to haue done him good yet they fell from the doctrine which hee had taught them to iustification by the works of the Lawe which flat ouerthroweth iustification by faith alone The same appeareth in Iehu who was very zealous for Gods cause and for the defacing of Idolatrie and thereupon God blessed him in his children yet neuerâ—helesse he was a wicked man and followed â—ha vile sinnes of Ieroboam his father XXVI After that hee hath sinned hee doth in many things in which he is faultie amende and reforme his life and doth professe great holines outwardly Herode hee did manie thinges which Iohn Baptist in preaching moued him vnto Saule when he was to be chosen king professed great humilitie Sam. 9. 21. They may represse their vices corruptions and so moderate themselues that they breake not out as did Haman of whom it is written that when he was full of indignation against Mardocheus yet he refrained himselfe And herein the elect and the reprobate differ for the elect are somewhat reformed in euerie one of their sinnes But the reprobate though hee be amended in manie faults yet some one fault or other he cannot abide to haue it reformed and by that in a vile manner the diuel wholly possesseth him As Herode who did manie thinges yet woulde not leaue his brothers wife And no doubt in Iudas most of his sinnes in appearance were mortified and yet by couetousnes the diuel possessed him and held him fast chained in bondage vndâ— him For one sinne is sufficient to him thâ— by it he may bring a man to damnation XXVII Beside this he may haue the gift of woâ—king miracles of casting forth diuels of heâ—ling and such like And this power of dâ—ing strange miracles shall be vsed as an eâ—cuse of some of the reprobates in the day â— iudgement XXVIII Ofrentimes vnto him is giuen the gift of the holie Ghost to discharge the moâ— waightie calling that can bee in anie Common wealth And this is meant when Goâ— is saide to giue Saule another heart that is such vertues as were meete for a King XXIX A reprobate may haue the word of Goâ— much in his mouth and also may be a preacher of the word for so prophesying in Christâ— name shall bee vsed as an excuse of reprobates and we know that among the twelue Apostles Iudas was a reprobate And this may bee well perceiued in the resemblance of tasting which the Author to the Hebrewes vseth We know that Cookes commonlie which are occupied in preparing of banquets haue as much feeling and seeing of the meate as anie other and yet there is none that eateth lesse of it than they for their stomacks are cloied with the smell and tast of it So in like manner it may come to passe that the Minister which dresseth and prouideth the spirituall foode may eate the least of it himselfe and so labouring to saue others he may be a reprobate XXX When as a reprobate professeth thus much of the Gospel though in deede he be a Goate yet hee is taken for one of Gods sheepe hee is kept in the same pastures and is foulded in the same fould with them He is counted a Christian of the children of God so he taketh himself to be no doubt because through the dulnes of his heart he cannot trie and examine himself and therfore truely cannot discerne of his estate whether hee be in Christ or not and it may be thought that Satan is readie with some false perswasion to deceiue him For this is his property that vpon whom God threatneth death there Satan is bolde to pronounce life and saluation as on the contrarie to those to whom God pronounceth loue and mercie to those I say he threateneth displeasure and damnation such malice hath he against Gods children XXXI And hereby it commeth to passe that an hypocrite may be in the visible Church and obey it in the word and discipline and so bee taken for a true member of Christ when as a man in deede regenerate may be excommunicate and end his life before he be receiued againe for this is the end of excommunication that the flesh that is the part vnregenerate may be destroied and the spirit that is the part regenerate may be kept aliue in the daie of the Lord. Nowe the man in whom is spirite and flesh must needes be the child of God because this argueth that he hath the sanctifying spirite of Christ. Againe Paule when he biddeth the Corinthians to comfort the incestious man least through the sleight of Satan he should be ouerwhelmed of ouermuch heauines giueth men to vnderstand that he might haue ended his life in great extremitie of sorrowe before hee had been visiblie receiued into the Church againe XXXII Though God will neuer adopt any reprobate yet by the adoption of the elect they may receiue profite For they finde â—he blessing of God to be on them by reaâ—on that they dwell together and haue sociâ—tie with the children of God For Nohes â—ake euerie one in his familie is saued in the â—lood For Lots cause the men of Zoar are â—reserued from the fire And God woulde haue spared Sodome if there had beene but ten good men in it For Rahabs cause her familie and kindred are at libertie in Ierico When Ioseph was in Putiphars house all thinges prospered well For Samuels cause the Israelites were deliuered from the Philistines And for Paules cause they which were with him in the ship were preserued And againe a reprobate by meanes of the faith of either of his parents may be within Gods couenant and so may be made partaker of Baptisme one of the seals of the couenant Forso God made his couenant with Abraham that he woulde be not only his God but also the God of his seede after him which Paule expoundeth not of a fewe but of all nations Also he saith manifestly that those children either of whose parents are beleeuers or holie which holines is not inherent in their persons but onely outwarde and it is a spirituall prerogatiue graunted them of God in that he vouchsafeth them to be in his couenant whereby they are distinguished from the wicked and prophane men of the world XXXIII Besides this reprobates haue some prerogâ—atiues of God as that he is patieÌ„t towards them that before he will destroy them he vseth many meanes to winne them that they commonly spend all the daies of their liues in prosperitie insomuch that it is saide of them in the Psalme that they goe in continuall prosperitie vnto their death and pine not away as the children of God doe But after a certaine time God in his iust iudgement hardeneth their harts blindeth the eies of their minds he maketh their heads giddie with a spirituall drunkennes and by the strength of their inward lusts as also by the effectuall
separation must bee made before the ende of this life For this is the order which God taketh hee will haue all them to be in his kingdome in this life that shall bee in the kingdome of heauen after this life And the time of their calling is termed in scriptures the day of visitation the day of saluation the time of grace III This seuering and choosing of the elect out of the worlde is then performed when God by his holy spirite indueth them with true sauing faith a wonderfull gift peculiar to the elect For the better knowing of it there is to be considered First what faith is Secondly howe God doth worke it in the hearts of the Elect Thirdly what degrees there bee of faith Fourthly what are the fruits and benefites of faith IIII Faith is a wonderfull grace of God by which the Elect doe apprehende and apply Christ and all his benefites vnto themselues particularly Here first it is to bee considered that the verie nature of faith standeth in a certaine power of apprehending applying Christ. This is declared by Paule when hee saith ye are buried with him through Baptisme by whome ye are also risen againe with him by the faith of the power of God who raised him from the deade Where it appeareth that faith is made a meanes to communicate Christ himselfe his death and buriall and so all other benefites to the beleeuer Againe to beleeue in Christ and to receiue or to laie holde on Christ are put one for an other by S. Iohn which declareth that there is a speciall applying of Christ. euen as we see when a man hath any thing giuen him hee reacheth out his hand and pulleth it to himself and so makes it his owne Moreouer faith is called the putting on of Christ Which cannot bee vnlesse Christs righteousnes bee specially applyed to the heart as the garment to the backe when it is put on Lastly this may appeare in that faith is called the eating and drinking of Christ for there is no eating of meate that nourisheth but first it must bee tasted and chawed in the mouth then it must be conueyed into the stomack and there digested Lastly it is to be applied to the partes of th◠body that are to bee nourished And Paul praieth for the Ephesians that Christ ma◠dwell in their hearts by faith which plainly importeth this apprehending and applying of Christ. I adde further that faith is a wonderfull grace of God which may appear First in that Paule calleth it the faith of Gods power because the power of God is especially seene in the begetting of faith Secondly experience sheweth it to bee a wonderfull gift of God when a man neither seeth nor feeleth his sinnes then to say he beleeueth in Gods mercie it is an easie matter but when a man shall feele his heart pressed downe with the weight of his sinnes and the anger of God for them then to applie Gods free mercie to his owne soule it is a most hard matter for then it is the propertie of the cursed nature of man to blaspheme God and to dispaire of mercie Iudas who no doubt often preached mercy and redemption by Christ in the security of his hart when Gods hand was vpon him and the Lorde made him see the vilenes of his treachery hee coulde not comfort himselfe in Christ if one woulde haue giuen him ten thousand worlds but in an hellish horror of conscience hanged him selfe desperately which sheweth what a wonderfull harde thing it is at the same instant when a man is touched for his sinnes then to apply Gods mercie to himselfe Yet a true Christian by the power of faith can doe this as it may appeare in Dauid In the daie of my trouble saith he I sought the Lorde my sore ranne and ceased not in the night my soule refused comfort I did thinke vpon God and was troubled I praied and my spirite was full of anguish and hee addeth the worde Selah a note of some wonderfull thing Againe he being almost in the gulfes of hell euen then cried to the Lord for help Iob saith If God should destroy him yet he would for all that beleeue in him still Vndoubtedly strang is the bād of faith knitting Christ and his members together that the anguish of spirite cannot and the strokes of Gods hand doe not vnloose V. This apprehending of Christ is not done by anie corporall touching of him but spirituallie by assurance which is when the Elect are perswaded in their harts by the holie ghost of the forgiuenesse of their owne sinnes and of Gods infinite mercie towards them in Iesus Christ. According to that of Paul Nowe we haue receiued not the spirit of the word but the spirit which is of God that wee might know the things which are giuen vs of God The things which the spirit of GOD maketh knowen to the faithfull particularlie are their iustification adoption sanctification eternall life And thus when anie are perswaded of these things concerning themselues they doe in their heartes distinctlie applie and appropriate Christ and his benefites to them selues VI. The manner that God vseth in the begetting of faith is this First he prepareth the heart that it maie be capable of faith Secondlie he causeth faith by little and little to spring and to breed in the heart The preparation of the heart is by humbling and softening of it and to the doing of this there are foure things requisite The first of them is the knowledge of the word of God both of the lawe and of the Gospell without the which there can bee no faith according to that saying of Esaiah By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie manie And that of Iohn This is eternall life that they knowe thee to bee the onely verie God and whome thou haste sent Iesus Christ. The onelie ordinarie meanes to attaine faith by is the word preached which must bee heard remembred practised and continuallie hid in the heart The least measure of knowledge without which a man cannot haue faith is the knowledge of Elements or the fundamentall doctrines of a Christian religion A fundamentall doctrine is that which being once denied all religion and all obtaining of saluation is ouerthrowen This knowledge hath a generall faith going with it which is an assent of the heart to the knowne truth of Gods word This faith when it is growen vp to some great measure it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the full assurance of vnderstanding and it is to be seene in the Martyrs who maintained Gods truth against the persecutions of the false Church vnto death VII Although both elect and reprobate may be enlightened to know the word of God yet the elect in this thing goe farre beyond all reprobates for it is speciallie said of thē that God is their schole-master that he softeneth their stonie heartes maketh
them pliable that hee draweth them that he openeth their senses heartes eares vnderstandinges that the holie Ghost is their anoyntment and their eye-salue to cleare the eies of their minde to conteine the misteries of Gods word And the difference of illumination in them is threefolde 1. First the knowledge which the reprobate hath concerning the kingdom of heauen is onelie a generall confused knowledge but the knowledge of the elect is pure certaine sure distinct and particular for it is ioined with a feeling and inwarde experience of the thing knowne though indeede the minde of man is able to conceiue more than anie Christian heart can feele and this is to bee seene in Paul who vseth not onelie to deliuer the pointes of Gods word in generall manner but also setteth them downe speciallie in his owne experience So that the enlightning of the reprobate may be compared to the sight of the blind man who sawe men walking like vnto trees that is in motion like men but informe like trees and the elect are like the same blind man who afterward sawe men a far off cleerely 2. Secondlie the knowledge of the wicked puffeth them vp but the knowledge of the godlie humbleth them 3. Lastlie the Elect besides the knowledge of Gods word haue a free franke heart to performe it in their liues and conuersations which no reprobate can haue for their illumination is not ioyned with true and sincere obedience By this it is easie to discerne of the illumination of Anabaptistes or familistes and manie other which brag of the spirit VIII The second is the sight of sinne arising of the knowledge of the lawe To this Ieremie exhorteth the Iewes of his time saying know thine iniquitie for thou hast rebelled against the Lord thy God c. The chiefe cause of the sight of sinne is Christ by his holie spirit who detecteth the thoughts of manie harts and iudgeth the world of sinne The manner of seeing our sinnes must be to knowe them particularlie for the vilest wretch in the world can generallie and confusedlie saie he is a sinner but that the sight of sin may be effectuall to saluation it must bee more speciall and distinct euen in particular sins so that a man may saie with Dauid my sins haue taken such holde of me that I am not able to looke vp they are more in number then the haires of mine heade therefore my heart hath failed me Againe a man must not barely see his particular sins but hee must also see the circumstances of them as namely the feareful curses and iudgements of God which accompanie euerie sinne for the consciences of many tell them of their sinnes in particular yet they cannot bee humbled for them and leaue them because they haue not seene that vgly taile of the curse of God that euerie sinne draweth after it IX The meanes to attaine to the sight of sin is by a diligent examination of a mans owne self This was the practise of the children of Israell in affliction Let vs trie saie they and search our waies and turne again to the Lord. And Dauid giueth the same counsell to Saules Courtiers Tremble and sinne not examine your owne heart on your bed and bee still This examination must bee made by the commandements of the lawe but specially by the tenth which ransacketh the heart to the verie quicke and was the meanes of Paules conuersion For he beeing a proude Pharisee this commaundement shewed him some sinnes which otherwise hee had not knowen and it killed him that is it humbled him If so be it that after examination a man cannot finde out his sinnes as no man shall finde out all his sinnes for the heart of man is a vast gulf of sinne without either bottome or banke and hath infinite hidden corruptions in it then hee must in a godly iealousie suspect himselfe of his vnknowen sinnes As Dauid did saying Who can vnderstande his faultes cleanse mee from my secrete faults And as Paule did I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified And good reason it is why men should suspect themselues of those sinnes which as yet they neuer saw in themselues for that which is highlie esteemed amongst men is abhomination in the sight of God and the verie Angels are not clean in his sight X The third is a sorrow for sinne which is a paine and pricking in the heart arising of the feeling of the displeasure of God and of the iust damnation which followeth after sinne This was in the Iewes after Peters first sermon and in Habacucke at the hearing of Gods iudgments When I heard saith he my bellie trembled my lips shooke at the voice rottennes entred into my bones and I trembled in my selfe that I might rest in the daie of trouble This sorrow is called the spirite of bondage to feare because whē the spirit hath made a mā see his sins he seeth further the curse of the law so he finds himselfe to be in bondage vnder Satan hel death damnatiō at which most terrible sight his heart is smitten with feare and trembling through the consideration of his hellish and damnable estate This sorrowe if it continue and increase to some great measure hath certain Symptomes in the bodie as burning heat rowling of the intrals a pining and fainting of the solide partes XI In the feeling of this sorrow three things are to be obserued The first all men must look that it be seriously soundly wrought in their hearts for looke as men vse to break hard stones into many small pieces and into dust so must this feeling of Gods anger for sinne bruse the heart of a poore sinner and bring it to nothing And that this may so be sorrow is not to be felt for a brunt but very often before the ende of a mans life The Godly man from his youth suffereth the terrors of God Iacob wrestling with the Angel gets the victory of him but yet hee is faine to goe halting to his graue and trale one of his loines after him continually The paschal Lamb was neuer eaten without sowre hearbes to signifie that they which will bee free from the wrath of God by Iesus Christ must feele continually the smart of their owne sinnes The second all men must take heede least when they are touched for their sinnes they besnare their own consciences for if the sorrow be somewhat ouer sharpe they shall see themselues euen brought to the gates of hell and to feele the pangues of death And when a man is in this perplexitie he shall finde it a most hard matter to be freed from it without the maruelous power and strength of Christ Iesus who onely is able to helpe him and comfort him yea many when they are once plunged in this distresse and anguish of soule shall neuer escape it
vnderstanding then all his teachers because Gods testimonies were his meditations that hee vnderstoode more then the auncient because he kept Gods precepts The properties of the mind enlightened are speciallie two The first is that by it a Christian sees his owne blindnes ignorance vanitie as appeareth in Dauid who being a prophet of God yet prayed open mine eyes O Lord that I may see the wonders of thy law And hence it is that the godly so much bewailes the blindnes of the minds Cōtrariwise the wicked man in the middest of his blindnesse thinkes himselfe to see The second is that it runneth and is occupied in a continual meditation of Gods word So Dauid saith the righteous mās delight is in the law of the Lord in his law doth he meditate day and night XXXV The memorie also is sanctified in that it can both keepe and remember that which is good and agreeable to Gods will whereas naturallie it best remembreth lewdnes wickednes vanitie This holie memorie was in Dauid I haue hid thy promises in mine hart that I might not sinne against thee And Marie Kept all the sayings of Christ pondered thē in hir hart And to the exercise of this memorie Salomon hath a good lesson My son hearken vnto my words incline thine eares vnto my sayings let them not depart from thine eyes but keepe them in the midst of thine hart XXXVI Furthermore the will of a Christian is renewed purified by Christ which appeareth in that it is so far foorth freed from sin that it can wil choose that which is good and acceptable to God refuse that which is euill according to that of Paul It is God which worketh in you the will the deede euen of his good pleasure Now if a man be considered naturally he can neither will nor performe that which is good but onely that which is euill for he is sold vnder sinne as the Oxe or the Asse committeth iniquitie as the fish draweth in water yea he is in bondage vnder sathan who inspireth his minde with vile motions boweth his will affections and the members of his bodie to his cursed will so that for his life he is not able to do anie thing but sinne rebell against God And it must be remembred that although the christian mans will be freed from the bondage of sinne in this life yet it shall not be free frō the power of sin vntil the life to come for Paul that worthie saint saith of himselfe being regenerat that he was carnall and sold vnder sin XXXVII Sanctified affections are knowen by this that they are moued and inclined to that which is good to imbrace it are not cōmonlie affected and stirred with that which is euill vnlesse it be to eschew it Examples hereof are these which follow To reioyce with thē that reioice And to weepe with thē that weepe To reioice because a mans name is writtē in heauen To desire Gods presence fauour as the drie land desireth water To feare and tremble at Gods word To long and to faint after the places where God is worshipped To be vexed in soule from daie to daie in seeing hearing the vnlawfull deedes of men to shed riuers of teares because men breake Gods commandements In feruencie of spirite to serue the Lord. To put on the bowels of compassion towards the miseries of men To be angrie and sinne not To sorrow for the displeasing of God To loue the brethren in Christ. To admire at the word of God To loue Gods commandments aboue gold To admire at the graces of God in others In feare to serue God and to reioice in trembling To walke in the feare of God and to be filled with the ioie of the holie ghost To bee heauie through manifold temptations To reioice in being partaker of the sufferings of Christ. To waite on the Lord to reioice in him to trust in his holie name To waite for the full redemption To sigh desiring to enioie eternall life To loue the habitation of gods house the place where his honor dwelleth To esteeme al things as losse dong in respect of Christ. XXXVIII But among al these sanctified affections there are foure speciallie to be marked The first is a zeale for Gods glorie by which a Christian is thus affected that rather then God shall loose his glorie he is content to haue his own soule damned As it was with Moses who feared least God should loose his glorie if he did vtterlie destroy the Israelits for their Idolatrie whom he had chosen to be his people therefore in this respect praied vnto the Lord. Therefore nowe if thou pardon their sinne thy mercie shall appeare but if thou wilt not I pray thee rase me out of the booke which thou hast written And Paul could haue wished with all his hart to bee cut off from all fellowship with Christ and to bee giuen vp to eternal destructiō for his countrie men the Iewes for Gods glory speciallie Some may say this affection is not cōmon to all but particular to such as are led with such an affection as these holie men were led which haue their harts so pearced kindled with diuine loue and so rauished with the same out of themselues that they forget al other things yea themselues hauing nothing before their eyes but God and his glorie To this I answere that this affectiō is cōmon to al though the measure of it be diuers in some more in some lesse which appeareth in that our sauiour Christ teacheth euery one in his praier which hee made before he craue any other thing either concerning God or himselfe to pray that Gods name may be sanctified For by this all Christians are taught that they are to ouerpasse all considerations of themselues their owne pleasure and profit their saluation or damnation and with an heartie affection to seeke after the glorie of God in all their doinges that as Gods glorie is most deare vnto himselfe so it may appeare also that it is most deare vnto them If any think it strange that Moses Paule or any other shoulde bee content to fall into miserie to loose their liues and to be cast into eternall perdition in hell fire with reprobate and damned spirites rather then Gods honor shoulde bee turned into dishonor and blasphemie let them consider that wonderful is the power of true loue which makes all things easie which is as strong as the graue that ouercomes all and was neuer yet ouercome which is as a flaming fire that a whole sea of waters cannot quench And the loue which these men had to God did so rauish them that they felt no feare of hell fire XXXIX The second affection is the feare
the strong man Sathan and cast him out and dwell in thee himselfe Thirdly hee which is no Christian is in danger of al the iudgements of God so that euery moment some of them may befall him He may perish sodainly by water with the olde world he may bee consumed with fire and brimstone with Sodome and Gomorrha hee may bee swallowed vp of the earth with Core Dathan and Abyram hee may hang himself with Iudas he may haue his braines dashed against the grounde and bee eaten vp of dogs with Iesabell he may die in the hardnes of heart with Pharao he may dispaire with Caine and Iudas he may be stricken with sodaine death with Ananias and Saphira his wife he may be eaten of wormes with Herode hee may bee smitten with trembling that he cannot heare Gods worde with Foelix hee may voide his guts at the stoole with Arius he may crie at his death that he is damned with Latomus he may bee left vnto himselfe to mocke blaspheme and renounce Christ with Iulian and hee may suffer manie more fearefull iudgements whereof the Lord hath great store and all tende to the confounding of them which will not be humbled vnder his hand Contrariwise the true Christian is so farre out of the reach of Gods iudgements that they cannot hurt him Christ is a couering and a cloude against the heat and tempest of Gods iudgementes when a mans heart is sprinkled with the bloud of this immaculate Lambe all the plagues of God passe ouer him In the destruction of Ierusalem the righteous beare a marke in their foreheads and are saued Therefore let him that hath regard to his owne safetie become a Christian Thirdly the man which is no Christian is in danger of eternall death and damnation in hell fire and they which fall into this estate it had beene ten thousand folde better for them if they had neuer beene borne for they are quite separated from the presence of God and from his glorie al the company they haue is with the Diuell and his Angels Their bodies and soules are tormented with infinite horrour and anguish arising of the feeling of the whole wrath of God in which as into a bottomlesse sea they are plunged Thus they are alwaies dying and yet are neuer deade Furthermore the length of this torment must bee considered which greatly aggrauates the paine If a man might be deliuered from the panges of hell when he had suffered them so many yeares as there be droppes in the sea or little sands in the whole earth it were some comfort but after that those yeares be expired there shall come no release but the damned shall continue in shriking yelling and gnashing of teeth enduring the consuming heate of Gods wrath without any ende for euer and euer Yea to goe further a wicked man carrieth an hell about him in this life namely an euill conscience which if it bee neuer so litle touched with any of Gods anger a mā shall feele himselfe to haue euen the panges of hell in his heart Nowe therefore all they that woulde escape out of this hellish and damnable estate while they haue time let them pray for the pardon of their sinnes in Christ and walke according to the spirite in newnes of life and then they may assure themselues that there is no condemnation can belong to them And it must be alwaies remembred that he which would liue when he is dead must die while he is aliue namely to sinne And againe he which would rise to eternall life in the daie of iudgement must rise from sin before he die vnto newnes of life The fourth reason God hath appointed vnto euerie man that liueth in the Church a certaine time of repentaunce and of comming to Christ. And hee which mispendeth that time and is not made a Christian then can neuer bee saued This made our Sauiour Christ weepe for Hierusalem and say O if thou hadst knowne at the least in this thy daie those things which belong to thy peace but now are they hidden from thine eies And further signifieth the destruction of Hierusalem because she knew not the time of hir visitation Againe the neglecting of this time is one cause why not one or two but manie shall seek to enter into the kingdome of heauen and yet shall not be able It is a maruailous thing that they which seek to be saued should perish but the fault is theirs which seeke when it is too late Nowe therefore thou secure worldling thy conscience telleth thee that thou hast not yet repented and that thou art not as yet a liuely member of Iesus Christ. And thou knowest further that howsoeuer thou art aliue at this time yet thou hast no lease of thy life God may call thee foorth of this worlde the next yeare the next weeke the next howre Yea he may strike thee with sodaine death at this very present And in very truth if thou goest foorth of this world beeing no Christian thou goest damned to hell Wherefore delaie not one minute of an hower longer but with all speede repent and turne vnto God and bring forth fruites worthie of amendment of life that all thy sinnes may be done away when the day of death or the day of iudgement shal be And doe not thinke with thy selfe that it shall be sufficient to differre thy turning vnto God till the last ende For late repentance is seldome true repentance And he which continueth long in any sinne is in a dangerous case If a man lie long in any disease he will scarce recouer his former health and hee which is growen in the custome of any sin and the sinne is become ripe in him it is a thousand to one he is neuer saued according to that of saint Iames sinne being perfected bringeth forth death The fift reason Eternall life is a thing desired of all men yet none shall be made partakers of it but the true Christian and the glorious estate of this life woulde mooue any man to be a Christian. First of all they which haue eternall life are freed from all pains sickenesses infirmities hunger thirst cold wearines from all sin as anger forgetfulnes ignorance from hell death damnation Sathan from euery thing that causeth miserie according to that of saint Iohn And God will wipe away all teares from their eies there shall be no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither shall there be anie more paine for the first things are passed Secōdly the faithful shall be in the presence of Gods Maiesty in heauen there to behold his face that is his glorie as our Sauiour Christ saith Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am that they may beholde my glorie which thou hast giuen me And Dauid saith In thy presence is fulnes of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Thirdly they
Then afterwarde came the Gospell a more gentle plaister which â—oupled and swaged my wounds of my conscience and brought me health It brought the spirit of God which loosed the bandes of Sathan and coupled me to God his wil through a strong faith ferueÌ„t loue Which bands were to strong for the Diuell the world or anie creature to loose And I a poore wretched sinner felt so great mercie that in my selfe I was most sure that God would not forsake mee or euer withdrawe his mercie and loue from mee And I boldlie cryed out with Paul saying Who shall separate me from the loue of GOD c. Finallie as before when I was bound to the Diuell and his wil I wrought all manner of wickednes for I coulde doe no otherwise it was my nature euen so nowe since I am coupled to God by Christes bloud I do good freelie because of the spirit and this my nature And thus I trust I haue satified your first demaund Timoth. Yea but mee thinkes you doe too much condemne your self in respect of sinne For I can remember that from your child-hood your were of a good and gentle nature and your behauior was alwaies honest and ciuill and you could neuer abide the companie of them which were roisters and ruffians and swearers and blasphemers and contemners of Gods word and drunkards which nowe are tearmed good fellowes And your dealing with all men hath beene euer commended for good faithfull and iust What meane you then to make your self so abhominable and accursed and to say you were so wholie addicted vnto wickednesse and your will so fearefully and miserablie in captiuitie vnto the will of the Diuell Euseb. Brother Timoth. I know what I say God giue mee grace to speake it with more liuelie feeling of my weaknes with a more bitter detestation of my sinne By nature through the fall of Adam am I the childe of wrath heire of the vengeance of God by birth yea and so from my first conception And I had my fellowshippe with the damned diuels vnder the power of darknes and rule of Sathan while I was yet in my mothers womb and although I showed not the fruites of sinne as soone as I was born nor loÌ„g after yet was I full of the naturall poyson froÌ„ whence all wicked deeds do spring caÌ„not but sin outwardly as soone as I am able to work be I neuer so yong if occasion be giuen for my nature is to sinne as is the nature of a serpent to sting and as a Serpent yet young or yet vnbrought foorth is full of poyson and cannot afterwarde when time and occasion is giuen but bring forth the fruites thereof And as an Adder a Toad or a Snake is hated of man not for the euill it hath done but for the poyson that is in it and hurt which it cannot but doe so am I hated of God for that naturall poyson which is concieued and borne with mee before I doe anie outwarde euill And as the euill which a venemous worme doth maketh it not a serpent but because it is a venemous worme therefore doth it euill and poysoneth euen so doe not our euill deedes make vs euill first but because wee are of nature euill therefore doe we euill and thinke euill to eternall damnation by the lawe and are contrarie to the will of God in our will and in all things consent vnto the will of the fiend Timoth. As yet I neuer had such a feeling of my sinne as you haue had and although I woulde bee loth to commit anie sinne yet the lawe was neuer so terrible vnto me condemning me pronouncing the sentence of death against mee and stinging my conscience with feare of euerlasting paine as I perceiue it hath beene vnto you therefore I feare oftentimes least my profession of religion should be onelie in truth meere hypocrisie I praie you let me heare your minde Euseb. A true saying it is that the right waie to goe vnto heauen is to sayle by hell and there is no man lyuing that feeleth the power and vertue of the bloude of Christ which first hath not felt the strange paynes of hell But yet in these paines there is a difference and it is the will of God that his children in their conuersion shall some of them feele more and some lesse Ezechias on his death bedde complaineth that the Lorde breaketh his bones like a Lion that he could not speake by reason of paine but chattered in his throte like a Crane and mourned like a Doue Iob saith that God is his enemie and hath set him vp as a marke to shoote at and that the arrowes of the almightie are vpon him and that the poison of them hath dronke vp his spirite Dauid bewaileth his estate in manie Psalmes but especiallie in the 130. Psalme where he beginneth on this manner Out of the deepe places haue I called vnto thee O Lorde which is as though hee shoulde saie O my poore soule fall not flatte downe vexe not thy selfe out of measure the burden of thy sinnes presse thee sore indeede but bee not for all that quite ouerwhelmed thou art thrust downe so lowe into the depth of deepes that thou had neede crie aloude to bee hearde of him which dwelleth in the highest heightes and the euerburning hell fire is not farre from that lake whither thine iniquities haue pluÌ„ged thee â—o that thou maiest perceiue as it were the Eccho of their cries and desperate howâ—nges which bee there cast out of all hope of euer comming forth But the Lord which bringeth foorth euen to the borders of hell his best beloued when they forget them selues knoweth also how well to bring them backe againe Goe no further then downwarde but liâ—t vp thy heart together with thine eie and seeke vnto the Lord to reach vnto thee his mercifull and helping hand Againe in the scriptures wee finde examples of men conuerted vnto the Lord without anie vehement sorrowe of their sinnes What anguish of coÌ„science had the theefe vppon the crosse for his former life in his present conuersion at the houre of death How was Lidia dismayed and cast downe in respect of hir wickednesse like as Dauid was or Iob whose heart God onelie is saide to haue opened to giue attendance to the preaching of Paul and Silas who also euen presentlie after was readie to entertaine them and to make them a feast in hir house which she could not haue done if shee had beene in the perplexities of Ezechias or Dauid The same may be spoken of the Iailer and of them which hearde Peters Sermon at Ierusalem who for all that they had murdred our Sauior Christ yet in their conuersioÌ„ their harts were onely for the time pricked So then God in preparing vs which in truth are nothing but fleshly and stincking doung-hils of sinne nay verie vncleannesse pollution it selfe I saie in preparing vs to be the teÌ„ples of his holy spirit
to dwell in the store-houses to horde vp his heauenlie graces in doth otherwhilesvse a milde and gentle remedie maketh the law to looke vpon vs though with no louing gentle yet with no feareful countenance otherwhiles in some he setteth a sharp edge vpon the law maketh it to wound the hart very deepe and as a strong corasiue to torment them to frette gnawe vpon their consciences And we see by experience that a botch or a bile in a mans bodie is as wel eased of the corruptioÌ„ that is in it by the pricking of the point of a small needle as by the launcing of a great raser Wherfore if God by his spirit haue wrought in you sorrowe for sinne in anie small measure though not in as great measure as you desire you haue no cause to complaine and in that you are greeued sorrowfull for your sinnes it is a good token of the grace of God in you Timoth. Surelie this is a great comforte â—ou giue mee God make mee thankefull â—or it And I praie you more plainely shew me the state of your life till this houre that I and all other may take warning by it Euseb. That which may doe good vnto other men I will neuer conceale though it be to my perpetuall shame As I was conceiued born in sin so my PareÌ„ts brought me vp in ignoraÌ„ce neuer shewed me my shame and miserie by Gods law I liued a long time euen as a man in a dead sleepe or trance and in truth I liued as though there were neither heauen nor hell neither God nor Diuel And the Diuel himself as now I perceiue did often perswade my secure conscience that I was the child of God and shoulde be saued as well as the best man in the world and I yeelded to this perswasion and did verilie thinke it so that when the preacher for wickednesse and securitie denounced Gods iudgementes and hell fire I haue saide vnto my neighbours that I hoped I should be saued and he should goe to hell and when I was asked whether I could keepe all the commandements of the lawe I saide that I coulde and being asked whether I neuer sinned I saide I thought that otherwhiles I did marrie for them which were but fewe I hoped God woulde haue mercie and haue me excused And all my neighbors were glad of my company they spoke well of me and I was taken for an honest man when as indeed before God I was a vile beast the childe of wrath inspired with the spirite of the Diuell continuallie Well afterward I heard the law preached and I sawe and remembred manie fearefull iudgements of GOD vpon men whom I in reason thought were as good men as I then I beganne to consider mine owne estate and to perceiue my sinnes and my cursednesse and vpon a time aboue all other the curse of the lawe made mee inwardlie afraide and my flesh then beganne to tremble and quake then I could not sleepe in the night season I was afraide of euerie thing If I were in my house I thought the house would fall on my head if abroade I thought euerie crannie of the earth would open it selfe wider and swallow me I started at euerie strawe and at the moouing of a flie my meate was lothsome vnto me and I thought I was not worthie of so good a creature of God and that God might iustlie turne it to my bane the greefe of my heart for my life past made me shed abundance of tears and vpon that I remembred that I had heard read in the Church in Dauids Psalmes that his teares were his drinke and that hee did wette his bed with teares And now the Deuill changed both his coate and his note in fearefull manner cryed in my eares that I was a reprobate his childe that none of Gods children were as I am that this griefe of my soule was the beginning of hell And the greater was my paine because I durst not open my minde vnto anie for feare they shoulde haue mocked mee and haue made a iest of it Wherefore I was fayne to go to a godlie learned Preacher I shewed myne estate vnto him after I had continued with him the space of two or three daies I receiued comfort both by the promises of mercie which hee shewed mee in the booke of God and by his feruent godlie and effectuall prayers and I thanke God euer since I haue had some assurance in spite of the Deuill that I doe apperteine to the kingdome of heauen and am nowe a member of Iesus Christ and shall so continue for euer Timoth. How know you that God hath forgiuen your sinne Euseb. Because I am a sinner he is both able and willing to forgiue me Timoth. I graunt that hee is able to forgiue you but how know you that he will you know your sinnes are very great Euseb. I graunt but Christs passion is far greater and although my sinnes were as red as scarlet and as purple yet they shall be as white as snow and as soft as wooll Timoth. Oh but you haue sinned verie often Euseb. Tell mee not I pray you what I haue done but what I will doe Timoth. What will you doe Euseb. By Gods grace it is my full purpose and my earnest praier to God is hereafter to take better heede and to amend my former life Timoth. Is that inough thinke you Euseb. What lacketh Timoth. The fauour and mercie of God that may cleane forsake you Euseb. Nay that I will neuer graunt for I am certainly perswaded of the fauour mercie of God euen to the saluation of my soule Timoth. Oh shewe mee that that is the thing I earnestly desire to bee assured of Gods speciall goodnes euen by your feeling Euseb. According as God hath giuen me to feele the same so will I shewe it you And first of all the dealing of God towards me is a good argument to mee In the first commandement God hath commaunded me to take him to bee my God and in the Lords praier he teacheth me to call him father he hath created the world generallie and euerie creature particularlie for man so for me to serue for my commoditie necessity and admonition Also he hath made me after his owne image hauing a reasonable soule body shape where he might haue made me a Toad a Serpent a Swine deformed frantick Moreouer he hath woÌ„derfullie preserued me in my infancie childhood youth middle age hitherto from manifold daÌ„gers perils all which do confirm in me a perswasion of Gods fatherlie loue that I should not doubt hereof where I might haue beene borne of Turks lo it was the wil of God that I should be borne of Christian PareÌ„ts be brought into Gods Church by Baptisme which is the Sacrament of adoption requireth faith as wel of the remission of my sins as of sanctification and holines to bee wrought of God in mee by
sit one on y e right hand of Christ the other on the left They would pray that fire might descend froÌ„ heaueÌ„ consume the Samaritans WheÌ„ Christ asked who say men that I am Peter answered Thou art the sonne of the liuing God as though Peter had beene as perfecte as an Angell But imediatlie after when Christ preached â—nto them of his death and passion Peter was angry and rebuked Christ and thought earnestlie that hee had raued and not wist what hee had said as at another time when Christ was so feruentlie busied in healing the people that he had no leasure to eate they went out to holde him supposing that hee had beene beside himselfe And one that cast foorth Diuelles in Christes name they forbadde because hee waited not on theÌ„ so glorious were they yet And though Christ taught alway to forgiue yet Peter after long going to schole asked whether men should forgiue seauen times thinking that eight times had beene too much And at the last supper Peter woulde haue died with Christ but yet within fewe houres after he denied him both cowardly shamefullie And after the same manner though he had so long hearde that no man must auenge himselfe but rather turne the other cheeke to the smiter againe yet when Christ was in taking Peter asked whether it were lawfull to smite with the sworde and taried no answere but laide on rashlie So that although wee bee once reconciled to God yet at the first we be but children and yong scholers weake and feeble and must haue leasure to growe in the spirite iâ— knowledg loue and deeds thereof as yong children must haue time to growe in their bodies and so in like manner the sting of the serpent is not pulled out at once but the poyson of our nature is minished by little and little and cannot before the houre of death be wholie taken awaie Timoth. I perceiue by your godlie discourse the manifolde conflictes betweene the flesh and the spirite and that the flesh is like to a mightie Giant such a one as was Goliah strong lustie stirring enimie to God confederate with the Diuell and the spirite like to a little childe such a one as was little Dauid new borne weake and feeble not alwaies stirring nowe then what meanes do you vse to weaken the flesh and strengthen the spirit Euseb. I vse to tame my flesh with praier and fasting watching deedes of mercie holie meditations reading the scriptures and in bodilie labour and in with-drawing all manner of pleasures from the flesh and with exercises contrarie to the vices which I finde in my bodie most inclined to and with absteining from all things that encourage the flesh against the spirit as reading of toyes and wanton bookes seeing of plaies and enterluds wanton communication foolish iesting effeminate thoughts and talking of couetousnes which Paul forbiddeth Eph. 5. magnifying of worldly promotions If these will not mortifie my flesh then God sendeth me some troubles and so maketh me to grow waxe perfect and fineth and trieth me as gold in the fire of tentations and tribulations Thus verie often he maketh me to take vp my crosse naileth my flesh vnto it for the mortifying thereof Marke this if God send thee to the sea promise to go with thee he wil raise vp a tempest against thee to prooue whether thou wilt abide by his word and that thou maist feele thy faith weakenes and perceiue his goodnes for if it were alwaies faire weather and thou neuer brought into such ieopardie whence his mercie onlie deliuereth thee thy faith should bee onelie a presumption thou shouldest be euer vnthankefull to God and merciles vnto thy neighbour If God promise riches the waie therevnto is pouertie whom he loueth him he chasteneth whom he exalteth hee casteth downe whom he saueth he first damneth hee bringeth no man to heauen except he send him to hell first if hee promisâ— life he slayeth first when he buildeth he casteth downe all first he is no patcher hee cannot abide another mans foundation he will not worke till all bee past remedie and brought to such a case that meÌ„ may see how that his haÌ„d his power his mercy his goodnes his truth hath wrought altogether hee will let no man be partaker with him of his praise and glorie his works are wonderfull contrarie to mans workes who euer saue he deliuered his own sonne his only sonne his deere son his darling vnto the death for his enimies to win his enimies to ouercome theÌ„ with loue that he might see loue loue again and of loue likewise to doe to other men to ouercome them with well doing Ioseph saw the Sun and the Moone and seauen starres worshipping him neuertheles ere that came to passe God laid him where he could see neither sun nor moone neither anie star of the skie and that many yeres and also vndeserued to nurture him to make him humble meeke to teach him Gods waies and to make him apte and meete for y t roome honor again he came to it that he might be strong in the spirit to minister it well God promised the children of Israel a land with riuers of milke honie yet hee brought them foorth the space of fortie yeares into a lande where in riuers of milke and honie were but where so much as a drop of water was not to nurture and teach them as a father doth his sonne and to doe them good at the latter ende to seduce their cankred nature to make them strong in the spirite to vse his benefites aright Lastlie God promised Dauid a kingdome and immediatelie stirred vp Saul against him to persecute him and to hunt him as men doe hayres with gray-houndes and to ferret him out of euerie hole and that for the space of manie yeares to turne him to make him to mortifie his lustes to make him feel his own diseases in fine to make him a good man and a good King Timoth. But how if it come to passe that you be tempted to anie great sinne and the fleshe ouercome the spirit in what case are you then Euseb. There is no bodie here but you I and I take you to bee a Christian and a faithfull friende therefore I will shewe a little of my exhortation The last yeare by reason of the dearth I and my familie were put to great pinches and most commonly we had nothing but bread and water here vpon I bethought mee howe I might get somewhat to releiue my familie It came into my minde that in our Towne a rich man had a great flocke of sheepe and that I might take one of them without any hurt of him I was verie loath at the first but because there was such great stealing of sheepe I was in extremitie in the night I went among his sheep and tooke a lambe and told my familie that it was giuen me I presently killed it the
skinne and the entralles I burned on my backeside the fleshe wee dressed by quarters and did eate it with thanksgiuing as my manner is but surely verie coldlie and mee thought my prayer was abhominable in Gods sight After I had thus done we fared wel for the space of two daies but I felt my heart hardned and my lips were almost locked vp that I could not as I was wont praise the Lord. The third night after I went with a quiet conscience mee thought to my bedde and then I slept soundlie till three of the clocke in the morning but I dreamed that one came to carrie me to pryson vpon that on a sudden I awaked and beeing afraide looked about mee and fell to consider why I should be afraide and I remembred that I had sinned against God by robbing my neighbor ô then my feare increased and I thought that hell gaped to deuoure me and the law looked vpon me with such a terrible countenaunce and so thundred in myne eares that I durst not abide in my bed but vp to goe Then the Diuell assailed me on euerie side to perswade that God had cast mee awaie saying they that be Gods haue power to keepe his law thou hast not but breakest them Therefore thou art a cast-awaie and a damned creature hell gapeth and setteth opē his mouth to deuour thee And I thought with my selfe that I had beene alwaies a ranke hypocrite for as the cloudes of the ayre doe couer the sunne so that sometimes a man cannot tell by anie sense that there is anie Sun the clouds windes hiding it from our sight euen so my cecitie and blindnesse and corrupt affections and the rage of my conscience did so ouershadow the sight of Gods seed in me and so ouerwhelme his spirite as though I ha◠beene a plaine reprobate And thus i◠came to passe that Dauid making his praier to GOD according to his owne sens◠and feeling but not according to the truth desired of God to giue him againe his spirite Which thing GOD neuer doth indeede although hee made mee to thinke so for a time for alwaies hee holdeth his hande vnder his children in their falles that they lie not still as other doe which are not regenerate I being thus turmoiled and stong with the conscience of sinne and the cockatrice of my poisoned nature hauing behelde hirselfe in the glasse of the righteous law of God there was no other salue or remedie but to runne to the brasen Serpent Christ Iesus which shedde his blood hanging vppon the crosse and to his euerlasting testament and mercifull promise that it was shed for mee for the remission of my sinnes therefore I got me speedilie into a close corner in my house and there vpon my face groueling I confessed my sinne and prayed after this manner in effect Father what an horrible monster am I What taytor what rascall and villaine thy mercie is woonderfull that hell hath not deuoured me hauing deserued a thousand damnations I haue sinned I haue sinned against thy godly holy righteous law and against my brother by robbing him whome I ought to loue for thy sake as dearlie as my selfe forgiue mee father for thy son Christ his sake according to thy most mercifull promisses and testament forget not good Lorde thy olde mercies shewed vppon me let them not at this time in me be quite remooued On this manner praiing I continued fiue howers and GOD which is neere to all them that call vppon him heard me eased my paine and assured mee of the remission of my sin After presently for the more easing of my conscience I went to my neighbour betweene him and me vpon my knees confessed my fault with teares desiring him to forgiue me I woulde as Gods lawe requireth restore that which I stole foure folde he I thanke him was contented and toke pittie on me and euer since hath beene by Gods mercie my good friend So by little and little God restored mee to my first estate but mee thinkes I haue not that feeling which I had before and haue bene worse euer since God of his mercie amende me and increase his graces in me Timoth. Praised be God that we fel into this communicatiō for I had thought that no mā had ben in such a case but I for I frō my hart detest that babbling which in time past I haue vsed and I haue vowed with my selfe to vse it no more and God hath giuen mee strength and will to paie my vowes to keepe them halfe a yere or tweluemonth together and then falling into a companie of the honester sort of good fellows I take otherwhiles a cuppe of Nimis for which afterwards I am so touched in my conscience and so grieued inwardlie that often I haue no delight in my meate and then I vse praier and reading and meditating of the scriptures and do receiue much comfort But I praie you what thinke you will not God condemne his children if they sinne Euseb. No for the ground-worke of our saluation is laide in Gods eternall election and a thousande sinnes nay all the sinnes in the worlde nay all the Deuilles in hell cannot ouerthrow Gods election And it maie bee that sins doe harden our hartes weaken our faith make sadde the spirite of God in vs but take awaie faith or altogether quench the spirit they cānot God cōdemneth no man for his sinnes if he bee adopted in Christ. For then Ioseph Abrahā Dauid Peter Marie Magdalene should bee condemned God is like a father a father if his childe be sicke and therefore be froward and refuse and cast away his meate hauing eaten it spew it vp againe and in his fit be impacient and raue and speake euill of his father yet I say the father wil not cast him forth of his dores but pittieth him and prouideth such things as may restore him to health and when hee is whole remembreth not his disordered behauior in his sicknes Timoth. What means do you finde most effectuall to strengthē your faith to increase Gods graces in you and to raise you vp againe when you are fallen Euseb. Surely I haue very great comfort by the sacrament of the Lords Supper for whereas I am spirituallye diseased and am prone and readye to fall and am most cruelly oftentimes inuaded of the feend the flesh and the law when I haue sinned and am put to flight and made to runne awaye from God my father therefore hath God of all mercie and of his infinite pitty bottomlesse compassion set vppe his sacrament as a signe vpon a hie hill whence it may be seene on euery side far and neare to call againe them that be runne awaye And with this sacrament he as it were clocketh to them as a hen dooth for hir chickens to gather them vnder the wings of his mercy and hath commanded his sacrament to be had in continuall vse to put vs in minde of his cōtinuall mercy
indeede yet in the faithfull it wil be so for they haue in their harts a perswasion that wheras they are daÌ„ned in theÌ„selues yet in Christ the mercie of God is most plentiful to their saluation and all this God confirmeth and sealeth vnto them by his holie spirite and therefore they cannot but loue God again and that with a feruent loue euen aboue al things in the world and so they loue all Gods creatures and euen their enemies because they beare the image of God whom they loue like as if I haue a friend and loue him I loue all of his name all his kinred and all that appertaine vnto him And by the waie here is a good waie to know whether we haue faith or not Though faith onelie iustifie and make the marriage betweene our Soule and Christ and is properlie the marriage garment yea and the signe Tau that defendeth vs from the smiting and power of euill Angels anâ— is also the rocke on which Christs Churcâ— is built and standeth against all weather oâ— winde and tempest yet is faith neuer seuâ— red from hope and charitie then if a man will be sure that his faith is perfect let him examine himselfe whether he loue the law and in like manner if he will know whether hee loue the lawe that is loue God and his neighbour then let him examine himselfe whether he beleeue in Christ onelie for the remission of sin and obtaining the promises made in the scripture And euen so let him compare his hope of the life to come with faith and loue to the hatred of sin in his life which hatred the loue of the law ingendreth in him And if they accompanie not one another all three together then let him be sure all is but hypocrisie Timoth. Yet by your leaue faith cannot make a man iust before God without hope and charitie then they also with faith haue some stroke in iustification Euseb. I answere though they be inseparable yet I praise God I doe conceiue howe these three haue three separable sundrie offices Faith onlie is an vndoubted sure â—oue in Christ in the father through him â—ertifieth the conscience that the sin is forgiueÌ„ the daÌ„nation of the law taken awaie And with such perswasions mollifieth the â—art maketh it loue God again his law And as oft as we sin faith only keepeth that we forsake not our profession and that loue vtterlie quench not hope faile onlie maketh the peace again for a true beleeuer trusteth in Christ alone and not in his own workes nor ought else for the remission of sins The office of loue is to powre out againe the same goodnes that it hath receiued of God vpon hir neighbor to be to him as it feeleth Christ to be to it self The office of loue is onelie to haue compassion and to beare with hir neighbour the burden of his infirmities 1. Pet. 4. Loue couereth the multitude of sins that is to saie coÌ„sidereth the infirmities interpreteth al to the best taketh for no sin at al a thousand thinges of which the least were inough if a man loued not to goe to lawe for to trouble disquiet an whole Towne and sometime a whole Realme too The office of hope is to comfort in aduersitie and to make patient that we faint not nor fall downe vnder the Crosse or cast it of our backes Thus these three inseparable haue separable offices effects as heat drynes being inseparable in the fire haue yet their separable operations for drynes onelie expelleth the moistnes of all that is consumed by fire and heaâ— onelie destroieth the coldnes And it is not all one to saie the drynes onelie and the drynes that is alone neither is it all one to saie faith onelie and faith that is alone Timoth. You are to be commended you are so perfect in these high points of religion but I know you speake of experience for in you faith hope towardes God charity towards your neighbor are inseparable Euseb. I require no commendations shame and confusion befall mee eternallie that all glorie may be vnto God Timoth. But let vs talke on further of our dueties which we must performe if we will liue Christian like among men And I praie you tell mee what doe you meane that you giue so much vnto the poore considering you are so poore your self I speake my conscience if you had abilitie you woulde doe more theÌ„ an hundred of those rich men do Euseb. God knowes my heart it is a hell vnto me to see my brother for whom Christ shed his bloud to want if I haue anie thing in the world to giue him Among Christian men loue maketh all things common euerie man is others debter and euerie man is bound to minister to his neighbour and to supplie his neighbours lacke of that wherewith God hath indued him Christ is Lord ouer all euerie Christian is heire annexed with Christ therefore Lord ouer all and euerie one is Lord of whatsoeuer another hath if then my brother or neighbour need I haue to helpe him and if I shew not mercie but withdrawe my hands from him then rob I him of his owne am a thief A ChristiaÌ„ maÌ„ hath Christs spirit now Christ is merciful if I shall not be mercifull I haue not Christs spirit if I haue not Christs spirit theÌ„ am I none of his And though I shew mercie vnto my brother yet if I doe it not with such burning loue as Christ did vnto me I must knowledge my sinne and desire mercie in Christ. Timoth. If a man must be franke and free then a man must giue of his owne stocke to the poore and diminish his own substance Euseb. Yea indeed we are made stewards of those goods which God hath giuen vs shal a steward take all vnto himself without reproof I am sure that they which were couetous at Peters first Sermon after Christs ascention diminished their substance when they sold them gaue them to the poore I am sure that the Churches which were in Macedonia which sent reliefe vnto their Churches euen aboue their abilitie they beeing in extreame pouertie did dimisse their possessions and God graunt our conuersations may be like theirs And that wee should be like theÌ„ their examples of great compassion are recorded in the Scriptures Tim. Many of vs haue our selues wife children father mother kinsfolke to relieue so y t it wil be hard to deale after this manner Euseb. Had not these men I named so yea I warraÌ„t you had they And the waÌ„t of loue which you deeme of the Gospell of Christ knoweth not y t a maÌ„ should begin at himself theÌ„ desceÌ„d I wot not by what steps Loue seeketh not hir own profit but maketh a ma to forget himself turn this profit to another maÌ„ as Christ sought not himself or his own profit but ours This terme
condemnation but shall most certainely escape the same Take this for a most certaine truth that the man that hates dislikes his sins both before and after hee hath done them shall neuer be damned for them Christian. I am euen hart sicke of my manifolde sinnes and infirmities these good words which you speak are as flagons of wine to refresh my wearie laden and weltting soule I haue begunne to flee sinne and to detest it long agoe I haue beene oft dipleased with mine infirmities and corruptions when I offende God my heart is greeued I desire to leaue sinne I flee the occasions of sinne I woulde faine fashion my life to Gods word and I praie vnto God that he woulde giue mee grace so to doo and yet which is the griefe by the strength of the flesh by the sleights and power of Sathan I am often ouertaken and fall maruellouslie both by speach and by deed Minister Haue courage my good brother for whereas you haue an affection to doo the thinges that are acceptable vnto God it argueth plainely that you are a meÌ„ber of Christ according to that of Paul They which are of the spirite fauour the things of the spirite Well then if Sathan euer obiect anie of your sinnes to your make aunswere thus that you haue forsaken the first husbande the fleshe and haue espoused your selfe to Christ Iesus who as your head and husbande hath taken vpon him to answere your debts and therefore if he vrge you for them referre him ouer vnto Christ. For there is no sute in lawe against the wife the husbande liuing yea I adde further if you bee ouer caried with Sathans temptations and so fall into anie sinne you shall not answere for it but Sathan it shall surely be rekoned on his score at the daie of iudgmeÌ„t for he was the author of it if you fal by the frailtie of your flesh it shal perish therefore but you shal stil haue Christ you aduocate Christian. Indeede as you saie I haue in me an affection to please God but when I come to performe my obedience there I faile Minister Therefore marke this further As long as the children of God are in this life God regardeth more the affection to obeie then the obedience it selfe And they shall bee vnto mee saith the Lorde of hostes in that daie that I shall doe this for a flocke and I wil spare them as a man spares his owne sonne that serueth him The Father when he shall set his childe to doe anie busines though he doe it neuer so vntowardlie yet if he shew his good will to doe the best hee can his father will bee pleased and so it is with the Lorde towarde his children you looke to haue some perfection in your selfe but in this life you shall receiue no more but the first fruits of the spirite which are but as a handfull of corne in respect of the whole corne fielde and as for the accomplishment of your redemption you must wait for it til after this life you would bee kissed with the kisses of Christs mouth but here in this world you must bee content if you maie with Marie Magdalen kisse his feete For the perfection of a Christian mans life standes in the feeling and confessing of his imperfections And as Ambrose saith obedience due to God stands more in the affection then in the worke Christian. But why will God haue those whom he hath sanctified labour still vnder their infirmities Minister The causes are diuers First hereby hee teacheth his seruaunts to see in what great neede they stand of the righteousnes of Christ that they maie more carefullie seeke after it Secondlie he subdueth the pride of mens hearts humbleth them by counteruailing the graces which they haue receiued with the like measure of infirmities Thirdlie by this meanes the godlie are exercised in a continuall fight against sinne and are dailie occupied in purifieng themselues Christian. But to goe on forward in this matter there is another cause that makes me feare lest I haue no true repentance Minister What is that Christian I often times finde my selfe like a verie timberlog void of all grace goodnes frowarde and rebellious to anie good worke so that I feare lest Christ haue quite forsaken me Minister As it is in the strait seas the water ebbes and flowes so is it in the godlie in them as long as they liue in this world according to their own feeling there is an accesse and recesse of the spirit Otherwhiles they bee troubled with deadnes and dulnes of heart as Dauid was who praied to the Lorde to quicken him according to his louing kindnes that he maie keepe the testimonies of his mouth and in another place he saith that Gods promises quickened him Which coulde not be vnlesse he had beene troubled with great dulnes of heart Againe sometimes the spirite of God quite withdraweth it self to their feeling as it was in Dauid In the daiâ— of my trouble saith hee I sought the Lorde and my soule refused comfort I did thinke vpon God was troubled I praied and my spirite was full of anguish Againe will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and will he shew no more fauour hath God forgotten to be mercifull c. The Church in â—hâ— Canticles complaineth of this In my beddâ—â— sought him by night whom my soule loued I sought him but I found him not And againe my welbeloued put in his hand by the hole of the dore and 〈◊〉 heart was affectioned towardes him I rose 〈…〉 pen to my welbeloued and my hands did 〈…〉 myrrhe my fingers powre myrrhe vppon â—…dles of the bar I opened to my welbeloued 〈◊〉 my welbeloued was gone and past mine heart was gone when hee did speake I sought him but I coulde not finde him I called but he answered me not Contrariwise God at some other times sheds abroad his loue most aboundantlie in the hearts of the faithfull and Christ lieth betweene tho breasts of his Church as a posie of myrrhe giuing a strong smell Christian. But how can he be a Christian that feels no grace nor goodnes in himselfe Minister The child which as yet can vse no reason is for all that a reasonable creature and the man in a soune feeles no power of life and yet he is not dead The Christian man hath manie quaumes come ouer his heart and he falles into manie a soune that none almost would loke for anie more of the life of Christ in him yet for al that he may be a true Christian. This was the estate of Peter when he denied our sauiour Christ with cursing and banning his faith onelie fainted for a time it failed not Christian. I haue nowe opened vnto you the chiefe things that trouble me and your comfortable answers haue much refreshed my troubled minde The God of all mercie and consolation requite you accordinglie Minister I haue
my conscience and went nie to perswade mee that my father would thrust me awaie and hang me if hee catched me so that I was like a great while to runne away rather then to returne to my father againe Feare and dread of rebuke and of losse of my fathers loue and of punishment wrastled with the trust which I had in my fathers goodnesse and as it were gaue my faith a fall But I rose againe as soone as the rage of the first brunt was past and my minde was more quiet And the goodnes of my father and his olde kindnes came vnto my remembrance either by mine owne courage or by the comfort of another And I beleeued that my father would not put me away or destroie me and hee hoped that I woulde doe no more so And vpon that I got me home againe dismaied but not altogether faithlesse the olde kindnes would not let me dispaire how beit all the worlde coulde not set mine heart at rest vntill the paine had beene past and vntill I had heard the voice of my father that all is forgotten Timoth. Seeing that you haue thus plainelie and truelie shewed the weaknes of yours and consequentlie of all mens faith shewe mee I praie you howe by the weakenes of faith a Christian is not rather discomforted then comforted and assured of his saluation Euseb. God doth not so much regarde the quantitie of his graces as the truth of them hee approoueth a litle faith if it bee a true faith yea if faith in vs were no more but a graine of mustard seede which is the least of al other seedes it should be effectual and God would haue respect vnto it The poore diseased beggar with a lame hande hauing the palsie also is able neuerthelesse to reach out the same and receiue an almes of a king and so in like manner a weake and languishing faith is sufficieÌ„tly able to reach out it selfe and to apprehende the infinite mercies of our heauenlie king offered vnto vs in Christ. Faith in the 3. of Iohn is compared vnto the eie of the Israelite which although it were of dimme sight or looked a squint yet if it could neuer so little beholde the brasen Serpent it was sufficient to cure the stings of the fiery serpeÌ„ts to saue life Timoth. Seing that you satisfie me in euery point so fully shew me I pray you whether a man may be wicked haue faith whether faith entring expelleth wickednes For I haue heard some saie that a maÌ„ might beleeue the word of God and yet be neuer the better in his life or holier theÌ„ before he was Euseb. Many there are which when they heare or read of faith at once they consent thereunto haue a certain imagination opinioÌ„ of faith as wheÌ„ a man telleth a storie or a thing done in a straÌ„ge land that perteineth not to theÌ„ at al which yet they beleeue tel as a true thing this imagination oâ— opinion they call faith Therfore as soone as they haue this imagination or opinion in their heartes they saie verilie this doctrine seemeth true I beleeue it euen so theÌ„ they thinke that the right faith is there but afterward when they feele in themselues no maner of working of the spirite neither the terrible sentence of the law the horrible captiuity vnder Satan neither can perceiue any alteration in theÌ„selues that any good works follow but find they are altogether as before abide in their old state theÌ„ think they y t faith is not sufficient but that works must be ioined with faith to iustificatioÌ„ but true faith is only the gift of God is mightie in operation euer working being full of vertue it renueth man begetteth him a fresh altreth him changeth him turneth him altogether into a new creature conuersatioÌ„ so that a maÌ„ shal feel his hart clean changed far otherwise disposed then before hath power to loue y t which before he could not but hate delighteth in that which before he abhorred hateth y t which before he could not but loue And it setteth the soul at liberty maketh hir free to follow the wil of god is to the soul as health to y e body after y t a maÌ„ is pined with loÌ„g sickâ—es the legs cannot bear him he cannot lift vp his hands to help him his tast is corrupt sugar is better in his mouth his stomacke longeth after slubbersauce and swash at which a whole stomacke is ready to cast his gorge when health commeth shee changeth and altereth him cleane giueth him strength in all his members lust and will to doe of his owne accorde that which before he could not doe neither coulde suffer that anie man should exhort him to doe hath now lust in wholsome things and his members are free and at libertie and haue power to doe all things of his owne accord which belong to a sounde and whole man to doe And faith worketh in the same manner as a tree bringes foorth fruite of his owne accorde and as a man neede not bidde a tree bring foorth fruite so is there no lawe put to him that beleeueth and is iustified through faith neither is it needefull For the lawe is written and grauen in his heart his pleasure is dailie therein and as without commaundement euen of his owne nature he eateth drinketh seeth heareth talketh goeth euen so of his owne nature without anie compulsion of the lawe bringeth foorth good workes and as an whole man when hee is a thirst tarrieth but for drinke and when he hungreth abideth but for meate and then drinketh and eateth naturallie Euen so is the faithfull euer a thirst and an hungred after the will of God and tarrieth but for an occasion and whensoeuer an occasion is giuen hee worketh naturallie the will of God For this blessing is giuen them that trust in Christs bloude that they thirst and hunger to doe Gods will He that hath not this faith is but an vnprofitable babler of faith and workes and neither worketh what hee bableth nor whereunto his words pretend For he feeleth not the power of faith nor the working of the spirit in his heart but interpreteth the scriptures which speake of faith and workes after his owne blinde reason and foolish fantasies not hauing any experience in himselfe Timoth. Euerie member of Christs congregation is a sinner and sinneth daily some more some lesse for it is written 1. Ioh. 1. If we saie we haue no sin we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. And Paule Rom. 7. That good which I would that do I not but that euill which I would not that doe I. So it is not I that doe it saith hee but sinne that dwelleth in mee So the Christian man is both a sinner and no sinner which how it can be shew it me by your experience Euseb. I being one man in substance and two men in qualitie flesh and
cut off from thee Christian. But Gods mercie farre exceedeth all these my sinnes and I cannot bee so infinite in sinning as God is infinite in mercie and pardoning Sathan Darest thou presume to thinke of Gods mercie why the least of thy sinnes deserueth damnation Christian. None of my sinnes can feare me or dismaie me Christ hath borne the full wrath and vengeance of his Father vpon the Crosse euen for me that I might be deliuered from condemnation which was due vnto mee Sathan If Gods purpose were not to condemne thee perswade thy selfe hee would neuer laie so manie afflictions and crosses on thee as he doth What is this want of good name this weaknes and sicknesse of the bodie these terrours of thy minde this dulnesse and frowardnes of thy hart what are all these I saie and manie other euils but the beginnings and certaine flashings of the fire of Hell Christian. Nay rather my afflictions are â—liuelie testimonies of my saluation For god as a louing Father partlie by them as with â—courges chastneth my disobedience and bringeth me into order partly conformeth me vnto my Sauiour Christ and so by little and little layeth open to mee mine owne sinnes that I may dislike my selfe and hate them and maketh mee to renounce the â—orâ—de thy eldest sonne and stirreth me vp to call vpon him to praie earnestly with â—grones and sighes which I am not able to expresse with anie wordes as I feele them Sathan Thy afflictions are heauie and â—omfortlesse therefore they can not be arguments of Gods fauour Christian. Indeed their nature is to bring griefe and heauines to the soule but I haue had ioy in the middest of my afflictions strength sufficient to beare them and after them haue ben many waies bettered which befalleth to none of the wicked and for that cause it is a great perswasion to mee that â— shal not be damned with the wicked world but in spite of all thy power passe froÌ„ death to euerlasting life Sathan After these thy manifold afflictions thou must suffer death which is moâ—â— terrible and a verie entrance to Hell Christian. Death hath lost his sting bâ— Christes death and vnto me it shall be nothing els but a passage vnto euerlasting life Sathan Admit thou shalt bee deliuereâ— from hell by Christ what will this auailâ— thee coÌ„sidering that thou shalt neuer comâ— to the kingdome of heauen for Christeâ— death only deliuereth thee from death eternal it can not aduance thee to euerlastinâ— life Christian. I am nowe at this time a member of Christs kingdome and after this lifâ— shall raigne with him for euer in his euerlasting kingdome Sathan Thou neuer didst fulfill the lawâ— therefore thou canst not come into the kingdome of heauen Christian Christ hath perfectlie fulfilled euerie part of the lawe for mee and by this his obedience imputed vnto mee I my selfe do keepe the lawe Sathan Be it so for all this thou art farre inough from the kingdome of heauen into which no vncleane thing shall euer enter thou although that Christ hath suffered death and fulfilled the lawe for thee yet thou art in part vncleane thy cursed nature and the seedes of sinne are yet remaining in thee Christian. Christ in the virgins wombe was perfectly sanctified by the holie ghost and this perfect holines of his humane nature is imputed to me euen as Iacob put on Esaus garments to get his Fathers blessing so I haue put on the righteousnes of Christ as a long white robe couering my sinnes making me appeare perfectlie righteous euen before Gods iudgement seat Sathan Indeed God hath made promise vnto mankinde in all these mercies and benefits in Christ but the condition of this promise is faith which thou wantest and therfore canst not make anie accompt that Christes sufferings Christes fulfilling of the lawe Christes perfect holinesse can doe thee anie good Christian. I haue true sauing faith The conflicts of Sathan with the strong Christian. Sathan THou sayest that thou hast true faith but I shall sift thee and disproue thee Christian. The gates of Hell shall neuer preuayle against my faith doe what thou canst Sathan Tell me then doest thou thinke that all the world shall be saued Christian. No. Sathan What shall some be saued and some condemned Christiam So saith the worde of God Sathan Thou then are peswaded that God is true euen in his mercifull promises and that he will saue some men as Peter and Paul Dauid c. and this is the onely be leefe by which thou wilt be saued Christian. Naie this I beleeue and more too that I particularly am in the number of those men which shall be saued and this is the beleefe that saueth me Sathan It may bee thou art perswaded that God is able to saue thee but that God will saue thee that is that he hath determined to aduance this thy body and this thy soule into his kingdome that he is most willing to performe it in his good time heerein thou wauerest and doubtest Christian. Nay Sathan I in mine owne heart am fully perswaded that I shall be saued and that Christ is specially my redeemer and O Lord for Christes sake helpe thou my doubting and vnbeliefe Sathan This thy full perswasion is onely a phantasie and a strong imagination of thine owne head it goeth not with thee as thou thinkest Sathan It is no imagination but trueth which I speake For me thinks I am as certaine of my saluation as though my name were registred in the Scriptures as Dauids and Pauls are to be an elect vessell of God and this is the testimonie of the holy spirit of Iesus Christ assuring me inwardly of my adoption and making me with boldnesse and confidence in Christ to pray vnto God the father Sathan Still thou dreamest imaginest thou louest and likest thy self and therefore thou thinkest the best of thy selfe Christian. Yea but God of his goodnesse hath brought foorth such tokens of faith in me that I cannot be deceiued 1. I am displeased with my selfe for my manifold sinnes in which sometime I haue delighted and bathed my self Rom. 7. 15. 24. 2. I purpose neuer to commit them againe if God giue me strength as I trust he will 3. I haue a verie great desire to be doing those things which God commandeth 4. Those that bee the children of God If I doe but heare of them I loue them with my hart and wish vnto them as to my selfe 1. Iohn 3. 14. 5. My heart leapeth for gladnesse when I heare of the preaching of the word 6. I long to see the comming of Christ Iesus that an end may be made of sinning and of displeasing God Apoc. 22. 20. 7. I feele in my heart the fruites of the spirit ioy loue peace gentlenes meekenes patience temperance the workes of the flesh I abhorre them fornication adulterie vncleannesse wantonnesse Idolatrie strife enuie anger drunkennesse bibbing