in iniquity liuing in hypocrisie dying in misery and damned for euer But why doe I thus striue to open and vnfold the greatnesse of these extremities For were their griefe weighed and their miseries layd together in the ballance it would bee heauier then the sand of the sea Were I able to conceiue them as others sometime feele them and to thinke them as others often finde them in themselues yet could I neuer sufficiently describe them Well I may in some sort touch them but they onely can sound the depth and reach the bottom of these extremities which haue sometimes tasted and in some measure felt the bitternesse of this gall and wormewood Notwithstanding as by the outward appearance of the wound the inward paines may bee coniectured and by the externall strugglings we may ghesse the internall conflicts The greatnesse of these extremities discerned in part by the effects so likewise by the effects that come from the sorrow of sinne appearing outwardly in the body we may in some sort learne how great that griefe and anguish is that possesseth the heart within For besides the plaints before set downe he oftentimes bedeweth his face with teares and weeping The body also oftentimes waxeth leane and wan fretteth away and wasteth as pained with some grieuous and consuming sicknesse not vnlike as touching the outward appearance to those pangs which Dauid a man after Gods owne heart did feele in himselfe crying out and saying Psal 6.6 Psal 38.3 I fainted in my mourning Psal 6.6 There is nothing sound in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there rest in my bones by reason of my sinnes My reines are full of burning and there is nothing sound in my flesh I am weakned and sore broken I reare for the very griefe of mine heart And againe My heart panteth my strength faileth mee and the light of mine eyes euen they are not mine owne CHAP. II. The principall causes of a troubled conscience THe causes of these griefes 1 Cause some inconsiderately haue referred vnto melancholy Is the sight of sinne wheras indeed it is nothing else but sinne For experience teacheth that this is a passion happening oftentimes to those which by the disposition of their bodies are for the most part free from melancholy though many times I also grant that melancholy pastions are ioyned and doe concurre with it Was it melancholy thinke you Mat. 26.75 that made Peter so suddenly to single out himselfe from the rabble of the high Priests seruants and sobbing full of heauinesse to vtter out the bitternesse of his griefe with teares Shall we thinke of Dauid that when hee was taken and troubled with like perplexities that the same did proceed and come of melancholy Nay the Prophet confesseth and telleth vs plainely that it was sinne Psal 38.3 Psal 51.3 And therefore prayeth earnestly vnto the Lord Psal 38.3 Psal 51.9 to hide his face from his sinnes and to put away all the iniquities of him the same Prophet Dauid Psal 51.9 This I meane this sinne is it that maketh the heart to mourne and the inward parts to fret and burne with griefe This is it that causeth the broken soule to breathe out so many sighing plaints and to bee ready to swound and burst in sunder with so many fearfull and despairing thoughts For while hee sitteth so seuere a Iudge vpon himselfe and while hee prieth so narrowly nay too too narrowly into the disordered course and manner of his life laying the triall of his deeds to the touch-stone of the Law of God and weighing altogether in the balance with God his denounced iudgements hee thinketh euery word a sentence euery threat a thraue of iudgements and euery period to containe in it an exceeding masse and hell of miseries and woes This pricketh his heart in such sort that hee knoweth not what to doe and maketh him to cry with Paul though not with the like hope O wretched man that I am Rom. 7.24 who shall deliuer me from this body of sinne and death Vnto this sight of sinne is added the weaknesse 2. The second cause is the weaknesse or want of faith and many times the want of faith For when they see and remember the sweet and comfortable promises of grace and mercy contained in the Gospell when they call to minde that precious medicine and soueraigne confection of the bloud of Christ able to heale vp the most pestilent sores and to cure the most contagious and deadly wounds of sinne And withall looking into themselues and finding there a defect and want to receiue and apply the same vnto themselues be they neuer so sweet and precious because they haue not faith which is the onely hand to retaine and hold them they are more distressed and affrighted then if they neuer heard or thought vpon them Insomuch that as Satan is ready alwayes to cast something in their way thereby to further them in the way of desperation so are they as ready so soone as it shall bee offered to catch it and accept it at his hands And therefore neuer thinking of Gods order and course of calling which is in some sooner in some later and not alike in all because they feele not the present working of the Spirit within them and the pulse of faith to moue and beat in their hearts they sticke not peremptorily and without exception to conclude vpon themselues saying I haue no faith I cannot beleeue and therefore I cannot be saued my sins cannot be pardoned I am but a reprobate and a damned castaway So that this motion is not onely found in such as haue an vtter defect and want of faith but also oftentimes in those which haue a faith who although as I haue sayd they haue a faith in deede yet it is but a weake and a faint faith and such an one as for infirmity is not able to mooue and stirre it selfe For as the man that is in a swound Such whose faith is weake compared to a man in a swound or he whose parts are benummed with some extreme cold or sudden stroke though there bee a life still remaining in them yet such is their infirmity that they seeme as dead and are vnable to performe the functions that belong vnto a liuing body euen so this faith though in truth it be a faith and hath a life in it yet it is so benummed with the chilling cold of sinne and astonied with the stroke of our naturall imperfections that it seemeth to bee dead and vtterly voyd of vitall motion So that sinne vnto this weake and wauering soule is euen as meat is oftentimes to him that surfeteth Hee eateth it with delight and taketh pleasure in it yet when his stomake commeth to digest and worke vpon it the strength of nature beeing not able to ouercome the abundance of vnconcocted humors the whole body is sicke and weakened in euery part and facultie So the soule that is glutted and
3. He must not so much consider the greatnes of the measure as the truth of his repentance that with good aduice what the thing is wherat we do ayme and which we labour especially to search after and to finde out in this tryall and examination for euen in this point also there is oftentimes errour found by reason whereof amongst men there ariseth no small inconuenience The thing therefore that herein we are to haue a speciall eye vnto is not the great measure and quantitie but rather the truth of repentance For although it bee neuer so slender and weake in our conceit yet if it bee true and from the heart we shall thereby finde euen in the middest of sorrow sufficient cause of great and exceeding comfort It may be that the Spirit sometime may appeare vnto vs to be as ye would say but very weake in working And faith also may seeme to be faint and feeble in shewing forth the fruits of true repentance in such aboundant and plentifull manner as thou haply doest dreame of yet doth not this let any thing at all but that both thy faith and thy repentance may be true and therefore such whereupon thou mayst settle and ground thy selfe and whereby thou mayst assure thy selfe that thou art the child of God And if his child then surely freed from condemnation and made an heyre euen a coheyre with Christ our head of euerlasting glory For GOD is so farre from reiecting and casting off such small and slender beginnings that he is rather giuen to nourish and increase the same in his children Esay 42.3 The brused Reede he will not breake Mat. 12.20 and the smoking Flaxe he will not quench And therefore if thou findest neuer so great imperfections in this thy repentance so that it seemeth to be crazed like a broken Reede and almost extinguished as the Flaxe that doth but sinoke yet herein is there no cause of discomfort First for that as faith so likewise true repentance is the gift of God who is not to bee prescribed and appointed in what mcasure hee should giue the same to euery one and secondly for that it pleaseth him to bee so gracious and fauourable as to accept these imperfections in good part at thy hands for the which thou art not onely to be thankefull to him at all times but hast also a reason offered thee He must consider what he is by nature and know that he shall neuer be free from imperfections whilest he liueth here to moue thee continually to pray to God for the good increase of these his gifts in thee Fourthly thou art to consider diligently with thy selfe and to looke well vpon thine own estate I meane what thou art of thy selfe and by nature which if thou doe thou shalt surely finde that thou art one of Adams brood one that hast sucked corruptions Psal 51.5 and that in great measure from the brests of thy first Parents as well as other For not onely thy life Psal 51.1 but also thy Conception and Birth will be found and proued to be in sinne Since then that thou art a man and therefore by nature subiect to all kinde of infirmities as well as others during the time of thy continuance in this corrupted Tabernacle doe not deceiue thy selfe but be thou assured that thy flesh will neuer giue ouer but still will be found to bee a flesh that is a rebellious and a grieuous enemy continually rebelling contending and striuing against the Spirit vntill such time as it shall by Gods appointment either receiue the stroke of death to subdue it and put an end to the rebellions thereof Or that wonderfull and sudden change be made at the last day 1. Cor. 15.53 When this corruptible shall put on incorruption this vile body shall be changed that it may be fashioned like vnto the glorious bodie of Christ Since now the state standeth so with thee thou art to make none other reckoning but that thou must and shalt of necessitie finde although it be to thy great griefe many infirmities and imperfections in thy flesh so long as thou shalt haue thine abode here on earth as well as others Yet can it not therefore bee therupon inferred and concluded that the same imperfections should exclude thee from the couenant of grace and shut thee out from the number of Gods elected children Nay it is so farre off from working or compassing this euill vnto thee that I may say vnto thee with the Apostle Rom. 5.20 Where sinne abounded there grace abounded much more So that as no doubt vpon thy true repentance thou shalt easily finde the further that thy sinne extendeth it selfe as thou supposest to thy condemnation the further also this mercy and grace of God doth stretch forth it selfe in giuing remission of thy sinne to thy saluation But here beware and take heed of Satan lest hee deceiue thee by bringing thee into this vaine and wicked conceit as though this remistion were due vnto thee by merit of thy workes when as it is onely of Grace For of this bee thou assured that if thou haddest neuer so great a measure of vprightnes and integritie if thou liuedst neuer so holily if thou leadest as pure a life as euer did any of the faithfull seruants of God that haue beene since the fall of Adam Christ Iesus onely excepted yet as those faithfull seruants could neuer finde saluation in their owne deeds but did cleane forsake themselues and cleaue fast to the grace and mercy of God So thou also although thou seeke it shalt neuer finde saluation in thine owne workes merits thereof but must be content with the godly to renounce thy selfe and leane fast to the grace of God in Christ in whom surely thou must seeke it in seeking thou shalt finde it and finding thou shalt doubtlesse possesse it Quest Whereunto then wilt thou say doe serue the fruits of Repentance Answ No doubt to very good and comfortable purpose For these said fruits are as Signes and Seales to testifie they are no causes to procure and effect saluation and life vnto thee Quest But thou wilt say againe Seeing the case is thus it is no matter how I line and how I doe here behaue my selfe Answ God forbid that any such motion should euer creepe into the hearts of Gods Elect or that any man should hereby take occasion to become secure and carelesse to shew forth his Christian duty For though in our selues wee cannot indeede finde any possibilitie to deserue life but possibilitie too much to merit death yet are wee bound to exercise our selues in these fruits for these causes following First The first cause of shewing godly lise for that God himselfe commandeth it in wonderfull many places of the Scriptures Secondly that thereby his glory might be manifested Mat. 5.16 Thirdly 2.3 Causes for that by them man is in his conscience assured of his Election and Vocation
thou didst well consider of the thing indeed thou shouldst easily find that thou hast very small reason to moue thee to hope after this time thou dream'st of whē as if it were longer then commonly is allotted vnto any yet it would bee found little enough to be imployed for the good benefit of thy soule And why then shouldst thou thinke that God will bee thus gracious to bestow this thing vpon thee in a time that is most vnfit when thou so vnthankefully didst put off and neglect the same being offered vnto thee so often before in a time conuenient Doe not thinke that thou hast God at command take his offer with thankfulnes vse it as thou oughtest to his glory and thy good and do not in any wise presume to prescribe vnto him a time or a manner how hee shall deale with thee at thine end If thou marke well without flatterie of thy selfe what thou hast deserued thou hast a great and a iust cause also to feare lest for thy carelesse neglect of this which in mercy hee offereth thee in iustice hee strike thee suddenly and at vnawares If therefore I might giue counsell in this so dangerous a case I would aduise euery childe of GOD to lay aside this vnchristian hope and to renew his Testament yeerely nay monethly or oftner that so he may be in a readinesse when death commeth rather then to post off all to bee performed in the time of sicknesse for by this deferring it commeth oftentimes to passe which is a lamentable thing for euery Christian heart and eye to thinke vpon and see that the man pressed with sickenesse and lying as yee would say at the point of death when hee should haue his heart and minde wholly set and fixed on heauen and heauenly things is so clogged and fettered in the cares of this life and such as concerne his house and Family that though his will be made according to his meaning his goods ordered and disposed accordingly and all things finished and ended to the knowledge of men yet with this sick man himselfe it is not so fully dispatched but that these worldly affaires wherewith his head hath been thus of late busied wil not so be rooted out but that a man shall heare him often euen in his greatest agonies to mutter and to talke of nothing else but these as though his head and thoughts were bent vpon nothing else And this many do with such vehemencie and earnestnesse that thereby they giue occasion vnto many that heare them to iudge that not onely the taste and feeling but also the very thought and inward meditation of heauenly ioyes and comforts seeme for the time to bee barred and excluded from hauing any place of rest and harbour in his heart and soule Wherefore if thou wilt not bee hindred from this taste of heauenly ioyes and pleasures at thy death and end of this thy naturall life haue a care in health in this sort to prouide for death lest the cares of this life bee a cause to hold and keepe these endlesse comforts from thee Follow the example of Abraham who in his life time when hee was in strength and health disposed of his goods While thou art yet sound and lustie haue thy Scpulchre in a readinesse with Ioseph of Arimathea that is let all things be prouided and set in such a readinesse as though alwayes and euery houre thou wert prepared and readie to descend into the graue Let neither thy youthfull yeeres nor yet thy strength flatter thee two deceitfull baites to breed securitie as though thou hadst long to liue and mightst continue yet many yeeres and so thou put off the time to make this preparation But while it is to day while thou hast time and season deferre it not but accept and vse well the time that God hath offered and giuen vnto thee CHAP. XXVI Of the second part of the preparation vnto death THE other and as I may well call it the Spirituall preparation vnto death belonging vnto the soule is found to be of two sorts that is either such as is to bee had and vsed at all times and throughout the whole course order of our life or such as concerneth the time of our sickenesse and death Of the first sort Salomon warneth vs very wisely 〈◊〉 1◠1 bidding vs Remember our Creator in the dayes of our youth while the euill dayes come not and the yeeres approach wherein wee shall say I haue no pleasure in them And our Sauiour Christ lesus putteth vs in minde hereof also both by diuers exhortations in the Scriptures and also by the Parable of the ten Virgines Mat. 25.1 c. bidding vs to watch and pray that wee may bee alwaies in a readinesse with Oyle in our Lampes to enter with the Bridegroom into the Wedding whensoeuer hee shall come In this Preparation the first thing required is alwaies to thinke with our selues and to remember that wee must die according to that saying Remember thy end and thou shalt neuer doe amisse This is an incuitable necessity imposed vpon all estates and conditions of men and of all to bee had in continuall remembrance This the Prophet Dauid calleth a numbring of our dayes saying Psal 90.12 Teach vs so to number our dayes that wee may apply our hearts vnto wisedome Where is to bee noted what a serious cogitation and remembrance this must bee euen so and such an one as may breed in vs a wise and a carefull heart and minde to doe the will of God for that is it which heere the Prophet meaneth by applying our hearts to wisedome or as the Hebrew hath it by bringing a wise heart into vs. For they that liue lewdly and loosely giuing themselues ouer as slaues vnto sinne howsoeuer they seeme wise in their owne conceit or in the iudgement of men yet in the sight and iudgement of God they are accounted for no better then fooles and as men that walke vnwisely But this is too generall for our purpose for this remembrance of our death as a preparation vnto this last and finall combate must not onely thinke of death and meditate thereof but must thinke of it as of such a time wherein wee must haue a dangerous and fierce assault made vpon vs and that by all these great and perillous Enemies Satan the World and the Flesh ioyning hand in hand and force with force against vs. If this doe once sinke deepely into our hearts it will make vs to haue a speciall care indeed and to look well about vs that we may be throughly prouided and in all parts well furnished and appointed against this heauy Day and time of Tryall And that so much the rather also if withall we consider and remember that the time when this assault shall bee is short and sudden vncertaine and vnknowne and therefore it lyeth vs vpon to watch continually that wee may be alwaies and euery moment in a readinesse that
our Sauiour Christ Mat. 5.11 12. saying Blessed are yee when men reuile you and persecute you and say all manner of euill against you for my sake falsely Reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in Heauen Of this is that of Iames to be vnderstood Iam. 1.2 when he exhorteth the brethren to account it an exceeding ioy when they fall into diuers temptations For it cannot bee but that they that are possessed with that former ioy in the promises of grace vnder hope of glory but that they should also triumph and reioyce in afflictions that besall vnto them for Iesus sake Hereupon it is that the Apostles being beaten and scourged are said to depart Act. 5.41 reioycing that they were accounted worthy to suffer rebuke for the name of Christ Thus also the Martyrs of God are said to account it a crowne of glory euen their death and martyrdome which they indured in the cause of Christ To this doing no doubt they were stirred and moued because as Paul speaketh they did know certainly and beleeue that those momentany and light afflictions doe cause a more excellent and eternall weight of glory Or else because they are fully instructed and taught in the true vse and fruit of their afflictions Ro. 5.3 4 5. and doe know that tribulations bring forth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed But it is far otherwise with the hypocrites For their time or rather vntimely faith in stead of triumphing and reioycing as one finding fit matter whereon to worke doth waste and melt away at the heate of these tribulations euen as the snow before the Sunne Well it may appeare to flourish awhile in time of peace and to shoote out the blade but when the parching sunne of afflictions doth shew forth his beames when the time of persecutions the time of tryall is come it then falleth and withereth away as though it neuer had beene For howsoeuer they seeme to approoue and like well of Religion yet doe they not delight in this Iewell that will cost so deare as eyther goods or life and therfore doe vtterly fall and shrinke away from it seeing it cannot be had held without such trouble and disquiet And that thou mayst the better know and discerne the true reioycing from the counterfet ioy of hypocrites I would wish thee to consider well of the Apostles words before recited out of Romanes 5.3 4 5. Ro. 5.3 4 5. where the Apostle doth maruellously illustrate the same First by certaine effects which proceed therefrom one vpon anothere by degrees and secondly from the speciall cause thereof The effects are First Patience which consisteth in quiet suffering and abiding the Lords corrections without any repining murmuring or grudging against the Lord for the same Secondly experience which is that assurance of Gods care and fauour towards them in their afflictions who although hee hath laid the same vpon them yet he will sustaine and vphold them so that they shall not shrinke or fall vnder this heauy burthen of tribulations and that the Lord in his good time for a testimonie of his loue will deliuer them Thirdly from these ariseth hope that hauing had experience of Gods loue heretofore in deliuering of them they are thereby also put in hope that his louing care ouer them is not now ended but shall still be continued towards them And fourthly this hope bringeth forth a boldnes to persist in confidence and still to depend vpon him without shame as knowing assuredly that in time conuenient hee will not faile them Secondly the cause or foundation whereupon this triumphant reioycing accompanied with these effects is grounded is the loue of God spred in their hearts because their hearts and soules finde and feele the loue of God to be so great and exceeding towards them in Christ Iesus that they are thereby perswaded that whatsoeuer he doth permit and suffer to befall them shall by Gods working turne to their great good and benefit Strengthening themselues with this reason of the Apostle elsewhere alledged That seeing GOD hath not spared his owne Sonne Rom. 8.32 but gaue him for vs all to death how shall hee not with him giue vs all things also For in this sort and after this order by this fruitfull meditation of grace in Christ and in his death and Passion is that same sheading and spreading abroad of Gods loue towards his children performed And therefore the Apostle euen immediately vpon the same annexeth the remembrance of the Passion of our Sauiour Rom. 5 6. For Christ saith hee when we were of no strength at his time dyed for the vngodly The fift effect of Faith The fift effect of Faith whereby as a marke thereof it is to bee knowne is loue not that loue before spoken of for that was in regard of vs a passiue loue beeing the Loue God whereby hee loueth vs. But this loue whereof wee now speake is actiue in regard of our selues euen that loue which we extend to others Gal. 5.6 for faith worketh by loue so that if thou hast a liuing and a working Faith thou shalt also haue a loue attending on it for else it cannot worke at all Now this loue in regard of the double obiect is found to bee of two sorts that is the loue which wee owe vnto God principally and aboue all and secondly the loue which we owe ought to beare towards our neighbour And these two kindes of loue although they greatly differ the one from the other yet they are alwayes so linked and inseparably coupled and tyed together that they cannot in any wise bee parted or seuered the one from the other For how can he saith Iohn 1. Ioh. 4.20 that loueth not his brother whom he hath seene loue God whom hee hath not seene And againe this commandement haue wee of him that hee which loueth God should loue his brother also And therefore the same Apostle in the same Epistle maketh the one to bee a signe and token vvhereby a man may know if hee haue the other In this we know saith Iohn that we loue the children of God 1. Ioh. 5.2 when we loue God and keepe his Commandements Hereupon now it may bee very well concluded that if thy faith bee true and liuely thou shalt easily finde these two kindes of loue to bee in thee the loue of GOD and the loue of thy Christian brethren My meaning is that thou wilt haue a Christian care so farre forth as thou shalt bee enabled by the Spirit of God 1. Ioh. 5.3 to performe and doe the will of God For this is the loue of God saith Iohn that we keepe his commandements And also wilt bee carefull ready and willing to thy power to performe and doe the duties of loue and charitie vnto thy Christian brother in helping cherishing counselling and comforting of him to thy power in matters concerning both the good
this our Sauiours hands such an absolute and powerfull authoritie as that no power either in earth or hell is able to withstand doth sinne incumber thee art thou inwrap ped in the chaines therof bound with the gables of thâ—ne owne iniquities Fly then to Christ for hee it is that is able alone and onely to breake these bands in sunder and to set thy soule at libertie For being a Michael as a mighty Captaine to subdue our enemies hee hath power also to redeeme vs home and to reduce vs from the feare of bondage And as for death and hell the fearfullest feares that euer were vnto the sinfull soule there is no cause at all to feare them seeing that sinne the sting of both is by Christ so conquered and taken away Obiect But thou wilt haply say These things I finde indeed to bee so as is said but yet to me it is not so For these graces which you haue spoken of belong to to the righteous as for me my sinnes as a mighty floud haue ouerrunne my soule testifying as a thousand witnesses that these things doe not appertaine to mee but rather all those curses threats and iudgements that are denounced in the Law Answ Hereunto I answere that you are altogether in one song being as it appeareth intentiue wholly and onely on your sinnes and nothing else Was Physick euer ordained I pray you for him that is in health Is Chirurgery appointed for him that hath no sores or wounds Howsoeuer you iudge in this case Christ I am sure is of another iudgement and telleth you otherwise that they which are whole haue no need of the Physition but they that are sick And that he came not to call the righteous Mat. 9.13 Luke 19.10 but sinners to repentance And that the Sonne of man is come to seeke and saue that which was lost And doe you not remember that sweet compellation lately mentioned Come vnto mee all yee that are weary and heauy laden and I will ease you Who are these weary and who are the heauy laden are they not which was the third part I obserued in that call made by Christ such as are tyred and ouerburthened with the heauy load and burthen of their sinnes Yes no doubt You see then that it is not of any force or moment which you haue obiected to the contrary Again consider I pray you what was the cause that our heauenly Father did lay those three seuerall offices before touched on the person of his Sonne Was it not for sinne and that of vs that are his sinfull creatures And was it not in the wisdome of God deuised as a remedy and recouery against our sinnes If Adam had persisted and continued still in that purity and innocencie in the which hee was first created what needed Christ so to haue abased himselfe and to haue suffered so many shamefull and cruell things as he did It appeareth therefore that whatsoeuer Christ is vnto vs it is all to take away our sinne to reconcile vs into the fauour of God and to make vs with him inheritors of his euerlasting Kingdome If sinne had neuer entred no doubt the greatest part of Christs office had beene frustrate and to no purpose There is no cause then to alledge our sinnes as a cause to make his grace to be vneffectuall in vs vvhich was the first thing whereunto it was appointed entered and tooke effect And therefore we should rather thus reason dispute to the contrary I am a sinfull and a great transgressor Christ on the other side is a Sauiour to saue his people from their sinnes and therefore I know and am assured that the fruit and effect of his precious bloudshedding doth appertaine and belong vnto me To that which hath been heretofore said in this behalfe I may adde the saying of the Apostle 1. Tim. 1.15 This is a true saying and worthy of all men to be receiued that Christ came into the world to saue sinners Of the Prophet Esay affirming that he was wounded for our transgressions Esay 53.5 and broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are heale and many such like places to that same effect but I hope these shall suffice CHAP. VI. Against the assault of the weaknes and want of Faith Obiect BVt here it is commonly obiected by the person thus disquieted and troubled in minde Indeed these things I doe know and confesse to bee so but yet I remember what is also written that is that although Christ came to be a Sauiour and a Redeemer vnto sinners and was indeed sent to preach good tydings vnto the poore Esay 61.1 to bind vp the broken hearted to preach libertie vnto the captiues and to them that are bound the opening of the prison to comfort all that mourne to cloath them with the garments of saluation to couer them with the robe of righteousnes yet in them onely shall this his comming and death be effectuall which by a true and a liuely faith take hold and depend vpon him For it is written So God loued the world Iob. 3.16 that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne to the end that all that beleeue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life but as for those which haue not faith it after followeth that they are so farre from grace that they are coÌ„demned already Iob. 3.18 because they beleeue not in the onely begotten Sonne of God This assault 2. Sorts of men assaulted with the want of Faith although for the most part it neuer ensueth after the assault of sinne before touched yet it is diuersly disposed in respect of the diuers subiects wherein it worketh For some are such as are but newly begunne to be regenerate and renewed in whom faith doth but beginne to take roote and to bee sowed and ingrafted and these hauing lyen alwaies beforetime as it were dead in sinne haue neuer felt to their knowledge the liuely pulse of faith at any time to beat within them And againe 1. The newly regenerate others there be that being before called and being indued with the gift of faith yet the flesh resisting against the Spirit and the spirituall graces 2. More ancient Christians remaining for the time both dull and weake in them they seeme to haue clean lost that which they had before and thereupon fall to doubting and distrust within themselues as though their faith were but a dead faith which seemeth for the time to bee so quickly wasted and decayed Against these two seuerall estates of men wee are to apply seuerall medicines as is most conuenient First touching him that is but yong and very tender in the womb of regeneration and not fully formed and become a renued creature in Christ No maruell if he thinke strange of this distrust within himselfe or if that he complaine of the weaknes and want of faith in himselfe For you must
and therefore howsoeuer others may gather fruit of your godly sayings yet you may by this surely know that no gaine doth thereby grow vnto me Answ Concerning the knowledge you ascribe vnto mee I protest that it is not for me presumptuously to pry into the heart of any it is beyond the skill of me or of any other this power is left or rather reserued onely to the Lord who knoweth the secrets of all mens hearts and the examination of euery mans conscience is in him whose the conscience is and in none other man Yet that we may the better come to the discouery of Satans subtill policy and that euen thou also aswell as others mayst gather fruit of that which hath beene before delinered in true in good and godly manner as thou confessest Let mee I pray thee by the way demand one question of thee that art thus distressed in soule still the former doctrin notwithstanding Tell mee I pray thee Why doest thou thus sigh Why doest thou thus lament and mourne Why is thy countenance so thrown downe Is it not for sinne committed I am perswaded that thou wilt not deny but affirme that it is so For els why doest thou cry out so much against thy sinne and so complaine of thy former wickednesses Thus farre now I take that wee doe agree both in thy mourning state and also in the originall cause thereof But yet thou wilt haply say Reply of the soule distressed I confesse it is for sinne indeed but in such manner as was the mourning of Iudas who is sayd to mourne and lament for his sinne committed in betraying his Master but it was without hope it was with despaire and in hypocrisie Answ Well then now commeth to be tried out what it is that maketh thee thus to iudge and giue so heauy a sentence and that vpon thine owne estate In the which triall I finde two things whereby thou art led as it were violently to this desperate iudgement One is the consideration of the time past for that of long time before thou hast led thy life in very loose and licentious manner wholly giuing thy selfe to the fulfilling of the damnable workes of the flesh neuer acquainting thy selfe with the excellent workes of the Spirit and so neuer haddest any feele of sin nor touch of conscience as thou supposest at all The other is the state present Because thou fee-lest not these former good things as yet to be entred into thy heart and to haue any place therein Obiect Touching the first thou wilt say that surely such lewdnesse and carelesse kinde of liuing could neuer befall the called of God that so long so lewdly and so carelesly they should passe away their time and spend all their dayes without all remorse and feeling as hitherto thou hast done Answ Heereunto I answer that the position standeth on a weake and feeble ground sauoureth onely of Satans sophistry and nothing of the Truth and therfore is no better to be deemed then a false and deceitfull principle whereby the Deuill goeth about to deceiue thee as hee hath done many others as shall anon appeare One of these two things must needs be found in thee that either thou hast had some tokens of faith and of the effectuall working of the Spirit of God at one time or other apparant in thee or els thou hast not had them at all Tell mee now Didst thou neuer finde as yet any tokens of the Spirit and of faith nor any signes of thy regeneration to shew forth themselues in thee If not I say then that it is no maruell to see the man of God that is as yet vnregenerate to drench himselfe so deepe in sinne For vntill hee feele these tokens in some part appearing in him it is manifest that in wicked and disordred course of life there is little or no difference at all to be found betwixt him and the reprobate And yet since the time and also the manner of Gods calling is as I haue sayd to vs so vncertaine and vnknowne I affirme that all this notwithstanding a man may in time be called and therefore hee is not so desperately to iudge of himselfe And againe if it so be that thou hast selt faith in her fruit more or lesse already working in thee and hast perceiued some signes of true Repentance heeretofore to haue shewed forth themselues in thee and yet thou art thus farre as appeareth by thy speeches fallen backe and relapsed yet can this thy fall bee no sufficient reason to draw thee to giue such a dreadfull doome of thine estate My reason is The gifts graces of God not alwaies alike seene because these gifts and graces of God are not alwayes seene in such an high and flourishing manner as men doe dreame after But as I haue sayd of faith that it doth sometimes ebbe and sometimes flow So I assirme of the fruits of faith also that they are sometimes more and sometimes lesse And as faith it selfe sometime groweth to be so weake and feeble that it sheweth not it selfe at all but seemeth to be as you would say euen dead and yet hath a hidden life still remaining in it So it is also with the fruits of faith And heereupon it is that wee read of diuers the seruants of God as Noah Lot Dauid Peter and others whose faith was sometime brought to so low an ebbe and the flesh and the powers thereof sometime in them preuailed so much and so mightily that if we respect their doings for the time they seemed to haue little or no sense and feeling of sinne at all but as men no whit regenerate did giue themselues ouer to committing of sinne and those most odious and abominable and without any respect did shew and behaue themselues as men secure and carelesse for the time Which time of their secure loose and sinfull manner of life I may iustly call the time of Gods desertion for that he did as it were withdraw from them the liuely and effectuall working and operation of his Spirit permitting Satan and the Flesh for a time to haue the soueraignty and dominion ouer them And for that the time also of this desertion as experience teacheth is not alike to all but in some is of shorter and in others of a longer continuance as the Lord in his wisdome shall appoint I therefore conclude that this sayd time of desertion may not bee any cause so hardly to iudge of the state of any Now whereas this decrease in some is so small Some misdoubt themselues without cause there being a continuall motion of the Spirit in them though they perceiue it not that there is a continuall motion of the Spirit to bee found in them though by want of due regard they often see it not but doubt and mistrust themselues in regard of their liues and in respect of some sinne that daily they finde within them and yet after many yeeres they cannot bee deliuered from it
against it because it findeth it offensiue vnto God And thus now you may see the difference of these two motions in these seuerall estates of men though oftentimes I know that the hypocrite doth flatter himselfe in the sight hereof as though hee had found some goodly and precious Iewell in the dunghill of his corrupted nature when as in very deed it is nothing so CHAP. XIIII How the man disquieted in conscience should in the same behane himselfe NOW as these things hitherto haue beene vttered for direction so some things also are to be annexed partly out of that which went before and partly ouer and besides the same to instruct and teach the man in conscience troubled and disquieted with the weakenesse of repentance and the manifold imperfections which hee findeth in himselfe how hee may vse and demeane himselfe in view and meditation of them and that hee may do it with greater comfort lesse distrust First therefore I would wish and aduise such a man not to passe ouer euery thing lightly in a slight maner Not rest in feare without due tryall without a due and deliberate consideration as is the common vse of the sorrowfull soule but rather to grow to a thorow triall and examination of himselfe For oftentimes it commeth to passe that for want hereof there arise many great discomforts vnto men when men either vtterly refusing or else by reason of some light causes deferring the matter doe not search so deepely into themselues as they should and so through this default they doe bereaue themselues of the sight and knowledge of those good motions of faith and the comforts thereof comming which other men doe inioy And in this point it falleth out with men refusing or delaying to make this tryall as it doth with a man diseased with a sore and grieuous impostume who if hee doe looke onely vpon the outward appearance findeth nothing but such matter as still threatneth griefe and anguish but if hee pierce into it and launce it feeleth present ease so whiles the sorrowfull soule looketh onely vpon the outward appearance of his imperfections hee shall find nothing but matter to moue and leade him to despaire but if hee pierce into himselfe and into the secret chamber of his heart by due tryall and examination of himselfe and bee not too austere a Iudge ouer himselfe hee shall finde at one time or other that which may serue vnto him as a cause of great and exceeding comfort Secondly I would not haue him in this his tryall-making to bee as I haue said either an austere Not to bee too austere a Iudge vpon himselfe or a corrupt and vniust Iudge vpon himselfe ready rashly to pronounce and giue the sentence before the cause bee well and thorowly knowne For this is a vsuall fault and too too common amongst men and hath been the cause of many great inconueniences That we may therefore be found herein the more carefull to preuent and auoid euils it is necessary that we well consider of the cause which wee haue in hand with the circumstances thereof The cause is a tryall of sin whereunto is to bee pleaded either guilty or not guilty the circumstances are the persons agents which are the Soule accused Satan and sinne the Accusers and in this the conscience is as a Iudge The silly soule now as an offender in wofull case standeth at the Barre holding vp the hand to bee tryed and found either guilty or not guilty This as I haue said the silly soule is no doubt the principall part of man and most to be accounted of as a most precious iewell For although a man haue neuer so great aboundance of earthly treasures yet is it nothing in comparison of the soule And to gaine and get the whole world it profiteth not at all to a man Luk. 9.25 if hee lose his owne soule And therefore though our posting and hasty iudgement cannot in very deed preiudice or forestall the finall sentence of the euerlasting Iudge yet it is not to bee posted ouer and passed vpon so lightly as men commonly do suppose but with good and deepe deliberation as in such a weighty cause is requisite The accusers as I haue said are Satan and Sinne Satan and sinne his Accusers and these are found oftentimes not onely false Euidencers but also enuious Witnesses and such as indeed doe not wish any good but harme yea vtter destruction vnto man both in body and soule And therefore since it is manifest to be true which I haue said of them we may see that there is no hope at all of any fauor to be had at these accusants hands but that rather it is most assuredly to be looked for that they will spew out their poyson against the true seruants of the Lord so far as they can to the vtter destruction of the children of God Against these so malicious and enuious Accusers Faith his Aduocate still vrging the haynousnesse of thine iniquities Faith as a wise and prudent Aduocate standeth to pleade the cause who although she alwaies telleth the truth and speaketh with great comfort yet is she oftentimes so shouldred out suppressed with the clamorous out cries of these malicious Accusants that she can hardly be suffered to speak in such free manner as she would And if she be suffered yet she is so interrupted that her speech is found to be but faint and feeble So that if she bee not well attended vpon she can scantly be heard And hereupon it commeth to passe that the conscience of man giuing care most to the euidence of the Accusers and not attendant to that which Faith pleadeth in defence is ready to giue sentence and iudgement against the soule to the condemnation thereof But I would aduertise euery man in this Session of tryall vpon himselfe still to haue a care that he be not ouer-hasty to pronounce the doome before the cause thorowly heard And let him consider with himselfe that as in worldly causes he being appointed as an Arbitrator or a Iudge in equity ought as well to lend one of his eares to the Defendant as hee doth the other to the Plantiffe and so not to heare onely what is obiected but also what in truth is to the same answered So in this case also of the soule let not any man attend onely and giue eare to that with these accusers shall obiect against the soule but rather hearken to that which faith vttereth in defence for that shee pleadeth still in fauorem vitae for lifes cause And herein this is worthy to be remembred also that one motion and whispering word of Faith and of the Spirit is and ought to bee accepted and accounted for a greater and sorer testimonie tending vnto life then are all the earnest cryes of these accusants tending vnto death appeare they neuer so faire and be they coloured ouer with neuer so great likelihood and probabilitie Thirdly we must consider also
mee thou doest account it also that to bee prosperitie which is voyd of all trouble and disquiet so that no longer then peace quietnesse continue no longer he accounteth it to be prosperity Whereas God would not haue thee to consider so much the very instant and time present but the issue and end of all The Scriptures doe testifie vnto vs yea and experience also doth teach vs that the wicked are seene to bee in this worldly peace and to bee without troubles when as on the other side the godly are in great troubles yet cannot the wicked ones bee iustly said to enioy prosperitie nor the godly to bee out of prosperitie vntill the end of the one and the other bee manifestly knowne and then that will sufficiently proue that the wicked this peace notwithstanding is void of prosperity and the godly their troubles notwithstanding are yet prosperous And therefore the Prophet Dauid in the 37. Psal hauing discoursed at large of the flourishing estate and prosperitie of the Righteous in the end to shew how we may truely iudge determine of it referreth vs not to the beginning or iniddle but vnto the end thereof saying Marke the vpright man Psal 37.37 and consider the iust for the end of that man is peace The good Souldier doth not determine of his good successe by the heate of the skirmish or by the strokes and wounds giuen and receiued betwixt him and his enemy but by the ssue and euent of the battell For if then hee put his foes to foyle he thinketh the victory to be his and his fight to haue beene good and prosperous The Merchant-venturer doth not iudge of the good successe of his Aduentures by the present tempests and stormes beating vpon him and whereby he is tossed to and fro and often in danger of losing all but if in the end he arriue safely at home without disparagement of his life and substance he then thinketh all to be well and his voyage to be worthily accounted prosperous So that which God speaketh of thy life and whole life considered altogether doe not thou thus minsingly with Satan diuide and part asunder by piece-meale for so thou mayst bee soone deceiued but ioyne the beginning with the proceeding and consider both these vvith the issue and end thereof and thou shalt finde that whatsoeuer Satan shall reason to the contrarie yet the godly mans life euen in the middest of all Aduersitie is a most happy and blessed life and full of all prosperitie because that the end thereof assuredly is blessed and prosperous Here perhaps you will maruell and demand how it can bee that these so contrary things should possibly concurre and meet together at one time and in the same subiect To remoue this maruell and to satisfie this demand not I but the Apostle Paul shall come in place who is bold to vtter as maruellous doctrine as this As dying saith he and yet behold 2. Cor. 6.9 10. we liue as chastened and yet not killed as sorrowing and yet alway reioycing as poore and yet making many rich as hauing nothing and yet possessing all things And what now are these in death life in afflictions comforts in sorrowing abundance of reioycing in pouertie plentie and in exceeding penury the possession of all things but euen in aduersitie the greatest gale of all prosperitie CHAP. XX. Other Obiections of Satan against the former doctrine confuted IF this which I haue somwhat largely discoursed be thought to be too little and insufficient for confirmation of mine assertion neither wil content your minde take I pray you a little paine wade on w th me a litle further in this matter I trust by the assistance of the Spirit of God euen by a very familiar example to make the case so plaine that you shall euen as it were of force bee brought to confesse my Position to bee true whatsoeuer the enemy of mankind will seeme to blatter out to the contrarie It is not to be denyed but that Satan the better to ouerthrow the seruants of God is busie to take many exceptions against the Truth proposed and vseth many reasons for confirmation of his doings But when all are thorowly skanned they will euidently appeare to be more presumptuously vttered then duely proued as now shall bee easily seene Let it be granted for disputations cause but not that it is true indeed that the promises of God doe concerne this present life onely I meane the promises of prosperitie and that they shall be here performed also Say that the righteous shall not fall for euer that is shall neuer fall but shall euer flourish Let Satan vpon these two grounds beginne to settle his mayne conclusions yet I doubt not but that vpon the examination of his reason it will cleerely appeare that his conclusions are but vaine light and of no weight or importance This is Satans reason The righteous men and children of God doe in this life enioy continuall prosperitie Satans Reason For so God hath said and promised who is true in his word faithfull of his promise and therefore surely wil perform it But thou hast not this prosperitie For thou continually liuest in trouble and aduersitie And therefore questionlesse thou art none of Gods children Answ The first Proposition with the reason I grant to be true but the second and the reason of the same I affirme to be most absurd if it be well considered Art thou therefore excluded from prosperitie because thou indurest troubles in this life Nay rather thou mayst with safety deny the consequence of this connexion For troubles and molestations are no vndoubted marke whereby to coniecture the absence of true prosperitie because that both these may very well concurre and come together as by this familiar example plainly doth appeare Example The Merchant the Husbandman the Artificer doe all take great paines one by Sea the others by Land they toyle and labour and are greatly for the time disquieted as men ouer-wearied with excessiue toyle yet in all this their paines are turned to a good euent they prosper for their wealth is thereby increased their labours and toyle are recompenced with great profit and aduantage Will you now say because these men haue such paines and troubles that therefore they doe not prosper I perswade my selfe thou wilt not say it And why Surely for this cause onely for that these their paines as is said are turned and conuerted to their gaine Euen so it is with the children of God they are in afflictions and troubles they are pressed with miseries in this life and yet still they prosper still they flourish because that all and euery one of these their troubles afflictions and miseries be they neuer so great and neuer so many are still conuerted and turned to their good For all things worke for the best and greatest commoditie and benefit to them that are elect of GOD. So that gaine is gaine to them how
of little importance and smally pertaining to the purpose I haue in hand Out of such an infinite number which haue in this sort endured such cruelty I thinke it good to make recitall of a few particulars wherby I trust my position will be sufficiently confirmed And yet before giuing you thus much to vnderstand and generally to obserue That during the heauy times of these persecutions besides the particular torments which euery one endured all and euery one that did but take vpon him to professe himselfe and say hee was a Christian had the whole State and Kingdome wherein hee liued bent against him his goods by the lawes in danger to bee confiscate in stead of a rightfull Iudge hee had not onely a Miscreant but also a most cruell Tyrant to decide his cause who rather busied his head to deuise torments then how to set downe the doome with equity His friends and worldly comforts would forsake him being such as no whit fauoured but most poisonfully maligned the cause of Christ Life could not be had but bailed with many miseries and death though wished for yet could not be attained vnto but through the troublesome outragious tempests of most extreme calamities So that if thou respect now the losse and want of these worldly comforts I perswade my selfe they can in no case be inferiour vnto thee But these are but light in respect of the particular tortures most wofull and lamentable which in the cause of Christ they endured whereof now God so permitting thou shalt haue a taste Romanus a Martyr Euseb lib. 8. cap. 20. It is storied of Romanus a constant Martyr how that he being condemned vnto the fire and being brought to the place of execution standing bound to the stake and in most cheerefull manner calling for fire to be put vnto him as one most ready and willing with so slight a torment to put an end to his life fraught with so many miseries the President caused him againe to be loosed adiudged him to the induring of another torment namely that the tongue of Romanus wherwith he had so stoutly defended the cause of Christ should bee cut out whereunto Romanus yeelding patiently hee held out his tongue as one most willing and ready to abide this new deuised torture which cruell sentence being performed hee was againe clapped fast in prison where hee was a long time cruelly tormented And when by the Emperours pardon all the other prisoners were set at liberty and deliuered hee alone was left still as a lamentable spectacle of woe and misery and judged as one altogether vnworthy of such a benefit had his feet stretched as the story noteth fiue spaces asunder and in fine with a cord or halter put about his necke was stifeled vnto death Apphianus Apphianus a Martyr Euseb lib. 8. cap. 22. a like constant and faithfull Martyr in no respect inferiour to the other being first apprehended and clapt into prison for his profession of Christ was in the same prison in pitifull manner tormented a whole day and a night with both his feet in the stockes stretched farre asunder on the third day hee was brought foorth before the Iudge and vtterly refusing to doe sacrifice as hee was enioyned had straight-way his sides rent by the Executioners or Hang-men with the lash of the whip yea and that not once or twice but oftentimes euen vnto the bone and inward bowels His face and necke also were so vehemently lashed that his face was swollen so exceedingly with the print of the stripes that they which beforetime had knowne him well and could haue discerned him from another by his countenance thenceforth missed of their marke and knew him not at all When his cruell enemies did see and perceiue that for all these manifold and grieuous torments he would not yeeld vnto their idolatrous and wicked religion For a further increase of his paines they wrapped his feet in flax oyled all ouer and set the same on fire whereof to vse mine Authors words what great and grieuous paines hee suffered I am not able to expresse It ranne ouer his flesh wasted and consumed the same and pierced euen vnto the marrow bred within the bones So that his whole body was therewith larded and distilled much like vnto dropping and distilling wax The Martyr hauing yet some breath left after all these exceeding torments was brought backe againe the second time to prison On the third day was presented againe before the Iudge and although by reason of his grieuous wounds he was past all hope of life yet by the sentence of the mercilesse and cruell Iudge hee was condemned to be cast into the raging sea and to bee drowned Porphyrius a Martyr Euseb lib. 8. cap. 29. To these if I adde the lamentable story of Porphyrius it shall not be amisse who being apprehended and confessing boldly himselfe to bee a Christian it was first commanded that hee should bee whipped and scourged to the very bones and bowels wherewith hee was so pittifully rent and mangled that as the Story noteth hee seemed to bee not a man couered in flesh and compast in a skinne but a picture made of stone or wood or some senselesse metall In which plight when hee bad continued a long time yet the Iudge perceiuing him to vtter no words of impatiencie but to continue still as one that suffered no great paine not as a man but as a beast without any compassion and voide of all humanitie made this direfull Decree that in a slack and slowe fire his bodie by little and little should be consumed and burnt to ashes Infinite are the like examples which the Stories do affoord vs but I had rather for a further search hereof to referre thee vnto those who haue faithfully recorded the same in our English tongue as they bee set downe in ancient Writers then to trouble this small Treatise with any further discourse of the same Hoping that these few are sufficient to set before thee and to giue some little taste what great and grieuous afflictions the Saints and seruants of God haue suffered and beene partakers of in this life Which if thou thinkest that thou canst possibly equall and match yet I am assuredly perswaded thou canst not surpasse and go beyond them Let Satans reason now be tryed by the Touchstone of these and such like examples and I trust it will manifestly appeare how little truth there is in his allegation when he would make the greatnesse and excessiue measure of afflictions to bee an argument and a signe of Gods reiection Dare any affirme that these were Castawaies which are so highly renowmed for Gods faithfull Seruants Saints and Martyrs which by their bloud-sheading sealed their Christian Profession Who euer I pray you suffered more extreme paines torments in their bodies then these Insomuch that if by the outward accidents wee might iudge of the finall estate of the soule you may iudge these of all other to haue
beene smitten of GOD and plagued and euen in earth to haue receiued the very sentence of eternall death vpon themselues But this manner of iudgement must bee suspended for notwithstanding these externall and outward accidents befalling their bodies they rested and continued still the Elect and Chosen of the Lord euen vnto the death the cup whereof in defence of their Masters cause they most gladly tasted of how grieuous soeuer the torments and afflictions were which their bodies suffered and endured And againe if thou dost vouchsafe with an vpright heart and void of all blind affection to compare together thine and their afflictions I doubt not but that both for the cause and also for the matter and manner of them euen in thine owne iudgement thou wilt be found and prooued nothing comparable but farre inferiour vnto them For they were afflicted for the testimonie of Christ but thou for sinne they at the hands of Satans instruments in most cruell manner and thou at the hands of God after a Fatherly way They vnto death and the same most extreme but in thee thy life is preserued a time of repentance is granted which is surely a great Argument of Gods great loue and fauour towards thee So that now thou maist see this my Position to bee true and that to thy great comfort that others haue tasted and drunke as deep of the cup of afflictions nay much deeper then thou hast done So insatiable a Serpent is Satan and so obstinate in his peruerse opinion that nothing bee it neuer so truely vttered can satisfie him and content him For although this which hath been said concerning this Position and the ouerthrow of Satans coloured reasons doe greatly qualifie and allay the matter yet through Satans suggestions the broken soule is not with all this contented For the enemy hath now found out another muse and starting-hole to auoid the danger of this sound doctrine and to intrap the weake conscience whose death he greedily thirsteth after within the compasse of his subtilty as by this his reason doth appeare CHAP. XXII Of the fourth Position LET it bee graunted saith this our cruell Enemy that many of Gods Elect and Chosen are found to haue suffered these A fresh assault of Satan and such like afflictions and say they haue gone beyond thee in extremities yet this helpeth not the matter neither doth it serue thy purpose at all For reade and see and thou shalt finde and that quickely a great difference for the miseries which they endure are but short and momentany with them there may bee trouble and heauinesse for a night Psal 30.5 but toy commeth in the morning But experience telleth thee that thy troubles contrary wise are of long continuance Againe when they cry and call for help and succour God doth soone release them and putteth an end vnto their troubles for hee hath so promised vnto those that are his Children Call vpon me in time of trouble and I will deliner thee Psal 50.15 And therefore wee shall also finde that Dauid a man which was so much experienced in afflictions God was alwaies ready and at hand to saue and deliuer him as hee himselfe doth witnesse saying I cryed vnto the Lord and hee heard mee c. But with thee thou seest it is not so for thou hast cryed and called a long time and yet thou art not heard thou pravest but thou canst not preuaile Cease therefore to reason what grieuous torments the children of God haue suffered for it will not satisfie nor suffice thy turne For if thou hadst beene one of Gods elect and chosen Children hee would surely haue heard thee long yer this Hee would not haue stopped his eares at so many cries nor passed ouer so many plaints without compassion shewing In this new and fresh assault of Satan made vpon the weake conscience we are to consider how that to make his reason to carry the greater shew of probability he doth make a double amplification thereof Partly by the enumeration of some examples of such persons as haue beene afflicted but yet for a short time whose cry the Lord hath quickly heard and granted their request saying Lo and see such and such an one the Saints Seruants of God indeed that haue suffered great and grieuous torments but behold and see againe how soone and quickly they were deliuered And partly by the recitall of Gods exceeding mercy and compassion vnto his Seruants alledging that his eyes are alway fixed on them his eares are euer open to their cryes that hee is tender and carefull ouer them as the Hen ouer her Chickens or the Mother ouer her yong and tender Babe and as mindfull of them as the Bride is of her Ornaments in the day of Marriage and hereupon laboureth to infer this Conclusion against the afflicted soule to driue him into despaire That it cannot be possible that God being so pittifull so louing and so compassionate should so long and in such sort deferre and put off his helping hand from him if hee were reputed in the number of GODS Elect and Chosen This reason of Satan thus amplyfied the more subtilly that it is by him couched the more forcibly it prcuaileth with the weake and distressed soule to the dangerous ouerthrow thereof For whereas it hath beene before shewed that both the Elect and Reprobate are in deed partakers of afflictions Satan by this his reason would perswade that the continuance of afflictions in respect of time and the delay vsed of God in shewing forth his helpe are vndoubted differences and plaine markes whereby the one from the other may very easily be discerned known And to further him in this his purpose he taketh no small aduantage of the imbecility and weakenesse which is found in man who so long as his wounds are but fresh and greene can the better tolerate and abide the bearing of them because hee conceiueth some hope of some quicke and speedie deliuerance But when after long expectation he perceiueth his hope to bee frustrated and after long tryall seeth hee can finde no ease although hee hath vsed all possible meanes for the same then hee beginneth to despaire of himselfe and to make a question and doubt of his estate Wherein hee is found to be like vnto a sicke man which hauing tryed all the helps of Physick and yet finding no helpe for the curing of his disease beginneth then to distrust of life whereas before such tryall made hee suspected little danger of death in himselfe To preuent Satan of his purpose and for the strengthening of the weake Christian it shall not be amisse nay I thinke it necessary as before of the other reasons of the Aduersarie so of this likewise to shew the weakenesse and insufficiencie that it being knowne wee may see and perceiue the better how little faith is to bee giuen to his perswasions In which doing as a counter-blast against this temptation of Satan I thinke it good heere
our fraile and vveake flesh that so hee might deliuer vs from hell and crowne vs with an vnspeakeable weight of glory And what though we call and cry yea and that often and very earnestly and yet as we suppose God doth not regard it for the time are wee therefore thus to iudge or thinke either of God or of our selues as Satan would haue vs if he might preuaile God forbid It is our parts rather to rest our selues satisfied and contented with this that the Lord as I haue said both knoweth what is most conuement and behoouefull for vs his children and that hee is both able and also ready and willing in his appointed time fully to accomplish and performe the same Let not this seeme any strange thing vnto thee For GOD herein sheweth himselfe no otherwise affected towards vs then euen thou thy selfe art affected towards thine owne child whom thou most tenderly louest and in whom thou takest some great pleasure If this thy child had some grieuous sore or wound inflicted vpon him which by none other cunning of Physick could be cured but by the dayly applying of some sharp and byting medicine thereunto if the child tormented with this Physick should cry vnto thee make pitifull mone and plaint and that with abundance of teares trickling downe his tender cheekes crauing instantly that thou wouldest cease and giue ouer in this manner to vexe him by applying vnto his sore such a byting corrosiue Wouldest thou therefore cease giue ouer thy course or wouldest thou not rather all the cryes and teares of thy child notwithstanding continue still in the same because thou seest and knowest it to bee the hest and safest way to worke recouerie yea and yet withall also thinkest that therein thou shewest an vndoubted argument and token of thy great and fatherly loue towards him If it may be thus betwixt thee and thy child what reason is it that GOD should be abridged of his Prerogatiue that it should not bee in such manner betwixt God and his Children Why may not God continue his corrections vpon his seruants and therein as well as thou declare his loue and hold on still to apply vnto the sores of sinne these byting medicines of afflictions notwithstanding that thou continually callest and cryest to haue him cease and yet not withall as thou vnto thy child shew forth his mercy and compassion towards thee Let this therefore be holden as a certaine and vndoubted truth according to the sense and meaning of this my fourth Position that no miseries and afflictions in regard of their greatnes and continuance can be any sufficient cause or reason to make a difference in this life betwixt the Chosen of the Lord and Castawayes the Elect and Reprobate Because God powreth downe his corrections oftentimes vpon the one in as great a measure both in quantitie and continuance as he doth his Iudgements vpon the other And though some differences are indeed betwixt them as hath been before declared yet they are such and so hard for man to sound into that for mine owne part I dare not say no not of those that haue spent their liues very dissolutely and dying to the outward appearance very miserably that therefore these were iudgements proceeding of Gods hatred and tokens of his eternall resection of them Wee may read of many both in the older later times in foraine and also in our owne countrey which haue tyrannously oppressed and cruelly persecuted the poore members and faithfull seruants of our Sauiour Iesus Christ which dyed strange and vnwonted deaths and suffered in their ends most terrible and vnspeakle torments Yet since the time and manner of Gods Calling is so secret and vnknowne vnto vs shall I say that therefore they were condemned Let others vse their iudgements I dare not doe it For mine opinion is that extremities are no reasons and strange torments are no Arguments to conuince so great a matter They rest vnto the iudgement of the Lord to whom they either stand or fall And yet for the comfort of all Gods children be it also added that oftentimes in these extremities and Agonies euen in the very suffering and enduring of them the Elect of God shal finde many vndoubted Reasous whereupon they may certainly and vvithout all doubt conclude their saluation and that they are in the number of Gods Elect and Chosen And this is by the fruits and effects of true and liuely faith working and mouing in them Which effects sometimes againe are so supprest and sinothered vnder the violence of their paines and miseries that they seeme oftentimes yea and many of them also euen in the very point of death and being ready to yeeld vp the Ghost vnto the iudgement of man to haue no feeling of comfort in Christ and to sauour onely of despayre and yet for all this depart hence the Elect of God and in the number of his faithfull seruants CHAP. XXIII Of the fift Position THese things being thus concluded as wee haue answered Satans obiections and in answering remoued his discomforts whereinto hee seeketh to cast the Children of God So now let vs gather as it were into a brief summe the comforts before intreated of and also further see what comforts more we can make against this temptation and what spirituall dyet is herein fittest and most conueuient for the afflicted distressed soule to vse for the preseruation of his soules health The first comfort 1. Comfort is the consideration of the motiue cause in God of these afflictions and that is loue and mercy which hee beareth vnto these his seruants whom hee doth vouchsafe thus to afflict and chasten For this serueth if it bee well considered as a reyne to hold backe and restraine the violence of despayring thoughts When as wee call to minde and remember that hee that layeth and inflicteth these things vpon vs is louingly affected and disposed towards vs and therefore wil surely herein proceed no further then shall be for our good and benefit 2. Comfort Vnto this let vs adde for the second cōfort the consideration of the sinall cause or end wherefore God doth thus correct and chasten his children And that is to worke in them amendment to quicken stirre vp increase his graces in them that they may shine appeare more bright and cleere and to deliuer vs from the danger of those things as sinne and death whereinto by reason of the weaknesse and exceeding frailtie of our nature wee are ready euery day to slip and fall if by these his Fatherly and gentle corrections wee vvere not restrained Oftentimes also 3. Comfort we must herein call to minde the great care of God which he hath for his seruants in inflicting laying these corrections vpon them in that at all times and in euery seuerall person hee hath a speciall respect and regard that they exceed not measure but still doth limit and order them according to our abilitie in tolerating the
as belonged and appertained to themselues True faith therefore hath alwaies though not euer in the highest measure this applying vertue annexed with it as an essentiall propertie So that as in two members the one being dead the other quicke and liuely thou maist easily discerne which is liuely by the liuing and vitall motion in ministring and seruing vnto the necessarie vse of the body so by this liuely motion wherein the life of faith in part appeareth thou maist discerne know thy faith to bee quicke and liuing in that it doth thus minister vnto thy soule by applying the merits of Christ and the doctrine of the Gospell to the consolation and comfort thereof For which cause also this motion of faith is called sometimes Phronesis Prudence or Vnderstanding because herein our faith doth shew forth and manifest a skill and discretion in making the vse of the doctrine of the Gospell whose knowledge we had attained As for that other faith of hypocrites The faith of hypecrites that is instly compared to the dead member for that it wanteth this motion of life it hath not this strength to apprehend nor force and power to apply though otherwise hee that hath it seeme to bee sufficiently instructed in the knowledge of the Mysteries of the death and Passion of Christ For this faith indeed consisteth onely in a bare and naked knowledge without any further vse And therefore Christ our Sauiour speaking of this faith saith Indeed it receiueth the seed and the seed sprouteth and springeth out againe but yet it neuer beareth fruit For these kinde of men are knowne to be indued with the knowledge of the Word and of the Gospell and seeme to haue profited and proceeded therein that they can discourse and reason of the same and that oftentimes very profoundly and learnedly But yet all this is nothing at all to the purpose for all this while they want the principall which is the fruit and vse of these things in particular application thereof vnto their soules And if it so fall out that they finde any ioy within themselues in regard hereof as oftentimes they doe The ioy of hypocrites compared to the ioy of one that hath found some treasure to which hee hath no good right yet it is but like the ioy of one that walking forth hath found a treasure or precious Iewell that was lost Hee is glad and reioyceth in himselfe at such a precious accident as though it were his owne and that hee had a good interest vnto the same and yet hee can in no wise assure himselfe that it is or shall bee his goods because being a thing lost it is likely the owner will make inquisition after it and then his conscience as good as a thousand witnesses in this case telleth him that if the matter bee well considered of there is no reason or cause of ioy at all howsoeuer thus foolishly and rashly he conceiued of it before so likewise the hypocrite hauing attained vnto this knowledge of the Mysteries of life and thus lighting vpon this most precious and most costly Iewell of mans Redemption by and through the death of Christ seemeth therein to ioy and delight himselfe and yet when hee hath throughly tryed and examined himselfe hee findeth that in very deed this Iewell doth not of right appertaine vnto him but to others And that not hee but others may claime a right and interest vnto the same CHAP. XXXII Of the effects whereby the Truth of Faith may be knowne AS by the nature 2. True Faith known by the effects so by the effects also the truth of faith may be discerned and knowne In treating whereof my purpose is to fetch the ground of my discourse from the words of the Apostle written in the beginning of the sift Chapter of the Epistle to the Romanes Rom. 5.1 2 3 4 5. where we reade in this manner Then being iustified by Faith wee haue peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ By whom also wee haue accesse through faith vnto his grace wherein wee stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God Neither doe we so onely but we reioyce in tribulation knowing that tribulation bringeth forth patience c. vnto the sixt verse of the same Chapter In which words the Apostle Paul as wee may plainely see setteth down sixe notable fruits and effects of a true and iustifying faith For of such a Faith onely doth the Apostle there speake And this also may very well be proued and confirmed by this namely that these fruits are such as doe follow those that are iustified and at that time only when as they are now already iustified For so doe the Apostles words import Being iustified by Faith then wee haue peace c. So that these fruits and effects can neuer befall vnto a counterfet and false faith of the hypocrites And therefore are good and vndoubted markes and tokens whereby wee may know that faith to be a true faith and those to haue a liuely and a iustifying faith in whom they doe appeare The first fruit and effect of this true and iustifying Faith 1. Fruit of true faith is peace with God For being iustified by Faith saith the Apostle we haue peace with God whereby is meant not onely a reconcilement made in that God hath remitted and forgiuen our sinnes but also an inward and ioyfull sense and feeling of the same in our hearts and soules A two-fold peace 1. There is in the Scriptures a double peace from God set set downe The one is that reconciliation and atonement wherewith God is pacified towards vs and this is nothing else but the remission of our sinnes and our iustification in Christ And in this respect Christ is said to preach peace Ephes 2.17 to them that were afarre off and to them that were nigh And this is that peace which the Angell bringeth newes of vnto the Shepheards Luke 2. saying Glory be to God on High Luke 2.24.2 and peace on earth The other peace is that which issueth and proceedeth as an effect from the former and that is nothing else but the feeling and inward taste and assurance of the former peace and reconcilement And of this it is that the Apostle here speaketh Peace of conscience This peace is commonly called the peace of conscience For the conscience that before was troubled and disquieted with the sight and horrour of sinne doth now feele a certaine peace and ease in that it hath a certaine taste and perswasion of the loue of God and of pardon and remission of the same sinne in the bloud of Christ Of this manner of peace speaketh our Sauior Christ in the fourteenth of Iohn My peace giue I vnto you Joh. 14.27 Phil. 4.7 and likewise the Apostle Paul Phil. 4.7 The peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding shall preserue your hearts and minds in Christ Iesus In which last words in Christ Iesus this is