some inward or outward occasions so neither is there likely terror amazement disquietment in the conscience till the lusts of the soule haue disordered it for want of holding them vnder so that as warre abroad is found to be a present remedie against ciuill dissentions of subiects so warre with sinne is the cause of our tranquillitie with our selues When clouds are dispelled the beames of the Sunne will shine comfortably vpon the earth and then the earth is richly garnished with pleasant and profitable herbes so when sinne is chased away the warme beames of Gods fauour doe sweetely refresh the conscience and the conscience so refreshed doth bring forth the sweet and wholesome flowres of vnspeakable consolatiō The Spirit of God wil tell our spirits and our spirits will tell vs that God is our Friend and Father that he loues vs and delights in vs so long as we be haue our selues to sinne as to an enemy hating loathing and resisting it Thus are we most friends to our selues when wee bee most foes with our corruptions And this fighting with sinne will make vs liue quietly also with our neighbours Hee that is busie in finding out and subduing his home-bred corruptions shall haue little or no leasure to take causelesse vnkindnesses to picke needlesse quarrels and to prouoke others against him by iniurious behauiour so shall hee shun the greatest company of iarres and brawles that vse to set men together by the eares Saint Iames saith Iames 4.1 That warres and fightings amongst men doe come from their lusts which war in their members We may if we will deceiue our selues and attribute things to false causes but the Spirit of God that vnderstandeth all things aright and cannot be deceiued points to lust fighting in the members as the most true proper and immediate cause of contentions stirres betwixt man and man Therefore the more any man doth quell subdue vanquish weaken and beate downe these lusts the more calmely shal he passe thorow the sea of the world and the fewer stormes of discord and enmitie shall hee meete withall When souldiers lye idle and are not imployed in marching against the common foe then they mutinie and fall out with each other so when men set not their griefe and hatred and other affections ou worke to make war vpon sin then they quickly take occasion to grieue at each other to sigh one against another to hate one another and to vexe and gawle each other and trouble themselues most of all But souldiers agree among themselues whilest they lend their powers against a common foe so when we haue strongest and hottest warre with the deuill and sinne then doe we nourish most concord with one another Thus shall the soule enioy vnutterable quietnesse euery way within and without from God and from man and one weekes life led in such comfortable and happie concord and amitie with a mans owne soule and all about him is more worth then the lasting of a whole twelue-moneth torne and rent asunder with the ciuill broyles and commotions of a grudging froward and distempered heart Who would not doe that that will make his soule to dwell at rest 3. Againe the studie of mortification Patience and loy in affliction wil inable a man with inconceiueable patience yea and chearefulnesse to beare any affliction that God shal lay vpon him yea to look death it self in the face though it come clothed in neuer so terrible attire and with neuer so terrible weapons for the sting of death and consequently of all crosses is sinne now pull the sting from out of the Serpents mouth or tayle and then there is little feare or danger in incountring her What was the cause that the Apostle Paul was so exceeding quiet and ioyfull in all his calamities but because he had in great measure subdued and was more and more busie in subduing the corrupt lusts of his body knocking it downe 1. Cor. 9. last and bringing it in subiection as himselfe speaketh Hee that holdeth strong fight against the euils of his owne heart out of that peace with God and his owne soule which we said before that he should enioy hath freedome of Spirit to pray vnto God in his afflictions hee can runne boldly to the Throne of grace as hauing allowed nothing within him that should grieue the Spirit of Grace hee can flie to the towre of Gods name as hauing kept himselfe in the pathes of righteousnesse whic those that do know themselues to haue all good allowance to come thither and when a man can freely powre forth his hart before God in crosses then doth he also comfortably enioy God and then the sharpenes of the crosse is gone The thing that makes crosses intolerably bitter so that the soule cannot endure the bitternesse of them is the admixture of the gawle of Gods displeasure so farre as wee are intire and resolute in fighting against sinne our crosses are pure from this admixture and so they be not to himselfe that beares them howsoeuer they may seeme to the lookers on by the hundreth part so tedious and troublesome as that composition would make them So the mortified man gaines this by his trouble in mortification that the Lord will suffer him to escape many troubles and those that he must for his owne good suffer he shall be able to goe vnder with ten times more quietnesse and gladnesse and contentednesse as an whole shoulder beares the same burden with more ease then a sore or swolne shoulder It is therefore a very profitable labour that wee bestow in mortifying the members on earth that is to say in healing the sores and diseases of our soules 4. Thirdly Certaine freedome from grosse sinnes the man that applies the worke of mortification aright shall attaine certaine freedome from foule grosse and scandalous sinnes A sanctified man may assuredly promise to himselfe vpon his constant and diligent endeauours to abate and hold vnder his sinfull affections and dispositions to bee for his whole life long so kept and sustained by God that hee shall not rush into any lothsome palpable disgracefull soule-wasting wickednesse Wee are neuer ouertaken with those kind of euils but vpon our very palpable carelesnesse of mortifying the deeds of our flesh Whilest we do that that God bidsvs to slay sin he holds it vnder according to his promise and it hath not dominion ouer vs neither doth raigne in our mortall bodies so that we are sure enough that sinne shall not bring forth the fruits of shame and reproach vnto vs vntill we begin to be remisse in following Gods directions to purge out the old leauen And Oh what a benefit is this to escape those blemishes and staines wherewith many of Gods children perhaps also of greater strength then ones selfe doe defile and disgrace themselues What a priuiledge is it to be so supported that neuer in all his life he shall runne into any witting enormous presumptuous crime after God hath
that wee may make way for the vses and that you may better practise the dutie wee must giue you some directions about it shewing you three things First the degrees of mortification Secondly the meanes of mortification And lastly the manner of vsing these meanes that wee may speed by them CHAP. VI. Shewing the degrees of Mortification FOr the first of these Two degrees of mortification we will shew both the lowest degree of mortification that without which no man can bee saued and also the highest degree of mortification beyond which a Christian cannot reach in this present life and these two beeing knowne the middle degrees betwixt these will appeare of themselues Know then that the lowest degree of mortification is that which hath attained two things which whosoeuer hath not attained is not at all mortified he that hath attained them is in truth mortified and then must striue forward for greater perfection The first thing is 1. To forbeare the vsuall practice of grosse sinnes to forbeare the ordinary practice of grosse sinnes such as are expressely condemned by the letter of the Word and by the light of nature and such wherein the members of the body are giuen as weapons of vnrighteousnesse No man can say hee is truly mortified till he haue gotten so much power against his corrupt lusts that hee bee not vsually and commonly ouertaken with those palpable deeds of the body swearing cursing lying rayling drunkennesse wantonnesse reuenge deceit and the like to these for those that doe such things Gal. 5.21 Ephes 2.3 shall not inherit the Kingdome of God and the Apostle saith That in time past when we were dead in sinnes wee had our conuersation in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the mind and of the flesh and were by nature Titus 3.3 children of wrath And againe Wee our selues were sometimes foolish disobedient deceiued seruing diuers lusts and pleasures liuing in malice and enuie hatefull and hating one another 1. Pet 4.3 And againe Peter saith The time past of our liues may suffice vs to haue wrought the will of the Gentiles when wee walked in lasciuiousnesse lusts excesse of wine reuellings banquetings and abominable Idolatries And Saint Iohn saith 1. Ioh. 1.6 If we say wee haue fellowship with him as euery mortified man hath and walke in darkenesse as he that liues in the vsuall practice of such things doth we lye and doe not the truth Colos 3.6 For as the Apostle saith For these things sake the wrath of God doth come vpon the children of disobedience It is plaine enough you see that hee which is a worker of wickednesse and doth giue himselfe leaue to goe on in the common practice of these abominable euils is not translated from darkenesse to light he is not made partaker of the vertue of the death of Christ he is not buried with Christ by Baptisme into his death nor made conformable vnto his death so that it is in vaine to flatter our selues with a false opinion of our being good Christians so long as these things do so strongly beare rule in vs hat wee giue our members as seruants vnto them ordinarily for the good man must not walke in the counsell of sinners nor stand in the way of the vngodly 2. But secondly 2. And the allowance of the least sinne a godly man must preuaile yet further against sinne euen so farre as not to allow defend excuse extenuate and carelesly let passe the smallest knowne sinne yea the first risings and motions of sinne but must constantly obserue oppose confesse bewaile and be humbled for them before God Math. 5.8 for no man can be blessed till hee be pure in heart and hee that must ascend into the hill of the Lord and stand in his holy place Psal 24.4 must haue as cleane hands so a pure heart also as Dauid saith Now the heart is not pure so long as any the least sin is winked at allowed maintained couered and made light of Therefore the Apostle saith not alone Rom. 6.12 13. that wee must not giue our members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to sinne but also that we must not obey it no not in the lusts of it Now hee that giues way to euill motions in his heart and makes nothing of them nor lamenteth and resisteth them doth serue sinne in the lusts of it as well as hee that rusheth vpon the grosse and externall acts of euill vsually doth giue his members as instruments of wickednesse It is therefore apparant that grace must so farre change vs and subdue our corrupt disposition as that wee must crucifie the flesh with the very affections and lusts or else we are not planted with Christ into the similitude of his death nor can truly take to our selues the name or inioy the priuiledges of men that doe mortifie the deeds of the body And this is the least degree that will serue to intitle a man to the comfort of one that is truly mortified 3. Now the highest degree that is in this life attainable 2. The highest degree of mortification stands also in two things first in preseruing ones selfe so much and constantly against sinne To be euer kept from any grosse sinne as neuer to commit any grosse or palpable sinne neuer to curse raile sweare lye deceiue reuenge dally or any other like manifest and notorious offence either in word or deed Iam. 3.4 And Saint Iames tels vs That hee which offends not in word is a perfect man This perfection by the helpe of grace a godly man may reach to in this life and O how beautifull and happie a life were it to goe euen thus farre in the subduing of sinne that one should be wholly and altogether free from all blemishfull and reprochfull sinnes But a good man may proceed to somewhat an higher degree of perfection euen to keepe his heart free from any settled liking of any euill motion thereof To be free from any settled liking of an ill motion so that he shall neuer take any stayed or deliberate content in any of the sinfull inclinations dispositions that doe stirre in him I doe not say onely not to giue any consent vnto them or to yeeld his will to them but not to haue his imagination settledly and deliberately pleased and delighted with them but that hee shall presently quench reiect and detest them but to be voyd of all euill motions arising from the flesh or of all sudden passions within or of all sudden delight in them or of all deadnesse or backwardnes to good things by reason of them that is so far as I can learne out of Scripture an higher pitch then that any man can touch it in this present world For surely whilest we liue the law of our members will be working and the flesh will be lusting and euery man shall finde cause to complaine of a body of death euery man shall finde cause
If man forsake him the Lord will stand for him and though parents cast him off yet God will gather him vp the Lord will couer his head in the day of battell the Lord will feed him in the time of famine the Lord will turne his bed in the time of his sicknesse hee shall see the face of God in righteousnesse and when hee awaketh shall bee satisfied with his Image O how excellent is the louing kindnesse of God to them that waite vpon him they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of his house and he will make them to drinke of the Riuers of his pleasure he shall delight himselfe in the Lord and God will giue him the desires of his heart Let vs often renew these meditations in our selues and say with Dauid O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid vp for them that feare thee which thou hast wrought for them that feare thee before the sonnes of men Surely the sight of this goodnesse of God will make the labour of mortification seeme easie If those that trie masteries be continent in all things for a mortal Crowne what should wee bee for an immortall If the hope of bootie will make a souldler hazard his heart-blood what should we doe in this battell where the fauour of God and the Kingdome of Heauen are ascertained to him that fights and conquers If the man that is in some degree mortified did often contemplate the felicitie that God hath prouided for him both present and to come hee would not he could not faint These meditations would so disgrace the pleasures of sinne and so commend vnto him the reward of pietie that hee would euen scorne to serue so base a thing as sinne which giues no wages but chaffe and dirt when hee might be intertained in the scruice of Christ who besides his being so infinitely excellent giues the ioy of his saluation to his souldiers for their stipend Put your selues in mind often O ye seruants of God of the consolations of the Word and Spirit of the Ioy vnspeakeable and glorious of the Peace that passeth all vnderstanding and of the hidden treasures which neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor mans heart conceiued but God hath prouided for you by his Grace and reuealed to you by his Spirit and will reach vnto you with his hand If you will reiect the pleasures of sinne which are but for a season and endure the paines of fighting the good fight of fiath you cannot faint in this battell if you lend your thoughts to these encouragements you cannot but account all your labour easie if you consider the reward and end of your labour 4. Last of all we must much and often ponder vpon the death of Christ who he was Of Christs sufferings what he suffered why and for whom with the matter cause effect and end of his sufferings that so we may worke in our selues a loue and feare of God a base esteeme of our selues with an holy sorrow and indignation against sinne The death of Christ must be the death of our sinne and vpon his Crosse must we crucifie these lusts of our flesh that they may waxe faint and feeble and bee quite and cleane abolished in vs. Here wee shal see the exceeding hatefulnesse and mischieuousnesse of sinne here we shall see how odious it is to God and how harmefull to our selues Here we shall fee the infinite loue of God vnto vs and his most gracious readinesse to forgiue and helpe vs. This thought will be most auaileable to ouerthrow the power of all vngodlines in vs. The Sonne of God the King of Heauen and earth was abased and humbled and smitten and wounded for our transgressions They lay heauy vpon his soule they pressed him downe to the dust of death he died for vs that hee might redeeme vs to himselfe and make vs a peculiar people zealous of good workes O shall wee not abhorre and detest that which was so vnspeakeably grieuous to our Sauiour Shall we not shew our loue to him in casting from vs those things that caused him to be a man of forrowes and to haue experience of infirmities How bitter and tedious was sinne vnto him and shall it be delightfull vnto vs How did it make him sigh and crie and groane and bleed and shall we take pleasure in it Shall we not shew our selues thankefull to him that was so pitifull to vs that hee had rather himselfe indure the curse then that wee should bee ouer-whelmed with it Let vs often looke to him whom wee haue pierced often consider of his torment and agony and often renew in our selues the remembrance of his cursed and reprochful death and weane our hearts from the loue of vnrighteousnesse and make vs conformable vnto his death We cannot bee hold to doe euill if wee consider well how much euill he suffered for our euill doings Now these thoughts if wee accustome our selues vnto them and doe many times sequester our selues from all worldly cogitations to enlarge our hearts in them will be as a sword in the throat of our lusts and preuaile mightily to wound them to the death and as it were to let out the heart-blood of them CHAP. IX Shewing two more spirituall meanes of Mortificetion Feare and Watchfulnesse NOw to these holy meditations and prayers let vs adde also an holy feare misdoubting of our selues Feare of our selues a meanes to mortisie sin suspecting our owne weakenesse and euen trembling to thinke that we may bee grossely ouertaken Blessed is hee that feareth alwayes for this feare will bee the cause of safety to him Whiles a soulier feareth his enemie he keepes his harnesse vpon him and wil not disarme himselfe so long as he mistrusteth the approch of an enemie But security makes a man lay his weapons aside and giue himselfe to pleasure ease and sleepe and then if an enemie assault him he is soone slaine or put to flight he that is afraid of falling into some deadly sicknesse will easily bee perswaded to looke to his diet and to take some necessary physicke Say therefore in thy selfe O if I grow carelesse sinne will quickly grow strong in my weakenesse and quickly raise vp it selfe against me and doe my soule more mischiefe then tongue can expresse how haue many of Gods Saints beene foyled that were farre and farre better then my selfe shall not their misery bee my warning If such Worthies were ouerthrowne and wounded what will become of me If I grow foolishly bold and make too faire promises to my selfe feare lest one shall fall will keepe him vpright euen in a very slippery way but soone are his feet caught from him that looketh about and neuer suspecteth a fall A moderate doubting of our own strength will quicken vs to prayer and meditation This vertuous ielousie and suspition of our weaknes will make vs shunne the occasions of sinne and so preserue vs in safety when others that are more
must not forestall the following Discourse I hope it will cause the good amongstvs to pitie their Mother and to mourne for her that they themselues may reioyce with her in the fruite of their mourning Now I commit thee to the following leaues and them to thee I would thou wouldest reade them I would thou wouldest consider them I would thou wouldest practise them and so wishing thee a much good sorrow as in other cases thou couldst wish thy selfe ioy I leaue thee to his blessing who will accept thy sorrow and remaine A desirer of thy teares William Whately Feb. 19. 1622. CHARITABLE TEARES c. Psal 119.136 Riuers of water runne downe mine eyes because they keepe not thy Testimonies CHAP. I. Opening the Text and shewing and prouing the doctrine viz. that we ought to lay to heat the sinnes of others THE Prophet of God the Author of this most heauenly Psalem inthis part of it proceedeth in his meditations after this order First he makes way to his petitions by professing his diligent care of Gods Law Vers 129 130 131. Secondly he propounds his petitions for mercy Vers 132. direction 133 deliuerance 134. feeling of Gods fauour 135. Lastly hee concludes his petitions with professing his sorrow for other mens sins in these words And this he puts also for a confirmation of his faith to assure himselfe and as one may say to perswade the Lord that hee should speed inhis suites For it is great reason that God should mercifully guide deliuer and comfort him that doth take so hainously the dishonour done to God by other people Wee haue here then to make the griefe of Dauid set out by the quantitie and cause of it The quantitie is expressed in that hyperbolicall phrase Riuers of waters runne downe mine eyes Whereby is meant that his sorrow was very great and withall comstant in that it did shew it selfe by continuall and abundant streames of teares The cause is in these words Because they keepe not thy Law Not wrongs and persecutions against himselfe but sinne and wickednesse against God did procure his great sorrow or if he wept for the molestations and iniuries offered vnto himselfe yet not so much considered in the nature of iniuries as of sinnes Let me therefore at this time be bold to presse vpon you a most needfull and excellent dutie from the example of this holy man we ought to lay to heart the sins of other men viz. Doct. To lay to heart the sins of other men All the seruants of God should imitate this one seruant of God in the cause course quantitie constancy of his sorrowes and set themselues to mourne heartily earnestly daily for the transgressions of others which their eyes doe see and their eares doe heare It should bee a corroziue to our soules and an anguish to our spirlts to behold and know the dishonour that is done vnto our Maker by the offences of our neighbours Euerie good subiect is troubled to see his fellow subiects prooue Rebels neither can any good and dutifull sonne or daughter behold without sorrow the rudenesse or vndutifulnesse of their brethren or sisters nay a seruant that is louing and obedient to his Master is also sorrie at the heart if his fellow-seruants shew themselues stubburne carelesse and disobedient so should it be with the faithfull subiects dutifull children and obedient seruants of the liuing God their very soules should be filled with anguish and their countenances with sadnesse for the rebellion disobedience wickednes of those amongst whom they liue Not alone our owne offences but those of our brethren also should be as a loade and burden vpon our soules Thus it is reported of Lot 2. Pet. 2.8 that hee vexed his righteous soule from day to day with seeing and hearing their vnlawfull deeds speaking of his behauiour when hee dwelt in Sodom The impurities and vncleannesses of those brutish creatures were euen as a racke vnto his soule and he could not looke vpon their foule and lathsome and yet common and vsuall abominations but that it did euen torture and torment his hart no lesse then a racke would hjaue done his body So when Ezra was informed of the sinne of them Ezra 9.2 3 5 6 c. that had returned out of captiuitie hee sits downe confounded and fasts and weepes and mournes and in the agonie of his soule puls off the haire of his owne beard for griefe and at last breakes foorth into a most lamentable and mournefull confession of that sinne This Prophet also had professed before in the 53. verse of this Psalme saying Horror hath taken hold vpon me because of the wicked which forsake thy Law And Ieremiah professeth to the people that if they would not hearken vnto him to amend their liues according to the Word of God which hee should speake and had spoken then his soule should weepe in secret places for their pride Ier. 13.17 yea his eye should weepe sore and run downe with teares The Apostle Paul likewise hearing of the incestuous Corinths abominable crime and the great conniuency of the Church of Corinth towards him did write a letter vnto them about this matter as himselfe saith 2. Cor. 2.4 out of much affliction and angish of heart and with many teares Lo how bitter to the soule of the holy Apostle the tidings of the Corinthian disorders were He that for scourging stocking imprisonment stoneing and all heau persecutions was scarce euer filled with anguish but rather reioyced in the same and seemed to gather new life by the comming on of new miseries is now exceedingly cast downe and put into bitter weeping and lamentation for the wickednesse committed by one of that Church and by the rest tolerated Yea our Sauiour Christ himselfe the best patterne of all holinesse and obedience did looke vpon the Pharises as the Gospell tels vs angerly indeed Mark 3.5 as their peruersenes and wilfulnesse did well deserue but withall mourning for the hardnes of their hearts And it is also obserued of him that comming to Ierusalem he did euen weepe ouer it in great compassion Luk. 19.41 because they had carelestly neglected the day of their visitation You see proofe enough of the point let vs further make it good vnto your soules by cleere and euident reasons to be taken from foure heads First from the graces that ought to be in euery Christian heart which cannot but procure this sorrow Secondly from the nature of sinne which is to be sorrowed for Thirdly from the good effects that will grow from this sorrow And lastly from the euill effects that will follow vpon the want of this sorrow CHAP. II. Containing one reason of the point from the graces which ought to be found in euerie godly man and being found cannot but work this sorrow these are three Loue to God Loue to men Hatred of sinne IT is agreed vpon by all Reasons first from our loue to God that the hearts of Gods
then shall all begin suffering for that is a sure proofe that sin is come to his full growth and that the measure of mans wickednesse is replenished euen to the brim Indeed what is there then remaining that can in any reason be thought able to moue the mercy of God to longer forbearance When none bewayleth or as good as none when none supplicateth when none pleade the causeat the barre of his mercy how can Iustice but raise it selfe vp and smite the abusers of former mercies with so much greater seueritie by how much they haue been longer borne withall And further They shall perish in the common destruction it will come to passe from this letting sinnes slip away by them without sorrow that the children of God if any few graines of Wheate bee found hidden in the huge heape of chaffe shall perish in the common destruction and bee smitten with the rest because they mourned not for the rest but did rather partake of their sinnes by not opposing them for none is in mercy marked for the day of deliuerance but a mourner Though a man be for the generall vpright and godly yet if in that particular hee doe so farre degenerate from the rules of godlinesse that he remaine sorrowlesse for the dishonour done to God by others this vngrieuing disposition hath so deepely ingaged him into the guilt of those sinnes that it will very hardly stand with the truth and wisdome of God to let him goe free but he must cause him for the good of his owne soule by the smart of crosses to grieue for such euils as else he would not grieue for So mischiefe vpon mischiefe breakes in when teares and mourning stand not vp to preuent the same A mans selfe is infected he becomes carelesse of reforming euill God smites the whole societie for the sinnes now committed by all and lamented by none and then hee that mourned not must himselfe also smart for company Shall we not seeke to stop the way against all and each of these euils by intrenching our selues as it were within these Riuers of waters And so Brethren you haue reasons great store to prooue the dutie and perswade vnto it If you loue God whom sinne grieueth if you loue your neighbour whom sinne hurteth and if you hate sinne it selfe which all ought to hate that loue God and their neighbour if you consider how loathsome and grieuous a thing sinne is how offensiue to God yea and iniurious how harmefull also to mankind both to him that dares practise it whose soule it tumbleth to the bottome of hel besides other crosses of all sorts which attend it for the present and also to the Countrie where it is suffered causing the Lord to send out Sword Pestilence Famine and all manner of dolefull miseries against it If you consider that this mourning wil surely cause the Lord to reprieue the whole Countrie and that it will keepe the soule of the mourner free from infection and stir him vp to al due meanes of redressing sin and so saue his own soule at least frō the cōmon calamity when it can now be longer no deferred And lastly if you remember that where this mourning is absent a mans soule will surely be infected he wil grow careles of doing that which he ought to doe for redresse of euill and so sin growing mighty will infallibly and ineuitably procure a common iudgement in which himselfe shal also as a man not signed for deliuerance be taken away among the rest If I say you doe acknowledge and confesse all these things as they are all manifest and doe seriously lay them to heart you cannot chuse but yeeld in your very consciences that you all ought to doe as the Prophet here professeth to the Lord that himselfe was wont to doe euen cause Riuers of waters gush out of your eyes because men keepe not the Law of God CHAP. VI. Containing the first vse of the point a reproofe of them that doe neglect this duty Vse 1 BVt alasse alasse my Brethren Reproofe of those that mourne not for common sinnes how slow and backward haue wee all been to this so plaine and needfull a dutie Ah it is most euident that we deserue most sharpe reprehension for being so scant in teares for that for which this man of God did weepe so abundantly For where is there my brethren alacke where is there to be found one man amongst vs that hath imitated so precious and withall so manifest example Where is his dwelling whose face is couered with these teares and cheekes made wet with this weeping In what corner may we meete with him or her that is able to professe in truth before the Lord and his owne soule O Lord Riuers of water haue run downe mine eyes because they keepe not thy Law O no no we are sold ouer to mirth and iollitie Behold slaying of Oxen and killing of sheepe eating and drinking and calling to hang sorrow as once among the Iewes Behold piping and dancing and minstrelsey behold making out harts fat and iouiall as in a day of slaughter But alas Ah alasse the sinnes of the Land are not laid to to heart by almost any of those that inhabite the Land and for a thousand sinners hardly haue we one weeper As for the common multitude why they would thinke him euen quite out of his wits whose face they should see blubberd with weeping in a corner And why forsooth Because his neighbours be wicked and ill liuing men and keepe not Gods precepts Why would they think and say what is that to him Shall he beare other mens burdens or answere for other mens sinnes Or can hee mend their faults by sighing and weeping for them Why then should hee vexe himselfe for that which will bere neuer a whit the better if hee should vext his heart out at it This would be the censure of the common and ordinary man of such a mourner as the Text speakes of they would count his teares ill spent and himselfe a foole for his labour And as is their iudgement such is and such needs must bee their practice They neuer in all their liues wept one tenth part of a teare for all the sinnes and abominable deeds that euer they heard of or saw committed vnlesse it haue falne out that the same thing haue been an hurt vnto themselues or some other man whose case they haue tendred and so bemoned the person not bewailed the sinne been sorry for it as an injury against man not as a transgression of Gods precepts But this neglect is not found alone with the vulgar sort of men Nay those that haue gotten some good measure of knowledge and of vertue and doe exercise themselues with some due care to keep themselues vnsported of the wicked world euen these also for the most part haue eyes altogether drie and tearelesse in regard of other mens offences Who of those that seeme to know and feare God to delight
againe Some man perhaps vpon occasion of these words may desire to haue this demand satisfied When doth God call a man to Marriage I answere First when he sets him in such a condition that he may marry without wronging any other person that is when hee is now become his owne man not bound by couenant to continue another mans seruant for God neuer crosseth himselfe whom he hath called for a certaine time to bee seruant vnto a Master him he doth not call during that time to breake from that seruice without his Masters liking and to thinke of making himselfe a Master before he haue fulfilled the dutie of a seruant Secondly when God furnisheth a man with some conuenient meanes to maintaine a Wife and Family and not before for God calleth no man to any place vntill hee haue granted him some meanes of discharging the duties of that place and it is one part of an housholders duty to prouide for them of his houshold The Lord sends not souldiers into the field to fight without some weapons nor men to house-keeping without some meanes to keepe house Lastly when a man after diligent labour conuenient watching due abstinence earnest prayers and a carefull shunning of all times places companies exercises that may prouoke ill affections doth yet still find his heart so restlesly possessed with these desires that he cannot with-hold his will at least from often consenting vnto them and so is disabled from seruing God in duties of Religion and his calling with comfort and chearefulnesse to whom God after all these meanes vsed vouchsafeth not the power of containing him he cals to enter into Matrimony But hee that is so tyed in other respects that he cannot marry without wronging another or wants all fit meanes to maintaine a wife or in regard of any other let cannot attaine a wife shall without faile attaine the gift of continency if hee be carefull to vse the forenamed meanes and the like that God hath appointed to subdue lust Indeed if men force themselues to an vnmarried life either by superstitious vowes or incredulous feares or the like the Lord will likely punish their presumption or diffidence by not yeelding his powerfull helpe and so will make them find their owne folly and weakenesse But such is the wisdome of God to proportion his owne actions to his owne ends and cause that all his deeds shall hold agreement each with other and such is his truth and goodnesse to them that faithfully call vpon him that whom himselfe debarreth from Matrimony him he will inable to liue chastly and purely out of matrimony vpon condition of his vpright and carefull endeuours to get this abilitie Wherefore whosoeuer is yet a seruant to another or is wholly destitute of all meanes to prouide for a wife and children or is otherwise so hindred that he cannot haue a wife must say to himselfe thus God hath made me a single man would haue me so to continue as yet I will not be wanting to my selfe in striuing for continency and Gods blessing shall not be wanting to mine endeuours in giuing continency And hee that is at his owne disposing otherwayes and enioyeth conuenient meanes of prouiding for a Family shall for all that doe best to forbeare Matrimony as I suppose if hee perceiue no need of marriage for the preuenting of sinne or other important consideration For albeit in such case the Lord hath left a mans conscience at libertie so that hee sinnes not either by abiding in his present estate or altering it which he likes best yet it may seeme the wisest way to make choice of that part which the Scripture rather of the twaine doth seeme to commend saying 1. Cor. 7.1 It is good for a man not to touch a woman 7. I would that all men were euen as I my selfe 8. I say to the vnmarried and widdows it is good for them if they abide euen as I that is single 27. Art thou loosed from a wife Seeke not a wife 38. He that giueth her in marriage doth well but hee that giueth her not doth better 40. The Widdow is happier if she abide so that is vnmarried after my iudgement and I thinke that I also haue the Spirit of God But yet if God leade any man to marriage let him follow him yet so that hee follow him with prudence and discretion Hee whom God shall will to fight with an enemy must furnish himselfe with fit weapons Dauid gate himself a sling and smooth pibbles out of the valley when he went to encounter Goliah So men must arme and furnish themselues for marriage that they may not dishonour this honourable estate by turning backe from it in their minds and wishes Specially he that will bee married must arme himselfe with patience against the troubles of that kind of life and resoluing that hee shall meete with them must determine that hee will behaue himselfe not alone quietly but euen chearefully though they come apace about him Digest in the serious consideration of thy mind the cause of trouble sinne the vse of trouble the healing of sin the Sender and Moderator of trouble God the end and issue of trouble glorie that thine heart may neither faint nor fret because of trouble yea tho some heauy and more then ordinarie calamitie should betide thee much lesse if thou meete alone with those vsuall matters which like spirtlings in a dirty way will surely come to the lot of euery man in euery Family For to see a man so foolish and absurd that hauing made himselfe the Gouernour of an houshold he can beare no disorder of wife children seruants no disaster in goods cattell dealings without chasing and fuming and stormes and without those pangs of a base and feeble mind vaine wishes of hauing neuer knowne this wife or so forth is a spectacle of that nature as may iustly mooue disdaine as well as pitie in the wise beholder What was he trow you a reasonable man or a bruit creature that rushed so foresightlesly into marriage as neuer to say to himselfe that some of these things must needs befal al that are wedded And if a man do know that such things must needs happen to all that will marrie is it not a strange indiscretion to take on that they haue happened to himselfe who would needs marrie Make reckoning therefore of crosses in thy matrimoniall condition and then bee carefull to preuent them so much as may be For which end let mee commend vnto thy consideration these two things following When thou art married if it may be liue of thy selfe with thy wife in a family of thine owne and not with another in one family as it were betwixt you both And in all thy worldly dealings trust no more then thou must needs nor otherwise then vpō due security The mixing of gouernors in an houshold or subordinating or vniting of two Masters or two Dames vnder one roofe doth fall out most times to be a matter
of much vnquietnes to all parties Youth and Age are so far distant in their constitutions that they wil hardly accord in their conditions and how to make the young folks so wholly resigne themselues vnto the elder as not to be discontented with their proceedings or to make the elder so much to deny themselues as to condescend vnto the wils of the younger or to make both so moderate themselues as to meete in the mid-way without one of which three things there is no maintaining of concord is a matter in the best natures most discreet persons exceeding difficult and in the common sort of people altogether impossible Wherefore as the young Bees do seek vnto thēselues another Hiue so let the young couple another house that they may learne to liue of a little to know what is their owne and how it becomes their owne and to vse their owne to their owne best aduantage that whatsoeuer come they may neuer fall into that vnhappiest of all vnhappinesses of either being tormentors of their Parents or tormented by them And for ones worldly affaires let him trust as little as is possible and then also vpon Gods assurance It is most certaine that the most of those with whom a man shall deale will alwayes bee vngodly and vnrighteous seruing themselues altogether and ready to aduantage themselues by deceite It were an vncharitablenesse to say before trial Such a man wil deceiue me therefore I will not trust him but it is wisdome to thinke before triall This man may deceiue me therefore if I may I will forbeare to trust him if not I will trust him on such termes as he may not be able if he should be willing to beguile me Boldnesse to borrow boldnesse to lend boldnesse to trust and to be trusted which likely come from this originall that men would ouer-faine either to be rich or seeme so haue plunged many families into great misery which else might haue sailed through the World with a constant tenour of prosperitie Let a man therfore bee willing to lay his foundation low to content himselfe with the imployment of his owne portion not delighting to make himselfe a seruant by making himselfe a borrower nor to hazzard himselfe more then hee must needes vpon the doubtfull honesty of such slipperie seruants as most times borrowers prooue to bee But forbearing to giue further counsell I commit the booke following to thy censure praying thee to reade it with iudgement and fauour and to be the same to the writings of another that thou wouldest another should be to thine So with my best wishes to God to make the troubles of thy marriage if thou beest or shalt be married as easie as is possible and the more easie by meanes of that aduice which this Treatise will giue thee if thou wilt vouchsafe to reade and consider it I leaue thee to the guidance of him that giueth his gifts to euery man as seemeth best to himselfe and remaine Banbury Feb. 19. 1622. A wel-willer to the peace of thine heart and house William Whately AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER VNderstand good Reader that in a former Treatise about the duties of the married intitled A Bride bush I did occasionally deliuer two positions One this The sinne of adulterie dissolueth the bond and annihilateth the couenant of Matrimonie Another this The sinne of wilfull desertion doth likewise dissolue the bond of Matrimony Giue me leaue now to aduertise thee of such reasons as haue been obiected vnto me against these two positions Against the first thus Whatsoeuer man and woman may lawfully conuerse together in matrimoniall societie betwixt them the bond of matrimony remaineth vndissolued for vpon this bond the lawfulnesse of that societie depends as vpon the next and immediate cause thereof Now man and wife euen after the sinne of adulterie committed by one or both of them may lawfully conuerse together in matrimoniall societie For who can thinke that Dauid sinned in knowing any other of his wiues after his offence with Bathsheba Or if any man or woman hauing transgressed in this kind so secretly that none doth know of it shall after forsake the sinne and without reuealing it to the yoke-fellow continue to render due beneuolence who can say that such societie is vnlawfull Therefore betwixt man and wife euen after the sinne of adulterie the bond of marriage remaineth vndissolued and therefore the contrary position ought not to be holden Against the second thus He that puts away his wife not for whoredome and marries another is guiltie of wilfull desertion yea and of adultery too For is it not all one to depart from ones wife with a mind of neuer returning and to put away his wife from him with a mind of neuer reaccepting her Now after such putting away of a mans wife and marrying another the bond of matrimony remaineth vndissolued for our Sauiour saith That he which marries a woman so put away Mat. 19.9 commits adultery which could not be vnlesse the bond betwixt her and her former husband remained vndissolued Therefore at least after some desertion yea and adultery too the bond of matrimony remaineth vndissolued and therfore the contrary position must be denied Sweyed by these arguments to which I confesse that I cannot make a satisfying answere I depart from these opinions wishing that I had not written them and that no man by what I haue written would imbolden himselfe in such cases to take at least a doubtfull and an hazzardfull liberty So praying God to giue vs a right vnderstanding in all things I bid thee farewell A Care-cloth OR A TREATISE OF THE CVMBERS AND TROVBLES OF MARRIAGE intended to aduise them that may to shun them that may not well and patiently to beare them 1. Cor. 7.28 If thou marriest thou sinnest not and if a virgin marry she sinneth not but such shall haue trouble in the flesh CHAP. I. The opening of the Text. THe Apostle in this Chapter makes answere to some questions which the Corinths had by Letter propounded vnto him and that specially concerning matter of marriage and he giues his directions first indefinitely to the vnmarried married and all sorts of persons in the former part of the Chapter then specially and particularly to Virgins from the 26. Verse to the 39. to Widowes in the two last Verses To Virgins he addresseth his counsell in this order first in a briefe preface declaring the purport of his words viz. that hee did not giue a precise Commandement as of a thing that bound the conscience strictly but alone aduice and counsell as of a thing most fit and commodious Secondly he propoundeth his counsell in the 26. Verse which comes to this purpose That it is good for a man and woman in regard of the necessitie and distresse to which in this present life they are subiect to forbeare marriage and to continue in Virginitie Lastly he amplifieth and inlargeth this matter more fully explicating himselfe which explication hee
with troubles and afflictions then the vnmarried The man and woman that ioyne themselues in matrimony shall commonly meete with more aduersitie outward then whilest they continued without Matrimonie The Apostles words are euident hee doth in manner ingage his word affirming and foretelling prophetically Such shall haue trouble in the flesh You must conceiue him to write as a reasonable man to such as were also reasonable and therefore to meane comparatiuely else it were easie to reiect his argument in this wise Paul you dehort vs from marrying not because it is sinne but because we shall find trouble in it why doe you not know that the single life hath also its thornes and briers I doe would Paul answere but my meaning was that this estate doth outwardly bring more trouble for else I had vsed an vnforcible argument and spoken little to the purpose You must therefore conceiue the Apostles meaning to be as hath been said if the state of marriage and of single life be compared together in such respect the former is the more troublous Proofes are needlesse in a manifest and expresse truth but I will shew you the cause why it is so and after stand a little ore largely in describing vnto you the chiefe troubles of marraige Reas The cause then is sinne sinne I say the make-bate betwixt God and man which with-drawing the creature from his loyaltie to the Creator causeth the Creator in iustice to with-draw his fauour from the creature and in stead thereof to pursue him with his curse This curse as it made the frutifull earth to bring forth briers and thornes which else should neuer haue afforded such vnprofitable and hurtfull increase so hath also filled all estates with stirres and confusions as it were brambles Wherefore as any estate doth occasion any person to intermeddle with more businesses and with more persons so is it also molested with more troubles through the vnhappie working of the actuall corruptions of all parties to the annoyance of each other vnreasonably discouering themselues If man had continued in his due loyaltie towards his King and Maker neither Matrimonie nor any other condition of life should haue disquieted him with any the least touch of miserie But justice requireth that Rebels and rebellion bee punished Sinne is the sore sawce that distasteth all our comforts this is like the Colloquintida in the pot of pottage which the Prophets seruants had made that caused the eaters to crie out Death is in the pot This is that stinking weed which dissauours all our sweete flowres This is the imbitterer of all estates bringing forth such and so many disorders in men and women as make them to bring forth trouble each to other In marriage a man is ingaged to more businesses and duties then before occasioned to deale with more humours then before and to stand in need of more things then before so will sinne and corruption shew it selfe more then before and so must he meete with more affliction then before This I speake to free both God the Author of Marriage as also Marriage his ordinance from all manner of blame and accusations For if all the hardnesse wherewith we be molested doe grow from our sinne and our sinne arise from Satans temptation and the abuse of our owne free will as all these things are most vndoubted and certaine why should God be faulted for our miserie seeing hee made vs not miserable til we had made ourselues sinfull And why should any estate of life be blamed for our miserie seeing if wee were not sinners in it we should not reape any miserie from it Take notice then of the true cause of all the cumbers An explication to the point which incumber married people and secondly let mee informe you also at least of some and the chiefe troubles of marriage which you must know that you may expect them and expect them that you may prepare for them and prepare for them that you may not be made impatient by them and by impatiencie make them much more cumbrous then else they need to be These doe all arise from foure maine heads The persons married their children their seruants and their estates of all which a man might spend more then foure dayes in speaking it taking counsell of experience he would borrow a little help of Rhetorick to set out the matters to the full but I will alone touch them and away Euerie man and woman haue their faults those will breede trouble they may bee sicke and that is another trouble one of the two die first and leaue the other behind and that is to some the worst of all troubles In the soules of men there breed vices in their bodies diseases and at last death and the fruit of all these must needs be griefe and sorrow each to other Some men are churlish sowre vnkind some wrathfull passionate and furious some hard miserable and niggardly some wastefull riotous and vnthriftie some vncleane vnsatiable and ranging after other women some suspiciious mistrustfull and iealous of their owne wiues some rash and hare-brain'd some fond and giddie some simple some subtill some idle some toylesome some carking some carelesse yea twentie and twice twentie sinfull and offending dispositions shew themselues in all the sonnes of Adam and what woman can meete with a man in all the world in whom some or other of these disorders doe not dwell Nature and education may hide them out of the way that they shall not bee seene Grace and sanctification may in part subdue them that they shall not reigne but neither nature nor grace shall quite and cleane abolish them that they shall not bee and to obtaine an husband free from all of them yea not subiect to more then one two or three of them it is altogether impossible and as impossible to liue with one that hath them though neuer so much mortified as the state of men on earth can reach and not be troubled exceedingly troubled with them as to go bare-foot vpon a ricke of thornes or furres and not bee pricked and pained with them In like sort some women are proud arrogant and scornefull some violent head-strong and masterfull some sullen and dogged some scolding and snappish some talkatiue some tongue-tied some light some coy some finish some sluttish some ouer-spending some ouer-sparing some lewd and vnchaste some raging and iealous yea an hundred and a thousand faults doe lie hid in the painted box of the bosome of euerie of Euahs daughters Good bringing vp may conceale them good instructions may diminish and good nature for a while may keep them vnder and keepe them secret yea the worke of grace may mortifie quell and ouer-master them but nothing can altogether roote them out so long as flesh and spirit do striue together in one soule that is so long as soule and bodie doe liue together in this life A woman void of some yea diuers of these faults and follies no care
of his grace resting abundantly assured of his loue and satisfied in it and finding him euer and anon sending messages of kindnesse vnto our soules as a Generall that comes amongst his souldiers when they fight valiantly and hartens them vp with his presence and his speech but if the Lord find vs dealing falsely and treacherously with him entring parley as it were with that Enemie that he doth irreconcileably hate and detest and ready to make a truce with that foe with whom hee would haue no truce taken no not for a moment then doth he cease to speake friendly vnto vs as there is great cause and begins euen to chide and reproue and threaten and send vs tidings of great displeasure And ah what soule can conceiue a more grieuous losse in this world then the losse of the light of his countenance 6. Committing of grosse sinnes But sometimes there followes a farre greater mischiefe namely that he which gaue sinne leaue to get head through carelesnesse is at last so foyled by the wicked lusts of his heart that he falles to commit some grosse and grieuous sinnes very foule very loathsome very disgracefull For you must not thinke that the man regenerate is out of the danger of being ouertaken with hainous offences Indeed whilest hee is earnest in beating downe his vnruly passions though he find trouble yet he enioyes safetie and though his lusts struggle and annoy him yet they cannot breake forth in extremitie but if he once become heedlesse and thinke it too much to be at the paines of continually mortifying them then they raise vp themselues and carrie him captiue and cause him to giue his members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse preuailing so farre at length that if God himselfe did not out of his vnchangeable loue come in to his rescue he would be brought backe againe into Egypt as it were his soule would be quite slaine the life of Grace would bee quite extinguished and hee would returne the second time to bee dead in sinnes And ah what wise man would suffer his sinnes to become so violent as to carrie him into such enormous deeds as Dauid and Salomon and Asa and Vzziah fell into and all for want of mortifying these members A man once sanctified may assure himselfe vpon his faithfull and constant endeauours in mortification that he shall escape such foules but if he grow slacke in this dutie he can expect nothing but to haue his conscience thus wounded Is it not more then needfull for vs to looke to our selues 7. For lastly Sore afflictions to the preuenting of farre greater euils our not-sufficiently mortified lusts will bring vpon vs exceeding sore afflictions because the goodnesse of God is such that he wil not see vs perish by them as we should perish if he did not apply such corosiues to cure them If afflictions come not betwixt neglect of the dutie of mortification will produce the euill effect I last named viz. the perpetrating of some vile and notorious wickednesse sometimes the Lord makes haste to strike vs for the preuenting of such falles but if we be once falne then is there no way of recouerie but by some bitter crosse either inward or outward or most times both wayes So we doe inforce the Lord of necessitie to afflict vs vnlesse we would haue him lose vs quite when we waxe carelesse of seeking to preuaile more and more against sinne A crazie bodie hauing disordered himselfe in diet must needs haue very sicke fits and some sicke-making physicke he must needs take or else death would follow his intemperancie So our weake and crazie soules being brought to strange distempers by our folly in not resisting the sinfull and inordinate dispositions of our soules could neuer be brought again to any tolerable soundnesse if God did not by heauie calamities helpe to purge out those euill humours which we had suffered to pester vp our soules as we may see in Dauid and Asa after their sinnes And certainly the farre greater number of crosses which befall the people of God doe come from hence that their heauenly Father is faine vnlesse hee would see them damned which he will neuer doe by miserie to keepe downe lusts which they might but will not without misery keepe downe by the careful exercise of mortification and to draw them to repentance for those loathsome sinnes which for lacke of mortifying their earthly members they haue falne into and would neuer repent of otherwise so that if we will not bee content to put our selues to the labour of working out our saluation by crucifying the flesh God will put vs to the paines of bearing heauie crosses that shall helpe to crucifie them in a manner whether we will or no. And doe we not see a necessitie of mortification CHAP. III. Shewing the profit of the dutie NOw because necessitie going alone 2. From the good will follow if we doeit doth drag rather then leade and so as an hard and rigorous commander is obeyed indeed but backwardly and against the haire therefore let vs discourse a little of the fruit that will arise from our labour in the worke of Mortification that seeing profit as well as need the difficultie may not hinder vs from doing it euen with chearefulnesse Now the mortifying of the deeds of the flesh will ring with it foure exceeding great and desireable benefits 2. The first is Great peace vnspeakeable peace and quietnesse of soule The heart will be at one with God it selfe and all men so long as it holdeth variance with sinne Hee that is at warre with his lusts shall not be at warre with his Maker If we fight his battailes against our corruptions he will not fight against vs. Nothing causeth the God of Heauen to frowne vpon man but sinne while the World was free from sinne it was also free from all tokens of Gods displeasure therefore it must needs follow that the surest way to keepe our selues in euen termes with God is to be diligent in resisting sinne He is not of so ill a nature as to picke quarrels against vs without a cause himselfe tels vs that he corrects not willingly Lament 3.33 nor of his own accord Sin then being the sole cause of mouing him against vs wee shall bee sure to find him so farre louing towards vs as wee are carefull to preserue our selues from sinning against him which is best and most attained by the studie of mortification so all will bee well aboue our heads in Heauen if we follow Pauls direction Now the conscience is Gods officer and deputie and that that will make him gentle and quiet to vs will make it also quiet and gentle The conscience neuer should and seldome doth rise vp in armes against a man but when he hath giuen leaue to some corruption to grow head-strong for want of opposing it in due season and order As there is no distempered motion in the body till the humours be immoderately stirred by
ventrous shall be sooner foyled though they be more strong when we feare our selues most wee pray most to God and most trust in him and prayer and confidence will keepe vs in safety Indeed we neuer cast off this warinesse and cautelousnesse till wee bee first beguiled with the deceitfulnesse of sinne and when it hath deceiued vs it will easily doe vs a mischiefe Looke about therefore see how thou standest inuironed with enemies see what an ill nature thou hast within thee what a violent aduersary without thee Thou art like a besieged City full of traitors the wise men in such a City will quickly mistrust and doubt the worst they will euer suspect that mischiefe is plotting against them and by fearing they become carefull to preuent it There is an excessuie feare that infeebles the knees and weakens the hands when a man casts off hope through feare and will not perswade himselfe that hee can be safe by all his indeuours Courage is gone when such feare enters and what souldier can doe any thing when his heart failes But a moderate feare that still causeth a man to cast the worst with in himselfe but alone conditionally vnlesse he be very diligent to preuent it this awakens courage and by telling of the danger before doth call vp the care of the soule to preuent it Feare was placed by God in the soule as a Watchman or Sentinell to discouer neere-approching dangers and if wee wake this Sentinell to keep his standing place and to hold his eyes from sleeping wee shall bee safe from the danger that will ouerwhelme the carelesse Feare of man breeds a snare feare of pouerty feare of death feare of disgrace in the world puts vs further into the danger but feare of sinne feare lest wee should prouoke God wound our consciences and rush vpon such courses in our folly which wee shall haue cause to rue euer after this breedeth safety and by this feare wee shall happily fulfill our saluation 2. Last of all wee must be watchfull Watchfulnesse necessarie to mortification which will surely follow from our being fearefull for feare will hold the eyes open a great while together The more waking eyes in an armie the more safety but if all be asleepe all may be surprized and killed afore they be aware When Saul 1. Sam. 26 7 8 9 10. and all his host were seyzed vpon with sleepe Dauid and Abishai came into the midst of the Campe to the Pauillion of the King and then it was easie with one blow to haue dispatched the King and discomfited the armie Spirituall watchfulnesse is as necessary against spirituall enemies as naturall wakefulnesse against naturall When Samson slept then the wicked flattering harlot Dalilah did rob him of his lockes and of his strength because against his vow of Nazariteship a Razor had passed on his head The Saints of God bee Nazarites sinne cannot put a Razor to their heads till they fal asleepe on its knees till their minde slumber and the eye of the minde winke they can hardly be drawne to taste of forbidden delights or profit but when they are heedlesse and carelesse then is their vow broken and they thinke not of it then their strength becomes weakenesse and then the Spirit is driuen from them O let Samson warne vs and let vs take heede that our mindes be not rocked asleepe in the lap of the world Prou. 4.23 24 25 26 27. This watchfulnesse is an attentiuenesse of minde to all our actions and our wayes a looking to our hearts eyes eares tngues hands feet and whole man A due considering what corruptions wee are troubled with what things hurt vs what doe helpe vs whether we grow stronger or weaker whether corruptions decay or increase and how our foule fareth A looking to the motions that arise within to the words and deeds that come forth A marking what we thinke say do whither we goe to what end vpon what warrant vpon what calling that wee be not found loose and wandring and going wee cannot tell why nor whither our selues The soule is said to bee awaken when the eye of the minde is thus obseruatiue of it selfe and so long as it is thus with vs the least striuing of lusts is noted and resisted and so the greater disorders are preuented but when this obseruation of our selues is absent sinne gets head by little and little and we find our selues in the hands of it all of a sudden and know not how to get out Wherefore to all the parts of Christian armour watchfulnesse must be ioyned for what good can weapons do to a sleeping man and how can a sleeping body fight though hee bee neuer so well armed When we forget that godlinesse is the maine businesse and that our chiefe worke is to keepe our felues vnspotted of the world and walke worthy of the calling whereto wee are called and so suffer our minds to bee drawne away with other things and neuer take care whether the things we doe be good or euill for our soules nor whether they please God or no but let the thoughts and words runne at randome as it were O how soone shall we be drawne into sin and how quickly will the members that are on earth grow big within vs Wherefore as an eye must be had still to mutinous and trecherous subiects and they must bee obserued what meetings they haue to what places they goe and what countenance they beare so must we doe with our sinnes The eye of the minde must bend it selfe to these things and not suffer any lesse needfull matter to diuert it A man in a sleepe is little different from a dead man and a Christian and sanctified soule if it fall asleepe in a carelesse neglecting and reckelesse disregarding of its owne wayes will behaue it selfe for the time but a very little better then one that is dead in sinnes and trespasses Now let your eyes bee alwayes open and bent vpon your owne wayes and then you shall walke like liuing men indeed Thus now haue I shewed you the best meanes I can gather out of Gods Word to make you prosperous in your spirituall battailes Bee moderate in the vse of bodily contents Flie farre from the occasions of sinne Powre forth your hearts often before God in confessions requests and Prayses Busie your minds continually in thinking of Gods holy nature fearefull threats against sinne and gracious promises to the vpright and of the bitter Passion of your blessed Sauiour Be alwaies fearefull of your selues be alwayes watchfull ouer your selues These things doe and your soules shall thriue and your lusts shall die and you shall happily mortifie your members which are on earth if alone you take another direction with you concerning the manner of vsing these helpes CHAP. X. Shewing in what manner we must vse all the helpes to mortification FIrst then We must vse all helpes to mortification in a good manner these things must be done seasonably we
hereafter He that hath begun the worke of mortification so farre as I told you before in speaking of the first degree of it that now those sinnes which once raigned in him are put downe from their regencie and those corruptions that once have was a slaue vnto are now deposed from their throne as it were and doe cease to command in his members as once they did hath much cause to reioyce in the saluation of GOD although hee find these lusts still striuing and labouring to recouer their ancient soueraigntie 2. It is certaine that the Spirit of GOD doth rule in him in whom sinne hath ceased to rule Euerie man is vnder the command of the flesh or of the Spirit euerie man is subiect to the Lord ruling in him by Grace or to the Deuill ruling in him by lust Satan is a verie strong man and our owne lusts are his weapons none can bind this man and cast him out but the Spirit of strength of which Saint Iohn saith Stronger is he that is in vs 1. Iohn 4.4 then hee that is in the world Wherefore if any man that was once vnder the yoke of wrath lust reuenge couetousnesse or any other vile affection doe find now that by feruent prayers to God by the power of the Word in holy meditations applied to him and by vertue of the death of Christ and other like spirituall meanes by him vsed the Lord hath pleased to pull this yoke from off his necke so as now in stead of taking delight in the euill motions of sinne hee is grieued in his soule when such thoughts doe stirre in his soule and ceaseth not to crie to Heauen till he find them beaten backe againe and doth not now yeeld vp himselfe to follow these things with greedinesse but is vsually able to forbeare the palpable practice of sinne and if hee be ouertaken in any grosse manner hee is greatly humbled and abased and recouers himselfe with speedie confession and lamentation and renewing of his resolutions If any man I say doe find the case to stand thus with him hee hath in some measure fought and preuailed and now blessed bee hee of the Lord let him looke vpon the dead bodies of his lusts with much comfort and let him triumph in God that hath conquered for him and let him encourage himselfe still to continue fighting that still his soule may increase in strength as the House of Dauid is said to haue done and his sinnes may grow weaker and weaker as it was said of the House of Saul 3. My Brethren this warre whereinto you are entred must last for terme of life The flesh and Spirit can neuer bee reconciled there is no thinking of any peace but that which will bee worse then dishonourable euen damnable and a sure warre is much rather to be chosen then an vnsure peace much more then a peace which will be surely mischieuous Now by how much the warre will prooue of longer continuance by so much had you need to put on more strength that you may endure and a great part of your strength must grow from your comforts in your good beginnings Wherfore now let euerie true mortified man according to the riddle that Samson once propounded to his companions fetch sweetnesse out of the strong and meate out of the eater let them find an Honie-combe in the carcasse of the Lyon which they haue slaine and goe eating let them I meane take great consolation in the sight of their happie proceedings in this heauenly worke 4. There bee some Worthies of Israel that haue lifted vp their speares against many hundreds as it were and left them all dead in the place the hearts of such doe nto much need to bee wished to take comfort The content they find in perceiuing the strength of sinne so much abated in them is vnspeakeable Dauid was no more full of ioy when hee saw Goliah come tumbling to the ground then are their soules when they looke vpon this slaughter that God hath inabled them to make among their lusts No man is able to set forth in words the ioy that growes to a man who is hard set to by a cruell enemie of whom hee lookes for nothing but death vnlesse hee preuent it by giuing death when hee sees him fall downe wounded and gasping for breath O with what a countenance and cheere did Iael runne to meete Barak and to bring him to the sight of dead Sisera Surely the content of a spirituall man in his spirituall victories when now his sinnes are euen breathing their last as I may so speake is no whit lesse yea it is much more solid then that of such a conquerour Those that haue happily passed the brunt of this battaile and haue their enemies in the flight rather then the conflict are and haue cause to bee the chearefullest of all men they bee like souldiers pursuing their foes with that ioyfull shoute of victorie victorie in their mouthes and they enioy the comfort of their former labour with much thankefulnesse 5. But there are other some that haue not yet attained so much strength nor gotten so much ground against their foes They are now as it were in the verie hottest of the skirmish the bullets flie about their eares as I may so speake and their corruptions are violent within them and doe often with great strength hale them and draw them captiue to the law of sinne which is in their members They do sometimes get the better and beate back euill desires and find themselues mightily resolued to sinne no more at other times euill desires doe mightily afflict them and they are well-neere readie to faint and fall scarce able to retaine their purpose of goodnesse scarcely able to hold out in their resolution of not sinning yea it may bee contrarie to their resolutions pulled by the flesh to do the euill that they hate but then feeling themselues wounded they smart and bleed and struggle with their foe and get vp againe and againe betake themselues to their weapons of prayer and meditation which were almost wrested out of their hands for a time and come crying and mourning before the Throne of Grace begging pardon begging helpe and so againe confirme their Faith and renew their repentance and make vp the breaches of their new obedience These poore Saints like souldiers whose enemies doe yet hold their owne and make strong resistance are often full of feare and care and doubt their hearts often droope and they mistrust sometimes lest they shall bee vanquished rather then ouercome Let mee therefore apply my speech to he encouragement of those that need encouragement I say vnto thee whosoeuer that art in this case that thy case is good and happy and that thou hast much cause of reioycing in God notwithstanding all the trouble and cumber that thou findest with thy sinnes It is a blessed thing and a great and vnspeakeable fauour of God that to what lusts thou didst once do seruice
sighes and groanes vnto the Lord for the publike sinnes and whosoeuer bewayleth the generall wickednesse shal also bee deliuered from the generall punishment Therfore if any man desire to be puld as a brand out of the fire and to bee one of the two or three berries in the vtmost boughes that must hang vpon the tree when all the rest are beaten off let him prouide for his owne peace and welfare betime by making his heart to ake and his eyes to weepe for the common abominations And so you see what good this mourning will do in regard of the publike State by proroging the punishment so long as is possible and in regard of his owne selfe that mourneth by keeping him from the infection of sinne making him carefull to seeke the amendment of others and so sauing him from participating in the publike plagues CHAP. V. Containing the fourth reason of the point from the euill that will insue for want of mourning Reas 4 CArrie your thoughts a little further From the ill effects of not mourning The soule will be infected and let them consider of the euils that will necessarily follow from the absence of these teares It is certaine that no man can shun the infection of other mens sins vnlesse hee mourne for them as no mourner is infected so none but mourners can be free from infection Hee that grieues not for a sinne that others commit will easily be induced to commit it himselfe if occasion serue at least hee will soone bee drawne to like it and thinke well enough of it and then the infection hath taken the heart and hath possessed the spirits and vitall parts as it were of his soule and that is enough to kil a man though it should bee kept from breaking forth in outward action Some men by vertue of a good constitution escape the Plague in the hottest and forest of all plagues and that also though they vse few or none antidotes or remedies It is not so with our inward man in regard of sin For of so ill a complexion as it were and so vnsound and healthlesse a constitution are all our soules since the defiling of our nature by the first sinne of Adam that any sinne almost doth easily speedily vnauoydably cleaue vnto the same The driest Touchwood or Tinder that is doth not more readily take fire by any little sparke then our soules will catch a sinne by bad example And sinne it selfe is so strong and vehement in the working of it and withall so deceitefull close and insinuating that it doth almost insensibly conueigh it selfe into our inward bowels euen almost before we are aware so that vnlesse we doe moysten our selues often by the teares of godly sorrow for sin we cannot liue amongst others that do euen glow with the fire of it but wee shall also burne and glow for companie neither is there a man vnder Heauen so sanctified but hee shall become wicked with wicked men if his soule mourne not for their wickednesse Lot would sure haue been vncleane in Sodom if their vncleannesse had not vexed his righteous soule Therefore to preuent a mischiefe otherwise vnpreuentable to our selues namely the being polluted with other mens faults let vs see it a dutie and follow it to wash our selues with teares from that pollution Otherwise A men shall be carelesse of seeking of redresse of euils wee shall also pull another euill vpon our selues euen make our selues slacke carelesse and remisse in the endeuour of reforming the sinnes of our brethren Hardheartednesse in not feeling the burdensomenesse of sin will cause that a man shall sit still and let it take its course and bestow no paines to redresse it for that that one doth not feele to be euill why should hee bestirre himselfe to amend And surely hee feeles it not euill that doth not mourne for it What was the cause that the Corinthians did so carelesly tolerate the incestuous person among them Hath not the Apostle taxed it in one word saying And you haue not rather grieued that such an one might bee taken from amongst you Lo they mourned not for the sinne and therefore they chastized not the sinner in good manner as they ought to haue done for his amendment And so will it euer bee in all places and times In what measure sorrow for sinne is wanting care of amending it will be wanting also little of this if little of that and if none of that none of this wil be seene in mens liues This vnsensiblenesse of sinne is ioyned with too much sensiblenesse of other things it makes one so timorous that he dares not speake against wickednesse for feare of offending such and such it makes a man foolishly pitifull and cruelly compassionate that he cannot find in his heart to hurt the offender euen by due executions of iustice He whose heart and eyes cannot performe their office in grieuing for and lamenting sinne neither will his hand and tongue doe their offices in speaking and striuing against it The same corruptions that make the hart short in griefe and the eyes in teares will also make the tongue short in reproouing and hand in punishing Neither will any man lay a plaister to that sore which he thinkes not worth grieuing for for if it were dangerous why is not he sorry If it be not dangerous what need a plaister And so it will follow that sinne hauing none enemie to resist it none to oppose and fight against it will mightily preuaile as a fire which no man seekes to quench and so get the vpper hand till at last it grow so high crying and insufferable Publike plagues will come that the Iustice of God can no longer forbeare it but he himselfe must take the matter into his owne hand Then follow sore and heauie calamities vpon the Church and Common-wealth and the whole Nation groanes vnder Gods blowes because few or none did groane for the sinnes that prouoked him When many commit euil and none lament it then the wrath of God will surely arise then is sinne gotten to his full ripenesse and then the euils aboue-named sometimes singly sometimes altogether at once are appointed to destroy a Nation All the policie of Gouernours all the valour and courage of souldiers all the wealth of Citizens and the loue and friendship of neighbours shall not keepe a Nation in welfare nor mound it from grieuous and fearefull plagues if once the voice of sadnesse and mourning and of those that crie and weepe for the abominations of it be put to silence Then will God change their wisdome into folly catch them in the snares of their owne craft and if other meanes should faile will make them euen to vndo themselues Then shall power bee turned into weakenesse and courage into cowardice for God will fight from Heauen against them as the Prophet tels the Iewes and if their enemies were but dead carcases yet should they rise and ouercome When all cease mourning
eternall glory in Heauen Name me a man that is noted to haue bewailed the sinnes of others and I will bring you a ground out of Scripture without doubt or question that he is saued so can it not bee said of those that haue mourned for their owne sinnes For in truth the fiercenesse of an euill conscience terrifying the soule with the feare of hell fire may stirre vp such griefe and make an vnsanctified man complaine bitterly that hee hath sinned in such or such a thing as Iudas in betraying innocent blood That naturall affectioÌ„ which we beare vnto our selues may also make vs sorrowfull fort that which we cannot but see will bee harmefull to our selues euen where no grace at all doth dwell But to sorrow for publike offences and for the sinnes of those that are no way neere vnto vs but as the common bands of Humanitie and Christianitie haue vnited them there can bee no motiue at all imagined except the true hatred of sinne and the true loue of God and man which no man can haue but from the Spirit of our Lord Iesus Christ dwelling in him Desperation and horror without Grace may procure teares for ones owne faults nothing but holinesse can procure them for others A man may lament his owne sinnes and not hate them hee cannot lament the common sinnes but out of an hatred of them Wherefore let the people of God make much of these teares and preserue them as it were some hot and comfortable licour for their vse against the day of temptation that when the weake faith shall bee assaulted with manifold obiections it may haue this token of truth to alleage for it selfe against which there can bee none exception and let the people of God endeuour to be frequent in this exercise o mourning for the common sinnes that they may abound in comfort afterwards and be filled with ioy in stead of sorrow for alwaies holy sorrow ends in ioy Wee may not make our selues so carelesse of our spirituall estate as to lose a good dutie but must put al the Graces that God hath giuen vs and the effects of them to the best vse improouing them all to the encrease of our faith in God and our spirituall reioycing in the assurance of his loue It will make vs constant in good duties if wee shall find them to doe vs much good Let these sorrowes be much profitable and comfortable vnto them O Christian soule as indeed they ought and out of these weeping promises gather these gladsome conclusions I am sure I am Gods child I am sure I am a member of the same body that Dauid was a member of I am sure I partake of that Spirit that dwelt in him I am sure that sinne shall not mortally infect me that I shall not bee drowned in the publike Iudgements that God will either spare the Land for the sake of my selfe and other like mourners or at least that himselfe will make prouision for my welfare in the common woes I shall laugh when others are punished for sin because I wept when they committed sinne God will bee my shelter and refuge in the time of trouble and hee will not giue me ouer to the destroyer for often haue I caused and often doe I purpose hereafter to cause that streames of teares shall descend from mine eyes because the sonnes of men doe tread his Statutes vnder-foot I haue not onely wept for mine owne sinnes which feare of shame in the World or damnation in Hell hath made many a dissembler doe I haue not alone wept for the faults of my children and neere friends which also carnall affection hath made many a carnall man to do in some cases I haue not only wept for the faults of others that were harmefull to my selfe and my friends as selfe-loue wil make any man to doe but I haue wept for the generall sinnes of the whole Land for the sinnes of the high and low for the sinnes of strangers that knew mee not and enemies that loue mee not for the sinnes of any of Adams sonnes that I knew to haue sinned because they kept not Gods Precepts Blessed be the Lord that hath made maine heart in such a measure soft and tender I am in his Couenant seeing he hath created an heart of flesh within my body and I am sure that none but a fleshy hart will make the eyes to shed teares for the violation of Gods testimonies by other men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS Errata Page 5. line 20. for fretting reade fettering p. 17. l. 13. f. 1. Corinth r. 1. Chron. p. 23. l. 30. f. be r. because p. 28. l. 5. f. disorder r. disorders ead f. doth r. doe p. 38. l. 22. f. know r. knowing p. 40. l. 1. f. First r. that is p. 51. l. 2. f. lesse r. losse p. 52. l. 15. f. kyes r. trees p. 55. l. 6. f. breake r. brooke p. 56. l. 3. f. common of those r. common Of those l. 8. f. desires Very r. desires very p. 68. l. 18. f. God alone r. God alone p. 70. l. 16. f. Hamar r. Hamor p. 72. l. 9. f. cumber and attend r. cumber attend p. 78. l. 2. f. thou r. you p. 80. l. 5. f. shame r. shun p. 112. l. 19. f. lend r. bend p. 119. l. 22. f. persecute r. prosecute p. 121. l. 2. f. of God r. with God p. 134. l. 13. f. them The one r. them The naturall meanes are two the one p. 164. l. 28. f. selues r. soules p. 170. l. 19. f. haue r. hath p. 176. l. 4. f. workes r. worke p. 204. l. 15 f. thy r the. p. 229. l. 3. f. longer no r. no longer p. â—44 l. 6. f. him r. himselfe p. 251. l. 17. f. vs and euery r. making all faces blacke all knees weake and euery body l. 19. f. houses r. windowes l. 20. f. buyer r. buryer p. 252. l. 24. f. soules r. selues l. 25. f. countries r. Countrie
to say Who can say his heart is free And he shall but deceiue himselfe that saith he hath no sinne CHAP. VII Shewing the naturall meanes of Mortification YOu haue heard how much you must needs do in this matter as also how very much you may doe if you bee not carelesse and slothfull Now let me shew you by what meanes both these degrees must be attained and a godly man must passe forward from the former to the latter The meanes of mortification are of two sorts some naturall some spirituall and both are requisite if wee purpose to kill our lusts the former must make the latter more effectuall and be helpfull to our good successe in them Moderation in things indifferent a meanes of mortifying sin The one is moderation in the vse of naturall delights and contents The other discretion in the shunning of outward occasions of euill though the things in themselues bee not euill 2. For the first hee that is not moderate in things indifferent can neuer preuaile against his lusts to any purpose for at the excesse of these lawfull things doe our naturall corruptions begin to take aduantage and to feed themselues and to gather head He that will hold vnder his lusts therefore and put them to death must bee sparing in meate drinke attire sports and must euen cut himselfe shorter in many of these things then that which he perswadeth himselfe and perhaps also truly that he might lawfully doe euen of purpose to keepe himselfe that hee may not bee brought vnder the power of any thing as the Apostle speaketh We must learne of the Apostle himselfe this meanes for he telleth vs that hee did keepe vnder his body 1. Cor. 6.12 1. Cor. 9. last and bring it in subiection The corruptions of the soule finde great furtherance from the humours of the body as a man doth find from a good and fit toole or instrument we must keep the tooles of sinne dull as I may so speake that sinne it selfe may doe vs lesse harme by its working If the body be still humored and pampered by letting it haue all the ease fine fare gay attire sensuall pleasures and pastimes that it wisheth and that a man can make to appeare lawful and warrantable it will not bee kept in subiection it will not be held in order We are therefore in these thins to call vpon our selues to bee very temperate Be a little more meane in thy garments then thou thinkest it absolutely needfull to be vse a little lesse liberty in games and pastimes then thou conceiuest that in strictnesse of conscience thou oughtest to doe So I say for fare ease sleepe If thou dost not from the vtmost confines of lawfull liberty there is but a small step to the border of vnlawfull delights and soone maist thou be drawn to step that step and when thou hast once transgressed thou shalt finde it hard to come into the right way againe He that goes in a riuer where he knowes that a deepe pit is will not come so close to it as hee may but by keeping himselfe vpon sure ground a good way off will bee sure to saue himselfe from being ouerwhelmed therein It is much more safe in things of this nature to keepe our selues a good deale within compasse then to stand vpon the edge of our liberty as I may so speake By abridging our selues of some thing that we are allowed wee cannot likely receiue any hurt by taking all that is allowed we may soone slip into excesse and well-neere mischiefe our selues and by doing all we may doe so ingage our selues to our affections that they will carry vs away to that wee should not doe Austerenesse is not necessary to mortification moderation is To goe wooll-ward or in haire-cloth is a foolish destroying of the body to go in lesse costly attire then one might is a due keeping vnder of the body To make ones selfe leane and wanne with fasting is to tyrannize ouer ones selfe to fare lesse delicately and eate lesse liberally for the most part then one might is to preuent the aduantages of sinne in the body The hypocrite often doth place all his mortification in being cruel to his body wherfore he keepes no measure this way and because it is a thing much looked after and easily seene it is a fit thing for an hypocrite to beguile both the world and himselfe withall The godly man doth make his abridging of the body a furtherance to the cutting off of his lusts wherefore he is not excessiue in his rigour to his body nor will offer violence to nature but alone deny her that which shee may well spare and scants and mints himselfe in the vse of his liberty not as not knowing it but as knowing how easie it is to abuse it and by abusing to take harme And thus by keeping his body in order hee findes it more easie to keepe the minde in frame also which doth much make vse of and as some thinke follow the temperature of the body And let any man vnder heauen be so wise as to obserue himselfe and he shall finde that vnlesse he deny himselfe some lawfull liberty he shall quickly grow sensuall and sensuality is an enemie to mortification 3. A second naturall meanes of mortification is a careful shunning of the occasions of sin Shunning the occasions of sin necessary to mortification Opportunity of time place company and the like doth greatly incense and prouoke corruption and he that will not for euery man in this matter because it is but naturall can if he will denie himselfe in such things can neuer preuaile against his corruptions He hath not gone yet so farre as nature may goe and how then should he looke to finde the helpe of grace The withdrawing of a mans selfe from these things is a pulling of the fuell from the fire and then it wil surely goe out The aduenturing vpon these things doth blow the coles and administer fuell also and then must sinne of necessity both burne and flame In these occasions the sences haue strong allurements offered vnto them and they be vehement in their workings burying the vnderstanding for a time and captiuating the thoughts to their present pleasing obiects so that a man can thinke of no good thing that may serue to resist bad desires and when the soule is so disarmed how should sinne but preuaile against it He that doth thus hazard himselfe thrusts himselfe out of Gods protection for he walketh not in his owne place therefore he can looke for nothing but ruine Satan assureth himselfe of victorie when hee sees men so carelesse of themselues and so becomes vehement in tempting as hope of successe incourageth euery one to labour and then how soone is a man foyled Indeed the heart hath giuen a secret consent to the desire of euill doing so soone as euer it consents to aduenture vpon the occasions of euill doing and it is but the very guile and dissimulation