open the deeper wound least the suddaine healling and closing of it vp might proue dangerous Thus thou dealt'st with Dauid who lying weltering in his blood thou the good Samaritan took'st compassion poured'st in thy healing Oyle of pardon but withall the corosiue wine of humiliation so to eat out or suppresse the luxuriant new-growne flesh lest festering inwardly it might proue to a Gangreene And when I am thus cast vpon the worlds reproch I know it is not without thy iust good and wise all-disposing hand Thou sawest what small fruit all my ordinarie and euerie-day repentance brought forth how it did not worke in me such a perfect hatred and detestation of sinne such an exact care and Conscience of auoyding the least appearance of euill as thou requirest how it laboured at the best rather to lop off the out-branches of sinne as eye-sores of the world then putting the axe to the root of the Tree to stub it vp with all the radicall sprigs and sprouts of affections And how easie is it to slubber ouer repentance when the heart is not possessed with a due estimate of the smallest sinne I thought all was well or at least tollerable being free from the maine Act nor making practise nor taking pleasure nor walking in a purpose nor watching opportunitie nor pursuing the meanes of committing sinne with greedinesse Or if at any time a temptation did ouertake me to yeald assent vpon thy gratious preuention I so reioyced with the Pharisee Lord I thanke thee c. as I neglected the Publicans Prayer Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Not duely considering in the meane time either the strictnesse of thy Law or the Sacredness of my Person Profession the one straitly prohibiting the other infinitely aggrauating the least degree of or disposition vnto sinne causing that to bee mortall in me which in others might bee accounted veniall And although thou knowest Lord which I dare the more freely recount to the glorie of thy Grace how often when occasions were offered euen inuiting mee to sinne boldnesse vsurping the seat of bashfulnesse I haue by thy present assistance not else while mine owne corruption when left to it selfe would easily haue followed auoided declined them and where I haue obserued temptations to be strongest and danger most apparant haue purposely not daring to trust vpon mine owne weake strength withdrawn my selfe where I haue beene like to bee taken with the lime-twigs which the cunning fowler layd for mee haue I not taken the wings of the Doue to fly a loft from the danger yea sometimes finding vpon triall a flexibility in the obiect haue I not disswaded haue I not counselled for good Yet all this all this while as it seemeth so deceitfull is the heart aboue all things not with that zealous affection not with that thorow hatred of sinne as was requisite Certainly I did not with all my power resist the Diuell so that it gaue him incouragement to watch still new occasions to take me tardie when I should least dreame of danger and obseruing my spirituall armour not so tightly girt to my loynes but like Ioabs sword to hang loose and dangling about me hee hoped one time or other to smite me vnawares as Ioab did Amasa kissing and killing both at once And could he at all haue inclosed mee in his toyle had not thy wonderful * Deus diligeÌ„tibus euÌ„ omnia cooperatur in bonum vsque aedeo prorssus omnia vt etiam si qui eorum deuiant exorbitaÌ„t etiam hoc ipsum eis faciat proficere in bonum quia humiliores redeunt atque doctiores Aug. de Corr. gra cap. 9 Prouidence so disposed it to a further end then Sathan imagined Hast thou there left me No surely For first hauing chastised and purged me with a fiery sicknesse nigh vnto death and heard my praier for deliuerance and for a renewed redubled strength in my Ministry to be a poore instrument of thy glory which my folly had any way stained how hast thou followed mee euer since what with assisting grace what with affâ—iccting griefe least I might bee either too much exalted with the one or too much depressed with the other And hath not thy vnchangable wisedome for this very cause left some corruptions in thy holiest Saints to keepe them in the ballance of a due temper that so the tempter might not attaine to his wished ends while hee meeteth with two contrary windes to saile withall For when hee would tempt to pride for the indowments of thy graces how doe our very corruptions stand vp against him to our humiliation On the other side when he would tempt vs to diffidence deiection desperation in regard of our indwelling or out-breaking sinnes then thy grace interposeth it selfe not onely as a token of thine vnchangeable loue but as a mighty weapon to batter downe all Satans strong holds Hereof hast thou giuen mee sufficient experience herein abundant cause of comfort so that may not I say with Dauid Thy rod of castigation and thy staffe of consolation and sustentation comfort mee But yet alas O Lord was there no other way to preserue the wine of thy grace in me but vpon the Lees of my corruptions No way to poise the course of my brittle barke that so it might safely bring the Pearle of the kingdome to the wished hauen but with the base ballace of sinne No antidote to preserue me from being exalted aboue measure for the portion of thy free goodnesse towards me but by the treacle compounded of the Serpent sinne But I may not reason with thee whose iudgements are vnsearchable whose wayes past finding out But Lord did not thy all piercing eye discouer some monstrous pride lurking in my heart ready to breake out and beare it selfe bigge when it should behold it selfe any way beautified with the borrowed feathers of thy Doue-like spirit and rather then I should rob thee of thy glory and so be left naked of thy grace it seemed good to thy wisedome to permit the preuention of it with the humiliation of mine own shame For otherwise hast thou not in the midst of my infinite weakenesses giuen me a minde to know thee a desire to please thee a will to obey thee a heart to prefer thy glory before my life a resolution to choose rather to dye a thousand deaths then to commit the least sinne But O wretched man that I am the cause of all my calamity is in my selfe this body of death which I carry about is the source of all my sorrow Yet seeing this is the coÌ„mon coÌ„dition of thy Saints none to be exempt from indwelling corruption all the best the holiest to cry out of it some for shame all for sorrow why should I thinke by any priuiledge to be holier then they or being the weakest the worst of all the rest shall not thy mercy thy merits be magnified so much the more in blotting out my misdeeds I am sure I cannot be a
yet is deserted of his friends Who would not wonder at this To heare a King complaining My louers and my friends stand aloofe from me Psal. 38.11 and my kinsmen stand a farre off And Psal. 88 18. Louer and friend hast thou put away farre from me and hid mine acquaintance out of my sight And Ps. 69.8 I am become a stranger vnto my Brethren euen an aliant vnto my Mothers children But wherefore all this Because he was now fallen into pouertie No such thing for hee was still a great King Or was it because hee was a Type of Christ and therefore must looke to fare so much the worse with the world and bee euill intreated of his neerest friends as Christ was For the liker to Christ the worse liked of the world Nor that neither for then Dauid might haue found much comfort to be for such a cause forsaken But that which so much estranged Dauid's familiars and friends from him was his sinne so offensiue and scandalous and withall his humiliation and open repentance for the same which caused all his carnall friends to despise him Was not his sinne the cause that his owne Sonne his chiefe Councellors all Israel almost rebelled against him as an enemie of God and as one vnworthy to rule any longer ouer them They made it a faire pretence at least which God vsed as a scourge to his Seruant both for his greater humiliation and tryall and for example of others Yea the carnal minded made a mocke also of his humiliation as Micol as Shimei as others as vnseemely for the Maiestie of a King As if in sinne-cases it became the simple and poore vulgar onely to weepe but not Kings To these two causes Dauid referreth his friends stâ—angenesse towards him First For his sinne Psalme 31.10 11. My strength faileth me because of mine iniquitie and my bones are consumed I was a reproach among all mine enemies but specially among my neighbours and a feare to mine acquaintance Plebi lacrimarâ— licâ—t Regi honeste non licet Hâ—er Ps. 69.5 10 11 12 they that did see me without fled from me For I haue heard the slander of many And O God thou knowest my foolishnesse and my sinnes are not hid from thee Secondly for his humiliation When I wept and chastened my Soule with fasting that was to my reproach I made Sack-cloth also my garment and I became a Prouerbe to them They that sit in the Gate speake against me and I was the song of the Drunkards Here let Iob's patience take brething awhile solace it selfe â—â—stum tenacem propositi viruÌ„ Non ciuium arbor praua iubentium Non vultus instantâ—s tyranni meÌ„te quatit solida Hor. And Alium multis gloria terris Tradat omnes Fama per vrbes garrula laudet Caeloque parem tollat astrii Me meatellus Lare secre to tutoqueâ—egat Sen. Yea let him with astonishment bee silent at Dauid's tryall in being thus forsaken of his friends And Dauid's case it is that suits with this present conflict Tell me not my Brother of thy friends forsaking thee being fallen into pouertie or into great mens disgrace or the like a masculine Spirit will easily incounter all such contempt But hast thou some thing in thee wherein thou resemblest Christ as one of his members and therefore worthy to haue the world for thine enemie And besides some thing inherent and inhabitant in thee resembling and sauouring of the old Adam whereby thou art any way obnoxious to the worlds censure yea in so much as now thy verie familiar friends forsake and fly thy societie as ashamed thereof When notwithstanding there is nothing more irksome vnto thee then to bee a stranger to God and all good men Tell me now in this case dost thou thinke any man more miserable then thy selfe And the more as thou art a man more or lesse eminent in place and graces and in estimation for wisdome and glorie What comfort now canst thou haue or hope for in thy life forsaken of all in a manner and euen abhorred of those whom thou most esteemedst When now those things which would be highly esteemed in others in thee doe loose their grace and acceptance And all this through thine owne want of care slacknesse and remisnesse in thy noble resolution to doe nothing vnworthy thy person and profession Tell me now dost thou not heare the Accuser of the Brethren Caâ—endo magis quaÌ„ puendo QuaÌ„ multa pâ—nitenda incurrunt viuendo diâ— the old Serpent whispering in thine eares O thou forlorn wretch why art thou so base minded so stupidly patient as to possesse thy life with the losse of thy reputation and of the loue of thy best friends Thou hast lost them irreuocably and yet doest thou desire to spin out a contemptible and tedious life whereof together with all those torments and griefes thou sufferest in thy Soule for thy folly and deserued disgrace thou mayest so easily so speedily many wayes bee rid And this were the readie way to please thy friends againe For to whom thy life is hatefull thy death would consequently proue gratefull and welcome Or despiâ—â—ng thee aliue they would desire and deplore thee dead as a thing pretious So that what thou canst not obtaine by liuing thou mayst by dying And by liuing longer thou mayest come to haue more cause to repent thee And what needest thou to hoyse vp Sayles to passe through a Sea of infinite troubles and perills being driuen by no other winds but those tempestuous sighes which arising from thy restlesse and distâ—mpered mind must needs cause thy wracke vpon some Rocke or other When thou mayest with one short finall breath bee wasted ouer Lethe where thou shalt neuer think of thy friendâ— more whom now thou canst not remember but with ruthfull regret Such like counsells or cold consolations is the enemie of thy Soule readie to suggest vnto thee when thou art deserted of all comfort of those whom thou most dearely louest whose losse thou so deepely lamentest CHAP. VIII The Comfort How a man may ouercome or at least not be ouercome of the former Conflict BVt hence Satan And now poore Soule hast thou foolishly lost thy friends Lament the cause more then the effect So shall thy life be now not much more bitter in the losse of thy friends then it was wont to be sweet in the inioying of them So as remembring themselues they offend not God in the excesse of their strangenesse or disaffection by adding to the burthen which they should helpe to beare And then shalt thou comfort thy selfe with hope that you shall one daâ— meet and conuerse in Heaâ—â—â— in an vnseperable inoffensiue societie In the meane time their distast shall bee but one of those biâ—ter ingredients in that strong potion which it pleaseth thy heauenly Physitian to purge the corrupt humour withall or as Rue in thy Diet-drinke to macerate thy Spirits and to frustrate the force of
A like symptomes in both How shall wee then discerne the good from the bad Conscience Surely thus The bad Conscience and quiet is that whose tranquilitie or calme is contracted either of a benummednesse Consuetâ—do peccandi tollit sensum peccati and Cawle growne ouer it through long custome in sinne or from a profound ignorance of the nature of sinne and of the Law of God or from a prophane contempt of sauing knowledge and the meanes thereof and the like such are said by the Prophet to bee at ease setled vpon their lees Ier. 48.11 not poured from vessell to vessell but the good Conscience and quiet is that whose peace after trouble for sinne as a calme after a storme floweth from no other Fountaine but the mercie of God in Christ apprehended by Faith for the pardon of the sinnes of the belieuing penitent sinner as the Apostle concludeth Therefore being iustified by Faith Rom. 5.1 we haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. Hee that wants this Conscience flowing from Faith which layeth one hand on the Sacrifice Christ saying Lord be mercifull and so repentance laying the other hand on sinne saying To me a sinner can neuer goe home iustified his Conscience wants the true peace And this peace and quiet of a good Conscience is further setled by a firme purpose of pleasing God in all good duties for the time to come As the same Apostle saith Pray for vs for we trust wee haue a good Conscience in all things Heb. 13.18 willing to liue honestly So that the good Conscience looks both waies both backwards finding true peace in Christs righteousnes by Gods mercie imputed and by Faith apprehended and applyed for the pardon of sinne past and forwards with a sincere purpose of reformation and conformitie to the Word of God for the time to come willing resoluing and indeuouring to liue honestly This is the good Conscience and quiet Again the bad Conscience and vnquiet is that which being strucke with the sting of sinne either with Iudas and Achitophel runs to the halter as if that were the next way to heale it or by diuersion seekes to put it off as Cain fals a building of Cities and following his pleasures if so he may charme the Serpents biting or skin ouer the wound or weare out the skarre and ruthfull remembrance or still the hideous cry of his horrid murther or by this kind of Dictamne cause the mortall Arrow sticking in his side to loosen away But the good Conscience and troubled is that which for sinne being humbled and vpon repentance through Faith hearing The Lord hath put away thy sinne yet as a woman with her after-birth is exercised with grieuous conflicts afterwards It was Dauids case after his absolution pronounced by the Prophet from God whereupon hee might and did no doubt for the present find solid and assured comfort Yet how many a bitter storme doth he indure in his soule How many a sharpe fit So that as a man in an Hecticke feuer without intermission hee cryeth out Thy hand is heauy vpon me day and night And Ps. 32. Ps. 38. There is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger nor any rest in my bones because of my sinne for mine iniquities are gone ouer mine head as an heauy burthen they are too heauy for me All his penitentiall Psalmes breathe nothing else but groanes and sighes from a troubled Spirit Yet all the while hee possessed a good Conscience though the fruition thereof was for a time to his greater humiliation and exercise of his Faith denied and suspended from him Holy Paul in that perillous Nauigation though hee was comforted by the Angel with a promise of safetie for his owne life and theirs which sayled with him yet arriued not at the Port without great difficultie and with the losse of the lading and wracke of the Ship So Gods Child as Dauid though vpon repentance for sinne hee haue his Pardon sealed and life secured yet so hideous are the stormes of renued remorse for sinne which still lye beating vpon his brittle Barke that hee must suffer much dammage temporall before hee can vpon the Planke of redubled repentance waft and worke himselfe to reach the calme and comfortable Hauen of Melita This is that Conscience that troubled Conscience of the Conflicts and Comforts whereof wee are here to speake For as for the afflicted bad Conscience as of all such as liue in a knowne sinne without repentance and now and then are troubled with some fearefull qualmes comming ouer their stomacks while they seeke to haue not the cause which is sinne but the effect onely remoued Wee purpose not to bee troubled with such In such cases let the Adulterer repent and beccome continent the Drunkard repent and become sober the oppressing Vsurer repent and restore and become liberall to the poore and so in the rest Otherwise neuer let them looke for any true comfort and peace of Conscience Yet for their better instruction such also may reape much helpe by this Treatise to further them in the practise of true repentance thereby to obtaine true peace of Conscience For here we propound and describe the case of a troubled Conscience in the highest degree together with the remedies of it that so no troubled Conscience in any lesse degree or kind might here faile to find comfort in time of need For he that knowes how to cure the greatest wound can the more easily cure the lesse CONFLICTS AND COMFORTS OF CONSCIENCE CHAP. I. The first conflict or triall wherein the conscience of a man regenerate apprehending Gods wrath for sin is perillously shaken IT is the nature of all sinne once committed by guilt to affect the conscience with a fearefull apprehension of Gods wrath both temporall and eternall as due to the sinner It was decreed so in the beginning by an vnchangeable law of God In the day thou eatest thereof Gen. â— thou shalt dye the death And no sooner had Adam transgressed but an horror seased vpon his soule hee heares Gods voyce he feares flyes hides himselfe What 's the matter now Adam where art thou might God well say not in what place but in what case art thou surely the Serpent had left his sting in Adams Conscience Now hee is affrighted with hearing Gods voyce but a farre off as of a Iudge sending forth a Hue Cry or summons to the malefactor to appeare before him whom before he ioyed to behold as a dutifull sonne delighting in the presence of his louing and liberall father Ob. But Adam was afterwards receiued to mercy and that by a new couenant of Grace the old of workes being vtterly forfeited and that in and through Christ the promised seed of the woman Is not then the case of mans Conscience now altered Can the member of Christ the vessell of grace the heire of life eternall bee from henceforth repossessed with any such apprehension as of Gods wrath
repriuall thereof Nothing lesse But Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome And how did hee answer his fellow Theefe but not fellow Saint Fearest thou not God Wee are righteously here wee suffer condignly Such is godly sorrow humbly submitting it selfe to all torments as duly deserued When on the contrarie the obstinate Theefe his desire was all for his temporall life If thou be Christ saue thy selfe and vs. As if Christ's sauing of himselfe had beene the way to saue them This is all the ayme of worldlings to bee no further for Christ or Religion then Christ and Religion will serue their temporall turnes at the vtmost Num. 23.10 desiring if they must needs at length dye to dye the death of the righteous and that their last end may be like his the couetous man will then because hee must become liberall giuing all from himselfe when hee can keepe it no longer the drunkard will then dye abstenious because he can drinke no more the ambitious Temporizer would dye a Child of the Truth when by neutralizing hee can rise no higher the Pontifician Priest would dye in the garment of Christs righteousnesse imputed rather then in S. Francis Cowle when now hee can gaine no more full offerings by imposing vpon the simple seduced but now to doe this re integra in their health while they may yet liue longer and get more wealth and spend more merrie dayes and rise higher and liue like Abbey Lubbers they like not to bee like the righteous man Againe godly sorrow neuer goeth alone but is accompanied with sincere and ingenuous confession of sinne to God Till Dauid did this hee was exceedingly troubled and tormented in Conscience How pittifully complayneth he Psal. 32. When I kept silence my bones waxed old c. Psal. 32 3 4. I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee and mine iniquitie haue I not hid I said I will confesse my transgressions vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the iniquitie of my sinne Here Dauid's godly sorrow breaking forth and venting it selfe in an humble confession of his sinne to the Lord bringeth case and comfort to his Soule euen as a turbulent wind inclosed and pent in the bowels of the Earth causeth a terrible Earth-quake not ceassing till by some rupture it haue a vent Or as the stomacke striuing with some indigestible morsell which the inordinate appetite had swallowed downe Orig. in Ps. 37. is not eased till the same bee rendred backe againe Or as the iugling Fryars make the simple beleeue as the soule of such a rich Churle departed cannot be at rest till such his ill gotten goods bee restored to the owners at least to some religious Couent No nor then neither sith not before One ingredience more would here be added as necessarie to cause our godly sorrow to worke the more kindly and effectually to recouer sound health to the soule For it may so come to passe that the offence which the world hath taken at a mans sinne may affect a mans heart so much the more with sorrow because it hath brought a disreputation vpon his person and a staine vpon his good name whereas otherwise perhaps hee would haue made light of that sinne being concealed from the world and so haue still continued in it And againe it oftentimes yea too vsually comes to passe that for want of sound and solid repentance for former sinnes God suffers his child euen to fall into some scandalous sin with the world that so at length hee may bee throughly cast downe for all and come to a perfect hatred of all sinne And surely one sinne soundly and thorowly repented of doth mightily and maruellously arme a man against the tempters assaults for the time to come if it be but attended with a small guard of a wary watchfulnesse Whereas on on the contrary repentance slubbered ouer and dallied with causeth the enemy to grow much more audacious in new assaylments while hee obserueth vs the lesse able to resist his batteries by how much we haue beene more remisse and carelesse in the sure making vp of later breaches As a wound not throughly healed but skinned ouer festereth becommeth a greater sore Or as phisicke not working kindly doth but fit the body for more diseases For this cause then that we leaue no one corner of our deceitfull hearts vnswept and vnransackt it is behouefull for vs to call our selues to a strict and seuere account for all our former old sinnes and vpon a melius inquirendum to enter into iudgement with our selues a fresh for them as finding them now guilty of Treason which before happily we condemned but of petty Larceny when as now wee may iustly deeme that for want of due humiliation and sorrow for them they as a theefe saued from the gallowes that should haue beene put to death haue beene ready to cut our throate by leading vs on to the more bold committing of sinne For as we prophecy in part so wee practise repentance and all other duties in part And the more imperfect our repentance is for sinne past wee are not onely the more weake to stand out and resist temptations and to subdue the remainder of our corruptions but the further short we come of the inioying of those solid comforts of Gods Spirit which it poureth in greater abundance into the most penitent soule So that for the greater strengthning of the wounded soule fainting vnder the waight of some great temptation for a new sinne it is necessary to renew our repentance in a greater measure then euer for all our old sins that so the more ground wee sow with godly sorrow wee may reape the more plentifull haruest of consolation This was Dauids practise In his old age and vpon that great sinne of his hee prayes the Lord not to remember the sinnes of his youth which no doubt he had long agoe repented of but now vpon so fearfull a fall being driuen aground by the tempest of temptation he cannot bring his vessell off againe but with a greater spring-tide of teares in a redubled repentance But many are so mealy mouthed that for shame or pride they will not confesse at least in particular Pro. 28.13 as Dauid * Psal. 51. This euill this or that speciall sinne to God Because many times thereupon depends a necessity of restitution and satisfaction to man for the offence done Non remittitur peccatū nisi restituatur ablatum Aug. without which confession to God in such cases is vaine For the sin is not remitted vnlesse the wrong to man if it be possible be satisfied In the Law robbery cozenage violence periury had a sacrifice for it but he must withall make full restitution according to the Law the same day of his sacrifice see Leuit. 6.2 3 4 5 6 7. The fifth Preseruatiue of Conscience distressed with the feare of Gods displeasure is Prayer O the sweet and souerain helpe which Prayer frequent feruent faithfull humble Prayer
subministreth to the Soule when plunged in the deepth of perplexed dolours As Dauid in that short but pithy Penitentiall Out of the deepes haue I cryed vnto thee Ps. 130.1 O Lord. Ionas prayed vnto the Lord his God out of the Fishes belly Yea Out of the belly of Hell cryed I and thou heardest my voyce And when Dauid said in his hast I am cut off from before thine eyes Neuerthelesse saith hee thou heardest the voyce of my supplycations when I cryed vnto thee Prayer is of force to bring againe the dead Child to rayse dead Lazarus euen the stinking Soule out of the Graue No place no case of calamitie Spirituall or Corporall whence Prayer may not procure deliuerance Onely out of Hell is no deliuerance Why They pray not there to God In the Parable Diues prayed but to Abraham to a Saint not to God enough to cause his prayer to be reiected as not worth a drop of cold water A good example for all such Clyents as inuocate Saints for their Aduocates A practise learned from Diues in Hell but which findeth neither Precept nor Promise in the Scriptures and so can hope for no better successe Now among the many admirable vses and effects of prayer two are of singular note the first that prayer is a most effectuall antidote to preuent the committing of sinne What neede I speake of the infinite experiments my selfe haue found in this kinde Let euery child of God but take notice of his owne proofes herein For my part how many forcible temptations prouocations inuitations occasions to sinne haue made battery vpon this weak Fort when it hath beene ready to hang out the flagg of parle and of yeelding and onely prayer steps betweene working a suddaine strange alteration in the affections it bringeth a fresh supply of of grace fortifieth the weakest places repaireth the breaches repulseth the batteries causeth the enemy for that time to retreat I could produce strange instances in my selfe but I forbeare Nor is there any lawfull affaire of this life but if prayer haue an oare in it it makes the better way to arriue at the wished port But for the preuenting of sinne and restraining of our inordinate passions it is in a manner the onely effectuall meanes Neuer hath any temptation further preuailed but as prayer hath beene neglected I am sure this is true in mine owne experience And surely where the daily practise of prayer is not there it is no maruaile if Sathan keepe his reuels Dauid noting the many corruptions and abominations of wicked men and persecuting Tyrants hee renders the reason of all They call not vpon the Lord. Psa. 14·4 But doe not such men pray Yes they may but as the Pharisees in an outward formalitie and vnder a colour of long prayer they deuoure widdowes houses Who are more for a ceremonious and solemne formalitie of endlesse and superstitious prayers then the Church of Rome which yet the Holy Ghost styleth the great Whore Can such blind prayers be effectuall but to pull down vengeance vpon their heads which by their pompous solemnitie haue vndermined the verie ground-worke and Pillar of all true Religion and deuotion the preaching of the Word now turned into Masse and Matins But no maruaile if the Seuen-branched golden Candlesticke be there remoued and turned into an Idoll-Altar where the verie * Prayer in an vnknowne tongue Light of Deuotion is quite put out and the Oyle dryed vp The second principall vse of Prayer is after a man hath beene ouertaken with a temptation in any degree tending at least to the actuall committing of sinne and to the fulfilling of it in the lust thereof to rayse vp the humbled Conscience to a hopefull expectation to a constant affiance and in fine to a comfortable fruition of Gods mercie We see what strong cryes Dauid all along the most peerelesse patterne of practick pietie in this kind lifted vp when his soule was cast downe for his sinne as all his Penitentials but specially the 51 doe witnesse And surely had not the sinne-burthened Soule accesse to the Throne of Grace and Mercie by the meanes of Prayer what hope were there But Prayer is like Noah's Doue which returning brings the poore sinner tidings that the Deluge of Gods wrath is asswaged and in token thereof presents him with the Oliue-branch of peace and reconciliation Or as when God is on his March against vs with his great Army of terrible Iudgements Prayer is the Herald sent to make an humble treaty for truce And therefore in all Spirituall conflicts there is no dutie which Satan goes about more to diuert from or disturbe in then this of Prayer Yea he is readie to present a man with and to foist in a thousand by-occasions or cogiâ—ations either about our profits or pleasures thereby to diuert the Soule from praier perswading a man he may doe that as well another time as now And it is more then proaable that Dauid was thus carried away when for almost a yeeres space that sinne of his in the matter of Vriah and Bathshabe lay as a charmed Serpent sleeping in his bosome vnrepented of till Nathan came and by his Riddle vncharmed it and so rowsed him from his Lethargie Obiect But did not Dauid all that while exercise the dutie of Prayer Had he not at least the Arke in his Court and there his morning and euening Sacrifices of Prayer Answ. No doubt But it is likely hee contented himselfe with the publike solemn Seruice and Sacrifice of Prayer neglecting in the meane time his more intimous and priuate deuotion wherein hee should haue more punctually humbled his Soule cast himselfe downe naked in Gods presence and made speciall supplication for the pardon of his sinne and so haue demeaned himselfe in his holy wrastling with God in secret as he could not doe in publike with any decorum or without beeing censured by men of indiscretion or folly As Hannah for her zeallous prayer was thought of Eli to haue beene drunke or madde Or at leastwise not intermitting his times of priuate prayer yet hee remitted of that feruour and zeale of that extraordinarie sorrow and teares requisite for obtaining the pardon of such a sinne Or if among other his sinnes hee bewayled this sinne yet hee went not to the quicke hee searched not the wound to the bottome His repentance as yet was but an ordinarie and euerie-day-repentance whereas his extraordinarie sin required an extraordinarie sorrow Hee might also the while pray for mercie and pardon but not so effectually and heartily for such a measure of mercie as his sinne required And the reason that his repentance and consequently his praier for pardon at the best was not yet so sound as it ought which was the cause that as yet he found not that comfortable fruition of Gods fauour and mercie as afterwards vpon his more serious repentance was his want of due consideration in waighing the horriblenesse and hugenesse of his sinne For
the height of my holy calling the deeper I must bee plunged in the verie gulfe of griefe and humiliation for the same Considering that as great a Sacrifice was offered for the Priest's sinne alone Leui. 4.3 14. as for the whole Congregation though each sinned alike in the same kind Dauid Salomon Peter all smarted for their sinne And who would buy sinne at so deare a rate as they payd for it But yet they found mercie and fauour at Gods hand This was their comfort And their example is my comfort also For why should any man beholding such examples of Gods super-abundant mercy in pardoning sinnes of highest nature hee hauing sinned not by the patronage of their example but by the imprudence of his own impotent passions Why say I should any man out of a comfortlesse deiection shut himselfe out from all hope of Gods mercie as an abiect or out-cast and not rather with the hand of Faith and repentance which neuer knew how to be repulsed knocke at that gate of Grace which so easily was opened to them yea which of its owne accord more readily then that yron gate did to Peter will open to euerie faithfull penitent sinner Yea for this cause for our sakes are those examples written and left as euerlasting monuments that no Adulterer no Idolater no denyer of Christ should despaire of mercie vpon repentance And though these examples are written for all yet are they most proper for Gods Ministers when they are humbled for any sinne or offence against God or his people least the checke of their holy calling might altogether amate them and leaue them comfortlesse and so expose them as a prey to the Destroyer But blessed be God who hath prouided such Treacle made of the Mummy of his dead Saints to cure his liuing ones of the Serpents mortall Sting Yet the while I ascribe no more to these examples but as excellent adiuuants to faith it being the principall instrument whereby the Soule in her deepest thirst as with a bucket drawes the waters of comfort out of the Wells of Saluation the head Fountaine whereof is Christ. In this Poole of Bethesda in this Fountaine set open for Israel whosoeuer are washed are cured of all their maladies So that if the Adulteresse had neuer an example of a penitent Mary Magdalen Acts. nor the Abiurer of Christ a penitent Peter nor the Coniurer of those penitent Magitians nor the Persecuter of Christ in his Members of a penitent Paul nor the Idolater of a penitent Salomon or Manasses nor the Sacrilegious person of a penitent Achan If an Extortioner or cunning Cauiller had neuer an example of a penitent Zacheus making restitution nor a whole sinfull State of a penitent Niniueh nor the cowardly or sleepie Minister of a penitent Ionah nor the Theefe of that penitent on the Crosse Yet if all all kind of sinners looke but vpon Christ with the eye of sauing Faith vpon him they shall find all their iniquities layd all their burthens borne all their debts discharged all their bills cancelled all their stripes healled Those stung with the fiery flying Serpents some more Num. 21. some lesse all mortally some in the head some in the feet some in the eies some in the hands some in the brest or else-where yet all that looked on the brazen Serpent liued So all sinners stung by the old fierie flying Serpent some after one manner or measure some after another but all mortally the least sting of sinne wounding to death whether it bee in the eye of lust or in the feet of affections or in the hand of action or in the head of inuention or in the brest of conception or the like none liue but such as with the eye of a liuing Faith look vpon Christ Ioh. 3.14 15. lifted vp vpon the Pole of his Crosse. There thou mayest see all thy sinnes nayled all punished in thy Sauiour no lim of his body was free no one facultie of his Soule vntormented to satisfie and heale all thy wounds which sinne hath made in any member of thy body in any facultie of thy Soule or in all together Yet I say out of the super-abundancie of Gods care that no meanes should be wanting vnto his Saints to preserue them from perishing it hath pleased him to leaue vnto vs the most notable examples of his mercie to his dearest and greatest of his Saints offending for the help of our weake Faith in Christ that no temptation no not sin it selfe armed with all the power of Hell should be able to pull vs out of his hand The seuenth Preseruatiue to comfort the Conscience in the apprehension of Gods wrath for sinne is the exercise of outward afflictions which falling vpon Gods Child after his sinne committed they are the tokens of our heauenly Fathers loue who leaueth vs not to our selues to follow our follies but mercifully chastizeth vs to our betterment So the Lord saith If my Children forsake my Law Psal. 89. and walke not in my Iudgments c. Then will I visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquitie with stripes Neuerthelesse my louing kindnesse will I not vtterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile Lo heere a speciall marke of Gods fatherly loue to his Children in correcting them with his Rod. Thus God dealt with Dauid when after hee had pardoned his sinne yet he spares not to lay load of afflictions vpon him Supplicia peccatoruÌ„ post remissioneÌ„ certamina esse exercitationesque iâ—storum Aug de Peccat mer. remiss li. â— c. 33 Not that afflictions are penall satisfactions for sinne but paternall corrections and medicinall applycations and exemplarie instructions and admonitions euen to warne the vngodly also For if God spare not his owne Child How shall the rebellious Seruant escape Yet out of this eater came meat out of this strong and bitter came sweetnesse vnto Dauid's Soule Psa. 23. For he saith Thy rod and thy staffe comfort mee as well the rod of thy correction as the staffe of supportation and protection comfort me Hast thou sinned then and doth God by and by not deferre to correct thee Be so farre from imputing this to the anger of God towards thee as rather hence gather assurance that this affliction is from the verie bowels of a louing and wise Father who will not pamper thee in thy childish folly but will humble thee to doe thee good at thy later end that thou mayst glorifie him in that quiet fruit of righteousnesse which affliction bringeth forth in all those who are his true-bred Children Aug. de serbis Domini ser. 37. Magnae misericordiae est nequitiae impunitatem non relinquere ne cogatur in extremo Gehennae damnare modò flagello dignatur castigare It is Gods great mercie not to leaue sinne vnpunished and that hee vouchsafeth now to chastise with the whip that hee may not bee compelled to condemne in the extremitie of
worst kind Ministers are the Light of their Flockes But the Conscience inferreth My light hath been turned into darknesse and how great is that darknesseâ— Ministers are the Salt of the Earth But the Conscience inferreth I haue beene vnsauourie and so hence-forth good for nothing but to bee cast out to the dunghill Ministers are Watchmen and must giue a strict account to the great Sheepherd But the Conscience inferreth I haue not kept watch ouer mine own Soule by meanes whereof the Soules of my Flocke are in danger to perish Thus his Conscience who makes a Conscience conuicted by these and many the like sentences of Scripture and taking them all to heart Tell mee if yee can what Creature in the world can seeme more wretched more accursed then this man doth in his owne eyes in his owne apprehension May hee not take vp that Lamentation Is it nothing to you Lam. 1.12 all you that passe by Behold and see if there bee any sorrow like to my sorrow which is done to mee wherewith the Lord hath afflicted mee in his fierce wrath May hee not complaine with the Spouse They made me the keeper of the Vineyards Cant. 1.6 but mine owne Vineyard haue I not kept And thus he argues with himselfe What is now become of all my paines studies indeuours desires to doe good to win soules to God Must now alas one small moth fret away and cat vp that faire garment that hath beene spun with so much paines wouen with so much patience and scarce begun to be worn with any pleasure and lesse profit Alas good Ieremy how poore and impotent was that thy impatience vpon so light a cause as to curse thy birth-day and all because the people cursed thee And wherefore did they curse thee Thou neither took'st nor lent'st vpon vsurie Was there not then a cause Thou would'st not be an Vsurer like them The more happy thou But if they had cursed thee for some folly or errour in thy life reason rather thou might'st haue had to haue cursed the day of thy birth O holy Iob thou complainedst thou wast become strange to thy wife to thy Family Why By reason of thy loathsome body Yea but thy heart was sound thy Conscience cleare thy life vnstained Where was thy Spirit that should sustaine such infirmities But alas the wounded Spirit who can beare But that which most of all augmenteth his miserie and dampeth all his best delights is that hee cannot with comfort and courage with alacritie and delight exercise his Ministry among his offended â—â—â—cke For whatsoeuer hee goeth about to teach them may they not say vnto him Turpeeâ—â—â— Doctoris eum 〈◊〉 redarguâ—â— ipsâ—m Physitian heale thy selfe Or with what face can he reproue sin in his people that is culpable thereof in himselfe Or when he preacheth the word doth he not heare that voyce of God Psa. 50. Why preachest thou my Law and takest my Couenant in thy mouth wheras thou hast cast my words behind thee Or doth hee not heare that thunder of the Apostle Rom. â— Thou which teachest another teachest thou not thy selfe Thou that preachest A man should not steale dost thou steale Thou that sayest A man should not commit adulterie dost thou commit Adulterie Thou that abhorrest Idols dost thou commit Sacriledge Thou that makest thy boast of the Law through breaking the Law dishonourest thou God Or how can hee read that Sentence to his people Be ye followers of me euen as I am of Christ And Walke so as ye haue vs for an ensample When his people may shelter all their sinnes though neuer so monstrous vnder the lest erronious slip of his frailty and say Qui nobis ista dicuÌ„t et ipsi non faciunt ista Aug. in Ps. 128 They that teach vs these things themselues keep them not In a word how can hee take into his hands the dreadfull Sacraments whereas the people account them profane and vnwashen hands In this case then how shall the Minister of God that should minister comfort to his people find comfort to himselfe CHAP. IIII. The Comfort Shewing how Gods Minister may recouer comfort of Conscience and that among his offended Flocke BVT how By imagining his people to be so good so wise as measuring their Minister by themselues to bee a man of like passions they will the rather compassionate that in him whereof they haue so iust cause to complain and bewayle in themselues Alas This is a cold comfort for a man to be pittied for his folly And a generous mind will disdaine to build its comfort vpon a base fantasie Nay rather may hee not expect contumely in stead of pittie and contempt in stead of Christian compassion For where shall hee find such perfection Will not a mote in his eie seeme greater to them then the beame in their own Will they not the more lightly leape ouer the blocke of their owne grosse iniquities by stumbling at the strawe of his infirmitie By straining his gâ—at will they not the more easily swallow downe their owne Camell If the Apostles were sacrificed vnto Acts. and by and by in the turning of a hand stoned If for Paul's sake the Galathians would haue pul'd out their eyes and yet not long after became his enemies and that for no other cause but for telling them the truth So ticklish is the state of a faithfull Pastour in the fauour of his ObsequiuÌ„ amicos veritas â—diuÌ„ parit people quickly forfeited by telling them their owne What can he hope for then of the goodnesse of a people to whom hee is iustly become obnoxious They cannot now doe lesse then show dislike which may serue to passe for good zeale if for the cause they doe not hate the person or if now they bee not glad to make the least errour in his life a iuâ—t cause to bee reuenged on him for all the truth of his Doctrine But hee may imagine that being at least a well-taught people they will consider that as the Minister is more eminent then they in place and so ought to bee in grace and spirituall vertue to resist sinne So hee is more subiect to manifold and more violent temptations and that through the malice and enuy of Satan who knoweth that if he can smite the Sheepherd hee may the more easily scatter the Flocke And if his garment bee but scinged with one of his fierie Darts yealding some ill sauour either they may impute it to his imbecillitie or negligence taken napping then when hee should haue watched or to their neglect of prayer for him to be kept holy and blamelesse he hauing no lesse need of their prayers then they of his or else they may impute it to some sinne which themselues doe liue in without repentance for which God may punish them in their Pastour as Israel was made subiect to three dayes pestilence at the best through the sin of Dauid's numbring the people to which God
suffered him to bee stirred vp by Satan So that thus the people reflecting vpon themselues and bearing a part of their Ministers offence they may seeme to lighten the burthen of his distressed Conscience But alas who will duely weigh the infinite perils which the best Saints of God but especially his Ministers doe continually incounter with Or who takes thought to pray for him Hee must pray for all as Iob for his Children while they were a feasting But who for him Although the neglect hereof may bring an old house vpon the carelesse peoples heads as it befell Iob's Children Or which of the people will smite the hand vpon his own thigh and say My customarie and vsuall sinnes as in my deceitfull dealling either with men in my Trading or with God in my lying or in my swearing or prophaning the sacred Ordinances of God or the like hath beene the cause in part at least why God might in iustice suffer this or that temptation to preuaile ouer my Pastour to the further imperilling of mine own Soule by hardning me in my sinne through his example which otherwise should make mee the more cautelous least I abuse his weakenesse for which I know not how greatly hee is humbled to my wilfulnesse in committing and continuing in sinne Or else may not his Conscience perhaps find comfort by considering that though a Ministers conuersation bee of great moment to win the people to God yet it is not that which the people must build vpon for their saluation but the sound Doctrine which he teacheth It is Christ's rule The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses his Chayre Math. 23 2. All therefore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue that obserue and doe But doe not after their workes For they say and doe not But alas howsoeuer this be true and may serue to establish the hearts of Gods people against the stumbling blocke of his delinquencie Yet in the meane time what comfort can himselfe reape from hence Yea doe wee not see by common experience that a small scandall in a Minister be it habituall or but in some one act wherein hee walkes not workes more vpon the generall corruption of the people then the example of all his vertues ioyned withall his painfull and sound preaching is able to counteruaile So that though a few will follow his Doctrine for Conscience sake as being the Word of God Yet the most and greatest part especially among the rude and vndisciplined rustickes will rather chuse to liue by the least bad example As Saint Augustine vpon those words Doe men gather Grapes of Thornes saith Aug in Euang. Ioh. Ser. 1. Euill Ministers are Thornes which sitting in Moses his Seate the Vine of good Doctrine in-twines and wrapes about them Doe thou gather the Grape so as the Thorne may not pricke thee that is what they say doe thou but after their doings doe not Their doings are Thornes their sayings are Grapes springing from the Vine of the Word from Moses his Seat But saith he I speake by experience else I would not belieue it many come to vs and aske counsell of vs how to lye and circumuent supposing that such things please vs. So he So apt are naturall men to imitate the least errour in their Minister when they could bee content that his Doctrine also were such as might feed them in their humours Or when they see the Grapes in-folded within the Thornes they will hardly aduenture the pricking of their hand when seldome by such Thornes the heart is pricked with remorse vnto repentance to saluation while prophane worldlings and carnall professours bearing an in-bred malice to the Word it selfe are glad vpon the least occasion on the Ministers part euen to absent themselues from his Ministrie and Gods publicke Ordinances yea contemning and abhorring them specially if the Ministers life be habitually scandalous as in the examples of Hophni and Phineas 1 Sam. 2.17 So that of necessitie such must speedily breake off their course of sinne by repentance and make open demonstration thereof by their reformation that by their example their sinfull people may also be drawne to repentance Or in case the Ministers offence is not of an habituall exorbitancie but of some indiuiduall act of infirmitie heedlessely or negligently breaking forth from some corrupt disposition of his nature his heart being otherwise vpright and as true as Steele as we say as free from the purpose of sinning as the cold Steele is from fire but being strucke vpon by the Flint of some suddaine temptation may expresse some sparkles of in-bred corruption which yet without the Tinder of consent or at least without the Fuell of prosecution or practise quickly dyeth And on the other side the whole tenour of his life being a constant progresse in Christian duties and those specially of his Calling continually fighting with sinne and corruption dwelling in his nature Will not one vniuersall habit of grace so counterpoyse and counteruaile some particular act of inbred corruption as that his people may reape much more good by the one then hurt by the other Seeing a wise man will not wilfully goe throw himselfe downe headlong because his guide vnwarily hath slipped in a plaine way And hee is a mad-man that will desperatly goe cut his throat because such a one hath foolishly cut his finger But alas we se that a small skarre vpon the fairest face proues the fowler blemish and the least obliquity or crookednesse marres the straightest line and the smallest mote will most trouble the tenderest the clearest eye and one small fly-corruption the whole box of the purest oyntment and one small errour is enough to disgrace and disparage all the most beautifull actions of vertue Quicquid est in quo offenderis id pene emnia quae laudanda sunt obruit Cic. The Heathen Orator could say whatsoeuer it is wherein thou hast offended it doth blurre and blot out in a manner all those things which are praise worthy And the conceit and feare of occasioning or hazzarding the losse of one poore soule in his flocke shall afflict him more then the comming of many to God can comfort him But if in case against an euill farre fetcht fame which the further it trauaileth the more it lyeth like some talkatiue and vaineglorious trauailer who would bee admired for those strange vncouth things which he neuer saw he can oppose his good carriage amongst his owne people where he is best knowne and can protest and say with Samuel Whose Asse or Oxe haue I taken or what bribe to blind mine eyes to doe any man wrong or the like or if he bee traduced for an adulterer or one viciously giuen that way and can plead in the face of all his Parishioners among whom hee hath liued long enough to be knowne Whose wife or daughter or maid haue I corrupted to commit folly with her or vsed any light behauiour towards her although there were opportunity enough may not this be
enough To reioyce at the happy estate of Gods Church and Children though it be a symptom and signe of true grace and a qualitie proper to none but to Gods elect Saints Yet what comfort can it bee for a man to reioyce at others well-fare and in the meane time to bee pressed downe with the waight of his owne vnworthinesse Or how can he be comforted to see others in honor that is himselfe compassed about with disgrace Could the sight of Lazarus in Abraham's bosome any whit comfort poore Diues now in Hell torments or not rather add fuell to those flames Much lesse shall hee euer thinke to extenuate his owne sinne and consequently mitigate his sorrow by discouering or vncharitably thinking that there may be farre greater obliquities in others then hee can easily find to bee in himselfe As though anothers Plague would asswage my Feuer Or anothers Gangreue my Reduuiae or sore finger Yea on the contrarie the least sinne becomes the more damnable when it seekes a patronage or shaddow from some others Master-sinne This is to looke vpon others sinnes with a Perspectiue glasse turning that end outward which dilateth and multiplyeth the obiect but the other towards a mans selfe which contracteth and abateth it Nor is it safe for a man so to compare or parallel himselfe with others as looking onely on their infirmities and slips but not on their more masculine vertues and graces And on the other side reflecting vpon his owne moralities perhaps not mixed with the like imperfections at least in apparence yet comming as farre short of the others perfections and nobler parts thereupon either to comfort himselfe or to contemn them in comparison of himselfe As I remember a sweet obseruation of Saint Augustine to this purpose Aug. coÌ„tra Manich. l. 22. c. 68. Multi nunquam Christum vel semel abnogauerunt nec eius pro nostra salute passionem improbauerunt nec Gentes Iudaizare coegerunt tamen Petro qui haec fecit impares comparebunt Ita multi fideles nullius appetentes vxorem nullum maritum appetitae vsque ad mortem persequentes Dauidicum tamen meritum qui ista fecit non attingunt Tantum interest quod cuique in seipso quantunque displiceat vt penitus extirpetur quid pro eo fructiferum opulentum ingenti feracitate consurgat quia agricolae plus placent agri qui spinis etiam magnis eradicatis centenum proferunt quam qui nullas vnquam spinas habuerunt vix ad tricenum perueniunt Many neuer no not once denied Christ nor discommended his Passion for our Saluation nor compelled the Gentiles to Iudaize and yet they will be found far inferiour to Peter who did these things So also many Belieuers hauing neither desâ—red any mans wife nor persecuted the husband of any desired vnto the death yet they attaine not to Dauid's excellencie who did these things Of so great consequence is it what displeaseth euerie man in himselfe and how much that it may vtterly bee rooted out and what in stead thereof springeth vp as a fruitfull and rich crop because euen those Fields doe more delight the Husbandman which hauing great Thornes scrubbed vp doe bring forth an hundred fold then those which neuer had any such Thornes and yet scarcely amount to thirtie-fold So he But to find solid comfort the Patient must imitate the Spouse who being beaten by the Watchmen for not keeping her owne Vine yet goes on with all care and diligence to seeke out him whom her Soule loued whom till shee found she could find no sound comfort Christ is that great and good Sheepherd that gaue his life for his Sheep He is that mercifull High Priest who takes compassion of our infirmities If any man sinne we wee saith the beloued Disciple we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the Propitiation for our sinnes This is that sweet Iesus who reiected not his penitent Apostle though he had denied him thrice This is that Iudge before whom the woman â—eprehended in Adulterie being accused shee found mercie when her accusers readier to stone her then so much as once to smite vpon their own brest yet slunke away selfe-condemned not abiding the issue of their accusation while shee neither seeking to hide her sinne nor to hasten from the sentence wholly committing her cause to the clemency of the Iudge was dismissed with this comfortable speech Neither do I condemne thee go sin no more To this merciful Iudge let the distressed Conscience appeale when all the world accuseth condemneth And now O Lord Iesus Christ thou onely compassionate Physitian of the wounded Spirit thou onely refresher of the wearie and laden thou onely mercifull High Priest who wast therefore acquainted with infirmities yet without sinne that thou might'st take compassion euen of our sinfull infirmities Vouchsafe to reflect one looke of grace vpon thy wretched Scruant which as the Sunne-beame may so warme the cold comfortlesse Soule as sending vp vapourie sighes towards Heauen they may distill in such a kindly sad showre of godly sorrow as to cause the parched ground of my heart to fructifie more abundantly as after the latter raine to a blessed Haruest O Lord Christ my sinnefull Soule dare the more boldly appeale and approch to thy Iudgement Seat beecause thy selfe was iudged for me and art become not onely my Iudge but my Aduocate At thy Barre I feare not to hold vp the hand of my faith and to open the mouth of humble sorrow to confesse guiltie Seeing I cannot doe this but presently as by the Law of Relation thou auouchest thy selfe my Sauiour my Suretie my Sacrifice my Satisfaction in whose pure Blood all my pollutions are washed on whose Crosse the hand-writing of all that debt of mine more then ten thousand Talents is fast nayled and cancelled Oh that it where my lot to haue none other Iudge but thy selfe to be sentenced at none other Barre but thy Tribunall Why Because thou arâ— not Iust Yea a most vpright Iudge But oh that I might fall into thy hands onely and not into the hands of men For with thee there is mercie that thou mayest be feared Thou so forgiuest sinne Aug. de peccatoruÌ„ meritis et remiss l. 2. cap. 19 as withall thou forgettest it cancelling and crossing thy Booke But man once offended writes it in his marble heart for perpetuall remembrance Onely thou playest the good and wise Physitian keeping * Idcirco Sanctos et fideles suos in aliquibus vitiis tardius sanat vt in his eos minùs quà m implendae ex omni parte iustitiae sufficit delectet bonum vt quantum tertinet ad integerrimam regulam veritatis eius non iustificetur in conspectu eius omnis vâ—uens Nec in eo ipso vulâ— nes damâ—abiles sed humiles commendans nobis eandem gratiam suam ne facilitatem in omnibus assecuti nostrum putemus esse quod eâ—us est long
incurable ludibrium Medicorum The Prouerbe is As good bee halfe hanged as haue an ill name Which hath beene the cause that many being oppressed with the shame of it and out of hope of any likely remedie haue gone and hanged themselues out-right Yea among the Heathen an ill name hath beene so detestable as on a time A. Gall. Noct. Att. l. 18. c. 3 when one in Lacedemon of a notorious vicious life but wittie and one that could speake well in a dangerous exigent of affaires gaue such aduice as all the Citizens applauded it and would haue it presently enacted and decreed vnder his name as the manner was thereat one of the nobler Senators starting vp with a spirit full of indignation vttered these words What meane you O yee Lacedemonians or what hope is there that euer this Citie and Weale-publike should long continue in safetie if wee shall vse such corrupt Counsellours If that his sentence bee good and honest I pray you let vs not suffer it to bee stained with the reproach of a most filthy Authour And hauing said this he chose a man among the rest for courage and vprightnesse but of a poore speech and vneloquent and commanded him with the consent and request of all to pronounce the same sentence in as good termes as he could that without mention of the former this Decree of the people might bee recorded in his name onely in regard he recited it anew And thus as the sage Senatour counselled it was done Sic bâ—nâ— sententia mansiâ— â—urpis auâ—â—or muâ—atus est So the good sentence stood good but the infamous Author was changed And euer Gratior est pulchro veniens è corpore virtus And in Sacred storie Dauid must not build the Temple because hee had beene a man of blood in so many battels nor must Moses haue the honour to This was in a mystery Moses sinning was the Law broken which could not bring Moses thither conduâ—t Israel into Canaan because by his owne humble confession hee had dishonored the Lord by his vnbeleefe at Meribah And Salomon in his booâ—e of repentance in dislike of the vaniâ—â—es hee had committed being King stiles himselfe The Preacher not Salomon the King saying onely I the Preacher haue beene King in Ierusalem On the contrary Ioab would not send the newes of Absolons death by good Ahimaas but by Cushi And when Dauid heard of two comming running to bring newes and the one Ahimaas he promised to himselfe good tydings for saith he He is a good man and bringeth good tydings So preiudiciall is the person to the cause good or bad for the very name sake Now it hath beene the lot euen of Gods dearest Saints to be ill reported of Iohn the Baptist was reported for a Daemoniaeke or one possessed with a diuel yea Christ himselfe the innocent Lambe of God in whose mouth was no guile yet escaped not scot-free but was famed for a wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners also a sedicious person and I wot not what And Dauid heard of Shimei Come out thou man of blood thou sonne of Belial as much as Thou bloud-shedder thou debosht person yea the drunkards made songs of him And Iob complaines Iob 17.6 He hath made me a by-word of the people and I am as a Tabret vnto them And Saint Paul heard 2 Cor. 6. One that stirreth vp sedition And hee went through euill report and good report as a deceiuer and yet true Onely the difference is how the ill name is deserued how iustly or vniustly raised And although by reason of the worlds vnreasonable malicious enuy against true vertue generally Gods Saints are falsely reproached yet it may so fall out as euen the holiest man may iustly and worthily fall into an euill report Who holier than Dauid yet it was his case which Shimeis railing did in part at least reflect vpon calling him a man of blood and sonne of Belial murtherer and adulterer For Dauids adultery and murther were not so closely carried but men might easily take notice of it howsoeuer the maiesty of his person place might somewhat smother and smooth it ouer by keeping mens tongues in awe yet it was so known already as Nathan tels him he had giuen the enemie cause to blaspheme So that the very Philistins had notice of it much more Dauids owne people and Court. Gloss. Oâ—din And the Hebrews say that Achitophel â—ooke part with Absalon in reuenge of Bathshebas chastity and honour because she was his Neece This being so what a torment was it to poore Dauids heart thus to be reported thus reputed seeing he had so deepely and 〈◊〉 deseâ—ued it seeing Dauid â—as no prophane Prince whose lust was his law or who held it as his priuiledge to be vniust in taking away the wife or life of any of his liege subiects as though he might sinne by authority or adultery were but a tricke of youth and veniall in Court or the manner of making away Vriah a politicke deuice to make a fairer way to his lustfull ends but as he was a sacred person a King anointed a holy Prophet and Saint of God so nothing could so excruciate and vexe his noble spirit then thus to see the crowne of all his graces cast in the dust the beauty thereof defaced Gods name dishonoured his owne name disgraced religion reproached and such a brand of infamy inusted on Dauidâ— name and that imprinted in sacred Record neuer to be blotted out as it were in capitall letters Sauing in the matter of Vriah Now tell me brother thou that art in estimation for wisdome and glory in whose estimate nothing is so precious as a good name to haue a good report with all good men in case through some folly thou hast made shipwracke of thy credit and so of all that fraight of graces which thou hast toyled about all thy life now thy sincerity is censured for hypocrisie and all turned topsie turuie What wilt thou doe Now thou maist finde that a good conscience wounded may more easily be cured with God then thy credit once crackt with men the cure whereof depends vpon as many Physitians as there are men in the world whereof though some few possest with diuine loue may be willing to licke it whole with their tongues or as the noble Emperour Constantine who said that if he did with his eyes see a Bishop to defile another mans bed hee would cast his purple robe ouer it least therwith any should be offended as he threw the bundle of the Bishops mutuall complaints at the Councell of Nice into the fire saying it became them to pardon one another sith all needed pardon of Christ Yet the most will out of the superfluity of maliciousnesse not sticke to invenome it the more with their Serpentiue tongues and teeth CHAP. X. The Comfort How in this deplored case the deiected soule may sustaine it selfe and hold out to the end IN this
his repentance Secondly he must pray the more feruently for Gods enemies for their conuersion to God Thirdly hee must expresse such fruits of his repentance in his life and conuersation that euen they that are without may thereby bee brought within the Church Fourthly if he be a Minister he must so much the more labour in his Calling and that not onely by preaching but otherwise also if God haue giuen him abilitie and oportunitie that thereby they may bee brought to Christs Fold And if by his labour hee can rescue but one Soule out of the Diuels paw it will both comfort him for the present and procure vnto him a more glorious reward hereafter Fifthly though all his labour and industry this way cannot preuaile to win any one of Gods enemies yet his good purposes and endeauours shal not bee defrauded of Gods gratious acceptance nor frustrated of a mercifull recompence Sixthly if the enemies of God remaine obstinate in their Idolatry and superstition it is not now whatsoeuer their pretence bee because of offence taken at him who professeth the truth but because they are possest with the spirit of obstinacie to affect falshood and lyes rather then the truth For although through humaine weakenesse hee had giuen them cause of offence to helpe to harden them in their Infidelitie yet now vpon the more cleare euidence of his repentance confirmed by his constant reformation they ought to bee reconciled to God by his example For if they will wilfully and maliciously harden themselues in sin by others example of falling then on the contrarie they ought wisely and willingly to abandon their sinfull estate by the patern of his rising again Otherwise they therefore lye not in their sin because Gods child hath vnwarily sinned whom they haue seene to repent but because their habituall malice against the truth hath blinded their eyes not to imbrace it So that the Child of God going on in the practise of these foresaid duties he shall find much comfort in his Conscience and much peace in his Soule In the last place as it fared with Dauid so it faring with any Saint of God in the like kind to be vnder Gods rod inflicted as we noted before not as an expiatorie or vindicatorie punishment for sinne alreadie satisfied by and pardoned for Christ both for guilt and mulct but as a profitable medicine not onely to humble the Patient but to warne and terrifie Gods verie enemies not to sinne seeing God spareth not his owne children offending hereupon the enemies ought to take speciall notice of and lay to heart the afflictions infliâ—â—ed vpon Gods children â—hom they haue noted to offend and to bee thereby moued to take heed either how they presume to censure him or Religion for his saâ—e much â—esse that they should the more obstinately persist in their Infidelitie and impietie euer hauing before their eyes that saying of the Holy Ghost by Peter Iudgement must begin at the House of God And if it first begin at vs what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God And if the righteous scarcely bee saued where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare Secondly For offence giuen to the enemies within the Church such as are false Brethren halfe-Christians enemies of the Crosse of Christ such as the Apostle describes Phil. 3.18 19 When to such Gods child is become a scandall and scorne and that in some sort worthily though none ought to be so diabolical as to make a scoffe of anothers weakenesse but to mourne for it rather how shall his otherwise magnanimous Spirit bee able to vndergoe such an indignitie Surely not by accounting their scorn of lesse moment because though deserued it is no â—esse vsuall with profane persons in their surquedry to canuas and bandie like a Tennis-ball in the Racket-court the good names of best Christians casting all aspersions vpon them though neuer so vniust Or may not his griefe herein find some miâ—igation that forasmuch as nothing more disquiets him then that he hath caused the profane Rout to speake euill of Religion and the true professours of it yet he well knowes that before this their malice wanted no incentiue against it No surely this is so farre from giuing him any comfort at all that it rather much exasperates his sorrow For while carnall worldlings out of an inbred antipathy to true Religion at lest touching the life and power of it speak euill thereof and hate the beautie of it which shining in her Sonnes discouers thâ— deformities of the Children of Darkenesse so much the more in all which they are left without excuse being conuicted of their owne Conscience while they hate goodnesse for no other cause but because it is good But now when the practicioner and professour of goodnesse hath so exorbitated from the strait and strict path thereof as hee fals vnder the Checke of such Mates hee puts a weapon into their hands not onely for offence whereby they wound his vprightnesse but for defence to maintaine their owne sinne Yea doth hee not put a Dart into their hand wherewith through his sides lying open for neglect of strait guirding on his Armour they wound the whole Band of his fellow-Souldiers Oh what a wound is this to his Soule Yet why should he at least so much torment himselfe for this Doth hee not know that Religion is still an intemerated and vnuiolated Virgin notwithstanding all the reproaches cast vpon her by maleuolent tongues thogh in some measure occasioned by the humaine imbecillitie of her otherwise faithfull Traine And are not all the Children of Truth though Saints by calling though washed sanctified iustified in the Name of the Lord Iesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God yet full of the Dregges of Corruption remaining to bee purged out by daily prayer repentance 〈◊〉 the practise of pious dutieâ— Is there not still in such a body of sinne to be destroyed Still a Law in the Members still sinne dwelling in them Why then should some one actuall errour in such persons bee made such a Monster or vn-heard-of wonder as to bring a scandall vpon the whole Profession yea or vpon the Person himselfe offending so farre forth as to account him as a Reprobate As though sanctification consisted in an vtter abolition of sinne branch and root and not rather for the present condition of this life in the destruction of the tyrannicall dominion of sinne and a daily conflict with the Reliques of it For although all the truly regenerate bee Saints translated from the state of darkenesse to light Yet they put not off the nature of men yea of weake and sinfull men while they carrie about with them this body of death For alas how should the old bottles of our mortall bodies bee able to containe the pure new Wine of perfect holinesse perfect I meane in the degrees and not burst and the Wine run out How many possessed but with a conceit and opinion of perfection