disappointed of thy expectation or when contradicted and reproved then art thou a proud person pride hath seised on thee Dost speak great words of vanity S. 79. glorying in thy self and bringest thy self to the view that thou mightest be admired for some singular excellency then art thou a vain-glorious person and seekest praise of men and pride hath exalted it self in thee and thou art grievously infected Yet further S. 80. there is a kind of pride which lies at the bottom of grace and holy duties which duties would be acceptable to God were it not for the pride that doth infect them Spirituall pride spoiles all Spirituall performances when men think there is a worth and merit in what they do though but their duty If a man be proud of his humility and charity and that he can pray much and as he thinks well and when he looks contemptuously upon those beneath him in gifts of the Spirit knowledge religious discourses and ability of disputing for or against the Truth and thinks himself every way above instruction and stands in need of no farther direction from Gods word but living in his pride as above ordinances and conceits himself perfect in all excellencies free from infirmities and any the least spot of sin in thought word or deed this is the height of pride vain glory and arrogancy and all that have lifed up themselves thus Pro. 3.17 are fallen at once from grace low into the sin of Pride as the proud Angels from heavenly excellencies to hellish shame and horrour and so wilt thou that art guilty in this kind except thou repent Again S. 81. if thou art envious at those above thee and discontent with thy portion and talent because not so much as anothers and refusest to do any thing in thy duties because thou can not do better then others and get thee praise to thy self from others this is the Pride of thine heart too If thou takest pride in thy shame S. 82. if thou gloryest in thy wickednesse and declarest thy sin with an impudent forehead and a profane tongue and wretched actions then hast thou lost modesty and all that is morally good and art become a damned catiffe a devil incarnate And farther S. 83. if thou scornest admonition and spirituall counsell for thy soul if thou slightest the most hearty and serious invitations directions exhortations and reproofs from Gods word and his Ministers and thinkest thy self more fit to teach then to be taught more able to give then receive good cousell then art thou also a proud person I exhort thee therefore in the examination of thy self S. 84. to search deep after this sin for t is a sin so hid from a mans own eyes that he himself hardly finds it out but oftentimes more discernable to another then thy self for the expressions of it are many as boasting words though oftentimes gilded with seeming self-deniall and a lofty gate and countenance high looks vain apparel costly ornaments undervaluing expressions of others censorious scofs and gybing rayling at others uncivil carriage uncourteous behaviour reducing all degrees and qualifications of men to an equality allowing no more to those above thee in civil respect then to thy equals all these are the expressions of Pride and some of them under a shew of humility When thou art seeking after the Pride of thy heart S. 85. do it by the help of humility and prayer and whatever is Pride in thy heart or life or like unto it bring it down repent of it hate it forsake it for the proud man had he no other sin yet his own sin of pride would keep him out of Heaven and throw him into Hell and take heed when thou dost reprove pride in another do not do it proudly considering that so thou maist be guilty again of that thou hast condemned in another Leave off pride and be clothed with humility for God resisteth the proud and he gives grace to the humble Remember thou art warned to repent for and speedily to forsake pride and vain-glory § XV. Schism and Heresie Schism and Heresie are near akin S. 86. both works of the flesh the wicked product of depraved nature forged in an ill head and a naughty heart where pride and parts meet in any one there Heresie and Schism will not long be strangers Heresie is the greater nullum schisma non sibi aliquam confingit Haeri sin Hier. Com. in Tit. an over-grown Schism and Schism is a less Heresie growing and tending to it He that is guilty of Schism wil not long be free of Heresie a schismatick is but an heretick concealed and an heretick is a schismatick revealed Heresie is a perverse opinion contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of Christ S. 87. and Schism is a peevish separation from the Communion of the Church of Christ The first is against the Truth of the Church Schisma vinculum pacis dirumpit charitatem scilicet Musc lib. cap. de schismate Gal. 5.19 the other against the Peace and Charity of the Church of God Both injurious to Christ and both destructive to thy own soul if thou art either Heretick or Schismatick and continuest therein both excluding Heaven see Galat. 5.19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest sedition i. e. The raising or furthering divisions and disorders in the Church and Heresies i. e. venting strange opinions cunningly devised fables or teaching such for truths as were thus invented or yielding to them 2 Pet. 1.16 or maintaining of them contrary to the Scriptures and received professions of the holy true Catholick Church They which do such things saith Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 2.2 shall not inherit the Kingdom of God and heresies are called damnable and bring swift destruction upon the inventors of such evil things and the teachers of them and the followers of them too the Apostle bids all good Christians to avoid as a pest all such as make rents and divisions in the Church Now I beseech you brethren Rom. 16.17 mark them that cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have heard and avoid them for they that are such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple v. 18. Now it may be thou that readest this art one of parts S. 88. and delightest thy self in novel and curious speculations and hast taken liberty to let thy thoughts and inventions run from the simplicity and incorrupt truth that is in Christ framing to thy self and others some other articles of faith then what the Sciptures assert and the true Church in all ages hath received or it may be thou art one that doth contradict gainsay and oppose the revealed and received Truths concerning God Jesus Christ and holy Ghost or any other foundation Truth if so I intreat thee if pride obstinacy or implacable malice against the truth
excellent Creature know S. 29. believe thy Creator and mine hath appointed us for more excellent work and most transcendent happiness And this I am perswading thee to seek after S. 30. and provide for I have no design with thee or upon thee in this business that is low or base but high and noble I come not thus to thee from any earthly Prince to beg or command thy worldly goods but from the King of glory to intreat and command and beseech thee to part with thy shame and misery thy sins and turn to Christ and holiness and to beseech thee that thou wouldest yeeld to be made gloriously happy all the harm I mean thee is that thou mayest be saved and this is the best the very best thing I can wish to thee and my self also and all that I would have thee part with is nothing but that which is worse then nothing and that is sin Which all Gods children are glad at the heart they are rid of and that they are gotten out of the dominions and regions of sin into the Kingdom of Christ and under his rule Then that we may reason together to some good purpose S. 31. be but plain-hearted and honest in this business lay aside all prejudice make no shifts no evasions fear nothing Man if thou meanest to be good and holy in good earnest there are no invincible Giants in the Kingdom of Christianity put on the resolution of a man and thou wilt be victorious mean but as well to thy soul as I do and then to be sure thou wilt be as earnest with God for to reform thee and as carefull to use the means and take the opportunity as I am to perswade thee to it Be but as willing to submit to the teaching of grace S. 32. and to accept of the proffered help from Christ and then shalt thou quickly be rid of thy damning sins and be brought into a holy and saving frame of spirit and course of life I observe and so may you S. 33. that when Christ had a mind to do good and shew a speciall favour to any in distresse And our dear Lord Christ hath still the same mind toward every poor sinner to this day to do him good his first question to such is Wilt thou be made whole And John 5.6 Mar. 10.51 what wilt thou that I should do unto thee And no sooner the poor sinner can find in his heart to be willing to be helped and healed and to seek unto Christ in good earnest but immediately Christ saith I will be thou whole Take up and walk Mat. 8 3. I will be thou clean and the Text saith And immediately his Leprosie was cleansed And likwise take notice S. 34. that the cause why a miserable sinner continues unreformed and under the power of his sins is because he will not hath no mind to be altered doth not earnestly desire it That this is so you may see Jeremiah 13.27 I have seen thy abomination Jer. 13.27 Woe unto thee wilt thou not be made clean when will it once be and Ezek. 18.31 32. I have no pleasure saith God in the death that is Ezek. 18.31 32. damnation of a sinner but rather he should turn and live and that the cause of mens ruine and destruction is from themselves rather then they will turn they will die Why will ye die turn you from all your transgressions why will ye die So likewise our Saviour Christ in John 5.40 tels us why men lose their Souls and happiness Joh. 5.40 it is They will not come unto me that they might have Life And I observe also when a man is convinced of the necessity of Salvation S. 35. and by the consideration of the greatness of his sins and necessity of leaving them all yet the difficulty of conversion and parting with old friends as a sinner thinks his lusts and sins are he cryes out what must I do to be saved Act. 16.30 as the Jaylor did Acts 16.30 Which is the first quere to be made and when a sinner comes to this once to be willing and seriously desirous from his very Soul to be made whole and clean and then earnestly to seek out how he may act that he may be saved then Christ takes him to cure and then directs him by his word and helps him by his Spirit first to Reformation here and then to Salvation hereafter Now precious soul S. 36. is it in thy heart to desire and dost seriously ask what thou shalt do to be saved If so I have it from God to tell thee that thou mayest be saved If thou believe in the Lord Jesus repent thee and turn thee from all thy ungodliness to serve the living God in Righteousness and true holiness from this day to the end of thy life and submit to Reformation in heart and life thou shalt be saved Wilt thou submit to Reformation S. 37. wouldest thou be made clean and be effectually turned from all thy sinfull thoughts and practises O poor sinner art willing Then first try thy heart S. 38. whether in good earnest thou desire it canst thou go in secret and pour out thy soul and utter thy desires before the Lord in this or the like prayer for this very thing that thou mayst be reformed If thou art willing then to be reformed from thy very soul thou canst speak thy Requests to God to help thee through the work and then thou wilt be willing to take up advice and consideration and yeeld to the intreaties and fall upon the practise without more ado speedily without delay if thou canst thus pray from thy heart there is great hope of thy Reformation CHAP. II. The hopefull sinners Prayer O Most glorious S. 1. holy just and gracious Lord God thou who art the knower of hearts and lover of souls thou hast said Ezek. 33.11 1 Tim. 2.4 1 Pet. 3.9 Mat. 9.13 Thou hast no pleasure in the death of a sinner but rather he should turn and live and art not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance and to this end thou hast sent thy dear Son Jesus Christ into the world to call sinners to repentance who gave himself for us that he might redeem poor sinners from all their iniquities and purifie his redeemed ones 2 Cor. 5.20 1 Tim. 4.20 2 Tim. 4.12 thou hast likewise given thy Spirit to sanctifie our hearts and with thy Word to convince and convert such as shall be saved and that poor sinners might be converted and turned from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God that they might receive the forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among the sanctified Thou hast appointed thy Ministers to call sinners to invite beseech exhort reprove admonish guide and direct poor sinners to reclaim them to bring them off from their evill wayes and to shew them the
Sam. 11.14 15. 3. Yet further hast thou commanded contrived consented to the death of any thou art guilty thou art a murderer 4. Art thou a magistrate and givest sentence of death S. 39. and commandest execution upon any man without or against the Law and causest the life of a man to be taken away that hath not merited condemnation then art thou not guiltless of murder but must be accountable to God who is the revenger of innocent blood upon the heads of those that have shed it themselves or caused it to be spilt by others 5. Moreover S. 40. if I have been the voluntary occasion of the unnaturall and untimely death of another either by mixing poison with meats or drinks or otherwise though given by the hand of another and if it take that cursed effect I am guilty actually if it doth not kill out-right I am intentionally guilty of murder 6. If I have provoked or inticed and one to that excess of drinking or surfeting so as the mans body is endangered by it and he thereby hath contracted a killing disease I am not free of this sin though the law of man take no hold on me for it 7. Or if I provoke a person to kill or make away himself I am accessary to his self-murder 8. Furthermore if I doe not when it is in my power rescue the innocent from violence or if I suffer any one to famish or starve when I might or have an opportunity to preserve life I am no better then a man-slayer yet again Mat. 5.21 22. ◠our Saviour Christ the best interpreter of the mind of God in this point and all other commands tells thee that within the compasse of this sin of murder come the beginnings of this sin in the heart though it goe no further then the intention as malice hatred causless and inordinate anger revengefull desires and also if it proceed to violent railing and reprochfull language 9. If thou yet suffer thy passion to break out to an assault of another with blood or wounds S. 41. beating and hurting the body of a man or puts him in fear of his life any of these and every of them is a branch of this sin and renders thee guilty 10. And if thou enter into the lists with thy equall either challenging thy self or answering anothers challenge to fight upon what account soever thou dost thereby hazard thy own or the others and sometimes both your lives and so you become guilty of self-murder or killing another and if thou kill him in the quarrell though thou mayst escape the law of man yet thou art a murdere and many years of deep repentance will not suffice for it and if thou die in the duell thou goest to hell without remedy And if you think this too severe an exposition of the command S. 42. as to include anger and malicious words read Mat. 5. 21 22. Thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment But I say unto you whosoever is angry with his Brother without cause shall be in danger of the judgment and whosoever shall say Thou fool shall be in danger of Hell-fire Where you may see the same judgment is allotted for malicious angry revengfull men as to actuall killing that is they are to be accounted guilty of this sin and judged as murderers Now in the Name of God I intreat thee whoever thou art that meanest to the saved to examine thy heart S. 43. disposition and practice whether thou art not guilty of some of these things and if thou art condemn thy self for it and repent heartily and reform presently for if thou livest in this sin thou canst never approve thy self innocent neither will God acquit thee except thou repent and leave it And that ye may know that anger S. 44. malice revenge hatred railing evil speaking are no small matters you shall find that all of them are both forbidden and condemned and the persons here guilty in this present life shall without reformation be excluded heaven Rom. 1.29 see Rom. 1.29 wicked men of this kind are under Gods wrath in ver 18. and worthy of death ver 32. are such as verse 29. are described malicious full of envy murder debate malignity back-biters and Galatians 5. are found among the works of the flesh Gal. 5.19 20 21. the which if men doe and continue in them they shall not inherit the kingdome are these hated variance wrath strife envyings murders and in Rom. 12.19 Christians are intreated not to seek revenge but leave it to God Avenge not your selves therefore but allay your wrath And in Ephes 4. Eph. 4.29 30 31. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouths let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you James 3.14 15 16. with all malice For all these kinds are earthly sensuall and divelish And hence you may perceive what you are to look after S. 45. and if you are guilty to repent speedily of every one for know that murderers shall have their portion in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 21.8 which is the second death A bloody-minded a bloody-handed and a killing-tongued man shall never to heaven Take heed therefore if thou be guilty in any of these lesser matters which thou thinkest not so severely to be censured yet consider if they be light and common they are the more easily forsaken and if thou forsake them not so slight as you make of them yet God will account thee disobedient and lay a punishment as heavy as that of hell upon thee one day if thou repent not of them and forsake them in time that very speedily remember thou art now warned that not onely he that killeth but also he that hateth his brother that is any man is a murderer and no murderer hath eternal life 1 John 3.25 mark that well § X. False and vain swearing Art thou defiled with OATHES by which thou hast at any time born witness against the truth S. 46. and sworn to confirm a lie then thou art a perjured person hast thou broken a lawfull vow and nor performed thy promise having bound thy self by oath hast thou rashly sworn to doe a thing which is not in thy power or presumptuously engaged thy self by oath in a thing unlawfull dost solemnly swear by the name of the glorious God in a trifle or for any lower end then to put an end to all strife or for the determining of some weighty matter which without thy oath could not be ended examine what oath thou hast taken before whom in what causes to what end and with what solemnity and accordingly shalt thou know whether thou hast sinned by solemn swearing for an oath is a sacred thing and he that swears must swear by the name of God in truth in judgment and in righteousness but he
the name and maintained in heart and practice with an opinion that they will be accounted of as lesser irregularities deviations humane frailties and infirmities for men are pleased to think they may live in sins of infirmities safely and laudably and therefore are willing to believe that all their omissions of good duties and commissions of evil works are but as so many infirmities and easily pardoned without either forsaking them or striving against them or repenting of them But say the best thou canst of thy infirmities S. 6. either natural or moral either thy inclination and propension of nature to evil or slipping into a fault through a sudden surprisal and violent temptation or ignorance and inconsiderateness or suppose they be onely the defects in our duty as wandring thoughts sometimes dulness drowsiness and weariness in our service of God or thy backwardness to every good work thy want of proportionable zeal for Gods glory and the Church Or grant it to be but weakness of judgment S. 7. erroneous opinions though but in lesser truths or thy knowing not nor searching after thy secret sins be it but a sudden eruption of passion into anger and shrewd words or desires after forbidden and unlawfull objects or immoderate desires after things lawfull in themselves yet all these and all other infirmities to speak the most favourably of them are the disease sickness and disorders of the soul and ought to be the matter of our sorrow and humiliation and must be confessed to God in the enumeration of our sins and pardon must be begged in Christs name for his sake for them and except thy soul be humbled for all thy secret sins and all thy infirmities if not in every instance yet in the whole summe and thy labour and watchfulness be for the suppressing of their rise and preventing their reign as much as possible yea even they so little as they seem to thee they will prove mortal at the last and thy plea of Infirmity will not serve thy turn except thy sins of infirmities be pardoned and they will not be pardoned any more then greater sins but upon thy repentance and that which far greater offences could not doe if repented of in time and forsaken in heart and practice that these sins of infirmities will doe if not repented of in time and amended to what degree is possible for thee even these will procure thy damnation at the last Now concerning all those sins which the vulgar sort of men who pretend to Christianity account either no sins at all S. 8. or very lightly of them as small and inconsidérable yet by a long custome and frequent repetition are become habituall and so very sinfull and so very destructive and besides men that think them so small and innocent seldome if ever charge them upon their souls as sins to be grieved at repented of and amended when they examine their lives and actions as to other sins which are noted with a blacker character by reason of which neglect those smaller sins are let alone unmortified and men goe to their graves with impenitency as to those sins which will sink a man as deep into the gulf of misery and drown the soul in destruction and perdition and if they be but foolish lusts yet they are thus hurtfull to the soul 1 Tim. 6.9 To instance in some things of this kind for thy fuller conviction § I. Evil motions of lust the taint and corruption in nature There are in every mans nature the seeds of all evil S. 9. Gen. 6.5 Mat. 15.19 20. Jam. 1.14 15. Col. 3.5 which are the beginnings of all actuall sins mans nature is tainted and corrupted naughty Concupiscences and lusts are born with us which are defiling and corrupting the whole man the heart of man is full of them and in their first motions they are sins even that proneness inclination to evil and aversness and indisposedness to good which is in thee which thou mayst and must take notice of as a matter of sorrow and complaint against thy self as it is thy unhappiness and misery so it is thy sin and thy death and such a disease it is that if not healed and pardoned in thee by regeneration will leave thee under wrath and the curse Gal. 3.22 Rom. 5.12 Psam 51.5 Rom. 7.5 This that I mean is that which is understood by the name of Originall sin that is the corruption of humane nature by the sin of our first parents propagated to the whole kind of Adams race and posterity which is every man and woman as they receive life and birth these motions of sins doe work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death Now though this be every mans case S. 10. scarce any man makes it his own particular grief men make light of it and are so far from watching over and resisting the first motions and lustings after evil things and mortifying these corruptions that they are most apt to plead it by way of excuse for their faults and actuall transgressions which are the issues and effects of this corruption and lust from within But if ever thou hopest to be savingly reformed S. 11. this old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts must be put off that is must not be served nor yeilded unto but resisted and prayed against and indeed for my part had I no other sin that might be laid to my charge yet I find this inbred wickedness this naturall proneness to evil so exceeding sinfull that I should account it a choice mercy to be quite rid of it and 't is for this I have cause to hang the head and mourn and 't is that the moving corruptions may be quite destroyed and mortified in me is the prayer and care of my poor soul for my joy cannot be full untill my enemies that is my sins both root and branch seed and fruit be plucked up and withered and untill Christ alone his grace and vertues be formed in my soul and triumph in my conversation O doe not make light of that which put thee under the wrath of God and power of Satan S. 12. that may not be slighted by thee which is in thee the cause and originall of all sins that set the whole man upon evil the cause of all disorder and confusion every where in thee and every where in the world in a word 't is exceeding sinfull all evils lie folded up in thy original concupiscence Take heed therefore and take a special view and measure of this thy sin S. 13. and because thy flesh will never be weary in it's sinfull motions then be thou never weary nor give over resisting these lusts in thy self weakening this body of sin and hinder the progress of it and if thou canst not get it quite discharged suffer it not what ere it cost thee to reign in thee or prevail over thee listen not to lusts solicitations entertain