sometime yet the corruption and practise thereof he loves and entertaines which is sweet in his mouth and which hee hides under his tongue as Zophar saies b Iob. 20.12 as upon persevering in well doing attends eternall life so unto them that are contentious and doe not obey the truth but obey and continue in unrighteousnesse indignation and wrath is their portion and tribulation and anguish shall be upon every soule of man that doth evill Rom. 2.6 7 8 9.10 §. 13. Of the causes of mens adventure upon sinfull courses Reasons of mens so living The reasons why men do so desperatly venture upon such deadly courses and continue in them to the destruction of their owne soules are specially two 1. Seeming good First because the same seemes good to them in regard of the blindenesse of their minds a 2 Pet. 1.9 that cannot truly discerne things that differ and in regard of their unregenerated affections which do sympathize and comply best with such courses and because they are self-deceived by a seeming goodnesse of profit or present pleasure in them which they preferre before true morall goodnesse and therewithall do rest and content themselves in the ignorance and want of better comforts but a wise man will beware of self-deceit by trusting to his owne opinion or sense considering that there is a way that seemeth right to a man but the end thereof are the waies of death Prov. 14.12 2. Want of faith The second cause of mans boldnesse in adventuring to run an unlawfull course with the perill of the damnation of his soule is want of true faith to beleeve the threatnings of God in his word against the same or at the least they suppose that the judgments will not be so bad and intolerable as is given out or they hope they shall escpe them or they comfort themselves with conceit of their fellowes company and doe imagine God to be all mercy and no justice the reason hereof is both their not discerning nor regarding of the spirituall judgments of God upon them which are the greatest and worst and such as they see not sensibly and also because sentence against an evill worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to doe evill Eccles 8.11 the flourishing of men in their owne ill condition hardens them and staggers the godly b Psal 73.12 13. §. 14. Of spirituall self-murder by sinning against the Gospell The second kind of sinnes of commission are against the Gospell The second kind of soul-killing courses are sinnes committed against the Gospell which is the only remedy given for transgressors of the Law that when they are condemned for their disobedience to the Law they may be saved by their obedience to the Gospell without which they cannot but perish This Evangelicall obedience differs from legall obedience in foure points 1. Obedience of the Gospell differs from obedience of the Law Done by Christs power First whereas legall obedience is originally required to be done by a mans owne power and strength Evangelicall obedience is to be done by us through the power of Christ and his Spirit working in us and by us inabling us above the power of nature 2. Acceptable with infirmity Secondly no obedience of the Law is acceptable to God from those doing it as under the Law for justification by their workes except the doers thereof be pure from inherent corruption and doe their actions in their highest degree of morall perfection without any defect therein but for the obedience of the Gospell it is accepted by God from the hands of sinfull men as perfect if it be in truth and sincerity although accompanied with many involuntary defects in our beleeving and repenting 3. It includes legall obedience Thirdly perfect legall obedience yea any obedience of the Law as legall whose performance respects justification excludes Evangelicall obedience with which in that sense it cannot consist seeing justification both by workes and faith both by the Law and Gospell are incompatible as the Apostle proves Rom. 3.28 Gal. 2.16 But Evangelicall obedience includes legall obedience as inferiour and subordinate to it for there is an Evangelicall use of the Law under the Gospell both for preparation to the beleeving of it and also for sanctification of life ordered thereby by assistance of power from Christ for manifestation of the truth of Gods grace in us to the workes whereof although imperfect a reward is due 4. It respects salvation by another Fourthly the obedience of the Law by it selfe considered respects salvation by way of morall works in our selves but the Gospell respects the same by way of application of merit from another to witt from Iesus Christ the Law cannot cure nor excuse the transgressions committed against the Gospell but the Gospell can heale and deliver us from the sinnes and judgements of the Law whatsoever they have beene and therefore it is that the transgressors against the Gospell are in farre more danger of destruction therby than by their sins against the Law §. 15. Of Infidelity Sins against the Gospell Of these soul-killing transgressions against the Gospell there are foure branches 1. Infidelity First positive unbeliefe or infidelity when a man will not beeleve savingly in Christ to have him to bee both his Saviour and Lord neither beleeves truly the Gospell in its full latitude and contents although litterally hee knowes the same but holds and beleeves deceitfull errors defending the same and applauding himselfe therein and therefore seeing that now there is no salvation but by true faith in Christ those that will not so beleeve according to the Gospell must needs perish a Iob. 3.18 1. Causes of infidelity The chiefe causes of this infidelity are First an innated habit to beleeve error before the truth 2. Secondly our carnall reason deceitfull fancies and humane presumptions upon false principles overswaying our faith contrary to the word of God whereby men turne aside to their owne crooked wayes and perish as it were in the gainsaying of Corah b Psal 125.5 Cure For prevention of this infidelity I conclude with the Apostle take heed brethren lest there bee in any of you an evill heart of unbeliefe in departing from the living God c Heb. 3.12 §. 16. Of Impenitency 2. Impenitency The second kind of sinnes against the Gospell whereby men kill their owne soules is finall impenitency when they neither care nor indeavour to repent for their sins past nor to reforme their lives for time to come but goe on in their sinnes out of love or carelesnesse of them remorse for sinnes in respect of the punishment of them is not true repentance if it bee not specially for the offence of God by them and if a man bee sorrowfull for some grosse sinnes committed by him and doe restraine his practise therefrom it is not sound repentance
before it comes our worke being undone how then will it grieve us that we were so slothfull 3. The benefit of well-spending them Thirdly the weightinesse of that which depends upon well-spending of our lives here as the comfort of our soules and everlasting salvation hereafter calls upon us to consider that no estate or stock need be so frugally spent as the short life and few dayes of man than which nothing is more wastefully worthlesly vainely nor worse mis-spent specially three wayes to which we may adde a fourth How men mis-pend their lives 1. By doing evill First in doing of naughtinesse and evill which wee ought not to doe it being forbidden by God whereby many men take great paines in vile courses of prophanenesse filthinesse drunkennesse fighting against the truth and the like mis-spending their meanes and lives to oppose God and to get and goe to hell by rightly imploying whereof they might with farre lesse trouble and adoe happily do much good and attaine to heaven and everlasting glory 2. By doing things impertinent Secondly by doing that which is little or nothing to the purpose for a mans true happinesse and comfort as impertinent studies pursuite of curiosity and vanity hunting immoderately and prosecuting eagerly after the profits and pleasures of this world that before God will availe a man nothing for his salvation and eternall or spirituall comfort when the things whereupon the same depends have beene neglected for as the Apostle sayes bodily exercise profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable to all things a 1 Tim. 4.8 3. By idlenesse Thirdly men do often mis-spend their lives by wasting it in sluggish idlenesse when they minde and indeavour nothing so much as how they may sleepe at ease or passe away their time in sloath or sottishnesse so driving their dayes and lives to an end in doing nothing although none have more to do than they while others complaine of want of time in their imployments about their commendable affaires these object that they have more time than they know what to doe with Such are iners inutile pondus an unprofitable burthen and the excrements of the Church and Commonwealth dead while they live and as hoggs more profitable by their deaths than by their lives like ciphers they keepe a place but are of no value or worth they go out of the world before they regard why they came into the world when they are present they are unprofitable and when they are gone they are not missed for any good they ever did Causes of idlenesse The causes of which idle course of life are affectation of their owne bodily and worldly ease contenting the flesh with doing of nothing and care onely to avoid trouble which attends upon active and industrious godly imployment but wee finde the sentence of condemnation passed no lesse against those that omitted to doe their duties b Mat. 25.43 than against them who committed that evill which was forbidden Wilfull defects and omissions of doing good bring damnation He that wanted his wedding garment was thrust out of doores and cast into utter darkenesse Mat. 22.13 Why was Meroz cursed because they came not out to the helpe of the Lord against the mighty Iudg. 5.23 An idle and slothfull spending of a manlife is every where in Scripture condemned and by nature the Bees expell the Droanes 4. By over-charging ones selfe in doing good There is another way of mis-spending a mans life proceeding from good affection in a pious manner by his over-tasking or overcharging himselfe in religious performances or good duties above his strength as in fasting and prayer in studies and labours in the Word Neque immoderata imperamus jejunia Hieron ad Demetriadem and the like whereby a mans life is soone spent like a sudden blaze consumed in a present flame which by more frugall ordering of it according to his ability might last much longer to the greater benefit both of Church and Commonwealth and thus I have done with the discourse of mans naturall life CHAP. 5. Of mans spirituall life §. 1. What spirituall life is Spirituall life what WEe are now to consider of mans spirituall life which is not properly the life of his spirit whereby the spirits of all men doe live but it is the life of a man whereby he personally considered lives a spirituall and supernaturall life Which consists in the gratious union of man with God in Christ who is our life a Ioh 14.6 whom God sent into the world that we might live through him 1 Ioh. 4.9 by whom we are delivered from death by his spirit because of the spiritualnesse of this our life it is said to be hid with God in Christ Col. 3.3 §. 2. The acts of spirituall life Acts of it 1. Of this spirituall life there are two acts First that whereby we that were dead in trespasses and sinnes are quickned Ephes 2.1 being translated into a state of spirituall and eternall life and indowed with a new lively principle of grace inabling us to spirituall motion 2. The second act of this life is that whereby we walke and worke according to the direction of Gods word and the good motions of the good spirit so being made conformable to God and walking with God as new creatures in the estate of regeneration §. 3. The degrees of spirituall life Degrees of it Of this life there are two degrees 1. First that which is by faith in the state of grace in this world as our Saviour tells us that hee that beleeveth on him hath eternall life Ioh. 6.47 by this life we are to live according to God in the spirit 1 Pet. 4.6 and also if wee live in the spirit wee are also to walke in the spirit a Gal 5.25 Faith and good workes as the cause and effects are alwaies together Iam. 2.20 The second degree of our spirituall life is that which is by vision or sight in glorie whereof Saint Iohn tells us that we shall be like to Christ for we shall see him as he is 1 Ioh. 3.2 and touching those things wherein it consists Saint Paul saies that eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him b 1 Cor. 2.9 And he himselfe having beene rapt up into the third heaven confesseth that there he heard unspeakable words c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was not lawfull for him to utter d 2 Cor. 12.4 in regard of impossibility there being want of words to expresse such supernaturall matter and his conceiving being lesse than could comprehend what was represented to him This spirituall life in the estate of grace in this world is apprehended first in the understanding Heb. 11.1 but in the state of glory in heaven it is visibly injoyed by way of a spirituall sensiblenesse Note In the former
meanes and instruments of their spirituall life than to the meanes of their naturall for naturall life without spirituall makes a man but subject to misery whereas the spirituall life upon the naturall makes a man everlastingly happy which should quicken in us a desire and endeavour to be borne againe according to our Saviours speech Ioh. 3.3 2 For continuance Secondly the spirituall life farre transcends the naturall in respect of its continuance the naturall life depending upon mutable and mortall ties and bonds and subject to many externall harmfull accidents is fraile and at last is swallowed up of mortality it being appointed for all men once to die Heb. 9.27 and few and evill are our dayes in this world wherein wee have no abiding city the spirituall life is eternall without subjection to death because it is in it selfe supernaturall and advanced above the reach and power of all things that can destroy life and is preserved and upheld by such a fountaine of indeficient and omnipotent life and undecaying lively vigour and meanes of divine living that never suffers the man that hath and keeps communion with the same to be subject to death but makes him passe from death to life Iohn 5.24 the faith whereof doth free a man from the feare of losing that happy estate while he continues to love it whereas others in a loseable and mutable estate of life are by feare of being deprived thereof and being without hope of a better hindered in injoying the full comfort of the present good that here is afforded 3. For effects Thirdly spirituall life surpasses the naturall in its effects the naturall life enables a man to the doing onely of naturall actions specially concerning mans naturall good agreeable unto and flowing from naturall principles in man being in the meane time dead to any divine or supernaturall good neither actively doing that of goodnesse which is truely morall or divine nor passively receiving and enjoying that thereof which is beatificall or which makes man blessed and so he may for all that life the powers and actions thereof be miserable and perish for flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 15.50 The spirituall life by so neere conjunction of a man with the fountaine of life Essentiall the well-spring of infinite goodnesse not onely by that touch and union doth it make him so live but also it causeth him to be most happy both by making him able Actively to live the life of God a Gal. 2.19 and to live to the will of God 1 Pet. 4.2 and also by endowing him with passive capacity and with reall possession of all such beatificall perfections as are necessary for his advancement to and in a glorious estate farre above all other earthly creatures in this world and in the world to come whereby he becomes so happy that nothing can make him miserable but even in tribulation he hath cause of rejoycing Rom. 5.3 and when he dyes yet still he lives in more excellent manner as Paul said touching his afflictions as dying and behold we live 2 Cor. 6.9 In regard of the aforesaid excellency of this spirituall life above the naturall it was that our Saviour did command his Disciples not to feare them that kill the body but are not able to kill the soule but rather to feare him which is able to destroy both soule and body in hell Mat. 10.28 §. 6. How to obtaine spirituall life Vse 1. To get spirituall life From the former doctrine touching the excellency of this spirituall life of man diverse very necessary uses are observable First it may provoke and stirre us up to get this life above all things in this world whereof we are borne destitute yea dead in sin to which life by our manifold actuall transgressions wee doe indispose and unfit our selves but yet the Lord of his mercy hath appointed us a way whereby we may get this spirituall life so that by our conscionable use of the meanes appointed by God By meanes wee may attaine thereunto in regard of his promise and faithfulnesse that those that seeke shall finde Amos 5.6 And why to be used These meanes are wee to use in regard both of Gods commandement who thereby tries our obedience and faith and also in respect of the dispensation of God who gives his graces onely by and in his owne way which otherwise cannot be had Also the worth and necessity of this spirituall life is such as deserves our best endeavours to get it our esteeme whereof is seene by our labours for it in Gods appointed way without which God will not give it because hee will have us active about our owne salvation that the same may cost us the price of our labours to come by it that thereby we may the more comfortably know that we have it when we know how we came by it that wee may be the more carefull to keepe what wee have so laboriously purchased and may assuredly looke for the reward of our labours which God that cannot lie hath promised to those that seeke life by his appointed meanes To use no meanes to get this spirituall life is to contemne both it and God and to indeavour to get it by using other meanes than God hath appointed for that end is to tempt God or to prescribe him his waies of dispensing his grace and to preferre our owne wits and wills above Gods whereby such men lose both their labour and expectation Which they be 1. The word of God The meanes in particular to get this spirituall life are First the word of God specially the Gospell which is as the materiall and seminall cause of it 1 Pet. 1.23 2. Application Secondly the meanes vegetating and applying the Gospell to quicken us which is fourefold 1. By the ministry First the ministrie of the word by reading and preaching of it to the enlightning of the understanding and to the moving of the affections and hearts of the hearers to embrace it for Faith comes by hearing Rom 10.17 2. Christian conference Secondly the Company and conferences of those Christians that in this kind of life are by their motion and example lively and vigorous able by their warmth and livelinesse to heat and quicken those whom they touch as Elisha by his application of himselfe to the dead child made it warme and alive 2 King 4.34 and as leaven leavens the lump and every thing affects to procreate its like 3. Prayer The third meanes of the Gospells application to quicken us is servent and effectuall prayer to God from whom is all the vertue and efficacy of it that he would make it effectuall to us for although Paul do plant and Apollo water it is God that gives the increase 1 Cor. 3.6 4. Sacraments the spirits operation in them Fourthly the Sacraments and in them the powerfull operation of the spirit of Christ is that which quickens us when
the truth and Church is bound to doe the duties of his calling notwithstanding any such former restraint or danger of disobedience to it because the power of the Church is but ministeriall under and according to God rather declarative than Soveraigne therefore what she doth tyes not men here on earth to obey it to the destruction but to the edification of the Church or at least to prevent a greater mischiefe And also because the true Church may doe no such acts of deprivation or suspension whereby to intend or effect the destruction of the Church and therefore in that case transgressing of such restraints is no disobedience to the Church but rather an obeying the intent of the same as in times of persecution we have plentifull examples specially of the Church of the Iewes against the Christians A Caveat Yet herein is to be observed that such performance of duties in that case after restraint bee done in mecke patient manner without tumults or forcible opposition of authority submitting with passive obedience where they cannot lawfully performe active This extends not to warrant any schisme or heresie that esteem themselves only to be the true Church as did the Donatists and others to oppose out of feare of their owne ruine the proceedings and restraints of the more Orthodoxe and generall body of a sound Church whose authority doth preponderate and oversway her apostating members so long as by the doctrine publikely taught in her men may be saved and built up §. 30. Against commission of evill upon any humane command or threats Fourth member about commission of evill upon humane command The fourth member of the case wherein a man ought to expose his life to death in causes concerning religion is when a man is desired commanded or threatned to doe any sinne forbidden by Gods word that then hee doe it not although he therefore doe die as Iosephs practise manifests in resisting his whorish mistris a Gen. 39.12 and the three children that would not upon the Kings command worship the golden Image to save their lives Daniel 3.18 Because it is better for us to die than deliberately and wilfully to sinne against God as the woman with her seaven sonnes did choose 2 Mach. 7. according to S. Augustines judgement who sayes that if it be propounded to a man Vt aut mali aliquid faciat aut mali aliquid patiatur eligat non facere mala quam non pati mala b Epist 204. that either he should doe some evill or suffer some calamity then let him choose rather not to doe evill than not to suffer evill Observe How we are to abhorre sin For we are ever to doe that which may most neerely unite us to God our chiefe good and to shunne what may divide us from him which nothing can doe but our sinnes specially those that consist in the transgression of the negative Commandements and are most opposite to God and incompatible with him and therefore those lawes doe binde ad semper to the alwayes observing of them and cannot be dispensed withall seeing God is unchangeable The evill of sinne should be more terrible to us than death it selfe not onely for that it is the cause of death and imbitters it but also because it deprives us of a greater good of our spirituall life that farre exceeds the naturall The beatificall object that sinne deprives us of is the infinite blessed God from whom to be separated is worse than death it self and in that respect rather than we should sinne we should choose to suffer death which is a glorious kinde of Martyrdome and a meanes of advancement to happinesse for the power and practise of the truth laying downe our lives which is a more undoubted signe of grace and salvation than is the suffering of many for holding the truth in opinion and profession Wee should choose rather not to bee than not to bee happy for the originall and end of our being is better than our being it selfe in regard that our happinesse is not of and in our selves but in and from another who is both our beginning and end §. 31. Of the kindes of sinnes of commission to be avoyded Evils of sin to be avoided These sinfull evills that wee ought thus carefully to avoid and forbeare to death are of two sorts 1. Against the law of nature First those that be directly and absolutely forbidden by the Law of nature as fundamentally unlawfull at all times and in all cases for the contrariety that they have against the nature of God and against the inbred principles of reason and conscience of which no question can be made but that wee are alwaies utterly to shun them notwithstanding any humane command or inforcement that may be to the contrary because no human power can dissolve the obligation of those ingrafted Commandements of God and nature Innata Lex Rom. 2.15 that we may be discharged in conscience from keeping of them which would overthrow both divinity and humanity neither can any free us from the punishment of the transgression of them both because equity and Law requires that the soule that sins shall die and also for that there is no power matchable with Gods and natures to protect or free us by force from their vengeance 2. Against the positive Law of God Secondly the sins that wee are to shun and not wittingly and willingly to do upon any threats or worldly danger or for any profit are those that are forbidden by the positive Law and revealed will of God the violating whereof doth wrong the soveraignty and honor of God who is the absolute and onely independant King of all the world and his will the supreame unerring rule of our obedience throughout our lives our transgression whereof is a breach of that loyalty and due subjection which wee owe to that our highest Lord. To whese positive Law conformity is more properly obedience to God than conformity to the Law of nature is by it selfe considered Because the ground of our conformity to the Law of nature is naturall inclination and Reason equally binding Heathens aswell as Christians But the ground of our conformity to the positive Law of God is principally the soveraigne Authority and Will of God himselfe which kinde of obedience is that which is properly of the Church and her members to God and proceeds from faith love feare c. Evangelicall or Thelogicall graces From which obedience to God no wight can absolve or excuse us that we may lawfully and safely subject our selves to feare to please or to obey any other in opposition or contraty to him and his will Reasons 1. Because there is none above God whose will may be preferred or equalled to his to whom all is subordinate in nature state and imployment 2. Neither is any man Lord over the Conscience either to bind or discharge it contrary to the Law or will of God that we
the doctrine elsewhere in Gods word and sound reason condemning of it 2. The antiquity of self-murder Secondly the Scriptures recording of such facts shews the antiquity of this vile sin which doth not justifie but demonstrate the inveterate maliciousnesse of it rooted and strengthened by age whose continuation from age to age brings forth every yeare new crops 3. It falls out in the Church Thirdly it manifests that even this horrible sinne hath fallen out and still doth fall out in the Church of God among the visible members thereof and by professors of the truth Observe Which points out unto us that what sins soever fall out elsewhere may and doe fall out sometimes within the visible Church a 1 Cor. 10.13 It is not therefore to be said that the doctrine or profession of the truth is the cause of the same or of any such horrible facts breaking out in the Church where the Gospell is professed and practised The truth is blamelesse neither is the Word nor Gods worship nor true Professors to be upbraided nor condemned for such things as are not by them caused nor approved but are condemned reproved and punished Horible crimes fall out in the Church Causes The causes why such horrible facts fall out sometimes in the Church among professors are two 1. The devills malice First the raging malice of the devill specially against the Church and Professors of the truth whereby he endeavours two things 1. To scandall the truth First to scandalize and disgrace the truth that so he may keep off others from embraceing of it incense them against it and harden them in their owne wicked self-pleasing wayes Woe to the world because of offences b Mat. 18.7 2. To blemish the Church Secondly hee endeavours thereby to blemish the Church and to disturbe the comfort and growth of godly professors and to sift and try them to fall that by such reproachfull crimes God may be dishonoured 2. Rage of mans corruption upon opposition The second cause of those notorious facts within the Church is the rage of mans corruption when it prevailes and gets head and vent against the damme and opposition of grace and truth restraining and mortifying of it which then is irritated and rages the more furiously when it gets advantage and breakes out Comparison as waters fed with continuall springs when they overswell the banks that shut them up doe impetuously and unresistably beare all downe before them where they breake out Why grosse sins are most offensive in professors Sinfull and grosse wicked facts breaking out in the Church and among professors of religion are more scandalous and more condemned because they reproach religion and subject the truth to blasphemy §. 3. Self-murderers are apparent by history The second way of discovery of self-murderers Histories 1. Heathen The second way whereby it is seene that divers persous doe murder themselves is humane histories both Heathen and Christian Civill and Ecclesiasticall which are full of such wofull examples as Livie tells us of Lucretia others of Cleopatra Cato Vticensis Empedocles Cleombrotus Ostorius Pomponius Atticus Tullius Marcellinus Cleanthes Dido and many others and Baldovin reports that Inter Turcas Barbaresque gentes Indiaesunt qui se in gratiam suorum dominorum a muris aut turribus praecipitant in signum summae submissionis observantiae Among the Turkes and barbarous nations of the Indies there are some that in favour of their masters doe throw themselves headlong from walls and towers in signe of the highest submission and respect Heathens did murder themselves But it may seem very strange that Heathens in whom nature was so prevalent with humane reason should kill themselves having so little hope of a better life and all their comfort bounded within this present world Reasons That they did it is apparent whereof three reasons may be assigned 1. Want of grace in Christ First their want of grace and faith in Christ to comfort and content their mindes and to strengthen and enable them patiently to suffer adversities and their want of wills to be in every state and thing obedient to God who leaving them to themselves they sunke under the power of their owne temptations So wretched is mans state out of Christ 2. Secondly many Heathens killed themselves out of an affectation of honour and immortality either by fame on earth or by happinesse in a better place after death whereof some of them had an obscure glimpse to which they knew no better speedier way than by this kinde of death which proceeded from their ignorance of a better course to bring them to what they desired and from want of foresight of destruction in the end of that meanes which they used So unhappy a thing it is to be without divine direction 3. Freedome from evills Thirdly of the Heathens that knew no better good than what they had in this world and aymed at no higher end in all their proceedings than their owne good divers of them being in calamitous conditions without hope of other freedome and under despaire of ability to endure as was fit by this course of self-murder laboured to free themselves from these evills after which they looked for no more This is the wisdome of flesh and blood of corrupt nature and carnall reason such as was taught by the Stoicks who were the best morall Philosophers among the heathen Observe They thought self-murder to be lawfull Where wee are to observe that it is no wonder that such did fall into such notorious enormities so long as they thought the same lawfull and fit to bee done and wanted both that illumination in the truth and also the power of grace in Christ which now God hath bestowed upon Christians But it is more to bee marvelled at that Christians who have meanes of more abundant knowledge and grace should dare willingly to run into the same flagitious and capitall courses of the Heathen being Christians in profession but heathens in manners and practise Whereas the consideration of the parties murdering themselves being Heathens should deterre Christians from such vile facts that they may not be worse than heathens in their practise from whom they are so far divided in profession Self-murdering Christians are heathens But Christians that kill themselves upon the same reasons that the heathen doe doe thereby declare that in this point they have nothing of Christians but the name and otherwise are heathens and in that respect are justly to be debarred Christian buriall 2. Ecclesiasticall histories Wee also finde the like examples in Ecclesiasticall and Christian histories as in Eusebius his history lib. 8. cap. 6. Where he sayes Quo tempore fama est viros mulieres etiam divina inexplicabili alacritate suâ sponte in rogum insiluisse In the which time of persecution the fame is that both men and women did of
of feare least others should abuse their bodies would to prevent the same kill themselves as we read of many in the histories of the Church Note And so men taking their owne wayes without advising with God runne into the mischiefe that they would shunne which shewes that mans wisdome is folly and his courses without God madnesse §. 15. Of the true causes of self-murder in afflictions The true causes of self-murder upon this motive of mans sufferings Although these things in this second generall motive doe commonly beare the blame of self-murder in this case because they are most sensible and apparent yet there are other four things more secret and latent which are indeed the true causes of the same 1. Vnbeliefe The first cause is mans unbeliefe whereby he neither beleeves in God from whom and by whom hee might have power in Christ to stand fast in all estates nor yet doth he firmely beleeve and credit God in the Scriptures to entertaine and cleave to the direction of his Word and to rest upon his promises and to be perswaded of the gracious intent and nature of Gods dealing with his in afflictions and of the blessed end thereof Remedy Our eyes to God but as by faith we live so by unbeliefe wee die Iehosaphats drooping heart in his distresse was revived and upheld when his eyes were towards God and hee depended upon him Peter when he doubted he sunke O you self murderers of little faith why doe you doubt in your troubles why doe you not as David rebuke your owne soules and say every one of you Why art thou cast down ô my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God a Psal 42.11 2. Impatiency The second true cause of self-murder upon the motive of evill of punishment or calamities of affliction is unruly impatiency and pusillanimity when a man apprehends himself to be overburdened with miseries beyond the meanes that he sees of deliverance out of the same and beyond the strength that he hath in himselfe with any comfort to beare it conceiving his afflictions to bee excessive above his strength or deserving or that they are all from God in his wrath which because he thinkes he cannot beare nor shake them off hee labours to rid himselfe from by killing himselfe The hurt of impatiency Impatiency makes all evills the more intolerable to be borne because it hinders the minde from submitting to the burthen and troubles it by seeking subterfuges of evasion or opportunities to shake off the yoke Who be most impatient To impatiency some are more strongly inclined than others either by naturall temper of excessive choler or else by the deep apprehension of understanding and sense of the objects of discontentment whereunto melancholick persons are most incident Remedies of impatiency In this case to help men against this impatiency they should consider 1. First that they have no good but great hurt thereby both to their bodies and their mindes 2. Secondly their afflictions come from God and are ordered by him who is our wise powerfull and loving father for our good 3. Thirdly the same is the portion of others that are better than we and doe endure more than we doe 4. Fourthly our sufferings are lesse than our deservings 5. Fifthly God turnes them to be blessings to his owne people they are momentany and light wherein God assists those that in them trust in him that they may comfortably above humane strength beare the same 6. Sixthly in the end they shall be recompensed with a farre greater and eternall weight of glory a 2 Cor. 4.17 So that a man shall lose no more by his passive than by his active obedience yea his gaine and reward shall be greater as is the honour of Martyrs above Confessors 3. Pride The third true cause of self-murder upon afflictions is stubborne Pride that will not let a man in whom it is buckle to be willingly in that estate of adversity wherein God would have him to bee Est factum hominum superborum pusillâ—nimorum mortem sibi inserentium David a Mauden but will rather make him venture breaking of the mast than to let him lower his sailes in a storme This pride proceeds from an over-weining conceit either of our owne worth for deservings or of our owne wisdome for intelligence and prudence whereby we conceive that the estate that we would have is more due and fit for us than that wherein wee are Whence pride proceeds Whereupon wee preferre our owne wills before Gods and accordingly to have our wills we are apt to use the meanes of our own fond devising how unlawfull soever they bee even to self-murder Remedies against pride 1. Knowledge of a mans selfe The best remedy against this pride is first a thorow knowledge by the Word of a mans selfe how unworthy and unsufficient he is and the apprehension of Gods mercifull affection and dealing towards him having his eye cast ever upon the promises of God to support him 2. Self-deniall Secondly pride is overthrowne by mans self-deniall when he doth in all things so farre resigne himselfe to God that he denies his owne wisdome will and wayes submitting himselfe to be disposed of by Gods will and obediently conforming himselfe thereunto as David did 2 Sam. 15.26 God resists the proud and exalts the humble 4. Pusillanimity The fourth cause of self-murder upon crosses and afflictions is pusillanimity or weaknesse of minde whereby some are not able to indure to live to brooke or suffer some kinde of wrongs done to them indeed or as they conceive as husbands and wives under extremity of Iealonsie or certainty of knowledge that their conjugall consorts doe give their loves and make their bodies common to others And as passionate suters and persons deeply inamoured and over-ingaged in their affections to those whom they ambitiously and over-eagerly seeke or presume to enjoy who see or conceit themselves to be repudiated neglected or forsaken by their wel-beleved after past promises or strong hopes or immoderate desires of enjoying them of both which sorts of people divers doe choose rather to die by their owne hands than that they will indure to live rejected and to see others to enjoy that which they would as their lives possesse alone to themselves Vnreasonablenesse of the fact of self-murder in this case But this is most unreasonable and impious that any one for another bodies fault should do a worse themselves and that hee or shee in recompense of such a wrong done to them should doe themselves a far greater injury in their owne unrecoverable self-destruction passion prevailing makes mad and weaknesse makes men doe the greatest acts of impotency If wee in Christ enjoy our good God and if withall we possesse the peace of