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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A72164	The conquest of temptations, or Mans victory over Satan especially, the great assaults, at the agony of death, full of very strong and effectuall consolations, to sustaine and comfort the weakest heart, in the greatest conflicts which can befall a Christian in the vvhole course of of life, and approach of death / gathered by the holy and deuout labour of Iohn Gerard, doctor of diuinitie, and superintendent of Heldburge ; newly Englished by Rich. Bruch, minister of Gods word.	Gerhard, Johann, 1582-1637.; Bruch, Richard, minister of Gods word.	1614 (1614)	STC 11767.5; ESTC S5215	71,686	143

of life Apoc. 20.12 but in the last iudgement the bookes shall be opened and amongst these also the booke of conscience in which before the whole world grauen with great letters shall all the particular faults and offences of men be séene which are not blotted out in this life by true contrition by faith and amendement of life Before that day of iudgement come and the time of grace passe away thou mayest haue as yet excellent hope and sure confidence that the bloud of Iesus Christ Heb. 9.14 which through the eternall spirit hath offered himselfe without spot to God will clense thy conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God XXV Too late Repentance The Tempted TRuly I am earnestly sorry for so many wounds inflicted on my conscience I doe earnestly desire the cure of my wounds I haue an earnest desire to keepe a good conscience hereafter but I feare lest that my repentance be too late I feare lest the grace of God so oftimes reiected of mee doe againe reiect and forsake mee August de verâ falsâ poenit cap. 17. Late repentance is wont to deceiue many and that repentance which proceeds from a dying man hee must feare lest that also dye The Comforter NAy there is nothing too late which is true and earnest Cyprian tract 1. contra Demet. No repentance is to late for him that abides yet in this world there are some which are called and come at the eleuenth houre of the day into the Lords Vineyard Mat. 20.9 and receiue the reward of Grace No length of time doth preiudicate eyther Gods equitie or his pietie Fulgent Epist 7. Repentance is neuer too late with GOD 〈◊〉 in whose sight aswell the things past as the things to come are alwayes held for present Behold the example of the Thiefe on the crosse which confessing Christ with his mouth vpon whose vtmost lippes as it were his soule dwelt ready to depart gods the pardon of his sinnes and the 〈◊〉 pr●mise of the heauenly paradise As long as that to day is named Heb. 3.13 so long God doth earnestly looke for our conuersion As long as the heauenly Bridegroome doth as yet defer his comming Mat. 25.5 so long the gate of Grace and indulgence doth as yet lye open The whole time of our life yea the last houre thereof is graunted vs to the space of repentance Esa 65.2 God spreads forth his hands all day neyther doth hee cast forth him that comes vnto him at what time soeuer hee come Iohn 6.37 Therefore take thou care of that that thy repentance be true and earnest and then thou néedest not feare lest it be too late If when the houre of death drawes néere thou therfore repentest thée because thou art destituted of the occasions of sinning that repentance is false for by this reason thou doest not leaue thy sinnes but thy sinnes forsake thée If thou therefore repentest because thou séest the punishment of thy sinnes neare that repentance is likewise false for it procéeds out of the loue of thy selfe not out of the sincere loue of God it procéeds not out of the hate of sinne but out of the irkesomnesse of most iust punishment Therefore that thou mayest repent truly and earnestly grieue for thy sins so often committed and therefore grieue because thou hast so often so grieuously by them offended God the chiefest good see●e in Christ the remission of thy sins and seriously propose to thy selfe whatsoeuer shall remaine of thy life to 〈◊〉 it out wholly on the seruice of God submit thy selfe to God be humbled from thy heart before him permit it to his will what and how great punishments a thousand times deserued of thée he will inflict vpon thée that it may appeare that thou doest repent out of the hatred of sinne and not out of the hatred of punishment Psal 51.19 Such a contrite and humbled heart will be a most acceptable sacrifice vnto God for so he saith by the Prophet Esa 66.2 To whom shall I haue respect but to the poore and contrite in spirit and him that trembles at my words XXVI The doubting of the grace of God The Tempted TRuly I feele in my heart serious contrition and griefe for my sinnes neither doe I altogether despaire of the mercy of God yet my heart is shaken with the waues of doubtings neither as yet am I certainely assured of the free remission of my sinnes Indeed well I hope in the meane time humbly I doubt the consideration of Gods mercy doth lift me vp but the thought of mine owne vnworthinesse doth againe cast me downe I am conuerted vnto God therefore I hope well but I am conuerted too late therefore I doubt as yet in part The Comforter BVt I will set most firme props vnder thy wauering faith on which thou mayest relie thée against all the tempests of doubtings for neither is that doubting an humble confession of our vnworthinesse but a dangerous oppugning of the faith that ought of right to be giuen to Gods promises neither is there any reason of doubting of sufficient strength in late conuersion and repentance when the mercy of God doth offer to al that are earnestly conuerted a most certaine promise of the remission of sins First of al therefore attend to the vnmoueable verity of the promises of God Whosoeuer they are that acknowledging and bewailing their sins doe séeke remission of them in Christ and conceiue a firme purpose of amendement of life to them God hath promised his grace forgiuenesse of sinnes and eternall life Whosoeuer beleeueth on the Sonne Ioh. 13.15 18. 1 Ioh. 5.12 Mar. 16.16 doth not perish but hath life eternall He that beleeueth on him is not iudged He that hath the Sonne the same also hath eternall life Hee that shall beleeue and be baptized shall be saued He that hath promised these things is God whose word is more firme then heauen earth which is the truth it selfe 2 Tim. 2.11 which is faithfull and cannot deny himselfe or his word That therefore which God offers with indubitate promises that must thou entertain with indubitate faith neither must thou pretend the infirmitie of thy nature which cannot imbrace the promises of God with such an assurance of trust for this fault of thy nature must be corrected by the efficacy of the holy spirit As thou dost not beléeue on CHRIST out of the strength of nature but out of the working of the Holy Ghost so by the grace of the same spirit thou mayest be assured of the mercy of the Heauenly Father against all doubting that is inherent in thy depriued nature 1 Ioh. 5.10 Hee that beleeues not God makes him a liar Asmuch as thou doubtest so much is diminished of thy trust therefore thou must resist that doubting neither is that to be set forth vnder the specious name of humilitie verily Humilitie ought to arise out of the

and the reward of eternall life that notwithstanding thou become not thereby carnally secure The infallible promises of God doe frée thée from doubting the exhortations and comminations of God doe free thée from carnall securitie There is securitie no where in this life but in the hope of the promises of God alone August in Psal 94. Id. 2. de bono perseuer c. 13. In this life which wholy is a tentation vpon earth he that séemes to stand let him take héede least he fall therefore those that will not perseuere are mingled by the most prouident counsell of God with those which shall perseuere that we may learne to be not loftily wise but agréeing with the humble and worke out our saluation with feare trembling Therefore with one eye of thine heart behold the mercie of God but with the other the iustice of God out of the faithfull beholding of the mercy of God let there arise in thine heart the confidence of perseuerance out of the feare of the iustice of God let there arise in it the flight of carnall security Let the feare of God wound thy flesh least the loue of sinfull flesh deceiue thée Psa 147.11 The delight of the Lord is in them that feare him and hope in his mercy Let the inward man hope and trust let the outward man feare and tremble XXXII The doubting of the writing in the Booke of life The Tempted THey alone doe perseuere and receiue the Crowne of perseuerance which are written in the Booke of life But how may I know that I am written in that Booke The Comforter Apoc. 13.8 cap. 21.27 THat Booke of life is Christ from whence it is called the Booke of life of the Lambe The writing into this Booke of life is nothing else but the election of the beléeuers in Christ to eternal life Eph. 1.5 Apoc. 17.8 For euen as the faithfull are said to be chosen in Christ before the foundations of the world were laid so their names are said to be written in the booke of life from the beginning of the world Therefore we must iudge as of election so also of the writing into the Booke of life not from that which goeth before but from that which followeth after Bern. Serm. 1. Septuag There are manifest signes and tokens of saluation giuen so that it is without all doubt that he is of the number of the chosen in whom those signes shall remaine For as many as are elected from eternity to life they doe heare the word of saluation in time they beléeue on Christ they shew forth the fruits of the spirit they perseuere in faith 1 Ioh. 5.10 He therefore which beléeues on the Son hath the testimonie of God in himselfe for the holy Ghost doth testifie in the heart of beléeuers that they are the Sons of God Rom. 8.16 and written into the Booke of life Those whom God hath predestinated from eternitie Luk. 10.20 Rom. 8.29 whose names he hath written in heauen those doth he call in time by the word iustifie by true faith on Christ that faith shewes it selfe forth by true inuocation of God by patience in the Crosse by the study of holines Therfore let the holy wholsome meditation of election and the Booke of life begin from the wounds of Christ hanging on the Crosse hée that beléeues on him and perseueres in faith is iustified and written into the Booke of the liuing Rom. 10.9 Hast thou not béene receiued by Baptisme into the couenant of grace washed with the blood of Christ from thy sinnes regenerated and renued by the holy Ghost This is an euident signe that thou art written into the booke of life Gal. 3.26.27 For we are all the Sons of God by faith séeing as many as are baptised haue put on Christ How commeth it to passe that falling into sinne out of infirmitie after Baptisme thou hast not béene bruised Sauanar in Psal 31. who hath put vnder his hand who hath receiued thée againe into grace who but the Lord This is a great signe of thine election the elect when he shall fall shall not be bruised God hath written not the Tables of the destinies or the decrees of Rhadamantus but the Booke of life when he chose vs in Christ before the foundations of the world were laide Therefore séeke in Christ by faith the election of thée to life and writing of thée into the Booke of life walke by faith that thou mayest come to predestination Ex Aug. Lom 6.1 sent dist 41. D. They which rashly and without the limits of the word doe search the depth of God are plunged at length ouer head and eares into the déepe XXXIII The feare of Death The Tempted IT is good for mee to cleane vnto Christ I will not let him depart out of my heart before hee blesse mee I haue decreed with true faith to perseuere in Christ that it may be my lot to raigne together with him In the meane time I confesse that I am not yet free from all terrour of death neither doe I feele so great strength and helpe of the Spirit that with the Apostle I desire ardently to be dissolued The Comforter INdéede this is the infirmitie of our flesh and propertie of our corrupt nature that we are more desirous of this life fading then of the life to come that is not flitting Hence comes that feare and terrour of death which that thou mayest ouercome by the power of the spirit and mayest grow in the strength of the inner man waigh those things diligently which I shall propose vnto thée out of the store-house of the heauenly truth First Math. 10.30 Iob. 14.5 it is certaine that euen the haires of our heads are vnder an account with God the number of our moneths is appointed of him he hath set vs downe a bound which wée can by no meanes passe a● our dayes were written in his Booke Psa 139.5 before any one of them was Therefore good reason thou shouldest rest thy selfe in this fatherly will of God of his grace he gaue thée life hée brought thée forth wonderfully out of the close places of thy Mothers belly as long as he would haue thée to be in life he hath kept thée safe and sound from a thousand dangers hée doth now aske againe the soule which heretofore he hath giuen thée surely he doth not take away that which is thine but he askes againe that which is his owne now what action can there lie against him which askes for that againe which he hath lent Furthermore the soule which hée doth require of thée hée doth translate into the ioyes of the heauenly Paradise and wil restore the same againe to the body in the time to come adorned with greater glory and with more shining gifts That body which is reposed into the Chamber of the graue shall in time to come be a farre more glorious worthy and

Dust The Tempted WHatsoeuer it be I see that I must be laid downe into the earth and be brought to dust A bed shall be made for my body in the graue therefore haue I sayd to corruption Thou art my Father and to the wormes Iob 17.14 yee are my Mother and my Sister The Comforter DOe not regard that dust and ashes into which thou art to be brought but regard that future resurrection out of the dust and ashes which we expect by faith If thou hast said with Iob to corruption that it is thy Father say with the same that thy redéemer liueth Iob 19.25 which in the last day shall raise thée vp againe out of the earth shall compasse thée about with thy skinne that in thy flesh thou mayest sée thy God The sayings of the Scriptures the moments of arguments and the examples of those that were raised againe doe proue this blessed resurrection of our bodies The sayings of the Scriptures in the olde and new Testament are in a readinesse in number many in weight most great in perspicuitie most cleare Gen. 4.10 Chap. 25.8 Chap. 35.29 Chap. 49.33 The bloud of Abell doth cry to the Lord in whose sight as yet he liueth The Patriarches are gathered by death vnto their people therfore by death they do not cease to be the liuing people of the liuing God God is the God of Abraham Isaac and Iaacob Exod. 3.6 now God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing therefore Abraham Isaac Mat. 22.31 and Iaacob doe liue before God they liue I say in their better part and their bodies in the time to come shall be called backe againe to life nay they are already called backe Mat. 27.53 séeing that Christ being risen againe they are risen againe with him I know sayth Iob that my redeemer liueth Iob 19.25 and in the last day I shall be raised vp againe out of the earth Esa 26 19. Thy dead shall liue sayth Esayas my slaine shall rise againe Awake and sing Esa 66.14 yee that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dewe of greene hearbs your bones shall flourish like an hearbe For this saith the Lord Ezek. 37.5 of the dry bones Behold I will send my spirit into you and ye shall liue and I will lay sinewes vpon you and make flesh growe vpon you and couer you with skinne and put breath into you that ye may liue and yee shall know that I am the Lord. Dan. 12.2 Many sayth Daniel of those which sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to life eternall others to euerlasting shame The greatest King of the world say the seauen Martyrs in the Maccabees will raise vs when we are dead 2 Mac. 7.9 to eternall life of God doe we hope that wee shall receiue our members Ioh. 5.28 The houre commeth saith the Truth in which all that are in the graues shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of man vers 29. and shall come forth they that haue done good to the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill to the resurrection of iudgement This is the will of the Father which hath sent me Ioh 6.39 that of all which he hath giuen me I should lose nothing but should raise it vp againe at the last day Ver. 40.44 But this is the will of my Father which hath sent mee that euery one which seeth the Son and beleeueth on him haue life eternal Ver. 54. I wil raise him vp again in the last day I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeueth on me although he were dead Iohn 11. vers 25. vers 26. yet shal he liue and euery one that liueth and beleeueth on me shall not dye for euer I haue hope on God saith S. Paul and I looke for the resurrection to come of the iust vniust Act. 24.15 This corruptible must put on incorruption this mortal must put on immortality 1 Cor. 15.53 then shall be fulfilled the word which is written Death is swallowed vp into victory 2 Cor. 4.14 Wee know that hee that hath raised vp our Lord Iesus hee also by Iesus will raise vs vp Our conuersation is in Heauen Phil. 3 20. from whence also wee looke for our Sauiour the Lord Iesus Christ Vers 21. which shall change our vile body that it may be like his glorious body according to the working whereby hee is able to subdue all things to himselfe 1 Thes 4.14 If we beleeue that Iesus is dead and risen againe euen so them which sleepe in Iesus will God bring with him Iohn saw the dead great and small standing in the sight of God and the bookes were opened Apoc. 20.12 and the Sea gaue vp the dead which were in her and death and hell gaue vp then dead To these sayings of Scripture written as it were with a beame of the Sunne may be added vnmoueable props of reasons for so the Apostle concludes 1 Cor. 15.12 If Christ bee risen againe we also shall rise againe teaching the resurrection of Christ to be the key of our sepulchres and the example of our hope Tertul. de carne p. 33. 1 Cor. 15.20 Exod. 23.19 Leuit. 23.20 August 20. de Trinit cap. 17. Ephes 2.6 CHRIST is become the first fruits of those that sleepe sayth the Apostle As therefore the haruest by the ordinance of God did follow the oblation of the first fruits so the haruest of the vniuersall resurrection shall follow the first fruits of the Lords resurrection Christ is our head that which hath gone before in the head shall follow in the members and hence the Apostle doth confidently pronounce that we are raised together with Christ and placed in the glorie of the heauenly Paradise For there is in the man Christ the flesh of euery one of vs Maximi in serm de resurrect the bloud and portion Where therefore our portion raignes there doe we beléeue to raigne where our bloud beares rule wee féele our selues to beare rule and where our flesh is in glory wee know that we are glorious 1 Cor. 15.21 Besides as by one man that is to say the first Adam came death so by one man that is to say the second Adam came the resurrection As in Adam wee dye so in Christ we rise againe The fall of Adam was of power to bring in death shall not the resurrection of Christ be able to deserue the raising againe to life Christ in his glorious resurrection hath shewed himselfe the conquerour of all his enemies therefore also of death which also at length hee shall altogether abolish Christ is an eternall King therefore he shall raise the citizens of his kingdome from death that they may liue with him for euer Christ hath fréed not onely our soule but also our body from the yoake of sinne and hath ordained it

momin pag. 21. God giues altogether fréely saues altogether fréely because he findes nothing for which to saue and hée findes much for which to damne Of grace is giuen not onely to the iustified good life but also to the glorified eternall life and therefore death is said to be wages but eternall life is said to be grace because that is rendred as due this is giuen as frée Bern. Ser. innat Mar. Col. 213. Therefore let another séeke for merit doe thou studie to finde grace let the mercie of the Lord be thy merit thou art not plainely poore in merit as long as he is not wanting mercies Serm. 67. in Cant. There is no place for grace to enter where merit hath alreadie taken vp the roome Thou doest detract from grace whatsoeuer thou doest depute vnto merit It sufficeth to merit Serm. 68. in Cant. to know that merit doth not suffice Place all thy confidence altogether on God Embrace his mercie séeke thy merits in the wounds of Christ thou shalt not haue any want of merits XXIII The accusation of the Law The Tempted I Acknowledge our works not to be meritorious neither to appease God but that out of faith they may please him And how can they chuse but displease him when they are not perfectly conformable to the law of God The law is an eternall vnchangeable rule of iustice condemning all whatsoeuer is not conformable there-vnto Therefore the dart of damnation is shaken against me my works vnlesse thou shew me what shield I may oppose against it The Comforter Gal. 3.13 CHrist hath redeemed thée from the curse of the Law being made a curse for thee Cursed is euery one that hangeth on the wood When the fulnesse of time came Cap 4.4 God sent his owne Sonne borne of a woman made vnder the Law that he might redeeme those which were vnder the Law Ver. 5. Rom. 10.4 Cap. 8.1 that we might receiue the adoption of Sonnes The end and fulfilling of the Law is Christ to righteousnes to euery one that beleeueth Therefore there is no damnation to thée and all which are by faith in Christ and walke not according to the flesh Vers 2. Vers 3. there is no feare of the Law the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath fréed thée from the Law of sinne and death For that which was impossible to the Law because it was made weake through the flesh that hath GOD performed Vers 4. sending his Sonne in the likenesse of the flesh of sinne and by sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that the iustification of the Law might be fulfilled in vs which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Therefore if by true faith thou doest apply the benefits of Christ vnto thy selfe there is no cause that thou shouldest feare the curse of the Lawe The sting of Death is sinne 1 Cor. 15.55 56. the strength of sinne is the Law but thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victorie through Iesus Christ our Lord Hee hath ouercome our death by his death hee hath satisfied for our sinnes by his Passion and hée hath most perfectly fulfilled the Law in our stead by his most holy obedience Neither yet is there an abolishment of the Law made but a translation onely Neither do the Law and the Gospell destroy themselues mutually séeing the Law is not against the promises of God Gal. 3.21 but is established by faith For what the Law doth require of vs Rom. 3.31 that the Gospell doth tell vs was performed of Christ in our steade What the Law commands this Christ obtaines The Law condemneth sinne and vs for sinne Christ doth performe satisfaction for sinnes and giues his righteousnesse vnto vs. The Law therefore is satisfied by the obedience of Christ because it is perfect Againe that fulfilling of the Law through Christ is performed for vs to good because it is not due Chyt li. 1. de vita et morte p. 43. Therefore as thou oughtest not to behold death in thine owne body but in Christ raised vp againe the conquerour of death and the giuer of life and saluation eternall sinne not in thine owne conscience but in Christ the Lambe of God bearing and taking away thy sinnes and the sinnes of the whole world hell and the tentations of being euerlastingly cast away not in thy selfe and in that innumerable multitude of the damned but in Christ sustaining on the Crosse and ouer-comming for vs the tentation of being cast away so thou oughtest to behold the Law not as it is written in thy hart but as it is fulfilled by Christ and with him fastned to the Crosse XXIIII The accusation of Conscience The Tempted MY conscience doth witnesse together with the accusation of the Law that as an vncorrupt iudge riseth vp against mee Chrysost hom 64. in Gen. and is an accuser of mee while no man reproues mee or brings any thing forth against mee I cannot escape that domesticall iudgement seate In this great volumne I see and altogether tremble at all my sinnes Nazian orat 26. Bern. de conuers ad Cler. c. 3. Col. 114 written with the stile of truth wretch that I am who shall deliuer me from this Court of iudgement in which the same is the guiltie the pleader the witnesse the iudge the torturer the scourge the executioner the hangman The Comforter Ioh. 3.20 IF thy heart doth condemne thée yet God is greater then thy heart If the memory of thy faults passed doth accuse and torment thée yet Christ the Redéemer which hath satisfied for thy sinnes is a mightier Col. 2.14 he absolues thée frées thée and saues thée Hee indéed hath blotted out that hand-writing which was written against and was contrary to vs hee hath taken it cleane away and hath fastned it with him to the Crosse By the nailes of Christ crucified is that accusing hand-writing of thy conscience together fastened that it is of no force and validitie before God Rom. 5.1 for being iustified by faith thou hast peace with GOD peace of conscience quietnes of hart and the most blessed tranquillitie of the soule which Christ the conquerour of sinne death and Satan hath brought backe with him from the graue and giuen the same to his Disciples Therefore Bern. de conuer cap. 6. col 415. if thou féelest the worme of conscience thou oughtest to strangle him forthwith in this life present not cherish him to immortalitie for a putrified conscience begets the immortall wormes Strangle therefore the worme of conscience by serious repentance pray to God for rest of the heart and forgiuenesse of sinnes and take héed of the new wounds of conscience that is the worst relapse of sinnes In this life there is as yet a time of pardon a time of grace a time of quieting the conscience In this life the booke of conscience may as yet be amended out of the booke