doth make the same knowne vnto his minde and beare witnes to his spirit that he is the Lords and teacheth him thus to reason If God will forgiue him who hath receiued grace to seeke without fainting wearines who longeth for it in a melting heart for offending him who desireth it more then al earthly pleasure and profit and is willing to cast away all impediments that may hinder it if he will forgiue such and he hath framed me to be such a one then doubtles he will be mercifull and forgiue me Thus God maketh him of whom I speake to see cleerely that he is his no more to be separated from him when he hath opened his heart as he did the heart of Lydia and causeth him to beleeue that the sonne of God who was giuen to the vnworthie world is giuen to him being one of the same For if earthly fathers be kind to their childrē crying to thē how much more the father of fathers For we must think that this afflicted person now mentioned doth often and deeply weigh the truth vnchangeablenes and perpetuitie of the pretious promises which hee heareth preached vnto him yea and that with more delight then he doth any thing els he weigheth what may be like to hinder and hold him from hauing his part in thē and when he considereth that God who willeth him not to feare is greater thē al that letteth him what hee may hee remoueth it though neuer so precious to him and considereth what doth giue him greatest encouragement and so imbraceth the same we must think when he once cōceiueth the incomprehensible excellencie of eternall life and how it maketh the soule alwaies cheereful euen here we must think I say that he weighing what his misery is without it counteth it the most soueraigne medicine to heale his sore and therefore he is readie to vse any meanes and bestow any diligence to come into the possession of it and to make it his owne especially when he seeth that it is so freely and mercifully offered Thus setting his heart vpon it as that which hee seeth would make him more happie then all the world though for a time he hath not been able to attaine vnto the assurance of it the diuell holding him backe by many lets and subtilties abusing his errour weakenes and simplicitie thereto yet the Lord suffereth him not to giue ouer till he hath waded thorough and ouercome all hinderances And if this be too hard to doe by himselfe he seeketh the helpe of others wheresoeuer they may be come by men of deeper insight and greater iudgement and experience in and about the will and purpose of God concerning saluation by whose louing trauaile counsell and labour he groweth more expert and resolute and so setleth his heart in beleeuing as he seeth he hath good cause and strong incouragement to his full quiet and contentation The Lord himselfe speaking thus If any thirst let him come to me and I will giue him the water of life to drinke So that as Iacobs hart failed when he beleeued not his sonnes report that Ioseph was aliue and the chiefe gouernour vnder Pharaoh yet when they told him the words of Ioseph and shewed him the Chariots which he had sent to carrie him the spirit of Iacob reuiued and he said I haue enough c. Ioseph my sonne is yet aliue So though the goodnes of the message shall be so farre beyond the expectation of him to whom it is brought as fearing the cleane contrarie yet when hee shall weigh and consider aduisedly the truth of the matter and certaintie of the promises and therein behold the depth of loue which is in God and that to the broken hearted though vnworthie it quickeneth the soule and refresheth it aboue all that can be expressed And so hee beholding his estate without these promises and what neede he hath of them and who it is that offereth them euen he who cannot be gainsaid that is the Almightie he imbraceth them and by little and little as he gathereth more strength by the infalliblenes of them so he beleeueth them and taketh exceeding comfort by them giueth God thankes and as he hath good cause he cannot satisfie himselfe therewith nor as he thinketh haue enough of them And thus doth his soule stay vp it selfe for seeing God doth giue it freely to him and he desireth it aboue all other things as seeing that he cannot bee safe without it who is hee which shall hinder it Thus are all teares wiped away the ragges are cast off the robes are put on the spouse is betrothed to Christ her husband and she by faith made partaker of all the good things which he bringeth with him who is giuen vnto his Church not poorely nor bare but to be her wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption And he that hath thus put on the Lord Iesus God will know him for his wheresoeuer he findeth him neither shall any take him out of his hands so saith our Sauiour himselfe My sheepe whom in the verse before he calleth those which beleeue in him My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me and I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hands for my father which gaue them me is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my fathers hand Like vnto these are they all who shall glorifie God in this life separated from the world though annoyed by the people of it as the sillie sheepe are by the goates whose conuersation what it is another place shall declare and lay foorth hereafter And this is faith which making them inwardly perswaded in some sort by so cleere euidence as I haue said causeth them outwardly in time to professe the same more boldly without feare as occasion shal be offered although it be for y e time both weake and faint yet is it sound and sure and after experience in a godly life I meane the life that is led by faith it shall be strengthened better confirmed and procure withall rest to their soules For where the forementioned graces are as true contrition the heart broken with sorrow and meekened hungring and pining for mercie and grace confessing and forsaking the sinne with accusation and deepe groanes for pardon there is some true measure of sauing faith for Gods graces are not separated for our Sauiour pronounceth them blessed which haue these graces but none are blessed without faith therefore faith is there also because the spirit of Christ dwelleth in such and he dwelleth in his by faith therfore it must needs be in them Which thing I doe the rather stand vpon to proue seeing it is rather tried and discerned by these then knowne by it selfe without other holy affections going with it and for that many of tender age in Christ and yonglings cannot be certaine and throughly
wise as they will be sure that none of them shall doe them good For rather then they would haue nothing to except against them if they cannot finde those accusations that are iust they are content with any shew why they should refuse to bee counselled and perswaded by them And therefore if they be old they say they dote and know not what they say if they be yong they haue no iudgement nor experience if they be wealthie then they are couetous if poore then base and contemptible if they be maried they can not follow their callings but the world if vnmaried then they liue suspiciously And thus to say no more it is fearefull to see how little the people in one respect or other are seasoned with the sweete fruite of the Ministerie and therefore if ye feare God regard your owne welfare and peace and will not come to iudgement imbrace the Ministery reuerently as Gods message and the greatest and most lets of faith are remoued Thus I hauing set downe these lets which doe chiefly hold from faith both on the Ministers part and the peoples and hauing said somewhat to both in way of exhortation seeing out of these two kinds of men God chuseth out his elect I conclude that there are many lets from faith but yet withall it may be seene that there is apparant remedie to be found against them as I haue said and how subtilly soeuer the diuell bewitcheth and holdeth men backe by them yet the Scripture offereth greater grace by the which they may breake through all hindrances and discouragements which may keepe them from it if the Minister and people would make conscience of their duties CHAP. 7. What desire breedes faith BVt seeing it were both long to stand in prescribing remedie against all these lets and the way for all hath been set downe to come by faith alreadie I will therefore briefly stirre vp and aduise such as are in good way and haue made some good entrance that they may see what to take heede of and what to imbrace and to seeke faith by the meanes and in the manner which before I haue set downe and a little to strengthen them after they haue attained to any true measure of it Wherein it is to be marked because I before highly commended a good desire that a naked and bare desire of saluation now and then stirred vp in men is not to beleeue as many thinke although without any ground But seeing such as haue a desire sometime are they for the most part whom God doth make beleeuers for while men are voide of that there is little hope to be conceiued of them I will therefore shew for the helpe of them who doe anything looke after true happines what desire it ought to be and whereto it groweth if it be true and sincere that it may not deceiue them For we may finde many who haue sometime desired it earnestly and yet neuer obtained it as Balaam that a man could hardly haue shewed any difference betwixt their desiring of it and the desire of such as haue attained to it indeede for that instant But in time it hath appeared that it was but sudden or of short continuance and failed before it obtained that which it sought as by them who in the Gospell are said to haue ioyed in that which they desired to heare but it vanished whereas the desire of the other cannot be satisfied without it but mourneth and longeth for it and pineth for sorrow when any thing commeth in the way to weaken the hope which was conceiued of it till that bee remoued which hindred them from that benefit Therfore such must know that their desire which is sometime fleeting and somtime faint must become both feruent and constant as in the parable of the pearle may be seene That as soone as it was found the value of it being knowne of the skilfull Merchant he neuer rested till he had gotten it for his owne for wee must know that he who thus desireth it is forcibly drawne hereunto by God who hath shewed him his great neede of it and what he shall gaine by it and thereby hath prepared and made him fit to receiue it for otherwise if God draw not men to the valuing of it it is of no account with them Now further this desire if it be the worke of Gods spirit is strengthened hereby namely while hee prizeth and valueth it according to the worthines of it as farre as he is able that is to say thus that in his account it farre surmounteth and excelleth all the world with whatsoeuer is of account in it he esteemeth of it as a most pretious treasure to beleeue because hee knoweth that he which beleeueth is deare vnto God and shall be saued And so must faith and assurance of eternall life be valued indeed of him who shall finde the blessing of it for which cause S. Peter calleth it pretious faith Now who can esteeme thus of it as that it is better then all profit pleasure and preferment but he must needes thinke all his praying for it hearing the word which worketh it his questioning about it and his trauaile and labour in meditating of the promises whereby the spirit of God writeth it in the heart but he I say must needes thinke all his paines well bestowed in seeking it yea and infinitly recompenced though he hath long waited the Lords leisure for the enioying of it Al which meanes another man thinketh very needlesse and that it is meere follie to make all this adoe to come by it and yet he will say it is better then the world also but he can content himselfe when he hath heard the promise without any setting of his desire in it to wash away all with a word of course that he hopeth to be saued by Iesus Christ as well as other Which slight esteeming of it is too cleere a token how farre hee is from it Now who seeth not the difference betwixt these two to be this that the one is led by the spirit of God whereby the father of heauen doth reueale this secret mysterie of faith to him and doth wonderfully draw his heart vnto it the other is led by fleshly reason as his guide which is the greatest enemie to this worke For our reason thinketh it vnnecessarie to set more by that which we cannot see with carnal eyes then by that which we haue in present possession and see it handle it enioy and vse it therefore no man doing thus is led by the spirit of God which assureth him who is led by it that God hauing promised glorie greater then the world though hee seeth it not he shall finde no lesse then is promised therefore he setteth more by it then by all things here before his eyes And this is the way to beleeue in God indeede though wee see him not that by this our confidence in him wee may haue ioy and
to him I say breake our minde lay open our griefe and commune familiarly with him as with a friend when we will he neuer being wearie of vs nor taking scorne of vs or reiecting vs when yet to haue this accesse to an earthly prince but at some time for some one pleasure or other is few mens cases to obtaine and hardly inioied But this is yet more that we know how to come before the Lord with confidence and reuerence so as we need not doubt but he will heare and regard vs and so to come with delight when yet praier is counted a cold helpe to men of the world to be vpholden by Of watchfulnesse to say a little also what a treasure is this that whereas the diuill deceiueth thousands they being not wise wary to escape his sleights yet he teacheth his farre greater wisdome and care to take heed to themselues for he draweth some to whoredome and vncleanesse some to vaine and dangerous expence of the precious time in play and folly some to hunt after the wealth of this world with pined and hunger starued souls and vndoeth others after sundry other waies when yet we may by watchfulnesse shift and shunne them and not be taken in the snare as others are and the oftener that we haue preuailed we may be the better able to preuaile still for heereafter and that we thus resisting and ouercomming in the greatest danger we may much more auoide the smaller But neither our gaine by it nor their losse who are not acquainted with it is greatly considered of them till they haue throughly smarted for the neglect of it And so I may say of the viewing of looking backe vnto our whole course of life in the day when we are ready to lie downe at night What a sweet liberty is this that whereas the most are either stung or wounded at night with the remembrance of their euill spending of the day or a great part of it or some euill that they haue done in it or else thinke not of it at al but digest it merily and forget it which of the two is farre more dangerous as that which surfiteth them yet we may by this priuiledge of looking backe to our bestowing of the day auoid both the one and the other of these daily sicknesses or if we remember any thing to haue escaped vs amisse we are ready to bewaile and acknowledge it to our God and to pray for pardon in faith and renounce our sinne and yet who seeth not that for the most part we may be sure to finde little to accuse vs then at our lying downe or to hinder our sleepe because we were watchfull against it through the day while we were awake The same I may say of the rest For as he hath promised to blesse the vsing of these helpes so he draweth our hearts to beleeue it that he will doe so indeed and thereby to looke for the accomplishing of his promise euen as certainly as if it were already performed as Iosua did in all the Lords battels which he fought for the people of Israell when God had said of the whole land of Canaan I haue or which is all one in God I will giue it into thy hand he beleeuing that he would doe so indeed was incouraged thereby to fight for it and to goe against their enimies and make warre with them in an other maner of proceeding either in cheerefulnesse or confidence then they which came against him And so to say the same of the particulars when the Lord said I haue giuen Iericho and Ai into thy hands the king of Ierusalem with his band of other kings and their men of warre the king of Haser with all the kings and people that came with him whose multitude was as the sande of the sea shore what was his munition or armour but his faith wherein lay his strength but in this that he beleeued that the God of heauen and earth was stronger then all they and that he which had promised would also doe the same although he was inuisible For the which cause it is written in the scriptures that by faith the walles of Iericho a thing in reason most absurd yet by faith and not by battery or strength or pollicy they fell downe The same I might but for auoiding tediousnesse say of many other who beleeuing that God would blesse the same meanes which he commanded them to vse haue with great courage interprised them as Noah in making the arke Abraham in offering to kill his sonne who if they had not beleeued that God would blesse their indeuours and turne them to their great good would neuer haue attempted the same And thus hauing made this matter plaine by examples I will now proceed in applying them to the present occasion Therefore as Iosua hauing promises giuen him of God beleeued them and thereby preuailed against difficulties and discouragements so Gods seruants hauing the like promises are strengthened by God to beleeue them as he was and by beleeuing them obtaine that which is promised For God promiseth that by the helpes which he hath giuen he will inable his people to get victory ouer their sinnes to leade a godly life and when they fall by any infirmity not to suffer them either to faint and dispaire of forgiuenesse on the one side or to make light of their sinne and to be carelesse about it one the other side These promises therefore whosoeuer beleeue they by the helpes which they vse obtaine the blessing namely the thing that is promised So that it is not the bare vsing of these helpes which effecteth much lesse meriteth any such fruit or blessing but that they are vsed in faith and the parties who vse them looke constantly for blessing vpon the same and power and strength from God to helpe their weakenesse This was necessary for me to say how and in what case the meanes and helpes which we vse to the constant practising of a godly life become effectuall vnto vs namely when we beleeue God that he will blesse them to vs. And indeed otherwise let not men looke to receiue any thing thereby which the apostle Iames affirming of one especial helpe namely of praier is as truly said of all the rest that he which doubteth and wauereth when he should beleeue whether by those helpes he shall be furthered and bettered or not let not that man looke to receiue any thing Therefore we must learne to be acquainted with faith euen as we desire to be acquainted with God for by no other meanes can we know him or haue accesse vnto him and thereby we receiue power and strength through the helpes which we vse to liue well and godly These helpes what they are and which ought to be vsed euery day and which by other occasions I haue before set downe in the third and fourth part of this treatise Now
in smaller things that they may beleeue him in greater The third meane The word and sacraments The fourth A daily humiliation for sinne The fifth Their former experience The faithfull haue neere acquaintance with God They are called his friends Let no place be giuen to doubting How faith is weakned Thinke of this as the weightiest matter in the morning if it may be The sixth The example of others who of weake become strong CHAP. 12. THe sweet fruit and benefit of preseruing and confirming our faith No outward meanes confirme faith if we price it not the best of all things A pithy speech of a worthy person The chiefest thing euery morning is to remember Gods loue Gods children not so wise for their good as the bad for theirs Many good Christians haue not halfe the comfort they might haue Their example hurteth others Vnsetling of our selues from nourishing faith is full of dangers The longer we liue the better we should be Many haue found small comfort through their life Three degrees of faith The second Treatise CHAP. 1. OF the life of a beleeuer The summe and order of this treatise Why godlines should be ioyned with faith Diuers opinions about godlinesse It is necessary to vnderstand wherein a godly life consisteth The necessary connexion of this treatise with the former Faith and godly life are as twinnes and go together The heads of this treatise are foure CHAP. 2. THe first point of the first head of this treatise Where true faith is not there is no good life No good thing in the vnbeleeuer that pleaseth God Men are dangerously deceiued about this point This is no new doctrine It is hard only to the obstinate None that haue faith can liue wickedly Proofes of it Faith is not content with a wandring desire of godlines The Gospel despised because it is not knowen Many would be thought beleeuers who liue not a godly life Too hasty repentance seldome sound Change of life without faith vaine A simile It is vaine to thinke we haue faith without a new life CHAP. 3. THe second point of the first head of this treatise The beleeuer must beleeue other promises beside that of saluation Also the commandements and threats The beleeuers do not thus The cause why Another cause Want of this faith worketh much inconuenience The beleeuer must beleeue that he shall be sanctified And particular promises of benefits and deliuerance And precepts and threats euen the word it selfe Examples of such as did so This doctrine little seene into and practised This kinde of faith not oft beat vpon by teachers The lesse conceiued and in vse with the better kinde of hearers What causeth tedious troubles to many Christians The testimony of good Christians touching this matter An exhortation to the ministers A minister must haue experience in himselfe of that which he teacheth others Answere to such as thinke otherwise Let faith and godlinesse be oft taught The same things without vaine repetition and barbarousnesse The peoples wants require it Want of this kinde of faith makes the godly life difficult A simile Where it is inioied the practise of godlinesse becoms easie The want of a good foundation is the ruine of many CHAP. 4. THe second general head of this treatise Of the heart The heart the fountaine of godly life must first be purged Like heart like life The heart is a dungeon of iniquity A simile A view of the filthinesse of the heart Men see it not and therefore suspect no danger What the purging of the heart is He that dieth in a weake estate shal be saued Holy desires be oft times quenched in the beleeuer How to reuiue them How the heart is purged By the power of the holy ghost This is at the first turning of a sinner to God Euen this is a gracious worke We must not stand at a stay in this The heart is purged by faith Worldly delights so sought for because the heauenly are not felt So soone as any are assured of Gods fauour so soone are their hearts changed Faith purgeth onely as the instrument True repentance what Without the change of the heart there is no amendment of life The simplest Christian findes some measure of these Proofes that this change is wrought by faith By this change the beleeuer sensibly descerneth his present estate from his former The weake troubled that this change is so small Yet this is a note that their state is good This change of the heart is the foundation of a godly life If men at the first gaue God their hearts then should their whole life be better Not a peece of the heart Many hardly brought to giue their whole heart therefore giue ouer CHAP. 5. OF the renouncing of all sinne which is the first effect of a renued heart in the true beleeuer We must be changed before our liues can be amended What the life of the beleeuer is All vngodlinesse not some onely is to be renounced The beleeuer loatheth his former filthy life The power of faith and gaine thereby The vanity of worldly ioies The beleeuer renounceth sinne in good aduisednesse and not in some good moode onely For want of this setled denying of our selues diuers neuer attaine to true godlinesse Worst sort of protestants who hate this doctrine Gods seruants are at vtter defiance with the world They leaue not sinne for a time nor by constraint or for company feare c. They vow and performe Not by their owne strength Their helpe is from God attained by faith waited for by hope It is got with much striuing Which ought to be no discouragement The faithfull alwaies preuaile not Yet finde comfort No hurt by abasing Gaine of our falles to purge vs. This gaine is onely to the beleeuer Beleeuers can renounce all Vnbeleeuers cannot No dram of goodnesse in a naturall man CHAP. 6. DIuers kindes of euill to be renounced First inward lusts All doe not hold them vnder in like measure The effects of our naturall corruption be heere meant The roote of them all is vnbeleefe Three sorts of inward lusts 1. against God and his honor and worship in the first table Ignorance of God and no minde to come out of it Distrust In aduersity impatient obstinate c. In prosperity no thankefulnesse carnall reioicing drunke with pleasures No pleasure in Gods true worship Superstition and blinde deuotion Prophanesse dissolutenesse c. Abuse of peace Loathing the Lords Sabbath 2. Wicked lusts towards man in the second table Com. 5. contempt of betters vnthankefulnesse saucinesse in youth Com. 6. reioicing in euell wrath no bearing reuenge no fellow feeling c. Com. 7. vncleane lusts E. Feeding of them 106. F. Eies full of adultery the minde made a nursery of filthinesse Not onely the worst sort deceiued this way Com. 8. coueteousnesse c. Com. 9. lust against our neighbours name Surmises deuising of libels c. Things not alwaies yet these be common Com. 10. the heart is taken
I shall be occasioned in another place to doe the same But all this sinne which thus ruleth and raigneth in man making him not much vnlike the diuels themselues is but one part of the miserie which he is in yea and the least of the two in their eyes and iudgement who are the greatest number in the world The other part thereof is that for this sinne he is subiect to all those fearefull and horrible plagues which God hath threatned and executeth in the world vpon the committers thereof and to that endlesse punishment of condemnation in the world to come which is the principall and most iust desert of euery sinne The particular vexations and calamities which belong to sinners in this life are innumerable and not to be expressed but some for the rest it shall be fit to mention and the rather for that many thousands neuer dreame of and much lesse are troubled with any such matter And first as the curse of God is vpon all creatures for mans cause so it is lesse to be doubted that it is cast vpon man himselfe So that whatsoeuer he doth or wheresoeuer he becommeth the wrath and anger of God followeth and accompanieth him Cursed he is in the field and cursed in the house cursed in his basket and in his store and as Moses speaketh of all the creatures wherein he should take his repast and delight saying Cursed is the earth for thy sake thornes and briers it shall bring foorth vnto thee From hence come all the dearths famines penurie and pouertie which euery where are cried out of In his bodie sicknesse diseases of many kinds aches gripings swellings burstings and other paines intolerable In the senses deafnes blindnes numnes and such like which should make any heart to quake and tremble to heare them but named As for friends and kindred wife and children father and mother or whatsoeuer may be thought of which men are wont to take greatest pleasure in how can they delight mans heart soundly or be pleasant vnto him when they are mixed with this sauce The Lord accurseth them hee will bring him to iudgement for them euen for enioying them whereto they haue no right nor lawfull libertie as being not intitled to them by Christ who is heire and Lord of all If there were but a sword hanging with the point downward ouer a mans head which were sitting at a royall banquet what pleasure could hee take in the varietie of his dainties But it is another manner of slaying a man if oft in one houre hee must be constrained with feare to remember and thinke on it this moment will they take thy soule from thee But this goeth not so neere mens hearts as it ought whiles they haue one obiection or other as it were water to quench the force and heate of it For all men they say are not in this miserable estate except some one or few who be wearie of their liues and make all their other delights vnpleasant to them for the same This as vnwise they obiect because they are moued with nothing but that which they see with their outward eyes the voyce of God pierceth not their hearts although it pronounceth as well to him that escapeth al these if any such could be found as to him who hath bin plagued with them all euen to one as to another without respect of persons Woe be to the inhabitants of the earth because they haue sinned So long as this word shall be true no mans estate is better then another all are vnder the wrath of God Therefore let no man deceiue himselfe God is not mocked How this ought to affect the heart of him that heareth it we shall see hereafter but hee that hardneth his heart at the hearing of this because he feeleth not neither seeeth any such thing shall surely come to euill I haue not yet spoken of the plagues and punishments which take hold vpon the soule which are yet more fearefull then those of the bodie if so be they could as easily be discerned A man to be giuen vp to his owne vilde lusts like a brute beast to wallow in filthines who might haue shined as an Angell in goodnes is there any of iudgement which counteth it not amongst the most fearefull iudgements To be vtterly darkned and destitute of the true knowledge of God and of the life to come the knowledge wherof is the beautie of the world and to be hastning to endles woe and yet not to vnderstand it what part of miserie can be greater in this world To be so hardned in heart as to be past all feeling remorse to fall into vtter desperation without recouery by any thing he can do such madnes frensie heaps of the like can any thing be thought more full of horror and all these is wofull man vnder There is none which hath not brought himselfe into the depth of them all which is all I may say truly that he hath to glorie of So that I thinke it cannot be denied but that he is miserable vnto the which to adde as the shutting vp of all the remedilesse feares and deepe doubts which oft bring anguish here the paines and torture of both soule and bodie in the end of this life when both must take vp their dwelling in heâ— who so shall heare it must needes confesse that there wanteth herein no piece of miserie But seeing the Scripture it selfe calleth it paine vnspeakable I wil not go about to describe it least I should any way seeme to make it lesse then it is It is sufficient for this purpose that it is most extreame easelesse and endlesse This I haue said of the miserie of man and of both the parts of it as I did purpose and that in as few sentences as well I might and fewer in deede then such a weightie matter would haue required but that it is elsewhere handled by others And I haue determined to say no more then I must needes of those things which are set foorth at large both plainly by many learned brethren and in very good sort and order alreadie These two points of mans miserie are to be knowne as an especiall part of Gods truth of him whom the Lord will saue For hee which knoweth not this swelleth and is puffed vp and goeth on in deepe securitie and cannot doe otherwise as long as hee is ignorant of this point therefore the Lord bringeth him on whom he purposeth to shew mercie to the preaching of his word and namely his law which sheweth him his sinne and damnation so that he shall cleerely vnderstand it and that he as well as any other is vnder the power of it But here I thinke it not vnseasonable to adde this seeing ignorant people which lie yet in their sinnes doe harden their hearts at the hearing of this that none haue iust cause to quarrell with the Lord for if any thing spoken of in this
to looke more deepely into it And I could with all my heart desire that they so many as neglect this worthie worke and necessarie dutie might be constrained to attend vpon it with all diligence which being done with a very Christian care had of giuing good example and shewing themselues in all good conuersation lights vnto their flocks and free from reprochfull faults great good must needs insue And there should not onely be a recouering of the due credit and reuerence to the Ministerie which the popish Prelacie and barbarous rudenes blindnes and shameles life of many vnder the Gospell hath lost but also it should bring many home to God who otherwise must vtterly perish And if with this there were a willing and ready mind in them to satisfie them priuatelie by conference who should resort to them vpon speciall neede and occasion to comfort them in their heauines and to stirre them vp to religious and godly communication in their meetings priuately and at their table by their own examples rather then to be companions with them in profane worldly and needeles talke that so they might as well speake good things in priuate as teach the truth in publike as Christ did I make no doubt but that God would plentifullie blesse their haruest CHAP. 6. Of the lets that hinder faith on the behalfe of the People BVt if the Minister be framed both in life and doctrine as were to be wished thus to giue warning to the people of Sathans malicious intents and other impediments and so seeke to winne them to the faith yet are there such swarmes of euils in the people and so many kinds of them that except they for their parts be willing to be counselled and to receiue their message and doctrine they shall finde that through one let or other few of them shall be partakers of this pretious faith which I speake of To speake more plainelie my meaning is Sathan layeth infinite stumbling blockes in their way for when God by the Preaching of the Gospell sheweth the world how their sinnes are pardoned and their deadly woe remoued in Christ they will not marke it nor take any paines about it but esteeme of it as of a light matter as though God did seeke his owne good by making such an offer to them rather then theirs and that he must be more beholden to them for hearing the way to saluation preached then they to him for teaching them and so count it not thanke worthie Other haue weightier matters as they thinke to looke after namely their pleasures and their profits with the beautie and loue whereof the diuell dazeleth their eyes that they see nothing there that is in their preaching which can prouoke them to be in loue with it although that which can saue them be onely there to be had So by one deceite or other he preuaileth so farre with them that they beleeue not no not euen they who hearing receiue the doctrine with liking it and for that very cause thinke that they beleeue And what is cleerer at this day then this that of many thousands which receiue the glad tidings of eternall life by our preaching willingly or at the least without resisting our doctrine yet few yea very few attaine to the power of faith neither declare any worke thereof to bee in them For either they feele no neede within themselues whereby they should be driuen to seeke helpe out of themselues in Christ or if they doe they by and by before they sustaine any smart lay their burthen vpon him so that he is neuer sought nor cared for of them but when their need pincheth them and then they beleeue in him they say but be indeede no more staied and confident by their faith nor in their liues reformed then they were before and so serue him with their tongues and lips and follow their owne lusts in their hearts or staggering still betwixt hope and doubt at a blush reioycing and not able to render a reason why and at another time cast downe as farre againe in token of no stay nor peace Now of all these how truly are the Apostles words verified the Gospell being hidden from them that is the promises of it not being beleeued of them what other cause is there then this the diuell by one meanes or other hath so blinded them all that they beleeue not and as for this latter sort they seeing their miserie what it is and how vnauoidable by any way that they can finde out how could they if they were not inchanted and depriued of their right minde by the diuell be content to goe without the remedying thereof it being so freely and graciously offered them The which thing also is prooued further to be true by the practise of true Christians who hauing sure hold and taste by faith of Christs merits will admit no delusions that deceiue the other whereby they might be depriued of the assurance thereof But although they haue temptations strong and fierce as well as the other yet they so looke to the greatnes of Gods loue and the truth and certaintie of his promises and the benefit which they reape thereby that although with strong fighting and lowd cryes through depth of sorrow they are in combat with Sathan yet they will not giue ouer nor yeeld their right into his hand But as one in the perill of drowning taketh hold of a naked sword though it cut him deepe rather then yeeld his life to the water so they chuse to keepe their faith with some great difficulties rather then to giue ouer their soule which is vpholden onely thereby into the diuels hand and themselues into perdition Whereupon we heare such speeches testifying sore conflicts betweene Sathan and them Although thou kill me O Lord yet will I trust in thee and Though I walke in the middest of the vale of death yet will I not forsake thee By which appeareth that the same god of this world is not wont to cast mists onely before the eyes of the best but euen attempteth sore to take away all the light of their faith from them as hee doth keepe it from the other altogether But God hath taught their hands to warre and their fingers to fight as it is in the Psalme the which skill because the other want they are foyled And thus by this which hath been said let all learne to know that none are kept voide and destitute of the fruite of the Gospell and the beleeuing of the same vnto saluation but such as willingly put their neckes in Sathans yoke and are contented to bee depriued of the crowne of righteousnes and life through their owne follie whiles others more wise then they will by no meanes let it goe But to the end that euery sort may see themselues as in a glasse and what their seuerall lets are I haue thought good to set them down briefly and particularly or
and infirmitie And thus I hauing answered the doubts of this sort of Gods people weak in faith I had purposed to haue proceeded no further to deale with them which haue the seale of God and which are marked to eternall life but to haue disclosed the packe of counterfeits and to haue proued that many such as say they are Christians and the elect of God and are not but doe lie that they are nothing lesse then the children of God for as the weakest in faith must not be depriued of their priuiledge as to thinke they are not y e Lords so must not the most glozing hypocrites be suffered to conceiue a false opinion or hope of that which is none of theirs as to dreame of happines This I say I had purposed next to haue entred into but in the meane while it commeth into my minde by occasion of such as I haue answered alreadie that is the faithfull who hauing receiued much comfort through their hope after an effectuall calling haue yet after that been troubled with doubtings by occasion of them I say I called to mind another sort of Gods deare seruants who are weaker then they deeplier grieued and therefore more tenderly to be regarded least that they being brused reedes should be altogether broken and as smoking flaxe should be vtterly quenched And these are they who hauing manifest signes of faith and the new birth in them yet by the subtill and cruell malice of the diuell although not without the wise disposing of the Lord to their great good and example of others are brought to this bondage that they are perswaded that they are vtter reprobates and haue no remedie against their desperation They feele they say the wrath of God kindled against their soules and anguish of conscience most intolerable and can finde no release notwithstanding their continuall prayers made vnto the Lord and in their iudgement stand voyde of all hope of the inheritance promised expecting the consummation of their miserie and the fearefull sentence of eternall condemnation Now this vehemencie of temptation though it bee enough of it selfe barely to shake and terrifie the afflicted yet when melancholie shall herewithall possesse the partie then is it made farre more grieuous for that raiseth excesse of distrust and feare and perswadeth it selfe of miserie where there is no cause and is the very seate of the diuell being an apt instrument for him both to weaken the bodie and to terrifie the minde with vaine and phantasticall feares and to disturbe the whole tranquillitie of our nature and one chiefe propertie of this is to feare a man without iust cause So many as are troubled with this latter I exhort to reade the treatise of Melancholie set foorth by Doctor Bright Phisition Anno 1586. vnto the which also I may referre them for the former point that is to say if they be deeply touched with the conscience of sinne alone how they may be comforted and deliuered out of it But seeing it is both appertaining to the matter which I haue taken in hand to say somewhat thereof and the other treatise not alway at hand I wil partly borrow from thence where it is largely and profitably set downe and partly adde my selfe somewhat for the staying and perswading of such weak ones as their case requireth And first they must be perswaded that they are not vnder the wrath of God neither is his anger kindled against them for all their feare that oppresseth them when their estate is to their owne feeling euen at the worst because they haue not sinned against the holy Ghost which sinne onely is able to shut them out from hope of saluation and yet many of them in their temptation do thinke that they haue And to proue that they haue not committed that sinne it may appeare by this that they haue not maliciouslie set themselues against the truth and Gospell of God nor wilfullie persecuted it against their conscience but doe imbrace it heartily and loue the same which they are not able to denie But it is a meere delusion and temptation of the diuell which holdeth them in this terror and bondage which time will discouer and lay open as they themselues shall hereafter most plainely see and discerne which many such as they are in the like case haue found in the end And though it be a temptation of the enimie purposed of him to their confusion yet from their louing and mercifull father a triall of their faith and patience and other vertues Indeed the ground hereof is their owne weakenes as I said before of the former sort of Gods Children vpon the which the diuell worketh although not to wring from them their hope which he shall neuer be able to doe yet to wearie their liues with heauines and discomfort And this our infirmitie Sathan doth sometime assaie without meanes that is onely by spirituall suggestion sometime by meanes and outward occasions of euill and forcible perswasions to sinne and rebellion against God For the first of these two it is certaine that he after a personall manner to the soule though not in bodilie shape to the eye without meanes of outward things tempteth vs in the very secret thoughts of our hearts For he being a spirit and by creation most excellent hath accesse vnto our spirits to trouble them and disorder all their actions as we see corporall creatures with corporall and bodilie force to annoy one another And as he is a spirit so the long experience which he hath of our corruption and miserie from age to age giueth him knowledge of our minds more perfectlie who gathereth it by the least signe of our inclination and will not that he knoweth our hearts for that is proper to God only but through his long acquaintance with our nature he conceiueth our intents and purposes and that oftentimes without signification either of speech or gesture And thus he being able to discouer the vanitie of our minds by the knowledge of our vniuersall corruption as he seeth occasion and whereto we most incline he suggesteth his temptations to sinne and disobedience Now if to these two we adde his malice for he is not called the enuious man for naught and his vnsearchable subtiltie and exceeding strength and that which is greater then all the rest that he most hurteth when it least appeareth when we least suspect it for which cause it is said that hee changeth himselfe into an angell of light 2. Cor. 11.13 14. we shall not meruaile though without any meanes or outward occasions he raiseth great terror and dismaidnes especiallie the Lord giuing him leaue so to doe for the good of vs which are exercised with them For besides that we are inticed sometime to the sinnes which by nature we loue we are also especiallie such as are thus brought low in the anguish and bitternes of their soule tempted to such euils as are very strange and such as we abhor the very
doe For when he saw that God gaue him twelue moneths to repent of his pride for the which his dreame told him his kingdome should depart from him he forgot his dreame like a dreame and did not repent but at the twelue moneths end began a fresh to increase his pride crowing and boasting of his wealth and honour thus Is not this great Babel which I haue built for the house of my kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my maiestie Wherby we see that he was more desirous to know what his dreame meant then to bee warned by it Euen so these professors which I speake of are very carefull to heare the glad tidings of the Gospell preached and cannot bee withdrawne or disswaded from it but to lay their estate with it and to take this warning by it that they will receiue the print of it vpon their hearts and liues and bee cast into the mould of it that I say they cannot be brought vnto for then they should finde it to be the power of saluation to them for the which end it is preached But what is the cause that they going so farre before many other who are professors also cannot be brought to goe beyond them in this as well and herein to be equall to the best louers of the Gospell I meane in prouing and examining whether Christ be in them without they be reprobates and whether they haue not the spirit of God without which they be none of his The maine cause is this Their hearts are not vpright nor they will not deale plainly with the Lord. They cannot say in truth Search me O Lord and see if there be any vnrighteousnes in me which I doe hide within me and it shall be remoued out of thy sight Nay it is certaine if they might come to triall that they doe keepe some sinne as Iob saith euen as a child doth sugar vnder the palate Sundrie faults I graunt such will refraine both themselues and driue them out of their families but yet for all that they will not bee brought to this to make profession that they will be willing to be reformed in what part of their life soeuer they may bee iustly chalenged for then they should not blemish their religion as the best of that sort doe Neither doe they set their priuiledges which they haue by the Gospell before all other things alwaies they thinke it ouer strict that they should be tied so narrowly and that it is neither beseeming wisedome credit ciuilitie policie grauitie or such place and calling as some of them may bee in to shew what is in them though they be zealous they say but too base a thing for them when yet the Scripture saith I beleeue and therefore I haue spoke And againe The zeale of thine house hath consumed me And againe if this be to bee vile and base I will yet be more vile for the Lords sake that hath honoured me Yea and they thinke it is more then needeth that all their delight should be in the Saints which are on the earth and such as excell in vertue and that they should be companions with such as feare God when yet the communion of Saints is more pleasant and sweete then was Aarons ointment and more fruitfull then mount Hermon was with the dew and Sion and her vallies about her with the siluer droppes that fell vpon them Yea for the preciousnes thereof the Church spake thus of it If I preferre not Ierusalem that is the welfare of Gods people before all ioy that I haue on earth beside then let me lose my best delight To returne they of whom I speake though in their owne opinion and in the iudgement of some others they be in right good state to Godward yet God whose thoughts are not as mans and the truth which must giue good report of them as well as men iudgeth and determineth of them farre otherwise if that be the best that can be said of their faith and repentance which I haue set downe For the elect and deare children of God doe farre otherwise They hauing found the pearle sell all that they haue to buy it though they are occupied about many things yet that one euen the word of God is chiefe with them Their loue of it is strong as ielousie that admitteth no recompence and as death that cannot be resisted They cast not away their confidence if they once grow to see what recompence of reward it hath nor will not suffer any to take their crowne from them euen their honour that they haue in being the Lords sonnes and daughters They couet spirituall things they hunger and thirst after righteousnes they with good and honest hearts receiue the word and bring foorth fruite in due season They if they haue offended their most louing father cannot be quiet till they returne and come home againe and say wee haue sinned And if they be in worse estate then this they like it not vnlesse it be when they are fallen asleepe and haue forgotten themselues And yet what doe they in all this more then they ought feeling for all this their wants and burdens of which they complaine and crie out And whereas they are mocked and euill spoken of for this that they doe thus carrie themselues in the loue of heauenly things and in the hope of immortalitie farre more feruently then they who are not intitled to any such thing it is hard to say whether they who offer them this iniurie doe most offend in hindring the honour of God thereby or their neighbours welfare or their owne saluation For God commaunds that wee should labour rather for the foode that abideth to eternall life then for that which perisheth And what doe we offend then who doe so and is it not our gaine and benefit if we doe so Therefore let men for shame and feare of iust damnation desist from such madnes But to returne to them to whom I speake and to conclude in a sentence or two to them and such as they are I say therfore giue no rest to your selues till you can prooue that you be in the estate of saluation You haue many waies set downe by which you may doe it euen in this treatise in other godly mens labours and especially in the Scriptures Lose not all your labour which you haue bestowed in seeking to be saued I meane your reading hearing of Sermons praying and confessing your sinnes it is lost if you attaine not that which you seeke You are not farre from it a little more humilitie and truth of heart will bring you further into the estate of happines then that ye can fall any more from it Be neuer satisfied till ye haue more then an vnrepentant person can haue You count it no toyle to sweate in hay and haruest This is another manner of substance if ye once had part in it
and yet euen that maketh them complaine vntill they be inlarged and he that hath not this witnesse within him shall not doe best to sooth vp himselfe with a vaine confidence Thus I conclude that ioy and peace are inseparable companions of faith But here me thinkes I heare some obiecting thus If you zealous folke who glorie so much of the assurance of saluation and for that very cause be so ioyfull ye agree not within your selues for some which are of your mind are euer sad and sorrowfull To this I answere that many desire to be sure and grone for it in the Lords eares and in time shall be comforted being already pronounced to be blessed and sometime they are assured for a season and then are cheerefull and before this they cannot be so as they whose hearts the Lord hath opened more cleerely to behold that excellent mystery But further I say that it should trouble no wise bodie to see them mourne for a while after that which shall being atteined make them merrie for euer after And it is a meere cauill in them that twit Gods weake seruants for that which giueth so iust cause of mourning namely their doubting seeing they desire nothing more then to be assured And if they doe not mixe their feare and heauines with melancholy passions they offend not in lamenting after God while they long aboue all things to behold Gods louing countenance towards them But if their heauines make them waspish tuchie froward vnquiet rash in censuring them who are not in their estate I say these as mad and frantike passions are to be condemned But these obiecters say that this sad countenance and behauiour in them who are more religious than the most part of others causeth many to shun religion and to be afraide to ioyne themselues to their acquaintance and company and to meddle with muzing on the Scriptures or on Sermons more then to heare and reade them and so trouble themselues no further To this I say that we are not so to looke to exemples that we hurt and hinder our selues thereby from that benefit which the Scriptures doe most certainely direct vs vnto But if men would weigh things indifferently they who are so ready to challenge many good Christians for their heauines which yet they know tendeth to the seeking of comfort might see their owne fault greater whose mirth for the most part is ioyned with lightnes and profanenes holding goodnes and grace out of the company and not a reioycing for that they know God to be their most louing father without which their ioy is but follie yea madnes as Salomon speaketh of laughter which testifieth such ioy But to end this in few words let such as haue true hope in God though weakely moderate their heauines that they may offend as few as they may and they that finde fault with them for that let them know that they ought rather to pitie and pray for them and interpret all in the best manner and looke that their owne mirth and cheerefulnes be well warranted them or else it were farre better for them to haue part in the others heauines And for answere to this thus much But to goe forward as the due consideration of the greatnes and perswasion of the certaintie of his benefits will raise this ioy in the heart of him that possesseth it so likewise it will cause him to maruaile with reuerence to see his state so changed himselfe to be brought from so lowe a depth of extreame miserie to so high a degree of honour and glorie and so to be enriched by this fauour of God that he shall oft feare on the suddaine least it should not be so wondring at the greatnes of the same as Iudas the good Apostle did who considering the great kindnes of Christ brake forth into these words Lord what is the cause that thou wilt reueale thy selfe to vs and not to the world Yea and the woman of Samaria which had long lien in blindnes and superstition and in the fruites of both that is in cauilling and mocking yet when our Sauiour had ouercome her euill with good and conuerted her her heart was so set on the benefit which she receiued by him that she forgat her water-pot which in her who sauoured before only of the earth was a great matter and went admiring at her owne change to tell her neighbours of that welcom newes which had befallen her and was a meane of their conuersion also Ioh. 4.28.29 But Sauls conuersion did so cause him to wonder at Gods worke therein that it caused also them that beheld it to admire it to be amazed when they saw him preach the doctrine which he before pursued with the imbracers of it Act. 9.21 So great admiration doth this precious faith worke in them that obtaine it And yet if this holie and reuerent admiration at so great good things befallen those or other such should but then onely immediatly after the receiuing of them be felt the benefits might seeme the smaller but it is farre otherwise if it be duly nourished and maintained for they are so sweete and so farre aboue all that they can aske or looke for that except it bee through mens owne default they are euery day new and fresh and so farre from bringing tediousnes that the oftner they be daily considered and the longer they be inioyed the more they will cause wondring at the loue of the giuer and what should moue him to bestow so great a portion euen more then the whole world vpon so vnworthie an one as would haue thought a little before that it had been an happie estate not to haue been at all The Sunne in the beautie and strength thereof doth not more cause the eye to dazle then the viewing and beholding of this glorie which God communicateth with his beloued ones doth astonish and abash the heart to thinke of it which is so true that Dauid the man of God did many yeeres after hee felt himselfe beloued of God fall into this holie admiration as that God should doe such great things for his soule as deliuer him from the neathermost graue by which he meant hell And therefore it cannot be without grosse bewitching of many professors by Sathan that if they haue at the hearing of this tidings published meruailed a little they thinke they haue receiued this benefit with that reuerent account that it deserueth though after it waxeth a common thing with them for this they say it were foolish daily to bee wondring at one thing as when we first heard of it Full well all such declare what fruite they reape by it but if they did daily consider their vnworthines they should see more cause to wonder euery day then at the first if comparison may bee made in such a case It is to be wondred at that God pardoneth sinnes daily in that his mercie continueth daily to pardon them and for that
it being so great should bee so induring also For who can thinke vppon his slippes and rebellions I speake of the best of vs which breake foorth from him daily for the which the wrath of God is iustly prouoked against him and what might bee feared thereby and how notwithstanding them all hee may come to God for refuge by Christ and bee without feare as if hee had not sinned yea and hold fast his confidence that God yet loueth him who I say can consider this but hee must needes bee astonished at the inioying of so great kindnes when a cursed man no better then ourselues must be sued vnto and intreated by vs and all the friends that we can make and being displeased must be pacified with gifts and yet hardly holden from vexing imprisoning and pursuing vs to the death and may not be intreated Therefore magnifie the louing kindnes of our God for euer euen as it indureth for euer Psalm 118.4 For though naturall reason euen flesh beare a great stroke in this matter yet wee are not debtters to it and we haue great cause whiles we liue to doe this So that although I confesse that in nature it is otherwise that a man cannot alwaies admire the greatnes of some rare deliuerance or fortunate estate befallen him by his friend which at the first raised great admiration yet it ought to be farre otherwise with the spirituall man being a beleeuing Christian he I say hauing the louing countenance of God shining daily vppon him as before which is a treasure vnualuable should wonder at the continuance of it especially seeing he prouoking the Lord with his sinnes daily renued might therefore feare that such former comforts as had been inioyed might haue been turned into as great sorrowes and his light into darknes rather then be continued and multiplied And this he shall do vnles through vnthankfulnes the corruption of nature leading him thereto hee burie the same in obliuion and begin to affect too much and to bee ouer neere glued to things present and temporarie setting the creature before the Creator and the gift before the giuer For thereby he shall no doubt slacke his meruailing at that kindnes of God that hath neuer end although it be most precious whereas otherwise he shall be able from day to day to beare downe all transitorie things before him with the estimation and high prizing of it And this of the second companion of faith namely holy admiring the greatnes of Gods kindnes But that I may not dwell vpon this matter who haue purposed but in brief manner to shew what a traine of heauenly companions do attend vpon this faith and certaintie of Gods eternall fauour and to leaue the meditation of and vpon it to the reuerent and deuout reader Another therefore is heartie and vnfained loue in him who feeleth this loue of God shed into his heart returned to him againe The which although in hollownes and hypocrisie the most affirme boldly to be in them towards God before they haue found and felt themselues to be beloued of him yet the Scripture teacheth vs that it is farre otherwise seeing we haue not loued him but he hath loued vs first But when we see indeed what great things God hath done for vs from what dreadfull bondage he hath deliuered vs vnto the which in all our life we were in danger and to what gracious liberties and priuiledges he hath restored vs by forgiuing vs all our sinnes then we see iust cause to say with the Prophet I loue the Lord because he hath done so great good things for my soule and with the woman to be thus affected that seeing many sinnes are forgiuen vs therefore wee must needes loue much So that although before this we were louers of pleasures more then louers of God as others are yet now that we know Gods bountifulnes towards vs and the vanitie of our fond delights we haue our harts more set vpon God then vpon the best pleasures which we inioy And although sometime before this wee loued father mother friends goods more then God when wee were meerely naturall yet now that wee know God yea rather are knowne of God we haue our hearts set on him as being our chiefe treasure For this our spirituall kindred with Iesus Christ hath knit vs to him with a farre more neere bond of loue and therefore wee rest in him ioy in him and satisfie our selues with him for there shall be euer cause so to doe and that without wearines There is no end of his bountie and kindnes his mercie indureth for euer and who doth not see that such infinite loue of God to vs may prouoke and raise vp in vs truth of loue to him againe that we be euer filled with the fulnes of him as it is said of the spouse in the Canticles I am full of loue yea sicke chap. 5.8 And yet they who shall say to vs for thus doing What is thy welbeloued more then another welbeloued We may answere them that know not the loue of our welbeloued Our welbeloued is the chiefest of ten thousand wholy delectable his head as fine gold c. Cant. 5.10 But indeede I must say except wee haue tasted of this our loue shall be cold enough towards him as may be seene too commonly euen in many who worship God with vs that all the loue and mercie of God which they boast of cannot make them forsake their vile lusts But to proceede where these before mentioned are found how can there be but vnfained thankfulnes and acknowledging of this gift of God to his great praise when we shall weigh what he hath done for our soules and what solace he hath filled our liues withall which otherwise must needs be full of deadnes or deceiueable and vnsauourie follie They must of necessitie worke the same affections in vs which were in the man of God mentioned in the Psal 116.12 What shall I giue vnto the Lord for all his mercies I will praise his name before his congregation and commit my selfe wholy to his gouernment hereafter who heretofore hath regarded me so gratiously yea and we shall be prouoked daily to this honouring of him euen to sing a new song of praises to him who will renew his kindnes and goodnes daily vpon vs still so that we shall say that his first receiuing of vs was but the beginning of our happines So it shall follow that our hearts being daily exercised in praise and thanksgiuing the more wee doe it the more wee shall see cause to doe it still and so shall waxe thankfull still in all that God sendeth and so in all parts of our life euen in our troubles as it is written In all things be thankfull And although the world see none other cause but to murmure and rage in their afflictions yet shal we see Gods fauour to vs euen in them and knowing that they turne as well
as benefits to our good wee shall praise God euen for them also for it becommeth well the righteous who know how greatly they be occasioned hereto thus to be thankfull It is the loue of God that constraineth vs and inlargeth our harts to Godward and giueth vs matter and occasion of singing and making melodie to the Lord and of praising him alone as well as in the assemblie of the righteous and no meruaile whereas without that sweete smell of his loue wee should be vtterly lumpish and farre from all cogitation of any such matter And I say it is no meruaile that continuall and oft thinking on Gods kindnes should make vs thankfull for how seruiceable yea how slauish shall ye see a poore man to a benefactor to him in his bodily necessities though it be but a little when he can be content to lose his life for him Rom. 5.7 and the very borrower is a seruant to the lender These formentioned affections which accompanie faith in vs doe take such taste and sweetnes in God he making vs so acquainted with his fatherly kindnes and bountie that we finding no such welfare in any estate beside doe now desire to be with him that we may see his glorie and so long after his blessed presence that we desire nothing more then being vnburdened of this earthly tabernacle and prison of our bodies euen to be with Christ to see his glory For thus wee resolue with our selues vpon deepe consideration and certaine triall that if we might haue our choise whatsoeuer we should wish one day in sweete communion with God and so passed and bestowed in his seruice as our frailtie is able to attaine to is better then a thousand in all varietie of earthly pleasures And if his fauour be so much to be desired here where we see but as in a glasse and his benefits which he bestoweth vpon his beloued ones so sweete where we are but strangers what thinke wee shall they appeare to vs when we shall see him in his maiestie as he is and when we shall inioy the pleasures of his house in fulnes for euer Yea I say if here where we liue but in a vale of miserie God doth so shew his bountie towards vs what thinke we shall our estate be when we shall rest from our labours and haue fulnes of ioy with God at his right hand for euermore The beleeuing and weighing of this hath caused Gods deare seruants to say Come Lord Iesus come quickly And againe I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ And this if wee be not grossely deceiued shall cause vs euen when our daies shall be at the best to receiue and hold fast this minde and heartie desire to go home and be euer with the Lord. And if this heauenly affection holie desire be a companion to true faith it might be meruailed where their faith is become and where it lieth a rusting who make so little haste home and haue so small desire to be with Christ where he is in his fathers house that they may see his glorie and where there are many mansions euen for vs as well as for him that they cannot abide to heare of departing thither no more then Nabal who when hee heard of his death he was as a stone and who are so besotted with that which is visible that they haue no longing after that which is not seene with eye but eternall when yet all should know this that the presence of God in heauen is farre to bee preferred before his presence here on the earth yea when our estate is at the best But to ioyne the next companion of faith to this from which it cannot be separated This maketh vs sigh oftentimes and to desire to goe hence and that which we thought would neuer haue been to become strangers and pilgrimes here and so to haue no more to doe in this world then we needes must And this I may truly say is more then was like euer to haue been if it be considered how exceedingly we haue been tied to the world what pleasure it hath been to vs to thinke what we haue here and may haue how we haue sought to fulfill the lusts of our heart the lust of our eye and what pride and what glorie we haue had in the things which we haue loued best yea and how like vnto mad men wee haue nestled and delighted our selues here where yet we haue had no certaintie of abiding til to morrow as though we should haue continued alwaies and yet who seeth not that euen then when we ioyed most in our life we were but as the bankerupts which flourish in their kinde and occupie with other mens goods So that in which we gloried was not our owne goods and glorie which wee tooke such pleasure in they were anothers they were but borrowed In which times God was not knowne of vs nor the daily course of his liberall dealing with his faithfull ones was not once dreamed of And therefore we being earthly minded could not sauour of heauenly things but onely of the earth But since that the Lord hath by faith perswaded vs of his fauour and granted vs to see what varietie of holie heauenly delights may be inioyed of vs in this our Christian course in comparison of the pleasantest estate that euer we liued in before we haue as I haue said determined with our selues to renounce our former course to hold all things here as transitorie vaine and soone flitting away and beleeuing that we our selues are with al other things daily drawing to our end we desire to haue nothing to hold vs here rather then to abide here in the flesh which ought to admonish vs that we keep fast a willingnes to die and when wee haue gotten it that wee lose it not againe and the rather seeing it is that alone which maketh vs fit to liue while we remaine here as we ought Euen this grace accompanieth faith in vs after that it is effectually wrought in vs I say not that wee loath the benefit of life which God hath giuen vs here neither doe we forsake our particular callings in the which we are commaunded to abide neither condemne wee the moderate care of maintaining our selues and ours and prouiding for our outward estate retaining in all these heauenly mindes but we renounce the corruption that is in the world through lust 2. Pet. 1.4 and prophane abuse of earthly affaires and dealings which will not stand with the practise of Christianitie nor with the word of God Which I say for two causes The one because in some respects it is lawfull yea holie to desire to liue namely to doe good in the Church and wee may and ought to say with Dauid I will liue and not die to set foorth the praise of the Lord. The same I say of dealing in our earthly affaires to the end we
established in their faith as the graine of Mustard seede which after rooting becommeth a stalke and hath branches and boughes and as that groweth so shall sound peace and safetie and strength against their corruptions yea and these meanes whereby it is preserued how wearisome soeuer they haue been sometime shall become easie and pleasant and from time to time more and more so that they may be assured that they haue cause in all things to be thankfull And that should be thought a rare and speciall benefit if wee consider how many thousands haue not an houre of this comfort through the yeere no not through their whole life And thus much to shew who is the Lords and how the weake beleeuer is to be vpholden and how he differeth from him who is not and what graces accompanie them who beleeue and how hee who hath faith should grow till hee be setled and what ease and gaine is found thereby And by that which hath been said in this treatise it may bee gathered that although this faith bee in substance one and the same yet that there are three degrees of it The first is the weakest and least measure when there is yet no assurance in the beleeuer and yet inseparable fruits and infallible tokens of it as I haue set down The second degree is when some assurance is wrought in the beleeuer at some time but very weake and is often to seeke and wanting and recouered againe by entring into due consideration of his estate and of the truth of God who hath promised it The third is the highest degree of it though more strong and better setled in some then in other and this hath assurance accompanying it for the most part vsually vnlesse the beleeuer doe quench the spirit in himselfe or the Lord to shew him that he standeth by grace do leaue him to himselfe for his owne glorie and the better establishing of him afterwards This I haue said for their cause who being tender and weake in faith would desire some helpe herein the larger handling of the helpes is to bee sought in the third part of this treatise where the helps to preserue the whole heart and consequently faith and all godlines in the beleeuer is set downe Now I thinke it conuenient to leade forward this beleeuer to set this faith of his a worke by a godly life and teach him what manner of course and estate that is which is the second treatise of this booke The end of the first part of this Treatise THE SECOND TREATISE SHEWING AT LARGE WHAT THE LIFE OF THE TRVE BELEEVER IS AND THE CONuersation of such as haue assured hope of saluation CHAP. 1. The summe and order of this second Treatise HItherto I haue shewed who are they whom the Scripture calleth beleeuers and the sonnes and daughters of the Lord Almightie Now it is necessarie and followeth in order to shew what the life of the true beleeuer is and how he who hath faith must behaue himselfe throughout his whole conuersation for as yet nothing hath been said of that But that treatise namely what the life of the true beleeuer is was reserued to this place for auoiding confusion and without it a man could neither well see the excellencie and beautie of faith which without workes is dead neither could the beleeuer know how to occupie himselfe throughout his life but must of necessitie be idle and vnprofitable who yet must ioyne with his faith vertue knowledge temperance patience godlines brotherly kindnes and loue c. This I say is the argument and matter to be handled in this treatise And seeing there is much difficultie about this point as about the other in the former treatise and seeing it is of greatest weight and moment of all other except that it must with like care be looked into and laid forth For some thinke that repentance and godlines is nothing else but griefe for some offence committed and so Iudas might haue been godly Some thinke that to amend some thing which was amisse is godlines especially if they also doe some good therewith and so Herod that caused Iohn to be beheaded might haue been godly For he reuerenced Iohn and when he heard him he did many things Some thinke that if they haue been well moued at the hearing of the word of God and doe bowe themselues before God for the time in outward signes of repentance only that then they be godly in deede but so might Ahab haue been godly Some if they can shut vp all their vaine talke bad dealings foolish iestings with such other merriments at their meetings in this manner Lord haue mercie vpon vs we are all sinners that then they haue repented and so the common sort of wicked ones may be said to repent and to be godly And lastly popish contrition auricular confession and satisfaction is thought in poperie to be good repentance which as they vnderstand them are as farre from it as any of the former These are some few of a great many opinions about this matter all which are most dangerous and erronious It is therefore very necessarie that we may vnderstand the will of God aright concerning this and what to leane vnto that we be not deceiued My purpose is therefore in this treatise to set downe at large what a godly life is and wherein it consisteth that he who desireth it may see whether his course and behauiour be such or no and the triall of this must be made of him who hath tried himselfe by the former that the one may be seene to goe with the other and both together as twinnes so that he who hath not both may be truely said to haue neither And in laying forth this matter I will follow this method and order to referre all that shall be spoken about it to foure generall heads or parts The first that a godly life must of necessitie goe with the faith before spoken of and that it is the foundation and ground thereof whereby we receiue and giue credit not only to the promise of our saluation but also to all other promises of temporarie benefits appertaining to this life and also to the whole word of God with a mind to relie vpon it and to be guided by it This is the first head of this treatise The second that there must be a pure heart in him who must lead a godly life a pure heart I say renued and changed from that it was before as Ezekiel speaketh I will take away your stonie or hard heart from you and put a new heart in you This must of necessitie be in him who shall liue godly and so consequently that the whole man be changed Thirdly I will set downe the first part of a godly life and shew that it is a renouncing and forsaking of all sinne both inward and outward And fourthly I will adde the other part of godlines declaring that it
thereon in such wise that he dares ieopard his soule vpon the truth and doctrine of them euen as he is to looke for saluation only by our Lord Iesus Christ euer counting that for sinne which shall be found to iarre or iangle with the same either in his heart or life But though all who haue hope to be saued should doe this yet it is manifest they doe not They make not conscience of many sinnes they looke not to many promises they feare not many threats all which doe much testifie against them that they be not so well fenced as they might be and by meanes hereof they holde euen the promise of saluation it selfe more weakely And this commeth to passe the more commonly that they be no better stablished and rooted in the truth to beleeue it because these things as they be worthiest and most excellent so they be not plainely soundly and thoroughly beaten into the people and that againe and againe till they that are willing haue them for their owne And another cause is for that the people who haue some taste of this doctrine namely how they should ioyne good life with their faith take not paine when they haue been well taught them to call them to minde and digest them onely they haue pieces and fragments of many good points but rarely it shall be found that one Christian among many groweth to see this which I now speake of by teaching much lesse hath it in vse and practise for his owne that is to giue credit to one part of the word as well as to another and not euery one to take that which liketh him And therefore when they haue some work of true faith in them yet they see not how to set vpon repentance and a godly life how to begin and how to proceede therein but are off and on now forward then backward and scarcely at any time setled and staied the which although it be so in great part through their owne weaknes yet is it also in respect of their ignorance I speake of the better sort of people and such as haue receiued the first fruites of the spirit Whereas if they were perswaded that they ought to make conscience of all sound doctrine that they heare and to giue assent to euery part of the word of God and submit themselues thereto promises threats and commandements they should hold more firmely the perswasion of their saluation and also be better prepared how to flie euill and how to doe dutie and how to trust God in all kindes of his promises Therefore it is said to the Hebrues To vs was the Gospell preached as also vnto them but the word that they heard profited not them because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it Againe Without faith it is impossible to please God With the which agreeth that which is written by S. Paul to the Romanes Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne that is whatsoeuer we doe not being perswaded in our consciences that we please God in doing of it we sinne against him Now then when our iudgements be not setled in this doctrine and truth and consequently we follow no such rule in our actions must wee not needes wander vp and downe the more vnprofitably and heauily or when we be at the best must we not needs be doubtfull and vncertaine whether wee please God or no whereas our chiefe care should be least we doe any thing which might crase or cracke our faith especially when it is tender and weake and like the bruised reede which is easily broken Therefore if any beleeue to be saued let them beleeue also that they shall be sanctified for with one and the same faith we beleeue both and that they shall receiue grace from God to bring foorth fruites of amendment of life and that they shall be made able by him through the hearing of the holie Scriptures to cast off their old conuersation This faith much auaileth to the furthering of the deare children of God in a godly course euen at their first comming vnto God as it doth alwaies after to liue by it And although God by the same spirit regenerateth them by the which he assureth them of their adoption yet is it wrought in them much more hardly and in greater feare when they doe not first know and be perswaded in their iudgements that it shall be so And though it can be but weake in any at their first conuersion to God yet shall they sooner wade through their doubts and grow out of their feare if they haue this faith as a foundation to vphold them and incourage them to goe about it But otherwise they shall faint and feare oft times and be without hope nothing is more cleere then this if we obserue it in weake christians And thus must they be perswaded also concerning all blessing good successe deliuerance out of troubles or patience and meekenes to beare them as well as to beleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes and finally whatsoeuer God saith in his word either the forbidding of any sinne or the requiring of any dutie they are bound to beleeue it as the truth of God to depend vpon it and to be built vpon it and to trust him vpon his bare word and to suffer themselues to be led by it and that because it is his word hauing in them alwaies a setled purpose to doe so and this is called by the Apostle the obedience of faith For they must be resolued of this that to whom God giues Christ to them also he giues all things needfull for this life and the life to come in and by Christ And thus Noah did not only beleeue that he was made heire of righteousnesse but also that he and certaine of his household should be saued in the flood and Abraham likewise beleeued not only that he was iustified but also went to a place which he knew not only seeing God commaunded and abode in the land of promise as in a strange countrey and beleeued that he should haue a sonne in his olde age And they who beleeued among the Israelites in the Sauiour which was to come of whom Moses though darkely had taught before the same beleeued other promises as that the walles of Iericho should fall downe after they had bin compassed about seuen daies Many other such examples who shewed themselues not only to beleeue the promise of forgiuenes of sinnes and of eternall life but also other temporall promises yea and precepts also and threats which God had set downe in his word very profitable for vs to this purpose many such I say both thoroughout the Scriptures and namely in that eleuenth chapter to the Hebrues are set downe vnto vs. And this generall faith so called for that it giueth assent and credit to the word of God in the elect as well to one part as to another with an honest heart ready to
it and after And according to the prouerbe like tree like fruite for a good man out of the good treasurie of his heart bringeth forth good things and the wicked man out of the ill treasurie of his heart bringeth forth euill things This heart of man therefore must be good and holy and pure it must be brought to yeeld and submit it selfe willinglie to better instruction then naturallie it hath been acquainted with that so it may bring forth fruite of amendment of life and be readilie disposed vnto euery good worke But as I sayd that men may not deceiue themselues who for the most part being ignorant about the heart and the nature and properties of it doe thinke that they may liue godlie whatsoeuer corruption doth infect the heart it shall be requisite to know it better and how all godlinesse is but fantasie or hypocrisie vnto the heart be reformed and changed We must haue it clensed and well seasoned and afterwards kept so that it may be no longer an enemie to vs or an hinderer of vs in any of our good actions but contrarilie that by the helpe of it we may dailie goe forward in well doing at least by striuing or after a repulse to returne againe For this we are to know that the heart of man before it be emptied is a dungeon of iniquitie before it be inlightened a denne of darkenes before it be clensed a puddle of filthinesse and that which Saint Iames speaketh of the tongue may much more be said of the heart that before it be tamed it is an vnruly euill If then such an heart be the guide of our life how monstrous and loathsome must that life needes be Hereby therefore it is cleere that the heart must be purged of this corruption as I haue said it must be changed from this nature and custome that when any departing from sinne should be or any dutie to God offered this may not be a pulbacke and hinderer but ready to giue consent thereunto and a furtherer thereof in subduing the corruption of the same from time to time For who seeth not that this were otherwise a toile most tedious yea a thing altogether impossible as oft as we should goe about any good dutie then to haue our heart to seeke as they say and to be set in frame as if an husbandman should alwaies be driuen to mend and sharpen his plough share when and as oft as he tilleth the ground or a Carpenter to grinde his tooles so oft as he goeth to worke but much more seeing the heart is backward and not willing and ready to any good thing yea rather rebellious against it must not all of necessitie the more preposterouslie goe forward But to proceede more particularlie to anatomize and describe the heart and in few words to say much of it we must know that it is ouerspread with vnbeleefe deceitfull vnruly loose hardned wilfull vaine idle blockish cold in goodnes and without sauour and soone wearie of it high big proude disdainefull selfe-louing vncharitable vnkind conceited impatient angry fierce enuious reuenging vnmercifull froward and tuchie churlish sullen medling worldly filthie and vncleane louing pleasure more than godlinesse vnprofitable repining earthlie greedie or couetous idolatrous superstitious vnreuerent hypocriticall disobedient to betters iudging rashlie hardlie reconciled and in a word prone to all euill is it not then hardlie tamed Which must needes be graunted when the most part of people vnder the Gospell doe either not know nor suspect this and therefore are farre from abilitie to hunt these corruptions out and they who know it doe yet loue them as their owne flesh and therefore be neuer the neerer to the purging out or remouing of them It is not without cause therefore that Salomon saith there are seuen abominations in the heart that is many And Ieremy in like manner affirmeth that the heart of man is deceitfull and deepe aboue all things who can gage or search it out Euen I the Lord saith God am the searcher or finder out of it Therefore also our Sauiour to set out the nature of the heart saith Out of the heart come euill thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false testimonies slaunders Must it not then needes be a filthie sinkehole out of which so vnsauorie stinkes doe arise So that it may truly be said the heart of man is euill aboue measure and in the kindes thereof in number as the sparkles that come out of the furnace and as the sand of the sea shore which is innumerâ—â—le And what should I say more The time would be too short to proceed further and I shall haue occasion in another place to speake of the same But by the way this is worthilie to be lamented that where the Scripture is so plentifull in describing and setting out of the manifold and foule defilements of the heart that men are so blind in vnderstanding them and see so little when the holy Ghost bewraieth so much And hereof it is that they feare so little danger and suspect so little hurt to be comming towards them thereby in the middest of so great and iust cause to feare and suspect both For who is merrier or more secure than he that hath most sinne in his heart to witnes against him Which being so who doth not see that such a draft-house is to be emptied and that much grace and water of life had neede to be poured in to sweeten and season it before it be fit to be imployed to good vse and to be made a temple for the holy Ghost to dwell in and a good treasurie that out of it a good man may bring forth good things Yea an admirable thing it is that it should euer be brought to good But to go forward now to shew what this purging of the heart is and how it should be purged For the first we must know that it is a renuing in holines and righteousnes by little and little of all true beleeuers they being first deliuered and freed from the tyranie of sinne and feare of damnation for a man is no sooner set at libertie from the feare of euerlasting death and the wrath of God but he is also sensiblie drawne to let goe his holde and interest in sinne which before he had and feeleth the same to receiue a deadly wound in him and the power thereof to be abated and crucified And so findeth that verified in him which the Apostle setteth downe to the Romans that is to say How can such as are dead to sinne liue any longer therein And withall he is quickened and sensiblie stirred vp to a loue and earnest desire of things holy and heauenlie euen that he may please God and being renued in the spirit of his minde doth affect and long after righteousnesse and true holines And herein consisteth this purging and changing of the heart which I now speake of and such a thing it is shewing
same that the peoples hungring after the same may whet on and incourage their teachers with all willingnes and readines to resolue comfort them comming vnto them as the people in the Gospell or rather as Christs Disciples came oft to him to be taught and haue their questions answered And although other doctrine is not to bee neglected yet I would haue all to know that nothing is so necessarily to bee learned as these three are of such as haue alreadie attained to the knowledge of true happines by Iesus Christ what other things so euer be wanting All goeth forward vntowardlie without these as I haue said And as a man knoweth nothing profitable vnto saluation before he beleeueth so after he beleeueth he knoweth nothing profitablie to growe on with comfort in his christian course without these three faithfullie and carefullie looked vnto and preserued For my part I doe thee to vnderstand that it was the most principall regard I had in setting out this booke to helpe and direct the weake Christian thoroughout from his first entrance into the knowledge of Christ Iesus that he vnderstanding and beleeuing what a rich portion God hath bestowed vpon him he may make such account of it as it deserueth that is esteeme it farre better then all that he hath and then inioy the fruites of it in an holy life after as God hath taught him Who so trauaileth faithfullie in purchasing these things and yet the purchase is easie and cheape enough euen without money shall goe forward readilie and with ease and make no toile of godlines but pleasure neither haue his teeth watering after the greatest mens dainties but they after his He shall not be at the point of them whom I described a little before by their speech in the way of obiection who sometimes are driuen to doubt of their calling but be able to guide himselfe how to rise when he is fallen and to returne when he is stept out of the way and to walke in most sweete safetie vnder Gods protection all the day long as shall be seene afterward Thou wilt aske me what thou shalt haue for thy portion I say not this measure nor that of heauenlie peace full contentation and other graces neither as this man or that but such as for the beautie and brightnesse of it shall cause thee to maruaile and to say as it is euen more then thou couldest haue asked If thou further demaundest how thou shalt attaine to this that thou maist thus knowe esteeme and keepe it this present treatise besides all helpe of publike Ministerie and priuate conference shall teach thee neither doe I doubt but that in one part or other of it the humble and teacheable reader shall finde it But yet further to satisfie those who cannot rest because of the want of such graces as God affordeth to some of his children they are to vnderstand that as we cannot nor may not appoint the Lord his times and measures so we can shew no reason why we should not hope for that which he hath promised if we seeke it as he teacheth vs and as hereafter shall be shewed And if the Lord in this case increaseth not our faith knowledge experience strength ouer our corruptions our comfort and such like fruites of his spirit as we haue no cause to feare it while we feruently desire it he knoweth sufficient cause why he doth not that is because he knoweth it should not be good for vs if he should giue vs them So that his holding backe is not for that he is vnwilling to bestowe them vpon vs but because he seeth that they would be to the hurt of vs as that we may be vnfit to vse them well but rather as many doe to waxe proude of them for the which cause the Apostle himselfe saith That the Lord did denie to him a gift which he had oft and earnestly praied for And for this cause God may denie blessing to his owne faithfull seruants as also to trie them whether they loue them so well that they will seeke after them still and yet this ought not to be taken hardly of them But otherwise these excepted if they grow not it is most iustly to be imputed to their owne fault as their ignorance or darke sight in knowing how they ought to labour for these graces and their slouthfulnes in refusing paines taking or sleightlie and houerlie going about it and fauouring themselues against their consciences and not remouing out of their way such clogges as they saw to hinder them Or if these be not the causes then is it their owne timorousnes and vnbeleefe they fearing that such heauenlie grace as they seeke after shall not be giuen vnto them wherein they doe God no small dishonour who is more ready to giue then they to aske and giueth plentifullie to them which aske and casteth no man in the teeth but then they must also aske in faith and wauer not but that they shall receiue for if they wauer they can receiue nothing Can the Lord prouide more strongly and surely to remedie our distrust then by speaking in this wise vnto vs to imbolden vs who are so sore letted and hindred by vnbeliefe that when wee doe that which in vs lieth to please him and to grow on in grace yet we sticke fast in it as in the myre of vnbeleefe and when we haue done all yet we doubt God will not graunt vs our request so ingrauen in vs it is thereby shewing that we can hardly beleeue further then we can see I know mens answere herein is this they dare not be so bold as to assure themselues that they shall haue the grace which they pray for and seeke But I say let an euill conscience be taken out of the way and their doubt may soone bee at an ende Oh but they are afraide least they should presume What when God promiseth and commaundeth vs to trust him Reuerence no doubt least we should be too bold and light-minded in dealing about so holy matters is a vertue much to be sought after and imbraced but we must be able to put a manifest difference betwixt a full perswasion of that which God promiseth and an vnreuerent boldnes to challenge that which he promiseth not And therefore to returne faile not thou to the accusation and wound of thy conscience in seruing Gods prouidence and in vsing the meanes faithfullie to growe and increase in his graces and gifts staying vpon the Lord by faith and assuredlie he will not faile nor disappoint thee CHAP. 8. How the mindes and hearts of the beleeuers are taken vp vsuallie seeing they renounce inward lusts BVt to returne to the renouncing of our lustes If ye aske me what manner of persons they be who are at defiance with this vnsauorie stuffe and what thoughts such haue as expell these corruptions and haue them in heartie
with Peter if they haue fallen with him when yet the wicked shall lie still and waxe worse But ye demaund and would needes haue me answere whether I can warrant such as feare God that they shall neuer fall into some reprochfull and dangerous euill as other men doe as well as they may breake out some other waies If I might answere a wise and sober demaunder I would not refuse to speake my minde although it may in part be gathered by that which I haue said alreadie vnto such a one therefore I say for if any other see his owne practise not to agree with my answere let him impute it to his owne sinne rather then to my rashnes I say therefore seeing rare and deare seruants of God haue fallen thus into shamefull sinnes it may seeme scarce possible for the best in these latter times being far inferiour to some of them in grace to be free from the like fearefull falles But yet wee must know that some other of his good people God hath preserued from that kinde of shamefull sinnes and staines as Enoch Abraham Caleb Iosua with many others and therefore it may of vs be hoped for especially seeing it is no other thing then we are commanded to haue speciall regard and care of that is to liue without iust reproch in the middest of a crooked generation and vnstained Saint Peter saith If ye haue these things ye shall neuer fall that is dangerously to take any great hurt thereby Therefore by these and such other perswasions wee ought to be incouraged for to vs there is good hope to obtaine grace hereunto But seeing all Gods children cannot alike be perswaded that they ought to giue all diligence hereunto euen that they may be vnrebukeable amongst men as Paul did and so taught other to doe but thinke it impossible to liue so constantly but that they shall sometime breake out dangerously Therefore such must be taught wisedome by experience and some of them being more proud then others must haue their pride humbled and healed by such medicines for grieuous falles are phisick for pride and many who haue some grace but not the grace which is sufficient for them are daungerously proud because they haue not fallen shamefully that is into some odious crime and yet they haue fallen shamefully if they could see it in that they are dangerously proud If God therefore seeth it meete to abate their pride thereby they may possibly fall after such a manner Or if it be for the more manifesting of his glorie in forgiuing them so great a trespasse they may also fall dangerously This doth our mercifull father see expedient oftentimes as both in Peter and Dauid it came to passe as also in others who doubtlesse loued the Lord more then some others of his faithfull people which neuer fell in that manner as Peters answere and Dauids Psalmes doe cleerely testifie yea and such loued him the more Luk. 7.47 euen for that very cause seeing they obtained mercie against so great sinnes of theirs and fearefull iniquitie Yea and to adde a third end God is highly magnified by others which know and see this that hee hath forgiuen so great offences in such as haue fallen grieuously who otherwise beholding the heauenly course of such excellent seruants of his how holie and sincere it was saue in some such offence should haue been vtterly discouraged yea and like to haue despaired of their owne good estate and the rather for the high opinion that they conceiued of them if they had not seene or heard of these their falles For these causes therefore the Lord may and often hath let some of his deare seruants fall dangerously first for the humbling of them and secondly for that they may see his exceeding bountifulnes in pardoning so great sinnes that they may loue him the more and thirdly that others farre weaker then they yet faithfull may be incouraged to beleeue that their sins shall be pardoned and their weake seruice accepted of him for as much as they haue seene that God hath pardoned great offences in some otherwise farre more excellent then they which if they were not perswaded of should be discouraged much because of the great graces and gifts in them farre exceeding those which are in themselues And otherwise or in other respects they neede not feare that God taketh any pleasure to cast them downe who desire to stand when his propertie is rather to raise vp them that are fallen or that hee seeketh euery aduantage against their infirmities who doth not look streightly what is done amisse of them but helpe their weakenes supplie their wants and deliuer them from such dangers as they feare so far as it is expedient or els make them able to beare them For proofe whereof they may remember how he kept them when they had small skill or abilitie to keepe themselues after that they first imbraced his promises will hee not much more keepe them safe now they haue experience of his kindnes and the power of Christ working in them Nay that which is more when they were his enemies he gaue his sonne to die for them and now they are reconciled vnto him and approued of him as his beloued ones shall they not much more be preserued by his liuing in glorie from the fearefull iudgements which in his wrath he executeth against the vngodly of the world Therefore if thou beest grounded and established in faith and holdest fast the beginning of thine ingrafting into Christ be of good comfort thy greatest danger is past for can he that loueth thee dearely meane hardly against thee Is there with him yea and nay with whom there is no shadow of chaunge The Lord witnessing to that which I say with reuerence and thankfulnes beleeue it either thou shalt not fall reprochfully or if thou doest it shall be thus as I haue said euen so as it shal turne to thy good and it neede to be to thy great good which cannot be without the great offence of so many as shall know it For though such as shall perish may turne this which I say to their owne great hurt as they doe the Scriptures also seeing to the vncleane all things are vncleane yet if thou shouldest slide the Lord would hold thee vp and make thee stand more constantly after The world seeth no whit of this but counteth it all arrogancie boasting and falsehood because indeed they beleeue no more then they see or then their reason and fleshly wisedome can prie into which is an vtter enemie to this heauenly truth but ô faith what pretious secrets art thou able to reueale to vs of Gods minde and will and how safe is he yea in this dangerous wildernes of the world in whom thou dwellest seeing the Lord hath said This is the victorie that ouercommeth the world euen our faith And this for answere
desire and purpose of heart we doe it Psal 119.10 Act. 11.23 Outward when in our liues wee expresse and declare the same in our walking Act. 9.31 But to begin with the first We must haue our hearts prepared and readie to bee set on worke and imployed in any good seruice to God or our brethren as I shewed at large before in the renouncing of euill and therefore the lesse shall be spoken of it And this well ordering of the heart is a most precious grace of God as without the which no good can be well done But when wee haue such awe ouer our affections as to choose desire and delight in that which we know to be good and as occasion shall be offered yea and to bee vehemently grieued with that which hindreth vs therein the members and powers of our mindes shall be readie to put in vre and practise the same Therefore this inward readines of the minde and feruent desire of the heart we see must be blowne vp in vs and nourished as a sparkle or coale of fire that as it may bee obtained there may bee some abilitie and strength thereunto For the which cause the Lord requireth that wee loue him with all our heart soule and might This strength although where it is not knowne there is felt no want of it yet such as see it requisite in their actions doe soone feele it to be missing and a great piece of the beautie of those workes which are done without it to be wanting As when they are gone about coldly and in deadnes of spirit and so likewise they can best tell how well it beseemeth their actions who haue obtained it of God and testifie it throughout the course of their liues For when men vnderstand that God hath so appointed that they should be zealous in doing their duties as remembring that of him they shall receiue their reward and that his busines ought to be gone about feruently and with conscience though they haue no great example of such practise in the world it will harten them on with courage vnto the same by the helpe of his spirit which leadeth thereto And yet if the zeale of Gods house consumed them as the Prophet saith it did him this were no perfection but that which ought to be laboured for as euery one may attaine it and in the whole course of mens dealings and duties to God some measure of it in so much as where it is not found and inioyed of men they should count it their sinne And here this one thing is to be considered that our affections of choosing and imbracing good things be so ordered that they may be equally more slacke or strong as the goodnesse of the thing shall be greater or lesser as in praying to God rather then giuing their due to men Also that in an equall comparison the duties of holines to God be preferred before duties to men and with more bending our force and strength when we goe about to performe them rather then these And if it be demaunded here how we shall come by such grace as whereby we shall be able to imbrace choose and follow the good which we know I answere that we receiued such grace when we first beleeued in Christ whereby our hearts were purified and clensed from the strength of our old corruption which if we remember doth warrant vs not onely that our Lord Iesus Christ hath taken away the guilt and punishment of our sinne and imparted to vs and giuen freely his obedience but also grace and will to loue pietie and goodnesse and power as to kill sinne so to quicken vs to newnes of life So that if we feele it not vsually and ordinarily we haue lost and forgone it either through our forgetfulnes slouth or careles negligence or if it be through infirmitie weakened in vs wee ought to stirre vp our selues with cheerefull confidence to the recouering of it againe and not to be content to be spoiled of so great a treasure But if this earnest desire after goodnesse and vehement zeale of honoring God by that which we know be quenched whether it be ouerwhelmed with sorrow feare or such like passions or dulled and made blunt in vs through lightnes and in following the desire of our hearts amisse we are in no wise fit to honour God in any seruice Thus much of the first part of practise namely inward I will now goe forward with the second part which is a branch of the second rule and helpeth forward to the leading of a godly life that the beleeuers may by it be able to guide themselues aright and with much ease in respect of those who be not acquainted therewith And this it is that in well doing we stay not in our good desires and in the readines of the heart to doe good but procure accomplish and performe the same duties outwardly that we indeuor at least euen where we cannot performe as occasion shall be offered and that in one commaundement as well as in another so farre as it may be obtained So that in all parts of sanctifie and holines which shall be wrought in and by vs this ought to be as a perpetuall law that all the members of our bodies and our particular actions may all become most fit instruments and helps to shew forth and expresse the same And that is it which the Apostle to the Romans meaneth when he saith Let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies that ye should obey it in the lustes thereof neither giue ye your members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to sinne but giue your selues vnto God as they which are aliue from the dead and giue your selues as weapons of righteousnesse vnto God By this we see that not only the heart with her members that is the cogitations and desires in those which are iustified by faith must be consecrated to the honour and seruice of God but also the bodie with the parts thereof the eare in hearing the tongue in speaking the eye in seeing c. that so we should be his wholy and in one part of our life as well as another doe that which pleaseth him No man doubteth but that we should doe good works as well as haue our mindes and hearts inwardly purged but that we should be diligently giuen vnto euery good worke and make a trade of godlines to applie and follow it so that while we doe one good dutie we should not neglect another which in good husbandrie about things of this life is much regarded that few will grant or be readie to yeeld thereto yea and that our conuersation should be in heauen that is that our common course of life should be heauenly whilest we liue here vpon earth and that we should not only giue no occasion of offence in any thing but also in all things seeke to approue our selues as the faithfull seruants of God Thus much of the rules
blessing receiued bee made more readily disposed to pray often with thanksgiuing And these are some of the chiefe duties to God and in such manner as is before mentioned they are to bee performed vnto him Now further we are commaunded not onely in his worship but also in our whole life euery where to seeke his glorie for so he hath willed vs that we should frame the whole course thereof holilie throughout the sixe daies that so we may glorifie him therein And who doth not see that this should be so namely that in our life and behauiour we should as well walke worthie the Lord in al things as in the worshipping of him both publikely and priuately as we haue been directed before That so there may be in these two commandements fully laid foorth vnto vs a summe of all outward duties which in the sixe daies we ought to performe vnto him and in the due practise of both we may shew foorth the fruite of that knowledge acknowledgement faith feare and loue of God and all other inward graces which we haue bin taught to honour him with in our hearts by the first commandement Therfore as I said the duties inioyned vs in this third doe most fitly go with those of the two former that not onely in the time of preaching and prayer and such like exercises of religion but also in our common and vsuall speech and actions we declare what a worthie and reuerend estimation wee haue of the Lord as by speaking all good of his name word and workes and in our lawfull callings by ordering and behauing our selues wisely and graciously that al which liue with vs may see that our religion is ioyned with the power of godlines And that this bee done of vs in all estates and conditions of our life both in prosperitie and aduersitie and that as many as wee can preuaile with our owne familie and charge especially wee labour to perswade vnto the same yea and if wee at any time fall by infirmitie yet that wee acknowledge the same as cause requireth and so returne to the Lord againe as Iosua exhorted Achan to doe To be short Whether we eate or drinke or whatsoeuer we doe els all is to be done to the glorie of his name And in mentioning the commonest of our actions as our eating and drinking he excepteth none to the end that wee may carie our selues in a staied and well ordred course continually whilest wee shew that in the smallest matters and in our actions which seeme least weightie we be afraid to offend as in our common talke that it be sauourie and for edifying And seeing we vse the name of God very oft both in our common speech and particularly in an oth his mercie iustice wisedome and power are to moue our hearts as oft as we haue cause to speak of him with all high reuerence to vse the same But more especially when iust occasion of swearing by him is offered wee should diligently consider the person of the Lord how he is a reuenger of all such as take his holy name in vaine and the matter it selfe about which wee sweare that wee doe it in truth in righteousnes and iudgement In truth so that whatsoeuer be affirmed or denied may truly and for certaintie be affirmed or denied and whatsoeuer be vowed or promised be promised and vowed without fraud and simplie In righteousnesse that there bee a iust cause of our swearing and that which is agreeable to the will of God In iudgement that it bee done aduisedly not lightly or rashly but that we may take comfort in performing that great dutie aright namely that wee haue made knowne the truth which being made knowne by vs hath cut off some great doubt and controuersie And so should wee in the beholding of the workes of God as the firmament with the Sunne Moone and Starres the earth with her furniture as the corne grasse trees and her large prospect take sweete feeling of Gods Maiestie and beautie which shineth in them reioycing with reuerence that he hath giuen vs this cleere glasse to behold his face in although this wee must know that in all these inferiour creatures and workes of his wee see not any part of his throne but onely some part of his footstoole which should moue vs therefore in all our actions to beware of hypocrisie Seeing therefore we haue daily vse of these I thought good to make mention of them yet in as few words as I could so large matters how wee ought to vse them let the residue bee learned by ordinarie hearing those who being furnished with gifts fit for this purpose are appointed of God to make his people sound and skilfull in them that they may shew to the world that the honouring of God as it is set foorth in his word is another manner of life then the world is acquainted with and so bringeth another manner of honour to him and comfort to men then the imbracers and louers of the world can be partakers of Thus I haue spoken of the behauiour which inwardly and outwardly both in Gods holie worship and in our whole conuersation towards God directlie we are to shew in the whole sixe daies throughout our life That which followeth next is that part of holines obedience which is to be giuen to the Lord one day in seauen Nothing differing from all the three former sauing that all our owne workes though lawfull on other daies are on this day as much as is possible to be laid aside that is except in case of necessitie and the whole day to be bestowed in his worship and seruice and in things directly tending to the same So that by vertue of this part of Gods honour we are not restrained from our sinne onely which we are forbidden euery day but from common labour also which is an hinderance from the consecrating of the whole day vnto God And therefore lawfull workes being forbidden we may assure our selues that much more he condemneth the intermixting of vaine and foolish Enterludes and Playes with such like misspending of the time and the filling of mens mouthes as well as their heads with worldly cares and dealings to too common on that day although not tolerable on other But because the Lord knoweth how prone and readie we are to wearines of well doing therefore he hath not onely appointed some part of this day to be passed in publike and other some in priuate exercises of godlines but also he hath giuen vs great varietie of both sorts that so the whole time may be bestowed without tediousnes and toyle euen from our preparing our selues to the sanctifying of it at our vprising vnto the last duties at our lying downe which mercifull and wise regarde of his ouer vs if it cannot mooue vs to giue our selues to practise this part of holines whatsoeuer our excuses be we plainely shew that our mindes are earthly
as may leade thereunto And this is commaunded to the vnmarried and to those which are married but yet with some consideration and regarde had in the same The vnmarried that they see that through an especiall gift of God their abstaining from marriage be according to the rules before set downe And for this cause that they be very wary and circumspect in the vse of all lawfull liberties as of meates drinkes apparell sleepe recreations and that they giue themselues deuoutly to all exercises of godlines and amongst the rest to fasting with prayer as they in wisedome shall see cause alwayes remembring that the vnmarried are they who may best care for the things of the Lord how they may please him By the which meanes notwithstanding if they shall feele and perceiue that they cannot serue God with peace as in time past but that their mindes and bodies are haled and distracted the one by strong lusts carrying them the other by burnings they must know that they are called to the vse of the remedie which God hath in this case prouided for their behoofe and reliefe that is the change of their estate marrying in the Lord. The married couples being cut off as I haue said from all other saue themselues must know that their sinne is tenne fold greater then the others if they shall be found either secretly attempting or openly defiling themselues whereby it may be seene that they doe not regarde and conscionably seeke to preserue the chastitie of their neighbour a thing prouided for by the Lord most principally in this precept but rather let them know how to vse their libertie rightly which God hath in this behalfe graunted them That is to say that they marrying in the Lord may also liue in the Lord together and to speake more plainly as they haue married with hope they shall finde more helpe thereby vnto godlines then they could haue inioyed alone without it seeing mariage was ordained by God himselfe an helpfull estate many waies Genes 2.18 so they dwell together according to knowledge to performe the more easily all duties one to the other for their mutuall helpe and comfort in the communion of their goods graces and persons But though God accounteth the mariage bed vndefiled and the vse of it lawfull for the increase of posteritie and the subduing of concupiscence yet to the end that Gods people may remoue from them much vnseemely prophanenes therein which the irreligious sort inueÌ„t to themselues who neuer vse to looke further into their liberties if they vnderstand once that they be lawful and to the end they may haue the right vse thereof God hath taught them to sanctifie the mariage bed with prayer and thanksgiuing and that nothing be done betwixt themselues to the wound of conscience or the breaking of their peace And that is the true vse of it when they are made the more fit and cheerefull thereby to all duties of holines or at leastwise neuer the vnfitter which is to liue in mariage euen as if they were not maried and so liue more happily whereas to liue otherwise is a great abuse thereof And as for the Papists malicious railing on maried persons that they liue in y e flesh and serue not God as Pope Siricius to their shame be it spoken y t God hath made knowne his wil in this commandement as cleerely as in the rest and giuen grace to theÌ„ which feare him to obey him in the same either minister or priuate person more then to them who in pride hypocrisie or in blind intention haue vowed against it If they had complained that the maried estate is through the ignorance and prophanenes of the world much blemished and for so honourable an ordinance of God defaced the most being careles in the vse of their liberties they had spoken to good purpose and might haue had many to confirme their saying But to chalenge holines as proper to themselues in their vowing against it is rather arrogancie and follie then sound reason which requireth a substantiall answere especially except they could shew vs more glorious proofes of holinesse in their professed Votaries CHAP. 17. Of some duties to men in the 8.9 and 10. commaundements ANother part of righteous dealing with our brethren is that they be not iniured by vs in their goods which God hath giuen them for their necessarie vse and comfort in this life And therefore as we would desire our selues to inioy with safetie and without feare the portion which by Gods goodnes is fallen vnto vs euen so should our neighbour liue by vs without daunger or iust cause of complaining that he is any way annoyed by vs. Loe this is the order which God hath taken and strongly prouided for that if he be regarded amongst vs we shall not dare be bold to iniurie one another in the smallest piece of his commodities but giue him his owne as the commaundement chargeth vs saying Thou shalt not steale and as another Scripture saith Owe nothing to any man but this that ye loue him And if we loue him how can we grieue him in withholding that from him as was said before which is deare vnto him So that where the case is plaine that any thing is another mans we cannot so much as lay claime to it but God is despised of vs. But seeing it is doubtfull oft times whose the right is and the most contentions and vncharitablenesses arise from hence that it cannot easily nor cleerely be seene into whose it is indeed here therefore although men without Christ will not easily be aduised yet the Lord hath prouided â—hat his seruants shall be ordered for the retaining of loue and righteous dealing That partly they shall forgoe somewhat of their owne right as Abraham did to Lot if it shall be thought expedient rather then to breake the bond of loue partly if it bee in such a matter as is made doubtfull by the subtiltie negligence or other default of either partie as when a bargaine is made and yet left vncertaine in some point which after breedeth contention the damage ought to fall on him through whom it came and if it be otherwise so difficult that it cannot betwixt themselues be determined let other men of wisedome take it in hand that if it be possible suite of law may be auoyded and yet if that cannot be let it in loue be prosecuted Thus much generally to shew that God will haue equitie maintained in the comming by and inioying of our commodities and no man wronged in the least part of his goods by vs. But for the more cleere beholding of our duties in this branch of obedience or righteousnes seeing they are many it is very expedient to lay them foorth more particularly according to the diuers states of men Therefore as some are meerely poore men and by Gods appointment and ordinance doe liue by almes other can in some sort
is a greater honour that he hath of a rude vnbridled and vncleane diuell made a well ordered sober and meeke Christian yea a sanctified person as the Scripture calleth him for by his holy spirit through the worke of the Gospell he hath made of an extortioner and oppressor a liberall and bountifull giuer as Zaccheus of an adulteresse a penitent woman reclaimed from the course of vncleane life as the woman in Luk. 7.47 and of a persecutor a preacher yea himselfe a persecuted man euen Paul the Apostle And how doth such a change thinke we when it is seene of men and the reporte of it heard among such as knew them before cause them to say The Lord hath done great things And such grace doth God giue to them I meane that feare him that he causeth by their light which shineth among men euen their very enemie to be at one with them yea to speake well of them and to glorifie their father which is in heauen And yet their beautie is to speake as the truth is chiefly within and not seene with eye As all was not heard of Salomon a farre off which was to be seene at home and yet not all seene that might be knowne to be in him The faithfulnes innocencie and rare continence of Ioseph with other graces which were in him when they brought him into such fauour credit and admiration amongst men how thinke we was God honoured who was the giuer of them Thus doth God honour them that honour him that he may be all in all and by them shewed to be most honourable And to speake of our owne time wherein we liue notwithstanding it affoord not so many examples of so excellent gifts and graces of holy life though in learning and knowledge few haue gone beyond it as so long libertie vnder the Gospell might iustly challeng which sinne I pray God be not laide to our charge but speedily repented of so yet we will not be ashamed to affirme to the great praise of God that both many gratious and godly people since the raigne of our most noble Prince haue been alreadie gathered to their fathers who in the dayes of their flesh did honour God highly and many remaine God be blessed amongst vs who haue and doe and to their end shall we doubt not to the great comfort of many weake ones commend the power of the Gospell preached amongst vs and cause that vnfained thankes be giuen to God by many for them And that both of the ministerie though nothing be more ridiculous to the Papists our aduersaries the Lord hath raised vp many who both preach sincerely and diligently and walke warily and worthie the Lord Col. 1.10 and vnoffensiuely seeking to please him in all things and of the people he hath drawne not a fewe who doe beautifie their profession and carrie themselues vnrebukeable among them who can iudge aright and are free from reprochfull and daungerous euils In such as I haue said is the Lord made admirable As it is written In Sion his Church shall God be praised and why because for them he hath done great things The Lord maketh the weake strong the ignorant prudent and such as sate in darkenes to see great light holy and glorious is his name Yea further the Lord teacheth his beloued ones in their prosperitie to count themselues but strangers in this world he causeth the things of greatest price to be little set by of them in comparison of his treasures which are not seene This honour haue many of his Saints The Lord giueth strength in tribulation aboue hope and maketh anguish and sorrow to become comforts false accusations and contumelious reports to be crownes to their heads and chaines of golde to their neckes which beare them And to be short he teacheth his to sucke sweetenes out of sowernes and to make good vse of all estates and they are able to doe all things through him that maketh them able yea persecution it selfe he maketh tolerable and ioyfull and when our weakenes can see so farre the greatest aduancement If these gifts of God with other such doe not greatly honour the Lord in the congregation of the righteous and if they which inioy them being gratious and of high estimation doe not most highly commend the giuer which is God where will men say that God is honored at all And so doth the Apostle require that it should be with Gods people Haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they which speake euill of you as of euill doers may glorifie your father which is in heauen And yet I haue said nothing of their peace of conscience which Salomon saith is as continuall banquetting to them Saint Paul saith it passeth all vnderstanding euen in this one thing which the vngodly because they haue not they therefore know not for the stranger is not partaker of the childrens ioy know not I meane as it is felt and knowne of them which haue it In this one thing I say doth God get himselfe great glorie For they beleeuing in their hearts they cannot choose but vtter with their mouthes their deliuerances and the wonderfull things that he hath done for them And though they be for the most part contemptible in the world yet is the meanest of them more happie then the greatest of the world And if these things be well weighed which haue been said of this matter it shall not be marueiled at that the Prophet thus speaketh in the Psalme Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou citie of God! Yea glorious indeede as we here inioy them though we haue but a small part of our glorie in this life and so glorious that if they could be seene with eye they would so inflame men with the beautie of them that they would force them to set all their loue vpon them And thus by the graces which are in the life of Gods seruants and which are not to be found in other men it may be seene how God is honoured of them the contrarie whereof is done most apparently by the vngodly as much as lyeth in them Therefore to conclude this first reason except we can like to see Gods name ill spoken of his Gospell lightly accounted of and his person dishonoured and that by our selues the recompence whereof cannot be borne nor abidden of vs let vs not onely come out from the vncleane conuersation of the vnbeleeuers but let vs so lay hold on eternall life that we presse hard vnto the marke for the price that is set before vs and let the words of the wise be as goades to pricke vs forward out of our slouthfulnes and as nailes to fasten vs ioyntly and closely to Christ our head without hypocrisie that we faint not neither fall away but grow vp vnto the perfect age of Christians that so we may giue good testimonie that God is truely honored of vs
other notable effects therefore to looke to themselues euery way so carefully that they may euer keepe themselues fit to be helped and benefited by them and with the same well ordered hearts and minds to attend vnto and applie to themselues the prayers which either before and after the Sermon are vttered or the other which through the whole action of Gods worship are read in their hearing And not to be led by opinion that they can take no profit by them nor as the common sort doe who after long going to Church doe prooue too truly that they haue taken no good by them being not indeede able to shew how they should pray or behaue themselues in that action But seeing they haue libertie to heare Gods word preached where they may most commodiously inioy it for so they are willed not onely themselues but to call vpon their children to heare Sermons and the Ministers are vrged as well by their preaching as by their liuing to giue good example therefore to take their part in both with cheerefulnes and thanksgiuing And in singing of Psalmes such as can not reade should attend to them who are neerest them in the congregation that they may ioyne with them and consent to the action of praising God with the rest of the assemblie and not to gaze and tosse vaine imaginations and phantasies where they should lift vp pure hearts and hands to God And as for such as refuse to come to take part in the worship of God altogether as the Brownists and such like let them beare their shame before men and their peace shall be small to Godward while they sit at home with their owne bare reading for their diet who scorne the best liberties of the word preached prayer and the Sacraments in the publike assemblies For so I vnderstand they doe as well otherwaies as by the confession of themselues and that before the Magistrate examining what they did while by the whole moneth and quarter they absented themselues from the publike meetings answere was made by the examinate they sate at home and read by themselues Let all iudge by what spirit such are led and guided Now hauing described and shewed the nature and vse of the publike meanes I thinke it needfull before I doe more particularly enter into the discourse of the priuate to say somewhat of the necessitie of them as well as of the publike For that thousands of the professors and of them which are of the visible Church amongst whom wee must hope that God hath many of his elect are little acquainted with the priuate but doe thinke it needles for them to hearken after the same And besides some of the deare children of God for want of ordinarie teaching haue little vse of them and therefore it is much the worse with them For these causes therefore and such like this is to be knowne and holden in firme perswasion that the priuate are in some sort as needfull as the publike for they may be vsed at all times whereas the publike cannot as in persecution For it being of necessitie that as our bodies so our soules should haue some daily refreshing therefore seeing the publike cannot daily bee had we must vse priuate as I said before and therefore they are both authorised and commaunded by one God And the publike are but a part of the helpes which God hath prouided for the profiting of his Church and therfore without the priuate they doe the lesse profit For mens comming to Church besides which a great number know no other seruing of God cannot doe that good to the best Christians which is to be looked for if it bee not accompanied with these as may bee seene in euery part of the publike worship of God For hearing of the word read and preached doth little profit where it is not ioyned with preparation to heare reuerently and attentiuely and where it is not mused on after yea and as occasion shall offer conferred of also and if reading priuately where it may be inioyed be not vsed what is more manifest then this that almost al in a congregation doe by and by forget that which they haue heard and make little vse of it in their liues And what greater cause can be rendred hereof then this that they neuer looke after matters concerning their soules when they are about their priuate dealings and as we say out of the Church Euen so what vse doe such make of the Lords Supper who for the most part besides that they cannot tell how to prepare themselues to it so if some Ministers more carefull ouer the peoples soules then others doe teach and examine them about the knowledge they haue yet cannot they be brought to trie themselues indeede in what true faith and vnfained repentance they come seeing they are not wont through the whole quarter before their receiuing to beate their braines or trouble themselues about such matters Whereby it may be gathered for certaintie that whatsoeuer the Scriptures speake in the commendation therof they be in little account and reckoning with them And if they doe not priuately before the receiuing of the Sacrament nourish these good graces of God in themselues very carefully for I speake euen of the better sort of Christians as well as of others who seeth not that they shall haue much adoe to bring their hearts willingly to sift themselues and to seeke for those gifts at that time So to say the same of the publike hearing of prayer in the assemblie it is not onely to bee doubted that they pray there in hypocrisie drawing neere to God with their mouthes their hearts being farre from him if they doe neglect to pray alone and secretly to God and in their familie but also the publike prayer groweth common with them that is wearisome a bare ceremonie and for fashion so farre is it off that they be eased and comforted by it as I can prooue by too sure experience at this day in such as haue not learned to make conscience of priuate prayer but doe separate the one from the other And by this which I haue said it may appeare how necessarie it is that the priuate helpes should be vsed of al such as haue their part in the publike And besides as our necessities doe require it so the Lord commanding the same he hath giuen time and libertie from our other busines and duties either in familie or otherwise to vse holily and continue the same So that our worldly affaires ought to giue place to them which through ignorance many count ridiculous and foolish and others though they will not speake so grossely yet being giuen ouer to the world so griplie will put aside little or no busines for the seruing of God Although it is manifest that where God is most purely and best serued their other busines as these earthly haue best successe These few lines I thought good before further discoursing of the priuate
matter about which we may and time to bestow therein and freedome from lets therefrom is an estate much to bee made of and yet for the most part they who haue almost all outward incouragements cannot tell what to doe with them Whereas the very name of death is fearefull when men heare that they must be readie to suffer for the Gospell and therefore many are dismaied we must know that we are the more vnwilling to heare of it because wee accustome our selues to loue this world and our life here too well which must be lesse set by And God by diseases and the miserable estate of things in this world and by many other meanes can make our liues loathsome and death welcome which if wee would thinke much of the hearing of it would be more welcome But begin in time least it bee too late when wee can stay here no longer It is needful besides our set times of prayer in the day to haue oft recourse to God by watchfulnes and prayer in all our dealings least we goe too farre in surfeiting our hearts with them and as we can to looke to God secretly though not so solemnly as at other times praying him to keepe vs. Neh. 2.4 Whatsoeuer taste of good things we haue gotten and how sweete soeuer they seeme yet it is certaine that God hath yet much more then wee can thinke of if they be the matters which wee haue in greatest price but being set light by and the meanes neglected which preserue them they die That estate is to be made much of wherein we are not onely delighted in seruing God by the duties we doe presently but also as ioyfull to thinke of them which are to come and the more the better they be It is a singular mercie that wee take comfort and delight in the things which we hope for and in the seruice of God which to the world are most irkesome and tedious The more sure of Gods fauour thou art by faith the more humble also thou art and not contrarily Matth. 15.27 They are worthie of great punishment who set light by the plentie of that grace the crummes whereof Gods hungrie seruants doe set great store by What is more liuely to our vnderstanding then the heauenly and spirituall course of a Christian in comfort and godlines throughout the Scriptures as Rom. 5.4.5 and what is more vnlike it then the liues of men One especiall point of profiting is to know our owne vilenes and miserie better daily that so we may come to know the inestimable bountie of God and what wee are beholding to him for receiuing increase from him in pardon and other graces As excesse of eating and drinking doe bring slouth and sleepe so surfeiting our soules in pleasures cares c. rocketh vs asleepe and maketh vs vnwilling and vnfit to see what is amisse In steed whereof sobrietie that is a ruling of our passions and watchfulnes are to be our daily companions 1. Peter 5.7 Psal 5.8 We must not flatter deceiue our selues with the calling to mind of the forwardnes and care that hath bin in vs in times past hereby to gather slouth vnto the flesh which is readie to take the smallest occasions that may be to fauour it selfe and to make vs grow cold and slacke in duties but we are to looke to continue and increase any good and forwardnes which hath bin for hereafter as to delight more in walking with God in a Christian course and to hold fast our faith and comfort euen in trouble and not to thinke our state the worse for it But with our Sauiour to despise the shame of the crosse although it be euen to the thrusting of vs out of the world and therfore much more in prosperitie to be fruitfull in all good workes Ioh. 15.8 Seeing it pleaseth the Lord to let vs know that we haue this pretious and blessed libertie al the day long to be with him to inioy his presence by faith to solace our selues in bold affiance in him and that for all good things and to be free from the feare terrour and anguish which hunteth the vngodly It were pitie that we should for some deceiueable follie depriue our selues of such sound happines and peace as he alloweth vs euen here to be partakers of When men receiue not the word with meeknes that it may be ingraffed in them Iam. 1.21 and doe not so heare that they may beleeue Act. 14.1 but take a taste and a liking at the most I denie not but for some cause one may hold out longer then another but if they goe not forward ye shall see them fall vnto nothing for a momentany and weake desire is not enough to hold vp a godly life but a delight in it which faith worketh When we are afflicted and the wicked spared our state seemeth to them most vile When we are both in prosperitie they seeme more happie thē we When they and we be both afflicted they count our state happier then their owne But especially when they are afflicted and we spared Exod. 14.25 We may not assigne the Lord in what place state condition or in what companie we would liue but as strangers wait on him euen as the hand-maide on her mistres for whatsoeuer he will allow vs. And when great afflictions come yet not to be discomforted nor vnquiet but cheerefull still through hope as may be obtained of vs as we were in prosperitie least we should declare that we serue God for our belly and ease and seeing our God is neuer changed in any sort we not to change We are readie most commonly to be called away by death before we be fit or haue learned how to liue Looke what care conscience zeale thou haddest when thou first imbracedst the Gospell what reuerent admiration at the excellencie of it and what loue towards it the same at least retaine and be sure thou keepest still afterwards And howsoeuer thy heart was weaned from the inordinate loue of the world and vaine delights which might quench those which are spirituall see that the longer thou liuest in this vale of miserie thou doest not drinke vp the draffe of it and fashion thy selfe after the iniquitie of it nor the more knowledge thou hast that thou beest not the more secure For thus it is with many at this day who therefore doe smart for it If a man be a diligent obseruer of his course of life he shall seldome finde himselfe free from all kindes of offences but one shall trouble him much if another be weakned yea and without much faithfulnes and strength of grace shall preuaile against him But if there be care that they weigh not downe the affections in being too much taken vp of them it is well for the Christian mans life is a continuall battaile and when it ceaseth we are readie on the left
Our exhorting one another is commaunded to be daily as we shall haue occasion howsoeuer the practise of it be straunge and out of vse with many Christians who yet are they which ought to vse it if any bee and this when wee haue opportunitie is to be vsed to supplie the roome of other helps which cannot then be well inioyed As for reading the booke of his law and speaking of the infinit wisedome of God reuealed in the same howsoeuer that place of Iosua doth not so precisely and strictly tie them to euerie daie as other scriptures doe to prayer thanksgiuing c. because the daie may possiblie be passed in the seruice and worshipping of God aright without that but not without these and a good Christian may necessarilie bee hindred from that by other duties for a time more necessarie yet who doubteth that euen that was commaunded by the Lord to be vsuall and oft that is so farre daily vsed as when more necessarie things in the way doe not occupie vs The same I say of publike hearing the word of God as may be gathered by that in the Prouerbs in these words Blessed is the man that watcheth daily at my gates and giueth attendance at the postes of my doores And the like is the saying of Saint Luke of the godly who were in Ierusalem that they continued daily in the temple hearing the Apostles doctrine I goe not about to tie any as I said to the vse of the same particulars euery daie which cannot possiblie be vsed euery daie but onely of those that may and of the rest but one or other that we may be well able to answere for the Christian passing of euery daie The summe therefore is this that God hath commaunded and in his word set downe so many parts of a daily direction for a Christian as by the which hee may bee guided holily and safelie through euery daie and therefore that one daie as well as another is to be consecrated vnto God and not left free to our selues to passe it as we thinke good and as too many in a very vnprofitable manner doe and yet such as professe the Gospell CHAP. 5. Of the fourth reason ANother reason for the perswading of vs to looke to the daily guiding of our selues in some certaine manner is for that hee who will let loose his heart any day or time of the day to any intemperance or vnlawfull libertie doth fall into some of Sathans snares and is caught with the deceitfulnes of sinne immediatly some way or other if he be not hardened also yea though he be the best of many hee shall finde to his cost how needfull the counsell of the Apostle is watch in all things and therefore at all times so that there shal be no time wherein he may cast off feare of euill that so he may be the man which is spoken of Blessed is he that feareth alwaies Yea he shall find that he is more weakened and indaungered by one daies negligence in little regarding his soule and his actions whiles other things of lesse value are carefully looked to then in an hundred wherein his care and conscience were continued besides that he shall not easily recouer himselfe againe For although God keepe his children from many euils while they desire it yet if they be secure hee leaueth them to themselues and doth punish their sinnes as he doth other mens And who would bee willing to haue his life filled with many feares disquiets reproches and such other crossings when he might be free and merrie But besides nothing is better prooued to vs then this that the enuious man watcheth all opportunities yea when men least suspect it to sow tares with the good seede to vnsettle them to steale away their heart and loue from God to giue it vnto creatures And therefore much more when we haue remitted our care and left off our watch whereby hee knoweth and seeth that we are now as an house swept and trimmed vp readie to receiue such a guest much more I say doth he then take his opportunitie to enter and keepe possession in vs more strongly and so depriueth vs of our former liberties And euen as Sampson when his lockes were clipped off was afraid and troubled at the voyce of his wife saying The Philistims be vpon thee Sampson but yet thought with himselfe I will arise and escape their hands as in times past but could not so when the diuell hath secretly stolne our hearts from our true treasure euen from attending vpon God and hath fixed them vpon some other thing as pleasure profit aduauncement or such like wee thinking to doe as in times past when we had our hearts at commandement doe goe about it in vaine For our strength which we had sometime is gone and we by seeking libertie amisse and shaking off the Lords yoke doe finde by experience the fruite of such follie I may more fitly call it madnes It is not therefore without cause that wee are so earnestly warned by the holie Ghost that we keepe our hearts with all diligence And againe Let thy heart be in the feare of the Lord continually which a man would thinke should be vnderstood by vs of one day as wel as another that it be not neglected at any time For although God will direct and guide vs in the way wherein he hath set vs as I haue said yet out of this way if we will needes waxe wearie of it we shall finde nothing but awknes and crossing of vs wandring and vncomfortablenes because that in no such state hath God promised to gouerne vs. But stirre vp the gifts of God which are in thee and that powerfull grace which thou hast receiued daily pray to haue renued in thee by such direction as may be giuen thee and thou shalt finde thy selfe to bee set forward with such ease as thou wilt beware that thou forgoe it not againe Moreouer if any would shake off this doctrine as sifting him more narrowly then he can well like of and therefore would for the seeking of more libertie to the flesh cauill at these Scriptures as misalleaged such an one must needes maintaine that there is some time and some daies more libertie giuen to man then at other times and on other daies But hee is driuen from that hold by manifest Scripture as hee is tied to a daily direction by the former For to the stopping of such mouthes is that written by the holy Ghost Take heede that there be not at any time in any of you an euill heart and so a departing thereby from the liuing God If not at any time then much lesse any day wherein are many times seeing it is manifest that there are many times yea houres in the day wherein the heart may start aside from God that is from doing his will So that nothing shall be gained by resisting the truth but it
for necessity onely or for feare of punishment or shame of the world or because they would be rich all which are carnall sensuall and diuellish respects as I sayd before in forbidding all vitious affections in mens lawfull actions neither do they please God which thus go to worke And further they must do these lawfull workes in perswasion and confidence that God will blesse them therein and giue them good successe and take that for their daily bread and blessing which God in their thus-going to worke doth bestow vpon them And lastly they must do these without adding the common sinnes which wicked persons do vse at their worke as swearing lying negligence idlenesse falshood and deceiuing cursing quarrelling impatience and contention These and such other of their owne deuising the wicked do bring in among the lawfull workes which God commaundeth them to do and mixeth such euils with the doing of the workes which of themselues are good that they vtterly marre and deface them thereby depriue themselues of Gods blessing and it causeth their callings and trades to be meanely accounted of and in discredit with such as are not able to iudge as though none could vse them better whereas others as poore as they and as much put to their shifts yet taking better direction and depending on God and carefully abstaining from such sinnes as are wont in the most to accompany their lawfull workes and dealings do liue in them contentedly peaceably and holily and do in that manner put honor and beauty vpon their callings and testifie that God hath to singular ends and purposes appointed and giuen them vnto vs. And thus would God haue Christians go to their worke and do all their lawfull businesse not as hirelings onely in regard of their bellies And this were a goodly and most beautifull sight to behold in all sorts maisters seruants buyers sellers and euen in the poore labourers yea cutters of wood and drawers of water and they that are of meanest place in families may liue godly in them while religion rules their actions and while they desire to do them as they are taught in the word of God And they who go to worke after this maner may be merry at their worke and merry at their meate and yet I meane not as the prophane and earth-wormes who sometime are merry when they haue more cause to be heauy seeing neither they nor their worke are pleasing to him but the other may reioyce and be glad by Gods allowing yea commanding it them where he saith Reioyce thou and thine before the Lord thy God in all that thou puttest thine hand vnto And againe Serue the Lord thy God that is in that thou art appointed by him to do in ioyfulnesse and with a good heart for the aboundance of all things And this is the mirth and ioy of heart which the Apostle willeth vs to take our part in saying Speake to your selues in Psalmes and Himnes and spirituall songs singing making melodie to the Lord in your hearts with thankes for all things through Iesus Christ In this sort hath God allowed his seruants who haue learned and are resolued to obey him in all things to reioyce and go about their worldly affaires and in like maner doth he allow them to vse all their lawfull liberties in this life all which he knoweth they haue need of to allay the tartnesse and asswage the painfulnesse and griefe which through their afflictions are infinite wayes ready in all places to meete with them And not to do lawfull businesse and workes thus and with the three former rules set downe but as the vnruly and disordered people of the world do them is to make the lawfullest and excellentest callings base and meane and to the persons themselues most hurtfull while they stand forth against them as accusations for that they haue vsed them vnlawfully which in themselues are very honest and lawfull which I say that I may answer the brutish and irreligious sort who say they know no difference betwixt those who are counted godly and themselues seeing they are faine say they to worke for their liuing as well as we their godlinesse will not feede them The difference let them learne from that which I haue sayd I haue also spoken this by occasion for the satisfying of the simple-harted that they may not thinke that in requiring that we should liue euery day in a godly maner I do vrge any to leaue off and lay aside their callings and businesse and yet this I shew to be required by the Lord how and in what maner those lawfull workes ought to be done of them that he therein may be pleased And so I conclude that the beleeuer ought euery day to arme and frame himselfe to a godly life and to cast off all that sauoreth not thereof as in some which are most vsuall actions I haue shewed seeing his whole conuersation must beseeme the Gospell remembring what the wise man saith All that thine hand shall find to do do it with all thy power for there is no worke in the graue whither thou goest Which if it were perswaded throughly to men that it ought to be so and that it is as necessarily to be looked after as their maintenance health yea or their life it selfe which none wel aduised wil deny then should there not be this posting it off from one to another which now there is nor this refusing to be subiect to God in this maine and great commaundement of doing all to his glorie which they that refuse do refuse godlinesse it selfe And there should not be this parting of stakes betwixt God and our selues that sometime we will be forward and sometime backeward in some things obedient but in others denying our obedience which causeth such patching and peecing of duties as is farre from holinesse without which yet we shall neuer see the Lords face whereas yet by constancy in duty and keeping of a daily course therein much dulnesse deadnesse barrennesse slouth idlenesse and the fruits thereof lewd lusts and many such dangerous euils should be auoided with which euen many good Christians to their great heart-smart afterwards are annoyed because they know not how to do better The sixt point of our daily direction in thankfulnesse I meane a renewing of this duty to the Lord euery day that so we may still see and acknowledge our selues indebted vnto him and be the fitter to go vnder any of his fatherly chastisements which he shall lay vpon vs which without it will presse vs downe and raise bitternesse in our hearts and also that by it we may the ofter call to mind Gods many kindnesses to cheare our harts which are too soone forgotten of vs. The Prophet Ieremie forceth this daily duty to be continued of vs when he saith that the mercies of God are renewed vpon vs daily and what followeth vpon that but this that our
that this which hath bin spoken doth simply denie a christian man libertie to alter and change his calling which although it ought not hastily nor lightly be done seeing it is very probable that a man may be best able to deale in that wherein he hath bene trained vp and experienced yet vpon necessitie and the decay of his former trade and vpon other sufficient and waightie considerations of which sort there may fall out many he may inioy libertie so to do which to set downe in this place were too farre a departing from the point in hand And thus much be sayd of this matter concerning mens outward vocatiō whereby among other things this may be seene that although the most do complaine that they are much hindred from a fruitfull walking with God by their earthly callings yet that is their error or some way their great sinne for a man fearing God may preserue faith and godlinesse by a warie Christian walking in them practise many christian duties in the same as patience trust in God c. and consequently may please him therein to the great contentment of his owne hart And therfore if any man find his calling to be a let vnto him from seruing God religiously and well spending of the day let him know that the hinderance of him frō this is in himself euen some vntowardnesse intemperancie and rebellion of his hart either because he knoweth not how to vse his calling aright or else because he hath giuen himselfe too much liberty to depart frō folowing that which he knoweth But otherwise if he indeuor to incourage himself by the afore mētioned perswasiōs to vse it aright he shal see euery day more clearly much cause to praise God for the proofe of his loue to him and blessing so many wayes therein so farre off shall it be from being an encombrance vnto him as most complaine that they find it yea I dare be bold to assure him and that by the Lords owne testimonie for to him that hath shall be giuen and he shall haue abundance that he shall find by a conscionable discharging of dutie in it much libertie and holy boldnesse with God So that this third rule of a religious walking in our calling reaching to so great a part of our life though it may sometime be omitted is we see much to be regarded and other duties of equall necessitie when that must wholly or in part be intermitted must be performed But this is to be vnderstood according to the helpes and incouragements that euery man hath one more then another thereafter he must be more fruitfull that none may be discouraged on the one side whē he cannot do as he wold or made slouthfull and negligent when he might do much more on the other Thereafter I say ought euerie man both in his particular vocation and in all other points of Christianitie bring foorth more fruite as the Minister in respect of his calling which is to be occupied in reading and teaching of other and whose labour is a meane to helpe him forward in a godly life because it is an acquainting of him with the Scriptures and the mind of God so properly as cannot be sayd of other mens labours the minister I say in such respects oweth more dutie to God which he may also be able to performe then the priuate man So the wealthy man in that he needeth not be carefull or pensiue about necessaries but it is his great sinne if he be hath more liberty to remember God and to set vpon duty with chearfulnesse more then the poore who is through meere necessitie constrained to his great griefe to cut off many times of reading conference and of publike hearing which for the most part the other need not though he be not thereby discharged from fearing to offend God c. And whereas men alleadge that the rich is letted by reason of his wealth and therefore cannot so easily apply himselfe to walke in a sound course not what he doth but what he ought and may do is to be considered For as he shall shew himselfe vnthankfull to God in grosse manner who shall thus go about to make Gods blessings stumbling blockes and hinderances from hartie loue and obedience to him and from libertie in his seruice more then others can haue so he shall neuer do it but to his great cost In like maner they which dwell among many good neighbours who are as watchmen to them and haue an ordinarie teaching ministerie that can build them vp are to shew themselues more rich and plentifull both in the exercises of religion and in the particular duties which belong to Christians then they can do which want either the most or all of the meanes which others enioy And according to this equitie the auncient Christian who through long experience is better acquainted with the louing kindnesse of the Lord ought in better sort discharge himselfe of the fore-mentioned and other duties then he who is a nouice and a young souldier in this spirituall warfare Therefore Saint Iohn writing to the elder Christians to put them in mind vrgeth them by the same reason saying I write vnto you fathers because ye haue knowne him which is from the beginning As if he should say Ye haue experience that it is no labor lost to serue him but ye hauing had acquaintance with the godly life and the blessed fruite of it from your youth ye are able vpon so good and long triall both to proceed constantly your selues in your course and also to hearten on the yonger And the same I say of all others whose part hath bene greater in peace health freedome from diseases in holy fellowship especially of mariage or in whatsoeuer other blessings of God they I say who haue inioyed more blessings of God then other of their good brethren ought by good right to go farre before them as shining lights both in variety of duties and in more gracious performance of the same and sooner returne when they perceiue themselues to haue wandred and more firmely to settle themselues to hold out in their good course And therefore it behooueth them to gaine all occasions which others neglect to the redeeming of the time from idlenesse wandring dreames of earthly happinesse and needlesse and filthie speech and such other like also to pray oftner then at set and appointed times to stirre vp their faith in the manifold and rich promises of God taking comfort thereby vsually and while they may and while God giueth them oportunitie to refresh and do good to many by compassion loue counsell reliefe and with all these to keepe a proportion in their particular vocation so as they may haue it an helpe and not a let to them that so the Lord may say to them Well good and faithfull seruants because ye haue bene faithfull c. enter into your Maisters ioy CHAP. 15. Of the declaration of the fourth
counted hard amongst them to meete with this mind that they might make the best vse of their companie in some good talke about such things as might be profitable and for the mutuall edifying of them prouoking one another thereby to greater loue as seeing and feeling causes therof and what decay of it there is for so hath the Lord commaunded Exhort one another daily while it is called to day And if among heathen men friendship was increased by aduising one another and by good turnes done and receiued mutually one of another should not Christians much more bind themselues one to another as by other pledges of loue so by this one that there be drawing on to dutie to grow in the knowledge of the Gospell and to auoide the daungers which might otherwise be fallen into That so there might be more mindfulnesse one of another in absence when there was reaped so great good fruite of the one by the other in presence By reason of mens callings and distance of places there is seldome meeting amongst good men if therefore when they meete they should not be the better one for another they might repent for good cause that they had lost their gaine which in that time they might haue had in their calling at home beside that it would accuse them after their departure that they had neglected so good oportunities which when they would cannot be enioyed I know there is cause why this should be looked vnto euen amongst good people seeing through the corruption of nature the diuell layeth stops enough in the way of the best whereby although he cannot bring them to the common euill course of other men to walke in excesse of riot as they do yet he keepes them from the good which might be done betwixt them as may iustly be complained of where I haue acquaintance So that Christians whensoeuer they meete either of purpose and by consent either for neighbour-hood and as we say to make merie or by any other prouidence of God and yet not about trafficke or earthly dealings this mind ought alwaies to be in them that I haue mentioned and therefore the one to seeke to benefit and edifie the other by good speech waiting for and taking the best occasions thereof and oportunities thereto they beginning who for their giftes are fit to bring on the rest not entring beyond their skill and reach neither the one crossing the other but through loue bearing one with another and one helping another for loue is their greatest vpholder and therefore either conferring of the things which they haue learned or stirring vp themselues mutually to hearing of Sermons to diligence in going forward to inoffensiue walking and also singing of Psalmes together and if there be any occasion of reprouing exhorting admonishing or comforting one the other to do it priuately if the matters be priuate and betwixt so many as it concerneth in meeknesse of spirit and a thankfull receiuing of such duties and that they that offer the same be readie to submit themselues in humilitie againe to receiue the words of exhortation as they through their weakenesse shall giue occasion The simplicitie of the times hath bene such as men haue met louingly together in this manner prouoking one another thereunto but it is iustled out with a proude conceipt of their owne wisedome who count it too base now to conuerse together after such a manner But as this dutie is to be mutually imparted among neighbours so much more it ought to be in vse and force in particular families besides the ordinarie worship of God in prayer and familiar instruction where euen the seruant who is the meanest member therof hath libertie so as it be in humilitie and wisedome to make his complaint as Iob permitted his seruants to do that thus peace and godly vnitie may be maintained and all may grow vp and be edified more and more Which duties we are not to doubt to haue bene performed in the families of the noble gouernour Iosua and of Cornelius a valiant Captaine so farre as there was knowledge of the same amongst thē seeing it is said That the feare of God was in those families and such liuing together in one house doth giue good testimonie that God hath a litle Church there indeed but of this in another place But seeing there ought to be no lesse vse of all these fruites of companie betwixt the godly Pastor and his people then amongst those whom I haue mentioned therefore let the former rules most especially be obserued of thē and somewhat more that is to say mutuall consent betwixt them that their conference be of the things which are most fit for the estate of the persons which by good warrant from God who requireth such wisedome labour and loue and approued experience of men should be after this manner That such as are ignorant and yet willing to be taught should be taught question-wise the grounds of Christian religion and the way how to be saued and to amend their liues They who haue knowledge hereof should be laboured with to make vse of it namely to be humbled by the law comforted by faith in Christ and to be reformed in their liues They who are stayed in these chiefe matters should be taught how to grow by the helpes and auoide all impediments that so their life may be full of fruites and comfort And they who haue profited thus farre should haue libertie giuen them to demaund questions of their pastors for their edifying euen as to be questioned with by them for their instruction about any particular doubts in the whole religion and true worship of God and in confuting the contrarie or about any point touching conscience in the practise of dutie I will not say what gaine the teacher himselfe might reape hereby beside the poore people neither are many hastie to proue but oh times oh dayes yea oh people to be lamented so happie by the long raigne of thy Prince and continued peace as thou mightest haue bene and so litle of this fruite to be enioyed or Christian dutie practised The best thing euen the pearle and tidings of the kingdome to lye as wares out of request not asked after and that through vanitie and folly These and such like as God hath giuen wisedome to both parties should be endeuoured after betwixt the pastor and people when no other necessarie things do hinder which maner of meeting were no doubt like to be as a strong band to tye them in loue and christian peace together And this I haue seene and that not in one place nor two but I must say as it bringeth a sweet life so the diuell layeth many blockes in the way to hinder it that while they liue straunger-like and conceipted one with another or loose worldly and vnprofitably they may be as others be who haue no acquaintance with the Gospell For let men thinke and say what they
mind ignorance and other incomberances which Gods deare children shall be afflicted with for they cannot doe as other may and therefore as euery one shall be more oppressed then other so he must needs be the more respected For in such cases the bare lifting vp of the heart to God sincerely is as much and mercy I know is better then sacrifice but withall this must be graunted that the more godly euer one is the more he will bewaile his wants and so this among the rest which doth no lesse in a well ordered heart then a kind purgation discharge the soule of all such drosse as remaineth to waite him a mischiefe Thus I haue more largely as I haue thought it expedient gone ouer these parts of the life of a Christian which for the most part are euery day to be done the better to direct him therein and so likewise I haue sayd that which I intended of this whole Treatise It remaineth now to see how the practise of it is by Sathan and our selues broken off and hindred which is in the next Treatise to be set downe and handled But first I thinke good to adde these two things The one that as I haue set downe rules for daily direction so for the helping of the weaker sort some example also be shewed vnto them thereof The other what vse is to be made of the whole Treatise After what maner a Christian should view his passing of the day at night AS concerning the first this I haue thought expedient to say When thou goest alone by thy selfe for this purpose first call to mind the seuerall actions as thou canst from thy first awakening how thou diddest awake and as soone as thou wert ready take order about necessaries which must be done and then wentest to prayer after to thy calling then haddest occasion to be in some company and how thou diddest looke to thy selfe therein if at another time in the day thou wast alone or at exercise of prayer in family or at meate in another part of the day haddest some crosse befall thee and some ill newes brought vnto thee or if thou hast dealt and communed about worldly affaires buying or selling how thou diddest it and what care thou haddest therein These or any other like vnto these whatsoeuer actions or the maner of them or whatsoeuer the cogitations and desires of thine heart haue bene whether they were good or bad call to mind as many of them as thou canst Thus looke backe as thou art able to remember how thou hast spent the day from one thing to another and from one place where thou hast bene to another which though at the first it shall seeme strange and hard to do yet in time will be more easie When thou hast thus done thou shalt see how thou hast had vse of any of the nine duties set downe which are the common and ordinary actions of the day and how the eight inward graces which ought to be companions to vs euery day haue accompanied thee and then so farre as thou mayest truly do it giue thankes for all grace whereby thou hast bene guided and humble thy selfe in confessing thy defaults and praying as thou shall see cause I haue set downe a paterne and example to direct thee therein which as thine estate doth agree with it follow A forme or example of viewing or passing of the day when we are ready to lie downe at euen I Thanke thee ô Lord for my awaking with thee and that with a willing and ready mind I entred into the day after with calling vpon thee if thou diddest so and for that I had liberty and oportunity thereto and that afterward I went chearfully to the duties of my calling or supplied the omitting thereof some other way with a good conscience and that I was wary in company and in solitarinesse and in my prosperity and vnder my chastisements that I might not offend but that I did some good as I could and that I had part in family exercises and had care in my earthly dealings that I might not be made worldly by them that I haue taken any benefit by meditation and reading if thou hast done so and now at the end of the day that I looke backe how I haue passed the day Thus as these or any of them haue bene done of thee call them to mind as thou canst and how they were done and as they and such like are the chiefe actions to be done in the day so proceed in giuing thankes for doing them or so farre as thou hast with thy mind seasoned with the graces which should direct all the actions of thy life through the day euen these eight thus I also thanke thee ô Lord that in these actions and parts of my life I haue not done them in opinion of any goodnesse in me but by thy grace and haue thereby humbled my selfe for my sinnes and imbraced pardon by faith and by the same faith haue bene holden from many sinnes and kept in doing many duties as loue mercy vprightnesse and the workes of my calling and haue had some consideration of my mortalitie and looked for thy comming on the Sabath that I haue attended to sanctifie it in publicke and priuate exercises and that I haue held the peace which passeth vnderstanding and had thy kindnesse in remembrance thankfully with some vse of watching and praying and now viewed the passing of this day in this poore maner let experience bring hope of better doing this from day to day And if thine heart go with the mentioning of these thou shalt find sauour in them But seeing I haue faulted and failed many wayes both in good doing and the right maner of it and in following the deuices and desires of my heart too much here if any particular action or corruption be remembred of thee bewaile it accuse and iudge thy selfe and renounce it that thou mayest find mercy in that thy need I confesse and renounce the same praying for Christs sake to be pardoned that I may lie downe in peace The second thing which I sayd I would adde was the vse of this doctrine For the vse of the doctrine of this Treatise Of daily guiding thy soule and life it may be gathered out of that which hath bene sayd of it and out of this last paterne or example so farre as thou seest nothing in it which God approueth not And that is in few words that euery day and through the day thou weane and withdraw thine heart from any such noisome baite or prouocation as suffereth thee not to arise in the morning to walke through the day and to lie downe at night in peace and safety vnder Gods protection and euerie day I still say wishing thee to remember that if thou beest negligent and carelesse but one day that may fall on thee to vexe thee long after which should not else fall out in thy whole life And that part of life
which will not stand with this let it as deadly poyson be carefully auoided and reiected of thee Here followeth a prayer containing the summe of the life which is to be daily led of a true Christian A forme or paterne to teach and direct a Christian how to begin the day with meditation and prayer and confession of sinne and thankes after he hath first awaked with the Lord containing in it the matter of this Treatise necessarie for him to practise throughout the day following and for euery day The summe may be drawne out of it more briefly O Lord God most mighty and mercifull through Iesus Christ let that mind be in me which is in thy faithfull people and with the which thou delightest to be sought vnto sound and without hypocrisie humble meeke teachable to euery good thing fitly and readily disposed vnto euery good worke let me be framed this morning to the liking of the Christian course as I haue learned it out of thy word and haue tried that it is the only happie estate which here can be inioyed And with this mind let me enter into my meditation thansgiuing confession of sinnes and prayer For whom haue I in heauen ô Lord but thee or whom do I desire on earth in comparison of thee who doest whatsoeuer it pleaseth thee and hast all creatures euen the Diuels subiect to thee who as thou hast filled the whole earth with thy goodnesse so particularly thy mercies are wonderfull to me and that my soule knoweth right well And as in thy fauour is life and happinesse so thou as one abounding in loue and compassion hast counselled yea and commanded vs for our owne good to seeke it that we might be happie by it And yet lest we should be deceiued with the delusions and baites of this world and set our delight on them thou soundest this alarme in our eares daily that all things in this world are transitorie vaine and soone flitting away and we our selues with them daily drawing vnto our end Thou hast caused this to be published in our hearing that all flesh is grasse and the glory and beautie of it as the flower of the field that fadeth and that all things below the more they haue bene delighted in the more deeply they shall sting and vexe vs when they forsake vs. And lest we should iudge and hope of our estate after the deceiptfull dreames of our owne braine as we are most easily inclined to do thou hast liuely set out our whole shape as in a glasse to be full of miserie and cursednesse if we haue not yet attained to know that we are thy sonnes and daughters that our names are written in the booke of life These all and such like while I meditate vpon as also that thou wouldest haue vs euery day make our saluation more sure to be perswaded of thine vnchangeable loue I wonder at them and most of all to consider thine inestimable and vnutterable kindnesse in them all This draweth from me as there is exceeding great cause vnfeined thankes with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious especially for that I see thou hast done all this for me euen the vnworthiest of other that for my sake thou gauest thy deare sonne to death that he might bring me to euerlasting life that to me among other thou wouldest haue the glad tidings of it to be brought and preached to the end that I may know my selfe as surely to be one of thine as if I were gathered vp to my fathers to inioy thy presence most glorious already that of me among the rest of thy chosen ones thou hast an especiall regard and care against all things that might hurt me and wilt continue the same euen to my liues end when I shall feare neither trouble nor danger neither Diuell nor hell any more that thou hast granted me to know it by faith and in token thereof hast sanctified me and made me able to loue goodnesse and loath euill in some measure that thou hast wrought repentance in my heart whereby I indeuour to forsake all knowne sinnes and to please thee in all things that thou hast giuen me a delight in thy word whereas many find litle sauour in it that thou turnest mine afflictions to my good and teachest me the right and sober vse of my prosperitie that thou giuest me accesse vnto thy maiesty by prayer when I will and for whatsoeuer is needfull that I haue liberty to vse all other helpes for the maintaining of a godly life that I may rise vp when I haue fallen and offended thee and returne to thee againe that thou hast giuen me to striue against sinne and Sathan as a souldier of Christ and makest me to find ioy in the Christian life and thy seruice to be perfect freedome And yet for all this that thou giuest me hope of nearer communion with thee that thou assurest me that through thy power I shall be inabled to perseuere in this christian course to my liues end and that after it I shall be receiued into glory And further that thou hast not onely bestowed these great priuiledges vpon me which are proper and peculiar to thine owne children but also hast in most gratious maner prouided for the continuance of these vnto me and ministred abundantly vnto me the good things of this life as to liue vnder a most Christian and religious Prince and King defending and maintaining the Gospell against all Antichristian malice and tyranny and other aduersary power and the same truly and sincerely preached and by whom our liues liberties and liuings are peaceably continued I thankfully also acknowledge thy great mercy for the fellowship which I haue with thy good seruants in liuing with them and for that credite and fauour which thou grantest me among them also for conuenient habitation competencie of thy outward blessing good liking contentation and agreement in mariage or if ones state require it out of it for health and strength to walke in my particular calling and the benefit of a lawfull calling it selfe for freedome from grieuous paines and diseases from suite and seruice burden and bondage to Pope and tyrant and all other vnreasonable ones for blessing and successe in my lawfull affaires other benefits mention as thou shalt haue cause These thy mercies with many other daily renewed vpon me both to the comfort of soule and body do cause me I say to thinke my selfe infinitly beholding and bound to thy Maiestie and to say ô Lord what is man that thou so delightest in him and againe What shall I render vnto thee for all thy kindnesse which hath no end nor measure This loue therefore constraineth me contrary to my corrupt nature to be most willingly subiect to thy will and holy gouernement this maketh thy commandements not to be to me as sometime they were burdensome and vnwelcome but sweet and pleasant this causeth the strength of mine vnruly lusts and vnlawfull desires to wanze and be
euen thus are all vnbeleeuers deceiued and holden as it were in bands and cannot either seeke or desire or know how to get out But if any be more expert and haue their hearts exercised in discerning good and euill how both are wrought and what hindereth both if God teach them to know this mysterie and secret of Sathans casting mistes before their eyes to rocke them fast asleepe in sinne and haue had proofe of these things in themselues they shall farre more easily see into it and know by the helpe that God hath left them how to shunne his deadly wounds and to see his poysoned baites and to auoide them It is not to be denyed but that in this manner Sathan besetteth all people though litle obserued and seene of vnbeleeuers and most of all vs whome he is openly and resolutely set against All of vs therefore are to know his enterprises properties practises vigilancie his malice at all times and in all actions and companies and how by his diuerse sleights he dealeth according to the occasions offered and as our weakenesse may most easily be discouraged But what then are we therefore to faint God forbid I say further as before if he doth not onely kindle the concupiscence that is within vs and our owne lusts to be more set on fire to do the euill which we are inclined to but also baiteth the outward things with poison which we deale about that he may dazle our eyes and cast vs from our hold that is that we may not keepe still in the Christian course yet ought we not for all this to be dismayed For we know that euen these although they cannot but trouble vs for the present time yet shall turne to our exceeding good by making vs to set more store by Gods protection then we did before and to abide vnder his gouernment more continually seeing we do so soone smart when we shake it off as it were neuer so litle When therefore we shall perceiue our selues to be hindered and distracted from our peaceable course and continuance in a daily good course God would haue vs know that we should not faint and be discouraged but in confidence and full perswasion of recouerie and obtaining fauour confesse humbly both our wandring and vnsetlednesse of heart and much more our hearkening to Sathans delusions whereby we were so farre estranged from God and forsake them that we may find mercy The Lord would haue none of his to be raunging from vnder his wings and much lesse if any be fallen through infirmitie or beguiled by Sathans subtiltie would he haue them thinke that he will therefore shake them off who hath made it manifest and well knowne in the Gospell That he seeketh vp that which is wandering and lost This must be throughly perswaded vnto Gods children that they may neither be discouraged as they must needes be otherwise in their fals from suing to God and yet not boldly abusing his lenitie but well encouraged by his great loue to returne to him againe For although the diuell be a mightie enemie and cruell for which cause he is called A great red dragon and The accuser of the brethren and as subtile vigilant and malicious as he is strong yet they for their parts are not naked and altogether vnarmed neither doth their strength rest in themselues but they deriue and draw it from one that is mightier then he They haue libertie nay commaundement to be strong in the might of Gods power that is to be fully perswaded that if there be any strength in God himselfe who we know holdeth all diuels in subiection theirs it is and for them and they may take it for their owne euen as if any poore man in a purchase should haue by a rich friend laid out for him and freely bestowed on him whatsoeuer he should want Yea one part of their armour I meane faith is able alone to ouercome all lets which they shall meete with and to thrust backe euen the fierie darts of the diuell which burne and sting most sharpely They must also consider who and what manner persons they are not enemies to God as in times past but beloued deare and precious vnto him euen sonnes and daughters and therefore not like to be vnnaturally forsaken or left to themselues in their neede and necessitie and if when they were enemies they were reconciled by his death how much more being reconciled shall they be saued by his life and being alreadie deliuered from the greatest feare that is of damnation they may be well perswaded that the combates which remaine to be betwixt Sathan and them cannot be deadly and to their ouerthrow but to exercise their faith that after they haue trusted God a litle and waited vpon him to see his helping hand here they may after their conflicts receiue their reward This I speake not to make any slacke and carelesse but to encourage them against these lets which follow which by his subtiltie shall seeme greater then they are that they may not be faint-hearted and discomforted seeing there is no cause For it hath pleased the Lord and so he hath promised by striuing resisting Sathan and suffering a litle afterwards to take them into glorie as our Sauiour himselfe did go that way Heb. 12.2 and yet not to be without honor euen here if we iudge rightly where and whiles to the iudgement of the flesh they are in the middest of reproch This caueat I giue vnto the beleeuers before hand putting them in remembrance that I must oftentimes call them backe to the consideration thereof that they may be vpholden in the greatest likelihoods of danger And they must be warned to learne wisedome by their experience that when they shall be able in sundrie trials to escape and bee deliuered from the foile and perill which they feared and to see that God hath vpholden them therein by faith in his promise and hope in his helpe and that thereby they haue bene taught to vse such meanes as haue brought a good end of their cōflicts they may afterwards be emboldened to waite for the same grace again in the like necessities and straights and so to grow to haue that acquaintance and communion with God that they may with confidence looke to obtaine greater things at his hands then these and to encourage and hearten on others who are weake to do the same Now if any should feare that all this looking to our selues is more then needes he is to know that if our hearts were sound and so kept without liking of euill as sometime the meanest Christian feeleth it there were no danger to be feared no not from the diuel himselfe much lesse the world according to that of Salomon Keepe thy heart with all diligence for thereout commeth life and they who haue any experience find nothing more true then that they walke at great libertie when their hearts are
which God hath giuen them And therefore at this stay they keepe and will not be drawne from it till God bewray to them more clearely the diuels subtiltie in holding them there and what they haue lost by the hote maintaining of their vaine liberties that which they lose for them being far more precious and how for want of daily and more heartie embracing of these good meanes they are driuen by experience to see and confesse that they were kept long in bondage If therefore through our neglect of these we be otherwise fallen into Sathans hands then we were wont there is no other remedie but that we beare our punishment for a season euen heauinesse and reproch because we haue sinned but although we haue thus fallen yet let vs rise againe and that betimes for he hath smitten vs and he will heale vs. Let vs not harden our harts against God when he hath so iustly chastised vs but as humble children let euery of vs say My father my father we are ashamed that we haue turned aside from thee for why should we prouoke our God any while after wee once see his frowning face beginning to arise vpon vs we being his sonnes and daughters vnlesse we thinke it a small thing to haue him frowne vpon vs I stand the longer in this point because I haue experience by many how hardly they dare or can be perswaded to craue pardon with confidence after that they haue bene caried by their rebellious hearts to offend in somewhat which they knew to displease him Of whose weakenesse regard must be had and for such especially haue I taken this labour in hand though I know that for such as haue experience lesse might haue serued And yet whose case soeuer it shall be of vs all in triall we shall find it no easie matter after carelesse or wilfull offending of God to haue immediatly vpon the sight thereof relenting and tender-hartednesse and when we durst a litle while before prouoke him so soone after to be bold to beleeue in him that euen that so great a trecherie shall be pardoned for canst thou beleeue forgiuenesse of thy sinne who beleeuest not that thou must forsake sinne No no relenting commeth not by and by in the best who haue thus offended God but hardnesse of heart till after awhile when there hath bene a considering of the matter and of the state in which they are that so they may waxe ashamed of their so great vnkindnesse But otherwise where there is boldnesse in sinning there is no strength in beleeuing Thankes be vnto God for his vnspeakeable mercie that many of these times fall not out to his deare seruants who are resolutely prepared to stand vpon their watch for it is an heauie worke when that betideth vs and they who see not this see litle in the mysterie of godlinesse And as I would haue my good brethren farre from lying still and abiding in vnbeliefe at such a time when they haue cast themselues into it by their owne default so yet to let all bold presumers vpon God and abusers of his mercie vnderstand that Gods bountifulnesse is not set foorth in the Scriptures to adde drunkennesse to thirst in men and to giue them libertie to sinne who are alreadie too forward that way this I say That as the people of Israel perceiuing God to be iustly displeased with them for their trespasse of the calfe and therefore remouing the tabernacle where his presence was a farre off from them and their tents they durst not presume to go to the tabernacle to seeke the Lord who in displeasure was departing from them but they sought him a farre off that is standing in their tent doore and worshipping so let those who see their shame and nakednesse by sinning against God blush and be ashamed yet because he neuer taketh away his louing kindnesse from those whom he loueth let them shew themselues as guiltie persons though at the first afarre off and with much difficultie to seeke vnto him that they may be receiued againe And thus I haue made mention of the first let which hindreth from godly life euen the want of daily direction to serue God by and haue shewed how Sathan holdeth Christians in daungerous vnprofitablenes by keeping them vnsetled in a godly course and withall haue set downe some helpe against the same CHAP. 6. Of another let The leauing our first loue NOW followeth the second let in this first sort that is that many such as do hold on in some Christian course do yet lose and fall from their first loue not for a short time as they before mentioned but euen for years dayes as they say whē yet they hauing once receiued it of the Lord at their first effectuall calling and conuersion it ought to grow vp with them and accompanie them throughout their life to make euery part of it more sweet and comfortable And great reason there is why it should be so for if we be truly conuerted vnto God the longer that we haue bene trained vp in his house which is the militant Church and tasted of the diet of his seruants how good it is in comparison of any other the more we had need to take liking of his seruice and with all chearefulnesse to liue in it afterwards which at our first entrance we saw so great cause to like and approue of In so much that although wee shall haue strong perswasions to waxe wearie and slouthfull therein yet there are many more and greater considerations to moue vs to constancie and good liking in the same But that it may the better be seene what our first loue is I will in fewe words lay foorth the same We are to know therefore that when God first called vs from darknesse to light and from vnder Sathans tyrannie and feare of hell to see our selues deliuered from them which we saw were by our sinne due vnto vs and that yet for all that he would pardon our sins receiue vs graciously and loue vs freely whereas before we were his enemies this astonished vs and after due consideration inflamed our hearts and caused vs to admire this kindnesse of his and to esteeme and preferre it before all pleasures and to haue our hearts knit to him for it for this loue of his constrained vs to loue him most feruently and dearely againe Which our Sauiour Christ knowing well asked of Peter in that case if he loued him not more then the rest euen as Dauid also calling the same to mind brake out into these wordes saying I loue the Lord because in the sorrowes of death he heard and deliuered me Thus when we first saw the exceeding loue of God and Christ to vs we could not I say but loue him sensibly and heartily and therefore our brethren and so his word and Ministers that brought vs tidings of it for we no sooner beleeued but faith that worketh by loue
wrought this in vs. And seeing we loued him we therefore began to keepe his commaundements And this is the cause why Gods people are affected thus and delight in his seruice and one in another as they haue perswasion of their true conuersion and do therefore other duties readily which others will not set vpon nor go about and this is that which the Scripture calleth Our first loue Thus feruent are Gods children in the beginning to the admiration of many and no dutie is thought too great for them to perfourme to him as he thinkes nothing too good to bestow vpon them Yea it may truly be said If euer we loued we loued God and Christ more then any thing as Paule sheweth to the Philippians and our brethren as it is in the Psalme All my delight is in the Saints vpon earth and the Ministers as Paule speaketh I beare you witnesse that to do me good you would haue plucked out your eyes Now then to come to our purpose when this loue shall waxe cold as here our Sauiour chargeth many with it and many now a dayes are iustly to be charged for it is it not an intollerable trecherie When we shal let slake in vs the consideration of such loue of God to vs in Christ which neuer faileth nor chaungeth towards vs and we thought sometime that it could neuer be forgotten of vs is not this slaking of our loue towards him a iust cause of complaint against vs And do we not declare thereby that either we be growne dull slouthfull forgetfull or that we thinke that the Lord hath ceassed to be mercifull Is it not a plaine testifying that we thinke we are not regarded and prouided for by him so as we may continue all wonted duties and seruices towards him Yea rather are we not iustly to be charged that we are couenant-breakers or haue as adulteresses broken our faith to our first husband Whereas we hauing so long enioyed the priuiledges of his people and citizens should now much more do so and looke confidently for the promised reward our saluation being now nearer then when we first beleeued For why should pleasure or profite wealth or fauour things present or to come put out of place that loue of God in vs or cause vs for thē to be rebuked Why should not our workes be more at the last then at the first as our knowledge is more and our experience greater And therefore who seeth not cause sufficient that our affections of first loue should continue I may iustly make a heauie complaint of the decay thereof in many Ministers whose glorie and crowne it was sometime to see the peoples profiting in godlinesse as Paul saith whose meate and drinke was to do the will of their Father and who did well prooue that they loued Christ more then all other things by their diligence in feeding his sheepe and lambes and what prey or bootie soeuer they haue met with and got since sure I am that some of them do sometime wish those seasons past were now present still And whatsoeuer causes of this decay they alleadge yet when they weigh their case vprightly they can say no lesse but the fault is principally in themselues How many of the people also may I speake of who verifie that saying of Christ Iohn was a burning light and for a season ye delighted in him who neither can honour God as then they did nor giue that light to other All which I wish to consider that which was said to them that had offended in the like case I haue somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first loue Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent c. Thus I haue in some sort laid foorth this first loue which God by his spirit worketh in all his elect children when he first bringeth them home and maketh them to know how greatly they are bound to him for their so admirable deliuerance and happie conuersion And herewith I haue shewed how easily both teacher and hearer leaue and depart from the same and fall from it though otherwise they keepe some course in seruing God as the Church of Ephesus did whom yet the Lord reproued sharpely for that they had lost this For thus he saith I know thy workes and thy labour and thy patience and that thou canst not beare with them that are euill c. Neuerthelesse I haue somewhat against thee that thou hast left thy first loue Our Sauiour likewise in Saint Mathew foretelleth that this should be one thing among many other worthily to be complained of That in the latter dayes in which these wherein we now liue are reckoned the loue euen of many good Christians as also of such as seemed by good likelihood to be so shall decay and waxe cold whereby what other thing did he meane then this that mens affection in the worshipping and seruing of God the zeale of his glorie loue to their brethren and feruencie towards the preaching of the Gospell should be sore and much abated ouer it was in the beginning when they first embraced it and were enlightened by it to beleeue in him And as though he would teach that it should be a very hard thing to recouer this first loue againe he giueth this watch-word in the same place But they that continue to the end shall be saued Whereby me thinke◠he doth liuely admonish and warne all sound-hearted Christians to looke heedfully and carefully to nourish and preserue that holy pure and first sparkle of grace kindled in them against all that might come in the way to quench and put out the fame As though he would say Although all pietie and christian care of honouring God be not extinguished in men yet if they decline thus farre to suffer their earnest and feruent affection and loue to God and goodnes to be cooled in them euen this is a blemish not to be borne or allowed and a sinne which both God cannot nor will not beare and passe by in them and which striketh at the very life and saluation of those that offend in that manner and such a losse as will be hardly recouered againe And though in other wordes yet fully to the same purpose Saint Paul speaketh to the Thessalonians when he saith Quench not the spirit as if he would say The worke of grace wrought in you by the spirit of God to fixe your delight on heauenly things and not on the earth and whereby ye were caried to set vp in your hearts the Creator and the things which he commaundeth before the creature this worke of the spirit destroy ye not neither let your feruent desires and holy affections which haue bene kindled in you therby be as fire which water quēched Now then if the words of our Sauiour both to the church of Ephesus and his prophesie of that which should come to passe in the last dayes
they are most prone and besides except they haue a wise care to keepe themselues beseeming the Gospell especially in those parts of their liues which lye open to greatest daungers that therein they be best furnished and if they take a foile and sustaine a checke to their conscience yet to seeke the curing and ease of it by due humiliation speedily But this will not much preuaile except their owne hearts haue bene brought to take sound delight in the christian course and waine themselues from that which they shall know to be against it and to be glad to be aduised and directed how to recouer But of this second kind of lets thus much CHAP. 10. Of worldly lusts and namely The loue of carnall pleasure and the inordinate desire of riches BVT further as he findeth best oportunitie he deceiueth vs many other wayes and namely in taking vp our hearts in endlesse foolish and vaine desires of things which we neither can nor ought to enioy as the lust of the heart of the eye and the pride of life and so feeding vs with the ayre euen with most vaine and deceiptfull dreames besotteth vs with too much pleasure-taking in transitorie liberties and commodities of this life which pull our mindes as much from godly duties as they carie them after such vnsauourie follies About many daungerous fantasies he occupieth our heads that we may neglect the seeking of better things especially in the time when we should be best occupied I meane by these all sorts of worldly lusts which are more noysome and daungerous then the euill affections mentioned before though one would think we had litle need to be shaken and distempered with greater then they but rather studie how to make them weakened and subdued in vs. These worldly lusts are lusts of the flesh which belong to the present state of this life and world as the exceeding loue and desire of pleasures riches and estimation or honor c. For if he can fasten our delights on these we are caried headlong as the chariot by wild horses is ouerturned I will shew the daunger we are in by meanes of these worldly lusts in two kinds The lustes of the flesh properly so called and the inordinate desire of riches and cares of the world How a true Christian may possibly be disguised by these I say that he shall be thereby as another man and sometime grossely ouercome of them I will first shew and then adde some remedies against them The first is when he shall be drowned in sensualitie and the sottish pleasure of the bodie so that he is blind and imporent and hath no power to consider what the Scripture saith Fauour is deceiptfull and beautie is a vaine thing And what is the cause of this for it would not easily be beleeued that a true Christian should fall so farre The cause is this that he hauing giuen his heart libertie to desire stolne waters and to count them sweet when he should rather haue loathed and cast them vp as vomite and haue made a firme couenant against the nourishing of such delights and he hauing giuen his eye leaue also to feed it selfe with such sights he was made vtterly blind And that being done his prayers became feeble and weake though sometime attempting it to expell and driue out such sottishnesse but it lodged in him and made him a slaue vnto it Which cannot be plainelier seene then in Sampson a man of great gifts as may be gathered by the storie but made so impotent by the looke of a woman that he yeelded himselfe to her lure most reprochfully and being caught with that which was precious in her became a foole in Israell who had bene wise enough before to rule the whole land And to this bondage doth a man indued with grace bring himselfe when he will not see the daunger which he cannot but know is readie to meet with him For can a man take fire in his bosome and not be burnt No more may such an one who will be caried of his raging lusts looke to be free from great euill and daunger But behold further what goeth with it euen this that he is senslesse at the sight of it when he should rather tremble to behold in what estate he is For besides that he knoweth he doth euill which makes his sin the greater his prayers are lost which he bestoweth about it his burden of conscience is importable the losse of grace thereby is vnspeakeable the griefe of the godly that heare of it vnutterable and the reioycing of the wicked vnsatiable And yet this is not so to be taken as though it could be no otherwise with any of Gods people for many are free from that slauerie who yet haue the same allurements but they giue not place to their vnruly desires beleeuing that which is taught them How deare it will cost them Oh subtilties of Sathan hardly to be discerned and deceiptfulnesse of the heart not to be trusted so soone to let loose not a filthie man or woman onely giuen ouer to euill desires who can do no other but fulfill the same to the vttermost but a sonne and daughter of Abraham who doth loath and abhorre such wickednesse and yet to be taken in such a time that they should be readie to venture vpon that which must needs worke their vndoing and to wish that by the enioying whereof they were better be dead But I must say such do purchase to themselues the iust fruite of their labours for though they may be sealed vp by the spirit of God to saluation for of such onely I speake yet what then Ought they not therefore to be more holy and beware of the least occasions of emboldening them to sinne And of all other sinnes to be most suspicious and fearefull of those to the which they know that they are most prone and inclined and by the committing whereof they are sure that their shame and sorrow must needes be greatest Which two when they are by their iust deserts once brought vpon them they will confesse with vs then that we cannot be too circumspect and warie and that it is no precisenesse to beware of the deceiptfulnesse of sinne at any time or in any place or companie the which grace yet and care was thought to be too much austeritie till they smarted so bitterly for the want of it But euery one can tell that this is true He that standeth furthest from a raging flame is freest from burning and he who goeth farre off from the brimme of a riuer is safest from drowning A word to the wise is more then an hundred stripes to a foole And I pray God that numbers of them who mocke some for their precisenesse haue not oft times iust cause to blush and be wounded for their bold sinning I meane as well the sinne which I now here speake of as other kinds and all for this that
as appeareth by the parable of the talents deliuered to be occupied till it should be demanded how they were imployed and by that of the steward who was called to giue an account of his stewardship The account which shall then be demaunded shall be according to the doctrine which hath bene set downe in the foure remedies namely whether we haue not vsed them to the hurt and iniurying of others and how long and wherein And secondly whether we haue done good with thē as we in conscience haue seene our selues bound to do and as occasion hath bene offered Thirdly whether we haue not our selues yeelded to commit some noisome and fearefull sinnes for and by occasion of them which we should not otherwise haue bene bold to do And lastly whether we haue bene furthered by them to euerlasting life By this we see we may not deale and behaue our selues about these earthly commodities as we shall thinke good for we are but stewards and disposers of them as the owner our Lord and maister hath appointed Wherein as we haue failed we shall haue litle cause to reioyce considering that whatsoeuer we haue gotten and gained yet the worst is behind euen our account giuing which we shall not be able to yeeld no not one of a thousand And though I deny not but there is mercy with the Lord and plentifull redemption yet it is that he may be feared of vs for the time to come in occupying our goods and talents as he hath commaunded and it is also for them that tremble when in remembring and thinking how ill they haue vsed them they say penitently within themselues What haue we done But to the rest shall be tribulation and anguish when they not wisely casting their reckoning before shall be vrged to it by the Lord they being vtterly vnready for it In this regard therefore as in all the former we see good cause to withstand carefully this sinne of worldlinesse These are the remedies and reasons which perswade to giue a foile to this couetousnesse now heare the direction in few words how to vse them both For although we know them yet if they do but swimme in our braine and be talked of now and then they shall be so farre off from doing vs the good they may do that we shall the rather deceiue our selues with a false conceit of practising them when yet we remaine drowned in some grosse point of worldlinesse still Therfore it is necessarie that we nourish and retaine a mind willing to see and find out what is amisse in vs this way and then as the sins of this kind are most daungerous and many that therefore we force our selues from day to day to stoupe and submit our selues in an honest and good heart to vse these remedies and be perswaded by these reasons till we find ease by them through practise of them that is a ready mind to vse the world soberly and aright and desirous lest we should deceiue our selues through selfe-loue both to learne by the publicke ministerie and by our priuate reading as also by the helpe of any faithfull brother which can shew vs what blemish remaineth to annoy and hurt vs. Thus vsing both remedies and reasons from time to time for this must be no worke of a dayes or a yeares continuance with feruent prayer to God both to see and cast out such excrements we shall not need to doubt but that we shall be blessed in our worke And yet this I will adde because I know that the matter which I haue set downe for the redresse of couetousnesse will sauour but harshly in the tast of worldly minded Christians that I do not in all that I haue sayd speake or except against any libertie that God alloweth his people about the vse of the world for some will be ready so to gather For concerning skill and wisedome in mens trades dealings and occupyings I am so farre from counting them points or properties of couetousnesse that I hold them for comely ornaments if they be not choaked and ouer-growne with the weedes of their corruptions Yea I say more that ignorance and vnskilfulnesse if ye except the contrarie extremities subtilty and craftinesse is one of the greatest occasions of euill dealing among men Also I deny not but that forecasting and thrifty prouidence in a familie is both lawfull and meete and that no more be spent then for necessarie and comfortable vse to make prouision also of things needfull in the fittest time so as it be without fraudulent dealing in fore-hand bargaines also good husbandrie warinesse in their doings sure bindings of men in their contracts and couenants and sufficient securitie for mortalitie sake euen betwixt the best by writings or witnesse and a taking heed of suretiship as Salomon willeth that one be not vndone by another diligence also in mens callings with such other like religion and Gods word alloweth them all And all to this end that the more outward dangers a man can auoide the more free he may be to liue godly But seeing it falleth out commonly that the wisest are the worldliest and these fore-mentioned liberties are much abused of earthly minds and such do too easily passe their bounds and much nigardly nipping go vnder the cloake of frugalitie and honest sparing therefore these fore-mentioned liberties which being well vsed are also commendable vertues grow into ill report among the ignorant and vnstayed which otherwise are not reproachfull neither deserue any blame And this I haue spoken to meet with an obiection which might rise in the minds of some by occasion of that which went before And if this content them not they shew themselues iustly to be suspected of worse meaning then in their obiection they pretend As for them who say If they had riches they might ioynt their enemies and stand against them and do many other things which now they cannot for want of them it is not worth the answering For God doth not giue these his blessings to men to bestow them on their lusts but to profitable and necessarie vses And where men do not make that reckoning of them and learne not to be maisters ouer them rather then to be seruants and slaues to them what one among a thousand is the better but the worse for them And therefore to a reasonable man I would say What if we could in diet and apparell countenance and controling of others flourish and please our selues also in other iolity libertie and exercise what were we the better All men see that we may want these better then the pairing of our nailes and that we may please God better without them and that we shall not haue so many things to let and hinder vs if we be free from them We haue promise of sufficiencie if we desire to liue vnder his gouernemnt and without that cursed is all plentie But here an end of this matter
owne soule Now therefore in so many assaults by so many occasions taken against vs and that euerie day one or other yea many of them by so malitious and subtile an enemy to no lesse danger of ours then the losing of our soules who escapeth vnlesse he be armed What wise man will not prouide carefully against these and such like annoyances And if he know not how yet he will count his labour best bestowed in learning then shall he vnderstand his way aright and know that he walketh in safety And thus doth Salomon describe a wise man saying It is the wisedome of the prudent to vnderstand and his way This I haue sayd that the Reader may see what manifold lets there are first in our selues through the corruption that is within vs and then without vs by the Diuell raised vp against vs which is not perswaded to many as were meete it should that we may see iust cause to be better acquainted with the armour of Christians and other helpes before mentioned by the which onely God hath appointed safe deliuerance from these forementioned lets and annoyances He who shall be found willing to liue after a Christian direction daily shall more easily be brought to feare and so withstand these and like occasions that they disguise him not making him to seeme as other men who feare not God Wherein more specially we must looke to our selues that we wisely auoide and preuent the occasion of these seeing we know how we haue smarted by them and when we cannot altogether auoide them yet to arme our selues by resolute couenant and feruent prayer against them and when we haue bene ouercome by any of them we must see it and marke our weaknesse and pray more earnestly and giue not ouer and Gods grace shall be sufficient for vs both to quiet our minds by hope of pardon and to weaken our sinnes afterwards And by these impediments from the constant holding out in a godly life it may be seene that it is no idle occupation to be a true Christian and to continue so and that his worke is not a ceremonious tasking of himselfe with reading some prayers or other things when he thinks good or be inioyned it which yet as litle labour as it costeth men would be neglected oft both of minister and people if they were not tied to it Also we may see what need the seruants of God haue to guard themselues strongly and so to abide as hath bene shewed before and to be acquainted with Sathans crafts and pollicies and by what means they be repelled and resisted And that their temptations are somtime so forcible that they are not subdued and ouercome but giue them a fall into some open sinne for the which cause S. Paul admonisheth that men quench not the spirit 1. Thes 5.19 yea into the same sinne after repentance but to the end they may rise againe by the remedies appointed for them by the Lord himselfe in that behalfe And here we may see therefore how they be tossed as the ship by the waues of the sea sometime aloft in vaine hope and confidence that they are safe and in good estate and yet nothing so and at other times cast downe and plunged into the depth and bottome of feares yea of very dispairing which was the estate of Peter when neither he nor any other when he forsware his maister thought he could haue bene pardoned And this is their miserie that they are euer for the most part caried when they be not well stayed and fast setled in faith and hope into extremities And yet a thing most admirable they are neuer safer thē when they are thus exercised For as the yron that is vnoccupied doth soone waxe rustie and the stone that lieth still is couered with mosse so they if they be not examining and obseruing themselues considering their state watching ouer their hearts fore-seeing dangers comming and learning experience by things past and in such like maner occupied for the time present they waxe barren and vnprofitable euen the best and in time do breake out dangerously And as they are in no estate safer then when they are thus exercised so would not they themselues be put out of that course neither are weary of it though they depriue themselues of many liberties thereby but desire to hold constantly in that well fenced and safe course this being added That they may haue the grace which is sufficient for them Furthermore by these impediments with their like so many and sore the faithfull may see what they are beholding to God how deeply they be indebted to him that for all the rage and violence of their temptations yea so sore as sometime they may commit a sinne of presumption and be in some kind of dispairing yet God sendeth a calme againe and a deliuerance out of their deepest sorrowes and feares For as Iacob wrastled with the Angell and when he was hurt would not depart til he had blessed him euen so the seruants of God haue conflicts with the Lord himselfe who keepeth them downe with one hand and holdeth them vp with the other that so he may exercise their faith that it may not be vnoccupied Last of all by this doctrine of the lets of faith and godlinesse in the children of God that they shine not out so clearly in them we may see that they behaue not themselues in their striuing against sin and in going vnder their afflictions as the wicked do who the more loade the Lord layeth on them the more they murmure and rebell but they when they haue the greatest sufferings they striue to trust in him and in some measure do so and are strengthened with greater power of Christ and ioyfulnes Col. 1.11 Also they though they feele the power and rebellion of sinne as well as the other yet they hate it with a perfite hatred and would not be drawne with the coardes of it at all and so looke to Gods mercy through Christ But the other would not let go their hold of sinne the tast thereof is so sweet to them if they breake off it is against their will and for feare of Gods wrath neither lay they hold indeed of pardon These obseruations Gods seruants may make by this doctrine of the lets and many other such to their singular benefit And what should I say more For it were infinite almost to say all that might be sayd to the like purpose Now it remaineth that in few words they be put in mind that they acquaint themselues better and better with the Christian life and daily delight and solace themselues in it I meane in one part or other of it for it hath great variety For howsoeuer there fall out many difficulties in their liues yet know they that they shall be fewer and weaker as they themselues grow more in knowledge and stronger in faith and other grace
to our callings to the hindering of the same as being ministers to attend to reading or being priuate men to labour euery man as it hath behoued him And thus much for the proofe of the iustnesse of our complaint and of the causes thereof CHAP. 14. Of the second part of the Couenant namely The remedies against the complaint mentioned in the former Chapter NOW forasmuch as in the weighing of the truth of these things we could not but be grieued heartily as who can behold so great depth of corruption and the fruite of the same so many wayes with deadly vncomfortablenesse threatning his confusion but must needs seeke and vse all possible meanes speedily to pull himselfe out again we therefore immediatly after the due consideration of our wofull condition turned our selues to bethinke vs what remedies we might apply to this fall if thereby we might possibly recouer our selues againe and also make them helpes for hereafter that we may as well continue in a fruitfull and cheareful course vnto the end of our liues as at all to returne into the right way againe First therefore we thought thus and tooke order as followeth that such of vs as did find our fals to be so great and our offences so dangerous that either for our too too great delight in them or long lying therein we could not by our vsuall prayers and humiliation or by helpe of any ordinarie and daily practises of repentance by hearing the word and preparing our selues for the Lords supper come to peace of conscience and obtaine confidence and godly boldnesse with the Lord such I say should humble our selues before the Lord with fasting and prayer without which meanes such diuels are hardly cast out Especially because we had let go the hold of our faith and had suffered the same to faile in vs which when it commeth to passe what can there be in our life but meere vnsauourinesse to speake of the best our fasting tended to this that we might more forcibly pray for the recouerie of our faith and cleare beholding of Gods louing kindnesse restored to vs againe That in such manner we being abased in his presence as there is iust cause that such should be and beleeuing againe his old accustomed mercy we might in some good measure be purged from our former vnsauourinesse yea noysome vncleanenesse and so made fit to renue our couenant with the Lord againe concerning more holy walking with him And if we should find that our hearts might be brought to vnfained displeasure with our selues for our former defaults without fasting then we determined to turne vnto the Lord with all our hearts in sinceritie so as we might obtaine comfort and release at his handes as if fasting had bene adioyned thereunto After this our couenant was to know our hearts better how euill they are what falshood ficklenesse lightnesse and such like naughtinesse and varietie of corrupt affections we carie about vs that thereby we may be enforced to take more paine to weaken them daily For we saw that if we be not diligent to search them out as by occasion we shall be moued to do we shall both walke in continuall vnsetlednesse and in an vncomfortable estate because we can go about nothing but some one of these or other shall be espied to carie vs some way amisse in the same And thus we purposed to note and find them out in vs by a diligent view of and taking heed vnto our waies that so we may be in daily combate with them A worthie worke therefore and commendable we saw it to take knowledge of them and not to be content to be blind in the beholding of them because we are neither easily brought to confesse and see them and yet that he which hideth them shall not prosper that so we may behold more filth and venome in them then we would haue thought could haue bene in vs. And we agreed that if we shold be vnwilling to discouer this packe that euen this willingnesse to hide them is one of the most daungerous euils among the rest Now further because the knowledge of our hearts if we stay there I meane of the manifold euill lusts of them doth make vs the more headie and greedie to fulfill them when we know them by the lawe of God to be condemned in vs we haue further faithfully determined to watch ouer them with all diligence that neither any of those which haue alreadie bene mentioned neither any other as farre as we may know them may lurke or haue their abode within vs with our liking but that we may purge them out and not those only which are apparently grosse but euen such as are more secret being not yet come neare their ripenesse and therefore wheresoeuer we become or in whatsoeuer we haue to do not to neglect this part of Christian dutie but especially there and then where and when we suspect or haue cause to feare more danger thereby as in vehement and strong temptations and grieuous and long continuing afflictions there to stand the more vpon our watch c. So that whether we be in companie or alone in dealings abroad or matters at home by one occasion or by other yet still to haue this purpose fixed in vs that as farre as our fraile memorie will suffer vs to remember it we may go forward in the watching and obseruing of them Which must the rather be done because as the heart is the fountaine of life and frō thence we haue it That we liue so from thence we must fetch the beginning of well liuing from an euill and vncleane heart commeth no part of good life no more then good fruite from an euill tree But all the abhomination of the life euen the most odious and vile as adulterie murther idolatrie heresie c. they haue their beginning there they are conceiued and nourished there they haue their proceeding from thence and God is long and grieuously dishonoured there for the most part before man by the fruite of it can be or is offended So that as by the Romains law it was streightly enacted that their springs should be carefully preserued from all filth which might attaint and poyson them that their riuers and water conduits might be sweet and wholesome so it must necessarily be that the heart of man being once renued and made cleane it should be kept and continued so that being a good treasurie good things may be brought out of it continually of all sorts as occasion shall require For here we take it as graunted that all which shall haue their part in this couenāt or haue already desired to haue must be renued in their minds and haue their hearts purged and made cleane by faith in the Sonne of God whereby their sinnes may be defaced and all their old conuersation pardoned their soules through the same with most comfortable and sound peace enlightened and so their hearts purified both to will and
to complaine of and what is more required of vs then that which we do that thus we may be set forward counselled and confirmed and seeing what course we ought to take for the bringing of this to passe we may be stablished in a Christian life For it doth not a litle helpe to haue this communion with some Also that we our selues should be helpers of others where either any do require the same duty of vs or through bashfulnesse dare not be bold or through simplicity cannot do it yet we seeing that they stand in need of such counsell and direction should through loue shew them what we can and what we haue learned in this behalfe And here we purposed for the hope of the great fruite of this communion to auoide strangenesse which as it breaketh off all profit betwixt vs so it giueth feare of some secret conceiptednesse and that much loue is wanting This direction if it be read ouer as we shall see cause and may do it cōueniently with a mind desirous as wel to see what is amisse in vs as also in faithfulnesse to vse these remedies we may be bold the Lord working by meanes to assure our selues that we shall not labour herein in vaine And when we haue attained hereto we determined not to rest in that but to be directed still by such rules as Gods word doth minister to vs. Now hauing set downe remedies by which we may raise vp our selues out of any declinings from a godly life we added some reasons to perswade vs thereto for as much as we may be sure that hinderances and discouragements inough shall meete with vs to withhold vs. First this that by such a course and seeking to walke with God as the former remedies do direct vs vnto we are brought to a most sweet and holy communion with the Lord in comparison whereof nothing is to be desired For it is an honor and prerogatiue which the world neither knoweth neither can attaine vnto To get principalitie ouer him who is the prince of the world that is the diuell and to obtaine grace against our owne euill hearts in well ruling them which is a greater honour then to subdue kingdomes Also that hereby we haue libertie with godly boldnesse to come before the Lord in our complaints and prayers being assured that whatsoeuer we shall aske of him according to his will it shall be granted vs and that our peace and comfort hereby is so great that none who hath but euen tasted of it would chaunge his estate for any other and that the conscience of such men is not beaten and disquieted with hellish and fearefull torments In this case a man need not feare malicious accusations because he hath bene circumspect in looking to his wayes and therefore deseruedly euill speeches can take no hold of him seeing he that is carefull to please God cannot iustly incurre the rebukes of men As for euil tidings he is free from the feare of them because he hath armed himselfe to looke for the hardest And they who like not this state which al things considered shall be found to be the richest part and best portion they must feede themselues with folly and take their fill in vanitie till their miserie ouertake them in the mid way and destruction meete with them when they litle thinke vpon it Moreouer howsoeuer this indeuouring after a godly life hath euer of the world bene litle regarded yet the happiest and men of greatest commendation for godlinesse haue alwaies preferred it and made it as the flower of their garland and the crowne of their reioycing we haue a cloud of witnesses and not all in one age who haue walked with God euen from Enoch and thereabout to this day who testified this daily looking to their liues to be the best thing of all Now if by these and such like perswasions we be brought to like of it we faithfully couenanted with our selues to vse these remedies which haue bene set downe for continuance and to make our beginnings sound and substantiall so as they may be able to beare and vphold the waight of all that shall presse them downe For although our temptations be strong and many yet may none of them preuaile thus farre as to make vs breake off this our happie couenant for if we be not strongly armed against this we shall easily find that hinderances enough will arise which will quickly weaken the power of our best purposes and frustrate all that we haue taken in hand Here will inward lets come in our way and those of many sorts as to thinke it more then needeth to liue thus also that many who are godly do not thus the inordinate loue of some speciall sinne may withhold vs and much dulnesse vnprofitablenesse and rebellion may make vs vtterly vnable to hold foorth this course Many outward discouragements also and hinderances will be readie here to stand in our way as houshold troubles and disquietnesse by them disorder in seruants and children vntowardnesse and ill successe in businesse want of blessing somtimes where it was hoped for losses c. also much toyling occupying our selues about these things below with neglect of our heauenly and christian calling These are some of a great number and the commonest whereby holy duties do most easily grow out of place and vse with vs. Let this rule therefore said we be well regarded of vs and that which followeth shall be the easier for many loathsome wearinesses will in short time arise which if it be possible will breake vs off from this enterprise After this we said that if we with diligence continue it we must beware we make not a common thing of it so as though we vse it yet no fruite nor blessing returne to vs by it The which as it falleth out most vsually in the doing of good things so in this the best of others it is most to be feared In the first setting vpon many duties some chearefulnesse may be seene in vs and some time and trauell bestowed but alas within a very short time we grow full of them they become irkesome and tedious to vs and though we do not vtterly breake them off yet we may perceiue that without any great sweetnesse and delight we go about them The reason hereof is that our fleshly hearts can like of no good thing long If therefore either of these two wayes we depriue our selues of the benefite of growing forward by these forenamed remedies that is by the negligent vsing of them or the leauing off of them yet the fault must be quickly espied and not long lyen in for that is more dangerous then can easily be beleeued To the better attaining hereof we may vnderstand that we may grow to a commonnesse in a good thing two wayes either when we be in prosperity in which estate it will be very hard to see our great need to vse feruencie and zeale in holy
finger were dipped in water to coole my tongue for I am tormented in this flame And without it I meane where this is not inioied I doe maruell that vaine deceiueable and transitorie yea loathsome and filthy pleasures are so hunted after as they be euen till they iustle out all remembrance and regard of heauenly things altogether And this sweet liberty peculiar to Gods children which I now speake of is so much the greater by this that we may inioy it all the day long and so throughout our life and are not stinted nor tied to one houre or time wherein we may possesse it and also because the longer time we be partakers of it the sweeter it is vnto vs seeing we doe the better know the benefit of it and that none hath power to depriue vs of it And thus much of the first priuiledge namely The certeintie of our saluation whiles we are in this life which if we weigh throughly what we haue beene and what we haue deserued will I thinke be thought no small nor meane gift but great and woonderfull and yet proper to the beleeuers so that all people which shall vnderstand it may woorthily and for good cause commend the Christians life to the which it properly perteineth and wish and trauell to imbrace and be partakers of it most willingly euen as we read that in ages past it was said by the Lord that ten men out of all languages of the nations shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Iew and say We will goe with you for we haue heard that God is with you Zach. 8.23 And if there were no other priuiledge but this one to be inioied whiles we liue heere yet were our porcion exceeding great seeing so many thousands who heare of it would thinke their estate right happy and good if after many yeeres paine and heauinesse in seeking it they might inioy it But glory be to God on high these are not all the precious benefits and prerogatiues which God hath willingly bequeathed his seruants besides all other outward blessings which they haue in common with the vnbeleeuers Of these therefore or some of them which either they doe or may enioy daily in the seuerall actions and parts of their liues to make the same well pleasing to God acceptable to men and more easie and sweet to themselues then the most doe finde them of these I say it followeth next to say some thing CHAP. 3. Of the second Priuiledge namely That God is with his alwaies after he hath assured them of his fauour BVt to passe to the second if they might onely know that they shall be saued after they depart out of this world and should in the meane while be neglected and left as orphans desolate and exposed to all iniuries and discomforts the priuiledge which I haue spoken of should be the lesse although nothing is to be compared vnto it but God hath promised ouer and beside that to haue a fatherly care ouer them euen in this life also and to testifie his loue plentifully vnto them many other waies which special care he hath not of other though he suffereth them to liue 1. Tim. 4.10 Also he is their shelter from tempests and stormes of troubles and keepeth them safe vnder his protection as the hen doth the chickens vnder her wing yea he keepeth them as the apple of his eie and counteth them his friends communicating with them his secrets and declaring and making knowen to them the hidden treasures of his kingdome and in euery estate will saue and vpholde them by his prouidence so that they may prosper and be well liking in respect of other though they haue all outward abundance And if God who is rich in all good things and hath all power in his hands be their shepheard what can they want if he be with them as he is who can be against them if he honour them whose disgracing of them can hurt them yea if he make them blessed who can depriue them of it But when I haue said what I can of their estate I must confesse I haue said little so great and precious are the particular prerogatiues which they haue bequeathed vnto them And yet beholde in this high account they are with God alwaies when his anger is kindled against other which are his enemies And what comfort may be conceiued by the beleeuing considering and applying of all these unto the faithfull heart And that I may the easilier perswade the weake Christian that these things are not little consider if any one of these commodities which I haue said doe by Gods free grant pertaine to the beleeuers that by some one they may value and esteeme the rest consider therefore first the honor that they haue in being called The seruants of God than the which title and name the angels haue no greater to declare the honour that goeth with it which partly may appeare by another comparison and that also more familiar to vs. For looke how high and honourable the office and place is that is inioyed vnder a Prince whither it be L. Chancellor Treasurer or the like more than the same is vnder an inferior person euen so by many degrees the honour of being seruant vnto the most high is farre greater than all other which here may be attained And yet as though this were not enough to be called The seruants of the Almighty Christ himselfe setteth out their estate to be yet more glorious when he saith I haue not called you seruants but friends to whom I haue communicated my secrets and minde vnto the which a seruant is not commonly admitted And yet euen this is not so admirable if it be laied with that which in another place is written That God hath adopted vs to be his sonnes and heires yea fellow-heires with Christ himselfe Not much vnlike hereunto is that which is written in another place If ye will keepe my commandements ye shall be to me the most precious of all the earth though all the earth be mine If the godly be his precious treasure how can they but be delighted in of him safely kept also and preserued from all that might annoy them and being so deare vnto him how will he suffer them to want any thing that is good And therefore Kings for their honour they are called though not earthly inferior to the angels indeed but yet through hope the most precious people among all nations though all the earth be his whereby they rule ouer Sathan the prince of this world by faith and tread vnder their feet the kingdome of darknesse and sinne and so become conquerors ouer him and the world For the Scripture teacheth them this wisdome the spirit giueth them this grace and witnesseth this to be true that he which hath faith ouercommeth the world that is maketh that which is in it as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye
doe in vs except we should prouide so that much vntowardnesse and awkenesse in Gods seruice which is wont either to breake it off or to be the greatest hinderance therein be remoued or at least resisted Which shall not be hard to doe if we daily consider that he hath promised to make vs fitte for that which he sets vs about and that we beleeuing his said promise shall finde the trueth of it in vs our hearts incouraged our backewardnesse and slougth repelled or much abated as Iosua and other his faithfull seruants haue done which grace if it may be obtained of vs and who doth not see cleerely that it may I meane that all true Christians may obtaine willingnesse and cheerefulnesse in their daily duties doing and to be much freed from the contrary vntowardnesse and vnfitnesse which is the greatest let that can stand in their way if I saie God haue prouided so mercifully for his that they may with delight walke in his waies set themselues to watch against their infirmities and so in their common dealings and actions practise a godly and innocent life and that they may doe earthly businesse with heauenly minds which the vnreformed cannot in the least manner attaine vnto I conclude this priuiledge as the former that the Lord hath in giuing this gift vnto his children bestowed an vnualuable blessing and prerogatiue vpon them and let vs waite for and inioy it and when we faile most acknowledge such weaknesse that we may find release of it from God and if any of his finde it not neither see it to be so it is their vnbeleefe which depriueth them of such a treasure but when they enter into Gods sanctuary they shall see it farre otherwise This were worthy to be harkened after some perhaps will say if we might indeed attaine heereto But what triumph call ye this ouer sathan and sinne when the best of vs are priuy to this that we are carried by them both to doe that which we know to be displeasing vnto God For besides this that some perticular sinnes doe draw vs through the deceitfull inticements thereof the diuill changing himselfe into an angell of light to winde vs in the more subtilely there are also strong corruptions which breake out in vs preuailing dangerously to the hindring of vs from many good duties and that often times as in the examples of Iob Dauid and Peter it may appeare These two obiections of great waight doubtlesse I must first answere before I goe further And first of the formost though they I meane the Godly be not voide of the sinnes which I haue spoken of yet that hindreth not the honour which God hath set them in and giuen vnto them For there is left in the most holy a strife betwixt the spirit and the flesh and that for this purpose by the lord himselfe euen in his elect as the Apostle teacheth by his owne example not that they should perish but partly lest they should looke to triumph before the victory which sathan would most of all wish partly that the best men being priuy to their owne weaknes and that throughout their life might not rest vpon their owne strength but alwaies depend vpon God yea and further also for this cause he doth it that the more hard the combat is and their strife with sathan sinne the more vehement the more glorious might the victory appeare And therefore as it is in warre and battels fought amongst men we doe not measure the victory by any thing done one either side whiles they are contending or skirmishing for the vhemency of the one or the remissenesse of the other neither will we count him a coward who shall be grieuously wounded no although he sometime giue backe like one which is ouercome so as he doe afterwards take heart and courage to himselfe againe euen so in this spirituall fight conflict when we shal see the good Christian to be ouer-matched as it were for the time driuen to hard distresse by sustaining the shame and reproch of some euill action committed or ranke rebellion nourished which is no lesse then if a man should in war loose some member of his body yet must we not thinke that the spirit hath yeelded it selfe vnto the flesh neither hath beene ouercome of it though sore and greuiously wounded if it shall by the feeling of the smart which it tooke by the sinne committed gather againe greater heart of detestation against it and strength and courage by spirituall armour to repell sathans poisoned dartes for heereafter Now of the examples and first of Iob yee will say How could he cry out as he doeth in the third chapter against the day of his birth crie out I say yea howle and charge God but he must needs shew himselfe to be ouercome of the flesh There is no doubt I graunt but that his aduersary the deuill did now make full reckoning that he should fall into very loathsome blasphemy and vtter desperation and it cannot be denied but that he was caried verie farre out of the way But yet as he is not to be freed from all fault so he is not to be further charged then he gaue iust cause forasmuch as the Lord himselfe doeth so determine the controuersie in the end whose sentence no man doubteth but that it was most righteous that although he reprooue him yet of his singular goodnesse he doth not make his fault so heinous but chargeth his three friends as the chiefe prouokers of him to that euill which he did and crowneth him as it were for that in so great a combat by his valiant wrestling he had preuailed yet for our further edification let vs see somewhat more particularly into this action directing our selues by that which the Lord hath said of him I say therefore that Iob sinned many waies but yet through humane frailty For his intemperate speech proceeded not from a setled and constant purpose of the mide but was wrung from the exceeding greatnesse of his griefe and paine which hindred for the time all sense and light of faith iudgement in him For in that he thought he could by no other meanes be deliuered from those so great euils which he suffered but by death it shewed that he did not throughly nor sufficiently weigh the power and might of God In that he wished either that he had neuer beene borne or together with his birth to haue died it must needs be granted that it was a speech of a man little considering what he said but which had forgotten what great mercies he had receiued yea what he himselfe had sometime vttered .i. If we haue receiued prosperitie from the Lord why should we not suffer aduersitie in that he earnestly wished deliuerance from his suffrings but asked it not of God it bewraied a minde in him sore troubled And lastly in that he had regard onely to his owne quiet and ease and thought at that time
depriued of that which yet he was made to hope for Nay therefore the Scripture putteth it out of all doubt saying after That he triumphed ouer sathan in token that he had found nothing in him to ouerthrow him as he saith himselfe I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith from henceforth is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse Therefore we see how God keepeth his from shamefull euils while they beleeue that he will do so and maketh an holy and Christian life their comfort And yet all these and other such excellent priuiledges which appertaine vnto them are no more then God did see they should stand in need of as I said in the former priuiledge to helpe them beare the burden of tribulation reproch and other discouragements which heere meet with them which would shake them so as they would make them to faint vtterly if they were not vpholden with props and staies most mighty CHAP. 6. Of the fourth priuiledge How the godly may rise againe when they are fallen THe fourth priuiledge doth most fitly goe and agree with these three former although much differing from them and therefore I doe adioine it as the next in order thereto And it is this that if at any time his beloued ones doe by any occasion fall from their setled course into any offence whereby their consciences are wounded and accuse them or be by strong delusion perswaded that God is highly displeased with them yet this liberty they haue giuen them of God to returne to him with certaine perswasion that he wil neuer cast them off but will receiue them into fauour againe from which it seemed to them that they were debarred whereas they who were neuer conuerted vnto God can haue no such warrant neither desire it vnlesse it be in their feare And yet I speake not this as though I went about to debar such from imbracing Gods mercy offered them who I exhort earnestly to seeke it speedily But as for the other there is no iust cause why they should cast away their confidence and doubt or feare that the Lord hath forsaken them as the most of them through ignorance and vnbeleefe doe too readily conceiue and perswade themselues For if any of them sinne they haue an Aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous who is a propitiation for their sinnes to the end they may be incouraged to rise vp out of their falles againe And if it were not thus that they might be receiued againe after some grieuous offence what incouragement were there to any Christian to striue against sinne and seeke to liue godly seeing one time or other the frowardest may be ledde into that sinne which he neuer thought he should haue beene deceiued by So that God would haue vs know not onely that we may rise vp from our falles and returne to him againe as to our father but also he commandeth vs so to do and looketh for it at our hands and is offended if we doe it not as may plainely appeare by his owne wordes in the prophet Ieremy Doe men fall and not rise againe or goe out of the way and not returne I waited and looked and there was no man that said What haue I done If God wait and looke for it that such as haue peruersly offended should returne and taketh it ill at their hands that they doe not is it to be doubted whether they may or no Yet more may be said to this purpose Me thinks that which our sauiour Christ speaketh to Peter is admirable who was not content to teach him this doctrine among other Of the returne of a straying sheepe but because he would strongly arme him against dispaire at the time when he should fall into that deepe gulfe of denying him he saith vnto him Simon Simon Sathan hath desired you to sift you as it were wheat but I haue praied for thee that thy faith faile not and when thou shalt be conuerted strengthen thy brethren Wherein most louingly and wisely although couertly hee forewarneth him that though Sathan should driue him farre from his standing and almost gleane him out from the rest of his fellows as an Apostate yet for all that he should not remaine separate from him through vnbeleefe afraide to come home to him againe but in any wise thinke that he must returne and for more sure token thereof he should afterward cōuert others seeing by his experience he should be best able to perswade them as hauing most deeply fallen himself and therefore might hardliest of others haue beene raised vp againe and pardoned And to a singular end did the Lord Iesus speake thus to him and in fit season lest Peter after his fall should haue beene affraid to arise for which cause also he did incourage him when sending to his disciples to meet him in Galily he expressely named Peter among the rest saying Go tell the disciples and Peter that I goe before them into Galily lest Peter should else haue thought that he had not bin worthy to be counted a disciple Mar. 16.7 And if it were not so that all weake ones falling by any occasion might be raised vp againe and the poore wandring soules brought home but must vtterly perish and be lost to what end should these and many other like Scriptures serue Brethren if any be fallen by infirmitie thou that art spirituall that is hast more strength of the spirit then they helpe to hold them vp in the spirit of meekenesse that so they may be fast setled in their former faith and hope againe And also the parable of the straying sheepe vpon the mountaines which with all diligence was sought vp againe till it were found and not let goe and lost for euer Besides who knoweth not that it is one vse of the ministery of the word as we reade in the prophet Ezekiel to strengthen confirme and stablish those who hauing had a taste of the life to come yet are haled and caried from their staied course by the deceitfulnesse of sinne and the world also to heale the sicke and to binde vp the broken c For the which cause the Apostle desired to come to the Thessalonians often to supplie that which might be wanting in any of them and if a man must oft and in great iniuries remit his brother will not God who teacheth others to be mercifull doe much more Therefore this ought to be out of all question and controuersie that the brother who hath forsaken the good way which leadeth to life and is intangled in the world or snared in the false and deceiueable pleasures of it or any other way is turned aside after sathan yet is not cast off from being cared for of the Lord but hath large liberty and great incouragement to returne contrary to that cursed opinion of the Nouatian heretikes Which if it be so who
sundry respects more pleasant and quiet then they be which causeth some that see it to be thus with diuers Christians and yet that these their troubles are not for well doing but by their owne folly and procuring causeth them I say to be so farre from the loue of true religion as they be for whose sake if we will not doe it to make our owne liues more comfortable we should abstaine from offences seeing the woe that is pronounced will otherwise certainly come vpon vpon vs Woe to him that causeth another to fall But such men are ready to excuse and answere for themselues saying that all cannot be alike nor all cannot doe as some may which obiection vnlesse it be of pure simplicity is a signe rather that they will goe forward then seeke to recouer But whatsouer or whose soeuer it be I answer Let the weake indeauour to follow the stronger and if any haue attained to more then other in knowledge and experience of the minde and will of God of them let others learne and take such for their example but let none please themselues in that which they doe as though they could not attaine to any better but aime at further ripenesse and measure of perfection deadly disliking their smallest sinnes rather then excusing and defending those which are great and then it shall be verified that is written to their no small comfort To him that hath it shall be giuen and he shall haue aboundance and he that seeketh in humility shall finde and inioy plentiously and he that reuerenceth the gifts and graces of other shall haue a part in them himselfe and not enuy other for them And as for the troubles which we speake of let no man thinke that we may reioice in them seeing we are dehorted frō them by the Apostle Peter saying Let no man suffer as an euil doer seeing they are for iust cause vpon vs to vexe disquiet vs rather then that they can be any matter of ioy and gladnes to vs except by godly sorrow they bring vs to repentance which alas is the least part of their thought who commit them The Lord taketh no pleasure in seeing vs to trouble our selues and by our sinnes to bring vexation into our liues but sheweth vs in his worde how much it displeaseth him that we should be so much our owne foes and vnwise for our owne good and that we should by our sinnes hold so many good things from vs. For so doth the prophet tell vs that our sinnes keepe many blessings from vs. And if they be our sinnes that is our knowen sinnes our wilfull sinnes and those which are committed through our owne default and folly then let vs thanke our selues and let vs charge our sinnes and not the Lord in that while we suffer so great and many troubles by them we haue reaped thereby the iust fruite of our owne labours And seeing the sinne might and ought to haue bene auoided therefore such troubles as they haue caused might also haue beene preuented And this is that which I haue gone about to prooue for the comfort of my bretheren that many of vs who belong to the Lord doe finde more troubles and afflictions then we neede to doe and that through our owne sinne And therfore I conclude seeing it is so that the Lord who guideth his seruants in a more holy course then many of the other sort are content to be guided in doth thereby grant them this priuiledge and liberty that they doe escape and are deliuered from infinite troubles and calamities which others who count godlinesse to strict and precise a course for them doe oft rush and runne into Oh that this might enter into them deepely and doe them good for whose cause chiefely I haue spoken it I meane many of Gods people who although they haue some loue to their brethren and imbrace the gospell heartely and reuerently and haue many other good things in them it behooueth me so to iudge of them yea generally they propound to themselues a good course namely to liue after the gospell yet particularly are such in their liues as bring small glory to the gospell but passe ouer many parts of their liues with very sleight examination as they doe also the gouernment of their hearts Which faults notwithstanding they be conuinced of yet will they not yeeld but goe forward in them still and as for those things which they may lawfully doe although they offend neuer so manifoldly in and about the same in maner of doing them yet will they by no meanes be counselled to redresse that which is amisse in whom it is no hard thing to see how deare they pay for their liberties which they will haue whatsoeuer they cost them They would hold peace with God and sometimes finde comfort in good things but when that faileth as it doth very oft their liues would become very irkesome and tedious vnto them if they made not themselues mery in some earthly and transitory thing and so they make flesh their arme which is to deny the Almighty Their defence for that they doe not more particularly direct their waies aright is that Iesus Christ hath giuen them liberty and set them free and that they haue no discretion who vrge their bretheren so strictly and such like which all are but figge leaues to couer their nakednesse For they see though they would not oftentimes that thus liuing they please not God neither if they aduisedly marke it doe they please themselues Their disquietnesses checks of conscience and secret accusations they cannot but feele and many outward troubles do meet with them as hath beene said and while they seeke the cause afarre off beholde it is neere vnto them yea at hand euen within them their will their vntamed affections the sturdinesse and vnrulinesse of their hearts and this their sinne hath found them out These therefore I exhort to consider with no worse minds than I haue written it what hath beene said and the Lord giue them grace so to doe yea and let such godly Christians whose teeth yet do sometime water at the dainties of those though they see what sorrow and reproch they susteine for them thanke God heartily that they taste not of such poisoned dainties with them But now that I haue shewed how the Lord doth preserue them from sundrie yea infinite troubles who set their hearts to walke with him in one thing as in another beholde such honour and prerogatiues his seruants may haue I cannot passe by the deuillish and yet foolish policie of some who do shun to be religious of purpose because they would be void of sorrow and trouble They sing the song of the rich man in S. Luke that in their life time they will haue their pleasure whatsoeuer it cost them when their reckoning commeth in and of the Epuicure Let vs eat and drinke c. and say with the
mightily preuaile we beleeuing withall that he is faithfull who hath promised and calleth vs heereto who will also doe the same to quicken vs to the bearing of the burden though otherwise heauy and in it selfe intollerable Also in another sort these The afflictions of this present life are not worthy of the glory which shall be shewed vnto vs And againe Our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre more excellent and eternall weight of glory while we looke not on the things temporall which are seene but on things not seene which are eternall Also If we suffer with Christ we shall also be glorified with him All which duely considered with the like are able to make vs bow to the bearing of such difficulties as our mercifull father shall see meet to try vs with The examples of our Sauiour his Apostles and other holy martirs whom we count blessed which haue suffered for a good conscience haue no small force to perswade vs. Of our Sauiour it is said when the holy Ghost wisheth Christians to run with patience the race that is set before them Looke to Iesus the author and finisher of your faith who for the ioy that was set before him indured the crosse and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the throne of God Consider therefore him that indured such speaking against of sinners lest yee should be wearied and faint in your mindes Of the Apostles Paule writeth this We are afflicted on euery side yet are we not in distresse we are persecuted but not forsaken cast downe but we perish not alwaies deliuered to death for Iesus sake that the life of Iesus may be made manifest in our mortall flesh And againe Chastened but not killed sorrowing yet alwaies reioicing as poore yet making many rich as hauing nothing yet possessing all things Of the Martyrs this is said They were tried with mockings and scourgings yea moreouer by bonds and imprisonment they were stoned they were hewen asunder they were slaine with the sword they wandred vp and downe in sheepe skinnes and in goat skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented whom the world was not woorthy of they wandred in wildernesses and mountaines and dennes and caues of the earth Oh how should these glorious examples with those who suffred death ioifully in our remembrance for the gospell I say how should they draw our hearts and incourage vs to set light by our liues when the Lord will require them at our hands And to adde the fourth and last kind of perswasions to set vs forward in this worke of the Lord which is hindred in vs not a little by thinking what we forgoe and leaue behinde vs if we should be ready to suffer persecution for Christs sake as our pleasures profits preferments friends to this I answere Besides that our Sauiour saith Whosoeuer forsaketh house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the gospels shall receiue an hundredfold now at this present and in the world to come life euerlasting I say beside this alas what a poore life is this that we lead heere where few haue any great store of pleasures and commodities if they be religoius yet if they haue they haue them with much sorrow feare and vnquietnesse though they haue lawfully come by them And yet besides the vncertainty of them and of life it selfe with reproch vnkindnesses malice ill will and disdaine of our betters the lewd tongues of our inferiors and the repining and emulation of our equals and the wearyings of vs by all sorts vnto the which we are subiect why should there be such shrinking and going backe at the hearing of persecution and death I confesse if it were not for the communion of Saints which we haue in this world with God and his church there is nothing of any weight to mooue a Christian to desire to liue heere especially when the Lord calleth him hence and yet the forgoing of Gods presence in this world is recompenced largely with the inioying of it in the life to come which is alwaies to be preferred before the best estate that may be heere inioied Oh it is not the least peece of our misery that we seeing what little good may be done of vs heere but contrarily how great cause of complaining we haue for that we are led by the law of our members so many waies to euill that we be not for all this able to say euery day Come lord Iesus come quickely we desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ But to end this discourse seeing God hath taught his children to prouide for the hardest and how they may perseuer in a good course vnto the end euen through great tribulations and persecutions and much more when they haue an easier passage without them let this be holden as the greatest of all the rest that they haue this as a singular prerogatiue granted them of God and that thereby they may say in reuerence and confidence Nothing shall separate vs from God neither life nor death neither things present nor things to come And let not this honor and liberty be lost which all the goods of the world cannot redeeme nor buy againe And therefore let vs nourish daily the hope of this perseuerance First by keeping in vs a willingnesse to die as sometimes we doe and so shall we be fit to liue Secondly that we vse oft to meditate of the vanity of all things and of the contempt of the world and set our mindes on things heauenly that so we may preserue and continue that liberty Thirdly that we hold fast our reioicing in Christ daily Fourthly that we mortifie all sinne and keepe it out of loue with vs which is a plucking out of the sting of sinne Fiftly that we inure our selues to beare smaller afflictions which is a part of denying our selues so we shall welcome and goe vnder greater when they come yea euen death it selfe And let vs know that he who indeauours not to hold fast these is like to finde any other estate harder and full of wearinesse And thus much be said of this priuiledge Of the perseuerance of the godly vnto their end and so of all the other which are inioied in this life All which although they be of so singular price as I haue declared yet if they had not other adioined vnto them which are immortall and perpetuall and should then be inioied when these temporary prerogatiues shall be at an end our liues should be but miserable as the Apostle speaketh when he saith If in this life onely we haue hope of Christ we are of all men the most miserable and yet both together vnmatchable CHAP. 14. Of the tenth and last priuiledge inioied perfectly in the life to come but begunne heere SO that when we haue had our part in all these then
The chiefest thing euery morning is to remember Gods loue Gods children not so wise for their good as the bad for theirs Many good Christians haue not halfe the comfort they might haue Ephes 5.18 Deut. 33.12 Psal 90. Vnsetling of our selues from nourishing faith is full of dangers The longer we liue the better we should be Many haue found small cōfort through their life 2. Pet. 1.1 Iames 2.26 2. Pet. 1.5 6 7 Diuers opinions about godlines Matth. 27.3 Mark 6.20 Jt is necessarie to vnderstand wherein a godly life consisteth The necessarie connexion of this treatise with the former Faith and a godly life are as twinnes and goe together The heads of this treatise are foure Ezek. 36.26 Iames 2.18 Where true faith is not there is no good life Ephes 2.3 Heb. 11.6 Gen. 6.5 No good thing in the vnbeleeuer that pleaseth God Gen. 9.6 Prou. 28.9 Psalm 50.16 Gen. 4.4 No new doctrine Jt is hard only to the obstinate 2. Pet. 3.16 None that haue faith can liue wickedly 2. Cor. 5. Proofes of the former Tit. 2.12 Faith is not content with a wandring desire of godlines 2. Cor. 5. Act. 26.28 Gospell despised because it is not knowne Many would be thought beleeuers vvho liue not a godly life Hos 7.8 Rom. 7.4 Phil. 2.12 Ierem. 8.6 Iam. 1.26 Too hastie repentance seldome sound Note Change of life without faith vaine A simile It is vaine to thinke we haue faith without a new life 1. Pet. 3.4 Hos 14.6 Rom. 6.17 Luk. 1.75 Matth. 11.29 Tit. 3.8 Ephes 4.22 The beleeuer must beleeue other promises beside that of saluation 1. Cor. 1.30 1. Tim. 4.8 Also the threats and commaundements Rom. 15.4 The beleeuers doe not thus 1. Cor. 3.1 The cause why A second VVant of this faith worketh much inconuenience Heb. 4.2 Heb. 11.6 Rom. 14.23 The beleeuer must beleeue that he shall be sanctified And particular promises of benefits and deliuerance And precepts and threats euen the word it selfe Rom. 1.5 Examples of such as did st Hebr. 11.8 Iohn 5.46 Ios 6.10 Hebr. 10.38 Gal. 2.19 This kinde of faith not oft beat vpon by teachers The lesse conceiued and in vse with the better kind of hearers Luk. 1.28 Obiection Rom. 7.18 Answere Philip. 4.13 Exod. 5.11 VVhat causeth tedious troubles to many christians The testimonie of good christians An exhortation to the Ministers 2. Pet. 1.12 Matth. 11. Ioh. 10.4 Let faith and godlines be oft taught Phil. 3.1 The same things without vaine repetition and barbarousnes Act. 13.42 Hos 14.2 A simile Matth. 7.25 The heart the fountaine of godly life must first be purged Like heart like life Matth. 12.35 The heart is a dungeon of iniquitie Iam. 3.8 A simile A view of the filthines of the heart Ierem. 17.9 Matth. 15.19 What the purging of sinne is Rom. 6.2 Ephes 4.23 He that dieth in this weake estate is saued Holy desires be oft times quenched in the beleeuer Psalm 43.5 Psalm 103.1 How the heart is purged By the power of the holy Ghost Act. 15.9 Esai 11.2 This is at the first turning of a sinner to God A simile Euen this is a gracious work VVe must not stand at a stay in this Act. 15.9 1. Ioh. 3.5 Hart is purged by faith Act. 15.9 Act. 26.18 Iam. 3.15 VVorldly delights so sought for because the heauenly are not felt Iam. 5.5 Hebr. 11.6 Hos 1.10 So soone as any are assured of Gods fauour so soone are their harts changed Gal. 5.6 Faith purgeth only as the instrument Col. 3.9 Rom. 6.4 1. Tim. 1.5 True repentance 1. Thess 5.23 2. Cor. 7.1 Col. 3.9.10.15 Rom. 6.2 1. Pet. 2.24 VVithout the change of the heart there is no amendment of life The simplest Christian finds some measure of these Prooues that this change is wrought by faith 1. Pet. 1.4 opened Rom. 7.5.6 opened Iohn 15.1.2 Ephes 4.16 Gal. 1.4 Luk. 1.74 1. Iohn 5.20 Luk. 7. Psalm 50. Rom. 6.6.11 By this change the beleeuer sensibly discerneth his present state from his former The weake troubled that this change is so small Yet this is a note that their state is good This change of the heart is the foundation of a godly life Note Prouer. 13.26 Jf men at first gaue God their hearts then should their whole life be better Not a peece of the heart Leuit. 1.13 Many hardly brought to giue their whole heart therefore giue ouer Psalm 78.35 Iudg. 2.11 1. Sam. 15.4 Ezech. 36.25 26 27. We must be changed before our liues can be amended What the life of the beleeuer is All vngodlines not some onely is to be renounced The beleeuer loatheth his former filthie life Reuel 3.9 Power of faith and gaine thereby 1. Sam. 24.10.11 Heb. 11.24 Heb. 11.6 2. Cor. 5.3 Eccles 7.1 Vanitie of worldly ioyes 1. Timot. 3. Act. 13.41 1. Ioh. 5.19 He renounceth sinne in good aduisednes and not in some good mood onely Hos 14.9 Ephes 4.24 Matth. 16.24 For want of this setled denying our selues diuers neuer attaine true godlines VVorst sort of Protestants who hate this doctrine Gods seruants are at vtter defiance with the world Ezra 10.12 Iere. 31.19 They leaue not sin for a time nor by constraint or for company feare c. Nehem. 10.29 Abiure sinne Not our owne strength Phil. 4.13 Rom. 9.31 Got with much striuing No discouragement Matth. 19.29 Faithfull alwaies preuaile not Yet finde comfort 1. Pet. 1.5 2. Cor. 12.6 Psal 116.11 2. Cor. 7.8.9 No hurt by abasing Gaine of our falles to purge vs. Prou. 28.13 This is only to the beleeuer Beleeuers can renounce all Vnbeleeuers cannot No dramme of goodnes in a naturall man Diuers kinds of euill to be renounced First inward lusts Not all in like measure The effects of our naturall corruption here be meant Iam. 1.14 A simile Col. 3.5 Heb. 3.12 Three sorts of lustes A view of some corruptions 1. Against God and his honour and worship in the first Table Iob. 13. Acts 24.25 Iob. 21.14 15. Matth. 15.9 Distrust Jn aduersitie Jmpatient Obstinate Loathsome guests Jnward corruptions in prosperitie No thankefulnesse Carnall reioycing Iames 4.4 Drunke with pleasures Ioh. 4. Ioh. 5. Matth. 15. Deut. 28.46 Abuse of peace Psal 8.5.6 VVicked lusts towards man The 2. table fift Commandement Contempt of betters Rom. 12. Vnthankefulnes to men Saucines in youth Reioyce in euil 1. Ioh. 3.18 VVrath Gen. 13.8 9 No bearing Prou. 12.15 Ephes 4.32 Rom. 12.15 No fellow feeling Vncleane lusts Feed their lusts Zach. 12.8 Couetousnes 1. Tim. 6.9 Prou. 9.17 1. Thess 4.4 Psal 15.6 Lust against our neighbours name Surmises 1. Sam. 22.8 2. Sam. 15.7 Exod. 2.14 Libels Psalm 50.22 Though not alwaies yet these be common These lusts be causes of all woe Euill lusts concerning our selues Fretting when crossed of their will 1. Sam. 31. Acts 16. Excessiue delight in abundance Iames 5.5 Pride of life Iohn 2.13 Iames 4.13 Frowardnes Prou. 27.1 Selfe lov◠A speciall part of a godly life to renounce these Hebr. 3.12 Iusts marre
beare our afflictions rightly Ioh. 11.8 Heb. 12.11 Lament 3.27 Iob. 1.6 Reu. 3.19 VVe must marke how we be affected in and vnder the crosse Not only great troubles but also those which are coÌ„mon must be borne meekly Psal 101.2 Luc. 9.23 Iam. 5.10.11 Rom. 5.5 Psal 120.1 Experience is a great helpe in trouble Ios 10.19 2. Cor. 1.10 Jt is our wisedome to be guided by God in bearing our troubles Hest 4.16 Psal 37.5 Psal 73.3 4 How we adde new troubles to the old Lament 3.33 Psal 55.17 Dan. 6.10 The first reason concerning duties in the familie Examples Abraham Gen. 18.19 Iosua Ios 24.15 Act. 10.2 Cornelius Deut 6.7 1. Pet. 3.7 Ioh. 16.24 VVhat a Christian should do at or before his lying downe Ioh. 5. 1. Ioh. 2.2 Obiection Answer Rom. 8.12 Ephes 4.26 27. A reason Heb. 3.12 Another reason Iob. 1.9 Pro. 3.22.23 Note The heathen poets did vrge it Hovv a Christian should vievv the passing of the day An example thereof The vse of the doctrine of this Treatise The entrance Thanksgiuing Confession of sinne 1 Pray for pardon and so for the right vse of this maner of beginning the day 2 Prayer for discharge of duty in our calling and for blessing in it 3 For that part of the day vvhich is passed in company that it may be aright 4 For the right vse of solitarinesse 5 For chearfulnesse in Gods seruice 6 For confidence in all estates 7 Iust dealing to all and mercy to the needy and to hurt none in goods name c. 8 For the right vse of prosperity and aduersitie Here remeÌ„ber to pray for outvvard benefits and successe in earthly dealings 9 Against vnsetlednesse by any occasion 10 In sliding to returne speedily and not to lie still 11 For locking backe and examining the actions of the day After request made for good life put next a request for the reuerent vse of all good helpes as this beginning of the day or for the vvell practising of the godly life The armour He that is guided and directed by the former doctrine is in litle danger But they must know what dangers will be in their way The weaker and the stronger Christians must be helped Christians must learne how to returne when they are gone out of the way VVhat is meant by lets First of lets in generall Then after of the particular kinds of them and vvhat they be 1. Pet. 5.8 Iob. 1.7 The diuell meeteth with vs on euery side Both by prosperity to snare vs and by crosses to vexe vs at home and abroad VVhen we least suspect it Luc. 22.31 VVe may not faint though we haue the diuell against vs. Reason why Luc 15.6 1. Ioh. 2.1.2 Properties of the diuell Reu. 12.10 Reu 12.3 Colos 1.11 Other reasons to strengthen against Sathan 1. Pet. 2.9 2. Cor. 6.18 Rom. 5 10. Rom. 8.1 Heb. 10.36 IncouragemeÌ„ts may not make vs slacke Iam. 4.7 Heb. 10.37 VVe must learne wisdom by experience Rom. 5.4 Our greatest prouision against Sathan cannot be too much Prou. 4.23 Rom. 2.1 Al Sathans pursuings of vs tend either to ouerthrow our faith or to hinder a godly life Sathans malice against weake and new called Christians Reu. 12.17 Luc. 22.31 Mat. 13. Gen. 3. The small tast of true faith is most sweet to the vveake 1. Ioh. 5.13 How they shold helpe themselues against all lets that trouble them about faith Further helpes VVhat vse vveake beleeuers should make of their discouragements Prou. 8.33 1. Thes 3.2 10. Ezek. 34 4. Esa 61.1 Mat. 7.7 Mat. 92.20 Luc. 22.31 Ioh. 7.37 Iam. 4.7 The diuell leaueth not off to troubâ—e the weake beleeuer though he be vanquished Luk. 4.13 Mat. 12.45 VVhen the diuell preuailes not against the beleeuer one way he attempteth another By dravving him to presumption VVhat fruite that bringeth foorth Mat. 4.5 Many seeing they beleeue thinke they shall be allowed in their actions done of ignorance And they think also that they are iniuried if they be not approued therein Let all weake beleeuers take heed of the least presumption Psal 119.105 Let stronger Christians also be vvell armed against presumption Mat. 15.27 28. Prou. 28.14 The diuell holdeth them who haue attained faith to be oft to seeke of it Ephes 6.14 It is strange to many Christians to heare that they must liue by faith Heb. 10.38 2. Cor. 5.6 Heb. 10.22 Rom. 1.17 Gal. 2.20 * 1. Pet. 1.5 Take heed faith faile not But labour to grovv in it * Heb. 11.6 Ios 6.14 Though there be but little faith yet it is not missed Prou. 15.15 Hovv to remedie this let Psal 27.1 Psal 22.4 5. Iob. 13.15 Act. 2.25 2. Pet. 1.10 SathaÌ„ hindreth from a godly life Sathan letteth the vnregenerate from duties diuerse vvaies Reuel 3.9 The first let The second Psal 78.35 The third 1. Sam. 15.24.30 Ioh. 3.20 Psal 50.21 The fourth The fift and sixt The lets of Gods people from some proceeding at least in godlinesse are generally three Three generall lets The first general let containeth 3. speciall lets The first The second The third Sathan hath no absolute povver Iob. 1.12 Math. 8.30 1. Pet. 5.8 He knovveth not our hearts and thoughts Yee first speciall let in the godly from holinesse arising from VVant. They tie not themselues to any direction Math. 5.19 Psal 50.23 Phil. 1.27 It is slightly done Ionas 1.3 Heb. 10.35 The remedie Is to be daily well setled 1. Cor. 10.31 Luc. 16 8. 1. Cor. 10.31 By the doctrine of the former Treatise Ier. 8.4 Micah 7.8 Hosea 6.1 Psal 32.5 Iona. 1.5 Deut 29.19 Exo. 33.8.10 1. Ioh. 2.1 The second speciall let arising from want Act. 26.18 Hos 14 5. Ioh. 14.24 VVhat our first loue is 2. Cor. 5.8 Rom. 5.5 Ioh. 15.9 10 Ioh. 21.15 Psal 116.1 1. Ioh. 5.1 Rom. 10.15 Luc. 7.47 Psal 119.97 Gal. 5.6 Heb. 10.32 Ioh 14.16 Reu. 2 4. Math. 2.12 Phil. 3.8 Luc. 10.42 Psal 119.97 Psal 16.3 Gal 4.15 Ioh. 13.1 Hos 1. Rom. 13.13 Reu. 2.21 1. Thes 2.19.20 Ioh. 4.34 Ioh. 21.15 Ioh. 5.35 Reu. 2.2 The cooling of loue foretold Mat. 24.12 Hard to recouer our first loue being lost Take heed in time The danger great Thes 5.19 Col. 3.1 VVhich many find and feele Giuing iust cause to others to lament their case 1. Cor. 4.8 1. Pet. 2.2 Heb. 5.14 Gal. 5.7 Signes or effects thereof To keepe our first loue a hard worke Yet a dutie commaunded by the Lord VVho also encourageth vs thereto The third speciall let arising from vvant 2. Tim. 4.1.2 Note Num. 11.29 2. Pet. 1.12.13 Beleeuers must be daily put in mind of heauenly things Mat. 9.38 VVhat they want who vvant that Mat. 8.11 12. Amos 8.11 12. Prou. 29.18 The not vsing the daily helpes to godlinesse is a great want that much hindâ—reth a Christian Heb. 10.24 Mat. 24.38 The vvant of daily keeping on the armor is a great want 1 Pet 2.2 2. Pet 3.17 Prou 23.23 Obiection Ansvver Many vveake ones
be conceiued Reu. 21.11 c. Phil. 3.20 1. Cor. 15.43 1. Thess 4.18 2. Thess 3.5 It may be said of the priuiledges as the Queene of Sheba said of Salomon Numb 23.5 Ioh. 14.17 Mat. 13.11 11 25. 1. Cor 1.26 Esai 6.9 Rom. 2.28 Ps 50.16 2. Tim. 3.5 Ps 19.10 Ps 119.35 Ps 119. part 2. Ps 1.2 Rom. 7.22 Iob. 21.14 Ps 119 54. Ps 119.77 Ps 16.3 1. Tim. 6.8 Mat. 5.18 Ps 119.101 Ps 89.31 Iohn 14.21 Vers 23. Ps 87.2 Prou. 18.24 Luc. 10.20 Iohn 16.24 2. Cor. 1.12 All these excellent priuiledges as they may so they should be knowen by experience Obiection Ps 126.5 Answer Ps 34.19 Ps 130.7 Afflictions vnto the children of God prooue the trueth of his promises when they are made to goe vnder them Afflictions accompany the deare children of God not that they can or doe extinguish this ioy but to keepe them from all vaine and deceitfull reioicing Obiection Answer Ps 87.3 Spirituall things are not easily discerned Ps 45.14 The beautie and happinesse of Gods children is specially inward Note What the inward beauty of a Christian is Ioh. 18.5 The children of light contrarie to the children of darknesse can not seeme louely in their eyes 1. Pet. 4.4 A third cause why the happinesse of Christians is not knowen Pro. 14.9 A fourth cause why the godly seeme not beautifull in the eies of the wicked is because of some infirmities which they espie in them 1. Pet. 1.6 * Read I say 63.9 Cant. 1.4 Why the Lord suffereth the godly to fall The fruit of the infirmities of professors what it is The fruit of the godly conuersation of professors what it is The order of this Treatise The cause why this worke was taken in hand 2. Thes 3.4 Many for want of direction walke vnsetletly Men loth to open their griefs Cant. 5.7 3.3 This direction may helpe others The Authors owne experience Great gaine of the direction Hurt and losse for want of it Priuiledges not inioied without such direction Not the bare meanes haue such vertue Foiled by sathan without this armour Order is in all other things and should be in christian life most of all Though publike meanes be of an excellent vse yet priuate necessary We are not left as strangers to heare seldome from God but to walke with him This is not too precise 2. Thess 1.3 2. Thess 3.4 Ps 119.10 Deut. 33.12 Second obiection This direction can not be daily kept Vniust cauils against this direction The true lets which hinder many from this course Answer That it is possible to be thus guided Ps 1.2 Ps 119.97 1. Tim. 1.5 Forwardest must be paternes to others The idle may not looke for such gaine as the painfull professor What experience we should haue in our liues Note Mat. 2.28 Ps 19.11 Weake should learne of others Best practisers be fittest teachers Is not irkesome to be thus guided but greatest pleasure Gal. 6.16 Iam. 4.17 Ps 119.99.100 Prou. 8.11 Deut. 12.18 19. Ps 119.14 Ps 119.97 ver 23. 10. Psal 88. Heb. 10.33 11.24 Heb. 11.24 This is not pleasure to all But onely to the vpright in hart Prou. 14.12 9.17 Math. 19.23 Luc. 14.20 Godlinesse seasoneth all earthly liberties Godlinesse no hinderance to our callings But the best way to thriue Note 1. Cor. 10.31 Math. 6.33 Why many finde not Gods blessings on their labours Iam. 4.1 Labour without seeking first to God is losse The danger of such a course Their case is worst that see no danger A simile This course would not breake off any lawfull societies 1. Pet. 4.4 Good to breake off all ill fellowships Ps 101. Ps 101.5 Godlinesse no monkerie ObiectioÌ„s of honestly minded How they may attaine and keepe this course First there must be a desire Secondly strife against slouth Moderate earthly affections Beliefe of profit hereby Impart his doubts to others Take view of his gaine To keepe this course daily not tedious Luc. 12.37 Notwithstanding all lets this course may be followed Lawfull callings no let Prou. 4.23 Many be letted by lawfull impediments When two duties meet Holy exercises and lawfull businesse may stand together How the godly minde is occupied in earthly dealings This wise ioining of both is great grace 1. Cor. 10.31 Many discouragements by bad examples They should set vs forward Deutro 8.23 Iohn 16.33 Ioh. 6.67 Math. 7.13 Luc. 22.25.26 Gen. 3.15 Ps 16.3 They that dislike this let theÌ„ amend it This direction condemneth not any other good course but agreeth Though most receiue it not yet is it not in vaine Some vse it for fashion All not vaine though some slips If they offend that looke to their waies much more they that doe not Gaine by infirmities Not rashly reiect it Such as cannot reade Must be more diligent in hearing c. Otherwise they must looke to come behinde How shall we serue God all day long Heb. 3.12 This doctrine is hard onely to the flesh No time to sinne Note Eccles 10.1 Liberty to sinne dangerous Rom. 8.13 We may vse all good liberties Falles of good Christians by boldnesse True libertie Prou. 15.15 Rom. 13.14 Christianitie must be followed els no good will come Note Luc. 17.10 Not onely for ministers Ministers and such like should most tend this Ezek. 34.3 They should keepe a register of Gods mercies c. Not to stumble at bad ministers Ioh. 10.4 1. Sam. 2.17 1. Thes 2.19.20 Good ministers many troubles Luc. 22.31 2. Cor. 6.9 1. Pet. 1.13 Ioh. 21. 21. Practise of this This hath beene prooued profitable Singular commodities of this course Ps 71.9 Faith ouercomes all doubts and lets 1. Pet. 1.5 1. Ioh. 5.4 1. Ioh. 4.4 No other direction then Gods word Chiefescope How to liue holily alwaies Lawfull calling and businesse hindreth not this direction Be perswaded that thou pleasest God in that which thou dost Be watchfull to practise the vertues of patience c. as occasion shall be offred Direction for sicke persons 1. Cor. 10.13 Iam. 1.5 Exhortation to the godly Gal. 6. Heb. 3.6 3. ep Ioh. 2. Ps 119.10.11 2. Pet. 3.18 Reu. 3.9 Zach. 8.23 Math. 5.16 â—uch as looke â—ot to their â—aies daily Either through â—gnorance Or an ill conscience when they doe or might know their duty Their sinne is great Reu. 2.4 Therefore repent To forsake our first loue what They smart who doe so Amend and that speedily More cause to looke to our selues then heretofore Duble our care thankefulnesse Or else the end shall be worse then the beginning Amos. 3.2 Prou. 1.28 Destruction commeth speedily Why God dealeth so Gods warnings soone forgotten Lay it to heart Math. 26.22 Act. 9.5 1. King 20.32 Deutr. 28.46 Ps 37.37