he sets forth the actions of wicked men therefore let not this excuse hinder you from being humble because you doe good Secondly the second deceit or pretence is this they say they have as good meanings as the best whatsoeuer they may speake and they have as good harts as the best whatsoeuer they doe and therefore they are humble enough that is they neede no more humiliation To this I answer briefely you lye for if your actions be naught your heart is worse and if your speeches bee rotten your meaning is farre worse then either thy action or thy speech if your speeches bee rotten and smell of hell and yet say that you meane better or that your meaning is better then you outwardly expresse it is false for we say that if wee see sparkes of fire come out of the chimney we conclude that the fire within is farre greater so if thy speeches and actions be bad thy meaning is worse there is a greater fire within actions are but the fruits of the heart or branches that proceed from it Now in a naturall plant wee say that if the fruit bee bitter the root is much more bitter because the cause is alwaies greater then the effect euen so if thou hast naughty speeches and actions if there be bitternesse in them thy meaning hath much more bitternesse in it because it is the root from which these spring therefore let not your good meaning keepe you from being humble Thirdly the third pretence is this they say it is their nature to bee thus and thus they haue a naturall inclination vnto some particular sinne and therefore they thinke that God will bee mercifull unto them in that thing and they neede not to be humbled To this I answer that this pretence of yours aggravates your sinne the more for the more inclination that there is in your nature unto any particular sinne the greater is the sinne for inclination with consent is more odious unto God then a violent lust not consented unto which may sometimes breake out in a regenerate man without full consent the more inclination the more cause of humiliation this did David hee adds unto his sins his inclination to sinne to aggrauate them the more and to humble him the more as if the inclination gaue a greater strok upon his conscience then the action it selfe as in Psal. 51. I was borne in iniquity and in sinne did my mother conceiue me that is that which makes my sin the more heynous and offensiue unto God is this because it proceeds from a naturall inclination of my corrupt nature it was borne with him and it grew up with him and this was that that troubled him and thus it is with every regenerate man Secondly to this I answer that when a man hath any inclination unto any sinne there is not such an inclination but it is or may bee restrayned by the minde but if the mind giue consent then like woade it adds unto the colour and makes the sin the more inexcusable because there is no reluctancie in the will against it but yeelds it strength unto the inclination therefore if you doe thus you add transgression unto the sinne take heede of plucking away your strength in resisting your naturall inclinations for know that it is one thing to be beset with sinne and another thing to consent unto it therefore let your inclination of nature be as it is a cause to humble you and not to keepe you from humiliation The fourth deceit or pretence is from their conditions which keepe them from beeing humble especially in the younger sort who thinke themselues in such condition that they haue a kinde of priviledge and neede not to bee humble therefore the wise man Eccl. 11. well knowing the folly of youth and what a vaine thing it will bee to reclaime them from their sinnes saith Reioyce O young man in thy youth as if hee should say for you young men it will bee a vaine thing for mee to speake unto you you will not forgoe your pleasures and your lusts and bee humbled therefore for your parts reioyce that is take your fill goe on in that course that you will not bee reclaymed from But yet remember that for all these things you must come to iudgement that is you shall bee called to an account for all your vaine and sinfull pleasures and humbled for them if not humble To this I answer for any man to thinke that hee may have excuse for sinnes because hee is in such or such a condition except they bee sinnes of infirmity hee is a foole hee never knew for what end hee came into the world for example Is thy condition greater then others art thou richer or more honourable or wise or more beautifull or strong then others are thou hast the greater cause to serve God and bee humble and that for these reasons First because you haue more accounts to make up then others have and againe you haue more wages then others have and therefore you are more inexcusable if you be negligent and carelesse where much is given there much shall be required you are bound with greater bonds and therefore your forfeits are much greater if you breake with God if a Master giue great wages vnto his servant it will bee but a vaine excuse a false reasoning if hee should thence conclude that therefore he may be more carelesse then others nay rather he should conclude the contrary that because my Master doth thus and thus for me therefore I ought to be more careful and diligent then others and if it be thus before men how can you imagine that this will excuse you before God Secondly you had more neede to bee humble because your knowledge is or should be the more and therfore in Ier. 5. 5. saith God I will goe into the house of the great men for they know my name that is they have more time to get knowledge then others haue that are in meaner conditions they haue not such meanes such time such opportunitie to get knowledge as you haue they have many outward hinderances which you have not but these have broken the yoke wherefore a Lyon shall slay them and that is because they be ignorant I will not excuse them I will take a strict account of them because they ought to know me better then others that have not the like meanes that are not freed from the distracting cares of the world as they were therefore let all in high places labour to excell in grace and abound above others in spirituall knowledge and take an example from the Nobles of Berea as they were more honorable then others in regard of place so they were above others in regard of grace they searcht the Scripture they abounded in spirituall knowledge Thidly consider that as your wages are more and your talents are more and your accounts are more so likewise your
feare there is in them the root of comfort remaining There are many examples that may bee brought to prove the same but I know none like that of our Saviour Christ who although he was in such unspeakeable horror of conscience that it made him cry out My God my God why hast thou for saken mee yet this horror was mingled with faith comfort and the assurance of Gods favour So Gods Children may have such sorrow and be so drunken with wormewood that it may make them not to know what to doe yet in all this griefe the fire of Gods love is not quite extinguished but there are some sparkes thereof remaining under these ashes Here is a Caveat to be given of two things First Let those that are in this disposition of minde take heed of that that Satan in this condition may labour to bring us unto for then they are in a disease and those that are in a disease incline unto some thing Take heed then of polluting the Sabbath and other sinnes that hee may intice thee to for Sanus and AEger differ the one desires one thing the other another Secondly Something must bee done positively for the healing of our griefe when that we are in sorrow wee must pitch it upon the proper object to wit sinne and put away all worldly sorrow for that bringeth death but sorrow for sinne that bringeth life All these things thus being expounded the point is manifest That sinne and Gods wrath being charged on the conscience are exceeding terrible Indeed when the burthen lyes on the ground we feele it not but when it lyes on our shoulders So before this horror is charged on the conscience wee feele it not but then is it exceeding terrible It is with griefe as it is with joy There are three things in all joy 1. There is a good thing 2. There is the conjunction of that good thing to us 3. A reflect knowledge thereof So also in griefe there are threethings 1. There is a bad thing 2. The conjunction of that to us 3. The reflecting of the understanding whereby we know the hurt that comes to us thereby When a man feeles and sees and knowes his sinne then is it unsupportable and the reason thereof is because that then a mans spirit is wounded and cannot beare it selfe The Reasons of this point are these three First because that sinne and Gods wrath are in themselves the greatest evill as righteousnesse and Gods favour are the greatest good Men may thinke that punishment were the greatest evill but it is not for that is but the effect of sinne sinne is the cause thereof now we know that the cause is alwayes greater than the effect Now when God shall open our eyes to see this sinne and Gods wrath then it will be an insupportable burthen This is the reason that at the day of Judgement the wicked shall cry Hils and Mountaines fall upon us to hide us from the presence of the Judge because that then God shall open their eyes to see their sinnes which if hee should doe now while they are here on earth would make them cry out as much As it is with comfort so it is with griefe If we know not of it it affects us not As the Army that was about Gebezai it comforted not him because hee saw it not So for griefe although hell and damnation be about us yet if we see it not wee doe not regard it The second Reason is taken from Gods manner of working on the spirit of the creature hee then leaveth it now wee are to know That the greatest comfort the Creature hath is the fruition of Gods presence the greatest griefe is his absence if we want that wee are deprived of all comfort as if the Sunne be absent wee are deprived of all light If there were but a little comfort remaining that would serve to hold the head above the water but if all comfort bee gone it then presently sinketh The proper object of feare and griefe is the absence of good and prelence of evill and both them come by the privation of Gods presence The third Reason is taken from the nature of conscience it selfe when it is awakened because that then it is sensible of the least sinne for every faculty as it is larger so it is more capable of joy and griefe therefore men are said to be more capable of joy and griefe than the bruit beasts and in man the soule is more capable than the body and in the soule conscience of all other parts most capable and as the conscience is capable of the greatest griefe so also of the greatest comfort it is capable of the peace of God which passeth all understanding And surely this horror of conscience is nothing else but a sparke of hell fire which the Heathen had some inkling of when they sayd they were exagitated with the furies Seeing then that the wrath of God is thus insuppartable this should teach us in all things especially to labour to keepe a good conscience and to labour to be free from the guilt of sinne if the wrath of God be the greatest evill then should the whole streame of our endevours be to take heed thereof by labouring for to keepe a pure conscience Proportion your care herein to the good that will come thereby it will bring the unspeakeable comfort without this labour to keepe a good conscience thou wilt neuer have thy heart perfect therefore labour for it consider the good it bringeth Men busie their heads here to the utmost for other things as for Learning Credit Riches Honour and all because they thinke that they are worthy their labour Let us then but consider the fruit that this peace of conscience will bring let us but gather up our thoughts that are busied so much about other things and but consider this a little which if men would but doe they would spend more time about it then they d ee for now these things are done but by the bye and have not that tithe of the time spent about them that should be which we spend about other things But let such know that it is but a folly to goe about that worke with a finger which requires the strength of the whole body When this worke of the building of grace doth require the whole strength of a man and we put not our whole strength thereto it is no marvell if we doe not prosper therein Let us therefore seriously consider our wayes let us consider with what tentations the Devill daily assayeth us Consider that it were as good get ground of the raging Sea as of raging lusts Consider these things with thy selfe I am verily perswaded that the chiefest cause why there is so much deadnesse in those that belong unto Christ is because they consider not their wayes Take time therefore to consider thy wayes It is no wonder to see men complaining of their weaknesse when
be strong in the inward man and the joyfullest heart that hath his inhabiting with God and Christ. 4. Because it brings sufficiency and plentie of all good into the soule and we say that if a man hath a good outward estate he is like to hold out if a famine should come so it is with a Christian if he bee strong in the inward man though a famine should come hee is likely to hold out and keepe that which he hath but on the contrary when a man is poore in the inward man as it is with a body that is weake every thing that it hath is ready to be taken away But as a bowle that hath a byas the strength of the arme takes away the byas so strength in the Inward man takes away the byas of shame and reproach which otherwise would draw us to despaire and makes us to goe on stoutly and to beare afflictions strongly babes you know cannot beare that which a strong man can neither are they able to hold out in any thing as a strong man is able Therefore that you may hold out labour to be strong in the Inward man 5. because it strengthens a man against temptations and therefore the Apostle saith Bee stedfast and unmooveable for it makes us to stand fast in Christ so that nothing shall breake us off from Christ neither temptation nor affliction nor reproach Contrary what is the reason that temptations presse men so sore as they doe but because they are not carefull to grow more strong in the inward man This showes how they are to be blamed that seeke this strength least of all or not at all for let us looke upon men and we shall see how busie they are to get the riches and honour and pleasure of the body but few or none regarding this strength which is the riches and honour and pleasure of the soule for the health beauty and strength of the outward man all take great care spend much time about them much labour in them to adde any thing unto them but for the beautie of the Inward man they care not for that they respect not that All their care is for their backes and bellies still regarding the things that may raise their outward estate but never minding the strengthning of the inward man which will appeare more plainely by this Aske but such men why they doe not pray or heare or receive the Sacrament oftner then they doe to this you shall heare them answer that they cannot for businesses they have great employments in the world and they must not neglect them to doe such and such things as if the inward man were neither worth the getting or having And yet these men will be as good men as the best Againe see it in your selves This day is appointed for the strengthning of the inward man but how doe you neglect it how often were you in prayer and holy meditation before or how often since have you seriously considered on the things that you have heard or how have you cast aside your occasions of businesses in your callings or whether be they not now fresh in your memories nay doe not your hearts run after them even now when I am perswading you to the contrary If they be whatsoever you say of your selves you have not the care you ought to have to grow strong in the Inward man And yet that you may see that you have good reason to strengthen the inward man First you old men consider you and bethinke with your selves how soone your inward man may be throwne out of doores Therefore you have great cause to strengthen it and grow strong in it Secondly you young men as for you you have need to strengthen the inward man because as there is a time of springing and growing strong for you in the inward man so there is a time of not springing that is when you will have much to doe to keepe that which you have without increasing of it therefore whilest the time is take heed of neglecting the time It is no rule to be followed That God cals at all times for thou know'st not whether he will call thee and therfore do thou labor to grow strong in the inward man to perswade you the more consider these particulars 1. Cōsider the excellency of the inward man that it wil fit you for great imploymērs as for example it will make you to see God in his holinesse and to converse with God to have such a holy familiarity with Him as will joy the soule this will bring you so acquainted with God that you wil be esteemed of him as one of his familiars therefore this shold perswade you to strengthen the inward man Secondly consider that you are to be made like unto the Image of God if you will be saved but this cannot be except you strengthen the Inward man and therefore the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 1. As he that hath called you is holy so bee you holy in all manner of conversation that is seeing you are called unto such a high place as to be the sonnes of God by grace what a base thing is it for you to stoupe unto base things what a base thing were it that an Eagle should stoop at flies And although it is unseemely in that creature yet men doe the like and are not ashamed men will stoope to the world and will bee any mans vassall and bee any thing what any would have them to be if it may but inlarge their outward estate But beloved there is a great losse and basenesse in it for what is Gold or honour or pleasure to Christ grace and holinesse In every thing wherein there is losse it grieves and paines vs we grieve when we see Wheate given unto Hogs which would bee mans meate wee grieve when we set up a faire building on which we have bestowed much cost and labour and then to have Iim and Chim to dwell therein and not our selves And if we be subject to grieve for these things then how much more have we cause to grieve when we see men give themselves unto their lusts that is they give their soules to bee a harbor for their lusts which ought to be a Temple for the holy Ghost Thirdly consider that it is the inward man that enables a man to doe those things that are honourable unto God and profitable unto men no man can truely honour God that doth it not by the strength of the inward man neither can any man truely be said to profit another except what hee does flowes from the inward man unto him therefore the Apostle saith Col. 3. 2. Set your affections on things above and not on things below but Satan comes and robs us of all the good that otherwayes we might doe and first he robs us of our selves by stealing from us the strength of the inward man and then secondly he robs our parents of
loath the creature but sinne all the imperfections and blemishes and diseases and infirmities of the creature makes not God to loath it if there be not a mixture of sinne with it because they are not contrary unto God they fight not against God but sinne fights against the purity and holinesse of God and therefore Gods hatred of the creature is onely a hatred for sinne Secondly to us it is the greatest evill the argument stands thus that which deprives us of the greatest good is the greatest evill but this sinne doth Ergo. for it doth deprive us of all things that are good but especially of two things wherin standeth our chiefest good As first it deprives us of the best outward good which is God as the Prophet saith Your sinnes separate betweene you and your God and they keepe good things from you of all other good especially they hinder the comming of grace into your hearts Now what greater evill can there be then this to keepe both God and his Grace from us Secondly it deprives us of the chiefest good within us as for example First it deformes the beautie and strength of the inward man Secondly it weakens that grace that is within that is it makes us unable to resist evill this is the nature of sinne Thirdly if you cannot see it in these then come unto the effects that it workes and it will appeare to be the greatest evill First it turnes all the faculties and parts of the soule body to evill and is the breeder of all distemperature as feare and horrour in the soule Secondly it brings all the evill that doth befall a man in this life they all come by sinne all shame reproach povertie disgrace punishment comes by sinne now if you will but consider sinne in these you will see it to be evill but especially you shall see the evill of sinne in a distressed conscience what feare what amazement what astonishment and despaire what sorrow what anguish of heart is there as upon Iudas no restitution will serve no comfort will worke no perswasion will prevaile thus if you looke upon sinne it will appeare the greatest evill Fourthly sinne is the greatest evill if you consider the medicine that must come to heale it Christ must lay downe his glory for a time hee must abase himselfe hee must come from heaven to earth he must take our nature upon him and humble himselfe unto a cursed death before sinne can be healed now put them altogether sinne is evill by nature Againe it is evill because it deprives us of the greatest good both within us and without us it is the cause of all diseases shame and reproach such an evill that nothing will heale but the blood of Christ looke upon sinne thus cloathed and it will appeare the greatest evill Make conscience therefore of little sinnes for they bring great evils though the sands of the Seas be but little yet a many heaped together make a great burthen so sinne though but in an idle word thought or behaviour seeme to be but a little sinne yet lay many of them together and they will breake the soule and make it barren and unfit to good if a man owe but little debts yet if they be many if he looke and cast them up in the totall hee will finde himselfe presently to bee but a bankerupt so it is with sinne what though the sinne be but a little sinne yet give this a little vent put it to action and this sinne will proove a great sinne give once consent and in time it will be a raigning sinne and when it is thus then it turnes the soule into evill sets it on a rage imprisons it makes it to obey and to be a slave to Sathan now what greater evill can there bee then sinne thus much for the first meanes to get the Iudgement rectified which will see sinne so as to humble it The second meanes to be humbled is this you must labour to make your hearts fit to be humble and that you may doe this you must doe these things First you must labour to get some sense of holinesse that is you must get the heart in a frame of grace for except a man get the spirit he will not be humbled but when there is holinesse bred in the heart then he will see sinne to be humble hee will see sinne out of his place Take any heavy thing especially water and in its place it is not heavy but let it be remooved out of its place and it will be a heavy burthen even so will sinne bee unto you when you have once gotten the spirit you will then see sinne out of his place and to be a heavy burthen that you will not willingly beare it but you will stoope under it and therefore the more holinesse that any man gets the more will be his sight of sinne and where there is most sight of sinne there will be most griefe for sinne and this griefe is alwayes accompanied with this humiliation that I speake of and where there is the greatest humiliation for sinne there is the greatest doore of mercy opened where there is most sence of sinne there the heart is best fitted for grace and in this case the more tender of conscience the better Christian. Secondly if you would be fit to bee humble consider another thing which is the punishment of sinne if you continue in sinne you shall be damned deprived of glory you were once good consider now wherein your happinesse consists consider that you have an immortall soule and that you must be called to an account the serious considerations of these things will make you to bee humble Nebuchadnezzar when he is brought to be like a beast then he confesseth that the Lord is God and humbles himselfe even so should wee Againe doe but consider that all things are in the hands of God and that every one of you in particular are and that he is able presently to dispose of you as he will Againe consider that God is alwayes every where that hee sees all things and that he will judge all men and that a day of judgement a day of departure to judgement is appointed unto all consider also the severity of the Iudge the sentence that hee will pronounce the punishment that he will inflict the eternity of the time I say if men would but consider these things wishly they would not goe on in sinne as they doe but the want of consideration of these things keepes men from Christ. For if the adulterer would but consider what the Scripture saith that no adulterer shall be saved or if the covetous man or drunkard c. that wholly devotes themselves unto evill would but consider that in 1 Cor. 6. 9. that none of these should inherit the Kingdome of God they would not goe on in sinne as they doe Againe if they did but consider that all sinne ends in paine that
iudgements shall bee more if you be an example either of euill to others or evill to your selfe I say the greater you are in place the greater should be your care because the greater is your sinne Inferiors depend upon superiors consider I pray if you bee eminent in place what a good example from you will doe unto others that are under you and on the contrary what evill will follow from being carlesse and prophane they will marke you for an example to euill therefore you see that the greater conditions that you are in the more cause you haue to be humble The sixt meanes to get humiliation is this you must be earnest with God to get the spirit for this makes the law effectuall the flesh profiteth nothing it is the spirit that quickneth the law and the letter of the law will not worke grace in you no more then the flesh will except the spirit goe with it It is the spirit that alwaies enlighteneth the minde and workes a change in the whole man and puts new habits on the faculties and objects sit for those habits and here now appeares the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell nothing will make a man truely humble without the spirit If the Lord should speake unto you this day as he spake heere to Paul yet if the spirit did not shine into your hearts it would not bee effectuall to humble you it is not the word but the spirit in the word that is able to change you and make you new creatures I say if Eliah should preach unto you or one in the spirit of Eliah hee would never humble you except the spirit accompany it it will be but like the shaking of the earth unto the Iayler Acts 16. but it must bee the spirit that changes your hearts but when the spirit comes and gives but a glimps of that light in the soule then hee can cry to Paul Sirs what shall wee doe to bee saued Felix at the preaching of Iudgement can tremble but it is the spirit that opened Lydias hart to beleeue I say if you had Paul and Eliah and Iohn Baptist that came in the spirit of Eliah yet it were nothing worth if you get not the spirit therefore be ye earnest with God to get the spirit and never rest till you finde him in your soule and remember that there was a time when the Angel stirred the water at the Poole of Bethesda that they that first stepped in were healed of what disease soeuer they had So there is a time when the Lord turnes and when the spirit mooues the heart to good let vs make vse of this opportunity and strike while the Iron is hott and grinde while the the windes blow and watch euery opportunitie because the spirit will come and mooue the heart as the Angel did the water that so wee may first steppe in and bee healed therefore if you would get humiliation bee earnest for the spirit and you may haue him for asking it is Christs promise to give him if you want him it is because you doe not aske him aske therefore that you may have him and be humbled The 7th meanes is this that as we must get the spirit so we must adde the word it is true that the spirit is the only meanes to make us humble it is the efficient meanes without which nothing will humble us it is as true also of the word because the spirit makes the word as the instrumentall meanes to humble us and therefore if you would be humble you must joyne with the Spirit the Word and that you may have the word effectually to humble you you must doe these things First you must labour to get the saving knowledge of the word because it is the meanes to humble you that is the Word with the Spirit inlightens the soule for as a man that is in the darke cannot see any thing till hee have a candle so he that is ignorant of the Word he is in darknesse and cannot see his sinnes in such a manner as to humble him or as a man cannot see the motes that are in the house till the Sunne shine into the house though they were in the house before so hee that hath not the saving knowledge of the Word in his heart cannot see the severall windings and twinings and corners corruptions of his heart till by the Spirit he come unto the saving knowledge of the Word Ahab saw not the chariots and Horsemen of Israel which Micha saw because he was Ignorant of the Word and therefore the Lord saith Ierem. 31. 34. they shall know mee from the greatest unto the least they thinke they do know me but indeede they doe not but then they shall know me that is when I haue giuen them my spirit and by the spirit they haue attained unto the true knowledge of the word then they shall know me they knew me before and they knew sinne before but now they shall know sinne by the word in another manner then they did so Paul Rom. 7. saith I knew sinne by the law that is I knew sinne before but now I know sinne by the word in another manner then I did I saw it but not with that hew as I did before the law had made mee to see things in another colour then afore Labour as to get the spirit so to get the sauing knowledge of the word The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 2. 10. that the spirit searcheth the deepe things of God now these things are showne unto us by the word they are plainely discouered unto the soule in another manner then before Knowledge workes a deepe impression unto the soule of a Christian and searcheth into the corruptions of the heart into the diuers lusts of the flesh findes them poysonable and hence is humbled for where there is the greatest knowledge there is the greatest light and where there is the greatest light there is most filth seene and where there is most corruption seene there is greatest cause of humiliation therefore that the word may humble you labour to abound in knowledge Secondly as you must know the word so you must receiue the word as the word of God if you will haue the word to humble you you must receive it as Gods Word and from God for if it doe come unto you and be not received of you as the Word of God but as the word of man it will neither enlighten you nor humble you this is the difference betweene the word that is received as from God and the Word that is received as from men if you receive it as from God it will worke effectually in you it will make you to renounce the world it will worke feare and humiliation in you but if it come as the word of man it will be slighted by you it will take no solide roote in you it will wither and bring forth no fruite in you and therefore
and servitude that there in making brickes they did undergoe His second deceipt is this he tels us that though we sinne yet we may escape and goe to heaven notwithstanding I answer Doe but remember what God saith to this temptation Deut. 29. 19. When hee shall heare the words of this curse if hee shall blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace although I walke according to the stubbornenesse of mine owne heart quasi dixit though I commit such and such sinnes yet notwithstanding I shall goe to heaven but marke what God saith I willnot be mercifull unto that man but my wrath and my jealousie shall smoake against him every curse that is written in this booke shall light upon him and his name shall be roâ—ted out from under heaven So Esd. 28. 12. I will disanull your covenant and your agreement with hell shall not stand qvasi dixit when a man thinkes he shall efcape hell and goe to heaven though he commitsinne he doth as it were make a covenant with hell but God saith that covenant shall not stand So Esd. 44. 11. Destruction shall come suddenly on them and they shall not know the morning thereof Indeed perhaps they say we will repent in the meane time but I wish them seriously to consider the fore-named places Thirdly the Divell tels us that though we commit finne yet we may leave it when we will But for the answer of this know it is a meere delusion for can a black-moore change his skinne Ier. 13. 23. Suppose a black-moore should be warned to come before a Prince with a faire skinne and have a weekes space to prepare himselfe and deferre it untill the last day thinking he could doe it soone enough would he not be accounted a foole yet a black-moore shall sooner change his skin then a wicked man depart from his evill way Sinne is like to sicknesse it weakens the strength of the mind of the judgment and affections and takes away all our purposes which we had at the first If a man that is sicke can keepe his strength then may a man that lives in finne keepe his and rouze himselfe up by repentance at his pleasure but it is not so its God onely that giveth repentance now the spirit bloweth were it lusteth If you say I will be sorrowfull forsake my sinnes and repent when sicknesse comes this will hardly prove true repentance for Iudas did so This repentance most commonly riseth from selfe-love every creature loveth his owne safety so at death a man is willing to leave sinne but this comes from nature and selfe-love because he would not goe to hell and most commonly thesemen if it please God that ever they recover out of their sicknesses they fall into the same courses againe Fourthly He will excuse our sinne by some vertues wherewith it hath affinity he will put on us palliata vitia those vices that have some neerenesse to vertue I answer howsoever the divell may use such distinctions to helpe out his baits to sinne for a time yet in the time of trouble they will not hold out but appeare as they are indeed Fifthly He makes men beleeve their nature is prone to it and they cannot leave it If I were as such and such men are indeed I could abstaine but my nature is such that it will not suffer me I answer Thou must know that this doth not excuse but aggravate thy sinne if thy nature be prone to any sinne know that the sinne is much more grievous we loathe a toad because of the venomous nature of it so God loatheth our nature because its sinfull As a drunken man that murthers another commits a double sinne one of drunkennesse another of murther which comes from drunkennesse so if our nature be prone to any sin which we commit it s a double sinne first in that it is naturall to us and originall secondly that we commit thereby originall transgressions We had you know a part in Adams sinne by propagation now if we have a hand in it our selves by our strong inclinations thereunto wee our selves are causes thereof likewise let us not therefore goe about to excuse our selves with this that because I am of an other temper then another man I may take more liberty and God will beare with us herein for God certainly will beare with us the lesse Sixthly He will turne away thy thoughts from the sinne and fasten them on something else so Iudas his eye at the first was fastened on the thirty peeces of silver but afterwards he thought of his sinne For this I commend unto you Davids practice I considered my wayes and turned my feet unto thy testimonies So looke thou first upon thy sinne before thou commit it and labour to see his cunning therein If David had seriously looked on the sinne of adultery before he had committed it he would never have done it hence is it that the Wise man councelleth us Prov. 4. last Ponder thy wayes aright c. And this is commonly the greatest deceit of all Seventhly Helabours to draw men on to sinne by degrees by a little and a little he never aggravates the sin at the first but extenuates it I answer when water hath gotten a little passage it will soone make a great breach one little wedge makes way for a greater so it may be a man commits but a little sinne at the first but afterward the Divell drawes him to commit greater A man that commits sinne is as one in a quicke sand who sinkes deeper and deeper or as a little sparke that kindles a great fire Seeing therefore the case standeth thus we ought to resist the beginnings of sin and give peremptory deniall to the first temptations And thus much for this point Now followeth the third point viz. the repentance of Iudas in these words Hee repented himselfe c. which repentance of his consisteth of three parts 1. His restitution he brought againe c. 2. His confession I have sinned c. 3. He was sorrowfull From which repentance of his learne this Doctrine That there is a false repentance confession and restitution that is very like the true repentance confession and restitution and can hardly be discerned This repentance consession and restitution which Iudas made was not true yet it was very like to true Such was that of Saul Ahab and the rest Such is the repentance of many at this day who in some good mood or in some afflictions seeme to repent but this repentance breakes as bubbles and vanisheth as the lightning in the ayre This repentance is false yet so like the true that the difference betweene them is very hard to discerne although in themselus they differ much as true gold and counterfeit are hard to be discerned asunder by us although in themselves there is a broad difference as much as betweene gold and copper This false
repentance may goefarre 1. If we consider the substance of it 2. If we consider the concommitants First if we consider the substance it may goe farre for 1. He may seriously consider his wayes 2. He may have a kinde of sorrow for his sins 3. He may sue for pardons for his sinnes as doe many hypocrites 4. He may desire faith and repentance as Francis Spira did But here wee must know that there is a twofold desire of faith and repentance First from a selfe-love not out of a love to the graces but feare of hell and this may be in false repentance Secondly From a love to the graces having sensibly tasted them this desire is grace 5. There may be an amendment for a time as did Saul and Pharaoh 6. He may come to that passe that if the sinne were to be committed againe he would not doe it for all the world as Iudas Secondly Trve repentance and false are very like in respect of their concomitants 1. This false repentance may cause a remorse yea it may bring forth teares as we may see in Saul 1 Sam. 24. 17. he lift up his voice and wept 2. This false repentance may cause confession freely and fully as did Pharaoh Exod. 9. 27. taking shame to himselfe and ascribing glory to God thus did Saul 1 Sam. 26. 21. he confessed that he had sinned exceedingly so that one would have thought that it had beene true 3. It may cause them to fast and pray for pardon as did Ahab 1 Kings 21. 27. but it was not in truth but onely in the time of his misery 4. They may come to Restitution as Iudas did 5. They may bring forth some fruits of amendment of life so that verie farre this false Repentance may goe as the second and third ground And now behold true Repentance in substance and concomitants what can you finde more in it hence it is that so many are deceived with false repentance which is so like the true but bring them to the touchstone and you shall finde a broad difference betweene them as after you shall see Now the Reasons of this Point are taken from the false grounds from whence repentance comes which are these 1. It comes from selfe-love when sinne proves hurtfull and the hurt is neere at hand then it may worke but all out of selfe-love An hypocrite when he finds fire in the sinne hee throwes it away but when once the fire is out of the coale hee will play with it and foole himselfe hee feares onely the fire not the foulenesse of sinne he hates the sting not the sinne 2. This repentance comes from the common gifts of the holy Ghost which a carnall man may have as First Hee may disapprove the foulenesse of sinne Secondly Hee may hate the uglinesse thereof But here we must know that the light of nature is extinguished in some more then in others as no doubt but that it was rife in Iudas When sinnes rightly are propounded to us farre we may goe in false repentance Thirdly their repentance comes from the beauty sweetnesse and excellency a carnall man may finde in Gods wayes which may make him amend and turne unto God for a while as in the time of Iohn Baptist they confessed and turned to him but it was but for a while the reason was because he was a burning and a shining light and they rejoyced in his light So the second ground found a sweetnesse in the Word and left all but yet returned as 2 Pet. 2. latter end Some in the excellency of Preaching may see a sweetnesse and rejoyce a while but yet returne againe to their sinnes Fourthly Their repentance may arise from a good Family company or Ministry Thus Ioash 2 Chro. 24. good while Iehojada lived which seemes to be thirtie yeeres so Vzzia 2 Chro. 26 was good all the dayes of Zacharia so many are good while they are under carefull Governours and in good company so long as good meanes last they will be good I cannot compare such men better then to the Swine which whilest they are in faire meddowes keepe themselves cleane which is no thanke to them but the place but as soone as they come to the mire they tumble in it so will these men so soone as opportunitie is given them 2. So likewise confession may arise from false grounds First from passion being in good moods they confesse sometimes not otherwaies but sound humiliation as a spring makes us alwayes ready to confesse Secondly From some evident discovery of his sinnes when the light shines so in his eyes that he cannot but confesse as Saul when he evidently saw Davids kindnesse could not but confesse Thirdly From some extorting cause as here did Iudas when God and his conscience prest him to it so did Pharaoh when he was under the racke Thirdly Restitution may also arise from false grounds There was a great difference betweene the restitution of Iudas and Zacheus Iudas was sicke and opprest with his silver peeces as a man of meat in his stomacke therefore no wonder though hee would be rid thereof but Zacheus did it most willingly and freely This sheweth unto us the vanity of the Popish doctrine which makes but three parts of Repentance Confession Contrition Satisfaction all these had Iudas yet who can say he truly repented one may doe all that they say yet be damned Let men then looke to themselves that have not gone as farre as Iudas namely have not repented confessed and restored for though these be in false repentance yet are they in true also onely in false there are these onely in true there is these and more also for as the guilt in counterfeit gold which makes it like the true is good so the fault is that it is not throughout such as the outside is so these things in false repentance are good the fault is that their grounds are not good also And againe they which have gone as farre as Iudas and seeme to have repented let them try themselves and take heed they be not deceived Now there are two things that hinder us from judging aright of our estate 1. Vnwillingnesse to search 2. Unability to judge First Unwillingnesse to search and the causes of that are these First because they have beene long sure and others so judge of them and therefore now they are loath to call in question their estate But let such know that nothing can establish their state more for either your repentance was sound and then the more comfort unto you if you search or else it was not sound and then the sooner you discover the falsenesse thereof the sooner you may amend it 2. It is because they are unwilling to make their hearts fully sound they would not be perfect they will have some sinne to dally with but this is great folly in men for want of one steppe more to misse heaven and to make shipwracke in the haven of their happinesse Secondly inabilitie
is a great difference between the hypocrite and the godly man for an hypocrite purposely keepeth some roome for his sin but the godly man desires to be reproved will willingly suffer admonition and desires no exempt place for his decrest sins but would thorowly be tried But you will further object that godly men both have and doe often relapse I answer he differs much from the wicked for 1. The godly man strives against that sinne most to which he is most inclined by using all meanes against it and shunning all the occasions thereof which the wicked man doth not 2. Although the godly man relapse yet he never comes to allow himselfe in that sin the wicked finding sin pleasing sits downe and followes it as Saul who purposed not to persecute David but finding it pleasing to his lust continued therein Pharaoh for a time would let the people of Israel goe but afterward for his pleasure stayed them 3. They differ in the issue the godly man gets the victory over his sin but sin gets the victory over the wicked man 4. Hypocriticall repentance is violent and earnest at the first slack afterwards but true grace grows more and more false is like a land-flood great on a sudden but quickly dried up again but in true grace it 's as in a naturall birth the begining is small but it growes stronger and stronger hypocrites are hot at the first but quickly grown coole I deny not but that a godly man may abate of his strength of grace as a childe may fall sicke and abate of his strength and beauty but it 's but a sicknesse and commonly after it they shoot up the more so the godly though for a while they may be sicke yet afterward they grow in grace the more for that sicknesse The motion of the wicked is violent swiftest at the first but slacke afterward but the motion of the godly is naturall slowest at the first but after it 's swifter and swifter 2. Having already shewne the difference betweene true and false repentance I will now shew the difference betweene true and false confession True Confession is an infallible signe of grace many thinke it an easie matter but to confesse aright is a very hard thing Many confesse for some by-ends or some extorting cause but true Confession hath these three properties First it 's particular it confesseth the least and secretest corruption in the heart and not onely grosse sinnes But the hypocrite although he may confesse some grosse sinnes yet never comes to full particular Confession Secondly true Confession is constant but false is onely in some good mood or in some affliction as sicknesse c. Thirdly true Confession ariseth from a good ground namely a base conceit of our selves a true shame and an earnest desire onely to glorifie God with a full purpose wholly to debase themselves and a perfect resolvtion to forsake the sinne hee confesseth which the wicked never doe 3. Restitution that is true and right differs from false Because hypocriticall restitution is in necessitie when hee cannot helpe it but it 's a burden to him then hee casts it away as a dogge doth his vomit when he is sicke by it thus Iudas restored but when we care for it and it 's pleasing to us then to restore it is a signe of grace thus did Zacheus chearefully when hee might have kept it The hypocrite restores as the Merchant that casteth his goods into the Sea unwillingly yet will rather lose them then his life Thus have we seene that there is a false repentance confession and restitution much like to the true and how they differ Then seeing there is such similitude betweene false repentance and true this should teach us what to judge of such mens repentance which is onely in the time of sicknesse it 's greatly to bee feared that it 's even such as Iudas his was false and hypocriticall onely in some mood Lastly if this Repentance of Iudas was not true what shall wee thinke of them that have not gone so farre as Iudas did to repent confesse and restore surely this is the case of many now adayes All these things that were in the repentance of Iudas are good and commendable in true repentance but we must exceed it before wee can come at heaven and therefore if they that doe not exceed it shall never come there what shall become of those that come farre short of it Next marke the name Iudas now gives Christ he calls him Innocent I have sinned in betraying of Innocent blood Whence learne That those things which are good are approved to mens consciences whether they will or no. Iudas confesseth Christ innocent now this put not a new conceit of Christ into his conscience but made him confesse what before he thought in his conscience to be so But some may say that many men that are worthy Instruments of Gods glory find envie and hatred here amongst men Indeed it 's true but it will bee but for a short time before the mist will be expelled from before their consciences and afterward although their consciences for a while may be tongue-tyed yet they will openly approve them to be good men as Iudas here did Christ. First because it 's not in the power of men to judge as they will but they must judge according to the light of conscience that is in them they cannot but see what 's presented unto them by conscience as the eye being open cannot but see what is shewed to it and it 's so naturall to the conscience to see truth for light is put into the conscience even of the wicked by God himselfe Hence is that that the Evangelist Saint Iohn sayes Ioh. 1. The light shined in darkenesse Where by light is meant the naturall light of conscience which although it maketh not men obedient to the truth yet it maketh them to acknowledge the truth Therefore Conscience by the Schoolemen is called a Virgin because it is not defiled by untruths but ever murmurs against evill and assents to truth and good it may be opprest somewhat but ever keepes it selfe streight in judgement therefore the false judgement of the wicked comes not from conscience but from lusts which when they are gone as in death or often before then they speake the truth Secondly because God will have glory from all the creatures that hee hath made and they cannot but acknowledge it to be right therfore they which sinne against the holy Ghost though they hate goodnesse because they count it not good to them yet in it selfe they thinke it to be good therefore the Devils beleeving and trembling comes from their conscience This should teach us to thinke well of the waies of God although others speake against them for it is for some secret cause and inwardly they doe approve of them in their consciences while they live and oft witnesse the same at
knowledge of Arts and Sciences by these he may see both into naturall and spirituall things in some measure but I say hee cannot see as hee should except hee have added unto this another sight which is the sight that the spirit brings and therefore it is called the opening of the eyes and the boring of the eares and it is the same that St. Iohn speakes of in Iohn 1. 5. That the light shone in darkenesse and the darkenesse comprehended it not before a man have this sight of the spirit whatsoever he sees yet it is with a great deale of darkenesse but when the spirit comes it drives away this darkenesse by giving us another eye to see thorow it And the darkenesse comprehended it not so that till a man have the spirit he doth neither truely see nor beleeve You cannot beleeve till you have the spirit but when you have got the spirit then you will beleeve in Christ. Wee preach Christ unto all and exhort you to beleeve but what is the reason that some beleeve and others beleeve not but because they doe not see they want the spirit to shew them sinne to humble them and Christ to comfort them and therefore Peter cals them purblind As men that are purblind cannot see things a farre off except they bee neere so men without the spirit are but purblind men that cannot see Christ and Grace and Salvation a farre off as neere but if they had the Spirit then they would see them neere hand that is you would see a marvellous beauty in Christ and holinesse it is that which the Apostle speakes of in 1 Cor. 2. 9. The eye hath not seene c. that is he saw them before but he saw them not in that manner hee sees them now they are represented unto him in another fashion Againe he sees them in another hue hee sees another beauty in them thus you see the sanctifying spirit openeth the eye of the understanding to see more A blind man might see if hee had but the faculty of seeing so a spirituall blind man will see when hee hath the spirit The third benefit that a Christian hath by the Spirit is this it breeds heavenly and spirituall effects in the soule as joy and comfort and the like and therefore in Iohn 14. he is called the Comforter First I say the Spirit will beget joy in the soule and therefore saith Christ hee will speaking of the Spirit lead you unto all peace and joy in beleeving now I make a difference betweene joy and comfort thus joy is unto the soule as a wall is unto a Citie the wall doth compasse the Citie and so is a defence for it that is it keeps pettie dangers out so doth joy it walles and fences the soule and keepes out many enemies that otherwise would destroy it 2. effect is comfort and this I call a Bulwarke because a Bulwarke is of greater strength to beate backe and keepe out any that shall besiege it and makes the Citizens more secure so comfort is the Bulwarke of the soule against the greatest temptations and tryalls it makes the soule secure resting upon Christ. 3. effect that the Spirit begets is boldnesse that is there is no true boldnesse without the Spirit Let Adam witnesse it aske him what boldnesse he had when hee hid himselfe from God and what was the reason of it but because he wanted the Spirit and on the contrary when the Disciples had received the Spirit they spake with boldnesse 4. effect that the Spirit begets is holy and heavenly desires in the soule therefore the Church in the Canticles when shee had got the Spirit shee had bred in her loving desires after Christ as in Canticles 1. 7. shee is marvellous inquisitive where to finde Christ for what is the reason that there is in men such a want of holy desires but because they have not this Spirit 5. effect that the Spirit begets is holy indignation that is holy anger it is an effect of the Spirit and therefore the Apostle saith in 2. Cor. 7. 11. what indignation or wrath this he speakes in the commendation of the Corinthians men will not be angry with sinne as evill till they get the Spirit 6. effect of the Spirit is holy affections it will make you to have heavenly affections to God to grace to the Saints therefore the Lord saith Ezech. 36. 26. I will give you a new heart carnall men they may doe something to make their children reverence them or to love them in regard of some domination they may proffer an object but they cannot beget holy affections this is the onely worke of the Spirit thus to change the heart 7. effect of the Spirit is this it will purge the soule it will cast out all rubbish out of the soule therefore the Lord saith that he will purge the sonnes of Levi as silver that is that they may be fit for the Priesthood he will purge out of them by the Spirit that which otherwise would make them unfit And David often in Psal. 51. vers 2. 7. prayes that the Lord would purge him wash him and cleanse him from his sinne and then after hee prayes for the restoring of the Spirit making the absence of the Spirit the cause of his uncleannesse 8. effect of the Spirit is this it kindles holy affections to good in us I said before that the holy Spirit workes holy affections in us but now I adde that hee kindleth those affections in us to good and this is that which gives us great advantage against sinne I say wee have no small advantage of the divell but great advantage when the heart is full of heavenly affections and that for these Reasons The first Reason is because the more holy affections the better man God accounts more of him a man is esteemed of God as hee hath or hath not holy affections a man is that which he is in his affections a man is not a good man because he knowea much but he is a holy man because he hath holy affections that is he is full of love to God to Christ and to the Saints The second Reason is because holy affections they are a meanes or a second cause of good they are the cause of good actions as for example for a man to suffer for Christ and yet not to doe it with holy affections out of love unto Christ it is nothing worth therefore when the affections are right they are drawne upward by the Spirit both to doe and to suffer The third Reason is because holy affections they widen the soule they make the soule large for when holy affections are dead in you the soule will begin to shrinke in even as cloath that is not throughly made when water falles upon it will runne in but if you stretch it it will come to the same length againe so when the