that Doth repentance change or abolish the substance of body or soule or any of the faculties thereof Child No such matter But true repentance doth rectifie and amend them by remoouing the corruption for it turneth the sadnesse of malancholy into Godly sorrow choler into good zeale softnesse of nature to méekenes of spirit lightnesse and wantonnes to christian mirth It reformeth euery man according to his natural constitution not abolishing it but redressing the faults of it Father By what meanes is repentance wrought in vs Child Both faith and repentance are wrought in vs by y t preaching of the Gospell through the inward worke of the holy Ghost Father Is not repentance wrought in vs by the preaching of the Law Child To speake properly it is not For the Law is not the proper cause but rather an occasiō of repentāce because it representeth vnto the eye of our soule our damnable estate and smiteth the conscience with dolefull terrours and feares which though they be no tokens of grace for they are in their owne nature the very gates and the downefall to the pit of hell yet are they certaine occasions of receiuing grace Father Expresse this more plainely Child Euen as a Phisition is sometimes constrained to giue that vnto his patient which increaseth sicknesse maketh his fits more sore and terrible to the end he may recouer him so man because hée is dangerously sicke of sin must bée cast into some fits of legall terrors by the ministrie of the Law that he may be soundly and inwardly cured Father The Law is a scholemaster to bring vs vnto Christ ergo it is the cause of repentance Child It bringeth vs to Christ but not so kindly naturally as doth the Gospel by alluring vs but as it were violently and forceably constraining vs and as they say it bringeth vs not simply and of it selfe but after some sort and manner For the law in it selfe is the ministry of death damnation because it sheweth a man his wretched estate but sheweth him no remedy therefore it cannot properly be an instrumentall cause of that repentance which is effectuall to saluation But the doctrine of repentance is a part of the Gospell and therefore the preaching of the Gospell and the preaching of repentance are put one for another Luk. 96. Mar. 6. 12. and consequently true repentance doth spring out of the gospell as out of his naturall root and most originall cause Father As you haue told me by what meanes faith and repentance are wrought in vs so now tell mee by what meanes they are nourished increased in vs Child As faith and repentance are first hatched and bred in our harts by the ministry of the word so also are they increased by the same and by other good helpes appointed of God for that purpose as prayer sacraments reading meditation conference and such like good meanes Father First then let vs proceed to speak a little of prayer and first of all tell me what prayer is Child And earnest calling vpon God according to his will or as some say a familiar speach betwixt God and vs or as a secret letter wherein Gods people signifie their minde vnto him at large crauing a spéedy answere which hée in his time according to his will and wisedome doth alwayes most graciously returne without fayling Father How manie partes are there of prayer Child Thrée confession petition thanks giuing Father Whereof must confession bee made Child Confession must bée made both of originall sinne and actuall transgressions both commissions of euill and omissions of good And all this must be done with as much particularising as may bée that is calling to minde and reckoning vp particular offences especially those which lie heauiest vpon vs and that with as great griefe vehemency and aggrauation of them as is possible Father Whereof must our petitions be Child Petitions must bée for the remoouing of euill the obtayning of good for spirituall and earthly blessings concerning our selues and those that are néere vnto vs concerning Church and commonwealth concerning magistracy ministerie commonalty Father For what must our thanksgiuing be Child First for al spiritual blessings as election creation redemption iustification sanctification adoption word sacrament good men good bookes good societie good conference all furtherances to eternal life whatsoeuer Secondly for all outward blessings as preseruation of prince country peace for magistrats soode rayment health liberty peace and preseruation For dayly ordinary and particular fauours which are renued vpon vs continually from day to day euen as the eagle renueth her bill Father As you haue shewed mee the parts of prayer so also shew mee some circumstances of prayer and first tell me to whom we must pray Child To God onely Father In whose name must we pray Child In the name of Christ onely Father How must we pray Child In the spirit that is feruently féelingly and constantly which cannot be without a féeling of our misery Father When must we pray Child At all times as occasion and necessitie doth mooue but specially in the time of affliction as it is written if any be afflicted let him pray Father Where must we pray Child Euery where but especially in the publike assembly and our priuate families Father Vpon what must our prayers bee grounded Child Vpon the word of God and the promises of the Gospell Father What must we pray for Child For those things which our Lord Iesus hath taught in his praier which is the perfect platforme of all prayer both for matter and forme Father Which bee those things which our Sauiour would haue vs alwaies to bee mindefull of when we haue any suites vnto his father Child First the honoring and setting vp of his name héere amongst vs both in regard of his Iustice and mercie and also in respect of his worde and wisedome power and prouidence Secondly for the aduancement and flourishing estate of his Church and kingdome by the regiment of his word and Spirit by the increase of good worke men in his haruest and a blessing vpon their labour by a remoouing of all lets by a weakning ouerthrow of all aduersary power whatsoeuer especially that of Antichrist Idolatry and Atheisme Thirdly that all chéerful obedience may at all times and of all persons in their seuerall places and callings bée yéelded vnto his most holy will without grudging or hypocrisie Fourthly that all things necessary for this life may bée ministred vnto vs as food rayment health libertie peace and preseruation and also that a blessing may bée vpon all that wée haue as body goods name wife children family stocke store corne cattell trades occupations yea all the works of our hands both goings out and commings in Fiftly that a generall pardon may be graunted from the throne of grace thorow Christ for the remission of all sin in his blood that therby we may be iustified acquited and discharged Sixtly that we may not
reason can you yeelde that Angels know not the essence of God Child This the essence of God is infinit therefore no Angell can know it or comprehend it For that which is finit cannot cōprehend that which is infinit but the Angels are finite therefore they cannot comprehend y e essence of God being infinit for the essence of God is verely knowen to himselfe he knoweth his owne essence and therefore hée is infinit For whatsoeuer knoweth comprehendeth that which is infinit must néeds it selfe be infinit Father Where be the holy and elect Angels of God Child Then bée both in heauen earth and the aire And wheresoeuer any people of God bée there be they also Father What is the speciall office of the good Angels Child To preserue the children of God to gard them to minister vnto them and to kéepe them in all their wayes Father What is the reason that the Angels are discribed with six wings a peece in the Scriptures Child They haue two winges to couer their face because they are not able to indure the brightnesse of Gods glory they haue two wings to couer their féet because man is not able to abide the brightnes y t is in them they haue two to fly withal to signifie their readines prompt obedience to all the commandements of God Father What vse are wee to make of all this that God is so infinite in himselfe and so glorious in all his creatures specially in the Angels Sunne Moone and Starres c. Child We are not onely to feare dread and reuerence so great a maiestie but also to loue him worshippe him and obey him with all our hearts with all our spirit and with all our strength and with all our thoughts Father Did not the blessed Angels fall from that excellent estate wherein they were first created Child Many of them fell from their first estate became diuels as appeareth in the Scriptures Father What was the cause or chiefe motiue of the fall Child They fell of themselues that is to say through their owne motion will disposition without any instigation of any other or any former motiue whatsoeuer which thing caused God to cast them downe without all hope of recouery but man falling by the first motiue and by instigation of others hath left vnto him an assured hope of recouery Father Is not the number of the Angels that fell from their first estate and became diuels very great Child Yes excéeding great for the diuell being demanded by our Lord Iesus what was his name answered My name is Legion for saith hée wée are many which plainely prooueth that there be many diuels Father What doe you call a Legion Child A Legion according to the account of the Romans was sixe thousand footmen Our Lord Iesus said to Peter Put vp thy sword for doest thou not thinke that I can now pray to my father and he will giue me more then twelue Legions of Angels So then it appeareth by the scriptures that there bée very many both good Angels and bad Father If there bee so many diuels why doth the Scripture speake of the diuell in the singular number as if there were but one Child There bée multitudes of infernall Spirits but yet they doe so ioyne together in one that they bée called the diuell in the singuler number because there is a kingdome of them and a vnited societie vnder one head prince or principall diuell and they doe all ioyne to vphold their societie and kingdome as Christ teacheth Father Did the diuels by their fall loose that great power and strength which they had by nature and creation Child No They doe still retaine their first power and strength as experiance teacheth and the Scriptures doe call as well the Diuels as the good angels principalities powers Father Haue the diuels by their fall lost that great wisedome and vnderstanding which they had in their first estate Child No But they haue corrupted and depraued it and turned it from wisedome into déepe craft and subtiltie the like may be sayd for their swiftnesse and agilitie Father Where are the diuels what place do they keepe in Child Their principall aboad is in the ayre through the which they glide too and fro with vnspeakable swiftnesse and therefore the Apostle calleth the diuell the Prince of the ayre and the diuels are said to be in y e high places Father The common opinion is that the diuels be shut vp in hell as it were in a dungeon of darknesse and that they neuer come out except they be forced and raised vp by coniurers Child That is an ignorant false and fantasticate opinion quite contrary to the Scriptures which teach that the diuels are in places héere below Father Is it not a true and warrantable speech to say that the diuels are in hell Child Yes If you take hell metaphorically for the torments they are in and not for any circumscript place for it may be very probably coniectured that the aboad of the diuels is in the ayre and not in any other circumscript place as yet but after the great iudgement they shall goe to their owne place euen that depth or gulfe mentioned Luke 8. vers 3. which they doe quake and tremble to thinke off as appeareth in the Gospell Father What is the estate and condition of diuels in the meane time Child In the meane time they are in chaines of darknesse as Saint Peter saith that is in a most miserable condition of life full of terrible horrour euen as grieuous malefactours hauing receiued the sentence of death are yet for a time retained in a stinking prison vntill they bée drawen out to their full and last execution for S. Iude saith expresly that they are reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse vnto the iudgement of the great day Father Hauing thus farre spoken of God and of the Angels and their fall Let vs now proceed to speake of man and first of all tell me In what estate man was first created Child In a most pure and excellent estate frée from sinne and corruption being made after the very image of God in respect of knowledge wisedome and righteousnesse hauing fréedome of will and Lordship ouer the earth Father How then fell he from this so glorious and perfect estate Child The woman being beguiled by the suggestion of Sathan in the likenesse of a serpent did entise Adam her husband to eate of the forbidden fruit in the middest of the garden and so presently both lost all their former excellency and also wrapped themselues and their whole posterity in perpetuall thraldome and misery and thus sinne first entred into the world and together with sin came death and the curse of God vpon all mankind Father Now since the fall of Adam wherein doth our misery especially consist Child In this that wée are wholly corrupted
with Christ for they doe continually groane vnder this corruption as vnder a most heauie burthen and fetch many a sorrowfull sigh to thinke of it and are euer complaining of it as of a most deadly enemie of theirs And all this wée many clearely sée as it were in a glasse in the example of the Apostle Paule himselfe that most rare and excellent Seruant of God Who taketh vp most pittifull and lamentable complaintes of this poysoned and infected nature I know sayth hée That in mee that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing I allow not that which I doe for what I would that I doe not but what I hate that I doe I doe not the good thing which I would but the euill which I would not that doe I. Now if I doe that I would not it is no more I that doe it but the sinne that dwelleth in mee I finde then that when I would doe good I am thus yoaked that euill is present with mee For I delite in the Law of God concerning the inner man but I see an other Law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind and leading me captiue vnto the Law of sinne which is in my members And in the end hée breaketh out into an out-cry saying O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Father Doe not Vngodly and vnregenerate men likewise mourne vnder this corruption and complaine much of it Child No you shall seldome or neuer heare them cōplaine of it or mourne vnder it For they walke after the foolish and fulfill the lusts thereof with all delight and gréedines being wholly caried after the swing and sway of their owne corrupt affections and desires Father What is the cause hereof Child Because they are forsaken of God and giuen ouer to a great blindnesse of heart and hardnesse of affections so that though their miserie is excéeding great yet they haue little sight and lesse féeling of it Father Doe you not thinke that a man in the state of nature cannot so feele his misery Child Sure it is that a méere naturall man can haue no true sight or liuely féeling of his misery or any sounde desire to come out of it but doth greatly please himselfe in it and is loath to come out of it for the Apostle sayth plainely that the naturall man perceiueth not the thinges of the spirit of God For they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can hée know them béecause they are spiritually discerned Father But may not a naturall and vnregenerate man haue the knowledge of God and the vnderstanding of his wil and so consequently a sight of heauenly things Child Yes a naturall man hath a kinde of knowledge and vnderstanding of God and of his will but it is onely a confused and braine knowledge and a literall vnderstanding of the Scriptures for hée cannot possibly haue the liuely and sauing knowledge which is ioyned with quickening grace Nor that sound vnderstanding and sight which doth lineally descend from the spirit of sanctification Father May not man in the state of nature haue feeling also of God and of heauenly things Child The Scriptures doe teach that a reprobate may haue a kinde both of sight and féeling of heauenly things for hée may bée lightened and tast of the heauenly gift and of the powers of the world to come and also tast of the good woord of God and bée made partaker of the holy Ghost But his sight and tast and féeling can neuer bée sound and good before regeneration So then all the cunning is to know whether the worke of grace in a mans soule bée sounde and currant or no for vnregenerate men are much deceiued with a false light for they doe blindly Imagine y t because they haue some kind of sight and féeling of heauenly things therefore they haue all and the same that is in euery elect Father What difference then doe you make betwixt the knowledge of the elect the reprobate Child The knowledge of the reprobate doth puffe vp The knowledge of the elect doth humble The knowledge of the reprobate is generall and confused The knowledge of the elect is particular and certaine The knowledge of the reprobates is onely literall and historicall The knowledge of the elect is spirituall and experimentall The knowledge of the reprobate is speculatiue The knowledge of the elect is practiue that is ioyned with obedience For howsoeuer a naturall and vnregenerate man may know much yet hath hée not nor can haue any power to doe I meane chearfully and aright till his heart bée enlarged by Christ his will renued by grace The knowledge of the reprobate is like y e knowledge which a mathematicall geographer hath of the earth and all places in it which is but a generall notion and speculatiue comprehension of them But the knowledge of the elect is like the knowledge of a traueller which can speake of experience and féeling and hath béene there and séene and knowen the particulars Father Now tell me further what difference you make betwixt the feeling of the elect and the reprobate Child The reprobate hath a kinde of naturall féeling of sinne but it is without the true hatred of it for in his heart hée loueth it The elect doth so féele his sin that hée hateth it taketh councell against it and praieth against it The féeling of the reprobate is from naturall faculties for hée is not as a blocke without all sence The féeling of the elect is from the spirit of sanctification The féeling of the reprobate ariseth from naturall feare diffidence for man naturally féeleth and feareth dangers so the reprobates féele and feare the wrath of God the accusations of their consciences the punishment of sinne hell fire c. But haue no true féeling of Gods loue towardes them But the elect haue a liuely féeling of Gods loue towards them The reprobate hath sometimes at starts a féeling of spiritual ioy but it vanisheth incontinently The féeling of the ioy of the spirit in the elect is more lasting and often Father As you haue told me much of mans misery in nature so tell mee yet one poynt further whether a man in the state of nature can do any thing that pleaseth God Child A méere naturall man cannot please GOD in any thing he doth but euen his best actions are turned into sinne For the Apostle sayth They which are in the flesh cannot please GOD. And againe hée saith To them that are defiled and vnbéeléeuing is nothing pure but euer their mindes and consciences are defiled Father How long doth a man continue in this wofull and cursed estate wherein he was borne Child Till hée bée regenerate and borne againe For our Lord Jesus affirmeth that except a man bée borne againe hée cannot sée the kingdome of God Father By what meanes doth a man come to be regenerate and borne againe Child By the outward
both in reason vnderstanding will and affections which is the very cause why we are so proone to euill and so vntoward to all goodnesse Father Doth God hate vs for this our naturall corruption Child As an Adder or a Toad is hated of man not so much for the euill it hath done as for the poyson that is in it and the hurt which it cannot but doe so God hateth vs not onely for the euill wée doe but for the euill which wée cannot but doe that is for our poysoned nature which is borne and bred with vs. Father Then you holde that our actuall transgressions doe not first make vs euill Child I hold so indéed For as the hurt which a venemous serpent doth maketh her not a serpent but because shée is a serpent shée poysoneth and hurteth so our euill déedes doe not first make vs euill but because wée are of nature euill therefore wée thinke and doe euill Father Doe you thinke that this originall contagion is wholly in euery particular man or that one man hath one part of it and another man another and so part it among them part and part like Child I thinke thus that as euery man receiued from Adam the whole nature of man so also hée receiued the whole corruption and is cloathed with it as a beast with a skinne his whole nature both bodie soule being oppressed with it as a most infectious leprosie and therefore euery man hath in him from his parents the séede of all sinne which is a naturall disposition pronenesse to commit any sinne whatsoeuer For the spawne of all the horrible sinnes that are practised in the world are in that man which is thought to bée best disposed by nature Father But experience teacheth that some euen by nature are more ciuill gentle and tractable then others Child This commeth to passe not because some men are by nature lesse wicked then others but béecause God by his prouidence doth limit and restraine mens corruptions more or lesse which hée doth for the good of mankinde for if men were wholly left to themselues corruption would so excéedingly break out into all manner of villanies that there should bée no liuing in the world Father It seemeth by this that man is a most contagious and vile nature Child The nature of man in regard of the corruption thereof is the worst of all natures except the Diuell yea worse then the nature of beasts as Lions Woolues Dogs Swine c. for there is in mans nature some thing of euery beasts nature For hée is proud as the Lyon cruell as the Woolue greedy as the Dogge craftie as the For filthy as the Swine leacherous as the Goat c. For looke what degrée of goodnesse wée had in our first creation in Adam the same degrée of euill haue wée in the corruption of our nature by his fall Father But is this naturall corruption alwaies liuely and operatiue in vs I meane in continuall action and operation doth it not sometimes lye dead in vs and cease to worke Child It is alwayes aliue and woorking except where it is kept downe by speciall grace and there also it will not bée held downe one minute longer then speciall grace woorketh and preuayleth in the soule For so soone as the thought or action of grace is out the thought and action of sinne is in Our concupiscence is like a crabbe trée which bringeth foorth alwayes sowre fruit or like an vntilled field which bringeth foorth nothing but wéedes or a lusty strong horse pricked with prouender that carieth his rider headlong ouer hedge and ditch Father But put the case a man should haue no outward obiection to mooue him nor externall prouocations to allure him Doe you not then thinke that this naturall infection would lye dead in him and cease to worke Child Concupiscence would shew it selfe though men were shut vp alone in closets betwéene stonewals where they could haue no externall prouocations yea though there were no Diuell or that the Diuell were chained vp Father Whether then doe you thinke that the Diuell or our corrupt nature are greater enemies to our saluation Or whether doth more euill spring out of our currupt nature then from the diuels suggestion Child First I answere that our corruption is a stronger enemie against vs then Sathan and consequently our selues greater enemies to our selues then the diuell for wée haue no such enemy as our selues and secondly that more greater euill doth spring from our corrupt nature then from Sathans instigation And all this S. Iames doth affirme saying Euery man is tempted when he is drawen away by his owne concupiscence and entised It is the concupiscence that doth first both draw away and entice as for the Diuell he doth but worke vpon our concupiscence and is as it were the bellowes to blow it and fire it without the which he could not come within vs to doe any thing against vs. Father Doe you then thinke that the diuell cannot worke immediately or sine medijs without meanes vpon the soule or heart of man Child I thinke so indéed But that which the Diuell doth vpon the heart is by the externall sences and outward obiects by reason of the hypostaticall vnion betwixt the soule and the bodie for hée worketh and pierceth through the body to affect the soule by reason of the naturall sympathy Father But doth this birth-corruption remaine in the very elect after their regeneration Child Yes vndoubtedly and the children of God haue greatest féeling of it and are most troubled with it and grieued for it strugling with it by all good meanes to suppresse it and kéepe it vnder for sure it is that euen after the people of GOD are iustified and sanctified and assured of eternall life yet they haue their hands full and as wée say towe inough to their Rocke to snib and nippe of those manifolde blossonies and fruites of corruption which dayly and hourely arise and spring vp in their nature For as fast as one is pinched and nipt in the head an other foorthwith springeth and sprouteth out Not vnlike the Monster Hydra with seauen heads that the Heathen write of which hauing one of them cut off seauen others did arise in the stead of it And thus wée sée that the very Elect of GOD haue an endlesse trouble and as wée say worke enough cut out for as long as they liue to repayre this rent and torne nature For alas alas though GOD forgiue vs our sinnes yet doth hée not nor will hée in this life frée vs of naturall corruption Father Is not the knowledge and feeling of this a great corsey and heart smart to the most deare children of God Child Yes verely For there is nothing that doth so sorely pinch them at the heart as the consideration of this which indéede maketh them wearie of their life weary of the world and weary of all and often wish with the Apostle to bée dissolued and to bée