report good of you to your face represse those speeches as soone and as wisely as you can giving the prayse of all things to God knowing that this is but a temptation and a snare and a meanes to breed and feed selfe-love pride and vaine-glory in you If this good report be true blesse God that he hath enabled you to give cause thereof and studie by vertuous living to continue it If this good report be false endevour to make it good by being hereafter answerable to the report If men report evill of you to your face Be not so much inquisitive who raised it or thought-some how to bring him to his answer or how to cleare your reputation amongst men as to make a good use of it to your owne heart before God For you must know this evill report doth not rise without Gods providence If the report be true then see Gods good providence it is that you may see your error and fault that you may repent If the report be false in respect of such or such a fact yet consider have you not runne into the appearance and occasions of those evils then say Though this report be false yetit commeth justly upon mee because I did not shunne the occasions and appearances This should humble you and cause you to bee more circumspect in your wayes But if neither the thing reported be true neither yet have yâ— runne into the occasions thereof yet see GODS wise and good providence not onely in discovering the folly of foolish and the malice of evill men who raise and take up an evill report against you without cause but in giving you warning to looke to your selfe iest you deserve thus to be spoken â—â— And what doe you â—now â—at that you shoâ—â—d have â—allen into the same or the â—â—ke evâ—ll if by these reports you had not beene forâ—warned Make use of the railings and reviling of an enemy for though he be a bad Iudge yet he may bee a good Remembrancer for you shall heare from him those things of which flatterers will not and friends being blinded or over-indulgent through love doe never admonish you Fourthly your conversation amongst all must be loving you should be kinde and courteous towards all men Doe good to all according as you have ability and opportunity Give offence wittingly to none Doe wrong to no man either in his name life chastitie or estate or in any thing that is his but be ready to forgive wrongs done to you and to take wrong rather then to revenge or unchristianly to seek to be righted As you shall have calling and opportunitie doe all good to the soule of your neighbours exhort and incourage unto well-doing If they shew not themselves to be dogs and swine that is obstinat scorners of good mâ—n conâ—emners of the pearle of good counsell you must so far as God giveth you any interest in them admonish and informe them with the spirit of meeknes and wisdome With this cloakâ— of love you should cover and cure a multitude of your companions infirmities and offences In all your demeanour towards him seeke not so much to please your selfe as your Companion in that which is good to his edification Speake evill of no man nor yet speak the evill you know of any man exceptin these or like cases 1 When you are thereunto lawfully called by Authoritie 2 When it is to those whom it concerneth to reforme and reclaim him of whom you speake and that you doe it to that end 3 When it is to prevent certaine dammage to the soule or state of your neighbour which would ensue if it were not by you thus discovered 4 When the concealment of his evil may make you guiltie and accessary 5 When some particular remarkeable judgement of God is upon a notorious sinner for his sinne then to the end that GOD may be acknowledged in his just judgments and that others may be warned or brought to repent of the same or like sinne you may speake of the evils of other But this is not to speake evill so long as you doe it not in envy and malice to his person nor with aggravation of the fault more then is cause nor yet to the judging of him as concerning his finall estate When you shall heare any in your company speake evill of your neighbor by slandering or whispering tale-bearing whereby hee detracts from his good name you must not onely stop your eares at such reports but must set your speech and countenance against him like a North-wind against raine When you heare another well reported of let it not be grievous to you as if it detracted from your credit but rejoyce at it in so much that God hath enabled him to be good and to doe good all which maketh for the advancement of the common cause wherein you are interessed Envie him not his due prayse Detract not from any mans credit either by open backbiting or by secret whispering or by any cunning meanes of casting evil aspersions whether by way of pittying him or otherwise As He is good or doth well in such and such things But c. This but marreth all And to heape up all in a word In all your speeches to men and coÌ„munication with them your speech must bee gracious that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace not vice to the hearers It must not be prophane nor any way corrupt filled out with oathes curses or prophane jests it must not be flattering nor yet detracting Not bitter not railing not girding either by close sqâ—is or salt iests against any man It mâ—…t not be wanton ribaldry lasciâ—ious and filthy It must not be false no nor yet foolish idle and fruitlesse For all eviâ— communication dâ—th corrupt good manners And Wee must answer for every idle word which wee speake Besides a man may easily be discerned of what Country he is whether of Heaven or of the earth by his language his speech will bewray him There is no wisdome or power here below can teach and enable you to doe all or any the forementioned duties This wisdome and power must bee had from above Wherefore if you would in all companies carrie your selfe worthy the Gospell of Christ First be sure that the Law of God and the power of grace bee in your heart else the Law of grace and kindnesse cannot bee in your life and speech You must be indued therefore with a spirit of holinesse humilitie love gentlenesse appeaseablenesse long-suffering meekenesse and wisedome else you can never converse with all men as you ought to doe For such as the heart is such the conversation will bee Out of the evill heart come evill thoughts and actions but A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good
your selfe to sleep at night you must as Christ foreshadowed David did have thoughts on â—…d and set him alwayes before 〈…〉 When I awake I am still with 〈…〉 saith David in the night remembred God and his hope 〈…〉 meditation was on Gods word â—…iah in the person of all the â—…hful saith With my soule have â—…sired thee in the night yea with 〈…〉 spirit within me will I seeke â—…e early 〈…〉 In the Instant of awaking let our hart be lift up to God with â— thankfull acknowledgement â—f his mercy to you For it is he â—…at giveth his beloved sleepe â—ho keepeth you both in soule and body while you sleepe Who â—…enueth his mercies every morning for while you sleepe you â—…e as it were out of actuall posâ—â—ssion of your selfe all things â—…se Now it was God that kept â—ou and all that you had restoâ—ing them againe with many â—ew mercies when you wake 2. Arise early in the morning if you be not necessarily hindred following the example of our Savior Christ and of the good housewife in the Proverbs For this ordinarily wil make much for the health of your body and for the thrift both of your temporall and spirituall state for hereby you shall have the day before you and shall gaine the most and the fittest times for exercises of Religion and for the workes of your calling 3. In the time betwixt your awaking and arising if other pertinent profitable thoughts offer not theÌ„selves it will be useful to think upon some of these I must awake from the sleepe of Sinne to Righteousnesse as well as out of bodily sleepe unto labour in my calling The night is far spent the day is at hand I must therefore east off the works of darknesse and put on the armour of light I must walke honestly as in the day I am by the light of grace and kowledge to arise and walke in it 〈…〉 well as by the light of the Sun 〈…〉 walke by it Think also of your waking out of the sleepe of death â—…d out of the graue at the â—…und of the last Trumpet even 〈…〉 your blessed resurrection unto â—…ory at the last day It was one 〈…〉 Davids sweet thoughts speaâ—…ing to God When I awake I â—…ll be satisfied with thy likenesse When you arise and apparell â—our selfe lose not that prime â—ime when your wit is freshest with uncertaine impertiâ—ent boundlesse and fruitlesse â—houghts as it is the fashion of most men and women for to â—oe This is a fit time to thinke upon the cause why you have need of apparell namely the fall and sinne of your first Paâ—ents which from them is derived to you For before their fall their nakednesse was their comelinesse and seeing it they were not ashamed It will likewise be to good purpose to consider what base stuffe thâ— wise providence of God hath appointed to bee the matter oâ— apparell The riâ—ds of plants thâ— skinnes haire or wooll of bruiâ— beasts and the Spittle of thâ— Silkworm very excrements and cast apparell of vnreasonable creatures Which as it doth magnifie the wisdome power and goodnes of God in chusing and turning such meane things to such excellent use so it should humble and keepe downe the pride of man For what man who is in his wits will bee proud of the badge of his shame even of that arparell for which under God he is beholding to very plants and beasts Now also is a good time to cal to mind what rules â—reto be observed that you may apparell your selfe so as becommeth one that professeth godlines namely That your apparell for matter and fashion doc suite with your enerall and speciall calling and â—ith your â—sstate sex and age That your wearing your appaâ—ell be for health honostic and â—comelinesse 3 That you rather goe with 〈…〉 lowest than with the highest of your state and place 4. That the fashion be neither strange immodest singular or â—idiculous 5. That you be not over curions or overlong taking up too much time in putting it on 6 Neither the making nor wearing of your apparell must savour of pride lightnes curiositie lasciâ—iousnesse prodigalitiâ— or base covetousnesse But it must be such as becommeth holinesse wisedome thrift and honesty and such as is well reported of 7 Follow the example of those of your ranke and meanes which are most soâ—er most frugall and most discreet While you apparel your selfe it wil be seasonable and profitable also by this occasion to raise your thoughts and to fixe them upon that your apparell which doth cloath and adorne your inward man which is spirituall and of a divine matter which never is cut of fashion which never weareth out but is alwaies better for the wearing Thinke thus If I goe naked without bodily apparell it will be to the shame of my person and to the hazard of my health and life But how much more will the filthy nakednesse of my soule appeare to the eyes of men of Angels and of God himselfe whose pure eyes cannot abide filthinesse whereby my soule will be exposed to most deadly temptations and my selfe to Gods most severe Iudgements except I have put on and doe keepe on mee the white linnen of Christs Spouse the righteousnesses of the Saints that is Iustification by faith in â—…st and sanctification of every 〈…〉 by the Spirit of Christ â—…nd because every day you â—…be assaulted with the world â—…esh and the devill you shall â—…veli to consider whether you â—…e put on and doe improve 〈…〉 coat of male that complete arâ—… prescribed â—…hen it shall happen that you 〈…〉 use your looking-glasse and â—xperience find that it serveth â—iscover and to direct you â—…w to reforme whatsoever is â—…omely and out of order in â—…r body you may hereby reâ—…mber your selfe of the necessiâ—… and admirable use of the mirâ—…r and glasse of Gods Word and â—…spell of Christ both read and â—…ached for the good of your â—…le For this being understood 〈…〉 beleeved doth not onely â—…w what is amisle in the soule 〈…〉 how it may bee amended 〈…〉 insome measure will enable you to amend for it doth noâ— onely shew you your owne face but the very face and glory 〈…〉 God in Christ â—esus which bâ— reflexe upon you will through the Spirit worke on you a moâ—â— excellent effect than on Mos face in the Mount which yet wâ—… so glorious that the people couâ—… not endure to behold it For 〈…〉 this Gods glory which by faitâ— you behold in the Word yoâ— shall be changed into the same 〈…〉 mage from glory to glory even 〈…〉 by the Spirit of the Lord. Touching these things whicâ— I have prescribed to be though upon when you arise and pâ—… on your apparell in the morning and those other which I shâ—… prescribe when you put off yoâ—… apparel at
fruit and from love and feare of God and from conscience of the Commandement to doe the will of GOD. Not onely feare of wrath and hope of reward causeth him to abstaine from evill and doe good but chiefly love of God and conscience of duty Now if you would know when you obey out of conscience of the Commandement and from love of Christ consider 1. whether your heart and minde stand ready prest to obey every of Gods Cōmandements which you know as well as any and that because the same God which hath given one hath given all If yea then you obey out of Conscience 2. Consider what you doe or would doe when Christ and his true Religion and his Commandements goe alone and are severed from all outward credit pleasure and profit Doe you or will you then cleave to Christ and to the Commandement Then love of Christ feare of God and conscience of the commandement was and is the true cause of your wel-doing especially if you will and indev our all this when that all these are by the world cloathed with perill contempt 3. Consider whether you can goe on in the strict course of godlinesse alone and whether you resolve todoe it though you shall have no company but all or most goe in the way of sinne and withall perswade thereunto When you wil walke with God alone without ether company this sheweth that your walking with God is for his sake So walked Noah and Eliah as he thought But the cause of an hypocrites well-doing is onely goodnesse of nature or good education or meere civility or some common gifts of the spirit also selfe-love slavish feare onely or the like See this in Ahabs repentance in Iehu his zeale and Ioash his goodnesse Ahabs humiliation was only from a slavish feare of punishment The zeale of Iehu was only from earthly ioy and carnall policy for had it beene in zeale for God he would as well have put downe the Calves at Dan and Bethel as to stay the Priests of Baal And the goodnes of Ioash it was chiefly for Iehoiada's sake whom he reverenced and to whom he held himselfe beholding for his kingdome and not for Gods sake For the Scripture saith that after Iehoiadans death his Princes sollicited him and hee yeelded and fell to Idolatry and added this also he commanded Zechariah the High Priest Iehoiada's sonne to be slaine because hee in the name of the Lord reproved him for his sinne Secondly the upright mans actions as they come from a good beginning so they are directed to a good end he propoundeth the pleasing of God and the glory of his Name as the direct chiefe and utmost end not as if a man might not have respect to himselfe and to his neighbour also propounding to himselfe his owne and his neighbours good as one end of his actions somtimes but these must not bee propounded either onely or chiefly or as the farthest and utmost marke but onely as they are subordinate to these chiefe ends and doe lye directly in the way to procure Gods glory For so farre forth as a mans health and well-fare both of body and soule lyeth directly in the way to glorifie God hee may in that respect ayme at them in his actions Our Saviour Christ in an inferiour and secondary respect aymed at his owne glory and at the salvation of man in the worke of mans redemption When he said Glorifie thy Son and prayed that his Church might be glorified here he had respect unto himselfe and unto man But when he said that thy Sonne may glorifie thee here he made Gods glory his utmost end and the only marke which for it selfe hee aymed at The upright mans ayme at his owne and at his neighbours goods is not for themselves as if his desire ended there but in reference to GOD the chiefe Good and the highest end of all things Indeed such is GODS wisedome and goodnes that he hath set before man evill and good Evill that followeth upon displeasing and dishonouring him by sinne that man might feare and avoyd sinne Good and recompēce of reward that followeth upon faith and indevour to obey that he might hope and be better induced to beleeve and obey This GOD did knowing that man hath need of all reasonable helps to affright him from evill and to allure him to good Now God having set these before man man may and ought for these good purposes to set them before himselfe Yet the upright man standeth so straight and onely to God that so farre as he knoweth his owne heart he thus resolved that if there were no feare of punishment nor hope of reward if there were neither Heaven or Hell he would indevour to please and glorifie GOD even out of that duty hee oweth to him and out of that high and awful estimation which he hath of Gods Soveraigntie and from that entire love which hee beareth unto him He that ordinarily in doing of common and earthly businesse though they concerne his owne good hath a will to doe them with an heavenly mind and to an heavenly end principally certainly hee standeth well and uprightly resolved albeit intemptations and feares he doth not alwayes feele the said resolution But the hypocrite not so hee onely or chiefly aymeth at himselfe and in his aime serveth himselfe in all that he doth If he looke to GODS will and glory as sometimes he wil pretend he maketh that but the by and not the main he seeketh Gods will and glory not for it selfe but for himselfe not for Gods sake but for his owne Thus did Iehu Sixthly An upright man may know hee is upright by the effects that follow upon his well-doing First his chiefe inquiry is and hee doth observe what good commeth by it and what glory God hath had or may have rather then what earthly credit and benefit hee hath gotten to himselfe Or if this latter thrust in it selfe before the other as it will oft-times in the best he is greatly displeased with himselfe for it The hypocrit not so all that he harkeneth after is pleased with after hee hath done a good deed is what applause it hath amongst men c. Secondly when an upright man hath done a prayse-worthy action he is not puft up with pride and high conceit of his owne worth glorying in himselfe but hee is humbly thankefull unto God Thankefull that God hath enabled him to doe any thing with which he will be wel-pleased and accept as well done Humble and low in his eyes because of the manifold failings in that good worke and because he hath done it no better and because whatsoever good hee did it was by the grace and power of God not by any power of his own Thus David shewed his uprightnesse in that solemne thanksgiving when hee said But who am I and what is my people that wee should bee able to offer
unconceivable so the time of it is indeterminable it is everlasting and hath no end Consider this with the former and it cannot be denyed but that the peace of God doth every way passe understanding CHAP. XV. Touching the removing of presumption an impediment to Peace IF you would enjoy this happy Peace you must first remove and avoyd the impediments Secondly you must use all helps and furtherances which serve to procure and keepe it I reduce the impediments unto two heads First A false opinion and hope that all is well with a man and that all shall be well with him in point of his Salvation when yet indeed God is not reconciled to him Hence will follow a quietnesse of heart somewhat like to peace of Conscience which yet is but a false peace Secondly Causelesse doubting and false feare that a mans estate touching his salvation is not good albeit God be indeed at peace with him Hence followeth trouble and anguish of heart some-what like unto that of Hellish despaire disturbing his true peace Either of these doe hinder peace The first hindereth the having The second hindereth the feeling and comfortable enioying of peace It hath beene an old device of Satan when he would keepe any man from that which is true to obtrude upon him that which shall seeme to be true but is false Thus he did in the first calling of the Iewes and to mee is more than probable will doe at their second calling When hee saw they had an expectation of the true Christ he to divert and seduce them from the true Christ setteth up false Christs Even so in the matter of peace If he can so delude men that they shall content themselves with a false Peace hee knoweth that they will never seeke for that which is true It is a common practice with the Devill to endevour to make all that are not in state of grace to presume that they are Also such is his cunning and malice that when any man is in the state of grace he will cast all the doubts and perils hee can to make that estate doubtfull and discomfortable to vexe and to wearie him if hee cannot drive him to despaire knowing that if he could drive him into hold him in utter despaire he were as certainly in his power as if hee did presume Now the Heart of man so farre as it is Vnsanctified being deceitfull above all things is most apt to yeeld to Satan in both these cases Whence it is that there are very many which bragge of much peace and yet have least of it And many feare they have no peace who yet have much of it Wherfore the Rule is Beleeve not either your deceitfull heart or the Devill when they tel you either that you are in state of salvation or in state of damnation But beleeve the Scripture what it saith in either You may know when these perswasions come from your deceitfull heart or from the Devil thus First If the meanes to perswade you to either be from false grounds or from misapplication of true grounds Secondly If the conclusions inferred from either perswasion be to keep you in a sinful course and to keep you or to drive you from God as to make you think that you need not be so strict in godlinesse or that now it is in vaine or to late too turne seek unto GOD then it is from Satan and from a deceived heart and you must not beleeve them But if these perswasions be from a right applicatioÌ„ of true grounds and doe produce these good effects to drive you to God in prayse or prayer and unto a care to please God they are from his gracious Spirit The false Peace and evill quiet Conscience doth arise from these three causes First from Grosse ignorance of the danger wherein a man lyeth because of sinne whence followeth a blind Conscience Secondly from Groundlesse security and presumption that all shall be well with him not withstanding that hee knoweth hee hath sinned and knoweth that sinne is damnable whence hee hath a deluded Conscience Thirdly from Obstinacy through delight and custome in sin whence commeth senslesnesse of Conscience which is a seared Conscience Wheresoever any of these evils raigne albeit God hath said there is no peace to the wicked that is no true peace yet such feare no evill but promise to themselves peace and safetie like those of whom the Prophet spake who had made a covenant with death and with Hell were at an agreement Yea though they heare all the Curses against Sinners which are in Gods booke denounced against them yet will blesse themselves in their owne heart and say they shall have peace though they walke in the stubbornnesse of their hearts But whosoever is thus quiet in himselfe through a false peace it is a signe that the strong man keepeth the house and that he continuing in this fooles Paradise is not farre from sodaine and fearefull destruction from the Almighty Whosoever therefore would have true peace of GOD must beware of these three impediments First Hee must know and be throughly convinced that by nature by reason of Adams first transgression which is justly imputed to him and because of his owne inherent wickednesse of concupiscence and of actuall sinnes of omission and commission both inthought word and deed he is in state of sinne and condemnation having God for his enemie yea is an heire of wrath and of eternall vengeance of Hâ—lâ— fire According to that of the Apostle All have sinned and are become guiltie before GOD and have come short of the glorie of God Ignorance of danger may give quiet to the mind for a time but it can give no safetie Is not he foolishly secure that maketh himselfe merry in a ruinous house not knowing his danger untill it fall upon him Whereas if he had known it he should have had more feare and disquiet but should haue beene in lesse perill Secondly let no man presume upon weake and false grounds that he shal escape the vengeance of hell or attaine to the joyes of heaven Now how weakely and vainely many doe ground their hopes and from thence their peace shall appeare by that which followeth 1. Some thinke that because God made them surely hee will not damne them True if they should have continued good as hee made them God made the Devil good yea an excellent creature yet who knoweth not that he shall be damned If God spared not his holy Angels after that they became sinfull shall man thinke that hee will spare him A sinfull man shall be judged at the last day not according to what he was by Gods first making but as hee shall bee found marred and made naught by the Devill and by his owne lusts When Iudah became a people of no understanding it is said He that made them will shew
he What is that all no but he proceedeth to this last act of meditation and saith I will have respect unto thy wayes Gods holy nature attributes Word workes also what is dutie what is a fault what you should be and doe what you are and what you have done what be the miseries of the wicked what is the happinesse and what are the privileges of the godly are fit matter of meditating by the direct act of the understanding That which must settle your judgement and be the rule to direct your judgement what to hold for true and good must be the Canon of Gods Word rightly understood and not your owne reason or opinion nor yet the opinions or conceits of men for these are false and crooked Rules In seeking to know the secrets and mysteries of God and godlinesse you must not pry into them farther than God hath revealed for if you wade therein farther than you have sure footing in the Word you will presently lose your selfe and be swallowed up in a maze and whirlepoole of errors heresies These deepe things of god must bee understood with sobrietie according to that measure of cleare light which God hath given you by his Word When Sinne happeneth to bee the matter of your meditation take heed lest while your thoughts dwell upon it though your intention be to bring your selfe out of love with it it steale into your affections and worke in you some tickling motions to it and so circumvent you For the cunning devices of sinne are undiscoverable and you know that your heart is deceitfull above all things Wherefore to prevent this mischiefe 1 As Sinne is not to bee named but when there is just cause so is it not to be thought upon but upon speciall cause namely when it sheweth it selfe in its motions and evill effects and when it concernes you to try and finde out the wickednes of your heart and life 2 When there is cause to thinke of sinne represent it to your mind as an evill the greatest evill most lothsome most abominable to GOD and as a thing most hatefull and hurtfull to you Whereupon you must worke your heart to a detestation of it and resolution against it 3 Never stand reasoning or disputing with it as Eve did with Satan but without any plodding thereupon you must doe present execution upon it by sheathing the Word the Sword of the Spirit into the heart of it and by the deeds of the Spirit kill it And if you would insist long in meditating upon any subject make choise of matter more pleasant and lesse infectious It is needfull that you be skilfull in this first part of meditation for hereby you finde out and lay downe propositions Whence you may conclude who is to be adored who not what is to be done what not what you should be what not But the life of meditation lyeth in the reflect acts of the soule whereby that knowledge which was gotten by the former act of meditation doth reflect returne upon the heart causing you to assume and apply to your selfe what was propounded whence also you are induced to endevour to worke your heart unto that which you have learned it ought to be This though it be most profitable yet because it is tedious to the flesh is most neglected Wherefore it concerneth you which are well instructed in the points of faith and holinesse to be most conversant in this when you are alone whether of set purpose or in your journyings or otherwise You should therefore be well read in the booke of your conscience as well as in the Bible Commune oft with it and it wil fully acquaint you with your selfe and with your estate It will tell you what you were and what you now are what you most delighted in in former times what now It will tell you what streights and feares you have beene in and how graciously God delivered you what temptations you have had and how it came to passe that sometimes you were overcome by them how and by what meanes sometimes you overcame them It will shew what conflicts you have had betwixt flesh spirit what side you tooke what was the issue of the conflict whether you were grieved and humbled when sinne got the better whether you rejoyced were thankfull in any sort when Gods grace in you held his owne or got the better Your conscience being set aworke will call to remembrance your over-sight and advantages which you gave to Satan and to the lusts of your flesh that you may not doe the like another time It will remember you by what helpes and meanes through Gods grace you prevailed got a good conquest over some sinne that you may flye to the like another time If you shal thus take observation of the passages and conflicts in this your Christian race and warfare your knowledge will be an experimentall knowledge which because it is a knowledge arising from the often proofe of that whereof you were taught in the Word it becommeth a more grounded a more perfect and a more fruitfull knowledge than that of meere contemplation It is onely this experimentall knowledge that will make you expert in the trade and warfare of Christianitie Take me a man that hath onely read much of Husbandry Physicke Merchandise Policie and martiall affaires who hath gotten into his head the notions of all these and maketh himselfe beleeve that he hath great skill in them yet one that hath not read halfe so much but hath beene of long practice and of great experience in these goeth as farre beyond him in Husbandry in giving Physick in Trading in Policie in true feats of Armes as he goeth beyond one that is a meere novice in them Such difference there is betweene one that hath onely notions brain-knowledge of Christianitie and in may be some practice withal but severed from experimentall observation and him that taketh notice of his owne experiences and is oft looking into the Records of his owne Conscience throughly to peruse them The experiments which by this meanes you shall take of Gods love truth and power of your enemies falshood wiles and methods of your owne weaknesse without God of your strength by God to withstand the greatest lusts and strongest Divell yea of an abilitie to doe all things through him that strengthneth you will beget in you faith and confidence in God and love to him watchfulnesse and circumspection lest you be overtaken with sinne yea such humilitie wisedome and Christian courage that no opposition shall daunt you neither shall any drive you from the hold you have in Christ Iesus Where reade you of two such Champions as David and Paul and where doe you reade of two that recorded and made use of their experiences like these Wherefore next to Gods booke which giveth light and rule to your Conscience reade oft the
like proud Lamech and froward Ionas 2. Be not overwhelmed or eaten up with griefe like covetous Ahab and foolesh Nabal But 3. Beare them patiently 4. Beare them chearefully and thankefully 5. Beare them fruitfully Now to helpe you that passion and heat of anger kindle not or at least breake not out or last not First Convince your judgement thorowly that passion and rash anger is forbidden and hated of GOD. It is a fruit of the flesh A worke of the Devill Bred and nourished by pride folly and selfe-love Also that it surpriseth all the powers of right reason putting a man besides himselfe causing him to abuse his tongue hands and the whole man making him like a foole to let flye and cast firebrands at every thing which crosseth him and that not onely against his neighbour and dearest friends but against God himselfe Consider likewise that it maketh a man out of case to pray heare the Word or to performe any worship to God and unfit to speak or heare reason or to give or receive good counsell God barreth such as are froward the company of good men and saith That such a one doth abound in transgression that there is more hope of a foole than of him Wherfore he must needs be exposed to all the just iudgements of God temporall and eternall By these and such like thoughts worke your selfe to an ill opinion of this vice and to such a loathing of it that you may beware and shun it Secondly Observe watchfully when anger beginneth to kindle and stirre in you and before it flame break forth into tongue or hand set your reason aworke let it step before it to hold it in and bridle it Nay set Faith aworke having in readinesse and calling to minde such pregnant Scriptures as these Be angrie but sinne not And Anger resteth in the bosome of fooles And say thus Shall I sinne against God Shall I play the foole Then you sinne and play the soole in your anger first when it is without cause as when neither GOD is dishonoured nor your neighbour or your selfe indeede injuried when it is for trifles and onely because you are crossed in your will and desire and the like but chiefly when you are angry with any for wel-doing Secondly though you have cause yet if it be severed from love to the person of him with whom you are angry so as you neglect the common and needful offices thereof Thirdly when it exceedeth due measure as when it is over-much and over-long Fourthly it is sinfull when it bringeth forth evill and unseemly effects such as neglect or ill performance of dutie to GOD or man also when it breaketh out into lowd clamorous reviling or sâ—appish peeches or into stamping staâ—ing flinging churlish sullen or dogged behaviour or when it breaketh out into any injurious act Thirdly If you cannot keepe anger from rising and boyling within you yet be sure that you binde your tongue and hand to the good behaviour Make a Covenant with them charge them not to shew it nor partake with it any farther then considerate reason and good conscience shall advise you Set a Law to your selfe that you will not chide nor strike while you are in your scalding heate of anger If there be cause of either deferre it untill you be your selfe If you say that if you doe them not in your heate you shall doe neither I answer that in saying so you discover a great deale of impotencie folly corruption I am sure you never doe them well in passion And conscience of dutie should lead you to chiding and correcting when there is cause not passion for in it you serve and revenge your selfe upon the partie but not God Fourthly Both before and when you are in a chafe See GOD by the eye of your Faith comming in hearing you and looking upon you This will make you whist and quiet causing you not onely to hold your hands and tongue as you finde by experience you use to doe when some reverend friend coÌ„meth in but this will coole and abate your very inward heate and passion Fifâ—ly if you feele your corruption and weakenesse to be such and the provocation to anger to be so great that you feare you cannot hold then if it be possible avoid all occasions of anger remove your selfe but in a peaceable and quiet manner from the person object or occasion thereof And at all times shunne the company of an angry man as much as your calling will give you leave lest you learne his wayes Sixthly Howsoever it may happen that anger doe kindle in you and breake out Be sure that youâ—uâ—dâ—e it before it grow into hatred of him with whom you are angry For this cause Let not the Sunne goe downe upon your wrath you know not what hatred it may hatch before morning And the best means which I know to subdue it is If you finde your heart to boyle against any pray heartily to God for him in particular for his good this you are commanded And be so farre from seeking revenge that you force your selfe to be loving and kinde shewing all good offices of love with wisedome as you shal have occasion overcome evill with good Pray also to God for your selfe that he would please to subdue this passion for you This act of love to him performed before God before whom you dare not dissemble will excellently quench wrath and prevent hatred aganist him with whom you were angry and will give proofe betweene God and your Conscience that you love him If pleading for your selfe you shall say It is my naturall constitution to be cholericke and flesh and bloud will have their course Know this is to nourish your passion Knowalso it is a wicked and hateful constitution of body which came in with the fall And flesh and bloud shall not inherite the kingdome of God Say not I am so crossed and provoked never any the like For Christ was more injured and more provoked yet was never in a chafe And you provoke God daily a thousand times more every day yet he is patient with you Say not It is such an head-strong passion that it is impossible to one who is of a cholericke nature thus to bridle and subdue it For I can assure you that by using the former meanes if a man also do oft and much shame and abase himselfe before God for his passion and folly and daily repent thereof and be watchfull over himselfe he may of a most cholericke man become most meeke before hee dye I have seene it in old men whose age in it selfe giveth advantage to tutchines and frowardnes who were exceeding passionat intheir youth yet through the grace of God by constant coÌ„flict against this vice have attained to an admirable degree of meeknesse Next as carnal anger so
heaven Meere Oratory in some patheticall Preachers when they speake of matters dolefull and terrible will move the affection and draw teares from some hearers Likewise a plaine powerfull downright conviction of the certainty of Gods wrath denounced and sense of some just judgement of God may wring forth some teares some humiliation yea some kind of reformation Did not Felix tremble when Saint Paul reasoned of Righteousnesse Temperance and Iudgement to come Did not Ahab humble himselfe when the Prophet denounced Gods iudgements against him and against his house Did not the Israelites oft when they were in distresse and when God did not onely warne them with his Word but smote them also with his rod returne and seeke earely after God And whereas they say they tasted of the heavenly gift of the good Word of God and of the powers of the world to come they may know that such is the sweetnesse of Gods promises and such is the evidence and goodnesse of Gods truth in the glad tydings of Salvation that the common gift of the Spirit going with it all the forementioned feelings may be wrought in men altogether destitute of saving grace For did not the seede sowen in stony and thoâ—nie ground goe thus far Did not those mentioned in the Hebrewes who notwithstanding all this might fall away irrecoverably attaine to thus much Now if men not in state of grace may goe so farre as hath been proved then it must not be marvelled that even such with Herod may also reforme many things For an hypocrite may have not onely a kinde of illumination but a kinde of sanctification which may for the time worke a kinde of change in him so that hee may leave many evils and may doe many good things hee may forsake bad company and keepe good yet this man may be in no better estate then hee out of whom the evill spirit did goe which returned with seven other more wicked than himselfe or then the Sow that was washed A Pharaoh also and a Simon Magus in their feare may desire a Moses and a Peter to blesse them and pray for them That cursed Balaam could wish that hee might dye the death of the righteous he would seeme not to transgresse for an house full of gold and though faintly telleth God that if it did seeme evill in his eyes hee would goe backe againe Yea further it is possible for a man without saving grace even out of meere selfe-love either when hee smarts or is ashamed for some foule sinnes or is afraid of Hell or when by the sweete allurements of the Gospell hee is affected with an admiration of heauen and heavenly things I say it is possible for him not onely to wish freedome from punishment and enjoyment of eternall glory as the end but may desire power against sinne and grace to doe well as the meanes but how onely as from a flash of lightning suddenly come and as suddenly gone like the sluggards longing but when he commeth to be taught the mystery of godlinesse and is put upon the spirituall workes of holinesse as the cutting off the right hand and the denying himselfe for Christ then he will none of it he conceiveth like those Discipies in Iohn that they are hard sayings Who can heare them For their good wishes were not from a setled deliberate will out of true hatred of sinne and out of love to God and goodnesse therefore they were but slight and unconstant Moreover the best men yea the best Ministers may have a very good opinion of an hypocrite David esteemed highly of Achitophel the Disciples never suspected Iudas For they seeing a good outside being also charitable and not able to see the heart doe alwayes judge the best and thinke men to be changed renewed when sometimes it proveth otherwise They mistake when they say they are changed and reformed if still they retaine any bosome and beloved sinne as Herod did To change-sinnes one sinne into another is no change of the man for hee that changeth the prodigality of his youth into Covetousnesse in old age remaineth a notorious sinner before God as well now as then conceive the like of all other likewise to forbeare the act of any sinne because they have not the like power occasions temptations or meanes to commit sinne as in former time this is no change sin in these respects hath left them not they it For true conversion and repentance doth consist of a true and through change of the whole man as well in one part as another whereby not onely some actions are changed but first and chiefly the whole frame and disposition of the heart is changed and set straight to God ward from evill to good as well as from darknesse to light And whereas naturally a man is earthly minded and maketh himselfe his utmost end so that either he onely mindeth earthly things or if hee mind heavenly things it is in an earthly manner and to an earthly end as did Iehu if this man have truely repented and is indeede converted he becommeth heavenly minded he maketh GOD and his glory his chiefe and furthest end in so much that when he hath cause to minde earthly things his will and desire is to minde them in an heavenly manner and to an heavenly end If you would judge more fully and clearely of this true change See at large the description and signes of uprightnesse before delivered Chap. 12. Last of all there are many presume that although as yet they have no saving faith in Christ nor sound repentance that God will give them space and grace to repent and beleeve before they dye Whence it is they have peace for the present These must give mee leave to tell them that they put themselvs upon a desperate hazard and adventure First who can promise unto himself one minute of time more than the present sith every mans breath is in his nostrils ready to expire every moment Besides the Spirit saith God doth bring wicked men to desolation as in a moment And againe Hee that being often warned hardeneth his necke shall suddenly be destroyed without remedy 2 Suppose they may have time yet whether they shall have grace to beleeve and repent is much to be doubted For the longer repentance is deferred the heart is more hardned and more indisposed to repentance through the deceitfulnesse of sinne And it is a just judgement of God upon such as are not led to repentance by the riches of Gods goodnesse forbearance and long-suffering that he should leave them to their impenitent hearts that cannot repent so treasuring up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath Custome in sinne doth so root and habituate it in man that it will be as hard for him by his owne will and power to repent hereafter hee neglecting GODS present call and
that God will not call you before you dye It were a farre wiser and better course for you that will bee thus hasty in judging your selves to be Reprobates to busie your selves first with other things Acquaint your selves with Gods revealed will in his Word Learne to know what God hath commanded you to doe and do that also what he hath threatned and feare that and what hee hath promised and beleeve and rest on that After you haue done this you may looke into your selves and you shall reade your Election written in golden and great Letters For God never intended that the first lesson which a Christian should learne should be the hardest and highest lesson that can be learned taken out of the book of his eternall counsell decree and so to descend to the A. B. C. of Christianity Which were a course most perplexed and preposterous But his wil is that his schollers children should learn out of his written Word here on earth first that God made all things and that hee made man good and how that man hearkening to Sathan they found out evill devices and so fell from grace and from God and so both they and the whole world that came of their loynes became guilty of eternal dānation Next God would have you to learne that hee in is infinite wisdome goodnesse and mercy thought of and concluded a new covenant of Grace for the effecting whereof hee found out and appointed a way and meanes to pacifie his wrath by satisfying his justice punishing sin in mans nature by which he opened away unto his mercie to shew it to whom he would namely Hee gave his onely Sonne very God to become very man and being made a common person and surety in mans stead dyed and endured the punishment due to the sinne of man and rose againe and was exalted to sit at Gods right hand to raigne having all authority committed vnto him Thus he made the new covenant of grace established in his Sonne Iesus Christ the tenour and condition whereof required on mans part is that man accept of enter into this covenant beleeving in Christ in whom it is established then whosoever beleeveth in him shall not dye but have everlasting life This God did in his wisedome justice mercy and love to man that hee himselfe might be inst and yet a iustifier of him that is of the faith of Iesus And hath therefore given his Word and Sacraments and hath called and hath given gifts to his Ministers thereby to beget and increase faith in men by publishing this good newes and by commanding them as in Christs stead in Gods name to beleeve and to be reconciled to God and to live no longer according to the will of their old Masters the Divell the World and the Flesh under whom they were in cursed bondage but according to the will of him that redeemed them in holinesse and righteousnesse whose service is a perfect blessed freedome Now when you have learned these lessons first and by looking into your selves can finde faith and new obedience then by this your effectuall calling you may as by safe stayres ascend to that high point of your Predestination which will give you comfort through assurance that you shall never fall away When you observe this order in learning your Election to life it will not minister vnto you matter of curious and dangerous dispute either with God or man thereabout but of high admiration thankesgiving and unspeakeable comfort causing you to cry out with the Apostle O the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God c. And Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that wee should bee holy and without blame before him in love having Predestinated us unto the Adoption of children by Iesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will to the prayse of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in his well-beloved c. There are yet some who having heard that there is a sinne against the holy Ghost and that it is unpardonable are full of feares that they have committed that sinne thence conclude that they are Reprobates for they say that they have sinned willingly against knowledge conscience since they received the knowledge of the truth and tasted of the heavenly gift and of the good Word of God If you who thus object have sinned against knowledge and conscience you have much cause of griefe complaint against your selfe and have much cause of humbling your selfe before God confessing it to him asking pardon of him and grace to beleeve and repent both which you must endevour by all means Yet I see no cause why you should conclude so desperately that you have sinned against the holy Ghost and are a Reprobate For as few in comparison though too many commit this sinne so few know what it is All sinne against knowledge and conscience is not this sinne Nor yet all wilfull sinning It is not any one sinne against the law nor yet the direct breach of the whole law nor every malicious opposing of the Gospell if it be of ignorance neither is it every blasphemie or persecution of the Gospell and of those that professe the truth if these be done out of ignorance or passion Nor yet is it every Apostacie and falling into grosse sinnes of diverssorts though done against knowledge and conscience yet this sinne against the holy Ghost containeth all these and more It is a sinne against the Gospell and free offer and dispensation of grace and salvation by CHRIST through the Spirit Yet it is not any particular sinne against the Gospell nor yet a rejecting of the whole Gospell if in ignorance nor yet every denying of Christ or sudden revolting from the outward profession of the Gospell when it is of infirmitie through feare such like temptation Neither is it called the sinne against the holy Ghost and is unpardonable because it is committed against the Essence or Person of the holy Ghost for the essence of the three persons in Trinitie is all one And the person of the holy Ghost is not more excellent than the person of the Father and the Sonne but it is called the sinne against the holy Ghost and becommeth unpardonable because it is against the Office of the holy Ghost and against the gracious operations of the holy Ghost and therein against the whole blessed Trinitie all whose works out of themselves are consummate and perfected in the worke of the holy Ghost Moreover know that it is unpardonable not in respect of GODS power but in respect of his will Hee having in his holy wisedome determined never to pardon it And good reason why he should will not to pardon it in respect of the
and strive to be obedient to his will as well as to beleeve his promises to hope for happinesse this iâ— to strive Now never any did thus strive in seeking to enter though it were but the last day of their life that was put backe and not received Wherefore say not it is to late But say the more time I have lost the more cause there is why now I should presently set to Religion in earnest not loose time in questioning whether I shal be accepted or no. And whereas you said you are afraid to use the meanes of Salvation for the reasons before objected hereby you may see that all this is but the malice and craft of the Divell by keeping you from the meanes to keepe you from Salvation For it is most false to say that to pray heare the Word c. is to increase your sin because you cannot performe these as you should and as you would I am sure it is a greateâ— sinne in you to for beare these necessary duties out of despaire that they shall ever profit you or that you shall be accepted oâ— God You should thinke thus if â—â— doe not use the meanes of salvation I shal certainly perish everlastingly but if I do pray heare c. I may be saved therefore in obedience to God I will doe as well as I can But little doth a man know how well hee may doe if he would indevour neither can a man conceive how acceptable a little indevour shall be if he doe but desire to be true in his indevour For as GODS power is seene in mans weakenesse so is Gods grace seene in manâ—insufficiencie When wee are weake then God in us can be strong And when wee in humilty like our services worst then through Christ God may be best pleased with them But whatsoever you doe Doe not neglect nor absent your selves from exercises of Religion for weakest observances where is truth are farre more acceptable than whole emissions Wherefore if as you say you would not increase your sinne and thereby your damnation be willing to use and to joyne with others in the use of all good meanes of Salvation then if you be not saved yet you shall have the lesse punishment But you may be assured that if in obedience to Gods Commandement you shall pray heare the Word receive the Sacrament and have communion and conversation with those that feare God you shall be saved in the end What if you doe not yet feele benefit and comfort when you use these meanes of salvation according to your desire yet you must waile the good houre both of grace and comfort even as the impotent folke did who lay waiting for the Angels comming to move the waters that they might be healed of their diseases at the â—oole of Bethesda For if when God hideth his face you will waite and looke for him then God will waite his time to be gracious and blessed shall you be that waite for him It may be it commeth justly upon you that God should make you waite his leasure and cause you to buy wisdome wise deare experience because you did once account it an easier matter to beleeve and repent and therefore you did not take the first offers but made God wait If it were thus yet despaire not of grace onely be humbled For God doth not deale with us after our sinnes nor reward us after our iniquities but according to his rich mercie and promise made to us in Christ Iesus SECTION 4. A removall of feares rising from doubts of Gods love THere are very many who have true proofes that they are the Elect of God and have reason to thinke that God not onely can but will doe them good yet because they will deny that to bee bestowed upon them and to be in them which indeed is therefore they feare and are causelesly disquieted I would have such to consider first whether they have not in them already evident proofes and sigues of GODS effectuall love towards them in Christ These will acknowledge that it is most true that if they were sure that GOD did love them they should not feare but this is all their doubt that GOD doth not love them Some give this reason of their doubt God hath afflicted them and still doth Plague them yea albeit they have professed the name of Christ they are in some thing or other chastened daily in so much that they seeme to bee in the condition of those whom GOD hath threatned to curse in every thing they put their handes unto Therefore say they GOD doth not love them Such weake and inconsiderate reasonings are incident to those whom GOD truely loveth Did not the holy men of GOD reason and conclude thus But when doe Gods Children thus It is in their haste before they be well advised what they think or say And whence is it Is it not from their ignorance and brutishnesse being carried away by sense So foolish was I and ignorant saith the Prophet c. But when they come to themselves and doe come to learne what is truth by the Word then they learn that it is not outward prosperitie will make wicked men happie neither is it outward affliction that can make a good man miserable Then they will neither applaud nor envie the prosperity of the wicked nor yet misconstrue nor repine at their own afflictions For they learne that no man can know Gods love or hatred by any outward thing that doth befall the sonnes of men in this life They learne that God doth oft smile on his enemies and that he doth oft frowne upon is angry with and doth correct those whom he dearely loveth even as a Father doth his Children They learne by the Word likewise that GOD hath excellent ends in all this even in respect of them and all for their good namely for tryall of their graces for prevention of sinne for to remove sinne bringing them to repenrance and that they might be made partakers of his Holinesse Besides herein he doth much glorifie himselfe shewing that he is wonderfull in Counsell excellent in Working causing the affliction to worke for his glory in his peoples good Yea you may learne by the Word and by your owne experience that although the childe of God in his infirmitie and passion when he is under the rod may let goe his hold of God yet that God in his love and compassion towards his childe will hold him fast by his right hand and will not leave him but will guide him with his Counsell that he may afterward receive him unto Glorie This is the way of GOD with his Children wherefore none from hence hath cause to question GODS love but to conclude it rather But I have brought afflictions upon my selfe by mine owne sin and folly I am impatient under them and am little or no whit better for
had faith they should not doubt of their iustification nor of Gods love to them in Christ But many doubt that they have no faith or if they have any it is so little that it cannot be sufficient to carry them through all oppositions to the end unto salvation First if you have any faith though no more then as a graine of Mustard-seed you should not feare your finall estate nor yet doubt of Gods love for it is not the great quantitie and measure of faith that saveth but the excellent property and use of faith if it be true though never so small For a man is not saved by the worth of his faith by which he beleeveth but by the worth of Christ the person on whom hee beleeveth Now the least true faith doth apprehend whole Christ as a little hand may hold a Iewel of infinite worth as well though not so strongly as a bigger The least infant is as truly a man as soone as ever it is endued with a reasonable soule as afterward when it is able to shew forth the operations of it though not so strong a man even so it is in the state of Regeneration Now you should consider that God hath Babes in Christ as well as â—ld men feeble minded as well as strong sicke children as well as whole in his familie And those that have least strength and are weakest of whom the holy Ghost saith they have a little strength in comparison yet they have so much as through God will enable them in the time of greatest trials to keepe Gods Word and that they shall not deny Christs Name Also know God like a tender father doth not cast off such as are little feeble and weake but hath given speciall charge concerning the cherishing supporting and comforting of these rather than others And Christ Iesus hee will blow up and not quench the least sparke of faith This which I have said in commendation of little faith is onely to keepe him that hath no more from despaire Let none herby please or content himselfe with his little faith not striving to grow and be strong in faith If he do it is to be feared that he hath none at all or if he have yet he must know that hee will have much to doe to live when he hath no more than can keepe life and soule together and his life will be very unprofitable and uncomfortable in comparison of him that hath a strong faith But you will say you are 1 so full of feares and doubtings 2 you are so fearefull to dye and to heare of our comming to iudgement and 3 you cannot feele that you have faith you cannot feele joy and comfort in beleeving wherefore you feare you have no faith First if you having so sure a word and promise doe yet doubt and feare so much as you say it is your great sinne and I must blame you now in our Saviours name as he did his Disciples then saying Why are you fearefull why are yee doubtfull O yee of little faith But to your reformation and comfort observe it he doth not argue them to be of no faith but onely of little faith saying O yee of little faith Thus you see that some feares and doubtings doe not argue no faith Secondly Touching feare of death and judgement some feare doth not exclude all faith Many out of their naturall constitution are more fearefull of death than others Yea pure nature will startle and shrink to think of the separation of two so neare and so ancient and such deare friends as the soule and body have been Good men such as David and Hezekiah have shewed their unwillingnesse to die And many upon a mistaking conceiving the pangs and paines of death in the parting of the soule out of the body to be most torterous and unsufferable are afraid to dye Whereas unto many the neerer they are to their end the lesse is their extremitie of paine and very many goe away in a quiet swoone without paine And as for being moved with some feare at the thought of the day of Iudgement who can thinke of that great appearance before so glorious a Maiesty such as Christ shall appeare in to answer for all the things he hath done in his body without trembling The Apostle calleth the thoughts thereof the terror of the Lord. Indeede to bee perplexed with the thoughts of the one or other argueth imperfection of faith and hope but not an utter absence of either You have other and better things to doe in this case than to make such dangerous conclusions viz. that you have no faith c. upon such weake grounds You should rather when you feele this over-fearefulnesse to die and come to Iudgement labour to finde out the ground of your error and study and indevour to reforme it Vnwillingnesse to dye may come from these causes First From too high an estimation and from too great a love to earthly things of some kinde or other which maketh you afraid and too loath to part with them Secondly You may bee unwilling to die because of ignorance of the super abundant and inconceivable excellencies of the happinesse of Saints departed which if you knew you would bee willing Thirdly Feare of death and comming to Iudgement doth for the most part rise from a conscience guilty of the sentence of condemnation being without assurance that when you dye you shall goe to heaven Wherefore if you would be free from troublesome feare of death and Iudgement Learne 1 to thinke meanely and basely of the world in comparison of those better things provided for them that love God and use all things of the world accordingly without setting your heart upon them as if you used them not 2 While you live here on earth take your selves aside oft times in your thoughts and enter into heaven and contemplate deeply the ioyes thereof 3 Give all diligence to make your calling and election and right unto heaven sure unto your selves But let me give you this needfull Item that you be willing and ready to judge it to be sure when it is sure and when you have cause so to judge Let your care bee onely to live well joyning unto faith vertue c. and you cannot but dye well Death at first appearance like a Serpent seemeth terrible but by faith you may see this Serpents sting taken out which when you consider you may for your refreshing receive it into your bosome The sting of death is sinne the strength of sinne is the Law but the Law of the spirit of life in Christ hath freed you from the law of sinne and of death I confesse that when you see this pale horse death approaching it may cause nature to shrinke but when you consider that his errant is to carry you with speede unto your desired home unto a state of glory how can you
they renew their griefe and repentance yet they doe not fall into an allowed course of sinne any more Thus much in answer to the first doubt of Sanctification Secondly There are many which doubt they are not sanctified because of those swarmes and multitude of evill thoughts which are in them some whereof which is fearefull for them to thinke or speake are blasphemous unnaturall and inhumane calling Gods being truth power and providence into question doubting whether the Scripture be the word of God and many moe of this nature having also thoughts of laying violent hands upon themselves and others with many moe of that and other sorts such as they never felt at all or not so much in their knowne state of unregeneracy before they made a more strict profession of godlinesse such as they thinke none that are truly sanctified are troubled withall To resolve this doubt know that evill thoughts are either put into men from without as when Satan doth suggest or men doe solicite evill thus Iobs wife Curse God and dye Or they doe arise from within out of the evill concupiscence of a mans owne heart And sometimes they are mixt comming both from within and without Those which come onely from Satan may usually be knowne from them that arise out of mans heart by their sodainenesse and uncessantnesse namely when they are repelled they wil somtimes returne againe an hundred times in a day Also they are unreasonable and unnaturall and withall are strange and violent in their motions taking no nay but by violent resistance Wheras those which altogether or in great part are from mans owne corrupt heart they usually arise by occasion of some externall object or from some naturall cause and are not so sudden and incessant nor are so unnaturall inhumane and violent Now all those evill thoughts or thoughts of evill rather which are from Satan or from mans putting them into you if you consent not unto them but doe abhorre and resist them with detestation they are not your sinnes but Satans and theirs that did put them into you They are your crosses because they are matter of trouble to you but they are not your sinnes because they leave no guilt upon you They are no more your sinnes then these thoughts Cast thy selfe downe headlong and fall downe and worship me viz. the Divell were Christs sinnes if you consent not but resist them as CHRIST did You should heedfully observe this For if the Divell was so malicious and presumptuous as to assault our blessed Saviour with such divellish temptations casting into his head such vile blasphemous notions and thoughts should you thinke it strange that he doth pester you with the like And if for all this you have no cause to doubt whether Christ were the Sonne of GOD or no though the Divell made an if of it and it was the thing the Divel aimed at why then should it be doubted that any of Christs members may be thus assaulted and yet have no cause for this to question whether they be sanctified or in state of grace For these in them are so far from being abhominable evils that being not consented to they as I said are not their sinnes It is a peece of the Divels cunning first to fill a man full of thoughts for matter abhominable and then to be the first that shall put in this accusation and doubt viz. Is it possible for any childe of God for any that is sanctified with Gods holy Spirit to have such thoughts But consider well that an innocent Beniamin may have Iosephs cup put into his sacks mouth without his privity or fault by him who for his owne ends intended to make matter thereof wherby to accuse Beniamin of theft and ingratitude Was Beniamin any whit the more dishonest or ingrateful for all this A malicious Cutpurse having tempted a neighbour to jayn with him in cutting of purses being denyed by him doth craftily plot how to doe him a mischiefe and meeting the said neighbor in a throng of people cutteth another mans purse and closely conveigheth it into his neighbours pocket and presently asketh if none have lost their pâ—â—se which being missed hee poâ—â—â—eth at his neighbour saying that â—e suspecteth him who being taken and searched the purse is found about him yet you will judge this neighbour to be innocent Sathan doth not want malice or craft in this kinde to play his â—â—ates Where he cannot corrupt men yet there he wil veâ— and perplexe them But let it be granted that these blasphemous and abhominable thoughts which trouble you are indeede your sinnes either because they arise from your owne evill heart or because you did consent to them they being cast in by others If so then you have much cause to grieve and to repent but not to despaire or to say you are not Gods childe For it is possible for a sanctified man to be made guilty either by outward act or by consent and approbation or by some meanes or other of any one sinne except that against the holy Ghost yea of any blasphemy except that now albeit a man be guilty of these vile or blasphemous thoughts and doubtings yet if he confesse and bewaile his sinne even his blasphemy if his heart ake at the thoughts thereof if hee repent beleeve and aske mercy it shall be forgiven him For he hath our Saviours word for it And whereas you say you were not troubled with such abominable thoughts before that you made profession of an holy life I answer this is not to be woÌ„dred at For before that time the Devil and you were friends then hee thought it enough to suffer you to be proud of your civill honesty or it may bee to content your selfe with a meere forme of godlinesse suppose that you were free from notorious crimes as adultery lying swearing c. For when hee could by these more plausible wayes lead you captive at his will he saw you were his sure enough already what need was there then that hee should solicite you any further or to disturbe your quiet But now that you have renounced him in earnest and that hee and you bee two you may bee sure that he will attempt by all meanes to reduce you into your old state or if he faile of that yet as long as you live so farre as God shall permit hee will doe what hee can to disturbe your peace by vexing and molesting you Moreover GOD doth permit this for divers holy purposes 1. To discover the Devils malice 2. To chastise his children and to humble them because they were too well conceited of the goodnesse of their nature in their unregeneracy or might be too uncharitable and censorious of others and too presumptuous of their owne strength since they were regenerate 3. God likewise permitteth these buffetings and winnowings of Satan as to prevent pride and other sinnes so to exercise and make