have wee heard to boast of those graces whereto they beene perfect strangers How have wee knowne some that have pretended to no lesse illumination than Pisanus reports of Iohn of Alverne who in a rapture was elavated above every creature and his soule swallowed up in the abisse of the divinity when it hath beene indeed nothing but a fanaticall illusion How ordinarily do wee find men challenging no meane share in a lively faith spirituall joy fervent zeale true sanctity when in the meane while they have embraced nothing but the clouds of their owne fancies instead of these heavenly graces and by this meanes have stript themselves of the possibility of those holy vertues which they falsly soothed in themselves for who can care to seeke for that which he thinks he hath already Men do not so much covet as arrogate spirituall gifts Every Zidkijah can say which way went the spirit of God from mee to speake unto thee and like a spirituall Epicure can clap himselfe on the breast with Soule take thy ease thou hast grace enough layd up for many yeares from this opinion of satiety arises a necessary carelesnesse of better indeavors and a contemptuous undervaluation of the poore stock of grace in others It being commonly incident into these presuming soules that was of old wont to be said of the Tartars that they are better invaders of other mens possessions than keepers of their owne those censures then which they should spend upon their owne secret corruptions they are ready to cast upon the seeming enormities of their neighbours And as if they would go contrary to the Apostles charge Be not high minded but feare these men are high-minded and feare not The way leades to the end the presumption of the way to the presumption of the end over-weening and misprision of grace to an over-reckoning of an undue salvation Good God with what confidence have I heard some not over-conscionable men talke of the assurance of their heaven as if the way thither were so short and so plaine that they could not misse it as if that passage had neither danger nor difficulty as if it were but a remove from the Lobby to the great Chamber wherein they can neither erre nor fall Here need no harsh exercises of mortification here are no misdoubts of Gods desertions no selfe-conflicts no flashes of troubled consciences but all faire and smooth Have they sinned the score is crossed by their surety have they forfeited their soules their ransome is payd is justice offended mercy hath satisfied Shortly they have by Acesius his ladder climbed up into heaven and stollen the sight of the Book of life and found their name there and who can obliterate it I cannot forget a bold word which many yeeres ago I heard fall from a man whom I conceived not to have had any extraordinary reason of confidence If I should heare God say there shall but one man be saved I would strait say That is I Lord. Surely the man was in good favour with himselfe in what termes soever hee stood with the Almighty Not that I condemne an holy and well-grounded resolution of our spirituall estate I know who hath charged us to give diligence to make our calling and election sure Had it not been at all feisible our wise and good God had not tasked our diligence with it and had it been easie and obvious it might even without diligence of study and endeavour have beene effected Now as one said of Evangelicall Councels I must say of this high pitch of Christianity It is not for every man to mount up this steep hill of assurance every soule must breathe and pant towards it as he may even as wee would and must to perfection hee is as rare as happy that attaines it Give mee a man that hath worne out himselfe with a strict austerity who by many secret bickerings hath mastered his sturdy and rebellious corruptions who in a trembling awfulnesse walks constantly with his God keeping a severe watch over all his wayes assiduous and fervent in his devotions Shorly who hath spent his time in heaven before-hand why should I not beleeve that God hath sealed up to such a soule an assecurance of his future glory Some transient acts of interposed doubting may and will glance into the holiest heart but a formed habit of doubt falles not into such an eminence of grace This is not a lesson for every novice to take out whose maine care must ever bee to work out his salvation with feare and trembling As for spirituall security let him labour towards it as that which hee would most gladly compasse but not brag of it too soone as that which he hath already compassed SECT XVI AS there is no disease incident into the body for which nature hath not provided a remedy so neither is there any spirituall complaint incident into the soule for which grace affords not a redresse The way of the generall cure of presumption is to take a just estimate of our priviledges and abilities and to work the heart to a true selfe-dejection and humiliation under the mighty hand of God Particularly he can never presume upon those outward commodities that seriously considers how they are valued by the owner and giver of them Where are the most curious and rich Pearles layd up but in the mud of the sea And what is the earth but marsupium Domini as Saint Malacby termd it of old Gods purse wherein he puts his most precious jewells and mettalles And what baser peece hath the world than this repository And if it please him to lay them out how doth hee think them worthy to be bestowed He fills the belly of the ungodly with his hidden treasure saith the Psalmist and The earth is given into the hands of the wicked saith holy Iob in his answer to Bildad neither is it other that he observes in his reply to Zophar The Tabernacles of the robbers prosper and they that provoke God are secure into whose hands God bringeth abundantly How then can we esteeme those things as pledges of favour which God makes choyce to cast upon enemies which mere naturall men have contemned as not worthy their affectation or regard with what scorne did those naked Brachmanni the relation is fatherd upon Saint Ambrose repell the profered gold And if at any time it hath pleased him whose the earth is and the fullnesse thereof to lade his deere ones with this thick clay as himselfe stiles it and to store them with abundance he doth it not without a further blessing of sanctification Some kinds of fishes there are that passe for delicate with our great masters of the palate which yet must have the dangerous string in their backs puld out ere they can bee safely fed upon Such is worldly wealth and prosperity The wise and holy God plucks out their venome when he will have them serv'd up for dainties to his childrens table Or if
THE REMEDY OF PROPHANENESSE OR OF The true sight and feare of the ALMIGHTY A needfull Tractate In two Bookes BY IOS EXON LONDON Printed by Thomas Harper for Nathanael Butter and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the pyde-Bull at S. Austins Gate 1637. Imprimatur SA BAKER Octob. 11. 1637. The Contents THe Remedy of Prophanenesse A Sermon Preach't in the City of Excester at the consecration of a new Buriall-place there Gen. 23.19.20 Reader I Had meant to take leave of the Presse as one that repented to bee guilty of this common surfet Yet once againe my zeale urges me to breake silence I finde so little feare of God in this world which I am shortly leaving that I could not forbeare after my tears to bestow some inke upon it Every man can bewaile it I have studied to redresse it Wee may indevour that which GOD onely can effect I humbly leave this to the worke of no lesse then an omnipotent grace In the meane time it is both holy and laudable to project the remedies and it shall bee the no-small comfort of my death-bed that I have left behind me this seasonable advice of better thoughts which when I am gone may survive to the benefit of many Know withall that this Treatise entred the Presse under the honored name of my deare Lord the Earle of Norwich whose death preventing the publication hath sent it forth Patron-lesse Mee thought I should not indure that what was once his in my destination should ever bee any others Let this blanke be as my last memoriall of the honour that I justly beare to that incomparable friend both alive and dead serve to professe unto the world that these papers yeeld themselves not unwilling Orphans upon his losse But why doe I so mis-name his glory That blessed soule not staying the leisure of my present directions hasted up to the free view of the face of his God which I could onely shew dimly and aloofe There will be more use of the imitation of his practice then of the honour of his protection Let us goe cheerefully on in the steps of true piety and conscionable obedience untill our faith likewise shall shut up in an happy fruition The Contents of the severall Sections BOOKE I. Proem THe occasion need and use of the Treatise ensuing Sect. 1. No one word can expresse that grace which we treat of what it includes and intimates Feare is no fit terme for it Affections well imployed turne vertues Wherein holy feare consists What is required to the attaining of it The sight of God The sight of our selves Sect. 2. Of the sight of the Invisible Moses a fit patterne for it Two waies wherein he saw the Invisible Our felicity consists in the sight of God the degrees of our spirituall sight how sight and invisibility may consist together Sect. 3. How wee may not think to see God Not by any fained representation Not by the worke of improved reason Not in a full comprehention Not here in his divine essence or height of resplendence How Moses desired to see the face of God Sect. 4. How we must indeavour to sâ—e the Invisible 1. That our eyes must be cleared from all hindrances of sight 2. That blessed object must bee set before our eyes Sect. 5. 3. There must be an exaltation and fortification of our sight 4. There must be a trajection of the visuall beames of the soule thorow all earthly occurrences 5. A divine irradiation of the mind must follow what light wee must conceive Sect. 6. 6. The eye must be fixed upon this blessed object unremoveably How this may bee effected and how farre Three waies of our apprehention of God Sect. 7. 7. There will follow a delight and complacency in that God whom wee see Reprobates doe rather see Gods anger than himselfe Sect. 8. Motives to stirre us up to strive to this happie sight The act is reward enough to it selfe 1. This sight frees us from being transported with earthly vanities Sect. 9. 2. It is a prevalent meanes to restraine us from sinning 3. It upholds us in the constant suffering of evill Sect. 10. 4. It enters us into our heaven This vision is not without a fruition not so in other objects Sect. 11. Of the casting downe our eyes to see our owne wretchednesse How fraile we are how sinfull in how wofull condition by our sinne BOOKE II. Sect. 1. WHat the feare of God is A double stamp or signature in this impression of feare 1. An inward adoration of God 2. A filiall care of being approved to God Sect. 2. What inward adoration is wherein it consists and how to be wrought Of Gods infinite greatnesse shown in the Creation of the world and the government thereof in the frame of the heaven earth sea man himselfe Sect. 3. Of Gods infinite mercy shown in the redemption of mankind Sect. 4. Of the holy mixture of this feare Of the continuation and perpetuily of it Sect. 5. Religious adoration diffused through our whole outward cariage in our respects 1. To the holy name of God The Iewes scruples our carelesnesse Sect. 6. 2. To the word of God Sect. 7. 3. To the services of God Prayer Preaching Administration of Sacraments Sect. 8. 4. To the house of God Sect. 9. 5. To the messengers of God Sect. 10. Of the humble subjection of our selves to the hand of God 1. In suffering from him meekely and patiently The good examples thereof 2. In all changes of estates Sect. 11. Of our child-lik care of a secret approving our selves to God and avoyding his displeasure How wee are affected after wee have beene miscarried The holy jelousy and suspicion of Gods children This feare a retentive from sinne Rifenesse of sinne an argument of the want of this feare Wicked hearts must have terrible remedies The misplaced feare of prophane men Sect. 12. Of the filiall indevour of obedience in particular callings arising from this feare The happy effects and issue of this feare Sect. 13. Of the extreames of this feare on both sides 1. Whereof the first is Security whence it ariseth Of the abuse of Gods mercy in giving and forgiving 2. Of the custome of sinning Sect. 14. Of the remedies of Security Meanes to keepe the heart tender Meditations of Gods judgements and of our owne frailties A resolution to repell the first motions of sinne Care of speedy recovery after our fall Due heed not to check the conscience A right estimation of worldy things Sect. 15. Of Presumption another opposite to feare Presumption of the way Presumption of the end 1. In matter of event 2. In matter of ability Sect. 16. The remedies of Presumption in the severall kindes of it 1. In respect of outward events of our due valuation of them Sect. 17. 2. In respect of abilities An exact survay of our graces The differences betwixt counterfeit vertues and true Sect. 18. The remedy of our presumption of the end which is
practises thereupon growing idle or unprofitable wee make divine mercy a Pander to our uncleannesse and justly perish in our wicked presumption SECT XIX THe other extreame followes It may seeme a harsh word but it is a true one that there may bee an evill feare of a good God A feare of horror and a feare of distrust That God who is love it selfe is terrible to a wicked heart Even in the beginning our first progenitor ran from the face of his late maker and hid him in the thickets For it is a true observation of Tertullian no wickednesse can bee done without feare because not without the conscience of doing it Neither can any man flee from himselfe as Bernard wittily and this conscience reads the terrible things that God writes against the sinner and holds the glasse wherein guilty eyes may see the killing frownes of the Almighty Now offensive objects cause the spirits to retire as Philosophy and experience teacheth us whereupon followes a necessary trepidation in the whole frame of the body And now the wicked heart could wish there were no God or which is all one that this God had not power to avenge himselfe and finding that after all his impotent volitions the Almighty will bee still and ever himselfe he is unspeakably affrighted with the expectation of that just hand which hee cannot avoid This terror if through the improvement of Gods mercy at the last it drive the sinner to a true penitence makes an happy amends for its owne anguish otherwise it is but the first flash of that unquenchable fire which is prepared for damned soules In this case men do not so much feare God as are afraid of him and such a torturing feare is never but joyned with heart-burning and hatred wherin sinners demeane themselves to God as they say the Lampray doth to the fisher by whose first blow that fish is said to bee dulled and astonished but inraged with the next and following Wretched men it is not Gods fault that hee is terribly just no it is his glory that hee is mercifully terrible It is not for me to say as Spalatensis cites from Cyrill that those who would not bee saved are no lesse beholden to the bounty of the good God than those that are brought home to glory I know and blesse God for the difference But certainely God is wonderfully gracious as hee is also infinitely just even to those that will needs incurre damnation having tendered unto them many powerfull helps to their repentance which hee hath with much patience and longanimity expected That God therefore is just it is his owne praise that hee is terrible wee may thank our selves for were it not for our wickednesse there were nothing in God not infinitely amiable Seest thou then O sinnefull man nothing at all in Gods face but frownes and fury doth every beame of his angry eye dart vengeance into thy soule so as thou would'st faine runne away from his presence and wooest the rocks and mountaines to fall upon thee and hide thee from the sight of that dreadfull countenance cleanse thy hands purge thine heart cleare thine eyes with the teares of true contrition and then look up and tell me whether thou dost not see an happy change of aspect whether thou canst now discerne ought in that face but a glorious lovelinesse fatherly indulgence unconceivable mercy such as shall ravish thy soule with a divine love with a joy unspeakable and glorious SECT XX. SEldome ever is the feare of horror separated from a feare of distrust which in the height of it is that which we call despaire for when the soule apprehends a deep feare of Gods dereliction it cannot but be filled with horrour Now as the holy and well moderated feare gives glory to God in all his attributes so this extremity of it affronts and dishonours him in them all but especially in his mercy and truth In his truth suggesting that God will not make good his promises in his mercy suggesting that he either cannot or will not forgive and save It was a true observation of Saint Hilary that it is not the least office and effect of faith to feare for that it is said by the Prophet Esay He shall fill them with the spirit of the feare of the Lord and againe we are charged to worke out our salvation with feare But there cannot be an act more opposite to faith then to feare distrustfully to despaire in fearing none more injurious either to God or our owne soules For surely as Cyrill well the wickednesse of our offences to God cannot exceed his goodnesse toward us the praise whereof from his creature he affects and esteems so highly as if he cared not in any other notion to bee apprehended by us proclaiming himselfe no otherwise in the mount then The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgressions and sinne adding onely one word to prevent our too much presumption That will by no meanes cleare the guilty which to doe were a meere contradiction to his justice Of all other therefore GOD hates most to be robbed of this part of his glory Neither is the wrong done to God more palpable then that which is done herein unto our selves in barring the gates of heaven upon our soules in breaking open the gates of hell to take them in and in the meane time striving to make our selves miserable whether God will or no. And surely as our experience tels us concerning the estate of our bodily indispositions that there is more frequent sicknesse in summer but more deadly in winter so we finde it here other sinnes and spirituall distempers are more common but this distrustfull feare and despaire of mercy which chils the soule with a cold horror is more mortall For the remedy wherof it is requisite that the heart should be throughly convinced of the super-abundant and ever ready mercy of the Almighty of the infallible and unfaileable truth of all his gracious ingagements And in respect of both be made to confesse that heaven can never be but open to the penitent It is a sweet word and a true one of Saint Bernard In thy Booke O Lord are written all that doe what they can though they cannot doe what they ought Neither doth God onely admit but he invites but he intreates but he importunes men to be saved what could he doe more unlesse he would offer violence to the Will which were no other then to destroy it and so to undoe the best piece of his owne workmanship It is the way of his decree and proceedings to dispose of all things sweetly Neither is it more against our nature then his to force his owne ends and when he sees that fayre meanes will not prevayle to win us from death he is pleased feelingly to bemone it as his owne losse Why will ye dye O house