all things created Created goodnes is that whereby the creature is made good and it is nothing else but the fruit of that goodnesse that is essentially in God Now the degrees therof are these There is a generall or naturall goodnesse in creatures and a more speciall or morall goodnesse Generall goodnesse is that whereby all creatures are accepted and approoued of God by whome they were both created and ordained Thus euery creature is good partly by creation and partly by ordination By creation it is that the substance of each creature as of the Sunne the Moone the Earth Water Meate Drinke c. is good hauing the beeing thereof frō God Hence also the essentiall properties quantities qualities motions actions and inclinations of the creatures in themselues considered with all their euents are good By the same generall goodnesse also euen the Deuill himself and his actions as he is a substance and as they are actions hauing their beeing from God are good Things againe doe take vnto them the condition of goodnesse not onely by creation but also by Gods ordination whereby they are directed and appointed to some certen vses and endes Thus the euil Conscience Hel Death are good because they are ordained of God for the execution of his iustice howsoeuer in themselues and to vs they be euill Besides this generall and naturall goodnesse there is also a speciall or morall goodnesse properly so called and it is that which is agreeable to the eternall and vnchangeable wisdome of God reuealed in the morall lawe wherein it is commaunded and things as they are therein commanded to be done by God are good morally Nowe of actions morally good there be two degrees for they are either good in themselues alone or good both in thēselues and in the doer In themselues alone some things be morally good for example when a wicked man giues almes it is a good worke onely in it selfe but not good in the doer because it is not done in saith and from a good conscience and so are all the vertues of the Heathen morally good in themselues but they are not good in heathen mē for in them they are but beautifull sinnes The next degree of goodnesse is whereby things and actions are both good in thēselues and in the doer also Of this sort were the praiers almes of Cornelius good in themselues in him also because he was a beleeuer Now opposite to things and actonis morally good or euill are actions and things of a middle nature commonly tearmed Indifferent which in themselues beeing neither good nor euill may be done or not done without sinne In themselues I say for in their circumstances they are and may be made either euill or good And here we must remember to put a difference betweene conueniencie and inconuenience which ariseth from the nature of indifferent things Conueniencie is when a thing or action is so fitted to the circumstances and the circumstances fitted to it that thereby it becomes a thing Conuenient On the otherside Inconuenience is when the thing or action is done in vnmeete circumstances which bring some hurt or losse to the outward man or stand not with decencie and therefore doe make it to be Inconuenient And by this that hath beene said we may discerne when an action is good euill indifferent conuenient or inconuenient The third Ground is touching the degrees or differences of Sinne. And here we must first of all search what is sinne properly and what is properly a sinner Sinne in his proper nature as S. Iohn saith is an anomie that is a want of conformitie to the law of God For the better vnderstanding whereof we must know that there were in Adam before his fall three things not to be seuered one from the other the Substance of his bodie and of his soule the Faculties and powers of his bodie and soule and the Image of God consisting in a straightnes and conformitie of all the affections and powers of man to Gods will Nowe when Adam falls and sinnes against God what is his sinne Not the want of the two former for they both remained but the very want and absence of the third thing namely of conformitie to Gods will I make it plaine by this resemblance In a musicall instrument there is to be considered not onely the instrument it selfe and the sound of the instrument but also the harmonie in the sound Nowe the contrarie to harmonie or the disorder in musicke is none of the two former but the third namely the discord which is the want or absence of harmonie which we call disharmonie In the same manner the sinne of Adam is not the absence either of the substance or of the faculties of the soule and the bodie but the want of the third thing before named that is conformitie or correspondencie to the will of God in regard of obedience But some may say the want of conformitie in the powers of the soule is not sinne properly because in sinne there must be not onely an absence of goodnesse but an habite or presence of euill I answer that this very want of conformitie is not onely the absence of goodnesse but also the habite or presence of euill For as this want enters in and is receiued into mans nature it is properly a want or absence of goodnesse againe after it is receiued into the nature of man it continues and abides in the powers and faculties thereof and so it caries the name of an habit It may be said againe that lust and concupiscence that is Originall sinne drawes the heart away from the seruice of God and entises it to euill Now to entise or drawe away is an action and this action cannot proceede of a meere priuation or want Ans. We must consider sinne two waies first ioyntly with the thing or subiect in which it is secondly by it selfe in his owne nature If we consider it with his subiect it is an euill inclination or action but if we consider it in it owne nature it is no inclination or action but a want For example in a murther we must consider two things one is the action of moouing the bodie and of holding vp the weapon c. which is no sinne properly if it be considered as an action because euery action comes from God who is the first cause of all things and actions Againe in murther there is a second thing namely the killing or slaying of the man which is the disorder or aberration in the action whereby it is disposed to a wrong vse and end and thus the action is a sinne namely in respect it wants conformitie to the will of God The nature then of the sinne lies not in the action but in the manner of doing the action and sinne properly is nothing formally subsisting or existing for then God should be the author of it in as much as he is the creatour and ordainer of euery thing and action
but it is an ataxie or absence of goodnes and vprightnes in the thing that subsisteth therefore it is well and truly said in Schooles In sinne there is nothing positiue but it is a want of that which ought to be or subsist partly in the nature of man and partly in the actions of nature Thus we see what sinne is The second thing to be considered is what is a Sinner properly For the knowledge hereof we must consider in euery sinne foure things first the fault whereby God is offended then the guilt which bindeth ouer the conscience vnto punishment thirdly the punishment it selfe which is eternall death Of these three not the guilt or punishment but the fault or offence makes a man a sinner But here is a further difficultie Whē a man hath committed some offence and the saide offence is done and past it may be some twentie or thirtie yeares yet the partie offending doth not therefore cease to be a sinner Now then I demaund what is the very thing for which he is named and rearmed still a sinner in the time present the offence beeing past The answer is that euery actuall sinne beside the three former must be considered with a fourth thing to wit a certaine staine or blotte which it imprints and leaues in the offender as a fruite and that is an inclination or euill disposition of the heart whereby it becomes apter or pronener to the offence done or to any other sinne For looke as the dropsie man the more he drinks the drier he is and the more he still desires to drinke euen so a sinner the more he sinnes the apter is he to sinne and more desirous to keepe still a course in wickednesse And as a man that lookes vpon the Sunne if he turne his face away remaines turned vntill he turne himselfe againe so he that turnes from God by any sinne makes himselfe a sinner and so remaines vntill he turne himselfe againe by repentance Thus Dauid was a sinner not onely in the very acte of his adulterie and murther but euen when the acte was done and past he remained still a murtherer and an adulterer because a newe or rather a renewed pronenesse to these and all other sinnes tooke place in his heart by his fall and got strength till he turned to God by repentance vpon the admonition of the Prophet The thing then whereby a sinner is tearmed a sinner is the Fault together with the fruit thereof namely the blotte imprinted in the soule so oft as men doe actually offend The vse of this doctrine touching sinne is two fold First by it we learne and see what is Originall sinne whereby an Infant in the first conception and birth is indeed a sinner Euery Infant must be considered as a part of Adam proceeding of him and partaking of his nature and thereby it is made a sinner not onely by imputation of Adams offence but also by propagation of an aptnesse pronenesse vnto euery euil receiued together with nature from Adam And thus ought we to conceiue Originall sinne not to be the corruption of nature alone but Adams first offence imputed with the fruit thereof the corruption of nature which is an inclination vnto euery euill deriued together with nature from our first parents Secondly by this we are taught to take heed of all and euery sinne whether it be in thought word or deed because the committing therof though in respect of the act it passeth away in the doing yet it breedeth and increaseth a wicked disposition in the heart as hath beene said to the offence done or any other sinne Men deceiue thēselues that thinke all the euill of sinne to be only in the act of sinning to go no further wheras indeed euery offence hath a certen blot going with it that corrupteth the heart and causeth man to delight and lie in his offence which lying in sinne is a greater cause of damnation then the very sinne it selfe This therefore must admonish vs to take heed least we continue in any sinne and if it fall out that through infirmitie we be ouertaken by any tentation wee must labour to rise againe and turne from our sinne to God by new and speedy repentance Thus much of Sinne it selfe Now follow the differences thereof which are manifold The first sort are to be gathered from the causes and beginnings of sinne in man which are threefold Reason Will and Affection The differences of sinne in respect of Reason are these First some are sinnes of knowledge some of ignorance A sinne of knowledge is when a man offends against his knowledge doing euill when he knoweth it to be euill and this is greater then a sinne of ignorance for he that knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes A sinne of ignorance is when a man doth euill not knowing it to be euill Thus Paul was a blasphemer an oppressour and persecuted the Church of Christ ignorantly and in a blind zeale not knowing that which he did to be euill Nowe by ignorance here I meane an ignorance of those things which ought to be knowne and this is twofold simple or affected Simple ignorance is when a man after diligence and good paines taking still remaines ignorant this ignorance will not excuse any man if it be of such things as he is bound to know for it is faide He that doth not his masters will by reason he knew it not shall be beaten with stripes though fewer And in this regard euen the Heathen which knew not God are inexcusable because they were bound to haue knowne him for Adam had the perfect knowledge of God imprinted in his nature and lost the same through his own default for himselfe and his posteritie And it is the commandement of God whereunto euery man is bound to performe obedience that man should know him that is his will and word But some may demand how any man can be saued seeing euery man is ignorant of many things which he ought to know Ans. If we know the grounds of religion and be carefull to obey God according to our knowledge hauing withal a care and desire to increase in the knowledge of God and his will God will hold vs excused for our desire and indeauour to obey is accepted for obedience it selfe And the greater this simple ignorance is the lesser is the sinne and hereupon Peter lesseneth in some sort excuseth the sinne of the Iewes in crucifying Christ because they did it through ignorāce and so doth Paul his sin in persecuting the Church when he alleadgeth that it was done ignorantly in vnbeleefe But howsoeuer this sinne by such meanes may be lessened yet remaines it still a sinne worthie condemnation Affected ignorance is whē a man takes delight in his ignorāce and will of purpose be ignorant not vsing but contemning the meanes whereby to get and increase knowledge And that carelessely and negligently
of the minde and whole man in affection life conuersation And this standeth in a constant purpose of the mind and resolution of the heart not to sinne but in euery thing to doe the will of God Hereupon Paul exhorteth them to whome he wrote to continue in the loue of God and in the obedience of his word Barnabas when he came to Aâ—tioch and had seene the grace of God was glad and exhorted all that with purpose of heart they should cleaue vnto God or continue with the Lord. So the Prophet Ezekiel saith If the wicked will turne from all his sinnes and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely liue and shall not die In this purpose stands the very nature of repentance and it must be ioyned with humiliation and faith as a third thing availeable to saluation and not to be seuered froÌ„ them For a man in shew may haue many good things as for exaÌ„ple he may be huÌ„bled seeme to haue some strength of faith yet if there be in the said man a want of this purpose resolutioÌ„ not to sinne the other are but dead things vnprofitable and for all them he may come to eternall destruction Furthermore we must distinguish this kind of purpose from the minde and purpose of carnall men theeues drunkards harlots vsurers for they will confesse their sins and be sory for them yea and shed some teares wishing they had neuer sinned as they haue In these men indeede there is a wishing will for the time but no setled purpose And it is a propertie of nature to auoid euill but to haue a constant resolution of not sinning is a gift of grace and for this it is that we must labour otherwise our repentance is no true and sound repentance The fourth last dutie is to performe Newe obedience vnto God in our life and conuersation In this newe obedience three things are required First it must be a fruit of the spirit of Christ in vs for when we doe any good thing it is Christ that doeth ' it in vs. Paul saith that good which I doe I doe it not but Christ that dwelleth in me Secondly this new obedience must be the keeping of euery commandement of God For as Saint Iames saith He that breaks one commandement is guiltie of all that is he that doeth willingly and wittingly breake any commandement and makes not conscience of some one maketh not conscience of any and before God he is as guiltie of all as if he had broken all Thirdly in newe obedience the whole man must endeauour to keepe the whole law in his minde will affections and all the faculties of soule and bodie As it is said of Iosiah that he turned to God according to all the lawes of Moses with all his heart There are yet three other things required in him that must performe new obedience first he must not liue in the practise of any outward sinne Secondly there must be an inward resisting and restraining of the corruption of our nature and of our hearts that we may truely obey God by the grace of the spirit of God The heart of Ioseph was readie prest to resist the euill request of Potiphars wife And Dauid staid his affection from revenging himselfe vpon Shemei when he cursed him Thirdly he must stirre vp and exercise the inward man by all spirituall motions of Faith Ioy Loue Hop eand the praise of God Here a necessarie Question is mooued CoÌ„sidering that all good workes are the fruits of a regenerate person are contained vnder newe obedience How a man may doe a good worke that may be accepted of God please him For resolutioÌ„ wherof it is to be carefully remeÌ„bred that to the doing of a good worke sundrie things are required Wherof some in nature do goe before the worke to be done some doe accompany the doing thereof and some againe doe followe the worke being required to be done when the worke is done Before the worke there goes reconciliation for the person must be reconciled vnto God in Christ and be pleasing to him for if the person of the worker doe not please God the worke it selfe cannot neither are workes of what dignitie soeuer to be esteemed by the shevv and outvvard appearance of them but by the mind and condition of the doer Againe before vve doe any good vvorke vve must by praier lift vp our hearts vnto God and desire him to inable vs by his spirit to doe it to guid vs by the same in the action vvhich vve are about to doe This did the Prophet Dauid oftentimes as vve may read in the Psalmes but especially in Psal. 143. 10. when he saith Teach me to doe thy will O God for thou art my God let thy good spirit lead me vnto the land of righteousnesse In the doing of the worke we are to consider two things the matter the manner or forme of doing it For the matter it must be a worke commanded in the word of God Christ saith of the Pharises that they worshipped him in vaine teaching for doctrines the commandements of men He therefore that will doe a worke tending to the worshippe of God must doe that which God commandeth And here we must remember that a thing indifferent in the case of offâ—nce comes vnder a commandement of the morall lawe To which purpose Paul saith If eating flesh will offend my brother I will eate no flesh while the world standeth His meaning is that though his eating of flesh was a thing indiffereÌ„t in it selfe yet in case of offence his minde was to abstaine from it as much as from the breach of the Law of God Againe if an action indifferent comes within the case of furthering the good of the Common wealth or Church it ceaseth to be indifferent and comes vnder commandement and so all kind of callings and their workes though neuer so base may be the matter of good workes Now for the forme of the worke there must be first a generall faith whereby we must be perswaded that the thing to be done may lawfully be done for what soeuer is not of faith is sinne Secondly a particular or iustifying faith which purifieth the heart and maketh it fit to bring forth a good worke for it giues a beginning to the worke also couers the wants and defects thereof by apprehending and applying vnto vs Christ and his merits Thirdly it must be done in obedience for knowing the thing to be doâ—e to be commanded of God we must haue a minde and intention to obey God in the thing we doe It will be here demanded seeing workes must be done in obedience how and to what part of the word we must direct our obedience I answer to the Law but howe not considered in his rigour but as it is qualified mollified and tempered by the gospel for according to the rigour of the
will and therefore no maruell though we be impatient Answ. When crosses doe come from men God vseth them as instruments to execute his iudgements vpon vs and in this worke God is the cheife doer and they are as tooles in the hand of the workeman And the Lord inflicteth them vpon vs by men to trie our patience vnder the crosse Ioseph though he knewe well the badde dealing of his brethren towards him yet he looked not to them alone but to an higher cause namely the Lord himselfe who executed his owne good will by them God saith he disposed it to good And againe God did send me before you into Egypt for your preseruation The Second ground is the commandement of God touching the crosse and obedience vnto him therein This commandement is expressed Luk. 9. 23. where we are commanded to take vp our crosse euery day and follow Christ. Abraham was commanded with his own hands to sacrifice his onely sonne Isaac and to this coÌ„mandement though otherwise a great crosse vnto him he addresseth himselfe to yeeld obedience And in the prophecie of Micah the Church saith Shee will beare the wrath of the Lord that is shee will performe obedience to him in the crosse because shee had sinned against him And S. Peter saith that God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble therefore humble your selues vnder the mightie hand of God And this beeing the commandement of God that we should yeild obedience to him in euery affliction we ought to be no lesse carefull to obey it then any one commandement of the morall lawe The Third ground is that God will be present with his seruants in their afflictions Vpon this ground Dauid comforts himselfe because God had promised to heare him to be with him in trouble and to deliuer him And in another place though I should walke in the shaddowe of death I would feare none ill for thou art with me c. Nowe that we may the better vnderstand this doctrine we are to consider what be the Ends or Effects of Gods beeing with vs in aâ—fliction whereby he testifieth his presence and they are three The first is to worke our deliuerance from the crosse Call vpon me saith the Lord in the day of thy trouble and I will deliuer thee This promise must not be vnderstood simply but with an exception so farre forth as it shall be for our good For all promises of temporall deliuerance are conditionall and must be conceiued with this limitation of the crosse and chastisement if God please to impose it Some may say how if God will not deliuer vs but leaue vs in the affliction what comfort shall we then haue Answ. In the second place therefore we must remember that God will temper and moderate our afflictions so as we may be able to beare them Habbakuk praieth vnto God in the behalfe of the Church that he would in wrath remember mercie And Paul saith that the Lord will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are able to beare but will giue an issue with the temptation Thirdly put the case that God doeth not moderate our afflictions but suffer them to remaine vpon vs not onely for some time of our life but to the very death yet then will be testifie his holy presence another way namely by giuing the partie distressed power and strength to beare his affliction Vnto you it is giuen saith Paul for Christ that not onely ye should beleeue in him but also suffer for his sake The Fourth ground of comfort in affliction is that euery affliction vpon the seruants of God hath some speciall goodnesse in it Rom. 8. 28. We know that all things worke together for good vnto them that loue God And in regard hereof the crosses which are indured by Gods children are so farre from beeing preiudiciall to their saluation that they are rather helpes and furtherances of the same Now this Goodnes is perceiued two waies First by the fruit and effect of it and then by the qualitie and condition thereof In both which respects afflictions are good Touching the fruits of Afflictions because they are manifold I will reduce them to seauen principall heads I. Afflictions doe make men to see consider their sinnes Iosephs brethren for twentie yeares together were little or not at all troubled for their wickednes in selling their brother yet vpon their affliction in Egypt they beganne to consider what they had done We haue say they verily sinned against our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soule when he be sought vs and we would not heare him therefore is this trouble come vpon vs. Manasses in the time of his peace gaue himselfe to witchcraft and the worshipping of strange gods but when he was captiue in Babylon then was he brought to the sight of his sinnes and mooued to humble himselfe before God for them II. Afflictions serue to humble men in their soules before God The young vnthrift in the Gospel called the Prodigall child while his portion lasted he spent liberally and was grieued for nothing but when he came to be pinched with hunger and that through his owne follie then he humbled himselfe before his father and returned home vnto him Dauid saith of himselfe that in his prosperitie he thought he should neuer be mooued because the Lord of his goodnes had made his mountaine to stand strong but saith he thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled then cried I vnto the Lord. III. They serue to worke amendement of life No chastising saith the Author to the Hebrewes for the present seemeth to be ioyous but aftervvard it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnes to them that are thereby exercised that is afflictions and chastisments that seaze vpon Gods children doe leaue after them amendment of life as the needle passeth through the cloath and leaueth the threed behinde it When we are iudged saith the Apostle vve are nurtered of the Lord that we might not be condemned with the world And Dauid confesseth Psal. 119. It is good for me that I haue beene afflicted that I might learne thy statutes And the good husbandman purgeth and pruneth the vine that it may bring forth more and better fruit IIII. They cause men to denie themselues and to rely wholy on the mercy of God Thus Paul receiued the sentence of death in himselfe that he should not trust in himselfe but in God that raiseth the dead V. The fiâ—t is Inuocation For afflictions make vs to crie hartelie and feruently vnto god to bringe our selues into his presence and there to abase our selues before him Thus the Lord saith of his children that in their affliction they will seeke him diligently VI. The sixth is Patience Affliction bringeth forth patience patience experience c. As if he should say because the loue of God is shed in our
The other when he hath rule of the said bodie either in whole or in part so as the party himselfe hath not that vse of his body which he would As for example when the deuil possesseth the instruments of the voice as the tongue makes a maÌ„ to speake Latine Greeke Italian or other tongues which he vnderstandeth not Both these things were found in them that were possessed in the time of our Sauiour Christ. Secondly we must consider it falleth out oftentimes that strange diseases doe seaze vpon men hauing straÌ„ge effects in theÌ„ which the arte of Physicke neither can search out nor cure yet they are neither acts of witchcraft nor reall possessioÌ„s As when God laid extraordinarie diseases on the Corinthians for the contempt of his Word and Sacraments 1. Cor. 11.30 Like vnto which he vvorthily inflicts vpon men in these daies for the same and other sinnes Now to stay the minde in this case these Rules are carefully to be thought vpon First of all it is to be remembred that though Satans malice and power be very great and large yet he caÌ„not practise the same against the children of God when where and howe he listeth The malice which Satan beares to mankind and principally to the members of Christ appeares in this because he is said to accuse them before God day and night Reu. 20 2. And as a roaring lyon to walke about the world seeking whome he may deuoure 1. Pet. 5. 8. Againe the Scripture noteth him to be a powerfull spirit whose strength farre exceedeth and surpasseth the might of any man or creature that is not of an Angelical nature as himselfe is For he is tearmed a Prince of the aire and the god of this world his power reacheth euen to the spirits soules of men whereby he worketh in the children of disobedience Eph. 2. 2. his principallitie is so great that no strength no defence of man is able to withstand it vnlesse man take vnto himselfe the whole armour of God Eph. 6. 10. Now although the Deuill be so malitious an enemie of mankind that he ceaseth not to deuise whatsoeuer may be hurtfull vnto them and withall so powerfull in his attempts that no man by his owne proper strength is able to resist him yet he cannot put the least part of his power in execution in what time place or manner he desireth The reason is because God hath determined his power by certaine bounds and limits which he cannot passe and they are especially two The one is his owne nature whereby he is a creature and therefore finite Hence it is that he can neither knowe nor doe any thing that is beyond the reach or capacitie of his nature or aboue the power and skill of a creature For example he cannot directly and immediately knowe the deepe things of God vnlesse they be reuealed vnto him nor yet the secrets of mans heart None knoweth the things of a man saue the spirit of man which is in him euen so the things of God knoweth none but the spirit of God 1. Cor. 2. 11. Again he cannot doe that which is truely and properly a miracle the cause wherof is hidden and vtterly vnknowne and which comes not within the power and order of nature For this is proper vnto God who onely doth things simply wonderfull Psal. 77. 14. The second thing whereby Satans power is restrained is the will of God For looke as the sea beeing by nature apt to ouerflowe the whole earth is kept in and shut vp within the shore as it were with dores or gates that it cannot break forth and that by the Lord himselfe who hath established his decree vpon it Iob. 38. So though Satan be by nature strong and his malice great yet can he doe nothing at all no nor execute his naturall power to the hurt and preiudice of any man without the will and permission of God Thus the euill spirit could not goe forth to deceiue Ahab vntill the Lord had said vnto him Goe and thou shalt preâ—aile 1. King 22. 22. Thus the Deuill could not touch the bodie children goods or friendes of righteous Iob whilest he was fenced and fortified by the power and prouidence of God But when the Lord in regard of Iobs outward estate had giuen him leaue said Loe all that he hath is in thine hand then did he exercise his power to the vtmost yet so farre onely as he was permitted and no further Iob. 1. 12. The consideration of this first point that Satans power is determined by God will serue to stay the minds of those whose persons houses or friends are molested by him For hereupon it followeth that God who hath the Deuill bound vp as it were in chaines will not suffer his power to be inlarged against his owne children to their destruction and confusion but so far forth alone as shall be expedient for their good and saluation Againe that God beeing their father in Christ Iesus they may in the case of such affliction haue accesse vnto him call vpon him for the restraint of Satans power and malice and consequently for the deliuerance of them and theirs A second Rule is this Such persons must haue recourse to God in his word in which he promiseth his presence and protection to his children in their greatest dangers And namely that there shall no euill come vnto them neither any plague shall come neere their dwelling because he will giue his Angels charge ouer them to keepe them in all their waies Againe that he wil be a wall of fire round about his people Zach. 2. 5. that he will extend peace ouer his Church like a stood Isa. 66. 12. And that there shall be no sorcerie in Iacob nor south saying in Israel Numb 23. 22. And by this meanes possessions and witchcraft though they befall Gods children yet they shall turne to their good rather then their hurt Thirdly it must be considered that the best seruants of God haue beene in their times molested by the Deuill Christ in his second temptation was carried by the Deuill from the wildernes to a wing of the Temple of Ierusalem The children of Iob were destroied by the Deuill and he himselfe was filled with botches and sores A certaine woman euen a daughter of Abraham that is one following the faith of Abraham was troubled with a spirit of infirmitie eighteene yeares together Matth. 15. 21 22. And the daughter of the woman of Canaan was grieuously vexed with a Deuill Fourthly men in this case ought to lay fast hold vpon the promise of life euerlasting and must wait the Lords leisure not limiting him in respect of time or meanes of deliuerance This was the practise of Iob Though he kill me yet will I trust in him And of holy Abraham who did not limit God but was content to doe with Isaac what the Lord would and though it was in likelyhood a meane to bereaue him of all posteritie yet
saue himselfe from drowning puts to all his strēgth to swimme to the shore and being come almost vnto it there meetes him a waue or billow which driues him cleane backe againe it may be a mile or further and then the former hope and ioy conceiued of escape is sore abated yet he returnes againe and still labours to come to the land and neuer rests till he attaine vnto it III. Ground He that is indeede regenerate hath this priuiledge that the corruption of nature is no part of him neither doth it belong to his person in respect of diuine imputation Paul saith of himselfe Rom. 7. 17. It is no more I but sin that dwelleth in me In which words he distinguisheth betweene his owne person and sinne that is in him For in man regenerate there be three things the bodie the soule the gift of Gods image restored againe Now touching the corruption of nature that is in his person and so may be said to be his but it belongs not to the man regenerate it is not his because it is not imputed to him and so indeede is as though it were not in him The Apostle 1. Thes. 5. 23. praies for the Thessalonians that God would sanctifie them throughout and preserue their whole spirit soule and bodie Of which place amongst many this exposition may be giuen The Apostle speaking of men regenerate and sanctified makes three parts in them bodie soule and spirit and by spirit we are to vnderstand not the conscience but the gift of regeneration and sanctification which is in the whole man bodie soule opposed to the flesh which in a naturall man is that which is called the old man Rom. 7. And the praier which Paul makes in the behalfe of the Thessalonians teacheth vs in effect thus much that though corruption remaine in the regenerate after regeneration yet in respect of diuine acceptation he is accoūted as righteous and so continueth his sinne by the mercie of God in Christ not beeing imputed to him to condemnation And so much for that point Now these Grounds of comfort and others of the like nature may serue to sustaine and vphold the hearts of the children of God when they shall be pressed and troubled in consideration of their estate in this life which cannot till death be fully freed from much weaknes and manifold imperfections The Fifth and last kinde of Temptation or Trouble of mind ariseth from a mans ovvne bodie Before I enter to speake thereof one Question in the meane time must be answered namely How the bodie should or how it can trouble the minde considering that the soule or mind is not bodily but spirituall and it is against reason that that which is bodily should either alter or trouble a spirit For an answer hereunto these things must be considered First of all the actions of man doe proceede from one onely fountaine and common cause the soule and are done by the power thereof The bodie of it self is not an agent in any work but as it were a dead instrument in by which the soule produceth all actions and workes Secondly the most of the workes of the soule and minde of man are such as are performed by the bodie and the parts thereof and by the spirits that are seated in the bodie as by instruments Indeede some actions of the soule mind are done without the helpe of the bodie but I say that the most actions thereof are performed by the bodie and spirits therein contained Yet these spirits in thēselues are no agents at all but the onely agent in any worke is the soule it selfe For example the vsing of the outward senses as of sight hearing tasting touching smelling as also of the inward as imagination memorie c. all this is done by the braine and the parts of the braine as proper instruments All affections both good and bad are acted by the soule but yet they come from the heart as the seat thereof So also the power of nourishment comes from the liuer as the instrument whereby the soule nourisheth the bodie Now then the bodie affecteth the soule and minde thus The bodie and the soule are so ioyned together that they make one person and thus the bodie beeing troubled the soule is also troubled yet is not this done by any diuiding of the soule For it cannot be diuided Neither by diminishing the parts of the soule but onely by corrupting the action of the minde or more properly by corrupting the next instrument of the minde This may be conceiued by a comparison A skilful artificer in any sciēce hath an vnfit toole and a naughtie instrument to worke withall his skill is good and his abilitie is sufficient but his instrument whereby he worketh is vnperfect and therefore he brings forth an imperfect worke Now his toole takes not away the skill of his workmanship nor his power of working but keepes him frō doing that well which otherwise he should and could doe well In like manner the body beeing corrupted hinders the worke of the soule It doth not take away the worke of the soule nor the abilitie of working but because it is a corrupt instrument it makes the soule to bring forth a corrupt worke The Temptation followeth The bodie causeth the trouble of the mind two waies either by Melancholie or by other strange alterations in the parts of the bodie which oftentimes befall men in what sort we shall see afterwards For it is a very common thing yea more common then the former Touching Melancholy sundrie things are to be considered for our instruction and for the Remedie of that euill And first of all if it be asked what Melancholie is I answer it is a kind of earthie black blood that is specially in the splene beeing stopt which conuaieth it selfe to the heart and the braine and there partly by his corrupt subsiāce and specially by his contagious qualitie annoyeth both heart and braine beeing the seat instrument of reason The second is what are the effects and operations of Melancholie Ans. They are strange and often fearefull There is no humour yea nothing in mans bodie that hath so strange effects as this humour hath beeing once distempered An auncient Diuine calls it the Deuills bait because the Deuill by Gods iust permissiō conueies himselfe into this humour and worketh strange conceits When the euill Spirit came vpon Saul it so tempted him that he would haue slaine him that was next vnto him how so surely because God in iustice withdrew his spirit of gouernment from him and suffered Satan to enter into the humour of choler or melancholie or both and by this meanes caused him to offer violence to Dauid Now the effects thereof in particular are of two sorts The first effect is in the braine and head For this humour being corrupted it sends vp noysome spirits and filleth the instrument of reason as it were with a myst and makes it vnfit to vse
this doctrine is this He that truely repents himselfe of one sinne in this case when he is preuented is as if he repented of all II. Case What must a man doe that finds himselfe hard hearted and of a dead spirit so as he cannot humble himselfe as he would Answ. Such persons if they humble themselues they must be content with that grace which they haue receiued For if thou be grieued truely and vnfainedly for this that thou canst not be grieued thy humiliation shall be accepted For that which Paul saith of almes may be truely said in this case that if there be a readie minde a man shall be accepted according to that he hath and not according to that he hath not III. Case Whether the party that is more grieued for losse of his friend then for offence of God by his sinne doeth or can truely humble himselfe Answ. A man may haue a greater griefe for an earthly losse then for the other and yet be truely grieued for his sinnes too The reason is because that is a bodily naturall and sensible losse and accordingly sorrow for it is naturall Now the sorrow for the offending of God is no sensible thing but supernaturall and spirituall and sensible things doe more affect the minde then the other Dauid did notably humble himselfe for his sinnes and he did exceedingly mourne for the losse of his sonne Absolom yea and more too then for his sinnes Would God I had died for thee Absolom O Absolom my sonne my sonne c. Againe I answer that the sorrow of the minde must be measured by the intention of the affection and by the estimation of the thing for which we sorrow Now sorrow for sinne though it be lesse in respect of the intentioÌ„ therof yet is it greater in respect of the estimation of the minde because they which truly mourne for their sinnes grieue for the offence of God as the greatest euill of all and for the losse of the fauoâ—â— of God as for losse of the most excelleâ—t preâ—ious thing in the world IV. Case Whether it be necessarie in humiliation that the heart should be smitten with a sensible sorrowe Answer I. In sorrow for sinne there are two things first to be displeased for our sinnes secondly to haue a bodily moouing of the heart which causeth crying and teares The former of these is necessarie namely in heart to be deepely displeased with our selues the latter is not simply necessarie though it be commendable in whomsoeuer it is if it be in truth for Lydia had the first but not the secoÌ„d II. It falleth out oftentimes that the greatnesse of the griefe taketh away the sensible paine and causeth a nummednesse of the heart so that the partie grieueth not III. Sometimes the complexion will not affoard teares in such there may be true humiliation though with drie cheekes The second thing to be done for the attaining of Gods fauour and consequently of saluation is to Beleeue in Christ. In the practise of a Christian life the duties of humiliation and faith cannot be seuered yet for doctrines sake I distinguish them In Faith there are two things required and to be performed on our behalfe First to know the points of religion and namely the summe of the Gospell especially the promise of righteousnesse and life eternall by Christ. Secondly to apply the promise and withall the thing promised which is Christ vnto our selues and this is done when a man vpon the commandement of God sets downe this with himselfe that Christ and his merits belong vnto him in particular and that Christ is his wisdome iustification sanctification and redemption This doctrine is plaine out of the sixt of Iohn for Christ is there propounded vnto vs as the bread and the water of life Therefore faith must not be idle in the braine but it must take Christ and apply him vnto the soule and conscience euen as meate is eaten The Questions of conscience touching Faith are these First howe we may truely apply Christ with all his benefits vnto our selues For wicked men apply Christ vnto themselues falsely in presumption but fewe doe it truely as they ought to doe I answer that this may be done we must remember to doe two things First lay downe a foundation of this action and then practise vpon it Our foundation must be laid in the word or else we shall faile in our application and it consists of two principles The one is As god giues a promise of life eternall by Christ so he giues commandement that euery one in particular should apply the promise to himselfe The next is that the Ministerie of the word is an ordinarie meanes wherein God doeth offer and apply Christ with all his benefits to the hearers as if he called them by their names Peter Iohn Cornelius Beleeue in Christ and thou shalt be saued When we haue rightly considered of our foundation the Second thing is to practise vpon it and that is to giue our selues to the exercises of faith and repentance which stand in meditation of the word and praier for mercie and pardon and when this is done then God giues the sense and increase of his grace VVhen Lydia was hearing the sermon of Paul then God opened her heart Act. 16. 12. Secondly it is demaunded When faith beginnes to breed in the heart and when a man beginnes to beleeue in Christ Answer VVhen he beginnes to be touched in conscience for his owne sinnes and withall hungers and thirsts after Christ and his righteousnesse then beginneth faith The reason is plaine As faith is renewed so it is begunne but it is renewed when a man is touched in conscience for his sinnes and beginnes a new to hunger after Christ therefore when these things first shew themselues then faith first begins For these were the things that were in Dauid when he renewed his repentance The third dutie necessarie to saluation is Repentance In which two things are to be coÌ„sidered the beginning namely a Godly Sorrow 2. Cor. 7. and vpon this sorrowe a Change In Sorrowe we consider first the nature of it secondly the properties of it Touching the nature of sorrow it is either inward or outward The inward sorrow is when a man is displeased with himselfe for his sinnes The outward when the heart declares the griefe thereof by teares or such like signes And sorrow in this case called a godly sorrow is more to be esteemed by the first of these then by the second The propertie of this sorrow is to make vs to be displeased with our selues for our sinnes directly because they are sins doe displease God If there were no iudge no hell or death yet we must be grieued because we haue offended so mercifull a God and louing father And as godly sorrowe will make vs thus to doe so is it the next cause of repentance and by this is repentance discerned The next thing in repentance is the Change