saue himselfe from drowning puts to all his strēgth to swimme to the shore and being come almost vnto it there meetes him a waue or billow which driues him cleane backe againe it may be a mile or further and then the former hope and ioy conceiued of escape is sore abated yet he returnes againe and still labours to come to the land and neuer rests till he attaine vnto it III. Ground He that is indeede regenerate hath this priuiledge that the corruption of nature is no part of him neither doth it belong to his person in respect of diuine imputation Paul saith of himselfe Rom. 7. 17. It is no more I but sin that dwelleth in me In which words he distinguisheth betweene his owne person and sinne that is in him For in man regenerate there be three things the bodie the soule the gift of Gods image restored againe Now touching the corruption of nature that is in his person and so may be said to be his but it belongs not to the man regenerate it is not his because it is not imputed to him and so indeede is as though it were not in him The Apostle 1. Thes. 5. 23. praies for the Thessalonians that God would sanctifie them throughout and preserue their whole spirit soule and bodie Of which place amongst many this exposition may be giuen The Apostle speaking of men regenerate and sanctified makes three parts in them bodie soule and spirit and by spirit we are to vnderstand not the conscience but the gift of regeneration and sanctification which is in the whole man bodie soule opposed to the flesh which in a naturall man is that which is called the old man Rom. 7. And the praier which Paul makes in the behalfe of the Thessalonians teacheth vs in effect thus much that though corruption remaine in the regenerate after regeneration yet in respect of diuine acceptation he is accoūted as righteous and so continueth his sinne by the mercie of God in Christ not beeing imputed to him to condemnation And so much for that point Now these Grounds of comfort and others of the like nature may serue to sustaine and vphold the hearts of the children of God when they shall be pressed and troubled in consideration of their estate in this life which cannot till death be fully freed from much weaknes and manifold imperfections The Fifth and last kinde of Temptation or Trouble of mind ariseth from a mans ovvne bodie Before I enter to speake thereof one Question in the meane time must be answered namely How the bodie should or how it can trouble the minde considering that the soule or mind is not bodily but spirituall and it is against reason that that which is bodily should either alter or trouble a spirit For an answer hereunto these things must be considered First of all the actions of man doe proceede from one onely fountaine and common cause the soule and are done by the power thereof The bodie of it self is not an agent in any work but as it were a dead instrument in by which the soule produceth all actions and workes Secondly the most of the workes of the soule and minde of man are such as are performed by the bodie and the parts thereof and by the spirits that are seated in the bodie as by instruments Indeede some actions of the soule mind are done without the helpe of the bodie but I say that the most actions thereof are performed by the bodie and spirits therein contained Yet these spirits in thēselues are no agents at all but the onely agent in any worke is the soule it selfe For example the vsing of the outward senses as of sight hearing tasting touching smelling as also of the inward as imagination memorie c. all this is done by the braine and the parts of the braine as proper instruments All affections both good and bad are acted by the soule but yet they come from the heart as the seat thereof So also the power of nourishment comes from the liuer as the instrument whereby the soule nourisheth the bodie Now then the bodie affecteth the soule and minde thus The bodie and the soule are so ioyned together that they make one person and thus the bodie beeing troubled the soule is also troubled yet is not this done by any diuiding of the soule For it cannot be diuided Neither by diminishing the parts of the soule but onely by corrupting the action of the minde or more properly by corrupting the next instrument of the minde This may be conceiued by a comparison A skilful artificer in any sciēce hath an vnfit toole and a naughtie instrument to worke withall his skill is good and his abilitie is sufficient but his instrument whereby he worketh is vnperfect and therefore he brings forth an imperfect worke Now his toole takes not away the skill of his workmanship nor his power of working but keepes him frō doing that well which otherwise he should and could doe well In like manner the body beeing corrupted hinders the worke of the soule It doth not take away the worke of the soule nor the abilitie of working but because it is a corrupt instrument it makes the soule to bring forth a corrupt worke The Temptation followeth The bodie causeth the trouble of the mind two waies either by Melancholie or by other strange alterations in the parts of the bodie which oftentimes befall men in what sort we shall see afterwards For it is a very common thing yea more common then the former Touching Melancholy sundrie things are to be considered for our instruction and for the Remedie of that euill And first of all if it be asked what Melancholie is I answer it is a kind of earthie black blood that is specially in the splene beeing stopt which conuaieth it selfe to the heart and the braine and there partly by his corrupt subsiāce and specially by his contagious qualitie annoyeth both heart and braine beeing the seat instrument of reason The second is what are the effects and operations of Melancholie Ans. They are strange and often fearefull There is no humour yea nothing in mans bodie that hath so strange effects as this humour hath beeing once distempered An auncient Diuine calls it the Deuills bait because the Deuill by Gods iust permissiō conueies himselfe into this humour and worketh strange conceits When the euill Spirit came vpon Saul it so tempted him that he would haue slaine him that was next vnto him how so surely because God in iustice withdrew his spirit of gouernment from him and suffered Satan to enter into the humour of choler or melancholie or both and by this meanes caused him to offer violence to Dauid Now the effects thereof in particular are of two sorts The first effect is in the braine and head For this humour being corrupted it sends vp noysome spirits and filleth the instrument of reason as it were with a myst and makes it vnfit to vse
serueth to no other purpose in the time of temptation but to plunge the heart of man into the pitte of despaire it being vncapable of comfort for want of knowledge and vnderstanding of the word and promise of God II. That euery man ought to stand in feare and doubt of the pardon of his sinnes and that no man can be assured by the certentie of faith either of the present fauour of God or of his owne saluation True it is that in respect of our owne vnworthines and indisposition we haue iust cause not onely to doubt and feare but to despaire and be confounded before the iudgement seat of God Yet that a man should not be certainely resolued by faith of the mercie of God in and for the merit of Christ is a comfortlesse doctrine to a distressed soule and contrarie vnto the sauing word of the Gospel which teacheth that certentie floweth from the nature of faith and not doubting III. That every man is bound in conscience vpon paine of damnation to make speciall confession of his mortall sinnes with all the particular circumstances thereof once euery yeare to his Priest This doctrine and practise besides that it hath no warrant of sacred writte nor yet any ground of Orthodoxe antiquitie for 800 yeares more or lesse after Christ iâ— maketh notably to the disturbing of the peace of conscience in time of extremitie considering that it is impossible either to vnderstand or remember all many beeing vnknowne and hidden and the minde beeing informed that forgiuenesse dependeth vpon such an enumeration may thus be brought into doubt and distrust and will not be able to rest by faith in the sole mercie of God the onely soueraigne medicine of the soule Againe the griefe of the minde doth not alwaies arise from all the sinnes that a man hath committed neither doth the Lord seâ— before the sinners eies whatsoeuer euill hath bin done by him but some one or more particulars and these are they that doe lie heauie vpon the heart and to be eased of them will be worke enough though â—e doth not exhibite vnto the Confessour a Catalogue of all the rest IV. That some sinnes are veniall because they are only besides the lawe of God not against it and because they â—inâ—â—â—uer the sinner onely to temporal and not to eternall punishments This conclusion first is false For though it be graunted that some offences are greater some lesser some in an higher degree others in a lower againe that sinnes in regard of the euent beeing repented of or in respect of the person sinning beeing in Christ and therfore accounted iust are pardonable because they are not imputed to condemnation yet there is no sin of what degree soeuer which is not simply and of it selfe mortall whether we respect the nature of the sinne or the measure proportion of diuine iustice For in nature it is an anomie that is to say an aberration from the perfect rule of righteousnesse and therefore is subiect to the curse both of temporary and eternall death It is an offence against the highest Maiestie and consequently man standeth by it ingaged to euerlasting torment Secondly it is a weake and insufficient ground of resolution vnto a troubled conscience For whereas true and sauing ioy is the daughter of sorrowe and the heart of man cannot be lifted vp in assurance of Gods fauour to the apprehension and conceipt of heauenly comforts vnlesse it be first abased by true humiliatioÌ„ brought to nothing in it self The remembrance of this that the offence committed is veniall may in some cases too much inlarge the heart and giue occasion to presume when haply there will be reason to the contrary And if not that yet in the case of falling by infirmitie after grace receiued the mind beeing forestalled with this erronious conceipt that the sin is lesse then it is indeede because veniall may in the issue be lesse quieted and more perplexed V. That a man may satisfie the iustice of the God for the temporall punishment of his sinnes committed To omit the vntrueth of this position howe it maketh to the easing of the heart or the asswaging of the griefe of minde in temptation I appeale to common experience For when a man beeing assured of the pardon of his sinnes shall yet coÌ„sider that there is something more behind to be done on his part how can he in probabilitie rely himselfe wholly vpon Christs satisfaction How can he reape vnto himselfe froÌ„ thence any assurance of reconciliation to God whome he formerly offended If we may and must doe something in our own persons whereby to appease the wrath of God why hath our Sauiour taught vs for our hearts releife wholly and onely to make the plea of pardon for our sinnes True it is indeede that Popish Confessors doe teach their Penitents when they feele the wrath of god vpon them for sin to stop the mouth of Conscience by performance of a formall humiliation and repentance yea to offer vnto God some ceremoniall duties in way of satisfaction But when sorrow seazeth vpon the soule and the man falls into temptation then it will appeare that these directions were not currant for notwithstanding them he may want sound comfort in Gods mercy and run into despaire without recouerie And for this cause vpon experience it hath bin prooued that euen Papists themselues in the houre of death haue bin content to renounce their owne workes yea the whole body of humane satifactions and to cleaue onely to the mercie of God in Christ for their saluation By these instances and many more that might be alleadged to this purpose it is apparent vpon how weake and vnstable grounds the Case-diuinitie of the Popish Church standeth and how indirect a course they take for the resolution and direction of the troubled Conscience Now by the benefit abuse of this Doctrine we see how necessary it is that in Churches which professe Christian religion it should be more taught further inlarged then it is And to this purpose it were to be wished that men of knowledge in the Ministerie that haue by the grace of God attained vnto the Tongue of the learned would imploy their paines this way not onely in searching into the depth of such points as stand in bare speculation but in annexing thereunto the grounds and conclusions of practise whereby they might both informe the iudgement and rectifie the conscience of the hearers By this meanes it would come to passe that the poore distressed soule might be releeued pietie and deuotion more practized the kingdome of Sinne Satan and Antichrist weakened impayred the contrarie kingdome of Christ Iesus more more established What the Author coÌ„triuer of the discourse ensuing hath done in this behalfe it is euident by the whole course of his writings that he hath left behinde him all which as they doe openly shew vnto the world howe great a measure of knowledge
all things created Created goodnes is that whereby the creature is made good and it is nothing else but the fruit of that goodnesse that is essentially in God Now the degrees therof are these There is a generall or naturall goodnesse in creatures and a more speciall or morall goodnesse Generall goodnesse is that whereby all creatures are accepted and approoued of God by whome they were both created and ordained Thus euery creature is good partly by creation and partly by ordination By creation it is that the substance of each creature as of the Sunne the Moone the Earth Water Meate Drinke c. is good hauing the beeing thereof frō God Hence also the essentiall properties quantities qualities motions actions and inclinations of the creatures in themselues considered with all their euents are good By the same generall goodnesse also euen the Deuill himself and his actions as he is a substance and as they are actions hauing their beeing from God are good Things againe doe take vnto them the condition of goodnesse not onely by creation but also by Gods ordination whereby they are directed and appointed to some certen vses and endes Thus the euil Conscience Hel Death are good because they are ordained of God for the execution of his iustice howsoeuer in themselues and to vs they be euill Besides this generall and naturall goodnesse there is also a speciall or morall goodnesse properly so called and it is that which is agreeable to the eternall and vnchangeable wisdome of God reuealed in the morall lawe wherein it is commaunded and things as they are therein commanded to be done by God are good morally Nowe of actions morally good there be two degrees for they are either good in themselues alone or good both in thēselues and in the doer In themselues alone some things be morally good for example when a wicked man giues almes it is a good worke onely in it selfe but not good in the doer because it is not done in saith and from a good conscience and so are all the vertues of the Heathen morally good in themselues but they are not good in heathen mē for in them they are but beautifull sinnes The next degree of goodnesse is whereby things and actions are both good in thēselues and in the doer also Of this sort were the praiers almes of Cornelius good in themselues in him also because he was a beleeuer Now opposite to things and actonis morally good or euill are actions and things of a middle nature commonly tearmed Indifferent which in themselues beeing neither good nor euill may be done or not done without sinne In themselues I say for in their circumstances they are and may be made either euill or good And here we must remember to put a difference betweene conueniencie and inconuenience which ariseth from the nature of indifferent things Conueniencie is when a thing or action is so fitted to the circumstances and the circumstances fitted to it that thereby it becomes a thing Conuenient On the otherside Inconuenience is when the thing or action is done in vnmeete circumstances which bring some hurt or losse to the outward man or stand not with decencie and therefore doe make it to be Inconuenient And by this that hath beene said we may discerne when an action is good euill indifferent conuenient or inconuenient The third Ground is touching the degrees or differences of Sinne. And here we must first of all search what is sinne properly and what is properly a sinner Sinne in his proper nature as S. Iohn saith is an anomie that is a want of conformitie to the law of God For the better vnderstanding whereof we must know that there were in Adam before his fall three things not to be seuered one from the other the Substance of his bodie and of his soule the Faculties and powers of his bodie and soule and the Image of God consisting in a straightnes and conformitie of all the affections and powers of man to Gods will Nowe when Adam falls and sinnes against God what is his sinne Not the want of the two former for they both remained but the very want and absence of the third thing namely of conformitie to Gods will I make it plaine by this resemblance In a musicall instrument there is to be considered not onely the instrument it selfe and the sound of the instrument but also the harmonie in the sound Nowe the contrarie to harmonie or the disorder in musicke is none of the two former but the third namely the discord which is the want or absence of harmonie which we call disharmonie In the same manner the sinne of Adam is not the absence either of the substance or of the faculties of the soule and the bodie but the want of the third thing before named that is conformitie or correspondencie to the will of God in regard of obedience But some may say the want of conformitie in the powers of the soule is not sinne properly because in sinne there must be not onely an absence of goodnesse but an habite or presence of euill I answer that this very want of conformitie is not onely the absence of goodnesse but also the habite or presence of euill For as this want enters in and is receiued into mans nature it is properly a want or absence of goodnesse againe after it is receiued into the nature of man it continues and abides in the powers and faculties thereof and so it caries the name of an habit It may be said againe that lust and concupiscence that is Originall sinne drawes the heart away from the seruice of God and entises it to euill Now to entise or drawe away is an action and this action cannot proceede of a meere priuation or want Ans. We must consider sinne two waies first ioyntly with the thing or subiect in which it is secondly by it selfe in his owne nature If we consider it with his subiect it is an euill inclination or action but if we consider it in it owne nature it is no inclination or action but a want For example in a murther we must consider two things one is the action of moouing the bodie and of holding vp the weapon c. which is no sinne properly if it be considered as an action because euery action comes from God who is the first cause of all things and actions Againe in murther there is a second thing namely the killing or slaying of the man which is the disorder or aberration in the action whereby it is disposed to a wrong vse and end and thus the action is a sinne namely in respect it wants conformitie to the will of God The nature then of the sinne lies not in the action but in the manner of doing the action and sinne properly is nothing formally subsisting or existing for then God should be the author of it in as much as he is the creatour and ordainer of euery thing and action
all his particular sinnes which he knoweth by himselfe there shall yet remaine some vnknowne sinnes of which he cannot haue a particular repentance and yet they are not imputed but pardoned wheÌ„ there is repentance for knowne sinnes As for example Dauid repents of his murther and adulterie and yet afterwards erring in iudgement by reason of the corruption of the times he liued to his death in the sinne of polygamie without any particular repentaÌ„ce that we heare of In like manner did the Patriarks who may not altogether be excused yet they were not condemned therefore neither were they saued without repentance for this sinne but God in mercie accepted a generall repentance for the same And the like is the case of all the Elect in regard of their secret and hidden faults for vnlesse God should accept of a generall repentance for vnknowne sinnes few or none at all should be saued And herein doth the endlesse mercie of God notably appeare that he vouchsafeth to accept of our repentaÌ„ce wheÌ„ we repent though not in particular as we ought to doe Neuertheles this must not incorage or imboldeÌ„ any maÌ„ to liue in his sinnes without turning vnto God For vnles we repent in particular of all the sinnes we know not only our knowne offences but euen our secret sinnes shall condemne vs. Many sinnes are coÌ„mitted by men which afterwards in processe of time be quite forgotten Others are coÌ„mitted which notwithstanding are not known whether they be sins or no. And in doing the best duties we can we offend often yet when we offend we perceiue it not and all these in the regenerate through the mercie of God are sinnes of Toleration in respect of particular repeÌ„tance The third kind of sinnes of Toleration are certain particular facts of men reprooued in Scripture and yet neuer punished Such was the fact of Zipporah in circuÌ„cising her child in the presence of her husband he beeing able to haue done it himselfe and shee hauing no calling to doe that which shee did For though the haÌ„d of God was against him yet was he not sick as some would excuse the matter neither is there any such thing in the text but it is rather to be thought that she her selfe circuÌ„cised her sonne in hast to preuent her husband for the deede was done in some indignation and shee cast the foreskin at his feete And yet because this fact was some manner of obedience in that the thing was done which God required though not in that manner that he required God accepted the same staied his haÌ„d from killing Moses Thus God accepted of Achabs humilitie though it were in hypocrisie because it was a shew of obedience and for that deferred a temporall punishment till the daies of his posteritie God sent lyons to destroy the Assyrians that dwelt in Samatia for their Idolatry yet 〈◊〉 soone as they had learned to feare the Lord after the manner of the God of Israel though they mingled the same with their own Idolatrie God for that halfe obedience suffered them to dwell in peace The Sixt distinction of Sinnes may be this Some are sinnes against God some against men This distinction is grounded vpon a place in Samuel If one man sinne against another the Iudge shall iudge it but if a man sinne against the Lord who shall plead for him Sinnes against God are such as are directly and immediately committed against the Maiestie of God Such are Atheisme Idolatrie Blasphemie Petiurie Profanation of the Sabbaoth and all the breaches of the first table Sinnes against men are iniuries hurts losses and damages whereby our neighbour is in his dignitie life chastitie wealth good name or any other way iustly offended or by vs hindred And such actions must be considered two waies First as they are iniuries hurts done vnto our neighbour and secondly as they are breaches of Gods law forbidding vs so to doe and in this second respect they are called sinnes because sinne is properly against God and therefore by sinnes against men we are to vnderstand iniuries losses or damages done vnto them In this sense must that place in Matthew be expounded If thy brother sinne against thee c. The seauenth difference of sinnes is noted by S. Paul where he saith Euery sinne that a man doth is without the bodie but he that commits fornication sinneth against his owne bodie In which place sinnes are distinguished into those that are without the bodie and those that are against a mans owne bodie Sinnes without the bodie are such sinnes as a man committeth his bodie being the instrument of the sinne but not the thing abused Such are Murther Theft Drunkennesse for in the committing of these sinnes the bodie is but a helper and onely a remote instrumentall cause and the thing abused is without the bodie For example in drunkennes the thing abused by the drunkard is wine or strong drinke in theft another mans goods in murther the instrument whereby the fact is committed The bodie indeede conferres his helpe to these things but the iniurie is directed to the creatures of God to the bodie and goods of our neighbour And such are all sinnes adulterie onely excepted Sinnes against the bodie are those in which it selfe is not onely the instrument but the thing abused too Such a sinne is Adulterie only and those that are of that kind properly against the bodie first because the bodie of the sinner is both a furthering cause of the sinne and also that thing which he abuseth against his owne selfe Secondly by this offence he doth not onely hinder but loose the right power and proprietie of his bodie in that he makes it the member of an harlot And lastly though other sinnes in their kind doe bring a shame and dishonour vpon the bodie yet there is none that sitteth so nigh or leaueth a blot so deepely imprinted in it as doth the sinne of vncleannes The eight distinction of sinnes is grounded vpon Pauls exhortation to Timothie Communicate not with other mens sinnes Sinnes are either Other mens sinnes or CoÌ„munication with other mens sinnes This distinction is the rather to be knowne and remembred because it serues to extenuate or aggrauate sinnes committed Communication with sinne is done sundrie waies first by counsell thus Caiphas sinned when he gaue counsell to put Christ to death Secondly by commandement so Dauid sinned in the muâ—tner of Vrias Thirdly by consent or assistaÌ„ce Rom. 1. 31. Thus Saul sinned in keeeping the garments of them that stoned Steuen Act. 22. 20. Fourthly by prouocation thus they sinne that prouoke others to sinne and hereof Paul speaketh when he saith Fathers must not prouoke their children to wrath Eph. 6. 4. Fiftly by negligence when men are called to reprooue sinne and doe not Sixtly by flatterie when men sooth vp others in sinne Seauenthly by winking at sinnes or passing them ouer by slight reproofe Eph. 5. 11. Thus Eli sinned in
doing of that which is vnlawfull to be done and that this is equall in all men that sinne and therfore by consequent offences are equall I answer that in euery sinne men must not consider the vnlawfulnesse thereof onely but the reason why it should be vnlawfull and that is properly because it a breach of Gods law and repugnant to his will reuealed in his word Nowe there is no breach of a diuine Law but it is more or lesse repugnant vnto the will of the Lawgiuer God himselfe And many transgressions are more repugnant thereunto then fewer for the more sin is increased the more is the wrath of God inflamed against the sinner vpon his due desert If it be said again that the nature of Sinne stands onely in this that the sinner makes an aberration from the scope or marke that is set before him and doth no more then passe the bondes of duty prescribed by God and that all are alike in this respect The answer is that it is a falshood to affirme that he which makes the lesse aberration from the dutie commanded is equall in offence to him that makes the greater For the same sinne for substance hath sundrie steppes and degrees in respect whereof one man becommeth a more heinous offender then another for example in the seauenth commandement when God forbiddes the committing of Adulterie he forbiddeth three degrees of the same sinne to wit adulterie of the heart consisting of inordinate and vncleane affections adulterie of the tongue in corrupt dishonest and vnseemely speeches and the very act of vncleannesse and filthinesse committed by the bodie Nowe it cannot be said that he which breakes this commandement onely in the first degree is as great a transgressour as he that hath proceeded to the second and so to the third And therefore it remaines for an vndoubred trueth that Sinnes committed against the Law of God are not equall but some lesser some greater The second way to aggrauate sinne is by addition of sinne to sinne and that is done sundry waies first by committing one sinne in the necke of another as Dauid sinned when he added murther to adulterie Secondly by doubling and multiplying of sinne that is by falling often into the same sinne Thirdly by lying in sinne without repentance And here it must be remembred that men of yeares liuing in the Church are not simply condemned for their particular sinnes but for their continuance and residence in them Sinnes committed make men worthie of damnation but liuing and abiding in them without repentance is the thing that brings damnation For as in the militant Church men are excommunicate not so much for their offence as for their obstinacie so shall it be in the Church triumphant the kingdome of heauen shall be barred against men not so much for their sinne committed as for their lying therein without repentance And this is the manner of Gods dealing with those that haue liued within the precincts of the Church they shall be condemned for the very want of true faith and repentance This should admonish euery one of vs to take heed least we lie in any sinâ— and that beeing any way ouertaken we should speedily repent least we aggrauate our sinne by continuance therein and so bring vpon our selues swift damnation Thirdly the same sinne is made greater or lesser 4. waies according to the number of degrees in the committing of a sinne noted by S. Iames Temptation Conception Birth and Perfection Actuall sinne in the first degree of tentation is when the minde vpon some sudden motion is drawne away to thinke euill and withall is tick led with some delight therein For a bad motioÌ„ cast into the minde by the flesh and the deuill is like vnto the baite cast into the water that allureth and delighteth the fish and causeth it to bite Sinne in conception is when with the delight of the minde there goes consent of will to doe the euill thought on Sinne in birth is when it comes forth into action or execution Sinne in perfection when men are growne to a custome and habit in sinne vpon long practise For the often committing of one and the same sinne leaues an euill impression in the heart that is a strong or violent inclination to that or any other euill as hath bin taught before And sinne thus made perfect brings forth death for custome in sinning brings hardnes of heart hardnes of heart impenitencie and impenitencie coÌ„demnation Now of these degrees the first is the least and the last is the greatest One and the same sinne is lesser in tentation then in conception and lesâ—e in conception then in birth and greater in perfection then in all the former Sundry other Distinctions there are of sinnes as namely That the maine sinnes of the first Table are greater then the maine sinnes of the second Table And yet the maine sinnes of the second are greater then the breach of ceremoniall duties against the first table But this which hath beene said shall suffice The vse of this doctrine is manifold First by it we learne what the heart of man is by nature namely a corrupt and vncleane fountaine out of which issueth in the course of this life the streams of corruptions infinite in number noysome in qualities hainous in degrees daÌ„gerous in effects For from thence doe flow all the differences of sins before named with their seuerall branches and infinit many more that cannot be rehearsed This must mooue vs humbly to sue vnto God earnestly to intreat him to wash vs throughly from our wickednes clense vs froÌ„ our sins yea to purge and to rinse the fountaine thereof our vncleane and polluted hearts And when by Gods mercy in Christ appreheÌ„ded by faith our hearts shal be purified then to set watch ward ouer them and to keep them with all diligence Secondly it teacheth vs that miserable mortall man is not guiltie of one or more sins but of many sundrie corruptions both of heart and life Who can vnderstaÌ„d his faults saith Dauid Now the alowaÌ„ce of sin being death by gods ordinaÌ„ce God being iustice it selfe answerably to the number of our offences must we needs be lyable to many punishments yea to death it selfe both of the bodie and of the soule This beeing our wofull estate litle cause is there that any man should thinke himselfe to be in good case or presume of Gods mercie in regard of the small number of his sinnes And much lesse cause hath he falsely to imagine with the Popish sort that he can merit the fauour of God by any worke done by him aboue that which the Law requireth considering that it is impossible for him to knowe either the number or the nature or the measure of his sinnes Lastly the consideration of this point must be a barre to keepe vs in that we be not too secure or presumptuous of our owne estate for as much as we learne out of
reason Hence followes the first effect strange imaginations conceits and opinions framed in the minde which are the first worke of this humor not properly but because it corrupteth the instrument and the instrument beeing corrupted the facultie cannot bring forth good but corrupt actions For example That which they call the beastâ— like Melancholie is when a man thinkes himselfe to be a beast of this or that kind and carries himselfe accordingly Of this sort are those that thinke themselues to be wolues and practise wolvish behauiour Thus we read Dan. 4. 30. that Nebuchad-nezzar liued behaued himselfe and fed as a beast Some say that he loss his soule and had the soule of a beast But they erâ—e For there is no such transportation of soules into bodies either of men or beasts Others thinke that Nebuchadnezzar was smitten in the brain with this disease and in a beastly imagination carried himselfe as a beast And this interpretation is not against the text for in the 31. verse of that chapter it is said that his minde came to him againe and therefore in the disease his vnderstanding the right vse of his reason was lost And the like is true in historie by diuers examples though it were not true in Nebuchadnezzar Againe take another example that is common and ordinarie Let a Melancholike person vpon the sudden see some fearefull thing the strength of his imagination presently fasteneth the thing vpon himselfe As if he see or heare that a man is hanged or possessed with a Deuill it presently comes to his minde that he must be hanged that he is or shall be possessed Likewise vpon relation of fearefull things presently his phantasi workes and he imagineth that the thing is alreadie or shall befall him And this imagination when it enters once takes place it brings forth horrible and fearefull effects The second effect or worke of Melancholie is vpon the heart When the mind hath conceiued and framed fearefull things there is a concord and consent between heart affection then comes affection and is answerable to imagination Hence doe proceede exceeding horrors feares and despaires and yet the CoÌ„science for all this vntouched and not troubled or disquieted Thirdly it may be demanded whether there be any difference betweene the trouble of CoÌ„science and Melancholie for many hold that they are all one Ans. They are not all one but differ much Affliction of Conscience is one thing trouble by Melancholie is another and they are plainly distinguished thus First when the Conscience is troubled the affliction it selfe is in the Conscience and so in the whole man But in Melancholie the imagination is disturbed not the Conscience Secondly the Conscience afflicted hath a true and certen cause wherby it is troubled namely the sight of sinne but in Melancholie the imagination conceiueth a thing to be so which is not so for it makes a man to feare and despaire vpon supposed and fained causes Thirdly the man afflicted in Conscience hath courage in many things but the Melancholike maÌ„ feares euery man euery creature yea himselfe and hath no courage when there is no cause of feare he feares Fourthly imaginations in the braine caused by Melancholie may be cured taken away and cut off by meanes of Physicke but the distresse of Conscience cannot be cured by any thing in the world but one and that is the blood of Christ and the assurance of Gods fauour Fourthly the way to cure Melancholy is this First the person troubled must be brought to this that he will content himselfe to be aduertised and ruled not by his owne but by the iudgement of others touching his owne estate and by this shall be reape much quiet and contentation Secondly search triall must be made whether he hath in him any beginnings of faith and repentance or no. If he want knowledge of his estate then meanes must be vsed to bring him to some sight and sorrow for his sinnes that his melancholy sorrow may be turned into a godly sorrow If he want faith and true repentance some good beginnings thereof must be wrought in his heart Thirdly when he is brought to faith in Gods mercie and an honest purpose not to sinne any more then certaine mercifull promises of God are to be laid before his eies and he must be exhorrâ—d to rest vpon these promises and at no time to admit any imagination or thought that may crosse the said promises Now the promises are these and such like Psal. 34. 9. No good thing shall be wanting to them that feare God Psal. 91. 10 No euill shall come neere the godly man 2. Chron. 15. The Lord is with you while you are with him and if you seeke him he will be found of you Iam. 4. 8. Drawe nere to God and he will draw neere to you And the best meanes to cause any man thus diseased to be at peace with himselfe is to hold beleeue know the truth of these promises and not to suffer any bythought to enter into his heart that may crosse them Moreouer though the former promises may stay the minde yet will they not take away the humour except further helpe be vsed Therefore the fourth and last helpe is the arte of Physicke which serues to correct and abate the humour because it is a meanes by the blessing of God to restore the health and to cure the distemper of the bodie And thus much touching the trouble of minde caused by Melancholy The second meanes whereby the bodie annoies the minde is when it occasions trouble to the minde by strange alterations incident to the bodie When a man beginnes to enter into a Phrensie if the braine admit neuer so little alteration presently the minde is troubled Thus by the trembling of the heart many fearefull imaginations are caused when a man knowes not the cause The same is procured by the swelling of the splene by the rising of the entralls by strange convulsions and such like The remedie hereof is this First it is still to be considered whether the partie thus troubled hath true faith and repentance or no. If he hath it is so much the better If he hath not the first dutie is to vse all meanes to stir vp in him some godly sorrow for his sinnes Secondly this beeing done meanes must be vsed to take away the opinion conceiued and to giue information of the alteration of the bodie and of the true cause thereof This beeing knowne the griefe or feare conceiued will easily be staid For take away the false opinion and informe iudgement and the whole man will be the better Thirdly the opinion beeing altered and reformed it may be the alteration in the bodie will remaine the partie therefore in that case must be taught that it is a correction of God and that God doth not barely suffer the correction to be inflicted but is the very author of it and therefore the partie is to be well pleased and